10/20/2020 Mount Dora City Council Meeting and The Smell

 



I attended the Mount Dora City Council meeting last night for the sole purpose of following up on the landfill and odor complaints we have when the wind is coming in from the North. One thing I noted right away is that simply bringing up the odor brought a lot of attention (in a good way) to allow the annexation of the landfill into Mount Dora.

  • The landfill isn't the end-all, be-all cause of the odor problems at Sullivan Ranch
  • It can reach a height of 205 feet and that would make it the highest elevation in the city when it reaches maximum capacity (it would be attractively landscaped and be tiered)
  • A landscaping buffer is planned between the landfill and Sullivan Ranch within the next year or so (no definite dates)
  • Several citizens and council members toured the landfill and only one noted an odor and that was in only one section
  • Our questions brought out other issues such as planning and zoning concerns
  • The facility would provide revenue to Mount Dora in the form of a portion of the "tipping fees"
  • The landfill owner wants to establish a Planned Unit Development as part of the annexation and it would be developed later
  • Currently, the landfill isn't posing any danger to underground water sources
The big surprise of the meeting (odor wise) was Crissy Stile bringing out the point that a good part of the odor is coming from the Mount Dora wastewater plant on 441. A city representative said that there had been only one complaint and that was last Friday. The cost to fix it would be around 3 million dollars.

I don't know how they log complaints, but I made one months ago and the person I spoke with explained how the odor could happen and why. He told me that the fix would cost 1 million dollars.  Crissy Stile also described a recent complaint from someone living at the back of Sullivan Ranch who heard the beeping of equipment backing up from "7 am until 5 pm" six days a week as well as one about the odor. I have personally been awakened in the early morning hours by the odor. 

I've heard that the people in Stoneybrook Hills pay a 25% surcharge for water from Mount Dora so I believe they have revenue sources to make the repair. Councilmember Crissy Stile described the odor and said to the effect that people should be able to enjoy their yards. 

Two members of the Smelly Group were there and a resident of Sullivan Ranch attended and made public comments. 

There will be more to come on the odor, regardless of its source, no worries. 

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