02-15-2002 Retreat Meeting CITY OF CLERMONT
MINUTES
COUNCIL RETREAT MEETING
FEBRUARY 15, 2002
Page 1
A City Council Retreat was held Friday, February 15, 2002, at the Lake Sumter Community College South
Lake Campus 2na Floor Community Room. The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Mayor Turville.
Council Members Caputo, Dupee, Mullins, and Renick were present. Also present were City Manager
Saunders and Planning Director Brown.
Mayor Turville welcomed those present and referred to the agenda that listed the topics that might be discussed
during the day. He then asked City Manager Sannders to move ahead with the first item on the agenda.
City Manager Saunders explained the current procedure for placing transportation projects on Lake County's
impact fee program list. Two handouts were provided and a map was displayed showing the projects that were
on the current list for funding.
City Manager Saunders then referred to a proposed list of additional projects that should be added this year,
which included Steve's Road, the Hook Street extension east of Hancock Road, Hartle Road improvements,
Johns Lake road upgrade, Hancock Road north to Old Highway 50 and Old Highway 50 improvements.
Also discussed were the potential connection to Orange County that is currently under review and the current
situation regarding the extension of the Clermont/Minneola Trail east to connect with the Winter Garden Trail.
Discussion continued regarding the future impacts of the road improvements on existing roadways, specifically
State Road 50. The South Lake connector from Lake Shore Drive to U. S. 27 was discussed with regard to how
it will relieve traffic by entering the City along Lake Shore Drive.
Council Member Dupee then discussed the provision of sewer service along the South Lake connector to
potential developments that are being planned in this area. City Manager Saunders stated that the City's major
lif~ station at Lake Felter and the plant have been planned to serve this area.
The City Council then discussed the Hartwood Marsh Road corridor and proposed improvements for this road.
It was the consensus of the City Council that Hook Street from U.S. 27 to Hancock Road should be the City's
#1 transportation priority as it relates to the Lake County Impact Fee Projects List and that Steve's Road should
be priority #2.
The potential locations of a connection from U.S. 27 easterly into Orange County to either the Turnpike or the
Southern Beltway were discussed.
The City Council then discussed Oaldey Seaver Drive from Hancock Road to Citrus Tower Boulevard and it
was the consensus that this should be listed as priority #3 on the Lake County Impact Fee Projects List.
Other transportation improvements were proposed and improvements were discussed, along with the need for
additional streetlights and the landscaping of the islands on Citrus Tower Boulevard that the City Council
asked to be directed to the Beautification Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 p.m. for lunch and reconvened at 1:30 p.m.
City Manager Saunders discussed current legislative issues with the City Council. He expressed the need for
additional legislation pertaining to the rights of cities to serve water with regards to expansion of private
utilities within city service areas.
Council Member Dupee discussed legislative redistricting and how it would affect our City.
CITY OF CLERMONT
MINUTES
COUNCIL RETREAT MEETING
FEBRUARY 15, 2002
Page 2
Mayor Turville then stated that the next item to be discussed would be potential appointments to various
Boards and Committees.
Several potential Committee and Board members present in the audience were given the opportunity to
introduce themselves. The City Council then continued discussion of potential appointments.
The City Council then discussed which Council members should act as liaisons to other organizations such as
the South Lake Chamber of Commerce, the Lake County League of Cities, Cooper Memorial Library Board
and other organizations.
City Manager Saunders then referred to the next item on the agenda, potential annexation. The City Council
discussed the potential water usage associated with future annexations and the need to ensure that our
allocation for the existing City limits and approved projects would not be jeopardized.
Council Member Dupee stated that issues such as annexation and service delivery could be better planned for
if the City Council would resume its earlier practice of having workshop meetings with landowners and
developers to discuss potential development to help plan specific areas. She went on to say that the current
situation of having only Staff members meet with developers is not as good a process as having City Council
input.
Mr. John Atwater, present in the audience, asked permission to speak and stated that it was his feeling that if
the City Council met with developers prior to the Planning & Zoning Commission meetings, then decisions had
already been made regarding the proposed developments. He further stated that this could lead to possible
circumvention of the process.
The City Council had additional discussion regarding the pros and cons of resuming the practice of holding
workshop sessions with landowners and developers.
City Manager Saunders then stated that the City needs to schedule another meeting in the near future to start
drawing the lines for future Joint Planning Areas and potential annexation areas so that clear direction of where
we want our City to go in the future is outlined. City Manager Saunders went on to explain that Staff is
currently at a disadvantage in not having clear direction of where the future boundaries of the City should be
and that there is a need to pursue the Joint Planning Areas with Lake County as soon as possible.
It was the consensus of the City Council that Council Retreat meetings such as the one held today should be
scheduled more than once a year in order to address the issues facing the City.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
~ld S. '~urville, Jr., May~r