CC04-01-2024Min LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION
Longwood City Commission Chambers
175 West Warren Avenue
Longwood, Florida
MINUTES
April 1, 2024
6:00 P.M.
Present: Mayor Tony Boni
Deputy Mayor Matt Morgan
Commissioner Abby Shoemaker
Commissioner Matthew McMillan
Commissioner Brian D. Sackett
Dan Langley, City Attorney
Clint Gioielli, City Manager
David Dowda, Police Chief
Nerys Hernandez, Records Coordinator
Absent: Michelle Longo, City Clerk— Excused
1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Boni called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.
2. OPENING INVOCATION. Pastor Doug Hardt with Markham Woods
Seventh-day Adventist Church gave the invocation.
3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Deputy Mayor Morgan led the Pledge of
Allegiance.
4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. Ms. Hernandez read the following
announcements.
A. The Longwood Community Health &Wellness Event will be held
on Saturday, April 13, 2024,from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at
the Longwood Community Building, 200 West Warren Avenue.
There will be Health and Wellness related vendors, raffle prize
giveaways, and more. This is a free event.
B. A Food Truck Battle and Concert in the Park will be held on
Saturday,April 13, 2024,from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Reiter
Park. The concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. and feature Speed Limit
70.
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C. The "Downtown Longwood Cruise-In" Car Show will be held on
Saturday, April 13, 2024,from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the
Historic District of Longwood.
5. PROCLAMATIONS/ RECOGNITIONS
A. Presentation of the Beautification Award to the Devonshire
Subdivision.
Commissioner Sackett presented the Beautification Award to
representatives from the Devonshire Subdivision. Photographs
were then taken.
B. The City of Longwood recognizes The Honorable James E.C. Perry
with a Proclamation for his many personal achievements and
years of dedicated service to the community.
Mayor Boni read the Proclamation and then presented it to Mrs.
Andrienne Perry, who excepted on behalf of her husband.
Photographs were then taken.
6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS. None.
7. PUBLIC INPUT
A. Public Participation.
Virginia Craig, 225 Slade Drive, Longwood. She spoke about her
and her husband's concern regarding property lines in Windsor
Manor. When they purchased their property, they were provided
legal documents at their closing and told they owned property
that goes down into Lake Windsor. Her husband recently learned
from Mr. Matthew Hockenberry in 1972 that a lake reclamation
area was added to the plat, which is now part of lots 160, 159,
and 158, which they own. Her husband found a 1991 survey that
shows the area of concern as the reclamation area. She noted
they have continued to maintain all of the property, including
portions that go into the lake, including the reclamation area. Her
concern is when they pass, the property will go to their three
daughters, and she would like them to be able to sell the property
without any deed or plat restrictions. She requested the City
Commission place the matter on the docket for further review
and resolution.
Jose Ramirez, 1040 Alameda Drive, Longwood. He spoke about an
unresolved code enforcement issue from 2017. He was a driver
and not at his house very often. He noted he received a ticket and
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never saw it. He indicated he had in an envelope with receipts and
all the returned mail he never got. He explained he has a daily fee
of$50 and did not want that to increase. He asked for the
Commissioner's assistance.
Fran Leason, 221 Slade Lane, Longwood. She noted she owns lot
160 and purchased her property in 1977. She was told that lots
160, 159, and 158 were split, so all three (3) properties could be
lakefront owners. She found out last month that half of her
property does not belong to her. She has maintained the
property for forty-seven (47) years. She understood the City had
discussed deeding the property back to the property owners, and
she would appreciate that. It was also expressed that she would
like the City to continue with their current maintenance of the
area since they spray on either side of her property. She
requested that the City Commission address the issues and let her
know what the procedure would be and if anything was needed
from the owners.
Mr. Gioielli provided information about the lake ownership and noted
that the staff researched with the City Attorney to understand their
options. He anticipates presenting staff suggestions to the City
Commission to allow residents who request to take back lake access. He
noted no value to the City continuing to own the property. He also
explained that the lake was maintained because the City owns it and does
not maintain lakes it does not own.
Mr. Langley explained Lake Windsor on the subdivision plat was
dedicated to the public. Under platting law, the City is considered the
owner and trust for the public. He explained that the process by which
the City would disclaim public interest in the lake was through a plat
vacation and abandonment. An application would have to be filed by the
adjacent property owner requesting the property to them. He indicated
there were previous discussions related to the topic, and at that time, not
everyone on the lake agreed. A solution would be to do it based on
individuals requesting lake segments. It could be done partially and not
into the lake. The portion of the water in the lake could be kept in the
public trust ownership. He indicated that survey work would be required
to define what the City would release.
8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT
District#1. Commissioner Shoemaker hoped something could be
resolved regarding the lake issue and was aware that the City Manager
and City Attorney had been working on this issue. She addressed Mr.
Ramirez, who spoke during Public Participation, and hoped the City
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Manager could review his information and get back to him.
Commissioner Shoemaker attended the Easter Egg Hunt at Reiter Park
and thanked the corporate sponsor Magic 107.7 and the Leisure Services
Department for their work on the event.
District#2. Mayor Boni stated that staff was looking into the issues
brought up during Public Participation. He hoped everyone had a Happy
Easter. He commented that the Easter Egg Hunt and the Farmers Market
were a huge success. He reported that the class for seniors on diabetes
begins that week, meeting every Wednesday for six (6) weeks at
Northland Church, and anyone interested may attend.
District#3. Commissioner McMillan grew up on Lake Windsor, as
mentioned during Public Participation, and still visits there. He knew at
least two (2) lot owners would like to resolve the lake issue. On March
21, he attended the Tri-County League of Cities Symposium on
Homelessness. He thanked the City of Orlando and Commissioner Tony
Ortiz for hosting and Mayor Buddy Dyer for welcoming them. He
reported that there was a presentation about what Orlando was doing to
tackle the homelessness issue, including a new shelter being built on the
side of the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. The shelter will
be a multi-story facility. There also was a sharing of information from
other cities, including Mayor Bryan Nelson of Apopka, who said his city
has an arrangement with local churches with some municipal funding
matches. The more work the churches do, the more the city adds funds.
He also heard a presentation from people in Tallahassee about the new
anti-camping legislation, which could mean some coordination amongst
municipalities and counties. People have expressed concern about this
new law, which he believes has created a right for individual businesses
and residences to sue local governments to take-action on unauthorized
encampments. He said there will be future conversations about this law
through the Tri-County League of Cities and state-wide, and staff will
have to learn about it.
Commissioner McMillan reported on the true, good, and beautiful. For
the "true," he stated three (3) theories for the origin of April Fools' Day,
including the Roman festival of Hilaria, which celebrated the rebirth of
the god Attis, a youthful god of vegetation; a theory in the U.S. dealing
with unpredictable weather this time of year around the equinox; in 1582
in France when they switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar
moving New Year's from the end of March to January 1 with some people
still using the old calendar and celebrating New Year's late. For the
"good," he saw synergy at the Easter Egg Hunt, with the families enjoying
holiday activities and the Farmer's Market simultaneously in the
Longwood Historic District. For the "beautiful," he mentioned
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professional baseball season was back. Longwood Babe Ruth Baseball
has been happening since February at Candyland Sports Complex.
District#4. Deputy Mayor Morgan commented that the Longwood
Richardson family's son, Darrell Richardson, ran for office in the City of
Apopka on March 19. He came up slightly short but ran an earnest and
honest campaign. Deputy Mayor Morgan spoke at Longwood VFW Post
8207 on March 19. He reminded veterans of benefits offering full
coverage to those who struggle with mental health, PTSD, anxiety
disorder, panic attacks, and substance or alcohol issues. He spoke before
the leadership of the Auxiliary Board and later to the actual membership.
He attended a Seminole County Opioid Council meeting with Seminole
County Sheriff Dennis Lemma and his department. He learned about a
new device called the bridge that is put inside the ear for people
struggling with substance use disorder. He said this bridge was the first
FDA-cleared, drug-free, non-surgical device to be used to aid in the
reduction of symptoms associated with withdrawal.
Deputy Mayor Morgan thanked the Lake Howell High School junior
varsity and varsity baseball teams for helping out the past three (3)
weekends with the Central Florida Bambino Buddy Ball, a special needs
league. He stopped by the City's Farmers Market and noticed it looked
vacant, addressing the issue to the City Manager.
Mr. Gioielli responded that he had previously communicated with Deputy
Mayor Morgan and had asked for a meeting with the director of Leisure
Services to explore some ideas. He added that weekend, there were
vendor cancellations due to anticipated rain, which never happened. The
Farmers Market usually averages about twelve (12) to fifteen (15)
vendors, and staff is working towards making it more successful.
Deputy Mayor Morgan spoke on the News 6 Show with anchors Matt
Austin and Ginger Gadsden, promoting the 2nd Annual Walk for Autism,
Awareness and Inclusion. The Walk will be held at Reiter Park on April
27, from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. He hoped to reach more people so
they could learn about the services being offered to neuro-diverse
children. On March 27, he attended a meeting of the Teen Challenge
Board of Directors and announced Tim Tebow, will be a guest speaker at
their upcoming gala. The event, the biggest fundraiser of the year, is
scheduled for September 26 at the Orlando World Center Marriott and is
expected to draw many people to hear Tim Tebow speak. On March 28,
he attended a Longwood Historic Society meeting and, on March 30, the
Easter Egg Hunt at Reiter Park. He thought the crowd this year was larger
and featured a second Easter bunny at the Farmer's Market, where he
took a family photo without a long line. He was the guest speaker at
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Lyman High School and spoke about the importance of small-city
government and how kids can get involved in the community. He spoke
at Rock Lake Middle School at an anti-bullying assembly and shared his
challenges in middle school.
District#5. Commissioner Sackett thought about 12,000 to 15,000 people
were at the Easter Egg Hunt. He attended the event breakfast and
thanked new business partner Huey Magoo's for their sponsorship and
The Church @ 434. They sold 300 tickets. He was happy to see people
visiting the Farmers Market, kids playing on the field and splash pad,
people at the tennis courts and basketball court, and the crowd at the
Easter activities. He wished Leslye with Magic 107.7 good health since
she missed the event. He was asked by the Christ Episcopal Church in
Longwood if they could put out additional signs for their spaghetti dinner
during the monthly car shows. He agreed to do whatever he could to
support their efforts to boost attendance.
Commissioner Sackett reported Seminole County Schools are taking
precautions on April 8 with the solar eclipse. They will keep students
inside and only allow them to leave once the eclipse ends. He mentioned
on Saturday, April 6, that the GR8 to DON8, a 5K/8K run for organ
donation, was scheduled at Lyman High School.
9. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA. None.
10. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approve the Minutes of the March 18, 2024, Regular Meeting.
B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for February 2024.
C. Approval of the Combined Interagency Agreement regarding
Juvenile Offender Information Sharing.
D. Approve a purchase order in the amount of$65,700.55 to Kimley
Horn for engineering services related to the design of sidewalk
improvements for the South Longwood Phase II Sidewalk
Project.
Commissioner McMillan moved to approve Items 10A
through 10D as presented. Seconded by Commissioner
Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call.
11. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 24-2252, a Small-
Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment (SPA 01-24).
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Mr. Langley read Ordinance No. 24-2252 by title only.
Mayor Boni opened the public hearing. No one spoke in favor or
opposition to Ordinance No. 24-2252.
Commissioner Sackett moved to close the public hearing.
Seconded by Commissioner McMillan and carried by a
unanimous voice vote.
Deputy Mayor Morgan moved to adopt Ordinance No. 24-
2252 as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Sackett
and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
12. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 24-1658,which
amends the fiscal year 2023/2024 budget and authorizes the
funding allocation in the Public Facilities Fund to initiate the
development of a Landscaping Improvement Plan for the State
Road 434 corridor between Interstate 4 (1-4) and Rangeline
Road.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 24-1658 by title only.
Deputy Mayor Morgan moved to adopt Resolution No. 24-
1658 as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Sackett
and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
B. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 24-1659,which
authorizes the renewal of the Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) Program Cooperation Agreement with Seminole
County.
Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 24-1659 by title only.
Deputy Mayor Morgan moved to adopt Resolution No. 24-
1659 as presented. Seconded by Commissioner
Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Mr. Gioielli reported on March 20 that the City had a malware attack.
During the night, staff were able to intercept the malware before a full
download, isolate the computer, and remove the program block while
not interfering with the City's system. He pointed out the Commission
was heavily invested in IT security to protect the City from cyber-attacks,
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which have cost other organizations, even locally, millions of dollars. He
thanked IT staff Craig Dunn and Joe Whitman for the work they do and
mentioned there are 250 to 300 attempts a year to infiltrate the City's
computer system.
Mr. Gioielli reported that summer camp registration for residents began
that day and that non-residents would be able to sign up next Monday.
Staff was excited about the scheduled field trips and use of downtown
Longwood facilities. He reported that staff was proposing April 17 to
unveil the new ladder truck at Fire Station 15. He asked the Commission
if there was any conflict with that date and noted the time of the event
would be 4:00 p.m. He said there would also be a tour of the new fire
department command vehicle.
14. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT. No report.
15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT. No report.
16. ADJOURN. Mayor Boni adjourned the meeting at 7:04 p.m.
Minutes approved by City Commission: 04-15- 4.
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