Government & Education news

RECAP: Mount Dora City Council February 17 Meeting

2/17/2026

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council District 4 Representative

City council held a rare "Shade Meeting" prior to our regular 2/17/26 meeting. A Shade Meeting is a private session where the city's attorney, city manager and city council members can discuss pending litigation. A court reporter was present documenting the meeting. That transcript will be available to the public once the litigation has been settled. No votes can be taken in a Shade Meeting. The topic of this Shade Meeting was a lawsuit against the City brought by Lake County regarding how best to share revenues from the expansion of our Northeast Community Redevelopment Area.

Once we reconvened in public session, we decided to have our city attorney craft language for a counter-offer to Lake County. That counter-offer should be ready for consideration at our next meeting in two weeks.

I've selected some items from our regular meeting to share with you today. I'm reporting to you as one individual council member.

You may recall that our wastewater treatment plant #2 located along Rt 441 is old and has reached its capacity. We are working to raise approximately $100 million to update and expand it. We approved borrowing over $19 million from the State's Revolving Fund (SRF) that provides a super low interest rate. Several other grant and loan opportunities are also being sought. This project probably won't be completed before 2030 but we're making progress.

Here's the latest info on the Donnelly St. reconstruction project. We have posted the bid for reconstruction. The project includes full roadway reconstruction, installation of underdrains to improve drainage, stormwater enhancements, relocation of underground water and reclaimed water pipes to increase long-term reliability.

To help offset the costs, we have applied for cost reimbursement from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) which may cover up to 80% of the costs. We have also secured a $1.3 million FEMA grant to fund the sidewalk replacement. All of that took several months to accomplish but soon we'll see the work begin. Barring unforeseen problems Donnelly Street should reopen in May. Kudos to our city staff who have done lots of hard work!

Our quote of the day is from Rev. Jesse Jackson. "Never look down on someone unless you're helping them up."

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council 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's Instagram and Facebook page for more local info.

RECAP: Feb. 9 Mount Dora Special Event Workshop

2/10/2026

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council District 4 Representative

As usual, I'm reporting to you as one individual city council member and not on behalf of city council as a whole.

We held a city council work session on the agenda titled, "Special Events/Festivals Workshop".

I thought our city staff did a good job gathering and providing information regarding City-hosted special events highlighting their community and economic value including an estimated $10,338,000 in local economic activity. This $10 million provides revenues to Mount Dora based stores, businesses and eateries that helps them flourish. It helps us maintain our reputation as a tourist town and supports our vibrant local economy.

The discussion was good with event sponsors, merchants and citizens participating. Here are some facts about the economic & community impacts of City-hosted events. Please keep in mind that there are other privately hosted events not included in this discussion.

1. The $10,338,000 economic activity estimated figure comes from Lake County.

2. Mount Dora's special events are designed to support economic vitality and a strong sense of community.

3. The 19 City-hosted special events include; 5 festivals, 4 holiday season events, 3 patriotic events, 2 parades, 2 shows and 3 Northeast community focused events.

4. The City spends about $495,000 putting on these 19 events and generates about $222,000 in revenues from them.

This information and discussion will be relevant later in the fiscal year as we build our budget for next year.

Our quote of the day comes from Booker T. Washington. "A lie doesn't become truth, wrong doesn't become right and evil doesn't become good just because it's accepted by a majority."

Thanks again for your interest in the town we all love and the City-hosted events we enjoy.

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council 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's Instagram and Facebook page for more local info.

RECAP: Mount Dora City Council February 10 Meeting

2/10/2026

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council, District 4 Representative

As usual, I'm reporting to you as one individual city council member and not on behalf of city council as a whole.

We held a city council work session on the agenda titled, "Special Events/Festivals Workshop".

I thought our city staff did a good job gathering and providing information regarding City-hosted special events highlighting their community and economic value including an estimated $10,338,000 in local economic activity. This $10 million provides revenues to Mount Dora based stores, businesses and eateries that helps them flourish. It helps us maintain our reputation as a tourist town and supports our vibrant local economy.

The discussion was good with event sponsors, merchants and citizens participating. Here are some facts about the economic & community impacts of City-hosted events. Please keep in mind that there are other privately hosted events not included in this discussion.
1. The $10,338,000 economic activity estimated figure comes from Lake County.

2. Mount Dora's special events are designed to support economic vitality and a strong sense of community

3. The 19 City-hosted special events include; 5 festivals, 4 holiday season events, 3 patriotic events, 2 parades, 2 shows and 3 Northeast community focused events.

4. The City spends about $495,000 putting on these 19 events and generates about $222,000 in revenues from them.
This information and discussion will be relevant later in the fiscal year as we build our budget for next year.

Our quote of the day comes from Booker T. Washington. "A lie doesn't become truth, wrong doesn't become right and evil doesn't become good just because it's accepted by a majority."

Thanks again for your interest in the town we all love and the City-hosted events we enjoy.

Marc Crail
District 4 City Council Rep.

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's Instagram and Facebook page for more local info.

After months of closure, Britt Road reconstruction clears key hurdle

2/1/2026

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Progress is slowly moving forward on the long-awaited reconstruction of Britt Road in Lake County near Mount Dora, where an already-compromised section of the roadway collapsed during an intense rainstorm on October 26, 2025. The damage forced a prolonged closure that has affected residents, commuters and emergency response routes.

On Dec. 30, 2025, Lake County cleared a significant hurdle when it closed on the purchase of the private property needed to rebuild the damaged portion of the road. The land acquisition was funded through a Federal Highway Administration grant, allowing the county to move ahead without using local tax dollars for the purchase.

County officials said reconstruction could not begin until the adjoining landowner agreed to sell property necessary to realign and stabilize the damaged portion of the road. The project is now in its final regulatory phase and awaiting approval from the Florida Department of Transportation, which is anticipated later this month. Once approval is granted, the project will move into the competitive bidding phase, a process estimated to take approximately 45 to 60 days.

Reconstruction of Britt Road is expected to begin soon after a contractor is selected. Once crews are working on site, the estimated timeline for reconstruction ranges from three months to six months depending on whether complications arise.

The slow-moving October storm was identified as a 1000-year rain event resulting in 14 to 19 inches of rain which caused intense flash flooding in Mount Dora, and caused major damage to Donnelly Street, Waterman Village and other areas. Britt Road experienced a significant washout and structural failures to a low-lying area, which were compounded by earlier issues stemming from Hurricane Milton in 2024. The damage rendered the section of road unsafe and required its closure, resulting in lengthy detours, increased traffic on nearby rural roads and altered routes for emergency responders and school transportation.
When completed, the rebuilt roadway is expected to include improved drainage and structural reinforcement designed to reduce the risk of future storm-related failures.

Mount Dora Buzz will provide updates on significant developments as they become available.

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's Instagram and Facebook page for more local info.

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