Welcome to the city of Eustace uh commission meeting. The date is August 21st, 2025. The time is 6 pm. Uh please join us uh for the invocation in the pledge of allegiance. Invocation led by Pastor Renee Hill. Pledge of
allegiance led by Commissioner Emily Lee. Please bow your heads with me. Dear heavenly father, we enter your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise, asking that you forgive us of all shortcomings. We desire that our
ways please you. We have assembled together as a group united in passion and purpose. We pray for unity and peace in our meeting today. For you are a God of peace. Help us to be respectful as we discuss items that are on the agenda.
We ask for your presence and guidance and everything that is said and done. We pray for open minds and hearts in our leaders and citizens. We ask for your wisdom as we navigate the complexities
of items on the agenda. So we lift this meeting up to you, dear father. May your presence be felt in every decision made and may we work together for the betterment of our community. Eustace the city be beautiful. God you are the
builder of all things. Please lead and guide our leaders. Help them to come up with effective strategies that can enable them to move forward as a team and in a meaningful way. Help them to generate good plans
that are practical, sustainable and easily implemented. Let them not become weary in welloing. guide them for the best way to take action to accomplish the goals and
vision that has been set forth. Help our leaders to tackle all the topics that are that are to be discussed, come up with excellent solutions and leave this meeting inspired and with a sense of accomplishments.
Let the actions in this meeting be valuable to our aim, which is to accomplish a common goal. We realize that some decisions are not easy. So therefore, let us continue to pray. Loving Lord, we thank you and believe
that you listen to us. Please help us listen to one another. Help us not to esteem ourselves more highly than we ought to. Thank you for we believe that you will withhold no good thing from the
city of Eustace and the residents. Psalms 23:1 states that the Lord is our shepherd. We shall not want. Romans 8:28 states that we know that all things work together for the good of those that love
the Lord and that is called according to his purpose. Last but not le least, I lift up our amazing city leaders. Mayor Hawkins, Vice Mayor
Ashcraft, Commissioner Holland, Commissioner Lee, Commissioner Asbait, City Manager Corino, Assistant City Manager Barrows, Chief of Police Capri,
Fire Chief Swanson, City Attorney Garcia, and all our city employees. I pray that you bless us and keep us. Lord, make your face to shine upon us and be gracious
unto us. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Please join me in the pledge. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Madame clerk. Madame clerk, is there a quorum and proper notice been given? Yes, Mayor Hawkins. Okay, thank you. Uh, agenda update, Tom.
Yes, sir. Um, uh, hold on a minute, please. Okay, I'm sorry, Tom. Um we had uh prior to the meeting we had talked about adding uh something under presentations. Um you were uh you had mentioned maybe
adding something after 3.4. Yes. After 3.4 I'd like for the uh the principal and uh and staff from Eustace Heights Elementary to come and make the introduction uh short introduction and then we'll
continue after that. Okay, we'll add that uh after 3.4. Okay, thank you. Anything else? Okay. All right. Approval of minutes. Uh can I get an approval of minutes? June 17, 2025, city commission meeting and August
7th, 2025 city commission meeting. Second. Okay. Roll call, please. Commissioner Lee. Hi. Commissioner Ozbody. Hi. Vice Mayor Ashcraft. Hi. Commissioner Holland. Hi, Mayor Hawkins. I
Okay, next up, presentations. Uh, uh, Representative Cobb. Oh, is Senator True now here with you? Yes, his aid is Oh, Eric is here. Oh, Eric. Eric,
you want to come up with Eric? You want to come up with Representative Cobb? Nobody takes the spotlight from her 100%. Everything was on her today. Come on in. I appreciate it.
Good evening, city commission, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners, city manager, madame attorney, and staff. I am here to present you. We are here to present the city of Eustace today with a
check on a project that I started before I left the city commission. $12 million project that we saw through with this commission and also the help of with Senator Truno's office, myself with my staff,
and certainly not last but certainly not least was Continental Strategies. They tr helped us tremendously. Um it is uh two different projects. One was the Northshore Bridge project, but the big project of them all was out at uh the
Coolage project out at Rosenwald Gardens. Um Eustace hasn't seen a project the magnitude of this side in many, many, many years. And I am very proud to present you a check. And so I would like to have my staff come up, my
legislative aid, Eric Rundo and my um district aid Faith along along with Ashley from Continental Strategy and certainly not last but not least is Eric with Senator Truna's office. So we were going to we would like to present you with a check for 2
million78,978. [Applause] Um, Representative Cobb, may I ask uh Rick to come up because he's You're supposed to be up here.
I will tell you, um, I bothered Rick tremendously. Tremendously. I bothered Rick and without a narrow [Music] key. [Applause]
Thank you for everything. Thank you. And we have one more presentation um to Trout Lake Nature Center and it is for um the um the education complex that they have uh and it is for half a
million dollars. So we are proud [Applause] Do that again. Come on. Thank you. And just for your information, we are
phase of phase three versus October 9th. Thank you. [Applause]
Senator's been a good supporter. say something. Yeah. Just Yeah. Uh I'd like to thank Rep. Cobb and uh uh Senator Trunow's office for not
forgetting the city of Houston. Uh and you know uh we went up to uh a legislative days uh a couple of months ago and the work that Continental Strategies put in and it was unbelievable. Uh I think that was money
well spent. Uh and this tells you that was money well spent. But thank you so much. Uh we appreciate everything you did when you were here and even more now that you're up there. So we expect twice as much next year, right?
Okay. All right. Thank you so much. It's my pleasure. Okay. Next up, uh USUS Police Department badge pinning ceremony. Chief. Yes. All the officers that are getting sworn please go off. We're going to swear to you at one time and that individual will have your loved ones or
family members. related to all. I state your name. A citizen of the state of Florida. Citizen of the state of Florida and of the United States of America and of the United States of America and being employed as a police officer. and being employed as a police officer
of the city of Eustace of the city of Eustus do solemnly swear affirm do solemnly swear affirm that I will support protect and defend I will support protect and defend the Constitution and government the Constitution and government of the United States of the United States
and of the state of Florida and of the state of Florida against all enemies against all enemies domestic and foreign domestic and foreign and that I will bear true faith and that I will bear true faith loyal and allegiance the algiance to the same that I am entitled to hold office
that I am entitled to hold office under the constitution under the constitution that I will faithfully perform that I will faithfully perform all of the duties all of the duties of the office of a police officer of the office of a police officer of the city of Houston
of the city of Florida of which I'm about to end of which I'm about to enter so well begun so well be [Applause] We're going to have individual family members about to do the actual opinion. I don't think you want to sit me here
and talk. Uh Nicholas Smith, his father Jerry Jerry did. Little bit about Chantel. She worked with me in Daytona Beach uh for years. And her husband Jack Murray, one of the best sergeants I ever worked with. Jack,
come on up. I think you're doing the pin. You bring up too if you want. Jack worked for me. Uh Motors came out. He was my go-to guy. If I needed something done, day or night, he got it done. I tried to recruit him here, but he said he was done. Watch out.
Ladies and gentlemen, And he's going to be ped by our own very own office. Whoa. Looks good. [Applause]
Come on up. his beautiful wife. Kevin comes to us from Lakeland. He's got some experience and we're glad to have him here. [Applause]
and her mom Hannah G. Please come on up. Ladies and gentlemen, These officers have been working and they're much needed. I'm proud to say we just hired one more recently. We're at full staff. Uh when I came here, we're down seven officers and now we're at full
staff. So, uh people want to come here. They're very proud of our city. We do a great job in the community and we're proud to have them and I can tell you they're dedicated and we're blessed. Thank you. [Applause] Hey,
bring them back up for a picture. Congrat. Next up, we got a promotion and this is going to be the second generation Houston police officer. W come on up. promoted to corporal. It was actually effective Sunday, this past Sunday. So, he's
already been on the street. I read his reports this uh this morning. They were excellent, by the way. Very good job. Had that talk last week. So, Wayne's father, Perry Senior, retired from Houston Police Department. It's good to see the retirees come out and support. We try to
keep retirees together because once you serve as a used to Scott, you should always be remembered and always be welcome. Uh he's going to be pinned tonight by his girlfriend Rachel Sanderson. Rachel, come on up. [Applause]
[Applause] No way. Floor is yours. man. Uh, last but not least, Ar. Uh, I'm big into the leadership training. Uh, we we have to have our
people trained. A poor trained police officer is not effective. So I spent a lot of money in training whether I send them to the FBI academy or police executive research forum, senior management institute of police or any kind of training to get these guys. I'm I'm going to send them guys and girls.
So Sergeant Arnold, he just graduated from the Florida Leadership Academy class 60 and he represented 42 criminal justice agencies from around the state for this four weeks of leadership training and it was in Claremont which worked out pretty good for us. So they go for a week, one week a month, right? Is that what it was? One week a month
and for four months and then they they graduate. So, he was a graduate of session 60. I just wanted to acknowledge him for that because he's been a sergeant a couple years and and he's he's really stepped his game up here and any little bit of training networking that we can do to make our people better, we owe it to the taxpayers that pay a lot of money and we're going to
give you your money's worth. So, congratulations. Thank you. Good. Okay. Thank you. Thanks, Chief. And congratulations to all. Okay, next up, uh, Heights.
Uh, Dr. Dr. McCall, principal at Eustace Heights, uh, elementary school. David Jordan's going to leave. We'll acknowledge David because he's leaving. Uh, oh, before, uh, before we leave, uh, Mr. Jordan, uh, we'd like to thank you
for, uh, coming and joining us joining us tonight. Uh, and we want to make sure you didn't leave without us acknowledging you. So, so thank you for coming. We're going to keep him. Okay. Okay.
Oh, wait a second. Okay, Dr. Co. All right. Good evening. And good evening everyone. Thank you so much for having me. My name is Dr. Wanita McCall. I'm the proud principal of Eustace Heights Elementary School. I have two of my lovely assistant principles here with me tonight. Miss Stephanie Bence and
Miss Courtney Franklin. Um Mayor Hawkins asked me to come tonight and just introduce myself to you all and tell you a little bit about me. So first I would like to say that I am a proud product of Lake County schools. I attended Dabney Elementary School that is no longer um
here. Um, I then attended Oak Park Middle School and I graduated from Leburg High School. So, um, I say that to say I'm a proud product because the amazing education that I got here in Lake County really shaped me for who I am. Uh, my elementary school principal,
Mr. Johnson. My middle school principal was Mr. Elchinko, and my high school principal was Miss Valz. And I say all that to say I remember each of them because they really impacted me and shaped me so much to be in the role that I'm in today. Um, I'm I'm here today.
I'm excited to be here. I'm here to do um we're looking forward to getting more involved in the USUS community this year and finding a way that we can partner with the city of Eustace. And we are here to make you hikes the best school in Lake County. So, thank you for having me. Thank you for taking the time to uh uh
to come and and greet greet the commission. Um, one of the things that that that that we've done is we've reached out to uh tutors to help with reading, things like that. So, if anyone has the time uh and of course the
ability uh uh to to uh uh to read to some kids to to to help our kids, please reach out to the school. So, thank you. Yes. Thank you. Okay. Next up, uh, presentation by
Continental Strategies. Oops. Quite quick. Thank you guys for having me. I'm also a proud alumni of Eustace Heights Elementary School. So, yeah. All right. Um, I was excited to see that. It's hard
to follow all this really great stuff and then come and talk about the Florida legislature. But um I have included in your packets um a summary of what happened this legislative session. I've spent a lot of time with you guys up in Tallahassee the last two years and it was, you know, the highlight of my
session is when my hometown comes up and you guys are so lovely and everybody remembers you not just because Representative Cobb, but because they know that's where I'm from and um it's how important it is to bring back resources to our community. So, um, I
was I'm happy to go through all of what I packed into this presentation, but I also know that there's a lot of people here that have a lot of important things to discuss. So, I know I talked to the best city manager in the state of Florida about um I know you guys had
some concerns about uh Senate Bill 180. Yes. Um, and so I, you know, it came up so quick last session. I've already talked to our wonderful delegation about it and uh you know my thought would be that we would work with the delegation to
address it narrowly so that we're still you know trying to keep posttorm rebuilding happening but without stepping so far on the toes of local government. Um and you know is there are there any questions that you guys have for me or would you like me to go through the whole presentation?
I just want to be cognizant of your time. No, Ashley, I just thank you and Continental Strategies for staying in contact with us throughout the whole session. Uh there wasn't a day that we didn't receive an email or some kind of update from either you or Tom and we do
appreciate that because it's the only way we keep involved is well, you know, as things come up, I appreciate that you send them to me. You know, we're happy. Tom Tom D couldn't make it today, but uh he sends all of his love. I think he feels like he's a
member of the city of Eustace now. Um, but you know, if there's things that we could be doing, you know, in the off season on grants and other things, we we try to keep you guys up to date on that. But I look forward to seeing what your policy agenda will be for next year and continuing to work with our delegation
on it. Um, you know, I love I love representing you. I love this is one of my favorite clients to come home to because I get to be taken care of by my mom and dad who live here still. So, um, and I can't wait to see all the all the great things that happen with the money that, you know, have come the last two
years. So, this it's it's an honor to be here with you guys. Thank you. We really appreciate. Thank you. And I if I could quickly I I want Ashley, I want to thank you and Tom and the entire team. Um, a big part of of
our relationship with you is the access uh that you get us the doors that you open for us literally and figuratively. I mean, you get us in to talk to people uh who are really influent influential at the state level and we really appreciate everything you do. So,
I appreciate that you guys take the time to come up there. I don't know that if everybody here understands how important it is, but for you guys to take two days out to come and meet with everybody, it's they they can hear it for me and I'm from here and they understand how important you is to me. But when they see you guys talk and light up and talk
about the lives that are going to change from these projects that you guys are doing, this isn't just oh, you know, a small thing. This is going to change the lives of a lot of people. Uh it it means a lot that you guys come up and do that. So, you make my job a little bit easier because everybody knows who you
are and they see it on the the agenda and they're excited to see you guys. If you if you could keep an eye on a lot has occurred between DOT and Duke Energy that in my opinion has really devastated the city at least from a
aesthetics point and uh I'm not sure how it all evolved completely but I think we need to rely on you to help us uh look out for our community. Yeah, I'm happy to do that. Um, you know, just flag stuff for me and I can start. You can see the polls. You don't need to be flagged.
We'll uh start. Well, I just drove in. I had a rental car Snafu, so I was like cruising in on a new rental car right before this meeting. But I will, you know, why don't we set up a call with Tom and we'll um we'll start meeting with DOT. I know they're here today somewhere. They hear from us a lot. So,
I'm happy to to try to navigate that for you guys. Okay. Something. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay, next up, uh, Chief, uh, fire department ISO rating presentation.
[Applause] Look at this thing. It's kind of loose. Turn it over to the young one. You think I'm long-winded, right? Yes. Look at that. So, uh, this is a project that's been
going on for five years. Our ISO rating is is a five-year event. Um, what's kind of different about this one is in the last 20 years, I used to always do the ISOs. Uh, this year, oddly, uh, I didn't ask him to, Mr. Keller, my deputy chief
here, stepped in and really took the reigns on it. So yeah, I get the credit for it being the chief and all, but he he really did an astronomical uh amount of work to get this done and we got a really great score for it. So for that, he didn't know he was getting this today, but it's just a certificate of my
appreciation for the work that you did. It was and your reward is when the slides come up, you can you can talk. Good evening, commissioner. So, uh, this year we went up four points. Uh, 2019 we were at 84. Um, and
this year we went up to an 88.77. Um, so we are we're getting closer to the ISO one. So it's right now we're top 10% for the fire departments within the nation. we get to ISO one, we're going to be in the top 1% of all fire departments in the nation.
So, the key opportunity for us uh with this with this recent evaluation uh was staffing and station employment. We need to start thinking about the future and our growth uh that's happening in the city and get prepared uh to meet the demand of our our citizens.
So, this is a little bit of a breakdown of our 88.77 I was just talking about. Uh, the top one is community risk reduction. Uh, we're at the maximum 5.47. We're just shy of 5.5. Water
points. We got a few points uh to catch up in that area. We're going to work with the water department, see what we can do to make up those areas. Fire department points, 39.36 out of 50. We we missed some points on that. We're
doing everything we can internally. One of the big key points that we're missing is staffing. We have to increase um our communication center. They did fantastic. 10 out of 10 and all agencies within the county benefited uh from our dispatch center. So, we were very
grateful that they got a 10 out of 10 for us. Next up, um community risk reduction. We're going to work on those a little bit of points on the code enforcement side. Um, safety education. You guys see us all the time doing programs. We're involved
with the community. So, we hit all all of those points. The investigation side, we do have an investigator in in house and we also rely on Lake County Fire Marshals to come in and do our investigation. So, we met everything on there. We got
going um and we have another gentleman that's within our department that's interested to investigate as well. department score water system capability is is kind of our big hang up. Uh so we're going to go back and reevaluate some numbers and see see what we can do
to improve those points. Uh dispatch, as I said, 10 out of 10. They they helped us out tremendously. Back to the fire department. So engine company, we're we're doing well. We're 5.4 out of six. Our reserve pump, we got max credit. Our pump capacity almost
max. Our ladder service company 1.51 out of four. We're getting hit because of staffing. And our tower wasn't fully in service yet. They gave us points, but staffing, we're required to have more people on that truck uh to get the full points.
Um reserve letter, they gave us full credit. Our deployment model, there's some uh points left on the board there. Staff is going to come back into play. Um, as the city grows, well, I'm going to show you guys a picture here in a minute of the city. We have two key areas that we're we're kind of missing.
Um, so, and then personnel, uh, we're 8.11. Uh, we need to increase that to to 11 or 12. Training, we're doing everything. We train consistently every day. We're doing everything we can to make sure our citizens were safe and our guys are
trained up uh with current uh risk within the city. Uh operational considerations were going well. So long-term fire department strategic plan. This is a current map of the city of US and the orange maroon color on the
bottom left is station 22 with a fivem minute response. Uh that is the national standard. It wants to be 5 minutes or under for all calls. The uh the purple up top is station 23. That is their five minute response. Okay. So, we have some areas in the
southeast that it's going to take us over 5 minutes to get to. The average for us to get to 44 from station 22 is 9 minutes. Um station up in the northwest is our other area up in Grand Island Reserve. It's going to take us 10
minutes to get up there. It's 23 busy. closest station in that area, but if they're busy, we're next up and down at 22. It's going to take us a while to get there. So, we need to start looking at uh stations in the southeast
and the northwest. You guys have any questions? Um Sean, um could you let everyone know if about the ISO and how it affects insurance rates and things like that? Yes, sir. Uh so ISO um I just was in a
class this week um and one of my lead instructors he's been in the power service for 40 years he has an ISO contract. I said hey what is the average uh savings of going from a 2 to1 one and the average savings for our residential and commercial side is 3%. Uh typically
you're going to see a better of an increase on the commercial side but the residential side does see benefit as well. Okay. So us going to that one our are going to see a benefit in their insurance. Great. Okay. Just just very proud.
Yeah. My grandfather started to work with the Eustus Fire Department as a volunteer in 1920s and retired in ' 64. Um and over the years I've been able to watch that fire department as I've grown up here. Um and I just couldn't be prouder to
where we are today. And it's because of the two of you and the leadership team that you have assembled. Thank you. And and I just reiterate that slide with the fire department, the the deployment model and the training. Those are the two big pieces for us and those where our good scores were at.
So that's that's our people. So we're really proud. Job well done. Thank you so much. Great job. Uh next up is a presentation by Florida Department of Transportation. Uh Phil
the presentation. Mhm. Oh, there. I'm sorry. I look over there. I wasn't there. Yeah. Yeah. I just I didn't see it on the screen. Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, city commission. I'm Philip Majjo from the Florida Department of Transportation. We
got Rohan McDonald here. We're here to give you a brief presentation on the State Road 19 project that we have going on in your fair city. Okay. Thank you. Carry you through a little bit of history here with us. Um some of the numbers not so big for you guys to worry about, but we have Southland Construction as our contractor, KCA was
our designer, and our construction engineering team is Eisman and Russo. The Sab 19 corridor was identified as a candidate for multimodal enhancements for pedestrian and bicycle. This is somewhere around 2019 to 2022. Around that time, there was a walking
tour that went on throughout the city. Some of you folks weren't here during that time, but a partner with the city of Eustus, the use PD, the fire department, local businesses, and this group called the New Vision for Independence, who helps folks that are maybe visually impaired or have other issues unable to walk around. So we all
got together and walked the city with the goals of having to encourage a safe driving speeds as well as to enhance connectivity and the safety for pedestrians going through your city. The results of this kind of came out. I'll give you the brief overview here. As you can see from the project starting
on the south, we're the RFBs which are the rectangular reflective excuse me um rapid rectangular flashing veins. Uh the umbrelling and the APS which is the on pedestrian signal. That's we're going to focus on Drum Street right here. But you can see this was on Norton Avenue as
well as Lemon Avenue was the recommendations as we move a little further to the north. considering those again. Uh having over here going up Grove Street, having them there at McDonald on both ends, uh doing race crosswalks at Magnolia Avenue and then having reconstructing traffic signals,
upgraded pedestrian crosswalks to the RFBs and in the lighting on both ends of Orange and then Lakeshore Drive where there was already an existing signal is going to be to upgrade those signals and add some additional addition signal lighting. Again, moving a little bit further to
the north, we have one more race concrete crosswalks, the RFB, some more lighting, reconstructed areas going on on Grove. On the opposite side over there at Bay Street, we have the same going on. Race crosswalks and reconstruct the traffic signals at Clifford, which mayor, you and I talked
about that at one point in time. It was so disheveled over there that it was like we couldn't actually upgrade it to touch it. It was falling apart. We couldn't reconnect it. We could we we actually had to replace everything inside. Okay. We also have the extended curbs and upgraded sidewalks also going along the bay. And in the final segment up towards
the north end of the job, we have the RFB inro lighting and APS at one of the crosswalks over there around just the streets. All right, we're going to go to some activity updates. Rohan, I'll hand it over. So, um, so the project actually kicks
off back in August 2024 with an emphasis that was placed on getting the balls completed as well as also the raising sections. um through through major coordination between the city and contractor and department we're able to make um plenty of progress along the
way. So we actually get um started with the raising the sections. So at this time the raising the sections are 80% complete. The only thing left for the contractor at this time is for us to finish the friction course and also adjust the ramps um to make sure make
sure we're smooth transition. Currently we have raising sections at Magnolia Avenue northbound and southbound, Gotcha Avenue northbound, Clifford Avenue, and McDonald Avenue South. Um, next up is the RFBs. Right now we're
80% complete as well. One thing remaining is getting the wire pulled in and also getting the electrical service installed and that will wrap up all the RFB uh installation. Currently locations are we at U Magnolia Avenue, northbound and southbound,
Clifford Avenue, McDonald Avenue, Lemon Street, and Bachi Avenue. Uh ball bouts. So currently all the balls are 90% complete. Um the only one right now we have left is ones in the southeast corner at the intersection of
Orange and the Orange and Bay Street. Um so with the balls installed, that's going to give able to allow at the sight sight distance for motorists pulling out intersections and also allow for pedestrians to have more visibility
across the street. Uh signal upgrades. Right now we're 50% complete. Um this project has a lot of signal upgrades on there. We go we have everything from installing new string
poles to new um new string poles to new signal heads going up. We also raising uh raising intersections. We also need to string all the RF RF together as well.
Uh curves right now the curves are 90% complete. seems to like everything is happening around that um orange and orange and bay intersection seems to be like the worst situation right now. But uh whatever we're trying to get that
kind of squared away um so just want to note one picture the one that's up in the top u far right far left corner that one was actually a coordination with the fire department after meeting with the fire department they kind of mentioned some concerns about actually the curve taking the curve by the police station.
So, we went ahead and and go in there and actually take out a Dcurve and put in an E-Curve to allow your put a big um a lot of trucks they make that maneuver safely. So, approach that burst into the T curve and the E-curve one is basically a flat
face curve. The other one's mountable. So, there's a difference. It allows the fire truck to cross over that curve instead of running directly into it. Okay. Okay. So landscaping u this project itself we do have a landscaping going in you know we install plants from single
palms to a jasmine to the war holl and also current peanuts. Right now the contract itself is we're going to finish installing the sable bombs but we also prepping the beds for the ground cover to be installed shortly. the drainage
items. Right now, we're 98% complete on drainage items and back at, you know, Bay and Orange, we still need to get that structure installed. Uh, structure S 407 that needs to be installed. What What What is What is that exactly? Okay, so that's a drain structure that
goes in in the southeast corner. Um, so whenever we put in that curb and they're ramping that southeast corner, there's going to be a French drain that connects that structure that also tie in that 54 in that goes towards the lake.
So all that will be tied in together. So originally our plan called for us to put in a smaller box in that location. But however when we open up that area, we found that box down there. So we had to make modifications and actually redesign
that location to accommodate this new structure. Okay. This is a little more volume that goes under the road in the French and also a little more volume inside that box. We all know that's been a situation for many, many years. I'd love to say this project is going to take care of that, but ultimately it's the lake that controls the outfall. We're we're a
strong state division, but I'm not too good on moving lakes. Is there um opportunities to water the plants that you put in? Did you put any kind of watering system into the mop outs where you have the ground cover? No. So, right now, we're going to
install the plastic. This this contract doesn't have irrigation a part of contract. Why? The design for the plant the design for the plantings and whatnot basically said so that they were almost ascape so they were not going to need a longterm
type system that so is it Florida friendly plants or is it Florida friendly plants that are in there? Yes, they're all plants. ADA ramps. ADA ramps are currently ongoing at multiple locations. You know,
most of the ramps are already built, but we still need to put on the ADA mats on there. Um the currently in terms of the brick papers, we do have a brick paper needs to be completed on Bay Street at Magnolia. U
back to the to the bricks. So, anybody have any idea? Does anybody have any idea how many bricks are actually out there? Does anybody have any idea roughly how many bricks are out there? Neither did we. Uh so as we've been going along and partnering, we have an LFA with y'all to go ahead and provide some of these
bricks and whatnot. We were just doing some got some more from Tom's folks and Rick's folks and turns out we need 3,000 more. Oh yeah. So that's one of those. So we told our contractor, "Go find bricks." So it was one of those things. Whoever thought, right? You figure you pick a brick up, you put it back down. That's
not the case. A lot of them, a lot of them break as we're doing this. And so with the stuff we've had to come up with, we need additional 3,000 bricks. Okay, great. Okay. So, so to enhance the aesthetic of the project, uh, a clean team was established. Um, this clean team is
going to focus on, you know, we eating when necessary, sweeping, and also pick up later and also just kind of make sure the project, you know, aesthetics is up to par. I got a question. This morning I saw him picking up litter and I hadn't seen them do that. Did they do that because you all are coming tonight?
No. No. No sir. Not in particular. But you're right. It would have been a good forethought. So if you just let me know about where you live. Um maybe we can. Yeah. Yeah. And and also on top of that, um the
project will be swept twice a week with a with a with a mechanical sweeper as well. How long does that all this go? Yeah. How long will this go on for? So that's going to go on until we get out of here. And when are you what does that schedule look like? Uh so right now exactly where we at? So
um the anticipated completion right now we're looking at October 2025. Uh the project uh contract amount is uh 12.4 4 million. Um, we actually started this project back in August 2024. And so far to date, we have paid the contractor
$6.7 million. Okay. And we're on schedule. You're on schedule to make that date. Right now, yes, we are. Okay. I I have a question. Oh, I know. Go quick questions and answers. Okay. Um, I saw this huge truck trying to make a
right turn onto Orange Avenue. I mean, onto um Grove from Orange Avenue. I think one day all of these signs are going to be gone because he was on that on the curb and on top of it and trying to and I think about the ladder truck. How how are they going to why is that so
that they can't make that turn and it's so difficult? So at um making a right or left under make it they're on Orange Avenue and they turn right onto Grove. It's the corner right out here.
Okay. Right. Yes. Yeah. So, that's one location that we looked at. Um, because of the buildings and stuff like that, we could not really push out the radius any further to allow for the e for the ease of maneuverability of trucks to make that turn. So, um, as as it currently as
currently is, we kind of push back all the radiuses as far as we could go. So, you can't fix that. I actually have a picture of a truck and it's it's a it's mind-blowing. So I always fear that one day one's going to come through and all the sign everything's going to be
wiped out because of them trying to make that turn or a fire truck or something. So I'm say we uh that's one location that we previous previously looked at. We go back and take a second look at it to see if there's you know absolutely um if we could make any type of adjustment to
or if we can make that bump out uh I think you called it a E versus a D where it's a lower profile where a truck can if he has to roll a little over it. So we'll look at that usually that it's not so much in the pedestrian areas because we want the decurb so it's not mountable otherwise the car will come across the
vehicle in there. So we will definitely take a look at it though. Commissioner Ashcraft is brought up to our attention. Yeah that's very important. Yeah. Yeah. One of the things and I and I don't know if if can you explain the reason for the ball bounce at the um
at the intersections? Yeah. Yes. So the so the ball bass itself around intersection um so if we if we just picture a car or a pedestrian you know standing at the intersection right we need to make sure that a car because most of the times it's either we
have a front we have a front sight distance and a back sight distance. So we need to make sure that if a car or someone is standing there that when they dive down to get into those parking spaces they're not diving onto the pedestrians. So that's the reason why we're going to have to keep that buffer to allow for safer to protect the
pedestrians. that's actually, you know, crossing the streets. Now, is that something that you all came up with or is that federally mandated? So, that's that's part of her design standard and that's all it does kind of go back to federal because all of our
standards does go back federalally. Okay. And and and if I could if I could piggy back off of that for a second. So, the ballouts are essentially to help sight distances. Yes. But a lot of the ballouts now have palm
trees in where some of the sight distances are. Hang on to that question. Why why why can't we answer it now? Well, I say we got a couple that question a couple. Okay. Uh and and and please while we're doing
a presentation, please no comments uh from the gallery. Please go ahead. So we did receive a few questions uh yesterday. So we decided to you know throw them in the presentation because this could be a benefit for everybody as well. Uh one of the question that was
thrown in there was uh the project was project was to promote safety. Uh so you took away the parking spaces to improve line of sight but you are putting palm trees in the area where the line of sight are
like this right. Okay. So, so the type of palm trees that was proposed for this client was intentionally chosen right to be less than 10 in wide and also have a eight at 8 ft high uh clear height so that not
interfering with that sight distance. But why even put a palm tree in that ball belt if it's next to a intersection where someone needs to have a a a better line of sight to pull out? So because of the size of the tree that's chosen. Yeah. That does not really interfere with
that. If we put a bigger like say if we go up to a 12 or something. So that's why these trees were particularly chosen. Okay. So next question that we had um was there palm tree considered near around the do power lines? Uh the and yes to
that is uh the original landscape plans were designed with the lighting plants. some of the lighting poles that have Duke Coral lines on them in mind. The lighting aspect of the project has been removed and will be completed by Duke at a later date. Landscaping plans will be
adjust so we actually adjusting the landscape plans to make sure that we taking care of that conflict. So, so when a project like this comes in, I mean, do you and Duke get together because the palm trees are not going to be a problem around distribution lines, but we now have transmission lines in in
in the town. and and I know for a fact that there's some palm trees already um under those transmission lines. So, they are probably going to be um um flagged by Duke for uh probably not now, but as they as they get taller, they will be.
So, why not why not collaborate with Duke now to see where those are ideally supposed to be? Okay. So before so when the project was designed we actually send out plans including roadway plans, signal plans, landscaping plans. All those plans is transported to utility. Utility has a
chance to look at those and then provide comments back. Okay. Um but we actually met with Duke in the field yesterday and we came up with a few locations that could be of issue and we're working with a do currently to get those resolved. Okay, that's good. Who does the upkeep
on these palm trees? Cuz at some point they do need to be trimmed and all that. So, um, is that left to the city to do? So, right now, so this area will be still maintained by his department. Correct. For how long? How long? Yeah.
So, Oh, come on. Forever as far as I know. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Uh, mark that. Please mark that. With with that with that in mind, when I was driving here today, uh somewhere around
uh Chesley and the corridor between 441 and the split at the police department, there are p palm trees in the medium with tons of dead branches all on there staying attached where they're not being maintained at all. If you could look at that when you leave, you'll see
absolutely there there are some portions that actually belong to the city uh in the medians from about the round the um connection at 441 and 19 coming northwards into town. So those are actually were installed by the city. You have a landscape agreement with us. Um so there are some to take care of. I'm not saying that they're they're all yours. There are definitely some that
are mine as well. Um so we'll definitely take a look at that if it's beyond our construction zone. Um right now we have a a group of folks going through your town right now. My maintenance folks if you've seen them. We've been working on cleaning up the clover leaf. We've been repainting bullnosses, putting out RPMs, you know, sprucing everything back up for you.
Now, Phil, when you met with Duke yesterday, I know they're talking about doing landscaping as well. So, have you all kind of collaborated on who's doing what and who's So, so that's part of what the meeting was, you know, yesterday for us to wander around and go ahead with them and
say one about the conflicts where we could move the trees so that they're not. um in other places they there were some discussions that they've had some discussions with y'all about the um certain protected trees in the city and things that they've been working around. So a lot of that wasn't really brought up um in the beginning when we send out the plans for them for the red, greens
and browns to be able to tell us where the utility is and where the conflicts are going to be. So we're we're you know entering into that discussion with them and we're going ahead and trying to make these decisions before they become a problem. Did I hear you say that you had looked at when you leave the police department
and to turn onto um Bay Street to make that left turn by the coffee shop? That's a scary event. Did I hear you say you looked at that or are you Is that the one that comes back hard on an angle? Yeah, that's the one where we changed the curb. Okay. Yes, ma'am. When we met with the fire department and came out through there,
that's where we changed that curb from that um from the DType, the front face to a mountable type. Okay. Thank you. And they were excited about that. They're also excited about the palm trees, believe it or not. uh because fire chief should be still in here. So he but uh he uh he says they pop right out of the ground when he hits them with the fire truck.
Well, I can I can say that I I know I know this project has had some challenges and Phil I think you and I almost speak weekly um about uh about issues and you guys have been gracious to consider just about anything that um
will you know will promote safety. Um you guys I believe have been some really good partners. I know there's been challenges with some things, but uh thank you for uh coming here tonight and thank you for uh what you've done so far. Thank you for those. Thank you. Will the flooding be eliminated when
you're completed when you've completed the project on Bay and Orange Avenue? So no, ultimately that's what I was discussed a little bit earlier. Um it's the lake that controls the outfall for that. So everything that we're doing today we are dealing with and so that we're not adding in additional storm
water to that as well as doing that French drain and the larger box where we can allow some more capacity because once the system actually fills up it's the head pressure of the lake if so if the pipe has greater head pressure than the lake the water leaves takes about 10 minutes or so for it to get out but in
other cases when the lakes are higher and the head pressure is there it kind of keeps the the storage in the pipes that's why we're adding some additional storage. This project was more about pedestrian safety and the upgrades of that nature. It wasn't so much a storm water project, but but as I just say, you when you guys
identified issues that either we've brought up or you've seen, you've been willing to take action on it when when you didn't have to. Yeah. So, we we've we've closed up some inlets for y'all that have have led to nowhere. We found some terracotta pipe, which is uh you know, one of those old nasty things that you usually try to
crush in place and close your eyes. Um, we're working on another uh bit bit of structure that we have running down I believe you have one of your side streets that come out into our roadway right near the parking lot. And so there's a structure there. We were able to get that cleaned out. Um, looks like there's a blockage about 50 ft into it. Uh, so we're working with Rick and his
staff to try to figure out where that pipe goes. Okay. So that we can do those things. All right. Thank you. Did you say that the bumpouts were not mandated? Did I hear that? No. Okay. Okay. So uh is any other landscape going
to be installed beside the palm trees? Yes, we going to go ahead and add some jasmine, some peras, some diries as well that needs to be we stayed away from the juniper. Uh I know if anybody sees repob later, I know
she hates juniper. So just make that. Okay. And uh another question that came up you know with the storm water flow considered when putting in the the bumpouts. Um question is yes. Um so we also you know make sure we do a spread
calculation work was completed and we also had some fluent drains or slots you know that in those proposed areas that whenever the water gets to those areas they to go through those slots and make it to right behind the curve to get in the drain system. That's that feel answered in terms of
you know will the existing drainage uh concerns go away with this project. Uh this question uh are the new signals going to be timed better to promote better traffic flow along Grove especially at Bates. Um so
Lake County will deploy any timing adjustments to signal. This project will equip each signal with smart signal technology allowing for Lake County DOT to make changes remotely. If any of these get damaged, you you're
responsible to maintain and repair them. And we I guess the city communicates to DOT that that a bump out has been damaged, right? So, we actually have an agreement with Lake County. Um, typically we enter into agreements with the counties for the signal maintenance, but yes, ultimately not for the signal, for the for the curbs, damaged curbs.
Yes. Yes. Yes. We we'll take your Yes, sir. State Road 19. Yes, ma'am. and Phil, uh, DOT is going to go through and they're going to look at everything that was damaged, all the curbing and everything. Abs. Absolutely. We're not going to leave it
leave it broken like that. So, we're going to go through and and fix everything that's been hit or anything that we've had to deal with, even if the fire chief took it out for us. Okay. Um so this one that came up the contrary of take into account business a accesses
you know whenever we're closing particular links u all it does not always happen access to businesses should be maintained at all times regardless of what the contract activity is going on recent events have been addressed by the contractor so comm brought that to our attention
the other day dealing with the coffee shop and whereas the our contractor sub we had two different subs on one side decides he's going to close the lane thinking that the access on the other point was open. The other sub did the same thing. So, they did not coordinate with one another. Although there was access, um it wasn't really a good
tailored access. And I know Rick's folks out there um went out and they actually changed put down some curbing and or actually some cones to help channelize people to let them know that that was open. That is what's supposed to happen. They are not supposed to go out there and just close a roadway without keeping access. Yeah. How do how do you get the how do
you get them to talk together? Because I mean, you know, keeping the access to the businesses has got to be paramount for Absolutely. So, we brought this up to the prime contractor because ultimately we do not have a contract with the sub. We do have a contract with the prime. So, we brought it to the prime's attention and so we've been assured that this is going to be taken care of.
All right. I appreciate that. So the department is committed to m maintaining ongoing communication and partnering with all the stakeholders and just want to make sure that you know if you guys see anything you know you guys you know already know contact Phil maybe contact myself and we just want to make
sure that we do deliver a successful project at the end um at this point you guys have any comments concerns for question everything to include all the planning everything's going to be complete by October that's where we're go All right.
Okay. Anything else? Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Maybe I have one more thing. Sure. I I I know that some of the um some of the commissioners have worked hard on uh trying to deal with a concern from our
local business, mainly Bay Pharmacy. Have we reached an impass on that? Is there any other resolution that can be done to try to allow access and parking for the special needs and handicapped people who are trying to pick up their
medication? Is it I I think you guys might have that answer, but no one shared it with us. So, we we've made our adjustments through there. Um, we had actually shortened up the bulb out on the north end and we also shortened up the bulb out on the southern end to provide the additional parking space that was there
and the city has granted a couple of parking spaces as well inside your parking lot. So, we're trying to keep that um in order to be able to keep that driveway open. We did keep that southern bulb out. We shortened it in half in order to be able to keep that to not only maintain that line of sight, but also to be able to protect people coming out of that parking lot and be able to
go to the the signal at orange. just somehow doesn't seem uh productive. But uh thank you. Okay. Thank you, Commissioner. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, gentlemen. Okay. Next up, uh appointments.
Yes, sir. Uh you have uh before you uh reappoint of Christine Cruz to an alternate position on the code board. Move approval. Second. Okay. A roll call, please. Commissioner Lee, hi.
Commissioner Asbody, hi. Vice Mayor Ashcraft. Hi. Commissioner Holland. Hi. Mayor Hawkins. Hi. Congrats. All right. Thank you. Where'd she go? She's Oh, thank you, Christine. Thanks, Christine.
Okay. Next up is audience to be heard. Please uh uh when you when you approach uh your name uh you're a resident in the city of uh of Eustace um
uh 3 minutes you're allotted uh please um tone attitude uh when you approach Tom do you have any cards? Yes. Uh, Daniel Deanzo. Good evening. Daniel Dvenanzo. I have
several businesses and properties in downtown Eustus where I'm not resident. First thing is, and you didn't start the timer, sir. Oh, okay. Uh I wanted to let wanted wanted to let you know that uh today we celebrated at the uh Waterfront Grill
Barbara Deninger's Bobby Deninger's 84th birthday. She was the grant writer for many years. We've never had as successful a person on the staff as a grant writer. It was awesome because uh 5 days from today is Judy Mary's 84th
birthday. She now has four generations at uh Mary Jewelers. If you can stop in and say happy birthday to her. uh she's outlived her brothers and her parents. Also, uh David Porter was in attendance, 83 years old, uh three generations. So, it's incredible. And of course, George
Warren was in the audience. Uh Three Generations Bay Pharmacy. Uh it was it was a pretty nice uh group and it was wonderful that she actually uh recognized a number of the business owners downtown that she'd worked with through the facade program were there. Uh second thing I want to let you know,
give you a heads up. You're going to see my building uh hit Loop Net and other commercial uh where my office is at 127. That includes the bike shop down to the modern schoolhouse. I put it on the market just so that everybody knows. It's 2.495 million. It represents $118 a
foot. It's a seven cap. Uh I'm not going anywhere. I have three vacant parcels uh that I plan to build properties on. as well as I wanted to let you know that um Counter Impressions is going to be leaving with their manufacturing processes at the corner of of Orange and
Bay Street. And I would have loved to have asked, how does the DOT get away with putting a light pole in the center of the sidewalk so that a handicapped chair can't get around it? Could we do that? There is a light pole stion right in the center of the sidewalk. It's I
mean it it's neither here nor there. The last thing I wanted to uh I wanted to mention also, I would have asked them what's happening across the street at the northeast corner of Orange and Grove, which they tore out five weeks ago and they have yet to finish the uh
the handicap frames. It's just an interesting thing, but I'm glad to hear they're going to be done in October. And then finally, I did want to just remind I don't know if you've had any further uh conversation. Uh Mr. Corino several meetings ago made a comment about the parking study. Uh we were going to do a
parking study. You guys had allotted funds uh for October and he we talked about that um there was a conversation about reassigning funds so that we could kick that off a little sooner. I know this this is August and you know October is only a couple months away but you
know that is very relevant uh to what's going on downtown especially uh with uh you know proposed new development. So, and I'll see you next time. You still have time left. I do have time left. So, and by the way,
my building has 54 parking spots that comes with the building. Thank you, D. Uh, Eileene Traumatano. I'm Eileen Traumatan. I'm here as a private citizen. I do not live in Eustace, but I travel through it all the
time. And I have some concerns about the DOT project, especially when they're talking about zeroscaping. What they're proposing is not zeroscaping. You've taken land that has been compacted because it was previously part of the roadway. They've not taken out any of the compactions. They've thrown in some
clay and some sand and planted cabbage palms. If you look around, you can see how tall a cabbage palm tree will grow. So, you know, it's going to be a problem with some of the power lines. it's not going to thrive very well because again you got compacted soils, you're planting some of your supposed zeroscape plants
and again you don't have the appropriate soils. So it's kind of a concern for me. I'm glad to hear that they're going to maintain it from now on because I looked at it and said a big expense for the city, but having seen the way they maintain some of their stuff, it might not look the way Eustace has looked in
the past. I think the city has maintained it much better. I have concerns as I've driven around because I see people not being able to park and pull out. I was on the street once when an emergency vehicle came along and you couldn't get out. You couldn't let the
ambulance through because of the restrictions and some of their their bowouts do not work. They're not efficient at all. Um, having worked with storm water systems in the past and gone through trout through Eustace when it's been pouring,
I have seen how the flow of the water is and it is not going to go through those little restricted areas and get to your storm water system. And it's not because the lake's up, it's because the water in the roadway can't get through the bulb outs and they're rest few restricted passages. So, I think the city needs to
look at it because I can see in probably eight or nine years, you're going to be ripping all this stuff out. And as a taxpayer, I can look at the amount and say there's a lot of roads here in Florida that need work and they're making a situation much worse here. And to me, it's much more unsafe than it
ever was. Thank you. [Applause] Uh, please, no applause. Uh, Vance Yokum. Yeah, it's that kind of place. No applause,
Vance. So, now you say no applause. Gee, I was hoping for some. Um, yeah, my name is Vance Yokum. I probably haven't been here in a couple years. I write the blog fiscal rangers.com. uh and I'm starting to ramp up uh
getting into a number of things uh related towards uh cost to the taxpayer and other things at all the cities and the county and the school district. And so I just kind of wanted to give you because I haven't been watching your meetings or your budget hearings that you've had in the past. So I don't know
where you are but these are general things that I'm going to be talking about and and reviewing again for all the cities. Um the uh September is the final budget approvals as you know you get the two required meetings and you have those and so I would like you to
take some of these suggestions uh in mind. One is I don't know where you are in using AI. Okay. Over 50% of the corporations in this country are now using AI. They are setting standards such as nobody gets
approval for a new person unless they have reviewed why AI cannot be used to fill that position. And that's bad news for some people, but there's a tremendous amount of undercurrent going out there about a lot of positions that
there. Now, I'm I'm from Tavverarius. I actually am a county taxpayer and so I cannot cannot speak for you as taxpayers except to say that they probably would appreciate if you were to use some of this technology to find ways to reduce
the administrative costs for this city as well as I'm going to say the same for other cities. Um, I would ask that you uh budget the millillage and uh and it cut it uh to meet to prepare for the Dantis ending
property tax. I think that's going to happen and you should be preparing now setting up reserves whatever and have a plan because if he reduces property taxes, you know, there's going to be a scramble. you know, the League of Cities is going to go after them and everything
else and the police departments will and the fire chiefs will and everybody else, but I think they may or may not push it through. But when you read, if you go out there and you read the comments on a lot of the social media, people are really angry about insurance going up,
valuations going up, which boosts property taxes and everything else. And so I really really recommend that you seriously consider going to a roll back rate or even below a roll back rate. Um
the uh yeah Doge is auditing cities. You probably know that they've already gone after four counties and they're going after some cities and there's a tremendous number of people posting things nominating their city, their
county, their sheriff for being audited by Doge and providing that information. And so you should be aware of it. You probably should have somebody monitoring that to see what the issues are and to see where you stand on. I believe in pre preppparing
for something that could be very unsettling. Um and then you talked about bull bull bouts. Is that the name? And you know that comes from agenda 2030. Uh uh and it was it's to slow
traffic down and to encourage people not to use cars. I mean that's exactly what it is and that comes from agenda 2030. So, uh, I think you ought to be aware of that. And I think I've run out of time. So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And I'm sorry I can't you can't apply.
[Music] [Applause] Thank you. George Warren. George. Perfect timing. Oh my gosh. Hey guys, uh my name is George Warren. I'm here for Bay
Pharmacy. I hope you can hear me. Okay, can hear me? Um what are you taking a picture of? Anyway, the commissioners, thank you for letting me talk just a sec. Uh, did get to talk with Phil and his staff just
just while we were taking a little side break. U, I appreciate that Gary and George and to everybody here for helping out. Uh, we did make some concessions at Bay Pharmacy, which I'm happy with, but
uh, I'm kind of a self-proclaimed FD worker is what it is. So I I I'm not a civil engineer, but it doesn't take a civil engineer to say we still have problems. And uh Emily, you brought up some of them tonight. These are these
are um problems that affect the people and that they're upset about it and I know that you guys have heard that but uh it's really a issue which I've just talked to them a little bit about some of the current sets where you're pulling
a boat trailer there's no way to get through there's it's absolutely trying to turn off the large avenue uh going east on Bay Street there um you know at the light there. There's no winter, right? And that's the we're
giving up a lot of space that needs to be looked at. I think um uh FDOT has done a great job in and sharing some things, but u you know, I just wish we had looked at these plans a
little bit better before all this occurred. Uh, I kind of feel like they're going to leave um at some point and we're going to be stuck with it for the next 50 years. So, that's a that's the that's an issue that, you know, let's take care of it now. And I am
encouraged by tonight. I'm glad they came. Um, I'm glad you guys asked the right questions. So, but the you know whether it's storm water drainage or it's just actually getting it around used to if we're making it more difficult for people they'll choose a
different route. U so anyway that's all of from from the FOD expert to you guys. Uh we appreciate you guys and that's I hope that's you never misunderstand me as trying to help but
I'm not here to be a thorn in your side. I'm just saying I've seen things and I can't help but act. I've been I care about you just too much. We're all a lot of us are useless guys, right? So, we grew up here and we want it to be just like it was when we were little, I
guess. But that's not going to happen, but if we're going to grow, let's grow so everybody is happy. Okay. Yeah, that's it. Thank you. Thank you, Joy. Uh Dr. Renee Hill. Good evening.
Good evening. Good evening. I'm Renee Hill along with my husband and um along with my husband, we are senior pastors of Win1 Ministry 301 West Ward Street here in Eustace. Also, I'm lead
chaplain for the city of Eustus Police Department. I'm here simply to say thank you Chief Capri and the city of Eustace. For those who do not know, Chief Capri just recently sent myself and another
officer for training um down in Boca Raton. It was um named uh law enforcement training for chapency. It was amazing. Amazing.
I uh was taught things that I did not know as a chaplain. It was simply amazing. Also, I would like to thank the useless dep um useless police department, Chief Capri,
and the officers for helping us direct traffic and helping us to keep peace at Win1 Ministries when we give out food. Today I would like for you to know and this this is a tremendous project
because if people don't think that they're being treated fairly then they get a little aggressive. But today 2024 to 2025 so far our ministry has given
out or provided food for over 86,000 people. in the city of Yousef and surrounding cities and our ministry has won the award of agency of the year. So, I'm proud of
this and I'm proud to serve in our beautiful city. Thank you, Chief. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations. Uh I have uh a few cards for time of the item, but that's it for audience to be heard. Okay.
Uh is there anyone that would like to speak on an item uh that is not on the agenda? Basically what everyone else is talking about. Oh, F dot. Yeah. Okay. Go ahead. Uh name and please. My name is Chris Lancaster. Live at 813
East Lemon Avenue. two things and f dot ran out so we can't really ask them. The perennial peanut and the asiatic jasmine neither one of those are Florida natives. Uh the asatic jasmine can get a bit out of control. Perial peanut is not too bad to maintain. The
jasmine get too much water, too little water, too much too low. It's like a toddler. Not the best plant to have. So maybe talk to them. I don't know if it's impossible. And secondly, for everyone that's complaining, minus the emergency vehicles, there's a truck around use this for a reason. It's been there for
decades. Okay. Thank you. Uh, anyone else? Yes, please. Russell Robinson, uh, resident of the county, not of the fine city of Eustace. Thank you, commission, for your time. U,
thank you, Commissioner Lee, for your great questions. I pull a 24 foot gooseneck trailer regularly. I have a lot of other people that pull trailers uh coming through Eustace. Now, the truck route is there, but if you're going to the west uh towards Tavaris,
obviously you're driving way out of your way. Um also, Eustace is a city that's vibrant and uses their downtown regularly. First Friday, second Saturdays, uh Georgefest, all kinds of things. And the parking's gone. This ballout stuff is is a joke. And the fact
that they're wasting 12.4 4 million is crazy. I mean, to spend that kind of money to mess up traffic. We've got enough cars coming that traffic will be slow. Yeah, they want to make it safe for pedestrians. It's not because you're looking down for curbs to not hit those instead of scanning out there looking
for pedestrians. So, it doesn't make much sense. Emergency vehicles, again, getting through there, I'm sure you all seen that. That's bad and it hurts the businesses because again we have a prayer breakfast over at Genies there on Tuesday mornings. I have my truck and
trailer. I try to avoid downtown with a truck and trailer because you can't get around and you can't make the turn down here onto Orange. That stuff just needs to go. I know they did the same thing over on A1A in Melbourne. There was a story on channel 2 last week and they got enough complaints that they started ripping
that stuff out because they realized it's not going to work. So hopefully they'll do that and not ruin your city. But thank you all very much for your time. I appreciate it. Thank you. Uh anyone else?
Okay. All right. Uh next, uh Madame Attorney, thank you, Mr. Mayor. We have for second reading ordinance number 25-9, an ordinance of the city commission of the city of Eustace, Lake County, Florida, approving a conditional sign permit for additional signage on the
campus of Orlando Health Emergency Room Facility located at 15719 US Highway 441. We had presentation on this item at our last meeting on August 7th, Mr. Wils. Okay, no additional presentation has been given.
Uh, are there any questions from the commission? Yeah, I read the uh um resolution and I know during the meeting we talked about uh Commissioner Holland brought it up u and I think everybody agreed. We talked about them uh having as part of uh this
agreement the uh a commitment to use only the city of Eustace in their identification and that never made it into any of the documents. yet when we did the uh the voting the motion and the passing uh you did you did mention it.
So yes, I would like to see something from them in there not pertaining to the sign signs a different issue but this is another subject within that agreement. Don't don't we have Sorry. I'm sorry. No, go ahead. But I mean don't they were here on the
record saying that they would they they would they would definitely do that and they know Well, I'll be clear. I I actually spoke to their attorney um earlier this week and Tom also uh received a phone call from them as well and they wanted clarification as to what the
expectations were from the city commission. They have every intention. I mean it doesn't even logistically where it's located. It doesn't make sense not to reference the city of Eustace. They fully intend to use um Eustace location for the signage purposes. Um
they did ask if this extended to having the commission essentially review marketing materials which is completely outside of um what is No, we didn't we for that just but they wanted to confirm. Yes. And their council contacted me and and confirmed that they that that was the
very clear and that they were certainly using um uses as the location reference for this uh the emergency room, not anything like Mount Door or anything like that. So they Do you have that in writing though? They How are we protected for years and
years down the line? And should we be if they made the representation? Um, and I don't think that we would really require anything further from them because that is a condition as far as making sure it's in uses and I'm satisfied with what the their attorney
said. I mean, is there something specific that you wanted to see? because they made the representation on the record and again I I received a phone call from if you're happy that that's binding and and the clerk can put the make sure to mention that in the minutes that way. Uh do you think that would be sufficient?
I I Yes, I'm satisfied with that. Tom, did you want to No, I I had conversations with representatives as well. Uh they are committed to the Eustace brand. Um uh so that that's clear. Um there was some
concern about um adding conditions to the conditional use permit. Um but again they they have committed to the use this brand. So Christine, can you please make sure that you note that the attorney told us that that is
so you know like so by please and George thanks for bringing that up. Why didn't we do the same thing with HCA? Because excuse expression. We we learned from them.
We didn't think about this because we thought that they would do the right thing. Now, the intention of course is that they're not going to be referencing MOA being within Eustace jurisdiction, right? Um but I'm not sure if there's an intent to go
further than that. um as far as what the commission is looking for because at that point we may be crossing certain lines. I think that Gary's right. You know, they they they said it on the record. Uh you know, they've talked to you. Um
to me, I think that should suffice. We get to the minutes and everything. And the attorney is the one. Yeah. attorney spoke to me and the marketing um I believe it was a marketing department that contacted um contacted Tom as well because they wanted clarification as to what that the
used brand condition was. So um they wanted to make sure they were good with what forgive me for asking this but I'm I'm going to did Did we So there's their their sign program did we see Eustace anywhere on on on the
outside of the building with the signs? Jeff, can you help me out with there? From what I recall of the wall sign and the mounted sign, the the monument, it actually didn't reference city. It just says Orlando Health.
So to that point, I mean, we can as a staff because we are reviewing the signed permits as they're coming in. They're not just a go and build it. Just verify, hey, we see something that says Devar's on it or wouldn't say Mount Dora. I would say Daries if anything or Maldora. Yeah.
Yeah. That as long as if they if they brand with a city or reference a city that it is used, right? That's that's the condition that I representatives in the audience. Oh. Oh. And we're not just talking about the sign, though. That's very important. We're also talking about referencing it
in their in their Yeah. Ha dealt with us all the way through and then it was at the sign permitting is where they did the switching room on us and put Maldora on their sign. And by then the comm it it was already commission and I think you brought it up. Yeah, you brought it up and they and
they change many yelling conversations with So that's what I'm trying to avoid. Yeah, I met with the U. Okay. Well, yeah. Okay. Yeah, I think please, if you could just state your name for the record, please. Sure. Good evening, mayor and
commissioners. My name is Rebecca Wilson. I spoke with you. You did? There we go. Um, and what she said was accurate. So 215 North Yola Drive in Orlando, Florida. Um the the sign location here on behalf of Orlando Health. Uh the sign
location plan should be in your packet. Uh the monument sign does show it. It states Eustace. That is part of what you are approving tonight. So we have to bring back signs that look like these signs. So that is part of it.
Our our concern was was is the city now wanting to see our marketing and have it approved? I'm glad that that the answer is no. And and then we were just concerned that
that we didn't want other cities to say, "Oh, well, Eustace made them do this, so now we're going to tell them how they have to to to brand." So, we just wanted to be very clear that that we will build the signs that that you see here. Um,
and just to get a a vote for uh our second hearing tonight. Thank you. I I think the signs are what brought it all up, but it's from a higher level up. It's it's a representation of the facility being located in Eustace and being a
Eustace facility versus being Tavar's or any other municipality. So, the sign is just one that brought it up, but the reference to Excuse me. Hold on a minute. Excuse me. Excuse me, Chief. Chief, excuse me. Chief, chief. Chief.
Chief. Gary. Gary and Chief. What's Okay. Sorry. We're investing millions of dollars of Eustace. We're not here to to hide that. We're very proud. It's just important to us.
We We have heard that. That message has been delivered loud and clear. And And you agreed to to to follow that? Yes. to follow the representation that this facility is a Eustus facility in Eustace. I I I think that's just what where I'm I'm not sure I understand how far that
goes. We agree that the signage will say Eustace. We agree we are being built in Eustace and we're proud to be here. We're just sorry. We're just we're just a little gunshy from I I think we're a little bit paying the price of someone else. Not totally. Yeah. Right. I think that's and also if it
wouldn't say useless at all. I mean the I think the issue we ran into was the fact that it referenced Mount Dora being within us. I can understand how that would be and your agreement to even have Eustace on the sign um is is over and above what we've satisfies
and I think that that would be the extent of that the sign it's a bigger it's the whole thing but like I said in the last meeting I'm very proud of the fact that you all are investing your time and money here in Houston. Looking forward to working with you in the future. I want to make sure
we address Commissioner Asbat concern. What is other than the sign? Is there something else? Yeah, you guys talk keep talking about the sign. Of course, the sign is important. It's one element of it, but it we're we're asking them basically in exchange and part of the concessions
we're making to refer to this facility as being in Eustace. Uh does a mailing address have a Mounting address or does it have used? It's used. Yeah, that that's that's what the federal government gives us, guys. that side of 441 is Eustus. That's what makes a big difference in
that the post the postal address that they have. They're in Eustace, but they have a Mount Dora address. Yeah, we have a little and that won't happen here in Houston. They're going to have a Eustus address, right? It is. Yes. Yeah. We have a weird scenario like the Wells Fargo in Eustace on 441 has a mailing address of Mount
Tora because the post office regulates with a mail. Yes. So that's give you some background. That's where it is. But we welcome you to our town and we want you to be part of it. Love it as much as we do. Thank you. Thank you. And it only extends to the sign and thank you for that. Okay. Thank you.
Okay. Any other question? What was that at the end? It would only extend to the sign as to what we have today. Right. Okay. Any other questions? Okay. Anyone in the audience wishing to speak on this item? Okay. Seeing none, I will close public input. Mr. Mayor, I move approval of orders
25-9. Second. Okay. is been first and properly second. Roll call, please. Commissioner Lee, I. Commissioner Assody, I. Vice Mayor Ashcraft, hi. Commissioner Holland, I. Mayor Hawkins, I. Next, we have for second reading
ordinances numbers 25-20, 21, and 22. We had presentation on this item August 7th. Will there be any additional presentation, Jeff? There is no additional presentation from staff. However, the applicant is here and they did provide us with some
information that may answer some of the questions that you had from the first reading. Okay. Okay. Let me go ahead and read the first uh ordinance title and then we'll proceed with um process. Here we have ordinance number 25-20. An ordinance of the city commission of the city of Eustace, Florida, voluntarily annexing
approximately 10 acres of real property at Lake County Property Appraisers alternate key numbers 104141 located on the east side of the intersection of County Road 44 and County Road 44A. Any questions from for Jeff?
Yes, Jeff. Um, what could go there if it remained in the county? I think we went over this before, but to clarify, yes, it is um I believe it's urban residential or not urban urban low.
Mhm. It is at a county or Yeah, county route intersection, major county route intersection and major county route intersection. It has been a while since I have been into the Lake County's comprehensive plan, but I believe they do still have
commercial location criteria involved. That would be considered allowable. Now, the range and scale that I am not sure of. That is one of those things that would kind of fall to the county commission to make a So, it would be all commercial. It could be commercial. Yes. And it could be residential, right?
And it could be res with a density of I'm sorry. Density. The the residential or the Yeah. Residential density for Lake County under the urban medium is four dwelling units per acre. Four how much? Four dwelling units per acre. Urban low. Urban low. Oh, sorry. Yeah.
Four four dwelling units per acre. Up to four dwelling units per acre. Yes. So we got 10 acres there and 2.8 I think. Right. So 12 is that right? 2.8 is the about 12 12.8. Yeah. 12.8 time four. Yeah. 48.
No. Four four time 20. Yeah. Uh I think you're right, Tom. Uh just last uh meeting we talked a little bit about the fact that there is a county PUD on the property. Correct. That would um upon annexation,
assignment of a city future land use and assignment of a city design district, that PUD goes away. Correct. However, if it were to stay in the county, to answer kind of building on the mayor's question, uh what could it be if it
stayed in the county? the PUD would still be in effect if it were if it were to stay in the county. So would the use if could they only build the uses that were part of the PUD if it stayed in the county currently without amending the
plan unit development. um going to roughly say they had a tract A, a tract A2, a B, and a C I think on all of those properties because it included the other properties that are now kind of built as residential that are going further to
the east. So, a lot more acreage. Um, and I think it allowed on the track A, track AB, and one of the other tracks up to 20 single family, up to 20 multifamily. um as well as the uh bed and breakfast
in one of the existing structures um that were on the on one of those properties within the PUB boundaries. Um and there were a couple of other uses like retreat type stuff um that pretty much covered the gambit of it. So So coming into the city would be less
intrusive. Um it's a lot of acreage under general commercial. It will depend on what the applicant chooses to uh attempt. It's probably subjective. Yeah. What you say to It's probably subjective. Do you would
you rather have 51 residentials or a booming I think one of the people said gas stations there. So I don't know who who decides which one would you rather have 51 residents there or or uh but county wouldn't necessarily be
all residents. Yeah. Urban low is is commercial also. Yeah. Has a commercial capacity in the there are certain criteria under the county's comprehensive plan like they identified nodes of areas that potential commercial go into.
Um in this particular case the criteria for this as collector road and a collector road would warrant potentially the county allowing for commercial to occur. Okay. So, let me ask this then to clarify for myself. So, if it's not annexed into the city and it remains in
the county, uh, hypothetically under one of the conversations, can they still build the gas station there? They can ask the county. Yes. Ask it or is it already? It's not already built in because they're under a planned unit development zoning. So, it has a plan unit development
agreement to it, which may or may not still be valid because the properties have been sold off. I think they've all been distributed outside of what would be developed under the planning development. I don't know that I do not know the legal standing of that
from that standpoint. If the PUD if it remains in the county, does the PUD still stay intact prata to the acreage? The PUD would remain I mean that's what was passed in the county. So they would have they're bound by the PUD. Yeah. as far as for their what uses are
allowed, those are the uses that are allowed because it's tailored specifically for those properties. And and Miss Garcia, are you are you u familiar with uh if a commercial gas station could be in a urban low that's current? I don't know that. You don't? Okay.
Thank you. One thing that if I could point out, uh, if it were to stay in the county and they went to the county for site plan or development approvals and they wanted sewer and water from the city, they would have to come back and apply for annexation.
So now the commission has discretion and the commission could say, "No, we're not going to annex you. You have to develop in the county." And then we would have to figure out do we then have an obligation to provide utilities because they fulfilled their obligation of
applying for annexation. So what I want to point out is if we don't annex them, they stay in the county, they try to develop in the county but need utilities, they then have to come back to us to apply for annexation. And if we deny that annexation, that's not true.
Well, we we provide utilities to people not in the county all the time. Well, they are for the most part not contiguous and cannot be annexed, but they have to sign for the most part. We've done some exceptions like the county fire station out in Sarrento.
They came to us and said, "Can we have utilities and not sign?" And we said yes. But anyone who requests utilities has to either annex or I'm sorry, has to either apply for annexation or sign an annexation
agreement. Uh that's a requirement to get our utilities. Now we're no oops. Let me just clarify a bit. We um encountered this last year and we came up with the option for contiguous and non-ontiguous residential properties
that want um city services that are available in the area to submit an annexation agreement. Now, the annexation agreement is for municipal services, and it gives the it has a requirement embedded in there that if you're not contiguous at the time that
you become contiguous, then you would have to submit an application or if you are contiguous, then you would be able to submit the annexation request simultaneously so that you can get services before the annexation process is completed since that takes longer than probably the services that are
needed. However, annexation is the discretion of the commission. It's a it's a voluntary process. So the if and it's actually built into the agreement. If annexation is denied by the commission because it's not in the best interest of the city, they would still
qualify for services. So we're not going to cut them off because the commission said, "Thank you for submitting your request, but we're not going to annex you. However, we'll continue to provide you the services." So we do have that built in. We would just This is kind of a a bit backwards. So if they do in the
future, then you would have to um you know look at that and consider that this was denied if you choose to go that route. But we we do have the option built in. So I'm sorry I go ahead, sir. But but he just said that they have to
come back and apply for annexation to get services. And we know that's not really true because we got all those developments out there on east side with white rose and everything that's not uh in the city too that we're providing services for. But you're saying that they have to sign an agreements and when
they are able to be annexed they will. Yeah. Correct. For this is just like residential you know your your one house. I get it. I get the developers developments have a separate process. Okay. I get it. And we do. So Red Tail and Sarrento Springs are two communities
where we provide service and they do have annexation agreements. Now we have we're not contiguous. So we have an exercise. But we're never going to go annex them. That's way out there. But they were required to sign those agreements to get service. Okay. If by some method of the law we can hop
territory, then they would be obligated to to to annex at that point. But this is contiguous, right? Because the space next it is. Jeff, I know there's going to be audience to be heard. Can you go look up at Urban Low about commercial?
Yeah. Yeah. Good idea. Would you do that for us? Sure. Thank you. Okay, that's great. Thanks. And the uh I believe the applicant does have a presentation. Do you would you like to hear audience to be heard first or would you like to hear? Yeah, let's do audience to be heard.
I think we should actually let the um the applicant talk first and then we'll hear from the audience and then give the applicant an opportunity again to address a commission. Okay. All right. If that's okay. Yeah. Uh anything else before uh he comes should for someone or I guess Mike's
here. Okay. Come on up. Well, thanks for hearing me commission. I appreciate that very much. Um, you're stuck on a gas station. I'm not. This is a
That's a larger map view of the two properties for you to see. Um, how do I operate the [Applause] Do you start it? Yes, sir. So, I came to you last month or the beginning of the month and I asked for
the annexation and the uh the zoning. I wanted to answer to one thing right off the bat about the PUD. I spoke to the county commission chairman. Um, and it's my understanding that five properties that made up that one PUD that was designed by the original owner is null
and void when you have five new owners. A PUD can't be enforced. So the overlay there is commercial in the county. I have talked to the county and one of the reasons I came to the city um was I felt it was an easier process and it was something that the
city needed. You folks are already way ahead of the game with housing. You have a lot of housing. You have over a thousand houses that are coming. That means 2,000 cars are going to go to the same places all at once. That's going to be your traffic jam. Now you have concurrency. You have all these
road studies that say that it's okay to have these new cars coming and going on 44A and 44 and they're all going to go to the same place. Now you park 2,000 cars in any Publix or any Wind Dixie, how you going to do it? They're all going to go to the corner store, the same bank, the
same Walgreens and CVS. The way concurrency works is that you have multiple places for those 2,000 cars to go and they don't go to one place all at the same time. So, I think in my professional opinion here that this is a
very necessary service area to help disperse those 2,000 cars not to influx in the areas that you're going to be overwhelmed with. So, I don't want a gas station any more than anybody else does. I want what works. I don't have a deal with a gas station. I
don't have any national brands. If nobody wants a gas station, then I'm not here to fight anybody. Th this is a a service center that would have multiple different retail areas. The picture you have in front of you show five buildings,
five smaller buildings that leave a massive open public space. Travis, do you have a a copy of this up there? Yep. Did you Okay. Thank you. Oh, sorry for the audience. Right. So, one of the things that back in August 7th, um, we had a lot of people
commenting about, not in my backyard, they want, uh, excuse me, please, please don't comment. Let him make his presentation. They talked about uh, deferred lighting and noise and and, uh, as such. Well, I listened to what you said and and you're
going to see where I live and I have over 2,000 feet of frontage on this property. I'm not moving. I just moved there. So respectfully, if you look at this drawing, we have 85 ft of buffer along the back of that residential development, 20 ft of burb. We have the
right plantings and a 7 foot fence, one style of fence all the way down. Then we put all the retention down the one side. So now you have to the first building 165 ft.
there's not going to be a noise or a light problem for that subdivision and it it's going to be cleaned up very well. So, I just wanted to point that out. The 2.8 acres uh is the narrow strip behind on the right. Um we talked about this
being a low density business park. Yes, it could be commercial and under the general commercial could be a lot of things. I'm not looking for a lot of things. I have two buildings on there and I want to keep them just that way. I have 2,000 pine trees on that property.
I'm not looking to take any of them down. We have uh on on the property that's mine, we have five heritage pal or oak trees. We're going to hurricane cut them and we're going to uplight them and we're going to accentuate them. Even on the 10 acres, you see the one
heritage oak on the left hand side that fronts 44. our ingress and egress will be on either side of that tree and we're not taking it down. So, between all the trees and all the buffer and all the retention ponds down the side of that property, I I can't possibly think that
we're going to be intrusive to that subdivision. In further slides, we're going to talk about having a walkway, a lit walkway from that subdivision into this center. You want it, you don't want it. But there's many many subdivisions that have this kind of relationship with the
community uh retail area and it works great. If you sit and say you don't want it, that's fine. We put the fence right by. But we think that we've solved a lot of problems and we're going to create a service that I think everybody needs to
have. It's not going. Oh, sorry. So this is the intersection and it's the we are on the northeast or the southeast side of the intersection where the trees are. What I wanted to point out which
you folks already know is that on the west side in the north side of 44A and all the way back to the front of the um uh is it Pine Ridge? They uh they have already zoned multifamily housing in
mixeduse commercial. It's right there on that green huge green patch which you know is the Keading property and the Getford property that's coming. You you've approved it. So where are all those cars and all that service going to go? On the north side going all the way back. You have 700 homes that are being
built that are under construction. 300 of them are occupied. I went and counted them. Where are they going to go? So this service center helps disperse the concurrency issues that you're going to have. And if I do this right, it'll blend in the community and it will be a
benefit. I live here. I don't want some square box ugly looking thing that has the wrong types of services. Some of the drawings and and things that come up might help you uh get that better. So, there's a bigger picture.
You can see the subdivision behind me, but all that land that you see right there is going to be multif family, single family, and mixeduse commercial. and I spoke to those owners and I have their plans and their timelines. It's it's coming. So, I would like to
set a tone that kind of gives them an idea of what what you'll accept, what the community will accept. And I'd like to keep it old school. I'd like to have some facade changes. I'd like it to look like something. And I want a lot of open community area in the middle, something where we can do markets. We have a lot
of plantings and and uh raised beds. It's not a sterile looking plaza. That was the wrong word to use. This is the housing that's going on on Etsy's road 44 all around us and it's high density and it's going to cause a lot of traffic. We have to provide
services to spread that that that traffic flow out. More pictures of traffic at 5:00 on Orange Avenue and 44. you you can't get through there because they're all going to one place, one uh service area, the
Publix in Lock 11 or Lowe's, or they're going into the food service. Now, wouldn't it be better if we had multiple places to go to 7-Eleven did a big traffic study, you know, you allowed the the new 7-Eleven, and that's helped a great deal. Take a lot of traffic away
from 44 and Orange up by where the new Circle K is. This is all that we're doing here by putting something at this intersection is we're going to slow that traffic down. And we're going to slow the traffic down over here. That's the subject property. And I
wanted to point out that very little of that subdivision actually backs onto the 10 acres and the 2.8 acres. We have like maybe 10 houses. Okay. But if you notice in the top lefthand corner, the entire length, that's my residence that you see in that picture.
And I am going to make sure that the BMS and the trees and the ponds are done accordingly because I don't want the noise. But if I build this properly here, there's not going to be a heavy flow of noise. There's not going to be car lights. Not with the BMS, not with
the trees, not with the retention. I really have accommodated what would mean in what's important to me as well as everybody else that's probably here is that we don't want to interfere with our home and our private life, but we need these amenities.
This is the current state of the property line with Pine Ridge. This is the poor upkeep. This is the fence that they have that the HOA has. It's in horrible disrepair and it lets light through and noise
through and animals through and and I get there debris on my side, the old fence, uh bushes, shrubs. Uh I don't say anything. I understand. Looks like a vacant lot, right? This is the HOA's uh property here on
the left picture. The fence has fallen down. It's been down for over a year and a half now, and nobody's addressing it. So, we have a lot of complaints about this this this new possible commercial arena, but yet look at the the way that the conditions are left there by the
people that back onto this subdivision. On the right hand side, this gentleman, he put up a new fence. And everybody has a different fence that I got to look at, by the way. And they don't all join either. So, from a life safety issue, I don't know what they're doing. But they dumped all my fence, took it down, and
threw it on my side. Nobody gave me notice. Nobody asked me for any participation financially or physically, and it's just left there. So, as as a good steward of this property, which I am, I'm willing to make sure that that's all cleaned up, that the BMS, the ponds,
the trees, the fencing will accommodate them. So, there'll never be an interference in the quality in the in the quiet title of their houses. And remember, I have 5,000 ft all the way down there and pasted to the right of this corner and up and all the way
around. So, um, so, um, I I appreciate the comments about the subdivision, but what about the people in Clear Lake Estates? They're right across the street. How are they going to be affected?
There's an there's there's an ingress and egress on 44, and there's there's an out to the right. So, what faces Clear Lake would turn to the right. There will be no turning to the left, crossing that road. That's a life safety issue with
our minimalist traffic study right now. There's no way that we can come out onto 44A and turn left west into that intersection. Can't do it. They'll have to turn right and go that way towards Estie's Road. So, they'll be and as far as the like how are we affecting Clear
Lake? They have a huge burm across the front and they have a big fence and they have massive pine trees. So traffic coming and going out of there right now doesn't affect them. We have viburnum and we have oak trees and we have pine
trees uh and other types of shrubs. I bet Clear Lake didn't even know we were over there. I mean really did you know there was 13 acres vacant over there? You can't see in it. And so that kind of shrubbery and that kind of barrier is something that
we plan on keeping especially across the back and up the one side. You know, you you brought the houses here. Now it's our responsibility to be able to service them. And if we do it nicely, we do it professionally. It's a benefit for all of us.
the retail space, the landscaping, uh the strategically placed retention and the boundary fencing, I think addresses a lot of the concerns that's in the audience. Just have to be willing to accept that you can work with me and we can work it out. We can do some of the things that you want. You guys know that
through the process of engineering, the lighting and everything else is going to be done according to the rules and regulations that the city has. That's going to defer lighting away from them. So, that's not something I'm going to cause a trouble with uh in that respect that I've heard people talking. Some of
the looks that I'm looking for is very organic, very different uh architecturally uh diverse and and uh you know, we're looking at multiple different plans. I really like this one. And with the five buildings, if you had five buildings that sort of had this facade in there and you had some open
walkways and and large um you know, brick style planters, that kind of looks like downtown. And that's what we want there. I live there. I don't want a sterile, cheap, big building. And if you said to me as part of the agreement, you don't want a gas station. I I'll sign whatever you want. I don't care about a
gas station. Should something be there eventually that services the traffic? Sure. It doesn't have to be my fight. the plant. This picture here is only not for the buildings, but for the fact that the open interlocking brick and that circular garden is what I'd like to see
right in the middle of this. And if it had a 30-foot interlocking walkway around a large raised planter, that would be something where I would see the local markets coming, setting up tents, and having once a month type deals that we see now in Mount Dora and we see in Eustace. It's just one more place that
that uh we can use and service the uh the residents. But could could I could I just ask a question why you didn't bring any of this to us on the first reading? I've never done this before. Uh I wasn't sure how I was going to be uh
well because we we we asked more than we asked more than once what we thought was going to go going to go there based on what can go there on general commercial and you know you didn't you didn't you didn't say anything like this on the first reading. Um, I think I did I I did
say that we wanted commercial uh there of course and we wanted a low impact uh look there. Uh I've always wanted that. I can't stress enough that I have the greatest amount of uh of residential frontage onto this and I plan on being a
resident of us for a very long time. I'm I'm not I don't know what to tell you. But I understood that I needed to paint a better picture for you and you don't know me. So, I have to try to convince you that I'm a person of of quality and integrity, that I have my morals and compass in place.
Is this the first one you've built or is everything First off um for 30 years I've built hotels uh for clients. I work with international clients, national clients, and res and local. I've built a lot of buildings in Lake County that I project
manage and I oversee for them and uh that that's what I do for a living. Yeah. So, this is the first one that I own and this is the first one that is in my backyard where I live. Sorry, I didn't mean to cut y'all, but we we we all can agree that we we've
been burned many times where we have someone said they're going to do this and then, no offense, just for the sake of argument, you don't have the money to do it, but then you sell it to someone else and they're allowed to do everything. They are under the under the under the code that says general
commercial and not only that but residential as well. We've been burned doing that. So, you know, well, it's just like this lady here said with the sign you kind of were after her and she sort of said the same thing to you. Why are you crucifying me for the people that have gone wrong in the back? Well, it's a concern and I respect that,
but because we learn and you know, past commissions probably didn't care as much as we do. Yeah. And uh um I know I know I know Commissioner Holland has said more than once he hates to do things that puts uh future commissions in in a
bad position and and that's exactly what we're trying to avoid here. So just some part question I don't know how to quash that that concern for you. I'm thinking as a resident with with you know the greatest amount of exposure to this.
I'm sitting here telling you that that's how I feel. I'm painting the picture of what I'm going to put there, right? Um, there has to be a little bit of trust. That's our job. Um, uh, you know, like you said about the county overlay with commercial, I can go to the county and I can try and put it through the county, but I've watched the city of
Eustace since 2003. I want to be a part of the city. I'd like to have something that sets a tone so that the people across the street who you're going to do battle with, you can go to and say, "Look, this is the president of what we'd like to see. This is the kind of quality of workmanship and the styles
that we want and setting a president gives you, you know, it gives you strength and it it gives you uh the ability to say and show that this is what we want. I'm willing to listen to what what is your concerns. You have an attorney. I have an attorney. You you want to spell something out that that limits this
property. I already said that I would put a business park style on the 2.8. Sorry. One at a time, please. We we correct me if I'm wrong, Madam Attorney. We've tried to do that before and that will never fly. I don't think. Am I right?
We can't restrict it further than what the code already provides for. Right. I wish we could, believe me. I'm I'm willing to at least you heard me say I'm willing to put limitations. Do it, but that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. I talked to uh some of the staff here and said, you know, one of your concerns on the 2.8 acres, what are you going to
do with that? I said, 'Well, I I've got I've got two buildings that are full of my equipment um that I use, and I'd like to rent one out. I'd like to have it as a business uh uh park on those two things. Um I have 200 more pine trees coming that are going to go there. The
pine trees that are there are staying. Um you know, that's that's right beside my property and and part of it backs on to uh the neighborhood behind me. Um do you have more to present on here? Um I might have
this was a walkway uh design that I had put up uh with a suggestion that if the neighborhood behind said, "Hey, you know, we kind of like your idea. We we'd like to see something like this." Then we'd be willing to put a a dogging path or a walkway from their community area. They have a they have a section that
can't be built on. It's too small. Well, that'd be a great sidewalk start to come into this community where they could golf cart, bicycle, walk. we'd put up lighting and we'd work with the uh the neighborhood there, the HOA, whatever they want to do with us. And I thought
that was a a pretty neat thing to do. There are communities in Winter Park, um Windmir, um uh Claremont, uh Apopka, Winter Garden that has this type of residential blend into the commercial
area. And it in it it does not reduce the value of houses, it increases it. Contrary to what a lot of folks have been saying. I've already touched on all of these uh subjects. If we go to the 2.8 acres,
this is as close representation as I can show you to the buildings that are there. I don't have concrete roads. I have stone. Sure. Would like to have some concrete aprons there. You see this is close to what's there now. Yeah. Mhm. Well, without the without the
concrete. Um, and they're they're not joined. They're separate. And I'd like to put stone around more stone around to to delineate the roadway that's there. Um, I would follow the same program as the 10 acres by putting the retention pond,
the same trees, the same fence and everything so that you had, you know, continuity across there. There wouldn't be any gaps. This is the kind of office space that's inside. These the type of tenants that uh the two tenants I'd be looking for in those buildings. I own them. It's my uh
that would be my property. Um a lot of business parks, I think a lot of people don't understand what they are. It's not a storage facility and it's it's not a warehouse. It is a business that actually can hold their inventory and do their own uh deliveries from there. And
they have an office within the building and then you can see inventory. This is what I'm going to put there. two tenants in those buildings. That's your impact. And I've already it's already there. And I've had conversations where I say, I agree to a business park style. And again, let
me remind you, I'm planting more trees and I'm keeping the heritage oaks on both properties and we're building around them. And with the warehouses, uh, deliveries, uh, would there be tractor trailer
trucks going down there? I don't think that the buildings are big enough for that. Um I mean there's a potential for short short boxes to go in there, cube boxes to go in there for sure. I mean I you would think so. I I I don't see that
happening, but I can't see a full uh transport truck going in there. They can't get in and turn around. Not the way I've got it designed. If I put the ponds and the retention across the back, it'd be hardressed for them to get around. So a smaller truck. Sure. um somebody with a trailer like a
regular box trailer. Sure. Absolutely. I mean that's hardly anything and uh you're not having retail so you have the businesses there. This is already here. Okay. And then just back to this slide. So you
can see in the green uh the shrubs, you can see the retention ponds and you can see our idea of the five buildings. That's a lot of space between those buildings. It's really hard to appreciate. Um, it doesn't show boulevards and curbs and parking, but in
the middle there, you could probably put a hundred vehicles if you wanted to. We don't want to, but if we had a big circular raised garden in the middle and we had it for public use and sitting, it could be a really nice place. I I don't know what else to tell you. If
you want to be suspicious and Yeah, you can. You can. You've said you've said just about everything you can't say. Yeah. Yeah. We need to we need to hear from the residents and Yeah. Let's hear from Jeff. Oh, I'm sorry. You're done. Pardon me. You're done. I guess I'm done. Any other questions? Yeah.
Any questions additional for him right now? Any additional questions, right? Maybe after public speaks. Okay. Okay. Uh Jeff, you can have a seat if you'd like, sir. Yeah. Stay close by. Just stay close by. Thank you. I'm going to caveat out by saying I am
not a county planner. haven't been one for the last 25 years. That was the last time I dealt really with the Lake County comprehensive plan. Um on the rewrite, they did place out in the urban low that commercial office
um commerce. I'm trying to think of all the terminologies. I didn't print out that sort of that part of the plan because it goes on to reference policy 1-1 or I-1.3.10. 10 commercial activities within the
urban future land use series. um goes on to describe quite a few things, but the main point of that gets down to um the location and it starts talking about
uh get on the right page um about neighborhood commercial centers, neighborhood convenience centers, and generally the differentiation between those comes down to size. Now you have to remember the county doesn't operate
like we do based on a future land use category. They use broadbrush future land use zoning determines what you can do on that property. So in this particular case, not having conversed or you consulted
with one of the Lake County planners to talk about what can you do with the property. reading through this, I would say they would have the potential to come in and say, "Hey, I'd like to do a whatever a commercial zoning on this property and
this is what I would like to request." Um, you know, it's a differentiation between neighborhood convenience center I think is at 5,000 square feet or neighborhood convenience commercial centers are up to 5,000 square feet. Neighborhood commercial centers go up to
15,000 square feet. And a lot of it is talking about what are your what are your allowances to or what are your criteria to get there and it's the ability to have accesses that are so far off the intersection and so on. This property kind of qualifies for a lot of that.
But could they potentially reszone it if they wanted to? They would have to go to county. Okay. Thank you. Thanks, Jeff. Okay. We're going to go with the public input. Uh or take a
Yeah, let's take a right in the middle. No, let's go ahead and do it. You all want to go ahead. Audience to be heard. Yes. Yeah. I just want to make sure you don't have to. Okay. All right. Audience. Tom, I'm sure he has. Yes. I have a card from Donald Doyle.
Three minutes, please. Good evening. My name is Donald Doyle. I live I do not live in city of Eustace but I live just north of the subject property on the other side of county road 44A. In the attendant full disclosure I accidentally ran into Leslie Campion at the historic courthouse in Taris last week. She was
the previous owner of this property. Uh we briefly discussed this property. Also the ordinance number 2523 shows the wrong property owner. Uh some things which were said at the meeting on August 7th which deal with the subject need to be addressed concerning the houses in
Clear Lake near his property. Mr. Salchuk said that every single one of those houses dumps their dead trees and garbage on our land. This is untrue. I live in one of these houses and I've never dumped anything on his land. Mayor Hawkins asked said the useless commission would like to see a meeting
with the neighbors and Mr. Schuk gets to the point where there's something he would like to do. Mr. Saw said he's more than willing to meet with the people that are reasonable and that will work with him too. If this commission wants all the neighbors to be involved, you may have to set up your own set this up for yourselves. I don't know why you
keep talking about urban low four units per acre commercial and this properties. Uh Mr. Salchuk told us that the plan unit development ordinance was supplied to these properties. This is is just historical is now redundant is not active and has too many
different owners. I believe these statements are incorrect based upon my recent communications with the Lake County Planning and Zoning. I believe that the PUD still applies to all the properties. This is confirmed by the second sheet which I passed out to you. You have the second sheet. It shows the
PUD for that. That's from the Lake County interactive map. After a property is annexed into the city of Eustace, the PUD will no longer apply to that property, but the PUD will still apply to the other properties. Also, the sale of parsers covered by the
PUD does not affect the PUD. The ordinance even states that it will be binding on the present owner and any successor. The PUD also says the transfer of ownership or lease of any or all of the property described in this ordinance
must include in the transfer lease agreement a provision that the purchaser or lease is made good and aware of the conditions established by this ordinance and agrees to be bound by these conditions. So, it anticipates sale of part of it or all of it, but it's still
going to apply. Uh, the PUD document applies to the properties described in this first se first on the first sheet that I passed out. It shows you what applies to this property. It's limited to 20 residential
dwellings, single family, detached or attached. One dwelling unit per net acre maximum, not four units per acre, not 40 units, 20 residential dwellings total. And there's other conditions in the
ordinance as well. Um, will their development have lights? Yes. Will these lights be bright and high in the air? Yes. Will they shine into my neighborhood? Yes.
Limits are all around us. There are speed limits on our roads. If you buy a residential lot in Eustace, there are limits in what you can build there. You're being asked to annex property which already has limits on it which are very compatible with the surrounding residential neighborhoods and apply new limits which are much broader and are
not compatible with these neighborhoods. The current owner may put something on the property which is small impact to the neighbors or he may not. A future owner may not even try to limit the impact on the neighbors. If you want people to buy homes in Eustace and live in Eustace, you need to take care of your residents. Many of your residents
lives close to the subject property. Mr. Do. Mhm. Uh, your time is up. Are you going to tell me to leave now? Yes. Thank you. You've given us something to consider. So, you were advised at the beginning three minutes.
Okay. Next. Next card. Uh, Trina Marquez. We'll wait till you get up there. Um, I would also like to first have everybody stand who are supporters. No, we don't need Are you speaking on their behalf? If
she's speaking on their behalf, you want to hear from everybody. Are you speaking on their behalf? For everybody. Okay. If you want to speak on their behalf there, that's fine. For everybody, right? Okay. Good evening. Are you doing that? No, I'm speaking for myself. All right. Okay. They can they can all speak for
themselves, too. There's probably 25 people, right? She's speaking for you. Okay. Great. If you can state your name, ma'am, you have three minutes, so we want to make sure you Okay. Good evening. I would like to start off by thanking Vice Mayor Gary
Ascraft for answering my email. Thank you. I appreciated it. Um, my name is Trina Marquez. I have lived 27 years due north of the proposed annexation. This is a quiet residential neighborhood, Clear Lake. We're very proud of our
area. I listened two weeks to you regarding your discussion concerning the hospital sign which everyone addressed again today and also the discussion regarding the display of your displeasure with the large Duke Energy
poles. We are proud of our neighborhood and that's exactly the passion we feel regarding this new project. We feel it will deteriorate our neighborhood. I applaud and support your visions for downtown Eustace. Do we really want
Eustace to be known for just another city with gas stations, storage units, discount chain stores, empty strip malls? Because I see his plaza being empty. We have empty buildings everywhere. We don't need more empty buildings. I ask all of you, the city
commissioners for Eustace, to vote no and maintain the current PUD 2021-71. A profit can still be achieved for the owner and the business builders under the current BUD. Let's preserve our Eustas hometown
appeal. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Nope. No, don't do it. Please don't. Don't do it. Okay. All right, Tom. Who's next? Uh, that's it as far as cards. Okay. Uh, is there anyone else that
would like to come up and speak on this issue? Uh, sir, please. We'll have just these two gentlemen. Okay. Go ahead. Go ahead. All right. Probably best to try this one on here. That one's a miss. Right. Lord, you good?
No. There we go. Okay. My name is Peter Dempsey and I am a resident of Eustace and um I also live in Springidge Estates which borders the fence line and my
house faces across the street to the fence. So there's another row of homes between me and them, but it's a big vacancy and between the homes and I have a a view of this fence. So,
um I I've composed this short uh report that I have shared with a neighbor. I have uh I think four neighbors here tonight. I I'm reporting on officially, but um when I wrote this
um my my neighbor helped me tweak it. So, uh, I'm going to say good evening, Mr. Mayor and and Commissioners. Uh, my wife and I are here tonight with other neighbors to express our concerns
to the city council members that an approval of this future land use amendment would adversely affect our tranquil neighborhood and the surrounding communities. This land use change creates a situation
that we feel lacks the necessary distance and transitional barriers from the resulting commercial activities that we will have to confront with daily. This would include pollution such as
increased noise, lighting, odors, potential toxic accidents that could cause groundwater contamination. It would increase traffic in the area. Worst of all, this change would create
an ongoing impediment to the current and natural growth of our property values, which we consider sacred, as most people do, and a part of the American dream. The proposed and allowable activities
are not in harmony with its surrounding communities and would disrupt the peaceful nature that now exists. Therefore, we ask the proposed activities not be allowed. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thank you. And sir, you could come up and state your name, please. Good evening, mayor, vice mayor. Um, I'm not I don't have a prepared speech. I just want to make a couple points if I may, please. Your name, sir?
Uh, Jeff Wetsz. Um, born and raised in Eustace. Born at the Old Waterman Hospital. I served the city of Eustace as a police officer and a firefighter back in the late 70s and early 80s. But anyway, what I want to talk to you about is this proposed plan. I know things grow and we're going to keep growing and
doing things. But there was an old saying when I grew up that said just say no and that was to drugs. Okay. Well, I feel like now we need to say no to all the building that's going on. I know you can't control everything that happens
and it's we are going to progress, but we can slow it down until we can figure out if when's the last time you drove down 44B or drove down SD's roads? the roads are in horrible condition. Okay, you're gonna add so many cars, you know,
like we know. We can't get away from that and I understand that. But let me think of something that happened tonight in this commission meeting that we're missing a point on. The state of Florida, I'm going to assume gave a check to five half a million dollars to the Trout Lake Nature Center. that you
build this property where it is proposed now everything's going to build back towards Trout Lake eventually the Keen property the Gford property what are you going to do fence in the nature center so nothing so we can't go enjoy it I
mean I know it's a hard decision and you all have hard decisions to make but I just ask you would you slow down and think about it and now I understand there's stuff between the county and the city I've lived at Clear Lake since 1964 four. Okay. I was raised there. My
mother passed away three years ago and I'm actually moving back to Clear Lake. I'm remodeling the house that I grew up in. But along with things that happen, we're going to grow and things are going to happen. But just think about it and think about all the nature and
everything in that area. I mean, do y'all have wild bears running in your backyard? We do. Okay. We have all kinds of things. So, thank you for your time. I'm sorry I'm nervous, but appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir. All right, Mr. Mayor.
I'm wondering if perhaps um you're supposed to make a decision based on what you hear today, but there seems to be and I and I don't want to speak for the commission, but um possibly concerns over whether the PUD is still valid or not and whether the overlay would apply and potentially
what kind of reasoning options there may be. Um if these are concerns for the commission and given the fact that if a decision is made tonight um we cannot rehear this uh for 9 months then there may be an option to possibly table it if
the applicant is is in agreement so that Jeff can talk to the county. I would be happy to reach out to the county attorney and maybe we can get some more information on the property if that'll better inform your decision tonight. That's I just wanted to put that on the table.
I I think that that's what I would like, you know, I'd like to know, you know, how we stand with the POD if there are five different, you know, people that, you know, I'd like to know all of that. Okay. I just wanted to get a general sense of where the commissioner,
I would agree um with with uh Mr. Hawkins. This is a big decision. Uh there's a lot of issues on both sides. Some of it is inevitable. Uh but I'm not sold on this. I need more
information. Uh that wouldn't be the worst thing to do. I would rather us make the right decision one two weeks or three weeks later than make the wrong decision and live with it for for life. But uh Okay.
Even Yeah, that would be my first choice. If there's not a consensus for that, then I'd like to comment about Oh, when I when I finish with the Yeah. I'd like clarity the for the residents to understand if
if they're going if they're annexed into this this is annexed into the city, what's what possibilities there might be. However, if it's not and they stay in the county, they need to understand what possibilities there are if it stays in the county. And so um I I think that
that's going to give us some information more information so we will make a good decision and they will understand what options that they have also. Okay. And to explain of course if there's an annexation our code would apply. So it's it's a shift in
jurisdiction. So the existence of the PUD or whatever zoning that all that would go away. But if since if it stays in the county through a denial then it's also good to have that information. So that would be the point of a delay. Nice.
Yes. I mean I I agree. I I think we should table and get some more information. So we need a motion on that. Oh, one second. Go ahead. I I would I would like clarification as well. Um what people need to know is, you know, I'm all for property rights,
but I also know that my aunt and uncle lived in Clear Lake for a long time. And um that is a beautiful area. It is a beautiful lake. Jeff, you and I have known each other for a long time. Um, I want the right thing done, but I want
the neighbors I want everybody to understand the county could turn around and do something just as well as we can. And I just want clarification so that it it is protected. And I have said over the last couple months up here, we've
got to hit our breaks in growth. Okay. Um, so keep in mind again that some of our hands are tied when it comes to state law with what goes on as well. So I'd like to send it back to our attorneys, let them get clarification,
and then we'll go back at this again. And I'm sorry that we're delaying it for you all of you residents, but I think it's the best decision we can make. I would we would need the if you could come up, please, sir. We would need him to agree as well. Um, I I find it interesting that everything
that I just said that showed clarity with the map that gave 185 ft of boundary and border between this subdivision and yet they stand up and say noise and light and the
gentleman that said he looks through from the other side and can see that fence. I I would like to know what he looks at because that fence and the community care along there is deplorable. I'm going to come in and I'm going to make it clean, neat, and tidy. I'm going to put up a barrier there that
is something that they would appreciate to look at. I'm not going for the maximum density that I can put there. I wanted to put five out buildings and I wanted a lot of open space and I and we have three ingress egresses here. So, there'll be no traffic uh problems.
It'll slow that intersection down. If I may explain the it's not based necessarily on what they're saying with regard to noise or light or anything like that. For the benefit of a decision Oh, I understand. For the commission, there needs to be clarification as to the validity of the
PUB, the overlay and your options in resoning, right? so that the commission understands what is possible on um on the properties and how that would impact your development as well as whether if you're annexed into the city,
what can be done. So, it's really it's really based on the land use here. Um if we made a dec if the commission makes a decision today, if you're not in agreement with uh postponing this, right, because it it does affect your ordinance. Our rules say that if a decision is made today that is not in
your favor, this cannot come back to the commission for nine months. So trying to avoid putting you in that situation and delaying this for um the next commission meeting which is September 4th, which is a date certain, that would give us enough time.
Sure. um to provide the information to the public as well as protect your request to the commission and get the information from the county that would educate the commission as to the status of your properties. So, you would have to be in agreement. Without that, then they would have to make a decision this evening.
Right. Well, I I think you know it's good that we all understand everything and and and I'll agree with that wholeheartedly. Um, it was my understanding talking to the chairman of the county commission that the PUD is disrupted enough that not any one part
of it can be put into play. Uh, I was also informed that the zoning for residential is higher than one. Um, I'm not looking for residential, not looking for multif family. I think that is um more trouble and more noise, more more
uh disruption than than this kind of a plaza, this low-key type thing that would be there. I was hoping to um you know appease the neighborhood to see that I'm a resident there that has the greatest border. I care the most and uh
I'm I'm not a national brand. I'm not somebody that's going to come in there and disrupt everything and would love to meet with everybody and anybody that wants to talk about what they'd like to see there. Um you know, but open-mindedness, working common sense has to prevail. So I thank you for this
time tonight. I hope you get the answers that you need that you can help me with this. Mr. does not stop you from going ahead and trying to have if you could get it on on the books a community meeting with these neighbors even before we meet in two weeks. Okay.
It may even be more palatable to them once they know what their options are. Yeah. I think they need to know whether this this is going to happen in the county anyway or it's going to happen in the city. I I want to know that. do that. Well, it it's I I'll share with you what I think my uh uh understanding is based
on talking to county commissioners. And so, I'm sorry, Gary. Do you want me to stop talking? I I think I should save you that because um I will be educating the commission on this um when it comes up next week and so will Jeff. Um that way we have Yes.
I just want to clarify procedurally what we're talking about doing is tableabling the second reading. the second reading because if we were to start this over again then we have advertising requirements and that's a different process. Yes. So I just want to clarify we are tableabling second reading as opposed to
starting all over again. No, correct. This is we're tableabling the second reading uh with the applicants agreement and the consensus of the commission to a date certain which will be September 4th. that's the the next city commission that's advertised um so that we don't need to readvertise in the newspaper and
everyone in the audience is aware of the date September 4th and um we will have the information by then as to the status of the PUD the overlays as well as um possibilities of resoning. Can you can you please get him on the record saying that he agrees to this? Sir, would you agree?
Agree. Okay. And you'll be here on the 9th uh September 4th. Sure. 94. Mr. Mayor, thank you very much. I move to table ordinance number 25-20. Well, it would be all the groups actually at this point. Ordinance 25-21
and ordinance 25-22 to a date certain of September 4th. I second. Okay, it's been first and promptly second. Roll call, please. Commissioner Lee, hi. Commissioner Ozbody, I. Vice Mayor Ashcraft, I Commissioner Holland. Hi, Mayor Hawkins. Hi.
Okay. The next set of ordinances or is it the same property owner or no? Same property owner. Yeah, I think it was the same same applicant. Same applicant. Is it related to the prop same property? Yes. Yes. Yeah. That was 2.8 was
So that's the other parcel. All right. So then um because they're related, we would I would then basically say the same thing. We can just get a motion um to table the second reading for ordinance numbers 25-23
24 and 25 until uh September 4th. So moved. Second. It's been first and properly second. Roll call, please. Commissioner Lee, I. Commissioner Ozbody, I. Vice Mayor Ashcraft, I. Commissioner Holland, I.
Mayor Hawkins. Hi. And if you wanted to call a break now, you can. If you wanted to call a break now since you concluded like a break, in case the members of the audience wanted to, we're going to take 5 minutes back at 8:40.
That's where I was headed to, but I'm just I didn't find a way. Madam Secret, I mean, Madam Attorney, you're not in Congress, Madam Secretary. Are you in Congress already? Oh my gosh, the motion. Speaker of the House.
Speaker of the House. Okay. Are we back? We're back. We're back. All right. The last item on my section is ordinance number 25-26, an ordinance of the city commission of the city of Eucis Lake County, Florida, approving
the annual update of the 5-year capital improvement schedule of the comprehensive plan pursuant to Florida statute 163.31773B providing for conflicting ordinances, severability, and an effective date. Miss Carr, we're getting the slides up.
Technical difficulties. Just one moment, please. I'll go ahead and start while she gets that going. So, we're here to approve the um five-year and uh CIP capital improvement program uh which is what we had the budget or the meeting for a
couple of weeks ago. And I did not print new books because there were just a couple of changes moving them out a couple of years and I didn't see the need to reprint everything. Um, but I did give you just the summarized versions that were reprinted, the
summary pages. If you would like a new complete book, please let me know and I can certainly get that for you. Uh, just kind of briefly, um, uh, what is a capital project, a capital improvement? It's anything over uh $25,000
and has a useful life of over a year. Um it can be uh renovate facility renovations, equipment, infrastructure. Um there are several factors that we take into account when um the department heads put that put that together being
risk, return on investment, u maintaining levels of service or improved levels of service. Um as we had discussed some of our fire u major projects in the ne next five years are um these are the highest
dollar amounts f uh fire station number three um our re annual resurfacing project and this is fiveyear totals the library expansion um two fire trucks uh ground storage tank building improvements which is the bigger improvements
throughout the building just to maintain them and keep them um in safe working conditions. uh vehicle replacements. Um and then several uh utility projects and
due to do you guys have the slides? Can you see them or no? Okay. About 5:30? Okay. Well, I'll just continue. And and like I said, there's really been no changes in what we discussed. So, you all should be uh quite familiar with
that. And um just letting you know that in the five-year um fiveyear CIP, if you look into the uh percentages, we're going to have a 15% investment in technology, 10% in
vehicles, um new construction, uh about six or 7%. We've got um streets and sidewalks at 16. and our our biggest um amounts are are debt service and that is
the um bond on the UT the bond payments on the utility. So those are some of the biggest five-year payments that we have coming out uh types of payments. Um other than that I really don't have anything else to present. Any questions?
No. No questions. Nope. the these date uh dates, years, physical year uh columns that are up there. Is that uh adjustable through time? Yes, it'll progress one year each year.
It'll progress get amended probably each year. Yes, there'll be tweaks to it. Of course, the the only thing that you approve is the upcoming fiscal year. So that uh 2526 column is what you will approve as
part of the budget. Uh the other years uh will adjust as necessary. So it really it's more of a planning tool. It's a cash flow tool. Uh but only the current year 2425 is real and then once
we approve the 2526 budget that will become real. Uh so those columns and can money be moved uh through the year from the capital plan uh into the general budget if it all stays under a
one big umbrella of budgeting generally I would say no because we're we are for projects that we're funding with the general fund the answer is yes but for projects that we're funding with say the 10 fund which is the sales tax
fund so some funds cannot be used for operating can't be used for uh general fund expenses. Same would be true for utilities. We can only spend utility money on utility projects and CRA we can only spend on CRA. So
very few of the funds can be spent on general expenses uh for our capital funds. Most of those funds, just for clarifications, they are called um revenue funds, special revenue funds. And that's because the revenue is
derived from a specific source for a specific reason. Transportation fuel tax is streets and roads, and that's all it can be used for. So, as Tom said, the projects in the general fund are the only ones that really have some latitude
on where they can be funded from. Anything further? No questions. Okay. Would anyone in the audience like to speak on ordinance number 25-26? Okay, seeing none, I will close public input and I'll give it back to you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I move approval of ordinance
25-26. Second. Okay, it's been moved and properly second. Uh, roll call, please. Commissioner Lee, I. Commissioner Ozbot, I. Vice Mayor Ashcraftoft. Hi, Commissioner Holland. Hi, Mayor Hawkins.
I Okay, now on to other business. Tom. Yeah. So, uh I want to point out that uh this is not the city manager's performance evaluation. This is a procedural item asking you if you are
okay with the form and the process that we've used in the past. So, tonight is more about are you comfortable with the form? are you comfortable with the process? If you'd like to make some changes, uh we absolutely can do that. And then the uh actual performance
evaluation uh as conducted in the past would be a series of one-on-one meetings uh for you to give me feedback and then an opportunity for a public performance evaluation probably sometime in September.
Uh so uh you in your packet you had the form that we've used in the past. Uh we we'd like some feedback on whether that form is acceptable or if you'd like to change it. Uh and then uh understand a little bit about process. Are you comfortable with one-on-one meetings
followed by a public uh performance evaluation? I'm good with what we've done in the past. Same here. Emily. Yes, I'm good with that. George. Yes, sir. Okay. I'm good with it. I do have a question. Mhm. So as commissioners, how who else do we
evaluate? So as commissioners, uh you uh hire me and you hire the city attorney. Um I would say you you the charter gives you some input, I think, on the city clerk
and the finance director. Uh but they for the most part report to me. So you have um you have hiring discretion uh on me and the city attorney because um I remember when Ron was here I had requested that evaluations be done
to anybody who reports to us and then that went by the wayside. So could we do that? Is that possible? Well, I think the only one that reports to us is Tom. Uh city attorney. Oh, and and yeah, the the code the charter the way it's set up only Tom is
required to do an annual evaluation. that's something that you wanted to do ongoing, we would have to amend the charter. Okay, we did it that time, but of course it's discretionary. I have no no problem having So I uh perform performance evaluations
on the rest of the staff. Um, so I what I would say is uh myself and the city attorney uh would be who you would evaluate according to the charter. Yes.
I don't Well, I don't know if the charter speaks to the evaluation of the city attorney. Um, it's not in there. The It's not in there. It's not and I did not make it up. That's been there for a very long time. I I will tell you that any board that I
have sat on, the board has always done the attorney that represents the board. And and there's nothing against you or Derek. I think it's a good idea that we we do review our attorneys.
So that's just my personal opinion. I I've never been on a board or any institution that did not um because when she's doing good, we want to get that feedback also, you know. So I I would I wish we could do it. I think it would be
good. We are an institution. We are institution. Would you would you like for staff to do some research on what other municipalities do for Oh, that'd be great.
I I'm happy to look into forms and give a form to the commission to consider to do an evaluation. As far as getting it on the charter, then that's that's just another I don't think we're asking for I don't think anyone here is asking for a charter change. Just a review process.
Yeah. And and Derek I remember Derek saying he thought it was a really good idea. Well, we did it once for me while I was on here. Does Lake Sumpre State College Board uh use that form in Yes. We evaluate the the board evaluates the Could you get a hold of that form from
Dr. Bird? Yes. I think it was already done when um I think uh the form was given to to you guys about two years ago. Do you recall that a form and I think it was based on
for the attorney Bill how was still here? If we could just get something to look at and let's do Yeah, I remember it. Is everybody okay? Yeah. All right. Good. Good. I think it's just good business. Yes, sir.
Okay. All right. All right. Okay. Okay. Future agenda items. uh comments uh reports. I enjoyed uh spending time with you and city staff um at the pep rally last night for Houston High School. Football
season has officially started. The JV team played Mount Dora tonight. I don't know the outcome. Uh but I think that uh the varsity team plays Eastridge tomorrow night here at home. Um please go out and support our young folks. Um,
we've got a a good football team. The cheerleaders look as big as the football team when it when it comes to numbers, not signs. Not when it comes to numbers. Um, and and our band this year, the Eustace High
School band turns a hundred years old this year. Um, so we really want to be supportive of them. And Willie, Dave asked also that if maybe right after the parade as we celebrate George Fest this year that they do be able to do a
concert while they're all still downtown. So I think to celebrate them for their 100th anniversary. I think maybe we should do that and maybe do a proclamation from the city uh celebrating that because they are the second oldest marching band in the state of Florida.
That's true. All right, that's all I've got. Thank you all. I just had a question. Are we meeting with um Mr. Levy? Uh Mr. Mr. Levy is tenatively scheduled to come before you on September 4th.
September 4th. The meeting? You mean at our at the city commission meeting? Oh, I thought we were going to have a workshop with him. That's what I had asked about. Okay. Yeah, I was expecting a workshop. So, I think in talking to Mr. Levy. Uh he felt the first step would be to come
introduce himself, talk a little bit about his qualifications, experience, and his background, and then you can give staff direction as to uh what you'd like us to do as far as having Mr. Levy help with the process. I I don't sense.
Well, it's double double meeting. I would think I'd like him to just come in and I thought we agreed and I guess that was the discrepancy in the in the minutes. Uh and I thought uh uh Commissioner Lee said that I I was asking for as well. I think she's saying
she was as as a workshop giving him u I guess the same time we gave it would be fair uh to u Mr. Gleman to talk to us. It's a big project. It's a big thought. Time flies
when he start, you know, when people start talking about that. But well, I think an introductory with him is is good and and because remember it's it's money out of his pocket because he's just coming to talk to us. I will so I will say I I I had a lengthy
discussion with Dr. Levy and this this was his recommended approach um in that u he said frankly uh if you were to ask him at this point what we should do like where should we head with downtown
um he uh would not be ready to answer that question until we engaged him to do that for us. And so he felt the first step was come to commission uh talk to you a little bit about his background um
who he is and what he does uh and then uh you can evaluate that and uh decide if you'd like to have him work for us. Um so again in discussion with Dr. Levy, this was how he recommended moving forward.
I I get that and that might make sense or might not whatever the subject is. But I had asked I know I was clear. I thought there was a consensus that led to two things being accomplished in that
meeting and it was to have a u a workshop on that. Emily, was that your intent? I I don't that was Am I making putting I don't want to put I had asked that we just have a I want to have a onetoone with the commissioner with him. Well, and and and and again, I don't
think you're getting anything other than what you asked for. He just wants to come in and do the introductory. And as and Tom has said that that he's talked to him and and this is his the way that he wants to to introduce himself and
it's his decision. Uh and then we talk to him. So he may want to feel us out. That's what I'm thinking. And I would Okay. My concern with that is that we get pretty busy. These commission meetings
have been really And they've been really long, aren't they? They've been really long. They, you know, every every meeting if if we if we want to entertain doing that, can we start earlier for him? But it's just an introductory and then if we want to talk to him, we come back.
I think we're trying to make too much out of this. you know, he's, you know, we want him, we want to meet him, uh, at his request. This is what he wants to do. And then he wants to fill us out, and then he wants to come back with a plan. I don't think he wants to
come and talk to us cold. I I um, respectfully, I have to work tomorrow. So, um, I have to work tomorrow. Okay. But, um, Michael doesn't have to. I mean,
he doesn't. I'm sure you'd have to work tomorrow, too, Mike. So, just just to be clear, when we made when we made that um agreement in in our workshop, it was to have a uh a workshop with Dr. Levy. I
think I've heard Commissioner Lee say that that was her intent and I thought I heard it that way. It was my intent. Um do we do we have to see if we have a consensus on that now? But But that's not what he wants to do first. Yeah, but I I didn't hear that from him.
We don't know. I want I don't know that. Well, Tom told us that and Tom is a representative of us, so I'm good. Yeah. I I Okay, Tom, he's going to be here on the 4th. That's the plan. Okay. All right.
Gary, are you good with that or are we I mean, I mean, we can't we we can't force him to do something he doesn't want to do if this is the way he wants to do it. But I mean, we haven't spoken to him, so I don't know. The only one spoken to him is Tom. Am I wrong?
Yeah. Well, I mean, I have I haven't spoken to him, so I mean, this is the way he wants to do it. I mean, if he says he's not willing to give us an opinion on what he thinks we need to do for downtown, I guess it's the only way only way we can do it. Am I am I missing
something? I again my discussion with him is he feels uh this would be the first step in engaging him. Okay. When did he tell you that if I could ask? Um I don't know if I have the exact date. Um but it was a phone call.
Okay. All right. Yeah. Um would it be possible for him to come at 5:30? Two months. Wait, she's talking perhaps asking him to come at 5:30. All right. if you guys consider and debate it for him to come at 5:30. I don't believe we have a premeating
that evening. Uh I don't think we have anything scheduled yet. Uh so I can ask him to come in at 5:30. Okay. So, so if he comes in at 5:30, uh, and it just has to be noted, I mean,
publicly noticed, of course, as a a workshop, workshop or special meeting at least to give him enough time to ask some questions, and it's open to the public because the suggestion I gave as it relates to the downtown development is no one-on-one with any
potential um, parties that are involved until it's a there's there's a contract in place or if if you guys decide to hire him as a consultant, That's just best for everything to happen at a public forum. Okay. All right. Tom, you want to set him up
for 5:30? Uh, I will check um with him to see if he's available at 5:30. Okay. All right. George, anything else? Um, actually, I think I do. Um, I'd like us to consider um with all with
all this Duke stuff and future stuff, there is an ordinance that that uh I I looked up and saw in Winter Garden uh where they banned any uh electric poles or electric utility lines above ground and required them all to be underground
going forward. I think that's something we need to move on quickly and get implemented. There's there is an ordinance in in there that we could get some good guidance off of. Um that's that's one. Uh in the future in approving development, residential
developments, I think we need to consider limiting the amount of rentals that could be in there. There's a lot of them that are maximum permitted of 10% rentals. Uh that will help increase the quality, I think, in the pride and
ownership in our community. And uh we did talk about trails and impact fee for trails somehow working in. I don't I didn't research back what the end result was of that, but I want to keep that in the front of the Mike said keep trails in the front of your discussion. So, uh
that's a fourth item there and that was along with raising impact fees in general to help with with things like that that beautify and improve our community. So, uh the emergency utility poles, the rental, uh the impact fees
for trail and uh um raising impact fees is something I want to keep in the forefront. Okay. All right, Tom. Yeah. So related to impact fees, we are working with Rafelis as our consultant
to increase uh impact fees uh review uh water and wastewater um and uh as part of a rate study and uh we've run into a little bit of a time crunch on the impact fees because there's been state legislation that is
uh going into effect um that and Sasha can talk more about the specifics and the timing. But basically, we would need to have uh some if we want to increase impact fees without limits uh of the new legislation, we have to get that
approved by the end of September. So that because there's a a 90-day uh advertising period where we need to announce to the world that this is happening and it all has to be wrapped up by January 1st. So, uh, Rafelis is
working on everything. Uh, I bring it up because there's going to be a time crunch and we may, uh, so I want to ask about availability for a potential special meeting to do a final approval for the impact fees. And what we're
looking at is um September 29th is a Monday. There is a county um another joint meeting with the county uh as far as uh comp plan and land use that
afternoon. Uh but I would propose uh a 6:00 pm meeting on either Monday, September 29th or Tuesday, September 30th. Uh, and that would be uh to get that approved before the end of September so that we can do our 90-day
notice and have it in effect for January 1. Would that allow us or give us room to either apply or collect an impact fee that might be able to be allocated toward trails? Does that help trails anyway? I don't know if we've talked
about a mobility impact fee, but that is not I don't think that's something that we contracted with Ref Telis to do as part of this effort. So, we can we can talk to them a little bit. Uh but I don't believe mobility is something that
they've been working on for us. Uh that'll be something that we'll have to bring back to you. Somehow we have to think about how we're going to fund some of this stuff. Yeah. No, I I agree. and we um we had staff attend um a Lake County workshop
on impact fees and there is an opportunity. We have not traditionally charged impact fees. Uh we've kind of left that to the county. We have the ability to charge an impact fee and we have the ability to charge a mobility fee which would be for transportation
infrastructure other than roads. Um and we as staff agree that we should do that. Uh but Rafelis was contracted to look at existing impact fees like police, fire, um utilities and so that's what they're working on. That's what
they're trying to get done before the end of September. We would have to come back to you on transportation and mobility. So it'll be a second phase after that. Yeah. But I think uh we're supportive. It sounds like the commission is supportive. Uh and so we will we will get working on that, but it won't be
part of this uh immediate effort. And so, uh, I don't know, does do any of the commissioners have a fatal conflict with either the, uh, 29th or the 30th? I prefer the 29th. That way, we get all of our stuff done,
but that's me. Long as you keep it at six, I'm fine. Yeah. We will need a full commission, Tom. I should be okay. But we need a full commission. We need five. We need a full commission for a special meeting
uh for well the day that we're um going to be hearing both impact fees ordinance. Yep. So that would be September uh I think it's 18th and then the special meeting whether it's the 29th or
the 30th. So we we are going to um because we're going over the 50% very likely. It takes a super majority superiority to do it. So you will be hearing this um September 18th which is your normally
scheduled commission meeting. We then have to do a final approval before the end of September. So that's so you will be hearing it first at a regularly scheduled meeting and then final approval at a special meeting. Um so we can it sounds like tenatively if
it's 6 pm on the 29th we're okay but we will check with you and we will check with commissioner Tom. remember the workshops. Yeah. The um but the workshops are on the regularly scheduled commission
dates. Correct. The work not for this uh not for this effort. We have one, my recommendation was one uh to take place prior to the 9 9:18 meeting and then we would need to have another one just before uh either
9:29 or 9:30 for 5:30. So we we will we will have a workshop prior to the regularly scheduled meeting on the 18th. We will then have a workshop prior to the special meeting tenatively scheduled for the 29th.
It could still start at 6, but it would just be the first thing would be that and then the special meeting would start at 6:30. Your state law says you have to have a workshop first before you have the official vote. And so, um, you will have workshops on both the 18th and the 29th if that's what works
for everybody mixed with the meeting. So, I don't need to add anything. We don't need to add anything. Yeah. No, it's just it is technically a separate meeting, but it's the same date and time. Perfect. Okay. And so we will work with uh Commissioner Lee and Vice Mayor Ashcraft to confirm
the 29th works and we will tenatively plan for 6 PM for the workshop and then we will have a regular commission I'm sorry special commission meeting 6:30 6:30 okay something like that. They said that they wouldn't need more
than half an hour. Yeah. Rafel has said they expected about the need for about a half hour. Okay. And which date is that? If the 29th, we'll confirm with both you and uh Vice Mayor Ashcraft that it's the 20. Let's tentatively say it's 6 pm on the 29th
unless you hear differently. Okay. Okay. Okay. And that's all I have. Okay. Well, thank you, Madam Attorney. Nothing for me this evening. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Uh I agree. Um yesterday the the
pep rally, it was it was a great time. uh uh in in Baron Park. So I really enjoyed it. Uh other than that uh we are journ