City of Groveland Minutes City Council Meeting Monday, April 21, 2025 The Groveland City Council held a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, April 21, 2025 in the E.L. Puryear Building located at 243 S. Lake Avenue, Groveland, FL 34736. Mayor Keith Keogh called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. with the following members present: Vice Mayor Barbara Gaines, Council Members Amy Jo Carroll, and Judith Fike. City officials present were City Manager Michael Hein, Clerk Virginia Wright, Sergeant-At-Arms Chief Shawn Ramsey and City Attorney Anita Geraci-Carver. Excused Absence: Council Member Mike Radzik As an alternate option the public was provided the opportunity to attend the April 21, 2025 City Council Meeting virtually in listen/watch mode only. A public notice with instructions to participate was posted to the City's website under "public notices" at www.groveland-.gov. and in the display board at City Hall. OPENING CEREMONIES a. Pledge of Allegiance led by Trilogy Orlando Veterans Association (TOVA) b. Invocation provided by Dr. Tony McCoy, Hope International Church GUEST SPEAKER, PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS > Trilogy Orlando Veterans Association (TOVA) tribute to Oak Tree Union Colored Cemetery. Michael Jaycox, President of TOVA, discussed honoring Worid War 1 veterans that are buried in the Oak Tree Union Colored Cemetery of Taylorville. On Memorial Day each year, members of TOVA will walk through the aisles of veteran grave sites to pray, salute their courage, plant flags and express gratitude for their service. Prior to Christmas TOVA members would return to place wreaths on each veteran's grave site. Proclamation - Child Abuse Awareness Prevention Month Mayor Keogh reported the organization that was to receive the proclamation was not able to attend this evening's meeting. This item will be placed on the May 5th council meeting agenda. > Proclamation = Water Conservation Month Council Member Fike read the proclamation into the record in its entirety proclaiming April 2025 Water Conservation Month, encouraging citizens to conserve water. Samantha Bechtold, the new Water Education Specialist, was introduced and accepted the proclamation. 1 APRIL 21, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES > Proclamation - National Arbor Day Vice Mayor Gaines read the proclamation into the record in its entirety proclaiming April 25, 2025, as Arbor Day in the City of Groveland and urging citizens to plant and protect trees. Francesca from the Parks and Community Services Department accepted the proclamation. > Presentation - Student Spotlight Marissa Leverston Wanda Odom, Principal at Hope Preparatory Academy stated student Marissa Leverson began attending the Academy in 2018 as a sixth grader. Ms. Leveson's GPA is 4.0. She has recently reçeived eighty-seven (87) acceptances from colleges and thirty-five (35) scholarship offers. Ashly Wright Community Outreah Coordinator reported Ms. Leverston has narrowed down her college choices to five (5). Ms. Leverston thanked City Council for the recognition; she thanked Dr. McCoy, Ms. Odom, classmates and her grandparents for their support. CONSENT AGENDA Consideration of Approval: A. April 7, 2025 City Council Workshop Minutes B. April 7, 2025 City Council Meeting Minutes C. Resolution 2025-16: Appointing representatives to the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization's Technical Advisory Committee and Community Advisory Committee A resolution of the City of Groveland, County of Lake, State of Florida, appointing representatives to the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Community Advisory Committee (CAC). Resolution 2025-16 appoints to the MPO's Technical Advisory Committee Director of Transportation & Public Works TJ Fish, along with alternates Brenda Toscano, Assistant to City Manager = Special Projects, Tim Maslow, Director of Community & Economic Development. The resolution also appoints resident Doug Faivre to the MPO's Citizen Advisory Committee. City Clerk Wright read the Consent Agenda into the record. Motion: Council Member Carroll moved to approve the Consent Agenda; seconded by Vice Mayor Gaines. Public Comment: None. Motion passed with all Council Members present voting aye 2 APRIL 21, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OLD BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS 1. Council Direction: Neighborhood Huddle Meetings City Manager Hein reported the item was on the agenda to provide staff with further clarification, direction, and a consensus in expectations on how to proceed with Neighborhood Huddle Meetings. Motion: Council Member Carroll moved to discuss Agenda Item 1. Council Direction: Neighborhood Huddle Meetings; seconded by Council Member Fike. Council Member Carroll asked of the cost of the Neighborhood Huddle Meetings. City Manager Hein stated no. Council Member Carroll inquired if there was any way to judge the impact the huddles have had on the communities. City Manager Hein reported staff had not developed any metrics or administered surveys to gauge community efficacy. Council Member Fike announced she would be speaking at the District 4 Neighborhood Huddle Meeting scheduled for April 24th located at Cherry Lake Park. Food trucks will be available at 5:30 p.m. Council Member Radzik stated when the Neighborhood Huddle Meetings were first discussed; he did not completely understand what the goal was. Council Member Radzik stated he assumed the huddles would be district wide meetings. However, the meetings were for each neighborhood. Council Member Radzik asked who would be setting up the huddle meetings. He noted if the district representative was setting up the huddle meeting, they should be included on the agenda. Council Member Radzik reported the agenda for the first four (4) meetings had the same agenda items. He felt the huddle meetings would get stale after a while if the same items were discussed. Council Member Radzik felt the additional meetings may put additional pressure on staff, as the huddle meetings must be noticed as public meetings. He asked if there was a way to make the process more streamlined and coordinated. Vice Mayor Gaines asked that as decisions were made regarding the Neighborhood Huddle Meetings, to build bridges instead of walls. She noted not everyone needed to agree but should strive to understand. Vice Mayor Gaines stated she was all about the huddle meetings. She reported she had listened to the audio and hearing Mayor Keogh stated he would like to have four (4) huddle meetings and an additional four (4) meetings, if the first were successful. Vice Mayor Gaines stated we need to go to the people if the people would not come to us, in order to build trust within the community. 3 APRIL 21, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Mayor Keogh referenced the City's strategic plan, which stated to Inform & Engage the Community. He reported the original plan was to hold four (4) huddle meetings and then see how it went from there. Mayor Keogh reported he paid for tents and chairs from his personal funds for the second huddle meeting. He reported the huddles were a success, noting two and a half (2.5) times the number of residents showed up in forty (40) degree weather than were in attendance at tonight's meeting; five (5) times the amount of residents were at the Waterside Pointe development huddle; three (3) times the amount attended the huddle at Preserve at Sunrise. Mayor Keogh reported the agenda remained the same SO that the information would be shared with all of the different areas. He noted each district would be addressed, as questions from residents in each district would be different. Mayor Keogh stated he felt it necessary to continue the Neighborhood Huddle Meetings. Council Member Fike reported the upcoming Neighborhood Huddle Meeting would focus on the new school, traffic, and upgrades to the park, as those were the pressing concerns for District 4. Council Member Carroll stated in addition to the cost analysis, who would determine the format needed to be worked out. Council Member Radzik suggested each district be surveyed to better understand what was most important to be addressed. Mayor Keogh agreed he reported staff was looking into what surveying tools would work best. Motion: Council Member Carroll moved to table this item, direct staff to research as to the costs to hold Neighborhood Huddle Meetings, then bring back the results back to City Counci!; seconded by Vice Mayor Gaines. Public Comment: Fred Freschenko thanked Council for hosting the Neighborhood Huddle Meeting at the Waterside Pointe development. He noted the meeting was very inspiring. Motion passed with all Council Members present voting aye. 2. Council Discussion & Direction: Invitation to the Executive Office of the Governor, Department of Government Efficiency to Groveland to conduct an operational audit Mayor Keogh provided a presentation, as attached to these minutes as Attachment 1. Motion: Council Member Carroll moved to discuss Agenda Item 2. Council Discussion & Direction: Invitation to the Executive Office of the Governor, Department of Government Efficiency to Groveland to conduct an operational audit; seconded by Vice Mayor Gaines. Council Member Carroll felt an operational audit to be a great idea. 4 APRIL 21, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Vice Member Gaines stated this was a good idea. It would strengthen the public's confidence and felt it would build trust with constituents. Council Member Fike inquired as to what type of labor it would take to obtain the requested information. She noted six (6) years of documentation is a long time. Council Member Fike inquired what the expected timeframe was. Mayor Keogh reported we had until the 30th to get the documents to DOGE; what is not available could be noted as such. Council Member Radzik stated he was concerned as the (DOGE) Program is brand new. He suggested the City wait to see how it worked out with other agencies, such as Lake County. Council Member Radzik inquired if there would be a scope/methodology and an opportunity to look at results as they came in. He asked what would happen when DOGE came back and had found that the City has twelve (12) police officers short based on national standards. Where would the funding come from for those positions. Council Member Radzik stated he was in support of this item. However, he felt the City should wait to see how other agencies faired. Mayor Keogh reported there would be a single individual to whom would be provided with authority and access to upload all materials. The outcomes would be open to the public. Mayor Keogh felt Council Member Radzik's concerns were exactly why the operational audit was necessary and to take a step back would be delaying the inevitable. Council Member Fike inquired if Council would receive the results at the end of each phase. Mayor Keogh stated correct. Motion: Council Member Carroll moved to approve taking the next steps to move forward with the Invitation to the Executive Office of the Governor, Department of Government Efficiency to Groveland to conduct an operational audit; seconded by Vice Mayor Gaines. Council Member Radik requested clarification if Council would be voting on the items found in the reports received back from the operation audit. Mayor Keogh stated yes, as it is applicable to the Home Rule Authority. Public Comment: None. Motion passed with all Council Members present voting aye. PUBLIC COMMENT Nelson Martinez advocated for a CRA Citizens Advisory Board to include small business voices. He shared his concerns with current code restrictions on using shipping containers and tiki huts for a food truck park. Mr. Martinez raised concerns over $79,186 in impact/permit fees for his project. Mr. Martinez provided a handout of an invoice of fees attached to these minutes as Attachment 2. City Manager Hein acknowledged miscommunication and stated options were being reviewed. 5 APRIL 21, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES REPORTS Council Member Fike > 04/09 Attended the Keep Lake Beautiful Board Meeting > 04/10 Cherry Lake Park Walk through for District 4 Neighborhood Huddle Meeting > 04/11 Attended the Lake League of Cities Luncheon Meeting > 04/11 Attended the Second Friday Block Party 04/11 Donated a memento that was from late husband to the Groveland Historical Museum 04/15 Attended a meeting at Palisades where local residents discussed a proposed rezoning plan for a piece of property on Cherry Lake Road > 04/16 Attended the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council Meeting (ECFRPC) > 04/17 Attended the family concert that was held at Cherry Lake Park > 04/18 Attended the South Lake Chamber of Commerce Breakfast > 04/19 Attended the City's Easter Egg Hunt Celebration > 04/19 Attended the Clermont Wine Stroll 04/20 Attended the Tuscanooga Baptist Church Sunrise Service that was held at Lake David Park 04/20 Attended the Hope International Church Easter Service Council Member Carroll > 04/11 Attended the Lake League of Cities Luncheon Meeting > 04/11 Attended the Second Friday Block Party. > 04/18 Attended the South Lake Chamber of Commerce Breakfast 04/19 Attended the City's Easter Egg Hunt Celebration Council Member Radzik > 04/14 Attended the City Council Workshop Human Resources Overview & Budget A 04/15 04/15 Attended a meeting at Palisades where local residents discussed a proposed rezoning plan for a piece of property on Cherry Lake Road. Council Member Radzik stated he was disappointed that no information was provided to the residents to help them better understand what was going on. > 04/16 Attended the District 2 Neighborhood Huddle Meeting that was held at the Preserve at Sunrise Vice Mayor Gaines > * Attended the same meetings as reported by other Council Members > Attended Spotlight Meeting > Attended a cooking demonstration with Mayor Keogh at the Elese Tomlin Community Center Met with City Manager and Lincoln Park South Lake Alliance in Clermont to discuss their future plans and a cantata scheduled for December. > 04/18 Attended the South Lake Chamber of Commerce Breakfast > Meeting with Chief Ramsey 6 APRIL 21, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Mayor Keogh 1 Hosted a cooking demonstration at the Elese Tomlin Community Center > 04/17 Attended the family concert that was held at Cherry Lake Park > Attended the retirement celebration for Major Ronald Curtis - 04/19 Attended the City's Easter Egg Hunt Celebration City Manager Hein Nothing to report at this time. City Attorney Geraci-Carver Requested clarification if Council would like a resolution for the DOGE Operational Audit to be placed on an upcoming council meeting agenda. All Council Members present concurred and that City Manager would be the point of contact. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Keogh adjourned the meeting at 8:38 p.m. Groveland FLORIDA Cirym wichNatantCharm z Keith Keogh, Mayor - a Attest: Virginia Wright, City Clerk 7 ATTACHMENT 1 The State of Florida Department Of Government Efficiency April 21, 2025 Direction From The Executive Office of the Governor Ollice of the Gouerner : DOGE - - - : - - - - - - - E - sosec - - a - - - - - an - - - - - : - : - - - : - : - - - - - - Mission and goals of DOGE - is to enhance the operational effectiveness and efficiency of state and local government entities. Florida State This is achieved through promoting Department of best practices, eliminating waste and redundancies, and ensuring that Government public resources are used responsibly Efficiency (DOGE) to provide high-quality services to citizens. The aim is to create a transparent, accountable, and innovative governance framework that optimizes service delivery and supports the long-term growth and well-being of Florida's communities. Case Studies from Other Cities Tallahassee, Florida After undergoing a state-led efficiency audit, the city streamlined its Impact and procurement process, resulting in a 15% Achievements reduction in annual spending on supplies and services. The audit also identified overlapping departmental functions, leading to a restructuring that saved operational costs and improved inter-departmental communication. Orlando, Florida Implemented energy-efficient systems in public buildings based on audit Impact and recommendations, reducing energy costs by over $500,000 annually. Achievements The audit's findings helped Orlando deploy a consolidated IT infrastructure, improving data security and service delivery efficiency. Waste Management Specific The audit can identify inefficiencies in waste collection routes or recycling Areas of programs, leading to cost savings and Impact environmental benefits. Cities like Fort Lauderdale used similar audits to implement smart waste bins that optimize collection frequency, reducing fuel and labor costs. Public Transport and Infrastructure Specific Analyze current transportation networks to optimize routes, reduce congestion, Areas of and improve service reliability. Impact An audit can lead to the adoption of smart traffic management systems, like those in Miami, that adapt to real-time conditions and save commuters time and costs. Human Resources and Staffing Specific Identify where staffing levels may be too high or low, which can lead to Areas of reallocating human resources to more Impact critical areas without additional hires. Improved training and development programs that enhance staff productivity and job satisfaction. Technological Integration Invest in data analytics tools to Specific continuously monitor performance and Areas of make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement. Impact Use audit recommendations to further digital transformation initiatives, such as implementing e-government services that facilitate access to city services 24/7. You are encouraged to provide your responses to all the requests below as soon as possible, and it will have the most usefulness to us if we receive it by Friday, May 2: 1. Budget and spending reports at a line-item level of detail for each department; 2. Position descriptions and salaries (or salary ranges) for each employee (names and other personally- Information identitiable information can be withheld); 3. All contracts with total costs, deliverables, spending amounts, and whether the contract was awarded competitively or non-competitively; 4. AlL made to each Request grants recipient, and subrecipients where applicable, with descriptions and purposes; 5. Service delivery metrics and performance for all departments; 6. Hours worked by department, and projects and tasks completed. To make use of our secure portal for data transmission, we ask that you identify a single point of contact to the EOG DOGE team at 0coteupbsattaun by Friday, April 18. This contact will be the single individual to whom we provide the access and authority to upload the requested materials through the portal. ATTACHMENT2 hand aal Melsen plarlinez 4-01-3005 Counaiclly INVOICE # INV-360305 Groveland Date Due: 3/14/2025 G City of Groveland Groveland 6825 HWY 50 Address: RIDA Project cya ah Groveland FL 34736 Invoice Date: 2/12/2025 Record # Record Type Fee Group Feel Description Quantity Amount CNEW2502- COMMERCIAL ADMINISTRATIVE FEES ADMINISTRATIVE FEE $722.75 0124 ELECTRONIC FILING FEE 0 $722.75 COMMERCIAL FEES COMMERCIAL BUILDING 0 $2,365.50 COMMERCIAL IMPACT FEES ADMIN FACILITY IMPACT 1978 $217.58 COM COUNTY IMPACT ADMIN 0 $100.00 FIRE IMPACT COM 1978 $1,384.60 POLICE IMPACT COM 1978 $514.28 ROAD IMPACT COM $21,653.00 WASTEWATER IMPACT - 3.34 $33,700.60 COMMERCIAL WATER IMPACT- 3.34 $12,792.20 COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL PLAN REVIEW FEES COMMERCIAL PLAN REVIEW 0 $1,182.75 ELECTRIC PERMIT FEES ELECTRIC PERMIT FEE COM 0 $317.52 FEES ASSOCIATED WITH NEW COMMERCIAL 0 $750.00 ENGINEERING ENGINEERING REVIEW AND INSPECTION FEE FIRE FEES FIRE INSPECTION FEE 0 $392.52 FIRE PLAN REVIEW $196.26 FLOOD FEES FLOOD: ZONE $50.00 DETERMINATION (CLEARANCE) GAS PERMIT FEES GAS PERMIT FEE COM 0 $317.52 HVAC FEES HVAC PERMIT FEES COM 0 $317.52 PLUMBING FEES PLUMBING PERMIT FEES $317.52 COM STATE SURCHARGES BCAI STATE: SURCHARGE 0 $81.11 DCA STATE SURCHARGE 0 $54.07 WATER CONSERVATION WATER CONSERVATION 0 $190.90 Please send your payment to this address: City of Groveland 6825 HWY5 50 Groveland, FL 34736 Printed: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 7:41 PM 1 of2 I TRANKIT INVOICE # INV-360305 Groveland Date Due: 3/14/2025 City of Groveland Groveland 6825 HWY 50 Address: FLORIDA Groveland 34736 Project Cymih FL PERMIT FEE WATER CONSERVATION 0 $95.45 PLAN REVIEW FEE ZONING FEES ZONING FEE COM 0 $750.00 $79,186.40 Invoice Total: $79,186.40 Please send your payment to this address: City of Groveland 6825 HWY5 50 Groveland, FL 34736 Printed: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 7:41 PM 20 of2 € TRAKIT