CC09-10-2026Min LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION
Longwood City Commission Chambers
175 West Warren Avenue
111 Longwood, Florida
MINUTES
September 10, 2026
6:00 PM
Present:
Mayor Tony Boni David Dowda, Police Chief
Deputy Mayor Abby Shoemaker Dustin Woolbright, Financial Services Director
Commissioner Brian D. Sackett Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services Director
Commissioner Matthew McMillan Shad Smith, Public Works Director
Commissioner Matt Morgan Jacqueline Aubrey, Community & Media Relations Manager
Dan Langley, City Attorney Benjamin C. Childers, Utility Billing Manager
William Watts, City Manager Adriana Martinez Morales, Administrative Office Manager
Liane Cartagena, City Clerk Nerys Hernandez, Records Coordinator
Troy Feist, Fire Chief
1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Boni called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. OPENING INVOCATION. Reverend Harry Schenkel, Pastor from St. Stephen Lutheran Church gave the
invocation.
3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Commissioner Sackett led the Pledge of Allegiance.
4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. Ms. Cartagena read the following announcements.
A. The Senior Matinee will be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30
p.m. at the Longwood Community Building, 200 West Warren Avenue. This month's feature is I
Can Only Imagine 2.
B. A memorial ceremony to honor 9/11 will take place on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.
at the Hero's Monument located near Reiter Park.
5. PROCLAMATIONS/ RECOGNITIONS
A. District#4 Presentation of the Business Person of the Month Award for September 2026 to
Jahaira Ortolaza, Owner of Pixie's Magical Corner Patisserie, 1014 West State Road 434,
Longwood.
Commissioner Morgan read a brief biography on Jahaira Ortolaza, Owner of Pixie's Magical Corner
Patisserie, and presented her with the Business Person of the Month for September
2026. Photographs were then taken.
11. PUBLIC HEARINGS (PART I)
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A. Read by title only, set September 21, 2026, as the public hearing date, and approve the first
reading of Ordinance No. 26-2289, which fixes the tentative rate of ad valorem taxation for the
fiscal year commencing October 1, 2026, and ending September 30, 2027.
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Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 26-2289 by title only.
Mayor Boni read the following statement: The City of Longwood hereby proposes for fiscal year
2026/2027 a millage rate of 5.5000 per$1,000 of non-exempt assessed valuation. Said rate is
5.78% higher than the rolled-back rate of 5.1997 per $1,000 of non-exempt assessed valuation as
computed by Florida Statute 200.065.
Mayor Boni opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or opposition to Ordinance No. 26-
2289.
Commissioner Morgan moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Deputy Mayor
Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous voice vote.
Commissioner Sackett moved to approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 26-2289 and set
September 21, 2026, as the public hearing date. Seconded by Commissioner Morgan and
carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
Mr. Watts clarified that while the millage rate itself was not increasing, property owners may see
higher tax bills due to rising property values as determined by the Property Appraiser.
B. Read by title only, set September 21, 2026, as the public hearing date, and approve the first
reading of Ordinance No. 26-2290, which adopts tentative revenues, expenditures, and fund
balances for the city's fiscal year budget commencing October 1, 2026, and ending September
30, 2027.
Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 26-2290 by title only.
Mayor Boni read the following amounts that reflect the recommended changes:
GENERAL FUND $ 27,299,705
PUBLIC UTILITIES 23,401,108
PUBLIC FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT 2,305,230
CAPITAL PROJECTS 2,081,232
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT 781,630
OTHER FUNDS 1,038,172
FUND BALANCE - RESERVES ALL FUNDS 23,122,422
TOTAL RESOURCES 80,029,499
Mayor Boni opened the public hearing. Listed below are the oppositions to Ordinance No. 26-
2290.
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JoAnne Rebello, 302 Loch Lomond Avenue, questioned the City's budgeting of employee salary
increases and the number and cost of positions added or reclassified.
Commissioner Sackett moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner
Morgan and carried by a unanimous voice vote.
Deputy Mayor Shoemaker discussed employee compensation, noting that the City must remain
competitive while also evaluating staffing and organizational costs. She also requested information
regarding funding for the Pennies for Parks program.
Commissioner Sackett moved to approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 26-2290 and set
September 21, 2026, as the public hearing date. Seconded by Commissioner Morgan and
carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
C. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 26-1738, which establishes a Solid Waste
Assessment.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 26-1738 by title only.
Mr. Watts presented the Item.
Mr. Thierry Boveri, Senior Vice President of Raftelis, presented the assessment methodology and
financial analysis. He explained that the City provides residential curbside collection service to
more than 5,000 accounts and that the assessment was calculated based on program costs and the
number of residential dwelling units receiving service. He reviewed early-payment discounts
available through the property tax collection process, including a four percent discount for
payment in November, decreasing monthly thereafter. He also explained the original proposal for
establishing a reserve balance and the revised alternative that removed the reserve and certain
administrative costs, thereby reducing the proposed annual assessment to $372.34.
Mr. Boveri discussed concerns raised during the September 3 meeting, including affordability for
residents on fixed incomes, the effect of requiring an annual payment rather than monthly billing,
impacts on landlords and multi-unit properties, and the consequences associated with
nonpayment of property taxes. He recommended that, if adopted, the City establish a separate
fund for the solid waste program, recalculate the assessment annually based on actual contract
costs, and review future assessment rates each year.
Commissioner Morgan commented that the affordability concerns associated with a lump-sum
annual payment extended beyond a limited group of residents and affected a significant portion of
the community.
Mayor Boni opened the public hearing. Listed below are the oppositions to Resolution No.
26-1738:
Rev. Cynthia Ryan, 877 Bucksaw Place, cited financial hardship and limited income. She requested
the City maintain monthly billing.
Diane Timmins, 526 Pinyon Court, cited fixed-income hardship and raised a constitutional question
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regarding voter approval requirements for new taxes.
Gayle Sibat, 559 E. Palmetto Avenue, cited difficulty with lump-sum payment and indicated she
would discontinue service if billed annually.
Deborah North, 655 S. Grant Street, raised equity concerns regarding apartment complexes not
contributing to assessment costs and expressed concern regarding the financial impact on
homeowners.
James Howard, 1065 Ridge Street, encouraged the City to consider alternative methods of covering
administrative costs and suggested a small monthly administrative fee as an alternative.
Kellie Queen, 528 Matilda Place, argued solid waste is a transactional service that should not be
attached to property, questioned the financial transparency of the proposal, and suggested
surcharges on new developments instead. She also expressed concern that the language regarding
tax certificates and potential loss of title could negatively impact citizen trust and community
relations.
Christopher Neun, 813 Raven Avenue, initially supported the Resolution but after reviewing the
information and hearing resident concerns, opposed the proposal because of the potential
financial impact.
Roger Happ, 107 S. Silver Cluster Court, cited severe financial hardship and limited income. He
requested the City maintain monthly billing.
John Connell, 645 Chelsea Road, spoke on behalf of himself and his mother, Claire Connell, 635
Chelsea Road. He was originally in favor, but opposed after others concerns and suggested
negotiating a reduction in pickup frequency, rather than moving the charge to the tax bill.
Svetlana Taul, 382 E. Palmetto Avenue,joined the consensus of prior speakers.
Maria Brenes, 741 Longdale Avenue, also representing her daughter, a resident at 942 Lormann
Circle, opposed placing charges for a privately provided service on the property tax bill.
JoAnne Rebello, 301 Loch Lomond Avenue, reiterated concerns regarding affordability, the timing
of the transition, impacts on fixed-income residents and multi-unit property owners, and the
potential consequences of nonpayment.
Gina Dawson, 1778 Torrington Circle, objected to paying for services in advance and suggested
reducing pickup frequency to once per week as an alternative.
Sharon Fussell, 553 E. Warren Avenue, cited financial constraints and requested that the
Commission vote against the assessment.
Chris Deason, 121 Columbus Circle, expressed concern about the risk of property loss via tax
certificate for failure to pay. He inquired about what hardship protections or payment alternatives
would be available to property owners and suggested reducing the frequency of solid waste pickup
to once a week.
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Kenneth Dukes, 158 Sandalwood Way, had Kellie Queen, 528 Matilda Place, speak on his behalf.
Ms. Queen called for the Commission to advocate for residents by renegotiating the contract term
and having them pick up waste once a week. She commented that her solid waste had not been
collected according to the scheduled pickup dates.
Hugo Chernes, 1506 Cardinal Street, expressed concern about the overall increasing cost of city
services for long-term residents.
Kelli Griffith, 774 Orange Avenue, noted that the financial hardship extends beyond retirees and
fixed-income residents to younger working families.
Christopher Guilfoyle, 812 Raven Avenue, described the overall atmosphere of fear among
residents regarding non-payment consequences and questioned the value of the $24 annual
vendor discount to residents.
Paul Barter, 109 Shadow Trail, raised concerns about the risk of property loss due to taxes and
called for a workshop to evaluate service efficiencies.
Scott Mander, 987 N. Wayman Street, cited dissatisfaction with Waste Pro missing collections and
damaged containers.
Richard Langenbach, 161 Columbus Circle, expressed concern about setting a precedent for future
non-ad valorem assessments for other services.
Following public comment, Mayor Boni stated that the proposed assessment was not a new solid
waste service or a property tax based on property value, but rather a different collection method
for an existing service. He acknowledged that the assessment model would provide financial
advantages to the City but also recognized the concerns expressed by residents. He requested
that, if the assessment was not adopted, staff work immediately with Waste Pro and Mr. Langley
to protect the existing collection contract and explore creation of a solid waste emergency reserve
through a reasonable charge on the monthly utility bill.
Deputy Mayor Shoemaker stated that the Commission had evaluated various alternatives with
Waste Pro and confirmed that reducing pickup frequency with Waste Pro would not result in lower
costs due to fixed tonnage fees.
Commissioner Sackett expressed concern regarding the timing of the proposed transition,
requiring residents to pay for service in advance, and the potential consequences associated with
nonpayment. He supported retaining monthly billing and renegotiating with Waste Pro.
Commissioner McMillan stated that the public participation provided important information
regarding residents' concerns about the annual lump-sum payment and placing the charge on the
property tax bill. He indicated that he would oppose the assessment.
Commissioner Morgan reiterated his opposition to the proposal and stated that residents had
clearly expressed their preference to retain the existing billing method.
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Commissioner Sackett moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner
Morgan and carried by a unanimous voice vote.
Commissioner Sackett moved to reject Resolution No. 26-1738 as presented in Item
11C. Seconded by Commissioner Morgan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
Mayor Boni recessed the meeting at 8:00 p.m. The meeting resumed at 8:11 p.m.
6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS. None.
7. PUBLIC INPUT
A. Public Participation.
James Howard, 1065 Ridge Street, expressed concern that the City is perceived by business
owners as difficult to work with, specifically referencing the Chick-fil-A. He requested that the City
prioritize attracting commercial services, restaurants, and businesses rather than additional
residential apartment developments.
Per Lund, 126 Sunrise Court, expressed safety concerns regarding traffic on E.E. Williamson Road
near Shadow Hill and Chelsea neighborhoods. He specifically requested the removal of an
improperly placed "End of School Zone" sign located approximately 200 yards before Woodlands
Elementary School. He also expressed that the City's building permit fees are disproportionately
high compared to neighboring municipalities in Orange and Seminole Counties.
JoAnne Rebello, 301 Loch Lomond Avenue, thanked the Commission for its decision regarding the
solid waste assessment and encouraged continued consideration of a reserve fund through a
smaller monthly charge. She also asked for clarification regarding other wastewater and
neighborhood assessments appearing later on the agenda.
8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT
District#1 Deputy Mayor Shoemaker addressed comments made earlier regarding restaurant
development. Mr. Watts clarified that Chick-fil-A's decision not to locate in Longwood was based on the
company's internal return-on-investment analysis, not any action taken by the City. He confirmed that
the Dairy Queen project remains on track. Deputy Mayor Shoemaker acknowledged the challenging
economic climate for small businesses.
District#2 Mayor Boni clarified that the City assesses impact fees on new apartment development and
stated that multifamily development contributes significant property tax revenue that has helped the
City maintain its millage rate for many years. He also clarified that the former hospital property is
privately owned and that future redevelopment decisions are ultimately controlled by the property
owner within the existing zoning framework. Mayor Boni stated that the City continues to work to
attract restaurants and other businesses and noted that the proposed Aldi project continued to move
forward. He also addressed traffic signage concerns raised during public participation and directed Mr.
Watts to work with Seminole County regarding the school zone signage on E.E. Williamson Road. He
requested an opportunity to review the solid waste notice after a resident expressed concern regarding
its wording.
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District#3 Commissioner McMillan reported attending the Fire Station 15 Open House and commended
the Fire Department for providing an educational and family-oriented event. He also reported on the
Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Management Committee meeting, including available funding for
river-related projects, volunteer opportunities, bear tracking information, and the upcoming World
Rivers Day event on September 27. He announced the upcoming Longwood Babe Ruth opening day and
recognized Milwee Middle School Technology Student Association (TSA) students for their
achievements at national competition. He also reflected on the importance of civil discourse and
encouraged participation in the September 11 memorial ceremony.
District#4 Commissioner Morgan reported on efforts by the Longwood Historic Society to identify a
future location and funding opportunities for the Lewis House. He recognized the Fire Station 15 Open
House and thanked Chief Feist and Fire Department staff for their efforts. He also commended Mr.
Watts for his availability and responsiveness to residents and noted a recent meeting with residents of
Palermo Vista. He also reported participating in a regional council meeting regarding the potential
impacts of Amendment 3 on local governments and attended a MetroPlan Orlando meeting.
Additionally, he reported completing his required Florida League of Cities ethics training and
encouraged participation in the City's September 11 memorial ceremony.
District#5 Commissioner Sackett reflected on his family's experience during the September 11, 2001
terrorist attacks and encouraged residents to attend the City's September 11 memorial ceremony.
9. COMMISSION AND STAFF ADDITIONS OR CHANGES
A. ADDITIONAL ITEMS RAISED DURING MAYOR'S AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS
Deputy Mayor Shoemaker stated she was unable to make the September 11 Ceremony.
Commissioner Sackett inquired about the progress of Aldi and Enterprise Car Rental Company, and
commented on Albertsons' efforts to reinvent its business model, noting that the company may
consider returning to the City.
Mr. Watts reported that Enterprise Car Rental appeared to have relocated to U.S. 17-92. He stated
that the Aldi store is progressing quickly with interior construction underway and is expected to
open before the end of 2026.
B. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA. None.
10. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approval of the August 17, 2026, Regular Meeting Minutes.
B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for August 2026.
C. Approval of Purchase Order in the amount of$69,722.08 to Civil/Site Engineering, Inc. for
Construction Engineering and Inspection Services associated with the Citywide Paving 2026
Project.
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Commissioner Morgan moved to approve Items 10A through 10C as presented. Seconded
by Commissioner McMillan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
11. PUBLIC HEARINGS (PART I)
D. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 26-1735, which creates the 2026 Wastewater
Assessment Area.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No.26-1735 by title only.
Mr. Woolbright presented the Item.
Mayor Boni opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or opposition to Resolution No. 26-
1735.
Commissioner McMillan moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner
Morgan and carried by a unanimous voice vote.
Commissioner Sackett moved to adopt Resolution No. 26-1735 as presented in Item 11D.
Seconded by Commissioner McMillan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
12. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 26-1736, adopting the annual non-ad Valorem
assessment rolls for various wastewater, road paving, and neighborhood beautification
assessments for the 2026 tax rolls.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 26-1736 by title only.
Mr. Woolbright presented the Item and noted a typographical error on TRIM notices where
"Longwood Paving and Wastewater" appeared on beautification assessment descriptions and was
corrected by the Property Appraiser in the digital record.
Commissioner Morgan moved to adopt Resolution No. 26-1736 as presented in Item 12A.
Seconded by Commissioner McMillan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
B. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 26-1737, which amends the FY 2025/2026 budget
for the purchase of capital equipment and execution of a purchase order.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 26-1737 by title only.
Mr. Smith presented the Item.
Commissioner McMillan moved to adopt Resolution No. 26-1737 as presented in Item 12B.
Seconded by Deputy Mayor Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
C. Read by title only, set September 21, 2026, as the public hearing date, and approve the first
reading of Ordinance No. 26-2291, approving the extension of the Non-Exclusive Franchises for
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the Collection of Commercial Solid Waste and/or Recovered Materials for an additional twelve
(12) months.
Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 26-2291 by title only.
Ms. Cartagena presented the Item.
Commissioner McMillan moved to approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 26-2291 and
set September 21, 2026, as the public hearing date. Seconded by Commissioner Sackett and
carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
D. Read by title only, set September 21, 2026, as the second public hearing date, and approve the
first reading of Ordinance No. 26-2292, which updates Longwood City Code of Ordinances,
Chapter 66, Garage Sale Permits.
Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 26-2292 by title only.
Ms. Cartagena presented the Item.
Commissioner Morgan moved to approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 26-2292 and set
September 21, 2026, as the public hearing date. Seconded by Deputy Mayor Shoemaker
and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
E. Read by title only, set September 21, 2026 as the public hearing date, and approve the first
reading of Ordinance No. 26-2293, amending Article II, Chapter 78, Section 78-43 of the
Longwood City Code related to communications facilities in the public rights of way.
Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 26-2293 by title only.
Commissioner Morgan moved to approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 26-2293 and set
September 21, 2026, as the public hearing date. Seconded by Commissioner Sackett and
carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Mr. Watts reported that he would contact Waste Pro promptly regarding multiple resident complaints
about missed solid waste pickups. He stated that the City would evaluate the Waste Pro contract in
coordination with the City Attorney. He also encouraged residents to report service issues directly to
the City and referenced available resources and service request mechanisms on the City's website,
including a development tracking page and solid waste service request procedures.
14. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT. None.
I15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT. None.
16. ADJOURN. Mayor Boni adjourned the meeting at 9:04 p.m.
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Minutes approved by City Commission: October 5, 2026
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