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06-23-1970 Adjourned Meeting e e MlNUTIS Nt} 670 ADJOURNED MEETING ~n adjourned ~eeting of the City Council of the Citv of Clermont was held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday, Junp. 23, 197Q. The mp.tin~ was called to order at 7:~O P. M. by Mayor Don E. Smith with all members present. Other officials present were: City Manager Johnson. rity Controller Fleming, City Clerk Carroll and City Attorney Langley. Others present were ~iss Betty Tower and Mesdames Roland Heig9s, Frances Oswalt, Frederica Ma~pas, Alice Stoddard, Betty Mattson, Jessie Vic~ers, Audrey Harris, Johnnie Watson, ~arian Tarling, Mattie Grant, Louise Cunninqham, Lee Chalfant, Paul McGuire, Guy Lillard an~ Flora ~lein, and the r~essrs. Art ~tattson, P.1. '4. Royer, Georgp F.. .~ovis, J. R. Grant, ~!l111am Oaw, ~ax Judy, Oakley Seaver, E. L. SchuMann. ~illard Copeland. Joe nuncan, Grant Vitter, Hamilton Ward, Don Meeker, Robert Shumaker, William Hunt, Al Aeillo, Percy Seaver, J. R. Peacock, Oscar ~ooten, Roland Meiqgs, c. A. Mangold, Robert Free, John Cunnin9ha~. Travis Kennedy, Charles Marshall, Howard Young. George Cosgrove, Orville Kidder, Ed ^llhriqht, and Mr. Cadwell of the Big Caddy ~arket. R@presentative of the local Press and the Orlando Sentinel were also present. The Invocation was given by Councilman VanderMeer. The Minutes of the Meeting held on June 9, 1970 were approved as written. Mayor Smith extended a welcome to all present and urged that as many as pOSSible attend the Orange Blossom Breakfast in Jenkins Auditorium on Wednesday morning, June 24th. Mavor Smith declared an DDen MeetinQ at t~is time for all interested pe~sons desiring to appea~ before t~e Council with regards the proposed purchase of the First Federal Building for city administrative offices. The following named persons spoke in opposition to the moving of the city administrative office from the present downtown area: Henry Czech. Travis Kennedy, Mrs. Mattie Grant, Charles Marshall, Mrs. Paul Mc~uire, Mrs. El1fs Malpas. Art Mattson. ~Ull1am Daw, Robert Free, Oscar Hooten and John Cunningham. Mrs. Louise Cunningham urged that Council make puhlic their thoughts and reasons for purchasing the First Federal Building for the city administrative offices and postpone any exp.cution of contract for same until such time as the downtown merchants and any other interested persons might have the opportunity to evaluate same. ~r. Hewey Czech urged that Council refer the matter of obtaining larger quarters for city administrative offices to the Clermont Planning Commission for their research, study and recommendations. Mr. Hamilton Ward uraed that Council and all interested oersons be more concerned with unity and harmony in arriVing at any dec1sion. ... Upon request of Councilman VanderMeer, City Controller Fleming presented and explained two proposed methods of financing the purchase of the First Federal Building and a copy is attached hereto. Councilman Cochran desired it be a matter of record that he opposes the purchase of the First Federal Building for city administrative offices and thereupon moved that the execution of contract to purchase same, as authorized at the last Council meeting. be postponed for thirty (30) days. The motion died for lack of a second. City Manager Johnson submitted his report both orally and written and a copy is attached hereto. Motion was made by Councilman VanderMeer. seconded by Councilman Oswalt and unanimously carried that the 1970 tax rate for General Operations of the City of Clermont be set at 8 Mills. e I MINUTBS Nt} 671 City Controller Fleming reported he had received the tentative tax roll for the city for 1970 from Mr. R. G. Cassady, Lake County Tax Assessor, and that it showed a total increase in the valuations of $621,745.00. Mr. Fleming further advised that the ~oard of Equalization Meeting would be held in Tavares on August 3, 1970. Upon request of Council at the meeting of June 9th, Controller Fleming researched the existing franchise between the City and the Florida Power Corporation and reported there is no provision for ourchasing of same prior to the expiration date of the existing franchise whic~ is July 1, 1982. Councilman Cochran offered to donate and place shru~bery in the planter box of one of the "Welcome to Clermont Si~ns" if the City would furnish plantings for the other three. Mayor Smith advised that he had already made arrangements for planting of shrub~ery at all of the signs wit~in the next few days. Councilman Cochran reported to Council that he felt the cut-off date for delinquent water accounts at the end of a. 20 days period too stringent and thereupon moved that all delinquent accounts ~e given written notice at the end of such 20 day period that the water service would ~e discontinued at the end of the month, however, this not to apply to those accounts which had been delinquent for two months previous. The motion was seconded bv Councilman VanderMeer and upon roll call vote on passage of the motion the result was: Ayes: Cochran. Total ~yes: One. Hayes: VanderMeer, Oswalt, Smith and Bratton. Total Mayes: Four. The motion failed to carry. Councilman Cochran reported to Council that upon Council's action on October 28, 1969 whereby a portion of an unnamed street surrounding lake Winona was closed and a Ouit Claim need given the abutting property owner, G. Lynn Brotherson, this prohibits renewal of a lakefront Easement on a nart of this ~roperty which has been granted to Mr. and Mrs. Readus Frye since April 6, 1949. Mr. Cochran stated he felt the Council was in error in giving a Quit Claim deed to property on which they had previously granted an easement and urged that some action ~e taken to remedy this error. Inasmuch as the City Attorney had been excused from the meeting due to illness in his family, there was no action taken and the matter was deferred. With regards to interest shown in obtaining necessary lands and constructing an airport to serve the South Lake County area, Councilman Cochran reported on a recent meeting held with a representative of a Federal Bureau concerned with municipal airports, and strongly urged that Council continue the study of such a project. A copy of Mr. Cochran's report follows these Minutes. Mayor Smith appointed"Councilmen VanderMeer and Cochran and noctors Watson and Weaver as a Committee to approach the Lake County Commissioners with regards obtaining property owned by Lake County and located west of the Palatlakaha River and South of State Road ,sn for such a project. City Clerk Carroll read communications as follows: From ~r. Martin P. Winther, Chairman of the Planning Commission wherein the Commission requested Council to arrange a meeting of State Road Department personnel involved with planning and local Civic leaders to discuss possible difficulties facing the City of Clermont when Highway 'SO is widened; From Mr and Mrs. Readus Frye wherein they requested Council to honor the existing lakefront easement on Lake Winona which they hold and to insure future renewal of same. There was no action taken on either of these communications. As Council's liaison representative to the Cooper ~emorial Library Board, Councilman Bratton recommended and moved that the present Council agree to not dispose of in anyway or use for any purpose other than the eXDansion of the library facilities. that land recently deeded to the City by the Library Board and described as Lots 18 and 19 in City Block 7f.. The motion was seconded by Councilman VanderMeer and upon roll call vote on passage e . MINUTBS N9 672 of the motion, the result was: Ayes: VanderMeer, Oswalt. Smith, Cochran and Bratton. Total Ayes: Five. Nayes: None. The motion passed unanimously and the Clerk instructed to notify the Library ~oard of this action. Councilman Oswalt offered and moved that it he passed, a RESOLUTION pertaining to an ag-.ment between the Ci~y and the Seaboard Coast line Railroad Company. for a sewer line easement underneath a spur tract of the railroad company. The motion was seconded ~y Councilman Cochran and upon roll call vote on passage of the RESOLUTION the result was: ~yes: VanderMeer, Oswalt, Smith, Cochran and Bratton. Total Ayes: Five. Nayes: None. So the RESOLUTION was adopted, the Humber 1€3 assigned to it and a copy ordered posted. City Manager Johnson reported he had received request from Robert Paxton to purchase the lake front across the street from Lots 33, 49, and 50 in Clermont Heights. It was consensus of Council that it would not be in the best interest of the general public to disDose of this property, whereupon motion was made by Councilman VanderMeer, seconded by Councilman Bratton and unanimously carried that the Cit~ does not desire to sell any lake front property at this time. The Meeting was adjourned by Mayor Smith. -~~ Don E. ~mith j).~~ t.~ Do ores \~. arro . Clerf Follo~ing the adjournment of th~ Meeting, it was discovered that James ~unt, Jr. was, and had heen present. and wished to ask the City Council permission to use the Jenkins Auditorium for a "teen-age" dance on Saturday, June 27, 1970 as a profitable venture. In view of these circumstances, Mayor Smith called the meeting back in session and Mr. P.unt prp.sented his request. Motion was made by Councilman Oswalt, seconded by Councilman Vander~eer and carried that the request be refused on the Qrounds that the sponsor, Mr. Hunt, was not a local resident as required ~y regulat1o"s governing the use of the building. ~r. John !~. Fl em1 ng th en' as ked the Ci ty Council for permi s s i on to SPflnsor a "teen age" dance at the Jenkins Auditorium on Saturday, June 27, lQ7n. ~otion was made by Councilman Eratton and seconded ~y Councilman Oswalt that the request be granted. The motion carried with Councilman Cochran voting, No. Councilman Cochran further stated that he did not consider the Council Meeting as being official inasmuch as representative of the Press were not present nor had they been notified of the ~eet1ng. The Meeting was adjourned by ~ayor Smith.