MINUTES OF MEETING RANCHES AT LAKE MCLEOD
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
The regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the Ranches at Lake McLeod Community Development District was held on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 10:01 a.m. at the Lake Alfred Public Library, 245 N Seminole Ave., Lake Alfred, Florida.
Present and constituting a quorum were:

Adam Morgan	Chairman
Rob Bonin	Vice Chairman
Brent Kewley	Assistant Secretary
Kayla Word	Assistant Secretary

Also present were:

Tricia Adams	District Manager
Mark Watts by Zoom	District Counsel
Rick Welch by Zoom	District Engineer
Allen Bailey	Field Services Manager
Will Morgan	Lennar Project Manager

The following is a summary of the discussions and actions taken at the July 8, 2025 Ranches at Lake McLeod Community Development District’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS	Roll Call
Ms. Adams called the meeting to order and called the roll at 10:01 a.m. Four Board members were in attendance constituting a quorum.

SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS	Public Comment Period
Ms. Adams opened the public comment period.
Resident (Ms. Lawton) had already sent in a written statement but came in person to read it out loud. She reported living at 1241 Deepwater Circle and witnessed two men from the Madera neighborhood crawl through a hole in the fence behind one of the homes, where they dumped fish

into the deepwater ponds. She yelled at them, telling them it wasn’t a public pond, and they shouldn’t be dumping anything, but they just shrugged and walked off. She mentioned that this wasn’t the first time people had come through the broken fence.

THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS	Approval of Minutes of the June 10, 2025
Board of Supervisors Meeting
Ms. Adams presented the minutes from the June 10, 2025, Board of Supervisors meeting. She noted that the District Management team reviewed the meeting minutes. Ms. Adams asked for Board corrections. The Board had no changes to the minutes.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Ms. Word, with all in favor, the Minutes of the June 10, 2025, Board of Supervisors Meeting were approved.

FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Public Hearings
Public Hearing on the Adoption of the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Budget
Ms. Adams stated that the Board would be holding two public hearings, one to adopt the Fiscal Year 2026 budget and another to consider the imposition of assessments. They also discussed certifying the tax roll for the upcoming year.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Kewley, with all in favor, Opening the Public Hearings, was approved.

Ms. Adams stated that they were required to take public comments on Resolution 2025-05, which adopted the FY2026 budget, approved spending, and allowed for future budget changes if needed. Resolution 2025-06 imposed special assessments based on the approved budget and certified the tax roll so the operations and maintenance fees and debt service could be collected.
Ms. Adams noted the proposed budget had already been reviewed and approved earlier, and nothing significant had changed since then. Ms. Adams stated that the total assessments for FY2026 were $737,200. She added that the budget runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Ms. Adams noted that the administrative costs totaled about $141,000 with costs increasing due to an additional bond issued in 2025. Field expenses – which cover maintaining ponds, lights, and landscaping and other District property maintenance – were just over $545,000,

slightly higher to account for new property expected to be turned over to the District. They also budgeted $50,000 for the Capital Reserve Fund, which is set aside for infrastructure replacement in the future, such as roads or stormwater systems. The per unit assessment was set at $681.41 gross, which ends up being $633.71 after accounting for early payment discounts and county fees. Ms. Adams noted that the rest of the budget included line-by-line breakdowns and amortization schedules for the 2023 and 2025 bonds. The Board doesn’t have control over those debt payments; they’re just authorizing their collection. Ms. Adams asked for public comment.
Resident (Mr. Burlett) asked about the proposed increase in the budget, and it was confirmed that the maintenance cost went up by $46 per unit. They also mentioned that while the maintenance fee is the same for everyone, the debt service fee depends on the lot size and assessment area. Ms. Adams told Mr. Burlett that she would be happy to get him the exact amount for his parcel ID if he could provide that information to her outside of the meeting.
Resident (Ms. Lawton) asked what the actual increase in maintenance costs was. Ms. Adams explained that the field expenses included ponds, common areas, roads, and streetlights. Ms. Adams stated that they had gone up from about $457,700 to $545,959, which is an increase of roughly $88,000. The increase was due to the District maintaining additional property.
Resident asked if costs would keep going up as more houses were built. It was clarified that the budget can change annually, depending on the Board's decisions.
Resident (Ms. Hasselman on Zoom) asked why certain items showed up on both the CDD and HOA budgets. Ms. Adams explained that the CDD only paid for maintaining property it owned, such as roads, stormwater systems, and some open spaces. She added that the HOA handled maintenance for its property, such as the private amenities. Ms. Adams noted that in this particular CDD, things were a bit more complicated because both the CDD and HOA had different roles, with the CDD focused more on infrastructure and the HOA on the lifestyle side. Ms. Hasselman asked if anything had been done to re-evaluate the safety of Bomber Road, especially now that there's a retail space, and it is a 50-mph zone, with no safe pedestrian crossing. She wanted to know if a traffic study could be requested. Ms. Adams said they had contacted the County, which confirmed that the current road conditions were previously permitted and that there were no plans to improve the right of way in the next five to ten years. Any improvements, like a crosswalk or signal, would only be funded if the County decided to upgrade the road. Ms. Adams noted that it's a County-owned road and not under District control, the District can’t initiate changes on

Bomber Road. Mr. Morgan added that residents have more influence and encouraged community members to petition the County directly, as they are taxpayers and voters. Ms. Hasselman thanked them for the clarification and direction. Ms. Adams asked for a motion to close the public hearings.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Ms. Word, with all in favor, Closing the Public Hearings, was approved.

Consideration of Resolution 2025-05 Adopting the District’s Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Budget and Appropriating Funds
Ms. Adams stated that she had already addressed what the approval of Resolution 2025-05 would do, which included adopting the FY2026 budget that had just been reviewed.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Kewley, with all in favor, Resolution 2025-05 Adopting the District’s Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Budget and Appropriating Funds, was approved.

Public Hearing on the Imposition of Operations and Maintenance Special Assessments
Consideration of Resolution 2025-06 Imposing Special Assessments and Certifying an Assessment Roll
Ms. Adams stated that the Polk County annual property tax bill on page 34 included the agenda packet with the attached resolution that authorized the collection of the CDD debt service fees and the imposition and collection of maintenance fees. She added that there would be a copy of the budget that had just been approved and a copy of the tax roll that showed all the parcel ID’s and the amounts of the CDD maintenance and debt service fees.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Kewley, with all in favor, Resolution 2025-06 Imposing Special Assessments and Certifying an Assessment Roll, was approved.

FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Discussion Regarding Recreational Use
Policies
Ms. Adams stated that she had reviewed a draft of the proposed recreational use policy on page 65. She added that some of the residents had been seen approaching stormwater ponds at Ranches at Lake McLeod, possibly unaware that these were not intended for recreational use. She said that the ponds had steep embankments and contained untreated stormwater runoff, making them unsafe and unsuitable for activities like swimming, boating, or fishing. Ms. Adams stated that she had recommended that the ponds be officially designated as utility infrastructure, with no recreational use allowed. Although fishing was not explicitly banned in the draft, staff asked for feedback on whether any ponds should be designated for fishing. The Board was cautioned that stocking sport fish could interfere with biological pest control efforts that use species like Gambusia fish and grass shrimp. The Board members generally supported the idea of treating the ponds strictly as stormwater systems. One member asked how the policy would be communicated to residents, and Ms. Adams stated that they would partner with the HOA to distribute messaging. There was some discussion about how many fish, if any, were currently in the ponds and whether stocking had occurred. Board member noted that the draft policy's language already implied fishing wasn’t allowed. There was consensus to add specific language prohibiting the stocking of ponds with fish. The Board also briefly reviewed playground policies, noting that the District currently owns one playground and may own more amenities in the future. Suggested policies included keeping the playground open from dawn to dusk and requiring children to be supervised. Mr. Morgan was concerned about repeated damage to recently planted trees near the playground.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Ms. Word, with all in favor, the Recreational Use Policies, was approved.

SIXTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Consideration	of	Resolution	2025-07
Designation of a Regular Monthly Meeting Date, Time, and Location for Fiscal Year 2025/2026
Ms. Adams stated that she would propose to approve the schedule with one revision, moving the November 11th meeting, which falls on Veteran’s Day when the meeting location is closed, to the first Tuesday of the month, at the same time. Ms. Adams asked for a motion to approve.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Kewley, with all in favor, Resolution 2025-07 Designation of a Regular Monthly Meeting, Date, Time, and Location for Fiscal Year 2025/2026 was approved.

SEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Consideration	of	Resolution	2025-08
Designating a Date, Time, and Location for a Landowners’ Meeting and Election (Suggested Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 – Regular Meeting Date) (Seat #1, Seat #2 & Seat #3)
Ms. Adams stated this meeting was supposed to be on Tuesday, November 11th but the library would be closed because that would be Veterans Day. She said they were proposing to move the meeting to one week earlier, at the same time as the regular meeting. Ms. Adams asked for a motion to approve.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Kewley, with all in favor, Resolution 2025-08 Designating a Date, Time, and Location for a Landowners’ Meeting and Election, was approved.

EIGHTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Goals & Objectives
Adoption of Fiscal Year 2026 Goals & Objectives
Ms. Adams stated that the Board had reviewed a new statutory compliance requirement from a 2024 Florida law that says CDDs have to adopt annual goals and objectives. She said they had already identified the required areas for compliance, shown on page 79 of the agenda. Ms. Adams recommended approval of the Fiscal Year 2026 goals and objectives.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Kewley, with all in favor, the Adoption of Fiscal Year 2026 Goals & Objectives, was approved.

Presentation of Fiscal Year 2025 Goals & Objectives and Authorizing Chair to Execute
Ms. Adams stated that this was presented so that they could ask the Board to authorize the Chair to execute the final form of the report. She added that they were required to provide a report at the end of the fiscal year and it must be posted on the District’s website by December 1.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Kewley, with all in favor, the Fiscal Year 2025 Goals & Objectives and Authorizing Chair to Execute, was approved.

NINTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Presentation of Fiscal Year 2024 Audit
Report
Ms. Adams stated that the following item on page 87 was the presentation of the Fiscal Year 2024 audit report. She added that as a Florida Special District, the District is required to undergo an annual independent audit of its financial records. The independent auditor completed the audit, and the report was submitted to the State of Florida Auditor General. She noted that starting on page 112, the letter to the Board of Supervisors was included, followed by the full report on page 115. Ms. Adams stated that the audit found that all financial records complied with the Auditor General’s standards. There were no findings, no prior year findings, no recommendations, and no conditions indicating a financial emergency—resulting in a clean audit.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Kewley, with all in favor, Accepting the Fiscal Year 2024 Audit Report was approved.

TENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Staff Reports
Attorney
Mr. Watts stated that there wasn’t a lot to report. He added that, based on the last meeting discussion, they were monitoring the docket. He said that he was aware that the easement issue was being worked out.

Engineer
Mr. Welch stated that there was nothing new within the last month. He noted that they were expecting some activity on the sidewalk ADA ramps and work on the Water Management District transfer and permitting for the coming period.

Field Manager’s Report
Consideration of Landscape Maintenance Addendum to Add South Ranch Area from Frank Polly Sod & Landscape (tabled from June 10, 2025 Board of Supervisors Meeting)
Mr. Bailey stated that the center islands looked good, thanks to the rain, and the vegetation was growing healthy. Two dry ponds in the north had been disced but didn’t have any seed or plants yet. The wet ponds were still filling up, and the triangle pond in the east had been cleaned out—algae and reeds were removed by the aquatic vendor. Pond D1 near the amenity had some erosion on the west side by the mitered end but was otherwise ready to be turned over. Mr. Bailey brought up a proposal from Frank Polly to take over landscaping for the whole southern section, including areas not currently covered. The monthly cost would be $10,500 and a map showed the additional areas, which were now all grouped under “south” instead of being split into central, south, and west. They confirmed Frank Polly was scheduled to mow that weekend. Mowing would happen weekly from March to October and every other week from November to February, with pond areas mowed every other week year-round. The Board asked how many crew members would be working and how often they’d be on site. The Board agreed to move forward with the proposal but wanted those crew details confirmed first. The Board discussed the landscape maintenance plan from Frank Polly listed on page 126. There was some confusion about what “once a week” mowing meant—whether it referred to mowing on one specific day or just the frequency. It was clarified that each area would be mowed once per week, though the contractor might spread the work over multiple days. It was noted that the contractor was currently overwhelmed, and the Board wanted to ensure he had adequate staff. They agreed to approve the plan pending Vice Chair sign-off.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Ms. Word, with all in favor, the Landscape Maintenance Addendum to Add South Ranch Area from Frank Polly Sod & Landscape Subject to Final Approval by Vice Chair, was approved.

Consideration of Adding Frank Polly Landscape Service Agreement if Needed for More Frequent Mowing of Bomber Road
Mr. Bailey stated that there was a discussion about the overgrown condition of the Bomber Road right-of-way, which had been brought up during a conversation with Frank Polly. It was

noted that the County hadn’t been maintaining it well, and it was becoming too wild. Frank Polly had previously gone out to mow it, and Lennar handled some of the mowing last time. The idea was raised to have Frank Polly maintain the area regularly for better curb appeal, even though it wasn’t included in the original contract. Frank offered to maintain the Bomber Road frontage for
$500 a month. This would be added to his regular mowing schedule. The Board agreed that the price was reasonable, especially if it helped prevent the area from becoming overgrown and requiring bush hogging. It was clarified that this would follow the same mowing frequency as the rest of the contract—weekly in the summer and every other week in the winter. Allen Bailey stated they would contact Polk County to ask about their maintenance schedule for the right-of-way and confirm whether any County resources were being allocated to it. Depending on the County’s response, the Board would decide if they needed to supplement it. It was agreed that Frank Polly should submit an addendum to his contract for the additional $500/month work so it could be reviewed and approved at the same time as the staffing review. Frank was expected to provide that addendum the next day.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Bonin, with all in favor, Adding Frank Polly Landscape Service Agreement if Needed for More Frequent Mowing of Bomber Road, was approved.

Consideration of Addendum to Pond Maintenance Contract from Aquatic Weed Management
Mr. Bailey presented the final proposal to add to the contract at $150 a month.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Ms. Word, with all in favor, the Addendum to Pond Maintenance Contract from Aquatic Weed Management, was approved.

District Manager’s Report
Approval of Check Register
Ms. Adams presented the check register from May 30, 2025, through June 23, 2025, totaling $25,668.07. Immediately following the check register is a detailed run summary.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Kewley, with all in favor, the Check Register, was approved.

Balance Sheet and Income Statement
Ms. Adams presented the unaudited financials through the end of May.

Project Development Update
Status of Property Conveyance
Status of Permit Transfers
Status of Construction Funds & Requisitions
Ms. Adams stated that they always had standing items for property, conveyance, permit transfers, construction, construction funds, requisitions, and any other matters the Board would like to discuss.

ELEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Other Business
There being no comments, and the next item followed.

TWELFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Supervisor’s	Requests	and	Audience
Comments
Resident stated he had owned homes in several states but had never heard of a CDD until moving here. He felt it was confusing and questioned whether the Board, made up of people tied to the developer, was genuinely looking out for residents. He also noted that the budget lacked clarity on aspects such as the new landscaping and pond maintenance costs, which had just been approved.
Several people spoke up about trespassing and fishing at Deepwater Pond. They said people were coming through broken fences, especially on weekends, and that it was becoming a security issue. One homeowner said she didn’t want to yell at strangers from her back door anymore and wanted to know who to call other than the sheriff. Mr. Morgan said he had signs made by the sheriff’s office that would allow deputies to act immediately and offered to bring one over. He also said more signs could be made if needed.
Resident asked about ADA access at the clubhouse and pool—things like push-button doors or a lift. The Board explained that the HOA, not the CDD, owns the amenities, so it’s something to take up with HOA management or the builder. There was also confusion about who owns what between the HOA, CDD, and the county. A homeowner requested that a map be made

available to help residents clearly understand what’s owned by each group. The Board agreed and said they’d work with the District Engineer to get one posted on the website.
Parking enforcement was also brought up. Residents were concerned that the HOA was enforcing rules on roads that the CDD owns. The Board confirmed that the CDD owns the public roads and has the authority to adopt parking rules, and said they’d follow up on that at a future meeting.
There was pushback on the $6,000 budgeted for maintaining Bomber Road, which is County property. Residents didn’t like the idea of paying extra for something their taxes already covered. The Board said they would reach out to the County first and only spend the money if necessary.
Resident asked about the upcoming election and whether homeowners were eligible to run. It was clarified that any U.S. citizen who is a Florida resident can run for the Board at the next Landowners Election.
There were questions about lake access and retail development, which the Board said were developer issues, not CDD matters.

THIRTEENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Adjournment

Ms. Adams asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.

On MOTION by Mr. Morgan, seconded by Ms.Word, with all in favor, the meeting was adjourned.

Secretary / Assistant Secretary	Chairman / Vice Chairman