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Lake-Sumter MPO Horizon Awards

The purpose of the Lake~Sumter MPO Horizon Awards is to encourage and recognize excellence in planning, partnership and public service. The awards are to recognize efforts during 2009 and the awards coincide with the annual installation of MPO officers on January 27, 2010.

Congratulations to the following:

Horizon Award:  Keep Lake Moving

  • Past Winners:
    •  2008 - Lake County Public Works - Transportation Concurrency Management System
    • 2009 - Lake County Public Works - Road Project, Completion of Hammock Ridge Road
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • Lake County Growth Management, Lake County Public Works, and Lake County Attorney's Office for Rewrite of Chapter 5 (Concurrency Ordinance) as a partnership among departments and with the MPO
    • Lake County Public Works for effective administration of Stimulus Contracts and for executing a public-private partnership with The Villages for construction of CR 466
  • Winner:
    • Lake County Public Transportation (Director Ken Harley & Fixed Route Coordinator David Hope, (excepting award) for Enhancing the LakeXpress through the establishment of Route 4 (serving Altoona- Umatilla- Eustis-Mount Dora-Zellwood) and for the partnerships with LYNX including the Route 4 connection to LYNX, Link 55 Four Corners service and the highly successful Link 204 Clermont Express Service to Orlando.

Horizon Award:  Keep Sumter Moving

  • Past Winners:
    • 2008 - Sumter County Planning - Interlocal Agreements with MPO for DRI Review of Transportation Impacts
    • 2009 - Sumter County Transit - Innovative Rural Transit Provider
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • Sumter County Public Works for advancement of Lake Panasoffkee Pedestrian Project
    • Sumter County Public Works for effective administration of Stimulus Funds
  • Winner:
    • Sumter County Administration (County Administrator Bradley Arnold) for Public - Private Partnership between Sumter County and The Villages resulting in an executed agreement for the construction of a four-lane US 301 in Wildwood

Horizon Award:  Small Municipality

  • Past Winners:
    • 2008 - City of Wildwood - Visioning Workshops and Report
    • 2009 - City of Fruitland Park – City Commission participation in regional planning efforts
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • City of Mascotte for partnering with Lake County Public Works on the CR 33 study
    • Town of Howey-in-the-Hills for planning efforts toward a three-lane SR 19 concept
    • Town of Astatula for partnering with Lake County Public Works on the CR 561 PD&E Study
  • Winner:
    • City of Bushnell (Vice Mayor Warren Maddox) for (1) advancement of the Downtown Multimodal Project and for (2) enhanced involvement in the Lake~Sumter MPO

Horizon Award:  Large Municipality     

  • Past Winners:
    • 2008 - City of Tavares – Downtown Master Plan and Multi-Modal Project in Wooton Park
    • 2009 - City of Mount Dora – Traffic Impact Study Methodology
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • Town of Lady Lake for efforts in adopting an ordinance addressing Eminent Domain
    • City of Eustis for initiative in developing an Energy Efficiency & Conservation Strategy
      and their leadership in establishing an Electric Vehicle Charging Station in downtown
    • City of Tavares for being the first city to develop mobility policies in their Comprehensive plan to support their new Transportation Concurrency Exception Area
  • Winner:
    • City of Leesburg (Commissioner Sanna Henderson and City Manager Jay Evans) for (1) Coordinating with FDOT to relocate utilities for the US 441 construction project to improve the intersection with US 27 and (2) for the advancement of trail projects including Canal Street, the Gardenia Trail to Fruitland Park and the forthcoming Leesburg-Wildwood Trail

Horizon Award:  Volunteer of the Year

  • Past Winners:
    • 2008 - Steve Ferrell - Citizens’ Advisory Committee Member
    • 2009 - Mary Link Bennett - Lake County Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board
    • 2009 - Suzy Gibson - Citizens’ Advisory Committee Member
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • George Popovich, Florida Dept. of Elder Affairs, for serving on both the Lake County Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board and the Sumer County TDCB since 1998 (before the 2004 creation of the MPO)
    • Rich Dunkel, BPAC member, for his highly-motivated and enthusiastic involvement in bicycle and pedestrian issues
  • Winner:
    • Scot Hartle, Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee member, for his consistent and active involvement in the BPAC since 2002 (when it was a Lake County committee)

Horizon Award:  Regional Partner

  • Past Winners:
    • 2008 - METROPLAN ORLANDO
    • 2009 - Florida Department of Transportation District 5
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • East Central Florida Regional Planning Council for their support in regional planning and community visioning efforts
    • Florida Turnpike Enterprise for their planning coordination on the pending Minneola
      and Wildwood interchanges
  • Winner:
    • Florida Central Railroad for partnering on the pursuit of funding for freight rail infrastructure improvements and for supporting the planning of the potential passenger rail project, the Orange Blossom Express

Horizon Award:  Leadership Award

  • Past Winners:
    • 2008 - James Yatsuk, Mount Dora City Council, BPAC Chairman and MPO Member
    • 2009 - Michael Francis, SC Commissioner & Lake~Sumter MPO Chairman-Elect
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • Councilmember Ray Goodgame – officer 2006-2010 (Past Chairman) – advocacy for safety and support of regional projects
    • Former Mayor David Yeager – officer 2005-2008, including chairman in 2007 – advocacy of transit and support of regional projects
    • Commissioner Jennifer Hill – officer 2008-2010 (Chairwoman-Elect) – support of transportation infrastructure and funding
  • Winner:
    • Lake County Commissioner Elaine Renick