The discussion around Garland DBS Inc’s agreement brought to light concerns about the current procurement policy’s impact on local vendors. The conversation, steered by concerns from a board member, led to the board’s consensus that policies should be amended to give local businesses better opportunities to compete for such contracts. The board directed the manager to revise the bid terms, emphasizing the need for policies that would not only benefit the community’s economic development but also ensure fairness in the bidding process.

Following this, the CRA discussed a resolution to approve a professional services agreement with BG Group LLC for structural demolition services. The implications of this agreement for local development and the subsequent enhancement of the city’s infrastructure were also considered.

A temporary 12-month moratorium on new residential development emerged as another focal point of discussion. The board deliberated on the scope of exemptions, which included pending applications and final plat approvals. The moratorium is indicative of the agency’s intent to manage growth strategically and address concerns related to infrastructure and community resources.

Additionally, the agency addressed a draft ordinance related to development services, debating whether to wait for the regularly scheduled Local Planning Agency (LPA) Council or to schedule a special meeting. The decision to forward the draft ordinance, with the current date as the bright line date, was made.

The meeting also saw the approval of an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for underground electrical work to Oscar and Sun Electric as well as RCS Power. This project, with a fiscal impact of $982,000 for two Capital Improvement vendor contracts, aims to improve the electrical reliability and resilience of the city’s infrastructure.

Another infrastructure enhancement discussed was the installation of a splash pad at James Archer Smith Park, an initiative supported by a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and included in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) number 2032.

The CRA considered a traffic control jurisdictional agreement with Bay’s Community Development District, which would authorize the Police Department to enforce traffic laws on private roads within the community. This agreement would ensure that all revenues from traffic citations issued by the city would be retained by the city, highlighting the agency’s efforts to strengthen local governance and resource allocation.

In a lighter segment of the meeting, the board deliberated on the selection of a semi-quincentennial logo for the City of Homestead, with three design options presented. The discussion focused on making the logo more personal to the city, with suggestions for design modifications to better reflect Homestead’s identity.