All right, we're going to get started. Good to see everybody here. The regular council meeting for Tuesday, March 24th is called to order at 7:01 p.m. We're going to have a small side of meditation followed by a pledge of
allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag, United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you very much. Madam clerk, may I please have a roll call, please?
>> Roll call. Mayor Nickerson, >> here. >> Vice Mayor Martin, >> present. >> Council person Urbum, >> present. Council person Lightoot Ward. Council person Winters >> present. >> Also present for the record, David Roseman, village manager. Janice Jacobe, village clerk, and attorney Geller
called that he's running a little late. You have a quorum. >> Thank you very much. May I have please have approval of the agenda? >> So moved by council person. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Second by council person winters. All in favor say I. >> I. Say nay. Hearing none. Uh next is
good and welfare. Um, anybody who wants to come up and speak, you can talk about anything that you would like to speak about. Um, three minutes. Say your name and address for the record. >> Hello. Uh, good evening. My name is Kelly. Uh, address 269 Northwest 86 Street.
>> Um, wanted to start off just by thanking you guys. Um, excuse me. Oh, just want to start off by thanking you guys for uh all the good things you guys do for the for the c for the the village. Uh the speed bumps, the
trees, um all the stuff you did at the the park. So, thank you for that cuz I think sometimes these meetings go off the rails and uh it's all negative stuff. So, thanks for that. Um, I came today because, uh, I had someone come knock on my door. Um, a little bit upset about a school that's being built, uh,
down the road from here, and I more so wanted to get information about it to understand um, I guess someone bought the property, then they knocked down the the church that was there. Um, a if that was okay to do to knock down the church, if that's just you just buy the property
and you can knock it down. I would like to have some clarity on that. And then um as of today just what is the plan for that area? Um are is it going to be only for homes? Is it allowed to be for
commercial property? What's the plan overall for that? >> Uh yeah, thank you. So we're going to hear the um we'll hear have public comment then when we close it then we'll have responses to what we can respond. >> Okay. All right. >> I got your question. >> All right. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Next, Noel Pace, 206 Northwest 91st Street. Um, I second the the first gentleman's there uh uh comments about the council. Thanks for doing what you do. thanks for looking out for the village and and that is definitely what I uh would advocate
is that um I participated in the community plan drafting and codification and the entire process a number of years ago and that was a multi-year process along with the sharet process and so that plan all right with
all stakeholders involved both within the village and outside you know helped give input to that we got experts we had, you know, attorneys, we had urban planners, we had suburban planners, we had uh people who had an environmental uh side to them and so on. And so we
came up with that uh codified uh uh community plan and our uh current zoning. And so with that, um you know, sort of in response to the gentleman's comment about what is happening, you know, he said a school's
being built at the old Raider church site. That's not exactly the case. A school has been proposed at the old Raider church site. Um it requires many exceptions, many variances, uh all kinds of uh changes to the community basically
that are controversial to our community plan. And so what I advocate is is that I am not anti-school. I am pro- Elportal, our community plan, and our current zoning. And many times I've said since on the records going back to
November of 2025, now we're here in March of 2026. So five months um that proposed school at its size and scale with all of its exceptions and changes that are required, it just doesn't fit there. So what I have
proposed to the developer in my private meeting with them and in our public forum here is that they do own the Little River Farm as well. it's properly zoned for that type of school. They can put their school there. They if they really love the community, if they
really love and want to be part of Elportile, they can easily do that at that location. And then the uh uh Raider Church area can be developed within our current zoning without any exceptions. Uh either commercial office, retail, uh
uh community housing, a combination of all. I mean that site is big enough. The last thing I know a number of people suggested is is that these developers are going to be developing a large swath of Elportal anyway. They're probably going to want uh exceptions to height
restrictions and so on. Hey, they have the means. Why why don't they just donate the Raider Church site now as as a central park for Alpert? Geez, they could even name it after themselves or whatever. I think everyone would be happy with that. Uh, and then that will
provide probably what I would consider sufficient green space because I do know the developers also bought a whole bunch of other properties along Northeast Second Avenue um that are probably going to get developed. I think they were originally talking about parking lots, but I'm sure they're going to develop them into some sort of live local or uh
workforce housing, which hey, I I came from the workforce, okay, before I became an attorney. Hey, I was a soldier right before that. you know, uh people are soldiers, firefighters, nurses, uh uh community workers, they need a place to live. I think those are great, you
know, things to do uh for them. We need those people in society. So, I don't I don't see uh workforce housing as some sort of negative. I think it helps uh our society. So, I just thought I'd bring that to your guys' attention. Thank you very much. >> Thank you very much. >> All right. Thank you.
Yes, I'm up. >> Greg Seir, 120 Northwest 86 Street. I want to echo some of those comments. The soulful projects and and I'm glad to see the full council here. That's a change, nice change. Um, and it's important
because there's a lot going on. Um, this soulful project is really just the tip of the spear. It's the just the tip of the iceberg. Uh, and the project seems to have hit a wall. Where is the back and forth discussion about the actual developer agreement?
Are they still not ready after a year? What does that tell you? The only thing they've managed to do so far is to turn Raider Church into a pile of rubble and divide the community into waring camps. There's no consensus on the parking, probably because there is no parking,
nor on the impact on our traffic or the real viability of a sewer connection. Still in question is the amount of public benefit they're willing to offer in lie of paying their fair share of property taxes like the rest of us. The
developer continues to spread misinformation and stoke fear about live local, which is not a slam dunk. It's very much a moving target, but it's a very convenient scare tactic. And are we really against affordable housing aimed at teachers and first
responders? Does a K through 12 school on a 2acre site with virtually no parking really make sense? Or is this just another pipe dream like we we works IPO? All hype, smoke, and
mirrors. This is one reason we hired Amanda Hand, a land use attorney, because I think we deserve a seat at the table to weigh in on what gets built and what doesn't get built in our community because we
actually live here. Adam Newman doesn't, Ken Barington doesn't, and El Portal is not up for sale or shouldn't be. Why is there not a single resident on the planning and zoning board? Sometimes it feels like we're flying
blind. What is going to be left of El Portal after Adam Newman's little farm gets built out? Tonight we have a full council considering the construction of a single home. Yet, there's no discussion about the
repercussions of 2500 homes and 4,000 new residents, effectively doubling the population of Elportal and tripling the number of residences.
Soulful is just the foot in the door. Little Farm is 10 times the size and 20 times the impact. So my question is are there or have there been any discussions by anyone council or staff about Little Farm with Adam Newman's people?
Or are we going to get the silent treatment and then you spring it on us at the last minute like soulful? Sometimes I wonder who's really in the driver's seat, who's in charge. There have been no village manager reports
since October of 2025. No soulful updates, no police reports, no budget updates. We're six months into the budget. What have we spent the money on? Are there any reserves? Meanwhile, we're forming this advisory
board, this committee, that committee, meeting after meeting with no real authority. And finally, I don't understand why we have this convoluted open mic night process where we come up and rant and rave.
And only the mayor responds, "Don't council members have their own voice? You have your own vote?" I, for one, would like to hear from each one of you tonight on where you stand on this soulful
project. Thank you. Thank you. >> Mr. Mayor, Council, thank you for the time and good and welfare. My name is George Alvarez. I live at 165 Northwest 88th Street. Um, rather than echoing some of the points
that I heard Mr. Pace and Mr. uh steer mention uh to which I agree. I will um I'm going to phrase it a little bit differently. I'm looking I'm very much looking forward to hearing what a new proposal is going to
be like from the develop the developers of the proposed project. I think that um some of the divisiveness and some of the tactics that I've come to learn about recently, some of which got truly personal to the
mayor himself and some of which uh got very impersonal to the rest of the community. I think that's a sign of of of something that's wrong if not with the process than with the process regarding this project.
I'm going to until given a much much better reason than anything I've currently heard from the developers of this project um who as of now have not changed one iota of their project. Um it's not enough to
hear that they have been meeting with certain residents because we can't take that on faith until we see things on paper. So, I'm hoping that at this time um that each and every member of the
council and of the parallel planning and zoning board will vote no on this project, especially at this location and especially as currently and technically proposed. I I know that there
there's a lot of conjecture out there and probably some people are a little bit more in the knowledge than others. But what I witnessed at the second town hall meeting, which this council very um intelligently
suggested happen, was I witnessed a threat. our our community spoke in meetings since December and then the final results of all those meetings over two and a half
months was that the developer came with a an AI generated photo of something that after the meeting even he admitted was erroneous and could not be built on the site. It had no parking. It had incorrect frontage and it also had no
retail because the truth is live local or not live local, anybody who's going to build a mixeduse is absolutely going to want the revenue that one gets from shops or services, restaurants, craft stores, art museums as it were at
the bottom of the mixeduse building. That's where the most money is. The other thing that they're not going to do is make everything live local because that would be leaving a lot of money on the table. Things are different in El Patel. We are now market rate literally
and figuratively if you'll you'll pardon the metaphor. So on top of all that, I I'm hoping that the council is aware of the sheer number of properties that have now been purchased by legal entities attached to
Mr. Newman's group. There are several on Northeast Second Avenue, a couple in Sherwood Forest, and a and one at least one um Sherwood Forest adjacent. And I'm I'm still unclear about what the uh what
the status is of the uh of the the proposed pocket park area. This is another way of saying that if we're going to go forward with any project and we're going to make covenants with someone who may after a couple years either take those covenants
to court or challenge us to enforce them or perhaps which would be more holistically powerful have an entire new council of people who know who currently probably don't live in El Prattel and may be renting and and and new new
structures that are built. And that council will possibly negate all the covenants that we make because if they're buying those properties and some of those properties are adjacent to each other or are very close to other
properties that they also own, what's to say that they're not going to try to build live local or other properties there that will indeed increase our population for better or for worse. Growth is going to happen. But there's smart ways to
kind of govern that growth, especially with the traffic impacts that this current project as currently proposed are going to have. And it's not just traffic, it's impacts on our natural environment. It's impacts on public
safety, which will only be expanded as things move forward east uh east of here in in the old little farm. So, I'm asking I'm asking this council to please look out for our
interests. I'm urging you to vote no on this proposal when and if it comes up if they truly want to be a part of El Prattel. They'll go back to the drawing board and make a few compromises that we could
live with. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you very much. Daniel Roas, 16 Northeast 86th Street. Um, so, uh, I kind of sound like a broken record every time I come up here and I ask for ethics disclo for, you know, conflicts of interest and ethics
disclosures and but usually the the our our lawyer, at least the last couple times, he hasn't been here to advise if there's anything we can do about that. Uh I'd like to again propose that everybody on the council uh clearly states if they have any conflicts of
interest also if they've had any private meetings with the developers and what has been discussed in those private meetings as we are trying to all push for transparency and regain the trust that we have that our village needs to have in our council. Uh also I want to
bring up like what everybody else brought up. We need to be aware of what's happened around the county. Uh we've seen another city that did not allow Soulful to be a part of their community either based on numerous issues that they had with their proposals as we all do right now. Uh and
then um so and then also how we see the the football stadium, well soccer stadium, they're already backing out of some of the covenants that they had built into it. So they had said they were going to build a certain amount of foot soccer courts and they're already
backing out of that. So any deal we do with our developers, we have to be very we have to be conscious that they just they can back out of it like legally or whatever whatever we do with them. So the more time goes by, the more I learn, the less I am inclined to support this
project and the more I inclined to ask every single member of the council to vote no on this issue. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Hi, my name is Warner Dreer. I'm at 486 Northeast 87 Street. Um, I just want to tag along his comment. I remember him
asking the same question during the our last meeting. So my question as a follow-up question in regards to having and I have brought up this question to Mayor Nickerson having a mediator or negotiator with uh the Adam group Adam
Newman group right I keep hearing also oh we have a specific council person who's negotiating or there's the rumor right out there with the neighbors so uh we're you guys are politicians so I would recommend having somebody a
negotiator who can help uh negotiate the terms that they have been brought up by the Adam Newman group. I understand uh attorney Geller he's just making sure it's all uh legal and he's not going to negotiate on our behalf. So again uh I
askly kindly see if u my question can be followed up uh as far as having a negotiator. Also the second question is uh regarding the demolition of the church. Um, I know we met with the director of the building code inspector. Uh, perhaps just an idea. Maybe we want
to have the building director attend those meetings here or or those people involved regarding the approval of this project with the Adam Newman. Uh, maybe participate here in the meetings as well just to make sure if there's any questions from the residents, they can
help answer uh here directly. So, I I did meet with Mayor Nickerson on uh maybe twice. Thank you again, Mayor Nickerson and to the code director, but maybe that would be just a small humble recommendation just to have them here as part of the meetings as well. >> Yeah, >> thank you very much.
>> Thank you very much. >> Hi, good evening. My name is Ramona. I live on um 88th Street, 136 Northwest. Uh my concern um besides the fact that this property that they want to build, they apparently are not going to pay
taxes and they keep buying other properties on Elporttow, which they are not letting us know exactly what are they going to do with those properties. um and using different LLC's which it makes very hard to investigate and
research. It's all connected to the same person with different names. Uh my concern is with the school. It's that's going to be adjacent to 87th Street and the Second Avenue. And I'm very concerned because we also have our
police department at the end of the 87th Street. This is a very narrow street um residential and I'm really concerned that the traffic is going to create is going to put our residents um like unsafe.
We're not going to be able to get our police cars and department fast enough if that street is blocked because of the school traffic created by kids crossing the street, parents parked waiting for
their kids, school buses, and plus everything else that is going to happen on that area. And the police department, it sits all the way at the end close to Biscane Boulevard. It's not going to be able to reach on time the rest of the residents in Elport
tower. And if for any reason we have an emergency and a loved one dies because of this because the police car was not able to make it on time because there was traffic or blockage on that street. I do not want to see that happen. And
this situation is in your hands. all the councils, the vice mayor, the mayor. You are the one voting for this on this project and open up this situation that we're going to have concessions made for
a developer coming from outside that really do not care about the residents of Elporttow. He doesn't he might have offer so many things a kayak lounge some other money
and vouchers for other people. It's not real because he doesn't really have on his heart this community the way we have. He doesn't he does not. And I really do
hope you guys reach this idea that I'm trying to bring to you guys here, my concerns, and vote no on this project. Another concern that I'm having here also is
I don't feel like councils are present and are supporting this community. I don't it it feels like we have no support from you guys. Our lawyer where where is Galler? I I don't know where is him.
I have watched also another video from a past B Harbor video that Soflow was trying to put their school in Ball Harbor. Good job B Harbor
people away. Good job for them. And guess what? Our lawyer and Ben and Adam were was they were in the same meeting, the three of them together, and we have it on record. Ben saying that he has a relationship with our lawyer. Isn't this
a conflict of interest? This is like super concerning for me. Another thing that I'm I'm very bothered about that I heard from the grape vine that there were a meeting with this
developer, a private meeting from people that want this school to happen and none of the residents were informed. And this whoever organized this meeting is a very close family member from the council.
I mean this is just wrong. Where is the transparency? Where is it? There is no transparency in this committee. Nothing. Very very concerning. >> Thank you. >> Just a followup. >> Thank you.
>> Just a quick followup just just so that there's no question marks. Whom from the council who arranged a meeting? >> I would like to to talk to you in person. If we're saying it all, >> I actually wrote you an email and you
never responded. >> Okay. So, can I ask you now? I mean, since you're saying it in public, I know that I've never met with the developers. I just want to know. I just don't want that question mark hanging out there um as to whom it is you're referring to.
>> Well, I heard that Council Winter's wife >> was involved. >> All right. Thank you so much. >> Oh, welcome. >> Yeah. Let's try to get through good and welfare you guys. I appreciate it. Um who's next? >> Good evening everyone. Um my name is
Karen Roberts and I live at 29 Northeast 90th Street. And um I feel like I'm kind of should have been more much more aware of the situation and I'm kind of getting in late but um you know I've lived in this village a long time. a really long
time. I I'm I admit I've I actually attended service at Raider Memorial. I wasn't a member, but um I definitely attended service. That's how long I've been uh living here. And it has made me sad to see it sitting empties for so
long because it's like, well, our community has changed. You know, there aren't people that want to go, you know, to the church there. you know, they didn't have enough activities for kids or families or something to make it a community place. And that made me sad. And I was always wondering what was
going to happen with it. And so I'm to understand that someone's buying it for a school, but a rich school like a private school where it will not be our students. It will not be our residents, our kids, our our grandkids going to the
school. It's like they're going to be coming from somewhere else to come here to go to a rich school. And okay, I mean that's life too sometimes. But then I heard that it's 300 students.
That doesn't make any sense at all. I I go to the gym on 69th Street and that's only 20 blocks from here from my home. And do you know how long it took me to get home from there today? God forbid it's a drop off or a pickup time for school. 300 cars dropping off their
kids. 300 cars picking up their kids. Northeast 2nd Avenue. I'm not going to gym anymore. You know it. So, how local do you have to be to be local so that you can get to, you know, around to where you want to get? So, it's
um it seems unreasonable for that. And so, this is a question that I just don't know. Maybe someone can answer it to me. So if if 300 students obviously don't fit on that land and they're buying adjacent properties, these are single family homes and it's a free world so
someone can sell their home if they want to. But now does the school no longer pay tax to our village? I mean is our village losing property tax if the school buys single family homes? that
that that's counterintuitive to our village's financial health, isn't it? Um, so if if the school doesn't pay taxes, but the church didn't, so same, but then that this new school is
mushrooming to, you know, more properties and they're not going to pay tax on those, that I don't understand the financial decision there. Um, and it doesn't serve our community. Um, so I just I'm but I'm I'm totally concerned about the the traffic and I know that
other people have talked about that. Um, but I I'd love to see Alpertell be a community and have some, you know, have more things where whoever's moving in that's fine, but like we do things together or that it's that I don't know. I I'll stop talking now, but I just
wanted to put that on record. >> Thank you very Oh, and I wanted to say thank you, mayor, for um putting that letter in the you know, I looked it up and I read it and that was that was sensitive. So, thank you for that. >> Thank you. >> Hi everyone. One Northeast 87th Street.
>> Say your name for the record. >> Maria Serano. Thank you. So I work in banking and I see financial models every day. I work in lending. So I understand financial health in companies,
individuals, entities, whatever. So I came here because I want to ask a a question to my council. So our taxpayer base continues coming down. At some point what happens if we the
villagers cannot continue paying more taxes? What will the village do to cover that gap? Will we be an ex to Miami city because we cannot even pay police department? I have heard uh that we are
one of the villages that pay the less for police officers. I don't know if that's true or not. Probably you can enlighten me. uh other villages pay $70,000, we pay $50,000 and we are now paying full taxes and
every day if we allow for this school to come or not even school, let's say a business not paying taxes. It's a business not paying taxes period. What will happen? So, are we going to lose our police department? I purchased my
house in 2022 and the things that I loved about this community was our own police department. I love living in 87th Street. Even with all the traffic, I I feel very safe there because of my police department, the organization. But
I'm really concerned that if we allow to change our codes, our zoning for this school or whatever this developer wants to do. Have you heard about the precedent precedent sorry in in law terminology? I
work with that every day because I work with lawyers every day in in lending documentation once we let this developer change our codes. That's just it for the village. We're going to disappear here. We're going to
be Miami. uh new developers even if this developer has like a good in their heart even we're opening the window for new developers to come and they're going to say why you approve changing code to
that developer and not to me that's the problem so remember I'm not the English speaking person it's presidents or president so remember that go to Google ask for that and you will
learn more about that. So I hope the village can respond to my concerns. >> Thank you very much. >> Hi everyone. >> Hello. >> I'm Edna Edelman. I live at 301 Northeast 88 Street. Um as some of you
know I do support uh this project. soulful. Um there have been a lot of comments about taxes. Um you know I mean they have offered um to pay money to the village in lie of taxes but I I think
the majority of the taxes are probably going to come out of the the little farm project. I mean that's where I would expect the majority of it to come. But the reason that I came up is this whole thing about Adam Newman and his private
meeting. It wasn't Charlie's wife uh who set up this meeting. Um I did. Um and I asked to meet with Adam Newman because um I had questions about the project. Um and Adam Newman was this mysterious
personality that I saw on Wikipedia. I watched We Crashed. Um I wanted to meet him in person. Um and he was quite forthcoming. He actually showed up. Um, and we sat and talked for a few hours. Um, I invited my neighbors because there
is a real discrepancy in what's going on here. Those of us who live near this project support it. Um, those of you who live further away do not. Um, and
>> and here you go again. Um, you're talking about transparency, you're talking about community, but you heckle. um you bully um and you you make it really hard um I mean we we come in groups because because you guys are
bullying those of us who support the project. Um and you know I I want to echo something that Ramona said. I emailed every person on this council. Only two people replied, the mayor and Charlie Winters. You did not reply. Uh
and you did not reply. Um, and you know, it it feels like you don't represent us. Um, and and I want you all I there's something I want to say to everyone. We can disagree. This is, you know, if I support the school, it doesn't make me
evil. If you are against it, it doesn't make you evil. There there's no reason to scream and heckle. Um, I've heard people scream you don't live here. It's inappropriate. We're a community. You know, when this is when this is over,
we're still going to live here. We're going to walk down the street and hopefully say hello to each other. Um I mean, there are people here in the back who come who screamed at everyone, you don't live here. They turned to the people sitting next to me and said, you
don't live here. Um when they don't live here. Um it's it's I mean remember we're going to exist in this community for the foreseeable future unless we all move out. Um and and it's not right
to to act as if those if someone on the other side on the other side is an enemy. That's it. >> Hi. >> Hello. How are you? Hi, I'm Aaron. Um, I actually wrote something this time, so I'm not just speaking off the cuff. I
came a little prepared. I'm also incredibly impressed that I was escape able to escape bedtime with two kids and school and conference tomorrow. So, it's chaos. So, >> say your name, address for the record. >> I'm Aaron Mara. I live on 88th Street across Second Avenue directly across from the church. This is my
neighborhood. I've been here since 2019. Um, I think as I said in one of the prior meetings, um, I'm a local ER doctor. I work at Aventura. This is my neighborhood. And I say that only because I think it's important that we also know our limitations. And one thing
that I always tell my residents is that >> am I not talking into this thing? >> Um, one thing that I always teach my residents is that you have to remember to know what you don't know and make the best possible decisions with the available evidence that we have. And
also, I'm not a lawyer. I'm not a land developer. I mean, we have a lawyer here. We have other people that we can hire. You know, getting caught up on changing zoning and all these things. I'm going to assume these people have done their due diligence. They're billion-dollar pockets. They are developers. They would hopefully know
what they're doing. And just like you wouldn't ask me to perform cardiothoracic surgery, like I'm going to stay in my wheelhouse. So, this is actually kind of a letter that I devised to you guys. It's more to you guys on my opinion. Um, I had sent something, but you all are busy and I I don't think
anyone read it. But so anyway, I decided to write this letter addressed to you guys, the council members, our vice mayor and our mayor, to ensure that my, as well as many of my neighbors on ADA Street, who couldn't be here because we have kids and jobs, um, our voices could be heard at a meeting where I know
there's a lot of loud opposition. Um, so like I said, I live across the street on Second Avenue from the proposed site of the school. This is very much my neighborhood. I drive down Second Avenue every day to take my kids to school. I have a kid at St. Rose and I have a baby at daycare at Presbyterian. I take all
of my walks through Sherwood Forest in the tot lot. I run every day past there. You probably have seen me running through this neighborhood. Um, my quality of life very much depends on what goes into that site. That's why I am deeply invested in this and this is why I am here on a chaotic night where my husband is probably not so happy I'm
here. Um, listen, I initially was deeply opposed to the school. Deeply, deeply on the negative side. I was concerned about the traffic. I thought an 8-oot wall would be ugly to look at. I did not want to run past that. The school was frankly not really a school that I was going to
use. As I told you, my kids are at St. Rose and Presbyterian and soon to be the second one at St. Rose hopefully. Um, I was disappointed by the loss of potential taxes. I did not like the concept of the parking structures on Second Avenue because I also do walk
down Second Avenue. It sounded horrible. Um, and probably most upsetting was a feeling of the loss of what it could be. Um, ever since I've been here, that church has been abandoned and there's always been this feeling of maybe it's going to be like shops and restaurants
and a place where the community can gather, a downtown, a true downtown. That potential, I was sad for that. And also not to mention the documentary of Adam New Adam Newman does not really paint him in the most flattering light.
But I have very much changed my mind and I have se since since come to realize that a very deep pocketed developer has bought this land and the little farm trailer park. And if it's not just Adam Newman, there are developers buying tracks of land everywhere. Everywhere they can get their hands on. And if we
pretend that we can wear t-shirts and protest and complain that they will go away, that they will turn it into a park for us, that they will put in some cute little mom and pop shops because we all see how well that's going in Miami Shores when those shops have all
basically gone under, I think we would be gravely and detrimentally mistaken for the village of Elportal. He owns the property. We can stand up here to the train of development and pretend that we can stop it, but we cannot. And if it's not him, someone else will come through.
So the question really is that we have to ask ourselves is how much do we want to be involved in the decision of what's going in there. If we keep saying that we do not want a school, he has very much said what the alternative is going to be. And frankly, I don't question
that because again, we do what we can with the best available of evidence at hand. And if I were a deep pocketed developer and I wanted to make money and everyone opposed my good intentions for a school, damn well right on putting in a live local building. So anyway, I know
there was some concerns about like people meeting with the developers. I also reached out to the developers and the reason being is that as I've learned and going to school for a million years and practicing medicine, when you don't know something, just ask. So, I just reached out and I asked and I complained
and I complained a lot and I actually kind of couldn't believe how willing the developers were to listen to my complaints. And although I like to think that some of the things that they conceded were because of my ideas I'd be flattering myself. I'm sure it wasn't just me. Um, every concern I brought up
or almost every concern they were willing to work out a solution. The 8-ft wall, which I have heard over and over is an issue. They said they would cover it in beautiful plants, uplighting. They even offered to let one of our landscape designers from El Portal who works here to work on the project and they said
that we as a community could be involved in the development of the landscaping around that. They won me on that because now when I go on my run and my walks with my with my kid, I'm going to be walking by beautiful landscaping. Done. They also agreed to move the parking and
bust the staff in. Perfect. They changed their traffic route and agreed not to use 88th of the thoroughfare. Perfect. They are repaving some of our direly needed roads. Um, and instead of taxes, they have offered to pay a hundred,000 per year into a fund for Elport Hall in
lie of the taxes. Furthermore, they have a part in the trailer park development, which will probably generate millions and millions in taxes if we work with them the right way. They are offering two more full-time police officers, which I think is fabulous. Also, I know
some people worried about a security guard. Frankly, I love it. I'm sorry, but the other day I was walking down 87th in somebody's house there. There was a man passed out on the street on the on your grass and I went to go wake him up. He then threw up on the side and then teetered off. Listen, another
security guard and more police officers. I'm fine with that. Um, and even if the school is not for my kids, I don't really mind. We all know that private schools have an incredibly long wait list. I think your kids are at Kushman. Um, Kushman, I have friends trying to
get into Kushman. I have friends trying to get into country day. The weight list is abysmal. There were 75 kids on the weight loss on the weight list for second grade this year. Two spots. Um the PK3 class at St. Rose had 200 people
sign up exactly at 7 a.m. when the registration opened for 30 spots. It is officially more competitive to get into kindergarten than it is to get into medical school here. So what does that mean about this school? Listen, if that takes some spots from Country Day and from Kushman, that's kind of good for
everybody else, too. That helps open up some more spots. We can't pretend that schooling isn't an issue. Now, why is there this debate on why everyone in Florida doesn't want to go to public schools? I don't know, but that's not to be solved here. I don't really understand it. I went to public school in Wisconsin, but that's for another
time. Um, I did mourn the loss of the idea of a community center, but they have offered to build us a park and they bought a house next to the park to turn into a community center or a park. Um, they offered to put in a coffee shop on one
of the little houses here. Um, and I I I think it's cuz I literally just asked them for one. Um, and they said they're going to hook up sewer all on Second Avenue, which would be wonderful for development. I also was sad that the church went down, but I'd like to remind everyone, if you didn't know this, my friends actually used to own the church
seven years ago. Their kids go to St. Rose. They're in grades with they're in the same grade as with with me, my kid. Um, they said it was not fixable unless and there is a pretty funny story of my friend saying they went to go check it out and they found homeless people living in the basement. It was not rehabable. They tried to rehab it to
make it something for the community, the sanctuary, and it didn't happen. So I don't think there will be any developer that will go to such lengths to try to fit in right now. I'm actually impressed and like I said I was very
much opposed a bit in the beginning. You might be calling me naive maybe I am naive but I think if someone is coming in here and buying and turning something it's better to work with them than what the alternative is. And I know everybody
wants the alternative to be small shops, maybe a few condos, but they paid $15 million for this. And we can see how much development has happened in Miami Shores. It's not a lot. And at 15 million, they're putting in something that makes money. And it's probably going to be live local. And if we don't
like that, we can take it up with Tallahassee. But that's how it is. Whether it's going to be two or three stories or four stories or six stories, again, I'm not a developer. I can't read that stuff. I don't I don't know. But you know what? that's going to dump a hundred families into this neighborhood on these small streets with people going
through Sherwood Forest, going to our little park. That changes my life. People coming in for school is wonderful. Kids are wonderful. They're the meaning of life. I don't mind another school. And I have to say, I came to every meeting for Crystal Ray.
You know, I came when Crystal Weey was going to come in here in 2019. I did come to all those meetings. Where was everyone that was opposed to Crystal Ray? I I don't really understand. Crystal Ray was I think a
450 student high school that also wasn't really our community and it was a commuter school. So I'm not sure they what the difference was. So even if it was turned down, I came to
the meetings. Where was everyone? So, the point being, I am in favor and I want you guys to know that because I think if you vote no on this, I think what will happen is they're going to put in a mega atrocity. And even though I know a lot of people
here are going to say, "We can't act on fear." What is wrong with an elite private school? They've offered concessions. They're going to make it beautiful. I don't see a problem with it. And I live directly across the street. So, that's it. Thank you. Thank you very
much. >> And by the way, >> if anyone has questions, concerns, or complaints, they are more than happy to hear from you. >> Thank you very much. >> Alexandra Vasa, 120 Northwest 86th Street. Um, well, I am here because this
is affecting all our quality lives, not just the people on 88 and 87 Street. We live in a very small village. So yes, we uh feel for the people that are going to be next to it, but every single person
here is going to be impacted by this project. Whether is through traffic, through the lack of uh uh taxes who you know what, my life, my my quality of living depends on the street that I, you know, have to drive through every single
day, which is completely destroyed. It's in pieces. I have no sewer. That is all supposed to be be paid through taxes. But what is happening here? Every single project that is coming into this town is
paying less and less taxes. Yes, they're offering 120 $125,000. Every single new single family home that is being bought today pays between 25,000 and $30,000. One one single
family home. how does that pay for all the extra services that this project is going to require? So, yes, I wrote a couple of things uh here. Um, one thing I also want to address, um,
this is not about religion or about bullying. And I honestly consider myself a very inclusive person. But when I tried to be in that in that chat where is the pro school, the first
one that I was bullied by was Edna's uh husband really bad. He treated me as from that to everything else. So it's not about you know who is pro or not. I agree with Edna. We need to stay uh
remember that we're going to continue living here and that we're neighbors. And that is one of the biggest losses of this whole mess, the community that we're losing. So yes, I I'm begging you to start participating
more in this in the these meetings because we feel completely lost here. I'm going to read this. Uh so this conversation is not about being against development a school um
that is about alignment between scale infrastructure and long long-term sustainability of a village of Elportal. We're a community of roughly 900 homes with limited infrastructure, high mileage, existing debt, and very little commercial land.
Regarding the proposed school, no one can argue against the needs for safety and security in school these days. That's a given. But those requirements come come with real physical impacts. Control access concentrated traffic in this case an 8 foot uh world per
perimeter wall that is not allowed by our code. The question is not not whether a school if a school is is valuable. The question is whether is the right location and scale for a school of this size with those operational and security demands within a a small
village a small residential village because it's not just about one project when we look at the four most recent and largest projects kavista the launch the proposed uh school sul and the little river project we're looking at a
significant shift in alportal we are increasing population traffic and demand of instruct infrastructure and public services multiple times over. At the same time, many of these project benefit benefit from tax exemptions or incentives. So we ask this a simple
question. If demands of services increases but the tax the tax b base doesn't grow prop proportionally who carries that burden the answer is the existing homeowners. That is a structural issue issue not a political one. Now, I also want to address the
Live Local Act because there has been some confusion. The Live Local Act is not the same as traditional subsidized housing, which is what they're trying to scare us with. It is designed for work for workforce housing. We keep saying that we are
inclusive community is for people like teachers, nurses, city employees, and young professionals is not inherently a negative outcome. In fact, it can provide provide some level of tax revenue, can be designed to be self-contained and still requires a
quality product to be marketable. And yes, it can also have a coffee shop and a park in it. But it is important to recognize that presenting it is an undesirable alternative doesn't change the core issue. The priority being presented is the school and regardless
of the alternative, the fundamental question remains. What type of development is compatible with the scale, infrastructure and financial re reality of Elportal? Because one of these decisions are are made, they're not easily reversed. That's what
residents come. So before moving forward, we need to evaluate not just individual proposals but the communive impact in the future of the village. I also want to talk about the 8ft wall that is supposed to be covered with
plants. The idea of the charade was that was a community center. Now the alternative is to be have a big huge hole in the at the heart of portal. The police salaries that's an extra expense because they're offering to cover some
of some of the of the of the salaries. But what about all the pension, the cars, everything else that we needed that we still have not finished discussing from from the budget last year? And yes, 350 students and also 350 more
cars in our roads. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, M. Noel Pace, 206 Northwest 91st Street. Also, um business owner at 8661 Northeast 2nd Avenue uh about 10 feet away from the proposed uh project site.
Uh and so I just want to correct the record. Uh I think a prior speaker said that oh um that people who are pro Elportal or anti-school or whatever don't have property near the school uh uh proposed school. Actually, I do. I
have it right across the street directly facing that area and and my question is and and somebody a very nice speaker before mentioned about precedent and I think that is very important. Okay, I if you've heard me I have definitely said I'm not anti-school but I think the
right thing at the right place at the right time is the most important thing. Our community plan and our zoning was created for a reason with all stakeholders involved. I think it's very important that this council, you know, reinforce that uh especially in in negotiating with this developer or any
okay um follow the rules, develop your projects within the rules. Uh and if it doesn't your proposal doesn't work at that site, then move somewhere else because hey, now that I think about it, hey, if if a 8ft wall is proposed at that property, I would definitely like
an 8ft wall around my property right across the way. uh and I'll have nice landscaping and I'll hire a urban uh environmentalist to put nice landscaping on it and so on and so on and and you know what that sounds actually probably pretty good for my house too. So maybe
that'll happen as well. So that's what I'm saying is we don't want things to devolve here. And I appreciate uh um you know the sentiments about you know disagreeing or or being you know not being disagreeable. Well you know saying that people are anti- relligion or
discriminatory and stuff when this is really about business. I mean hey I pay my taxes here. Our property pays our taxes here. Nobody else pays our bills here. Only we do. So, uh, you know, I appreciate, you know, some of those sentiments, but at the same time, like, let's let's get real. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. >> Hi again, Edna Edelman, 301 Northeast 88th Street. Um, Alexandra, I did yell at my husband. um without me in the room, he does heckle. Um so I do apologize for that. But I have a
question for Mr. Geller. Um, and that's about HB833, which was incorporated into SB182, the Senate bill, uh, which was passed by the legislature last week, um, and basically
allows, um, a school that's 150 students or less, um, to, um, go into a commercial space um, and avoid local zoning. So, if you can address that, >> mayor, >> um, I'd rather wait until we're done
with public comment to answer all the questions. >> I'm sorry I couldn't hear you, mayor. >> I'd rather wait till we're done with public comment to answer all the questions. >> Jason Vanipul and Stephanie Vanipul for 280 Northeast 88th Street. Um, we have
been in the process of building our dream home in Elportal and this is a neighborhood that we've long dreamed about living in forever. My wife has been in this neighborhood since she was in diapers.
She has been first on the west side, then grew up on the east side, and we bought her aunt's house. And it's been a long process. And for the entire time of us making this this dream into a reality
there, we were always hopeful of a downtown. We were always hopeful of there being more vibrant you walkability in the neighborhood. And we, you know, sometime we we talk about how how amazing it's going to be when there's
shops and there's restaurants for us to walk to just like we see out the street in in Miami Shores. And um the proposed plans that we're seeing doesn't does not only align with that. That was what the
the sharet laid out for that that corridor. But, you know, it's kind of it's kind of taking things in the opposite direction. We're not against private schools or education. We're just
against the the hostile takeover of our beloved village. And you know, we we just wanted to see a better use for the main commercial
property that we have in this very finite space that we can eventually turn into a downtown e um opportunity. And if it goes in the wrong direction, we all fear. And that's why people are so passionate. That's why everyone's here.
If that goes in the wrong direction because we make the first wrong step, then certain things, you know, are not easily changeable. You can't just put the biggest, most prominent property, turn it into a private school, and then
suspect everything around it to become a thriving downtown business area. So if that's where this thing is heading, just say that because if we still thinking that we can be oblivious to real estate patterns and development patterns,
certain things don't turn around. Like you see with the school up the street, nothing thrives around it. And that's what we're afraid of and that's why people are so passionate. The lady in the back u that mentioned my wife when
she said people were screaming or not in the back. I think she was just up here before me. She mentioned us because she said we were screaming at people saying you don't even live here. Um, no one screamed. We were dragged into a conversation. So, I'm going to defend my
wife. We we were dragged into a conversation when the two ladies behind us were filming very undercoverly and um for whatever reason. I don't know where they're posting the video, but uh very undercoverly and um you know
talking crap about every person that had an opposing opinion. So sorry, not sorry. We're all passionate about how we want this city to be developed. Uh we don't have much room for error. We don't have much room for expansion. And if this school is allowed to expand and
take over the entire corridor, then it will become the village of that school, not the village of Elportal. So that's our two cents. >> Thank you very much. >> Good evening, mayor and council members. My name is Ian McKenzie. I live at 8950
Northeast 4th Avenue. Um, I've lived in Miami for over 43 years. Um, 23 of these years have been in Alportell. Audrey Edmonson was the mayor. Audrey Edmonson was the mayor when I um arrived here.
Uh, I fell in love with Elortal because it's very quiet, nice community. Traffic wasn't crazy and so forth. I live on 90th Street, the corner of and I can tell you 90th Street is very busy. is probably one of the most busy streets because everybody comes down it to go to
Publix. So, every from the shores and everything cuts through there. This is going to happen when the school uh if a school does get built there. I don't want that. I'm against the school. I'm going to be flat out. I'm against the school. I hope you vote against the
school. Um the school does not benefit any of our community either. And that's a problem for me. Um, we need to build stuff that's going to benefit the villagers of El Pertell. That's why we're here. That's why we love El
Partell. Um, someone mentioned that the traffic for a live local would be 100, you know, families or cars. Well, think about 350 to 600 or 700 students being dropped off twice a day. You're looking at over a
thousand cars. They're going to go down 90th Street, 89th Street, 87th. They're going to cut through from where they're coming from. And um from the south and north, it congestion is going to be
horrible. Imagine that. So, I really, you know, if you don't know what the traffic's like in the morning, get out to the corners sometime and and just watch the traffic. Um maybe we should put in traffic uh sensors right now uh to determine the load.
Um, I only wish that the previous mayors from years ago had the vision to uh buy the land and build a park in it. I don't know if that's possible now at this point or not, but I certainly would like to explore that. I ran some figures on that and we'll be talking to the mayor
and so forth, council members about that. Um, I don't trust the developer. They came in speaking very sweet and sugary and uh I'm been in business for many of years. I work for a major company here and I
can tell you um wolf in sheep's clothing beware everything that the actions don't match what they're saying. That's really important. You got to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. So I just want to go
on record. I support people um for live local. That's a better option. I'm sorry for those people if it's going to be built, but it doesn't have to be built like a state penitentiary either. It could be done things with tier tier levels with hanging gardens. May they
can make it beautiful with a beautiful architect. I honestly never cared for the design of the um school anyhow. I thought it looked like a Tahesian village or something like that. And we're not in Tahiti. We're in El Patel. We all love Elertell. The only other thing I'd like to mention is that I've
been working on with the tree board with Commissioner Urban um um Andrew Urban and uh we're scheduling a Sunday, April 12th um village of El Portal Arbor Day Festival and we hope you all attend
um Andrew Urban will probably speak more about it um once we get more finalization on it. Um and uh you know we're going to be doing a walk from here to the nature trail where we'll have the events. So, I'm getting the word out. That's uh April 12th. So, save that
date. Um we hope to see you all there because really this is what the community is about, our trees and so forth, and we don't want to see our trees go away. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Good. Whoops. Like this. Good evening.
Uh my name is Shantel. I reside at 48 Northeast 86th Street. And I want to begin by saying that living here at Elportal and commissioners, the mayor, I feel that everyone present and maybe
not present elected you to present represent us and what is always in our best interest. And if that's not the case, then why do we have you here? Things that will benefit El Portell and
will continue to benefit El Portell. Looking at this proposed project, I don't see in any way, shape, or form how that is going to benefit me. This is a school, yes, private, and I'm
not against schools. Sure, you can have more schools in Alport, but this is a school that will allow other ch children who reside in Elportal or in the neighboring areas to attend, but this is a school that is strictly for children
of Jewish faith. They don't reside here. They will come to school here and they will create all the chaos, all the traffic and then at the end of the day go home. So, how is that benefiting me? I'm going to pay their taxes. Is that a
benefit? No, not at all. We should be doing things to basically I just feel that all of this is created creating a separation in Elportal where before we had like just a lot of things just a lot of common interest and things
that people yes they want to participate in they want to you know be part of Alportell but this is definitely creating a separation because we don't know first of all what side you're on you're on our side or are you on their side and if you are on their side, how
is that benefiting you? You you are here to represent us and I don't feel that representation because I've heard so many different stories and I'm not sure who to believe and for sure as he as this gentleman said before I do not
trust this developer because he went and he um basically brought down the church without even having anyone's knowledge. No one knew about that. How could you trust a person like that? He doesn't care about Albertal. He doesn't give
diddly squat about Alert. It's all about money and he is benefiting from that and we are not. I'm sorry. So, I would just like to have someone to see all of you just to basically think about what are
you going to do for the residents? Are you really listening to them? Are you hearing what they're saying? I'm beginning to doubt that because I feel like a broken record that what I'm saying is redundant. It's the same thing over and over and over again and we're not getting anywhere. Actually, we're
taking one step forward and three steps back. So, please think about the residents. They are the ones who are important here, not the developer. It's not about the money. This lot has been empty for the longest time.
Yes, we can find something else. But put the residents first, please. Please. Hi everybody. Joanie Hector, 260 Northeast 88th Street. I uh have been very vocal that I am in favor
of the school as the immediate nextdoor neighbor. We talk about traffic. Well, it's much easier for me to plan my day around two times when I know there's going to be a lot more traffic at at
drop off and at pickup in the afternoon. As far as the possibility of live local or a large apartment building or condo being built, what's that going to do to the traffic? That was mentioned by you. I think
that's going to be worse because it's going to be trafficked non-stop all the time. And the big thing for me also is what I enjoy most about this community. There's well actually there's a lot. We have a lot of nice people here. We have
a lot of very nice people that live here and it's very disheartening to see the amount of venom that has been expressed. I can say on both sides, you know, I
don't believe that I have, but you know, it's been going around. It's very disheartening and I just am very concerned and also like Eden Edelman brought up before I'm very curious as to the effect of this bill that passed in
the Florida legislature and what that would do as far as the project is concerned. And then the other thing is if they also own the little farms area, you know, I'm worried to a certain extent that perhaps we might be focusing
so much on this and there's going to be way bigger fish to fry later on with that property and we need to be careful about that as well. And that first and foremost, what we need to do is you some of you talk about we're getting no benefit from it. Well, I think it's a
benefit if they're willing to pay a h 100red grand or more per year in lie of having no property taxes. And I'm sorry, am I interrupting you? Thank
you. Um, so they are coming up with alternatives as far as making some of this more palatable to us. And I feel that it's really important that we make the best decision. And it might not be what we all want. This is not a perfect
scenario for us. And 100% this is something that years ago it would have been wonderful if somebody else had come in and built a townhouse complex there where we would have had property taxes that we were collecting. You know, it would have been a great area for that.
But the church was a hot mess. And I can tell you that cuz I have been in it multiple times throughout the years, including while it was abandoned. Uh, called the police numerous times when people were squatting there or hanging out. And I just would like to say as far
as everybody having such impassion, please to say no, no, no, no, no. That everybody's being thoughtful enough to really consider what is truly in the absolute best interest for the village. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. >> Hi, my name is Desire Fernandez. I'm at 161 Northeast 89 Street. Clearly, I was not expecting to speak today. I just came from the gym and I apologize for my um appearance. I just have been coming to some of the meetings lately and I I feel compelled to speak up to make it
clear that to make it clear that there are several members of this community who are in fact in favor of this school. And I feel that every time I come to these town halls and to these meetings, it's this disproportionate no, no, no, us versus
them mentality that's getting portrayed and communicated and conveyed, especially to council. And I just want to dispel that notion. This has given me an opportunity to get to know my neighbors in such a new way. I've had so many conversations with neighbors. We've
had meetings. I've met with Lauren. I've had just it's been an incredible opportunity. It first came on my radar because I live at pretty much Northeast 89th Street and Second Avenue where that parking lot was originally going to happen. And that's really what got me invested to come and learn more about what was going on. Since then, they've
decided, my understanding, not to pursue that anymore, thankfully. But since I've been at my home, that church has sat empty, and I'm excited for there to be something new and vibrant and beautiful and that space to drive by. I think that
it's not an us versus them. They are our neighbor. They have purchased property in our community. They want to develop it. And I think that we should be I agree. I would like for you all to represent our interests in those negotiations. But that does not mean it's us versus them. That means having
the conversations and working with the developer to get what is going to be beneficial to all of us, which is what I think we're all aligned on. We want to make sure that whatever is done is going to benefit the community. What does that look like for traffic? That we need to decide. And that's something that you all will need to represent us on. What
does that look look like as far as capacity and offsetting the costs and tax, you know, tax revenue that would have come in from that property because this is a 501c3. There's a lot of things to discuss and to work work through. But it's an opportunity for you all to represent our interest and to make sure
that we're getting what's right for our community while also allowing this property owner to be able to develop on a vacant land that's been sitting the entire time I've lived here. So I just wanted to come up here. I just feel it's very important that you know that it feels like a silent majority of this community is actually in favor of this
school from the conversations that I am having and we can have this this when people come up to actually voice that opinion and to actually voice from the silent majority people are discouraged from coming up and speaking and and and voicing their opinions because of this
reaction. I've seen people and I've seen the you don't own property here and you don't live here and the all of these the reaction. It's just um disrespectful and I think that we should be able to as neighbors engage with each other respectfully and have different opinions. And I see that I'm inviting
more people to come up and say the same thing over and over again. But I just wanted to express to you all that that voice that narrative is not the only narrative. It's it is a narrative and there's there are several people in our community who are anti-school. That is what it is. But I just wanted to make it clear that that's not the only position
here. I hope that we're able to work forward together as a community and have you all represent that as we're developing, if we move forward with this project, as we're finalizing that agreement with the developer. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Thank you. >> No problem. Say your name, address again, please.
>> Um, Shantal, 48 Northeast 86th Street. To my point, um, I don't think it's a problem. It's a thing of being against the school. It's be being against a nonforprofit school where the amount of the tax that they're
supposed to pay, they're only paying half of that. So I my what I how can I put how can I say it bestly without being too insulting or anything. I feel that anyone who is pro for the school add those taxes to their
tax role at the end of the year. let them pay for it and then I have no I have no problem with the school but I have a problem with paying even if it's 100,000 of their tax why should I pay the tax for a very wealthy developer
where children are coming to this property they're extremely wealthy multi mult coming from families that are multi-millionaires and I have to cover their tax if you want it you pay their taxes >> thank you very
Maria Serrano 1110 Northeast 87 Street. I'm not opposing the school. What I'm opposing is change in code to any development in that corner. If they want to, they can do a school
that goes with our codes. They can do it. They can do whatever they want, but they need to pay taxes as well. You need the people in favor of changing code. It's not in favor of the school. Is please in favor of changing code.
Presidents, finally I learned it. Presidents, you're opening a can of worms. Please, next developer is going to want to do a funeral house there. If you want next to your house, do a bar. Ah, but why you let Adam Newman, the
billionaire, do a school and change the code? Why you're not letting me do that? That's the thing we need to think about. And I trust my council people. I trust you in making the decision because I love the village and I know that you
love to keep representing us. So I don't like when people come here to say that the largest majority of neighbors in the village are silently like um supporting the school. I'm
afraid. Last time I came here to talk about against the project, against the change of code, I came back home walking and I was afraid of having someone from the developer like hitting me with a car because I'm speaking here against a
billionaire. So, I'm also afraid of speaking, but I love my village. I'm very passionate and I'm speaking here now. I'm really concerned about what I heard that there were two people filming the the discussions held by opposing
people. Now, I'm more afraid because I'm opposing. So, let's set that in in in record, please. So, again, they can build whatever they want. I love the school. I love kids. I have an 8-year-old. I would love not to have to commute one hour a
day, one way to a high school because we don't have schools around the area. But again, they're welcome to do a beautiful school following our codes. That's it. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Hi, Ian McKenzie, 8950 Northeast 4th Avenue. I just want to address two
issues um that I'm not against a school. I'm against a school that doesn't benefit Elportal residents, particularly since we live here. all residents. It doesn't matter what it is, whether it's Jewish, Catholic, or Hindu, or whatever
you want to do it. I want our kids to be able to go to school locally. I I grew up in a town where I could walk to school, and there's such a benefit for that. Um, also, the other thing I want to make a statement about is yes, there
are people who are not here, the unheard voices, and I could tell you two of them, a doctor and a lawyer, support my position. Okay, thank you. So, thank you very much. >> Hello, Elita. 12 Northeast 19th Street. Um,
it's it's kind of interesting that um I'm I'm a little bit confused like why this school project is so normalized as an idea to come to a residential neighborhood. It is a residential neighborhood. Our Z4 code was done
specifically to cater to a residential neighborhood, not to cater to Miami as a city, but to a residential neighborhood. So, I'm a little bit interested to know why you're so obsessed with the destruction of a residential
neighborhood. There's very few left in Miami. Very few left. And you can see how passionately Miami Shores protect their residential neighborhood. You could see what they actually how much they oppose the Barry University expanding into their neighborhood, how
much they are involved and how much they are united. And we're talking here as normalizing, oh, just allow a school of 350 students. Let them drive through our homes. Please, let's open this because we're going to make Miami a better city.
You can make Miami a better city by allowing the residential neighborhoods be residential neighborhoods. We're here. We cater to this city. We work this city. We all of us we have an impact on this city. It's not just like coming and and go through our city and
just do whatever you want. No. Going back just drove today through Surfside which is another um it's another neighborhood that has the infrastructure that has the commercial area where you know you can you can you
can have have a drink or or they have multicondos happening there. But again, the resident, the single residential area was completely not impacted by the traffic, by all of this nonsense that we
are suggesting so casually to come to our neighborhood. Another one, Bay Harbor, 6,000 residents living there. They proposed a school there of 18 students. Did you know that?
And they said no. And it was a lease uh term. It wasn't even actually a a permanent school there. And to see my residents come in here and say, "Why you against the school?" No, I'm against someone running through my neighborhood, running through my street. It is a
residential neighborhood every morning so they can get to the place where they need to go. That's what I'm against. And also, let's not talk about the tax impact that will have to towards us. And I love the opinion that the lady said, if you love the school so much, then
carry that bill that you want to put on someone that has been here long enough. So another point that I had, how can you say that this is not impacting the residents when this person is purchasing in every single corner of
Elportile, in every single strategic corner of Elportile is purchasing here? How can you decently say to your neighbor that it's not going to impact my neighborhood? How can you say that? And then you you wonder that why people are bullying you.
But I want to turn back to again because I find it very interesting that this optic that is oh let's let's that our village a Z a Z4 code uh uh zoning in our village is allowed to for a school
to happen. As far as I read and as far as a bunch of professionals read no educational uh institution is allowed to be built in a Z4. So why are you normalizing this idea to this developer to come here and say like I can build a
school? That's what I don't understand. Who is changing the optics here? Why are you changing the optics? Why why all of a sudden we change rules? Why? That's and and and since we have here
the building the building representative I would like her to let us know can we build an educational system here education institution here without spec without special except exceptions. >> We'll we're going to get to all the answers a little bit later.
>> We'll get to all the answers. So that takes me to back to the question. Why are we not having our staff members to be seated again align with you to actually answer these questions? Why are we acting like I I think we're have like six or 10 minute meetings confused. What
can we build in Elportal? No, we are not allowed to build an educational institution in El Portal. It's very clear in a Z4 zoning. It was specifically I haven't lived here long enough, but I can guarantee you it was specifically this Z4 was specifically
built for residents of this neighborhood, not to collect everyone from Miami to come through our streets. So again, I would like every single council member to please make it very clear tonight.
Can an in an educational institution be built in El Portal specific to Z4? Could you please reply to that question? What are your findings? What is the staff has suggested? And to add to that, can you please have
every single staff member with building director, with um the financial director, with the attorney, with the city manager, please have them on the stand to answer the questions directly to us as residents
like Miami Shores does, like Bay Harbor does. They don't have the council member answering, you know, an attorney question. No, attorneys should be answering, but we never hear from this, you know. So, please can we switch until
and so I want to make it I I want to be very focused on this on this particular because I understand the emotions are so high. I I you know I mean it's not even funny but I want to make it very clear what are my questions. My question is
can we build an educational uh education institution in a Z4? I want a very clear answer. What is your understanding as a council member? The second question is, can we please have our staff members sitting and replying to us and answering
the question directly to us? We understand and and you can tell the emotions run really high just because there's such a confusion. There's such a normalizing of this idea that a school can be built in a residential neighborhood. And it's such a
gaslighting idea and I'm sick and tired listening to all the fear-mongerings, live local and this and that and that. Those are all lies. What our code allows. Please reply to that. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. >> Hi, I'll keep it short and sweet. My name is Joanie Gomes. I live at 269 Northwest 86th Street. Um, I'm recently learning about all this and it seems like the negatives far outweigh the positives. So, I urge you to follow our community plan and zoning laws and grant
no exceptions to the developers and vote no on this project. Thank you. >> Thank you. Hi, my name is Ramona, 136 Northwest 88 88 Street. Um, I just have a question. I again back to uh B Harbor last year
that I became aware that um we already knew that they were already working on the application on airport for this school um back since before July of last
year. My question is how come none of the residents knew about this? This was actually set it on record on the B harbor meeting by the attorney Ben Fernandez
directed to attorney Geller. Um and Adam Newman was present on that meeting as well and he repeated after that um that yes they already had
the Elportal um situation already organized and we were going to be next. How come the residents of Elporttowal did not hear from this from the council? That's my question. Another thing that
is very concerning on that same meeting um the developer Aldo Newman said that they were not going to take advantage of the religious exemption to not pay taxes. He
said that for B Harbor they were going to pay taxes to their city. So how come they are not paying taxes to Elport towo? That's my question. What what did it change
between Ball Harbor and Elport towel? And how come this is being already arranged since last summer and no nobody's was aware of it? At least not me. Thank you. >> Thank you.
Daniel Roas, 60 Northeast 86 Street. Daniel Roas, 60 Northeast 86th Street. Thank you. Um, so I just came back because uh I've heard this argument that a silent majority is for the school and
I was curious about it too. And uh so we have a community chat in my neighborhood with 53 members. Uh the chat had nothing to do with this project or anything. It wasn't created to be pro or against. It was to share information to keep each
other informed, keep each other safe, and it's been around for a long time. It's been very useful. Uh so we had somebody join the chat and start with their fear-mongering which uh caused me to do a quick informal survey of first
of all I am not against the school. and proelportal. Uh so my survey was do you agree that the school should get an exemption and should have variances approved for it? Yes. No. I got 17 responses total, which is 35% of the
group. In a regular survey, that'd be a great turnout. Uh and 95% of the people that responded said no. So I don't think it is a silent majority that support the school. I think it's the the very loud majority is against it. and for a
reason. They're not against the project. We're proport 87th Street. Um, I have a different perspective on the whole situation and just seeing how this whole thing has unfolded. My concern is not the school or not the
school. It's the way that I've seen us behave as a community. The way that people have treated each other, the way that people have behaved at these meetings. I think the bullying is an issue. I'm a taxpayer. It's not a
favor. Nobody's doing me a favor letting me come up to this podium. It's my right to do that. And every person that lives here has a right to come to this podium, not only to speak whatever their opinion is, but they have the right to also come to these meetings to be informed. And a
lot of times when we come to these meetings, it's so hard to get information or understanding because of how things have devolved into chaos. Before I lived here, I lived in Bay Harbor Island. I lived there for many years. My children went to Ruth K. abroad the elementary school there. I
knew Geller there because my son was a police explorer in Bay Harbor Island. And I can tell you that the meetings in Bay Harbor Island, it's no need to compare El Portal to Bay Harbor Island. They have decorum. They have a very large budget. They do things in order.
And a lot of the things that need to happen in this community are not going to happen until we bring order to this community and we start to treat it with seriousness. And that starts with our government, but it also starts with us as residents. Everybody has a role and an accountability here. I saw the
meeting with with Adam Newman, and I'm very clear that he presented himself the way he needed to present himself in front of a body who wouldn't accept anything less. He couldn't come there and and run rough shot over Bay Harbor Island. And he knows that. But Elport Hall is a different story. And I think
that's something that we all really need to look at and be accountable for is what kind of community are we having here. I'm I'm confused why it's so hard to get information. We have our attorney. We have our council. We have a village clerk. Every every meeting
people come up here and mention a sharet and then some people say, "Oh, but the sharet wasn't finalized. The sharet is only a suggestion. The sharet is legal and it's the bible of Elport." Why is it so hard to get a a definitive answer on does the sharet matter or does it not matter? Why are the residents doing all
this research about live local and going back and forth about what's legal and what's not legal? What why is it so hard to get a definitive answer on what is the law on on live local? Can they build live local there or not? That should be a simple easy answer to get to get. and
the fact that we cannot get answers about simple things that leads to the chaos and the breakdown that's happening in this community. And for me, that's my biggest concern because whether a school goes there or not, I'm still a resident here and I have to live here. And I don't want to live in a community that's devolved down into chaos. I can't even
get basic information. People come to the meetings, don't come to the meetings. I mean, this is ridiculous. This is ridiculous. And I don't know what we think is going to happen if we continue to go this way when when developer developers are coming into our community. Developers look for
communities like this. That's the benefit to to a developer. If we really care, then we would start we would start raising the bar. If we really care, we would be up at Tallahassee demanding why did they put live local as the law? Why did they make
that even a potential? Because any developer could come here and build live local. That's the law right now. There's also another law that we're waiting to hear from our attorney about tonight. I'm waiting to hear the information. They said that it's gone into law now that schools can now be be built under live local and they can
bypass local uh zoning codes and municipalities. That's my understanding of the law. That's going into effect in July. So, this all might be moved. They might be able to build the school without getting an approval from our council at all. I don't know. But hopefully we'll get an answer about that
tonight. But these are like the real issues. It's not about school or not school. And the way people are treating each other and behaving in the community around this project is not helpful. Don't get a school. We're going to still be here in this community. And if we
don't take it more seriously, we're going to be back in this situation and worse and worse and worse off every time. People are watching. How many of you have seen these reports on the news talking about El Portal and the chaos at these meetings? You think developers
aren't are salivating at that? waiting to get a bite at this apple. Like I think we got to see the bigger picture here. And every time people ask questions, I know me, I'm a I'm a concerned resident. I come to these meetings. The more questions I ask, my own neighbors have cast an air of
suspicion over me for asking questions, for meeting with a developer. I'm going to meet with anybody who brings anything here. I'm going to meet with my mayor. I'm going to meet with these council members if they'll meet with me. I'm going to meet with developers. Why is that something that we're casting suspicion over each other for? Like, it
doesn't even make any sense. Why aren't we all at the meetings with the developer? Why aren't we all asking the questions? I I'm not clear. I'm not clear. And I don't see how this is helpful. And I just want to be honest about that. I don't see how it's helpful. I don't see where it's really going to take us at
the end of the day to keep going on like this. Me personally, I was honest from day one. I came here wanting to support the school. When Lauren presented a a presentation or her team presented a presentation that I didn't see a benefit to, I told it to
her face. I disagree. And I've seen them try to work with the community since then to try to come to the middle. Whether or not we do that or not, they have been good faith players in my opinion so far. Every question I've asked, any meetings I've wanted to have,
and so I don't understand if there's people that oppose the school, that's no problem. But why not come and talk to the people if it's in good faith? Why not come and try to have an understanding about what's going on and then make your own decision? But there's a lot of misinformation going around. And that should be a problem to all of
us. So for me, that that's what I care about in this situation. Whether we have a school or we don't have a school, I hope that we'll have a community when this is over. That's what we need to have. And I disagree that Elports Hall is about trees. I like trees. I came here. I
think trees are beautiful, but I believe Elport is about people. That's what I think it's about. So, I hope that we as a community can like raise our own floor, raise our standards of how we're handling each other. And in the purpose of doing that is so we can hold our
government accountable. We keep saying we want them to represent us, but if we're tearing each other apart, how can we get good representation? Like, it's not even making any sense. So, for me, that's what I I for me, that's the bigger picture. That's what matters to me in all of this. And I do
want to understand from our council, and I don't know who's the right person to ask. I, you know, looked at Geller, but maybe anybody can give an answer. Why is it so hard to get a definitive answer about the sharet? I just want to know is is is the sharet the Bible or is it a
piece of paper that didn't matter? I don't know. Right? Like sometimes people say it's legal. It's not legal. I don't understand what's going on with the sharet. I want to understand what is the law around live local. And the last thing that I want to say that also is something that's really troubling to me is what appears to be the politization
of our council. As far as I know, these are nonpartisan seats and around this issue. I have seen people taking sides on the council and I don't understand that. It's okay. Everybody can have their perspective. You can be for the school or against the school, but you're
all elected to represent the community. I don't have to share your same opinion. I still have a right to your representation. And so I'm not clear why that's a standard that we're accepting. I don't think that's acceptable. I don't think we have to agree about everything. I do
believe we have to respect each other. And I do believe you have a responsibility to represent me and I have a responsibility to be active and engaged. And so I'm just not clear like where the meeting in the middle is on that of us
just being able to count on our council to support us to represent us even if we see things differently to be able to have conversations to be able to have discourse. To me, that's the community. And if we don't have that, I'm not sure what we
have at the end of the day. But I'd like to know about the Cherrett. I'd like to know about live local if possible. Like just in general, the can they build live local there or not? And I'd also like to know about the law that has been signed now. I believe if I if I if I read it
correctly with the schools, can schools now bypass the council and zoning to build? Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you guys. Is that it for good and welfare?
Are we Hi, I'm George Alvarez at 165 Northwest 88th Street. I want to echo a couple things that were said and perhaps nip and tuck at them a little bit. Uh, at a prior meeting, I um I asked the council
and I just heard it from Miss Connelly right now. I'm going to reiterate. I would like to encourage this council to join one of the many lawsuits that have been filed regarding live local
against the state of Florida. Different different lawsuits are seeking different clarification. Different lawsuits are attacking the law. You guys can decide which one is best. But I think that a community our size currently of 2,300
residents up until very recently 1,900 residents. If a developer, one developer investor group owns, let's say, 10 buildings over in Little Farm, let's say they are 50% live local. Let's say they are 80%
live local. That means a 50% reduction or an 80% reduction in our tax base. Let's say that developer does the same thing with all the properties he's now purchased on Northeast Second Avenue. That is more buildings,
more services needed for a greater population with less of a tax base. So whatever the end result is, with all good intentions, I hope that you guys will resolve to um ask of the village manager to see if
that is doable, possible, and which lawsuits would be the ones advisable for us to be on because eventually the we're looking at fiscal crisis if we don't have if we don't have a proportional
tax base. If we've got another 5,000 I I heard 4,000 whatever let's maybe it's less maybe it's more new residents living in apartments they are going to require services those buildings if they are live local
they will not be proportional in a town this small with currently its population as it is and this will be similar in other towns too which have smaller geographical footprints and or our underserved populations, they can be
crushed by live local fiscally. Let's try to get ahead of that. And if we fail, we fail. But to not try seems to be um kind of throwing in the towel before we
even, you know, really need to do that. Secondly, because the issue of taxation is not just live local and not just what Bla1 and Golia may be doing.
It's a real issue and we are seeing it right here and I think this is some of the divisiveness that that we are seeing because there is information. So I would I I I I would suggest that
as much as we don't need certain levels of acrimony, some of that acrimony is happening because of a lack of transparency or a perceived lack of transparency. As I said before, I appreciate that the developer of Sulful came
and gave two town halls on your request for which I thank you all and I thank them. But compromise compromise. We haven't seen any compromises from this developer.
We've heard about a vague list of considerations, most of which I have come to know have existed since the fall. So to say that this developer has listened to us is really gilding the
lily a little bit until there is a time when this developer is making tweaks is making significant tweaks to their plan for a school which right now is a two
large square peg in a two small round hole. We cannot abide. We cannot abide a project of this impact. We can get a lot closer.
But the way we get closer is that they move towards us. Not just by, oh, first we were going to give you $25,000. Now we're going to give you a hundred. I've got Has anybody ever bought a used car here? I don't mean to be funny.
We're going to be dealing with development, some of which is going to be live local. We're going to be dealing with it on Northeast Second Avenue, whether it's at the former Raider site or whether it's the other sites that were purchased by this developer. Whether it's in the former Little Farm
site, to what degree is really just the answer. So, you know what? As much as I and I'm sure a lot of people here believe in the utmost 100% sanctity of property rights, society doesn't work like that. Because if I build a
flammable cannon on my house, it impacts my neighbor. If I build a giant house that blocks the sunlight from your house, it impacts you. I would love to believe that I'm allowed to do that, but
I would also love to believe that I would have the restraint to not do that to my neighbor. So, what I have gathered from the information that has changed or not changed from December until now
is that that restraint has not been shown. A few little crumbs have been thrown our way, but I don't believe it's worth it. I don't believe it's worth it. So,
I would encourage the council again to reject this current proposal. I would encourage the council to think about the tax implications of a building which I got to tell you guys 42,000
square feet school that's easily a $42 million valuation which would normally be like close to a million dollars in taxes. Right now the current owner of what used to be called Raider pays more in taxes for rubble
stone fields or for an old church than they're going to pay. So 100,000 is not anywhere near worth us even starting to listen to. As much as much as I believe in the perhaps idealistic take on property
rights to all people who own property, it just it just can't work that way in a small town and a small society.
We have to get a little closer. And I would argue that the developer is admitting that this can't be the way it goes because they're requesting multiple special exceptions and a whole hog
change to our comprehensive plan. If that's not enough for all of us to say, "Hey developers, we're not against your school. We're not against you. We are pro Elpel. You guys need to be pro alertell. Also, please
kindly reconsider your proposal to something that actually meets our current codes and laws. Thank you for indulging so much time in good and welfare. I appreciate you guys very much. Thank you very much.
>> All right. Do we have any more good and welfare after Miss Baza? >> No, no, no, no. After you after, you're good. After So, after Miss Baza, you guys, um, I'm going to close. those good and welfare. We do have an agenda and we have two individuals for the agenda that have been sitting here. All right, I'm
going to go to them. It should be fairly quick because this is the second reading for their two items. So, we've already heard it. All right. So, I'm going to do that for the individuals who are here and then I'm going to come back and we're going to answer your questions. All right. Okay. Go ahead. Say the address for the record again.
>> Yes. Alexandra Vasa, 120 Northwest 86th Street. Um just I mean it's I'm just going to state the obvious but you are our negoti negotiating team so please be aware be mindful of that we're counting on you. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much Mr. President. >> All right you guys what real quick Miss Connelly. >> So George I'm really glad where's George? Okay. Hey, George. So, I'm
really glad that you said that. Um, I my proposal regarding the school situation. I agree. I also think we should be asking for a lot more from the developers. From what I've heard so far that's gone out there. I've made that clear from the beginning. I don't think
we're asking at the right level. I think there's a lot more that we can get. Again, that's if there is a school bill. And my proposal is that everybody be a part of the conversation of what they would like from the developer in the event that the school is approved so
that everybody we can have a strong negotiation base. The school may not be approved and that's totally fine. If the school is not approved then it doesn't matter but I would I would implore everyone to not not be a part of the conversation just because you don't want
to see the school. Even if you don't want to see the school, be a part of the conversation of if the school is approved, this is what we want to see. That's what I think is going to ultimately be in the best interest of the community. All voices being heard and considered, us coming up with a
package that everybody is amendable to if that ends up being the case. And if it's not the case, no problem. There's no school. But if there is a school, be a part of the conversation of what we can present as a strong unified community of what we want to see in that
agreement. That would be my proposal on that. Thank you, mayor. >> Thank you very much. All right, you guys. Um, we're going to close good and welfare for now. Uh, for the consent agenda, do I have a motion to approve? >> Moved by Council President Leward. Do you have a second? Second.
>> Second by Vice Mayor Martin. All in favor say I. I. All oppose say nay. Hearing none. for where did Gella go? Clerk Jacobe. All right. So, for the for G1, um first of all, we need to swear everyone in he
needs to read it into the record. Um uh Mr. Manager, do you have a a report or do you or is your report um or anything you want to say really quickly? I'm going to go look to reports right now. You're good. Okay, everybody sees my report there. Um this is Bill's attorney report, but
that's that's my report. this there. Uh, clerk Jacobe H2. It's under It's under village attorney reports, but that's my report there. Um, yeah, we're good. And then we'll see if a village attorney has any reports when he comes out. All right, attorney Geller, we're at the
place right now where we're doing the um the second reading for the two the garage enclosure, the two residential properties, and the site plan. So, we need to swear in whoever is going to speak and then we need you to read G1
into the record for us. Please provide testimony on either of these items, please stand ready to write in. Anybody who's going to be talking about two agenda items, please stand and write in. If you're not sure, but you think you
might, please stand. Okay. pediatrics. I station hereby swear the testimony I give tonight. >> You need the truth,
>> the whole truth. >> Nothing but the truth. >> So help me God or you maintain that. >> Thank you very much. Do you have G1 in front of you, Attorney Gillis, so we can read that into the record, please? >> Yes.
This is Did you do consent already, Mayor? >> Did. Yes. >> Okay. This is item G1, resolution. a resolution of the village council of Elpertel, Florida, granting site plan approval for an addition as
well as variance approval for a garage enclosure to a residence at 12 Northwest 86th Street in zone 3 suburban residence in the village of El Patel. An application by Elizabeth Monte Allegre providing for findings, providing for
conditions, providing for appeal, providing for violation of conditions, providing for an effective date. >> Thank you very much. Uh, Miss Hammonds, since the uh, committee approval, had has there been any adjustments, conditions, or anything, or is it exactly the same as it was? >> This is there has been no changes since
what was approved for planning board meeting. >> All right. Thank you very much. Uh, council, do you guys have any questions or comments? Um, we've done this before, but do you have any see? Seeing hearing none, um, do I have a motion to approve?
Moved by Council Person Lightoot Ward. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Second by Vice Mayor Martin. Um, is there anybody in the audience that has any questions or comments about G1 garage enclosure? Okay. Um, we're good. All right. This is all good.
I got you. >> Open it. Nobody in the audience has any questions or comments as far as I see or hear closing. All right. Thank you very much. Uh, madam clerk, please have a roll call, please. >> Roll call. Staff report. >> Staff report was accepted into evidence.
Thank you very much, madam madam cler. >> Roll call. Council person Winters. >> Yes. >> Council person lifewood. >> Council person bomb. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Martin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Nickerson. Yes. Motion passes 5 to nine. >> Thank you very much. Attorney Geller G2. >> Item G2. Mayor, another resolution.
Resolution of the village council of Alpert, Florida, granting site plan approval for new construction of a one-story residence at 157 Northwest 88th Street in zone 3 suburban residence in the village of Alpert. An
application by Elizabeth Monte Allegre providing for findings, providing for conditions, providing for appeal, providing for violation of conditions, and providing for an effective date. >> Thank you very much. Uh, Miss Hammonds, uh, since the passing the first passing, any changes, conditions? >> There have been no changes. Is this
exactly the same application that was approved by the planning board? >> Very much. Um, any accept the staff report? >> I will any questions or comments from the council? >> No. >> No. Hearing none, the staff the staff report is accepted into into uh into the
council for evidence. Um, being that, do we have any questions or comments from the audience about this? All right, seeing hearing none, closing that back. We have a motion. Do I have a motion, you guys? >> I say motion to approve.
>> Motion by council person uh Winters. Do I have a second? >> I'll second. Second by council person. Madam clerk, please have a roll call. >> Roll call. Council person Winters. >> Yes. >> Council person Lifewood Ward. >> Council person Urban. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Martin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Nickerson. >> Yes. Motion passes five to none.
>> Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Congratulations. Thank you very much. appreciate that. Thank you. Have a great day. All right, you guys. Let's come back over here. Um, okay. So, I'm going to answer what I have and then I'll open it
up to the council for anything that they have. Um, also, uh, all right. So, as far as the, uh, why are no residents on the PNZ committee, that's in the charter. the charter has where the elected officials
are on all of the commi the committees. Um so that's the reason why we don't have residents on our uh official committees in the village of Elbert Towers per the charter. You guys know the charter is like our constitution basically. Okay. Um I've done things
recently to give the people more power and kind of not get around that. But um as far as official having residents officially on our committees, it's just not allowed through the charter. Okay. As far as the process for the school.
All right. As far as the process for the school right now, understand the school has to go through um about four different meetings. Okay. They haven't gone through one. So, even if they were to get, not saying
this is what's going to happen, but even if they were to get majority three votes, you need majority three out of the five here. Even if they were to get majority three votes for the first three meetings, if they don't get majority three votes for the fourth meeting, the
whole thing is is dead there. But we haven't even had the first meeting. So the first meeting has to be a P&Z meeting where we will then either vote up or down majority vote um if they move forward to the second meeting or or if the if it dies right there at the site
plan. All right. So that now as far as um the question about why is this coming you know to a residential neighborhood? How you doing uh Miss Alita? Why is this coming to a residential neighborhood? understand you all. Even if you're even
if we're against something, we can't control somebody applying. Anyone can apply for anything, right? It doesn't mean that they're going to pass, right? Like you can apply for anything. You come to the front desk, you go through the application process.
We can't deny you and say, "I don't like that project or I don't like that person." I'm not going to give them a hearing. That's illegal. Once you go through the application process, you pay the application fees, we have to give you a hearing. Now, it's up to us to vote it down if we disagree with it, but
we have to give you a hearing legally. Okay? So, that's the only reason why this is coming to and I understand and you know, I don't disagree with you, Mr. Leo. I'm just asking the question about why this is here in this community. Um, and that's the reason why. As far as the
special exception, where did Miss >> Where did where did Scarlet go? Okay. All right. So, I'm going to come back to that the special exception. No. >> Okay. All right. All right. Thank you very much. >> Okay.
>> If if we can't Yeah, if we can, please. >> If we can get Miss Hammonds. Um All right. So, the little the little farm site plan, you guys. And this is another reason why she needs to come back in really quickly. Also, we get
just like we did for those two homes that we just did on the agenda. Now, this is the second reading for them. The first reading went through P&Z. We get them when they go through the building department, when they go through the planning and zoning consultants, then we get them. They
contact us and say the application's ready to go to a P&Z committee. before that we'll hear about like for example for the Adam Newman things right the soul for the little farm and all this type of stuff or whatever of course
like you know we heard about it of course it was all in the news right when he purchased the property we heard about it right but because somebody purchases the property and because we hear about it doesn't mean we have we're not in on their development meetings at their
offices wherever they are. It's not until they go through the application process and they get approved that they have everything that they need as far as the building department, as far as the planning and zoning department, they have everything that they need, mayor, you can give them a meeting, then we
start to get their information. So, it's not until they go through that. So the idea of where's the little farm site plan or or what's little farm the only reason why I even you know have heard like oh they're going to be you know 2,000 residents or 1500 or 2,500 that's
through the media that's from the articles that I read right but we don't have any inside information until it goes through that process and then we get the information okay so that's kind that's where that's where it is with that as far as uh Mr.
Roas, you guys, is there anyone up here again with a conflict of interest? >> Anyone? >> No conflict of interest. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I have nothing. >> I don't have one. >> Okay. Um, the next thing I know that
attorney Geller, as far as I know, Mr. Dreer brought up about a mediator, a negotiator. I know that um Attorney Geller in your law firm you have many individuals who are experts at this and so we'll be talking to you um you know
we mentioned it before but we'll be pushing more for that um to get some expertise when it comes to something like this okay because you know we do have your law your law firm um Greenspoon M as far as Mr. Ramona, I don't know if she's still here or not. I
don't think she's here anymore. Um, but for her, I agree with her about the traffic. And for me, the two things were, and I think this kind of is very quickly, um, when it comes to how, you know, we feel about it up here.
My two concerns, anybody I've ever spoke to about this, and I appreciate all of you, a lot of residents have reached out to me individually, right? And I have the same two I have my two concerns have been the same from the very beginning which is traffic and quality of life.
I've said this to everybody. Those are my two concerns. Traffic and quality of life. I mean, I I I remember early early on, right, when this first came to us, I remember I asked them, I said, well, I suggested to them, I said, "Well, you
guys, why don't you because remember at first they wanted to put the parking lot on 90th Street, right, on Northeast Second." And I said, "Well, why don't you guys purchase?" I mean, you know, don't disrespect them, but you guys have the money. You guys could probably overpay.
I said, "Your your school is on 87th right there. If you just go south, right over the bridge on the northbound side of the street, there's a slew of businesses that are right there. And even like they have some apartments in the background that
look half abandoned. I said, if you put your parking there, you can shuttle the people right over that little right over the little hump to the school right there and you don't even have to like bother the inside of Elpert. You know, they didn't do it. That was my
suggestion. I think they could have got that property. They still can get that property pretty at a pretty decent price. It's falling apart over there, you know. And so my two things have always been traffic and quality of life.
Now, that being said, as far as being for the school or being against the school, the only way that I would give the school a yes vote is if they gave us contingencies
that were worth what I feel is the quality of life depletion or they give me an answer for the quality of life depletion that I see. If I feel like we don't get the contingencies, which I don't think we're anywhere there,
right? If I feel like we don't get the contingencies of the improvements to our community, well then they don't get a yes vote for me. If I feel like I don't have a good solution for traffic and quality of life, well then they don't get a yes
vote for me. And I've said that from the very beginning. My two situations with them is the traffic, increased traffic on our residential streets and how that would affect our quality of life. And those are my two things as far as and that also answers that's Mr. Ramona, but that
also answers uh Miss Roberts. Um, how you doing Karen been back? Um, uh, okay. So, all right. So, I answered that with the the same so the same answer because Mr. I'm going to also ask the why didn't we
get the site plan in what why did we get the site plan when we got it and that's the same reason why the little farm we don't get it until it goes through the process right so even though they said I guess Adam Newman or whoever said in the meeting in B Harbor they they started
the process or whatever last summer we didn't get it until going into what was that October or November December around that time no I'm saying the Bay Harbor the Bay Harbor meeting was in in the summer or whatever, June, July, but we didn't get their site plan for the
school until the fall and that's when we first saw it. That's when we got it, okay? And that's when we received it. Um, as far as taxes, you guys, I'm with everybody when it comes to the problem of them paying no taxes. Now, I did in
my in December during the holidays and a lot of you guys have got this and um I did send out what what for me was the beginning of negotiations for conditions that I wanted them to do for us. And the very first one, and this
was sent out, I sent this out to the developers Monday, December 29th. I sent it to Lauren, their attorney, Ben Fernandez, Joseph Geller's on it, um the village manager is on it, clerk Jacobe, and myself. So, good afternoon all. I hope your
holidays are going well. concerning possible contingencies or conditions that I believe should be considered are number one. My number one is in lie of asking for property taxes with the majority that will go to Miami date county the percentage of taxes that
would have been sent to the municipality of Elpert that percentage is to be paid to Eltowal annually whatever that tax would be if it's 200,000 if it's 900,000 if it's 400,000 and property taxes they fluctuate over
time so I don't even want it at a set amount whatever Whatever it is in 2027, 2028 annually, 2029, 2035, whatever it would be that comes to Elbertal, that's my first contingency on
my thing. I sent this back in December to them. On this on this paper, I have 10 contingencies. That's just number one. So, and that goes back to kind of what I was saying before. If I feel like they're not giving us enough, if I feel
like they're not meeting contingencies that we should have, then my vote is no. So, I think that's a huge deal because a lot of the tax situation got brought up a lot. That's my number one. You give us
the full taxes that come to Elbertal every single year annually, whatever level it is. And I don't want to lock us into a h 100,000 which I think is too low anyway or 500,000 or whatever it is because property taxes fluctuate.
So that's where I am where I am as far as my voting and and things like that. Uh Miss Srano um property taxes. So we spoke about that also. So Mrano had a great um point about individuals which came up again later.
individuals like us kind of paying for their their impact that they bring to our community, which is a great idea. There's even a bigger discussion with that and I think that I'm going to put together because this is going to be really really big. Um I think I'm I've been planning on putting together um in
the next couple of months going into the summer uh like a town hall about this. A lot of you guys have probably heard about the property tax situation in Tallahassee. That is humongous. Like that will affect everything.
And you know, I I know it's going to pass through the legislation most likely. I'm pretty sure. And Governor Santis, it doesn't have to go to him. It goes to the voters through referendum. Okay. And for those who are trying to get rid of
property tax, their argument is very simple and it's going to be very very appealing to a lot of voters in the next election because their argument is I mean we've known for a long time we've heard these catchphrases,
government is wasteful spending, right? We've heard that for decades. Government is bureaucracy. Why should you give your money to the government? You know what to do with your money better than the government knows what to do with your money. So, this may pass the next election because
it's appealing to voters. We're going to have a huge issue. Now, some of you may know I'm currently the president of Miami Day County and there's ways that I've been in discussion to start to fix this and get
around this. And that's why I'm going to have the town hall to talk about all our options. Okay, that's in the future. But yes, that's very very important. Um, Mrano, which is uh property tax and and us, you know, their impact on us and how that
would affect us paying taxes on their impact to our community. That's very, very important. Um, as far as changing code for the developers, I understand and I'm not saying that you guys are wrong in the sentiment what you're saying, but just like officially we
wouldn't be changing the code. They're asking for special exceptions like variances. So, it wouldn't be it wouldn't be a permanent change to the code, but it would be precedent. It would be precedent still. So, even though it's not I'm just trying to get the official language, right? Even
though it's not an official change to the code to where like we change it forever, it would be a precedent because if we say if we vote them through with a variance or a special exception that they're asking for, well then yes, of course, who's to stop us from voting for voting, you know, for not voting for the next person that comes in, next
developer. Now, I will say though that a variance and the purpose of a variance is to look at that individual case, right? So, if you want to do a variance for a garage conversion at your home and we approve it, it doesn't necessarily mean that another garage conversion for
another home, we have to approve. That's the purpose for a variance. But especially with developers who have deep pockets, they can, you know, you know, you maybe a resident won't think it's worth their time to sue the village for a garage
conversion variance that we didn't approve when somebody else in the garage conversion got approved before a developer with deep pockets. They have the money and time to sue. So, I do understand that sentiment and I agree with that also. Um, Miss Ma,
Miss Ma, oh, only thing I said, Miss Ma, I don't know if she's still here. Only thing I said to her is uh because she said that uh she was for the school, but she said that she sent all of us an email. Um, I looked while she was here, and I just want to apologize for her for missing her email. She did send me an email a couple weeks ago. Um, Miss Baza,
yes. Again, I agree with you when it comes to quality of life and those things have to, like I said, those contingencies, those have to, as you said when you came up here, the last um thing thing that you said, Miss Bosa, um, you said, you know, you you guys are
counting on us to not only represent the village of Alpert, but to do what's right for our community. And that does take place in the negotiations for this. And like I said, if we don't if I feel like we don't get enough, my
vote would be no for that. Um, Mr. Pace again spoke about the president with the code. I covered that. Uh, Miss Edelman. Okay, Geller, this is your time up. Miss Edelman. Um, this is for the live local act. So, you have two bills. You had the
HB, which was the House Bill 833, and that was brought to my attention. Um, and then you have Senate Bill 182. And it seems like House Bill 833, which is the House, you know, the Senate is the higher um, you know, the higher office. The House Bill 833, I think that
language was put into Senate Bill 182. I don't know if you had a chance to look it up while you've been over there or if you know about it. Attorney Gell, the floor is yours on those two. So, some of the information that has been passed back and forth tonight that people spoke to is really not accurate
information. I'm trying happy to try and clarify. Uh, but I do was it Miss Edelman I think that you asked about and some other people also asked about that. And um the mayor's description was basically accurate. Um there was a bill
that was called Sorry. House Bill 833. That bill, which was specifically about where private schools could locate and under what conditions, that bill did not
pass, but language from that bill was amended onto Senate Bill 182. Senate Bill 182 is a very large bill. It's not just about this topic. It's
what they called the education train bill because it had so many other different things in it. It had to do with not only when uh and where private schools could be, but it had to do with everything from
charter school dismissal requirements, changes in the voucher system. It's a bill that requires elementary school students to be taught cursive writing. It's a bill that requires pictures of
President Washington and President Lincoln to be posted in all public schools. It is a bill that has to do with a teacher training and mentoring program. And onto that bill, they put some
provisions from the House bill. Um the Senate bill, while the House bill did not pass, the Senate bill with that language did pass. Um and that bill has been what's called enrolled and engrossed. I'm sorry,
backwards. Enrossed and then enrolled, which means it's eligible for signature by the governor. Um, it talks about the fact that private schools have a right to operate on property owned or leased by libraries,
museums, churches, theaters, and colleges. I do want to mention, by the way, I thank uh one of the council members for helping call this to my attention. There are many hundreds of bills and I don't necessarily follow each of them as I
used to when I was serving in the house for eight years. Private schools under this bill can operate without reasoning, without obtaining any special exception
or any land use plan uh change and even without complying with mitigation requirements or conditions. If there if it's a county with as many as four incorporated municipalities, and
of course we have many more than that in Date County, um then they have the right to not only operate an existing, but to construct new facilities, temporary or permanent,
on property purchased or leased by a library, museum, church, theater, or college if the school has 150 or more students or is located within an incorporated
area. So that would not apply to us. they can use and occupy it in a commercial or mixeduse zoning without reszoning or obtaining a special exception or a land use change and again
without complying with mitigation. The one thing reserved to local governments is that they can require traffic and pedestrian safety mitigation. But that has to do only with the
additional um burden that's put by the school. However, there's a pretty big loophole there. Instead of complying with the local government requirements, private schools may instead provide
their own traffic study from somebody suitably uh credentialed to do that to show the school will not cause a disproportionate impact. And they are also permitted for schools
of 150 or fewer can occupy existing daycare ex uh assembly merkantile or business occupancy as long as it meets the Florida fire prevention code. Now please
understand because I've heard again it's a misinformation. This bill is not the law. This was passed by both houses of the legislature,
but it is subject to being signed or vetoed by the governor. I happen not to be a big fan of this governor. That's personal. But every once in a while, he
gets something right almost by accident, I think. Um, someone said, and I don't remember, I don't think that one was Miss Connoy, but maybe I'm wrong about, well, where are you in Tallahassee? And that takes
us back just to live local as well. I happen to have served in the legislature. I understand the purpose of live local. people can't afford to live and it's to try to make more affordable or workforce housing
available because we do have a problem. But that doesn't mean that this is the right solution. The Florida legislature has a history over the last 10 or 15 maybe 20 years
of taking power away from local government and they have the ability under our system of laws to do that. So when you say what the law is in Alpert, what our code provides, understand that our code
can be preempted by the state legislature. And that's what live local is, taking away power from local government. Because in some cases, frankly, there were some local governments that abused their power and
wouldn't approve anything, not in my backyard stuff, that would allow people to have homes that could be affordable. But that still doesn't make this the right solution. I happen personally to have fought those laws, but they pass
overwhelmingly and this bill passed overwhelmingly. At least it got adopted, but it's not a done deal. So, whoever said be in Tallahassee, you don't have to physically go up
there. this bill again, Senate Bill 182, get everyone you know to write the governor to email, to call and ask that
this bill get vetoed. It is not the law yet. Will it be vetoed? Can it be vetoed? I guess that kind of depends on how many people around the state raise their
voices. So if it's signed into law, then someone acting in compliance with this law, will have the right
to do a facility, including a school, a private school. However, you know, again, it's a brand new law as I think it was Mr. Alvarez talked about suing.
Certainly, there is an ability to sue if this law is signed into law to overturn it, but I think he phrased it right. That's not something this little village with this little budget can afford to do.
But the suggestion that he made that we can look for other lawsuits to join where some bigger city with deeper pockets is already bringing a lawsuit and look to join in it at theoretically
we would only do it if it was a very significantly reduced expense. That's a possibility. And because this is a new law, we could try to say, well, but this isn't really a mixeduse neighborhood. Although
I to some degree defer to our planning consultant. I mean, as you heard, it is across the street from what is not a residential property, which is the the the school for children
that exists directly across, and we heard from one of the owners. So, to say this is a purely residential neighborhood and not necessarily something that would would be successful for us. All of that is a way of saying
that if this is signed into law as of July 1st, the landscape may change. It is not only what our local code says. State law
preempts and frankly for some circumstances federal law preempts state law as well. And if I might mayor, just one other question that was asked very quickly and they there was questioning and I talked about this at a recent meeting about the sharet and what does
it mean and what is the force of it. So as I said at a recent meeting I have I was here when that sharet happened. It is not the bible of Alpert as someone inquired. Okay. And
I suggested that you might want to think about updating it. The shared is like 13 or 14 years old now. And things change. You know, even though this village has changed less in the years that I've been
here, and I've been here a long time, there are these changes in state law, including not just this new Senate Bill 182, but live local These are new sets of
circumstances. They're new sets of facts. New people have moved in. And there's still a lot of people who've been here for a long time. But the sharet is intended.
It got a lot of buy in, a lot of people from the community, but it does not have mandatory force of law. It is a guide. It is a guideline.
It's a reflection of what the people who participated in it all those years ago wanted to see. But that doesn't mean that it's binding on all of you or on
this council and who lives here now. And so it can say we'd like to see this and we'd like to see that. But you have the right to say we don't like what it said on some point. And so does the council has is not obligated to
bind it. And last as to live local. understand live local is still a very new law and it changes so far every year. I mean I they had consideration again this year to fix it. I believe
something passed but I mean we're talking you know a week ago when this happened, a week and a half and things were flying back and forth at the end. A little difficult frankly to keep track sometimes. Um but they change it every
year. They did what they, you know, cleanup bills, glitch bills. The law says what you can and can't do, but it's interpreted based on cases that go to court where
judges rule and then appeals courts decide if the judge had it right. Because this is a brand new, relatively speaking, law. And because it's changed each year, there are actually very few
binding precedent cases. That's binding precedent. As the mayor said correctly, whether if you grant a variance or if you grant a special exception, that's really not in most cases a binding precedent. Someone can argue that you're
supposed to follow it, but that's pretty questionable. Mayor said it right. But when the courts rule, that's a precedent. We have very little precedent on live local. And it depends on to some
degree on what's built around you, what's within a mile of you. I mean, you some of the development happening in the city of Miami may be close enough to impact what happens here, but it's not
just what the law says. You have to actually measure how close it is and see how tall it is. Generally speaking, live local gives rights to develop large
residential buildings that are not governed by local zoning codes, but it's not unlimited. There are rules, there are restrictions, but they're still being fleshed out by
the courts. anybody who tells you absolutely they can say oh I'm gonna build live local and you can they can do something in compliance with it but exactly what that permits
in a particular location is something that's why we have people like Miss Hammonds and the Corodino group to analyze these things and lawyers like me to look at them. It's It's not as cut and dried as sometimes people make it
sound, but yes, it does allow you in the right circumstances to override local zoning codes. I hope that all those many words and I'm sorry, but it's just not as simple as as sometimes
people would like it to be. I hope that provides some clarity and some guidance and through the chair of the meeting I'm happy to answer other questions but they have to be directed first to the presiding officer and then if he wants
me to go ahead and answer that he'll direct me to do so. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much. So a couple of things. So, I think that um first of all, I think where we're at, right? So, we have that that's not law yet, but I think and a couple of weeks
ago, uh Miss Hammonds will tell you um that I had a a meeting. I had a Zoom meeting with her and in the Corino group, they have a specialist that does live local act live like he's a specialist with live local as a matter for all that type of stuff. He's about to become the president um for that
discipline um for the county or the state. Is it he's about to come what president? >> State >> for the state. For the state. And so he's really really good. His name is Mr. Eddie Ning. >> Mr. Eddie Ning. And so we had a Zoom meet. >> Mr. Dang's a very smart guy. He was our
he was our acting planning director up in North Miami Beach where I'm the attorney. And mayor, by the way, I should mention, by the way, since you referenced that, yes, >> I should have said when people talked about what happened in Bay Harbor Islands, >> um I think some people had facts wrong.
I was the attorney in Bay Harbor when that happened. Bay Harbor did not vote that school down that Mr. Newman was doing. The Bay Harbor Council voted 5 to zero to allow it to move forward and subsequently the developer decided that
it didn't work for him as well as he thought and he decided not to move forward. The people who said, "Oh, that would never they would never approve that in Bay Harbor." It was 50 in favor. >> So, hold on hold on Mr. Alita.
>> Hold on, Mr. Alita. Thank you, Mr. Lee. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Miss Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Thank you. I appreciate Hold on. Hold on. Attorney Giller. Let's not have Let's not Hold on, you guys.
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. We just We just can't have uh talking across like that, you guys. All right. I appreciate I appreciate the passion. All right. So, but I think the question is and like I was saying um you know I had that meeting with with Mr. Ning and
since then yeah and since then um uh no I understood what you were saying Mr. Lee and I understood your sentiment around it. I understand. I understand. I understand. I understand. >> This No, >> this Mr. Leita, I I understand. I
understand. I I >> I understand. I understand. I understand. Let me get through this. Let me get through this. I understand. No, let me get through this. All right. So, um, so I've had, so I had that
meeting with, uh, with Mr. Ning, with, uh, with Miss Hammonds. And so, from that, what I'm trying to do, and I'm going to be, you know, I'm going to be honest with you guys. What I'm trying to decide is how I want to go about doing this because I want to have I'm either
going to bring him on like a webinar type of thing where everybody can kind of listen to what he's saying and maybe like I can be the conversation with him. Or I'm going to bring him to like a virtual town hall, but you know, I don't
know how that's going to go because we could be there till 3 in the morning, you know, or I might bring him to a inerson one or I might try to divide it up like with the sections like a town hall with like, you know, this section between, you know, Northeast 4th and Northeast 2 and then another town hall
between Northeast 2nd and North Miami Avenue and another town hall between, you know, North Miami so that it's not, you know, so he can get a lot of the conversation out because he's really good and he can answer all like put it this way. I was asking him questions right and left and we were on for an
hour like I was like what about this and what about this and what about but he really explained and what I was going to get to with attorney Geller. He really explained what our like what we have to look forward to and what our options are right now when it comes to live local. And I think that's the a lot of the
confusion that's going around which is because some people are like they can do it, they can't do it, six floors, three floors, like you know it's all over the place. And he was really able and this is without him diving deep in our code. He was like well look is this is that is
this is that and he was like let me like give me a couple of weeks to dive deep into like your code and things like that. He was like I'll have it down to like the the science of it. But even with him not even diving deep, like he had answers about parking,
about all type of like intricacies that we're not even thinking about. So, he's really good. And so, I'm going to do one of those two things. I'm kind of like formulating it within my mind, but that's going to be coming up uh soon. Also, when it comes to that, um, Miss Alita, I understood exactly what you
were saying. um, Attorney Geller, you know, it's it's it's difficult for me to when I'm I wasn't there, right? It's difficult to me to for me to kind of say one person is right, one person is wrong. Whether who was correct or who
was incorrect, I know that your sentiment of what you were saying, whether your sentiment and you were correct, I still feel the sentiment. if it was your sentiment and if the details were off a little bit, I still understand exactly what you're saying and I I agree with you either way. All
right. But I understand what you're saying. I understand what you're saying. Um to her point, uh before Miss Hamus, before you leave, um if you can maybe start out and then maybe we can have attorney Geller jump in. Uh one of the large questions that uh Mr. Laida had or
Mr. Lita had was um the special exception. Can a school be built there? So by right at that at and on Northeast 2nd and 87th Street by right, Miss Hams, you might want to come to the microphone. Can a school be built there by right or do
they need an exception? >> Um yes. Um the the the easy answer is yes. It's by right. Um but with a special exception. So the special exception is not to say is a use permitted or not. It's just to say how
does this particular use fit into this exact area. So what we do as planners um and you know working with the community, working with you guys um we just we just kind of go into okay exactly what is
this use? How will it impact this exact location? Um but but it it is absolutely allowed by right. Um, just to also clarify another point that has been brought up erroneously several times tonight. Um, this particular applicant
has asked for no variances. They are everything that they're doing is to code. Um, including being a use that is allowed in this code. Um the only thing they are allow they are requesting a resoning and a land use amendment but
it's only for a very small small small portion of um the the the the single family lot >> register home that they purchase. >> Yes. On the on the east side the east um southeast corner. Um but it's like a very very small portion. It's not the
whole property. It's not like they're not allowed as a use. They're not asking for a reszone of the whole property. They could even do the school entirely without if they just didn't even want to go through the reszone or land use. They they didn't they don't have to. They
could they could still basically >> if they didn't purchase the single family home that's on the southeastern end and they just went in and wanted to do the school as is. They could have just did the school as >> Absolutely. They could have. Yeah, they could just make it a little bit smaller. They could have definitely fit it fit it
in. Um, but yes, but the so the special exception is just to it's just an opportunity for you to really dive in and say, how do we make this actual use fit into this neighborhood at this location? Um it's just
>> so special exception is kind of like another like catch that we have to give us like control over you know so that somebody just can't come do the building department and just go and start doing construction right away exceptions for
us to like >> it's like compatibility like how is it compatible with the neighborhood? how how can we make it really work so that um you know we we catch all of the the the maybe the inconveniences that would happen of of
any use that would go there. So um yeah, so that's what a special exception is, but it is definitely a permitted use by right. >> It's not prohibited there. It is allowed there. Um, it is a permitted use to use
Miss Hammond's term, not a variance, but it does give the village more negotiating power because you do have to approve that special exception.
All right, I really want to flush this out. Just give me, you know, just bear with me because if not, you guys, next meeting is going to be the same thing all over again. So, just give me your attention to flesh this out. Miss Elida, come to the microphone, say your name, address for the record >> while Miss Hammonds is here and ask her
the question you want to ask her. Let's get this. >> Alita, 12th Northeast 19th Street. So, two things were not again, we always play we're the sentiment and the, you know, sort of like emotional high that you see here is because the optics are always, you know, converted here. Again
you did not mention 350 students. You said the school is allowed. Now what type of school are we talking learning center or are we talking educational institution >> because this is the code of Elportal which very clearly the checked box and
this comes from an architect that went in let's say she was hired by the school to actually um look at the plans. she would go to our code and she would you know open Z4 learning center that's the
only box that is being checked here >> and the same many of us did exactly the same thing we went into our code and we're looking it so we're very surprised that our you know building director is uh it's not mentioning two things first
the 350 students that's a huge difference when you say learning to educational institution Right. So, education institution versa learning uh center and the number of students which is another you know completely. >> So, Miss Hammonds Miss Hammonds the
school as as they applied with the amount of students could they do that by right? >> Yes. Um we're not considering this a learning center. It is considered an educational facility and it is allowed um the with a special exception. Um
there's no in the code it does not limit the number of students but that's not a consideration in the code. >> Okay. >> You know what does this mean? >> Come to the >> this screenshot was taken by our code. >> Do Yeah.
>> So what does this mean? >> Do me a favor. Do me a favor. It says here G ed educational child care with special exception college university with special exception in Z5 I'm sorry Z5 and C
elementary school could be in Z4 Z5 and C with special exception middle high school could be in Z4 Z5 and C with special exception preschool could be in
Z4 with special exception and Z5 5 without special exception. Learning center could be Z4 Z5C with um without special exception. >> So I mean it's very clear. >> So that's why we are very surprised. >> Yeah. Yeah. Confus and surprise.
Absolutely. Let me do do let me do this. Let me what what section of the code is that? Do you have or or can you send that to me >> when you get a chance? Absolutely. Can you send it to me? Send it to me and she's planning. I'm going to get with planning and the building department and I'm going to get like an you know
official answer. Let them look into it so we can give you like an official because right now on the spot >> maybe missing some of the information. >> That's why I was asking you that what kind of information we wanted to know as residents what kind of information has been given to you because even with
crystal ray it's exactly the optics we're changing them we're saying crystal ray has been approved >> from whom? >> From PNC. So, they just receive the plan and they send it to you. >> Are they giving you a thorough research? Are they giving you the law? Are they
giving you the details that you need to make your decision >> or are they just simply saying like here's the school plan and go ahead and apply and add the special exception and then approve it. No, that's I'm sorry, but that's not it means that the the building department is doing the correct
job because you cannot just say so here it says very clearly the education institution is not. So what other details? That's why I was asking what we might be missing. What other things might we be missing? I understand what >> No, I was asking specifically to each of you because I wanted to understand what
kind of information was given to you in order for you to make a decision based on the special exception. >> Yeah. So the information given to us and and like I said, send that to me so I can so I can >> Would you like me to stay here? >> I'm to the bottom of that. Um I mean, you don't have to, but send that make sure you send that to me though. Send that to me. But um but the information
that was given to us was the package right like the application package that we like to all of us >> like to all of you guys. So we get so and that's what I always try to say we get the same thing that you guys get you know we don't have any inside information to a lot of this stuff when it comes to we get the same thing you
guys get and we don't get it until it passes through the application process. >> So we got the same thing you all got >> um and that's what we have. >> But what what does our expert think? >> Yeah. You know, I mean, I understand the developer would say yes because that's understand that was given to
the question that we had during the town hall. It was exactly yes, it's allowed because they allowed it actually Lauren, I'm sorry, the represent the developer representative has said that they actually suggested that the number should be 350. So, we went well.
>> All right. So, so let's do this. Let's do this. Let's do this. >> No, I completely understand. So I'm saying that this is where the optics are changing and this is where so if the developer says that well they suggested 350 and our code does not say that so we are want to see maybe we're
>> we're good developer what developer says you all remember it doesn't matter to me >> I could care less it's the site plan >> well they might be right because you know >> but don't don't worry about that don't worry about that send send that to me >> and we have the application packet right
and so I can look through that and I can compare that to parts of the code that you might have questions about. And whatever the developer says or the way they look at things, it doesn't matter to us. >> It makes me concerned that the building department is not is not giving you this
information that you don't already have it because we have been how many meetings so far? Five. >> I understand. I understand. So you send that to me. I'm sorry I missed a little bit like but um >> you send that to me. When I go through that with them if I find that there are
some discrepancies then that will allow me to then start to look deeper and question maybe other things through there but send that to me. So let me let me start there. Right. >> All right. Send that to me. >> And may maybe a better question will be like how did the building department actually um what was the reason they
actually brought it up to you? was did or what what kind of thorough process did they go? Maybe maybe you can clarify that. >> That's the reason why I want you to send that to me or maybe the you know she can clarify >> because we have we have planning and then we have the building department who there's not the building department representative here tonight. She's
planning and zoning. So I want to get everybody in the same room with me and and sit next to me and let me let me take >> I understand that but you know I I would like to know I mean this is a huge impact that is happening in our neighborhood. So you know I mean sorry I don't mean to >> she she understands.
>> No but I don't mean to I I see all the time I mean I understand that this this emotion and this but this is a huge impact that is happening and I mean we will change completely the face of to you know so >> I don't mean the lady to feel offended or to feel like attacked. It's not about
being attacked. is just clarifying who is who is pretend I mean who who approved the project to to to start with that was given into your desk. >> Absolutely. No, thank you very much. Um Miss Hams, do you want to close out really quickly with >> I would like to say a few things in
defense of my review. Um absolutely. Um I start off with every project that I ever bring before you with with the basics. I'm I am a prof I'm a professional for almost 30 years doing
this and I don't bring projects to you that I don't review the code. I know the code. I know what it says. I know that this is allowed as a special exception. >> Okay. Thank you very much. I app I
appreciate that. Well, we Is this okay, Miss Ham? Is this okay? When when when when they send me the information, we understand. >> Yeah. You get staff reports, you get all the background, all of the information, all of the code sections, all of the all of we have, I don't know, five or six
criteria that we look for on special exceptions. We review all of those criteria. We give you answers for how we review it. >> Yeah. >> Every single time. This has been vetted um many by many
people. We have other staff members as well that are doing it. So yeah, we we have reviewed this per code and if you want me to, I will also give you the code as well. Um we we have we have reviewed this thoroughly. And the number
of students is what the developer applies for that is not something that I come up with. No, absolutely not. There is incorrect. >> Okay. Thank you very much. I appreciate >> Thank you. I appreciate that.
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Miss Sando, hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Let me I'm gonna Let me I'm bring you. Give me one second. Give me one second. One second. All right. So, we have the um question about the Live Local Act, you guys. Um we had the special exception um question. All
right. I'm going to wrap this up, then I'm going to bring up Miss Sandrano, and then I'm going to go to if you guys have anything you guys want to say. So, uh Mr. McKenzie, I'm in full agreement with you. As a matter of fact, I've told them that they should do another traffic study. Um, and
they should do it when, you know, the time is the time and the and the time of the week and the time of the month um really reflects what you were bringing up and what we go through. And so that's one thing I'm really kind of waiting for them on is another traffic study for
that because like I said, traffic and quality of life is big. Miss Chantel, um, you're absolutely correct. every time you get up and you speak, I agree with you 100% and yes, we definitely represent the residents of Elporttowal and the best interest and which is why
if I feel like things are not in the best interest of our community, then I don't give it a yes vote. So, I agree with you 100%, Miss Chantel. You're always on point. Um, thank you for coming to us from the gym. We appreciate everything you had to say. We appreciate you. Um, and we know there's many on on
both sides. There's many people I've gotten many phone calls. I've talked to people in Publix who have stopped me. I'm like, man, I got to stop going to Publix on Saturday at like 12:00 noon. I got maybe I should wait till 9:30 p.m. But I've gotten stopped at Publix many times for people that are forward and
people that are against it. And um this is very important you all. And and I'm almost at the end of these questions, but this is very important because I I've told a few residents that I feel like what we're dealing with right now in El
Portal is and even in South Florida and in Miami Day County especially is that we're like at like the place where we could either go this way or this way. And that's with a lot of things happening in Miami Day County.
Um, a few weeks ago, myself, um, and, uh, Mayor Lavine Cava, we organized a press conference for the urban development boundary because there's a lot of people in the county, they're trying to, the county commissioners, the urban development boundary is a line.
It's an invisible line and everything east of the line, you can develop, urban development. Everything west of the line is considered the Everglades. Okay? There are there's a big movement now and a lot of county commissioners that want to take that urban development
line and they want to move it west into the Everglades so that people can start to build on there. And you know I don't have any beef with them but the individual that's financing that is LAR the developer the home developer LAR and
paying a lot of money for that. um and and and so rambunctious that even before that's being done, Lenar is buying up land west of the urban development boundary just assuming that
eventually one day it's going to move. And so myself and Mayor Lavine Cava, we put together a press conference a few weeks ago about that. And we even got one county commissioner uh Raquel Regalado to flip because this is what happened.
A while ago, the county commission voted to move that line into the Everglades. Mayor Lavine Cabba, who's a strong mayor, vetoed it. And now it's come back to the county commission to see if they can get a twothird vote to overtake that
supermajority vote to overtake to outdo her veto and still move it. And that's what's happening. But, you know, as president of the county, I've been talking to them and we even got 5 minutes before the press conference started. We were we had a meeting with Mayor uh I mean with with Commissioner
Raquel Regalado and we start the press conference, she comes downstairs and she joins our press conference. She's flipping. So, that's a good sign. But that just goes to say that in Miami date county, South Florida, we're dealing with a serious situation right now where
if we don't hold the line and we don't decide to maintain our tranquility and serenity 30 years from now, 50 years from now, a lot of these neighborhoods are not going to be recognizable. and you're going to
have people sitting there saying, "Man, I remember when this place used to be so calm and nice and so walkable and things like that." And so, this is very important and it's happening all throughout our county right now at all levels. Um, the last thing is, uh, Miss
Hector, I appreciate you. I have you, um, on here. And that's all for my questions and comments that I've had. Um, you got Oh, uh, my brother in the back, I'm also with you as far as a vibrant downtown. Definitely want a
vibrant downtown. Uh, a vibrant downtown that still has that small village feel, right? Like 1950s or 1940s type of thing, you know, but still a downtown, right? Um, so I'm with you on that. I'm with you on that also. Uh, anybody from
Oh, no. Miss Srano, you you still have something you want to say? Come up really, really quickly and then I'm gonna go to the council and if they have anything you want to say, that's it. Miss Ba line up behind her. >> I'm just talking on behalf of a neighbor. Uh we have many neighbors uh on YouTube right now watching all this.
So uh the name of the neighbor is Ka. Uh when Mr. Geller was mentioning the student uh numbers, uh she's saying it's a question regarding the density of the proposed school. The school proposes 350 students on an area between 1.8 and
2.1 acres. This means the student density would be between 194 students per acre and 166 students per acre. This is beyond the density of almost any other school in Florida. Typical density
is between 20 and 80 students per acre. under 33 hyphen 151.18 I don't know what that law at 350 student K to2 program has an outdoor
space requirement of 118,000 plus square feet depending on grade distribution. This is the county code. While the municipality may have its own minimum lot size requirements, it should not contradict the minimum requirement
of the county without good reason. Because this proposal will affect county operated infrastructure across both Miami and Miami shores, the county code requirement should prevail. Correct. So that's a question by Cara. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. We'll see if we can get that
answered. Um I was just told you guys that if if and that's wonderful. I appreciate you, Miss Sadano. um if somebody's not here, they have to be present to be able to question. Um you know, even if they're watching through that, but thank you very much. I appreciate that. And and no problem. No problem. No problem. And and if you can
um um I'll give you my number if you can text me or whatever that question so I can get the answer and I'll email you guys back the answer for sure when I get it. Uh Miss Baza, come on. Say your name, address for the record, please. >> Alexandra Basa, 120 Northwest 86 Street.
Um I have a follow-up question for Mr. Ger um you said that it we were due to um update our the charade but I my understanding is that we cannot do much now with SBA 180. Would that contradict
that? Uh >> a sharet is not a law. >> Okay. So that law that you're talking about says what kind of law we can pass.
The sharet as I said does not have the force of law. It's a guideline. It's an expression of how people feel and it's a guideline. So you can adopt any guideline that you want. Now, as far
as what that law does or doesn't allow us to do, there's some controversy about that. You know, again, it's a brand new law. Uh, and the courts haven't really interpreted it yet.
As just a small example, some people said, "Oh, well, we can't do anything because that law exists." I don't agree with that. Now, that's my opinion. And I'm not a judge, but for instance, we've had residents who've
come and want to be able to park on their own swale and not be ticketed. I think that we could do something to address that problem if we said, well,
you can't have asphalt or concrete, but if you had it permeable with with gravel or permeable pavers, you could do that. Some people say no because of that law. I don't agree. I think doing something
on that small scale would be permissible if we were challenged in court. I think we would win and allow residents to to park on the swale. But also that same
law was also up to be changed in this past session. I can't tell you sitting here because they just finished like a little over a week ago what if anything new was adopted to change that law that they're talking
about. But if it was, again, it's still up to the governor whether it's going to be signed. So to me, it's premature to try and say what that law used to require, whether that
law is going to be changed, and whether there's some things that we could do, but I don't believe it would apply to our adopting a new sharet because that's not a law.
>> Understood. Um and the second question is um how can we modify the process the submittal process? There has been unfortunately a lot of bad pro you know press foral like we have been portrayed now like
anti with anti-semitism and whatnot. Uh, and one of the like I believe it was in the Herald >> Mhm. >> that it was said that the project was presented to the community back in April of last year. You were saying now that
you did you guys didn't hear anything about it. So I don't know if they're saying oh yes because we presented to the you know cordina group and then therefore so what I'm saying what what I'm trying to to ask is
this is not a garage conversion large projects should have a different process so what what can be done to adjust the process to the impact and the scale you know how
that that is. Thank you. >> Yeah, I mean we can discuss that. But so because the developer, you know, you guys when you're talking about the media and they're interviewing different individuals and different entities, the developer is going to say things that spins it in the way they want it to be
portrayed. So I mean, I'm not sure. I'm just, you know, I'm just guessing here. So maybe the developer is saying that to say, "Oh, what are they complaining about? We introduced this to the community in April." Right? Now, they might be think they might be saying that because they first
came to fill out their application in April, you know. I don't know. I don't know. But that's just what that's just what that is. You it's it's it's difficult to be able to control when the media is asking different questions of different entities, what that entity is going to
say, especially if they're opposite of you, especially if they're trying to spin a narrative against you. Right? So, that's just what that is. As far as the process, um, we can discuss that, but the process until it's done, we don't we don't get it. And I think that if we
were to get if we were to get the information peacemeal before it was complete, I think that might be something that would even cause us more confusion throughout the community because things can change through throughout the application
process all the time because throughout the application process, the applicant just like a residential applicant for anything that they're trying to do, they talk to the building department back and forth because the applicant usually doesn't understand the code, right? So they're like, "Oh, well, can I do this? Oh, I want to do this. Well, you can't
do that, or this is going to be a variance, or you can't do this, or this is a special exception, or you can't do this." So, that all happens before it even gets to us, but we can look at that. We can look at that and see what we can adjust to try to streamline it more and um and do it
like that. All right. I appreciate all of you guys. Do I have any questions or comments from the vice? I have a comment >> uh just to speak to and I apologize if my voice sounds a little different. I have my wisdom teeth removed recently. It's been an experience, but I'm still
here. Uh so someone asked about who's the negotiator. So I definitely am not the negotiator because I haven't had any sort of meaningful interactions with the developers beyond what has been um in a public forum. As far as transparency is
concerned, same line I don't know the developers have only spoken to them in the public uh forum where my council to them was to go back and hold those public hearings because I think that's
that should be the process. Um what happened in this room during the two public hearings, one of them I was able to attend for a short period of time is exactly what should happen. You should have the opportunity to say this is what I don't like about the project. They should be able to answer those questions
candidly through that exchange back and forth. That process sounds difficult, but you should come out with negotiated terms. just elements that the developer knows that you're not happy with and ways that they can improve and
information that the village is able to obtain as to how we can move closer towards a solution that more that more or less works for everyone. Um so that what you're experiencing now is like the painful
process of progress. We are progressing along this this journey of figuring out what should be on the site, what should it look like. I think the failure is that there is no framework for us to then analyze those negotiated terms that
are coming from these meetings. So essentially it feels as though you are screaming into the same void over and over again saying the same things and there is no progress. Um, so with that being said, I have a just a couple of
questions. Um, has the manager had the opportunity to meet with the developers and talk about um, some of the more uh, some of the concepts or themes that have been repeated throughout these meetings. Have you had an opportunity to meet with
the developers? >> No, I have not. >> Okay. Um, and then Mr. Mayor, you mentioned that you provided the developers with a a list of conditions. >> Yes. >> Um I just want an idea of like how those
conditions or that list was compiled. Um and based on what input that that would be helpful? >> No, it was based on um what I felt that would be impacted, things that would be impacted from this development. So I put a list together that said that I think
these should be considered. So, I looked at that list as like I said, I sent it back to them um after we got the site plan. It was back in December. Okay. >> So, I sent them that list as like the beginning of the negotiations, right? I sent them that list so that you know because they don't they're not from here. So, they don't have an idea of
what anything we might need. Like, for example, my number nine, and I'm not going I'm going to get right back to you. I don't want to cut you up, but my number nine on the list is street repair, street resurfacing on the streets that may be impacted by the increased number of automobiles related to the school. So I put from North Miami
Avenue through all the way east that 88th, 87th, 86, 89th, 90th Street should all be resurfaced because of the cars that might be brought to the neighborhood. So that's that's my number
nine. So just things that I thought about just picturing the school and what would be impacted. Um that's how I put that list. Like my number two is is about the live local act. My number two is whatever your current wherever wherever the current zoning that they
would need because I don't want to set precedent that this zoning would sunset. It would sunset if the project fails so that it wouldn't just exist for somebody else to come in there and put some some monstrosity. So if their
project fails, the zoning would sunset. So, I have different things and like my number, you know, different things like my my number three is to bring the the um the sewage down from Miami Shores down northeast second because they wanted to bring it down norththeast. They wanted to bring it down the
alleyway or northeast first or north west. Yeah. Northeast first. They want to bring out the alleyway or northeast first because Wisdy was telling them that's much cheaper for them because bringing out Northeast Second the way they had to disrupt traffic, >> you know, in Northeast Second's busy in
the daytime. >> No, I I'm not I'm not My assertion isn't that the list is not a good list. I'm saying that it's a unilateral one. Um, so if you profered the list in December, this would have been before there had
been any sort of meaningful input from the residents as to what their sticking points might be, which, you know, it's it's a great list, but it might not be the list that moves you closer to finding what is that >> what is that sweet spot that brings
forth a quality proposal that has elements that works for everyone. I think we might never get there. We will never get there if there's only one person kind of managing that that
feedback. And on my end, um I think that this is something that rises to the significance and importance that we need to have all hands on deck and specialists involved. So I do think it's
a process that needs to be spearheaded by the manager and inclusive of some of the professionals that are available to us through Greenspoon Martyr and then there be a dossier created um and discussed with the individual members of
the council so that we can have one cohesive voice as to what it is the residents are saying that doesn't work right because at the end of the day the answer to the question is I repres represent you guys, right? I want you to tell me what doesn't work. I will never
know it if you don't tell me. So, or if we don't create the forum. We created the forum and you guys told us. So, now what what do we do with that information? I feel the frustration in the room because you're like, "Hey, I told you like what are you going to do?"
So, we need to now move on to the next level, which is take that information and instead of having these ad hoc meetings um with residents kind of just like I met with Adam, I met with Adam, our negotiating position is weakened by
that. We need to figure out what it is that is the big ask because it is not our job to make Adam Newman's business case. He already has. He He's coming here for a reason. He's purchased the property for a reason. It is not our job to make ourselves more uh uh desirable.
We are already desirable. It is our job to figure out what is our strategic interest and how do we advocate for that now and aggressively and boldly. Um and we need to do that with one strong voice. It is not up to a single resident or a single council member. It is a
concerted action that needs to take place and it needs to be one that's coordinated among members of the body, members of the community for us to find one voice. And what our big big ask is and it in my opinion cannot be $100,000. This is ridiculous. Um but there are
multiple fronts where different people have told us entry points that might make them uh more amendable to the project. It is also not my job to make the project work for you. It is just to figure out is there a middle ground? Is there a number? Is there a public space?
Is there a number of spots at this school for for kids that live here? Is it the financial contribution? Is it the built environment? What is it? But it needs to be a bold big aggressive ask. And it's not something that we're going
to get to if there's one person creating a list. We need to all create the list. We need to have it be managed by a manager who's seen a lot of developments and also others who are involved in the development space. We need to talk to
the live local specialists. Um and we need to fear not because Elportal is desirable. The developer wants to build the project. We need to figure out what our terms are. So when we look back at this moment, we know what our interest
was. We know that we advocated it advocated for it zealously and we got exactly what it is that we wanted. >> Thank you very much. Let me just say very very quickly. So when a developer comes into Alberta, like I said, they had they don't have an idea of what our
culture is about, you know, what we're focusing on and things like that. So that list was like a beginning point for everything. And you know these developers like I said they had to go through they have to go through three or four meetings and these developers
they can speak to anyone right and and any anyone could say that they think there could be contingencies. There might be some that says that there shouldn't be contingencies but once that gets out there then through talking everything starts to kind of come
together. Now developers from that list they started to get their ideas. Now, they didn't come back to me and say they agree with everything. I haven't been negotiating from there. I just sent that to them. They haven't they didn't even give me an email response of, "Yeah,
number one looks good or no, number two or no." The only way that I know they looked at my list was that when we were at the town halls and things and then there was like some slide that showed some things they're starting to willing to give. I was like, "Oh, that kind of sounds like my number five, but like
half of it or that sounds like my number eight, but like a quarter of it." But regardless, this is a long process. And a development agreement, understand, is a separate vote from the site plan.
All right? It's a separate vote. So those both those things need to happen simultaneously, but there are two separate things. But I agree with you, Madam Vice Mayor. No, I'm just saying that sometimes when you when you create a starting point, you got to hit the right note from the very beginning. And
I'm only saying this because we have had the experience with something that you negotiated prior where there were unintended consequences of that that were not appreciated at that time. So I just believe that to make sure that we avoid those pitfalls in the future, we
need to make sure that the right people are looking at the right things at the right time. Lest we be here um at some point in the future kind of lamenting what it is that was an opportunity that we let go by or a pitfall that we were
not able to correctly perceive. >> What negotiation were you talking you talking about a vista with the Yes. >> affordable housing? Yes. >> Yes. So, the the visa development um understand the live local act didn't exist um or or the affordable housing uh
aspect of that didn't exist when that came to be when that was being negotiated. That didn't exist. Also what I did with the kavista was I I existed or I uh negotiated and we did with the finances of it which is the development
agreement part that has nothing to do with the developers applying for affordable housing. That's that's different through the live local act part of it with the affordable housing. >> It's not anything to get sensitive about. It's just for the people in the
room. I think we are all better served. I think we should all ask our elected officials to be more collaborative. I think we should want this process to be guided by professionals. Um, and that's where I stand on it. And I think it's
it's not uh it's not an out of the box idea. And if you were to look at how other deals of this type are analyzed, it would be more in the fashion of what I'm I'm describing. But that's my my last comment. >> No, I appreciate you. I appreciate you. Just for the record, understand that the
live local act wasn't in place when the kavista um was was negotiated that came afterwards. Okay. Uh anybody else comments, questions? >> Yeah. Um so in the fourth hour of good and welfare, I just have to say this
seems to me like a u a failed meeting. We are going to have another three-hour discussion at the next meeting. We are going to absolutely talk about every single thing that was talked about tonight again. and I am beyond frustrated into other terms at how this
meeting's gone tonight. That's my first 45 seconds. I'll take the next 45 seconds to let you guys know that uh I have no animosity whatsoever towards these developers. Um I met with Lauren twice. I met with Mr. Jeff once
and both both uh individually with her, individually with him, and I let them both know all of my concerns uh right out of the gate and let them know what they were probably going to expect as far as push back from the residents. So, uh I'll just tell you that I'm the only
person who's voted no twice to end this project twice and have gotten zero support. And um the reasons for that primarily are uh honestly the wall that wall is a problem. Uh the president that
that wall will set is all by itself a non-starter for me personally. Uh beyond that um in most of their public facing uh media they only mention Miami Shores. They do not mention El Porttowal. Uh and in addition to that uh one of the
residential properties they bought had renting residents in it for more than 30 years in Elportal and they have been evicted and uh they don't even have a site plan approval for that site yet. There is absolutely no reason to give those residents of 30 years 60 days notice to get out of El Portell.
That to me is uh is a uh stance by a developer that uh I uh will do everything in my power to prevent them from from uh from putting their will upon us to be perfectly honest. So I have no animosity towards the school or
the project. The design itself I think the building looks beautiful but no one's ever going to see it. It's going to be behind an 8 foot wall that's technically illegal. Um so that's where I'm at on that. And then I'll just remind everybody that uh as we talk about Tallahassee taking
rights from people like this body right here uh to be able to govern for the residents the best way we see fit. I'm just going to remind you your governor used imminent domain to build a modern concentration camp in the
county you live in with more than a thousand souls missing. I don't even know what it is we're talking about or why we're doing anything right now other than rectifying that situation. So, um I have no animosity whatsoever toward the developers. I voted no twice. I will
vote no again. That's it. >> Thank you very much. Uh any other questions or comments? >> I have a few. Mr. Geller, appreciate your interpretation today. I just had a quick questioner question about Can you not hear me? It might be I'll have to talk
really close to it. Is that okay now? All right. Um, so your explanation tonight on 8:33 didn't pass. 182 did pass, but going to the governor, not Lette. They appreciate that. Um, I just want to get your interpretation on the language because I heard something and I
I just want to make sure I heard it correctly. Um, will the school be able to construct a building at the radar church site circumventing the council's approval process and therefore development agreement through that law?
Arguably, if the law becomes law, let's start with that. It might not, and maybe that jury is still out on that. If the law becomes law as it currently is perhaps, but as I pointed out to you
when I first got it before even the research, there are two special sessions, maybe a third coming up before the effective date of the law. And depending on how the public reacts to it, not just
the public in Alpert, but across the state at another grab of power by the legislature preempting local government. It is possible, maybe not likely, but certainly possible
that the special session call could be amended to include another bill that clarifies some problems with this. If the bill as passed by
the Senate, having been adopted, got through the House, if it goes into law, if it's signed by the governor, if there's not a revisitation of it during a special session, three big ifs, then
possibly the answer is yes. But it talks about mixed use. It talks about commercial. I'm more comfortable discussing that with our planning consultants even
though I know a lot about planning and zoning law. But as to this specific code and that um particular sector, I mean it is directly across the street from something that's not residential.
But it at least the summary of it I've seen and I dove into the bill itself but again pretty short notice councilman. Um the if it's considered if that zone is
considered strictly residential that might give us a handhold to try to fight it. But I'm not sure that zone is considered strictly residential because properties along Northeast 2nd Avenue.
Some of them are at this point already commercial, including the one across the street from them. I don't know that that's going to be a handhold or if you want to call it a quote loophole, but I don't give up on that until we do more
research on it and see if that's the law that gets signed into effect. So, the answer to your question is possibly yes. It would allow them, if the law passes the way it is, to disregard
our code because the legislature is preempting us. But I don't consider it completely a lost cause until we do more research. >> So, as the bill was written, it said it would be applied July 1st, assuming the
governor signs it. But July 1st also means that if it does pass at that point, um they can possibly move forward and we get no development agreement. We get nothing. they can just build it as if the way it's it's if it passes and
the way it's written >> that is a correct statement presuming that it is interpreted as the sponsors no doubt intended it to
be but just because that's what they expect of it as was pointed out we have a right to challenge these things in court I'm not at the point of giving up hope on saying that we could not try to fight to defend our code. But yes,
you're correct. If it goes that route, we would also lose what leverage we might have if that interpretation that they intend was upheld. >> Appreciate that. All right. Um so I'm
going to move forward with um what I was going to say earlier. Um and uh first I want to thank everyone who spoke today. Um it is important that the residents are always involved and this but this item obviously was not on the agenda. Um and I want to know let everyone know
this is a quasi judicial matter. Um and I we were asked many times how we're going to vote on a quasi judicial matter. Am I correct uh uh attorney Geller that it's it's not appropriate for us to say how we're going to vote ahead of time? >> That's correct. It would be people can
make conditional statements but quasi judicial matters must be decided on the basis of the evidence that's put into the record at the meeting and so one should not state unequivocally
how you're going to vote. However, saying that if due consideration is not given to residents concerns or if appropriate agreements or arrangements are not made
that someone does not intend to support it is probably permissible. >> Okay. Thank you so much. So, I have three pages of one line each thanking every single person and talking to them about what they said. I know everyone
wants to get home to their families. I'm hungry. Um, I just wanted to make a few really quick statements. Um, it was said on the stand that my wife created a meeting. Thank you, Edna, for coming up and saying that we did not. My wife created a chat group um that everyone in
all of is welcome to join. She also gave away the admin rights to multiple people in Albertal and they communicate on it and there's not pro or con one way or the other. It's allows them to speak with each other. Um, I want to make sure that it's it's on the record that we're not trying to go around the council or
we're trying to create any kind of special meetings, but we do want everyone in Elberttown to be able to communicate with each other because we know that some people who were in certain chat groups were um ostracized and kicked out because they didn't have the same opinion even if they weren't vocal about it. Um, and I think it's
important that we learn to be I mean, forget the pun, unavorably against our neighbors, right? So, uh, Velvet said it great tonight where we have to understand this is going to go a lot longer after this whole soulful thing is over. We are still neighbors. We still have to be able to be accountable to
each other. Um, lastly, uh, I did watch the Bay Harbor meeting, um, which attorney Geller was the attorney over there and it was mentioned a few times tonight. Um, I think the the biggest issue I heard from their council was when they wanted to
put the school temporarily in Bay Harbor, there was a police station in front of it and if they ever had an emergency, the police cars had to leave, there might be buses in front of that police station blocking their exit. And that was why there is some opposition in Bay Harbor and that was also on the
record. Am I correct? >> Yes, sir. >> Thank you. Um, everyone here tonight, if you spoke, um, I would love to speak with you and tell you, um, my thoughts here, but I know everyone wants to get home. Again, thank you for coming out tonight. That'd be all for myself.
>> Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Um, you guys good? All right. Attorney Geller, do we have any reports? >> I think my comments covered the attorney's report. Thank you, Mayor. >> All right. Thank you very much. Do I have a motion to adjurnn? >> So moved.
>> Moved by council person life. Second by Vice Mayor Martin. All in favor say I. I. >> All oppose say nay. Hearing none. The council meeting for Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 is adjourned at 10:31 p.m. Thank
you guys very much.