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CC10-04-2021MinLONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION Longwood City Commission Chambers 175 West Warren Avenue Longwood, Florida MINUTES October 4, 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 Chris Kintner, Community Development Director Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services Director Shad Smith, Public Works Director Craig Dunn, Information Technology Director Absent: Commissioner Tony Boni (Excused) Mayor Sackett announced at the start of the meeting that Facebook was down and the meeting would be streamed via Zoom and later added to Facebook. 1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Sackett called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. OPENING INVOCATION. Reverend Mother Michelle Roach with Christ Episcopal Church gave the invocation. 3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Mayor Sackett led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. Ms. Longo read the following announcements. A. National Night Out will be held on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Candyland Park, 599 Longdale Avenue. CC 10-04-2021/1 B. The "Downtown Longwood Cruise -In" Car Show will be held on Saturday, October 9, 2021, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the Historic District of Longwood located off Church Avenue. C. The Senior Matinee will be held on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Longwood Community Building, 200 West Warren Avenue. This month's feature is The Secret: Dare to Dream. D. The "Downtown Longwood Food Trucks" will be held on Thursday, October 14, 2021, from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at Reiter Park, 311 West Warren Avenue. 5. PROCLAMATIONS / RECOGNITIONS A. Nomination of the Beautification Award. Mayor Sackett nominated Alta Apartments on West Warren Avenue for the Beautification Award. Nomination carried by a unanimous voice vote. 6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS A. District #3 Nomination to the Land Planning Agency. Commissioner McMillan deferred the nomination to the next meeting: 7. PUBLIC INPUT A. Presentation: Representatives from OUTFRONT Media will give a presentation on the proposed relocation of existing billboards within the city. Mayor Sackett stated the company requested their presentation be pulled from the agenda. B. Public Participation. None. 8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT District #1. No report. District #2. No report. District #3. Commissioner McMillan reported on September 25 he attended the City's Food Truck Battle Event at Reiter Park featuring over thirty (30) food trucks and the band Caribbean Crew. He said it was a great idea to combine the food trucks with the free concert event. Also, he liked how the trucks were set up in an L-shape so it was a short walk CC 10-04-2021/2 to any particular vendor as well as to the band. He noticed there were a lot of families there with the playground full of children. That same day Commissioner McMillan reported he attended Oktoberfest at Hourglass Brewing in Longwood. He received a hat, stein, and craft beer at the promotional event. He said he split up his time between the Food Truck Battle and Hourglass Brewing which made for a really fun day. He pointed out these types of events allow other things to go on in the City so there are multiple draws to our destination. He said these events can convince people to go to two or three places in the City, and that is what it is all about. Commissioner McMillian reported on "The true, the good and the beautiful". For "the true" he said he did some research on recycling which the City Commission had discussed at their last meeting. He said Mr. Gioielli sent him a great article from the Florida Trend magazine dated June 29, 2021. He mentioned some facts from the article saying state-wide there is an issue with recycling because in 2018 China got out of the business of importing Western trash, and the bottom fell out of the market. The bundled value of recycled materials in 2017 was $105.00 a ton and in 2019 it went down to $31.00. Also, the article stated plastic export waste in Florida has tanked as well. He said there are other cities and environmentally -minded businesses that are starting to rethink how recycling is happening. He added this was background information for the Commission to think about as they go forward. He said the Commission needs to be mindful in the sense he did not think China will become more open to us rather more closed off to us. In recent news, China had made aggressive motions toward Taiwan again. He said the Commission is going to have to rethink how we do these things and needs to be mindful and looking for things, and our good partners are going to be looking for things too in the industry. He said our citizens need to be aware and we need to keep our eyes open for solutions going forward. Commissioner McMillan reported on "the good" as Saturday, October 2 his grandfather Robert McMillan turned 103 years old. He was at a meeting for his 100th birthday and the Commission had recognized him. Commissioner McMillan reported on "the beautiful" as the charity fundraiser on September 15 he attended which Commissioner Boni helped organize. It was called "A Night of Pairing" at Sourglass Brewing in Longwood benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida's Culinary Training Program. He explained the Second Harvest Food Bank operates a culinary training program for at -risk and disadvantaged adults to get the training they need for culinary careers. During the event, award -winning Chef Jill Holland along with students prepared five courses paired with Hourglass beers. Commissioner McMillan closed with "the beautiful" with his favorite entry of the five courses which was CC 10-04-2021/3 a duck breast slider with Madeira and black cherry compote paired with a La Fee Dragee. District #4. Commissioner Morgan reported on September 21 he had the opportunity to meet with one of Longwood's residents and President Tracy Putnam of the Longwood Historic Society. They visited the History Museum of Seminole County and viewed contributions from Longwood in regards to the Senator Tree. He said the museum setup is impressive in general, and he hoped one day to upgrade the museum in Longwood. Technically, he said, the City History Museum is on the top floor of the Brad lee-Mclntrye House in one of the rooms. He said you can see old photos and some of the story of Longwood but more the story of the house. He hoped one day the City could have a museum in Longwood. He reminded everyone Longwood is one of the oldest cities in the county with a distinguished history. He said if anyone gets a chance, they should visit the Seminole County History Museum in Sanford as well. Commissioner Morgan reported on September 29 he had a meeting with new Superintendent Serita Beamon of Seminole County Public Schools. He said it was a get -to -know -you better meeting as well as he planned to do a lot of work in the schools with various speeches and the like. One issue was to get the feel of where he was at on behalf of the Seminole County Opioid Council as far as getting back into the schools. He said last year when COVID hit there was a teen from Lake Mary who died from taking too many pills laced with Fentanyl unbeknownst to the teen. He was getting calls from parents in Lake Mary asking him to talk to their children one-on-one if he could. At the time, he called Seminole County Public Schools and asked if he could get back into the schools because there was a need to remind students to stay drug -free despite the virus running rampant. He said he wanted to get a timetable or an opinion from Mrs. Beamon in regards to this issue. However, he said they are still not at a stage where they can get all the students in the auditorium because of the inability to social distance. He was also trying to think outside the box and maybe go to a park. He said it is important to get out in front of the students and help them from turning to alcohol, drugs, or things to numb themselves. He had a great conversation with Mrs. Beamon and he thanked her for her time. Commissioner Morgan said on October 1 he watched a presentation with Leisure Services Director Mr. Capizzi in his office in regards to revamping Longwood's Skate Park at Candyland Park. He was invited by BMX legend Chad DeGroot and was impressed with the concept. He said there are three or four professional bike riders who are in Longwood along with two professional skateboarders. They helped the City originally with the BMX Pump Track at Candyland Park. He said the presentation was about the potential to'upgrade the Skate Park. He said the presentation while impressive is still a concept. He added the upgrade would have to go CC 10-04-2021/4 through the necessary approvals. He thanked Mr. DeGroot and his company for the invitation. That same night, Commissioner Morgan attended the Longwood Haunted History Tour which was an idea developed by himself, Tracy Putnam, President of the Longwood Historic Society, and Jason Byrne, Vice President. He said people say they love Longwood's Historic District but when they went to the Bradlee -McIntyre House it would be closed more times than not. He noted they want to get people emotionally invested especially the youth, as well as address the concerns some of the Historic Society members have with potentially ruining the beautiful, historic building. Last year was the first year of the Longwood Haunted History Tour and it was very successful. The first night this year was last Friday and it was successful too. He mentioned the tour is led by Mike the Magician, a former employee of Walt Disney World, and he does a very good job incorporating magic tricks. He invited everyone to attend the tour which he said is more impressive than scary. Commissioner Morgan also noted money spent at the Longwood Historic Society events goes directly to the preservation of the three historic buildings in Longwood including the Bradlee -McIntyre House, Inside - Outside House, and Historic Civic Center. Commissioner Morgan said on his Facebook page there is a link regarding former City Mayor Richard Drummond who moved to South Carolina for a job opportunity. He noted Mr. Drummond was in-between jobs and had an unfortunate slip and fall. The family set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to help offset medical bills, and Commissioner Morgan thanked those who contributed. Unfortunately, he said, after Mr. Drummond's surgery he was told he may not return to work for up to three months. He said the Drummond Family is a proud, hard-working family and they need help. He asked everyone to contribute if they can or share the GoFundMe link. He said the Drummond Family is still part of the City even if they moved to South Carolina. Mr. Drummond served the City as a former mayor, deputy mayor, and commissioner. The link is gofundme.com/f/ drummond-family-accident. Commissioner Morgan reported the next day was the City's National Night Out at Candyland Park. The event also included the Annual Police vs. Fire Department Softball Game. He said the Commissioners cook and hand out hot dogs and chips to residents. In addition, Commissioner Morgan's wife was participating as part of the Parks and Recreation Board. Commissioner Morgan said his son Jackson put together a three -word sentence yesterday and he is so proud. He said he and his wife like to record everything on camera which they share publicly and with specialists. He said he watched his miracle baby boy prove his doctors wrong who gave him around a 99% chance to never talk. The fact his son put together a three -word sentence was a big accomplishment. CC 10-04-2021/5 Commissioner Morgan asked for prayers and support for First Lady of Florida Casey DeSantis who recently was diagnosed with breast cancer. He also read a statement from Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida in regards to his wife's diagnosis. Commissioner Morgan said Mrs. DeSantis has contributed a large amount of work on the war against opioids. He said every day the First Lady is saving hundreds of drug addict lives with her constant initiatives. He also added Mrs. DeSantis is a big help in Seminole County with Sheriff Dennis Lemma and the Opioid Council. He hoped the community would support the First Lady during her treatment for her cancer diagnosis. District #5. Mayor Sackett reported he attended the City's Food Truck Battle Event held last month at Reiter Park. He commended the City's Leisure Services and others who help put the event together. He especially liked the fact there were selections for children such as the $5 Special for a hot dog and chips. He agreed with Commissioner McMillan putting the food trucks and concert together resulted in a wonderful event with hundreds of people in attendance. Mayor Sackett pointed out the logo which the Longwood Historic Society has been using in their advertising is the old City logo. He asked if the logo could be corrected. He also confirmed the Longwood Arts & Crafts Festival is upcoming in November. A few years ago, the festival was turned over to the City from the Longwood Historic Society due to funding. The festival is currently entering its 45th year, and he looked forward to attending the historic event. Mayor Sackett offered prayers for former City Mayor Richard Drummond and was glad the topic was brought up by Commissioner Morgan. He wished Mr. Drummond the best and said funding does help the family. Mayor Sackett commented on the landscaping on State Road 434 in Longwood saying it looked terrible. He asked if the landscaping was being taken care of. Mr. Gioielli responded and said staff evaluated the landscaping last week and identified areas that were needier than others. He said while leaving all the trees and bushes in place, staff is going to replace the bad areas, where sometimes cars drive through, with sod. Mayor Sackett suggested pulling out all of the jasmine which has taken over and make the areas look like Lake Mary Boulevard where there are trees and grass. He estimated about fifty percent (50%) of those areas are dirt which was a major project not that long ago. CC 10-04-2021/6 Mayor Sackett said he also was concerned about the events at Candyland Park including the Longwood Babe Ruth. He did add the toilets are now working. But he said the dirt and staging material at the park is a nuisance. He asked if the mountains of dirt from the City's sewer work could go somewhere else. He said the dirt and mulch piles limit parking at the park. Mr. Gioielli said that part of the park is being used for a staging area for a Public Works project and he could get an idea of how much longer it is needed. Mayor Sackett responded he is concerned about Opening Day for Longwood Babe Ruth and people getting stuck because parking is not available due to the piles of dirt. Mr. Gioielli said he will look into the matter. Mayor Sackett reported American Lube Center which has been in the City for over 30 years has not been open the past few weeks. Sadly, he said the owner's wife, who the mayor worked with for several years, passed away suddenly from a massive stroke. There was a memorial scheduled for the following week. He did not believe the business was closed and did ask if staff could check on them to see how the business was doing. 9. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA Mayor Sackett stated the City Manager requests Item 12C be added to the Agenda and the Item was as follows: Item 12C. City Commission to consider authorizing the City Manager to sign an assignment and assumption of a purchase and sale agreement for the property at 451/455 West Warren Avenue. 10. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve Minutes of the September 20, 2021, Regular Meeting. B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for September 2021. C. Approve a purchase order in the amount of $78,000 to Futron Incorporated for renewal of an Information Technology managed services agreement and authorize the City Manager to sign the City of Longwood MNS Renewal document. D. Approve a purchase order in the amount of $65,000 to Ricoh USA Inc. for expenses related to an equipment lease with toner and service inclusion. CC 10-04-2021/7 Approve, a Field Use Agreement between the City of Longwood and Longwood Babe Ruth League of Seminole County, Inc. for the use of the City baseball and softball fields. F. Approve an agreement between the City of Longwood and Longwood Babe Ruth League of Seminole County, Inc. for the use of the Candyland Concession Stand. G. Approve a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Interlocal Agreement between Seminole County and Cities of Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Lake Mary, Longwood, Oviedo, Sanford, Winter Springs, and the Seminole County Property Appraiser. Commissioner Morgan moved to approve the Consent Agenda Items 10A through 10G as presented. Seconded by Deputy Mayor Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote with Commissioner Boni absent. 11. PUBLIC HEARINGS. None. 12. REGULAR BUSINESS A. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 21-1578, approving a Supplemental Agreement amending the Local Agency Program (LAP) Agreement between the State of Florida Department of Transportation and the City of Longwood concerning funding related to the Cross Seminole Trail Project. Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 21-1578 by title only. Commissioner Morgan moved to adopt Resolution No. 21- 1578 as presented Item 12A. Seconded by Commissioner McMillan and carried by a unanimous roll call vote with Commissioner Boni absent. B. City Commission discussion and direction on a rate increase request from Waste Pro of Florida, Inc. for Residential Solid Waste and Recycling Collection Services. Mr. Gioielli presented the Item. He said last time this topic came before the City Commission, staff was given the task to work with Waste Pro to negotiate rates based on the initial proposal which was $21.46 per resident per month, and to bring forward information for the Commission's consideration regarding the cost savings if the contract was modified removing recycling. He said the cost of curbside recycling as provided by Waste Pro is $4.26 while if removed from the contract is a savings of $1.81. He inquired as to why the City was being charged for recycling under CC 10-04-2021/8 the original proposal of $4.26 and Waste Pro proposed in return $1.81. The explanation he received from Waste Pro was that there is still a necessity to remove trash even if it is not recyclable trash which has an impact on staffing, equipment, and disposal fees. At the same time during negotiations, it was brought to Mr. Gioielli's attention that Seminole County has increased the disposal rate equivalent to about 20 cents per house per month. Waste Pro countered while keeping recycling in place they would not ask for an increase in the disposal rate. Therefore, he said Waste Pro counter offered to the City to continue their original request of $21.46 but did not have an increase in the disposal rate which is built into that cost. Mr. Gioielli concluded with the following two points: 1) Staff tried to negotiate a lower rate for the Commission's review considering the 20-cent increase in the disposal rate. The compromise with Waste Pro is to keep the rate the same as the original offer and they absorb the 20 cents. 2) And, or for the Commission's consideration remove recycling which would save $1.81 off the $21.46. Ms. Susie Dolan, a representative with Waste Pro, was introduced and available for questions. Commissioner McMillian expressed his thoughts on the matter. He believed the City is negotiating on behalf of its residents and it has no budget impact because it is a pass -through to the residents. The increase is not coming out of the City budget but the money is coming out of the pockets of the residents. He would like to see if the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding can be used for the rate increase. He did not see recycling as a real issue at this time. He would prefer to keep things as it is or somehow negotiate a payment out of ARPA funding, whatever needed to be done legally. Commissioner Morgan asked Commissioner McMillian if the City is not able to use the ARPA funding for the Waste Pro request, would he still be in favor of paying them the increase. Commissioner McMillian responded the economics and the cost are fair from what he looked at because it has been a deferred expense, and the expenses are there. He said he would rather not give the sticker shock to the City's residents. He added the City has the ARPA funding and that is what it is for. Commissioner Morgan agreed with Commissioner McMillian, however, noted it will depend upon if the City can spend the ARPA funding on the rate increase from Waste Pro. CC 10-04-2021/9 Mr. Gioielli clarified Commissioner Morgan was supportive of the rate increase leaving recycling in place but he was hopeful the City can be approved to use ARPA funds to offset the first year. Commissioner Morgan and Commissioner McMillian both responded yes. Mr. Gioielli said he could either discuss the question with the City Attorney, first thing the next day or if it was the Commission's desire, he could bring back the item to the next meeting once they have an answer to the question. Deputy Mayor Shoemaker also concurred with Commissioner McMillian. Mayor Sackett asked what does the rate increase amount to per year and how many houses does Waste Pro service in Longwood. Mr. Gioielli replied 5,132 houses, and the rate increase for one year is $221,000 to $222,000. Mayor Sackett believed the City could find the money whether $221,000 out of the $7 million from ARPA funding or $221,000 out of $500,00 for a cell tower purchase. He also asked if the reserves were at 27 to 29 percent. Mr. Gioielli answered the reserve amount was correct. Mayor Sackett said the City needs to educate their public so they did not have a sticker shock of a raise in funds, and everyone at this time is raising fees such as the gas station. He commented the service and response time from Waste Pro has been phenomenal in their ten (10) years with the City. Ms. Dolan thanked Mayor Sackett and said Waste Pro can roll out an educational plan ahead of the rate increase. The plan can be done in increments, done on their website, or put something in the utility bill whatever the City decides to do. Mr. Langley said he would check whether ARPA funding can be used for the rate increase. He said one of the categories in the funding documents is COVID impacts to citizens of local government receiving the funds. It was the consensus of the Commission to have Mr. Gioielli continue negotiations with Waste Pro and focus on using ARPA funds and bring back an item to the next Commission meeting. CC 10-04-2021/10 Added On. C. City Commission to consider authorizing the City Manager to sign an assignment and assumption of a purchase and sale agreement for the property at 451/455 West Warren Avenue. Mr. Gioielli presented the Item and said it is part of City staffs continuing efforts in carrying out the Commission's priority of a new Fire Station. Staff is requesting authority for Mr. Gioielli to sign for the City an assignment and assumption of a purchase and sale agreement for the property at 451/455 West Warren Avenue. He explained this agreement will begin the process for City staff to evaluate the suitability of the subject property. He said in the agreement it asks for authority for the Acting City Manager to spend and not to exceed $1.6 million for the purchase price, due diligence cost, and closing expenses. Commissioner Morgan moved to authorize the Acting City Manager to sign an assignment and assumption of a purchase and sale agreement for the property at 451/455 West Warren Avenue property as presented Item 12C. Seconded by Commissioner McMillian and carried by a unanimous roll call vote with Commissioner Boni absent. 13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Gioielli said the cases related to COVID in Seminole County are trending downward, and the same trend is being seen in local hospitals and the positivity rate in Seminole County. Mr. Gioielli reported staff is still looking to collect guidance from one busy city commissioner regarding his input on the use of ARPA funds but they will move forward with Mr. Langley's guidance specific to Waste Pro. He said once staff has received guidance from Mr. Langley, they will request a meeting to discuss how to best use the funds and get the Commission's direction. Mr. Gioielli reported plans began last week on the adjustment to the jasmine on the State Road 434 median landscaping. Mr. Gioielli asked for direction from the Commission in regards to the lightning detection system that was brought up at a previous City Commission meeting. He said staff has done the research and found three companies that offer a lightning detection system. He said these systems are not software -based like what the City currently uses but these would make a loud sound and lights would flash at the park when lightning is detected within a certain area. One of the systems is the standard Thor Guard System that the City had several years ago that offers a three-year warranty and costs $11,425 each. Another company in CC 10-04-2021/11 Texas named Perry has a system for a purchase of $15,000 and offers a four-year warranty. He said Thor Guard is used by the cities of Altamonte Springs, Oviedo, and Winter Park. Staff found no local areas that use the Perry system. Another system was found in Lake Mary called Earth Networks which, included five years as a subscription and annual costs. But the total cost from Earth Networks for five years is $11,496. He said that system has received good reviews from the City of Lake Mary and because it is a subscription they tend to do all the maintenance for five years. He said he and Mayor Sackett discussed earlier in the day such issues as things breaking down or not operating. He believed the Earth Networks system would fix those issues and offered a better price depending on if the Commission wanted a four, five, or seven-year system. He said the Earth Networks system is guaranteed to continue to work and includes installation, setup, maintenance, equipment, and software for the total cost of $11,496. Mr. Gioielli said the Commission has the option to continue to do what they have been doing which is software on an app and warning notifications at the parks. He asked for direction from the Commission. Discussion ensued on the number of parks in the city and whether a system would be needed in each one, not just Reiter and Candyland Park. Mr. Capizzi said with the Earth Networks system staff would be able to adjust the radius of how far out they want the lightning detection to go. He said it is a horn system but the good thing is people can log into it and the system will send them a notification on top of the horn. He said a radius could be set for six (6) to eight (8) miles from two of the city's major parks, Reiter and Candyland Parks. He believed putting systems with large horns in the pocket parks was not a good idea resulting in citizen complaints. Mayor Sackett said he has been at Candyland Park during lightning and people refused to leave when the prior system worked. He believed the rule was for people to go to their cars and stay there until the alarm turns on again. Mr. Gioielli confirmed the rule. Mayor Sackett said he believed the prior system has been broken for a few years. Mr. Capizzi said the prior system has been removed. Mayor Sackett said people do not respond to lightning detection systems. He said the app works very well but if a system is needed, the City will have to educate people that they have to leave. He also said some people were happy when the prior system was removed at Candyland Park. For CC 10-04-2021/12 health and safety reasons, Mayor Sackett said he agre€d-with the- _ installation of a lightning detection system at the parks but be aware of concerns coming from the other side. He asked who -is -in charge at the parks when baseball games are going on. _ Mr. Capizzi replied when Longwood Babe Ruth is at the park there is_a board member who makes the call and they are looking at lightning applications but when Babe Ruth is not playing, there is park staff who attend to a lightning app. He said they do ask people to leave the park and sometimes they do not as Mayor Sackett said earlier, and sometimes it is difficult to clear everyone out. He also stated there is signage at the parks. Mr. Capizzi said he hoped with a new system people will hear the horn and clear out of the park. He added even though the apps are accurate some people claim they do not carry their phone with them. Commissioner Morgan said he originally brought up the issue because he has received complaints from residents in regards to lightning. He said there have been issues where people have not been told to get off a field. He has heard complaints not only from the Babe Ruth League but also from the Skate Park. He said a lightning detection system is not just wasteful spending but it is something that the City needs especially with more events the City continues to have. He pointed out once the Skate Park gets revamped, there will be more people at Candyland Park. He said he would like to be able to say the City has something that will be protecting people at the parks. He said Altamonte Springs uses a lightning detection system and a lot of ball games are played there, and the same goes for Winter Park. If the new system is safe, he said he was in favor of it. Mr. Gioielli confirmed and clarified the feedback from the Commission and would go with the installation of Earth Networks at Candyland and Reiter Park. 14. CITY ATTORNEYS REPORT. No report. 15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT. No report. 16. ADJOURN. Mayor Sackett adjourned the meeting at 7:11 p.m. Minutes approved by City Commission: 10-18-2021 Brian D. Sack et ay r CC 10-04-2021/13 9 r A E Michelle Bongo, CIVIC, FCRM City Clerk 1 CC 10-04-2021/14