CC07-21-2025Min LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION
Longwood City Commission Chambers
175 West Warren Avenue
Longwood, Florida
MINUTES
July 21, 2025
6:00 PM
Present: Mayor Brian D. Sackett
Deputy Mayor Abby Shoemaker
Commissioner Tony Boni
Commissioner Matthew McMillan
Commissioner Matt Morgan
Dan Langley, City Attorney
William Watts, City Manager
Michelle Longo, City Clerk
David Dowda, Police Chief
Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services Director
Shad Smith, Public Works Director
Magdala Ridore, Human Resources Director
Nerys Hernandez, Records Coordinator
1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Sackett called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.
2. OPENING INVOCATION. Matthew Shiles, with Northland Church gave the invocation.
3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Commissioner Boni led the Pledge of Allegiance.
4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. None.
5. PROCLAMATIONS/ RECOGNITIONS
A. District#2 Presentation of the Business Person of the Month Award for July to One Fitness,
located at 351 N Ronald Reagan Boulevard, #1015.
Commissioner Boni read a brief biography on One Fitness then presented them with the Business
Person of the Month Award for July 2025. Photographs were then taken.
B. Proclaiming July as "Parks and Recreation Month" in the City of Longwood.
Commissioner McMillan read the Proclamation and presented it to Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services
Director. Photographs were then taken.
C. Nomination of the Beautification Award -3rd Quarter 2025.
Mayor Sackett nominated Evergreen Dentistry for the Beautification Award.
7/21/2025/ 1
6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS
A. District#2 Nomination to the Land Planning Agency.
Nomination was deferred to the next meeting.
7. PUBLIC INPUT
A. Public Participation.
James Howard, 1065 Ridge Street, Winter Springs. He spoke about his general concerns that
included too many Vape Shop businesses, Marijuana Dispensaries, and Pawn Shops in the city. He
would prefer to see smaller "Mom and Pop" type businesses. He mentioned he likes the
Longwood Car Show and all the events the city offers.
Madison Holmes, 490 Pasadena Avenue, Longwood. He spoke about his concerns with the
current zoning of MDR-15 in his neighborhood and the potential of apartments and townhomes in
his vicinity.
8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT
A. District#1. Deputy Mayor Shoemaker attended the July 4th event and an event held at the Church
on the Living Edge called C.A.S.I. (Creative Arts Summer Intensive). She suggested Mr. Holmes
speak with the City Manager about his concern.
District#2. Commissioner Boni reported that at the Senior Matinee, there were seventy-five (75)
seniors in attendance, and his foundation provides the lunch. He has gone to the VFW in
Longwood for wings that last three (3) weeks and mentioned how good they are. He attended the
100th birthday party for six (6) ladies at Cascade Heights. He attended the July 4th event.
District#3. Commissioner McMillan thanked Commissioner Boni for his work with the Rotary Club
of Historic Longwood, and that he has just become the President, and Commissioner Boni is the
Past President. He traveled to the Rotary International Convention held in Calgary, Canada after
the last meeting and mentioned he saw many small towns and expressed how he was proud of
Longwood.
District#4. Commissioner Morgan addressed Madison Holmes' complaint voiced under Public
Participation, explaining the decision the commission made in 2021 regarding zoning in his
neighborhood.
Mr. Langley spoke about changing the zoning MDR-15 and noted that the designation does not
allow apartments, but townhomes, duplexes, and single-family structures that are fee simple
properties and allowed. He said that as a legislative body, they are allowed to initiate
comprehensive plan amendments and re-zonings to properties with adequate notice to the
property owner. He noted that if there is a pending application, the city would not be able to
make any changes to the zoning and comprehensive plan but if there were none the city could.
He mentioned the consequences of that action and that Florida has the most protected property
rights law in the country, constitutional property rights protection, and statutory protections.
7/21/2025/2
Commissioner Morgan addressed Mr. Holmes who spoke during public participation, stating that
the commission had put in a policy that no additional Vape Shops or Marijuana Dispensaries could
open within a one-mile radius of another. He attended the July 4th event. On June 16, he
attended June Brown's 100th birthday party at Cascade Heights. He attended the 100th birthday
party for six (6) ladies at Cascade Heights. On June 18, he participated in a wrestling charity show
for the Grapple for Good Benefiting Hollerbach's Has Heart event at Tuffy's Music Box in Sanford.
On June 19, he attended the Juneteenth event at the Longwood Community Building. He received
an appointment from Sheriff Lemma as Seminole County's Opioid Council Chairman. He noted
that they will be having the Opioid Awareness Day event in Longwood at the end of August. He
mentioned having wings at the VFW Post 8207 on Wednesdays, and it supports the VFW. On June
10, he was interviewed on the Howard Stern Show. On June 13, he was in Tampa to speak at the
Turning Point USA Student Action Summit.
District#5. Mayor Sackett attended the Juneteenth event and the July 4th event. He mentioned
the concerns he received regarding the music not being patriotic enough. He had a meeting with
Sunshine Utilities, and it will be ongoing. He attended a board of directors meeting this past week
with Leadership Seminole.
9. COMMISSION AND STAFF ADDITIONS OR CHANGES
A. ADDITIONAL ITEMS RAISED DURING MAYOR'S AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS. None.
B. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA. None.
10. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approve the Minutes of the June 16, 2025, Regular Meeting.
B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for June 2025.
C. Approve the Monthly Financial Report for May 2025.
D. Approval of the 2025—2026 City of Longwood and the School Board of Seminole County, Florida
School Resource Officer Agreement.
E. Approve an increase in the amount of$33,317.65 to Huffman, Inc. dba Nuwave Concrete
purchase order#25-00941 for Citywide Sidewalk Improvement Projects.
F. Approve the award and enter into a contract with DebrisTech, LLC for Disaster Debris
Monitoring Services (RFP# DDM25-042025-0-2025/CA).
G. Approve a purchase order in the amount of$155,058.73 to Huffman Inc. DBA NuWave Concrete
for construction services related to the Orange Avenue Sidewalk Upgrades Project.
7/21/2025/3
H. Approve a purchase order in the amount of$54,826.73 to Hydra Services, Inc. for the purchase
of a 4" Atlas Copco PAS 100 HFS T4F KD trailer-mounted, diesel-driven, self-priming bypass
portable pump.
Commissioner Boni moved to approve Items 10A through 10H as presented. Seconded by
Commissioner Morgan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
11. PUBLIC HEARINGS. None.
12. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. City Commission discussion and approve the process for the City Clerk recruitment.
Ms. Ridore reviewed the job description and recommended a process for the recruitment. She
suggested having the position posted for thirty (30) days and scheduling individual meetings with
the commissioners and candidates.
Discussion ensued on the process, salary range, qualifications, looking for an internal candidate,
and selecting an interim clerk.
Commissioner Boni moved to set the salary range for the posting of$107,000 to $143,000,
which is the midpoint, with the statement "commensurate with experience", and staff
proceed with the hiring process by posting the position for thirty (30) days and scheduling
individual meetings with the commissioners and candidates. Seconded by Commissioner
Morgan and carried by a four-to-one (4-1) roll call vote with Deputy Mayor Shoemaker
voting nay.
Direction was given to staff to look for an internal candidate to serve as the interim clerk and bring
an item back to the next meeting.
B. Set the Tentative Millage Rate for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2025, and
authorize the City Manager to complete the Certification of Taxable Value (DR-420) and
Maximum Millage Levy Preliminary Disclosure (DR-420MMP) forms via the Department of
Revenue's eTRIM System.
Mr. Langley presented the Item.
Discussion ensued on the previous year's roll-back rates.
Commissioner Morgan moved to approve the tentative millage rate of$5.500, which is
6.82% higher than the roll-back rate of$5.1489 for the fiscal year beginning October 1,
2025 and ending September 30, 2026. Seconded by Commissioner Boni and carried by a
unanimous roll call vote.
C. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 25-1693, adopting the Seminole County Local
Mitigation & Resiliency Strategy.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 25-1693 by title only.
7/21/2025/4
Fire Chief Feist presented the Item.
Commissioner Boni moved to adopt Resolution No. 25-1693 as presented 12C. Seconded
by Deputy Mayor Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
D. Read by title and adopt Resolution No. 25-1694, which designates a portion of State Road 400
East of the Central Florida Parkway Bridge and West of the E.E. Williamson Road bridge in the
City of Longwood as the "Sgt. Karl Strohsal Memorial Highway."
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 25-1694 by title only.
Police Chief Dowda presented the Item.
Deputy Mayor Shoemaker moved to adopt Resolution No. 25-1694 as presented 12D.
Seconded by Commissioner Boni and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
E. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 25-1696, authorizing the City to enter into a
Subrecipient Agreement with the State of Florida Department of Commerce for participation in
the Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Hazard Mitigation
Grant Match Program (HMGMP); authorizing the City Manager to execute the agreement and
related documents.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 25-1696 by title only.
Mr. Smith presented the Item.
Commissioner Boni moved to adopt Resolution No. 25-1696 as presented 12E. Seconded
by Deputy Mayor Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
F. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 25-1698, which designates the City Manager and
Community Development Director as the administrative official authorized to approve plats and
replays pursuant to Section 177.071, Florida Statutes.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 25-1698 by title only.
Mr. Langley presented the Item.
Commissioner Morgan moved to adopt Resolution No. 25-1698 as presented 12F.
Seconded by Commissioner Boni and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
G. City Commission to designate one Member of the City Commission to be the voting delegate for
the City of Longwood at the August 2025 Florida League of Cities Annual Business Meeting.
Commissioner Morgan nominated himself to be a voting delegate at the August 2025
Florida League of Cities Annual Business Meeting. Seconded by Mayor Sackett and carried
by a unanimous voice vote.
7/21/2025/ 5
13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Mr. Watts reported on the city mowing contract, noting it went out to bid and would get evaluated on a
performance-based system, not just on a dollar amount. He stated that the staff has satisfied the
Florida DODGE Request today. He said that Battalion Chief Justin Culp was awarded the Fire Officer of
the Quarter, and Firefighter Paramedic Louie Bruno was awarded the Paramedic of the Quarter. He
stated that revenue generation for the budget would be discussed with the commission.
14. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT
Mr. Langley will be attending the Florida Municipal Attorneys Association Seminar later this week. He
will also be presenting his partner, Kurt Ardaman, with the Paul S. Buchman Award.
15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT
Ms. Longo reported that she registered the Commissioners, who confirmed they would attend the
Florida League of Cities Annual Conference on August 14 through 16 in Orlando. She will provide the
name of the Voting Delegate selected this evening. On the August 4 agenda there will be the
nomination for the Key to the City award. The Commissioners were sent the list of past recipients, the
award criteria, and the nominee information sheet. She said an invitation was sent by email to all
Commissioners from Trustco Bank to their Ground Breaking ceremony of their new Florida Regional
Headquarters on September 25, 2025. She will send out a calendar invite with all the details.
16. ADJOURN. Mayor Sackett adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Minutes approved by City Commission: 08-04-2025.
Brian D. Sackett, Mayor
ATTS .
Michelle Long C, CRM, City Clerk
7/21/2025/6