RECAP: May 6 City Council Meeting

Marc Crail
Mount Dora District 4 City Council Representative​

There was plenty of city business to attend to at our May 5th Mount Dora City Council meeting. I'm going to try to provide you with several brief pieces of action and information items. Please keep in mind that what follows comes from me as one individual council member. I'm not reporting in any official capacity.

We often refer to the parking lot constructed in 2019 on the corner of Baker Street and 3rd. Avenue as "the grass parking lot". It is well located and often used but it's in poor repair with ruts and deep potholes. During the slower summer months renovations and improvements will made including the addition of crushed stones to fill in the pot holes and the driveway loop into and out of lot will be replaced with pavers. The Downtown CRA has money set aside to cover the costs.

We heard an appeal from a property owner to reduce or wave code lien fines on a dilapidated yard that has become a safety hazard for neighbors at 1422 Plymouth Ave. After a discussion that included the current property owner who lives out of state, we approved a fine of $10,000 plus city costs and the removal of tree limbs, dead leaves and other plant debris by June 4. If the fine isn't paid or the debris isn't hauled away by June 4, the owner will be required to pay over $40K.

The 250th. birthday of the United States will be celebrated in Mount Dora on July 3rd. "Freedom on the Waterfront" will included a fireworks display costing about what was spent for last year's event. You won't want to miss it.

We discussed and approved a set of Guiding Principles and Core Values for our Nathaniel Bell Community and Resource Center that will open in August. Safety, Accountability, Community Partnerships and Integrity will be the foundation of it's Operational Framework.

We heard updates on ongoing efforts to repair stormwater facilities damaged in our massive October 26 flood event. We are attempting to reel in 9 different grants to improve our damaged drainage system and enlarge our pond capacity.

The reopening of Donnelly Street roadway, sidewalk and enhanced drainage is on schedule for a grand reopening, hopefully by the end of this month.

Our quote of the day comes from author Kurt Vonnegut. "You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere. They are people behaving decently in an indecent society."

Thanks for your interest in our wonderful town that was recently recognized by National Geographic.

​For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and sure to follow Mount Dora Buzz's Instagram  and Facebook page for more local info.

Sign up for Mount Dora Buzz