MOUNT DORA CITY COUNCIL UPDATE: February 2 Meeting

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council, District 4 Representative
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Mount Dora City Council met for a regular meeting this evening. I've pick out a few action or discussion items to include in this report. Please keep in mind that I'm reporting from my own perspective and on on behalf of Mount Dora City Council.

I've told you before that we need to make necessary and expensive renovations to our Wastewater Plant #1 that is now over 40 years old. Tonight we unanimously passed a resolution to take about $10,250,000 out a State revolving loan to make those improvements. The interest of the loan is super low, fixed at 0.02% for 20 years. We have also received a $1,5 million grant from St. Johns River Management District to put toward the approximately $11,742,000 estimated price tag. This project will not only increase our wastewater treatment capacity, it will replace our current 40 year old facility, add state of the art Bio. Nutrient Removal and get us in compliance with all current EPA standards. We've been planning for this project for a few years now and moving forward will not require rate increases.

The Mount Dora Center for the Arts Festival will be held this coming weekend February 6 and 7 from 9:00-5:00. The festival will look different this year with 130 exhibitors rather than about 300 in past years. The booths will be placed 10' apart. Masks are required. No eating food or drinks will be allowed outside of designated food court areas. The Center for the Arts is working hard to put on an event that is as safe as possible.

On the vaccine front, today the site at St. Patrick Church administered 1,084 second doses of Pfizer vaccine by appointment. Thus far the St. Pats location has handled about 12,000 first and most recently second doses. DOH-Lake is in charge and they have been a good partner. Kudos to St. Patrick Church for offering their campus, Mount Dora Fire Department, Mount Dora, Tavares and Eustis Police Departments and a host of volunteers and contributors who have made this local effort successful. Last Friday a new program called P.O.D. (Point Of Delivery) took 125 doses out to apartment complexes and mobile home parks for homebound residents. We're hopeful that in upcoming weeks they can also administer shots at local churches and in more Mount Dora neighborhoods if vaccine supplies allow. We are making steady progress.

I came away from this meeting feeling positive and grateful for the hard work of our staff and proud of our efforts to work together and make partnerships. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your City Council.

Our quote today is from Oprah Winfrey; "In the end God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars".

By 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.