A regular MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
november 5, 2019
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 9:00 a.m., in the County Commission Chambers, Lake County Administration Building, Tavares, Florida. Commissioners present at the meeting were: Wendy Breeden, Vice Chairman; Timothy I. Sullivan; Sean Parks; and Josh Blake. Commissioner not present at the meeting: Leslie Campione, Chairman. 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.
INVOCATION and pledge
Pastor David Stauffer from Morrison United Methodist Church in the City of Leesburg gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda update
Mr. Jeff Cole, County Manager, stated that since the agenda was first published, additional backup information was included for Tabs 12 and 25, and that Tab 29 was added to the agenda per Commissioner Blake’s request.
employee service 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
Michael Abbott, EMS Mechanic Supervisor
Office of Public Safety Support
Levar Cooper, Senior Web Developer (not present)
Office of Communications
Michael Vitta, Fire Marshal/Fire Captain
Office of Fire Rescue
TEN YEARS
Christopher Albert, Firefighter/Paramedic (not present)
Office of Fire Rescue
Mitchell Burgher, Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic (not present)
Office of Fire Rescue
Valerie Ligi, Firefighter/Paramedic
Office of Fire Rescue
Jonathon Longest, Firefighter/EMT (not present)
Office of Fire Rescue
William Perry, Firefighter/EMT (not present)
Office of Fire Rescue
Kyle Rushton, Firefighter/Paramedic (not present)
Office of Fire Rescue
Justin Smith, Firefighter/EMT (not present)
Office of Fire Rescue
FIFTEEN YEARS
Clinton Chapman, Fire Lieutenant/EMT
Office of Fire Rescue
Michael Compton, Firefighter/EMT
Office of Fire Rescue
Jason Fisher, Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic
Office of Fire Rescue
Matthew Price, Fire Lieutenant/EMT
Office of Fire Rescue
TWENTY
YEARS
Kristopher
Bush, Battalion Fire Chief
Office of Fire
Rescue
Kathy
Edwards, Fire Lieutenant/EMT
Office of Fire
Rescue
Jeremy
Hendrix, Fire Lieutenant/EMT
Office of Fire
Rescue
Jeremy
Searcy, Fire Lieutenant/EMT
Office of Fire Rescue
TWENTY-FIVE
YEARS
Carol
Boyle, Assessment Specialist (not
present)
Office of Management and Budget
RETIREMENTS
TWELVE YEARS
Richard Helfst, Senior GIS Analyst (not present)
Information Technology Department
SEVENTEEN
YEARS
Kathy Pagan, Associate Director
Office of Visit Lake, Agency for Economic Prosperity
retirement
Mr. Brandon Matulka, Executive Director for the Agency for Economic Prosperity, commented that his time with Lake County taught him the value of having a positive and enthusiastic group of coworkers, and that he had witnessed colleagues working to enhance the image and productivity within the County but none more so than Ms. Kathy Pagan. He relayed that when he started with the Agency for Economic Prosperity, one of the first items he heard was that Ms. Pagan’s knowledge of the county was invaluable and that, along with her positive attitude, was what made the tourism office work well; furthermore, he stated that her knowledge of her position, the area, the people and everything Lake County was irreplaceable and made her the first person everyone in the department looked to for information, both current and historical. He shared that Ms. Pagan had many accomplishments throughout her Lake County career including managing the Lake County Welcome Center, creating and launching the inaugural Wings and Wildflowers Festival, and her significant investment of time and energy to bring the Lake County Arts and Cultural Alliance to where it was today; additionally, he indicated that her biggest accomplishment was her 17 years advocating and representing Lake County tourism with pride and dedication. He said that she planned to travel around the country and the world visiting family and friends, and in pursuit of her passion for adventure. He relayed that her consistent support and cheery attitude, which had become her trademark, would be greatly missed, and that those who have had the pleasure of working with her have been honored to do so. He concluded by telling her how much she would be missed and wishing her well on her next adventure and much deserved retirement.
Minutes approval
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Blake, and carried unanimously by a 4-0 vote, the Board approved the minutes for the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting of September 10, 2019 (Regular Meeting) as presented.
citizen question and comment period
No one wished to address the Board at this time.
PROCLAMATION 2019-134
On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Blake, and carried unanimously by a 4-0 vote, the Board approved Proclamation 2019-134 declaring November 2019 as Hospice Month in Lake County.
Commr. Parks thanked Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care for all they do for the community and for the difference they make in individuals’ lives. He then read and presented Proclamation 2019-134 to several representatives from the organization.
Mr. Chuck Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care, thanked the BCC for the recognition on behalf of the Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and patients. He also expressed appreciation for the Board’s support of all their programs and believed that this public acknowledgement would help spread the word regarding the services they offer to Lake County citizens.
proclamation 2019-29
Commr. Sullivan remarked that Proclamation 2019-29, designating November 16, 2019 as Lake County’s first Stand Down event for homeless and near-homeless veterans, was special to him since he was a 33 year military veteran, noting that about 18 years ago he was personally in a warzone. He then read and presented the proclamation to several Operation Stand Down Committee members as well as many professionals who work with various veterans’ programs through the Lake County Veteran’s Treatment Court, the Counseling and Development Center, The Veteran’s Organization of Resource and Recovery for the Homeless, and the Lake County Veterans Service Office.
Dr. Patrick Ward, Owner and Director for the Counseling and Development Center, thanked the Board for the proclamation and for all their support of the Lake County Veteran’s Treatment Court through which volunteers and mentors serve the veteran community. He also relayed appreciation for those from the Counseling and Development Center, The Veteran’s Organization of Resource and Recovery for the Homeless, the Lake County Veterans Service Office, Lake Cares, St. Vincent De Paul, and the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida for all their assistance. He expressed a desire for this to become an annual event in order to show the importance of how citizens feel about veterans and the homeless within the county.
CLERK OF the Circuit COURT and comptroller’s CONSENT AGENDA
On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a 4-0 vote, the Board approved the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Consent Agenda, Items 1 through 3, 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 Eustis CRA Adopted Budget for FY 2019/2020
Request to acknowledge receipt of the Fiscal Year 2019/2020 City of Eustis CRA Adopted Budget, per HB 0009.
Florida Development Finance Corporation Annual Reporting
Request to acknowledge receipt of the Florida Development Finance Corporation Annual Reporting Requirements. In accordance with Section 288.9610, Florida Statutes, the Florida Development Finance Corporation has enclosed the following information:
a. Audit results conducted pursuant to Section 11.45, Florida Statutes;
b. A summary of the activities, operations and accomplishments of the Florida Development Finance Corporation which were conducted during Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2019, including the number of businesses assisted by the Corporation; and
c. The assets, liabilities, income and operating expenses of the Corporation during Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2019, including a description of all outstanding revenue bonds.
COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA
Commr. Parks asked for Tab 9 to be pulled for a separate vote as he wanted to recuse himself from voting for this agenda item due to his many years of service to Montverde Academy even prior to serving in office, noting that there was no gain with this agreement but this was merely to avoid any perception of such.
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved the Consent Agenda, Tabs 5 through 24, with the additional backup materials for Tabs 12 and 25, and pulling Tab 9 for a separate vote as follows below:
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 3-0, the Board approved Consent Agenda Tab 9. Commissioner Parks abstained from voting.
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Request approval for the County Attorney or Deputy County Attorney to execute a Stipulation of Settlement in the case of Dela Eden Properties, LLC, a Florida limited liability company v. The City of Umatilla, Lake County, Florida, and the State of Florida Department of Transportation, Case No. 2017-CA-1505. The fiscal impact cannot be determined at this time. Commission District 5.
Request approval for the County Attorney, or designee, to execute a Stipulation for Settlement as to Costs and Attorneys’ Fees in Circuit Court Case No. 2018-CA-1984, Lake County, Florida v. Christopher McCarthy, et al., (Parcel Number: CG-06). The fiscal impact is $210,958.50 (expenditure). Commission District 2.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Procurement Services
Request approval to declare items as surplus, which includes donation of two vehicles to Lake-Sumter State College, and authorization to remove the items from the County’s official fixed asset inventory system records. The fiscal impact (revenue) cannot be determined at this time.
AGENCY FOR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
Request approval of an amendment to the agreement with The Spring Games, LLC (Clermont, FL) to extend the termination date of the agreement to December 1, 2019. There is no additional fiscal impact. Commission Districts 2 and 3.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Building Services
Request approval of an Interlocal Agreement with the Town of Montverde for the issuance of building permits, plan review, and construction inspections for a Montverde Academy construction project. The fiscal impact (revenue) cannot be determined at this time. Fees assessed will be based on the current Lake County Fee Schedule. Commission District 2.
Emergency Management
Request approval of an agreement with the State of Florida, Florida Division of Emergency Management, extending the use of the Everbridge Emergency Notification System. There is no fiscal impact.
Fire Rescue
Request approval of the Hazards Analysis Grant Agreement with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and authorization for the County Manager to execute any supporting documentation. The fiscal impact is $9,297.00 (revenue).
Planning and Zoning
Request approval to advertise an ordinance to amend Section 9.02.05, Lake County Code, Appendix E, Land Development Regulations, entitled “Criteria for Issuance of Tree Removal Permit” to exempt removal of trees on residential properties in accordance with Section 163.045, Florida Statutes. There is no fiscal impact from this action.
PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Facilities Management
Request approval of Contract 19-0927 with Greenwood & Son Contracting, Inc. (Grand Island, FL) for demolition services at the Lake County Sheriff's Evidence Storage Building in Groveland, which was damaged during Hurricane Irma in 2017. The fiscal impact is $29,650.00 (expenditure to be paid from the insurance settlement). Commission District 1.
Housing and Human Services
Request approval of grant funding and related agreements for nine organizations that submitted applications through the Human Services Grant Request for Proposal process. The fiscal impact is $122,500.00 (expenditure).
Request approval of grant funding and related agreements for 11 organizations recommended by the Children's Services Council Request for Proposal (RFP) Committee, through the Children's Services Council Grant RFP application process. The fiscal impact is $175,761.00 (expenditure).
Request approval of an agreement with LifeStream Behavioral Center, Inc. for Fiscal Year 2020 funding. The fiscal impact is $1,223,987.00 (expenditure).
Request:
1. Approval of the Continuum of Care (CoC) Grant Closeout Agreements for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 and 2018.
2. Authorization for the Chairman to execute the closeout documents.
3. Authorization for the County Manager, or designee, to execute any future closeout documents for the CoC grants.
There is no fiscal impact.
Request approval of an amendment to the Continuum of Care Grant Agreement for Fiscal Year 2020 to increase the number of bedrooms to three on two housing vouchers, which enables the County to serve larger families. There is no fiscal impact.
Library Services
Request approval to advertise an ordinance amending Lake County Code, Chapter 12, Article III, Section 12-37, entitled Library Advisory Board, to:
1. Add one member and one alternate member from the City of Eustis.
2. Modify members’ terms to four years from the date members are appointed.
There is no fiscal impact.
Public Works
Request approval and execution of a County deed in favor of Scott D. and Mary E. Christley to clear the title for property in the vicinity of Blackstarr Road and Whitney Road, in the City of Leesburg. The fiscal impact is $29.20 (expenditure - recording fees). Commission Districts 1 and 3.
Request approval of Resolution 2019-142 authorizing the installation of “stop” signs and “all way” plaques on Good Hearth Boulevard at Abbey Hill Court and on Good Hearth Boulevard at Gathering Place Circle, in the Clermont area. The fiscal impact is $200.00 (expenditure - sign materials). Commission District 2.
Request approval to release a cash maintenance surety of $51,925.55 that was provided for the maintenance of improvements in the Palisades Phase 3A subdivision, located south of Minneola and east of the City of Groveland. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 1.
Request approval:
1. Of a permit application submitted by Taylor Morrison of Florida, Inc. (Maitland, FL) for hauling activity associated with the Highland Ranch mass grading project located on North Hancock Road within the City of Clermont.
2. Of a performance bond in the amount of $100,000.00 for the maintenance of North Hancock Road throughout the hauling period.
The fiscal impact is $30,100.00 (revenue – permit application and road maintenance fee). Commission District 2.
Request approval of Resolution 2019-143 temporarily suspending the “No Through Trucks Class 8 or Higher” restriction on County Road (CR) 44A and CR 437, located near Eustis, as requested by the Florida Department of Transportation for resurfacing and culvert repair on State Road 44. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 4.
regular agenda
sr 50 and u.s. 27 commercial corridor design criteria
Mr. Tim McClendon, Director for the Office of Planning and Zoning, relayed that the presentation would include background information and the existing design standards, the proposed design standards, and the staff process and analysis. He shared the following background information as follows: at their May 17, 2019 Board meeting, the BCC directed staff to create new commercial design guidelines for properties located within the State Road (SR) 50 and U.S. 27 major corridors; the purpose was to create one consistent design standard that was shared between the City of Clermont and the County; existing current design standards only discussed minor architectural components such as color, materials, lighting, and the requirement to hide mechanical equipment from roadway views; and current commercial site design only encouraged inter-connectivity which is cross access between parcels. He then displayed two maps identifying where these corridors were located, noting that the SR 50 corridor started at the Lake-Orange County line and ran west up to U.S. 27, and the U.S. 27 corridor ran north-south along U.S. 27, stopped at Hartwood Marsh Road and then picked up again just south of Wellness Way and extended down to the Four Corners area. He then relayed the following elements of the proposed design standards: focuses on the design and function of the land versus the typical separation of land uses; requires any new development or parcels undergoing substantial redevelopment to be compatible with the new design standards; new site circulation regulations would require shared ingress and egress in order to minimize single access for individual uses; pedestrian circulation would require wider sidewalks along the corridors and better interior pedestrian interconnectivity throughout the entire project site; building setbacks would require a minimum of ten feet and a maximum of 60 feet from the right-of-way; drive-thru facilities such as gas stations must have canopies as an extension of the primary structure; retention areas must have a natural appearance and create a pedestrian friendly environment around them; freestanding displays must be fully screened from primary roadways; projects must accommodate bicycle parking areas; and projects with buildings over 100,000 square feet must work with the County or transit provider to determine if a bus stop is necessary. He remarked that the staff process and analysis included evaluating the form and function of existing development patterns for the entire corridor as well as coordinating with the City of Clermont in regards to their standards in order to have a single theme for the entire area. He mentioned that the proposed ordinance did not include the Clermont Joint Planning Area (JPA) since the City and the County had already jointly agreed upon standards and a majority of the JPA had been annexed into the City, did not include the Wellness Way area, and was consistent with the Lake County Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan). He then showed several pictures of what these design standards could potentially look like in real world examples, noting that the main focus was to bring the buildings to the roadway in order to promote good urban design and pedestrian oriented development.
Commr. Breeden asked to clarify that these standards did not include Wellness Way.
Mr. McClendon confirmed that was correct, and noted that this corridor was just south of Wellness Way and went down to the Four Corners area which was included, noting that anything outlined in red on the map was identified as part of the major corridors.
Commr. Sullivan asked if it included U.S. 192, and noted that Osceola County had a different standard.
Mr. McClendon responded that it did include a portion of U.S. 192, and that staff was aware of Osceola County’s different standard and was working with all four of the counties to create specific standards for the U.S. 192 area. He added that most of that area was already built out in the county; therefore, this design standard would most likely not apply unless an area underwent massive redevelopment.
Commr. Parks encouraged the Board to support and pass this ordinance as written. He opined that these standards for commercial development had been needed for a while, noting that he often receives questions and concerns from constituents regarding inconsistencies between what the City of Clermont was doing and what might be happening within the Four Corners area. He added that he and Commissioner Sullivan had been a part of several workshops in the Four Corners area, and he relayed that many were desiring to have a design standard. He thought that these proposed standards were not overburdening or stringent but were fairly basic standards, and he felt that they were less detailed then what the Board had approved in 2017 for the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). He opined that as the County desired to create an environment conducive to job creation and economic growth, millennials were more interested in a place that looked different than normal suburbia; furthermore, he believed that these standards would help to make the county look different, fit with the County’s economic long term goals, and developed a land use pattern that was fiscally sustainable. He also thought that in the future, businesses, restaurants, and retail outlets would come to this county based on demographics and the desire to be in a location that was attractive, and that these standards would not drive away business. He reiterated his support to move this item forward.
Commr. Sullivan relayed his agreement with Commissioner Parks’ thoughts. He said that his only concern was to make sure the County was not adding to the cost for a business. He also suggested expanding it further due to the growth within the City of Groveland area, noting that the SR 50 and U.S. 27 corridor continued to grow tremendously. He expressed his support for moving forward with these standards.
Commr. Blake recalled that he had voted against the standards for the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento CRA as he felt that the government should not enforce aesthetic standards on private citizens. He thought that some of the regulations within this proposed ordinance for design criteria were attempting to micromanage the economy, although he indicated that he might support them if they were suggestions and not enforced by the government since he did appreciate the importance of a design theme.
Commr. Parks commented that he was supportive of suggestive or preferred development patterns; however, he felt that if there were not minimum standards then many might not incorporate them. He opined that evidence for a fiscally responsible development pattern supported having basic standards and he believed that this would assist with alleviating future development issues.
Commr. Breeden commented that her thoughts regarding this might be somewhere in the middle of the two presented by the other Commissioners. She referenced the pictures of what this design could potentially look like, and opined that implementing this in the City of Clermont may make it less attractive since the city already had so much development and this might give it two very different commercial designs; however, she thought that this would work better within the Four Corners and Wellness Way areas.
Commr. Parks indicated that the City of Clermont did support these design standards and already had some buildings which were being built near the road such as the Anderson Hill Road and U.S. 27 commercial area. He added that the City had already adopted these standards but had taken out the use limitations, noting that they were not in the County’s proposed guidelines either and that the County was not regulating that. He also said that the City of Clermont was doing a study on higher density development on SR 50 and U.S. 27; additionally, he mentioned that in 2011, all of the cities within South Lake as well as the County adopted a plan through the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) that encouraged the higher density along SR 50 in order to protect neighborhoods and the Green Swamp area.
Commr. Breeden relayed that there was enough support for this ordinance to come back to the Board for approval to advertise.
Mr. Cole explained that staff’s intent was to bring this ordinance back for a request to advertise at the December 3, 2019 BCC meeting; however, he stated that they could bring it back at the November 19, 2019 BCC meeting but noted that they would not have a full board on that date. He summarized that if having a full board present was desired, then staff would have it as a request to advertise on December 3, 2019 with the public hearing on December 17, 2019.
The Commissioners expressed support for those dates.
other business
ratification of women’s hall of fame committee selection
On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved to ratify Ms. Kyleen Jane Fischer as the 2019 Women’s Hall of Fame inductee as selected by the Women’s Hall of Fame Committee.
Commr. Sullivan relayed that he had worked with Ms. Fischer when he had served on the Lake County School Board, and noted she was an outstanding individual who always had a heart for Lake County.
appointment to mt. plymouth-sorrento cra advisory committee
On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved the appointment of Mr. Shobhit Gupta to fill the vacancy in the members who are property owners within the Planning Area category on the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento Community Redevelopment Advisory Committee.
appointment to the arts and cultural alliance
On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 3-0, the Board approved the appointment of Ms. Maria Stefanovic as the municipal representative for the City of Leesburg on the Arts and Cultural Alliance to fill an unexpired term ending July 31, 2020. Commissioner Blake was not present for the vote.
reports
county manager
southwest florida water management district funding
Mr. Cole recalled that in February 2019, the BCC approved the County’s application to the Southwest Florida Water Management District for $500,000 in funding for hydrologic and ecosystem restoration projects at the Pasture Reserve in the Green Swamp. He announced that the County was awarded the $500,000, and that the funding would be combined with County funding over the next four years in order to accomplish the following: restore natural water regimes, flows and levels; enhance water storage, infiltration and water quality; remove exotic species; and conduct prescribed burns.
trip to tallahassee for legislative priorities
Mr. Cole mentioned that he and Mr. Ron Russo, Deputy County Manager, would be going to the City of Tallahassee this week in order to meet with legislative staff to discuss Lake County’s legislative priorities.
county offices closed for veteran’s day
Mr. Cole reminded everyone that County Offices would be closed on Monday, November 11, 2019 in observance of Veteran’s Day.
commissioners reports
commissioner sullivan – district 1
orlando economic partnership
Commr. Sullivan mentioned that he had attended a meeting with the Orlando Economic Partnership the previous evening. He relayed that they were reviewing topics such as affordable housing, homelessness, and related issues similar to what Lake County had been discussing. He indicated that the Orlando Economic Partnership had performed a study on these issues and would be publishing the results shortly which he would be sharing with the BCC. He reported that one of the statistics from this study was that 45 to 48 percent of individuals within the four county region were living within $400 of an emergency, noting that the Orlando Economic Partnership would be evaluating ways to help with these types of situations. He thought that it was interesting that the private sector was coordinating with the public sector to take action on some regional issues which were important to everyone in the four county area; additionally, he relayed that many were astonished at the statistics from the study.
Commr. Breeden inquired if they had done any breakouts by county or only by the region.
Commr. Sullivan replied that the presentation was not done by county; however, he had access to a website which broke it down by county and that he would report that to the Board. He reiterated that he felt this tied into what Lake County was discussing regarding housing, zoning, homelessness, and affordable housing.
Mr. Cole reported that staff was planning to have an affordable housing and homelessness workshop at the Board’s December 3, 2019 meeting to include an update on the progress with The Salvation Army’s proposed shelter, a draft agenda for the potential meeting with the municipalities, and affordable housing discussions.
Commr. Breeden suggested that some of the information from the study just mentioned by Commissioner Sullivan also be included.
veteran’s day
Commr. Sullivan encouraged everyone to thank veterans for their service since Veteran’s Day was the following Monday.
commissioner parks – district 2
central florida dreamplex
Commr. Parks complimented Central Florida Dreamplex, a facility which provides individuals with disabilities a place to participate in sports and activities specifically designed for them, on their successful dinner that he attended two weeks prior. He expressed appreciation for all that they do for the community.
lake county logo in tax collector offices
Commr. Parks shared that he had a recent conversation with Lake County Tax Collector David Jordan regarding placing the Lake County logo on the walls of the various tax collector locations throughout the county; additionally, he suggested utilizing the Real Florida Real Close branding along with making parks and trails brochures available as he thought this would be a good way to promote the county. He indicated that Mr. Jordan was open to these suggestions and asked for staff to follow up with him.
commissioner blake – district 5
resolution 2019-144 LAke County a second amendment sanctuary
Commr. Blake provided some background regarding his request for this resolution and explained that there was debate within the country regarding gun control and proposed changes to the national gun laws due to terrible crimes that had been committed, noting that many of these tragedies had taken place in gun free zones where people were not legally allowed to defend themselves with force. He recalled that the Board had discussed this when they changed the County employee handbook policy to allow properly licensed County employees with permits to carry their guns while at work. He opined that one of the primary reactions nationally to these criminal acts was to penalize the law abiding citizens who made up the vast majority of the gun owners in this country; additionally, he expressed shock at the recent pronouncements by prominent national presidential candidates asking for national gun bans of some of the most popular and commonly owned rifles in this country with many demanding mandatory buybacks by law enforcement. He elaborated that if the Board passed this resolution, then Lake County would be the first county in the State of Florida to declare itself a Second Amendment sanctuary; however, he noted that this was a national movement and that more than half of the counties in the State of Illinois had already passed Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions. He relayed that he had met with Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell and was very grateful for the Sheriff’s support of this resolution. He felt that this resolution was very straightforward and that he hoped it would send a message to those attempting to force mandatory buybacks. He then read Resolution 2019-144 as well as the letter of support from Sheriff Grinnell.
Mr. Cole mentioned that Commissioner Campione had asked for him to read two emails expressing her position on this resolution since due to the Florida Sunshine Law, she was not able to email her fellow Commissioners directly. He then read Commissioner Campione’s two emails which indicated that she was in support of the resolution but desired for another word to be utilized in place of the word sanctuary as she thought that word might cause some confusion.
Commr. Blake said that he appreciated Commissioner Campione’s comments; however, since it was a national movement, he preferred to use the same language and felt that sanctuary adequately described the current situation.
Commr. Parks relayed his support for the resolution and said that he appreciated the whereas clause regarding County sheriffs being the protectors of the United States Constitution; additionally, he opined that this was a recognition and backing of local government since Sheriff Grinnell was elected by Lake County citizens.
Commr. Breeden commented that she was also in support of the resolution since she was in favor of the Second Amendment. She realized that some may question her support since she voted against the conditional use permit for a local gun range; however, she explained that the conditional use permit pertained to the use of the facility as opposed to the use of guns.
On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved Resolution 2019-144 declaring Lake County a Second Amendment Sanctuary.
commissioner breeden – vice chairman and district 3
veterans breakfast
Commr. Breeden mentioned that she was looking forward to attending the Veteran’s Day breakfast provided by the City Chambers of Commerce the following morning.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 10:13 a.m.
_________________________________
leslie campione, chairman
ATTEST:
________________________________
GARY J COONEY, CLERK