A regular MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

march 21, 2017

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 9:00 a.m., in the Board of County Commissioners’ Meeting Room, Lake County Administration Building, Tavares, Florida.  Commissioners present at the meeting were:  Timothy I. Sullivan, Chairman; Leslie Campione, Vice Chairman; Sean Parks; Wendy Breeden; and Josh Blake.  Others present were:  David Heath, County Manager; Melanie Marsh, County Attorney; Wendy Taylor, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Neil Kelly, Clerk of Court; Kristy Mullane, Chief Deputy Clerk, County Finance; and Susan Boyajan, Deputy Clerk

INVOCATION and pledge

Pastor John Blake from the Good News Church in Leesburg gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Agenda update

Mr. David Heath, County Manager, announced that the Avington Park rezoning case scheduled for that morning had been withdrawn and would not be heard that day.  He related that Tab 10, the agreement with the firefighters’ bargaining unit, would be pulled from the consent agenda for a separate vote without a presentation per a request by Commr. Blake, and he pointed out that Tab 29 was added to the agenda under Commr. Breeden’s reports for a discussion regarding the Central Florida Motorsports Park in Astatula.

Minutes approval

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Blake, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Minutes of January 30, 2017 (Special Meeting) as presented.

citizen question and comment period

No one wished to address the Board at this time.

proclamations

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Proclamation No. 2017-16 for Parent’s & Children’s Day, Proclamation No. 2017-21 declaring March 19-25, 2017 as Florida Surveyors and Mappers Week, and National Public Health Week Proclamation No. 2017-15.

presentation of national library week proclamation

Commr. Blake read Proclamation No. 2017-17 aloud declaring the week of April 9 through 15, 2017 as National Library Week in Lake County and presented the proclamation to Mr. Robert Glocker, Chairman, Library Advisory Board.

Mr. Glocker thanked the Board for this proclamation and for the continued support of their library system in Lake County as a vital part of the resources which make life in this county good for everyone.

presentation of parent’s and children’s day proclamation

Commr. Breeden read Proclamation No. 2017-16 proclaiming Sunday, April 2, 2017 as Parent’s & Children’s Day aloud and presented the proclamation to Ms. Lesha Buckbinder from the Early Learning Coalition of Lake County.

Ms. Buckbinder related that the hanging of hands ceremony would be on March 26, noting that it was amazing to see so many little hands that were made by the children hanging in the rotunda of the capitol building in Tallahassee during that time.  She thanked the Board for the proclamation, their support of the children and families in Lake County, and everything they do to make their day-to-day lives a success and prepare them for school.

presentation of surveyors and mappers week proclamation

Commr. Campione read Proclamation No. 2017-21 aloud declaring March 19 through 25, 2017 as Florida Surveyors and Mappers Week and presented it to Mr. Jim Stivender, Public Works Director, and Mr. Rick Travis, Lake County Surveyor, Public Works.  She noted that this proclamation has been adopted by the Board every year for many years recognizing surveyors and the importance of surveying and mapping, and she announced that this would be the last time that Mr. Stivender, who was also a surveyor, would be presented with this proclamation by the Board in the capacity of Public Works Director.

Mr. Travis thanked the Board for recognizing this surveyors and mappers week, which was special to them, and he thanked the Board for all of their support on behalf of the Central Florida Chapter of the Professional Surveyors and Mappers.

presentation of national public health week proclamation

Commr. Sullivan read Proclamation No. 2017-15 recognizing April 3 through 9, 2017 as National Public Health Week aloud with the theme this year of “Healthiest Nation 2030” and presented it to Mr. Aaron Kissler, Lake Administrator, Department of Health.  Commr. Sullivan related that his own mother had been the supervisor of public health nurses in Lake County for many years.

Commr. Parks commented that the operation of the Clermont facility and its focus on preventative care for their residents was very impressive.

Mr. Kissler thanked the Board for the help and support they had given the health care facility, adding that they could not have done what they did without the Board’s help.  He added that it was very encouraging for them as a department to have Commissioners that are so engaged in the health of the citizens of the community.

CLERK OF COURTS’ CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Clerk of Courts’ Consent Agenda, Items 1 through 3, as follows:

List of Warrants

Request to acknowledge receipt of list of warrants paid prior to this meeting, pursuant to Chapter 136.06 (1) of the Florida Statutes, which shall be incorporated into the Minutes as attached Exhibit A and filed in the Board Support Division of the Clerk’s Office.

Ordinance from the City of Fruitland Park

Request to acknowledge receipt of a copy of Ordinance 2017-002 from the City of Fruitland Park amending the boundaries of the City of Fruitland Park to include within the city limits approximately .33 acres of land generally located north of CR 466A and east of Lake Josephine Drive, as well as a copy of the transmittal letter of same dated January 27, 2017.

Semi-Annual Investment Report of December 31, 2016 from Lake County

Request to acknowledge receipt of Lake County’s Semi-Annual Investment Report of December 31, 2016.

CONSENT AGENDA

Commr. Parks requested to pull Tab 19 from the Consent Agenda to ask a question.

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Clerk of Courts’ Consent Agenda, Items 7 through 21, pulling Tabs 10 and 19, as follows:

Community Services

Request for approval of an agreement between the Lake County Board of County Commissioners and Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX) for fixed route services for Link 55 in South Lake County from October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017. The fiscal impact is $264,013 (Grant $264,013 – Expense).

Community Safety and Compliance

Request for approval of Resolution No. 2017-23 expanding the membership of the Keep Lake Beautiful committee from three to five citizen members to address the growth and successes of the Keep Lake Beautiful program.  There is no fiscal impact.

County Attorney

Request for approval to advertise an ordinance amending Chapter 2, Article 1, Lake County Code, creating Section 2-3, entitled Campaign Finance Reports.  There is no fiscal impact.

Request for approval and execution of agreements between Lake County and the Supervisor of Elections for Staff Services, Risk Management and Employment Benefit Programs, and the Waiver of Conflict of Interest.  There is no fiscal impact.

County Manager

Request for approval to change September BCC meetings from September 5 and 19 to September 12 and 26 to comply with the mandatory 20-day public notice of non-ad valorem assessment public hearings pursuant to Florida Statute 197.3632 4(b).

Economic Growth

Request for approval to award contract 17-0422, Advertising Agency for Tourism Marketing contract to Akers Media Group (Leesburg).  The estimated annual fiscal impact is $500,000 and will be funded by the Tourist Development Tax.

Fiscal and Administrative Services

Request for approval to (1) declare the items on the attached list surplus to County needs, (2) authorize the removal of all of the items on the attached list from the County’s official fixed asset inventory system records, (3) authorize the Procurement Manager to execute any required title documents.

Public Safety

Request for approval of (1) AVI-SPL, Inc. as a sole source vendor to complete the Crestron audio/video system at the Emergency Communications and Operations Center (ECOC).  The total fiscal impact is $83,383.23.  Funding for the equipment, installation, and administrative costs ($73,049.03) of the project is grant-funded.  Funding for maintenance and warranty ($10,334.20) will be paid by the County's General Fund, as the EMPA grant will not cover this portion; and, (2) Staff to complete any necessary budget adjustments.

Public Resources

Request for approval to award contract 17-0801 to Tapley Seal Coating, LLC (Inverness) for Sealcoating, Paving Repairs and Striping for Lake County Parks and Trails on an as-ordered basis. This contract provides for unit pricing on a square foot and linear foot basis for various aspects of the work to be awarded by subsequent task orders based on need and available funding. The estimated fiscal impact for FY 2017 is $40,000.

Public Works

Request for approval to accept a letter of credit in the amount of $288,200.00 associated with Right-of-Way Utilization Permits #7352 and #7382, as well as Commercial/Subdivision Driveway Connection Permit #53137, for Siena Towers at Bella Collina in the Town of Montverde.  The driveway connection and turn lanes will be located along County Road 455, just south of Heatherwood Lane, in the Town of Montverde.  There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 2.

Request for approval to execute Supplemental Local Agency Program Agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation and supporting Resolution No. 2017-24 for the CR 466A (Picciola Road) Paved Shoulders Project, FPN #434422-1-58-01, for the purpose of increasing the $480,021.00 grant funding by $28,388.00 to award the construction project.

Request for authorization to award the CR 466A (Picciola Road) Paved Shoulders Project No. 2017-03, Bid No. 17-0807, to D.A.B. Constructors, Inc. (Inglis, FL) in the amount of $478,888.88, encumber and expend funds in the amount of $478,888.88 from the Federal/State Grants fund, and approval to execute Resolution No. 2017-25 to amend the budget.  The fiscal impact is $508,409.00 (100% grant funded), which includes $478,889.00 for construction and $29,520.00 for construction engineering and inspection services.  Commission District 5.

Request for authorization to release a letter of credit for performance in the amount of $40,489.02 that was provided for the construction of sidewalk in the Greater Lakes Phase 2 subdivision.  Greater Lakes Phase 2 consists of 110 lots and is located east of US Highway 27 off Superior Boulevard in Section 11, Township 24 South, Range 26 East, Commission District 1.  There is no fiscal impact.

Request for approval of an agreement with Mattamy Orlando LLC to construct a new road extension of CR 455 from Good Hearth Blvd. south 1.1 miles, which is the first phase of the extension of CR 455 south to Hartwood Marsh Road.  A future phase of the road extension by the Lake County Board of County Commissioners will extend CR 455 an additional 1.35 miles south to complete the roadway connection between State Road 50 and Hartwood Marsh Road.  Mattamy is developing the Waterbrooke PUD in the City of Clermont.  This phase of the project constructed by Mattamy begins near Good Hearth Blvd at the Johns Lake Landing PUD and runs south through existing right of way and through Waterbrooke property and ends near the south line of Waterbrooke, also being, 200 feet north of Lost Lake Rd.  This phase of the project will be graded for a future four lane, with 2 lanes paved, with bike lanes and sidewalk, and constructed by Mattamy.  Mattamy homes is donating the necessary right of way and stormwater ponds to Lake County. The fiscal impact is $3,802,360.64 (Transportation Impact Fee Credits).  Commission District 2.

Commr. Parks asked why the design and engineering of about half a mile of Citrus Grove Road, Phase 3, in Tab 19, was about twice the cost for the design and engineering of one mile of CR 55.

Mr. Stivender responded that the PD&E study that was done over ten years ago needs to be updated for this project, so there would be a public hearing process associated with Phase 3; also, there was a lot more design criteria because of the vertical cross section of this road.

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a motion of 5-0, the Board approved Tab 19, a request from Public Works for approval to award contract 17-0003 to DRMP, Inc., (Orlando, FL), to provide preliminary engineering services and professional engineering design for Citrus Grove Road, Phase 3.  This Project phase begins at US 27 and runs east 0.55 Miles to Founders Ridge property.  The BCC approved an agreement with Founders Ridge on February 21, 2017 to construct Phase 2 of the project for 1.0 miles which runs from the end of Phase 3 to Grassy Lake Road.  Phase 1 of the project is 0.6 miles in length from Grassy Lake Rd. east to N. Hancock Road at the new Turnpike Interchange in Minneola.  Phase 1 of the project is in the design stage and anticipated to be let for bid at the end of calendar year 2017. The fiscal impact is $799,414.99, to be funded by the South Transportation Impact Fees - (Expenditure).  Commissioner District 2.

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved Tab 10, a request from the County Attorney for approval of the Addendum to Professional Fire Fighters of Lake County, IAFF, Local 3990, and Lake County Collective Bargaining Agreement October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2018. The fiscal impact for FY 2017 is $94,709.

presentation – wekiva parkway update

Ms. Mary Brooks, Public Information Officer for the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the Wekiva Parkway project, stated that she would give an update to the Board about the large amount of activity that has been taking place on the Wekiva Parkway project since the update to the Board last year.  She commented that this project has been discussed for 30 years, and she presented a map illustrating the need for the Wekiva Parkway to finish the beltway around Central Florida and to relieve congestion on some of the existing area roads.  She recapped that the Wekiva Parkway will be a 25-mile toll road which will include some non-toll road improvements, such as improvement of SR 46 in Lake and Seminole Counties, rebuilding the US 441 and SR 46 interchange, and parallel service roads in east Lake and Seminole Counties in areas where they were largely replacing the SR 46 corridor with the parkway.  She emphasized that the project includes about ten miles of multi-use trail in east Lake and Seminole Counties, and she noted the significant economic development impact of the project with the creation of nearly 36,000 jobs anticipated directly and indirectly.  She pointed out that the Wekiva Parkway features all electronic tolling utilizing the E-PASS and Sun Pass transponders and will not contain any toll plazas, and it will cost drivers more to use the toll-by-plate option.  She presented the toll schedule for the FDOT Section and CFX Section tolls.   She recapped that the Wekiva Parkway was authorized by the 2004 Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act which required that they take some landmark environmental protective steps to build a major transportation improvement in this area, including the purchase of more than 3,400 acres of land for conservation along the corridor, elevation of the parkway to limit collisions between vehicles and wildlife, expansive wildlife bridges, two wildlife tunnels on SR 46 in east Lake County, limited interchanges to minimize development along the parkway, and moving CR 46A out of the Seminole State Forest.

Ms. Brooks reported that they have been coordinating with Lake, Orange, and Seminole Counties for the construction of the 10-mile long trail and the connection of that trail to the West Orange Trail, Lake-Wekiva Trail, and Seminole Wekiva Trail.  She presented a chart illustrating the overall schedule for the project, showing the various sections, design timelines, property acquisition anticipated to be finished at the end of this year, and construction that is anticipated to be completed by 2021.  She displayed an aerial map of the overall corridor showing when the various sections will be opening, noting that CFX sections 1A and 1B will be open this summer, with additional sections opening every year or so after that until the entire parkway is finished in 2021.  She related that CFX has five sections totaling about 10 miles under construction with three access interchanges at SR 46 east of Round Lake Road, Kelly Park Road, and SR 429.  She commented that a lot of work has gone into this project to make sure it had a parkway atmosphere for those in the surrounding communities, including the aesthetics, the stone relief, and the warm brown colors.  She specified that construction will start this summer on Section 1B consisting of five miles from SR 429 to US Hwy 441 and to Kelly Park Road, and they will be opening the remaining CFX sections consisting of another five miles next spring which will allow motorists to utilize SR 46 to Mount Dora and other parts of Lake County.  She gave a video tour of the project corridor that is currently under construction, pointing out the visually-appealing features, wider medians, enhanced landscaping, and arching in the bridge support beams.  She pointed out that they will have excavated 3.6 million cubic yards of dirt, placed 2.3 million square yards of sod, and built 40 new bridges when they have completed the CFX sections.  She related that they opened Section 4 on January 20, 2016, have done some additional landscaping since then, and will begin construction on the future multi-purpose trail in that area in 2019.  She commented that they were pleasantly surprised about the amount of traffic they have been getting on this section of over 600,000 trips since its opening, which continues to grow each month and provides relief to the existing surface roads. 

Ms. Brooks reported that Section 3A and 3B in Lake County will be built at the same time, which will involve a widening of SR 46 and US 441 and significant non-toll improvements including sidewalks and bike lanes coming out of Mount Dora, with construction of those sections expected to start late summer or fall of this year.  She pointed out that the intersection of US 441 and SR 46 will have a very different look than it currently does, since this will be updated to a more urban-type signalized intersection with crosswalks, safety medians, and a free-flowing flyover ramp from the north to the east for the intense traffic they expect going to the parkway which will be about five feet higher than the current overpass.  She added that there will be significant aesthetics as part of the bridge structures, and enhanced landscaping would be installed after the major work as well.  She explained that Section 5 was the realignment of CR 46A out of the Seminole State Forest to make a new connection to SR 46 and the existing SR 429 in Section 4, and they have selected the contractor for this project, are working on a public meeting in May for pre-construction information, and were looking to start construction in June.  She noted that Section 6 was a large section consisting of six miles that would largely replace SR 46 with the elevated parkway and the non-toll service road, but there would be a few remnants remaining of SR 46, and construction on this section is expected to start late this year.  She related that there were some strict requirements for construction of this project to make sure that there were no impacts on the Wekiva River during top-down construction, and the bridge will be much higher at 61-feet high than the current bridge in order to screen it with the tree canopy, provide some visual buffering for the surrounding community, and allow wildlife to pass safely under it.  She mentioned that they would be including roundabouts along the Seminole County sections of the Wekiva Parkway for enhanced safety for the residents in the various communities along the roadway, and lighting was only planned for areas where it was needed for safety in order to adhere to the dark sky initiatives for an environmentally sensitive area.  She explained that Section 7B was the last of the non-toll improvements along SR 46 between Orange Blvd. and I-4, which was under design and would not start construction for a couple of years, and Section 8 would make the connection between I-4 and SR 417, finishing the parkway.  She gave the schedule for the various projects for the Seminole County sections.

Mr. Alan Hyman, FDOT Director of Transportation Operations, commented that he was excited about the next day’s opening of Section 6, and they would start the activity on Section 5, the relocation of CR 46A, within the next month or two.  He related that all of the major Lake County sections would be under construction by mid-summer of this year.  He opined that the Wekiva River Bridge will have very unique top-down construction to avoid any work in the river.

Commr. Campione asked how they would work the logistics out if everything up to Section 6 is completed but the old bridge was still being utilized and whether there were concerns about bottlenecking at that location in that case.

Mr. Hyman responded that there was a constriction sequence on that.  He explained that there were three separate bridges, including a two-lane bridge for existing SR 46 which will be constructed first, and they will move traffic to relocated SR 46 once that bridge is finished.  He noted that the rest of the parkway mainline will be built separately, and the traffic will not be on the parkway itself until the entire project is finished, although it was a logistical challenge to keep the traffic on SR 46 moving the way it is now.

Ms. Brooks added that they will keep everything open for both regular traffic and emergency services.  She mentioned that she would continue to bring the Board updates to let them know in advance everything that would be happening as well as notifying their constituents.

Commr. Parks, the Lake County representative on the CFX board, stated that the CFX Director was working hard to get the agreement with the Turnpike Authority regarding the use of transponders on the toll roads worked out.

public hearings

economic development grant incentive program ordinance

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

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING SECTION 7-2, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED “DEFINITIONS,” SECTION 7-3, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED “GENERAL AUTHORITY AND ADMINISTRATION,” SECTION 7-4, LAKE COUNTY CODE ENTITLED “BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS;” CREATING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT INCENTIVE PROGRAM; ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR APPLICATION; ESTABLISHING QUALIFICATION CRITERIA FOR AWARD; ESTABLISHING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

The Chairman opened the public hearing and explained that this was regarding an economic development incentive program in Lake County.

No one wished to address the Board regarding this ordinance.

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Ordinance No. 2017-13 amending Sections 7-2, 7-3 and 7-4 of the Lake County Code relating to Business Development Programs creating an Economic Development Grant Incentive Program. There is no fiscal impact.

ordinance to repeal and replace ldr’s regarding signs

Ms. Marsh placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for its second and final reading by title only, as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING LAKE COUNTY CODE, APPENDIX E, LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, CHAPTER II, ENTITLED “DEFINITIONS,” TO DELETE OR AMEND CERTAIN DEFINITIONS FOR TYPES OF SIGNS  THAT WERE DEFINED BASED UPON THE CONTENT OF THE SIGN; REPEALING AND REPLACING CHAPTER XI, ENTITLED “SIGNS;” REMOVING REGULATIONS DEPENDENT ON THE COMMUNICATIVE CONTENT OF A SIGN; REMOVING SIGN LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS; MODIFYING SIZE AND COPY AREA FOR SIZES AND DURATION FOR TEMPORARY SIGNS; REMOVING PROVISIONS FOR SPECIAL EVENT SIGNS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

No one wished to address the Board regarding this ordinance.

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Ordinance No. 2017-14 to repeal and replace Appendix E, Land Development Regulations, Chapter XI entitled "Signs.”  There is no fiscal impact.

recess and reassembly

The Chairman announced at 9:55 a.m. that there would be a recess until 10:10 a.m.

departmental business

community safety and compliance

approval to advertise animal ordinance

Mr. Brian Sheahan, Community Safety and Compliance Director, related that he would provide an update about the Animal Services policies and progress assessment and would request approval to advertise an ordinance to meet recent changes in Florida Statute related to animals.  He recapped that the Board assumed operation of the Animal Shelter on January 15 from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to approve efficiency, with the LCSO retaining animal enforcement.  He pointed out that since they have learned in the past that having a leadership team in place in certain focus areas is essential to ensure smooth operation, they have created the positions of Manager, Veterinarian, Shelter Supervisor, and Live Release Coordinator.  He reported that they have filled all four positions immediately as well as all of the 18 full-time employee staff positions, and he requested three additional full-time positions at mid-year of the six recommended by the shelter consultant to expand the team.  He stated that the experienced leadership is now in place to oversee operations, and he introduced Ms. Suzi Springsteen-Marks, the Shelter Manager; Dr. Marie Gravatt, Shelter Veterinarian; Ms. Eve Salimbene, Shelter Supervisor; and Ms. Autumn Emmil, Live Release Coordinator.  He noted that this team brings decades of experience in shelter operations and mentioned that Ms. Melonie Hollis, Lead Animal Care Technician, was not present.  He presented the organizational chart for the shelter team structure, noting that both the Shelter Manager and the Veterinarian report directly to the Department Director.  He related that several contracts and agreements are involved with the shelter operation, including the extension of an existing contract and issuance of a new RFP (Request for Proposal) for pet food, extension of the microchip contract with a recommendation for limited competition, issuance of an RFP for pharmaceuticals, RFP for a relief veterinarian and specialized consulting for large animal treatment, and the transfer of the Department of Health Rabies Program.  He added that they were also in the process of revising the Lady Lake and Mount Dora animal control agreements in order to transfer those from the Sheriff’s Office to the Board.

Mr. Sheahan related that they have instituted several procedures to date, including surrender by appointment, behavioral assessments and color coding behavior as recommended by the shelter consultant, waiver for shelter visitors, release of liability for rescue groups and adopters, and a change in the way deceased pets are processed by entering into an agreement with a local pet crematorium for that service rather than sending them to the landfill.  He pointed out that they have redesigned the feral cat room by removing the communal cages and installing individual or paired cages with hiding boxes, which was more humane and safe, as well as installing additional holding cages in the intake areas for the animal enforcement officers to use and to provide more isolation of newly processed animals.  He reported that they were in the process of doing many facility improvements to the building itself, such as replacing or fixing the air filter return and intakes, sealing the building for pest prevention, replacing windows, replacing tub sinks in the new dog area, installing a surgical sink, and moving surgery to the other side of the building for efficiency.  He noted that they will be including some additional funding to finish those improvements at mid-year and putting the feasibility and site selection for a new shelter into the budget at mid-year for the Board’s consideration.

Mr. Sheahan recapped that Mr. Mike Fry, the shelter consultant, had discussed the eleven components of the no-kill equation with the Board in January, and he indicated that he would discuss some of those components separately.  He elaborated that they have started Trap-Neuter- Release pilot cat colonies at the Animal Shelter and the recycling center at the landfill and have redesigned the housing for the fearful cats to be more humane.  He commented that non-owned community cats account for the majority of euthanasia and pets that die from sickness in the shelter due to the stress of being in captivity, and he mentioned that County Code provided for Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) since 2014 and is currently being used by many individuals in the community.  He added that the public will be directed to TNR programs to reduce euthanasia or to use diversion devices to keep cats off of their property instead of being accepted by the shelter, and they have launched a barn working cat program for those in rural areas to use as a more organic way to control rodents and other pests. He mentioned that one of the local spay-neuter clinics has performed some surgeries for them on a pro bono basis.  He listed some of the changes they have made regarding comprehensive adoptions, such as improvements to software to allow more pets to be posted for adoption on the website, special pricing of $10 adoptions and two for the price of one deals for cats, several special events such as over Presidents Day weekend resulting in over 50 adoptions and Valentine’s Day resulting in 9 adoptions, and community events to promote adoption at the shelter.  He stated that they hold healthy pets for 24 hours prior to public adoption rather than the 48 to 72 hours they were held prior to 2014, since the rescue community believed that a healthy animal should be up for adoption before sending it to rescue groups, and pets that are sick, injured, or have significant behavioral issues will go directly to rescue groups at no cost for rehabilitation and to find an appropriate home.  He related that they continue to promote low-cost spay and neuter at the shelter, at community events, and on social media; and they continue to offer the County Rebate Program that has resulted in 317 sterilized cats and 155 sterilized dogs, for a total of $21,701 in awarded rebates.

Mr. Sheahan stated that Ms. Emmil, the Live Release Coordinator, was hired to work with rescue partners as their primary contact, and she reached out to those partners on a daily basis trying to get animals out of the shelter that might meet the particular selection needs of their rescue partners.  He elaborated that they instituted a rescue partner agreement to save time and paperwork and to form lasting relationships, and the first coordination meeting was held on March 16.  He stated that they were also promoting foster care through the shelter, social media, and the rescue partners; were rolling out a foster agreement to formalize the relationship with foster groups; working with high school students who get four community service hours a day for taking care of a litter of kittens or other duties toward their Bright Futures requirements; and provided foster training with assistance from the rescue partners.  He mentioned that since it was not practical for the shelter to take care of unweaned kittens and puppies in-house, they are sent to foster or rescue groups as soon as possible.  He explained that the shelter provided resources and alternatives to giving up pets, which is an integral part of their surrender by appointment program, with counseling provided to pet owners for many common issues such as behavior issues, inappropriate soiling, and training.  He went over the surrender by appointment procedure that ensured staff and shelter resources were available and that the shelter was a last resort for those giving up a pet after trying everything else, and he noted that this has been working very well and has resulted in less pets being given up to the shelter.  He related that they have instituted a dog behavior color-coding assessment system that has worked extremely well to designate those dogs that only trained staff should handle, as well as those that have cat aggression, need some behavioral training, or do not get along with other dogs.  He complimented the volunteers who help in the shelter, who come on weekends, holidays, evenings after work, and their lunch hours to take the dogs out, play with them, and socialize them to make them a little less stressed in the shelter.  He stated that although the shelter has offered owner requested euthanasia in the past to the public for several years as a low-cost option to their citizens, the shelter has discontinued it in favor of owner surrender or redirection to private veterinarians, since their clinic was not equipped to properly assess medical issues, and euthanasia was not at the core of the shelter’s mission.

Mr. Sheahan commented that they were engaging the public in many ways, emphasizing customer service by greeting customers and personally assisting them with their visit to the shelter, participating in community events to promote the shelter and its mission, keeping the website and Facebook updated to engage the public, and reaching out to youth such as through the high school Key Clubs.  He pointed out that they increased the number of active volunteers from 14 to 35 and have been working with their rescue partners toward owner reunification efforts for lost pets.  He noted that County staff has created a volunteer portal with a new and more user-friendly online system which has greatly expedited the time it takes for volunteers to sign up and were working with the Sheriff’s Office to maximize the return of pets to their owners in the field before coming to the shelter.  He mentioned that they added a link to the shelter web page for found pets, and shelter staff regularly searches social media for lost pets.  He added that they have updated the existing software system to digitally track dogs or cats by kennel within the shelter, worked with a consultant to ensure data entry and reporting were completely transparent and accountable in response to a big concern of their advocates, and revised their policies for rescue partners, fosters, volunteers and operations to make sure they were understandable and as easy as possible.  He listed the facility efficiency efforts that were made, including the reconfigured feral cat room and relocated surgery previously mentioned, removal of night drop-off kennels, separation of cat and dog intake to reduce stress of the animals, and replacement of all the road and building signage by the Public Works staff.

Mr. Mike Fry with No Kill Learning stated that he would give an update of the first month or two since the County had taken over the shelter, and he mentioned a prediction he had made that the County would see at least a 90 percent live release rate very quickly if the County made the recommended changes, which was considered a benchmark for a no-kill community.  He presented a chart for January 15 to February 28 showing the total intake of dogs, cats, and other animals of 624 and total outcomes of 484.  He commented that the County had a relatively small staff handling a lot of animals.  He explained that many shelters use the Asilomar Accords process for computing the live release rate (LRR); however, in calculating this rate, some shelters exclude the pets that died in the shelter or were euthanized at the owner’s request, which artificially inflates the LRR statistics and upsets animal advocate groups.  He commented that some shelters are moving away from this method for these reasons, but that leaves them at a disadvantage when their LRR is compared to shelters that use the Accords approach.  He recommended that both kinds of LRR numbers are recorded as well as to change some data entry practices that are common in shelters which could also dramatically artificially inflate the LRR, and he noted that doing so would result in the most conservative LRR calculations.  He reported that even using those extremely conservative computation methods, the total live release rates for the Lake County Shelter are 85.5 percent for cats, 96.8 for dogs, 84.2 for others, for a total conservative LRR of 90.8 percent.  He mentioned that the Asilomar Accords would have calculated that at 92.5 percent using other computation methods and at 96 percent if they had not changed some of the entry practices.

Mr. Fry opined that the accomplishments that have been achieved at the Lake County Animal Shelter have been extremely successful as a result of the efforts of a lot of people.  He pointed out, however, that there were some challenges ahead.  He explained that feral felines make up a grossly disproportionate number of the cat intake at the Lake County Shelter, and release criteria for a wild feline is radically different than for an owned house pet.  He opined that no savable pets have been euthanized at the shelter since it was taken over by the County, although they will not officially be considered a no-kill community nationally until they have maintained that for a year.  He commented that sustaining this progress will be challenging, with the largest challenge being that the County is very short-staffed, and he believed that the six full-time staff positions that he originally recommended were urgently needed, noting that staff were very tired although they were also very proud of the work they were doing.  He opined that the current cat intake procedure was likely unsustainable due to the large influx of feral or free-roaming cats, which he did not think belonged in the shelter.  He also expressed concern that the people in the rescue community would not have as much incentive to save the pets from the County’s shelter as the save rate from the shelter goes up and it becomes known that animals coming to the shelter are safe from euthanasia, and the rescue groups will concentrate more on other counties where the save rate is lower.  He elaborated that extra work will be needed to keep those rescue groups engaged and to increase the public outreach and adoptions.  He related that another challenge is that the facilities remain an issue, although there has been a large improvement in the facilities area; however, there are still large-scale infrastructure issues which affect the ability of some animals to be saved and necessitate that a long-term facility plan be put in place.  He commended the Board for providing effective leadership which has allowed the progress that has been made toward a no-kill animal shelter to take place.

Mr. Sheahan requested approval to advertise an ordinance needed to amend Chapter 4, Animals, in the County Code primarily to meet statutory requirements for changes made in the 2016 state legislative session relating to severe injuries caused by dogs and to reflect that the shelter is now under the jurisdiction of the Board.

Commr. Sullivan commended the staff for a job well done and for all of the work they put into the shelter to make those improvements.

Commr. Parks commented that he appreciated Commr. Campione’s leadership on this issue, and he was looking forward to the progress that would happen over this next year toward the vision that they were trying  to achieve.

Commr. Campione thanked everyone who was involved in this transition and noted that the County Commission support has been overwhelming.  She opined that the level of professionalism being displayed by the programs and changes being implemented is unprecedented at the Lake County Animal Shelter, and they could feel proud of the animal shelter and the work that is being done.  She added that although there is a lot more that had to be done, there have been some great changes made that were relatively simple to the shelter facilities themselves which have made a major impact on the functionality of the space.  She expressed hope that there was support moving forward to look at having a much needed new and better adoption facility as soon as possible by incorporating an additional space that would be more focused on the public which would instill a sense of confidence when people came to look at the animals for adoption and make it a place people want to visit, which she believed would be a critical part of their plan for the shelter.  She related that the she wanted to discuss a way to facilitate the Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) program in the near future in a more user-friendly way rather than have people who call in directed to other groups, and she noted that some of the cities have set aside funds and contracted with a group to handle the TNR program and the neutering and spaying of the cats at a low-cost animal clinic.  She also requested that they set aside funding to go towards that effort, and she opined that they needed to think proactively about how they could facilitate things to make it easier for people to spay and neuter pets and to address the issue of feral cats, including making counseling available to help solve some of the problems residents may have with those cats.

Commr. Breeden commended staff for the amazing things that they have done over the past month or two, and she opined that it was an excellent idea to engage Mr. Fry as an outside consultant, which has really helped the process.  She added that they needed to keep the momentum going.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved to advertise an ordinance amending the Lake County Code, Chapter 4, entitled "Animals" to amend provisions to be consistent with changes to Chapter 767, Florida Statutes (2016); clarifying the separation of animal control services into enforcement activities to be performed by the Lake County Sheriff and shelter operations by the County; amending the definition of an animal control officer; and removing and replacing designation of Lake County Animal Services Director to Manager.

florida house and senate bill update

Mr. Bill Veach, Deputy County Manager, stated that he would provide the Board with an update on the proposed state legislative bills that may have a local impact and recapped that the Board identified legislative proposals that they wanted staff to track at the March 7, 2017 BCC meeting, including HB (House Bill) 17 and SB (Senate Bill) 1158 regarding local regulation preemption, HB 843 and SB 1004 regarding public meetings and meetings between two members of a board or commission, HB 7021 and HB 7023 regarding local government ethics reform, and HB 901 and SB 7000 regarding the Florida Building Commission.  He added that County staff is also tracking additional legislative proposals that could have local impacts on Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRA), Enterprise Florida, medical marijuana, small cell wireless utilities, and the homestead property tax exemption.  He explained that House Bill 17 preempts the regulation of businesses to the state and provides for state authorized exceptions as well as a process and timeline for implementation.  He elaborated that the bill is moving in committee and has a similar bill, SB 1158, that provides an appeals process and contains preemption language.  He reported that House Bill 843 and Senate Bill 1004 are similar bills regarding public meeting and records requirements which are moving through committee which allow two members of a five-member board or commission to participate in fact-finding discussions and exercises without public notice and defines the parameters for the discussions; and he noted that there are also similar and companion bills SB 914 and HB 919 that are moving in committee.  He related that Representative Larry Metz has sponsored HB 7021 amending Florida’s code of ethics that would establish a statewide local lobbyist registration system and addresses financial disclosure for city commissioners and ethics training for special district board members.  He added that HB 7023 and companion bill SB 880 provide a funding mechanism for the lobbyist registration process, and he pointed out that all of the ethics reform bills were currently moving through committee.  He stated that Senate Bill 7000 requires the Florida Building Commission to use the Florida Building Code as its primary code; however, Florida currently uses the International Building Code as its primary standard and the Florida Building Code for issues specific to the state such as hurricane codes, and there are concerns about this change, such as whether this could complicate broader issues such as FEMA reimbursements.  He elaborated that similar bills SB 860 and HB 901 are also moving in committee, and this bill is being very carefully watched.

Mr. Veach reviewed the current status of other legislative proposals that have been identified by the staff, including HB 13 regarding Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRA), which would disallow the creation of new CRA’s beginning in July 2017, sunset all CRA’s within the next 20 years, and disallow new CRA projects and debt after October 2017.  He reported that the bill is working through committee, along with a similar bill in the Senate.  He explained that HB 1351 specifies required disclosures in financial agreements for renewable energy source devices and excludes the value of the devices from tax assessment, as well as sets the system standards and provides rules and penalties for failure to comply.  He added that this bill is working its way through committee, and there are similar bills in the House and Senate.  He related that Senate Bill 7005 as amended would eliminate Enterprise Florida and would provide a process for transferring funds and paying outstanding debt; however, it also provides that the tourist entity Visit Florida could enter into an agreement with DEO (the Department of Economic Opportunity) and continue existing programs.  He reported that this bill has passed the House Rules Committee and was placed on Special Order Calendar, where it passed off the house floor and now awaits Senate action.  He noted that a large number of bills have been filed regarding medical marijuana, mostly in the Senate, and staff will continue to monitor this issue closely as the session progresses.  He elaborated that although this issue is moving forward, it is not yet close to being resolved, but he expected to see legislation come to law on this issue before the end of the session.  He stated that SB 596 among other technical provisions prohibits FDOT and local governments from regulating or prohibiting wireless providers from gaining access and use of public right of way and County-owned infrastructure, and the FAC (Florida Association of Counties) is working to develop compromise language that would address the county concerns as this bill is working through committee.  He reported that Senate Joint Resolution 1774 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase the current homestead exemption from the existing maximum of $50,000 on the first $75,000 of value to a maximum of $75,000 on the first $100,000 of value; this was currently working its way through committees, and there would be a House version introduced soon.  He assured the Board that staff will continue to monitor these issues and other important topics that arise and would be interacting with FAC.  He concluded that the County Attorney’s Office will provide each Commissioner with a weekly written update on these issues.

Commr. Campione asked about the financial impact of the Homestead Property bill.

Mr. Steve Koontz, Assistant County Manager, responded that he did not know yet, but it would be significant.

Commr. Parks remarked that Seminole County indicated that the impact to them would be $6 to $8 million out of their General Fund.

Commr. Breeden mentioned that there was another bill that would prohibit the County from utilizing the local option sales tax if they had raised taxes within the last three years.

Commr. Parks opined that the Board should formally oppose HB 17 regarding the state regulating of business, although he understands the intent was to keep some local governments from over-regulation.  He expressed concern about SB 596 taking away the regulatory ability for the small cell towers, including the aesthetics, and he noted that the technology will require small cell sites in various locations in the future.  He also expressed concern about the fiscal impact of Senate Joint Resolution 1774 regarding the increased homestead property tax exemption, and he asked what the specifics of HB 843 and SB 1004 were which allowed two elected officials to meet without notice for fact-finding, including whether minutes would have to be taken.

Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, responded that there were two different bills regarding that issue, and the main one essentially states that two officials could meet as long as they were not discussing any procurement item or engaging in ex parte communications.  She elaborated that those discussions would not require that minutes be taken.  She added that another bill that would allow officials to meet with legislative staff would require minutes.

Commr. Blake opined that he did not believe that the bill would result in a huge change and would allow some one-on-one informal conversation.  He pointed out that most of the work in Tallahassee happens in small committees and groups.

Ms. Marsh further clarified that two officials could meet as long as they do not adopt a resolution or rule, take any other formal action or agree to do so at any future meeting, or discuss any appropriation, contract, or public business involving the direct expenditure of public funds.  She added that the meeting could not be intended to frustrate or circumvent the purpose of that section, which she opined was very broad.

Commr. Parks elaborated that they could add their own criteria if that bill passed.

Ms. Marsh pointed out that nothing would force the Commissioners to have those types of meetings, and they would be able to abide by the existing rule, but it would not be against the law if the bill passed for two Commissioners to have those discussions.

Commr. Breeden expressed concern about how HB 13 concerning the CRA’s would affect the Mount Plymouth-Sorrento CRA.

Ms. Marsh responded that the bill would prohibit the Mount Plymouth CRA from engaging in any new project after October 2017, but it was broadly worded about the specifics of what that would mean.  She assured the Board that they were closely watching that bill.

Commr. Campione commented that the city CRA’s would go away gradually over time and stated that she believed there would be a way they could do some of the same projects as the CRA by focusing on particular rural communities and delineating them as a designated area such as a Community Development District or a Municipal Service Boundary Unit instead of using increment financing to fund projects inside the CRA.

Mr. Heath specified that Leesburg has three or four CRA’s and commented that this bill would have a large impact on the cities.  He pointed out, however, that this would help the County’s general fund.

Commr. Campione opined that the CRA helps the entire community from an economic development standpoint, since the upgrades and improvements help recruit new companies, grow businesses, and attract the kind of residents that they want to see move there.

Commr. Breeden opined that they needed to start tracking some of the federal budget issues that might impact the County.

Commr. Campione recommended that the Board wait until something was a true issue that comes to fruition before addressing the federal issues.

Mr. Heath related that staff can track that information through weekly reports they receive from their lobbyist firm.

Commr. Sullivan mentioned that he will be attending a FAC legislative conference in April, and FAC keeps them informed of the legislative bills and activity.

fiscal and administrative services

budget overview

Mr. Koontz explained that the purpose of the presentation was to present to the Board a briefing on the FY 2017 mid-year amendment and provide an overview of the FY 2018 budget.

Ms. Jennifer Barker, Budget Manager, noted that they would provide some highlights of the general fund and the infrastructure sales tax fund.  She reported that there was an increase of $1.8 million to the fund balance following the close of fiscal year 2016, and a contribution from Mount Dora has been included for the Wolf Branch Innovation District in the amount of $50,000.  She added that unspent on-demand grant funds in the amount of $68,000 for the Supervisor of Elections is being recognized to be used to purchase the equipment needed to update the early voting process, and they have adjusted the ad valorem revenue projections based on the final property values for fiscal year 2017.  She listed some of the expenditures that are being added to the general fund budget, including $52,548 for three new positions for the animal shelter discussed earlier for the final six months of the fiscal year, $23,000 for the immediate maintenance needs at the animal shelter, $100,000 for the Wolf Branch Innovation District including the Mt. Dora contribution, and $665,000 to be added to the reserves.  She noted that they have also included the requests from the Constitutional Officers which impact the general fund, which includes $10,000 for a feasibility study for a building for the Supervisor of Elections; $154,000 for ballot-on-demand equipment for the Supervisor of Elections, with $68,000 of that being grant funded; $143,000 for engine repairs on a Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit helicopter; and $30,000 for a new Access Control Systems Specialist position in Judicial Support for the final six months of the fiscal year. She reported that there was an increase in the fund balance of the Infrastructure Sales Tax fund in the amount of $282,000, and she noted that $141,000 of that funding would be used for sidewalk improvements, $121,000 for the animal shelter building renovations, and the remaining $20,000 balance would be added to the reserves.  She concluded that the Board will have a full briefing of the mid-year adjustments on April 4.

Mr. Koontz recapped that a 5.5 percent increase in the countywide millages were projected in January, as well as a 3.5 percent increase in the unincorporated millages, a 4 percent increase in the state sales tax and state revenue sharing, and a 3 percent increase in the infrastructure sales tax.  Also, the special assessments were projected to have a very modest growth, and gas taxes were projected to increase 2 percent.  He listed some of the budget strategies they were using as they were moving into the FY 2018 budget, including addressing the Board’s priorities from the retreat, estimating a calculated rollback rate for the general fund millage to limit new revenues to new construction, looking at lowering the Public Lands Voted Debt Millage if projected revenues maintain adequate debt service coverage, keeping other millages at the same level as FY 2017, and continually looking for cost reductions and efficiencies, with the County departments maintaining a status quo operating budget with any changes required to be justified.  He elaborated that the departments will be required to identify mandated versus non-mandated costs, employee compensation will be addressed later in the budget process, and capital needs would be addressed where feasible. He related that the Capital Improvement Program and Infrastructure Sales Tax was a large priority as they start the new authorization, and the first quarter of revenues for FY 2018 will be dedicated to the debt service, since that was the last quarter of the old authorization.  He added that the Infrastructure Sales Tax tentative plan was presented to the Board on December 20, 2016 which included the funding categories that had been outlined, priorities, and unfunded projects.  He pointed out that they would have to go through a public hearing process as they begin the new authorization in August of 2017 to finalize the projects they funded.  He listed some Public Works priorities, including maintaining the current levels of countywide service in the Solid Waste Division, analysis of the solid waste assessment and the waste hauler increase request, expanding sidewalks into needed areas and repair of existing ones, and the countywide road resurfacing program.  He related that the Parks and Trails priorities are the continuing development of South Lake Park, additional improvements at East Lake and North Lake Parks, and maintaining the current levels of service for operations and maintenance of the existing parks.  He related that Public Safety is working through some challenges such as the Fire Assessment, labor costs, and how to pay the salaries of those paid by the SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant funding after it expires, as well as toward some of their priorities such as continuation of the transition of BLS (Basic Life Support) stations to ALS (Advanced Life Support), development of two new fire stations using impact fees over the next two or three years, and the use of Infrastructure Sales Tax to address station renovations, upgrades, and apparatus replacement.  He mentioned that the Board indicated an interest during their retreat about discussing the enhancement of economic development activities, and Mr. Robert Chandler, Economic Growth Director, would be giving the Board an overview of some of the options on April 4.

Mr. Koontz announced that the Florida Retirement System rates have not been approved but are being budgeted with a modest increase until it works its way through the legislative process, and the employer contribution per employee for health insurance will stay the same as FY 2017, since their experience has been good with the changes they had made.  He related that they are looking at expanded health benefits with the addition of the employee wellness center, and long-term savings are anticipated.  He pointed out that there may be some changes to the department budgets due to the allocation of internal service charges, such as facility or information technology charges for additional cyber security measures through the Microsoft contract, and adjustments may be needed due to any impacts from new state and federal legislation in the future.  He emphasized that one of the major factors affecting the budget will be the budgets from the Constitutional Officers which are due June 1.  He listed some of the assumptions staff had used as they begin the process of evaluating the general fund, such as the aforementioned increases in the taxable values, estimated rollback of the millage, status quo County departmental budgets and Constitutional budgets, decrease in sales tax funding for the Capital Improvement Bonds debt service, increase to the Animal Shelter Budget, and reserves of 7 percent per the Board’s policy.  He reported that the General Fund is expecting to show a deficit of about $1 million based on those assumptions; however, this deficit could be made up if the taxable values exceed projections or if savings in the departmental budgets could be found.   He explained that some of the challenges they face regarding the general fund outlook for FY 2018 are maintaining the existing levels of service in the face of increased costs, increased funding of paratransit trips due to the new contract, equipment replacement needs and increased costs of countywide services for solid waste, Constitutional Officer budget requests, funding and additional positions for the animal shelter, and the potential increased transfer from the General Fund for the not for profit institutional and governmental buildings for the Fire Assessment.  He presented the budget calendar for FY 2018 starting with the economic outlook and discussion of millages and revenues he presented at the January 10, 2017 BCC meeting and including departmental workshops starting on April 18, the budget summary he will present on June 20, and the adoption of the TRIM rates by the Board on July 25.

Commr. Parks clarified that the County was currently actively engaged with the Benchmark Consortium.

Mr. Heath elaborated that this year will be the transition year regarding benchmarks, since the County just joined this year and still is in the process of inputting their data, which was expected to be fully implemented in 2019.  He noted, however, that they will still be able to use some of the benchmarks that they have already identified.

Commr. Parks indicated that he hoped they would be able to hear presentations regarding the Children’s Services and Elder Affairs grants this year.

Mr. Heath replied that the grant committee screens all the requests and makes a recommendation to the Board, which is usually on the Consent Agenda.  He recommended that the Community Services Department give the Board a presentation regarding those grants rather than hearing from all of those groups individually during the budget process and that they do the actual award of the contracts as a departmental item along with discussing each specific grant.

Commr. Parks commented that there should be some explanation from those departments and that they should have the groups that receive the grants come to the BCC meeting after the grants are awarded so that people are aware of where that funding is going.

Mr. Heath commented that the adjustment in the values caused the $1 million shortage in the budget, and he was confident that they would be able to make that up if the values are robust.  However, he noted that the issue is that they are currently preparing a budget for the General Fund that is predicated on the rollback, which has to be a cooperative arrangement and will result in the departments being on a tight budget.  He pointed out that rollback will not be able to be achieved if the Constitutional Officers ask for substantially more than they received last year, and it would also probably not be possible to reduce the General Fund millage in that case.  He expressed concern that there were two new Constitutional Officers whose predecessors were extremely frugal, and managing expectations would be a challenge.

Commr. Sullivan mentioned that he intended to meet with all of the Constitutional Officers over the next month or so and inform them of this budget information.

Commr. Campione opined that presenting the actual information and the projections was a critical part of having those discussions.

reports – commissioner parks – district 2

central Florida expressway authority update

Commr. Parks reported that the Executive Director of the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) was working diligently and aggressively on the reciprocity agreement with the Turnpike Authority regarding the use of transponders, and the CFX board voted unanimously to support the bill that enabled Brevard County to be brought into the CFX board, since Brevard County has roads within the system.  He added that they hope to also address and change a rule stating that any future CFX projects outside the Wekiva Parkway have to have FDOT and Turnpike Authority approval.  He commented that he was pleased and honored to be representing the Lake County Commissioners on that board.

visit to community health center in tavares

Commr. Parks related that he had visited the Community Health Center in Tavares and was impressed with how they assist the underserved population.  He added that they were looking into ride sharing for people who cannot get to the connection to the County’s fixed route transit route and suggested that they have a pilot program to help those patients make those connections.

parking issues at minneola athletic complex

Commr. Parks related that he had recently visited the Minneola Athletic Complex (MAC) and commented that it was an excellent facility.  However, he expressed dismay that the shortage of parking at the MAC has continued until last weekend, even though the County entered into a contract back in August 2016 with the school adjacent to the facility to provide additional parking there on weekends.

reports - commissioner breeden – district 3

discussion regarding central florida motor sports park

Commr. Breeden related that some unincorporated residents adjacent to the Central Florida Motor Sports Park in Astatula expressed concern about the noise and future activity of that facility.  She asked that the Chairman or the County Manager write a letter to the Town of Astatula requesting that they consider instituting the County’s noise ordinance during the permitting process and that the County communicate with the surrounding neighbors regarding their concerns.  She elaborated that she believes the business has expressed intentions of operating seven days a week, although it is adjacent to a quiet neighborhood, and she opined that anything they could do to minimize the noise impact to the nearby residents would be good.

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board authorized Commr. Sullivan as Chairman to write a letter reaching out to the City of Astatula referencing the noise that could be created by future activities of the Florida Motor Sports Park in Astatula, requesting them to adopt their noise ordinance during the permitting process, and to communicate with the County residents in that area.

congratulations to staff for achievements

Commr. Breeden congratulated Lake County Building Services for reaching the top tier of building code effectiveness, and she expressed gratitude to the Lake County firefighters for rescuing two children from the apartment fire in Leesburg on Tuesday, March 14.

congratulations to leesburg high school basketball team

Commr. Breeden congratulated the Leesburg High School Boys Basketball team for winning the 6A State Basketball Championship.

Commr. Sullivan suggested that they present a proclamation to the team at a future meeting.

letter regarding anderson hill road

Commr. Breeden opined that the letter regarding Anderson Hill Road did not capture her intent regarding changes to the road, since she was not comfortable with the changes that were referenced which would result in property being taken away from the property owners to make the roundabouts, although she approved of the part of the letter about limiting access to the road.

Commr. Parks added that he had disagreed with the emergency access issue in the letter, and he pointed out that there would still be a traffic impact on Anderson Hill Road.  He explained that his intent was to limit the access to Anderson Hill Road in addition to utilizing some combination of the traffic calming mitigation methods that were listed, such as the sidewalk or speed limit reduction.

Commr. Sullivan commented that it was difficult to put five different ideas into one letter and meet every requirement, but he suggested that they work with staff on the letter.

Commr. Campione stated that she believed that the idea was not to allow the connection to Anderson Hill Road, but any connection would require those listed improvements.

Commr. Parks clarified that he had stated he did not think there should be any access but that they should still consider other mitigated measures in looking at the traffic impact to the road.

Mr. Heath suggested that Commr. Parks make changes to the letter that Commr. Sullivan sent last week, and the Board would discuss that under Commr. Parks’ business at the next meeting in order to keep staff from being in the middle of a policy issue of the Board.  He added that he could put this on the April 4 agenda, since the Clermont City Council is scheduled to hear this issue on April 11.

reports - commissioner campione – district 4

congratulations to firefighters

Commr. Campione also wanted to congratulate the firefighters that were involved in the rescue of the children in Leesburg for a job well done and asked that the Board do a formal ceremony of recognition with presentation of a proclamation.

keep lake beautiful meeting

Commr. Campione reported that she had attended a Keep Lake Beautiful meeting on Monday, March 20, and she listed some of the activities and cleanup events the group had been doing, including an Astatula cleanup on March 4, an urban forestry institute on March 17, and a Mascotte and Groveland community cleanup on March 18.  She opined that the events were all very successful and announced that there was an upcoming event the following Saturday, March 25, at Gilbert Park in Mount Dora.  She listed other upcoming events, including a cleanup at Black Water Creek in conjunction with the Lake County Water Authority and the Forest Service on April 1, beautification of a memorial of the Marshall football team in Eustis in conjunction with the Girl Scout Troop, and an Earth Day cleanup in Clermont on April 22.  She commented that this program has been very well received by the community, and a lot of the focus of the group has been turning to how they could engage the community in order to change some of the behaviors to stop people from littering.

reports – commissioner blake – district 5

astor chamber of commerce meeting

Commr. Blake related that he spoke to the Astor Chamber of Commerce last week and mentioned that staff has resolved some dock safety issues in that area, which were appreciated by the residents there.

dedication of engine 52

Commr. Blake reported that he participated in the dedication of Engine 52 on Saturday morning, March 18, which was the fire truck that took the call in Leesburg where the children were saved as part of their mutual aid agreement.  He thanked Lake County Fire Rescue for all of their service.

commissioner sullivan – chairman and district 1

update on county manager search

Commr. Sullivan gave an update on the County Manager search, noting that there were 91 different resumes or applications submitted, 24 of which met some part of the criteria that the County had set out, and they have submitted resumes to the Florida Association of Counties to get their recommendations and opinions.  He gave a timeline of the search, and he stated that they will have the top five to seven candidates chosen by April 4.  He explained that they would have roundtable interviews on April 17 where they would sit with each applicant for about a 45-minute period with a public reception to follow that would give those applicants an opportunity to meet the community.  He elaborated that there would be a short question and answer session with the candidates at the BCC meeting on April 18, and the goal would be for the Board to make a recommendation at that meeting about which candidate would receive an offer.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 12:09 p.m.

 

__________________________________

timothy i. sullivan, chairman

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

________________________________

NEIL KELLY, CLERK