So, good evening everyone. If you could make your way to a spot and we'll get the show on the road. We have a rather lengthy agenda and all of you don't have to sit here all night, but we do. And if you'd like to sit with us all
night, that's okay, too. So, I'd like to call the city council presentation agenda to order. And for the record, today is Tuesday, July 22nd, 2026, and it's now
5:05 p.m. So, we just have a couple of presentations tonight to recognize a couple of folks who have served the city and we have a lot of folks who serve on committees and aren't necessarily
recognized or known, but these two folks have served for many, many years as special magistrates for the city of Homestead. They kind of sat as judges for um code enforcement issues and and reconsideration. And uh I know one of
them has a reputation of being pretty tough. I say, "You go, girl." But we we want to stop for a moment recognize um the service by a couple of folks to the community. Is Pastor Styles here? I
don't So come on in. So Karen Jenkins and and Michael Styles, Pastor Styles, we'd like to recognize you both with just a little certificate from the city. Um certificate of recognition presented
uh to each of you. Well, now Karen, Pastor Styles. So tonight, in sincere appreciation and recognition of each of your years of dedicated service as a special magistrate for the city of Homestead, your commitment to upholding justice,
fairness, and integrity has made a meaningful impact on our community. So on behalf of uh myself, the council, and all the residents of Homestead, we present you this small token and and thank you for your unwavering dedication
and valuable contributions to our city. not a big speaker, but I I do um I'm thankful for this award. I've been doing this for the last uh four years and I'm I'm just I love our city and my way of giving back was being able to u make
sure that our city was being protected with you know all the fines and that needed to be paid or if I was able to help somebody I could but um that just shows that you know I do it from my heart and I'm thankful for everybody that has supported me who's um when I
say Crystal was my original person that actually hired me and everybody else and the whole council and everything. I'm always here. I'm always willing to help. So, thank you everybody. >> I think I've been here a little longer.
20 just a little bit longer. 2020 whenever it was approached for this opportunity. I was like, nah, my wife already told me I'm going on political anything political. So I respect her from that. But this gave me an
opportunity to serve our community. Um I'm appointed I took it to heart. Um I didn't just look at the responsibilities that was to shape our community to better our community. But I also went to Pinerest. I took my own time to study to
show myself approve as a preacher coming out. And as Karen can tell you, it was a sacrifice. We can't go eat in our communities. We can't just be out in the public because if you find someone and they want to have their revenge, you're
exposed tonight. I know that council is getting ready to make a decision. Whatever decision they make, I'm a resident of the city of Homestead. I love the city of Homestead. I'm here with a bittersweet moment. I'm just going to go ahead and try to get out real quick. The
time and effort that went into being a trusted hearing master is not just an office, but it's an honor. It's a privilege. I've gone through one, two, three,
three managers with code enforcement. Seen our community change. When you cross 8th Street coming into Homestead, you can see a difference. I know I'm I'm known as a nononsent.
Karen can have compassion. Me, when it comes down to littering in my city, I have no compassion. My concern tonight is that whatever the decision is, I hope to God that we have someone that will stand in the position
of making the right decision that's based upon our residents of our community, not based upon getting paid. Because Karen and myself can tell you what the city has diligently given us. can't take our time or being able to
review our own cases, making sure we're fair by other people. When you get someone sitting in a position, sometimes it's not based upon justice or compassion, but not knowing folks like Sister Mallerie who lives down on the south end of town who husband died and
now she has a code enforcement that we got to be fair with. not knowing someone that has just opened their business and didn't understand the knowledge or wisdom of being able to be compliant to the orders or within the ordinances that we as residents and I say we because if
you're sitting here in this council you voted for these ordinances me and Karen had to study these ordinances but also have compassion to deliver in fair and just on each side as we move forward with this here decision whatever the city wants
As the Bible say, run unto season, let us do unto season. But council be reminded the citizens put you in position and the citizens have the last say. Have a great day. Okay. Well, that concludes our
presentation ceremony this evening. Again, thank you again both to Pastor Michael Styles and and Karen Jenkins who I've both known at least seven or eight years. I want to thank them for their service and all that they have done. And again, as the pastor said, the
sacrifices they made, I was thinking when you said your wife said, you know, you're not going to be thinking about any any political stuff. Well, the last place you want to sit if you're thinking about running for office one day is in
the seat you sat in in those in those hearings. And it takes a special commitment and uh integrity and view of the city to to do that. So again, thank you both. Well, good evening everyone and welcome.
It's still Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026. I won't vouch that it'll still be the 22nd when we leave here tonight, but uh I'd like to call the regular city of Homestead City Council meeting to order. It is now
5:15 p.m. And um let's see, what's that? No. Okay. Oh yeah, you're going to Yeah. Um this evening we will have the um invocation
uh by Councilman Ksky followed by the Homestead Police Explorers with the Pledge of Allegiance. Everyone, please stand. Please join me in prayer. Most gracious heavenly father, we commit this day to
you. We give you praise, honor, and glory for all that you're doing and all that yet to be done. We ask a special blessing over the city of Homestead, over the leaders, over this meeting tonight, over the discussions and the business that will be before us. Father,
we ask for guidance. We ask for discernment. We ask for leadership, wisdom, and Father, we just thank you and praise you for what you're doing in this mighty city. We give you all honor, praise and glory in Jesus name. Amen. >> We have the police explorers.
Forward, right, right, left, left, left, right, right, right, left, left, right, Councilwoman,
>> please join me in the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Forward march. >> Thank you all. Please be seated. Madam clerk, we have a roll call, please. Councilman Ksky >> here. >> Councilman Cannibal >> here. >> Councilwoman Abula >> here.
>> Councilman Ross >> here. >> Councilman Fletcher >> here. >> Vice Mayor Bailey. >> Mayor Losner >> here. >> Thank you, Madame Clerk. Um, next is a public comment section of the agenda. I
will first take those who have pre-registered in the order in which uh you were clocked in, which is what I'm trying to do right now to get these these registration sheets in uh in the order
of time. Uh first up, Eddie Garza, to come forward and give us your name and address for the record and uh your comments this evening. Good afternoon, mayor, board. My name is Eddie Garza. I live at 101 Northeast
19th Street, Homestead, Florida. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today. I'll be speaking in support of Coach John Dracon. And I wanted to first commemorate his life and his legacy. Coach Dracon recently passed away and it was a huge loss for the community. I had the honor of being one
of his football players way back in the day, my time at South A. And that man saved so many lives, so many young people who he would not let anything become an obstacle for them achieving opportunity to play on the football field. Whether that became economics,
whether that was academics, whatever it took, Coach Dandre Khan ensured that youth that wanted to play football at South A had a chance and he saved countless lives. I believe we should commemorate his life and legacy by renaming Harris Field into something that's appropriate and that would be in
alignment with his family's wishes. Again, I honor I honor him by being here today. We're going to miss you a lot, coach. And I thank you all for listening. God bless you guys. Thank you, Eddie. All right, Mr. Bellow
and Rank A. Bellow, also known to most of us as Henry, you're up. Come on down. Thank you for the time to talk about something that you folks have been considering. We have a property for a
long time at uh in front of the park uh right adjacent to Chrome Avenue and u uh your professionals have actually told us what to do and they have
formulated a a plan to to build a single uh story building which at this time is uh commercial 1A which is basically offices but it is our uh my understanding that perhaps you uh are considering something a little different
for the properties that are adjacent to pro. Now if you are uh you can check professionals. The building is going to be pretty. It's not going to be a big building, but uh we would like to request and ask for your
permission to Can you hear me? Uh to build uh Thank you. Thank you. to build u a sort of a star pine type of uh uh bakery
uh that would serve well to be right in front of the park. um uh it will be done with uh class in be pretty uh and the reason why I'm talking today is that if you're considering it, it'd be a lot easier to
right off the bat build it in such a way that it would accommodate uh the plumbing and all the engineering that requires uh for such a uh a business to uh to be in action, you know. And uh
other than that uh uh I think it would be a great idea in the sense that it's right next to Rome. uh it's right in front of the park and uh the main reason was that if your
vision is to do such a thing be a lot easier to do it uh with your permission right up front than for me to build it for us to build it and later have to break the pavement and stuff to to provide for uh all the uh uh the lines
that are necessary for now Uh if you want to really know what we're doing, your professionals have already a sketch of uh what we're going to do, which is going to be uh nice. It's not going to be uh big. Like I said, one story. And
with that, I I end my uh my comments. And uh hope that you folks uh uh if you're going to do something like that that uh I'm allowed to do it right up front, which will be a lot easier and a lot cleaner. Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you. >> Appreciate it. >> Mayor Mayor, >> good to hear. Positive comments. Councilman Roth. >> Just a clarification. What property are we talking about? >> Due north of the Dickinson Center that fronts Chrome Muscle White Park.
>> Oh, that vacant lot that's on vac. >> Yes. >> Okay. Perfect. Thanks. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. Next is uh is it Vitali Falovver? Okay,
good evening. Welcome. If I butchered your name, my apologies. >> Uh my name is Povich, 9280 Southwest 167 Terrace, Palmet Bay, Florida. I wanted to I came in contact with um we go police department. You guys have
one of the many police departments in South Florida. Not a lot. Did you see what you get to see when you go police department and it comes from you and your administration, the the city manager hiring a great police chief. As you look at the budget for the next
year, I ask that you look closely for the police department and give them a little bit money so they're able to continue to do what they do. It's hard to do their job and I definitely don't want to be doing their job. and I'm very grateful come here and do my be and know
that no matter what time I come here that I feel safe when I'm in homestead. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. All right. Luna Alvarado. >> Good evening. Uh 1460 Southeast uh 75th
Avenue. Uh, good evening, mayor, vice mayor, council members, city manager, members of the homestead community. My name is Looney Salvarado, and I'm the founder, executive director of the People's Project Foundation. First, I would like to thank you for your continued service and dedication to the residents of Homestead. I truly
appreciate the opportunity to speak with you this evening. I'm here tonight to ask you for your support on an initiative that is about much more than a single event. It's an investment in the children and families of our community. On Saturday, August 8th, 2026 from 2 to 6 at Aren Park, the People's
Project Foundation would like to partner with the city of Homestead in hopes to host our back to school bash with the goal of serving approximately 800 students and their families. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and community partners, families will receive free backpacks full of school supplies while supplies last, connect
with community services and service providers, and have access to educational and health information. We also hope to provide uh school uniform shirts and shoes on a first come first- serve basis as well as free gas vouchers for families attending the event that will be redeemable at our local 7-Eleven
at 6:30 after the back to school event. For many families, the resources provide much needed relief during one of the most expensive times of the year. More importantly, they help ensure that every child begin the school year feeling prepared, confident, and supported. Tonight I respectfully ask for your continued partnership whether through
helping us spread the word, volunteering, connecting with us with additional partners or attending the event uh providing financial support and also your involvement will help us reach more families and make an even even greater impact. Together we can show our children that homestead is a community
that believes in them and is willing to invest in their future. And on behalf of the People's Project Foundation, our volunteer sponsors, and hundreds of families, we hope to serve and thank you for your time, your leadership, and your continued support. Uh we hope you can partner with us on August 8th at Oser
Park. And God bless you. >> Thank you. And I'm sure each one of us individually will be in touch. Thank you. Okay. Um Pastor Styles, you registered. If you're still here, have you said your peace? believe I've made it aware of
the commitment and the love that I have for our community. I became the pastor St. Paul. Let me tell first I got to back protocol. First of all, honor every last one of our elected officials. Um, my address is 3106 Northeast Third Drive,
Homestead, Florida 33033. In 201 13, I made a decision um to follow what Christ told me to follow, and that is to lead the historical church here within our
community with dignity, with honor, and with respect. Um, in doing so, we collaborated and made it possible for us to build a relationship politically, spiritually, and mentally for our community, which
came along with some more tasks. I've been through a whole bunch of councilmen since I've been here. And every last one of them, no matter where you in your district and you call St. Paul or myself, we come to serve. And that's what I love about being here in
Homestead. I come from a little small community, St. Simon's Island, Georgia. Most of you don't even know where that's at, but if you look it up, it's a small wealthy community. And one thing we take pride is in this community. In 2020,
when I was approached to come off SWAT, which I love, Councilwoman Bailey, thank you for all you've done for the Southwest District and what you continue to do. To Councilman Roth, thank you for your service and all you have done. And I can only say thank you to them because
I work and Mr. Fletcher, thank you because I've worked with them since I've been here. Um, as I step to the position of being honored to serve our community, not in the political arena, but in the way that we can change our community with the the
decor and things that we're doing in the community. And I was honored because I knew that our community needed someone to enforce but also have the compassion to judge. Did I want that position? Uh I didn't want to leave you, Miss Bailey. Uh but
our community needed a change. Today we'll be voting or you'll be making a decision on whether you want to go towards a different route. You want to be able to continue to include me and my
colleague as residents of this community that loves our community that respects our community and we work together with one another. I watch Karen's de uh cases to make sure that whatever comes behind
her will be honored so no one slips between the cracks. I ask that you please take that consideration as you've done before and you said that we would be godfatherred in but now we come to another decision that we put so much of our efforts into learning what our community needs. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Pastor Styles. All right, next um registrant is Robert Mulling. And I can actually say Robert is here. >> Sorry. >> [snorts] >> Good evening. >> Even welcome.
>> Thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak of a dear dear friend and uh one I think all of you would be proud of to have anything named after him but his life was football. Don
uh in 1990, no when was it? 2001, I sat before the same commission, I was many different commissioners trying to get the stadium name, Don Drink Stadium. And with the 911 thing that happened that
same day that I was in that room with the commissioners, with all the other people and uh it kind of went by the side and there was different said about Don that were so untrue just for it not to go.
Uh when I was 16 years old, I went out for football in South A and now I'm drinking is then the coach and was the coach then. And he said, "Young men, come to practice.
We'll find a spot for you on the team. You miss one practice, you're gone." We just merged with Maze High School and we have too many athletes. Not all of us could have a spot. You'd have to earn the spot. My daddy
the very next day wanted me to come to work and I had to come to work. He needed needed me to work on the farm. And I came back the day after that. My whole locker room locker was cleaned out.
I said, "Coach, what's going on?" He said, "I told you you missed one game, one one practice, you're gone. We don't have room for you." Didn't set too well from a 16-year-old, but I understood. Well, time went on,
never even seeing coach Don Drinkon at the time anymore. I kind of wrote them all. Well, it turned it I got married, had children,
and two of my boys wanted to play football. And when my older one graduated junior high, whatever that's called when you pass on high school, I brought Brandon up to coach Ring to introduce myself. He said, "I know who you are."
[clears throat] and uh I introduced him to my son and is there anything you can do for him between the end of junior high and the beginning of senior high? He never played football before. He
played economy a little bit but really that's not football but uh he worked him out in the work in the weight room as a non he was in wasn't a first year high school. was pre high school and he would
do that for a football player and Brandon worked his butt off and proved that he could stick up with anybody that's playing football and coach Drink has such he had such respect for him. He would use my son as
a [snorts] as a as a icon of what you want to work how hard you want to work to get what you want. And then my uh my little son, he came up three years later. He did the same thing and he got
in there and he actually he did real good and uh they played they played football for him, learned life skills, learned what it means to be a man. When they
when they graduated, Coach Rinkcon had films for them to take to their future colleges. Coach Rink would send them to them and he would send films of other students from other high schools here.
Uh several high schools that the coaches didn't didn't pro promote to football players and coach wanted to get education. Anything he can do to get kids in school, anything he can do to keep them, he would pay their damn insurance that the mother and father
wouldn't even know they playing football. They didn't care about paying for their insurance. You got to have a little insurance money. I'm sure Joel Fernar is here. He can tell you more about that. But if there's any way possible, we can put our town's name on
the line and have that man's name honored. honor. It It's just such a I saw him in in a home in South Carolina. I would go visit him two or three times a year and he couldn't even walk. They had a walker
for him this thing and he heard I was his son told him that I'm coming in and I rang the doorbell. He got up in the damn chair and walked right to the door and uh it was just it was just he's an honor to know him. There was some things they said about
color drink on was absolutely color mine. He kicked me off the team as quick as anybody and and uh and it just he was just a man. [clears throat] All of us respect him. They never knew him. If you had the opportunity to know
coach, you know what I'm talking about. >> And I appreciate the opportunity. Hope we make the right decision. >> Thank you. Hey. Um, Sherry. >> Hello, >> Mayor Council members, city manager. I
was um >> Could you move the microphone closer >> or stand closer? >> Is that better? >> Much better. >> Okay. I was here about um item number 28. I am a city of Homestead electric utility customer. However, I do not
reside in the city of Homestead. I know that we would not be included in this ballot. I know it's a survey from the residents and I wanted your guidance on how my voice could be heard in this decision. >> That's part of the discussion that I'm
sure is going to be had later in the evening when we talk about this. Um, I understand that there are perhaps concerns and we're going to have that discussion. >> Okay. Would that be under tab 28? >> Tab 28. Okay. >> Later.
>> Thank you. >> Okay. All right. Um, was John going to speak? John was registered as well. John Ader. Why not? Right. Hi, >> thank you for the opportunity, Councilman. Um, I've only been an
apprentice. I represent the utilities department. I've been a lineman apprentice for the past three months. I can tell you in that time, just the things I've learned from them, the things that we've done for the city coming in at 2:00 in the morning. Our response time has been nothing but the best. I know this talks about selling is very concerning. Being me, I'm young,
trying to get into this career. I've learned countless things from all them. We come in every day. We bust our butts. We're here at 2:30 in the morning fixing power. We're here all night working all night. I just wanted to It just raises concerns for me being young trying to only 21 years old trying to get my life
together. And you know, just seeing these things. Don't want to go on FPL, but I'd like to stay within the city. This is where I grew up. This is where I enjoy. This is where my pride is. My father grew up here. My grandfather grew up here. You know, I've been My family's been down here since the 50s, and I like to keep staying down here much longer.
That's all I have to say. Very good. Let me just go ahead and say because I know some of you may or may not be here because it's very late in the agenda and I was going to preface my remarks this evening by, you know, my placement of this discussion on the agenda is in no
way a reflection upon anyone in the utilities department from the director all the way down to the newest hire. It is not a reflection on your commitment, your capability. um your viability and your your
commitment to the city. Um you know, we'll get into that further this evening, but I want to be really clear that at least from my perspective, not a reflection on anyone who is is part of our homestead family in that department. >> Yes, sir.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. That seems to be everyone who has pre-registered. Is there anyone else in the audience who would like to make a public comment on any issue?
Come on down and give us your name and address for the record, please. >> Good evening. Welcome. >> Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Councilman. My name is Natasha Mathan. I live at 128 Northeast. Sorry, 12.
I forgot my address. 128 Northeast 26 Terrence Homestead, Florida. I am a city a citizen of the city of Homestead, born and raised. And I'm just up here today to spread awareness about a judicial candidate that is running for a judge in the 11th judicial circuit. Her name is
Yanth J. Carmen Bias. She has served the citizens of Miami Day County for the past nine years as an assistant state attorney serving the citizens and um fighting for the victims of crimes in our county. um she would serve the the she would be a great asset to the county
and I just wanted to come here and take a few moments to acknowledge her. Let the city of Homestead know about her. She is judicial candidate 128 on the ballot and thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you. Thanks for coming out this evening. Anyone else in the audience? Walter,
come on down. Walter Jenkins, 4075 Northeast 15th Street, Homestead, Florida. Thank you, council. We appreciate everything that you do both here and away from this uh dis. Um I just want to give you a quick update with regards to uh we can all
race and you guys have done an amazing job to support that in our community as we have a number of drivers that are coming out of the racing area. Uh, one of our drivers actually just broke a record in Europe and uh, defeated every
European driver in uh, under 10 category and that's never been done by anyone, let alone an American in the sport of racing. So, thank you for the way in which you support that uh, in our community. We also have other drivers in North Carolina doing other things as you know as well. I just wanted to give you
an update that your support of that foundation has been uh, intrical and we're grateful for it. So, uh, thank you for continuing your support. God bless you. >> Thank you, Walter. >> Not neither. Before we go to the online, is there anyone else? Last chance or
we're going to go to the folks uh who are waiting online. So, seeing none here in person, who do we have online this evening? >> Brandy Ramirez, mayor. >> Good evening, Brandy. Please go ahead. >> M. Ramirez, please go ahead.
You need to unmute yourself. >> Can you hear me now? >> We can. Yes. Thank you. >> Thank you, Randy Ramirez, 2231 Southeast First Street. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Thank you very much for allowing me to speak today. I just
wanted to show my support in regards to the renaming of the Harris field to the coach's name, but I also just wanted to uh make a clarification in reference to the item you'll be discussing uh in regards to the private company uh taking
over the uh Harrisfield P3 proposal. If we can please get some clarifications tonight because I understand that that would be a 30-year term. Um, and so I do trust a uh Larry Ross, Erica, Vice Mayor, Jennifer Batty looking into that
long-term length. And if they're in support of it, great because I know that they speak to the community and they hear what the residents would like in regards to Harrisfield. Uh, the other important item I would like to also show support in is in regards to the code
enforcement leadership of Mr. Miles and Miss Karen. great leaders in our community and they have served with compassion. So, I'm hoping our mayor and our council tonight will take into reconsideration and allow them to continue on doing the amazing service
that they do with their hearts. Um, please, you know, just asking for that to continue of those two leaders and also the most important item is tab 28 tonight. if you can please give us clarification now during public comment because I know there's people in the
community that like what like to hear this but I as Brandy Ramirez longtime hometown uh resident of Homestead we support our utility department the men and women that work there Barbara the director uh we don't want this this
shouldn't go on to about our council have the heart you know to know that this shouldn't be there so I'm just asking if you can please make sure that this doesn't um continue to you guys vote away from this. Uh as you saw the young man that spoke, we got a lot
of great men and women there and they they need our support tonight on this matter to not goat about it. And if it does goat about it, then us residents will vote against that. So why should taxpayers money uh go go towards this? So again, I appreciate your time speaking and I also want to thank the
police chief for having an event recently at the church and making it very clear to the community that the Homestead Police Department is here to serve all the persons in the community, including immigrants. and he would gave us some very good clarifications in
regards to um you know the police department not working with ICE and just keeping information updated to the community and letting the community know that not to be afraid to call 911. So thank you again and I wish you guys a blessed evening tonight.
>> Thank you. Anyone else online? Okay, so I will now close the public comment section of the agenda. Before we go forward with some logistical gymnastics on the agenda tonight,
uh Mr. Manager, do we have any additions, deletions, or deferrals? Requested additions, deletions, or deferrals. >> Good evening, Mayor and Council. We do have some additions and some deletions.
Uh I've we have an addendum number one which is car item number 5112 is a collective bargaining agreement reopener for PBL lieutenants. >> Okay. What else? >> We also have addendum number two car
item 5113 collective bargaining agreement reopener PBA police officers detectives surgeons and corrections officers. Then we also have addendum number three, car item number 5137,
non-bining one-time caller for the general employees. >> I believe there is also a couple of withdrawals from the city attorney. >> Uh yes, mayor. Tab number 25, which is
car number 5127. an ordinance dealing with um the uh B3 open air cafe ordinance. Uh Councilman Aval has requested that be pulled. It'll be brought back forward with some modifications uh in September.
>> And one more um tab eight which I will also come back next meeting with some modifications. >> Right. Very good. All right. So, can we do one consolidated motion to start with
to add to the agenda the three add-on items dealing with collective bargaining agreements and then the deferral to a time certain of tabs 8 and 25? >> Yes. Have motion
moved by Councilman Fletcher, seconded by Vice Mayor Bailey. Any questions or comments from councel? Hearing none. All in favor. >> Any opposed? >> Hi. >> Was that
>> Avala? Okay. Um. >> Okay. So, uh, any any particular one, Councilwoman, for the record? >> I was saying I in favor might have come to.
>> Oh, okay. Okay. It came in late. It It sounded like your eye was like, "Okay, any objections?" And I guess there's a delay in the transmission. I'm sorry. So, you're >> There is. Yes. And And for the rest of the meeting, I'll try my best to try to be very prompt, but when you click the
button, there is like a slight 10-second delay that might cause that confusion. >> Good to know. I think that's what that's what happened here. Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> All right. So we have some very public oriented
items uh before us tonight. What I would like to do is jump to um tab two which will be the PH discussion
followed by tab 27 which is the U EDC item. Tab 12, the miller rate discussion. Tab 23, the Harrisfield. Councilwoman Ksky, your your item. Uh, move it ahead.
And Councilwoman Avala, following that, if you had anything under your business that's not on the agenda that you would like to to bring forward early in the evening, we'll accommodate that as well. >> Thank you, ma'am.
>> Okay. So, let's move to tab two. This is the first of two public hearings regarding the P3 proposal for a partial renovation and upgrade of Harris Field as proposed by the folks at at Sports
Hub. Good evening and welcome. >> Good evening, mayor, council members. My name is Jav Vasquez. I'm with Gunster Law Firm. Our offices are at 600 BL Avenue and I'm here tonight on behalf of VSGS facilities, better known as PH
Sports Performance Hub. Um, as you know, uh, Sports Performance Hub has submitted an unsolicited proposal for a concession uh, operator agreement calling for the renovation, activation, and programming
uh, of Harrisfield Park. On July 7th, uh this council directed the manager to commence negotiations with the SGS uh related to our P3 P3 proposal on a non-competitive basis. Those conversations have begun and tonight is
the first of two meetings. Tonight is primarily uh intended for public comment and next time we come back it will require a determination by this council u to make a finding of public purpose. Mr. Skavich is here with me as is Mr.
Terry Bros and he is going to give a summary presentation for the benefit of the public and for the benefit of this council as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thanks Javier. Good evening Mayor city council. Great to see you again. Good to
be back here uh on this exciting presentation. Uh we're really excited about having the opportunity to continue partnering with you all to not just build a historic park down at uh at SBH, the main campus, but when we heard about
the city's um desire to reimagine Harris Park, we uh as good partners stepped in and uh made a proposal to invest $5.5 million into the renovation of that stadium, which needs a lot of love and
care. uh that in addition to the 5 a.5 million of capital improvement to renovate that stadium and upgrade it in seating and and lighting and and audio and put up some nice LED boards. uh also
maintain uh that facility on an ongoing basis. Uh which is approximately a million dollars a year in uh maintenance improvement that we would take on privately in addition to the $5.5 million of capital improvements. I'll I'll share the slide that I shared with
you uh previously or the deck. Uh this is Harris Park and the two grass fields next to it. Um the 5 a.5 million just to be clear doesn't improve those grass fields although we will maintain them and upgrade them uh as we go along
throughout the concession agreement. Um and again this is not a a takeover of this park. We will continue to operate it as it is operated today. So, we've met with all the stakeholders that use Harris Park and have assured them that
they will have continued access and we're actually going to encourage more access to these fields in this park uh over the term. Um the the most exciting thing about it is that this uh if if started when we can start in October
will be done by March of 2027 which would effectuate the relocation of Miami Football Club to Homestead in March to begin their season. Um that'll be awesome because it'll bring uh more jobs to the city. All our players will be
living here. Uh our staff will be here obviously as we're building the rest of the development over at the regional park uh in Homestead here which is longer construction project. But in addition to Miami FC playing its games here, we'll also u be working we'll have
a staff to be uh developing soccer tournaments and exhibition games and youth uh youth tournaments which is big business and a big economic impact to the to the city of of Homestead. Lots of heads and beds, lots of eating and
restaurants and and great economic vibrancy. Um, and we think that this will be a special place on Friday nights, Saturday nights, Sunday afternoons for not just live soccer events, but also music concerts, you know, concerts in the park. It'll be a
great asset for the rodeo for the next couple of years until they relocate to to the stadium facility at SBH. Um, so we're pretty excited about it. Uh, this is a nice bird's eye shot of it. Um, so what what the and half billion dollars
does is it puts in a brand new much wider uh field, a brand new synthetic surface, state-of-the-art, the most current generation of artificial surface. It'll be um it'll be a blank.
So, for football games, we'll stripe it for American football. For soccer, we'll stripe it for soccer and it'll be a blank canvas. So, a big chunk of the investment is to widen the field uh and install that state-of-the-art turf. We're going to upgrade upgrade the
lighting to LED lighting, more efficient um lighting, which will also be better for the adjacent neighborhood because it's not the old style lighting that has a lot of leakage past the footprint. We'll be able to laser the lighting right onto the footprint of of the field
and it won't have much spill um outside those white lines. There's a a new LED board which will be put up in in the south end and the north end. So, two LED boards there. Improved seating. Uh we're going to be fixing the the seating
currently is not in great shape. It's deteriorated o over the last, you know, couple of decades. Um and here's another look at it. Another uh upgrade to the stadium is we'll put a club in the north end there. um that that'll be an open
club for a premium more premium experience than general seating. Um here's another view from the other side. This will the renovation will also include um painting and polishing the existing buildings. There's three existing buildings including locker
rooms and and bathrooms and a concession building which will be uh completely renovating along with the the stadium itself. Um here's another view aerial southeast view.
Another view here from the bench side. Uh and the the two grass fields which will we will be maintaining over the period as I said before. Um here's the one of the main entrance ways. So this entrance way will be created and uh
it'll enter into what is going to be a food court. So, we will have um food trucks in this area and kind of a food hall experience for the patrons. We're no no food really exists of this level. So, we're going to upgrade the food
concessions for Miami FC games and for every large event that's going to be held in this uh in this stadium. Here's the other uh main entrance area which enters into um kind of a picnic area for Miami FC games. It will be a beer garden
for music concerts. It might be a special VIP location. Um, here's a entrance walking through that gateway entrance in the food court. So, we'll have a different variety. Our idea is to put different themed food, you know,
Mexican food, uh, Venezuelan food, Cuban food, uh, TMAX, all the different types of, uh, ethnic foods in this area. Good old fashioned burgers and so on and so forth. Um, this is that picnic area and beer garden concept on
the other side. Uh, which will be a great place to view the game as well as entertain during a soccer game or music concert. Here's another view of that picnic area and beer garden. Here's
a shot from the grandstands on the east side uh behind the benches where u the benches and entry tunnel will will come. Another shot. You can see that premium area in the west. This is from the west
grand stand looking to the north. Little bit of a field view here. That's a closer look at that premium area behind the uh this basically it's a suites platform but it's just a a giant gathering area for for premium uh
experience and that's that's it. So we're super excited to partner with the city um you know here to answer whatever questions you may have. Um this will be exciting to bring Miami FC to homestead our final home and get out of FIU. Thank
you. >> Very good. Thank you. Now, just to kind of set the stage, I conceptualize this tonight as an opportunity to take a deeper dive into the concept and the planned renovations and where we might be on dress
addressing some of the brickandmortar concerns that some of us may have had in terms of noise spillover of accommodating those who use the field. uh you know, alternative locations,
those kinds of issues. Reserving for our next and perhaps final public hearing a a deeper dive into the actual business deal. That's my understanding. And you know, Mr. uh Pearl or Mr. Manager, please, you know,
feel free to jump in at any time. I'm aware that there have been more discussions that it's uh you know clearly uh I don't think that there's any illusion that it's going to be a 30y year a dollar a year for for 30 years.
Um and it certainly um all of our concerns that we expressed at the last meeting have begun um to be addressed. So Mr. Pearl or M Mr. Manager, if you'd
like kind of set the stage for where where we are in the negotiations now, and I don't even know if you'd call them negotiations, perhaps discussions. I don't even know that the first draft is coming out, but but what we might expect
to see in the interim and at the next public hearing, h how this will be how this deal may be built. So before the city attorney comes on um we commenced initial conversation
sufficially on the terms of the proposal that was unsolicited to the city. Uh we haven't really gone into a deep dive yet. Uh we just reviewed the preliminary outlay as to what the
um the entity vssgsph is proposing to do and uh some of the preliminary concerns were laid bare such as the existing use at the entire facility not just on the stadium. How there will be reasonable accommodation
during construction and post construction. I believe the SPH folks have a relo preliminary relocation plan that is being fleshed out is not finalized. City hasn't provided any comment yet. Believe we received it
yesterday uh after our meeting yesterday. and also some of the the terms and uh the like the mayor rightly pointed out the 30 years and the pro profer $1 a year payment all those things have not been even been discussed
yet in terms of finalizing we are waiting for this public session to happen to solicit additional comments from the public uh as well as there are so many outstanding issues that are yet to discuss we have an upcoming meeting for next week at 10:00 in the morning I
believe it's on the 20 27 or 20 no 30th on the 30th at 10:00 in the morning. So that conversation would have to fold in any comments or feedback we received tonight will be become part
of that conversation next week and uh we have the city attorney actually leading this effort with the attorneys for SPH. With that let me ask city attorney Mr. Mark Perau to jump in. Thanks. So, as the manager uh stated, we've had
one conversation really. It was highlighting the major issues. We have not come to resolution on them yet. We have discussed the structure which will be broken into two separate agreements. One covering the construction of the improvements, the other the ongoing
operations and maintenance of them. You know, we've discussed concepts about the useful life of the materials, etc., and how we're going to accommodate for future improvements. But, you know, these conversations are ongoing. The purpose of tonight's meeting is to actually hear all the public's concerns,
gather that information because at your next public hearing, when you make a public interest finding, one of the things that we will do is explain how we're addressing those the public's concerns. So, you know, I'd like to view tonight's meeting asformational.
You know, um SP agents think they've come back. they've for the public it was they were noticed about this issue. So we'll afford everybody the opportunity to speak express whatever concerns they have and then at the following meeting I think we'll be prepared to address what
those you know how how we are meeting those concerns. >> All right. So I think that you know both in terms from council but you know first and foremost from the public their commentary on this concept of entering into a public private partnership for a
portion of the facilities at at Harrisfield. That's really what we're here for tonight. It's been noticed to to take in public comment uh again with respect to to this concept. Um, I will say I had the privilege of
having a meeting with our park consultants shortly after our last meeting and I can say that in my meeting that our consultants had no concerns at that point about meshing a revisioning
of that parcel with with this proposed use. It would be very complimentary. It would perhaps take quite a bit of the financial burden off of the city of Homestead to do things that are going to need to be done in the next couple of years aside from whatever the
reimagining of uh the balance of of Harrisfield uh might be. I was very pleased with that. A very comprehensive discussion there. And I just want to say that that I'm confident that our our
consultants and the PH team are are very well meshed and uh one's not really doing anything without the other. So, if council doesn't mind, let's let's see if there's anyone here in the audience um
who's joined us tonight to weigh in on the conceptual aspect of of this proposal for probably the first true public private partnership in Homestead.
Is there anyone online? Long as you're here, you might as well. >> Good evening, Mayor and Council. I'm Peter England with the Economic Development Council of South by Date, or more [clears throat] popularly known, the EDC. Anyway, it's a pleasure to be with you this evening. Uh, I was here
for another item, a resolution that's going to come up later in your agenda, but I did want to take the time to say that just coincidentally, it was the EDC that actually brought the principles of SPH to the city of Homestead in the first place, and we are just thrilled
and delighted with the way that this is all worked out to date. Uh, we're very excited about this concept with with Harris Field. Uh I think that you've learned uh with your negotiations with this particular developer uh what a what a solid partner they are and and have
been and I would urge you to look uh favorably on negotiations going forward with SBH and u that's what I've got. Thank you for kicking off the conversation and hopefully we'll get through this and uh address your item
and uh let you uh move on. So, anyone joined us online? Okay, go ahead. Who's with us? >> Brandy Ramirez, mayor. >> Okay, very good. M Ramirez. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um after hearing some
comments that were said, I think it's very important that we highlight our city manager. Thank you very much from the community's behalf on saying that they waited to hear uh today from the comments of the public and also of course their mayor and council before uh
pushing forward. So I I want to say a big thank you to him and his team um in regards to this specific matter and also I want to say that the presentation um that the developer has stated everything looks great supportive of that all the
way. I also want to remind the community that's in in you know there tonight. I attended the last city meeting and the AYSO parents and community and coaches were there in support of this as well. So I thought that was important to mention. I know that they have letters
of support from the community as well. My only concern on the behalf of the community is the length of time. I understood that it was going to be 30 years, but the mayor can definitely get us clarification on that. If it's less, um, that's great. If there's a clause
for both sides to exit, um, it in in case there's any issues on both ends, on their end, on our end, whatever that may be. But again, I believe after hearing the presentation and the improvement, um, we can, you know, support this if if
this is what our community and this is what our council, I'm sure, has reached out to the community to hear on that. So, I trust you the decision. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else online? >> So, let me open it to uh questions or
comments from council. I won't close the public comment yet. Some of you may get a whiff of bravery and want to approach the podium or hear something from one of us that motivates you to to come forward. So, who would like to kick it
off kick off the conversation from from here? >> Sure. Go ahead. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I just wanted to ask uh staff and city manager, how was the opportunity for this presentation
specifically for public comment? Aside from it being part of our general council meeting um notification requirements, how did we promote the ability of this item coming up for presentation and public comment?
So, Madame Councilwoman, um the item was socialized with a public notice on the city's website uh with links for folks who would like to take a deeper dive on the actual proposal. In addition to that, I believe
we supported that effort with additional social media outreach uh through the communications office. Okay, I'll double check um what those communications look like on our social media. I have not seen it. I think that
something as large as this, we need to do uh some extra efforts and making sure that we're pumping out this opportunity and treat it similar to the way we did the Cherret where we asked for um a reannounced and advertised to the locations and the the the big importance
of having the public comment. And I know that our consultants are probably going to do something similar anyway for the revisioning, but for this item happening um simultaneous to our revisioning, we need to make sure that we're putting in the best efforts possible. Um to answer
to some of the comments that were made earlier from some of the the um public comment, I am definitely not seeing a a fair trade with regards to what they're asking for on a 30-year term um commitment
compared to, you know, the improvements and whatnot. And I wouldn't be in favor really of anything that would turn over operational power for that such a long period of time. This should be the people's park. built by the people for the people and I don't think that we
don't have the ability to do that with our own capacity. But um definitely love the renderings and love to see the floating sand and the lights and the landscaping. I think all of that is obviously an improvement, but the proposal is clearly asking for 30 years.
So definitely lots to be discussed. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Fletcher, did you want to make What's that? Go ahead. >> Gotcha. Thank you. And I appreciate uh Councilwoman Avela's comments. I too
agree that uh maybe we haven't put our best foot forward when it comes to getting public comment. Uh I know we have put some things out there on social media. I haven't seen a lot of feedback. I've asked neighbors uh for input and a lot of them don't really have any type
of input at this time. I think what we might ought to do is have one more additional workshop between now and and the uh second reading uh to to get try and get more public input on what
they want to see. Um ultimately uh I see all the benefits that that this provides. Um there's still some questions from staff that we had asked in our our meetings in regards to some of the uh the offsets where uh we're
spending money now to maintain the the surface. Where are those money going to be reprogrammed or taken out of the budget to to lessen the impact on on our annual budget? But uh overall again all I can see is benefits for the improved
access and the program management. uh you know talking with the the consultants as well all they could do was see the positive impacts of of what this could do for the community. They actually saw better
program management of of all the additional uh youth leagues that use the facility and and improve upon it with this management program that PH has provided for. Uh I do have questions in regards again long-term uh with the uh
the 30-year deal. I also understand that if somebody's investing $5.5 million and a million dollars a year, they're looking to get a return on their money. So we have to take all that into consideration, but I believe the the we need to do one
extra step here and we need to have that one additional workshop where we can get public input because I really haven't seen that come back. That's all. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Fletcher. Councilman Roth.
>> Sure, why not? >> Um, I got a couple questions for staff. For one, the the the turf that's there now that was brought there by the Orange Bowl Committee. Is it has it ran its lifespan? Is it ready to go and we have to replace that now?
>> Um, M. Councilman, my understanding is that the artificial turf usually typically has about 10 years of lifespan and uh we're almost getting there. Uh we're almost I think we just passed year nine. So we're about to get into the
what I would consider the sunset life of the turf. >> So So would we have explored already what the cost to replace that artificial turf would cost the city? Uh let me have uh Alex uh the the parks
uh parks manager. Uh I have a number that have been profiled to me but let him speak to that. >> Good evening council. So as the manager was saying it's almost at end of life and plus it's heavily used with football and soccer. Uh the cleats are waste that
turf. Um that turf can range depending on what tier of turf you're getting, right? So it can go anywhere from 1.2 to two million depending on the range of turf. If you're going recreational, if you're going semi-pro, if you're going pro, so that's one thing to consider,
right? You're talking about 1.2 to$2 million that we're going to have to expend on that park in the next year or so because it's become unsafe for athletes. >> Right. Okay. So, I think that part of it is a no-brainer, right? If we allow SPH to partner up
with the city of Homestead, uh it it does take a huge burden of maintenance costs off the public and we could reprogram those dollars somewhere else. I also met with the uh the consultants
and they were all for what was happening because that gave them more money to spend in other areas in that park. And in my conversation with the consultants, that park is almost dead center city
in the city of Homestead. And it's not a destination park. It's a pass through park, right? You don't go there for any other reason but to either have an event at the pavilion, the rodeo, maybe the baseball league a little bit there. And I think those part those
those fields are underutilized and then the high school football games and then your your your soccer games and practices that you go at Harrisfield. But there's no there's no destination there. So, and part of my uh comments to
the consultants was we need to rethink the the park entirely and make it more of a destination park versus just a pass through park. The 30-year maybe that's a little long,
but if we go 10 years, in 10 years we're going to have to replace that field. So, we have to balance the maintenance versus you know, the length of time that we allow SPH to operate, program, and
maintain that facility. And I think the one thing that people are underestimating is when you bring the soccer club down here, what attraction that's going to be as well. We'll have a professional soccer team that calls Homestead home.
And not only will we have that, I my understanding is they're also going to begin to create a female professional team and bring that down to Homestead as well. So, if we can get past the
longevity of the lease, [clears throat] I'm very confident in our management staff, in our city's attorney to negotiate a fair deal so that everybody will prosper from this
opportunity. And I I think it is a really good opportunity. That's all. Thank you, Mayor. >> Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Cannibal. >> Yes, thank you. >> Hello. >> Yeah, you're good. >> I I only see Yes, I agree with you 100%.
I only see benefits on on this deal. And plus, well, we just saw the the World Cup, how prestigious it was. We're going to have a professional soccer club over here. It's going to be amazing. So, I'm all for it.
This is a work in process. those little edges that we need to file, we'll do that. So, I'm very happy for you to be here. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilman. >> Okay, Vice Mayor. >> Thank you, Mayor. [sighs] I agree as
well. Um, I had had my meeting already with the the reimagining and the one piece for me that was a no-brainer that we really didn't even need to discuss was that those fields needed to stay. Um, but to make it a
destination park, 100%. I think that needs to be the vision um, and the way that we're going. Uh for me, I think the only piece right now that I just want to make sure we are incredibly clear on is the current groups and the clubs that
are using the field. Um I know that there's been great communication and support from them, but whatever we can do as a city to see what those calendars and schedules look like um just to make sure that that piece is baked into there as well. For me, that's the only
concern. But I think that this would tie in perfectly with whatever other ideas we have to make this that destination um that destination park. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilwoman Ksky. >> It seems to be unanimous. We all agree
that this is a beautiful partnership. Um we see way more pros than cons. I would definitely say that the devil's in the details and there's a lot in this that um I have questions concerning you know revenue sources and the 30 years it's um
I think we all have the same questions I look forward to additional workshops you know what you have on the 30th I would we have lots of questions just as many of us do but again those are all in the details um I don't believe that we are in the business of entertainment
um but that's what you're bringing to the table. So, we are underutilizing this this park definitely. So, I look forward to uh further discussions and to see the big picture come into fruition and something that's favorable for you
and for us and for the citizens. Thanks. >> Thank you, Councilwoman. Let me just close it out at least from us by saying I'm confident that there is achievable middle ground on the time frame and the amounts paid and the timing as to when
those are paid. It's all about recognizing we have competing interest. Sometimes we're not going to be able to resolve those, but we have much more in common than we do uh as as opposites. I
believe that that as the discussions go forward, I'm I'm hopeful that there will be time to roll out and have some discussions and presentations on the entire deal, both the business aspect of
it and the conceptual aspect of the amenities that will be brought to the table and also including how they're going to uh you know have as min minimal upheaval as possible for the user.
You know, not to be dismissive, but we're talking about six months of disruption for decades of a level we've we've never seen before. So, I I think that's reachable. I think the manager or one of the speakers tonight indicated that a
proposed I hate to call it a management plan. I don't think that's what they called it, but just kind of a narrative as to who they're dealing with, what they're doing, and and where they are would be very very beneficial for the rest of us. So, I'm sure that before
final adoption, we'll all we all and the public will have ample time to review what what our team and and their team has come back and and negotiated. So, I just hope we can send the signal tonight to to keep moving forward.
So, Mr. Mayor and Council, is it the consensus of the council to proceed with scheduling a public workshop on this? >> I don't think, yes, but I don't think it would be appropriate until we have most
of the details ironed out. There's no reason to leave ourselves open uh to questioning about loose ends until those loose ends are tied up. Hear I'm going. You know, we're not
going to take a halfbaked idea on the road. >> Okay. >> But I'm confident. Look, we have a template for this deal and it's the the Homestead Regional Agreement. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
So I I believe to meet their time frame of being able to put shovels in the ground September, October, whatever it may be, we can achieve that that we can have that fully vetted and fully thought out agreement both business and
conceptual to be able to have a standalone public presentation followed by adoption. Shortly thereafter, not that night, but but shortly thereafter. Councilman, did you need to add anything? >> Just just real quick. I know that time
is of the essence for this, and I don't do we have any meetings scheduled in August at all? >> So, we'll have to >> It's kind of open. >> It's open. It's open. There's a likelihood there will be one, right, at some point, >> right? So, I think what what I think what the mayor's saying is we we we need
more meat on the plate before we can add the mashed potatoes and gravy. >> There you go. >> Right. So, >> are you hungry? >> Always hungry. >> But I think that's what he's and and we know it's time is of the essence, too, because they got to get shovels going. They got to get stuff moving and and the
relocation of of teams. I mean, you know, Homestead is a is a is a very popular high school football field. And I think all of those games are going to have to be rescheduled and moved somewhere else. and I'm not sure what the locations are going to be
logistically, who's going to pay for transportation and help them get to those locations and things like that. So, uh, I think those details need to be worked out as quickly as possible um, so that we can all move forward with, you know, whatever decision comes by it. Thank you, Mayor. >> Thank you, Councilman. Any final
comments to my left? >> Councilwoman Avala, any final thoughts? >> Thank you. I'll now Thank you. >> Thank you. So, I think I think think we've been clear and the public's been clear that we continue
forward and we will uh do so in all reasonable haste. Mr. Mr. Attorney, >> I just I didn't know if the council had any guidance on the workshop timeline. um what we should be aiming for. How
much time do we really need to I don't want the scheduling of a workshop to drive the negotiation schedule. I would rather have a product ready to go
without and then schedule, you know, and I don't know how many days, what, five days, seven days notice of of a public presentation, but I really I hes I hesitate to do that until we're ready to go. >> Okay.
Good. All right. I think that concludes the discussion on this matter. So, out of the fire and into the frying pan, we're going to jump to tab 12. Jav. Yes. Final thoughts. Mayor, before you move on, just, you know, um, real quick, and
I heard you on the workshop, and I agree 100% that, you know, let's have something tangible to workshop, but, um, we're very confident that this is going to move along very quickly and that we're going to get to a really good place, probably as soon as
next week with our next meeting with manager and with the administration. What we would love to leave here with tonight, if possible, is an idea of when that second meeting is going to happen for a public uh purpose determination
because that's going to that's going to play a big part of what happens and when we put shovels in the ground. Well, let's just say for sake argument that you have this ready to go in the next week by the first of the month.
If we schedule something mid August and there's no major hiccup, we could have a meeting and I don't I do have a calendar here in front of me.
we could conceivably adopt the week of the 18th or the 24th. Does that work? >> So, you know, if if if we can roll out something with the pretty pictures and graphics and the financial details,
you know, if we if we need to have What are the dates of the uh the League of Cities? Does anybody know off hand? Is that the 12th, 13th, and 14th, >> Mr. Mayor? >> Yes. >> I'm a little weary of about setting up
dates. >> What? >> Tonight. >> I agree. >> We would like to go have a conversation. I think it's reasonable that mayor and council are giving you an assurance that this will be expedited. >> We're just talking. >> Let's not box ourselves. >> Hypothetical time frames, not later than
the end of August. I think the ranges have been very >> good range. Thank you, Jav. >> Okay, Mr. Attorney, Mr. Manager, we're good to go on this one. Okay, >> so moving on to tab 12.
Carlos, that's the uh the mill rate discussion. as Carlos makes his way down with the not 28 minute long presentation. >> Um, tab 12 is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, establishing a proposed
operating mill rate of advalorum taxation, establishing a proposed military for debt service of the general obligation bonds for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, ending September 30th, 2027, and providing for an effective date.
>> How about it, Mr. Perez? Good evening, Mayor. Good evening, mayor and council. What you have before you is to set the preliminary rates that will be going out in the uh notices, the trim notices uh in August. Um we're setting two rates.
The debt mill rate, which we're actually reducing because as property values go up and the debt that we pay remains constant, that mill rate will always continue to go down. That one will be going from 2446 to 2316.
The operating millage rate though is the one that we're proposing to increase from the current 5.9604 to 6.3945. Now that is 9.9 9.95% over the roll back rate. The reason for
these are several. The first one is we've been experiencing double-digit increases growth in property values for the last several years and that's generated a lot of property tax revenues. This past year the increase was only 5.6. six. So just for comparison, we would have only generated
like $1.6 million in additional revenues. We had one department that it would even cover half of their increase their operating uh for their operating budget. So, what we're asking for, the other part of it is that if I left it at the flat rate, the same rate that we've
had it, we would be looking at a $500,000 shortfall, no COLA, and no increases to staff in the general fund, which I know that that includes consideration for some police officers. Now, given what we may be facing with
the new laws, if the ballot questions go through in November, and we may be losing 5.6 $6 million in in 2028. Maybe it's a good idea that we don't approve any colas or add any positions because those may be the first ones due to to be cut. So again, all I'm asking is the
wiggle room. We have a budget workshop coming up next week and we also have a month before we have the the budget hearings so that we will work to tidy this up and come to a conclusion. Where do we feel that we want to be with relation to colas as we enter
negotiations with the with the PBA and again with positions but at least we have the wiggle room. Again, our goal will be to try to bring it back down, bring it flat and not have an increase. But at this point, this is my recommendation. >> And just for the public and my
colleagues, it's important to note that we can always reduce, but we cannot go beyond this on a final adoption. >> Correct. Excellent point >> of of that rate council. Any questions? None. All right. So, let me open the
public hearing for comment from the public. Is there anyone wishing to make any public comment? Is there anyone online? No. All right. So, let me close the public hearing then and I will ask for a motion to adopt the preliminary rates as
recommended. This moved by Councilman Cannibal, seconded by Vice Mayor Bailey. >> Just for the comment. >> Yes. >> Just so the public knows, we're not raising taxes. We're setting the millage rate tonight. We're going to work with staff so that we can decrease that
number back to what it was last year. So there won't be a property tax increase. It's going to take a lot of, as the mayor used to say, looking for the coins and the cushions, right? 500,000 is quite a bit. So, I'm more than a few coins. >> That's a lot of coins. But, um, this is
not raising your taxes at this point. We're just setting it where if we need to, we can. And we're going to fight to not raise your taxes. >> I don't think we've raised taxes in the last eight years as far as military goes.
>> So, mil rate flat, but remember, anytime you go over roll back rate, >> right, >> it is technically a tax. >> Correct. and they see that in their tax bill because their properties have gone up in value and and uh the county, you know, does their thing. So, I just want them to know that at one point, I think
during CO, we took it all the way to the max, which was 10. >> Yeah. >> Just in case because we didn't know what was going to happen and we didn't have to increase it at all during CO. So, um we were going to be very good stewards with your money. Staff is going to be very good stewards with the budget and we're going to make sure that we get this where we need to be at.
>> Yeah. We did that in 20 and it went over like a balloon. >> Yeah. We had to do what we had to do. >> Thank you, mayor. Thank >> Thank you, Councilman. Any further council? All right, we have a motion and a second. >> Madame Clerk.
>> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Agula, >> yes. >> Councilman Roth, >> yes. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> yes. >> Mayor Losner, >> yes. >> The motion carries. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.
Okay, that takes us then to Councilwoman McConssky. Your discussion item for um Harrisfield regarding Coach Drinkle 23. Tap 23. That's just shown as a
discussion item at this point. So, floor is yours. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, we've heard a little public announce uh dedication and comments about coach uh Drecon already tonight. So, I'm going to
ask Mr. Coach Fernari, Joel Fernar, if he will take the podium. By [snorts] the way, Mr. Roth, if you want to know what will that soccer situation would affect the South D and Homestead athletic budgets, give me a call. I'll let you know.
Thank you very much for being here. Let me uh talk to you about my my pal Don Drinkoff. You know, uh coach's uh career at South Bay starting in in the early 70s. uh he was there for a few years, then he went to the college level, then he went to
private business and somewhere in the mid 80s he gets the football itch again and uh he wanted to be in Homestead and at that time the South Dade and the Homestead football job was both open and uh we both interviewed him and at the time I was a very young athletic
director. I'm still pretty young, not really, but I was a very young athletic director and um we were pleased with what we heard from him. I did my homework and checked it out. The guy was solid. I had one concern when we hired him. I had one concern. Coach Ringgon at
the time was a little bit older than most of the coaches that we were hiring at that time. My concern was, can this guy relate to these kids? Let me tell you something, folks. That was the stupidest concern I've ever had in my life.
I've been involved in athletics since I was kneeh high to a grasshopper. I've seen a lot of coaches. I've been along around a lot of coaches. I know a lot of coaches. I'm a coach. Nobody nobody [clears throat] has a relationship with kids and and
people for that matter better than Don Drink. You know, when when Don when Don was at South Dade, there was a lot of kids that came from single family homes.
No dads around. None. I was at the funeral last weekend in South Carolina and Ryan Drink got up and said, "You know, my brother Ted and I didn't mind sharing our father with 250
brothers. They were all Don's sons." It was unbelievable. He he just went went totally overboard, if you want to call it that, for these kids. So why am I sitting here talking to the city of Homestead about
allegedly a guy who only had roots at South Dade? Well, I'm going to tell you why. And I got to explain it in the college football recruitment process. If you're a blue chipper, fivestar, fourstar player, it doesn't matter who
your coach is. It doesn't matter because the big schools will find you and they'll give you the opportunity to play. Where a coach comes in is when you're dealing with the marginal players. And that's not a negative. A marginal player is a kid that's undersized for his
position or a step slow. Still a good football player. Still a good football player. Well, those kids have got to go to division two schools, NI schools, and JUKOS. Well, those particular programs do not have the athletic budgets to have their
coaches actively recruit in person. They have to rely on people around the country to give them information. Well, it started out, you know, coach, he was a great networker, a great networker. And he would get to these
coaches and he developed relationships with these people. I mean, for a while, we had a pipeline to California, to the out in California that was unbelievable. It was unbelievable. Well, Don's reputation with these coaches kept growing and growing to a point where he
was a springboard for these people. and they would ask him about players all around the place, everywhere around town, including across across town Homestead High. And it got to a point where Don was so good at what he did and
it was amazing. I mean, he battled against teams for two or three years against players. Sometimes we beat them, sometimes they beat us. But at the end of the day, kids were coming to him. Coaches were bringing kids to him from rival schools. Please help me out.
Please get my kid in school. Don never stopped. He never ever stopped. He would help any kid get in school at any time. It was remarkable. Now, Don was a great He was a great family
man. There we go. He was a great family man. Uh, as I told you, he was in construction. Uh, he was in private business. And when he took the job at South Dade, he took a huge pay cut, a huge pay cut. And he had a family. He
had two kids. Well, I'm going to give you a typical Friday day for Don Drinkon, and you're going to understand what kind of a family man this guy is. Get to school at 6:30 teaches class pep rally 1:00 3:30 pregame meal 6:05 get on
the bus go to the game play the game come back collect the uniforms get the kids home get in his van drive downtown to Bernie Ros's office because that's what had we had to do back then to get the game films come back to Homestead
maybe look at it for an hour then at 1:00 in the morning Don Drinkon had a contract to clean strip parking lots. He's out cleaning parking lots to help finance the help make up for the money
they lost going into teaching. So he would be out there till 5 6 in the morning go home catch an hour 9:00 Saturday morning back with the coaches going over films that goes to about 2 or
3:00 go sleep an hour go out and scout an opponent Saturday night and then Sunday morning back in the parking lot cleaning the parking lots back by home by 7 o'clock to go with Glenn and the boys to church. That's what that guy did.
I mean, and and by doing that, you know, a kid that gets a partial scholarship that comes from nothing, that partial scholarship doesn't mean anything to that kid. Where's he to get the rest of the money? Don Drink. Don Drink. He's
the one that got the rest. He got the money from other people or out of his own pocket or he got into my pocket a few times, too, which is fine. Which is fine. Never a problem. Now, we mean no disrespect to the Harris
family. I know Mayor Harris was a prominent mayor in Homestead. He brought Homestead along, did a great job. They named a plot of land after him. That was in 1960. Well, that plot of land has changed quite a bit in 196
since 1960. I believe 92. Uh, a little storm kind of rearranged it a little bit for us. But um I have seen many names on Harris Field. Dr. Milly Rodeo Grounds. I think the Y was there for a while. I think Miami Dade uh had some classes
there for a while. Um so whatever and and the Orange Bowl was there now. So whatever names are on that facility, whatever they are, the homesteaders, the people around town will always refer to that plot of land as Harrisfield. Regardless of anything
else, it will always be Harrisfield. In closing, uh, when they talk to a high school football coach, they always they want to evaluate a high school football coach. They'll say, "Uh, hey, what was your win loss
percentage? How many championships did you win?" Coach Dinkcon checks all those categories, but there's one thing I've never heard a high school football coach ask. And that question is, how many
lives did you change? And if changing lives, folks was a Hall of Fame category, Don Drinkon would be a first ballot hall of famer. And not to insult anybody, a first ballot hall of famer is
basically unanimous. Thank you very much. So, coach, let me ask you because some clarification um the agenda item is talking about discussing the renaming the field.
>> Yes. >> For coach Drink. >> I'm sorry. You kind of indicated, well, maybe the whole facility needs to be 38. >> I I skipped over one of my notes. >> Okay. >> We are asking that you [clears throat] rename the football field for Don Drink,
>> not anywhere else. We understand. I agree. Uh I've been practicing this speech for three days and I screwed up. I'm sorry. You're right, Mayor. I missed that. That's clear. You're 100% right. my fault >> because I you know if you believe
everything online there are folks who think that the whole thing should be >> reame we understand uh we understand completely the man you know spent a lot of his life on that field I can tell you right now a lot a whole bunch >> any other questions thank you Mr. all
call me. [snorts] >> Well, let me ask the attorneys. I know at one point, at least for some issues, a prior council enacted a naming ordinance that set out some procedures.
Would that necessarily apply here? >> It was an old resolution. We had only I believe in time that it's been since it's been adopted, we've only applied it to street code designations. I don't think we've ever applied that to a facility. Um, I would suggest that if
this is this is a discussion item this evening. So, if it's the will of the council to find a way to recognize him and what that looks like on the field with a designation, then direct us to do that [clears throat] and we'll bring that back to you in some form.
>> Which by necessity would be making reference to the Orange Bowl funding agreement. I wrote by there there's a sign that says Orange Bowl Field >> and ongoing negotiations. >> Yes. With SBA and and I think we can have it both ways. I mean I can think of
colleges that have coach ABC Field at coach >> or donor stadium >> def stadium. I think we can we can we can accommodate everything. But I think in terms of you know our our
self-imposed naming restrictions if any plus any obligations under the um >> orange bowl >> the orange bowl agreement would come back and >> you know whether they're you know be something in the middle something placed on a future scoreboard or a memorial
plaque at the entrance. Yeah, those are future discussions, but it seems there's a consensus to drive toward um seeing what we can do to name the field. >> Okay. >> The main football field. Is that
>> in his honor? >> Okay. Well, staff will take that direction and we'll bring something back to you, Cer. >> Yeah. So, what what I would also like to suggest to the friends of coach Drinkhon is amongst yourselves
come up with a memorial of some sort. It could be a statue. It could be something. And we could also figure out a way to put that. There could be a bronze statue of like we have Mr. Chrome in Chrome Avenue now. Um I would I would suggest that you guys put together a
committee to raise monies to do that. What did do what did that statue cost us? >> 100 grand. >> 100,000. Well, for Mr. Mr. Dinkhan, I think if you guys could put yourselves together, contact all these kids that he helped throughout the years, $100,000 shouldn't be hard to raise. It don't
have to be that big, but I want you to think about that. And I think it would be up to us to allow you to place that memorial on that in that area along with a partial name of some sort for Mr. >> Even even a memorial plaque at an
entrance somewhere >> with his likeness could probably be had for 10 or 12,000. >> Yeah. So you guys can come up with a plan and I I think we would be in agreement to allow it to be placed at the field somewhere. >> So again, and if we go forward and have partners, all that will have to be
coordinated. >> Sure. Obviously. >> Okay. Council Fletcher. >> Yes. Thank you. And I appreciate uh Mr. Fernardi coming all the way from Naples back to Homestead. Uh I've had the pleasure of knowing Joel and Coach Dinkon since I was kneeh high to your
kneeh high grasshopper. uh you know and uh not only did he save families and save lives, but he bought brought kids to Christ as well. He was a good family man that deserves a recognition that we
can provide him. Um whatever that is, uh I'm here all for it and I appreciate Coach Fernari for for driving this home. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. So, I think
we have some uh direction there. Now, Councilwoman Aavala, as promised, in case you lose your connection or get tired of sitting with us this evening, I made the commitment uh to allow you to bring any of your end of agenda business forward that you may want us to consider
this evening before we move on. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. Um, and I I do have some connection now, but I can't guarantee that it'll last to the end of the meeting, though I will try because this is a very dense um agenda. I did
want to make a comment on um this item that we just heard. I'm in favor of it, but I do support it. Thank you, Counciloman Koski, for bringing it forward. And um I also wanted to um you know ask for a reconsideration on
the last resolution we passed in our last meeting with regards to setting on the election ballot the the question for the charter amendment for appointed service and term limits. This was one of the items that was not timesensitive.
the other items that we had discussed would have had to be on this election in order for it to be um um impactful for the next city election. So, I do ask that we reconsider that uh that resolution as it can go on our next
general regular election. >> Okay. Well, we'll that'll be one of the things we send to the charter committee anyway. So, Mr. Pearl, so we need a motion and a vote to reconsider. Well, I can take I can take a motion to resend. >> Motion to rescend that action.
>> Yes. And if I can have a motion to >> which would result in no charter questions going on the ballot this November. >> Correct. >> I'll make that motion. Thank you. >> Okay. So moved by Councilwoman Avalan and Councilman Roth beat you to it. Councilman Cannibal. And this is a
motion to resend the uh adjustment for appointed terms of office. So anything further from council? Any public input? Okay. So, I'll close the public hearing and I'll ask for a roll call vote on the
motion to resend. >> Councilman Ross, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Abula, >> yes. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> yes. >> Mayor Losner, >> yes. >> The motion carries.
>> All right. Very good. >> Thank you. And then um I also wanted to just make a comment on regards to item tab tab 28 with regards to that ballot question that would potentially go on. Um but I am not in favor of putting a
straw ballot on attempting to eliminate our power company. I think that it speaks um volume for us to have our own, but certainly we don't really have much of the information that we would need to
even determine what that impact would be in order to be able to answer questions like like what was mentioned earlier. It's like halfbaked. And I wouldn't want there to be any um incentive for another power company to want to offer us money
after such a question to go out. So, I I would like for for this item to also not be put on the ballot. >> Okay. Well, we'll we'll consider that and we'll we'll take that in its its due course. Thank you. Okay. Um
All right. So, I think at this point what we need to do Yes, Mr. Pearl. Jump over to the LPA. >> Um we were going to You had referenced tab 27 earlier with the EDC. I didn't know if you wanted to tackle >> Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, Peter, my apologies.
I'm going to jump to tab 27. Can't even read my own notes up here. Thank you for your earlier input and then we'll go to the LPA. >> Yes. Thank you. Excuse me. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of council. I'm still Peter England.
Uh my purpose here tonight is just to to simply thank you. Uh uh the city of Homestead has been a a solid uh partner and collaborator with the economic development council for these many years. We've been in business now for well since Hurricane Andrew. Uh we
recently concluded a strategic plan for economic development for South Miami Dade County which takes us to the point of a competitive analysis. But the actual implementation of the plan is going to be uh in order to make it
happen, we have to work with all of our partners, want to work with all of our partners like the city of Homestead to to uh to conclude this implementation. We've already had a preliminary meeting with the manager and the CRA director. I think as we look at all of South Miami
Dade County, there is no place where there are greater economic opportunities than right here in the city of Homestead. And I'm not just saying that because I'm here. Believe me, it is true. So, we're very excited about that. We're very excited about the uh the fact that we've had this long-term
partnership because we cannot do it by ourselves. We can only do it with with your help and your collaboration. So, I'm here to answer any questions you might have. It was a a 52page document. I hope you've all read every word because there will be a slight quiz a
little later on. But uh but really if you have any questions, I'm here to try to answer them. >> Council, any questions. >> So, we just need and I think you've got our expression of support for your continued work and the reward that you've presented.
>> We thank you, Mr. Mayor, for codifying the relation our long-term relationship. Have a good day. >> Good. Thank you. All right. So, I think now this is the point in the meeting where we need to place the Yes, Mr. Pearl. >> We have a motion on the resolution of
support for the EDC. >> Okay. So, we have a motion. >> All right. Moved by the vice mayor, >> second by >> um Fletcher, seconded by everybody. We'll say third. Okay. So, let's have a roll call vote on that item.
>> Councilwoman Abul. >> Yes. Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> yes. >> Councilman Ross, yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, yes. >> Mayor Lawson, >> yes. >> The motion carries. >> All right. Now, as I was saying, now is
the point in the evening where we need to recess the council meeting and then jump to the local planning agency agenda, deal with that agenda, and come back and
reopen the council meeting. >> Well, no, we're going to come back to the CRA. We got to do the LPA. Then we'll jump into the council agenda because there are land use items on the council agenda. But so let's do this. Let's let's place
the council meeting in recess, take a fivem minute break, and come back and and open the LPA. >> 7 uh LPA's notice for 7:15. So we'll take a slightly longer break. >> Very good. Okay. Okay. So we need to move to recess the council meeting.
Moved and seconded. All in favor? Okay. So, by virtue of the publication, we won't jump into the LPA agenda until 7:15 >> after we do the OPA. Well, All
right, if we can all begin to find our seats, we'll try to get this back on track. 7:15 waste a lot of Oh, good evening everyone and welcome. I'd like to call the City of Homestead local planning agency meeting to order.
For the record, it's still Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026, and is now 7:16 p.m. Madam Clerk, could we have a roll call, please? >> Board member Ksky >> here. >> Board member Fletcher >> here. Board member Cannibal, Board
Member Abula >> here, >> Bo Member Ross here, >> Vice Chairwoman Bailey here, >> Chairman Lzna >> here, >> official Lawrence Ventura >> here. >> Hey, welcome back, Larry.
>> Okay. All right. Tab one is the approval of our minutes from May 20th. Moved by board member Roth. >> Second. >> Second by board member Cannibal. All in favor? >> Any opposed? All right, Mr. Mike. Yes. >> Yeah. May Mayor, just to uh addition
solutions deferrals, tab five, car number 5127 is being pulled. >> That's the open air uh the outdoor dining for B3 ordinance that we deferred. >> Okay. >> When we open the council meeting, we're >> That's right. We we already deferred that, right?
>> Okay. Very good. Thank you. >> All right. Moving on to tab two. This is the quai judicial section of the agenda. Please be advised this item is quai judicial. If you wish to comment
upon this item, please if you'd like to address I'm sorry, excuse me. This item number would you'd like to address when the announcement regarding the quazite is made? An opportunity for persons to speak on this item will be made available after the applicant and staff have made their presentations on this item. Swearing in
all testimony, including public testimony and evidence, will be made under oath or affirmation. Additionally, each person who gives testimony may be subject to cross-examination. If you do not wish to either be cross-examined or sworn, your testimony will be given its due date. The general public will not be
permitted to cross-examine witnesses, but the public may request the local planning agency to ask questions of staff or witnesses on their behalf. Full agenda packet on this item is hereby entered into the record. Persons representing organizations must present evidence of their authority to speak for
the organization. Further details of the quaazi judicial procedures may be obtained from the clerk in accordance with code section 2-590. Any lobbyists must register before addressing the local planning agency on the following item. At this time, I'd ask the local
planning agency members to disclose any exparte communications concerning any items on uh tab two this evening. And and I would preface you all received correspondence uh from from a property owner I think
across the street or from this development um correct. >> Anyone need to disclose on three or four? >> Just two. >> Two for me as well. >> Okay. So at this time I'd ask the clerk
to swear in any persons who wish to testify on any of the follow items. So anyone in the audience who's wishing to speak on tab two, please stand, raise your right hand to be sworn by the clerk. >> You hereby swear affirm to tell the truth and nothing but the truth to help me gone. >> Thank you. You may be seated.
Tab two, car number 5091 is an ordinance of the city of Homestead, Florida, approving the reszoning as requested by Flightway 20 LLC of an approximately 8.55 acre parcel of land from agricultural zoning district to light industrial zoning district for property generally located on the southwest
corner of Southeast A Street and Southwest 147th Avenue as legally described in exhibit A, providing for conflict, severability, and providing for an effective date. >> Thank you, Mr. Wright. Are there any objections to moving this on to the regular agenda with no further comment here?
>> Moved by council Roth, seconded by Ksky. >> Roll call. Madam, >> I just need to I just need to disclose I did have communication on this item for tab two. Thank you. >> Right. Okay. Good. Thank you. Okay. And we're just now posturing to vote just to
move this and have further discussion on the regular agenda. >> So, we're going to have a roll call vote on tab two. Board member Roth. Yes. >> Board member Ksky. >> Yes. >> Board member Abula. >> Yes. >> Board member Cannibal. >> Yes. >> Board member Fletcher. >> Yes.
>> Vice Chairwoman Bailey. >> Yes. >> Chairman Los. >> Yes. >> The motion. >> Tab three. Mr. White. >> Yes. Tab three is card number 5096. This is an ordinance of the city of Homestead, Florida amending the city code of ordinances by amending chapter 30 zoning article one in general section
30-1 definitions to create a definition for express mechanical car wash and amending chapter 30 zoning article 3 district regulations division 12 B2 retail commercial district section 30-276 uses permitted to allow express mechanical car washes as a permitted use
in the B2 zoning district and amending chapter 30 zoning article 4 supplemental district regulations division 9 mixeduse and non-residential development standards section 30-540 service stations auto repair and car washes to establish development standards for express mechanical car
washes providing for conflict severability and providing for an effective date >> thank you a motion to move this to the regular council agenda >> moved by councelor Ross second by uh excuse me board member Roth and board second by board member cannibal there's nothing further we'll have a roll call
vote on tab three >> board member Member Cannibal. >> Yes. >> Board member Roth. Board member Fletcher. >> Yes. >> Board member Avula. >> Board me. Board member Ksky. >> Vice Chairwoman Bailey. Chairman Lner. >> Yes. >> The motion carries.
>> And tab four, please. Mr. Wright. >> Yes. Tab four, card number 570 is an ordinance of the city of Homestead, Florida amending the city code of ordinances by amending chapter 30 zoning article 1 in general section 30-1 definitions create definitions related to small animal clinics small animal hospitals and amending chapter 30 zoning
article 3 district regulations division 10 B1A professional business restricted district section 30-241 use uses permitted and division 11 B1 restricted district retail section commercial section 256 uses permitted to allow
small animal clinics as a permitted use in the B1A and B1 zoning district and amending chapter 30 zoning article 4 supplemental district regulations division one generally section 30-397 permitted uses and dimensional standards tables to amend the permitted use table to include small animal clinics small
animal hospitals providing for conflicts providing for severability and providing for an effective date >> thank you Mr. All right. Motion to move this to the agenda. Moved by Roth. Second by Vice Mayor Bailey. Roll call, please. >> Board member Fletcher. >> Board member Roth.
>> Board member Cannibal. >> Board member Ksky. >> Yes. >> Board member Avula. >> Yes. >> Vice Chairwoman Bailey. >> Yes. >> Chairman Lner. >> Yes. >> The motion carries. >> So, that concludes our uh
items. Anything further from development services or the city attorney for this agenda? Motion to adjourn the LPA. Moved by board member Ross, second by board member cannibal. All in favor? Any opposed?
Okay. So, we now need to bring [snorts] the regular council meeting out of recess. Well, no. Okay. So, we adjourn this. We're going to reopen the council meeting. Moved by Councilman Cannibal to
bring us out of recess. Seconded by uh Councilman Fletcher. All in favor. And that brings us back to Okay. I guess addendum. Addendum one >> one, two, and three. Let's take those as
a consolidated item and >> separate votes. >> I'll read the titles um as these all deal with the same issue. Uh, addendum one is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, providing for ratification of an amendment to the collective bargaining agreement between the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, Police
Lieutenants, and the City of Homestead in effect from October 1, 2024 through September 30th, 2026. Authorizing the city manager to sign the amendment to the collective bargaining agreement on behalf of the city, authorizing the city manager to take all action necessary to implement the amendment to the collective bargaining agreement and
providing for an effective date. Addendum two is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, providing for ratification of an amendment to the collective bargaining agreement between the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, police officers, detectives, sergeants,
and corrections officers and the city of Homestead in effect from October 1st, 2024 through September 30th, 2026. Authorizing the city manager to sign the amendment to the collective bargaining agreement on behalf of the city. authorizing the city manager to take all action necessary to implement the amendment to the collective bargaining
agreement and providing for an effective date. And addendum three is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, providing for a one-time cost of living adjustment for non-bargaining unit employees, authorizing the city manager to take all action necessary to implement the wage adjustment and providing for an
effective date. >> Thank you, Mr. Manager. Anything to add to this conversation? >> Uh, Mr. Mayor and council. Uh those three agenda were a subsequent product of negotiation with the PBA with respect
to council guidance and directive. Uh the first couple of items for addendum number one for PBA lieutenants and addendum number two for PBA police officers, detectives, sergeants, and corrections officers will allocate 1% of
their base pay towards a one-time pay supplement that is non-pensionable based on council directive. Our understanding is that the PBA folks voted last week Thursday to proceed with this with expectation
that they will get paid by August 7th and they made a special request a couple of days back to find a special accommodation in this agenda which is why you are getting it as an addendum. And the last one addendum number three is for the general employees uh based on
council directive is a 0.5% cola to all non-baining unit employees i.e. those employees who are not covered under the CBA. >> And these are all for the current budget year. Yes. A slight bump >> onetime bump in this this current budget
year. Council, any further questions or comments on this? I know we spoke about it at length in some of our sessions. Is there anyone online or in the audience wishing to speak on any of these matters?
Okay. Well, then I'll close the public hearing and ask for a motion on addendum one. Moved by Councilman Cannibal. >> We have a second. >> Second. >> Second by Vice Mayor Bailey. >> So, a roll call vote on addendum one.
Councilman Roth, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Abula, >> yes. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> yes. >> Mayor Austin, >> yes. >> The motion carries. >> And a motion on addendum two by
Councilman Roth. >> Seconded by Counciloman Cannibal. Roll call on addendum two. >> Councilwoman Abula. >> Yes. >> Councilman Cannibal. >> Yes. >> Counciloman Roth. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky. Yes. >> Councilman Fletcher. >> Yes.
>> Vice Mayor Bailey. >> Yes. >> Mayor Losner. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> And as to addendum three, moved by Council Roth. Second by Councilman Cannibal. Roll call on addendum three, please. >> Councilman Roth. >> Yes. >> Councilman Fletcher. >> Yes.
>> Councilwoman Avula. >> Yes. >> Councilman Cannibal? >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky? Yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey? Yes. >> Mayor Lawson? >> Yes. >> The motion carries. >> Thank you. Okay. We have before us tab one the consent agenda which consists
only of the June 2nd council minutes. Moved by Councilman Roth, second by Councilman Cannibal. All in favor? Any opposed? We >> Okay, we did tab two. All right, moving on to tab
three, the appointment of the special mag, new special magistrates. Right. Okay. Is there a what staff member has this? >> Tab three. >> Yeah.
>> May and council. Tab number three is the appointment of special magistrates. Uh there are a pool of three candidates. All attorneys. Their backgrounds have been checked out uh both by staff as well as the city attorney. Uh the individuals have their resumes enclosed.
Uh the fiscal impact is $125 per hour with a $750 per hearing as a cap. [snorts] So thank you. So, piggybacking on some of the earlier comments tonight by current members,
does our code put a cap on the number of magistrates and is this kind of like a a random assignment of of hearings? >> Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Council. This change is to move to the attorney
style of special magistrate as opposed to a special master which is considered a volunteer position. >> So by virtue of the the retitling the redefinition, it's more of a legal proceeding rather than a volunteer proceeding
>> in the uh in the capacity. The requirement is that they are a Florida bar member of good standing. >> Thank you councel. Any questions or comments? Vice Mayor? >> Yes. Thank you, Mayor. >> Well, let's go to the vice mayor and
then we'll go to you, Councilwoman. >> When we when we first discussed this, there were some reasons of why we wanted to go this route. Can you refresh my memory? >> Sure. There's several reasons. Um, in previous years over the tenure of Homestead, we've gone from a code
enforcement board, which some >> Let me interject. Councilwoman Avala, can you hear um the assistant city manager's explanation? >> I am getting it, but if it could be learned, I would appreciate. >> If you could move forward, Crystal. >> Um in in previous, you know, iterations,
we've gone from a code enforcement board. We then streamlined it to a code enforcement special master. Originally, when we had the board, many of the special master positions were garnered from the members of the board. This is probably 20 years ago.
um after subsequent to that we've had a dwindling number of participant volunteers to be the special master. So originally when we would have four to five volunteers with an alternate now we are only down to two. We have published it publicly um and we've had little to
no response. Uh Pastor Styles and Miss Jenkins Mrs. Jenkins have been a part of that uh more of the past ones and in this latest year I believe it's within the last year when we reopened it again
we didn't have participants that were willing to volunteer. So that is somewhat of the move similar to the iteration of the planning and zoning board. It's very difficult for us to get a steady number of volunteers to the
city. Many cities have moved towards the special magistrate process for a legal proceeding. >> Thank you. Um and there is no option of having both >> to have a special magistrate and a
special master. It's two separate criteria. >> You know, Pastor Styles brought up some some really good points. He was on the Southwest Advisory Committee for years and years. And the only reason I allowed him to get off of there is because so many especially residents in the the
Southwest struggle with how um to go about go about um dealing with these code issues. And that is one piece that I am going to miss is that knowing the community, understanding the community. I feel like
that is what we are going to lose that with this. This is a tough one. This final decision today. >> This is final. >> I'll rest for now. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Um Councilwoman Avala.
>> Thank you, mayor. I recall when we were discussing the transition that um there were questions that were asked with regards to how we could still maintain um residents as being part of the the um pool of participants and um could you
refresh my memory as to what the results of that inquiry was? Is there unless they have a an attorney's license, they would not be able to serve at all. [clears throat] >> Yes, that would be the main requirement.
>> Did you catch it? That was a that was a yes. >> Right. So, while I can understand the need to fill positions, I don't I don't want to favor a a you know, this type of this type of role over volunteers that
exist and that are willing to participate. I I think it was made for me to and and probably just maybe I assumed, but I thought that there was like a retiring of our existing uh volunteers or that there was a struggle to keep a commitment of their service.
And that's not what I heard tonight. And I I do I do really appreciate the recognitions that were made uh for them this evening um during the presentations. And you know, I had not had a one-on-one conversation with them directly to verify that they don't want to serve any longer or vice versa, but
hearing their commitment and hearing how much they they bring the perspective of their love of community and their fairness and how they make these decisions, that is worth gold to me. And while I respect attorneys and I it's
it's not fair to I don't I don't see this as being fair to the process to our residents. And so if we can have it to where we have the magistrate um process or this uh right the magistrate process is the one where we're where that
includes the attorneys. If we can have that process as a supplemental option that we can activate in the event we need to when a special master is not available. I don't see why we can't as a body decide that that's the best choice for us in our city. So, if I can get the
attorney to confirm if that is an option, I would appreciate it. >> I'm not aware of a city that goes on dual tracks. I mean, if it's something that you'd like us to explore, then we'll have to defer both this and tab 11 and bring that back to you. So
>> the only cities that I know of that have more than one process are the ones that are comprised of an entire board like a nuisance abatement board which would comprise of seven members which we cannot fill and a special magistrate.
There's no city in Miami Dade that I'm aware of that has a special master and special magistrate both serving the city at the same time. >> It's either a for >> Okay, thank you for that clarification. I don't necessarily think that we have to style oursel, not that you're recommending it, but I don't want us to
be boxed into styling the way we do things based on precedent set by other other cities. We can be a leader in some things and and you know, think outside the box here as well. Um, and let me ask, are we not able to provide any amounts of stipend to our volunteers? I
I can understand that we wouldn't want to offer, you know, what the requirements are for an attorney, licensed attorney, etc. But for a volunteer serving on a on a board or a committee, it's not unheard of that there's a a stipend associated with the time served. So if we were to have such
an option, perhaps we would be able to fill our board, >> making it a little bit more feasible for people to serve time. >> Yes, we have always provided a stipen. In fact, we raised it recently and that did not garner additional people to volunteer. It used to be $75 forever.
that it went up and we still were unable to get suitable volunteers for the position. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Other than the two that we already have. >> Got it. And so just similar to my comments earlier about how we're engaging with the community. Our our
communications team does a great job when we're trying to, you know, have a major Fourth of July event or, you know, having a Gamewatch uh scenario. But when it comes to things like this, I don't see the robust community engagement and social media presence where where we can
promote that these opportunities exist and making it a top of mind conversation piece. So, I I just can't support an item where we're pushing out opportunities for our citizens and our residents to serve when we actually
have, you know, some that do without really fully vetting that we did everything we could to fill our to fill our our capacity. Thank you. >> Thank you. Go ahead, Vice Mayor.
>> Thank you, Mayor. Um, is this timesensitive. >> Would you like to defer it? Is that what you're asking? >> So I also I was also not aware that we had two standing that we're still interested in continuing and although it
was raised from 75 to 125 now jumping for it being 125 an hour with a cap at 750. That is a huge jump. Can we maybe have a discussion and see if we come somewhere in the middle and reach out to the public again?
That's what I personally would like to see. >> I would also like to defer it. I want to have that conversation also. >> So, this would be >> So, somebody's going to have to move to defer it in the companion item. >> Any further discussion on that? >> I move to defer. >> Okay, I'll second.
>> Just to be clear, this is for both tab three, the appointment, and tab 11, the companion item, >> please. >> Okay. >> Yes. both items three and and 11. Um, okay. Yes, Councilman Pleasure.
>> Thank you. Um, I know we pro we passed it's in our book where we passed the ordinance earlier this year to move to the special magistrate portion. Are there legal obligations? >> We we we passed on first reading which is your tab 11.
that that was making that change. Second reading is what would be deferred based on this evening's discussion. So that piece had not yet been fully adopted. >> Okay. I just need a little further clarification on the legal ramifications because there's some specific language
in here mainly related to school camera citations. >> Right. We got no respondents on that one and that was a b that was a police officer, a retired police officer. it [clears throat] didn't have to be attorney and we reached out to the um
police chief's association and we had no volunteers. >> So we're we we are reaching out. We're just not getting responses. >> I'm good with that, but I'll have further discussion later. Thank you. >> Roth, anything to add?
>> I'm just thinking out loud. I mean, we've already let two people go. I mean, can we get them back until we figure this thing out? Well, certificate appreciation isn't here's your retirement, but >> Well, I mean, they left here thinking that they're done.
>> Sorry. Sorry. >> How much time do we need to defer this [clears throat] to figure it out? I mean, I'm on I'm I'm on board. I'd rather have local people um you know, policing their own people. You know, these guys don't even live in the city
and they come here for two or three hours a day and leave and they don't know the southwest section from the northwest section. And I just don't think it's a it's a a reflection of what, you know, our code compliance in our magistrates should be. I just I I I I
don't know how this came, but maybe we talked about it before, but um I just don't think it's the best move for the city. It's all >> Well, let let me be the flip side. I've recently heard about and we've seen
before us over the past several months where very lenient fine reductions have been granted sometimes for matters that have been that are repeat
offenses and have been pending for years and years and years. Let me make the analogy to the pass due electric utility and other utility bills. There was no process. I
think there are times and we need to get beyond who you are and not have those local pink goggles on and treat everybody equally. And I see the opportunity to have outsiders as an
opportunity to treat everyone equally. Everyone gets treated the same. And I was going to, you know, speak to this in our our hearing later. We're going to have, for example, two
different property owners that were years and years in violation. So here's my little story. When I left office involuntarily in 2007, my little personal protest was is I
didn't write the check for my business license until the very last minute. And someone in city hall, one of the few people who would even want to get caught speaking to me, called me and said, "You need to go pay because the mayor's about
to send somebody to shut you down." It happened in 2008. So, here we are. We've seen people with hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars of leans just vaporized.
Yet, because I was a political outsider, the city was going to pursue me for one year of late payment of of business tax. That's not fair either. Again,
I've never been a proponent of bringing in a lot of outsiders, but maybe this is one where we need people who don't know know the history, who just know, did you violate the code
or not? And tell me why you did and why you shouldn't be assessed. And I think we're going to have a better result and a stronger message to our community with having these professionals in place
who aren't perhaps jaded by being a local. You know, as Pastor Sle said, you got to have thick skin, you know, and it's just human nature to be sitting up here in judgment knowing that you may run into one of those folks in the
grocery store or in a restaurant or even in church somewhere. the appointment of these magistrates takes that out of that and I think would tend to more ensure that everybody's treated equally versus who you are versus what you did or what you did
versus who you are. So, you know, I'd be willing to go forward on this and I commend our our two folks that we recognize tonight, but just you're going to hear me say tonight on Tab 28, we're not Po Dunk Homestead
anymore. And we got to stop thinking that way and thinking self-interest. We got to think big picture. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. So, we have a motion to Yes. >> Thank you. Yeah. And before we before we
vote, I just wanted to also offer this um perspective and and I agree, mayor, nobody should be treated the way that that you were treated on that situation. And the item later is pretty egregious. It's almost a million dollar in in in original fine amount. So that'll be an interesting conversation. But with
regards to the last six years that I've sat and served on this board, I think maybe three cut and tested um special master decisions were brought to the council for reconsideration.
So for over all those years of service of the special master and I have and I think maybe I heard one slight complaint about the way a case was heard and pro but that was more about process and leisure which was resolved almost
immediately when I brought it to to administration's attention. But to have six years of mice of Mike tenure there, I feel that that is a show of how successful, how impactful and how proper
the volunteers of our special master um um their service and time has been in in in hearing these cases and and making proper calls and it only coming to us less than a handful of times. So while I
do I do see your your the point in case that you're making on the other side of that coin, I just don't think that the grass is greener on the other [clears throat] side of this. So I would like to really try to explore and I do believe that um our our volunteers would be willing to continue to serve. So I hope that's the case. Thank you.
>> Okay. So I think we have a motion to defer the companion items. Councilman Roth, >> I think you did. >> We have a motion already. >> A motion to defer both of the items. Motion to defer and I think we have a second. We have a second. We did. So,
let's have a roll call vote on the motion to defer three and 11. >> Councilman Roth, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Avula,
>> yes. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> no. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> yes. >> Mayor Losner, >> no. >> The motion carries. Okay, that takes us then to
Oh, speaking of mitigation of leans, tab four. Who's going to present this? Okay, I know you've got the applicant has counsel. Good evening. Good to see you again. >> Should be on
>> now. Okay. Hi. Good evening, council. How are you? My name is Ecto Lopez from Lopez Legal Group. Office is at 8950 Southwest 74th Court, Sweet 2201 Miami, Florida 33156. And uh quite the timing on this item. Uh
I want to I'm here to tell you today about a success story that we have here in the city of Homestead between [clears throat] my client Roger Tomasino and Homestead City Government. Together, these two entities have resolved numerous code of violations
that go back close to 18 years. Uh, I represent Mr. Roger Tomasino, his company, Landmark Pre-cast, who manufactures concrete pipes right here in the city of Homestead. Good for the economic development of the city. And we are here to ask for a reduction from the
award issued by the special magistrate. And we're about to give you three reasons why. But before I do, my client Roger, your commercial resident. I'm not going to go ahead and restate everything that you probably have in your notes. I read the director of code compliance's memo and many of the things
there are factually correct in terms of timeline. Uh the two addresses that are mentioned. Uh one of the things we want to underscore here is Mr. Tomasino has been now in full compliance with the city's code uh code violations. He
invested into those into that compliance $300,000 of his personal money to come into compliance. Um, one other thing to also mention that we mentioned to the special master was the extraordinary hardship that Mr. Tomasino endured going back to the 2008 uh crash. Shortly
thereafter, Mr. Tomasino's wife passed from cancer and right when he was getting ready to come into full compliance, COVID hit him. So, I'm sure these are all things we can tie to. Additionally, there were some city uh compliance issues. Uh one of the things
I'm going to get into is a fence issue that he had. There was a permit for a fence from 2015. He brought that fence into compliance. And actually, let me take that back. The property owner at the time, who was someone else, not Mr. Tansino, brought that fence uh permit
into compliance. But yet, it took nearly 11 years and to the the creation of Mr. uh contact with Mr. Director Perez, who came on board shortly a couple years ago, he approved the permit administratively.
So, we noticed that there had been some fall through the cracks. And though Mr. Kansino agrees that there's some some defin um liability on his point, we are willing to see how we can get to a better uh resolution with the city in
terms of the outstanding balance. Now, the special master went ahead and con commuted the the fine to about $145,000. That's good, but like I mentioned earlier, Mr. Mr. Tomasino has already
spent $300,000 of his own money. We're trying to bring this into full closure. We want to sunset this issue with the city. Uh we understand that there's some fault on our side, but we also recognize that there was fault on the city side. And it was a vicious cycle. This council
passed a amendment to the code I want to say about a year and a half ago uh which allowed for a carveout for business tax receipt which is the lying share of these fees. Uh Mr. Thomasino in December of 2025 went ahead and got this carve out and
we've been in that process with the special master. Um, couple of things we want to recognize is that number one, there have been some employees here in the city that have been very, very helpful, including, but not limited to officer Valencia,
director Jose Perez, Tanya Malcolm, and ironically, Special Master Karen Jenkins. You know, we went before her in April. She brought it down to 80% of a reduction and said if I could bring it down lower I would have.
But she's capped out and we respect that. We're here before you today because we understand that this body has the ability to commute this fine even more and help this resident. Uh as I explained to my client, I don't believe the city of Homestead or its council uh
take punitive measures against commercial residents. In fact, I was here before you about a year ago representing another client where you guys were able to help us reduce the fees he had and that's why we're here before you today. So, I'm not going to take more of your time. I see you have a
lengthy agenda. >> Okay. Thank you, councel, vice mayor. >> Thank you, mayor. So, um additional discussion a little on the last item. Um, for me it's not who you
know, it's understanding the history. Um, this BTR issue is one of those examples of people in the community understanding what changes um, although positive, have come to better our city. that comes with growing pains and it
comes with issues that um we can blame on predecessors. We can blame on on whatever the issue is, but the fact is that mistakes are still made at the city level. Um I have lived through moving my
business um and dealt with all of those headaches much more than I would ever like to relive. Um, and that's been one reason that that I spend my time trying to speak to residents, understand through code, because it's a ridiculous,
ridiculous process. Um, and obviously there's reasons that it is so strenuous. Um, but this is this is one of those examples of things that I feel fell through the cracks. I think we could have done a much better job in the
beginning going after um just like the um electric bills, right? We um look back and obviously could have done things differently. Um but this is definitely one of those cases that I feel um
deserves another look. So curious to hear what >> my colleagues think. But um yeah, this is the perfect example of understanding the differences that we have um that we've seen happen over the years and how it is affecting businesses. and it's so
hard for the small mom and pop um businesses to survive. So, >> thank you. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Council, >> go ahead. It makes it easier for me. >> I know. I know. Um you mentioned
he's a commercial resident. >> That is correct. >> Does he live in the city of Homestead? >> No, sir. No, he does not live in the city of Homestead. >> What was the original amount that was due? >> The original amount was uh combined
$720,000 >> and it's been reduced to >> $145,000. >> That's a pretty good reduction. >> That is >> I'll leave it at that. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you, Councilman. Anyone further to my left? Mr. Councilman Fletcher.
>> Am I on the left? Oh, no. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We'll do Fletcher and then you you're on my right anyway. >> Yeah. So, I kind of looked at this similar to how we did the last couple of items similar to this and again they've taken their time, but they
have come into compliance and I believe that it's it's it's up to us to make the final decision on whether or not we're going to help reduce that or not. Um, my feelings are that they've substantially bettered the location from what it had been and we should look at
reducing the fines up to our maximum allowable amount which I believe is 95%. Is that correct, James? Do you know 95% reduction? Is that our maximum?
>> Which would equate to how many dollars? uh >> 95 against the seven whatever. >> Standby. >> So say 5% of whatever the max was. >> And and I do want to mention we've uh Mr. Tomasino has already made payment
one. I believe you paid $7,500. So obviously that would go towards we >> of course built into the number that's been approved are the non-negotiable hard costs. >> Of course. Yeah. I'm happy to make that motion to reduce
to our maximum allowable event minus the hard cost. >> Let's hold that inance and and hear from councilwoman if you don't mind. Councilwoman >> thank you mayor and thank you mayor. So there are three different violations
here and so I do look at them a little differently. Um there's really not a lot of compassion from me on the garbage, trash, and the junk, the overgrowth, like the visual property condition issues. Um, also I
need clarification. This is a new property owner. Was this a a a conveyance for purposes of property management or a conveyance of of a sale of a business to a new operator? So, if if I may, um, on on property one,
the one that is 11:15 Northwest 4 Street, the owner has been the same owner for at least 18 years, if not longer. And property 1201 Northwest Fourth Street was an acquisition he purchased in 2022. >> Okay. And so,
you're representing both owners. And so this request is for both separate entities, both separate owners. >> It it's the same owner now for both properties, but the the the lean carried over from prior owner to the current owner who owned the the original
property I also mentioned earlier >> on one of the properties. >> Correct. >> Got it. Got it. So, looking at the operating without a business license um case number, was that the original owner
>> or the that would be the original owner, correct? >> Correct. Yes. >> Okay. So to my colleagues, if you look at the original lean amount of $49,000,
the penalty basically is almost $38,000 a year penalty for that operating without a license. And I said it before, like I think the fining process needs to be comate with the the the the error or
the charge or the crime, right? Um, so I don't necessarily think that that's a fair uh representation of what we should be finding, but that's the code. So that's what the calculation is. And so that was reduced down to 82
180. Correct. >> That is correct. And so, you know, for an 11-year period, I don't necessarily know if that's still um, you know, fair, but I think I would be in line with Councilman Fletcher to be more lenient
on that particular case number. But when it comes to the garbage accumulation and the uh building permit issue, because that's a safety building requirement, I wouldn't be in favor of doing too much of a reduction, but I'm willing to
continue to listen. Um I know that Councilman Sean made a uh Councilman Fletcher rather made a a motion, so just wanted to put that out. Well, >> no, we're he's kind of holding that in obeyance. We wanted to hear from you first. Yes, if >> I may. >> So, ju I just want to be clear. Uh, in
2022, you purchased 1201 Northwest 4th Street. >> Yes. >> And you purchased it with $311,642 worth of leans. >> That's correct. >> Why would you do that? >> Whatever the lean amount was at that time. >> Why would you do that?
So that that process for the leans, in other words, the the the fines that the prior owner had were already in process of being cured. So when the purchaser, my client was buying the property, he was told, "This is going to be settled.
Unfortunately, at the time of closing, they were not." He said, "I'm still going to buy it, and I'll try to finish what the work you done." Mind you, part of the issue there, sir, was that in 2015, that fence permit, which is tied to C150600086,
is the fence that was already passed inspection. They were ready to close on the permit, but unfortunately, the city at that time said, "We can't close on that permit until you close on these other issues that you have." which is a
bit interesting because if you have other issues, then cite me on those other issues. But if I'm already in compliance on this issue with the fence, then let's close that. That fence permit, sir, remained open for 11 years. And there were multiple times that the
fence permit was tried uh to be resolved and closed. And each time that that attempt was made, city staff said, "You can't close that until you close other issues that you have." And so in 2025, approximately in the summer, director
Perez was able to close that permit. There was no additional work done for the fence. However, even after he closed it, took about five more months after that for the closing of the permit to reflect on your system. That's why I recognize
those employees, including Miss Tanya, who was the last person we dealt with in December who administratively closed the permit on your end. So, I see your point. You know, why would you take that? And I and you're right. There's there's definitely liability that we
accept because it's not that you were not on notice that there were issues. But as we dove a little deeper in this and we started seeing, wait, there's just a disconnect here on some of the items. uh you if you look at your your memorandum there from the director of code, you'll see that every violation
that's been issued to Mr. Tomasino subsequently has been resolved within 30 days. And I think that speaks volumes of the staff you have with you today. Uh you're doing a great job, Mr. manager because the turnaround time working with
commercial residents or residents uh that live here has by my take taken a full turn and that's good. So that's that would be my answer to that sir. >> Sure. So I mean it is always buyer beware. >> Absolutely sir.
>> And and you took on this $311,000 worth of leans and fines and here we are today >> negotiating it. the the 1150 Northwest 12th Street or four Fourth Street, sorry. >> You said that he's owned that property
for how long? >> 2004. So, we're talking 22 years. >> Okay. And he accumulated $49,6201 worth of fines and leans for what? >> So, it was a series of items, sir. There was a business tax receipt issue. There was also some garbage. >> How How long did the business tax
receipt issue last? That probably was the longest. Um I don't have that number right in front of me. Um I'm sure your staff does, but that was the lion share of the fine. >> And what took him so long to resolve the BRT,
>> right? So I I I I underscored these a little bit earlier. He went through some hardships. The 2027 2008 economic crisis that affected everyone was a big part of it. Shortly thereafter, he lost his wife to cancer. Um, >> ask a question to Absolutely. How much
is the BRT license? >> You were asking me the question? >> No, I'll ask staff. I'll ask anybody who can answer that question. How much is that license? >> $45. >> $45. >> To gain that license, we had to do over We had to make over $300,000 in investments in the property,
>> right? But it's not like you just bought the property. You own the property for 22 years. So, it just to me it doesn't make a whole lot of sense why it took you so long to come into compliance. You've been there for 22
years. The license is $45. What changed from the time you bought the property to when you ended up without the BRT that caused all these problems? >> So, if if I could, uh, Councilman, I I hold a list here of all the receipts
that it took to get that compliance with the BTR. >> Yeah. But what what triggered that? Because he was already there for 22 years. He was there from 2000 whatever day you said. He didn't have those issues then. What triggered that process that cost that that that brought this up
to $400,000 in leans over a $45 license? So my understanding sir is that when he became the owner and he starts operating his business he is told he needs to get this business tax receipt this business tax business tax license and in order to
do so he has to make all the corrections for the type of business he's going to be operating there. So the trial for that is everything that's in here. [clears throat] That leads me to believe that whatever the usage was of the property prior to him buying it was different than what he
started using the property for. So he he 22 years ago he bought this property or whatever, started this business there and never obtained a BRT because he couldn't comply with what the city's requirements were at that time. Is that what you're saying? So, he
elected to continue to do business in violation of the city's codes for all that time. >> Is that right, >> sir? If I if I may, he uh was trying to come into compliance, but it's it's a process. It was a $300,000 process to do
that. >> Understand, but you're talking 22 years ago, and here we are today talking about $400,000 worth of leans and fines. and it took you 22 years to solve. That's kind of that's that's just not the way
it works. >> I I understand, sir. Well, we tried to work with staff and I think >> 22 years, >> there's been like 14 managers, 15 code people. I mean, that doesn't make any sense to me. >> I in a moment of levity, it was only
20134. He's owned it longer than that. Yeah. Now, and to your point though, Councilman, and uh I think Mr. Lopez touched on this earlier, this is a similar case to an earlier client he was here with at the Old Brooker Lumber Company property,
>> right? and I referred to it as the circular fine firing squad, the chicken and the egg. That only until recently when we made the code change could you pull permits to do the work that required you that you were required to
do in order to get the the what I used to call the occupational license. >> Right. >> That's correct, sir. that. So I think that was you know it's just facts to your early and and and the code's been amended now >> correct
>> to avoid that that circular >> and now you're able to stop the hemorrhaging because since you can get the temporary license >> to to this gentleman's point you could mitigate the daily compounding of the fees. So you know [snorts] again that
was a a code amendment by your body. to that and that's you know going forward from >> correct less than a year ago. >> Mayor >> Yes, sure. >> Thank you. So and and that's I'm glad you made that point, Mayor, because as
I'm trying to like listen to what's going on, it's it was our own system that was not allowing him to come into compliance with obtaining a BTR. And so that's why I'm more in more lenient towards reducing the fines on that one. But with regards to the actual
violations of like the fence and things like that, the work that the special master has done by reducing it to 80% that already relieves the fact that you know the compliance occurred years ago and so fines continue to accumulate. So
in that particular case, I'm I'm in agreement with the um special masters um rate. Um, I'll go with the majority on this, of course, but the reality is is that the business the business license issue for me is one of those things that we finally figured that out and you
know, we're seeing these cases that are like decades of problems and hopefully there aren't too many left to have to sift through. But, um, it's kind of where I sit on that. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilwoman. I uh
you know there there circumstances with every >> I would like to second pleasure. >> Okay. So >> proposal >> lecher you you made a motion to offer a settlement of 5% of the fines. Now if our package is correct and the fine
amount the lean amount well the fine amount was 72300 which does not include the hard cost or does that 720 include the hard cost? So 721, $26,261
is all inclusive of the hard cost. And >> so it appears that the 72300 is the lean amount, the consult the the lean amount for both >> parcels. So Councilman, to clarify, your motion
would be to concede a settlement of hard cost plus 5% of 7 $120,300. >> That's correct. And I believe that number to be 36,977 is provided in the book. >> Yeah. With credit for the 7,000
already,000 >> already paid. Um, it's a difficult one for me because on one hand, we're sending the message that you can sit back as a property owner and give us the
proverbial middle finger. I'm not going to get a business license receipt because you can't do anything about it and I'll pay for it at the end and a huge reduction or I'll find some buyer that was gullible enough to have it
passed on to. You know, I I I don't think it sends a a good message. But today, I took the opportunity to talk to the assistant city manager and and Mr. white and we
did not contrary to what was alleged going to be done to me for one year of not paying my license on time many many years ago. There's no at the time and there may not be now. We have no mechanism
to truly enforce the curing of that kind of violation. that all we have are the continuation of of fines. But I'm sorry, but I have to believe that the stuff that had occurred
that you bought was a case of not what you're doing, but who you are. and your seller walked away scot-free, laughing all the way to the
bank at full price and gave the middle finger to the city. Now, do you get left holding the bag for that or not? And that's that's really where I I really have the problem. So, let me ask Mr.
White or Mr. Pearl, do we have anything in place now that allows us to affirmatively enforce violations other than just ongoing fines and and
placing leans against properties? Do we have the ability to go in and shut down shut down businesses for for any any kind of violation? We I want to be clear. It's not for I wouldn't say it's for any kind of
violation. If you recall, there was an instance where we had a property. It was a residential property at the time that was an ongoing nuisance and we were able to go to court and get a court order that required that that property be vacated because of the ongoing activity
there. So, it's not there are mechanisms at our disposal, but we have to evaluate those on a case-by case basis to see what's appropriate. But a garbage, junk, and debris, I think that was, you know, forget about the broken fence. I think that was fixed and just that fell through the cracks.
But are we at the mercy of derelict property owners today for those kinds of violations? There have been instances where the city will go out go ahead and take corrective action and then place the lean on the property for the cost of the corrective action of that corrective
action, but I don't know how often that that's happen. it >> the actual cure of the violation is not >> obtainable is saying like a revocation of a certificate of occupancy as opposed to a business tax receipt if it's just a tax receipt that's what it is a tax
receipt it's not the permission to operate >> right >> um so with a violation such as this then code would have done its normal process at the time which would be to site you know notify site fine
lean and keep going. >> So, is the answer a revisiting of that very draconian certificate of use ordinance that was floated, >> right? >> That if you revoke the certificate of use, you can actually shut down a
business for code violations, >> which this was not the case for this one >> or is not the case on the norm for any of them. I mean, look, if we can make it easier to get a certificate of use so that we can then snatch it when there are violations,
but the impediments that were in place in that first draft to get a certificate of use was a whole other story for me. But pardon me, I'm getting out in the weeds. We've been here since 5:00. All right. Well, we have a motion in front of us.
Is there any further comment? We have a motion for a relief to the tune of 5% plus cost with credit for the $7,000 already paid. >> Any further from council or staff?
Well, let's have a roll call vote on this one. >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Abula, >> yes. Councilman Roth, >> Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal,
>> yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> yes. >> Mayor Losner, >> no. Because I can and you still win. >> It's just the principle of the thing at >> not personal and I know there's anyway circumstances, >> but for me, it's about the message that
we're sending. >> Understood. Thank you, council. Nobody else is going to have your situation. >> Thank you so much. Thank you for your >> Thank you. >> Yes, Council Roth. >> I have a question though for the attorneys. Matt, once we file a lean
against a property, can we go into a foreclosure foreclosure action against that property? >> And why didn't we then? >> So, what what do we Yeah, it's there there's an economic analysis before you go through a foreclosure process. Um,
you have to look at superior you have to look at the superior leans to see >> before they leave. Did did we is implicit in that a time frame for payment >> was not included in your >> Okay, we need we need to deal with a
time frame for payment. I know the larger payment you were given six months. I don't know that that's necessary with the uh >> with the much lower amount. >> Are we okay with 30 days? There's been a question as to whether or
not 30 days not not greater than 30 days full payment which is about 20 29 $30,000. >> That's fine. I think we we don't have a problem. We have we we had every intention of paying the original agreement in October, but 30 days puts
us >> Well, and that was at the 145. >> Yeah. Yeah. I think we >> So Matt, do we need to revisit this >> in terms of uh rescending and remotioning? >> If you'd like just to make it
comprehensive, so full reduction to be paid within 30 days. >> We need to rescend the prior action and then do it again with that time frame built in. >> So Lecher's motion to resend the prior vote, seconded by Cannibal. Roll call on
the motion to rescend. Councilwoman Avula, >> yes. >> Councilman Ross, >> no. >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Councilman Cibal, Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> yes. >> Mayor Austin,
>> yes. >> The motion carries. >> All right. So, now we need a motion for settlement with a time frame for payment. Councilman Fletcher, >> move for the amount previously stated and a 30-day time period >> in full within 30 or before 30 days. has
been second by Councilman Cannibal. So, let's have a roll call on that. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Abula, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> Council Roth, >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> Mayor Lawson,
>> no. >> The motion carries. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Have a nice night. >> All right. That takes us to tab five. Correct. >> Yes.
>> It'll be more talk on this than the last one. >> All right. So, we >> But wait a minute. [snorts] Not so fast. Um, so I guess in short, this is an
expenditure of almost $47,000 to add the championship seal >> to the uh one water tower out by the racetrack at the city's sole expense to
be, as I understand, removed by year end together with the 250 logo. And between now and then, we decide what's what's going to go on there. Um, it's also my understanding that the
operator at the track has declined to contribute to this effort. Is is that correct? >> I don't think that's correct, but no. Let's hear from staff. >> That's correct, Mr. Mayor.
>> That's correct. Okay. Very good, >> Mr. Mayor and Council. Um, >> earlier in the fiscal year, we had presented a budget for the upcoming championship and mayor and council had approved a budget of, I believe,
$100,000, which was inclusive of assisting the Homestead Miami Speedway folks in terms of hosting the championship game coming up. This item is a followup to that provision in the budget. Uh I realized
that we had asked them for counterpart funding and it was not successful but the funding is already in the budget up to $100,000 not essentially for this but for city participation in the in promoting the championship. Thanks.
>> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Manager. Um, my thought would be that money could be better spent for banners for a whole lot less if if we're going to help advertise the event and have it seen citywide.
Only those going to the track generally are seeing that that water tower. For me, that's that's a lot of money, particularly when our partners not contributing despite the fact that it's been been budgeted. >> Mr. Mayor, is this Can I just ask is is this time sensitive to get approval to
have this installed? >> Uh, it can be deferred, Councilman. >> I think we move to defer it so we can have further discussions with the operator. >> Thank you. >> And I understand that, you know, there are some other things that may be coming up that are they're quite big. >> They're more beneficial
>> that are more beneficial than the water time >> when a one time wrap. >> Yes, sir. Thank you. So, a motion to defer. >> I'll second that. >> Okay. Any further discussion? Sorry to cut off your fun, but we have more. We have more. >> We have bathroom paint.
>> All right. So, um, roll call vote on the motion to defer. >> Councilwoman Abula, >> yes. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Councilman Roth, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, Mayor Losner, >> yes.
>> The motion carries. >> And moving on to tab six, a final plat for HG phase one. Yes, bear with me just one moment. Please be advised the following items on the agenda quai judicial nature. If you wish to comment upon these items, please address the announcement regarding the quai judicial
item is made. An opportunity for persons to speak on each item will be made available after the applicant and staff have made their presentations on each item. Swearing in all testimony, including public testimony and evidence, will be made under oath or affirmation. Additionally, each person who gives testimony may be subject to
cross-examination. If you do not wish to either be cross-examined or sworn, your testimony will be given its due date. The general public will not be permitted to cross-examine witnesses, but the public may request the council to ask questions of staff or witnesses on their behalf. The full agenda packet on each item is hereby entered into the record.
Persons representing organizations must present evidence or the authority to speak for the organization. Further details of the quai judicial procedures may be obtained from the clerk in accordance with code section 2-590. Any lobbyists must register before addressing the council on any of the
following items. At this time, I'd ask council members to disclose any exparte communications concerning tab six and tab 7. And for the record, to reiterate on tab seven, you all did receive correspondence from a resident.
>> Right. Tab seven only for me. >> Okay. >> All right. you haven't seen. >> No. >> Okay. >> So, at this time, I'd ask uh anyone in the audience who's wishing to speak on the item uh tab six and tab seven, please stand, raise your right hand, and
be sworn by the clerk. >> You hereby swear affirm to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. So, help me be gone. >> Thank you. You may be seated. Fab 6 car number 5090 is a resolution of the city of Homestead Florida granting final plat approval as
requested by HG Phase 1 LLC for the redevelopment of 150 existing rental assisted and affordable housing units and the development of 100 new rental assisted and affordable housing units totaling 250 units on an approximately 8.744 acre parcel of land located at
1501 Southwest 6th Street as legally described in exhibit A and providing for an effective date. >> Okay. Thank you. Well, it's the final plat. I don't know that we we need any input. Moved by Councilman Roth. >> Thank second over here to my left by
Councilman Fletcher, represented by Mr. Arza, who's not here for $125 an hour tonight. >> Oh, he's just wandering. >> Well, come earn your keep. Enter your appearance.
>> We have nowhere else to go tonight. who's now four months old to see you may council on behalf of DBCI this project >> mayor I can't hear anything >> I'm so sorry I'm Adele Valencia from LSN law on behalf of DBCI we're delighted
that the project is moving along we'd appreciate um your assistance with the approval of the final flag if you have any questions I'm joined by my colleague Benji Power but by way of a reminder this is a public private partnership Miami um to really improve and enhance the quality of these affordable housing
units and to add some more. So with that, I thank you. >> Very good. Thank you. >> Yes. >> I just want to say thank you so much. It has been quite a process getting there, but we were just speaking about it earlier today. Driving through there
now, it is just such a difference. and to think about years ago when we saw what the inside of those apartments looked like um and all the sweat and tears and everything else that went into it. I'm very happy to say transformation. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> All right. So, make the motion. >> It was already >> Oh, it was already What's your district? Okay. >> All right. So, it's been moved and seconded for adoption the approval of the final plat. Let's have a roll call vote. >> Councilwoman Ksky. >> Yes. Councilman Roth.
>> Yes. >> Councilwoman Abula. >> Yes. >> Council Councilman Cannibal. >> Yes. >> Councilman Fletcher. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey. >> Yes. >> Mayor Lawson. >> Yes. >> The motion carries. >> All right. Thank you. Good night. >> All right. Moving on to tab seven.
>> Yes. Tab 7. Car number 50- 5091. This is an ordinance of the city of Homestead, Florida approving the reszoning as requested by Flightway 20 LLC of an approximately 8.55 acre parcel of land from agricultural zoning district to light industrial zoning district for property generally located on the
southwest corner of Southeast 8th Street in Southwest 147th Avenue as legally described in exhibit A providing for complex severability and providing for an effective date. This is first reading. >> Okay, council and Mr. Ars is here. Um,
this is, I think, the mirror image of something we did several months ago next door. >> It is a 71 BL Avenue. Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, council members. Um, Mr. Manager, Madam Clerk. Uh, yes, it is. I mean, I've got a brief presentation if you all wish to see it.
Longer presentation. [laughter] Thank you. >> No offense that >> and uh we'll be happy to come back in September and speak some more about this project, but I appreciate the support. >> Council Fletcher, it's your district. Would you like to move it? >> Move it with one statement. >> Okay. >> Uh we did receive a letter of opposition
from one of the residents. Uh I think that some of his points were well made, but at the same time, they are going to be in accordance with our site plan. So, I appreciate the the thoughtfulness that the resident went through to provide us that input. And I'm going to reach out
to him personally. I haven't yet, but uh very well written letter with a lot of good good thought into it. So, I appreciate that. And again, more appropriate for discussion of site planning, but not for the just the naked reasonzoning. >> All right, make a motion.
>> I asked Fletcher to his district. >> No one. Would you like to >> seconded by Roth? Any further discussion? Any public comment? Close the public comment. Roll call vote on tab seven. >> Councilman Cannibal? >> Yes.
>> Councilman Fletcher? >> Yes. >> Councilman Roth? >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky? >> Yes. Councilwoman Abula, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, yes. Mayor Osman, >> yes. >> The motion carries. >> Thank you all. >> Thank you. And before we move on to tab
nine, since that's eight was deferred, um it's that time of night where we need to move to extend the end time of this meeting from 8:30 and I would suggest 9:30. Moved by Cannibal. >> Seconded by Vice Mayor Bailey. All in
favor? Any opposed? >> Everybody out there. Right. Okay. And that takes us to tab nine. >> Yes. Tab nine. Card number 5096. This is the first reading of an ordinance of the city of Homestead, Florida, amending the city code of ordinances by amending
chapter 30 zoning article 1 in general section 30-1 definitions to create a definition for express mechanical car wash and amending chapter 30 zoning article 3 district regulations division 12 B2 retail commercial district section 30-276 uses permitted to allow express
mechanical car washes as a permitted use the B2 zoning district and amending chapter 30 article 4 supplemental district regulations s division 9 mixed use and non-resident development standard section 30-540 service stations auto repair car washes to establish development standards for
express mechanical car washes providing for conflicts of building and providing for an effective date >> thank you Mr. All right. Uh, any issue waving the staff report? Would you move it? >> I will. >> Okay. Moved by vice mayor with a comment
>> question. >> Thank you, mayor. I know this isn't part of this piece, but I just um want to urge everyone if you haven't been to the car wash off US1 and 288 and seen what craziness it is at all hours of the day.
I know that this is not part of the discussion for for this now, but before we consider anything going on that corner, which is already an incredibly terrible intersection, um I do urge you to go and see the major issues that the car wash on
288 and US1 is causing. Well, that demonstrates demand on one hand and our uh incumbent on us to really take a hard look at site planning >> and the traffic. >> Well, inclusive of traffic.
>> All right. So, >> moved by Vice Mayor, second by Councilman Roth with a comment. >> Yeah. So earlier in my briefing, we talked about the one we approved a couple years ago out in the Oasis Public Plaza, which hasn't even broke ground, and staff had informed me that they have
done nothing to do anything out there. So I asked them to reach out if they want to come and talk to us, see what's going on or because I we don't have nothing on the east side for car washes. Nothing. So you want to the closest one is I think on US1 the sports car wash or whatever it is.
Um just so I hope they reach out and find out what's going on if >> they're dead if they're not going to come back. >> I think Mr. Arza represented that. >> Did he >> that approval? He's bailed out already. I can't blame him. >> If I may, >> was that? >> If I may, the uh the last contact I had
said that they had pulled that plan and were not interested in Homestead anymore. Last time I heard >> that was my understanding, but that's going back over a year. >> That's going back over a year. >> Correct. >> Oh, okay. So, I think we have a motion and a second. Let's
>> do a roll call vote on tab nine. >> Councilman Ross, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Avula. >> Councilwoman Abula, >> yes. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes.
>> Vice Mayor Bailey, Mayor Losner, >> yes. >> The motion. >> And that takes us to tab 10. Tab 10 is the first reading of an ordinance of the city of Homestead, Florida, amending the budget for the water and sewer utility fund for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025,
ending September 30th, 2026 by increasing the total budgeted revenues and expenditures by 2,3,694 providing for severability and an effective date. >> Very good. I think in short for the public this is newfound money but yet
with restrictions on use and this is the the perfect fit. Moved by Councilman Cannibal, second by Vice Mayor Bailey. Anything further from council. >> Okay. Yes, Councilwoman. For just for
the record, my understanding is that there were no restrictions on the use of the money and per per the briefing that I had with Carlos's funds were able to go right into general and that it could have u been it could have been applied to any of our capital improvement
projects, but given the urgency of the well, I am in favor of the project, but just for clarification of the record, >> but wasn't some of the pay fast money dedicated to water projects? >> It's settlement. Okay. It's settlement money. Councilwoman Havas is absolutely correct. There were no restrictions on
the money. It could have been used for anything. This became a project that appeared to be a high priority. So, it was good. >> Okay. >> All right. Do we have a motion in a second? I think we did. >> Let's have a roll call vote on this. >> Councilwoman Ksky? >> Yes.
>> Councilman Cannibal? >> Yes. >> Councilman Roth? Yes. >> Councilman Fletcher? >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Abula? >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey? >> Yes. >> Mayor Losner? >> Yes. The motion carries. >> Moving past tab 11 to tab uh 13.
>> 13. >> Tab 13 is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, approving the award of a contract to OneTop Aquatic Safety LLC for ITB 20263 pool operations and lifeguard services providing for implementation providing for an
effective date. >> Thank you. Moved by Councilman Ross, second by Councilman Cannibal. Any further questions or comments on this item? Hearing none. Roll call. Madam clerk. >> Councilman Roth. Councilwoman Avula.
>> Yes. >> Councilman Fletcher. >> Councilwoman Ksky. >> Councilman Cannibal. Vice Mayor Bailey. Mayor Losner. >> Yes. >> The motion carries. >> And that takes us to tab 14. Good old
pump station 11. Tab 14 is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, approving the award of a contract to Acasta Tractors, Inc. in the amount of 2,317,499.35 for ITB 202624 basin 11 pump station force main project
providing for implementation providing for an effective date. >> Thank you. Moved by councelor Cannibal, second by Councilman Roth. Any further from councel? Roll call, please. Madam clerk. >> Councilwoman Avulo.
>> Yes. >> Councilman Ross, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> yes. >> Mayor Losner, >> yes. >> The motion carries. >> And tab 15 for backup generators.
>> 15 is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, approving the award of a contract to Pantropic Power, Inc. in the amount of $1,462,323 for ITB 202620 purchase of three backup generators for wastewater treatment plant providing for implementation and providing for an
effective date. >> Moved by councelor Ross say by Councilman Cannibal. Anything further from councel? Roll call please on tab 15. >> Councilwoman Ksky. >> Yes. >> Councilman Ross. >> Councilman Cannibal. >> Yes.
>> Councilwoman Avula. >> Yes. Let's keep them running. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> yes. >> Mayor Osman, >> yes. >> The motion carries. >> And tab 16. >> Do you eating? >> Tab, >> Mr. Pearl. Tab 16. Tax tab 16 is a
resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, approving the city's fiscal year 2026 2027 community development block grant and home investment partnerships program annual action plan. Authorizing the city manager to submit the annual action plan to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development,
authorizing the execution of required documents and taking of all actions necessary to implement the annual action plan, providing for implementation, providing for an effective date. I know we've all been briefed on this juicy subject. Okay, hang on. So moved by Councilman
Cannibal. >> Second by Fletcher with a question by the vice mayor. >> Not a question and ask. Um so first of all, it is ridiculous how long anything at Blakey at um the PAL gym has taken, right? We've had terrible luck with the
contractors and so forth. I would like to specifically have that one of the first pieces done is the front door with impact windows. We can wait on the other side of the building, but I think that that would be just a quick, easy fix
that will be welcoming. We are ready to start opening Homestead Gardens and we need to >> have a lovely entrance to our PEL gym. Please, >> thank you for that. Thank you, Vice Mayor. [snorts] >> Okay, I think we had a motion and a
second. Roll call, please. >> Councilman Ross, >> Councilwoman Ksky, >> yes. >> Councilman Calibal, >> yes. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Abula, >> yes. And I I'll have a comment after the roll call. Thank you. >> Vice Mayor Bailey,
>> yes. >> Mayor Losner, >> yes. >> The motion carries. >> Councilwoman, >> thank you, Mayor. And um and piggybacking on what Vice Mayor Bailey was saying, I was bringing it up during my briefing that the CDBG action plans
that we do every year, it it's just a common occurrence where we're rolling over funds that were unused to um stay stay in compliance and we're rolling them into debt payments, etc. I really would like to see our action plan be 100% executed. Um especially with the
dedication of the funding that we we do annually, I think to to the PAL gym. It's just it's been a challenge to get things done. So, in in support of what she was saying, but in light of what I was trying to bring up during the briefing, I would really like to see this be um a year where we don't have
any funds left over to do a uh debt reduction payment just to stay in compliance. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right, that takes us to tab 17, a renewal of the FDOT uh funding of some of the US1 landscaping maintenance. Tab 17 is a resolution of
the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, approving the second renewal to the FD. Turf and Landscape Maintenance joint participation agreement authorizing city managers to accept and execute the second renewal. Take all take all actions necessary to implement the same providing for implementation providing for an effective date.
Do we have a motion? >> Moved by Councelor Cannibal, seconded by the vice mayor. Any further questions from councel? Roll call, please. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> yes.
>> Councilwoman Avula, >> yes. >> Councilman Roth, >> yes. >> Councilman Cannibal, >> Councilwoman Ksky, yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey, >> Mayor Lawson, yes. >> The motion carried. >> And that takes us to tab 18. >> Yes, sir. Tab 18 is a resolution of the
city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, authorizing the city manager to accept the grant award from the Florida Division of Emergency Management for the city's watershed master plan to enter into a grant agreement providing for implementation and providing for an effective date. Thank you. Do we have a motion?
>> Moved by Councilman Roth, >> second by Councilman Cannibal. Is there any further council question or discussion? Hearing none, let's have a roll call vote on tab 18. Councilman Roth, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Abula,
>> yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky, yes. >> Councilman Fletcher, >> Councilman Cannibal, Vice Mayor Bailey, Mayor Losner, >> yes. >> The motion car. Moving >> tab 19. >> Tab 19 is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead,
Florida, authorizing the city manager to negotiate and execute a professional artist services agreement for the Lner Park bathroom facility mural project, providing for implementation, providing for an effective date. Thank you, Vice Mayor. [laughter]
>> Thank you, Mayor. Um, do we have any of the artists present tonight? If maybe you would like to say something, if you're here, talk a little bit about why you would like to be chosen. I think we've got uh three amazing groups to choose from.
Come on up. guessing you are the trio in our package. Okay. Well, thank you very much for your submittal and if you don't mind >> your name and address for the record. And >> my name is Vision. This is a group that
we apply group called artist with. Um my name is Vision. This is Diaz and this is um we just under the impression that you guys would have questions for us too. Um and I feel
like just to state why maybe we should be chosen as aside from our experiences working with different municipalities throughout the states. Um we've been experienced in painting murals for over 10 plus years. Um we're all professional
artists, practicing studio artists, visual artists. Um and we've done Yeah, we've done uh all kinds of different projects throughout the years, including um playgrounds and public spaces and you
know uh projects with the city as well. And it'd be an honor for us to work with the city of Homestead. I'm not sure how this control works. Serial um we are all international artists as well. I mean Johan comes from Venezuela
from Columbia. I am a mixed Panameanian Puerto Rican artist as well. And um to give you a little bit of our vision of what we pictured for these murals. >> Yeah. Take it out.
Yeah. >> Can you hear me now? >> Amazing. >> Yeah. Just to give a little bit of context in uh what we wanted to present for the murals is an initial draft which we can slide over is uh for every
different elevation on the building. We wanted to include a lot of the fauna and nature that we found specifically to the park in Lner. Um, and we pulled inspiration from different artists within the Miami Vice influence
according to the call of artists and um, things that we come into to contact with in Miami artists like Roberto Gamax's landscape architecture um, you know, David Hawkney's influential paintings and the Memphis group from Milan who's
you know influenced all of Miami Vice's 80s kind of aesthetics. So as you see we have uh different animals and plants. Some of these animals just we kind of highlighted them as main subjects to also give like in the the influence of
movement and freedom for people and the kids visiting this park. Um I think one of the earliest childhood memories that I have obviously is playing at a playground playing with family but what I remember most is like movement running and going through the slides and things.
So, we kind of wanted to give that feeling a bit. Do you want to slide to the next one? >> I also I also want to mention that um we put uh detail onto this design where a lot of things um complement the
surroundings of the building. For example, on the butterfly, there's actually on the south elevation, there's a water fountain right there. So, we specifically place some of the items uh to the surroundings of of it as well as the north elevation. Um the bird on top,
we noticed that there's a dumpster and an an electrical box on the bottom. So, we wanted to make sure that uh these designs actually complement the surroundings of the building. Um, we are we we approached this as like initial
sketches to kind of present to you guys today. Um, we're not married to these ideas right now or the literal sketches you're seeing in front of you. Um, and we would love to develop and leave this open to development in communications and collaboration with you guys.
>> Thank you very much. Sorry for the long wait, but we appreciate you coming up. That's what we do here. >> If you guys have any questions for us, we're more than open to. >> And just so the public realize, the these sketches that are peculiar to the building we're talking about are the first time we've seen them. They're not
not in our package. This is the first time we've I mean, we've seen your work and your vision and your statement here, but but not these. >> Just just so everybody understands that we >> Yes. >> Just a quick question again. I appreciate your comment that you're not married to your sketches. I just want to
make sure that it it's very collaborative with what we already have in the area and it's not I get the Miami vice theory, but at the same time I want to be coherent to what's currently >> complimentary with what's >> 100%. I mean that's normally usually uh part of our artist process in creating
murals in public spaces. It's collaborating with the community or you know its immediate surroundings. U we love to make our artwork site spice sight specific. So I'm open to comments uh like if we need [clears throat] to
edit them, change them, add things, you know, I would love everybody to be on the same page. >> Very good. Well, thank you. Anything further from from council? All right. Appreciate you coming down and waiting this evening. >> No problem. Thank you guys. >> All right. You might as well just hand
the mic off to the next group. Hi, welcome. >> Thank you for having me. My name is Alex Fan. Can you guys hear me? Okay, >> if you want to go ahead and pull that out and >> there you go. >> Let the let the stand do the work for me. Uh my name is Alex Vhan. I'm a also
known as Quake. I'm a Miami native and I've been painting murals uh in Miami and uh around the world for about 25 years. Um, a lot of uh art and public places projects, a lot of projects with the cities and the counties. Um, school
district stuff. Did a lot of stuff with uh Broward County for the schools there. Um, I represent uh a company called Kushy Creative, which is uh my mural company that I've been working with for about 15 years now. and uh I just I saw
this project and it just it it felt like a project that was for me and and and my team to tackle. Um I'm just one person here today just representing for myself. Um, I I was only made aware of the, you
know, the possibility of presenting a PowerPoint just a few days ago, and I'm I'm currently on a mural project, so I wasn't able to put anything together, uh, quick enough. But like the guys before me said, um this is a community project and so I
expect there to be more conversation, more dialogue and you know a way for us to kind of figure out um you know what what makes the most sense you know for this project. Uh you know we we've done a lot of projects like this over the
years and you know I was I was born at Baptist Hospital not far from here. My my mother worked at Daring Hospital and she she uh volunteered at a at a clinic as a nurse midwife actually in Homestead not far from here. Um you know serving
lowincome uh women that were you know prenatal care for them. So you know I do have a connection with Homestead. I do have a strong connection with the the southern region of Miami just growing up here. And you know that's that's that's pretty
much my my pitch in a nutshell. So do you guys have any questions for me or it's just sort of reiterating what the what the last guy said sort of? >> I think in our in our package we have samples of your work that kind of show us. >> Yeah. Yeah. I tried to put some samples
in that I think are appropriate >> you you've done in the past but I really think that for us to make an informed decision and I don't know that this really timesensitive you know I know you mentioned you're on another job um what would be a time frame that you might be
able to envision and provide a first proposal a a look for this project specific to this project. Well, what kind of deadline are we are we looking at right now? Is this like a as soon as possible kind of a scenario? >> Well, that's why I'm looking to staff. I
don't know that the execution of this is that time sensitive or is it? >> I mean, >> we're used to hitting all kinds of crazy deadlines. >> Can I say something? >> Like the the idea here was to present
the three artists. This was only a call to artist and once we select which is the artist that we want then we give them a stipent so they can start with their first draft. That's the way it works.
>> Now I understand that but you know the first group was in position to provide us with their preliminary vision of something they might do.
kind of mixing apples and oranges. And I don't know if everybody got notice at the same time and was on the same time frame to submit a specific proposal. I know the last sketches, as I said, were not in our agenda packet.
They they were new for tonight. >> That that one was not a request, was a profer, like a voluntary profer. Okay. Mr. mayor to the question of um timesensitive. Uh I believe in working with the vice mayor and developing kind
of the scope of work, the desire was maybe by the end of this uh at least start end of fiscal year certainly by the end of the calendar year um to have the project complete. Um but that's the timeline that we are we are working with
hopefully by the end of the calendar year um if possible to commence the work by the towards the end of the fiscal year. >> You know as quickly as the 204 mural went and the the one at the PO
>> it's not out of the realm of possibility to give everybody the same footing. >> Yeah. and still have something in place even by Thanksgiving or the kickoff of our >> if we're going to have any holiday events this year. >> Thanksgiving if Thanksgiving would be
the best case scenario to be complete because of the upcoming holiday holiday festivities. Um otherwise I would say you would be looking into 2027. So that's kind of the idea why we wanted
to commence by the end of se the fiscal year and try to wrap it up by October, very early November. >> Well, no, no, I I get that. But sitting here tonight in late Jan, mid to late January, I'm sorry, August, >> July, where where are we?
Um >> what kind of cushion do we have to before we make a choice >> of team or artist to put everyone on equal footing of seeing an initial vision versus other random work. So I
think for purposes of today's conversation um the the approach could be with my recommendation it's an an initial introduction of the artists um and then we at d at the direction of council
council can give direction of with a time bound right whether that is two weeks three weeks and in the first meeting in September those um concepts could be profered uh by all three artists and then we go from there. Um I
think that would that would allow um the equal footing and the the preliminary concepts to be presented >> and it seems we're going to have probably a special call sometime in late August. >> Okay. >> For PH. >> Okay. >> So, you know, generally speaking, a
30-day period more or less >> what whatever that regular August meeting would be. Let's just say >> the last August meeting. Okay. Let's let's just say for sake of argument that would be what? The n the 20 26th.
>> The third Wednesday would be the >> 19th. >> The 19th. >> It'd be the 19th. >> Pardon? >> Yeah, we're I think the League of Cities is going on. Or is that the week before? >> 13th. Okay. So, that's not in conflict
with the League of Cities. Um so you know what whatever it is you know probably not any earlier than the than the 19th. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Is that we're sitting here today the 22nd >> y
>> that that we would make a decision with everyone having >> you know >> that presentation of that site. >> Yep. >> Very very common for projects like this and yeah very doable and fair. >> Okay. Absolutely. >> Very good.
>> Anybody else? Anything else? >> Thank you guys for having me. I appreciate it. >> All right. So, this is the third third artist. >> Hi, welcome. >> Uh my name is George Eustus. I go by Chief Deser. Um I'm a Miami local. Born
and raised in Miami. Uh my parents are from Homestead. They're residents. So, this mural is not just another wall for me, but an opportunity to leave something behind, uh, you know, that the community can enjoy. I painted for the city of Miami. Just recently, we
completed a project for Douglas Park. Um, we did it, uh, we myself, I did it in three weeks. Um, [snorts] >> City of Ice. Now, wait a minute. >> What? I know that's that's more
reference to the color. I'm not stuck on the title. And >> wait a minute. >> As far as concept, uh, you know, >> she's the mayor of Vice. >> Um, this is a photo from the recently completed mural at Douglas Park. Um, I've worked with the city. I've worked
with various uh nonprofits like Miami Lighthouse and Branches Florida. Uh, my I didn't create a mural mockup yet, but we I could get one done in the time frame allowed for sure. basically would be
an homage to the Everglades, a river of grass that flows onto the sidewalk. And I'd like to have some, you know, landmarks of Homestead in there, you know, and a lot of color pastel uh collage style mural.
Uh I don't want to clash with the murals that exist already there, but more so complement what they have going on. Um yeah uh in the presentation and the opportunity to create the mockup I can further illustrate what I have
envisioned. Um basically this is an awesome opportunity I see then looking forward to creating something cool. Here's an example of some of the color palettes that I was thinking. So more of the pastel tones with oranges and we can see
that in the mockup coming up. And yeah, basically that's it. I just wanted to throw my hand and ring uh introduce myself uh and that was it. >> Okay. So, do your parents actually live in the city limits or they just have driver's licenses and say >> homestead within the city? Uh it's off
of 137 and 276. >> Not the city. >> Oh, it says Homestead in there on their >> That was my point. Close enough. >> Well, >> okay. Second question. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I didn't have my reading glasses on and I saw one of your renderings
there where you had an indigenous woman and for a minute it looked like the skunk ape and I was thinking maybe we should have you incorporate the skunk ape in if you're >> whatever you ever the skunk ape >> but okay so I think council just to put
everyone on on equal footing you know and if the the first team wants to come back and make some adjustments that's fine Frank, we're anticipating a meeting on the 19th that we can uh select the artists at at that point and for me
it'll be based on what your vision is for that particular building, not what you've done elsewhere. >> For sure. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um thank you all again. Um and for my colleagues, in case you didn't see, but the call to artist was a little more specific than we've
usually done before. Um, you know, for me, Lner Park, it's just so beautifully landscaped that I thought it was important that we really play off that. Um, and then of course, just kind of giving um, kudos or whatever to our past
um, and using those cool vibrant Miami Vice style colors. So, if you look at some of the elevations here in the pictures, um, there's so much more growth that's even going to happen. Um, but you've got the palm trees already and you've got the beautiful plants coming out on the side. So, the vision
was to kind of keep it looking natural but with the with these um with these very vibrant colors. So, artsy but still very natural. So, that's where the whole Miami Vice thing came. And I think this along those lines with the foliage to staff kind of the big mural on the west
side of the building is really obscured and we're going to have to really think hard about how the existing landscaping may need to be realigned to not obscure whatever's done here and really take a hard look at the big mural
that faces faces west on the back of the seminal theater. It's very hard to see when you're >> It It really is. So, do we need a motion to defer this to the All right. So, we need a motion to defer to the 19th. >> All right. It's been moved and seconded.
All in favor? >> I. >> And thank you. >> Thank you all. Appreciate it. >> Okay. Moving on to tab 20. Tab 20 is a resolution of the city
council of the city of Homestead, Florida, declining a $1 million grant award from the Florida Department of Transportation for the Biscane Everglades Greenway phase 2 project, authorizing the city manager to provide formal notice to the Florida Department of Transportation and to execute any documents necessary to effectuate the
declination and close out of the grant, confirming the city's continued commitment to pursue the project through future external funding opportunities, providing for implementation, and providing for an effective date. >> Mayor, >> thank you, Mr. Manager. >> Yes. Uh, thank you. Um, on further
evaluation of this item, is our position that we should uh defer this item. We are looking into coming back with a different option and a different recommendation to mayor and council for us to consider and explore
the possibility of additional funding and grant applications to make up the shortfall in the funding rather than outrightly rejecting money. >> The reason being the grant is not going to be available in 2028. So taking this action at this stage is a
little premature. That's why we want to look for other options. I think that's a wise decision rather than rejecting it out of hand. So move to the for move by Roth, seconded by Cannibal. All in favor? Any opposed?
All right, that takes us to tab 21. 21 is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead Florida expressing support for the candidacy of Miami Dade County, Florida to host the world expo 2035 supporting the
application for federal recognition in the United States candidature before the bureau international day expositions authorizing coordination with federal, state, regional and local partners providing for transmitt providing for implementation providing for an effective date.
>> Thank you. What an exciting prospect. >> Yes. Moved by Councilman Cannibal, seconded by Councilwoman Ksky. Any further discussion? Okay. What a slam dunk that would be for Deep South Dade.
>> All right, let's have a roll call vote. >> Councilwoman Abula. >> Councilwoman Avula. >> Yes. >> Councilman Ross. >> Yes. >> Councilman Fletcher. >> Yes. >> Councilman Calibal. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky. >> Yes. Vice Mayor Bailey. Yes. Mayor
Losner. Yes. The motion C. >> Okay. Let me interject here. I've been remiss. We have a an elected official with us, Mayor Loggo of Coral Gables. Welcome. I hope we haven't jumbled your
See, you only have four to deal with. I've got six. Okay. All right. Welcome to Homestead. Our architect said that our city hall would be similar to yours, but they lied. It's a lot bigger.
Okay, moving right along to um tab 22. And uh okay, this this grew out of a couple of things. Our transition to the round seal and adoption of a different color
palette. So we began talking about, you know, new flags with the round seal with with with staff and conversation kind of grew into maybe we need to do something more. Let me also add that, you know, this kind of all came into the
conversation when we placed some of the military uh current and commemorative flags racetrack uh the flags behind us that we thought that you know we should uh bring forward just you know for discussion and
some action an adoption of a uh a new design of of city flag. So I would would welcome any commentary. Yes, Councilman Roth. >> The three options I'm looking at are terrible. >> I agree with you 100%. They're horrible.
I like the >> the original one looks good compared to these three right now. So, I would say let's put it back to the drawing board and bring it back another day. >> Well, I would say okay to that regard. And I've I've had this discussion with staff. >> The seals
>> the seals on all of the option are out of scale. They're too small. If we're going to use the the seal, um there's nothing time sensitive here. We can defer this and ask staff to go back to the drawing board and uh and come back.
>> I'd like to see an option number two, but it has to be the size of the flag that the others over here. >> Well, the seals are all out of scale on these renderings and that may be part of of the issue. Yeah, >> but we can ask staff to uh to go back to
the drawing board. >> Yes, >> Vice Mayor, >> just quickly, I would also like to see some ide some examples without the colors on the bottom. I'm not a big fan of that. Thank you. >> Just a white background. >> Yeah.
>> So, because if you go online, all the advice says don't have a seal on a blank field. Says do something else. And you know there are a lot out there that are just too busy and these were kind of a a middle ground. But if if you have ch in
all of your spare time when you go home tonight, you know, Google city flags and uh see what it says. >> And Miami is the example not to follow. >> But uh Mr. >> Okay. So yes, council. >> I believe Councilman Avala had Yes.
Question then I'll go after her. Sure. Councilwoman Avala. Councilwoman, >> can you hear me? >> We can. >> Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Sorry, you guys were coming through on my end of the sloppy. Thank
you. Okay. Um, I thank sentiments with regards to the examples that we have, but also I I'm still kind of getting used to our new revised round logo and I have definitely used it as one of the uh
more trendier, more modern looks for our online presence, etc. But when it comes to our city flat, um my comments for this are to stay in line with uh my original comments with the the um the
logo that we've had in that it's I'm sorry I'm getting echo. Um but I I'm I'm kind of in favor of keeping the flag the way that it is. Um especially with given these examples. I'm happy to look at some additional examples, but I I don't want to rush into changing our
official flag when we just rolled out this new look and it's it's something that I'm still kind of >> Okay. Well, yeah. >> Very good. Well, so I if you didn't pick up on it, I think the tenor here is to
send staff back to the drawing board, perhaps get some better renderings of what's before us as well as some other options. >> And Mr. Mayor, if I may. >> What's that? >> If I may. >> Yes. >> Um, can you also bring back a budget of what this is going to cost?
Um, you know, we're we're making decisions here coming up in the next few weeks on our budget. And I think just boldly going out and replacing all the flags might be something we not need to do right now. So, if we can understand what the cost is of this to change these
out across the city, uh, it'd be good to know. Thank you. Somebody's got to go figure out how many we have. Okay. So, staff has their direction. All right, we've dealt with 23. That's
in process. And that takes us to tab 24. >> Yes. Tab 24, car number 570. This is the first reading of an ordinance of the city of Homestead, Florida, amending the city code ordinances by amending chapter 30 zoning article 1 in general, section
30-1 definitions to create definitions relating to small animal clinics and small animal hospitals. Amending article 3 district regulations division 10 B1A professional business restricted district section 30-241 uses to permitted to permit small animal clinics
and small animal hospitals as a permitted special I'm sorry as a permitted use division 10 B1A professional business restricted district section 30-241 10 B1A professional business restricted
district and division 11 B1 restricted district retail section uses permitted to allow small animal clinics as a permitted use in B1A and B1 zoning district and amending chapter 30 zoning supplemental district regulations [snorts]
section 30-397 permitted uses and dimensional standards tables to amend the permitted use table for small clinics and hospitals providing for conflict severability and providing for an effective date. >> Thank you. A little bit of background this initiative. Over the last couple of
years, I've had more than one veterinarian, uh, some who have practices in the city and some who have practices outside the city who have been desirous of expanding or either coming into the city. and they
all expressed to me that under our code it was very difficult to find suitable property um under our code to to locate. So and in thinking through it, you know, in effect that if you're in a B1A
in a standalone building on a lot of not less than 13,500 square feet, you can have that use. And in my mind, it kind of, you know, separates the noise and and allows uh some more flexibility for
veterary offices and small animal overnight hospitals to to come into play. Certainly, you know, it was brought home recently on our discussion with the uh spay and neuter, the temporary spay and neuter clinic and just the general shortage of
veterinarians and veterary offices. While I'm confident that given our population growth and relative affordability, there would be more practitioners in the city limits.
>> Okay. All right. It's been moved and seconded. Any uh comment, questions? Councilwoman Avala first read. >> Yes, thank you. So, I do believe that there were some recommendations that I made during our briefings uh that between now and second reading that uh
we take a look at the the gap so that B2 can also allow for it because there are cases where veterinarian um businesses exist in our in our B2 areas currently, but our code currently is only writing it allowing it in B3s, but then there's
some verbiage mix up. So, I did make those recommendations. Mayor, do you have any concerns about that? No, I think that the the table I was given in the leadup to crafting this that these uses except for largecale emergency
animal clinics and hospitals are allowed in B2 and don't require a standalone building or a a minimum lot size. So I think that we already have that. Is that correct, James? >> That's correct. So in B2 the language says
uh dog and pet hospital and then in B3 it refers to veterinary hospital veterary clinic. So between first and second reading I will make the correction so that the correct terminology referencing animal clinics and animal hospitals are used throughout
>> right and I think the distinction was boarding versus no boarding >> right >> generally. [clears throat] Um, also James, you and I had talked about uh I think there was a typo in the number of uh number of veterinarians and it maybe we want to consider between now
and second reading removing that limitation because you can only have so many people in a given building on that minimum lot size at a at a given time. Certainly dental offices similarly situated have a have far more than that
for example and all these medical clinics. So certainly yes if certainly very amendable to councilwoman having your concerns addressed as well as perhaps the removal of the limitation on the number of veterinarian and support staff.
>> It's been moved and second. >> Okay. >> Very good. So let's have a roll call on first reading. >> Councilman Ross. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Ksky. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Avula. >> Yes. >> Councilman Cannibal. Councilman Fletcher. Yes. >> Vice Mayor Bailey. Yes. Mayor Lawson.
>> Yes. >> The motion car. >> All right. That moves us to tab 26. >> 26. Again, just some really quick background at one of the first presentations our park consultants made either publicly or at least one-on-one
was a recommendation to have an independent fundraising arm to get a not for-profit set up to begin to independently seek grants and philanthropy for park acquisition, capital improvements,
all those kinds of things. in it. And when this first got on my radar, it was more in tune with the the pending transfer that's obviously not yet complete of the the new 10acre parcel, but certainly Harrisfield and the
balance of that upgrade and renovation will also be on our radars and agendas and uh certainly that that vehicle to go out and and uh do fundraising I think would be very beneficial. And again,
it's one of the first recommendations that that we heard from the um from the consultant. So that's that's the background of my bringing this forward. >> One comment. >> Yes. Okay. So we've got moved by Councilman Fletcher. You want to second
it? Make a comment. >> Second by the vice mayor with a comment. >> I just wanted to ask chief if you would consider having somebody from PD there as well just in case there are PAL related. >> But definitely no problem. >> Thank you. Thank you, mayor. >> Very good. Thank you. All right,
Councilwoman Avala. >> Yes. I'm in favor of this item. I just wanted to get a clarification on the board composition. It looks like the board would have approximately a minimum of >> nine. >> Nine members, >> correct? Seven appointees, one from each
council member, the prior mayor and the city manager >> or representative designated by the city manager. >> Correct. The manager or his designate or her design his or her designate. >> So the city manager could be a sitting
voting member on the board. >> Correct. >> But that's not what's in here now. Do you want to make that amendment as it should it be? Mayor, for clarification, the way that the resolution says it's one representative designated by the city manager. It's not the city manager
himself. >> All right. I Yeah, >> I just want to for clarity. >> Okay. So, Council, is it your concern that it be a design of the manager or that it be the manager or none of the above? >> No, I'm fine with the way that it's written, but when you made your comment,
it confused me. So, I'm just also getting clarification that is it nine or is it nine plus additional community philanthropic business like up to a maximum or like how many board members are we going to have on here? >> Matt and Jame, I think this it's nine. It's a seven appointees.
>> It's established as nine. There's a mechanism for the board itself by amending the bylaws to expand membership. You have exeicio advisors and that includes the city manager has designate the parks and recck director,
the public works director and myself or somebody from my office as needed. >> But the the seven elected officials will always have their appointees. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you for the clarification. >> Okay. Okay. Very good. All right. Anything further? I think we have a motion and a second. Let's have a roll
call vote on the first reading. Council >> is this it? This it. Okay. Councilwoman Avula. >> Councilwoman Abula. We'll >> come back. >> Councilwoman Ksky. >> Yes. >> Councilman Ross. Yes. >> Councilman Fletcher. >> Yes.
>> Councilman Cannibal. >> Vice Mayor Bailey. >> Yes. >> Mayor Losner. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Avula. >> Yes. >> The motion carries. >> Very good. Thank you all. I think it's a big step forward to preparing for the future. All right, we've done the beacon or the
exe the EDC. So that takes us to 28. Tab 28 is a resolution of the city council of the city of Homestead, Florida, providing for the submission to the city electors of a non-binding advisory question concerning whether the city should cease
operating its municipal electric utility and pursue an arrangement for electric utility service with a commercial electric utility provider. Providing requisite ballot language for submission to the electorate calling an election to be held on November 3rd, 2026. Providing for advisory and non-binding effect of
the question, providing for balloting. providing for notice of election, providing for implementing authority, and providing for severability and an effective date. >> Good. Thank you. I know that a I think I know one council member has already weighed in. Uh any initial questions or comments from those of us who are here
who have not weighed in yet? Again, I think the key words are non-binding straw ballot. Council, >> I'm totally against this. So implicit in that is it your belief that we should remain in the public
power business. >> Totally against this. >> Well, you didn't answer the question. You don't have to, but it's neither here nor there. I think it's important to know why you're voting the way you are. It's more important than how you vote.
Be that as it may, I'll for those of you who are here with the oldfashioned ways of the dirty looks and the arms crossed, I'll bear those slings and arrows. We got to grow out of old Poduck Homestead and recognize that we neither have the
money or the capability to generate the needs of this city in the future. I run into folks all over town all the time that have a complaint that we're not reliable that they know all we are doing is
buying power from somewhere else and marking it up. And to the extent you were listening, I said at the very beginning of this meeting, this is no personal reflection on anyone from Director Quonus all the way down to
the newest person. No reflection whatsoever. I think it's time we take the temperature of of the electorate and if not by ballot maybe authorize the the manager to take a survey of our
customers. We have city residents who are not on city of Homestead and there are folks on the city of Homestead who are not City of Homestead voters. We can no longer stick our heads in the sand. I
just attended the FMEA conference. The number one issue was the ability of communities in the future to meet the demand that have the capacity to meet the demand. This is just a take the temperature of
the electorate. Let me just say you got to think bigger picture. This is not about just you. This is about our customers and it's about the continued financial viability of this city and the enterprise. And I I
don't really understand what anybody's fear is about finding out what folks are thinking. So with that, Councilman Fletcher. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And although I I can agree with some of your points, uh I believe this is putting the cart before the horse. And if if in one day
we have to make this decision to to move elsewhere, uh I believe it puts us at a strong negative position when it comes to bargaining. If if we have a a poll out there that all the residents and the the customers of the city want to go to FPL,
that gives them a stronger hand in any negotiations because they know the people want to go that route. >> That that may very well be and I agree with that. However, if the reverse of that is if we receive an unsolicited offer from a public
provider, are we going to call for a special election and spend a couple of $100,000 to poll the public or are we going to wait until November of of 27 to get voter approval or are we
just going to go forward? Why don't we make a survey? >> Well, I I kind of agree with your concepts a little bit, but at the same time, I just believe it puts us at a strong or not so strong negotiating position. And all of us are put up here to make a
decision. >> And unfortunately, we don't know what that decision is going to have to be yet. Come November, we're going to know where exactly we stand when it starts coming to taxes. >> And at that point, we're going to have to make a decision. It may not just be the electric enterprise. It could be
solid waste. It could be water and sewer. We may have to look at all of those things. I think we need to wait until we see what that information is. >> The financial information. >> The financial information before we make this decision. That's my personal take.
>> No. And and that's fine. I don't want to fall into the trap though that well, let's go get voter approval when a contract is pending. We may not have that luxury of >> No. And again, I think that's why people elected us at the time. Once we find this information out, we're here to make
that determination. >> And it's going to be what it is at election time at that point. >> Well, well, maybe it won't, but to our employees, we can't stick our head in the sand forever. If it doesn't happen this year, next year, the
following year, there's going to be a fundamental change in the way we raise and spend money in this city. You know what? The only two people who came and complained tonight from among the employees were people with their own
self-interest. And that's why Homestead is way behind the rest of the region because we never thought big picture because you had a bunch of weak people sitting up here in the past who wouldn't say we've got to act in the best
interest of the community. Because I know historically when we were a community of 15, 20, 25,000 people, everybody knew or was related to one of you all. And that is no longer the case. There is not a
sentiment among the public. They don't care. They want to flip the switch and they want those lights to come on. And that's the sad reality. And if you keep ignoring the big public interest
cuz y'all didn't come here organically. Somebody organized that. The old police chief used to do it. Somebody's done it with you all and I respect that. That's your your right to do so. But a failure of this item tonight is by no means the
end of the story. So um I don't even think we have a a motion to uh to go forward. I don't think. >> Hi May. Mayor. >> Yes. Um,
so obviously there are things potentially in the pipeline that is going to change completely the way that we're able to run the city 100%. >> For me, without us even being able to look at what does both of these pictures
um look like having our own or not, without that information, we wouldn't be able to make that decision right now. So for me putting it out to a poll, no typical resident is going to have that information either. >> But people don't think about that.
There's a perception. Are we reliable? Are we cost effective? Are we efficient? >> I think the answer across the board is no. >> I I hear the opposite. I really do. >> Not at all. whenever there's issues and I look at
the email and see who's on call it is always very very informative um this is what's happening this is a timeline personally business here in the downtown house in the downtown 20 years I
hardly ever have issues >> no I'm lucky at my house until tonight I I don't I always get restored pretty quickly that may not be the case in the future But generally citywide that I I don't see that. I get emails.
I'm stopped on the street. I'm stopped in the grocery store. And look, the reality is on a good day, we can generate, I'm told, about 10 megawws. Our requirements on a daily basis are up to 115 megawws. manager shared with me
that we need a minimum of $50 million to get anywhere where we need to be in our power plant to be self-sufficient. So, this is not just a whatif tax reform happens. This is
facing the reality of this and as Councilman Fletcher pointed out, other enterprises as well. solid waste, water, waste water across >> that would be that would be you know figuring out future usage and demand obviously is something that we need to
look at. Um but for me it's more the renting or buying. That's that's the way that I see it. So I would need to understand more it for me it makes more sense that we own it. We can make certain decisions. We've got um a hand up leg up on on being dependent on
somebody else. So those would be pieces that I would ask for more information on and to understand what those two processes look like. >> You know, and again, non-binding straw ballot, but you know, I've finally learned in my lifetime to read the tea leaves and stop tilting at windmills
when the windmill has already fallen on me. But so guys, for a lack of second and thank you, Councilman. And that concludes the regular agenda.
And I'm trying to thumb through here and see in which order we have individual council members business. >> Yeah. Yes. Mr. Manager, what do you have for us this evening?
>> No, it's it's dead. >> Okay. >> Ready, >> Mr. Manager? So tomorrow the city is pleased to host a couple of events here at city hall. Uh school board member Louisa Santos will be visiting us with a
group of kids on a educational tour as well as city hall tour and the greater downtown homestead area. Uh we are also hosting Miami date county tomorrow on their regular visit to homestead for permitting
and uh more importantly tomorrow the city will be hosting a down payment assistance webinar. It's going to be on zoom from 11:00 to 12:30 p.m. Uh the link and information about this session will be on city website. Uh, the down
payment assistance program is funded from the CDBG home funds. That's all I have. Mr. Mayor, >> um, we didn't catch what time board member Santos will be here tomorrow. >> Uh, Mr. Mayor, I believe it's 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
>> City. >> Yes. >> Yes. Okay. Very good. Thank you, >> Mr. Attorney. >> If I can request one executive session, Mayor, >> of course. in the matter of Lasale Educational Center Inc. Reesees versus City City of Homestead case number 125
CV 24232 in the United States uh Southern District U Florida. Thank you. >> Thank you. We'll make it happen. All right, Councilwoman Ksky. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um I just have two
things. Uh, a big thank you to staff for the FIFA party that was at Lner Park. Um, great turnout for a normal LNER park activity. However, um, I find that >> what does that mean?
>> I I think attendance is low. It's bad. It was average. And I think our attendance for a city of our capacity, it's low. And I'll take some personal responsibility in that. And it's something that I I did share with staff that um many of us old-timers, I consider myself an old-timer born and
raised here, we don't attend these events. And I don't understand why and maybe a few reasons why. And I'm going to personally take it upon myself to in my terminology as a realtor, door knock and and get out there and show share
with people what's going on in the city. I I think that it's a lack of awareness because they haven't been attending. And once they do, I I think attendance will pick up. And it's important that we have um we have more people there, you know, especially as old-timers. Um
>> because the old-timers aren't on social media >> and they're not soccer fans. >> I don't know. But it's still a social occasion. So, I just think um I I'm going to implore them to come and check out what's going
on at Homestead. They just don't do it. They >> I believe the attendance was so so also, but there there was a lot a lot of fear mongering >> about ice being in the in that that place. So, that's one of the reasons that >> and it was 108 degrees on Sunday afternoon.
>> It was warm, >> but it was still a great party. It >> was an amazing party. >> You know, I think you make a good point. There's a lot of unjustified online fear-mongering about the presence and activity of ICE. >> Yes. >> Um, no. One other thing, Havana Nights,
I know that I was pushing for that event quite a bit and I want to say thank you for all of those who supported the event. Our goal was to raise $30,000 and we were just a few dollars short of $34,000. So, thank you very much for your
support. these nonprofits um they they do a lot with a little so they're going to be able to do um amazing things with this money. So, thank you so much. >> Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for those efforts. Councilman Roth. >> Thank you, Mayor. Uh just one announcement. The Military's Affairs
Council along with uh the Kuanas Club of Homestead South Dade is putting on their Vegas night. It's an annual event this year. It's going to be August the 8th at the Redland Country Club. If you would like to get tickets in advance, you can
go to Eventbrite. Just type in the word military as long as you're searching in the homestead area and you can purchase tickets there for that event. All the money that's raised for uh in that event will go to help military families and help with scholarships through the
Quantis Club. Tickets $25. the events at again Saturday August the 8th starts at 6 p.m. complimentary foods, a cash bar, DJ, and the theme is the 70s. There'll be a costume contest. Uh, so come
dressed in your favorite uh John Travoltra or Saturday Night Live outfit. >> Say age or era >> or whatever. Yes, it could be your age, too. But those people won't show up. Konsy just made the point that they don't show up to the event. So, it's a 70s era
>> uh 70 70 era costume contest, and it'll be fun. There's all kinds of games. Uh the typical casino games, craps, roulette, blackjack, Texas Holdem, uh food, like I said, cash bar. Uh 6 a.m. uh 6 p.m. to about 10 p.m. And it's uh
Saturday, August the 8th, Eventbrite. Type in the word military, searching under Homestead, and you will find tickets online. Thank you, Mayor. >> Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Fletcher. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh I also attended the event on Sunday and I agree it was
uh very hot but it was an exciting game and uh enjoyed it. Uh and we had two different locations. One was in English, one was in Spanish and most everybody was standing at the Spanish side because that's where all of the excitement was >> Spain.
>> But we would hear like 10-second delay ahead of us was the stuff going on at the other. So there was some some issues that they need to kind of clear up. But all all in all it was a great setup and I appreciate staff. We'll be able to get a roll up as to what the vendors did
because that was my biggest concern is I didn't see people at the food trucks. People were over in the park area but not out on Chrome Avenue. So if we can find out what a ro what the end roll up might be. Um, I also sent an email to to
the manager and his assistance today in regards to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, uh, offering to allow us to, uh, advertise city events, city openings, uh, things of that nature. So, we can take advantage of
that. And lastly tonight, I want to I want to talk about something that Councilman Roth does every month in the Villages area and we need to start redoing in the city citywide of the district cleanups. Uh and I would ask that we start looking at that in the early fall, not right
now. Now it's a little too wet, but uh you know, November, December time frame, maybe start looking at jumping around to different districts and and hosting a weekend event for cleanups where we could all show up and and start cleaning up our city a little more. That's it. Thank you very much.
>> Thank you, Councilman Fletcher. Council Cannibal. >> No, they already say >> very good. It's already been said. Uh Councilwoman Avala, are you still with us? >> I am. I'm surprised at my Wi-Fi connection. Thank you. Well, the reason why I'm not with you all this evening is
because I have taken uh Girl Scouts from my troop, my Girl Scout troop up to Washington DC for the uh Girl Scout convention. It comes around every four years. And all the cookies that these girls have um pushed hard to sell over the last four years was for the purpose
of funding um their attendance to this convention which is very expensive between registration, airline, hotel stay, incidentals, etc. as well as of course funding the activities that they do throughout the the year including like horseback riding uh at Redland
Equestrian that we did this past Saturday. So, thank you for your support for of of our troops in the community, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Scouts of America, and all of the different nonprofits that just feed into the the lives of our um children and families
that make us a better community as a whole. Um, secondly, I did want to extend my apologies to Councilman Fletcher for my uh not being able to attend the soccer event, but I was um following the FIFA game and I was uh promoting it to different vendors and um
making sure that the word was getting out so we could try to push for a good attendance. Um, I think that it's important that we get feedback as he mentioned from our our participants, the the vendors who are out there and setting up the booths and spending hours
in making the event um a success or a good event to attend. But not just for this event, but for the Fourth of July event, for our holiday in in in um in Lner Park and the other events that we do throughout the year. I have yet to
have a one-on-one where I can give feedback. And so I'd like to make sure that we're requesting feedback from the community, from our participants, and especially our one-on- ones with our with my colleagues. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Councilwoman. Enjoy DC. I
love to go there. >> Vice Mayor Bailey. >> Thank you, Mayor. Well, I know the ice cream guy at least made 45 bucks off my kid on my kids on on Sunday. Um, also I thought it was great, but we need we
need to look into misters coolers. It's speaking of the old folks. I mean, I can't I can't It's so terrible. Um, and I think that taking advantage of a lot of the trees there and figuring out some
creative ways to have some cooling stations needs to be put into play ASAP. But kudos. I thought it was really cool. The little flags going throughout just a really a really great vibe. So, um, I believe that's it.
>> Thank you. Appreciate it. And I also add the you know the tables under those portable tent setups was a really good idea. 50 more of it would have been really but no that's a it's a really good start and and our events do get better and better and uh I know we're
going to outgrow Austin Park one day so for some of those events be a victim of our own success. So, a couple of things. I'd like to remind the two of you who will remain nameless who have not yet made your appointments to the charter review committee. if you could do that
so we could get them up and running in early September. Hopefully, we'll make we'll make that announcement at that famous August 19th meeting and and move on from there to get them coordinated and uh and moving in uh in September to
hopefully put some items on our November 27 ballot that would typically be effective at at that point. I think there's a lot of fertile ground to talk about. I'd like to announce that you I'm going to uh reddes designate Councilman
Cannibal as the liaison to the faith committee and Counciloman McConssky if you'll agree to uh to take that on for the agriculture committee to formally take that and uh next thing you know the nice time of year will be here and we'll
be looking for uh for those events um sometime in the next couple weeks I'm going to ask our assistance to reach out to each of you. I just want to kind of have a sunshine meeting about just some new
Harris field issues, kind of get ahead of the curve on what we'd really like to to see there with this reimagining so that we all can maybe kind of be cohesive and get ahead of these consultants because uh time is of the
essence. And with that, if there's nothing further, ask for a motion to adjurnn. >> Moved and seconded. All in favor? >> But don't run off. We still have to convene a CR meeting.
>> Let's take 10 and reconvene in the next uh >> next 10 minutes and uh see if we can get moving. >> No. CRA, not for council. All right, let's move toward where we
need to be and see if we can uh be out of here before tomorrow. All right. Ready, Madam Clerk? >> Ready. Go. Oh, good evening everyone and welcome back. Apologies for the lateness
of the hour. I'd like to call the city of Homestead Community Redevelopment Agency meeting to order. For the record, it is still July 22nd, 2026, and it is now
9:52 p.m. Madame clerk, could you call a role, please? >> Board member Ksky >> here. >> Board member Abula, [snorts] >> here. >> Board member Ross, >> here. >> Board member Fletcher >> here.
>> Board member Cannibal >> here. >> Vice Chairwoman Bailey >> here. Chairman Lawson, >> I'm here. >> Mr. Director, do we have any deletions or deferrals this evening? >> Yes, Mr. Chair, I would like to request the deferral of car item 5116, Crow
Marketplace, which is tab number three. >> Tab three. Do we have a motion to defer? >> Do we need a date, certain, or just Okay. >> No, >> indefinitely. >> No. >> All right. It's been moved and seconded to defer. Any further comment from the board? All
in favor for the deferral of car number 5116 tab three. All in favor? I. >> Any opposed? All right. So, Mr. Director, that takes us to tab one, the West Homestead presentation by the
Integral Group. >> Thank you, sir. I [clears throat] will give a brief introduction on this and then invite Kareem Brantley from the Integral Florida group to uh share his presentation. Uh as some background uh and as we've discussed during our
briefings, while these are two distinct agenda items being the West Homestead as well as the Triangle Redevelopment Project, they are very much inter uh mingled as well. And so while we'll treat these as two distinct items for our action, I will give this background
that will set the stage for both West Homestead and some of what we will discuss in the triangle project. Uh the short um recap of this is that in the year or so that I have been with the CRA and learned of these projects or
learning more of them, we have also become aware that [clears throat] a number of years ago when the CRA was beginning to conceptualize the triangle project and that vision for the gateway to the southwest neighborhood in the fourth street corridor. uh there was a
larger uh vision that had been contemplated that included both the CRA as well as the county. Uh, as some of you know, the county is very proactively working at redeveloping its affordable housing projects as well as developing its infill lots and dating back to this
time in which the CRA was creating the idea of the triangle project as well as requesting that Miami Dade County convey some of its property uh in this area to the CRA for the CRA's project. Uh there had also been discussions with the
county about combining some of the CRA's property with county property as a part of the county's overall redevelopment effort of that area as well. The uh housing projects specifically that the county had been uh contemplating were the the West Homestead and Homestead
Village projects and then a number of um of their scattered lots. It appears as we have gone through the background on this, there were a number of conversations and and meetings over the years between the city uh prior staff,
prior CRA as well as the county on how these two could work together and on also some conveyance of CRA property to uh the county as a part of this overall development project. At some point that stopped and then of course we had the change over in staff
that we have here and we uh you know were not aware of that. We did learn of this uh last fall by way of our attorneys who uh were able to identify that the county had moved through this process far enough that they had conveyed the county owned properties uh
being the affordable housing projects as well as conveying their individual lots located between those housing projects and the triangle property to integral Florida. What had not been formalized in that process was any conveyance of CRA
properties as a part of that project. And so this agenda item is to uh really have the brief presentation by Integral Florida to share a little bit more about how this perhaps came about and then make a request to the CRA board uh to
consider conveying as had previously been contemplated uh about 14 of our vacant properties to be utilized in conjunction with the county's project for the purpose of constructing forale workforce housing units within the
Southwest neighborhood. So with that, I'd like to invite Kareem Brantley from Integral Florida to share his presentation and certainly feel free to correct edit any of what that intro was if I'm I'm speaking out of line in any way. >> That mic check.
>> We good down there. >> 1212. >> We're good. >> Got it. All right. Good evening. Uh, my name is Kareem Brantley, 690 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach 33139. Uh, I appear before you as a principal for
Integral Florida. We are a, um, division of a larger company, the Integral Group out of Atlanta, Georgia. So, uh, with that, let me just kind of dive in. and I'll try to be as judicious as possible with how I spend our time together, but I want to just thank you for the
opportunity to present to you kind of going into the etmology of it. The director started to talk about this. We had an opportunity to do uh a redevelopment here in the city of Homestead uh by way of Miami date county. We won an RFP uh that the county issued some years ago and we've been
looking for an opportunity to continue the conversations that had started prior to this administration, this set of leadership here in the city of Homestead, this city manager, this director of the CRA. Um at some point that conversation had fallen off. We
decided, hey, well, I guess they're not interested in, you know, pursuing what was the vision of the CRA at that time. we move forward with our plan with the county. Uh the county issued us basically two projects. They gave us the
opportunity to redevelop some public housing land that is to the west of the triangle property that we know today and then also some scattered site lots that were in between that particular property of uh public housing and then the
triangle lots. And so with that, we requested those lots to be added to the opportunity of award for integral because we came down to Homestead. We drove the neighborhood. I'm from Miami Date County. I grew up here and I I
looked around and I said, "Wait, we don't want to just do a reinvisioning of the public housing site. What we really want to do is bring home ownership into this area because we saw so many info lots there." And so the county listened to that wisdom. They had a different
director at the time, Michael Vu, and of HCD at the county, and decided that that was a better plan than just solely redeveloping the public housing under the existing um federal HUD programs. So, with that, that's how we got here.
Um and then as we started to be re-engaged with the city of uh Homestead, we asked that in addition to the lots that we have with the county, let's make this more of a collaborative effort. Let's work together uh between Integral Florida or
Integral the City of Homestead and Miami Day County and and do this together. And so we reached out and we said, "Hey, can we have these additional lots uh so that we can do more workforce home ownership?" So, we thought that the development of a neighborhood should not
just be affordable housing, that it should have something that speaks to the overall community. We did some research, and I'm just going to go really quickly through these slides because I think there's one in particular that I want to touch on that speaks to the census of the neighborhood here, meaning the dem
uh demographic uh outlay of the folks who are in this immediate area. And then also some data that we got from the city itself in terms of your employees here. So, um, I'll spend a little bit of time just saying we're 34 year old firm, uh,
based in Atlanta. Uh, we were the first to create mixed income housing. Uh, we did that with HUD some 34 years ago. Uh, the Olympics were coming to the city of Atlanta and they needed a place to, uh, have the, uh, the dormitories for the
athletes. And the perfect place was right across from a public housing site that was dilapidated. the city decided that they would engage HUD and and knock this down. That became the premise of what we call hope six today or CNI uh uh
CNI neighborhood grants. So, we've done a lot of first uh we're about 200 plus employees uh all around the country. We mostly develop in uh Sunb Belt of the United States. Uh I get the privilege of serving as the uh developer principal in charge of state of Florida and the
Caribbean. Uh these are just a representative list of some of the organizations and public private partnerships that we've done over the years. We do a lot of multi-phase projects as well. Um this is just an excerpt from uh we
are apartments. It talks about just wage growth relative to uh the need for housing. So we all know that wage growth has been pretty stagnant since the 80s and we also know that the price of housing has been going up consistently since that time as well. So basically to
keep rents low, affordable housing requires project funding support. And so we're not rising to ask for any support from the city of uh Homestead in terms of financing or anything like that for this particular project for uh the workforce town homes that we plan to put
in this neighborhood if you're with your support. Uh but we just want to highlight that in order to really subsidize uh lowest incomes, you do need financial fiscal support. So, uh, Miami Homes for all did a study. Uh, the study was engaged with, uh, Florida housing
and all the, um, information that has been collected over the years. And so, through that study, they found that there was a deficit in Miami date county of about 90,000 units. But this is probably the most important thing that we found as we started to
think about how we would plan housing in uh, the city of Homestead. And what what you see here the the blue, the orange, the green, the other blue and and the colors there is basically 75% roughly of the population in this area of Homestead
is at 80% AMI or below. So our two projects that we have with the county again, one is a redevelopment of a public housing site. So that has certain mandates and we have to follow those requirements with HUD. So that will be redeveloped into multif family rental
housing. But when we looked at this and we got this data from um the city of Homestead's own internal website for your employees and what the average salaries were, uh we found that the median average annual wage for an employee at the city of Homestead is
$69,000. So that being the case, we thought, wow, we really want to continue down this path of home ownership because if we can provide home ownership to folks earning 80 to 120% of the AMI and then we can
still do the work the uh redevelopment of the apartment complex with the county as well, then we we really have done something for everybody in the city of Homestead. And we thought that it would be a tremendous project to really be a catalytic project to really bring income
into the neighborhood so that you're not just saying, "Hey, the only thing that can exist in this neighborhood is um you know, affordable housing." However, even in doing the affordable housing, we're not doing a traditional 20 at 50% AMI deal or 40% at 60% AMI deal. We're doing
an average income deal, which takes us all the way up to 80% AMI included in the rental uh portion of our objectives here in the city of Homestead. So, we're really excited to be here, really excited about the opportunity to really
be transformative in the neighborhood in a positive way and to do some really good opportunity for home ownership. Um, we are a for-profit company. We are not asking for any kind of tax abatements or anything like that for the housing the
town homes. Uh that will be um a good thing because it's accretive to your tax base and so every time somebody purchases a house from us it goes on the tax roll and then they continue to own that house in perpetuity until they sell it and it has no you know real
restrictions or anything like that relative to the homeowner. So, we think it's a really great opportunity. People can take advantage of second um um mortgage programs at the county. Uh you I heard earlier today there's a fair tomorrow about uh home ownership here in
the city of Homestead. So, all those things will be available to those folks who would be potentially purchasing these homes. Here's just a quick um uh snapshot. We call it phase one and phase two. Uh but one of the things that I'll show in another slide is that really at
the end of the day we are looking to build something that whether it's corbals or something with significant design outrigger some something that looks great. We're not here to do something that looks like a like a jail cell or anything like that or a building. We want we want to have nice
glazing, nice features on the exterior. it would not look like anything out of place u in this neighborhood and it would stay consistent with the existing uh plan that the city has. So when we looked at the plan we we we saw that you guys have five strategic priorities for
the city and there's some plans for the CRA. We're meeting four of those. I won't go into them but engagement, quality of life, infrastructure and economic development. And then uh 14 goals of the CRA and we're meeting all of those that are bracketed in the green.
And this is just giving a rendering of what one of the versions of the town homes would be. We're going to do this uh about 13 to 17 times. We're going to work with the zoning department to make sure we get uh as many opportunities for home ownership as possible. This is a gateway that leads you on fourth all the
way down to the other project that was on the agenda earlier today. We think this would be fantastic infill opportunity for people to actually own homes in this area. It's a beautiful place um to do it and it's right on the main thoroughfare and we think it would be just the right thing to do. Here's a
second rendering of another version of cluster of town homes that we would do. This is more of a three-story style. Um, but uh this could even be potentially empowerment housing where on the ground floor you have a rental unit of uh like a flat and then uh two upper living
units if you wanted to create economy where somebody could actually have a mortgage like a duplex and then rent the bottom and ease the burden of what it costs to live uh every day. We will work with the zoning department to see what is the flavor for the city. But we bring both of these as just examples of what
we can do and all the possibilities that we will um work hand inand with the CRA and the city of Homestead. And uh again just excited for the opportunity. I think it's something that uh will be a great um reflection of the city and and what we can do. So I won't go into this
but the last thing I will say is just our partnership request uh is to have the lots conveyed to us so that we can facilitate what I've spoken about already and then it'll increase home ownership. This will be attainable workforce homes not affordable. Uh it's
revitalization on the four street corridor. Uh new recurring property tax revenue for the city. uh it will stimulate the neighborhood through new economic development and activate civic engagement and encourage private investment. So we think once we get started, everybody else will get
started. This is just kind of an outlay of that block. So you can kind of see those blue areas are where the town homes would be. Those other areas are the requirements that we have with the county. Finally, um as we come to it, we will,
you know, do what we always do. Interro is a company known for uh having impact when we step into neighborhoods. We like to do real community development. So, we're hired locally. Um we'll have um apprenticeship programs. We'll reach out to the community and in various ways.
We've always done that. We we partner with Youth Build. Uh that's a picture of one of our projects that we just completed in Atlanta. Uh we did a youth build project in Opalaka, Florida. um local contracting when we work with the county uh sometimes we have goals
that we need to meet based on their SB requirements and then ultimately we ran this through a um I guess it's kind of like a a software that tells you what is the economic impact of doing uh the kind of work that you're going to do and the
volume of work you're going to do and we think that's about a $59 million total impact over time. So uh with that I will close out and just say thank you very much for giving me your time this evening. Open to any questions. >> Uh board members, who would like to kick
this off? >> Vice Chair, >> thank you chairman. Thank you very much for the presentation. This um this project has seen many different uh variations and I am excited to see it here again. You
mentioned the Fourth Street corridor. Um, you know, this is it's always seemed to me it's a little bit of a gateway into the Southwest neighborhood, right? So, um, it's not exactly what I envisioned. Um,
we've looked at some some different types of projects that had a little more of that mixed use. So, for me, I think the only thing that I would love to see more of is what do those open spaces look like? Um, and is there is there
potentially an opportunity to include mixed use, at least in pieces of the project itself. I'm all about the home ownership. I like the idea of thinking through what that three-story version of a town home would
would mean mean for our residents. Um, but I did picture this as more of a at least the part that is, you know, leading into the into the southwest neighborhood that it was a little more of a gathering,
walkable, bringing back that walkable um type of neighborhood. >> Go ahead. Were you gonna >> Sure. And let me just add in one item, too. I think my my 4 am wake up time is starting to wear on me. So I I may have
missed this in part of my introduction. One of the things that I do want to just also share with the board is that uh when it was our actually our legal council that helped us become aware of this um finalization of the agreement with the county transferring its
properties to Intergo, Florida. You know, that led us into a number of different conversations uh with our attorney and city manager's office and subsequently Kareem and then later into bringing both of these development partners together, both of these
development uh entities into a conversation where we could look at this at more of that holistic plan as perhaps it was envisioned. And so while I recognize that Kareem's project, at least at this point, is largely the residential, I do want to make sure that the board knows that this is not in any
way changing the shape of what we had contemplated for the triangle project. That is still, as we had discussed, a mixeduse project with a commercial component. Um and so understand that is not in any way leaving but it is the valid point that there has been that that longer view that the fourth street
quarter at least in that gateway we become more of that mixeduse activity center as it once historically was >> thank you that's all I have for >> member Ross >> thank you and thank you for the presentation as well um you mentioned
you're a for-profit uh entity but you want us to convey land to you for free to make a profit. Kind of explain that to me. >> Yeah. So, at the end of the day, we're we're restricted on selling the home. We can't max out the price of selling the
homes. We have to we have to sell them for the max price that the county has established. So, >> what is that price? >> Uh I think at at this point I think it's probably about 521 541. I I'll get back to you with the exact number. >> 521,000.
>> Yeah. or is it maybe it's 491 do not quote me on it but I will 491 >> I will give the answer to you it's >> considered affordable >> that's for the maximum sale price you can you can sell in the county >> well when you try to do that if you're a
for-p profofit business >> I don't think that the market value of homes in this particular area reaches that number so uh at the end of the day it will be less than that because even though that is the cap at the county the maximum no one's going to come and pay
for a piece of property more than what it's actually. >> But you're you're just telling me the cap. You're not telling me what your intentions are to sell properties that we're being asked to convey for free to you for a profit,
>> right? I I was going to answer your question. So, we will we will do that final market study based on the type of town home that we build. So the smaller we build it or let not the threetory version, the two-story version, it sells for less. And so because of the cost of
construction, we are squeezed by having to basically sell them at that upper limit, whatever that is in that market, which is going to be a lot less than the question you asked me about the cap or the question I answered about the cap. Let me say it
that way. So, in order for us to be able to do that, the conveyance of the land for free does make sense because it allows us to be able to sell it to that resident in that way. >> But you're saying you're going to be selling them at market price. >> Well, we will be selling it with with
all with incentives for folks who are qualifying under the county property. I just have a hard time people coming here saying I'm a for-profit company and saying I want to I want you to convey the land that's owned by the CRA and the citizens in the city so we can make a profit. I just have a problem with that.
That's all. Mayor, thank you. >> Thank you. I appreciate those sentiments. Um, don't let me. So, for better or worse, I typically try to do my homework on those who are coming before us. And lo and
behold, and and coincidentally, one year ago today, on January 20, July 22nd, 2025, The Real Deal published a story about your plans in Homestead.
And uh >> I hope they got it right. >> Well, they got it from somewhere. And I want to ask you about this. >> The county owns most of the lots and the city of Homestead will convey some of
the properties. So, so and that the rentals and town homes will be reserved for households earning no more than 80% of the area median income and the
apartments will be fourstory and 13 for sale town homes. Um, like board member Roth, I I have a real problem with anybody coming in here and asking us to give them whatever the number is,
14 or 17 lots to go build town homes on. while at the same time you're coming in with the county and you are you're building to the demographic rather than trying to approve the demographic with
um with your multif family uh projects. And I learned today from staff that they were able to go and recreate some of the correspondence between our prior CRA director and I won't say you. When I say
you, I mean you or your team or regarding this. And that trail seemed to go cold in early 23, which was more than a year before this manager came on board and probably a year and a half close to two years
before the prior director left. So nothing coming from you and nothing going from them. So, I don't know that it's fair to characterize that that we the city decided we were we were
no longer interested. I think that this was a a situation where I think the CRA director had kind of gone off the reservation and was making reser making representations, writing checks that her her agency
couldn't cash, so to speak. But what really got my attention is in this article, and you can tell me if it's right or wrong, that integral rent payments to the county
will total $ 36.5 million, which would include 20% of the cash flow over the 99year lease. So, the land for subsidized apartments
does have value. Yet, you're coming here tonight to echo my esteemed board member asking us to give you property that's probably worth in excess of a million dollars to build and sell town homes on.
And when I look at this map, it would seem to me that if we were going to do this deal, a better layout would be multifamily on some of our parcels that would in theory engender a rent at least
a rent payment to the city of Homestead rather than coming here and asking for freebies. So, but let me let me ask you one final quant comment. I think part of this this issue or this
whole interaction came back around because unfortunately when the city advertised the triangle parcel, it mistakenly advertised one lot under your
control as part of our project. Let me ask you this. Well, I I'll ask you this, then I'll ask you this. In in a perfect world where we were going to turn the clock back 20 years and bend over the residents of the
city and hand you these lots, would there be a g a transfer of that corner lot so that we could uh you know do the do the triangle as as advertised?
And secondly, I think built into this was this idea that your parcel and the triangle parcel could be somewhat of a unified project by two different parties. And in our staff memorandum,
there seems to be some indication that you've represented that there's some agreement to to go forward together. Yet, we aren't privy to any of that. that no one's confirmed that there's agre an agreement. So for me there's
there's too much ask and too many loose ends. So >> yeah, >> please enlighten me. >> Yeah, I can respond to some of it. So So um the county projections first of all just speaking to that occurred at a time
that was um you know certainly not the environment that we're in today. So the cost of construction, the interest rates, the cost of money are totally different. I mean when I say totally different, at the time when that those projections might have even had any kind
of muster on it, that was when interest rates were at probably sub4. So we're now at a plus seven. Uh construction costs, labor costs were nothing like what they are. After COVID, you had a
flatlining and then it just took off. Interest rates took off. Construction costs took off. Labor has taken off. And labor has grown significantly in the cost of construction probably about 5% over the last year and some change. Um
exacerbated most recently by the lack of folks who had that skill set who were still remaining in communities. some of those folks have moved away to other states or have been um moved out of the country um that provided that critical
I'm going to call it downward pressure on more labor sources to in order to do this work we have so that those projections do not hold any any muster anymore and we would definitely have to do that >> speaking the proposed speaking to the proposed lease payment to the county
>> cor correct correct and the county understands that and they they know how how they've been doing this for a long time and they understand that those valuations and those numbers fluctuate up and down depending on scenarios and and markets. >> Uh that said um with regards to um you
know the the venture that we would engage with the other party. Uh we we will do that. Um I'm solely coming before you today to talk about workforce home ownership. Um that was part of our second
um commitment with the county. Uh we still will do that with the county. We wanted to bring the CRA lots because they had adjacency to the county lots and it made the most sense to be able to do a town home style like what I presented and we we still think that
that is the best type of home ownership for this particular area. So that is that is why I rise before you to to add those lots to the plan. In terms of money to the city of Homestead, this is this is going to be a tax taxable
property that's going to forever and its day that it exists just like any other home in any part of the county or any other city will continue to pay those taxes every year. So that will be a residual from this project from a
financial gain to the city of Homestead as well. So your your ask tonight is in its purest form is that we authorize the transfer of what appears to be these 14 lots that
the city owns. Yes, sir. for the construction of town homes. >> That's correct. >> Is there any obligation for a time frame? And and >> we're going to get started to look >> I kind of glazed through the the
schedule, but we would like ideally to close on the first set of five town homes uh this December. Uh we want to get started right away on this. We don't want this to be something that we're promising to deliver and then it takes a lot of time. I can't control the HUD
aspect on the multif family, but what I can do is move very fast on land that the county owns uh that was transferred to us that does not have a declaration of trust with uh Washington. So that we're going to do right away. Um we will
bring those properties. I would say they probably be somewhere around a 9 10 month uh construction time range. So about this time next year, we would expect that we would have them sold and have some people starting And again, in a per in your perfect world,
if we were to agree >> to convey those lots, whether, you know, over time as you you do the first five and then we whatever that may be, is that little corner lot that we mis
advertised in play for us or is that off the table? >> Oh, no. No. We we we purposely we have other lots that are on that on the back side where that that corner lot we we do not intend to do um development on that lot. That lot is going to the site
controlling party for the triangle. So we work with the uh CRA to ensure that that happens and we will be uh working with that party to make sure that that that development gets gets done. So we we have no intent to um you know develop
on that site. Uh when once they told us the issue uh we thought it was good partnership that um we not uh you know build on that site. >> Yeah. And obviously this all came about you know your the award of the RAD project
to you and it's kind of grew from from there. Um, given the increase in labor and construction cost and interest rates, I guess do do you have an out clause? Are you at risk of being declared in
default with the county? Let me just say this. Our experience here is bait and switch year after year after year. Do we have any guarantees that you're locked into to doing the balance of the
multifamily if you get these lots? I mean, obviously you've got them phased, but and I'm just playing devil's advocate because I don't support your ask in any manner. Let just be really clear about
that. I don't know where others are. I know where one might be. But the bait and switch would be, "Oh, okay. We're going to build we're going to build these 134 town houses and see you later and the
balance of this county project languishes." And I want to say to our director, this was kind of written in terms of a comprehensive development with our proposed triangle partner, but I'm
hearing here tonight that they're not have barely opened that doorway of discussion as may have been represented or >> inferred by us. >> Mr. Mayor, let me if I if that was what
I conveyed to you, then I I I don't think that's what I said. But if that's what you received, >> you said we can talk incorrectly. >> What I what I'm trying to just communicate is I'm here to talk about the home ownership. I know the >> the representative from the triangle
partner part, I'm sorry, parcel will speak to their project later. I plan to remain here. I will speak to it at that time. I do not want to speak for them. Okay. But what I do want [clears throat] to say is we're in partnership with them. They can speak to it. I will
support their I just don't think it's my place to do that when I'm presenting an item about home ownership to then turn the conversation about their project. I didn't think that would be fair on my [clears throat] part. >> Okay. So again, let me turn to my fellow board members and let them ask some
questions or make any comments they may have. And then at that point, it probably be a good time to to bring in our potential partner in the triangle part property or member Fletcher. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you for the presentation.
I tend to come to these uh on a very skeptical side because the lack of action in our CRA over the last seven years that I've been here has been pretty bad. Uh things have changed. We have a new director who I have the
utmost uh clarity in his qualification to perform his job. But in his recommendation, it was to for us to provide to look and provide. He didn't really provide us direction on how they want to see this. And shame on me because I was supposed to go meet with
him this week and I did not. Uh I need more details. Um, you already have these properties out to the west that we don't really see what's going on there. I need to understand what you plan to do on
those fully to include these potential lots that we're can convey at zero dollars. And to my colleagues point at the end, affordability has always been at the front line when it comes to these properties.
And the one of our last vendors that came in here, you know, came in with like a $360,000 price tag. And to me, that's not affordable for the people in Homestead. >> And nor are those homes happening. >> And and and and I mean, we're seeing
$400,000 condos being built on top of one another. And our traffic situation's not getting any better, and the jobs aren't here. So it it's hard for me to wrap my mind around how this is going to work and
benefit the residents of Homestead. So again, I need to do a lot more investigation. I don't know what your timelines are, but I need more time to have the discussion with the city staff to underure they completely understand what they're asking us to do here as
well. >> And your com may I >> Yes. your comments are relative to so this is the vision on the screen for the multif family so the feedback we got from the city not the CRA but the zoning
department was lowrise something like this this is the concept that we came up with for that multif family so again the presentation today was really focused on the home ownership piece but it is a comprehensive uh
development. Uh for us, again, as I started and I stated at the beginning, we didn't want to come in here and just do redevelopment of public housing. We wanted something that was speaking to workforce home ownership, folks who are making on the higher end of the income
spectrum, not just folks who are in the middle and on the lower end. So, this this concept spawns out of that. uh we would do this at the western side, the triangle would be at the eastern side and in between we would have that
workforce that marries and matches up with what you already have there in some of those homes that now exist but have these big scattered areas of land in between. So I think there's more opportunity to even talk about what we would do in that forestry corridor.
There's land on the north side that's uh remains vacant. I'm not sure if that's privately owned, if they're going to do something with it or not, but you know, our intention is to activate this area, uh, be great partners with the developers of the triangle and bring
this cohesively together so that you have some real activity, community building in this neighborhood along this forum corridor. >> I appreciate that. I I do. And I still have some skepticism on the triangle property just because nothing's happened, you know. So I again, shame on
me. I didn't have my discussion with the director and I need to have some more data. Uh I'm not going to get that tonight. I don't believe I'm unable to support this in its current configuration. I have to have more information and it's something I don't think you could provide me. Thank you.
>> To follow up on Councilman Fletch. Okay. So, and I think you have this this same map in your in your presentation that delineates in light blue your lots and dark green ours and then there are red
dots on what you want from us and yellow dots on you know your blue if you want to come take a look and see. >> Yeah. >> Mayor, if I may. >> Sure. I just want to remind you that I'm still here.
>> Okay. So, I'll wait towards the end comment. Thank you. >> So, the the whole block to the west of what I envisionualize is the current rad that's going to be replaced. Um
>> the teal color >> that here this color. >> Yes. The teal color delineates all of your ownership of lots. Does it also reflect where you're going
to do this multifamily or are these outliers simply reflective of what's under your control? And would would your multif family primarily be more center? So the
the multif family will be in the teal area. >> All of the teal area. >> That that's correct. >> Okay. >> And then where I I'm assuming where these dots are that are not orange uh would be where you would have home Well, some of them are orange,
>> right? The the darker green with the red dots are city-owned that are proposed to be conveyed to you for town homes, >> right? So if you if I'm looking at this where everything to the right side which would be east of where it says southwest
fourth court in the middle >> where that print is all of that is is mostly the or will all be the home ownership and then you have a few that are to the north of that that um printed southwest fourth court. Right. >> So the multif family again is only
really the teal. So you'll have multif family in the teal, >> right? >> We'll do with the county and then you'll have the multif family in the green with all the elements that are uh part of that uh triangle property. >> Okay.
So, Councilwoman Avala, if you have any questions for this speaker before we bring up um those involved with us in the triangle parcel, do you have any questions for this presenter?
Uh yes, mainly also that I think staff can speak to because I did have a briefing on Monday where I was advised that the parcels from the county had not been conveyed yet. I know that there was
a resolution and an awarding, but an actual conveyance had not occurred. So what changed between Monday and now? Because we're speaking now in absolute terms as though he has them. There has been no change since Monday and now the board as we discussed in our
briefing had approved a resolution uh in terms of conveying this property or in that process to the integral Florida group. uh it has not occurred yet on the property appraiser and based on the last conversation or a conversation we had with staff they were um trying to see
why that hadn't occurred but there there has been no change based on anything since our our discussion on Monday. >> Okay, thank you. So to the applicant, do you actually have the deed for the properties or are you still waiting for
the conveyance from the county? Yeah. So it's we have it under site control through an MDA and then so a as we build it will go through a process where it would deed through us and then to the the final end user but it we do have the
master development agreement which outlines that site control. >> So the NBA has been fully executed already. >> Yes, it it has been. Yeah. >> And that was when when did that occur? >> Oh jeez. Uh couple years.
>> Yeah, like maybe two years. >> Right. I think where my discomfort in this project, it's it's multi-layered because most of the time I have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a proposer on on more than one occasion, be able to sit
down and have um the project reviewed and questions answered and to get a real good feel of it. I think without maybe other than a an email that came out a couple weeks ago from our assistant to encourage us to have a phone call um
leading up to this meeting. I do not recall having had any one-on- ones. I'm my to my colleagues. Have you all sat down with this proposal? Is it just me that's in the dark? >> I can't see you if you're shaking your head or not. >> You all said no.
Yeah. No. No. Across the board. >> No across the board. >> Right. So I think something of this magnitude and where I mean essentially you're asking for land to be conveyed zero dollars. I mean we're not we're not willing to do
that for a property that we own and have and and have major visions for this one. the these properties are sister sister lots to a major uh project that we've been working years for and I don't know
where or how we get to a position where a uh an essential parcel to a project is conveyed to a developer and the county doesn't think that we should know about it or our staff is not aware and and
years go by and we we're not briefed. we're the literally the last ones to know until now when the act is being given and then it's rush rush rush you want to sell these units by December. I I don't I don't get that. So I cannot support this item tonight. I I don't
understand why the triangle property developers uh that we've um gone into business with haven't been able to move forward in general aside from this workaround with the lot. But it I'm very skeptical. So, I'll arrest that for now. Thank you.
>> Thank you, board member Avala. So, if you don't mind if there's no objection, as long as they're here and they've been sitting with us for the last five or six hours, the folks from our triangle project, I believe, are here. Um, I
think some input from them tonight, some clarification, yes, would would be helpful. I I don't see this going anywhere, but I think as long as they're here, let's let's avail ourselves of what they have to add. And board member Roth, >> thank you. So, I'm looking at the
properties. I didn't look at them earlier, but there is housing on those properties now. Are they occupied? >> Some of them are occupied. Um the requirement that we have with the county is those those folks will be moved off of the the current um housing that's
there. It's not in fantastic shape and condition. And then they will be u >> Well, that doesn't surprise me. >> They will be temporarily housed uh while we demolish and redevelop the property. >> And I'm I'm looking around the neighborhood with aerial pictures. And
there seems to be a bunch of single family homes around there. Southwest Fifth Court has single family. Uh, actually there's two single families on fourth court, which is just to the east of where the multif family is going to
go. Uh, I can't tell if there's single family across the street. What would um what's the possibility of looking at these lots? Again, I think we have some restrictions on lot sizes, but instead of building town homes, building single
family homes. So the my understanding is that we cannot do single family home because of the overlay. Um we can do town homes and so our plan is responsive to the existing zoning that's there.
>> So we didn't we didn't dream this up on our own. Um, this is this is because of the the the current zoning there, but we're we're happy to do it because we do think that it makes sense to have more uh density there in a low-rise fashion.
>> Well, yeah, because you're a for-profit company. Um what's the density on the multif family on is it fifth street to fifth fourth court and that's fourth
avenue to fifth avenue. So the bigger turquoise piece the whole walk. >> Yeah it's something that's similar to the I I don't have the exact number but it's similar to the um the project that will be considered the triangle.
Because right now on that piece, it looks like there's only nine living units. And that encompasses the part directly across the street.
So you'd be going from nine units there to what? 40 units. >> Something like that. A little bit more than that. I I can't remember exactly what the density is, but something like that. >> Not like I'm feeling the onion sometimes. That's all, mayor. Thank you. >> Thank you, board member. So, let's let's
hear from our triangle folks. Is any any anything you can shed light on or uh help us understand where that segment of of that area may be?
>> Pull that down so you can be heard. Yeah. >> Go ahead. >> Happy to answer any questions. >> Can Can you give us an overview on on where you are? I know I think we had a
general proposal several months ago, a CRA presentation. Where is that? Are you kind of in flux because of that stray lot that we thought we misadvertised as being
included? Um, has there been any significant discussions with um, Integral on doing more of a comprehensive uh, devel? >> The last time I was here was in May of 2025. That's when we had our original CRA presentation where the presentation
was approved and the project was approved. we were moving towards development agreement. Since then, we have been working on that development agreement. It's been very slow. There's been a lot of delays. Um we've been trying to work work
closely with um the CRA and the city to push that along and that has been the major really get the development agreement. Back in March, we proposed certain points that we needed to change from the original presentation which years at this point since our original
proposal and since March we've been at a stance with development agreement because until we can agree on those certain points we can't finalize development agreement which is why we are here today to answer your question about Kareem and integral
yes we've been in discussion with Kareem trying to work through that issue in parallel for a few months in good faith and we believe we do have a plan to make that work which is why we're here Okay. If we didn't believe we could make work with integral green, we wouldn't be here
today. >> Okay. So, because you know it's it's not just the lot. Having that lot on the right side of the table enables vacations of rightway to expand the footprint of of that project. It's not just one road. It's it's it's a couple
of roads to to expand your buildable buildable area. Um Mr. Mr. Beck, anything to add to that characterization? >> Yes, chair. So, to recap and part of the conversation that we've had through this
this last couple of months. So as we have understood it both integral and the uh triangle folks have been working together in and jumping at any point here and trying to >> we do have anou with integral in place
>> in aiming to delineate how these two projects could happen as perhaps one overall vision that's both in terms of the um development we'll call it the aesthetic the overall concept how of how those can work together but as well as how they could leverage each project
against one another in terms of securing their additional financing that may be required in terms of the construction, the phasing and how all of this could have uh perhaps the broadest impact within the neighborhood as they can while also minimizing the you know impact to the residents and and to the
surrounding areas with this. Um there have been the delays in this process in terms of finalizing the development agreement. Now, candidly, much of that is when we discovered, which we had not known, the issue with the one parcel, and that is really what prompted a pause in everything with our uh legal council
last summer. Uh it did take a number of months as these folks worked through things over the winter in terms of how this project had come together potentially in a way that made sense for them and still would align with the vision of what the triangle project had. Now they had submitted to us uh as I
think we had shared with you and legal has had the uh revised uh development agreement which has gone back and forth and there were a couple of points in particular four of which are in your next agenda item for crow market not crow marketplace for um the triangle
project that they wanted to specifically call attention to to the board. Now, we did not have written detailed terms in our prior uh presentation and approval from the board, but there was the general understanding. What came from that last conversation and what the
folks at the triangle project had uh requested of the CRA to take to the CRA board was uh either a clarification or understanding on a couple of points that related specifically to the phasing of the project as it related to how we were
classifying the CRA contribution, the timeline to financial closing and then also an element related to the property taxes. Now three of those elements which are outlined in your memo from me the uh phasing the timeline to financial closing and the way in which our
contribution uh towards this overall project was structured was the same as what we had understood it and so there was no impact no concern it's outlined in your report um but that was not an issue specific to I believe what Gabe was referencing in terms of the other
asks is that as was mentioned this project has been on the books for a couple of years Now the financial market is very different than when they initially had contemplated this and built proposed the project rather. And so one of the requests or the requests that they have asked of the CRA board is
that should this project proceed they would like the approval to be able to uh seek the uh tax exemption that would come from affordable housing units. That was the one big ask. And one of the reasons that we wanted to bring this back to the board is because that is
different than what we had initially contemplated when we brought this presentation to you prior. Now there is a second part which has been added into this and has come from the conversations that have occurred between the triangle folks and the intric folks is that we still do have to deal with this one lot
issue that it it is what it is. And so the second add-on to this uh as it related to the triangle project was uh working through some discussions with our our attorney and these folks and how we could potentially have that development agreement structured in such
a way that the triangle development will commit as a part of that agreement to bring that lot to this overall project would still need county approval but to bring this to that overall project for these folks to continue to work together. So the the couple of things
that we brought then tonight and the way that these go it was to number one as it relates to the triumph pro triangle project rather gauge if this is something that the board is still going to uh or willing to support in terms of
the potential um exemption of the property tax on this project for triangle as well as to uh enable the triangle project to bring the additional parcel into the development agreement. If so, then we can proceed with the
development agreement as it had been going. And then also, you know, tonight you would not be signing over any title or deeds on property, but if there's a willingness to consider, then a participation with the integral group in terms of the development of the
workforce home ownership units between the triangle project and the county affordable housing projects uh as a part of a collective overall redevelopment project. Is that fair? All right. Taking this in order with respect to the
integral proposal, your basic ask is for this board to approve a conveyance of those whatever it is 13 or 14 lots with no consideration for the
construction of town homes reserved for people who don't have more than 80% AMI. Not not entirely. No. So the >> So what did I miss? >> You know, it is not to just sign it over
and and wish, right? You know, this is an ask is there a willingness by the board in interest to consider this with legal terms that would be developed, right? So if if the the flavor of the board is just no, not at all, well then that's it, right? If there is, well then
that would lead us into the bigger conversation with our, you know, legal folks on what are those protections, what are the mechanisms that could be in place to ensure that this really happened. >> Well, and those protections are almost something
that need to be before us tonight rather than approving in in concept. It's your pleasure. Board members, >> I am going to vote no. You can delay all you want. [laughter] >> I appreciate that and I'm probably with
you. >> Are we voting on it or we just >> Well, I think it's what are you asking us for direction or a decision on whether or not in theory we would agree to convey these lots with those
protections? Yeah, I I think we're looking for direction and I would suggest if this is something that you know the board is is interested and open in looking at ways in which this could still work then
defer this item and and you know let's work that through. You know, I think I would be candid. I find myself and and even the executive director, this is a this is a project we picked up and we've we've spent a year trying to figure out how we can make all of this come together in a way that's meaningful for
the community that advances our redevelopment plan and we're just trying to find a solution. So, um you know, this is seeking the direction from the board. I would suggest if there is any interest in continuing to explore how these projects can work well then we just pause this today and let's let's
have some direction on how we proceed in finding a clearer path if there is one. No, it if >> Yes, board member Avala. >> Thank you. And and I know it might be bold of me and this is not in effort to be disrespectful to any of the um you
know professionals in the room and the attorneys, but um I I don't like being in a position like if like we're being held hostage, we can't move forward with our our project because of that one parcel and it's been conveyed to someone
else. It would be, I think, a great show of good faith if that MDA could get modified to release that parcel and have the county convey it to us as we have been asking to have done for years. And
then we can go back into looking at this negotiation in a better platform and see how we can work with this developer to bring attainable workforce housing to the southwest area that
complements the greater vision of the of the triangle property. But I don't feel comfortable with moving forward with negotiating terms feeling like there's a gun to my head because if we don't we can't build triangle and that's
a position that we've been put in for many different reasons we could debate at another time. But as of right now I would love the opportunity for this gentleman to proper that he would go back to the county negotiate to have
that parcel released from his MDA. that we could complete our project and likely continue the partnership if that is the recommendation professional recommendation of red of the uh the triangle property developers because if they feel like they need to work it out
anyway to have a more cohesive wholesome greater success for the zone as a whole then why not why wouldn't we be in that position to to uh convey those properties in a way that makes sense so I'd like to know if that's an option
whether willing to explore. Thank you. >> I couldn't speak for the county. Um, but I I mean it's something we can investigate. >> Did you hear that? I think our commissioner I did I think I've heard he said he couldn't speak for the county but I think that the county would be
happy to entertain the idea of us being able to work in partnership and collaboration to complete this magnificent project of the triangle property while still being able to keep the essence of what they tried to do with your MDA. Now, just for timing purposes,
October would probably be very optimistic since there are no commission meetings in in August and to work through the county bureaucracy and get this on a commission agenda. >> This is next year.
>> You may be talking early next year. And and I don't disagree with the proposition. I really think that somebody thinks they've got our sensitive parts in a vice over one little lot. Um,
you know, the fact that this was engineered by the former manager and director to a uh large extent, not only this acquisition, but the advertising and the the back and forth between the the integral group makes me very
uncomfortable. But we have a time frame with the the triangle parcel and they know that and that's why we're, you know, they may have us over a barrel that you you you may not. I I haven't really
picked up on any willingness to be reasonable at all. Maybe we just need to uh you know go off on our own to the county with our own lobbyist with our own legal team and see what we can do
with respect to that lot and maybe integral plays ball and a show of good faith. Maybe maybe they don't. I I'm really not confident. I just I have a real queasy feeling about all of this. It's like Minority Builders Coalition
all over again for me. and Chrome Marketplace and Shotgun. What did I miss? >> Nothing. >> Nothing. Okay. >> Yeah, Mr. Mayor and counselors, I I I I hope that I'm not transmitting to you because I Mr. Mayor, I hear you make the
statement back to me and I I I can't help but respond. Um this when we came to do this project um with the county um it probably should have been the county having a little bit more conversation with the city at the time. We we're much
past that. We arrived here on your shore to do something that is community building, community development. It is not our intention um to have the city of Homestead over a barrel. I thought that when I approached the microphone today
and and spoke to the deis that I was talking about doing something positive for a community. I spoke to answering a question that the lot that is there while we have the right to build on it, we specifically did not build on it once
we learn that that was integral to no pun intended to the triangle property development. When we talked about going back to the county to do that, we arrived at the same conclusion we arrived at tonight.
It would be much easier for us in partnership to do something with the developers of the triangle than to spend six, seven months going back to the county trying to convince them to release one parcel and redo a whole MDA for the one parcel. So, I want to make
sure I, you know, how you vote or what you vote on is your business to do. But our brand is a brand of integrity. And what I will not do is say that I'm going to stand here and say that we're not that. When we came to the city of
Homestead, we came to do that building there. We think that that is good building for a community. This is something we've been doing for 34 years. We are not coming to the city of Homestead to take advantage of the city of Homestead.
The If I left you with that notion, mayor, then I certainly need to get fired for doing the job that I'm doing because the job that I came to do tonight was to share with you that I'm about building in your community, that I am from Miami Dade County, and then the
renderings that we have are something reflective of doing something positive in the community. So, if I did not convey that to you, please accept my apologies and know that we are about community building and community development. And when we partner with
the Triangle developers with Redwood, we're trying to do something positive. And we looked at the whole thing and thought that homeownership would be an excellent complement to what we were doing with the county and what they were doing with the city of Homestead. So,
please accept my apologies all counselors if I did not convey that because that is the intention of what we're trying to do. We're real community developers. Okay? And yes, do we have to make a profit? Everybody has to make a profit. But things have changed. >> Everybody but the city. Because for me,
the elephant in the room is you're walking in the first words are give me. I think my community is beyond that. I I really do. And you can talk all this stuff about housing and tax base in the
future. Bottom line is the city has a lot of money in these lots and I know we're never going to get it all back out. But when you stand at the podium and say yes, that's the proposal to give me, you lost me a long time ago. And I I'll
only say this to mayors and it's not on all the lots, but if you brought up this dry diagram here, for example, if you look at lot 11, it's not even a buildable lot. It's only like 25 ft wide. So, we're we're taking some
consolidating. I'm sorry. Yeah. Yeah. You're we understand there's a consolidation of >> Yeah, we're we're taking something and we're we're looking at it to make it better. We're not taking from the city. So, you know, I just again I I have to
push back a little bit gently or otherwise just to let you know we're really trying to do something good here. I hope you'll see the wisdom in that as we go even if you can't support it tonight. But I look at that lot 11 and I say, "Wow, what opportunity we have
around it and some of those county lots to build town homes would be the only thing that makes sense on that that kind of lot." >> Mayor, if I may. >> Sure. Thank you. >> Thank you. I I believe we have a workshop.
Um so we'll be talking again in general about development in the area for the shotgun properties. I think it's on Friday. Could we add this item as an additional item for discussion and maybe rest on this for that 24 48 hours or at
least up until that meeting time so that everyone can absorb what's been discussed. Maybe our director can look at some options with um communicating with the county our needs and our concerns about that property that's essential to the triangle property and
maybe something can get uh brought back up for further discussion to then bring it back for another meeting. Oh, and I and I was thinking before you chimed in, board member, I'm thinking that maybe the solution is with respect
to this item and the following item is to defer them and have folks come back and talk about whether there is an agreement to work out that that hanging chad of a lot
and what a time frame might be and who needs to do what in order to go to the county and have a realignment first and foremost to your earlier suggestion or reallocation of that that one corner
lot so that if everything else falls apart with respect to a conveyance of these lots to integral for the uh the single family um >> the triangle can go forward and that that I think that should be our first
and foremost most interest and I I don't know that anything would be ready for the workshop >> but um you know they they can come back to us in the interim and uh give us a
better roadmap toward that goal if if all the parties are willing to do so. >> My essentially that's my recommendation is to motion to defer these items. >> Is that >> second >> at this point? >> Yeah.
for Go ahead. Let's let finish up. >> I I don't have a problem with that. We're not going to build on it. As I said, we were we want them to be successful. Uh we want to be successful and in and homestead. So, I don't have an issue with that. Whatever the timing
is, if that proves to be too long, we will still we can still pursue the avenue. >> But if we can create better projects for both Triangle and your project, let's let's find that pathway. I don't know that they did much better,
but um by by that that road map, but I'm I'm fine with that if that's what you want to do. >> Um I'm looking at number 11 and we would like to start on those town homes uh as as soon as possible if that was something. That's the one that's the
least buildable and we would ask that the city would would convey that one. Um, and it also gives the city an opportunity to see that we're about moving forward. We're not going to waste any time. We're going to get in haste, uh, and get this into the zoning department so that we can start on those
set of town homes there. So, you would be building four town homes on the lots there that surround 11 and then would utilize 11 for a fifth town home. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> Right. Because earlier I thought I
understood that everything that was in teal was going to be multif family. >> Yeah. Well, that's everything to the west of that. That's why I delineated by that southwest fourth court because you couldn't really do it that way. Say it that way. >> But that that is a non-buildable lot and
it would add more value to what we're doing. Instead of us starting immediately on the three town homes, we can go all the way across the block. that would add value to show you that we're about what we say we're [snorts] about and we can get started on that right away and then we can come back and revisit any of the rest of the uh I
think that can be a compromise to also show good faith on both parts >> mayor >> I would I would think it would need to be tied to that corner lot >> I agree 100% if if we if we're asked to convey lot 11 then there has to be a
commitment to convey a >> to release >> to release >> from the county agreement to us >> to us regardless of time frames >> uh so that we can continue and build out the triangle property >> and we would be willing to put that into an agreement with the city of said that
we would do that. >> And obviously our attorneys and directors spoke earlier about an overall agreement for conveyance with protections built in for the city. >> Correct. And >> whether it be one lot or 14 lots >> and And that and that's that's fine. I I
would agree to that and I would agree that we it would prohibit us from building on it doesn't have a number but the red outline parcel. >> Gotcha. >> And that we would work with the city of Homestead as well as the developers conveyed for trying >> to work out whatever is the best way to
include that parcel in that development. We will make that commitment can sign off on that. I'm sure >> uh city attorney Matt can can paper that. >> Well, and that that was my next question. I know he had something in mind for a global transfer that we'll
have to narrow down for this potential one transfer. So I guess the direction tonight would bring to bring back a package to us along those lines for the for the transfer of lot 11 with in exchange for
um and I don't know that you can necessarily say conditioned upon because county's not in our control unless our commissioner will pick up your call. sure as hell won't pick up mine um to uh to get that going.
>> Is would would that be the direction? >> Yes. >> Or Matt kind of have an idea where we want to go with that. >> Sure. I need to know if what level of certainty you need prior
to transferring the lot. That's number 11 >> about the city's ability to obtain title or development rights to the corner piece >> and I know >> conditioning president to the >> I know you mentioned it earlier but how
quickly do you need 11 to go forward? >> Well, we we would like to have that conveyance tonight so that we can go ahead and and move to permit permitting takes forever. Uh just just just you're even if the city is doing its best to help us, they're going to disperate
takes time. So we would like to get that started. >> Not here. We we can expedite. >> We have no problems in in Miss Storch's department. >> No delays. >> And so the county >> we would be asking to convey that one
tonight. It would have come with whatever restrictions that I'm volunteering that we would agree to. We will not develop on the red outline parcel. We will facilitate uh whatever it takes to make that parcel a part of
the officially a part of the triangle development whether that be through a county process or just us signing an agreement with them that they that that parcel will be included in their development. Um and I think that that gets us started. I still would like to
come back at another day to ask for the full redevelopment of the community. We we don't want to really come down and do little bits and pieces. We really want to do full community development. That that's what gets us up out of it. So >> I agree, but I in listening to you, I'm
not sure that we can accomplish or meet your needs there. There's just there's no way. >> So Matt, >> if I can. So tonight's discussion was exactly that, a discussion. This wasn't placed on the agenda for action to
authorize the transfer. Um I would like to if you want to transfer the lot, that is fine. I will take that direction tonight and at our next available meeting, I would bring back the package like a more complete package for your consideration and approval. >> They would also be tied to that other one.
>> Yes. Well, and I I'll >> to the best we can. and we'll we'll work with them to, you know, see how far we can push to get the security that you all are looking for, but in the interim um just the transfer to the extent you're looking for restrictions on the
use of the property for the town houses, etc., I'd like to put that all together so you have a global picture and I'm going to bring that back to the next time you're going to get together and I'll take that direction tonight. >> So, is it our direction to the attorneys to try to accomplish that and and
Hopefully we can meet everybody's time frame and needs and if not we >> we tried hard. >> All right. So I think that concludes the discussion on >> I have one question though. Yes. Not about that. Do we have capacity out there?
>> Do we have sewer capacity for all this development? Wasn't [clears throat] our action on pump station 11 tonight laying the groundwork to provide that? Make Cairo earn his money tonight and
say that. Okay. >> Make it quick. My dog's waiting on me at home. >> Good evening, mayor and council. Uh currently we do not but we should after 11 force main is done and we bypass pump station 15
>> time frame >> Q1 completion Q2 to Q3 certification of 2027. >> So that would seem to dovetail with normal construction. >> Yeah. >> Okay.
>> All right. I'll be here all night. >> We have been here all night. We're going to make it to tomorrow whether we want to or not. >> Okay. So, I think you've got the direction there. I believe that would dovetail into the next conversation
>> with triangle. >> With triangle. >> Yes, sir. >> That we'll take no action. Will not take up that tab tonight. I don't know there. >> Well, let me go back then. I want to be sure we have clear um position from the board related to the
triangle and specifically with the ask on the um ability to uh utilize the tax exemption as may be available to them for the affordable housing units which was one of the asks as it related to the one change in the general terms that we
had understood when we previously presented this to you. So the the ask will be is that something that the board can accept in which case then we can ask legal to continue with the development agree [clears throat] the the and Gabe I'm going to ask you to
speak to this as well then the developer has asked for the ability to utilize the state tax exemption for the affordable aspects of the development. Velment project based on the change in
cost for this project from when they initially had submitted this. Please elaborate or clarify anything on that. >> Perfectly said. Can I answer any questions? Based on our experience with the development of the shotgun property and
the failure of the award of the tax credit loan, doesn't that springboard us into the uncertainty that if it's not awarded, they may not be able to perform with respect to that
portion of the project. >> So, I think this is going into two different things and I'll ask Matt to speak on that. What I can speak to is more specific to to their ask. This is not the ask related to securing additional funding. This is stating that
going forward as the state of Florida has created an exemption for the affordable housing units. When we had brought this proposal to you previously as a part of the development project, we had conditioned that they would not utilize that exemption. Right.
That was a part of that was a part of our >> It's not tax credit. This is tax >> exemp exemption. >> Yes. Now where the asset has come forward is that again given as you've heard from them the the change in the market dynamics they have requested the
opportunity to exercise that on the affordable units for this project. >> Rental units >> correct? >> Forever and ever. Amen. >> Does that last unit is that mayor?
>> What's that? How many units is that compared to the rest? >> 120 out of >> So that is the entire >> entire multifamily building. >> Yeah, the entire multif family building is 120 units.
>> They all would be eligible for that. >> Anything that's affordable within 30 to 80% AMI, >> anything are 49%. >> Yeah. So the ask is is it 120 rental units
be allowed to avail themselves of an exemption from taxation? I think then the clarification that I would ask from this Gabe is that the program that we have previously approved was for the 120 units of which I believe
that 51% of those were what we had anticipated being the workforce being 80% AMI plus. Does that is that still accurate? And are those eligible for the tax exemption? >> Those would not if they were above 80%
AMI they would not be eligible for the tax exemption. We will need be honest the flexibility if to make the deal pencil to designate all units as affordable up to 80% AMI. That
is because these deals cost the same as a market rate deal to build. We generate much less revenue. Part of the way we get these deals financed is by utilizing the tax credit structure. We generate tax credits as part of these affordable units. We do
not generate tax credits once you go beyond 80% AMI >> verifiability to designate all units up to that 80% AMI. So, I I think we need to defer this as well because we don't have enough
[clears throat] information about what this is going to cost us on a yearly basis. Um, so can we bring this back as well when we get more information, Jared? >> Yeah, we're going to need to know what that impact is and whether or not there's the ability and the willingness
on our potential partner to make a pilot to cover to indemnify the city for its portion. school board and a county can fend for themselves. >> If it's the will of the board to defer this, I'll well, I'll ask Gabe to opine
on this, but from staff perspective, we can do that. >> I just want to add one thing. We're not asking for a special exception to utilize the tax exemption. This is something that this state approved because they understand how difficult it is to build this type of housing
anywhere in the state. Every single affordable housing developer is utilizing this incentive. It's not a special exception, but we are trying to build the project according to the vision that we all spent years forming.
We [snorts] need the flexibility. >> Sure. >> But we have been working on this for years now. And if it's if this item [clears throat] is further deferred, we have to respectfully walk away from the deal. >> Oh, there you go. >> I'm just being honest. We have been working.
>> That makes it real that makes it really easy for us for me. >> Right. Mayor if I may. >> Yes. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. The the whole deal the structure of the deal is changing and this is a special exception to the vision to the overall agreement. Maybe not to the
state while the uh the status exists and they may you know if we if we were to make it all affordable for low-income housing then they would be eligible for it without an exception. That's understood. The reality is that that's not the agreement. We did not want only
affordable housing in that building. We wanted mixed income and that's what's being changed. And so now you're saying if we defer it because we want more information and we want to look at your request a little deeper, you're going to walk away after all the time we've given you to get this done. That's very
insulting. >> It is a mixed income project. It is up to 80% AMI just to make that clear and we have been working at this for three years now. >> So >> the role of the CRA is to eliminate slum
and blight and we are locking ourselves in to a demographic in several hundred units that are not above 80% AMI. Yeah, it's mixed income. 40, 60, 70, 80. While we strive to have better economic
statistics on one hand, you're asking us to cut our throats on the other with respect to economic demographics. >> Good evening, uh, Mayor, first and foremost, I I understand your concerns, vice mayor, distinguished members of the
council, friend, Mr. Manager, thank you for allowing me the privilege to be here. Thank you for allowing all of us to be here. I understand what your concerns are and as Karine mentioned before, I'm not going to belabor the point. We're in a housing crisis here, not only in your
city, but in every city across the board, no matter the financial demographics of your city. When this project was started three years ago, I was not here in the position I'm in as both a builder and as a potential partner in the project. This is a completely different project any way you
look at it. When we started this project, construction costs were at a completely different position that they're in today. In three years, you've seen costs probably go up over 20%. This year alone, you're looking at, like Karine mentioned, between five, they're even talking about potentially a 6%
increase. When you're looking at interest rates, the difference between three years ago and today are significantly higher. Every quarter point can change if a project pencils or does not. We're talking about potentially multiple points and we're not seeing them go down.
I'm in this business every single day. I've been in the construction business for 20 plus years. I built workforce housing throughout the state. I've been I built worldclass housing, hospitals, schools. I built a portion of my world
center. I built upscale projects. Everywhere you go across the board, housing prices, construction prices continue to rise. If it's labor or if it's materials, there is no escaping it.
So, what I want to make you understand, which I don't really need to make understand because you understand it. All of you are very sophisticated. You see what we're dealing with right now. I've been listening to your conversations across the board, whether it's keeping people in this community, affordability, but the prices are not it
will not go down. So, we need to find a way to work together after three years to deliver this project for the community. We have an MOU existing with Kareem and his team. We're trying to do the best we can possibly right now to bring this to fruition. But, as the mayor mentioned,
and everybody's alluded to it, and by the way, I want to commend your CRA director. He's put he's done a great job in working with us. But we also have one of our hands tied behind our back. The deadline to complete this job is 2029.
We're almost in 2027. By the time that we finalize the design and go to permit, it could could potentially take about a year. We've got to finish this project in less than two years. Again, very tight time frames. Scheduling again is an art form,
especially when we talk about construction. So, we as a community, both the board and ourselves need to come together and find a solution here. No one is to blame, but we are behind the aball right now in regards to delivering much neededed housing. So,
like Gabe said, there's a sense of frustration on all ends. We want to deliver this for your community. And I know you're frustrated. Help us find a solution that again makes sense. But what we signed up for, proudly, proudly signed up to build
three years ago is a different project financially. Your experts across the room will tell you. They will tell you what the numbers are. Don't trust me. You don't have to trust me or Kareem or Gabe. Just read a periodical. Just pick up a newspaper. Contact any other municipality. You'll
see what the numbers are. So, we're here to help you. We're here to be your partner. We want to collaborate. Let's find solutions. Help us to really deliver this project. That's what my intentions are as a professional in the construction engineering industry. As a developer, I want to build. This is what I've dedicated myself to. It's building
workforce housing. There's a much need. When they tell you there's 90,000 potential units that are needed in this in this community throughout the state of Florida, I think it falls short. Significantly short. >> Mayor. Mayor. >> Yes, sir. >> Mayor, and I'm sorry for continuing. I just appreciate.
>> As I as I said earlier, we need to defer this because we have a lack of information here. You just asked for a total tax exemption on the property. You said if you didn't get that, you'd walk away. I just want to remind you that there's a developer building 360
market rate rent apartments on Campbell Drive across the street from the hospital. Didn't ask for anything. They're building it right now. So, this thing about we can't afford to build because of costs and labor and all this,
maybe you need a different business model. Those people are doing it. But you're asking us to wave a a whole lot of tax money on a development that may not even come out of the ground because you can't even get to that point yet. So, I think we need to defer this thing.
It's 11:30 at night. We're not going to solve it tonight and come back to us in a couple weeks whenever we can get another meeting scheduled and then let's talk rationally about this. But for you to say what you said that if you don't get this, you're going to walk away. That turned me off. >> I I don't I really don't want any more
discussion. They want to hear it. That's fine. >> I don't want to >> I second your motion, Councilman Roth. >> Yeah. So, let's move on. We still got somebody else we got to hear. >> No, I think >> I think they brought treats. >> Oh, that's right. Yeah. Um, let me ask you that with respect to the integral
integral project. Are those units going to be taxexempt? that that um that uh law or that uh yes >> did not exist when we signed okay the MDA with the county. So we have not
>> indicated to the county that we would do that. >> I think that um let let me and and please council Roth one one second because I know you're ready to move on. what what we're talking about it really does matter when we are able to get that
tax exemption and so we most likely will pursue it right we're not in the same situation where we have to ask you to utilize that for the part of the project we have the county we can do that by state statute right um that action
though allows us not to have to ask local municipalities for so much money in order to fulfill these developments Taxes represent probably 40% of the operating expense of any
development whether it's market rate or tax credit or affordable if you want to call tax credit affordable. At the end of the day taking that 40% out of opex allows the project to get more debt proceeds because more falls to
the bottom line to service the debt. So it meets a high the more cash higher loan amount less ask from the county or the city for uh proceeds very little cash flow on these deals because you are serving
some of the lowest incomes that you can serve. We have buildings where the 30% AMI resident is paying very very little relative to the 80% AMI resident.
And what is further complicating tax credit deals in the present moment is there's a lot more supply because a lot of the market rate developers have decided to try to get into this business. And because there's more
supply, the tax credit funders, banks, CRA, uh, lending institutions have driven the price of tax credits down, further complicating the cost of development. So, I just I want to give value,
what the city could do to provide that to developments that are coming in as tax credits. there's a significant value and it's less of an ask from you to fill the gap that really occurs because taxpayer pricing is going down and you
don't get a lot of revenue from these units in order to do that. And and the problem is if I if I could build a 300 unit building in this neighborhood and it be marketable and I could fill those, I would do it. There's no market study
that I've seen that we've gotten our hands on that says that I could do that. And unfortunately, if I can't put that on paper and take that to a lender, they're not going to back the deal. They're not going to give me the tax credits because they're looking at that market study and they're saying, "Hey, that's why that slide up on the screen
is so important because it communicates something. Doesn't say where we're where the neighborhood is heading. It just currently says what we can finance today." So, just wanted to get that piece. >> So, Bottom line is is unless we're lucky
enough to live in Pinerest or Coral Gables, every community is subject to a demunition of its economics and a further erosion of its tax base through more and more subsidized housing. I just
let's let's make the triangle parcel a well field and and move on. Um I really just I've heard enough. Y'all get mad at me when you call it workforce and and affordability and I call it subsidized. By God, when the taxpayers
of this city are having to pick up the slack for hundreds of units, what else do you call it but subsidized? So, I think Councilman Roth or board member Roth, your motion to defer the triangle parcel has been properly moved and
seconded. Let's have a roll call vote on that. And if they walk, they walk. We know. We know where we stand. >> Board member cannibal. >> I'm going to vote no to everything. >> Okay.
>> All right. This is deferred. >> I don't want to listen to this. >> Okay. >> All right. We got your vote. >> Board member Ksky. >> Yes. >> Board member Roth. >> Yes. >> Board member Avula. >> Yes. >> Board member Fletcher.
>> Yes. Vice Chairwoman Bailey. >> Yes. >> Chairman Lo. >> Yes. >> The motion carries. >> Thank you, Mayor Loggo. Appreciate you standing around tonight. >> Thank you for for your time. I appreciate you and we look forward to
coming back and presenting him. God bless you. Thank you. >> All right. Last item, Mr. Director. Thank you. >> Can I get out of here? So, next item as we continue to move through the agenda, uh we have pulled
the car for curl marketplace. So, that will take us to the approval of the minutes. Clerk move. >> Okay. >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> I >> Okay. Second to last. We have a presentation, very brief presentation
folks on a grant application that has been brought forward uh for a new ice cream and candy shop located at 51 North Chrome Avenue directly across from Losner Park. Uh this is a a partnership between an existing um business and two
different businesses rather uh that have signed the lease on this property uh and have been working with the CRA in creating this uh presentation that they will be making a request for the um business relocation and expansion grant funds for the rehabilitation or for the
investment rather in some of the buildout of this space. The request uh was for $75,000. As you seen, there's been an indication for $25,000 up to the board to decide in what your final amount may be uh based on the total project. So, with that, it's a very
quick introduction, but I know we're all tired and you've had treats. So, I'd like to introduce Louie Fernandez, one of the folks that gentlemen really leading this project, who will give a just an overview of what they are anticipating doing at 51 North Cro.
>> Welcome. >> Good evening. Um, I've u I recently retired from the government for 43 years and it's amazing what the mayor, your office, everybody
here, the dedication. It's 11:00 at night and everybody's here. I, you know, from working from the government, I wish that everybody gets to see this. You know, I I get back there, I get emotional because people don't understand what everybody here goes
through. So, I appreciate it. Maybe I'm not saying it from everybody else from just experiencing it and seeing how you guys protect your cities. It's it's remarkable. Saying that, um I want to thank you for giving me this time. I u I
want to thank the CRA. They've been extremely helpful. I've met with the different people from your department and it's a very um relief. It's a big relief seeing how city workers care.
Again, I've had the pleasure of working for the government for 43 years and I know how hard it is. You have a very good city. Uh I met with different department heads and it's been a real pleasure regardless of the outcome. I just wanted to say that. Now on the
light lighter side, we have some searchs and some some things that we're bringing into the city. Um we're working very hard to bring something new, something exciting, something up upper standard
and what we want to do is we want to do a flagship store. It's a 100year building. Uh we have to retrofit it. Um, make it Instagrammable, make it fun, make it community, make it part that
people want to go to. They want to visit Chrome Avenue. They want to visit uh Loster Park. And I think this will be a draw. If you look at the first page, that carousel is [clears throat] not um a figment of the imagination that's
going to be inside the store. So the kids, uh, family members could take somebody under air conditioning, uh, have a good ice cream, have gourmet desserts. We're going to teach them how to, uh, develop ice cream. And we have some ice cream and some cheesecake. I
don't know if you want me to pass it out now so you can try it so you can see the quality of the things that we're bringing. Uh we have had to do this presentation to numerous vendors because the vendors are particular to what type of stores they go into. And we we have
been able to secure uh very high-end vendors and that's a plus for for me. It's been an accomplishment for uh my partner and to be being able to bring that here to the city is a good accomplishment. Um, so that's your first
vision as you walk into the store. I don't know if you want to >> Mayor to answer his question. I think we should save the sweets till we get done with business. Let's get it done and then, you know, we may not want to eat it afterwards. Who knows?
>> But I think we can do that, right? >> I think so. So >> then just just just hang on one second. >> So the CRA was asking for 75,000, right? Or the applicant
>> applicant has requested 75,000. >> Okay. And this says 25,000. >> Mhm. >> So what changed? >> Nothing changed. the the applicant submitted the application and the request of 25,000 and the recommendation from the CRA was 25,000. It's up to the
board to decide where you fall where you want to be within that. >> Okay. But it says here CRA request at the bottom total 75,000 on exhibit two. And my thought is if they really
want to make that leap, let's do it. >> Am I wrong? >> I'm not seeing where that is. So, I need to find that. >> After exhibit one, it says the memorandum from Jared Beck.
Cost estimate CRA request 75,000. What are we looking for? looks like this. >> Your memorandum >> in your memorandum. >> I'm looking at my memorandum and it states in here the applicant has requested funding in the amount of $75,000 towards total hard cost
estimated at $156,550. >> You turn the page and it says staff recommends. Go back to that same page and at the very bottom that graph CRA request 75,000. >> That is their request. This is their table from us. So their ask in that cost
estimate was what they had requested. >> So you're not asking for that. >> No, no, that is what they submitted to us and we include it. >> Oh, that looks like it you're requesting it. I did not then I did not label that well enough in this uh memo but that is the
table that they had provided which I believe if uh as you flip through your presentation is the same table or should be similar to the same table that is included in the uh PowerPoint >> and so to development services
have you have you looked at have they applied to you yet? You got to put your mic on. >> We have been looking at some preliminary plans. We mostly looked what we saw was that rendering and he says now he has
some drawings but we haven't seen them. >> Okay. So, so but in your expertise are they going to require a change of use? >> Uh no. We uh in one of the meetings we start with the building reviewer and for
what they they want to do is mostly decorative. The ice cream will be manufactured somewhere else. So the only thing they will do there is serving the the ice cream. >> Okay. They might they might need um a grease trap if they later want to do
other things like they were thinking on having a um bar or at one point they also spoke about having a gourmet market but for the ice cream itself they don't need any. >> Got it. Because it does say in I guess
whoever prepared this thing the grease trap would be like $28,500. I think that's kind of low for a grease trap, but um they may not need the the the large commercial grease traps like full-blown restaurants need. So maybe that's a true number. I don't
know. So I'll wait to listen, but I I'm more apt to give them the the 75,000 they're asking for to get something there and open. That's all. Mayor, how's that ice cream taste? >> Hey, what? I I didn't hear you. I'm
eating my ice cream. Let's call it gelato at this time. Um, thank you. And you're I'm sitting here thinking the grease trap plus 25
split the baby at 50 something, what whatever that is. Um, you know, we have the standard grant agreement that protects us that if you know, we we have leans against the building and and other guarantees
and the grease trap's always there for the next business. So, you know, I I'm good with 535 gives you a grease trap and 25. Hey,
>> board. >> Mayor coming. >> Yes. >> Go ahead. >> Thank you. Um I'm I understand that the grease truck would be a great um improvement to the property, but if I miss maybe I misunderstood development services. If they were to expand their
business and do the full kitchen use, then they would need to do a certificate change in use. But they will see the grease truck. >> So as is for their selling of the gelato that's going to be manufactured
somewhere else. They don't need to do a change in use. But they don't need a grease trap to do that to open up and start moving forward with their business concept as is. But the grease trap would allow them the opportunity to expand into the realm of bigger kitchen operations. If they do that in the
future, would that trigger a change in use? not a change of use, but a building permit to add whatever fixtures they need to add. Okay. So, I just want to make sure that we're not granting funds for a placement
of a grease trap that they would not be able to utilize in the future unless they went through another set of bigger hurdles. So, I'm just getting clarification that they don't need to change of use as is to operate or in the future if they were to expand their kitchen um
capacity. >> Correct. >> In generally, what the change of use means is a building permit. So, yes, they need a building permit. That is what it is. >> Okay. I forgot to mention, save me some ice cream, guys. Put it in the freezer
for me. Um, >> oops. >> Thank you. So, I'm I guess that I'm confused as to the change in use because I thought a change in use is when you go from like a um office space for administrative services to a restaurant.
And so, you might still need a building permit to make any kind of changes to the interior of a of a bay or a commercial space without having to do a change in use. A change in use it requires advertisement and different things is or maybe Councilman Roth can
help me understand better as well. >> No, a a change of use means a building permit to establish a use that was not there in that place. So in this case, if they want to add a bar or a restaurant or a coffee shop, they will need that
building permit. You can call it a change of use, but the way to to implement a change of use is to pull a building permit. uh coun board if I may. Uh the the change of use process can be either
uh or rather the the trigger of the need for a building permit associated with a change of use is if there is work improvements to be done versus um no improvements to be done. So
today and it's one of those things that we are working to separate right to provide clarity a change of use process is about the use. I'm going from one thing to the next if I am not doing any
improvement to the site I am solely getting a change of use. If I intend to if to accomplish this ice cream shop, I need to improve the site. There is two instruments that needs to be issued.
They may be correlated, they may be linked, but there are two distinct instruments. It's the change of use and the corresponding building permit. Our current state, similar to what we talked about earlier, link these things together when they should be separate
instruments. And that is why there's to some extent um confusion. But if in this case based on what I've heard uh director Stewart say earlier, this isn't about a change of use per se,
right? They're not going well I don't I don't know what the current use is of this site, but the change of use is not is not equal building permits automatically. A change of use is a change of use. One thing if I am doing
improvements to a site I may also require a building permit. Second instrument two different things today it happens under one umbrella and that is what contributes to a little bit of the confusion which we are parsing we're parsing.
>> Got it. So >> thank you. >> Yeah. So in in in in layman's terms, she's already said that this use is allowed there and the only thing they'll need is if there's any construction is a building
permit. >> Exactly. They now the use is retail and what they're going to do is retail, right? So it's an equal use. >> It's an equal use. >> Yes. >> So if they add on to the future, they may have to change of use. >> Yes. >> So that would be something for the future. for the
>> for the future. So >> that's not our problem. >> Yeah. So and then for clarity, if they don't put the grease trap in, they won't get the grease trap money. So you know, they'll get the >> whatever he said, the 25,000 plus the grease trap. So they'll get 25,000 [snorts]
to start with. And if they expand and need a grease trap, then that money will kick in as well. So >> yeah. So my my thought was up to the 285 for grease trap and then the the miscellaneous 25 that was contemplated to be awarded by the CRA. >> Right. >> Yeah.
>> Now you don't own this building. You're a tenant. Correct. >> That's correct. We have to do uh flooring, paint. There's a big retrofit that we have to do that stays with the building for the simple reason that to bring in this quality type of product.
Uh a big number is the flooring. Flooring is 2,000 square feet. uh we have to do extensive move forwarding on it uh to put the quality where [snorts] it should be to be able to bring that's another line item that's pretty
expensive. uh painting the interior. Uh there's there's big expensive things to make this a flagship. >> You know, myself and our corporation, we're putting probably like $300,000 in
improvement aside from what CRA is doing. >> So, I mean the 75,000 was a cap when we were questioning that's what we were told. In essence, we probably would need even more than that, but we're leaving it at that at that point because that's
what we were told to leave it at. I mean, if you look at the line item, >> it's pretty, you know, >> was was there a motion with respect to 5035? No. No. >> Okay. and a segregated up to 285 for the
grease trap and the 25 for the for other >> the only addition that I would make [clears throat] uh chairman is >> can you bring me my my drink please >> oh sorry >> mute
>> no is that um bringing up the discussion on the grease trap you know I think I don't know if you've had a a fully detailed quote on that yet if the board does want to um fund that, you may bump that up to a rounder number. So instead of 285, you may bump that to to say it's
a $30,000 or something. That could be an allocation towards that grease trap. And then if you have the additional funds would be used towards the eligible expenses, >> whatever you think we need to do. >> I just [clears throat] wanted to put that out there that I don't think that that's an exact detailed cost, the 285. It is though in that range of one of the
lower cost reestap options that we know is available. I mean, if you if you look at the renderings, the building is going to look totally different and the we we've bidded out all three three, you know, with three different vendors [clears throat] on every single item
there on the list and this has been not the least expensive, but the middle of the road to make sure we get quality work in there. >> So, this is this is so you bring up a point, right, Jared,
about the grease trap. I mean, if we lock it in now at 30,000, what what can they come back and ask for more if they need it? >> The attorney's saying yes. So, you don't even have to answer, Jared. Thank you. Thank you, Matt. >> So,
>> yeah, we'll just deal with it when it comes. >> So, do we want to just do the 25,000 now and then when they figure out what they want to do later? So the only the only concern with that would be that our grant guidelines require that the funds be preapproved by the board and then
they are a reimburseable expense. So if he's in the process and he's ready to do his grease trap while they're doing this buildout, if he doesn't already have an approval the board's going to pay for it, then he's not going to get it right. either can't do it at the time. It's got to stop everything or we could do as you
have done in the past where you you could stipulate it as you had stated that you would provide 25,000 or whatever it is towards the general work and then an additional 25 or 30,000 towards the grease trap. You can stipulate it like that and then that
would be the easiest way to do, you know, the clean approval now and then allow us to let him go fully through this without having to break anything up in terms of other approvals. >> Or is it cleaner to just say $55,000 and be done with it? >> I mean that that's
>> Well, you want to you want to you want to designate I think a portion of >> you want to ensure there's a grease trial. >> Yeah. Yeah, I think you want to do that. So >> So may I >> you guys okay with that? Yeah. Okay. So, that'll be the motion. >> What? >> Okay. >> Oh, hey, Matt.
>> I get where you want to go. So, if we can have a motion to increase the total of the grant allowance. The way that this practically works is it's a reimbursement. If they don't put in the grease trap, they're not going to draw it down. So, they're going to have a time period within the work is completed. if it's doesn't go on in
perpetuity. So if you want to say if it's not done in you know a year 18 months then that money will automatically just be >> remove and go back into the pot. Okay. And you know they can always come back at some point in the future but you can build it in in allocation 25 plus
another 25 or 30 towards the grease trap and because it's on a reimbursement it's not like it's out there forever. If he doesn't put it in the money hasn't left your your bank account. Is there a preset time frame or no for usage? >> Do we need to make that up? Now, >> if I may clear something up,
>> we would have to put the grease trap first >> before we put the floor. >> A four is a big expense. And >> I'm sure you're going to do it right away. >> We're going to do it. >> Okay. All right. So, let's do that. Just do a uh 25,000 and a 30,000 you said,
right? So, a total of 55,000. 25 or 30 designated towards the grease trap. That's my motion. All right, it's seconded. >> All right, let's have a quick roll call vote. >> Board member Roth. >> Yes. >> Board member Ksky.
>> Yes. >> Board member Cannibal. >> Yes. >> Board member Abula. >> Yes. >> Board member Fletcher. >> Yes. >> Vice Chairwoman Bailey. >> Chairman Lner. The motion carries.
>> Thank you for the ice. Uh you should try just for a little bit of information. Um is a chef number three in the United States 110th in all the Americas.
number 110. >> We do, but whatever you need to do. >> Okay. >> Motion to defer the last two items, right? >> Yeah. There's the placemaking at the PO park and there's another grant
discussion. It >> you want to go ahead. >> I was going to say if you want to defer one of these, we're okay with that. >> Both of them. >> Is the grant time sensitive? >> Uh that would be one. It's not >> No, it's not critical. >> Okay. Anybody want to move to defer to find?
>> I make a motion. Correct. Motion to defer both. And the one for the grant is tied to the shotgun property. So we can look at it too on Friday. All right, we have a second. >> Yes. >> Matt, is it proper for her for the motion to be done remotely?
>> Okay. All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> I >> move to adjourn. >> Thank you. >> Good night, everybody. >> Not quite. Not quite.