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CC08-16-2021MinLONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION Longwood City Commission Chambers 175 West Warren Avenue Longwood, Florida MINUTES August 16, 2021 6:00 P.M. Present: Mayor Brian D. Sackett Deputy Mayor Abby Shoemaker Commissioner Matt McMillan Commissioner Matt Morgan Dan Langley, City Attorney Clint Gioielli, Acting City Manager Michelle Longo, City Clerk David Dowda, Police Chief Judith Rosado, Financial Services Director Chris Kintner, Community Development Director 1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Sackett called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. OPENING INVOCATION. Pastor Eric Scholten with First Baptist Church of Longwood gave the invocation. 3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Deputy Mayor Shoemaker led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. Ms. Longo read the following announcements. A. The City of Longwood will host an Overdose Awareness Event on Saturday, August 28, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., at Reiter Park, 311 West Warren Avenue. There will be guest speakers presented by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. This is a free event. B. Orlando Health South Seminole will sponsor the "Concert in the Park" event on Saturday, August 28, 2021, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Music starts at 7:00 p.m. and food and beverages will be available for purchase. The band will be Hypersona and this is a free event. CC 08-16-2021/1 5 [-1 7. PROCLAMATIONS / RECOGNITIONS A. District #4 Nomination of the Business Person of the Month Award for September 2021. The nomination was deferred to the next meeting. B. Presentation of the 2021 Key to the City Award to Aaron Holland. Deputy Mayor Shoemaker read a Proclamation that outlined a biography on Aaron Holland. She then presented him with the Proclamation and Key to the City Award. Photographs were then taken. C. Presentation of the 2021 Key to the City Award to Tracy Putnam. Commissioner Morgan read a Proclamation that outlined a biography on Tracy Putnam. He then presented her with the Proclamation and Key to the City Award. Photographs were then taken. BOARD APPOINTMENTS. None. PUBLIC INPUT A. Public Participation. None. 8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT District #3. Commissioner McMillan said he was reflecting upon the day's developments in international news regarding the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in Afghanistan which he considered an enormous event. We are only City Commissioners and do not engage in international or national politics but these events do hit home to a lot of the people who live in this City. He said we need to remember the service and sacrifice of our veterans, families,.and friends who are impacted by this event, as in this day and age, personal relationships go around the world. For about 20 years, we have had a relationship with Afghanistan. Various people with friends and family are in harm's way right now and are being evacuated out of Afghanistan in a very chaotic situation. We support them and pray for them. Commissioner McMillan said we should honor our veterans. The impact of this kind of event often makes people question whether or not their service mattered. He noted that the service, sacrifice, and mission mattered. Operation Enduring Freedom brought a lot of light to Afghanistan. It is falling into darker times now but while they were there, they served our country proudly. This disaster today does not negate those efforts and that light was there for that time. He advised that the CC 08-16-2021/2 best thing we can do is continue to honor them. He reported the September 11 Memorial is being planned. One of the best ways to reach out to our veterans is to come to this event and remember what happened 20 years ago. This phase in our history is still ongoing, we are still there and we still care for them. He hopes everyone will come out on September 11 to honor those who not only lost on that day on the sites of terrorism but also those who continued the fight in Afghanistan and Operation Enduring Freedom. Commissioner McMillan reported attending the Florida League of Cities meeting and mentioned the eight (8) resolutions that passed unanimously. The first resolution thanked the Outgoing President Tony Ortiz, City of Orlando Commissioner, for service to the organization during the last year which included COVID. The second resolution proclaimed the month of October as City Government Week and special programs were being planned to recognize the role the City plays in our lives. The third resolution memorialized 200 years of Florida being a territory within the United States. The fourth resolution encouraged Congress to extend the National Flood Insurance Program which is very important to our homeowners. The fifth resolution was for Cybersecurity Assistance because of the increasing amount of use of technology by municipal governments. He said we need to make sure that confidential information is secure so we are requesting assistance from the federal government. The sixth resolution involved bringing back certain types of infrastructure bonds that are tax-free and were eliminated in the Tax Act 2017. He said they want to bring back certain forms of direct debt that have tax privileges. The seventh resolution involved a chemical called PFAS. The military and the federal government are cleaning it up on federal lands. He said it does get into our water and we are looking for some assistance from the federal government to also clean up state sites. The eighth resolution was on an infrastructure bill before Congress right now. There are a variety of cities in Florida that need infrastructure. Commissioner McMillan reported the Florida League of Cities is a lobbying organization and there are five committees. Each committee set a priority and policy position at that meeting for the coming year. The Finance, Taxation, and Personnel Committee made their priority communications; services, tax reform. He explained some of those are taxes that appear on phone bills, that go to local government. Their policy position is local business tax preservation. He said there is some movement in Tallahassee regarding what cities can do regarding their business tax and business license. The Land Use and Economic Development Committee made their priority economic development incentives and the policy position they are looking to change are annexation rules. He looked into it specifically and said it is about properties owned by LLCs and corporations. Certain things in the law require a certain number of residents and a lot of these properties may CC 08-16-2021/3 not have residents, and how you deal with the numbers if the threshold is too high because you have unidentified property or industrial property. The Municipal Administration Committee made their priority short-term rentals. Their policy position is Cybersecurity. The Transportation Intergovernmental Relations priority was transportation funding and the policy position was affordable housing. The Utilities, Natural Resources, and Public Works Committee made their priority tree protection and their policy position is the chemical PFAS. He said those were all the actions taken. We then elected our new president and brought in new officers. Commissioner McMillan reported on "The true, the good, and the beautiful". For "The true", he reported attending the Rescue Plan Guidance Seminar held by the Florida League of Cities. He said he did not find any specifics on how to spend or what to do with the City's rescue plan money but they mentioned the procedures on how to fill out the forms to make sure you comply to receive the funds. He believes we will have a productive workshop because we are a good Commission, we are in touch with our constituents, we have a good City Attorney, we are responsible to both our citizens and the law, and ultimately we will always be responsible to you. Commissioner McMillan reported on "The good" at the City employee's Health Screening and Health Fair held in the Community Building. He commended the City's Human Resources staff and said they did a good job assembling a variety of health care clinics, pharmacists, insurance options, and tables ranging from chiropractic care to vision. He said he visited a lot of the vendors, and he did not switch his health insurance so he did not do the health screening. Commissioner McMillan reported on "The beautiful" and said he stopped by the new Sally's Diner in the Longwood City Center. He said they were open for business and customers were coming and going. He mentioned a particularly nice view from the booth and said out of the window you could see straight down Rangeline Road. He said he enjoyed having his breakfast, doing some work, and seeing the activity in our City. He added it was a beautiful sight. District #4. Commissioner Morgan reported on the Florida League of Cities and said the new president is Phillip Walker, he is a City of Lakeland Commissioner. He said every year we try to take different things we learn from the Florida League of Cities and see how we can help improve the City of Longwood. He reminded everyone about the City of Longwood Special Election on August 24 and urged everyone to vote. The two candidates are Jackson Pierson and Tony Boni. He encouraged everyone to call both candidates, get to know them, and ask questions. He said this CC 08-16-2021/4 is a very important election because the City's Commission is five equal parts. Commissioner Morgan reported on the City's Overdose Awareness Day event on August 28 at Reiter Park. He said this event is between the Seminole County Opioid Council, the Seminole County Sheriff's Department, and the City of Longwood. Two years ago, the City held its first event. He encouraged everyone to attend this year's event. There is an uptick of 40 percent in addiction and a big part of that is because of this virus. He said the mental health studies of this virus and what it is doing to our children and the addicts who are not getting the care or the structured environment they desperately need, continues to be overlooked. He encouraged everyone to attend and support the event and said he will be a guest speaker this year. He said he will be showcasing the new Hope Health & Healing Counseling Center in Seminole County. They will take anyone even those who do not have insurance. He said this is a great service to our community and he is looking forward to getting out to local schools with Sheriff Dennis Lemma who will also speak at the Overdose Awareness Event. Commissioner Morgan reported speaking on peer pressure at Journey Church in Casselberry last weekend with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. They held an all -new Back -to -School event. He thanked former Mayor John C. Maingot for his outstanding work for the City including the upcoming 9/11 event. He said Mr. Maingot has helped set up the event's floral display, speeches, and singing. In addition, Mr. Maingot has assisted with Reiter Park and the palm trees, set up a flower bed in front of City Hall, and now is helping with trees at the City's cemetery. He suggested awarding Mr. Maingot for his efforts. Mayor Sackett agreed and said despite his age, Mr. Maingot works daily. Commissioner Morgan reported the Seminole County Boys & Girls Club Board meeting was tomorrow in Longwood. He said every couple of years they start to look for places in cities where they can potentially put the next Boys & Girls Club. The minute he joined he has been pushing for Longwood to be the next place. There is a club in Altamonte Springs, Sanford, and Oviedo. The Board has taken his request seriously so when it comes time to look for a potential place to build a new Boys & Girls Club, Longwood will be first on their list. District #5. Mayor Sackett said he has worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs for years and Longwood is the center of all those sprawling cities so it makes sense to have something here like that. He reported attending the Council of Local Governments (CALNO) meeting on August 4 at the Community Building. There was a presentation by Alan Harris on COVID and the variant. Mr. Harris advised paying attention to the website at CC 08-16-2021/5 www.prepareseminole.org for any updates. He said the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) opened about four weeks ago. Mayor Sackett reported traveling to New York State for three days to attend his 501" High School Reunion. He also mentioned there was a presentation from Guilherme "Gui" Cunha, Tourism Director, regarding the Tourist Development Council Update at the CALNO meeting. The biggest driver of events throughout COVID for tourism has been Girls Softball. He then reported attending his first Tri-County Board of Directors Meeting on August 10. He said they talked about affordable housing and the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund being raised to pay for many of those expenses as well as Home Rule Advocacy. He said it is time for the League of Cities to step up and say something more about protecting that fund. The same day was the first day of school and it was crazy. He advised staying away for a while until kids get on bicycles and start riding to school because there was a long car line. Mayor Sackett reported attending the World Resort Orlando for the Day for Mayors event on August 11. He said they circulated among four different tables. One table was Community Development on housing the homeless. He mentioned the Christian Sharing Center and they turned him on to $100,000 grants so he will be meeting with the Christian Sharing Center. There was a table on the Environment and what to do with water runoff and the water supply. There was another table on Redistricting. He said we are waiting to see what the numbers are and what needs to be done within each of our divisions in the City. The last table was on Infrastructure. He did not realize south of the Atlantic Ocean is facing real problems. He said they are only 12 feet above sea level and are looking at building underground roads. He mentioned also reported attending the workshop on Building Trust and explained the breakdown of the workshop. He reported the general meetings were held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday including the Mayor's Business Meeting and Elections. He also reported attending a Welcome Reception as well as a session on Social Media which he thought the City needs to develop further. Mayor Sackett said the Florida Division of Emergency released their information on the new standards at the general session. He mentioned another workshop on the Media Rapidly Changing Landscape which he was unable to attend. He reported attending the Florida League of Cities Tri-County Breakfast on Saturday. The General Session dealt with demographics and the changes we can expect to see in regards to Social Security and other similar issues. He said there was a President celebration and the last meeting was in the morning via Zoom which included all the cities in Seminole, Lake, Volusia, and Orange Counties. The major topic was the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. CC 08-16-2021/6 The City will be receiving $6.5 million over a two-year increment which will be helpful for budgeting. Mayor Sackett said the Mayors and Managers Meeting will be at the School Board tomorrow and he will be attending. They will be discussing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Bus. He said he had used it in his classroom as a former teacher, and currently, the School Board was trying to build more buses to get more girls and boys interested in science and engineering. District #1. Deputy Mayor Shoemaker reported attending the City's Health Fair along with Commissioner McMillan and said it was very well done. She commended the Human Resources Department and staff for putting it together. The City's Interim Human Resources Director, Magdala "Maggie" Ridore, and Trisha Fuston, Human Resources Coordinator, walked her through the insurance choices and she was directed to call Blue Cross to answer her questions. She said she had practiced and was ready to do the balance test for the Health Screening but they did not have it this year. There was a good crowd at the Health Fair and she enjoyed having lunch with Commissioner McMillan. They both visited all the booths and talked to everyone. She then reported attending the Florida League of Cities and arrived on Thursday. She said she enjoyed both of the presentations she attended. District #2. No Report. 9. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA. None. 10. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve Minutes of the August 2, 2021, Regular Meeting. B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for August 2021. C. Approve the Monthly Financial Report for July 2021. D. Approve a change order in the amount of $35,000 to the Empire Pipe and Supply Purchase Order No. 21-00494 for water and sewer -related supplies. E. Approve a Right -Of -Entry and Use Agreement between Northland, A Church Distributed, Inc., and the City of Longwood authorizing utilization of Parcel ID 05-21-30-518-0000-01-0100 for a Temporary Debris Storage and Reduction Site. CC 08-16-2021/7 Deputy Mayor Shoemaker moved to approve Items 10A through 10E as presented. Seconded by Commissioner McMillan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. 11. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 21-1575, approving annual non -ad Valorem assessment rolls for various wastewater, road paving, and neighborhood beautification assessments for the 2021 tax rolls. Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 21-1575 by title only. Mayor Sackett opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or opposition to Resolution No. 21-1575. Commissioner Morgan moved to close the public hearing. Seconded by Deputy Mayor Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Mr. Gioielli presented the Item and said all assessments are unchanged from the previous year except for the Longwood Hills Neighborhood which has requested staff to implement an increase to allow more beautification to the entrance of their neighborhood. He said the Finance team meets with every neighborhood representative every year to go over the explanation and asks if they desire any changes. Each neighborhood is a little different but the decision -making body in that neighborhood notified our Finance Department of the requested change. He then answered questions. Commissioner Morgan moved to adopt Resolution No. 21- 1575 as presented Item 11A. Seconded by Commissioner McMillan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. 12. REGULAR BUSINESS A. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 21-1576, which proposes amendments to the City's Code Compliance Lien Reduction Policy. Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 21-1576 by title only. Mr. Kintner presented the Item and went over what was being proposed. This included increasing the minimum lien duration to one year, and the minimum lien amount to $5,000. This creates an incentive for people to address code issues before they become a lien on the property. Also, criteria by which a lien reduction can be reviewed, and clarifying that the staff approval CC 08-16-2021/8 of a lien reduction is not automatic and applications can be denied on specified grounds. Finally, language to allow staff to consider whether the proposed future use of the property is in the best interest of the city. Mr. Kintner said under the City Manager's authority in the second section, that number could be either a total reduction only for things that qualify under that section or could be a different number. He then answered questions. Mayor Sackett said his only problem with liens is if he had to live next door to such property. He saw today a house across the street from his daughter's house that is trashed. He asked how long do people have to live by that if the City is taking care of these matters through Code Enforcement and the Magistrate. Mr. Kintner said there are larger liens in the City that are homestead properties and we are not able to fully enforce those liens. The City was trying to do two things: 1. Stop the scenario where people wait for the 15% to pay and make the applicant demonstrate the circumstances that led to them coming to make the request. 2. Consider whether the proposed future use of the property is in the best interest of the City. He said we want to give ourselves some criteria to make sure we have more flexibility but also, can say no if it is a scenario where it is not in the best interest of the City. Discussion ensued on lien reductions. Commissioner McMillan asked what are types of larger liens that are affected by this forgiveness. Mr. Kintner responded it can be anything from high grass and inoperable vehicles at residences. On the commercial side, we have had businesses operating without a license acquiring fines of $100 to $250 a day. Whispering Oaks Mobile Home Park has an existing lien of approximately $250,000 on the property even though the code violation has been resolved. He said to get to those numbers, someone is not paying attention or just does not take it seriously. The reason we have this program is that people were coming from each district of the City Commission asking what the percentage should be. He said we settled with a number and made it happen because we run into situations where a lot of people look at liens as a way to make money and it is not why they are there. This is our way to recoup the fact there has been a lot of staff time involved in some of these long-term liens, still have some elements to disincentivize people from letting liens CC 08-16-2021/9 continue, and have a mechanism to see properties turn back into productive properties. He then answered questions. Commissioner McMillan moved to adopt Resolution No. 21-1576 as presented Item 12A. Seconded by Deputy Mayor Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. B. Acceptance of the 2020 Complete Streets Program Annual Update. Commissioner Morgan moved to accept the 2020 Complete Streets Program Annual update as presented Item 12B. Seconded by Deputy Mayor Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. 13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Gioielli said he appreciated Commissioner McMillan pointing out some of the information for the American Rescue Plan Act. He reported the state, which will be providing the City federal funding, has requested another extension. Therefore, the City is still delayed in receiving its first installment of the ARPA funding. The point he wanted to bring up was he found the directions and allowances to be vague. He and staff were working diligently monitoring feedback, input, and direction from other government organizations around the state to have the most up-to-date, best information before they ask for a budget workshop on a particular topic. He then mentioned the NextDoor App and confirmed the City provides information but does not allow the opportunity for any comments. Mayor Sackett asked if the ARPA funding for the City was at $6.5 million. Mr. Gioielli replied that is the number the City is using and sees the most often. He thinks there is a formula involving population related to the state and unemployment applications that were filed. He then answered questions. Mr. Gioielli reported on the Lewis House and said staff has started to work on the formal plans that will be necessary to layout the gazebo -style structure it will be turned into. He said the plans will allow staff to get three quotes to ensure they get the best deal for taxpayer dollars. The City was also doing some underground scanning to ensure the area proposed in the cemetery is the best location and that nothing is being disturbed underground. Mr. Gioielli announced the recent improvements at St. Laurent Street and West Warren Avenue and said staff has removed the barriers and added CC 08-16-2021/10 curbing, bollards that are still under construction, as well as some mulch. He noted this is a temporary setup that can be added onto once we have confirmed the layout of the roadway. He then reported leadership staff has been working with the Longwood Professional Firefighters Association through negotiations on a contract that is due this year. He said the City is very close to a proposed contract which he thought was going to be approved based on his feedback. He said he could not think of a time this situation has taken place without the use of a labor attorney for the initial negotiations. He said he thinks this was due to the relationship of the staff, the union, and the support of the Commission, and how comfortable everyone felt involved in the process. Mr. Gioielli reported on the City's Splash Pad in Reiter Park. He said sometimes the Splash Pad may not be open or have a delayed opening, other times there are residents that come to the Splash Pad and do not realize how to open the child safety pool lock or how to turn the water on when it is not on because there is a button that is used. The button is a timer where if it is not reactivated after a certain amount of minutes, it turns off maybe leaving someone with the impression the Splash Pad is closed or inoperable. There are other times when there is a lightning alert that requires closing the Splash Pad for 30 minutes or until there is no lightning. The City is going to increase signage to let residents know the Splash Pad is closed because of lightning. The signage will also draw attention to the button on the wall that activates the water so they will know how to activate it and not feel like the Splash Pad is closed. He said he will see if this helps with the service there. Mr. Gioielli said he was pulling together information to bring forward an agenda item for more conversation about proactive versus reactive code enforcement. Mayor Sackett asked Mr. Gioielli if he could delay that item so the new member of the Commission could get himself up to speed. It was the consensus of the Commission to discuss this in the first" - meeting in October. -- Mr. Gioielli reported the City of Longwood entered into an-tnterlocal. Agreement with Seminole County in 1987 regarding our relationship administrating road impact fees. There was the (first amendment in' .1990, and now Seminole County has approached City staff regarding a proposed second amendment. He said this is something we are- - proposing to bring to the next agenda for the Commission's review. He noted the main change was road impact fees are now mobility fees. There were no other administrative changes. CC 08-16-2021/11 Mr. Gioielli invited City Commissioners to join the staff at an Employee Appreciation Lunch on September 17, 2021, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Community Building. 14. CITY ATTORNEYS REPORT. None. 15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT. Ms. Longo reported the upcoming Special Election will be held Tuesday, August 24 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to elect a City Commissioner to fill the unexpired term for District 2, and that seat term ends in November 2024. There is only going to be one polling location. All the regular precincts will not be open. The location will only be Precinct 19 which is the Longwood Community Building at 200 West Warren Avenue. There are two qualified candidates, Tony Boni and Jackson Pierson. Ms. Longo reported the City has been in the process of reporting and documenting Longwood Memorial Gardens as a historical cemetery with the state's Division of Historical Resources Bureau of Historic Preservation. She said she received the Florida Master Site Number for a Historical Cemetery today. The City can now file and complete the process, and Longwood Memorial Gardens will be officially listed. Commissioner McMillan reminded citizens who are doing vote by mail that they cannot turn in the ballot at the precinct on August 24. It has to go to Sanford by 7:00 p.m. at the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Office. 16. ADJOURN. Mayor Sackett adjourned the meeting at 7:19 p.m. Minutes approved by City Commission: 09-01 Brian D. Sackett, n AVE is -le Lego, C, RM City Clerk 1 CC 08-16-2021/12