A regular MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
July 12, 2022
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, July 12, 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; Leslie Campione; 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 said that Mr. Kraig Gilligan, Battalion Chief with the Office of Fire Rescue, would lead the Pledge of Allegiance. He explained that Mr. Gilligan had been a public servant for over 20 years, and that he began his career with Lake County as a Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) on November 5, 2001. He elaborated that Mr. Gilligan was promoted to Lieutenant in 2011, was reassigned as the Office of Fire Rescue’s Training Officer in 2016, was promoted to Captain in 2020, and was promoted to Battalion Chief in 2021. He added that Mr. Gilligan’s career highlights included the following: coordinating completion of numerous new recruit classes; developing and implementing the Office of Fire Rescue’s training program; assisting in County emergency operations during activations; and was Fire Officer of the Year in 2017. He thanked Mr. Gilligan.
Mr. James Bartel, with the Central Florida Freethought Community, gave the Invocation and Mr. Gilligan 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.
comments and historical fact
Commr. Parks reminded everyone that Lake County was celebrating Pride in America Month in July 2022, and that all of the County libraries would be handing out copies of the United States (U.S.) Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
Commr. Smith mentioned that it was National Pecan Pie Day and National Etch A Sketch Day.
Commr. Parks relayed that the City of Mount Dora was incorporated in 1910, and that the Lakeside Inn started as a 10 room hotel in 1883, noting that many famous people, including politicians, stayed there. He added that Captain John Donnelly was the first Mayor of Mount Dora, and that President Calvin Coolidge had stayed at the Lakeside Inn. He elaborated that in 1920, the City invested in street lights, a water system and paved roads, noting that there were not many paved roads in 1920 throughout Lake County.
Agenda update
Ms. Jennifer Barker, County Manager, said that for Tab 4, staff added completed forms to the agenda item since the agenda was first published. She also stated that attachments had been added for Tab 17, and that Tab 21 was added as an addendum; furthermore, she requested that it be included with the consent agenda vote.
Commr. Smith relayed that he would like to address Tab 4 at the current time, noting that Representative Keith Truenow was in attendance.
tab 4: fire rescue grants
On a motion by Commr. Smith, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved to accept two 2022 Florida Legislative Appropriations grant awards for the Office of Fire Rescue, and to authorize the County Manager to sign award letters and other documents as necessary to accept and implement the grants.
Representative Truenow stated that these two fire stations were one of many appropriations that were approved by the Florida Legislature and the Governor, and he thought that it was building infrastructure that they needed to keep the county moving in the right direction.
Commr. Parks commented that Representative Truenow worked hard for the County and that this was appreciated.
employee awards
Ms. Jeannine Nelson, Human Resources and Risk Management Manager, announced that they would be recognizing employees who had reached significant milestones in their careers with Lake County, as follows:
FIVE YEARS
Douglas
Bert, Office Associate III
Office of
Public Safety Support
Whitney
Boylston, Office of Animal Services Director
Office of
Animal Services
Emily
Johnson, Chief Planner
Office of
Planning & Zoning
Michael
Roden, Licensing Investigator
Office of
Building Services
TEN YEARS
Robin Davis,
Chief Maintenance Supervisor
Office of
Parks & Trails
Guilherme
Farias, Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic
Office of
Fire Rescue
FIFTEEN
YEARS
Amy Hand,
Library Assistant I
Office of
Library Services
TWENTY YEARS
John Dinsmore, Landfill Attendant
Public Works Department
QUARTERLY AWARDS
EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER
Sean Beaudet, Grants Coordinator
Office of Management & Budget
Ms. Nelson said that Mr. Beaudet had been working diligently to assist the Office of Housing and Community Services and other departments with managing the emergency rental assistance (ERA) program and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). She added that he helped to ensure that Lake County stayed in compliance with ever-changing Federal grant reporting guidelines, and that for the ERA program, he had verified over 1,450 rental payments to landlords. She relayed that he had assisted with 40 grant projects, and coordinated with partnering agencies to ensure accurate reporting and compliance.
SUPERVISOR OF THE QUARTER
Jessica Zimmerman, Senior Financial Coordinator
Office of Emergency Medical Services
Ms. Nelson stated that Ms. Zimmerman was nominated by several co-workers for her teamwork and the extra initiative she demonstrated. She said that during the quarter, Ms. Zimmerman assisted her department during a staff absence by taking on additional duties, noting that she quickly learned new skills and adapted so that the departmental responsibilities and functions were maintained. She mentioned that Ms. Zimmerman was approachable and always made herself available to assist co-workers or patients with any questions, and that her dedication to customer service and her department were appreciated.
T.E.A.M. OF THE QUARTER
RIDGEWOOD AVE. ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT TEAM
Public Works
Traffic Engineering
Road Operations
Special Projects
Truman McCall, Asst. Area Maintenance Supervisor PW/Special Projects
Richard Miller, Equipment Operator III PW/Special Projects
Philip Hardy, Equipment Operator III PW/Special Projects
Larry Sutton, EOIV/Team Leader PW/Special Projects
Chad Steen, Sign & Striping Technician II Traffic Engineering
Gary Kinard, Sign & Striping Technician I PW/Traffic Engineering
Jeff Johnson, Roads Superintendent PW/Road Operations
Adam Sherk, Asst. Roads Superintendent PW/Road Operations
Scott Sparkman, Equipment Operator III PW/Road Operations
Timothy Gilbert, Road Maintenance Supervisor PW/Road Operations
Richard Marino, Equipment Operator III PW/Road Operations
Greg Connell, Asst. Area Maintenance Supervisor PW/Road Operations
Ivan Larrosa, Equipment Operator II PW/Road Operations
Barrie Chenea, Equipment Operator III PW/Road Operations
Rusty Gentry, Equipment Operator I PW/Road Operations
James Story, Equipment Operator III PW/Road Operations
Ed Willis, Equipment Operator III PW/Road Operations
Hunter Lucas, Equipment Operator III PW/Road Operations
Dallas Moore, Road Maintenance Operator, PW/Road Operations
Jesse Fullen, Road Maintenance Operator, PW/Road Operations
Ms. Nelson remarked that during the quarter, team members from Traffic Engineering, Road Operations and Special Projects worked together to complete a roadway improvement project requested by the Town of Montverde, noting that Ridgewood Avenue was one of the primary east-west connectors through the town. She explained that the project consisted of making drainage, shoulder and other improvements to prepare the road for final paving as part of Lake County’s overall road resurfacing program. She said that a total of 20 team members worked in hauling, grading and laying over 800 tons of asphalt between June 7 and 13, 2022, when the heat index was over 100 degrees. She stated that this team worked diligently and communicated with residents, motorists and stakeholders for the successful completion of this project. She also showed some pictures of the progress of this project.
Commr. Parks thanked staff for what they did, and commented that the Town of Montverde project looked great.
Minutes approval
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the minutes for the BCC meetings of April 26, 2022 (Regular Meeting), May 3, 2022 (Regular Meeting) and May 10, 2022 (Regular Meeting) as presented.
commissioner’s boards and committees updATE
Commr. Shields said that there was a League of Cities meeting on the previous Friday in the City of Mount Dora, noting that they received an update from the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and that there was a Tourist Development Council (TDC) meeting on the previous day where several funding requests were unanimously approved to go to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC). He added that the Office of Elevate Lake staff was working together, and he thought that they were going to make some good progress in tourism.
Commr. Smith said that he had a CareerSource Central Florida meeting, and that he would have a one-on-one meeting regarding the Elder Affairs Coordinating Council to discuss concerns with the group.
Commr. Campione said that she had many County-related meetings, but she did not have any liaison meetings since her last report. She thanked Commissioner Shields for attending a Zoom Webinar meeting for the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC), noting that they were required to have a County Commissioner at those quarterly meetings to not jeopardize their State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program funding.
Commr. Shields commented that there was some good brainstorming, and he thought that it was a worthwhile committee to be involved in.
Commr. Blake reported on the Library Advisory Board, noting that they voted on impact fees, and that there was some interesting discussion that he would bring up when it came for BCC approval. He also mentioned that he had a Zoom Webinar call for the Mobile Crisis Intervention Grant at Commissioner Parks’ request, and that one question was if it should be a rotating basis for the BCC. He clarified that this regarded a grant received from the Federal Government.
Commr. Parks thought it was important for the BCC to have representation, and if Commissioner Blake could not attend, then they could make sure that another Commissioner could attend. He then stated that there would not be a Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) meeting in July 2022, and that the 2040 long term visioning was still underway. He commented that the BCC would have a presentation from CFX on this, as well as for Wellness Way; furthermore, this could possibly be timed with the local roads program in August 2022. He added that he and Ms. Barker would also have a meeting with the Lake County Historical Society to address questions regarding the long term health of the Lake County Historic Courthouse. He encouraged people to participate in the County’s boards and committees.
citizen question and comment period
Ms. Joanne Flick, a resident on Eddy Lane, expressed concerns for the proposed closure of Bear Lake Boulevard. She opined that Royal Trails was an anomaly in the area, noting that it was a large subdivision with deed restricted homes in the middle of rural acreage and mobile home parks. She relayed that at least four fatal accidents had closed State Road (SR) 44 at Highland Lakes Road in recent years, and said that closing Bear Lake Boulevard would add over 10 miles of travel when SR 44 was closed and one was approaching from the east, noting that over four miles of this was on unmaintained dirt roads. She opined that emergency vehicles would be forced onto this alternate route with a possibility of getting stuck in soft sand, and that when approaching from the west, it was 15.5 miles to get to her home on Eddy Lane, and similar times to homes on other streets. She indicated concerns that closing Bear Lake Boulevard would put herself and her neighbors in danger of loss of life and property. She urged the BCC to keep this road open to the public, and opined that the highest and best use of the road was public access.
Mr. Michael Hartley, a resident of the community that Ms. Flick discussed, said that neighbors had relayed to him a history of ambulances getting stuck in sand and people passing away because of the delay. He opined that it would be best to find a solution in advance of closing the road.
Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, clarified that this issue had not come to the Board yet, and that there was a pending petition from Royal Trails to vacate the road; furthermore, this would come to the Board for a public hearing at some point in the future. She added that she and the County Manager would be meeting with the Royal Trails Homeowners Association (HOA) President in the following week.
Ms. Sandra Anderson, a resident on Jewell Drive, commented that Bear Lake Boulevard had been a passageway for decades, and she supported keeping it open.
Ms. Lois Dawson, a resident on St. Claire Lake Drive, spoke on the importance of Bear Lake Boulevard, relaying her understanding that the only way that medical personnel could reach her home was through that road because the other roads were so sandy. She also recalled that a tornado a few years prior had killed 19 people on Bear Lake Boulevard, and said that this road was the only way they could come in and out when other roads were closed.
Ms. Barker said that staff could reach out to everyone who spoke at the current meeting to let them know when this item would be on the agenda, and Commissioner Parks added that residents would have another chance to speak.
CLERK OF the Circuit COURT and comptroller’s CONSENT AGENDA
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Shields 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 through 6, 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 as attached Exhibit A and filed in the Board Support Division of the Clerk's Office.
Greater Lakes/Sawgrass Bay CDD Proposed FY 2022/2023 Budget
Notice is hereby provided of having received the Greater Lakes/Sawgrass Bay Community Development District proposed budget for fiscal year 2022/2023 in accordance with Section 190.008(b), Florida Statutes, for purposes of disclosure and information only.
Village Center CDD and Village CDD No. 11 FY 2022/2023 Proposed Budget
Notice is hereby provided of having received the Village Center Community Development District and the Village Community Development District No. 11 proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2022/2023 in accordance with Section 190.008(2)(b)(c), Florida Statutes.
City of Fruitland Park Ordinance 2022-011
Notice is hereby provided of having received Ordinance 2022-011 from the City of Fruitland Park, amending the city’s boundaries at North Myrtle Lake Avenue and west of CR 468.
City of Eustis Ordinances 22-13, 22-14 and 22-15
Notice is hereby provided of having received Annexation Ordinance 22-13, corresponding Future Land Use Ordinance 22-14, corresponding Design District Designation Ordinance 22-15 from the City of Eustis, and corresponding backup documents.
City of Eustis Ordinances 22-10, 22-11 and 22-12
Notice is hereby provided of having received Annexation Ordinance 22-10, corresponding Future Land Use Ordinance 22-11, and corresponding Design District Designation Ordinance 22-12 from the City of Eustis.
COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA
On a motion by Commr. Smith, seconded by Commr. Shields and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Consent Agenda, Tab 3 and Tabs 5 through 13, with the addition of Tab 21, as follows:
PROCLAMATIONS
Recommend approval of Proclamation 2022-71 designating July 17-23, 2022 as Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week in Lake County.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Public Safety Support
Recommend approval:
1. To accept and execute both Spring 2022 E9-1-1 State Grant Program awards for Next-Generation 9-1-1 System and Logging Recorder upgrades; and
2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to perform a Request for Proposal (RFP), selection process, and to execute all supporting documentation; and
3. To authorize the County Manager, or designee, to execute the selected vendor contract and all supporting documentation and related expenditures; and
4. To adopt Unanticipated Revenue Resolutions 2022-72 ($1,996,416.65) and 2022-73 ($872,791.50) for the revenues and expenditures.
The fiscal impact is not to exceed $2,869,208.15 (revenue and expense – 100 percent grant funded).
PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Facilities Management
Recommend approval:
1. Of Contract 22-452 with Randall Mechanical, Inc. (Apopka, FL) for fire protection system services; and
2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.
The estimated annual fiscal impact is $110,000 (expenditure) and is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year Budget.
Public Works
Recommend approval:
1. To award Contract 22-902 with Halff Associates, Inc. (Tavares, FL) for Professional Engineering Design Services for the design of an asphalt trail located on Segment 1 of the Wekiva Trail, from 350 feet west of Tremain Street to State Road 46 (Sorrento Avenue); and
2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.
The fiscal impact is $2,000,000 (expenditure) and is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget. Commission Districts 3 and 4.
Recommend approval:
1. Of Contract 21-0525 with Burgess & Niple, Inc. (Orlando, FL) to provide professional engineering and design services for the Villa City Road Safety Design; and
2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.
The estimated fiscal impact is $581,057.57 (expenditure - 100 percent grant funded). Commission District 1.
Recommend approval:
1. To award Contract 22-901 with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (Lake Mary, FL) to provide project planning, preliminary engineering and environmental analysis services (PD&E) for Phase 3 of the North Lake Trail from East Collins Street (County Road (CR) 450) in Umatilla to State Road (SR) 40 in Astor Park, for approximately 19 miles.
2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.
The fiscal impact is $1,365,017.66 (expenditure) and is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year Budget. Commission District 4.
Recommend approval to accept the final plat for Sorrento Pines Phase 1A and all areas dedicated to the public as shown on the Sorrento Pines Phase 1A final plat, located off County Road 437 in the Sorrento area.
The fiscal impact is $1,551 (revenue - final plat application fee). Commission District 4.
Recommend approval:
1. To accept the final plat for Sorrento Pines Phase 2 and all areas dedicated to the public as shown on the Sorrento Pines Phase 2 final plat; and
2. To execute a Temporary Easement Agreement.
The fiscal impact is $1,551 (revenue - final plat application fee). Commission District 4.
Recommend approval to accept the final plat for Phillips Landing and all areas dedicated to the public as shown on the Phillips Landing final plat, located near Groveland.
The fiscal impact is $1,551 (revenue - final plat application fee). Commission District 1.
Transit Services
Recommend approval of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) Medicaid Waiver Services Agreement to provide transportation to the developmentally disabled.
The fiscal impact is estimated at $82,790 ($172,790 (expenditure) and $90,000 in APD provided funding (revenue/reimbursement) with a net of $82,790 in County funding), and is within, and will not exceed, the Fiscal Year 2022 and 2023 Budget.
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Recommend approval and
authorization for the County Attorney or designee to execute a Letter of
Engagement from Winderweedle, Haines, Ward & Woodman, P.A. for services
regarding Elimwood Orlando Golf Resort. The estimated fiscal impact is not to
exceed $25,000. Commission District 4.
presentation on Supervisor of Elections Facility
Mr. Wesley Jones, Director for the Office of Facilities Management, presented information related to the possibility of expanding the Lake County Supervisor of Elections facility. He displayed an image of the existing facility on East Burleigh Boulevard, noting that there was 10,300 square feet of administrative space and 8,000 square feet of warehouse space. He recalled that in May 2020, there was a request for an expansion of the existing facility for a 4,200 square foot warehouse addition, and later in 2020, discussions began to regard the possibility of land acquisition and building a new facility. He commented that the Board had approved a request for statements of qualifications (RSQ) for a design team, and it was published in August 2021; furthermore, Song & Associates was selected as the design team. He said that their initial contract was for a needs and construction cost estimate based on the design, and they estimated the building cost at $12.5 million, with an additional $3.5 million for the site development, for a total of $16 million. He clarified that this did not take into account 35 percent for the soft costs for fixtures, furniture, equipment, moving costs, etc., and the Office of Facilities Management and the Public Works Department met to consider the actual items included in the construction estimate. He relayed that it was broken out into site and offsite costs, noting that they went with the original $3.5 million estimation for the site cost, and identified an additional $1 million for offsite costs such as the utilities, turn lanes, etc. He pointed out that under professional costs, the first phase of Song & Associates’ contract was about $24,000, and the additional funding would be for their second phase for pre-design work. He added that they also identified $300,000 of additional architectural and engineering items that would be required, noting that the design team excluded several items that could be added back in for an additional cost. He commented that there was also environmental mitigation, and that this brought the subtotal to just under $5 million, noting that they allowed for a 10 percent contingency to bring the total cost just under $5.5 million. He said that staff then looked at the building cost, using Song & Associates’ estimate of $12.5 million, and added in their proposed fees of $3 million which were not included in the original cost. He stated that the County was going to bring the construction management team in early to work with the design team, making sure that the design was buildable and the schedule would be doable; furthermore, they estimated about $250,000 for this portion of the design work, bringing the total building cost to $14 million, with a contingency of 10 percent for a total of approximately $15.5 million. He mentioned an additional 20 percent for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E), noting that it included moving costs, and said that when adding everything together, the cost would be just over $24 million. He said that to recheck their numbers, staff took the design team’s original proposal for $16 million and added their 35 percent for the soft costs, including the contingency and FF&E costs, for a total of $5.6 million. He stated that when they then added the additional engineering and architectural fees, construction manager at risk (CMAR) costs, and other costs, they came again to just over $24 million; therefore, they were confident that this was a realistic number if the BCC wanted to build a 50,000 square foot facility. He then questioned what they could have if they went back to the original budget of $10 million, noting that they had two options. He commented that one option was to build administrative space on a new site, using the existing building for warehouse purposes, and that they used $285 per square foot because this was what Song & Associates built their estimate around. He explained that staff figured that they could get about 8,000 square feet of administrative space on the new property, and he displayed the site and offsite costs used by staff, noting that they reduced Song & Associates’ engineering fees from about $1.3 million to $750,000. He related that they included additional costs, impact and permit fees, etc., and when adding in a 10 percent contingency for the project, the total was just under $9.5 million, leaving about $500,000 for moving costs and renovations to the existing facility. He pointed out that the Supervisor of Elections had 10,300 square feet of office space at the existing facility; therefore, they would be losing administrative space under this option.
Commr. Shields asked how much office space they were trying to get with $24 million.
Mr. Jones replied that it would be around 36,000 to 37,000 square feet. He then continued his presentation and said that staff considered what would happen if they used the original budget of $10 million to build new warehouse space and continued to use the existing location for administrative space. He commented that when using Song & Associates’ estimate at $215 per square foot, they estimated that they could build about a 10,000 square foot warehouse on this space for $10 million, noting that they thought the total would be about $9.3 million and that this would leave approximately $700,000 for renovations to the existing warehouse and potentially converting it to administrative space. He elaborated that it could be designed so that a mezzanine could be added in the square footage, noting that they could possibly add several thousand more square feet to the warehouse space. He commented that another option was to go back to the original request for a 4,200 square foot addition to the existing location, which could be done for an estimated $1 million; however, they would have to come up with a few more parking spots to replace the ones consumed in the construction. He displayed a chart for Song & Associates’ needs assessment results, pointing out that they projected out 10 and 20 years. He explained that given the growth, they expected an administrative space need for about 27,000 square feet 10 years out, and for approximately 29,000 square feet 20 years out. He added that for warehouse space, they were estimating roughly 17,000 square feet 10 years out, and about 19,000 square feet 20 years out; furthermore, they would start with 10,000 feet for the mezzanine, and could probably add at least another 40 percent. He summarized that the Board had the following options: a 50,000 square foot addition; an 8,000 square foot administrative option; a 10,000 square foot warehouse option; or 4,200 square feet added to the existing facility. He added that Senator Alan Hays, Lake County Supervisor of Elections, was also seeking approval to apply for a $5 million grant to go toward the construction of this facility.
Commr. Shields asked how much of the $24 million was a temporary increase due to inflation and the supply chain, etc.
Mr. Jones was not sure if it was really impacted, and he thought that this presentation was created before this started to escalate. He said that he did not anticipate the costs decreasing soon, though it was difficult to say.
Commr. Smith stated that the construction material cost was currently high, and he asked if Mr. Jones was anticipating any reduction in those material costs within the next two years.
Mr. Jones replied that it was possible and that the market was currently volatile. He opined that things would stabilize and start to decrease over a period of time, and that the market was not construction friendly at the current time. He relayed that the labor market and the material costs were inflated, and that there were challenges with shipping supplies and creating the materials; however, it was difficult to say how much this was affecting the cost at the current time.
Commr. Shields inquired about the timeline for each of the options.
Mr. Jones responded that typically, the design could take as long as one or 1.5 years, and that it could be a minimum of 18 months before construction began.
Commr. Smith wondered if there could be a fifth option to do nothing and revisit this item in 2024.
Mr. Jones commented that they could wait until the market was more favorable toward construction, noting that the property was not going anywhere.
Commr. Shields thought that the Supervisor of Elections needed space for 2024.
Commr. Smith did not think that it would be ready by 2024 even if the Board approved something at the current meeting.
Mr. Jones confirmed that it would not be available until after the 2024 election; however, expanding the current facility by 4,200 square feet could possibly be done.
Commr. Shields thought that the Board could at least do a stopgap for 2024.
Commr. Smith asked if anyone had been looking for external warehouse space for the Supervisor of Elections.
Mr. Jones relayed his understanding that it was not part of the purview of what staff was asked to do. He commented that with the addition to the existing location, the discussion originally was that the lease amount would increase considerably due to new property taxes and different items.
Commr. Smith asked if external warehouses in the public was another option.
Mr. Jones confirmed this. He said that staff considered the amount of space which was going to be used full time, versus the influx around the voting cycles. He relayed his understanding that much of the space was for the voting cycles and would possibly remain not as greatly used in the offseasons. He indicated an understanding that there could be an option for rental or lease spaces to accommodate the additional needs, and then the space could be relinquished back.
Commr. Smith stated that the County could look for outside warehouse spaces that the Supervisor of Elections could move his items into immediately to help until the price stabilized for the materials and vendors. He added that the County already owned the land, and they could revisit constructing this building when prices decreased. He mentioned that the Supervisor of Elections had to be housed in the City of Tavares, which was the County seat, but the warehouse could be anywhere in the county.
Commr. Blake mentioned that the estimate included $500,000 in impact fees to the City of Tavares for that square footage.
Commr. Campione said that it could possibly make sense to have offsite warehousing in North Lake and South Lake. She expressed concerns for the volatility of the market, and hoped that it would be reduced in the next year or two.
Commr. Parks mentioned that $24 million for 50,000 square feet was about $485 per square foot.
Ms. Barker reiterated that $24 million would fund 50,000 square feet.
Commr. Campione relayed that if the County added to the current facility and had to also add some parking spaces, she was unsure how this could be accomplished.
Mr. Jones commented that the City of Tavares may want more parking spaces available to meet the code, and the architect would have to focus on this. He added that there could possibly be a variance.
Commr. Shields inquired about financing and the bond rating for $24 million.
Ms. Barker explained that the interest rates were more favorable when they began discussing this project, and that their previous loan was for road resurfacing a few years prior for $10 million; furthermore, the interest rate for that loan was about 1.83 percent. She relayed that an estimate for a $25 million loan over 20 years was an interest rate of around 3.5 percent.
Senator Hays stated that his office was out of space, and that it appeared to him that the most economical and fiscally responsible pathway was to build a 50,000 square foot facility, opining that they would be better off if they began this sooner. He commended County staff, and he relayed that that 70,000 single family homes were already approved in the county, with 11,000 multifamily units. He elaborated that between 2016 and 2020, they added over 44,000 new registered voters in the county, and he commented that they could possibly end up with over 400,000 registered voters in the county over the next few years, noting that they currently had about 270,000. He said that his office’s workload would only increase, and he recalled that their initial request was in May 2020, which was the option for 4,200 square feet. He said that if they added 4,200 square feet, it would give them more space; however, it was not all warehouse space. He added that they would have to take from the existing warehouse space to expand their administrative space, and he said that it was not until August 2021 when the RSQ for design was provided. He pointed out what had happened to building costs and interest rates, and he opined that they needed to move on this item. He then said that option two, for 8,000 square feet of administrative space, would be taking administrative space from what they already had. He also opined that option three, for 10,000 square feet of warehouse space, was unwise, noting that they already had this. He commented that they were looking at a $24 million project, and relayed his understanding that the price tag could possibly increase to around $30.2 million if it was built in phases. He relayed that if they chose to build it in phases, he would urge them to build the administrative spaces first because it was simple to convert their existing space to warehouse space; however, they were still paying rent on their current facility. He elaborated that if they built an entire building, then the rent payment would be eliminated and it could go toward the mortgage payment. He questioned what the interest rate would be two or three years in the future, and he recommended to build the entire building at the current time.
Commr. Shields asked about the 2024 issue.
Senator Hays said that his staff’s attitude was that they would find a way, and that they may have to rent temporary space for training. He opined that one of the best options would likely be to rent warehouse space, noting that it had to be climate controlled due to electronics. He also opined that having warehouse facilities in North Lake and South Lake would be overly complicated, relaying that their warehouse was not passive.
Commr. Shields asked if there were any thoughts on retiring the other loan.
Ms. Barker said that the loan was $10 million for road resurfacing, and they also refinanced a previous loan for the animal shelter construction and the public safety radio purchase, noting that the total loan was $20 million.
Commr. Smith made a motion to hold off on building the $24 million building, and direct staff to look for climate controlled warehouse space to assist the Supervisor of Elections.
Commr. Blake seconded the motion. He said that the previous estimate of around $19 million would add approximately 20 percent to the debt load of Lake County, which was already over $100 million. He then asked if the mezzanine expansion was unable to be funded through the Infrastructure Sales Tax (IST) because it was a leased building, and Ms. Barker confirmed this. Commissioner Blake then mentioned that for other projects in the past, he had advocated to take a year and use the complete IST collections to fund a large part of this; however, this could not be done for this item. He expressed concerns for the current economic times and the uncertainty.
Commr. Campione thought that the current uncertainty and volatility were the key items that the County could not ignore. She indicated concerns for adding this debt at a time when they were unsure of what would happen next, and she thought that looking for existing climate controlled space, and seeing what it would cost to lease it, would at least get the Supervisor of Elections through the 2024 election; additionally, they could also use this time period to consider design.
Commr. Parks relayed his understanding that they were anticipating that the cost would decrease significantly within the next 1.5 to two years, and that Commissioner Smith’s motion was to wait and see how things went. He said that $485 per square foot was high, and that the phased approach would not work.
Commr. Campione mentioned that she had seen some newer warehouses around the county that were climate controlled and appeared to be empty. She said that if this worked out, they could consider a permanent administrative building at the right size and use the next 1.5 to two years to work on design on the property that the County owned.
Commr. Smith opined that the main item at the current time was warehouse space, and said that they did not know where inflation was taking them. He added that there were indications of some volatility in the construction industry that may bring prices down in the next year or so, and that there were warehouse spaces being built each day in the county. He stated that there were opportunities to help the Supervisor of Elections with his warehouse issue, and then he could expand his administrative offices for the 2024 election at the current time. He mentioned that they could possibly use the Lake County Agricultural Center for training, and he recalled that the Tavares Civic Center had previously been used for training. He opined that using public/private partnerships for offsite warehouse space would be a better fiduciary option for Lake County citizens, and that they could consider potentially building an administrative building and keeping the warehousing outside.
Commr. Shields asked if the Board’s consensus was to eventually own a facility and stop renting.
Commr. Parks opined that it usually made sense to own instead of renting.
Commr. Shields noted that the County was potentially going to borrow money, and that they could possibly start when interest rates were low.
Commr. Parks mentioned that the cost of asphalt increased by 70 percent in one year since January 2022, and he expressed concerns for the cost of $24 million when compared to $10 million.
Senator Hays was unsure where the $10 million budget came from, and he confirmed that the training did not need to occur in his office; furthermore, they currently trained in the Clermont Arts and Recreation Center, the Town of Lady Lake, the Tavares Civic Center, and their office. He said that the present facility did not have a balanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and he cautioned that the warehouse that they used to use in the City of Mount Dora could only reduce the temperature to 84 degrees in the summer. He opined that they would have to spend significant funding on the existing facility to make it an acceptable administrative space, and he expressed concerns for reaching their maximum capacity of workers.
Commr. Campione thought that there was an industrial park south of the City of Umatilla with 10,000 to 20,000 square foot climate controlled buildings being built.
Senator Hays said that this sounded like the type of facility that they would need. He thought that staff needed direction and that they needed budgetary planning to modify the existing facility. He opined that the needs of Lake County were growing, and that elected officials were hired to make challenging decisions. He opined that the $24 million cost was surprising, but that cost could be in the $30 million dollar range if they did not do this at the current time.
Commr. Parks agreed that it was a long term decision, but noted that this was a large number.
Commr. Smith repeated his motion to hold off on the presented options, and to direct staff to look for climate controlled warehouse space for the Supervisor of Elections.
Ms. Barker inquired if he wanted to continue the design phase while they were looking for warehouse space.
Commr. Campione said that she would prefer to see if warehousing was available before making this decision.
Ms. Barker indicated that staff would hold off on continuing the design phase.
Senator Hays asked if the County wanted to cease the design project.
Commr. Campione thought that it would be a holding pattern until they received more information about what might be available for offsite warehousing.
Ms. Barker added that staff would have some options for warehouse space availability at the July 26, 2022 BCC meeting.
On a motion by Commr. Smith, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved to hold off on the presented options, and to direct staff to look for climate controlled warehouse space for the Supervisor of Elections; additionally, staff would hold off on the design phase during this process.
Commr. Shields voted no.
recess and reassembly
The Chairman called a recess at 10:31 a.m. for five minutes.
Solid waste assessment roll
Ms. Allison Teslia, Director for the Office of Management and Budget, said that the purpose of this presentation was for approval of the initial solid waste assessment rates and to establish public hearing dates. She relayed the following information: the solid waste assessment is used to fund collection, management, and disposal of residential solid waste and recovered materials in unincorporated Lake County; assessment rates must be set annually and were included on the truth in millage (TRIM) notice; the rates could not be used to fund countywide services; and rates were based on area and service level. She said that the proposed rate for fiscal year (FY) 2023 reflected a $6 increase to cover the consumer price index (CPI) increases, and she showed the rates for those that picked up once per week, along with those who received pickups twice per week. She stated that the requested action was for approval of the solid waste initial assessment resolution and to establish a public hearing date of September 13, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. or as soon thereafter.
Commr. Shields asked how it was decided who received once and twice per week service.
Ms. Barker recalled that several years prior when they changed their process for doing waste collection within the county, some of the homeowners associations (HOAs) said that they would like to keep the twice per week service; therefore, it was done for those HOAs. She added that if they went to once per week service, then the County would not allow anyone else to go back to twice per week service.
Commr. Smith inquired if the $6 rate increase was yearly.
Ms. Barker confirmed this, noting that they could divide it by 12 for the monthly increase.
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Smith and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved Resolution 2022-74, which initiates the annual process for preparation of the Solid Waste Assessment Roll, authorizes the publication of the advertisement for September 13, 2022, public hearing, provides direction to notify all affected parties of the proposed rate, and directs the imposition of the Solid Waste Assessment fee for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2022.
Commr. Blake voted no.
fire assessment roll
Ms. Teslia said that the purpose of this presentation was for approval of the initial fire assessments rates and to establish public hearing dates. She indicated the following information: the fire assessment was used to fund fire protection services, such as fire suppression, fire prevention, fire building inspections, and basic life support (BLS) services; it could not fund advanced life support (ALS) services; and assessment rates were calculated based on call data and the distribution of incidents, the allocation of resources and budget, and the proportionate share of each land use. She displayed the calculated rates which were presented to the Board in May 2022, and said that staff was not recommending any changes to the fire assessment and fire municipal service taxing unit (MSTU) at the current time. She read the requested action for approval of the fire rescue initial assessment resolution and to establish a public hearing date of September 13, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. or as soon thereafter.
On a motion by Commr. Smith, seconded by Commr. Shields and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Resolution 2022-75 which initiates the annual process for preparation of the Fire Assessment Roll, authorizes the publication of the advertisement for a September 13, 2022, Public Hearing, provides direction to notice all affected parties of the proposed rates, and directs the imposition of the Fire Assessment fees for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2022.
maximum millage rates for trim notice
Ms. Teslia commented that the purpose of this presentation was to establish the maximum millage rates to be included on TRIM notices and to approve the public hearing dates, times and advertisements. She displayed the certified property values that were provided by the Lake County Property Appraiser on July 1, 2022, indicating that there was a 15.4 percent growth in property values from the previous year; additionally, it reflected an increase of approximately $4 billion, with $1.2 billion being in new construction. She added that the Lake County Fire Rescue MSTU increase was attributable to the Town of Montverde being included in the tax roll for the next fiscal year. She stated that some of the significant increases from the FY 2022 adopted included the $1.5 million Blackwater Creek Wetlands Mitigation settlement, the $13 minimum wage adjustment, $16.8 million in additional Constitutional Officer budget requests, $15 million in ARPA projects from the second tranche of funding that the County was expecting to be completed in FY 2023, and $30 million relating to the new Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirement to recognize the pass-through of educational impact fees. She relayed the following information about the total FY 2023 proposed budget: the budget was about $665 million and would fully fund County operations, new position requests, judicial support, Constitutional Offices, and medical examiner budgets; it also funded the $13 per hour minimum wage adjustments and compression; it projected an increase in reserves of about $3 million since the June 2022 budget summary; and it did not include the purchase order (PO) carryforwards, which was about $2.6 million in 2022. She related that outstanding items not included in the recommended budget included the following: funding for the finalized Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento Community Development Agency (CRA) calculations; the Lake County Tax Collector’s budget request, which they expected to receive on August 1, 2022; and LifeStream Behavioral Center’s request for an additional $89,000. She showed a list of position requests and their budgetary impact, noting that the Office of Fire Rescue was requesting six new positions attributable to the coverage for the Town of Montverde. She added that the Office of County Probation was requesting three positions, though they had no fiscal impact because they were being converted from limited time positions to permanent positions; additionally, the Office of Public Safety Support was requesting one Office Associate IV, which was a conversion from a part time to full time position. She showed a breakdown of proposed millage rates and said that they were recommending no change to the millage rates from FY 2022. She listed the following next steps in 2022: on August 1, they would receive the Tax Collector’s budget; in August, they would hold the Infrastructure Sales Tax budget workshop and public hearings; September 13 at 5:05 p.m. would be the first budget public hearing; and September 27 at 5:05 p.m. would be the final budget public hearing. She said that the current recommended action was to establish the maximum millage to be included on the TRIM notices, noting that the final millages would be determined in September 2022 during the public hearings, and to approve the public hearing dates and advertisements.
Ms. Barker indicated that there was additional revenue of about $3 million identified in reserves since the June 2022 budget summary, and that staff had not included any funding for road resurfacing or any other extra projects; rather, they placed it all in reserves.
Commr. Parks said that the County was receiving additional revenue because property values were adjusted upward, and he questioned what the County would be using it for. He suggested that the Board not lose sight on their focus of building the reserves and their commitment to address roads. He added that the County had to keep up with the State of Florida Constitutional Amendment for increased pay to $15 per hour minimum wage, as well as what the Lake County Sheriff had spoken about regarding public safety and what he was dealing with.
Commr. Shields relayed his understanding that the Board could lower the millage rates, but could not increase them, noting that they were setting their ceiling at the current meeting.
Commr. Smith said that there was currently money in the roads fund, but that it was not able to be spent in 2022; however, it could possibly be used in 2023. He agreed that there should be a mechanism that they could pull funding from if they had vendors that could address roads.
Commr. Shields relayed that Ms. Barker had an idea to earmark it but leave it in reserves.
Commr. Campione asked what percent of the operating budget would be in reserves.
Ms. Teslia replied that it was about 19.2 percent of operating expenses.
Commr. Campione mentioned that they could select a percentage range to be earmarked to designate that if prices were reduced and if the County could begin road resurfacing again, then this is where they could get funding from. She also stated that her goal would be to figure out how to do a reduction in the millage, noting that it was a challenging situation with the Sheriff’s substantial request and the County wage issue.
Commr. Shields inquired about the recommended reserves, and Ms. Barker responded that it was 16.6 percent of operating expenses.
Commr. Campione noted that it was a cost that would be needed in the future because the roads were exponentially worsening, opining that it was prudent to have funding in reserves for this purpose; otherwise, she opined that they had to roll back the millage some amount unless they had a reason to have more than about 16 percent.
Commr. Parks stated that the recommended reserves were 16 to 20 percent of operating expenses, noting that he would not want more than 20 percent in reserves.
Ms. Barker said that the Board’s current goal was seven to 12 percent.
Commr. Campione proposed possibly codifying the concept that anything between 16 and 20 percent was for infrastructure needs.
Commr. Parks said that it was similar to a business with how long 16 to 20 percent would let the County operate in a disaster, noting that they would not have to be reliant on Federal Government funding. He added that seven to eight percent was funding for around 30 days; however, if their reserves were too large, then individuals might question what the County was doing with their money.
Ms. Barker explained that 16 percent represented about two months of operating expenses, recalling that Hurricane Irma only included tornado storm-level winds which came through the county, and it reduced their reserves by about $10 million for the cleanup efforts; furthermore, she thought that they dropped to about five percent in reserves at that time.
Commr. Campione mentioned that the County had requested Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding and that they had to wait to receive it, noting that they could have possibly experienced another disaster.
Ms. Barker stated that staff could bring back an updated reserve policy for consideration in summer 2022, and they could identify an amount to stay in the General Fund reserves, and they could add a project number for road infrastructure. She clarified that the Board would see in a line item budget that it was a reserve for roads only, and if resurfacing was picking up and if vendors were able to complete projects, the County had a January and April mid-year public hearing where they could move the funding to the Public Works Department.
Commr. Blake commented that taxpayers were in a unique situation, noting the impact that inflation had on monthly budgets, and he also mentioned the gas price situation. He stated that it was also important for the Board to protect the taxpayers’ reserves, and he opined that everything the County had that came in above the rollback rate was bad for the taxpayers’ reserves. He asked to confirm the amount of funding from new construction in the current year.
Ms. Teslia said that the overall revenue for new construction was $1.2 million.
Commr. Blake stated that he wanted the County to be supportive of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), noting that the Sheriff was in a 100 year old building and that the County would possibly have to provide a new facility for him at some point. He also opined that a 21 percent pay increase for any government employee in the current financial environment, which was what the Sheriff’s proposal amounted to, was not feasible. He relayed his understanding that homesteaded properties would not be affected too significantly, but he expressed concerns for commercial properties and what the property value increase could do to some of those individuals, along with the rental market. He opined that many mom and pop businesses had suffered recently due to lockdowns, and that corporate commercial properties could weather this. He stated that he wanted to ensure that the County buffered mom and pop businesses from what he opined was a federally created financial crisis. He elaborated that he did not want to be part of the issue, and that he wanted the County to do what they could to protect those people from anything that they had influence over, which was the millage rate.
Commr. Parks said that he had spoken to Ms. Barker about presenting data at the public hearings with the County’s efficiencies, noting that people would be paying more based off property values even though the County was possibly keeping the same millage rate. He thought that there was some data to point out other costs people were facing that were significantly more than the County’s increase to show that the County was trying to be sensitive toward this. He commented that ideally, they did not want anyone to pay an addition or more than they had do, and he added that the data would also be valuable as the Board was making the decision when compared to what other industries were doing to consumers and mom and pop businesses. He opined that the difference in the County’s ability to collect revenue and the cost to provide services kept increasing.
Commr. Campione noted that they had to provide the service, and opined that the Board had to be sensitive to the fact that when values increased on rental and investment properties, this could affect what people were paying for rent; additionally, they already had an affordable housing situation. She added that rates increasing could be significant for small businesses, and she said that she sensed a significant amount of support for the Sheriff in the community, relaying her understanding that the community did not want to see a situation where the Sheriff was unable to hire and keep deputies. She noted that the Florida Governor increased the minimum starting rate for State law enforcement officers, and that everyone was comparing, recruiting and competing for the same talent. She thought that the community support was there to support the Sheriff’s request, and stated that this represented a large portion of where the potential millage was at the current time; however, she asked staff to see if they could find a way to have some reduction.
Commr. Shields made a motion to approve this item.
Commr. Smith seconded the motion. He also said that he wanted the County to work diligently to reduce the millage rate as far as they could.
Commr. Parks thought that they would, and he also thought that they needed to consider this long term with the assumption that the millage rate would never be increased.
Ms. Barker mentioned that they had some more flexibility with their public lands voted debt, and that this would be considered.
Commr. Parks recalled that there was some ARPA funding that was potentially set aside for business relief, and he asked about possibly considering this to help mom and pop landowners.
Ms. Barker clarified that it had to be related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and this is what staff was finding were the issues, noting that the State of Florida opened so quickly after the lockdown that it was challenging to find COVID-19 related impacts at the current time.
On a motion by Commr. Shields, seconded by Commr. Smith and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved to establish maximum millage rates to be included in the Truth in Millage (TRIM) notifications, to hold public hearings at 5:05 p.m. on September 13, 2022 and September 27, 2022, and to advertise these public hearings.
Commr. Blake voted no.
public hearing: ordinance 2022-31 lake county water district
Ms. Marsh placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for reading by title only as follows:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; CREATING CHAPTER 24, LAKE COUNTY CODE, TO BE ENTITLED LAKE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT; CODIFYING HOUSE BILL 1105 PURSUANT TO THE INTENT OF THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Ms. Marsh mentioned that staff needed clarification from the Board on some questions. She recalled that a question from the previous BCC meeting was whether to accept renaming it as the “Lake County Water District,” which was the name imposed by the legislation, or to retain the “Lake County Water Authority” name, recalling the Board’s discussion about cost and having to change signage, vehicles, etc. She added that another question regarded membership, noting that the legislation reduced the members from seven elected members to five appointed board members, with one for each County Commission District. She stated that the Board could also leave it as a seven member appointed Board, with one member per County Commission District, and two members at large, either countywide or with one each representing North Lake and South Lake. She elaborated that if the BCC wanted to change it to seven members, they would need to adopt the displayed language changes as part of their motion. She showed additional minor language when changing from five to seven members, and said that if they wanted to go to a seven member board, it currently said four members for a quorum. She explained that this would not change, but if they accepted the legislature’s change to five members, then they needed to change the quorum from four to three members. She commented that the rest of the ordinance was the same as the legislation and the charter that currently governed the Lake County Water Authority (LCWA).
The Chairman opened the public hearing.
Mr. Marty Proctor, the current District 1 LCWA Board member, said that he had not been authorized to speak for the LCWA Board and that he was speaking for himself. He stated that the LCWA Board member terms were two years and four years, and that the Board could choose how to separate the districts between two and four years. He commented that the LCWA was in the middle of their budget process, noting that they had a millage and a legal and financial responsibility to present a budget to the County. He relayed that the LCWA was proceeding in the normal path of presenting a budget that would be legal based on their current structure, and that the LCWA felt that their obligation was to carry on. He inquired if they should continue with the budget process remaining the same and complying with the legal requirements, and he also relayed that the LCWA had many policies regarding dredging and flow rates at the nutrient reduction facility (NuRF) that had existed since the LCWA had been in existence. He relayed a concern that the policies were for the LCWA and were not necessarily part of the chapters that the County was putting in, and he indicated that the LCWA took care of Dora Canal and the Palatlakaha Creek. He added that they were currently in final negotiation with an outside private company for the operation and maintenance of the NuRF, and that it was a significant portion of their budget and was intended to be a long term agreement. He said that he wanted the BCC to be aware that the LCWA was carrying on for this currently, and that the contract could possibly be approved at the next LCWA meeting on July 20, 2022.
Commr. Parks inquired about the terms of the NuRF contract.
Mr. Proctor commented that the LCWA had a draft from the company that was proposing to take over the facility, and that he was the liaison for this agreement. He commented that they expected it to be put on the LCWA agenda for the July 20, 2022 meeting, and he mentioned that the Board could review it. He opined that as the LCWA became a dependent board to the County, the contract could ultimately be the County’s responsibility and be part of their budget.
Commr. Campione thought that it was great that they were outsourcing maintenance and operation of the NuRF.
Commr. Parks said that Mr. Proctor could send the BCC a copy of what he would be reviewing.
Commr. Shields proposed possibly letting the LCWA make recommendations to the BCC regarding the number of members on the Board.
Commr. Campione thought that the BCC should consider the merits of five members versus seven.
Ms. Marsh explained that the legislation gave the County 30 days to appoint members, and staff was anticipating bringing back appointments on July 26, 2022. She added that the LCWA Board could make a recommendation; however, the current day was the adoption of the ordinance, noting that the BCC would have to delay this if they did not want to make a decision on the number of members.
Commr. Smith asked if it could be changed after the adoption of the ordinance, and Ms. Marsh replied that they could change anything after it was adopted.
Commr. Parks thought that the LCWA should carry on with their budget without any influence from the County.
Ms. Marsh said that with the way the legislation was set up, the LCWA would continue to operate as their own entity, noting that when they went through their budget process, they would send the County a resolution and the Board would have to accept or reject their millage. She clarified that their contracting ability and how they operated their systems and employees was up to the LCWA.
Commr. Campione expressed support for not making any drastic changes at the current time, but noted that at some point in the future they could possibly consider items such as economies of scale and sharing services. She also mentioned park maintenance and the potential of saving funding this way and having continuity, noting that this was something they could do at a later date.
Mr. Proctor said that he would provide the final copy of the NuRF contract, which would be included in the LCWA agenda packet, to the BCC. He added that he would see that this part of the current BCC meeting would be played at the LCWA Board meeting so that they would have a clear understanding of the BCC’s recommendations. He stated that he would also recommend that the LCWA Board move quicker with their budget so that they could have it done prior to the BCC’s September 13, 2022 budget hearing. He praised the BCC’s level of cooperation, and he said that the LCWA was comfortable with the BCC and the results of House Bill (HB) 1105. He also opined that the LCWA was proud to be associated with the BCC.
Commr. Campione asked how many LCWA Board members were going to be term limited or were near the end of their terms.
Mr. Proctor said that he was unsure, and mentioned that Mr. Tyler Brandeburg had elected to resign his position and go to work at the Lake County School Board, noting that the LCWA Board currently only had six members.
Commr. Campione said that she was inclined to go with five members, and that they would only need three members for their quorum. She thought that it was an easier way to coordinate between the BCC and the LCWA in an administrative sense by having an appointee from a particular Commission District.
Mr. Proctor commented that this was the way that the legislation was written and was the way that the LCWA could start. He relayed his understanding that in the previous BCC meeting, three Board members stated who they would be supporting for being on the LCWA Board, noting that the LCWA was comfortable with this. He indicated support for having five members, and he relayed that the LCWA Board members each represented the entire county.
Commr. Parks said that he had proposed the idea of potentially going to seven members with two members appointed at large, with the thought that they could have some expertise on the board from someone selected from a larger pool.
Commr. Shields proposed to start with five members, noting that they could always change it.
Commr. Campione stated that the BCC lived in their districts but represented the county at large, and this was how she felt that the appointed members would be on the LCWA Board; furthermore, she relayed this was why she did not think that they needed two other at large members, noting that they already had at large representation.
Commr. Parks indicated an understanding that the LCWA Board was not making final decisions; rather, the BCC would be doing this.
Commr. Smith clarified that there were many things that the LCWA made decisions on. He then made a motion to approve this item.
Mr. Ross indicated that two individuals wished to speak via Zoom Webinar.
Mr. G.W. Christian Adams, a resident of Yalaha, said that he was one of the selected individuals for the position of LCWA Executive Director, and relayed that he was the only one from the recruiting agency. He asked if there was any information on the future of the Executive Director position and whether it would continue to be a function of the LCWA.
Ms. Marsh explained that the LCWA was a dependent special district and had their own board; furthermore, that board had the ability to hire their employees, including an Executive Director. She added that this was not a BCC decision unless the BCC chose to change the ordinance to make it their decision.
Commr. Parks relayed his understanding that there would be no interest to change this, and that it would still be a decision based on the LCWA Board.
Ms. Lavon Silvernell, a resident of the Town of Astatula, inquired about what would happen with the LCWA properties, opining that they served a valuable function in conservation and water quality.
Commr. Campione responded that the properties would stay intact and that they would be under the ownership of the Lake County Water District. She clarified that there would be no change.
Commr. Parks added that there would be no more risk in the future of those lands going away than there was currently. He also said that the County was possibly looking forward to some efficiencies that could occur, but those discussions would be after the transition period.
Commr. Shields inquired if Commissioner Smith was amicable with the name “Lake County Water District,” and Commissioner Smith confirmed this. Commissioner Shields then noted that there were some costs to rebrand.
Commr. Campione relayed that it would cost funding to change logos on trucks, shirts, etc. She mentioned that the BCC could adopt the ordinance and then make that change, and that they could make this change after hearing from the LCWA about how much funding it would cost to make those logo changes.
Commr. Parks asked if it could be “Lake County Water Authority District” and keep the LCWA logos as they were.
Commr. Campione expressed support for passing the ordinance as presented and addressing it at a subsequent meeting.
Ms. Marsh asked if they wanted to leave the quorum as four members or reduce it to three members; additionally, the legislation had it as four members.
Commr. Smith responded that since it was five elected members, they needed to reduce the quorum to three members.
There being no one else who wished to address the Board regarding this matter, the Chairman closed the public hearing.
On a motion by Commr. Smith, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Ordinance 2022-31 creating Chapter 24, Lake County Code, to be entitled Lake County Water District, with the modification to reduce the quorum to three members.
other business
appointments to the value adjustment board
Commr. Parks remarked that Commissioner Blake and Commissioner Shields were current members of the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) and would continue to serve. He added that they also had three choices for citizen members on the VAB.
Commr. Blake requested to appoint Mr. Bryan Rubio to the VAB.
On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Shields and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved to appoint Commissioner Blake and Commissioner Shields to the VAB, and Mr. Bryan Rubio as a citizen member.
appointments to the public safety coordinating council
On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Smith and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the following members to the Public Safety Coordinating Council with no terms, and applicable waivers: State Attorney: Mr. William M. Gladson, (Alternate: Mr. Jonathan Olson, Division Supervisor with conflict waiver); Public Defender: Mr. Michael A. Graves, (Alternate: Ms. Wanda Green, Chief Assistant Public Defender); Chief Circuit Judge: Honorable G. Richard Singeltary (Alternate: Honorable Cary Rada, Judge for the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court); Chief County Judge: Honorable Emily Curington, (Alternate: Honorable Carla Pepperman); Chief Correctional Officer: Major Skott Jensen with conflict waiver; Sheriff: Honorable Peyton C. Grinnell (Alternate: Major Skott Jensen with conflict waiver); Police Chief and designee: Chief Charles Broadway (Alternate: Deputy Chief John Graczyk with conflict waiver); Representative of the Substance Abuse Program Office and Mental Health Program Office of the Department of Children and Families: Ms. Joelle Aboytes; Chief Probation Officer of the Department of Juvenile Justice: Chief Randy Reynolds (Alternate: Kimberly Lambert); Local Court Administrator: Ms. Debbie Clark, Fifth Judicial Circuit with conflict waiver; Director of a Community Mental Health Agency: and Mr. Jon Cherry, President/CEO, LifeStream Behavioral Center with conflict waiver, with alternate: Mr. Rick Hankey, Executive Vice President, LifeStream Behavioral Center with conflict waiver. The Board also appointed the following members with four-year terms: State Probation Circuit Administrator: Ms. Susan Cizmadia; Director of County Probation or Pretrial Intervention Program: Mr. Tony Deaton, Chief Probation Officer; Director of a Local Substance Abuse Treatment Program: Ms. Karen Rogers, Vice President Adult Clinical Services, LifeStream Behavioral Center, with conflict waiver; and one representative from a county and/or state jobs program or other community group who works with offenders and victims: Ms. Mimi Coenen, COO, CareerSource Central Florida with conflict waiver.
commissioners reports
commissioner shields – district 1
order with kroger
Commr. Shields mentioned that he had placed an order with the new Kroger fulfillment center, using the new business in the City of Groveland.
commissioner smith – vice chairman and district 3
lake technical college program
Commr. Smith related that he had a meeting with Lake Technical College (Lake Tech) regarding a new high school level program, noting that they were working to see if they could start it in the following year in partnership with Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC).
commissioner campione –district 4
east lake library relocation
Commr. Campione stated that their decision about the East Lake Library and the urgency in taking action had caused a stir in the community, noting that the County was trying to provide information to everyone so that they understood that the library was not technically closing; rather, it was in a relocation process. She requested for the Board to have a permanent facility, with an interim step to have a temporary building, commenting that Ms. Barker and Mr. George Taylor, Director for the Office of Library Services, would be attending a public safety meeting on July 14, 2022 that the East Lake Chamber of Commerce had set up for the LCSO to talk to the community about issues related to an increase in crime in the area. She said that part of the reason why they were having issues with the library building was related to vagrancy, and she opined that they were moving in the right direction to the East Lake Sports and Community Complex, and ultimately to a permanent location to serve the needs of the entire community.
Ms. Barker remarked that the meeting would be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Sorrento.
Commr. Smith said that he could possibly attend.
Commr. Campione thought that it would be important to have a Commissioner in attendance to hear about the crime issues and how the Sheriff was addressing them. She also relayed that the libraries were important, and that they had to ensure that they were addressing the needs. She mentioned the possibility of using space at the school there, potentially using the cafeteria during the summer to have reading programs.
Ms. Barker responded that staff could look into this.
COMMISSIONER BLAKE – DISTRICT 5
background checks for advisory boards
Commr. Blake remarked that some advisory boards regarded sensitive areas, such as the Children’s Services Council and the Elder Affairs Coordinating Council. He said that as a result of multiple conversations, he thought that it might be a good idea to institute a policy of background checks for people the BCC appointed to these advisory boards, noting that it could be cost neutral and done in house. He suggested to possibly change their policy to require background checks, and to make it retroactive for everyone who was currently serving. He opined that it was a common sense measure that could be useful.
Commr. Parks thought that it was a great idea and was proper due diligence.
Ms. Marsh suggested doing this as an ordinance, noting that the majority of the boards and committees were codified in the County code. She added that staff would draft this and bring it back to the Board.
commissioner parks – Chairman and district 2
flag retirement ceremony
Commr. Parks relayed that on July 26, 2022, there would be a flag retirement ceremony scheduled before the BCC meeting on that day.
Ms. Barker explained that the Lake County Historical Society was having the flag retirement ceremony at 8:00 a.m. on July 26, 2022, and that they thought that it would be in the parking lot between the Lake County Administration Building and the Lake County Historical Society, noting that they would have the road closed for a brief period.
Commr. Parks added that it would be a solemn ceremony and would mark the end of Pride in America Month.
Ms. Barker believed that Mr. Ray Powers, with the Lake County Historical Society, had indicated that their flyer notifying the public of the ceremony was completed; additionally, the County could share this information on their social media.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 11:54 a.m.
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SEAN PARKS, chairman
ATTEST:
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GARY J COONEY, CLERK