CC02-20-2023Min LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION
Longwood City Commission Chambers
175 West Warren Avenue
Longwood, Florida
MINUTES
February 20, 2023
6:00 P.M.
Present: Mayor Matt Morgan
Deputy Mayor Matthew McMillan
Commissioner Abby Shoemaker
Commissioner Tony Boni
Commissioner Brian D. Sackett
Dan Langley, City Attorney
Clint Gioielli, Acting City Manager
Michelle Longo, City Clerk
David Dowda, Police Chief
Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services Director
Shad Smith, Public Works Director
Magdala Ridore, Human Resources Director
1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Morgan called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. OPENING INVOCATION. Joe Varghese with St. Paul's Orthodox Church
gave the invocation.
3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Mayor Morgan 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 3,
2023, beginning at 6:30 p.m., Reiter Park, 311 West Warren
Avenue. This is a free event and the movie will be Cloudy with a
Chance of Meatballs 2.
B. The City of Longwood will be hosting the final tryouts for the
I 6 Orlando Prowlers Professional Dance Team at Reiter Park, 311
West Warren Avenue, on Saturday, February 25, 2023,from 6:00
p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Come and see these professional dancers
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give it their all in an attempt to make the team. Food and
beverages will be available for purchase.
5. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
A. District#3 Nomination of the Business Person of the Month
Award for March 2023.
Deputy Mayor McMillan nominated Karen Hager,Accounting/HR
Manager of A.B. Design Group, LLC for the Business Person of the
Month for March 2023. Nomination carried by a unanimous voice
vote.
6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS
A. District#2 Nomination to the Parks& Recreation Advisory
Board.
Commissioner Boni deferred the nomination until the next
meeting.
B. City Clerk recommends, in accordance with the requirements of
Chapters 175 and 185, Florida Statutes,that the City Commission
appoint Stefanie Reardon as the fifth member to the Board of
Trustees for the Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Plan.
Deputy Mayor McMillan nominated Stefanie Reardon for
appointment to the Board of Trustees for the Police Officers' and
Firefighter's Pension Trust Fund. Seconded by Commissioner Boni
and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
7. PUBLIC INPUT
A. Presentation: Mr. Bryce Mendenhall, the president of Sunshine
Water Services, will provide a utility overview.
Bryce Mendenhall presented an overview of Sunshine Water
Services. He reviewed their purpose, vision, values, and strategic
goals. Mr. Mendenhall provided a background on the company,
how long they have operated in Florida, its customer areas, and
the number of customers in the City of Longwood; its
headquarters are in Altamonte Springs and regulated by the
Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC). He addressed how they
communicate with their customers, which can be done through a
customer portal on their website, calling the customer service
line, and through social media.
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Discussion ensued, and Mr. Mendenhall answered questions from
the Commissioners regarding price increases and notification
letters received stating customer input was not needed, resident
water leaks and high utility bills, delays in billing, multiple rate
increases, consideration for Longwood to purchase the utility
services for city residents on Sunshine Water Services, comparing
City water services versus Sunshine Water Services, and residents
not receiving the best service from Sunshine Water Services. Mr.
Mendenhall noted that Sunshine Water Services' assets were not
for sale.
Mr. Gioielli was asked to follow up with the possibility of
purchasing the portion of the utility system from Sunshine Water
Services that services city residents, including a future
conversation with their company's senior staff.
B. Public Participation.
Michele Philips, 904 N. Grant Street, Longwood. She addressed
the need for a second exit gate at Arbor Park Dog Park.She felt it
was important for safety reasons in case of a dog fight. She
mentioned another dog park in Sanford, Paw Park, with three (3)
exits, and dog owners use them. She said one of her dogs is
fearful, and when the dog becomes skittish, she uses a different
exit. Having only one exit at Arbor Park Dog Park makes it difficult
to leave with a skittish dog. She suggested putting in an exit and
having it as an option to go through the small dog side. She
mentioned a past situation in which a man blocked the gate at the
dog park following a dog fight, and no one could leave. In another
situation, someone blocked the gate by parking their car too
close. She felt very strongly in favor of a second gate.
8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT
District#1. Commissioner Shoemaker reported she rode her bicycle
often, delivering/picking up tax returns from her local clients in
Longwood. She attended the Seminole County Prayer Breakfast,the Tri-
County League of Cities lunch meeting, and the Longwood Historic
Society's membership meeting,where she passed along her accounting
responsibility to another individual. She mentioned the upcoming
Longwood Historic Society's Charity Poker Tournament and asked for
support with this fundraising event.
I I Commissioner Shoemaker stated she received a spam text and email,
which appeared to come from Mother Michelle of Christ Episcopal
Church. She called the church and found out the messages were spam.
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The sender was trying to get everyone to buy something to support a
cancer patient, which was false information. She gave kudos to the Police
Department for routinely posting on Facebook spam alerts. She said her
son did his civic duty today and reported for jury duty.
District#2. Commissioner Boni attended the retirement party for Mr.
Gioielli, who served in the Police Department for twenty-five (25)years,
and welcomed him as the new City Manager effective March 5. He
attended the Seminole County Prayer Breakfast and commented Sheriff
Dennis Lemma did an outstanding job as keynote speaker. He attended
the Senior Matinee at the Longwood Community Building and was glad to
see the building utilized as a theater for local seniors.
Commissioner Boni attended the Tri-County League of Cities lunch
meeting. He thanked Liane Cartagena and noted he had seen more posts
and announcements on social media than he ever had seen before. He
thanked Mayor Morgan for giving wrestling lessons to his daughter for
her upcoming matches. He mentioned for his birthday last year, his
daughter Olivia bought him two tickets to Daytona 500, which he recently
attended and thoroughly enjoyed.
District#3. Deputy Mayor McMillan asked that the Fire and Police
Departments be recognized as part of the City's centennial celebration
since they have been part of Longwood's history since 1923. He attended
the Seminole County Prayer Breakfast and Movie in the Park. On
February 18, Deputy Mayor McMillan walked on the new sidewalk along
Longwood Hills Road,going from Longwood to Oviedo using the Cross
Seminole Trail. He said the weather was perfect for the 13-mile walk, and
he arrived at the Oviedo Town House Restaurant and had dinner taking
an Uber home afterward. He gained a better perspective of the trail
system.
Deputy Mayor McMillan attended the Seminole County Chamber
Longwood Lunch & Learn as a representative of the Longwood Historic
Society, saw the new floors at the Longwood Community Building and
thought they looked fantastic. He mentioned the upcoming Charity
Poker Tournament on March 4, a fundraiser for the society to help with
the preservation and maintenance of the Bradlee-Mclntrye House,
Inside-Out House, and the Historic Civic Center.
Deputy Mayor McMillan reported on the true,good, and beautiful. For
the "true," he commented on inflation. He said inflation peaked at a nine
percent (9%) annual rate in June 2022, ending the year at eight percent
(8%), which is a significant increase from four-point seven percent (4.7%)
in 2021. In January 2023, the rate was six-point four percent (6.4%), qual
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1 downward trend that has continued since the peak in June 2022. For the
"good," he attended a memorial service for Dede Schaffner at Northland
Church. He saw all the mementos of her life as a former school board
member and community volunteer. For the "beautiful," he mentioned
when he walked on the trail,there was a beautiful blue sky, and many
colorful flowers were blooming.
District#4. Mayor Morgan attended the memorial service for Dede
Schaffner along with Deputy Mayor McMillan. On February 7, he
attended a Seminole County Public School Workshop and continues
supporting cameras in the special needs classrooms. He attended the
Seminole County Prayer Breakfast along with fellow commissioners.
Mayor Morgan attended a Heroes Strong Board meeting on February 8
and is proud of President David Rubin and his organization's work for
Central Florida's everyday heroes.
Mayor Morgan attended the retirement party for Mr. Gioielli. On
February 14, he attended a Salvation Army Rehabilitation Board meeting.
If anyone needs help with drug or alcohol addiction,they can go to the
Salvation Army for assistance at no cost. On February 15, he went to
Apopka's VFW Hall to begin the discussion of a Welcome Home event
with Heroes Strong scheduled for April 1.The event will be a tribute to
Vietnam Veterans specifically.That same evening he spoke to the
lacrosse team at Lake Brantley High School regarding bullying and the
need for leadership both on and off the field. On February 16, he
participated in Leadership Seminole Vision VI.The Seminole Vision event
is a public-private collaborative and inclusive effort of community leaders
to discuss and create the county's future. He attended the Tri-County
League of Cities luncheon in Lake Mary, and the topic was informative
regarding American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) spending. He mentioned
Commissioner Boni's daughter is a talented athlete, and he was happy to
help her with wrestling advice.
Mayor Morgan participated in a Heroes Strong event at the 1st Annual
Casselberry Police Foundation Bowling Fundraiser. He attended the
Longwood Historic Society meeting and commented on their
responsibility to maintain buildings in the historic district. He also urged
everyone to join the society and participate in yearly fundraisers. He
commented on the economy and the rising price of eggs. He spoke with
the owner of Country Kitchen when he was there having breakfast. He
said the restaurant owner used to pay$18 for 180 eggs and now pays
$89, resulting in a price increase for breakfast.
Mayor Morgan asked Mr. Gioielli about the status of the new fire
department.
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Mr. Gioielli responded they are currently in a planning phase, and an
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upcoming agenda item requests an extension with FEMA to ensure the
City does not lose FEMA dollars. He anticipates finishing the planning
phase and moving into the construction phase at the end of April.There
will be drawings for the Commission and the public to see once the
planning phase is completed.
District#5. Commissioner Sackett attended the retirement party for Mr.
Gioielli. He addressed the situation with Sunshine Water Services, saying
that if they cannot make repairs to a hole in the road, get to a pump
station in a timely manner, or straighten out a bill in less than two
months, that is unacceptable. Regarding a proposed second gate at Arbor
Park Dog Park, he agreed with Ms. Philips that another exit is necessary
for public safety. Commissioner Sackett said he and his wife went
camping with their children and grandchildren.They had a wonderful
time in St. Augustine, enjoying the break.
Commissioner Boni said the Longwood Historic Society's Charity Poker
Tournament would be held on March 4; registration is at 3:00 p.m. and
shuffle and deal at 5:00 p.m. at the Longwood Community Building. The
cost is$65 per seat, and tickets are available at
poker.historiclongwood.com. 111
9. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA. None.
10. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approve the Minutes of February 6, 2023, Regular Meeting.
B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for February 2023.
C. Approve the Monthly Financial Report for January 2023.
Deputy Mayor McMillan requested an amendment to the minutes
to correct Brett Mason's spelling and change "Brent" to "Brett."
Deputy Mayor McMillan moved to approve Items 10A
through 10C as presented with the minutes approved as
amended. Seconded by Commissioner Sackett and carried
by a unanimous roll call vote.
11. PUBLIC HEARINGS. None.
12. REGULAR BUSINESS3
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A. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No.23-1626,which
amends the Defined Contribution Retirement Plan for the City
r Manager and Elected Officials of Longwood.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 23-1626 by title only.
Commissioner Boni moved to adopt Resolution No. 23-
1626 as presented in Item 12A. Seconded by
Commissioner Sackett and carried by a unanimous roll call
vote.
B. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 23-1627,approving
a modification to the Subgrant Agreement between the Division
of Emergency Management and the City of Longwood for a time
extension related to the Fire Station Facility, Hurricane Safe
Room, Code Plus and Generator—Phase 1 Project.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 23-1627 by title only.
Commissioner Shoemaker moved to adopt Resolution No.
23-1627 as presented in Item 12B. Seconded by
Commissioner Deputy Mayor McMillan and carried by a
unanimous roll call vote.
C. City Commission approval of recommended event dates for the
2023 Celebrate the Season, Longwood Christmas Parade, and
Tree Lighting.
Mr. Gioielli presented the Item and went over the recommended
dates as Thursday, November 30, 2023,for the Tree Lighting along
with the Holiday Jazz Concert,Saturday, December 2, 2023,for
the Longwood Christmas Parade, and Friday, December 8, 2023,
would be Celebrate the Season.
Discussion ensued to hold the Tree Lighting as an individual event
held on December 1 every year, consider relocation of the tree in
a more visible spot, add a second tree in addition to the one at
Reiter Park, hold the Tree Lighting in conjunction with other
events to draw more people and efficiently use staff, and consider
a route change for the Christmas Parade.
Mr. Capizzi stated more information would be forthcoming on the
Christmas Parade and changing the route.
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Mayor Morgan said the Commission could make changes next
year, if so desired, for the holiday schedule and activities.
Mayor Morgan moved to approve the Tree Lighting event
to be held on November 30, 2023, with the Holiday Jazz
Concert. Seconded by Commissioner Boni and carried by a
unanimous roll call vote.
Deputy Mayor McMillan moved to approve the 2023
Longwood Christmas Parade and Celebrate the Season
event dates as presented by staff. Seconded by
Commissioner Shoemaker.
Discussion ensued on when the schools break for vacation,
scheduling events earlier in the month, availability of
entertainment and entries in the parade later into December,
staffing for the events, and dates of Breakfast with Santa and
Santa Visits Longwood.
Motion was carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
D. City Commission discussion and direction on the type of
surveillance camera to be installed at the Arbor Park Dog Park.
Mr. Capizzi presented the Item and went over the camera
options.
Discussion ensued on the purpose of the cameras, also that the
request from dog owners was for a second exit for safety and not
to install cameras, the cost of the cameras is high, that cameras
do not solve the problem, cameras can identify a troublesome
person if needed, camera use is to deter vandalism not to surveil
people's conduct, dog owners can use their cell phones to record
any issues, cameras add an extra layer of security, the cost of the
double gate system, potential parking concerns based on the
location, and an exit gate installed at the interior of the small dog
park to then exit out the existing main gate.
Mr. Capizzi reiterated for clarification if a second gate was
installed, to designate it as an emergency exit into the small dog
section to prevent people from going through there all the time.
Also, to have a spring and latch on the gate,to only open from the
inside, not the outside.
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No action was taken on the surveillance cameras. Mr. Gioielli will
bring a new item to the Commission with a new quote for adding
an exit in the fence and camera options.
13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Mr. Gioielli reported the Water Tower had the city logo added to two (2)
sides facing east and west. He said they had an issue with the work done,
and the staff found it unacceptable.The company has agreed to repaint
the entire Water Tower and add the logos.The work is scheduled to
begin this week. He was hopeful to present something in conjunction
with the Commission to the residents.
Mr. Gioielli stated Public Works has begun clearing out the area at the
entrance of the Skylark Neighborhood this week. Last year the
Commission approved the City to take over the maintenance and policing
of that wooded area. He pointed out the City has no lawful authority
along the property line at the utility easement north of Big Tree Park, as
the City has not taken over that area.Therefore, they cannot remove
people who use the area as a camping site. He said the staff does try to
get assistance for those people to move them along.
Mr. Gioielli reported the flooring at the Longwood Community Building
has been replaced and showed photos of the new floor. He noted
another upgrade at the Splash Pad in Reiter Park.They now have an
upgraded surface with one consistent texture and color. He said the
Splash Pad would look presentable and professional for its reopening in
March.
14. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT. No report.
15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT
Ms. Longo reported this Wednesday, February 22 there will be a ribbon
cutting for Domare Pizza at 5:00 p.m. They are located where the old Pizza
Hut was at 201 West State Road 434, at the corner of Wilma Street and
State Road 434. She stated there will be a Mayors and Managers meeting
February 21 hosted by the City of Casselberry at 11:30 a.m. It will be held
at the Casselberry Police Department located at 4195 South US Highway
17-92 in the Multi-Purpose Room. She also noted there will be another
ribbon cutting for Get Fueled Meals which has been scheduled for March
1.
16. ADJOURN. Mayor Morgan adjourned the meeting at 7:52 p.m.
Minutes approved by City Commission: 03-06-2023
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Matt Morgan, Mayor_-
ATTE ' 7
o, MC, FCRM
City Clerk
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