Board of County Commissioners · Jan. 20, 2026
Meeting date: Jan. 20, 2026Summarized 2026-09-01 17:17
# Polk County BoCC — Regular Meeting, January 20, 2026
**Attendance:** All five commissioners present (Troutman, Wilson, Braswell, Santiago, Scott). Chair: Martha Santiago. Meeting adjourned 10:27 a.m.
**Overall:** Every item that came to a vote passed unanimously (5-0). The one contested moment was a motion by Commissioner Scott that died for lack of a second.
## Major Expenditures (County Manager items — all approved 5-0)
| Item | Vendor/Purpose | Amount | Mover / Seconder |
|---|---|---|---|
| G.1 | Amendment 3, Kimley-Horn & Associates, Agreement 2022-041, Thompson Nursery Road extension | $4,119,689.30 | Wilson / Troutman |
| G.2 | Timmons Contracting Inc. — Rock Ridge Rd Bridge Replacement | $2,229,446.00 | Troutman / Wilson |
| G.3 | Legacy Sports Construction LLC — Poinciana Park artificial turf fields | $2,843,863.97 | Wilson / Troutman |
| G.4 | Legacy Sports Construction LLC — Hunt Fountain Park artificial turf fields | $2,510,707.00 | Troutman / Braswell |
These four items total approximately **$11.7 million** in one-time expenses. Legacy Sports Construction received two contracts the same day totaling **$5,354,570.97**; County Manager Bill Beasley said both parks will be completed concurrently, with a start date typically 30 days from Board approval.
On G.2, Roads and Drainage Director Jay Jarvis clarified the detour route (Moore Road to Old Polk City Road to Marcum Road back to 98) would differ from the map in the packet, due to potential truck traffic.
## Land Use Hearings (all approved 5-0)
- **N.1 LDCU-2025-21 Stericycle Reconstruction** — Conditional Use for expansion of a non-conforming Solid Waste Management Facility plus SWMF permit. Staff recommended approval; no public speakers. (Troutman/Wilson)
- **N.2 / N.3 Lake Gibson Estates** — Small-scale Comp Plan map/text amendment changing 2.55± acres from Residential Low to Residential Medium, with companion LDC text amendment. Applicant Sarah Case agreed to conditions limiting the site to 16 units in no more than eight duplex buildings, none taller than two stories, written into the LDC via the text amendment. No public speakers. (N.2: Troutman/Braswell; N.3: Wilson/Braswell)
- **N.4 LDCT-2025-23 Alcohol Separation Requirements & Hours** — Amends Chapter 2, Section 224 and Table 2.4 to change the distance measurement method, reduce separation distances from religious institutions and schools, and adjust Sunday hours. No public speakers. (Troutman/Scott)
- **N.5 LDCT-2025-24 Powerline Landscape Buffers** — Adds a Utility Buffer to landscaping requirements. No public speakers. (Wilson/Troutman)
- **O.1 LDCDD-2025-2 Gardener Trails CDD** — Establishes a new Community Development District, approximately 427 units, surrounded by the Poinciana DRI. (Troutman/Braswell)
## Contested Item: ECX Amendments (O.2 and O.3)
Both concerned allowing personal services/commercial uses to exceed 30 percent of an Employment Center (ECX) in the US 98 SAP when approved as a Conditional Use.
Commissioner Scott objected to the review-level language, stating "you could take ECX5 and split it up three different ways and all of it would go under Level 3," and raised concern that ECX4 is "off the highway by a significant distance and even though it is a small parcel it could be an adverse impact." He proposed exempting ECX6 and requiring Level 4 review elsewhere.
Applicant representative Shelton Rice proposed changing the trigger from "parcels" to "districts" to prevent "piecemeal manipulation." Staff (Chanda Bennett) recommended language referencing "four ECX districts less than ten acres."
Commissioner Troutman expressed frustration: "this is the second if not third time... it seems we move the ball only to say to move the ball here now. She said this is not fair to staff or the applicant."
- **O.2 (Large-Scale Comp Plan text amendment)** — Approved 5-0 (Braswell/Troutman).
- **O.3 (LDC text amendment)** — Commissioner Scott moved to exempt the 10 acres or less and leave it as Level 4; **the motion died for lack of a second.** A subsequent motion to approve with the applicant's "ECX district" language passed 5-0 (Troutman/Braswell). Scott voted aye on both final items despite his stated objections.
## Consent Agenda (approved 5-0, Wilson/Braswell)
Largely routine, but notable dollar figures:
- **R.21/R.22** — Interlocal agreements for expansion/renovation of the District 10 Medical Examiner's Office: Highlands County to contribute **$1,500,000**; Hardee County **$500,000**.
- **R.23** — Agreement with Cynet Health, Inc. for recruitment of mental health provider positions for community mental health agencies: **$2,000,000 over 5 years**.
- **R.30** — Agreement transferring roads from Polk County to City of Bartow: **$1,300,000** one-time expense.
- **R.29** — American Design Engineering Construction, Inc., City of Lake Wales Orange and Crystal Avenue project: **$826,872.95**.
- **R.31** — RS&H, Inc. CEI services for Rockridge Road Bridge 164138 Replacement: **$273,111.46** (companion to G.2).
- **R.24** — Wildland Conservation (Wildlands), Inc. land management support for Environmental Lands Program: **$195,000**.
- **R.26** — Conservation land purchase, Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem Project, Crooked Lake West Area, Perone parcels: **$10,000**.
- **R.6** — Release of $1,230,727.10 performance bond for Ross Creek (largest of numerous routine bond releases/acceptances in R.3–R.20).
- **R.32** — DRMP, Inc. modification, SR 33 @ Mt. Olive Road: **$18,460.00**.
- **R.34** — Bulk Wastewater Service Agreement with Tohopekaliga Water Authority, approx. **$5,400/month** ongoing.
- **R.35–R.39** — Five new non-exclusive commercial solid waste franchises, no fiscal impact.
## Public Comment (non-agenda)
Six of seven speakers addressed Polk County Animal Control. Speakers included Becky Bywater ("Animal Control has been on the radar since February 2019"), Kay Bourque (presented slides on reforming Animal Control), Debbie Hicks (requested an advisory committee), Kristin Ahlberg (described a shelter-adopted puppy euthanized for a lung infection; said "we have not accomplished anything because of Commissioner Braswell" and that she has contacted news stations), Jhoanna Mukai Allende ("100 animals are killed a week"), and Onalda Maslin (concerns about a sick cat and lack of heat at the shelter). Taren Wadley raised concerns about lake fish and water quality. James Abercrombie said he had not been able to finish comments at the prior meeting and alleged a conflict of interest regarding a Comprehensive Plan committee member.
No commissioner offered comments under items H.1 through L.1. No lay board appointments or work session items were taken up. No items were withdrawn or tabled.