A Special MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

January 25, 2023

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in special session with the Lake County municipalities on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., at the Tavares Pavilion on the Lake, Tavares, Florida. Commissioners present at the meeting were: Kirby Smith, Chairman; Douglas B. Shields, Vice Chairman; Sean Parks; 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 Stephanie Cash, Deputy Clerk.

welcome

Commr. Smith expressed appreciation for all those attending to discuss the vision of each municipality, and he led the Pledge of Allegiance.

joint planning initiative update

Mr. Joshua Sheldon, with the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC), commented that they had been working with the County and the municipalities to create joint planning agreements (JPAs) as well as conservation strategies for transfer of development rights (TDR). He related that they had been meeting with the County and the City of Groveland, and that they would also meet with each of the other municipalities to capture what they wanted in their JPAs. He said that on the current day, they wanted to hear what the visions were for the municipalities to ensure they were represented in this initiative.

Commr. Parks relayed that the County wanted to listen, and noted that there were elected officials from every municipality represented there. He expressed appreciation for their attendance, and commented that there was a template of a JPA between the County and the City of Groveland, which was a starting point that could be used for other JPAs. He mentioned that the ECFRPC would be involved in this process, and the BCC would not be directly involved because the JPAs were intended to represent the municipalities’ needs, opining that some common ground could be found. He opined that there should be a timeframe placed on this process negating the necessity of having quarterly meetings for the next few years talking about the same things, and he relayed his understanding that Mr. Sheldon would like the municipalities to present something in writing to him.

Mr. Sheldon indicated that this was correct, and said that they would be scheduling times for the municipalities to meet with them to discuss this.

Mr. Brian Bulthuis, Clermont City Manager, asked what the County was looking for from the municipalities regarding joint planning development regulations, conservation strategies, economic development plans, and TDR programs, and if there were examples available.

Mr. Sheldon replied that those would be discussed in the scheduled meetings, and that currently their thought was to use the interlocal service boundary agreement (ISBA) boundaries as joint planning boundaries since some of the Cities had them, and that they would fill in the gaps for the Cities that did not have one. He remarked that they wanted to capture the vision of the municipalities’ plans for growth and create an agreement between the City and the County on that vision, and he distributed documents showing what could be included. He mentioned that they would be mapping much of this, and that they would review their Comprehensive Plans (Comp Plans) and codes to ensure that growth and development would share a joint vision.

Mayor Pat Kelley, with the City of Minneola, inquired if this document would be fluid, noting that what a City thought it wanted currently could change in the next five years. He questioned how flexible this agreement would be, and wondered if it would cause issues in 30 years when times had changed.

Commr. Parks opined that changes could be made, and that the intent was to not be without agreements.

Mr. Sheldon replied that the documents would have statements requiring them to be reviewed every three years or so, depending on the agreement, and to ensure that they were still current. He mentioned that they had found in their research with JPAs that there were some JPAs created in the 1970s and 1980s that were still active and had not received updates. He relayed that they would rely on Comp Plans for updates, and that as those documents changed, the agreement would be discussed periodically and updated to stay relevant.

Commr. Parks opined that the vagueness was intentional because the BCC wanted the municipalities to go through the exercise of creating a JPA for their different circumstances.

Commr. Smith commented that this was an opportunity for the municipalities to communicate to the County what they would like to see on their outlying areas and to create their own JPA; additionally, it would give the County a better understanding of how they wanted their city to look. He opined that it was important to all work together to come to a cohesive agreement, and that one City may want to look different than another City.

Town of Astatula presentation

Mayor Mitchell Mack, with the Town of Astatula, commented that the Town of Astatula was a 2,400 resident community which was mostly residential neighborhoods with a strong industrial sector, including the largest pipe manufacturer in the United States (U.S.); additionally, they provided public services, such as law enforcement, parks and recreation, and public water supply. He related that some of their plans for the future included residential development and industrial commercial development, as well as more public services. He mentioned that the town had a surplus of development properties, opining that it could double the size of their community once they were built out. He listed some of the companies that were in the area, and noted that the area was rural enough that they would not disturb neighbors with industrial noise. He stated that they wanted to conserve the area and maintain the beautification of the town, and that future public services could include a public library and a waterfront park located on the east shore of Little Lake Harris. He commented that they had several utility projects including multiple water service expansions, a waste water startup, and broadband internet service, and that they were working with the County to create a walking friendly corridor. He remarked that some of their issues included financing projects, controlled growth, and keeping focus on projects, noting that their community center replacement was an example of what could be done by building on a single idea to make it happen.

City of Clermont Presentation

Mr. Bulthuis remarked that the City of Clermont had recently become engaged with the ECFRPC to update their Comp Plan, and he displayed an outline of the city. He commented that the City was boxed in by Orange County to the east and the undevelopable land of Conserv II to the south, which was property owned by Orange County and the City of Orlando for reclaimed water, and that it also bordered the Wellness Way area and the Green Swamp. He opined that regarding growth, they could go towards the Town of Montverde or west to the City of Groveland, and that they needed to have those conversations with the County and with the neighboring municipalities about levels of service and service delivery, such as police and fire services. He mentioned that there were unincorporated areas in the middle of the city that needed those services, and they requested that the County would refer developers to the City of Clermont for development of areas near the city limits. He opined that the City could better serve those areas with police and fire services, noting that they would already be providing their water and sewer services. He related that the city could grow to the south, and that redevelopment could be done in the city. He opined that other Cities had issues with islands of unincorporated areas within their city limits, and that incorporating those areas into the cities would help with service delivery issues.

Commr. Shields asked how far into the Wellness Way area the City planned to go.

Mr. Bulthuis said that they would like to reach the Lake/Orange County Connector, which could possibly be started in the current year and finished in 2025, and noted that they planned to build a new fire station as well as a police facility in that area. He stated that they wanted to discuss this issue with the County, and opined that the City of Clermont would be better able to provide these essential services.

Mr. Tim Maslow, Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Groveland, inquired what their utility service boundary was, and if there were any areas that their utilities would not likely serve.

Mr. Bulthuis remarked that it was a complicated boundary, and that Sunshine Water Services provided services to certain areas of the City of Clermont, and that where the Cities of Groveland and Clermont came together there was some overlap of services, noting that they wanted to meet with the City of Groveland to resolve that issue. He opined that the Green Swamp area was very important and should not be overdeveloped, and that growth there should be done in a responsible way. He pointed out that much of that area was already developed, and that the City of Clermont was not planning on growing in that direction, noting that they would want to talk to the County before offering utilities for development in that area.

City of Eustis presentation

Mr. Tom Carrino, Eustis City Manager, opined that the City of Eustis was dealing with growth and development in ways similar to the other municipalities, and said that they were hoping to see a blend of infill, new development, and development across sectors, which included redevelopment of downtown, existing neighborhoods, and commercial corridors. He said that they would rather have single family homes instead of vacant lots, and that they wanted to continue to support that as well as commercial corridors, which had sites that were ready for redevelopment. He stated that they were happy about the development they were seeing across sectors which created institutional, retail, and manufacturing jobs, and that they wanted to continue to support that. He mentioned that they were seeing interest in residential growth including multifamily, build-to-rent, and single family developments, and said that they wanted to be adaptable to what the market was presenting. He relayed that they wanted to be prepared for growth resulting from the completion of State Road (SR) 429 and SR 453, and that they wanted to work with their neighbors, such as the Cities of Mount Dora and Umatilla as well as the County, on managing growth issues. He commented that the eastern area was their natural growth area, and that they wanted to work with the County and neighboring Cities on providing services and determining appropriate densities.

Commr. Parks expressed appreciation for their emphasis on redevelopment, suburban retrofit, and infill opportunities, and opined that the value of land within their city could be more valuable than annexations.

Mr. Carrino remarked that they had a community redevelopment area, a historic downtown area, and sites that were ready for redevelopment, and that they already had infrastructure in place in those areas. He elaborated that it made financial sense for the City to promote redevelopment because it would not require a large public investment to support it, and that the square footage and density in the established areas with their tax base provided more tax funding per acre in those areas because it was assessed at a higher level than a traditional suburban development.

Commr. Shields questioned if there were issues related to build-to-rent communities, noting that there were issues in the Four Corners area with rentals. He opined that residents wanted permanent neighbors, and that home ownership encouraged residents to be responsible for the upkeep of the home. He wondered if there were any best practices that the City of Eustis used to address issues that could arise from build-to-rent developments.

Mr. Carrino opined that the key to a traditional apartment complex was management and operation, and that good management and operations worked to keep the facility in good condition; additionally, price points were also a factor in determining the type of community. He opined that projects with certain price points and amenities, such as pools, dog parks, and walking trails that were managed well, could be successful projects, and that even though traditional homeowners who had a stake in their properties took better care of them, some of the build-to-rent projects were offering a product with amenities and good management that could be very successful.

Commr. Smith opined that the demographics were changing, and that some residents did not want to provide the maintenance associated with owning a house.

Mr. Carrino opined that there were also young professionals who wanted a more vibrant atmosphere, such as being downtown instead of in a traditional subdivision.

city of groveland presentation

Mr. Maslow expressed appreciation for the efforts of the ECFRPC and the County and for the successful meetings, and said that the City of Groveland had adopted a new strategic plan in June 2022. He read the City of Groveland mission statement and mentioned that some of the priorities of the City included joint future land use (FLU) code standards, conservation, transportation, economic development, and housing. He said that they wanted their JPA to have the same language as their regulatory updates, and opined that transect based joint planning would add distinction and variety and was a good tool to use for context related road design, density, open space, and conservation; additionally, they wanted 50 percent open space in their JPA. He displayed their current FLU map showing thoughtful, traditional, town principle oriented communities with a mix of uses, and pointed out that about half of their utility service area consisted of unincorporated areas. He then displayed their JPA FLU map showing these areas as being Conservation and Agriculture land uses, and said that their emphasis was on preserving the Green Swamp area and the Yalaha/Lake Apopka Rural Protection Area (RPA) by not increasing the density in these areas. He elaborated that with 29.7 percent of Conservation and 19.8 percent of Agriculture land uses, they were at about 49 percent open space, and stated that they wanted to increase that and go beyond 50 percent, which could be done with TDRs and the cross jurisdictional program, opining that it would be beneficial to everyone. He relayed that they wanted to have conservation parks and dark sky lighting, and opined that unless the other jurisdictions, such as the Cities of Mascotte and Clermont, also engaged in dark sky lighting, it would not have the desired effect. He mentioned that the County’s blueway plan had a gap in it, which was made up of the whole City of Groveland, and that they wanted to fill that gap using the Palatlakaha, opining that it could be an ecotourism generator for the whole county. He related that there was summit on March 1, 2023 to discuss how the City of Groveland was pursuing transportation issues, and that there was a roadway agreement process between the City and the County discussing proportionate share agreements and impact fee credits. He commented that they were discussing Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) classifications, and he displayed a transect showing roads being designed in context for the right land use. He stated that regarding economic development, their Christopher C. Ford Commerce Park was doing well in their industrial area; however, there was still 351 acres of unincorporated land in that area. He explained that they were partnering with the County to contact stakeholders and owners of these properties, and that they wanted to annex it all at one time to streamline the regulatory process; furthermore, they planned to enhance infrastructure and services in that area. He commented that regarding affordable housing, the City of Groveland had increased the densities in certain areas allowing multifamily dwellings, or missing middle housing, and opined that this was an opportunity for smaller builders. He displayed a map of the city showing entitlements, and noted that within their utility service area, there were about 25,000 unbuilt homes entitled. He opined that the city had doubled in the last 10 years, and that they would double again in the next 10 years.

Commr. Parks opined that the entitlement number was a key point for moving forward in this discussion during the following year.

Mr. Sheldon commented that they had an entitlement map for the entire county from the Lake County School Board; however, it was not up to date. He relayed that during their meetings, they could discuss those entitlements.

Commr. Parks inquired if they had a total number for the unincorporated county and the cities.

Mr. Sheldon indicated that he did, and mentioned that the Cities would need to go through it and see if those areas had been developed or not. He related that the Lake County School Board used it for school concurrency.

Mayor Kelley expressed his concerns about entitlement maps which were done 20 years prior, and opined that they were not being updated by the Lake County School Board.

Mr. Sheldon remarked that at their meetings with the municipalities, they would review and update the map, and that they would eventually have a map of the entire county that was up to date.

howey-in-the-hills presentation

Mr. Sean O’Keefe, Howey-in-the-Hills Town Administrator, related that the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills was expecting a five-fold increase in the next five to seven years. He expressed concern about the economy, and opined that some of their developments were moving forward more slowly. He mentioned that all of their growth was within the current city limits with no annexations, and that they did not have any major industries, commercial businesses, or a variety of housing types. He stated that their goals included living, working, learning, and shopping in a local area, and opined that it would reduce transportation burdens and increase sustainability. He relayed that they wanted to attract a variety of businesses and industries to support local employment and to add a variety of housing types, including workforce housing, and that they also wanted to support multi-generational families at various income levels and increase self-reliance through municipal utility provisioning. He opined that many residents lived in the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills and worked somewhere else, and that those who worked at places in town, including Mission Inn, did not live there. He displayed a map showing the ISBA overlaid with the town boundary and the RPA, and pointed out that the Town’s ISBA was within the RPA on the south and west reducing the scope of the ISBA by half. He commented that there were benefits to the RPA, such as conservation spaces and clear distinctions between one municipality and the next, and he expressed concern about areas being changed from a Rural Transition FLU to Planned Unit Development (PUD). He opined that there was much potential in the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills.

Mr. Maslow asked if the Town had done anything in their code or policies to reflect Lake County culture in terms of self-governance. He opined that many decisions that were made in the City Council or the County Commission could be done on a block scale or community scale, and he inquired how the municipalities could update their zoning codes to address smaller issues, such as accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or chickens in the backyard, without taking up time at a BCC meeting. He opined that if the block agreed on a solution, they should be able to do it, noting that the City of Groveland had considered adding a section similar to this into their code.

Mr. O’Keefe commented that the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills was not very large; therefore most of their dealings were on a block scale.

city of leesburg presentation

Mr. Al Minner, Leesburg City Manager, opined that residents wanted nice communities and public services, such as police protection and parks, and that there were many demands on government that made it inherently unprofitable; therefore, in order to meet those demands, government needed to be efficient with the funds that were provided. He stated that he would discuss where the City of Leesburg had been and where it was going, noting that they wanted to create business and economic development. He opined that there was a demand on government to build infrastructure, create economic activity, and create jobs, which would promote growth, and that local government needed to manage that growth by providing local services and provisions. He opined and that they needed a profitable municipal corporation, and that the City of Leesburg was special because of their utility systems. He related that they sold about 1,500 acres to The Villages in May 2017, according to their economic development plan, and opined that there would be $1 billion of private investment in that area, which would bring in about $12 million annually in tax revenue. He elaborated that the City had taken on three million gallons of their wastewater, which created efficiencies because they had excess capacity that could be used that they sold to The Villages, encouraging development. He stated that their gas system was important to the City, and that they were able to leverage some of their sales points and develop inside The Villages in both Lake and Sumter Counties, noting that the utility profits came back to the City as a source of revenue. He related that in the southern part of the City of Leesburg along the U.S. Highway 27 corridor, they had annexed 12 mixed use subdivisions equaling about 7,800 residential units and about 500,000 square feet of commercial space, and that they had created a plan to coordinate this growth with developers. He mentioned that their ISBA went south to the Royal Highlands subdivision because they provided water and sewer to that area, and that in order to supply water to this area, they had to fix their pipes, increase the size of the main, and install another ground storage water tank facility for pressure and reserve. He commented that the City needed to improve their infrastructure to increase services, which would cost about $15 million, and that they asked the developers to prepay their impact fees in the amount of $21 million to pay for it, noting that it would be private sector driven. He opined that there were many issues with roads, and said that they did not want to overload the roads; however, U.S. Highway 27 was a primary artery which would undertake most of the increased traffic. He stated that the City would ensure that there would be good road networks for the developments; additionally, they had some county road impact on Dewey Robbins Road and Bridges Road. He relayed that they also had to provide other government services, such as fire and police services, and that they had planned to provide good coverage in these areas. He remarked that it was important to be good stewards of the funding they received by doing the following: maintaining healthy reserve funds; keeping low taxes; monitoring and improving their utility systems, such as electric, water, sewer, gas, and solid waste; providing for police and fire services, which required 65 percent of their General Fund; and addressing blight with redevelopment. He commented that they were updating their Comp Plan, and that they were adding more green spaces and dark sky lighting. He mentioned that they were ensuring that development was coexisting with established neighborhoods, and that they were protecting rural areas, such as the southern point of Sunnyside Road according to their 2005 Sunnyside Development Plan. He related that they had redeveloped areas within their city, such as Venetian Gardens, Roger’s Park, and Ski Beach without debt, and that the City of Leesburg, known as the LakeFront City, would continue redevelopment programs without debt by utilizing Tourist Development Council (TDC) grants, Facade Sign and Landscaping (FSL) grants, and downtown redevelopment grant programs.

city of mascotte presentation

Ms. Annamarie Reno, Mascotte City Manager, stated that the City of Mascotte held its first vision session to discuss the future of their town on March 23, 2022, and that the City Council discussed the future land development code and the Comp Plan; furthermore, they held another workshop on April 7, 2022 with citizen input. She remarked that after this meeting, a community survey was made available to the citizens for input, which was a lengthy survey taking three months , and noted that they received almost 400 surveys back. She elaborated that the first workshop addressed the history of the 2007 land development code update, the reasoning behind the City’s zoning categories, and the development conditions at the time, and then they discussed how the City Council wanted the city to grow. She said that they wanted to have quality customer public services, above adequate savings, affordable workforce housing, green energy, efficient building, no apartments, larger lots, more space between housing in rural outlying properties, a proportionate ratio of residential and commercial development, education on history and land features, and recognition of the diverse culture in the City of Mascotte. She related that residents wanted more parks closer to their homes, more community activities, programming for youth, more bus services, more sidewalks, city beautification improvements, more public safety, and more local amenities. She mentioned that according to the survey, residents were split on the amount of growth, and that most residents identified as living in a rural residential area and would prefer to keep the City of Mascotte that way. She relayed that they were working on the vision of the city and future growth, and that they were in the process of reviewing their growth management plan and making updates to the FLU map and Comp Plan, which included lower density developments farther away from the downtown community redevelopment area (CRA). She commented that they had signed an agreement with the City of Groveland to increase their current sewer capacity and were working with them on a future regional facility, which would be key to future development. She stated that the city was growing, and that they did not want to stop that growth; however, they wanted to preserve the natural habitat that made the City of Mascotte a beautiful place to live.

city of minneola presentation

Mayor Kelley recalled that in the 1990s, the City of Minneola had planned for much growth, and that by 2008, they had $20 million in debt, a wastewater treatment plant, a fire department, and no growth. He related that after becoming the mayor, he and the new city manager had enacted cuts to avoid raising taxes, and that in 2018, they halted their future plans and did not approve any more houses in the City of Minneola. He stated that he had worked with the County and developers on adequate roads, ensuring that they would have right of way in all PUDs for future roads. He mentioned that they had passed an ordinance saying that they would not allow any businesses in the City of Minneola over 18,000 square feet, which eliminated big box stores, car lots, and department stores, and that they had 14 million square feet of industrial in another area. He commented that AdventHealth was going to build a hospital in an area of the City of Minneola near the Florida Turnpike, and that they also owned a medical complex and were bringing in cancer research and children’s facilities. He stated that there was an area zoned retail containing an 18,000 square foot brewery and parking garages, and he hoped this would become a destination city, such as the City of Winter Garden. He remarked that they had a passive park and an active park that they had partnered with the County to build, and that there was a school being built nearby as well as a high end community. He stated that regarding future growth, they were not planning on annexing anything currently.

town of montverde presentation

Mr. Paul Larino, Montverde Town Manager, commented that they were a rural community, and that they were focused on low density development and larger lots. He said that they were focused on providing amenities to their current residents, and that they would not be afraid of having future annexations. He related that there were about 800 homes in their community, and that they were surrounded by the Cities of Minneola and Clermont. He mentioned that they wanted a JPA to help protect their rural areas, noting that they had several lakes as well as trails that would be going through this area. He remarked that they were interested in working with the County and the other Cities to protect the Ferndale Protection Area, enhancing the Ferndale Preserve, and ensuring that development was not at a higher density than they allowed in town. He hoped that that could reduce their costs by working with the County for services, such as trash pickup, which was becoming more expensive, and stated that their goals included finding ways to maintain the quality of life for residents while there was development all around them.

city of mount dora presentation

Ms. Michele Janiszewski, Senior Planner for the City of Mount Dora, explained that the City of Mount Dora was located in east Lake County, and that it was mostly known for its historic downtown area and annual festivals. She relayed that the County and the City established a JPA in 2004 and amended it in 2015, and that the City has used the JPA boundary as the basis for their long range planning endeavors. She remarked that they had a transportation plan included in their Comp Plan for planning roads and trails in the JPA, and that their utility service area also coincided with their JPA. She noted that their vision plan included employment centers, the historic downtown area along the lake, highway commercial employment centers along U.S. Highway 441, and the Wolf Branch Innovation District (WBID), which was a special planning area totaling about 850 acres accommodating a future regional employment center along the interchange. She stated that with the changes that would come to the area because of the interchange, the City entered into an interlocal agreement with the County and Levey Consulting in 2017 to collaborate the economic development of this area. She relayed that since then, the City had amended their Comp Plan and established two new zoning districts to implement the WBID plan accommodating a mixture of employment, residential, commercial, and high tech industrial uses with an emphasis on multi-modal transportation, which included a mobility and trail plan. She opined that it would reflect a workplace environment with larger buildings that still honored the character of the community and its small town urbanism. She commented that their goals included implementing the vision plan by doing the following: continuing to support their historic downtown area; encouraging redevelopment in the CRAs, of which there were two; and directing commercial uses to their target areas. She said that they wanted to work with the County to implement the WBID and their vision by doing the following: continuing to utilize their JPA; encouraging Lake County to adopt the City’s design standards into the County’s land development regulations (LDRs); and coordinating the development of property within their JPA to ensure compatibility with their regulations and vision.

city of tavares presentation

Mr. Mike Fitzgerald, Community Development Director for the City of Tavares, opined that the State of Florida was the fastest growing state in the U.S., and noted that the City of Tavares had recently updated their Comp Plan with the following: balancing the developed and natural environments; promoting city history and identity; preserving established neighborhoods; ensuring the availability of a mix of housing types; meeting the goals of the economic development strategy; supporting a vibrant downtown; endorsing transportation improvements; and protecting property rights. He related that after adopting their Comp Plan, they rewrote their LDRs with the following: increased lot sizes; residential estate zoning; increased landscape buffer sizes; landscape buffering between new subdivisions; a water-wise and Florida friendly option in their landscape code; downtown building setbacks to encourage redevelopment; utility connections within 1,000 feet of their infrastructure; and increased building height for multi-family and mixed use zoning. He commented that during this process, they had embraced smart growth principles, such as mixed land uses, compact design, attractive neighborhoods, and distinctive places. He remarked that they wanted a mix of land uses in their downtown area, such as buildings with commercial on the bottom and residential on the top, and opined that infill could work in the right locations. He stated that they supported a variety of housing in the City of Tavares, such as single family homes, duplexes, mobile home communities, and estates, and that they promoted a walkable community in their downtown area with distinctive, attractive amenities. He relayed that they wanted to preserve open space with compact design on one side and open space on the other, and that they supported complete streets by making their streets safe for all modes of transportation and pedestrians. He commented that they also supported transportation alternatives by providing paths and public transportation, and that they utilized stakeholder collaboration to ensure that their communities were places that they could be proud of.

city of umatilla presentation

Mr. Scott Blankenship, Umatilla City Manager, commented that they were small with a population of about 3,700 and a size of about four square miles with about 25 percent of that being lakes. He related that they were primarily a retail town and a former citrus town located on U.S. Highway 19, and that they had blocked off Umatilla Boulevard with a vision of it becoming a future downtown area. He commented that many of the older retail establishments did not meet the current codes, and opined that they did not want redevelopment; however, they had been grandfathered in. He mentioned that they were utilizing their CRA grants as much as possible and trying to make improvements, opining that it was worth it for them. He remarked that they had two industrial parks of about 40 acres each, and that one was completely sold out, which helped their employment base with higher wage positions. He relayed that in the prior year, they had approved about 600 new residential units in the southern part of the City of Umatilla, which would provide about a 40 percent growth in population, and that their growth strategy was to keep new growth with its higher density in the southern part of the city, keeping the density lower in the northern part. He elaborated that some reasons for this lower density included issues with infrastructure and the costs to improve it.

open discussion

Commr. Parks expressed appreciation for the interest in moving forward together, and commented that the next steps included drafting JPAs. He mentioned that he had his own version of a JPA; however, he wanted the process to start with the municipalities.

Mayor Kelley asked if he had an expectation of when the County wanted this completed and in place.

Commr. Parks opined that a JPA could be completed within a couple of months, and that the City of Groveland’s JPA would be completed soon.

Mayor Kelley relayed that their city was not expanding much, except for PUDs that were agreed on many years prior, and he inquired if it would be complex or simple.

Commr. Parks replied that there were items in his presentation that could be included in a JPA, and that the County could help with standards in the peripheral areas.

Mayor Kelley questioned if the trails agreement should be separate, or if it should be included in the JPA. He wondered if there could be multiple agreements.

Commr. Parks opined that the trails should be addressed in every JPA as it was a large issue, and that the municipalities should work with the County on those. He mentioned that the JPA dealt with development, and that trails could be included in the JPA to ensure that developers would be paying for their share of the trails.

Mayor Joe Wynkoop, with the Town of Montverde, opined that they could have their JPA ready by March 2023, and he inquired about the process of submitting it to the County.

Commr. Parks opined that the Town would have to ratify it first, and then it would come before the BCC.

Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, replied that she would review it as well as Mr. Bobby Howell, Director for the Office of Planning and Zoning, and that if they had comments, it could be sent back; otherwise, it would go before the BCC.

Mayor Kelley questioned if the staff could draft the wording before it came to the City Council.

Commr. Parks opined that elected officials were for vision and policy, and that staff could do the work.

Commr. Campione asked when the next Strong Towns meeting was.

Ms. Jennifer Barker, County Manager, answered that it would be in June 2023.

Mr. Larino commented that the action team had deliverables to report, and reiterated that the next group meeting would be in June 2023.

Commr. Campione stated that she was impressed by the presentations, opining that the County was diverse and every municipality was unique. She opined that the County and the municipalities were revising their strategies, and that they could start where they were and make what they had better. She opined that there were many different housing products and lifestyles available, and that the end result could create the path for the following 20 to 30 years. She expressed appreciation for their participation, and opined that they were overcoming the issues they faced.

Commr. Smith expressed appreciation for the municipalities who participated, opining that they all wanted to do what was best for the citizens within their communities. He stated that they had an opportunity to work together, and that they were all citizens of Lake County.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 11:21 a.m.

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kirby smith, chairman

ATTEST:

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GARY J COONEY, CLERK