Government & Education news

City of Mount Dora announces new censorship policy

1/25/2023

In a bold move, the City of Mount Dora announced today that it would no longer allow public comments on any of its social media pages, including those of the city government, police department, parks department and fire department.

The policy is highly uncommon in American cities since it discourages the expression of contrasting points of view which creates negative public relations. All other Lake County cities allow public comments on their social media, as do larger cities like Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles.

The new policy was posted to the City’s Facebook page, as well as the Police Department’s Facebook page, stating “To better serve City of Mount Dora residents and visitors, we have made the conscious decision to turn off the commenting and messaging features on all of our social media accounts beginning Friday, January 27th, 2023.” An email address and phone number were then provided.

The Facebook post did not elaborate on how the new censorship policy aligns with better serving the public or promoting public trust. Shortly after the post was made, comments were prohibited, which was days ahead of the date stated.

Mount Dora’s social media and communication strategies are the responsibility of its Public Information Officer, Vershurn Ford. Ford reports to the City Manager, Patrick Comiskey, who answers to the Mayor and City Council.

The City has recently been the target of harassment by self-described First Amendment watchdogs and has also come under fire for a proposed controversial development in its planned Innovation District. It's unclear if those factors played a role in the opaque new policy. By contrast, other cities develop communication strategies that prevent or mitigate negative publicity, rather than initiate censorship policies that exacerbate it and erode public trust.

Mount Dora’s new social media policy doesn’t violate the First Amendment. However, it dances on a line that American municipal governments and elected officials typically choose not encroach upon out of concerns for transparency and public relations. The City of Mount Dora can still be reached by phone at 352-735-7100.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  Be sure to follow  Mount Dora Buzz on Instagram for more local info.

MOUNT DORA CITY COUNCIL UPDATE: January 17 Meeting

1/18/2023

I've chosen several items from the January 17 City Council agenda to report on today. What follows comes from me as an individual council member and not from City Council as a whole.

Located behind (to the west) our W.T. Bland Library is a 12+ acre Greenbelt Forest Property. We approved a "Task Authorization" for the design of recreational landscape features for a trail system there. Over the past year or more, work has been going on to reduce invasive plants, restore the natural habitat, engage neighbors in the planning process and obtain a $50K grant to help fund this project. The concept is to provide learning opportunities for children while maintaining a natural environment. I'm excited to see this low impact project proceed. What a great idea!

For more than a decade we've been hearing about future plans for the 850-acre Wolf Branch Innovation District located near SR 46. Now, a developer has proposed plans for a 36-acre, mixed-use development. We needed to change the zoning of that parcel from its previous designation as Lake County "Office" to Mount Dora "Mixed Use". The property was annexed into the City at the developer's request in August of 2022. Our Planning and Zoning Commission recommend the zoning change last month on a 6-1 vote. City Council voted 7-0 to make the land use change to "Employment Center" as proposed.

Much of our meeting involved discussion about that property mentioned above. The developer has proposed a mixed use Planned Unit Development (PUD) to include office, retail, an adult living facility, mini-warehouse, convention center, residential and underground parking. After lots of discussion and comments by council members and community members, there was a consensus that most people favored the project but many objected to the height of buildings, some proposed to be over 300 feet tall.

I proposed a motion that we approve "the first reading" for this project to keep discussions alive and continue negotiations between our city staff and the developer in hopes of reaching a compromise before it comes back for a "final" vote. The motion passed on a 6-1 vote (Dawson opposed). Our hope is that common ground on this lynch-pin project can be found. We will definitely be hearing more about this in the upcoming months.

Here are a couple of good news items. Funded by private donations, you will soon see 125 light pole banners around town celebration the contributions of African-Americans locally and nationally just in time for Black History Month.

There is a friendly rumble for a very good cause brewing between Eustis and Mount Dora. Last year Eustis residents got the better of us when they collected more canned goods and cash to benefit Lake Cares Food Pantry. We can't let that stand! Please stop by the Fire Station to drop off your donations Saturday between 10:00-2:00 of drop them off at other neighborhood drop off locations. Thanks in advance for your help.

In recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, our quote for today comes from Dr. King himself. "Love is the only force capable of transforming enemy into friend."

I was impressed by the high level of discussion and the thoughtful comments made by my City Council colleagues and interested community members. In my way of thinking, this is how local government is supposed to to function. It could serve as model for state and national government too. By working together and listening to each other, wise decisions can be made. Thanks for the opportunity to serve as one of your representatives.

By Marc Crail
Vice-Mayor and District 4 Representative

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app. Be sure to follow Mount Dora Buzz on Instagram for more local info.

Beloved Mount Dora High administrator promoted to Seminole Springs Elementary Principal

1/12/2023

It’s a well-deserved promotion that brings Kyle Bracewell full circle. Recently, Lake County Schools announced that Bracewell, the dedicated Assistant Principal of Mount Dora High School (MDHS) will be the new principal of Seminole Springs Elementary (SSE) -- the very place he interned while he was in college and where his wife, Stacy, attended elementary school. Coincidentally, the teacher Bracewell interned under will serve as his assistant principal when he assumes his new role at SSE later this month.

After his internship at Seminole Springs and graduating from the University of Central Florida, Bracewell began his teaching career as a reading and English teacher at Umatilla Middle School in 2009. Four years later he began serving as the literary coach at Leesburg High School and quickly leaped into his career as an administrator at MDHS in 2014. Bracewell, who put in long hours building positive connections to students and parents, has served MDHS for eight years.

“It’s bittersweet to hear of Kyle's promotion to principal. While I will miss him dearly, I could not be more proud and excited for him. He's worked hard for this and he is more than deserving,” said Marlene Straughn, MDHS Principal.

“Seminole Springs Elementary is getting a caring, motivated, and knowledgeable principal. I have no doubt he will continue to build a culture of mutual trust and respect,” continued Straughan. “Once a Cane, always a Cane. Best wishes Kyle, MDHS loves you and will miss you.”

Bracewell's first day is his new position is expected to be January 23.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app. Be sure to follow Mount Dora Buzz on Instagram for more local info.

Former Police Chief sues City of Mount Dora

1/1/2023

ABOVE: Former Mount Dora Police Chief Brett Meade (Mount Dora Buzz file photo)

It’s deja vu all over again. Last month, former Mount Dora Police Chief Brett Meade filed a lawsuit against the city claiming it violated the Florida Whistleblower’s Act. The lawsuit alleged Meade was effectively forced to resign due to the City Manager’s actions.

According to the lawsuit, the issue started in February, 2021, when Meade, who was Police Chief at the time, initiated two internal investigations into potential excessive force violations at Mount Dora Police Department (MDPD). Meade learned on March 14 that Mount Dora’s Human Resource Director, Sharon Kraynik, had contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to investigate Meade and conduct the investigations into excessive force that Meade had initiated.

Meade, who served with the Orange County Sheriff's Office for over two decades, then advised Kraynik and Mount Dora City Manager Patrick Comiskey that Florida law didn’t allow third-party internal investigations of police officers, according to the suit. In various communications, Comiskey, Meade’s boss, advised Meade that an outside agency would indeed conduct the investigations and that Meade would not.

That procedural and legal disagreement was the crux of the issue between the two men. Meade sent his boss the Florida statute he believed supported his position; however, Comiskey advised he was relying on legal advice that contradicted Meade. Typically, the City Attorney, who is specifically hired to provide legal counsel, is relied upon by a City Manager and City Council for legal advice. According to email exchanges, Comiskey maintained his position and Meade eventually tendered his resignation on June 1, 2022. (See email timeline)

On August 23, 2022, almost a year after one of the alleged excessive-force incidents occurred and the media later exposed it, the City of Mount Dora finally commenced an investigation on the potential violations after hiring a retired Polk County Sheriff’s Office internal investigations supervisor to conduct the investigation. According to the City, the investigator has 24 years of experience performing internal investigations.

Meade has since become the Law Enforcement Outreach Coordinator for the University of Central Florida’s Restore program. He had served as the University’s Deputy Chief of Police in 2014 before retiring from that department in 2018. In 2020, Meade was hired as Mount Dora’s’ Interim Chief to help rebuild the frayed department, and he was eventually named the City’s Chief of Police in April 2021.

Meade’s service to the City came on the heels of a tumultuous period at Mount Dora Police Department after the departures of its former chiefs John O’Grady in 2019, and Robert Bell in 2020, as well as Assistant Chief Michael Fewless in 2020. O’Grady won a financial settlement from the City for roughly $64,000 for accrued sick time and vacation leave. Fewless filed a lawsuit against the City claiming a violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act and received in excess of $260,000 as part of his 2021 settlement.

View a copy of the lawsuit is here:

meade_v._city_of_mount_dora_served.12.05.2022.pdf
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For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app. Be sure to follow Mount Dora Buzz on Instagram for more local info.