Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Um there are multiple opportunities to engage uh during the commission meeting, whether it be by being present as many of you are here, uh via the phone, Zoom.
Uh there's opportunities to engage on a litany of different topics, and we look forward to your guidance uh throughout the meeting. Uh I also like to welcome uh the chairwoman for the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Mari Tere Rojas, who's here with us, who we're honored and blessed to have her representing the city beautiful.
Uh thank you for your leadership and your commitment. You go above and beyond, and we're blessed to have you serving us. Thank you. And if you haven't had a chance uh to meet uh with the chairwoman, uh she meets here in the city on a daily basis uh with constituents and with parents. Uh please
reach out to her. She's incredibly available and always interested in hearing your ideas and how we can continue to collaborate between the city and the school board. Thank you for being here. I like to, like I said before, wel- welcome everyone here. It's a good morning. It's a blessed morning here in
the city beautiful. And to start us off this morning, we have our senior pastor, Bill White, from Christ Journey Church. Good morning, and welcome to the city beautiful. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um Mr. Mayor, esteemed commissioners and
community leaders, what a privilege to be with you today. Uh for just a 60-second history moment, if I could, celebrating our city together. 100 years ago, Mr. Merrick was inviting us to be one of
the first five churches in the city beautiful. He sold us our first plot of land for $1, and then gave us the funds on which to build a temporary tabernacle structure right across the street from the
cardboard college of UM. Then after the devastating hurricane of '26 blew it down, he let us meet in the dining room of the Biltmore Hotel, and then in the country club of Coral Gables, and then
by the canal on the UM campus. Then we purchased another piece of his property on Ponce de Leon and built an office building to meet in, a building that we would later sell the proceeds for, and then buy the place on Segovia and Riviera,
where we've met from 1949 until now. Now if you're wondering, why am I telling you that? I believe it's because I think Mr. Merrick really wanted us to succeed in a time that was challenging. So from 78 members,
we have now grown to over 5,000, and through the decades have been honored to serve the people of Coral Gables and our entire county. We learn from the Bible, Jeremiah 29, that God wants his people
to seek the peace and the prosperity of the city to which he has carried us, and then to pray for the to the Lord for the city, because when it prospers, we will, too. And I'm thinking, who knows, maybe
that's why Mr. Merrick, a pastor's son himself, wanted churches in his city so we could succeed together. Whatever the case, we have been so pleased to be doing that for 10 decades now. And it is my honor and pleasure
to invite God's blessing here today. Could we bow? Gracious almighty God, we pray your peace and prosperity for this city. We thank you for the mystery and privilege of life,
of sharing it with each other. We thank you for Coral Gables and that from the beginning our lives have been woven together. We pray your blessing, your favor, your protection, your care for all of those who call Coral Gables
home. All the children in our schools, the patients in our hospitals, the businesses, all the businesses and every profession that serve, that we might share community together in this place. We remember our first responders and
those who whose call to serve places them in harm's way. We pray for those serving here to build a brighter day for us all. And we pray for peace in our world
that we might prosper together under your gracious hand. Bless us all that we might all be a blessing to others. We ask in your name. Amen. Amen. Reverend, we would like to extend our best wishes to you and to your
congregation. It is truly an honor, like you said, 10 decades. Looking forward to the next 10. It's an honor to have you here and we will be celebrating your incredible incredible church. I think it's on item A5 and looking forward to that. Thank you. Now, a personal point of
privilege, Commissioner Latta, Uh, please take it away. Thank you, Mayor. Good morning. So, today we have the uh rare privilege and honor to have an esteemed resident of the City of Coral Gables joining us
here today, uh Dr. Hal Silverman. And he will be leading us today in the Pledge of Allegiance. But, before we ask Dr. Silverman to come up and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, allow me just to give you a little bit of back a little bit of background on this extraordinary man.
As we continue this tradition at our commission meetings, the Pledge of Allegiance, it is especially meaningful this morning to recognize a member of what Tom Brokaw famously called the greatest generation. Americans whose courage, sacrifice, and sense of duty helped preserve freedom
around the world and shape the nation we know today. Today, we are deeply honored to welcome Dr. Hal Silverman, a World War II veteran, long-term Coral Gables resident, and someone who was truly part of the fabric of our city.
Remarkably, Dr. Silverman recently celebrated his 101st birthday. >> [applause] >> The very same age as the City of Coral Gables itself. Both were born in 1925, and both continue to represent
resilience, strength, and enduring spirit. Dr. Silverman, before we continue, would you mind coming to the podium? So, everyone can see you. We can all celebrate you. Uh, you'll have to excuse me, but I have impaired hearing.
So, would you like me to pledge allegiance? Not yet. I'm almost done celebrating all the things that you've done. In a couple of seconds, we'll ask you to read it. But, I will I'll raise my voice cuz So want you, above all else, to hear what I have to say. I hear
you now. Very good. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Dr. Silverman served in the United States Army during World War II and was assigned to the Pacific Theater where he served in the Philippines and later occupied Japan following the war.
During his service, he worked as a medical technician helping care for wounded soldiers returning from combat. He has said that serving his country during that defining moment in history was one of the greatest honors in his life.
As Memorial Day approaches, we are reminded of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the members of Dr. Silverman's generation. Men and women who answered the call to defend freedom during one of the most consequential moments in world history. Their courage and selflessness secured
liberties that we continue to cherish today. Even at 101 years old, Dr. Silverman continues to lead a life of service and community involvement here in Coral Gables inspiring all of us with his patriotism, humility, and extraordinary life story. We found his
story so compelling that our communications team recently produced a short video featuring and highlighting your remarkable life, sir, your military service, and enduring connection to Coral Gables. So before we get to that video, we wanted to thank you on behalf
of the city of Coral Gables, on behalf of our fellow my fellow commissioners, thank you for your service to our nation, your example to future generations, and for being here with us today. It is truly our privilege, mine in particular,
to invite you to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, if you would, sir. I thank you for inviting me. >> [snorts] >> It's a pleasure to be here. And now I pledge allegiance to the flag to the flag of
>> of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.
Thank you. >> [applause] [applause] >> So, I would ask Cable TV if they would please uh run the video and then afterwards we'll do a presentation of a proclamation, sir. My name is Dr. Hal Silverman.
I was born in [music] 1925 in Brooklyn, New New York, which makes me uh over 101. I've been living a good part of my life [music] in the Gabels. Uh my office as a physician
uh was in the Gabels for about 60 years. When I first came down, [music] I came down by train. And I looked out and there was the beautiful blue sky. There were no high-rises then. [music]
And you realized what America accomplished, what a unique man [music] he was. And I always reflect on the beauty of this city. There aren't many cities that that are equivalent. And when I was 18, at that particular
[music] time in the history of America, I elected to join the Navy cuz my father had been a lifeguard at Coney Island. >> [music] >> And he had my brothers and I uh introduced to swimming >> [music] >> and exposure to water at a very young
age. So, I was sent to Midshipman School. >> [music] >> And then, when I completed Midshipman School, I then was assigned to the Arkansas. I remember survivor. I remember we were
at Iwo Jima and [music] the kamikaze planes were coming and hitting ships left and right. At that time, I had my first conversation with God. >> [music] >> I said, "God, you get me out of here alive, I'll never complain again."
That's always stuck in my mind cuz I never complain. I've had experiences [music] people complain about this, they complain about that, they complain about their food. I'm just happy I'm alive. I'm happy that [music] I've been able to do the things I do.
Well, I feel I did a a lot for the my my country and I feel good about it and I always reflect on what [music] uh Kennedy said. When he said, "Think not of what the
government can do for you, but think of what you could do for the government." And that was our attitude in those days. >> [applause] [applause] [applause] >> Mr. Mayor, if I may take it a little bit out of order and we're going to take
care of making sure we we recognize you. I I owe you a corrected proclamation, sir, because I have you listed as Army veteran. But obviously you're a Navy veteran. So, I don't want to offend anybody who is in any one of our esteemed branches,
you know, but although we made reference to Army, we'll correct it and we'll make sure that we recognize that you were in the Pacific Theater uh serving in the United States Naval Forces. So, with no further ado, whereas Dr. Hal Silverman is a proud member of what has be become known as the greatest
generation, whose courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to freedom helped preserve democracy during one of the most defining periods in world history. And whereas Dr. Silverman recently celebrated his 101st birthday, sharing the same birth year as the City
of Coral Gables itself, with both having been founded in 1925, and continuing to embody resilience, strength, and enduring spirit. And whereas during World War II, Dr. Silverman honorably served in the United States Navy as a medical technician assigned to the Pacific Theater, where
he served in the Philippines and later participated in the occupation of Japan following the war, caring caring for wounded soldiers returning from combat. And whereas Dr. Silverman has reflected that serving his country during World War II was among the greatest honors of his life, exemplifying the patriotism,
selflessness, and dedication demonstrated by the men and women of his generation. And whereas at 101 years old, Dr. Silverman continues to lead a life of service and community involvement in Coral Gables, inspiring residents of all ages through his humility,
patriotism, and commitment to preserving the memory and the lessons of those he served. And whereas as the nation uh prepares to observe Memorial Day and continues commemorating the semiquincentennial of the United States, that's 250 years,
Dr. Silverman's life stands as a powerful reminder of the sacrifice made by generations of Americans who defended the freedoms and democratic ideals we cherish today. Now, therefore, I, Vince Lago, as Mayor of the City of Coral Gables, on behalf of the City Commission, do hereby proclaim May 20,
2026 as Dr. Hal Silverman Day in Coral Gables. >> [applause] [applause] >> So, doctor, before we take a photo with you, I know it's a lot of us are looking forward to that. I've had the pleasure of meeting you on multiple occasions, and I'm always I have a hearing
impairment. That's a little louder. Well, I'm going to I'm going to do my best to speak as loud as I can. Thank you. So, I've had the pleasure of meeting you on different occasions, and I've always come away impressed. Uh not only because of your good nature and how kind you are,
uh but of your service to our great country. And as a physician, uh I have a lot of respect for you. Uh my father and my grandfather are are were both physicians. My father's still a physician. And your story about serving 60 years reminds me a lot of my grandfather, especially when I saw you with that
double-breasted suit, reminded reminded uh reminded me of my grandfather a lot. There's been a few occasions when you're the mayor that you have the opportunity to grant the highest honor to a resident, a business owner, an
employee. And I think I've done it probably around 12 times. I'm memorializing them on my website. And I thought about as I talked to Commissioner Latta about what can we do to honor someone who has given everything to this great
country. And as a son of immigrants, first-generation American, we can never pay we can never repay the debt, your commitment, not only as a physician, but also as a veteran. Serving in World War II, the greatest generation,
paved for our freedoms. You truly were a magical generation. You thought of others before yourself. And for that, we're eternally grateful. So, it's our honor on behalf of the commission to grant you the key to the city.
It's a small gesture and it falls way short of what I think you deserve. But at the end of the day I hope you accept this on behalf of the city of Coral Gables. We appreciate you and we're eternally grateful. We'll bring this forward to you. I THANK YOU. >> [applause]
[applause] >> I'M GOING TO GET YOU GET YOU UP ONE MORE TIME. You're very you're very agile. Join us. Come >> to come up? I do. I'm going to take advantage of this. Hold on one minute. >> [applause] >> As long as I have an audience like this, I
>> [laughter] >> I become a a talker lately. I and that I talk to students as well as adults. And what I endeavor to impart to them
is what a wonderful country we live in. And it's so important [snorts] that we do what we can to maintain the type of country we have. We >> [clears throat] >> we have to be
aware that there are forces who want to change [snorts] take away our Constitution and other freedoms. And it's important we do everything we can to protect our Constitution.
I'm not implying that we shouldn't alter it as needed as time goes on, but it's a our responsibility to take good care of it and make sure it remains as it is.
I thank you. >> [applause] >> If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. >> [laughter] >> That's it. I'm a talker. Oh, wow. I can still mention we have one more bit
of business. Have a seat. Stick around with one more thing I have to say about you. One more thing. One more time over here. >> yeah, just have a seat. >> Mr. Clerk, moving on just quickly to item F1. Commissioner Latta. Move it. May uh Commissioner, may I may I read it
into the record? >> So, F1 is a resolution of the City Commission recognizing Dr. Hal Silverman as an honoree during the inaugural City of Coral Gables Veterans Day event to be held in November 2026. So, if I may Mr. Mayor. Yes. So, we are honored and
privileged here in the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country to celebrate for the first time Veterans Day as an official celebrated date recognized in the City of Coral Gables. I know it's surprising for some folks, but this is the first year that we're going to be celebrating Veterans
Day officially at the City of Coral Gables. And I'm very I was very proud to have been the sponsor of that item and that we had the unanimous support of my colleagues on the commission. So, with this resolution that we have just moved and we're about to take a vote, uh Dr.
Silverman, we are uh hoping that you accept the honor of being our official honoree. Our official honoree in the inaugural celebration of the city of Coral Gables Veterans Day event, which will be held this November 2026.
I I hope I can count on you to be wearing the red, white, and blue on that day. Perfect. All right, so uh may I have a motion? May I have a motion? Second. You moved it. Yeah, I moved it. We just need a second. Do you have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. Okay.
All in favor? I. Thank you. Perfect. Thank you very much. Uh moving on now to America semi-quincentennial moment. Uh we have with us Coral Gables Senior High student Eli Levin.
She'll be reading an essay on volunteerism in America as part of our semi-quincentennial moment. And following Dr. Hal Silverman's inspiring example of a life of service, we are proud to recognize a Coral Gables
Senior High School student whose essay thoughtfully connects volunteerism with the democratic values guided our nation for nearly 250 years. The strength of our democracy and the future of this nation rests with the next generation.
That is why as part of America 250 celebration, the city launched an essay contest at Ponce de Leon Middle School and Coral Gables Senior High, inviting students to reflect on our nation's history, their community, and their role as future citizens and leaders.
Today, we are proud to feature the winning essay by Coral Gables Senior High student Eli Levin titled Volunteerism in America. Eli, good morning. If you You please share with us your incredible essay. Good morning. I'm Ellie Levin, a ninth grader at Coral Gables Senior High
School. Thank you for the opportunity to read my Centennial piece today. The practice of volunteering is especially important to the ideals and democratic values of America. Volunteering occurs all around us, whether it's taking place at a local
animal shelter, a correctional service program, or right in your own school. My school, Coral Gables Senior High, is a place in which volunteer work is available around every corner. But first, let's take a look at the core values at the center of community service.
To begin, responsibility is a key part of service. When volunteering, you must be responsible for handling a task and executing it properly. This teaches responsibility. In doing service, you become a more reliable person, having experienced management before.
Another factor of volunteer work that makes it a way to give back is that it's for the common good. You are voluntarily giving away your time or even resources to perform a task that is helping a group of people or a cause in some way. It is the opposite of a selfish act, and
you are doing something that affects and assists many individuals. Our democratic values in America involve freedom, liberty, equality, accountability, community, and service or active participation. As America has developed and changed
over time, these ideals have been a firm and steady pillar despite it all. Volunteer work ties into these ideals just as a puzzle piece fits into place. For example, when it comes to active citizenship or participation, volunteering is a perfect and active
role citizens can play in solving local problems. This allows people to be a part of the democratic process. Community service relates in a multiple ways. Another view to look at it is the ideals of community and responsibility. Looking through our past history, coming
together and performing acts of common good bring us together in a form of mutual trust and empowerment. In engaging with our community, we take part in maintaining our nation and having a say in how we are governed, another core American belief.
Going back to Coral Gables Senior High School's part in volunteer work, as I mentioned earlier, service is also one of Coral Gables key principles. Not only must we collect a certain amount of service hours by the end of our years in school, an important incentive to complete service, which
inevitably causes a positive impact in our community, but our clubs and other programs also promote volunteer work. One incredible illustration of this is the Key Club. They are a community-service based club that gives back to the community that has brought us up.
Volunteer efforts today help maintain our democratic principles that unite us as Americans. They bond together the community in a way that breeds responsibility and ultimately leads to a positive impact on whatever issue is being worked on. It promises a strong future for the
nation and Coral Gables by proving Americans of all ages, races, or backgrounds are willing to take part in our future and influence our nation by keeping one of our strongest traditions alive. Thank you. Wow.
>> [applause] >> Thank you, Alida. That was incredibly inspiring. Thank you for being here with us. Your essay reminds us that service is one of the strongest expressions of citizenship through thoughtful reflection on community, responsibility, and civic participation.
Your words honor America's tradition of service while inspiring future generations to help shape a stronger tomorrow. Thank you so much, and we have a small token of appreciation for you that I'd like to give you. A $250 gift card on behalf of the City Beautiful
for winning your essay. You make us incredibly proud. Can I give this to you? >> [applause] >> And the father? That horse? That horse? My kidding. >> So before we take on item A1, which I think is one of the one that many have
been waiting for, I have a personal point of privilege that I'd like to take up at this moment. This past week we lost a great individual who was not only a friend, but was a mentor not only to myself, but also to my father.
He was a Coral Gables resident, a lawyer, and I'll read the resolution of condolences, which has all his accolades and his achievements, which are incredible. We lost a man who always answered the door. A man who when I would knock on his door walking door
to door would not just answer the door, but would bring me in. He would have a 2-3 hour conversation about art, about Cuba, about policy, about the United States, about faith, about God, about our community.
He was an incredible individual who never failed to call me and provide guidance in a subtle, classy, and dignified way. He was first class. His work at the University of Miami
at the Cuban Studies Program was one to be envied. He did it for years and he led the way for many of us immigrants and first generation Americans to really find our way here. He was a champion and an advocate for human rights.
This lawyer this father, this husband this scholar, this man was Pedro Roig. He was part of a generation of Cubans whose love for freedom shaped their life's work and inspired so many.
He never stopped fighting for the ideals that he believed in. I remember when I live with my parents when I was in college or grad school or when I would come back uh I'd walk into my parents' kitchen and I would see him there with my dad
debating politics, you know. You know, how are we going to free Cuba? What are we going to do to find uh the necessary support to bring democracy and human rights, to liberate one political prisoner, to address an issue and it was always inspiring.
I took this opportunity with the help of my colleagues to bring a little bit of respect and understanding to who this man was. He was quiet. He was not one of these very vocal, outspoken individuals even though when you got him started, you got him started.
But he is a person who commanded respect and he was a man that was beloved by this community and his family. So, I'd like to bring up his family so maybe they can say a few words on behalf of this gentleman and also read this resolution of condolence on behalf of the city of Coral Gables.
Please join us. Don't be shy. And by the way, like I've said before on multiple occasions when I've read these resolutions of condolences we're celebrating. We're celebrating his life. We're celebrating his legacy. Good morning. Well, thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Commission.
This is my family. I'm proud to to be a Roig. Um my name is Nikki Whiting. I'm a Coral Gables resident. And one of the beautiful things about being a resident of the Gables is my neighbor was my uncle. Pedro Roig lived right in front of this fountain. And whenever I would go to my parents' house here on Tortuga Era,
um I would take the fountain. I would look at the you know, his third-floor balcony and I would say hi from afar. Um one of the biggest blessings of my life was my tío. He uh raised my mom when my mom's dad was a political prisoner for 20 years and um
really that was a father figure that she never had. Um and I think it's really fitting that as we celebrate the Cuban Independence Day tomorrow, 20 de Mayo, that we honor his legacy. So, I just want to thank you. I don't know if my cousins want to speak. I'm proud of this family. I'm proud to be a part of this
family and I thank you for your uh recognition. It's a privilege. You have a you have a family of very accomplished individuals. Mr. Cooper, it's great to see you as always and your lovely wife and your entire family who's here. Uh would you like to say anything else or would you like for me
Mr. Cooper, you don't have anything to say. Come on. Another resident of the City Beautiful. Yes, good morning, Mayor and members of the Commission. We on behalf of the family I want to thank all of you for this recognition. You know, Pedro Roig, as you briefly said and I'm sure you're going to say a lot more. So, I'm not
going to repeat. I don't want to take the thunder from you, but he was a great man. He till his last breath in his in his heart, in his life, he was very much in tune with justice, with freedom, and with freeing Cuba. I mean, moments before he he he passed,
he was talking about that to all of us because his four children were there with him till the last minute in his home because that's where he wanted to be and they were all surrounding him. As a matter of fact, they were telling him, "Rest, Dad, rest." And he says, "How can I rest with all of you hovering all over me?" They
all So, I on behalf of the Roig family, I want to thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you so much. It's interesting you say that. Dr. Roig was was, like I said before, an an >> [applause] >> was an incredible incredible and
continues to be an incredible man whose legacy will never be forgotten. Um Vente de Mayo is tomorrow. An incredibly important moment, obviously, for us Cuban Americans. But we're at the precipice, you know, we're at a moment in our history that we've been waiting 67 years for.
And one of the conversations that I had with my father on Sunday as we left the funeral home was that so many great Cubans will not be able to see a free Cuba. Um but they were a reason why we got here.
And they were also a reason, like this great man, 101 years old, a World War II veteran, stated. They're also the reason why we protected this great country and our democracy and our constitution. Because not only did he love Cuba, but he was, first and
foremost, an American. He never shied away from saying that. So, if you give me the honor, I'd like to read this resolution of condolence on the record. A resolution of condolence on behalf of the city of Coral Gables extending its heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family of the late Pedro V. Roig. Whereas, the city of Coral Gables
extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Pedro V. Roig, Esquire, a long-time Coral Gables resident whose life reflected reflected a profound commitment to freedom, the rule of law, education, and public service. And whereas, Mr. Roig was an attorney,
historian, educator, author, and advocate for human rights and individual liberties. A graduate of the University of Miami and St. Thomas University School of Law, he devoted his career to the the profession and to preserving the history of Cuba's struggle for freedom.
He was also a veteran of Assault Brigade 2506, the group of Cuban exiles who fought in the Bay of Pigs. And whereas Mr. Roig's distinguished public service included appointment by President H.W. Bush to the National Advisory Board of
Education and by President George W. Bush as director of Office of Cuban Broadcasting, Radio and Television Martí. He was also affiliated with the University of Miami's Institute of Cuban and Cuban American Studies. And whereas the City of Coral Gables also recognizes
Mr. Roig's years of work with Herzfeld, Draifus and Dempsey, a law firm based at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, where he served as counsel and continued contributing his knowledge, judgment, and life experience to the legal community.
And now therefore, be it resolved by the Commission of the City of Coral Gables, Florida, that we extend our heartfelt condolences to the to the family and friends of Pedro Roig, honoring his legacy of service, courage, and devotion to liberty. And we offer our heartfelt sympathy to all who mourn his passing.
Thank you. One of the things that I was thinking about and and it's a shame and I um sometimes in life we fail to recognize people. Not that we don't recognize them as friends and we don't recognize them as uh colleagues, but we fail to truly recognize them. And
I remember, and I'll say it again, the many times that I spent with him in his living room um talking about art and politics. Those were moments that I cherish more and more, especially as my father and mother get older. And you really understand somebody's humanity, you understand your own
humanity, and the fragility of life. I wish I would have given this hint to this in life. And I think it's the first time that I hand out a key to the city to someone who's passed away. But was deserving and incredibly
talented selfless individual. That's the only way I can describe him. So, on behalf of the city of Coral Gables, I'm going to give it out 13 or 14 of these. It's an honor for me to give this to your family on behalf of Dr. Roy. Thank you for this honor.
>> [applause] >> Presentation and protocol documents, item A1 is a presentation and special recognition of the Rookie and Teachers of the Year. Madam Chairwoman, would you give us the honor and the privilege as always? The floor is yours, as always. >> [laughter]
>> Well, good morning, Mr. Mayor, Madam Vice Mayor, our esteemed Commissioners on the board, our City Manager. Thank you for this amazing opportunity that you are giving us today. First and foremost, I want to say that
it is a true honor for me to be able to say, "Not only am I a resident of the City Beautiful, but I represent District 6, which are all the schools in the Coral Gables feeder pattern. And on top of that, I am so privileged
to work with an amazing group of individuals such as yourselves. Teamwork is what makes the dream work. And as educators, we can never do it alone. And I want to thank you all for
opening your doors and putting education at the forefront for each and every one of you because at the end of the day the students that we have today are future leaders of tomorrow. So, I wanted to say thank you and thank you for
allowing me to have my meetings here to make the residents so that they do not have to go to a satellite office far from where they live. With that said, I want to just state that as a former teacher myself for
many, many years I can attest to the fact that being a teacher is truly a calling. Today, I am blessed to be able to honor those rookie teachers of the year that
we have at our schools as well as our teacher of the years together with all of you. And I want you to know that their passion, their compassion, their dedication, their commitment, and their love for the profession that they have
chosen is not only admirable and commendable, but it truly impacts each and every student that they serve. Think for a moment, everyone. Think of a teacher or possibly more than one that affected you
throughout your lives and education. I know that a teacher made a difference in my life to where I am today and I know that that's the same for every single person here. So, thank you for taking the time out of your very busy
commission meeting to recognize these amazing individuals again whose commitment and whose love for the profession that they have chosen, which is, in my opinion, the most noble and the most rewarding
simultaneously. Uh to recognize them here is truly an honor. I also want to, before um recognize having the recognition for them, I want to take a moment to thank all of those amazing principals that we
have here with us. Well, every one of those principals who are the ones that that are at the helm of the schools, they set the tone for others to emulate. Please stand for a moment to rec- to be recognized [applause] because you're here supporting your teachers.
>> [applause] >> Thank you, and Mr. Mayor, uh Vice Madam Vice Mayor, and esteemed commissioners, as well as our city manager. Thank you also for having a group of individuals who serve in our school community and in relations
uh team who have truly put education first and foremost, as well. Would all of the members of that group, please stand to be recognized for a moment because you do make a difference, and it's an honor to work very collaboratively with all of you. >> [applause] >> Thank you.
And now, if you'll permit me, in closing, I like to just uh read a little something about teachers. To my teacher, you are the light that shows the way, guiding young hearts each and every day.
With patient words and caring hands, you help us dream to make our plans. You teach us lessons, big and small, to rise again each time that we fall. You give us courage, hope, and pride
and stand beside us as our guide. As teachers' work may never end, for you're a mentor, guide, and friend. The seeds of knowledge that you sow will stay with us and help us grow.
So, thank you for your endless care, for every moment you were there. No treasure in the world could measure the gift of having you as a teacher.
Thank you. These are the people that are making the difference each and every day, and that is why I can proudly state as I close, Miami-Dade County Public Schools A-rated district for 6 years, graduation rates at 95.4,
never-seen-before, and more choice options for parents than anywhere in the entire country. And a lot of those accolades belong to those in our school sites. Our teachers, our
fabulous teachers, our administrators, and everyone in our workforce together with all of you who don't only just talk the talk, but you walk the walk. Thank you, and God bless each and every one of you, and I'm going to take the opportunity now to call the teachers
that are being recognized. So, from Coral Gables Preparatory Academy, our principal is Jeanette Sierra, and she's here. Would it be okay if she comes up as well, please? We'd like to have all the principals come up. >> Excellent. So, please come up.
Uh Miss Sierra, and your teacher of the year, Miss Adela Rocha Payan, and our rookie teacher of the year, Donald Sledge. >> [applause] >> From Carver, we do have our principal,
Patricia Fairclough, who is with us, Fairclough, and she's together with her lead teacher who is attending today. Please come join us. >> [applause] >> David Fairchild Elementary, our
principal is Lucy Amengual, and her teacher of the year, Nancy Corbello. Please come forward. >> [applause] >> From Sunset Elementary School, we have
Anna Alvarez Adimon, and with her today being recognized is her teacher of the year, and that's Monica Ramirez. >> [applause] >> From Francis Tucker K-8, we have our
principal, Marisol Garrido, and she is here with Lydia Rivera, teacher of the year, and Candice Colbrook, rookie teacher of the year. >> [applause] >> From Henry S. West Lab, we have Dr.
Michelle Sanchez Perez, our principal, and also with her, we have Ms. Alver being recognized as teacher of the year. >> [applause] >> From G. W. Carver Middle, we have our
principal, Iliana Artimé, and with her we have today teacher of the year, Malika Baltimore. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> And from Ponce de Leon Middle School, we
have Angela C. Gonzalez, our principal, and with her, we have the teacher of the year, Marsha Fraser. Please come join us at this time. >> [applause] >> From Coral Gables Senior High School, we
have Mr. Anthony Balboa, our principal, and together with him, we have Rebecca Reynoso, our teacher of the year, and Miss uh Diaz, who is the rookie teacher, as well as from our International Studies
Preparatory Academy, we have our teacher of the year, Miss Echevarria. Congratulations to all, and thank you to Mr. Mayor, Madam Vice Mayor, esteemed commissioners for this
amazing recognition. Thank you. I'm going to do this. All right. Woo! Yes! >> [applause] [clears throat] >> Through the mayor? Just 1 second. So, we have a speaker who's going to be speaking just for in
about 10 seconds. I want to make two points of personal privilege. First and foremost, I want to thank our our community relations, our school and community relations board for all their hard work, their nominations, and obviously our chairwoman. She is the Energizer Bunny.
Maritere Rojas never stops. She's everywhere. She's in the city. She's in the school board. She's always advocating. And you know, I we haven't had a chance to meet her. And she's not running to another meeting. I advise that you make an appointment to meet with her. She's amazing. She's doing a great job, and we're blessed to have her here. Look at
the numbers. The numbers don't lie. 95% is amazing. Uh and and look at all the A schools that we have here. When I started here 13 years ago, we were not in the position we're in today. Why are we in that position? Teachers, principals, Maritere Rojas, and parents,
and the board here uh in the city of Coral Gables. So, I want to thank um the school and community relations board. I also um want to make a point uh that I was having a conversation, and I hope in in the near future, and I'd like to see how we can collaborate, is maybe we in the future and Maritere uh
the chairwoman, excuse me, and I were having a conversation about this was about possibly honoring teachers who are engaged in disability student services in the near future. I think that's important because the work that you do uh and the work that you do to immerse
these children in the public school system who parents, you know, view you as not only just a resource, view you as a lifeline, to be honest with you. So they can go to work and you can take care of their children. One of the things that people forget to mention, and I want to be very clear,
teachers spend more time, potentially, than they you do with your own kids. Eight or nine days, coaches spend more time, sometimes, with your kids. So at the end of day, we can't say thank you enough and this is a simple recognition, you know, and I
understand that. But it's a sign of gratitude on behalf of the city. So I want to thank you and the partnership that we have with the school board, with the teachers, the principals, and the board here in the city of Coral Gables, and especially the parents. God bless all of you. Thank you very much. I'd like to hear from Mr. Sam
Joseph who would like to say a few words. Good morning, Mayor, Vice Mayor, uh commission, and all of those in the chamber. It's a wonderful morning. Thank you for having me. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there with you this morning. I've got
appointments that are backing up on one another, but I did want to call in and say congratulations to all of the teachers and rookie teachers of the year. As everybody has said, these are very,
very special human beings who put others before themselves and who are builders of people. And we don't expect them just to take care of our kids and keep them safe. We expect them to build them into productive
members of society. And they do it with very little fanfare, very little resources, and certainly not enough of the kudos they deserve from all of us. So, I
appreciate the city beautiful taking this on and annually making sure that we recognize the best of the best among us and say to those teachers, we see you, we hear you, and we're here for you so
that you can do your best work for our kids. Thank you for your service and we'll see you guys hopefully next year with bigger and better things. Thanks again, mayor. Thank you, sir. It's always an honor to hear from you. Thank you for your engagement, by the
way. Literacy Fest this weekend was a home run. What this gentleman does on behalf of the community. Again, another individual that if you don't know who he is, get to know him. And he's been building the Literacy Fest and doing a great job and it was a big success, getting bigger and bigger every year. Commissioner
Fernandez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, um as parents, we drop our children off at school and it's 7:30 in the morning, sometimes we go to breakfast, then we go to work. Teachers start working before they even get to school. And they they're not done working when
children leave at 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon. If they stay for after school or clubs, 5:00, 6:00. My parents were both teachers and I often said to my sister, you know, we share our parents with the other kids
because my parents loved their students as much as they loved us. And the passion that teachers give every day in the classroom translates to each and every one of us being here today. Uh
Chairwoman Rojas talked about there were teachers who got us to where we are today and who influenced us. I can name them all because they all had a part in my life and they got me to where I am today, whether it was pushing me to to go further, pushing me to break out of
my shell, or just, you know, giving me the tools that I needed to be successful. And if you have an opportunity this week, just thank a teacher. Call a school, send an email to somebody who touched your life, because I know it goes a long
way. Thank you for all you do. Thank you very much, Mr. Vice Mayor. To to the Mayor, yes. Um, I just wanted to number one point out also to the teachers here, and then thank them for their service. I do think that our city could help a
little more um in providing information to real estate agents and so forth about the wonderful schools that we have. And some of the little known facts. Um, we do have a link on our city website for the public schools. Um,
it is very useful tool, but there are other little known facts about the public schools, such as their magnet programs. Um, there's no listing of the magnet programs currently. So, if you're searching for a school based upon which magnet you want to go to, whether it be
robotics or languages and so forth, uh searching by subject would be helpful. And sharing that information again with the real estate agents who are advertising for us. And then we have magnificent schools that few people know serve as the feeder into
Coral Gables High, an extraordinary school uh Coral Gables High is, but is very difficult to get into. And that little known fact is Ponce Junior High. And I thoroughly enjoyed um
the centennial celebration in which they showcased the programs that they did. It's a magnificent school, and it doesn't get the accolades that it it should, because people remember Ponce Junior from yesterday.
And yesterday was the time my girls went there. And it was not um It's It's close to an A right now. It's very very close. It's like a B plus. I'm sure you're going to get an A. You're going You're going to achieve an A this time, Principal.
And I'm very proud of how much you've lifted up this school. But it's a great school and you won't have to fight to get into Coral Gables High and you'll be able to keep your children close and not have to truck halfway across the county to to get them to a a school. So, thank you for all you
do and we'll see what we can do to help improve the knowledge base that realtors and the residents have regarding our great public schools. Madam Madam Chair, may I like to ask you a quick question. Well, not a question. I'd like to ask you to
do something for me. Will you provide us with data over the last 15 years? Uh we have evolved into almost an A school. Cuz I think we we forget. We have it really really good. You know, like There's a lot of things
that I mentioned here. When I started here, we had 52% funded uh in regards to our pensions. We're almost at 80% now. We only had $15 million in the coffers. We're over $60 million now. You know, these are things that we forget. I want to talk about I want to celebrate the
school board's success. I want people to understand why the school board is a real viable opportunity for people to send their children. I want people to understand the hard work of the principals, the teachers, and especially yourself and the parents. It should be celebrated. We were nowhere
near where we are right now. And when I say we, it's because we're following your lead. Uh so, I don't know if you can, you know, simple memo or something that we can put out there in our newsletter, uh the city's newsletter, talking a little bit about you know, Miami-Dade County Public Schools 15 years in review, 20 years in review, whatever you like to
see. You know, we can show how the improvements where almost at every single school is an A. That wasn't the case. We had B and C schools. Remember? So, uh it's very easy to enjoy the moment now because obviously after all the hard work, all the principals,
the teachers, and the executives like yourself. So, thank you so much. Thank you. Mr. Mayor, please stay. So, I want to echo what uh the other fellow commissioners have said uh today. I want to recognize you, Chairwoman Mayte Rojas. How many How many hours have you and I spent talking about how to bridge
the gap, you know, maybe strengthen the relation between the city government and the jewel that we have, the jewel of the mall, I believe, is Coral Gables Senior High. I have the distinct privilege and honor of being the only Coral Gables Senior High School graduate on this dais. And um you know, I'm I'm a big fan of
these tumblers. I I would like one day to find a Coral Gables Senior High tumbler, hint hint, Anthony Balboa. You know, I don't know if I know I can get one of those. Um but the mayor is quite right that um we've come a very long way. I thought we were in a great place when I went there
40 years ago. We We celebrated our 40th anniversary reunion this year. Um you know, but uh it's very important for the city to recognize how important it is to have such an amazing facility, educational beacon in the middle of our city, which is Coral Gables Senior High School. And you've done so much.
Everybody should check out all the improvements that have occurred at the um at the school. At the risk of uh almost being embarrassingly uh prideful, we we've gotten a lot of dollars from the school district uh directed to Coral Gables Senior High School. Beautiful
brand new football field, gymnasium coming. It's It's really where the residents, as the vice mayor was saying, need to recognize that there is an amazing powerhouse right here and that they need to really recognize the value. And the residents, even if you don't have any kids, need to recognize that we
have a very strong public education system in your city. It causes everybody It's like a rising tide raises all the boats, right? The property values go up, the crime goes down, and the community involvement certainly thrives. So, I want to thank all of the principals and
all of the teachers who were recognized today for their exemplary work, dedication, and sacrifice. And I will name names because I was influenced by two singular exceptional people from Coral Gables Senior High School, my AP English teacher
Dr. Jennifer Krugman and my journalism advisor Brent Thelfman. You two have made the biggest impact in my life next to my parents. So, thank you all very much and thank you my editor for all that you do. Perfect. Uh we will move on now to item A2.
Is a presentation of a donation from the city of Coral Gables to the Marsoni Foundation collected during the Mexican edition of Sip and Shop on Miracle Mile. I'd like to also welcome our Mexican friends from the consulate and our consul general who is here and always is present. I think I see you
more than I see anyone else. Belkis, good morning. Good morning. Belkis Perez with the economic development department. So, we are honoring the relationship that we have with Mexico. We had a Sip and Shop event. It is one
of two that we have every year. And so, this time we decided to um to partner with the consulate of Mexico. Basically, it's an event that we have for Miracle Mile. We it's a ticketed event and the consulate of Mexico actually donated
all of the spirits that we had and every retailer on Miracle Mile had a different type of either mezcal, tequila, or wine. And people got to not only try the different spirits, but they also entered and this is something that we get a lot
is that they would go into a store that they typically would have never entered and now they've experienced something new. So, um there is a charity component every time we do this and so the Consulate of Mexico asked for the Marsoni Foundation to be the um
charitable organization and I think we have a PowerPoint that had some slides. So, the Marsoni Foundation um the Consulate of Mexico does something very special for its citizens. They do a buses that come up to it and
they'll do health screenings. So, mammograms and other types of um x-ray uh um a dis- um displays. So, I want to call up the Consulate of uh the Consul General
uh Rutilio Escandon who really was instrumental and has really allowed us to participate and really collaborate with the Consulate of Mexico this year like ever be- never before. And we also have Ruth Martinez who is the uh president of the Marsoni
Foundation here uh who will be receiving the check. Consul? Consul, buenos dias. Como siempre >> Buenos dias. Gracias por estar con nosotros. Muchas gracias. Uh este honorable recinto que nos recibe el dia de hoy. Agradecemos
a nuestro amigo el presidente Bis Lago. Muchas gracias a gracias a los comisionados, a todas las autoridades por esta importante relación y apoyo de la ciudad de Coral Gables.
Eh hoy venimos a recibir esta donación que se realizó a través de acciones culturales, comerciales de intercambio y de colaboración, de cooperación
entre el Consulado General de México y esta bellísima ciudad de Coral Gables. Está conmigo la doctora Ruth Martínez. Es la representante de la Fundación
Marsoni. Y a través de ella este importante evento que tuvimos con la ciudad de Coral Gables, no solamente tiene como resultado
eh algo que fortalece económicamente a México y a la ciudad de Coral Gables, sino también tiene causa noble. Es eh para que estos fondos se utilicen
en apoyo a un connacional está aquí hospitalizado en Miami para recibir un un trasplante multiorgánico.
Así que muchísimas gracias y le cedo la palabra a la doctora Ruth Marsoni Ruth Ruth Mar- Martínez Soni. Es la representante de la Fundación Marsoni. Doctor, buenos días. Gracias por estar con nosotros.
Ahí ahí se escucha. Sí. Buenos días. Bueno, queremos agradecer esta oportunidad de estar aquí con ustedes y de habernos dado ese apoyo para poder hacer este evento. Como lo dice el cónsul, la cuestión humanitaria que estamos realizando para este connacional
eh que lleva un año por postrado en una cama por este atentado que tuvo. Y bueno, se han hecho muchas cosas para hacer recolección de ellos. Y dentro de Fundación Marsoni tenemos muchos programas como ya se mencionaron en cuestión de promoción y prevención de la
salud tanto física como emocional. Así es que en todas las actividades que nosotros podamos estar con ustedes para apoyo a la comunidad estamos disponibles y agradecemos este espacio y sobre todo el >> Want to present the check?
Before we step out to a 5-minute break Just to give you an idea >> Thousands of people come to the city called Coral Gables. An event that I was fortunate enough to start with Belkis, our city manager, and uh the Mexican Consulate under your leadership. And we have thousands of people that come. Many restaurants have been calling me uh
in reference to our installation Tejido, which will be there for the next 3 months, and that is another amazing effort by Belkis, her team, the city manager, and the Mexican Consulate. So, we're honored Every time I'm on If I'm having breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they're in
the community here celebrating their staff. So, uh you have done an amazing job trayendo negocios bringing businesses to the city of Coral Gables, cultura, culture, and we are beyond grateful for that. Thank you.
>> [applause] >> We're going to take a 5-minute break, bathroom break, and we will be back at 10:27. Thank you very much. Recording stopped. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Recording in progress. All right, and we're back.
10:29. I missed the the the mark by 2 minutes. We're going to we're going to jump around really quickly so we can open up the Venetian Pool. Item A6, presentation of a proclamation declaring May 2026 as Water Safety Month
in Coral Gables. Mr. Director. Good morning. Uh thank you uh for having us. Um May is National Water Safety Month, and as you know, um one of the leading causes of death for children is drowning, and uh
so water safety is something we take very, very seriously over at the Venetian Pool and also our Country Club Pool. And I would like to call up one of our supervisors of Venetian Pool, uh Anna. Oh, she's right behind me. Right there.
And uh she'll tell you a little bit about um what we're doing over there, and also to welcome our big service organization that helps us with that water safety. Good morning. >> morning. Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioner, City Manager. It's a pleasure to be here today.
Um I work at the Venetian Pool and we are so happy to very to have a very exciting summer ahead of us. Um I'd like to thank the VAC. Uh the president and some of the members are here. They do an amazing job in servicing the community and providing
swim lessons that offer both life skills and um lots of safety training for kids ages five and up through adults. Um we have some of our lifeguards here. We are
just now finished with our orientation. So, we are ready to go for the summer fully fully stacked with staff. Tell them about our awards. Oh, well, we have several awards. We got recognized for one of the
I forget the specific title, but for the the renovation that happened last year, we got an award for that. Our safety awards. The LSS Association that provides us the lifeguard certification awards us with gold and platinum awards
annually. Um we just got the last one a few weeks ago. And It's platinum. It means we exceed uh the safety guidelines and the standards and we our lifeguards do a fantastic job. So, she doesn't like to brag, but I'm
going to brag for her. Um her and the rest of the management team do a great job there. So, if we Do we want to call up um from the Venetian Aquatic Club the president? She said that they would be happy to come up for a picture. Oh, okay. I thought we're going to get a few words, but I'm going to thank them again. Um Venetian Aquatic
Club, they do great things. Um they helped us this Saturday for our National Kids to Parks month uh day and uh water safety month and they are an integral feature of our pool and this summer they're going to be really busy teaching a lot of children
how to swim. So, we're excited for their continued support that has been with us for quite a long time. I'll let them tell you if they wanted to how many years, but many years. So, if we can take a picture and um bring all of our staff and the Venetian Aquatic Club up, that'd be great. >> What I like to do is just also mention
that this Saturday you had a great event. Um Mr. Director, I want to commend you and your staff. They're in the back. They're a little shy. I don't know why they're shy. Um again, they're the ones in the bathing suits in the Venetian pool. So, they're saving lives, so they deserve all the credit. They you did a you had a wonderful a
wonderful uh event this Saturday uh that I attended along with the Vice Mayor and Commissioner Alata. And uh it was, you know, something interesting because, you know, kids to kids to park day. And I also want to um recognize John Bell. John Bell gave a
donation uh to teach uh children how to swim. Uh you touched upon on how important that is and how it's one of the one of the largest uh causes of of uh children's deaths and that you can never be cautionary enough on that front and it happens in a split second before you
even know it. So, I want to thank John Bell for that donation. And the pool, I mean, it looks like it was just it looks brand new. It looks stunning. Uh you know, I want to congratulate the manager and his team, probably works, for that massive investment. Uh the contractor, you know, this is something
that again, uh hopefully won't have to be re- renovated for the next 50 years. And it was a major investment, well worth it. And I have a feeling I have a feeling that this summer's going to be the busiest summer. Because all I hear is that the Venetian pool is open. We want to see it. We hear it's great. You know, it's clean. It's beautiful. Uh the
landscaping, the parking, everything has been touched. But first and foremost, everybody always says the same thing over and over again. The staff is the best staff in South Florida. It's an incredible experience, but that the lifeguards, uh the the individuals managing the Venetian pool, uh they do a
wonderful job and they're incredibly welcoming. And they they treat everybody like it's their home. So, I want to congratulate all of you. Thank you. Thank you. All right, we want to take a photo. Thank you. >> [applause] [cheering] >> Thank you, guys. Thank you.
All right, moving on to item A3, a presentation of proclamation declaring May 17th through the 23rd of 2026 as Emergency Medical Services Week in Coral Gables. Commissioner Loda. If I may, you're on. Whereas, emergency medical professionals provide medical care to victims of sudden life-threatening
injuries and illnesses, often under stressful conditions and in high risk situations to save lives. And whereas Florida's residents and visitors benefit daily from the knowledge, skill, and judgment of paramedics, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, educators, administrators, emergency
physicians, emergency nurses, and others who encompass the emergency medical services system. And whereas emergency medical personnel must rapidly assess, manage, and effectively provide care in unpredictable situations requiring life and death judgments. And whereas
Florida's emergency medical services EMS teams unselfishly serve on the front line of health care when responding to man-made and natural disasters at the local, state, and national levels. And whereas it is critical that the general public be made aware of, understand,
support, and effectively use its local EMS systems. And whereas recognition is due to the emergency medical services system for its countless accomplishments and contributions towards the improvement of public welfare through health care, medical transportation,
injury prevention, education, disaster response, homeland security, and other initiatives reducing health care costs and saving lives. Now, therefore, I, Vince Lago, as mayor of the city of Coral Gables and on behalf of the city commission, do hereby proclaim the week
of May 17th through 23rd, 2026 as Emergency Medical Services Week in Coral Gables. Chief. Good morning, Mayor, ladies and gentlemen of the commission. Today we do celebrate National EMS Week. And that recognizes the dedication and
the impact of our paramedics on our community. We respond to thousands of medical calls every year. That makes us an essential part of the health care system. So, for example, last year we responded to 1,252
cardiac calls. 70 of those were active heart attacks, 124 diagnosed strokes, 1,700 trauma calls, 63 cardiac arrests, and 128
overdoses just to name name some of the significant responses that we had last year. This year's theme is improving outcomes together. And together is exactly how we in the city of Coral Gables deliver exceptional
EMS services. We start with our 911 communications personnel who deliver standardized call taking, identify the resources in the emergency that we need to send, and deliver caller aid prior to our arrival.
Our firefighter paramedics, whose training and expertise enables us to deliver exceptional and compassionate medical care. They have the heavy the highest level of readiness uh through ongoing training
and uh continuous quality improvement, and the highest of advanced equipments. Our paramedics identify our strokes and heart attacks and trauma calls within minutes of their arrival.
Time is brain. Our firefighters working with our healthcare partners, they trust in our assessments, and stroke patients go straight to the cath lab, re- significantly reducing morbidity and long-term disability.
Together, our firefighters teach community CPR, our 911 personnel deliver pre-arrival instructions of CPR along with our fire police officers who are dispatched with an AED. With that, CPR has been performed prior
to our arrival 84% of those cardiac arrests. So, together today, we celebrate EMS 2026. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Chief, can we also do A4? So, A4, every year during EMS week, we recognize
a crew that delivers or embodies everything that is celebrated during EMS week. To recognize and to tell us a little bit about that crew for this year, I invite Assistant Chief Jones to the dais to the podium. Chief, good to
see you. Good morning, everybody. Good morning, uh ladies and gentlemen. It's always a great opportunity to recognize the exceptional work that is done by the men and women and the fire department. This year, uh we are staying
with the theme, which is a national theme, we improve outcomes together. This particular crew that is being honored this year consists of Lieutenant Samantha Putz Fernandez, firefighter paramedic
JP Milan, firefighter paramedic Joseph Lovins. This crew is being honored this year for their exceptional compassion. There's one writer that says, and I quote, "People will never forgive will won't remember what you did for them,
but they will remember how you made them feel." This crew goes above and beyond and ensures that compassion is extended and professionalism is extended to every single patient. So, this year we'd like to highlight and celebrate this crew as
crew of the year. Uh Lieutenant uh Fernandez is going to speak. She has like a 20-minute speech, so >> [laughter] >> Get ready. Good morning. Cuz it was not done by AI. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you, Chief Jones.
On behalf of Rescue 5, we are honored to receive this recognition. But mostly, I'm honored to have these men at my side every shift doing what we love. Joe and JP have always been two of my favorite firemen, and I am blessed to call them my brothers. If you ever see us on a call, you may
hear us talking a lot to you, but you won't hear us talk a lot to each other. Meaning that is how well we know each what each other is thinking and what the plan is. We will continue to deliver our best to our citizens. Thank you to the city of Coral Gables for your support. Thank you to Chief De La Rosa for your unwavering dedication
to taking care of us. And most importantly of all, thank you to our families for understanding our love for this career and everything that comes with it. >> [applause] >> Let's take a photo. You want to bring the boys up? You want to bring the boys up? Thank you so much.
Good job. That was great. Oh, what? Oh. >> [crying] >> Thank you. >> Okay, moving on to item A5, a presentation of proclamation declaring May 24th, 2026
as Christ Journey Church in Coral Gables. Please join us. Thank you, Mayor. And before I I read this proclamation, I just want to thank the uh church and the representatives here for being here
today and um before I read the proclamation into the record, if you'd like to say a few words uh to the commission and to the public. Very brief, but thank you so much, um Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor,
commissioners and city manager. Um on the first birthday of our church's history, which was in 1927, that was in the aftermath of the hurricane of '26, which literally was so devastating, so many lives lost and property damage. But
the then pastor of the congregation stood and said, "The future beckons us to to a great church, a church of fellowship and of power, making north and south one. And this is the incredible vision that I've
inherited after coming some three decades ago and having the privilege of serving here as pastor. They weren't talking about north and south in the United States, the the Mason-Dixon line. They were talking about
hemispheres coming together and seeing the future at the corner of this peninsula. A vision of uniting the world. And so, it seems so appropriate and we are so honored to be here today
in the name of a God who so loves the world to say that we would like to be part of seeing North and South America celebrating the oneness that is uniquely ours at Coral Gables. Since we are the
[snorts] world in Coral Gables, if you love your neighbor in Coral Gables, you love a nation. And so, we're privileged today to get to be a part of this. Thank you for your acknowledgement, and may I introduce our chairman of the board, Luis Caviedes, a long-time Coral Gables
resident, and then our executive pastor, Ryan Reed, who's been serving with us now for over 10 years. And uh could they stand together with me as we receive the acknowledgement? >> we receive the acknowledgement, I'd like to play a video. Oh. To give the
residents at home a little bit of a better idea if they're not familiar with your congregation. My name's Bill White, and since 1993, [music] the end of '93, I guess my first official day as pastor of the University Baptist Church [music] of Coral Gables
was January of 1994. And the way I came to Coral Gables is that the church called [music] me to be their pastor. So, I have the privilege of being the 10th pastor of the University Baptist [music] Church of Coral Gables. The church first came into existence because
there were some people at the downtown church, Central [music] Baptist Church, who said, "You know, there should be a new church by that new university down there in Coral Gables." And of course, it was UM [music] was the new university. So, 78 members gathered together, took their
vision, started a church [music] in Coral Gables called the University Baptist Church because it was right across the street from the cardboard college where the [music] University of Miami was just starting. I found out that Mr. Merrick himself had donated the land on which this church would be
located, but the reason that I think [music] he gave money so that churches could be started is because he himself was a pastor's son. And he wanted to make sure that in his [music] city beautiful that there would be many representation of faith where it could be vibrant and alive and be of support
[music] to families in his community. That first year of the church's existence, it had barely begun, then the hurricane of 1926 [music] hit and blew away their tabernacle building that they were meeting in. Everything [music] was now debris, and
after the hurricane, they called a pastor who captured the vision that has really signified [music] for the church its future. The future beckons us to build a great church, a church of fellowship, so this >> [music] >> new hope of a new day of
rebuilding, not just a building, but building lives, building families, [music] and in bouncing back after the storm. We realized along the way there was a point where our Council on Ministries, [music] which was our governing body at the time, just asked the congregation, "We're just wondering about our [music]
name and how relevant it is in doing our ministry in the city." And so, we asked the people, "Give us the names that you think we should consider." 400 came in. Then, the name that we currently have was brought to a ballot and voted overwhelmingly
to change from UBC, University [music] Baptist Church, to now Christ Journey Church. We feel so [music] inspired when we look at our own story. Even with changing our name to Christ Journey, it's still about [music] the same mission. We are still the same church,
the same vision, the same heart. Let's imagine if [music] God could build something with us that could continue to give and give in future generations. >> [applause] >> So, uh Pastor Whiteaker, I may just take a personal point of privilege to tell you about the gentleman that you have
here next to you. Not that you need to know about him because I think you know him probably better than anybody else, but he comes to my office regularly, maybe once a month, once a quarter, and sometimes he'll bring the entire family. And it's mayhem.
And we always we always he always asks me at the end, "Can I pray with you?" And he is an amazing asset to this community. He's a person who loves his job. He's a person who loves to lead,
and he leads by example. So, I want to thank you. Uh thank you for finding the talent in this gentleman and allowing him to be who he is. Cuz, you know, again, he comes to all our events. He's engaged in the city. He's part of the city. We have other
pastors. Uh we all we have other rabbis, and it's a beautiful a beautiful mix of religions that engage here in the city, both with the police and with the firefighters and with the general employees. So, I I I just want to thank you for finding this gentleman, bringing him
here to the city beautiful, and and letting him do his job. Letting him do God's work, and he's an exceptional individual who I have a lot of respect for. I call him more than just a friend. He's a person who I believe is here for a real reason, for a calling, and I want to thank you for
everything and the freedom that you give him to to to engage here in the city beautiful. Thank you for that. Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor. You honor us by honoring Ryan, and we we join [applause] you in that. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Can we take a photo? May we take a photo? >> Oh, we have to read a proclamation
first. >> that. I'm sorry. >> you had read it already. I'm sorry about that. I would kind of reverse >> the gun. I jumped the gun. Go ahead. >> So, I'm going to add to your uh mention of the importance of the church and what George Merrick thought because at the time George Merrick was forming
the city of Coral Gables, it was well known that churches and religious institutions were the building blocks of of cities. And it was highlighted to me when I visited Page, Arizona. There is a dam there that's before the Hoover Dam, and they literally have a street called
Church Street. And synagogues, churches, everything were built there, and they built them first. Because people would move there. People need community. People need support of the churches, and I've seen an uptick in the regrowth of religious
activity. Um you know, like everything, there's ebbs and flows. I think people are tired of relying upon the advice of these devices, and really need the community that you bring and everybody brings in this religious community for our our
people. So, thank you for the role that you play in supporting our city because you are the foundation. That's what I'm trying to say. So, with no further ado, I'll read the proclamation into the record. Whereas Christ Journey Church, originally founded in 1926 in Coral
Gables as University Baptist Church, has faithfully served the South Florida community for 100 years, growing from a small group of committed believers into a vibrant multi-generational, multi-cultural church. And whereas throughout its history, Christ Journey
Church has remained steadfast in its mission to help people find and follow Christ, fostering spiritual growth, community connection, and service to both locally and and globally. And whereas Christ Journey Church has demonstrated a deep commitment to the
well-being of Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County through outreach initiatives that provide food for families in need, support for children and schools, disaster relief relief efforts, and partnerships with nonprofit
organizations serving vulnerable populations. And whereas through its local and global missions, Christ Journey Church has extended its impact beyond South Florida, serving communities across multiple nations, while continuing to meet
tangible needs for share and share hope. And whereas after more than 30 years of vision, prayer, and perseverance, Christ Journey Church is dedicating its new South Miami campus, representing a
continued investment in the future of the community and its commitment to serve generations to come. And whereas Christ Journey Church reflects the rich diversity of Coral Gables, bringing together people from many cultures and backgrounds in unity,
faith, and service. Whereas the 100-year anniversary of Christ Journey Church marks a significant milestone, celebrating a legacy of faith, resilience, and meaningful impact in the lives of individuals, families, and the broader community. Now, therefore, I,
Vince Lago, as mayor of the city of Coral Gables, as well as the members of our city commission, do hereby pro- proudly proclaim May 24th, 2026 as Christ Journey Church Day in Coral Gables. Thank you very much. Thank you. Now, we can do the [applause and cheering]
picture. You know, this Sunday is our 100th birthday, so you're all invited to the party. And you know, parties always have gifts, so we brought just a gift of a a token of our prayer and our ongoing esteem to you. Thank you for all that you do and
for allowing us to be part of it today. Thank you, sir. Let's take a photo. Thank you. Thank you. All right, moving on to item A7, congratulations to officer Julio Gonzalez, recipient of City Coral Gables officer of the month for the month of March 2026.
And then we're also going to do item A8, congratulations to detective Miguel Reserva, recipient of the City Coral Gables detective of the first quarter award for the month of March 2026. Chief, good morning. Thank you for being here. Morning, Mayor. Right on time for our
11:00 time start. We're almost there. Is it? Oh, we're close. We we made it. We made it. I just keep thinking it's 3:00 cuz I don't see the clock ticking fast enough, but I'll keep I'll keep going for you. I promise. Uh Good morning, Mayor, Commissioners. Uh today it's my honor again once to
recognize, but also celebrate one of our officers for the jobs that they do every day. Our officer of the month today uh was not just because of one specific incident, but because of a body of work from the midnight shift that was recognized by his supervisor.
And those nine arrests that he made within that month along with uh training uh a newer officer, as we call them PPOs, uh he was recognized and was actually kind of uh uh uh a catalyst for for what we do every day
here. Uh as we have spoken before, we've got 37 new officers last year. We have another 11 in the academy and like officer Gonzalez, what we need is to train these young officers how to do it. So, this kind of work uh within this month for March was extraordinary. Of
the nine arrests, there were several domestic violence arrests, criminal mischief, possession of meth methamphetamine, uh paraphernalia, uh knowingly driving throughout our streets with uh drivers' licenses that are suspended, that are revoked, uh possession of a
firearm, criminal mischief, uh as [clears throat] well as people with warrants for battery, and so on and so forth. These are the people that frequent our cities, come through our cities. And it's because of Officer Julio Gonzalez's entire body of work for the month of March that he was
recognized along with his peers. And that's the kind of thing that we look for for our newer officers, but also things we like to celebrate here today. So, because of his actions during the March month of March of 2026, I'd like to present to you Officer
Julio Gonzalez for the Officer of the Month for that month. >> [applause] >> Congratulations. Thank you. >> Good morning to everyone. It's an honor to receive this award today. I want to say sincerely thank you thank our chief for our leadership and support to our
mayor and commissioners for our word selection committee for recognizing the dedication behind our work. I want to thank all my supervisors from both the afternoon and the midnight shifts for guiding me throughout my career and helping me shape me into the officer I am today. I would also like to recognize my mentors within the department, Officer Castaneda, Officer
Hernandez, Officer Vasquez, Officer Clue, Sergeant Chang, Sergeant Morris, Sergeant Adelman, and Lieutenant Lance. Thank you for always leading leading by example and supporting me and pushing me to become a better officer every day. Most importantly, I want to thank my family for being my rock. To my kids, my entire family, especially my girlfriend,
thank you for standing by me standing by my side every step of the way and helping me raise my boys while I continue serving this profession. Your love, your support, and sacrifice mean everything to me. This award truly means a lot to me. I'm honored and grateful to receive the Officer of the Month. Thank you again.
>> [applause] >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. At this point, Mayor, with your permission, I'd like to bring forward Detective Miguel Becerra. Good morning. Morning, sir. Good to see you. Usually see you behind your desk, so it's kind of to be to see you out. >> Yes, sir. Um
It is Officer Beserve, who works in our economic crimes uh division of our investigative branch in the criminal investigation division, was recognized for his work in the second quarter and nominated, I'm sorry, for the first quarter and was nominated because of two
key cases that he uh that he actually solved and made arrests on. The first one involved an identity theft and fraudulent account traveler at none other than Neiman Marcus. Uh we understand, as we've said before, that there are a lot of people that are
identities are stolen on a regular basis. In this case, the total loss was about $21,376. Because of his work and being able to track down uh another case that took place in a different jurisdiction 2 days later in March, uh he was able to
identify the offender and also identify where he was at on different charges in Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Institute. So, what we did was he went over there and dropped another few charges on him for that case. Similarly, in back in March uh and August, there
was one of our residents that had uh thought they were contracting with somebody that was reputable. They up fronted $15,000, and this was in August of '25. Uh a year later, about in June, uh the individual was identified because of Detective
Beserve's unbelievable work and and tracking down the individual, identifying the individual, um gave the individual the opportunity to come forward. He did not. He was then, using his investigative skills, was able to then identify the individual's location
again and take him into custody for that, making somewhat of our resident whole. Uh Detective Beserve's work on these two cases reflects the highest standards of professional police work. Uh resourceful use of investigative tools, interagency coordination, and
meticulous documentation was mentioned in the nomination by his supervisor. Uh just as a point, these cases, the the the the cyber crimes cases, but more importantly, our our fraud cases are extremely laborious.
There's a lot of paperwork, there's a lot of back channel things to do. So, taking a year to solve one of these cases is really kind of the norm. So, along with the rest of the detectives that handle these, it is my honor to present to you the detective of the quarter for the first quarter, Detective
Miguel Beserra. >> [applause] >> Thank you, Chief. Thank you, Chief. Thank you, Assistant Chief. Mayor, Commissioners, I would like to thank my uh my uh teammate behind me uh and good friends. Uh my major, my lieutenant, my
sergeant, and my two detective uh partners. Uh also, I would like to thank my family. They were not able to make it. Uh uh they are my biggest supporters and they always support me all the time. Economic Crimes Division, we get um we have a lot of cases, we get hundreds of
cases a day. Um we maybe not a day, uh a year. Uh we try to process all these cases as they come. In the process of trying to find the bad guys and trying to find enough evidence to put them in jail and bring justice, we make contacts with the
victims, business owners, uh sometimes even employees that don't live here, but they work here in Coral Gables. During that process, we establish links with the residents, specifically uh residents uh the elderly.
Uh cuz they are big victims on the on the fraud industry nowadays. Uh this is a wonderful recognition. I am very honored, very humble. Um even though it was given to me, it should be given to my entire unit cuz we
work together. We don't work, this is not individual uh work. We all work together. We cannot solve any case by ourselves. So, I would like to also thank my unit for being there all the time and helping me and help each other. But, this is very nice um for me to have
this appreciated. Thank you. >> Moving on to approval minutes, which are none here in the commission. Public comment, Mr. Clerk. Yes, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. First speaker this morning is Allison
Curran. Good morning. Okay, I'm 2 and 1/2 years ago my husband and I moved from South Gables to the downtown area and we're directly across from Fritz and Franz and the plaza where he wants to
have a watch party. Um the owner of Fritz and Franz, Harold Newberg, is one of the most attentive and hard-working bosses we've ever met. He has a knack of finding the right staff who share the same work
ethics as he. He runs a tight shift and always keeps a close eye on the patrons to ensure everyone is able to enjoy themselves and safely. We enjoy the soccer and we enjoy
watching the fans who gather here to see their favorite teams play. Rival fans sitting side by side without confrontation or malice and they're just having fun. We've seen many championship tournaments and watch parties
on the plaza at different times of the day and yes, we've heard the cheers of unbridled joy and disappointments, but the amount of times has not been an inconvenience for us. This is the World Cup.
Coral Gables was thrilled and proud to have FIFA headquartered here. The entire soccer world will be watching and for many of us who cannot afford to buy a ticket or even pay for the parking,
um to watch a real match in person, allowing Fritz and Franz to utilize the plaza will enable more fans to enjoy the excitement and the camaraderie of watching their favorite teams play.
Coral Gables has the extraordinary chance to show what a welcoming and all-inclusive city it is and also the amount of business and PR for the entire downtown is priceless. That's it. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Mr. Clerk. Maria Cruz. Mrs. [clears throat] Maria Cruz, 1447 Miller Road, 305-323-2154. This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Public officials may not suppress protected political speech, nor may they retaliate against a citizen for asserting constitutional rights, criticizing government officials,
challenging governmental conduct, or participating in public discourse. The city of Coral Gables violates that when they deny citizens their right to speak. This also opens the city to lawsuits and
damages, which the taxpayers will eventually pay for. Thank you. Mr. Mayor. Just give me 1 second, sir. That Do we have any anybody else? Yes, sir. Okay. Yes, sir. I just want to recognize Mrs. Maria Cruz for a very um
professional and very respectful and very appropriate uh toned uh public comment commentary today. Uh which is uh appreciated um for all who uh take the time to speak in
public commentary. Today was an exemplary exemplary way of expressing your views. Thank you. Thank you. Enrique Lopez. Good morning, sir. Morning. I'd like [snorts] to start by saying that I echo the sentiments of the the
woman who spoke earlier about the beer house. And on another note, regarding that, watched the recent discussion regarding the beer house watch parties in Coral with increasing disappointment. I found that while reasonable concerns were raised, it was because of the tone,
exaggeration, and what seemed to be an apparent bias that they were delivered in an unprofessional manner. >> Sir, if I may interrupt you, and I apologize, can you Can you provide your name and your address for the record? >> Oh, sure. Enrique Lopez, uh 2451 Rico Avenue, apartment 15N,
Miami, Florida 33129. Thank you. Sure. At At points during the meeting, you framed the long community event as though it was an impending public disorder, a crisis. Words such as mayhem, unruliness, and references to crowds arriving in droves
painted a picture that bore little resemblance to the reality many have experienced there. This is not an uncontrolled music festival. It's not a nightclub district spinning out of control. It's a series of televised soccer matches watched by residents, families, visitors, and long-time patrons of a local institution.
The problem was not that you raised the concerns. The problem was that you appeared to enter the discussion with a conclusion already reached. Many in the early in the hearing, you repeatedly announced that you were a no vote long before meaningful deliberation had concluded. Rather than facilitating a balanced
discussion as chair of the commission, your posture often resembled that of a prosecutor building a case against the applicant. You repeatedly emphasized the alleged windfalls and seized upon the applicant's comment that the World Cup period is Christmas for businesses as though the existence of profitable
weeks for the hospitality establishment were somehow improper. Many survive because of a handful of major events each year that help to sustain them through slower periods. To frame that reality as greed was unfair and dismissive of the economic realities small businesses face.
Even more troubling was the selective way the area was described. Often it was residential, other times commercial. I'm going to skip through all this because there's not a lot of time. At the end of the day, a lot of the things that you were mentioning in particular were about people coming here and being dissuaded for some reason
because the Fritz and Franz is having a watch party. I took the time to look at a map and will tell you that the footprint of the Fritz and Franz is point 25% leaving a 99.75% of downtown Coral Gables available to anyone else who doesn't want to watch soccer.
I felt that the attack was unwarranted and rather than embracing an event that I believe I've attended for 25 years. Tradition multiple generations of people that I witnessed there. Sons, fathers, grandfathers. It's not an animal house, it's not a roadhouse,
it's a beer house. The way it seemed, I would have if I had only heard your remarks, I would have assumed that someone was going to break a bottle over my head at some point. Excessive drinking, I don't I haven't seen that. I don't know what the what the police records are, but I can tell you never seen a fight, never seen
an arrest. Just the opposite, a very wholesome tradition that we sorely lack. We we seem to be bulldozing the past for at the expense of the future. I've run out of time, so I thank you for yours. Mr. Clark. Jackson Holmes.
Greetings. Um, I want to thank Maria Cruz. I hope that she sues the city for First Amendment rights. Um, it for the people at home, I think the truth is now being repressed by the City Commission. We can't even
speak the truth. And uh, that's uh, very scary, actually. Um, with respect to Fritz and Franz Biergarten, um, I think this is um, well, let's see now we're into the First
Amendment, so maybe you'll forgive me. It's a revenge tour by Mayor Lago and City Manager Iglesias. Um, secondly, uh, they're jacking up the prices in what I think is a discriminatory way, making it actually
impossible for the owner to make money. He's had 24 years of this. They're saying that FIFA is somehow a special event that requires doubling the police fee and instituting for the first time ever a fire fee, and I think that's
absolute baloney, and I think that it should be rescinded. Um, there uh, is nobody else being charged as this is a unique fee specially designed to punish wrongfully Fritz and Franz.
And I ask that you rescind those increased fees which don't stand up to scrutiny. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. That's it. Perfect. Then we will close the public comment. Uh, we're going to take item agenda item H 18, which is a time certain. I'd like
to have our Mayor Don Slesnick, who's here with us, please join us for a moment. First and foremost, thank you, Mayor, for being here. And I apologize for not recognizing you earlier. Mayor, welcome. Thank you, Mayor, and Madam Vice Mayor and Commissioners,
uh, I appreciate the opportunity to come before you and to speak on the issue that is coming before you about the street lamp post of Coral Gables. It's a item that you've heard from me before, and this is my last opportunity probably
to speak on it. And And Dr. Silverman impressed me today about saying that we should not be complaining, so please, I'm not here to complain. I am I am not even here to ask what Coral Gables can do for me, but what I can do for Coral Gables. So, I'm trying
to keep that spirit alive, and uh, a couple of my, uh, resident, uh, friends, my neighbors, and another few board members said, you know, don't waste your time. It's kind of a lost cause. But I felt like the students in Les Mis,
you know, building the barricades to at least take my last stand and, uh, let you know how I feel about the issue. So, this is about the replacement of our fluted silver lamp post around the city. And first about FPL
FPL from the beginning has has not acted as I consider as a good corporate citizen. Uh There used to be an expression that the customer is always right. Now I think FPL takes a position that the
customer's opinion doesn't matter. We're all FPL customers. Like you, I have been since a child. Not because of choice, but because FPL is the only provider that I can use. And in many times as I have spoken with
FPL and they know I have taken FPL's position publicly when others did not and I have stood up for FPL and I worked with FPL when I sat in one of the seats that you now sit in during post hurricane seasons when FPL provided incredible service to the
community by resupplying us with electricity. So I do not have a long-standing issue with FPL. But in this particular case, I think that we have not been treated fairly. Seemingly in 2018, there was an agreement that FPL proposed to the city
to remove the fluted silver street lamp post from their catalog. Um Those of us who live in Coral Gables, those of us who live on streets with the fluted silver street lamp posts were never told about this proposal, were never asked about the proposal, were
never considered and the fact that they removed them from the catalog for future catalog use. Now, while these are not the original white way lights that are sometimes talked about, which now line a small section of University and Riviera,
these fluted lights that now line your streets of Alhambra circle from Lejeune Road Coral Way, Granada from Southwest 8th Street to Bird Road, they ring the Granada Golf Course, the Granada Golf Course ring is
not as old, and on DeSoto Boulevard, while they're not the original Whiteway lights, they have stood in your city for over half a century. Over half a century they have been, in fact, probably a good deal longer than that, cuz I know when I moved here half a century ago,
uh they were here. And they are part of the look and the feel of Coral Gables. A look and the feel that, as you know, and you're sitting in the hot seats, and I know that what you go through every day to try to keep Coral Gables Coral Gables
while seeing the advantage of progress and the bringing in of new developments. I mean, these are part of our look and our feel, and they make our city part of that uh what we are, the city beautiful. And then, as the final foray of FPL,
there was the what I call the midnight removal of the uh lights around the golf course, without notice to the neighbors, without notice to anybody. In fact, as you've heard before, I had to be told by a friend that there were new lights going in across the street
from my house without my knowledge. And these are lights that we can find in Wynwood or other places. They are not Coral Gables lights. And then, the refusal through long extended conversations, and I know the manager has worked on this for probably over a
year, Peter, to try to talk to FPL about putting them back in or making some accommodations in their catalog, their refusal. Of course, it takes two, and as we now know, I guess there was a 2018 agreement between the city and FPL
uh to remove them from the catalog. Um two of your committees have unanimously recommended that the city commission and the city administration do what it can to work with FPL to to try to find a solution to keep our look uh as our city beautiful.
You know, in our commercial district, we spend a lot of time and effort putting in tree-lined medians to make the city look good and public art. And I know a lot of that money comes from, uh, development, uh, fee from the developers and impact fees. And I was thinking, I don't know why I
didn't think about it, um, Mr. Mayor, when I was sitting in your seat, but we have so many new residential developments, uh, that come into the city. Uh, residential developments that are taking whole blocks and like on Segovia and so forth. Um, uh, impact fees for those developments
which would help us support the additional cost of the appropriate street lights. And I know how important appropriate street lights are. Go look at Cadena's new building. The beautiful new street lights that he has installed around his building at his expense, I'm sure. But, I mean, I'm telling you,
street lamps can be an incredible part of the look of a city. I got a call from the architect of the Segovia, uh, project who was outraged that the city has told her that they couldn't have the street lights they want unless they paid for them. But, the
reason I bring it up is because street lamps were critical to her and her new development. And so, this is something that I think should not be overlooked as something important. And remember, we're talking about miles of streets. These lamps are on miles of streets. If you
add up the mileage along the streets I named, it is something else. So, for my two positive, not complaints, but suggestions are that one, I I would think maybe some type of impact fee for residential developments that might help us support the
additional cost, if there are additional costs. And secondly, Mr. Mayor, and I know that each of you are influential people in this community. You've each won elections. You've each seen that the residents of Coral Gables treasure your leadership. And I would only urge that
before a final decision is made that Mr. Mayor, that maybe you could ask for a face-to-face meeting with the president of Florida Power & Light. As for now, we're dealing with local representatives of the area, and I know we've dealt with a vice president, but you know,
in your capacity as mayor, a meeting with the president of FPL, I think is appropriate to see if we can't get them back in the catalog. And I can tell you that I have looked at this from several different sides. Uh I know FPL's arguments, and I think that
they are arguments that can be countered and overcome, but that's my humble opinion. I come here to offer that to you, not as a complainer, but as a person standing for the last time on his barricade in front of his house, waiting
for me to to be taken down. So, thank you. Thank you for the time. I appreciate it. Thank you, Mayor. It's always a pleasure to have you. Thank you, Mayor. If I may, just one Um Good Good Good morning. Um Hermes Diaz-Poli was director of billing. If we
could have the presentation up, please. Thank you. Thank you. We're going to have a brief presentation regarding uh the street light replacement and a little bit of the history behind it. Um so, currently, um the city of Coral Gables um street light inventory includes
approximately 3,100 street lights. Out of those, approximately 2,500 and uh maintained by FPL, and about 600 uh are owned and maintained by the city. Uh the city-owned street lights are maintained by a single electrician and a
um and a competitively procured contractor, electrical contractor. In fiscal year 2025, the city paid FPL approximately $927,000 for electricity and maintenance for right-of-way street lights, and we have approximately 280 concrete black
Washington poles versus a little bit of a 400 of those fiberglass uh silver poles. This does not include lights that may be located on state, county roads, some lights that are owned and maintained by through HOA, special
taxing districts, etc. A little bit of the history behind it. The city entered into several what is called a premium lighting agreement with FPL between 20 1990 and 2019 for over 400 street lights and and those were intended to be for a
term of 20 years. After those 20 years, the choice was for the city to either enter into a new agreement with FPL, have those lights replaced, or the city do it on their own at their own expense. Out of that total, and and these are the ones in question, there's
137 fiberglass lights. This include 86 along North and South Greenway Drive, 19 lights along Harlano and Wood Streets, and 32 lights along Santa Maria and Camposano Avenues. Um the silver poles are no longer available
through FPL catalog and I just want to clarify that the city did not enter into an agreement with FPL to remove the lights from the catalog. The city had no input in what is into the catalog. What we did enter into an agreement in June of 2022, because we were in obligation to replace
those lights that had expired under the original agreement, we executed an agreement for the replacement of those existing lights with black Washington concrete poles. And currently there's approximately 13 fiberglass of those that are still remain, mostly on South Greenway Drive.
And that conversion was stopped by the city commission on December 12th of 2023. On March 12th, 2026, FPL denied the city's request to include the silver fiberglass or similar poles in their catalog. Now,
the cost of replacement. So, if we were to replace the 137 fiberglass street lights, poles, and fixtures with city-owned lights. The cost will be approximately $2.6 million. This includes upgraded infrastructure because the city code requires um
we work on different codes. Um the city works on the national electrical code while uh public utilities they work on the national electric safety code. So, we'll be required to replace the existing infrastructure. In addition to the fact that FPL will charge us for
um what is called the present value cost of those um units already been installed, we're looking about $3.2 million worth of upfront cost plus electricity plus maintenance if the city were to replace those lights and take over uh
as opposed to the alternative which is the the the path that we were previously on, which you're looking at $518,000 in payments to FPL over the following uh 20 years uh which include electricity and maintenance cost. If we were to limit
that replacement to only the 86 lights on North and South Greenway, you're looking at $1.7 million for the infrastructure and $291,000 in additional payments to FPL, you're looking at approximately $2 million of upfront cost plus electricity and
maintenance versus $325,000 in payments to FPL over the following 20 years. And what follows is a photo of basically the fiberglass and the Washington pole excuse me. Um the fiberglass civil pole is approximately 10 ft tall mounting
height. The Washington poles are uh little bit taller about 15 ft mounting height. And our request is that the commission resends resolution number 2023-360 so that FPL is allowed to to complete the transition into the black Washington
poles uh the 13 that are remaining. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um Mr. Clerk, do we have any public comment? >> [snorts] >> Mr. Mayor, unless Public comment, Mr. Clerk. The commission is not taking action on this item. Okay.
Through the Mayor. Yes. Okay. Um Mayor Dawn Slesnick, thank you so much for your words. I your your words reflect the sentiment of many other residents, not only today, but in the past year and a half. Now,
lighting, even for a simple house, lighting is so important, and it makes such a drastic difference in not only a building, in our common it streets, and in our residential homes. So, I completely share your sentiment,
as well. Um I was thinking with what you just said about the impact fees, right? And I don't know how feasible that is, but I would love to look into it, maybe put this on hold for a moment. Now, I'll move to direct the
city manager to look at the feasibility of maybe funding these lights with impact fees, or maybe changing legislation, and make it part of maybe the art fund. Let's consider maybe these lights art.
See if maybe there's a different way to fund this that won't affect the general fund. Let's look into it before we make this permanent decision that I know is so important to our community. So, I would move to direct the city manager to look into maybe incorporating
this as part of impact fees, or new development, surrounding development, obviously, or maybe look into I'll I'll work in some new legislation to make this part of an art. Through the Mayor. So, if I may,
we're not taking action on this item, number one. First and foremost, what the commissioner is talking about is what we did with the white way lights in regards to taking art in public places monies and using it for the white way lights. I wrote that legislation. The reason why
that was possible because those were historic These are not historic. You can't do that in the in the city attorney will will will give you the guidance on that. I don't want to waste people's time. We have a long agenda today. And they can explain that. I don't want to give people false hopes on and go down a rabbit hole it doesn't
work. You want to go down impact fees and and figure that out, that's perfectly fine. You can work with staff. This is not an action item. What we're doing is updating the commission that we have to bring this item forward eventually and address it. Uh we have lighting that is not complete especially in certain areas
around the golf course that need to be addressed. Uh Mayor Slesnick asked me if I would meet with the president of PNL. It wouldn't be the first time I met with the president of PNL. That's how I was able 10 years ago to accomplish the undergrounding that is currently underway here in the city of Coral Gables. It was a long drawn out process.
It took years to get that done and I worked on it and I was a sponsor of that legislation. Now, I have met with the leadership team of FPL multiple times. They've been very clear since the beginning since Commissioner Fernandez brought this out in 2023 and the project
stalled. They are not moving. This is the way it's going to be. They have four items, four light poles for the entire state. They're not making exceptions. If you go back on the public record and I have it here, I was very clear to Commissioner Fernandez that I
don't want to do political grandstanding. Trust me, I want to give the residents that are that view this as an issue what they want. It's no skin off my back whether they're silver or they're black. I have no issues with it. On many occasions they were said that
these are historic. They're not historic poles. They're fiberglass poles. I have these in my neighborhood right now, okay? So, something needs to happen. What we're having today here is an update. I have no issues meeting with asking and requesting to meet with the president of
PNL. We have sent them letters. My understanding, I can't even fully remember. We've been in contact with them. We've met with staff. Um they have said no repeatedly on this matter. Eventually, we have to move forward or which I'm not willing to enter into a
lawsuit. And I'm not willing to enter into a lawsuit with FPL. Once again, I've been there and I inherited a lawsuit which was a trans- the um not the transformer, excuse me, the the transmission lines. Thank you, Madam City Attorney. And that was a disaster
of epic proportion costing millions of dollars. So, we need to move forward on this item. Not saying we're moving forward today, but we need to finalize and bring it in for a landing. No one wants to accept the reality, but FPL has been unequivocal and clear since 2023.
They are not going to give us what we want and we have to make a decision. Through the mayor. Through the mayor. I If I you I may we're going to go down we're going to everyone's going to get a chance to speak. Madam Vice Mayor. So, it was roughly a year ago or more that we started this journey.
And at that time, I asked the question of the city attorney and I received the answer that no, we cannot use art in public places fees or replacement of these lights. Um in addition
the thoughts of doing additional impact fees are one of those things that resonate through Tallahassee where impact fees are not an invited term and will instead invite
rather preemption upon our city if we do additional impact fees. So, I'm going to come full circle for just a moment because the project that you that was spoken of on Segovia regarding lighting
it wanted to put in some red artistic poles. And because of the streetscape that we have on Segovia those would have clashed drastically with what we currently have. So,
I was a no vote on those because it lacks the thematic consistency that we need throughout our city. It's unfortunate that FPL will not add these poles back into their their catalog. Um
but I do think we need to move forward because lighting is important. And if the lights aren't working, and we're not able to maintain them, and they get hit by cars, and they get damaged which we've had many instances of that
uh happening. We need to move forward. Through the mayor. Well, everyone will have a chance to speak. Anyone else like to speak on this issue? I would actually. Uh thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, um Mayor Slesnick, you never turned down an opportunity to serve your city, and we
appreciate that. Um I know the amount of hours that you and Michael Maxwell have put into this effort uh doing research. Mr. Maxwell has uh incredible experience in this area from his time uh in other states uh on similar projects.
And uh the reason that I passed that that that I moved that resolution um in 2023 was because we weren't getting clear answers from FPL. It was just no, but there was no explanation as to why the other options
were not being considered. Um and it's just at the end of the day it's a financial decision that FPL is making. Um this is what happens when you have a monopoly. Uh nobody gets an option. They will force whatever they want on the city of Coral Gables, and that's the end of the
line. Um it's unfortunate. It really is. Because if there has been a city that has been a good partner to FPL every opportunity, it's been Coral Gables. And we're just getting the door slammed
in our face because it's going to save them a few bucks. Um the vice mayor's is is 100% correct. We're going to have to make a decision as far as lighting at some point. Um unfortunately, we're not in a financial
position based on what we don't know still from Tallahassee to make a decision to put in lights ourselves. Um the manager has made the argument many times. Uh we're not in the business of of putting up lighting. Um I understand both sides of the argument.
But I'm not there today to give up the fight. Um I would like to get some clarity from the city attorney. I know the vice mayor said that the Commissioner Castro's uh motion would not be possible. Would you be able to
Would the vice the um city attorney be able to provide us some clarity on um the question posed by Commissioner Castro regarding the possibility of either the impact fees or the art in public places just so that we have it on the record. >> Yes, so the the zoning code provides a
definition in the art in public places section of the zoning code. And for what those monies can be used for, what the fund the art acquisition fund can be used for it you know, street lighting uh general street lighting would not fall within the definition of that. And in
terms of impact fees, we do not currently have a you know, an impact fee for street lighting. Um there is a a process for um developing and imposing additional impact fees in our city or you know, under the state of Florida's uh rules. And um they would have to fit
into the the for imposing an impact fee, which is that it's has to be directly related to the development and um has to be have a rational, you know, nexus to the development. And so that's a process and I I don't know that it would fit squarely within that
process. And I think you just hit the nail on the head. I think the the biggest uh issue Mayor Sleznik is it has to be in close proximity to a development project. And I think when we're talking about uh an area like uh North and South Greenway, there are very
few development projects that are currently being either considered or uh underway in that area that would be I think close enough to to have an impact fee that would apply to it. Um You know, we can we can definitely put it out there to developers who are
willing to work in the city. Uh they've been very creative about projects that they've been taken taking on. And maybe this is a project that they'd be interested in taking on when they're doing proffers for their development projects. Um I I mean it's a very tough decision because we
really have absolutely no control of it and those who do, they just want to save their money. Through the mayor. Yes, sir. Uh thank you, Mayor. Uh just to to clarify everything that that has been said, uh we do have impact fees of for parks, mobility, police, and fire.
Maybe maybe mobility can be used for lighting because it's it's it's within the right of way, but that would be if it's not, it would be a fifth impact fee. Uh what the reason FPL is not providing these lights under catalog, and by the way, we're using the premium catalog for for Coral Gable, we're using the the
most premium lights that they have, is because they deal with so many cities that the inventory they would have to carry would be tremendous. And and and that's that's the that is a financial issue. Uh the problem that we have with with lighting is as I've mentioned before and
you know, we're not in the pole business. Uh when when we when we took over uh as the whiteway lights as we as when we took over the the whiteway lights from FP&L is that we have to redo everything, infrastructure, the whole thing because we're under a different code.
They're under the national safety code. We're under the national electrical code, which means that we only and only have to take up the lights, but we have to do the whole electrical system new again. Uh in in the in addition to that, we're dealing with millions of dollars for for for the maintenance over of our current
system and for the replacement of our current system versus a 20-year uh payment, which is a a a brand new tariff that that occurred a few years ago under a public service commission, which is very favorable to the to the city. So, instead of paying millions of
dollars up front, we may be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars over a 20-year period. So, it's a substantial difference uh from from a monetary perspective. In in addition to that, if we have a major storm, if we have something that damages these poles, then it it would be under under FP&L. If we
if we have a hurricane, if we're in the coastal zone, they you you have a storm surge wipes out all those poles, we have millions of dollars in in in pole replacement. We have a major hurricane, we we would have millions of dollars especially as as some of these older pole poles deteriorate,
uh we would we would have millions of dollars of of liability in that. Now, this Now, under this new tariff, not not only do do we pay a a small percentage of the cost, but also FP&L incurs maintenance and and and liability for those poles. We are not in
the pole business. For us to to do pole work is very expensive, and and that's why we we would like to proceed with it's something that that is just extremely expensive, and we and with the uncertainties in in in in the in the
state legislature now and with and with our budget, I'm not sure if we can if we can afford millions of dollars and the additional liability that that would cause. Thank you, Mr. Manager. Commissioner, do you have anything you'd like to add or do you want me to wrap it up? Well, yeah, I think that's probably the best way to put it. You know, there's not
much more to add. Everyone has already expressed, you know, robustly all the issues that they need to be considered. I'm a big fan, obviously, Mayor Slesnick, of your championing all the causes, especially those that are near and dear to us who believe in historic preservation. On this one, the the the
scales tip, in my view, pretty heavily uh you know, in a decision that is is really not within our grasp. Uh you know, I I I personally think that the the silver ones look better than the black ones, but I don't think the distinction could possibly
justify, in all fairness, um an expense that we just can't incur at this time in in good conscience, um given that uh the the exorbitant amount of the cost associated with the maintenance and the repair and the service of them would be borne by FPL as opposed to Accord Gables
at a time. Um but but I do appreciate all of your words and your sentiments and your views. Uh but like everyone has already said, it seems to me like it's a decision that's frankly outside of our hands uh given everything's on the scales. Thank you. Uh I'm going to just make a
few points uh in regards to uh the mayor and um Commissioner Castro. Uh first and foremost, in regards to the mayor, Madam City Attorney, through the manager, together, uh let's try to schedule meeting with FPL with the president and let's document that effort uh with with
the president and make sure that that [clears throat] individual's in town or I'll even fly to Tallahassee on my own dime if I have to fly to Tallahassee to meet with this individual. But we already have met with multiple higher-ups and Adis has been front and center on this front. That's number one. We'll make the effort before we bring it back to make a decision at the next commission meeting. That's
number one. Two, there's a lot of uncertainty right now in Tallahassee in regards to property tax reform. There isn't one person in this room that can tell you that they have a crystal ball where this where this is going to land. Nobody can tell you.
How severe a minimum is going to be. We don't know. But we do know that you can't touch police and fire, which when you look at the budget, it's the largest part of the budget. Just think about it how we're being handcuffed. By the way, I just want to be very clear. I am in favor of property tax
reform, but not at the expense of services. When you talk about maintenance, the manager hit the nail on the head. We're not in the pole business. This is not about just replacing poles if there's a hurricane. You have to now buy trucks,
boom trucks. You have to have personnel that understand this type of work. It's not that you can just use our incredibly dedicated and brilliant staff. It's a whole set of new individuals that need to be hired that are on the pension and need to be
paid for and need to be on the ready if a hurricane comes. We have hundreds [snorts] of poles. That's why L FPL has the infrastructure to be able to do this. We don't have the infrastructure. So, it's not just the millions of dollars in poles, it's the millions of dollars in the backup that
needs to be at the ready if a hurricane happens. The cost is exorbitant. When we make comments like let's use Art in Public Places money. We all know the answer to that already. I don't like to give people false hope knowing that the answer is already there
that we can't use it. It's not right because then we get emails and we have to respond and explain or get clips from the clerk where the city attorney says it once again that that money cannot be used for this type of infrastructure. Trust me. I wrote the law to use it for the white
way lights. Taking it from Art in Public Places. Two and a half I think it was two and a half million dollars or something to that effect or so. And I'm a fan and an advocate the arts, but I understand the importance and the historic significance of the white we like. We got it done.
You can't use that money here. Okay? So, um FPL I don't want to get into whether they're the good guys and you know, we're the good guys and they're the bad guys. At the end of the day, we have to work hand-in-hand with them. And I want to move forward. We're not taking action today. There's no action
item today. I will meet with the president. I've made that request. Addice is shaking your head. I will meet with the president with Addice our city manager and our city attorney. Was able to address multiple through multiple negotiations
things like the Mark to bring the Mark back into the city. To address issues like um Henry Torres's project years ago when we had issues with the trolley. I was also negotiated that issue. And got us out of a multi-million dollar legal battle that we were in.
So, I'm more than willing. But I would be gone down this rabbit hole multiple times and they're entrenched in their opinion that they want to simplify the process because of how many municipalities are dealing with. And but I want to put it again, we are receiving
the highest quality premier poles, whether you like it or not. Like Commissioner Alotta said, I'm a fan of the silver not of the fiberglass. I would rather have a silver pole that's a little bit more durable, to be honest with you. But I do like the silver more than the black. As a matter of fact
um this corridor I'd like to look at some of the poles in my neighborhood because I'm seeing them have some staining issues and I want to see if maybe that's something to do with sprinklers or has to do with the the black that's staining as a result of of the sun, but we can look at those things uh when we have a
little bit more time. So, moving forward we have in front of us the answers that we had in 2023. Nothing has changed. Nothing has changed. I want to make sure everybody's aware. We have to move forward. We cannot make
massive investments on poles where let's say we do buy them for millions and millions and millions of dollars. I cannot sleep at night knowing that I'm responsible for all of the lighting in the city of Coral Gables if it goes out. That to me is
a possible catastrophic situation when you're talking about during a hurricane or a maintenance issue. So, I think what we should do is work in conjunction with FPL. I'll meet with the president. I'll work hand-in-hand with Mayor Slesnick on this issue like the manager and I have been to Mayor
Slesnick's house, have been there in front of those poles, and I've looked at the issue. We understand what the residents want. It's clear as day. Let me see what we can do with the president, give it one final stab. I will always be willing to meet with anybody um and see how we can advocate.
I do not want to go the legal route. And I do not want to spend millions and millions and millions of dollars because it's not the investment in the poles, it's the investment in the lifelong maintenance of those poles. It would be potentially catastrophic for us. So, um I don't want to make this a
political issue. I think we need to move forward. We have a long agenda today, and I really appreciate uh Mayor Slesnick being here along with FPL. We have to take action in the next commission meeting. Okay? Mr. Clerk, Mr. Manager, I'd like to see this item back on the agenda. And I would like to have a meeting uh
with the president of FPL. I will go to Palm Beach. I will go wherever is needed uh with you. And we'll have that meeting in an effort to see if we can negotiate something further. Yes. Yes. So, if this item's going to be back on the agenda for the next commission
meeting, I um this is not an action item, but you can definitely move, and it could become an action item. I'm going to ask the city manager to please look into any other type of funding source to bring up with this item as well.
Um that's my motion. If I have a second, that would be amazing. Excuse me one second. Mr. Manager, have we already looked at every possible funding source in regards to paying for these poles? That is correct, Mayor. Okay. We can do it again. For politics, we can do it again. Who would like to
second that? Through the Mayor? Yes. Um Can I Before we Before we make it Do you have a Do you have a You want to second this? >> I would because the manager did say we could consider mobility uh impact fees when he was uh speaking earlier. So, I just Through the Mayor? Yes. So, I just
wanted clarity. Have we considered mobility already? Or have we not? Through the Mayor? Yes. Uh mobility fees are not uh we we don't get millions of millions of dollars in mobility fees. We use those for roadway improvements. We use those for resurfacing. We use those
for that. So, we would have to cut out resurfacing and some of the other major things on roads to to to pay for the for a huge differential in lighting with FP&L. So, so So, that would cause a lot of maintenance whatever we from from
what we get in in in the mobility fee. It's much a lower fee than than the parks impact fee. And if I may, Madam Vice Mayor, we've gone through all of this already. We're robbing Peter to pay Paul. So, whatever you do is going to hurt something else here in the city.
Um just like the gas fee. Gas fee that we get from from the county is continuing to drop as a result of people using more and more electric cars. These are we're losing these fees. And the Vice Mayor made a very good point. We have to be very thoughtful and be very careful in regards to preemption.
Very careful. So, I'm more than willing to have a meeting and sit down and see what we can do. We've done this before on multiple occasions. We've been trying since 2023. The only thing that is suffering right now is the neighborhoods due to a lack of lighting in the neighborhoods. Those lights have not been installed.
And it's an issue. The conduits are there many places, for example, in Mayor Levine's home. I was on site with the mayor and the and the and the city manager looking at the issue when when these [clears throat] lights were removed in 2023. Yes, sir. Through the mayor. Uh
Commissioner Lavis, I mentioned the mobility fees because that that that that's a right-of-way fee and it it it it deals with with mobility. Uh all kinds of of of mobility. So, to add more impact fees to that, we would have to justify that. It would have to be through impact fee study and we'd
have to justify additional additional car an additional increase in the mobility fee, which is which is quite difficult to do and requires a a complete study to do so. Mr. Mayor, so before we before we have a second and you regret
it, I'm going to highlight for you the decades that individuals in the Delray area have been waiting for additional traffic calming. There was a resolution that I placed that was voted in by this commission to prioritize funding from a mobility
impact fees and set out that area for traffic calming. A similar resolution was also done for the Flagler district to prioritize mobility impact fees to deal with the traffic calming and streetscape improvements in that area. These have been decades residents have
been waiting for these things. It's very difficult to justify spending millions of dollars on light poles when we still haven't taken care of these other matters first and then we can get into the discussion of sidewalks and many other things that we need to prioritize.
We also need to be very very thoughtful and careful when we talk about, for example, the Mark where if they go down the route of the county, we would have lost 7 million in impact fees. >> A million. 7 million dollars in impact fees that would have gone to the county. Just like if they some if a project, for
example, the one on East Street goes live local, we lose a lot of those impact fees, also. So, we are being attacked on all corners and we're trying to have those fees stay here in the city so that we can service the community. So, I I think we've been we've belabored this for 3 years. Let's bring this in
for a landing. I'm going to try to You made a request that you want me to have a meeting with the president. I have no issues meeting with that. I know that Otis and I are in constant communication. We talk weekly and she's made multiple meetings for me and the manager and I'm more than willing to make that meeting happen even if I have to go and drive up there. So, through the mayor? Yes. Uh
full trust in in your ability to to negotiate with FPL. Uh you've done it before. Uh you know how it works. Um I just want to make sure we don't leave any option on the table prior to us making a decision. Um so, what I ask is that, you know,
staff tries to figure out if there's any other way that we can make this happen prior to us making a decision. If I may, there is no other way of making this happen. I've already tried everything. The manager has tried everything. We've tried everything negotiating with with
FP&L. I'm going to ask one more time just to make sure that we make everyone feel restful so that when they speak to the constituents, they understand that we have crossed every T and dotted every single I. Mr. Manager, have we exhausted every
opportunity to get these poles in silver through FP&L? Yes or no? Uh yes, we have, mayor. Everything has been has has been Okay? We have a very long agenda. I'd like to move on. Mr. Director, do you have anything else? Mayor, I would not thank you. Thank you for being here and
I will keep you abreast of the meeting and um I will meet with you before I meet with the president if I'm honored to to get your guidance and your input, okay? Thank you very much. I appreciate your consideration. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And your kind words. So, thank you. Thank
you. I also want to say that um I think it's a very important um road that we travel one more time, if need be, to meet with the president of FPL. I think that that suggestion makes the most sense to me. So, Mr. Mayor, if you're going to be
taking that on to negotiate and meet with the president, I'd like to offer all of my services as well in connection with that cuz I think that's probably our best shot to get these poles back onto the catalog. But, I also think we need to come Thank you, Mr. Matthy. We also need to come to
terms after this meeting that we got to bring this to fruition. We got lighting in neighborhoods. If we're worried about safety if we say that our number one priority is safety and lighting then we got to install the poles. They've been missing since 3 years in certain neighborhoods because I hear it
especially around the golf course. People are running around the golf course. There's cars coming around every angle and every corner and there's lighting that's missing. So Yes, sir. On that point Yes, sir. because of the height of the pole that doesn't provide any more light on
the running surface than the old poles do at the lower light. And that may be something to look at, too. Maybe there's a different height to look at if you're I mean about safety. I'm jumping now to your agenda safety, so We'll make We'll We'll take that into account, Mr. Manager. Let's Let's discuss that later, okay?
Uh yes, Mayor. We We We look at photo uh photometrics and it's done through through proper proper photometrics through through throughout the site. So, we do take into >> So, we do need that into account. Please make those photometrics public and give them to the mayor and anyone who has any questions in regards to those
photometrics so they rest easy. Right. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Okay. Uh next item that we have is time certain item F2. F2 is a resolution of the city commission authorizing the temporary installation of two painted Jaguar parade sculptures as part of the original 11-piece collection on Miracle
Mile in collaboration with Jaguar parade and already authorizing the city manager or designee to execute any necessary agreements, permits, and related documents for the installation, maintenance, and removal authorizing a temporary encroachment into the public right-of-way and providing for an effective date. I'm the sponsor of this item. Uh thank you very much, Belkys.
You've done a great job. Your team has done a great job. Uh this is going to be again something special. Thank you to the ACM, the DCM, and the manager. Uh I'm looking forward to again bringing more activation to the downtown. Yep. So, if I can have the PowerPoint up.
So, as you said, the mayor mayor um you sponsored this item. It was brought to us uh by your office. This is the Jaguar Parade project. Um Jaguar Parade is an open-air art exhibit um decorated Jaguar sculptures would line uh the public right of way in some
areas. This is a project that has had international appeal. Um and so, at the end of the exhibit, all proceeds from the um auction of the statues would be um or the sculptures would be um
donated to the Jaguar conservation efforts. Um and so, in this case, we're saying that um we By the way, we're collaborating with a company called Artsy. Giovanni Passa, um which is the CEO of Artery, it's
called. Um is was trying to join by Zoom, but is unable to because he's in Brazil right now. So, we're having him create a statement, and hopefully he will be able to do that before we end this presentation. The good thing about this and again, these are temporary. This is not
>> It is temporary. >> be very clear. This is not permanent. These are just fun sculptures to bring people another opportunity to take a picture, you know, have a good time in the Gables, brand brand the Gables, kind of like what you did again. Amazing amazing with with what's on here out there right now. You can see it in the
back. So, it's just an opportunity just to, you know, get people out. Get people to have lunch, to have a drink, to shop on Miracle Mile or downtown. It's They're different artists involved. We're not saying that these are the uh two sculptures that would be uh lining the street. We're looking at the 100 the
100 block of Miracle Mile on the crosswalk right in front of McBride Plaza, where you would have those two Jaguars facing each other on the crosswalk, but we're open to other um uh possibilities. Um this would not block the uh sidewalk and
would comply with accessibility as well. And I think it's a win-win for everyone. The sculptures are um all the the costs related to any installation and um insurance and you know, deinstallation, everything is covered by the company. Um
it is meant to be outside, so it's perfectly fine uh with our weather. Um it is going to attract people, like the mayor said. It's going to bring people and people will want to take pictures. It will raise awareness for the campaign. Um and it's it it it helps us
uh be a part of something that's already an international that has international appeal. Um it's again a temporary exhibit. It would be from June 10th to July 20th, so 6 weeks. Um and they would coordinate the whole load-in and load-out and they will provide insurance.
When you look at this again, no cost. That's one of the reasons why when Belkys and I had this discussion that I thought it was a great idea. Uh economic engagement, activation. It's temporary. Um you know how I am in regards to art. And I believe there should be certain level. I think this is fun. You know,
the kids are going to love it. And at the end of the day, I'm a big fan of big cats. Um and uh preservation. I think that this is something that again brings awareness you know, to I I mean again, we don't have jaguars here, but we have the Florida panther. And any way that we can educate on conservation here in the
Everglades and in South Florida again, I think it's a win-win. So, um >> Mayor, I do want to uh point of privilege. We have the Deputy Consul Veloso of Brazil here. If he would like to say a few words, is that okay? >> That would be an honor. Please. Uh Mr. Consul, everybody, my name is
Claudio Veloso. I'm the Deputy Consul General of Brazil in charge of trade promotion and cultural affairs. It's an honor to be here. Um I just wanted to highlight that uh the upcoming World Cup will be a very
special moment for Miami and uh Coral Gables and all of the cities within Miami-Dade. And uh we believe uh the motto behind this uh Jaguar parade is very inspiration- inspirational. Uh this exhibit exhibit
has been presented at the UN uh in New York and Paris during uh COP 30 in Brazil. So, it's a the the the idea behind the exhibition it's to promote and to raise the awareness about the
need for preservation preservation of jaguars within the Americas. Some areas of the Americans of the Americas have already have reached the a point of extinction of the jaguar. So, we believe this is
very important. And the Consulate of Brazil uh supports this project. And uh Coral Gables is a very important part of uh this this area. This exhibition will be in downtown, Brickell, the Design
District, uh Miami Beach. And we believe Coral Gables is very important. We have FIFA here. We have the Brazilian Football Confederation here. are here. So, we believe uh Coral Gables is a very important part of this
project. So, we thank you for considering this. And uh we hope um Coral Gables will be part of this uh great uh project. Thank you very much. We are with Brazil. Thank you very much. And a great mention of the World Cup. Mr. Clerk, uh do you have any public comment?
Yes, Mr. Mayor. Jackson Holmes Okay. Um First of all, I want to ask your forgiveness if I went overboard in [snorts] my public comment. Because Uh secondly, I support
what you're doing here on this item. I probably American model, I support it. Uh now thirdly, I'm trying to avoid being uh punished. Uh but I have to at least try with a positive and constructive
solution. And you can remember how many emails I've sent you. I have proof Now, first of all, I'm putting myself under penalties for perjury with this, so you don't think this is a frivolous thing that I'm saying. I have proof
that that we prevented landfall or that the authorities prevented landfall of Hurricane Erin on in 2001. Hurricane landfall can be prevented. And if we go if we think back to this item here, we're we're talking about the the
life you know, this all those poles uh if if we can uh if I were city commissioner, we would get slamming on this thing. Uh and we stopped the hurricanes from making landfall, then FPL doesn't have any
problems. Maybe they could give us our pole. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir. Anything else? All right. May I entertain a motion? I'll move it. We have a second. Any further discussion? Just one point, Mr. Mayor. Um The question I have is it is during
hurricane season, do we need to remove these if there is a storm? Do they need to be covered? Um just want to make sure we we get that on the record. As part of the resolution language in the encroachment, they're responsible for removal and returning it on the site. And they're made of
fiberglass at the end of the day, correct? So, they don't weigh much. Perfect. Um, all right. You have a motion and a second. Yes, sir. Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes. Commissioner Castro. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner Lago. So, I love these activations, Belkys. And I
think that um when you had the one before where it was like Coral Gables, right? And now with these Jaguars, and like the mayor said, the ability to create more interest in visitors to come and have fun in our city and create these moments where
people can take some photos, upload them on social media, they become sort of agents of marketing for our city beautiful. So, I think this is whimsical, it's doing something good by raising awareness. Thank you very much for your comments, you know, regarding Brazil and the importance of raising
awareness for the preservation preservation of these beautiful animals. So, and thank you, Mayor, for for bringing this before us. So, my vote's yes. Mayor Lago. Yes. Um, thank you for the giving me the credit where the credit deserves. The credit goes to Belkys and her team. Thank you. Just wanted to say the CEO
just emailed us cuz he couldn't join and he says that he's very happy and thankful. Um, and that we're he's happy that Coral Gables is now part of this international program. Thank you. To our Brazilian friends, Mr. Consul, thank you so much. It's a pleasure and an honor to have you here. Thank you,
sir. Looking forward to doing many other things with you. Uh, time certain agenda item 817. Mr. Mayor, uh, if since it's a septic issue, can we take a septic break before? 5 minutes. 5 minute break, we will be back at
12:13. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> All right, we're ready. All right, let's get started. Item H-17. Mr. Director, how long are we looking at in regards to this presentation? Uh, 15 minutes tops.
Okay, we'll try to make it a little faster. We'll do it in 10. All right. Thank you. No pressure. How are you? Yes. Hello. Mr. Manager. Thank you very much. Thank you, Commissioner. Just want to be very, very clear that we're not proposing
septic to sewer. This is a study that was funded by by the state that really is going to help us with with with our knowledge of our system and and and actually help us if there's if there's any state or federal monies later on that that we can use.
So, I just want to make make very clear that we're this is not a proposal for septic to sewer. This is a study of our city that that will help us in in case those monies become available. Okay. Thank you very much. All right. So, [clears throat] well,
we'll do our best to be brief. So, before we start, I'd like to as a matter of introduction, Paula Davalos on behalf of Ardurra and the 300 Group who prepared this master plan. Here's a planning level data driven road map
so that we can proactively plan for the future and pursue funding opportunities when they become available. Billy, if you could please put up the presentation. Yep. Okay, good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and Commissioners. We're very
happy to be here to present the citywide septic to sewer master plan. The objectives of today are to present our key findings, our overall technical analysis that we
did and how this will be prioritized for the future and discuss results of public outreach efforts as well as receive any feedback from the city commission. So currently about 50% of the city is
serviced by septic tanks. That's approximately 7,655 properties. Many of these do not meet the current standards. The purpose of the citywide septic to sewer plan is threefold. One is protecting water
quality, protecting Biscayne Bay and local waterways as these are, you know, major tourist major tourism industry for Miami-Dade County and we are looking forward to reduce pollution and
degradation of the waterways. In addition to address aging and failing septic systems and provide a more resilient and robust centralized sewer system and provide a phased roadmap for
implementation for the future once, you know, funding becomes available or um for the next steps of this program. On the legislative side, both on the state level and on the county level,
there are certain regulations that uh promote uh addressing septic septic areas and providing centralized sewer system. We have House Bill 1379 which requires that any uh
that this one requires um the conversion of septic to sewer for environmentally sensitive areas including um Indian River and other counties as indicated on the slide. Um so it really focuses on any
vulnerable regions within the the state. Additionally, there's another house bill which became effective July 1st, 2025 that allows utilities to use uh existing sewer revenues for system expansion such as septic to sewer.
On the county level, one important thing to note is that conventional septic systems or type one uh systems are no longer permitted for new installations or full replacement. In other words, if
um a septic tank reaches the end of its useful life, that one would have to be replaced with an advanced nutrient removal system which is a lot more expensive. It can cost upwards of $65,000 or more per property. Currently within the city, we have on on
on the left shown um little dots that you might not be able to see on the slide, but that represents where the septic tank locations are. Additionally, the city's uh sewer system is composed of 35 sewer basins and pump stations,
many miles of gravity mains and forced mains, and a robust infrastructure to convey all the wastewater from these areas um to a point of connection with Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department for ultimate disposal and treatment
as Coral Gables is a volume sewer customer of Miami-Dade County. Uh for the public, some of the main benefits of this program are that there will be no future maintenance costs for their septic tanks
um and they uh property owners wouldn't have to bear the cost to repair or replace their septic systems. >> [snorts] >> And additionally, it allows everybody to pitch in their grain of of of sand and better protect the environment and human
health. There are some key reasons why septic tanks are not the best for Florida, and they were uh originally installed throughout South Florida because of rapid growth of our
areas. However, the main issues are that we have a limestone bedrock that is porous and does not facilitate the natural degradation of contaminants. We have a high groundwater table, so that doesn't give enough space within the soil for those uh contaminants to break
down. And we have issues with flooding, which can cause septic tanks to overflow. And And then we have, you know, risks to the environment and public health. >> [clears throat] >> Um the distance between the ground
elevation and where the septic tank is located is a very key aspect. Um there is a minimum of 42 in of separation that is needed for effective treatment. However, when when that amount of space
is not um available, that leads to system failure. It and reduce treatment efficiency. Additionally, sea level rise it further reduces the separation over time, which increases the vulnerability.
>> [snorts] >> So part of our study was looking at many years worth of data um as far as certain contaminants and parameters that are linked to septic tanks. Um we we found that nitrogen and phosphorus was
uh found in in levels that are above the the parameter limit threshold. Um additionally, something that we found very interesting was the um we found um the presence of sucralose in the Coral Gables waterways. And
what's interesting about that is in the case of phosphorus and nitrogen, you could attribute that to runoff or to fertilizers or to other things. But, in the case of sucralose, the only way that that could be present in the waterways is through human consumption
and human waste as it doesn't not occur in naturally in the environment. So, this shows us that there is uh there is uh an impact of septic tanks from Coral Gables and it's not just a localized impact. We also did a travel
time study that indicates that these nutrients, these contaminants can travel up to 1,900 ft in 1 year. So, that shows that there is a broad impact of what these septic tank failures could cause. So, as part of our study, we have
preliminarily developed um 19 new sewer basin areas. And what a sewer basin is is pretty much just an area that you're going to collect all of the sewer to a central pump station and then that's going to pump the wastewater to a force main system. So, as I mentioned, half of the
city currently has 35 pump stations. What we're proposing for the other half is 16 new basins as well as six expansions of the 35 existing basins. So, it's really um
an optimal way to to treat and to well to collect this wastewater. And you see that all the areas are different shapes and sizes. It all has to do with very specific considerations of the topography and the
best way to collect that wastewater. So, furthermore, we have a full detailed prioritization plan and ranking system that's um where each of these new basins and basin expansions were
evaluated based on specific environmental environmental vulnerability criteria including the proximity of each septic tank to surface water, the vulnerability to failure, flood risk, soil drainage, nutrient loading um and then that [clears throat] along
with some weighing factors specific to the impact of each of these were implemented to see what is the ranking of which areas should maybe need a attention first if that's the case. Now, this is not necessarily the way that
things need to be done. It's just based on vulnerability and environmental criteria. Here we have an example of our conceptual layout for one of the basins, one of the 16 basins, but since you want to keep it the 10 minutes, I won't show
you all 16. Um but basically these conceptual layouts um are in a very detailed engineering planning level analysis. They have information as far as the the recommended pipe sizes, the hydraulic
slopes, the uh confirmation of minimum cover of pipes and lateral. So, there is a a detailed analysis that went into this. Um for each basin, we also have a planning level cost estimate and a distribution of the infrastructure that
would be needed within the right-of-way. This is an example of a of a basin expansion. The existing basin includes the area the properties that are highlighted in yellow. So, by extending the pipe system, we can cover a larger
area and be able to service many more properties at a lesser cost than it would be to develop a new basin as you know a pump station itself typically it increases the cost quite a a of one of these sewer projects.
Here we have just an example of a what a sewer pump station could look at look like. This is a an example within the Coco Plum area. Um where it has specific hedging and aesthetic requirements that were coordinating with coordinated with the
with the community. Um and that's, you know, the way that typically the city does these projects is coordinating beforehand to lessen the visual impact of the location of the pump stations. And um each of the proposed pump
stations would have would be submersible with odor control systems. They're not loud. They won't be a nuisance to the community. >> [snorts] >> As I mentioned, the city is a volume sewer customer Miami-Dade County. Currently, there's a single point of
connection where all of the city's wastewater flows then go through a flow meter to connect to Miami-Dade County for treatment and disposal. Currently, all the city's flows are being treated and disposed in the central district wastewater treatment plant. One big
component of this master plan is the recommendation of a redundant force main point of connection to the county. This is being coordinated currently with water and sewer department, but it is a very
critical recommendation as it provides critical backup and reduces the risk of service disruptions during emergency conditions. We also have here what it would cost for with property owners more or less. This is
county averages. So, we have all of the improvements that are within the right of way. Um and then these improvements that we're showing here are what typically goes involved is involved into abandoning an a septic tank and making a connection to
the new source system within the private property. So, on county average, it's about 16,600. However, this may vary um based on the specific property condition, size, and how the plumbing is
laid out. So, overall, um including all the 16 new pump station basins and the basin expansions, we're looking at about $409 million as a planning level uh estimate for what
this would take. And And Paul, if I may add, that does not include the cost of that secondary connection, which is something that we're still evaluating and working with Miami-Dade County um to to confirm the proper location and expense. Yeah.
So, um you know, we understand it's it's a big number. Definitely, it's it's very much in line with um other you know, local municipalities within South Florida and what their estimates are. Um so, again, this is the point of this is
to have a road map, to have a very good idea of what it would take, and then based on that, you know, um being able to pursue additional funding opportunities to reduce some of that cost. Um additionally, we have two examples of
in the case uh just just general information of how the specific cost per parcel could be distributed over time. Um and we have two examples, one of them in
a basin where there's um there's it's it's a low end, it's on the low end where the cost impact would be about $29,000 per parcel. And then we have an another example where it could be up to $100,000 per parcel. Again, it just has to do with
the infrastructure and how it's laid out. Just to give you an idea of what I mean. If there's like a basin where, you know, the properties are very large, so you need to do, you know, install all this infrastructure for less amount of properties, the cost
per property is going to be higher when you look at it like that, rather than if there are many more properties within an area, then you know, the distribution of the cost per parcel comes out to be lower. So, another thing, this is one of the last things that we
wanted to bring up is that we did a very comprehensive public outreach campaign as part of this septic to sewer plan. We've had 11 public meetings. Many of them were held in this same room here. And, you know, we've listened to the
community, listened to the feedback, to the shock, to the support, to all the different opinions from the residents. The outreach was composed of issuing resident notification flyers to each property owner prior to the public
meetings. We have a septic to sewer website with links to all the meetings and information basin lookup where any property owner could type the name, type their address, and they could see what proposed basin they fall in, when the
community meeting is for that area, etc. And we also did a a survey. A survey that was available online, and we also brought it physical physically printed copies to each of the meetings to get resident feedback.
So, in a nutshell, um the the general the general takeaways is that more or less the community is pretty knowledgeable on you know the issue with septic tanks and what a a centralized
source system is etc. But the main concern is funding. So that's the main barrier and the main concern which is why it's so critical that we're doing this master plan is so that we can address that and have a clear understanding of what needs to be done
to appease that concern. Uh to summarize >> [clears throat] >> the the main aspect of this master plan is to establish a long-term road map to force septic to sewer transition to be
proactive and aware of of the legislation changes so that the city can be positioned to have this ready to go when and if the need comes. Um to you know position the city ahead
of these regulatory trends and enable the city to have projects that are ready to go to pursue grants and financing opportunities. So adopting the master plan at this time is not a commitment to implementation. It's a commitment to preparedness,
responsible planning, and maintaining the your own control over future decisions. Um rather than being reactive um when there is a need an emergency or a future regulatory mandate.
And with that, thank you so much for for your time and we'll open it up if you have any questions. Uh thank you very much. I just have one question due to the time constraints that we have. And not a question more of a request. Mr. Manager, can you put this on our website?
I'd like to see a tab septic to sewer discussion uh our tab so that people when they have questions about that I'd like them to see this presentation, see what we've done, the efforts of staff, how much we've done here, that we are looking for alternatives, we're not looking to pass the buck onto the residents. We want to
find options for the future and we are prepared for the future. We're not going to do this. We want to be the first to the table when there's financing options. >> Exactly. So, I want to show people that that this already that we've done a lot of work. They are our our our team has done a lot of work and that again leave it out there for outside
consultants, maybe, you know, people come up with new ideas, you never know. They can use all our information to work collaboratively in an effort to find a solution for this major major infrastructure issue. Certainly, Mayor, we can put it on our website and what you said is it's absolutely correct. This is for
informational purposes only. It's a preparation item that we've done planning so that that allows us to be ready in case there is any financing available. Yes. >> Thank you. Through the Mayor. Yes. I just wanted to give you all a a little bit of an update. You know, I did send out a letter to the residents. One of
the things that I invited people to do is to reach out to me if they were interested in pursuing uh septic to sewer conversion. And they did look on our website at their particular basins cuz I asked them to do that first uh before we uh move to the next step.
And um there are discussions about having additional sub meetings within in the residential community um to uh determine how many people are interested in actually doing it. So, uh the biggest concerns that I
encountered for folks are mostly for the elderly. Uh this is a big expense and I think it's one of the things that we have to highlight in our legislative priorities to be able to provide a funding source for those folks. And there are other things I think that
we need to discuss with our lobbyist as as far as funding sources and whether they're I know the county has a program as well to help out folks do this septic to sewer uh conversion. Um but the reality is we have two mandates.
One is the life of the septic tank. When it fails, you're going to end up spending more money on replacing that septic tank than you would on converting to sewer. And there are no grant funds available for replacing that septic tank to help
people out. Just not. But there are grant funds available to do the septic to to sewer conversion. And if I had my um my wish come true, there would be also uh additional funding for folks that are of limited income,
who are elderly and cannot afford to do handle this themselves. Uh it is a huge problem. In addition to sucralose throughout our waterway starting at Red Road comes the appearance of human fecal count.
It's in the water testing. One of the reasons I started the no no dog waste in the trash pits thing is because there was also dog waste indicated. People don't realize our pipes all connect to the waterway. So, those are some of the points. Um I
hope we can get these um community meetings done. And um the Riviera basins were was one consistent area where I had more than one person contact me. There are other basins that contacted me and individual. But that's the most vulnerable
uh that has contacted me thus far. That cuz it's touching the waterway. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Great work by our team. Thank you very much. Thank you. All right. I have uh before we go to our break, I'm going to take consent because we missed that.
Before the vote adopting the consent agenda is taken, is there anyone who wishes additional discussion or review of any item on the consent agenda? Yes, I'd like to uh I'd like to pull item D1.
I I would like to pull D1 just as to um one member of the proposed board, Mrs. Maria Cruz. Okay. Um before pulling the item, can I get on can I get a vote on the consent agenda
with a without agenda item D1? I'll move it. I'll second. All in favor? I. I. Thank you. All right. In reference to item D1, um I'm pulling it just in reference to one individual that I do not feel
comfortable supporting and not having been nominated is Maria Cruz for that position. I have a presentation that I'd like to show if possible that I've worked on. So, I think that we, you know, there's there's a lot of words that are used here from members of the community,
retaliation or uh reprisal or you know, uh what I think that we need to look at things is qualifications and the and whether a person is fit to serve
on a on a on a on a city board that is quasi-judicial and at the end of the day has uh massive powers in regards to the residents of this community. So, I put this presentation. I think it's important that everyone take a look
at it so you can get an understanding of what I think are issues that we're facing here now. Um when you look at when you look at her appointment, um I think she's unfit to serve on the Code Enforcement Board. A board that requires fairness and impartial judgment.
The role is quasi-judicial and requires individuals who can separate personal grievances from what is best for the greater good. Mrs. Cruz has repeatedly demonstrated that she cannot do so. She lacks the temperament, credibility, and character necessary to serve.
Rather than rather than approaching code enforcement matters with fairness and professional- professionalism, she has shown a pattern of vindictive and targeted behavior towards residents she disagrees with personally or politically. Case in point, an individual who has worked with me in the past.
Her conduct towards the residents residents of 722 Aledo is a prime example. After the residents attached an orchid to a street tree with pins, code enforcement reviewed and issued what they determined to be an appropriate notice of
violation. That should have been the end of it. Instead, Mrs. Cruz relentlessly contacted and pressured Deputy Director Doug Ramirez over a period of weeks demanding harsher penalties beyond what staff deemed appropriate. As you can see here in the emails that
were put before This was not the conduct This was not the conduct of a concerned resident seeking compliance. It was the conduct of someone weaponizing the code enforcement process against individuals she targeted. The fact that these residents worked on
my re-election campaign only makes the matter more disturbing. Maria Cruz went to this person's house, looked at the orchids, and then turned them in subsequently, and wrote emails to try to make sure this person was fined and held to the highest
standard. What they were trying to do was just beautify the neighborhood with some orchids. The code enforcement board cannot become a platform for personal vendettas, political retaliation, or harassment. Yet, Mrs. Cruz's actions demonstrate exactly that. Someone who repeatedly pressures staff
because they are dissatisfied with professional professional determinations has no business serving in a quasi-judicial capacity. Her history also has raised serious concerns about honesty and integrity. Mrs. Cruz is at the center of an investigation involving fraudulent signatures from last year's
failed recall campaign against me. Even more troubling is her prior involvement in misappropriation of approximately $69,000 from student club accounts while employed at Miami Beach Senior High School. According to reports, the incident resulted in her transfer from the school, a formal letter of reprimand,
restitution payments, and probation. Board members are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and fairness. Mrs. Cruz's record demonstrates the opposite. Residents of the city deserve board members who are
capable of exercising sound judgment, not individuals who appear motivated by personal grudges and political animosity. For all of those reasons, I strongly oppose oppose the the appointment of Mrs. Cruz for the Code Enforcement Board. Before we Before we leave this, I also
like to go to the second phase the second phase of this presentation. These are three individuals that were brought forth here to this commission that are more than competent individuals who have a long history of service, some
of them even elected officials, past elected officials, some of them family members of past elected officials. One of them at the point was not the board was not the was not the president of the chamber, but is now the president of the chamber. And both Commissioner Castro and
Commissioner Fernandez voted against them. Let me read them to you. Nicholas Cabrera, who I'm my nominee to the Board of Adjustment, Commissioner Castro voted against. Former Commissioner Chip Withers, nominated by Vice Mayor Anderson for the Planning and Zoning Board, Commissioner
Castro and Fernandez both voted against this individual. Individual who has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in philanthropy to this community, has served this community with distinction, and has been a pillar of this community. George Adisueta, whom I nominated for the Board of Adjustment, Commissioner
Castro and Fernandez both voted for the uh this against this individual. This is a gentleman who lived in the city for many, many years and during moments uh that he was facing moved out of the city and now has become the Chamber Chair, President, excuse me. He
was voted against, a person who has served on many different boards, has had major uh employment uh with Fortune 500 companies, a person who's more than capable and competent competent to board to serve on the Board of Adjustments. My point is this, this is not a personal issue, this is an issue about putting
people on boards who are competent and can serve. I don't want to hear that, you know, it's a vendetta when I can show you clear examples of people that are incredibly competent, [clears throat] who people who have served here, who are not afforded the same privileges. So, that's um my reasoning why I'll be
opposing that appointment. Through the mayor. Yes. I passed out a copy of an email that I sent to Mrs. Curry Maria Cruz on February 18th, 2025 as further evidence as to the uh in unfitness to be appointed to this
very important board. This was in 2025. The email was sent to Ms. Maria Cruz. Copied was the police chief and the fire chief. Good evening, Ms. Cruz. It has come to my attention that an individual observed you
and the president of the fire union near your car with approximately half a dozen campaign signs for my re-election campaign and that of another candidate. The individual then approached you and inquired whether you were distributing campaign signs for my campaign and that
of the other candidate. You responded that you had picked them up from lawns of property owners that you claimed you spoke to that had contacted you rather than my campaign. You asserted that the owners stated that they never requested the signs. Your
activities removing signs also coincides with reports from residents of theft of my campaign signs and request for me to drop off replacement signs. I have since personally redelivered signs to individuals that requested them again.
Accordingly, demand is hereby made for return of all yard signs to man my campaign that are in your possession, custody, or control, or in the possession, custody, or control of others pursuant to your direction. Demand is further made that you cease
and desist from removing any further yard signs from any property or instructing others to remove said signs. Residents who believe that signs were provided to them in error can easily report the inaccurate delivery themselves. My campaign website provides a means for
residents to contact me directly. Lastly, please be advised the Florida Statutes 812.014 provides that removal of property valued under $20 from private property is theft and is punishable as provided in Florida
Statute Section 775. 082 or Section 775.083. Please govern yourself accordingly. What I didn't include in there for you was the fact that I delivered all my signs myself
pursuant to messages that I received from residents. I never received a response from you. I did get a call from each of the chiefs. I declined to press charges against you
or the president of the fire union because although because this is just a petty theft but when it comes to being reappointed to a very powerful board to our city this is not the conduct that we should be endorsing.
To the mayor. Yes. Yeah. I mean, I sit here in complete disbelief. And the things that we are bringing up, number one, I don't even know they're true or not at
this point in the day because it's sad how this body behaves. This is a resident, a resident that's been serving that comes to every commission meeting. Okay? Whether you like her or not,
she's been very present. And if I don't um maybe if you don't remember, she stood in your living room a grand portion of your election
and agenda reviews. And you called her mayor yourself. So, it comes to a surprise that this is coming right after violating her first amendment right. So, if this doesn't seem like
retaliation, I don't know what does. Um I'm going to go ahead and note again this raises serious questions about what happened during last commission meeting. And I really hope this is not going to incur even bigger
legal implications. This also creates an appearance of viewpoint discrimination despite all the evidence you guys tried to bring from 2025 and things I never even heard of. And lastly, residents
should not fear retaliation for speaking publicly. And as we can also see, this carries on. This is not only Maria Cruz. This is other residents. Mr. Reponds was up here fearing the words that would come out of his mouth
because of retaliation or if or or or for not letting him talk. So, this is my appointee. It's a shame that we have to This is an embarrassment to this city, honestly. A big one. That we have to bring this upon This is
just ridiculous. I think it's beneath the office of all of us. Anyone else? Through the mayor? Yes. So, I think there's some interesting things that were said. And I thought you were talking about yourself. Um weaponizing code enforcement against
political adversaries. During my campaign, numerous people reached out to me because after they put up my yard signs, code enforcement was on them. You talked about not putting personal grievances before the public good. You
do that every single commission meeting. You mentioned three votes that were taken against your appointees. I can speak to the two that I voted against. I did vote against Chip Withers getting up reappointed or appointed because of
the premise where somebody was being retaliated against because they had supported Commissioner Castro and myself. On Mr. Aris Urdaneta, he is the president of the chamber today, but at the time, I voted against him because he
was not a resident of the city. And that is a stance that I have taken up here time and again. I have voted in favor of the vice mayor's appointee to the um disability advisory board because she is
the most qualified and we did not have somebody in the city who could serve that role. That's the exception that I have made when it comes to appointing non-residents to the city cuz that was a commitment I made to residents cuz I believe that if we have an advisory board on City of Coral Gables affairs,
they should be Coral Gables residents who sit on those boards. And we had plenty of qualified people to serve on the Board of Adjustment as we have found numerous others who have been appointed since, including your current appointee. I may not agree with him politically on
some of the things he does. He's constantly bashing me out there with false information that he's trying to spread about me, and I still supported because he was your appointee. Now, you don't like when people say this is retaliation, but this is exactly what
it is. This is exactly what it is. You violated her First Amendment right last commission meeting. I said it last commission meeting. That was a decision three of you made. Even against the advice of the city
attorney. Today, you're going to then retaliate against her a second time. It is sad when the government of Coral Gables is worse than the government of Nicolas Maduro and Raul Castro.
And that's what we're living today. We're under We're living under political oppression. Where every chance you get, Mr. Mayor, you call people to make threats against me, against my wife, against members of our family. And I'm quite honestly fed up with it.
Man up. You're not 2 years old anymore. This is not kindergarten. This is not your little playground where you can say, "Oh, I don't want you to play in this playground." Commissioner Melissa Castro and Commissioner [clears throat] Ariel Fernandez were elected by the residents
of the City of Coral Gables, and you have not a duty, a responsibility to work with us when we're here. And just because you disagree with a resident, you do not have the right to silence them or to persecute them or to retaliate against them.
But you do it on a daily basis. When I'm getting calls from people who tell me that you are getting more aggressive every day, that I should be concerned about my safety and my wife's safety, we have a problem in Coral Gables.
This city before you became mayor was the model for everybody to follow. Where are we today? You like to point the fingers at everybody else. Everybody else is to blame for all your problems. I have heard from numerous mutual friends that you blame me for
every single problem in your life. Well, look in the mirror. I don't blame you for problems in my life. My problems are my own problems. Your problems are your own. You have caused your own problems. Retaliation under my watch is not going
to happen. I will support reappointing Maria Cruz to this board because to this point, as far as I know, she has done her job on that board. I have yet to hear from a single member of that board who has raised a concern about her behavior in that board. And
you like to bring up a lot of historic information, which is inaccurate, too. Cuz the vice mayor has corrected Maria Cruz's issue in the school board. She read the letter that the school board provided her, which corrected that record. And you like to bring up the the issue
of your friend who, according to you, was just trying to beautify the city, but you've persecuted other people for similar things. So, if somebody else does it, it is a problem and you submit the complaint to code enforcement.
Yet, if your friend does it, they're just trying to beautify the city. That's the way you look at it. There was No, I'm not done. Because you made several comments. >> You mentioned that everybody you have appointed is a more than competent
individual. Some of the accusations that you have made against Maria Cruz can qualify under other people who are under investigation, who have been investigated, who have been prosecuted. They're your appointees.
And you know what I have done with those appointees? I have voted to support them. Because you, as a member of this dais, have the right to appoint whoever you'd like to these boards. That is your decision. That is Commissioner Castro's decision.
Now, if we're only going to hold a standard to the people that Commissioner Castro or Commissioner Fernandez nominate, then we really need to review this process. Because there's definitely a problem. Because just the fact that you're the mayor and you have a majority does not
mean you get to dictate what everybody else does. You don't get to make those decisions for everybody else. And residents stood clear on that when they voted on the item on removing members of boards.
It was an overwhelming vote against your proposition. So, you can grandstand all you want about, you know, this person has done this to me and we can't reappoint them because they're just not qualified, but let's
talk facts. You violated her first amendment right last time. Now you are retaliating against her this time just because she has spoken out against some of your proposals, and you don't like anybody differing opinions with you.
You don't like anybody going out there and speaking against what Vince Lago believes is the right way to move for the city of Coral Gables. Just like you don't like the fact that you have two differing voices up here who sometimes disagree. Cuz let's face it,
95% of the time we vote unanimously. We disagree on a minuscule number of the things in the city. Yet for that 5% Commissioner Castro and myself, along with our families,
are retaliated against and persecuted in Coral Gables because we have the audacity not to support Vince Lago 100% of the time. And that's disappointing because that's not Coral Gables. That's not the Coral Gables that George Merrick founded.
Today we had a veteran here who's 101 years old, has lived in Coral Gables 78 years, and the one thing he told us, the Constitution is the one thing that we have to stand for. And last commission meeting, this
commission voted 3-2 against the US Constitution. America has stood 250 years because of the great doctor and because of the people like him. But it does definitely has not stood because of people who have stood up and started retaliating and
violating the constitutional rights of other members of this community. That's unacceptable. And you have an opportunity to reset today and now. As I've told you numerous times, I am here to work for the residents of Coral Gables.
When the Miami Herald asked me about the upcoming election, my response was, "My job is to be a commissioner, not a candidate." And that's what I'm here doing. And we have five people on this dais. And I believe that at least four of us are interested
in working on the benefits of this city, not personal interest. And I think that we can all set our differences aside or our personal grievances and focus on the public good, as you just said, should be the bar that we set
for the people that we appoint to boards. That needs to be applied to ourselves on this dais as well. Those are my thoughts. Commissioner would you like to respond before I respond? Sure. Um a second. And first thing I'd like to
say is we all need to try the decaf, right? Everybody should take a sip of decaf going forward. I believe that um we should all emphasize being statesmen and a lot less being well, what we've been seeing for quite
some time on the dais. This is not a rubber stamping enterprise when somebody's nominated to be on a board. It's been evidenced before. Any one of us here has, during a previous vote, either said yes or said
no for our particular reasons. I disagree, however, that anyone has violated um uh First Amendment rights, um as you referred to in the last meeting. In fact, I I took a moment to uh to comment. And the first time I've ever
done that, really, at a public comment uh from a speaker. I I commented that Mrs. Maria Cruz spoke uh professionally, ethically, uh calmly, and got across her points without being provocative or inciting or
trying to uh escalate or or take actions that could lead to people saying things they may regret or that's not becoming of uh the the serious work that we do here in these chambers. I would not say that's what I thought
the last commission meeting in her expression embodied, but certainly this time. And I thought it was worth making that that point, noting it. Um so, in the end I I I believe that before we go around hurling accusations
that people are are retaliating because, you know, that's a very serious term. It's a very serious accusation that that's being made. Um Commissioner Fernandez, I did mention at the last meeting that as you're saying that there was um retaliation by this commission.
Uh from uh comments being made during the public comment section. I reminded you that it wasn't even a year ago that when Gonzalo Sanabria had made comments from the public uh comment section uh towards you expressing his uh
profound displeasure uh of the the hiring of uh former city manager Amos Amos Rojas that you immediately stated from what I would characterize the bully pulpit that your lawyers would be con- contacting him shortly for having made those statements.
And you could have chosen to do this a hundred different ways. You could have had your lawyers just contact him. You didn't need to broadcast that to the city in a with the finger basically pointed at him saying, "How dare you say anything to me that's displeasing?" I'm not saying that that's uh behavior
that I would be supportive of, but I I I feel the need that if you're saying that that's what's been going on here, you need to take a look at yourself in the mirror. I'm here. I mean, I just want once the commissioner's done. You done, sir?
Want to make sure I respect. The the I just think it's worth repeating one more time. We we all need to remind ourselves and act as the collegial body that we are here at this dais. I try and lead by example. I'm only human as we all are.
But um this is not the time. And the residents are more than tired. I am of political grandstanding. Let's just get to the business of the people and move on. Thank you very much. Um, I think one of the one of the big issues here obviously
is the effort to force you over the edge. Uh, tomorrow you can make headlines in the paper of Le Bop, the blogs. We're very well aware of what we have here. What I find very interesting from Ariel, and I've known him for a long time, is
the ridiculousness with the grandstanding comment. There hasn't one been one piece of consequential legislation that you've written in 3 years of collecting a paycheck here. And the funny thing you said the other day is that I'm a Republican and Republicans try to limit their government. Remember,
in government, you need legislation to move government forward. That statement of less government is the most absurd statement I've ever heard in my life in regards to actually delivering on your privileged
service. The vague accusations that have been hurled here for years about problems and you know, temperament and uh threats. The people vote.
They voted in the referendums that were clear what they wanted. They won in November elections. They wanted to overturn and ensure that they had controls over salary increases. They wanted to make sure that there was an IG when you voted against an IG. Both of you did. But what I'm trying to explain to you,
and I I know you want to cover it up and you don't want to face it. The reason why this is a major issue and the reason why I bring up the issue with Aledo is very simple. Let's refocus and recalibrate. You have a member of
this board who went out of her drove to an individual's house who works for me and turned them into the city via public record and email. And in probably half a dozen emails, requested that that person be fined,
not warned. You don't see me engaging in an email with that individual trying to get him off that warning. No, but she wanted to make sure she nailed him to the cross and made him pay. Over and over and over again,
as a city member on that board, as a person who turned that individual in, made sure that they were held to the highest standard and that they were fined. If you think that's appropriate, if one of my members did that on a board, I would remove them immediately.
Because that doesn't show, in my opinion, prudent judgment. And when you talk about majorities, let me not let me not have to remind you the over 1 year of Amos Rojas and the stunt that you pulled here when you brought Amos Rojas here into the middle
of a commission meeting and uh basically allowed for a person to take over the city who would leave by 1:00 and receive the $365,000 payment. And you didn't care about my input. You rammed it down everybody's throat. I
asked for I asked for a search. You didn't want to do it. So, at the end of the day, you had over 2 years of complete and control here in the city. And not one piece of consequential legislation was passed. Neither city
hall, neither mobility hub, nothing was done. The city was frozen in place. So, if you think it's appropriate that a member of the code enforcement board goes out of their way, drives to a person's house, turns that person in, and then repeatedly deals with code
enforcement in an effort to get that person fined. I don't think that's appropriate and I can't stand with that. And if you tell me that Chip Withers is not a person who I believe is is should be on any boards in the city, whether I disagree with him or not, that guy has paid his dues and you have to
respect him. That guy did a great job in the city, even though I may not have agreed with everything he did. He gave up over a dozen years of his life to serve this community. At the end of the day, if he wants to serve on a board and give of his time, I don't know how you vote against that individual. So,
at the end of the day, you know, we can talk about vague accusations and all that kind of ridiculous things. You've been throwing those out for I don't know how long already and at the end of the day, the residents see through it. You're not going to get me to go absolutely nuts here on the on the commission floor. I'm not supporting, just like you didn't you have not
supported previous individuals in the past. It's within my right not to support that person. I have actual proof of why that person shouldn't be on a board. I provided it here. It won't make the Gazette tomorrow or the or the whatever they call Cafe con Leche, but at the end of the day,
um it's there. You have a board member, a sitting board member, who goes and turns that person in and intentionally tries to hurt a resident. If you think that's okay and you want your board member to do that, then you're well within your right. But
please don't tell me that that I'm the one doing retaliation when I get calls from FDLE, the IG and the COE that before the laws were changed, you were the biggest proponent of turning people in using, again, false false and ambiguous statements and
you know, it's clear as day how many people you turned in to the COE when they used to allow you to do anonymous anonymous uh recommendations. Everybody in this county knows that you've done it to multiple elected officials. You've done it to people in
this city. You've done it all over. So, at the end of day this is simple. No one here's having an argument. You have a an opinion. I have my own opinion. I cannot support that individual. And at the end of the day we move forward. We move forward. Don't take it personal.
I didn't take it personal when you didn't vote for Chip Withers or for or for Nick or for George Addis who are that very competent people. It's okay. You didn't vote for them. You're taking this way too personal. Don't worry about it. >> I'll throw the mayor No, one one second. The vice mayor was next. So, I need I need to finish up on um
some of the incorrect statements that were made. Ms. Cruz was my appointee to the code enforcement board. Long before the yard signs were stolen and I chose not to press charges, I received numerous calls
from individuals not only who served on the board but people that have been in the audience asking me for to remove her. The code enforcement board has much different criteria than any other board in our city.
Because it's subject to a Florida statute that prohibits the removal of a board member except for cause. Had I chosen to press charges I would have had the cause. I chose not to.
But that doesn't mean that reappointment to the same board is appropriate. As far as decorum whether on that board or other boards, that has been lacking. I can tell you that after
the meeting we had the last time and the lack of decorum that was displayed by Mrs. Cruz, there were some people that had been thinking about running for office that said no way. We need to get this commission
back to a status of ethical behavior and decorum both by not only the commission, but the residents that choose to just come up here and speak. The type of behavior that was displayed
is discouraging good people from running cuz they don't want to have to go through this. Cuz no matter what you do, you're not ever going to keep everybody happy. And to have to be facing that when you're trying when you're giving up so much of your time
so much of your personal time, so much of your professional time to have to be badgered with comments while you're serving is just unseemly in this little city that should rise to a much higher
standard. So, the reasons are clear. They weren't invented yesterday. It was February 18th, 2025. As reported by a resident, yard signs that were requested from me
that I personally delivered. There was no mistake on where they were placed. The excuse that Mrs. Cruz gave that they were delivered where people didn't request them was just a false statement.
Not only was a false statement, but when I hand delivered them for people that I had gotten information from that wanted them, I also left a a handwritten note with the signs thanking people for supporting me and providing my personal number.
If it was misdelivered by mistake, and I do make mistakes, they could simply call me or text me. I have nothing further to state. Yeah, go ahead. So, you know, you like to talk about Amos Rojas. Amos Rojas was the first at the at City
Hall every morning. And usually the last to leave. I don't know where you've gotten this premise that he would leave at 1:00. Amos Rojas served under two US presidents as US Marshal. I guess in your book that makes him
unqualified. You kept talking about, "Oh, we can't trust Amos Rojas." Amos Rojas, I believe to this day still has a top secret security clearance given by the US government. Getting that is a lengthy process and
not easy to get. And you have must be a person of full integrity to get it. You said a lot of things in your little monologue. But I'll tell you this. You have to go and sleep at night. I really don't know how you sleep with
yourself at night. Because of the amount of things that you said that are just completely false. And you forget of the people up here. There's only two people in this room who know you better than anybody else.
And that's Maria Cruz and Ariel Fernandez. For 10 years we sat in your living room going over every single piece of legislation. And what you wanted and you always said it, "I have to be the one that passes the most legislation so that I can seem like the most successful."
I stand by my statement. I don't understand this whole thing that you said about it's absurd to you. A government that over-regulates its people is not a Republican principle. It may be in your book but it's not a Republican principle.
And we have passed many great things in this city since I've been up here. We created the senior relief grant program. First of its kind in the city, where we're actually giving a check to the most needy seniors in our community. We passed the disabled veterans relief
grant program to all the disabled veterans who live in this city. We finally delivered on reducing the garbage fee. Something that you and I, even before I was on here, had hoped to accomplish someday.
We got it done. We delivered for the people. It was the only time it's been done in the history of the city. I could go on, but you're just going to make up that all this is false. >> why don't you go on? I'd like to hear
what other things you've accomplished. Sidewalk repairs under your watch as mayor, we had a list that was 7 years long. And Mr. Manager, we've tackled that list. We have more than tripled the funding for sidewalks.
And that list is getting shorter every single day to the point that in our capital improvement projects meeting, we're now projecting only needing to put a million dollars a year going forward to continue to tackle the sidewalk repairs that we've had. Our traffic calming, you voted against funding traffic
calming. We got it done. What about historic preservation? Delivering on on pickleball courts. All these things you had been kicking the can down the road because that's how a successful politician remains in office for 13 years. Because what do
they do? They create a problem and keep it as long as they can so they can tell you it's going to take us another 2 years. Cuz I've seen that many times. I've been in government long enough to tell you that's what politicians do. It's always about the next re-election.
That's not what I came here to do. If you look at my campaign promises, I delivered on all of them in my first year in office cuz that was my mission. But they weren't your goals cuz your goal was to keep those problems going. That way you can tell people we don't have the money this year, maybe next
year. So they got to vote for you next year to keep you in office to make sure that that gets accomplished. That's the reality. But here we are continuing to talk about Maria Cruz and you talk about Chip Withers. I did not pull item D1. And Chip Withers is is on this list to a
point. I intended to vote for Chip Withers to be on this board. So I don't understand why you're saying, "Oh, you have an issue with Chip Withers." I do not. I voted against Chip Withers 2 years ago because of the way that he
was being appointed. And I made that very clear on the record. The good thing is there's a record. You go watch it go back and watch the meetings and you can see what the reality is. Cuz you love to go out there and give credit to other people. But you never acknowledge what
Commissioner Castro and I have accomplished cuz you prefer to give that credit to somebody else. Because for you you have to play politics all the time. Through your Coral Coral Gables First, through your ASOP Gables.
You use every little tool that you have. Your little mastermind team trying to create all sorts of lies in the community to disparage your colleagues in order for you to look good. And that's what you tried with us at Gables Insider and you failed. And
that's why today you consider me an enemy because I would not stand with you on some of the things that you were doing. Mainly the mobility hub. Which yes. We stopped the mobility hub and guess what? The manager just told me this week
we saved $10 million thanks to the fact that that project was stopped 2 years ago. Cuz the cost today is less than it was 2 years ago. Was it not, Mr. Manager? That was the conversation, the numbers that you showed me. Yes, sir. Microphone.
The costs are are lower. Appear to be lower. So, you know, it's very easy to to get on that high tower and say, "Oh my god, nobody accomplishes anything except for me." But
we're a team up here. And we're supposed to be a team. Whether you like me or not, whether you like Commissioner Castor or not, we were elected by the people of the city of Coral Gables to serve with you. And that's what we're here to do. Through the mayor. If I may, I'd like to
respond. And then we're going to take a break. Actually, we're going to vote on this issue. So, if you look up delusional, that is what is the definition in the dictionary. To take credit for those items is absolutely ridiculous.
The proof is in the pudding. I run every 2 years. People make a decision. To say that Amos Rojas was the most hard-working guy, I'm here every day along with the vice mayor. You stopped having office hours well over a year ago. You're never here.
Um you don't engage. You don't have anything on the agenda. So, you may say, I don't know, some Republican overregulation effort that you're doing. Just the proof is in the agenda. You can't hide it. It's here. You have to legislate. The fact that you will take credit for
sidewalks, I'll prove it to you is very simple. Mr. Manager, what was the budget for sidewalks 4 years ago? What did we have? Around $2 million, right? >> Around $2 million. What do we have today for for sidewalks? >> About about $2 million. You see, this is the insanity. He says here it was tripled the sidewalk budget.
Okay? He'll say anything. So, let me also give you example. He says I voted against sidewalks. No, I'm the one that brought the temporary site the temporary traffic calming effort here when we went to see and meet with residents in the neighborhood. And we spent close I think it was like four or
five hundred dollars or five hundred thousand dollars to have the temporary uh traffic calming so that we can meet the needs and people didn't have to wait three or four years. Yes, but it's temporary traffic So, you can say anything you want up here, but the proof is in the votes. The proof is in the work that's been accomplished.
Now, the facts are as I said they're very clearly. The votes are there. I have every right to vote in favor or against somebody that I think is capable. I will not support Maria Cruz. And I think it's great that Commissioner Alata has brought up twice in the last
two meetings. Commissioner Fernandez says that you know, again, retaliation. I was here. It's on the record. It's on the video. Gonzalo Sanabria him publicly threatening him that he's going to have his attorneys call him, which he did. That's done on the record. So, we can
gloss that gloss over that at the end of day, but I don't I've never called or sent a somebody here a resident the lawyers after. I think that's absolutely insane. Why would you do that? And by the way, there was a great op-ed today since you mentioned Aesop's Gables I'll bring it
up. There was a great op-ed today about Ariel Fernandez's efforts to do a public records request on over 150 members of the city of Coral Gables chat. And he was requesting all that information. So, now you have a sitting commissioner making public records
requests of residents. That reminds me of Cuba, Nicaragua, and that type of behavior like that. So, you know, one thing I do give credit to and I will always give credit to, Ariel is probably one of the most talented
theater directors I've ever seen in my life. And I don't know where he thinks I have problems in my life and my family and stuff like that. The only one that's made issues is about it and has taken pleasure in poking fun and and and say saying things about me is this individual to my left.
And yes, we had a relationship. But I could not support him when he asked me to support him to run for public office. He neither has the demeanor, the temperament, or the work ethic to be an elected official. The residents deserve better.
So, we're judged here by what we accomplish and what we do. And the bottom line is your record is bringing Animals Rule House, raising your salary by 101%, giving yourself a personal expense account, a car allowance,
voting against an inspector general, opposing moving elections to November, eventually voting for it because you knew it was right, and getting rid of an incredibly compensated manager who's here. And thank God he's back. So,
I think it's very clear where we stand. We do have personal issues against each other. It's perfectly fine. It's clear as day. But my record speaks for itself. I put everything I do on a website, and I think it's clear, and you should do the same thing. You should have the
pride to put on votevincelago.com, votearielfemandez.com everything you've accomplished, everything that you've done. So, people can judge you. And so, people can see what you've done. I'd be the first to want to take a look at that website.
Cuz when you stand up and you make comments that we've tripled the sidewalk budget, that is a lie. Okay? And you said I opposed traffic calming, Mr. Manager. Were we doing traffic calming before Commissioner Fernandez and Commissioner
Castro were elected? Yes or no? Uh yes, we were, Mayor. Okay. I don't know what you're talking about. That's just insanity and misleading tactics in an effort to You've never been effective, and it won't be effective in this campaign, either. People want change just like they wanted
change in the referendums. That's why they overwhelmingly won. Let's move on. We have a long agenda. Through the Mayor. Go ahead, Commissioner. Okay. Um Vice Mayor Anderson, um you spoke about decorum,
briefly about civility, and and I'm mentioning respect. This This um this past week, my father passed away, and I had commitments with the city. I was going to read a book. We were going to do a literacy festival. I had to show
up to the Actors' Playhouse. But when we talk about respect, decorum, and civility, those are very important, especially here. Especially the head of this commission, our Mayor.
When I'm making the best of my efforts to go ahead and stand in one piece in the front of the literacy festival, and when you have a sitting Mayor look at you from your legs all the way up,
and then mock you, stand up, and laugh about your pose, and try to pose like you, looking at you up and down, try to intimidate me. I think more than intimidation, that's more like sexual harassment.
Okay? So, talking about respect, I think that's the first thing you should think about, especially having two daughters. Respect, especially for a woman. I really hope you can support my appointee.
I don't think you are. But you're just digging a bigger grave for yourself. Oh, in response to that. This is the level of insanity that we've dealt with over the last 3 years. It's a fact, both to the left and to the right. It will never end.
They'll make insane accusations. They'll say crazy things. They'll put it on the blogs. Pump it out. At the end of the day, people see through it. You want to know why? And I'll leave you with this. Because you talk Fernandez talks about
intimidation, but he forgets that he intimidated Gonzalo Salaberry here, right in front of us. Oh, but let's forget about that. I don't want to talk about that. It's very short very short memory. But what you don't realize, and you do, but you just don't want to acknowledge it. There was civility here for over 10
years. Before you were ever here. There was never issues. There was serious discourse on whether Miracle Mile should be up-zoned. There was serious discourse whether we
should build a public garage through a partnership with Alan Morris and Related Group. I disagreed. But it never deteriorated to where we are at today. It only deteriorated when the bookends to my left and to the right showed up.
In one of the most low voter turnout in the city's history. At the end of the day, the residents in 2025 corrected that. And in 2026 corrected that by their votes. People are tired of this behavior.
The constant attacks, the blogs. And it will happen again in 2026 when there's elections in November. So, my point is that you can live in this false reality and say that you're not the problem, but if you look at it over the 10 years when
I was a commissioner and mayor and I ran this commission with the help of my colleagues in the commission, we never had to have these issues where there was talking over each other or we had to abide with strict Robert's Rules. Nobody was sanctioned. Nobody was told they can't speak. Why does that happen
all during the time that we've been here? Why? And then all goes back to the fact that you and I do not agree, but you use tactics that in my opinion are distasteful.
They attack families. You've done it on many occasions. You use the IG, you use the COE, use the FDLE and thank God the COE can no longer allow anonymous because you you and I know this for a fact are the biggest contributor to this was
the biggest contributor to the COE. You've done it to so many elected officials and people who don't see eye to eye with you. You done it to even family members of you who now hold public office. So at the end of the day, at the end of the day, we move on. We move on and we continue to work on behalf of the residents. I continue to do office hours
which you abandoned. I continue to be here and and pass a agenda full of legislation. I continue to negotiate like I did this week in an effort to bring more parks to the city and do great things here in the city. And you hold on to the fact that you don't want to over-regulate.
All I hear is excuses, Commissioner. It's time for you to man up and handle what you have to handle. Stop looking for reasons to feel good about the fact that you've wasted a God-given opportunity to be an elected official in this community.
And you say things like we tripled the sidewalk budget. That's insanity. I wish we had tripled the sidewalk budget. You know we haven't tripled the sidewalk budget cuz you've been here. We haven't. And you say that we did that I didn't support traffic calming. Of course I supported traffic calming. We started that program before
you ever got here. Both. The temporary one and the permanent one. So, let's be honest with the residents. Let's be honest with what we've done here. You don't have to attack me because of your lack of legislative
accomplishments. Just You have time. Put some things together. Look, I gave you a task. And that was to address the issue of the garbage. You abandoned that. You didn't even address it. I've been having to deal with it with the ACM, the DCM, and the city manager. Let's Let's handle the recycling issue.
You never took the bull by the horns and never did anything. I told you, people have asked you, "Hey, do the issue with the uh with with the golf carts." You own a golf cart. You never did it. I took care of that. So, there's issues here that I don't have a problem collaborating with you, but bring something to the table. Don't try to take credit for other people's
work. That's what your reputation has always been. And you always blame people for the fact of your shortcomings. But, at the end of the day, you're not going to get me here on a gotcha moment. You'll probably print something on the you know, the Gazette as as the owner of the Gazette.
And at the end of the day, you know, we can go back and forth all day. The proof is in the pudding. The proof is in what the accomplishments are. You're the mayor. So, finish up. You have the last I'll give you the last word. Go ahead, so you can feel good. So, you can feel good about yourself. >> know, this is the third time that I hear about complaints with FDLE, with uh
the Ethics Commission. So, when you made those false allegations, I called the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission and spoke to the director and the Florida Department of uh of Ethics. And you know what both of them said? They sent me a document, which proves
that you are making false statements about me. And they are looking into who it was that you spoke to, who according to you told them that I am this person because that's affecting
the integrity of their offices. Because no complaints have been filed. I also have no relatives in elected office, so I'm not sure who you're referring to. I mean I I mean now we're even making up that I have relatives in elected office.
I I I'm at a loss. You know, you obviously have a situation you need to address and I'm really concerned about you. I'm really concerned about you. You know, I should ask city attorney, do I have to pay a rent for living free in his brain? Because obviously
I am. You call people all the time to talk about me. Talk about you. If you're so proud of what you've done. Don't waste people's time. And no, I do not answer to you. You notice what you're trying to do is
get me to do what you want me to do. I answer to the people, not to you. And that's the problem. That's your problem with me, that I don't answer to you. And you know what? Let's put it on the record. You know why this commission worked 100% of the time 5-0?
Do you want me to say it? Do you really want me to go there? Do you want me to talk about how we were in your house, Maria Cruz, J.C. Davis Fredona and I, and you would call your colleagues to make sure they were supporting your legislation? And to answer any questions and you would put them on speakerphone and put the phone on the table.
And tell us, don't talk so they don't know you're on the phone. And you would text Okay. Yeah, because because it's not it's not convenient to you right now. It is not convenient to you, but Maria Cruz is nodding in the back because we were in your house and this happened
repeatedly. No. Yeah, no. You have You have Again, the people who know you best are the people you're picking a fight with. I'm not picking a fight with anyone. You are picking a fight. The residents see through your game and they see what that
fact that you said >> know what? If residents see through a game, they're seeing through a veil of mirrors that you're put putting to show you. You know, this is the classic case. You hear about the boy that cried wolf. This is fair. >> This is the wolf gnawing at your leg and pointing at the boy and saying it's his fault.
>> Okay. That's exactly what you're doing here. >> Point taken. Point taken, Ariel. Yeah, so let's vote. Let's vote. Let's move on. Let's vote. Okay. Let's vote. All right. And we have a a motion for 31
outside of obviously accepting uh Ms. Maria Cruz for her appointment. I will move to appoint um and confirm the appointment of the following nominees um Andres Moray, Amanda Bacello,
Wayne Chip Withers, uh Andres Correa, Jeffrey Flanagan. Um that's the complete list for a 3-year term that begins June 1st, 2026 and continues through May 31st, 2029 to the
Code Enforcement Board. Second. There was a second on the motion. Mr. Clerk. Mr. Mayor, um I have a member of the public who wants to speak on this item, Jackson Holmes. Greetings. Um
Jackson Rep Holmes, 35 Sedonia Avenue. Um I want to go directly to a point um you all mentioned the uh Insider. And
what uh it was Ariel Fernandez >> [snorts] >> who blew the whistle on your dishonesty, Mayor Lago, uh in relation to the uh
rewriting or whatever of the city zoning code. This was uh something like a 4-year project that was basically government in secret. And you were at the same time telling people
that you are transparent. Um indeed, you told me that Miracle Mile would not go up an inch, but it does during that period of time you had a sunshine meeting about taking Miracle
Mile up to six stories. So, you were lying, okay? And you are a compulsive liar. >> [laughter] >> I and and I think you tell more public statements that are false than that are true. Um and yet you want to censure people or
or silence Maria Cruz just for telling the truth, that you're acting like a king. Uh he was the one, Ariel Fernandez, who exposed uh that you were having this whole private government in secret rewrite of
the zoning code. That you held uh I did a public records myself. Did you ever disclose that in your uh in in your uh notifications to residents? Did you ever disclose it anywhere? And you didn't.
Um and it was a is is a total change of the government. Um we have What is the reality? You were get financed by developers, okay? Um Ms. Anderson, you switched sides, you
get financed by developers, so you're consistent in your votes for whatever the developers want is what you'll deliver on, including the crucifixion of any of the opponents of runaway development. And that's
what's going on today. I can ask you to think about the Everglades. There are people who want to develop the Everglades and want to move the urban development boundary, and once that's done, you can never undo it. And that's what you're doing to the city of Coral Gables, and that's what this is
all about. Maria Cruz had the intestinal fortitude to oppose that. The citizens of Coral Gables oppose it, and you get votes because you lie to the residents of Coral Gables.
Thank you. Mr. Mr. Manager, do you know what the height is on Miracle Mile? Just to make sure we It's been enough confusion here today. >> Uh mayor, it's 50 ft. Okay. How many stories is that? It's about four, three to four stories. Okay. So, I want to make sure cuz they just said I rezoned it to six stories,
but I I wasn't I wasn't here for that meeting, so I can't I don't It didn't happen. So, then we That's it, Mr. Mayor. Okay. Perfect, then. We have a motion in a second. Yes, sir. Commissioner Castro? Mayor, for you to sit here and go like
this and say I'm delusional and making up stuff. Number one, I the one thing I pride myself on, I don't lie. I don't lie. That's number one, okay? And as a man, can you look at me in the face and say that did not happen?
Because before you even think of responding, just keep in mind that that was photographed, that there's videos, and that the people that surrounded you were laughing and were part of that as well. Okay? So, can you as a man look at
me in the face and say that didn't happen? Commissioner, please vote. Can you? Yes or no? >> the theatrics. >> Yes or no? Can you? Cuz this really needs to stop. You've had me thrown You've had me thrown out. You've had me thrown out of ribbon cuttings when I've been invited. Okay? You've had public
discussions with me that were embarrassing in front of my son. I'm a woman that deserves respect. And it needs to stop now. Vote. Can you look at me in the face and say that didn't happen? You can admit to it? >> Commissioner, please vote. I'm not going
to go after you legally. I want you to admit it and at least apologize. Commissioner, please vote. You can't do it, huh? Commissioner, please vote. >> That's embarrassing. That is embarrassing. >> with the grandstanding. Let's go. Move on. Come on. I know this is what you want for the blogs. I My vote was no, and
you're an embarrassment to the city. Commissioner Fernandez. I will vote yes because I do not believe that any of the other appointees should suffer because of the retaliation by this commission.
Um It's It's disappointing that this is Coral Gables. It's disappointing. Commissioner Latta. Now, I'll join in Commissioner Castro's vote, no. Vice Mayor Anderson.
And before vote, um Mr. Holmes, the statements you made about me >> No, no, we voted. >> are false. >> Okay. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. That's enough. We're not going to have We're not going to have that here. Enough. No, I'm just putting it putting you on
notice. They're false statements. And excuse me. Excuse me. >> Please, I'm asking you please. Enough with Enough, please. Please. I'm going to have you removed. Please, I know that you want a circus so that it can be published and everything.
I get it. I understand. Enough. Enough. Okay? Please. I think there's a there's a clarification request by Commissioner Lara. Yes, so the vote is an exclusion of one individual but the affirmation of everyone else. Yes, sir.
Okay, so in that respect, my vote is yes, not a no. Okay. And my vote is yes. Mayor Lago. My vote is yes. Moving on to the next item, item F3. Uh through the mayor. Yes. I'll make a motion to appoint Maria
Cruz as Commissioner Casares' appointee. I'll second. Excuse me. Mr. City Attorney, for the record, because we've had this issue with last time. Can we have a conversation? We're on item F3. We're on item F3. You have another commissioner that goes out of
turn and basically makes a motion. What do we It doesn't matter. We're on another separate item. It's nothing to do with it. Yes. So, I understood that there was it was an amended motion on F I'm sorry, on D1 is the way I understood it, Mayor. Yes.
And that was the one that was um approved. >> Right. But that motion passed and it was an I understood it as an amended motion. Right. And that's F3 was called. And I called F3. So, now do we move forward on F3 or do we now hear this motion that comes out
of out of, you know, out of left field. What do you want to do? I I think you've moved on to F3. I think you called F3 now. Thank you. This is by the way I want to put it on the record. This This the second meeting where Commissioner Fernandez does this. Robert's Rules is not his strong suit,
even though he claims it is, and does not and I have to call on the City Attorney to correct the record and do this again. We have to be better than this. I know you want to get your way, but at the end of day, we can do much better, okay? Um
moving on to item F3. I apologize for the wait. I know you had a time certain, that's why we're not going to lunch. We're going to hear your item. We're almost at 44 minutes late. So, staff, thank you very much. I apologize for that. Go ahead. Afternoon, Mayor, Commissioners, Vice
Mayor, City Manager. Um before we get started, we'd like to invite the FIFA Host Committee up with us before we start, and we do have a presentation. We'll keep it very brief. Mayor, can I read the resolution into the record? So, F3 is a resolution of the City Commission authorizing the
temporary installation of the FIFA World Cup 26 Trianda giant match ball installation at Giralda Plaza in collaboration with FIFA World Cup 26 Miami Host Committee, FIFA, and Adidas, recognizing the City of Coral Gables as the official headquarters location for both the FIFA World Cup 26 Miami Host Committee and FIFA Miami operations,
authorizing City Manager or his or her designee to execute any necessary agreements, permits, and related documents for the installation, maintenance, and removal of the temporary installation, authorizing temporary encroachment into the public right-of-way, and providing for an effective date. Yes, ma'am. All right, good morning. Good afternoon.
Belkis Perez with the Economic Development Department. If you could pull up the PowerPoint. Okay. So, this is a sculpture. This is the donation of a sculpture for for Giralda Plaza in celebration of
the World Cup. Um so, the Trianda match ball, it's the ball that you see there. This is a rendering, though. Um is a giant match ball. It's inspired by the iconic ola wave representing the unity and excitement of the tournament. This is the ball that is being used for
the World Cup. Um so FIFA and Adidas gifted a giant Trianda ball match ball to the Miami Host Committee and the Miami Host Committee has decided to um offer it to the Coral to the city of Coral Gables. Obviously the FIFA
headquarters is located here in Coral Gables and the host committee is also here, so it's really excited that um we have this ability to have this um this ball here in on Giralda Plaza. We believe Giralda Plaza is a perfect place for it. Um we currently have an
installation there and it really drives traffic and we think that this ball would um be even better with all the traffic that we anticipate FIFA's World Cup will have. Our hotels are are busy, they're booked already for the World Cup and so we think this is going to get a lot of
traction and a lot of excitement. So there is a global positioning. Obviously the World Cup having that host committee again here in Coral Gables is a big factor. There's a tourism engine behind it. This there's going to there will be a lot of social media
interaction with this ball as well. Um it allows the city to incorporate uh this type type of sculpture into the community events and promotions. So there's things that we can do once it's installed and we've talked to actually one of uh the sponsors that we have for
Cielo de Tejido uh that is very interested and once this ball is in place to having an activation with uh children and having a soccer um net and and having an activation on Giralda Plaza. Uh this has minimal impact for the city.
The production, shipping, storage, installation, and removal costs are all covered. Um the city's responsibility is very limited. It's uh it's limited to permitting and insurance and any security that would be needed. And obviously Giralda Plaza is just a wonderful place to have this activation.
And again, we're calling more into this sense of community pride and experiencing something um aside from having FIFA here, but to have a beautiful um sculpture here on Giralda Plaza. This is just an overview of the
installation. It is a significant ball. It sits on a base. It's about 8 ft tall. And so um it's going to be a really nice sculpture to be able to take a picture with. And I think that's it. And I want to turn it over to Alina Hudak.
How are you? Thank you for being here with us. >> Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and >> once again for being so late. No no no worries. And it's a it's an honor to be here today before you. Alina Hudak for the record, president CEO of the Miami Host Committee. And I am I'm here with nothing but good news and in the spirit
of appreciation to the manager and to the assistant city manager and Belkis for the level of collaboration that that we've received. Uh it's important that you understand the role of the host committee, very different than FIFA. And I think as a community and as a city, you should be very proud to be the world
headquarters for FIFA. In fact, the entire the most significant global sporting event in the world is being run from the city of Coral Gables two to three blocks away from this destination. So that's an incredible um legacy moment for our community, for the city. And as
a host committee, we're responsible for the implementation of the bid. And what that means is that we've been charged um over the last 2 years uh in preparation for the World Cup to raise funding for the purposes of providing for the public safety, transportation, mobility, um all
the event activations related to the World Cup locally here in Miami as we prepare to host the seven matches. I'm led by a volunteer board chaired by Rodney Barreto, also a resident of Coral Gables, and his business is headquartered in Coral Gables. And
Botero, who is his co-chair. So again, an incredible effort over the last 2 years to prepare for what is now 23 days away. Um we thank you very much for the opportunity to have this collaboration. I'm here today in support of F3. I'm also here to share with you the passion
that we feel. Again, we operate under an umbrella that has restrictions in terms of our ability to use the intellectual property that FIFA provides us, but we have created for the community and for your businesses to share us a campaign that we have fallen in love with because again, it brings the passion of the
sport to our community. It's called One Game, One Passion, and it's we've made that toolkit available to to the city and to your businesses for purposes of being able to use the collateral digital assets and and be able to replicate that in our business um areas. And I'd like
to just close by um leaving you with the message of One Game, One Passion and and a very short reel that we'd like to share with you, and I hopefully leave you with the um spirit of unity that we believe that World Cup soccer brings to our community. We should be extremely proud
to know that of the seven matches that we're hosting here in Miami, one of the matches is the single most popular ticket in the world, the Colombia-Portugal match, which will take place in our community on June 27th. So if we could roll that video, and again, thank you very much for the opportunity to be here. Happy to answer any
questions about the work that we're doing in the community. And I see your job posting in the lobby. Do you feel it? That moment. Before everything begins. [music] Before the first whistle,
time slows down. Because in that moment everything else fades away. In Miami, football's not just played. It's carried. From homes [music] we left, from families we miss, and from dreams that
brought us here. Every match is a way back. Every goal is a memory. And every whistle [music] makes us one. It's not just a game. It's to remember who we are
and who we become when we stand together. The truth is, >> [music] >> the world can feel divided. But this game reminds us that we are one. One game one passion.
Amazing. Well done. Thank you. And I would [applause] be remiss if I didn't mention a few of our activations. Um we have a Bayfront um park fan festival that will run June 13th through July um July 5th um 23 days contiguous activation.
Matches being shown for our residents um to enjoy for free. We have an an activation happening on Miami Beach, a kickoff concert on the opening match of the World Cup, which is happening in Mexico. That will be Thursday, June 11th. All of you will be invited to attend. Um we have a an artist um that
we will reveal on May 24th. We are conflicted at this point from being able to to reveal who the artist is, but you will enjoy a beautiful night on Miami Beach in that opening concert. We have a variety of watch parties that are happening geographically throughout Miami-Dade County as a region.
Always supported by again a tremendous partnership from Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami Beach and the city of Miami. They are our funding partners. We have activations for youth to be able to participate in soccer clinics. We've rolled out about 12 clinics in neighborhood parks and we're about to
roll out another six. We have just received support from Broward County and we will be doing a similar clinic type of activation in Broward County. And in addition to that, we have a variety of smaller activations that are happening throughout the community. Again, the
goal being to share the experience of the World Cup for free with as many of our residents, our public and our visiting tourists as possible. Coral Gables will be the home of multiple FIFA delegations and your hotels, multiple hotels, are very much a part of
that formula. So again, thank you very much. We hope to see you at Fan Festival at the opening night of our concert and at all of our activations when possible. Thank you. I wanted to congratulate you once again. You've done an amazing job. Very high profile. You really shine the positive
light on the community. Well done. Well done. Well, we have to compliment you know, something that you have in common in the video was you actually had the FP Journe clock on the video. That you know, we you know, we were so celebrated for that for that clock and we got so much support from my colleagues on the
commission that it's funny to see it on your on your on your World Cup video. So that's something very interesting. World class. As a father of two young girls who love soccer, who play soccer competitively, um
that's all they talk about. World Cup, World Cup, World Cup and they're excited about it and we're looking forward to the events here in the city of Coral Gables. We can't thank you enough for coming here. Thank you. Thank you. Hopefully you'll support F3 so we can have the Croquetas bar. sponsor >> item. As a sponsor of the item, you
know, I hope my colleagues will support me on that. I'll move it. I'll second. Do you have any public comment, Mr. Clerk? All right. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner Lago. I just want to say Alinda that I think you're doing such an amazing job you and and
collaboration with the with the Coral Gables team. What a year, what a year. So Coral Gables is featured with the national championship game for the national college football. And we were front and center. We didn't win the game, University of Miami did it, but
Coral Gables won for sure. And and now to have FIFA and in the way you put it was so profound, right? That the world headquarters of FIFA is located here in our city and that from this couple blocks away, it's all being coordinated, the biggest game on planet Earth is just an amazing
amazing thing and you've done such an incredible job. Thank you. And by the way, when I saw that the photo of this activation and I was curious what this was going to look like, it just came out of me. I said, "Wow." Cuz I really think it looks incredible. So, yes. Yeah. I'm thrilled to to to be able to to bring the trophy on the here and I will
tell you 16 host cities, the largest World Cup in the history of FIFA. 104 matches, 48 countries participating. Vice Mayor Anderson. Uh yes, and I just like to say, you know, Doral Plaza is the perfect place to put it with all the activations we
have coming in. Um this is a a great thing. Thank you for bringing it to us. Yes. Commissioner Castro. I think this will go this will go perfect with the first and friends type of item that's coming up in the city manager items.
Wonderful. Thank you. Yes. Mayor Lago. Yes, thank you very much. Uh we're going to take one last item. Um Could I ask the members of the commission to humor me to do a quick photo op to show our support for FIFA and the World Cup? If you want to wear your scarves, even better. Okay.
That's great. >> Change scarves. >> [applause] >> I will take one more item before we go to lunch. Item 2.1 that we can finish off with consent and every other pending item. Mayor, item 2.1 is related to item
G3. >> Yes, we will. >> 2.1 is a resolution of the the TAB requesting that the commission approve the appointment of the board as a whole member, and then G3 is is that appointment, and I will just quickly read it. G3 is a resolution of the city commission confirming the appointment of Carlos Musso to serve as a member of the
Transportation Advisory Board for a 2-year term, which began on June 1st, 2025, and continues through May 31st, 2027. Good afternoon, sir. Thank you for being here with us. Good afternoon, mayor and commission. Just make it quick. Hopefully, it's a quick straightforward appointment. Uh
We're a I'm the chairman of the Transportation Advisory Board. We're a seven seven-member board. We started with five members only. I trouble reaching quorum. Um and then Commissioner Castro appointed her commission her appointment as well. So,
now we're up to six. We're missing the board of the whole. And even with that, we we've been a little bit ineffective. We've had 50% no quorums. So, trying to be effective, uh it's a difficult zone that we have left to pick. Uh we've gone out there. We've
gotten some some some applications. Um most of them, if not all of them, are in other zones. So, zone six, uh again, is south of Oldsmar color. We did find one candidate, Carlos Musso, who lives approximately like two blocks from that
zone. I think it it's a good representation of the zone. Um and that will fulfill a full board for us and able to be effective as a board and and help out the community. I'll move it. I'll second it.
Is there any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. Okay, we'll close public comment. We have a motion and a second. Yes, sir. Commissioner Lara? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Mayor Largo? Yes. I will take it. Thank you.
Thank you, sir. Thank you for your waiting here patiently. I appreciate you. Uh and I and I apologize for the delay. Um we're going to take a 20-minute uh recess for lunch. We'll be back at 2:20. Thank you. Recording stopped. >> Mhm.
>> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> [laughter] >> On the agenda? Just one second. Hi, this is a discussion regarding
Pelican Harbor Seabird Station. Thank you for being here with us. I put this on the agenda because I like to just have a quick uh presentation in regards to the great work that's being done in Pelican Harbor, so we can potentially consider uh whether we can uh
budget some money, if not, or somehow some way offer them assistance in their efforts to protect our wildlife here in in the community. So, the floor is yours. Take it away. Thank you. Coral Gables, 40-plus years and counting
as a Tree City USA. With all these this wonderful canopy, we are a bird sanctuary. And as such, we have a responsibility to sustain and support the bird populations that migrate through or call Coral Gables
home. Now, you typically see me in my food pantry shirt here on Tuesdays or representing the Merrick House or the Miami Villagers or the Garden Club, but today I have my Pelican Harbor Seabird Station swag on. Uh my shirt, my
bandana, and of course my possum earrings. Um I have been working in the outdoor rehab area for 10 years or so, and I'm continually amazed by the Herculean efforts of the staff and interns at this nonprofit rehab facility. And as they perform this good
work on a minuscule bus budget, it is funded by no donations from people like us. So, Executive Director Chloe Challs, Assistant Director Julie Darrico, and our very special guest here are here to tell you about how we can partner with
Pelican Harbor Seabird Station to rescue, rehab, and release native birds, mammals, and even tortoises and turtles. Thank you, Joanne. Joanne's one of our star volunteers.
Um my name is Chloe Chels. I'm executive director at Pelican Harbor, and Joanne was one of the first people I met about 4 years ago when I started. So, we brought Mowgli today. I have a presentation. I don't know if it's coming up or I can advance the slides.
So, there we are. So, do I press this to advance? Oh, here. So, meet Mowgli. Mowgli's our ambassador Eastern screech owl. She's about 8 years old, and she's one of a number of ambassadors we have that go to schools, commission meetings, et cetera, to sort of teach people about
what we do. She's about um I said 8 years old. She came as a baby, and she signifies what we do, our mission, which is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife with the goal of releasing those animals back
into our ecosystem. So, many of you may have heard of us, maybe for the first time, recently when we were featured on a Nextdoor post about a barn owl that was actually caught in a palm tree. Uh
This was in February on Nextdoor. There's only five native owls in Florida, and we've only treated about 46. You can see that circle at the bottom. 210 people reacted to try to see what was going on and help that owl. And
everything at Pelican Harbor starts with an act of compassion, right? We're caring about our native wildlife that we coexist with. Um so, that was a very recent occurrence, and very dramatic. When somebody finds an animal that needs help, of course
there's emotion involved, they panic. You go to our website and right away on the upper right you can see get help. So we treat only native species, but people call us for all types of animals. We're open every single day of the year and we'll help identify an animal that's
found, offer guidance. If you feel comfortable containing it, you can bring it to us and we offer resources and referrals for both native and non-native animals alike. So one of our main questions is if the city of Coral Gables would consider putting
our website as a link on theirs to sort of help people to help guide them to us as a resource. So we've been around since 1980 and until 1996 we only treated brown pelicans, but some might be interested to hear we now treat over uh
Thank you. If it doesn't suit you If it doesn't suit you, if you're filming or if you're filming, that season. I don't know where that's coming. Keep going. Uh we treat over 25 animals a year of about 100 different I'm sorry, 150
different species, birds, mammals, reptiles. And you can see our numbers grow every year across those different classes. That's Mowgli, she actually sometimes is a working girl. That's her teaching a baby owlette how to be an owl, how to hunt.
And every animal that comes to us comes from something human related. So we get a lot of hook and line injuries, we do education around properly disposing of hook and line. We get a lot of animals also from poisoning and that could be from birds
eating fish from the bay and having botulism or many times you see these rodent poison boxes, the hawks will eat a rodent from one of those and get sick. We are also on the Atlantic Flyway and
we get many birds that are victims of window collisions and there is an easy way I would like to do a big at some point public campaign about bird safe glass. There is glass on the market that's etched coated has enamel baked into it or a surface decals that really
deter these birds from flying into windows that they mistake for a sky. We have a growing patient need every year we see an increase of about 10% but this quarter we actually had a 30% increase in patients. We're well over last year
and treated last year 2700 patients so we're continuing to see a huge need for our services. In addition to the clinic we also are big into conservation education and community engagement. Just a snapshot of pictures last year we did 51 public
releases, 45 community events, we do tours every weekend, we do monthly seabird cruises in partnership with Miami-Dade County and we do a lot of volunteer work which Joanne can tell you more about. And again a snapshot last year we
reached over 6 million people with all these avenues that we advocate for. Our operating expenses since 2000 have grown from 829,000 to now almost 2 million dollars a year and as Joanne said we're fully dependent
on donations, grants and we get some state money as well. Our two big fundraisers are Give Miami Day which we didn't hit our financial goal but we were number one in our size for number of donors so really speaks to the
community support. And in our recent Pelican Party Gala we had both the city and county mayors come and reached a record of 630,000 that evening. You may know that we've been working on an expansion project. We're currently on
the 79th Street Causeway, but we in 2019 purchased a 2.6 acre parcel of land on the Little River just south of El Portal. We've been hard at work on our new building, which is about to open. We're just uh waiting for a few more
inspections for a TCO. So, these are a few slides showing our current facility and the new building, which should open very soon. Old and new. Our intake desk, we get over 50 calls uh every day for animals
in need. Our clinic staff, right now we have one room, basically. The new hospital will have nine. The laundry room, and just this is really going to allow us to deliver on our mission to a much greater degree. Our staff.
So, this is that owl that I showed you at the beginning that was found in Coral Gables. We had over 90 people come to see its release, and it was incredible, and that's why we do the work that we do. So, there are million ways to help. Of course, you can donate, volunteer,
attend a cruise. Um we had somebody we had Wayne from Duffy's sponsor an owl box. You can donate, and we'll come to your property with a box and put in one of our Eastern screech owls like Mowgli. And just a snapshot for Coral Gables, um
we have had about a 10% increase every year from our patients from Coral Gables. Last year, 100 patients. We have approximately 500 donors who call Coral Gables home. And our average patient cost is around $548.
So, the ask today is would the city of Coral Gables consider an annual gift of $5,000 to Pelican Harbor to offset those costs, and just a snapshot of what it some of the other municipalities give, usually between 1 and 5,000.
Thank you very much for your >> Thank you. I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you. So, as as a sponsor of this item, I wanted to bring this before the commission for two purposes. Number one, to educate my colleagues on the importance of the work that you're doing, and number two, to give you a platform here before all the
residents in the business community. What I'd like to do is for my colleagues to get a copy of this presentation, review it, and to think about it over the next month or two and see if this is an interest that you have. I don't ask anybody to make a decision today. Um and I'd also like to see if we can potentially I'm going to offer this on
my on my on my newsletter to the residents. I'd like to see the city can just put together a little bit of information in regards to what this great nonprofit does and giving people the opportunity to engage, learn a little bit more about it, and potentially, hopefully, donate.
Okay? Thank you very much. >> That is a beautiful, beautiful owl. Isn't she incredible? She's a showstopper. Most people think that that is a baby owl, correct? Correct. She's full grown, and they're pretty common here, but they're nocturnal, so you don't see them very often. They're beautiful, beautiful
creature. So, to the manager Absolutely stunning. Thank you for your time. No, no, thank you for being here. I think it's important. And I'm we're going to share this with as many people, and then I will get back to you. Yes, Madam Vice Mayor. So, I met Mowgli about 5 years ago.
She was still a little bit younger. Uh incredible incredible little bird. I see them up in my oaks at night if you recognize their sound, their little cooing sound. You can hear them sometimes. Yeah. Yeah, they they are quite impressive. And they can get to know you. I'd like
to get a picture. Too. So, um and get used to you. So, Mowgli, it's been a while. So, She's beautiful. to the manager, I I I would like you to look into And I got to get a picture of Mowgli. Mowgli >> [laughter]
>> He is a star, isn't he? Got both eyes blinking this time. Before it was just one. I'm impressed. Uh the bird-safe glass. Yes. >> Which is something I think our board of architects needs to um carefully look at
because um I I did the appliques and it sometimes those get to be a difficult thing when it comes around to uh cleaning your glass. Uh and it doesn't matter whether you have a one-story home or two-story home.
Birds fly at many different levels. Um and they can't see uh the glass. What they see is they see the light inside your house and they think that that's a throughway Yeah. and a safe environment to go to. So, I'd like our board of architects to
um look at this, embrace it, and understand that this is something that's that should be done. Uh may help uh reduce the costs at Pelican Harbor City bird station and relieve you all to deal with unfortunately some of the other things
when, you know, people put the uh rat poison out. Um there's other ways to control rats. >> Mhm. Uh and in fact, if we have more of the raptors around, we'll be having more rat control. Yeah. Uh so, we need to
help control their numbers as well. I think an owl like that can eat about a thousand rats a year, so it's a natural >> And plus And plus we now have some uh gray foxes added to the red foxes. And they're very effective little hunters for for things with four legs
that climb up trees >> Mhm. and on uh electrical wires. The web link should be an easy thing for our staff to do. Um it's something too that I think we can send out to our yard folks, landscapers, tree trimmers,
other licensed individuals. I've I've done it on an on an individual basis because people don't understand not only do you offer the service, but you can answer this question, do you still offer the free Uber ride? Yes. For the for the
>> got a grant from Uber and right now it's uh no cost to us to Uber a bird. Yeah, so you know, when people are busy doing their job, it's very hard to stop in the middle of your job and say, "Oh my god, I got to save this bird." You know, or they they fail to look out
for the nest, the squirrels, or any other of the na- native species that are up there in the trees. So, it's complicated, but uh they can get an Uber ride to Pelican Harbor Seabird Station. And then the manager can look at the budget and and see what we can allocate,
cuz the there are many needs. And if you've been around here for uh more than a few minutes today, you'll you've probably heard of about some of those needs. But, thank you for taking the time and sharing some time with everybody here
with Mowgli, cuz uh she's a rock star. Thank you. We're open every day of the year and to the public, so come visit anytime. All right. Thank you. Uh thank you very much. >> Thank you for having us. Thank you. Uh we have an we have a time certain at 3:00. We're not yet at 3:00
p.m., so let me see where we [snorts] go where we move forward. Um Mr. Fernandez, are you ready? Can we can we hear your item? Which is your item? This is the 3:00 uh Oh, yours is the 3:00?
Okay, is there anything that we can hear quickly about the items on first on on second reading? Those should be pretty simple, right? Uh we'll hear E1. E1 is an ordinance of the City Commission amending Chapter 2 Administration Article 1 in general to create Section 2-6 registered agent in
order to codify the mayor's designation of the city attorney as the city's registered agent for service of process for purposes of Chapter 48, Florida Statutes, providing for a severability clause, repealer provision, codification, and providing for an effective date. Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners. Stephanie Throkmorton, Deputy City Attorney. There have been no changes since first reading. As
explained, this just codifies the Mayor's designation of our office for service. Okay. Uh may I have a motion? I'll move it. Second. Do we have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. All right. Perfect. Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes.
Commissioner Lara. Yes. Mayor Lago. Yes. Thank you. Moving on to item E2. E2 is an ordinance of the City Commission of Coral Gables, Florida, providing for text amendments to the City of Coral Gables official zoning code by amending Article 5, Architecture, Section 5-500, Roofs, to clarify roof design standards by
incorporating a combination of pitched and flat roof forms, and to establish that roof designs proposed as entirely flat require review and approval by the full Board of Architects, to amend Section 5-502, Flat Roofs, to clarify the review and approval of trellis structures on roof decks, to remove Sections 5-503 and 5-504 and renumber
subsequent sections, to delete outdated parapet height provisions in flood hazard districts, and providing for repealer provisions, severability clause, codification, and providing for an effective date. Okay. Has there been any changes since the first reading? >> No changes, Mayor. May I have a motion? I'll move it. Second.
Any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. All right. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner Lara. Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes. Mayor Lago. Yes. Thank you. Um we have 2 minutes before I know the City Attorney gets upset if we take items before they're I'm certain. Trying to find something
here that Some of the discussion items are quick. Um you think? More more more like updates. Mr. Mayor. Yes, sir. E5 through E8, those should not need a lot of discussion. >> Sorry. E5 through E8 should be quick. >> E5 through E8, let's read let's go.
So, I'll start with E5, Mayor. Yes. Okay. So, E5 is an ordinance of the city commission amending chapter 18 elections to amend the code consistent with the recently adopted charter amendments to change the date of the city election runoff and qualifying dates, to amend the sections regarding the canvassing board and adjusting other associated dates or vacancies and qualifying, providing for severability clause,
repealer provision, codification, and providing for an effective date. Thank you, mayor, vice mayor, and commissioners. As we discussed at the last commission meeting, we have updated our city charter to reflect those changes approved by the voters in the April 21 referendum. This ordinance right here before you changes our election code to
comply with the change to November elections. And as you'll note in the attachment, it also alters the dates the associated dates like qualifying and the runoff as well as dates related to vacancies and qualifications. We have worked on these closely with the city clerk and the Miami-Dade County
Supervisor of Elections Office, and so those are before you today. Thank you. As a sponsor of the item, I want to thank the residents for their hard work in supporting this item overwhelmingly overwhelmingly. So, thank you to my colleagues who supported it, and it's a breath of fresh air to move
forward. Have a motion? I'll move it. Have a second? Second. Mr. Mayor, do you have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. All right. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lara? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. E6? E6 is an ordinance of the city commission
amending chapter 2 administration article 2 city commission to amend section 2-29 compensation of mayor, commissioner's travel allowance, office expense to require a vote of the electors prior to certain changes in compensation consistent with the recently approved charter amendment severability clause, repealer provision, codification, and providing for an
effective date. Hello again. As noted, this ordinance amends the city code consistent with that charter amendment that was approved by the voters in April to require a vote of the electors for any change to the compensation of the commission beyond the annual increases for CPIW contemplated in the city code. Are there any changes since first
reading? This is first reading. >> First reading, excuse me. There is no There's Okay, perfect. Do we have a motion? I'll move it. Have a second? Second. Any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. Okay. Commissioner Latta? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez?
Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. [clears throat] I thank you as a sponsor. I appreciate your support on that. Um E7? E7 is an ordinance of the city commission amending chapter 2 administration article 3 boards, commissions, committees to create division 12 charter review committee to amend the code to codify the charter review committee membership
qualifications and requiring the convening of the committee every 10 years beginning in 2035 consistent with the recently adopted charter amendment providing for severability clause, repealer provision, codification, and providing for an effective date. Thank you, Mayor. As you all know, our city code requires that any new permanent committees be added to the city code.
So, that's what this does. This adds the charter review committee um that will convene every 10 years beginning in 2035 with the composition that was voted on by the electors of seven members. The city commission may add additional qualifications for its appointees by resolution as each charter review is
convened and the mayor's appointees so shall serve as the chairperson of the charter review committee as he currently does. The city attorney's office will provide um staff support to the charter review committee as we have done historically. So, as a sponsor of this item, again, this is just cleanup. This should have never gone to
the charter review because for the previous 30 years, this was something that we did normally uh until this past uh election. The previous election where we did it in 8 years, we removed two individuals uh which was representative for the manager and um
and and the uh city attorney. And to me, I think it was again politically motivated, but now that won't be the case. This will be hap- this will happen every 10 years. There will be seven members and the mayor. The mayor's appointee will be the chair of the board, which is the way it's been handled for three decades. Not until it
was changed. So, I want to congratulate uh the residents for approving this uh common sense regulations, you know, not not overreaching. And I think it's in benefit of the city, and I'm proud that I was able to sponsor this item and get it approved by the by the voters.
May I have a motion? I'll move it. A second. Mr. Clerk, do we have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lara? Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. E8. E8 is an ordinance of the city commission amending chapter 2
administration article 7 finance division 1 generally to amend section 2-352 fund balance and reserve policy to require vote of the electors prior to certain changes to the fund balance reserve policy consistent with the recently approved charter amendment providing for severability clause repeater codification and providing for an effective date.
Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners. As you know, this item that went to the charter referendum that was approved by the voters adds certain language to our charter, but it also required us to amend the code to add that any amendment to the 25% reserve
requirement that's expanded upon in the code shall require approval of the electors prior to changing. The 4/5 requirement to otherwise change the policy remains in the code. Yes. Okay, so as the sponsor of this item, I'm also very grateful for the residents who approved this. The reason why I had to
put this on the agenda never having to do it, you know, 10 years before, uh was because there was threats that we were going to be spending money that we had in reserves. Um when I got here, we had about $15 million in the coffers. Now we have over $60 million, and at the end of the day that money doesn't belong to the commission. That
money belongs to the residents. And that's the reason why when I started here, we had a double A rated city. Now we're a triple triple rated city, but one of three cities in the state of Florida that have that financial distinction, which allows us to borrow money at an incredibly cheap level amount. And it's also a a point of pride
for Coral Gables to be able to have that money. It's a rainy day fund that we used when we had a hurricane that we were able to clean up the city um without having to go into bond debt or have to get a credit line, which could take years and years to pay back. So, I want to congratulate the residents
for for making the right decision here. This this reaffirms our financial stability and it was brought to the table, unlike I never thought it would ever have to be, was as a result of, you know, threats about potentially spending money from from the reserves in regards to
sidewalks and other projects that should be budgeted like we've always done over the last 13 years, not taken from the reserves. So, I want to congratulate everyone who voted overwhelmingly in support of this. It was a double-digit win on all of these. I'll move it. I'll second. Mr. Clerk, do you have any
public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Commissioner Castro? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lara? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? >> Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. Uh thank you very much. Now, we move on to time certain item F5.
Thank you for your patience. 5 minutes late. Mayor, F5 is a resolution of the City Commission approving the preliminary design for improvements to Fred B. Hartnett Pond Circle Park. So, I put this item on the agenda and I sponsor this item because, again, this is a project that we've been trying to
work on for some time and I think that we are right there. We're almost there. And I'd like to have a brief recap and hopefully get a preliminary approval from from the commission so that we can move forward and start speaking with the neighborhood and the residents
to really get this project started because this is going to be a game-changer for our downtown. Mr. Mayor? Mr. Mayor, good afternoon. For the record, Javier Fernandez, Law Office 201, 100 Circle Suite 1205. Thank you. >> that's a very nice pin. I just wanted to
>> Thank you. No, I'm uh Congratulations on >> gift. Thank you. I appreciate it. Do you have to disclose Do you have to give a Do you have >> I'm going to have to report it. >> report that or no? Is it a gift? We've already disclosed it to the Herald. So, I think we're good. >> [laughter] >> Um again, thank you for allowing us this opportunity to um provide you an update
on the progress we've made over the last few months on the reconceptualization uh of Ponce Park. As you all recall, during your approval of the Ponce Park Residences project, one of the public benefits that was proffered was the contribution and
assistance in accelerating hopefully the transformation of this long desired public improvement. Over the last 6 months we've worked closely with all the city's internal stakeholders, the manager, his team, planning, parks, etc. To arrive at this design concept which Mr. LaGuardia will shortly present for
you. And we today's goal is basically to get your feedback and sign off on this concept before we proceed to start with our first public meeting which is currently scheduled to take place in this room here on June 1st. So without further ado, I will turn it over to Mr. LaGuardia and then sum up at the end
with quick next steps. Thank you, Javier. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, Ms. Vice Mayor, and Commissioners. And first I want to thank the city and the staff who have helped
and guided us through this program, as well as thank Alan and Spencer Morris for the opportunity and the city for the opportunity to work on this project. If we can get started
with the images. Okay. All right. So that's our cover, next sheet. Okay. If we started the design by studying Finney's paste and George Merrick's 1924 ideas for Crafts Plaza.
For although the context and the program today is different, we found that the formal response to the site was compelling and valid. And so what we found, um, was that they anchored
the oblong site with two anchor buildings, one at each end. In this case, in their case, it was two exposition buildings. And so, that created sort of a park, a garden inside. And then they enclosed
that park with arcades. And so, we found this response to the site as as sort of still being, um, valid. Um, the other important thing to note about the about their project was
that these exposition buildings faced both north and south ponds. So, not just what was happening within the park, but actually, um, giving a front face to north and south ponds. Okay.
Each park in Coral Gables has a different personality. Because of the Odeon as as a program, we considered that perhaps this part would be the cultural park of the City Beautiful. We We have, um, depicted here some of
the activities that we considered might take place in the park. So, we might have picnics, there might be sort of an informal, um, musical gathering in in the alleys. Um, there could be seating, uh, lounging, uh,
you know, picnic tables, strolling, art in the park, obviously, concerts at the Odeon, as well as perhaps, you know, some informal yoga classes or or or similar activities. Okay.
In Ponce Circle Park, we have one end anchored by the Odeon and the other end anchored by the Frank Stella inverted puffed star sculpture sitting in an elevated shallow fountain. The green or a vent lawn in the center
is enclosed on the sides by pavilions and arcades and a tree-lined alley and forms a shade boss for visitors. So, similar approach to what based was proposing, which was to have two anchors
at the end creating a lot a large lawn in the middle. Um and then enclosing that lawn to buffer it from the street with arcades on the side. The entry pavilions are located at the important crosswalks providing a
threshold and when and welcoming the visitors into the park. The Odeon presents a sculptural loggia to South Ponds while the low wall around Frank Stella's star opens the park towards Miracle Mile and in this way inviting the the
connection. We have named the area around the fountain the sculpture garden as it could host other sculptures besides the star. And just as an idea we propose perhaps a series of six bronze musicians visible
from the promenade echoing the live musicians on the other side at the Odeon. So, if you can point out where additional sculptures could go. Okay. Um a series of renderings are going to
take us around the park around the outside of the park and then we're going to enter through the star sculpture and then meander across the green and end up in a concert at the Odeon.
So, this is um this is a view of from the street of the pavilion and arcades and the alley boarding bordering ponds. Next. As we turn the corner around ponds, this is sort of this would be a view of
the alley on the left and the pavilion and arcade on the right. As we approach the sculpture garden, this is this is what we would see as we focus in on Frank Stella's um star.
This is a view from one pavilion. So this these pavilions are at the crosswalk. So we're coming in through this pavilion and this pavilion and its arch faces the pavilion on the other side. And so you step into this pavilion and you get a frame of the pavilion across from you. And these pavilions act
almost as thresholds into the into the park. And next. Okay, uh close-up of the of the star. And so this this would be the sculpture garden. And now we start to we'll start to
meander into Well, here we are already in the green looking back at the sculpture um being framed with a pavilion on each side. Okay, this is a view from the inside. So these arcades are a little bit more
solid towards the street and more open towards towards the green. And we've come up with this detail in the show rafters so we can actually have vines um growing on the inside thus making it
even more green. Next. Okay, as this is as we're starting to look uh and meander through the green. Next. Um and this is it's standing at one of the pavilions and looking down the alley, which is basically you know,
trees sort of marching marching down creating shade where many of the I guess office workers that work in that vicinity could go down for and have have lunch. We're envisioning sort of green
tables and chairs like what you might find at the Tuileries in Paris. Um and these are loose furniture that might move uh um move locations as as the users uh
decide. Next. And so we arrived at the concert. So this would be a small concert with people um meandering through the green and sitting on some stone benches in the proximity of the concert.
And so you there you see the Odeon. Odeon is Greek for a small space for music. We thought it was a very um appropriate name for the structure. And so this is that's the Odeon and now we're back at the star. So I would like
to end the presentation with with a parting thought. Night settles over Crafts Plaza where sage colored chairs lean close in gossip around the green and bronze musicians
hushed and waiting tune their silent instruments. Then a star falls drifting slowly downward to kiss its simmering reflection in the fountain. That That concludes my presentation. Thank you, Maria. And then Mr. Mayor,
just to quickly wrap up in terms of the next steps. So, as I mentioned at the outset, uh our intention is to have our first public meeting in this room on June 1st to uh engage uh residents uh around this concept and get their feedback. Uh thereafter, it's our intent to return here on June 9th. Uh as you'll
recall, when we approved the development management agreement, it had a budget of 8.9 million. In working with your staff and and and pricing out this concept, uh this concept before you, we estimate will cost about 11.2 million dollars. We've been working with staff on putting together a financial package, which
we'll present to you on the 9th with the details as how we will fill that gap. And then likely uh assuming the feedback is positive, which we hope it will be, our goal would then be to uh commence design, development, and construction documents, and the permitting associated uh with improvements so we could uh
advance the project. And with that, happy to take your comments. We also are joined by Andreas Ourtseulov, the landscape architect on this project. Should you have any questions for him or Maria. Thank you. Uh just to be very brief. First First and foremost, congratulations. It's an amazing project. I know it's just the first iteration of
it. Uh we've been working through through a few different design options. Uh I like the way things they look a lot cleaner now where you don't have the wall on both sides. Uh and I remember working working over the last 4 years with our team, with our arts team in the back, uh historic
preservation, um in regards to the Stella sculpture. And it looks like it, you know, it looks like nothing else could ever belong there. It looks perfect in my opinion. Um and it's it's a exceptional design and perfectly fitting for the City Beautiful. And I couldn't have asked for
a better architect, a better team. I thank the developer for all the hard work. I've sat down with the manager and we went over a little bit of the funding opportunities to to make that gap. I think we'll be able to make that gap. I also understand there's a contingency in regards to the construction. I know that once the CDs are finalized, hopefully
we'll be able to grind grind the numbers down even further make and make that gap easily. So, I think it's a great opportunity to take it to the residents, get their feedback, get their input, but I think that they're going to like it a lot. They're going to like it a lot. I like the fact that we incorporated some of my ideas about potentially having, you know, additional sculpture opportunities. I
think it could be something where it could be permanent or it could be maybe on loan, which is something that I'm working on with a big collector right now to potentially lend us some major international sculptures for 4-5 year period and those can be housed, you know, in this park and it could be
something just amazing. The only The only problem with that will be when we have to give those sculptures back. >> Back, yes. So. Not a happy day. Maybe for a tax break they won't they won't they won't uh won't take them back. Madam Vice Mayor? Yeah, sorry I interrupted. Um I had a question. Um looking at the park
from the north and the south, I see that there's a, you know, beautiful viewing area where you can see the Stella sculpture. But my question, because we have a slip lane there, how do we address the pedestrian safety issue where someone might,
you know, we have children etc. step into that slip slip lane. Is there um anything to prevent a pedestrian from taking that course? Yeah, so that the southern edge from Marina, you can address this better than I can, I'm sure. >> The north side is on the Stella
sculpture. The uh I haven't taken a real close look at the north end because we have the um the Odeon there, but particularly when you're looking at the Stella sculpture from the north end,
I didn't see anything in a way of prevention of someone stepping into that slip lane. Is there a sidewalk there? >> have a We have a I believe there's a a low rise wall, correct, that rings the southern part of the property. And so, access is >> That's the north, I'm sorry. >> Yeah, on the north end. So, the access
is through the laterals on ponds. Correct. So, there's also a viewing area from the north. Correct. That is a >> From the slip lane. Yeah, but it that is not open at the pedestrian level. So, there is a wall There's a wall. that just rings the
southern part of the property to again create an edge, but it is just provide sight lines to folks to see through it. The idea being that we wanted to make sure that we highlighted the uh Perfect. >> Perfect. Perfect. I just don't want people thinking they can cross there.
Yes. And And the main reason for those site accesses, um both north and south, is for service. And they they were given to us as phase one part of the project. Had already been
approved. So, we sort of um we sort of inherited that um those two accesses. Well, then let's go back and talk about discouraging people from trying to cross through the slip lane.
Hi. Good afternoon. So, the first phase of this project before the developer became involved was in the middle of the roadway on the park. And we went through several iterations of how the house actually being designed and approved by the county. And it actually includes um raised
intersections at all the crossing points to facilitate um crossing into the park. And then there's also actually several features um including the use of pavers as a kind of like a different texture to to slow down cars. But But that that's already
built into the roadway that um the perimeter of the park um which is something that's it's already been designed and and and done, but there are some features to facilitate crossing in a in a more safe manner. Well, I understand that those are on the east and west side. I think we need to look at the slip lane
and uh deterring people from stepping off and into the slip lane. Okay. Mayor Mayor, so if if the vice mayor's asking just to take a look at it, can we look at it? >> Yeah, we're here. We have a We have a long We have a long agenda today, so We do. Yes. This is like preliminary. I
want to get I want to get input from the residents and then I want to make her happy with the slip lane. She She's pretty adamant about it and I and I agree with her. We could have a low low wall with some kind of a fence um or something that discourages people from you know, going going in that
direction because they really can't go anywhere. We can We can look at it. >> Okay. We know how little ones are. We had one here. Through the mayor? Yes, sir. Uh mayor, we will take a look at that at that issue uh for the vice mayor. Okay. I'll be doing vice mayor. Um may I have a motion?
I'll move it. I'll second. Any um any public comment? Yes, Mr. Mayor. First speaker, Maria Cruz. This is Maria Cruz, 1447 Miller Road, 305-323, 2154.
I only have one concern. I hear this being called Crafts Plaza. This park was named after Fred Har- Fred Harnett. Are we changing the name?
That's the question. I mean Fred Fred Harnett, the Harnett family were very very involved in the city. I hope we're not um trying to rewrite history or changing the name of somebody who deserves to be
remembered. Mr. Clerk. Jackson Holmes. Thank you, um Mayor and Commission. Um I'm against this thing. Uh too many buildings. Why would we turn a
a beautiful sacred green space uh into a uh something that has yet more buildings. Uh I can imagine that from a safety concern, you know, when you have children playing
in this park, right? That a security wall uh it that's hard to argue with because the nightmare of some drunk driver plowing into a bunch of people in Ponce Park
uh is one that we don't want to um leave ourselves uh that justifies a wall. But doing buildings, I mean, we've already got Look, when we look at the um um plaza,
right? Plaza. Uh that's actually it's it's a weird trade-off, right? Because it's a beautiful building. It's got great businesses. I didn't oppose it when it was being uh put forward cuz I I like having um a greater retail
downtown. But it is still a monstrosity, right? And now we want to ruin it with it with it more buildings right in front of the only green space. I'm against it. But the wall, okay, that's it for me for me. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. All right. We have a and a second. Yes, sir,
we do. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Olada? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro? Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. Thank you very much. Looking forward to seeing you again. Thank you. >> Thank you. Have a wonderful day. Uh moving on to item E3.
Ordinance is a first reading. E3 is an ordinance of City Commission of Coral Gables amending the City Code chapter two entitled administration article eight entitled procurement code section two dash 60724 exemption section two dash 685 competitive sealed bidding bidding
section two dash 688 small purchases section two dash 689 sole sources procurement section two dash 690 sole source procurement section two dash 691 special procurement bid waiver section two dash 763 contract award section two dash 764 approval of change order and
contract modifications and section two dash 910 resolution of protest solicitations and awards formal and providing for a repeated provisions severability clause for codification and providing for an effective date. Madam Director? Good afternoon. The purp- The purpose of this ordinance is to update the current
approval threshold limits of the procurement code um regarding authorities. The current limits in place have not been updated in over 30 in over 20 years, excuse me, and don't accurately reflect um the spending power of the current economy
and it limits the city's abilities um to facilitate necessary purchases. So, um the request in this item is to uh make uh addition changes to the to the code in order to um
uh bring the current level the levels up to current spending practices um as well as in line with other local municipalities. Excuse me. Anything else? We're here to answer any questions you
may have about it. >> any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. I'll move it. I'll second. Mr. Clerk. Commissioner Alota. Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes.
Commissioner Castro. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Mayor Lago. Yes, thank you very much. Item E4. E4 is an ordinance of City Commission amending Chapter 58 special assessments Article 3 repair construction of streets and sidewalks to amend section {dash} 58
{dash} 48 duty of abutting property owners to repair in order to amend the code to clarify that abutting property owners are not responsible for defective sidewalks where such defects are a result of city trees and the city has been notified of those defects providing for a severability clause repeated provision codification providing for an effective date.
This is an item I brought to align our current practices with what the code the code itself was conflicting for some code enforcement officers they were enforcing the current code and that's
clearly unfair to the homeowner or the business owner. So I brought this simple amendment to the code to bring us up to date. I see no issues with it. Do we have any public comment? Yes, Mr. Mayor, we do.
First speaker Maria Cruz. Okay. Jackson Holmes. Can I Can I make a request? Instead of screaming from the grandstands, you have a message, if you have a message for for the clerk or for anyone here, you know, please feel free to come up, speak to the clerk, or speak to
staff instead of screaming from across the room. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Um so I spoke with uh Commissioner Anderson on this item and I don't think that we have any real disagreement on this item.
Uh she's a sponsor. Uh but I um I was out knocking on doors for the referendum at the time. I think that this must have been brought up previously. Um
and I do have reservations about what this is amending. I know I'm I'm with the city on I I mean I'm I'm a selfish person, all right? I I don't speak for anyone but myself, but I I don't like what the legislature's trying to do and cut off
our funds to give homeowners uh whatever they're trying to give on property tax relief. Um I'm I'm in step with the mayor on on that subject, and you all have to look over your shoulders and wonder what's next in Tallahassee. But
I just think that uh you're laying too much responsibility on property owners. Like we're supposed to be more rich than the city? I don't think uh that's a a correct assumption. Thank you.
Thank you. Nestor Menendez. Good afternoon. Nestor Menendez, 6611 Riviera Drive. Uh just one quick question on on the item um as far as the duty of owners to repair uh liability concerns, if somebody happens to injure
themselves, some type of negligence, who is liable? Um is the owner liable if he they're putting the bill or has to find somebody to fix the sidewalk or is that the city's responsibility? Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Well, I I think it one I have to defer to the city
attorney and and this is limited to where is a tree um causing the damage and the homeowner or the business owner informs uh the city of the issue. Right. So, the only change this
ordinance is making is adding one line to clarify currently the obligation is on property owners for the abutting property I'm sorry, the abutting sidewalk um in front of their property or adjacent to their property. So, this this change only clarifies what has been the city practice that if the damage is
caused by a city tree, the city is responsible for it for that sidewalk. And just to follow up, how is the who Generally, the city in in in that kind of litigation would assert that the responsibility of the sidewalk is on the abutting property owner.
As a general matter, if it's caused by a city tree, we're hearing that the city is taking on the responsibility for for correcting that provided the city's been given notice. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Anything else, Mr. Clerk? No, Mr. Mayor. I will close the public comment. Can I have a motion? I'll move it. Can I have a second? I'll second.
Clerk. Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes. Commissioner Castro. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner Latta. Yes. Mayor Lago. Yes. Uh moving on to item F4. F4 is a resolution. Mayor, this is the
one that you asked us to provide an updated version. So, uh if you'd like, I can read the updated title. >> Yes. Um this is a resolution of the city commission of the city of Coral Gables, Florida directing the city manager and city clerk to ensure that all regular meetings of the city boards and committees are recorded. And I have
updated versions, Mayor, that I can provide. Yes, uh, the only item here that I wanted to make sure that we we kept as uh, as a little kind of a window of opportunity for the manager to address is certain uh, certain potentially
uh, you know, where we have to be very thoughtful and careful in regards to people's private informations. Like, for example, if, you know, you may have a judge or you may have uh, an elected official or you may have a police officer or somebody who works for, you know, what one of the large uh,
departments at the federal level where they're remodeling their home and you're potentially putting out their information. So, we have to look at, um, you know, for example, the BOA, uh, code enforcement, uh, maybe planning and zoning. Not really planning and zoning because they don't go into really plans, but I
want to make sure that, you know, we're very careful and thoughtful on that front and that the manager has, you know, he has the the standing to be able to make a decision on what is actually shown on TV. What I'm really looking forward to is is having boards that don't have the video videos up
right now where people can see those videos transparently. Um, but I want to avoid exposing somebody's personal life or putting somebody in harm. So, I don't know if anybody has any other concerns. This is this is a pretty simple piece of legislation, more clean up than anything else. Uh,
Mr. Mayor. Yes. I'm I'm just going to ask ask you some questions whether or not you had thought about it. Um, when we have, for instance, drawings of buildings and so forth, you have utility services, you have other types
of services that run to those buildings, ingress, egress. Um, some of these things can impact, um, the ability of an individual to you know, be a burglar. Yep. Um. These are some of my concerns cuz these
drawings are put up at the Board of Architects. So, is there a way to effectively carve out items like this where we're going to hand out on the public airwaves as opposed to having to make a public records request where you have to put up your name as
opposed to just click on a video and be able to Mr. Mayor. examine the buildings. Yeah, and that's what we that's what I discussed with the city attorney yesterday that at least you have the the one layer which is that that individual or entity has to provide for a public records request and has to provide their information. So, so the the revised
version provides that requires that all meetings be recorded but not that all of them be, um, be posted. Of course, they would be subject to a public records requests, but they would not all be posted. Okay. As long as they're not posted for the
public. Is that There's very little written here, so it wasn't self-evident. That was the change. You previously had said that and so now it just says recorded. Well, your change is is noted and it's something that we talked about and it was staff brought that up and it was a very good point and I completely agree with what you're saying, Vice Mayor.
Okay. With that change, I'll move it. I'll second. Through the Mayor? Yes. I think it's a a great idea. I think a lot of times, um, we have questions that come up before us where there wasn't a recording of a specific meeting and it would facilitate
our ability to make a decision. Um, so, um, my concern was also, uh, the public records, but it's been addressed, so, um, I think this is a a great idea. My issue is one that this this, uh, ensures accountability and transparency and that when board members are are
addressing a resident or they're addressing a colleague, they're they're ensuring that they're, again, being held to the highest standard which is Coral Gables standard. So, um, like the vice mayor said, this is an opportunity to record but we're not put sensitive information out there. The manager will
have the ultimate discretion in regards to what is shown. But at the end of the day, I think it's important just to at least at a minimum record these meetings for future posterity. So, uh do we have a motion? We did. A second? Yes, sir. All right. Do we have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. All
right. Commissioner Castro? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? >> Yes. Commissioner Lago? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. Okay, we'll move on to item F6.
Discussion regarding Underline maintenance funding along with um You know what? Let's Let's hear F7 first. I have a presentation. I think I want to just try to get through as many things as quickly as possible. We have some long items left on the agenda. So, F7 is an item that I want to uh
present to my colleagues. I've done multiple site visits to visit residents and business owners uh over the last uh month uh with my team. And you see the beautiful work that's being done in regards to the Underline. It's transformational. And it's
something that brings a smile to my face, something that I worked on for 10 years. And I'm very happy to see it actually come to fruition. But then you look at the adjacent property which is owned by the city of Coral Gables. So, I have a I have a presentation that I'd like to show really quickly.
Look at the Underline. How beautiful it looks. Everything is painted, asphalted, landscaped, mulched. Looks beautiful. Right? And we've done some recent site visits with Laura
and uh Dina was there for a visit and I know we were also there with Ermys and um several members of my office and the manager's office. We've done about two or three in the last month. I'll go to the next one. This is our side of the city.
This is not staged. This is the way This is the way the city Coral Gables looks. We have garbage everywhere, unkempt. It's not clean. You have poles that the meters have were cut 3 4 years ago. The landscaping, as you can tell, the
way it is. But more, you know, you have broken bumpers. The signs are faded. We're going to be in a situation where you're going to have this beautiful project next to it and it's our project is going to is going to make it, you know, it's going to look even worse
because of the contrast from one to the other. So, I brought up I I brought this up several times. Um and I'm I'm bringing it up again because I want to understand what is the plan here. Uh the underlying is making a request for significant financing in perpetuity
for maintenance. But I also want to make sure that if we're going to spend this money, look at the amount of garbage. This is the Gables, by the way. This is not any other area in Miami-Dade County. This is our city. Uh this is next to a fire station. Um this is where people park every day.
And we have to make a decision on what we're going to do. Are we going to step up and hold ourselves accountable with this beautiful project next door, or are we going to allow our city to look like this? That's all I wanted to do is bring it to your attention. I hope that um some of my colleagues will
support me in finding an option for this. You know, pressure cleaning sidewalks, you know, re you know, new signs, getting rid of those those parking meters, the landscaping. Some of it is the the responsibility of Miami-Dade County, but most of it is the responsibility of City Coral Gables. Maybe we need some trash cans. Maybe we
need some surveillance. But I think that when you go out there and you walk those sites, I think you'll be disappointed to see the way that our city looks. And I hate to put it on the public record of this, but um I'm looking for support to see if somebody's willing to
step up and uh help out on this issue. Well, Mayor, I mean, I I know our Keep Coral Gables Beautiful campaign um has done a lot of great good, and perhaps they can uh look at these corridors as well as additional areas where volunteers can
do some work. Uh I would love that, but I um to be honest with you, Mayor and Vice Mayor, if I may you know, I I think it's beyond beyond the volunteering. I think it's we got to have a a dedicated group of people of staff or or a consultant or a contractor
that goes out there and and manages this because it's a heavy lift. I mean, the signs the signs are are faded, you know, you have all those bumpers that are broken. Um the asphalt's not looking good. Um the landscaping is pretty rough pretty rough. You have a lot of curbs that are broken. Um so, I mean, I what I
recommend is you'd like to do a site visit. I'm more than willing to do a site visit with anybody that like to go, but we're going to have to give it attention. Yes, sir. >> uh yes, Mayor. Thank you. Uh these areas were were actually parking where some of the parking encroached on the on the on
the underlying site. So, when that when when these projects are over, I think we need to look at that and have a fresh look at all at all those areas, and it's something that we've actually trying to talked about, and we need to uh I think it's it's beyond just cleaning. I think we need to see how
we're going to approach these sites now that they've have uh been reduced because a lot of the a lot of the double parking was was part part on our on our Ponce right-of-way and partly on the underlying right-of-way. The underlying right-of-way is now gone, and so I think
we need to look look at this at these areas and see how we can uh incorporate them uh better into that underlying project. Not not our underlying project, but but just incorporate them uh them them better and look at the any
parking alternatives that we have there. Mr. Clark, I'd like to see if we can um be reminded that when we commence the budget process that we bring this up as an item that needs attention. Not only for infrastructure, but also for cleanliness and maintenance. I've
been asking to remove the parking meters for I don't know how many years now. Um and at a minimum we need to we need to have a sweeper of garbage there. And do an assessment. I'd like to see an assessment happen of the area. See what is the actual budget that needs to be proposed. So we can work on that to deliver that.
Okay. You can remind me right when budget season starts so we can start working on that. At least put a placeholder number [clears throat] there. All right. And the reason why I brought that up is because now we get to talk about the Underline, which is abutting this area. Through the mayor? Yes, sir. Yes, mayor. We we have a upcoming CIP project on parking on
parking lots 12 and 16. And we'll be looking at all those areas to see if we can if we can upgrade them. We'll we'll be happy to put those as a as a budget item and see and see what the what the wish of the commission is as to as to how far we go in those areas. Perfect.
Okay. So now I'd like to go back to item F6, the which I also put on the agenda that deals with a discussion regarding the Underline maintenance funding. Um when I started this project over 10 years ago
uh I I wrote the legislation along with other leaders in Miami-Dade County, in the City of Miami, South Miami, Miami-Dade County uh to provide the funding to build the Underline through the vision of Meg Daly and her team. Um I stand 110% behind the Underline. I
think it's a great project. I think it's a a challenging project um which will be again transformational for our community on on many different fronts. I think it will raise property values. I think it'll make people healthier. I don't think I don't think I think it'll bring communities together. Um but one
of the things that we did not consider when we wrote the legislation was that it would be more than just impact fees. That it would be a in perpetuity maintenance. Now the county has stated that they're not going to be providing
100% of maintenance, that they're asking the cities to step in. Currently we are the last city in Miami-Dade County out of the South Miami, City Miami um that hasn't stepped up yet. This is the way I see it. I'm going to be blunt and to the point, okay? I don't
want to give a dollar. I've been very clear with Mayor Daley. I don't want to give a dollar. We need the money. I just gave you an example. We need the money to take care of our own projects. But we're putting put in a position where we have no other choice. Miami has already committed, South Miami has already committed, Miami-Dade County
has committed. The county is not going to provide us with the funding to maintain what they've built. The options are, do we leave it basically run run to the ground? Do we not provide the necessary funding
for safety? Do we not provide the necessary funding to replace, you know, the green matter, the trees, landscaping, to make sure that we maintain the hardscape, uh the basketball courts, the pickleball courts, the litany of programming that
is expected uh in these 3 miles. By the way, from my understanding, and I I imagine that Meg will speak about a little later, uh we have we have some of the most intensive uh program of of any stretch in the 10 miles. So this is programming that again is in our
backyard, uh that is being provided for our residents, for the entire community, but at the end of the day, the people closest to it I think are going to enjoy the most. So I think we need to be honest with ourselves. What is the next step that we do here? Uh we're hearing immense we're having we're getting immense pressure from Tallahassee.
Uh we're seeing an increase in in pricing. We've made huge commitments to infrastructure in the city, but we can't continue to turn a blind eye to this because, you know, this cannonball is coming down the lane, and we better we better take action or the action will
be taken for us in one form or another. I'd like to hear from my colleagues. I put together a few items, you know, numbers on some memos. I don't know if you were able to to to read some of the legislation that was provided in regards to what the Underline is requesting. Um on some of the other on some of the
requests I'm supportive, especially when you talk a little bit about the first line item for the first year of money, what's what's being considered. And I'd like to see if staff would like to go over a little bit. Madam ACM,
they're looking for FY 26 $180,000 commitment. Can you go over what the commitment from there moving forward is expected to be? Sure, Carolina Vester, Assistant City Manager. If I could have the presentation just to provide some
background from the inception of the initial agreements between the city and the county. So, like we discussed, the Underline is a 10-mile linear park, beautiful park with a multimodal corridor beneath Miami-Dade County's Metrorail system. It basically connects us from the Miami
River all the way to Dadeland South. You have some key stakeholders to keep in mind. So, aside from just the Underline, you have Miami-Dade County. It's on Miami-Dade County property. We have the Friends of the Underline, also known as the Underline Management Organization or TUMO, and also known as the Underline
Conservancy. And then, of course, you have municipal partners. We have the City of Miami, City of South Miami, and City of Coral Gables, who are all impacted and benefit indirectly from the the corridor. There are approximately 3 miles, 20 6% of the Underline traverses through the
City of Coral Gables, and that's from Southwest Southwest 38th Avenue all the way to Southwest 57th Avenue. Here's just a little map of the entire corridor and you'll see uh phase three has uh predominantly the sections allocated to
the city of Coral Gables. So, brief history, um the city has, as the mayor mentioned, contributed over $7 million towards capital expenditures associated with the construction of the underlying project. In uh its inception in 2018, the governance structure adopted by Miami-Dade County was basically to um
select the underlying management organization or TUMO as a public part private partnership model providing for the management, maintenance, operations, programming, sponsorship, and of course fundraising of funds. The initial commitment was of 358,882
annually for the maintenance of the linear park with the expectation that the management organization was to raise private funds to cover additional maintenance and operating costs. Within that initial agreement, what was funded was basically landscaping. It didn't consider
uh additional uh amenities. So, in 2021, there was a master maintenance interlocal agreement uh that was executed between Miami-Dade County and the city of Coral Gables. It established how improvements within Coral Gables right-of-way would be maintained. There was allocation of long-term operational responsibilities
between both entities, uh procedures for future city requested enhancements, um county acceptance to maintain the base underlying improvements constructed within the city of Coral Gables right-of-way through its designated management organization. And here just an excerpt of that initial agreement,
DTPW intends to tender the maintenance obligation undertaken under the maintenance agreement to the management organization. So, moving forward um in March of 2023, there was a memorandum published by the county mayor that identified significant
concerns regarding the increased long-term O&M costs of the linear park. The original estimated county obligation, as I mentioned before, was, you know, a little bit over $350,000 annually in maintenance, with separately a $50,000 annual FPL license contribution.
There was a proposed shift by the underlying management organization for the new estimated maintenance cost exceeding, at this point, $9 million annually to look at a split with the county funding 70% and two more funding 30% of the maintenance. And the county
would be responsible for approximately $6.3 million annually if you take that into consideration, and that was what was published at the time in that memorandum. So, what is the current state of the maintenance costs? Like I mentioned, the proposed cost is $9 million for the
entire segment. This is an increase increase of basically 2,400% from the original maintenance framework contemplated in 2018 in the agreement. >> So, if we may stop right there. Mhm. >> [clears throat] >> Okay. That's the problem.
So, when you look at this, our back is against the wall in regards to what is the future of the underlying in the Coral Gables section. I can't talk about South Miami, and I can't talk about the city of Miami. I'm about where we are where we are right now. So, our options are we can continue to, you
know, put our head in the sand and try to avoid the reality of of what we're facing, or we are going to make a plan to address this issue. Um What else what are you seeing there? What would be our responsibility over
the next 5 years? Through the mayor, can I ask a quick question before we I apologize for interrupting. Uh that's an important question, but earlier that to what do you attribute a 2,400 percent Um Will you guys entertain me to finish
the presentation? >> Yes, >> go ahead. >> [laughter] >> Yeah. go ahead. Thank you. Um because there are some staff concerns related to to the exact cost, correct? So, um the current request that was proffered was for the the city of Coral
Gables to do an initial prorated amount of 180,000 for um this 2026 fiscal year. And then for the following fiscal year, there's a a request to fund 1 million annually uh with an established request of 5%
increase escalation as well as a 5-year commitment for those payments. So, that takes us to about $4.49 million. Um Um again, the total projected annual O&M costs are approximately $9 million with municipal contributions intended to
cover the approximate 30%. Um so, this takes me back into that original 70/30 split split. This commitment is to cover the 30%. So, the question is also what are we doing with the additional 70% pending. And that's something that the
county has discussed and there's no resolution yet on as the county goes over their budget how to fund the difference. That was where I was headed. So, some of the concerns that we have as staff, um if we were to engage in a
long-term commitment um to fund these funds is who receives those funds? The city really needs a detailed line item operating budget to determine how those funds are allocated, the same way we present a budget to the city commission. We would need to see a
budget to make sure that those numbers are in fact going towards the underline appropriately. Um there are no defined metrics for the services to be provided, just an initial maintenance schedule. So, we would ask for a a metric of those services. Um we would like to discuss maybe there's some duplication of services
that might already be funded through taxpayers' money. So, we want to make sure we are not duplicating services. Um we need audit rights, financial transparency, as well as government's representation and operational oversight if funds are to be paid directly to the Underline. Clarification also needs to happen on
county versus municipal maintenance obligation, and we need to get back on to the table and discuss this with the county as well. And um as I mentioned before, the linear park in reality is it's a larger regional public benefit. Of course, there is a local benefit as well.
But uh the the responsibility in this proposal was really putting that responsibility on the local government here. And that's the end of my presentation. Thank you very much. Not a problem. So we're going to hear from I'd like to see if Elle Meg Daily can can come up and her team just to give us a little bit of
feedback on where we stand right now uh after some of the comments from the ACM. And we have I think about what 15 speakers. All in favor, correct? I didn't go through it. Um we have a long we have a long Come on up. Whatever you like. I just I I we have a
long agenda, so I want to make sure we get to the to the main points. Come on. Come on. Come on up. Hello, Meg Daily. Ooh. Founder of Friends of the Underline, and I'm joined by Eulace Rackley, CEO of the um Underline. Um I do have some remarks. Thank you for your presentation. There's
a lot of pieces missing to that. Um since that discussion with Miami-Dade County of a 70/30 split, the Underline is actually contributing 60% of the operations, maintenance, and programming expenses.
So the way that we've approached this um and when we met years ago, Mayor, uh the question was A, how do you build it? How do you maintain it? And we didn't have a clear way forward on the maintenance. and in fact, I think because we're so entrepreneurial
together, we've been able to create a 10-mi linear park from blighted land in less than 12 years. That beats the Atlanta BeltLine, the High Line, other signature parks around uh the country. And so now we're at the point that, you know, we're trying to we are coming up
with a shared model with the lead on the contribution coming from the private sector, which is a combination of corporate sponsorships, um as well as naming rights and a variety of other earned revenue opportunities. Um and then shared participation from
the municipalities within the areas that represent. So the city of My- Coral Gables is actually 3 mi or 30% of the 10 mi long. It's actually has a little more acreage because it's 130 ft wide rather than the typical 100 ft wide.
So what we asked for when approaching City of Miami, City of South Miami is 300,000 per roughly per mile times the linear mile in the within the jurisdiction. So as the mayor mentioned, the City of
Miami um has contributed a has a 5-year plan of contribution. Um the beneficiary, I think um was questioned who that would be. It would be the Underline Conservancy, which is the operator. It's a public-private partnership uh with um Friends of the
Underline uh appointees as well as um representation from the county and your departments. Um and then we have I think another question came up was, you know, where does the money go? How does it get distributed? And we do have a 55-page
management agreement with Miami-Dade County, which actually has an interlocal agreement already in place with the City of Coral Gables. So the the operator would be the is is the the Underline Conservancy, and the relationship is county to city.
Right? So So you're familiar with that structure. Right? Yeah. Thanks Meg. You just got to see how the Underline just just to add an additional set of facts here that Meg is talking about. So So actually the
city of Miami has committed a 10-year MOU to fund the Underline with the first 5 years committed at $1.5 million per year with that same type of escalation factor presented by Carolina. South Miami has a 5-year commitment executed
MOU of $300,000. And so again that the the request is just for all of the municipalities to follow suit with with what has been the trend to help cover their 30% of their
portion for covering O&M long-term. As as Meg mentioned, we continually are focused on ensuring that we're leveraging all of our private fundraising to be able to to cover as much as possible on the Friends of the Underline side and
we are showing significant growth within year-over-year increases in private fundraising. So we're asking for a shared commitment here because of the value of project and it just makes good sense as we move forward especially in the in the vein of being a public and
private partnership that this was originally intended to be. Anything else? My remarks are much better than my comments. >> [laughter] >> Whatever whatever you like. You're the floor is yours. Okay, great. I want to remind everybody that I'm a very proud Coral Gables
resident and I'm founder of Friends of the Underline. I just want to reiterate that we are deeply grateful for this relationship over the past decade and we've transformed what was once forgotten land below Metrorail into one of the most ambitious public space projects in the country.
And the most exciting part is this, Coral Gables is about to become a 40-plus acre destination within the corridor. By the end of 2026, that's the end of this calendar year, the full 10 miles will be complete. All 3 miles of
the city Coral Gables will be completed. This section includes the cherished Chewy Bark Park in Coral Gables, four pickleball courts, full and half court basketball, an outdoor gym, natural landscapes at the wilds and stormwater ponds, microforest, which my friend
Peachy Meatsy will talk about, plazas for community gathering, public art, and free cultural and educational programming. This is not a temporary project. This is civic infrastructure with shared responsibility. So, from the day we cut the ribbon, and we have a lot of ribbons
to cut over the next few months, the public will expect and will and deserves a clean, safe, beautiful, and professionally maintained park. That means 24-hour security, 24-hour landscaping, graffiti removal, maintenance of recreational spaces, and
a visible wel- welcoming presence every day. We're prepared for that responsibility. The Friends of The Underline has built a nationally recognized public-private partnership model. As I mentioned, 60% of the funding comes from private philanthropy, sponsorships, and spon-
and partnerships. But like every great park um system, public investment is essential to sustain this world-class civic asset. We've already mentioned the contributions from the cities of Miami and South Miami. We currently attract 3 million visitors
a year. That number is expected to balloon to 9 million a year. They are going to bring, support local businesses, activate public spaces, increase mobility, improve quality of life, and reinforce Coral Gables'
reputation as one of the Amer- America's most livable cities. This is an opportunity for all of us to help shape shape and then sustain a legacy project that will serve generations to come. We are so proud to be your partner, and we respectfully ask for this this year's
fiscal deferred funding commitment to be finalized, and that we work on a multi-year funding plan for your consideration. Thank you. Thank you. So, she basically said what my intentions were, and I'd like to hear from the public record from the public.
I'd like to be able to resolve the issue of the 2026 funding. One second. Let me just finish. We have We have We're not doing the public comment yet. So, um I'd like to figure out what we do moving forward in regards to the funding issue. The county's already been clear in
regards to their position. The state is not going to be funding. But, we need to figure something out uh moving forward. So, it's not whether we approve 5 years now. This is a conversation. It's why it's a discussion item. And we can bring it back in July. We can bring it back in August. But, I think that we need to address the FY 26.
Yes. Through the mayor. Yes. So, I My My question was posed actually to Carolina Bester. Maybe I can pose it to you. Hi, Meg. Hi. But, like how is it that we got to that >> [clears throat] >> discussion at one point of how maintenance was going to be handled, how much it was expected to cost, to now
recognizing what looks like a 2,400% rounding error or or or clerical error. You know, like how how did how did that happen first? And the answer to that question will help inform me, at least one one commissioner, um about any of the projection projections
or estimates going forward, right? Because I just need to understand how we were were were so off. The number that was presented in the management agreement with the county was from mowing the lawn. And that was a minimum contribution, not
a maximum contribution. So, every year we go back to the county with a an ask as we grow. And since we are now we've actually exceeded our expectations on the delivery of the project. This was supposed to be completed actually 10 years from now, in 2035,
but a federal grant accelerated that schedule. Um so, there was a compression of time. There was a compression of speed, and I don't know where the 2400% calculation came from. I That's not a number I'm familiar with, and it's not one we work with.
Um we've been saying that the operations and maintenance would be roughly a million a mile for some time now. Carolina, if I can do the mayor, you know, do could you add some clarity for me cuz I'm not sure I got much more clarity. Mr. Chair, will you will you allow us to address this or we're going to have
public comment now? I can do it now. No, no, no, we're going to call you up, but let us let us let us deal with the the items first and then we'll have public comment. Excuse me. So, like Meg said, that original number was in that original agreement, and that was only contemplating landscaping, right? It wasn't contemplating
activation areas. So, of course there's some discrepancy there because you weren't planning or they were not planning at the time to operate um program those spaces. Um aside from that, that estimate was not done by the city. That was an estimate provided to us, and that's why we're asking for an
itemized budget to identify where those funds go. Who provided that to you? Who provided that? The underliner in their proposal. Okay. Yes. So, The current estimated cost >> I was telling you in the beginning, 10 years ago when we talked about this, it was a completely different project at
a different scope. Now, as the county has their own financial issues, they have serious budget issues across the board. With all due respect to my colleagues in the commission, on the county, and the mayor, they've decided that they would not be funding this to the magnitude that we
expected. So, it falls on us and it falls now on the underlying. Uh I don't The underlying is not prepared. They do not have an endowment at this moment, even though they've raised significant funds, uh to be able to address the all the maintenance issues.
So, what I'd like to see, you know, if we can if we can figure this out is address the 2026 uh funding request. Make a decision on that. Give it to the will of this commission, or we can move it to or we can defer it to July. I I'm ready to make a decision on that. And
then really roll up our sleeves and figure out a way to to find a strategy for the next three or five years and put a book end on it. Which I'm not willing to accept, by the way. There's multiple issues that I'm not willing to accept. I'm not willing to accept five years, and I'm not willing to accept a CPI
index increase every single year. Uh we have to, you know, this is not an open checkbook where at the end of the day it can just continue to grow and grow and grow. I want to I want to I just like the county put a book end on us, we got to put a book end on them. Through the mayor. I I agree with you, right? And I'm not looking at three or
five years at this point, either. But with respect to you want to look at fiscal year '26. >> Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. Okay. But the ask is to us, right? Like we're >> 100% No, I'm here. Not an open checkbook, but we're we're asked to provide funding. That we had not been prepared
or expected. So, that's like a new ask. Okay. So, the question is have we I'll just ask to Ms. Daley. So, have has the friend I'm not even sure I understand the organization today, right? So, is there an organization? Are there more than one underlying
organizations? And if the answer is yes, can you briefly describe what it is that they do today? Sure. There's two organizations. Both of them are 501c3s. The Friends is I'm the chair of the Friends. I'm also chair of the Conservancy. The Friends
organization is the fundraising arm and advocacy arm. Um the it was a very similar model to the Performing Arts Center. You had a fundraising arm sort of the um there was the trust which is the public private and then there was the the fundraising
arm which the friends are. Um the organization that operates is the Underline Conservancy which is a public private board with five appointees from Friends of the Underline and four members of the board >> [snorts] >> um who are appointees of the Miami-Dade
County Mayor, the TPO, Parks Department and the Department of Transportation. It operate they um meet monthly and um provide all the audited financials to Miami-Dade County. The Department of Transportation is what's called our contract manager so they're reviewer. So
we already have audit and transparency functions through the county and have annual reviews. So the Underline is the funder, Friends of the Underline is the funder to the Conservancy. The Conservancy is not a fundraising arm, it's a it's an operating arm.
Through the mayor? Yes. This is This is a big ask. It's a big ask because it's not only it's not a one-time ask, it's a recurring cost and this park is not going away. While the years pass by, the more it's
going to cost eventually because of inflation. My question is, if we cannot commit to this, what's going to happen? And that's a great question. Um and one of the reasons that we've been very um opportunistic in trying to
sort of diversify the funding. Um there is a reverter clause within our agreement with Miami-Dade County that if the Conservancy does not have funds to operate, then the county has 30 days to reclaim the project and they would take over operations at their level of
service. We provide all the security, the maintenance, the garbage collection, the recycle, all the programming, um the art, you know, so all of that is under the conservancy and the level of service from the county would be substantially less. As you can tell, the
first commitment was for mowing the grass. Mr. Mayor. Yes. Um, I think one of the levels that we need to reach here so residents throughout the county can understand the actual cost of doing
business is to be able to share the financial statements and what does it really cost? Sure. The long-term, I think, that we need a have that conversation also with the county and our other municipalities
for long-term solutions so that year after year or cycle after cycle you're not coming in hoping that there is a line item that's going to be available on a budget that we don't know may or may not exist
in the future depending on what the legislature decides to do with the property taxes, etc. Clearly, you know, the buildings that are closest to the underline benefit the most. There are many people that come from
some distances and use the bike lanes but the everyday people that walk it are the buildings closest. So, I do think we that we need to have that long-term conversation with the county and with neighboring municipalities come
forward with year 27, 28, and forward. And in the meantime um, require the same level of transparency that we've asked from other organizations uh, with regard to the funding and the spending and and so forth so that where
everybody's on an even playing field. But, I do think we need to move forward at least to handle 2026 with those records being provided. Well, if I may just so, to put something in the record. so this is what we need to understand.
So, South Miami committed $300,000 per mile for 1 mile, correct? Just for 1 year. No. Uh uh for for 5 years. So, $300,000? Correct. Well, they're all they're going to give is The the uh sorry, Mr. Mayor. So, so the the first year is pro pro rated and it
is the same circumstance of what we're asking here today. Uh but the remainder of the 5-year MIU is calculated at $300,000 per mile. And I want to I want to explain to you we're 3 miles, the following year it would be a million, so you divide it obviously about 300 and change per mile.
Um the City of Miami has committed to 1.5 million for 5 miles. So, it's another $300,000 per mile, correct? And then you want to ramp them up up to a million. Correct a year? Is that the plan? >> Correct. There's an escalation factor annually
for both uh the City of South Miami as well as the City of Miami. But are they jumping up from like we are, you know, the the $300,000 the first year, correct? >> Correct. Um We have a we have some public comment. I'm going to ask you have a very long We
have a really long agenda, so if you can keep it as concise as possible. Um Mr. Clerk, can we hear from from >> Through through the mayor. Yes. Um I'm not even sure what to say. Um every meeting that we had, we had assurances that there was not going to be any maintenance cost for the city.
Um and for the county to just punt it off on the municipalities is unprecedented. Um question for staff. If the city were managing this project, what would the cost be?
The maintenance cost? We would have to explore that. We haven't done an assessment. We'd have to look at that. Um Through the mayor. Yes. I I I believe that we have to look at the the maintenance agreement. Uh we have not received that and we have to I believe that the ACM had a very
nice slide that shows everything that we need before we get into any contractual obligation. I want to know what what we what what that money's going to be used for and what are we we need to be able to audit to know exactly what what we're receiving. So, before we we provide a million dollars a
year, uh we would like to know exactly what we're getting for that and and and and uh and and also can we audit it? Can we look at it at uh that that that might be another solution. But, right now it this is a little nebulous right now. It's not
even can we audit it? It's what accountability is there when the first agreement is not being upheld? You know, we had an agreement, we put in $7 million was it? Um for the construction and we were told maintenance is going to be covered.
And now we're on the hook for maintenance going forward. Um we're not sure at what level of maintenance cuz yes, today, you know, the maintenance is being done well. It's a small piece that's open. It's it'll be open by the end of the year, but is it going to be at the level the
Coral Gables residents expect? Um the county's always putting restrictions on us when they give us funding for our parks. You know, Coral Gables residents can't have preference. Uh you know, we can't do our own our own things. Are we going to have that same ability
uh to put restrictions on what the county can do because now we're putting money into a project. This is also a million dollars towards routine maintenance. What about extraordinary maintenance? Let's say we have a storm come through and wipe out the pickleball courts. Is that on the
city to then put in the funding to to repair those? So, so just a couple of clarifications. I I do not believe that there was a separate operations and maintenance agreement uh for the city of Coral Gables. That's
number one. Uh, n- number two, in terms of uh, having the ability to have transparency within our budgeting process, well, we welcome that. We already go through that process currently with the Department of Transportation and Public Works. We actually produce a multi-year uh, pro
forma uh, and revenue expense um, uh, and budget uh, so they can understand how well we're keeping up with not only the expenses that are being projected, but also the revenues that cover those expenses. Uh, in terms of if there's an extraordinary
natural event that happens, it it's a similar type of response that would happen at a municipality or county level. We do have reserves that we we set aside uh, for those particular instances, but if there's something that requires additional capital expenditures um, because of some type of damage or
anything else on operations and maintenance side, we try to budget for that accordingly. But if it's something that's so extreme, that's something that um, you know, I think every single project within the county and municipality would have to entertain ways to identify funding to cover that.
Okay. Mr. Mayor? Yes. So, Yulis, how are you? >> [clears throat] >> Yulis, how are you? I um, I'm assuming, but just to be sure, that you wouldn't have if you'd been provided with the list of what the assistant city manager was saying are items that we would need
to see and that the city manager has said, you know, items having to do with transparency and the ability to audit and to know how the funds I assume you have no objection to any one of those requests. No, absolutely not. We we welcome it. On that list, just as a reminder, um,
the agreement currently as stands is between the city and the county. So, we have to get back to the table with all entities involved cuz there's no current agreement with the underlying. So, if there's a funding contribution that has to be ironed out, and then there's the questions of oversight and governance. So, if you're
taking taxpayers funded money to allocate towards this, then there has to be a governance aspect where the local government here has some oversight. Mr. Clark, can we have 1 minute per person? Please. Confirming 1 minute, Mr. Mayor? Yeah.
1 and 1/2, 2 minutes. Just try to be as concise as possible, please. Okay. Mr. Mayor. Yes. I'm going to make a suggestion if it all that the speaker intends to say is they support it, that uh perhaps one person stand up and ask everybody to stand up that is in support of the
underlying. Rather than have a repeat of of everything. Is there any No, I understand. Is there anybody here against? Would anybody like to speak in opposition to the project? Go ahead. Mr. Mayor, would you like to go down the list? >> Yeah, yeah, of course. Okay. So, first
speaker, Maria Cruz. Mrs. Maria Cruz, 1447 Miller Road, 305-323-2154. In the last few minutes, we heard about two instances that we need to put money into.
The Ponce Park, they said that they were going to be short X amount of money that we they would be talking to us about how we were going to help. Now, I supported the underlying from the get-go. I thought it was a beautiful idea.
But, at this time, I don't see how we can commit to any long-term agreement when we don't even know if we're going to have enough for what our residents need and must have. I think at this point, we're talking about things that
we don't know. Maybe the idea I think the mayor said maybe we should look at it later on when we know how much money we're going to have, whether the the tax idea is going to go through, whatever the case. At this
point, I do not believe that we should commit to anything. Adam Yourmark. I think there was only two there was only two individuals in opposition that wanted to speak. Um Betsy Galtier. I couldn't be more in favor of
supporting the Underline. I think Is this too loud? I think what they've done is magic. It's turned an undeserved, neglected area of the county or the city into a truly magical walkway. Everybody can use it. And the
more development we have in this city with high-rises and people living in big buildings instead of individual homes, the more that's going to be appreciated. They need a place to get outside, to walk, to play pickleball if they want, see an art show, have a yoga lesson.
It's magic. [clears throat] And the very idea that the city would not be in support of it denies and negates your desire to be called the city beautiful. You can't do that. Thank you very much.
Have Roberta Newway. Roberta Newway, 1236 South Palm Circle, 33146. I just want to say that I've seen the beauty of the Underline. I've walked it from 37th to the river. And last week I walked the part that
isn't officially open yet from Red Road to Dadeland um south. And it's a very special place. People like it. Please find a way to support it. Thank you for your time. Thank you.
Katherine Gilhooly Good afternoon, Mayor Commissioners. Katherine Gilhooly, 414 Alhambra Circle. I am a proud resident of City Beautiful and have owned my home for over three decades.
About eight years ago I became involved with the Underline program because it took wasteland and turned it into the possibility of connecting a disconnected city. And
when I walk out on it and I see families with children or dogs, it's beyond my imagination that that was a possibility in this city 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years
ago. Please support this. And we are very transparent organization. Thank you. >> Thank you. Mauricio Martinez Afternoon. My name is Mauricio Martinez and I am happy to call >> you live, sir? Huh? Your your address? 12 My address?
1235 LeJeune Road. Thank you, sir. I am happy to call the city of Coral Gables was since September last year. I moved from New York and initially when I moved I was scared that I was not going to have a green space in which I will be able to
have a walk in the morning, have some moment to just like think about my day and just enjoy and be with nature. Um but when I when I moved and I saw the project of The Underline I was really excited for
it. And I just want to say that spaces like The Underline are going to be necessary for humanity in the future. We need spaces in which we can connect, we can enjoy nature, we can be with our fellow citizens and just
share this space. And you can really put a price on that. Thank you. You. Jill Swerdlow. Hi, good afternoon. My name is Jill Swerdlow, 5440 Coral Way Oaks Drive. I had been a resident of Coral Gables for
the past 20 years. I've raised my family in the city beautiful and have been fortunate to have had a access to all the parks and playgrounds and everything this magical city has to offer. I only wish The Underline was available when my children were growing up. But The
Underline is much more than a park. It's a community gathering place. And in light of mental health awareness month, I just want to call attention to some of the unique offerings specific to The Underline. We hosted community meals, new mother walks, speed friending
events, and the largest pool party for dogs. All to bring people together to break bread, make new friends, and feel part of a community. People came from all over the country, not just Underline adjacent. What I think is interesting is that a
healthy city is built on healthy residents. and the Underline provides a forum to bring residents together in joy, fun, and collaboration resulting in both physical and mental well-being. So, in that light, I ask that you approve
this funding. Thank you. John Daley Hi, my name is John Daley, uh 647 on Media, which is coincidentally it's the same exact address that Meg Meg has. Um
I'm I'm here I'm here because because Meg was up at 3:00 in the morning last night. She was concerned about the project. And uh it's really odd for me when I wake up in the morning at at 3:00 in the morning I turn around and she's not there. But she was downstairs typing up what
you read today. So, I think that it's important sometimes uh to detach ourselves from all the financials that are going on and try to understand what this family has sacrificed over the last 12 years.
And I've got to give it to my father and and mother-in-law, Parker and Van Thompson, who were probably the most civic-minded people I've ever met in my life. And that's where Meg learned how to do this. And um and the sacrifice that she's made
uh we've made financially for this cuz I know that somebody who can can can find $150 million for my company, I would definitely make them king or queen for a good 10 years and I would pay them
handsomely. But we we don't we don't get paid for this, not a single penny. As a matter of fact, we actually give money to the Underline as well. So, the sacrifices that that we make are the other side of what we've been talking about today.
And they're very real. Fortunately, we're okay. But, you got to understand the amount of times that she's gotten up at 3:00 in the morning are numerous. And it was all because she wanted something good for society.
Genuinely wanted to do something good for society cuz we're not we're not making anything from this. She doesn't want a street named after her. She doesn't want a park named after her. Nothing. So, I think it's really important that sometimes we look at the human side of this rather than the financial side of this and try to understand that I've
gone over my time. But, secondly, I know that the city of Coral Gables has been very generous and very giving and we really really appreciate that and we hope moving forward that continues. Thank you very much. Thank you. Marlene Ebert.
Mark, how many more do we have? Is that fine? Hi, for the record, uh my name is Marlene Ebert. I live at 6510 San Vicente Street. I'm a 38-year resident of Coral Gables and I am here in support. I I first of
all I want to thank you all for your wonderful support of the cinema last month. And I kind of view the cinema and the Underline as two wonderful things that have happened to Coral Gables in the last 15 years.
And I I understand that you have a problem with this funding and um I can understand it going forward, but I hope that you can find the funding for the rest of the year and then try to figure it out for the next 5 years. So, I'm
here in support and thank you. Thank you. Christine Yormark. Good afternoon. Christine Yormark, 724 Alhambra Circle. Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and the Commission. Uh first and foremost, I actually serve as the treasurer of the Friends of the Underline, so I'm intimately familiar uh
with the financials, the operations, and how the money is spent. Uh but what I want to say along with what everybody has already um agreed with today, which is the value that the Underline brings to the community, but is really the flip side of that. I view this as an investment in our community. I view this
as if we don't invest in our community, what does that say about us? And what does that provide our residents? Because when you look at a park that has been deteriorated, where it has graffiti, where it doesn't have the right kind of safety that we're looking for for this city, it's not the kind of place where people invest. It's not the kind of
place where people want to live. It's not the kind of place where people want to raise their families. Uh my daughter goes to Carver Middle School, and actually her and I walk along the Underline from you know, on occasion, um and it's absolutely beautiful. And I can do that with my 12-year-old daughter. I would let her do
that alone because it's so safe. So, uh with that, I'm fully in support um of the Underline, and I understand the concerns you raised today because as a financial professional, fully understand all the questions and agree we need to provide you with that transparency. Um but at the same time,
view this as an investment in our community because the best communities have the best parks and the best places to live, and are the safest, and that's actually what brings more money, more economic development, uh and more prosperity to help us fund these kinds of projects. Thank you. Thank you.
James Colby. Who's next? Charlie Glaemo will be next. Hey, Mr. Mayor, Commissioner staff. Um yes, the Underline is >> What is your address? Oh, forgive me. 1115 Manatee. Thank you, sir. Hey, the Underline is terrific. It's great.
You go to the parts that are open now, you're going to have a great time. The and you should absolutely make city funding decisions because I like it. That's that's what I think is most important. The the reason and I completely understand the frustration that the commissioners and Mr. Mayor and the staff are
expressing based on the county's decisions to change the funding agreements that it put in place. However, we now have a new landmark for our municipality, for neighboring municipalities. People will be interacting with it and there will be 3
miles open in our city by the end of the year. That's an exciting opportunity. It does create these cost hurdles for us, but it's important that if the city beautiful shows up as the city beautiful, that the park reflects well on us and reflects well on our community and shows the stewardship that we a that
we exhibit in so many other parts of the city that you take care of for all of us. A Thank you. Appreciate the time. Thank you. Charlie Glemo. No. Thanks. Gonzalo Sanabria.
Charlie? You're Charlie? Oh, sorry. I'm sorry. Oh, it's good exercise getting up and down. >> [laughter] >> We knew you needed it, so. Good afternoon, mayor and vice mayor and commission. Uh my name is Charlie Glemo and um I've
been part of uh the Underline project for about 2 years now and I've um actually met with um some similar projects um across the that are happening across the country. And this project is head and shoulders above even
comparable projects for less money and less overall funding. We are extremely fortunate to have um the ability to have this in our backyard and I just wanted to mention that um
we are now in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most dogs in a pool party as of last weekend and that is that has put the city of Coral Gables in Guinness Book and I support the Underline and thank
you very much. Thank you, sir. Gonzalo Sanabria Good afternoon. Gonzalo Sanabria, 944 San Pedro Avenue. I'm directing my comments to all of you. So
I worked as on the Board of Directors of Miami-Dade Expressway Authority for 13 years. Became quite familiar with transportation. Became even more familiar with the Underline and also the Ludlam Trail.
In 2019, I worked on a project that is still ongoing where it ties the Ludlam Trail with the Underline. Now, we have 3 miles in which Coral Gables has exposure to the Underline.
Let me tell you something from my experience. It's 3 miles of headaches. It's 3 miles of problems. Even though it's some great dreams, some great projects, some beautiful things that could potentially happen.
You're going to have people that we don't know transmitting through those 3 miles. We have a million dollars a year committed to this project which is going to balloon. We have to service that area with police
and fire. Let me ask you this. Our revenues in the budget of Coral Gables is not that flush to go ahead and give a million dollars away to a project that's not going to bring us any revenues in return, but
it's going to give you a lot of headaches. So, does that million dollars that we have to commit to something buy us some more policemen, some more fire people, some more needed park uh department assistance?
We cannot afford this million-dollar commitment to the Underline. Thank you. That's it, Mr. Mayor. I apologize. All right. So, we'll close the public comment. So, my goal today is to move forward,
obviously, with the FY26 commitment and bring back to the commission in July, late July or August, what is the commission's will in regards to the 3-to-5-year bookend for funding the
Underline. Um I welcome anyone who has any ideas on the commit on the commission or wants to work with staff uh to address this. I have been working on the Underline for 10 years now bringing it to fruition. I take a lot of pride in this project.
I don't like the position that we are in as a city right now at the end of the day. So, I've met with multiple county commissioners, I was staff. Again, we're in a we're in a position where we have to
make a decision. But I like to know uh from the manager if he can work with McDaily and the team to find out transparently what is the proposal in regards to maintenance and Coral Gables standards.
Um can we do it for cheaper? Can we do it with our staff? Again, I know that that may contribute to conflicts with the underlying. But I want to understand the checks and balances to ensure that we're just not writing a check and at the end of day, we're not getting our money's worth.
Uh that's the situation we got into 10 years ago when we approved this and then obviously there was I hate to use the word bait and switch, but there was a bait and switch by the county. So, that's where we are right now. I don't know if my colleagues have any other further words they'd like to say or things they'd like to discuss.
>> Us through the mayor? Yes. Um you know, something that we should really consider the county should deed this to the city. Uh if we're going to be taking care of the maintenance and they're not going to be taking care of the maintenance. If there is a reverter clause, the
reverter should be to be deeded to the city. Cuz if we're going to be investing as much as we are long-term, um it should really be our property that we're investing in. Um at the end of day, this money's going to be coming from probably our parks projects or other projects that we have in the city.
And you know, Coral Gables has some of the most beautiful parks in Miami-Dade County. We have invested tons of money over the last 10 years on beautifying our parks within the city. Uh and that comes with a maintenance
cost as well that we always have to be budgeting for. Um so, when we have these tough conversations up here, it's not that we don't see the vision of the underlying or you know, the the commitment and the sacrifice that has been given by Meg. I mean, Meg
had an incredible vision. And it's not Meg's fault that somebody is pulling back from the table. Uh and that is not on you, Meg. You did your your job. You delivered this project and it's a project that Miami-Dade County should be thanking you for, not pulling
back from the table and saying, "Well, now it's your problem to figure it out. Um, and we just have to crunch numbers. I mean, as far as our city, we have our commitments already. We have commitments to projects, and we're not talking about
a small line item. We're talking about probably one of the largest line items for for maintenance in our city. We have a youth center that needs $60 million to to do the renovation of. We have several parks that we're trying to get to, we haven't gotten to.
This will be a large commitment. So, if the county's not willing to do its part, then it has to give up something for us to be able to make a commitment. I agree with you. I think we need to fund at least year one. This is going to be a long-term
negotiation with the county. I don't think that they're going to be It's going to be a short negotiation. Um, and I guess the question for staff is what do we need to do? Is this an ordinance that needs to be presented as an amendment to the budget, or is this just a resolution of the commission
makes authorizing the funding? Who's the mayor? Yes. Um, commissioner, [clears throat] this is a a reoccurring cost at an escalation of 5% per year. It's a reoccurring cost. So, this would be something that would not be a CIP item. This would come out
of the reoccurring general fund. So, it's a substantial commitment. >> No, for this year. I'm saying for this year. The $186,000 that's that's currently being considered for year one. >> There could be a resolution with direction to to the city manager and to
city attorney, so we can, you know, negotiate and turn to the appropriate agreements for such funding. Um, ideally, we would have had that those agreements, you know, done and and presented to you. If that's what the commission would like, but there could be that direction, and we can certainly do that if that's
the will of the commission. I'm a believer that the cleanest way to do this is to present it at the next commission meeting. Have staff put it together. The one year FY26 and then have our team have a sit down conversation with the
county and with the underline to see what the next three to five years looks like. I would not I would not support a project longer than three years and with a CPI increase, I would not do that. Uh we need to be very careful. We We We've We've had
this scenario already. Mhm. Okay. And I'm not going to allow this continue to happen again. I want commitments and I want to be backstopped to ensure that everybody, you know, uh has has uh some skin in the game.
Mr. Mayor. Yes. Um you're [clears throat] you're correct, Mayor. We I think we need a clear understanding with the county and with the underline. Uh clear responsibilities, uh clearly what we're going to pay, clearly what we're going to receive, and and clearly what we can audit. So, this is my This is my request, okay?
Uh we have a long agenda and I want to move forward. I would like for staff to present to the commission the next agenda, then excuse me, the next commission meeting, FY26 budget, $180,000 for the underline.
That's one one item. The second item be a three or five year, depending on what the commission finally decides on, funding strategy for the underline with no CPI and with a bookend that has to be approved by the next commission
in three or in five years to continue funding. But I want those documents to come forward. I want that legislation to come forward after you met with the county and after you have met with the underline. You can present me FY26 the next commission meeting. I don't have a problem with that.
I'm ready to move forward on that. I think the commission is also. But I want to have a very clear, you know, schedule of values, scope, cost, budget, and a plan of action to fund over the next 3 to 5 years.
And I need that same commitment from the underlying with a schedule of values, and I need the same commitment from the county. Because everyone's going to feel the pinch if, you know, depending on what happens in Tallahassee. And I want to understand My
understanding is that the county is hundreds of millions of dollars uh potentially in the red on certain fronts. So, we've been very tight in regards to how we how we spend money, or at least I've tried my best.
I haven't won every battle, but at the end of the day, I think we're in the better position than we were 13 years ago. I don't want to, you know, have to pay for the broken plates of other people. So, I have a responsibility to the residents of the city, and I and I am the person who wrote the legislation on
this project, and I'm a believer in this project, and I don't have a problem putting some skin in the game. But I want to make sure that everybody's everybody's held to the same standard. Okay? Mr. Mayor? Yes. Just um
so there's a little clearer record. The county land also serves as the metro rail the basis for the metro rail. Um I had reached out to the county a while back when people wanted to have a kayak launch there.
That piece is also county land. It's very complicated because then you also have FDOT land, which you'll hear more about when my discussion item comes up on FDOT to give you an update as to some of the safety issues that together with the underlying Senator
Garcia that we had been out on site and discussing. But also know that there is, you know, ongoing discussions at the county for a long-term funding solution. So, um without delving into that because it's
it's at an early stage, I'm going to ask city manager's office, let's have that discussion with the county, and let's look look at, you know, 27, 28, 29 going forward. Um, a recurring funding source available for
the Underline uh, because it is not just an asset for Coral Gables. It's asset for all of us. That's why I was down at 27th Avenue looking at safety issues because Coral Gables residents go there, too.
If it's dangerous at 27th Avenue and dangerous at other intersections, it affects all of us who use the Underline throughout the county. And it needs to be taken care of. So, that's my ask and that we have the
transparency not just because we're questioning it, because we owe it to the residents as well. Okay. Anything else? Yes. So, um, actually, Madam Vice Mayor, that would be good. We can probably charge them rent for the the Metrorail.
It's not our land. [laughter] Um, no, if it was our land. It is right of I did have It's right of way. That's it's right of way. Um, the the other thing I was going to ask is if if staff could look into what maintenance would be if Coral Gables
would would to to handle maintenance. Because that's one way that we can assure that it's being done to Coral Gables standards. Uh, and we would be able to manage that. If we're at the negotiating table, that may be something that we can negotiate and that way we can be sure that it's being held up to our standards. Uh, so
if you can just maybe work on a presentation for us, I'd appreciate it. Okay. I'll show you, Mayor. Yes. The only negative thing with that, uh, Commissioner, is that we would take responsibility for the maintenance. We'd take responsibility for for those structures. Question is, a hurricane comes in and it
gets knocked down, who's responsible for that? So, there's such a unclear ch- a chain of responsibility here that I think we need to look at that and then we can come back to the commission on the on the next meeting and and look at at at all these issues that have to be looked at.
Mr. Mayor? Yeah. So, just to end I guess the issue. I'm with you that we need to get this thing resolved one way or another for 2026. But, I certainly wouldn't want any of the questions, comments, or concerns raised by by us here and on the dais as reflective of
not being supportive of the underlying that we don't think it's an amazing project because I think that's pretty clear. We've been behind it from the get-go and we've already invested a substantial amount into this project. So, we're not we're not revisiting and I really appreciate
everyone's comments, right? But, we're not revisiting whether it's it's a worthy project. It certainly is. We all believe in it. But, I'm sure everyone else can understand that, you know, we're we're stewards of the taxpayers' money and I need to listen to our staff and our city manager particularly who
says we need to understand we need to know where the money's going to go, we need transparency, we need the ability to audit, and we've got to make sure that, you know, we're we're being prudent with it. Um and it's not a no, that is actually the means forward, the way forward.
Okay. So, I think we have everybody's repeated the same thing. I think we have a we have an action plan moving forward, okay? Um That's ready to present at the next commission meeting for the $180,000 for the FY 2026. I just want to be clear. And then they're going to present the 3-to-5-year plan with no CPI. We're
going to bookend it. I need you to meet with the county and I need you to sit down with Megan and her team and make sure we're ready to rock and roll, okay? Thank you very much. Moving on to the next item. All right, item F9. This is simple. I'm going to try to go through as many of
these if not I'll defer them if they take too long uh because these are my items. Uh we received a memo in regards to how to handle moving forward uh the Inspector General. Madam City Attorney, how are you? Hi, thank you, Mayor. Um yes, you all received last week a memo from our office as we mentioned at the
last meeting with a brief overview of the Inspector General offices in some of our neighboring local governments. Um as mentioned, we're happy to take any direction from you all on how you would like to proceed in drafting the required ordinance regarding the as needed Inspector General. If you if that's a sunshine meeting, if you want us to um
draft something, whatever you would all would like. So, happy to answer any questions or take any direction. Through the Mayor. Yes, sir. I'm I'm supportive in soliciting from you all. That's what I'd like to see what our attorneys would like to suggest that we consider. I'd like to start there.
As mentioned, happy to take whatever the commission >> What I what I recommend is a sunshine meeting amongst the commission and move forward with that. And you give us a presentation in regards to what you recommend, what other municipalities are doing, and how we move forward. Certainly, we can work >> to be I want it to be transparent. I
want that sunshine meeting to be filmed cuz I can already see the stories, you know, we're manipulating the the Inspector General so it benefits the commission so that we can weaponize the Inspector General, you know, the the blog specials. So, at the end of the day, um I'd like to have it done, you know, a
meeting where we sit down and we have a conversation. It doesn't have to be during the summer, it can be after the summer. And there's a full transparency in the process in regards to how we select the Inspector General. With your guidance. Understood. Of course, we're happy to work with the
clerk's office to schedule that. >> work for the commission? Yes. >> Yes. Works for me. Great, thank you. Thank you. In the meantime, please let us know if there's any other information you would like in advance. That's it. Thank you very much. Moving on to item F10, Pisano Avenue street improvement project. This is simple. Very excited.
It's finally starting. That's right. Great job. Been working on it for a long time. This is a project that I've been working on for a long time. Uh we got it funded when we negotiated with with uh with uh doctors. Uh doctors hospital, and I'm excited that finally we're going to have the sidewalks, we're going to have this the
street uh repaved >> New drainage? New drainage, and it's going to be something for the neighborhood. So, been working on this for a long, long time, and uh I'm excited about it. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Great work to the team. F11, I have a small presentation. This
should take 2 minutes. Dina, how are you, Ms. Bell? How are you? >> Good afternoon, Dina Bell from Public Works Green Space. And I have a presentation if you want to pull it up for F11 and F12. Perfect. And I also have one, too.
Okay. Would you like to go first, Mr. Mayor? Okay. >> show this is simple. I mean, this shouldn't take too long. This should take seconds. >> Okay. Um Swale package, decorative rock. >> Current process, we have a public works swale permit where residents um adjacent
property owners can submit a permit package to improve the swale. That includes adding gravel for parking or decorative features. Gravel and plants are allowed as long as they're lower than 30 in high.
Um I won't go into all the details. Um insurances are required as part of the permit package. But Mr. Mayor and commission, I believe we're here to talk about the the types of crushed stone that are allowed in the permit. This is
really easy. I wrote this legislation. Uh I think it's great. So, people can park on the swale, allow for drainage, and it's a beautiful product, and it's for edging. I don't think we they should we should be using white. I think we should be using a crushed gray color. I think it was a lot less intrusive, and I
think it's a lot more beautiful. Uh and it again, it's a more appealing in regards to our standards. I think white is too in your face, and I think it looks like construction material versus actually having something refined like a granite. That's the point of my request to amend
uh the swell package and moving forward be able to offer uh this this type of uh alternative. That's it. Mr. Mayor. Yes. I'm asking for clarification. Do you not want the coquina rock? No, I it's not that I don't. I just
think it's so white and when I see it in the neighborhood, it's just looks like a beach and I think it's a little too much. I think the gray is a little bit more more softer. Yeah, I cuz what I see a lot is the white small gravel Yes.
>> to the coquina. That's why I'm asking for the clarification. I'm more than willing to uh you know the king is willing to to amend this legislation, you know. Through the mayor? Yeah. Uh um Yeah, I
I can see your argument, but I really like what's happened on Granada. Um right in the corner of Granada and Coral Way. The county's project looks great and if you drive about a block and a half south, there's a home that just finished it right in front of the uh right before
the uh you get to the uh uh Venetian Pool parking lot and they've done a very nice job with that house and they're just using it as a kind of an an an accent buffer at the end of where they have their their plants and right before the the street. Um
I don't know. I I I think it looks nice there. Um but you know, if you're parking a car over it, I can see how they're going to get dirty and they're just not going to look as good though. No, no, I That's just one of the many points. Yeah. Um it was like my opinion in regards to having uh faux grass in
the driveway. I think in my opinion, it doesn't look Coral Gables. I lost that. I lost that here in the previous uh iteration in the commission uh and we weren't able to bring it back cuz we were preempted uh by the state. I still believe that that looks terrible. It doesn't look like Coral Gables standards and I know that other people on the
commission do, but I lost that just because you know, they wanted to ram it down my throat. Uh but at the end of day, it's about aesthetics. You know, I don't even have full full grass in my house. But this is an issue where I wrote the legislation. I understand the legislation. As you can see, there's a common theme today. There's probably
about 20 items on the agenda that a piece of legislation that I wrote. Uh So, what we're trying to do is refine it. And as you can see, when things are in the neighborhoods, you can see that some things don't work. Some things do work. And you got to refine it, and you got to come back. Um
what I'd recommend if you don't want to vote on this, it's not an issue. Bring it back. But what I like what I'd like for you to see is my presentation that I have here, and you can come in and see it, or go see it in person. If I may, I'd like to bring up my presentation really quickly, so you can see the difference between a much better photo.
Okay, look, this right here it's not the best photo, but I think the white pops too much, and I don't think it look it looks it doesn't look in the same line as, you know, the Mediterranean columns, you know, and the historic nature of the city. Can you move it over? Look at the difference between the white
and a soft subtle gray, you know? And by the way, the reflection off the white is a lot harder cuz of the solar reflective index. The the sun bounces off it. Next picture. Look at the difference left to right. I agree I actually agree with you. I
just wanted clarification. >> no, no, I'm just telling you I'm just showing you things. We don't have to make a decision today. We can I'm just showing you these are things that as I drive by and I'm doing my usual permitting routes for the DCM, which gets a lot of uh a lot of uh text messages from me every single day,
uh I see things like this, you know, and I say, we we we need to refine ourselves just a little bit. Something to bring to your attention to consider, and maybe we'll bring it up in the next few months. But I think that the crushed granite looks a lot more refined uh and more in line with the city beautiful.
We don't think action today. F12 Item 12, Mr. Clark. I have another slide presentation for that, the black olives. Okay. Black olive tree management program. Currently, the city has these amazing
shade trees, the black olives. Pictures of the bark, canopy, and leaf. We have recently completed our cartograph update of the tree canopy throughout the city using um the consultant working with the
IT department. We now have about 9,600 black olive trees in the city swales. It's 25% of our urban forest. Um it's a good tree because it's critical provider of shade and cooling.
It's very resilient hurricanes. Um there's a staining challenge, however. Um homeowners frequently report the rust colored staining on driveways, sidewalks, and vehicles. It has an aesthetic impact on our city.
The culprits. Um it's not the tree. It's actually Bucida caterpillar caterpillars, mites, which are pests that can travel throughout the tree canopy throughout the city, and the result is what you see
on the right, a rust colored staining. The staining's a result of the frass of the pest, not necessarily the tree. The tree specifically, it has tannins within the leaves. So, when the pests chew on the
leaves, this is their frass. Um we currently treat the black olives with a pesticide every early spring when the pests are in the tree. Now, if you're talking about effectiveness of treatment, untreated trees, of course, are severe
with the staining. Compromised trees are are older trees or trees that are not as healthy as the younger, healthy trees. This is how it's done. Early spring, there's an injection around the circumference of the tree bark.
Um and it works internally throughout the tree. Injections are done instead of sprays is a very common question we get in the green space management. We do this because there's no chemical drift. It's safer for residents.
Um it's it protects our water, our drinking water and our ground water, and it has targeted efficacy. Our operations are residents request. This is done by request only. We ask residents to email us by the end
of December every year so that we can start the vendor to do the injections starting in January, February, and be completed by April. And then our staff will monitor June through August, and we go out and
um try to see if this is working throughout the city. Homeowners participate by requesting the tree treatment every year, and they can do that at pwgreenspace@coralgables.com. Okay. Thank you very much. >> we operate currently with the black olive program. >> Um what I'd like for for my colleagues
in the commission, I'm just trying to move the agenda along, is to consider whether we should do it once a year or when you off when you ask for it, you can do it for two years, three years, four years, or five years. Cuz every single year the resident has to request it. I don't know how effective uh this process is.
Um, I don't know how effective is it and I'd like to learn a little bit more later, but I'm hearing it works for certain residents and for certain trees it doesn't work. >> correct. So, and people are getting frustrated about this issue. I know that a many of us are getting calls, at least I am, about black olives and what to do
with it, but I wanted to bring it to your attention to see if you could think about maybe the next few commission meetings see if we uh maybe update this procedure and see if we have anything we can offer or any new technology or anything we can offer the residents to alleviate the situation.
Okay? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Great work. And we'll get back to you on the on the gray granite versus the white stone. Thank you very much. F13
F13, I attached a memo which I sent to the entire commission to the item so residents can look at it. And it deals with uh muffler noise uh both on cars and uh motorcycles because we have had a considerable
amount of it in our city late at night um and disturbing the public and I received a request from a resident via email uh regarding that as well. So, I uh contacted the the police chief.
Um, met with the police chief as well and went over the statutes and the and the chief has been doing additional enforcement. Chief, do you have any updates for us on that? Yes, Vice Mayor, um after our meeting I actually had our traffic enforcement
unit as well as the other officers familiarize themselves with the with the statute that we had talked about. Uh we're still kind of ironing out the whole issues of using a sound meter as far as uh whether it's required in court. Obviously, if a muffler on any
vehicle is modified at all, it's a much easier traffic citation written for like a a defective equipment issue. Uh we are also looking into sound cameras, so to speak. There are sound detectors. We know I think our colleagues in Miami Beach use it as
well, so we're at least we're getting alerted almost like a shot spotter, and then we'll have officers respond there in what we call a traffic or 20 detail where we go into that area and listen up for it. We know there's a lot of issues on Coral Way, uh people cutting through in the middle of the night. That's a
sporadic enforcement issue where we have to be out there to actually hear it, to stop it, and then and then check the mufflers from then. Right. And in the particular example that I had given you, it sounded like a firecrackers sound going off on a vehicle. Could have been
a motorcycle. It sounded like it went across Coral Way, down Lejeune, and across Bird, which then uh correlates with the resident Santa Maria that reported the issue to me. Right. Backfire where I mean, obviously, what we're hearing those loud pops are almost
like backfires. That usually comes in in into play when a muffler is modified, uh whether it's an aftermarket type thing, and that's when we can write those citations uh on that individual or an officer hears it or observes it the muffler's been modified in some way. And more recently, I added horns
for you to to address. >> definitely a decibel issue where we would have to uh you know, like those train horns in the some cars, uh large trucks have a train horn. Once it it's obvious to us that it's a train horn for to be a to hold up in court, we would have to have the sound meters as well. But the
improper honking of horns. Oh, yes. The the persistent honking of horn, yes. Around circles, etc. We had specific complaints on Biltmore Way. So, that's the long and short of that item, folks. Perfect. Thank you. Item F14. F14, brief
update. Um met with um Senator um Ileana Garcia, Secretary Iglesias from FDOT, uh Megdaly, Patrice uh from the Underline uh out on 27th Avenue. And we we picked
27th Avenue cuz that's one of the most dangerous intersections that we have on the Underline. And FDOT has agreed to redesign that entire intersection. We also touched upon the many issues that we requested in um Coral Gables, including the
reduction of speed on Le Jeune, the redesign of all the medians on Le Jeune Road. That's going to break ground here shortly in 2027 and be done at that time. But in that conversation, we also discussed um
adding a a light at Caballero and US1. And it brought to my attention that FDOT requires the traffic studies to be submitted to them, and they're the last party that ever gets the traffic study.
And they do need to be um reviewing it earlier in in line. So, I contacted the city manager. I said, "We need to look at our process and see if we can make this part of the DGRC requirements or somewhere in along the process before a permit is issued that the traffic
studies must be submitted to FDOT for their input and additional requirements that FDOT may want to place on the projects, just like we did with Le Jeune Road. And public's to add, they do not block the box. That's an example of something
that the FDOT would make a requirement for as opposed to us individually doing them as conditions of approval. So, that's that item. Thank you. Um moving on to item G1. G1 is a resolution of the city
commission appointing blank nominated by the commission as a whole to serve as a member of the code enforcement board for 3-year term which begins on June 1st, 2026 and continues through May 31st, 2029. I'd like to nominate George Kakouris. So, I think we need a motion, Mayor. I'll move it.
Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lago? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. >> Commissioner Castro? Mayor Lago? Yes. Yes. Item G2, we need a member of the commission to be on the
auditing board for the selection committee of RFP 2026-013 external auditing services. What is the will of the commission? Does anybody have any interest in serving on that? I don't have a problem serving on it, but um but I do have some questions cuz
I understand this Florida legislature has bestowed this additional duty upon our our plate of things to do. Yes, this uh Florida statute requires that a member of the governing body sit on the selection committee. What's the time commitment on this?
So, I think the finance director can give you more information on that. Good afternoon, Diana Gomez, finance director. So, the actual committee meetings usually last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours reviewing the proposal with the rest of
the committee. Um you will be getting the materials, like all the proposals who submitted, probably a week to 10 days in advance of that that you would have to review that would be on your own time to review it and prepare for the actual meeting. So, however much time it would take you to
review those packages. How many are we going to get? I don't know. Um if I had to guess, probably somewhere around four to seven submittals. Um and so it's reviewing the the materials a week to 10 days in advance and then a scheduled
meeting that should last about four hours. If the will of the committee, the selection committee is to have a subsequent meeting for presentations for additional clarification, then that would be a subsequent meeting, but
typically it's not. It It's only had if the committee says that they need it. So, I would say four two to four hours of an actual meeting and then however much prep time it takes you to prepare yourself for the
selection committee meeting. I have another question for the city attorney. How does this impact on conflicts for items that would be presented to this commission? So, it only would impact the cone of
silence. So, in our city, um cone of silence essentially doesn't apply to communications with the elected officials. So, as you know, proposers and vendors, etc., can communicate with you even while the process is underway. But if you are on the selection committee, then that would apply to you
as a member of the selection committee. So, the you would not be able to be lobbied by the vendors, etc. Because you sit on the selection >> allowed to rotate on this or are we to It's a one-time. It's It's It's a one-time one-time event. >> meeting. You select Yeah. If if if you
finish your I don't have a problem serving on if I have to serve. Whatever the will of the will of the commission. Well, we we have someone appointed and we have an alternate. So, that could serve that purpose in case one of us aren't available. I don't have a problem serving on the board if if if
that's the will of the commission. Okay. We need two. I I can serve and you can serve. Anybody else want to serve? Happy to serve as an alternate. Okay. I'll go I'll go ahead and serve as a primary if if the if the if the commissioner >> No, I'm I'm serving as primary then I'm
I'm I'm nominating myself and then we have a we have a um Commissioner Arriola says you'll serve as the alternate. Okay. Do we have a motion? I'll move it. I'll second. Perfect. Commissioner Arriola? Yes.
Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Carolos? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. Moving on to G4. >> [clears throat] >> G4 is a resolution of the city commission accepting a proposal from Latin Art Core for acquisition of a sculpture by artist Agustin Cardenas
untitled authorizing the city manager or his or her designee to enter into an agreement with Latin Art Core authorizing amendment to the fiscal year 2025-2026 amended budget to recognize as revenue a transfer from the Art in Public Places Reserve and appropriate such funds to put toward the cost of acquisition, installation, and related expenses
regarding the artwork. Thank you. >> [clears throat] >> Good afternoon, Catherine Cathers, Arts and Cultural Coordinator for the city. We do have a presentation and I will go through it very quickly because you all have seen this piece before. Um basically, it just uh
relates to how we went through the process. We did use a direct selection for the artist. As you know, Mayor Lago presented the proposal to the commission for the acquisition to go through our Art in Public Places process, which was reviewed by our Arts Advisory Panel,
recommended Cultural Development Board who is recommending acquisition to you today. A little bit about the artist which you have heard about before in a previous acquisition. And the proposed artwork is is untitled from 1992 meter Carrera marble with a
marble base. It stands about Here's some images, additional images of the piece. And also on the right side, you'll see a scale. Our scale model here is about 5 ft. So, you see it's about 10 ft tall. And then our proposed location would be
which would be in the 427 Garden Paseo uh to complement the Celia Sanchez and the previously acquired uh Agustin Cardenas piece. Thank you. Uh so, I had the pleasure of of going >> I'm sorry. Excuse me, Mayor. I'm so sorry. This
last one just went through the funding and the estimates. And to reiterate that this is coming out of the art fund, which is funded through our private developers. Okay. I'm sorry for interrupting. I apologize. >> No, I'm sorry. >> [laughter] >> Um I had the pleasure of going before the uh Culture Development Board and the
museum last week. Uh it was voted unanimously 7-0. I think this is a world-class work of art. Again, um and I think it's a a great opportunity for the city to highlight an incredible artist whose work is all over Europe and all the major art fairs and museums. So, and it's a beautiful work in my opinion.
I'll move it. I'll second. Any public comment? All right. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. >> Commissioner Castro? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? >> Yes. Commissioner Lara? Yes. Mayor Lago?
Yes. All right. Now, we're going to move on to city manager items. Thank you very much. Great work. Um item H1, we're going to take a 5-minute break to go to the bathroom and then we will take it up right now. Thank you.
>> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> All right, let's get started. Okay. Um How long is our presentation, Mr. Director? Um my presentation won't be that long, but we do have the applicant who the representative is going to come up and talk, so I can get through my
presentation pretty quick. >> All right, well let's get started. Okay. All right. Thank you. Um we are here again. Um this is an an update from our last meeting uh discussing uh an event application for Fritz and Franz Bier Haus for the World Cup. Um we were given direction to look at working on a plan
um that was more specific for the event. Um we did that, but I would like to call up representative from Fritz and Franz Bier Haus. And she can add some of the things uh for the event. >> Good afternoon. Amanda Quirk Han office
at 1395 Brickell Avenue suite 800 on behalf of Fritz and Franz Bierhaus. Um, I understand that the item came before this commission before so you've heard the general request. Um, but Mr. Nual was not able to attend today. He um, did work with the city to come up with a more detailed plan which is
include included in the packet. As um, this commission has already heard today we all know that the World Cup is a great opportunity for the city of Coral Gables. It's an activation event. The hotels are booked. It drives traffic. There's a sense of community pride. One game, one passion, spirit of unity that
the World Cup soccer brings. And we all know that Fritz and Franz Bierhaus has hosted the World Cup watch parties uh, for several World Cups. I think for 24 years. So here we are four years, you know, it's an every four year event and we are requesting a special event um, approval
to host the watch parties to include the plaza. And there's a specific list of dates that are in the package that I've passed out. It's on page three. Um, Mr. Nuald has reduced the um, has been more specific and reduced the request so that he has included the
round of 32 and the round of 16, quarter final, semi-final, and final which we all know that people are going to be very interested in. But he has additionally requested five games that are USA and Germany. He said that typically those are, you know, the most
well attended games and he has specifically requested he already has the times for those games and the dates on the schedule because those games have been already announced they're at the group stage. So he is requesting the USA and Germany games that are specifically listed on
on page three and the round of 32, round of 16, quarter final. And this is for for plaza use. Um, and so one thing I would like for the the commission to think about this request is that the World Cup watch parties are naturally,
you know, you're going to have a crowd. But, this is a plan to manage that crowd effectively, to manage it safely. This is not a soccer hooligan event, but people do come together to watch the World Cup games. Um, he has provided conditions for the public viewing events on the plaza. Um,
there is um, in full disclosure, there's one evening game that is known. It's the first It's the second day of the World Cup, Friday, June 12th, 9:00 p.m. There's USA versus Paraguay. It's the first USA game. It will definitely be popular. Um, so, he is requesting, you know, these conditions. He has already
agreed to hire the off-duty police officers to extra security at the doors. Um, and has a plaza plan that is included in the packet. The rest of the games, there's no public viewing on the plaza, but he is requesting for like they the barricades instead of being right up against the columns, that
they'll be 6 ft columns to allow people to walk past the tables and things like that. Um, I'm here to answer any questions about the request. I know it was extensively uh discussed at the last commission meeting, and would you like to make a comment? Yeah, uh I would like to note the resolution that was presented that
was presented in the item was part of a discussion that we had with uh Mr. Newick um, and working on a plan B. The Germany and US games that were mentioned today were not part of that, so, it's not part of the resolution as written because this was a
change at the last minute. Um, I can show our presentation. It'll cover a lot of the things that she said, and it has some illustrations to help you, and we'll get through it really quickly. If I can pull it up, please. So, as we discussed, this is a follow-up from our May 5th meeting. Um, and the applicant did meet with city staff,
police, um, and fire as well to discuss the plan. This is the proposal that he discussed with us was to have watch party events on the plaza from July 3rd through July 19th, um, for a total of 11 days. As we discussed, um, the US and Germany games
changes that a bit. Um, and what the applicant did say is they would remove the tables and chairs on the plaza is not activated. They would increase their trash pick up. They would clean the area after every activation. They would limit the tents to six, which started with 11, and they would end the viewing on the plaza by 10:00 p.m. with
the exception of when you have round of 32, round of 16, uh, overtime games when they kick in. And what he's also requesting is on days the plaza is not activated is what she was discussing about the barricade set up and I'll show you uh, an illustration
of that. Here's the event schedule starting July 3rd. All the different times in the games. Uh, the late games must stop at 10:00 o'clock. Here's the next one all the way through to the final on the 19th. This is a full plaza installation as you
can see, uh, he reduced the tents. What he's asking for is that yellow area to have the barricades moved in around the overhang area to provide a 6-ft buffer when the plaza is not activated for his games. And there is also a, uh,
request for a beer bar under the overhang. And this is more or less illustrated how it would be under the overhang so he could, um, sell it within his area. So that's the summary. Um, we'll answer any questions. So, I'm going to be I'm going to be very
brief. Um, I think we still have time. I requested a meeting with the gentleman. I was never afforded the privilege to meet with him. Um, and my staff is here. Uh, we requested that meeting. We were never reached out to. Uh, we attempted to have a meeting. Um
it never happened. Um I'm not ready to vote on this today. If I vote on this today, my vote is a no. Um there's still time. We still have one more meeting before. Um I think that there's a lot of issues that have not been that have that have not met my satisfaction that I think
have to be still addressed. Um so, I'm not ready to vote. I have a prepared speech that's basically going in the direction of a no vote. And I'd rather save that for the next commission, so I'm willing to defer and address it. I need to meet with staff and I need to meet with this gentleman also because just like we have
three or four emails that I received and my colleagues are 100% behind it. That's perfectly fine. I've also talked to a lot of residents who have called me who are who want to see certain measures taken. And again, um we've dealt with this on many other occasions for other events, not just
this event, and we make sure that we address these issues. So, um I was hoping he would be here today. He's asking for a significant amount of time that we never This is something we never grant uh to to um to I don't I can't remember being here for 13 years that we've given this many
days. Uh Chief, if I'm I mean I'm correct if I'm wrong. I mean, please correct me if I'm wrong. I don't have a problem with that if that's the case. Uh something if for this amount of time, I mean, uh the last time we had a discussion, I'll defer to the city attorney. I thought there were caveats. Yeah. The last time this renewal came up
with a city lease about how many days in a year that it would be allowed and it would impact everybody else. So, Okay. You can't remember? >> remember doing I don't remember doing anything for the entire um tournament when World Cup. And again, as as we heard today, this is the largest
tournament world in the World Cup history with that many teams and that many countries. So, uh the dates, you know, they're they're they're 30 days that were that we are going to be taxed to the max uh within the police department based on other issues that we're committed to
already. So, I'm 100% behind them doing an event. But again, I I think that a request to me with the mayor is is a simple one. Um also, they've I've heard several things that have come down uh the pipe uh where, you know, this has been com- compared to Carnival on the Mile. This is nowhere near Carnival on
the Mile. Carnival on the Mile is a 2-day event. I've also heard issues about um I got an email in regards to fees uh overcharging of fees. It's not an overcharging of fees. Those are the fees. Those are the fees as per and correct me
if I'm wrong, Chief. Our our current agreement that we have with Miami-Dade County in that moment that moment where there's a lot of use and we have obligations all over Miami-Dade County. Right. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong cuz we get these emails and and all of a sudden they spiral and saying we're overcharging them to overcharge them. We're not overcharging. Those are the
rates. That is That is not and I know it was said earlier today in public comment. The high-impact weekend, which has been negotiated with the union, is the manager and I have a conversation. This is not specifically to this event or
that change is different. Anybody that has those um these events during this time is going to be charged that. It is because we don't have it I can tell you right now, Mr. Mayor, Commissioners, the manager knows this.
Every police officer has to work on the 4th of July because our biggest event is at and it takes every one of our resources. Any other kind of event out that I can't staff. I I can't do it. >> So. And that the So, just alone in
looking at that day, it's the 4th of July, which is a major event, is we are not able to help the other requests that we've already gotten through our legal MOUs with Miami, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, and and the Miami Beach Police Department. So. So, there was a there
was a gentleman who came up before, I think he lives in Brickell, uh that said um that my tone and my nature was negative and that I was uh being punitive to something to that effect. First and foremost, the information that was provided by the general was incorrect. Uh, these are the rates that are given. They're not special rates
that are given as a result of Fritz and Franz. These are the rates that are given by the police and the manager, and this is across the board, correct? Correct. We when if I have to cancel days off, which I am scheduling to do now for the entire tournament just to have a field force ready to go, it
becomes a high impact weekend. We have done it before when we had Moda and Carnival on the Mile where we had to implement a different pay rate because it was agreed to to do Moda, which was another 40 40-person detail as well as
everything else that we had on Carnival on the Mile just to staff it. Um, the rates negotiated with the union or not even negotiated with the union. The off-duty rates right now are at $68 except for holidays. And that's just to get those staffed. So, I want to be
clear, um, just to the gentleman who was in the back cuz he made some comments that were directed towards me. Um, this is not about no to Fritz and Franz. This is not about no to the World Cup. I'm 100% in favor. This is about yes to safety. This is about yes to our standards, and this is about yes to the way things are done here. I have voted
in favor of this project before, but I've also been in touch with many residents and also business owners. Business owners who also have businesses in the area that say, "Let's do things the right way. Let's have an event. Let's do it proper, but let's not have a free-for-all." So, at the end of the
day, I understand you may have a difference of opinion on me, but I think we can find common ground. But at the end of the day, it's going to take time, and it's not going to be just a blanket permit that's going to be, "Here you go for 6 weeks. Do as you please." No, we're going to work together. We're going to collaborate. This is a plaza
that belongs to everyone in the community. It doesn't belong just to Fritz and Franz. So, I'm not ready to vote on this today. If my colleagues want to vote on this, I'm a no vote. If not, I'd be more than willing, like I said at the last commission meeting, I would like to meet Thank you, Chief. I would like to meet with this gentleman, have a sit-down conversation. I was not
afforded that privilege when my colleagues in the past have asked for those type of meetings in the past, we've we've deferred items or said, "Let's have a meeting with that individual to make sure that everybody's on board." I think it's a reasonable offer. There's more than enough time between now and our next commission
meeting to ensure that there's no there's no issues with the event. And that we can coordinate and staff staff can have the time that they need to make sure that they are prepared for an event of this magnitude. Remember, this is not just a World Cup
in a foreign country. This is the World Cup in our backyard. So, it is stretching our resources. It is stretching EMS. It is stretching police because our police and our EMS have to work in Miami-Dade County. That's something that we didn't discuss
before, and it's something very simple to overlook because you want to highlight that we're, you know, singling out Fritz and Franz. We're not. It just happens to be that Fritz and Franz is the place in the city of Coral Gables that requires these resources. And other municipalities, Miami-Dade County in particular, requires these
resources as per an MOU that we have with Miami-Dade County. Am I correct, Chief? Thank you. Through the mayor. Yes, Madam Vice Mayor. And my big my biggest concern here is again feasibility, which we've been talking about. And because I think there needs to be that opportunity for the police department
chief to have that conversation with the applicant as well as with city manager and each one of us. I'm going to move to defer this. Second. With all due respect, when is the next commission meeting? June 2nd. Okay.
We have time. We have more than enough >> that the first request is for June 12th. That's fine. Well, I I made a I made a simple request just like to sit down with with your team and and come to a consensus. Through the mayor? Yes. Yeah. So, I I I want to put something
so that people understand how businesses work. When something gets approved, you just don't hire vendors, screens, tables from one day to another. That's not how real life works here, guys. Okay? So, we're
trying to delay this. What it says, "Permission to set up Plaza 11 and 12." What do you think? This guy has everything in his in his kitchen that he's going to set up? He has contracts. Come on, let's be a little realistic here. Okay? The mayor last
time during the commission meeting told the applicant, "You asked for a plan." Right in front of me, I have a plan. But before the plan was even over, you all you had already made you you have a speech with a no vote without giving him
even a chance. This is outrageous. Why? I'm I'm not done. I'm not done. Okay? There's more days that are being requested because this is a special event, and we should be prideful that
it's here in the city of Coral Gables. Okay? This is the World Cup, and this is FIFA. We just approved this ball um sculpture right in Giralda, around the corner of this place. We should be honored.
We have the FIFA It It It's in our city. There's no reason why we want to sabotage this event that's been going on for 32 years or 30 years. There's no reason. And I really really hope that
my colleagues in both ends are not going to support what the mayor is saying and are not going to just because he just wants to have a meeting. You could have had a meeting before you could reached out to him before. He gave you what you asked for. It's
very apparent you have something against him personally. I don't know why. So, he hired he hired legal counsel to represent him. You can ask all the questions to her. He's They've met with the administration. What more do you want? Madam Mayor
>> this not to happen? Is that what you're pushing for? And now you're saying, "Yes, I want this to happen. I want to support." Then support it. If I If I may If I may, please. You made some questions to me and I don't want to go back and forth. We're not going to debate here on the commission floor. This is simple, okay?
You make comments that I oppose. I do not oppose the event, but we're going to do it the right way. There has not been in 32 years a World Cup in Miami that is putting this much pressure on our police and our EMS. Stop Stop beating around the bush and saying that I'm opposed to this issue.
No, I am in favor of doing things the right way. We're not going to jump the gun here and compromise our staff and put an immense amount of pressure on our staff. I apologize if this gentleman thinks that in this makes someone happy, but my responsibility is not to fritter some friends. My responsibility is to the
residents. My responsibility is to the city of Coral Gables. And no, the ridiculousness. She did not read my speech. My speech is about concerns in regards to the city. It's not a no vote. I said, "I'm a no vote if I do not get, you know, a meeting with this gentleman." I want to understand. I want his commitment to address certain things
that I feel have not been addressed before. So, at the end of the day, at the end of the day, I'm not going to get into a debate with you. My My My responsibility and my allegiance is to the city of Coral Gables and to the residents who have called me and have contacted me to tell
me that they have concerns. You can ask any director here. They've told you there's been issues with it before. You can ask the police. There's been issues with it before. I'm not going to debate with you on this fact. So, it's not about what the mayor wants. It's I'm a no vote. If you can convince my colleagues to be a yes vote, then then go ahead and do it. But at the end of
the day, just like you feel that you need to vote a no on certain things and you go ahead and vote a no on certain things, that's your that's your prerogative. My prerogative here is I want to be very thoughtful and methodical of police and fire to not over overextend. Remember, when you overextend
police and fire, there could be ramifications into the neighborhoods because our police and fire are going to be working Miami-Dade County during these games. They have no other choice. They have an MOU. So, we're going to be working Miami-Dade County. So, there's going to be, like you said, we cannot overextend
our our our public safety. Well, then let's be very careful because what if we do have an emergency in the neighborhood or what if we do have an issue in regards to a crime, God forbid? Well, and these individuals are working as per the MOU with Miami-Dade County. I want to be very careful and very particular
that we have a controlled environment and that the police and the fire department do not have to have an over excess of people in our downtown as a result of their, you know, of a party that may be huge or maybe out of control. So, you can have your opinion, I'm entitled to mine. I'm a no vote until I sit down with this gentleman and I get certain
commitments with the fire chief, with the police chief, with the manager and the DCM and ACM. This is what is called leading. I'm not approving someone because I like him or I don't like him. That's not my effect or my intent. It's very simple. It's to do what's right for the city. Um
So, through May I May I speak? Yes. Okay. Um I would respectfully request a consideration of approval subject to conditions because I hear what you're saying about police and fire and this is the World Cup and obviously he's a responsible business owner and wants to
be um you know, have a safe event. That's part of this special event application, right? During the World Cup games, lots of people are going to come to Fritz and Franz, whether there's a special event permit or not. So, we want to have guidelines and a plan in place to make
it uh make it safe for everybody, enjoyable for everybody, provide business traffic, um and provide, you know, celebration for the community. So, I would respectfully request, because he does have to order, you know, food and tents and and other things to get set up
in enough time, I would I would respectfully request and that you consider an approval with conditions. We are more than happy to restrict the schedule if we cannot find the off-duty officers to staff the event. The The condition in the approval could be subject to
a minimum of two officers per event. And if we cannot get those officers because of the schedule, because of July 4th or something like that, then we will not be able to have it that day, but I think that that is a reasonable condition. Another The EMS um impact is already in the in the fee as well. We're more than
willing to um have the fire chief visit the facility if he has any concerns. We're more than willing to work directly with him, but this is a city manager's item where I do believe on the agenda. On the agenda, this is a city manager's item, so I do believe that it's possible
that the commission can review and approve with whatever conditions that you feel makes the special event acceptable for the city of Coral Gables, but it would allow for the client to prepare and uh prepare the event to be safe and enjoyable for everybody. So, I
would respectfully request that if if the police and fire is a concern, we will put that restriction in the resolution. First and foremost, I respect your opinion, but I disagree. Um it may be a city manager's item, but at the end of the day, the buck stops with the commission. Um you know, the manager
answers to the commission and the residents, we answer to the residents. So, when I'm getting calls and I'm getting concerns and one of the comments they mention is that we have to we're going to have police working off-duty all over Miami-Dade County. You know, especially in this massive world world event that's never happened,
I want to be very careful and very thoughtful. By the way, there's potentially going to be other events in the city Coral Gables that are going to stretch us even more thin. So, we have to be very, very careful. This is not the only World Cup potentially event that's going to happen here that's going to require police. We will proffer the condition. But, I understand that, but I'm just telling you where I stand. And my stand is very
simple. I'm not ready to vote on that issue. I will defer. Uh if my colleagues want to vote, they're more than welcome to. Commissioner Alota. Yes, thanks. So, couple things. You uh are you um authorized to negotiate a a deal right now on behalf of the applicant? >> Yes. Okay. So, if we say that it has to
be at the rates that have been negotiated with the union for all the police and the EMS, you're prepared to say yes? Yes. Okay. So, if she if she is saying >> to to Okay, so let me ask the chief a question.
Chief, I haven't seen plan A or plan C or B, but this is referred to as plan C. >> seen any of that. Okay. I I don't know what the suggestion here is, but Plan A was the first one that was that was at the last meeting. Then, we we did a plan B. And it's what I present I was prepared to present to you, what's in
the resolution. There was a last-second change yesterday, which resulted in the plan C, which is why we had the representative come and present. So, let me ask you a question. I'm sorry. I mean, Commissioner Fernandez will tell you I've seen him go bonkers on the commission floor when
he gets something at the last minute. Literally, say, "I can't vote for this. No way under no circumstances." So, there's a change here that's something we just got right now, which is a presentation. Uh and you're asking me to vote on something right now that again requires police and fire. Listen, again, I I I just
I want my colleagues to make a decision. I'm I'm I would like to defer. That's Commissioner Alota. So, just Thank you. Just to finish. So, Chief, again, so plan B, Fred, is what you proposed. Yep. Plan B was was >> what the applicant proposed after meeting with us and working with us, and
that's what the resolution is based on, and that's what I presented what I had today. So, then plan C >> This yesterday. Okay. It would have been a better move, I think, for all concerned if the applicant himself were here, because it's the applicant, I would say, is the one asking for the
relief. And the applicant wasn't precluded from coming to see any one of us prior to today's commission meeting. I mean, you would agree to that, right? Yeah, unfortunately, I was hired yesterday, so I I would have done things differently.
>> know what they say. Yeah, I know. Yeah, like the the the someone's delay doesn't become my emergency. >> Right? So, there I still haven't asked the main question to the to the chief. So, when you have them, Chief, in looking, I know, admittedly, it was just put before
you, you're probably putting eyeball to it for the first time, but in in just can you give me at a high level whether plan C, as as we were handed it today, presents any concerns for you from a safety perspective and, you know,
and and the like. So, I mean, at first look, I mean, the first game on June 12th starts at 9:00 p.m. All right, so I mean, if it goes completely right till 11:00, we're going to be outside what we normally allow with any kind of crowd. And I understand
the cheers or whatever. Here's the concern from us. If in fact when it's approved, then if there's I I think they charge to get inside the that's part of the that the hotel or part of the restaurant.
We're responsible for it. So, if in fact he does not put up the large screen or if Fritz and Franz does not put up a large screen and just shows it like every other restaurant in Coral Gables shows the game through the windows, that's still our responsibility as the
police department. So, you may get three or four if with these crowds and and as we will know what's going on, they could be spontaneous. So, whether it's one big screen and the plaza is not blocked where it's just his guests, but even if
he puts it up and there's no block, the plaza is going to be full. We're still responsible even without the off-duties. So, that has that has one doesn't have anything to do with the other. These dates, if in fact they're paying for people to be inside there or those people are paying to be inside
there and it becomes a problem, then the on-duty personnel, which we are all working, will have to address that issue of whether do we continue to do it or not. Most of the issues that we've had historically have been, you know, loudness and to to
the owners, they he can't control a thousand or two thousand people on a plaza that the city owns. Well, if that's the case, then if we don't have it, then we don't have the noise other than what's spontaneous. It's not on it's not his liability, so to speak.
Okay? If they go out into the street or if they spill over or people stop to watch, that's our responsibility. Ours being the police department of having to manage that, which is why we have so many officers working all of these days
on top of the 23 days of Fan Fest where they're expecting about 30,000 people. That's just downtown. >> Commissioner, I I I've I I think we've we've really exhausted this conversation. I want to have a I want to sit down with
the manager, the Chiefs, your client, the attorney, our city attorney and have a conversation, the director. Have we done that yet? Have we sat down all of us in the room and said, "Let's sit down and see how we can make this an event that's productive My my major was involved at special
>> been involved? I have not sat down. So, I think I think if we're going to if we're going to do something of this magnitude where we have forces that are dedicated to the World Cup, I think the best thing is to have all the directors with the managers leading with the manager leading in a room and have a conversation with your client.
You were hired yesterday. I know you have you have every ability to on behalf of your client, but I think that at the end of the day I'm the one that's going to receive the phone call 12:00 at night. I'm the one that's going to receive the phone call 1:00 in the morning. I'm the one that's going to receive the phone call from the business next door that's upset. And by the way,
we all have received those phone calls. So, I want to make sure that at the end of the day, let me give you an example. Give me an example. Right across the street here on Sunday, Mr. Manager, Chief, right here right here on Sunday.
What happened here on Sunday? I don't want you to give names, but what happened? Five cars got booted. Is that legal? Uh if it wasn't taken off within 10 minutes, yes. That would have been illegal for them to boot it. >> the phone call on a Sunday? Um eventually, Yeah. that buck stopped with
me. After you got it, the manager got it, then I got it. >> it first. >> Then the assistant chief got it, and then the major got it. So, this was a person a very prominent person in our community who understood the law, and their car was booted. This was on a Sunday. I'm giving you an example of
when people don't know the law of what's happening, certain mistakes happen. And you had five cars were booted, and we had to come and address the issue, the manager, myself, and the chief. And I say that because I'd rather be
over the top collaborative and resolve this issue and make sure that we cross every T and dot every I, and make sure that it's successful. Instead of rushing to do something and then have an issue, because at the end of the day we have our forces committed as a result of an MOU with the county. So, I think it's a very simple ask
between now and the next commission meeting to sit down all of us. He has more than enough time to collaborate with us, sit down and coordinate, and I think it'll be very successful. I think so. Just a simple ask. Yes. Mayor, I'm just I'm just for the public to understand,
Plan B, first day of play was scheduled to be July 3rd. Okay, that's substantial period away. Yep. Plan C, which I didn't know the chief hadn't been spoken to about,
first day of play is June 12th. And includes July 4th, which is all hands-on deck to deal with the July 4th festivities. So, the ultimate decision on that
is up to the chief, but I would say July 4th is out. You know? Based upon what I know. So, you have >> need to make a decision here now, because what really needs to happen is you need to have a time to sit down with the chief and do the appropriate
planning to make sure that you have the coverage necessary and the number of personnel there that in their experience, cuz they're the ones that are experienced with law enforcement, are needed to cover an event like this.
We want this event. So, we have a motion and we have a second, Mr. Clerk. For deferral. Uh can we have a vote Can we have a vote? Mr. Mayor, I have a member of the public requesting to speak. >> Okay. Maria Cruz. This is Maria Cruz, 1447
Miller Road, 305-323- 2154. Let me be very careful, because even though somebody used a word that I used the other day, uh I guess I cannot use it.
But it appears to me though every time we have a special events, we do not required everybody to be involved. Somebody takes the special events committee, the director,
there's always somebody from fire, from police. They meet, they decide. Easy. Easy. Some people pay ahead of the event, some people pay 3 months later, and life goes on.
This is a big event. You heard Mr. Sudak here today. What is the issue? We need the the the owner to come and get on his knees and beg to be able to do what he's done 24
years. That's that's the whole argument here. There is someone here that has to get um public um I don't know what the word to use. Um um it it the owner has to humiliate himself
before someone here in order for him to do what he's entitled to do. For an event like this, he's already done the special event. The people have met, they've discussed, they came up with a plan. There's a some modification
today. You have an attorney here representing him that very clearly said she could decide. She could make decisions. But no, no, no, no, we have to postpone it again. People, it once again, there
are a lot of stuff going for those days. So, they have to get the equipment that they need, the food, everything, and they're going to do it at the last minute because we, the people that sit here, want to make sure that that guy has to, in order to get what he needs to
get, he's going to do it at the last minute, pay extra to get it delivered because you're making it unreasonable for him. I don't know what this world saw, world city expects, but I can't
think of anywhere else where it's a what should have been a very, very beautiful event is going to become such a tragic disaster, not because of the owner's doing, but because of the city,
a city who has buildings occupied without without having the whatever the occupancy certificate, but now we're concerned about this man. Incredible. Um Let's say Mr.
Again, what you just witnessed right now is imagine we're asking for collaboration during the World Cup. During an event where our police and fire are going to be you know, stretched thin because of multiple events in the city
and also our MOU with Miami-Dade County, and we're told to just approve a approve a special use permit. I'm sorry, I can't. I under no circumstances I cannot uh jeopardize public safety. So, we have a motion and a second. Commissioner Castro.
I'm going to go ahead and reiterate that we have legal counsel right in front of you. She's willing to come into a deal that is to your best convenience. And you're still not even give it a chance. So, you prefer to defer this
when you know it's not beneficial for the applicant and honestly it's not beneficial for the city as well. They're willing to compromise. They're willing to come into an agreement with you. I'm glad that I came here first because Commissioner Lara, I'm going to
ask for you to please, please think about this just a more. You saw the legal counsel's willingness to work with us. This is a small business that does not do good every day. That only does good when there's events. That's how this
business survives. Not everyone here owns a business and knows how to operate one, even though some of us say they do. It takes a lot of sacrifice, a lot. So no, my vote is no.
Commissioner Fernandez. Um I would have hoped that we would have been able to reach an agreement today. Um I think even for our staff's planning purposes, it would be best to know exactly where we stand today versus uh 2 weeks from now. Um
Unfortunately, I don't think we have the votes to continue this item today and and finalize an agreement. Um I've I've heard from folks um who want to make sure this event takes place. Um not just here in Coral Gables. I have elected officials from
other places say this is the place they come to watch uh their their soccer events. Uh and this is right now the only event that's planned in the city of Coral Gables uh to watch our World Cup. Um
But I'll say I do have some of the concerns as well. July 4th, I think is a day that's going to be impossible for us to to staff. And I think those are are things that do need to be worked out uh because of the commitments we do have with FIFA uh to ensure that we have the officers
that we need to cover the events that we that we're going to need them for. Um I just wish we would have been able to get this done today. Um I'm a no on deferring. Commissioner Latta. Yeah, so no one thinks that we're going to be doing any kind of business tonight
anyway. It's already 6:00. Um there's no reason why the applicant or yourself couldn't meet tomorrow with uh our staff city manager or any of the members of the commission that can make themselves available if you'd like, but you know, if nothing else
you you have office hours that the mayor has held for over a decade on Friday. So, a deal could be reached very shortly. It doesn't have to wait until the next commission meeting to receive plan
D, I guess, right? So, let's get to it, right? I want to see this game and all the matches celebrated in the city. I want this done in a way that's uh reasonable with respect to the safety and the welfare of our residents. No one wants to be punitive with a business owner. I'm full support of a small
business owner, right? But, this has been done in a way that I think is almost uh self-defeating. Again, I would love to have seen the applicant, not to say one thing against you, cuz I know you are, as you say, a fully authorized attorney. By the way, while we're at it, so can we agree July
4th is off the table in advance of the negotiations that are ongoing? I think we can agree what the condition that I proffered was if we cannot find police we will not have it on any of those dates, and that includes July 4th. Any of the dates. But, what I'm asking is
can we agree right now July 4th is off the schedule and we continue to negotiate from there? I'd like to reserve that if police are available that we could have it. But, we've already heard from not only the commission and commentary and the chief of police that he's overstretched.
But, So, can we agree if July 4th is off the table? Uh I don't believe so because I think under the union agreement they can pull from other sites. Okay. So, I guess there is some more wood to chop here. Again, if we would have received this a week ago we would have been a week ahead of the game. Again, someone else's delay
doesn't become my emergency. So, I'm a yes on deferring, but I'm strongly encouraging the applicant, yourself, and all those who are related to the outcome to come ASAP to the table and let's get it done. Just get it done.
Vice Mayor Anderson. So, I've represented a lot of small business owners for a long period of time. And you know, I understand there was a plan B and a plan C. What wasn't shared was that this wasn't shared with the
police department and cleared by the police department. So, not having that clearance, not having that approval, and not doing that homework ahead of time results in an inability to approve it at this point.
So, that homework needs to be done. I've had that homework talk with my clients, whether they're importing product and they didn't do that get the necessary approvals ahead of time from the various agencies that have to do the approvals. Okay? Or other things such as police
coverage. So, the homework needs to be done ahead of time. And that's why I moved to defer this item. Absolutely want to see this be a success, but the homework needs to be done first. So, I'll make a guess.
Mayor Lago. I'm available tomorrow. Would you like to meet first thing in the morning? Yes. You were hired yesterday. The police were unaware of every fine detail. I'm a no on July 4th. Firm no on July 4th giving you the road map to success.
Um at the end of the day, I have voted in favor of these of these events before. But the difference was, which I don't know why my colleagues to the left and to the right failed to recognize it. When we approved these events before for World Cups, you didn't have a World Cup
in Miami. I mean, that's a huge deal. That's a huge deal where our police Our police were not traveling Africa. They're not They were not traveling to the Middle East for the World Cup. They were here because the World Cup was not here. I mean, it's real simple.
So, at the end of the day, I know that someone wants to help out Fritz and Franz, and I get it. But, my loyalty is not to Fritz and Franz. My loyalty is to the residents, and I'm getting calls from the residents that tell me, "We want to have this event, but we don't want to have a compromise
in regards to our police and fire." So, at the end of the day, I am 100% in favor of doing this event, but I will not compromise. For example, you're hearing it from my colleagues. You're hearing it from the police. We have to man How many people attend 4th of July? How many people?
6,000? 7,000? 30 to 40,000? 30 to 40,000? Do you have any I'm not even close, okay? 30 to 40,000 here in our backyard, okay? And then you have a game at the same time. I mean, we have a big force, but at the end of the day, it's not that big, okay?
So, we have to be honest with ourselves. We have to be honest with ourselves, and if it's I'm sorry to say this, at the expense of Fritz and Franz, that we have we have an additional manpower, even if that's more than two or three more men and women at the Biltmore,
I'll take that. Because at the end of the day, you don't know what we could avoid or circumstance that we can get into that we may be short-staffed. So, don't take this personal. I'm more than willing to meet with this gentleman and yourself and all our team through the manager's leadership.
But, we have [clears throat] to come to consensus. We're trying to agree to agree on something in this commission meeting that has not been ratified. I don't feel comfortable having to deal with, for example, what I dealt with on Sunday, where the the chief
and the manager and I had to address it immediately. We do this all the time. So, I know what's going to happen that day. People are going to be calling me. They're going to be calling my colleagues and say, "Hey, we have issues." It's the World Cup in Miami. It's going to be a party. And I don't have a problem with that party. We do Dia de los Muertos, we do
and I've been to Barranquilla, we do Carnival, we do major events. We welcome those major events where there's thousands of people here, but we have to be very thoughtful and we have to plan accordingly. So, this deferral is not to hurt your client. Your client has more than enough time
to get this done. Can we meet tomorrow? Told you, I'm the one that proffered it. Excellent. So, you can deal with Laura and the manager and the police chief and the fire chief and we'll have a sit-down conversation and we'll sit, but I'd like your client to be there, please. Excellent. Thank you. Please, okay? So, I'm a yes on the deferral. Thank you
very much. Okay. Um I'm looking forward to the event. Thank you. Before before we move on to one of the items, I want to take a personal point of privilege. I would like to present and administ- my administrative assistant, Nicole
Guevara, with a proclamation. Nicole has decided to pursue her law degree at Loyola University of Chicago. And Friday will be her last day with us here at City Hall. We will be extremely sad to see her go,
but I'll be honest with you, we're also really excited for her in this next chapter. From day one, Nicole has brought professionalism, kindness, and an energy that made our office better every day. She has taken on every challenge with
grace and a smile, and I think we laughed a lot. I had no doubt that she will go on to accomplish great things, maybe move back to Coral Gables and running running for mayor. And we could not be prouder. We will truly miss her and the joy she brought to our office every day. Nicole,
please join us. I want to read this proclamation. Nicole Guevara joined the of the mayor of the city of Coral Gables on July 2025 as an administrative assistant bringing with her a spirit of dedication, warmth, and professionalism that made an immense and immediate and lasting impression on
all who had the privilege of working alongside her. And whereas over the course of her 10 months of service to the residents administration of Coral Gables, Nicole demonstrated unwavering commitment to her responsibilities, consistently going above and beyond to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the mayor's office.
And whereas Nicole has been an irreplaceable presence in the office, her infectious laugh, generous heart, and genuine care for her colleagues created an environment of joy and camaraderie that will be deeply and sincerely missed by all. And whereas Nicole Guevara will depart
the city of Coral Gables on May 22nd, 2026 to pursue her Juris Doctor degree at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, a testament to her ambition, her intellect, and her commitment to a lifetime of service through the law. And whereas the mayor and the entire city of Coral Gables family are
enormously proud of of Nicole's achievements and are confident that her talent, tenacity, and compassion will make her an outstanding attorney and an advocate for those she serves. Now, therefore, I, Vince Lago, as mayor of the city of Coral Gables, on behalf of the city commission, do hereby proclaim May 19th, 2026
as Nicole Guevara Day in Coral Gables. >> [applause] >> A few words? Oh. >> [laughter] >> Well, this is funny. I usually help prepare these proclamations. Um, thank you very much. It's been an honor to work for the city. It's been really great to work alongside you,
Mayor. I've learned a lot. This is my first foray into public service, but it's potentially a career that I'd like to pursue, so I sincerely appreciate the opportunity. And the proclamation was a very nice touch. I want to thank Laura as well, because I know she played a role in that. But, thank you again. This is very, very
nice. I wasn't expecting it. Laura is a rockstar. Yes, she is. She Grateful for Laura every day. Yes. Time for Time for your photo. Yeah. >> [laughter] >> Got to get the whole commission up here. Come on, let's get the fire chief and the police chief. Congratulations. Um
Christina. Question. The theme of person funds needs >> I think he said the vice mayor will continue. He said it now. I think the vice mayor he said it now. Yeah, he's he's he's left. When you all are ready.
Okay. City clerk we're we're on H2. Yes, ma'am. Okay. So, H2 is a resolution of the city commission relating to the provision of fire protection services, facilities, and programs in the city of Coral Gables, Florida providing authority, purpose, and definitions, providing legislative findings, establishing the method of apportionment, determining the estimated
fire protection assessed cost, determining the estimated fire protection assessments for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, directing preparation of assessment role, authorizing public hearing, and directing provision of notice thereof, providing for hardship assistance, providing method of collection and application of assessment proceeds, providing for repeated provisions, severability, and providing for an
effective date. Madam Director. Sure. Diana Gomez, Finance Director. So, this resolution initiates the annual process for updating the assessment role and sets the proposed fire protection assessment rates for the fiscal year October 1st, 2026.
Um there are no changes in the proposed fire protection assessment rate for the fiscal year. That's good news. We have a motion? Any public comment? No public comment, ma'am. Okay. Do we have a motion?
Second. I didn't make the motion. Who made the motion? I made the motion. You made the motion. Okay, didn't hear you. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lara? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro?
Yes. Thank you. Can we move on to H3? H3? H3 is a resolution of the City Commission relating to the collection and disposal of solid waste in the City of Coral Gables providing authority purpose definitions providing legislative findings determining the estimated solid waste cost and solid waste service assessments for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026 directing
preparation of assessment role authorizing public hearing directing provision of notice thereof providing method of collection application of assessment proceeds providing for repealed provisions severability clause and providing for effective date. Madam Director? Sure. So, this resolution initiates the annual process for updating the assessment role and
sets the rates for the fiscal year 26-27. The full rate for the fiscal year 27 is proposed to be uh $601 and um the prepaid the discounted rate
if paid before August 15th is $572. The fee is being increased fee is being increased by 4% from the prior year to cover similar increases in solid waste division operating costs including personnel, fuel and vehicle maintenance and costs
fuel and main vehicle maintenance costs and tipping fees associated with solid waste collection and and disposal services. So, Ms. Gomez, could you share with us on the record how much it cost if it was the full cost of garbage services was uh imposed
upon all residents? So, it would be roughly um $1,300 if it was the full cost. If it was the full cost. Okay. Do we have any public comment on this? Yes, ma'am. Maria Cruz? >> [clears throat]
>> Mrs. Maria Cruz, 1447 Miller Road, 305-323-2154. This is an item that comes up almost every year because in this city we do not understand
that the people that reside in Coral Gables do not uh mind some of their taxes going through the benefits of living here. And this is why the issue of how much does it cost? It
costs a lot to live in Coral Gables and there's nothing wrong with expect some of the taxes that we pay to cover for some of the benefits that we get by living here. And I'm glad that nobody used the word subsidized today because, you know,
nobody gives the money. We pay the taxes and we should be able to choose where we want the taxes used and we choose to have the service we got and I think instead of increasing the price of the um solid waste, we should cut back on
some of the stuff that we're doing nowadays like uh increasing salaries by 10% by changing uh titles and give the people what the people want. That's it, Vice Mayor. That's it. Do I have a motion? I'll move it.
I'll second. Commissioner Lara. Yes. Commissioner Castro. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez. >> Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes. Thank you. H4. H4 is a resolution of City Commission relating to security services assessments within the Sunrise Harbor Security Guard Special Taxing District
estimating the cost of the security services to be assessed for fiscal year commencing October 1st, 2026 directing finance director to prepare an updated security services assessment role establishing a public hearing directing provision of notice in connection with therewith providing for repealer severability providing for effective date. Public comment?
>> No, ma'am. Do we have a motion? I'll move it. I'll second. All in favor? Aye. >> Aye. Thank you. H5 H5 is similar but this one relates to the security services assessments within the Snapper Creek Lake Security Guard Special Taxing District. Public comment? No, ma'am.
Move it. I'll second. All in favor? Aye. >> Aye. H5 H6 H6 is also the same resolution of the city commission but this one relates to security services assessments within the Pine Bay Estate Security Guard Special Taxing District. Public comment?
No, vice mayor. Move it. I'll second. All in favor? Aye. >> Aye. H7 H7 is a resolution relating to security services assessments within the Old Cutler Bay Security Guard Special Taxing District. Public comment? No, vice mayor. Move it. I'll second.
All in favor? Aye. >> Aye. H8 H8 is for the is a resolution for the security services assessments within the Kings Bay Amended Security Guard Special Taxing District. Public comment? No, ma'am. Move it. Second. All in favor? Aye. >> Aye. H9 H9 is a resolution relating to
the Hammock Oaks Harbor Security Guard Special Taxing District. Public comment? No, ma'am. Move it. Second. All in favor? Aye. >> Aye. Thank you. >> H10 H10 is a resolution relating to security services assessments within the Hammock Lake Banyan Security Guard Special
Taxing District. Public comment? No, ma'am. Move it. Second. All in favor? Aye. >> Aye. H10 That was H10. Okay, H11 H11 is the resolution relating to security services assessments within the Banyan
>> security services assessments within the Coco Plum Phase 1 Security Guard Special Taxing District. Public comment? No, ma'am. Move it. Second. All in favor? I. H 14. H 14 is the resolution relating to the provision of street lighting services, facilities, and programs within the Coco Plum Phase 1 Street
Lighting Special Taxing District and estimating the cost of the street lighting services, etc. Public comment? No, ma'am. Move it. Second. All in favor? I. H 15. H 15 is the resolution relating to security services assessments within the Gables by the Sea Coral Gables Security
Guard Special Taxing District. Public comment? No, ma'am. Move it. Second. All in favor? I. H 16. H 16 is the resolution of the City Commission accepting the recommendation of the Community Recreation Department to waive the competitive bid process of the procurement code
as a special procurement bid waiver with the Joy Buy LLC for the Holiday Park in an estimated amount of $1,604,160 for a 5-year term pursuant to Section 2-691 of the city's procurement code. Director, do we have a presentation? We do.
We can pull it up. So, our Holiday Park is in need of renovation and it has outlived its life and so now we are presenting a new presentation and I will turn it over to Carlos, Assistant Director of Community Recreation. I'll try to make this as quick as
possible since I believe we're the last item. So, No pressure. No pressure, no pressure at all. Uh so we um we're collaborating with Joy to do the new holiday park. Um there's a little map of the area,
some of the new features that we have. Um the new supplies the life-size bear. Um a um two new slides. Um everything is gingerbread themed with reds and um candy canes and and that kind of motif.
Um this is not missing a head by accident. That's for photo ops for people to stand behind it and then take pictures with the gingerbread man. Um new supply climbing rocks, um a nice little arch for the entrance uh with the coral gables on it.
The new train, all like I like I said earlier, all is gingerbread um themed and um the fence is going to be a little different this year. Instead of all white, it has that that candy cane um coloring all red and white. These um RGB RGB floor tiles will be around the
park where kids can get up on them and they're lit up through the night. This is a really nice feature. We're going to have these hotter balloons that kind of look like ornaments on the tree along with the lights that we are usually have. Uh we're bringing back the polar bear cuz some of the some of the
installations that we have are, you know, uh traditional. So they're going to refurbish the bear. The Santa will still be there. And that is Santa's house, the gingerbread house. And here are some 3D renderings of how it would look
um for the park um with everything in there. And I think that's it. Oh, there you go. You want me uh public comment? No, ma'am. Do we have a motion? I'll move it, but I have I just have one comment.
Can we protect Santa? I mean, that's it's been around for 50 years, and I'm always concerned about the location. One car just turns the wrong way, they hit Santa. Can we do something to to to protect it or put it in a different location so that it's a little more
less exposed. That's you know, I don't need an answer. I'm I'm making a motion. That's just It's a big Santa. Well, look at that. Yeah, I know. I know. Well, I I can add it, you know, with the speed limit being lowered on Lejeune, it might help. But, uh
tough to watch the alcohol consumption. Is there a second? I'll second. Um I'll go ahead and second that, but let me just a thought. I I used to take [clears throat] my son here all the time. Do you feel like those are sufficient
like slides and enough for that space? Yeah, I mean, there are there um Do you mean in quantity or size or scope? >> cuz the park gets pretty full sometimes, right? And there's kids like just
running around, and I saw there was a lot of empty space. Um the there's maybe from the the previous park, there's maybe a couple of of lesser features, but the ones they were much smaller. So, there's there were there were tiny little things that are
not there. Um so, when we looked at with the designers, they wanted something um you know, we kind of wanted something that was decorative a little bit higher in scope. So, things you you're going to have one or two less things. The couple of things that we didn't really talk about there
that are also there, the two boxes that are the the display boxes, those are going to be there as well, just different displays. We didn't really go into that in the the presentation. Um and we might have one more um picture area cuz we did were able to keep some of the stuff that we had in the past. So, we're trying to see
if it works with her design um to put in there. So, um might be one or two less things, but these are more in-depth like more intricate pieces. Like there's two slides where last time we only had one center piece slide. So, um you know, you kind of a little bit of
quality over quantity in that case. So, yeah. Okay. Um I'll go ahead and second that but with a friendly amendment to try to talk to Joy and see maybe we could throw something else in there. I will. I I got her to throw in the two
slides and she she said I was I was giving her heartburn. So, but I will. I'll talk to her and see if we can do a little something else. Thank you. Yeah, I I remember this the first iteration. There was one slide. Yeah. And it was not very tall. And one fire pole. Yes. And and one fire pole. I
mean, I could just lift my kid up on the top of the slide. That's how short it was. So, um very nice job. Thank you. Commissioner Castro? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? >> Yes. Commissioner Lada? Yes. Vice [clears throat] Mayor Anderson? Yes.
Thank you. Thank you. Do we have anything else that we're missing? All right. So, Commissioner Fernandez, do you have any uh closing comments you would like to add? Just want to thank staff for the incredible work with the Literacy Festival. Uh it
was another very successful event. Um I know it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort out of uh out of our team, uh but there were a lot of happy faces, a lot of kids going home with books, uh even parents going home with books. Uh so, that was uh that was nice to see. Uh
and uh it was great to see the uh uh uh our poet laureates being recognized as well and they were they were happy to be there. So, thank you for the effort that goes in. Um other than that, um 20th of May tomorrow, Cuban Independence Day.
Um I know it's an an event that's uh a day that's very important in Cuban history. Unfortunately, for 67 years, an event that hasn't been celebrated. Uh but we're hopeful and optimistic that we're getting closer to the celebration of a
free Cuba once again. And I think the um efforts that will be taken taking place tomorrow will be a first step to do that. So, I'm optimistic and uh look forward to celebrating that once again. Commissioner Castro, I will see you next
commission meeting. Uh that is it. Okay. And Commissioner Lara, All I've got to say is again, everybody remember to try the decaf. Try Try the decaf. [laughter] So, I'm going to look forward to seeing
you all on Memorial Day. Um and thank you, Commissioner Lara, for um sponsoring that item in um this Wednesday, we have the Gables Good Government Ethics Panel.
That's um I think something that the community would be looking forward to. On this Thursday, the 21st, we have the Taste of Success Experience at the Women's Club. So, very very wonderful event that we can participate
in. Um and until the next meeting, I I hope everybody can get their homework done that's necessary so Fritz and Franz can uh move forward. Unfortunately, the homework that I thought was done wasn't done uh before
they they presented plan C. Um and thank you all for a great meeting and all the hard work that you've done. Move to Right? Oh, yes, we need a motion to adjourn. I'll move it.
>> I'll second. All in favor? I.