CC03-15-2021MinLONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION
Longwood City Commission Chambers
175 West Warren Avenue
Longwood, Florida
MINUTES
March 15, 2021
6:00 P.M.
Present: Mayor Richard Drummond
Deputy Mayor Abby Shoemaker
Commissioner Matt McMillan
Commissioner Matt Morgan
Commissioner Brian D. Sackett
Dan Langley, City Attorney
Clint Gioielli, Acting City Manager
Michelle Longo, City Clerk
David P. Dowda, Police Chief
Craig Dunn, Information Technology Director
Judith Rosado, Financial Services Director
1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Drummond called the meeting to order at 6:00
p.m.
2. MOMENT OF SILENT MEDITATION
3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Deputy Mayor Shoemaker led the Pledge
of Allegiance.
4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. Ms. Longo read the following
announcements.
A. Longwood Movie in the Park will be held on Friday, March 19,
2021, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Reiter Park, 311 West Warren
Avenue. This is a free event and the movie will be The War with
Grandpa.
B. The Longwood Pirate Seafood Festival will be held on Saturday,
March 27, 2021, and Sunday, March 28, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m. in Reiter Park, 311 West Warren Avenue. The event
will feature pirates, mermaids, a free shark ride, unique
entertainment, and a variety of food. This is a free event.
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C. The City of Longwood's Easter Walk -Through event will be held
on Saturday, April 3, 2021, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the
Historic District around Longwood City Hall, 175 West Warren
Avenue.
5. PROCLAMATIONS / RECOGNITIONS
A. Nomination of the Beautification Award.
Commissioner Sackett nominated The Landings Subdivision for
the Beautification Award. Nomination carried by a unanimous
voice vote.
B. Proclaiming March 15 through March 19, 2021, as Government
Finance Professionals Week in the City of Longwood.
Mayor Drummond read the Proclamation and presented it to the
Financial Services staff. Photographs were then taken.
6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS. None.
7. PUBLIC INPUT
A. Presentation: Ms. Sarah Hall, to provide a presentation on How
to Live with Coyotes.
Ms. Sarah Hall gave a presentation on How to be Coyote
Cognizant. She reviewed their history, habitat, behavior and how
to prevent conflicts. She also advised what to do if you see one in
your area and provided contact information for additional
resources.
B. Public Participation. None.
8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT
District #1. Deputy Mayor Shoemaker expressed excitement about the
Township Plaza development. She reported attending the Car Show and
volunteering at the Longwood Historic Society food tent. She said they
were at capacity and it was the biggest car show in some time.
District #2. Mayor Drummond reported attending the Metroplan Orlando
Municipal Advisory Committee Meeting two weeks ago. He said they
talked about all the different modes of transportation in the Central
Florida area, and how it affects our daily life. He noted they presented a
video of a traffic crossing where they had placed a camera. They filmed
traffic and counted the cars. The pedestrians walked out into traffic in a
marked crosswalk and five percent (5%) of motorists stopped for the
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pedestrian. They even had a uniformed officer walk out into the
pedestrian crossing. He advised everyone to slow down, watch for
pedestrians, and stop at crosswalks, as you are legally required to stop
and let them transverse the crosswalk. He mentioned the Committee
received the latest edition of Smart Growth America's Dangerous by
Design report on March 10. This report named Central Florida the top
most dangerous metro area for pedestrians in the entire nation because
there are so many injuries and fatalities. He noted they are going to
discuss this report further at their April 12 Municipal Advisory Committee
meeting.
Mayor Drummond reported attending the Movie at the Park, the Food
Truck Event, Barkfest, and the Farmers Market. He said he missed the
Cruisin' Car Show because he was at Bike Week in Daytona Beach.
District #3. Commissioner McMillan reported attending the Barkfest and
the Food Truck Event. He advised today, March 15, is the tax deadline
and he and Deputy Mayor Shoemaker have been working on partnership
tax returns. He said today is also the Ides of March, a famous, ominous
quote from Shakespeare's Play, Julius Caesar, in which Caesar is warned
by the soothsayer to "Beware the Ides of March". He noted two
expressions that came to his mind when thinking of the language we use
from that play. The first is "There is a tide in the affairs of men" which is
used when questioning the timing of an action and when you are trying
to decide when to do something because there are some things that are
out of your control and will only work at a specific time. The second is
"The fault lies not in our stars but ourselves" which recognizes the role of
individual decisions and character are more important than fate and
destiny so we have to look to ourselves and not let our faults affect our
decisions. He said Julius Caesar was a tragedy but it is a play of the
human condition.
Commissioner McMillan noted that since the last meeting there has been
some chaos with our local politics about deciding on a superintendent for
the Seminole County Public School Board and with the resignation of
Winter Springs Mayor Charles Lacey for conflict within the Commission.
He hopes the chaos will be sorted through and said he is confident that
our Mayor, Deputy Mayor, fellow City Commissioners, and City staff is
looking good within Longwood and that we have good channels of
communication with the decision -making processes. He also said we are
working on making clear decisions to avoid surprises.
Commissioner McMillan continued with his theme of "The true, the good,
and the beautiful". For "The True", he reported on the development of
Township Plaza. He stated the Pic N Save opened in March 1983, closed
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in 1996, and was demolished in March 2014. He said he looks forward to
hearing what Mr. Mnayarji has planned for the property. He commended
staff for working so diligently, especially Mr. Tom Krueger, Economic
Development Manager.
Commissioner McMillan reported on "The Good". He attended the
funeral of former Longwood Mayor Iris Benson with Deputy Mayor
Shoemaker and Commissioner Morgan on March 4. He said she had
requested a traditional Jewish ceremony and her son Adam chose our
Longwood Memorial Gardens for her final resting place. They all met at
the funeral home parking lot then to the procession of the grave. He
mentioned never meeting Ms. Benson but he said he met her through
the words of her son Adam who painted a great, vivid picture of her by
recalling stories and anecdotes. He said the good that he saw there was
her son.
Commissioner McMillan reported on "The Beautiful" mentioning the
Longwood Car Show. He said there was beautiful weather as well as a
special memorial by a family for one of the regular attendees. He thought
this was a beautiful expression of our community. He noted the 10th
Anniversary of the Cruisin' Car Show is coming up later this year.
District #4. Commissioner Morgan reported attending the funeral and
procession of former Longwood Mayor Iris Benson on March 4. He said
he met her at Cascade Heights while doing one of his speeches. They
talked about what was going on in the City and the pressures that come
and go with being an elected official in Longwood. He also reported
meeting a local family at the Kid's House earlier that same morning who
needed their services. He explained the services of Kid's House. He said it
was a tough situation but this is why we form partnerships with different
entities outside of Longwood. It is important to talk about the resources
that are available to everyone here.
Commissioner Morgan reported attending Advent Health's Hope and
Healing Center Grand Opening on March 8. He said the Center would be
bringing in addicts that need to get away from their environment. They
partner with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Lemma has
been working on this for three (3) years. He said it is an amazing thing for
our community. He noted his class with Leadership Seminole is putting
together a Professional Wrestling Fundraiser event called The Seminole
Showdown on April 10. It will raise money for the first fifteen (15) addicts
that walk through the Hope and Healing Center's front door. He
recommended people to attend, support, and contribute to the event by
visiting the Seminole Show Down website.
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Commissioner Morgan reported attending Hidden Oak Estates
Homeowner's Association (HOA) Zoom meeting and gave them updates
on behalf of the City. The next day, he also reported giving a speech at
Crooms Academy via Zoom. He said technically, Crooms Academy had the
highest graduation rate. Later that day he spoke to Milwee Middle
School's Young Men of Excellence Club, a club that features all types of
students with different backgrounds. He spoke about leadership,
dreaming big, and putting the work in behind it. The same night, he
reported attending Barkfest and said we missed the opportunity with
doing the photo contest. He also noticed there were fewer people than
years past. The next day, he mentioned his son got his first hit of the
season in Buddy Ball. That same evening he reported visiting Longwood
VFW Post 8207 on Ronald Reagan Boulevard to judge a Chili Cook -Off
contest.
Commissioner Morgan reminded everybody about the HEROES Strong
event on April 17 in Reiter Park to thank our everyday heroes.
Commissioner Morgan said Buddy Ball is a special needs baseball league.
The younger kids league play at Eastmonte Park in Altamonte Springs.
The older kids play in Longwood. He thanked the Parks & Recreation
staff, Mr. Bill Black, Mr. Chris Capizzi, Mr. Clint Gioielli, and Mrs. Donna
Alt -Bowes for tracking down and finding the older kids' Buddy Ball
pitching machine that was thought to have been missing. He also thanked
Mr. Bill Bowes for taking over as president of the Longwood Babe Ruth
League.
Commissioner Morgan received an email about an opportunity for
Community Trails with new material that helps with flooding. He sent the
information to Mr. Gioielli to review for the potential to place it in one of
the City parks. He said it would help add another drainage at Reiter Park.
He thanked Mr. Bassam Mnayarji and his family for purchasing the
Township Plaza and making it a calling card for the City of Longwood. He
noted he was excited for the plans they have for the property. He
suggested having a presentation about the zoning of the City at a later
meeting to discuss and plan the future of zoning, along with a discussion
regarding an Apartment Moratorium. He also hopes to get something up
on the Nextdoor app and a date when this will be active.
District #5. Commissioner Sackett said he would be retiring from teaching
in forty-five (45) days after teaching for forty-two (42) years. He noted
Lyman High School is moving forward with prom on May 10 and a parade
graduation on May 17. The University of Central Florida opened up its
Bounce House Football Stadium for every school in Seminole County to
do their graduation. Now, students can bring up to ten (10) guests with
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them. He said Lyman is very appreciative of our Police Department for
their donation of the two (2) leg bench presses. He thanked Chief Dowda
and his team.
Commissioner Sackett said he remembers the day he and Bob Cortes
started the Car Show ten (10) years ago. In 2014, he took the first
sledgehammer to the Pic N' Save building demolition. He reported a
pedestrian was run over at the intersection of State Road 434 and State
Road 436 while crossing the street in the wrong area.
Commissioner Sackett attended Barkfest and said it was attended and
set-up minimally. He also reported attending the Longwood Farmers
Market and noted it is always good. He said he was excited to attend the
next Senior Matinee and the Pirate Seafood Festival.
Deputy Mayor Shoemaker asked for the consensus of the Commission to
attend the next meeting via Zoom if her schedule allows.
It was the consensus of the Commission to allow Deputy Mayor
Shoemaker to attend the next meeting via Zoom.
9. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA. None.
10. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approve Minutes of the March 1, 2021, Regular Meeting.
B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for March 2021.
C. Approve the Monthly Financial Report for February 2021.
Commissioner Sackett moved to approve Items 10A
through 10C as presented. Seconded by Commissioner
Morgan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
11. PUBLIC HEARINGS. None.
12. REGULAR BUSINESS. None.
13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Mr. Gioielli reported the City was reimbursed an additional $56,000 from
the CARES Act funding for COVID-related expenses. The County continues
to offer vaccinations and introduced a kiosk system that went live Friday,
March 12, at Red Bug Lake Park, which is available for walk-ups and
appointments. Another kiosk was expected to go live on March 22 at the
Seminole County Museum. The County was now up to over 72,000
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vaccinations completed with the same fixed and mobile sites active. He
noted the American Muslim Center was still actively providing
vaccinations and the Fire Department mobile teams are starting to
actively go to the adult living facilities and nursing homes. Johnson and
Johnson's vaccinations are being provided to Seminole County residents,
as are the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
Mr. Gioielli said the City was invited to partner with the Christian Sharing
Center and asked the Commission if they could use Reiter Park on May 30
for the organization's 35th birthday bash. It would be open to the public
from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will include food trucks and live bands.
It was the consensus of the Commission to allow the organization's 35th
birthday bash at Reiter Park on May 30.
Mr. Gioielli reported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) has provided reimbursement for Hurricane Irma. for $19;956. He
hopes the Commission has noticed how smooth West Warren Avenue
was. He said there was still work to be done but anticipates -there being-
an extended median or beautification of the part_of the roadway that hd-ss
not yet been completed.
Mr. Gioielli reported a staff meeting with the Blue Collar Union for
negotiations this Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. in the City_ Commission
Chambers. He noted him along with Human Resources and staff -are
working on an Accident Review Board Policy, and hoping to present to
the Commission for approval. This would review all City property loss and
damage with a focus on workplace safety and employee accountability
while striving to reduce these incidents.
Mr. Gioielli reported on the Longwood Plantation Tract K. On January 18,
the Commission approved termination of the Lease Agreement, after that
the Homeowner's Association (HOA) asked to meet with Mr. Shad Smith,
Public Works Director, to address concerns and questions they had. The
HOA was asking that some trees be removed before the Lease
Termination and that the City continue to be responsible for the
streetlights in the neighborhood. While working with Mr. Langley, we are
going to make a change to the approved agreement and bring it to the
Commission for approval so the Homeowner's Association can then agree
to terminate the lease with the City.
Mr. Gioielli said he was confident and excited about the development of
Township Plaza. He said he believes it will be a destination place for the
City and the new owner seems to be focused on retail. He thanked the
Commission for recognizing the Police Department for donating exercise
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equipment. He said that while the donation was special, the hardest work
done was by Public Works who had to move all of the exercise
equipment.
14. CITY ATTORNEYS REPORT. No report.
15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT.
Ms. Longo noted we received the award for the Orlando Propel Challenge
and passed it around for the Commissioners to see.
16. ADJOURN. Mayor Drummond adjourned the meeting at 7:08 p.m.
Minutes approved by City Commission: 04-05-2021
Lily LierK
Richard Drummond, Mayor
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