Hello everyone. Good evening. We're going to go ahead and get started with uh the special presentations portion of our meeting or rather uh before the meeting. And we have a few tonight. The first one that I want to begin with is honoring uh
one of our members here who recently received it was the Congressional Medal Medal of >> No, it was a Congressional Veteran Commenation. >> The Cong Congressional Veteran Commenation honoring his years of service to our country in the United States Navy. And uh since I was unable
to make it to be there uh for the special event and not only because of that, but because I do feel it's worthy of recognition, I wanted to go ahead and present to you a special certificate of recognition from my office to you. And the certificate of recognition reads, "In acknowledgement of your
honorable services in the United States Navy and your enduring leadership to our community, the town of Amu Lakes congratulates you for being a distinguished recipient of the 2025 Congressional Veteran Commenation Award. So congratulations, Councman Sanchez."
>> Absolutely, >> Mr. Mayor, my colleagues on the deas. Thank you very much for this cert certificate. I volunteered to join the Navy at 19 years old. I dedicated my life to public service at that time and I do not look back for a single moment and say this is something that I regret.
I look forward to many more years of public service and once again thank you for this recognition. Not you just you Mr. Mayor but the vice mayor councilman councilman council. Uh, so why don't we ask the family to come up for a joint
photo? >> Well, I guess Alexander, I guess you're it. And yes, thank you to Alexandra Herrera, our uh local reporter from the Miami Laker for stepping up for us. >> Huh?
>> Yes. Our official Miami Lakes backup photographer. Next up, we are honoring the Zanta Club of Miami Leagues. Uh so if they wouldn't mind starting to uh come up here. >> Yes, we have we have a large group here.
>> That's it. >> Yep. Well, no, they're not even at full strength. >> Oh, I know. >> Come on. There's a lot of us. >> No, I I know we're gonna have to probably uh at some point for the photo maybe some of us go up there and you
know that just to kind of have everybody closer, you know, for the photo. >> Yeah, exactly. So now that we have all the ladies here, uh this is a special group of ladies that especially since I've become mayor and I mean previously before as well, but
especially since I've become mayor, I've made it a point to try and uh collaborate more closely with the club, I participated in their recent um governor's meeting, right? The the regional uh governor's meeting and and been working with them on a variety of other projects. We're currently in
process of developing a uh GIS a a a uh in essence a sort of map of the town that contains certain points of interest related to the Zanta club. So for those of you that haven't visited the wall of dolls that is located there at the Mary Collins Community Center. It's meant to
raise awareness about uh human trafficking. Um and there there's also a tree that we planted when I was still a council member at Alchemist Park. There's all sorts of areas in the town where Zanta has made its mark. And so I wanted to memorialize that in this map and make it available for residents and
others if they ever want to visit those sites to be able to do so. So uh as part of that though I also wanted to present a proclamation to them uh proclaiming November 2025 the entire month as Zanta Club month in the town of Miami Lakes.
Whereas the Zanta Club of Miami Lakes, ZCML, chartered in 1984, is dedicated to empowering women and girls in our community through service, advocacy, and education. We work locally to support initiatives that align with Zanta
International's mission to create a meaningful impact at both local and global levels. Whereas this proclamation specifically recognizes Zanta's 16 days of activism for their unwavering commitment to the Zanta says no to violence campaign and their tireless
efforts to unite and and eliminate violence against women and girls. Zanta Club of Miami Lakes envisions a community where women have equal access to resources and opportunities. Women are represented in leadership and decision-making roles and no woman lives
in fear of violence. Whereas ZCML operates within the framework of Zant International, upholding its mission of empowering women and its vision of a world where women's rights are recognized as human rights, allowing every woman to reach her full potential.
ZCML is committed to realizing this vision as the mission drives everything they do in the local community and beyond. Whereas by collaborating with others and engaging with diverse members, ZCML builds a supportive community that creates a meaningful
impact alongside other clubs while contributing to the broad broader goals of Zanta International to achieve its mission effectively. And whereas this proclamation serves as a reminder of the impact that dedicated individuals can have in creating positive change. The
outpouring of support from the Mambly community is a testament to the Zanta Club's meaningful contributions and the profound difference it makes in the lives of women and girls. Now therefore, I, Joshua Diegas, by virtue of the authority vested in me as the mayor of
the town of Miami Lakes and on behalf of the town council and 33,000 Miami Lakers, do hereby proclaim November uh 2025 as Zanta Club of Miami Lakes month. Congratulations. Of course.
>> No, of course. By the way, you guys have a a summit coming up uh soon. No. >> You guys want to announce it? >> Okay. Well, they have >> So, here in Chambers on December 2nd, there will be a special com uh not
conference, a seminar, you know, related to uh human trafficking that they are doing in conjunction with the state attorney's office. Um it will be at 6:30. Did I have that right? >> At 6 o'clock here in Chambers. So, I encourage you all to attend. It's going to be an informative uh event. Last time
they even had a survivor of of of human sex trafficking present with us. Uh but with that, we're going to go ahead and take a photo. Oh, I see our main photographer has arrived. But thank you, Alexandra. your personal one. >> Come on, bring it on.
Do we have a representative of the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board? Where are they? Oh, my apologies. Unfortunately, I could not make the meeting last time last week. So, you know, my my apologies. But with that, please come up. It's your turn. Oh, excellent.
>> Well, thank you all for being here. >> Hello. How you doing? >> Hi. How are you doing? >> Hi. How you doing? Thank you for being here. So recently the advisory board held a meeting in chambers here uh for the
entire community. It was one of their official meetings but it was open to the public. Unfortunately unfortunately I was unable to make it but they this is a body that does great work and uh provides an important uh advice role to the uh county commission on issues
involving Hispanic affairs. And so we wanted to thank them for choosing Miami Leagues as the place to hold your meeting uh by awarding them this proclamation which uh proclaims uh is of the general proclamation uh you know recognizing their work and it begins
whereas the Miami Dade County Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board or HAB serves under the Office of Community Advocacy and the Board of County Commissioners working year round to advance issues that impact the county's
vibrant Hispanic population and promotes civic participation, cultural appreciation, and community engagement. Whereas through its leadership, collaboration, and strategic partnerships, HAAB successfully engaged all 13 county commission districts,
constitutional officers, municipalities, and the consular corps of Miami in more than 20 events held throughout the 30 days of Hispanic Heritage Month 2025. Whereas this unprecedented level of collaboration demonstrated the county's shared commitment to recognizing and
celebrating the cultural, historical, and social contributions of all Hispanic residents who represent 70% of Miami Dade County's population. Whereas the 2025 national theme, collective heritage, honoring the past, inspiring
the future, inspired the board's programming and outreach, which united community leaders, artists, educators, and organizations in celebrating the county's Hispanic heritage and identity. And whereas HAB's efforts not only
strengthened partnerships across municipalities, but also highlighted Miami Day County as a model of diversity, inclusion, and civic pride. Now therefore, I, Joshua Diegas, by virtue of the authority vested in me as the mayor of the town of Miami Lakes, and on behalf of the town council and
33,000 Miami Lakers, do hereby recognize and commend the Miami Day County Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board for its outstanding service and contributions to our town, neighboring communities, and abroad. Here you go. >> Thank you for having us here. It's a
pleasure to be here in Miami Lakes again. I used to live in Royal Oaks and um I left to Dorado, but I'm close. I'm still close. Uh I wanted to let you know that in our office of community advocacy, we have 12 advisory boards. We have commission for women. We have a
military affairs advisory board. Are you familiar with it? Okay, perfect. So, um we domestic violence advisory board. We have um 12 of them. and uh the human trafficking that they we're definitely going to be here. We're definitely going
to be participating with you on December 2nd and thank you so much for doing this great work because that's one of the initiatives especially now with FIFA uh you know the World Cup coming in that usually there's a lot of human trafficking. So that's one thing that our board had in mind to coordinate with
the state attorney's office. So, I thank you for taking that initiative and I look forward to collaborating with you for this and also for next year as we prepare for Hispanic Heritage Month. Our chairman, Anthony Rodriguez, he also has a resolution for September being Cuban
Heritage Month. So, we want to do something um to honor the Cubans like me. Thank you so much for your time. >> Of course, >> and I hope to see you as well. Uh we always have an annual uh Hispanic
heritage event. It's always a a big hit. We just had one with uh the uh the deputy general uh I believe it was deputy council um is it the council council? There we go. Of Peru. Um he had a great time as well and every year we
honor a different nation in the Hispanic diaspora. So I would love to have you guys there again to join us for the big party. So with that, let's get this photo. Somebody Next up, a there's a there's a business in town that recently myself and a few other
council members had the privilege uh to be able to visit. Uh it's Debonire. All right. Um they're a large uh company actually located here in the time I make. Something else another company that we can be very proud of. But I think the thing that stuck out to myself and to many of my colleagues that went
is the family nature of the company, right? And I don't just mean the fact that it's familyun. It's the fact that speaking to the employees and everyone that worked there, they all felt as if they were family, right? You know, a lot of a lot of companies, they always say, "Oh, we have a family culture and this
and the other." And you that's not always the case, but you felt it when you were there. And uh so I'd like to ask their representatives to come here at this time to accept this award, which initially we wanted to present to the founder, but unfortunately he passed away. Um so he's here to uh receive this
award on the proclamation on behalf of the family. And uh we're going to go ahead and read into the record tonight and memorialize it. So weed to proclaim November 20, 2025, Thanksgiving as Charlie L. Alisher Day
here in the town of Amy Lakes again the founder of the company where Charles Alisher was a business community having over 30 years of dedicated service as owner and chief executive officer of Devonire
Mechanical. Whereas Devon Air Mechanical for the past 10 years has established its headquarters in the town of Miami Lakes, servicing both residential and commercial customers while providing turnkey air conditioning, refrigeration, and heating services throughout the state of Florida with an established
culture of placing people over profits. And again, it it's genuine. Whereas Charlie with support of his wife Mrs. Susie Alisher and Brett as well his business
Anda and Louisisa created an educ mechanical employee. uh princip families who are looking for choice and mechanical by positively impacting promoting the
of those he knew through various charitable organizations such as Sheran House Family Ministries. Presbyterian church hospital to name a few. Now
authority town of Miami Lakes half of the town council and 33,000 Miami Lakers do hereby proclaim November uh 20 uh 25th 2025 as Charlie L. Alisher Day. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor, city council
staff. Uh for those of you who um like the mayor said, um didn't have the opportunity to meet Mr. Alashshshire, uh he would have been very blessed to have been here today meeting all of you, uh getting to know the work, the great work that some of the NOS's are doing. So on
behalf of um the family, on behalf of our staff throughout the state of Florida, we thank you. This is an amazing gift and um we'll cherish it always and it's a a nice touch to honor his name and his legacy as part of our
culture and uh we thank you for that. >> Happy Can you get Gonzo? >> Where is he? All right. All right. I didn't even see him. All right. It's your turn, man. Come on up. Well, I guess it's very fitting, but the
major doesn't like to be in the spotlight, so that's why I guess he was hiding from me there. >> But, um, >> there you go. So, um, Major Jose Gonzalez is our town commander. He, uh, leads our police department here in the
town of Miami Lakes. Uh, and he's been with us for quite some time. and we wanted to take a moment because this is his last official meeting that he will be with us. Uh we want to take some time to go ahead and honor uh him as he prepares to retire after a very long and distinguished career with the Miami Day
Police Department formerly and now the Miami Day Sheriff's Office. Uh so Gonzo, as we affectionately call him, we decided to go ahead and proclaim November 18 as your day here in the town of Miami Lake. So we wanted to give you tomorrow so you can go ahead and celebrate, you know, with everybody that you wanted to,
right? So proclaiming November 19th, 2025 as Major Jose Gonzalez day in the town of Miami Lakes. Whereas Major Jose Gonzalez began his law enforcement career at 19 years of age in New York City as a member of the New York Police Department, eventually moving to Miami
Dade where he was assigned tasks dealing with narcotics, robbery intervention, detail, and investigations. Whereas Major Gonzalez was promoted to lieutenant in 2014 and served as the platoon commander at the North Side District. He was then assigned to the Port of Miami where he oversaw the
incident containment team, GIU, dignitary protection unit, the K9 unit, harbor patrol, and other responsibilities. Very busy, I guess. Whereas after being assigned to the town of Miami Lakes in 2018, he was named acting major five years late uh and five
years uh yeah five years later and whereas under the leadership of Major Gonzalez, the town of Miami has experienced significant multi-year reductions across all major crime crime statistics. >> You're cutting off >> better.
uh significant uh sign whereas within five years of dedicated service we extend our heartfelt retirement and wish him many joy yeah I'm learning and wish him many joyful
years ahead spent with his beloved wife four sons and three grandchildren now therefore I Joshua Diegas By virtue of the authority vested in me as the mayor of the town of Miami Lakes and on behalf Town Council and 33,000 Miami Lakers do hereby proclaim November 19th, 2025 as
Major Jose Gonzalez day. Congratulations, Major. >> I know you don't have to talk giving you like a week or something. >> A shift. Name a shift after you. >> Thank you very much. I want appreciate
Thank you. Um council, mayor, vice mayor. Um, I actually caught off guard. Didn't know this was coming. So, great surprise. Uh, got a phone call like 20 minutes ago. Hey, you got to come early today because uh the meeting starting early. Okay. So,
I would have maybe addressed appropriately had I known I was getting an award. So, I apologize, but this is normally how I dress for my meetings. Um, thank you. Um, you know the saying, it takes a village. Well, here it takes a town, right? So, it's this this I
couldn't get this without everyone in the town, the residents, you know, all my friends that I've come over the years, the support from the the council, the mayor and previous councils, um, Councilman Qual Garcia. We've been friends for a long time before he was a
councilman and we worked on a lot of great things like my my partnership with all my my staff. Obviously, my staff, you know, you can't win a Super Bowl without the players, right? Doesn't matter if you're Jerry Jones. If the players aren't good, you can't win. So,
the winning team's right over there, head coach. I'm like the owner now, you know. And, uh, the players, their Super Bowl caliber here in the town, our deputies are great. Obviously, all the town staff, you guys are great. I mean, the family that we have, the communication, the teamwork that we
share together is is, you know, impeccable. So, thank you everyone. I appreciate it. Um, still got another month and a half, but I'm going to miss you guys. Thank you. >> We're not done yet. Actually, >> there's also another group of people
that wanted to pay tribute to you. So, I'm going to ask him to come up at this time. Would the members of the public come up come up? I'm going to turn it over now to the chairman of the committee, Carlos Andres Blanco. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, Carlos Andre with public safety
committee. I want to get everybody from MDSO to come up here. Uh, you know, this is a big party. Uh, this is for, you know, someone that has served our community for over 30 years. You know, that's a long time. Um, has been serving Miami Lakes for 20 since 2018.
And, you know, he's I have the honor of being in public safety, so I get to work with a lot of our folks in law enforcement. And I hear nothing but respect for Major Gonzalez Gonzo. They they they refer to as a a good street
cop, nononsense kind of guy. Um, you know, perfect example is something that, you know, happened happened to me. I had I had a home burglary a couple years ago. He remembered all the details of and that's very rare, Mike, very rare, but he remembered all the details of that and years after. Um, just shows you
how intimately he's involved in every investigation that happens here in the town. recently and we get a lot of uh you know complaints sometimes from Bob Graham traffic and we had an issue with a traffic light and guess who was out there at 6:30 in the morning curtailing that traffic light? This guy. All right,
that's a true leader. Someone that rolls up their sleeves and you know just does what it takes you know to deliver that service. So we thank you. Uh this trophy actually is uh or plaque better said they requested that you unf actually
open it up yourself cuz it was something very neat and different. All the pressure is on you Drew from Vita Customs and hopefully he likes it. >> There you go. Congratulations One second. >> All right. Before we go ahead and and
everybody sits down, uh our former uh uh there you go. Uh Chief Abel Fernandez is here. uh our battalion chief for the area uh formerly he wanted words to honor our major as he prepared to retire.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Town Council, uh Madame Clerk, Mr. manager Abel Fernandez, retired uh battalion chief uh that was assigned here to the town. I wanted to say a few uh words about Major Gonzalez tonight. Uh we call him
affectionately Gonzo and uh Major Gonzalez started in law enforcement in 1990, worked for uh uh New York City and came down to beautiful South Florida in 93.
So his career spans 35 years. That's a that's that's a long time for anybody's life. And um let me tell you a little bit about uh Major Gonzalez. He um let's start with his commendations. He had a gold medal of
valor, silver medal of valor, a purple heart, over 90 commenations. How many time were you employee of the year? 12 times. long time many times employee of the year. These are these are all mo these
are all moments. Carlos hard. These are all moments that he's taken away from his family, from holidays, from the opportunity to spend precious moments while he protected those here in South Florida, especially here in as he ended
his career in the town of Miami Lakes. And um that speaks volumes of the type of individual that Major Gonzalez is. I've witnessed since I've been working with him his dedication to this town.
Let's start by the 162nd Street turn signal that he got to go into Royal Oaks. Thank you so much for that and alleviating traffic for the license plate reader program throughout the town for lowering our crime rate to probably
one of the lowest in the entire county. Right, Mr. Mayor? >> In in the state. >> In the state. This is due to his leadership, to his team that I see some of them there and to his willingness to give uh service before South and I
appreciate his friendship and I'm going to miss Major Gonzalez. He's an incredible friend and I just want to say that his son picked a better career. He's a fireman. So,
thank you That was great. >> That was that was a great finish to all that. Um, we are going to go ahead and a and begin our meeting at 6:30 sharp. So, we now have a 20-minute recess uh between now and then. Again, Major
Gonzalez, congratulations, and we're going to miss you. So, we'll be back at 6:30. Where's :30 p.m. The date is November 18, 2025. Madam, Madame Clerk, please call the role. >> Council member Cuadra Garcia,
>> Council Member Garcia, >> present. >> Council member Fernandez, >> present. Council member Hzburg, >> present. >> Council member Sanchez, >> present. >> Vice Mayor Moretta, >> present. >> Mayor Diegas,
>> here. >> Mayor, you have quorum. >> Excellent. Everyone, please rise for the invocation led by the Vice Mayor, Brian Moretta. >> Thank you, Mayor. >> Lord, we we thank you for bringing us together here today. uh on this week on
this week where we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, we want to give you thanks first and foremost for our families for putting up with us and uh the sacrifices that we have to do. Uh we thank you for the opportunity to serve. We thank you for our our staff. We thank you for our law enforcement, our armed
forces. We pray for all of those who are traveling to be with their loved ones and especially for those who cannot be with their loved ones uh because they are serving our great country. Uh we ask that you help guide us through our discussions and our deliberations today and do the will of the people. Amen.
>> Please remain standing for the presentation of the colors which will be handled by our local Girl Scout troop. They may proceed. Thank you very much. Well done. Before we move on to the order of business, we are going to be selecting the vice mayor for the next year. Um,
everyone should have been presented with a short thin strip of paper to go ahead and write their nomination. Uh, has everyone if everyone has uh filled them out, please make sure that they get over to the clerk. Madam clerk, you want to collect them at this time? And then the clerk will go ahead and uh
call out the nominations one by one until we have a vice mayor. Very well. I'm going to start. Mayor Diegas nominated Brian Morera.
Council member Garcia nominates Ray Garcia. Council member Steven Hsburg nominates Brian Morera. Vice Mayor Brian Morera nominates Brian Morera.
Council member Guadra Garcia nominates Brian Morera. A council member JC Fernandez nominates Brian Morera. and council member Sanchez nominates Brian Moretta. So, Vice Mayor Moretta,
congratulations. You are once again the vice mayor for the term starting now. >> Congratulations, Vice Mayor, on your second term. I'll let I'll let him go around and say uh thanks and then we'll
get straight into the order order of business. All right, we council, we are now on the order of business. Are there any uh deferrals, additions, or deletions to the agenda? Uh, Councilman Sanchez, I believe earlier you had indicated that you had some. >> So, you are recognized to go ahead and make your motion or your your proposed
changes. >> Yes. I'd like to move 11 A and 17B to after public comments. >> 11 A and >> 17B >> and 17B. >> Second. >> Oh, hold on. Let's see. Does any that it? >> Sorry. Sorry. >> Does anyone else have any changes? Uh,
Councilman Herszburg. Thank you. First, I would like to um pull 9K and and move and defer to next meeting. I believe we have nine what? It's nine master K. >> Yeah, 9K. K is in kilo. >> Uh and move it for uh January meeting. I
don't believe we've had enough time to review. >> Defer it. Correct. >> Also, and pull >> uh 11, excuse me, 13C from consent. >> That's what I was. >> Okay. Um, and I'm going to read these back into the record uh once we have all
the changes. Anyone else with changes? Manager Peterman. >> Yeah, Mayor, I'd like to recommend that we combine 9L with 16 B and 16 C. >> Hold on. Uh, 9 L and what other ones?
>> 16B like boy and 16 C like Charlie B. Uh my question is do you want to take them then at the time that we take up 9L? >> Yeah. Yes sir. >> All right. Well I'll incorporate those as as my proposed changes since it has
to come from the council. Um so just to recap all the changes 11A and 17B after public comments >> uh item uh 9K uh or yeah 9K will be deferred to the January meeting and uh 9L will be heard
concurrently with where is it? 16B and 16 C and 9 C 13 C pardon me is pulled from consent. With that, is there a motion?
>> I'll move the amended agenda. >> Second. >> Moved. It's been moved and seconded. All those in favor say I. I. >> I. >> I'll oppose. No. >> The eyes have it and the agenda is modified accordingly. Madam clerk, please uh we're going to go into public comments which are now open. And madam clerk, please read the rules into the record.
>> Yes. First of all, good evening and welcome to the council chambers to the regular council meeting. If you're here for public comments, as we always say, just approach the podium, state your name and address for the record, and we will um give you three minutes. And I
also like to always remind um for public comments that questions or comments from the public attending shall always be directed to the mayor in a courtous tone to ensure the orderly conduct and the efficiency of the meeting. Public comments shall be limited to three
minutes. I also welcome um the viewers, the participants that we have via Zoom and remote. If you want to participate from home, the only thing you need to do is and if you wish to speak, of course, just click on the reactions item and
selecting raise hand and it will allow you to participate. And if you want to call during the meeting to participate or to listen, the only thing you need to do is raise your hand by pressing number9 and as well it will allow you to
participate. So again, public comments has begun. Please just approach the podium and state your name and address for the record. And welcome. >> With that, public comments is now open. For those in chamber, please just walk up to the microphone and your time will
start. Once you're ready, please remember name and address for the record. Hello. Okay. Good evening. Claudia Luces 8220 Menith Terrace. Um I'm here today
uh to really address one individual. He's standing over there. That would be the major. Okay. Um today is the last council meeting. Congratulations. Um, yeah. Yeah, you you made it. Okay. Should get a badge for that Medal of
Honor, you know, hint hint, get him a trophy. Um, but no, yeah, but I just want to mention, you know, um, I remember meeting the major when he first started. Okay. And he delivered on a promise that
someone else had made and unfortunately did not keep. Um, and it was to kind of help us with our traffic flow. And I recall because, you know, since, you know, I'm so shy and I don't express my views, um, you know, that we were having
problems with the synchronization of the lights. So, although we thought the county was going to come in and do what they were supposed to do and this person had talked to that person, none of that happened. But there's one there was this one person, the major,
also known as the traffic whisperer, um who actually went a step above and he went out there and you know would kind of um manage the traffic flow just by changing the lights. Okay. And I remember that moment simply because to
me it demonstrated dedication to this town and to this community. So, um, Major Gonzalez, and I know I'm not supposed to talk to them, but I'm going to break your rules, Major. Okay. Thank you so much for the years of service that you have dedicated to this
community. You would be sorely missed. I know you're leaving us in good hands. Not that you're not, however, okay, you have left. You've given us your best, okay? And for that, I hope that now you get to enjoy your retirements. And you know if for some reason you know the
traffic is flowing and you know you get a message from me just you know relay it over there. Okay. So um that's it. Thank you so much and have a good night everyone. >> Thank you Claudia. And I just want to note for the record that those rules predate me. With that said next speaker
please. Madame clerk. Evening everybody. Miguel Martinez, 17670 Northwest 78th Avenue. Um, you know me as the vice chair for the Blask Advisory Board. Um, and I'm sharing with you some photographs of the canal that
item 9C is coming up on your agenda. Um, it's finally being addressed. Uh, unfortunately, it's not being addressed proper. You'll notice on those photographs that I I provided the previous council, um, the failure of the embankment, and this includes the light
posts that are on on the embankment, and they're falling into the canal. This is the opposite side that's being addressed by the the the repairs going on. However, both sides are affected equally. What's being done improper is the ignoring of the elephant in the
room. This is seismic activity. This is not erosion as the canal embankment repair has been earmarked for. The the the damage occurring is not erosion. It's seismic. As we know the seismic activity is coming uh from our neighbor
um to the north northeast northwest of us um creating some seismic explosions underground and it's and and the effects get carried with the water body. So on on the reports provided by um the the
engineers and and previous uh advertisement by the manufacturer of the company for the for the repairs that were done the material used. It's calling for erosion. Erosion happens for a sheer force like a pair of scissors through through paper where you have wind or or water current. We don't have
current in that canal. Very little. Um you have very little wind. And on the opposite side of this canal, it's it's evident of what's happening and it's seismic. So I'm I'm bringing making you aware of what's going on. The the reports by Calendar Jano do not address
it. They address other uh items such as such as a um a lizard or iguana rather uh damage to the embankment which is hard to believe um with other other sources of damage but it does not mention seismic. So I wanted to bring
that to your attention to address the matter properly. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Uh next speaker in chambers. Is there anyone else here in council chambers who would like to come up to the microphone and speak? Excellent. Welcome back.
>> Good evening. I'm Lin Moss and I live at 16340. And I know why I'm here tonight. Major Gonzalez. I know I'm not supposed to address you either, but I'm going to. And I'm going to call you Gonzo. I hope that doesn't offend anyone.
There's a little saying that goes something like, "We might not remember what someone said, but we will always remember how they made us feel." I will always remember the night that I
came home after probably a 15-hour day, and in my door was a little white piece of paper folded. I still have it. I tried to find it so I could bring it and I thought, "Oh my god, now what did I
do?" And it was a note from you right after you started and you were going about checking dear neighbors in the community. And I remember coming home and opening that note and how I felt that night was the
beginning of a great friendship. I will never forget that. Every person feels noticed by you. You made us feel heard, respected,
secure, safe, and in doing all of that, you also had an element of fun. That smile won the hearts of everybody in our town. I'm not going to lie,
these guys are awesome. They're going to have to bring their own shoes because yours are huge to fill. And thinking back over the last few years,
I'm just truly honored to be your friend. You're stuck with me forever. I know that kills you, but that's just going to be the way it is. You're a gentleman. You're a hero to so many. Your family is amazing and the people
that serve with you, I know, respect you and care about you like we all do. Thank you for your service. I'm sorry I missed everything earlier tonight. I drove 90 to get here. Um,
and it's just hard to believe that we're at this juncture tonight, but enjoy your retirement. And I can see you looking out over that lake with a cigar and a great glass of wine. And cheers to you. You're really special. Thank you. Any other speakers here in chambers
before we go to remote public comments? Seeing none, madame clerk, please check to see if there are any online. >> No participants online, mayor. some public comments is now closed and we are going to take up 11A per the previous order. Uh Mr. Chair from the youth activities task force, please come up
and uh give your report. >> All right. Good evening everyone. For those that don't know me, my name is Brian Rodriguez, the chair for the town of Miami Lakes Youth Activities Task Force. I've had the honor and privilege of being the chair for the last, I believe, five years now. Um, tonight is just a quick report on the committee. As
of right now, everything is going smoothly. We have a bunch of new members, bunch of new students doing an amazing job on our committee. Attendance is at a high right now. Um, we haven't had much issues with attendance, much issues in general. Everyone's working together and getting things done to get
these events going. Uh, last month we had our Halloween event. Although it was a little bit rainy, it was a big success. Huge success. Um, thank you to the council members that were there that night as well as the police department and all our sponsors. We had over 150 volunteers um, from different local high
schools and everyone had a great time. Uh, in December, I believe it's December 12th. Don't count me or correct me if I'm wrong. It's either December 12th or the 13th. I believe it's the 12th. We have our holiday festival coming up. We did it last year. Was an amazing
success. We're doing it again this year. if there was going to be a movie, food trucks, activities, pictures with Santa Claus, different things like that. Um, I know there were plans of decorating the park. I don't know how that's going yet, but we're going to figure something out. Um, and I invite you all to be there
that night. It's going to be a great night. Um, overall, that's it. We're pretty simple. We're to the point. We get things done and we do it effectively and efficiently. >> Through the chair. >> Vice Mayor, you're recognized. I just wanted to congratulate you uh Chair Rodriguez on the the October meeting
having perfect attendance. The entire committee was there and yours is not a small committee, so that's no small feat. Thank you for your leadership. >> Thank you. >> Any other uh comments or or uh questions of the chair? All right, you may go. Thank you very much. Have a good night.
>> Short and sweet the way I like it. >> With that, we're taking up 17B by Councilman Sanchez. you're recognized to introduce your item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Give me a second so I can turn it turn over to that page. Okay. So, just to give a little bit of background, the tunnel Emmy Lakes
Veterans Committee is dedicated to the creation of a Veterans Wall to be located within Veterans Park. In accordance with guidance provided by the town council, retired Colonel William Perez has prepared conceptual renderings for the proposed wall of honor. It is recommended. It is recommended that the
town council approve the proposed renderings to authorize the commencement of fundraising efforts necessary to support and complete the veteran honor wall project. My motion is to go ahead and approve these images and I will I will give the floor to Colonel Perez so
that he can explain a little more. >> Colonel, you are recognized. >> Thank you very much, gentlemen. Thank you very much, Mayor. >> Nice plaque placard, by the way. Yes, it was uh given to me by the congressman Mario Diaz Ballard. >> I believe some of the other council members have it as well.
>> I second the motion. >> Um I would like to uh first of all >> thank the major for all his decades of service. Thank you very much, sir. As someone who served, I realize the sacrifices your family has made in order to support you and keep us all safe. And
I want to thank them as well. Um, the other thing is I'd like to congratulate uh Councilman Sanchez on winning the uh being awarded the uh Congressional Veterans Accommodation Award by Congressman Diaz Bollard and thank all those who are present for it.
Uh the other thing I want to do is I want to discuss the memorial um the honor wall. I we had renderings done and I wanted to give a little bit of background about the renderings. The renderings were done by a third generation Miami Laker. Um, his grandfather lived in Miami Lakes. He was
a civil engineer. His father lived in Miami Lakes. He was a civil engineer. And this one, he uh, Julio Brea III. Um, graduated from University of Miami Art School of Architecture with honors. And so when I approached him, he said he'll
gladly do it. And uh, he asked for very little very little money for what an architect would pull for this. And uh, we are very very thankful. um uh let's put it this way was the little money I can approve as a as as a chair. That's he that's all he asked for. So, you
know, and that's all he wanted because he felt that it was giving back to the hometown of his father and his grandfather. Um the renderings basically will be honoring all service members who are residents of Miami Lakes. the
renderings. Um, basically we're going to fund raise with those renderings. That's our marketing material. So, phase two is to start marketing it and creating a marketing package with those renderings in it to go to talk to other foundations and philanthropies in order to get
donations. The other thing is I want to thank uh the town manager Ed Peterman and Councilman Sanchez because they put me in contact with Olivia, the grants administrator for the town. And we're going to also be working on grants as well. I'm going to reach out. I'm going
to we're going to fund raise and so far we have raised as a committee roughly about $70,000. So, we're going to go and get some more funds. We expect the cost to be around $400,000 to construct this thing. And uh the goal
is to not have any taxpayer dollars used to build it. And uh it will take some time. This is not going to happen next year, not the year after unless uh you know Elon Musk cuts me a check. But you know, but you never know. So, but the
plan's moving for uh forward and we have a lot of support from the county. We have a lot of support from the state representative and we have a lot of support from the US congressman as well. Thank you. That's all I have. >> Thank you, Colonel. And uh the vice mayor already went ahead and seconded
the motion. Is there any discussion? >> Uh yeah, >> Mr. Vice Mayor, >> first of all, all we're doing today is kind of just giving an approval on on the overall design, right? >> Yeah. I I love the design personally. I think it's very reflective. U I think
there's no work better than Veterans Park to have a Veterans Memorial. Um my only I guess two cents that I would add to it is that uh top ledge where it goes around. Again, maybe I'm going too into the specifics. Uh uh is yes
skateboarding uh is some form of bumps or something to prevent skateboarding. One of the renderings there there's a person kind of sitting on there. I don't know if that would be something considered uh disrespectful. >> I'll be fine if they're sitting there
because they'll be looking at the names, you know. I mean that's totally >> we want it to be a place where people can relax and have a tranquil moment. Um >> then then then the only concern would be the the skateboarding. Maybe that's going too into the specifics for this stage, but just wanted to point that out with the with that design. But
otherwise, I I truly love it. >> Uh any comments? Further discussion? Councilman Garcia? >> I think it's um an amazing um job that that person did. >> It's simple but yet reflective and it the size is perfect exact for what our
needs are. And I I love this design. So, I'm going to be voting for it, of course. >> Thank you very much. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Uhhuh. >> Uh, all those in favor say I. I. All oppose, no. The eyes have it. And the
motion carries. >> Thank you very much, gentlemen. >> 17B uh passes. Take care, Colonel. And we are now uh back on the regular order of business beginning with 9A adoption of 2026 council meeting schedule. Manager Peterman.
>> Yes. Uh >> oh. Pardon me. Before you do that, I'm going to back up to eight. Even though there are no appointments, I just want to note for the record that there were three uh committee removals. Um and uh just wanted to make that statement for the record. All right. With that, Manager Peterman on 9A. Yes. Uh the
clerk put the schedule together. It's got all the meeting dates, the deadlines for the council member new business items, the staff deadlines, and the date that the agenda gets published. And we're just looking for adoption so we can plan out the rest of the year. I'll move it. Is there a second? Second.
>> All right. All those in favor say I. I. >> All oppose? No. The eyes have it. The motion carries. >> I'm thinking for opening up the order of business to move 9B to the end of the meeting. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. U Major Gonzalez.
9B the monthly police report. >> Good evening, Major Gonzalez, town commander. Um, this one might be a little longer u of a police report since it's going to be my last. Um, please start the timer. Set me. Uh, right. Before we start,
respectfully, if I could ask everybody to stand and join me in a moment of silence for Deputy Devon Haramo, who was killed in the line of duty November 7th. Thank you. You may be seated. This one hit a little closer for me and
I know the lieutenant shares the same. We used to serve with his father when we worked at the port together prior to coming here to the town. Um David was a great guy and we uh share our condolences for him and his family.
I'd like to start with uh sharing with you guys um plenty of you have been able to share with us some of the uh town accomplishments that um we as a team have been able to accomplish during my tenure here. The first one is the Grinch buster
detail. Um that is not something I came up with but has been going on but once I came here it wasn't something that was being practiced. Um, so just developed a little plan on identifying some of locations where we can implement that. Basically, it's it's normally during the
the holiday season. Um, and we want our residents to feel safe while dining out or, you know, coming coming not directly home from shopping. You know, sometimes people are victimized after they shop. They leave their stuff in their car. So, you know, and they go eat. So, what
we're doing is we're deploying officers with their head their vis high visibility. We've been doing this now for years. Um to the shopping centers where there's dining and shopping. Uh we do have up the 67 Avenue corridor from Vicky's to Po, the main street area. We
also deploy them over by Sushi Saki and McDonald's and by the the uh Chipotle shopping center in the Outback. So that's normally Thursday through Sunday starting Black Friday all the way through the Christmas. So uh it's been very successful. We have not had any
incidents since the program was implemented and we're just happy to share that it's been very successful so far. So, we're going to continue with that. Um, the decoy vehicle program, you know, that's a funny one, right? Well,
um, another one I started when I got here and people know it now, but they didn't know it for about a year if it was real or not. And then obviously our residents know, but it's not really to trick our residents, to trick the outsiders, right? They not don't drive through here every day. Um I call it the
sixman on the team, right? Rather have six man than five. And that car being out there, believe it or not, deters a lot of crime. Um if you put it on 87th Avenue, tomorrow might be a real officer. We do that a lot, too. We switch it up uh daily and then we put a
real officer. But you'll see it parked there by itself and you could tell when they see it when the brake lights come on. I've done it myself. Park down like 30 yards down the road, stand there and watch till the brake lights. You count the brake lights coming on. So, it works. It slows drivers down especially during the night time and the daytime. So, it's been successful. Um, the other
thing that we implemented was the contact card program. I think uh Miss Moss was nice enough to talk. That was one of those. Um, it's a card that you get our officers just pass by a businesses or residence. We do it when um our residents have watchers and they
go out of town kind of, you know, it's a good feeling to come home and see a card. Hey, the police officer passed by. Wow, I didn't know that. You know, while I was at work or our business was being checked on when they woke up in the morning, they see the officers came by in the midnight hours and checked on the business. So, that was a car that was
more community policing, let our you know, it's another multiply force multiply letting our residents know that we are around and there's, you know, an officer was actually at your house. Um we enhanced our traffic enforcement unit from two officers to four. Um we thought that we needed to do a little more um
traffic. So now we have two officers in the morning and two in the afternoon and the afternoon traffic the morning traffic officers help us with the traffic that we started deploying them on 154th Street helping us with the turn lanes and 79 court. Um obviously the uh license plate reader program has taken
off. We've added them two two mobile to the police cars. We've also put them in nice strategic areas around the town. It's been very successful. I know we share a lot of the uh success stories with you guys. So, that's taken off and uh we continue to add to that. Um
implemented the minimum staffing. That's very important. That means that every shift we're always going to have a minimum amount of officers no matter what people somebody calls out sick, we're going to get it staffed and we'll never be short. And that that's going to reflect on response times, high visibility, and quality service for our
residents. the uh traffic light enhancement of the synchronization. Um, one of the things I did notice um tell you a quick story. The major was here before, Jav, great guy. You know, I come from the crime fighting background, never did any traffic. And he's like, "Hey, you know,
I know you're used to chasing bad guys and you on a SWAT team, but there's none of that going on here. You know, our biggest problem is traffic." And I was like, "Really? Okay. Well, you know, I I put 200% to everything I do,
whether it's paperwork, traffic, or shooting." So, you know, I I did a little analysis. I saw some problems, identified a couple of issues. It's very, very lucky to have a great engineers from the town at the time that was, you know, very hands-on.
They were out there with me personally and um, you know, we were able to tweak some things. We still have issues. We we got the cameras at the office now. I've got cameras in my office. We got cameras the front. We have them on our phones, on tablets where we're constant constantly every day watching the
cameras for any issues or any any anomalies that might occur, which they do from time to time. But if you look back to prior 2018, the traffic is really bad, you know, and now it's it's it's it's pretty it's pretty much much improved. So, you know, we could always
do better, but you know, right now we're doing the best that we can with that. The high visibility detail that we started um up on the midnight midnights um that's very important because again it's it's a crime deterrence, also a response time deterrence and helps with
quality of life. We also have the uh traffic enforcement detail that we've enhanced and come up with where we have now five officers in a group um doing speeding where there's major issues or double turn um and any other u major
crime I'm sorry major traffic concerns. We've implemented uh the uh one of the things that we didn't have before was the EOD sweeps, the the explosive detection sweeps and major events. We just had it for the gala and um state of the town. Um we're working we work with
the Grams also on their main street security detail now where um we had a little bit of a high uh pickup I would say in in a little bit of crime and juvenile delinquency where we were able to get that under control. Um working
with the Grams they uh came up with a good plan. and we have some golf duties officers there now um at key points uh Friday, Saturdays and Sundays and that's been working very well year to date. So I think they're very happy with that and it will continue with that. Um we've also added obviously enhanced security
to all major town events, Fourth of July, Halloween and um we've upgraded our aging uh police vehicles to a newer cars. We just got 14 brand new cars that you see with the sheriffs and we've also upgraded our bicycles.
Um we also and lastly um have um updated the quality of life at the station where now you know our officers are um getting breakfast at times uh drinks in the fridge where they could come get a drink and actually that helps out you know with their you know it shows motivation.
You come to a good workplace good work environment and um you get a good work product. So that's another thing that's very important. You got to treat your people good. You got to treat your people right. Okay, with that said, it's gonna lead into my stats. So,
um, starting with this with the citations between October 1st and November to November 15th, I wanted to give you current. We wrote 533 written citations, 336 verbal warnings, and seven Parkers. Um, crime statistics, part one, crimes,
from the homicides, we've had no homicides year to date in the town. Um the robberies we went down from four last year to two 50% reduction and those two I think were domestic. So it's not like a guy showed up with a gun and robbed the bank. Um lararsenes last year
we had 66. This year this year we have 21. So had a great reduction in that over over 50 almost 60% reduction. Autothefts 73 last year and we're going down because we were in the hundreds 150s 200s um this year. Right now,
autotheft, we have 39. That's a 47% reduction. And um burglary commercial, we had four last year and one this year. That's a 75% reduction. Just one little note that
like I said prior that the average was 20 a year. 20 commercial burglaries a year. We're down to one. Okay. And this is mid November. Residential burglaries. Um, when I first got here, we're around 75 a year.
Average, 50, 60, 75. Last year we had five. This year we have one. So that's an 80% reduction from last year to this year alone and a 99% reduction in the last eight years.
Very proud of those numbers. Aggravated assaults 20 down 20%, aggravated batteries down 50%. The vehicle burglaries were down 30% for this year, but we're down 70% overall since the since I got
here. Um, like I said before, this is a uh Super Bowl team and you have to have great players on your team to achieve this. This is not me. This is
my guys, my staff, our residents working together with your support. We asked for things. We need new cars. You got it. We need uh funding for the
midnight burglary detail. You got it. Town manager, very supportive. Tony Lopez, another great individual. I've known him since before I came. He was one of my interviewers to come to the town.
Town staff, great team. I know I said it earlier, but Danny Angel wasn't here, so I'll repeat myself. Um, great teamwork, great communication. Um, we get it done. Like I said, this takes a village, but here it takes a
town. It's everybody involved. It's not just me, the residents. Thank you to the residents, all the residents and friends that I've made over the years. Miss Moss, Claudia, Abel,
Councilman Cuadra, Garcia, who I've known for many years since I first got here. Mita, may she rest in peace, and many others that I can't name right now. Um, just a funny story. This is more
personal for me. I started I well I moved nearby the town almost 30 years ago um before the town had boundaries. Then I got bounced out. So I thought I was a town resident until they incorporated. Then I was no longer
technically a town resident. And uh but the town was my home. This is where my kids played sports. This is where I coached. This is where we came to the movies. This is where
we ate, we dined, we shopped. So this is very dear to me and I never thought when I started my career 32 years ago with Miami date police department back then that I would end my career here and it's an honor and very humbling to be able to
finish it in the town that I love most. With that I say thank you. any questions, comments, or concerns? >> Well, I'll I'll go ahead and and uh start us off there. I just want to say, you know, Major, uh, thank you for your
service to the town. Um, ever since I got on the council in 2018, you have been a stand-up individual. You know, very I, you know, always transparent about everything, always communicative whenever I had a question or or an issue that I needed addressed, and I appreciate you for that. And I think the
statistics you just read off really demonstrate the caliber of the leader that you are and I thank you as uh for for all the efforts that you just went through like everything that you've implemented has made this town safer and that is our primary goal up here as elected officials. So thank you
sincerely from the bottom of my heart for keeping the town that I love that I've grown up in safe as well. Um you know you will be missed especially our jokes every now and again. Uh who else wants to go next? Ste Councilman Herszburg. Thank you, mayor. And, you know, thank you for making this town
better. Uh, we can only hope we can leave a legacy like you have with this town. You know, being able to live here and feel as safe as we all do, it's because of the work and your and the work that your deputies do, but what you said was funny when you said you give 200% of everything, which is true. And I
remember the first time I I discussed anything was with you was when the blasting advisory board thought it was a good idea to do a bike ride and we did one and you were the one that you know met with me and we discussed the route and I was like wow this guy's taking this really seriously. We're just doing a a bike ride but you you you did you
put 200% into just a a committee bike ride, right? And and that shows the effort that you put into everything you do here. So I mean the statistics speak for themselves. We we I believe we live in the safest town in Day County and it's because of the work that you and your deputies do. So, we're going to
miss you. I know we got a great team coming behind you that will continue to good work and uh hopefully you won't be a stranger to town hall. >> Yes, sir. Thanks, >> Vice Mayor Mora. >> Thank you, Mayor. Uh I'm not going to repeat everything, right? Uh the stats
speak for themselves, but what I will say is your impact here is is felt in the small interactions as those mentioned by Miss Matoss, right? That the way you made them feel the big things, the big changes you implemented. Um I mean, I think that every time I
look at these schedules, I can hear him saying under his breath, and I'm doing the same thing. Uh because they they really are staggering. When when you look at residential burglaries, a number that was in the ' 60s, '7s, 80s in the past is now at one for the entire year.
You're creating bad habits in this town, man. People are leaving their doors unlocked now. >> No, but seriously, we thank you so much for for all you do for us, all you've done for us, and you know, hopefully all you continue to do may in your retirement, whether it be coaching
another team or whatever that wherever life leads you. I wish you the best of luck and I thank you wholeheartedly for all of your service. >> Thank you, Councilman Fernandez. >> Yeah, I won't repeat it again, but thank you for your service. We really appreciate it. Our town is better because of you and the deputies and and
uh we're going to miss you. >> Thank you, Councilman Sanchez. >> Two words come to mind when I think of Gonzo. Gold standard. You have set the gold standard for securing our way of life in Miami Lakes. from traffic to the reduction in crime to to just keeping our way of life
secure, not just for the current generations, but for generations to come because you have set that blueprint. You have set that framework for others to follow. If I can make a motion to not allow the retirement >> of major council to occur, I will be more than happy. My wife,
>> I know this is something that is way outside of our purview, but you know, I if I could set a motion to not allow you to retire, I would do that. Thank But gold standard is what comes to mind and for years of service not just in Miami Lakes but to the county to the state. You have set a standard to as an example
to the rest of to the rest of the county. Thank you Gonzo. Thank you sir. We really appreciate it. >> Councilman Garcia. >> Thank you Mayor. Um Gonzo man just two words class and competence. You're a gentleman and you treat everybody around you and the residents with just I mean
you're a gentleman. You treat them with respect and competence. There's not one thing as the councilman said that the smallest little thing you took so seriously and you put a 200% like you said and that competence has shown by
the results of we're one of the safest if not in the state and in the country because of you and your team. So again enjoy your retirement brother because you deserve it. Thank you so much for your service. >> Thank you. >> And last but not least council Garcia
>> I can't say anything more. I mean, it was all said uh those words uh echoing those words, we're going to miss you sincerely from the bottom of our hearts. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. >> And with that, Gonzo, >> you're relieved. >> Mayor, I want to add something.
>> Absolutely, Madam Clerk. >> Gonzo, I I thank you and I I agree with everything stated earlier, but I just want to say as the town clerk and the supervisor of elections, you always assisted me. you provided me guidance,
security. I know I know exactly what you're thinking. Um during the election cycle, during qualifying, during the debates, so I will never forget that. Thank you. >> Thank you, Gina. Manager Peterman >> Gonzo
Gonzo the reason that he's here as our major was number one the unequivocal recommendation of Major Ruiz before he uh he left our command and um I concurred with him and uh we bypassed
some of the normal processes and we said if you're going to send me a list make sure this name is on the list. um and we'll soon have another decision and uh I'll be meeting with the sheriff in the next couple weeks to have that
conversation. And um the important thing is not so much the things that you do, it's the leadership that you display because it's a 247 operation, right? And the thing that sometimes people don't
realize is that you can't be every single corner, every single minute of every single day. And the leadership that you demonstrate is that you have gotten your guys to do things not because you're making them, not because
the big boss downstairs, you know, in the major's office is making you do A, B, C, or D, right? It's because you've convinced them that it's the right thing to do. And these guys have bought in. whatever Kool-Aid you're serving, they're drinking it, right? And and and
we have you, Jav before you, uh the M Lieutenant Ruoa, you guys have put together an incredible incredible team. And you know, I I I worked in for 33 years in public safety and even though it wasn't law enforcement, we're as we
say in Spanish, primaro. We're first cousins and we did a a lot of things in conjunction. The um the areas that that you guys patrol, we responded to and and I know the good, the bad, and the ugly, right? You could recognize it a long way
away. Um both of my brothers were in law enforcement, so it's very near and dear. I really really appreciate as a boss the loyalty that you uh showed to me and the
leadership that you showed because you always have somebody above you and somebody below you even the council, right? They had 33,000 bosses, right? So, it's it's never easy to serve uh above you and you have to serve those below you and you've you've demonstrated that. So I want to thank you for all
your uh loyalty uh all your performance and that you left this place better than what you found it and it was difficult right because Jav did a great job but you found a way to leave this place better than how you found it and I thank
you for that >> Mr. Mayor >> I'll lie but please don't bill us for this time Mr. Attorney. >> Oh god we can have a conversation about that later. Um, look, I just want to say something overall. Uh,
I work with these gentlemen and I know them all and we see crap on TV and we see people talking on TV and everything else. But until you work with these gentlemen every day and know what they do, how they do it, how they come to work, how they serve us, you can't
appreciate it. These gentlemen, besides, we know they put their lives on the line. They give up time from their families. They work holidays. They work off shifts. They have to cover for each other. They're in danger. They get harassed. And they still show up with
that smile on their face every day. To me, that says a lot. And that's appreciated. Not just for the major, but for the officers that serve with them, both above them and below them. To me, it it makes a big difference. And we're safer and we're a better city and a better town because of things like that.
Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. And with that, thank you very much. >> Yes. Now you are relieved uh you know at least officially. So with that said, we are now on 9C, the canal stabilization report. Mr. Manager, you are recognized
to go ahead and introduce the report and I'm going to uh briefly turn over control of the meeting to the vice mayor. Don't mess it up. >> Yes. I'm going to turn it over to our public works director who has worked handinand with our consultant from Calvin Gordano. And so they have a
presentation to present their report and I'll uh I won't belver the point. I'll leave it up to them. >> All right. So good evening uh council and mayor Omar Santos public works director. First of all congratulations Gonzo. Hope you enjoy this next phase in
your life with your family. Um all right get to the point. So we're here to present the canal uh bank stabilization phase one report. The town hired uh Calvin Jordano and Associates to perform
this inspection for us, an engineering report. As we internally, we don't have the resources to do this. I'm going to go uh and right now I'll go ahead and present the engineer who led this inspection and uh prepare the report,
Eric Padron. He's a professional engineering uh engineer, licensed professional engineer with Calvin Jano and Associates. and I'll go ahead and let him get started and introduce himself as well. >> Thank you, Omar. I need to read this. So, put my glasses
on. All right. So, um the town Oh, okay. Um good evening. So, the town um had a problem with phase one of the canal. The canal has been built in three phases
right now. And the the town had an issue with phase one where the slopes were unstable. Um so they they asked for us if we would if we would um review the the site. So um you know I I work with
attorneys for seven years. So the first thing you do is ask, hey, what's your experience in this kind of stuff? So, my name is Eric Padron. I'm a m I have a I bachelor's in engineering from University of Florida, masters from FIU in in uh special specialty in structures. Uh I was 22 years in
construction and maintenance with FDOT. Uh I was a district 6 resident engineer over Miami and the Keys, South Miami and the Keys, all the expressways, etc. I was in D4. I was operations engineer again over maintenance and construction. have a lot of experience with lakes,
canals, uh everything, seaw walls, all kinds of things. I was also a contractor in Jacksonville and I've been a CI for eight years, three years as director of uh CGA for CI. Um okay. So, uh I hired a subconultant
Sitterberg um to specialize to do the the the marine inspection um for it. Uh, so I haven't gotten to the second slide yet. So, um, okay, thank you. Um, so they they
perform the field inspection. They are, uh, a very specialized marine inspector, so they do all kinds of of peers. Tremendous experience, and we use we use them a lot because they're so good. Um so they evaluated the phase one and they
created a report which is sign and sealed which I attached under my report which is also sign and sealed. Um and um so basically they they looked at all the all the potential issues they they just basically put it black and white. So if
we can go into the next slide. All right. So, um, we looked at I, you know, we we re-reviewed the different phases of the of the phase one. We wanted to make sure we did a nice job for you guys to to
look at everything, right? So, we reviewed the project documents from phase one. Uh, I worked on the phase three, so I was aware of what we did in phase three. I also managed it. Um, so, um, we reviewed phase one project documents. We reviewed the field review
and documentation that was pro that was provided by Citterberg. Uh we reviewed the manufacturer recommendations from Presto. Um the analysis of the field data, the analysis of of all the data together and then we provided possible
causes and then recommendations for repair and replacement. Next slide. Okay. I I there's a lot more in the report. Um but I I just want to kind of give you the key points and the brief on it. So So like I said, we reviewed the
project documents including the plans, the project specs, and the records. Some key points. The existing slope was fine to medium sand. That's you can see that on the left side of the slide. That's the uh yellow part. And you can see where the wall is in the same uh
location. So that is uh so the existing material out there is fine to medium sand per the geotech um soil samples. Um the design um is on the right side of that slide. Um it was designed as the
base with 57 stone. 57 stone is used in DOT a lot for structures. In fact um the the structure projects a lot of them have 57 stone underneath the structures uh for drainage and pipe etc. So it's a very common use of 57 stone. It's DOT
approved stone. So 57 stone as the base and then they filled they um they requested they called out for a cellular confinement system which is manufactured by Presto or other equivalent manufacturer. Um they the contractor
provided the Presto system. Um and the the design also called for infilling the infill of the Presto system. The yellow part is 57 stone as well. And then the green part was called to be a structural
fill. Structural fill is defined in the specs as sand and gravel. Okay, for those that are aware of this, you know, putting sand and gravel on top of stone on top of of a stone base, you know, you
start to question some things. But we, you know, I'm just going to go over the facts and then I'll tell you what what I think happened. All right. Um, so the specs called out for the siller confinement system. The design of the specs the the um the
elevation was set at 3.5 elevation which is about the mean high water of the lake of the canal and that is where the 57 stone ended up. Everything that was underwater was 57 stone and everything above was the um was the structural fill.
Uh let me see the the specs also called out for a fabric to be installed because the some of the wall was going to come out from the canal because uh if you remember the the original canal had a slope on it. So the wall was actually going to be in front of it and then fill
in behind the wall and then that gives you the nice path for the mowing and it's more flat etc. It's much nicer now than it was before. So um that wall the had to be filled behind it. Right. So the designer called out for the same thing. They called out for below the
water table the three and a half. They called for rock 57 stone but they uh they they wrapped it in morafi. Morafi is a geop fabric. Okay. So they called they wrapped it in morafi and then um and then um the same thing behind the
wall which is the uh structural material which is again it's sand and gravel which is similar to what's there now which is mostly sand. Okay. All right, let's go to the next one. Okay, so then um we when we hired um the
our subconsultant, there were some issues that these are uh they provided. Okay, so what they did was they did a review of the different properties. Okay. Um I'm only giving you three of the report slides here, three
different properties. These represent three different locations. But you can see from the pictures of these, you can see that there's, you know, the first one has, you can see that there's separated um the separated cellular. You can see that there's the partial
collapse into the into the cells. In the second report, you can see that it's that there's complete missing of material underneath the the foundation, like the whole base is gone. And there's there's uh there's another collapse of the cells in there as well. And then the
third one, you can see that you have a lot of empty cells. Um you know, even though it's not the material, the base is not gone, but there's a lot of empty cells on top and you have partial collapse. Okay? And sometimes full collapse. So that that's just um that's
what they did. And they also give you the observations and they give the comments, you know, of what they observed. And that's based on it shows the actual property, the address, the location on the on the GPS, everything. Now, let's go to the next slide. Okay,
perfect. Um, so when we review the manufacturer's recommendations, the um the Presto uh you can see that the Presto calls for the Morafi material in the back. Okay, where is geop fabric in
the back and then um you place the uh the cell the cellular containment system in the bottom and then you start filling it and you compact it. Okay, in our case we have water. So um you're you're the contractor called for um this rock
material. So you place the rock and then you put the next layer and then you place the rock and you put the next layer etc etc. Um, so here in the in the manufacturer recommendation, you can see that they're calling for or they're showing a geocynthetic
break between every third layer or so. That's the bottom right picture. You see the black on top. So they're showing uh geo fabric uh about every third layer or so. That was actually not shown in the plans. Um, which is I think that's
probably the major issue of where the of why we have this problem. But there are other factors as well. Let's go to the next slide. Okay. So in the manufacturer's website there are some use examples, right?
Because um this material is not only used it's it's used in multiple in multiple sites and and it it has a lot of functionality. You can think of it like um like when you cast concrete and you have to create a a cast mold. If you
use this fabric, this material, this geo cells, you all you got to do is you already have the mold. You just got to fill them in, you know. So, they use a lot of these and they're not shown in here, but they are shown in the report, but um they use them for canal lining and all kinds of things for high flowing
and also for slow flowing um channels. So, in this case, I pointed out two two samples. One of them is brook tree creek use sample and you can see that there's a Marafi geog grid which is every fourth lift and then it also has the base um
filled with concrete right which is what we did in um I believe it was the second and the third that was a base was filled with concrete. Um the other example is Pinerest, the village of Pinerest. And this is filled with uh gravel, but
if you notice the slope is a lot smoother. It's not as steep as ours. Ours is more like the one of the first picture, right? So again, that's probably where the idea of the gravel came from, but the application is probably not the optimal.
Okay, we can go to the next slide. So the analysis of the field data. So um I took all the field data and looked at it compared to you know based on the number of of properties that were out there. This all all this explains is all
the all these properties all these little ones are the counts of every time in the report there was torn and displaced cells grout loss typical wash out wash out of bottom rows just to give you some basic numbers. So 69% of the
properties have torn or displaced cells. Okay, 69% of the properties. That doesn't mean that the whole entire property has that. It's just a specific location within that property has that issue. Okay. Um so 69% so 27 properties have that damage third, you know, out of
39. Um the other thing is 50% of the properties have wash out of the bottom two rows. That's pretty significant because it tells me that it's not a static canal. It's a flowing canal. And I think that that's one of the issues
that when people look at this canal, they see it's not the water's really not moving very fast. But when when rains it really pushes the water through the canal. So without water moving the through the canal, if you have a a
basically a a rock foundation, that wa eventually over time that'll just push it away. It'll push it to the center. It'll, you know, push it to the lower bank of the the center of the canal and then the Miami date dredge will just pull that out or sorry or it'll just
keep it'll just move it downstream. Okay. There's some evidence of some cells that have a collection of rocks. So may you know so there was like a bank that got created and then as this material got pushed you it it kind of stacked up. It stacked up. So it it had
a point where it ended right. So it tells you that hey this material was pushed. So okay now we can go to the next slide. All right. So some so these are some of the samples from the just a kind of a
zoom in of of some of the key items that were in the report. So you have torn and empty cells. You had empty cells. You had no foundation. Empty bottom cells. Bottom torn missing cells. Torn cells.
We can see the front is completely gone. And then you also have um in the previous slide was empty cells and collapsed cells. Okay. Now some of the possible causes for these.
Okay. So, so you have two two problems on the canal. Okay, you have the the first one is the water that flows when when you have an event. So, you have that bottom pushing out the underlaying material.
Well, if that material is rock, then the the material above it is rock as well. So, that just collapses into it and then that also gets washed out. And above that, you have gravel, which then also collapsed down. And that's why you have fully empty cells, right? So the the
fully empty cells, okay, is because you have base erosion and then you might have some overhead erosion as well. And as you know, there are properties there um that they don't keep the water in their property. That property gets washed out to the canal. So if if
somebody has um a fixed point outfall then you have a tributary area of their property that's collecting and it's coming out in one point you know and then that point creates a channel it creates erosion it creates a a a wash
through the cells and then you have empty cells. So you have you have the pressure from above and then you have that pressure from below pulling the foundation. It's like somebody pulling your feet from under you and also, you know, pushing you. So, you're going to
fall, you know. So, all right. So, you have that that So, you have the the no foundation issue, I believe, is due to high flow. The partially collapsed cells, I believe it's due to undermining, but the top portion hasn't collapsed yet because there isn't enough
erosion coming from the top pushing the material down. So, that's holding in place, but the bottom is eroded, right? So you get a partially collapse due to gravity. That material sinks into the cells and it creates a partial collapse. Um and then the torn cells are just the
manufacturer says that the torn cells are just natural that that's over time. The torn cells happen because of the maybe because of the insulation in the contractor. Maybe because it got hit by something maybe because of the pressure from the water or from the ground that's
pushing it and it separates out. So there's many reasons, various possibilities for that. But there is a simple solution which is a repair overlay. Okay, there's a repair overlay that can be simply done on that to fix them. Um other other possible issues are
causes are high velocity water and debris from strong from strong storms. So when it carries debris down, it's damaging all those cells as it's going by, right? uh you have the I believe the foundation probably could have been
designed a little bit better maybe with concrete you know where the where it locks in that rock so that rock doesn't get washed out. So when we recommend and you'll see in the next page when we're recommending the repairs we're recommending not only to put the rock back but also put concrete back to lock
in that rock so it doesn't get slid from underneath. um wash out from private property which I already mentioned concentrated drainage in a point. Um Miami date county uh they have a boat that cleanes that cleans the canal and that's a n 900
lb drag that they use to pull the weeds. So you're pulling the weeds. Well, guess other stuff is you know you're pulling weeds next to the wall. So you're pulling the weeds and you know how things go. You probably pull a rock with it as well. So that's another another possible. And then impact damage that
that machine has to turn, you know, the the where it where the ramp is is midway point between the two between the two ends. So that has to go to the end and then turn around and then come back. So at that point where it's turning, it
could get hit. It could hit the wall. So there's a lot of damage on the on the south side. There's a lot of damage by the where the machine actually comes into the water. So, you know, two and two. Um, and then there's I I did mention green iguanas. We saw green
iguanas all over the place there. And green iguanas, I mean, I worked on the turnpike and they created havoc on the slopes. So, they will borrow burrow in the actual slopes itself and create
holes and then that eventually collapses the the thing. Now, I didn't see them on the wall, but I did see them across the bank. That doesn't mean that they're not in the wall itself. So that's another possible issue. Recommendations. Go to the next slide. Okay.
Recommendations. So recommend the overlay repair for the missing or broken panels. Uh recommend um the replacement of the foundation with 57 stone and concrete as I mentioned to keep that locked in. Uh
recommend um refilling the empty cells because I I think you have a good product still out there. It's just a matter of filling it with good product that it won't wash away uh and stabilizing a foundation. So, refill it and then compact it by rotting it. Okay? Fill the
empty cells and just a matter of maintenance. Uh anything that is severely broken, then remove that section and repair it in kind. You like replace it in kind. They come in eight foot sections. So, you can remove it and replace it. And then when you do replace it, I recommend you put the Morafi
separation once you go from above the 57 stone to the to the structural layer so that the fines don't go through the 57 stone that they stay right there. The other thing if if you want to deal with, you know, wash outs, controlling what's,
you know, things coming out like stairs stepping out or even the iguanas, you can fill the front layer with concrete as well, you know, and then that'll that'll kind of lock in everything in place. Um, and then, you know, check with Presto for repair advice. Presto is a manufacturer, so any additional repair
advice that they have. >> Questions questions? Yeah, before I turn it over to the council, I do want to turn it over to our town attorney, uh, who has some specific questions. >> Yeah, the concrete, you just mentioned the very last item was concrete.
>> Yes. Let's say we wanted to do that. Are we going to get a hard time from South Florida Water Management and from Durm, etc., based on your experience? Um, we put concrete on on the class on the phase three. We put concrete in the water in
phase three. In fact, rather than the rock on phase three, it was all concrete up to the top of the water. >> Okay. >> So, and then after that, then it was rock and then the gra and then like a gravel mix. >> All right. So, the phase that you're
looking at, help me out. Is this phase one, phase two, or phase three? >> Phase one is on the south part of the of the of clo >> for this report. >> Sorry. >> For this report specific, >> for this report is phase one, >> right? Yes. Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Um,
now what one of the things has has me a little confused is and correct me here. I'm just a lawyer. I mean, I do not pretend to know you know your your expertise. It says somewhere in your and I was
reading it earlier that it's in the in the manu the manufacturer required the netting. I guess you call what do you call that? The mares netting. No, it doesn't. It doesn't require it. It shows it in the in the in
the layout in the construction construction in the construction in in how it's constructed in the guide in the construction guide, but it doesn't say that it's required. It says Morafi, but it doesn't say where to use it. >> All right. But who prepares the
construction guide? >> The construction plans are prepared by the designer. I'm and I'm not accusing or or anything like that. I'm just trying to understand. I really Yeah, absolutely. >> So, we have a construction guide that's prepared by the design planner.
>> Okay. So, we have so we have the set of plans, right? And then we have technical specifications that are prepared by the designer and then there's uh the manufacturer the design actually calls for the manufacturer. So then you look
at the manufacturer's guidelines, construction guidelines and it shows that Morafi in different layers and it shows that the back is filled to the back you know that that the the >> the slope is protected. >> All right. So the manufacturer says in
their humble opinion shows to me says >> right >> that they should have put this is it a netting or it's a >> it's a it's um it's material that's used for like French drain where you wrap the the rock in French drain to prevent the fines from either coming into the French
drain or leaving. >> Okay. >> So it's material that's that water goes through it but the fines don't. >> Okay. So according to the manufacturer that should have been there now according to the plans and specifications that were used.
Did they use I know they didn't put that netting there. Should they have put that netting there? >> It it's not shown in the plans. So the contractor will only build what is shown in the plans. >> All right. Should it have should the contractor or the designer have told the contractor to put that in there?
Um the designer it would have been better if he put if he put that in there. >> Would we be where we are right now if that designer had put that netting there? >> Uh no. I think you'd still have a problem because the bottom is is still
being eroded from the water. So you have two problems. You have the water coming from the top through the cells and you have the water eroding from the bottom. So you have the two the two issues is you can slow the the the erosion from the top with the morphy layer and you
would and you can or concrete which is what they did in three >> or or you can um prevent that that erosion in the bottom by using a solid foundation like maybe rock with concrete. >> All right. Should in your opinion should
it have been designed the way it was designed so that the I mean it is a canal and it is exposed to water. Should it have been designed any differently so that we wouldn't be here today as far as the bottom part is concerned? >> The designer of of phase one, two, and
three is the same designer. You can tell that they improved from phase one to two to three. >> Okay. All right. So then the next question I had is and you
touched on it. Where do we go from here? Repair it. You You don't I mean it's in there. It's a good product. It's used in a lot of scenarios similar to this. So I think the better way to do it is just
repair it. But a repair, you don't Do you think a repair doesn't involve a full blow out of just taking it all down and starting all over again? >> No, I I think you have you I mean, you have the material there, you have the the the structure there. It's just, you
know, filling it in with proper material so that it doesn't, you know, at least where the areas have failed, you want to make sure that you do a nice job on it so it doesn't fail again. Now, it doesn't mean that other areas won't fail because the way that it was designed,
it's it kind of tends it lends to itself kind of washing through the material. You know, you have sand washing into rock and rock washing out. So, there's really no way to fix it. Like, you know what I'm saying? There's no way to
unless you kind kind of like put fable fill or something on it, but >> there's no way for you to prevent it from failing as it is now. >> But what I'm saying is you could improve it, >> right? >> And not not have to throw out the whole thing.
>> Ignoring the problem is not in other words, just letting it sit. The problem's only going to get worse. >> Well, I mean, you have erosion. >> Yeah, >> you have erosion. What's going to happen is it's going to continue to erode. You know, it it eroded through the material.
So, it's just going to erode into the bank because a bank is sand, >> right? >> You know, it's soft to medium sand. So, the it's just going to keep cutting into the you know how erosion works. It starts off >> Absolutely. >> It's a small little channel and then and then it gets deeper and deeper into >> It's called the Grand Canyon.
>> Yeah. Exactly. >> Exactly. >> Um >> so I I think yes, I think you should fix it >> at least maintenance-wise. Mr. Manager, >> I think that Council Garcia, >> Councilman Garcia, you have the floor.
>> Thank you for the recognition. >> Mr. Badon, um, thank you for your time, um, for the prestige of your company. I've been reading a little bit about it. Um,
excellent. Excellent. U um report and after reading some of the information that is in here, um I I will give you the solution to fix it because
I've been there since day one. Okay? I might not be an engineer, but I know what's going on. I've been there since day one. Okay? So basically, and by the way again with all due respect, I disagree with what you said
about um water flow that it's not the ocean. So water flow is not what has taken the material out of the there's numerous things. The very first thing
that is wrong there is the the the product is not the right product for there. I think that when we started phase one, we didn't consider that we were on a very
aggressive blasting area. So that's one. two, you you've seen all the rocks. Pay attention. This is very important. You've seen all the rocks on phase one
about two or three years ago, maybe a little more. We we spent money and put concrete on those two layers of geo geo uh uh layers. All that concrete has
washed out. So, meaning they came in with hydraulic concrete, they placed it there, and everything again, all that concrete is in the water. So, anything that we throw back at it, all you're going to do is throw all that concrete
back down there. What I I think that whoever did this design, okay, had somewhat of an idea, but he forgot to put the bottom to to to protect that bottom. I I I heard you
call it mafi. >> The morafi layer is like a uh >> ge it's a geo fabric. >> Okay. I think that what they needed to do was a a net that you they needed a strong net at the very bottom to hold
whatever whether it be hydraulic concrete or whether it be that that 57 stone. So basically, and correct me if I'm wrong or what I've
read is that 69% of this project has been failing. This this project has been failing since day one. So um we know that it's it's it's it's going the the wrong way because phase two is also going in the
wrong it's going in the wrong direction. We've seen pictures. what I recommend, but I'm going to wait for you to recommend how to fix it and then I might put a little bit of of of idea because I've done some homework. So, basically
um to with your expertise because I heard you have a lot of years of experience with your expertise. Um, if you would have done this, you would have been the contractor on on
record, would would you any different? >> I mean, would have you've given it a different slope? >> So, okay. So, the contractor has to follow whatever is in the plans because they they bid on on a set of plans. So,
whatever is in the plans is they have to follow it unless they do some kind of change order and then and then the town approves it. Um, so it's unlikely that it's redesigned after construction. >> So the contractor has no >> Yeah, >> I have a followup on that. Did you
identify anywhere where the contractor deviated from any of the design plans? >> They did. Yes, they actually improved it. They the plans actually showed the Morafi going to about four feet, but the contractor actually put the full uh back, you know,
>> um as shown in the as shown in the um in the um >> u manufacturer's >> okay >> construction. >> All righty. >> So, I'm going to close. So, basically, why has it failed? I mean, the product and it's twoyear. It was already failing
because I've been talking about it forever. Why did it uh why has it failed? >> I mean looking at it >> not on the bottom on the very top. There's too much parts. >> Right. Right. Right. So looking at it I I can only see the two I mean I have to
go only based on what I have. Right. So based on the plans based on what was built based on the manufacturers you know only what I see black and white is the only thing I can I can say. I can't say, "Oh, what if they did this or what
if they did that?" Um, based on what I see, you have erosion from the bottom. Okay? Something is eroding it. The only thing I can I can think of is water pre, you know, a high water flow because when you have rainstorms, you have you do
have a lot of water pushing on that on that canal. >> Well, that should have been considered when they when they fabricated it. They should have thought everything. And I we even g we even told them we're we're we're sitting in uh a blasting zone um
on and on. I'm going to make it real simple. Before that product was used, they sent me out to Derell to look at this product and I went out there. I spent a couple of days looking at it and I brought a report and I said, "Here are
the pictures of the product that you're saying that's going to work. I don't think this is going to work for Miami Lakes because of the blasting and because of numerous things. And they still continued. Oh, don't worry. We're going to do it. And there it is. And by
the way, putting product back underneath those geocells that are empty is like me putting a bag of Skittles in your in your uh in your pocket. And if your pocket is broken, those Skittles are
going to fall. So until we find the solution to fix it, it we're just going to throw money at it and it won't happen. I will give you this is >> what are what I mean you said you did some research. What are some uh products that you thought that would be better?
What I think they could they they could fix it is basically taking rip wrap right now and putting it on that last bottom cell make but holding that bag of rip wrap with rebars or something. They
have to be held there so that bottom cell doesn't continue to to to to flow away. The second would be to create a wall maybe 4 in uh six inches. I'm not an
engineer. Um you know a foot two foot tall but making sure that it goes a piling that goes way down. So when that uh 57 stone tries to wash out, it's not going anywhere but the but to the base
of that concrete ping. That's that's an idea. >> Yeah. So there are a lot of different methods that are used for slope repair or slope stabilization, right? So you have so you
have articulated blocks which you can you place the blocks and they kind of connect with each other and then they're filled with material. um those tend to it depends on how much water is running over them, but they they may wash out from the material
inside. Um the the other option is that there's a there's a fabric, I don't remember the name of it now, but there's a fabric that you lay on the ground and then you have to anchor it on top and you fill it with concrete. We've used that in a couple of canals in Miami, in fact. um where but the but the
difference on that one has to be a a a more um it's not as steep. It's it's more um shallow bank, right? Kind of like the original bank. The original bank. Um let me think. There are also um sheep
piles that could be placed, but that's crazy expensive. There's also uh pre-cast walls. We use those. We we build those in Miami Beach. Um pre-cast walls with piles. Again, it's very expensive. The turnpike uses those as well. They're expensive. So, it's a
matter of cost. You know what I mean? It's it's there's a lot of things that you can do, but it's also how much do you want to spend? >> In Spanish, we have a saying, and we did it the wrong way. So, I'm not blaming
anybody right now. I just we need to figure out a solution to fix it and to fix it right. Phase two is starting to fail. We went out there the other day and it's
starting to fail on the top. So, but right now we need to concentrate on phase one. So I with that said, I'm going to turn it over to my colleagues to see what are the questions and what are we going to do to find the solution.
Not here to blame anybody. I'm here to find out how we going to fix it and fix it right. >> Councilman Garcia. >> Thank you, Vice Mayor. And I want to thank uh Councilman Quo Garcia for bringing this subject up and being an
advocate for it for many years. And Mr. Mr. Padron for for doing a a bangup job here in the report. Um I have a a lot of questions in the same vein as as a town attorney. Now you mentioned it's a good product if properly if you take take
into account the environment that it's in as a designer as an engineer you design uh products or or or you know this this product would be something that would take in all the all the you're in a canal. It's a drainage canal. So there's obvious water flow,
there's obvious uh cleanup that happens in that canal and there's obvious drainage from properties. So all these things are happening at once. Also, one thing that did you ever take into account as our blasting advisory board the level of blasting so close to this these canals that
>> every day you're getting a a 1.5, a 2.0, a 3.0 earthquake. Uh >> are you got Okay. So no. Um are you has anyone put uh to measure it out there? >> Yeah, we have the well the state put put uh seismographs around the area and I
think there are some close there about what half a mile from that area. >> How close are they to the canals? Do you know >> from that location? >> Okay. So there are seismographs in that area. I don't know if you were if you were he was given that information. It's it's it's available.
So to give you a little bit more of my background. >> Okay. >> So um when I did my PE would change you. >> Okay. >> So when I did my PE you have different specialties that you can do. >> I did it on geotech. >> Okay.
>> Geotech um actually requires you to study earthquake loading. >> You know quick quick uh quick condition. Yeah, >> quick condition, lateral loads, all kinds of things. >> So, um you know, during construction
projects, you use vibratory rollers um on the road and we put in, you know, we put in we check to make sure that there's no issues and you actually feel the vibrations under your feet, but you don't have the settlement. I mean, you have settlement close to the road and
close, you know, properties that are very close to it, but I didn't feel any vibrations. >> Okay. Are you aware? >> I haven't felt any vibrations at any time while I've been here or >> Okay. >> You know what I mean? So, I didn't consider that as as an issue. >> Understandable. Do you know if the
engineer who created the you know who put this together took that into account at all? >> I No, there there's nothing in the plans or anything regarding that. >> Okay. Quick question. If if you were the engineer on this project, knowing everything that's happening, the
earthquakes, the the erosion, all that, what would you have done differently when it comes to would it would you have selected this product? And if you did select this product, what would you have done differently to ensure a longlasting life cycle of the product? >> Filled it with concrete.
>> Filled it with concrete. >> Yeah. Because if you think about it, the you have you have a cellular system, right? So you have the forms already there. >> Okay? >> But the concrete acts there, you're just you just have multiple cells filled with
concrete. So they act like solid cells. So even if you have an earthquake >> all the way up or or to >> I would I would put it at least to the water >> to the water >> to the water or above the water. >> And that's similar to what was done in um phase three. >> Mentioned geo fabric. the geop.
>> Geop fabric. Yes. >> Every three layers. Four layers. >> Yeah. Every three layers. >> Okay. >> Just to prevent the erosion from coming down, you know, coming down. >> Okay. >> Bringing down the fines. >> I wouldn't use fines either. I would have probably used >> knowing what you know now,
>> knowing what the designer uh changes he had to make seeing in phase two and three because obviously he saw that phase one. So, he made changes. >> They made improvements. So obviously they recognize that they were wanted in their in their design, right? So they
made changes to try to mitigate that, right? So phase one, if you give a grade for that engineer from A to F, what grade would you give that engineer? >> I I can't I mean that's >> you can't >> I don't think ethically I I should be
doing that, you know. >> Would you have signed off? Okay, another question. Would you have signed off on that on these plans knowing what you know about the environment? Yes or no? >> I would have recom I would have made recommendations, >> you know, I wouldn't have signed off on
it. I would have made recommendations. >> Okay. And I guess last question uh >> in fact I want to I want to add to that. In fact, when when the town approached me about phase three and I spoke with a project manager and I said, "What are
you using as a foundation?" That was the first question I asked >> because I I was aware that um uh Dural has this on their canal and it's completely empty, you know. And I said I said they have
>> wash outs. >> Really? >> No, they're destroyed. Not washed out. destroyed. >> They have they have empty cells in front. So I said, "What what type of foundation are you is this going to be?" Even before I saw the plans and they said, "No, it's going to be concrete." And I said, "Okay, that's good."
>> You know, >> and last question. Have you ever testified in court uh in regards to an engineering design that failed and that engineering firm was held responsible for the damages? >> I haven't testified against an engineer before. I have testified on court cases
based on um accidents, wrongful death, uh trip and falls, that sort of thing. >> Okay. And this is a last question to the town attorney. Mr. attorney knowing that Dural's system failed knowing that there were certain things that could have been
implemented to mitigate the issues that were obvious at the time and if they weren't obvious to the engineer then you know I don't know what to tell you. Uh, and I know you you were reviewing the contract, but is there anything in that
contract that obligates the designer or not the contractor because they were following the design, the designer to be held financially responsible for any uh failure in the design at at this point. >> And if you need time, I I understand. >> I'm going to play my cards close to the
vest. Okay? As as often uh I tell you guys, I'd love to have this conversation in private with you. Um, but I'm going to be taking a deeper dive. >> I appreciate that. >> Yep. >> Mr. Padome, you did a service to us. I appreciate that. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> And I I yield.
>> Let me just finish if I may through the chair. >> One second. Council here. Let's just let everyone uh have an opportunity to speak. So, uh, Councilman Herszburg, then Councilman Fernandez, and I believe the town manager had something he wanted to add. >> Thank you, Vice Mayor. Um so in your
review first in in the reports there was never any actual analysis of of the water flow right because that that seems to be the biggest reason but we act there's no been no analysis of how fast the water actually flows right >> correct >> but I mean obviously it's water flows isn't this something that any canal bank
is is your it seems like your opinion is that the biggest issue is the water flow eroding erosion because the water flows but this is a canal that's why I don't understand >> no you have the okay so you have the two issues you have water coming from the top right cascading from the top because
you have a sheet wash over the the grass and then you have concentrated water coming from specific properties right so you have water coming from the top through the cells or washing over the cells right and then you have the erosion from the bottom from from the
canal itself which is the the hydraulic flow okay that's what they call it >> so no I haven't measured the hydraulic flow that only happens under rain events. So that wasn't part of the scope. It was just kind of like analyze
analyze the documents, tell us what what you think happened, what what you recommend based on what you see. >> But >> so I mean I could have Yes, we could have put seismographs and you know we could have checked the water but
>> Right. Right. But other than and I understand I I assume maybe nobody told you that the ground here shakes you know one to five times a week. But regardless your um your your report the primary issue is erosion but that is insanely
foreseeable when you're building a canal bank. Obviously water is going to move from the top or from the bottom. Isn't this something that should have been designed properly? It it was improved from phase one to phase two to phase three. >> What what did they what improvements did
they make in phase two and three that you believe were the mistakes they made in phase one? >> They they put a solid foundation on it. >> They put a solid foundation. >> You ask us the same question differently. What is the technology that is present in phase phases two and three
was it not in existence at the time phase one was designed? >> No, it was not in existence. It's the same. No, it it was everything was existence. They just didn't think about it. >> I'm I'm willing to be a little bit more direct than you are. You can just nod your head if you'd like. But the reality
is the the scope of the scope for which we hired you is to determine whether an engineer potentially made a mistake. So we do need to sometimes hear from that. uh whether I already asked you point blank
whether there's anywhere where the contractor deviated from the plans and the answer was yes but only for improvements rather than uh in a negative way. So that leaves me with design as has been pointed to by some people here. And as has some of my
colleagues here have been hinting, you know, if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck, it's probably a duck. And in this situation, look, are is the concept of iguanas in South Florida new? No. Is the concept of flow in a canal
new? Absolutely not. And by the way, I do consider these high flow canals because I if you see right before a hurricane when South Florida Water Management opens those levies up, it's going uh so yeah and
>> it flows >> even when even when it's not. Um they there is still a active steady flow and as uh our town attorney pointed out the Grand Canyon was cut by a very slowmoving river. Uh so so that's not
the issue here. I I also want to rephrase a question our town attorney asked which was he asked if the excuse me if I butchered the Morafi >> Morafi yeah that's the geopabric >> he asked if the Morafi layer had been included in the design
um or or improved in the design would that have prevented it you said no. Um my question is I believe building on your answer to that which was if we had done the Morafi layer and done the concrete on the lower levels would
it have would we be here today? >> I think it would have improved significantly. >> Okay. Um now they did the the design did have Morafi. They had it on the banks and then they had the rock in the behind covered in Morafi, >> you know, in the in the actual bank
behind the behind the stack. >> Oops. >> So, they did have Morafi. They just didn't have it in a layer between the materials. I just think and and maybe this is just a way of kind of summarizing what Councilman Garcia over
at the end was saying it we're not engineers and we don't pretend to be but it doesn't take an engineer or a rocket scientist to know that if you put fill on top of rocks
it's going to filter through that that's just the way it works. Uh we went out there, we saw it for ourselves. We saw the all the fill from the bottom just exploded out onto the the the floor of the of the canal. U and I guess the
ultimate question for our sake and for there's no question that the people on this dis are going to want to do what's in the interest of the residents and repair what needs to be repaired. Question is who's paying for it. That's honestly what we're here for. That's why you're you're standing at that podium.
It's to determine who's paying for it. Us or the design team who failed or the uh contractor who failed. That's why we're here. Um and from from our standpoint to determine that, we need to know
whether there's any sort of culpability, whether it was foreseeable. And everything that I've heard so far points to it being extremely foreseeable. I honestly this looks like
I I don't want to shoot down our our engineers, you know, the the just like you don't, but uh I I'll restrain myself and just say it it looks like a really shoddy design job, which they
improved upon because they realized that what they built in phase one was a mistake. Would you say that what was done in phase two and particularly in phase three is pretty much an admission that what was done in phase one was done so
erroneously or uh half-hazardly. >> I I can't attest to phase two because I wasn't involved with it and I haven't looked at the plans or anything. I've only reviewed phase one and I was part of phase three the construction of it. So the phase three doesn't have Morafi
layer either. And that's another one where now in retro like looking back at it I'm like now looking clearly at the manufacturer at the recommendations I'm like you know what it probably should have had Morafi also. But the fact that they use concrete all the way into the
water that kind of holds the the the fines in place you know so it's not necessarily needed. it may not necessarily be needed. So that's the that's basically the designer's call. Now in phase one, I mean, unless they
did that same thing with the foundation to make it solid, so that material, like you said, fines go into rock, rock goes into water, you know, unless you have something to prevent that from washing out. How do you how how do you not >> and I know that without being an
engineer? I think the point being I think we all get the point without it being said that An engineer should have been able to figure that out when they did the design. Go ahead. >> Right. So, the 50 the 57 stone was not the correct material. Right.
>> Well, 57 stone was used as the base on on phase three, but concrete was filled in the cells. The the cells were filled with concrete as they as if they were forms. So the concrete, you know, putting 57 stone on the bottom and then
you fill concrete that's going to that's going to lock in the 57 stone so it doesn't move. >> So and and from, you know, reviewing everything, this the the current status of phase one, this is not ordinary rare, you
know, wear and tear to be maintained. This is a a project that has had design issues, right? >> I think there there could have been better. I think the design could have been better. >> Right. Okay. >> And by the way, what I mentioned Dural,
I haven't done any reviews on Dural. So I, you know, >> Councilman Fernandez, >> thank you to the chair. I want to first congratulate my my colleagues, Angela Garcia. All of you guys, especially the attorneys on our and including uh Councilman Garcia. Um, great questions.
I I think for me right now, I think whether it's seismic or whether it's faulty engineering, I think maybe I I'm going to let the attorney, our attorney decide on whether or not we're going to move forward on on getting
the designer or the the general contractor to pay for or repair it, but we should start considering whether or not we should I don't know if we should leave it the way it is during this time. It might take a year, two or three years for for something to play out like that.
So, I don't know how we feel about whether or not we want to find uh a way to pay forward the repairs during this time. Something that we should at least think about. >> If I may, Vice Mayor, I get
>> Councilman Hersburg, >> from your I I think you might have spoken about this before, but uh I I don't remember specifically if it's in the report. What's the next step for us to repair this so we can begin to mitigate further damage and try to make it make the most useful life out of this
of what we have right now? >> Well, I I mean the the sites that failed are not the entire wall. They're specific locations within each property, right? So, I recommend you leave the
rest of them as they are and fix those specific repairs by putting the 57 stone, putting in concrete to kind of lock that in place so that you don't have that again fail. You know, if you can put in the Morafi layer to kind of prevent that from coming down, you try,
but if not, you know, try to fill as much as you can on concrete like what we did in phase three and then put maybe rock on top of that to so that that doesn't collapse down. You know that's one that's one that's one thing you can do but like I said there are other parts
which are not un they're not known you know that we don't know what's going to happen you know once you fix this then that prevents the the water from coming in maybe that will create scour and then pull that material down as well I mean I
don't we don't know you know >> through the chair >> Councilman Garcia Yeah. >> Now your report clearly states that in the bottom layers there are some areas that are 50 to 60 40 to 50% cells >> gone. >> Gone. >> Yeah.
>> And these are sections of what 60 70 ft the properties that you that you looked. >> Yeah. Well, it's the whole property and then the the review is, you know, they found like the worst locations. Yeah. >> Within that property and that's where they did the report. Yeah. So it could be like 10 ft of sight.
>> Yeah. But the areas are consistent where the majority of of the degradation is at and those bottom layers. >> Yes. >> Would you say so that area is the weak part? >> Correct. >> Right. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> Yeah. That area might be getting a lot of flow for some reason. >> So we've identified where the weak parts
at. So we need to address that. If you would put a cost to identifying these the areas that you feel would make the most bang for the buck to stabilize it. What in your experience, because again you have decades of experience, do you
have a ballpark figure on what it will cost to mitigate this? I don't know. I don't I mean that's I mean you need to bring in a barge. You need to have access to trucks for Phil. So you need they need to bring they need
to bring a an excavator to be able to reach the barge. Um >> would you say it would be at least 30 40% of the original cost or 20% of the original cost >> um of the of the project? >> How much was the original cost? >> Mr. Mr. Vice I mean Mr. Manager through
the chair. >> Well, being that things have gone up probably, >> you know, things have gone up a lot >> through the through the chair to the manager. What was the original cost of phase one? I >> I don't know. But what I could tell you is when we did phase two, we went back to phase one and mitigated what at that
time were some voids. Sure. >> And that cost us I think 25,000. So the at that time it was 25,000 to go back and in the areas that were voided. Now these are probably areas that have voided since that repair, you know. So
the the expectation I I suspect that if we wait long enough all of the areas are probably going to end up voiding and the it would probably make more sense to just do a wholesale all of phase one concrete all of the cells below the
water line up to the the top of the the surf. >> So we're looking at possibly half a million dollars here. I I I don't know if he wants to I don't >> I mean I can tell you it's about it's going to be about half a million dollars compared to >> the thing is okay thing is that you
can't >> you can't really use the phase one numbers because that was rock and gravel and to really fix it you'd have to use a design of phase three which is more concrete. >> Yeah. >> You know so concrete is more expensive than the 57 stone.
>> Sure. So now the numbers are kind of convoluted a lot higher than >> Yeah. I'm just trying to wrap around my head an indication of what it's going to cost if to mitigate this because we're not going to spend money just to throw it away and not do it. Right. Right. Because that would be just might as well just throw it in the canal. Right. >> Yeah.
>> Uh so I'm just trying to get a a feeling and for my colleagues of what it would cost to mitigate something like this >> if we would have to uh if honestly the taxpayers would have to do this and I I'm totally against that. Right. So, I'm just trying to get an idea of what it would cost us because it's it's it's
it's a challenge. >> It's it's hard to give you a number. I mean, half a million, you can probably start with that and see how far you get. >> Wow. >> You know, >> Wow. >> Mayor. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Manager. >> Mr. Padrome,
many times manufacturer specifications are very exact, right? For instance, let's say an impact window. It says you have to attach it to a CBS block with this length of a tapcon and it's very very specific. Sometimes the manufacturer has
recommendations, but it's not a mustave. Do you believe that the designer designed phase one according to manufacturer specifications? >> There I know that there's obviously options. So, here's the thing, right?
There's a lot of in the in the specifications that the designer included and that and that the manufacturer had that I couldn't verify if it was done or not, you know. So, it's kind of hard for me to say because
the records aren't the records don't show me if the meetings were held and if this was done and you know so um the designer I believe the designer tried to follow the specifications as best you know the manufacturer as best as he
could but I I don't know if he had if they had experience in this you know and and I mean experience counts basically you can see that once they had the experience of the first, they improved on the second, right? >> You know, >> and and obviously these are a series of
cells that go from the water from the canal bank towards the inside of the bank, >> right? >> Correct. Yeah. >> And what we see vis visibly are is the is the outer layer and we see the voids and a lot of them have washed out.
>> Correct. Do you see where either the second cell in or the third cell in have now voided or you basically most of the the problems are with the the the outer layer of cells. So there are some locations that are
completely empty underneath and you can see that the erosion is >> penetrates like to feed into it. Right? >> So the majority are not. So I would say that that maybe the the the limit of the of the worst case scenario is on the
outside maybe a little bit into the inside once you have the collapse because the in order for the cells to collapse you know the the whole thing has to come in and collapse not just one piece right so um I would say that there's at least one or two that are
damaged but maybe towards the inside it's not as bad and when you say that on phase two and Three. They did concrete. They only did it on the on the outer cell or did they go all the entire cell from full cell?
>> Full cell. And do you think that a mitigation measure would work if they only put concrete on the exposed cell on the outer cell? >> No. I I would recommend doing all the cells. But then that would be >> just like in phase three. That would be
complete destruction of the of the bank because it's the bottom the bottom row, right? You Well, you'd have to Yeah, you'd have to figure out how you're going to get the concrete in there from the top. It's not It's not easy. It's not easy. >> Okay. And
>> that's why that's why I recommended the outer outers only, you know, and then put material on the inside. The real solution is to fill the concrete in the bottom layers just like what we did. And how many you all the layers below the waterline would be the in a perfect
world that would be >> it was three or four layers. Yeah. That we had um on phase three. >> Okay. >> Through the chair. Can I just just say one little thing and then I'll >> Councilman Guad Garcia, Councilman Sanchez, and then we I'll I'll make one
more pass around the room. >> Thank Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Badong. Um I wanted to have the material here. I had a sample and I returned it back to the uh the people that were doing phase three, but I will get my hands on it again and I will
treasure it this time. Just pretend that this is the bottom cell. Cell one, two, and three. You could put everything you want until you fix until you fix one and two, everything's going to
continue to wash out. It's just like this this cup. If this cup has a hole, it's going to flow through there. So, that's all I want you to understand. We just can't throw concrete like we did if you don't have anything on the bottom to hold it. So, just consider that. I don't
know how long it's going to you and it's just a matter of time before phase two and three with the blasting could be they start to wash out because there's nothing to hold it back to the pocket hole. Okay, so that's that's what I just
wanted to just throw in a little uh a little pointer. Thank you, >> Councilman Sanchez. And just council, bear in mind it's almost 8:30 and we got to keep moving. We we're we still have a full agenda ahead of us. >> I'll be really quick just want to touch on one topic. Thank you for the report.
It's very very well detailed. Omar, we completed phase one in 20 in 2016. Correct. >> 10 years >> 1617. >> 1617 around about eight or nine years ago. >> Given the current stature of it, what life expectancy would you give it from this point out before we have complete
deterioration of that structure? So the manu the manufacturer has um 10 years um manufacturers >> warranty >> warranty but um it's I'm not sure how it is with
>> it's it's only on the material itself >> right but that's that's not what I'm wondering at what point not don't warranty like as as a rule of thumb a car will last 100,000 miles anything over 100,000 miles is technically a gift just to say that right so given the condition after after seven eight years
that you see right now, how much more life do you see it having before it needs a complete like to redo the entire phase one? >> I don't I I don't know. I mean, I think that's a better question to ask the manufacturer >> how long how long their product lasts
before it basically falls apart with ultraviolet and whatever >> and rain and and and current and all. >> It's a it's it's very strong. It has very strong strong tenol strength. >> All right. So it's very very strong material, >> but it shouldn't be at the condition that it is right now.
>> Not after after >> honestly it's it's honestly not bad. Like the actual manufacturer's material product is not bad. It has some tears on the outside, you know, but overall it's not bad. It's just >> the infill is what is the problem is
what's caused the problem. >> So you couldn't say that in the next five years all that infill will be gone. >> Just to give it another >> It could all be gone in five years. Okay. >> It depends on the storm, the weather, the rain, you know, how people are.
>> Okay. >> Is 10 years that it should sustain. >> Again, like I said, I I it's based on the manufacturer and that I didn't see that in any of the writing. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. >> Anyone else? Going once, going twice.
All right. Um, thank you very much for your time, sir. And we're now moving on to the public works monthly infrastructure report 9D. But before we do, actually, if you don't mind, uh, Mr. Director, I'm going to move to reopen the order of business to move up 11B to
right now, uh, so we can get, uh, chairwoman Levy out of here. Uh, thank you. It's been moved and seconded. All those in favor say I. I. All oppose, no. >> You guys have it. The motion carries. Madame Chair, you may come up here and deliver your report.
>> Thank you for that time. Noita, I saw her, you know, Alex, uh, the councilman point her out to me and yeah, >> thank you, gentlemen. I appreciate it. Good evening. Um, actually, this was not our scheduled report, but um, since
somebody dropped out, uh, I wanted to have the opportunity to present, um, these three new items that the board has been discussing for a while. and we're ready to present to you all. So, first
of all, I wanted to talk to you about uh communication boards for the parks that we wanted to install. Um we've been working with Jeremy in parks and wreck um to get us a quote. Um there's a
picture in your packet of a communication board and we wanted to start with the Veterans Park and um Royal Oaks Park. So I wanted to tell you
uh some of the benefits of having these boards installed. Uh it gives individuals with autism, aroxia, down syndrome, developmental delays, aphasia, or other communication challenges a way to express express needs and feelings.
It helps children and adults communicate basic messages like help, bathroom, stop, yes, no, play, I want. Um it ensures that every child regardless of speech ability can participate with peers. It encourages
collaborative play by providing shared visual symbols that all children can use. Um, it supports social interaction among families and caregivers. It enhances safety, encourages early language development.
Um, it shows that the park values accessibility and inclusiveness, which is our mission. Um so uh the uh the quote for the equipment and the installation is in your packet.
So the total is for the two boards and including the installation is um $16,223.15. Um but we wanted to allocate $18,000 in case there's any
um surprises when they like dig or something. It says here on the proposal that you know some things might come up. So we wanted to uh you know have it approved for 18,000
just in case. on the second. Do do you have any questions about that? >> Oh, also the board is going to be two-sided, so one side's going to be Spanish, the other side's going to be English. >> Councilman Sanchez. >> Yes. Um Jeremy, if you could come up for
a second. Um I'm reviewing this item by item, and I see the two boards, $2,100 each, but then I see surface repair kit. How is that related to the boards? >> Because essentially that is going to be installed in port and place rubber. So, they're going to have to excavate some of the the area in which we're going to actually lay it within the surface, and
then they're going to have to replplaster and finish then around the board's uh posts. >> Got it. Got it. And three it's $380. Okay. So, for each one. Now, something that I am noticing um is the fees for the installation. They seem a bit high. Is that the norm,
the $8475 for the >> So, that is that's their quote through the contract that we actually recently got through Klay County. Okay. So that rate is on already reduced and um procured uh contract. >> Okay. >> I can go back to them based on this and see if that's
>> something that can be worked but that is based that's based off their contract for for installation of the 80 almost $8,500 for by $25. >> Okay. Yeah, that's what I want to know. Thank you. >> It's been a pleasure working with Jeremy throughout this whole process
>> through the chair. >> Councilman Garcia. >> Thank you, Mayor. I I think this is an amazing idea and uh it would help a lot. I know uh with uh with children who need that that help. I just I I feel that for
what we're getting this is this is not tactile. I mean the pictures are there. Are they tactile? Do they make noise? Do they do anything? But okay. I'm just thinking I mean is this is this a a do they have a patent on on this?
There are other vendors with varying >> Not even vendors. >> No. No. Well, >> is this is this what I'm looking at the picture? Is that patented? >> No. >> Okay. Because honestly, what I'm looking at here looks like there might be companies in in this town that might be
able to fabricate this for us for honestly a lot less. I mean, it's a great idea. It's it's again it doesn't look that complicated but I think there's companies in this uh in Miami Lakes that might be able to fabricate this for us. Have you looked into that
aspect because we might be able to put one in every park instead of two. We can probably get 10 for the same price >> if if it's the council. I can go ahead and get quotes from signageon companies. This is a playground company. This is the style that we had looked at and wanted to remedy and I'm not remedying
replicate >> using the same materials. >> Correct. >> Right. long lasting materials that don't fade in the sun and things like that. I I think you might be able to get I'm telling you, you might be able to get 10 of these for the same price. Is that something you might be able to look into? Would you be open to that if it's
the exact same uh quality? >> Um yes, ma'am. >> Yeah, definitely. I mean, I like a bargain. >> Yeah, if you can look into that, maybe we can put one in every park if the costs are right. Thank you.
Anyone else? Councilman Herszburg. >> Thank you, Mayor. I love the idea. I just I'm I'm confused what it is a little bit. Is it just Is it just It's not electronic. I'm confused what it it's just >> Can you explain to me what it is because the price seems a lot. It's a double
posted sign on a material that is longlasting, has a bunch of um it's applied for UV, it's applied for various things, but it's a sign essentially double posted, double sides. As she mentioned, one side will be put in English, the other side in Spanish, and then it's non-tactile. So, it is simply
it's simply a sign. >> Okay. Yeah. $16,000 for two signs seems like a lot. Um and the installation seems like a lot. I don't know from your opinion, $8,000 to install two poles. >> The the biggest concern, and they mention it there, it's going to be once they dig up beyond that pour play, if
the base of the concrete is messed up, if there's anything there, that's where some of the concerns on the labor side were. >> I Okay. And I love the idea. I think we should do this. And I agree with Councilman Garcia. I feel like this is something that with
with the board's help, something someone else can fabricate with high quality materials and not charge $8,000 to install, right? So, I I this is a great idea. We should move forward, but I think we should move forward. We're looking at alternative ways to get the
same thing installed because it does seem like a lot of money for two signs. >> Anyone else? Okay. Well, >> okay. So, the the next uh event that we wanted to add to our schedule that is a
new event is an inclusive gallery opening night. So, we wanted to um have it here in town hall in the hallways where you have already set up um different
art uh installations and just feature um artists with unique abilities and have like a fancy gallery opening with like some Merurves and invite the community. the artists can invite their family and
friends so they can show the art. And um I thought maybe we could do it in April for autism awareness month. And we we had a budget of $1,500 to
to do that event. >> Is there a discussion or motion? >> Uh Mr. Vice Mayor, >> what do you need from us other than approval to use the hallway? Um, just approval because it's a new event and we've never done it before. So, I want to make sure it's something
you all >> and agree with. >> And the funds is funds that you guys already have within your budget. >> Yeah. >> I'll move to adopt or approve the event. >> I'll second it. All those in favor say I. >> I. Oppose. No. >> The have it. Excellent.
>> Thank you. So then the last uh event is an inclusive picnic with uh um M card. Um we've partnered up with them for several other events. Um if you're not familiar with M card, that's for the
Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. They provide a lot of uh services for the community. They have an office here in Miami Lakes and we we have a great partnership with them. Uh we actually did a picnic with them uh last year in the fall. I think most of
you were there where there was a magician and face painting food and um so we wanted to do it again this year and there's a quote attached >> for the vendors for the vendor.
>> Is it allstar events? >> Pardon? >> Allstar events. >> Yes. So, we wanted like a kind of like a carnival atmosphere. Um, >> okay. When would the event take place? >> Pardon? >> When would the event take place?
>> We're looking at uh the end of January, so the weather should still be nice. And so, what's the total? The total for this is $6,357. Now, um M card could possibly um incur
some of the expenses, but just in case, we're asking for the we have the money. So, >> so again, this is something that you guys can cover from within your budget >> and you're just asking for authorization. Yes, this is money we
have now, not even counting whatever we might get from the mayor's gala. >> All right, I'll move to approve this event >> in late January. >> Second. >> Those in favor say I. >> I. Those going to say nay. >> Motion passes unanimously. Anything else? >> Okay. Thank you. Um, one more thing I
would like to invite you all on Saturday right here from 2 to 4 is the uh culminating event for the uh animation class. So, um, I encourage you to come if you want to be inspired, if you want to be moved. These students are amazing.
They're going to be showing their music, animated music videos that they created this semester >> here in Chambers. >> Yes. Yes. So, uh, I invite you all to please come and support them. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Vivian. And, uh, I'll still
say you are my proudest appointment. >> Thank you. Good night. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. We are now back on the original item which is again 9D the public works monthly infra infrastructure report. If I may just
request of the manager and staff just uh let's try to get through these reports. >> We'll go quick through these. >> All right, >> three quick ones. So for our in >> I know you got to eat too. So, >> for our infrastructure report, I'll highlight that we started reporting some
of our day-to-day maintenance activities. Uh, we have several things going on, but it takes us a while before those items are closed. Um, and then, uh, just to highlight on 59th Avenue, we are now we're closely working with FPL to get that disconnect. We're currently
working as of the past two weeks to coordinate a solution for a challenge they have encountered with the way the the line that needs to be disconnected is looped around the building since it was initially in thought by FPL to serve
just that one building. It actually impacts multiple uh businesses. So, we're we're trying to find a solution to have this resolved within the next few weeks and then take the building down once once that's done. >> Questions to the director >> really quick. Does that is that going to
any solution that they find? Is that going to add additional cost on our end? >> We're trying not to. So, there is a cost for the disconnect for from FPL originally. >> Yeah. >> So, we're trying to keep everything within that cost.
>> Who designed the FPL? Um, who designed that line that connects to to all the other um was that FPL who designed? >> That was FPL decades ago when this area was constructed. So, I I wouldn't even be able to tell you. >> Okay. Council member,
>> it's like in the 70s it was constructed. >> If we were to wait on FPNL, FPNL would use their contractor, but it would take longer. So, what Omar's alluding to is we're working with that to see if we can use one of our contractors to do some of the work. And it so there may be a
marginal cost but it will expedite getting the uh power disconnected and um you know an internal uh marginal cost but it'll expedite hopefully and we're going to have a meeting tomorrow >> and the goal is to re request a credit
from what FO would have done. >> Okay to pay. Okay. >> So yeah so it's not like >> so we're still on a timeline to before the end of the year to hit start knocking. >> That's what we're we've been aggressively pushing. Uh the contractors have been aggressively pushing. He wants to get this done as well. >> Yep.
>> So that's our goal. >> I'll put a helmet on and I'll hit that wall on myself. >> I'll call you. >> All right, brother. Thank you. >> Any other discussion? >> Council member, you cannot sleep out there in a in a hard hat. >> I'll just say I got to experience firsthand the sidewalk repairs this last
week. Uh so just thank you to you, your team, our contractors, Carlos, who's out there inspecting every day, and Ana who was out there while while you were out. Uh so thank you to the whole team for everything you guys are doing on that. >> They do a great job and our goal is to always have as minimal impact to the to the residents when we do our messy work.
>> Not to rain on that parade, but uh I did just uh direct the resident to go ahead and send the manager an email regarding some repair work that that they may have to go back to doing. Um you know, just affecting uh um I believe it was the driveway there. >> But uh but at anyway, just making you
aware of it to be on the lookout for that email. >> All right, we'll review it. With that said, it looks like no one no one else has comments and uh you can move on to the next one. 9E report on street light maintenance. >> Yes. So, this item is from a >> uh it's an item that was introduced to
essentially with a goal of modernizing our our street light infrastructure. So past staff did some research and uh started conversation with FPNL because FPNL has a program where they go ahead and essentially take over the entire
street lighting infrastructure owned by a municipality. They maintain it, they upgrade it uh and monitor. There's a cost to that. Uh it's it requires a 10-year agreement. And in the second page of my of my our memo, there's two
scenarios. So since they haven't started anything, they have one scenario which is using 85% of the existing underground infrastructure, the quendo and the wiring. So that that would be that cost. Um and that's a 10-year total cost for
of $4.7 million. Then scenario two is that the they can reuse 100% well they have to replace 100% of the underground infrastructure and then that that bumps it up to 6.1. Again, these are very, very rough estimates based on just
predictions they're making of what they're going to encounter and the distance between poles and the condition of the of the of the piping. And then for comparison, I put uh an a final table that shows what is our our budget assuming it stays fixed for the next 10
years. It's roughly $2 million. So there there is a a difference there. So if if we were to do go through the FPL approach, it would require an increase over the 10-year life of the of of the maintenance.
Another option that would would get us through to the same goal. Oh, I do want to highlight currently the FPL program has the capability of uh modernizing the system so it can self-report uh and be a smart system essentially, but it's not
active. They're currently working on on getting that active. So, if we were to get into an FPL agreement, we we don't know for sure how many years until that system goes active. However, I I put in a uh last alternative based on what the
city of Miami Beach is currently doing and something the county started in which it is going through your our own solicitation process or do it ourselves. uh contract out a a a designer and a and a contractor essenti in the end. And
there are products that we can swap onto existing light poles that come with this um with this features. Some of these they report tilt, they report if it's a day burner, they report if there's a a loud noise in some cases, like a gunshot
for for example. Uh so it it does have a lot of features. Um, and it can be uh spaced or phased out to something that's more manageable within the current uh budget restrictions or if we want to
increase is a less less of an increase. And I I wrote I'd incorporated there a recommendation of an area within the town. One of the most visible areas 154. Uh they're all the same style poles and it's a smaller area as to to do as a as a hypo phase one.
So >> through the chair, >> Councilman Fernandez. >> So the numbers that I that I was listening to, it seemed like there was a difference of of about 2.5 to$4 million more or less of having them manage it versus us over the life of the the 10
the 10-year contract, >> the 10-year agreement, >> right? I I don't see the benefit. I mean, could you explain what the benefit would be? Aside from those that they monitor, they self monitor and those things. I think that would that's neat, but I don't think it's that important. >> Well, I I listed some some pros in the
in the in the report or in the memo, excuse me. So, benefit is an improved underground infrastructure. So, they essentially if there is sections of the infrastructure that require a full replacement, they will take care of that. They would also put new poles
throughout the roughly 900 poles that we have. They would replace those to brand new poles and a fixed cost for the 10 years except I think it's every five years that they they they discuss with
the state the the fuel if there's an increase in fuel they they do get authority to >> I think it's every five years. >> Yeah. Roughly. So that that's one thing that that is not exactly fixed, but and then the the the cons are um we have to stick to the FPL
pre-approved catalog uh fixtures. So if they don't match the what the town wants, for example, 154, again, we would have to find something in their catalog that that does work. Um I put the second one just because we have experienced this. If there is a major catastrophic
event somewhere in the state and they have to pull forces over there, we do experience uh in the areas in the town that they do maintain, we do experience a slowdown in FO service in FPO response. So I had to put that there just to be to to be transparent and and
the last one is is self-explanatory. is a much higher uh yearly cost. >> And Omar, currently FPNL has not turned on the feature of having them be smart. >> I mentioned that it's capable, but they don't have it activated. >> Yeah, >> Mr. Vice Mayor.
>> Thank you, Mayor. So, I'm paying more to delegate this to FPL. How how's their response time right now when the town reaches out saying, "Hey, we got x number of lights down."
>> The the best we've experienced is usually within a week and then depending on the condition of of what's going on. Sorry. So, depending on the condition of what's going on, the repair itself may take much longer. And it happens to us
as well. We and I think some of you have heard my my response that if if there's a break in the underground that it will take us some time to reestablish that the noise. >> I mean I'm more referring to just a light is out that's burnt out whatever the case may be. Um >> if it's just a swap
>> it could be as fast as a week but if again if there's if their crews are responding to something something major in the state it could be much longer. >> And how often is that the case? >> Well, okay. um as opposed to same situation
but it's our light. How quickly are we on site repairing >> that especially now with the the new contractor that lives in Miami Lakes within a few days we're there. >> Got it. Um so we're paying more getting
probably less response time. Um uh I'm and also less customization uh cuz one of the things I'm sorry to interrupt but one of the things to highlight the reason the cost is so high is because they do do a essentially a full
replacement of the town's infrastructure. So that's something that >> would this bury the above ground lines? >> No, no, no. This is just street lighting. See, if they wanted to throw that in, then maybe I'd consider it. But I I
don't see the the I'm kind of on the same boat as as um Councilman Fernandez here. I I don't really see the benefit to this because my experience was with the HOA with Sattorii. It was a nightmare getting them to come out. They
they took months, not not weeks, uh to come out because they just didn't prioritize us. I mean, hopefully the town the town with its good relationships with them gets them out quicker. Um, but that aside from um and by the way, when I was campaigning and
knocking door to door, there were areas of the town where it was FPL lights uh I think I remember reporting it to to you at the time uh when you were a council member that there were several FPL lights that were literally missing their
heads uh and and in the uh what was it? Queen Palm, the the condos in front of across the street from Vicky Bakery on on 67th. >> Oh, >> town houses. >> Crooked Palm. >> Crooked Palm. Uh, you know, they had a
big problem there with their FPL lights. Uh, so yeah, I I I look at it from a point of view of the one in front of my house, that's a Miami Lakes light. I like knowing that I can go and yell at Director Santos who was in the town of Miami Lakes to get that fixed as opposed
to having to wait for some bureaucrat at FPL somewhere else to persuade them to come and fix it. That that that's kind of where my mindset is at >> through the mayor. Councilman Harris. Yeah, I I agree with the vice mayor in
my um briefing. I really saw this as spending a lot of money to make our lights smart lights when you know people report it, we can drive to town. I don't need a light telling me it's out. So I personally for me, I don't need to see this item again. You did you did the money, did the cost, I don't see the
>> again was a request bringing the information. >> No, I know. I just want to I just want to be clear where I stand. I I assume everyone else stands is okay. Well, we appre we appreciate you bringing it. Now we know it costs a lot more for FPL to provide probably lesser service and for lights to tell us
>> but there is a the last uh part of the of the report there's a you know an al an alternate if there is an appetite for >> and on for me personally on that one I trust that we can see when lights are out I don't need the light telling me it's out before a million dollars to do
it all all our lights right so that's okay but I appreciate it thank Anyone else or can we release the director into the next? >> I got two more. >> Sorry. >> All right. So, with that, we are now on 9F fleet replacement update, finance and
lease options. >> All right. So, during the last the May council meeting, the we received direction to proceed and and get pricing from the auto mall for lease and finance options. So th that's what you have in
the second and third page of this memo. The second page would be for a uh Chevy Colorado. You have the in the table in the middle you have the the 60mon finance and then the 36month lease.
And just to take into consideration that the at this moment there's no trade in value calculated or and there is also an error there. There's taxes, but we requested the change. It was just was not received on time. So, that would also be removed and lower the the
monthly. >> Mr. Mayor, >> Councilman Sanchez. >> Okay. So, I did bring it up during our agenda briefing um that there are items on here that are incorrect. The tax line shouldn't be on here for the $2,100 as
we are tax uh taxfree. And I went back and forth on either doing the loan option or the lease option. And I see value in both. Um I do see that owning the vehicle for a longer period of time, you know, it gives us value on trade in,
it gives us a time where, you know, we'll pay off a vehicle and we won't have that that that loan payment anymore. But I also see the other side of having cars that are way past their their life expectancy of 15 years, you know. So the the middle ground that I
found is purchasing the vehicles, but the moment that they get to the expiration of their powertrain warranty, which is usually seven years and 100,000 miles, is when we would cycle them out. And I would support a resolution that that that allow that would, you know, go go towards that. Um, I believe it's the
good middle ground between leasing and purchasing because at that point, we'll have equity in the vehicle that we can trade in. And if we have it for 60 months, but let's say the seven-year warranty, we have those two years where if we continue putting that same amount of the payment that we're already paying into an interestbearing account, we can
use those funds. So those funds still stay on the budget, but we can use those funds as a down payment for the vehicle that comes after that expiration of the powertrain warranty of seven years and 100,000 miles. So I think it's a hybrid between both where we still get value for the vehicle, but we're not cycling
them out every single every three years. Councilman Herszburg. >> Thank you. And uh you know, this is an item I brought forth pretty early uh early this year. And I had the same questions, right? Because these are we're not going to put a lot of miles on these trucks.
Um the only issue with that is do we trust the next councils to not do what prior councils have done and let the fleet completely drain and be you know in my opinion like I said many months ago the worst municipal fleet in the county um which now are us we're trying
to fix that >> right >> we always have the option to buy the car after the lease and at the same time we are looking to replace more >> right >> u the whole basic most almost the entire fleet needs to be replaced It's all way past useful life. I think there's one
truck that's decent, the the Toyota, right? Um so, uh the math works out around the same. I just don't know if we want to put trust in in the future that we're not going to find ourselves in the same place again. Uh we can do a resolution,
but resolution doesn't have to be followed, right? Um I think for the first switch, I I like leasing. We can always come back and buy it in three years if we need to. We have how many more vehicles are we going to be looking to try to update?
>> So the next year would be three more and then after that would be the Tacoma and the recommendation two additionals for code. >> Yeah. >> Right. And and code I think pays for itself if we get the right car because we're already spending $500 a month for
code cars anyway. I think we can find the right small car for that amount. Uh, I think because we're going to have to replace three more next year, at least I would like to. Uh, I think leasing might makes sense. Uh, I'll listen to everybody else, but I would be interested in, let's say, the six. I
think it makes sense to to look at purchasing some of them. But I think for the first step to finally doing it, we can lease in three years, we can go back and if if we want to keep them, depending on the mileage, the equity, we can always keep them later. Like the lease is entire hands forever. But I I agree with you. I've been sharing the
same back and forth. It's it's a good discussion to have >> through the chair. >> Councilman Garcia, >> um, director, I guess I have a simple question. What option saves us the most money down, you know, with the lifespan of this of this vehicle?
Like if we lease and then purchase, we have to there's a purchase agreement already agreed to in the lease. There's there's a residual >> there's a residual when you lease at the end that you there's already a predetermined amount that you buy it for. But especially following up on the
point that council member Herszburg just made is we're going to have low miles on these vehicles. So this is I think 10,000 miles. >> Yes. >> Right. So if we only put six or six or eight per year, we're going to have actually equity at the end even though it's a lease. And you could still access
that equity even if it's just to trade it in cuz you could. >> Yeah. So you're saying that if uh according to our previous mileage that we're going to get that equity in the lease and it'll save us uh it'll be less money to purchase and it'll save us money compared to buying right now.
>> Corre correct. And we can use that equity when we go three years from now when we go to replace these. We can use that equity as kind of like a tradein for uh for the second uh for the replacement of these vehicles. three years from now. >> Whatever option says the most money down
the road, I'm for. So if you're saying lease, right? Well, or buy. >> Well, I mean, if you if it's pure, we could just say let's not replace any of them and and these things. >> No, no, that's >> that's right. >> There's an option. We have to we have to replace, but I I just I like a the most definite answer on what's going to save
us the most money. Leasing you feel will save us the most money. >> I think, you know, we have to think of what operationally, right? operationally. We're never going to get in the position that we are now where we have vehicles that are dilapidated. They're not a good representation of the town. They're 100 plus miles. They're 10
to 15 years old. The there we'll never get ourselves in that position. We're always going to have reliable, well-representing uh vehicles. And the we can and there it's more predictive. We can predict that in our future budgets. We're not going to have peaks and valleys. one year we're going to
have a big hit because we have to replace two or three cars then you know then afterwards it's it's it's nothing for a few years. So it's more predictive when we have the lease and we have the steady expectation of what the expense is going to be. >> Thank you so much. Appreciate that. >> Um
>> through the chair let's let's correct a verbage there. Cars don't hold any value. The moment you drive out of that the moment you drive out of that vehicle and you take that first curve,
that vehicle lost value. Whether you lease it, whether you purchase it, let's not lie to each other. Cars are not an investment. And that's the bottom line. So, now that I've got the purchase order. Okay. Um, have have we've have
we've have we shopped uh this cuz we've Who have we shopped it with? We we we've got only one >> No, sir. We we did this analysis several months ago and we have done we've checked with uh contracts. >> Did you check with Bowman? >> We did not.
>> We checked with Omar detail for all the different places that we compared prices. So for us to go dealer by dealer, we can't really do that. That would >> it's a job >> that would have no no it would be have because of procurement would be an invitation to bid. >> Okay.
>> For essentially to shop around and everybody any every interested party. What we did do we did comparables with existing state uh and other government agencies that have uh previously procured contracts that we that we can essentially piggyback off. And that was
the the table that I presented in the last two reports. That table was included. And the last one I included uh some additional feature uh costs that council member Garcia requested and that and during that meeting was when the direction was given to proceed and get
pricing from the auto mall. But for us to go to other dealers that would essentially put us back to issue an invitation to bid, wait our 30 days. We review that and then bring it back in a future council meeting.
>> Did you uh check true? >> Again, true car is a tool that you can compare it to. Um, let me ask you a question. Let's say we pull the plug today and I find out tomorrow that I go down to Bowman and I speak to the fleet
manager and I come back with a purchase order signed that we could have saved if we're leasing it just using a hypothetical number on one vehicle. I could have saved $50 a month. Uh whether we purchase it, what happens if I go out
there and I shop it and I come back with better numbers? What do we say? >> Can I answer that? that. Yeah, I would be >> I if that happens, it's going to happen before they sign the lease. And I promise you if you present it to them, >> I that they'll go with that $50 less
option because they're not going to sign it for another few. >> The automal also committed to doing uh free preventive maintenance, which and they're right around the corner. They're not in in South D. I think Bombman is down in South >> D. I think I think it's just the oil changes for the two years are included,
but the automo went ahead and included that. We have it in writing. >> That's what I wanted to ask. Uh so that's on both the financing and on the lease. >> Yes. >> Okay. Uh I'll just get my two cents on the record. Um I I do prefer the le the
lease option. Um I'm currently leasing a car for the first time. Uh again in my uh in my case it's also the first time that maintenance is included and not having to worry about preventative maintenance is is a very huge upside. Um
ju >> just to clarify uh from what I remember I think it's just the oil changes not not a full maintenance >> okay sorry >> um but in any case um I like the the lease option primarily because for many
residents seeing our fleet out there is their main visual of the town actually out there doing stuff other than our police vehicles or our sheriff's vehicles u they should be presentable Um, you know, while we are a town that
runs a very tight ship, uh, and and as it should be, I don't think that that means that we need to go around in beat up cars that are over, you know, four or five years old. And I think that having that option as as uh Councilman
Herszburg mentioned of hey if there's a car or two that maybe on a rough year where we want to save and say you know what we're going to exercise our option to purchase we can do it. Uh we're not blocked out of that option. Whereas with the finance model, uh it is very likely
that a future council is going to say, "Eh, let you know what not this year and then not this year and then not this year." And you know, it just gets kicked down the road and we end up in the same place. Uh so I do support the the lease
in this situation. Um and if if there's no other comments, mayor, I'll just go ahead and make the motion. >> Make the motion, please. >> Uh you had something. >> Oh. Uh, I I'll move to go ahead and adopt the the staff's recommendation for the lease of two Chevy Colorado. Any further discussion?
>> One uh Chevy Silverado. >> Seeing none, all those in favor say I. I. >> All oppose? No. The eyes have it. All right. We are now ready for Susanna, Miss Alonzo on 9G report on school zone cameras.
Good evening, U mayor and council. Um, let me sign in here so I give you uh um I'm here uh to report on the school zone cameras that were requested by the
council by uh council member Ray Garcia in two in January. It's almost a year ago. We've been working on this and meeting with uh the police and we've been meeting with um some representatives of the the the company that is doing it throughout the county.
Uh and we've been working out the numbers to see how that would affect um our budget. I'm putting in here. Um, basically the civil penalties would be $100 per violation and they would be distributed as as it's on the memo, $20
to the state general fund, $60 uh to be between the county and us. We get 39 of those. Um, $12 to the school district, uh, $3 to FDR. I think it's some state program that that does criminal standards and training and then an
additional $5 for our uh school crossing guard f fund that has been talked about recently. So um these are the fines that go with the regular fees. Um, if I somebody gets a
fine and they contest it, there's additional fines that they get charged as the fees that judic. I'm messing up all the words because uh but yeah, because that would go through a through a
you guys explain it better. Where's Where's Detective Oi helping me out here? There he is. I'm messing this up, sir. But basically those fees are separate and they would be major junior. >> You explain that part.
>> Good evening uh Lieutenant Rio. Pretty much what she's getting to is like for the initial civil civil citation right if they contested obviously they would go in front of a magistrate no different than what they do for like building a code. Um then depending on what fees will be assessed in reference to
processing etc. Obviously that would come to the town. Um if they're if those fines are not being paid then obviously we would go towards uh now which is where we kick again which our officers are going to be trained uh to obviously validate the citations where they they become a uniform traffic citation and
then they go through it regular process for the clerk of courts >> the chair >> council dear and then >> um is there a need for this uh and uh this is to law enforcement also is there a
need for these cameras The certainly these cameras would go a long way towards establishing some of our priorities about reducing speeds in many of our roads, making residents much more aware of how fast they're going sometimes through some of these zones.
It's certainly in line with a lot of the things that we're doing um lately. Um >> is there a need? That's that's what you guys are here for. Well, Councilman Garcia, is there anything else? >> No, I just wanted to find out if there
was a need. >> Okay, Councilman Garcia. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I just want to talk talk about this because this was a request that that I made and was was uh actually this was almost two years ago and I appreciate the time you spent. The whole point of of this uh item was to
first of all, our kids safety number one. Public safety was the number one priority. Um, and in these last two years, many uh, as you've seen in the news, many municipalities have have adopted these uh, school zone cameras. So, the main issue was how can we ensure
the safety of our kids? Um, not to focus on Miami Lakes residents, but to f we've all been in school zones and we've seen people just shoot by at extraordinary rates and you're like, you know, this is a school zone. What's going on? Um, so this would mitigate that uh help help
our officers with lowering the the speed zones in our uh close to our school zones. It also talks to uh and I know one of your items, Mr. Mayor, is uh alternative revenue sources that we can use to put back into public public uh
our our our safety public safety. Um, and I would seeing the numbers here and what other towns have, I would love to see this pushed into if it's adopted and I recommend the adoption push back into hiring police aids, more police
officers, uh, to help fund the crossing guards, anything to do with public safety. The money would go back into public safety. Um, and also I see here that other LPRs could be used uh that the that the manufacturer is willing to
give us some free LPRs to be used in other in other areas. Is that correct? >> Yes. Uh, so the the rate is that they would provide us a an LPR per camera that they install. So if um let's just say and those cameras itself are already
LPR enabled. So in essence, you're getting two for one if that makes any sense. Right? So those other those other uh LPRs would would obviously you know and they would take care of all the logistics uh you know in reference to getting everything through the county approved and everything like that
because obviously they already have an ongoing account with the county itself and uh public works. So we can literally use it to supplement our our net our >> LPR net. Yeah, >> as discussed and we can, you know, obviously in essence close your net and
obviously have a lot more access to cameras >> as a police officer and someone who's going to be the next hopefully the next major, right? Would you recommend this as a good option to not only solve the issue with help with the speeding around speed zones, but help close that net, the LPR net?
>> I mean, I I I really do think it's it's a great tool. >> Okay. um not only for the school zone hours, but technically the program runs 30 minutes before school starts all the way through 30 minutes after school ends. So
you're also getting speed enforcement. >> Mhm. >> During your regular business hours, so if you have, let's say, on 67th Avenue there, you know, it's 40 miles an hour, now you're looking at that they can be cighted if they're going over over those 11 miles over. Okay? So you're getting
enforcement throughout the entire day of school school enforcement, not just while it's 15 miles an hour. >> Would the LPR function uh be 24/7 with stolen cars? >> The LPR the LPR is just a notification system. Those those work all the time. And the cameras in essence, they work 24
hours a day. They just obviously are set to be able to to dispense the citations during those those uh school hours. I would like to see this focus solely on speed zone uh school zone right and the LPR function and not a just a open to
just uh traffic tickets for speeding on the other I would like to focus it on can we do that just focus >> no it's it's it's literally per state statute it's 30 before to 30 after so you get so you get the full coverage so meaning as as students are let's say
leaving on field trips as students are being picked up early from school they're going the doctors, whatever those you're still having that enforcement factor and the main focus of the program itself is technically like their main focus is to mitigate the
speeding. So no different than for a lot of you guys that know obviously you know American obviously has one has one going on 67th Avenue. >> It's 7 8:00 at night. There is no school going and people are going crawling at 30 miles an hour. So it's it's a tool
nonetheless that that works you know. And correct me if I'm wrong. We can decide on the probationary period. We can have it to make sure everybody's educated on this >> if I'm not mistaken. When those 30 days, >> but we can we expand that if we need to. >> That that would be a question for the company. I don't really know.
>> Okay. We will because we we definitely need to if we implement this, educate the public, make sure they know this is happening and give them enough time to adjust because I would hate to see surprises out there. Um, so honestly I I I would uh after my I would move to to
you know have the staff look into this and adopt this. >> And I also think if I'm not mistaken I think during those 30 that 30-day window which is their which is their primary uh function right like the those 30 days obviously for they actually send out written warnings. So it's not just like
oh magically one day it stop it starts if you're going through during that 30-day grace period you do get you do get a written warning. So, so you those drivers physically are receiving obviously notification that they were speeding and that you know it would go live at a specific date. I'll second
Councilman Garcia's motion for discussion. >> Go ahead. Um, you know, I on paper everything it looks great. I I honestly I tell you the biggest red flag to me was the amount of money coming in because it looks like a profit center
and uh that's not the business of the government and and these these um cameras are operated by private companies, right? And they make money off these cameras, too. It's I'm sure it's a great tool. I've read a lot of issues with them though. I
know the sheriff's department had a huge problem not with the same one, but with the bus scammer as well. >> It's a different company all altogether. I know. I know. But red light cameras are very controversial. A lot of towns got rid of them. If you guys remember, I actually don't know of any that still have them. Maybe Miami Garden still has
them. The vast majority of towns that had red light cameras got rid of them. So, while I agree that it's a it could be a good tool, I just I'm not comfortable with with speed cameras, I'm really not comfortable with the 30 minutes between school zones. If it was
only the school zone, I would I might be a little bit more comfortable. And now that state statute I that we we don't even have that ability to only make it the school zone. Um you know I remember when red light cameras went into place. I remember the controversy and there's a
reason why most municipalities got rid of them. And the and one of the issues I don't I I really hate about these is it's a $100 fine. So in reality, the vast majority of people, even if they've been fined improperly, are just go pay the fine because they're not going to spend two, three, four hours to fight
their fine for 100 bucks. So, uh, I, you know, I just can't support an item like that. And it just because of everything that happened with the red light cameras over the years. And, um, and I don't like the idea that it's a cost. It's a it's a money maker. That that idea I
don't like, right? I don't want um, traffic enforcement. is not meant to make money which clearly this this does because we every people speed right but um that that those are my thoughts >> through the chair. >> Wait, first there was a lineup here uh
Councilman Fernandez and Councilman Sanchez. So you answered the question regarding it's been clear now that it's going to be half an hour before school starts and half an hour after school ends regardless of not necessarily the the when when we typically knew what was a school zone hours which was I think
about an hour before it started and an hour after it started and then did it again in the in the evening or the afternoon for pickup. My that's clear now. Um, I'm going to have to have a conversation with my wife cuz we do have a street that we to get to our home, we have to go right in front of the that
Bob Graham and she speeds. But I will support it. There's no doubt on the record. >> We can throw her in there the bus. >> The bus is coming. >> On the record. On on the record. She She absolutely speeds. Uh, >> make her use the golf cart. >> Yeah, we can give her the golf cart.
Yeah, take away her car. Um but but I I disagree because I I do think that it's a good tool to be able to have uh folks slow down because I know that that especially that street is such a long street and it's a straightaway and people you know they they drive probably
40 or 45 50 sometimes. I would support it. I >> if I may I'm I'm just not going to support the item. It's the constitutionalist in me. But um is is there going is there a way that we can expand that probationary period? Because I would want it to be 90 days. I want it
to be an extremely long amount of time because again, this is not a money maker and the town is not in the business to make money off residents or or visitors, right? And that's what this is. Let's be honest. This is a private company that makes money off these pictures. They lobbyed in Tallahassee. They got the bill done and now they're making money.
And yes, the towns make money, too. Not saying there's not a an effect that it will slow people down, but my biggest issue with it is even when you get wrongly ticketed, people are going to pay because $100 is not worth two to three hours coming to a magistrate
hearing. And I guess the the question is the magistrate, would that be through the town or through a different clerk of courts? >> Yes, it would be here. Okay. >> It would be a magistrate that we pay out of the the the the fees that are asserted as people contest their tickets.
>> Okay. That makes me feel a little better that it' be here at least. >> Okay. Josh Councilman Sanchez. >> Okay. As someone that has received four of these citations around American Senior High School. Um,
and yes, it is 11:30, 11:45 in the morning, usually when it happens. Um, this $100 fine, I can tell you that I have never received a single one. What I have received is a citation in the mail, not a letter from any company or anything like that. Is the company that
is presented to us, a Red Speed, is it the same one that has the cameras >> in at American High? >> I can tell you that they're not keeping their word of just sending letters for go to to go to a magistrate and appeal it. They're sending citations in the mail. When the citation comes in the mail,
does the town receive any funds from that at this same breakdown that you have on here where it's $39 to the town out of the 100 >> supposedly? Yes. >> Okay. Because I can tell you I re >> well not for American high because it's not within the town. >> Right. But I'm just using the example of American but they are not sending the
notices. >> They're not They're sending citations but not notices. I from personal experience. >> Yeah. I I I have no way to contest that. I mean, and >> as I'll speak into the mic, >> like I I have no way to contest that. I I don't necessarily know. I mean,
obviously you you know from and obviously >> experience personal experience. >> Um but um at least from my counterparts with with MDSO, obviously we have a unit dedicated directly just to that. Um they they've never had any issues with uh
with that being a claim. Um, again, I I know that the the American American high is relatively new, so maybe that might be part of the equation. I I I just I don't want to speak out of turn and and speak for them because I'm not sure. >> Yeah. and and we can talk to them and get some feedback back on what are the
measures that they take to ensure that that the proper steps are being taken and they're not going from zero to step two or three instead of by bypassing the >> and as a secondary thing within MDSO your speed guns you have to calibrate them every certain amount of time correct to make sure
>> to calibrate what I'm sorry >> to calibrate your your your speed your your >> So it's typically every six months just to make sure that they're that they're running properly. Is there a regulation for these private companies to regulate theirs to make sure that they are actual
take taking the actual speed if they're a private entity? >> I I am not 100% sure on that question, but I I can I'm I'm pretty positive they do have to have that calibrated like no no different than any of our radars or lasers and that would be >> I mean even our vehicles get calibrated.
It's no, you know, it's really no different. I I I can foresee that being part of the equation, but those are that's those are questions that we can pose to the company to see what they're they can give us that, you know, that extra, >> right? Because when it gets to the point of as after the the initial warning and then it comes to your department to give
the citation, that officer that's going to give the citation is counting on the data that's coming from their equipment, not from our own equipment. >> Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. >> So, when the calibration happens, is it done by their company or is NDSO involved to make sure that it's being calibrated properly? That that's a
that's a question for the company. I I I I don't have that answer. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I I suspect that it's got to be somebody who's got a certain certification, a company, somebody the size of MDS. So, you guys may have your own people inhouse that calibrate it. Some smaller municipality may rely on a on a third party vendor that has the
proper certification to calibrate it. So red speed h being purely speed cameras, they may have internally people that are properly certified by whatever agency certifies them to uh be able to calibrate their own cameras, but and they probably have to demonstrate that it's been done within a certain uh time
period. >> I can I can bet like obviously everybody for the majority everybody's some sort of like lawyer, right? So I would figure that would be kind of like the first go-to is like is you know is the equipment properly calibrated etc. I I can foresee them obviously being in in that in that arena that that would be uh
you know that would be all part of it and like like our like our vehicles are are being calibrated by a third party. Our radars are by a third our third party. I I can foresee that they that they don't probably don't handle that internally. They have a a separate company to obviously uh to offset. So
it's you know it's not favoritism or whatever. Then what I would be comfortable with is deferring this until we just to cover both bases that we get undocu documented that whenever they send out the warnings for the initial infraction that they send it out via a certified mail in order to be able to
track that the recipient of the notice from Redspeed was actually delivered. And the second factor is that we get documented proof from them of how they their radar guns are calibrated to meet up with the standards of NDSL. Yeah, I mean that's something that's on a
Kentucky we can get. >> And for for reference, you are not deciding anything today. This is just a management report because a future ordinance would be coming in. >> We have a motion on the table right now to approve it.
>> That's why I'm So my motion is to defer until we have that more information. >> I'll second that. >> I'm going to vote no on the motion to defer just because at least I share Councilman Hersburg's concerns. Um, you know, I was the only one I think that voted against it last time it came up
and those concerns have, you know, not been alleviated. Although, I will say that it is tempting from the standpoint of the LPR function, but it's still not enough yet to to win me over. So, I mean, I would rather just, you know, personally just vote vote it up or down, but, you know, I just wanted to state
that before we proceed now to vote on the motion to defer. Um, anything else >> through the chair? >> Anything else on the motion to defer? Councilman Garcia on the motion to defer. >> Sure. Can I give the reasons why I'm against the motion to defer >> or no? As it just needs to be derained
to the motion to defer. >> Well, yeah. The reason I I want to put uh is to get a a start on on this if we're going to go go ahead and vote on it to get a start on on the request that Councilman Sanchez made. Of course, I
want to see to make sure that the the sheriff's department signs off on it. And if the sheriff's department feels that this is something that is meeting the standards, then we've met that criteria that we give enough time. We give definitely enough time, 90 days, up
to 90 days for warnings. >> And I just want to have my colleagues consider this is a win-win win-winwin because we're getting LPR coverage. And the difference between >> a child getting hit with by 50 mi
someone driving 50 miles an hour and someone driving 40 to 50 miles an hour is life or death and this is the point of this to save kids lives. It's not to create uh a constitutional issue which I know you you you have. It's not to make
money at all. Uh it's to save lives. And if at the same time we get LPR coverage and fund additional police, I believe It it it makes sense. So that's why I'm against a motion to defer and I like like a vote right now if possible to at least look look more into
it. >> Council Garcia only on the motion to defer as an explanation as to why you're either voting for or against the motion to defer. We're not debating yet. We're not debating the merits of the underlying item. >> I just I just asked under a PP under a
point of pro personal privilege, you know, and I asked a question. I didn't get my answer. Is there a need for this? >> Well, that that goes to the Yeah. Yeah. Again, a new motion was made subsequent to that that we have to take up which is
the motion to defer. I know the vice mayor wanted to comment on that. Uh and then I guess did you also >> Yes. >> on the motion to defer just Yeah. briefly. Yeah. >> You want to wait for Council. >> Yeah. You're not okay then that Go ahead. Council Harrisburg. Even though
I'm against this and I don't believe much would change my mind, I don't know how others feel and if if if I from what I think if this is going to pass, I think it makes sense to get more information. That's that's a feeling I have. Um but so that's why I'm okay with
deferring it. But I mean, if you don't want to defer, then I'll just vote no. It's your item. So I respect your your item. >> No. >> Well, I know. But it's his item originally from a very long time ago. I remember you brought this up. So that that's why I'm saying I respect his position on it's his item. He wants to vote it up or down then let's go and
vote it. >> Well okay. All right. So >> well I mean the input that I have is it's the staff has done due diligence for almost almost two years. The obviously the sheriff's department and the police department feel it's a tool. Um it's shown that it uh has a lot of
benefits and uh if we put in if we institute things that do not abuse it and we put the residents first and make sure that they're not getting abused as uh Councilman Sanchez uh you know this still has to come back to us, right? They have to look into it and make sure that all these things are are are put in
place. So this is just all we're saying to them by voting today is saying, "Yeah, go ahead and keep keep looking into it and and bring us back the final result of the calibration and everything and the 90day and all that stuff." >> So this would have to come to you at least >> Yeah. >> three more times. It would have to come
>> Yeah. three more times >> as an ordinance and then as a resolution to be awarding the contract and >> so all this information that you've asked is going to come to light. So deferring it today just going to push it back a month. All this information will be ahead of will be placed in front of you ahead of time to all these ans you
have will be answered before anybody even this even goes to a to a vote. So I that's why I'm against the motion to defer. >> Well I I'm a solid no on the motion to defer because I just believe that this is better to vote it up or down. I don't think any additional information is going to change my mind. At the end of the day I think it's very easy for
everybody and this is not a knock on Councilman Garcia for for the record but it's very easy to justify almost anything under public safety, right? You know to save our kids and everything else. I'm not aware of any accident, you know, or a major uh issue with accidents in the town involving our kids. That's why we have the school crossing guard
program, among other things. You know, I just don't see this as as something necessary for the town to take up, especially with us not being able to to fully control the hours of operation of the cameras. That um that you know, that lack of flexibility is is really the main thing right now that's militating
against it for me. But with that, Madam Madam clerk, sorry, Mr. Clerk, please call the role. I hadn't looked over yet, too. Uh, >> that's all right. Calling the role to motion to defer. Council member Garcia, >> no. >> Council member Fernandez, >> no.
>> Council member Cuadra Garcia. >> I'm confused. I'm not in support. >> Are are you v Do you want to give staff more time? >> Yes. Staff more time. >> So, is your vote a yes? >> Yes. Okay. >> Council member Herszburg? >> No.
>> Council member Sanchez? >> Yes. Vice Mayor Moda? >> No. >> And Mayor Diegas? >> No. >> Motion dies. >> No. >> I said yes. >> But that was to defer the item to give staff more time, which is exactly what you said you wanted to do. You've
already voted, sir. We We need to We need to continue. >> Now we go back to the main. >> Yes. Now we go back to the main motion. Any fur any further discussion on the main motion? Uh, Vice Mayor Moretta. >> All right. Uh, nowhere in here uh in the memo or in what I've heard have I been told about a cost. How much do these
things cost? >> The cost is run by the company that installs them. >> Okay. >> So, in theory, they're lock key ready for us. >> So, the there's no upfront installation cost. There's also no subscription cost, ongoing cost, anything like that.
>> All costs are paid for by the tickets by the >> So, that $100 is split up as shown in the bullet points. Nowhere in that bullet point do I see how much is going to red speed.
>> It's not in there. It's $20 going to the state general fund, $60 being shared between Miami Lakes and Miami date county, $12 to the local school district as if they need more money. Uh $3 to FDLE criminal standards and training
fund, and $5 to for school crossing uh recruitment and retention. nothing in there's going to a private company. >> This is the information we were >> I get very weary when I see hidden fees because that's what this sounds like. Um then secondly, I share Councilman
Hsburg's constitutional concerns. Uh mine are actually a little larger than that and it goes into the slippery slope. Um I see this as a gateway drug almost into red light cameras and uh just general speed trap cameras. uh not
associated with this. Also, call me greedy, but I don't like that the town is the one that gets to set this up. We get 39%. I I want more. I don't want to pay the local school district anything. They're
not putting anything into this. Um and I also don't want to really pay anything to the state either. Uh but obviously, I don't get to have a say. And I also don't get to have a say on the schedule. I also don't get to have a say in the amount of the fine. It we've had this
discussion up here a thousand times of Tallahassee trespassing into municipal affairs. This is just another example of that but hidden with a nice bow tie. That's how I see this. >> Anyone else on the substance of the motion? Are we prepared to vote? I think we've had enough discussion on the substance. Uh Mr. Clerk, please call the
role. >> Calling the role on the main motion. Council member Sanchez. >> No. Council member Fernandez, >> yes. You made it grateful. >> Council member Garcia, >> yes. >> Council member Cuadra Garcia,
>> do not support it. >> Council member Herszburg, >> no. >> Vice Mayor Mora, >> no. >> And Mayor Diegas, >> no. >> The motion dies. With that with that, we are now moving on to item 9H. Report a removal of
certain hedges along 87th Avenue by myself and director Bagdown. And let let's pick up the I got it right this time. All right, let's pick up the pace, guys. >> Good evening, Mayor Council. Uh Jeremy Bagdown, director of parks recreation. The item you have before you is uh in uh
coming from direction from the council to look at the areas on the west side of 87th Avenue where there's intermittent missing plants um and looking at uh options to go ahead and and clear that um as you have before you in the report. Uh it goes over what we look to do on
87th um as far as removing the existing plants that are still there. Resolding and that will create an entire swale of uh of seamless sod down the west side. There's also some slight removals of intermittent part um plants on the east side as well. And then two other areas
that were located by staff that are um corners or medians that have uh habitual traffic issues and vehicle accident issues that over time have taken away a lot of the planting material that's in there. We replace when we can within our gas tax funds. Um but these are the
essentially the areas that um we have identified and then the total cost there is provided for you in the memo. Is it um director is it possible just to how much would it be just to remove the original uh hedges that I had identified >> just on the west side is 17,000
>> but that's just those on 87th Avenue. >> Yeah, that's that's to remove and resod. Let me make sure. And resod and there's there's also going to be minor adjustments to irrigation to go from risers within the plant material to bring them back down to actual pop-ups. >> Do we have money by any chance, Mr. Manager, to go ahead and at least do
that part? You know, >> how much was it for the >> 17 >> 17,000? So that's gonna eat up. >> It's a zero sum game. So we could do it now, but if you then if you commit that you're going to refund that back to the fund because it's if we spend it the
17,000 on this, we're going to not have it available to spend on other things. >> Well, look, I'll be willing to then wait until the midyear budget amendment, but uh you know, but yeah, I I just uh want to make sure that we get moving on that. I mean, I think those are what normally
would be the easy ones that we can rack up, you know, to beautify the town by removing those ugly areas. So, definitely, you know, for the mid-year budget amendment, you know, as I know you stated you were going to do anyway, please bring that back. >> We'll put it at the top of the list. >> Thanks. Now, it's done. I don't care. Do
you want the full 24 areas or just ahead? >> If it's going to go ahead and cover, you know, all that in one shot. Yes, absolutely. >> We'll do. >> Any any anything else on this? >> Can I be clear on something? >> If I may, Mr. Councilman Hersburg, >> I I agree. I hate the the way they look.
Uh personally, one my my only concern and maybe speak with Susanna about it or somebody is that from my perspective though, those hedges because they're close to the roadway actually make the roadway look smaller. So, it makes speeding less less tempting. So, looking
at replacements makes sense. And I don't like the hedges. I would like to get rid of them, but and I get it. if we have the money to just get rid of them first, but making sure we come back with replacements. And I like the replacements you put here on um the proposed fill in. I feel like those are nice replacements for flowers. Just
saying. But >> oh, on the next item, >> yeah, >> what what about mulch? What do you think about mulch? >> We'll get to the million-dollar question later. >> Remember what I said about mulch? >> I I forgot that that is the mulch hater
caucus over there. So, you know. All right with that. Thank you. Is there anything else? All right. Thank you, director. And now we are moving on to item nine. I uh right ofway right away flower options. >> Yes. One second. >> You may continue.
>> See? >> Yes. So um the item you have before you is also once again direction from the council to go ahead and look at options at if we were to go in lie of our quarterly flower change outs um and staff's recommendation and alternatives
for the council to consider. Um as you'll see in the memo uh staff's recommendation is to maintain the seasonal uh quarterly flower changeouts. This is something that goes back to our beautifification uh master plan. It goes back towards the ideals of the town and essentially what separates us from other
communities. So before you you have staff recommendation as well as other alternatives I open it up for questions. >> I have vice mayor um >> what would be the offset or the set off in costs in moving to something like what's being proposed as an alternative
and having to now spend additional money every single mo cycle or trim cycle to trim these hedges as opposed to just doing the quarterly change outs. So, we'd have to take that into account depending on what type of plant is put or if it's saw. If it's just saw, it's
just mowing, which is much more. >> I don't think anyone up here is going to support just sod. >> Yeah. So, if it's not going to be saw, then there is going to be an increase in line trimming. I'd have to go ahead and quantify that. >> Yeah. Cuz that that's my concern that that in the search for savings. We're saving a nickel, but then downgrading in
the look of our town. And that I'm not okay with. You know, that's something that, you know, uh uh Councilman JC Fernandez and I discussed while we were up here during the budget cycle. Uh, I'm not willing to save just a nickel, but then severely degrade the look of the town. Uh, if there was a significant
savings, I'd be willing to consider it, but if we could get something like that, that that would be very helpful in making a determination >> through the chair. >> Councilman Garcia. >> Um, thank you, mayor. I sent a picture to the manager the other day. It's it's
a native a native plant that does not require trimming. And if it does require trimming, it's after a long time minimal trimming I if that. And that's what I I think we were all looking for. Not hedges, flower hedges that require
manpower, but native flower, native plants that do not require manpower. I think that was the crust of what we wanted uh from you in that sense. >> I'd have to see what was sent. I I don't know what what material was sent. Um, I went ahead and took a look at what we
have around town to keep uniformity and that was the goal behind that. And then even to the point of non-maintenance, the other aspect that was highlighted in the memo is even if there are future vehicle accidents, plant material will need to be replaced, which is going to be more expensive than sod.
>> Sure. But I know I know the whole point of this and I think the vice mayor hit it on the head right now is to save money. >> So adding trimming is not going to save money of apparently. So, um, if you can look into natives that are annuals that do not require any trimming for maybe
every two or three years, maybe if it goes in, but that's what I think the what we were what we were asking for, at least what I was asking for when I asked for this. >> Understood. >> Thank you, the chair. >> Councilman Guadia. Um, yes, we need to
find a solution to find a uh a species of tree that needs low maintenance or no maintenance and they're out there. So, that is uh you know, you guys uh Councilman Garcia stated it, low
maintenance or no maintenance. And that looks good. That's very important. Goodlook. >> Councilman Hsburg. >> Thank you, Vice Mayor. I'll part of my item later is on flower so I'll discuss it now. Uh so uh first of all this entry
feature way I assume that needs some maintenance and I agree if if the cost savings were minimal 5 $10,000 a year I I I somewhat agree but on your everyone should have copies of pictures I've taken of the flower beds and I will note the flower beds on the on I've by me on
the west side of town and compared to the ones on the east side of town. the east side of town, flower beds seem better maintained, uh, better planted for whatever reason. But to me, the flower beds that I see every day, and I included on the east side of town as well, which do look much better, um, it
just it just I I don't see even the aesthetic purpose, honestly. You barely notice them. You're in your car, you're driving 30, 35 miles an hour. I don't even see the aesthetic purpose of this. But if you look at one of these pictures, we have these newly planted
flower beds around a rusted stop rusted no U-turn sign. I don't I just don't even see the aesthetics of it, honestly. Uh if we can get something that's lower cost and low maintenance. Personally, I think just signing it makes sense because where is the aesthetic value? I
can see it a little bit maybe here on on 67th by Main Street. It's a it's a corner that has a lot more pedestrians, but on 82nd A on 154th, I don't even see the benefit even if it looked great for the cost. That's just my opinion. But I think if we can get an
idea of of something that makes sense that would not need additional cost, then I maybe that's something the council will approve. I I don't think uh the appetite from at least from the majority is here to get rid of the flowers. But personally, and maybe it's something we look at the that's why I
wanted to defer the beautifification master plan amendment because I didn't have any time to review it. I used to I don't even see the benefit as is anywhere based off the locations other than a few spots where you have pedestrians. I get it for pedestrian heavy areas, but for car heavy areas, why? What's the point of having flowers?
You're driving by 30 m hour, 35 miles an hour. I I just don't see it, but that's me. Flowers, not mulch. Mulches is later. >> Is there anything you don't hate? I don't like speed cameras, too. You're right. >> All right. Who's next? Anyone else?
>> I think that's it. >> Okay. Anyone have >> 9J? >> All right. So, 9J, Mr. Manager, potential impact of state legislative action on Advalorum tax collection. Yeah, this is a feedback on uh mayor
your item 16G and a portion of uh council member Hzburg item 16Q from last month's agenda. We quantified what we as best we could uh what the seven bills that are currently in the state house of representatives uh would uh the impact
that they would have if they were to pass on uh on the town's revenue streams. Obviously, they're based on this year's tax base because that's all we know at this point. So, this was just I don't think any action is required unless you are looking for any other
data points or any followup on this. This is justformational for the council as a feedback on the items that you guys asked for. >> I don't have anything further at this time, but you know, if that changes in January, you'll hear from me. >> Yeah. And and if you have anything, you
don't have to wait till January. If you just send it to me, we can provide it and then of course and then we can sunshine it and send it to all of you. If any one of you have it, maybe it's information that would be beneficial to all of you. >> Yeah, I at least for me I again knowing that uh the item whatever version it
takes is going to pass. uh my I would rather be try to be proactive and try to see if we can't come up with a legislative package that is revenue neutral, you know, that phases out property taxes and, you know, instead relies on alternative revenue sources. So, you know, I think uh coming up with
the, you know, I'll work with you on that as far as coming up with the package. Um, you know, obviously it's going to be a heavy lift, you know, but I think we need to start getting proactive um knowing that this is coming down the pike and that it is likely going to pass >> if if a mayor Mr. Mr. Mayor, Councilman Hersburg,
>> thank you. Um, that's the same legislative patch is what I discussed with the town manager. I believe it's something we need to make so then we can all be on the same page. Um, I don't know what you heard. I I I attended a policy update from Florida League of Cities yesterday. I it might be possible
that the House just approves all eight and says, "Here you go, Senate. Which one? Which one?" I think that's very likely and I think it's going to happen in the first few days of the session. So, um, you know, I I, you know, it seems like maybe we'll first be going asking the state senators, hey, keep us
in mind, but it's something that we'll look up. And I remember last meeting I I proposed I would provide like a sort of a first draft of a joint letter. I'll do that next meeting because I think by next meeting we'll know what the House has passed and if it's everything, then we'll figure out how we want to attack
that. They haven't announced it, but I can share that the Senate is even though they've been kind of cool to this generally, they are working on their own package. So, um I guess we just want to see what comes out of the house first. Anything else on this? Councilman
Fernandez? I just want to add that if what what I would not like I would like for us and I think the intent of of what you came up with for us to find other uh revenue sources because what I don't want is to go to daddy and ask him for money every time we need to update our
park or anything. So that's >> I agree with you. Anything further on this? Seeing nothing, we are now on item 9L, report on 2026 F. Transportation alternatives grant, which is going to be heard concurrently with I thought I had written it down. I just ended
>> 16 uh 16B and 16 >> There you go. >> 16 B and C. Yes. >> Yeah. And the reason we did it this way is uh the new mandate that the um any grant request be put into the regular resolution section. So, they're both uh
potential grants to apply for in the same program. It's the FDOT tap grant. The first one is a uh expanded sidewalk to accommodate a shared use path along Commerce Way uh from 82nd Avenue around
to where South Point is. The total project cost would be 1 uh $6 million. 1.5 would be the grant. 155 would come from the town's PTP money in out in the year 2031.
The second project is a series of lighted crosswalks similar to the one that's on Fairway and uh in front of Veterans Park. There are seven locations that have been identified. This project the total cost would be $920,000.
The town's portion again in PTP money in the fiscal year 2031 would be 92,000 and they are before you for your consideration. Obviously, you can direct us to apply for both grants, one or the
other or neither one of the uh grant applications. >> I'll go ahead and move uh that we approve the two uh resolutions for the for the TAP. It's been moved and second to discussion.
>> You want I'm in No, I'm just I'm in favor of especially with the low what what our side was is going to cost us. >> Yeah, I think I think our our share is is uh low enough for me to be comfortable with this. Um you know in the past we have spent a substantial amount of money on these lighted
crosswalks which you know relative to the accidents existing or the record of accidents existing in that on that street. while we had some high-profile incidents and some you know in the grandest scheme of things they were very low but again this uh ultimately will
have uh help out uh you know with public safety you know and also you know just enhance the area those areas and for a relatively low cost. So I'm in favor of >> and this will be past any commitments that we have several years past any commitments we currently have with 59th Avenue and so forth. That's the other
thing too that it it's pushed out far enough into the future that's not going to have any burden on Excuse me guys. Easing the conversations. Um but it's pushed out far enough into the future that I think it it will not have any negative impacts on us uh in the near
term. So with that said, is there any >> So mayor, just to be clear, >> if if this one motion is going to address 16 for both. >> Yeah, my motion was for both. Vice Mayor Moretta, >> can can the project for 16B just be
explained to me a little bit more? What exactly are we is the 1.6 is paying for? >> Yeah, absolutely. So, the 1.6 again, this Oh, sorry. That's what someone was saying to me. Um, it's a sidewalk expansion along Commerce Way. So, it would uh replace the existing sidewalk,
which is in some sections six feet and some sections 8 feet. and it would replace the entire existing sidewalk along that stretch with a 10-ft shared use path as well as add um crosswalks and some lighting in particular areas. >> Okay, >> that's it.
>> All right, see no further discussion. U all those in favor say I. I >> oppose no. >> No. >> Uh so one no. Vice Mayor Mora, everyone else say yes. >> Mr. Mayor, I am looking at I'm looking
for page 292 to read this and my book is totally off. >> Councilman, well, no, but Councilman V, remember these are the two grants, uh, 16B and C. So, are you a yes or a no? >> I am no. >> Okay, so make that two nos. >> Two nos. >> Yes. Item, the motion carries. With that
said, we are now on the attorney support item 10A, settlement with the Becker and Polycop PA law firm. >> Yeah. Um, this is probably the last case in the busy saga. >> I mean, at least we're finally moving. >> This is uh
essentially we've reached a settlement. The the attorneys handling the case for us have have reached a settlement with the Beck with the Becker firm. Uh, the money has actually been paid and it's sitting in their trust account. Uh, so there's there's no exposure to the town.
The money has been paid. Uh, I strongly recommend the settlement. Um, based on facts that were developed afterward and everything else and everything that I've learned since, uh, people have stepped up to the plate and, uh, hopefully we put this matter behind us today. Uh, I
recommend uh, the settlement. You've seen the memo, you've seen the resolution. Uh, I've briefed all of you. >> Second. >> All right. Seconded. Any discussion? >> Quickly. Councilman. >> Quickly. Councilman Quad Garcia. No, no, no, no. Just
>> Oh, okay. Yeah. So, with that, all those in favor say I. I. >> All oppose, no. The eyes have it. The motion carries. The settlement is approved. Item 10B, report on enforcement of town council ordinances and monthly report on SB 180. Uh we'll
begin with the uh Mr. uh Gustessie first. You want to defer now to your deputy attorney? >> Absolutely. >> Excellent. Mr. Kier, you're recognized. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council, Lorenzo Kovia, deputy town at Attorney. Uh just uh really quickly on the SP 180, uh the uh case has been filed, the complaint
has been filed. Uh there are several dozen cities that that are included in it. Uh we will keep on monitoring it and at the moment that uh it's ripe, we will suggest filing an amicus brief or supporting pleading uh whatever is necessary. So just to keep you informed on that. Um, as far as the enforcement
of town council ordinances, uh, we have been able to to make contact, uh, thanks to several of your efforts and and the manager's efforts, uh, and with the sheriff's department, uh, and and so now we're just organizing a meeting with the clerk and the sheriff. Uh, so by January, we'll definitely be able to
report back a meth a path forward, uh, to be able to, uh, enforce our ordinances. And that's all I have for you uh, this evening. Thank you. Okay, with that we are we uh completed the committee reports already and we are on special presentations. Please be quick on this vision zero and
transportation master plan presentation. >> I I love that that speedy walk because that's exactly what we need to do. >> Mayor Yes, Madam Clerk. >> Yes, I I was uh letting audiovisisual to know that they needed to load up the presentations. Um I'm very proud to uh I
know that I've talked to all of you all of you yes at least once in some of our outreach and community outreaches is a project that I am very excited about that I think is going to change the way we talk about conversation about transportation for the next decade or
two uh around projects in the town and I'm not going to take a lot of time because I know we need to get out of here today but uh Jesus uh Fuentes from EXP and then and human. Um, and they're going to be um we're going to make these
short but very intense. So, please pay attention because I know you're going to have questions afterwards. >> Yeah. >> Thank you for having us. >> Thank you for having us today. I'm going to be quick because it's about 10 o'clock.
Um, so you guys know that in fiscal year 23, you got $34,000 to look at the transportation network throughout the city to find ways to uh reduce crashes and minimize uh fatalities and severe injuries. And and
with this money, um you're going to be also updating the the town transportation master plan, the green grace and trails master plan, and the complete street master plan. Um but what is vision zero? Vision Zero is a initiative that comes from the federal
government that looks at uh the safe system approach which means that um you look at at at crashes in a more holistic way and in their thinking that they're preventable. Um and then you try to mitigate those by uh designing safer
roads um providing education and enforcement and and multi-layer system of protection to ensure that you minimize those crashes that result in fatalities and severe injuries. So, uh, we looked at the crashes, um, throughout
the town, um, from the year 2016 to 2024. Um, and then excluding all the crashes that are happening at the, um, the highways on the Palmetto and 75. And in the that period, you had 783 crashes. Um
and um the reason why we excluded uh the Palmetto, the Gratney and I75 is because you know um as you know that the the town of Miami is surrounded by highways and if you aggregate those crashes you might provide a false narrative that you
have a lot of crashes and when the crashes are not really happening within the town and then typically you have fluctuations or crashes going up and down. Um, Miami Lakes was doing pretty great until 2023
and then last year crashes went up 314%. Um, so we're trying to figure out how to mitigate that and and try to make sure that we can provide countermeasures that um allow for uh reducing the the the
speeding and all these different issues that are causing crashes in the town. Um and you can see the the type of crashes that are happening. A lot of the crashes are rear ending which is suggestion of a lot of um congestion. But you also have sidewipes. You also
have um left turns even crashes with animals. The point4% crashes uh were documented that way. Um off roads meaning that the cars is hitting a tree or some other item on the road.
Um and then you can we mapped them out throughout the town and you can see where all of them are located. Um and when you look at fatalities and severe injuries again it was everything was going great in 2023 but then in 2024
it went up again. Uh caveat that 2019 was the year that you have the highest number of people injured with 29, but last year you have 19. So it's still pretty high. Um and you can see that the crashes um
are happening at signalized intersections. Um, and the top five intersections where the crashes are happening, uh, Miami Lakes Drive and 57th, 163rd and 57, 57 and 142nd, 57 again with 158th and
Miami Lake uh, Lakewood North and 67th Avenue. You can see the pattern here. The 57th Avenue is the common denominator. Um and uh you will see why is that you can see the heat map uh where 57th Avenue is lit. Um you have a
lot of things happening there. Um it's not because of that. It's it's not because it's FDOT. It's just you have a much um wider road with much a larger number of of um lanes and speeds. So
that combination is a good combination for crashes to happen. And that's why you see 57th Avenue like that. But you can see also on 67th Avenue, especially around the town center, you can see it on 154th and also over there in 170th
and 87th. And in when you look at jurisdiction who uh is causing where the the crashes are happening the most about 69% of the crashes are happening on on FDOT uh roadways. Um, typically what you see in
other towns in Miami Day County, uh, the county is the second um, in that um, ranking, but in this time uh, here Miami Lakes is actually uh, Miami Lakes roads with 22%
and 9% are on county roads. Um, when you look at crashes in transit, about 68% of the crashes are happening a quarter mile from from the from a bus stop, 32% are happening within 500 ft from a bus stop. And about 1% are
related to midblock crossing. Uh, meaning that a person was trying to cross to the other side of the street after getting off the bus and got hit. Um in intersection about 71% of the crashes in Miami Lakes happen at intersections
um with 30 38% uh related to left turns and 4% are related to crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists. Uh Miami Lakes has a significant uh industrial um area and you can see those
uh orange um areas are the clusters of where you have um um freight activity and you can see where the crashes are happening in regards to those locations. So, some crashes are happening on obviously 57th Avenue, um, which is
where the majority of the industrial area is in Miami Lakes. And I I I know that 57th Avenue is half of the road belongs to the county or Opalaka, the other half belong to the town of Miami Lakes, but for the sake of doing the
analysis, you have to account it as one. Um, and you can see over here crashes happening on truck ADT. ADT is the traffic volume, daily traffic volume. You can see that 57th Avenue again is the highest with the the road with the
highest crashes, but it's not the highest with it's not the road with the highest um truck volume. It's actually 67th Avenue. is a lot of the deliveries that happen in the town centers and all this um increases the the number of of
deliveries happening and and drug uh traffic. Uh if you look at the metrics about eight eight crashes with commercial vehicles all across town and um 37% of the crashes are you know
um right on impact. And what do we do with all this information? So we created what we call the high injury network. And the high injury network is where you uh select all the roads within the town that
accumulate the majority of the crashes. And you can see there that only nine miles of roads within Miami Lates in uh account for 85% of the crashes. So it's very specifically located where things are happening and these crashes are um
these roads are the ones where we're going to focus our countermeasures where we're going to present to you next time that we present this this topic. We did a lot of public outreach. We started in July. Uh we met with a lot of of you guys um that here. Um we have been doing
also educational campaigns and we have given helmets to the folks. We started a farmers market and then we went on a night national night out uh with the police department at the beginning of August. We also here is um Commissioner
Cuadra Garcia talking to us at the um coffee at the fire station. Um we also went again to the farmers market the same day. Uh we went to the senior bingo um lunchon where we provided a lot of information and uh we collected a lot of
surveys. Uh we went to the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce um beginning of uh September. Um we went again to the bingo. Um we collected again a lot of surveys and information. Uh we went to the Cars for Heroes um and uh the Popto
Fest as well at the end of last month. Throughout this time we have met with all the committees and all the different uh stakeholders from FDOT to DTPW which is the county uh parks and wreck um uh
the trans Miami date transit um so we have gathered you know information from all different stakeholders throughout you know that deal with transportation in Miami date county Miami day tpo and etc. We have created a dashboard um if you
want to scan it look at where the crosses are happening. Uh it represents everything that um that we have collected so far with regards to metrics. We have also you want to scan it? Yep. Okay.
We once twice We have also have a public's comment map where uh residents have been pinpointing um where they would like to see improvements in town. Um the comments map is going to be open until the end of
this month because we're closing out uh the all the uh data gathering from from the the public. We have also collected a lot of surveys uh from that that is going to the virtual version is going to be open until the end of the month as
well because we're closing that out. Um and that's pretty much it for this presentation. Any questions? >> So chair >> I'll open it up to the council but first I just wanted to thank you Mr. Fuentes for the presentation. Um it was interesting. Uh it doesn't surprise me
any of the locations that were identified as part of the high injury network. Yeah. Yeah. So, it it seems about right. It makes sense. So, I guess I'll wait to hear what your what your suggestions are in the future when you come back and present. Councilman Garcia. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Yeah. And I want to just echo the fact that you I've seen
you at different events, Susan, as well working really hard trying to get that input. >> Um, and you did a real good job explaining it to us when we were there. So, thank you for that. Uh, quick question. 57th Avenue, that's the majority, but is because people are trying to make a left into Miami Lakes and a right into Miami Lakes.
>> Yes. And also because it's um if 57th Avenue functions for a lot of things. Um it's the gateway to the industrial area of Miami Lakes. So you have heavier traffic going through there. It's um the connection. People
use it to cut through to avoid all the other uh local areas to go to and take the Pomemetto. And and you can see in one of the images, I don't know if you were able to can can we go back to the other presentation.
>> Um if you can see over there, you can see the pomemetto over there by 57th Avenue. M you see the concentration of little dots. Every single little dot is a crash. So uh because you have the industrial area there and because the
Palmetto is a national part of the national freight network and because you have a lot of um um people use it to cut through traffic. You have a lot of that happening on 57th Avenue. Um >> but the other side is not Miami Leaks of
57th Avenue. >> No. No. But I wanted to point out that Yes. I wanted to point out that the 50 You mean the 57th Avenue, half of it is is Miami Lake County and the other one is Miami Lakes. Is that what you're trying to >> I know it couldn't happen. Yeah. Yeah. But that quick question, could that be
resolved by just FDOT increasing the time between the the turn signal turning red and then the green uh you know, just give more time between the signals so people won't take that left and get hit. Signal phasing is an is is an option to
improve uh yes um because you will reduce rear ending because that's the majority of the crashes that are happening in town. Um what uh we're doing in the town also went and uh seek uh went and saw additional uh funding
from the federal government to do um freight component of this event because a lot of the trucks are the turning radi of those intersections are not uh adequate and they're creating a lot of a little chaos when they turn around. So
that's an unsafe situation. >> There's a lot of things that you can do on 57th Avenue. adding sidewalk um is also on one side is also an important part what we've seen and I didn't show this over here um but surrounding the
Miami Lakes um technical uh uh school >> that one you see a lot of crashes there and there's a lot of kids going and crossing to the um there's a Chick-fil-A across from it so we've seen a lot of incidents there and what we did was an
an evaluation of the crashes that happening not every because you we want to find out if they're related to school or not. So we looked at crashes happening school days, school months and crashes happening during school time. So do you have a concentration of crashes
surrounding the schools and this location in particular is where you see a lot of that. So and that that issue has been brought up not only by us in our reporting but also has been brought up by Miami date public schools which we met and also the Miami Day TV. I
appreciate you. Thank you. >> Council Garcia just got a quick question. At what time of the day are these uh studies being done? >> The studies >> at what time of the day are these done? in the daytime, in the afternoon, at
night >> when when the frequency of the majority of the crashes are happening. >> A lot of them are happening in the afternoon get going to the evening. Yes. And I remember that when we when we you and I discussed the crashes at the uh
coffee at the uh fire department. Um there are not that many pedestrian fatalities in Miami in Miami Lakes, but one of them happened at 3:00 in the morning. It was a lady that was I think it was the intersection of
Yeah. >> Yeah. So, um, a lot of the crashes are happening, um, at night. Um, and then what we're seeing, one particular thing that is very unique because every town, every municipality is different, but one
thing that we see that is unique of Miami Lakes is that the crashes are happening because of the elderly driving or the young people driving. there's a significant concentration of old people and young people driving causing crashes
that is not seen in other parts of Miami date county. So um yeah, so that you see that um and then we um at the same time when we met with folks at the lunch and they told us that hey I
feel unsafe walking and a lot of those uh the elderly folks they they felt that they they didn't want to get out of their houses because it was too unsafe for them to walk and something that was repeated uh throughout all the experience that we have with with um the
public, they all mentioned that they would like to see traffic coming in their neighborhoods. They they feel that people are speeding too much in the neighborhood uh roads and they would like to see traffic. That came up on and on and on and on uh every single time
that we talked about that. So um but this happening at night and sometimes at night with if a person is not wearing a bright uh color clothing they cannot be seen um and then things happened unfortunately.
>> Any other questions or comments? Thank you very much sir. Thank you Susanna. Thank you for everything. >> All right so let me go to the next presentation. >> Oh sorry thought you were done. really quick. So, the reason that he's doing two separate presentations is that
uh we're sort of leveraging the data to be able to accomplish two different studies that we needed to do. The second one that he's going to be working on using the same data is the transportation master plan, which we were due since 2015 is the last time we even looked at it. So, in 2004
officially, in 2015, it was when it was assessed again. So, we're sort of rehashing all of our transportation related master plans using the same data and the same funds so that we can um get ahead of ourselves a little bit. >> Thank you.
>> Um so, like Susanna mentioned, this is the second effort that we're doing with the same information to save money to the town. Um in next time that I come to you, perhaps I'm going to be showing you uh we're going to be discussing the greenways and trails master plan. is
another effort that we're doing. Um but so we this one is a little bit different. This we're using the same data that we use for um all the other efforts but the money pot comes from the Miami date. Um, as part of the board
resolution 22 20224, the Miami Day TPO approved the municipal program and uh the Miami Lakes uh went after this program. Um, and it was awarded um I believe it was early in 2024 and it
enter into an interlocal agreement with the Miami Day TPO and to update the the master plan. The original master plan was uh adopted in 2004. So Miami Lakes was a completely
different town back then. Technology, transportation technology was a completely different uh back then. The industrial area of Miami Lakes was completely different back then. So there's a lot of things that um that were foresaw at the time that were
completely different now. So that's why we needed to look at the the um dynamics again to foresee in the future what we can pro project to uh that needs improvements. Um so the goals of the master plan is to not
only engage the community but identify funding sources for implementation strategies whether is with uh um DTPW money or the PTP money or the TAP uh the program that you just approved. Um to
update the traffic traffic models using the current data that we have. um expanding the greenways and trails master plan I mean um facilities in town conducting a comprehensive assessment of the transit in in the ondemand services
that you have and improving in first and last mile connectivity and assess current conditions and identify alternatives for safety and so that's that that's how this transportation m master plan ties in into the vision zero
so this is how Miami lakes move Miami Lakes about 76% of the population drives alone um and nine about 10% um carpool. You have a significant amount um of
folks who work from home that is about 11%. And the other modes are is very you know not that many. Um, if you look at Miami Day County, even though, you know, Miami Lakes is the the way the Miami
Lakes moves around is very typical for a suburban community. Um Miami day county has a very similar a little bit more split into other modes but um you have about 70 six 67% of the folks uh driving
alone about the same amount of uh percentage uh car pooling a much significant amount of people working from home but you have some people taking the bus walking biking so Miami Lakes as of right now doesn't have a a
right away to spare. We don't have any any more road space to widen the roads like we used to have in the past. That doesn't that's not the case. So, what we're trying to figure it out is say, can we move Miami legs closer to the
average of Miami date county not to promote or propose anything that we're gonna have brickle here in Miami because that does that's not the case. But what we're trying to see is that well can we have Miami Lakes future scenario by 2050
to be more in tune with what is Miami Day County right now. And the idea with this is to a preserve the existing suburban lifestyle. We're not proposing to have uh huge condos, brickle type
things over here. Um we want to expand the mobility options for Miami Lakers. So they can decide to move whatever, however they want, not just driving. If they want to go to the farmers market and they live close by, there's no need for them to drive. They can just, you know, walk if they provide
infrastructure for that. Um, also to acknowledge that since COVID a lot of folks are working from home and this is going to be increasing more and more and more and folks are going to be starting to work from home. So then the need of driving is not going to happen. Um, and
then to enhance the economic competitiveness. And what I said about this is that if Miami Lakes wants to retain families with young children, if Miami Lakes wants to have more businesses, Miami Lakes has to be more competitive with the rest of the Miami day county municipalities. So if Dural
is offering a perception of much more attractive for young families than providing more sidewalks, more bike lanes, more access to transit, people are going to move to Toronto instead of Miami Lakes. So Miami
Lakes needs to adapt with the changes to be more competitive to have being able to attract businesses and attract economic prosperity. So, this is about um Miami Lakes moving with Times to make sure that they you can compete with
other municipalities. And then also, I know this is very important for Miami Lakers is to respect the personal choice. If you want to drive today, you drive. You want to walk, you walk. You want to bike, you bike. Or take transit, you take transit. But we are providing options to Miami Lakers so they can
decide how they want to move. And then we started looking at every mode which was not done that way in 20 in 2004 in 2004 it was everything alto together in this case we're looking at
every specific mode in Miami lake and then providing options like that so right now you have about 10 miles of bike lanes and you can see the majority of them are unprotected the sol the the response to that people do not ride the bike why because it's unsafe for them to
ride the bike so what we're looking is that a to increase the mileage to start creating a network on bike lanes and also to provide more protection so folks feel safer uh riding the bike and then
connecting to other parts of town um for pedestrians. Right now you have 76 miles of sidewalk and a lot of those sidewalks are um some streets have sidewalks on both sides,
some streets have sidewalk on one side, some streets do not have any sidewalks. So we're trying to provide a connectivity and close those gaps and then we're proposing to build about 16 miles of sidewalk. So this will create
uh this go also along with tree canopy to ensure that folks can walk in the summer. That's something that is very important is if you um one thing that your neighborhood of the south is known
for is that you don't have any trees whatsoever and you it's the only place in Miami date county where you see the old awaitas with the umbrella because it's extremely hot. That doesn't happen here. But in some parts of this town, you have no trees whatsoever, especially
on the west side. So this is something that we have heard from the public in the lunchon that they have told us is to have for me to go outside. It's too for me to go to by Publix. So we need to provide trees. I know it sounds very
simple, but that's something adopting a tree program or creating something that creates more uh attractiveness to walking is something that we're proposing here. Transit, you have a lot of bus stops
that are not ADA accessible. Bus stops that do not have um amenities. They don't have shelters. They don't have It's only a pole with a sign and that's it. If it rains, you're screw. you get wet. If it's too hot, enjoy the sun. So,
we're trying to humanize that bus stop and provide a a decent facility for folks to take transit and be transit more um appealing. So, we looked at all those um facilities and then we created
those who are um those stops that need more attention. those the the ones that need more attentions are the ones that are not ADA compliant and they need to have some um um uh amenities so that way folks can take transit more often and
with that reliable service as we say we provide shelters to those um bus stops that have more than 20 boardings per day providing bike racks wherever the bus stops are so folks can ride their bikes to to the bus stop or
take the box the the bikes with them uh on their ride. Mid midblock pedestrian crossings where the bus stops are. Um and then providing uh east west connection. This is something that was
also mentioned a lot because you have the palmetto dividing the city between two. The city is disconnected. The Palmetto might be the Grand Canyon of Miami date because you have two completely separate u neighborhoods.
They are completely um disconnected and having that disconnection creates a lot of congestion because folks have to drive from one side to the other side. So because of that um you you need to create a way to connect the two worlds
east and west and provide um much better connectivity between the two communities. Then we look at the roads. Um as of right now there are roads already that are not meeting the level of service.
They are already um uh the town the way that the town uh decided to have the level of service was the west side of the town could be with the level ser service D. this the east side of the
town is with level service E and because they're expecting to have more you know movement of goods more activity and then so but as of right now a lot of roads do not meet the even the level of services 2025 so can you
imagine in 2050 they're not going to meet that requirement how are we going to solve this if we don't have right away to widen the roads right so that's why we need to provide more options for folks to move around the the town. By 2050, 19 of the 34 uh
more um corridors with more writership or more uh traffic volume are are going to be completely failing level even level service E. So this needs attention. Signal timing providing other options for folks to
move around. That has to be taken uh into account because as of right now the the volume of traffic is not going to meet the capacity that you have right now. And you can see here the maps of the projections of AAD the traffic
volume of 2025 and you compare it to 2050. 2050 you see a lot of red a lot of orange. >> Mr. Francis, can I just interrupt to ask approximately how many more slides do you have? >> I'm almost done. >> Okay,
>> sorry. And you can see over here the volume to capacity meaning that you're over capacity and then you need to um address the congestion. So we have set up a set of priorities of corridors and which ones need attention um from
priority one to three. We also looked at freight. Uh, as I mentioned in 2004, the industrial area Miami Lakes was not as as developed as now. So, Miami Lakes does not have a
safe way for parking, a truck parking as of right now. And the adjacent surroundings of Miami Lakes do not have it either. Um, and Miami Lakes has a lot of and Opalaka has as well and Halia has as well. Metley has a big significant uh
freight area. Um so finding parking collectively is an important uh for folks to address. You have a resolution that um prohibits parking uh on residential areas and specific areas. So
finding that solution to address parking is important. Um because trucks are going to park illegally and then that's that's you're going to have folks violating that and you have to spend resources of police department, you know, giving citations or whatnot. So recommendations for for freight, you
have to designate specific freight routes, routes that the freight can take and does not disturb the residential uh component of the town. uh do targeted in improvements intersections like I mentioned the turning radia trucks
cannot turn in certain locations so doing improving that is is important and working with regional partners to provide uh a sizable truck parking because that needs to happen to make sure that Miami continues to be competitive and it compete continues to
have a freight industry that can thrive you need to have parking so we have completed all that uh we're going to um we're working on the implementation plan right now and the final draft and we're going to
present that the implementation plan we're going to present it to you in January. Um and we're also going to present that to the planning and uh zoning. uh we're presenting to uh FTAC which is the freight technical advisory committee in December and we hope that
we have the final adoption in March and again we have the public map people have provided u comments where they would like to do improvement questions >> questions comments >> just just a comment >> Fernandez
>> through the chair >> Councilman Fernandez >> through the chair I went not as fast as I could. >> Thank you, Vice Mayor. So, real quick, I I I think we sometimes lose sight of how important it is for mobility and for for the residents to move. I I remember
being in the neighborhood improvement committee back in 2010 2012 when when our mayor was the chair and we we proposed something called complete streets. I think it was adopted. Um I would like to see that vision move forward in in our planning in the next
few years. So that's all I have to say >> and I can say to you commissioner u council Fernandez that that is another component that we need to update as part of this effort. So most likely that's the last one that we're updating and I'm most likely going to present that to you around March.
>> Any other comments or questions? Cumario. >> Thank you sir. I want to thank both of you for your hard work. >> Thank you. >> And dedication. >> Else yes. Thank you both for your hard work. um for the upcoming uh sessions.
>> Yes, >> I I would recommend it take the form of a sunshine meeting first so that you have our undivided attention and we're not thinking about other matters that are coming. We don't have people patiently waiting on uh a quasi judicial
hearing. So the initial plan was to do this at the traffic summits that we were going to have one for the east and one for the west and we were going to do a special thing but um because of the funding sources that we have that have their own calendars where they could
care less about our problems um we needed to have this adapted by a certain date which is March and you know because we postponed the traffic meetings it couldn't happen at that time so that's why we're making do with what we have >> uh And um you know, oh
>> of course it's just a recommendation just because it is a lot of information. >> That was the original intent was to to do it in a public forum so that we would have more involvement from the public as well. And as you can see this has been a big big effort of community outreach. This none of this has been created in a
vacuum. All this is obviously data collection and analysis which is what he's wonderful at. but also a lot of conversations with a lot lot of individual residents one at a time is is almost the same thing that you guys do when you go campaigning only the only thing we talk about is uh transportation
issues. So it's it's very dense in all the matters of information. >> Thank you both. >> Thank you. >> And wait hold on. >> Yes. Thank you very much. Oh, Councilman Sanchez actually before you both go some something I'd like to recommend.
This was a great PowerPoint presentation, but had we had it prior to today's meeting instead of seeing all the slides one after the other, giving us time to digest, analyze everything, I think would have been a great benefit, especially for the next meeting in January. You have another presentation. >> You will definitely have this
accessible. Um, I've already provided it to the to the clerk. I did not want to give you a preview because sometimes uh people make bad assessments and then they preconceived notions of what they're going to see. But you have access to all of that. The clerk already
has it and he will make it available to all of you and I think we're going to be putting it on the website somewhere so that it's available for the public as well because obviously none of this is secret. I it just u the information comes with the explanation and sometimes the information without the explanation kind of >> but in January there's another
presentation. Correct. 100%. Yes, there you have to adapt every one of these plans. >> So there's like four plans that have to be adapted at some point. >> Yes. So the next presentation is not going to be the same. It's going to be the actual implementation plan. How >> you would like to request for us to see
it before so we can fine. >> I'm thinking like the college mindset that you read it and then you have the lecture like >> correct. No. And then and then what me and her are planning to do is also trying to present the final recommend uh set of implementation to all these
committees that make life in in in Miami Lakes so we can have their approval as well >> and then um the first step for example for the freight uh next month we're going to seek a resolution of support from the Miami DPO FTAC. So when we come
to you, we have all this set of approvals already and then it's all kosher with everybody. >> Okay, sounds good. Thank you guys. >> Thank you very much. With that, we are now moving on to 13C which was pulled from consent. That is the infrastructure
syncing fund transfer for pocket parks and playgrounds presented by the one and only director. >> The vice mayor is the one who actually pulled it. No. >> Oh, Steve, I'm sorry. >> Want me to read it? >> They're not here, so we're still going to move it. >> Yeah. You want me to read it in? >> I'm not waiting. Uhhuh.
>> I'm not waiting. >> Uh so what uh director or Mr. Manager, why don't you guys go ahead and explain um Jeremy, go >> what this item is for. Yes. >> Yes. So this item is a budget line budget line item transfer to move money from contingency within the
infrastructure syncing fund um to fund items that are due either next year or 20 due 2026 or 2027. move them up to this year just because of their degradation of these playgrounds and some of um two of the uh basketball court surfaces to go ahead and take care
of them now as they're starting to pose not only safety concerns um but also we have identified these four are four of seven in which parts are no longer manufactured for that play series of those playgrounds. So, what you have before you is a transfer in order to go ahead and bring those four replacements
of playgrounds as well as two resurfacing projects for the only two remaining basketball courts that have not been resurfaced within the last 10 years. >> All right, I'm going to move its adoption uh approving 13C. Is there a second? It's been seconded. Any discussion on this?
>> I I just pulled it I just pulled it because it's a large item. I'm not a big fan of the consent calendar. I just wanted you to explain it. Um, did you already get bids for the playground equipment or that's something that'll happen later? >> So, no, we'll go ahead and get different quotes under the contract with the various vendors we already have and
we'll see which one fits the best and which obviously is the best deal. Um, but we took the pricing is still from the infrastructure syncing fund. The way the model's built on how much we save every year is based off of price. We kept that same amount. So, it's still the same amounts that we had previous. >> Sounds good. Thanks. >> Yeah. >> To the chair,
>> Councilman Cuad Garcia. Um, a recommendation that I'm going to make when we move forward and start investing money on uh, all these playgrounds exposed to the atmosphere, sun, water, and all the good stuff is that we start
considering purchasing products that are marine grade. They can withstand better sun. and and and if you start going into that direction of marine grade, you're going to get a lot more for your for your
buck. >> Okay, we can take a look at that. All those in favor say I. I. >> All oppose, no. >> The eyes have it. The motion carries. Is there a motion in the consent calendar? >> I motion to approve the consent calendar. It's >> been moved by Councilman Sanchez. A second. >> Second. >> Seconded by Councilman Herszburg. All
those in favor say I. I. >> Oppos? No. You guys have it and the the consent calendar is passed. There are no ordinances on first reading. So we are now on ordinances in second reading. Uh 15A amending section 13-1509 fences, walls, and gates of the code
amending regulations for fences on sidewalks facing a street east of the Pomemetto Expressway by Director Susanna Alonzo who is walking back into chambers. >> It's a I got to read it. >> He's got to read it into the record
ordinance. Go. Oh, that. Yeah, that's right. Mr. Attorney, go ahead and read the the ordinance into the record. >> An ordinance of the town of Miami Lakes, Florida, amending section 13-1509 fences, walls, and gates of the code of the town of Miami Lakes. Amending the regulations for fencings for fences on sideyards facing a street east of the
Palmetto Expressway, providing for incorporation of recital, providing for repeal of laws and conflict, providing for severability, providing for inclusion in the code, and providing for an effective date. Director Alonzo, you're recognized to go ahead and introduce the item and then we'll have the public hearing.
>> Um, this is a second hearing for this item. So, after today, we'll be or not. Um, uh, responding to your request the last time for some, uh, visuals. Uh, produced a few models. Uh, they're very simple. They're with a free stuff that I
can use on the internet. So, forgive the fact that the houses do not look like Miami Lakes houses. They have a chimney, but U but it's basically like the current code requires that the houses basically be fenced in between the two main
structures which is the point at which the the same site path for the fence as it is for the main structure. So you end up with what you have right now which is usually a short fence in between the two houses that let me see if I can
hold on I pressed something and I lost it. There you go. So right now it looks a little bit like this. Um um the proposal of the ordinance is instead of going all the way to the sidewalk which is would be next to the
person who's walking right there is to put it in hold on I'm not sure how this there you go is to go 10 feet from the sidewalk 5t from the main structure um which in in uh in in in elevation looks
a little bit like this. So, it's still far away from the person walking down in the sidewalk. It's still 10 feet, but it does provide a little bit of um privacy for for the windows. Um this was heard by the planning board last week. I did not have because it was heard on a
Wednesday and I did not have time to put it on the I usually like to put the recommendations on the memo but did not happen because of agenda uh constru recommendations. They were very concerned about the fact that the fences would look different from one property to the other one. Um as you can see that
they would be the different material in the two properties. Um honestly that's something that can't be helped because that's true today. That already happened. So that's not but that was one of the biggest concerns they had. They al they also had some some concerns
regarding um the materials that are used for fences. They would prefer not to see um chain link fencing and or wood fencing which has really bad um longevity issues. Right. But again not something that would be contemplated in
today's um ordinance. So just to be clear, what was the they raised concerns, but did they ultimately recommend >> they ultimately recommended um to proceed, but they would like to consider the the the aesthetics of fences maybe
at a later date. >> Excellent. Okay, with that, I'm going to go ahead and open the public uh hearing on this item. Is there anyone wishing to speak on this item? >> Seeing none in chambers, madam clerk, is there anyone online? >> No one is online, mayor. >> All right, the public hearing is now closed.
So, with that, um, is there a motion? >> I motion to approve the ordinance and second reading. >> I move. I move. It's It's a verb. >> You always say I move. It's a verb, not a noun. >> I I move to approve the ordinance and second reading. >> There you go. All right. So, it's it's
been moved and seconded. Any discussion on this? Seeing none, all those uh Madam Clerk, please call the role. >> Yes. >> Ordinance in second reading. Item 15A. Council member Hzburg. Yes. >> Council member Sanchez. >> Yes.
>> Council member Garcia. >> Yes. >> Council member Cuadra Garcia. >> Yes. >> Council member Fernandez. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Morera. >> Oh, he's out. Mayor Mayor Diegas. >> Yes. >> The ordinance in second reading. Item
15A passes. >> Excellent. We are now on 16A. Resolution creating a charter revision commission and providing for an appointment procedure for members of the commission. Mr. Attorney, I guess you want to >> I guess this is our item. Uh it's that time.
>> It's that time we It's that it's that time of the decade, I guess, or every five years, whatever. >> Um >> yeah. Uh we need you guys to each appoint uh someone to the charter review commission >> and we need to say their who they are now.
>> Um does it have to be right now? Yeah. >> Yes. So from uh why don't we go left to right? We'll begin with Councilman Sanchez. Who are you naming as your appointee to the charter division commission? >> My appointee is former council woman Marilyn Ruano. >> Excellent. Uh >> oh. You could do so much better than that. No.
>> Wow. >> Wow. >> I'm kidding. I'm kidding. She's a friend. >> And she's getting You know what? I'm going to make sure the best appointment. >> Uh-huh. There we go. Councilman Fernandez. >> Very very proudly I'm uh appointing Lin Moss. Okay.
>> Excellent. I am appointing uh uh Jav Leoto. A we'll temporarily pass up the vice mayor. Councilman Garcia. >> I am appointing Omero Cruz. >> A Councilman Herszburg, >> Hector Abad >> and Councilman Guad Garcia.
>> I'm uh appointing uh Dr. David Bennett. >> All right. All good appointments. All very good appointments. >> I guess can somebody get a hold of the vice mayor and and uh and see who he's appointing? We know I mean I know who
Vice Mayor Modera is appointing but Alexis >> Mayor I think it may be prudent since you're appointing here in a public meeting that an amendment be profered that in the event that any one of you your design for some reason has to come
off that you guys can appoint a replacement by designation by a notice to the clerk's office instead of it having to come back in a public meeting. >> Okay. Well, so here so that there's no debate >> uh but first to complete the list, Mr. Vice Mayor, who are you appointing?
>> Ramroano. >> Great choice. Okay. Um with that, uh now that we've named our appointees, uh I'll go ahead and profiter the amendment that in the event one of them uh is no longer able to to continue to serve uh that we can uh just
appoint someone new by notifying the clerk. Um you know, thank you. Move and second. All those in favor say I. I I >> oppose. No. >> The amendment passes and we're back on the main motion. All those in favor say I. I. >> All oppose, no.
>> Item 16A passes. We are now on item 16D, A CO and D 2025 uh-0386 requesting conditional use to operate a clinical research facility within an industrial district within the town by
the uh Susanna Alonzo. Director Susanna Alonzo. This is a quasi judicial public hearing. Um, let me get my handy dandy rule sheet out. >> All right, I've got to read something in. >> Huh? >> I've got to read something in. >> Yes, that's right. Go ahead while I go
ahead and I uh pull out this rule rules. >> All right, I'm going to proceed. Um, please be advised that the following items on the board's agenda are quasi judicial in nature. 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. 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 be either cross-examined or sworn, your testimony will be given its due weight. The general public will not be permitted
to cross-examine witnesses, but the public may request the board to ask questions of staff or witnesses on their behalf. Persons representing organizations must present evidence of their authority to speak for the organization. Any person presenting documents to the board should provide the town clerk with a minimum of 10
copies. Further details of the quasi judicial procedure may be obtained from the clerk. This is going to be hearing number 2025386. The applicant is panax clinical research LLC. It's regarding uh uh folio number
32-2013 0340010 5845 Northwest 158 Street, Miami Lakes, Florida 33014. >> Okay, with that um this is the point where Madame Clerk, please swear in all those who will be speaking in these proceedings.
>> Please raise your right hand. Do you swear to say the truth and only the truth? So help your God. Very well. And also for the record, I just want to state that I received the exarty communications form from all the elected officials. None of them have had
any communications or so they stated. All right, with that, the public hearing on item 16D is now open. Is anyone um not including the applicant? Anyone wishing to speak on the item? Seeing
none, madam clerk, anyone on the line? For record, no one is participating in the remote public comments. >> All right. So, the public hearing is now closed and we will hear from the staff first to
go ahead and make their case. >> Good evening again, Susan Alonso for the planning department. Uh this is a conditional use request from uh Panax Clinical Research. Uh they're uh requesting conditional use to operate a 9,8585
uh square foot location space in in the industrial district. Uh they're seeking conditional use to operate a a clinical patient uh facility that uh has inpatient admissions. In other words, people that sleep there around 15 inpatient admissions per month. uh and
they uh as per the letter of intent uh is uh how uh staff is recommending approval uh with the conditions herein and I'm going to let the uh applicant explain their operation. >> Hi, my name is Maria Roberedo. I'm the
CEO at Panax Clinical Research. We're currently located at 146 uh 100 Northwest 60th Avenue in the research industry and we're looking to relocate. >> Can you bring the mic just a little closer to you? Sorry. Thank you.
>> We're um looking to relocate to this new facility to expand. Right now we have uh 5,000 square ft and uh we need more space. So um we're working with Graham to facilitate this location. and it's
now 15,000 ft² and it's supposed to be split into 10,000 or 9,500 and the the other unit will have the remaining amount. Um so what we do is we're a
clinical research site and we do clinical trials for the pharmaceutical companies. So there are times when patients come and they do outpatient visits and they leave. There are other times when they have to stay in house and we have to observe the patients
after we give them the new medication that's being marketed. Um so we do have 16 inpatient beds. We have 24-hour staffing when there is patients that have to stay overnight in our facilities. Um we have physician nurse
practitioners and all of our staff is licensed or qualified to uh give care to the patients. Thank you very much. Uh with that >> I move >> well wait. Yeah
again we this whole process before we get there. So uh with that the applicant has made their presentation. Any participants may present their testimony. I just want to uh state for the record that I should not have closed the public hearing just yet. That's later. So the public hearing is still open. With that there being no
participants were uh now we go to the applica. come up and therefore there's no cross examination by the applicant. There's no one to cross. The staff does not want to cross anybody. Now, u uh council, now is your chance to ask questions of the applicant
or staff? Uh, Councilman Sanchez, >> due to the proximity um to the high school across the street, is that a factor in determining like the uh if if this is allowable within a certain amount of distance from a school?
>> Not in this case. No. Uh proximity to the school would be a factor if this was like an like a hospital, but it's this is a small operation that does not have any uh radius of operation requirements. Uh the biggest concern here is whether
or not because they're sleeping there, whether or not this is going to be used as a long-term residential facility or whether or not there's going to be patients that are going to be utilizing the area as as you know as a residential. But this is a completely closed facility as per their letter of intent. So there's not going to be any
patients walking around on a regular basis, which is what we're going for. >> So in other words, we shouldn't hear any complaints from Miami Day County Public Schools with having this across the street from >> We should not. >> Okay. That's the only concern I have. Thank you. >> Any other questions?
>> Seeing none, uh we now move uh to Okay. Was staff rebuttal, but would you like to rebut anything? Okay. Um would you like to rebut anything? >> No. >> Okay. I I I'm going through all the procedures here one at a time. All right. With that, the public hearing at
this point is now closed. And now we can go ahead and have a motion on the table to go ahead Approve. >> Second for discussion. >> He's been moved by the vice mayor, seconded by Councilman Fernandez. Any discussion? >> I'll just say that I have a my best
friend operates one of these and you know they function within our rules and I don't think there's going to be an issue any issue about this. >> Please tell Danny I said hi. Um Mr. Vice Mayor, >> thank you for choosing to stay and expand within our town. >> Thank you.
>> Anybody else? Madam cler. Yeah, madam clerk, please call the role. Item 16D. Council member Hzburg. >> Yes. >> Council member Fernandez. >> Yes. >> Council member Cuadra Garcia.
>> Yes. >> Council member Garcia. >> Yes. >> Council member Sanchez. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Mora? >> Yes. >> Mayor Diegas? >> Yes. >> Item 16D passes. >> Excellent. Thank you very much. Good
night. Okay. And congratulations with that. We are now on item 16E FY2024-2025 year end budget closeout by direct budget director Hernandez. Unless Mr. Manager you want to fill in this this is
just the uh year-end budget closeout of last year's budget. It has nothing to do with this year's budget. So this is the close out of last year's budget and it's something that we're obligated to uh to handle by November 30th at the latest. >> I move to adopt. It's been moved by the vice mayor. Is there a second? I'll
>> second. >> It's been moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> All right. Seeing none, uh, again, this is a resolution, right? So, uh, all those in favor say I. >> I. I. >> I. >> All oppose? No. The eyes have it. Uh, item 16E passes. We are now in 16F,
non-revolving line of credit. >> Um, you know, Mr. manager. >> Yes. This is as uh directed by the council to when we were going to propose to do a new solicitation for a new line of credit. It was uh recommended that we explore the option of just extending our
existing line of credit which we did. We were able to negotiate with Bank United for an extension. It is uh we actually got a reduction in our interest rate of 25 basis points. The new draw period under the new terms is going to go from
30 months to 36 months. And we actually got a reduction in fees from the bank and the bank attorney of $20,000. >> Is there a motion? Moved by the vice mayor. Is there a second? Seconded by Councilman uh Sanchez. Any discussion?
Seeing none. All those in favor say I. I. All oppose. No. >> The eyes have it and 16F passes. Bringing us now to 17A. my item on alternative on alternative revenue opportunity. Um, again, I think the memo is pretty specific enough as far as uh
what I'm looking to do. This is solely to explore um what legislation that would authorize these electronic billboards would look like. I have loaded it up with all sorts of restrictions as you can see there. The intent here is that staff will obviously come back with u you know more
information as far as for example what would be the design standards and aesthetic standards that we would impose um on uh these sites. Again, I want to emphasize that this only would permit for uh enough billboards that would meet the spacing requirements in state and
county law. Uh and that in, you know, if for whatever reason there would be an opportunity for more than two, that would be denied because we are only operating up to a maximum of two of these electronic billboards. This would create an opportunity for us to finally get um not only revenue share for our
budget, but specifically what I would want to do is put part of it toward the special needs advisory board, which does not have a a budget is wholly reliant on the mayor's gala and its success or failure for their funds. I think this would give them uh or be an opportunity to give them at least some you know
regular sources of funding so as to take some of the pressure off the gala and perhaps the gala also can fund uh other organizations as well in the future uh depending on what comes with this. Um uh another uh thing that I wanted to to
emphasize here is again uh this is a you know there would also be a requirement that they provide appropriate documentation to verify uh what is being earned by these boards to make sure that we are getting the you know our share of the revenue share that we're asking for which I have here at 25% of their sales.
Um that is the motion. Is there a second? Thank you. Seconded by the vice mayor. Um a discussion beginning with the vice mayor. >> Just a brief uh friendly amendment which is within the staff's exploration whether the town owns any land that would satisfy your uh your conditions.
>> That's an interesting point. Uh I'll go ahead and I'll second that as part of the exploration. Everybody understood that? >> Yeah. >> All right. Any questions on the amendment before we get back to main motion? Okay. So with that, all those in favor of the amendment say I. >> I. >> I. All oppose? No. The amendment passes
and we're back on the main motion as amended. Uh further discussion, uh Councilman Herszburg and then Councilman Sanchez. >> Just for transparency, I I like the idea. I just don't like billboards. So, uh I can go be a no. But, you know, let's let's see what staff comes up with. >> It's not made of molds. I promise you.
>> I know. I just I just want to be transparent that I I I mean, staff can change my mind. You can change my mind. But right now, I'm I'm a No. >> Um >> that's fair. Hold on. Hold on. I had called out Councilman Sanchez first and then we'll go over to you, Councilman Garcia. Councilman Sanchez,
>> I reviewed this this item um and I had somewhat difficulty wrapping my head around this just because of the restrictions that we have and and legal can attest to this that we can dictate size and things like that, but not the content that goes on these billboards. Um you know, and that to me it can be
can be a gray area and not just that, it can create if it's like a digital one create more light pollution. And something that I very much enjoy coming into Miami Dates and coming out of Haley and V and and the neighboring communities is that we don't have that aesthetic of just billboard billboard billboards and marketing marketing
marketing. Um, you know, it's nice to get into town and the aesthetic is just trees and neighborhoods and things like that. So, you know, it's it's it's the first thing is what's going to go on the billboards and do we have any say in in what can go or not go? Um, and that's something for for
>> On that note, I have a question for the attorney. Mr. attorney. Can we regulate or are are these commercial advertisers allowed to display pornography on the billboard? >> I don't think so. >> So, I mean, I would imagine then that
that's a a regulation that prevents them from doing so, right? >> What's the question in particular? >> My question was uh the councilman had a concern about content regulation. Okay. >> Right. >> Are these adver are these uh people permitted to advertise? uh
>> you you can regulate content. >> Yeah. >> To to to some extent. >> Also, for example, you're driving through Hay and there's a billboard. I see it all the time for la bombita, you know, and that's not something that is we've >> create regulation. >> So, that's not pornography, but it's not
something I'd like to see advertised on a billboard in in the town of Miami. >> Correct. >> You know, it's to some extent. >> The problem is because of the Reed case, it's an area of the law that's in flux. Well, I think in that case though it was, if I correct me if I'm wrong, I
think I think there was a the if I recall correctly that had to do with the the regulations on the size of the signage and everything else was so profound >> in terms of the impact that it had on the text you can put on those signs that
it was considered a backdoor way of restricting speech. I don't recall if the speech at issue was religious, political, or commercial. >> It was an advertisement for a church. Yeah. >> Well, I mean then I think I think that's an important factor because commercial speech receives less protection under
the first amendment of course compared to political or religious speech >> directions on how to get to a church or something. >> Yeah. It it was for for like a rumage sale at a church. >> Okay. So So there's two types of signs that that you're usually dealing with in in this neighborhood. One is your your billboard signs and the other one is
your media signs or media billboards. Those are the ones that may be affixed to a building and may be uh digital in nature. Both are kind of reg both both are regulated by FDOT depending on if they're visual to a street or not. But both can also be regulated by the uh
local municipality or the local government. So within certain uh frame framework, yes, you can regulate you know those. >> Yeah. And I think that's what the intent of this item is, is to, you know, for sure have these restrictions that are listed in my memorandum, but then also to explore other things. So I would ask
you, Councilman Sanchez, though, not to let that that particular concern be an end- all beall. As far as a light pollution, I understand, but that's also why I restricted it to only certain areas abuing the Palmetto so that it would not have a negative impact. We already have a lighted billboard in an
industrial area, which is in essence what these zoning districts are. Um, >> Miami. Yes, you know, and you know that obviously is just for them to advertise themselves. This would obviously be different, but again, we could regulate the dimensions and everything else to avoid that issue of light pollution.
Although I understand where you're coming from. Listen, I've grown up in this town for now 36 years. >> You know, I remember what it was like before. Councilman uh Fernandez has also been, you know, nearby and and part of the town for, you know, for as longer,
right? um you know but you know and listen I really thought very long and hard about this but I think that there is an opportunity here for us to be able to you know help out our budget situation and help out an important committee here. So I would ask that we at least have the opportunity to explore it um you know be before we just
kill it outright especially since your content concern we can address that you know when the item comes up again. Okay. >> Um I think it's very it's safe to say look at look I can count votes I can tell that this you know may have some opposition. So it's entirely possible to die but that's why I'm asking perhaps to
let us go through this process and then let it die if anything in the future. That would be my my request of my colleagues generally. >> Um councilman. Okay. >> If I may I apologize council Hersburg the same way that I cut off council Garcia. I have to be fair. Council Garcia you have the
>> Thank you for recognition. Basically um I kind of heard it uh that it would be on our outskirts. It definitely won't wouldn't be uh >> Yes, it would be on Well, it would be uh abuing the Palmetto Expressway, which could be on the outskirts depending on where it's at, but it's limited to those
zoning districts that are away from our residential areas. >> Yeah, let's do a study and get back. Let's have uh >> that's um our um >> our staff come back. >> Our staff come back and um >> Thank you, Councilman Garcia. Councilman
Herszburg. >> No, listen. I I just want to be clear that if it comes back, I I'm I don't see myself approving, but I'm not going to stop staff from bringing it back to us. So, let's I think we should move, you know, proceed with item to at least get staff to give us the details
>> through the chair. >> Thank you, Councilman Garcia. >> Yeah, mayor. I'm open to it. I just like to see a little more openness on the um how we use the revenue like more, you know, public safety and just keep keep that avenue open to where our needs um are. Yeah. Yeah. So, if we can just keep
that open, I would appreciate that. >> Yeah. Again, it is open because this is just these were basically the bare minimum restrictions as I think it's pretty clear based on just the amount of restrictions already loaded up into the memorandum that I struggled with this a lot. But I see other municipalities that are doing, you know, being able to put
the revenue they get from this to to good use. And I, you know, feel that especially after the touch the tough budget year that we just went through, this is an opportune time. if staff could uh in looking into this give us a visual to help us what it would look
like. I I would appreciate that because turning that turning, you know, the the the curve and seeing that uh would just as a visual would give it be easier for me to make that choice. Uh but thank you so much. I'll be I'll be approving it to to move forward >> for the exploration of it. Okay, with
that just be safe, madam clerk. Please call the royal uh royal on this one. Council member Garcia, >> yes. >> Council member Hzburg, >> yes. >> Council member Cuadra Garcia, >> yes.
>> Council Member Fernandez, >> yes. >> Council member Sanchez, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Mora, >> yes. >> Mayor Diegas, >> yes. >> The motion passes. >> Thank you, Madam Clerk. With that, we uh already took up 17B, so we are now in 17
C by Councilman Herszburg. resolution in support of House Bill 115, property damage caused by limestone mining operations by Representative Fabricio 2026. >> Uh, thank you, mayor, and I will part of my motion. Now, we're I'll amend the
resolution also because I by the time I gave this to the clerk, the Senate bill was not filed. Now, the Senate bill has been filed. Senator Aia Aio has filed Senate Bill 416, which is the same uh issue, property damage consimestone mining operation. So I will move that we
approve the resolution as amended including the Senate bill 416 and transmit it as a as applicable. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say I. >> I. All oppose. No. >> The eyes have it. The motion carries. And we are now on 17D. Pathways to
additional Wait, did I skip? No. Pathway to additional officers, which is my item. Um, in the last campaign, I made uh promises to, you know, explore ways to add more police officers. Again, it's part of residents continued desire to have a more visible police presence. Um,
you know, as the major alluded to earlier, uh, I think residents, in fact, I've heard compliments over the last, you know, two, three months in particular, that they're seeing a more visible presence out there, which is exactly what we want and has taken off, in my opinion, some of the heat that that I used to get, you know, that where
where are our officers? I don't see them, you know, and and you know, whatever they're doing is working now. Um but it you know again at some point we will need to have more police officers on the street to make sure that response times stay at the right level of service that we want. Um so with this
more specifically I want what I want here is for the town administration to come back to us with more specific criteria that once these benchmarks are hit uh this would be when we need to have the additional officers. Right. Right now, the last couple of discussions that we've had about adding
more police have centered around that we do that, you know, the manager and the police and the uh town major, you know, they go through a review process every now and again, you know, to determine whe whether more are necessary, but I kind of want to have more concrete uh metrics, which I think would also uh
allow us to talk to the residents more accurately or more and more clearly about when uh new police officers should be added and and it also, I think, takes some of the politics out of it if we have these clearer metrics. So that is exactly what I'm uh asking for uh with
this item. So that is my motion. Um it's been seconded by the vice mayor. Any discussion? >> All right. >> Yes. Actually I >> Council Garcia >> mayor, I agree with you 100%. I know I brought this up twice over the last couple years with business with um and the town looked into it. I know the manager looked into it. the metrics he
used was service level and uh but something a metrics that if we hit automatically triggers um us having to add officers is is a is a great idea and I think it's along a line of all of our
commitments to public safety. So I I'm going to happily uh say vote yes on this. >> Thank you. Any other discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say I. >> I oppose. No. Yes. Have it. And 16D passes. Uh we are now 17D, pardon me. Uh
we are now in 17E. Appropriation request by Councilman Sanchez. >> Yes. First I need to amend my uh the the um the memo um down the second paragraph of recommendation of 165,000. That number is incorrect. It's 115,000. Now
I'm going to fall back as to why. So as you all know, I've taken on my primary project for me is a traffic mitigation at Bob Graham Educational Center. And you know, we've developed different ideas of of implementing a higher fence in order to allow for earlier staging, but there's also a component of adding a
third lane. So, I am recommending sticking a staggered approach where we first implement the fence and we come back at a later date, maybe a year down the line, in order to add the third row. But to do this, we do need funds. We need uh $50,000 for a study for the third lane and $65,000 for the removal
of the existing fence and adding the new fence at a sixoot height that would allow further pre-staging that would move those cars off of our main streets and onto the property of Bob Graham Educational Center for allowing of easier flow of traffic. I've already spoken with Representative Alex Rizzo
and he is happy to to sponsor this um this appropriation request. So I move to have this appropriation request go through the process of Tallahassee. It is due on the 21st of November. So this is our last chance in order to get
across discussion. >> Seconded by the vice mayor who will now lead us in uh the discussion. >> I just want to point clarification on the very last thing Councilman Sanchez said. Um so are we approving this but then we're getting reimbursed by the state? No. Did I misunderstand that
part? >> Yeah. So this is asking the state for appropriations in order to do the study for the third lane and to build out the new fence. >> Okay. So this is to modify our appropriations and our legislative. >> This is adding to that. >> Okay.
>> But this would go through representative Rizzle's office instead of representative. >> So no new money out of our town budget. >> Exactly. >> Okay. >> Through the chair. >> Councilman Quad Garcia. >> So did you did I just hear that no monies are coming from our
Okay, great. As long as we don't touch any of our residents taxes, I'm okay. >> And uh can you clarify the change from 165 down to 115? >> Yes. I I added up 115,000 plus 50, but the 115,000. It was my miscalculation
already includes the 50,000 for the study of the third lane and the 65,000 for the the U chain the uh the fence removal and replacement. >> Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say I. I I >> All oppose. No. The eyes have it. 17e
passes. We're now on seven. >> Huh? >> Yes. We're now on 17F. Evaluation of cost savings and alternatives to decorative mulch and quarterly flower rotations. You know, the councilman uh you know, sir, I think you need some counseling.
>> Okay. So, I'm not going to talk about flowers because we already talked about that. Uh just mulch. Well, mulch is the million-dollar question, guys. And look look at the numbers. It's it's we're looking at over $1.1 million in 10 years. And that doesn't include inflation.
All I'm asking for staff to do, we can decide if we want to kill it or not later. All I'm asking for staff to do is to see if it's a if it's a realistic possibility. Uh our biggest mulching is the pocket parks, right? Is it a realistic possibility to look at something else that's not yearly
changed? Uh right now it's yearly changed. the full the the the full-time budget, the full funded budget was every six months. That was $100,000 just to mulch the pocket parks. We cut that at at the budget hearing. So, all I'm asking is that uh staff comes back to
us, evaluates what other options there are. Are there other options that make sense for the for majority park pocket parks and what the cost would be? There would be a capital cost at the beginning and what the long-term savings and then we can make a decision whether or not we want to do it. So, that's my motion.
I'll second. >> Sorry, I was looking at the mayor's gall of photos >> with that. Um, okay. Uh, move seconded by Councilman Fernandez. Any discussion? >> All right. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose. No.
>> The eyes have it. 17F passes and we're now 17G by Councilman Sanchez sponsorship database. >> I'll check out the photos later. >> Okay. So the background is that the town council has encouraged all town committees to seek sponsorships to offset in part or in full the cost
associated with their initiatives. To facilitate this process, the town's communication department maintains an online sponsorship registration platform where local businesses can sign up for to receive notifications of upcoming events. Those events are categories by type, including family, youth, cultural,
senior, patriotic, and adult. To help businesses align their sponsorship interests with relevant community activities, my recommendation is to expand and strengthen the town sponsorship network. I recommend that a comprehensive list be compiled of all the sponsors who have already
contributed to events in the last five years. This database would serve as a foundation for outreach efforts by town committees to reconnect with past sponsors and establish relationships with new one. Additionally, outreach should target recent recently
established businesses within the town as well as businesses holding a valid business tax receipt or certificate of use that have not previously participated in sponsorships potentially due to lack of awareness about available opportunities to sponsor. This proactive approach would enhance engagement with
the business community and increase sponsorship participation across town programs and events. So I >> I'll second for discussion. >> It's been uh moved by the by Councilman Sanchez, seconded by the vice mayor. Any discussion? >> Yeah, just very briefly. >> Go ahead.
>> Um my only concern I I love the idea. My my only concern is are we sending a message of your reward for sponsoring an event is that now you get put on a list to get contacted to sponsor again. >> No. Where this idea originally came from
is for example there's a a local business that is >> there has to be is my main thing. There has to be some sort of opt. >> Well that's a legal there has to be an opt out option. That's that's a legal component to it um for a subscription based email. But there's a local business that I'm actually bringing in as a sponsor for
the reindeer the reindeer run that has told me I didn't know that these events happen and I'd love to to sponsor more because it brings publicity to my business. It's a local business and they're about to to be because of your your challenge. >> Yeah, I support >> so they want to know that this exists out there.
>> I support it as long as um the you know they have an opportunity to opt out and >> Yeah. It's not forced upon. It's not forced upon. >> Anyone else? All those in favor say I. I. All oppose. No. The eyes have it. 17G
passes and we are now on mayor and council member council member reports. Councilman Herszburg, you're recognized for your report in 18A. >> Well, we're not going to finish the year and not not talk about blasting. So, uh, first ju just just briefly, we've been we've been at this for a year. It's been a pleasure working with everybody in the
town staff. Um, I I definitely enjoyed it. We've, you know, I've learned a lot um regarding uh rock mine blasting. Obviously, we have Frision and the senator have filed bills. Let's get on lobbying efforts. I'm looking at the possibility. We don't have a travel
budget, but I'll send myself to Tallahassee at some point to do that. Uh if I do, I'm happy to tell the clerk and we and the clerk can let you know what dates I'm thinking of. Um I'll be going to the Miami Dade delegation meeting on December 18th. And then regarding the
litigation, there is a possibility. This is not our last meeting. Uh we might have to have a special call to discuss the litigation trying to get something filed. Yeah. >> Uh so >> yeah, I'd like to have that special call. >> Okay. So I mean a lot of talk and done a lot of work behind the scenes
>> and there's things that we need to discuss seriously and uh but when that time comes up, no, it's got to be a special call. We can't do an executive session because there's no litigation pending. So, just keep that in mind. Okay. >> Yes. Thank Thank you, Councilman Herszburg, for that uh update. Uh
everyone, uh again, this is our last meeting until uh next year. So, uh good work. We I was a little concerned we're going to finish after midnight uh tonight given the the the pace of things, but we picked it up at the end. >> With that, I wish you all a good night and I'll see you guys in the new year.
Uh there being no further business, the council is now the town council meeting is now adjourned at 11:17 p.m. >> I have I have permission till 3 in the morning, sir.