The Tavares, FL City Council met on Aug. 19, 2020, and our video is HERE. The meeting covered some interesting areas, including:
- A controversial approval of the 133 home Green Property annexation on HWY 19 near the Howey Bridge while not mandating traffic mitigation requirements. Business owners, groups came out of the woodwork to support it, however. Details below. This video section is a good example why unfettered development in Tavares will continue due to a concerted effort by business interests to do it without ensuring traffic does not become a nightmare.
- Approval of new "Palmer Property" commercial lots by HWY 19 and HWY 561 for use for restaurants, etc.
- Approval of the Tavares, FL Firefighter union agreement
- Deferral of a Pickleball court for Aesop's Park
- A 40 minute discussion of the proposed budget and millage rate that will be approved at the two required September meetings. Only Lori Pfister tried to move to a millage rollback rate, but received no support from the other Council members. Thus most property owners will see a 3-9% tax hike due to higher valuations.
- A lot of public input from citizens on shootings and crime in Tavares by two drug gangs and staff discussion why it hasn't stopped.
Scroll further down for our detailed meeting coverage, comments AND instructions on how to get the meeting agenda.
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See our meeting video HERE, with links to specific agenda topics and sections and the citizen input on crime and shootings in Tavares. Our FULL meeting coverage is below, not on the video page.
Agenda Index and Timeline
- Below are the timelines for each agenda item with our recorded details and comments.
- 6:20 Tab 3 - Resolution 2020-10 - Palmer Property Vacation of Right-of-way. (routine)
- 8:48 Tab 4 - Green Property Annexation for 130+ homes in Tavares, FL Moves Ahead - Ordinance 2020-06 - Second Reading - This was controversial because citizens had complained at earlier meetings about the possible traffic impacts on HWY 19 (near the Howey bridge) traffic. At this meeting there were several business group speakers (Chamber of Commerce, Lake 100, and downtown business owners ) or letters that were read that only DEFENDED the housing development without any concern (in my opinion) for controlling traffic by mandating and funding turn lanes, etc. The entire series of public input and letters was clearly orchestrated to offset expected citizen opposition. Unfortunately, only one speaker at this meeting (this writer) questioned the lack of clear HWY 19 traffic mitigation commitments. Statements by supporters included saying the homes would provide "needed" tax revenues. However, there were statements at prior meetings by staff that the City loses revenue on each new home because they don't pay enough for provided services. So, each time a new home is approved, a city cost liability is incurred. Watching this video will give you a clear indicator that 1) affected neighbors rarely speak up, and 2) business interests only want the homes, but don't ask for commitments to mitigate increased traffic. Staff talked about traffic surveys and plans, but no real details were provided. I lived in areas doing this in California, and as homes were added without traffic mitigation, the traffic became a nightmare, which is why I bring this up. Tavares sits on major state highway intersections (441 & 19, plus HWY 19 & 561), but the Council keeps approving homes without adequate traffic control commitments. By watching this video, citizens will understand why traffic keeps getting worse. The City staff will blame it on the County and State not enhancing the their main roads, which is also true, but the Tavares City Council keeps approving more developments anyway. See also tab 7 on another Green Property Ordinance, but there really was no public input at that one.
- 41:05:08 Tab 5 & 6 - Second Tavares, FL Readings on Ordinances 2020-08 and 09 on the Palmer Property - not controversial and routine. These approve more commercial lots for expected restaurants by the Publix at HWY 19 & 561. 48:35:28 Tab 8 - Approval of a Tavares, FL Firefighter Union contract. Passed 5/0
- 54:44:14 Tab 9 - Tavares, FL Aesop Park Pickleball Court deferred - A proposed approval of a budgeted Pickleball Court to be constructed at Aesop's Park, after Council discussion, resulted in the item being tabled to wait until more funds existed to build more than just one Pickleball Court.
- 54:44:03 Tab 10 - Final Tavares, FL Budget workshop before the two required public hearings in September. This was a lengthy 40-minute discussion on various budget issues, but Council Member Lori Pfister was the lone wolf trying to find funds that could be cut to allow a rollback rate for the millage rate. The other Council members did not support her objective, setting up the September millage rate to not implement the rollback rate. In our opinion, this is a TAX INCREASE on all homeowners in Tavares and four of the Council members facilitated it due to higher valuations on most homes.
- 1:42:18:07 Audience to be heard resulted in several animated, aggravated citizens talked about crime and shootings in Tavares, FL. City Manager John Drury said "a handful of people moved into town" causing the problem "I am livid", he said, "in the amount of patience involved" in resolving this crime issue. Staff and some council members voiced concern, but apparently two drug gangs have moved into Tavares and there seems to be a delay in getting them arrested. One speaker, having been at earlier meetings, also complained that the earlier discussion was mostly about infrastructure, but "What are we doing about citizens" and "Our people are afraid of neighbors". Like some earlier, similar public input, some speakers voided a need for "community policing" in downtown, and reduction in questionable traffic stops after downtown bars closed. Business owner Freddie Belton talked about the shootings and "things happening in the night". One woman said "We need community policing, and leadership needs to step it up!". Another talked about "bullets fly everywhere". Council member Lou Buigas was aggravated, saying she was "very concerned", and that "a stray bullet is a stray bullet". (Update: At the later Sept. 2 meeting, a citizen still talked about this issue.). It is my observation that the City Council should have a standard section at each meeting to get a report on crime in Tavares, what police have done, and results. They did that for the Historical Report (until the Pandemic), and each meeting they ask for Director reports, and most, including the Police Chief, say nothing.
- Staff Reports were at the end: - The City Clerk announced the candidates filing for the Tavares, FL City Council elections on the Nov. ballot. No one ran against Amanda Boggus, so she is "elected". Incumbent Lori Pfister is being opposed by Debbie Stivender, and incumbent Roy Stevenson is opposed by Walter Price.
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned after two hours and 4 minutes. (About 6:04 pm)
Where to find Tavares, FL meeting agendas: https://www.tavares.org/902/Current-Agendas-Minutes The online agenda is always a SHORT version lacking many documents. You have to email the City Clerk, Suzie Novak, to get the full version given to the City Council.
Video by Vance Jochim of FiscalRangers.com
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Vance Jochim
[email protected]
YouTube Channel "FiscalRangersFlorida"
