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CC02-05-2024Min LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION Longwood City Commission Chambers 175 West Warren Avenue Longwood, Florida MINUTES February 5, 2024 6:00 P.M. Present: Deputy Mayor Matt Morgan Commissioner Abby Shoemaker Commissioner Matthew McMillan Commissioner Brian D. Sackett Dan Langley, City Attorney Clint Gioielli, City Manager Michelle Longo, City Clerk David Dowda, Police Chief Judith Rosado, Financial Services Director Shad Smith, Public Works Director Excused: Mayor Tony Boni 1. CALL TO ORDER. Deputy Mayor Morgan called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. 2. OPENING INVOCATION. Elder James Graumlich with LifePoint Church gave the invocation. 3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Commissioner Sackett led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. Ms. Longo read the following announcements. A. The City of Longwood will host the "Chili Cook-Off" in conjunction with the monthly car show on Saturday, February 10, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. in the Historic District of Longwood.A taster's kit can be purchased for$7.00 in advance online or on the day of the show. I CC 02-05-2024/1 B. The "Downtown Longwood Cruise-In" Car Show will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the Historic District of Longwood. C. Longwood Movie in the Park will be held on Friday, February 16, 2024 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Reiter Park, 311 West Warren Avenue. This is a free event and the movie will be Trolls World Tour. D. The City of Longwood will host the Florida SMaSH Beer Festival on Saturday, February 17, 2024,from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at Reiter Park, 311 West Warren Avenue. This is a ticketed event and tickets will be available the day of the event for$40.00 at the door. 5. PROCLAMATIONS/ RECOGNITIONS A. Recognition Presentation of the 44th Annual JOY(Juvenile of the Year)Awards. Parker Cogdell Altamonte Elementary School Desteney Jackson Greenwood Lakes Middle School Noah Rolon Highlands Elementary School Angel Billini Lake Mary High School Noelia Berduo Tomas Longwood Elementary School Lily Morgan Lyman High School Mary Fleming Milwee Middle School Michael Rivera Rock Lake Middle School Jalyssa Godette Winter Springs Elementary School Zachary Roz Winter Springs High School Zaria Castana Woodlands Elementary School Deputy Mayor Morgan read the history of the JOY Awards. Each student was announced and presented with a framed certificate. Photographs were then taken. The Commission recessed at 6:29 p.m. and reconvened at 6:40 p.m. 6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS A. City Commission nomination of a resident to the Board of Trustees for the City of Longwood Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Trust Fund. Deputy Mayor Morgan nominated Enrique Matta for appointment to the City of Longwood Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension CC 02-05-2024/2 Trust Fund. Nomination carried by a unanimous voice vote with Mayor Boni absent. B. District#4 Nomination to the Land Planning Agency. Deputy Mayor Morgan nominated Jessica Palmer for appointment to the Land Planning Agency. Nomination carried by a unanimous voice vote with Mayor Boni absent. 7. PUBLIC INPUT A. Public Participation. Patrick McFadden, 437 Sundown Trail, Casselberry. Mr. McFadden, President of Longwood Babe Ruth Baseball & Softball, thanked the City for the work being done at Candyland Sports Complex. He said the league was excited to participate in the Chili Cook-Off. He announced that Opening Day for Longwood Babe Ruth was scheduled for February 17 at 9:00 a.m. and invited the City Commission. Jennifer Inman, 388 Still Forest Terrace, Sanford. She spoke on behalf of her husband, Andy Inman. She stated that on Thursday, January 25, Mr. Inman was forced to resign as battalion chief at the Longwood Fire Department. She said he missed a certain meeting and was told he had a pattern of performance issues.The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) meeting was during his shift day, and on that particular day, he had a large fire call. The City's and its employees' safety are Mr. Inman's priority, and when he returned from the call, he did not remember the meeting. He returned on his day off to apologize to the CERT team. She said her husband started working as a firefighter for the City of Longwood's Fire Department seventeen (17) years ago. Since then, he has risen in the ranks to paramedic, lieutenant, and now battalion chief. He has never had an unsatisfactory review and maintains positive relationships with his co-workers. If there were a pattern of performance issues, he would not have been able to accomplish all of these things. He is a loyal and supportive leader at the fire station, and he goes out of his way to help others, and they know he always has their back. He gives up his time at home to work overtime so other firefighters do not have to. He attends several community events and takes pride in working for the City of Longwood. He has always planned to finish his career at the Longwood Fire Department. While maintaining his career, Mr. Inman has been through a lot in the seventeen (17) years he has been a Longwood employee. He has welcomed five CC 02-05-2024/3 (5) kids, two of whom fought for their lives. He watched his wife battle cancer and has lost his mother, brother, and both grandparents. She said he had been through a lot, but nothing had broken him until now. Being told he cannot work for the City has broken his heart. These firefighters are his family; he has worked with them for so long and wants to continue doing so until he decides to retire. He had her back when they struggled for two (2) years to conceive their first child. She said he is persistent and even-tempered in challenging situations. She recalled that when their fourth son was born, he had to stay in the hospital, and she remained by his side. She was scheduled for surgery but ended up in the Emergency Room due to dehydration. She called her husband crying, unable to visit their son, and he purchased a motorized scooter so she could see their son. She said he has a strong heart for others and will do anything for someone in need. When she had cancer, she needed surgery to remove a lung. He moved their bed downstairs so she would not miss any time with their children. She said this proves he is dedicated and intuitive and knew what she needed and wanted during that traumatic time. Mr. Inman is passionate about firefighting and is committed to the City and the Fire Station. He is encouraging to his fellow firefighters and compassionate, and he has a servant's heart. He has integrity and desires to see this City and this Fire Department be successful. He is well-known throughout the county and community, and a lot of supportive people want him to get his job back. She is praying that the City Commission sees that and asks that the Commission join them in their support for him. 8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT District#2. No report. District#3. Commissioner McMillan attended the Florida League of Cities Legislative Action Days in Tallahassee and met individually with Representative Plakon and Senator Brodeur. He reported that another homestead exemption would likely be on the ballot in November due to pressure from homeowners regarding rising real estate values. He said this item may impact the City's revenue depending on what version was voted upon. He reviewed the bill on sovereign immunity caps. The silver lining he sees is that the statute of limitations for negligence claims has been cut in half, and future caps will increase every five (5) years based on the consumer price index. In addition, a municipality can settle above the cap if so desired without legislative approval. Other items on the agenda included Live Local Reform, Utility Fee Reform, and Repeal of the Business Tax License, all of which affect municipalities in terms of revenue. He attended a continuing legal education seminar, and one CC 02-05-2024/4 topic dealt with a property insurance reform package passed last year. He stated there was hope that the reform would help the property insurance market, which will ultimately help homeowners, even though that has not been seen right away. Commissioner McMillan reported on the true, good, and beautiful. For the "true," he stated a historic fact that Longwood, located about forty- five (45) miles from Cape Canaveral, has witnessed several space tragedies during this time of year. He listed the names of those who lost their lives on the Challenger January 28, 1986, the Columbia February 1, 2003, and the Apollo 1 in January 27, 1967. For the "good," he saw community building and engagement at MEGACON Orlando. He saw Pastor Tony Talavera from Longwood Sanctuary Church at the convention with his Nerds of Godcast and Sunday service, attracting many people. For the "beautiful," he saw a sunset over West Lake with the silhouette of sandhill cranes over the water, and the awesome Florida strawberries are now at the Longwood Farmers Market. District#4. Deputy Mayor Morgan reported on January 17 that he visited One School of the Arts in Longwood and taught debate to several classes. He watched students afterward debate on school issues and said they were smart and inspiring. The next day, he went to Northland Church and talked with Mephibo's House, a special needs program for adults aged eighteen (18) and up. The program teaches life skills for independent living. He announced that Mephibo's House will be a vendor in the 2nd Annual Walk for Autism Awareness & Inclusion event in April. On January 20, he spoke at the Seminole County Sheriff's Office as part of the Red Sand Project to raise awareness of human trafficking. He thanked Jan Edwards for her work on this project. On January 22, he attended a Memorial for Danilo Rodriguez, a Marine and Lyman High School graduate who passed away on assignment in Japan. On January 25, he attended a Boy Scout meeting at the Wekiva Presbyterian Church. The next day, he attended a fundraiser for Heroes Strong at Nan & Pop's Ice Cream Shop. The shop created a new ice cream flavor, PB&J, for the event. According to President David Rubin of Heroes Strong, it stands for purpose, balance, and joy. Deputy Mayor Morgan met with Chris Capizzi and Ryan Rinaldo to discuss the 2nd Annual Walk for Autism Awareness & Inclusion event at Reiter Park. He hopes to raise $10,000 for the event and make more booths and vendors available. On February 2, he attended a pep rally for the Fun Run event at Longwood Elementary School. Money from the Fun Run event will go towards a shade for the school playground. On February 3, he attended the Mustang & Ford Roundup, and on February 4, he CC 02-05-2024/5 attended the Seminole County Florida Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner. District#5. Commissioner Sackett commented on the Boy Scout meeting he attended and noted they discussed integrity and doing the right thing. He asked about WOW!, a new internet provider, and its impact on the City's water supply. Mr. Gioielli responded that staff sometimes worked overtime until 3:00- 4:00 a.m. to get the residents' water turned on. The City was billing WOW! for expenses incurred by taxpayers, including employee salaries, but unfortunately, the situation was still overwhelming. He said the City is issuing stop-work orders to WOW! just to get caught up with their mistakes. Commissioner Sackett reported that concerns with WOW! have been the number one complaint he has heard. He asked if the water in the Coventry neighborhood had been turned back on. Mr. Gioielli responded yes, it had been turned back on. Commissioner Sackett said he received a call from a school wrestling coach who forgot to pick up trophies from AAA Trophies in Longwood. He arranged with an owner that the trophies and medals got picked up after hours. He mentioned that the wrestling team at Lyman High School holds the best record ever for both boys and girls. He appreciated earlier comments from President McFadden of Longwood Babe Ruth Baseball & Softball and commented that the league currently has 340 players. He said the Chili Cook-Off was scheduled for the upcoming weekend, and he invited the Lyman High School Culinary Class, which took first place in district competition with other high schools making chili. He offered to pay the class's entrance fee and food cost so their individual teams could have a competition among themselves at the Chili Cook-Off. He said Lyman High School held a 5K Run to raise money for a track similar to Lake Mary High School. He thanked Waste Pro USA and Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital for their help as corporate sponsors. He met the school baseball and softball coaches as they started their new season. He attended the Mustang & Ford Roundup. He invited everyone to attend Light Up Lyman on Thursday, which showcases all the classes and programs at Lyman High School. He attended a fundraiser for Buddy Ball with about 200 people in attendance and mentioned that Buddy Ball celebrated its 15th Anniversary. Commissioner Sackett asked at a future meeting to discuss the reduction of liens at a percentage of the house's value and work with the CC 02-05-2024/6 homeowner to get the property up to code. He said the objective would be to move people forward, being productive and keeping up their homes. He would attend the Council of Local Governments in Seminole County (CALNO) meeting on Wednesday night and the MetroPlan meeting on Thursday. He said the Florida Department of Transportation has been on the local news talking about pedestrian safety, mainly where streets are dark and people get killed. District#1. Commissioner Shoemaker attended the Tri-County League of Cities meeting on January 18. She said the presentation on homelessness and social services was good, and she requested a copy of the PowerPoint presentation for the Clerk to distribute to the Commission. She mentioned a few key points from the presentation, which included the tri-county area's unsheltered population has risen 40%since 2019; on any given day in the tri-county area, 2,267 people are experiencing homelessness; one of the most prominent reasons for homelessness is the lack of affordable housing and rent increases; and many affected people are on Social Security and Food Stamps. She also mentioned that the presenter, Lisa Portelli, said she and the City of Orlando are working hard to house as many people as possible with federal funds from HUD. Also emphasized were low barrier shelters that take everyone and are open 24/7, like a shelter in Pinellas County, which takes everyone, including those under the influence, with pets, or any other struggles. The presenter stressed the need for more shelters and securing gainful employment, recognizing that not all homeless want to be helped. Ms. Portelli expressed concern about the homeless being taken to jail as this does not assist them; they have a criminal record and fines to pay, and this will repeat again. Her preference would be for them to be taken to a shelter. Commissioner Shoemaker recognized Commissioner McMillan for his work as chairman of the Rescue Outreach Mission, a homeless shelter in Sanford. Commissioner Shoemaker attended the memorial for marine Danilo Rodriguez on January 22. She was invited to a Boy Scout meeting on January 25. What she stressed to the children and parents was to volunteer, be active, help people, and if they want to get involved with the government, do it for the right reasons and because they feel it in their hearts. She attended the Mustang & Ford Roundup on February 3 and served as the Mayor's Choice Judge since Mayor Boni was unavailable. She selected a 1965 Shelby Mustang Convertible as her first choice and a Star Wars GT Mustang with R2-D2 as runner-up. She reported that she found a $5 food item at the event. That evening, she attended the Rotary Club Poker Tournament, and the proceeds from the tournament went towards the Scholastic Reading Program at Longwood CC 02-05-2024/7 Elementary School. In addition, there was a food drive where people brought in non-perishable items. 9. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA. None. 10. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve the Minutes of the January 15, 2024, Regular Meeting. B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for December 2023. C. Approve a purchase order in the amount of$100,000 to Fortiline, Inc.to purchase water and sewer-related supplies. D. Approve a purchase order in the amount of$89,555.79 to Huffman Inc. DBA NuWave Concrete for the construction of new sidewalk connections and concrete repairs and authorize the City Manager to execute any associated documents. Commissioner Sackett moved to approve Items 10A through 10D as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote with Mayor Boni absent. 11. PUBLIC HEARINGS. None. 12. REGULAR BUSINESS A. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 24-1656, which amends the fiscal year 2023/2024 budget and authorizes funds to cover purchase orders rolled from the fiscal year 2022/2023 for Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Projects or grants and make other necessary adjustments to the budget. Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 24-1656 by title only. Ms. Rosado presented the Item. Commissioner McMillan moved to adopt Resolution No. 24-1656 as presented Item 12A. Seconded by Commissioner Sackett and carried by a unanimous roll call vote with Mayor Boni absent. B. City Commission consideration and approval of a Historic District Matching Grant Application (HG 01-24)from Judy's Dolls for the property located at 281 West Warren Avenue. CC 02-05-2024/8 Mr. Gioielli presented the Item. II Deputy Mayor Morgan moved to approve Item 12B as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Sackett and carried by a unanimous roll call vote with Mayor Boni absent. C. Approve an easement agreement between the City of Longwood and Duke Energy to provide power for the City lift station located at 801 Raven Avenue, parcel#28-20-30-502-0000-0440 and authorize the City Manager to execute any associated documents. Mr. Smith presented the Item. Deputy Mayor Morgan moved to approve Item 12C as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote with Mayor Boni absent. D. Approve a request from the City Clerk to cover the registration fee of$50 for Commissioner McMillan attending the Florida League of Cities 2024 Legislative Actions Days in Tallahassee. Commissioner Sackett moved to approve Item 12D as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote with Mayor Boni absent. 13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Gioielli reported there have been complaints about West Bay Avenue in the Historic District regarding vehicles cutting the Ronald Reagan Boulevard and State Road 434 intersection light and coming through the district. The complaints are that the vehicles are traveling at a high rate of speed, and it was not the first time staff had heard these complaints. The Police Department is conducting an internal speed study, utilizing a traffic trailer, and setting up an area patrol, including officers on the roadway. Mr. Smith has improved speed limit signage, ordered additional line striping, and evaluated data to see if additional measures, such as an independent traffic study, are required. He noted that intersection is a problem and trying to address it from a technical standpoint. Mr. Gioielli reported that the Public Works Department installed pedestrian signage in the middle of the street in front of Longwood CC 02-05-2024/9 Elementary School to help motivate drivers to slow down and yield to pedestrians, specifically children. According to a 2023 study with someone manually counting cars and pedestrians, they saw that without the signs, there was a 33% legal response to yielding to pedestrians, but once the signs were up, they saw the response increase to 80%. More signs will be seen around the City, including at Weston Apartments, a well-traveled area. Commissioner Sackett asked for the data from Mr. Gioielli for his Thursday MetroPlan meeting. Mr. Gioielli announced that the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) released a press release recognizing the City of Longwood, Director Judith Rosado, and her finance team for the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. He reported that Commissioner Shoemaker introduced staff to the group Cuplet Fern Society of Seminole County. The group was interested in donating and working with staff to set up a Sunshine Mimosa Garden. Staff installed the garden near the Candyland Sports Complex parking area last week. Mr. Gioielli provided an update regarding an inquiry from Commissioner McMillan about the traffic light issue at Rangeline Road and Longwood Hills Road. He said there was a larger issue with the power source reaching different lights at different times, and a solution is being worked on. He announced a City of Longwood Prayer Breakfast partnered with Waterstone Church scheduled on April 10. Doors open at 7:30 a.m., and the program will start at 8:00 a.m. Invitations will be sent to the Commission. 14. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT. No report. 15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT Ms. Longo reported there would be a Tri-County League of Cities Meeting on Thursday, February 15, hosted by Ocoee and to let her know if any of the Commissioners would like to attend, and she would get them registered. She reported that this month, on Friday, February 23, the Seminole County Prayer Breakfast would be held at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary beginning at 7:00 a.m. The keynote speaker will be Greg Warmoth with WFTV. All Commissioners have been registered to attend. Also, this month will be the Annual State of the County luncheon on Thursday, February 29, at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary beginning at 11:30 a.m. All the Commissioners are registered to attend. 16. ADJOURN. Deputy Mayor Morgan adjourned the meeting at 7:42 p.m. CC 02-05-2024/10 Minutes approved by City Commission: 02-19-2 . / / . Tony Bo i ayor ATTS : Mich e o , FCRM City Clerk I I CC 02-05-2024/11 I This Page Left Blank Intentionally. I I CC 02-05-2024/12