Board of County Commissioners · Feb. 4, 2025
Meeting date: Feb. 4, 2025Summarized 2026-09-01 18:05
# Polk County BoCC — Regular Meeting Summary
**February 4, 2025 | Called to order 9:00 a.m. (Chair Rick Wilson) | Adjourned 10:34 a.m.**
## Overall
All recorded votes were unanimous 5-0 (Troutman, Wilson, Braswell, Santiago, Scott). No failed motions, no split votes.
## Votes Taken
**Consent Agenda (D.1)** — Approved. Moved by Braswell, seconded by Troutman.
**Disbursements (E.1) and Jan. 21, 2025 minutes (E.2)** — Approved. Moved by Santiago, seconded by Braswell.
**H.1 — CSA 2021-026-02, North Central Landfill Transfer Station Site Improvements, design and permitting, not to exceed $476,512.93** — Approved. Moved by Scott, seconded by Santiago. Waste and Recycling Director Dale Henderson said design will take about four months, with permitting hoped to be underway or complete within the next 12 months.
**H.2 — Agreement with CPH Consulting, LLC, architectural/engineering services for the Utilities northeast regional warehouse-operations building and fleet facility; $210,909.00 one-time Phase I expense ($56,945.43 General Fund; $153,963.57 Utilities CIP Fund)** — Approved. Moved by Braswell, seconded by Santiago.
**O.1 — LDCT-2024-18, Section 220 warehouse separation/compatibility text amendment (adoption hearing)** — Approved. Moved by Troutman, seconded by Braswell. No public speakers.
**P.1 — LDCDD-2024-7, Winslow's Point Community Development District (533 units)** — Approved. Moved by Braswell, seconded by Troutman. One member of the public, Winslow Stevens, raised wetlands concerns near Crooked Lake and suggested a Commission-approved member on the CDD board; staff and the County Attorney stated CDD board composition is controlled by statute (appointed initially, then elected).
**P.3 — LDCPAL-2024-9, Deen Still COREX CPA (transmittal hearing, 7.036± acres)** — Continued to February 18, 2025, at applicant and staff agreement. Moved by Braswell, seconded by Troutman. (Heard out of order, before P.1.)
**P.4 — LDCPAL-2024-15, Indian Lake Estates large-scale text CPA (transmittal hearing)** — Approved. Moved by Braswell, seconded by Troutman. **Notable: staff recommended approval, but the Planning Commission recommended denial 6:1.** Staff said the final decision will come in April.
## Items With No Recorded Vote
- **O.2 (LDCT-2024-22, Section 2.135 parcel-specific FLU amendments)** — first reading; no public speakers; no vote recorded in the minutes.
- **P.2 (LDCT-2024-27, SR 60 & Boy Scout Road RCC Activity Center Plan)** — first reading; no vote recorded. Two speakers (Ronald Newingham, Sandra Schindler) opposed, characterizing it as urban sprawl and objecting to development before FDOT interchange work is complete. Staff noted an FDOT resurfacing project from SR 60 West to Saddlebag Lake Road to east of Tiger Lake is set to receive bids in February with a 300-day construction time. Commissioner Scott cited "consistently six crashes a year that are significant" at the intersection.
- **P.5 (LDCT-2024-24, Indian Lake Estates use table)** — first reading; presented with P.4; no separate vote recorded.
## Notable Dollar Amounts on the Consent Agenda (approved as a block)
- **R.24 — $75,000.00 one-time settlement** in *Christopher Pierson v. Polk County Board of County Commissioners*
- **R.9 — $5,693,471.50** performance surety (Irrevocable Letter of Credit No. FGAC-25005), Garden Hills at Providence Phase 3
- **R.10 — $346,108.03** performance surety, Ranches at Lake McLeod Phase 2 Bomber Road Improvements
- **R.8 — $214,425.00** performance surety, 7-Eleven #42613 (Traditions Retail)
- **R.12 — $203,475.00** one-time SHIP rehabilitation/replacement homeowner assistance, Winter Haven (Case #RC23-SHIP-015)
- **R.19 — $190,730.80** Change Order No. 1, Earth Tech, LLC, Power Line Road Sinkhole Repair
- **R.22 — $181,125.75** not-to-exceed, Dewberry Engineers Inc., 2025 NERUSA wetland monitoring
- **R.25 — $19,421.86** addendum, Allen Norton & Blue, P.A.
- **R.13 — $26,500.00** estimated annual increase, Housing and Neighborhood Development Services of Central Florida (SHIP down payment/closing cost program)
- **R.23 — $12,216.47** increase, Vogel Brothers Change Order No. 4, Lift Station No. 253 (Providence); revised contract sum $892,638.61, 155-day time extension
- **R.7 — $8,125.35** maintenance bond, RaceTrac – Winter Haven
- **R.27** — resolution ratifying Declarations Extending State of Local Emergency 24-01 executed by the County Manager on January 24 and January 31, 2025
## Public Comment
- **Kevin Noble** — potholes and failing patches on Alturas Loop Road; asked for repaving and objected to semi-truck traffic.
- **Elisa Moreno** — noise complaints about "Chicky Sounds," a car speaker installation business near Avenue F/G, operating into early morning hours. County Attorney Randy Mink said he would look into it with Code Enforcement.
- **Fawn Spacke** — cited over a chicken coop setback (105 feet required). Land Development Director Ben Ziskal said an ordinance reducing the setback from 50 feet to 10 feet goes to the Planning Commission the next day and to the Board in March.
- **Cassandra Richards** — requested lights and speed bumps on Lewis Griffin Road, citing two wrecks in three days. Commissioner Scott said he has been pushing to reclassify the road because speed bumps are not currently allowed under its classification.
- **Anita Ostir** — traffic and accidents on Pine Tree Trail in Solterra. Roads and Drainage Director Jay Jarvis said the road meets four-lane traffic volume requirements and is on the county's unfunded CIP list.
## Other Discussion
- **Commissioner Braswell** stated Fire Rescue is "19 short today" and hiring continues, with a ramp-up plan expected at the Board Retreat.
- **Commissioner Scott** asked staff to examine reinstating expiration limits on approved Planned Developments, noting that PD approvals became indefinite around 2018-2019 and that a PD approved ten years ago "may not meet the criteria we have today." Mink noted any change would apply prospectively and would not affect vested rights.