A regular MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

october 13, 2020

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, October 13, 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 remarked that Mr. Ron Musgrave with the Office of Extension Services would be leading the Pledge of Allegiance.  She shared that Mr. Musgrave had served in the United States Air Force as a Weapons Specialist from May 1985 until he was honorably discharged in February 1997.  She said that Mr. Musgrave was stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, 3rd Air Generation Squadron, from 1985-1987, as well as Hurlburt Field in Florida, 1st Special Operations, from 1987-1997; additionally, during his time at Clark Air Base, he was on temporary duty in Kunsan, South Korea for “Team Spirit,” where he loaded live nuclear weapons for a loading competition.  She added that Mr. Musgrave had also participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait in 1990.  She then thanked him for his service.

Pastor Mario Bolivar from the First Presbyterian Church of Eustis gave the Invocation, and then Mr. Musgrave led the Pledge of Allegiance.

virtual meeting instructions

Commr. Campione mentioned that this meeting was a hybrid meeting which was a combination of an in-person meeting and one which allowed individuals to participate virtually.  She asked for Mr. Erikk Ross, Director for the Information Technology (IT) Department, to explain how citizens who were listening remotely could participate.

Mr. Ross explained that this meeting was being livestreamed on the County website and was also being made available through a Zoom Webinar for members of the public who were unable to attend in person but wished to provide comments during the Citizen Question and Comment Period later in the agenda.  He elaborated that anyone watching though the livestream who wished to speak during the Citizen Question and Comment Period of the meeting could follow the directions currently being broadcast through the stream; furthermore, he relayed that anyone who had joined the webinar via their phone could press *9 on their phones to virtually raise their hand and anyone participating online could click the raise hand button to identify that they wished to speak.  He said that when it was time for public comment, he would then identify the person or their phone number, unmute the appropriate line, and allow the citizen to speak for their three minute timeframe.  He added that anyone wishing to provide written comments could visit www.lakecountyfl.gov/commissionmeeting, noting that comments presented before 5:00 p.m. the previous day were shared with the Commission prior to this meeting, and that comments sent during this meeting would be shared with the Commission after the meeting was concluded.

Agenda update

Mr. Jeff Cole, County Manager, requested for Tab 10 to be removed from the consent agenda to be brought back at a later date; additionally, he relayed that the County Attorney had distributed an errata sheet that morning for Tab 15 in order to correct an effective date error, and that Tab 33 had been added the previous week as an addendum.  He also requested for Tab 33 to be addressed at the end of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding update which would be part of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) update, noting that this was number IV on the meeting agenda.

Commr. Sullivan asked for Tab 30, which was added at his request, to be pulled as well since he was not prepared to present on it at this time.

employee service and quarterly 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 well as recipients of the quarterly awards as follows:

EMPLOYEE AWARDS

FIVE YEARS

Dwight Dodd, Biological Associate

Public Works Department

 

Diana Johnson, Deputy County Attorney

County Attorney’s Office

 

FIFTEEN YEARS

Natali Bautista, Office Associate III

Public Works Department

 

TWENTY YEARS

Amy Elliot, Compliance Coordinator

Office of Housing & Human Services

 

QUARTERLY AWARDS

EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER

Miranda Lanoue, Financial Analyst

Office of Management & Budget

 

Ms. Nelson stated that Ms. Miranda Lanoue, Financial Analyst with the Office of Management and Budget, was being recognized as the Employee of the Quarter.  She commented that Ms. Lanoue had played a key role in improving the financial operations for the Office of Fleet Management and had taken the lead in managing the invoicing and card system while at the same time streamlining the monthly billing process.  She relayed that Ms. Lanoue had also created new tools for monitoring labor utilization rates and through her analysis was able to resolve several proposed budget shortfalls.  She added that she was a team player who went above and beyond by taking on new responsibilities and creating innovative budget solutions for the County.  She congratulated Ms. Lanoue for being the employee of the quarter.

SUPERVISOR OF THE QUARTER

Tommy Carpenter, Director

Office of Emergency Management

 

Ms. Nelson stated that Mr. Tommy Carpenter, Director for the Office of Emergency Management, was being recognized as the Supervisor of the Quarter.  She remarked that during the quarter, Mr. Carpenter had been instrumental in Lake County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that his daily direction, expertise and assistance in supporting Lake County residents, businesses, and healthcare facilities had been crucial in formulating a response to this crisis.  She noted that Mr. Carpenter worked directly with State and Federal Agencies to ensure that Lake County maintained the highest level of preparedness for the protection of county residents, and for the mitigation of the COVID-19 virus; additionally, he worked with offices across the organization to ensure all departments had up-to-date information and essential resources.  She remarked that Mr. Carpenter had been invaluable in the supply and distribution of the County’s personal protective equipment (PPE), and she thanked him for his efforts in managing the County’s emergency response throughout this pandemic.

T.E.A.M. OF THE QUARTER

Office of Building Services – Online Permitting & Plan Review Management Team

Debra Padgett, Senior Plans Examiner

Kristie Miller, Permitting Technician II

Jessica Clark Woods, Program Associate

 

Ms. Nelson remarked that the T.E.A.M. of the Quarter award went to the Online Permitting and Plan Review Management Team from the Office of Building Services.  She indicated that this team identified a need to provide alternative service solutions which would better serve customers and residents in the COVID-19 environment.  She said this team was being recognized for their successful development and implementation of a new online plan review and permitting system, noting that this new system created a simple way for customers to easily upload plans, track reviews, print permits, schedule inspections, and track payments.  She thanked them for their commitment to customer service.

covid-19 update and line of credit for cares act expenditures

Mr. Carpenter mentioned that since September 29, 2020, the County’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC) had been at a level three monitoring, and that their priority was still to assist the Florida Department of Health (DOH) in Lake County, monitor healthcare facilities and schools, and work with the State for vaccinations once they were available.  He indicated that the Lake County Citizens Information Line (CIL) at 352-253-9999 was no longer staffed by personnel but had information available regarding COVID-19 and the CARES Act program; furthermore, an automated message with one touch transfer allowed callers to go directly to the DOH for COVID-19 or health information, and to the CARES Act program help line.  He stated that the DOH’s COVID-19 hotline would remain open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 352-742-4830.  He then shared these statistics from the Florida DOH’s website regarding COVID-19 cases within Lake County: there were 7,939 total positive tests, noting that two weeks prior there were 7,475; total number tested was 89,784, while two weeks prior it was 85,525; since his last report, 4,259 tests had been conducted with 464 testing positive, which equated to a positivity rate of 10.9 percent in that two week period of time; the total percentage of positive test results was 8.9 percent; and 206 deaths had been reported to date.  He indicated that when comparing to surrounding counties, Lake County still had the lowest cumulative positive rate; furthermore, the State’s target for positivity rate was 10 percent and Lake County had remained below that.  He indicated that the number one age group for those testing positive was still 25-34 years old, the second most affected age group was individuals 45-54 years old, the third most affected age group was 15-24, and the fourth age bracket was the ages of 35-44; furthermore, the median age for COVID-19 positive cases was 43.  He then reported information on the county’s three local hospitals as follows: there were a total of 908 beds available with 698 being utilized, 210 available, and a 23 percent available bed capacity; there were 104 total intensive care unit (ICU) beds available with 70 being used, 34 available, and a 33 percent bed capacity; and as of the previous day, there were 40 admitted for COVID-19, with seven of those in ICU.  He stated that since April 27, 2020, the County had issued 864,410 pieces of PPE.  He said in regards to cases within the county’s long-term care facilities, the total cumulative number was 639 total positive COVID-19 cases to date, including staff and patients, with 86 deaths reported.  He then shared information regarding COVID-19 testing locations throughout the county.  He commented on the County’s facemask distribution which began on July 7, 2020, and reported that a total of 76,705 masks had been distributed as of the previous day.  He also acknowledged that Lake Support and Emergency Recovery (LASER) had assisted 62 businesses, churches and agencies with over 58,000 cloth masks, 1,300 procedure masks, and continued to provide the hand sanitizer and gloves as needed.  He indicated that for Lake County Schools from October 3-9, 2020, there had been 30 positive cases of 18 students and 12 employees with 185 persons being under investigation to include 159 students and 26 employees.  He concluded with information regarding the COVID-19 test available for senior living communities.  He shared that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had conducted a press conference regarding the availability of the BinaxNOW rapid COVID-19 test, noting that this test was a 15 minute rapid test available by the Florida Division of Emergency Management to senior communities.  He explained that senior communities interested in receiving these rapid tests could email [email protected]. 

Commr. Campione inquired about the senior communities and if Mr. Carpenter had provided a list of them to the Governor’s Office.  She also asked if staff was relaying this message out to the community so that any seniors who might want to obtain the test would be able to.

Mr. Carpenter replied that his office had compiled a list of several communities, had verified points of contact, and had provided it to the Governor’s Office; furthermore, he indicated that they had formatted it so that the Governor’s Office could upload the list to their system without having to input each community separately. He said that he had shared the information with the Office of Communications for a press release.  He added that they were also attempting to collect the same data from fire services, noting that his office had emailed the ones within Lake County so that they could complete the survey and upload it to the State. 

Mr. Aaron Kissler, Administrator/Director/Health Officer for the Florida DOH in Lake County, displayed a chart of the new positive COVID-19 cases listed by week, and reported that their 20 plus contact tracers continued to track where the disease was spreading in order to contact anyone potentially exposed.  He said that their testing site was still in the City of Clermont and they were prepared to increase testing if needed.  He indicated that his office was partnering with schools to provide testing; furthermore, he explained that if a child at school was symptomatic, they were offering a test on the spot so that a determination could be made and medical care provided if needed.  He said they were also continuing to distribute masks to churches, to reach out to long-term care facilities regarding the rapid tests, and were answering citizen calls throughout the day.  He reported that nationwide there were six to seven vaccines being developed with the hope to have access to some by the end of the year, noting that treatments were also increasing with many options available by the end of the year.  He mentioned that they had begun to see reinfections of COVID-19 and that the DOH was monitoring this.  He asked for residents to social distance, wear masks, stay home when sick, get tested, and to stay away from indoor gatherings in order to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.  He stated that while COVID-19 was currently the leading cause of death in Lake County, they were experiencing other public diseases in the county as well, such as eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and the West Nile virus.  He also encouraged everyone to get a flu shot.

Mr. Cole gave an overview on CARES Act funding which included the following information: Lake County was notified in June 2020 of an award of $64 million in CARES Act funding; the State provided 25 percent of the funding, or $16 million, on July 27, 2020; the remaining 75 percent, or $48 million, required approval of a spend plan which was submitted on October 6, 2020; following the approval and expenditure of the original $16 million allocation, an additional $12.8 million would be provided; the remaining $35.2 million would be available on a reimbursement basis; and at their September 29, 2020 meeting, the Board approved soliciting for a $35,232,593 line of credit to be repaid with additional CARES Act funding.  He then displayed a chart depicting the allocation of CARES Act funding as approved by the Board on September 29, 2020 with the addition of the categories which aligned with what the State requested for the spend plans.  He added that this spreadsheet was a summary of the spend plan that the County submitted to the State for consideration on October 6, 2020, and aligned with what the Board previously approved.  He reported that they were currently expending funds within the first section, or the $16 million, and were close to expending all of that funding.  He indicated that if the Board approved proceeding with the line of credit at this meeting, then they would be ready to spend the second part of the spreadsheet, or the $12.8 million, later this month and continue with the remaining recipients listed. 

Ms. Jo-Anne Drury, Deputy County Manager, provided an update on the current resident assistance efforts as well as the implementation of phase two resident assistance, noting that this was related to $15 million of the CARES Act funding from the State.  She reported that currently there was $17,860,000 earmarked for rental, mortgage and utility assistance and indicated that this was comprised from the following sources: $460,000 in State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds; $300,000 in CARES Act Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) funds; $2 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund Grant (CRF); and $15 million from the CARES Act funds from the State.  She then reported specific information on the resident assistance program as follows: over 1,500 applications had been received; 427 applications had been approved; 269 applications had been declined; and over $1.2 million had been awarded to Lake County residents, noting that this had been a joint effort with the United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties.  She indicated that the goal was to expend the SHIP and CRF grant funds by October 31, 2020, the CARES Act funds by December 30, 2020, and the CDBG-CV funds would be spent last since they had approximately three years to expend these funds.  She also reported on the resident assistance phase two which would serve Lake County residents who had experienced a COVID-19 hardship such as a layoff, a furlough, or an impact of childcare or school closures on employment.  She explained that it would be on a first-come, first-serve, first-qualified basis while funds lasted, and the maximum award per household would be $4,000 in the form of a direct payment to residents as a reimbursement of rent or mortgage payments made after the COVID-19 hardship occurred or as a payment to their landlord or lender if there were past due balances.  She said that staff anticipated the call center and application to open sometime the week of             October 19, 2020, and that they recommended for residents to visit www.reopenlake.com in order to preregister for this opportunity, noting that those who do preregister would receive advance notice about requirements, documentation needed, and the opening of the application.  She noted that to date, 1,100 residents had preregistered. 

Mr. Brandon Matulka, Executive Director for the Agency for Economic Prosperity, provided an update on the Lake CARES Small Business Assistance Grant Program, noting the following: acceptance of phase one applications began on August 17, 2020; phase two began on September 8, 2020 with expanded criteria that made all businesses eligible for the grant; an announcement of increased award amounts for all applicants was on September 17, 2020; application deadlines were extended on September 22, 2020 to September 28, 2020, and then again to October 5, 2020; application acceptance was open for seven weeks; and the call center remained open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  He also displayed a chart of the award amounts which ranged from $4,000 for self-employed/sole proprietors up to $30,000 for businesses with 50 plus employees, noting that nonprofit and Chambers of Commerce had no employee requirement and had an award amount of $10,000.  He summarized that staff had processed and awarded six batches of payments to date, which reflected 1,122 applications and a total of $8,573,500 paid out thus far; additionally, 2,141 total applications had been received, which he indicated would equate to an estimated $14 to $18 million total award once they were processed.  He stated that staff had slightly over 1,000 applications to process and that they were dedicated to processing them, and submitting batch payments every week; furthermore, he indicated that when there was an issue with an application, staff was reaching out and working with businesses in order to be able to award as much as possible, noting that sometimes they were seeking the assistance from Chambers of Commerce when needed to connect with businesses.  He opined that it had been a good program, and he expressed appreciation for the community’s assistance with it.

Mr. Cole then displayed a list reflecting the allocation of funding to the municipalities, County, and Constitutional Officers, noting that they were currently evaluating the $3.8 million in funding that had already been expended for payment and would then move into the $8.1 million in planned expenditures.  He commented that Mr. Jay Glover, with PFM Financial Advisors, LLC (PFM), was participating virtually and would be presenting information on the line of credit.

Mr. Glover recalled that at the Board of County Commissioners meeting on September 29, 2020, the Board provided direction for PFM to request indications of interests for a line of credit to provide upfront funding for CARES Act eligible costs in anticipation of receiving reimbursement from the State of Florida, noting that this line of credit would allow the County to draw down funds as needed and prepay at any time without penalty once the reimbursements were received.  He said that in order to move in an expedited manner, PFM reached out to four potential financial institutions which they knew were in the business of providing lines of credit which included the Bank of America, Citizens First Bank, JP Morgan, and Truist, which was the merger of  BB&T and SunTrust.  He explained the indications of interest as follows: Bank of America provided a variable interest rate of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus 45 basis points (bps) with an unused fee of 30 bps and a LIBOR floor of 20 bps, which currently equated to 0.65 percent for drawn amounts; Citizens First Bank provided a fixed interest rate of 2.10 percent with an upfront commitment fee; JP Morgan Chase Bank had a variable interest rate at LIBOR plus 70 bps with no unused fees, which equated to 0.85 percent on drawn amounts; and Truist had an interest rate at LIBOR plus 85 bps with no unused fee and a LIBOR floor of 50 bps, which equated to 1.35 percent on drawn amounts.  He mentioned that his staff organized a call with the County staff, County Attorney, and Bond Counsel to discuss each of these indications of interest and determined that Bank of America provided the best option for the County.  He gave an example that if all the funds were drawn down at closing, the 0.65 percent would equate to approximately $19,000 worth of interest on a monthly basis, noting that if the County would be drawing down funds incrementally over time, then their actual payments would be less than this amount until the point where all the funds might be drawn down.  He added that the line of credit would have quarterly interest payments on the amounts drawn and would have a maturity at one year from issuance.

Mr. Cole specified that the interest would be eligible for reimbursement under the CARES Act funding.  He remarked that if the Board desired to proceed with the line of credit, then they would need to approve the non-revolving line of credit of $35,232,593 for CARES Act eligible expenditures, Resolution 2020-195, and for the Chairman to execute all closing documents with Bank of America.

Commr. Campione asked if Mr. Cole had any indication of how quickly the County might be reimbursed from the State.

Mr. Cole responded that he had received information the previous day from the County’s lobbyist who had been actively working with the State, the Governor’s Office, and the Division of Emergency Management on behalf of Lake County, noting that the notification relayed that they were expecting potentially to approve the spend plan this current week.

Commr. Sullivan opined that if they did not do this, then they were doing a disservice to the citizens and businesses of Lake County who pay the taxes.  He stated that while he did not like to borrow money except in the long-term for capital improvements, he believed that this was a great solution and the Board should move forward with it.

Commr. Blake said that he was supporting this for the same reasons that Commissioner Sullivan had just mentioned, especially since it was short-term, allowed access to these funds, and would help businesses and residents.

Commr. Parks expressed support as well, and thought they needed to take advantage of every option possible in order to help residents and businesses.

Commr. Campione clarified that the money being borrowed would be reimbursed to the County who would forward it to the lender once received, noting that the County was doing what they could to ensure that these expenses were ones that would be reimbursed and fit within the parameters of the CARES Act legislation, with the goal to get this funding to residents and businesses. 

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Sullivan, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the non-revolving line of credit of $35,232,593 for CARES Act eligible expenditures, Resolution 2020-195, and for the Chairman to execute all closing documents with Bank of America.

Commr. Campione inquired about phase two of the housing assistance which was anticipated to open the week of October 19, 2020.  She recalled that the Board had discussed at their last meeting about retaining Ernst and Young to assist with this, and she asked if this was in place to begin on October 19, 2020.

Ms. Drury replied that it was and that staff was currently working on a contract with Ernst and Young, noting that staff had received a draft from them and was working with the Office of Procurement to get it executed this week.  She added that they were working with Ernst and Young to develop the application and the review process.

Commr. Campione mentioned that phase one of the original program had certain income requirements, and she asked if people awarded funds in that program would be allowed to apply as well in the phase two program in which the parameters had been broadened. 

Mr. Drury responded that the proposal as it currently stood was that if someone received funding under the original CARES Act, then they would not be eligible for the second opportunity.  She indicated that the CARES Act did require that there was no duplication of benefits and was one of the reasons they set the program up as such.

Commr. Campione asked if the amount had been increased from $3,000 to $4,000, and if residents had already received the extra $1,000.

Ms. Drury confirmed that the amount had increased to $4,000, and said that people were currently receiving the extra amount as they qualified. 

Commr. Campione inquired if they did not receive as many applications as anticipated for the program, then could they revise the program to reopen to those who had already applied so that everyone was treated equally, and Ms. Drury replied that was correct.

Minutes approval

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Blake, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the minutes for the BCC meetings of July 31, 2020 (Special Meeting) and August 7, 2020 (Special Meeting).

citizen question and comment period

No one wished to address the Board at this time.

city of eustis proposed annexation

Commr. Campione welcomed the Eustis City Mayor, City Manager, and City Commissioners present in the meeting.  She explained that she brought up this item after she had heard from several residents from District 4, noting that emails had been sent to all of the Commissioners.  She recalled that at their previous meeting, the Board had authorized sending a letter to the City of Eustis to request more information.  She indicated that the concern was that the adjoining area was one unit to five acres and was generally a rural area, while the request for annexation would be up to five units per acre.  She relayed that if the City was going to annex in that area, then the BCC was asking the normal questions that they would ask when there were unincorporated residents with concerns, noting that these concerns were presented in the letter to the City.  She explained that the letter was sent in an effort to gather information and to begin a conversation with the City so that everyone could work together and so that the County could do their job to represent all residents, including unincorporated ones.  She said that the County had received a letter back from the City, noting that the Commissioners each had a copy of this letter.  She expressed concerns for the tone of this letter from the City of Eustis which ended with the statement, “we only ask that the City be granted equitably treatment.  Allow us to plan and implement our own destiny.”  She indicated that what the County was attempting to do was to engage in joint planning and discussion and not to be in an adversarial situation.  She opined that the assumption was that there was not a place for the County to reach out to gain additional information on behalf of the County residents and to potentially ask for reconsideration of what was being presented to the City of Eustis.  She mentioned that since the last meeting, the County Attorney had prepared a memorandum explaining the background in terms of the applicable law and the annexation provisions of the Florida Statutes as well as a map which showed the location of what was being proposed and a general map showing the current city boundaries in relation to the unincorporated area.  She relayed that the conclusion as she understood the memorandum was that it was arguably not meeting the intent of the Florida Statute nor the letter of the law in addition to the fact that there were residents who were really concerned about this.  She then opened the floor for members of the public to speak as well as the representatives from the City of Eustis.

Ms. Marsh displayed a map of the parcels being annexed which she then explained.  She stated that originally the Office of Planning and Zoning had calculated the percent of contiguous property and they had used a different threshold than what the courts used; therefore, the original memorandum had stated there was three percent boundary that was contiguous.  She relayed that she had talked to the Eustis City Attorney who had indicated that they had calculated it at 23 percent.  She explained that the 23 percent came from the single western boundary of 868 linear feet, with 199 linear feet that was contiguous to the County park, noting there were arrows on the map pointing to this.  She stated that the Statute did allow for a municipality to essentially jump a county park to reach properties on the other side, but that area of the park was where they would have to be contiguous.  She remarked that the Statute said that in order to be contiguous, a substantial portion of a boundary must be contiguous.  She commented that the question was whether 23 percent constituted contiguity as the Statute referenced.  She indicated that there was little to no case law on this, noting that there was one case from Volusia County where the calculation in that case was a 1.6 percent contiguous ratio and the court said that was definitely not substantial.  She said that in her opinion, the definition of substantial would be 50 percent or more; however, a court could disagree with that and say that 23 percent was contiguous.  She said that if you considered the entire boundary of the top parcel that was outlined in blue on the map, the total boundary of that was 4,146 linear feet, and the 199 linear feet gave the 4.7 percent contiguity rate for that.  She added that if you looked at all of the annexations, then one would get 0.89 percent.  She mentioned that generally the property that was below CR 44A really would not come into play, she did not believe, since if a court was looking at this case, they were just looking at the parcel that was directly adjacent to the park; furthermore, she believed that was filed in a separate application, noting that she believed there were three separate applications since they were doing three separate ordinances to annex those properties.  She remarked that was the update on the percentages, and that she wanted to update the map based on the opinion she had issued the previous week.

Commr. Campione asked for clarification that the Statute did not distinguish between an active park with ballfields in the midst of urban and suburban uses versus a passive park such as this.

Ms. Marsh confirmed that was correct; additionally, the language about jumping over a county park was added to the Statute in 1984.  She relayed that staff reached out to the State Library System in the City of Tallahassee to obtain the staff analysis reports in order to try and figure out what triggered that being added to the Statute.  She said that at that same time, the Legislation added a definition of enclave that had previously not existed in the Statute.  She mentioned that there was no discussion in the staff analysis report as to why a county park was added, rather it was passive or active.  She remarked that when you review County powers in 1984, the County had the power to have parks, preserves, playgrounds, etc. so there was some differentiation under Florida Statute 125 that a park and preserve would be something different; however, there was nothing to indicate what the Legislature was intending when they added a county park.  She said at this point, they would merely have to take it as County owned property, whether it was a preserve and not an active park, but she did not know what a court would do with that if they ended up that far.   She then explained that the second map was the overall boundary.  She said that the yellow boundary on the map was the Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement (ISBA) boundaries, and she believed it was also what the City of Eustis had proposed earlier in the year when they initiated the ISBA process.  She elaborated that the areas in color on the map were the parts that were actually within the City of Eustis, noting that the County park was in green and the proposed annexation was outlined. 

Commr. Campione commented that when she raised this issue to the BCC, she had heard from residents who were concerned because they lived on Thrill Hill Road which was a pretty, rural area and a special area of the county.  She stated that the fact the City was jumping over the park was one of the items that disturbed her the most because she said that while the Statute might say the City can jump over a park, the question was did they still meet the Statute; furthermore, even if they met the Statute, was it something that was in the best interest of good planning.  She remarked that when the County asked for more information about what was actually being proposed, she thought maybe there was a proposal for something that could be done in harmony with the surrounding rural area.  She relayed that the reply was that there were no plans; therefore, the County did not know what would be proposed.  She inquired about the first paragraph in the letter from the City of Eustis which mentioned that the BCC had no legal standing as she knew there had been times when the County had opposed annexations and had filed petitions for review.  She asked if this was correct.

Ms. Marsh responded that the County would have the right to seek judicial review since the County had the park in that area and because it was impacting the unincorporated areas.  She stated that by the fact there had been annexation cases between cities and counties which had gone to court, it would lead one to believe that a court had not said that a county did not have the ability to challenge an annexation.  She stated that they would have the ability to challenge that in the event that the Board desired to do that.

Commr. Campione mentioned that she wanted to explore paragraph five in which the City questions the County’s concurrence with the City of Mount Dora Innovation District which allowed up to four dwelling units per acre.  She recalled that prior to her time on the BCC, the innovation district was referenced as an employment center and for years, the City and the County had negotiated over the densities in that employment center which was currently called an innovation district.  She did not think that was any surprise to the property owners in that area of the City of Mount Dora Innovation District when it was renamed; furthermore, she noted that the City had asked the County to enter into an ISBA which addressed this innovation district since there was water and sewer that touched the boundary of that area and they wanted to make investments in extending utilities into that area.  She wanted to make the point that while it might look rural in that area, it had been on the record for years to be an employment center and was not something newly proposed by the City of Mount Dora; whereas, this particular area being discussed, not only did it go outside the joint planning area (JPA) that was put in place in the 1980s, it was in an area that did not have any proposed employment center uses. 

The Chairman opened the floor for public comment.

Ms. Alison Yurko, a land use attorney representing residents who were opposing the annexation, concurred with the County Attorney in the fact that the County was an affected party under Section 171, Florida Statutes.  She indicated that residents in unincorporated Lake County were not affected parties withstanding to file an annexation petition; therefore, they would rely on the County to do that.  She referenced the map, and opined that the Statute did not actually say a city can jump over a park; rather, it states that the existence of a park did not preclude contiguity.  She expressed concerns that this area was not compact which was also a condition of the Statute; additionally, this created a pocket according to the Statute.  She relayed that the residents would like for the BCC to contest the annexation.  She suggested that some solutions would be to utilize the JPA, to consider Section 163.3171, Florida Statutes, and to jointly appoint a six member board to monitor and review per the JPA.  She summarized her opinions that there was no mutual adoption of a plan, there was no specifics on providing adequate urban services and facilities, there was the question if the County was interfering when it raised issues of land use compatibility, and did the City have legal authority to annex and give comprehensive plan designations to areas in the JPA without following the JPA.  She also pointed out some elements of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, and said that the density was being increased without a meaningful plan.  She opined this annexation was not acceptable, and encouraged the two parties to work together.

Ms. Tammy Pena, a resident who owned property adjacent to the properties being discussed, asked the Board to consider the opposition for the proposed annexation and suburban density due to the impact on surrounding residents.  She relayed that she had livestock and expressed concerns for the safety of her animals since this annexation bordered her property.  She shared concerns for high traffic on CR 44A and Thrill Hill Road and opined it was a dangerous intersection due to road elevation and blind driveways, noting that the infrastructure was not there to support the proposed high density.  She asked the Board to consider the residents’ desire to keep the area rural. 

Mr. Lloyd Kennedy, the resident who had hired Ms. Yurko, commented that his family moved to this area for its rural atmosphere.  He mentioned that his biggest concern was the proposed density change and its impact to the rural character.  He asked for the Board to work together with the City and residents on a plan that would work for everyone.

A virtual participant who identified himself as Egor Emory, a resident on Estes Road, said that he had been an advocate for this region and had participated in the comprehensive planning process and the formation of the joint planning area.  He asked for the Board to stop this annexation and for everyone to work together on a long-range plan to ensure that development happened in a timely fashion, noting that having an actual proposal for the development of the property would be helpful.  He advocated for development to be directed to the actual city limits and then work outward in an orderly fashion.  He asked the Board to protect the interests in the area and to object to this annexation.

Mr. Derek Schroth, an attorney representing the City of Eustis, thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak.  He referenced Section 171.031 subsection 11, Florida Statutes, and said that when considering if something was contiguous, it had to be determined if one boundary was coterminous, with the issue as to whether it was substantially coterminous.  He indicated that the City had calculated that 23 percent of the western boundary was contiguous, and that they considered that substantial.  He remarked that the 23 percent was about 15 times more than the property involved in the City of Deltona case, and in that case, the western boundary was only coterminous at 1.6 percent.  He believed that it was contiguous and that the Lake County park shall not prevent annexation based on the language of the Statute.  He relayed that there were three property owners who requested annexation, and that the City had a legal obligation to process their request, noting that it was the Harper, Brown, and Simpson families who were all longstanding families in the county.  He said that these families had a statutory right to request annexation, that the City had analyzed the area and found it to be in compliance, and that his opinion was that this requested annexation was legal.  He asked for the BCC to allow the City to continue to process these applications without objection.

Commr. Parks asked if this was a quasi-judicial hearing, and inquired about the recent meeting between the City and County attorneys and what had been discussed.

Ms. Marsh responded that she believed it was legislative but that she would refer to Mr. Schroth to confirm.  She added that the County’s proceeding was not quasi-judicial.  She said that she had spoken with Mr. Schroth the previous day about the percentages and the 23 percent versus the three percent that the planning staff had originally calculated for the entire boundary.

Commr. Campione summarized that the question before the Board was if the BCC was willing to oppose the City’s decision to move forward with annexation.  She stated that she did not question the right of an applicant to file an annexation request; rather, she questioned the prudence of the City to proceed with approving an annexation request in a situation such as this.  She opined that it did not fit the area to develop five units to the acre nor was it orderly development.  She remarked that maybe this did or did not meet the Statute, and she thought Ms. Marsh’s position was correct that it did not meet the Statute; additionally, she thought Mr. Schroth’s position was arguable as well, noting that a circuit court judge could hear the facts and decide.  She opined that substantial meant more than 50 percent.  She relayed that she did not like to be in an adversarial position with the City of Eustis, and that she wanted the City to thrive and be successful; however, she thought there was a right way to do it and this was not the right way since there were interests which were completely contrary to what the City was pursuing.  She indicated that the residents in the area also had a vision and expectation for the land they had bought.  She wanted everyone to come together and to give respect to both sides and interests.  She opined that if the City did not want to participate in joint planning, then the BCC had an obligation on behalf of the residents to oppose this and to request a decision if this annexation met the Statute.  She indicated that the City had a land use designation that was one-to-one which might fit that area instead of the suburban residential designation, noting that even their rural conservation design might be a way to bring about harmony between five and ten acre tracks.  She opined that the five units to the acre was not the right density and was not fair to the surrounding area.  She reiterated the Board’s responsibility to stand up for residents, and that her preference was to perform joint planning.

Commr. Parks agreed that joint planning was his preference as well, and that he preferred not to have to go through circuit court.  He said he respected the residents who were speaking for protection of their quality of life, as well as the process, and he thought the BCC had a right to weigh in on these situations.  He remarked that his preference at this point was to attempt to meet with the City one more time in order to complete the JPA rather than sending an objection letter to the City. 

Commr. Campione commented that maybe the BCC could ask the City to reconsider moving forward until the two entities could meet to work on the JPA or the ISBA as a way to integrate joint planning.

Commr. Sullivan opined that the point of a JPA was to have continuity of movement where it goes from urban to suburban to rural, noting that this was a rural area.  He thought it was a good idea to put a committee together to work through this, and suggested that the BCC table this item at this point until this could be accomplished.  He remarked that all of the County’s JPAs needed to be redone, and encouraged working with the City before going through the courts.

Commr. Campione indicated that a resolution needed to be done quickly; otherwise, if the City moved forward with their scheduled hearings, then the annexation could already be done.

Commr. Breeden agreed that she wanted the County and City to attempt to work through this prior to any litigation.  She hoped that the City understood that the BCC did have to support their constituents concerns and that the City would respect them similar to their city residents.

Commr. Parks commented that there would need to be understanding on both sides and some give and take when discussing JPAs.

Commr. Campione opined that this one designation continued to cause issues and thought that if the City would work on it, then it would solve many issues.  She indicated that form based codes allowed flexibility but sometimes caused concerns on what the development could be, noting that developers often go for higher densities.  She said that having details on what a development would be could assist with residents’ concerns.

Ms. Marsh asked for confirmation that the Board was requesting for the City to postpone the annexation so that their planning staff and the County’s planning staff could work together on the JPA as a whole, or the JPA as it related to this particular annexation to start with.

Commr. Parks replied as a whole, but including this particular one.

Commr. Campione stated that realistically as a whole may be too big of a list, but they could hone in on this situation.  She said it could be a good template to be used for other situations.  She summarized that ideally they would prefer to work on the JPA as a whole; however, realistically, this was the issue at hand and asked if they could work on this issue as opposed to the City moving ahead with an actual adoption and second reading.

Ms. Marsh asked if the Board wanted to have on record a motion and vote on requesting that the City of Eustis postpone the annexation.

Commr. Sullivan hoped that this would not postpone it, and he inquired when the City would be addressing this item. 

The City of Eustis representative relayed it would be December 3, 2020.

Ms. Marsh reminded the Board of the Thanksgiving holiday which would mean staff on both sides would be out of the office.

Commr. Campione remarked that it should be postponed maybe to January 2021 and that they should attempt to work together on a resolution between this time and then.

The Board inquired when the City would be meeting in January 2021, and the City representatives replied they would meet on the first and third Thursdays in January 2021.

Commr. Campione asked if there was a benefit to attempt to have resident input in addition to staff working together.

Commr. Breeden said they had received resident input.

Commr. Parks added that the Commissioners had received emails from residents.

Mr. Ron Neibert, Eustis City Manager, asked for clarification that the County Commission would forego any legality questions regarding the annexation if they could come to a mutual agreement on land use issues in this area.

Commr. Campione replied that she thought that was the goal.

Commr. Sullivan added for them to do so before they spent money going to court.

Mr. Neibert remarked that the annexation was either legal or it was not whether they agreed or disagreed on land uses, which he said was the point.

Commr. Campione stated that to find out if it was legal or not according to a court, they would have to pursue a challenge.

Mr. Neibert indicated that the County was basing its challenge on the ability to come to an agreement on land use issues.

Commr. Sullivan said that he disagreed.  He commented that there was a planning area, and that they were supposed to work together, noting that there was a six member board which they had never convened.  He desired for this to be worked out, noting they had discussed this previously, and he thought this gave them another level of detail in order to get both sides to come together.  He opined it would take time to work out the details.

Commr. Breeden said the goal was to come to agreement.

Commr. Campione indicated that the BCC was not saying they did not have a good legal position; furthermore, neither side knew what the court might say as there were good legal arguments on both sides.

Commr. Breeden said it would benefit both sides if they could work together.

Mr. Neibert relayed that he would take this to the Eustis City Commission.

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried by a 4-0 vote, the Board approved to request for the City of Eustis to postpone annexation until the third Thursday in January 2021 in order to allow sufficient time for the two staffs to pursue a negotiation on this item.

Commr. Blake was not present for the vote.

CLERK OF the Circuit COURT and comptroller’s CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried 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:

Commr. Blake was not present for the vote.

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.

Southwest Florida Water Management District FY 2021 Meeting Schedule

Request to acknowledge receipt of the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Fiscal Year 2021 Schedule of Meetings and a map depicting the District’s boundaries as required by Section 189.417, Florida Statutes.

City of Clermont Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and CRA Annual Report

Request to acknowledge receipt of the City of Clermont’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the CRA Annual Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA

Commr. Blake requested for Tab 5 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 3 through 21, pulling Tab 10, accepting changes to Tab 15, and pulling Tab 5 for a separate vote as follows below.

On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved Consent Agenda Tab 5.

Commr. Blake voted no.

PROCLAMATIONS

Request approval of Proclamation 2020-184 designating October 15, 2020, as White Cane Day in Lake County, per Commissioner Wendy Breeden.

Request approval of Proclamation 2020-192 designating the week of October 11 - 17, 2020, as Mediation Week in Lake County.

COUNTY ATTORNEY

Request approval for the County Attorney, or designee, to execute the Stipulated Final Judgment in Lake County, Florida v. First National Bank of Mount Dora, et al., Court Case No. 2020-CA-000335, for the needed right of way for the County Road 19A and Eudora Road/Old 441 Roundabout Project. The fiscal impact from this action is $259,065.00 (expenditure). Commission District 4.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Management and Budget

Request approval of payment to the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) for Lake County's Fiscal Year 2021 membership dues and FAC Special Assessment. The fiscal impact is $40,193.67 (expenditure). 

Procurement Services

Request approval to declare items as surplus and authorization to remove these items from the County’s official fixed asset inventory records. The fiscal impact (revenue) cannot be determined at this time.

AGENCY FOR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

Request approval of an extension to the Interlocal Agreement with the City of Mount Dora for continued work on the Wolf Branch Innovation District. The fiscal impact is not to exceed $50,000.00 (expenditure). Commission District 4. 

Request approval of an Economic Development Grant Incentive Program award for Project Lotus, pursuant to Section 7-4, Lake County Code, after finalization of an agreement and public availability of Project Lotus information, and authorization for the Chairman to execute the agreement upon review by the County Attorney’s Office. The fiscal impact cannot be determined at this time, but grant payments will be calculated as a percentage of the ad valorem taxes paid on real or tangible property owned by Project Lotus over 10 years if all requirements are met. Commission District 1.

PUBLIC SAFETY AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Fire Rescue

Request approval:

1. Of an application and corresponding Resolution 2020-193 for a Florida Department of Health Emergency Medical Services Grant.

2. To accept grant funding awarded.

3. To authorize the Chairman to execute the grant application and supporting resolution.

4. To purchase secure narcotics vaults at a total cost of $29,532.00 from CompX Security Products (Grayslake, IL) and other Advanced Life Support equipment totaling $8,844.00.

5. To adjust budgeted funds as needed to facilitate the purchase.

The estimated fiscal impact is $38,376.00 (revenue/expenditure).

Request approval to advertise an ordinance providing for the inclusion of properties within the City of Mascotte into the Lake County Municipal Service Taxing Unit for Fire Protection and the Lake County Fire Assessment. The fiscal impact (revenue) cannot be determined at this time. Commission District 1.

Request approval to advertise an ordinance providing for the inclusion of Hawthorne at Leesburg and Sago Palm at Hawthorne into the Lake County Municipal Service Taxing Unit for Fire Protection and the Lake County Fire Assessment. The estimated fiscal impact is $255,000.00 (revenue). Commission District 3.

Request approval to:

1. Accept a $1,765,335.60 Federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant to hire nine firefighters.

2. Purchase nine sets of protective gear and uniforms at an estimated cost of $49,500.00.

The total estimated fiscal impact over three years is $1,814,835.60 (revenue/expenditure - $1,765,335.60 in grant funds and expenditure of $49,500.00 in County funding for the purchase of gear and uniforms).

Request approval to advertise an ordinance creating Section 23-69, Lake County Code, to be entitled Hazardous Waste-Cost Recovery for Incidents, establishing a mechanism to recover the costs of a hazardous waste and/or materials cleanup from the party responsible for causing the incident. The fiscal impact (revenue) cannot be determined at this time.

PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Facilities Management

Request approval to release a Maintenance Bond for $54,000.00 that was provided as part of a Remediation Agreement with Prime Construction related to the County's Storage Facility at 313 Bloxham Avenue, Tavares. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 3.

Housing and Human Services

Request approval of the Lake County School Board's annual funding request of the Lake County Sheriff's Office for the continued funding of the Lake County Shared Services Network for a one-year period. The fiscal impact is $25,000.00 (expenditure - Crime Prevention Fund).

Public Works

Request approval of an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Clermont for traffic sign maintenance and emergency repairs. The estimated annual fiscal impact is $25,000.00 (revenue). Commission District 2.

Request approval to release a performance bond of $8,401.80 posted for the completion of a temporary turnaround for the Sawgrass Bay Phase 4-B1 final plat, located near Clermont. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 1.

Request approval to:

1. Accept the final plat for Wolfhead Ridge, and all areas dedicated to the public as shown on the Wolfhead Ridge final plat, located near Minneola.

2. Execute a Developer's Agreement for Maintenance of Improvements with River Meadows Land Trust.

3. Accept a maintenance bond of $48,500.00 for maintenance of improvements.

4. Execute Resolution 2020-194 accepting Wolf Springs Court (County Road No. 2356) into the County's maintenance system.

There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 2.

Request approval of a Haul Permit for The Villages Land Company, LLC for hauling activity associated with The Villages of West Lake project located on County Road 470, Leesburg. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 1.

recess and reassembly

The Chairman called a recess at 10:50 a.m. for fifteen minutes.

lake county multi-use trails presentation

Mr. Fred Schneider, Public Works Director, remarked that this would be a presentation regarding Lake County Trails, noting that the Public Works Department had worked collaboratively on this with the Office of Parks and Trails.  He indicated that it would cover the status of trails and opportunities for further development, and would include information on background, the Lake County Trails Master Plan, maintenance and construction, and priorities for study and schedule.  He then recalled the following background information: on November 19, 2019, The Lake 100, Lake County League of Cities, and Chamber Alliance of Lake County hosted a summit at Lake-Sumter State College for community leaders to discuss trail planning and development within Lake County; at the June 16 and July 7, 2020 budget development workshops, the Board discussed opportunities to develop additional multi-use trails throughout Lake County; and the Public Works Department and Office of Parks and Trails had evaluated priorities with respect to the adopted Trails Master Plan to provide a recommendation for select studies over the next five years.  He shared that the Lake County Trails Master Plan was adopted in September 2018 by the Board with extensive outreach efforts including public workshops, municipalities, the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Parks, Recreation, and Trails Advisory Board, and the Tourist Development Council; furthermore, prioritization criteria for ranking included connectivity, environmental impacts, economic development, and community support, noting that the top ranked trails totaled 166 miles in length at an estimated construction cost of $113 million.  He then displayed a map of the primary trail corridors for Lake County which included the River to Hills, Wekiva, Coast to Coast, Lake Ridge, Lake Denham West Lake, and Central Lake Green Mount Scenic, noting that some of the trails had various names as they ran throughout the county.  He additionally showed the status of each trail, and explained that typically they followed the process which included a feasibility study, a project development and environment (PD&E) study, in design, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, under construction, and then a completed trail.  He then displayed a graph depicting South Lake Trail usage for 2019 and 2020, noting that trail usage had greatly increased beginning March 2020 due to COVID-19.  He relayed that there were 21 miles of paved, stand-alone, multi-use trails which are maintained by contracted services and staff with routine basic maintenance including mowing, edging and trash/litter removal, noting that it was an average annual cost per mile of $5,300 with maintenance and minor repairs being funded by the County municipal service taxing unit (MSTU).  He added that additional incidental maintenance and minor repairs also included tree trimming and removal, embankment/slope repairs, maintaining landscape, asphalt repairs, and concrete repairs at an average annual trail maintenance cost of $150,000.  He stated that these trails should be resurfaced approximately every eight to ten years in order to maintain a smooth asphalt surface, that typical costs were $300,000 per mile, and that the Infrastructure Sales Tax was utilized for capital improvements and resurfacing of the trails; furthermore, capital improvements for the existing multi-use trail system included items such as structural, boardwalk, walls, etc. with the current unmet needs estimated at $6.5 million.  He remarked that Lake County did not have a designated funding source to construct new multi-use trails, noting that the typical funding source came from either the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) United States Department of Transportation (DOT) or State sources.  He indicated that the cost to construct a paved trail was typically $443,500 per mile for the pathway only, not including other amenities, and that ROW costs were highly variable depending on residential or commercial values.  He reported the following regarding the total Lake County and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) investment in trails between 2000-2025: approximately $22 million had been expended on paved trails from 2000 through 2020; $14.7 million was budgeted for fiscal years 2021 through 2025; 34 miles of paved trails had been constructed or under construction from fiscal year 2000 through fiscal year 2020; and 3.7 miles of paved trails were programmed to be constructed from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2025.  He then displayed maps of various trails and identified information regarding their process.  He said that for the Wekiva Trail, which ran from Wooten Park in the City of Tavares east to the Seminole County line, it was divided into five segments.  He reported that segment one had the PD&E completed, segment two was currently in ROW acquisition and was funded for $2.8 million from DOT, segment three and four were currently under construction but close to being completed, and that the Board had approved a PD&E study for segment five.  He showed a close-up picture of segment five which started at Wooten Park in the City of Tavres and ran east to Tremain Street in the City of Mount Dora, noting that one of the aspects of the feasibility study being done by DOT was to place it on the existing railroad which would involve conversations with the railroad company.  He then showed the North Lake Trail, which was divided into three segments, and reported that segment one ran from the City of Tavares to the City of Eustis, segment two went from the City of Eustis to the City of Umatilla, and segment three ran from the City of Umatilla north to State Road (SR) 40 and was the segment that DOT had recently completed a feasibility study on.  He stated that for the North Lake Trail Segment IIIA, the Board had identified funding for a PD&E study for the next year in addition to the one currently funded, noting that Lake County owned a significant amount of the ROW so there should not be many issues.  He added there was also a section where a feasibility could be performed by staff in consideration of how to connect this trail to the North Lake Regional Park.  He commented that the South Lake to the City of Tavares Trail was divided into four different segments with segment one beginning where the North Hancock Trail ended at CR 561A, and the trail ending at Wooten Park in the City of Tavares.  He then showed the various suggested paths for each of these trail segments, and indicated that some in-house feasibility studies could potentially be performed on these.  He remarked that one additional trail that could be considered for a feasibility study was the Lake Denham Trail in the City of Leesburg.  He then displayed a list of trails which were currently programmed in the DOT and Lake County’s work program for years 2021 through 2025, and noted if they were in PD&E studies, design, ROW, or construction.  He relayed that the trails listed included Wekiva Trail Segment 3, Wekiva Trail Segment 2, South Lake Trail Phase IIIB, South Lake Trail Phase IV, South Lake Trail SR 50 Realignment in the City of Groveland, Citrus Grove Road Phase IV and V, Wekiva Trail Segment 5, and North Lake Phase IIIA, noting that the five year currently funded program totaled $14,753,768.  He also showed a chart of trails which the Board had proposed to potentially perform studies on over the next five years which included the Wekiva Trail Segment 5, North Lake Phase IIIA, North Lake Regional Park to SR 19 connection in the City of Umatilla, South Lake to Tavares Trail Segment 1, Lake Denham Segment 1, North Lake Segment 1, and North Lake Segment 2.  He relayed that the DOT had recently indicated they would not fund PD&E studies; however, he said that if the feasibility and PD&E studies were done, then he thought design, ROW, and construction funding could come from the DOT.  He added that some of these trails ran within the city limits, so that if Cities wanted to jointly build the trails, then County staff could work with the Cities on the schedule, noting that he had already reached out to the Cities prior to this presentation.  He summarized that significant investment had been made in the Lake County multi-use paved trail system, funding for trail maintenance and repair must be identified as additional trail miles were added to the county system, projects which have had investment in studies, design, and ROW should be prioritized for funding through construction, and staff had provided a five year plan to begin implementing additional trail corridor studies. 

Commr. Campione inquired about the North Lake Segments 1 and 2 which were to run from the Cities of Tavares to Eustis to Umatilla, and if these Cities desired to move along quicker on the feasibility studies, then these might be segments that could be moved up in priority.  She asked if once the feasibility study was done, would they need to determine if there was funding to perform the PF&E, noting that after the PD&E was accomplished, there was the opportunity to ask the State to assist with funding.

Mr. Schneider confirmed this was all correct.

Commr. Campione stated that for these segments, they would need the cooperation of the railroad, and she asked if staff had reason to believe the railroad would be cooperative, noting that it would basically be the same price per mile as in other areas as far as buying out the lease and the underlying rails.

Mr. Schneider responded that one of the purposes of the feasibility study was to look for alternatives and if the trail could be placed somewhere besides an existing railroad since sometimes it was difficult to have one there.  He gave an example that the last estimate from CSX for the sections in the Wekiva area were significant.  He said that some areas within the cities were already urbanized, and opined that this would be the time for the Cities to consider how they could build trails in their cities.

Commr. Campione stated that maybe land that was adjacent to the railroad might be logical locations if there were owners willing to sell at a reasonable price. 

Commr. Sullivan asked about the statewide and regional trails, such as the River To Hills or Coast to Coast, and if they were the most likely avenues to see if they could get DOT funding if the feasibility and PD&E studies were already completed; furthermore, if that was the case, were the projects aligned in that order.

Mr. Schneider responded that there was DOT funding and Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail program funding, noting that SUN Trail was primarily focused on the Florida Loop Trail area.  He said that through DOT funding, they had been willing to put money into the Wekiva Trail and other trails through federal funding.  He replied that as for priority order or the ones they desired to consider first, they had looked at the ones mentioned, the corridors, the ROW, or ownership by the Cities, and that those could rise to the top and should be moved forward earlier since they probably would not have as many problems, noting that other trails might be complicated as there could be significant amounts of private property that might need to be acquired. 

Commr. Parks referenced the $113 million cost for the total prioritized trails, and asked for Mr. Schneider to expand upon what could be performed internally, such as feasibility or PD&E studies, to lower the cost.  He also inquired that as far as matching funds, if the County would be in a better position to receive DOT funding grants if they had a dedicated formal funding formula that was adopted, perhaps countywide.

Mr. Schneider replied that they had already identified that feasibility studies could be done with in-house staff, noting it might be the Public Works Department, the Office of Parks and Trails, or the Office of Planning and Zoning since they might want to look at land use or environmental issues.  He said that after the feasibility study, they could then decide if they wanted to move forward with a PD&E study done in-house depending on how complicated it might be.  He gave the example that a PD&E study in the forest might require an environmental impact statement which was a complicated two year process involving federal agencies, while other studies might be simpler.  He remarked that as far as State funding, they had not been required in the past to match funding on the trails but that was something that could possibly help; however, he indicated that a Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation grant typically looked for a match. 

Commr. Campione remarked that the $113 million was for construction and not something that could be performed in-house.  She commented that what could be done in-house were things that would lead up to the point to apply for a BUILD Transportation grant, DOT funding, or dedicate a local funding source.

Mr. Schneider clarified that $113 million was for all the trails on the priority list.

Commr. Parks relayed that there was a dedicated source of funding for the Coast-To-Coast Trail and asked if it was $15 million, and Mr. Schneider said he thought that was correct.  Commissioner Parks then asked how long it would take to complete this trail.

Mr. Schneider responded that the DOT had part of the next phase of the South Lake Trail programmed for construction, they were in design for the four lane realignment which included the trail realignment and ROW, and the next segment was being funded for construction.  He commented that the DOT was providing funding to complete the Coast-To-Coast Trail across Lake County. 

Commr. Parks remarked that many in the county supported trails but wondered realistically how long it could take to get trails completed, and how long it might take to wait on the State construction grants.  He asked if it could be expedited by matching more towards construction from the County.

Mr. Schneider replied it could take eight years from the feasibility study to construction if fully funded.  He displayed the programmed trail schedule again and stated that some of them had been discussed for quite a while, but they were at a point where trails were being moved along, noting that as one gets to construction, the next one goes into design.  He reiterated that it took time, there was not an unlimited amount of funding, and that it cost about half a million dollars per mile for construction for a trail which did not account for ROW costs which could sometimes outweigh the cost of construction. 

Commr. Blake asked what percentage in general did ROW cost.

Mr. Schneider said that was difficult to answer because for some of the trails there was no public ROW so it would take future developers to bring those in.  He gave an example of the current trail being done in the Mt. Plymouth/Sorrento area was $3 million in ROW but half of that for construction, noting that sometimes ROW can cost double the construction cost.  He commented that part of what the feasibility and PD&E studies do is to determine these impacts and what it would cost.

Commr. Campione remarked that it seemed like what people in Lake County wanted was trails that families could utilize safely without mixing in vehicle traffic; therefore, when the feasibility study is performed, this is important to keep in mind.

Mr. Schneider agreed that the most effective trails are those not along roadways because of driveway cuts and issues.  He said that while trails in rural areas might be more pleasant, there were benefits to trails in urbanized areas as they led into economic areas and growth with businesses.

Commr. Parks asked how close a multi-use trail could be to pavement.

Mr. Schneider replied it depended on the type of roadway, noting that on a curb and gutter road with a bike trail, he preferred for them not to be closer than eight feet to the curb which would give 15 feet to the travel lane.  He said that they build trails with road projects and that the transportation impact fee can be used to build sidewalks and trails with a road project; furthermore, often they work with landowners to move the trail further out from the road.

Commr. Breeden inquired why the North Lake Trail Segment III, which the feasibility study had already been done on, was not a priority as she thought the Friends of Lake County Trails had listed it as one.  She asked if it had to do with the cost or an environment study.

Mr. Schneider indicated that this segment was still a priority and that the estimate from DOT to perform that PD&E study was $2.2 million; additionally, he said that since that segment went through the forest, then they would try to get DOT to take the lead on it since it would involve State and Federal agencies.  He remarked that in regard to the $450,000 in funding identified by the Board, that segment IIIA of the trail did not necessarily involve the Ocala National Forest; therefore, the County would look at this segment and then as the trail moved forward, they would request design funds from DOT, noting that possibly DOT would move forward on the PD&E study.

Commr. Breeden noted that Mr. Michael Woods, Executive Director for Lake-Sumter MPO, was present in the meeting and asked if he would speak regarding any future funding to assist with trails.

Mr. Woods replied that after the next census they would become a Transportation Management Area (TMA) MPO, and that with that designation, funding that currently flowed through DOT to the MPO, would then come directly to the MPO Board for prioritization.  He indicated that the MPO Board could decide what projects to spend the funds on, noting that it was approximately $10 to $12 million a year.  He said that typically other MPOs in the district used it on safety, operations maintenance, and bicycle/pedestrian trail projects.

Commr. Breeden asked if they would be eligible to use funding on PD&E studies and Mr. Woods replied that was correct.

Commr. Campione inquired if the funding would be shared with Sumter County, and if this would be in addition to what was normally prioritized through DOT.

Mr. Woods confirmed that was correct, and commented that the MPO Board could decide how to use the funding, and that there was flexibility to utilize it for feasibility studies, PD&E studies or construction.  He added that it would probably be available in 2024 once the census was completed and certified.

Commr. Campione remarked that this was something to potentially look forward to.  She thought that if they were able to get these particular segments studied and the alignments selected, then there would be the chance for the public to get behind a potential countywide funding source so that they could identify which trails would be constructed with the funding.  She opined it was difficult to promote to the public when it was complicated.  She thought they were doing a good job of moving items along as much as they could and being resourceful; however, she felt that they needed to get further along in the feasibility and PD&E studies in order to make it happen and that a funding source would need to be identified.  She said if they could get the Cities to partner with the County on the feasibility studies and potentially the PD&E studies, then they could keep things moving along and funding could be pieced together as they moved forward.

Commr. Parks commented that they would need to get the feasibility and PD&E studies underway; additionally, he said it was not too early to think about long-term how it might be funded.  He remarked since these were general corridors that everyone had agreed to on the master plan, then there were potential businesses they could rely on to provide input.  He thought it was important within the coming year to start heading down the path to determine if there was an additional funding source or plan to accomplish this with the Chambers of Commerce and Cities guiding while simultaneously attempting to get these feasibility and PD&E studies done.

Commr. Sullivan opined that future Boards needed to look at what was the best return on investment.  He said for example, when considering projects that cost hundreds of millions of dollars, what was the best use of the dollars for return on investment.  He gave the example that Marion County had four million people who used their trails, and said to consider the impact that four million visitors to Lake County might have; furthermore, this could generate tourist development tax (TDT) which could maybe come back to be a part of the funding available.  He opined that trails added to the quality of life and that there was interest in the community regarding trails.  He encouraged the Board to continue pushing these ideas and to accomplish the studies so that State funding might be obtained.

Commr. Parks asked if The Lake 100 and some other groups involved with the Chambers of Commerce would be a good group to assist with a funding formula. 

Commr. Sullivan replied that they would, noting that he was President of The Lake 100 which included a dedicated group who believed this was great for the county and added to the quality of life for the county.  He added that while The Lake 100 did not necessarily have funding for this, they had resources that could be utilized as part of the program.

Commr. Parks added that the Friends of Lake County Trails should also be included.

Mr. Mike Stevens, with The Lake 100 and Friends of Lake County Trails, relayed appreciation for what Mr. Schneider, Mr. Woods, Mr. Bobby Bonilla, Director of the Office of Parks and Trails, and others had done to take this step in addressing trails.  He said they were focused more on economic development than quality of life, noting that Rails-to-Trails Conservancy had recently performed a study that reported it was a seven to one return on funding.  He understood it was a lot of money; however, the usage of the trails was increasing and would continue to increase as the regional trails across the state were built.  He indicated that the Coast-To-Coast Trail should be completed around 2025 or 2026, noting that the biggest gap was in Sumter County which was where DOT was putting funding towards to finish in the next few years.  He said that the $15 million a year for SUN Trails was coming from vehicle registration, that it was originally approved at $30 million but was decreased for various reasons, and that some trail advocacy groups had planned to lobby for that to increase, although he was uncertain what might happen due to the changes in the economy and sales tax.   He relayed that on the Florida Office of Greenways and Trails website, there was an opportunity map and a priority map, noting that the $15 million from SUN Trails was going towards trails on the priority map.  He added that there were a number of trails on the opportunity map, such as the River To Hills and Wekiva Trail, and that they were working to get them on the priority map.  He thanked the BCC for taking the first step in addressing trails, and agreed that funding was the issue; furthermore, he opined that a defined funding source needed to be identified, and that they needed to get the trails through the feasibility and PD&E studies so they could obtain funding for design and construction.  He relayed his groups were working behind the scenes and available to assist with this endeavor.  He reiterated the importance of the economic aspects of trails.

Commr. Campione thanked Mr. Stevens for his leadership and organization of these groups, and welcomed their input on analyzing economic impacts that could be used to get community and City support.

Mr. Stevens relayed they were doing that currently and that the Cities of Eustis, Leesburg and Tavares were prioritizing trails.

Commr. Parks thanked Mr. Stevens and those in the audience who supported trails and stressed the importance of having them be involved when having workshops and getting community support. 

Mr. Stevens relayed that they planned to host meetings once it was safe to with regards to COVID-19.  He said that many successful counties that have done this have had a defined funding source.

Commr. Campione mentioned the BUILD Transportation grant in Mr. Schneider’s presentation, and said she thought everyone understood what that would entail if the County was awarded this grant, noting that it was for the Wekiva Trail extension from the City of Tavares to the City of Mount Dora to where the Wekiva portions of the expressway were being built.  She opined that would be a substantial award from the Federal Government which would allow funding for ROW, design, possibly construction.

Mr. Schneider remarked that the request was for $25 million and that it could get the County through ROW, design and likely construction, noting that the ROW was 60 percent of it.

Commr. Campione stated that the Lake Denham Trail might make sense to consider because the City had the ROW.  She agreed with the comments to focus on areas where they already had the ROW.  She relayed that the County did not receive the BUILD Transportation grant but that they were attempting to obtain it again, and she said maybe they could offer more from the match standpoint to make their application more favorable.  She explained that this would mean they would commit that the funding would be available if they received the grant, but would not have to spend the money if they did not receive the grant.

Mr. Stevens opined that the City of Leesburg was wise when they purchased all their ROW in order to build trails, noting that those needed to be connected to the regional trails.  He said that all the ROW for the River To Hills Trail was already owned by the public and that they only needed to fund the PD&E. 

Commr. Parks asked about the legislative agenda item which if passed would allow tourist development tax funds to be used for feasibility and PD&E studies.  He relayed that some of the Cities had asked him if the County had a resolution that the Cities could use to support that at their councils.

Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, stated that the Board previously approved submitting that to the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) proposal conference, which she believed would be going to them in December 2020, noting that it was a letter along with the Board’s policy statement.  She said their legislative priorities were a part of this meeting’s agenda, and that staff could draft a resolution to bring back to the Board if they desired.

Commr. Campione said they could draft a resolution to bring back and then use it as a template and ask the Cities to participate.

Commr. Breeden mentioned that she would like to discuss this during the legislative agenda item later in the meeting.

Commr. Campione thanked everyone for attending this presentation and said that they would continue to communicate with these groups.

Commr. Breeden expressed appreciation to the groups for their work and commitments to trails.

public hearing: schedule of permitted and conditional uses

Ms. Marsh placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for reading by title only as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING LAKE COUNTY CODE, APPENDIX E, LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, CHAPTER III, SECTION 3.01.03, ENTITLED SCHEDULE OF PERMITTED AND CONDITIONAL USES, TO ESTABLISH MEDICAL SERVICE(S) AS A PERMITTED USE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

Ms. Marsh indicated that this was the first public reading of this ordinance, and that if the Board chose to approve it at this meeting, it would come back for final adoption at their next meeting.

Commr. Campione asked if this came forward as a staff initiated request.

Mr. Tim McClendon, Director for the Office of Planning and Zoning, explained that this came about as a project in south Lake County with an existing C-1 zoning district.  He relayed that staff did some research, surveyed surrounding municipalities and jurisdictions and found that a majority of them have medical services listed as C-1 uses; therefore, in order to expedite a project and help it move forward and along with staff’s research, staff felt this was needed.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved in the first of two public hearings, an ordinance amending the Land Development Regulations, Section 3.01.03, entitled Schedule of Permitted and Conditional Uses, to establish medical services as a permitted use within the Neighborhood Commercial (C-1) zoning district.

public hearing: ordinance 2020-56 affordable housing committee

Ms. Marsh placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for reading by title only as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING SECTION 2-87, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED DUTIES; AMENDING SECTION 2-88, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED MEMBERSHIP; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

Ms. Marsh explained that this ordinance pertained to some amendments required by State law to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; additionally, if it was approved at this meeting, then they would also need a motion to appoint Commissioner Campione as the elected official member of that board.

Commr. Campione asked to clarify that in the past, Commissioners had served as a liaison.

Ms. Marsh confirmed that was correct; furthermore, with the State law change, it currently required an elected member to be an official member of that committee.

Commr. Campione also asked if that meant that they could not have discussions with other members of the committee outside of the Sunshine but only have discussions at the meetings.

Ms. Marsh confirmed that was correct.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Ordinance 2020-56 amending Lake County Code, Section 2-87, entitled Duties, and Section 2-88, entitled Membership, to comply with the recent changes enacted by Florida House Bill 1339, updating the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee membership to include one member who is an elected official, as well as attendance and reporting requirements; and approved Commissioner Campione as the elected official member for Lake County.

regular agenda

county manager interviews

Mr. Cole relayed that following the Board’s approval on August 25, 2020 to recruit the County Manager position, staff did advertise the position from August 26, 2020 through September 30, 2020.  He reported that they advertised on eight different platforms and had received a total of 68 applications; additionally, himself, the County Attorney and the Human Resources Director had reviewed all the applications.  He indicated that Mr. Jim Kovacs, Director for the Office of Human Resources and Risk Management, had shortened the list to recommend three candidates for interviews, noting that information on these three candidates were within the Board’s packet for this meeting.  He added that he had also provided all of the related information to Commissioner-elect Mr. Doug Shields as well as Mr. Kirby Smith as a presumptive Commissioner-elect for District 3.  He stated that following the Board’s discussion and ultimate approval at this meeting of this short list, staff would conduct background checks on the select candidates and then schedule them for individual interviews with the Commissioners to be held November 18-20, 2020, noting that staff felt that all the interviews could be held on Friday, November 20, 2020, with interviews before the full Board in a public setting on November 24, 2020 as part of the regular Board meeting.  He commented that following this public interview on November 24, 2020, staff would request for the Commissioners to select an applicant to negotiate a contract with which would then come to the Board at their first meeting in December 2020.

On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved scheduling interviews with select County Manger applicants with each Commissioner between November 18-20, 2020, and with the full Board on November 24, 2020.

2021 legislative priorities

Mr. Cole stated that the purpose of this item was to present an overview of the 2020 Legislative Session and to provide the Board with the proposed 2021 legislative priorities for the Board’s consideration.  He mentioned that he would be providing some background information, that the County’s lobbyist Mr. Chris Carmody with GrayRobinson would provide the legislative update, and that Ms. Drury would present the proposed 2021 legislative priorities, key dates and the requested action.  He explained that around this time each year, the Board approves and submits a list of legislative priorities to the Lake County Legislative Delegation; furthermore, the proposed priorities being presented at this meeting were developed from what staff was aware of as Board priorities while also trying to keep the list of priorities to merely a few in order to maximize the County’s ability for success in what staff thought would be an extremely competitive environment for funding.  He remarked that after the Board approved priorities for the 2021 Legislative Session, staff would work with Mr. Carmody and his team to secure funding; additionally, as part of that process, key staff and Commissioners typically traveled to the City of Tallahassee to support the efforts and to meet with legislators.

Mr. Carmody summarized some of the 2020 Legislative Session statistics as follows: 3,518 total bills were filed with 2,518 from the House of Representatives and 1,000 from the Senate; 210 bills passed the Legislature; and the Florida Governor vetoed five bills.  He then highlighted several of the bills that dominated the session such as healthcare reform and teacher pay raises.  He explained that healthcare reform came from the House and was focused on scope of practice for registered nurses and pharmacists, noting that nurses could practice without a doctor and pharmacists could conduct some practices without a doctor; furthermore, he added that the premise was to gain better access to healthcare since many do not have a primary care doctor.  He indicated that the Florida Medical Association opposed this legislation.  He relayed that the other topic which dominated the session, was led by the Governor, and was passed, was teacher pay raises.  He reported that this legislation proposed starting teacher salaries to be at $47,500 for teachers across the state, noting this was an approximate $600 million recurring expense in the budget.  He said that the sticking point on this was that the Senate wanted to make sure they were taking care of veteran teachers, and that they may work to accomplish this in the coming session; additionally, there was some concern with the compression impact of first year teachers but that did get sorted through.  He reported that for preemption issues, vacation rentals, local occupational license, building design, and communication services tax reduction and reform did not get passed while retainage reduction and continuing services contracts increase all passed and were approved by the Governor.  He then displayed a pie chart depicting the 2020-2021 State budget and noted the following: health and human services (HHS) was the largest part of the budget at 42 percent, or $39.4 billion; K12 education was next at 25 percent, or $23.5 billion; agriculture and natural resources (ANR) was at seven percent but growing since it was a priority of the Governor; and the total budget was $93.2 billion, noting that the Governor vetoed $1.1 billion.  He indicated that notable vetoes included the job growth grant fund, university project funding, the Aaron Feis guardian program, and affordable housing SHIP funds, noting that this year they fully funded affordable housing but ultimately vetoed the SHIP portion.  He provided updates for the state regarding the coronavirus which included that all state of Florida counties were in Phase 3 of reopening, the daily infection rates and hospitalizations continued to decline, and K12 and higher education was back in session.  He then discussed these 2021 incoming issues: the Gaming Compact negotiations continued, noting that this could potentially provide $500 to $700 million to the State budget; if passed, the internet sales tax could provide an estimated $300 to $500 million; the possibility of a 2022 amendment which would fully legalize marijuana with a tax being placed on it, although he opined this had a slim chance of passing; and the possibility of a special session in order to modify the budget if there were revenue shortfalls, noting that if they did have a special session, they would most likely consider liability reform for businesses that operate in good faith.  He concluded by relaying that in conversations with leadership, they were discussing the possibility of only allowing staff and legislators for the next session but the outcome was unknown at this point as to what might happen; furthermore, they were working with an epidemiologist to determine best practices and parameters for operating, with the possibility of having a hybrid session with some virtual and some in-person.

Ms. Drury then presented the six proposed legislative priorities for Lake County which included tourist development tax funding, public safety equipment, a hurricane-proof, multi-purpose emergency facility, the Wekiva Trail extension, public safety radio infrastructure, and funding for the Sadowski Trust Fund.  She remarked that the Florida Statutes allowed counties to collect a tax on transient rental transactions which could be used to acquire, construct, improve, and maintain a variety of tourism related venues.  She said that since trails were an important tourist draw for the county, staff was recommending that this year’s legislative priorities include a request to amend Section 125.0104, Florida Statutes, to expand the allowable use of tourist development tax funding to include feasibility studies and PD&E studies for multi-use trail projects.  She commented that the second legislative priority was related to public safety equipment for Lake County Fire Rescue, which provides services to over 200,000 residents and businesses and on average, responds to a building fire every 25 hours.  She stated that the firefighter self-contained breathing apparatus, also known as Air-Paks, were the most important tool for protecting Lake County firefighters and saving the lives of others during a fire event.  She indicated that the County’s existing Air-Paks were over ten years old and were out of compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.  She relayed that replacement of the County’s Air-Paks would improve firefighter safety, extend working time at emergencies, and provide for interoperability with other local fire departments; therefore, staff recommended that this year’s legislative priorities include a $1.5 million funding request to replace Lake County Fire Rescue self-contained breathing apparatuses with NFPA compliant units.  She said that the third legislative priority was related to a hurricane-proof multi-use emergency facility to meet a variety of county needs, noting that this facility could be constructed at the new fairgrounds location along CR 448 in the City of Tavares.  She indicated that such a facility could be used as a special needs shelter, a cold weather shelter, a medical testing and vaccination site, a centrally located point for PPE equipment and medical supply distribution in the event of a pandemic, an education facility and an event venue.  She specified that staff recommended that this year’s priorities include a $3 million funding request for the design, engineering and permitting of this facility.  She remarked that the fourth legislative priority was the Wekiva Trail extension which was an approximate 11.5 mile trail that would run from the City of Tavares to the City of Mount Dora through unincorporated Lake County.  She noted that this was a partnership between these two Cities and the County which would complete the 26 mile paved, multi-use Wekiva Trail, noting that this extension would have a regional impact by connecting central Lake County, Seminole County, and Orange County to greater trail networks including the Heart of Florida Loop and the statewide SUN Trail Network.  She added that staff was recommending that this year’s legislative priorities include a $2 million funding request for the design, engineering and permitting of the approximately 11.5 mile Wekiva Trail extension.  She remarked that the fifth legislative priority being recommended by staff was related to public safety infrastructure.  She explained that Lake County’s radio microwave system served more than 350,000 residents, 13 municipal public safety entities, The Villages Public Safety Department, all medical transport units, more than 1,800 law enforcement officers, and numerous State agencies.  She elaborated that the radio microwave system was at the end of its useful life and was currently unsupported; therefore, a new supported microwave system that encompassed the latest technology and allowed for future system upgrade was needed.  She stated that staff was recommending that this year’s legislative priorities include a $4.5 million funding request to replace the County’s current radio microwave system with newer technology.  She said that the final legislative priority being processed was related to the SHIP program, which assists with the development of affordable housing.  She mentioned that this year, the State had allocated $340 million to the Sadowski Trust Fund, of which approximately two-thirds was earmarked for SHIP; however, the Florida Governor vetoed $225 million from the trust fund which resulted in no funding for the State’s SHIP jurisdictions including Lake County.  She indicated that due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 on the community, affordable housing was in demand more than ever; therefore, staff was recommending that this year’s legislative priorities include a request to fully fund the Sadowski Trust Fund.  She then reported these key dates: the Board would consider at this meeting the County’s 2021 legislative priorities; for the remainder of October 2020, staff would develop and finalize the legislative priorities booklets; between the beginning of November 2020 and mid-January 2021, coordination on priorities with the legislative delegation would occur; in January 2021, staff would submit request for drafts of general bills and joint resolutions, including requests for companion bills; and on March 2, 2021, the regular session would begin with the last day being April 30, 2021.  She stated that the requested action for this item was approval of the 2021 legislative priorities as presented.

Commr. Breeden recognized that they were attempting to keep the list short; however, she wondered if there was a way to have a position paper in regards to state aid to libraries since it was a statewide issue but it seemed like each year there was the possibility for it to not receive any funding.

Commr. Campione said that was one way to do it without bumping a priority, noting that it could be mentioned when having meetings with legislators.

Commr. Breeden relayed her hesitation to bring up her concerns since it had been discussed previously to utilize TDT funds for PD&E studies; however, she stated that she had thought about it more and had changed her position on this.  She remarked that part of this was because revenues were decreasing and she did not think the County had enough funding for their core mission of marketing and providing for capital projects; therefore, she did not want to see that diluted more at this time.  She commented that if they were at the larger threshold of receiving $10 million then she thought it would make sense. 

Commr. Parks said to keep in mind that this did not mean they had to do that, but merely provided the option in the future.  He referenced the previous presentation regarding trails.

Commr. Blake asked if the Tourist Development Council (TDC) had discussed this and if they had opinions on it.

Commr. Sullivan replied that he had mentioned to the TDC that this was a possibility.  He indicated that he had received feedback from the TDC that some were for it and some were against it.  He suggested honing down the projects being requested to the legislature to a minimum.  He used the TDC funding as an example, and noted that FAC was pushing TDT funding so he thought that would be taken care of within another avenue, noting that the County would abide by whatever the legislation decided.  He commented that he felt the same way with SHIP funding since they did that every year.  He said he would take those two items out of the legislative priorities and reduce it to the other four priorities which were very specific to Lake County.  He stressed that it was not that he did not support the TDT fund as he would like to see other options, noting that the county did not take in a lot of TDT funding but it had been tremendously effective.  He gave the example of how the sand volleyball at Hickory Point Beach had a great return on investment.  He reiterated that in his priority list, the SHIP and TDT funding were issues that would be taken up by someone else so they did not necessarily need to be County priorities especially since they were statewide issues.  He said he was supportive of the other four priorities because they were specific to Lake County and had an impact on the county.  He expressed concerns for it being a difficult year to get items through at the State level; therefore, he thought the County should reduce their priorities to the three or four they might have a chance of getting.  He emphasized that the County should consider looking at it from a strategic point of view to determine what was the best chance of getting items through the legislature as a priority.

Commr. Parks clarified that FAC would consider this item in December 2020 but it did not mean it would necessarily be approved.

Commr. Sullivan opined that Commissioner Parks would need to advocate for this since he was the BCC’s representative to FAC.

Commr. Parks inquired what was currently in the TDC capital fund.

Commr. Sullivan replied it was approximately $3 million, noting that there was a request that would be coming soon to the Board for about $350,000 to come out of capital.  He relayed that the TDC was meeting that coming Friday to discuss this item.  He indicated that the TDC had agreed to stop capital improvement funding until they realized what the revenue would end up being.

Commr. Breeden asked if it was also under consideration to try to provide more assistance to businesses who needed those funds for marketing due to COVID-19.

Commr. Sullivan responded that the TDC had discussed that at length about how they had funded a half a million dollars in marketing, noting that the $500,000 for marketing during COVID-19 qualified for replacing that funding with COVID-19 funding.  He stated that $500,000 may be funding that could go back into the TDC budget which might help the marketing.

Commr. Parks asked if capital funding could only be spent on capital, and Commissioner Sullivan replied that was correct.  Commissioner Park opined that there were members of the TDC who wanted to spend more funding on promotion.  He commented that if this legislative change were to pass, then it would allow the County to utilize capital funding to fund these items.

Commr. Campione said that was the intent so that they could then consider something such as this for a capital project.

Commr. Sullivan indicated that he was not implying that they should not pursue TDT funding for capital expenditures; rather, that someone else was addressing this item.

Commr. Campione commented that they did not know for sure that FAC would be doing that, that this did impact the County, that they only had a certain amount of funding, that this was a big economic generator, and that it would benefit the resorts and hotels.  She said that she would like the opportunity to make a case to the TDC that this was a good type of capital project and would be compared to any other capital projects that might come up on a regular basis. 

Commr. Sullivan relayed his agreement with the comments being made by the other Commissioners, but reiterated his point of reducing the priorities to the other four, while still supporting the other two.

Commr. Campione opined that the list was already shortened when compared to former years.

Commr. Blake expressed his agreement with Commissioner Sullivan and Commissioner Breeden’s point of view.  He relayed that he had spoken to some of the TDC members, and that he thought that because of the type of year they were experiencing, he thought it was best not to support the TDT item.  He understood that projects could still be declined even if PD&E studies became eligible; however, as seen with the reauthorization of the penny sales tax, additional opportunities created additional pressures.  He thought this was not the time to place additional pressures on those funds.  He stated he was fine with pulling those two priorities; furthermore, he opined it would be good to focus those TDT funds on items that have more immediate impact rather than the longer term ROI projects.

Commr. Sullivan commented that TDT funds could be used to help with the hydrilla issues in the lakes as that was already an authorized item, noting that the State did not assist with hydrilla treatment the previous year as it was not a priority.  He said to consider the economic impact if they did not have bass tournaments in the county.

Commr. Parks asked if the priority of the Board was to continue to build up the capital reserve for the TDT since that was where the funding could come for a trail PD&E study.

Commr. Sullivan opined that they should set aside the capital improvements, and he thought that every member of the TDC understood that there would be more pressure to spend the capital funding, noting that the BCC was in charge of these funds.

Commr. Campione opined it was counterintuitive as they could receive funding from DOT for construction but that they could not get to the construction phase to ask for funding without having a PD&E study; furthermore, a PD&E study could often be performed for around $250,000 to $350,000 which seemed like it would make more sense to take that funding out of TDT funds and then get to the next step to request funding from DOT.  She asked for everyone to consider this.

Commr. Breeden remarked that part of it was the timing, and that perhaps it would be possible if they were getting additional revenue from the Airbnbs and those entities.  She opined that the County did not collect enough at this point to dilute what they were already doing, and she thought there could be some minor prioritization of the penny sales tax projects on a year by year basis to assist with the PD&E studies; additionally, the MPO might be able to assist. 

Commr. Campione inquired if the Board was going to withdraw their support of FAC to pursue this, and Commissioner Breeden and Commissioner Sullivan replied they were not saying that they should do that.  Commissioner Campione recapped that they were merely not wanting it on the County’s legislative priorities.  She then asked Commissioner Blake if he wanted to withdraw the support from FAC. 

Commr. Blake responded that if there were three votes to withdraw the support from FAC, then he was fine with that.

Commr. Sullivan said he was not in favor of that; furthermore, if FAC was not pursuing it then he might have a different opinion.

Commr. Breeden stated that she did not object to FAC pursuing it.  She commented that since she was on the FAC Board, the new Commission would need to appoint another member to FAC to fill her seat.

Commr. Parks inquired if he could relay to FAC that the BCC was supportive and the Commissioners agreed that they were.  He asked if they were going to do a resolution.

Commr. Campione replied that the Board was going to do a resolution which could be sent to the Cities for use as a template.  She asked if the Commissioners wanted to pull the SHIP off of the County legislative priorities and address it in the same manner as they were for aid for libraries, where they would mention in their meetings with legislators that they still supported SHIP funding since there was a huge need in Lake County for attainable housing, and the Commissioners confirmed that was correct.  She summarized that the Board wanted four legislative priorities, two white paper type items, and to pull the TDT issue.

Mr. Cole said they did need a vote on this item.  He also asked for clarification if the Board desired for the two white paper position items to be a section within the legislative books that staff would prepare for the four legislative priorities and which would be distributed.

Commr. Campione responded that having a position statement for those two items within the book would be good.   

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved the four legislative priorities which included: a $1.5 million funding request to replace Lake County Fire Rescue self-contained breathing apparatuses with NFPA compliant units; a $3 million funding request for the design, engineering and permitting of a hurricane-proof, multi-use facility to be used as a cold weather and hurricane shelter, a medical and vaccination site, an educational facility and an event venue; a $2 million funding request for the design, engineering and permitting of the approximately 11.5 mile Wekiva Trail extension; and a $4.5 million funding request to replace the County’s current radio microwave system with newer technology; additionally, they approved including position papers supporting the SHIP funding and State aid to libraries, but pulled the legislative priority item for the use of TDT funds to perform feasibility and PD&E studies for multi-use trails.

Commr. Parks voted no.

supervisor of elections facility needs

Mr. Cole provided an update on the Supervisor of Elections’ (SOE) facility needs which included some background information, potential costs, available County property, and staff analysis.  He mentioned that the original space for the SOE was slightly over 18,000 feet with 4,600 square feet being in the County Administration Building and 13,832 square feet in a support center in the City of Mount Dora that had predominantly been used for storage.  He indicated that the current facility for the SOE was 21,000 square feet of leased space along U.S. Highway 441 in the City of Tavares, noting that the County paid $21,400 per month from the County’s General Fund with $18,000 per month being a base cost plus $3,400 per month for the initial building improvements that had been made.  He said the current lease extended until June 2023.  He relayed that the SOE had indicated that he needed a total of 50,000 square feet, with 25,000 square feet for offices and administrative functions and the remaining 25,000 square feet for warehouse space.  He reported that rough estimates placed the cost of that facility at $9.4 million, which would break down to an estimated $250 per square foot for the office space, or around $6.25 million, and about $125 per square foot for the warehouse, or approximately $3.1 million.  He clarified that they had not obtained any formal cost estimates and those costs did not include land acquisition costs; furthermore, they estimated that about four acres were needed for every 20,000 square feet of building pad to accommodate the building, noting that staff merely had anecdotal information regarding costs at this point as the cost may vary depending on location and amenities.  He stated that based on these estimates, staff expected about 7.5 acres might be needed for a 37,500 square foot building pad.  He explained that he had arrived at this number by using 25,000 square feet for the pad of the one-story warehouse and 12,500 square feet for the pad relating to the two-story administrative office.  He recalled that at their previous meeting the Board had asked for staff to provide details on County land which could be sold for revenue purposes and land that could be available for construction of a building.  He then displayed a chart of available County property which included the following: 40 vacant parcels which totaled almost 11 acres with no appreciated value to them; 26.46 acres at Christopher C. Ford Park in the City of Groveland which had a pending contract with Project Rapid; 12.67 acres for the DTR property in the Sorrento area with no plans for this property; 28.49 acres at the current fairgrounds property in the City of Eustis with no plan for this parcel except to utilize the proceeds for relocation of the fairgrounds; 12.11 acres at Rolling Acres in the Town of Lady Lake which was a potential donation to the Habitat for Humanity; 41 acres along CR 448 in the City of Tavares which was originally planned for the fairgrounds relocation, along with another 27.02 acres adjacent which was utilized for the Renaissance Fair and also to be used for the fairgrounds relocation; 15.9 acres at Mt. Plymouth lake bottom which at one point was a potential sale to the homeowner’s association; 2.33 acres in the City of Tavares currently being used for county probation; the former animal shelter in the Town of Astatula; and 4.3 acres on the south side of Woodlea Road in the City of Tavares.  He recalled that the Supervisor of Elections, Senator Alan Hays, had mentioned at the previous Board meeting the 5.46 acres of property along David Walker Drive in the City of Tavares as an option, noting that it was near the Tax Collector’s Building.  He remarked that they had not had any discussions with the landowner but estimated that the land cost would be around $2.4 million.  He then shared these staff analysis conclusions: that the County did not have a County parcel large enough to accommodate the needed facility; that the land availability in the City of Tavares fluctuated so staff did not know what might be available, and that the cost of such land, that purchasing land and building a facility could cost an estimated $11.5 million or more; that the County’s General Fund budget could not accommodate this expenditure; and if the Board desired to utilize Infrastructure Sales Tax, then those projects would need to be reprioritized, noting that after the debt services was paid, staff anticipated a total of approximately $13 million in revenue this year from the sales tax.  He presented these options to the Board to consider: SOE could remain in the current space and expand as originally planned; consider a lease purchase arrangement for land and a building in the City of Tavares; consider a lease purchase agreement for land and a building outside the City of Tavares which would then require a satellite office in the County seat within the City of Tavares; or reduce the building footprint and construct on County owned land which would then require carrying the current cost of the SOE lease and the building and construction costs concurrently while the building was being built.  He indicated that all of these options relied on Infrastructure Sales Tax revenues which would require reprioritization of the sales tax; additionally, he said he had discussed all these options with Senator Hays. 

Senator Hays thanked the Board for their consideration as he opined the need was very acute.  He stated that his personal recommendation was option two as just presented as it was the better option for several reasons, such as the timeline with which it could be constructed would be enhanced.  He opined that to postpone for another two to three years in order to get the General Fund conditioned to support this would be discouraging since they were out of capacity at their current facility. 

Commr. Parks asked for clarification that what Senator Hays was supporting with option two was to purchase the land next to the Tax Collector, and to not consider any of the other County lands.

Senator Hays confirmed that was correct, and remarked that the only land in the list that might be acceptable was the Woodlea Road site; however, he said it would be a challenge to direct voters to find the Woodlea Road location, whereas most people knew where the Tax Collector’s Office was located on David Walker Drive.  He added that the small size of 4.3 acres at the Woodlea Road location compared to the 5.46 acres along David Walker Drive also made this property the preferred choice. 

Commr. Blake inquired what the estimated lease purchase payment might be in comparison to the current annual expense.

Mr. Cole said he would defer to the County Attorney regarding this, although he noted that staff had not completely researched this yet since they did not know which direction the Board desired to go.

Ms. Marsh said she would be unable to answer that at this point; however, staff could pull what the County did for the Tax Collector’s Office in South Lake since that was a lease purchase arrangement in order to give the Board some numbers and square footage information.  She explained that with that agreement, the County actually agreed at the start of the lease what the purchase price would be so the County knew three years into it how much they needed to put away to purchase the building.  She said those would be some of the items they would consider when they negotiated with a property owner or builder to build it and lease it back to the County for a period of time. 

Commr. Blake commented that knowing how it compared to the current situation would be something he would want to know, and to determine if the County could allocate a certain amount from the penny sales tax for a certain number of years. 

Mr. Cole remarked that if the Board wished to explore that, then staff would research those numbers to inform the Board.

Commr. Parks stated that he would need that information in order to make a decision.

Commr. Sullivan believed that of the four options, option two was the best; however, more information was needed in order to move forward.

Senator Hays inquired if it would be possible as the staff negotiated with the prospective builders to structure the deal so that the County would be paying essentially what they were paying currently in the initial part of that lease, but then the balloon payment at the end could potentially be significantly greater.  He asked if it would be wise from a cash flow standpoint to attempt to structure it so that the County paid possibly $20,000 to $25,000 per month for the first two to three years of the new lease purchase agreement, knowing that the County would be purchasing the building for a set amount of money at the end of the lease. 

Commr. Sullivan thought that was the type of information the Board was looking to have.  He suggested to pick this option, let staff do their due diligence, and then report back to the Board to make sure this was a viable option moving forward since timing was of the essence, especially with another big election in two years and the voter population continuing to grow.  He opined that the need was there but thought the County needed to make the best financial decision, noting that there might be other options they had not considered.

Commr. Blake added that selling the Town of Astatula site and applying the proceeds to paying down a facility was a consideration.

Commr. Sullivan gave the example that when the Board discussed affordable housing, that one of the items that might be needed was land space; therefore, he opined that having these options was great and provided time to reconfigure the penny sales tax which was difficult since it was intended to be used on quality of life items.  He said to pursue option two, let staff do their due diligence, and come back with a recommendation or options.

Commr. Campione summarized that the Board was asking for option two to be considered with an analysis comparing continuing to lease with additional funding for buildout, future expansion, or even renting additional property in the future for warehousing offsite as it compared to option two.  She asked if they were making assumptions of the purchase price on option two.

Ms. Marsh relayed that staff had talked to the realtor of this property which was listed for sale.  She believed that the price quoted by the realtor was $10 a square foot so the approximate $2.5 million in the presentation would be for the full five acres. 

Commr. Parks asked for staff to include analysis on what the County could possibly get for market value if they sold some of the County properties.

Commr. Blake added or if the County land swapped with the builder.

Commr. Breeden inquired what use the County had for the Woodlea Road acreage.

Ms. Marsh replied there was no use currently identified for the Woodlea Road site, noting that it was next to the armory and the agriculture center.

Senator Hays thanked the Board for their consideration.

other business

elder affairs coordinating council

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved to appoint Mr. Thomas Lannert, as the District 4 member, and Mr. Adam Stack, as the At-Large member, to serve on the Elder Affairs Coordinating Council.

women’s hall of fame inductee

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved to ratify Ms. Paula Stegall Stinson as the 2020 Women’s Hall of Fame inductee as selected by the Women’s Hall of Fame Committee. 

commissioners reports

commissioner sullivan – district 1

Tourist development council special meeting

Commr. Sullivan reiterated that the Tourist Development Council would be meeting the coming Friday to consider a capital improvement request in cooperation with the City of Leesburg, noting that this would appear on the Board’s next meeting agenda.

Commr. Parks inquired what the request was going to be.

Commr. Sullivan relayed that the request was to make the Sleepy Hollow ballfield complex in the City of Leesburg National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division I, capable.  He reported that the City of Leesburg had approximately $350,000 to put into it, and the request was for the BCC to contribute TDT funds in the range of $265,000 to $350,000.  He explained that this would make this facility eligible for NCAA women’s softball to utilize and come to the county.  He remarked that there were some movements from the Big 10 which was looking for a site to hold their tournaments and program for ladies’ softball in 2021.  He added that this could have an economic impact since they would use local hotels.  He said it was brought to the attention of the TDC by Ms. Alison Strange, with PFX Athletics.  He said it sounded like a great project.

commissioner parks – district 2

proclamation 2020-183

Commr. Parks shared that he had read Proclamation 2020-183, designating September 2020 as Prostate Cancer Awareness month in Lake County, at the South Lake Hospital.  He relayed the hospital’s appreciation to the Board for this proclamation.

commissioner breeden – district 3

white cane day

Commr. Breeden said that New Vision for Independence was holding a virtual White Cane Day the coming Thursday, and that she would be reading Proclamation 2020-184, designating October 15, 2020 as White Cane Day in Lake County, which was approved in this meeting.

surplus of county owned property

Ms. Marsh recalled that at one of their previous Board meetings, the BCC had requested for staff to bring back some information regarding the spur of property owned by the County running through the Sunnyside community which the County did not currently have a trail on but it was in the master plan to have a trail.  She commented that some of the residents in that area had some encroachments into that area; therefore, the residents had approached the County as to whether the County could convey portions of that property over to them.  She indicated that after further review of the area, staff realized that the County did not actually have a connection to U.S. Highway 441 nor to the lake in that area so it was merely a small piece of property that did not connect to anything.  She summarized that the Board had given direction to bring it back to surplus this property, and this request was to surplus those particular properties, noting that the alternate keys were designated, and to give the County Manager the authority to determine the best way to dispose of that property.  She explained that this could possibly include meeting with the residents to see if they wanted to create some type of voluntary association that the County could convey it to and then they could use it as a community amenity if they chose, or the County could consider dividing it in the middle and offering it to adjacent property owners, or there could be other creative ways to convey it.  She reiterated that this item was requesting to surplus those properties and give the County Manager authority to determine the best way to convey those out of the County’s name.

Commr. Breeden relayed that some of the residents had already encroached on the property with structures.

Ms. Marsh confirmed this, and said that they would address resolving these encroachment issues and also review what could be done, noting that the ultimate solution would be to convey it to one entity at one time versus having to piecemeal and do a multitude of closings to sell it off to adjacent property owners.  She said those were options they wanted to explore with the community and the County Manager.

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the request to surplus County owned property known as alternate keys 2749211, 2749202, and 3768914, in the City of Leesburg-Sunnyside area, and for the County Manager to determine the most appropriate method of disposal and fair market value. 

commissioner blake – district 5

kroger-ocado facility

Commr. Blake commented that he had recently visited the Kroger-Ocado facility in the City of Groveland, which he felt was quite impressive.  He thanked Mr. Matulka and his team for their work on this endeavor.

umatilla chamber of commerce breakfast

Commr. Blake mentioned that he had attended the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce breakfast, noting that it was an outside breakfast at Sunsational Farms.

commissioner CAMPIONE – district 4

golden triangle rotary club presentation

Commr. Campione remarked that she and Mr. Carpenter had presented at the Golden Triangle Rotary Club on the County’s response to COVID-19, indicating that it was well received.

mount dora chamber of commerce breakfast

Commr. Campione relayed that she would be attending the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce breakfast the following morning and would be discussing trails.

leadership lake county

Commr. Campione stated that Leadership Lake County had been virtually hosting weekly leadership presentations regarding responding to a crisis, which had focused on different entities, agencies, businesses, and nonprofits that had been dealing with COVID-19 impacts.  She said that these presentations would be concluded the next day, that the focus would be on Lake County, and that several Lake County staff would be presenting including Mr. Carpenter, Ms. Drury, Mr. Kissler, and Mr. Levar Cooper, Director for the Office of Communications.

kroger-ocado facility

Commr. Campione shared that she had also visited the Kroger-Ocado facility, which she thought was amazing.  She shared that they would be attempting to use fresh produce from local farms.

lake cares small business assistance grant program

Commr. Campione inquired if agricultural businesses could qualify for the Lake CARES Small Business Assistance Grant Program as she believed there had been some confusion regarding whether they would qualify.  She asked if the application process could be reopened for a few additional days for local agriculture businesses that did not know they could be included to apply.

Commr. Breeden expressed support for this.

Mr. Cole stated he would work with Mr. Matulka regarding this.

Mr. Matulka inquired if the BCC had some specific agriculture businesses they wanted to include so that instead of opening up the entire process, staff could reach out to those businesses by sending them a direct, secure email to fill out the application.  He encouraged the Board to make staff aware of any businesses that they should reach out to.

The Board supported that idea.

Commr. Breeden mentioned that Commissioner Sullivan was being recognized the coming Friday by the Leadership Lake County as an inductee to their Hall of Fame.

The Board congratulated Commissioner Sullivan on this honor.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 1:40 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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leslie campione, chairman

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

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GARY J COONEY, CLERK