Tavares, FL Aug. 2, 2017
Here is our full video of the August 2, 2017 Tavares, FL City Council Meeting
Compared to the insane meetings recently at Mt. Dora (firing the City Attorney), Groveland (tried to fire the suspended Finance Director but reached an impasse), and Eustis (3 Council Amigos trying to investigate the residency of a fellow Councilman), the Tavares City Council implemented sanity, world peace, new Warner Bros. Christmas Train events, fancy Christmas lights and initiated an ordinance to allow mini-pigs.
The City Police Chief, Stony Lubins, swore in three new police department members, and parents and friends went nuts taking pictures.
The Council voted down a proposal to buy and maintain a fallow golf course at Bay Tree Estates, saving existing taxpayers from a most likely boondoggle. Staff created a WELL researched guide on the dubious future of golf courses and the City Council listened.
The City Council also denied a request from the now rundown Baytree golf course owner, who can't find a buyer, to waive cutting the overgrown grass. Baytree residents complained of bugs, high grass and enroaching water mocassins.
An ordinance to allow mini-pigs in yards moved through the first reading. Next time, public input will be taken. Bring your mini-pig.
A new kinesthetic performance arts and culture event is coming, according to City PARTY planner (er, Community, Parks & Rec.) Director Tamera Rogers.
The new Polar Express Train is coming, which is a major Warner Bros. developed, franchised event for Christmas. 40,000 are expected to attend. As a consequence, the Council authorized the City Manager, John Drury to research hiring a third party Christmas Light provider and "find the budget".
The meeting concluded with finalization of six budget issues for the upcoming budget approval hearings.
Public input included a complaint about the varying speed limits and speeding on Lakeshore Drive along Lake Eustis, which is partly governed by Tavares, the County, and Eustis. I had seen a similar organized complaints earlier at the Eustis City Council. Residents have had enough and did a lot of research and have even posted their own speed limit sign. As a consequence, both cities met, agreed to post a SINGLE, consistent, reduced speed of 30 mph and enforce speeding against many large trucks taking the shortcut between HWY 441 West and HWY 19 North due to Google maps showing it to them. Some people are planning to contact Google and ask the "shortcut" not be shown and to indicate it is for residential traffic only, not commercial. There was no discussion of holding an annual Tavares/Eustis road race on the road. (:-))
Finally, the meeting ended with no bickering (Mt. Dora, Groveland and Eustis take note), history lessons from Betty Burliegh, Bob Grenier and Kirby Smith and World Peace oozed from Tavares.
Vance Jochim
FiscalRangers.com
Short link to this video is: https://youtu.be/6bzHJaUD-_w
===
