The Greater Lakes/Sawgrass Bay Community Development District (“District”) is an independent local unit of, special-purpose government, created pursuant to and existing under the provisions of Chapter 190, Florida Statutes, and established by Ordinance 2005-23, adopted of the Board of County Commissioners of Lake County, Florida which became effective on July 19th, 2005.
The District currently encompasses approximately seven hundred seventy-five (775.104) acres of land located entirely within Lake County, Florida. As a local unit of special-purpose government, the District provides an alternative means for planning, financing, constructing, operating and maintaining various public improvements and community facilities within its jurisdiction.
A District provides the “solution” to Florida’s need to provide valuable community infrastructure generated by growth, ultimately without overburdening other governments and their taxpaying residents. Community Development Districts represent a major advancement in Florida’s effort to manage its growth effectively and efficiently. This allows a community to establish higher construction standards, meanwhile providing a long-term solution to the operation and maintenance of the community’s facilities.
CDD Organization
The Greater Lakes/Sawgrass Bay Community Development District (the “District”) is organized similar to other local governments in Florida, in that the legislative body is composed of a five-member board known as the Board of Supervisors. The Board establishes the policy of the District in accordance with Florida law. The Board, by law, must hire a District Manager and District Counsel. Staff members operate utilizing the same formalities as a County Administrator and County Attorney. The Board, through review of advertised Requests for Qualifications, ranks and selects a District Engineer to perform the engineering needs of the District. The District staff administers the operations of the District and implements the Board’s policies and contracts.
District Administration
The District Manager’s responsibilities include:
- Preparation and submittal of a proposed operations and maintenance budgets for Board review and action
- Preparation of contract specifications for District operations, including community appearance, waterway management, street lighting and facilities maintenance
- File all required forms and documents with state and local agencies
- Attend all Board of Supervisor meetings – implement the policies of the Board
- Additional duties as directed by the Board