The meeting commenced with the significant event of Christine Cruz being sworn in for City Commission seat number four. The City Clerk administered the oath, and Cruz pledged to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States and Florida. Following the oath, Cruz, along with her family and members of the Commission, participated in a photo session to commemorate the occasion.

The meeting then shifted focus to the introduction of Dr. Wanita McCall, the new principal of Eustis Heights Elementary School. Introduced by the Superintendent of Lake County Schools, Diane Cornegy, Dr. McCall shared her enthusiasm for her new role and detailed her commitment to enhancing student engagement and community involvement. She highlighted several initiatives, including a successful Grandparents Day event with over 400 attendees and a partnership with local churches to support teachers. Dr. McCall emphasized the school’s theme for the year, “growing to new heights,” and expressed her excitement about returning to serve the community where she grew up.

Next, representatives from Duke Energy discussed their partnership with Eustis regarding economic development. Mark Einstein, managing director of economic development for Duke Energy Florida, praised the city’s efforts in securing an Economic Development grant. Eustis was one of only 15 communities selected for the grant, which aims to assist in marketing, research, and strategic planning to attract new businesses and job creators. A ceremonial check was presented to city representatives, marking the successful application for the grant, and Einstein commended the Eustis team’s understanding of the local economic landscape and their strategic use of existing land for business opportunities.

The meeting also addressed significant code enforcement issues, particularly involving Dollar General and Racetrack. Dollar General stores in the city faced multiple property maintenance violations, resulting in substantial fines. Despite prior compliance efforts, new violations emerged, leading to further enforcement actions. Similarly, Racetrack faced fines for landscaping violations, which were recently reduced contingent upon completing landscape restoration within 45 days.

During the audience comments segment, several residents expressed concerns about upcoming developments, specifically the Grove at Pine Meadows. Residents voiced frustrations over the impact of new homes on traffic, local schools, and neighborhood dynamics. A resident representing the property owner defended the development, asserting that extensive studies had been conducted to ensure compliance with city codes and that the development would ultimately benefit the area.

The commission then moved to budgetary discussions, where they reviewed two key resolutions concerning the city’s final millage rate and budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2024-2025. After a brief period of public input, both the resolution adopting the final millage rate and the resolution adopting the final budget were approved unanimously.

Land use and annexations were also a focus, with several ordinances concerning the voluntary annexation and designation of property. These ordinances were approved without additional presentations or public comments.

A notable ordinance discussed was the conditional use permit for an accessory dwelling unit on East Washington Avenue. The property owner sought to convert an existing detached garage into an accessory dwelling unit while retaining part of the garage for storage. The Historic Preservation Board had previously approved the certificate of appropriateness for the property, and the commission emphasized the importance of maintaining the architectural style of the home. The ordinance was approved unanimously.

The meeting concluded with discussions on various community initiatives and events. The commission discussed potential partnerships to bring a vape-sniffing dog into Eustis schools and considered implementing a no smoking and vaping policy in public playgrounds. They also highlighted upcoming events such as National Cleanup Day and the TEDx Eustis event, emphasizing community engagement and outreach.

A proposed economic summit was discussed to address challenges faced by local businesses, particularly restaurants impacted by national economic trends. The commission underscored the importance of supporting small businesses and suggested collaboration among city staff and local business owners to develop solutions.