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R-02-1251• CITY OF CLERMONT RESOLUTION NO. 1251 Page 1 • A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF CLERMONT, LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA, TO ADOPT THE LAKEAPOPKA BASIN MASTER PLAN: GREENWAYS, TRAILS, RECREATIONAND ECOTODRISM; PRESENTED BY THE FRIENDS OF LAKE APOPKA, AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PLAN. WHEREAS, A private non-profit citizen advocacy group dedicated to the restoration of Lake Apopka, the Friends of Lake Apopka, Inc. (FOLA), was formed in 1991 to: • Halt pollution discharge into the lake, • Promote and encourage all feasible proposals aimed at the restoration of the Lake Apopka basin, • Encourage local, state and federal agencies to work in cooperation toward lake restoration, • Promote awareness through educational activities regarding the restoration of Lake Apopka; and WHEREAS, FOLA, Orange and Lake Counties, the Cities of Apopka, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Oakland, Clermont and the Town of Montverde joined together in 1999 to undertake the Lake Apopka Basin Planning Initiative and to promote regional cooperation in the effort to restore Lake Apopka; and • WHEREAS, the Lake Apopka Basin Steering Committee, comprised of elected officials from these jurisdictions and sponsored by the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC) with the support of FOLA and other non-profit advocacy groups, has given oversight and guidance to the Planning Initiative; and WHEREAS, the Steering Committee adopted a strategically oriented work program to promote basin activities having the potential to enhance the environmental quality and sensitive development of the basin, including nature-based tourism and recreation; these five issues areas are: 1) Shoreline Protection, 2) Greenways and Trails, 3) Viewsheds, 4) Public Access, 5) Natural Setting; and WHEREAS, FOLA hired planning consultants Land Design Innovations, Inc. (LDI) to prepare the Lake Apopka Basin Master Plan: Greenways, Trails, Recreation, and Ecotourism to address several issue areas of the Planning Initiative; and WHEREAS, the Lake Apopka Basin Master Plan: Greenways Trails, Recreation anc~ Ecotourism offers many benefits, including: • Connections to the State of Florida Greenways and Trails System, • New recreational opportunities, • Involve residents and visitors in the State's natural heritage and beauty, • Link natural areas and open spaces, • Increase nature-based educational opportunities, • Promote uses within the lake Apopka Basin that support its restoration, • Attract Ecotourism business to the local communities around Lake Apopka; and • ~ CITY OF CLERMONT RESOLUTION NO. 1251 • Page 2 WHEREAS, FOLA and LDI presented the Lake Apopka Basin Master Plan to a Task Force comprised of government agency representatives and non-profit advocacy groups on February 7, 2002, where it was approved; and WHEREAS, the Lake Apopka Basin Steering Committee voted unanimously to approve the Lake Apopka Basin Master Plan on March 15, 2002 and to send the Plan to each individual jurisdiction for approval; and WHEREAS, FOLA is requesting each local government to now adopt the Lake Apopka Basin Master Plan, express support for the Master Plan implementation, and continue the regional cooperative efforts of the Lake Apopka Restoration; and WHEREAS, once the Lake Apopka Basin Master Plan is approved by each jurisdiction, Phase II -Implementation of the Master Plan will begin, including the creation of greenway and trail design standards, conceptual site plans for each trail link, and property acquisition efforts; therefore NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Clermont, Florida to: 1. Adopt the Lake Apopka Basin Master Plan: Greenways, Trails, Recreation, Ecotourism; 2. Direct the Parks anal Recreation Division or Planning Division Director, or his staff • appointee, to work with FOLA and LDI on Phase II -Implementation; 3. Fully cooperate in the regional effort with FOLA, LDI and the affected; government jurisdictions to implement the Lake Apopka Basin Master Plan; 4. Participate in joint grant applications to solicit funding for Phase II -Implementation. DONE AND RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CLERMONT, LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA, THIS 14a' day of May, 2002. ,____.. ~._ .~ ~2-~- - Harold S. Turville, Jr., Mayor ATTEST: /' J seph E. Van Zile, Clerk •