The most newsworthy discussion centered on the first Mental Health Awareness Fall Festival. Lindsay Wall, the chair of the Mental Health Task Force, urged council members and the community to support the event aimed at raising awareness about mental health issues. Wall emphasized that the festival would feature various mental health providers, including NAMI and Baptist, and she called for food vendors, activities, and volunteers to participate. Wall also mentioned that a pumpkin patch would be among the attractions and appealed for sponsors to ensure the success of the inaugural event.

Council members acknowledged the importance of the festival and looked into reallocating funds to support local business growth. They discussed moving funds previously designated for local Intel to new advertising avenues, including large roadside billboards to promote Main Street and the broader community. Additionally, a follow-up on the Main Street collaboration revealed that merchants were forming working groups to improve cooperation and communication among local businesses. The farmers market was noted as a continuing initiative, and preparations were underway for an upcoming business boot camp event scheduled for Friday.

The business boot camp event, which had its capacity increased from 150 to 200 participants, was another significant topic. The council discussed logistical considerations, including the need for volunteers to assist with setup and registration, as high school students might be unavailable due to school commitments. Breakfast for the event was described as “Serve Yourself,” and the welcome and introduction were scheduled for 9:55 AM, followed by the first speaker at 10:15 AM. Anna G was confirmed to attend, and the Memorial had agreed to cover costs for security and cleanup, alleviating previous concerns about expenses.

Further budget adjustments were proposed during the meeting, specifically regarding the raffle budget. A motion was made to transfer $50 from the open budget to the raffle budget, which had $400 allocated, to provide $50 gift cards to each of the 11 participating restaurants in the culinary bike tour. Members discussed the importance of promptly sending the event agenda for printing to Easy Graphics to ensure everything was ready for the event. Additionally, there was a conversation about allocating petty cash for last-minute needs, such as supplies, with a suggestion of having $100 to $200 available.

Another topic of interest was the promotional video for the airport marketing. One participant noted difficulties in finding relevant information online and suggested searching for specific airports to yield better results. The conversation shifted to name tags for the boot camp event. Due to time constraints, the “Hello, I am” format was considered a viable alternative, and it was pointed out that several lanyards from previous events could be utilized.

Concerns were raised about obtaining necessary documentation from a vendor named Vrola, who had yet to submit a W9 form or a formal invoice. A follow-up email had been sent, emphasizing that payment could not proceed without these documents.

The meeting also included an announcement about Steve’s goodbye party scheduled for September 18, with participants expressing disappointment about not having a representative from the committee present. The “Best of Miami Lakes Awards” was discussed, with suggestions to modify the categories to better reflect community engagement and competition. The current format was criticized for being too broad, and there were proposals to include more specific categories requiring a rigorous nomination process.

Lastly, the Culinary Bike Tour and the K9 Cove event were mentioned. The Culinary Bike Tour, a popular event that required advance registration, aimed to improve attendance numbers compared to the previous year. The K9 Cove event, focusing on connecting veterans with pets, including service animals, was noted as a commendable effort supported by local veterans.