By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council Member, District 4

I'm happy to give you this update on the April 27 Mount Dora City Council Work Session/Special  Session.   I am just one of seven city council members and not its spokesman.  I try to be unbiased in my reports, but what you're receiving is strictly from my perspective.

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Mount Dora City Council met for a marathon 4 and 1/2 hours Thursday evening in a combination Work Session/Special Session.

The "Special Session" had just 1 item which needed to be dealt with by the end of April. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is pushing us to to get into compliance with their regulations on back-flow prevention which have changed in recent years. We needed to approve a "cross connection control program" to get into compliance with the State law. There are many details remaining since some of our neighborhoods use reclaimed water for irrigation while others use potable water. Our action on Thursday meets the State's deadline but there will be more info to report to you as those details get fleshed out.

The "Work Session" took up most of our meeting time. Here are some highlights of non-action items we covered.

1. We got an update from our arborist firm which has been systematically inspecting and mapping trees located on City owned property. They have already inspected thousands of trees in our parks and along our streets. They have more work to do but real progress has been made. As these 3 experts evaluate each tree they give it a grade ranging from good to dead and recommend corrective action if a tree needs pruning, removal, fertilizing, etc. E Sciences began its work in February and should wrap-up their inspections in a couple of months. We have about 85 different species of trees on city property mostly oaks and palms. There are about 126 trees (so far) that need to be removed. Next steps include developing an Urban Forest Master Plan and to prioritize the work needed to care for our beautiful trees. I'm happy that we are making progress and I'm impressed with E Sciences, our vendor.

2. We heard from another potential Economic Development consultant. Richard Levey made a very impressive presentation outlining what he thinks he could offer us as we continue to to work on our top priority strategic planning goal. Can you tell that I am growing impatient? I believe we are more than ready to make a decision on this choice and get to work! I'll be pushing hard to make that happen sooner rather than later.

3. We are beginning to work on our Capital Improvement Program budget (CIP) that will go into effect in October. There is an enormous list of needs and wants but we are constrained by the realities of a limited budget. This initial discussion involved a line by line review of the merits of each proposed item. In my estimation, capital spending must be closely linked to the priorities of our Strategic Plan which are Economic Development and taking care of our Infrastructure. We will rehash and refine this long list to pare it down and make it fit into our budget.  Our top priorities should be the construction of a new public works facility and dealing with our downtown parking problem.

Spending taxpayers' money wisely is a big responsibility. As we work to develop the budget for next fiscal year I am reminded of this observation by comedian Bill Murray; "The best way to teach your kids about taxes is to eat 30% of their ice cream".

Thanks for the opportunity to help spend your money (wisely)!

Marc Crail
District 4 City Council Rep.

For more events and news in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Find out what's happening locally with just a tap on your phone by downloading the area's free mobile app.  Monthly issues of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council Member, District 4

I'm happy to give you this update on the April 18 Mount Dora City Council Special Meeting.   I am just one of seven city council members and not its spokesman.  I try to be unbiased in my reports, but what you're receiving is strictly from my perspective.

The crux of our meeting tonight were 3 ordinances all related to the proposed commercial development at the corner of US Highway 441 and Morningside Drive. Several residents of neighborhoods located nearby the proposed store site voiced their concerns including; light pollution, traffic flow, noise, property values, etc. Our city manager and our legal counsel explained that these 3 ordinances did not include any site plans that would deal with these issues and were not even specific to building a Wawa store since that use for the property has not been formally requested although it is very likely to be.

The first ordinance considered was the final reading requesting the voluntary annexation of about 1.25 acres of wooded property just to the west of the Shell station. This property is currently in Lake County not in the City of Mount Dora. The owner is requesting that it be annexed into the city. This is possible because it abuts to the Shell station property which is in the City. This request was approved by a 7-0 vote.

The second ordinance deals with "Future Land Use". Mount Dora Planning and Zoning Commission recommended and City Planning staff agreed that this property is appropriate to be used for commercial use and matches the other commercial property use along US Highway 441 such as Target, medical offices and gas stations which are located nearby. The ordinance was approved 7-0.

The third ordinance deals with rezoning the 1.25 acre wooded parcel from its current Residential use to C-3 (Commercial uses like the Shell station, Target, the auto dealerships across 441, etc.). This rezoning fits with our Land Development Code. I doubt if anyone would seriously consider buying that property to build a residence in that location. The City, Lake County and the developer are working cooperatively to resolve the issues previously mentioned such as buffers, lighting, parking, traffic safety, sidewalks and the like. This ordinance was recommended by City staff and the details (requirements) will be dealt with in the  Site Plan. There will be more opportunities for public comments and participation once the Site Plan is completed. This motion passed  by a 6-1 vote with Mark Slaby voting no.

Founding father, John Adams said; "Government is intended for the common good: for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family or class of men." That's one very long sentence but I think Mr. Adams' words are still true today.

Thanks for your interest in Mount Dora!
Marc Crailm District 4 City Council Representative

​​​For more events and news in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Find out what's happening locally with just a tap on your phone by downloading the area's free mobile app.  Monthly issues of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.

Mount Dora Police officers responded to a call at approximately 6:30 last night to The Giants Barber Shop located on Old Highway 441 just east of the busy Eudora Road intersection.  

Upon arrival, officers found the suspect, Ryan Paul Thornhill, 36, subdued by patrons after he allegedly shot the barber in the head.  The victim, Wilfredo Nieves, 39,  died on the scene.  State records indicate Nieves was the owner of the business.

Thornhill, 36, was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center where he was treated for injuries and released after 11 p.m.  He was booked into Lake County Jail and charged with murder and multiple counts of aggravated battery. 

There are reports Thornill was turned away from the business earlier after not having enough money for a haircut and then returned with a gun.  That account has not been confirmed by authorities and the motive is still part of an on-going investigation into the shooting.

For more restaurant news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.  Find out what's happening locally with just a tap on your phone by downloading the area's free mobile app.  Monthly issues of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council Member, District 4

I'm happy to give you this update on the April Mount Dora City Council Special Meeting.   I am just one of seven city council members and not its spokesman. I selected 3-4 items covered at the meeting and briefly report on them for your information.  I try to be unbiased in my reports, but what you're receiving is strictly from my perspective.

About a year ago we hired the law firm of Stenstrom, McIntosh, Cobert and Whigham as our City Attorney. One of their lawyers, Lonnie Groot is board certified in the area of City, County and Local Government Law. Because of his certification Mr. Groot became our main attorney backed up by the other lawyers in the firm.

Last summer a formal complaint was filed by Public Works Director John Peters and similar less formal complaints were voiced by City Clerk Gwen Johns and Police Chief John O'Grady regarding harassment on the part of Attorney Groot. In accordance with City Policy, an investigation was conducted by an independent labor law attorney. The investigator concluded that Mr. Groot had violated City policy.

The question before City Council tonight was what to do in response to the conclusions of the investigation.

I was proud of the tone of tonight's meeting and impressed by the honest but respectful discussion on the part of every City Council member. Each member presented his/her opinions and offered his/her best thinking on this troubling situation. There was also plenty of opportunity for members of the public to comment as well.

Long story made short; after a couple of hours of discussion the consensus reached was that we will retain the Stenstrom, McIntosh, Cobert and Whigham law firm without any further direct involvement by Mr. Groot in Mount Dora city business. Then final vote was 6 to 1 with Cal Rolfson voting no.

I appreciated that City Council and our City Manager clearly stated that we demand that each of our city employees be treated with respect and that every employee should feel free to voice their concerns without fear of retaliation. Our employees are valued and are our biggest assets.

Consider this quote from Alexander Den Heijer: "When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower."

As usual, thanks for the opportunity to serve our great community!

bY Marc Crail
​District 4 City Council Rep.

The community was left brokenhearted when its beloved excursion train, Orange Blossom Cannonball, departed the station for the last time.  On Wednesday, the City of Tavares will have a chance to mend some of those hearts.

The city council will decide on April 5 whether to approve a proposal from Orlando Northwestern Railway LLC (ONR), a vintage train operator proposing weekend "Explorer" excursions connecting Tavares, Mount Dora and Eustis with adult ticket prices of $20.00.  ​ Read more