A regular MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
june 8, 2021
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 9:00 a.m., in the County Commission Chambers, Lake County Administration Building, Tavares, Florida. Commissioners present at the meeting were: Sean Parks, Chairman; Kirby Smith, Vice Chairman; Douglas B. Shields; Leslie Campione; and Josh Blake. Others present were: Alan Rosen, County Manager; Melanie Marsh, County Attorney; Niki Booth, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Kristy Mullane, Chief Financial Officer; and Kathleen Bregel, Deputy Clerk.
INVOCATION and pledge
Commr. Parks welcomed everyone
to the meeting and remarked that the Pledge of Allegiance would be led by Mr. Brad Kaplan who was a Fixed
Assets/Surplus Specialist in the Office of Procurement Services and had been
with the County since November 2020. He
stated that Mr. Kaplan had served in the United States Army from September 15,
1998 through November 14, 2003, and that after completing his Basic and
Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, he was assigned to
Ft. Lewis, Washington and then Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany. He relayed that Mr. Kaplan served as a
Personnel Sergeant in the S 1 with the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment,
3rd Infantry Division at Ft Lewis, Washington and the Special Troops Battalion,
3rd Corps Support Command in Germany; additionally, while stationed in Germany,
Mr. Kaplan was a part of NATO training in Poland and Kosovo, and later sent to
Kuwait and Iraq with his unit as one of the first ground units to help
establish operations for all other incoming units during Operation Iraqi
Freedom. He then thanked Mr. Kaplan for his
service to this country and to the citizens of Lake County.
Pastor Buddy Walker with Faith
Christian Fellowship in Tavares gave the Invocation, and then Mr. Kaplan led the Pledge of Allegiance.
virtual meeting instructions
Commr. Parks mentioned that this was a virtual meeting and then 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. Alan Rosen, County Manager, requested to pull Tab 6 so that it could be read by Commissioner Campione and noted that documents had been attached to Tab 21 after the agenda had been approved. He stated that Tab 23 regarding closing a line of credit for the CARES Act funding and Tab 24 regarding the Wellpath LLC contract amendment for inmate healthcare were added as addendums.
employee service awards
Ms. Jeannine Nelson, Human Resources and Risk Management Manager, announced that they would be recognizing employees who had reached service milestones in their careers with Lake County as follows:
EMPLOYEE AWARDS
FIVE YEARS
Jeremy
Rodriguez, Public Works Permitting Technician
Office of
Engineering
Chad Steen, Sign
& Striping Technician I
Office of
Engineering
James Butler,
Delivery Service Driver/Operator
Office of
Library Services
Blake Caulder,
Firefighter/Paramedic
Office of Fire
Rescue
Michael
Sparkman, Equipment Operator III
Public Works Department
TEN
YEARS
Mark Gato, Fire
Lieutenant/Paramedic
Office of Fire
Rescue
Anthony
Bresciani, Firefighter/EMT
Office of Fire
Rescue
Jason Spinelli,
Firefighter/EMT
Office of Fire
Rescue
John Taylor,
Firefighter/EMT
Office of Fire
Rescue
FIFTEEN
YEARS
Virginia
Moorhead, Right of Way Agent II
Office of
Engineering
December
Souders, Scales Attendant II
Public Works
Department
John Yang,
Telecommunications Service Specialist
Information
Technology Department
TWENTY
YEARS
Mark Peck,
Maintenance Technician II
Office of
Facilities Management
THIRTY
YEARS
Donald Stewart,
Survey Technician II
Office of
Engineering
RETIREMENTS
35 YEARS
Linda Green,
Office Associate V
Office of
Housing & Community Services
27 YEARS
Donna Gray
Williams, Librarian II
Office of
Library Services
15 YEARS
Stanley
Priester, Fire Lieutenant/EMT
Office of Fire
Rescue
Mr. Jim Dickerson, Fire Chief for the Office of Fire Rescue, mentioned that Lt. Priester retired from Lake County on May 30, 2021 and that he had dedicated 31 and a half years to fire service with the last 16 years in Lake County. He related that he had worked for the City of Mount Dora and the City of Altamonte Springs fire departments as well. He indicated that he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in October 2012 and that most of his tenure as a Lieutenant had been in Astor. He stated that Lt. Priester provided his ceramic tile services throughout his employment which allowed them to upgrade many of their stations with nice flooring thus saving the County thousands of dollars, and even allowed them to open up stations faster, such as fire stations 11, 20, 21, 54, 59 and 7. He expressed that Lt. Priester’s customer service was unprecedented and shared a story about a time when he was on a medical call in Astor and how he remained on the scene and completed the unfinished tile work for the homeowner while the homeowner accompanied the patient to the hospital. He added that that was an example of his testament to Lt. Priester’s character and expressed that he was an employee but would always remain a friend. He then congratulated Lt. Priester on his retirement.
Lt. Priester stated that it had been an honor and privilege to be a part of Lake County and that he was looking forward to being a loyal taxpaying citizen and to be a proponent of the county especially in public safety.
Commr. Parks expressed his appreciation to all of the retirees and for their service to the County and mentioned that Ms. Green had been very patient on some of the boards she served on.
sales surtax oversight advisory committee presentation
Mr. Mike Rankon, Chairman of the Sales Surtax Oversight Advisory Committee, stated that the Board’s package included the full report for the May 3, 2021 meeting and mentioned that he would answer any questions they had.
Commr. Parks thanked Mr. Rankon, noting that his position was a volunteer position and that he was very active in the community.
Mr. Rankon expressed that he and his wife appreciated the Commissioners for serving in their capacity as well.
Minutes approval
On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Smith, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the minutes for the BCC meetings of March 31, 2021 (Special Meeting), April 19, 2021 (Special Meeting), and April 26, 2021 (Special Meeting).
commissioners board and committee updates
Commr. Parks explained that this was a new tradition that they started where the first meeting of every month each Commissioner would provide an update about the various committees they served on. He added that they addressed a number of different issues across the county and that this was their time to report on those committees and what they represented.
Commr. Shields reported on the Elder Affairs Coordinating Council and noted that they were moving towards having quarterly meetings. He mentioned that the speaker at the meeting was Mr. Warren Thomas who ran a group with funding from the US Department of Labor who helped individuals who were 55 and older get back into the workforce. He related that Mr. Thomas said that almost half of those individuals had never filled out a resume before. He indicated that if anyone was in need of help to call his office or send him an email and he would get them in the right direction.
Commr. Parks stated that he was the liaison to the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council; however, they had not had a meeting since he last reported, but that they would have one in July 2021. He then reported that they had a great presentation at the last meeting for the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) regarding the long term capital plan and the billions of dollars towards roads that would be built in the next five years. He also mentioned that the CFX would be having a meeting that Thursday where they would be making a decision about the Brightline high speed rail, which was privately funded and was currently running in South Florida with plans to connect the City of Orlando to the Cities of Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Palm Beach. He noted that they were looking at two different routes with the first route connecting the City of Orlando to the City of Tampa using CFX right of way through State Road (SR) 417 south down to Interstate 4 (I-4) into the City of Tampa. He stated that the other route went to SR 528 and would connect the Orange County Convention Center to the Orlando International Airport. He indicated that the SR 528 route was about $1 billion more and might not work for Brightline; additionally, he mentioned that it would be an interesting discussion because some residents wanted one route whereas some businesses wanted another route, but it would ultimately depend on the funding available because it was strictly a business and not a government transit program.
Commr. Smith reported on the Library Advisory Board and noted that Mr. George Taylor, Director for the Office of Library Services, had some exciting news coming up in July 2021 as they were moving in a positive direction. He added that he wanted to wait for Mr. Taylor to discuss this in July 2021 and that he could not wait to share what Library Services would be doing. He then noted that there would be two cleanups that weekend for Keep Lake Beautiful with the first one in Bassville Park at New Life Covenant Church on Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. and the second cleanup at the Tavares Recreational Park, which was the boat ramp off of US Highway 441 in the City of Tavares, also on Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 8:00 a.m.
Commr. Campione mentioned that she was not able to attend the last Mount Plymouth Sorrento Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Advisory Board meeting; however, the BCC would be hearing about an event they were planning on organizing in the future to help bring awareness to the community of the different things going on in the Mount Plymouth CRA, specifically with the trailhead. She also stated that she attended a meeting for the Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board the previous day at the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). She then reported on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, noting that the County was required to participate in the regional quarterly meetings otherwise they would lose their State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funding; however, she opined that attending those meetings was a great opportunity to work with the Florida Housing Coalition to see what other counties were doing for affordable housing and to be able to compare notes and get suggestions from them. She stated that she wanted to give a quick review of what happened at the May 27, 2021 meeting and indicated that it looked like Lake County would be getting $2,428,000 in SHIP funds for 2021/2022 if the formula holds, adding that they made some adjustments to the way SHIP funds would be calculated under the Sadowski Act and that now that they changed the formula the County would be receiving a more predictable number; however, it would be less than what they normally would get under the old formula. She related that they also discussed septic to sewer programs where local governments would get grants when a county put up 50 percent of the match to retrofit septic or to connect to sewer. She added that local governments were looking at that as a way to address housing needs. She mentioned that the Resilient Florida Grant Program considered housing to be a critical asset, especially when addressing issues such as flooding and that there would be ways to utilize some of that money towards affordable housing. She related that they had a long overview of the use of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money for affordable housing and that according to experts, those funds could be used by the County for land acquisition for affordable housing, subsidizing increased costs of development, offering down payment assistance to residents, helping non-profits that build affordable housing with additional funding, and the development housing for people experiencing homelessness. She expressed that she was hopeful that they might actually see opportunity to realize some of their goals and concepts that they had been kicking around in the past if those were possible uses of the funds. She mentioned that Seminole County was using general fund dollars for their ARPA affordable housing projects in order to ensure they get the money in time and that Alachua County had a meeting with all of their cities and their school board and made a commitment to use a significant portion of their dollars to install broadband countywide. She remarked that counties were sharing about their own initiatives unrelated to the ARPA money and noted that several counties were putting affordable housing trust funds in place, which was in response to what was happening with the Sadowski Act money, and that several of them were using money from their penny sales tax for affordable housing as there was a legal opinion saying that penny option sales tax could be used for housing needs because housing was considered to be infrastructure. She commented that she was not sure where that opinion came from and whether it was from the Attorney General or whether it was the opinion from one of the county’s attorneys and it was being passed around the State. She then asked Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, if she had heard anything about that.
Ms. Marsh clarified that there was a provision in the infrastructure sales tax statute that allowed them to use that money for housing, specifying that the county would have to own the land but they would have to contract it out to another entity to run the housing.
Commr. Parks asked if it would work on school district owned land.
Ms. Marsh answered that she believed so, but that she could pull up the statute and look at, adding that she thought it just had to be publicly owned property.
Commr. Campione mentioned that all of the counties seemed to be using their surplus lands to make them available to non-profit groups that provided housing, noting that Charlotte County recently used surplus land and put a request for proposal (RFP) out for a builder to build 660 units of affordable housing on the donated property with stipulations for ongoing affordability, and the county and utility provider gave additional waivers; furthermore, she stated that the project was moving forward. She indicated that Seminole County was doing something similar with their accessory dwelling units, noting that they took it a step further and were allowing for auxiliary housing to be up to 50 percent of the size of the primary unit and if the primary unit was smaller, then the owner could swap which one was considered primary. She stated that she mentioned to the committee about Lake County’s accessory dwelling unit program and how they were doing an impact fee study to see at what extent they would have to charge extra impact fees for accessory dwelling units; furthermore, she was not sure that what the other counties were doing would fit into Lake County’s analysis of impact fees, because ideally they would not want to trigger the need for substantial impact fees, but allowing large enough units would create impacts on the schools and roads. She mentioned that she also told the committee about the initiatives being explored with the Lake 100 group and that they seemed to be very interested in the concept of the public private partnership to meet housing needs. She then expressed that after hearing about the different ideas from other counties she felt it was time to really address this particular issue.
Commr. Shields asked if anyone in the group had converted excess retail spaces into affordable housing.
Commr. Campione replied that retail was typically in locations that would not necessarily be prime for residential and would be more suited for commercial. She related that the counties could be more creative with the housing trust funds as their hands were not as tied as if they were using SHIP dollars and that sometimes they were using the housing trust funds to supplement with by putting general fund money into a program that was otherwise only funded by revenue from the State. She opined that from a public policy standpoint it was good to hear about other counties being so proactive so if Lake County became more proactive it was not like they would be the only ones addressing affordable housing needs; furthermore, she stated that statewide they probably would not want certain areas doing better than others at affordable housing because then everyone would be migrating towards those counties, and ideally every community should be taking care of their own needs. She also mentioned that a lot of the inventory would probably be used by people that moved to Florida although they would rather it be for the people already living in the community that had a need; however, there was only so much they could do about that.
Commr. Parks commented that if they did not have attainable housing locally in Lake County then they could expect big problems with the economy.
Commr. Campione opined that it certainly would impact their ability to bring businesses and employers to Lake County if there was no place for the workforce to reside, adding that it was clearly connected to their ability to grow their economy and employment opportunities. She stated that there had been a lot of concern about whether the community would become a magnet for people to move to because the housing was so affordable, noting that the Lake 100 group was looking into adding stipulations on housing, such as a requirement to have lived in the county for 6, 12 or even 18 months before they could take advantage of renting or purchasing one of the units. She opined that that was a great way to address the situation, by allowing people who were already established in the county on the waiting list first which could be a good way to make sure the county did not become a magnet for people to move to just for the housing.
Commr. Parks asked Mr. Rosen if he could discuss when he thought a draft spending plan for the ARPA would be available. He stated that some of the communities were already planning to use some of that money and that it looked like this was one area where those communities were trailblazing on, so Lake County could follow them and perhaps get that money into play already.
Mr. Rosen explained that they would be coming back with a proposed spending plan the following month showing what the money could be used for and the percentages they thought would be best, noting that the first half was $35 million, they would not receive the second half until the next year, and there was a timeline in which to spend the money. He added that after they received feedback from the BCC they could change the percentages and then move forward with the spending plan. He related that they would also discuss other items that were passed with the ARPA, such as additional grant programs that would be attainable for some businesses and other uses that could help that money go further.
Commr. Campione mentioned that another idea she had when listening to what the other communities were doing was the possibility of using funds to acquire property or use properties they had in surplus, put out an RFP and see if there were any builders that would be willing to build a certain number of units in a few different places throughout the county that could be used for rapid rehousing purposes and tie that into their homelessness and affordable housing initiative. She related that this would be separate from workforce housing, but would be for the gap for people that needed housing but there was no place to put them in.
Commr. Blake reported attending the Extension Services Advisory Board meeting the previous week, noting that that was the first one they had since March 2020. He explained that they had a visioning workshop similar to the BCC’s visioning workshop in February 2021 and that they discussed various issues, such as water quality and other things that the Extension Office could help promote. He related that they were planning to take some of those ideas they came up with and coordinate with the BCC’s agenda and their long term goals and have an event next year to promote some of those things. He opined that it was a good meeting and that Ms. Meg Brew, County Extension Director, had done a great job.
citizen question and comment period
Mr. David Serdar, a City of Fruitland Park resident, said that he loved living in Lake County, and expressed his appreciation to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) for activities they participated in on Memorial Day and for the Liberty Tree that they approved.
Ms. Danielle Olvian, a Lake County citizen, presented the Board with a proclamation honoring LGBTQIA month which she had recently worked with the City of Mount Dora to pass. She asked for the BCC to consider passing this proclamation countywide.
Commr. Parks stated that they take all proclamations under consideration and that any commissioner could bring one forward.
Ms. Lorie Howell, a resident off of Number 2 Road in the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills, discussed the following items: she asked the Board when the interlocal service boundary agreement (ISBA) with the City of Leesburg would be on the BCC agenda; she mentioned recent flooding on her property and expressed concerns that additional flooding would happen if the Whispering Hills development was allowed to be built; she did not believe that a realtor should be allowed to serve on the Planning and Zoning Board as she saw this as a conflict of interest; and she asked for the Board to do what they could to keep the rural areas of Lake County at one house per five acres.
Ms. Pam Roustio, a Town of Howey-in-the-Hills resident, handed the Board a petition from approximately 250 Lake County residents expressing their concerns regarding the Whispering Hills justification for annexation, the Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan), and the rezoning. She explained that this document outlined their concerns regarding the lack of coordination between the City of Leesburg and the County, the compatibility with the surrounding rural community, the compatibility of the City’s policies and growth management plan, and the ISBA. She requested for there to be a town hall meeting with the City, County and residents to discuss these issues. She pointed out that the City of Leesburg had annexed thousands of acres all the way west to Sumter County and preserving the rural protection areas should not affect the City’s economic opportunities. She mentioned that the residents in her area supported businesses in the City of Leesburg and all along U.S. 27; however, having an ISBA with the rural communities was unacceptable as it was creating conflict, restricting the county’s ability to manage growth, and it discounted the rural communities, the Comp Plan goals and the objectives intended to protect that area. She related that she sent the Board a letter a couple of weeks before with a map of the Whispering Hills development and she then showed that map on the screen. She pointed out that the development would bring in 2,300 single family homes on 50 and 70 foot lots, 640 multi-family units, an assisted living facility, a small equine facility, golf courses, shopping, and medical facilities, which she opined was basically a small town. She showed where the entrances were located on U.S. 27, Number 2 Road, and Turkey Lake Road and stated that this plan was not compact and was located in the Yalaha Lake Apopka Rural Protection Area. She pointed out another development to the north on County Road (CR) 48 and Number 2 Road that had already been approved by the City of Leesburg, but was on hold for some legal matter, and the Hodges Reserve development to the south. She remarked that those two developments would add about another 1,000 homes for approximately 4,000 total homes in the rural protection area.
Commr. Parks asked Commissioner Smith if he had an update as he remembered they had discussed having some outreach regarding this.
Commr. Smith replied that he was scheduled to have a meeting that Friday with the City of Leesburg and would also be meeting with Mr. Al Miner, Leesburg City Manager, the following week. He added that a community meeting workshop for District 3 was scheduled on August 2, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. at the Venetian Center in the City of Leesburg and invited everyone to attend.
Ms. Roustio commented that the petition also went to the City of Leesburg, so everyone was aware of their concerns.
Commr. Parks mentioned that they would work hard to get the elected officials between the County and the City to meet and he suggested asking if they would attend the District 3 meeting. He stated that his only question was about the rural protection area because that was something that had to be honored if there was an ISBA. He gave the example of the Ferndale Protection Area which was a density of one unit per five acres and that there was an ISBA in place.
Ms. Marsh confirmed this, adding that there was a South Lake ISBA that addressed the specific communities, such as Ferndale, and that those cities could not annex into those areas. She related that she was not sure where this particular area fell into that, but that it was her understanding that this annexation was tentatively scheduled with the City of Leesburg for June 14, 2021 and if approved along with the Comp Plan amendment that would then get transmitted to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and if DEO approved it, it would come back for final adoption around August 23, 2021 with the City of Leesburg.
Ms. Roustio asked if that was just for the Hodges Reserve.
Ms. Marsh answered that she was not sure since there were two subdivisions out there.
Ms. Roustio mentioned that she spoke with someone at the City of Leesburg and they told her that Whispering Hills was going to planning and zoning in July 2021.
Ms. Marsh clarified that there were two adjoining subdivisions and then noted that the Board needed to keep in mind that if they wanted to have a joint meeting with the City of Leesburg they would need to adopt a resolution and that she could prepare that and bring it back to them if they let her know which date they wanted.
Commr. Smith commented that he did not think it needed to be a joint meeting.
Commr. Campione expressed concerns about the timing of this because if the annexation gets approved on June 14, 2021 and it gets sent to DEO then they could move ahead with the others. She opined that they should address this now as they could lose that opportunity if they did find that it called for joint planning coordination and that it did not adhere or incorporate into the County’s land regulations.
Commr. Smith clarified that he did not think the August 2, 2021 District 3 meeting needed to be a joint meeting; however, he was fine with having a joint meeting any other time.
Commr. Campione mentioned that she had asked the County Attorney if there was a way to use terminology with the ISBA to terminate the agreement if they did not have a level of cooperation and whether they would have an out or if they would still have to go through the dispute resolution process.
Ms. Marsh stated that they would still have to use the intergovernmental dispute resolution process, which could take several months depending on how quickly they could coordinate joint meetings. She stated that if there was no cooperation then they did have a limited ability to terminate that ISBA. She then asked if they wanted her to bring back a resolution for a joint meeting with the City of Leesburg, noting that they could add it to the June 22, 2021 agenda and could try to schedule the meeting for July 2021.
Commr. Parks agreed to this, adding that they needed to have it ready for their next meeting. He mentioned that they should also have a map and get some clarity from the Comp Plan on what was a rural protection area, because he believed that the City of Leesburg would have to honor the ISBA.
Commr. Campione commented that she did not know whether it applied to this situation; however, she knew it applied in South Lake.
Ms. Marsh explained that there were very specific communities that were called out in some of the ISBAs and that she would go back and check; however, she was unsure whether this area had been called out. She noted that once it was annexed by the City the County’s rural protection area in their Comp Plan would no longer apply and the City’s Comp Plan would control it; therefore, it would depend on how they designated it in their Comp Plan. She also mentioned that she had reached out to the City a couple weeks ago and it was her understanding that the City staff and City planning and zoning both recommended denial of the Hodges Reserve, which was scheduled for June 14, 2021.
Commr. Campione commented that it did not mean that when it got to the City Commission that it would not be approved.
Ms. Marsh agreed, adding that they could still approve it but so far through the process the recommendation was for denial.
Ms. Roustio remarked that there was another property that had been denied by the City’s planning and zoning but approved by the City. She then mentioned that she believed that the ISBA was out of date, because it was supposed to be reviewed every five years and it had already been seven years.
Commr. Campione commented that it renewed automatically.
Ms. Marsh explained that it was a 20 year agreement and that there was a provision that required the parties to come together to look at it every five years. She noted that she was unsure of whether previous county administration had talked to the City, but that it was not a formal process; furthermore, she said it was possible that the city manager and county manager had looked at it at that time and thought it looked good.
Commr. Campione expressed that her recommendation for the Board to consider would be that they use that provision to tell the City that they needed to work together and look at the ISBA and to do it now since there were multiple applications in the pipeline. She noted that if they did not have a level of cooperation then there was a question of whether the ISBA was doing what it was supposed to do and if they could not get to an agreeable position with the City, then they had the ability to seek dispute resolution and possible termination of it. She opined that the timing of it was very important and that they should get a meeting established to talk through this and see where everyone was at. She stated that it reminded her of the Thrill Hill area in her District, because once the door was open then it was going to be impossible from a legal standpoint to pull it back.
Commr. Parks agreed that they should get ahead of it and mentioned that the City of Montverde and Ferndale ISBA did say that if the City of Minneola or another city wanted to annex Ferndale that there was still a one to five requirement and that they were all written differently.
Commr. Campione commented that she thought Commissioner Parks was thinking of that one in particular because there was a lot of focus on it because Ferndale was so organized as a community that they really wanted that protection in place.
CLERK OF the Circuit COURT and comptroller’s CONSENT AGENDA
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Smith and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Consent Agenda, Items 1-3, as follows:
List of Warrants
Notice is hereby provided of warrants paid prior to this meeting, pursuant to Chapter 136.06 (1) of the Florida Statutes, which shall be incorporated into the Minutes and filed in the Board Support Division of the Clerk's Office.
Estates at Cherry Lake Community Development District Proposed Budget
Notice is hereby provided of having received the Estates at Cherry Lake Community Development District proposed budget for fiscal year 2021/2022 in accordance with Section 190.008(b), Florida Statutes, for purposes of disclosure and information only.
Lands Available List
Notice is hereby provided of having received a list of property placed on the Lands Available List.
COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA
On a motion by Commr. Smith, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Consent Agenda, Tabs 4 through 20, plus Tabs 23 and 24, pulling Tab 6 for reading and a separate vote, as follows:
PROCLAMATIONS
Recommend adoption of Proclamation 2021-89 designating July 2021 as Parks and Recreation Month in Lake County.
Recommend adoption of Liberty Tree Proclamation 2021-76, per Commissioner Parks.
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Recommend approval of a Settlement Agreement in Gulfstream Towers, LLC vs. Lake County, Florida and authorize the Chairman, or County Attorney when applicable, to execute any necessary documents. Fiscal impact is $1,138.50 (expenditure) and is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget.
HUMAN RESOURCES AND RISK MANAGEMENT
Recommend approval:
1. Of Contract 21-0522 with Humana Insurance Company (Louisville, KY) to provide Group Dental Insurance Services; and
2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.
The annual cost to the County's contribution for the three-year initial term of the agreement is $366,645.12 (expenditure) and is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year Budget.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Fire Rescue
Recommend approval:
1. To accept a Florida Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services Matching Grant for the improvement and expansion of pre-hospital emergency medical services in the amount of $33,405;
2. Of Unanticipated Revenue Resolution 2021-91 to recognize and appropriate the state grant funds;
3. To purchase one LifePak 15 defibrillator at a cost of $31,045.14 from Stryker Sales Corporation (Chicago, IL), and other Advanced Life Support equipment totaling $13,494.86 for Fire Station 56 (Fruitland Park);
4. For the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation; and
5. Of a budget transfer for the required 25 percent local match of $11,135.
The fiscal impact is $44,540. Grant fund revenue is $33,405.00 and $11,135 in Fire Impact Fee Revenue will be used for the required 25% local match. The local match is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget. Commission District 5.
Planning and Zoning
Recommend approval of:
1. A Special Master Agreement with George and Ginger Collins for the replacement of a single family dwelling.
2. Payment for 50 percent of the total Special Master fees.
The fiscal impact is $180 (expenditure) and is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year 2021 budget.
Public Safety
Recommend approval of the:
1. First Amendment to the PCS Site Agreement.
2. Agreement and Memorandum of First Amendment to the PCS Site Agreement.
3. Authorization for the County Attorney to create the necessary easement as identified in the Addendum.
The fiscal impact for Fiscal Year 2021 is $14,000 ($10,000 one-time and $2,000 for the months of August and September. Beginning in October, the fiscal impact for Fiscal Year 2022 will be $24,000 (revenue). Commission District 5.
Recommend approval of the Interlocal Agreement with the Town of Astatula for Lake County to administer and process addressing within the municipal limits. The fiscal impact (revenue) cannot be determined at this time. Commission District 3.
PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Facilities Management
Recommend approval of Contract 21-0449 with Aero Groundtek, LLC (Ocoee,
FL) for lawn maintenance and related services for Lake County facilities. The
annual fiscal impact is $501,600 (expenditure) and is within, and will not
exceed, the Fiscal Year Budgets.
Housing and Humans Services
Recommend approval of the Civil Rights Certification for Qualified Public Housing Agencies (PHAs), and authorize the Chairman to execute the Annual Certification.
Recommend approval of the subrecipient agreement with the City of
Tavares for Community Development Block Grant Fiscal Year 2020-2021 funds to
demolish, design and construct an ADA Wooton Wonderland Park. The fiscal impact
is $500,000 (expenditure) and is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year 2021
Budget. Commission District 3.
Public Works
Recommend approval:
1. Of Contract 21-0716 with Field's Equipment Co, Inc. (Minneola, FL) for the one time purchase of three PTO driven agricultural 10' flex wing mower decks for the Road Operations Division of the Public Works Department.
2. For the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.
The fiscal impact is $45,414 (expenditure) and is within, and will not exceed, Fiscal Year 2021 Budget.
Recommend approval:
1. Of Contract 21-0515 for road resurfacing and related services to C.W. Roberts Contracting, Inc. (Wildwood, FL).
2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.
The fiscal impact of $8,426,492.21 (expenditure) will occur in three phases: Phase 1 and Phase 2 are FY 2021 - $5,498,476.32 (Resurfacing loan account), Phase 3 will be FY 2022 - $2,928,015.89 ($240,833.72 Resurfacing loan account and $2,687,182.17 Sales Tax). The expenditures are within, and will not exceed, Fiscal Year Budgets.
Recommend approval:
1. Of Contracts 21-0519A, 21-0519B, and 21-0519C for road, drainage and sidewalk construction services to Bulldog Sitework, LLC (Lady Lake, LLC), Estep Construction, Inc. (Apopka, FL); and Hartman Civil Construction Company, Inc. (Ocala, FL); and
2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.
The annual fiscal impact of $350,000 (expenditure) is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year Budgets.
Recommend approval of the renewal of a Haul Permit issued to The Villages Land Company (The Villages, FL) for hauling activity associated with the Villages of West Lake development located on County Road 470 near the City of Leesburg. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 1.
Transit Services
Recommend approval:
1. To apply for the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged Trip and Equipment Grant for FY 2021-2022;
2. Adopt related Resolution 2021-92;
3. Acceptance of the agreement when awarded and authorize the Chairman to execute the agreement and any other associated documents required to receive the grant funds.
The fiscal impact is $823,544 (revenue/expenditure - $741,189 in grant funding and $82,355 of County in-kind match). If approved, the match will be budgeted for in Fiscal Year 2022.
county manager
Recommend approval:
1. Of the closure of the Non-Revolving Line of Credit, with an undrawn balance of $25,132,593, for CARES Act eligible expenditures.
2. For the Chairman to execute any required documents.
The fiscal impact is an estimated savings of $25,000 in future interest payments.
management and budget
Recommend approval of the Second Amendment to the Inmate Health Care Services Agreement between Wellpath LLC, the Lake County Sheriff's Office, and the Board of County Commissioners relating to the agreement's Staffing Matrix (Exhibit A). The fiscal impact is $25,857.90 (expenditure - to be paid by the Sheriff's Office)
Tab 6 proclamation 2021-90
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Shields and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Proclamation 2021-90 honoring County staff for their commitment and dedication to facilitating the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine at County operated vaccination sites.
Commr. Campione stated that this was a special proclamation and that she wanted to read it into the record since staff from the Offices of Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Rescue, Information Technology and Communications were all there that day. She then read Proclamation 2021-90. She pointed out that the proclamation indicated it was a countywide team effort; however, those specific departments were the ones who pulled it all together and became the leaders in this effort. She noted that once it got going and the State gave them the resources to make the program work that it became very tedious, but they stuck with it and worked every day with long hours and did an incredible job. She expressed that they could not thank staff enough and that they were very proud and grateful for them.
Commr. Parks thanked Commmissioner Campione for her leadership during the lead up to the vaccination and how she had to make some very tough decisions with many unknowns. He stated that it was most appropriate for her to have presented this and thanked her for reading it and bringing it forward. He expressed that they could talk for hours about how great staff had been during this and mentioned that they were going to try to do something further in the future to keep honoring this.
Commr. Campione stated that in the beginning staff was getting frustrated because they wanted to help but their hands were tied in so many ways, but then staff got creative and did whatever they could do. She added that they took a lot of grief from this through comments being made and from emails and that it was frustrating because they were trying very hard but did not have control over a lot of it, including when they could not get the vaccines themselves. She remarked that it was nice to be on this side of it now and that she was just appreciative of the professionalism, patience and the ability to stick with it until everything came together; additionally, this proclamation was something small to show their appreciation and to say thank you.
Mr. Rosen stated that he also wanted to extend his gratitude and noted that he started at the County on the back end of it after it had already been started. He indicated that he was told at some point that Lake County was giving out the same or more shots per day as they were at the Orange County Convention Center. He opined that people did not understand what a huge undertaking that was and that Emergency Management only had four FTEs but they had an army of volunteers from inside and outside the organization helping. He expressed that he was amazed at how they coordinated everything and the miracles they pulled off on such short notice and he thanked staff for all the work they put into it. He then asked for the Commissioners and staff that was present to come forward to take a picture with the proclamation.
Commr. Parks requested that at some point they honor the volunteers that were involved with the operation as well and that they could invite some of the Public Safety representatives to honor them in the same way.
proclamation 2021-78 race amity day
Commr. Parks stated that Proclamation 2021-78 had been passed unanimously by the BCC the previous month and that although it was not fully executed, they would provide a copy to Pastor Michael Watkins and Mr. Herbert Reed. He then read Proclamation 2021-78.
Mr. Herbert Reed, a resident of Lake County, expressed that he and Pastor Watkins wanted to thank the BCC as he opined that this was an example of politics at its best. He explained that the people of Lake County could appreciate the door that they had opened for the growth, respect, and trust of all the residents. He pointed out that he had recently learned that the City of Sanford had also set aside the second Sunday in June for Racial Amity Day and that it seemed like mutual respect and trust was growing all over Florida. He stated that they hoped for events to be planned in the future by cities, faith organizations, or service clubs where people of different races could gather to get better acquainted. He indicated that he had a list of different events that could be organized to celebrate this day and that there was also a DVD called An American Story that would be available at the Tavares Public Library. He noted that people of different races had teamed up to accomplish some exciting things for over 150 years in the history of their country. He then congratulated the BCC for adopting this.
Commr. Parks thanked Mr. Reed and Pastor Watkins for their involvement.
regular agenda
amendment to code re: tourist development tax
Mr. Brandon Matulka, Executive Director for Economic Growth, stated that this presentation was being given due to a request from the BCC at a previous meeting. He gave some background information on the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) and explained that the authorized uses of each percent under Section 125.104, Florida Statutes was as follows: the first three percent can be used for any purpose authorized under that section; the fourth percent can only be used to pay debt service on bonds issued to finance construction, reconstruction, or renovation of a professional sports franchise facility, spring training facility, or convention center, or to promote and advertise tourism in the state, nationally or internationally; and the fifth percent can only be used to pay debt service on bonds issued to finance construction, reconstruction, or renovation of a professional sports franchise facility, spring training facility, or to promote and advertise tourism in the state, nationally or internationally. He pointed out that Lake and Marion Counties collected four percent TDT; Polk and Seminole Counties collected five percent; Orange, Osceola and Volusia Counties collected six percent; and Sumter County voted to repeal their TDT on October 13, 2020. He displayed a graph showing total TDT revenues for four and five percent from Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 through FY 2023, noting that FY 2021, 2022 and 2023 were only projected totals. He related that for FY 2018 they had $3.4 million in the four percent collections and if they had done the five percent they would have had $4.24 million, which would have been an increase of almost $850,000 for that year. He noted that they also collected $3.4 million in FY 2019 and that for FY 2020 they collected $2.7 million for the four percent and the five percent estimation would have been $3.4 million, which would have been about a $675,000 increase. He indicated that on average over the course of FY 2017 to FY 2020 the range was from about $680,000 to $850,000 in additional dollars each year that would have been collected if the five percent had been enacted. He mentioned that for FY 2021 they were projecting to be at about $2.3 million for the four percent and at about $2.9 million for the five percent, which would be an additional $580,000; furthermore, he opined that those number were low due to COVID-19 but that they were starting to see that increase from the collection of the vacation rental dollars. He related that they were projecting a conservative $3 million collection for FY 2022 for the four percent and $3.75 million for the five percent, as well as projecting $3.3 million for the four percent in FY 23 and $4.125 million for the five percent.
recess and reassembly
The Chairman called a recess at 10:24 a.m. for ten minutes.
amendment to code re: tourist development tax cont’d
Commr. Parks stated that this was on the agenda that day because staff requested direction on this based on previous conversations; furthermore, he clarified that they would not be making a decision that day and that any thought of going to the five percent would be discussed at a later meeting.
Mr. Matulka commented that he wanted to make the Board aware of the next Tourist Development Council (TDC) meeting on July 19, 2021 in case they wanted the TDC to make any recommendations on what was discussed that day.
Commr. Shields stated that he would like to know the percentage of revenues from the hoteliers versus the vacation rentals, especially with the new change that was made.
Mr. Matulka noted that the Lake County Tax Collector’s Office was working on that, but that they were not able to get that information for the meeting that day; however, they would start reporting on that so they would have that information going forward.
Commr. Campione asked in regards to paying the debt service on bonds if that meant they could pay as they go or if they had to finance it.
Ms. Marsh answered that it specifically said “pay debt service on bonds issued;” therefore, her assumption was that they would have to bond it, then build it, and over time use the TDT funds to repay those bonds.
Commr. Parks asked if it would be a short term loan, which was different than a bond.
Ms. Marsh replied that the key is that it was a debt.
Commr. Campione mentioned that the first three percent could be used for any purpose authorized and that the fourth percent could only be used for debt service or for promoting and advertising, and asked for clarification on that.
Ms. Marsh confirmed this, noting that the County Code stated that the fourth percent was only being used for promoting and advertising tourism because they did have the other three items; however, they could take the fourth percent and use it for a convention center and/or advertising tourism, specifying they could use it for their multi-use building, and then they could establish the fifth percent to be used for advertising tourism.
Commr. Campione asked if the convention center was only in the fourth but not in the fifth percent, and Ms. Marsh confirmed this was correct.
Commr. Campione stated that they did not get the legislative appropriation for the convention center multi-use facility and opined that it was something they should consider as a possibility without taking on another cent. She then asked if the first three percent could be used for capital facilities as long as it was related to heads in beds.
Ms. Marsh confirmed this, adding that it could be used for construction of trails because those were considered nature centers and for any items allowed by the statutes.
Commr. Campione expressed that she was in favor of having a thorough discussion, especially including the TDC board members, to talk about the concept of the convention center as a possibility and about trails. She questioned whether a bank or lender would consider this a stable enough revenue stream and whether they would require a general fund pledge or some type of a back-up payment in case all of a sudden there was no hotel tax coming in, especially with what happened with COVID-19. She opined that she liked the idea of exploring a different approach to how they could use some TDC money as long as the hoteliers and those that benefitted from the funds felt that they were getting what they needed in order to do their promoting.
Commr. Smith stated that the purpose of the convention center, expo center, multi-use building was to drive more economic development which meant that more people would be staying in the hotels, buying gas and eating at restaurants. He expressed that he saw this as a positive, but that he wanted to make sure they received all the facts from the TDC board before making a decision. He pointed out that this was intriguing since it was a user tax and not a property tax increase and that he was fine with that.
Commr. Campione mentioned that she believed the TDC was not going to like this and that she had heard of people already opposing it. She related that she was unsure if the TDC board had looked at what all they could accomplish if they shifted some things around and used the first three percent for trails, the fourth percent for the convention center, and the fifth percent for promoting. She opined that by doing so they could actually get a lot more done.
Commr. Shields commented that he was looking at it from the standpoint of what were they missing in order to generate more income, what were the gaps, and what other sports could they bring in. He related that they could do a simple return on investment calculation to determine what groups could be brought in that they could not before if they had those assets in place. He added that he also wanted to look at how they spent the capital dollars so that they could decide as a Board where they wanted to take this.
Commr. Parks expressed that he was very positive about moving forward and he was in favor of scheduling a meeting to formally discuss this. He indicated that he realized not everyone would be happy, but in leadership they had to be uncomfortable sometimes especially when looking at the bigger picture of something. He mentioned that they were all very committed to trails and that there were trail projects within each of their districts; additionally, the Board had made a very firm commitment to not raise the property tax rate so he was unsure how they could fund these things without looking at this further. He stated that he understood that those in the tourist industry may be very vocally opposed with the feeling that they would have to shoulder the burden of this and that it could potentially affect their business; however, Lake County had a very low tax rate as compared to other counties in the Central Florida area and that they would show good restraint with this and if it were to move forward, they would show how it would be spent, how it would be a benefit to the community and their industry, and that the marketing would not be affected.
Commr. Campione mentioned that it would be helpful to provide the details of the master trail plan for the TDC for their July 19, 2021 meeting, including what they have been able to do and the gaps that needed filling in since most people did not understand how expensive it was to buy right-of-way and build the trails.
Commr. Parks commented that it cost about $60 million for all the trails in Lake County.
Commr. Campione noted that they could also provide an overview of the short-term, intermediate, and long-term projects they could accomplish and the information regarding the convention center as they already had some good numbers of what it would cost to build that facility. She added that it would be good to give them some real numbers to work with as opposed to just talking about it conceptually.
Commr. Parks related that when he looked at the typical resident or small business owner that he ran into and had discussions about how they liked the convention center idea, the trails, promoting the niche sports, or even boat ramps that it would be hard for him to tell them that they were not going to raise their property taxes, but they also were not going to take advantage of a potential revenue source that would not affect 99.9 percent of the residents. He added that it could potentially affect the businesses, but 99.9 percent of the residents would not pay for it.
Commr. Campione mentioned that she wanted to hear from the businesses about whether it would actually affect if they got customers or not.
Commr. Blake expressed that that was his primary concern and that he wanted to hear from the TDC because in the past concerns had been raised about when the government built a competing facility that could then compete for events and activities that it was not just a question about whether they were scaring business away because it was a little more expensive to stay there, but were the tax dollars going to fund the competition.
Commr. Campione opined that that was such a good point and that they needed to get feedback on the convention center concept at the Fairgrounds, because she believed that the TDC would like it because it would not be in competition with them; furthermore, she believed that they would be fine with trails too as she saw that as something that would not be in competition with them either, but that it could actually enhance the experience of visitors coming to stay at their bed and breakfast or hotel. She indicated that as long as they were clear that they would not turn around and use the proceeds to build something that would be in competition with them and that maybe they could make that commitment.
Commr. Parks opined that was good point as well, and that they would need to be very clear about that and put it in the ordinance.
Ms. Marsh clarified that they would take the ordinance as it was currently drafted, present that to the TDC, bring their recommendations back to the Board and at that point the Board could decide whether they wanted to drop that fifth cent or tweak it in any other fashion.
Commr. Parks mentioned that they had a joint meeting coming up with them in September 2021.
Commr. Campione asked if the ordinance could include some of the restrictions they had just discussed, such as delineating how the first three cents could be used.
Ms. Marsh answered that they could add any restrictions or specific uses they wanted to in the ordinance.
Commr. Parks asked if she wanted to specifically list the convention center and then trails.
Commr. Campione replied that she wanted to include the master trail plan and the convention center site, but add some language stating that they could still look at other facilities.
Ms. Marsh displayed a document on the screen showing the statutory uses that would be allowed, noting that they could pick and choose from this and then limit it in the County Code.
Commr. Campione asked if the auditorium was the one that had caused issues in the past and gave the example of how they received a lot of push back from the Tavares Pavilion on the Lake.
Commr. Parks commented that he believed it was the convention centers listed under 1a.
Ms. Marsh explained that they could tell the TDC that the Board was willing to look at limiting the uses and then ask for recommendations on which uses they would not want to see.
Commr. Campione asked if what was on the screen was from the State Statute.
Ms. Marsh replied that it was very similar in the Code and that she tried to clean up the ordinance since it had not been amended in a very long time, so she wanted it as consistent as possible with State law.
Commr. Parks expressed that he liked Ms. Marsh’s idea of asking the TDC if there was anything in the ordinance they wanted to make clear that the Board would not spend the money on.
Commr. Campione stated that she was predicting that the biggest stumbling block would be the idea that if this was approved that they could do any number of things that was included in the ordinance.
Commr. Parks indicated that they specifically wanted the convention center, but trails were already allowed and then if there was any further refinement on expenditures.
other business
value adjustment board appointments
Commr. Parks stated that this agenda item was to appoint two commissioners and one citizen member to the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) and that Commissioner Blake and Commissioner Shields were current members along with Mr. Brian Feeney who was a citizen representative and was requesting reappointment.
Commr. Blake stated that Mr. Feeney did a great job and took his position very seriously.
Commr. Parks expressed that that was great to hear and that they appreciated citizens like him, and he then thanked Mr. Feeney for his time.
Commr. Parks asked if Commissioners Blake and Shields were willing to serve on the VAB again, and they both answered yes.
On a motion by Commr. Smith, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the reappointments of Commissioner Blake, Commissioner Shields, and Mr. Brian Feeney to the Value Adjustment Board.
reports
county manager
PLAN FOR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING
Commr. Parks asked for Mr. Rosen to repeat what he had said earlier in the meeting regarding the ARPA.
Mr. Rosen relayed that staff was working on a plan for the ARPA funds to bring back to the Commission at their first meeting in July 2021 to discuss the split out of the funds for the first and second part and for the Commission to give input on any percentage changes and where they would like the money to go based on what was allowable under the expenditure. He indicated that they continued to do research and attend sessions and that it sounded like other counties were jumping head first; however, he wanted to make sure that they were certain of what they could spend the funds on so there were no issues of the money being taken away later on. He remarked that he was trying to find a balance of wanting to move forward, but also being cautious and opined that he believed the meeting in July 2021 would give them a good timeframe to see if there were any updates from the treasury and then they would be able to provide a recommendation to move forward.
commissioners reports
COMMISSIONER SHIELDS – DISTRICT 1
MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT FRANKLIN
Commr. Shields mentioned that he had met with United States Representative Scott Franklin when he was touring the new City of Groveland public works facility. He said that he was able to share with Representative Franklin some of the issues the County was experiencing.
commissioner smith – vice chairman and district 3
COMMUNITY MEETING FOR FIRE STATION IN BASSVILLE PARK
Commr. Smith thanked County staff who joined him the previous evening at the community meeting for the new fire station in Bassville Park, noting that the meeting went well.
PRESENTING PROCLAMATION 2021-75 TO DR. DIANE CULPEPPER
Commr. Smith remarked that he had the pleasure of presenting Proclamation 2021-75 to Dr. Diane Culpepper, which recognized her service and retirement as the Executive Director of Lake Technical College.
CONGRATULATING EUSTIS HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOFTBALL TEAM
Commr. Smith congratulated the Eustis High School girls’ softball team on winning the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 4A State Championship.
commissioner CAMPIONE – district 4
CELEBRATION FOR EUSTIS HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOFTBALL TEAM
Commr. Campione relayed her excitement in participating in the celebration for the Eustis High School girls’ softball team and suggested the Board honor the team with a proclamation at one of their meetings.
Commr. Parks agreed, stating that they should go ahead and arrange something and that he was glad they would be able to get pictures now.
Commr. Campione mentioned that the softball team would probably be going their separate ways soon as most of the underclassmen were probably going to softball camps or doing tournaments, so they should catch them before they spread out.
Commr. Parks asked Mr. Rosen to reach out to the Eustis High School coach to see when a good time would be for them come to a meeting so they could be presented with a proclamation, take some pictures, and celebrate their success.
Commr. Campione stated that she had heard that Lake County had never had a girls’ softball team win State championship.
Commr. Parks agreed, and expressed that it was impressive.
commissioner parks – chairman and district 2
THANKING BOARD FOR LIBERTY TREE PROCLAMATION
Commr. Parks thanked the Board for passing the Liberty Tree Proclamation, thanked staff for their assistance with this, and stated that the ceremony would be on June 24, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. He explained that they planned on having each of the commissioners who were in attendance read a piece of it and then have a presentation. He stated that he hoped they could have a Liberty Tree dedication annually where they could hold a ceremony at different county facilities or parks right around the Fourth of July, and he also noted that Cherry Lake Tree Farm was committed to doing that.
MEETING WITH CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS
Commr. Parks said that he had met with the Constitutional Officers the previous day, that they were supportive of the Board, and that they would continue to work with the County through the budget process. He commented that County staff would also be meeting with each of the Constitutional Officers’ budget staff in order to begin reviewing how ARPA funding could potentially assist with budget requests from the Constitutional Officers. He stated that they would hopefully find a way to help with their budget requests and that those meetings would happen over the next month or two.
WORKSHOP REGARDING FOUNDER’S RIDGE DEVELOPMENT
Commr. Parks mentioned that Mr. Jeffrey Earhart, Engineering Manager with the Public Works Department, and Mr. Tim McClendon, Director for the Office of Planning and Zoning, had attended a workshop with him the previous evening in the City of Minneola regarding the planning for the Founder’s Ridge development. He indicated that this was a sizeable development which would essentially become their Town Center and would consist of housing, office space, commercial, and some multi-family housing. He said that the County staff would be working with the City for planning purposes, specifically on getting the middle segment of Citrus Grove Road finished. He expressed his appreciation for the City inviting them to that meeting and for starting the planning for that development early on.
Commr. Campione asked if there would be retail, an employment center, or any manufacturing opportunities.
Commr. Parks replied that there would be retail and commercial, and that they had talked about having some flex space and light industrial, which would be closer to the Turnpike Interchange. He pointed out that it was a sizeable project that would go from the Turnpike interchange all the way west towards Grassy Lake.
UPDATE ON JOINT PLANNING WITH CITY OF EUSTIS
Commr. Parks provided an update on the joint planning discussions the County was having with the City of Eustis, and relayed that Mayor Michael Holland would be continuing to represent the City in these discussions.
Commr. Campione commented that it was important to note that he was trying to give them concepts that they could tweak to make it right for that particular area.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 11:07 a.m.
_________________________________
SEAN PARKS, chairman
ATTEST:
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GARY J COONEY, CLERK