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CC03-03-2025Min LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION Longwood City Commission Chambers 175 West Warren Avenue Longwood, Florida MINUTES March 3, 2025 6:00 PM Present: Mayor Matthew McMillan Deputy Mayor Brian D. Sackett Commissioner Abby Shoemaker Commissioner Tony Boni Commissioner Matt Morgan Dan Langley, City Attorney Clint Gioielli, City Manager Michelle Longo, City Clerk David Dowda, Police Chief William Watts, Deputy Fire Chief 1. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor McMillan called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. I2. OPENING INVOCATION. Pastor Bruce Mulford, with Waterstone Church gave the invocation. 3. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Commissioner Morgan led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS. Ms. Longo read the following announcement. A. The "Downtown Longwood Cruise-In" Car Show will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the Historic District of Longwood, located off Church Avenue. 5. PROCLAMATIONS/ RECOGNITIONS A. District#5 Nomination of the Business Person of the Month Award for March 2025. Deputy Mayor Sackett nominated Stills Upholstery for Business Person of the Month for March 2025. 6. BOARD APPOINTMENTS A. District#1 Nomination to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. Commissioner Shoemaker nominated Jennifer Barr for appointment to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. Nomination carried by a unanimous voice vote. B. District#5 Nomination to the Land Planning Agency. 3/3/2025/ 1 Deputy Mayor Sackett nominated Catalino Cuadrado for appointment to the Land Planning Agency Board. Nomination carried by a unanimous voice vote. 7. PUBLIC INPUTI A. Presentation: Karen Bush, with Our Legacy, would like to thank the City of Longwood for their support when they host their annual 5k/8k Run for Organ Donation at Lyman High School. Karen Bush, volunteer with the organization, thanked the City of Longwood for their support and presented the Commission with two (2) plaques that included a medal from their 5k/8k Run for Organ Donation. Photographs were then taken. B. Public Participation. None. 8. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORT A. District#1. Commissioner Shoemaker thanked and expressed her gratitude to the kind individuals who came to her aid on February 13 when she had a bicycle accident. District#2. Commissioner Boni attended the Strawberry Festival, the new Orlando Health Emergency Room ribbon cutting, and their grand opening. He reported that Be the Change for Seniors, a Mercy Road Initiative, will have a wellness symposium on March 12 at Northland Church starting at 8:30 a.m. and invited seniors to sign up. To sign up you can go to the website mercyroadseniors.org. I District#3. Mayor McMillan reported that he and the City Manager attended the Mayors and Managers group meeting after the last commission meeting, and last week, he had a meeting with the new supervisor of elections, Amy Pennock. On February 20, he attended the ribbon cutting for Orlando Health Emergency Room and commented that he was sad to see South Seminole Hospital close. He mentioned that the Seminole County Commission was at Big Tree Park where the trees, Phoenix and Lady Liberty are located, to celebrate the designation of Spring Hammock Preserve, which is on the city border, as a protected old-growth forest network. He attended his Leadership Seminole class for Human Services Day, which was held in Longwood at Northland Church. They visited several organizations that deal with the topic of their class, affordable housing, and homelessness. He reviewed some of the different organizations in the area, including the Sharing Center, Kids House, Boys Town, Impower Village, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Christian Help, Rescue Outreach Mission, and Seminole County Government regarding the programs and grants they administer. One of the interesting things he learned was that as of February 3, 2025, under the McKinney-Vento Act definition of homeless students in the school system, 3,151 people have been staying in hotels or staying with family members because of evictions or disruption. There are also 355 that are unsheltered, which means that they are living outside in a park or in a car. He stated it needs to be addressed, and he was calling attention to Father John Blewett, retired Northern pastor Joel Hunter, and others who are holding a homelessness symposium moderated by Seminole County Chairman Jay Zembower tomorrow, March 4 starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Action Church, 650 East Airport Boulevard in Sanford. Mayor McMillan attended the Slavic Festival at Saint Stephen's Orthodox Church on Lake Emma. He attended the Orlando Health Emergency Room grand opening and toured the facility. He 3/3/2025 /2 missed the Strawberry Festival due to mandatory training for Rotary. He will be stepping into the role of president of the Rotary Club of Historic Longwood starting in July. He commented on what has been in the press. There is confusion about the Federal Government converting the digital services to the Department of Government Efficiency called DOGE. They have been identifying waste, fraud, and abuse, some of which are controversial. He stated that Florida subsequently announced that they are doing their version of that and will investigate State agencies and local governments. However, the important distinction between the Federal and the State versions is that the local government already has their information available to the public. He noted the budget, minutes, and agendas are available, and the city has nothing to hide. He said the city has been getting letters of excellence on our audit performance because of the hard work of our finance staff. For the "true," it was a holiday today, March 3, 1845, when Florida became a state. For the "good," there was peace at the Slavic Food Festival; there is a no political discussion rule at their church functions, and everybody united and ate in peace despite the conflicts that were going on around the world. For the "beautiful," it is the time of year when the azaleas are in bloom. District#4. Commissioner Morgan attended the Orlando Health Emergency Room ribbon cutting. He attended the city of Lake Mary commission meeting, where they discussed removing fluoride from their water. He was the MC at the NextStep Walk-n-Roll-a-Thon event on February 22, which was held at Cranes Roost in Altamonte Springs. He reported on the 3rd Annual Walk for Autism Awareness and Inclusion event to be held on April 26 from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Reiter Park. He thanked his wife, Mr. Capizzi, and Mr. Rinaldo for all their assistance. He noted there will be a new soft play area this year, along with more therapy animals. He thanked AC Cowboys, who will provide the mini goats. He attended the Strawberry Festival and thanked Mr. Capizzi, Mr. Rinaldo, and Leisure Services staff for all their hard work. He mentioned some of the parking issues during the Strawberry Festival event and mentioned having some changes for next year. He did not want to see anyone parking in yards and on sidewalks. He mentioned that on Thursday, March 6, there would be the Sharing Ramadan at the American Muslim Community Center in Longwood, and the Rescue Outreach Mission has a pizza party at Brock's Pizza in Lake Mary. He also wanted to discuss city banners under Item 9A. District#5. Deputy Mayor Sackett reported that Tuesday was a celebration of the Revolutionary War at Woodlands Elementary, and the children dressed up as characters from the war period. He mentioned his grandson dressed as King George III. They had to present as though they were that character and had to read three (3) different novels based on it. He attended the Orlando Health Emergency Room ribbon cutting and the Strawberry Festival. He mentioned a concern that the water feature opened that weekend, and many dogs were at the festival. He would like to have additional signage about no dogs allowed at Reiter Park for next year. He attended the Bike Rodeo at Longwood Elementary with the school crossing guards and Longwood Police in attendance. He reported that week on Wednesday was the Council of Local Governments (CALNO) meeting, and Thursday would be the MetroPlan meeting. He also mentioned that Sunday would be when the clocks spring forward for daylight saving time. 19. COMMISSION AND STAFF ADDITIONS OR CHANGES A. ADDITIONAL ITEMS RAISED DURING MAYOR'S AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS 3/3/2025/3 Commissioner Morgan wanted to discuss the banners and noted that September 2020, the Commission approved a three (3) year contract with CGI for the banners on Ronald Reagan Boulevard. The agreement was that CGI would provide a minimum of twenty-five (25) full-color, 30 X 72 banners to include a 20% sponsor area at the bottom. They provided the design of banners, brackets, hardware installation, and maintenance; sponsorships were sold at approximately$800 per banner and would hang for one (1) year along designated polls that the sponsor chose. He said it is beyond that agreement's three (3) year mark. He asked if there was a cancellation notice for CGI. He commented on the experience with CGI, including delays, banners laying all over the roadways, the quality of the banners, and the time it has taken for replacement banners to get back up on the pole. His opinion is to either look for a local company or perhaps bring this whole program in-house, provided there is the staff and manpower. He brought up other points that included not offering sponsorships to our local small businesses, whether it can be done more cheaply, and using a local company. He asked if the city had a truck that could be used to hang the banners and take care of the installation. He felt that if it was being done in- house, they could be rehung more quickly than they had been. Discussion ensued on the banners. Mr. Gioielli suggested he would consult with Mr. Capizzi to see if it would be feasible beyond the cost of the banners themselves and what additional expense to the city could be incurred, and bring back a plan to present to the Commission at the next meeting. Deputy Mayor Sackett mentioned the dogs at the park and items related to signs and code enforcement. He has noticed along State Road 434 at the barbershops that there are many banners and signs over the weekend. B. ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA 10. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve the Minutes of the February 17, 2025, Regular Meeting. B. Approve the Monthly Expenditures for January 2025. Deputy Mayor Sackett moved to approve Items 10A and 10B as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Boni and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. 11. PUBLIC HEARINGS. None. 12. REGULAR BUSINESS A. Read by title only and adopt Resolution No. 25-1688, which amends the fiscal year 2024/2025 budget and authorizes funds to cover purchase orders which rolled from the fiscal year 2023/2024 for Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Projects or grants and make other necessary adjustments to the budget. Mr. Langley read Resolution No. 25-1688 by title only. 3/3/2025 /4 Mr. Gioielli presented the Item. Commissioner Morgan moved to adopt Resolution No. 25-1688 as presented 12A. Seconded by Commissioner Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote. 13. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Gioielli stated that the Strawberry Festival is the event that replaced the Seafood Festival. It was the first time, and staff did not want to bring too many strawberries that would not be purchased and go bad. Staff has a better bearing on where we will be when we plan for next year. He said the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscaping Architects has awarded Dix.Hite the 2024 design award and the merit award for Longwoods Reiter Park. He reported that the signs along Ronald Reagan Boulevard are all brand new. The gates have been added to the City easement along Shadow Trail so people cannot enter other backyards. He briefed Commissioner Morgan and wanted to let the rest of the commission know those gates were up and that no trespassing signs were posted. He passed out a flyer that the City is partnering with Duke Energy to offer residents an energy-saving program. Dinner will be on March 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Longwood Community Building. He said all residents will be invited through the City's platforms, and Duke Energy will send out letters to all of our residents. There will be education during this event, opportunities for residents to sign up for in-home inspections, and benefits to take advantage of what Duke is offering. He noted there would be an opportunity for the elected officials to speak to the group. He reported that he would bring an agenda item with an outline of a recruitment process for the city manager to the next commission meeting. He said he has been in contact with the City Manager Florida Chapter Association and has some options for the commission and ideas to bring forward and memorialize. 14. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT. No report. 15. CITY CLERK'S REPORT Ms. Longo reported on two (2) upcoming ribbon cuttings. The first for Studio 92 Salon on Thursday, March 13, at 4:30 p.m., at 965 West State Road 434. The second on Thursday, April 17, for Magnolia Yoga & Wellness Center at 4:30 p.m., 111 West Magnolia Avenue. 16. ADJOURN. Mayor McMillan adjourned the meeting at 6:57 p.m. Minutes approved by City Commission: 03-17-2025. 41[ Matthew McMillan, Mayor ATT ST 111 ichelle Lo , M C, FCRM City Clerk 3/3/2025 /5