Test, test, test. This is the board of county commissioners regular meeting on December 2nd, 2025 in board chambers to various Florida. recording in progress. Good morning everyone. Welcome to our
December 2nd, 2025 Lake County Board of County Commissioners meeting. We welcome you to our meeting today. Um, we're going to start the meeting with an invocation given by Pastor Bobby Row from the FCA of North Lake County. And then we will remain standing for our
pledge of allegiance. Good morning. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for this day, a day we've never seen before. We thank you for allowing us to be in this day. Lord, I pray for our leaders of Lake County that you would continue to give them wisdom and guidance as they make decisions for
Lake County. Allow them to touch and agree. Allow them to come together on common ground. Allow them to make the best decisions for our wonderful county. We thank you. We give you glory, honor, and praise in Jesus name. Amen. >> Amen.
I pledge allegiance 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. >> Thank you very much.
>> All right, we're going to move right into our agenda update. Jennifer. >> Yes. Good morning, Madam Chair, commissioners. Uh first we added a an exhibit an 4H photo exhibit in recognition of the children who provided
the photos. We also added an annexation report to be heard later on the agenda. And then finally tab 16, 17 and 18 were all added as an addendum to the agenda after it was first published. 16 I am requesting to be moved under the consent
agenda. Tab 17 to be moved under the regular agenda and finally tab 18 to be moved under other business. Okay. All right. And then once we do the 4 photo exhibit recognition, um I'm going to
move things around a little bit um so that we can address the MSTU first um because I have to get on the road because I'm going on a county trip to DC and um I need to um leave the meeting at that point and Commissioner Parks will
take over in chairing the meeting. Um if we have time we'll also talk about the um the ordinance on Lake Dora and the A ordinance um which are just for advertising today. So moving along then
to um the 4H uh photo exhibit recognition. Dallas if you would come forward and do these presentations for us. Good morning everyone. Um, thank you so much for showcasing um, you know, not
only 4 and FFA members, but um, showcasing agriculture through their eyes um, here in our lobby. I hope everyone's been able to enjoy the photos. Um, and we do have some of the youth here today. And one of the things for participating is they're receiving a
shirt, um, which we have. And, um, if the kids could please come up. We've got Carly Melik, Ella Melik, Jaxi Strickland, Tanner Marshall, Nathan Stevens, and Ephraim Stevens.
And with um these projects that kids do, one of the biggest things with 4 is developing life skills for both 4 and FFA or the life skills. And those are uh those are accomplished through their projects that they do throughout the year. And this was just a really great
way to show all that they're passionate about and learning through their projects. Well, thank you so much and congratulations to you all and um we welcome you to come back in the future. This is a great program to bring recognition to the hard
work that they're doing, the great lessons they're learning. >> Thank you. >> And thanks to the parents. Appreciate you all being here too and all that you do. All right, moving along then we're going to move over to um
the public hearing on the MSTU um >> tab 12 Melanie. So, this will be an ordinance of the board of county commissioners of Lake County, Florida, establishing a municipal services taxing unit to provide law enforcement services through the Lake County Sheriff's Office for the
unincorporated areas of Lake County, Florida, creating a new section 20-1 subsection 29 Lake County code, providing for inclusion in in the code, providing for subability, providing for department of state, and providing for an effective date. And I will provide you the ordinance
number here in a minute, but you can go ahead and have your discussion. >> Okay. All right. Um, so this is a public hearing and I see I've got one card. Um, Cindy Newton. Morning. Cindy Newton, District 4. I just wanted to point out some of the
state bills that are coming through that could impact this. uh there are several that would be uh significantly affecting the process and major property tax
reductions or eliminations of the MSTUS. So the uh three, four, five of these bills are in the state affairs committee and they're meeting today. So, I urge y'all to watch the meeting
and see what they decide on on these. Thank you. >> Okay. Do we have anyone online? Okay. Then let's bring it back to the board for >> Madam Chair, this will be ordinance 2025-54 if you approve it. >> 54. Okay.
um to jump right in. Um I think that when this exercise started, the thought that was that there was going to be significantly more that was attributed to the unincorporated portion of the county only as opposed to the county as a whole. Um I think that um it's in my
opinion it's probably not um worthy of the extra time effort so forth to go forward with a separate MSDU but and it could be that maybe maybe it is prudent at some point in time but I do
think that the issue that was raised by Miss Newton that we all have been keeping our eyes on um with regard to property tax reform form could impact this. So, it would only make sense in my mind to wait and see what happens with this legislative session before we would
make any decisions about whether to bifurcate the unincorporated area of the county on the county on the sheriff's budget. >> I'd like to make a motion that we do not approve. >> Second. I agree with Commissioner. >> I do too. >> Seems like everybody else does, too. >> Uh, all right. With with um
understanding that we're going to look at it. When does when does this have to be um on the approved for the next the following year? >> So if you deny it today and you bring it back next year, it will not go into
effect until 27 November of 27. You have to have it in place by December 31st for the following tax year. >> Okay. >> And and I believe there's a lot of vetting that we have to do beforehand. So you're not going against this. You're not saying um just saying that more with more vetting it may >> No, I'm I'm saying that we're going to
just approve this resolution. If somebody else wants to bring it up, they can bring it up at another time. >> Yeah. Well, yeah, I guess I'm saying the same thing, too. >> Yeah, I think you're saying it just different ways. You're you're you're sort of explaining the reasons why you would bring it back up and you're just indicating right now you don't think
that there's a reason to go forward with it. >> Yeah. And the reason why, just so everybody understands, is um we're we're trying to work with the cities and they feel like um look, there's a disparity in taxes paid. Can you separate out that portion of the sheriff's services into a separate MSTU? So, it's it's a good
discussion. It really is. And it's a matter of fairness to So, it's it's not a tax increase like it's maybe somebody had thought it was, and I understand the skepticism over it. It should be that way, but that's that's the that's the intent here. Um and you know maybe the
further vetting >> correct and I should have said the public probably doesn't is not privy to some of the um um >> the history on it and discussion >> some of the um things that have happened
in the background to make sure that there's not that big of a discrepancy between the city and the counties. We had a consultant or somebody um I think Lake 100 had a consultant do a um a >> review >> a review of both of them and it didn't
seem to be that disparaging between the two which is one of the reasons why I voted to go against this. >> Yeah. Yeah. It I mean there is you know there is a disparity but so if you're in this if you're in a city that's why we were doing this. it's a it's a fairness
issue to you if anything, but I understand the need to >> I do think though that there's an argument that in a in a countywide public safety system that you could make the argument that any of those officers who are on patrol in the unincorporated area are also available for any mutual
aid or assistance that may be needed within a city. And if you were to have a major incident at one particular time or multiple incidents, you then have those resources available to you as a city um or as you know if it's a large incident.
So I I think you could actually make the argument that as a countywide public system, you you don't necessarily need to bifrocate them. >> Yeah. And these are some of the same issues, by the way, we deal with with the fire, >> you know, fire issues and EMS. It's very similar. >> Multiple duplications and things like
that. So, >> okay. So, we have a motion. We have a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. >> Okay. That passes 5-0. And then picking up on the um let's let's do the A um ordinance next, which is for
advertising. >> Can we um clarify what just passed? It passed to not approve. >> Yes, that was a denial to move forward with an MSTU. >> All right. Um so on I'm looking for my
tab number on the on the um agricultural amendment >> five right >> five >> tab five um this is only to advertise so there will be another discussion at the time if it moves forward for advertising
um one issue that I um would like to see added to the ordinance would be a provision that if a property has does not have a best management practices um plan on file that they would be
subject to a conditional use permit process. Um otherwise they would then be exempt by the statute. Um is they the whole intent of the statute was if you're doing best management practices then you shouldn't need another layer of
conditions or regulations at the local level. Well, if you're not doing um them then you do need the CU. So that would be my request is that that be added for the um final hearing. >> And I would like to request that we unstrike the pigeons.
>> Pigeons were struck out of the ordinance. And I'd like the pigeons because we have a lot of people who do homing pigeons. >> Is there a reason why they were out? >> We just don't have a need to have a separate category for pigeons, but we will leave pigeons in to make Commissioner Smith happy. >> Thank you.
>> All right. Um, do we have anyone online? No. Okay. All right. Um, so do we have do do we have any further discussion or do you want to move forward with um advertising? >> Move to advertise. >> Second. >> All right. All in favor say I.
>> I. All right. Any oppose? That passes 5-0. And that is to move forward with advertising. >> And just for the record, that will it's going to require two public hearings on this one. Um the first one will be December 16th and the final will be January 6th. >> Okay. All right. And then
>> just ask one legal question. Why is that one too versus the normal? >> Because when you change the list of permitted, conditional or prohibited uses, you have to have two public hearings. >> All right. The next item is um tab 15. Um, this is again a approval to
advertise an ordinance creating section 5-5 Lake County code to be entitled Lake Dora Sandbar. Um, and again, this is just for approval to advertise. And I do have three speaker cards. So, if I could have those speakers, if they wish to um
speak. Um, I've got, let's see, Marilyn, Marilina, sorry. Um and then Bob um Acer Bloom and then Arlon Coberg. So um it's three
minute speaking time if you want to come to the podium and um and we just ask that when the buzzer goes off that you wrap up your comments. >> I'm Marilina Aker Bloom and I live right where they have pinpointed the Lake Dora
Sandbar. I'm a terrible public speaker, but I am a mother and I am a grandmother and I love children. But that love of mine is getting taxed from the screaming children that come to the Lake Dora Sandbar.
If there is a way that you could have boats not anchor in front and anchor further like 500 ft away, it would be wonderful. The dogs and the kids are incessant and they scream with joy, but it can get on your nerves and um it has
affected the eagles, all the wildlife that comes to Mount Dor to Lake to Deer Island. So, whatever you can do to make sure they don't anchor and that would be difficult, you know, I know, but it has to it has to happen. Please. We've lived
with this since co five, six years and the whole it's that whole side. It's it's eroded the beach. It's just it's hard to live with. Thank you. May I give the rest of my time to my husband? >> Um we don't actually transfer time, but
we >> Well, thank you. You're very brave for doing this and we couldn't be more grateful. and you're welcome to come to our house if you need to experience firsthand what this is. Thank you so much. >> All right. And Bob,
>> first of all, we're very grateful for the compassion and courage that that you've displayed in attempting to control this this problem. It's a ser it's not just a problem for us in the house. It's a problem for Lake County. Really, it's destroying the nature of
Lake County. We moved here for peace and quiet in nature and that's what Lake County offers. But this is like a disease that's spreading rapidly. The lake Doris Sandbar now has 6,000 members and most of them are not in Lake County. I had a man from Clearwater come over had caught him with his dog on my
property asked him where he was from clear I heard about the calm water in Clear Water. So it's a really it's a significant problem. I looked before I make the suggestion. By the way, thank you so much for your your plan of of having a a defined barrier. I can't
believe it be to 1,000 feet. I was hoping and praying for 500 feet, but on the water even a,000 ft not but anyway before I read some I have a book on regulation of water. It says regulations necessary to protect the public health and safety and welfare. as the local
government may may invoke their police power as the state also designates this power local government local government may also have concurrent regulatory authority over waters within the jurisdiction. The the public trust doctrine imposes the state a special duty to protect true
trust resources submerged lands and water etc. Any conflict of interest arising from these subsurved lands should be and can best be solved by local government. So before before I suggested this, I read this to see if you can actually do that. We've been looking at this for 5 years and to
monitor and regulate sound is it's it's impossible to do. You have to have a camera. You have to have a a decel meter. You have to film it. You have to record it. You have to have the thing determine it's accurate. And to take that to court for a vote is impossible.
The police show up, the guy turns the radio down, so he turn he turns it back up. You can't regulate sound. I wish that you could, but again, the sound of screaming children. This weekend there was one boat with four children and they destroyed the entire day for us. Our neighbors live, we have a tall house
just behind us. Our neighbors were complaining said, "My god, this we walked over. It was gone. One boat, four kids." So the sound is you can't this is I have I have stuff here. I don't really want to play whatever. I'm going to give it to you. U the sound of the children
is is the biggest problem. And then w with all I love women and respect them to the end of the world but that women drink and by the end of the day you can hear them above the children heavens so much. So when so it's really it's we have a hundred boats with 500 people behind our house regularly.
That's insane. It's growing and growing and growing. In the morning I look across I see a boat coming and ride right to our living room window and park right in front of they ah this is my party today. I control it. People come at night with generators, they can get that spot. They they like to have the
crowd around them. It's really But it's it's >> I'm sorry. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. I appreciate >> Arlin. I'm Aron Colberg. I'm one of the neighbors in this neighborhood. I live in one of the five houses closest to this situation and it it has been a
horrendous problem for the last 5 years. uh to give you an example. Well, one of the when they talk about the noise of children, that's one thing, but the the volume of music that they play is just unacceptable. And and I like music, but they a lot oftenimes play music with just terrible
vulgar language in it. And it it's just I've been outside talking to friends in my backyard and we just literally have to get up and go back inside. You know, of the five houses that are closest to this situation, all of us have had to devise some way to get away uh from that
area during the summertime. Some of us leave for the summer. Some people have purchased uh property somewhere else so that they can get away at least just for the weekend just to maintain their sanity. And uh I really do appreciate you trying to solve this problem because
it does need to be solved and and the sooner the better because the the mental state of our neighborhood has to be protected. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um is there anybody online? Okay. All right. Um anybody else in the
audience that intended to file a card? Did you file a card? And >> but you'd have to come to the you you'd have to come forward. Okay. I can >> Okay. And then we'll have you fill a card out. >> Good morning, uh, ladies and gentlemen
of the commission. My name is Alvin Montinees. I'm a new resident at, uh, Deer Island. Uh, purchased a home, uh, about a year ago. Wish that I had done due diligence. Never considered doing due diligence on the lake itself and
what happens on the lake just outside my backyard. if I had you can Google photos of what happens uh every weekend behind our house and I can tell you um it's very difficult it's very difficult difficult for me to see that the land
value uh of my investment is probably going to be uh declining because I do feel like in selling the home and buying the home I probably should have been uh awarded you know the uh information of what's happening you know that's something that should have been declared
um in In any case, I feel like at this point, uh it's it's disappointing because the weekend is uh a time to enjoy uh your time in the backyard and time uh to enjoy the beautiful lakes uh of Lake County, which is what uh I I I really was looking forward to. Um the
weekends are are not um where I can spend time in the backyard because it's everybody else's uh uh time that's out there uh playing the music that's often drowning out uh you know the the entertainment that I'm trying to have. I have to take my guests into my home
because uh they're subjected to whatever is happening out there. So, you know, anything that can do to provide relief to um you know, residents uh of Deer Island uh and and your county is certainly appreciated. I'm thankful that
you guys are even addressing this uh because certainly uh it does need to be addressed. I thank you very much for your time. >> Thank you. Um and I do need to have you fill out a card. Okay. >> Um they have them over there. Okay. All right. Bringing it back to the board. Melanie, could you just give us just a
very brief overview of what's in the ordinance now or what's being proposed to advertise? >> So, this ordinance is based on a plainly audible standard. If any amplified sound coming from radios, television sets, whatever else they're doing out there,
um is heard 25 ft. Um actually, this one does not have 25 ft. We have two going at the same time. um if if it can be heard by law enforcement and law enforcement has a variety of factors in here such as time of day, um type of noise, those types of things, then law
enforcement will basically give them a warning to stop and if they do not stop, then law enforcement would have the ability to make an arrest. Um again, this is not a decibel ordinance. It is a plainly audible ordinance. Um and it does give some discretion to law enforcement based on the factors listed
herein. And then as far as that distance that thousand >> it yes it's a thousand foot um based on the shoreline there is a a legal description in the ordinance there's a sketch attached to show and then there would be signage put out along various
points so that people would know when they're entering that area that it is considered a quiet zone. >> Okay. And it would be and the the reference to the noise though is is is um amplified as opposed to human voices. And >> that's correct. It's amplified sound
only. It's not going to deal with, you know, children playing or any of those types of um just typical, you know, communications that people have. It's only amplified sound. >> Okay. All right. Um so, back to the board discussion. Do you want to move
forward with um advertising? Do you have issues you want to talk about now before we get >> fine advertising? I definitely want to discuss. Let me just say a few things about this which is these are just thoughts not not positions really but um you know I definitely think we need to
modify this to to to get it right and really try to balance here which is obvious but I mean this specifically is something that I think there's a way you can draft this to get rid of the bad actors who are playing the volume at an
an extremely aggressive level versus just trying to shut down and displace what's going on because what I did hear from some of the neighbors is that they're just as annoyed by some of the human voices as they are the music. And of course, our ordinance doesn't touch
that. Um I just don't want to see an ordinance that could be used to just displace people. Let me tell you why, which is that I mean I go out there obviously. I mean sure some of you have been out there and it's a great spot. I don't know how I grew up here. I've been here 36 of my 37 years, but I don't
remember going there a lot back in the day. So, I guess it's become far more popular now than it's ever been. Um, the due diligence factor is something that's very interesting to me because I mean I I feel like it's been popular for a while. Anybody who's buying there should
have known like this is the spot. It's not just this. I think it's like the best spot. I mean, it's a great spot. It's cool. I think it's an iconic part of Lake County. I do not want to displace people. What I do want to see is a noise ordinance that gets rid of aggressive harassing levels of sound
being amplified. So, we just need to really finesse it. I think the plainly audible standard, which of course is now legal and constitutional, I think that's in my opinion it's a little just a little too aggressive. Uh, obviously I do sh trust our sheriff's department to to use discretion and to be fair in how
they implement it, but I'd like to see it written in a way where you're really just getting rid of the people who are playing aggressively menacing levels of music to to destroy the quality of life. And people do that. I mean, it's crazy to see, but people do that and it's
terrible. But I don't want to see the people be displaced, which might come to their consternation. They obviously don't want the people there. I don't blame them for that to a certain degree, but honestly, it is a cool iconic part of the county. I do want to see people accumulate there. I just want to see
them do it in a way that's reasonable. So, all that's all those are all thoughts. I just hope that we can maybe and I'll talk to the attorney, but maybe we can come up with some amendments or some language where again the bad actors are are targeted, but really we're not trying to displace them. And then, of course, the other obvious reason for
that is they're just going to go somewhere else. They're going to go somewhere else. this is a safe place for people to accumulate to a certain degree. Um, and I think it's a good spot. And again, I know it comes at the expense of some homeowners, but I think it's a good thing for the county. I
think it's great. I think it's an awesome natural feature of the lakes of the chain that I'd like to see highlighted. And I've never seen any bad I mean, the noise thing is an issue, but other than that, I've never seen bad acts out there. I've never seen anybody going crazy or doing anything something nuts out there yet. I know. Okay. Well,
then we'll talk about that because again, I think there's ways to incorporate tools in this ordinance to stop bad acts and to raise awareness, but also to allow it to be a peaceful gathering place. Those are my thoughts. I'm advertising it.
>> Um, any other comments? >> My concern is the navigable waterways. I don't want to get into our our state or federal laws that we're keeping people away from using something when they can navigate on the lakes. So that I don't
have a problem with the hearing the um the noise level. They did it over home assass well there. Everything's toned down. But it does take active um police presence to to to have it work. I will tell you
that. So once they're gone, music goes up. When they come back, music goes down. So, just understand that that Peyton's going to have a lot of people out there. >> Well, I've been to several of their houses during the peak time and I've
also been on the lake uh during during the peak time and I understand um the noise level and I understand your concern about the navigation. Um I think that the noise level is um the main concern.
Um, typically the type of music that's being played out there, especially if you have kids that live along the lake, um, I have left a couple times, uh, because it started getting a little too rowdy for
for when my son was of the age of five or six. So, I understand um their plight. I have seen when I was over there some of the voters getting on their private property, walking along the shoreline. That's an issue that we can't deal with.
I mean, because they're going to do what they're going to do. But I think this is okay to advertise and tweak as we keep moving along. >> So, Madam Chairman, just to throw out the suggestion, um, as I mentioned earlier, we we've been working simultaneously on this ordinance along with the same type of ordinance for
Silver Glenn. Um, Silver Glenn Springs, we recently in conjunction with Marian County, we added a 25 foot um, hear it within 25 feet of the the sound. What I can do before we advertise this is go in and make this match what we're doing for
Silver Glenn. So that at least if we have two ordinances with quiet zones, they're worded the same way. They have the same requirements. So if the board is is okay with that, then I can add that 25 foot in there. pretty much the significant difference between the two other than some formatting and and
rephrasing of types of things. But I can make that similar to Silverg Glenn. Silver Glenn will be coming forward to you um in the near future. >> And if I'm not mistaken, the Silver Glenn ordinance would be um along with Valian Marian County. Correct. >> With Marian County Marian County has
already adopted theirs. So we have mirrored theirs um since they've adopted it. I think it's coming to you. It might be on December 16th for approval to advertise, but I will go in and make this mirror Silver Glenn as well. And again, it'll have that 25 foot um barrier where you have to be able to
hear it at least 25 ft away. Maybe that will address some of Commissioner Sabatini's concerns. Yeah, I think I mean the the the the idea is to cut down on the runchy the runchy behavior and um and and to
mitigate the the noise from the standpoint of what's amplified people having a good time. We're not going to be able to do anything about that. That's arguably should be a good thing, but when you you know a lot of competing interests here, so that's tough. Um, but
I think that the one one key I think to remember too is that we have to start somewhere because we got a problem. >> We know we have a problem. So, let's we've got to we've got to begin this process and if we find out in implementing it that there's a better
way um then we come back and we can tweak it. Um, but it is new territory. Um, but it's just gotten completely out of control. >> And I would suspect once the if you implement this version, um, once the sheriff goes out there, he will probably come back to us and ask us to tweak it
based on his experience of of what's going on out there. Um, one other thing to point out in response to Commissioner Morris, we are not regulating navigation. Um, under section 327.60 of the Florida statutes, there are specific things that we cannot regulate. Um, I know some of the residents brought up
anchoring. There are requirements in state law that we would have to go back and look at if the board was interested in looking at that in the future. Um, that's not something that I would propose at this time. Again, there's state regulations on where you can anchor and those types of things we would have to look at before we would
bring back any other regulation on that. So, for now, if we just limit it to the noise, we can see it how that's going to resolve the issue, if it resolves the issue, and we can get that input from the sheriff's office and we can tweak it as we need to. And if I could just yeah if I could just make a suggestion against it's a thought
I'm not committed position on this but if we can you know from a legal perspective and then you know sort of as a policy perspective analyze 25 versus 50 versus 75. Again I'm not committing to 100 foot or whatever but just look at the different distances. I
understand 25 is like constitutional. It's legal. It's been held up. We can do that but it just seems a bit aggressive. maybe just look to see what policy proposals other cities around the state have done and how they're implemented and then look at how that would affect
um behavior because I do think if it was like again just a thought I don't have final position on this yet but if it's 50 foot clearly you're getting rid of somebody who's amplifying sound to a completely unreasonable degree maybe 50 or 75 but 25 let's be real 25 feet I
mean that's a cell phone over there in the back of the room right I I mean, is that really what we want? That's a level of aggressive policing that I think is a bit much. But so, just maybe if we could incorporate into sort of our notes here or options for what is in front of us two weeks from now, um, you know,
different distances and how those would be applied to that area and what other cities have done, counties. Thanks, >> Commissioner Parks. No, I think um I think Melanie answered a lot of my questions um about the navigability and her proposals and this is going to be m
this is going to match what's being already being done. Correct. >> Correct. I'm going to modify it so that it mirrors the proposal coming forward to you for Silver Glenn Springs um which has already been adopted by Marian County and I'll also talk with the sheriff's office regarding the distance
and see what they suggest if they would like to go further out first and then narrow it down. >> I think the one thing to remember though if it was a concert and everybody was you had one song playing >> exactly >> it would be a little different. what you have is you have competing
>> and then it gets to be a competition just to try to maybe get somebody else to leave because you want to have the loudest no music. So that's where I feel you the amplification comes in and it's it's a very different scenario than
somebody playing some music in their backyard for a party. Um it's like all of this competing sound at the same time. You add all of that together now you're going to 25 ft. Is it that guy's music or that person's music or is it
that person's music? So I think you if you get too far anyway that just kind of giving a >> something to think about >> respon that's a good thought and then just in response to that maybe we can look at specific decibb because here's what I don't want. I don't want to be
out there and it's loud but then the sheriff's department is can't identify who's the worst actor. It's all sort of accumulated thing. If we came up with maybe a decibel level, like the allowable decibel level, they can just be like, "Okay, what's your decibel level?" It's this. Okay. Well, then
you're fine. Again, it's just a thought. I mean, let's look at what some other cities or counties have done on this because I think decibel level could be another way of approaching it where somebody can have some music that if you're outside the boat 10, 15 feet, everyone's enjoying the same music. 10. I'm talking 10 15 feet, not 20 feet
away, 30 feet away or on the other side of the sandbar and you're hearing the same song. I mean, that's what we want to avoid. So, um I just think that those should be incorporated because I don't I just don't I think it's too aggressive to just do the 25 foot. >> So, I'm really sorry that I'm going to have to leave, but can we go ahead and
get a motion to advertise? >> Second. >> All right. All in favor say I. I. Okay. So, we'll move forward with advertising and then we'll have a full hearing on December 16th on this issue. and um Commissioner Parks will >> chair the meeting and then you've got uh public comment that
>> and we got the meeting that we haven't done yet. >> Yeah, you got to go all the way back to the beginning. So, um >> um good luck in Washington. >> Be very big for Lake County. >> Yes, I'm looking forward to it and hopefully we'll we'll be successful. >> Yes, >> be careful there.
>> Yes, >> Washington after all swamp. >> You never know. >> All right. Um, so we'll move on. Safe is safe travels again. Um, so we'll move on. Uh, we're now at um, minutes approval. Uh, so I will call on um,
Christy Mlain from Clerk of Courts. >> Thank you. We request approval of the minutes from October 28th. >> Move approval. Second. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor of the motion say I. I. Oppose. There are none. That passes unanimously.
>> All right. So now we will go to uh, citizen question and comment period. Uh again, we'll I have some cards. This is for items that are uh not on the agenda. Just uh general uh comments that you'd like to make. Um there will be an opportunity for other items uh to
comment on other items on the agenda coming up. Um so you'll just come forward when when I call your name. You have three minutes. We have a timer here. A lot can be said in three minutes. When the alarm goes off, we just kind of wrap it up and uh we'll move on to the next uh the next speaker.
So make sure I got this correct. Um, okay. So, uh, Kimberly Kimberly Kimberly Gillard, please. >> Good morning. >> I would like to bring up a safety concern. Not only a noise concern, but
also a safety concern. Um, I have spent 55 of my 55 years in Lake County. My children are fifth generation Flid or Lake Countyian and ninth generation Flidian. We are overpop populated. We do not have the infrastructure. Everybody keeps
building. I'm trying to protect my home and my sanity because unlike these people on Lake Door that can't get some quiet during the day on the weekend, I get no quiet ever. I live at the corner of Dead River Road and 19, State Road
19, just around the corner. And there is a barrier over the Dead River Bridge, concrete and metal. Then it ends. There is no way for us as a community to
build a barrier wall there for sound or safety because we would be covering up buried electricity lines so forth. The county needs to at the very least or the city I've called FDOT. Don't know where else to turn. That's why I'm here.
Needs to at least put up a guardrail directly across the street from my home and from the Dunkin Donuts. Their parking lot is protected. Why is the Dunkin Donuts parking lot more important than my home? Literally, I am 20T from the road. If
somebody misses a turn, they're in my living room. Also, the Taris Police Department on a regular basis pull people over in that turn lane. What if a violent criminal with a gun jumps out of the car to elude the police? I have
nothing protecting me. Not a thing. And there's more than one home there in that area between where the Dead River Bridge barrier ends to the intersection at Dead River and State Road 19. So, if somebody
can put that on an agenda or tell me who I need to get a hold of in order to make sure that I as a Lake County resident at least get some protection, if not noise control, I've not I should have done my due diligence. I knew it was going to be a little bit noisy, but I had no idea I
wouldn't be able to sleep every night of my life. I can't even sleep all night. I'd love to just have noise on the weekends. is somebody go around the corner when you leave here and sit at that intersection and see what you hear.
So, somebody do something for me. And my neighbors, they're elderly. I'm 55. I'm the youngest person in that retirement community. Everybody else is older. We got people in their 80s and 90s. They don't need that. And I don't need it
either. So, I need some help. That's what you guys are here for. So, I'll give you all my information at the end of this session and we can go from there. >> Miss Gillard, thank you. Um, and I understand the concern over that. Um, I can imagine it's pretty bad sometimes.
So, we have a staff that um will certainly try their best. I don't know what they can we can promise, but um and if possible, I'd like to try to maybe connect you with a staff member right now. Maybe they could meet you outside. It's just to get some basic information and follow up on that. So, Jennifer, I
don't know if Jeff or somebody Um, >> uh, Jeff Heheart can meet with her out in the rotunda. If you want to step out into the rotunda, somebody will meet you out there. >> Yeah. See if there's anything we can do. Sure. >> Okay. Joe from Joe.
>> Joe from 2693 jumper jack way. I've come here to talk to you today about uh my tax bill, $10,598. Why is that? because of Richard Levy and his economic policies that he's developed for the Wellness Way area.
Richard Levy works both sides of the aisle, developers and works for the county and the city. He created economic policies of the MSTU and the CDD as a way to help developers and not residents that buy in these areas. Just as an
example, he tried to put forward the MSTU as a way to help pay for things. He's charging extra taxes to us. He created the CDD as a method to help developers pay the upfront cost that he said that they need to do first. So,
he's putting the cost on the residents. Again, I just don't know where it ends. I think you're throwing good money after bad, continuing to contract with this gentleman. All he has done is added more density, more housing, and no economic
job centers. Where are they? That's all we hear about is more houses, more roofs. You said yourself, "Oh, well, if you want more roofs, that's what we can do." Well, that's all you're doing down there Wellness Way. November 1st, 2023, he showed up at the meeting for the uh
Heavenly Delell Web project on Scoffield Road. He wasn't on there as representing the county. So was he representing PY because he justified so that they could build their houses. Oh, don't worry about the retail space. That's still
jobs. But the job centers are coming. That's all I hear is they're coming. Where are they at? You've moved the job centers to two locations up to the 516 and Olympus. Olympus has more rooftops. I don't see any commercial coming. So,
please explain to me why is it we're paying higher taxes, no commercial. Is the MSTU paying Lar's well to help water the MSTU project that you're squeezing us for? The CDD is run by Lenar and they
are contracted with you to spend the MSTU money. Richard Levy tried to pull the manager of my CDD company up to do the assessments for the MSTU. Isn't that funny? Mr. Richard Levy sits on CDD boards.
So, I don't see what economic he's bringing for the citizens. I see lots of economic for developers. So, can we remedy this and get rid of that contract? Thank you. Oh, one other thing. I don't appreciate your comment
on style. Yankees, people that are located outside of Florida, anybody can go to Style and watch your interview. I'm one of those folks that's from outside of Florida and I'm highly offended by that comment. >> Okay. Thank you.
Um, all right. So, we'll move on to um >> we'll move on to Jeremy Groen. >> Morning. Appreciate >> you for allowing me to speak. My name is Jeremy Groen. I'm a combat war veteran and a resident of Lake County. I live over in Leburg off of West Main Street.
Actually, I met Mr. Sabatini and congratulations to your new family. So, uh I just like to be able to tell you a little bit about myself. I'm self-made, started my career in military aviation and went into CNC robotics. Uh after that, I went into general aviation. I have an airframe power plant license and
FCC radar endorsement. Then I became a rocket launchpad technician. Rocket launchpad technician for SpaceX. It was originally from Georgia. So I came down here in 2016. After my time with SpaceX, I actually became an engineer inspector at Universal Orlando. Then COVID happened and they started terminating
people left and right. I became a uh engineer inspector for Mitsubishi Power uh shortly after and I even woke uh I even worked at uh Okado, which is the e-commerce for Kroger distributions. Now I can speak on that Kroger facility. Uh
simple plain uh plain and simple is that uh if you go woke, you go broke. When I worked there, I was terminated shortly after being hired there. I was sent to Fredick Frederick Frederick, Maryland and went to Washington DC. However, they terminated me on my way back for actually tending um you know a little bit extra time and leisure on my own
expense. They uh basically fired me for u being patriotic and uh loyal to the current administration. Now, one thing I wanted to speak about was the joint planning agreement that failed to address the growing enablement of organized crime and drug abuse within Leburg. There is no such thing as a free
lunch and charity subsidies will be the future burden of local taxpayers. Donation centers, low-income housing, and religious camouflage prevent positive change and intervention. Munipal government becomes corrupt and biased to victimization and self-pity. Partial judgments have become negligent and complacent to individual prosperity
with unity. In order to restore the American dream, we must end the catering to poverty and organized crime. Inefficient distribution of wealth and accountability created an insane nightmare. These subsidies have promoted opportunity for a socialist communist agenda, quickly profiling and targeting
threats to democracy, instigating action for that thought for thought police. Anyone challenging Samaritan partisan is subject to bigotry and supremacy. Revelation of truth must not be censored. Deep state practices with asylum practices created mass corruption
for DEI subsidies. This does not allow a healthy capitalist model, nor does it retain innovation talent. I implore the board of county commissioners to initiate policies that make a make America great again in order to prevent a despairing totalitarian community. Now, I understand that a lot of that
stuff is controversial and I'm usually not someone that wins popularity contests, but I just want to be able to let you know that we are weeks away from the big beautiful bill to opening up and they have system called Palunteer, which allows everyone to be monitored by a centralized district um centralized
agency of of AI systems, which I have already been a victim to to the citations I received off of Lee Street from a traffic violation that I think was egregious. Thank you. Thank you, Jeremy. Thank you.
Okay, next. Um, Cindy, Cindy Newton. Good morning again. Cindy Newton, District 4. Um, I want to talk about a safety concern on the intersection of Bates Lake Lincoln and SD Road.
uh that there is a crossing there that's totally ignored. It's close to the middle school. The middle school sits pretty much the same distance from Dand
uh bypass 44 and SD road. Yet there's no school zone on SD. Uh since Lake Lincoln subdivision was built, children are walking across that intersection. SD road has a speed limit of 40, but
people often go 60 70 miles an hour down the road. I've come close to seeing three children hit just in the past two and a half weeks. Two of them were walking, one of them was on a bicycle trying to cross the street on.
if we could either do a school zone there, uh, school crossing, four-way stop instead of a two-way stop, something to help protect these children. Thank you. >> Thank you, Cindy.
All right, last card I have is uh for Alen Foot. Did I pronounce your name correct? >> Okay. >> Hello everyone. >> Good morning. Um, I'm here about the Evergreen uh Memorial Garden Cemetery. I've spoken
to Commissioner Smith before and Miss Marsh, I'm sorry I missed your uh email yesterday, but uh I've been uh working at the cemetery for the past three years. It's a neglected black cemetery. Uh the the the weeds are, you probably already know, but the weeds are
sometimes as high as the hood of my car or the, you know, the engine and everything. And up until recently, uh, the only, well, actually the only maintenance done is by individual families that go there. And
we've been trying to find out who the owner of the place is. Uh, and we've gotten a couple of names and a couple of properties LLC's and it's going downhill to a um Carter Properties
uh with uh in care of uh Colleen Diaz in Zelwood. Well, I've I've got I've gotten this far down to that trying to find out someone to take care of this thing. And Colleen Diaz, I tried to make contact with her and she hung up on me. So, I'm
not getting anywhere there. Now, the there is a small section of the uh cemetery uh on the southwest side that is county property. It's uh parks and trails. And this is kind of a followup
to our meeting as to uh where can I go to next? Um everything the property's been the the LLC's been dissolved. BS properties has been dissolved as well as um Carter Properties and that was as of
September of this year. And I had read somewhere uh and I may be mistaken that if uh uh an LLC uh property is neglected and dissolved
and there's no place to proclaim ownership that a court judge can either take control of it or turn it over to the community. I may be mistaken in the wordage and everything, but uh what can
I do now or what can we do now to take care of this cemetery? >> So to to help the board out, I I had a um conversation in a meeting with our code enforcement and parks and trails uh
two weeks ago. Uh we are working through the process to try to figure this out. You had Thanksgiving in the middle of this two weeks. You know how government works. Government works the quickest as possible. So, we have we're running down all the all the lines. We have not
forgotten about the cemetery and we are working through the due process legally that we can to see what's going on with this piece of property. And once we do, I will reach back out to you as I promised to let you know what's going on. >> I know. And I appreciate that. >> Yes, sir.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Foot. Appreciate that. and thanks for your concern about these are important issues and thank you commissioner for taking that on and updating everybody. All right, I don't have any more cards. Um, is there somebody Okay, so we do have somebody online. Go ahead. >> Yes, we do have one caller, Barbara
Morris. You should be able to unmute your line and please state your name for the record and give your comments to the board. >> All right, Barbara Morris, District 4. Um, I've been under the weather, so I haven't been attending lately, and I missed one of the meetings prior, so I
needed to bring up an issue with you. County Road 437 realignment in Sarrento Mount Plymouth area. Um, it does not match up with the MO list of
priority projects. The ARCGIS public map number 14 shows an entirely different road that they are recommending for priority projects than what the county is approving. They don't
even come close to being similar. Um I think it's something that needs to be looked into as to why the public is being shown on one entity one thing and with the county an entirely different thing.
In addition to that, we have now gone where this is proposed in 2016 under page 19 of the 2016122 minutes of the board of county commissioners. This was originally
proposed at $700,000 for ride-of-way costs. We are not now topping millions. And in addition, over two years ago, when I pulled a public records request, evidently I thought all
the rightway had already been bought. I I know people who actually received checks before you just approved right away purchase on this road. So, I I really want all of you maybe to look into the situation with this road
because it does nothing to help this community. It's a glorified entrance way for the Hillrest PUB at taxpayers's expense. It is something that is not a priority, does not benefit the
citizens, and we have much bigger projects that need to be funded instead of this. So, I would I haven't had a chance to pull the public records like I normally would. I will when I feel better, but I'm asking you as commissioners
you spend our tax monies. Please make sure that it's not subsidizing individual development. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Miss Morris. Anybody else online? Okay. Nobody's online. I don't see anybody else. So,
I'm going to go ahead and close the public comment uh question and comment period. Um you your card will come up, Mr. Peterson. Yeah, you had a you filled out a card for um >> building. >> Yes. A tab Don't get it pass. >> Oh, no. I won't pass it if you you know there's I have a speaker for tab nine
and for you for 17. So we'll when we get to there I'll call you up. We'll call you up. Thank you. All right. So uh we are uh done as I said with question and comment period. We'll move right into our uh clerk of courts consent agenda. And again uh Miss Christy Melain.
>> Thank you. Christy Main with Lake County Clerk's Office. For the record um we request approval of the clerk of court's consent agenda. All right. Do I hear? >> Move to approve. >> Move to approve. >> Second.
>> All right. Second. Uh any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor of the motion say I. I. Oppose. There are none. That passes unanimously. >> All right. So now we'll go on to uh the consent agenda. This is tabs 3 through 11 and tab 16. Do I have that correct,
Jenny? >> Uh yes. Tab five has already been approved. that was pulled for discussion earlier. >> That's right. Minus five. >> And then um everything else is good. Yes. >> Okay. I do have a speaker card for tab nine and Mr. Broadway, Brian Broadway, I think I see him in the audience.
>> And I'd like to uh pull tab seven. >> Okay. So, let's pull tab nine and uh tab seven. Uh and we'll do those. And Brian, I'll call you up for tab nine. Yeah. All right. So, this would be a mo I would need a motion for the consent agenda.
tabs three through 11 and 16 minus 5 um >> and seven >> and seven and yeah and seven and nine correct >> move approval >> second >> all right any discussion hearing none all those in favor of the motion say I >> I oppose there are none that passes
unanimously all right so let's go to tab seven first >> all right tab seven I don't need anybody to come up it's just a more of a request for the board um this is a Verizon tower lease agreement. Uh that we're it's
money that was not expected to come to us. I'd like to see 10% go toward roads. >> Okay, that's fair. >> Is that a motion? >> It can be. I'd like to make a motion that we approve tab 7 with 10% of the proceeds going to roads.
>> You sure you don't want all of it to go to roads? You could do all of it. 165. I think 10%'s good. >> Okay, that's >> I'll second that. >> Okay. Um All right. So we can do that. Any any discussion on that for tab seven? Motion's clear. All right. All those in favor of the motion say I. I.
>> Opposed. There are none. That passes unanimously. That was tab seven. So tab uh nine, Mr. Broadway, Ryan Broadway. >> Good morning everyone. Uh I was just uh wanted to say uh thank you. We're excited about uh the ARP funds that will
help us uh continue to serve uh vulnerable population. Uh we're grateful for our partnership, grateful for the work of Lake County Housing of our Lake County Commissioners, and we're excited about this new project uh that allow us to help families that are in need. Uh we continue to do that throughout our county, and we just wanted to say thank
you for your support and your continued partnership. Thank you. >> Thank you, Brian. And I will publicly say that I appreciate everything you do. You have such a passion and a heart for this like very few people that I see. So, thank you so much for what you're doing. >> This is grant money that's passed
through. >> Yes. Exactly. All right. I would just need a motion on that. >> Move approval. Second. >> Okay. Any final discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor of the motion say I. >> I oppose. There are none. That passes unanimously. Okay. So, we have finished
our consent agenda. Uh, and we will now go to um annexation report. Correct. Got it. Catch up to it. Thank you, chairman, commissioners. Good morning. For the record, Mike
Fitzgerald, the director of the office of planning and zoning. I'll be presenting your annexation report. you're with me. We have two annexations to report today. The first one is uh for the city of
Eustace. They are proposing to annex 5.56 acres east of State Road 19 north of County Road 44. Current Lake County zoning is urban low R six. Proposed city zoning is suburban corridor design
district. Current Lake County flu is urban low which is up to four units per acre. The proposed city flu is a mixed commercial industrial district. Uh Lake County is four units per acre. The municipality is a mixeduse uh commercial district. Suburbal suburban
corridor design. They have a form-based code uh design district in their LDRs. Their floor area ratio will be 2.5 and their open space will be reduced to 10%. Here is the property. As you can see from the map, it's a little easier to
see on the zoning and flu maps that this is an enclave surrounded by the city of Eustace. We did receive a comment from our Lake County flood plane manager uh expressing concern as far as
watershed in the area. As you can see, this is the Lake County flood map showing that the property is in the flood zone. And then this map indicates the wetland location. With that said, I'm happy to answer any questions.
>> Right. Any questions? >> Obvious. Obviously, I'm opposed to that. >> All right. Sounds like no questions. >> Okay. Very good. Moving on. The next annexation is for the city of Groveland. This is 147.47
acres uh northnorthwest of Bright Hill FA uh phase one south of Peach Tree Hills. The current Lake County zoning is agriculture and planned commercial district. The proposed city zoning is village core center edge. Current county
flu is regional office. Proposed city flu is village land use category. The current county density is one dwelling unit per acre. The proposed city density is six dwelling units per acre. The intent is to develop the subject property with a residential subdivision
in accordance with uh city standards. Here is the aerial map location. >> Totally ridiculous. >> As you can see, this is ab budding the city of Groveland on the north and south side. Once again, we did receive
comments from our flood plane manager that the wershed in this vicinity uh poses some concerns. So that will have to be taken into consideration by the engineer if this is approved by the city and moves forward to construction. >> And those comments were relayed to Groveland.
>> Uh we can if not we certainly can relay them to the city of Groveland. >> Yeah, I would be more than willing to uh write a letter and >> yeah, strong letter against this. This is one of the worst major concerns about this seen proposed in the history of the county. I mean, this is not this is not
appropriate for that area. And this is right south of all the other horrible issues we're going to have with Howie and all the traffic and two-lane roads. And I mean, literally, this is like just a bullet to the head for that whole area. Horrible. Can't even believe they
would take this seriously. City is just out of line. Sorry. Just I just think it's insane. There's not a single person in this entire county, not one person in this whole county that wants this other than a developer and potentially some people on the commission. It is just
insane. >> All right. So, you'll write a letter saying we discussed it today, then we had these concerns with it. >> Uh, we will we will work through the county attorney's office to have that letter crafted and and uh >> I'll sign it since it's in my district.
I'll sign it and send it on with our objections to it. >> Correct. My office will will draft it in coordination with Commissioner Smith. >> Okay. Great. All right. >> And I don't know of anybody on this commission here that would like this. >> Definitely not.
>> I don't know. I think Mr. Sabatini was talking about the Groveland Commission, not our commission. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. >> That's a council >> and not county staff. >> Hopefully we don't get mixed up. >> There's only one city that has a commission. That's Leburg. Everybody else is a council. Yeah.
>> Sorry. Sorry for the civics lection. Civics lesson lecture, but yeah. >> Uh, okay. All right. So, Mike, anything else? >> I think there's something in between my next presentation, unless at the board's pleasure, I can stay up here and
we can skip to public hearings for resonings. >> Eustace has a commission, too, by the way. >> Oh, they do. Well, you so touche. You got me on that one. All right. Sorry. >> Sorry about that. >> Sorry about that. >> You turned it back on me. I My apologies.
>> Okay. Um I'm sorry. What What was What's >> If you would choose to skip to item eight, uh public hearings for resonings, the separate agenda, tab 13, and come back to 12. We can certainly do that. >> 12 is already done. >> 12 is done. >> I'm sorry. >> All right. So, we So, you're saying we
have next we have the resonings. >> Oh, that's the MSTU. I'm sorry. >> Yes. Yeah. So, next we would be doing the resonings, but I what I'd like to do since we have Career Source here, if it if anybody on the commission has a problem with this, it's okay. But since they're here, um, if they could come up
and speak, they have time limitations. So, maybe we could do that first if everybody's okay. Um, which would be agenda item >> 17, correct? Um, we could do that now and then we'll go into our resonings because I think it's only, uh, one item
and I'm sure Mr. Crawford who's getting paid by the hour doesn't matter. So, all right. So, we'll go right to tab 17 now. >> Jennifer >> or Melanie, I'm sorry. >> Meg.
>> It's actually going to be Meg. >> I don't mind being mistaken for Jennifer or Melanie. Uh, good morning, commissioners. For the record, Meg Brew, director for the Office of Economic Development. I am before you this morning for discussion and direction regarding Kroger Company of Ohio's
recent closure announcement and to present a proposal related to fiscal year 26 funds budgeted for incentive agreements made between Lake County Kroger and Okado. As you are aware, Lake County operates an economic development incentive program designed to attract capital
investment and create medium and high wage jobs in our community. These incentives are deployed strategically when Lake County is competing with other communities for targeted industries, helping us stand out as a destination for investment. In 2019, the Lake County Office of Economic Development
successfully incentivized Kroger and Okato to select Groveland as the site for their Florida distribution center. Together, these companies invested more than $280 million into the Groveland project. During their period of operation, they contributed
significantly to the local tax base, paying over 8 million in advorum taxes and nearly $500,000 in impact fees. Our incentive program does require companies to meet agreed upon metrics annually before payments are issued. Additionally, the agreements spell out
that the number of agreed upon jobs must be maintained throughout the life of the agreement. Kroger and Okato did meet these requirements in 2022, 2023, and 2024, resulting in incentive payments in those three years, totaling $313,000 for Kroger and $871,000
for Okado. Additionally, Kroger received a waiver of their impact fees in the amount of $147,000. A simple return on investment calculation based on taxes and impact fee monies received from Kroger and Okato as well as incentives and waiverss paid out to Kroger and Okato results in
an ROI of over 600%. This calculation of course does not include wages um or the impact of capital investments. On November 18th, 2025, Kroger announced plans to change their e-commerce model and withdraw from several states
including Florida. This unexpected decision will result in the closure of the Groveland facility and the loss of nearly 1,000 jobs in Lake County by February 1st, 2026. The timing of this announcement during the holiday season has been especially devastating for affected employees and for the broader
community. Lake County has responded to this closure as we would to a natural disaster quickly, collaboratively, and thoughtfully. In partnership with the city of Groveland, lead Career Source Central Florida and Kroger leadership. We have established a regular cadence of meetings to develop a soft landing
strategy for impacted employees. And on Thursday of next week, we will host the first of two on-site job fairs to connect displaced workers with potential employers and other resources. And we are planning a repeated effort for that in January.
In the meantime, the county attorney's office has been working on the best path forward for ending the aforementioned agreements. To that end, we would recommend approval of the following items. one for the county attorney to send a termination letter to Kroger Company of Ohio as required by the economic development incentive grants
agreement and the waiver of impact fees agreement. This may be waved if the parties execute a termination agreement. Two, of a termination agreement for Kroger Company of Ohio. and three, for the county attorney to send a notice of possible material breach letter to Okato
Solutions USA incorporated as required by the economic development incentive grant agreement and approval of a termination agreement if necessary. Please note that these uh the termination agreements do include a provision that no payments shall be made for tax year 2025 incentives and a
provision that Kroger and Okado shall reimburse the county the full amount of grant and impact fee waiverss paid to date. I do have a exciting proposal for the reallocation of current fiscal year incentive funds, but before we get to that, I'll turn it back to the board for discussion and action regarding these items.
>> Yeah, thank you, Megan. Um let me just start off the discussion by one um acknowledging um sincerely I know from me and I'm sure all the board members uh to anybody here and that or that is listening um that we
understand the devastation of this news um you know to you as you mentioned before the holidays you you were on my mind throughout the holiday throughout this Thanksgiving weekend because I'm sitting here trying to put myself in your shoes somebody that's employed there and they get this news and I'm
sure to say the least it was very distracting on, you know, the season of trying to be thankful and then you're getting this news that your job is lost on starting February 1st. So, I I can only imagine I'm not in your shoes, but for those that are listening, I know some people
at my church that were affected by this. Um, I just want to again I can't express enough um, you know, how much I feel for you and and um, how devastating this is. Um, in light of that, I will say uh,
thank you very much uh, to to Meg, to Jennifer, to Kathleen and I see Pam from Career Source um, for as you said literally jumping on this can't can't be emphasized enough jumping on this as if it was a natural disaster. um spending a
lot of hours what can we do what's let's what's uh figure something out a course of action and that's what you brought to us today I mean literally we just got this news we are all sitting here at our commission meeting the last Tuesday that we had our meeting and we're getting the
news just as we're starting the meeting that's how we didn't even know so this is so sudden and it's shocking but you've you've handled it very well um I want to thank um Secretary of Commerce from the state of Florida uh Mr. Mr. Kelly, Alex Kelly had a personal
conversation with him over the Thanksgiving weekend and he was offering up uh assistance and help to us. There's an event perhaps coming up. Uh there there will be at some point. Um I don't know the exact date. >> We have a job fair on December 10th with Career Source Lead and the City of
Grindland to host Kroger. >> Okay, good. Yes. And they will be there. So I didn't want to I wanted to make sure I was correct on the date. So that's good. All right. So that'll be December 10th for anybody um we start putting the news out there on that. So thank you very much for doing for doing that and um I think there's a these are
obviously uh something I totally support and even your next step uh as well which you're going to get to here in a in a moment or so. But any discussion before we get to what staff is also going to propose to us for our next step? >> Okay. um you've met with Lake Sumpter
State College and Lake Tech and prepared them for the onslaught. Uh there's a lot of certificate programs that you can do at the college and Lake Tech that might help out. So, >> and everyone's been a wonderful partner. >> Thank you very much. Yeah, I just want to say that I was um highly disappointed
and frankly surprised at how Kroger handled this whole situation. Uh like as uh Commissioner Park said, we didn't find out until we were in session during the meeting uh last Tuesday. I thought that that maybe a heads up or this conversation was even happening would
have been good for us to get prepared. Uh so I'm I truly do feel sorry for all the impacted employees of Kroger. Um and we'll see where your next steps are. >> Yeah. Um so I any anything else? No, I
agree totally with the sentiment and the ideas and the policies that are being proposed. >> Okay, great. So, you want to um go ahead, Megan, and tell us what you think we can >> do that. And if you want to come back to the action on that, we can do that. >> Um All right. So, >> I'll make a motion we >> Yeah.
>> approve the recommended approvals. Second. >> Okay. Very good. Um All right. Any discussion on that? >> Well, you might want to let every uh there's been some social media concerns that we were just giving money away and we're not going to get money back. Can you explain how we do that, Jennifer or
Melanie, somebody? >> Yeah. >> So, the the money that was distributed for incentives was performance-based. It was not upfront funding that was distributed. They had to meet specific metrics every year. And if they met
those metrics, and that was the number of jobs at a certain wage level that were created, if they met those metrics, they were given a an incentive annually. So at this point, we are looking to not
pay the incentive for the current tax year, 2025. And the terms of the original agreement do state that the jobs must be in place through the term of the agreement, which was 10 years. So, it is the county's position that
since those positions will not be retained for the full 10 years of the term of the agreement that we have an opportunity to recoup the funding that was provided in the prior tax years. >> Perfect. Um, and I spoke with county
attorney. We don't we don't have a clawback clause in in our agreements. So maybe it's something we could look into that we could do a clawback clause. >> So we don't have specific language, but we do have the intent of the agreement
which says that they have to maintain it, but going forward we will look at more >> put more teeth into it. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Because that part's a little bit um nebulous maybe because it there it's we would we had the understanding that it's 10 years. >> We're taking the position that if they
do not comply for the entire 10 years that they owe the money back. I agree with that and that's my position too. >> And before the the board takes a vote, I think you had some speaker cards. >> I I was going to get to that. Yeah. And I have one speaker card. Uh I believe and is there anybody online that wants to speak about this? So uh Mr. Peterson,
do you want to speak? We're we have a motion on the table. You can either speak on that or wait till afterwards. Whatever whatever is your choice. >> Okay. Yeah. >> About the Kroger building. >> Sure. Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. Donald J. Peterson running for governor of Florida and I'm going to legalize day one. Why aren't we selling
the cannabis? Law enforcement is selling all the cannabis. Okay, that's a a complete betrayal of public trust. Okay, they're doing the reverse drug stings, too. That's trafficking. Uh law enforcement posing as drug dealers selling confiscated drugs. Okay, they're
doing it. The uh 12 people, the 12 deputies in Mississippi who were arrested for trafficking drugs, you know what they were doing? And I looked into the whole thing. Reverse drug stings. Lieutenant Willis told me they're doing it here. Yeah, we're doing reverse drug stings. So, you're trafficking drugs. We
got to sell the marijuana because uh do you remember act 15% alcohol, cannabis, tobacco 15% state tax, county bycounty taxation revenue. You should already be taxing the alcohol. Give all that to first responders. Okay? The tobacco tax
should already be happening to uh fix that road in Mount Dora. You have the money. Tax the tobacco 15%. Tax the alcohol 15%. Now you're not selling the cannabis because of racketeering. Okay. But what I'm saying is you can change
this. Do you think there's any coincidence that that building is just going to be open in February? They're leaving. That is the Lake County Cannabis Company building. Okay. growing in there. You need to grow indoors. Okay. See how many of those workers want
to grow cannabis for Lake County. You need to open men's centers, separate women and children's centers. Do you know how many people in Lake County who've had wonderful jobs, $4,000 a month mortgages, and they're sitting in the dark right now. They can't afford
their power bill. They can't afford the water. So, what are they doing? They can't bathe. So, what I'm saying is we need to we need that money, the cannabis money. You know, if you open the Lake County Cannabis Company, I'll do all the footwork for you. I'll get the whole
thing going. And you know what? You'll make $45 million a month. That's $540 million a year. Okay? You need that money. Now, we're waiting on President Trump to legalize recreational marijuana. Don't give it to True Leave.
True Leave is a ripoff. Okay? the counties need that money. Uh what I'm going to do uh uh for the state is the Florida Cannabis Company, which means that counties that don't want to sell the cannabis, like you got a free building now. Here's what you have to
do. You put a lean on the property and you tell Kroger, you pay up the whole thing or you can't sell that property. Ask them to donate that building and that property to Lake County. And we need six Kroger residential delivery
vehicles, vans to deliver the cannabis. We need five stores, Lake County cannabis company, and we need to have those by March or April. And we need to sell our first harvest by July of 26. Okay? We can do this, but get that building. Okay.
>> Thank you, Mr. Peterson. >> Lake County Cannabis Company. Get that building right. Thank you. >> Okay. We have um a motion on the table. Do you does you are you clear? Okay, good. Um any discussion on the motion on
the table and that is for approval of one, two, and three as you see on the screen. >> Um all right. Um there has been a motion second. So final discussion hearing none. All those in favor of the motion say I. I. Opposed. There are none. That passes unanimously. So now we'll move on to part two.
>> Okay. As part of our annual budgeting process, we had earmarked $400,000 in fiscal year 26 for anticipated incentive payments to be made to Kroger and Okado. With the closure announcement, of course, staff's position is that the county is no longer
obligated to issue these payments. What we do propose is reallocating these funds to support training and upskilling for displaced workers in Lake County. Through an agreement with Career Source Central Florida, the funds could be used to cover tuition and or other associated expenses at Lake Sumpter State College,
Lake Tech College, and through our education and training partners, enabling laid-off employees to transition to higher skill, higher wage, in- demand jobs. This proposal ensures that funds that were originally intended to support economic development continue
to serve that mission by investing directly in our residents and strengthening Lake Countyy's workforce. While the finer details of the program will need to be worked out, we would propose prioritizing funds for Lake County residents laid off by Kroger and Okado. After a defined period, any
remaining funds could then be extended to other Lake County residents impacted by layoffs. Career Source would administer the program, ensuring proper tracking and accountability alongside our educational partners. The funds that we would invest in this program would also be leveraged alongside anticipated
funds from the state and other sources to reach the greatest number of people possible. We would consider deploying these funds either at an or we could consider deploying these funds either after any additional state assistance has been exhausted or as a supplement to cover
expenses not provided for instate funds. Any formal agreement would of course be brought back to the board for approval. But with that, I'll turn it over to the chair for discussion and direction. I'm of course happy to answer any questions you might have. And we have also been joined today by representatives of
Career Source and Lake Tech to assist with any questions specific to their operations. Thank you. >> Okay, great. I think it's a I think it's a great proposal and again, it shows how quickly you thought we're thinking about things that could help the actual residents that lost their jobs here or are losing their jobs. So, if I were to
summarize this is essentially taking what was their incentive that they were from this year, >> correct? And we're actually going to use it now that they're pulling out and they pulled out on us so quickly like that. We're going to use it to help the people that are being laid off on February 1. It's pretty simple when that
>> correct. >> Okay. >> How many employees were affected? >> There are just shy of a thousand employees affected. We don't expect that all of them would want to take advantage of this program. Some may want to go right back into the workforce. Um, but for people who maybe have not had the opportunity to earn a certificate, this
could be a a silver lining to the stress that they've been through. >> Yeah. And I think it's also just important to think about at least, and I'm not sure exactly what you can do at this moment, but um, the sort of the spin-off businesses that might be affected by this massive layoff. Um, you
have some small businesses. I mean, I know some that have set up child care and support businesses, you know, basically on the fact banking on the fact that that large employer is right there next door. And so those spin-off businesses, I think, are going to be uh
heard as well. And you know, will they possibly be I don't know. It sounds like this is going to be specific towards the employees only, but >> it could be. Um, we have reached out and had conversations with Kroger to try to develop a better understanding of those spin-off business, identify them. Um,
and kind of our next stage will be to reach out to them and see if there's any supports that we can offer to them as well. >> Right. Exactly. Okay. >> So, um, this is not to diminish anything that that's happening here, but um, Career Sources has already getting a
significant amount of funds from the county to do their operations. Correct. This is just additional money for Career Source. >> We do not fund Career Source. >> Okay. So, this is additional money for Career Source or what they >> This would be a pass through. They would be the pass through to help administer
the scholarship funds. >> I'm just kind of wondering about um like our Lake Tech schools. Are they going to receive any funding because they may see an uptick in their um students
uh due to this current loss? Is there going to be any of that in consideration? >> The tuition would go towards them. >> Yeah, if you want to put the previous slide on maybe does that help summarize that? >> See relocation >> Lake Tech. >> Yeah.
>> Super State College. Okay. as long as as long as they get it as well. Um, and I would also like to see 10% of 10% of this go to roads. >> I'll second that. >> I got a question. What What's Do we have
estimates? If you don't, it's fine, but I'd like to find out of what the breakdown of people who worked at Kroger that lived in Lake County versus outside Lake County. >> I can see if I can get that from Kroger HR, the local one. Um my understanding just in conversation anecdotally is that
the majority >> Okay. >> um live and work in Lake County, but there are of course workers who come from over the county lines. >> Sure. Okay. But no, I I like this proposal. I think it's good. And you know, they're on board and everybody's on board. I see all of our leaders here,
stakeholders. So, this sounds like a good this sounds like a very good program. It's a good way to do it quickly, too. >> Yeah, I have no problem with the program. The only thing I would like to suggest is that we put 10% toward our roads. >> Yeah. And if um I mean I'm all for you
know me putting as much money towards roads. So if we can do that because there's there's supposed to be sort of a nexus, but if our attorney says it's okay, I would be totally good with that. Um >> the tax incentives are funded through the general fund. So this is just general fund dollars that can be allocated towards roads. >> Okay. So we could do that. We're trying
to keep it tied with some kind of nexus, but roads is a critical issue. So I I think that's a good idea. And um I don't >> well I'd leave the door open also that if they need additional funds to come back and ask >> okay >> okay that I mean we need to know really
what's going on with these people. >> Absolutely. >> It's a crisis >> and there's and there's a chance I'm not saying this is likely but there's a chance that we don't that all this money isn't used in this regard. Correct. Because I mean in an ideal world everybody just jumps right back into the workplace and they have existing
programs to retrain and so there's a portion left over that would come back to the county. Correct. >> Correct. It could um so it could it yeah it could it could remain or be reallocated um or we could consider a program to extend similar you know we've had other closures recently um even
small businesses that have closed and impacted people. So we could we could consider extending the funds but any sort of decision like that would come back to >> sounds good. And I I know Pam is here so Pam always great to see you. I don't know if you want to say anything. >> You don't have to but if you
Good morning, commissioners. Thank you for this opportunity. You know, uh, Commissioner Parks, you said that this truly is a crisis, and, uh, I've been in workforce development for 30 years, and this is really where the workforce development system in partnership with the government in Lake County, as well
as our training partners, can really jump in and assist people who are in real crisis, as you said, around the holidays. It's a huge shock to learn that your job is going away. And I think, you know, the jobs that are at Kroger were really great jobs for the people. We worked with the county in in
really staffing that facility. And so we are um definitely jumping out in front with the county and with our partners in education. We will also, as you mentioned, leverage the resources we receive through Florida Commerce in workforce development for training and
retraining and also providing individuals individualized career plans so that they have an idea of where they go next. And it's really critical to get to them immediately in this time period in the 60 days before they lose their jobs to get them on a path to a next
job. And I feel very confident that we'll be able to provide all of the individuals with great resources for both jobs which we're doing just next week and in January as well as for opportunities to retrain with our partners at Lake Tech and Lake Sumpre State College and other education partners in the region. So I'm very
thankful for this opportunity to partner with you. I will tell you that this is a time where we are also being strained with our workforce training resources in other parts of the region. As you've probably heard, we've had layoffs across the region, unfortunately. And so our training dollars already in this year
are already obligated at almost over 50%. And so these dollars will really assist Lake County residents directly with getting the training and credentiing that they need. >> Yeah, thank you. And yeah, I know Fredo Lelay over in Orange County and a few others with a big >> financial services company, another 250.
And there have been quite a few. And I'm I'm concerned we may see more as the year, you know, progresses into 2026. >> Is Kroger allowing you to do your job fairs on their site, close to their location? >> Um, I believe the job fair next year is
on site. Yes. Yes. I'll turn it back over here. >> Yes, the job fair will be on site on their location. >> Both of them or just a one? We've only solidified the first one. So, we're going to kind of regroup and and may look into having that at an alternative
location, um, different time of day. We're just trying to make sure that everyone who works there has access to it. >> And you may or may not be able to answer this, but how would Career Source get this information out to the infected employees about other opportunities? >> Yeah, we have been working um, we have
been meeting pretty regularly um, even through the holidays. Um and we have involved Kroger leadership at both the local and their corporate level. The local level has been delightful to work with. Um they're very motivated to see their friends and colleagues and back in back to work and and have these
opportunities. Um Career Source was able to get a nice flyer made for us and they have one that we're sharing with businesses to find the people who are hiring that we can bring to the job fairs as well as one that um is being circulated amongst employees. >> Okay. Yeah. Will you um obviously can't
communicate enough on this. So, communications um you'll you'll uh communicate this like almost on a daily basis if you can. The meet the fe the December 10th meeting, excuse me, coming up um all that because I'm going to direct people there to to get the
information as well. >> It is important that any employers who would like to participate do register with us. There's a QR code on the flyer. Um, and we'll make sure that gets circulated because Kroger is a secure facility and we have to supply the names of folks who are going to be there. So, we don't want anyone turned away at the
door. >> Great. I got a question. Um, with the terminations, is it all at once or it's already happening? It's scale. I mean, are people being terminated now or is it all in because I know they announced that it was going to be in January, but >> they're they're scaling down from my understanding.
>> Is that immediate? their hope is to maintain as many employees as possible until February 1st. Um, if I'm in those employees shoes and I have another job offer or additional opportunity, I'm I'm going to take that. So, I think they're anticipating that
some people are going to be looking right away. They're they are offering um an incentive which we're trying to get some more information on for people who are willing to stay the entire time. Um >> Okay. >> Yeah. But I ask the question because my concern I think this is a good program
but you know the only alternative that I would consider would be if they were already terminating mass amounts of people before their closure like now like going into the holiday maybe some kind of program or step to to do some more immediate assistance. But since
what you're telling me is you know obviously they're trying to keep people on through the end that doesn't I don't think it needs to be considered immediately. But, you know, obviously if that comes out, we can talk about it at the next meeting. >> And we're working very rapidly on getting this rolled out so that it's, you know, people don't need help six
months from now. They need help pretty immediately. So, we're trying to be as responsive as we can. >> Do you know if Kroger gave them any incentive money? >> Kroger gave whom? >> The Did the employees get any incentive money? Do you know? >> They got they got
>> some of them got hiring. I mean depending upon what what you know what need they had at a certain period of time. But as >> well I'm talking about on the way out. >> Oh do they >> they're offering the employees who are willing to stay um some level of financial compensation above and beyond what they normally earn. Um I haven't
gotten exact clarity on what that is or who it's applicable to yet. >> Thank you. >> Any questions? No, I think it's a good good proposal and again I think um uh it's also can't be re reiterated enough
um about incentives. So I applaud the staff very carefully, very conservative um so that we wouldn't be on the hook for anything more than what was already promised because that was a question that came up and and that's how economic incentives work by the way. We're trying to attract these kind of employers. Yes,
this is a this is uh an absolute devastation, but the incentives um do play a role. Uh they they can be the the final deciding factor for employers like this like it happened three or four years ago and may happen in the future.
Um but as long as we are very careful and making sure that we don't get uh on the hook for uh some you know for payments in future years or something that they don't deliver on and I think that's the difference here that um I I I feel a lot better about I hate that this
happened but I do feel like we protected ourselves and we're now and I think personally they're in breach of the the 10-year agreement and we're going to look at the legal avenues for that as well. Um and you know maybe we have a pretty good case. I think um but we'll
see. But at least uh we're protected moving forward. So this is a great a great proposal again and I don't know if >> so with that I'd like to make a motion that we approve the reallocation of funds to support training and upskilling through the partnership of Career Source Central Florida Lake Technical College,
Lake Sumpre State College and other training and educational partners minus 10% going towards roads. >> You missed a comma. >> Second. We got a second. Um, any final discussion on that? Uh, hearing none,
all those in favor of the motion say I. I. Opposed. There are none. That passes unanimously. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. We look forward to bringing the proposal back to you with more details soon. >> Great. Okay. So, now we will go to um Mike if you would like to please come up. There
you are. We're going to go back to uh our planning and zoning agenda. >> Thank you, Chairman. For the record, Mike Fitzgerald, the office of planning and zoning director. Um, I'm going to back up to the annexation report. Staff was able to complete an additional
annexation report for today's meeting. For that, I'm going to request use of the overhead to show the location. This is for the city of Leburg. Uh, city of Leburg is proposing to annex
25 acres on the south side of county road 48 east of number two road. Currently, county zoning is agriculture. Planned city zoning is PUB, planned unit development. County flu is rural transition and the proposed city flu is a state residential. The current lake
county density is one dwelling unit per five acres, but in rural transition, there is there are options based on open space. If you're going anywhere from 35 to 50% open space, you can do one dwelling unit per five net acres, one per three, or one per one. The
municipality is proposing a state residential which is proposing three dwelling units per 1 acre for the planned unit development and a proposed open space of 30%. As you can see from this map, the property is surrounded by the city of
Leburg on the north, south, and west. And as stated, the intent is to develop the property with a residential use in accordance with the regulations of the city of Leburg. >> Great. Any comments, questions, commissioner. >> All right. Thanks, Mike. Thank you.
>> Okay. Moving back to the presentation. There are two items on today's agenda. A future land use amendment and a resoning. As the board may recall, this item has uh been brought before the board on October 7th and December 2nd. It was uh I'm sorry, September 2nd,
October 7th, and now December 2nd. This is a requested action to amend the future land use on approximately 15.53 acres from regional office future land use to planned unit development to facilitate a development program for Claremont West,
a 300 unit multif family development. That is the future land use amendment. And the reasonzoning is for a uh change from urban residential R six to planned unit development with four waiverss listed for a building height elevation
changes in the lot grading and then an exemption to the building height as well. Uh the developer is here today. The postponements were for the sake of the developer to speak to the city of Claremont. This property is surrounded by the city of Claremont. It is an
enclave and the board has requested that the the developer work with the city of Claremont to see if this can be annexed and the highest and best use be inside the city of Claremont. The developer is in the process of doing that. Staff has received an email from the city, the assistant city manager of the city of
Claremont that they are in fact working with the developer and would be open to this item being postponed even further to give more time to the developer. With that, uh the developer is here to address the board. Okay. Um be before um
the applicant comes forward, just um want to go through this again just to make sure we're due process. Um any disclosures of discussions with the applicant or anybody else related to this project? >> No discussions. >> I've had discussions with the uh owner.
>> Okay. Um and I will disclose that I have met with Mr. Crawford or had discussions at least as well as the city of Claremont >> Commissioner. No. >> Mike, has anything changed since the last time? >> No, sir. Nothing has changed.
>> Okay. Um, we do have one card for this to to speak for Miss Newton. >> From me before. >> Yeah, we we'll go ahead and then and then Cindy, you can come up after. Um, >> yeah, go ahead. >> Okay. Thank you very much. And, uh, my name is Jimmy Crawford, commissioners,
members of the DICE today. Um, I'm with Crawford, Monica, and Holt Law Firm, and I represent the owner and the applicant. 380 West Alford Street to Varies is my work address. Um, as to anything has changed, Commissioner
Morris, I change might not I'm not sure how the question what what was meant by the question, but we have been working every week since the uh previous postponement. The city hired a new planning firm. uh
the planning firm uh run by Andrew Andrew Dewani who did Seaside and is a national leader international leader in new urbanism. Um that firm is redoing the comprehensive plan of Claremont. We were asked by the city of Claremont to
wait for that so this new firm that came on about a month ago can work with us in the design. They have recommended an architectural firm that we have engaged and we have had four or five meetings
with the city personnel and the architectural firm and the city's planning firm. I I'd love to give you more details about that. Uh there is progress being made and both sides are optimistic as expressed in Mr. Matthysse's email that
we'll be able to come to an agreement. after the first meeting they banned lawyers from the planner meeting. So I which probably is a positive thing but uh so I cannot tell you great details other than we're probably wind up
sacrificing some density and developing a lot of walkability and livability and green space design features into the project. Um, we in conjunction with the city are
requesting a 90-day postponement because I don't want to do this again and the holidays are coming up and between now and January 3rd, it's going to be pretty hard to get much of much done. But we are committed to continuing to do it. I will not come before you and ask for
another postponement. We will just withdraw. I believe an eventual withdrawal is what's going to happen anyway. As soon as we have uh agreement with the city where we can apply to annex upon that I will immediately withdraw this. I just
uh in this new era of city county land use cooperation at least some of the cities including Claremont. Uh we would request that the county honor the city's request and our request and give us a little more time. And I do apologize for
taking up your time and I'd be happy to answer questions. >> Mr. Mr. Chairman, if I can interject, rather than continuing to table it for or postpone it for a time certain, my recommendation would be that you just flat out table it and then when they're ready, if they want to come back, they
will ask and then we will readvertise it and put it on whatever hearing cycle at the point that they ask versus us continuing because because once you table it to a time certain, we have to have it on unless they withdraw. >> Yeah. And I I love that idea. >> Well, I appreciate it. You may not like
this idea, but I don't think it's that bad. But I mean, I what I was going to suggest is uh just deny it without prejudice and wave any fee if you want to resubmit within a year. I mean, you're working with the you're working with the the city anyway. >> Functionally, I view that as the same.
I'm not sure my client will love it because the dword is always bad for them. But without prejudice and waving a fee within 12 months, I I accept that. Uh you told me very clearly last time to not come do this. So, I'm doing my best. >> Yeah. I mean, if if we did that, then it
it it, you know, obviously it it it's this is in the city and I mean, it's clearly the city and the discussions are going to happen. It's it's just going to inch forward a little bit. >> I know, I understand. But >> I I like that idea because it takes the
well, in a way, I don't like it because it does it does take time pressure off and I like each side having time pressure on them. But we will continue to work and I believe the city is committed to that as well. So, uh, of course it's the board's discretion and the applicant would be fine for that.
>> Okay. Um, so, um, Cindy, you want to come up public comment and I let me know if there's anybody online as well. >> Cindy Newton, excuse me, Cindy Newton, District 4. I have no problem with it
being uh either tabled or denied without prejudice. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Cindy. Um anybody else? Nobody online. Okay. So, I'll close the public comment period on this and um bring it back to the board. Um
we've heard this a few times. I mean, my suggestion, my suggestion is I can't make the motion, but it's to not deny without prejudice uh for one year wave of fee if they want to come back. I move that. >> Okay. All right. I >> Yeah, I'll second that with um with a
comment. >> Okay. >> So, the comment would be um I would be voting against this 100% of the time because it's truly in the city of Claremont and the city of Go ahead and sit back down. And the and the uh city of Claremont needs to approve it, not
the county. So, I'm 100% behind this denial. >> All right. Any uh final discussion? Um, all those in favor of the motion say I. I. Opposed. There are none. That passes unanimously. Thank you. >> All right. I don't think we have
anything else on the zoning agenda. So, we'll close our public hearing for zonings uh for reasonzonings um and move on to tab 14. Um this is um
a presentation. This was requested by Commissioner Smith. Correct. You want to go ahead and make the introduction? >> Presentation by Dave Ramba on behalf of the aggregate industry uh concerning an idea that he had and I thought it'd be great for him to show everybody uh what
the idea is. So um Mr. Rambo. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh David Rambo with Rambo Consulting Group out of Tallahassee. I'm here on behalf of the Florida Concrete and Products Association. We are a statewide industry group. I'm dealing with concrete sand roads. Uh we love your incentives to um
build more roads and save money to buy more roads because we supply the aggregate materials and sand to build such roads, bridges uh throughout the state. We do have a brief presentation on some unique unique issues we run into in Lake County. Um, in my experience around the state on behalf of this
industry, this is the only county that uh that that has come up with this um kind of unique determination on either the definition of development being sand mining or um the concept of open space as it relates to the regulation of sand mining. Um, we've been meeting with some
staff and some commissioners and in order to be fully transparent, we wanted to at at Commissioner Kirby's Smith's um suggestion um bring some of these ideas before the commission and see if we uh can find some areas of common interest um for a brief overview of the F DOT
strategic aggregate study. Uh we have brought in Tom Herbert with Lample Herbert uh to discuss some of the aggregate issues in relating to the state of Florida. Mr. Herbert >> commissioners. Thank you. My name is Tom Herbert. Uh I'm a geologist, professional geologist here in the state
of Florida. Um our firm Lample Herbert has been in business for 47 years uh out of Tallahassee and we work in aggregates, materials, groundwater, mining, oil and gas across the resource areas. Um I wanted to uh
give you a little background. We we have uh we conducted a DOT study in 2006 and other studies in that period on availability of aggregates. Uh the the number of people in the state have increased. Aggregates are important.
They're strategic. Uh you walk out in the parking lot, asphalt parking lot, 80% of the material you're walking on is sand or aggregate materials. The rest is binder. The
asphalt or go to concrete concrete's a binder, but we use a tremendous amount. We've got in our PowerPoint, we've got some statistics. Uh we were contracted in 2006 to do an aggregate study. It was called the strategic aggregate study. We
came back uh in in 2023 and they asked us to do redo it. The main issue is transportation because we are using more materials than we can produce in the state. And one of the things that
we were uh looking at was the growth in the state. We've got 23 plus million people and we're over topping. we're stranding materials. In other words, we're we're either too close to the mines or you're
actually putting developments over the top of of mining areas. So, the reserves that we have left are critical and we have to use them very expeditiously. Uh I'm here representing the industry as a as a geologist spokesperson and know
knowing uh what's what's going on in the industry for years. Uh, one of the we did a project last year. It's called rocks to roads. It was how material get to the state. Some of it's internal. A lot of it's in external.
It's going to be coming from ar Alabama, Georgia, maritime provinces of Canada by ship, Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico. There's materials going to be coming in here through all sorts of sources. But we have to use the materials internally
that we have very prudently into the future. One of the issues that we brought up in our 2020 four report on rocks to roads was stranding uh in this case we think it's kind of inadvertent stranding through the
regulatory process. So uh the we we came up uh with a solution to to modify this relative to what is open space. If you look at the uh the study the previous
slide, it's a lake. Most of the uh most most sand mining operations create lakes. So and from a geology hydrogeeology standpoint that creates more water storage. And if they're done properly as they're being mined, they're quiet dredges,
electric dredges. Uh it's not a obnoxious operation and it is a it creates good wildlife fish potential things like that has a lot of natural attributes. So we have come some with some ideas.
Uh the next slide. Um okay. Uh to give you a little background uh this is in the green straw. It's regulations related to the green swamp area of critical state concern. This is
this slide shows the area. I was working in the legislature in the in the 70s 1970s when this was debated. This was the this was the roll out of environmental law in the state of Florida. We had chapter 380 planning
statutes. Uh we had developments of regional impact. We had the critical areas uh put together and as a staff director in the committee uh we worked with folks for a number of years to get this green swamp done. This was pushed
by the Southwest Florida Water Management District because of the the water resour water resource potential of of of recharging the Florida aqua system. Florida and aquaer system. Well,
when you look at the area on this slide, this is a closeup. These are these are the sand mines. They there's five in in Lake County and two in Poke County. And why are they there? Well, resources like
this are placebased. They're where they were deposited and that's where we have to extract them. So that's why we it's important that the um the the planning regulations work with the industry to allow things to move forward because at
the end of the day we can guarantee lakes, we can guarantee fisheries, we can guarantee wildlife around them and uh and we can certainly guarantee open space with the lakes because they are
open space. Um, this is a recap of the uh mine areas by name and uh we it it's it's an overlay on your your planning and zoning map. So, I'm free to answer any questions,
technical questions. Uh Mr. Rambo will handle the rest of it. Um, and we can participate with your staff as we go forward to to help craft some some very correct and good language. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Any questions so far? So far. Okay. None yet. >> Thank you. And I think uh if this last uh does does probably go to the core of what I we're trying to get at with this when it talks about the maximum of uh uh residential
units development per acre. Um when you do sand mining, it is a consumptive use permit which is a temporary activity on a permanent piece of land. the way you have your comprehensive plan uh allocating us towards the definition of development. At the end of the
development, if I'm a shopping center developer, you have a shopping center there. Or if I'm building a concrete plant, you have a big concrete plant there. At the end of my mining activity, which is a temporary activity still on agricultural land use, you still have your underlying development units per acre based on what you have in your
zoning categories. If you look at based on uh the sand used in district five, your FDOT district, um in 2023, which is the last available number, it was 14.43 million tons of sand. Um these t these these amounts of raw materials that
build uh all the road projects you see in your area are the core cost components. Um if you artificially restrict supply, you are increasing costs. I guess the biggest one here that everybody talks about is uh State Road 516. Um, these are the Central Florida
mega projects all within District 5. Um, millions and billions of dollars being used um being accelerated through the legislature for for uh increasing the the work plan through DOT and adding more money out of the fund in order to do that. Obviously, you guys are more familiar than I am on each of the
provisions in your um Lake County work plan. In addition to these these large ones, there's another 20 additional future projects you see. So, sand used for development in Lake County. Um, a lot of people talk about the amount of sand we take and the potential environmental impact. Um, uh, we do not
dig up wetlands. We do not dig dig uplands. The reason why there's no sand in them. All we want is the sand. We're not here to, uh, one, it's illegal to dig up wetlands. We get our permits through D. We have setbacks. We have requirements. Um, we have standards. But
looking at the amount of sand available, um, 1.4 4 million tons of sand valued at $23 million. So in Lake County alone, we did pull some numbers, tons of sand by category. Um about half is used for roads, a lot for non-residential
buildings, um parking lots, uh bridges, um sewer and water infrastructure is also a fairly large component for this. So what was the statute have in chapter 337? As Mr. Hemple said, this has been in the law for quite a while where the legislative intent is that there's a strategic and critical need for these
materials. you unique to Lake County in my experience of over 20 years representing the industry um is this artificial cap in the green swamp that only allows for 10% development. Um by by determining while there's multiple ways to do it, we talk about open space
or development by saying sand mining's development then you're required in the green swamp at 90% to have open space in the other areas of the county to have 70% of open space. Um ultimately, uh sand mining is not the ultimate land use. The underlying land use of your
number of either residential units or commercial activity at the end of my consumptive use permit for a sand mine is still zoned agriculture. Um so or zoned at whatever it was prior to us mining that property. Um, also in chapter 337 of the Florida statute, um,
it does discuss that the local government has some parameters on uh, limiting or um, denying proposed land use zoning changes for this consumptive use permit. Um, what I saw a few years ago and what kind of started this discussion with members of your
delegation, legislative delegation, was a sand mine where I think you had a couple hundred people here and the same colored t-shirts that were opposed to it because it was coming um uh behind their neighborhood. What will occur in Lake County is uh us having to artificially
go start looking for other deposits throughout the region in order to try to find places. What our intent is is to continue mining at the lands we have or lands adjacent to the lands we have because your residents are used to the south county. You're they're used to the seven mines you saw in the picture, the
five in Lake and the two in Pulk. Um but what's important to know is the reason I say it's an artificial limit is because there are numerous numerous other levels of regulatory authority over mining. Um adjacent to wildlife impacts uh air
quality surface through D. Um sound levels draining uh obviously we work a lot with DOT on the transportation system plan and the reclamation plan is uh done through D. Um, we do have uh uh the average disturbance on the mines on
County Road 474 is about 30%. So if the artificial limit of 10%'s in there, we're leaving 2/3 of the available resource to be stranded there uh for eternity according to the current interpretation of of your comprehensive plan. Um the 70% land as we discussed
those are the wetlands and the uplands. They don't have sand. We're not interested in them at the end of the day. they're going to have that underlying land use of what whatever it was before my consumptive use permit. Um and then reclaimed mines are um we believe conducive to open space.
This is a Lake County reclamation project. Um while under your um ordinance this is not open space. It looks like open space to us. This is Pulk County. Looks like a lot more open space to us. There is no development that has occurred on this property uh at
the end of a reclaimed mine. Um, so we we believe it it is somewhat inadvertent. It does leave standard reserves. I think the the the state uh has seen that if you limit supply uh as as uh Commissioner Smith uh discussed, he's wanting to put more and more money
to roads, the more money you have to ship in from Mexico, other counties, um three counties over, you can double and triple the cost of sand and base materials easily on a road project. you have the ability to build these road projects in your county at a much
cheaper price because of the availability of the resource. Um, when you start shipping it in by barge, shipping in by truck, that's one of the most expensive costs of transporting these materials. So, Lake County is unique in that that perspective um to to to finalize this. I think more pretty
pictures of uh this one's actually really interesting. The open field uh was uh dirt. A lot of the sand was not able to be used. It did not meet DOT quality. So that that sand there, that sand base, that big basin there that's
open, that's uplands, uh was built for built out of sand that was dredged, that was not compatible with DOT standards. So um what what is our request? Why are we even here? We just like to to get a feel of the commission, where everybody's at. um understand that uh we
believe this is a a unique opportunity based on your current interpretation of your comprehensive plan and ask that you have staff work with us to come up with something that works with keeping the mines where they are currently located in uh in Lake County. If you look around at where the pressures are going to be
in 10 years and the companies that own the mines that were on the map have 50-year planning horizons. um they're going to have to start looking around and you're seeing the the the issue associated with trying to find sand deposits. Right now, we have the ability for twothirds of the sand deposits that
are in there to continue to be used at the exact same level. Uh, you know, we're happy to work with traffic studies and and making sure that we're not um overloading any of the the infrastructure of this county, but what's more important is having those
mines continue to be able to operate and not leaving the stranded resource um of the state. uh and you see what occurs and we're happy to uh take you on any of the tours or the reclaim mines or a current operating mind if you have issues relating to uh to uh the noise or
the setbacks. All of those issues are currently in your ordinances in your comprehensive plan to be dealt with through the consumptive use permit. So really the only limit is can you can you strand these resources by having an artificial cap of 10% in the green
swamp and 30% um outside the green swamp within Lake County and leave those resources there. And the limit of supply absolutely increases the cost. And so that's what we're asking for is a a a partnership with the county in order to come up with a solution. Um whether you do it through open space, whether you do
it through the definition of development, uh Pulk County does not have which you have that cute little county line down there, the on the other side of the county line, one mile away from the mines that are on this side of the line. They uh get all of the sand deposits out of the property that
they're mining on this side of the county line, you're limited to 10%. So with that, I'd be happy to answer any questions, Mr. Chairman. >> All right. Um any any questions? Um, Commissioner, >> I don't have any questions, but I think
it's a prayer request to have um them contact with our staff to come up with a idea or a solution so we can go over it and in fine detail to make sure we agree
with it. Right now, it's everything's up in the air until we get a pinpoint of what the staff and the mining industry would like to see. And then once we have that information, we can manage by facts and then move forward from there. >> This is only on the green swamp area.
>> We we we have started with the green swamp on it. Um you know, if it's if you're at 30%, you're outside the green swamp and you have 35% of your property has sand deposits. I don't see the to me it does not make a difference where it's at because your environmental impacts
are the same as well. We would love to work with SAP to figure out what you guys would be comfortable with. Um most of the um mines are in the Green Swamp. Some are north of the Green Swamp. They're all on existing permitted properties. So the idea that they would
stay there and not go looking elsewhere for more deposits is is I would say the carrot. Um and extending the life of those mines is beneficial to Lake County and the region, District 5 on future construction projects based on cost. And so that would be something. Again, we've
had individual conversations with staff. Miss Dial has been wonderful. Mr. Fitzgerald um have have been great on the ideas, but this is kind of a a big deal in this area because it's it's kind of been this way. And now people are looking at 10 and 20 year lifespans and going, do we start looking to dig
somewhere else? And before we do that, we wanted to to talk to the commission and see what they thought about the concept that's out there. If I'm not mistaken, uh, when you were when the the mining industry originally purchased this property, they had different rules they were going by and then as they were
mining, the rules changed on them. It' be like having a a grocery store and operating as a grocery store and then all of a sudden the rules changed and said, "Well, you can't do that grocery store anymore." >> I think it's similar. I mean, if I own
the mine at my age, um, unless you're Commissioner Sabatini's age, he he may think 30 years out. I'm thinking more eight, 10. So, when the the comprehensive plan changed and sand mining was including in the definition of development, the people that had their existing mines that knew they had
10 or 12 years left, um, weren't they didn't go crazy. They they thought, "Okay, well, I got 10 or 12 years left." And now with the acceleration of the DOT work plan and that 12 years has turned to eight years, now everybody's starting to twitch. So they want to start looking at other properties and do and the idea
of leaving that capacity there of DOT approved grade sand. Um really is a travesty when you look at the the cost of bringing it in from other countries. >> Well, we don't really know what's going to happen until you do talk to staff and come up with a plausible plan. So that's why that's why
>> well the the other other thing is we're working on the 2050 comp plan. So why wouldn't Kimber Kimberly Horn be involved in the discussions with staff and and them to uh incorporate it in our 2050 plan? >> Yeah, that um that's that was exactly my
comment. So I I think you um good question. Uh I I you know I think you said a couple important things um that were presented today and that's about on the supply side. Look, we're trying to build roads cheaper. We know that supply I mean for it it'll affect everybody's life. I mean whether you we're trying to
build roads or you're trying to build something out there in the public totally get the economic side of it. Um you know green swamp is a balance as you and I have talked about this. I mean it's actually not this entirely a swamp. It's a matrix of some pretty pristine
unique uplands to Florida. And you know my concern has been you mine those uplands. Um and there are uplands there that you know could be mined. It's just mapping the areas that have some sensitivity to it. Very unique species.
What makes Lake County special? So I I that you use the word partnership. I'm all about a partnership. I understand trying to get sustain a from a business side is you understand where you're going to be going for the next 25 years, but our residents also need to know over
the next 25 years or whatever. I'm just throwing that number out that these protections are in place as well. So that's kind of where I'm at. Um and I think you could you could get that you could do that through the comp plan process. I as I understand like Vulcan
um had a good discussion with them is interested in in working with staff on the same thing. So um it so I mean if it's moving through the comp plan process which is already under place we want to get the comp plan done too. So it's not it's not something we're going to put out there for a long term but I
think that's the route to do it if you will. Can I can I respond? And I I agree if if I after watching today's meeting and a few years online in the past, I didn't think there was going to be you're going to have a heck of a show on your full comp plan amendment and ours
literally could be done with changing two words. Um and we're more looking for 20 years down the road. You're looking at, you know, annexations around different cities that are amazing in my in my experience. uh seeing some of the size of those in comparison to what they
have, I think you're going to have a lot more development pressures and challenges in your entire comp plan review and it could I've been through them that have taken four to five years. So I would the reason we were wanting to do it with staff is I think ours could be fixed with the definition of development not including sand mine like
Pulk County does or the open space determination made because it's a temporary land use that's done at the end of the reclamation of the mine when you have a 100% of uplands and wetlands and a a big lake you can determine the whole thing. Either one of those are one to twoline little changes to your comp
plan versus uh when I went through the Mante County comp plan in Sarasota 2050 uh down in Sarasota County, it was a four-year process. So, I know there's an ambitious schedule to get it done. Um our planning process um we don't want to start looking at new mines when we were
sit sitting on good resource that's available and that could be used for the accelerated DOT work plan because the delay it's it's more just digging it up and transporting it to wherever the current work site is. So it's the demand is there. Um when you start to res restrict supply, demand prices go up.
It's we all went through it in our first year of business school. So uh that's that's why we feel the urgency a little more than than you guys might. But I think it's if you look at the common sense view of a reclaim mine, it is 100% your definition of open space.
So >> okay. Well, I don't know for any questions. I don't have any questions. But in per in terms of discussion, I I think it's fine the way it is. Uh, I definitely don't think we need to be doing more sand mining in the green swamp. I I definitely don't think that we need to drop everything and direct
staff to go and put out some potential amendments on this. Uh, I think the lobbying effort, the presentation is fine. I think the conversation should continue for a while, but getting staff to come and start pushing an amendment, I think, is a bad idea. Also, I would say let's wait till our whole five
person board is here uh before we give direction because sometimes you just have an idea you give it to staff. But what does staff want? They want direction. That's what they really want. They want specific direction and a consensus. It helps them be better at their job. I'm fine with the
conversation, the presentation, but I I'm not in favor of moving anything forward at this point. >> Okay. U we do have um one card uh and I don't think there's anybody online yet. Uh, but um, Tom Herbert, >> you spoke. Okay. Of course. Gosh. Yeah,
you got it. You You were just following the rules. >> All right. I wanted to make sure we got that. All right. >> I was told I didn't have to fill out a form, so I'm not >> No, no, your name's already on there. You're good. You're good, Dave. >> Okay. Um All right. So, is there any discussion on this any further? I I I I think the process, like you said, needs
to play out. Um, Commissioner Campion's not here as well through the comp plan. I do think you bring up really good points. Um, balance is the key here because we just and I think we're on the same page with that. And um, but I >> So, so other than
the dirt being cheaper to get it there, what other incentive other than the employees is in it for Lake County? >> Can you sell us um material at low at the lowest cost possible? >> Well, I mean I mean there's, you know, there's a lot of usage on the roads, uh,
trucks up and down. There's I mean there's got to be some incentive for Lake County to open it back up. >> Well, I think there's I think there's two, Mr. Chairman and uh Commissioner Morris. One is you're leaving sand mining where it's at and the I think the residents of Lake County know where it's
at um during an uh consumptive use permit. We have uh through staff and through this commission through the approval of permits gone through and we have built roads. We have repaved roads. We have every time you do a new permit process which would be a mine or an
adjacent mine um with land that you have adjacent to the current mine um where you just keep mining during a sand deposit. We get extracted again. So, um, all of that is all part of your current, uh, process that you have, your permitting process, your consumptive use
permit process, that all exists today, but to move all our equipment to the next piece of property and only mine a third of what's available there seems like a waste and it will increase costs. So, for us, it's um I think you get those benefits, the the impacts. We are
willing to um I think that the idea of what we're we're asking for if there needed to be some protections to the county. We're not out here just to dig it up quicker. We want to not have to move everything again. We're extending the life of the mine. So if there was we do 100 trucks a day, the entire
industry, we don't exceed 100 trucks a day. If that was a limit that you would come up with, that would be something that we would be agreeable to. For us, it is the extension of the current locations of where mining is at because as you guys for some of you that were on the commission uh two and a half years
ago, it was a mess and ended up being I don't know 3-2 vote or something and somebody sold a lot of t-shirts that were all the same color. But it is upsetting because people don't understand that we're not in the rock aggregate. We're not blasting. You're not getting the the noise that you get in the Miami Dade lake belt where
they're blasting for rock for aggregate for this is fine aggregate which all of us call sand but uh it is determined by the state to be fine aggregate and their standards and things for it and Lake County and Pulk County are the biggest deposits in the state for it. I think you get the advantage of recharges in
the aquafer. I think you get the ad advantage of open space and wildlife corridors. if I have uh last session worked for the Florida Wildlife Federation and there is a big gap in that area of privately owned land not including the wildlife corridor. So there's a lot of benefits to keeping that land the way it is um and allowing
it to be mined and then when it's reclaimed you see what you get and we'd be happy to take any commissioner out there if they'd like to see it. But it's not fake. It's it's real what it ends up with because we're not there to mine anything other than the sand out of it. And you end up with a a huge water recharge area which is which is useful
for both this community and all of Central Florida. But the pricing is from our perspective and being in the concrete and products association business is the part that we're we're worried about. We not only produce the the sand and uh extract it, we also
build block, we also build roads, we build bridges. And so the more it costs us for the raw materials and supplies, the more it costs whether it's FDOT or Lake County or or local government to build these products. So um it is mutually beneficial to the state. It is a strategic resource and I think that's
where we see the the benefits to the region is based on that not having inflated prices on everything you do just based on an artificial cap on supply. You know, I'm just saying I think this is a conversation we can have without giving an immediate directive to staff
to come back with the amendment. I I'm totally fine with it. I I know Dave, he's just straight shooter, good lobbyist, worked with him in Tallahassee. Happy to keep this conversation going, but I don't think it needs to be formalized yet. >> Yeah, I think maybe what what should happen is is um you work with the mining
industry and come up with a good plan of what you're looking at. U some saving these sensitive areas. I mean, it may be 50% or 60% of that area as a whole, but um come up with a a good plan that we
can all look at and then move forward from that direction. >> Okay, sounds good. Thank you. Appreciate you coming today. Um and yeah, it's it's it's important discussion discussion. So, appreciate that. Um are you clear on the staff? Okay, good.
Um very good. Uh, all right. So, we'll move to tab 18 now. Um, I know this is underneath after reports, but we'll do tab 18 before reports. And tab 18, I believe, is you, Commissioner Sabatini. >> This would be for P&Z, our great PNZ
member, Don Bailey, um, is retired. He's much older. He's he did a great job. Uh, actually, just real quick as a segue, do we do plaques for P&Z members? I think we should do like a little plaque since it's a pretty serious board. We come up with just nothing too crazy. Just, you know, something that's
>> We've done certificates of appreciation in the past and we'll have them come and and present that. >> Perfect. Yeah. And then even if it's just a, you know, normal frame or wood or I guess the paper's fine, too. But I definitely we should do that for >> Get a frame for it. Yeah. I think he'd appreciate that. >> Yeah. Especially boards like P&Z where you're talking sometimes these meetings
are a half day meeting. >> Can I Can I get one of those, too? >> Yeah. Retroactive. >> I didn't get one. >> You want a plaque? >> I do think it's important. I think we should make that a tradition. >> Okay, good. Yes, >> cuz you talk and I mean it's a half some of these meetings are like half a day and then we'll get paid. Anyway, so Don
Steenoff and Commissioner Fe who I think has done a great job in public service in Lake County is my nominee for my my district. So >> council member >> council member Yeah, he corrected me on council member. >> People always ask me what's the difference?
>> You wouldn't believe what I've been called. >> Yeah. Yeah. So I I would move to approve representing my district. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Second. >> All right. We have a second. Any final discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor of the motion say I. >> I. Opposed. There are none. That passes
unanimously. Congratulations. Condolences. Um what have you. Appreciate your service though. That is a commitment. >> Thanks. Thanks Judy. All right. If um I am not skipping anything, I would don't think I am. We're now on to reports,
right? Okay. So, County Attorney, County Manager, >> no reports. >> Commissioner Sabatini, >> uh no updates. >> No updates. Okay. Um Commissioner Smith, and I know we'll come back to you, forget about your special day, but Commissioner Smith.
>> So, the only thing I have is um Discover Lake was recognized. Oh, you're going to do that one? >> No. No. I discovered Lake was recognized um as being a prime supporter for UCF rowing club >> uh UCF uh girls team won nationals uh
which is an absolute >> absolutely >> fantastic. So, all I can say is um go Knights. >> Charge on. >> Charge on. >> Charge on. Uh the only thing I I want to circle back to the noise ordinance and and I
did not ask this question at the time, but these are going to be marked areas with signage. >> That's correct. >> Okay, that's all I have. No report. That's all you have. That's okay. All right. I just have a couple things. Um
we Commissioner Sabitini and I were at FAC Florida Association Counties last week last week or week before. Great um great event. Got a lot of policies pushed forward. Obviously the big concern is about preeemption of course and what happens with um with
property taxes coming in into this year of 2026. Thought it was a great meeting. Um they're really out there. Uh fact Florida Association of Counties is really out there watching out for us obviously. Um I encourage just encourage all of you um uh when I get something or
Commissioner Sabatini gets something u from fact uh usually it's just very factual general information that we just need to be aware of. So I encourage you to take advantage of that and just track it. They're obviously going to uh lobby for us on our behalf. So um they put on a great uh policy meeting. Um, little
bit of good news that I have also is we did receive I guess it's sort of an award. So, here's your plaque for today, Commissioner Morris. Um, Florida Association of Counties does a calendar every year that goes to all 67 counties and those commissioners distribute the
calendars out to their constituents, cities, whoever wants one essentially. And very rarely has Lake County made that calendar. Obviously, 67 counties, only 12 months, right? 13 total uh pictures. Uh well, we were actually
selected this year for a picture, so we got a little award. I got to got to go up for it. So, here's here's your plaque for today, Commissioner Morris. >> Uh this was the picture that was selected for the calendar, Florida Association of Counties. Um it's a sunflower, I believe, that has grown um
obviously locally at one of our UPUPIC. Uh so, >> that AI, >> it's not AI. It was uh actually um it was it's a real picture. >> No AI. Yes, this is real. So, this is uh something I we will put up uh upstairs near the offices, but congratulations
and >> it is cool. >> Yeah, we got some calendars for everybody as well. >> Instead of putting it upstairs, can we put it in the rotunda for a little bit so the people can see it? >> I think that's an even better idea. >> We'll put it out there. I think that's that's a that's a great idea. Um other than that, um just uh looking forward to
all the Christmas celebrations coming up, all the parades and everything the next couple weeks. So, enjoy it. Um, thank you cities for putting those on for us. So, that's all that I have. Um, thanks for being patient today with me. I know, um, Commissioner Smith has his
final comment of the day. >> I do. And I forgot to, um, say I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving. >> Um, I do not have a national day today. >> What? >> But I do have a world day. >> Okay.
>> Okay. So today is World Trick Shot Day and it was actually put it was actually brought on by the Garland Harlem Globe Trotters in 1971. So if you know any trick shots today, >> take it. >> Take it. >> Take your trick shot.
>> Good. Good to know. >> That's all I have. >> All right. Well, uh it's a great day in Lake County. Um but we stand adjourned. Thank you. >> Good job. >> Yeah, definitely. >> That's a good idea. We'll put this up.