CC08-24-2020Min LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION
Longwood City Commission Chambers
175 West Warren Avenue
Longwood, Florida
MINUTES
August 24, 2020
6:00 P.M.
(Virtual Meeting—Zoom)
Present: Mayor Matt Morgan
Deputy Mayor Brian D. Sackett
Commissioner Abby Shoemaker
Commissioner Richard Drummond
Commissioner Ben Paris
Kurt Ardaman, City Attorney
Clint Gioielli, Acting City Manager
Michelle Longo, City Clerk
David P. Dowda, Police Chief
Chris Kintner, Community Development Director
Craig Dunn, Information Technology Director
Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services Director
Shad Smith, Public Works Director
Phil Kersey, Building Official
Judith Rosado, Finance Director
1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Morgan called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. MOMENT OF SILENT MEDITATION
3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Commissioner Paris led the Pledge of
Allegiance.
4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. None.
5. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
A. District#3 Nomination of the Business Person of the Month
Award for September 2020.
Commissioner Paris deferred the nomination to the next meeting.
B. Presentation of the 2020 Key to the City Award to David Dowda.
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Commissioner Shoemaker read a Proclamation that outlined a
biography on David Dowda. She then presented him with the
Proclamation and Key to the City Award. Photographs were then
taken.
C. Presentation of the 2020 Key to the City Award to Keith
Shoemaker(awarded posthumously).
Commissioner Paris read a Proclamation that outlined a biography
on Keith Shoemaker. He then presented Commissioner Abby
Shoemaker with Keith's Proclamation and Key to the City Award.
Photographs were then taken.
D. Presentation of the 2020 Key to the City Award to Brian Sackett.
Mayor Morgan read a Proclamation that outlined a biography on
Brian Sackett. He then presented him with the Proclamation and
Key to the City Award. Photographs were then taken.
E. Presentation of the 2020 Key to the City Award to Cheryl Bryant.
Deputy Mayor Sackett read a Proclamation that outlined a
biography on Cheryl Bryant. He then presented her with the
Proclamation and Key to the City Award. Photographs were then
taken.
The Commission recessed at 6:30 p.m. and reconvened at 6:37
p.m.
6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS. None.
7. PUBLIC INPUT
A. Presentation from Taurus Group regarding the Heritage Village
Redevelopment Request for Proposal (RFP).
Mr. Craig Govan, Development Manager with the Taurus Group
and Ms. Kim McCann, ELEVEN18 Architecture partner gave a
presentation on their redevelopment plan of City properties in
Longwood's Heritage Village.
B. Public Participation.
Shawn Kunz, 2001 Washington Avenue, Sanford. He attended the
meeting on behalf of the Seminole Soil &Water Conservation
District. He said as of last month the position of Associate
Supervisor for the Seminole Soil &Water Conservation District is
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an official position. On their behalf, we want to continue thanking
the City of Longwood for your past use and now that you are
open, we will be resuming use of your facility. He reminded the
public that when it is raining it is draining, so make sure you are
raking out your storm drains. He said we ask that all development
and redevelopment always consider proper land and water use,
and how it impacts your local watershed.
Judi Coad, 1695 Grange Circle, Longwood. She said you will be
asked to sign a contract this evening with CGI to participate in
their banner program. On October 7, 2019,this Commission
discussed rejuvenating the banner program within the City as a
golden opportunity to begin branding our Community. Mayor
Morgan stated it should be an eye-catcher, Commissioner Sackett
stated it should be consistent with the same historical theme,
Commissioner Paris thought the staff was capable of handling the
project, and Commissioner Shoemaker agreed and said to also
include the Parks and Recreation board in the project.The
proposed 3-year program with CGI has 30%of the bottom of the
double-hung banners in the median with sold advertising.This
area would be a 21 x 60 area. While the City does not allow
feather flags, that is the approximate size of the banners except
hung horizontally. The aesthetic work of this format is truly not
very pleasing to the eye. When asked about the code for this type
of advertising, Mr. Kintner stated it would be a public information
sign and that exempts the banners from the code to state things
like "City Hall" or"Library", advertisement is advertising. She said
this program is free of charge to the City including maintenance.
What is does take away from the City is using Church Street and
Ronald Reagan Boulevard (County Road 427) as a major
promotion area for the City, such as the banners that were
currently used for the Fall Festival and the Pirates Festival. We
have been using these banner poles to frame the hotel once the
Ronald Reagan Boulevard (County Road 427) renovation is
completed. She asked why we would hire another company to
make money when, if you like that concept,the City should be set
on the advertising and management of our own program. She
then asked what the cost of advertising for a whole year is and if
this is a feasible fee in these economic times. She said there are
supposedly seven poles that allow the City to hang its holiday
banners. She asked if you like this program, why not exempt those
poles or at least the intersection of Ronald Reagan Boulevard
(County Road 427) and Church Street to use year-round. She said
when Mr. Capizzi gives this presentation to you, I have presented
a list of considerations I want you to think about before you
choose to sign and have this program in the City.
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8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT
District#5. Deputy Mayor Sackett said the recent fire at the Farmer's
Market that destroyed the property made that ugly property, that has
been there for over 30 years, even uglier. I do not see a plan for what is
going to happen to that property. I know it is for sale, but I have waited
30 years, and 8 to 10 years ago, we knocked over the Pic N' Save building.
It has stood there empty for that long. I believe there are two properties
there and between both of them, they are for sale for about $15 million.
He noted there are different property owners there and they all have
different signs and areas. He said it gets confusing. Not long ago, we had
a meeting with the owner of the parcel, which is not the Pic N' Save, and
they had issues with where their dumpsters were stored and the
homeless people near the Kerryman Pub. It is time to call the Market
Manager and ask what they are going to do with the property. It is time
to get rid of it. If not, the City is going to have to get involved differently.
It is an eyesore. He noted stores have been leaving and moving to other
places. He said it is past the point for the Plaza to sit there within our City,
especially if we are talking about Request for Proposals (RFP)to
redevelop and make things unique in our City. He asked Mr.Gioielli if the
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) or Citizens on Patrol (COP)
were called out for the fire.
Mr. Gioielli said they were not.
Deputy Mayor Sackett asked if there was a reason for that. He said he has
not seen CERT or COP highlighted and he wants them back.They do great
things and they were not called out. I do not know the reason why. He
also asked if the fire was maintained by Seminole County.
Mr. Gioielli said the fire was managed by the Longwood Fire Department,
and I know by talking to the Fire Chief that all CERT activities have been
paused as a result of COVID.
Deputy Mayor Sackett said that is a shame and I understand the need for
COVID, but I want to see them get back on their feet. We have the money
within our budget and it is time to reactivate them, maybe at Christmas
time. We do not have many fires and are thankful for that. We had one
on Rangeline Road that took out a house and one subdivision a few years
back, one at the Bayridge Sushi Restaurant, and now this one. Our CERT
team is trained to help our firefighters.That is what they are there for.
Our COP's are trained to deal with traffic issues and concerns. He asked if
the RuOK program is up and running.
Mr. Gioielli said the COP's have also been paused from many activities as
well but what they have been doing is assisting with the RuOK program
virtually and through telephone service.
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Deputy Mayor Sackett said he would like a meeting sooner than later
with the people that are in the Longwood Plaza.
District#1. Commissioner Shoemaker said to Deputy Mayor Sackett
about his request to bring back the CERT and COP, I would recommend
you be mindful of training that needs to take place since they have been
out of service for a while. Do not overlook that. She said on August 14,
attended the Florida League of Cities business meeting.There were seven
resolutions adopted. A resolution expressing appreciation to the Town of
Bay Harbor Islands, Florida for its support of Isaac Salver as President of
the Florida League of Cities. A resolution recognizing the week of October
19-25, 2020 as "Florida City Government Week" and encouraging all
Florida City Officials to support this celebration by participating in the
"My City: I'm part of it, I'm proud of it!" activities. A resolution affirming
support for and a partnership with Federal, State, and Local leaders to
ensure an accurate 2020 Census. A resolution in honor of the retirement
of Michael Sittig and recognition of his five decades of service to the
Florida League of Cities. A resolution requesting that Congress pass
legislation providing direct funding to all cities to help mitigate
expenditures and current and future losses as a result of the Coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic. A resolution urging Congress to reauthorize the
National Flood Insurance Program. A resolution urging Congress to
recognize and work to achieve broadband access and affordability;
supporting the inclusion of broadband infrastructure in federal
infrastructure investments and affirming support for local control of
broadband infrastructure siting.
District#2. Commissioner Drummond said we had the first Council of
Local Governments in Seminole County(CALNO) meeting in the first week
of this month. It was the first time we had had a meeting in several
months and it was held virtually. It is a representation of the cities in
Seminole County along with the representative of the Seminole County
Commission, Seminole State College, and the Seminole County Soil &
Water Conservation District. We caught up and everyone gave an update
on what is going on. He said there was a Car Show this month. When I
arrived I saw Commissioner Paris and his wife heading one way and
Deputy Mayor Sackett and his wife heading the other way. We were well
represented at the Car Show. Amazingly, we are one of the few
communities in Florida that are still doing any kind of event. I have talked
to Mr. Gioielli and we are very careful and cognizant of maintaining social
distancing and having people wear masks if necessary. It is amazing we
can still have events to bring the community together. He said he
appreciated the hard work from everyone that is involved with that.
District#3. Commissioner Paris said regarding the property on State Road
434 across from the Winn-Dixie, that is the third fire in that complex that
I am aware of since I have been in the City, which has not been that long.
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I believe we need to look into this. It is becoming an issue. Specifically,
the dumpsters that were not encased properly because the fire spread
quite quickly.These are old buildings, and as we can tell, are quite
flammable. We had several videos of that fire. Our response time was
great. I saw our firefighters in place very quickly. I believe the building will
probably be condemned.The damage done to it is irreparable as far as I
can tell. We need to look into the ownership and ask what is going to be
done because this is a marquee of our City.This is the first thing people
see when they are coming off Interstate 4(14) down State Road 434.The
last thing they want to see is a burnt down building. For too many years,
that was an empty Pic N' Save and now we have an empty field. I will not
be here much longer, but I would certainly love to help staff and
Commission in any way I can for my last few months to reach out to all
three property owners and find answers for that property. It has been far
too long, and maybe this is a sign that we need to be more aggressive.
The last thing we need is a condemned building as an entryway to the
City of Longwood.
District#4. Mayor Morgan said he spoke to the owner of the Farmer's
Market. It is a heartbreaking situation for him and his business. He is
hopeful for the Plaza's owner to have their insurance step in and take
care of what they feel should be taken care of from the fire. He was in
good spirits despite all of that. He is an amazing man and we are lucky to
have him as a part of our City. Mayor Morgan noted he has questions
about the presentation given earlier that he would like to forward to
staff, especially about infrastructure. He said while we want to move
forward, add these social magnets around our Historic District, and draw
more people in, we need to do more things like have family restaurants
and keep the Historic buildings we still have. He said on Tuesday, August
4, I attended the Advent Health Senior Citizen Advisory Board with
Advent Health and Tim Cook, who has done an amazing job and gave us
an update on COVID and how their staff is handling it. One of the things I
brought up on that call was the need to still make sure we are still
encouraging our nurses and medical professionals and telling them how
much we love them. I offered to connect them with other local business
owners that wanted to step up and feed the nurses and medical
professionals at Advent Health and South Seminole Hospital. He said on
August 11,the Orlando Boom's Women Semiprofessional basketball
team had an event called 360 Hoops.They had a new, innovative way to
get kids to be more active. It is a different way to play basketball. It has
three hoops connected in a triangular fashion. As soon as you shoot in
one hoop, your opponent is taking the ball out of the hoop and going into
the next one instead of going up and down the full court.The best part
about it is it increases their cardiovascular system. I thought the coolest
part was watching all of the children from different backgrounds loving
the same game in the middle of our Country having all this divide. He
thanked the Orlando Boom and Longwood Christian Academy for having
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us out there. He said we also had speakers attend and it was an awesome
event. It pays dividends to bring a Women's Professional Basketball team
into our City.They have been doing nonstop work in this community and
they are role models for our little ones. The more we can do to get them
into the community the better. He said on August 13, I took part in
Leadership Seminole's Zoom meeting to see if we are going to have our
big class project,The Seminole Smackdown. Obviously, because of
COVID, we had to push the time and date back on this. That same
evening, I took part in Hidden Oak's Neighborhood Homeowner's
Association (HOA) meeting and received updates on different issues they
wanted to discuss with one another. He said he forwarded the
information to Mr. Gioielli. On August 14, I had a weekly meeting with
Mr. Gioielli. On Monday, August 17, I had a cool opportunity to go to our
Police Department with Navy Mom Mary, a former military vet, who
makes pins made out of the American flag. She folds them in such a way
and puts these Police flags on top of those.They are amazing and huge
across the country. She has been sending these out to numerous Police
Departments across the country. He thanked Chief Dowda for making the
time for her. On August 18, I had a Mayors and Managers meeting and
we named Megan Sladek, Mayor of Oviedo, as chairwoman of the group.
It was good to talk to the other City Managers and compare notes. Mr.
Gioielli does an outstanding job at these meetings. He said on Thursday,
August 20, I met with an organization called Operation Underground
Railroad.This is a group whose intent is to shine a light worldwide on the
global epidemic of child sex trafficking.They are rescuing children from
slavery, assisting law enforcement to seek justice for those who violate
children, and placing survivors on a path to recovery by partnering with
vetted aftercare providers and families. Some of these children do not
have families to go back to and a part of what this organization does is to
make sure they find them. I was honored to be able to attend this and
meet with Mr. Gioielli and Mr. Capizzi to set up a potential educational
seminar for our residents in the future. He said on Friday, August 21, I
took part in our Longwood Historic Society Meeting where they just
named me the chairman of their Ways and Means Committee. I now
have the task to fundraise our Monster Dash 5k. He encouraged residents
to come out and support. He thanked the Historic Society for doing an
amazing job. He said on Saturday he followed up with a couple of our
residents about their concerns about the sidewalk on Rangeline Road
being cemented and ready to go for the kids for school. He thanked the
Public Works Department for getting the first half of the sidewalk done so
fast. He said he chatted with a resident about his 2x4 situation and it is
handled. He contacted the company as well and is working more on it.
Mayor Morgan asked Mr. Kintner about what he had wanted to
accomplish back in 2017 with tree replacements.
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Mr. Kintner said we had a fully limited tree replacement policy at the
time and one of the things the Commission had mentioned very early on
was wanting to see that strengthened, particularly in the case of
removing larger trees and replacing them with newer trees.
Mayor Morgan expressed concern about coverage when a tree is
removed and taking a look at the code to make sure trees are protected
with new development.
Discussion ensued on the code about coverage when removing large
trees during development and making updates to protect existing trees.
9. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA.
Deputy Mayor Sackett requested that Item 10C be pulled for a separate
discussion.
10. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approve Minutes of the July 23, 2020,Work Session,and August
3, 2020, Regular Meeting.
B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for August 2020.
C. Approve the Monthly Financial Report for July 2020.
D. Approval to award a Construction Agreement for the Longdale
Septic Tank Abatement Project ITB#06112020 and issuance of a
purchase order in the amount of$3,489,000 to Prime
Construction Group, Inc.
E. Approval to award a Construction Agreement for the Grant
Street AC Water Main Replacement Phase II ITB#06182020 and
issuance of a purchase order in the amount of$436,652.60 to
Central Florida Tapping& Construction Services, Inc.
F. Approve an increase in the amount of$184,127.10 to purchase
order#20001540 for Central Florida Environmental (CFE)for
construction related to the East Longwood Septic Tank
Abatement and Wastewater System Improvement Expansion
Project.
G. Approve a Professional Services Agreement with M.T. Causley,
LLC for Building Inspection and Plan Review Services.
Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to approve Items 10A, 10B,
10D, 10E, 10F, and 10G as presented. Seconded by
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Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll
call vote.
Discussion ensued on Item 10C regarding the negative fund
balance on the Utilities Fund.
Ms. Rosado said the reserve of this fund has been negative for a
couple of years.The note was there from the prior Director. She
said she could research and come back with answers.
Commissioner Sackett requested to look into this, find out what it
is, where it came from, and find out what is our plan for it.
Mr. Smith noted there are three funds for Public Works that are
added together. He also noted how things are posted with our
loans is unusual so that is part of the reason why the negatives
are there. He said, unfortunately, part of it is accounting. It looks
much worse than how it is.
Deputy Mayor Sackett also noted Ad Valorem revenues are up by
$117,000 without doing transfers, and expenditures are at 73%.
He said that is a pretty good picture but it is telling me that maybe
we are putting too much on personal property taxes. You reach a
limit as to what you can pay on taxes in a property. I do not want
to pull out more than what we need in budgets. We are doing a
good job of managing the money. It is not a negative comment,
just be aware of it.
Commissioner Shoemaker said this is exactly what her focus was
in having Ms. Rosado prepare the reports this way.This way we
can spell it out, question it, and answers can be found.
Mr. Gioielli said the staff and directors have been working
diligently on unanticipated expenses and the impact the City has
had as a result of COVID.
Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to approve Item 10C as
presented. Seconded by Commissioner Paris and carried
by a unanimous roll call vote.
11. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 20-2185,establishing
a new Business Tax Receipt Schedule.
Mr. Ardaman read Ordinance No. 20-2185 by title only.
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Mr. Gioielli presented the Item. He said he knows staff has been
working diligently in preparation and anticipation of the passing
of this Ordinance. It has cost a great deal of administrative work
but we are prepared to move forward. He noted this is a second
reading and there were no requested changes.
Mayor Morgan opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor
or opposition to Ordinance No. 20-2185.
Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to close the public hearing.
Seconded by Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a
unanimous voice vote.
Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to adopt Ordinance No. 20-
2185 as presented Item 11A. Seconded by Commissioner
Drummond and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
B. Read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 20-2186,authorizing
a Purchase and Sale Agreement(PSA) between the City of
Longwood and TowerPoint Communications and the conveyance
of a communication easement.
Mr. Ardaman read Ordinance No. 20-2186 by title only.
Mr. Smith presented the Item.
Mayor Morgan opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor
or opposition to Ordinance No. 20-2186.
Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to close the public hearing.
Seconded by Commissioner Drummond and carried by a
unanimous voice vote.
Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to adopt Ordinance No. 20-
2186 as presented Item 11B. Seconded by Commissioner
Drummond and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
Ms. Rosado addressed how the money would be received and
explained she would have to recognize it as revenue and bring it
to the Commission to set a Resolution to put it back in reserves.
C. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 20-1537,which
imposes the 2020 Wastewater Assessment Area.
Mr. Ardaman read Resolution No. 20-1537 by title only.
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Mayor Morgan opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor
or opposition to Resolution No. 20-1537.
Commissioner Drummond moved to close the public
hearing. Seconded by Deputy Mayor Sackett and carried
by a unanimous voice vote.
Commissioner Drummond moved to adopt Resolution No.
20-1537 as presented Item 11C. Seconded by
Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll
call vote.
12. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Read by title only, set September 10, 2020,as the public hearing
date and approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 20-2176, a
Small Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment for 1800 Lake
Emma Road (SPA 01-20).
Mr. Ardaman read Ordinance No. 20-2176 by title only.
Mr. Kintner presented the Item. He said this is a land-use change
request. We do not do a lot of these.The property was recently
annexed into the City and it comes with the County's zoning land-
use which is low-density residential for the future land-use and
agricultural for the zoning.They are requesting medium density
residential and medium density residential 15 in the City. We have
to assign them a land-use at some point. Until that point, they
carry the County land-use. He noted there is a site plan for this
project but the site plan is not part of the discussion tonight, it is
preliminary and has not been submitted officially. When we look
at a land-use question what we are looking at is if the use is
suitable, if the infrastructure supports it, and if it is consistent
with the rest of the comprehensive plan map.You will not hear us
talking about specifics related to stormwater and site layout
tonight because that is the next part of the process.This is in the
phase where it is a discussion about if a medium density
residential is the proper land use for it.The applicant has made an
application to the City to consider that.
Mr. Bobby Wanas, with Madden, Moorhead & Stokes, LLC spoke
about the Item. He gave an overview of the property stating it is a
five-acre piece of property located at 1800 Lake Emma Road. It
was annexed May 18, 2020, and does still hold the County's
Future Land Use which is Low Density Residential and Agricultural
for the zoning. He said their request is to have the City assign
land use of Medium Density Residential and zoning of Medium
Density Residential-15 (MDR-15). Medium Density-15 allows up to
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15 dwelling units per acre. He said we feel like our request is
compatible with the surrounding area and consistent with the
City's policies and goals of the Comprehensive Plan. He showed a
presentation with maps of the surrounding areas, their land-use,
and their requests. He noted their development proposes to do
townhomes as being an alternative single-family housing option.
He also noted they have looked into if there are adequate public
facilities and the capacity to service the project. They have
reached out to Seminole County Schools and there is sufficient
capacity in their schools. He said they have done a preliminary
analysis of traffic on Lake Emma Road and it still has capacity. He
noted they would be connecting to Longwood's utilities on the
west side to potable water and on the east side to the sanitary
sewer.They feel they are compatible and consistent with the
area. He also showed a conceptual plan for the property.
Discussion ensued on the development of the property and the
traffic flow for the entrance to the development.
Deputy Mayor Sackett said Danbury Mills is about 35 years old
and across the street, we have Brentwood Club which about 15 to
16 years old.They had many restrictions on it. It had to be single-
family and they were not allowed swimming pools because of
land coverage. They had issues when they were putting that
development in. Hopefully, you would have a wall between
Danbury Mill and this property.There have been continual
problems with the water in the backside of Danbury Mill and I
would not like to see this site contributing to that problem any
more than it already is. I am not in favor of building another
Danbury Mill there but I would be in favor of building another
Brentwood Club there. We would have to look into the access
road with the Publix and people getting used to the turns. We had
many contentious meetings when they were widening Lake Emma
Road into a 4-lane road and the City got involved with that
process as well. I would have to look into this further but I am not
excited about what I am seeing now. It has to do with the density
of the property, it should be similar to what I would see in
Brentwood Club.
Mr. Wanas said the density would be a maximum use. What we
see here are 40 units. By the time you put in the roadway,
recreation, and stormwater requirements,the actual yield of
development is not going to be the 15 units per dwelling.
Deputy Mayor Sackett says what he sees at the Reserve at
Harbour Isle is a 5 or 6-acre property and it only has 15 good sized
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properties. He said he thinks Mr.Wanas should look into what
they did at Harbour Isle.
Commissioner Paris said the zoning is contiguous to medium-
density. We have talked here at length about affordable and
alternative housing and I much rather would like to see
townhomes that can be purchased than more apartments. I like
the idea of small knit communities like this. I do not personally
have an issue with this. I like the idea of not going to the full 50
and I appreciate the developers are already speaking about
reduced numbers, open areas, and stormwater concerns because
that is always an issue here in the City of Longwood. We have an
already stressed stormwater system and I appreciate it when
people talk about how they are going to try to keep it better. I
also appreciate the fact that it has been taken into consideration
for emergency use and I would like to tell you good luck with
trying to get that left out on a county road but more power to you
and I hope you can accomplish that.
Commissioner Shoemaker said we are a small town and I know we
are becoming a big town, but I am concerned about people giving
up their greenery. One resident stated she paid extra for her
house to back up to the green.That might disappear. I am a little
concerned about the cost of development. I am leaning towards
low-density residential, however,the Land Planning Agency (LPA)
approved this 4-0, so I am also considering that.
Mayor Morgan agreed and said he is also concerned about
conserving greenery.
Commissioner Paris said that the current piece of property is
more of a retention pond. It is rarely mowed, it is halfway dry
sometimes and full of water other times so this is not like a
beautiful forest full of trees. We are talking about a retention area
that was looked at to be a fire station some years ago. I much
rather see it on the Longwood's tax rolls and I would like to see
affordable housing for our Police, Firefighters, and Nurses, not
something that is in the $400,000 range, which seems to be what
is built in new establishments here.
Mr. Kintner noted the future land use within the County is Low
Density Residential. Depending on how tonight goes, if this
project moves forward, and as far as the green space goes,
development is very likely here, even in Low Density Residential,
which would be a 21-unit subdivision.That would take up a lot of
that green space but 21 is less than 40. I would say if the thought
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process is development versus non-development, there is very
likely going to be development.
Mayor Morgan asked how does this answer getting a left turn on
Lake Emma. We know what that is going to look like.
Mr. Kintner said part of that is county review but there is still
going to be development pressure, and they may decide that a
right in and right out is fine for them.
Mr. Wanas addressed the concerns about housing being
affordable and said we feel that townhomes can be affordable
and can provide that option. We are zeroed in on the site plan
process but this is more about the zoning. Looking at the context
of the area we are just extending the land use that is already out
there. Our development is going to support and serve to make
these businesses more successful. As far as the concerns with full
access onto Lake Emma, that is something that we are going to
have to deal with. We would like to try but that is just something
we are going to have to look at and work with the County.
Commissioner Shoemaker asked how affordable will these
condominiums be.
Mr. Wanas said I would have to ask my client what price they are
looking at but single-family homes are more expensive than
townhomes. I do not know the price point that my client has in
mind.
Commissioner Drummond is for moving forward with a public
hearing so that we can get more input on it, have some time to
think about it, and see if some more people want to speak about
it. I would be interested in hearing what their opinions are.
Deputy Mayor Sackett asked how we go about making this a Low
Density Residential instead of to a Medium Density Residential. I
am not in favor of a Medium Density Residential
Mr. Kintner said he believes the proper motion would not
approve of this Item if that is your desire.That would have them
come back and do that. He asked Mr. Ardaman what would be the
process if the applicant concurred with doing Low Density
Residential.
Mr. Ardaman said it would need to be re-submitted or modified.
The motion could be to deny this request and not move forward
with the public hearing. Of course, you could move to approve
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and move forward so you have the option. Unless the applicant
voluntarily agrees to modify that request now, the application you
have before you, which is for the Medium Density Residential, is
something you need to act upon. If you deny this request, you still
have the County Comprehensive Plan property designation in
place as well as the existing County zoning in place for the
property.
Commissioner Paris moved to approve Ordinance No. 20-
2176 and set September 10, 2020, as the public hearing
date. Seconded by Commissioner Drummond and failed
by a two-to-three (2-3) roll call vote with Mayor Morgan,
Deputy Mayor Sackett, and Commission Shoemaker voting
nay.
Mr. Ardaman said unless the applicant is going to modify his
application now, which I think would not give staff time to deal
with it, you have taken the action you need to take at this point. It
is up to the applicant to come back and move forward with some
other alternative.
B. Read by title only, set September 10, 2020,as the public hearing
date and approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 20-2187,
regarding the use of vibratory compactors in construction
activities.
Mr. Ardaman read Ordinance No. 20-2187 by title only.
Mr. Kintner presented the Item and noted this is largely dealing
with a specific type of compaction that we see on larger
construction sites. It is relatively rare that we see it but given that
we are seeing more development than we had seen before, staff
and Mr. Kersey, are being responsive to citizen complaints and
concerns on previous projects. We want to try to help protect our
residents, moving forward, with some of these projects. When
compaction is being used, to establish density in the soil to have
larger structures, we can have more oversite over what they are
using, how long they are using it, and at what frequency they are
using it so that it does not create issues for the buildings adjacent
to the site. We are trying to have some level of oversite and help
protect our residents as some of the development comes in.
Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to approve Ordinance No.
20-2187 and set September 10, 2020, as the public hearing
date. Seconded by Commissioner Drummond and carried
by a unanimous roll call vote.
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C. Read by title only and approve Resolution No. 20-1540,which
relates to a Local Agency Program (LAP)Agreement between the
City of Longwood and the Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT)for the West Warren Avenue Complete Streets Study.
Mr. Ardaman read Resolution No. 20-1540 by title only.
Mr. Kintner presented the Item.
Commissioner Shoemaker moved to adopt Resolution No.
20-1540 as presented Item 12C. Seconded by Deputy
Mayor Sackett and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
D. City Commission approval of an agreement with CGI
Communications, Inc. to implement a Free Banner Program.
Mr. Capizzi presented the Item, said I have had the privilege of
working with Ms. Coad for a while, and certainly respect her
opinion but this is just one of those things we differ on.The real
question is if the Commission wants a banner program. If they do,
this is certainly feasible, affordable, and has proven effective in
other cities. It is a good system to go by. CGI Communications is
the company we have used previously for videos on our website.
They did a terrific job and I had the opportunity to work with
them and explain to them what the Leisure Services Department
does. We have worked with them in some capacity. Mr. Krueger
brought this opportunity up to me and said they have a successful
banner program. Mr. Capizzi said they have done this with
hundreds of cities throughout the country and are currently
working with 20-25 cities now. If you look at the banner examples
provided, you will see what type of banners they provide.They
are tastefully done and we would get to design the entire banner.
The advertising is at the bottom of the banner. It is a win-win for
the City as well as any Longwood business that wants to advertise
which would be relegated to the businesses within the City limits
providing them a good opportunity to get their word out. He said
CGI is proposing to provide a minimum of 25 double-sided
banners.These are high-quality vinyl, very similar to the quality of
the banners we had at Reiter Park.They do the installations by
putting the hardware on the poles for us, if there is a natural
event where the banner is torn,they will replace it at no charge,
and with our holiday banners,they will come out at no charge to
us, remove their banners, hang our holiday banners up for us,
come back, remove the holiday banners after the holidays, and
put their banners back up.That is a nice service. Two-thirds of
this banner would be any kind of design that we want.The
sponsorship portion of the advertisement would mesh with
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whatever we would want it to be.They are also offering 2-3
different banner designs at no charge. It is a terrific program. I
confirmed they only cater to businesses in Longwood. If they do
manage to get more companies to advertise with them than
originally thought, we could get more banners.They are
guaranteeing us 25 banners right off the bat. It is a three-year
program and at the end of each year, the company will replace
every single banner and put up a new banner, regardless if we
wanted the same banner or if we wanted to do another new
design. All maintenance is included. He said he did some research
and the poles would be relegated to Ronald Reagan Boulevard. I
spoke to Steve Douglas, Deputy County Traffic Engineer, and
Michael Smith from Duke Energy, and we cannot put banners up
where poles have wires attached to them and where there are
thick, black yardarms. We did have a banner program several
years ago that had 72-inch banners. We currently use 60-inch
banners in Reiter Park and the Historic District but these are low
traffic areas. When you are driving by Ronald Reagan Boulevard,
you need something a little bit bigger to see when you are passing
by. My recommendation is 72-inch banners. If you approve of this
program, I would ask that you approve a size as well. He said
there are two sizes we are trying to decide on. One is a 30-inch x
72-inch banner and the other is a 30-inch x 60-inch banner. I had a
conversation with Mike Rice from Lyman High School and I am
sure you have seen their banners.Those are 72-inch banners. I
asked Mr. Rice why he went with those and he said, he had done
smaller ones but when they were put up, they were too small. I
also talked with CGI and their analyst who brought up our poles
on Google Earth and they thought a 72-inch banner would be
better for that situation. He said we are proposing to start the
banners just north of 12th Avenue right around TrustCo Bank and
we would go on every other pole until we got to the median poles
that run adjacent to Florida Avenue.There, we would do five
poles in a row, and would not skip any poles.These poles would
have banners on each side of them.That would equate to about
24 double-sided banners. If they are giving us 25,that means one
pole is going to have one banner. I am either not going to do the
one or find somewhere else to put it.These banners would also
be in the area where we would want to put our holiday banners.
That area would span from approximately the light poles right
around the railroad tracks South of Warren Avenue to Florida
Avenue at the main hub of Longwood where it is very busy. If we
end up getting more than 25 banners, we could go further south
or further north to the intersection of Longwood Hills Road. He
said CGI has an art department that I am going to be tasking Mr.
Rinaldo, who will be working with Ms. Coad, to come up with the
design. Ideally, we want to put the Longwood logo up there.
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Consistency is what we are looking for and we want these
banners to pop.This is just the first step in the direction of
possibly expanding and starting our banner program. At some
point when the budget is more amenable, we can pay for the
banners out of our pocket and recoup the cost.This right now is a
free program, its maintenance is free, they replace the banners if
they break, and they replace them every year. I think this is a
good start.
Commissioner Paris said he is all for 72-inch banners. As far as the
ability for businesses to use them for advertisement, especially in
a post COVID world, any business is going to try to find a way to
get more eyes on them. He noted he liked the banners would be
replaced if torn and it is at no cost to the City. He said anything we
can do to advertise the City and local businesses with a net-zero
effect to the City and our staff who would have to put up and take
down the banners, is something we need to look at. Additionally,
a three-year program is not a long time to get through something
if we decide we hate it. I think it is a great experiment and
something that can be useful. As someone who works with many
businesses, I think some people may be interested in this
opportunity especially along our Ronald Reagan Boulevard
(County Road 427) corridor, which I believe traffic count was right
at about 35,000 to 40,000 cars. I would be inclined to support this
initiative.
Commissioner Shoemaker said she concurs with everything
Commissioner Paris said, however, she has concerns about
fairness if the vendor is going to solicit the businesses. She said
she was also concerned about the year the banners are up there
and how she would like to allow more opportunities for other
businesses to put their advertisements up. She asked if we could
get out of the program if we were not to like how the banners
look.
Mr. Capizzi addressed the sponsors first. He said we do have carte
blanche on what we want as far as businesses go. If there are
certain businesses we want to encourage and engage with, we
can mention that. If there are certain businesses we specifically
do not want to engage with, CGI will certainly take that into
account.They are open to any suggestions we have as far as the
sponsorship goes. He clarified that we will not do any soliciting
but we would give them the businesses we would like to see them
go after. He said it is a three-year contract and I would have to see
if there is a separation or termination agreement or clause in it.
That is something that is not specified in this agreement. It looks
as if we are locked in for three years.
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Mr. Gioielli said while I realize this is more of a generic agreement
compared to what we typically deal with, my interpretation of the
language is that the poles are permissible by the City. Should we
get into a position where we feel like our businesses are being
treated unfairly, we can restrict or intervene, and we would be
able to make no poles permissible should there become an issue
where we needed to cease the banner from being displayed.
Deputy Mayor Sackett said he does not consider Ronald Reagan
Boulevard (County Road 427) our gateway street as much as it is
County Road 427 and State Road 434. The only thing I dislike
about this is the sponsorship section is huge.
Discussion ensued on the size of the advertisement section of the
banner. It was noted that the advertisement covers 30%of the
banner. Deputy Mayor Sackett noted he would like to see that
percentage go down to 20%.
Commissioner Paris moved to approve the agreement with
CGI Communications, Inc. for the Free Banner Program
with 72-inch banners. Seconded by Commissioner
Shoemaker.
Commissioner Drummond said he would like to bring this back for
discussion and get input from other people. He said the banners
have great value but it is a big chunk of advertisement.
Further discussion ensued on the size of the advertisement on the
banners.
Motion failed by a two-to-three (2-3) roll call vote with
Mayor Morgan, Deputy Mayor Sackett, and Commissioner
Drummond voting nay.
13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Mr. Gioielli thanked the staff for their hard work and taking the time to
present our Commission with a lot of good information. He said at the
last meeting, Item 10B was approved with some exceptions.
Commissioner Shoemaker had questions specifically about six payments
that were made to Cloud 9 Services for a total of$32,000. I provided the
Commission with an update during my report and wanted to clarify if the
information I provided was satisfactory to your request. He asked for
more clarification and direction on Waste Pro's request for a 4-year
contract extension, which would start October 1, 2021, and if that was
not going to be approved, should he direct staff to move to RFP.
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Commissioner Paris said the ability to get no increase is enticing.The only
concern was the length of the contract but they have very competitive
rates. If you do your homework, I do not believe those rates are going to
be beat. I am concerned that if we do go out for an RFP we would end up
paying a higher rate. I think this is an attempt by Waste Pro to
consolidate their original loans. We can maybe even negotiate some
changes in our services to help alleviate the cost. My direction is to keep
it low.
Deputy Mayor Sackett said he agrees with everything said by
Commissioner Paris.
Commissioner Drummond asked if the suggestion to stay with Waste Pro
is because we know they are giving us exemplary service and rates and
otherwise we would take a chance by getting an RFP with a higher rate.
Commissioner Paris agreed. We do not have any issues with Waste Pro
and they generally work well with us. Initially, I was willing to go out to
bid before because I thought that at that time there was a very
competitive market.That market is not as competitive now and I feel that
we would be facing an increase. It is a safe bet to stay where we are and
we can move on in four years.
Discussion ensued on the length of the contract and those residents in
the City who are not paying for their trash pickup. It was noted that
Waste Pro is willing to work with staff to try to mitigate some of that loss
taking into account certain things like picking up someone's trashcan
after notifying them they have not paid for several months.
Commissioner Paris moved to direct staff to go into a 4-
year contract with Waste Pro and keep our current rate as
it stands. Seconded by Deputy Mayor Sackett and carried
by a unanimous roll call vote.
Mr. Gioielli said I know that the topic of sidewalks has come up.The staff
has put pressure on vendors to try to get some of our sidewalks repaired.
There were some issues with our public safety. Additionally, we had an
issue with a vendor that was contracted to remove some of the
dangerous trees in anticipation of storms and they were unable to
proceed with their commitment to the City, so we have done a last-
minute change in an attempt to facilitate a quick response to get the
trees removed. He reminded everyone about the Seminole CARES grant
for businesses and all residents are in effect right now. If anybody is
aware of a business or resident in the City that is in need, we encourage
them to apply on the Seminole CARES website. I am also very excited to
announce that because of the hard work of staff,the Finance
Department, Mr. Kirby, and our consultant approved by the Commission,
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the City has received a Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA)
reimbursement for Hurricane Irma of$507,000.The City is expecting to
receive an additional $50,000 for administrative costs related to Irma and
we are hopeful to receive in the future$130,000 in reimbursement for
Hurricane Dorian. We are already taking steps to have some financial
recovery through FEMA as a result of our COVID-19 impact. He said the
staff has restricted access to the building in Township Plaza that was
spoken about tonight for public safety. We are making sure that our
community stays safe. I am also excited to announce that our Police
Department has hosted its first Community forum. It happened on
August 11, with the next event scheduled for September 15, here in the
City Chambers at 6:00 p.m. It was a success and insightful for both staff
and the citizens involved, who we appreciate having the opportunity to
dialogue and collaborate with. He said Chief Peters has been in and
inspected our new fire rescue vehicle, which our City should have within
the next 30 days. There is a scheduled deep cleaning on August 31 of our
Heroes Monument in preparation for the 9/11 remembrance. He also
noted the Candyland Park buildings where our staff works have had some
unfortunate water runoff and leaking. Mr. Capizzi has been working
diligently on getting those areas fixed. He has done water and rain
mitigation work and is repairing the damage to the building so that our
staff has a safe place to work. Leisure Services has moved the Seafood
Festival to the beginning of the year. While we hate to make that move,
we do think it would be helpful to have it under cooler weather. We are
still under consideration for the Fall Festival if any Commissioners have
any feedback for that. We are taking the luxury of the fact that we have
an extra month before we have to make any of those tough decisions.
While we are proud of the events that we have had, we are concerned
about the larger events that draw thousands of people to our area. We
are extremely motivated to find a way to have it but we just want to
make sure that we are taking every consideration under advisement.
14. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT. No report.
15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT
Ms. Longo announced qualifying was held last week for the November 3
City election for Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4. She stated the unopposed
Districts are 1, 2, and 3 for candidate Abby Shoemaker who is currently
the District 1 Commissioner, candidate Richard Drummond who is
currently the District 2 Commissioner, and candidate Matt McMillan for
District 3. The opposed District is#4 with candidate Matt Morgan,
currently the Commissioner and candidate Kim Carroll. She also
reminded the Commission the next meeting will be held on Thursday,
September 10 due to the Labor Day Holiday.
16. ADJOURN. Mayor Morgan adjourned the meeting at 8:54 p.m.
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Minutes approved by City Commission: 09-10-2020
Matt Morgan, Mayor
ATTET: ,7 L
ichel e L o, C, FCRM
City Clerk
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