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CC09-21-2020Min LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION Longwood City Commission Chambers 175 West Warren Avenue Longwood, Florida MINUTES September 21, 2020 6:00 P.M. (Virtual Meeting—Zoom) Present: Mayor Richard Drummond Deputy Mayor Brian D. Sackett Commissioner Abby Shoemaker Commissioner Matt Morgan Commissioner Ben Paris Dan Langley, 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 Judith Rosado, Finance Director Tom Krueger, Economic Development Manager 1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Drummond called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. 2. MOMENT OF SILENT MEDITATION 3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Deputy Mayor Sackett led the Pledge of Allegiance. 11. PUBLIC HEARINGS (PART I) A. Read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 20-2190,which fixes the tentative rate of ad valorem taxation for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 2020,and ending September 30,2021. The final tax rate being proposed for Fiscal Year 2020/2021 is 5.5000 per$1,000 of non-exempt assessed valuation. Said rate is 5.88%higher than the rolled-back rate of$5.1948 per$1,000 of non-exempt assessed valuation as computed by F.S. 200.065. Mayor Drummond opened the Public Hearing by announcing the City of Longwood's City Commission convenes this Public Hearing on the City of Longwood's Fiscal Year 2020/2021 Final Millage rates and Final Budget as required by Florida Statutes, Chapters CC 09-21-2020/1 129 and 200. He said Item 11A recommends the City Commission read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 20-2190, which fixes the final millage rate of ad valorem taxation for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2021. The final tax rate being proposed is 5.5000 per$1,000 of non- exempt assessed valuation. This rate is 5.88% higher than the rolled-back rate of 5.1948 per$1,000 of non-exempt assessed valuation as computed by Florida Statute 200.065. Chapter 200 requires that a final public hearing on the budget be preceded by a two-to-five day notice of that hearing. Chapter 129 requires an advertisement with a summary of the final budget. Mr. Langley announced having proof of publication and read Ordinance No. 20-2190 by title only. Mayor Drummond opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or opposition to Ordinance No. 20-2190. Commissioner Morgan moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner Paris and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Commissioner Shoemaker moved to adopt Ordinance No. 20-2190 as presented item 11A. Seconded by Commissioner Paris and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. Mayor Drummond stated the City of Longwood has determined that a final millage rate of 5.5000 mills is necessary to fund the final budget. The final millage rate represents an increase of 5.88%from the rolled-back rate of 5.1948 mills. B. Read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 20-2191,which adopts tentative revenues, expenditures,and fund balances for the City's fiscal year budget commencing October 1, 2020,and ending September 30,2021. Mayor Drummond stated Item 11B recommends that the City Commission read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 20-2191, which adopts revenues, expenditures, and fund balances for the City's fiscal year budget commencing on October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2021. Chapter 200 requires that a final public hearing on the budget be preceded by a two-to-five day notice of that hearing. Chapter 129 requires that they advertise a summary of the final budget. CC 09-21-2020/2 Mr. Langley announced having proof of publication and read Ordinance No. 20-2191 by title only. Mayor Drummond said the City of Longwood's Fiscal Year 2020/2021 budget proposed revenues, expenditures, and fund balances for the City's fiscal year budget commencing on October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2021, are as follows: General Fund $18,374,390 Public Utilities $12,824,735 Public Facilities Improvement Fund $5,456,404 Capital Projects $4,228,929 Stormwater Management $1,139,238 Other Funds $1,925,743 Fund Balance—Reserves $8,020,240 Total Resources $51,969,679 Mayor Drummond opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or opposition to Ordinance No. 20-2191. Commissioner Morgan moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner Paris and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Deputy Mayor Sackett said we sold a property by Fire Station #17 and are netting over$510,000 on it. I want to make sure within this budget that we protect that $510,000. I mentioned an idea to rebate but was also thinking the $510,000 that we were not expecting, should be used to pay down something.This would make an incredible debt payment and that would be wonderful to see.The other thing that amazes me after 17 years on this Commission is the overtime that we pay. When I look at our Fire Department budget,their overtime is over 15%of their total salaries.The Police Department's overtime is 7%and Parks is 4%, but I understand theirs because they have many events. I understand the Fire Department is three days on and two days off and because of that, we end up with overtime during the week, but when you are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime it comes to the point of asking whether you bring on another salaried employee. We are paying$400,000 a year in overtime pay between a couple of departments. I admire that we are keeping an eye on it, but I would highly recommend that we look at that before approving next year's budget. Start early and let us look at those numbers. I highly recommend paying down debt with the $510,000. CC 09-21-2020/3 Commissioner Paris said if we are concerned about overtime, this year's change to the City of Longwood's amendments includes deciding the maximum amount of Firefighters we need to have. I would push citizens to support that amendment so that we may reduce that amount. When you are working with Firefighters and Police Officers, and you talk about 24 hours on, 48 hours off, and 16 hours on 12 hours off,those things build towards overtime. When you talk about$400,000 as opposed to $13 million or$14 million in salary, which is relatively small. I would support a budget without looking into reducing that because you cannot reduce that.You have to keep it available in order to keep the City moving. We make sure every employee that needs to be on duty is on duty. If we need to hire more employees to take care of every sick day, we can do that, but I do not think there would be a net increase.The important thing to do is to work with the employees and the Unions. I believe a $400,000 overtime budget in a $5.1 million budget is relatively good and I would put that against any City in this County. I wholeheartedly support this budget. Commissioner Morgan moved to adopt Ordinance No. 20- 2091 as presented Item 11B. Seconded by Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. 4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. None. 5. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS A. Nomination of the Beautification Award. Mayor Morgan nominated F&D Woodfired Italian Kitchen for the Beautification Award. Nomination carried by a unanimous voice. B. District#3 Presentation of the Business Person of the Month Award for September 2020 to Michael Kryger, Owner and Independent Agent of Pegasus Insurance Agency, located at 740 Florida Central Parkway,Suite 2048. Commissioner Paris read a brief biography on Michael Kryger and then presented him with the Business Person of the Month Award for September 2020. Photographs were then taken. Added on: Recognizing Commissioner Matt Morgan for is dedicated service to the City as Mayor, May 2019 to September 2020. Mayor Drummond recognized Commissioner Morgan for his dedicated service to the City as Mayor. He then presented him with a plaque and photographs were then taken. CC 09-21-2020/4 6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS A. District#3 Nomination to the Parks& Recreation Advisory Board. Commissioner Paris deferred the nomination until the next meeting. 7. PUBLIC INPUT A. Public Participation. Cheryl Bryant, 335 North Ronald Reagan Boulevard, Longwood. She said it is great to see this many people and the beautiful citizenry of Longwood here. You should all be proud of yourselves for getting civically involved. Even when we do not agree with each other, I think it is awesome for the community to get involved. I represent some of the businesses over on the corner across the street and we are all vigorously in favor of this project. We think it is a great idea as we have seen other cities and towns develop in the area. We have seen great relationships between the businesses and the cities getting together and creating things. I certainly hope we can get to the point where Longwood would be a destination point and people would want to jump off the train, park their cars, and stop here.There seems to be a lot of misinformation. I got a call from someone in the nearby City filling my ear with all kinds of nonsense and balderdash about what is going on with this project. I thought that was interesting because I have heard lots of things about the project that are not true so I think it is great for people to show up. She noted things mentioned from others that may not be correct. She said it was said that by selling the buildings that belong to the City we could not have ownership of the buildings as the new development happens. My understanding is that the City could own those new buildings. Another thing I find interesting is that the City could run the Community Center that we currently have. She asked why this has not happened yet, why is it not successful, and how can this turn around. Another thing that has come up often is that we need more homeowners and not renters. Not everyone is ready to be a homeowner. We need places for people to be able to rent. There is a myriad of people that have housing needs. Not everyone can afford to be a homeowner and have all of that responsibility. It seems there were some communication issues and folks felt left out. I hope in the future that we can make sure this does not happen.This is just the beginning. It would be great to get Downtown Longwood revitalized and beautiful like other areas. CC 09-21-2020/5 Mark Schneider, 264 West Magnolia Avenue, Longwood. He said he represents a few of the other residents on this street and we have talked quite a bit since Wednesday. I met with the developer, Mr. Govan. We were treated to a video that featured Sunrail, which was to improve the area, but this only increased traffic issues within the Longwood community. You are now proposing even more residents to the area in a small space and we have not even seen what impact the new units on Warren will have. He presented the Commission with a list of questions he prepared: 1. What can you offer the affected owners of property for the loss of privacy and life benefits and the quality of life of a quiet community? 2. Is there enough water and electric capacity(issues with glitches? I have experienced that for over 20 years of living in my house. Our power has always been an issue. 3. Have you looked into the school's and road's capacities? 4. What will be done about the rainwater, stormwater, and lift station to eliminate flooding?The proposed building is right on top of a lift station that failed two years ago and West Magnolia immediately flooded. 5. Will there be an increase in Longwood City cell phone tax? 6. What is being done with the many properties the City owns which do not benefit the tax base?There are plenty of facilities available.Why aren't those being used? 7. How would the Fire Department turn West on 434? 8. Can the townhome unit be built on the existing Longwood City Hall property and the Police/City Hall units not have an extension into Reiter Park? 9. Can you apply an underground Cistern behind the Police Department for parking?This would expand the parking for the City and Police Department (PD). 10. Why not allow the PD to house the entire new building? 11. Why not have a new City Services building a single story along Florida Street with offices and small shops to occupy the existing PD site? 12. Will you be adding traffic diversions to slow down traffic? I was hit three years ago riding my bicycle across the sidewalk. 13. What is happening to the property East across the street from the Fire Station? 14. What is happening to the property that the fire station parks at on North Milwee and Bay Avenue? 15. Why doesn't the City of Longwood look into property across the street from Winn Dixie? 16. Will any of the new buildings follow the Green Building philosophies? CC 09-21-2020/6 17. Are we going to put solar trees up to provide solar for all of these requirements? 18. Are there any planned street/sidewalk/sewer improvements for West Magnolia Avenue or any other streets? 19. Can you guarantee a silt fence and trees installed on Florida Avenue before beginning any construction and have all construction done on Florida Avenue prior to starting any other construction? Mr. Schneider then listed the following concerns: • Reiter Park hill and retention pond. • Original Police Site. • The length of the Florida Street Pavement process. • The state of Warren Avenue to Winn Dixie. • Variances approved late in the process for code setbacks give to the bathrooms and gazebo in Reiter Park. Sharon Fussell, 553 East Warren Avenue, Longwood. She said she closed on her house in February 11, 2005 and moved in on Valentine's Day. I have had numerous discussions with every single Commissioner here about my concerns on the apartments and how it would devalue our homes and increase crime and about the Historic District. I grew up behind Universal Studios and used to ride horses there. I saw what happened to the area where my parents used to live. Once the Historic District is touched, it will not come back.The reason I bought a home in Longwood was because of the Historic District. It gave me a sense of living in a small community. I have neighbors who watch out for each other. This will only increase traffic and time. I urge this Commission to put this project on hold until you have a chance to meet with every single tax-paying resident homeowner. Matthew McMillan, 1035 Cross Cut Way, Longwood. He said he wants you to remember this 21st night of September when you go and vote on November 3rd. If you look at the ballot, page four has Charter Amendments. Question number eight deals with the Fire Department and protecting them. I urge you to look at those. I am Commissioner-elect for District 3 and will be taking over in about four or five meetings, after the general election. I have no say in what is going on currently. Sunshine Law governs me in the sense that I cannot speak to any of these Commissioners about any of the subjects. I have talked to the City Manager and some citizens to get a little bit of information. My understanding is there is no vote on anything just yet. I may be asked in the future to vote on something. I would like to put out some of my thoughts for the CC 09-21-2020/7 consumption of the Commission to consider. Yesterday was the first time I watched what Commissioner Paris said at the last Commission meeting. I will make similar points to his but have a little bit different emphasis. I think it is important to emphasize the fact that unlike other development projects that have happened in the City, the City is a party to this transaction because it is City land.Therefore, we need to take a look at what is happening and set goals like what the City wants from this deal. I have heard different things like development, generally, new facilities for Fire, Police, and City Hall, limits on the size of apartments, where will the commercial development that is promised actually appear, and if there is enough parking.There is no deal right now but if the City wants to control certain aspects of this, I would want to make sure that we understand what we put in the deal and what are the hard points in the contract, we are going to get. If you can quantify those things, check them off, and say this deal gives us what we need,then you can proceed. Depending on how the deal making is, done you can vote yes or no. As Ms. Bryant had mentioned earlier, there is a lot of information out there one way or the other. I am reacting to the executive summary that I saw. One of my biggest concerns as a fiduciary for the City, and current and future taxpayer, is seeing a deal that converts fee ownership of all the land outright from the City into leases of facilities for 20 years. I want to know what happens in 20 years.That is something I would look at very closely. I hope my contribution benefits that discussion. I am happy to listen to the citizens of Longwood, as I am involved with subsequent decisions Carl Zrelak, 179 West Magnolia Avenue, Longwood. He said he is here on behalf of himself and his street. If development happens with the 300 plus spots where the Police Department is at now, it will affect my neighbors and friends. I married my wife 19 years ago and moved into the house on Magnolia. She has been here for the greater part of 25 years.The greatest concern that we have as a community is we do not feel our representation is included when it comes to involvements such as this. Even though there are meetings and tidbits of information, I think overall, when it comes to something of this scale, we feel like we have been hoodwinked.The trouble is you have all the people that are passionate but we also want to know how many of the 15,000 residents of the Historic District care about this project.There may be only 4,500 because the other 10,000 live in the outlying area of Longwood. I think there was a lot of information not given out when this proposal came out in January. Everybody would like Longwood to look like Sanford and St. Augustine but they do not want to have something ugly, intrusive, and built up where it CC 09-21-2020/8 creates a negative mindset. When the proposal came out with a 55 and older community, I do not think we want the people who have been here for 60 years to live in our area. We want a younger community to come in that will support bars, restaurants, and shops. I do not have anything against older people, I am getting older myself. We do not want to have a community that is, in my opinion, not going to generate a tax- base or revenue. I work in the medical industry and visit hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities regularly. As much as you think these people are venturing out into the community and spending money, I do not see it, and I am there every day in their parking lots watching these people and their families.They are not coming to support the local coffee shops on the weekends when we do have time to use our neighborhoods. I think I would like to stop progression but not impede it. We need way more community information and involvement for the people who come into the Historic District and shop locally. If you are on the other side of Longwood, they do not shop locally. Everything now is cost and convenience. We need to look at not just what the developer is going to bring but also if we are going to lease out our government properties.This would affect Commissioners because if something that individuals do not like happens, these individuals will not want the Commissioners to make decisions for them if you do not involve them. J.P. Gilbert, 2086 Prairie Sage Lane, Longwood (Attended via Zoom). He said my family and I live here in Longwood and we particularly enjoy the Historic District. We go to Reiter Park at least once a week. I can tell you my wife and I always tell our folks back home how much we do enjoy the City of Longwood. What we enjoy about it is the quaintness and the small-town feel. Not once have we looked and said, "You know what the City of Longwood needs in this Historic District?A multi-story assisted living facility." We have said that Reiter Park can use a swing or two but we do not think an assisted living facility fits where City Hall is right now.The City of Longwood I think has a unique opportunity to reimagine what the Historic District looks like. What I have seen from the Taurus Investment Group falls flat and short from what I think the Historic District can be reimagined to look like. I urge each one of you to vote no on this plan. Jim Maloney, 255 West Magnolia Avenue, Longwood. He said the last time he was up here he was dealing with speedbumps on a road that had 28 kids living in it.That turned pretty ugly with people not wanting speedbumps. Fortunately, we got them and hopefully, we are going to get to keep them. If you are going to do development, you need to do reasonable development.You do CC 09-21-2020/9 need to change these plans a little bit.That area over there on West Magnolia is the last real residential area that is in this area of Longwood. If you do go with a three or four story building, it should be moved. He asked what the value of the land would be if you sell this City Property in 20 years which you are going to have to buy back so you can keep your Police and Fire Departments along with everything else. I have lived here for almost 30 years and I would like to stay but if you go ahead with this, I will be moving. Adam McCollister, 256 12th Avenue, Longwood. He said he is an associate and a landscape architect with Dix-Hite Partners on Jessup Avenue. They have been in practice here for over 20 years. I am also the current sitting president for the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) that is the third-largest in the Country. I only mention that to give you a little bit of background of my education, experience, and where I am coming from. I am not here on behalf of Dix-Hite or ASLA, I am here as a resident of 256 12th Avenue which is a nice little 10- minute walk up the street from here. What a lot of people may or may not realize is that when Sunrail came online the City and every municipality with a station were faced with the challenge of how to deal with this infrastructure and how to pay for this.There is a thing called a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and the City of Longwood began that study well in 2010 or earlier. Throughout several years they developed a code, an implementation strategy, of a heavily vetted, 104-page document called the Heritage Village TOD strategy. It is what our code is based on. Everything in this conceptual master plan but the retail outparcel with the drive-through fits the plan and the vision that was set forth long ago. We have 315,000 new residents in the state of Florida every year.There is a study done by the University of Florida (UF) GeoPlan and a couple of other groups called GeoPlan 2070, that models what the current trend of development looks like from 2010 to 2070 versus an alternate pattern of design.This is urban infill and renewal of keeping our green spaces, protecting our protected lands, and finding those little pockets of spaces to infill.That is exactly what we are trying to do here and that is what this study does. I was also part of the design team for Reiter Park and we have been talking about having a Food Hall or Brewery. I am all about having a Brewery on the corner of Reiter Park. My wife used to work in the buildings where the Police Station is looking to be and we have friends that work there.There is a vision,there is a roadmap, and the City Commission adopted it in 2012 so you should not have been hoodwinked. I think you maybe did not realize the current plans had been done but it is code and they are just following code. CC 09-21-2020/10 Interestingly enough, I do not even think the Taurus Group even knew of this document but their plans coincidentally fit it. However, it does need a public involvement and engagement step to get it to where it needs to be. I would say the bones are there and I would vote yes. Judi Coad, 1695 Grange Circle, Longwood. She said I want to give recognition to your new Financial Officer Ms. Rosado, and Mr. French who have helped us resolve our serious water problem in Barrington. It was Ms. Rosado's initiative of realizing the type of meter that had been installed. We got it down to a one M-inch meter. I got our first water bill sent to me and it was cut in half. She thanked them for the initiative they took. She congratulated the new Mayor. I think you have your first Mayors and Managers Report coming up. She said I have lived here for 34 years and I have gone from having horse stables as my neighbors to a four- lane road that I knew 34 years ago would come on Lake Emma. Do not be willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater because there is a lot to be said and a lot to be done.This has been a very long-term plan. We do need everyone's input. We need to remember it all comes down to a compromise for everybody's life because that is how life truly is. I appreciate you all turning out here. I know the Commission has a heavy load to lift and I hope it all stays congenial. Brian Roy, 211 West Warren Avenue, Longwood. He said he owns the Clauser House adjacent to the parking lot here, the house next to it, and three lots next to that. I have a vested interest in the success of the Historic District. He thanked the Commission for recognizing the fact that we want to do something in this area. You put out a proposal, people responded to that, and this is the response we are getting. We are now coming together with a lot of for, against, and a lot of maybes out there. I am definitely for the process of moving forward. If someone wants to spend over $100 million in investing in our community and this was the vision you had, we are following through on that. I just want to make sure we come together as a community and make sure the details of those things can come together. I think if everybody comes together with tangible reasons for what they want and we have reasonable expectations, we can then follow through on the vision that you gave us and the whole reason you put that Request for Proposal (RFP) out on the street.There were a lot of comments and questions about traffic, building height, and landscaping.Those are all technical issues that we can come together as a community and solve.Therefore, I urge you tonight to continue the process of moving forward with your vision and CC 09-21-2020/11 allowing us to come together as a community to make this happen. JoAnne Rebello, 301 Loch Lomond Avenue, Longwood. She said she echoes many of the comments that people have made.There are a lot of questions in moving forward with this. I want to know the financial aspect of how selling off the City's properties will protect our bond rating and our future as far as being able to borrow. We already own it. Why would we want to pay someone to lease it? I am concerned about the strain on our public safety, both Police and Fire. Especially if you are going to put a transitional senior living facility right where we are standing. We are going to lose the Historic District because we are going to plaster it with cement buildings.That is not what I envisioned 31 years ago. I envisioned a small town with a centrally located Police and Fire Department. I envisioned events where we embraced our historic nature, not destroy it. I do not see what is proposed as embracing it. Do we need to do something in this area? Absolutely. I do not like what is proposed. I think what this Commission needs to do is to have a Townhall style meeting where we do not have just three minutes to say everything, ask our questions, and exchange our ideas. I would implore you to have a Townhall meeting so that the citizens can be a part of this. This is a big deal. We cannot just rush along. We need to do it and we need to do it right. I was around before the Community Building was built. We built that with funds from the sale of the Beverly Nursing Home.The Nursing Home had leased it from us. We sold it and the Commission back then decided it was going to benefit the community. Now we are talking about selling it to somebody. I know we have gotten away from the fact that the Community Building is not what it was meant for. I was very discouraged with what Commissioner Paris had said about 50 or 100 people coming in not being as important as the 15,000 residents.Those concerned citizens took the time to come here. That upset me but you are moving on anyway. Michael Krause, 1521 Jill Jenee Lane, Longwood. He said he is happy to see the Taurus Investment (TI) Group investing in our neighborhood. I love Longwood and the Downtown Historic area. It is one of the reasons my wife and I initially chose to move here. I think for our City to keep moving forward, it is important for us to revitalize the neighborhoods and give the families of Longwood a place to live, work, and eat instead of having to go to other cities like College Park, Winter Park, and other areas where I spend my time and dollars on. I have heard the comments of renters negatively impacting the neighborhood. I would like to offer a different perspective. By offering apartments, we are CC 09-21-2020/12 opening up the door to a greater number of people to enjoy our City. A higher percentage of the Americans across Orlando and the United States are choosing to rent instead of own. I do not think we should be closing the door.These are not criminals. We should be opening up the community and allowing a higher percentage of the population to enjoy what we enjoy.The added density is going to drive more commerce to the area. Otherwise, those dollars and those people are going to go to different cities. I love hearing the other businesses in the area get excited about and supporting this.The redevelopment of our area is only going to help all our businesses thrive. I talked to TI Group personally and I know they are willing to work with the people of Longwood and with the Commission to come up with a plan that everybody can agree on. Shooting it down before having those conversations and getting that back and forth is not going to do anything for the City. I urge you to vote in support of this, and I know the TI Group will work with you and come up with something we can all enjoy. Shirley Arias, 236 East Church Avenue, Longwood (Attended via Zoom). She said we recently moved to this area because we thought it was not only beautiful but also surrounded by big cities that had a lot to offer. We do look forward to seeing the City improve, develop, and compare to the cities we are surrounded by, but we also understand the concerns of the current residents as far as traffic and also losing what the Historic Downtown Longwood has to offer. I have seen other cities here in Orlando develop throughout the years and I think it is a positive step forward if you find a middle ground and try to preserve what we already have. I can assure residents who are against it now that there will be more positive things that can be offered by revitalizing the City. It will bring younger communities that will invest in our City. We can have more revenue to use for future development. I look forward to maybe adding the sewer lines to the greater area of Historic Longwood.This is something I completely support. I think if we can assure preservation of the good things the City already has to offer and add to that, we will have more positive things to look forward to. I completely support this and I think many residents do as well. Mauricio Chacon, 144 West Bay Avenue, Longwood (Attended via Zoom). He said his wife and he wound up moving to the Historic District of Longwood area because of everything that all of these residents have been talking about.The amount of traffic that comes through here is a lot and to introduce a big multi-function facility with a bunch of individuals is just going to amplify that. Having a facility that is going to cater to the elderly does not seem to be the idea of bringing that revenue everyone has talked about. CC 09-21-2020/13 It does not seem like something that would benefit us at all. I am in favor of moving forward with some sort of progress. I just do not think that the current plan presented is the way to go. Vladimir(Lenny) Simara, 403 Parson Brown Way, Longwood. He said he is speaking for himself, his wife, and a few other neighbors in his community. I am pro-business. We have a business on Highland Drive. It is a manufacturing facility.The biggest concern we have is traffic. Many people cut through the neighborhood to bypass the train, which was supposed to increase business but I have not seen that happen.The hours of the train also do not make that happen. I do not understand how we can come up with that heavy of a build of apartments when there are already 500 units behind the Wendy's and Dunkin Donuts, as well as, behind Connolly's Pub that are not even open yet, and we do not know how the traffic will be. I am not shutting this down. I am undecided. I would love it if the development was done properly and matched the Historic architecture. I do not want to become Winter Park Village. As much as I like going there, I do not want to live there. I thought having the Townhall meetings was a fantastic idea for us to all work together and make sure we improve the conversation with the locals and the residents. Ms. Bryant and I are best buds and we support the business community, but I think II this is all too big, too fast. I would love for us to grow and have my home grow in property value. I have nothing against renters who cannot afford houses but we have a tiny Downtown area. When you talk about bringing in that many people, I cannot understand how you are going to handle parking for different events. If we can figure this out and downsize the plans, it would be perfect for everybody. Everyone should work together. 8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT District#5. No report. District#1. Commissioner Shoemaker recommended moving Item 12C up on the agenda. Commissioner Shoemaker moved to have Item 12C discussed by the Commission after the Consent Agenda Items. Seconded by Commissioner Morgan and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Commissioner Shoemaker said she attended our Police Department and Chief of Police Citizen's Review Board on September 15. It was very professional and informative. I am very pleased we are doing that for our citizens. On September 16, I met with Ms. Rosado for a couple of hours. We covered a lot of territories. We are not going to be reviewing the CC 09-21-2020/14 financial aspect of this project tonight. However, that is on the top of my list. Ms. Rosado, Mr. Gioielli, and I have had many conversations. I have also had conversations with the developer. On September 19, I wish I would have gone to the Concert in Reiter Park but it was rained out. On Sunday, I attended the Longwood Historic Society's luncheon and meeting. She thanked them for all the work they do for our society.They are doing far better than expected with their signups for Monster Dash on Halloween. She recommended checking out their website and signing up to run. She said she is not running but will be there. District#2. Mayor Drummond says he appreciates everyone that has come tonight. We want the public to be involved with everything that we do. We are going to make things more transparent so that the information is out there. Mr. Gioielli is working diligently to make sure the information is available so that people can go online and see what is going on.This way we will not have speculation and rumors.This is not a done deal. All we are doing is looking at this right now. We want to explore the options that would fit the City and the residents. It is going to be a process. He thanked the people that reached out to him about the budget. He said some people looked at our advertisement in the paper and the way we had to word it through the State of Florida as a Notice of Proposed Tax Increase. He clarified the millage rate remained the same for several years now and we did not raise taxes. He said I like to see people involved with the City.The Commissioners and I are available for discussion. Some things we will pass on to the City Manager. He has all the answers. I appreciate all the hard work he does. I was not at the Mayor's and Managers Meeting last week as I was out of town with my family so Mr. Gioielli is going to give us an update during his report. District#3. Commissioner Paris thanked the Police Department for addressing his concerns about Credo Street and Orange Street. He said it seems like traffic is flowing better there now.The day after I mentioned that, there were two Police Officers on that corner monitoring the situation very carefully. He thanked the Police Officers and their diligence in these situations. He said there is a bit of house cleaning and I am on my way out the door. I would be remiss if I did not try to make sure the Longwood house was clean before I left. One of my concerns has been compensation for the Temporary City Manager. Mr. Gioielli stepped up and took control over the City of Longwood temporarily until we could get to the interviews for a replacement City Manager but then COVID hit. Six months have gone by and we have all come to enjoy and appreciate Mr. Gioielli and would like to see him here a bit longer. I believe people should be paid for what they do and they should be paid properly. If I understand things correctly, he did not receive any kind of raise coming into the position. Under our current Charter and Ordinances, if you are put on a job outside of your regulation you get 5%above the minimum starting for that regulation. If not tonight, I would like to have this on the CC 09-21-2020/15 agenda and rectify it.The Acting City Manager will be here for a little while, which is in the best interest of the City. If we want to make this work, we have to make sure he is being compensated correctly. I would be in favor of making sure that at the very minimum he gets his 5%above the starting rate for City Manager. I would personally like to see a little bit more. If we want to make this a discussion for the next meeting, I would be okay with that. Commissioner Paris moved for a 5% increase above the minimum starting rate of the City Manager in Longwood for Mr. Gioielli effective immediately. Seconded by Mayor Drummond. Mr. Langley asked when that would be effective. Commissioner Paris would like to see it retroactive but he would be at the pleasure of the Commission. Discussion ensued. The motion carried by a unanimous roll call vote. Commissioner Paris said there have been some statements and questions and I would like to address a few of them.To Mr. Zrelak, you made a couple of great points noted you liked the City, and enjoy what it is. You asked about the other people out there that are not in the Historic District and if we need to worry about them. My argument is that we do. The City of Longwood is a whole. As much as we would like to leave the Historic District alone and leave it as a time capsule, that is not possible. This is our taxing district.This is the part of the City that makes the City where you come. If we are not attracting businesses, shoppers,voters, and people to come to this area, it is dangerous. We cannot just discontinue and discount the opinions of the people outside the City of Longwood if they are not in the Historic District. It is important. We are a City all the way around. I have been here for 13 years and I have seen the City go through good times and bad. I remember when the City could not give raises out for 10 years. I want the people in this room to listen to that. People worked for the City of Longwood and went 10 years without a raise.There were a time when we were down 10 Police Officers, 10 Firefighters, and multiple Public Works employees. No one wanted to work for Longwood because we had the lowest-paid employees in the entire county. When you want to have good employees, it costs money. That is not a fun and easy thing to say but everybody pays for that, not only the Downtown citizens.There has been a big discussion about development and us not wanting to develop our rural areas and the horse parks down the street on Lake Emma.That is fine but we need to develop somewhere, because when you do not develop you become CC 09-21-2020/16 stagnant.The City of Longwood has 14,000 plus citizens. We only have 150 plus employees.That is the lowest employee-to-citizen ratio in the entire county. We do that by having the very best employees and that costs money.This is not just a Downtown Longwood issue; this is an entire City of Longwood issue.This is not the greatest deal and I do not love every part of this deal, no one does, but I have not seen a single development come to the City that everybody likes. I see a room here of people that are upset about this development but I do not see a lot of familiar faces from the last development that people did not like. Everybody cares about the development near them but they do not care about the development that is not near them. When you talk about us having more transparency, we have had multiple budget hearings in the City and I do not see a single face here come to those budget meetings. We have changed multiple zoning Ordinances and I do not remember a single person in planning or zoning meetings coming to see this. Maybe this is not easy but this is a real deal. We are talking about our livelihoods, businesses, and people. It is a very difficult thing.This is not easy, we do not enjoy sitting up here, making these decisions, making our neighbors angry, and having people show up at my house at 11:00 p.m. We are not paid very much. Every one of these Commissioners gets paid $900 a month to do this job. I put 20 plus hours into this. We talked about 150 petitions being signed and turning them in because they showed up here.To Ms. Rebello, they are not here and I have not seen those petitions yet. I said I did not care for the 50 petitions that were for it because I am not worried about the 50 people for it or the 150 against it. I am worried about the entire City of Longwood and the taxpayers here in the City. I also heard people talk about Winter Park and not wanting to become them. That is where they shop. It is funny because you go there to eat and drink but you do not want to look like them.That is what makes a successful City. It is the development moving forward. We are considering that.To Mr. Gilbert,you said reimagine. I am all for reimagining and renegotiating this deal but it means we need to get a positive vote tonight so that staff may reimagine this deal.There is nothing past this deal. We put an RFP out and no people were lining up the block to invest $100 million in Downtown Longwood. We had one business that came to Longwood and said they see potential here and want to invest. A few years ago, we put together an Ad-Hoc Committee and no one showed up to those meetings either. We tried to talk about redeveloping Downtown Longwood and the cost.They said no business would take on this cost because there was not enough value in it.They were correct, but one business did. One business says there is potential here to make money.This is not a cut and dry or easy deal but those are the deals we need to consider now. We are talking about post COVID with a 20% unemployment rate in the City of Longwood and around the state of Florida. We are talking about businesses closing and 20%of Seminole County businesses closed this year alone. We have an opportunity to redevelop our Downtown area in the midst of what is CC 09-21-2020/17 going to be a recession. I want you to take that very seriously. I hope my fellow Commissioners and those here listening know this is not an easy choice, it is not making me happy, and I am not making a bunch of money. We are volunteer Commissioners that make a stipend to make these decisions and we have to listen to staff, to the subject matter experts, and everybody else. No vote will make everybody happy. If my Commissioners think that is what is going to occur, it is not. If you think making a vote to win your election is going to be the best choice, it is not. The City of Longwood is facing some very tough decisions. In the next few years, we are going to worry about making cuts. I do not want to see any cuts because we cannot afford to do it. District#4. Commissioner Morgan said this whole deal is based on taxable value.This is a big risk for our City. He mentioned a recession, how they typically occur every seven years, how we were lucky to not have had one, and how having one will drop our overall value and slow down or halt development. He said he was up until 4:39 a.m. returning 127 emails. I am supposed to be the conduit, megaphone, and the voice for the voiceless.Those are not cute taglines and catchphrases.That is the real deal. We are supposed to get up here and vote in favor of how the residents want to see their City. I have major concerns with this project.The infrastructure of Church Street and Florida Avenue was designed to connect major thoroughfares, not become major thoroughfares. I think everybody who is against this project wants redevelopment but there are smart and sensible ways to do this. There has to be a happy medium here and I do not think they include apartments, an assisted living facility, and selling our Community Building for$500,000 that our taxpayers voted and paid for to have. What we need to do is be smart and hire a third-party organization to run that Community Center so we have the opportunity to turn a profit. I am also terrified about the stormwater. We are at the bottom of a bowl in our Historic District. I am concerned about building on that Police Department property. We are going to have a flooding issue again. I talked to three independent engineers that have nothing to do with this deal as well as residents who have been in the City for 30 to 40 years and they have seen the trends, development coming, and going. If we do not listen to those residents, we are doomed to repeat history. I think everyone here agrees that we have to make the Historic District self- sustainable. We need to address this in a much smaller matter. It feels too big. Overall, I do not feel like this is a fair deal for the City. I hate the fact that we are leasing these municipal buildings for 20 years. We have the opportunity to buy them but we would not have the money to do that. Look at how hard we worked to get the Fire Department to stop flooding between having to de-muck the retention pond and putting in the two storm drains in the driveway and an underground sub-pump to force the water through the pipe and onto Reiter Park's retention pond. I am concerned with the massive amount of development in a small, tight CC 09-21-2020/18 area.That is going to cause flooding again.There will be a point in this process where we agree. He said if we agree with the developer to have a four-story building, how do we know they are not going to come back and say they need to have a 10-story building. You have to play devil's advocate and plan for the worse and hope for the best.This whole deal is relying on the Taurus Group to build as much as possible. I argue building as much as possible in such a tight space is not what our residents want in our Historic District. We have yet to have an actual say about putting apartments in the City of Longwood. We did not get to vote for the Alta Apartments.This is an opportunity for us to not bring more apartments to an area where it just does not fit. We get an opportunity to say no to something like this. I think it is a huge responsibility to our residents. They want smart, sensible development that fits this City's ID. 9. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA. None. 10. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve Minutes of the September 10, 2020, Regular Meeting. B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for September 2020. C. Approve the Monthly Financial Report for August 2020. D. Approve an Interlocal Agreement between Seminole County and the City of Longwood that would allow staff to seek reimbursement for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) related expenses through Seminole County and authorizes the Acting City Manager and Mayor to sign the agreement. Commissioner Paris moved to approve Items 10A through 10D as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Morgan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. 12C. City Commission discussion regarding the conceptual proposal from Taurus Investment Group (TI Group)for the redevelopment of downtown Longwood. Mr. Kintner said we are here tonight to talk about the overall project concept. We have reached a critical point in the decision- making process. We have been working with the developer for some time to refine their concept.Their RFP went out in October of last year,the proposal advanced further negotiations at the February 17 City Commission meeting, and from that point,the project has undergone many changes to get to the point that it is at today.The RFP that was put out in October stated as its goal to create a unique retail, restaurant, and entertainment destination in the City's Heritage Village. At that time, the Commission CC 09-21-2020/19 expressed the goal of keeping the project at worst, cost-neutral to the City.The developer's proposal was based around the concept of that.The thought process was turning the Police station site, the Community Building site, and the City Hall site among a few others into tax revenue-generating properties would offset the cost of leasing a renovated City Hall, Police Department, and Fire Station.The project in general terms brings residents, retail opportunities, and restaurants into the Historic District and Reiter Park area.This combined with a more active Community Building will bring a lot of people Downtown. For a lot of folks, that is the goal. Staff requested the developer to discuss broad, conceptual elements of the proposal tonight rather than listing specific dollar amounts, lease rates, and sale prices. The reason we did that was we wanted to focus on the concept.There has been a lot of issues with information getting out there and we wanted to make sure we are all talking about the same thing. When I have talked to residents and business owners about the project, I asked if they would want this for free. Are we in the right place and where we want to be with the concept? It is impossible to completely separate the financial aspect of the plan from the discussion. Changing any one element of the project has an impact on the revenue generation and aspect of the project.Are we looking to bring people into the Historic District to celebrate it or are we looking to keep it exactly the way it is? If we want to see any businesses, restaurants, and retailers Downtown they need to have traffic. Any developer is going to rely on lease rates and customers to support businesses. If any part of that equation falls apart, it is not going to work for this or any other developer. Everything you see as part of the project is there for a reason. The deal structure itself is not without risk. Relying on future tax revenue means being very reliant on making sure everything gets built to plan and the market factors that are beyond our control. We are no strangers to economic downturns. This is true if we borrow the money to relocate the facilities ourselves. It is a very real concern with the scope of this project. Ultimately, we want to look at whether this project meets the parameters, protects and augments the Historic District, and brings people Downtown. It has to be done in a way that we want it to. We do not want to lose that character we want to add to it. We have to decide whether this project is that. We have heard a lot of concerns about the project tonight. Both the developer and staff would benefit from guidance on some of the larger concerns such as leasing City facilities, deal structure, relying on tax structure and all future risks, the Senior Living Center, and the apartments that would be new to the district. All of those things would require future changes from staff and agreements from the Commission. What we are asking for tonight is direction on if there are CC 09-21-2020/20 elements of this that will not work for the City Commission. If so, that affects the ability to move forward with the project because each one of these elements is interrelated to the other. When we put out the RFP we received two responses, one was Taurus Group who have come in with the commitment to go big and meet with our residents to refine the product.That does not necessarily mean that every element of the project is going to work.There are going to be certain elements of the project that if they do not work staff, the developer will probably not move forward with it. We want to be realistic about what the market will support and how all of those things are affected by COVID-19. It is a rare time that the City has full control. We should not accept something we are not comfortable with. We do not owe anything to anybody in this case. Even if the Commission votes to advance certain elements of the concept plan tonight, nothing is final until there are multiple agreements, discussions of density and height, public meetings, and public input in place. In the grand scheme of things,we are relatively early in the process because there are a lot of things that need to be figured out. Ultimately,this is a relationship.Taurus Group has worked with the Commissioners and staff.There has been enough time to establish that relationship and see if the City wants to commit to it. It will be the biggest decision of a public-private partnerships perspective that the City has ever made. Mr. Craig Govan,TI Group, said we have spent a significant amount of time working through the plan and working with the Commissioners individually. We got some feedback and have created new opportunities for the community. Over the last two weeks, we had an idea to meet the citizens and business owners directly. He showed an updated map of individuals and businesses closest to the core of the Historic District, represented by dots, who listened to our presentation, had input into it, made modifications. Each one of those dots is backed up by a signed petition with the person's name, address, phone number, and signature. We wanted to let you know that it is truly the citizens that are the most impacted. We even ventured out North of Magnolia and I had the chance to speak to five of the six owners along the fence line that backed up to the proposed mixed-use building. I had a surprising result from a person who took me out back to see what it would be like to live there and what it would be like to look down at their house.The suggestion was to enhance the landscape dramatically and perhaps put up uniform fencing because there is not a single tree. I mention this because it was important to know what those people that are affected are saying.The person on the far right is the Vice-President of AAA's finance department. He said he owns the house but his brother CC 09-21-2020/21 rents it. He authorized me to say that he was very much in favor of it.The third house down is a wealthy man who also rents his house. He felt as if his property values would go up because of all the new amenities.The second person owns the local trophy shop. I received a no vote by email from somebody at his residence. I spoke to him at his business and he was very much in favor of it.There was another person who has worked for the City of Sanford for 31 years in the Parks & Recreation Department and she was very open on making sure the project was developed most comprehensively and respectfully to the community. We also spent time across the street with Ms. Bryant and all of her neighbors and got votes from every business there. Ms. Kim McCann, ELEVEN18 Architecture, said she is going to explain what the concept is and where they are on the project. When we start concept development, it is the concept that creates the vision and is constantly being modified. It is probably one of the reasons that there is some confusing information out because the concept starts at point A and will modify and change as you get feedback from staff, council, and residents. What you are seeing is this ongoing modification. She showed a presentation on the modified proposal. She said the executive summary of the City of Longwood set forth by the intent of issuing and awarding the RFP last year to sell or lease properties as part of the public-private partnership.The primary goal is to establish Longwood's Heritage Village as the Central Florida destination through retail restaurants, and entertainment while preserving and augmenting the character of the Historic District. She said we are going to show you how we feel we are responding to that.The first modification are two-story townhouses along Florida Avenue. This was five to six-story apartments and flats. It would consist of streetlights and three levels of apartments over that. That would wrap a four-story parking structure. While it is a four-story parking structure, the floor heights on a parking structure are much lower than the floor heights on retail and living. It will be wrapped and completely concealed so you will not see a parking structure. It would consist of a brewery and food hall, senior living complex, commercial retail building, a Longwood Community Building, a City Hall, Police relocation, and a new Fire Station. We are incorporating these program elements to create a sense of place for Longwood Historic Village and bringing new residents and visitors in the area to create a synergy that would allow the building in proximity to Reiter Park.The visitors will have easy access to events and local entertainment.The fabric of Longwood Heritage Village will be enhanced through the new building structures.The buildings will incorporate design elements that are repeating and existing already within the Historic Longwood area. CC 09-21-2020/22 These are memorialized in the City's design criteria. You already have an existing document that we have reviewed and incorporated elements of the design criteria in Historic Longwood. The City Center will evaluate as a whole the storm system, utility, and traffic-engineering phase of the project and it will provide this overall solution. Mr. Dave Schmitt, Dave Schmitt Engineering, Inc. said we have been involved in several projects, not exactly like this, but on the stormwater front, I understand there are a lot of stormwater issues in the area. We are working as part of the team and with the City to come up with a master stormwater system that can solve that problem. We have come in and done development and have improved the drainage situation for the area. Whether it is the stormwater system or a combination of stormwater systems and exaltation systems,we want what will work with the City and the proposed development with the least impact but solving the problems of the entire area.The same goes for a master utility plan. I heard a lot of concerns about water lines,fire protection, and sewer lines. We have done a ton of master utility plans for different development to improve their situation and the surrounding areas. I heard there is flooding at a lift station. We probably want to revamp that lift station to not be in a flood zone or an area where the sanitary system is shut down. We can look at traffic as well.There are many things we can look at from the travel and transportation perspective like handling additional proposed possible volumes and traffic calming devices to maintain that rural feel.A lot of perspectives go into making the most effective design for the City, developer, and surrounding areas. Ms. McCann said what we are are looking at is this holistic approach where you are following the dominoes and chasing what needs to be fixed. It would be something you would look at, the overall entire plan, and create an actual solution that would be a base for the City for years to come.The first element is the new state of the art Fire Station. It would between 8,000 to 12,000 square feet.The design would incorporate the needs of the City of Longwood's Fire Department.The property could be owned by the TI Group and leased or purchased by the City of Longwood.Those elements are decided as we move down the road.The next element is the Longwood Community Center. It would be managed by a successful venue management company. This establishment would bring 12 employees and additional sales tax revenue.The venue would bring over 200 visitors on average to Longwood's Heritage Village weekly.The venue will average four events a week. Imagine what the sales tax being generated CC 09-21-2020/23 out of the Community Center could be. As this is programmed, the Community Center would be a leading destination of weddings and corporate events within Central Florida. When you are looking for that corporate event or wedding you are thinking of Historic Longwood.The City Hall and Police Department building listed, as 451 Warren Avenue is an existing building listed at 23,139 square feet. It would be renovated in its exterior and interior to create the perfect home City Hall and the Police Station. The site is located adjacent to Reiter Park and would allow the continuity of park features in the City Hall making this a prominent element within the City.The site also allows for future growth, not just within the building limits but additionally on the site. She noted this was the first time she had ever had an aversion for an Independent/Senior Living Facility. She said the Senior Living building is approximately 74,500 square feet to be programmed as independent living, which is age-restricted apartments, assisted living, and memory care.The independent living will host 22 apartments of a mix of studios, one-bedroom, and two bedrooms.This will bring between 22 to 42 residents depending on the renters within that facility into this Historic area. Remember these residents do not spend their money and time on renovating and repairing their houses and chores. That is taken care of for them. Historical data shows a large increase in local businesses as residents seek outside sources for their time and money. Mr.Trey Vic, own and operates Strive at Fern Park on Highway 17- 92. It is a 130-bed facility. We have nine other communities throughout Central Florida from as small as six-bed memory care to as big as the Strive at Fern Park.There are a lot of studies around integrating seniors in a development. It is very good for seniors and it is very good for the community. For example, we love to see daycares integrate into senior housing for intergenerational care. Having very young people with the elderly is positive. That is the same in a mixed-use environment. Having mixed age groups between 20 to 30 integrate with our elders is very positive for not only our seniors but also our young folks. Another element that is missed is the families. You have 100 beds in this facility that we are designing. Some are independent and they come and go as they please. Some even drive their vehicles at times; others do not as we provide transportation. Others are memory care, which we think of Alzheimer's and Dementia. It is a debilitating disease but you can have a 50 plus year old that is extremely mobile and physically fit but mentally, needs to have supervision.Those people still engage in the community.They just need care. Assisted living is sort of the in-between. He noted people tend to not understand the difference between a Senior CC 09-21-2020/24 Living Facility and a Nursing Home. He said this is not a nursing home. It is not a place where people will go and be bedridden. This is a place where our tagline at Strive Senior Living is "A Vibrant Senior Community". He said Blue Zones are the study of places around the world where people live to be over 100 years old, at an exorbitant rate. We integrate those concepts about movement, health,food, and wellness. Movement includes walking in the communities, engaging in your local shops, food, and restaurants. We have a chef-driven cuisine in our facility, but you can only eat so many Strive burgers and chef-driven meals. They do go and engage in your community. As a Senior Operator, I would think if your mom or dad needed care,they grew up in Longwood, and you still lived here, you may want them to live down the street from you so that you can visit them and make it convenient. Maybe when you are done visiting them you can go grab a cup of coffee or a meal.That is what we do in senior housing. It is not a scary place where seniors go and we tuck them in a back corner somewhere. It is okay to have them in the center of development because we want them engaged. It is important to understand why we do what we do. It is passion and care for II our community. Many of these seniors probably helped shape this town. I would think you would want them in the community with you. A male from the audience asked questions but was inaudible and Mr.Vic responded and said the facility will take the seniors out into the community. It is a fundamental component. Mayor Drummond also responded and said they are talking about several different layers of senior care, which would be independent living, and memory care. My mom was in both of those. She was very active, had a vehicle, and did a lot of things but there is a lot of different social strata there. Mr.Vic said visitors are a component that you cannot overlook when you have 100 people living in the community that also have families coming and going. Ms. McCann said the next element is the Firehouse and Brewery/Food Hall,which is the existing Fire Station. It will be renovated to support the new operation. Several operators and local businesses have expressed deep interest in this site. A newly renovated building would be approximately 10,000 square feet and house over 33 employees.The brewery and food hall will become a popular entertainment venue right in the heart of the Historic Village.The venue will not only bring in property tax but also sales tax.The multi-family site is housed on the existing CC 09-21-2020/25 Police Department site. It would host approximately 250 units including two-story townhouses and flats, in addition to approximately 400 parking spaces.The parking lot would be wrapped from views of the units.The first level of the flats would contain 25,000 square feet of restaurant, retail, and office space, which would be open to the Memorial Park adjacent to Reiter Park.The commercial space will likely incorporate restaurants with outdoor dining in the plaza in addition to convenience retail and office space.The site will provide approximately 100 additional jobs and over 250 residents.The height of the building has been recently adjusted from a six-story building to a four- story building, and two-story townhouses, in response to the community and staff comments. We will continue to work with all interested parties on this to ensure that the design will work cohesively with the fabric of Historic Longwood.The last piece of the plan is the outparcel on Ronald Reagan Boulevard which could be the home of a local, craft coffee brewer.This face would bring new visitors to the area.This promotes a community-based environment. This new business would employ approximately 20 employees and bring new sales tax to the City.That concludes the updates and outparcels since we had spoken last. Mayor Drummond said the breakdown of the multi-family townhouses still says three-stories along Florida Avenue. He asked if that has been changed to two-stories. Ms. McCann said yes. Mr. Govan continues to meet with the residents and neighbors so we are kind of moving and changing things as we go. It does not change the number of units it just changes the size of the building. Deputy Mayor Sackett said he has lived here for almost 31 years and I have four houses in the City. One of them borders Reiter Park, the other borders another park, the third I rented for my father-in-law for about 25 years in the Village, and I live over by the Woodlands area. I have been on the Commission for 17 years and I do appreciate that this is a challenge for us and it has never been done this way before. In the past 17 years,we have been doing things to improve the City like our smart streets and bike paths. We have connectivity for kids. First off, I love the idea of the brewery but right outside of it is a playground and I am not sure how smart that is. While I would love to go there to have my beer and burger, I would be wary. It is right where we built the king of the hill feature and playground. We cannot have swing sets in the City anymore for insurance reasons. I like the idea if it could work with children and be monitored correctly. Moving the Fire Station down I have no problem with. Moving it down to 14 CC 09-21-2020/26 where it would be surrounded by Seminole County properties instead of ours, I am not sure if that is smart either. It is a beautiful sized property for what the vision is. He said we are mandated to have two fire stations in the City because of the railroad track that splits us in half. I do not want to move them further away for response time.That is a concern but I think it is doable. It is a conversation that can be worked out. When I started with the Commission, we had Commissioners who had problems with making contracts for future Commissions. We would have to be careful with something that is 20 years out because we have a fiduciary responsibility that will have to be handed over to the next group. I am glad you moved the three- story buildings to two-stories. My daughter lives in one of the houses behind Reiter Park. She says those new Alta Apartments are pretty but there is going to be a lot of noise and traffic. For Warren Avenue, we understand once it is all done it will be repaved. I would expect that you meet with the neighbors around the two-story buildings so that they get what they want.When they did Alta Apartments,they were first going to build it 25 feet away from the neighboring subdivision.Through negotiation,they moved it over 150 feet away to work with the neighbors to make it work. I would not want anyone watching me cook dinner through my kitchen window. He said he dislikes the Senior Facility.That is not what this is for.We can put that over at the old Pic N' Save to generate people coming this way. When I look at this area and walk around our car shows and events that is the way I love it. I know I can walk from Nan & Pops Ice Cream down the street and get to the car show or the Park. This is a great place to eat, work, and play and I would like to keep it that way. The parking lot at Ronald Reagan Boulevard was a vision I was part of years ago. I think that holds a quaintness.We do not need another coffee shop. I think we could leave that parking lot alone for our food trucks and other things. We own that Community Building. I have performed many weddings there.That is ours and I do not want to give it up. I remember the original deals to make that work.The only thing I can admire is that you are working with us for the Police Department, the two-story buildings, moving the Fire Department to make sure we still have coverage, and moving us down the street. I always thought these buildings were ugly. I do not want to commit a Commission to an Assisted Living 20 years down the road. Commissioner Paris said he is very surprised to hear we do not want to have seniors in Downtown Longwood. Every one of the Commissioners has walked and talked to the seniors in our Assisted Living facilities here.These are our Seniors.They vote and pay taxes. We sing carols to them every year. I have an CC 09-21-2020/27 Assisted Living on my block. I am happy with them being there. They are very nice and I visit them regularly.AARP has worked with the City of Longwood to make us a walkable community. We have worked to make it a Senior-friendly community. We have changed the way we build our roads. Heritage Village is a 55 and up community and they are not only full but also have a waiting list the same length as their current occupancy. People want to live in the City of Longwood especially those 55 and up because we have the best Fire and Rescue in the area. We are one of the few cities left in Seminole County with a private Fire/Rescue, which means these Firefighters, and Paramedics know the people in this area. I cannot think of a better place I would like my grandparents and parents living where our Fire Department can take care of them than in Downtown Longwood. Do we want to turn away the TI Group from even negotiating?There has been a term here used for a long time that has been replaced with Strongwood, which I may not fully agree with, and that word is Wrongwood. I can go no further than Publix. We have had opportunities here for good development that may be a bit controversial and we turn it down and walk away from it. Publix would have been where the Pic N' Save is but the previous Commission did not act when the opportunity arrived.The opportunity is here to decide to negotiate.This is not an end result or a vote. This is a vote to negotiate to move forward with development. When we talk about this Community Building making a profit, the fact is that is never going to happen. When people ask to use the Community Building for free or a reduced rate, which does not make any money.The building needs maintenance, $40,000 plus in air conditioning, and a new roof. It costs money to run that and we are not making money.This is an expensive architectural building that requires maintenance and it is not being done. We are not making a profit on it because we continuously give it away for free or less than nothing. We have an opportunity to make this an income-producing property and add it to our tax rolls. What is wrong with the City not owning something?That means that these pieces of property owned by other companies are going to be paying taxes to the City of Longwood.The number one violator of the Historic District is the City of Longwood because we cannot afford to move out of our way.This is an opportunity to do that. I say let us negotiate and move forward. If you want smart development let us talk about it. This is a multi-billion dollar company. When you table something, it does not come back. When you stifle development that is what occurs.These developers talk to each other. We have made headway.This has been the best three years the City of Longwood has had. In 2017, we had the highest amount of people move to the City of Longwood, and the highest property value increase. CC 09-21-2020/28 The next year, we were second in the county.This year we are third place in the county.That is because of smart development and bold moves made by this Commission. I implore our fellow Commissioners to choose to move forward with negotiations to look at real development. Every person living in a house here lives in a house made by a developer. It is not an easy negotiation process but it has to start.There is no one else lined up to work with this. We are looking at another 20 years of nothing. I am talking about the City of Longwood's future as a resident of the City. He said email the City with your concerns. We must move forward as a City. Commissioner Morgan said he thinks we can do every bit of this but we have already done development on Ronald Reagan Boulevard with peripheral parking spaces to help mom and pop, business owners, and Weston Park and that did not help bring business goers.That is not to say that this will not.This is a difficult decision because we do need to press the City forward to make it self-sustainable. I do not want these apartments. I am worried about the side streets being able to house all of the traffic. He said Mr. Govan has done a great job of reaching out to our residents and small business owners and have put a lot of time and energy into this. It is hard to get a developer emotionally invested into a City. We are grateful for that but we need to rethink parts of this. I do not like that things need to be connected for this to work. Commissioner Shoemaker said she does not want to sell the Community Building. We have a time capsule there. I think it should be the City of Longwood's time capsule. Will the developer assure us they will not touch the time capsule? Ms. McCann said she is sure the TI Group has no interest in the time capsule.You can write that in the developer agreement to be sure. Commissioner Shoemaker said she is not at all interested or in favor of having a Senior Center downtown. We have so many of them in town already. I rather you find another use for this property with as much value as possible. I understand how all of this works. I would prefer you did something different with the apartments and I prefer more mom and pop shops. I do not know if our mom and pop shops would be able to pay your square footage rate for rent. I suggest we start slow.That is probably not the way you want to go and I would need the support of my fellow Commissioners. I suggest doing the Fire Station and the CC 09-21-2020/29 Brewery and Food Hall first.This allows us to see your work, enhance our Historic District, and take care of our Fire Station. Commissioner Paris said it would be great to have the Brewery and Fire Station but those are the things that cost money and do not get anything in return.This is difficult because we are going to give up land to developers in exchange for them to build stuff for us.There is no way they are just going to give us the good things without the rest of it. If you want to talk about the ability to increase your tax base there is nothing better than Senior living. These are people that hardly drive and are mostly going to be walking in the Downtown area where we want foot traffic. We cannot expect the developer to give us millions in exchange for nothing and that maybe one day we are going to do the other half of the deal.To make this deal work we have to make it financially viable for all of us.They already came down in height for the apartments. They are making concessions.This is the time in negotiations where we make a concession. Commissioner Shoemaker said they are not giving us that. We are paying a premium for rent for that Fire Station.They are making money on the revenue they are going to generate from the Food Hall. I am not saying they are going to make a ton of money on this, but they are not giving us anything. Commissioner Paris said we are talking about a few month's rent versus millions of dollars. I think it is a disparaging proposal that as a businessperson I would never make. Commissioner Shoemaker said it would be fair to test the waters. Mayor Drummond said we have some thriving businesses on that side of Ronald Reagan Boulevard. We have a park on this side of the Historic District that is$5 million. All of the viable properties in the Historic District belong to the City. There is no other property that can be developed. The City has to give up a property and relocate to open any of this up to development. What is there to draw people to the Historic District?There are Historic Buildings that do not bring any money to the City of Longwood. The Community Building that is beautiful gets no use. If we sell that and someone takes over and can bring in four events a week, which is a lot of people and a lot of money to the City. Every property we turn over to the development group is going to be taxable. We are not making any money on these City buildings. These buildings are all falling apart.They need new roofs, air conditioning, and the cost of upkeep. We have outgrown all of these buildings.There is no viable way for the City to turn around CC 09-21-2020/30 and build a new Police Department and City Hall. It is possible and we can build a new Fire Department on land we already own which I think is great access on State Road 434.That is something the Fire Chief could answer for us too. He will make the determination of what size building he needs and whether that is a viable location. I think we need to move this forward for discussion but it is up to a vote about whether or not to proceed. I talked to Mr. Govan and Mr. Anderson about this proposal and they are on a timeframe.This is not something we can drag out for the next two years.They have an option for lease for the building on the other side of the park. Something needs to be done right away. We need to agree to move forward with the discussion of what we are going to do. If we cannot reach that tonight, I think this whole project is off.That is what it comes down to. Mr. Gioielli said the staff is looking for direction on the concept. I realize many issues need to be worked out if the staff was directed to move forward. At this point,the staff would like to know what the expectation of the Commission is.Are there certain things as a majority that are non-starters? Is the Commission interested in having the staff work on what is acceptable and what is not?When some of those questions are answered, we would be able to start working on some of the harder answers for some of the very valid points that have been brought up tonight. Mayor Drummond said we have five different opinions on Senior living. It is a taxable base and will not bring a ton of traffic. We have an apartment building that started at four-stories and now is two-story townhouses and a three-story apartment building facing the park that is not going to bother anybody.They will be required to maintain the Historic District Building Codes.They have to do everything that is already in place for the aesthetic of the building. Every other of these developments have to follow the City's plan for stormwater, electric supply, privacy from neighbors,fencing, and trees. Everything that is going in down here is already covered by the City's rules and regulations. I do not understand why people think we are going to put up a concrete building that is not going to match anything.We need to decide whether we move forward with any part of this that will still qualify Taurus Group to move forward with us. Commissioner Shoemaker said we could see the impact of the Alta Apartments on the traffic. Our engineers are bright. What is real is what the traffic is, not what we project. If we started, slow with the restaurant and the Fire Department and see what CC 09-21-2020/31 Downtown looks like a year from now with that traffic we would have a better understanding of it. Commissioner Morgan said everyone loves the idea of having a restaurant for you to go with your family after Reiter Park. I understand that is takes for the developer to plug all of this together but I agree with Commissioner Shoemaker on waiting for the Alta Apartments to be built, the residents that come in, and the traffic. Is there any way to move forward on this with something like what Commissioner Shoemaker proposed and reaching out to our residents more? He stated, Commissioner Paris said earlier, every one of us are stakeholders in the City.Just because someone lives in the Historic District does not give them more claim over those who do not. We all love this City.There is no one here that is not in favor of some form of development. We are a forward-thinking Commission. Commissioner Shoemaker said to give them the Community Building as well as the Fire Station and Brewery/Eatery so they can start making some money. I do not want to give it up but most of our public believes that there is misinformation. I understand that what I am proposing is not at all, what the developer wants but I think we are going too quickly. I will for unity sake go with the majority but I have to put out what I want. Commissioner Paris said he is not for nickel and diming this.This is not what the proposal was for. We sent out an RFP. You do not submit an RFP out for an entire City development and then on the night of the vote ask to nickel and dime properties out.That is not how you professionally move forward. Commissioner Morgan said I was very clear with the developer that I did not want apartments. He has had that opportunity to give me something different. Commissioner Paris said we can talk about wanting or not wanting apartments but we brought them to the table and they were there from day one. If we did not want apartments, we should have killed this in the initial discussions. We talk about being the backbone of making hard decisions for the Community. These are those times. We have reduced the number of apartments.Traffic studies are not pseudoscience. It is real science. We have had about a dozen traffic studies for development. Those traffic studies were surprisingly accurate, almost as if there were a science attached to it. If the traffic studies show it will be okay, it will.This is not 14 and we are not Altamonte Springs and State Road 436. We are talking about CC 09-21-2020/32 adding 300 apartments to the downtown area. We have more than that when we have shows and events here.We are more than adequate to sustain these. When you want more people in downtown, shopping that means more cars. You cannot have one without the other. We cannot have people without cars, businesses without buildings, and people without apartments. We cannot have our cake and eat it too. Commissioner Paris moved to approve the City Commission discussion to move forward as the TI Group proposes, and allow staff to negotiate on behalf of the City to move this project forward. Seconded by Mayor Drummond. Deputy Mayor Sackett said this is an interesting way to do things after all these years. I understand we have to move forward as a City into the future. He said he is in favor of moving forward but would like something different from the Assisted Living facility and the parking lot on Ronald Reagan Boulevard. I am undecided about the Community Center because I wonder if we could hire an agency to do what you are going to do. I do not want to give up the Community Building. Give us purpose to come into the City. Commissioner Shoemaker thanked Commissioner Paris for helping her understand traffic studies. She said she would vote yes for unity but my understanding is all I am saying yes to is moving forward. I can still say no if I do not like the numbers and there is something I do not agree with. She thanked the TI Group and the architects. She said this is not the green light for the money as far as I am concerned. Mayor Drummond said staff is still scratching their heads on what direction to take on this. I am not sure any of us could come to a consensus in this short of a time. Mr. Kintner said we would try to move forward.We have feedback from each of the Commissioners and will try to put that together the best that we can. Mayor Drummond said there is no financial information available to decide on. All we are saying it to move forward, get information, and figure this out. We may find someone to be able to run the Community Building but we are going to have to give $1 million in renovations to get it to be viable. We have$500,000 and five different people wanting to spend it in different ways. I think the Taurus Group has already done a great job of trying to help us out and conform by changing what was going to be a four CC 09-21-2020/33 to a five-story building down a two-story building and a taller building facing the park. Motion carried by a four-to-one (4-1) roll call vote with Commissioner Morgan voting nay. 11. PUBLIC HEARINGS(PART II) C. Read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 20-2192, approving the extension of the Non-Exclusive Franchises for the Collection of Commercial Solid Waste and/or Recovered Materials for an additional twelve (12) months. Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 20-2192 by title only. Mayor Drummond opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or opposition to Ordinance No. 20-2192. Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner Morgan and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to adopt Ordinance No. 20- 2192 as presented Item 11C. Seconded by Commissioner Paris and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. D. Read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 20-2193,extending the Residential Solid Waste and Recycling Collection Services Contract with Waste Pro of Florida. Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 20-2193 by title only. Mayor Drummond opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or opposition to Ordinance No. 20-2193. Commissioner Morgan moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner Paris and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to adopt Ordinance No. 20- 2193 as presented Item 11D. Seconded by Commissioner Paris and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. E. Read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 20-2194,amending Chapter 90,Article II of the Longwood City Code adopting regulations governing and prohibiting certain types of waste discharge to the public wastewater system. CC 09-21-2020/34 Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 20-2194 by title only. Mayor Drummond opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or opposition to Ordinance No. 20-2194. Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner Morgan and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to adopt Ordinance No. 20- 2194 as presented Item 11E. Seconded by Commissioner Morgan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. F. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 20-1542,adopting a Five Year Capital Improvement Program for the Fiscal Years 2021,2022,2023, 2024,and 2025 pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.07 of the City Charter. Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 20-1542 by title only. Mayor Drummond opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or opposition to Resolution No. 20-1542. Commissioner Paris moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Commissioner Shoemaker moved to adopt Resolution No. 20-1542 as presented Item 11F. Seconded by Deputy Mayor Sackett and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. 12. REGULAR BUSINESS A. Read by title only,set October 5, 2020, as the public hearing date,and approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 20-2188, proposing approval of a Small Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment(SPA 03-20). Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 20-2188 by title only. Mr. Kintner presented the Item. Commissioner Paris moved to approve Ordinance No. 20- 2188 and set October 5, 2020, as the public hearing date. Seconded by Deputy Mayor Sackett and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. CC 09-21-2020/35 B. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 20-1543,a Fiscal Year 2019/2020 Budget Amendment to recognize net revenue proceeds from the purchase and sale agreement between the City of Longwood and Towerpoint related to the property located at 300 North Wayman Street. Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 20-1543 by title only. Ms. Rosado presented the Item. Commissioner Paris moved to adopt Resolution No. 20- 1543 as presented Item 12B. Seconded by Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. 13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Gioielli congratulated the finance department and Ms. Rosado for what I think was a great budget for our next fiscal year. He said she has hired a new Accounting Manager. Her name is Marycarmen Colon. She started today and we think she is going to be a great asset to our team. Regarding COVID, while we have seen a bit of an increase in active cases in Seminole County, hospital admissions are still down and the positive testing percentage has been down for the last 14 days. We are monitoring the impact of back to school, bars being open at 50%, and adult living facility restrictions being sunset by the state. At the Mayors and Managers meeting, we had an update on our COVID CARES Act, which can have a positive impact on our residents and businesses in need. Seminole County confirmed they have received 25%of their$84 million allotments.They have allocated $36 million for public assistance. This public assistance includes supporting public schools and is offering $3 million to municipalities in the county for non-profits like Safehouse, $15 million for personal assistance for which they have already received 11,000 applications, and $10 million for small businesses for which they have already received 4,000 applications. I joined some of our residents, the Police Department, and Commissioners at our recent Community Forum, which I think, was very well organized and was a nice touch for the community.Their next meeting will be on October 13.The Police Department has a unique opportunity to offer one Police Academy Scholarship.The Chief of Police will be able to select one individual who met some basic qualifications to attend the academy without costs. While we explored many options on how to make that selection, the Chief finally settled on a City of Longwood employee, Romelo Mitchell. He works in Leisure Services. We are going to take that as an opportunity to not only benefit this young man with future opportunities but also keep the benefit of knowing what type of employee and person this type of individual is. He is spoken very highly of by his colleagues, chain of command, manager, supervisor, and Human Resource (HR).This has been documented in his most recent performance evaluation. We are CC 09-21-2020/36 excited about that opportunity and look forward to seeing him as a Police Officer here in the City of Longwood in the future. We are continuing to work on sidewalk projects. The majority of the work on the east side of Rangeline Road is complete.There is work being done on the west side of Rangeline Road and a few other projects including Columbus Harbour. Tomorrow, we should be able to make a recommendation or decision on Leisure Services events coming up including our Fall Festival and Christmas events.That decision is made by management after speaking with the vendors that host the events and with our Liability insurance company. We want to make sure that while we are motivated to make these events possible we do them safely. Additionally, I was hoping the Commission would support staff identifying several areas they think will benefit from the tree fund. There is money set aside to replace trees. We removed some trees recently from the cemetery. We have a couple of areas near retention ponds and lakes that we think the shoreline would be better protected if we could move forward with the tree fund to purchase trees and things in the area that offer beautification and protection to the grounds. He said this week is Railroad Safety Week. You will see our officers out at our railroad crossings trying to educate and enforcing egregious activities. Please share it with your friends and family. 14. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT. No report. 15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT. No report. 16. ADJOURN. Mayor Drummond adjourned the meeting at 9:16 p.m. Minutes approved by City Commission: 10-05-2020 Richard Drummond, Mayor ATTE T: c le L n C R City Clerk CC 09-21-2020/37 I This Page Left Blank Intentionally. I I CC 09-21-2020/38