Town of Welaka february 2018
PLEASE HELP CONSERVE WATER!
Remember: Water bill payments can be made anytime of the day or night, even on weekends, by using the “Utility Payment” drop box at the top of the stairs at Town Hall.
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Special Days This Month: Friday, February 2nd –
Groundhog Day
Wednesday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day
Friday & Saturday, February 16th & 17th –
Welaka Springfest
Monday, February 19th – President’s Day
Waste Pro
February 5th – Garbage, Recycle
February 12th – Garbage, Recycle,
Yard Trash February 19th – Garbage, Recycle
February 26th – Garbage, Recycle,
Yard Trash
Please call Waste Pro if you have any
questions at 328-5445.
Public Meetings
February 13th, Tues – Zoning Board
5:30 p.m.; Code Board 5:45 p.m., Town
Council 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. For
more information call Town Hall at 386-
467-9800.
The Town of Welaka Utility Department is available for water and sewer problems 24
hours a day at 467-8677.
TDD 800/955-8771
February Meter
Readings
February meter readings will begin:
Friday, February 16th.
United Methodist Church Pancake Breakfast $4
Pancakes, Sausage, Bacon, Orange Juice and Coffee!
Saturday, Feb. 3rd and Feb. 17th from
7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Reiter Insurance Agency Dear Mayor Sands and Welaka Friends, I am writing this letter to let you know that we are regrettably vacating our present location in Welaka due to circumstance that are out of our control, and have been unable to find similar space for our office. We will be here until March 13th, and after that we will be just a short distance away in our Crescent City Office and always available to come to Welaka whenever necessary. We have truly enjoyed our time in this community, and greatly appreciate your business and support over the last 12 plus years. We are happy to continue to serve your insurance needs and are always just a phone call or email away. If there is anything I can do, or if you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call at 386-698-2400. Very Truly Yours, Cindy Highfill
TOWN OF WELAKA
ZONING BOARD MEETING
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2018
@ 5:30 P.M.
WELAKA TOWN HALL
1. The meeting was called to order
by Finch at 5:30 p.m.
2. Roll Call: Kevin Finch –
present, Allen Rusek – present,
Lenore Toole – present, Harriet
Vanslyke – absent, Les Thomas –
present, and Town Attorney, Allen
Scott – absent.
3. Approval of Minutes of Meeting
of December 12, 2017. Finch asked
if any deletions, corrections or
additions – there were none. Rusek
made a motion to accept Minutes of
Meeting of December 12, 2017,
second by Thomas. Motion carried
4-0.
4. Old Business: none
5. New Business: none
6. Audience Participation: Sands
stated that the County accepted an
Ordinance with a mean 1 (one) foot
above sea level. Sands stated that
we should notify parties that are
affected by this. County will have a
“no wake ordinance”.
7. Toole made a motion to adjourn
at 5:42 p.m., second by Rusek.
Motion carried 4-0.
TOWN OF WELAKA
CODE ENFORCEMENT MEETING
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2018
@ 5:45 P.M.
WELAKA TOWN HALL
1. The meeting was called to order
by Finch at 5:45 p.m.
2. Roll Call: Kevin Finch - present,
Allen Rusek – present, Lenore
Toole – present, Harriet Vanslyke –
absent, Les Thomas – present, and
Town Attorney, Allen Scott –
absent.
3. Approval of Minutes of Meeting
of December 12, 2017. Finch asked
if any deletions, corrections or
additions – there were none. Toole
made a motion to accept the
Minutes of Meeting of December
12, 2017 as written, second by
Rusek. Motion carried 4-0.
4. Old Business: none
5. New Business: none
6. Audience Participation: none
7. Rusek made a motion to adjourn
at 5:48 p.m., second by Thomas.
Motion carried 4-0.
TOWN OF WELAKA
TOWN OF WELAKA
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2018
@ 6:30 P.M.
WELAKA TOWN HALL
1. The meeting was called to order
by Mayor Sands at 6:30 p.m.
2. Invocation was given by Watts.
3. Pledge of Allegiance led by
Washington.
4. Roll Call: Mayor Gordon Sands
– present, Sam McGauley – present,
Willie Washington – present, Jamie
Watts - present, Louis Peronard –
present, and Town Attorney, Allen
Scott– absent.
5. Approval of Minutes of Meeting
of December 12, 2017. Sands asked
if any deletions, corrections or
additions. Peronard stated that he
would like to point out that this is
the Mayor’s Newsletter. He can put
in there whatever he wants.
Peronard stated in the minutes of the
meeting he begs to differ with what
is in here. Peronard stated not alone
with the remarks from Pam Olson
and Alexa Peronard. Peronard stated
that someone added couple of
sarcastic comments. After Alexa
Peronard’s comment it says “in her
opinion”, and after Pam Olson it
says “again”. Peronard asked who
added that, he can only guess, but
he’s saying it has no place in the
minutes of the meeting. Peronard
stated that he cannot approve of the
minutes from the last meeting.
Sands stated he does not touch the
minutes. Peronard motioned to
delete remarks from the minutes,
Watts second. Motion carried 5-0.
6. Florida League of Cities –
Presentation: Mark from the Florida
League of Cities presented an award
for Mayor Sands. A Resolution of
the Board of Directors of the Florida
League of Cities, Inc., Honoring
Gordon L. Sands for twenty years of
Elected Service, and presenting him
with the John Land Years of Service
Award in recognition of his
unselfish commitment to municipal
leadership and governance.
Whereas, America’s Municipal
Governments have long relied upon
the unselfish leadership of their
citizens for local self-government,
and Florida’s Municipal
Governments share the time-
honored role as the level of
government closest to the people;
and whereas, this reliance places
extraordinary responsibilities upon
citizen legislators- Municipal
Elected Officials- who make
significant sacrifices of their time
and energies on behalf of their
citizenry, often for little to no
compensation, making this
commitment a true labor of love;
and whereas, Municipal Leaders
strive for excellence in the
governance of their City, Town or
Village, and commit themselves to
providing quality services,
governing effectively and working
to improve the quality of life; and
whereas, the League has named it’s
Years of Service recognition in
honor of John Land, the Mayor of
Apopka between the years of 1949
and 2014, a leader whose dedication
is unsurpassed at the national and
state levels, and who modeled the
way for decades of Municipal
Leaders; and whereas, several terms
in office is high compliment voters
give to an official, and with these
years of experience comes a
strengthening of wisdom,
discernment and strong leadership
skills that brings tremendous value
to the Municipal Governments of
Florida; and whereas, Gordon L.
Sands has held office in the Town of
Welaka for twenty years and is
recognized for this achievement.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the
Board of Directors of the Florida
League of Cities, Inc.: That Gordon
L. Sands is commended for his
dedication to the Town of Welaka
and is hereby recognized as an
outstanding public servant in
Florida. Adopted by the Board of
Directors assembled this 18th day of
August 2017, in Orlando, Florida.
Mary Lawson attended the
presentation and thanked the Mayor
for his service.
7. James Moore Audit Presentation
– Jennifer Forrester presented the
Preliminary and Tentative Financial
Statements Audit for Ending Fiscal
Year September 30, 2017.
McGauley asked Forrester to read
their last statement on their audit.
Forrester read, James Moore stated
in our opinion the Town complies in
all material of respect with
affirmation requirements with the
year ended September 30, 2017 and
that was noted in all of the reports.
Watts made a motion to table until
the next meeting.
8. Request to Speak – (a) Charles
Overturf: Election 2018: – Overturf
stated that this is your Election.
Overturf stated that all we do is
assist you all as candidates and as
citizens of the Town because of
your Charter, your decisions that
you make and State Law which we
have to follow. Overturf stated that
he can assure you with what we will
do is follow everything that you all
tell us to do, and we will do it in a
fair and honest way so that way
every candidate, and also every
citizen, will feel like they’ve been
treated the way they should. So, as
we approach some of these items
that I, Overturf, am going to discuss
with you tonight please keep that in
mind that I’m going to bring the
issues and questions up to you and
then I will let you all make the
decision if possible. State Law says
that we have to have a Canvasing
Board. Overturf stated that usually
that is the makeup of the Council. In
this particular year it’s a little bit
different because of the fact that
Eltervoog resigned before the
Election so Peronard was appointed,
and State Statute says you can only
be appointed until the next Election,
so that’s coming up now. We have
three of you all that have qualified
and are on the ballot besides three
other candidates that may be here
tonight. Overturf stated that we have
to have three members to serve.
Two of you are not on the ballot so
you all could be the two, but we will
need a 3rd person because a lot of
times dealing with the County
Canvasing Board, that I am a part
of, many of times there may be one
of us that disagrees with the
decision of the other two, and if
there is only two of you then of
course there will be a lot of one on
one votes and that does not get us
anywhere. One of the things we will
need to consider we will need a 3rd
person to represent you all on the
Canvasing Board. McGauley asked
if there is a Statute that prevents the
Mayor from sitting on that Board?
Overturf stated no, usually the
Charter says that the two
Councilmembers serve. Overturf
assumed McGauley and Sands, but
we will still need a 3rd person.
Watts stated if Overturf could give
us an example of the duties of the
Canvasing Board. Overturf stated
dealing with ballots, mail ballots,
and provisional ballots, decisions if
a person is eligible or not eligible. It
will come to the Canvasing Board,
and you will be the ones who will
decide if that particular ballot will
count or not count. It is very
important. It has a lot to do
especially if you have a close
Election. It gets to be a lot more
important especially if there is a
landslide. Overturf stated that
anything to do with an Election and
if a question comes up we might
approach you as a Canvasing Board
and ask some direction and say we
can do it this way or that way what
is your decision. So, it needs to be
someone available. Overturf stated
that he would go over the list. There
will be at least three different
meetings that we had already
scheduled and we will expect that
you be there. The citizens will
expect you to be there. It has to be
someone who wants to serve.
Overturf stated that he is not going
to say the meetings will be six hours
long or anything, but they will
probably be an hour or two hours
especially when we do the L&A
Test which is our Logic and
Accuracy Test, when we bring the
equipment here and test it and show
everybody that it’s counting
correctly. Pam Olson said that she
nominates Edward Lemon. Watts
asked as a Councilmember up for
re-election, does he have the ability
to vote on something like this
matter, because he has a conflict of
interest in this matter. Overturf
stated that honestly, with this issue,
it’s probably not as big of a deal
because just appointing someone
voting on it, it’s still going to be that
he and the other two people’s
decision. Overturf stated in that
sense Watts was admirable for
doing it. If all three of you had to
drop off then there are only two
votes. Overturf stated that two
people don’t make a forum.
Overturf stated the second item he
wants to go over is this year we
have three Council positions up.
Your Charter says two of those
positions are two-year terms, and
one of them because Peronard took
Eltervoog’s place, is a one-year
term. Overturf stated that he looked
at your Charter and he didn’t find
anywhere that it distinguishes,
except for the fact that there are six
candidates. The top three are going
to be your Councilmembers.
Overturf stated that he just doesn’t
know if they will have anything to
go on Statute wise to say which one
will be the one going on the one-
year term. McGauley stated what we
have done in the past is the top two
went to the two-year position, and
the bottom went to the third
position. Overturf stated that he
understood that two of them that
were technically running for two-
year terms and Peronard is the only
one who can technically do that. If
that’s what you decide it’s fine with
us, Overturf stated. Overturf wanted
to make sure if one of them is 3rd
that they understand that they have
to turn around and run again next
year. McGauley stated that we have
been down this road before with
nine candidates running and one of
positions being a one-year term.
Overturf stated he wants everyone
to understand about the one-year
position. Overturf stated his 3rd
issue which is totally up to the
Town and that is whether you ask to
do mail ballots. There are
approximately 45-50 residents that
are on our permanent list with the
County that every Election we send
it out automatically, we don’t go
and call and ask. They are on this
list but the State gives each Town
the opportunity to run their Election
the way they want to, and some
Towns do not do mail ballots they
say come on Election day and vote,
and that’s the Election, and others
say no were going to do that.
Overturf stated that he needs your
input tonight and the reason he says
this is because your qualifying in the
Election is really tight. McGauley
asked if these mail ballots will be
considered Absentee Ballots?
Overturf stated right, we don’t call
them that any more, the State
switched it to Mail Ballots. The
reason it is so important to make a
decision tonight, if you have any
possible Military or their family that
live in the Town of Welaka that are
overseas, the State Statute says we
have 45 days and that would be
January 20th. Overturf looked and
right now we do not have anybody
that has asked for a ballot that is in
your Town and currently overseas.
So, we have 35 days before the
Election to mail out everybody’s
ballot if you decide to do that. So
that’s still January the 30th. Overturf
stated that each Town has the right
to do it. Watts stated he thinks we
should give people the opportunity.
McGauley stated the he would like
to have it included in the count.
Sands stated we are going to have to
decide quickly and when would you
print ballots? Overturf stated I’ve
already got the ballots with me
tonight and I wanted to get with
Mrs. McDaniel, as the Town Clerk,
to sign off on it and each of the
Candidates to sign off on it. That’s
why we do the form DS-DE25.
Overturf stated that a lot of people
don’t read that that’s the way you
want your name on the Ballot. So,
the way you sign that form, and
gave to her, is what we put on there.
Overturf stated that he will let you
look at it before we leave tonight
and get you to sign it because
tomorrow we will send it and start
the equipment process, and then turn
around and start the printing of the
ballots, because we have to have
that before the 20th or the 30th at the
latest. Mayor Sands asked who can
pick up an absentee ballot, mother,
sister, brother? Overturf stated it has
not changed but most of the time
they want it in writing. Like if you
said I want my wife to come and
pick it up, we just have to have it in
writing. If you decide to do it there
is a deadline. Six days before the
Election we have to stop them
because if somebody is in California
and they want us to send them a
ballot out there, you don’t have time
for us to get it out there to you and
get it back by 7 p.m. on Tuesday
night. We have some deadlines we
have to work through so as far as
that’s concerned. Watts stated he’d
like to see absentee. Overturf stated
is that in consensus of the Board.
Council agreed. Overturf stated how
we will do this is print and send out
to those 45-50 that have asked for it
and we will do that all at one time
approximately January the 30-31,
somewhere around there. We try to
get it to the voters as soon as we can
so they have time to mark the ballot
and get it back to us. Overturf stated
that it will come to our office. We
will verify, my staff will, that each
signature is exactly the same as the
person that signed the ballot. If we
have any questions, State Statute
says we have to cure the process. So
in other words, let us just say
someone was going to vote by mail
and he sends it in and the lady that I
have in charge to do that questions
and says you know what Charles
this just doesn’t look like his
signature, by law what we have to
do is I have to send him an affidavit
and say please sign this again
because your ballot and your
signature are not matching with
what we have, and I will tell you if
we have to do that from the County
Office. Overturf stated that those
ballots are going to be brought down
in a lock box brought to you all for
Canvasing Board that night of the
Election and you as a Canvasing
Board are going to look at this and
look at the new signature and
whoever the three are on the
Canvasing Board will have to make
that decisions. It will not be our
office, it will be up to you three.
Overturf stated that like he said, this
is your Election, but that’s how we
will handle that. Overturf stated
another subject he wanted to go over
was provisional ballots. Again, this
will be for the Canvasing Board.
Provisional ballots are when there’s
a question concerning the eligibility
of a person to vote. Do they live
here, are they really eligible, are
they really registered? Anything like
that, and of course in the State of
Florida we have to bring picture ID
and so sometimes if you forget your
Driver’s License, the Clerk during
the day may say you’re going to
have to vote a provisional ballot, but
that’s State Statute and I know your
Charter follows that. Provisionals let
us just say someone forgot and they
didn’t bring it. The State Statute
says you have 48 hours to bring in
evidence to show to the Canvasing
Board that I am an eligible voter.
Peronard stated why not change the
voting precinct to the Church.
Washington replied that you,
Peronard, try to change everything.
Peronard stated he has been here for
twenty years. Washington replied
that he has been here for fifty years.
Peronard made a motion to change
voting precinct to the Church. Watts
seconded the motion. Roll call:
Sands-No, McGauley-No,
Washington-No, Watts-Yes,
Peronard-Yes. Motion denied 3-2.
9. Code and Zoning
Recommendations: none
10. Utility Matters: none
11. Town Matters:
Mayor Sands Report:
(a) Animal Control – Sands
addressed the cat problem in the
Town, and we are still trying to
come up with a solution with
Animal Control.
(b) Springfest – Sands stated the
20th Annual Springfest is Friday and
Saturday, February 16-17, from 8:00
a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Councilman McGauley Report:
none
Councilman Washington Report:
none
Councilman Watts Report: none
Councilman Peronard Report: none
12. Audience Participation: Faye
Carpenter, 600 Pine Street-
Intersection of 6th Avenue and Pine
Street on the east side, is all rooted
out and needs to be taken care of.
Carpenter stated another issue is the
storm drain ditch by her property on
Pine St. and Orange St. has not been
cleaned out in two years, come
February. There is brush in there.
We have had seven long snakes in
our yard since the hurricane.
Carpenter stated we are not sure if
the snakes are coming from there, or
where they are coming from. When
the guys mow the grass, they mow
on the wide side and not the narrow
side. Carpenter stated that her
husband has been taking care of the
other side, but he is unable to do so
now. Pam Olson, 292 Maxwell
Drive- Olson stated that she would
like to say that several months ago
back before the hurricane that she
did email Jennifer about the trees
and she thinks she copied everybody
about the trees growing in the storm
drain, especially in the Harbor. I
think we need to clean out those
drains. Olson stated that there have
been trees growing in them for
years. They have not been cleaned
out in years. Olson stated that
especially right there on Maxwell
and Margaret, and then going down
on Maxwell. Olson stated that she
asked a couple of times, but nobody
has acknowledged that. Olson stated
that the other thing is we have seen
a lot of things happening in the
Town in the past weeks and it’s
been very stressful for everybody.
Olson stated that it was not her
intention to bring stress, but when
she sees things that she feels like
need to be addressed it’s hard for
her to not bring it to people’s
attention, because she feels like
things need to be done properly and
right. Olson stated that she has read
through the Resolutions and the
Charter, and she thinks those things
need to be available for people to
read and acknowledge so they know
what it is. The thing that she doesn’t
think is right, there are codes of
conduct. Olson stated that here’s
one of them that she read, and she
did print them out for everybody to
have a copy. Olson stated that if we
are going to have these procedures
then we should follow them because
it brings structure to the Town and
gives an equal opportunity for
everybody to work together on
accountability and transparency.
Olson stated that’s been difficult
and very stressful because all the
things that have transpired in the
Town, and she doesn’t want there to
be any animosity, but I just think
that if we are going to have rules
and procedures that we need to
going forward she would like to see
the Town Council do their job and
bring the leadership. Olson stated
that you can’t have people doing
things that are in the Town for
personal gain. It needs to be equal
opportunity for all of the people.
13. Police Matters: Porath stated
that he finished out the fiscal year.
For police calls, there were 117 calls
for service. Porath stated that he has
until January 31st to report our
findings to FDLE. Porath is in the
process right now to go over each
call and make sure we have
documented it correctly. Porath
stated that he is working with
Putnam County Sheriff Office
making sure some of the calls they
took falls back to us if it meets the
criteria.
14. Attorney Matters: none
15. Watts made a motion to adjourn
at 8:18 p.m., second by Washington.
Motion carried 5-0.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF WELAKA FRIDAY & SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16TH AND
17TH 9 A.M. – 4 P.M.
HOT DOGS AND BAKED
GOODS
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!!!
a, FL 32193