GOALS
I have broken down my goals into the following categories: Economic Development and Tourism; Recreation; Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Problem Solving; Public Safety; Transportation and Solid Waste; Social Services; Environmental Protection; Growth Management; Intergovernmental Coordination, and Quality of Life.
Several of the goals include measurable strategies, recognizing that some goals can be achieved in a relatively short period of time and others require ongoing attention but cannot be realized in a single year.
Although "Quality of Life" is listed as a single category, each of the other categories impact quality of life and many of the categories are inter-related (e.g. road conditions negatively impact property values and quality of life, make it difficult to recruit and retain businesses; failure to address social issues may result in an increase in the inmate population, parole violations, unsafe schools and unproductive students making it impossible to recruit and retain businesses and compounding the cost of providing other services).
I firmly believe that it is an elected official's job to constantly evaluate the cost and manner in which these services are provided and to challenge the manager and department head to evaluate and re-evaluate the logistics of delivering services because the natural inclination is to conclude that the level of service can only be maintained through the same or more funding versus greater efficiency and innovation.
1. Economic Development and Tourism:
Goal: Promote cooperation and collaboration between the private sector, County government, each of the Municipal governments and our education partners (School Board, Lake Tech, Lake Sumter State College, and private schools) in order to (1) create a positive economic environment where the public sector is seen as a facilitator for private prosperity not an obstructionist; and (2) assure that academic curriculum and workforce training meets the needs of existing and prospective employers (e.g. targeted industries such as technology, agri-tech, manufacturing, health & wellness).
Measurable Strategy: Continue periodic industry roundtables to promote networking within existing industries, particularly manufacturing, in order to facilitate trade and collaboration between Lake County companies and to identify areas where Lake County can assist with the recruitment of new businesses that "spin off" of existing businesses ("cluster concept"); these roundtables also allow us to become familiar with legislative issues that impact our local businesses so that we can address these issue locally or throughour legislative delegation.
Measurable Strategy:Continue site visits from Lake County economic development representatives to local companies and utilize visits to identify workforce needs and communicate these needs to education partners and to identify whether placement of employees from Workforce Central Florida is viable for particular businesses. (Last year we completed 300 site visits and in many cases were able to facilitate relationships between these employers and Lake Tech and Workforce Central Florida to address workforce needs. In some cases, we were able to connect businesses together that had specific material and product needs that could be met from other Lake County companies).
Measurable Strategy: Track progress of each of the three regional business opportunity centers identifying the number of clients using the centers, the services received and outcomes; assure that BCC is apprised of this information through quarterly updates.
Measurable Strategy: Work with the City of Mount Dora to identify appropriate businesses for the “Mount Dora Employment Center” (approx. 800 acres in the vicinity of the future SR 46/429 intersection near Round Lake Road) and formulate a strategy for attracting targeted businesses, including creating a “brand” (and “name”) for the area.
Measurable Strategy: Assure that our "business friendly" certification within County departments is yielding results in customer confidence (i.e. government as facilitator versus obstructionist); Assure that the manager apprises the BCC of successes and failures in customer service, and actions are taken to rectify failures; Identify regulations that are contrary to "common sense" and seek solutions (e.g. last year we adopted a family farming ordinance for vacant, residentially zoned property to address a prohibition against farming on “unimproved” residentially zoned property; we also amended our LDRs so that setbacks regarding kennels would not apply to a pet grooming businesses that wanted to located in a shopping center).
Measurable Strategy: Work with the School Board to identify and connect workforce specialists (volunteers) in engineering, medical and technical fields that can assist with "hands on" training needed to meet demands of new State testing program (C-2 Ready); Seek to create a portal or link through the Lake County Economic Development website to the School Board's high school "academies" (or some other mechanism) to make it easier for employers to hire high school students or provide internships.
Measurable Strategy: Appoint members to Mount Plymouth-Sorrento CRA Advisory Board and seek ways for this Board to be effective until funding for specific infrastructure improvements become available from CRA funds (e.g. formulate a CRA “redevelopment plan” using a written document that identifies projects and priorities and does not require expensive planning services),
Goal: Support eco-tourism and festival related tourism that brings visitors to our cities and downtown districts which fuel small business activity, retail, restaurants and hotels, and concurrently provides opportunities for residents to enjoy a variety of local events and activities which promote education, culture, community pride, and economic opportunities.
Measurable Strategy: Promote continuation and growth of "2nd Annual" Wings & Wildflowers Event.
Measurable Strategy: Place greater focus on the promotion of athletic events, such as the Mount Dora Marathon (or similar events) and regional tournaments.
Measurable Strategy: Utilize new application and review process to identify capital "tourism" projects (venues) that could be funded through "heads in beds/hotel tax" to increase overnight visits to Lake County.
Measurable Strategy: Improve outreach through website, online “applications”, and promotions to increase local, regional and national (and international) participation in events and festivals.
Measurable Stategy: Increase "day trips" to Lake County by coordinating with business owners and venues to promote downtown districts, eco-tourism and retail-related small businesses through website, online “applications,” promotions, user friendly maps and outreach (e.g. a day trip could include breakfast at Yalaha Bakery, stop at the Lake County Historic Museum for a tour, onto Eustis to Trout Lake Nature Center and then a brisk walk at Lake May and back to lunch at Olivia's in Eustis).
2. Recreation:
Goal: Coordinate with the Water Management District and Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to determine whether partnership with two agencies could be undertaken to preserve 800 acres in Pine Meadows area as a wildlife preserve and passive recreational area including future trail (e.g. FWCC oversee wildlife and habitat aspects and related recreational uses and County address basic maintenance of levies, access points and future trail)
Measurable Strategy: Obtain cost involved with maintenance currently undertaken by Water Management District; evaluate whether maintenance could be accomplished by volunteers or civic organizations, etc.; determine involvement of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and their financial commitment to ongoing maintenance of wildlife and habitat concerns.
Goal: Lower maintenance costs of county owned parcels.
Measurable Strategy: Evaluate availability, accessibility, utilization and maintenance costs of existing and proposed recreational amenities and publicly owned lands to determine whether there are remnant parcels, parks or vacant land that should be returned to private ownership with conservation easements (e.g. there is a “dry” lake bed in Mt. Plymouth owned by Lake County which is completely surrounded and occupied with private residences).
Measurable Strategy: Exploreways to lower maintenance costs of parks and public lands including out-sourcing, volunteerism and coordination with sheriff for use of inmate work crews.
Goal: Continue to work towards creation of Wekiva-Mount Dora Trail to connect downtown Mount Dora through Sorrento to the Seminole and West Orange trails via old railroad right of way and the Wekiva Parkway
Measurable Strategy: Continue to push Expressway Authority and FDOT for construction of the trail at the time of construction of the Parkway, or at a minimum, achieve reservation of sufficient right of way and design considerations to allow future construction of the trail within the Parkway footprint.
Measurable Strategy: Coordinate with FDOT, Water Management District and Seminole State Forest, to initiate the first phase of a trailhead and semi-improved trail on the Neighborhood Lakes property connecting SR 46 (near Camp Challenge) to a point near the Orange County boundary (for future connection to the West Orange Trail); complete design of trail location and seek to have portions of improved trail installed in conjunction with Parkway construction.
Goal: Create opportunities for residents and visitors to access portions of Lake Apopka Loop trail and North Shore Restoration Area (recreation and tourism).
Measurable Strategy: Work with the City of Mount Dora to “create” (using existing roads and donations of right of way) a connection from Mount Dora to the Lake Apopka Loop trail and North Shore Restoration Area bird watching areas; support Astatula’s efforts to designate scenic byway between Astatula and Mount Dora/Lake Gem area.
Measurable Strategy: Continue to pursue completion of Lake Apopka Loop Trail and Ferndale trailhead.
Measurable Strategy: Work with Water Management District and FDEP to pursue meaningful ecological restoration of Lake Apopka (discuss opportunities with Montverde, DEP and District for improved access and restoration projects, including educational related projects such as bee-mats or plantings).
Measurable Strategy: Monitor discussions regarding "National Wildlife Refuge" for North Shore Restoration area and formulate opinion on pros and cons regarding local or state ownership and management versus federal ownership and management, and determine whether BCC should formulate position on the issue.
Goal: Coordinate with Water Authority and FDOT to ascertain capital and maintenance costs of retaining "Howey Bridge" as a recreational amenity, and evaluate fiscal considerations of retaining old bridge in relation to design and cost of construction of “new” bridge.
3. Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Problem Solving:
Goal: Utilize budget workshops as an opportunity for staff and department heads to fully evaluate current spending and logistics for delivering services, and as a vehicle for the BCC to receive public input on various programs; Seek to obtain a minimum 5% cut in overall spending county-wide; Identify whether any cuts can be implemented prior to the end of the fiscal year (preferably in conjunction with mid-year adjustments); Using Department of Revenue projections and information provided by the Property Appraiser's Office, determine by early February the budget guidelines for Constitutional Officers so that there is sufficient time for budgets to be formulated according to budget guidelines.
4. Public Safety:
Goal: Work with municipalities to formulate an agreement with regard to fire/rescue services to promote countywide cooperation and coordination between municipalities and Lake County fire/rescue Department.
Goal: Continue efforts on EMS Board to realize greater efficiency in staffing, shifts, coverage areas, coordination with fire departments with ALS personnel, billing, hard costs, insurance, supplies and lease space; Identify deficiencies in service areas and re-invest savings when possible with additional field staff.
Goal: Support Sheriff in his efforts to reduce inmate medical care costs.
Measurable Target: Seek to renegotiate contracts with hospitals for inmate hospital care; negotiate a fixed rate with providers who directly bill County for (uninsured) inmate medical care (e.g. a percentage of medicare rate).
5. Transportation and Solid Waste:
Goal: Seek solution for impact fee dilemma (impact fees deter new construction needed for economic recovery, yet without impact fees, there is no mechanism for negotiating developer's agreements for large projects where regional improvements could be constructed by a developer on a "pioneer" basis); Determine whether 10 - 20% implementation of impact fee rate would generate sufficient funds to address developer agreements without deterring needed construction activity.
Goal: Work with FDOT to complete traffic studies regarding impacts to local roads in the vicinity of the Wekiva Parkway in order to sufficiently plan for capital transportation improvements that will be needed in this area in conjunction with completion of the Wekiva Parkway.
Goal: Initiate coordination with School Board and municipalities regarding renewal of 1 penny (local option) sales tax (using current 1/3 formula); seek to build consensus on BCC to utilize County's portion, if renewed, for specific transportation projects identified in each region of the County.
Goal: Issue RFP and award contract for collection and disposal of solid waste; assure recommendations of the Solid Waste Task Force are followed to greatest extent possible while assuring cost effective delivery of solid waste services
Goal: Promote removal of abandoned and dilapidated mobile homes and structures in rural areas that negatively impact surrounding property values, degrade community pride or that facilitate criminal activities.
Measurable Strategy: Incorporate a component to the solid waste program to fund the removal of dilapidated mobile homes and structures with recovery of costs through the code enforcement lien or special master process (currently we have no funding source to remove structures while a code enforcement action is pending, or to provide other incentives to effectuate removal of uninhabitable structures).
6. Growth Management:
Goal: Promote efficiency and reliability in the permitting process, thereby creating a reasonable level of certainty with regard to regulatory expectations; Promote quality construction and design that enhances the tax base; Assure that “open for business” and “business friendly” do not mean “anything goes” but instead are meaningful phrases that reflect certainty, efficiency and quality customer service, and with regard to planning/zoning decisions, mean adequate consideration of long-term consequences of requested permits and meaningful mitigation when balancing competing property rights.
Measurable Strategy: Seek to build regional consensus against the proposed airport expansion by WOAA on the Long & Scott property due to negative impacts on eco-tourism in this area; Host regional meeting with stakeholders regarding issue (February).
Measurable Strategy: Implement commercial on-line permitting program eliminating physical “trips” back and forth to the planning and building department, and promoting efficiency and transparency within the review process.
Measurable Strategy: Monitor utilization of “out-sourced” building inspectors as a mechanism for cutting personnel costs; Periodically use “ghost” applicants to determine quality of service.