MOUNT DORA CITY COUNCIL UPDATE: SEPT. 27

By Marc Crail
District 4 City Council member
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​City Council held an afternoon Work Session which included discussions on several items. No Resolutions or Ordinances are voted on during Work Sessions so I'll concentrate on telling you about some of the more important items on our Regular Meeting Agenda which was jam packed. Please keep in mind that I am providing you with my own impressions of this meeting. I'm not speaking in any official capacity for Mount Dora City Council.

If you've gone by Gilbert Park this week you've probably noticed that the outdated and unsafe 28 year old wooden play structure on the south side of the park has been demolished and the site is being prepared for the installation of a cool new Intrepid Pirate Ship, a Jungle Dome climbing activity structure, a Spinner Plate, Double Balance Beam, Swings and Stilts. Despite what you might have heard or read elsewhere rest assured that this play area for kids aged 5-12 meets or exceeds all ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards so that children with a wide variety of disabilities can enjoy and participate in the activities and fun there. The new playground should be ready for kids of all ages in about a month.

Three Resolutions were finalized completing the months long budget building process. The millage rate will remain the unchanged at 6.3 mills for 2018-19. The city will collect an extra $400,000.+ due to increased property values. The final 2018-19 budget was approved as was the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan. The capital or building projects in the next year will feature the replacement of our public works building and storage facility that will cost about $12 million but is sorely needed.?

For the majority of Mount Dora residents and businesses who are served my Mount Dora Electric (not those of us get our electricity from either SECO or Duke Energy) will see a decrease in their monthly electric bills next month. Due to lower fuel costs their bills will go down by 2.2% or about $2.55 per month.

You might have read or heard about a proposal before the Lake County Commissioners to accept a bronze statue of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith which would be housed in Tavares in a County owned facility. Smith was born in St. Augustine and lived out his later life in Tennessee. He had nothing to do with Lake County and in my estimation Lake County should not under any circumstances accept this monument to a man who was a traitor to the United States and a supporter of slavery. The consensus of the council and those in the audience who spoke was that a resolution to that affect should be drafted and passed at our next meeting on October 4. The Lake County Commissioners will make the ultimate decision but Mount Dora will very likely join several other cities voicing our opposition.  Housing General Smith's statue in Lake County would be a huge mistake and a step back to the bad old days.

I appreciate your interest in your City government.

What do you think of this Tibetan Proverb? "The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure."

By Marc Crail
District 4 City Council member

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