e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e testing e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e welcome welcome to our our March council meeting 2024 it's crazy off F year flies by the vice mayor and councilman coyazo can uh join me we have some incredible folks here uh with us today that we're going to be recognizing and and speaking to uh is D Deon Dian you're here Dian uh come up with us for a second and we have a special recognition for Monica viamontes for her leadership dedication and uh and commitment so Dan before we call her up I want to hand it over to you Al righty thank you Mr Mayor thank you everyone for being here today um so just a little background on Monica so Monica is the Spanish Honor Society president at Barbara Gman Senior High um or the high school that we attend um so I met Monica two three years ago um when she joined the club I've been a member of like since you know since it was found basically but Monica has sort of a unique story so Monica arrived here uh in the US at the age of 10 um from Cuba thanks to her mother who's actually here today um and she was able you know she was able to assimilate relatively quickly to to the system that our our country you know adopts so essentially she goes into the school system she she's an ESO student she gets out of eso very quickly um and she joins the mock trial team at our school sadly she was taken out of the mock trial team because supposedly her accent didn't qualify her to be part of the team but you know she didn't give up so she she knew that she had a purpose in her community so she decided to go on and join Spanish Honor Society and become the treasur of the club um after that you know she took on the challenge of becoming president so she's currently the president of the school of the sorry of the club at our school um but all I have to say is that with all the stuff she does um apart from you know just being the president of one of the few honor societies at our school She's a Very dedicated member of the community she gives back and she does a lot for for you know for the community as a whole and um apart from the recognition that we're giving here today um I would like to in like I would like to um on behalf of my nonprofit organization um Monica if you can come up real quick so please give her a round of of [Applause] Applause so um on behalf of my nonprofit organization um I know that Monica you know she she's been going through a lot regarding you know going to college and stuff like that so you know so to sort of give her the push to continue pursuing a change in her community by pursuing a college degree um on behalf of ivone nation Inc we will be granting her in honor of History Month a $250 scholarship for her academic Pursuits so so if her mom can come up maybe the teacher is also from our school to take a picture that would be I didn't have anything planned but I'm actually super grateful and this is a huge honor to me as you know an immigrant and my mom is here and she's basically the reason that I'm here and it's such an honor to get this in front of my mom and see everything that I've accomplished because of her so I would like to thank you Mom this because of you thank you guys so again if her mom can come up right Miss come up for the picture come up for the picture come over here yeah Miss come on come on e next up I'm going to hand it over to councilman coyazo thank you very much mayor and um really this is something that I'm presenting um to another commissioner who has really made it his passion this year to to recognize col Colo cancer awareness month and uh my father died of coloral cancer it's a cause that's near and dear to me but commissioner Stern from the City of Aventura actually pledged to get all 34 municipalities to profer plation and I was proud to sponsor it um and commissioner Stern will be coming here to the town of Mi Lakes to pick it up but really I appreciate mayor uh for the opportunity we're really doing this to raise awareness throughout entire Miami day County and we're just proud to be one of the municipalities I think uh the the clerk confirmed that almost every single municipality contributed and we're happy to do that on behalf of commissioner turn and we'll be giving this to him uh in person through the clerk's office at a future date so thank you very much every five years get screen guys it's very easy and girls very simple I got my screening this this year and uh nothing to be afraid of actually the best sleep I got in a long time and put something in Awareness post so we have um we have an organization that's been here in our community uh since 2000 going to be celebrating their 25 year anniversary here in our community and it's a a great great organization here uh in our town that uh that does amazing work every day and and I'll never forget one of the first times that I I was on Main Street a years and years and years ago that 20 so 2000 I was a sophomore in high school so I was running around on Main Street I remember seeing like a sign like the Miami Lakes welcome center and you know how how how cool how cool that was for a municipality to have that especially before a town incorporates right having a private business go above and beyond but all these years later always giving back and being great examples uh in our community having great staff members folks um throughout the town of Miami Lakes but their broker who's a who's a great example the the owner there uh in our community who's not only a friend but somebody who's done um amazing work in the town of Miami Lakes and and somebody uh who showcases what ethics is in in the real estate world right especially real estate World in Miami is a little interesting sometimes and I think he's one of those folks uh who always ensures that him uh all the Realtors under him always do the right thing by uh their clients the folks that they represent so um I want to call up the Alex Ru and the kais company uh up here if you guys can join me for so we can honor you [Applause] all so we're as the kais company of Miami Lakes Realtors and staff organizes professional networking events promotes local businesses for growth and all always is giving back to the community in so many ways and where whereas they assisted recently in the renaming of Northwest 82nd Avenue into Rosen Nell Hammer way Rose a Miami Lakes resident in wiltor has helped populate the Miami Lakes Community since the inauguration of the Graham company's uh developments whereas they continuous sponsorship of the Jesse J uh McCrae Jr Elementary School via monetary donations and feeding the less fortunate families throughout the year whereas adult CH cycling challenge the Miami Lakes office is fully committed to participating and fundraising for cancer research and treatment for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and whereas the kais company continues to assist families relocating in uh to our community and unfortunately some of those folks that maybe when they get older they got to move they want to move uh up north and retire uh out of Miami Lake since the year 2000 and now therefore I manid by virtue of the authority vested in me as a the mayor of the town of Miami Lakes and on behalf of the Town Council and all 33,000 uh Miami Lakers do hereby Proclaim Wednesday March 13 2024 as the kais company of Miami Lake [Applause] State well I'm very proud and honored to receive uh this Proclamation on behalf of uh my office my agents my company it's uh really an honor to to work and live in Miami Lakes and it's uh it's been a great journey and we're continuing the fight uh we we do uh just like you mentioned earlier about the the cancer with the cancer research at the Silvester we've been sponsoring now for about 11 years we've collected over $2.1 million and um the the dolphin cycling challenge is the large fundraising uh organization in the NFL this past uh uh week and uh and um orestes was one of the writers we um we raised $12 million in one day so collectively not just our company so I'm honored to receive this and I appreciate you guys and keep doing the great work that you're doing thank you I was going to bring all 128 but they couldn't make it should have should have all right so this this next business been in our town for for 30 years um this business owner is one of the most uh what it's 33 now okay okay 33 years he well if the elderly Affairs committee you guys want to come join us come on up if you guys uh come join us as well but this next individual um is one of the most loving human beings that you can uh ever ever meet right a when you own a business sometimes it's a lot of times people think it's just about money money money money but this guy really showcases um what love is and I I'll never forget one of the first times um that I met him I was running against an incumbent here in the town and I wasn't too popular with a lot of folks and because because uh because running against an incumbent isn't easy and I and I remember when I meet him when I met him he gave me a hug and a kiss I was like you know what I mean I like and he was like you always have a friend here and I and and I you're you're always welcome here you're you're your family you're good you know and and I'll never forget that day because sometimes you need that type of affection from people you don't even and you're like wow and I I've heard that story that I just Shar with you guys hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times er but this person is super amazing like I remember one day he sits down with me he's like I used to own a restaurant near the N River you know right right was that or or or in in Egypt or in different area in Italy and I'm just like this is this is this can't be true and I would ask people around and and it was it was all true um but he's somebody that really personifies what Miami Lakes is all about um and and he's somebody that we all love and I I wanted to uh take a moment and I'm sure the whole Council I know the elderly Affairs committee is going to want to say a few words after we present this but um I I want to ask Gabriel uh to come join us uh from the Pampered Chef Gabriel So on behalf of the town we wanted to to to present this to you um because you're more than deserving right you're somebody and I'm I'm going to pass the microphone down after we present this because I'm sure everybody's going to want to say a few words uh Miami Lakes resident and owner of Tratoria Pampered Chef nashat Gabriel has a wide variety of excellent experience about Italian food he Not only was a chef in Rome from 1974 to 1983 but he also worked for a long time as a chef in different European countries thoria Pampered Chef began in Coconut Grove in 1989 he then brought it to Miami Lakes in 1994 he created this restaurant to provide good quality food services and hospitality and whereas over the years pamper Chef has supported many Charities by providing food and supplies and during the covid-19 pandemic provided food for volunteers serving the community and transported supplies when needed and whereas the restaurant has hosted over the years many celebrities elected official officials company dinners charity fundraisers and everyday customer and whereas NAD Gabrielle has been published in many International Publications and established as one of the best Italian restaurants in South Florida and now therefore I Manny Sid mayor of the town of Miami Lakes on behalf of the Town Council and the residents uh 33,000 residents of Miami Lakes do hereby Proclaim March 14th 2024 as nashat Gabriel day in the town of Miami Lakes f I'd like to say thank you for all of you thank you all the community and everyone live in Miami Lakes and this my honor to be here to join you and all the honor for all of you thank you and have a blessing day and blessing time um well I guess where do I start uh so Gabriel has known my family for a very long time beginning with my father when they used to go to the gym together all the time and and over the years I've been able myself to go ahead and uh and get to know you and the gentleman that you are um some of it was talked about in the proclamation the times that you've hosted the elderly Affairs committee the work that you did during the co pandemic but it also um for any group or any person really you have always opened up your Cafe to be uh home away from home right and I always appreciate that every time we come to see you you're always so accommodating and and um you know you just radiate the goodness from your heart and you know I ask you to continue to do that and you know God bless you and the family you know I see they're all here and I'm sure they're all very proud so congratulations on this great honor I feel like it's Groundhog Day and um because the same story that the mayor shared um you know that Josh shared it's the same story that continues to kind of be reflected even among the elderly Affairs committee here um many many years ago 20 years ago you know we we were involved with the town as a said even with his predecessors and you always welcomed everybody it didn't matter if there was a friend of somebody else's or an enemy of somebody else's politics was laid to rest outdoors and indoors that was a home and you made sure that everybody felt welcome and I think that's really the spirit that that I'd like to share about my experience with Gabriel and and and I'm so honored that that your family is here but they know more than anybody else who you are right but this community has really cherished you um and you have always made us always feel like we're at home we can't leave without having wine right like there's certain rules right in espresso but or or anything but that is just who you are you're a good human being you want to make people feel special welcomed and um that's something that that we'll always cherish about you Gabriel so thank you so much for for always giving back thank you hi Gabrielle we know the gentleman I know him for the past eight years anytime I have to go in for something his doors are always open for us the committee the veterans committee the American Legion he's always present whenever I ask for something he says you got it Pedro we do it for you thank you Gabrielle you deserve that and many morees thank you hi Gabrielle you've always been there for me and the elderly Affairs committee one time there was somebody was going to sponsor it and they were late we getting nervous you set right up if you need me I'll be there so we thank you so much for everything you've done for us well Gabrielle I've known you for many many years too and we've always had a great time whenever we go to your restaurant you're always So Graceful and so generous and and like L said you never leave people leaving without having extra wine so and whenever we have needed you with the air that Affairs committee you have always been there for us during the pandemia you offer your place for us to uh have the meals and deliver them so we really appreciate all your uh involvement with the community and all the things that you do for everybody every day thank you and also the parties the weddings the baptisms all the private parties they're also great thank you so I can I can probably admit that I have tried every single thing on the menu ATF but the best things are the secret Mediterranean menu that's how you know things are serious when a keyb starts coming out and all all of that uh all of that food thank you very much for being the most the highest level of hospitality inside the town of Miami Lakes is atoria pamper Chef it really feels like home thank you Gabriel what can what more can I say that hasn't already be said been said you treat us all like family you are a member of the Miami Lakes family we love you tremendously and for the last 20 years every time that we've knocked on your door I can't ever remember you saying no to anyone to any organization to any school to any fundraiser you truly care about this community and that is why you are so beloved to us and we treat you like family the same way that you treat us thank you so much I just want to thank you and your family uh for decades you've been Miami lakes's kitchen table you know family kitchen table everybody goes there feels like they're at their home you made them feel that way first time I met you same story you just you didn't know me and you said anything you need you don't hesitate to ask so I want to thank you and your family for just being part of us for for more for decades thank you so much much we much appreciate everything you've done e going to look at the I keep talking e e e e e let's call this meeting to order yes let me see Madame clerk please call the role council member goaso present council member ruano present council member Garcia present council member Diez here vice mayor Fernandez present mayor Sid present mayor you have Quorum thank you Madame clerk let's all rise for the prayer led by Pastor Juan Sancho from Metro praise International Miami thank you Father we come come in your name um thank you Lord for these Representatives all the people here and I ask uh father you give them wisdom Lord we know that it's not easy to govern Lord a city you know on there but we know you're a God of order and I just pray Lord that you bring uh these councilmen the mayor and all the staff here wisdom Lord to do the task you call them to do Lord for your word says you appoint people by your will and you appointed them by name by before they were born and I pray that that they would do what's right you know according to your conscience Lord I pray you lead them and I pray for the City of Miami Lakes Lord I pray right that you will have a uh thing to give him wisdom to to anoint him Lord to to bring here of uh Prosperity Lord I know there are people in need here Lord and I just pray Lord that you would meet their needs or meet emotional needs meet financial needs uh budgets Lord I pray that that as people seek you Lord that their their um their finances will increase Lord and prayer because you're not not because you give us more we follow you but because because we depend on you God and I pray right now that there'll be a spirit of dependency upon you to seek you in our finances to seek you in our decision making to seek you in every aspect in our lives and I I thank you Lord [Music] for where you called everyone here to do I know there's certain positions people are seeking and I just pray Lord You Have Your Way in those positions and I pray also for the people here that they will seek to do the good that you called them to do in the city Lord and I pray right now that the decision we make here will be founded on loving you and loving people Lord in the name of Jesus Christ amen thank you Pastor Sancho remain standing for the presentation of colors LED by Girl Scouts of America of Miami Lakes troop 902 spe United States indivisible andice thank you to the Girl Scouts of America tro 902 Miami lades you may be seated uh we have commissioner Fernandez with the better you minute thank you Mr Mayor good evening council members residents and staff of the town that is growing beautifully Miami Lakes have you ever thought about who your friends are do they all look like you do they all think like you do they all like what you like do you always agree on everything I have found that friendship isn't about always agreeing with someone rather bringing out the best in another person breaking out of the mold can be tough but meeting new people and making new friends who are different and think differently is a good thing it can help us think differently and see things in a different perspective let's reflect a bit on our friendships and see how we can befriend difference thank you commissioner uh Fernandez uh we're on to the order business deferrals additions uh deletions Council mayor I have a few I want to pull 10B and 10 C from consent and I would like to move up 14 C to write of after uh public comments 14 [Music] C okay 14 Mew write that down and then I would like to defer 14g 14g [Music] deferred pulled from consent um all right we pull from consent items 10B and 10 C and then we're moving up to after public comments uh 14 C and additionally we are deferring uh to a Time certain next Council meeting to the next council meeting Madame clerk 14g um I know the attorney wanted to give his report before new business items or move it up to depending on his time so we'll take up the attorney's report right before new business items if everybody's okay with that that's moving up 16 17 item 17 to before new business item so just once more we pulled from consent 10B 10 C uh we are deferring 14g and then 14 C is after uh public comments are there any other deferrals additions uh deletions at this moment see none are there any motions on the table I'll move it second there's a motion in a second all those in favor hi I any opposed seeing none the motion passes Madame clerk good evening and good evening to the public comments section of the agenda a all comments or questions from this attending public shall be directed to the mayor in a courtious tone and to ensure the orderly conduct and efficiency of the meeting public comments shall be limited to three minutes maximum for those that are participating online via Zoom what I just want to remind you is if you wish to speak please raise your hand by clicking on the reactions icon and selecting raise hand it will then allow each participant to speak one at a time and if you're also participating via Zoom but via the phone as well if you wish to speak please raise your hand by pressing hash number9 if you're here welcome just approach the Podium state your name and address for the record good evening Mr Mayor how you doing my name is Juan Maderos I live at 8746 Northwest 142nd Street I've lived in the town of Miami Lakes for 23 years uh thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak I'm here today just for my property Alone um I'm here to ask for a personal exemption uh over the last week and a half uh uh Crews belonging to the town have been coming around my immediate neighborhood they're removing trees and they're proposing to plan trees I'm asking for an exemption to not have a tree planted on my Swale uh I understand it's a town property there are three reasons for that the first reason is there's a street pole lamp that brightly lights my street it provides me with an unobstructed red view in front of my property it's good for me for security reasons when I'm driving into my house and driving away from my house it lights up the sidewalk so a tree there would block the the light the second reason is that if a tree is planted in front of my house it's going to increase my property maintenance cost by cleaning up leaves debris I pretty sure I cannot touch the tree for any reason because it's County prop it's a town property so that's another reason uh the third biggest reason is right by my house and my neighbor's house is a water drainage that in times of heavy rain it floods very easily so I alone make a concerted effort in my immediate area to keep the leaves uh free of the water drainage to make sure it doesn't uh flood and I've lived there for over 23 years I do not have 10 cars in front of my house it's just my wife and I uh we don't park on the S it's provides me of a clear and unobstructed view of my property so I've called the uh the the town tree arborist of the office I've left emails not harassing but I've asked to speak to someone none of them have returned nobody's returned my call so that's the reason why I'm here today so what I'm asking for is just an exemption to not have a tree planted in front of my property and I prefer it that way for the last 23 years got it a either the manager or Tony if you guys can call Jeremy you're in charge of that program okay J Jeremy's going to J Jeremy's the head of that program so he's going to Jeremy right there Jeremy badwan thank you no problem no problem thank you Esther cin 6855 Casia Place good evening mayor council members Madame clerk Mr peteran and staff may we we all be in favor have a productive meeting for the benefit of the town and our residents glad to read the proposed recommendation from the town manager that the f is market returns to Main Street and our neighbors and friends can continue to enjoy the outdoors and gather in our community just realized you're sitting somewhere else um I'm in support of 13A resolution of the town of the Town Council of the town of Miami Lakes Florida requesting the chief judge to appoint the County judge the town canvasing board pursuant to Florida Statutes thank you Mr Peterman and Madame kir guano I also support new business presented by mayor um vice mayor Fernandez of vapor restrictions but would like to see an expansion to outdoor town events as it's real uncomfortable sitting in a concert in Veterans Park and have someone sitting next to you vaping when you really don't know what they're smoking um thank you and let's have a blessed evening thank you thank you God bless M amendes we have a new view of the speakers on the days nice coloring I'm here today because of what happened last week a gas leak Main Street in 67 the following day the flood we didn't have boats ready so we weren't prepared I'm here to thank councilman K not COA die you had nothing to do with it but thank you councilman because we knew nothing we out there just heard don't go on 67th Avenue the kids were going to school it affected this area it didn't affect the west side and nobody nobody from the town knew anything or they didn't put it on the web page they didn't do anything about it I would like the town to let me know and not wait for one beg for one of you to let me know what's happening as a matter of fact we got wrong information one of the council members told us we had to boil water there was no such order right Mr Garcia there was no such order and Mi Mr dieas was right enough to say no boil water I don't understand why the town if there's a rainstorm or lightning or hurricane they flash it and my my my house phone my my cell phone comes as as an email something has to be done to inform the residents we cannot be calling Town Hall every five minutes to see who can help us or tell us cuz we don't know what's happening and you do I need for this town to communicate to the residents what's happening the other point is and this has been my beef for the longest time because I am very punctual I come here early enough so I'm here at 6:30 no matter what and then I get here and you haven't done the awards yet this is it it's so it's lack of respect to the residents that come here do the award some other day because you obviously cannot handle everything on the same day and meet at 6:30 like you tell us to be here and I'm usually here because I have to speak to you but something I'm sorry I missed I he had nothing to do with it Mr Diez thank you very much yeah I'm a little better looking but thanks ma good evening council members Mr Mayor town clerk Town manager so I'm just here to speak on uh something that's just I've seen across um just in my school and then I've seen it across varied schools that I've visited um specifically here in the town of Miami Lakes I've gone to other schools in Dural I've gone to schools all over the district and I know you guys don't have a lot of control and what happens with the school because you guys have no authority over it um but I would like to say that when it comes to flag codes a lot of the schools are not meeting the flag codes required by the state nor the federal government um specifically at my school there isn't the the flag isn't lit at night so both the American flag and the Florida flag are are you know they're dark at night and then I've also noticed I'm not sure what's I'm not sure in Miami lak's Educational Center but I have noticed that it's very very dark at night um and a lot of the times the flags aren't met by what the you know by what um by what is required so if there's something that can be that can be done to the regard of you know asking the board member or just the Schoolboard to look into it um I'd highly appreciate it um and then on top of that I just want to to just general question for the council may maybe if somebody can can answer it because I had spoken to Victoria about it and I guess there was some sort of confusion uh so so vice mayor Fernandez had uh passed something for the EAB for there to be a student position um I I just would like some clarification and some you know General consensus as to what the intention of the position was um and you know it it's very plain like I I read it um I kind of pushed for it with you um but what I want to know is if there's any oversight from the council as a whole over that pos position specifically because I have noticed that there again be the old the old uh memorandum resolution I don't know what you guys call it um because you guys use a lot of fancy language but either way um there the the old one didn't really specify any sort of term limit you know all all the stuff that was fixed in the new in the new um in the new p in the new document but my thing is I want there at least to be some sort of clarification for when the time comes around as to what the council specifically has to do do it to oversight that position specifically because it's one of the few positions across the board that everyone has to agree on because it's one person representing the interest I would suppose of every council member so I would want to see if there's some sort of you know oversight on your on your behalf and not just the Committees so again any sort of clarification that can be provided I really appreciate it thank you thank you Diane Bonnie sron 14770 Lewis Road just have a quick statement um I'm I'm just pleased that we're having a special election because I I I feel good about having a chance to vote on someone to fill the empty seat and I just wanted to say I know there was a lot of a bit of turmoil to get it done but I'm glad it turned out that way so thank you for the opportunity to vote thank you thank you Bonnie good evening everybody Mario Panera 8825 nov1st terce wanted to thank the council members and uh for coming out to Timothy Po's uh celebration of life it was a beautiful celebration we had over I think uh 200 members out there there a lot of players it was really great to see you I know the mayor said a couple words that was wonderful I know Tony was there for the other council members who could have make it I know you had some other PR movements but I thank you for trying uh again the family thanks you and uh uh the uh Community was great we we had a great outcome um the family really really really enjoyed it thank you thank you Mara for for some of the folks in the crowd watching at home and and the community uh Tim pots was a all the folks that coach the sports in the town they're all volunteers Tim pots was a longtime uh volunteer for our flag football program uh Tim is a great person great man he had the best mangle Tree in Northwest Miami day County um really really awesome human being I mean he coached he coached my son always spoke was one of these coaches that was super positive even when a kid missed a a pass I remember Manny one couple times missed a pass in the end zone always hey man don't worry about the next one next one and we finally caught one he was the first guy to gave him a hug so you know we missed Tim and and we pray for his family I know Tim loved his son Timmy so much he's he's at Gan he's one of the football players at Gan and um just keep that family in in uh in your prayers because I think uh that was unprecedented his his untimely death is something that type has never happened in our town where somebody is volunteering for our community um and passes away in while volunteering and I think um I think it definitely impacted a lot of us and we miss him and please uh keep his uh his entire family in your prayers and uh may God bless his uh his soul so just to double check I only see one participant in in video in Zoom it's the number ending in 87 88 if you wish to speak please just unmute yourself and I had made a I just want to make a correction I want to correct myself earlier I said that if you were via public comments but via phone you need to raise your hand by pressing asterisk number nine okay not hashtag as I mentioned earlier so it would be pressing Asterix number n and again if you are please just unmute yourself and Welcome to our regular council meeting it I see that the person that called is raising the hand so please allow them to speak uh espa Reynolds 846 exitement de sah that was difficult he kept on telling me that I was muted until it finally recognize that I was trying to raise the hand so my public comment is first I would ask to please send an email to all homeowners association houses of worship schools businesses and the townwide email suggesting that everyone becomes familiar with the fact that we do have an election on April 9th because the more we ride bikes and ask people most people are not aware that we're having an election second on April 13th 2024 the city of Dural is hosting an HOA condo informational session at its Cultural Arts Center uh and that is uh where people so as the Florida Department um uh of Business and Professional Regulation otherwise known as bbpr will be present with attorneys legislators the police department and economic crimes Bureau and they are all going to discuss all of the new things that are happening with homeowners association very important meeting I actually hope that we emulate and do one in Miami Lakes as for uh committee reports I read the submission that will be done by the mental health Counseling group and the mission of mental health task force they that they are publishing is to be dedicated to navigating mental health discussion and issues facing Miami Lakers and I um respectfully suggest that it be changed to identify contributing factors to the increasing mental health needs of our community to focus mainly on children veter veterans the elderly and special needs there's so much in the news nowadays of people seeming to have incredible problems and so many very awkward things happening that is very concerning and uh we suggest that for children we remove them from social media for veterans that we involve them in teaching us how to uh be safe in the future and that exercise every day will also keep it very focused on our well-being and for seniors and elderly that we actually not only interact but we remove all of these impediments that technology seems to be um forcing the elderly to feel disenfranchise thank you for listening thank you aansa mayor I don't see any other participant remotely thank you Madame clerk public comments is closed uh we're moving on to the next items uh which is appointments we have parar Fernandez to the youth activities task force by councilman Lewis e coyazo is uh is Miss fernande is here tonight if you could stand up thank you for uh for volunteering here in our community thank you thank you so much for giving back folks like you are what make our community great thank you uh mayor can I have a moment of personal privilege yes councilman qu thank you um you know one of the things that um that we have the opportunity to do is is appoint individuals that we believe um can add value and and volunteer to the community and many many years ago um I had the opportunity to to get elected and one of the first things I did is is I appointed the person who ran against me um and a lot of people said why would you do that you know why would you run and have somebody go out there and run against you and then you appoint them um you didn't have to do that and it's you're right it's not something that I had to do right but at the end of the day what I heard loud and clear was during the debates was each of the candidates that's running for office don't believe that we're acting like we should right that we're acting Petty that this council is not what they want to represent them and I believe that change starts by our actions right by nominating my friends opponent's wife to the committee right is a subtle action but it's an action to take a step forward right it's an action just like councilman Garcia said the right thing to do is to name that Podium after meet D Mendes even though she didn't agree with all of this right but it was that that bravery and that completely apolitical thing right to do to make sure that we're setting a good example for them right that we are not right the council that those candidates say that we are or that this town believes that we are and I I think moments like this have give us each an opportunity to kind of make that step to take that step forward and I was proud to nominate uh parar I think she's going to add Great Value and um I'm still voting for Josh but I think she's going to do a great job and add Great Value to our town and it's more than my honor to to sponsor her as a volunteer thank you thank you count thank you councilman coyaso and I just want to put on the record that uh your actions do not go unnoticed thank you thank you councilman qu vice mayor uh thank you par for volunteering moving on to the mental health task force Madam chair welcome right it's my first time my first rodo good evening mayor Town Council Town manager and town clerk my name is Lindsay wallik and I'm the chair for the mental health task force and I'm here to do my first um committee report for you um the mental health task force has been working we finally have been able to meet Quorum and we have a great group of individuals who have committed to raising awareness and providing more resources in the town of Miami Lakes we have now um we've been working towards redoing the website in which we plan on adding a lot of resources on there uh for the different for children and kind of narrowing it down and making it really accessible for the community we've also made Flyers um and for this year we want to start off with some events um and I wanted to present that for the May um for the month of May which is mental health awareness month we want to start doing some sort of a fair resource fair when we provide those resources that we've been working and putting together um and then for September we want to do a suicide prevention walk Su uh September is suicide awareness prevention month um I've also wanted to present um the idea of a workshop I spoke with officer actually Rob right over here who was trying to do something with the elderly uh Committee in just educating the community on what the police department is doing and how they're getting trained with Mental Health Resources so when they get called out to these cases and I just I think it's important that a lot of people don't understand that they are getting training that with they that Miami dat is working on getting better um we also spoke about like they have the new crisis um Team response team and just how that's getting Incorporated so I think it would be really important to like educate our our community right so that they know what they are really working on um and that's what I have so far I've also put in there request for Budget because we don't have one and um I kind of broke it down into what that money would be um put into just to kind of get stuff made for these events to print out the Flyers that we've made um maybe get some stress balls and stuff like that to just kind of give out to the community and CH Lindsay one of the one of the things that I would like to see you guys do and this something that that councilman coyazo um had started during the pandemic was the the the mental health Thursdays I don't know if you remember we used to do all those vide we used to do those yeah got it so they still pop up on social media on the town social media great okay cuz I that was that was powerful and the amount of people that were like I remember we would start off it's okay not to be okay right and people some people and then provide resources right or what's going on and reflect it but I don't so and maybe I need more guidance on that and how it works with the social uh media team and how I can get that going that would be great if we have access to to the town social media yeah I would love to see us so just send an email to your liaison work through your liaison and ask for that okay sounds good any other questions of our chair yeah no I I wanted to say something mayor and I really just wanted to thank Lindsay um you know just not being a Champion by Leading by example you have some great people on that committee and I know you got some hust that are out there pounding the pavement and Gary told me there's some sponsorships that are possibly coming in to help subsidize some of that activity and I think that's great but I I want to put um kind of you in the Limelight you walk the walk and talk the talk right you yourself are sponsoring mental health awareness here you're wrapping one of our Public Work vehicles and I wanted to thank you for that appreciate that thank you cuz you're not going to celebrate it nobody's going to toot your own horn but I did want to thank you for that and sponsoring that and thank you so much appreciate that thank you um that's it thank you so much thank you madam chair have a good night I did Skip an item uh 14 C then we'll get on to education and Blasting so it's 14 C and then we'll get on education and Blasting awesome so 14c is is my item um but it requires a waiver I'll move it a second all those in favor I I any oppos the motion passes all righty so this is uh a continuation of the item that we heard uh briefly last council meeting um however there there were some difficulties scheduling wise in getting the uh the draft resolution in front of uh of the council so I think just to to give all of my colleagues the opportunity to H take it in and and beat it up and to give the uh the members of the public the opportunity to do the same I'm going to ask that the the students come back um in in April however they are prepared to to speak on it and refresh our our minds about uh about what it entails I've asked them to keep the presentation under five minutes which they've uh agreed and been rehearsing to do um so with that I'd like to yield the floor to them thank [Applause] you okay good evening mayor Manny Sid vice mayor Tony Fernandez accompanying council members and any other guest here today our resolution aims to establish a youth Advisory board for the town of Miami Lakes this Advisory Board will inform the Town Council of the opinions of the Youth of Miami Lakes on any issue being discussed by the Town Council it differs from previous previously established youth councils such as the youth activities task force as our youth Council will instead Shadow council members and directly speak to the Council on the perspectives of Youth in the community similar similarly the council will advise members of the youth Council while the youth activities task force creates events for the community we have previously got into contact with said task force and observed how they run how they include youth into government and how they are giving youth responsibility in their community as well as the differences between the ways which ways in which our proposed policy would operate in their committee and their committee currently operates outside the youth activities task force we have contacted Dr Davidson smitch and Connie grein whom we briefly spoke to over email though they admitted it wasn't their in their immediate wheelhouse they did Express their support towards our plan we also discussed our views with Kelly Cel sture who believed that it was a good idea to have student representation through a youth Council however she expressed that a youth council with too many requirements for students to meet may result in a meager amount of applications and attendance to address this concern we have lowered the criteria for the Min minimum GPA to 2.5 from the previous 3.0 this youth Council aims to provide more government representation to the youth and provide more Civic engagement and civic education to the youth in our community it has shown that youth want to be engaged but doesn't have the opportunities or platform to for example according to the ncees standards only 133% of students scored proficient in you history in 2022 and that number has dropped 2% since 2018 further research shows that youth volunteer rates have gone up but youth voting has gone down surveys have also shown that while youth want to be politically engaged they tend to feel like they lack enough education in government to do so we highly appreciate every everything the Town Council does to support civically minded youth for example letting us come here and talk about our policy and resolution however it is immedi it is immediately somewhat of a high standard and it is difficult for most kids and teenagers to man to imagine participating in the council directly today or in the future the implementation of a youth Advisory Board would make it less intimidating to engage in as someone who is not yet an adult and would be a huge step in encouraging the youth to participate in their government in the present and in the future our resolution has eight sections section one details recital section two establishes the miam establishes the Miami Lakes youth Advisory Board section three details the comp composition in terms of service there will be seven youth Advisory Board appointees each will serve for one year with the chance of reappointment until the age of 18 the resolution states that to be considered a candidate you must be a resident of Miami Lakes or be enrolled in a middle middle or High School represented in the town's education Advisory Board Advisory Board be the ages 13 through 18 and have an unweighted GPA of at least 2.5 section three section four establishes the rules and procedures of meetings and recordkeeping meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of every month or when called upon section five outlines a a procedure for continuous absences for meetings if an appointee has three unexcused consecutive absences they shall be removed from their seat absences must be excused by the town council member who appointed them section six puts forth of liasan to facilitate the dealings of the youth Advisory Board the liasan will be appointed by the town manager the liasan will serve for a month and then be rotated out each member will serve twice section seven lists the enumerated powers being given to the youth advisory board's members the appointees will advise the Town Council on significant and pertinent matters relating to the youth as well as informing them on the opinions and beliefs of the youth on any matter that the Town Council so happens to be discussing they will Aid the Town Council Members in incorporating the youth's perspective in legislative and policy decisions and they will Pro be provided with the opportunity to Shadow Town Council Members section and Section 8 provides an effective date for this ordinance thank you we will now be taking any questions Council questions yep I I think that was a a great presentation the last one was well as good as well I think this is well very well thought out and the fact that you're trying to um actually shadow you know us and give us your point of view which honestly I do have I do have uh Teenage Kids myself but it's hard to understand you know what they're going through and things like that and the fact that you you're willing to put yourself out there volunteer your hours to kind of educate us on what your needs are you know uh get it from ex directly from you uh because we kind of lose perspective you know even though we have kids we lose perspective of what it means to to to walk on your in your shoes so I think this is a great idea and and you have my full support councilman mayor thank you um I'm going to support it um at this juncture but I do think it needs some work um I had a chance to look it over and and I definitely have some input so I would encourage you to please get with our assistant uh Miss Victoria Martinez and try and schedule an appointment with me so I can Workshop this with you guys but uh I I will support to move this forward at this time anyone else Council not good job a so have councilman vice mayor this this is the resolution we're voting on tonight that that is the resolution but my uh my recommendation is not that we vote on it tonight since we you know it only made it up here um right before the council meeting i' I'd rather give everybody time and sounds like councilman dieas has some input too so I want to give him the opportunity to to have the same opportunity that I had to work with the students and what was the motion that you proposed there's there's no there's no motion I'll bring I'll bring the item back um next week I don't know next month I don't know if if need a formal motion to do that or if I just put it put it on the agenda for next month sounds good so I I would highly uh recommend setting up individual meetings like you heard councilman dieas reach out um I don't know if you've all met Victoria but reach out to Victoria and just start setting up some meetings so yeah it's part of the process right so I think that's uh it's part of our uh Republic style right going through uh these different conversations getting everybody's feedback you might get a different idea you might tweak things so I think it's a it's a really good process but good job you're heading ultimately to the mayor's Point ultimately it yields a better a better product I also wanted to to thank Deputy Town attorney uh Koba for also working through this and and helping them out thank you thank you guys good job good job education Advisory Board good evening Council Mari Panera education advisor board chair as you can see from our report our budget hasn't changed from previous years we're still um supplementing the uh the schools with the vocabulary um and the stem education we also continue to fund The Imagination Library and the friends of the library um as far as events the only thing that we've done since we last reported was in December 9th uh we collaborated with the uh culture Affairs committee at the Mrs Claus holiday book reading and we distributed books um we're also collaborating with the schools the local schools for a um informational digital flyer I know the mayor brought this to us we're uh about to finish that I think we have one school that's left to send us their information um so we we're about to launch that as soon as we get that the senior banners as well that program is up and going I believe we have 10 senior banners now uh we're waiting to get a few more I know it's still early uh we also have the Miami Lakes future leadership scholarship um that's going on as well I think we have one nomination or two we're waiting to get a few more before we decide on on the winner again and then we have the EAB uh student member position um we're waiting for nominations to for that for candidates to to sign up for that for us to vote on on who's going to be the next EAB student member um I know that the gentleman had a few few questions about that um I know some of our concerns were um we were going to do it uh a school year not a calendar year because it it it works better for us to be the school year instead of a regular calendary how we have it so that was one of the issues as far as the responsibilities um just so we're all clear there are voice in the schools they're the voice of the children you know that we want to see what the children in the schools want to see from the EAB not just the teach and administration we want to see what the students would like to see from from the town um uh what else we do have a couple of um the only other thing we do have on May 10th we have the EAB third annual education advisory Awards of Excellence if um you could all be there that would be excellent uh this is the third year we have it's a great great great great great event that we have um we also have um for your consideration I know this is uh been approved by you U but we want to see if we get it going on is the first annual Miami League spell andb competition so that's the only thing that we have for consideration from you guys other than that uh everything is still the same any questions yes um good job chairman one thing I would love to see you guys uh start doing especially on the literacy front is taking a more active role in the little Free Library program uh that we had I had uh had several residents reach out to me saying that some of them they're they're very active right I went by one the other day it's full of books people showing up it's on a map um but they need TLC they need followup and I I I just think I would love for you guys maybe one of you guys assign a member hey you know once every two months swing by there three four that are around town and just check up on them you know what I mean because I think that's part of our the literacy and I would love to see somebody at least wrap their arms around um would it be possible to do a book donation box here at the town for members to drop off books that maybe we could pick up and drop into these little libraries the issue that we have in some of these libraries is getting books for them you know that we don't have a budget for it on the EAB we do uh depend on on donations for those books the libraries are full the problem is I I sponsored one in my neighborhood uh I believe um former vice mayor Rodriguez sponsored one but as they get damaged if you don't sponsor another one they get removed I see right so what happens is after that initial push I think what the mayor is trying to say is after that initial push we got a bunch of people to sponsor some and now they're kind of going away cuz they are made by I believe the Amish they're made out of wood right so if you don't paint them with materials that kind of protect them from the elements wood decays over time and that's what's happening right okay at least the one that I Remember by Miami lak's Elementary got vandalized to the point where a door got ripped off and cuz it I don't know if it was vandalized or maybe over utilized but it would is the issue is the issue then books or is the issue they're stuffed with books it's not books is the issue it's just the the we need more or they need to be TLC like the mayor said they're getting maybe a community service project where they can be revamped or varnished or painted or perhaps one of the wood shops and one of the schools could help us out as well so maybe I'll I'll talk to the to the schools with that but I think that's that's the issue that we've gotten some some are getting point where they need TLC again or or we need to embed more because they are they are they're very popular okay any other questions uh more of a statement thank you again uh chairman your just your committee does amazing work constantly doing things um always coming up with new ideas um and I want to thank you for everything you've done all the sacrifices and hours your your um your committee has done uh to help the kids in the community thank you again thank you thank you Council thank you chairman uh we're on to the blasting Advisory Board good evening Council Rudy Blanco let's see Vice chairman acting chairman soon to be secretary probably Treasurer to and acting member lobbyist just kidding acting chairman uh uh good evening again Council my main thing for the issue for the main theme I think for today is that we're still standing and we won't give up that I know for sure whether it's me or whether it's somebody else but we won't give up on this issue and I won't give up on this issue but we need your help so Luis Tony mayor Ray marn who just stepped out and Josh we need more members and we'll get to that as soon as um Steve gives a report but we need new members qualified members good members that are really really into this blasting issue which we have to get resolved one way or another whether it's now a month a year but the sooner the better and I'm here to make that sure whether it's a transision I don't know how long it'll take I'm a resident of Miami Lakes live here too do business here too and U this is one of those top issues that we just got to get resolved so I'll pass it over Steve because Steve you know prepared most of this report and uh which is very comprehensive very good I could add some things later on some other events some other um uh suggestions that I think uh will be important to the board and um some other upcoming U meetings that I'm going to be having Steve will be having and the rest of the board too with uh other officials in town at the state level and even at the federal level if have to take to the federal level which I already have uh I'll do it too so me pass it over to uh Steve real quick rud and before we get into the need of the report Victoria do we have any any pending uh folks applications for blasting advisory got it okay okay we're going to have to put something out to to get some folks so okay we'll get to that later go ahead Steve yeah so yeah I mean that's that's going to be our biggest ask for you guys good evening every everybody um so you check the report as as you know biggest update is uh went up to T hasse councilwoman R vice mayor Hernandez will with us as well and we appreciate that and we had that Workshop took about an hour of the agenda's time so we did appreciate the the chair giving us that hour ultimately though the bill did not progress even out through committee which we all know of course we're disappointed about that uh the purpose of the workshop one of the things that represented for discussed and he discussed at the end of the workshop was using what the miners mining industry let's just call it that way mining industry put on the record and to get an aaga study which would hopefully provide more support this from this time from a stay agency to try to push the bill uh hopefully as representative foro becomes you know more senior there he'll have more leeway and and try to get this on an agenda but that was the results now ultimately the the conclusion and the position of miners took was a little surprising in that they did not admit that they don't cause damage they actually did admit they cause damage which is good to hear except they decided that they only cause superficial damage they don't actually cause damage to our homes and as the vice mayor pointed out the the rock that they're pounding to to you know make our homes how is the how are those blasts not actually damaging our homes so we did have a uh time to make the presentation and we had a few q&as I think about three or four Representatives asked some questions I was able to get a few more things there on the record which is important and that was the the end of the workshop uh based off that we'll see where we can go moving forward uh we do need to we are working on trying to get the word out more we're going to try to speak with a way we'll be discussing that at the next meeting uh again just it's all about education and trying to get more uh more pressure politically and that isn't just with the legislature that is with the cfo's office as well the county level Town level and very importantly which is one of the ask from you guys is Municipal why right we want to work of myar we want to work of haia gardens we want work of haia we want work of D and you guys with the league of cities and things like that can help us get those that really secured because right now we have us the bab which is getting smaller the chairman Martinez had to resign due to his uh job with Mi day County we have represented Fabo and for about a week we had Miami day County and I'm not sure how much efforts they actually put in that's it so if we can get other towns to actually have their lobing efforts out out there and a consistent message which we already discussed that we want to share our materials with those towns that would hopefully help us out so that's uh one of the ask is is that uh the next ask is members and obviously that's a big issue for us right now we have one two three four five six members and not that it's a bad thing i' rather have six good members and you know 14 that don't show up but uh I'll be leaving at some point I believe I have to leave by August and uh who knows who else on the board might leave so we need new members uh in here I say people that are lawyers construction Architects and that's good and that would be great but at the end of the day we just need people that are committed uh that want to take the time and effort to do this we're not here planning you know bike rides and things like that it's not as exciting though it's it's very important so we do ask that you all please speak to me speak to Rudy we need I would say at least two new members and we want them as soon as possible because we want to be able to have some flow um you know with Miguel leaving and I'm going to be leaving in August we want to have some some flow in in over the next few months to really get them caught up because there's a lot to take in it's taken a long time for for me and and others to really understand what's going on with with our job on the board uh and then our budget our budget is pretty good uh you know last year we finally got a set budget uh we're at $7,500 I have an estimate we definitely have some funds left over if we ever had a a bill go through committee we' probably have to that budget may not be enough we'd probably have to take two to three additional trips to actually make a good effort but for now uh the 7500 works we urge you guys to make sure that's in the next uh fiscal budget for us uh because it it was a huge help to be able to just go and and know that we could get the plane ticket paid for and and go out to Tallahasse because that was we were called on a Friday afternoon we're going on a plane Monday night so that helps a lot and again uh the urge of of getting new members so I'm here to ask any answer any questions I very appreciate thank you no thank you guys for your efforts I think you're on to something have you guys thought about going to hiia hiia Gardens mirar and doing a presentation there to to to start have you so the mirar has a lasting Advisory Board uh they don't um they're not as I guess strong as us in that I don't know how much I don't believe they have a budget I don't know how much they're pushing but we have been working with them before uh hiia hiia Gardens I don't believe we've ever tried to present anything specifically we're happy to that's a good idea and get no but I think to to do just that ask their commissions forget about the Advisory Board go directly to the commission and ask for a a resolution directing their uh State LOB OB is to to join our efforts I think that's that's a worth a worthy effort to do a game plan I agree that's uh we'll we'll discuss that the next meeting d d d undoubtedly I heard about it the other day in D yep okay councilman yeah and and mine is is less towards the committee I just wanted to make sure that um you know we we recognized the previous chair all the work that he put forward to and and really we can do something at the next meeting um really to to honor Miguel I know that he didn't want to go right uh it's a job that he took it made him go um but he has been the champion that that I believe deserves is worthy of honor not that you guys are not worthy of it but I don't think this committee would have been here if it wasn't for him and his advocacy and and and the work that he did with Council W Morano in in pushing that forward so I wanted to make sure that we we do something to honor him and just thank him publicly thank you and and that's that's one of theas reason why I urge you guys to try to listen I'll do it I'm going to do it myself but uh you guys have you know no more people or you are the people that people come up to and say I'm I can't stand this blasting okay you want to do something about it you have an opportunity now and really this really does have the opportunity to do something about it uh you know it was it was a PR privilege to be out there and and speaking on behalf of the board in front of the legislators and trying to speak on behalf of the town but that's the loss of Miguel makes it even more important to make sure we're getting get some new members and as soon as possible you know one one of the ideas that just came to mind um maybe reaching out to that marar person there's nothing that says that we can't appoint somebody from another local government right to be a member of your of of your board right so if if you have somebody that is spearheading that um that'll serve twofold not not just to get other cities involved but actually for them to model after you guys they're going to see what you're doing you're going to be an inspiration to them they're going to see how you guys do it what's the process so I would I would tell you if you have some of those contacts in those other cities those might be the appointees that we would do it now they wouldn't meet every um condition of of of membership right maybe they're not Town residents but they definitely have something unique that they can contribute to that group and and we can definitely work with them so um just as you're looking to us maybe that's something that you guys can can say hey can can we look at this person um and I my positions are filled but I'm pretty sure if you bring somebody forward um all of our colleague all the colleagues up here would be willing to sponsor somebody that's a good idea thank you Mr yes councilwoman Haron thank you um I want to thank you guys for your efforts as always um all the progress that we've made is because of your hard work and you have been Relentless and you have not given up and I thank um the previous chair Mr Martinez for all of the countless hours that he put into this endeavor and the research that he's done and um I know that he's not here but if he were here he would ask ask us as council members before we appoint someone to be cautious of who we appoint this is a committee that the information is very sensitive the topic is a difficult one to handle so it cannot just be anyone that gets appointed it has to be someone that understands the magnitude and the sensitivity of what is being handled so when we go out into the community I have vacancies myself and I I have not been able to recruit anyone because um like Mr herper said it's not fun and exciting um but when we do recruit members of the community or neighboring communities just make sure that we explain to them what is necessary as far as discretion and you know being uh having having them you know work in a in a in a fashion in which what happens in the committee is very is taken very seriously thank you thank you thank you any further comments one further uh comment Mr councilman dieas and councilman Garcia thank you and uh piling on what everybody else is thank you both for your efforts and I also would like to acknowledge uh the prior chair for all his efforts um I know it was a tremendous loss for all of us u i remember when he called um to let me know that he would be resigning uh we definitely lost a big Champion but I know that we're in your capable hands and I want to specifically call out Stephen and thank you for uh your time in Tallahasse I did even though I got there a little later in the day I was able to catch the exchange and I did like the fact that you were able to point out certain counternarratives to to the prevailing view of well you guys came to us later right you correctly pointed out that PSN was actually there a lot longer than miamu Lakes was so I I want to thank you for uh holding your own there and and for taking the time out of your own pocket uh to go and and and advocate for our town thank you it's a it's an honor to really do it so no need to than thank you I just want to say uh Miguel if you're listening man it's going to be a those are those are shoes that are never be filled um he's a not only a good person he cares about the community but he's a teacher he's an educator and I credit him for you know giving me some um engineering and science although I'm a nerd for that stuff man he made it easy he made it easy right we're all better for it we're we're we understand physics now better than ever we understand you know we can have a a intelligent conversation now with Representatives you know of of the state um you know even even Engineers you can have a discussion with them because Miguel taught us the fundamentals and the science behind why our structures are being damaged every single day and then you sprinkle in the passion and the heart and the sacrifice and uh the bab is Unstoppable so you as a former member I you know I appreciate Miguel I appreciate you and uh we will bring more people on board who are as committed as you are because the fight's not over but I think we've made a lot of progress thanks to your hard work um it unfortunately I could not make it this time but um I'll be there next time thank you again thank you he vice mayor I uh I I'd like to Echo the I think the sentiments of all of my colleagues that it's you know it's definitely a big loss um I think the the progress will uh will continue I think that's what Miguel uh would would want um you guys know I'm I'm big on on Words you know and Miguel has brought us such great as liquefaction and spalling and he has definitely um done a lot to educate all of us on uh on the physics of blasting and uh and the community and those in Tallahasse um and so he will be uh greatly mixed missed and I think you know a uh some sort of recognition is definitely duly in order thank you thank you just wanted to make a motion directing staff to draft the letter uh to all the cities that the council can sign uh requesting that they join our efforts yeah perfect a second all those in favor I any opposed seeing none the motion passes thank you thank you guys thank you everybody thank you wanted to give a shout out to Rudy real quick a lot of people don't know this about Rudy but he uh represents Maria Corina Machado which is the Last Hope really right one of those folks is Hope absolutely for Venezuela for Venezuelans we know uh what's happening over there we know July 28th and everything that's going on and and buudy is it's crazy but her her voice here on the ground in in Miami making sure everything works well that everything happens because you have thousands of Venezuelans that still are able to vote here in the US and Rudy's part of I remember seeing you Rudy but kudos to you for doing that cuz I think that represents so much hope she represents hope not only for Venezuelans but people in Cuba people all over South and Central America who don't have n nicar nicaraguans who don't have freedom um today absolutely that's actually my passion international law and Latin American um experiences and studies I'm one of an experts in civil and common law comparisons and that's actually why maybe you don't see me so much in M because I'm actually in the Brickle area Cora areas and so forth down there there cuz that is my passion international business and international law but thank you Manny for bringing that up as a matter of fact she might she might be on um uh not not in person but live streamed uh in schulas the old schulas take house on on on Tuesday of next week I know it's elections and everything else going on but um she's uh in inducting her team actually so I'll be there and if it's not in schulas they they're still working the logistics and everything else but it's crucial it's crucial that we get the word out uh cuz not only that you know she's also you know an incredible leader an incredible fighter uh not just because she's a woman but she's an incredible she's she has so much adversity that it's something amazing what she has done and the number of of Venezuelans that that have come out of the way to try to get um a free Venezuela which is critical I know as as a Cuban descendant keep pass ground we've been through the experience what for 60 years already 70 years we can't let that happen in Venezuela guys we just can't but I know it's an international topic I know it's maybe not of Miami Lakes concern but actually I think it is I think it's for everybody we have a lot of Venezuelans in town we have a lot of even even one of our restaurants two or three of our restaurants Venezuelan fres Fran is really good and uh and and the corner corner 67 you know there there people who fled Venezuela and they uh have invested in our town too think all time dado and everybody and everybody's else but I think it's vital that we pay attention to that and be aware of that situation going on around us so thank you Manny for bringing that up no of course thank you appreciate you yeah you're welcome he quick shout out to David Marin who's here on behalf of commissioner Renee Garcia David uh not only has worked for representing the town for a long time in Tallahasse here locally but he lives here too so he's somebody who cares a lot about uh the issues here in our community so appreciate you David uh we're moving on to the consent calendar uh we are on item that got pulled we're on item 10B and 10 C uh both pulled by the vice mayor vice mayor all righty so I pulled uh I pulled 10B I'm going to be I'm going to be supporting it uh but I had some questions some of which were answered and and some of which um were were not H during my briefing uh in terms of with a with a contract like this what happens when it reaches expiration and if if there's a mechanism where the the town manager can administratively extended for a short period of time I think um you know the the farmers market worked uh worked really hard to build um you know momentum and that kind of of activity really requires repetition in people to become uh used to it I you know I understand the the process was was some of it and you know part of it was was on the operator as well I just want to make sure for contracts like this in the in the future that we have you know that that renewal process a little bit uh better fleshed out to avoid any interruptions yeah this was different there's an aberration because it wasn't a contract that expired it was a special event permit that just uh came to the end uh as well as the the vendor uh insurance so normally with contracts well before the expiration we start down the process of whatever we're going to use whether it's an RFP Etc to uh renew the uh the contract and uh so that process is already built into our procurement process since this was not an existing contract it was just a special event permit that's why it was a it was a little different uh but normally we do have that process in place so that we don't get into this uh period of being laps excellent and I think uh I think most of my colleagues would agree I got tons tons of of phone calls and emails and things of that nature about the farmers market so I just I want to make sure that you know going forward when it's time to renew that the the process is SM and tonight we can make it right excellent so with that I'm going to move to approve uh item 10B second um I had a few words ER and I Diego I I appreciate you appreciate your team man cuz I I don't think you realize right these are a lot of times you think man we're putting the song we're making money but I don't think you realize how you make people's dreams come true so I I'll give you an example two weeks ago I was way down south I mean you're talking about close to to Homestead and I was at an event hundreds of people there and I had a couple at a booth who were like waiting to talk to me waiting to talk I'm hey how are you and they told me was mayor you got to do something this farmers market needs to start this is my family's main income the Miami Lakes Farmers Market is the best farmers market for our business like you don't understand man like this like we've been Pro like I'm so happy I saw you because we're so I sometimes I don't know if you hear those stories and and and I think even as staff and the council you know we don't think of we think of businesses sometimes of brick and mortar or like corporations or bureaucrats or what no these are people who are pinching pennies who have successful businesses and so I wanted to share that with you that was a very real story and that impacted me and and to to the vice mayor's words yeah I'd never want to see this any hiccups I don't know if you guys if you guys can plan to you guys plan to open this Saturday okay okay but I just wanted to share that with you man appreciate you guys cuz you guys really took it to the next level and when I heard that I was like man when I see them I got to let them know because that was we we'll be we'll be I've participated before in the there there is photographic evidence of this we we'll be out there but appreciate what you guys do and with no further Ado uh all those in favor I I any oppose see none motion passes let's get it started as soon as possible appreciate you guys all right Mr Mayor and on to uh 10c which I also asked to pull from from consent I had a a question for staff I don't know if if they were able to do the uh the research uh in finding out when it is that we can dispose of these assets no vice mayor we had not yet been able to take a look at the agreement and uh and see exactly one of the the challenges that we had with these buses is that The Grand Tour that gave us the grant to buy the buses if we had sold them at auction for less than what they believed or their formula uh States is the depreciated value we would have been on the hook for the for the difference when we looked at this a couple years ago there was a gap so the better option was to try and get rid of them we've had some challenges with trying to transfer them we had um city of Dural express some interest but then they changed and then they went uh to electric buses we also had conversations with Miami dat fire but Miami date fire as well as the county clerk's office the intended purpose was not going to be for a Transit purpose so The Grand Tour was not going to allow that we are now in conversations with a local municipality here in date County that is a qualified uh entity it appears that they're going to use it for something that should be qualified for a Transit purpose so we're exploring that so our hope is that we may be able to transfer them to this other municipality in the near future and this entire contract uh and the storage of the buses will be soon become a moot point right and I think absent absent of that and I think the the direction that that I was kind of um hoping we would take is at some point that asset has to be fully depreciated or at least depreciated enough to where it you know we can dispose of it without it being a you know a negative uh a net negative Cashwise right and I committed to find that out and I have not been able to to in the last 24 hours correct correct so but I I will get that information and I'll pass that on to so I'm going to I'm going to make a motion to to approve this because obviously the the buses have to be somewhere but I I really want to make sure that that we move on this you know I it's it's been it's been a while since we looked at it uh past the reality is you know the problem may have aged itself uh away at this point I just want to make sure that we're not you know continuing to to you know pour money into this into this problem understood we'll explore that and get back to all of you thank you through the chair is there a second motion I'll second it to real quick is there a time certain that you want this to because I know we discussed this a while back and now we're back in the same is there like something you want the manager to report to us like you need some direction to that extent I uh Mr manager I think ER reporting on this by the next council meeting would be fair um I can do it formally by the next council meeting but I expect that before the end of this week I'll should be able to give that information to all of you via email before the end of this week in the next few days it shouldn't take long to get that information beautiful I appreciate that thank you any other comments yes Qui question why aren't we just parking them at here at at town hall or any parks or at a park yeah the the agreement with haia is not just for the piece of real estate to store them because the agreement with haia spans from way before we ever uh uh took them out of service when they were actually uh in service circulating the agreement with Hy also calls for them to make sure that they're functional that they're they're turning on that they're you know if if in the event something happens that there is needed uh there's agreed to prices for them to effectuate any uh needed repairs Etc so it's more than just a piece of dirt for them to uh Park the buses on top of also if I may add um the buses don't require a key to operate um they are they need to be on a completely secure facility that has 24-hour surveillance because anybody can get on the bus and drive it it they're actually very simple to sort of yeah so that that's the real reason so the so the grant the granter requires that they be stored in a secure facility and the city ofia provides this yard where they have their police vehicles and their other um equipment that is under surveillance at all time they they're similar to fire trucks all you do is you you flip a an on switch hit the button and they turn on yeah so they they are they don't come with a key that you can secure and take the key with you and now they're they're safe last question uh have we discussed perhaps through the school board or perhaps a private school here in the town uh that there a need of transportation is does that fall into the grant verbage it has to be another municip Yeah you mentioned that to me this afternoon when we met and we'll explore that to see if that constitutes a Transit purpose that could qualify so that way maybe our universe of uh entities that we could explore transferring them to could expand last question how long have we had these how long have they been parked two years since freie since freebie so we're looking at what two years whatever that's been I think three years no it was after 18 I I got here in 19 and then the buses were still in circulation so I think it was shortly thereafter so about three three years and change maybe and the contract states that any time we find someone uh we can cancel the contract with we don't have a minimum we have to be able to transfer them to a qualified entity no I mean with with the with halia what's the what's the verbage when we can we just say hey we found yeah if if we renew this agreement and extend it to 2028 if a month from now we're able to get rid of the buses then the contract gets uh terminates well I know you guys are going to do all you all you can to find a solution because I I frankly think we're just burning money so thank you appreciate it thank you uh Madame clerk please call the role H hold on hold on hold on councilman qu for senior field trips for activities where we are transporting um seniors to Parks they have typically hired a private bus Transport company is there any way that we can use those buses for those field trips the the problem is we'd have to make sure that that qualifies as a Transit purpose we'd have to make sure that we have qualified drivers which I don't you know we'd have to see what the criteria is a certain type of driver's license a certain kind of training you know got it so it's it's a little more complicated than just finding some volunteer to just jump in the driver SE more complicated than just getting in the bus flipping on the switch and US driving them there got got it got it thank you madam clerk call the yes council member Diez oh council member goasu yes council member Garcia yes council member ruano no vice mayor Fernandez yes mayor Sid no it's a tie the motion fails it's 3-2 Madam cler the motion passes oh I'm so sorry yes let the record reflect the motion pass 32 thank you madam clerk uh we're moving on to the next item which is the consent calendar uh mayor motion on the consent calendar Council I'll move it I'll second all those in favor I any opposing none the motion passes H we're on to the next item which is ordinances and second reading item 12a online publishing an ordinance an ordinance of the Town Council at ten of Miami Lakes Florida relating to publication requirements amending chapter 2 Administration article 3 officers and employees section 2-55 Town manager and section 2-56 Town attorney selection and appointment and Article 5 contracts and purchasing uh division two procurement procedures section 2-15 procurement methodology amending chapter 8 code enforcement Section 8 8-3 enforcement procedures amending chapter 10 uh elections Article 2 candidate qualification section 10-21 special elections amending chapter 13 Land Development code okay thank you hold on no I'm not done sorry uh article 3 development approval procedur section 13-30 n public hearing and notice and Article 4 zoning District regulations District 13-11 Hurricane Relief regarding existing and non-conforming residential structures in the Run R UT districts section 13-16 13- 602 repair and replacement of legal and illegal non-conforming fences after hurricane damage and division 24 GF governmental facility section 13- 843 exclusive site plan review procedure and article 9 signs section 13- 1904 additional requirements for signs and article 11 fees to allow the use of online publication to fulfill the town's notice requirements in accordance with Florida statute section 50.0 311 providing for incorporation of of recital providing for findings of fact providing for repeal of laws and conflict providing for severability providing for inclusion into the code and providing for an effective date this is a public hearing this is a public hearing any members from the public wishing to speak any members from the public wishing to speak public hearing is [Music] closed all right we have a motion yeah I'll move the item I'll second it we have a motion in a second Deputy T attorney do you have any other comments no I just want to apologize to Mr gastesi for making him read all that I hope he doesn't hold it against me duly uh duly noted ER Madame clerk please call the role council member goaso yes council member ruano yes council member Diez yes council member Garcia yes vice mayor Fernandez yes the ordinance and second reading passes item 12a all right on to item 12b Mr attorney in ordinance of the Town Council of the town of Miu Lakes Florida establishing Authority for the collection of rents pay of utilities maintenance for real property owned by the town of Miami Lakes located at 5951 Northwest 151st Street Miami Lakes Florida 33014 providing for incorporation of recitals providing for Authority providing for the creation of general ledger accounts and providing for an effective date all right this is a public hearing any members of the public wishing to speak please do so at this time Madame clerk do we have anybody online we do but I don't I don't see a raised hand and it's the same person that was participating earlier we have a member of the public wishing to speak again I will open public comments if there's someone remotely that wishes to speak please let us know now it can you confirm I do see a person a telephone number ending in 80788 just to make sure all right seeing no public comments public hearing is closed yeah vice mayor this is the same thing that you saw last month a couple little changes it's just we uh fine-tune the number of tenants that are actually there is 24 tenants and also the deposits of security deposits instead of placing them in a interest bearing account we are electing or we're recommending that they be placed in a noninterest bearing account this is it's very short time period somewhere between 0 to 90 days and uh the interest uh calculation would be complicated especially with people moving in out at different uh time periods so that that's the only change from the first reading thank you do we have any motions I'll move it I'll second we have a motion and a second discussion quick question um how much interest are we uh projecting might be if we put it in a normal interest bearing Bond or whatever you know account the rental payment the security deposits are only $46,000 so for uh a 0 to 90day period whatever the interest it's going it's very little loss of Revenue it's really not not worth it the Manpower right yeah okay and and also if if I'm not mistaken the statute actually requires that any interest that we get we have to kind of give it back and okay so we wouldn't derive any benefit from it thank you thank you anyone else all right Madame clerk please call the role council member Garcia yes council member Diez yes council member coyaso yes council member ruano yes vice mayor Fernandez no and mayor Sid no the ordinance in second reading item 12b passes thank you madam clerk we're on to the next item resolutions item 13A the resolution of the town of Miami Lakes Florida requesting chief judge Nan safy of the 11th judicial circuit in and for Miami Dade County in pursuant to Florida section 102.1 141 to appoint a County judge at the town of Miami Lakes canvasing board for the town of Miami Lakes April 9th 2024 special election providing for instructions to the town clerk providing for incorporation of recital and providing for an effective date are there any motions on the table I'll move the item I'll second it I got a question um got no problem with this item just talked to the attorney before I initially voted um I voted no on the previous items related to this and I don't want to relitigate this I I respect the majority of the council um four and I specifically said at the last meeting I voted no uh for for timing issues um I didn't believe the election was Timely um but I talked to the attorney this item if I were to vote Yes which I'm voting yes there's no long-term liability there's nothing nobody's no suing no no and I I'll address that in my attorney's report but the answer is a flat no okay no what I'm saying specifically because I had voted no previously because on the timely issues there's no there's no problem the future it gets litigated there's a timely issue the charter there's no okay that's all I got to hear all right Madame cler please call the rle resolution item 13A council member ruano yes council member goaso yes council member Garcia yes council member Diez yes vice mayor Fernandez yes mayor Sid yes the item 13A passes thank you madam clerk we're on to attorney's report uh attorney had asked to move his report Mr attorney the uh there are two things it's relatively short the first thing is uh as you all know I am asking for a uh uh executive session a shade session uh regarding the uh uh the pizy litigation matter uh the second thing that I want to discuss is there's been some emails circulating which have gotten a little bit of traction so I want to nip it uh in the bud uh and it's about the issue of the elections and the voter fraud uh allegations fraud is a very loaded term and I don't think anyone has done anything as far as I know on this Council or on staff or anybody else to constitute election fraud that is uh I believe way over the top uh a complaint was filed with the ction Department uh as a result of the complaint it was our obligation to forward it to our insurance carrier anytime that someone claims anything of the sort against a council member uh or staff member even uh we have the obligation to refer it to our insurance carrier I did not have it referred to the insurance carrier so that the insurance carrier could take remedial action I referred it to the insurance carrier in case they I needed to somehow provide a defense to the members of the council who who were needlessly accused I I referred it to to the insurance carrier for them to provide a defense under our policy they would not have been provided a defense at that time so they issued a letter essentially saying we don't cover it uh of course if it were ever to have gone any further I think the insurance company would have Recon considered God knows what effect it's going to have on our in these types of actions and these types of complaints have on our insurance rates Mr manager the last time we sent out insurance uh request for insurance quotes how many companies did we send it to how many for liability insurance yeah do you remember off the top of your head I don't know that was a couple years back several dozen or more yeah yeah I mean we put it out and we put it out in our the procurement system how many came back I think there was just where's K one or two yeah because of this these are the types of actions that c that have hurt our town in the past all of the litigation it's not funny and it's serious when you when you do these types of things now and I defend every one of these council members vigorously the same issue I had both sides of the three and three upset with me over legal opinions I call them straight and I call them as I see them now I do not accept any uh congratulations or uh having done anything to to benefit or Rectify a situation there was nothing to rectify there was an election it was voted for in January the election in January did not call for uh early voting there was dispute and debate on this deis like there has been for many issues they disagreed Council people disagree if you want a council that rubber stamps everything then someone's not thinking it's not fair to portray me or anyone else as having taken corrective action I didn't the canvasing board there was also a reference in the uh in that email that got wide circulation several times that the canvasing board was appointed to somehow cure something that was done that's absurd every single election has to have a canvasing board it's unfair to them and it's unfair to me the canvasing board that we just approved is how this is done for every single election thank you thank you we're moving on to new business items um and Council if we work through these quickly um we can get out of here pretty fast uh K9 Cove uh governing board this was brought by a resident uh who had talked to me about this I I want to make I want to make a motion giving staff the leeway to come back on this issue I think the primary thing is to get doesn't have to be a board it could get um resident feedback on a yearly basis by- yearly basis directly from the users um at the at K9 Cove so whatever mechanism if the staff comes back and says that they want a a yearly uh board that meets once a year or maybe they put little notices hey we're going to have a workshop on a yearly basis before the budget process to hear what you guys want um I think it's really important for the use us side and we saw at the last council meeting so I made him a promise that I'd bring it up here see if there was a way but I would love my motion is to direct a the manager to work with staff to come up see which whatever they think is wise if it's a board if it's a yearly workshop at at the I'll second for discussion got it councilman coyazo I absolutely do not want a governing board I want everything away from a governing board a committee anything possible I saw what Miami day county is um by soliciting public input I think we just had a meeting at Norman reach Park um I think that's going to allow this particular group to give feedback quickly without necessarily being bogged with Sunshine meetings and appointments so everything like friends of K9 Cove Alex Farah did a great job of organically bringing dogs dog lovers and over 20 people here to this meeting to get what he wanted he got what he wanted what I don't want to do is get in his way and I think the number one thing that we're good at is creating boards and creating more bureaucracy I want to make sure it's not a board I'll support it as long as it's not a board so I I I I agree with giving the staff the leeway as long as they can come back with some type of action plan that is not a governing board um but some way that we solicit citizen input um and that's my remarks for for the dialogue I'm fine with that that's good Mr Mayor and I I also wanted to add when I when I saw is kind of that's a along uh councilman Coo's comments that's what came to mind right maybe less of a of a board or a committee more of either a formal 501c3 or just an informal you know working group um along the lines of friends of you know Kanan Cove right a a a booster club so to speak right so a a group of interested parties that that you know want to uh want to do things to improve the park I think there's there's opportunities it you know essentially viewing it as a sort of as a P3 right there's opportunities at K9 Cove that can be explored either with with branding or sponsorship to offset the expense of some of these amenities so that that's kind of the direction that I saw it in but yeah allowing staff uh T time to you know go go uh work on it is uh is something I would support thank you any further comments any further comments councilman Ron thank you Mr Mayor um and I Echo the sentiments of my colleague council member coyaso I know that in the uh special taxing districts we put our best foot forward and created these boards in an effort to have Community input but sometimes the board members misinterpret their role and sometimes they don't necessarily understand the constraints of budgets so I will also not favor a governing board a workshop or some sort of um public for for them to to give us their input I would I would be more than happy to listen to but I I wouldn't want to see any more boards good with that um all those in favor I I I any oppos see none the motion process councilman Garcia thank you thank you mayor uh in order to avoid uh contractors from damaging our Town's critical infrastructure in the future I'm requesting that the town Manager work with the county and all stakeholders and to Institute a process that ensures the correct procedures and Equipment are used to avoid infrastructure damage to our town that the town is informed and permits are approved by the town prior to work starting in addition to establish a process for reimbursement for all Town expenses local businesses and residents related to these incidents now we under we knew we saw what happened a couple weeks ago uh no 72 hours apart we had a gas main leak that could have led to disaster and we had a water main leak uh that a car was was sucked into a uh to a hole and the driver could have been injured um I reached out to to the manager I also reached out to the the representative of of Comcast um and Comcast gave us a statement that I like to read but before I do I want to clarify some some misinformation about the night of the uh the water main break I was there the manager was there the mayor was there we were out there for about 3 hours uh we were giving Comfort to Marie who lost her car uh when I was at asked by the media uh would you boil the water or is there any boiled water I said officially there isn't any boiled water uh alert but me personally if I would me personally I would uh due to some creative editing it sounded like said boiler water also they also did Issue a boiled water alert to a small part of our town which is the area around truest bank or truest bank so there was a boil water issue it was a small amount um and what I said was if I was if I saw water coming out of there if it was yellow I I would I definitely before I drank it I would do it so um we also did a video we sent it out um what I I talked to the manager about giving more information over our social media and I know uh I know the manager uh directed The Communications Department to go ahead and do so and they sent out some information so um I think we acted as quickly as we could following the lead of water and sewer our police Department twice came out there and put their lives on the line twice especially with the gas Main and did a great job um and I I I expect that Comcast will reimburse us for any any um any cost that that were incurred um this is a statement I wanted I wanted someone from Comcast to come personally come and and apologize to the town and talk to us about what they were going to do in Li of that they sent us a statement and this is uh directed it says councilman Mr manager please find Comcast statement below Comcast is committed to making things right we're disappointed by the disruptions caused by our business partners performing work in Miami Lakes moving forward we'll continue to be act to be actively engaged with them to ensure every precaution is taken prior to to uh Network Construction in our goal to be transparent our team recently met with the public works director Omar Santos bayz to answer his questions about what led up to the incident and to ensure things go better in the future as a direct as I as a direct result any business partner performing work on behalf of Comcast and Miami Lakes is instructed to notify and coordinate with the town in advance we look forward to partnering more closely with your team to continue providing services to your businesses and neighbors uh Michelle ooya McGovern vice president government Affairs Comcast Florida region so I'd like to thank Omar and the manager for everything you've done and could you possibly uh go through some of the things that um that you you you think are require from Comcast they say they will be able to communicate a little bit better although because of Florida statute they're not required but this letter says that they're going to try to reach out to you guys yeah and Omar can probably speak to it better I'll give you the uh the Layman's version of what the explanation is there are uh RightWay permits that are required for certain work that they do for other work when it is repairing an existing system uh expanding an existing system certain things are exempt by State Statute from requiring a right of-way permit okay 67th Avenue is a little complicated because it is happens to be one of the only two roads in the town that belong to date County so um Comcast was understanding of the Dilemma because what it impacts is Miami lak's residents and obviously anybody trying to to come through here so we met uh on site at least twice maybe three times with Comcast four times Omar I I I was there twice Omar met with them multiple times uh on site Comcast was completely willing to uh make everything right uh water and sewer department is a little bit territorial they like to have their own hands on their own uh product so they're the ones obviously that repaired the water line they're also the ones who came back and restored the uh the asphalt but Comcast was willing to do it I think that they're going to restore the uh the uh patch for the gas side once the final passage of the uh line is done underneath 67th Avenue they're going to restore all of the green space in the median anything that the uh the water caused damage to uh I think Omar even spoke to them about pumping out the catch basins for all the s and and and the sand that may have gone in there because to make sure that it's not going to affect performance of those drains um so Comcast has acknowledged that their contractor used the wrong technique uh there's there's two different techniques that they could use one that's more erratic that's used when you're going to bore in an area where there's not a lot of utilities or any utilities and then there should the the method that they should have used which is called Directional Boring is when it's in in an area where a lot of utilities so they went the cheap route or the less expensive route and they used the one that's more erratic um and obviously we know what what what they caus they acknowledg that that was a mistake uh by their contractor they should have bird doed it by their you know had better oversight over their contractor uh to do that so they have been to their credit while they made the mistake and caused a lot of Heartache they have been very responsive after the fact they have been willing to do anything and everything to make it right uh and Omar tell me if I'm saying anything that's out of that's not correct they have not you know come up you've had more uh direct contact with them than I have yeah they good evening Omar Santos Public Works director so yes Comcast and their subcontractors they have been open with their communication um and providing information recently as of yesterday afternoon I met on site with their pavement sub and uh inspector the area inspector for Miami dat Public Works since it's the county road he established the milling and resurfacing limits for the Northbound section which is what's pending to be done and I understand next week or the following they will be restoring those sections as far as for the line Comcast is still deciding what what direction they're going to go to get that new line across they've been they haven't decided yet but as soon as they they decide what where they're going to go with that I requested that we be notified and depending on the type uh of setup they may have to get a permit from us okay wonderful um and second question through the chair as far as OT for our officers uh reimbursement for any additional OT how are we uh yeah we Quantified that uh major Gonzalez's team put that together for us and uh we were we provided that to Comcast and uh and asked for reimbursement from that overtime that was caused uh by uh both events wonderful so I guess the motion I would have was to follow up on that on getting the OT back and any additional cost and also if you can continue making sure that they're following what they said they were going to do which is communicate with you prior to any uh infrastructure uh you know anything they do that's going to be close to our main infrastructure so they they they already started however they were a few streets outside I was actually work in haia but they've they've sent us their notifications of work they're doing close to us so yeah if you can give us uh adding to my motion uh reports on if they are following what they said they were going to do at least for the next six months to make sure that they are following what they said what I'll do when I get those out forward yeah absolutely so I guess that's my motion for for the town to get our overtime money back uh follow up on that and follow up with Communications with um Comcast so this this incident doesn't happen again yeah I'll send those updates to you via email so you don't have to wait for another council meeting as soon as I get them I'll I'll forward them to you so you can have them uh quicker thank you Mr Mayor may ask a question yes councilman Ron thank you um and director Santos I wanted to ask a question um this uh these back-to-back events that that happened on these main roads or outside of residential areas are outside of the norm right but Comcast does this in every residential block that they work in they break sprinkler systems they break sewer lines they I mean this is something that happens to our residents all the time I receive the phone calls I've experienced it myself over $10,000 of damage that Comcast very kindly covered and paid for but the disruption to our homes is significant yeah and is there anything else and I know that this is uh that that this I would assume that whatever safeguards we put into place are not only going to be for main roads they will be for for also our residential areas because our residents also deserve a little bit of so because of the the the statute and the way the the the lack of needing to get a permit from the from municipalities we when this when we this came into into place we we would typically find Comcast Crews or AT&T Crews or any Communications Crews and stop them they have a permit we would have ask them to leave once this statute was put in place we got back the letter saying we we weren't able to do that we discussed it and and understood yes we can't can't kick you out but we asked them to provide notification when they were sending Crews to do repairs or anything covered under that under that law for the most part we have been getting uh notices but not for everything is correct and we do get complaints through through this body or through the residents directly we send out our inspectors I would say a good portion of the time we are able to identify who's done it we have direct contacts with their maintenance teams and their construction teams that have been a uh tremendous help to us to get those things corrected and get the resident areas uh repaired so their response and their and their coverage of the cost is exceptional y however it it it is a nuisance and it is a problem when residents encounter these interruptions especially when it has to do with with broken sewer lines yes it inside your home there's a there's an a flooding of sewer water inside your home I mean it is it is a big a big disruption to to their lives so and again I've I've always been told that we are preempted from doing anything about it because they have the the utility companies have a right to the communications it's Communications the communications companies so I've always been told that there's nothing that we can do but now that you're going to be looking into this if there's anything that we can put in place I just want us to not forget those residential areas as well yeah we we'll check where with legal because we don't want to get into an area that we get in trouble with absolutely thank you very much through the chair uh councilman R makes a great point with this new found transparency and relationship that we're building with Comcast to avoid this happening again absolutely uh you know residential projects that are going to be around sewer lines right maybe we can add that so we can be more prepared make sure that they're using the correct procedures again around around the sewer lines a lot of the times these are just service extensions or repairs that are the cost of this and it's not just Comcast com we're talking about them because of what happened recently but it's all the communication companies that we need to work on Omar on that point and while you're you're uh you're up here and it's um it's germine to the issue um during my briefing I mentioned to the to the manager that I'm also seeing and I had I had raised this issue before the lids yeah so if if we can kind of work on yeah we have our inspector do we in the rounds of those areas and other areas as well just let's take up some time um but as we spot and we're sending them to to our contacts but it's thousands of lits yeah okay was there Madame clerk can you repeat the motion and who seconded it please I second okay the motion was from council member Garcia to work with the county to Institute a process that ensures correct procedures and equipment to avoid the problem that that we had in the last 3 weeks we had back to back then he also added to follow up with a conversation that the town manager had with the county and they asked part of the Motions as well were to ask um the Public Works director Mr Santos to get reports for the next three months to be sent or yeah six months to get reports to be sent to us so that um the town manager can forward to the council and as well the request by um Council woman Rano which was to not only emphasize on the main roads but also not forget about the residential homes and I believe I'm missing something I think that was it but if I missed something please sure I would replace County with Comcast did you say County or I hear wrong I think I I think right I'm sorry I think I did say County but it's right so Comcast okay there was a motion a second all those in favor I I any opposed seeing none the motion passes we're on to my item uh as 5G cell towers continue to pop up and there's going to be more and more and more in the future I wanted to direct staff to begin looking at ways if it's either passing an ordinance requiring the new towers be camouflaged or if there's a way to retrofit some camouflaging um just have them research the issue come back to us with uh with options cuz I I think it's uh it's one of those issues that's going to continue to pop up I think you're going to see a future where you're going to have um 10 15 years from now drivers driverless vehicles and 5gs everywhere um all over our community so okay discussion discussion discussion through the chair I know that uh I know the process doesn't require us doesn't require the council be to be um um part of the process uh but I would like to see if we can I'd like to make a motion that any any future towers that are coming up we should be mware at the moment to see where it's going to be at where it's going to be located we just need to have you know be aware because these are starting to pop up everywhere and if we start getting too many in the town it's just going to be an nice or uh council member Omar how many of these requests do we get there's there's a whole bunch uh Council M just want to make you aware of that right they're putting we get multiple ones right yeah and they they'll come in waves depending on the provider the first one when I started was AT&T they put I want to say over 20 already in in 2019 2020 um then we got T-Mobile Verizon uh crown castle doing the same the the LA the latest two was T-Mobile which are the the ones that optim do they usually give them one Tower at a time or they usually ask for one permit and there may be like a half they usually come recently has been between three and five time so so I'll give you an example how how some cities have gotten ahead of it there's cities that are like yeah you guys can install it install it here and we can also you can we can also use it as a as a street light in areas that we don't have lighting right they they do they do things like that other cities do flag poles other cities um do trees whatever but there's for ex for example we have a huge issue in our lighting study that there's major areas of our community that don't have proper lighting so there are cities that have wised up to it and said hey instead of installing it 5T down down there install it here and we'll convert it into a light pole as well right and now it it it's a little different so those are the things I want you guys to explore because I think it's a win those can be win-wins right now they're popping up and people are not really happy with them there's one specifically on the west side of town that I got calls that people thought aliens were real right so it looked like a weird a weird alien structure it really did it looked terrible ER so yeah it was kind of scary mayor if you remember probably about two years ago this same uh issue came up when some of the first ones started popping up and uh we came back and we got you know agreement from the cell phone companies and we started making them or asking them to um color them in the same color as the uh street lights are in that area so for instance the the one that you're referring to the one on Miami Lakes Drive just uh uh P 87th Avenue is black because of the street lights in that area and uh I know it's and there's also the same statute that uh governs what we were talking about the the notifications that also there's another section that tells what we can request and not request so we'll do some research and we'll bring back a report on that yeah and the other part we can add as a legislative priority right you can always change the statute councilman if I if I may when this first came up and I was on the council I believe um the mayor was on the council and council member coyaso was here as well um the the agreement that that we were that was presented to us originally was that we could not say no to the installation but that we had control of the architectural design the look The that was the I I remember the briefing that we had I don't know if anyone else remembers it but we had the right to choose the color the shape things of that nature um I don't know how much we have capitalized on that right that we have and I do understand the the color concept right where we were trying to make them aesthetically fit with regards to color I don't think that this one that's on that's on 154 and 87 I don't think that any color would have made it any better it is just the biggest we've ever seen and it's in an area where unfortunately there is no tree canopy if there were tree canopy on that block then it would not be such an eyesore so what what we what looks so egregious to us is the fact that there's nothing covering it it's just on bare sidewalk um so I don't think that the color would have made it any better but I do know that there are things in that agreement that give us some sort of ability as the mayor was pointing out to design it and to change the location and things of that nature I think that we have to capitalize on that a little bit because as they're popping up you know we want to make sure that they don't change the look of the community I'll look at the the statue again as far as the design I know we we control we are allowed to control the height uh based on the existing utility poles in the area the color we request and the location we can negotiate uh there's also a limit since the place where they're decided they're deciding to place it is to for the coverage that they need so that's that may be limited but we'll we'll we'll do more research and we'll provide a report back in that particular location unfortunately we have different traff we have different street lights there are some street lights that are incredibly tall that that look out of place from the moment that they were installed and I I remember that there was arguments Regarding why those lights had been installed and they're so high they're they look completely out of place I think that it had to do with the agency that installed them because one of the streets was a County Street and another was was a local Street and that's why the PO there the the FPL utility po their FPL utility PO on the east side of 87th the light the the lighting that goes from 82nd to 87th on4 those lights are way taller than for example the ones on 87th they they're not the same color they're not the same shape they're twice as tall and I remember when they were installed originally that that was a contentious conversation but it was because that negotiation when they opened 87th Avenue there were different agencies involved and those were the lights that we were given at that moment and once they were up they were up but I think that that's probably why the height of that particular Tower is taller than than others that have been installed in the town yeah that's part of the criteria that when they apply for a RightWay permit that they have to base on it's the height of the the tallest structure in the area and that's kind of like so that intersection kind of became the perfect storm to the greatest eyesore in the town but look moving forward I do think that we have a little more a little more ability to to design no we'll we'll research that and provide back that information the uh the the other thing that came to mind when I was uh discussing the issue with the manager is maybe some other kind of solution to mitigate that particular situation maybe planting some some Oaks adjacent to it to kind of because I think that's part of it too it's it's there by itself um so you know your eye is is drawn to it if we can Jeremy and his team are already assessing that to see what kind of uh trees would would be applicable based on the size of the Swale and see what it would the you know how much it would cost and so forth to cover at least some of it with the treat plantings and then on the on the color we may I I see those all the time I'm an IT guy so I geek out with all these these different things um painting them black is kind of atypical and I think may may make them more um prevalent maybe a neutral color like green or gray or some something like that blends into the background a little a little better so something to consider hey all those in favor I any oppos see none the motion passes uh we're on to the next item 14e count vice mayor all right so this uh this item should be quick it's uh to discuss with my colleagues um what what the appetite for essentially Banning vaping from within uh town-owned facilities are five indoor facilities that was my original intent um we we heard from a speaker in public comment that wanted to extend that uh to town events in in the outdoor I don't know what what the appetite is there but I think certainly our Our Town facilities are are places where a lot of times people don't have a choice as to whether or not they they they come here right they may need to come here to to get a building permit or need to come here to enjoy a council meeting or need to come here for different reasons and I think um the the making sure that that environment uh is is free of of vaping is something that we should we should definitely do um the I I'd love to hear what the uh what the thought is on on uh on the outdoor events um vice mayor I would um I would proceed to add that to to your to your plan I think that any uh event any location that is maintained by taxpayer dollars should be enjoyed by all and and that type of activity tends to be a nuisance to some of those around you so I think that anything that we do in an indoor building should also extend to our Park facilities um as well the policing of it tends to get a little complicated same thing happens with the dogs and the no Parks no dogs at the park and you know the parks are full of dogs because there's no there's no staff to police that kind of thing but I do think that that if we're going to move in that direction we should extend it to outdoor locations as well to the uh to the manager and to the to the attorney is there anything to preempt us from restricting it in outdoor areas cigar maker Guild of America is going to come vice mayor I I wasn't prepared for that one I mean we only discussed the interior so i' have to get back to you and double you know make sure that there's nothing that would restrict us for exterior I don't think so but I'd like to get back so what I would like to see is I would like to see it passed for interior today and then I would like to have the the the deputy Town manager um do some research on on the outside implications because I I do know it is a even even with Banning smoking outside at events there are um some difficulties yes again I don't think that it's an issue because it's a town particular event but I'd like to be able to do a little research and get back to you excellent was there a motion and a second I'll second any further discussion any further discussion I do have some discussion thank you um I'm going to support it tonight I agree with you that absolutely indoors it should be prohibited I think that when you're talking about though at parks though uh vaping is still different um than say having a cigar or or a cigarette right in terms of the secondhand effects of it um I'm I'm curious to hear back on the attorney's report I'm I'm going to think between now and that time when he presents his report as far as the outdoor part because as um I forgot who mentioned it earlier I don't know if who was councilwoman Rano the enforcement is is key right and that's always the difficult part and so um you know I just want to take the time to think about it because of course you know I I as a smoker myself you know you know uh as one of uh who enjoys cigars I was very irritated when um the a house for example created a two tier system where cigarette smokers are permitted but not uh cigar smokers all because one subset of people didn't like what the others were doing applying that to the park situation right there are all sorts of behaviors that could be considered nuisance behaviors doesn't mean we should ban them all um and and what I'm trying to say is that there is a distinction between the Vapes and say uh a cigar or a cigarette so I'm going to take the time to think about it but I am absolutely uh in support of banning them indoors where it's an enclosed environment right and and maybe just to give the the town attorney some additional guidance I think a distinction could be um whether we don't allow them at at our outdoor facilities at all or if we're able to restrict that activity during during certain events right I think there there might be a distinction there I can I can definitely see a distinction between you know something happening at at uh at Veterans Park and there's no organized activity versus you know everybody huddled around for Fourth of July or for a movie at the park and and that activity happening within you know the proximity of children and and and the such so something to expand your research and give you more work through through the chair yes councilman I'm going to support the item however I I respectfully disagree with u councilman dieas I think that vaping smoking of any type to me is the same not the mechanism you use but the lack of consideration to others around you right so even if it doesn't smell bad or it's tobacco it's still Mist blowing in your face that you know and the majority of people in this that that I see are non-smokers now so as far as a nuisance I think it's all the same the delivery system might be different but I think uh that's something to look look at um Lorenzo if you could just you know making different exceptions for different types of delivery uh like for burning tobacco burning a cigarette you know you can't smoke but to me if I'm sitting there and someone's vaping next to me and a huge puff of smoke comes into you know that that's that's lack of consideration to to the public so uh I I respectfully disagree with that aspect of it and I would be open to to banning all you know even vaping in in in public parks as well inside and out I'm trying to remember what the male name for Karen was all in good fun yeah yeah no no no then hey I I'll wear the mantel I'm a I'm a Ken when it comes to smoking I think all smoking even vaping shouldn't be allowed in in our public parks got it any further discussion on this any further discussion all those in favor I any oppos seeing none the motion passes uh my items next obviously uh the resident had asked from for part of this item to put on the agenda obviously it can't be done uh due to the Charter uh which is a charter review commission but I I would like to have with my colleagues and if there's some residents that want to have have input because I think there's some items um that I would like to add to the November ballot Just Two items in particular and we can to Workshop these one is the the early voting uh item to to add that to any special election I would like to see that on the November election then additionally um and I know this is something that was discussed a while back I heard some other cities discussing it our Charter requires that a that a runoff uh happens in um in our general elections 21 days after um the November election if there's a runoff a a city of D has there it says a second Tuesday in December and I think you're going to see cities doing following a more uniform process um from what I had heard so those are just two that I think are priority those are ministerial and I would like to see that take advantage that they in the no November um to put them on the November ballot but I would like to have a workshop with my colleagues on this issue if there's you guys have any things as well that are not major that I think are are common sense stuff and we can just do it in the November ballot so I okay I'm not going to make any motions to put anything on the B I'm just going to make a motion to have a workshop um with you all just to go over if there's any ministerial stuff that you all want to change or that or that staff is recommends um but those are two that I wanted to explore which was changing our November runoff which wouldn't take effect till the 2026 election changing our runoff from instead of saying 21 days um after the general saying this following in line with dado and other cities the second Tuesday in December then additionally an item asking requiring early voting uh for all elections in our in our Charter but I wanted to have that workshop with you all I just want to make a motion to direct staff to coord a workshop amongst the the council all second discussion discussion discussion councilman Deus thank you Mr Mayor and while I respect the spirit of the item consistent with my prior positions with respect to these Charter amendments I would rather wait for the charter revision commission to be constituted and have the discussion at that time um but I just you know thank you though for where you know from for proposing this and where you're coming from with that I do think that's something that they should look at um when they when they convene thank you thank you any further discussion councel Madame clerk please call the rule council member ruano no council member Garcia yes council member Diez no council member goaso no vice mayor Fernandez yes mayor Sid yes it's a Time the motion fails thank you madam clerk we're on to the next item 14g Emergency Medical Services councilman Fernandez vice mayor Fernandez no I deferred that for the oh you did you did you did uh we're on to the next item which is 16a yes the special election is going to be held on April the 9th and that just so happens to be the same date as your April council meeting I just wanted to put that on your radar to see if there is an appetite to to change the April council meeting or reschedule it if there is uh the clerk and I spoke about it and we recommend for it to be moved one day over to Wednesday April the 10th but obviously if you do want to move it you can move it to whatever date you want I just want to put on if one of my colleagues were on the ballot I would have done it out of out of um out of respect to them but there's none of us is on the ballot unless do they need do you staff needs to be there if you guys don't we move forward with the counil me not for us not for us but if there was an appetite if any of you wanted to move it I just wanted to bring it to light and put it on your radar in case you wanted to consider moving it but it do you want to move it cuz you you brought it up there's a conflict both things are on the same but but is there is there a professional conflict like do you need to be there I will not be uh no but what what I'm saying you so none of our staff members need to be correct conflict okay no and there's no conflict on this day nobody on this day is on the ballot that night either there there's no Mr Mayor there's no um there's no conflict um and and I would be fine to do it that Tuesday I do think that one or two potentially two of those candidates will be sitting on this council at some point that's a it's a really really long day and then there's you know the the waiting of elections results and I I would hate for that to distract their ability to take this council meeting in and and uh and a pine but whatever the will of the council is is is fine for me I'm good either way no motions Council no motions all right thank you Mr manager moving on to uh police report major Gonzalez good evening Jose Gonzalez your town Commander uh with the police report um crime is uh steady and auto thefts for the month of February were up slightly but the uh vehicle burglaries were down um our officers continue with the high visibility Patrol special enforcement details during the midnight hours um we also had a residential burglary in progress arrest in the month of February where our officers responded to a call of an individual that broke into a residence our officers parameterized the residence and were able to take the subject into custody without incident so that was a great arrest on our for our team um moving into the LPR our uh subject um we just finished installing the two lprs on the east side um it gives us probably like a 90% coverage I think we only have one more intersection to cover before we have full coverage um there's also three more that are going to be installed hopefully within the next month uh to cover the uh older trailers that we had initially installed they're going to be with they're going to be replaced with fixed intersections now so we'll have the fixed license plate readers and a new intersection that was added that coming in from the PSN area um license play reader apprehensions we had two last month one was on the section one the first one for section one where a subject was a sexual predator wanted for sexual battery had two warrants came in the license play reader alerted to his vehicle and our detectives were able to take him into custody without incident um it was probably like within five minutes that he got there so that was pretty good um and secondly there was a stolen vehicle that came into the town uh from the PSN area uh middle of the night and uh it was stolen and uh we were able to apprehend four individuals and two firearms from that car so that was a great arrest and um to give a update on the 170th Street uh parking that's all been clear we've been following up on that with the signage I think it's been working very well and uh I think everybody got the uh the memo that there's no more parking there so I think uh we we'll continue to monitor but uh everything's been clear since then and I just want to uh give you some other updated news on our Fleet uh we retrofitting all our cars coming in the new ones uh I've been ordering the um high clearance vehicle so we're going to be getting SUVs so if we have to have any storm flooding or anything like that our officers will always be be be able to provide service to our residents and not let anything or obstacles get in their way so we just received the first batch uh we received uh four um four explor uh they're marked in the brand new with the the uh they have the new uh state-ofthe-art uh lights and sirens and um they have GPS monitoring now for the vehicles which is another plus that department is moving into the technology of the future and that's all I have any questions I have three questions and I don't know if anybody else has um three things I just wanted to touch upon I know years back we never had the mandatory minimums and and I know midnight shift sometimes were as Slim as two people how's that how's that change working out specifically for for midnights and afternoons that have always been a little slim so yeah it was that was mostly challenging on midnights and over the weekends obviously because we didn't have redundant redundant coverage like our our neighborhood service unit that that that works and and helps our units out even if we're short during the day um so now the minimum staffing has been working very well um we continue to have a minimum Staffing of officers at at all time even you know overnight on the weekends uh due to shortages or unforeseen absences and things have been very well our visibility has been high and our officers you know been patrolling preventing crimes and apprehending the licensed play reader alerts that coming into the town the other I I had a resident reach out to me and I promised this resident that I asked these two questions number one uh number two the large trucks on montros on rosenell Hammer way uh going south making that turn there what I know I know there's there's a rule that says if they're doing local business that they could be by there but um talk to us about why some other trucks maybe like gasoline trucks shouldn't be correct so I I did talk to the um County Traffic Engineers to take a look at it because I have had some concerns from residents prior to this one um and they said that they were going to conduct uh an analysis of that and see if there's any uh signes warranted but right now Southbound on 8 Second Avenue coming in from 170th Street of the PSN area there is no sign it it says no through trucks um there is one sign for Northbound um 82nd Avenue just about 164 feet the guard house is at before it it Slims out into the two lanes there is a sign there um but the meaning of the no through trucks really is it's they're not supposed to it's not like a cut through just to to get through but if you do have business in that area imagine no trucks will be allowed to go through there where none of the dumb trucks or construction vehicles could get into to Royal Oaks to do the storm drain in each project so um and also you know if there's if they are coming to do a delivery in the area they're coming to deliver a wind Dixie if they're coming to deliver gas at the gas station the no through truck the no through sign does allow them to do that so long as they have business in the join in adjoining area um it would have to be like a no truck sign you know with no truck absolutely with a red circle then that's different because that's absolutely no trucks but the no through is is you have to interpret by law it it does allow trucks to come through as long as they have business in the area I'm sorry um sorry your you want me to repeat it or no no no I just wanted to get your your professional opinion on no through trucks is that is that um so to go back what I was saying no but I mean do you do you recommend more signage or do you well the only way you could stop the truck from coming through and the only again I I kind of recommended the county to to study it and take a look at it and I had the engineer is working on it I know because one of our residents I bought the lived in Royal Oaks had bought it to my attention months ago um is that they would have to put a sign that says no trucks at all but then again that's challenging because that means that any dump truck they came into Royal Oaks or we would have to site them because if it says no trucks period that means the trucks can't come in on a second Avenue that's hence why they probably had the no through sign so it's not like a cut through for any truck that just wants to go from let's say High and just cut through all the way to you know myar there's no reason the truck will be taken as a shortcut to get from hiia because the petal's backed up to cut through there to get to like Weston but if they're coming into town to do business here or anywhere around they they're allowed to cut through there not cut through but use that road um because they have business okay the other one is uh underage golf cart utilization has there been any tickets given out or that you know of for for go C issues we have not had an issue that we had reported to us um I think we haven't really had any complaints with golf carts um ever since with the law took place and we've been conducting the U the educational enforcement which is really just talking to the parents talking to the kids I think a lot of the folks got the the message and they understand that the kids have to have some sort of permit or license to be on in the golf course and we really had any had any complaints or calls on that or any ticketing so you read if somebody sees 10-year-old on for driving a golf cart you recommend yeah they call the the non-emergency number okay okay okay got it all right any other questions of our police major um just want to say um I'm impressed with with the level of criminal we're finding um I'm relieved that we're catching these criminals through the LPR sexual sexual assault um I'm sure the victim will be very happy to know that they're under arrest so thank you for that also as far as signage U I know you're working with the manager and the town to uh help you with enforcement around the schools with no parking is there any need that additional need for signage to help you enforce do you have all the signage any signage placed in areas that will help you your officers enforce that because then you need the signage before you you enforce certain areas yeah I think that any complaints that we'll receive that I work with the town and the manager and Omar to identify the the issues and work with signage um like we've done on 80th Avenue with the trucks and other areas uh around Cowan and bull run where there's doing overnight trucks are parking with uh we're putting signage up for overnight commercial vehicle parking and you know and no other parking I know we did the curbing on the north side of uh the Bob Graham K through and they put signage up there and that's been working so and 170 Street was another one that's the latest one where we had parking and we were able to get signage up work together to get that done and uh we've been but any complaints that we get we will look at it and find a solution on how we could pre prevent uh any other further parking illegal parking coming forward moving forward thank you major Council mqu thank you and um I just wanted to thank you for some of the work that you've been doing with the neighborhood service districts uh just to piggyback on what um councilman Garcia is saying is saying um lprs are being very effective and criminals are getting smarter so there are some mechanisms that they're deploying coun measures counter measures that are getting or circumventing the the LPR technology and um just the awareness that you guys are bringing to the guards that are still on the ground um to maybe not profile but identify uh what those Vehicles may look like and what those perpetrators may look like to be proactive and not rely just on the technology I think is great and I really commend the work that you're doing hand in hand with our town staff um and um I told JP I was going to uh bring it up but uh appreciate what you're doing with them so thank you thank you anything else if not thank you major appreciate you have a good night have a good night uh we're moving on to Jeremy badge down Congratulations by the way thank you Dad is't that the new title that good new title that the Jeremy backdown Dad here to speak to you on uh Town matters though is there a pay bump associated with that title there uh yes I have been financially given the freedom to change all diapers necessary and in a month I've probably gotten close to 400 diapers so that's pretty cool you got the best of both worlds bro you got the baby and your wife opened the business recently in the town of Miami Lake so two babies two babies to take care of bless man God bless um essentially the item we have before you is uh coming out of the January council meeting um where we were told to go ahead and reevaluate the uh painting uh scheme for our new entry feature at 67th uh just north of the gra bratney um Town staff had a chance to uh speak with some of the council members on the paint schemes and essentially the report you have in front of you um goes over those three options that we were looking at adjusting uh the only things to note is it affects nothing to the warranty of the of the new entry feature um and the paint once repainted if that is the decision of the council um will receive another one year on the paint itself so nothing structural no concerns with adjusting it um and then the three paint options are listed there um for your consideration that is extra white kilum beige and alabaster I personally I appreciate all your work I have no issue with the sign so my personal opinion this is one of those items that's very subjective right it's all doesn't there's no right or wrong answer here right so it's just I personally voted no the first time voting no this I have no issue with it so but I'm fine with whatever Direction the majority of council wants to go yeah so um to get the ball rolling uh for myself I would move that we would go with the alabaster I'll second I think councilwoman Morano did so I had a question with regards to if I may through the chair with regards to the other signage the other entry features that we have the colors they are warmer tones right they are more and they they have been changed over the years um it is now a a more modern feel of the original warmer tones there were more of a beige hard kind of yellowish beige color they have been moved towards I guess Alabaster is pretty close moving towards a more modern gray kind of um feel but yes they are a little warmer than the current one that's on this at this location um and I know that staff I think addressed also the goal here was kind of match the surrounding area with Lake Patricia's um shopping center being a a harsh modern gray we wanted to find something a little lighter than that but still kind of reflect that area of the town so that was the goal with our initial decision okay because currently it is it is a gray tone correct so this will be warmer than the gray and the only reason why I ask is because sometimes the photographs don't don't do the colors justice cor and even when you look on like Google um Google Maps for current if you look at different times of the day the color looks a little warmer some days looks a little more gray but yes this Alabaster will be closer to the other uh entry features thank you all right so there's a motion for okay ER Madame clerk please hold on hold on that is a motion yes please call the rule okay council member Diez yes council member coyaso yes council member Garcia no because I just don't see the difference in the colors but no council member ruano yes vice mayor Fernandez no mayor Sid no motion fails all right is there another color you guys want to go down I being honest I personally don't want to change it but you guys figured out the majority of you what what it sh look like I think the the question is whether any of them would actually have a chance or whether we should just wait for after the election for the other two since that one can't come back for six months so all right yeah so I guess you have anybody else have no I just like to say that the reason I said no is because I honestly don't see the difference in these two I like to see consistency though in our entrances absolutely um but since it's so new um I'd be open to once we do need some maintenance on it making it consistent with the other entrances features absolutely but right now it's I mean still I just don't see the difference in these two col well I did just want to point out to my colleagues uh you know renew my request from last year to update our beatification master plan that uh our Parks director has so uh so um uh worked on for so hard or for so long and very hard to update the scope of work on that if we can get it funded perhaps with the carry forward funds uh you know I think that would also make sure that we're not just spot improving I guess to your point right that we can look at them holistically and and uh through the chair i' be open to that because i' I'd like to see uh attention to all our entrances uh especially the 67th Avenue and 154 and a consistency to the interestes of the town and this would be part of that a more comprehensive approach absolutely I would be uh I would be in favor of that I think if you know especially if we're going to look at the other entrance features I'd rather do that at the same time and and do it holistically right and not necessarily repaint this one and then realize that we're moving in a different direction with the other one six months from now and then have to go back and that's fair okay and and my perspective is a little bit different I was in different of the color kind of very similar you're never going to get it right right no matter what the the perfect color but the minute that you brought up the issue or the thoughtfulness right that you're trying to make it more harmonious with the adjacent buildings right so it doesn't stand out it's the very same item that we're trying to do by disguising 5G towers that it made sense right so I think what sold me was the fact that you're trying to make it part of the lived space part of the lived environment trying to make it more harmonious trying to give that Talent it might not be the same color everywhere right so when you put that level of thoughtfulness if you go back to this idea of uniforming all the signs well maybe it's not going to work in the same in the same way in that particular space so what won me over on Alabaster was little dialogue about the color but more about what you were trying to do with the harmony of the of the space that it's in and I think that thoughtfulness um was the reason that I voted yes and I and I I'm going to caution my colleagues against trying to go against un uh with a uniformity part with The Branding I think you stay consistent but sometimes shading a color to be part of the environment does more for the design than than trying to make it all uniform and um that's why I was supporting Alabaster and we can continue to have this conversation I did it for years in art school and uh it never there's never there's never a right answer to it yeah and uh again uh thank you to JP I don't I don't know if he's still here or not but you know I I just want to thank him for taking the time to meet with me about that and again thank you for presenting it um and and again I just uh while I appreciate where everybody was was coming from trying to match our sign to the shopping center I think the that that defeats the purpose of the entry features which is to announce where you're entering right and to therefore should pop or instead of blend in right the opposite of with the 5G cell towers Etc that we want them to blend in and not be as noticeable with the entering feature is the opposite we want people to be wow I'm I'm entering the town Etc or whatever municipality might be but thank you again you know for the time and and please pass it on to J JP because I I don't think he's here anymore all right got it got it welcome director Santos good evening again good evening all right so I'll mention a few projects I want to highlight and if there are any questions please uh yes provide them so the 59th Avenue project we're working with the county on the license agreement we provided some information they have requested and uh we'll be meeting with them to move that forward uh street light improvements projects all the new polls are in place right now we are waiting for fpnl to activate the the new polls and we'll have new Lighting in those areas or improved Lighting in those areas Canal bank last council meeting uh this body approved the contract and we're working with the contractor to start uh mobilization and the purchase of the materials and getting them on site Royal Lakes first edition the contractor is working on scheduling uh final pavement operations to begin next week so you'll soon start seeing the final topping on those roads as well as the one well I jumped ahead let me go back Commerce Way uh we're moving along very well on that as you aware we have closure of certain sections of uh Commerce Way um and half of that will be open hopefully by the 25th of the current section that's closed 158 Street this is on the east side of town north of the education center that's actually getting its final pavement this week and that's all I wanted to highlight so you guys okay he just want to bring up something I I know I know Anna um I know Anna left I I can't say that I'm not concerned with our storm water program and I so I initially I always believed and I said this on the record and I think it was councilwoman Ron and I that that that have voted this way but a that that position should have always been contracted out right it was a temporary it was a temporary position obviously the majority of the council went a different direction years later looking in the in the position we're in now trying to find somebody else I have seen and I I don't want to put anybody defense but I have seen a Slowdown in the development of those projects right putting them out to procurement putting them out to contract one of the projects that I thought by now would have been completely done was lock lman to give you an example and I know some of those have been pushed back a little bit I don't know if it's for her departure I don't know if you guys are but are you still looking to hire a fulltime person to manage a program that's halfway done or are you going to bring in do do a solicitation right a third party that manages the entire thing in terms of customer service and and everything because I think that was one of the hardest aspects for for for Anna it's similar to John's job right where those where those jobs are not only heavy in terms of engineering but now you're you're forcing engineers and and folks in a in a different field to to field to do customer service right 24/7 which is a little difficult right it doesn't always fit for any everybody so my I am concerned so I've seen a slow down in projects I don't know what direction you're going in if you're going to take if you tell me right now I'm taking over the program till it's done I know you you're more than capable of doing it my challenge is if you're hiring somebody new that person might be lost in the sauce they it might be an engineer that gets really afraid of the customer service side right we've but or if you're looking at at bringing in a company for a temporary job whoever it is right solic do a solicitation since half of the projects are already done we yeah obviously Omar is proof positive that an engineer actually can prioritize customer service and do a phenomenal job and I think Anna I think did a phenomenal job bent over backwards for customer service because that's what uh that's the U the priority that we put here in our entire management team which is customer service and uh so we are in that process of recruiting uh we believe that that is going to be the most effective and cost effective uh way to manage these programs obviously Omar and Stanley are um uh are handling as much as they can now they are actively recruiting they have we put the recruit the uh advertisement out and they have gotten uh a lot of good strong candidates they've already started the interview process and uh our intent is to uh continue with that process uh and replace Anna as you know as best we can uh with another uh engineer project manager that will manage these projects and Omar is going to be there to Mentor that person and bring them up to speed and uh whoever we get will be somebody with project management experience I I get it and I and I fully aware I'm in the Deep minority on the council when it comes to to these types of matters right like I really believe in the contract City model especially for a temporary position but and again Omar is a great example Anna they did awesome in customer service but it is a position where I'm sure everybody you got that you're hiring everybody that applied is an engineer right that's what you're looking for am I right not necessarily it has engineering or a closely related field it could be a construction manager that has that experience or somebody else that has that project management experience got it I just don't want to be here 6 months from now saying I Told You So once again so again I fully am aware how deep of the minority I am and in terms of these types of matters but just wanted to put on the record because I am concerned that a program that could have been way far ahead right now has been slowed down to to answer or I guess to address that comment some a lot of these projects are are not as far as ahead as you may have expected has to do a lot of Permitting so as we go through durm uh certain questions are asked and the E engineer of record has to respond to that so lock lman is one of those just prove my point so appreciate Omar the uh both the arpa uh program as well as the B Bond program have uh deadlines right as far as Milestones that we have to hit deadlines that we have to hit completion that we have to hit and we're on Pace with both of those programs be completely uh done by that time yes and and I think that mayor one thing that may have been kind not an illusion but some of the projects that got kicked off right away at the beginning were projects that uh with other funds from previous even before the bond program uh that they had designed they had money in the past for from other sources for design so they had some projects already sitting on the shelf and they were able to to get into the construction phase quicker all they had to do was get them permitted and and get them out to so there was A Rush of uh of projects that came early on in the in this Pro in both programs and that I think that that was part of the uh the reason but uh I think that Anna did a phenomenal job and uh she really did a phenomenal job even right till the day that she uh that she unfortunately left our employment and I appreciate you guys for helping me prove that point so thank you Omar I have a question Er When is a Commerce supposed to be completely done I know they're going to shift the The Detour and stuff like that but when is it supposed to be completely done I don't have the exact date right now but from memory I want to say it's closer closer to fall okay all right so a have have we worked with the bana Vergara Foundation do we have a plan yes that walk is yeah the 14th of we we've been in communication with them last year when we were planning the when the staff was planning the reindeer run so we'll be re-engaging with them we made them aware of where we expect it to be and the plan is to accommodate their the route through the construction site got it yeah through the chair um one more quick question on The Fairway Drive bike Lanes um I know you had a workshop here almost every single uh resident who who uses Fairway Drive and sometimes I use it too to to to walk over to um to the shopping center talks about the lighting the lighting is really high the trees block the lighting is in the is there any future plans of lowering lighting to just make it the typical you know Gaslight looking lights that are you know it's not in the scope of this project so we would have to uh treat us separately has there because I know this has been a conversation for a long time as there is there ever previous plans or any future plans for I'd like to direct you guys to look at how we can improve that lighting uh you know get rid of the the long the the the cement and put the the metal you know Iron looking iron looking black street lights like they have on Main Street yeah we could look at that because those trees are blocking the light and it's super dark I I mean it's the residents really complain about the darkness through Fairway I don't know if you I'm sure you've noticed yeah we could look at that and maybe I'll provide some information through the yeah and then you know what what what since we're doing this anyway is there any way since we're already going to do some construction you know what we need to do to to work together since we're we're going to do that and and and change the light I mean the the lighting is already there right the electricity is already there maybe we need to add some some lighting to that area yeah I would have to do some research to for see if the the existing circuit is is usable for for an upgrade okay and then also what cost it Associated permitting and then up and they would be led so they suck up less energy so yeah then that's what we've been implementing anything that's new thank you cuz I know a lot of residents are complaining about the darkness on Fairway driving thank you if I if I may to to piggyback on what council member Garcia just asked I've always been of the opinion that tree trimming could could make a significant Improvement in the lighting in that area is can any of the staff members uh let me know why it is that we don't proceed to trim the trees more around the lights on Fairway uh I could check I know that's not your department I'll coordinate with parks department and then we'll see because most of them are just covered by the canopy so if there was a way to at least to carve out the area where the light is perhaps that would be a quick fix to perhaps um in order to address that we'd have to put Fairway on almost similar to what we do with 154 and 67th with annual Cycles so it would be a funding real question to fund Fairway maybe even annually because if not Fairway will be addressed in its normal cycle which is once every three years right which is I think I believe I have to double check but I think it's coming up early next fiscal year okay any of the questions of our uh this is it after this one haawa haawa of our Public Works director thank you man thank you for what you do you have a good night I love Omar man because I get I get calls all the time from folks hey you're over here fixing a train they confuse us all the time H anything else if not we'll see everybody in April this meeting is you have anything else no no no I'm saying but there nothing else all right guys God bless and we'll see everybody in April have a good night this meeting is adjourned