A regular MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
march 10, 2020
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at 9:00 a.m., in the County Commission Chambers, Lake County Administration Building, Tavares, Florida. Commissioners present at the meeting were: Leslie Campione, Chairman; Wendy Breeden, Vice Chairman; Timothy I. Sullivan; Sean Parks; 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.
INVOCATION and pledge
Commr. Campione mentioned that
Mr. Anthony Padilla, Assistant Veterans Services Officer with the Lake County
Veterans Services Office, would be leading the Pledge of Allegiance for today’s
meeting. She shared that Mr. Padilla had
served in the United States Army from 2000 to 2004 as a multiple launch rocket
system crew member stationed in Germany and deployed to Kosovo; additionally,
he had been deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where he
received a battlefield promotion to sergeant.
She reported that Mr. Padilla’s awards included the Army Commendation
Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense
Service Medal, Kosovo and Iraq Campaign Medals, Global War on Terrorism Service
Medal, and the Army Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon. She stated that the Board of County
Commissioners (BCC) was honored to have Mr. Padilla leading the pledge.
Pastor David Stauffer from Morrison United Methodist Church in the City of Leesburg gave the Invocation, and then Mr. Padilla led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda update
Mr. Jeff Cole, County Manager, stated that these two changes had been made since the agenda was first published: the backup for Tab 20 was updated with two new maps which enhanced the clarity of the trail segments; and Tab 23 had been added as an addendum to the Consent Agenda.
Commr. Campione requested for Tab 22, Lake County Water Authority (LCWA) presentation, to be moved to earlier in the agenda. She also mentioned that the County had formed at countywide taskforce under the direction and guidance of the Florida Department of Health (DOH) to ensure the county was prepared should local actions need to be taken to address the COVID-19 virus.
office of emergency management update
Mr. Tommy Carpenter, Director for the Office of Emergency Management, commented that his office had been working with the DOH since the end of January 2020 in order to follow what had been happening with the COVID-19 virus. He reported that two weeks prior, a preliminary taskforce had been formed with the DOH in Lake County, the Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the Office of Fire Rescue, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). He indicated that the DOH had presented at the Lake County Emergency Operations Center with the caveat that the information could change daily. He relayed that the basic premise was to follow the common sense guidelines similar to those during the flu season of washing hands, keeping surfaces clean, and greeting others without shaking hands. He remarked that COVID-19 was a new virus, appeared to be more respiratory, and that there were currently no cases within Lake County. He shared that the goal of the taskforce was to include various stakeholders, such as the municipalities; additionally, he added that a communications group was created which consisted of the municipalities and anyone within the Lake County public information network, so that the most accurate information from the Florida DOH and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was provided to the public. He explained that the stakeholders and communications group would be meeting weekly, and that his office was also meeting with Lake and Sumter Emergency Recovery (LASER) later that day to involve the faith based groups so they could better protect their congregations and the community. He elaborated that they wanted to have a system in place to assist any individuals who might need to self-quarantine. He reiterated that the goal of the taskforce was communication between the Florida DOH, stakeholders, and regional emergency management counterparts in order to share information and best practices. He reported that the previous evening, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had declared an executive order for state agencies in order to assist them with whatever they might need.
Commr. Breeden asked if the Lake County School Board was participating with the taskforce.
Mr. Carpenter replied that they were, and that they had been linked directly with the Florida DOH as well as communicating with the Florida Department of Education. He added that there was daily communication between the Florida DOH and school nurses in order to provide the best information on how to protect the students.
Commr. Breeden inquired if the public could be informed about the taskforce and Lake County’s monitoring of the virus.
Mr. Carpenter responded that he was working with the Office of Communications which was also meeting weekly with the overall communications group, noting that the goal was to ensure that all communications groups were delivering the most accurate information.
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
Peter
Deschenes, Telecommunications System Administrator
Information
Technology Department
Ross Hansley,
Maintenance Technician II
Office of
Facilities Management
FIFTEEN YEARS
Shelly Coates, Database and Application
Coordinator
Information Technology Department
Jeffrey Lord, Fire Lieutenant/EMT (not
present)
Office of Fire Rescue
Thomas Mitchell, Firefighter/Paramedic (not
present)
Office of Fire Rescue
TWENTY
YEARS
William Cork, Fire Lieutenant/EMT
Office of Fire Rescue
Truman McCall, Equipment Operator IV/ Team
Leader
Public Works Department
Michael Quick, Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic
Office of Fire Rescue
RETIREMENTS
EIGHTEEN YEARS
James Green, Mechanic II
Office of Fleet Management
TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS
Joe Harris, Chief Maintenance Supervisor
Office of Facilities Management
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION
Office of Emergency Medical Services
Nate Gardner, Paramedic
retirements
Mr. Joe Blackwell,
Director for the Office of Fleet Management, mentioned that Mr. James Green,
Mechanic II with the Office of Fleet Management, began his career 18 years
prior as an automotive technician. He
said that Mr. Green had been a mentor and leader to his coworkers, and planned
to begin his retirement by fishing, working on house projects, and spending
time with his wife. He then thanked Mr.
Green for his years of service and congratulated him on his retirement.
Mr. Wesley Jones, Director
for the Office of Facilities Management, commented that Mr. Joe Harris, Chief
Maintenance Supervisor with the Office of Facilities Management, began his career with Lake County on March
30, 1992, was skilled in the electrical trade and indoor locking systems, and
worked as a maintenance mechanic in the Lake County Detention Center until
October 2000 when he was promoted to maintenance supervisor. He remarked that since that time, Mr. Harris
had served under several administrations and had continued to earn the trust
and respect of the LCSO staff as well as anyone who worked for him. He shared that while it would be difficult to
replace Mr. Harris’ knowledge and expertise in the correctional facility and
its system, Mr. Harris had worked diligently to ensure that his crew was ready
as he prepared to pass the responsibilities of his position onto his
replacement. He then thanked Mr. Harris
for his 28 years of dedication to the county, and wished him all the best in
retirement.
employee recognition
Mr. Jerry Smith, Director for the Office of EMS, introduced members of the American Legion Post 76 in the City of Tavares who then presented the Certificate of Accommodation Award to Mr. Nate Gardner, Office of EMS, who had served as the paramedic for their post and was selected for this award due to the many compliments received regarding his work, his positive and professional approach, and his loyalty to the organization.
Minutes approval
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Breeden, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the minutes for the BCC meeting of January 14, 2020 (Regular Meeting).
citizen question and comment period
No one wished to address the Board at this time.
proclamation 2020-21
On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved Proclamation 2020-21 designating March 15-21, 2020 as Florida Surveyors and Mappers Week in Lake County.
Commr. Campione then read and presented Proclamation 2020-21 to Mr. Cary Melvin, Lake County Public Works Department, and to several department surveyors.
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 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Consent Agenda, Items 1 through 5, 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.
Lands Available for Taxes List
Request to acknowledge receipt of property placed on the Lands Available for Taxes List.
City of Eustis Ordinances
Request to acknowledge receipt of Annexation Ordinance 20-01 and corresponding Comprehensive Plan Amendment Ordinance 20-02 from the City of Eustis.
City of Tavares Ordinance
Request to acknowledge receipt of Annexation Ordinance 2020-01 from the City of Tavares.
Lake County’s Semi-Annual Investment Report
Request to acknowledge receipt of Lake County’s Semi-Annual Investment Report of December 31, 2019.
COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA
Commr. Blake requested for Tab 6 to be pulled for a separate vote.
On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Consent Agenda, Tabs 4 through 16, plus Tab 23, pulling Tab 6 for a separate vote as follows below.
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved Consent Agenda Tab 6.
Commr. Blake voted no.
PROCLAMATIONS
Request approval of Proclamation 2020-25 designating April 19 - 25, 2020, as National Library Week in Lake County. There is no fiscal impact.
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Request approval and execution of a Non-Exclusive Easement deed for ingress and egress in favor of Fasas Development, LLC, for access to the proposed Holden Ridge Townhomes of Minneola plat located on Babair Lane in the Minneola area. The fiscal impact is $44.00 (expenditure – recording fees). Commission District 2.
Request approval for the County Attorney, or designee, to execute the Stipulated Final Judgment in Court Case No. 2019-CA-2185, Lake County vs. Donald W. Clark, et al. (Parcel Number: FP-91) for the needed right of way and grading, drainage and utility easement for the County Road 466A Road Project. The fiscal impact is $49,430.00 (expenditure). Commission District 5.
Request approval:
1. For the Chairman to execute a settlement agreement with DTR Leasing Corporation, a Florida corporation, in the case of DTR Leasing Corporation v. Lake County, Florida, Case No. 2015-CA-001737, filed in the Circuit Court in and for Lake County, Florida.
2. For the Chairman to execute subsequent documents related to fulfilling the terms of the settlement agreement, including any required closing documents.
3. Of a budget amendment transferring $1,500,000.00 out of the Property & Casualty Fund Reserves account and into the Claims Payments - Liability account to cover the first payment due in the current fiscal year.
The fiscal impact is $5,041,250.00 (expenditure - $3,000,000.00 in principal payments and up to $41,250.00 in interest payments over three years; and $2,000,000.00 in impact fee credits).
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Procurement Services
Request approval to declare items as surplus and authorization to remove them from the County’s official fixed asset inventory system records. The fiscal impact (revenue) cannot be determined at this time.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Planning and Zoning
Request approval to advertise an ordinance to amend Section 6.06.05, Lake County Code, Appendix E, Land Development Regulations, Financial Responsibility, to clarify that financial assurances are required for reclamation activities only. There is no fiscal impact.
Request approval to advertise an ordinance to amend Section 10.01.06, Lake County Code, Appendix E, Land Development Regulations, Backyard Chickens, to clarify Agriculture (A), Agriculture Residential (AR), Ranchette District (RA), and Rural Residential (R-1) zoning districts are not required to meet backyard chicken requirements. There is no fiscal impact.
Public Safety
Request approval of an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Apopka for a shared public service radio communications facility that the City will permit and construct on property owned by the Central Florida Expressway Authority, located in Orange County. The fiscal impact is $100,000.00 (expenditure).
PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Library Services
Request approval to apply for a Library Services and Technology Act grant to digitize Lake County cultural resources. There is no fiscal impact to the County from this action.
Public Works
Request approval of Contract 20-0705 with RDK Truck Sales (Tampa, FL) for the purchase of two Roll-Off Trucks to be used in landfill operations. The estimated fiscal impact is $336,815.40 (expenditure).
Request approval to award a contract to Estep Construction, Inc. (Apopka, FL) for the County Road 473 Sidewalk project (Fountain Lake Boulevard to Haines Creek Road) in the Bassville Park area. The fiscal impact is $798,617.00 (revenue/expenditure - $778,888.00 in grant funds and $19,729.00 in Sales Tax funds). Commission District 3.
Request approval:
1. To award a contract to Traffic Engineering and Management, LLC, (Winter Park, FL) for the Citrus Tower Boulevard at Mohawk Road Traffic Signal project in the Clermont area.
2. Of Unanticipated Revenue Resolution 2020-26 to receive project funding from the Florida Department of Transportation.
The fiscal impact is $371,873.82 (revenue/expenditure - 100% grant funded). Commission District 2.
Request approval to release a performance bond of $255,934.36 issued to construct turn lanes on Wilson Lake Parkway, Groveland. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 1.
Request approval to accept a performance bond of $138,699.39 to construct a sidewalk along Magnolia Avenue for U-Haul Self Storage in Leesburg. The fiscal impact is $420.00 (revenue – permit application fees). Commission District 3.
LAKE COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY PRESENTATION
Mr. Ron Hart, Executive Director for the LCWA, provided an update on the algal bloom affecting Lake Minneola. He reported that over the previous month and a half there had been severe and consistent algal blooms on Lake Minneola. He relayed that typically this outstanding Florida waterbody did not have these issues; however, he was concerned that these blooms were becoming more frequent and that the intensity was getting stronger. He explained that some of these algal blooms had the ability to occasionally produce toxins, and he was concerned of their possible impacts to the triathlon event the coming weekend. He indicated that the bloom did appear to be dissipating as it was not as strong as it had been three weeks prior; however, it was still present in the lake. He recommended action on how to prevent it from continuing to reoccur in the future. He then showed several pictures of the lake with the algae from three weeks prior. He related that the toxins from this algae could potentially have negative affects to any organisms that might consume the water, noting that these algal blooms rarely produced toxins but occasionally one could produce toxins. He mentioned that samplings had been taken from many locations around Lake Minneola with algal species being present on all shorelines; additionally, he said that the wind was a big cause of the spread of the algae. He remarked that the samplings were then tested for toxins, with most not being present except for hepatotoxins which could potentially affect the liver. He reported that the two locations with the highest concentration of toxins were West Beach at 2.1 parts per billion and the northwest canal area of the lake with 3.6 parts per billion, noting that these levels were still under the eight parts per billion threshold for safe swimming. He indicated that the issue with these toxins was that it was unknown when they might produce, their intensity can vary from day to day, and they can bioaccumulate in organisms such as fish which can then pass along the toxins to anyone who eats the fish. He was concerned with the high levels of public exposure to the Clermont Chain of Lakes and the possibility of individuals being exposed. He then displayed a historical graph of the total phosphorus levels in Lake Minneola from 1977 through 2017, noting that total phosphorus was the key limiting nutrient for algal blooms and that lower amounts typically meant less algal blooms. He reported that this lake usually averaged about 10 parts per billion total phosphorus, and that remaining below 30 parts per billion normally meant less algal blooms. He explained that the reason the graph did not show recent levels was because the State changed their sampling requirements regarding what could be reported by labs so that levels below 30 parts per billion were no longer reported, as they no longer considered them to be accurate in the numbers generated at the lower end of the scale. He elaborated that this also prevented recording levels of what should typically be in Lake Minneola which created a problem staff would need to find a way to address, noting that this could cause staff to only see the high concentrations when there should be algal blooms in the lake and not see the lows when there should not be blooms present in order to average the water quality to determine what was truly happening in the waterbody. He commented that in the previous week, the LCWA approved an almost $50,000 sampling contract for a consultant to perform investigative sampling around the lake in order to measure the water quality coming in from stormwater and other sources to identify any elevated phosphorus in that waterbody. He shared that there was a potential algal treatment being tested by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with a contract to spray a treatment for algae on Lake Yale; furthermore, he indicated that the LCWA had requested for DEP to possibly focus some of the treatment on Lake Minneola if possible. He said that even though this treatment might kill the algal cells and dissipate the blooms, it could not actually solve the problem since the cause would still be present; furthermore, once the spray treatment was stopped, blooms could return. He mentioned that if they found areas of concern in the lake, they would propose joint stormwater projects with the Cities of Clermont and Minneola or the County to find a way to address the larger sources of nutrients. He concluded that there might not be one defined area of concern but rather that the levels could be a result of all of the sources such as stormwater, septic tanks, and fertilizer runoff over time which increased the nutrient loads; however, his staff would continue to attempt to identify the issue.
Commr. Campione inquired how much the DEP algaecide treatment would cost.
Mr. Hart responded that $1.1 million was budgeted for it, noting that the LCWA was hoping it could address both Lake Yale and Lake Minneola.
Commr. Campione wondered if the LCWA or the City of Clermont would possibly have any reserves which could be utilized to assist with funding if DEP was unable to.
Mr. Hart reiterated that he would prefer for any funds that the LCWA might contribute to go towards addressing the cause, noting that tackling the loading source could eliminate the algae issue. He clarified that the reason they were considering trying to shift some of the funding from Lake Yale to Lake Minneola was because the exposure on Lake Minneola was about ten times higher than Lake Yale. He added that some of the toxins could aerosolize and be blown by the wind to affect people living near the waterbodies.
Commr. Campione asked if the sampling could potentially lead the LCWA to a possible source; furthermore, she encouraged public communication to homeowners around the lake regarding fertilizer use.
Commr. Parks relayed that conversations with the City of Clermont indicated they were interested in moving forward with a fertilizer ordinance; additionally, they expressed concerns with how the algae could affect triathlon events. He felt there was a willingness by the City to share in any costs although they desired to partner with the City of Minneola and the County since only a small portion of the lake was within their city limits. He agreed that long term stormwater retrofit projects should happen between all three of the governmental entities.
Commr. Campione asked if everything around the lake was septic tanks.
Commr. Parks thought that everything on the north side was septic as well as the City of Minneola with only the City of Clermont being on sewer.
Mr. Hart mentioned that their surface water sampling would not pick up anything from septic tanks; however, there could be follow up sampling that might be recommended such as seepage meters which could be installed into the bottom of the lake in order to sample the groundwater going into the lake and possibly indicate the loading coming in from fertilizer and septic tanks.
Commr. Campione asked if that type of seepage test would be done with the sampling he had mentioned.
Mr. Hart replied that it would not be performed with this sampling as it took an extensive amount of time for that testing; however, he said that if they did not find a big concern with the initial sampling that was planned to be performed, then the consultant may recommend doing groundwater sampling to see if that was impacting the lake.
Commr. Sullivan thought that with an active lake such as Lake Minneola, they should be performing samplings more often than just being reactive. He recommended for the County to become involved with this process that Mr. Hart had mentioned.
Mr. Hart stated that the County had a sampling program which sampled the lake quarterly; additionally, the LCWA had a volunteer who sampled water quality monthly. He relayed that they also had the ability to sample toxins in the waterbody, noting that it was expensive to send samples to a lab but they had a kit that allowed them to analyze samples. He said that they had offered to the City of Clermont to sample the location of the lake used for their triathlon. He reiterated that the toxin levels around the lake varied and changed rapidly; therefore, every shoreline could have different levels of toxins or they could be nonexistent.
Commr. Sullivan asked for clarification on the phosphorus testing where results were below 30 parts per billion.
Mr. Hart responded that samples were still done, but anything below 30 parts per billion was reported as non-detectable. He felt this was a concern because they needed to know the numbers to verify how close they might be to the 30 parts per billion. He reiterated that the sampling methods were still the same, but the State had changed how measurements were reported.
Commr. Sullivan agreed that being informed on the numbers would allow the LCWA to react quicker to any issues.
Mr. Hart shared that he had spoken to the County lab about passing the lower levels to the LCWA staff even if they were not reported to the State, noting that the County lab was willing to do that internally in order to assist with this issue.
Mr. Cole reminded the Board that one of their legislative priorities was a funding request for water quality improvements to perform pilot projects specific to Lake Harris, noting that they had requested $1.5 million and it was currently funded for $250,000 in the State budget. He thought this could possibly be some funding which could be utilized, although it would require a match from the County’s part.
Commr. Campione asked if this funding request was for assistance with enhanced septic tanks, and Mr. Cole replied that was correct, along with stormwater. She recalled this was to help provide grants to individuals who were willing to switch to an enhanced septic system or improved drain field along the areas that drained into Lake Harris or were within a close proximity. She questioned if Lake Minneola would be considered since this was for Lake Harris.
Mr. Hart replied that typically the Clermont Chain of Lakes was considered to be separate even though it drained into Lake Harris.
Commr. Campione hoped that both lake chains could be covered.
Commr. Parks inquired that as the County considered what was most important for long-term planning and addressing nutrient loading sources, if the basin management action plan (BMAP) would assist with this or did the County need to specifically work with the Cities of Clermont and Minneola to target and prioritize what might be causing the problem on Lake Minneola.
Mr. Hart responded that everyone needed to work together at a local level in order to have an effective program; additionally, he believed that it would be helpful if they could receive some state funding to address the issues although he was unsure it that would be possible. He mentioned that the State was aware of the issue with Lake Minneola, and that they did have some requirements for nitrogen to be reduced on that lake which would not assist with this because the current issue was phosphorus being present. He shared some concerns that if the nitrogen was reduced, it could make it more likely that algal species that might grow would be a sign of bacteria instead of a more beneficial green algae form.
Commr. Parks asked if the green algae used the nitrogen.
Mr. Hart confirmed that the green algae needed the nitrogen from the water because it could not obtain it from the air. He reiterated that the State was aware of the issues and that they were reviewing the possibility to include phosphorus as part of their requirements to be addressed in that particular waterbody.
Commr. Campione asked for the LCWA to keep the BCC informed, and relayed the desire to be a part of the solution; additionally, she said that the sooner information could be collected to identify sources was critical.
Commr. Breeden asked if some of the information would be available within a month, and Mr. Hart confirmed that was correct.
Commr. Campione inquired if DEP were to apply algaecide, would it make it difficult to identify sources.
Mr. Hart responded that this would not necessarily be the case as they would be looking at phosphorus coming into what was driving the algal blooms and not necessarily the presence of the blooms; furthermore, he mentioned that they had asked homeowners who lived around the lake to notify their office where blooms were currently happening so that samples could be collected. He indicated that the challenge can be that blooms often show up in other places where there is not the source issue due to the wind blowing them. He reiterated that it was a difficult issue to address but that his staff would continue to work together in order to solve these continuing issues.
Commr. Parks shared that the City of Clermont was concerned for the effects to the upcoming triathlon, noting that this lake was used for multiple events.
Commr. Breeden noted that it was also an economic development issue. She wondered if there was any action the County could take to help support the LCWA’s needs to DEP.
Commr. Campione asked for Mr. Cole to reach out the Clermont City Manager regarding the County’s willingness to assist where possible. She also supported preparing a letter from the BCC in support of DEP taking immediate action, with the City of Clermont possibly doing the same.
Commr. Parks said it would be preferable to have both lakes addressed; however, he opined that Lake Minneola needed immediate attention due to the upcoming events.
careersource central florida presentation
Ms. Pam Nabors, with CareerSource Central Florida, thanked the Board for allowing her to present on the work that her organization was performing within Lake County. She stated that their mission was to connect Central Floridians and Lake County residents to careers and to develop skilled talent for Lake County businesses, noting that they do that by creating talent solutions which ignite potential, and by ensuring that businesses and career seekers know that their journey lives inside the CareerSource system. She mentioned that her organization believed they were careersourcers who inspire people, transform businesses and elevate community. She shared that their typical customer was an individual around 35 years of age with a high school diploma and some college or training who usually earned less than $15 an hour; additionally, the businesses they primarily worked with were smaller ones with staffs from five to 150 members, and were within the five counties of Lake, Sumter, Seminole, Osceola and Orange. She commented that they had six locations, and that they had moved the Lake County location in August 2019 to the Foundation Building at Lake-Sumter State College. She then displayed a graph which visually depicted how they reach their mission, noting that they have a dual customer base of both career seekers and businesses. She relayed that for their businesses, they analyze business environment, create strategic partnerships, and implement talent strategies; additionally, for career seekers they engage their talent pool, develop skilled workers, and craft a right fit. She then reported these numbers for their fiscal year, which ran July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019: the business impact served close to 350 businesses, with 27 percent being repeat businesses; the talent pool engaged just under 5,000 Lake County residents, both through the center and virtually, with about 370 being veterans, 72 being youth, and 940 total placed; and their training programs had just under 400 individuals engaged, about half were trained and placed in jobs around $14 an hour, with an economic impact to the county near $9.5 million in wages. She showed a list of the various county partners that they work with such as Lake-Sumter State College, Lake Technical College, Orlando Economic Partnership, Manufacturers Association of Central Florida, and Lake County’s Office of Elevate Lake. She concluded by sharing two success stories of Lake County residents who had utilized CareerSource Central Florida, and by thanking Commissioner Campione for being the Chairman of their local elected consortium.
Commr. Parks and Commissioner Breeden thanked Ms. Nabors for her presentation and for the work of CareerSource Central Florida. Commissioner Campione remarked that it was helpful for the Board to be informed of the impacts this organization was making within Lake County.
Ms. Nabors indicated that her organization’s regional goals for this year were to work with 4,000 businesses with over half of them to be new businesses. She invited the Board to visit their CareerSource center on the Lake-Sumter State College campus. She added that the 24 regional boards of the CareerSource system were meeting with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity via telephone in order to discuss how to provide services to individuals who might have their employment impacted due to the coronavirus, as well as how to provide safety to their staff and customers utilizing their centers.
four corners one vision initiative presentation
Mr. Brandon Matulka, Executive Director for the Agency for Economic Prosperity, stated that the purpose of this presentation was to provide the Board with an update on the progress of the Four Corners One Vision Initiative, noting that the GAI Consultants Community Solutions Group was present in the meeting. He then shared these background details: the One Vision Initiative was a collaborative effort created through the work of the Four Corners Area Council (FCAC), which is part of the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce; the effort emerged from meetings and discussion dating back to prior than 2012 when Lake County became involved; in 2018, the FCAC hired GAI Consultants Community Solutions Group to complete Phase I of the initiative with the goal to assist in bringing together major stakeholders and fostering cooperation between the four counties of Lake, Osceola, Orange, and Polk, along with the FCAC, to address and assess recognized shared issues and needs in the area; as part of Phase II, GAI was retained and Lake County approved $15,000 in funding in February 2019 which was part of an equal cost share between all four participating counties and the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce; and Phase II culminated in the completion of the One Vision Report in January 2020, noting that report was within the Board’s packet. He then introduced Mr. Rafael Montalvo, with the Consensus Center at the University of Central Florida, to give an update on the progress of the One Vision Initiative and next steps, noting that Mr. Tom Kohler with GAI Consultants, and Ms. Allison Beeman with the FCAC were also present.
Mr. Montalvo mentioned that he would be giving information on Phase I, what had been accomplished over the last year, and next steps. He showed a map of the Four Corners area, noting that was where the four counties met, and said that the focus for the past year was largely the U.S. 192 corridor as well as the U.S. 27 corridor immediately adjacent to U.S. 192. He remarked that the initiative addressed a number of different issues, and that for some of those issues, the Four Corners area had to be defined more broadly, such as for transportation and housing items. He explained that the starting point for Phase I was at a Four Corners Summit in October 2018, when the FCAC reached out to GAI Consultants who then asked for the Consensus Center’s assistance due to their experience helping stakeholders work together in complex issues. He indicated that Phase I involved talking to many stakeholders in the area, noting that initially they approached this as a strategic planning process; however, after talking to the stakeholders, it became clear that strategic planning had been done twice prior by the Regional Planning Council which produced studies but no actual actions. He relayed that they then reframed the effort slightly in order to bring individuals together to catalyze joint action to address some of the issues, that long-term thinking was still moving forward, and that from the summit forward, the effort was to bring stakeholders together to produce short-term action on some of the coordination needs. He shared that agreements from the summit included the following: designate staff from each of the counties to work on easier issues such as land use, zoning, transportation, and workforce housing; establish a steering committee to oversee and develop the initiative, noting that it would consist of one public and one private sector representative from each of the four counties as well as a representative from the FCAC; explore an organizational structure for more extensive cooperation/collaboration; and identify options for funding mechanisms to support continuing effort. He reported that the four focus areas for Phase II work during 2019 included public realm design and land use issues in the four counties in order to harmonize in that area, transportation needs, workforce and affordable housing, and conversations around a continuing entity to promote progress. He then relayed the accomplishments for each of these areas. He explained that over the previous few years, the West 192 Development Authority in Osceola County had produced guidelines for public and private sector investment in the west U.S. 192 corridor; furthermore, that in the realm of public design guidelines, the steering committee reviewed these guidelines and concluded that the public realm piece, such as right-of-way for example, would be helpful to implement in all four counties. He shared that staff performed an analysis of what it would take to implement those within the four counties and were currently working on developing Land Development Regulation (LDR) language which could be adopted and implemented in all four counties. He commented that regarding land use, the technical committee looked at the differences in land use regulation for all four counties and concluded that there were several key components, which if harmonized, could contribute to a single sense of place in the Four Corners area. He remarked that in the area of transportation, there were four counties, three Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and two Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) districts which were active in the Four Corners area. He indicated that the three MPOs were updating their long-range transportation plans which provided an opportunity to include in these plans a single statement of need pertaining to the Four Corners area, noting that staff was jointly developing that language to include in the MPO plans. He also relayed that staff was in agreement to extend aspects of existing projects across county lines, to explore possible joint Four Corners project lists for both county level and MPO funding, and to improve transit options within the Four Corners area since it had a high percentage of workforce that depended on transportation. He reported that for workforce/affordable housing, the team had identified a process for developing a strategy and identifying tools applicable to the Four Corners area; additionally, they were exploring a workforce housing group which would be led by the private sector with possible public sector support. He concluded by mentioning these next steps for the upcoming year: completion of LDR language for design guidelines and land use harmonization within the next few months; inclusion of the Four Corners needs statement in the MPO plans by September 2020; transportation project list by mid-summer; convening of the workforce housing group and transportation/transit dialogue by spring; and exploring options for the continuing entity throughout 2020.
Mr. Matulka then presented Lake County’s next steps which included working with GAI Consultants and the Lake County Office of Planning and Zoning to finalize design guidelines and LDRs in the Four Corners area, and bringing a funding request for Phase III of the One Vision Initiative to the BCC which would be anticipated to be around $15,000 as an equal cost share with the four participating counties of Lake, Osceola, Orange and Polk.
Commr. Parks thanked everyone for their hard work. He felt that this was important for South Lake and that residents would be glad for these next steps.
Commr. Sullivan invited the presenters to attend the annual summit held for the Four Corners area, noting that Lake County citizen representatives were on the FCAC and kept the Board informed. He emphasized how much growth and construction had happened in the Four Corners over the years.
Mr. Montalvo implied that the differences between the four counties often presented challenges to that growth.
Mr. Kohler said that 35,000 jobs were anticipated to be added to that area over the next 15 years; therefore, housing and transit would be a big concern.
Commr. Parks opined that most individuals came into Lake County within the Four Corners areas.
Mr. Matulka added that it was one of the fastest growing areas of Lake County, noting that the next summit would be held on September 3, 2020 at the Omni ChampionsGate Resort in South Lake. He expressed the FCAC’s appreciation for the BCC’s commitment and involvement to the Four Corners area.
Commr. Breeden opined that this effort appeared to be moving forward better and with the potential for continuation than the earlier efforts. She thanked the consultants for their work.
Mr. Kohler commended Mr. Cole and the other three county administrators for their support which he believed allowed the staffs to be fully engaged in a meaningful effort.
Commr. Sullivan agreed that one of the obstacles to overcome was the fact that there were two different FDOT regions.
Mr. Cole commented that staff would come back with the $15,000 cost share funding request at a future meeting.
public hearing: ordinance 2020-12 regarding donation bins
Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, 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 LAKE COUNTY CODE, APPENDIX E, LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS; CHAPTER II, ENTITLED “DEFINITIONS,” TO INCLUDE THE DEFINITION OF DONATION DROP-OFF LOCATION; RENUMBERING SECTION 3.14.00, ENTITLED TEMPORARY PORTABLE STORAGE CONTAINERS TO SECTION 10.04.00; CREATING SECTION 10.03.00, ENTITLED NON-RESIDENTIAL ACCESSORY USES AND STRUCTURES; CREATING SECTION 10.03.01, ENTITLED ACCESSORY USES FOR THE PURPOSE OF DONATION DROP-OFF LOCATIONS; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Commr. Campione recalled that the Board had discussed at their previous meeting conditions of this ordinance regarding the size and color of the bins, and that those had been addressed in this ordinance.
Commr. Breeden inquired if the size was increased.
Ms. Marsh confirmed that it was, noting that the original ordinance had a size of 120 square feet, and that a citizen had spoken at the last meeting and suggested 160 square feet; therefore, the ordinance was changed to the size of 160 square feet.
Commr. Breeden then asked if a site plan was required for these bins, and if fees were charged for them as she did not want the fees to be expensive for not-for-profit organizations.
Mr. McClendon replied that a site plan was not required, and that no fees were charged for placing them on a parcel. He reiterated that this was a minor site plan revision to an already approved parcel and would only go through the Office of Planning and Zoning, noting that it would be an over the counter commercial permit and that staff would only be varying setbacks, size and location. He related that it would cost $100 for an over the counter permit.
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. Campione opined that this was a positive step towards managing bins for public safety reasons; furthermore, she suggested including the cities in order to have a uniform approach throughout the county.
Mr. Cole thanked the City of Tavares for bringing this item to the Board.
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved Ordinance 2020-12 amending Lake County Code, Appendix E, Land Development Regulations, re-numbering Section 3.14.00 to 10.04.00, and creating Section 10.03.00, Non-Residential Accessory Uses and Structures, and Section 10.03.01, Accessory Uses for the Purpose of Donation Drop-Off Locations, in order to establish development criteria for the size and placement of donation bins within nonresidential properties.
RESOLUTION 2020-17 – RAILS TO TRAILS RECREATIONAL TRAIL
Mr. Fred Schneider, Public Works Director, commented that this agenda item was for approval of a joint resolution between the Cities of Tavares and Mount Dora in support of an initiative to develop a Rails to Trails recreational trail from the City of Tavares, through a portion of unincorporated Lake County, through the City of Mount Dora and into unincorporated Sorrento within the existing railroad bed; additionally, he said it was for approval for County staff to apply for a 2020 Federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to develop and construct the trail. He then displayed a map showing the various segments of the Wekiva Trail in Lake County and noted the following: segments one and two had a completed project development and environment (PD&E) study; segment two was currently in the right-of-way (ROW) acquisition phase with the expectation that FDOT would fund it toward construction; segment three was under construction; and segment four was starting construction and done in association with FDOT. He explained that segment five was the segment which ran between the Cities of Tavares and Mount Dora and was currently having a corridor analysis being performed by FDOT, noting that the BUILD grant which the County applied for would include segments five and one.
Mr. Cole reported that they were calling this the Wekiva Trail Extension for the purposes of this application to the federal government with their ultimate vision for it to be named the Wekiva Trail once it was funded and built, noting that it would then be one long trail which begins in the City of Tavares.
Commr. Campione commented that the Tavares City Manager had been doing a good job of getting information out to the County and the public. She inquired if each City had already adopted the joint resolution and Mr. Cole replied that they had. She explained that this resolution was essentially stating that the County was willing to cooperate and move forward with the discussion of the details and specifics to follow at the Board’s retreat. She elaborated that a key part of moving this forward, whether they were awarded the BUILD grant or not, was being able to obtain having a PD&E study performed, noting that ROW acquisition could not happen without a PD&E study. She mentioned that since this was a rural area under the BUILD grant designation, a match was not required; however, it could be helpful. She described that if both Cities and the County each divided a match, then they could use funds provided for the PD&E study towards the County’s portion of the match. She indicated that if they were not awarded the BUILD grant, but attempted to obtain it the following year, then any funds set aside as a match could then go back to whatever projects they were originally allocated for, noting that this was one thought she had regarding how to accomplish this without having to allocate additional funds.
Commr. Breeden asked if they applied for the grant this year and were not awarded it, did it keep them from applying another year, and Mr. Schneider responded that it did not and that the County could apply the following year.
Mr. Cole indicated that the grant application was due May 18, 2020, and that if the Board chose for staff to proceed with the application in concert with the Cities of Tavares and Mount Dora, then it would be beneficial to have a PD&E study moving forward, noting that it would not need to be completed by the time the application was submitted. He stated that if the Board wanted to move forward with a PD&E study, then staff would place that item on their March 24, 2020 regular meeting agenda with additional discussion regarding any larger potential funding for the future scheduled for the afternoon workshop on that day. He relayed that in anticipation of this item, staff had looked for funding opportunities and mentioned that there was some funding in the reserves from the prior authorization of the sales tax, noting that money had accumulated from projects that either came in under budget or were not done for some reason. He reported that there was about $800,000 in that fund, and that staff desired to request in the future for around $300,000 of that to go towards the furnishings and equipment for the new animal shelter as well as potential information technology (IT) security enhancements; furthermore, this would leave approximately $500,000 which coincided with the expected costs for a PD&E study.
Commr. Campione remarked that could be one source for funding with another possibility being to reprioritize one of the sales tax projects in northeast Lake County.
Commr. Parks said that he looked forward to the Board’s discussion regarding where funding might come from because he foresaw future requests for $1.6 million in anticipated match for the BUILD grant; additionally, he wondered what the Board might decide with the budget during the summer as he felt there were commitments beyond simply providing funds for a PD&E study, such as construction and operational costs.
Commr. Campione opined this was unique since it was a partnership with two cities and the burden would not solely fall on the County. She believed that there was an economic component of this trail with the potential to have strong positive effects throughout the Golden Triangle area and not simply these two cities.
Commr. Breeden thought it was similar to what was happening with the South Lake Trail. She inquired if staff needed the Board to identify a source and Mr. Cole confirmed that they needed consensus from the Board that they desired for the item to be brought back as well as a source, noting it would be placed on the Board’s March 24, 2020 regular meeting agenda for a vote and then for discussion at the strategies workshop that afternoon.
Commr. Sullivan remarked that this was the first part of a long process; furthermore, he related that this grant was available, was funded by congress, and believed that it was prudent for the County to apply for the funding. He thought that it would have an economic benefit, that houses located on a trail were more valuable, and that since they were regional trails, it presented the opportunity for cities to build off of them into their communities. He felt this was a great plan in an effort to incorporate trails as part of the county’s economy and to take advantage of potential federal funding.
Commr. Campione agreed that applying for the BUILD grant was important and would assist with developing this trail, noting that since it was a long process the operational piece would be several years out. She indicated that the PD&E study could take up to a year to be completed; therefore, it was important to get it started so the County could met the requirements needed for the grant. She explained that even if the County did not receive the BUILD grant but were able to get the PD&E study performed, then this trail could be moved on to a priority list for ROW through the Lake-Sumter MPO. She added that since this was a connection out of the Heart of Florida Loop, which was a spur of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail, then the County could potentially get funding that way but they could not ask for that funding without the completion of the PD&E study. She mentioned that FDOT was not funding PD&E studies; therefore, the County would need to fund that in order to move trails up in priority for ROW acquisition.
Commr. Breeden felt that the Board could either decide a funding source at this meeting in order for this item to be placed on the next agenda, or the Board could discuss funding at their upcoming workshop to then have the item on their first meeting in April 2020. She stated that she was fine with the $500,000 PD&E funding coming from the $800,000 excess penny sales tax.
Commr. Campione noted that the Cities and County may decide that the match might not need to be that large; however, this amount could go towards any match decided upon with the other two partners.
Commr. Parks asked if information regarding how potential operational costs might be shared long term could be obtained prior to the Board’s strategies workshop.
Mr. Schneider responded that there had already been discussions among the two Cities that they would pay for maintenance within their city limits with the County responsible for maintenance outside the two city limits.
Mr. Cole stated that staff would prepare some estimates. He relayed that based on the discussions between the two City staffs and County staff, the vision was for the County to manage and maintain the trail, and the two Cities would provide funding to the County as part of their one-third share.
Commr. Blake inquired if it was an eleven mile segment and how many miles the Cities would not maintain.
Mr. Schneider replied that segment one was a 5.5 mile segment which led out of the City of Mount Dora with about one-third being inside the city; therefore, about three to three and a half miles in the county. He added that the segment from the City of Mount Dora to the City of Tavares was approximately a third each so there was about a mile and a half to two miles in the county for that segment.
Commr. Campione suggested that as annexations occurred, then the County could ensure that the agreements with the Cities take into account for the City to become responsible for those annexed areas. She commented that she would support moving forward and utilizing the excess funding mentioned, and that once they discussed the match, they be specific with details in order to be fair to all parts of the county in regards to projects.
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved joint Resolution 2020-17 between the Cities of Tavares and Mount Dora in support of an initiative to develop a Rails to Trails recreational trail from the City of Tavares, through a portion of unincorporated Lake County, through the City of Mount Dora, and into unincorporated Sorrento within the existing railroad bed; additionally, approved for County staff to apply for a 2020 Federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to develop and construct the trail, along with direction for staff to report at the March 24, 2020 BCC meeting regarding funding for this initiative.
recess and reassembly
The Chairman called a recess at 10:55 a.m. for fifteen minutes.
2020 ECONOMIC FORECAST PRESENTATION
Mr. Matulka mentioned that he would be providing a historical overview and projected forecast for national, state, and regional economic indicators to be considered as part of the fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget process. He disclosed that some of the main sources utilized for the information in the presentation included Wells Fargo Securities, TD Economics, University of Central Florida Institute for Economic Competitiveness, and the United States (U.S.) Conference of Mayors, noting that throughout the previous month and over the last week, staff continued to review the weekly and monthly updates to the Wells Fargo annual outlook in order to ensure the most accurate information. He relayed that the national outlook would include gross domestic product (GDP), inflation and interest rates, labor market, consumer spending, business spending, and a few wild cards such as current issues affecting the global economy. He reported that January 2020 marked the 126th month of the current expansion although some changes had occurred within the last four to six weeks due to what was happening in the economy. He stated that while it was the longest continual expansion on record, the growth rate was looking to slow, noting that it had slowed down quite considerably recently. He remarked that the hallmark of the expansion was its relative lack of large and noticeable imbalances which typically happens in an important sector in the economy; however, he related that external shocks to the system could not be predicted, whether on a national or global scale, such as the coronavirus or oil prices. He emphasized that these two elements would be a factor that would affect the numbers within the report; furthermore, even with the Phase I trade deal between the U.S. and China in December 2019 and January 2020, growth in investment spending was projected to remain lower throughout the first part of this year. He then displayed a graph depicting the gross domestic product forecast, noting that due to current events, the forecast had just changed from a two percent growth projection for 2020 in terms of GDP to a 1.5 percent projection with the potential to rebound in 2021 for GDP in the U.S. He commented that inflation and interest rates had many changes over the last few weeks and reported the following: that there were three Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts in 2019 for a total of 75 basis points or three-quarters of a percentage point which helped to calm recession fears the previous year; lower interest rates had increased interest-sensitive durable goods and home purchases; it was anticipated that the Fed could cut rates multiple times in 2020, noting that in the previous week there was a preemptive emergency cut of half a percentage point to the Fed Funds Rate which brought it to the 1.00 to 1.25 percentage range; with recent developments surrounding the coronavirus issue and its impacts on travel and industry supply chains, many experts were predicting additional Fed rate cuts moving forward throughout the year; and with the U.S. economic growth expected to slow further and foreign economic growth showing signs of flattening, it was anticipated that the U.S. dollar will depreciate modestly through 2021. He then displayed a consumer price index graph which he said indicates inflation, and noted that it remained close to a two percent growth year-over-year for the previous three years, with a projection to remain the same in years 2020 and 2021; additionally, he showed a federal funds target rate slide, and reported that at the beginning of the previous week, the federal funds rate was 1.75 percent, was cut to 1.25 percent for the current rate, and the forecast for 2020 was 0.75 percent. He remarked that the 10-Year treasury note had also been greatly affected in the last week and relayed that the projection the previous week was around 1.98 percent and was currently projected for 2020 at 1.14 percent; furthermore, he said that with everything happening over the past weekend with oil prices, the 10-year treasury note went down to 0.339 percent the day before, settled into 0.5 percent by the end of the day, and went up to 0.65 percent currently this day. He explained that as that number rose, it typically meant that people were more confident in the market. He then related these points regarding the labor market: it was very healthy leading up to the end of February 2020; sustained improvement in labor force participation among Americans age 25 to 54 might be the most encouraging trend in the U.S. economy currently, even with higher business uncertainty and slowing economic growth; women had made the biggest gains in participation rates with women aged 25 to 34 reaching an all-time high; and the share of full-time workers age 25 to 54 was nearing a record high, which supported future income growth overall. He stated that even in December 2019 when the U.S. and China were debating tariff issues, the job growth in the U.S. was strong with the addition of about 240,000 jobs, which continued into January and February 2020, noting that March 2020 numbers may reflect how any current society issues were affecting the labor market. He indicated the following regarding consumer spending: the consumer remained the heart of the U.S. economic growth; solid job, wage and income gains kept consumer confidence elevated; lower interest rates had boosted household spending and had improved the housing market; higher demand with tight housing inventories had pushed prices higher; and single family new home construction picked up in the second half of 2019 with expectations of that gradually slowing but still holding at a 2.5 percent growth rate. He showed a consumer spending chart which he commented had been updated over the weekend, and reported that the previous week consumer spending was projected around 2.2 percent growth year-over-year but had dipped to 1.8 percent projected for 2020. He shared that the forecast for business spending was for it to slow and fall short of last year’s expectations, that all categories of spending were down with investment in structures falling at a double-digit pace in mid-2019, that uncertainties felt by businesses due to tariff policy in December 2019 held back some initial investment as seen in the first quarter of the fiscal year, and that investment remained weak but was projected to solidify through 2020. He remarked that the projection for business spending for 2020 was 1.4 percent year-over-year, noting it was a dip from the previous year which was a slow year in business investment when compared to 2018; furthermore, forecasts for 2021 showed an increase partly due to elections being over which adds more certainty. He concluded the national outlook by mentioning possible policy and other wild card uncertainties which may affect the economy such as: foreign trade related developments pertaining to the trade deal between the U.S. and China, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Brexit and etc.; issues related to the coronavirus outbreak such as potential tightening of the supply chain, health concerns, travel issues, and tourism; the U.S. election and its implications; consumer confidence and consumer spending; government spending related to 2020 census related activities due to lighten in the second quarter of 2020; and the price war with major oil producers.
Mr. Matulka then reported on the state and regional outlook, and remarked that in the State of Florida from 2019 through 2022, Florida’s Real Gross State Product was expected to expand about 2.8 percent annually which would be faster than the national forecasted average of 2.1 percent; additionally, the state was poised for growth through 2022 even though that pace was slower than the average was the previous four years which was approximately 3.3 percent. He relayed that Florida’s payroll job growth was strong and continued to outpace the U.S. growth with the year-over-year growth to average about 2.2 percent in 2020, 2.0 percent in 2021, and 1.3 percent in 2022, noting it was expected to be 0.9 percent faster than the national average. He commented that Florida’s labor force growth was expected to average around 1.6 percent now through 2022 since a strong payroll job creation had strengthened Florida’s labor market with the unemployment rate expected to fall to 3.0 percent in 2020, to 3.1 percent in 2021, and to 3.4 percent in 2022. He shared that sectors expected to have the strongest average job growth leading into 2022 were professional and business services, construction, leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and financial; furthermore, housing starts had accelerated in the first part of the year but not fast enough to ease the shortage of single-family housing in the short run, noting that the total starts for the state were anticipated to be approximately 134,744 in 2020, 135,331 in 2021, and 138,555 in 2022. He added that house price appreciation should decelerate over this period as the supply caught up to the demand. He provided this additional information for the State of Florida: real personal income growth would average about 3.2 percent during 2019 through 2022, starting at 3.1 percent in 2020, accelerating to 3.2 percent in 2021, and easing back to 3.0 percent in 2022; the average income growth was projected to be approximately 0.7 percentage points higher than the national growth rate over that four year span; and retail sales were anticipated to grow at an average pace of over 4.2 percent during 2019 through 2022, and were boosted by a stronger national economy, continued strength in Florida’s labor market, bigger paychecks, and rising household wealth. He then reported that the Orlando Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which included Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, would continue to show various strengths and weaknesses in 2020, that population growth was expected to be an average of 2.1 percent which would be the second highest of all MSAs in the state, that personal income growth would be the second highest of all MSAs at an average of six percent, that the unemployment rate of 2.9 percent was expected and the second lowest of all MSAs, and that job growth was expected to be strongest in the sectors of professional and business services, construction and mining, leisure, and education health services. He displayed several graphs comparing the Orlando MSA to the State of Florida in the areas of gross metro product, employment, labor force, unemployment, housing starts, and personal income, and then reported the following: the Orlando MSA was slightly behind the state in the gross metro product while still showing solid growth; the Orlando MSA had done a great job in terms of employment growth year-over-year with projections for 2020 at 3.2 percent which was ahead of the state’s projection of 2.2 percent; the Orlando MSA labor force was forecasted to be at 2.6 percent for 2020 and was outpacing the state at 1.8 percent in terms of growth numbers; the 2020 Orlando MSA unemployment was lower at 2.7 percent than the state average of 3.0 percent; housing starts escalated in 2018 with a 30 percentage jump year-over-year in percentage changes and had remained at the higher rate; and personal income numbers were strong for the Orlando MSA with a forecast at 5.9 percent growth as compared to the state’s 5.0 percent. He concluded his presentation with a chart comparing the taxable property values for Lake County, the Orlando MSA, and the State of Florida, noting that this information was provided by the Revenue Estimating Conference for Ad Valorem Assessments which was done by the Florida Office of Demographic Research; furthermore, the projections for 2020 in taxable property growth year-over-year had Lake County’s growth at 7.5 percent.
Mr. Cole commented that this economic information served as the kickoff for the fiscal year 2021 budget process for the Board, noting that staff planning began in February 2020. He said that the next steps would be the annual Board budget strategies workshop in the afternoon of March 24, 2020, the individual units of the organization beginning their budget presentations to the Board on April 7, 2020, and the completion of these presentations in June 2020.
Commr. Campione indicated that ongoing economic updates would be helpful.
Commr. Parks inquired that since housing starts numbers for the state were increasing over the next three years, and Orlando MSA housing starts were higher than the state average, if this meant that in Lake County there would be increased growth with residential housing starts and the county would be more dependent on the residential part of the economy.
Mr. Matulka responded that he was unsure if the county would be dependent on it; rather, that housing starts would continue to happen in the county. He indicated that the Agency for Economic Prosperity was working to bring in commercial businesses which created high quality jobs such as in housing, and he reiterated that the projections were based on what had transpired in the past. He added that his staff could research whatever the Board desired regarding that information.
Commr. Parks asked if employment growth and salary was good for Lake County.
Mr. Matulka replied that employment growth was good for the county, and that he had reported on personal income growth projections which was strong for the Orlando MSA, noting that his staff could extrapolate Lake County’s specific numbers from that information.
Commr. Parks felt that there was reliance on providing services based on the housing tax base; additionally, there was focus on what had changed, and what the County might be doing to shift that burden.
Commr. Breeden thanked Mr. Matulka for all his information in light of the current situations. She asked if it would be possible to get more specifics for Lake County from the Orlando MSA information, and Mr. Matulka relayed that his staff could do that and would also send the updated presentation from this meeting to each of the Commissioners.
Commr. Sullivan believed that the County’s policy was to generate jobs and commercial development and felt the numbers reported were positive, noting that the Kroger-Ocado customer fulfillment center was coming to the county but their impact was not included in this report.
Mr. Matulka mentioned that staff was also attempting to focus the employment additions to the economy to the strategic corridors within the county such as Wellness Way and the Wolf Branch Innovation District since these were areas capable of taking in job growth.
reports
county manager
cities of mascotte and fruitland park fire services
Mr. Cole provided an update on the discussions with the Cities of Fruitland Park and Mascotte regarding possibly merging fire services. He relayed that draft agreements had been completed which had been provided to both of those local governments; additionally, he stated that Mr. John Molenda, Deputy County Manager, and he would be attending the Mascotte City Council meeting on March 16, 2020.
clermont fire services agreement
Mr. Cole recalled that in January 2020, he had informed the Board that the City of Clermont had notified the County that they were interested in exercising their rights under the Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement (ISBA) to renegotiate rates relating to fire and medical services. He stated that he had met with the City on March 3, 2020, and that both City and County staff agreed that terminating the ISBA and replacing it with an agreement that was specific to fire services would be the best next step. He indicated that was the path they would take unless there were BCC objections to it.
broadcast of meetings
Mr. Cole mentioned that the County currently had a contract with Lake-Sumter State College to produce and broadcast the BCC and Lake County School Board meetings as well as some miscellaneous broadcast and production support; however, he shared that the college had decided to discontinue the television (TV) service on June 30, 2020 due to the declining interest in television production as an academic program. He reported that staff had reached out to Lakefront TV to explore opportunities to broadcast the BCC meetings and other video content in an effort to avoid any interruption in the broadcast.
recognition of Mr. Tony Lopresto, office of building services
Mr. Cole announced that Mr. Tony Lopresto, Director for the Office of Building Services, was recently elected to serve as the chairman of the Building Code Administrators and Inspectors Board. He explained that this was a state organization comprised of building officials, plans examiners, inspectors, and other industry professionals from the State of Florida who regulated the industry by approving applications and licensing for new inspectors, approving educational materials and programs, and developing administrative code, statute revisions and rules. He acknowledged that this was an honor for the county and for Mr. Lopresto.
commissioners reports
commissioner sullivan – district 1
eustis and umatilla chambers of commerce programs
Commr. Sullivan shared that he had attended the Cities of Eustis and Umatilla Chambers of Commerce installation of officers programs, noting that he enjoyed seeing the number of volunteers who were involved with the local economy, as well as the recognition for their great work.
commendation of public works department
Commr. Sullivan commended the Lake County Public Works Department and D.A.B. Construction, Inc. who repaved Picciola Road in the City of Leesburg. He relayed that he had received several phone calls regarding the quality of work which was performed in a timely manner.
commissioner parks – district 2
sadowski fund
Commr. Parks said that he was glad to hear that the Sadowski Fund, which supported affordable housing programs, was hopefully remaining in the state budget, noting that he appreciated the resolution that the County had written as well as others who supported it.
florida statutes language
Commr. Parks gave an update on the language within the Florida Statutes which required that the FDOT approve any Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) project in Lake County. He indicated that a compromise had been reached and that the word “consult” was going to be utilized instead of the former language. He stated that the CFX attorney as well as the County Attorney had agreed that word was acceptable.
county employee picnic
Commr. Parks thanked staff for a job well done on the County employee picnic the previous week.
umatilla chamber of commerce awards ceremony
Commr. Parks commented that he had also attended the City of Umatilla Chamber of Commerce awards ceremony the previous week, and commended them on a job well done.
commissioner BREEDEN – district 3
Congratulations for Mr. Tony lopresto
Commr. Breeden congratulated Mr. Lopresto on his selection to serve as chairman of the Building Code Administrators and Inspectors Board.
recognition of county administration building guard
Commr. Breeden remarked that one of the County Administration Building’s security guards would be leaving the County, and she thanked him for doing such a great job over the last few years.
leesburg art festival
Commr. Breeden mentioned that the Leesburg Art Festival was taking place during the upcoming weekend.
seminole state forest visit
Commr. Breeden shared that she had recently enjoyed visiting the Seminole State Forest, and that she had taken a ranger tour which gave her the opportunity to observe some Florida scrub jays as well as one of their nests.
commissioner BLAKE – district 5
county employee picnic
Commr. Blake agreed that staff had done a great job on the County employee picnic.
big orange day in the city of umatilla
Commr. Blake relayed that he had attended the third annual Big Orange Day which the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce had organized, noting that it was a good event.
commissioner CAMPIONE – district 4
sadowski fund
Commr. Campione inquired about the next steps for the Sadowski Fund, and Mr. Cole replied that he thought the legislation still had to vote on the state budget.
Commr. Breeden opined that it was most vulnerable in the budget negotiations, and Mr. Cole agree this was a delicate time.
Commr. Parks believed that while it was still vulnerable, it was looking like it would be fine.
Commr. Campione asked if this fund was fully funded at this point in years past.
Commr. Blake responded that it was not, and thought that in the past they were always planning in the early stages of budget negotiations for large portions of it to be allocated to other items; therefore, he felt that it was unusual to be funded at this stage.
Commr. Campione suggested that staff preemptively take action with regards to the County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, the Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) and their strategies in order for the Board to be prepared for how the County might allocate the funding in order to have the biggest impact on affordability and housing needs should the Sadowski funding become available, noting that their priorities had changed through the years since funding amounts had been reduced.
Commr. Breeden believed that the State Aid to Libraries Fund was also in danger of losing about four million in funding, noting they were already below amounts from previous years.
astor community association
Commr. Campione shared that she had dinner the previous evening with the Astor Community Association, and relayed that the association was appreciative of all that the County had done for their community, especially for having Lake County Fire Station 10. She said that she was able to discuss the upcoming road resurfacing projects which would be in their area.
eustis commission meeting
Commr. Campione related that the City of Eustis Commission would be meeting on Thursday of this week, and that on their agenda was an item to discuss the ISBA and the County’s request to perform joint planning on densities and intensities. She noted that the City Manager’s recommendation was for the Eustis Commission to not engage in this joint planning with regards to densities, intensities and land within the joint planning area (JPA) as a part of an ISBA discussion; furthermore, she said that there was also an item for the Pine Meadows area on their agenda and that the City Manager was recommending that the commission not proceed with the Pine Meadows ISBA.
Commr. Parks stated that he thought there was agreement for both government entities to review the JPA.
Commr. Campione believed that the City Manager had mentioned at their joint meeting with the County that the City would discuss this at a city workshop.
Commr. Sullivan added that the City Manager stated they wanted to review policy prior to agreeing to anything.
Commr. Campione reiterated that the purpose of an ISBA was joint planning, and she hoped the Eustis City Commission would work through the details in order to continue making progress.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m.
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leslie campione, chairman
ATTEST:
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GARY J COONEY, CLERK