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10-28-1975 Regular Meeting . e e . MINUTES NQ1199 REGULAR MEETING A Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Clermont was held in the Counci 1 Charrbers on Tuesday ~ October 28, .1975. The meeti ng was call ed to order at 7:30 P. M. by Mayor Claude E. Smoak, Jr. with the following members present: Councilman Blackburn, Schroedel, Byrd, and Oswalt. Other officials present were: City Manager Hopkins, City Attorney Baird, City Clerk Carroll, Finance Director DeDier, Director of Community Services Smythe, and Chief of Police Tyndal. Others present were: The Messrs. Drummond, Boyd, Czech, Carden, Sargent, Doub, Hamlin, and Beals. Two students of Political Science at Lake Sumter Community College were also present. Upon invitation of Mayor Smoak, the invocation was given by Reverend Leon Drummond~ followed by repeating of the Pledge of Allegiance in unison by those present. The Minutes of the Meeting held October 21, 1975 were approved as written. The ReverernDrummond, representing the local Uions Club, appeared before Council to solicit endorsemeent of having May 1, 1976 designed as "STAND UP FOR AMERICA DAY" in Clermont. He advised it was a goal of the Lions Club to sponsor a program of patriotism to include the biggest parade held yet in the city and ending with a rally. He advised the entries in the parade would be non~political and non-commercial, and the rally would be strictly patriotic. He still further advised their request was being made this far ahead of date in order to prevent any conflict of other programs on that date. Council was in agreement to cooperate for the success of such a proposed program, whereupon motion was made by Councilman Blackburn, seconded by Councilman Schroedel and unanimously carried that City Attorney Baird be requested to prepare the necessary Resolution proclaiming May 1, 1976 as "STAND UP AMERCIA DAY" in Clermont. City Manager Hopkins reported as follows: That he had received a request for use of Jenkins Auditorium on November 14th for a dance to be held between 10:00 and 12:30 A. M. sponsored by the Senior Class of Clermont High School; That he was in receipt of brochures offering various styles of chairs which he would like Council to consider for use in the Council Chambers; That.notice had been received from Senator Lawton Chiles that his assistant in this disttict would be at Jenkins Auditorium on October 30th to offer his assistance to the public with regards any questions and/or information they might desire of congressional matters; and, That publication would be made by the Police Department that public Halloween activities will not be allowed after 9:00 P. M. on October 31st. ~otion was made by Councilman Blackburn, seconded by Councilman Oswalt and unanimously carried that the Senior Class of Clermont High School be granted permission to hold a dance in Jenkins Auditorium on November 14th provlded that all rules and regulations pertaining to dances held in the auditorium are met. Finance Director DeDier reported briefly on his attendance of the Municipal Finance Officers session at the State League of Cities Convention held recently. He advised that the speaker of the session was Mr. Tom Neilson, Aide to Representative Carl Ogden who is Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Taxation, and he felt there were two particular points of interest expressed in his talk that could expressly affect small municipalities such as Clermont. Mr. Neilson advised it was proposed to prepare necessary legislation to stop impact fees. Mr. Dedier explained that in the case of Clermont, this would mean the loss of revenue derived from all water and sewer tap-on fees which certainly would have adverse effect on the city 's budgeting inasmuch as the city has already engineered capital improvements dependent upon such revenues to payoff the indebtedness; That he had spoken out about how such action would have such impact on small municipalities, but that Mr. Neilson was confident that such legislation . e e . MINUTES NQ 1200 would be proposed anyway. Based on this, it was the suggestion of Mr. DeDier that close contact be kept with Tallahassee with regards proposed legislation wherein it might be wise to be represented by someone from the local Lake County League of Cities. Mr. DeDier still further advised that it was brought out in the session that Federal Revenue. Sharing Funds were allocated to the municipalities in Florida based on the census of 1970 which would have to be determined as inequitable inasmuch as the State of Florida had been one of two of the fastest growing states in population after that date. Mayor Smoak reported that he felt a general observation gained by those attending the Florida League of Cities Convention was that legislation was proposed in Tallahassee that often imposed critical financial situations on small municipalities that those proposing the legislation did not realize~ and because of this, it would certainly behoove local offocials to keep aware of proposed legislation and in close contact with their elected state legislators. Mayor Smaok reported that he had received a request for use of the Jenkins Auditorium, without fee, for a spaghetti supper to be held on February 27th sponsored by the local Pilot Club for benefit to South Lake Memorial Hospital. Motion was made by Councilman Blackburn~ seconded by Councilman Oswalt and unanimously carried that the request be granted. In view of steadily increasing costs for electrical energy making it more difficult ti keep a balanced budget, it was the suggestion of Councilman Byrd that a cost report for energy used at the Jenkins Auditorium be obtained for Council1s study and information. Motion was made by Councilman Oswalt, seconded by Councilman Blackburn and carried that the bills be paid. Having previous submitted a Statement of Operations regarding the City of Clermont areas as opposed to one previously submitted wherein Clermont had been included in the Winter Garden Division, Messrs. Doub and Hamlin again appeared before Council in support of their request for a rate increase for cable television by Teleprompters, Inc. Mr. Henry Czech reported from the floor that he had been contacted at this home by salesmen from Teleprompter, Inc. on two different occasions after the request for a rate increase had been made to the city, soliciting his subscription for their service, but on neither occasion was there mention of a possible rate increase. He opined this was very unethical business practice. Mr. Doub, .Supervisor of salesmen, advised that he was unaware of this, but would investigate the matter. Motion was made by Councilman Blackburn and seconded by Councilman Oswalt that City Attorney Baird be requested to prepare the necessary amending Ordinance to grant a rate increase as requested, and whatever document is necessary to assure there would be no further requests for rate increases up to April of 1977, as agreed to by Messrs. Doub and Hamilin. During discussion of the motion, Mayor Smoak advised that he could not support passage of the motion because he felt the increase requested was excessively high; in view of the short time the city had been on the system. Upon vote on the motion, the motion carried with Mayor Smoak and Councilman Schroedel voting, Naye. Wi th regards an appoi ntment to the Plumbi ng Board to fi 11 the unexpi red term of the late Morton J. Barnes, City Manager Hopkins advised that (ugeneSSwttzer Journeyman Plumber, had been contacted and was agreeable to serve. Motion was made by Councilman Schroedel, seconded by Councilman Blackburn and carried that Eugene Switzer be appointed to membership on the City of Clermont Plumbing Board to fill the unexpired term of M. J. Barnes. Councilman Byrd introduced AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE UNDER THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF CLERMONT, FLORIDA, SUBMITTING TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF CLERMONT PROPOSED AMENDNENTS TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF CLERMONT, PROVIDING FOR THE PLACING OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO A VOTE OF THE ELECTORS AT THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE and the ORDINANCE was read for a first reading by City Clerk Carroll, by title only. . e e . MINUTES NQ 1201 Councilman Blackburn offered and moved the adoption of AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE UNDER THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF CLERMONT,.FLORIDA, SUBMITTING TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF CLERMONT PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF CLERMONT, PROVIDING FOR THE PLACING OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO A VOTE OF THE ELECTORS AT THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The motion was seconded by Councilman Byrd. The ORDINANCE was read for a second and final reading by City Clerk Carroll, by title only, and upon roll call vote on passage of the motion, the result was: AYES: Oswalt, Byrd, Schroedel, Blackburn and Smoak. Total Ayes: Five. NAYES: None. So the ORDINANCE was adopted and the number 140-C assigned to it. Councilman Oswalt offered and moved the adoption of AN ORDINANCE UNDER THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF CLERMONT, FLORIDA, PROVIDING FOR THE ANNEXATION OF A CERTAIN PARCEL OF LAND CONTIGUOUS TO THE PRESENT CITY BOUNDARIES: PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE: PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION and the motion was seconded by Councilman Blackburn. The ORDINANCE was read for a second and final reading by City Clerk Carroll, by title only, and upon roll call vote on passage of the motion the result was: Ayes: Byrd, Blackburn, Schroedel, Oswalt, and Smoak. Total Ayes: Five. Nayes: None. Sb the ORDINANCE was adopted and the number 139-C assigned to it. Mayor Smoak called a Special Meeting of the City Council for 5:05 P. M. on November 17, 1975 in the office of the City Manager to verify the petitions of candidates for the General Election to be held on December 2, 1975, and to authorize the official ballot. The meeting was adjourned by Mayor Smoak at 8:25 P. M. t!i~ Cl aude E. Smoa , Jr., ayor lerk