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Government & Education

MOUNT DORA UPDATE: Recap of Feb. 18  City Council meeting

2/19/2025

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By Marc Crail
District 4 City Council Representative
​

I've selected several items from our  February 18th meeting agenda that I think will be of interest to you. As usual, I am reporting to you as one individual council member and not on behalf of city council as a whole. Thanks for your continuing interest in the goings on of the city we all love.

As you may already be aware, the First United Methodist Church and the City have had a cooperative parking lot sharing agreement going back decades. In return for allowing downtown visitors to park in the church's 124 space lot during non-church hours, the City maintains the parking lot. There is no "rental" fee involved, only maintenance. Today we approved $135,000 to repair a retention wall on one side of the lot. Downtown Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) funds will be spent, not General Fund money. Keep that lot in mind next time you are wondering where to park downtown. Everyone concerned appreciates this parking lot sharing agreement.  It's only a couple of blocks from downtown shopping and dining and it's free for you to use!

At long last, construction of a 31,100 square foot Community Resource and Recreation Center on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and North Simpson Street will begin later this year. The need for this kind of facility dates back 50 years. The "not to exceed" cost is $15 million. The firm of Charles Perry Partners Inc. was selected to do the project. Northeast CRA funds will be used to pay for construction.

On the odor front, now that it appears that the source of the bad smell is NOT our Waste Water #2 plant, we are focused on identifying the source or sources of the noxious smell. We hope to cost share on a 50/50 basis with Lake County on this effort. Each entity will pay $135,000. County Commissioners are due to vote to approve their participation at their next meeting and if they approve, we have agreed to participate. This study should be complete by mid-June.

Keeping in mind that I'm expressing my personal opinion, I have been very disappointed in the lack of financial contributions and technical expertise from FDEP. It seems to me that FDEP should be a better partner. This is precisely what they should doing. Mount Dora residents pay state taxes to fund FDEP and we are not getting any bang for our tax bucks. I hope State official will get onboard soon and own up to their responsibilities.

As usual there is both progress and frustration in this report. Everything costs more and takes longer than it should but, we are making progress. One good example is the recent completion of the temporary walkway along the north end of Donnelly St. The safety of our citizens and visitors must be first and foremost. I appreciate the hard work of our city staff.

 Our quote of the day comes from civil rights pioneer, Fredrick Douglas. "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."

By Marc Crail
District 4 City Council Representative

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  Follow Mount Dora Buzz's Facebook and Instagram for more local info.
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NEW UPDATE: Recap of January 7 Mount Dora City Council meeting

1/9/2025

 
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By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council District 4 Representative

 
I've selected several items of interest from City Council's January 7, 2025 meeting to share with you. Please understand that I'm reporting to you as one member of City Council and not in any official capacity on behalf of the Council.

A food drive to benefit Lake Cares Food Pantry is coming up on January 25. It's a friendly competition with our neighboring cities for a very good cause. You can drop off canned goods, etc, at either of our fire stations anytime between now and 1/27. Thanks in advance for your help!

There was an update on the Donnelly Street temporary sidewalk construction. Beginning this Thursday, 1/8, expect one lane to be closed while the contractor is working on the temporary walkway. We anticipate completion in about two weeks. As a side note, we still haven't received notification that our grant proposal for the "permanent" sidewalk has been approved although it still seems likely.

We also got updated on the noxious odor issue. We received a preliminary report a few days ago from the company that has been monitoring the smell for six months. Here are the highlights greatly simplified. Hydrogen Sulfide that results in a strong rotten egg smell appears to be lower inside our Wastewater Plant 2 than it is in other surrounding areas. It is 0.1 parts per million at intake which is extremely low. This seems to confirm that our wastewater treatment plant isn't the source of the bad smell. If that is the case, the next step will be to zero in on the actual odor source. We have hired Halff, an environmental engineering firm, to figure out where the smell is emanating from.

City staff, council members and affected residents are all frustrated and desperate to find solutions asap.  The fact is that this is very complex and a quick fix isn't likely but we are committed to continuing to do all we can as quickly as we can. We are hoping to get Lake County, Orange County and the FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) involved to help share data and the costs involved with solving our mutual problem.

We adopted a resolution to apply for a Federal RAISE Grant for the proposed Wekiva Bike/Hike Trail. We have applied for similar grants previously but this time CSX Railway Company has signed on and their cooperation could be a game changer.

A Parking Workshop meeting will be held on Monday 1/13 at 6:00 p.m. Community members are invited to attend but generally during workshop meetings, public comments are not allowed.

Thank you for your interest in the goings-on in Mount Dora government. It is my privilege to serve as your District 4 representative.

Our quote for today comes by way of Gotta Giggle Memes & Funnier. "The difference between me and Superman is... he has super vision and I require supervision".  I think they've nailed it!

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council District 4 Representative
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Mount Dora City Council update:  Recap of December 17  meeting

12/18/2024

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​By Marc Crail, City Council Representative for District 4

I've selected several items from the December 17th. Mount Dora City Council agenda to share with you. Please keep in mind that I'm reporting to you as one individual and not in any official capacity.

Our police department has hired a crime analyst whose job it is to collect data that helps the department deploy officers and other resources based on the areas of town and times of day where and when crimes occur. She presented data that showed decreases in violent crimes in several categories. With just two weeks to go in 2024, the statistics are definitely trending in the right direction. In the upcoming months she plans to post this data on the city website.

The City Manager and his public safety team are expecting to receive a quote for construction of a temporary asphalt sidewalk on the east side of the Donnelly Street. This is a public safety concern. As soon as the quote is received and analyzed by our staff, we will get that project underway. In the long term, we hope to get final approval of our grant application that will cover the lion's share of the permanent sidewalk on the west side of the street very soon but that construction will take several months.

Another public safety priority is dealing with the noxious odor situation. As soon as we get the latest data report, council will meet to review that data and begin next steps to mitigate the problem. Residents and council members are rightfully frustrated and eager to resolve this issue.

We heard some good news on the long awaited Wekiva Rail-Trail Extension. The CSX railroad has relented and is now willing to sell the railroad property. We voted unanimously to sign a memorandum of understanding agreement to proceed with negotiations. We are now working with the Trust for Public Land, an organization that has long experience with similar projects. Our partner, Lake County voted to move ahead at their meeting on Monday and Tavares City Council is expected to approve their participation at their meeting on Wednesday. Fingers crossed!

There is also progress on some other projects around the city.  The new playground at Gilbert Park is looking beautiful.

Construction is well underway for converting the tennis court in Donnelly Park to pickelball courts. Construction of a new basketball courts at Summerview Park is finished. The tree planting campaign continues. You can check out the newly planted oak trees at Frank Brown Sports Park.

Our quote for today comes from author, Ernest Hemingway who said; "It takes two years to learn to speak and sixty to learn to keep quiet."

Thanks for allowing me to serve as your District 4 City Council Representative. Enjoy your family and friends during this holiday season.

Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council District 4 Representative

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MOUNT DORA UPDATE: Recap of September 17 City Council meeting

9/17/2024

 
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By Marc Crail
Mount Dora Vice-mayor and District 4 Representative


I've selected several important items for our September 17th City Council meetings to report on. Please keep in mind that I'm not sending this on behalf of City Council in any official capacity. It comes from me alone.

We learned that a traffic light will be installed by FDOT within the next several months at the intersection of SR 44B and Way Cross Road near Lowes. This isn't a Mount Dora project but many Mount Dora residents will benefit from it.

City Council approved a plan to design sidewalk extensions and traffic calming near the intersection of Lakeshore Dr./Heim Rd. and Sylvan Dr. This will be a city project. It is needed because Lakeshore Dr. is a heavily cut-through route causing safety issues.

I've written several times about the budget building process for FY 2024-25 that your City Council has been working on for months now. As anticipated, we were able to balance the City's budget with a millage rate of 6.3 mills. This is less than the maximum millage rate we saw on our TRIM notices that we got in the mail several weeks ago. It is 11.22% over the roll-back rate of 5.6642 mills. We unanimously voted to approve this final resolution.

After evaluating our City Manager, Vince Sandersfeld's performance, council members voted 4 to 2 to give him a raise of 3.5%. We all agreed that his performance has been excellent and we appreciate his first class work since he took over as our Interim City manager in late January. Some council members favored a larger salary increase of 8%, but the majority thought that given our financial circumstances we should give the manager a more modest raise.

Now that the recent water main break caused by a contractor's negligence has been repaired, I want to assure our residents that the contractor will be billed for the full cost of the repair work.

Our quote for today comes from President Theodore Roosevelt. "This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in."

Thanks for your continued interest in our city!

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora Vice-mayor and District 4 Representative
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Mount Dora launches free shuttles beginning October 4

9/16/2024

 
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Parking in Mount Dora may be a bit easier beginning October 4, after the city launches a free, on-demand parking shuttle program with two electric vehicles which will run from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  There will be no service on the other weekdays.  

There are no shuttle routes or schedules, but passengers can download the Ride Freebee app on their cell phone to request a pick-up or drop-off anywhere within the service area (see the orange area in the map). If anyone does not have a smartphone, they can call 855-918-3733 for assistance.
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Enter any of these addresses in your GPS for the free parking lots close to downtown.  During special events and festivals, many of these lots are not available, but many private lots do provide parking for a fee.
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DOWNTOWN PARKING LOTS

City Hall
510 N. Baker Street

First United Methodist Church
428 E. 5th Avenue

Parking Garage 
250 N. Donnelly Street

Tremain Street Parking Lot
225 N. Tremain Street 

3rd & Baker Grass Parking Lot
210 E. 3rd Avenue

3rd & Donnelly Parking Lot
300 N. Donnelly Street

4th & Baker Parking Lot
400 N. Baker Street

4th & Alexander Parking (Renaissance) Lot 
400 Alexander Street

5th & Baker Parking Lot 
481 N. Baker Street
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UPTOWN & BOATING PARKING LOTS

Highland & Liberty Parking Lot
853 Liberty Avenue

First Baptist Church 
1000 E. 1st Avenue

​Boat Ramp/Lighthouse Parking Lot

417 S. Tremain Street

Palm Island Parking Lot 
411 S.Tremain Street

Gilbert Park 
310 S. Tremain Street

There are still calls from the public for a parking garage, but the lack of a large and available space downtown and traffic issues virtually preclude the practicality of constructing a parking garage within convenient walking distance to downtown. 

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit Mount Dora Buzz's website, its Instagram  and Facebook page.  Download the area's free mobile app for info on the go.  For local food recommendations, follow Mount Dora Foodie's Facebook and its official Instagram account.
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New "Mount Dora North" development proposed in Lake County

9/1/2024

 
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A significant new development is proposed for Lake County on Round Lake Road across from Round Lake Charter School and north of State Road 46. The proposed 260-acre project has 3,242 residential units at an average density of 12.45 dwelling units (DU) per acre.  (See conceptual plan below)

For comparison, nearby Sullivan Ranch is 299 acres with 692 residences with density of 2.31 DU per acre.

The 10-parcel project will have a public hearing at the Lake County Planning & Zoning Board on Wednesday, September 4, and the Lake County Commission on Tuesday, October 1.  

The capacity for City of Mount Dora water and waste-treatment utilities to service the large development and others in the pipeline has been a concern of residents already dealing with the recurring smell of sewage in the eastern area of Mount Dora.  The City of Mount Dora's public information officer (PIO) would not  answer whether the City supports the Lake County project as currently proposed, or if it has waste-water treatment capacity at the controversial plant which currently serves that area and has been the alleged source of a noxious odor for years.

The City, via its PIO, also opted not to answer whether it would have a representative at the upcoming Lake County zoning hearing. According to Lake County’s rezoning staff’s 36-page report, the county’s final ordinance was provided to the City of Mount Dora staff for comments on June 25, 2024, yet the City made none. 

The September 4 and October 1 public hearings are to consider the Richland Developer Florida Inc’s. (Richland) request to rezone the parcels from agricultural and rural residential districts to a Planned Unit Development (PUD), which includes higher density residential and a mixed-use employment center. Currently the parcels are single-family homes and agricultural pastures.  

The proposed Mount Dora North project is one of two developments which encompasses 593 acres and also includes the Mount Dora South development.  The majority of the North and South project is within the Wolf Branch Innovation District (WBID).  In total, 3,746 residences are proposed, along with over 12 million square-feet of non-residential space intended for office, commercial and light industrial-flex uses.  The residential densities for the combined Mount Dora North and South projects range from 4 dwelling units (DU) per acre to 18 DU per acre and the dwelling types include single-family homes, townhomes and low-rise residential.  Both of the proposed developments are on the September 4 agenda. 

RVi Planning & Landscape Architecture, Richland’s consultant, submitted a summary and narrative on the development which stated Mount Dora North would result in a projected 30,232 trips daily, with 2,360 of those occurring in peak morning hours, and 2,462 occurring in peak evening hours. The developer would pay the required roadway impact fees for the development. 

Lake County’s Planning and Zoning Board meeting will be held on September 4 at the Lake County Commission Chamber at 315 W. Main Street in Tavares at 9 a.m. and is open to the public. The October 1 public hearing is scheduled at the same location.
mount_dora_north_county_staff_36-page_report.pdf
File Size: 8547 kb
File Type: pdf
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ABOVE: Conceptual plan of proposed Mount Dora North development with key on right. (Click on image to enlarge.)
For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit Mount Dora Buzz's website, its Instagram  and Facebook page.  Download the area's free mobile app for info on the go.  For local food recommendations, follow Mount Dora Foodie's Facebook and its official Instagram account.
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Important Questions & Answers for Lake County voters

9/1/2024

 
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This year’s general election takes place on November 5.  Changes have been made to voting in Florida and Lake County, so Mount Dora Buzz compiled the top 10 things you need to know to ensure your vote counts in November.
1. What is the new process for voting by mail?  How do voters request a vote-by-mail ballot?  
Vote-by-Mail requests expire every 2 years, every even-numbered year.
Voters may request a Vote-by-Mail ballot by:
  • Calling Lake County Supervisor of Elections office at 352-343-9734.
  • Completing an online request at their official website at https://www.lakevotes.gov/Voter-Information/Vote-By-Mail .
  • Printing and completing a Vote-by-Mail Request Form and returning it to the Lake County Supervisor of Elections office at 1898 E. Burleigh Boulevard in Tavares. Vote-by-Mail Request Forms are available on LakeVotes.gov or at Lake County Supervisor of Elections office at 1898 E. Burleigh Boulevard in Tavares or at any Lake County Library location.
Voters can visit the Vote-by-Mail tab at the official website at https://www.lakevotes.gov/Voter-Information/Vote-By-Mail for more information. 

2.  What's the deadline to mail in a Vote-by-Mail ballot?
The United States Postal Service recommends five to seven  days to return a Vote-by-Mail ballot by mail.

Secure Ballot Intake Stations are available for voters to return a voted Vote-by-Mail ballot to any one of 12 Early Voting locations during Early Voting.  Early Voting dates and hours of operation for the General Election are:
October 21st through Nov. 2nd from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.

Vote-by-Mail ballots MUST be received at Lake County Supervisor of Elections office at 1898 E. Burleigh Boulevard in Tavares no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.

3.  Were any voters removed from the voter rolls since the last general election?  If so, how do voters check to see if they are still shown as valid voters?
Yes.  Voters may call the office of the Supervisor of Elections at 352-343-9734 or visit its official website, LakeVotes.gov, select the Voter Information button, select Look up My Voter Information, and complete the Voter Information Lookup Form.
The link is https://www.lakevotes.gov/Voting/Voter-Information .

 4.  How do voters confirm their signatures?  What is the deadline to update a signature?
Signatures change due to a variety of reasons. Lake County Supervisor of Elections encourages voters to update their signature on a consistent basis. Age, illness, injury and more can impact signatures.
Should a voter wish to view their signature on file, a visit to the Supervisor’s office at 1898 E. Burleigh Boulevard in Tavares would be required.

5.  Are there any new Florida voting requirements that voters should be aware of?
Lake County Supervisor of Election’s official website, LakeVotes.gov has a plethora of voter information available. Voters who are heading to their polling location for in-person voting need to bring a valid and current photo ID with signature. Examples of what is acceptable can be found at LakeVotes.gov in its digital Voter Guide.

 6.  Can people register to vote online?  If so, what is the link?
Yes, voters can absolutely register online.  The links to register in Lake County and Florida are:
  • https://www.lakevotes.gov/Register-to-Vote
  • https://registertovoteflorida.gov/home

 7.  What is the deadline to register before the November 5, 2024 election?
The deadline for new voter registrations is October 7, 2024.

8.  Have there been any precinct changes since the last general election?No. However, voters are encouraged to review the location of their precinct prior to heading out for in-person voting. Voters can find their precinct:
  • On their Voter Information card.
  • By visiting the website LakeVotes.gov, select the Voter Information button, select Find my Precinct.
  • By calling the Supervisor’s office at 352-343-9734.

 9. When does early in-person voting begin and end in Lake County?
October 21st to November 2nd from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

10. How transparent is the process in Lake County?
Anyone curious about the inner workings of Lake County Elections can schedule a 90-minute tour of the facility.  The tour is guided by Supervisor Hays or another team member. This is a great way to experience how elections are administered by the office. Voters may sign up for a tour by visiting https://www.lakevotes.gov/Educational-Resources/Facility-Tours .

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit Mount Dora Buzz's website, its Instagram  and Facebook page.  Download the area's free mobile app for info on the go.  For local food recommendations, follow Mount Dora Foodie's Facebook and its official Instagram account.
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New concrete walkway set replace boardwalk on Donnelly Street

9/1/2024

 
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The City of Mount Dora has completed construction plans and obtained environmental permits for reconstruction of the pedestrian way located along the west side of Donnelly Street between Limit Avenue and U.S. Highway 441. The City plans to replace the dilapidated pedestrian boardwalk with a concrete sidewalk on an improved roadside shoulder. 
 
The wood boardwalk was undermined by stormwater-caused erosion, which progressively undercut its supporting structure. The City sought and qualified for a FEMA-related grant to help with the cost, and is also awaiting a final determination from the State of Florida concerning the award of its grant.
 
Following complaints from local residents in June, City officials inspected the boardwalk and found it to be unsafe for further use by the public in its current condition.
 
Presently, the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDOEM) is expediting its review of the City’s grant application. If the grant is approved and the City enters into a grant agreement with FDOEM, it can proceed to construct the new sidewalk and receive the grant monies needed to complete the project.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit Mount Dora Buzz's website, its Instagram  and Facebook page.  Download the area's free mobile app for info on the go.  For local food recommendations, follow Mount Dora Foodie's Facebook and its official Instagram account.
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Recap of August 26th Mount Dora budget meeting

8/27/2024

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Most of us received our TRIM notice for Ad Valorem (property taxes) in the mail from the Lake County Taxing Authority last week. This notice never fails to raise the collective blood pressures of property owners because it shows the highest possible tax rates from Lake County, Lake County Schools, Mount Dora, St. Johns River Management District, etc.

Florida law requires all taxing authorities to state their maximum millage rates for the upcoming tax year in mid-July. I can't speak for the other taxing entities and I don't speak for the City of Mount Dora, but we tend to guess high because at that early date we don't have all the data needed to pin down our eventual millage rate. It's easy to reduce that maximum proposed millage rate, but next to impossible to increase it.

To comply with the law and meet the State's timeline, on July 16 Mount Dora City Council set our maximum millage rate for Fiscal Year 2024-25 at 6.6 mills, well up from our FY 2023-24 millage rate of 5.9603 mills. That's the rate you saw in your TRIM. We anticipated that a millage increase would be needed but hoped that we could eventually settle on a lower number.

After our Budget Work Session last night, it appears to me that our eventual final millage rate will be 6.3 mills which was our pre-Covid millage rate. If that's the case, a Mount Dora homeowner who has a Homestead Exemption, and whose home has a market value of $344,000 (average home market value) will see an increase of about $151 in their Mount Dora real estate taxes next fiscal year. That's an increase of about $12.59 per month. Of course, your house may be worth more or less.

Please keep in mind that I have no idea what other taxing authorities will need to pay their bills. Their final tax rates won't go up any higher than what was on your TRIM notice and they might go down from that maximum millage rate.

I think it goes without saying that crafting the City's budget is one of the most important things City Council does and that collectively, we take that responsibility very seriously.  The final vote will be held during our September 17 City Council Meeting.

With college football season kicking off (pun intended) I've selected a quote from Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.

"When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: 1. Admit it. 2. Learn from it. 3. Don't repeat it."

Thanks for allowing me to represent District 4 and serve as your Vice-mayor.

by Marc Crail
Mount Dora Vice Mayor and District 4 Representative


For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit Mount Dora Buzz's website, its Instagram  and Facebook page.  Download the area's free mobile app for info on the go.  For local food recommendations, follow Mount Dora Foodie's Facebook and its official Instagram account.

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MOUNT DORA UPDATE: Recap of Aug. 20 City Council Meeting

8/20/2024

 
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Marc Crail
Mount Dora Vice Mayor and District 4 Representative
​

Mount Dora City Council met for its August 20th regular meeting. I've selected a few items of interest from the agenda and discussions.  Please keep in mind that I'm reporting to you as one individual and not on behalf of City Council as a whole.

We heard a presentation from Police Chief Mike Gibson about the possible installation of School Zone Speed Cameras near Triangle Elementary School, Round Lake Charter School, Mount Dora Middle School and Mount Dora High School. The state legislature approved the use of school speed zone cameras last year. I was stunned to learn that hundreds of motorists exceed the 20 mph speed limits by 11 or more mph during the opening and closing hours of our local schools every day. This creates a daily danger for thousands of our students and school staff.

City Council authorized the Police Chief to look into an ordinance that would need City Council approval. There would be no cost to our tax payers. The cost would be covered by $100 school zone speeding tickets. Chief Gibson expects that this would result in significant decreases in school zone speed violations.

We also heard from our health insurance broker and an actuary regarding anticipated increases in the cost of our employee medical insurance premiums. FYI, city employees pay about 14% of the cost of their health insurance. That leaves 86 %  coming from the city's budget. Not unexpectedly, claims are more costly than in previous years and our costs have increased over the last few years. We asked our experts to give us their best thinking on options that could help control this expense.

Council approved contracting with Redzone Robotics for manhole and sanitary main inspections. It makes good sense to me to use a contractor like Redzone that has the proper equipment and expertise to scope out our underground pipes.

That's about it for today's meeting agenda. I'm switching subjects now to talk a bit about development in and around Mount Dora. I've been fielding lots of questions recently about all the new development going on in and around Mount Dora. Including:
Why is so much development happing now? What are the rules for approving proposed projects?  Why can't we just stop development and keep Mount Dora the way it is?  What are the benefits and downsides of growth in and around Mount Dora?

In order to help folks understand development in Florida and answer their questions about what's going on, our Economic Development director, Misty Sommer and I have put together a presentation that we call "Development 101". We've presented "Development 101" twice so far for residents at Waterman Village with large crowds and lots of great questions. We're scheduled to make a similar presentation for Lakes of Mount Dora residents at 2:00 p.m. on Monday September 16th in the LoMD social hall . All Lakes of Mount Dora neighbors are invited to attend. Mark your calendars now.

If you don't happen to live in Lakes of Mount Dora but have a group (your Mount Dora neighborhood, a club, etc.) that would be interested in scheduling a "Development 101" presentation please contact me and we'll try to accommodate  your group.

Our quote for the day comes from C.S. Lewis the British author and theologian who said: "You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." Here's to new beginnings!

Thanks for allowing me to serve as your District 4 Representative and Vice-mayor.

Marc Crail
Mount Dora Vice Mayor and District 4 Representative
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