EUSTIS, Fla. — Representatives of the Trout Lake Nature Center asked commissioners on April 5 to consider a formal partnership that would expand the center’s access to grants, help promote its programs and explore limited city support such as group health insurance for full‑time staff and minor maintenance assistance.

Kathy Katasooz, board president of Trout Lake Nature Center, and Eileen Traumontan, the center’s executive director, said Trout Lake is a 230‑acre site with roughly 189 acres of dry land and a growing program that draws local and out‑of‑area visitors. Katasooz said a municipal partnership could make the site more competitive for state and federal grants that require or favor a government partner; the board also noted additional partnership benefits such as trail connectivity to downtown and cross‑promotion of events.

Trout Lake requested the city review whether the center could access the City’s group insurance plan to provide benefits for three full‑time staff members; the center said staff currently have no employer‑provided insurance and that benefits would help recruit and retain employees. The center emphasized that capital fundraising for new education facilities and a maintenance building is already underway and that a municipal partnership would not require the city to fund existing building campaigns.

Commissioners responded positively to the idea but asked for more detail on costs and program impacts before committing to specific support. Commissioner concerns focused on fiscal capacity, precedent for other nonprofits, and the city’s current budget priorities (public safety, parks, downtown infrastructure). Several commissioners suggested a field visit and comparative review of the Town of Oakland’s preserved‑site partnership (Oakland Nature Preserve) as a model; staff agreed to arrange additional information and potential site visits and to return with options for a formal memorandum of understanding or other partnership mechanism.