The City encourages members of the public to attend the informal meeting so the Mayor and City Staff can address any questions or concerns.  Questions from residents will be welcomed and taken in an orderly manner.  City staff that have information about the different projects will be there, as well as our Interim City manager, Charles Revell.  All council members are also invited.

The Town Hall will start at 5:30 p.m. in the Mount Dora Community Building located at 520 N. Baker Street. Face coverings are required during this discussion session. ​

Stepping into his role as Mount Dora’s Interim Police Chief last July, Brett Meade hit the ground running and over the last several months earned the respect of the community.  On Friday, Interim Mount Dora City Manager Charles Revell appointed Meade as the permanent Chief of Police. 

“Serving the citizens of Mount Dora as the Chief of Police is truly an opportunity of a lifetime. Mount Dora is an incredible community and it is an honor to lead a police department staffed with dedicated and committed personnel intently focused on providing a safe environment for our community,” said Chief Meade.  “As we move forward, I ask that everyone assists the Mount Dora Police Department in achieving our agency priorities by getting involved, as our goal is to be the premiere law enforcement agency in Central Florida, and we will achieve this distinction by dedicated and trusted community partnerships.”

Meade began his law enforcement career in 1982 with the DeLand Police Department and later served almost 25 years with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office where he retired as a patrol commander.  In 2014,  Meade was appointed Deputy Chief of Police for the University of Central Florida Police Department and retired with the honorary rank of Chief four years later. 
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Mount Dora’s new chief has extensive command leadership experience in administrative as well as operational positions that  include Campus Law Enforcement, Internal Affairs, Tourism Safety, Intelligence, Patrol Command, Investigations, and Youth Crime Prevention programs.  Meade embraces community policing and intelligence-led policing philosophies with proven success in crime reduction.

​​Follow Mount Dora Buzz on Instagram.  For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  ​

Both ordinances would require Historic Preservation Board consideration through the Certificate of Appropriateness process in cases where the proposed buildings (or additions) are located within the Historic Preservation Review Boundary Area.  Neither ordinance is needed to construct a new downtown parking garage. ​

If the commission decides to proceed with either of the draft ordinances, it will need to be formalized and presented back to P & Z at a public hearing when it would vote and make recommendations to the City Council. 

The City’s newest council member, Austin Guenther, works for G3 Development, his family’s commercial real estate development business which owns commercial properties that could benefit from the height increase.   According to G3's website, the councilman is tasked with the company’s business development. G3's ownership also has a stake in Pineapple Point, the undeveloped waterfront acreage next to Lakeside Inn.    Guenther would not be required to abstain from voting on any ordinance related to building heights, according to Mount Dora City Attorney Sherry Sutphen, “because he will not gain a special, private benefit different from all area property owners.”

Previous efforts to transform historic downtown Mount Dora with significantly higher building heights have ruffled more than a few feathers in the past.  Changing downtown Mount Dora’s vibe with taller buildings could attract more developers, residents and businesses.  However, a quick scan of the area shows numerous long-term vacant buildings, including four prime downtown corner properties, which indicates an abundance of space is already available for new businesses.  

Anyone wanting to weigh in on increasing Mount Dora Building heights can attend the April 21st meeting 10 a.m. at City Hall.  Social distancing and masks are required per the City’s Resolution 2020-138.  ​
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Follow Mount Dora Buzz on Instagram.  For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  ​

By Marc Crail
District 4 City Council Representative

​I've selected a handful of items from our April 16 Mount Dora City Council meeting to share with you. Of course, I'm writing from my own perspective and not on behalf of City Council as a whole.

COVID-19 vaccinations have wrapped up now at the St. Patrick Church site. Our community owes the members and leadership of St. Patrick Church a huge debt of gratitude for their generous and long term use of their campus that was very well suited for administering over 31,000 immunizations over the past few months. I am also proud that our city stepped up and led the way to make sure that our residents had a local option to get their shots. Our police and fire departments were supported by their colleagues from Eustis and Tavares along with lots of volunteers worked tirelessly to staff the St. Patrick site. Thanks to all who made this possible. Another interesting statistic is that as of yesterday 42% of Lake County adults have been immunized. That is substantially higher than Orange County's 34% and Seminole's 34%.

Speaking of COVID, we were provided with a packet of statistics from the Department of Health, C.D.C. and other expert sources and discussed the possibility of relaxing mask requirements. The current data doesn't support relaxing mask or social distancing requirements at this time but it seems likely that over the next few months either the Governor or the C.D.C. will move to do that but for now please continue to mask up.

Over the past few months we've been discussing making amendments to our Land Development Code particularly as it relates to our Wolf Branch Innovation District. Our city staff has worked with interested property owners and potential developers looking for ways to promote appropriate development there. Today we approved a "first reading" of that ordinance. There could still be more tweaks because a second reading is required.

At our last meeting we appointed Charles Revell as our Acting City Manager. We had discussed having him serve for a few weeks until we could find an Interim City Manager who would run the city until we have found and hired a permanent Manager. That process will likely take 5-6 months. We have now asked Mr. Revell who retired in 2019 after many years running our electric utility to stay on as our Interim City Manager and we will begin the search for a permanent manager asap. An Executive search firm will be hired to conduct the search. I think this is a good move since Revell knows our city and the city staff very well, is highly regarded and has hit the ground running.

I've got a quote for you today from Jacob Wind. "If you are an American, your heritage is either Native American, slave, refugee or immigrant. That's it."

No matter how and when you and your family got here to Mount Dora, I'm glad that you are here. Our mixture of diverse people and cultures make Mount Dora and America someplace special.

By Marc Crail
District 4 City Council Representative

​​Follow Mount Dora Buzz on Instagram.  For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  ​

The vaccines will also be available to Florida residents 16 and older at the other sites that have the Pfizer vaccine.  The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for ages 18 and older.   

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  ​

The lengthy search for Port Orange’s new city manager began in late November and yielded 84 candidates.  Over three months later that group has been whittled down to five finalists.  Robin Hayes, Mount Dora City manager since 2016, is now one of the finalists for the position.

RELATED STORY:  Mount Dora City Council Update - March 16 Meeting

Previously,  the field of candidates was narrowed to 10 after Port Orange’s  five council members each selected five names during a special meeting.   The next step in the process will be on Friday, March 19 when Port Orange City Council will hold another special meeting to interview the finalists.  

RELATED STORY:  Mount Dora Considers Significant Height Increase to Downtown Buildings

The public meeting will begin at 1 p.m. inside the City Council Chambers at Port Orange City Hall and will be live-streamed on the city’s YouTube Channel, “Port Orange Government Television.” The public can also attend in person at 1000 City Center Circle, Port Orange, Florida.

Hayes, hired by Mount Dora City Council as City Manager in 2016, submitted her resume to apply for the position on February 18, according to the date on her cover letter.   Before her tenure in Mount Dora, she served as the Management Services Director for the City of Oviedo.  
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The other candidates that join Hayes as finalists for Port Orange City Manager are:  

• Wayne Clark, economic development director for DeBary. 
• Brian Weiss, commanding officer of the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville. 
• Michael Bornstein, city manager of Lake Worth Beach. 
• Alan Ours, county manager for Glynn County, Georgia. ​
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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.  Free subscriptions to Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates are available here.  ​

​By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council Representative, District 4

We had a very full agenda today so I have selected several items from the agenda and from discussions to share with you. Please keep in mind that I am reporting not on behalf of City Council as a whole but only from my own perspective.

• There are several major construction projects underway. Cauley Lot Park is being completely renovated at a cost of just under $700,000. A new Municipal Service Complex (Public Works facility) is in design and will be located on Limit Ave. That project will cost about $8,000,000. A much needed storm water drainage project costing about $322,000 is about to begin on Helen St. where there have been serious flooding problems for years. That project will be completed this summer. Two new fire stations are currently being designed. One new fire station will be located on Co. Rd. 19A and the other will be next to the Public Works Complex on Limit Ave. The total cost of those stations will be about $13,000,000. Our library needs additional parking spaces. This problem will be solved in stages. Stage 1 is to add 20 new spaces to the existing parking lot. A second phase will follow in a couple of years.
• Speaking of construction projects, the City is trying hard to partner with the Lake County Board of Education to build a state of the art playground on the campus of Triangle Elementary School that would greatly benefit both Triangle Elementary students and the entire neighborhood. There are currently no real parks for kids in that part of town. In my estimation the problem is that the Board of Education's attorney is dragging her feet thus stalling the project. I am greatly concerned that this unnecessary delay will doom this wonderful partnership which would only harm the girls and boys who deserve a decent playground in their neighborhood. I think that would be a real shame.
• We'll be repaving about 3 miles of city streets this summer and constructing about 10 "speed tables" to slow down speeders.
• Improvements to both of our waste water treatment plants are also in the works. Our city staff will be working very hard to complete all of these much needed projects on time and on budget over the next couple of years.
• Our meeting wasn't all about construction projects. We also discussed how best to implement recent changes to our City Charter that were approved by our voters. This year we need to change the configuration of your City Council from 4 district representatives and 2 at-large representatives to 5 district reps. and 1 at-large rep. We will continue to have a mayor just as we have had in the past. Since more than half of the new residents moving into Mount Dora between 2010 and 2020 have moved into District 4, my district has gotten too big. Ordinarily we would use the 2020  Census data to redraw the district boundaries but due to COVID-19 the census results have been delayed by several months. Our plan will be to use the population data we have to revise district boundaries on an interim basis and then tweak them again whenever we receive the official census numbers later this year. City staff has been working on this project and have come up with a good interim plan.

My quote for you today is from General Colin Powell. "All children need a laptop. Not a computer but a human laptop. Moms, Dads, Grannies, and Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles - someone to hold them, read to them, teach them. Loved ones who will embrace them and pass on the experiences, rituals and knowledge of a hundred previous generations. Loved ones who will pass to the next generation their expectations for them, their hopes and dreams."

Amen to that!
Thanks for your interest in Mount Dora.

​By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council Representative, District 4

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  Free subscriptions to Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates are available here. ​

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council, District 4

Today Mount Dora City Council held a 'Work Session" from 9:00 until noon. Work Sessions are public meetings where discussions can take place but no actions or votes are taken. We discussed 5 topics today. I'll give you some information on each of them.

1. CITY MOTOR POOL FLEET MANAGEMENT  We heard an excellent report from our Finance Director regarding our fleet of motor vehicles including emergency service vehicles, public works equipment, etc. Our fleet includes 214 vehicles with an average age of 6 years. Four years ago our average vehicle age was close to 15 years. Currently we own some of our vehicles and lease others. Some of our vehicles are used on a daily basis including police cars and others are only used occasionally such as a back up fire truck or another truck only used to clean out drains. This mix of leased and purchased vehicles seems to be a good idea since we do not have a vehicle maintenance shop or mechanics. We continue to look for every option to keep our fleet costs under control. Our new Public Works facility will include a fuel farm that will enable us to buy fuel in bulk and save money.

2. RAILS TO TRAILS UPDATE  Last budget year we worked with partners (Lake County and Tavares) to submit a "BUILD Grant" for $25 million to purchase 11.5 miles of railroad owned property, design and build a bike/hike trail from Sorrento to Tavares. We were not awarded that grant but we will be improving our proposal and trying again this budget year. We think that a trail system would be very good for our local economy.

3. COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER  For several years a top priority of our Northeast Community Redevelopment Board has been to build a recreation and training center. Several potential locations have been studied. The favored location that has been recommended is where the old pubic works building was located near the corner of Lincoln and Highland. That parcel is contiguous to Lincoln Park. This facility could be used by youngsters, senior citizens and everyone in between. The consensus was to proceed with planning for this project. Speaking only for myself, I am concerned about both the cost of construction and especially about the operating costs of that proposed facility going forward. We'll be hearing more about the merits and concerns involved over the next few months.

4. PARKING UPDATE  Downtown parking shortages have been discussed for the entire 14 years that I've lived in Mount Dora. It's been a long time coming but over the next few months we will be asking for RfPs or RfQs from developers to find out what ideas might be pursued to construct a parking structure.

5. POLICE DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT  Mount Dora has a long tradition of excellence in our police department. Our department has been accredited at the highest level for many years but the past couple of years have been bumpy. One of the reasons our City Manager selected Acting Police Chief Brett Meade is his expertise in organizational development. Under the leadership of Acting Police Chief Meade a comprehensive 222 page assessment of our police department has been conducted. There are 5 parts to the survey both qualitative and quantitative. Nearly 650 Mount Dora residents participated as well as every sworn officer and departmental employee. We discussed a draft copy of that report today. I'll add my personal observation that the very best organizations in business and government constantly assess themselves in order to set goals and to keep getting better. It takes guts to listen to the unvarnished truth and opinions of staff and customers and I admire the fact that this study was undertaken.

A number of important issues have been highlighted. We've have had a high rate of turnover and have terminated one police chief and had a second chief retire in the past two years. Disciplinary process concerns, training weaknesses and trust issues have been identified and can now be dealt with.

The study we heard about today is very well done and should help us address the issues and opportunities we are dealing with. I think the most important and positive statistic mentioned today is that 91% of the officers and employees of the police department believe that our department is headed in the right direction. That positive assessment on the part of our dedicated officers and employees is very important to our future success.

I've interjected my personal opinions a couple of times in this report but please keep in mind that I'm not reporting to you on behalf of Mount Dora City Council. I'm just one of  7 members so my colleagues may or may not agree with my observations.

My quote for you today comes from former First Lady Michelle Obama who said the following in a speech to high school students; "Know that this country belongs to you, all of you. With lots of hard work and a good education... anything is possible."

Thank you for your interest in Mount Dora and thanks too for allowing me to be your District 4 City Council Representative.

Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council, District 4 representative

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here.  Discover the area's online event calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.  ​

Article updated Feb. 17 to reflect result of Mount Dora Planning & Zoning meeting.

Change may be coming.  Previous efforts to transform historic downtown Mount Dora with significantly higher building heights is an issue that has ruffled more than a few feathers in the past.  Now the previously hotly-contested issue has quietly resurfaced again at the same time COVID-19 has some residents wary on attending the public meetings.   

On February 17, Mount Dora Planning & Zoning Commission (P & Z) asked City staff to prepare an ordinance that includes raising downtown's building height limit from the current 35 feet to 55 feet in order to accommodate developers. The ordinance is scheduled to be discussed at the April 21st P & Z public meeting at 10 a.m. at City Hall.  The ordinance would also include increasing the building heights on Highland Street's commercial district.   The commission tentatively plans to vote on the increase at its May 19th meeting at 10 a.m.  

For perspective on the proposed increase, Mount Dora’s landmark Renaissance Building, the most visible building on the city’s main downtown street, is approximately 35 feet tall, according to City documents and its planning staff.  The gray building is three stories tall, plus a basement.  That building is 20 feet under what P & Z is considering.  The proposed changes would increase building heights within 100 feet of Lake Dora from 25 feet to 35 feet.

The proposed 57% height increase could affect the size of any new development on the vacant lot on the corner of 5th Avenue and McDonald Street, as well as Pineapple Point, the 4.3 wooded lakefront land adjacent to the Lakeside Inn, providing the buildings were 100 feet from the lakefront.   The 20-foot increase could also make it more profitable for developers to tear down some existing properties in order to build potentially bigger and more lucrative projects.  Increasing building heights throughout downtown isn't necessary to build a new parking garage.   

The City’s newest council member, Austin Guenther, works for G3 Development, his family’s commercial real estate development business which owns commercial properties that could benefit by the height increase.   According to G3's website, the councilman is tasked with the company’s business development. G3's ownership also has a stake in Pineapple Point, the undeveloped waterfront acreage next to Lakeside Inn.   

Mount Dora “has a unique sense of character and charm that is unrivaled in the region, and that character and charm are a critical component to the economic well-being and success of the city,” stated a January 2021 report on increasing Mount Dora’s building heights by Renaissance Planning, a consulting firm hired by the City of Mount Dora.  Increasing building heights can also impact traffic, parking, and utility systems, as well as public safety due to limitations of fire equipment and the loading and unloading of delivery trucks, cited the same report. 

On the flip side, to changing downtown Mount Dora’s vibe with taller buildings can potentially bring in new residents that spend money and attract new businesses.  However, the significant number of vacant buildings downtown signals there currently isn't a shortage of space for new businesses.  The current 35-foot height restrictions have been in place long before speculative developers purchased downtown properties, therefore the height limits do not unfairly shackle them or adversely affect their private property rights.

Nearby Winter Garden is heralded as a model city which successfully preserved its historic charm while welcoming responsible new downtown development, including residential units.  That Central Florida city strictly adheres to development rules that discourages buildings taller than three stories and ensures new building designs fit in with and complement Winter Garden's historic downtown. The thriving city has turned away developers seeking to build five- and six-story buildings in the area, yet its quaint downtown is vibrant.  The city's large downtown parking garage, built in 2016, is two stories tall with 3 levels of parking that includes the rooftop.

Anyone wanting to weigh in on increasing Mount Dora Building heights can attend the April 21st meeting 10 a.m. at City Hall.  Social distancing and masks are required per the City’s Resolution 2020-138.   If the City’s P & Z Commission votes to recommend the ordinance, it will then go before the City Council for a hearing and vote.   

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here.  Discover the area's online event calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.  ​