Bea HONPMNTHEHLIS Town Council Meeting December 09, 2024 at 6:001 PM Howey-in the-Hills Town Hall 101 N. Palm Ave., Howey-in-the-Hils, FL34737 MINUTES Mayor Wells called the Town Council Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Mayor Wells led the attendees int the Pledge of Allegiance to thel Flag. Councilor Reneé Lannaman delivered an invocation. ROLLCALL Acknowledgement of Quorum MEMBERS PRESENT: Miles Mayor Graham Wells STAFF PRESENT: Mayor Pro Tem Tim Everline Councilor. Jon Amold € Councilor Reneé Lannaman (via Zoom)l C Councilor David Sean O'Keefe, Town Manager/ Tom Wilkes, Town Attorney Sean Parks, Town Planner Morgan Cates, Public Services Director/ Oscar Ojeda, Finance Supervisor John Brock, Deputy Town Manager/Town Clerk Motion made by Councilor Arnold to allow Councilor Lannaman to participate and vote via Zoom; seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Everline. Voting Nay: None Yea: Mayor Pro Tem Everline, Councilor. Arnold, Councilor Miles, Mayor Wells AGENDA APPROVALREVIEW Motion made by Councilor Arnold to approve the meeting's agenda, while moving agenda item #12 (Finance Supervisor Report) to appear directly after the Consent Agenda; seconded by Councilor Miles. Yea: Mayor Pro Tem Everline, Councilor Arnold, Councilor Lannaman, Councilor Miles, Mayor Wells Motion approved unanimously by voice vote. Voting Nay: None CONSENT AGENDA Routine items are placed on the Consent Agenda to expedite the meeting. IfTown CouncilSiqffwish to discuss any item, the procedure is as follows: (1)Pull the item(s)) from the Consent. Agenda; (2) Vote on the remaining item(s); and (3). Discuss each pulled item and vote. 1Page 1. The approval oft the minutes and ratification and confirmation ofa all Town Council actions att the Motion made by Councilor Miles to approve the Consent Agenda, with Mayor Pro Tem Everline's and Councilor Miles' edits to the November 12, 2024, Town Council Meeting minutes being approved; seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Everline. Motion approved unanimously by voice November 12, 2024, Town Council Meeting. vote. Voting Nay: None Yea: Mayor Pro Tem Everline, Councilor Arold, Councilor Lannamaii, Councilor Miles, Mayor Wells DEPARTMENT REPORTS (Agenda. Item #12 to appear in this place ifthe meeting during the Agenda Approval section oft the meeting.) 12. Finance Supervisor The Town Council reviewed the newi monthly financial report presented by Finance Supervisor, Oscar Ojeda. The report provided an overview of October's revenues and expenditures, with a detailed breakdown of general and specific funds. Council members expressed appreciation fori the improved format, highlighting its clarity compared toj previous reports. Suggestions for further enhancements included adding a column for the percentage oft the annual budget expended to aid in quick assessment. Key discussions focused on salary lines appearing over-budget duei to at three-payroll month, and a significant expenditure in the water sanitation fund for the redesign of Water Treatment Plant No. 3. The Council acknowledged the challenge ofallocating one-time project costs in monthly reports and encouraged continued refinement oft the reporting process. The importance of implementing encumbrance accounting for multi-year projects was: reiterated, with recognition ofi its partial use in certain areas like the police department. Mayor Wells and Councilor Miles emphasized that the financial reporting process is av work inj progress, with ongoing efforts to ensure accuracy and usability. PUBLIC HEARING None OLD) BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS 2. Consideration and Approval: Lake Hills Utility Service Agreement Town Manager, Sean O'Keefe, introduced and explained this agenda item with the assistance oft the Town Attorney, Tom Wilkes. Mr. O'Keefe stated that the Utility Service Agreement that was being presented before the Town Council was forj potable water and retail wastewater transmission services for the use oft the residential portion ofthel Lake Hills Planned Unit Development (PUD). Mr. Wilkes stated that the entity with which the Town was contracting was Reader & Partners LLC, who did not currently owni thej property that the Lake Hills PUD: resided on. Mr. Wilkes stated that the Town should only execute this agreement once. Reader & Partners LLC completed the purchase ofthe property. 2IPage Councilor Miles stated that, int the second WHEREAS" ofthe agreement, the words "up to" needed to The Council extensively discussed the ongoing negotiations with the Central Lake Community Development District (CDD) regarding wastewater treatment capacity. While an existing 2007 agreement ensures the provision of wastewater services, updates to the agreement have been in negotiation for several years to address evolving needs and infrastructure requirements. Council members expressed concern that unresolved issues with the Central Lake CDD could delay or jeopardize developments, including Lakel Hills and other approved projects. It was noted that the Central Lake CDD has sufficient capacity for current developments, but they have expressed conditions To address these conçerns, the Council changed the topic oft the Town Council Workshop that had been scheduled forl December 17, 2024, from Strategic Planning to focus solely on the proposed Central Lake CDD agreement. The importance ofa achieving a balanced and fair agreement was emphasized, as exclusivity clauses and other terms could limit the Town's flexibility inj pursuing alterative wastewater providers. The Council acknowledged the need to ensure long-term infrastructure planning while maintaining momentum on approved developments. Public and developer input willl be considered as part oft the ongoing discussions to finalize agreements and support community growth. be added to appear directly before 571 equivalent residential units". requiring the updated agreement'sf finalization. Mayor Wells opened Public Comment fori this item only. Martha MacFarlane, 63 Camino Real -1 Former Mayor, Mrs. MacFarlane, raised several key concerns regarding the Town's negotiations with the Central Lake CDD. Mrs. MacFarlane emphasized the need to ensure that small entities within the Town, such as thel Howey Market and Sunoco, are prioritized for wastewater connections. Mrs. MacFarlane also stressed the importance of retaining the Town's retail wastewater function, particularly for developments like Bishops Gate, and stressed the importance of protecting the Town's ISBA agreement. Mayor Wells closed Public Comment fort this item. Councilor Lannaman suggested that perhaps Mayor Wells should bei involved in the wastewater agreement negotiations with the Central Lake CDD. Mayor Pro Tem Everline and Councilor Miles both disagreed and stated that it should just be the' Town Manager and the Town Attorney. Motion made by Councilor Miles to approve the Lake Hills Utility Service. Agreement contingent upon the phrase "up to" being added to appear directly before 571 equivalent residential units" in the second WHEREAS" of the agreement and that the agreement would only be executed by the Mayor and the' Town Clerk when Reader & Partners LLCI had purchased thej property for the Lake Hills PUD; seconded by Councilor. Lannaman. Motion approved by roll call vote. Yea: Councilor. Arnold, Councilorl Lannaman, Councilor Miles, Mayor Wells Voting Nay: Mayor Pro Tem Everline 3. Consideration and Approval: Whispering Heights Final Subdivision Plan Town Manager, Sean O'Keefe, introduced Town Planner, Sean Parks, to explain this agenda item. Mr. Parks presented a staff report recommending approval with six conditions to ensure compliance with applicable codes and regulations. The six conditions that were presented by Mr. Parks were: 3Page 1. Thej plan fors sewer ist to use: a force main to connect the project to the lift station on the school board property. The Town and the School District have worked out the terms of an easement to allow the connection, but the easement still needs to be finalized and recorded. 2. The Central Lake Community Development District has provided the applicant with al letter stating theiry willingness and ability to serve the project. The applicant still needs to pay the 3. The applicant will need to provide current permits for stormwater treatment facilities, utility 4. The School District has responded to the Town Planner's inquiry that the concurrency assessment is current and valid for 107 units. When the project size was increased to 1561 units, the added units were not vetted: for school concurrency. Staff recommends the Planning Board add the update to school concurrency as a condition ofapproval. The applicant will need to make an application for concurrency review to the School District for the additional units. The application should be filed prior to consideration oft the application by Town Council. 5. Buffers- Please ensure the plan seti meets the buffer requirements oft the Town's Land Development Code (LDC) Sec 7.02.01 in effect at the time ofplan submittal: necessary fees to reserve the actual treatment capacity. construction, and connection to Buckhill Road. a. There is ai note on Sheet L200 but thet table on L200 does not call out the required wall b. The buffer table on Sheet L200 does not appear to accurately describe the location and requirements of proposed buffers. Please verify and revise as necessary. Sheets L100-L207 do not provide details of the required wall. Please update the Wall Detail Sheet and these Sheets as applicable sO that the' Town can ensure consistency with the LDC: requirements regarding height (must maintain six feet in height) and d. Please provide a separate graphic solely depicting thej proposed buffer zones and their landscape requirements. Please notate on Sheet L2001 the location oft the required wall. Additionally, please provide buffer details around proposed common areas and e. The shrubs listed for the buffer on Sheet L100 do not all meet the minimum height requirement of 30 inches. All shrubs shall be at least 30 inches in height upon Ab buffer detail sheet must bej provided sO the Town can review and ensure that the trees are: not closer than the applicable LDC permits to a walk or wall and that the canopy g. Although not ai requirement at the time ofs submittal, the LDC now requires root barriers. A root barrier is required for trees proposed for 7.5-ft or less from as sidewalk and/or street. Iti is respectfully requested that the plans incorporate this standard and 6. Wetland Protection The applicant proposes aswale along the shoreline ofLake Harris. The swales should be vegetated with Florida native ectotonal and/or littoral zone vegetation such as Sand Cordgrass (Spartina bakeri) in order to provide both hydrological and ecological function and value inj protecting the water resources ofLake Harris (Chapter3, LDC). Additionally, how does the applicant propose that this swale including the required 50-ft wetland/surface water setback zone shall: maintain its function inj perpetuity? Chapter 3 oft the LDC requires signage andj proper: maintenance ofbufferz zones and swales to maintain inj perpetuity, the environmental Council members discussed the proposed conditions, which include engineering approvals, easements, and capacity reservations. Councilor Miles commended thej planner's detailed report and inquired about the timeline for construction. Developer representatives indicated that construction would commence promptly following the resolution ofr remaining conditions, including utility and school concurrency and its materials and details. whether it has columns that meet the spacing requirements. recreation areas. installation. Please revise plans. trees will have root barriers. note on the plans and provide a detail. and hydrological function and character. agreements. 4IPage Councilor Miles stated that, in addition to the six conditions the Town Planner had presented, he would like to see a condition requiring the lift station fencing to be coated in green or black plastic to enhance Motion made by Councilor Miles to approve the Whispering Heights Final Subdivision Plan with the six conditions that Town Planner, Sean Parks, had presented and his condition that alll lift station fencing be coated in green or black plastic; seconded by Councilor Lannamani. Yea: Councilor Arnold, Councilor Lannama, Councilor Miles, Mayor Wells aesthetics. Voting Nay: Mayor Pro Tem Everline 4. Discussion: Town Manager. Annual Review Process The Town Council discussed the annual review process for the Town Manager, as required by the Town Charter. Mayor Pro Tem Everline emphasized the importance of conducting performance reviews annually and aligning them with the Town Manager's contract and salary cycle. Councilor Miles noted that thej previous review form was effective and suggested extending the evaluation period to April to allow newer Council members sufficient time to assess the Town Manager's performance. The Council reached a consensus to conduct the next review in April 2025, with the possibility of deciding at that time whether to adjust the timing for future evaluations. The Town Clerk outlined the evaluation process, which involves distributing review forms to Council members, compiling responses, and holding a public workshop to discuss the results. The Town Manager expressed openness to constructive feedback and confirmed the value off formalized evaluations. The Council agreed to proceed with the April review and revisit the timeline for subsequent evaluations as needed. DEPARTMENT REPORTS 5. Town Hall This report was included in the meeting's packet. This report wasi included in the meeting's packet. This report was included in the meeting's packet. This report was includedi ini the meeting's packet. This report was included in the meeting's packet. 10. Parks & Recreation Advisory Board/ / Special Events 6. Police Department 7. Codel Enforcement 8. Public Works 9. Library None 11. Town Attorney 5IPage None 12. Finance Supervisor 13. Town Manager (This agenda item appeared directly afer the Consent Agenda. section oft the meeting) Town Manager, Sean O'Keefe, reviewed the' Town' s upcoming events schedule for the next month. COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS 14. Mayor Pro Tem Everline Mayor Pro Tem Everline stated that he believed that the Town' s streetlights were owned by Duke Energy and that someone needed to call them to get them cleaned. Mayor Pro Tem Everline also listed several Christmas lights that had been installed on streetlights within the Town that were: non- Mayor Pro Tem Everline explained that he would be attending al Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting for the Town on Wednesday, December 11, 2025. Mayor Pro Tem Everline questioned why the sidewalks on SR 191 near Venezia were closed and Morgan Cates, Public Mayor Pro Tem Everline stated that there were palm trees embedded in other trees on Lakeshore and functioning and needed to be fixed. Services Director, explained that FDOT was managing that process. that they should be removed. 15. Councilor Arnold None 16. Councilor Miles None 17. Councllorlamnaman None 18. Mayor Wells Mayor Wells stated that many oft the bump-outs on Lakeshore Blvd were: not being maintained by their sponsors. Public Services Director, Morgan Cates, stated that four bump-out areas had recently been adopted by new people. Mr. Cates also stated that the Sara Maude Mason Boardwalk project was commencing, and he was hopeful thati it would be completed by the end ofthe month. Mr. Cates also stated that the' Town's antique fire truck had been delivered tot the Lake Tech facility for restoration. PUBLICCOMMENTS Any person wishing to address the Mayor and Town Council and who is not on the agenda is asked to: speak their Andi Everline, 1012 N. Lakeshore Blvd. - Mrs. Everline stated that the coyotes around Town were becoming morel brazen, and she wanted the' Town to do something about them. Councilor Miles suggested that staff should name and address. Three (3) minutes is allocated per speaker. hire a contractor to remove the coyotes. 6IPage Marie Gallelli, 1104 Tangerine Ave. - Mrs. Gallelli thanked the Town' 'sl Public Utilities Supervisor, James Martha MacFarlane, 63 Camino Real -1 Mrs. MacFarlane reminded everyone that the Town would: need Robert Jones, 104 S. Mare Ave. - Mr. Jones stated that hel had just moved to the' Town, and he was concerned Southall, for assistance that hel had provided. additional appropriations to construct Water' Treatment Plant #3. about traffic on SR 19. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, a motion was made by Councilor Arnold to adjourn the meeting; Councilor Miles seconded the motion. Motion was approved unanimously by voice vote. The Mectingadjoumed at 8:30 p.m. Attendees: 37 Mayor Wel/s Ga A ATTEST:1 GAL John Brock, Town Clerk 7/Page