A regular MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

may 17, 2022

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 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; and Josh Blake. Others present were: Jennifer Barker, County Manager; Melanie Marsh, County Attorney; Niki Booth, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Kristy Mullane, Chief Financial Officer; and Josh Pearson, Deputy Clerk.

INVOCATION and pledge

Commr. Parks welcomed everyone to the meeting and noted that the Invocation would be given by Pastor Joscelyn Ramos Campbell, with Hope International Church, and that the Pledge of Allegiance would be led by a veteran who was part of County staff.  He explained that Ms. Marissabelle Tighe, Director for the Office of Veteran Services, served in the United States (U.S.) Navy from 2010 to 2014 as an aviation structural mechanic for the Navy’s only forward deployed Mh-60S helicopter expeditionary squadrons in Guam and Japan.  He elaborated that during detachments, she maintained and inspected aircrafts to provide combat logistics, search and rescue, medical evacuation, and humanitarian assistance for the U.S. Seventh Fleet.  He relayed that her awards included Meritorious Unit Command, the Good Conduct Medal, the War on Terrorism Service medal and the National Defense Service Medal.  He thanked Ms. Tighe for her service.

Pastor Campbell gave the Invocation and Ms. Tighe led the Pledge of Allegiance.

virtual meeting instructions

Mr. Erikk Ross, Director for the Information Technology (IT) Department, explained that the current meeting was being livestreamed on the County website and was also being made available through Zoom Webinar for members of the public who 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 participate could follow the directions currently being broadcast through the stream; furthermore, he relayed that during the Citizen Question and Comment Period, anyone who had joined the webinar via their phone could press *9 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 read the person’s name or phone number, unmute the appropriate line, and the speaker would be asked to provide comments.  He added that everyone would have three minutes to speak, and after three minutes an alarm would sound to let them know that their time was up.  He added that they previously notified the public that comments could be emailed through 5:00 p.m. on the previous day, and those comments were shared with the Board prior to the meeting.  He stated that anyone wishing to provide written comments during the meeting could visit www.lakecountyfl.gov/commissionmeeting, noting that comments sent during this meeting would be shared with the Commission after the meeting was concluded.

Agenda update

Ms. Jennifer Barker, County Manager, said that there were no updates to the agenda.

citizen question and comment period

No one wished to address the Board at this time.

Fiscal Year 2023 Budget presentations

Office of Extension services

Ms. Megan Brew, Director for the Office of Extension Services, said that the mission of the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Services (UF/IFAS) extension in Lake County was to provide research-based educational programs and practical assistance to help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build better futures.  She mentioned that they had six extension agents who were considered faculty members of UF, and that they focused on the following areas: residential and commercial horticulture; agriculture and livestock production; family and consumer sciences; and positive youth development such as 4-H.  She showed the office’s organizational chart and said that she answered to both the District Extension Director for UF and the Assistant County Manager.  She mentioned that each agent had a split assignment and that their salaries were split between UF and the Board of County Commissioners (BCC).  She mentioned that she had an administrative role as well as teaching classes, and she reviewed the other agents in the chart.  She also mentioned that there was an office manager on the County side, along with a maintenance technician and two office associates.  She commented that for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, they were able to take one of the office associate positions and move them to be a 4-H program associate, noting that Lake County had one of the largest 4-H programs in the state.  She also mentioned that they had a Discovery Gardens landscape technician, and she invited the Board to visit the gardens.  She relayed the following accomplishments for the past fiscal year: taught 10,180 individuals, noting that they developed many new and innovative classes including their Roots Up Youth program and their Family and Consumer Science (FCS) program; partnered with local farms to do on-the-farm teaching, noting that they conducted classes in the fall and spring with Long and Scott Farm; their FCS agent was the 2022 recipient of the Florida Association of Family and Consumer Science Extension Agents Family Health and Wellness Award; saw 3,437 youth participate in their public speaking contests; provided 8,338 consultations regarding agriculture; granted 302 continuing education credits; administered 132 pesticide applicator exams; trained 1,751 future leaders; and highly trained volunteers had donated 14,592 hours.  She then mentioned the following efficiencies: 2021 represented a safe return to business as usual, including the return of their popular farm tour; oversaw nearly $15,000 in grant funds from UF to support educational programming and investigate alternative crops; Lake County extension agents received national recognition for local efforts; and a partnership was initiated with the Primary Care Connection, noting that their FCS agent was also a registered dietician and offered consultations for the public and County employees.  She discussed benchmarks and said that Lake County was at $1.46 for County funds per capita, opining that this was a good value compared to Marion and Osceola Counties.  She added that Lake County was at $1.98 for State funds per capita, and that there were 2,036 people per agent attending classes; additionally, Lake County had 417 in-person consultations per agent.  She commented that her office was a General Fund department and that they had a 9.1 percent change in personal services, reflecting the proposed wage adjustments for FY 2023, as well as the reclassification from office associate III to the program associate who supported the 4-H position; furthermore, the proposed FY 2023 budget for her office was $671,391.

Commr. Smith thanked her for what she was doing.

Commr. Parks said that the BCC supported agriculture in Lake County and saw it as part of their future, noting that it could set them apart from other urbanizing areas.  He mentioned a sheet that the office did a few years prior to indicate how each dollar of property taxes was spent, and he wondered if Ms. Brew and the Office of Communications could create a similar sheet regarding the economic impact from agriculture.

Ms. Brew replied that UF had some information similar to this, and that the County could create this.  She also opined that Lake County was the agritourism capital of the state with more agritourism destinations than anywhere else in the state, noting that it brought many people to the county. 

office of veterans services

Ms. Tighe stated that the Office of Veterans Services was dedicated to educating and assisting current and former military members and their dependents in successfully obtaining benefits available by County, State and Federal laws.  She added that they also assisted with the following services: disability compensation; veteran’s pension; survivor’s pension; education; home loans; burial; healthcare; and others.  She displayed the organizational chart and mentioned that they had five full time employees (FTEs) including herself, three assistant veterans service officers (VSOs) and an office associate. She mentioned that they added a full time VSO and an office associate in the current year.  She listed the following accomplishments for her office: partnered with the Office of Library Services to provide veteran claim assistance throughout the County; successfully transitioned to a larger space next to the Office of Housing and Community Services; and over 3,000 benefit claims were submitted to the Veterans Benefit Administration.  She said that efficiencies included the following: implementing a “VSO on Duty” schedule to assist with walk-ins and phone calls, which prevented the wait time for an appointment from increasing; implementing new software to allow clients to electronically sign documents; and attending events to inform veterans and spouses of services provided by the County.  She also indicated that challenges for her office included that wait times had not decreased significantly due to the rapid veteran population increase, and that Federal delays in the VSO sponsorship process had impaired newly hired VSOs from assisting veterans in the claims process.  She mentioned that the population used for the benchmarks was based on FY 2020 due to this being the latest population data, and she said that Lake County’s veteran population was in the middle of other counties.  She displayed the benchmark for the number of VSOs per county and mentioned that Lake County was similar to Seminole, Sumter and Osceola Counties; however, Lake County saw more veterans per VSO.  She displayed her office’s proposed budget of $347,306 and noted that they were funded by the General Fund.  She stated that for personal services, they saw a percentage change for the wage increase, and that the main increase for operating expenses was due to the office rental space that they did not have in the previous year.

Commr. Parks said that she was doing a great job, and he expressed interest in Lake County being known as the best county for veterans.

office of housing and community services

Ms. Maria Abdoulkarim, Director for the Office of Housing and Community Services, said that her office served as the link between government and the community by administering various programs such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program, Section 8, and the HOME program, noting that the programs provided affordable housing opportunities to Lake County residents, improve neighborhoods, and preserve home ownership.  She added that her team also provided support to vulnerable residents through their homelessness, indigent care, and children and elder services programs.  She displayed her office’s organizational chart and noted that the team consisted of 16 FTEs, and she summarized the programs that her office oversaw, including five State-mandated and two restricted trust fund programs.  She said that these programs included the following mandated programs: County Public Health Unit Contract Administration; Health Care Responsibility Act; indigent cremation assistance; Medicaid hospital and nursing home; and public/mental health.  She also mentioned that restricted trust fund programs included the Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Trust Fund Administration, and the Dori Slosberg Driver Improvement Contract Administration, noting that the funding for restricted trust funds came from collected fines and fees.  She said that her office served as an information clearinghouse to agencies, individuals and service providers regarding available resources and opportunities for children and elder services programs.  She stated that the Non-Ad Valorem Tax Hardship Assistance program provided eligible Lake County residents a 50 percent reimbursement for their solid waste and/or fire assessment, and that the We Care program provided a healthcare system for qualified low income and medically indigent residents.  She explained that through grant funding opportunities, the CDBG program assisted low and moderate income communities by expanding economic opportunities to improve the quality of life for residents, and that each year, interested community groups applied for grants to construct or improve neighborhood facilities and infrastructure.  She mentioned that in the current year, three rounds of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) grant funding provided $2.6 million in funds, administered through various projects including the County’s current mortgage assistance and mobile food truck unit.  She remarked that through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Lake County was awarded 41 emergency housing vouchers in the current year for their unhoused population, and that in working with their local partners Lake County had assisted 23 households in finding permanent housing solutions.  She explained that for the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) 1 program, Lake County was allocated over $11 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury, and had assisted over 1,400 applicants with past due rental and utility assistance; furthermore, an additional $8 million had been allocated through the ERA 2 program, and would provide rent, deposit and utility assistance to Lake County qualified residents with an expected program launch in June 2022.  She related that the HUD HOME program was designed to expand the supply of affordable housing through acquisition, rehabilitation, new construction and tenant-based rental assistance, with the primary emphasis for housing for very low and low income Americans.  She added that Lake County was also awarded HOME American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, noting that the primary benefit was for individuals and families for qualifying populations, such as housing insecure or chronically homeless.  She mentioned that the office’s homelessness program was designed to help their most vulnerable population move into transitional and permanent housing by leveraging rapid rehousing funding and emergency shelter grant funds.  She said that by partnering with several of their nonprofit partners, they were able to provide wraparound services including case management and rental assistance.  She then provided information regarding one of the clients that they recently assisted.  She stated that the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), also known as Section 8, was the Federal Government’s major program for assisting families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private market, noting that participants may choose housing that meets the requirements of the program, and the housing subsidy is paid directly to the landlord on the participating family’s behalf.  She indicated that the SHIP program was funded through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, and that funds could be used for several strategies including down payment, demolition, reconstruction, closing costs or home repairs.  She said that the program was designed to serve very low, low, and moderate income families, and that SHIP produced and preserved affordable homeownership and multifamily housing.  She displayed pictures of a current demolition/rehabilitation project that was expected to be completed in the following summer, and she mentioned the following CDBG accomplishments: Forward Paths was expected to be completed in the following summer, and would serve as housing for homeless youth and young adults; and the Cottages at Heritage Grove was an income based cottage community, noting that construction was expected to begin in late summer 2022; the Leesburg Teen Center was near completion and would offer social and recreational programs for the youth; road resurfacing on many damaged and aged roadways throughout the county; the Astor County Library project, which was currently in the design and engineering phase, noting that the new building would be approximately 5,000 square feet, single story, and would provide enhanced services and capabilities for the community; the mobile food truck project would be funded through state awarded CDBG funds, stating that the truck would travel to the more rural areas of Lake County and was anticipated to assist over 6,500 hundred families discretely and efficiently.  She remarked that the ERA 1 program allowed Lake County to provide rental assistance to over 1,400 residents who were affected by COVID-19, noting that the average amount awarded per household was over $6,000.  She commented that through Section 8, they assisted 648 households by providing an affordable housing rent subsidy to private landlords; furthermore, the program currently managed an additional 164 participants on a project based voucher wait list in two separate locations.  She remarked that Lake County continued to maintain its status as a HUD Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) high performer, and that additional funding had been provided by HUD, enabling the construction and expansion of a Section 8 office, including two new self service areas to provide individuals with access to Lake County resources and information.  She then relayed the following accomplishments for her office: utilizing the emergency housing vouchers, 41 households had been assisted in finding permanent housing solutions; their homeless liaison expended $75,000 in grant funds providing emergency shelter to temporarily housed individuals and families in need; many individuals were assisted through their rapid rehousing grant, and 12 residents were permanently housed through that program; Lake County was awarded grant funding for permanent supportive housing vouchers which would begin in November 2022; 107 cremations were funded through their indigent cremation assistance program; 109 Health Care Responsibility Act applications were processed for eligibility; and 74 applications were approved for solid waste/fire assessment tax hardship assistance.  She relayed the following efficiencies: their Section 8 wait list had been closed, and that by recently adding a housing software platform that would allow for enhanced direct communication with their clients and provide a portal for submission of documents, they anticipated opening their wait list later in the current year; the SHIP Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) policy and procedures were updated for effectiveness, efficiencies and new strategies; the wait list for demolition and rehabilitation was reviewed and currently consisted of 98 applicants; and impact fee waivers were implemented to encourage affordable housing attainability, with a total of eight waivers being approved.  She displayed benchmarks and noted that the Lake County/Sumter County Continuum of Care (CoC) was awarded $582,532 in FY 2021, and that in FY 2021 Lake County was allocated $1,513,925 for the CDBG program, noting that grant amounts were determined by the higher of two formulas.  She said that Lake County received 485 housing choice vouchers for distribution, and the closest County in comparison was Seminole County with 464 vouchers.  She stated that for housing assistance dollars per capita, Lake County spent an average of $11.47 per individual, and that Lake County’s cost share for Medicaid was approximately $4.6 million and represented residents who were Medicaid eligible and resided in a nursing home, or had received in-patient hospital care.  She related that Lake County’s Medicaid cost per capita was $12.62, and was comparable with the previous benchmark of the actual dollar amount expended.  She indicated that the FY 2023 SHIP funding distribution was approximately $3.8 million, noting that the FY 2022 allocation was $2,434,832.  She said that funds were allocated on a population based formula, and were distributed by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) on an entitlement basis.  She stated that Lake County provided annual base funding to LifeStream Behavioral Center per State statute, and that LifeStream had requested an additional $89,106 to help cover costs associated with competitive staff compensation and increased costs due to challenges in coping with COVID-19.  She mentioned that the original base funding amount of $1,272,947 for FY 2023 would be paid for using ARPA funds, and staff was requesting for the Board to discuss the additional funding request for staff direction.  She displayed the proposed FY 2023 budget of $23,567,516 and explained that their budget was largely based on grant funding.  She noted that the change in capital outlay was due to the completion of the CDBG road resurfacing project, and the remaining funds were allocated for the Astor County Library.  She commented that the reduction in operating expenses, along with grants and aids, reflected available grant funding for FY 2023, and that the reduction in reserves was to allocate funding to programs and operations. 

Commr. Blake asked if the indigent cremation assistance was federally funded, and Ms. Abdoulkarim believed that it was funded from the General Fund.  Commissioner Blake then inquired if 107 cremations stayed constant or it was high in recent years.

Ms. Abdoulkarim replied that it was high in the current year.

Ms. Barker commented that LifeStream Behavioral Center’s additional funding request was not currently included in the budget, but staff could add it to the budget for the June 2022 summary.

Commr. Parks said that he had been asked about rent controls in the county versus rental assistance, and that his opinion was that he did not support rent controls because it could almost discourage the development of the needed supply.  He asked how much the rental assistance was.

Ms. Abdoulkarim responded that for rental assistance through their Section 8 program, they had available vouchers as people came off the program; furthermore, they would be opening up the wait list.  She said that they had not received confirmation that HUD would issue any additional vouchers, but they still had some emergency housing vouchers available.

Commr. Shields asked for the budget summary to be displayed, and asked how the approximate $8 million increase affected their budget.

Ms. Barker clarified that it was largely grant funds and that there could be large changes from year to year in this office as they received and expended grant funding.  She added that it was a minimal increase for the General Fund using ad valorem tax revenue.

Commr. Smith said that LifeStream was a great program and that they continued to ask the County for grant funding.  He inquired if this was all that they would be requesting in the current year.

Ms. Barker stated that LifeStream had requested grant funding recently, noting that they were awarded about $150,000 in ARPA funding for various projects.  She said that this would be included in their annual allocation that the County provided them, typically from the General Fund; however, in the next few years the County had shifted this expense to ARPA funding.  She added that this request would not be for any specific capital purchase or program.

Commr. Smith asked why the request would be under the Office of Housing and Community Services if it was a general grant program.

Ms. Barker replied that it fell within the office’s General Fund budget because it was a community service expense.

Commr. Smith commented that ARPA funding would not last forever, and Ms. Barker added that the expenses would be coming back to the General Fund.

Commr. Blake mentioned that LifeStream received State, local and Federal funding, and he wondered how the request fit in their overall situation.

Ms. Barker relayed her understanding that LifeStream utilized the County’s funding to leverage more funding from the State to use as matches.  She said that staff could provide additional information to the Board.

Commr. Smith thought that the Board needed to have the information before including it in this budget, and Commissioner Parks agreed.

office of library services

Mr. George Taylor, Director for the Office of Library Services, said that Lake County was the governing body of the Lake County Library System, and that he was the administrative head of the system; therefore, they functioned to coordinate library services for all of the Lake County residents.  He mentioned that there were six County branches and 10 municipal member libraries, and he showed the libraries in each Commission District.  He displayed his office’s organizational chart and relayed that they had 40 FTEs, noting that 30 staff members provided direct customer service to residents through the six County branches.  He listed the following accomplishments for his office: a current total of 173,189 library card holders, noting that they added 55,897 in the past year; the student virtual library card partnership with Lake County Schools which was started in the past year, mentioning that they offered every Lake County student a virtual library card for an addition of about 45,000 cards; over one million items checked out; almost 700,000 items in their catalog; 64,000 computer sessions; 75,000 Wi-Fi sessions; about 75,000 courier miles traveled per year to deliver items between libraries; the W.T. Bland Public Library parking lot expansion, which was partially funded with library impact fees; and the Tavares Public Library expansion, which was funded by about $1 million in library impact fees for over 2,500 square feet, noting that it opened in the January 2022.  He commented that there were also partnerships with other County agencies and organizations including the Lake County School Board to create school virtual library cards, and the Office of Human Resources to give every Lake County and Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller employee a similar virtual library card.  He added that they partnered with the Lake County Animal Shelter to do reading and animal services, and with the Office of Veterans Services to offer meeting room space and Wi-Fi in soon to be three library locations for County staff to meet with veterans, noting that they had served 140 veterans since January 2022.  He said that they partnered with the Lake County Fair for the second year for a program where children who checked out at least three books received a free child’s ticket to the fair, noting that they provided 1,653 tickets in the current year.  He displayed a list of databases accessible to residents and individuals with student and employee virtual cards, and he mentioned a service where anyone with a library card could log on and receive virtual tutoring help from a live person.  He then mentioned the following efficiencies: optimization of courier routes; Lake County student cards and Lake County employee cards, noting that the office did not have to print plastic cards and that it drove more use to their databases; a real-time statistical dashboard regarding items such as the number of books checked out, the number of late fees taken in on a day, etc.; design templates for programming flyers; and a redesigned public catalog to improve access and services.  He commented that the Astor County Library and the East Lake County Library projects were being administered by the Office of Facilities Management, and that the Astor County Library was largely being funded by CDBG funds; additionally, the task orders had been sent out, the site survey had been completed, and the civil survey, the engineering, and the architectural services were currently in progress.  He elaborated that they were working with the Offices of Facilities Management and Procurement Services to find a temporary facility for the library, noting that they would be removing the old building and constructing in its place, and that residents would need access to services for one year.  He stated that for the East Lake County Library, they were waiting for a proposal to come back from the architect, and that they would do community surveys to see what the community wanted in a library in the East Lake County and Astor areas.  He also mentioned that the Astor County Library would be about 5,000 square feet and the East Lake County Library would be about 14,000 square feet.  He commented that currently, the Astor County Library and the Paisley County Library were in parks, noting that the East Lake County Library would also be in a park, and he thanked Mr. Bobby Bonilla, Director for the Office of Parks and Trails, and his staff for their help on these projects.  He displayed a benchmark and stated that Lake County’s spending per capita for the library system as a whole was about $25, which included $13.25 for the member libraries and $11.80 that the County spent per capita.  He added that the funding from the County was for his office to run the County branches, and that they also used those funds for larger cooperative spending such as for couriers, IT support, and their catalog.  He commented that Lake County was above Orange County for program attendance per 1,000 residents, noting that Lake County offered 300 programs in a slow month.  He showed Lake County’s circulation of slightly over four items per capita, and said that they were seeing an increase over the past few years.  He stated that Lake County’s visits per capita was almost 2.5, and that this was above the surrounding counties.  He showed the State aid budget that Lake County received, explaining that each year, the State was required to provide funding to public library systems to provide free library service to the residents.  He said that they received about $128,000 in 2021, and that they would be receiving approximately $175,000 in the current year; additionally, the County’s combined operating budget each year was what the State based the aid on.  He displayed the office’s budget for State aid, noting that they spent State aid on a three year cycle due to the auditing process.  He said that almost all of the expenditures were system wide, noting that the following items were paid out of State funds: each desktop computer and staff computer; youth services programming; marketing; and databases.  He showed the proposed FY 2023 Office of Library Services budget of $4,618,334, mentioning that personal services had a 4.6 percent increase attributed to proposed wage increases.  He remarked that operating expenses and capital outlay were at a 9.3 percent increase related to contractual increases, fleet repairs, and fuel costs for capital outlay.  He explained that the increase of about $17,000 for capital outlay was for providing items for school support and juvenile nonfiction books which had to be replaced frequently.  He mentioned the grants and aids increase of 4.7 percent and said that each year, the County set aside roughly $1 million in appropriations funding that they paid the municipalities for their participation in the Lake County Library System; additionally, for the past 10 years, each of the 10 member libraries had received a $15,000 base payment, and in the current year, his office was requesting that an additional $50,000 be included so that each member library would receive a total of $20,000.

Commr. Smith asked if the number of checkouts per capita included virtual checkouts.

Mr. Taylor confirmed this and added that these statistics were from FY 2020.

Commr. Shields relayed his understanding that if someone from the other three counties near Four Corners purchased access at Cagan Crossings Community Library, they would also receive access to the databases.

Mr. Taylor confirmed this and said that it was $40 per year for a nonresident library card, noting that they would have access to all of the library resources.

Commr. Blake inquired if there was information about a temporary facility for the Astor County Library.

Mr. Taylor replied that they were working with the Office of Procurement Services to purchase a triple wide 2,000 square foot facility which could provide internet access, Wi-Fi, seating, and small meeting and study rooms.

Commr. Blake asked if the County already had access to the triple wide.

Mr. Taylor clarified that they would consider purchasing or leasing it for one year depending on what was available.

Commr. Blake inquired how the database worked, specifically for the ABCmouse service.

Mr. Taylor stated that ABCmouse recently introduced a change where the County could purchase it for residents, noting that it would be added; however, it currently had to be used in-house. 

Commr. Parks recalled that they had previously discussed doing books on the trail.

Mr. Taylor mentioned that his office had been talking to the Office of Parks and Trails about a “story walk,” where pages from books were displayed along a trail.

Commr. Parks asked about co-location with the Town of Montverde.

Mr. Taylor stated that in the previous year, the Town of Montverde received $474,000 in County impact fees to start on a $1.8 million, 8,000 square foot library as part of their government complex.  He added that the Town had asked for additional funding in the current year, and he believed that they had set aside some ARPA or Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for this.

Commr. Parks mentioned that the Town would also have offices there, along with a museum focused on American history related to Lake County.

recess and reassembly

The Chairman called a recess at 10:19 a.m. for five minutes.

office of parks and trails

Mr. Bonilla said that the Office of Parks and Trails was “Real Florida, Real Close.”  He commented that their mission statement was to plan, develop, manage and maintain a clean, safe and attractive parks and trails system for health and enjoyment of all County residents and visitors while promoting recreation, sports and tourism, and to preserve and restore lands to protect water resources, habitat and wildlife corridors while promoting eco-tourism through educational passive recreation opportunities.  He showed the office’s organizational chart and noted that it was composed of 30 FTEs including those for capital projects, administration, boating recreation, active recreation, passive recreation, and linear recreation.  He recalled that the first master plan was approved in 2005, and the updated master plan for trails and parks was adopted by the Board in 2018.  He displayed a map of the County’s current inventory and said that they strived to have a balanced and quality recreation system which offered opportunities for everyone.  He mentioned that parks were open seven days per week, that staff was available seven days per week, that some facilities had extended hours of operation, and that 14 of 16 boat ramps were open 24 hours per day.  He said that the Trails Master Plan outlined the current, planned and future trail system, and he mentioned the following regional trail systems in Lake County: the River to Hills Trail, which would eventually be over 70 miles; the Wekiva Trail system, which would be 36 miles when completed; the South Lake Trail and Coast to Coast Trail system, which would be over 250 miles, noting that 12 miles had been completed in Lake County and that 88 percent of the Coast to Coast Trail system had been completed; and the Lake Ridge Trail, which would be 50 miles when completed.  He commented that the South Lake Trail and the Wekiva Trail were the most popular trail systems, and he added that the county also had 31 miles of multiuse paved trails.  He mentioned that they had 38 miles of natural trails which were managed and maintained on a daily basis, and that they had 162 miles of Florida Blueway trails in nine locations.  He displayed a slide with active parks and sports complexes and said that the County would like to move forward with the process of design, engineering and completion of these projects, noting that they had identified five recreational planning areas which were consistent with the Parks Master Plan and were supported by the Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Board and stakeholders.  He showed a list and location map of active and passive parks, along with public lands properties, adding that they would be including the Lake Norris Conservation Area in 2023.  He recalled that there was a referendum in 2004 where residents decided to tax themselves for the purchase of the majority of conservation properties shown, and he relayed that there were additional canoe and kayak launch areas; additionally, they also maintained seven cemeteries.  He said that since 2007, they had been providing nature based events, and that they conducted over 1,500 events from 2007 to 2021.  He stated that his office was managing their land and resources, along with protecting the residents’ and wildlife’s quality of life, and he displayed an image of a prescribed burn.  He added that they were also planting trees and that over 500 trees were being planted on an annual basis since 2015, commenting that his office received some tree mitigation funds from fines levied on individuals who removed trees without proper approval.  He said that the Pasture Reserve was a public lands property which had been open since 2011, and that in 2019 staff asked to apply for a Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) grant application to continue with the master plan with the management plan.  He relayed that there were some areas that the County was not in alignment on with the SWFWMD, and the County had asked to terminate the grant; however, they would like to bring it back to the Board as they saw that the intent of what the County needed for this property was different than what the SWFWMD had in mind.  He elaborated that the property was to be maintained and open to the public, and that the County would like less restrictions on what they could do with the property, noting that they already had an approved management plan; furthermore, the conditions that the SWFWMD was bringing to the County’s attention were different than what the County was told when the grant was awarded.  He then stated that that the Green Mountain Scenic Overlook and Trailhead had a large amount of cycling, walking and hiking traffic, and the Office of Parks and Trails had partnered with the Office of Fire Rescue for their training.  He recalled a recent event at the Lake Apopka Loop Trail, noting that they were able to do the official opening with the signage created by Lake County staff.  He listed the following accomplishments for his office: the ribbon cutting at the Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail; the Glenn Burns memorial at the Ferndale Preserve; improvements at Palatlakaha Environmental and Agricultural Reserve (PEAR) Park; a canoe and kayak launch area for Lake May Reserve; extending the life of pavement surfaces at McTureous Memorial Park and McDonald Canal Boat Ramp; completed two shelters at Lake Idamere Park; and an improved shade structure at the Butler Street Boat Ramp.  He displayed the historical revenues received for boat ramp improvements, and he commented that there were at least 15 paddling events in the nature events guide for Florida Blueways throughout the county, adding that they had also begun the process of replacing sign structures.  He displayed some of the events that took place throughout the park system, noting that they had a partnership with the Office of Library Services and that they shared resources.  He commented that they replaced lights at the Pine Meadows Recreation Area, and he showed some improvements to Astor Park, noting that there was now a standalone pickleball court.  He remarked that his office also partnered with Lake County Economic Growth, the Lake County Water Authority (LCWA) and the Florida Region of United States of America (USA) Volleyball for the Hickory Point Beach Sand Volleyball Complex project, which had been in development for over six years.  He said that the East Lake Sports and Community Complex had received playground equipment and shade structures, and the Minneola Athletic Complex (MAC) now had four basketball courts, two tennis courts and four batting cages, consistent with the master plan and being done in phases as funding was available.  He stated that the Covering the Bases baseball league had been at the North Lake Regional Park over the past 13 years, at the MAC over the past 10 years, and at the East Lake Sports and Community Complex over the past nine years, and he showed pictures from the league.  He displayed a distribution of sports related events throughout these three facilities, noting that additional teams had been created and that the facilities were open from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., six days per week.  He related that another partnership with Economic Growth was to bring Tourist Development Tax (TDT) funding to Lake County on an annual basis, and he mentioned a partnership with the City of Fruitland Park, noting that the City had provided funding for the Northwest Lake Community Park as it had been made available.  He said that for South Lake Regional Park, in 2020 the Board transferred the property to the City of Groveland and had provided funding over the past several years through the Infrastructure Sales Tax.  He elaborated that the intent was for the City to carry out the capital improvements, but done in a way that it was a good return on investment (ROI).  He said that his office was finalizing the last piece for the Golden Triangle Regional Park to bring in the trail connection between the River to Hills Trail and the Wekiva Trail area, and he commented that they had an opportunity to ensure that this property remained in a public/private partnership to complete the project.  He displayed the concept plan and stated that it was a great partnership between the County, the City of Tavares and the YMCA, noting that this was 19 years in the making.  He then said that efficiencies for his office included cross training staff, along with supplementing staff and outsourcing when there was a good ROI, including for repairing equipment.  He listed the following future projects: Central Lake Regional Park East and West Campus; completion of the trail network and trailheads, noting that the Public Works Department would be the lead department and that his office provided support and maintained the trails; Wellness Way Park, which would be a 100 acre future regional park; and the City of Minneola’s request for partnership on three new projects, noting that his office was gathering information before providing the Board with additional information.  He displayed a comparison for the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) performance review for a typical park and recreation agency and the Lake County Office of Parks and Trails, noting that the County had significant operating expenses and had not increased staff since 2011.  He showed benchmarks from the Lake/Orange County line for the trail system at one location, and for vehicle counts at various locations; additionally, in 2021 there was a significant increase over 2019, including walking and cycling.  He relayed that per capita, the County was spending about $17.20 per resident, and that they had 23 miles of multiuse trail system; furthermore, this number would increase in summer 2022 by six miles as the segment between the Neighborhood Lakes Trail and Seminole County was completed.  He also indicated that they had 3,915 maintained park acreage, which would increase in the following year as they added the Lake Norris Conservation Area.  He displayed their FY 2023 proposed budget of $7,991,252 and explained that it included a slight increase to personal services and operating expenses, but there were some decreases for capital outlay which included the Lake May Reserve and Pasture Reserve grant. 

Commr. Shields asked if there had been any discussion with the City of Groveland, or the Cities of Clermont and Mascotte, noting that the Coast to Coast Trail would be going through there when it was completed.  He said that it could be a tremendous opportunity, remarking that they were also doing the State Road (SR) 50 realignment. 

Mr. Bonilla said that the County had mentioned to the City that the South Lake Regional Park could be a trailhead, noting that the South Lake Trail was only 1.5 miles away.  He added that there were many existing sidewalks coming from the South Lake Trail toward SR 50, and that there was a gap which could potentially be a pedestrian overpass to connect to South Lake Regional Park.  He stated that the County would like the City of Groveland to create these trailheads.

Commr. Shields inquired if Mr. Bonilla’s suggestion would be to make South Lake Regional Park the trailhead.

Mr. Bonilla confirmed this and opined that the City of Groveland could pursue a future purchase of the mobile home area for the land for the pedestrian overpass.

Commr. Parks stated that when this facility was built, the land across SR 50 could become valuable because it was known that a trail was coming.  He added that there could be potential to also connect south into the Green Swamp.

Commr. Shields commented that there could be people who wanted to bike across the state.

Commr. Parks said that there was concern about Pasture Reserve, and he opined that since it was funded with taxpayers’ money, it was unacceptable that people were not able to use the land.  He suggested that when staff presented this item at a future BCC meeting, to have the SWFWMD in attendance to be on the record as saying that they would provide funding but that the area could not be used for public access.  He thought that the Board wanted people to have access, and he wanted it to be clear so that individuals could understand what was occurring with this item.

Mr. Bonilla said that the SWFWMD was looking for measurable benefits; however, when a trail in a conservation area was not considered a measureable benefit, he questioned what they were measuring.

Commr. Parks mentioned the number of facilities maintained by the office, and the per capital expenditure metrics, opining that the metrics were the lowest in the region.  He then asked if the office was still working with the City of Minneola on the MAC.

Mr. Bonilla replied that his office had met with City staff and had discussed the area across from the MAC, noting that the City would also like to see it become a parking area with some potential pickleball courts.  He said that there were two other properties in the Hills of Minneola area, with one being a passive park that the City was looking to partner with the County on, and the other being 30 acres set aside for a potential active sports complex. 

Commr. Parks recalled that the Mayor of Minneola had made a presentation to the BCC with a good offer, and he thought that the issue was how the cost could be shared with the City. 

Mr. Bonilla said that staff was gathering information before coming back before the Board, and that they had asked if the City’s participation could include some funding for design, engineering, capital and operations. 

Commr. Parks relayed that the MAC was the second most used park in the county; therefore, having an additional five acres could help.

Mr. Bonilla mentioned the growth around the MAC and that those fields were in constant need of repairs and maintenance to have them game ready. 

Commr. Parks commented that Mr. Bonilla was always concerned about the condition of the fields, noting that he did not want people to be injured because a field was not taken care of in the right way.

Mr. Bonilla thought that the record spoke for itself regarding injuries, and that staff did a good job keeping the facilities clean, safe and attractive.

Commr. Parks stated that Mr. Bonilla did so much with so little, and he expressed appreciation for what his team did.  He said that it was important to continue to work with the Public Works Department on trails and pedestrian crossings.

commissioners reports

commissioner shields – district 1

league of cities meeting

Commr. Shields said that there had been a League of Cities meeting.

commissioner parks – Chairman and district 2

upcoming strong towns presentation

Commr. Parks commented that at the May 24, 2022 Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting, there would be a Strong Towns presentation. He requested for the Board to encourage the Cities to listen to the presentation, and noted that he had sent a letter and email to invite all of the Cities and update them on the countywide joint planning effort.

Ms. Barker commented that the final budget workshop would be on June 25, 2022, and would include the Public Works Department. 

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 11:07 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SEAN PARKS, chairman

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

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GARY J COONEY, CLERK