City Commission - Regular Meeting

over there. Right here. How are we doing, Mr. Kirk?

We're good, sir. You ready to begin?

All right. Well, good morning. I'd like to welcome everyone to the Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 commission. I'd like to thank everyone for being here. As I tell everyone, when we have the opportunity to commence the commission, uh this is a great opportunity to express yourself. You can either join us by phone, in person, via email, via Zoom. There's a multitude of opportunities to get engaged here with the commission. I ask you that when you engage in the public comment section, uh I'm asking everyone to who comes up to state their name and address for the record. You'll have three minutes to share your thoughts with the commission. As a reminder, these comments are limited to those items on the agenda, but within the scope of the city's commission jurisdiction. So, I ask you to be respectful and thoughtful, especially here during the holiday season. As we commence, uh, I'd like to see if we can have our dear friend Yoli from the city clerk's office, uh, join us for the invocation. Good morning, Yoli. Morning Mr. Mayor the commission resident trying to make this short but it's a lot to pray about. So we give thanks for this day. Heavenly father as we gather for the final meeting of this year we come before you Lord God with grateful heart. We thank you Lord God for all that you have done for us. Reflecting on your faithfulness and the blessings you have bestowed again upon us and on the city beautiful the city of Coral Gables. Lord we thank you for the vision you placed in George Merrick's heart

100 years ago. A vision that has become a cherished home and workplace for so many. As the Psalmist declared, "Unless the Lord build the house, the builders labor in vain." Psalms 127:1. We recognize that you have sustained this city through a century of growth and change. We lift up our mayor and city commissioners and thank you for their leadership and sacrifice of service. We are grateful for the many employees who serve our residents faithfully each day. Whatever you do, work as work at it with all your heart and working for the Lord as working for the Lord. Colossians 3:23. Father, we pray for our nation and all those in leadership. Grant them wisdom to always strive to do what is best for all people and to seek your guidance in every decision. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. Proverbs 356. We acknowledge that we live in challenging times facing climate change, conflicts, and uncertainty. Yet we hold fast to your promise. You will hear. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Matthew 24:6. Our trust remains in you. For those who grieve, Lord, we especially remember those among us who have lost loved ones this year. Comfort them with your presence. For you have promised, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4. May your peace transcends all understanding.

Guard their heart and minds for a new year blessing. As this year closes, we wish our mayor, city commission, and all city employees, our residents, and their loved ones the happiest and most blessed new year for 2026. Lord, we thank you for 2025 in spite of the challenges. May the coming year bring renewed hope, continued strength, and abundance joy to all. For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29 and 11. In this we pray and we thank you, Lord Jesus. And I say, amen.

Amen. Julie, as always, thank you for coming through and pinch hitting. You did an incredible job. Thank you so much. We're blessed to have you. Uh, Commissioner Lada, will you please lead us in the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands nationy and justice for all. Now moving on to our merit merit moment. Good morning.

On my Christmas wish list this year is a new printer so I don't have to read these off of my phone. As we celebrate our centennial, the Merrick House brings to the commission the Merrick moment. Little tidbits that add up to a remarkable story. I'm Joanne Maher. Mer House dosent. Board of Governor's members include Genevieve our chair, Mary Beth Burke, Carmen Kasein, Alexis Arinha, Christina Onen, Susan Rodriguez, and Bonnie Sight. We have yet to discover any diary entries or letters describing Merrick family Christmases. Most likely decor and gifts exchanged were of the rather Spartan variety in the early days. In her diary of 1896, Mary Bar Monroe mentioned gifts of fruit and baked goods as being particularly appreciated and celebrated. Would there have been a trip downtown to shop at Berdines? After all, the store went into business in Miami in 1898. Of course, the Mer had little disposable income until the grapefruit groves began to bear in 1903. Perhaps family members made the lovely shell wreaths and table decor that are currently on display at the Mer House. Palm frrons and branches from the Dade County pines that surrounded the house would have hung from archways and fireplace mantels. This area could get a might chilly in December back then. Perhaps the Merrick children got dressed near the fire on frosty mornings. This past Sunday, the Merrick House welcomed children of all ages to our annual holiday open house. In addition to participating in old-fashioned games, guests made crafts just as the Mer would have from things on hand. Christmas tree ornaments from sticks and bits of cotton ribbon, quilled pins and bobbles from thin strips of paper to illustrate that

back in the day folks made use of what was on hand and bought local. Well, I have And you've been seeing uh these photographs of Santa in the early 1920s uh distributing of course what else? Grapefruit to tots at Venetian Pool. Santa has obviously been getting a lot of exercise in the Florida sun in these photos. He's not quite the portly jolly old elf of legend. I love the ones of his in his 1920s bathing suit. The house has been lovingly and beautifully decorated by the Coral Gables Garden Club and it will remain so until the end of January. So, please stop by for a tour this holiday season. As always, admission is free for city employees. I should mention, however, that the house will be closed this weekend, but for a very good reason. Um, the chimney leak has been fixed, tested, dried in, and the ceiling is is currently being plastered. I was there this morning. So so pleased and the board of governors is so pleased and thanks to Cara Couts who is the staff liaison to the Meric House because in true Fininkism spirit she never gave up on this project. And uh that project had to go through nine different departments at the city to get it done. And she as I said was um um um just bullish on it and wanted to get it done. and we're so pleased that um and so grateful to her for pushing this forward with the city and it's extremely important as you know because the mayor house is ground zero for our history and very very important. Thank you.

Well, thank you as always.

Moving on to presentation and protocol documents. Uh item A8 will be deferred. We'll be skipping item A1 for the moment and moving on to item A2, a presentation or proclamation declaring December 9, 2025 as Actor's Playhouse Day in Coral Gables. Please join us. Good morning. It's always a pleasure to have you. I'll read the the proclamation onto the record. Whereas Actors Playhouse was established in 1988 by Dr. Lawrence and Barbara Stein beginning its legacy in a converted Kendall movie theater before finding its permanent home on Miracle Mile on the in the city of Coral Gables. Whereas in the early 1990s through a visionary public private partnership with the city of Coral Gables, the arts the actors playhouse undertook a $10 million capital campaign to renovate the historic Miracle Theater, transforming the art deco landmark into a vibrant cultural venue with three performance spaces, a 600 seat main stage, a 300 seat theater, and a 100 seat black black box serving the historic site from commercial sale. Saving the historic site from commercial sale. And whereas this year marks the 30th anniversary of of Miracle Theat's reopening under the leadership of Actors Playhouse, a milestone that celebrates three decades of artistic excellence, community partnership, and cultural stewardship in the city of Coral Gables. And whereas since that time, Actors Playhouse has produced more than 200 mainstage productions, including Broadway and off Broadway musicals, comedies, thrillers, and new works, along with more than 200 professional children theater productions, earning acclaims as one of Florida's premier regional theaters. And whereas the theat's youth and educational programming have inspired generations through the annual theater conservatory, the young talent big dreams competition, the musical miracles youth troop and extensive educational outreach. And whereas the leadership of the theater has remained steadfast since

the theater's inception. A rare continuity that has helped shape Actors Playhouse into a nationally respected institution. And whereas to mark this 30th anniversary season, Actors Playhouse will open with Man of Lancha, the very first production the company staged and the first show presented upon opening the Miracle Theater symbolizing vision, continuity, and the enduring power of life theater. Now, therefore, I Vince Slago, as the mayor of the city of Coral Gables, on behalf of the city commission, do hereby proclaim December 9th, 2025 as Actor's Playhouse, a day in Coral Gables. Congratulations. Well, good morning and I thank you all for your wonderful kind words and just the 30 years of great opportunity to collaborate. We had a mutual need 30 years ago. The city of Goral Gables had to revitalize the downtown and Actor's Playhouse had an opportunity to move its home from the South Dade District to a new location where we could flourish and grow and become as important as we are. And believe me, there's so many more opportunities of growth and we have this vision today for what we can be tomorrow. So, we're so grateful to the city of Coral Gables and all of the forefathers who 30 years ago took a big risk. I'd say we knew we could do it, but we were new to Coral Gables coming from South Dade. I'd like to first of all introduce the team that's here with me today and and then also uh give a lot of wonderful uh applause to former mayor Dorothy Thompson who might want to say a few words. who sat on the commission that made the difference of what we have today as a regional professional

theater, the city of Coral Gable's very own performing arts center. First of all, I think you know my husband Larry Stein, who is the visionary and who founded the theater company based on a patient who owned WCO Theater and had a toothache in his dental office in 1988 and that started the whole organization. David Orisco, our artistic director for 38 years, who's gives credit to all the fabulous notoriety we have nationally artistically. And then we have Brooke Noble, our general manager, Carlos Koreah, our technical director, Jackie Zooker, our development audience director, and a team of people who are behind us all the time. But it was Mayor Thompson who actually was there for us. And I'm sure she had a lot of thoughts to think about back there in 1995. Mayor, you like to say,

well, it all started across the hallway, did it not? It did.

And I can remember this day so vividly all these 35 years later. It's amazing how how the mind works. But there are certain pictures or photographs of what are in your mind that that that stay with you. This is one of them. And And I don't think that you're surprised because her personality, Barbara's personality shines through no matter what. She it truly does. But I remember the day I was sitting across the hall and um Don Slesnik, who was not on the commission yet, but Don Slesnick called me first and said, "I want you to welcome someone to your office. You have something to tell you." I said, "Oh, okay." He just said nothing more than that. And then Barbara came. You had someone with you. I don't remember who it was.

Jerry Brown. It was Jerry Brown because our develop

I can't remember him, but I remember her so vividly. And she came into the office and um sat down and introduced herself. I'd never seen her before, never knew her of her before until Don Slesnik had let me know. and she sat down and she made this proposal that said that we have the Miracle Theater on on Miracle Mile and we'd like to change turn into a playhouse. And I was flabbergasted. What that is it's almost I don't know. I mean, it's sensational. I I couldn't believe it. I said, "No, what is it?" So she sat and she explained it to me and in the interim of some maybe 15 20 minutes maybe a half an hour um and I sat just like you mayor sitting and watching someone come talk to you about something very important in the city and you're listening very carefully

and as it the time went on I realized that she had something really important to say so I sat up and took notice and up to that point I had my mind you know I prejudged if you will I'm not going to have anything to do with this is giving away our property on Miracle Mile to something I don't know anything about. I was convinced by the end of the time that um Barbara left the office to the point that I sponsored it on the commission uh at the next commission meeting and she herself sold it but I had to introduce it. I had to propose it just like you all make different proposals. Sometimes it's outrageous at the time but then you all buy into it. That was it. It's because of Barbara. I'm so happy that she's still here, still perking along. And if anyone here in the audience has not been to the Actor's Playhouse, you have missed something. But you still have time.

Two more weeks of Man of Lancha. Well, I thank you for the nice accolades, but I tell you, I represent a very big team. This is not a oneperson thing. We're we're a team of people that have worked together passionately and and and really dedicating our lives. And just to keep you informed that not only was it a $10 million project over seven years to build it, which is why we have the agreement we have today of rentree, but every year we add about 300 to $500,000 to the capital program. Uh we're embarking now on a seat campaign that's going to cost about $350,000 to put new 600 seats in. And we're halfway there in the campaign. So, next season after 30 years of wear and tear every day, bringing kids in every day and main stage at night, we're going to have three 600 new seats. And then we have obligations like uh the new cost for the elevator, $20,000 for a little component. And uh so we're constantly upgrading and developing this space. And we honor and respect everything that you've required of us over the years. And I'd like to think more and I hope you think more too because we are not done. We have a succession plan in place and we have great leadership here that are going to move Actors Playhouse forward and the city forward with complete recognition. 150,000 people come to this theater every year. Okay. 17% are tourism and we have that documented through zip codes through people buying tickets through our ticketing system and we have relationships with 10 hotels and 32 restaurants in the community. So, not only are we culturally enriching your community and our community in South Florida, but we're part of an economic

force for Coral Gables with the employment, with the fact that your parking revenues come from all of our guests who come and eat dinner here, through the taxation you get, through your retail of people who buy here. And we're proud of that. And I'm so proud of the team that I've been working with for all these years. And Dorothy Honestly, um, you were very intimidating back then. I tell you, she was a sharp commissioner, mayor, and I was scared to death at that meeting, but you made me feel welcome and you listened. And the commission back then, I know Ralph Folly is is ill today and wanted to be here to say hello to you. Don Slesnik is there must be a flu going through Coral Gables. I mean, they're really sick. And wanted to share the the podium, too. But if you just take a moment and and the staff could put on a little uh movie video. It's very short, but it shows a comparison of what the building looked like um before and through the process of renovation to today. So, if somebody could put that I think we showed the video. We showed the video already.

Oh, you showed the video. Wasn't it great? Wonderful. Thank you. Yeah. While while you were talking, we were getting to see the contrast for for context. Well, that was the way it was supposed to be because we wanted you not to be have us here all morning. But thank you so much very much, city manager. It's good to see you, mayor. I really really appreciate your your accolades and your respect of our organization. Thank you, mayor.

Thank you, madam vice mayor. So, Miss Stein and and for every one of you, I thank you for the relentless and I I don't use that word lightly manner in which you push forward this project. I mean, like so many things that are treasures in our city. Uh this theater is a treasure to my to our city. Uh but for the fact that Mayor Thompson saved the Billmore Hotel, we wouldn't have that. but for the fact that Mayor Thompson led the charge for for this cultural institution thanks to your willingness to step forward and cultural arts has come up um significantly since you took the first step. I mean um my kids since they were four or five could go to this theater and enjoy the theater. I don't have the time now that I used to have to enjoy it myself, but my hope is that through leadership, we can continue to make sure that every one of our cultural institutions uh shine because they do bring in significant revenues to our city. Every dollar invested brings back seven. So, it's something we have to keep in mind um you know, because some folks don't understand that these investments are for the long term and and benefit more than just one institution. So, thank you for your leadership.

Thank you very much. You know, one more thing to mention is that um this project, this partnership saved this historic site.

Okay. It was actually it had a contract for discount retail. I believe it was Ross Dress for Less and a Dan Marino restaurant. And thanks to the Wameco folks who waited eight months while the whole deal got consummated, um we were able to save this miracle theater which celebrated 75 years last year uh as a historic site and otherwise it would have been demolished and turned into a discount retail which probably wouldn't have done a lot of good for the development of what you have now in Coral Gables on Miracle Mile. Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to work with all of you. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Yeah. Thank you.

Yeah. Barbara, take a picture. Take a picture. Give me picture. Yeah. One. One.

Yes. Absolutely. I just I wanted to say one little thing. Number one. Number one. Mayor Thompson, thank you so much for sponsoring this item. This is my favorite place in Coral Gables. This is a place I could literally call home. It is community- based very, very well. And number one, we are grateful for you. We are grateful for three decades of wonderful partnership with the city of Coral Gables. It means it means the world. Um the quality of musicals and plays that this theater puts up is a gem. It is Broadway material and I couldn't be more proud for this theater to be in Coral Gables. When when you guys step out, I want to take you into my office really quick because I want you to see all the plaques that I have in my office. Thank you for all for all of you. You guys do exceptional and it means the world.

Congratulations by the way. Wonderful. Wonderful. Congratulations, Barbara. Want to say congratulations. Wonder Yeah.

Thank you for being here. Thank you. Thank you.

Moving on to a presentation item A1. Presentation of a donation from the city of Coral Gables to the found unidos collected during the holiday sip and shop on miracle malave belies. Good morning.

Good morning. Good morning mayor and commissioners. We are honored to have the consul of Uruay with us Rafael Viamour and we have Leticia Samrano the president of Fundion Unidos Poronu a nonprofit organization rooted in Uruay and based in uh Miami area. So, Unido Ponenu works to provide unforgettable experiences for children from Uruguay that are going through some very very um horrible illnesses. Um and they're bringing them to Orlando for a week uh to enjoy the theme parks. Uh the proceeds from the city's holiday sip and shop held on Miracle Mile on November 20th um were are being donated to the foundation. So, Sip and Shop is a ticketed event. It invites guests to explore Miracle Mile, enjoy curated wine tastings and participate uh in at participating retailers and take advantage of the special sales and experience uh that they provide. The team loves this event because we get to interact with all of our stakeholders. Um it strengthens the partnership between the city, the business community, our residents, and our international partners. Um I want to thank Miracle Mile retailers who participated and stayed open late. The goal was to bring more people to the downtown and explore um things that they hadn't um and um expose them to other retailers. And we had several event goers that were either new residents to the Gables, had never been to Miracle Mile, to that particular store, or longtime residents that had never really gone to particular stores on Miracle Mile and they were really excited to have explored something new. Um, finally, we are grateful to the consulate of Uduay who generously donated all the wine for the event. And so we have both of them here. We have the console of if you'd like to stand up with us and mayor if they could say a few words

that would be wonderful. in particular mayor. Orlando. likechech. Thank you very much. This is a wonderful cause. I want to thank our staff, Belis, your team. Um, everyone from your office did a wonderful job. You deserve all the credit. Oh, stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Please. Thank you for your hard work as always for leading the way. We're

honored to have a consulate here in the city and again raising money for cancer is something that is very near and dear to my heart and it's something that we've been doing for a long time. So I want to congratulate you uh for your efforts and leading by example. Uh this is a beautiful thing that you know especially during the Christmas season uh we need to give more. We need to give more and give thanks uh for the many blessings that we have especially when what you're doing today for example brings it home. so much. As a parent of two young children, you think about children who are facing cancer. I could never imagine a battle of that of that magnitude and to be able to reward them with such a beautiful opportunity to visit parks. It sounds so simple, right, after what they've been through, but it's a beautiful thing that you're doing that you don't have to do. So, I want to congratulate you. Richard Board Okay.

particip. Take a picture. Okay. So, we're going to be moving right along. The mayor has asked me to continue on with the next item. So this is a proclamation with respect to uh Jesus Permui day in Coral Gables and I read as follows. Whereas Jesus A Permui was born on August 30, 1935 in Havana, Cuba to Spanish parents from Galysia who instilled in him a lifelong commitment to family, culture and service. And whereas Permui emerged as a young civic and cultural leader in Cuba, organizing the landmark 1959 pro-democracy operation cultura event with more than

50,000 attendees inaugurated by President Manuel Uria Uria Uritia and featuring many of Cuba's leading artistic and literary figures. And whereas following Castro's rise, Permui became a prominent member of the resistance. In 1959, he was recruited by Roelio Gonzalez Corso into the mime deco revolutionaria mm MRR and would serve as a secretary of security, civil coordinator, and ultimately national coordinator in 1961 following Cortho's execution by the Castro regime. And whereas after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, Bermoui fled Cuba in 1962 and resettled permanently in the United States where he continued his devotion to democracy and culture. He initiated the pioneering Bermoui Gallery, one of the very first Cuban art galleries in the United States, which helped position Coral Gables at the forefront of the emerging international Latin American art scene. And whereas in 1974 he founded the human rights center of Miami in Corables to advance global awareness of Castro's human rights abuses. It collaborated with respected figures including Selia Cruz and Franciscan priest and painter Miguel Loredo and was funded directly by the community. And whereas Permui's advocacy reached the highest levels of international diplomacy, including the United Nations, the OAS, the US Congress, Freedom House, and Amnesty International, as well as meetings with global leaders such as Pope John Paul II and UN Ambassador Geraldine Ferraro. Whereas his efforts secured the release of countless political prisoners, championed oppressed peoples across the world, supported democratic development, including his municipalities in action program with USAID,

and led responses to several international crises. And whereas as an architect and urban planner, Bermoui helped shape South Florida's modern landscape, including guiding revitalization efforts in Coral Gable's McFarland Homestead and Golden Gate Communities as the Dade County HUD Planning Division Supervisor. And whereas as a man devoted to his Catholic faith, human dignity, and family, Benmui is the father of eight children, grandfather to 11, and now welcomes his first great-grandchild, Hunter. And whereas in this centennial year of the city of Coral Gables, it is fitting to honor longtime resident Jesus Permui on his 90th year for a lifetime defined by exceptional service, steadfast leadership, and profound cultural and humanitarian impact. Now therefore, I Van Slago as mayor of Coral Gables and along with the members of our city commission do hereby proclaim December 10, 2025 as Jesus a Permui Day in Coral Gables. In observance thereof, we honor Jesus Permui for his extraordinary contributions to democracy, community, culture, human rights, and to the international legacy of the city beautiful. Thank you. Thank you very much. But I'm overwhelmed. We don't have to go through all this. No. Since we're in Corel, we have been living in Corugs a long time. Actually the the house where the children were growing has been recognized in the as a historical.

It was built 1926. I understand after Browning Parker very renowned architect made he was working in the house. And uh there was a a coroner with General Patton that also lived there. So it's now it's is historical. But thank you. Thank you very much for everything. I really I was what 56 years ago. I was here for four years in a row. We developed something that was a real challenge professionally was the rehabilitation of the cognitive growth area. I don't know if uh if this is in the record for the for this centennial celebration but it was here and uh it was really I was very proud and everybody in the team at the time I was in housing urban development little hut and uh we started with one concept let's try to save as many houses as possible all the dilapidated houses beyond rehabilitation is where when we're taken out, but it really was a a a for four years in a row I was here. The commission always agreed with that. So, what can I say? Thank you. Thank you very much. I don't want to. You're giving me this for age more than anything else.

Mr. Premier, thank you very much for being here. Well, it's an honor to serve really. That's his only purpose. Thank you very much. Thank you for being here with us. And I I just want to know very quickly, I've known your family for a long time. Um, your family reached out to my office and sent me your resume and started talking a little bit about that we're celebrating your 90th birthday. Your father is a great person.

I try to walk in his foot I try to walk in his footsteps every day. Um, and I tell you and I tell you when I when I looked at your resume and when I I've known you for some time. Um, I was impressed. Um, it's an impressive resume, but you know what impressed me more than anything is the love that your family has for you and the way your son was staring at you right now for the last five minutes while Commissioner Lada was reading the proclamation. It was a beautiful sight to see um the admiration that he looked with you. That's the way I feel about my father. So, um, when I think about when I think about that, I think about your grandson who's been involved in a litany of different things here in the city of Coral Gables when it comes to the arts and, you know, celebrating artists like Barus Alina, celebrating incredible artists who who, you know, paid incredible u who should be who should be honored and you're an individual that has given a lot to this community. And I want to learn a little bit more about uh when you talk about the homes that you were able to save because these are these are parts of the city that I'll be honest with you I've worked on also the commission has worked on and we need to learn more about it. So any documents that you may have anything in the past that you would like to provide to the city. Uh right now we're really documenting our centennial. Maybe you can speak with the city manager Martha Vanting and provide that information because when you talk about you know uh that area that area is a is a critical area the Golden Gate area uh you know is an area that we're very proud to say is part of Coral Gables. Very proud to say we're part of Coral Gables. So um I'd like to see if I can get some of that information. in the city can get that information you know for for our history to ensure that we have not only parts of the story but all the story and you played a major role in it. I want to congratulate you uh in your 90th

please to another 90th. Thank you very much. Anyway, I I really can say only one thing. I have Coral Gables and and the participation in the city in my heart this and I really appreciate it. Your son your son's architecture firm is on ponds. So your Coral Gable was through and through. Coral Gables through and through. So congratulations my friend. the mayor. I just through the mayor of course.

So I wanted to say Mr. Kenoy that um I was so impressed in reading uh the proclamation. You know the mayor gave me the honor of doing so and I'm very glad that he did. Um you know as also a son of Cuban parents. So many of us here have family that started over 50 years ago in an island so far away 90 miles from the borders of the United States. to know that you as a young man took such a stand, such a stand to try and protect liberty, to fight oppression, to fight tyranny, and put yourself at great risk. that Corso was executed by Castro is proof of how fragile life is and how when you care deeply about something as important and as passionately as you do for liberty that you'll do anything to do what you can to preserve it and that you came here I assume with nothing nothing in your pockets and started all over again here and have made such a great success and aside from all the amazing things you've accomplished both in your civic pursuit of human rights and uh the betterment of your common neighbor. As the mayor said, the true testament to your 90th and congratulations on your 90th birthday is the family that's standing around you, which is your greatest treasure. And you can see, as the mayor said, incredible pride that they have in you and of course that beautiful lady uh to your right. So, thank you very much for making us all here very proud. Proud Coral Gable's residents, proud Cuban as well. Thank you. Gracias.

One last one last comment because you said I just wanted to tell you this was not just an honor based upon your age. says, "Most of us would be happy if we accomplished half of what you did, but out of tremendous suffering and struggle, you have you came to the shores here and you did greatness and you helped so many others that otherwise would not have been helped. So, I want to just thank you for what you did and continue to inspire through your family members because the future is bright because of people like you. Thank you. Um, we've known each other for over 25 years. Um, one of the first people that I met in politics was you. Uh, when I was working for Congresswoman Ross Leightton at the time, uh, my mentor was her father, Enrique Ros. And Enrique spoke very highly of you. And I would always soak in his stories. He would come into my office. He spent about an hour every day in my office just telling me stories about the the battle scars that have shaped uh, this community. and you were always part of those stories. And what has always impressed me about you is this has not been an easy struggle for you. It has been a battle every single step of the way, but you've always had a smile on your face. It's hard to find a picture of you where you're not smiling. And you know, it's it's a testament to the fact that you do it not because you have to, but it is your passion and it is your love for this community. and I'm honored to be here today uh the day that you're recognized in this city because you're somebody I've always looked up to. Please remember but I have only one say one particular detail that I have to say is that I learned this from many friends

that were killed and many thousands were in jail. Thank you. directorial. God bless you. Sorry. Good boy.

All right, Mr. Clerk, we're going to be moving on to item A6. Jumping around a little bit. uh presentation or proclamation declaring January 9th, 2026 as law enforcement and firefighter appreciation day in Coral Gables. Thank you, Mayor.

Give them a moment to do the changing of the guard here. This is pretty good. Anyway, thank you all. Um, we have a proclamation here um for the law enforcement firefighter appreciation day in Coral Gables. A very special day for every one of us. Whereas the men and women of Coral Gables Police Department and Coral Gables Fire Department serve with honor, courage, and dedication to protect the lives and property of our residents, visitors, and businesses. And whereas through the professionalism and commitment to public safety, our law enforcement officers and firefighters have collectively made Coral Gables one of the safest cities in the country as a distinction that enhances the quality of life for all who call our community home. And whereas these brave first responders face danger daily, often placing their own lives at risk to ensure the safety and well-being of others, demonstrating the highest standards of service and sacrifice. And whereas the tragedy strikes and officers or firefighters are fallen, injured or disabled in the line of duty, their families face not only emotional hardship but the significant e economic challenges. And whereas will Willie Bomeo, founding principal of Bomeo Agimil and Partners, Inc. created Law Enforcement and Firefighter Appreciation

Day as a charity initiative to provide an economic safety net and ongoing support for the families of Coral Gable's first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice or suffered serious injury or disability. And whereas this vital initiative is supported by the city of Coral Gables and community partners, including the Builtmore Hotel in the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, exemplifying the spirit of collaboration and care that defines our community. And whereas law enforcement and firefighter appreciation day serves both as an annual event and sustainable funding source, ensuring that the families of our heroes receive the support they deserve when they need it the most. And whereas it is fitting and proper that we recognize and honor the service of our police officers and firefighters, celebrate the initiative that supports their families, and express our community's gratitude for their unwavering commitment to keeping Coral Gables safe. Now therefore, I've been Slago as the mayor and city of the city of Coral Gables and on behalf of the city commission do hereby proclaim January 9th, 2026 as law enforcement and firefighter appreciation day in Coral Gables. So we've we've had recent events, multiple recent events that have highlighted the importance of today's proclamation and the commitment that um Mr. Romeo has made and everybody that has contributed to this fund has made to make sure that we take care of those who give the ultimate sacrifice or are are injured. So, I thank you for having the leadership and thoughtfulness of this

because no one expects the worst to happen, but it's wonderful that the community is here and people like you to help support and lead the way. So, thank you.

Thank you, Madame Vice Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the commission, city manager, city clerk, and city attorney. Um, on behalf of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and their foundation, represented here by Miss Ares Kurila, past president, and Miss Christina Miller, the president of the Chamber Foundation, and the newly appointed Orieta as director of the chamber. I am happy to be here joined by Chief Purak and Chief Dear Rosa and members of both the fire and police department. um to say thank you for proclaiming January 9th Law Enforcement and Firefighter Appreciation Day. This is a way for our community to say present that we're here in support of our men and women in blue who run towards danger and to keep us safe when others stay at home basking on the enjoyment of the life that we live in the greatest country on earth. These are the men and women that protect us, that keeps our neighborhoods safe. And we believe it's a very minor minor effort for one day in the year that we gather to honor them, to tell them how much we love and support them, and to raise money so that we can in fact have a safety net for those moments. And we did have one fallen young man not too long ago who served here in this city. And that is why we are here today. So we we thank you and um today the president of the chamber was not able to make it. Maria Garcia and Tom Krescott sent me a text message that we was he was caught in the airport in Tampa and could not be here but otherwise they will be here. Um so we we thank you for joining us. We look forward for all of you to join us on on the 9th as we celebrate that important day and this will be an even

greater event than last year and every year it's going to be bigger and better yet as we make that safety net a big one for the fire department and the police department of Coral Gables. So, thank you very much and God bless you. The mayor,

Mr. Bomeo, thank you very much as always when you brought this item uh two years ago to my attention and it was an idea over a breakfast at the Builmore with Mr. Prescott. Um, as I stated to you before, I thought it was a wonderful idea and I want to thank you, uh, for coming up with it and making it a priority. As I did last year, uh, along with other members of my family, uh, we didn't just buy one table, we bought two tables. I will do the same this year. Uh, the intention here is is to support with your hard-earned dollars. Uh, this is something that should be paid out of everyone's pocket. Um, it's beautiful to stand up here and say we support police and fire, but also putting your own money is the true testament of your commitment to police and fire. Um, I believe that this year will be an incredible success with your leadership, with the leadership of the chamber. George, I ask you to please take this opportunity to to give a little bit of information. When is the event? How much are the tickets? Where can people buy tickets? And I asked through the manager, if I may, with the approval of the commission, I ask for us to please uh put this on our newsletter where people can attend where they can buy tickets. I ask for the chamber to do the same uh to make sure the business community engages uh in this opportunity because again um like the chamber and many of you supported me last week when we did the wine auction, we raised over $100,000. This week we have my my um my gala which money will be given to the to the scholarships along with ali cancer. This is a worthy cause. This is a cause that we should all like you said make sure that we take out of our hard-earned dollars and to and to donate especially now more than ever after what we've seen happen in this community uh not once which is horrific enough but twice in the last year. Uh so I ask you to please take this opportunity to give this

information.

It would be my my pleasure Mr. The event is Friday, January 9th. It'll be at 12:00 noon at the beautiful Builtmore Hotel. The tickets per person are $250. A table sponsorship is $2,500. Presenting sponsors are 5,000 and title sponsor is$10,000. So the tables 2500 if you want to be a presenting sponsor which means that the speakers that are going to be talking that day which will be Chief Dear Rosa, Chief Hurek, our great mayor. Uh the persons that are presenting sponsors basically say Chief Hur presented by X company etc. That's the way and then the table sponsors are 2500. Uh again, we'll have Day Countyy's public schools participating with the pledge of allegiance with also the singing our national anthem. We will have the color guard from the city of Coral Gables. We'll have even back pipes flowing. So, it'll be a great event. Last year, we had a beautiful time um sunny, clear skies. We expect the same uh on Friday, January 9th. We look forward to having all of you there and your support of course.

And two last items, a personal point of privilege. Number one, I want to thank Mr. Prescott. I really thanked you enough for coming up with the idea and putting up your own money, your own personal money, uh, to make sure this comes to fruition. I want to thank Mr. Prescott who who basically almost does this for free, to be honest with you. I mean, he he really saves us a lot of money and he does a lot of publicity for us to make sure this is a reality. And I ask that my colleagues along with the manager, the city attorney, and the city clerk attend this event. And just like we required that all everyone pay for the centennial um gala that we had this this past Sunday, I ask that my colleagues join and pay in support of the police and fire. Time to put your money where your mouth is. Not just say you support, but show people that you really do support. If we can't make it to the event, raise money at $510. This is an opportunity to give a donation where the money goes straight to the families. Straight to the families of individuals like you said that every single day put their lives at risk to make sure that we can sleep comfortably and live in the greatest city in the greatest country in the world.

Madame Commissioner,

thank you for acknowledging me. Willie, I'm very very grateful for this initiative um and obviously for your unwavering support for police and fire and first responders. It really talks very highly of you. I also want to thank you because during the last um lunchon I would say lunch and brunch breakfast that we had in the Builtmore when I approached you with an idea you didn't even hesitate to give me that support and that was to be able to support police and fire with the employee of the year. So personally for me, thank you very very much. And and also I I just I want to acknowledge the fact that another way that we can support police and fire is giving them fair union contracts, okay? Paying them at competitive rates and salaries in the rest of the municipalities that surround. So yes, let's put our money where our mouth is, but also let's be fair

with our police and fire. Thank you so much. Thank you, Commissioner G. Thank you. Could we take a photo with that? Let's do it. Great. Police and and firefighters and obviously the Chamber of Commerce.

Tell us and we'll Thank you. You want to look at you first. You want to look at over there.

Next time you got to be in the back. Sure. Hallelujah. One more. Can you get All right. Um, Mr. Clerk, moving on to item A4.

Item A4. Let me read the item into the uh to the record, the proclamation. Whereas Lewis Witcher Hernandez has been a proud resident of the city of Coral Gables since 1998, embodying the spirit and values of the city beautiful. In 1999, Wujo established his office in Coral Gables, demonstrating his commitment to building his business in our community and contributing to the city's economic vitality. And whereas Wicho's life mission is to help others reach their full potential. And through nearly 26 years of dedicated service, he has built a legacy of excellence in financial services through his outstanding expertise, motivational skills, and journey and understanding of his clients needs. And whereas as managing partner at Coastal Wealth, we too has grown the organization from a small group of adviserss to a thriving enterprise supporting over 250 professionals in offices throughout Florida with a clear mission to develop advisors as business owners so that client outcomes naturally flow. And whereas we too leads by example, helping corporations and educating families in planning for the future while protecting their loved ones and providing his team with the tools, insight, and resources necessary for their success. And whereas WCHO has demonstrated exemplary community leadership through numerous public service roles including the Young Presidents Organization, Orange Bowl Committee, University of Miami Iron Arrow Honor Society, South Miami Hospital Foundation Board, Metro Traffic Board, LBA, Cababa, United Way Baptist Founder, West Kendall Hospital Board, and Apollo Bank Board. And whereas since 2007, WHO has organized the highly successful charity golf tournament We Chos on the green, which has raised funds for worthy organizations including the Autism Society of Miami date county chapter, the University of Miami Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities,

Children's Cancer Care Center, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to giving back to the community. Whereas Coastal Wealth and Lewis Wo Hernandez exemplified the entrepreneurial spirit, community dedication, and excellence that make Coral Gables a premier place to live, work, and thrive. Now therefore, I've been Slago as mayor of the city of Coral Gables on behalf of the city commission to hereby proclaim December 11th, 2025 at Lewis Wo Hernandez Day in Coral Gables. Congratulations, my friend. Go ahead. I was reading your resume before we put this together. You forgot to add something to this. You can talk about your professional career as a baseball player.

Well, professional I played for the Mets and the Miners. Uh but now and now I broadcast uh on ESPN for the University of Miami. And where did you go to school? I went to school at the University of Miami. I got my masters at Harvard. And you played what position? Second base. Not catcher. I know I looked like a catcher, but not shorts stop. Not shortstop like your brother. like your brother likes to make fun of you. Absolutely. So, but anyways,

I wanted to bring that up because at the end of the day, it talks a lot about you that you left that out of your out of your resume in regards to this proclamation because that's a huge accomplishment that I wish I had one day been able to achieve, gone and played college ball and and played professional baseball. And to you that it was an amazing part of your life, but you want to highlight giving back to the community. And that's what to me to me when I read that I was like, "This guy doesn't talk about he played University of Miami baseball. That's huge. I mean, think about you win championships, you play professional baseball, and you leave that off your resume to be acknowledged in a proclamation. To me, that speaks volumes about you as an individual.

Well, I I thank you for that. And Mayor Lago, commissioners, uh, the rest of the commission. I I first of all, I'm I'm humbled. Uh, I sit in this room and and I'm watching the people that come before me and you start wondering what am I doing here? I mean, the accomplishments of those that came before me uh really should be celebrated. So, 26 27 years of serving our community. who don't take it for granted uh falls short compared to some of the people that have been honored here today. So, I'm I'm humbled by this opportunity. I I do want to take this moment to thank a couple people. First and foremost, we heard a couple of the Cuban immigrant stories. My parents, uh I I say this with a sense of pride and and it might be embarrassing to some people. The sacrifice my parents made for me, my brother, and my sister is second to none. And and to this day, now my dad's passed, so I can't see him ever. But to this day, I never saw my dad fill up his gas tank. Never did he have enough money to fill up his gas tank at a stop. It was always $4 here, $5 here, just getting by the day. But I never grew up feeling poor. I never had to get a job. It was always about go to school, keep playing baseball if that's what your passion is, and keep following your dreams, and we will figure out the rest. And I take an incredible pride in what my parents instilled in me, my brother, and my sister. So, that's the first thing I want to recognize them. Second, uh, Coach Frasier, who's no longer with us, Coach Morris, two of the Hall of Fame coaches in college baseball. Uh, outside of my parents, probably the the two most influential men in my life. Uh, Coach Frasier came to my house in Westchester in 1986, I think it was 87, and asked me a question. I was almost going to Florida State, believe it or not. I was about to sign to go play at the seminals. And he goes, "Where are you going to live the rest of your life?" And I looked at him, I go, "I want to live in Port Gables. I only live in Miami. South Florida is home. I'm always going to live here. And he told me, he goes, "Then why would you go to Tallahassee and have a great career up there and then move back home where no one's going to know who you are? Make a career here, play for the University of Miami, and when you get done playing wherever that is, you will see what the benefit of playing for the

University of Miami is, and the relationships that you will build. And to this day, as a 53-y old man, there's not a week that passes that M doesn't come up in conversation. It's an incredible accomplishment that's in our backyard, in our community. I don't take it for granted. The University of Miami and its influence on me. So, I'm grateful for those two men and the countless teammates I had. I mean, my brother and I know this, but 1994 was my senior year. Our coach, Coach JD Artiaga, still on that is the coach this year, was on that team. We are a bunch of 51 to 55 year old men. and we chat every day on a text every day 30 something years later as if we were high school kids about football, about baseball, about anything but politics. We don't get into politics. That's kind of the rule. We lost a couple because of that. So, so the journey that I had was incredible. So, I'm thankful for that. But the reality, this award or this recognition doesn't belong to me. It belongs to all the financial adviserss that work along my side since 1998 when we opened the company. So, it's those advisors that every day go out and represent our community, represent our clients, make a difference in their lives. Whether it's planning for retirement, whether it's planning for college, whether it's life insurance, disability insurance, whatever it is, it's the countless adviserss that have represented our firm since we opened the firm that really this this recognition belongs to them. It doesn't belong to me. And two of those adviserss are here, which I want to recognize. One, my my wife who's my absolute compass in life. I thank you for everything you are. You're you're just amazing. I should have recognized you last, not not my brother last, but second, my brother who who's really the best human being I know in the world. I mean, there's not a better person I've ever met in my life than my brother. He is my big brother. So, but the two of you, I know we work together, but uh you're just amazing. Both of you incredible. Um so, I thank you guys. Thank you.

Thank you, my friend. Thank you so much. And let's take a quick reach. Let's take a And by the way, you didn't mention I mean his business is located in Coral Gables. It's been located in Coral Gables since when? We moved in Corable 6 months after opening in 1999 and we will be here as long as you guys will allow me here. Continuing to expand uh you know employing a ton of people in this community, giving back uh so you're again your Coral Gable student through and it's a privilege to have you here. Let's take a photo.

By the way, ironically, our home that my wife and I have uh turned 100 years this year on Amra. So it was pretty cool. We were just talking about We were talking about the centennial. That's awesome. Item A5 and then we'll take a 10-minute break. Congratulations to Andromeda district on receiving the keep coral gable's beautiful 2025 commercial beautifification award team. Good morning.

Good morning. Morning.

Good morning mayor, vice mayor, commissioners, uh Solange Lopez, business community manager with the economic development department and we are here today to uh give our first commercial beautifification award of 2025 to Andromeda district. The commercial beautifification awards were established in 2022 to and serve to recognize those businesses that have gone above and beyond in the beautifification and maintenance of their storefront and surrounding areas. We especially love to recognize businesses that bring in a green aspect and and um nature and and beautifification throughout not just to their storefronts but to the city beautiful in its entirety. So, we'd like to have uh Jonathan Taylor and Stephanie Taylor, the business owner and his wife, come up and join us to receive this award. And I'll flip through some of the pictures. Andromeda District is located at 11:32 South Dixie Highway.

Thank you. Um, congratulations, beautiful city of Coral Gables. Thank you, um, Major and vice mayor. Thank you to everybody here. Um um it's uh amazing. We're feel uh humble to be recognized for beautifying and um it's uh it's not only the beautifying of our store, but this is our story of every day.

And it's you know what the team does, what everybody does. And first and foremost, we like to thank God because without Jesus Christ, we wouldn't be here today. He saved us from the COVID pandemic. He has saved us from economic downfalls and you know situations that might be happening in the country. But uh he has kept us here and his word is true. And um um Psalm 1 verse two says, "Those who delight in the law of the Lord will be like tree planted by streams of water. They yield fruit in season and their leaves never wither." And um when when I see or when I read that text, I immediately go to you know, these huge trees, right, that we have here in Coral Gables, the city of beautiful. And it's uh it's amazing that we're compared to these amazing beings, right? And um we're humbled. We're um blessed to be able to contribute this way to our community, to the city of beautiful. Many people come here from all walks of life from the elderly to young, you know, professionals, university students and um we have a beautiful exchange of uh you know, nature and how to propagate, how to make plants uh part of their life, of their everyday. In the same way, we want to thank this community that have embraced us because we have uh many architects, many

engineers, many developers come to us for us to assist them beautifying their projects through green walls, which is a specialty of ours. And we do planters also. And I want to take this uh moment also to thank um this community because you know the plaza here in Coral Gables uh when they developed this beautiful um multi-use uh space they came to us and they they it was not enough to build a fourle garage but they needed to make it really nice and green and beautiful. And so we created for them this like beautiful lush uh stairway where people when they park they can like really be greeted by nature. The same way happens to uh with all of the gracianos. The owners came and they you know they uh uh bestowed in us you know they trusted us to beautify all of the restaurants with planters. And so this is a testament that this community is thriving. It's a great community. Coral Gables is worth it. Um so to any business owners there or anybody just considering or thinking about moving here to Coral Gables, Coral Gables uh is uh is amazing. But more so my best advice for anyone is trust in God first and uh he will guide your pathway. So, thank you so much to all of you.

Congratulations. You're a breath of fresh air, both of you. Uh, you welld deserved. I drive by your store every day. Uh, my daughter plays soccer at the park next door, so I happen to see it. And the amount of care, the detail, your sidewalks are clean. Everything is perfectly lush, cut. Uh, it's the embodiment of what makes Coral Gable so special. So, I want to thank you for that. Take taking so much care and giving an incredible example. Uh, we need more people like you every single day. So, thank And mayor, I'll mention too, uh, if you recognize Andromeda District, we brought them here in September of 2021 and certified them as a Cole Gable's green business for all the amazing work they're doing. So, um, they're continuing up that effort. So, congratulate them again. Let's take a picture. Let's do it.

Thank you. Thank you, sir. and mayor. Um, I just like to say you'll see us back up here for the next three commission meetings. We have three other businesses that we'll be recognizing for the 2025 awards. Thank you. Recording stopped.

I just want to get Mr.

Mr. Recording in progress. Yes, Mr. Mayor. We are all right. Uh, moving on. Thank you. We're back. Thank you for the bathroom break. Uh, we're moving on to item A7. Congratulations to firefighter Shawn Gonzalez, recipient of the city of Coral Gables firefighter of the month award for the month of September 2025. Chief, good morning, sir. Good morning, Mr. Sorry to skip you over before, but it was a That's all right. Time sharing item and wanted to make sure that we got everybody in.

We're good. Uh through the mayor, I'd like to take a a moment of uh personal privilege and just thank Mr. Vermeo, uh, the members of the chamber and everybody who supports the Leaf Foundation and thinking of us and I just wanted to personally thank them on behalf of the men and women of the Coral Gables Fire Department. So, as we get started with our we're going to do two firefighters of the month today and there's a common theme and one thing that we as a command staff advocate for is ownership and we call it you own it and we our message behind that is that you own the organization. its success and its enhancements and how well our folks perform is a collective responsibility of every firefighter in our department. The common theme that we're going to see today is that both of the individuals that we're recognizing uh are emblemic of that vision and that um objectives that we set forth from the minute you get hired in our organization. So, firefighter Sean Gonzalez, uh, when you get hired, we you always have a officer that is in charge of you and that, uh, evaluates you for the first year, but it's difficult to go and ask of questions and directions to VAT supervisor that has ultimate authority of you. And oftent times you look at somebody from your own rank or that has is as young as you for guidance and that sometimes is asked to it's difficult to ask questions or direction and Sean takes it upon himself to mentor all the young firefighters. Their effectiveness and how well they do is a direct

reflection on Shawn himself. So for that, for representing the department on his days off and on all various civic events, he has taken true ownership of the department and for that he's been recognized by his colleagues as firefighter of the month. Congratulations.

Uh thank you, chief, for that. I want to thank the commission, Mayor Lago, for taking time out for this. I really appreciate it. I can't speak uh highly enough about the leadership in this department. Uh when you have strong leadership in this department at the forefront, it makes your job pretty easy. Just follow their footsteps and they kind of show you the way. And I also want to thank my parents for being here. Every success I have in life is owed to them. Everything I've done, they've been right next to me. So, I want to thank them as well. Um I take a lot of pride and ownership in this job and get an award like this, it's very humbling to me. So, thank you guys.

Uh, congratulations. Congratulations. And thank you for doing an incredible job and taking that pride because that's what makes a difference and sets us apart at every level. Whether you're a firefighter, police officer, public works employee, you know, general employee, at the end of the day, working for the city of Colgate was a true privilege. Uh, we're grateful every single day, every single day for your hard work. Don't ever think that just because we may not say it enough that we don't. But we're blessed to have every single one of you, every single individual that's here today, the city employee. We're blessed to have you here working in our city. Uh because it's a truly a collective effort that makes the city gables what it is today. So thank you. God bless you. And congratulations to your parents. You raised an amazing son. Uh and we're blessed to have him here on the force with us. Thank you, sir.

Want to do one? We want to take a picture. You want to do one? No, you're the boss. Go ahead. Go. Let's go. Next one. All right, we're going to go to A9. Aa couldn't be with with us. Yes. By the way, he's related to our city attorney. Sean is. There you go.

So, along the same lines, mayor and commission, uh, firefighter Jonathan Korea is a SWAT medic. Uh, he participates with great success in our rapid intervention team. uh his participation in that brings back knowledge and training that he volunteers to pass on to our folks. And recently he took it upon himself to revamp all of our probationary modules that our firefighters are evaluated. That insight was uh incredible for the organization in the sense that he sees it from an enduser. He himself being a firefighter and uh hired not too many years ago, he gave us a completely different perspective on how to evaluate and make sure that we're evaluating them and validating it and that it is a fair objective process. So for that, for the RIT team, for SWAT, for his dedication and ownership to the department, as I stated earlier, is a common theme today. Uh he is our firefighter of the month as well. Congratulations to him. Uh, thank you, mayor. Thank you, vice mayor, commissioners. Thank you for the men and women behind me as well. Uh, first I just want to start off by thanking the city of Coral Gables fire department for allowing me the opportunity to work on this project. And my goal is to keep upholding the standards that is expected for us to give to the community. Um, I'm grateful to God for guiding me through this process and to my wife for her constant support. And I just want to thank all my co-workers and individuals behind me and the men and women who are working here today that can't be here. Um, they honestly keep setting the standards and it just motivates me more to to keep holding that up. So, thank you very much.

Congratulations. Well done. Quick question. Uh, Chief, how many years have these individuals been in the force? And you, sir, year and a half.

Again, that's a testament to the executive team, the leadership, uh, teaching these young men and women. Uh, what what are the standards? Both of them mentioned standards, and that's key here in the city of Corables. Everybody wants to be a city of Corables employee. Everybody wants to be at the same level of the city of Corables. And the reason why is because of what you do every single day. A little bit of extra effort that you take. You know that person that you look in the face, you open the door, you say hi. It's a different standard here. We expect that type of level of courteousness, respect going out of your way. Same thing like the police officers. I tell the officers all the time, you know, it's that extra loop before you go home. You know, you go on the block and you just take an extra loop, you catch a criminal. It's an extra effort of, you know, speaking with somebody who may be not feeling well and you catch the fact that they may be going into cardiac arrest. So, those extra few seconds that you spend with somebody that make potentially a lifetime of difference. So, I want to congratulate you both. It's really impressive to see two young men uh sorely in their careers receiving these awards and it's a testament to again all of you in the back here, your hard work, your mentorship. So, thank you to everybody here. God bless. Merry Christmas. Is your photo

Point of personal privilege, Mr. Mayor. Yes, Chief. Before you go,

Chief, did he already want um I just wanted to say our fire department was the pride of Coral Gables this weekend. uh many events, but uh I think the ride along with Santa uh going through our city is one of the key events that many people look forward to in Coral Gables. Uh and it was a huge success. Once again, the time and dedication that your staff puts into it uh is incredible. And uh I also have to thank Raundo and the uh IT staff. Um, the tracker app uh that we started using last year uh was a million times better this year, updating every 3 seconds, so people knew where Santa was, if he had passed your house already. And uh we're looking forward to making it better uh for next year. But uh thank you to the men and women of your department for the dedication. I know it's not an easy process uh but we visit every block in the city and uh it is thanks to you and your team.

Thank you. I think uh planning for a hurricane is easier than than that, but I appreciate you, sir. Thank you very much. Thank you, Chief. Uh moving on to item A10. Congratulations to Officer Alexander Rodriguez, recipient of the city of Coral Gables officer of the month for the month of August 2025. Chief, we got A10 and A11. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

Good morning, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners. Uh today is my honor as the chief to present the officer of the month for August 2025. On August 22nd, 2025 at approximately 8:00 in the morning, the officer was on patrol when dispatch was advised of a stolen vehicle that just occurred in the 6,000 block of Maul Street. The resident described the car as a gray Cadillac, which was taken by two suspects. He was a uh and as officer Rodriguez, who we're honoring today, was going down eastbound on US1, he observed the Cadillac accelerating at a high rate of speed before going eastbound on the westbound lanes near Riviera Drive. The vehicle then re-entered, corrected eastbound lanes, weaving in and out. He then noticed that it was being followed or being directed by a white BMW that was in front of the Cadillac being driven by additional subjects. As the two vehicles approached Lun Road, they rammed several civilian vehicles before driving over the center median and again eastbound onto the westbound lanes before the BMW peeled off into the mobile gas station at Lun and US1. As officer Rodriguez lost temporary sight of the vehicle, he became aware to give clear descriptions and the vehicle direction of travel. Other officers were able to pick up and continue to advise the dispatch until the vehicle, the Cadillac, came to a stop. The driver and passenger then ran. Officer Rodriguez, while in pursuit of on foot, was able to jump a fence as the other units quickly arrived to set up a perimeter. SWAT, K9, aviation, and several other agencies, including the city of Miami, Miami Date Sheriff's Office, Miami Date School Board Police were both used in the perimeter and were able to apprehend the suspects without incident. Because of his attention to detail, because of his cool, calm demeanor during this highly volatile situation, Officer Rodriguez set the

controlled tone during the initial crucial moments of this call, which led to the successful apprehension of these subjects here in the city of Coral Gables. For his actions on this date, he was awarded officer of the month for August of 2025. Congratulations, mayor. Thank you. Uh obviously leaders, uh chief, thank you. Command staff, fellow officers that are present as well. Uh thank you for the opportunity for the recognition. Um there's a lot that went into it. It's not just me. I understand I had a crucial part, but we all had a big part to play it that ended up in the apprehension of the criminals. At the end of the day, uh we'll continue to do a good job. It's it truly is an honor to be a police officer in the city where you're appreciated by by all the community. So, thank you very much again and I appreciate it.

Thank you very much for your hard work, my friend. Especially during Christmas, we can't thank you enough during the holidays. Uh, you know, having you guys on the street is a real presence. We see it. Everyone's saying it. How many police officers you see throughout Co Gables and again, it makes a difference. That's why everybody wants to be here. If you look at, for example, the video that we showed before about the creatur the tree lighting, you have people from all over Miami date county coming here. Why? Because there's a sense of calmness and that's provided by your leadership. So, I want to thank all of you for here today. Thank you so much. Thank you.

At this point, Mayor, with your permission, I'd like to bring up the officer of the month for September of 2025. Officer Falco, please join me. Officer Falco, who is a member of our traffic homicide unit, displayed extraordinary determination, professionalism, and leading a complex investigation unto an accident, a hit-and- run accident on May 21st, 2025. Now, two of our residents here were suffered serious injuries when a suspect hit them and left the area in a Mercedes Benz, leaving no immediate leads. After responding to the After responding to the scene, Officer Falco interviewed witnesses and described the driver. He then initialized the ALPR system and intelligence systems both in our city and others to match witness description on the video, identifying the suspect vehicle and its occupants. Through a diligent follow-up with a registered owner and associates, he uncovered connections leading to the eventual suspect arrested, a Mr. Wilbur Valdez. Officer Falco secured cell phone site warrants, placed the suspect in the crash area at the time of the incident, put on coordinated with the bolos, with the Miami date sheriffs and Broward County agencies to track the vehicle's movement. This initiative using the SunPass ALPR commercial ALPR dash bases. He revealed the subject frequently apartment complex in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Partnering with Sunny Al Beach Police, he confirmed the suspect's location and the damage consistent with the hit and run here in our city. After he continued to coordinate and post Miranda and statements from people that were involved, he actually had a set up a meeting incident to a search warrant and revealed that the individual who was in fact in the car was taken into custody. While while incident to arrest, narcotics and paraphernalia were also in the subject's possession.

Oshafalco demonstrated extraordinary tenacity, dedication and professionalism as his investigative interrogation skills along with his collaborative work among multiple jurisdiction led to the identification, location, and arrest of a suspect involved in a serious hit-and-run crash in our city as well as the recovery of the vehicle used in the crime. As for his new sergeant, Ignasio Rivero stated in his nomination, because of his actions in this, he was awarded officer of the month for September 2025,

officer. Congratulations. Welld deserved. Thank you. Thank you, Chief Commission. Want to thank God first. Without him, we wouldn't be here. uh my wife, my family, everyone who's here, the whole AIU unit represented by Sergeant Rivera. Um and everyone that actually worked with with us in this case. Um it's me standing here because I was the one assigned the investigation, but um without their help, nothing would have been done. So, thank you everyone.

Listen, we're blessed to have you on the force. Thank you for your hard work. It's a lot more than just being assigned a case. I know you humbly say that, but at the end of the day, it's it's hard work. It's uh, you know, following through the leads. It's making that extra call before you go home. You know, it's listening to your gut instinct. It's talking to the command staff. Again, it's not as easy as you make it seem, and I appreciate your humility. Uh, but at the end of the day, we're a city of law and order. We're a city that is, again, requires that the police go out there and work incredibly hard for us to live the life that we live. So, I want you to understand that we are beyond grateful for your hard work. Thank you. Merry Christmas, the mayor.

Yes. briefly. So, Chief, thank you for um recounting what these two brave officers have done and they're so very deserving of recognition as are the rest of the force and the teams, all who protect us every single day. But hearing you recount these two incidents and in particular this one, I'm listening to you describe what what occurred and in my mind I'm thinking this is a hopeless how on earth can you find somebody? You said nothing was left behind. They left the scene. Um, and yet, uh, as the mayor said, you humbly said, "I was just assigned it." But you were incredibly diligent, super professional, relentless, you know, in the most positive sense, right? Until you you you you caught the uh the wrongdoer, making our streets safer. So, I'm impressed every single day. I look forward to these presentations, and I thank you very much, each and every one of you, for what you do every single day for all of us. We support you.

And Commissioner to your point and I can't thank you all enough through the manager that you know we have and through our partnership with it we we have state-of-the-art and we continue to evolve in a state-of-the-art technology that allows these detectives these officers uh to help keep us safer but also to keep the residents safer and that's through your all's approval through the manager of us being able to partner with it and get those cameras that we talked about for years the drone program. I mean, it's it's it's because of the support that we have uh as as the officer said, not from our residents, but from our elected officials as well in our administration. So, I I do thank you on all our behalfs. Vice Mayor,

for the mayor, um I just wanted to point out, you know, during this last legislative trip, um because property tax uh relief is front and center and trimming budgets, um you know, but preserving the police budget, I did point out to lieutenant governor and every representative that we had the opportunity to speak with that just preserving the police budget doesn't preserve what police needs. You need that IT department. you need motorpool, you know, to support your your cars. We also need other things for police that help you do your jobs better because if we don't have, you know, the necessary tools, roads clear after hurricanes, etc., that you can't respond effectively. So, um, just something to keep in mind for our budgetary discussions and to let you all know that, you know, we're doing our best to support, uh, what it is that you need for the future because I know the importance of it to your job, but a lot of people just think it's, you know, fun stuff, unnecessary stuff. I I I I tell my colleague chiefs around the state that the the the best partnership you can have is obviously obvious with your elected officials and your boss the manager but the way policing is going there's a reason why it is only steps away from my door and Ray Mundo may not like that sometimes but at least I can get there and not just to fix my computer. Uh but we are blessed in the police department and I won't speak for the fire department to have the IT people that we have because it is amazing and they are amazing. I did invite the lieutenant governor come tour. So it's up to you to give him roll out the red carpet at that point.

Consider it done. I tried to

I can't handle Mr. Clerk, uh B1, approval of minutes, regular city commission meeting, October 28, 2025. I'll move it.

Second. All in favor? I I. Public comment.

Uh, yes, Mr. Mayor. Uh, first speaker this morning, Maria Cruz. Good morning, Mrs. Maria Cruz, 1447 Miller Road. Um, this is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. In December, we have several holidays. And in this era of transparency, inclusivity, I thought that maybe it would be appropriate for me to remind you all that from December 26 to January 1st, there's a a holiday that is important for some of the people and we um I'm very pleased that we have a minora. I'm very happy that we have a nativity scene, but I haven't heard anything about Quansa. And I have to remind you, and I looked it up, that um this is a tradition that celebrates African heritage, community, and culture. And each day focuses on the seven principles. First day is unity. Second day is self-determination. Third is collective work and responsibility. Fourth is cooperative economics. Fifth is purpose. Sixth is creativity. And seventh is faith. And I was wondering since it goes from December 26 through January 1st and we this commission will not meet before that that perhaps we

could be creative and maybe have the lights that cover city hall to show that we that it means something and that we appreciate the fact that some of our people will be celebrating like we celebrate other holidays. Thank you. That's it, Mr. Mayor. All right, perfect. We'll be closing that item. Uh, public comment. Uh, we have a time certain for 11 o'clock. But first, I want to hear quickly item E12.

E12 is an ordinance of the city commission granting to Florida Power and Light Company, its successors, and assigns an electric franchise imposing provisions and conditions relating there to providing for monthly payments to the city of Pro Gables and providing for an effective date. Uh before we talk before we hear this, Mr. Manager, I want to thank FPNL uh for their hard work, Addis and your entire team uh and also the manager's team. I know that we've been working together on this and it's been some time and I want to uh congratulate you on both coming to the table. Um nobody was in the commission except for myself. Our relationship was u it wasn't as smooth sailing as it is right now. Okay, I'll put it mildly. And I think a testament of that is to your hard work at us. Uh your team, I'm not going to be mentioning all the people at PNL. Uh along with the manager's efforts, the DCM, the ACM, our public works, our legal team, our clerk. Uh we've really come together and this is just a testament again of of our hard work and I think there's a lot of great things happening. Uh I worked with you hand in hand for almost 10 years to to bring forward the underground and I'm very proud to say that now we're about a year in change in um and it's uh going going very well. Um like I tell a lot of the residents who are upset about swailes and different things that are happening you know we're we're managing things. I said you got to break a few eggs to make a cake right and in the long in the long run this is going to pay huge dividends. But I just want to thank you because I know you have a lot on your plate especially here with the city of Coral Gables and uh I want to send back a clear message to FPNL. We're blessed to have them as a as a team member uh and we're looking forward to again transforming our grid um increasing redundancy and uh really pushing us as one of the most if not the most technologically advanced city in South Florida but in the state and I want to thank you for that. Please join us Mr. Manager.

Uh thank you. Thank thank you commissioner. This is a pretty standard uh franchise agreement based at the maximum statutory rate. Uh we have a few maybe some minor issues uh to discuss. Uh and by the way um we FPNL and and the city have gotten uh along quite well on this undergrounding effort. As a matter of fact, we have a coming upcoming meeting on poles, lighting, and undergrounding. Uh, and we look forward to continuing working with FPNL on all these important issues for for our residents. Addis, good morning.

Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Mayor, Madame Vice Mayor, members of the commission, Mr. Manager, and all here. Thank you so much for um uh bringing forward this agreement before you. This is our franchise agreement. and it will allow us to continue doing business with the city of Coral Gables for the next 30 years. Um so um we've been working with the manager on this and he was uh um great gracious enough to put it before the end of the year which was uh so we can get the ball rolling. So I appreciate it. I don't know if you have any questions but it this is the agreement that allows us to continue to do great things in the city. So

just grateful for the partnership. I I just want to say um undergrounding is starting in my neighborhood and I have to say your team and your subcontractor's team have been extremely informative. They visited the neighborhood at least three times making sure that any questions that residents have are answered before the process begins, explaining what the timetable is, what to expect. Um, so I I appreciate the fact that you've all invested the time to ensure that the community has all its questions answered before the act actual process begins so that there's no questions, there's no there's no doubts and everybody knows what's going to be taking place. So, I appreciate that.

Thank you for that. It's uh I appreciate it because we really try to do an effort in outreach um a year before we start the process just to make sure everybody's comfortable. we get the ements that we need and all the documents in order so that we can design and move forward with the construction of the project. So, and if there's any questions, you know where to find me. So, so if I may add something to what the commissioner said, um that occurred in my neighborhood also. Again, it's not an easy process. Uh we were we selected ourselves as the individuals that would put the infrastructure on our property in an effort to accommodate the neighbors.

That's great. Uh we we we did it. Uh not everybody's happy about it, but you know what? When you think about the long-term opportunities and what we're doing, um you got to look beyond a simple box. You got to really think about what we can how we're going to transform the city, property values, redundancy. You got to think about people in this community who are disabled. Uh you know, you've been dealing with it and you and I have been talking about this with the manager. We have probably about five or six residents in different neighborhoods that they have constant issues with their power lines. Is it FPL's fault? I'm going to go on a on a limb here. No pun intended. It's not FPNL's fault because I don't have that issue in my neighborhood even though I know my house has solar and that kicks on when there's an outage. But my neighbors would have told me and I've had conversation with them. The issues that we have here is we have a beautiful canopy and we have neighborhoods that are overrun with exceptional trees and you have to find a balancing act balancing act and some of these areas are going to are going to be have real relief once it's undergrounding is completed over the next few years because we have certain areas in our city that you know have outages on a weekly basis or every two weeks and it's it's an issue more based on the trees and the environment. So, these are things that again, you know, we're going through a lot right now in the process. Um, and and FPNL is doing a great job in maintaining the swales and making sure they go back. If you know, something doesn't get addressed, we address it. We're working together. So, and I also want to thank our staff, our public works team, which is not here. They're not here. Uh, they deserve all the credit. So, Mr. DCM, make sure you please tell them they deserve all the credit because, you know, they have to now collaborate with EPO where in the past they didn't. It was more FPNL addressing the tree trimming. Now it's a collaboration effort. Now it's a code enforcement coming out and say, "Hey, my swale." You know, we're working collaborative across multiple different departments in an effort to accomplish a almost $300 million project that was going to cost a

city and at the end of the day it's not costing the residents. FPNL is addressing it. So I just want to say thank you for that and can't say thank you enough, madam vice mayor. So u I also wanted to thank you for you know it's not easy it's not easy managing such a massive massive project you know for some of us who have just had some renovations done in our homes or improvements or new windows there's always something that happens and when that something has happened you've always been available. Thank you.

You've always dealt with it responded to the city manager. responded to me. U we dealt with some issues in in Commissioner Fernandez's neighborhood where you know people don't want the box and I understand I understand especially on these 50 foot lots. It's a difficult difficult thing to fit in along with your your drainage fields, your septic tank, your driveways, you know, where do you put it all? Thank you very much for all your responsiveness when things go wrong and everything will go wrong. Nothing about the construction is pretty. Okay. Thank you. Thank you,

Hermes. Thank you. I think we need praising your staff and your team and your hard work and working hand in hand with FPNL. Again, this is a hard hard job right now and you have your plate full with a ridiculous amount of infrastructure work that we're doing and then this is just another massive project. I mean, we're the I think we're the only ones in Miami Day County that are currently doing this. Correct, Addis? That the entire city is being undergrounded. We're we're doing other cities as well. So, but we were like the first, right? Yes. Yes, sir. Thank you. All right. No. We're all over the place. Yeah. I know you're I know you're undergrounding in different areas, but you're not doing it to this magnitude where an entire city. So, thank you for that. Here has to be on speed dial. So, yeah. Madam Vice Mayor, I'll move it. I'll second.

Thank you. No, thank you. Mr. Clerk, we have a motion in a second. Do we have any public com We don't have any public comment, right? Okay. Yes. Commissioner Castro. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner Lada. Yes. Mayor Log. Yes. Uh moving now to time in G1. G1 is a resolution of the city commission approving the University of University of Miami's 2025 campus art master plan report in accordance with the requirements of the art and public places ordinance zoning code article 9 and cultural development board recommendation was uh 6 approval. Good morning.

Good morning. Katherine Cather's arts and culture coordinator with the city commissioners mayor vice mayor commissioners. So this is uh the campus uh comes every three years per our code give an update on their campus art master plan. So we have Alicia Corell here who is the director of campus and planning to talk about the updates. Good morning. Thank you for being here with us.

Good morning. My name is Alisa Coral. I am director of campus planning at the University of Miami. The University of Miami is home to a public art collection that serves to attract, delight, and engage both students and visitors. Currently, the collection includes 33 sculptures by respected local, national, and international artists, of which 30 are on display against the beautiful backdrop of the Coral Gables campus. In the past three years, the university has expanded their collection with the installation of Lady, a monumental sculpture by John Henry that greets visitors on Stanford Drive in front of Lakeside Village. It's the big red one if you've been by campus. Chaos, a monumental sculpture by Jed Nova, will be installed in January near the Merit building. Outdoor sculptures require significant maintenance due to our climate. This year, Big Diamond by Joel Pearlman was removed and replaced by a new identical sculpture due to significant deterioration of the metal structure. The artist was involved in the entire process and was here for the installation. Every sculpture receives maintenance by an art conservation company at least once a year. Fostering public engagement is one of the cornerstones of the collection. Information on the sculptures is found on the university website. In addition, Art Outdoors, a digital tour of the collection on the Bloomberg Connects app, engages the users through a rich multimedia experience. The university is committed to a public worldclass sculpture collection that will continue to enrich the campus experience for our students and visitors. Thank you, and I'm happy to answer any questions about our report.

Thank you very much. Um, I have the privilege of living across the street from the campus, so I enjoy uh this collection extensively. Beautiful. I I walk by uh the University of Miami, not only the arburedom, but also your collection. And it's uh amazing to see it ever evolving. It's beautiful. It's calming. It's our students our students actually enjoy it. It's really beautiful and it's a it's something exceptional. And I was at the low uh last week and again, you know, you can really spend the day on the on the campus and go to the museum. You can visit all the sculptures. Uh it's a great afternoon with a family if you it's something that you like to enjoy.

It's one of those things that if you give put it in front of the students, they will they might not search for it if it's not there, but you put it in front of them and it's actually something that they truly um enrich their life and they enjoy it very much.

So, I also want to thank uh Katherine and her team for doing an amazing job. Uh this weekend on uh I think it was Sunday, correct? We had the the 8:30 morning brunch for our Basel. Uh it went off without a hit. It was incredibly well attended. We had the artist who installed the five works which I highly recommend that over the next month you go and visit them and you get to see them. Uh they're located through the city of Kables are popup artworks that are beautiful, incredibly talented artists. Uh the food was amazing. I want to thank the plaza. Uh I want to thank uh Donna Spain for donating the champagne. Uh all of staff uh that was involved. Uh it was uh it was truly a memorable morning and it was a great way, you know, to put a bow on our Basel after having so many people here in the community. So I want to thank you for your hard work. Thank you for pulling it off and doing an amazing job.

I'll entertain a motion. I'll move it. I'll second. Commissioner, do you have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. Okay, perfect. Commissioner Castro, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Lada, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Mayor Log, yes. Thank you very much. Moving on to item E2, ordinance and second reading. Madam vice mayor,

E2 is an ordinance of the city commission amending the city code to create chapter 62 street sidewalks and other public places article 7 special events and parades division one generally section 62-265 prohibition on use of plastic related or metallized decorations and release of balloons to amend the city code to add a prohibition on the use of certain plastic related or metal metalized decorative material and prohibit the release of balloons by special event permites in the city providing for severability repeater codification and providing for an effective date.

Thank you. Good morning, mayor, vice mayor. Stephanie Throckmorton, deputy city attorney. This item is sponsored by the vice mayor. There have been a few small changes since first reading. The definition of prohibited items has been um expanded to clarify that those um plasticized or metallized decorations that are capable of being used repeatedly without fragmenting or scattering are not prohibited a decoration items. and that the city the city may um for special event permites with the express written permission of the city and payment of an associated fee allowed for the use of those prohibited decoration items in certain situations. Um again the balloon item just to clarify is incorporating the state law prohibition on organized balloon releases and the prohibition is intended to address the litter issues that the vice mayor has previously addressed.

Right. So, just as a reminder, you know, when we were doing um the International Coastal Cleanup, uh the impetus for this particular change came up because we were dealing with massive amounts of this glitter, this and it wasn't paper, you know, it was it was a shiny uh thing that gets released in a piñata or something when you're doing a a reveal, etc. and it was impossible to clean up entirely unless you just did complete removal of the dirt, etc. So, you know, this was brought in. There's certainly more work to be done to um be able to control this, but this is a important first step uh for our city parks and our green spaces to be not littered with these types of materials. Any exceptions were made for like, you know, we have these balloon columns and things like that that are not the source of the problem. staff supervises them and make sure that they get picked up and cleaned up. And you know, for items such as this that are inside of a building where it's easy to sweep it up and so forth and then then as exemptions there too to not be too ownorous on things. So um do if we don't have any public comment, I'll move it. I'll second.

Mr. Cler, we have public comment. No, Mr. Mayor. All right. Have a motion in a second. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lada? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes. Commissioner Castro, yes. Mayor Lock, yes. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you to stop. Moving on to item E3.

E3 is an ordinance of the city commission providing for text amendments to the city of Coral Gable's official zoning code article 5 architecture section 5-309 trelluses. Section 5-310 wood decks and section 5-311 pavers and walkways to incorporate composite recycled materials as an approved material for trelluses, decks, and walkways. Providing for repeated provision, severability clause, codification, and providing for an effective date. Good morning Garcia plan zoning director. Um there's been some slight clarification since first reading. So right now in today's zoning code, the city architect can have the um flexibility to approve um wood that's similar to the types of wood that are listed in the zoning code. That's being clarified as proposed today to only mean solid wood. So in other words, if you do composite wood, it has to be 60% recycled materials. This is discussed with the uh board of architects as well as the planning and zoning board. Recommend approval uh 70.

Right. So I I know we discussed this before but I think this is an important step for resiliency. Uh instead of having the wood that rots now we have something that can last. We didn't have these type of um innovations in the past and so now we can have something that's both beautiful and resilient going forward. um and some areas that are very difficult to prevent rotting and damage and termite damage. So, um if there's no public comment, I'll just move it and we can You have a motion? I'll second. Mr. Clerk, any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. All right, we have a motion. A second. Commissioner Lada, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez?

Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. Thank you. Moving on to item E4. E4 is an orance to the city commission providing for text amendment to the city of Corable's official zoning code by amending appendix A sight specific zoning regulation section A-67 Mahi canal requiring additional review and approval for all moing piles docks warps davits boat lifts and similar structures located in MF and MX districts that above the Mahi canal providing for provision seability clause codification and providing for an effective date. So this has not been changed since first reading. Um it was recommended approval by the board of sorry the planning and zoning board uh 70. Okay. Uh, do we have any public comment, Mr.? No, Mr. Mayor. Can I have a motion? I move it. Second. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro?

Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lada? Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. Thank you. May I have a motion for consent agenda? I'll move it. I'll second. Before the vote adopting the consent agenda is taken, is there anyone who wishes additional discussion or review of any item on the consent agenda? Nope. All right. All in favor? I. Thank you. Thank you. Is item E8 time certain or no? I don't think the applicant is here, mayor. So that's

okay. We'll go to item E9. E9 is an ordinance of the city commission providing for text amendments to the city of Cro Gable's official zoning code amending section 14-204 transfer of development rights and article 16 definitions of the city's zoning code to establish a conservation DDR program and appraisal framework providing for definitions procedures appraisal standards and conservation easement requirements providing for repeated provisions of ability clause codification and providing for an effective date and zoing director um after review by the plan and zoing board um for this item it was clarified a little bit further um to clarify that any property that would take advantage of the TDR conservation uh program would be voluntary for one and it would only apply to that open area not to entire uh building site because there may be some houses that have a large very very large side yard and whatever is going to remain needs to comply with zoning. So, if you can't um give a tree from your front yard, has to comply with actual zoning.

So, I I'll just follow up. I mean, the the intent of this is pretty clear that this is meant to uh preserve endangered lands. Um people's front yards and sideyards are generally not endangered lands. Um I don't think the amendment uh does any violence to the intent and purpose here. Um, and this was always a voluntary process. This is not a taking uh of land uh from anybody, but it does offer the city an an amazing opportunity to be able to save these gems without having to expend city funds um and not have regrets later on saying, "Oh my god, why didn't a city acquire that piece of land?" Uh this is an opportunity that that provides that u for our community uh forever more. So um I'll move it.

I'll second. Mr. B, do you have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. All right. Commissioner Castro, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Lada, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Mayor Long, yes. Thank you. Moving on to item E10. Ordinance on first reading. E10 is an orance to the city commission providing for a text amendment to the city of Cro Gable's official zoning code by amending article 7 sustainability and resilience standard section 7-102 green building requirements to provide national green building standard silver certification as an acceptable option for compliance providing for repeated provision severability clause codification and providing for an effective date Jennifer Garcia appliance zone director so this is a very simple textment to our zoning code right now require um lead and ngbs

fgbs oh fgbs and there's some little ambiguity as far as comparable. Um, so right now we're being very clear. We're adding in uh NGBS silver certification as a qualifying plus energy star certification. Yeah. So before the language said or equivalent and there's a lot of green building certifications that pop up. We want to ensure that what we've accepted as an equivalent is now caught put into the into the code taking that out. So I I wrote this original piece of legislation um to ensure that buildings over 20,000 square feet um where again lead Yeah. or equivalent.

We made a we made a little bit of an error or miscalculation in regards to the word or equivalent and we're having issues in regards to people presenting um qualifications that were not truly in line with our standards here in the city cables. So this legislation with the intent is to clean that up and just again continue to elevate the quality that we expect. We had most people were good actors. They wanted to obviously abide and follow the rules. But you know sometimes you have individuals that try to find loopholes and in an effort to save money or expedite and again this just tightens up the restrictions and ensures that uh the quality that most of individuals are following when they abide by lead uh guidelines that again we adhere to that. So I want to thank staff for doing a great job uh and again just continuing to push environmental stewardship resiliency and everything that we're trying to do. And I'll and I'll also mention mayor uh it's not only for private facilities. We've been doing it at our own facilities. Our public safety building, the trolley maintenance facility, fire station 4 is going through certification. We also have the parking garage on Monorca. We're going through parks smart certification for that. So we're continuing to lead by example.

Are we still the city that has the the highest bar? I would say us in Miami Beach have the highest standards. Yes.

So I'm very proud of having written this legislation. I think it's important and it's important uh to really understand that this legislation is changes and is just transformational because if you look at all the buildings that were built since this legislation was written, you can see a significant reduction in consumption of electricity and consumption of water and also as a as a lead professional, you know, you can also the experience that an employee has the experience that an employee has in a lead building is significantly better than in a regular building. Why is that? just air quality, light, you know, the placement of certain things in a room. It's in my opinion, in the opinion of again people who are, you know, the instructors in this course, people who came up with this uh certification, they're the ones that have have spoken very adamantly that this is this is something that again, if a building receives this type of um I don't want to use the wrong word, certification, but this type of u not certification, what is the exact word? It's a

standard certification. standard standard u that there's benefits that are beyond this beyond just financial benefits and environmental benefits. It's really benefits that the employees really feel. And to that point, mayor, I'll also add especially coming out of COVID um there has been that renewed focus on the health and wellness inside of the building as well. So this encumbers that as well. So that that has been a renewed focus within these certifications is looking at those types of the employees, the folks that live in those buildings, making sure that the buildings are built to the highest standards. Mr. Do you have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. All right. Entertain a motion. I'll move it and great work. Thank you for all you do. Both of you. Second.

Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner Lada. Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes. Commissioner Castro. Yes. Mayor L. Yes. Thank you. Great work, Matt. Thank you. Thank you. Great, Matt. Okay. Uh E11.

E1 is an ordinance to the city commission providing for text checks amendments to the city of Cable's official zoning code by amending section 3-200 principal uses. Amending section 3-201 group homes, assisted living facilities, and childcare facilities. To clarify statutory capacity and licensing requirements, adding section 3-202 certified recovery residences to establish procedures for review and approval consistent with state and federal law amending article 16 definitions. to add definitions for adult daycare center certified recovery residence, dwelling unit and group residential home providing for repeal provision severability clause codification and providing for an effective date. So Garcia planning and zoning director um the state enacted um state statutes are requiring counties in the state of Florida to um amend our code and to um put in approval and standards for the certified recovery residences in our in our city. Um, so what you have here is pretty much what we're required to add into our code, be able to review these, to be able to issue these uh license for the certified recovery resences, as well as tweaking some of the definitions of our zoning code to make sure that they comply with state statutes.

Uh, any public comment, Mr. D? No, Mr. Mayor. Any comment from the commission that I entertain a motion? Move it. Second. Thank you. Commissioner Lada, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Commissioner Castro, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Mayor Lock, yes. I'm moving on to item E15. Correct. E14 is relative E8. City is E14 also term certain. Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am.

E15. E15 is a resolution of the city commission pursuant to zoning code article 1 general provision section 1-104 jurisdiction and applicability granting approval of the restoration and renovation plan for the city hall complex located at 405 built more way legally described as tracks BNC coral gables built more section revised Coral Gables Florida providing for a repeater provision severability clause and providing for an effective date. This is a quasi judicial item. So I would ask the clerk to please swear in any uh witnesses who will be testifying today. Those who will be testifying on this item, please stand and raise your right hand. Are we having a presentation? We uh mayor, this is just to move forward. Yeah.

With with the with the uh project, the city hall project. We were had the the presentation forward to the commission. We did the same presentation to the historical board. They were very happy uh with what we're doing to the chamber, to the courtyard, and overall restoration of the of the building. So the the presentations have already been done. This is just to uh move forward with with with the project. Mr. Do you have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. Those public comments. I'll move it. I'll second. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lada? Yes. Mayor Lago?

Yes. Moving on to E16. A16 is a resolution of the city commission amending resolution number 2024-107 which approved the mixeduse site plan for the project referred as Ponds Park Residences on the property legally described as lots 8 through 21 less the west of half of lot 8 block 29 craft section together with that portion of the 20 foot platted alley lying east of lots 11 and 19 of said block 29 Coral Gables Florida to amend the required conditions requiring regarding the timing of the completions of the pond circle park project. Um, mayor and commissioner, I have um copies of a slightly updated version of the resolution that was posted. Okay.

But essentially, it's a request to uh allow the TCO and CO for the project to issue if the Pawn Circle Park project has not been completed, provided that the applicant or the property owner um provides a a cash bond and assigns a construction contract so that the city could undertake the work if it wasn't completed. So, this is not the first or the last time this will happen. I mean, this is a common occurrence in the industry. Um, we like to hear from the attorney uh representing the applicant, but to me, this is pretty standard protocol. Mr. Cler, do you have any public comment? No, Mr. May. All right, we'll close public comment. Mayor, good morning.

Good morning. For the record, Javier Fernandez, office at 120, sorry, 2011, Al Hamburg Circle, sweet 125. Uh, thank you to your staff, uh, the managers, the attorney for your work on this. This is a byproduct of uh trying to close on our construction lending with a lender. They're concerned about having their collateral uh limited by an off-site improvement. So, we've tried to uh provide the city with assurances in the form of a cash bond, an assignment, collateral assignment of the contract. So, if while we will continue to have performance obligations should we fail, you can step into our shoes with all the requisite dollars and a contract to deliver the improvement that we all hope to accomplish together here for the park. So, with that, if you have any comments, I'm happy to address them. I have no issues. No concerns, Madam Vice Mayor.

I have no concerns. When are you guys going to break ground? Uh, God willing, uh, the beginning of next year. So, yes. Yeah, we um exciting. Yeah, we are very excited as well. Sales have gone well and, uh, this is the second project we'll be closing on financing with before the end of the year. So, it's a big big year for the company and we're grateful to all of you for your support. Thank you. May I have a motion? I'll move it. A second. Commissioner Castro. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Lada, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Mayor Log, yes. Moving on. Is there any items that Mr. I missed that or not sir, before I hit get into commissioner commission items? I want to make sure I didn't miss anything.

No, sir. Only that I'm certain. So, we Okay, we'll do uh H1, city manager items. H1 is a resolution of the city commission accepting the recommendation of the chief innovation and technology officer to increase the spending authority on the alternate tech contract uh 2020 20124 technology contract for the purchase of various software and equipment brands along with the associated services in the estimated amount of $600,000. Mr. Cler, do you have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor, I'll entertain a motion if there's no further comment from the commission. I'll move it. I'll second. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Lada, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Commissioner Castro, yes. Mayor Lago,

yes. Ramaldo, don't look disappointed. The fact is that every time you're involved with something, we trust it so much that there's no need to to even have But if you'd like to come up and explain a little bit what we're doing without confusing us all because again, I I like that caveat because I just I can barely turn my phone out. So, thank you, Mayor May. This is the contract that we use to buy servers and storage equipment for the data center. So, it's a concert. Okay. All right. Ramundo, just a second. What happened to that tin of butter cookies? I saw you the other day walking through the courtyard. Next time, bring some for us.

All right. All right. So, H2. H2 is a resolution of the city commission accepting the recommendation to wave the competitive bid process of the procurement code and contract with leak construction for the construction of temporary offices for various city departments at 2020 Pon Leon Boulevard units 1021 and1200 in an estimated amount of 519,700 or not to exceed the available budget pursuant to section 2-691 of the procurement code titled special procurement bid waiver. Mr. Clerk, do you have any public comment on this? No, Mr. Mayor, is there any comments from the commission? Mr. Manager?

Uh, Mr. Mayor, commissioners, this is this is for our move out of city hall. Uh the commission's uh offices will be at at the Monorca garage. We will be across the street. And uh this is for the the first floor for for uh finance and the 12th floor for the city manager, city city clerk, city attorney and and and budget. That way we can move out, start any exploratory demo, turn this uh this building into a construction site and we've already selected our our CMR which is Thornton and we would like to start construction at the at the end of of the third quarter. So this is just a move to uh to remove ourselves from city hall.

Perfect. I entertain a motion. I'll move it. I'll second. Just have a question. Uh timetable. What are we looking at? We're looking at or for the movement. I mean uh probably late February. It depends how how fast we can get uh this these contracts done. If I may, Mr. Manager, the earlier the better. If we can do it in January, I know it's going to take time to build and do the construction. Um you know, I I want I want to see how how quickly we can get the job started. Been a long time coming. I'm very excited about and so are many people about getting this getting this going. Mayor, uh time is of the essence for me and we're moving. we we need to really move on this project. So, we're we're going to be moving as fast as possible.

And the second reason why I tell you that is because uh I'm looking forward to seeing a construction schedule in regards to this city hall because like we discussed when we started Burger Bobs. Uh once we skinned the walls after a building that had not been touched for 60 years, uh we noticed significant structural issues. for example, the parapit, uh the lack of connectivity, uh the significant structural issues that were there that basically resulted in us having to go back to the drawing board. Structural engineer had to do plans, had to get those plans permitted, had to get it priced out, and then had to do a bunch of additional work that resulted in a change order. What I really want to see and I'm very concerned about as we've discussed with the contractor, with the engineer, with the architect, is the fact that once we skin this building, what we're going to find um I'm considering potentially the worst in in the sense of just electrical, plumbing, cast iron pipes, all these things are going to have to replace. And then things that you never know, yeah, you may find. Uh again, it's been How long has it been since this drywall has been up? Been a long time. Been a long time. So, uh, the faster that we can do this, hopefully we can shave some time off the construction schedule, which I think is going to be, no matter what they give us, it's still going to be obviously we're not going to very difficult in a building of this magnitude that requires this type of TLC that you're going to be able to meet that.

Mayor, we've already shaped the number a number of years actually off of schedule and we will continue to do so. Okay. So, we have a motion. I move it. I think we already did. Did we? Commissioner Lada. Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Mayor Lago, yes. Moving on to city clerk items. J1, we we didn't do H3 though, Mayor. All right, we'll come back to that. Okay, I completely missed it, but we'll get it right now. Okay. J1 is a resolution of the city commission in accordance with section 2-3 uh 2-30 of the city code entitled regular meeting special meeting setting forth the city commission meeting days dates through December 2026. I'll move it. I'll second.

Um Mr. Mr. Mayor, just really quick, this sets forth the dates for commission meetings for next year. A couple of things to note is depending on the outcome of the April special election. Yep. There's going to be a change to the meeting schedule for November and December of next year. Okay. And also for the special meeting in September that we normally have for the special taxing districts, we might need to change that as we get closer to those. Okay. We have a motion, a second. Is there any public comment? No, sir. Okay. All in favor? I I H3

H3 is a resolution of the city commission approving an agreement to provide parking management between the city of Cro Gables and ATA parking inc for two city- owned surface parking lots located on the 300 block of Aragon Avenue and adjacent to two privately owned lots for the purpose of consolidating the parcels to be managed and maintained by ASTA parking and waving the competitive process of procurement code pursuant to section 2-691 special procurement bid waiver of the city's procurement code. Good morning, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners Paige Perez, asset manager,

as the parking inci together with the city of Coral Gables, seek approval to enter to a lease agreement that would allow for the consolidation and management of two city- owned surface parking lots located at 330 and 350 Aragon Avenue along with two privately owned lots at 340 Aragon Avenue and the adjoining property bordering south of June Road for the purpose of integrating all of them into a single efficiently managed operation that supports the current and future parking needs of the city central business district. The proposed term is five years with the option for an additional 5-year renewal. The work required for the consolidation will be split into two phases. Phase one will require ESTA parking inc to restripe the parking lots, install parking stops, signage, and utilize the existing curb cuts to restore the configuration to one similar to how the lot previously operated. Upon completion of this phase, the tenant will begin remitting monthly payments to the city with a total annual amount of $300,000. Phase two will involve coordinated efforts with the city to unify the initial three parcels to the remaining property bordering South Loom Road. Following the successful completion of this phase, the tenants monthly rental payments will increase with a total annual amount of $360,000. We have a few slides to share with you that highlight the current deficiencies and limited capacity of the city's parcels. Thank you. So, here we see the city's east parking lot. It provides for only 10 parking spaces. Here's the privately middle own lot, which as you can see is currently blocked by concrete planters and not in use.

This is the present condition of the city's west parking lot, which offers limited parking for only 14 vehicles. This is a drawing of phase one, and this drawing illustrates how the site will appear after the proposed improvements resulting in approximately 86 parking stalls. And lastly, our last slide depicts a complete cohesive site with approximately 119 parking spaces and five of those are ADA accessible. Thank you. May I ask you a quick question? Yes.

What is the revenue generation on this project? It will be uh initially 300,000. Once the uh LA properties is is done, it'll be go up to 360,000. uh this is basically a lease so we don't have any maintenance or any other any other uh cost as far as uh as as the facility is concerned.

Mr. Manager, I I just want to thank you and your team for putting this together. This was an absolute debacle that occurred while you weren't here. Um I spoke to the owners of the properties adjacent to the city. Um communication with the previous city manager just from one day to the next just basically halted. Uh that's why there was no other choice uh but basically just cut up the four parcels. I've spoken to all the business owners on that street, you know, from one day to the next. Uh, you know, their parking their parking uh scenario became dire. Uh, people were very upset about it. Um, I tried to set up meetings with the previous city manager, Mr. Amos Rojos, and no meetings were set up. This was a catastrophe um of epic proportion. I want to thank you and I spoke to the owner which is the same owner of the parcels. Uh he thanked staff, he thanked you um and the city attorney um for coming to a negotiation and uh using common sense and business terms and being able to put something together that is a triple benefit in my opinion. number one benefits the property owner, the gentleman who owns those two lots, benefits the city of Port Gables, which owns the other two lots and more importantly benefits the community. Uh you know how many businesses on Miracle M called me and told me Vince, this is a disaster for my business. We even have restaurants that have closed as a result of it. Uh all because of a lack of leadership and an inability to understand simple business sense uh by our previous city manager. This is going to make us possibly about $400,000 a year. Right now, what was it making the city? Not much. What were we making, would you say?

It was making about $300,000 because the parking was working at 40% increase because there was no parking. As soon as new parking comes in, it will drop down to to about 20 uh about uh $240,000 and we're making 360,000 without any maintenance.

Yep. So, I just want to thank you. I thank the manager finally um getting this done. This was a heavy lift. Um to our director, thank you for getting this done. Um I commend you for your hard work. Um and I know that the business owners are going to be incredibly relieved. U both the shop owners, the restaurants, the people who come, people at Aarachi, everybody here, everybody in this commission received phone calls in regards to, you know, Arachi having, you know, losing basically all their parking. So, thank you for this, Madam Vice Mayor. Right. Uh, I'm just going to mirror some of what you said because I also got the same calls,

same calls from business owners and it was evident from the lack of foot traffic also in that block uh the the true impact that it had on on the business community. And I too tried to uh have that conversation with the prior administration, but by that time by the time we were brought into the no, it was too late. The ship had sailed. contracts had been, you know, there was no bringing it back. The parties had parted ways. So, I appreciate your your leadership on this and working so hard to undo a very complex situation and bring it back so our business community can thrive again. Thank you. I'll move it, Mr. Mr. Manager.

Uh for the mayor, uh yes, uh mayor, thank you. It is also very important because when we start the mobility hub, this will bring back 119 cars. We'll be taking about 270 cars off offline because of parking garage one. So, this provides an additional 120 cars and a very efficient parking parking layout to really carry us through uh and help help carry us through the construction of the mobility hub. Thank you very much, Mr. Manager. Regarding the Lasal Cleaners Lot, uh I know there's a process. What What are we looking at as far as as time frame for them to actually do the process of um I guess they have to do cleanup before they can actually set it.

Uh uh commissioner, they don't have to do cleanup anymore because we can drain it on our side. So they will dry pipe it to our to our side and it should go through Durham very very quickly whereas right now it's depot injection which is a longterm process. So we have a motion. Do we have a second? I second. Okay. Second. Mr. G, any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. All right. Commissioner Castro, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Lada, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Mayor Lago, yes.

Thank you. I appreciate for staff. Thank you, Mr. Manager. You deserve all the credit for this very complicated issue that you resolved. Very complicated issue. Uh, moving on to item E7. Correct. Is E7 time s also? Yes, it is. E7 is a time certain. E8. Yes.

E8. E8. Excuse me. E. Um, so E8 and E14 are related. E8 is an ordinance of the city commission amending ordinance number 2022-14, which approved a planned area development for the property legally described as lots 5 through 27, block 28, Coral Gable's craft section, Coral Gable, Florida, to allow for certain work to be completed after the issuance of a temporary certificate of occupancy subject to the terms of a performance bond. And then E14 is a resolution of the city commission amending resolution number 2022-81 which approved a mixeduse site plan for the property legally described as last 5 to 27 block 28 Coral Gables craft section Coral Gables Florida to allow for certain work to be completed after the issuance of a temporary certificate of occupancy subject to the terms of a performance bond. Thank you. Good morning.

Uh good morning Mr. Mayor commissioners. items related to uh a project we're currently working on where the majority of the off-site work has been completed. There's some utility work that's still pending which we're waiting for the utilities to finalize. We're asking to put a bond in in order to complete those improvements. Uh we expect to have them completed within the next 90 days depending on when the utilities could get their work done. So, it's just here to ask to for us to be able to put a bond in place so we could TCO this building. Okay. Uh do we have any public comment, Mr. Clerk? No, Mr. Mayor. All right. I want to entertain a motion. I'll move it. I'll second. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Lada, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro? Yes.

Mayor Long? Yes. In regards to item E14, do we have any public comment? No, Mr. Mayor. Okay. Do we have any further comments from the commission? I'll move it. I'll second. Commissioner Lada. Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Mayor Lago, yes. Thank you all so much. Thank you very much. I think everything else is time, sir, except for city commission items. Mr. Clerk, can you please verify? That is correct, sir. All right, moving on to item F1.

F1 is a resolution of the city commission directing city staff to design on new parks that would be conveyed to the city with the majority of the park to be of landscaped areas and minimal areas for hardscape. So, this is an item that I'm sponsoring that I would appreciate your support on and it's a very common sense item. Um, when I got elected a few years ago, we only had one park in the downtown. We've negotiated with developers and we bought lots and what I think is important is to make sure that uh these these projects I see them come to me when the developer is discussing uh adding a park and we're requiring it. They say they put all this heartscape which is again is great for less maintenance. Uh but at the end of the day, what I want is more green space. I want more grass. I want more sharper. I want more shade. Shade. Uh so this is this piece of legislation. Um I think there was a friendly amendment from the vice mayor. Um that that required a little bit more taking it to bumping it up. I am more than more than interested in that amendment. I'd like to add that amendment. Um I don't know how much higher we can go because you do need a little bit of hardscape. For example, let me give you an example. uh the little the little park in front of Nordstrom's. Uh it's going to require a podium for so a work of art. It's going to provide a little sidewalk. Uh same thing with Publix. Uh same thing with adjacent to the plaza where you're going to have a beautiful green space and uh you know two tennis courts. I think it's a 15,000t lot. You also have the Kolina site which is a corner lot which is about 12,000 square feet. I think it's about 12 12 or 11,000 feet.

Has a two beautiful oak trees in the back that are currently existing. I want to see more green space. I want to see more shade. I want to I don't want a concrete jungle. Um, you know, I know plaza I talk about plazas and parks as being again redefining our downtown, redefining our quality of life, but if we could have more green space, I think codifying it is important for the future. So, I do have one question for staff because I haven't reread this um this morning. We have times where people want to put in parks with green space with grass, but underneath it there's, you know, a parking garage. Did we address that in in the language here?

Um, so typically, um, open space has to be at the ground level. The garage would be elevated. Um, but I think I know what you're thinking about as far as different projects. Underground garages. Yes. Referring to because it eliminates the ability to put in that shade tree, right? Okay. So, do we address that in this language in this uh resolution? We do not. Um we can to the mayor. Yes, sir. Vice Mayor, I don't think we would agree to have a park convey to us that was not that was had a parking garage below. Right. No, I I agree. I think I just mentioned it for that purpose.

I don't think that would be something that we would address here that we would that we would u uh approve or or condone. And I don't think the commissioner would either. So, this deals with with uh just plain old parks. Okay. So, uh the only reason I bring it up is I'm not going to live forever. You're not going to live forever. And um there what do you think? You tell me. I'm no parking no parking garages under green space. I don't have any issue with that at all. If if you put the pavers above it because that's your percentage. I don't have any issue with it. Okay. With that amendment, I'll move. And this is all this is all these are all good things

that make our downtown even better. So So explain the uh the amendment. The amendment is that in the green areas you can't have parking garage underneath, right? But there was also a percentage component that we were discussing last time. We're trying to change that's already addressed. So what what percentage did we finally go with? Yeah. Right now we're proposes 30% hardcape and 70% green space. I think what the vice mayor is proposing is that that 70% green space cannot have a parking garage underneath of it because that wouldn't be permittable land that we can't plant a tree there. To the mayor. Yes, sir. Uh we would like to add then that the resolution be that uh if there's a parking garage below that is not conveyed green space. Yes, sir. Just to be clear.

There you go. Thank you. They don't get the benefits they don't get the benefits of saying give me an additional floor, right? Again, to me, there's a benefit to that. There's a benefit. Yeah. So, the mental health to me what what I'm excited about what I'm excited about is over the next two to three years seeing how our downtown transforms and literally within a threeb block radius being able to see three or four parks. That to me is a game changer for our downtown. That to me is what is going to set us apart, which we already set apart, but I mean it's going to take it to another level. Um, we have a motion. Do we have a second? I second it. And we have a second. Thank you, madam zoning director. Vice Mayor. Vice Mayor Anderson?

Yes. Commissioner Castro? Yes. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lada? Yes. Mayor Lago?

Yes. Uh, moving on to item F2. I'd like to see if the uh the police chief can join us. Um, I was and also Matt Anderson, please join us. I received multiple multiple uh phone calls and emails from individuals in our community. I continue to be concerned about this ebikes versus e dirt bikes. We could be here for hours talking about this, okay? Um, and I don't want to waste everyone's time, but I got a I got re I got a visit the other day during office hours by Mayor Valdis Fley who brought a gentleman here to visit me who has a business here uh in our downtown and who an individual who was walking in front of their in front of their business was run over by an ebike and I think that we have uh the police report and I don't know I don't know how much we want to share and I think there's actual video and everything of that is pretty terrible just like we had the gentleman the other day Zer Sapata who was His son is blessed to be alive. He shouldn't be alive. He had a very gruesome accident. You see a lot more young kids riding it. And they're aggressive. They're all over traffic. Uh confrontations are starting to happen between drivers and a lot of these young children as a result of their inability to conduct themselves in a manner that I think is appropriate. Uh when you're driving these ebikes. Um so I kind of want to understand what can we do? what are our limitations? And I also want to be honest with ourselves with our police. Our police have more than enough things to do every single day. And to now say they're going to be enforcing, you know, they see something, for example, they're obviously going to tell that person, hey, don't ride your bike in the middle of Miracle Mile. Hey, don't do this. That's their job. That's the job of everyone in this community to police us and to try to be as thoughtful and kind uh in an effort to keep our standards at a certain level. But I also can't expect them to be focused on this every day because they've got big fish to fry. Not saying

it's not important, but we got limitations. Yes, sir.

Um, so so the the the interesting conundrum for us as far as the enforcement from the state statute standpoint is for ebikes, there's three separate classifications that the statute looks at for ebikes. Uh first one's a pedal assist that can go up to 20 miles an hour, which would be allowed on sidewalks by statute with the exception of Miracle Mile and three blocks north, three blocks south of Miracle Mile on Pon and Galliano. Uh class two is a throttle that can go up to 20 miles an hour. So they don't really have to pedal, they can just use the throttle. And the third class is up to 28 miles an hour um and must dis must must display a classification label. Modified ebikes above 28 miles an hour are illegal. So the challenge for us is what kind of bike are you seeing and who is riding it? Uh because there is a limitation on how old you can be and what you have to wear to go to that 28 mph bike. And again, it's not as easy as just, hey, that car is speeding regardless of what kind of car it is. So, it becomes a challenge for us to do that. Um, you know, a bike has its it's it a bike rider has its rights and has to obey the traffic laws of every car and and the car has to yield a lane to them on the street. The scooters gives us a different dynamic because they can go up onto the sidewalk and back down off onto the street. And we see this primarily around the University of Miami where it is forbidden on campus to ride scooters on the interior, but they will drive along Santa to the point I think we had about seven uh this calendar year seven scooter accidents along Santa. Um and then our enforcement was um was increased. Uh we try to increase also

the pedestrian crosswalks. So, our biggest um targeted area for us outside of that area has been Miracle Mile. Um you know, walking down it, I'm sure all of you have seen it just like I've seen it dressed like this where people whether it be scooters um and we're talking about pedal bicycles or the the one that you sit on, the bird scooters. Um the other motorized scooters where there's no pedals, the the delivery people, they have to be handled on the streets only. They are not allowed on sidewalks period in the story. Those are easiest because they're registered. The bikes the bike bikes are not registered so to speak where they need a license and an inspection things like that. So it's a different citation. Um and if that child or that operator is under 15 16 years of old they do not need to have a license. So the enforcement side of that is a whole new uh dilemma that we're still trying to get out from the ordinances versus uh the state statute side. Um I will tell you from my position with the Florida police chiefs, this is going to come up again this session as well. Uh they did bring something up to start and like anything else, here's the first version we have weighed in about how are we going to be able to enforce these statutes. Um so that is the conundrum the first focal point for the police department uh not through the holidays but with the downtown unit and the creation of the downtown unit. That's something that we actually have to how we have to uh enforce it stationary. We have to be stationary. In other words, our our safest way to do that. Now the unfortunate thing is trying to stop them can be difficult at times. I mean, absent a clothesline, and I'm not saying that we clos line people trying to grab somebody who's driving down the sidewalk, too, which is where I know the vice mayor and I have had these

conversations. The mayor, um, I did obviously saw this video. Um, you know, whether we come up with a bike left side and not on Miracle Mile, but outside of that area, that bikes have to stay to the outside or the inside because the biggest issue we saw in this video Got to love the fire department. Chief Delar Roa knows I'm talking. You know, I I think and we haven't really dove into this, but the clearance of doors is usually what the the biggest horrific accidents that we see on the sidewalks outside Miracle Mile, outside of those three blocks of ponds. and whether we we create a city-wide ordinance that you have to ride so far away from a business side, that's something that at least we can write, but our citations would have to be through the city charter code, which is difficult for the police officers to enforce as well. So, there are some things I think we can we can work on outside of that area. Uh the biggest issue that we have is our hands are kind of tied with state statutes and writing tickets. Uh similarly now, and I know the mayor, the vice mayor, and some of you have gotten complaints about the pedestrian crossings on Miracle Mile, jaywalking. Uh we've been down this road before. I spoke with the manager briefly about it. We're supposed to meet again. That is another issue coming up during the holidays that when we start writing tickets for jaywalking and and not listening to the signs, that becomes another problem for all of us. our phones, our emails start to ring because I think we have better time to do. But that is, you know, trying to increase safety awareness of pedestrians, which is also causing the traffic jam. So that's in a nutshell, mayor. That's what we're looking at. That's the one suggestion we have to try to address the issue that we saw and that you and I had

talked about on email.

Thank you, Matt. So I yeah just adding I mean I have a presentation that shows everything that the chief covered um but we can we can skip over that but um just a reminder to huh present it okay if so real quick uh and again the chief covered a lot of this uh just the definition of an ebike it could be pedal assisted or throttled uh the motor is usually less than 750 watts may be oper operated on roadways and some sidewalks does not require a driver's license registration or insurance helmet is required for ages 16 and below It's recommended for all. Um, and then the chief already went over the different classifications for ebikes, so I'll skip that. This is a really good graphic that FDOT put out that kind of talks about everything that the the chief was talking about from Segways to motorized scooters to class one, class 2, and class 3 ebikes. Um, so that could be something that, you know, if you all provide that direction, we can share that with communications and potentially put that out as an educational piece and put it on our website um to be able to share. Um, but you could see the the different speeds, different classifications, um, where they're allowed to ride, where they're not, helmet, no helmet type thing. Um, again, required for all um, ages 16 and below. Next, this is just the the kind of local rules and common courtesy when you're writing uh, these about to be courteous to others. Always yield to pedestrians. I think that's a constant reminder we need to we need to do. Be visible. always recommended to use light colored clothes. Um, slow down at corners. Uh, use safe speeds. Stay to the right. Give an audible warning when you're passing somebody that may be a pedestrian. Again, just things we should be all thinking about. Um, if you're utilizing these devices, follow all the rules and be predictable. I think was a really good recommendation. This is just I found this city of Weston put out uh some some excellent uh outreach materials. Again, just kind of reemphasizing everything that was covered in the previous one. again

following making sure they're following all traffic laws. Um they're required to come to a complete stop when you come to a stop sign just like anyone else. Um and then always yield to traffic when entering intersection or passing in a driveway. Electric dirt bikes uh off-road um off-road electric motorcycles, no pedal, often over 2,000 watts. It's not classified as a bicycle under Florida law. Had the state statute recommended there. It's not street legal. Um, no before you ride. It's not a bike and again not street legal. Want to want to reemphasize that over and over. Um, this is just covering a lot of what we talked about. Um, this is a video we can share it um that uh Broward Sheriff's Office put out that really talks about you really have your electric bicycles, you have your dirt bikes, and then you have electric motorcycles that are out on the road as well. So, kind of talking about all that difference there. What our current regulations are. The the chief did an excellent job covering that. We have these signs posted on Miracle Mile. We have them posted on Pon uh three blocks north and south, also on Geralda Plaza. Um just a reminder for the bird scooters that we have as a pilot program here in the city, those are geoenced. So if anyone enters the areas where they're not supposed to be on the sidewalks, the throttle will not work. They will receive an audible warning that they need to return. So we've had really good success with that and and safety is a top priority, I know, with Bird and with our with our city. Um, so if you are seeing scooters that are entering on the sidewalks there, more than likely those are private scooters. Um, because again, this geo fence has been in place since probably the last three or four years. Um, and we've seen great success with that. Um, and we also have our parking garages geofenced. So nobody can enter our parking garages because we, you know, we've heard in other cities where people enter the parking garages and ride around on the scooters. Those are geoenced as well. also trying to cover all the areas that University of Miami's campus is also geofenced uh because they do not allow bird scooters on campus as well. So trying to look and identify the

areas where um there could be potential issues. Uh current state regulations and I know Chelsea's here and keeping a very close eye on this as well. Um but these are the state statutes. So electric bikes are governed by state statute by um 316. Um no again covering all we said no license or registration is required. What I really wanted to cover is what local governments are able to do based on that state statute. One is set a minimum age requirement to operate an electric bicycle. You may require an operator of an electric bicycle to possess a governmentissued photo ID while operating the electric bicycle. And municipalities can provide trainings as well for for safety. Parental responsibility. Uh this is another one. uh no parent um or minor or guardian of a child may ward or authorize no permit any such minor child or ward to violate any of these provisions of this section. So again reminding parents it's also a parental responsibility when it comes to um the the state regulation and making sure that we are that that everyone is abiding by that. And then there's this new bill. I don't know if Chelsea wants to come up and join us, but um we have House Bill 243 that is outlining all these different things here that they're they're discussing as far as what requiring crash reports, requiring state uh maintain certain stat statistics, prohibits persons from operating a class 3 electric bicycle without a certain license, so on and so forth. You can see the rest. And on the bottom, you see the current status of where the bill is currently at, and it's been going through uh subcommittees, and I believe Chelsea provided an update that it's still uh in that process right now. So, no, I ran through that, but the chief did an excellent job covering that. Um,

in closing, because I know we have a bunch of agenda items that I want to go over before we got to go to lunch. If you get a chance, it's a public record and I don't know if you know, we can put that. The chief wants to share. I want to be careful about when you when you look at the report of the way this individual was struck, right? You know, on the sidewalk, it's an older individual. I want to say exactly who it was. Someone's getting killed that year, right?

This you're seeing it happen more and more and more. The other day on TV, there was an incident between two young individuals and uh the two ladies who were driving their car. There was a there was an exchange of words between the young individuals. I don't know the full story. Uh but this is becoming more and more prevalent in our society. People are not following the rules. Before it was just bikes. Now you add the ebikes into the mix and it becomes a recipe for disaster. So um I want to try to make this a priority. I want to try to figure out a way that we can address it without putting more of a burden on the police because you have your plate full enough and you're not here to start regulating ebikes or e dirt bikes or any of that kind of stuff. So I just don't to me when we talk well we'll just put up a sign. Signs already exist.

Don't drive on sidewalks. Don't drive on Miracle Mount. And these things continue to happen. They continue to happen. This was through the mayor. Yes, ma'am.

At least six months ago, I brought up the fact that we have it and we can detect speeds of things that are moving. You know, we we have this all the time. I mean, I have the Strava app. It tracks how fast I'm going. We can have photo feed to the police department on any vehicle moving or any moving object moving faster than a certain number of miles per hour on these prohibited zones and a photograph and you have the sign that way. You can also have it flash the speed that you're going to make sure that someone who's driving and looking at where they're going actually sees the sign that's up here. In order for these signs to be effective, they have to be visible. In order for the signs to be effective, people need to understand that they are being recorded, that the feed is going to go to the police department. I've called in bicycles going two different directions to the police department. It's impossible to catch them.

Yeah, impossible. It is. The only way you're going to do it is to have a direct feed and then you know who the perpetrator is and by the time they get off a miracle mile, you now have a photograph that you can enforce with because this is a critical safety issue. By the way, you didn't cover the um the issue on or I should say the the model of the electric bike that I gave you all. I wasn't going to say that. I've been on that electric bike and I know how fast they can go because it goes way in excess of 28 miles per hour. Yes, it does. And it's not a dirt bike. It's a beach cruiser, too. And it looks like an electric motorcycle. Yes.

And it drives like an electric motorcycle, which is why I also said to the state reps when I visited, and I've been saying here before, you need a motorcycle license to drive those. So, to the mayor, yeah. Um, is there a way to maybe add to the the signs that we have on bicycles America Mile photo enforced to that sign as well because that may motivate people I know on highways that's a deterrent for people uh going

the only the only right now currently in the state of Florida the only photo enforcement for speed is the school zone cameras which we are we are in the process of construction now uh to what the vice mayor brought up for us to to have those citations issued would be a state statute referendum that would have to come out from Tallahassee because we don't have the ability to enforce speed except in speed loans on cameras. Um to that point, we have had operations where we've come in with motorcycle units uh from other ones and I think we towed

76 citations with motorcycle officers tracking them down. So it can be done. We are doing that. Um, I do believe that we'd have to have further conversations with the city attorney on how officers on the street can enforce the code ordinances because that's a whole another dynamic that we have to do. I know, I know, I know it's long and I don't want to beat the dead horse, but I want to make clear that what I was talking about was not issuing a citation by a photograph, but bringing having it have something like the speed detection signs flash to get the attention of those who are on these sidewalks and be able to have a video feed for the police department so they know who they're going after. So, I bring it up again. This is the third time I bring it up because I want staff. I need staff's guidance. I need my colleagues to engage in this. Someone's going to get killed.

I I I don't have answers for this and I don't have a problem admitting I don't have an answer and I need guidance. So, please help me on this, Mr. Manager. I don't know what the solutions are. Let's work with other cities. Let's work with the county and see what we can do because if parents are not going to police their children and they're going to give them these type of these type of vehicles, then we're going to have to step in. We're going to have to step in. Okay. Mayor, in the meantime, would you like us to work with communications to do some sort of outreach similar to to what what we've had and why we try to figure out the long-term solution on reminding folks what the state what the laws and regulations are.

I want to put and I want to include this in our government relations uh for for the state. I want to make sure we do this because again, I'm telling you, you can see it already. Look at this. Look at this report. When you read this report, talk about the person was on a sidewalk minding her own business. She gets literally taken down on this truck. Okay. All right. So, we're moving on to the next

Mr. Mayor. So, just to remind the commission that this is on our legislative priorities um micromobility and bike and ebike safety. Um one of the items that were talked about when we did go to Tallahassee and it was um several different legislators did bring it up that this was an item of importance to them. Um, as uh the chief said, uh, we should be hearing more updates at the state level, uh, this coming session, which which starts uh, January 13. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you for reminding me. Um, thank you. Thank you to both of you. Thank you, Mr. Manager. Moving on to item F3, uh, update on election education campaign. Madam Pantin, how are you? Good morning.

Good morning. Good afternoon. Uh this is possibly one of the most important items I believe on the agenda today. And I'd like to see what we're planning on doing uh in regards to outreach, which I think is critically important, and see how we can put our heads together to make sure that we get as many people to engage. And I'm going to tell you one thing that I did already, and I spoke to the manager about this, and we're in a public setting. I can speak about it. I think the DCM was there also. Um, at the Centennial concert, I had a great conversation with Alina Garcia, our election supervisor, and I thought of the idea of having her produce a video, which obviously does not talk about the actual ballot items. What it talks about, that goes without saying, what it talks about is how to properly fill out this ballot so that you can be effective and not make a mistake in regards to not having your vote count. I think if somebody goes through the effort of filling out a ballot and mailing it back, we want to make it count, right? And we don't want a simple technicality like a signature or or, you know, missing your address. For example, if we don't put your address in the back, uh it doesn't count. So, she said that she was more than willing to to produce um a video that we could use to send out to residents, you know, a few times through the course before the elections saying, "You're going to be receiving this ballot and and an educational, you know, 30 minute campaign explaining on how to properly cast your vote."

Yes. And I've already reached out to her communications person, Mr. Mendetta, to meet for us to be able to work.

You don't waste any time. We talked about this and you're already on it. I appreciate that. Thank you. Uh so we were requested by the commission uh to create an education uh campaign. It's uh the referendum will be voting by mail in only ballots and moving the ele about moving the election forward. But there there are other items that will also be on the agenda. Uh the only information that the city can put out and we've been working with the city clerk's office and the city attorney's office is information about the voting process. We cannot talk about the items at all. Uh the critical dates here, ballots will be mailed by uh March 21st. Voter registration deadline. People need to know that they will receive a ballot if they are registered to vote. They do not need to register to vote by mail. And uh that registration deadline is March 23rd. The ballot submission deadline is April 21st by 7 p.m. The only way that people can uh send in their ballot is they can either mail it or they can take it physically to the elections headquarters. There is no drop off boxes. There's no library location etc.

Excuse me, if you go back to the previous screen. Okay. So, this voter registration deadline, it's March 23. The ballots are mailed by March 21. Is a little confusing to me. Does that mean that if you register to vote after March 21, you'll still be able to get Yes. So, the mailing is going to continue after March 21. They're trying to to mail it so that that it gets there like two weeks before the election. But uh those are the dates that we were given by elections.

Uh city web page. Uh again, this has all been uh we've gone through uh the city clerk's office and the city attorney's office. This uh web page is live as of yesterday or today. And uh it just has the key information. it will have more information once uh the items come for ballot language to the commission in January. So as we get information we will make sure to update it. It is on in the city uh clerk's page of our website and once we in January we will also have it on the news page which is the the the landing page for our website. Uh what are our outreach strategies? As I said, they will all be educational. It's to We finalized the information for the web page. We're finalizing information for printed materials. We're updating uh just like we've done in the past to encourage people to vote. We are planning to advertise. Uh we for the past couple of elections, we create a letter. The city clerk sends it out to key organizations to make sure that they uh let their members know that that this is happening. and uh we'll have flyers and banners for example the Iikes uh etc. I think the key part of the education here is that people will need to make sure that they fill out the ballot correctly because there's no remediation. If your ballot is not correct, it will not be counted.

That's it. So just one Sorry, Mr. Mayor. One key distinction on this one is on a normal election if you if your signature does not match the signature that the supervisor of election has on file. There's a cure period for that for that signature in this election. If your signature doesn't match, you can still cure the signature. However, if you did not write the zip code on your mailing address, there's no curing for that. If you forgot to write your address, if you forgot to write your name on the ballot, there's no cure for that. So therefore, your ballot will not be counted.

So that's my point. So that's why we have to be very thoughtful and be very careful about how the education campaign that we that we put forth. It has to be about process. I want to be very careful because I know how the blogs work and you know Vince Lago has an agenda. Obviously everybody knows where I stand on all eight referendums. But what we're putting forth as a city has to be about the process and we cannot get away from that. And I want to make sure that's on the record even though I know the blogs won't publish it. Um, I think what's incredibly important is that we number one make sure, like you said, that there's at a minimum of two mailers that go to all the residents homes explaining what they're going to be getting before the ballot comes in. Uh, I think these mailers have to explain the issues, be very concise, be very thoughtful, be very clear that they have to explain the issues. Okay. Um, I believe that we should also have a phone operator here in the city that has a dedicated line if that's an interest of the city where that person can answer any questions or can, you know, push the items towards the manager's office so that those items are addressed. I don't think it should just be the city number. I think it should be a dedicated line that addresses the referendums that are being profered before the city. Um, I have no issues with I think that this should be on on CGTV. We can explain forthcoming referendum elections. These are the eight referendums. You know, maybe maybe put uh the video of our supervisor election explaining exactly what's happening. I think it's important. We're advertising. We're telling people to come out and vote. This is the amount of time they have to submit their vote. Processoriented delivery of the message. Do not get away from that. I want to be clear again before we get the two blogs uh stating that you know Vince Log was using city funds to run his agenda. We all know how

this is going to end up. Okay. At the end of the day, I think it's key we're not breaking ground. We're doing the same thing other cities have done. I've spoken to other cities that have run referendums very similar to this and they've been able to deliver on the same agenda. And the agenda is simple. It's processed driven to have our residents come out and vote whichever way they want to vote, but at the end of the day, we want participation. This is why we're putting these referendums out there. So, do my colleagues are have any objection to my requests? Um, do you think that it's appropriate? Uh, do you have any ideas to get more voter turnout to ensure process driven um aspects of this referendum are adhered to?

Yeah, I have a question. When you say explain the issues and In what sense do you want to explain the issues? Commissioner, I mean, it's pretty simple. It's explain the issues. You're going to you're you're going to Sorry. You ask me a question, I'm trying to answer you. If you allow me to answer you, then

um I can complete a I can complete my sentence. It's very simple. I'll give you an example. Elections are being proposed to be moved from April to November. Explain when that would happen. What would we the result of elected officials terms and how is how would we occur? It's occurring through a referendum vote. Very simple. If you're another one another referendum, we are we are moving forward with the prospect of presenting with a referendum where if an elected official or the commission wants to raise their salaries, it has to be ratified by the members of this community through a referendum vote that you will be able to cast your ballot and approve. Simple. It's not one side or another. It's explaining the issue so that people understand what is before them and why they should come out and vote whether they're on one side of the issue or the other process driven.

Yeah. So what I'm going to ask is that we stay in the middle very neutral and we don't lean to having the voter vote a certain way because we want that outcome just to make it very neutral neutral language. So if I may, if I may, if I may, if I may. So first off, um this is not the Amos ROAS days anymore. We have professionals here, okay? We have professionals here who take this seriously, okay? So we are dealing with individuals here, and that's a disrespect to all the employees that are here. No one is going to drive an agenda. The agenda that I'm going to drive personally is going to be an agenda that I'm going to spend a lot of personal money to ensure that I educate people to vote in a way that I think is in the best interest of the city, not of the commission. But this city will deliver on a processdriven campaign to get the vote out so that people understand why they're receiving a ballot in the mail and they don't confuse it with for with junk mail. How many times do you go to your mailbox and you see that you have all these items and you throw them out and maybe you don't see what it is. So at the end of the day the agenda is simple process driven and it's explaining the referendum and the items that individuals are voting on. It is not driven by an agenda

to the mayor commissioner. So I've heard nothing either in the presentation by Martha or any commentary on the dis that there would that would lead anybody to think that we need a caution on being neutral. Like there's absolutely nothing said other than educating the voters that there's an election and that it's going to be done by mail. If we don't say what the issues are that are going to be teed up for the mail, what are we doing to sending out a mystery ballot? Open it and you'll see what the issues are. That would make no sense to me or to anyone I think on the dis.

So I can give you a per I can give you a perfect example of something that happened here. I heard a few gas when I not not a few one gas when I mentioned amos roas neighbor when we when we had annexation here which I am 110% in favor of annexation I think it's a wonderful opportunity for the city just look at look at Eric Spolstra uh as home recently which was took over 10 minutes and the house burned to a crisp if we would have been there if our fire department would have been there I promise you that house would be standing today my point is this when annexation was being discussed and the voters were considering it. This city through the leadership of Amos Rojas and I had a conversation with him. Did not do any outreach to the voters of that area. Did not send any mail. Did not do anything. It came and it went in an effort to kill the process. I had people who call me says, "Vince, I didn't even know what was going on. I had no clue. That was the effort." It's it's it's very clear. is undeniable. It was an effort to kill it by not educating and by not telling people that there's a vote. If people vote against the referendums, they voted against it. It's okay. This is our democracy. But at the end of the day, let's at least get people out to to the votes to make sure that they are able to make that decision. Unlike what occurred with the annexation effort, which was zero effort was made to get people to come out and vote or to even really understand the process. And that's the facts and that's what happened and that's the truth of the matter. Madam Vice Mayor,

well, for someone that's been registered to vote since you possibly could, you know, I I know that the elections department does do exactly that as well. And they're not telling you how to vote. It's process driven. It's telling you who's on the ballot, what issues are on the ballot, so you can study them ahead of time and make sure that you vote. Or just like the signs that we put up, the lit signs, make sure so that people know there's an election. Look in your mailbox. Make sure you pull that envelope out. And if you didn't get it, where you can call to get one because we do need more people participating in our elections in this city. It's critical and important for our future for the next hundred years.

I'd like to put an item I'd like to put an item before my colleagues on the commission. I want a resolution vote possible support to make sure this happens. I would like the two mailers at a minimum. Two mayors at a minimum to go homes. Madam city attorney, they're looking at you to make sure that this is this is completely legal. We're good, right? We're in good standing. So, it it it depends, mayor. We can certainly work with communications. Depends. What depends? So, we can send out we we cannot send out information. We cannot spend money sending out communications about the issues that are going to issue. We're telling you about a referendum to vote that's coming to your house. That we can do.

We're not We're not telling issues. We're saying there's a referendum that's coming to vote and this is the proper way to do it. Okay? So, so your vote counts. Minimum two if my colleagues are fine with that. Let's write this down to make sure we get this done. Okay? Minimum two if not three. Okay. Let's go with three. How about that? The mailers will have a QR code on them where people can click on the QR code and it will take you to the video where the supervisor elections will be speaking. Not Vince Lago, not the manager, none of the members of the commission, the supervisor of elections will be speaking, explaining why did they receive this in the mail, what is happening, what is the referendum, how to properly fill out your ballot. Number three, I would like to have a person a dedicated phone number here on those mailers so that someone picks up here and can answer questions and that person can be in the manager's office, but a dedicated line where someone can answer the questions and say, "What's happening in regards to the referendum?" Ma'am, I'm not able to answer your question in regards to whether you should vote in favor of moving Alexis to November, but I'm willing to give you information on this. clearly delineated responses in regards to questions. Number three, the website. We should have a website like you said, Martha, which again encompasses the referendum, explains how to properly vote, when are the deadlines, what you'll be receiving, and just states the eight referendums that you will be facing. It's not explaining whether you should be voting in one form or another. Again, it is process driven. And I think I've said it 30 times in hopes that the two blogs that will be writing about this tomorrow will get it correct. What else am I missing? Dedicated phone line. Oh yes, dedicated TV ad on Coral

Gable's channel which has on loop discussion on the referendums in regards to when are the referendums, how many are there, what are they, how do you submit your ballot, and also showcasing our elections supervisor who will give a 30 45 second u ad explaining the forthcoming vote. vote and how to properly vote to make sure that your vote counts. These are things that I would like to do and I'd like to take a res I'd like to make a motion in an effort to make sure that this is encompassed in our targeted ad campaign to get the vote out in a processdriven manner. Madam Vice Mayor,

so I I'd like to do a friendly amendment on that to include a mail by date. Yes. Very good. And what's your alternative if you didn't get it mailed by that date, which is driving it out to the supervisor of elections? I've done that trip. So, and I mentioned these things. I'll second your motion.

I love it. And I'll mention this. Let me tell you why it's important. Because I've been voting my whole life. I didn't vote I didn't vote the first time when I ran for office. I've been voting since I was 18. This is a sacred sacred gift that is given to us in this country. to not vote is a travesty. And sometimes, especially elderly people like my grandparents, because this happened to them where when they were alive, they submitted their absentee ballot and they forgot to sign the back of it and their vote didn't count. But that to me, that to me is a travesty because I know there has to be a process, but they went out of their way. They wanted to give their godgiven right as American citizens to be able to vote and they weren't able to because you know they didn't put an address or they didn't a signature and that happens to thousands of votes here in this community. So if we can do a reminder through a process driven, you know, fact-based, process driven campaign, I think that people will appreciate it and at the end of the day, they'll be grateful that we educated them and at the end of day they're vocal and

I I think the we always hear it regardless of how much information goes out there. I didn't find out. We always hear and Martha, your team every election puts out information and make sure it's in the e-news on on loop, you know, the information is getting out there. You do the YouTube stuff. I think Supervisor Garcia has done a phenomenal job in her office to increase the information that's coming out of that office to inform residents of when ballots are going out, timets, uh early voting dates, everything that that that comes out of that office. uh she has done a phenomenal job in in improving the communication that's coming out from from elections to make sure people are aware um and and madam vice mayor I think timetable is very important we have a major issue with the return mail uh we had folks last last runoff uh who submitted their ballots to the mail a week and a half before that was me

didn't arrive until election day it took a year and I was checking online and you know, right? But my point is

the earlier we set that timetable, return it the day you get it because if you wait, there could be issues with the mail. We also have the issues and and I know the the police chief has tried to address it with the post office here on on on Pon. That mailbox gets broken into all the time. They have refused to take any action to to address it. They've refused to move the mailbox across the street. I've had residents who complained about checks that have disappeared. Ballots that disappear all the time. The ballots just don't make it in when they're dropped off at that box. So, your best bet is either take it to the elections department or put it in your mailbox or hand it to your mailman.

Okay. But how about we do this? First and foremost, I agree with everything you said. Look at the city of Miami. They're in the middle of an election right now. Their voter turnout is abysmal. With all due respect to the city of Miami, it's abysmal. It's abysmal. Who doesn't know there's an election day in the city of Miami? Okay. And they can't get people to vote. And they can't get people to vote. That's number one. Number two, in reference to the mail issue that that Commissioner Fernandez just brought up. Perfect. Through the leadership of of our of our city manager and our and our police chief that's put one of those mobile mobile cameras there in that area to ensure that there's transparency over those two or three week period. It's a mobile it's a mobile vehicle that can be installed there and it can ensure that you know if anybody even thinks about doing that during this time period of an election you know they'll be caught on camera

is there a way and actually Mr. clerk, you would probably be the best person to ask to have a dropbox for this election. I know it's usually done during early voting, but is there a way to talk to the election supervisor to see if a dropbox can be placed for people to to go to know to us go to a safe place to drop the ballot off? It has been asked and the answer is no. The only place to drop off the ballot is at their office in the Okay. All right. So, we have we are we clear on my request? My my my reszo my motion. Excuse me. My motion. I I guess you passed the the gavvel. Yes, I did. I passed the gav virtual gavvel unit. Gavl was pass. So I understand the motion

through the mayor just as possible further friendly amendment. I don't know if it's overkill but so many of our residents um speak Spanish creole in consistent with the way that the supervisor of elections would normally send out. But I want to ensure that when we send out theseformational uh educational campaign um outreaches that we ensure that it's also at a minimum bilingual. So in in reference to friendly amendments, there's been two today. There's one by the vice mayor in regards to my parks uh ordinance and now we have one here by the commissioner lot. I completely agree. I welcome friendly amendments as long as it in the best interest of the city. So I made a motion and I second and we have a second.

We have a friendly amendment. Yes, we are premen. Commissioner Castro. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez, you had a question. I was just saying if if I don't know if the manager or or communications director need any clarification or we're good. I just wanted to make sure. Okay. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner L. Well, just a quick question. Did we do we require any public comment on this since it's been amended? No. There's no public comment. Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes, Mayor Log.

Yes. Okay. Now, I want to thank you because I know you've been working hard at this with the manager and this is something that's been important to my office. Uh I can't thank you enough for really engaging on this. I know that you have a long road ahead of you. Okay? It looks simple, right? The work is done today. We finished the work. No, no, no, not for us. The work is not done. The work just starts for her. Okay? And for the manager and for the clerk. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This is not going to be easy. It's going to take a lot of work and there's going to be a lot of people calling. That's why I said the phone line is important. There's going to be a lot of people are going to be confused. There's been and I after having that conversation with the election supervisor, Miss Alina Garcia, she told me, "Look, we've done this. This has already been done before and there's been a lot of returns, negative returns in regards to people not following the proper signatures, adding the addresses. That's why I'm so intent on doing a campaign that really explains to people and I like the friendly amendment and have it both in Spanish and in Creole so people understand.

Okay. Creole as well. That's what that's what he said. What do you think? I understood bilingual at a minimum. Bilingual. Bilingual is fine. Let's go. Okay. Bilingual is fine. So I just want to thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Great work. Okay. All right. Um item F4. We'll do F4 and F5 and then we will and then we will head out to lunch before we have a one part time shirt. We'll eat quickly. Yes, sir. How you doing? Good afternoon. Doug Ramirez, acting development service director. A very very short presentation. Yes. The question is how are we doing?

Yes. on on um the suggestion that I had made that along with the citation warning, we have a pet sign in hand to educate the residents and they could put petway signs up, which I by the way I from what I can see is having a 90% success rate of reducing the pet waste in these trash psy. All right, with that being said, rock and roll. Okay, thank you.

So, the I'm going to talk a little bit about the what the code actually says. Right now, the pet waste and removal of animal feces is regulated in section 10-4. Basically, it says that it must be immediately removed and placed in a sealed container and it must be disposed of properly. Um, you're prohibited to put bagged or unbagged pet waste or used cat litter in the swailes or in the trash pits. The code is very specific about what the penalty should be. It's spelled out there uh for us. So, there's not much for us to think about in code enforcement. It tells us exactly what to do. Um, the exceptions being that the signs that you're talking about uh if if we if the owner requests one, we give it to them. They put it in their swale. If somebody else comes along and puts something in their soil trash pit, we would not site that property owner. It's not their fault that somebody else came in the neighborhood and did that, right? Um there's also an exception for disability people that have dogs. Those dogs are trained anyway not to do that there, but there is an exception. Okay. So, what have we done? We we did have a meeting with the city attorney's office for guidance on exactly what the code says and how we could approach this from a code enforcement perspective. Uh we created an SOP for the officers uh that gives detailed guidance, a little bit more detailed than what the presentation here says about how to handle things using the body cameras, what to do about uh issuance of IDs, requesting the IDs of anyone that we might observe doing this um and documenting the incidents. So, we we went into that. Um, the officers uh to answer your question, Vice Mayor, the officers have the signs in their cars now. So, if there's somebody who requests it on the spot, we can give it to them and they they can put it in in their swale so that they have it already readily accessible from

us. Um, and then we would work together with the public safety aids to educate and enforce. In most cases, they can immediately comply. If we catch them in the act, they're just going to pick it up and I'm sorry, I'm not going to do it again. We would still document what happened in case we get a repeat offender. And then the if necessary in cases where the individual refuses to provide ID, refuses to comply, then we always have police available to help us with those circumstances.

Yeah. I uh don't think you're going to find many people with ID on them out walking their dogs. Um they're usually doing the round around the block to get the morning routine done. But a friendly encounter to educate. Hello, I'm so and so. Pleasure to meet you. I want to make you aware that you know city has a code that prohibits this etc etc. that um you might be able to get the name that way but and document it but just make it a friendly encounter because once people understand the why they usually change their behavior. Thank you for for doing this.

Um did we ever have do we have any um documented encounters where we've done enforcement? We don't have any documented encounters yet. uh now that we have the SOP that there's good outlined path for if and how we have had occasions where officers have educated on the spot but it's never been documented. Okay. Well, can we have documented encounters in a few months? You you you choose the date. What month do you want to do this again? Six months just to see it's we have to catch them in the act. That's that's the issue.

No, it's not only that. warning to the homeowner. Here's a sign that way you don't get cited. That's an encounter as well. Okay. So, six six months. I'm going to hold you to it if you please. Be a summer topic. How much pet waste have we reduced in our trash pits? Thank you. You're welcome.

Uh moving on to the the last item before we go to lunch. F5. Okay. So, this is a discussion uh regarding contractors with expired permits and the requirement that all open permits be closed out before they are allowed to obtain new ones. Why am I bringing this forward? So, this is once again me writing legislation to hurt my industry. I wrote the legislation that did not allow exterior construction on Saturdays. I received phone calls from every contractor in town along with multiple different organizations saying, "Vince is terrible for business, but it's great for quality of life and it's worked out well even though it goes against my own personal interest." This is another one that goes against my own personal interest. We are the city that allows contractors to open new matters, new permitting matters without without closing out existing permits that could have been expired. Let me tell you why that's a problem. It's a problem. And I learned this from a gentleman uh who was a building official in the city of Miami named Peter Gracius who I went to see one day because I had an expired permit in the city of Miami and I had just received a pretty significant contract in a hospital and I went to pull this permit and the and the individual on the counter told me, "Sir, you cannot you cannot pull this permit. You have an expired permit." And I said, well, I went to find out the information. It was had been expired for six months. And the issue at hand was, you know, an issue in regards to inspections. We hadn't called an inspection in 6 months. We were waiting for some material to come in. So, my permit had lapsed. That's

something that can be corrected by paying a fee. What I want to stop is residents who are selling their homes and think they have a co but they have an expired permit. A contractor has moved on and there's no there is no accountability. There's no accountability in my industry here in Coral Gables where a contractor can pull another permit while having an expired permit. So what I believe it should be incumbent not on the employee like yourself should be incumbent on the contractor to clean up all their expired permits. What will that do? that will ensure accountability, that will also bring more money to the coffers because to reactivate these permits cost money. And at one point when Surami Gaba was here before she was run off from the city, one of the most capable and competent people I've ever met in my life and South Miami picked her up in a whim in two seconds when we ran her out of here. There was thousands of expired permits and that was reduced and reduced and reduced reduced to how many, Mr. manager.

Very, very few, man. Very few. Very few. We're talking about less than 100, right? Uh, yes. From like six or 7,000 expired permits, my understanding. Correct me if I'm wrong. They're about 7,000.

7,000. So, while I know the facts may not be convenient for certain people, and that's fine, but this piece of legislation will bring accountability and will bring money to the city, and it's something that I will get heat from people who support me. But at the end of day, it's the right thing to do. Every general contract should be monitoring their permits. You need to monitor your permits. You need to see where you are. How far are they from expiring? Because if you don't call an inspection, they expire. Just can't have a permit open in perpetuity. That's not the way it works. So, this is a this is about compliance and this is about protecting residents. So when you go to sell your house or your apartment or your commercial building, you don't get that unpleasant instance where you say, "Hey, by the way, I have a open permit and uh expired permit. I can't do anything about it." At that point, you got to figure it out. You got to address an issue. Our city's not going to just allow you to reactivate that permit without addressing what is the scope and breadth of that permit. So, and who knows at that point where the actual process has gone and whether you're in compliance of the new standards in regards to the building code. Things change, things evolve. So, this is why I put on the agenda. This is why I wanted you to talk about a little bit about with you in an effort to write legislation to be able to address this issue. Madam Vice Mayor,

um, to me, this is a no-brainer. And I mean, do we need a vote on this? I'd be happy to move it. I wanted to make up how how I voted it. U Madam City attorney. So I think we can bring an item back, the appropriate legislation next meeting. Okay. I'd like to hear from the director possibly through the mayor. Yes, sir.

Uh mayor, I think an item would be good, but we're going to implement that uh immediately because expired permits are and they're notorious in roofing and pools and and and additions. Uh as you mentioned, people find out when they sell their their homes and they realize that they have they have open permits and they've been expired for years. So, I think I think it's a it's a it's it's great to do this and it really is a a huge help for our residents.

I also want to commend you, Mr. Manager, uh because I think for a long time we had discussed permits and a lot of permit permit applications were left blank. Um permit entities were not putting their names. Uh addresses were missing. There was a lot of weird things happening here with permits over the last few years. And I'm happy that over the over the last few weeks, Liselle Lopez and your team have done an incredible job uh to really clamp down on that to ensure that uh you just can't, you know, submit documents without the proper information. Uh other cities, when you go to city Miami, for example, by the way, that permit, um the then building official, Mr. Hlesius, did not allow me to pull a permit. I had to took me almost two months uh to pull that permit because I had to address I had to reactivate that permit and address the situation, call the necessary inspections, close that permit out. Then I was able to open the next permit after I had reactivated that permit. Um we've also been noticing that and I'm seeing this when you look at the documents and you look at the the computers that there's a lot of permits the permit information um is very ambiguous. A lot of a lot of the fields are left blank. There's a lot of things that are happening. Addresses, uh, general contractor numbers, uh, you know, owner owner numbers, architect names are missing. Uh, those when they're inputed into the system, it should not be accepted and that has changed as of the last two weeks unless the entire information has been provided. And I understand why that was happening uh before on certain cases. But uh, again, we want to be as transparent as possible, especially when we're dealing with permits. Mr. manager, you want to touch on that one second?

Uh yes, mayor. We have we have taken care of that two weeks ago. Uh when an application is in once that application has has been accepted, it can only be changed by internally through the building department. We we we cannot have applications don't have contractors, owners, uh and so forth. Uh when you have a an application, you you um that you don't have an owner, you don't have a a a it's almost impossible to track. So, so that has been that has been corrected and uh those applications will be either voided or or corrected by by internal staff. Commissioner,

I think this is a no-brainer. Um when we bought our first house in the city when we got married, uh our closing was delayed two months because of an open permit that the the property had on the driveway. and they thought that had been closed out when when they had done the driveway, but the driveway uh company never requested the final inspection. And it took a few months because they had to come back with the with the drawings. They had to come back and make sure that what was had been done, I think it had been 10 years. Uh it had it was done the way it was supposed to have been done. So, uh I think this will be save a lot of heartache for our residents um and and address an issue that continues to grow.

Okay. So, I'll be presenting this legislation. Um, I'll be working with the director and the manager uh on this front to to present legislation at the next commission meeting. But again, I I would like for the manager to adopt this principle now. Uh, I know we're going to codify it in the January, but I don't want to waste any time. Uh, Mr. Manager, to the mayor, we we've already adopted it, but I think it would be good to have legislation so that it it stays it stays permanently. Okay. And not subject to to to any interpretation in the future.

Mr. Mr. director, as I always tell you, thank you. Uh you I constantly send you employ uh residents and business owners. You never say no. Uh you're always helping out. I'm grateful for that. Thank you for your hard work as always. You're a gentleman and your staff is doing an amazing job. Um we're going to take a break for the next 20 minutes till 1:15. I know we have a 1:00 time certain. We're just going to get a quick bite to eat and then I'll see you here at 1:15 so we can commence with the one one o'clock time cert. Thank you very much.

Sir, Mr. Mr. Clerk, how we doing? Recording in progress. Thank go.

Mr. Clerk ready.

We are ready sir. He would have found a laser.

It is recorded. All right, Mr. Clerk, we have a time certain item for 1 pm. Agenda item E1. I apologize for being 20 minutes late. Uh, but thank you for allowing us the flexibility to just have a quick bite. Madam City Attorney,

mayor, this is a continuation of the item that was first heard at the October 28th meeting. Um, I'll just read the title again, but um, it's uh, the commission decided to continue it for further deliberation. So, it's an appeal to the Coral Gable City Commission from the decision of the Historic Preservation Board on September 18, 2025 to deny a claim of undue economic hardship and a certificate of appropriateness for demolition for the property located at 1258 Obby Avenue, a contributing resource in the Obby Avenue Historic District, legally described as lots one and two, block 3, Coral Gable, Section E, according to the plat thereof as reported in platbook 8 at page 13 of the public records of Miami Day County, Florida. Sir, welcome back.

Thank you very much. Uh Caesar Mestre, office is at 8105 Northwest 155th Street, Miami Lakes, Florida, representing the applicant. Um I'm here because I'm the attorney of record. Sorry, mayor. Uh as a reminder, we need to have everyone who will be testifying today to be sworn in by the clerk since this is quasi judicial. Mr. Clerk, those who will be appearing on this item, please stand and raise your right hand. Do you swear affirm testimony you'll provide today will be the truth and nothing but truth? I do. Thank you. As I was saying, I am the attorney of record and uh I have a responsibility to be here, but the entire presentation will be uh done by the applicant himself.

So, I just want to uh let you guys know who again who my wife and I are. We've been residents here of this beautiful city for about 20 years now. Um I want to say we're contributing positive contributors to to the things that go on in the city. Um this is a very uncomfortable um this is like fighting with a family member, you know. Um it's an uncomfortable situation, but sometimes it it has to be done. Um so I think that my attorney provided you guys with a simple presentation, right? The PowerPoint you have it on you. Um you know what? I don't even want to do the presentation. I'm gonna I want to I want to clean up some dirty laundry from the previous meeting. And this is going to be a very simple fivem minute presentation. Um and if you have any technical questions, I'll be happy to have my attorney answer them. I'd like to share some um things with you guys if I may. Let me find the right one.

Can I provide each one of you a copy of this real quick? Of course. is just a question. Is this information that was part of the record um below at the historic preservation board? Yes, this is just email communication. I don't have an issue with it. If it's email communication with the city, it's already a public record.

Thank you. I think by now we all know the property 1258 Eastville. It's the same lunchbox box that's there. It hasn't changed. Um, but I want to clear some things up. In the last meeting, staff mentioned that I was misrepresenting the sale of the property as a 5,000 square foot home with approved set of plants. Um, I printed out my Zillow listing and if you see on there, I highlighted it for you. That is not the case. We offered a preliminary plans to expand a historic gem. No point in time were we stating that the property was already with approved plans. Okay. Staff said that we didn't provide them with appraisals. If you will notice there, we provided two rounds of appraisals. one in 2023, two appraisals in 2023, and two appraisals in 2024. That's a total of four appraisals.

Four appraisals have been provided to to staff. Okay. Now, you may ask why. Oh, by the way, we've provided four rounds of mailing lists for the staff as well. The mailing list that goes out to let everybody know that this meeting is being held. Four four times we've provided uh the list to staff. Now you may ask why why have you had to do this four times and why have you had to provide um appraisals two times? Well, guess what? This is reason. So the communication with staff has been uh to say that it's been poor is is maybe a severe understatement. On if you notice the first email the first keep in mind that the first set of appraisals were sent in in 2023. In July of 2024, we got an email basically stating, "Good afternoon all. Thank you for the follow-up." I was able to track down the application. Unfortunately, it was in limbo assigned to Warren Adams who left the city over a year ago. So, my first round of appraisals that I submitted to the city sat there recalling asking what's going on. A whole year, nothing. After that, sent an email on August 20th. um to staff submitted all the documents again, everything that they wanted. The only thing that they were asking for was the appraisals for the two years prior to purchase. Guys, I don't know. But to me, it's absurd. I can't I can't force the guy that sold me the house to give me his his appraisals, even if he had them for the two years prior to us purchasing the property. But I did provide him with my appraisals. Okay, this was August 20th. I don't get a response till September 25th regarding that and and talking about apologies for confusions and so on and so forth. There's a lot of emails like

this, but I just narrowed it down to to simplify it. Then again on on the following page on December 6, Stephanie sends an email to Anna letting Anna know that the property is not an incomeroucing property that we're able to continue moving forward with the filing. We send an email, hey, what's next, guys? Can we get going? We get an email from staff on January. get an email from staff on January 29th um confused that I was under the impression we weren't pursuing that the office has not received the main sorry after all the conversation I was under the impressions we were pursuing the sale of the property I wasn't selling the property we're just trying to confirm that it wasn't an incomeroucing property so that we can continue with the filing let's continue the next sent an email in March again. New appraisals, new new labels, new everything in March. Okay, March, we go silence. Only in August when when staff finds out that I have a hearing with historic, do I get an email. Wait, wait, wait. No, no, no, no. Hold on a second. We're not ready yet. I still haven't done this and I still don't have the reviewer for the for the appraisals and all the documentation that you've had for since 2023, but now you you haven't had time to review. Okay. The bottom line is is that this this has been a disaster from day one. If you go to the next page, we're trying to get things done. We send a text message just that. Hey, you can barely see the top one because you there's a picture of my beautiful wife and I there, but um it

basically says, "We've been trying to email you. We've been trying to we've been trying to call you. We've been trying to get a hold of you. Can you please, you know, give us something?" And they say, "Please keep all correspondents on email." Well, we've been doing that and that didn't work. So, now let's just go to the nitty-gritty of this real quick. I hope I was able to clean up my my dirty laundry. Let's go to the nitty-gritty. This is very simple, guys. This is an engineering report. The next page is the engineering report. This is the engineer that I selected. I don't know this guy. Just somebody that that I was referred to. This is the engineering report that he gave. It lists here all the problems with the house. The structural, the trusses, the floor joist, the the the roofing, the the windows. I mean, it it it lists every single problem. Okay? Notice that I'm not even going to present you with an estimate for electrical or plumbing or paint or drywall because the truth is that all of those estimates I I probably would have had to do anyways no matter what. But this one, this next this estimate right here of all these structural repairs and $175,000, that one I was not expecting. Okay. All four appraisals that I provided to the city show that 98% of the value of the of the property is on the land. It's not on the structure. The structure is listed at about 20,000 15 to $20,000 in total. So I don't I don't know how I cannot when they're saying that I haven't met hardship. It's it's I forget all the other estimates. I don't care about the paint. I don't care about the drywall. I don't care about anything. Just this one. This was $175,000 to fix a structure that's worth $20,000. And then to top it off, you go to the last page. Everybody's crying here about a property that your own independent surveyor when they were doing the the the survey of the area said this building lacks sufficient architectural merit and

historical import for individual local designation. So with that being said, that is literally my presentation. I I This is nothing complicated. This should have this I don't even think we should have been here a second round. I'm hoping that today is the last time and you guys vote in our favor. And I'm going to be honest with you, the ethical thing to do here right now is is for both of you guys to say sitting there and not even get up. Not even get up, not even say one word because honestly what what what staff has put us through is unethical and improfessional. I love you guys because we work together, but on this one it's been bad. And I think that the best thing to do is honestly is let them decide with the facts that I've provided and and and call it a day. I think I've met every single um requirement that they've asked us for and also in the emails when they say that I didn't meet the only thing that they kept asking for were the um in the email nothing to do it was the appraisals. We gave them that. So we gave them everything that they wanted. That's the end of my presentation guys.

Okay. Thank you. Um maybe we should hear from stop. Mr. Manager be presenting in front of staff. Anybody coming forward? Yes.

Good afternoon again. Stephanie Throck, deputy city attorney. I'll just reiterate um the board's previous position that they found that there was no claim of undue economic hardship and they voted to deny the issuance of the special certificate of appropriateness. Um, as you all know, the appeal before you today is to make sure that the essential requirements of law were followed, due process was followed, and that there was substantial competent evidence for that decision. As council to the board, I uh I represent that I believe that those requirements were met. If you have any specific questions, I'm happy to turn it over to Anna Peress, the historical resources and cultural arts director.

If I may, um, I'm going to be very brief. My my position has only been further solidified in regards to and I've been very clear on my position. I'm not waiting. This has only strengthened my position. Besides all the data, all the information, the appraisals, the email, this is what strengthen my position. This building is not the story. We have to be thoughtful and methodical. I go back to the simple statement that I've made for years. The litmus test, the lynch pin is simple. Lasal Cleaners. Lasal Cleaners was a site where, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't have the background. Many of you may have in regards to preservation, even though I think I know a little bit about the city. That was where George Merrick dreamed about the future of this city and worked on this city. Those were his offices. Correct. That's how Cleveland the site was back.

I'm not sure, mayor, but I I I believe uh historical directors here. Yes. Emma, come on up. Come on up. I want to put on the record. I want to put on the record. What was the purpose of the south leaders before it was LA? I don't have the history on that case, unfortunately, in front of me. So, it's not one that I was familiar with. I remember when it came before. I know when it came before you came and I voted to preserve it when the historic preservation board at the time,

voted under Donna Spain, so I love her to death. She's amazing. Again, thank you again for donating the w the the champagne this weekend for the Arbazo that she always generously does. Said to knock this building down because it had been altered to a level that again took away the historic significance away from it. To me, a building of that with that history should have been preserved. And this is what my argument goes back to. You're telling me that a building was just not historic. We're this is clear as day is insufficient for even consideration for historic designation. But we're going to penalize a resident in this community because we've seen what happens when we're overreaching. We've seen what happens what in trees in regards to preeemption. We've seen what happened with historic homes, which by the way, I think was a travesty. What happened to that home in Gables Estates? Fact that that property was torn down. that is a worldrenowned architect, a historic home was torn down as a result of preeemption at the state level. And we're fighting over a property that in my opinion doesn't even is not even in the same hemisphere, not even the same planet, you know, solar system as a property of that magnitude or the property that again was also torn down on the June, which was Merrick's offices. So, to make a long story short, my my my position remains the same. You know, I think these are long-standing residents here. Um, I think that I think that we we need to focus in on preserving historic gems. Case in point, you bring before me the paint studio for sale, I bring it to the city to get purchased. You bring me the Whiteway lights, we take money from art and public places, and we spent $2.5 million on the Whiteway lights. Look how

beautiful they came out. We bring the waterway. I know the vice mayor, myself and the manager have been out there countless times. We're going to preserve the the the water power. You bring the bill more. Few years ago, we spend millions of dollars a year out of that would have gone through our coffers. We gave it to the bill more to spend that money in the billboard. These are gems. These are jewels. These are reasons that are worthy that we that we save. This in my opinion is overreaching and I think is is sets a dangerous precedent that could eventually hurt us. Madam vice may

so in the time period that we've had to study the transcript more and study the record more um I've also had thoughtful you know introspective thoughts on you know other historic properties that we have such as 1021 Hardy a historic gem which the historic preservation board allowed significant demolition of the interior and the exterior walls are still standing. The amount of investment that you need to put into a building sometimes will be what is its value? What what does it contribute to our city? It's really what I'm trying to say. One on Hardy is a gem because of who the architect was, where it sits, the contribution that it makes to our city and the architecture and the history. I've also driven around around this block on Abyispo and there's some beautiful architecturally significant buildings on that block, but this is not one of them. So the degree of investment that is warranted into a building many times it has to be balanced with the value of the building itself and how it contributes to our architectural history. I also looked at the appraisal report that was done by the property appraiser. Something that I've used as a conservative estimate many times not only for this building for but for the buildings buildings not the land the buildings on adjacent properties of similar size. And there's an astounding difference between them. 21,000 versus 300,000 versus 400 for the structure,

not the land. The land is the land. The land is is inevitably going to go up and down based upon how much space that we have to live it. And then you have this estimate just for the structure. This doesn't mean you're going to preserve this building. It is seven times the value of the existing structure. if anything points to the fact that you have a nonhistoric building. I know that some people will say it's historic because it's in a block that and it contributes, but I fail to see where in the record it is clearly distinguished that this feature and that feature on this building makes it a contributing structure. It's because it's in the block itself. I've also been in newly constructed homes that I would have never ever known were newly constructed. I would have I thought they were built in the 1920s. They were drop deadad gorgeous. The quality of the architecture, the the finishes inside on on the plaster, I would have never known that they were. I could envision a contributing structure on this site that's brand new and you would not know that it didn't fit within the block because it doesn't have the conflicting quite frankly architecture that exists on this home versus the magnificent architecture and flavor and character that you have in the remainder of the block. And I looked at you know the criteria pen central you know they talk about different factors on architect of the no notoriety of the architect architectural features shared with other historic properties. Um

this looks like a 1940s structure that could have been placed anywhere in Miami date county. You would have not known it belonged to Coral Gables. So the fact that it does not qualify for historic preservation standing on its own is a big factor and how much one should be required to invest into it to preserve it. Um and I don't see how preserving it contributes to the significant historical, cultural, architectural or aesthetic value of the block. Um you know I don't think that the proposed building that you you had meets that criteria either. I think that something can be done tastefully done that will, but that's up to our um board of architects in the future, but I don't I don't find that the criteria satisfy the substantial competent evidence necessary to deny this application. And when you're requiring appraisal after appraisal after appraisal, when you're really only getting the value of the land changing and the value of the building continues to deteriorate and go down because it's not significant. It's not special. It's a box. It's really what it is. So, I'm in favor of not affirming this

to the mayor. Yes. Um I think I'm going to make this a lot easier. Um I I don't think there's going to be support here, but we'll see right now. I'm going to go ahead and move to affirm the decision of the historic preservation board. I'll second. Would you like to make some comments before we vote? Anything else? Well, I had comments. Yeah, I she wants to make a statement. She doesn't want anybody else comments.

Okay. So, I appreciate uh Mr. Fabula, your presentation besides being passionate, um I think it was competent. I believe that um without rehashing all the things that you said and what was said at the last commission meeting on this issue, my review of the record below does not in my view support uh uh affirming the decision from below. So I believe that the correct thing to do under the circumstances given these uh circumstances that we find ourselves in a resident who has been uh so diligent in trying to get this property and and your wife's property of course uh in a position to um do the the the reasonable and the common sense thing to to tear it down without any competent record evidence below to support what I believe was the wrong decision. So my view and my vote will be to reverse

commissioner.

So I think he made a very compelling case. Um and this decision has I think troubled the entire commission last time and and and I think today. Um for me I base my decision on whether the historic preservation board did what they were supposed to do. Uh and I believe they did. Um, I understand there are things that we could do to improve and we had that conversation last meeting about improving the process to make sure somebody doesn't go through what you're going through. Um, but I do believe the designation exists whether it was a designation specific to the property or whether it was a district. Uh, I believe the designation uh exists and it should stand. I think you have the support to um move on with with with your process. Um, I appreciate the fact that you have dedicated yourself to proving to us that um, you are correct and you've presented very compelling evidence. I have to base it on whether I think the prior board, which I think is what we're supposed to do, made their decision. Others disagree with it. I believe they did what they had to do. Um, nothing against you. I think you you followed what you needed to follow to get here. Um, and I think it's something that the as a city we need to review to make sure that somebody doesn't go through what you have gone through. Uh, there should not be emails that go unanswered. There should not be things going to the wrong uh staff person who hasn't been here for years. Um, and you know, I apologize on behalf of the city that you have fallen through the cracks. Uh, and that here you are years later still trying to get a resolution to this issue. Um, and I think that that's something that we need to make a commitment to moving forward, ensuring that we improve the system to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

Mr. Clerk, do we have any public comment? Mr. Mayor, I don't have a public comment. However, I did receive an email from Miss Joanne Maher. She said she was not going to be able to be here and she requested that it be read into the record.

Okay, perfect. Please close the public comment. It says, "Perhaps the Oispo home doesn't have the same panache as one of Merrick's 1920s homes of distinction. However, as less data for most recent book illustrates, Coral Gable's history didn't stop with George Merrick. The preservation board followed the guidelines in determining that this house is a contributing structure within the historic district. As such, it is afforded the same protection as if it had been individually designated. At a previous commission meeting, the mayor stated that it did not have the protection that protection. He was mistaken. The record should have been set straight at that time by HRCA the director Anna Bernes who was present at the meeting. If contributing structures are not protected in a historic district, why have these districts at all? Please follow your own city codes and affirm the decision of the historic preservation board. Mus, will you please stand?

Your name was used in an email. Would you like to respond? Um, I appreciate that. Thank you.

Um, Anna Peris, preservation officer, historic resources and cultural arts director. Um, the point that I think Miss Mara was trying to make is that any contributing building within a historic district is considered a historically designated building um within the when it's designated contributing. We have different um opportunities and techniques of designating properties within the city. We do historic districts, individual designations, multiple property designations or the thematic designations. So we have like the the coral cottages that that is a thematic designation of multiple properties. We have the historic districts that are just as recognized as an individually designated property and within those studies of historic districts, you have two categories of contributing and non-contributing. This structure was considered a contributing building. So, it follows under our purview and it has the same protections and um importance as any other historically designated property.

Thank you. Uh in response to Miss Maher, um I'm the one that asked her to be here for the Merrick Minute, I'm actually rather disappointed that she would say that I was incorrect. I was correct. This building is not historic. Not a historically designated building. It may be contributing structure, but that doesn't mean it's historic. You can say what you want to say. Is it historic? Yes or no? Is it designated a historic building? Yes or no? It is. How? It's designated within the historic district. So the historic district has been adopted by the city on the national on the Coral Gables register of historic. So every single property in that entire neighborhood is now contributing possibly.

No. So the that's when the studies are done that you have the two the two um categories of contributing and non-contributing. So the non-contributing structures, they're we're they're within the districts and you're able to make more changes to them. There's more flexibility to them. Demolition of those structures is considered and properties have come to the historic preservation board and we approve those demolitions. But when we're going before a building that's contributing, we consider it as one of our historic properties and we move it through the process as it this one did. So let me ask you a question. When you go to a contributing property like this one, does it have the little sign that says historic property on it? That's I'm asking. Yes. I wanted It can. But does this

this one specifically? No. Okay. But do all contributing properties have that little that little plaque that says historic property. Does it have that yes or no? If the property owner comes to pick it up, they do. They can. We have them available in our office if they want one. But but this is a contributing property. And so you say that now all contributing properties are historic. They are.

I completely and utterly disagree. Utterly disagree. And I think it's so overreaching that it's going to get us into trouble like what happened with a beautiful home in Gables Estates that was torn down. Uh there has to be limits. There has to be limits. And when you talk to residents and when you get emails from residents who watch this on TV, they say it's so far overreaching that it scares them about the potential future of, for example, ranchstyle homes. Where do we go from here? What's the next thing? Um what do we start looking at homes that over 50 years old that could be contributing that could be contributing that are um interpreted as possibly being historic while they're not designated. So I think there has to be limits. Uh again, and I'm a big fan of historic preservation. My record speaks for it, but I think this is far overreaching. And I do wholeheartly disagree with you and Joan Mayor um in regards to the fact that um you know, this property is is historic. You may say it's historic because it's contributing. Um I think contributing is a term that's used by your department to be a little overreaching in my in my opinion. And I think at the end of the day, it it hurts historically designated properties because people look at this scenario and they get freaked out about any property that is not deemed historic, that hasn't received that emblem, that doesn't have that plaque on their door. Well, should I buy this property? Should I not? Should I not move into Coral Gables? What did they what did they deem my property historic? You know, and that's where I what I what I see is a little too

And we're working on that transparency right now. We had Jennifer work um with us this last past year to add us to the GIS map as a layer so property owners can go search their address and it'll say if you need to come to us or not if it's contributing if it's in a district if it's individually designated so we want to make sure that people are aware at that first level of research rather than having to go through x amount of people to find out you know who is my property going to be considered historic and how it will affect my you know potential.

Okay. So, I I failed to point out in my first um round of comments the slippery slope that we're on, the thin ice. It is the desire of the Florida legislature to make sure that we provide housing and this concept of having contributing properties, especially something as such as this one because this one specifically was used as an example of what our city is doing wrong, okay? Is going to result in a much more tragic loss in a way of historic preservation for our city. So, I caution you. I caution every single person out there that thinks that merely because you have a structure that's worth $21,000 according to the property appraiser that it should be preserved to the to the tune of well over seven times the value of that that structure just to bring the original structure up to grade so it's not dangerous. Not even the rest of the restoration is going to tip that scale. In a statement I heard earlier that the designation exists and should stand smacks of a taking. If that is going to be the criteria upon which we determine whether something can you know a demolition permit should be made for something that's a contributing structure especially something as as on thin ice such as this one. It's a taking it's a balancing test that we have to do not a de facto. It's historic and it's always going to be historic because it was contributing. Someone found that it was contributing structure.

But when you drive by the by the block, the average individual says, "Where are the the architectural features that this building highlights from that block?"

There's none. It's a taking. It's a balancing test. It is not a de facto bright line once historically designated as a contributing structure that we cannot go through the pen central test and determine at what point it becomes so expensive to preserve something that is not an original f structure is not a 1920 some odd structure that substantially adds to the architectural quality. At what point do we run the risk of losing it all? And we can and will lose it all if we continue down this road.

Thank you very much. Um, Mr. Craig, we have a motion and a second. Yes, Mr. Mayor. Commissioner Fernandez, Commissioner Lada, no. Vice Mayor Anderson, no. Commissioner Castro, yes. Mayor Lago, no. I make a motion to overturn of the historic preservations determination. I'll second. Commissioner Lada, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Commissioner Castro, no. Commissioner Fernandez, no. Mayor Lago,

yes. Thank you very much. Moving on to the next item on the agenda. Uh, item E5, time certain. E5 is an orance of the city commission amending the future land use map of the city of Cro Gable's comprehensive plan pursuant to zoning code article 14 process section 14-213 comprehensive plan text and map amendments and small scale amendment procedures from commercial low-rise intensity and single family low density to multif family low density for the western 36 ft of lots 1 and 13 through 17 and from single family low density to commercial low-rise intensity for the remaining eastern portion of lots 1 and 15 through 17 and all of lots 2 through 4 block 18 Coral Gables Flagler Street section Coral Gables, Florida, providing for repeal provision, severability clause, and providing for an effective date. Um, this is I'll read all the related items, mayor. That's um E5, E6, E7, and E13. I would ask that we consolidate them for purposes of the public hearing. So going on to E6, it's an orance of the city commission making zoning district boundary changes pursuant to zoning code article 14 process section 14-212 zoning code text and map amendments from mixeduse 1 and single family residential to multif family 3 for the western 36 ft of lots one and 13 through 17 and from single family residential to mixuse one for the remaining eastern portion of lots one and 15 through 17 and all of lots 2 through 4 block 18 coral gables flagger street section Coral Gables Florida providing for repeal provision severability clause and providing for an effective Eight E7 is an ordinance to the city commission granting approval of a planned area development pursuant to zoning code article 14 process section 14-206 general procedures for planned area development for a mixeduse project referred to as 760 ponds on properties legally described as block 18 Coral Gables Flagler Street section Coral Gables Florida including required conditions providing for repeal provision severability clause and providing for an effective date and then we have E 13 which is a resolution of the city commission granting approval of the following conditional uses Special location site plan review pursuant to zoning code article 5 architecture section 5-201 Coral Gable's Mediterranean style design standards for

properties adjacent to or across public rights of waterways from an SFR district or MF1 district to allow Mediterranean architectural bonuses and conditional use approval pursuant to article 14 process section 14-203 conditional uses for a proposed mixeduse project referred to a 760 ponds on properties legally described as block 18 Coral Gable's Flagler Street section coral Gables, Florida, including required conditions, providing for repeal provision, severability clause, and providing for an effective date. This is a quasi judicial hearing, so I would ask that the city clerk please swear in anyone who will be testifying today.

Mr. Clerk, we need to swear in everyone who will be testifying today. Please, you swear or affirm that the testimony you'll provide today will be the truth and nothing but the truth. Thank you.

Mr. Clerk, uh, can you give us access on uh, Zoom under Var sir? Well, we put up the plan for you. Um, good afternoon. I think now, uh, good afternoon, George Navaro with offices at 333 Southeast Second Avenue. Um, this commission directed us to uh meet with area residents in order to conform uh to confirm um and get and and agree upon the scope of the off-site improvements that we're making in connection with this project which includes uh traffic calming and street beautifification on the adjacent streets. So, uh, just to give the commission an update, we met, uh, with the residents and city staff, uh, last Friday. Uh, we walk through the plans. Uh we've agreed on the Hello. Hello. Okay. So, we met with the neighbors and the audio off.

Let the pro in testing. Okay, perfect. So, we met with the neighbors last Friday and staff. Uh we've agreed on the scope of improvements. Those um scope of the improvements are called out for in your staff recommendation report as conditions of approval. They've been updated. Uh what we'd like to do is just take a few minutes to provide the commission with an update. I'm going to um introduce Robert Behar so he could walk you through the scope of what has been agreed upon and what we have committed to provide. And also I'd like to highlight that we understand the city is going to be in the process of also uh making some substantial corridor improvements upon ponds and we're committed to as part of our project work with the city to make sure u that those improvements align with what the city has in place and so they could be implemented uh in a similar fashion. So with that I'll introduce uh Robert Behart to walk you through uh the scope of the off-site improvements.

Thank you George. For the record, Robert Behar beh partner 4533 Pon. Mr. Mayor, vice mayor, commissioner. Thank you again. And hopefully hopefully we're going to show to you that we uh met with the neighbors. We met with them on on Friday, as a matter of fact, and we got a couple of them here, which I welcome them to come and and and give their support. But what we what we've done is in meeting with them and listening to them, what we have done in with staff and I commend staff because they were very good in making this whole process come together. We have incorporated a couple of the uh um uh crosswalks on ponds where we're going to put there's going to be a a trolley station and then further down I didn't do that. I'm afraid to touch this. And we put another walkway in front of the uh the playground uh that is on pawns there. Um in addition to that, we have incorporated additional bumpouts on um Oraila uh the one on on Bobadia. We are coordinating with the uh residents to exactly locate him. There will be a speed table there that we have agreed to do. In addition to that, we are going to do the the three-way stops on uh on um Bobadia and Aila on Cello and A and Bada. And I think that that's all the comment in oh at the the median on Pon. We're going to work with the city to add additional the the the landscaping. Obviously, that's uh that's something that we need to deal with Miami Day County, but we intend to do that together jointly with the city to be able to achieve what the residents really want. Um like George mentioned, we will work with with the city in order to get that landscape being once it's designed because at this point there's nothing there where we will come back, you know, at at at some point to do that

together. Um that's basically it. And uh again, you know, uh we met with with the residents and uh on on Friday morning and we incorporated the comments that they they gave us and suggestives for us to do. So that's it for for the changes that we did. Thank you. Thank you very much,

Madam Director. Please zoning director. Um so yes, we we did with staff and the residents um on Friday. Um, and on page two of your of your memo, you list the bullet points of what was changed in the commission of approval. Um, in addition to that, actually, um, the commission requested that we take a second look at missing sidewalks in the area. We did an examination of that area. There wasn't any missing sidewalks to connect to, um, or or to fulfill. Um, traffic calming, we are um, recommending that they do install the proposed um, speed cushion on Bobadia. And then um I think the commission also mentioned u missing trees in the in the median. They will be uh coordinating with the CIP project for uh P Leon. And like I said those bullet points as far as speed cushions, bumpouts, um locations of crosswalks are all listed there on page two of your memo. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Mr. Kirk, do you have any uh public comment? Yes, Mr. Mayor.

First speaker, Mr. Mary Cruz. Mrs. Maria Cruz, 1447 Miller Road. Just a very simple comment. Remember the date. Remember what will happen here today. What happened last time? Helicopters will be needed to go in and out of their homes because just delivering inside the trucks will not be able to get inside before they go by their homes. This is a big mistake. They agreed to it. Please remember what I told you.

Vicky Vouso, can you hear me? Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. This My name is Vicki Buso. I live nearby. I live at 117 Boabadillaa. Um we had like as I told you on the last meeting, we had several meetings with them and we came to finally to an agreement. Nobody's happy about it, but we did come to an agreement. Um I do have some issues that I'm worried about. The number one issue that I'm worried about is the street improvements that they only go up a block. They don't reach all of Boadilla. Um and I know that the city was planning other stuff. Um, and I I leave that to the city to figure out, but I know that it's it's coming. Um, but that's one of the things, one of the issues that I'm worried about. The other issue that I'm worried about is the parking. Um, right now the building is used as a parking lot for the building across the street. So, one of the issues that I'm worried about again is when they start the construction, everybody's going to be parking in our neighborhood. Um, so those are the two issues that I have. I know that we're doing um or the city's doing a comprehensive um improvement of the entire area, you know, in the future. So, we just want to be kept up to date on that and what's going on with that. And that's it. Thank you very much.

Just to answer your two points. One, we're doing that comprehensive and I promise you there's already you've seen there's been action taken this year on the budget. You are your neighborhood is a priority. We will not leave your prior your neighborhood a mishmash of completed and uncompleted aspirational projects. it will get accomplished. The manager understands that my office and I know that um the vice mayor has talked about it and so has Commissioner Lada. Um I I'm in favor of dedicating serious resources to making sure that this area looks beautiful and it's acceptable right now. It is not acceptable. We've been very clear on that.

It is not acceptable. And number two, in regards to the issue of of um code enforcement, parking enforcement, I give you my word that again, if if once this construction project does commence, uh they will have to adhere uh to the to the code. If they do not adhere to the code, they will pay the consequences of that financially. Mr. Manager, uh we will spend whatever resources necessary to ensure that they there's compliance.

Yes, Mayor, we've already started on on pawns phase four with with a traffic study submitted to the uh county. Once that is underway, we will select a a a consultant. Uh this project still has to do has to go through permitting and uh and uh CDs and construction documents and then construction. So we will coordinate the work on pawns with with the work with seven with this this particular project. Okay. If I if I just want to add a few things. Um if I may, if I may, would you mind standing up once again? I just want to put something on the record here because I want to be very clear. Okay. I can't remember how many times I've been on on in your neighborhood already in the last year.

Many times. Okay. Talk about a line of issues. I've met with all the residents. We haven't always agreed. No. Can you tell me as the person who spoke today on behalf of the residents who are here, there's four residents here that I see from the neighborhood. Can you tell me where does the community stand right now in regards to this project after much in in um negotiations over the last few years? Where the community stands, I think we're happy with the building. I mean um the the a good negotiation is with two sides are not happy with both sides are unhappy and I think we came to an agreement.

Um we came to an agreement. There were issues. We worked them out. Um there's still some issues remaining such as the traffic etc. but I think we're on the way to you know, to fix that.

And the reason why I bring that up is because it's important to understand for the record, especially for the blogs, um, the residents are in favor of this deal. Okay. What you heard before from Miss Maria Cruz is that she doesn't live in the neighborhood. She lives in my neighborhood. That's just antagonistic fodder in an effort to continue to antagonize. The people who have a vested interest in this are the individuals who are here today who I've met with them in my office countless times. I've met with them in their neighborhood. You have to understand and I want to be very clear because there's a lot of conversation on this dis about live local. Okay. Across the street, directly across the street, Shoma Homes is proposing a live local project. I don't want to say that I'm incorrect. Where's our zoning director? She's got to be here. Madam Zing director, please please come. You have looked at that project, the one that's being proposed

at the DRC level. Yeah. Yes. How tall is that project? Would you say I think it was 170 something? Okay. In a few months. So using the live local legislation, they're going to build 170 plus height building which they can today because it is highrise. I understand. But it's also the qualifications that they can do there in regards to AMI and you know all all the the the workforce housing and a lot of other things that they get benefits of through live local that they wouldn't get benefits when they dealt with especially more density more units

more units which is something that I said before and I was they fought me on that they fought me on that I'm happy it came from your mouth and not mine more density so this is what's called a negotiation thank you madam director we're in a situation where we are we no long we no longer have the decision the final decision comes from the commission we have to negotiate if we don't negotiate is depending on the location the RTZ or the live local you have possibly the first live local project in Coral Gables across the street from us what is the height on this building if I Is it

61 ft? What does the code allow? Two days. Yes. What does the code zone MX1? Yeah. It's uh 77 ft. So we're 61 ft. Correct. Yes. Okay. So this is what we're arguing about.

Okay. So the code allows 77 feet. So if you look across the street and you build live local 170 ft. Do I want to live local situation like at our hands here in this site under no circumstances and I'll let the manager take over? But why would I put that on the record even though I know it's not going to make it to the blocks? But at the end of the day, the truth is in front of us and we have to deal with it. We can't deal with it politically. We have to deal with it realistically. And when you meet with the residents 50 times like I've met with you and we sit down and we negotiate with the architects and the developers to get to a situation where everybody's not happy but we avoid a live local scenario. I think it's a win for everybody.

I agree. Okay. I want I don't I don't I just because I know that you know the agenda the political agenda for for next elections is you know I don't vote in favor of of anything that goes against the code. Nothing is coming before us that is the code. Everything has, you know, bonuses, setback requests, height requests, a litany of different things. Mr. Manager, uh, yes, Mayor, just to be clear, the live local there would be 190.5. Yeah. Unlimited density and reduced parking. I want to make sure F 5.0.

I want to make sure because as you know, people giggle in the back in the in the back in the back of of the grand stance. You know, these are the facts. the facts. You can lie using the gazette and political portadito and all that stuff and you can push an agenda which shames the commission but the facts are we want to do a good product and avoid that. Okay, which will never make it to the blocks. So this is why I want to make sure that the residents stand up and say listen it's not 100% in line with the code. It's not exactly what the code says, but we got to get we got to get to a negotiation point.

Everyone compromised. Everyone compromised. And I just want to say and I I have to say this, we were kicked out of the when we were negotiating, we were negotiating so loud, we were kicked out of the library. Absolutely correct. We were we were going back and forth so loud that we were kicked out and and that has happened to me many years. A couple of minutes ago I was a couple of minutes ago you were looking at me and I was laughing because I was laughing at seeing all of you interacting in such a jovial way because I was in some of those meetings and I know

I know I know how we got to this point and I know how much sweat equity came in from all sides. I mean, Evelyn, Vicki, uh, the whole crew was out there knocking on doors, making sure everybody was on board, making sure that all the concerns the residents had were brought to the table. And you guys, how many times did you redesign and and move things and and and shift things? And you know, I even asked you, can you show them what is as of right for this for this property so that they can visualize what as of right you could have just built at 77 ft and how much better the options that were on the table were.

And you're absolutely right and and she has one of my exhibit that is the live local which I autographed for her. So keep that that could be valuable in the future. But no th this was a compromise and listen honestly it has been long threeyear process but it's been a great working with them because we have come to a point where through the compromise we have come something that we everybody feels good about.

So let me ask you a question if I may. We got consensus Mr. Manager I want to understand they were talking about street improvements ending at a certain point. When do we see that we're going to commence the street improvement so that we can finish this off? I want to we already got that. We already got the the the the the book end on 37th Avenue, which is the park, which is going to be the entrance feature. I want to understand when this is done.

Mayor, we we're now, as you know, working on phase three of of of Pon. Phase four of Pon will be from 8 Street to Flaggler. We've already finished the uh the traffic study. It's been submitted to Day County. We will be selecting a consultant to start doing uh the uh the actual design of Pon Leon and we'll be working with the 760 design team and make sure that we incorporate everything every uh we incorporate the project with uh with with our design. We're looking at at uh parking uh traffic medians everything as far as as Ponel and and Pon 4 that that will complete the Pon. Can I Can I see? Can I see? You want to talk? You want to talk? Go ahead. Look, put your your You can fill it out after, but but I want to I want to mention something. Maggie, come here. Come come come come fill it out after. Just get say your name. Say your name.

49 campina for Thank you for allowing us for allowing us to speak. Um I think what Mrs. is talking about is right now the um what the what our the developer is going to do is just one block. So she would like to see as would the rest of the residence. It's going to look odd to have just one block of Badya with the beautiful bumpouts and not the rest of Badia.

So what I was going to do was what I was trying to get at next was I was going to bring up the photo and I was going to ask Mr. George Navaro, who's a gentleman and who I've negotiated with him before on the dis to help me out a little bit with some improvements. And I know that our city attorney cringes when I do this, just like I did it with the park across from Merrick Park, but I think it's a good idea to to partner up after so many years with these residents and help us out with a little bit more of the street improvements. Talk to me, Mr. George. That's a nice soup, by the way. I just want to compliment you before I ask you for something. Before before we ask before I ask you, I just want to say it's a nice soup. Do you want the soup? You want the soup?

Might be less expensive. I want a better deal. Street improvements. I want those street improvements. I think it's a better deal. So, let me let me let me add to this a little bit. I've talked to you about this. Should we do this? I've talked to you about this. You have some trees that are good on this site that are wonderful. city arborists and landscape architects can use work with us. Absolutely. If there's any and I it'll decrease your canopy loss payment

if if there's any trees on site that are in good shape that deserve and merit to to relocate. We will commit to work with the city to do that. Right. So now now you have to go back to his

to answer your point. Okay. Listen, in on on board Bada between Avila and Sebalo, there's two houses obviously the the drives and all. I I'm not looking at the Google Earth shot, so I don't know what we we will and this is probably without talking to the client, but to put two additional bump pops on that street at least to continue the because I I I I'm saying two because it's a short street, but at least you're not going to interfere with the drive and all. So, we could extend the bump out all the way through uh to get to uh Sibalo, which at Sabalo we're doing a three-way stop in this amendment. So,

I want you to take a look at this that what he just mentioned right now. Okay. And and if we could put up in the screen again, uh the image that we have here, what we could do is bring two additional bumps here. So, instead of stopping here, that We have already in the corner. We would do it here as well. So at least go through that block. So you're throwing us a

very nice I think that I take that in. We're before the commission. We're the commission. We're trying to negotiate a little bit

because honestly this is I keep putting in at 11 and a half hours. appreciate it. So my my point is so you see all the way much obvious but extends even farther north. So aesthetically it won't look great. I mean I would love to have these these bumpouts on my street but right now we're talking about and as you know but at least the rest of this you know

so let me let me tell you what I what I what I envision what I envision and I and I want to and I want to thank Mr. Thank you for bringing Give me one second. Mr. Bear, thank you for that. I appreciate that. Okay. Right. I would like to see if possible, you're halfway of the block. Just finish to the four to the little three-way stop that you have there. Finish that off so we don't leave that block and then we take it from them from there. Yeah. Because I mean, are you okay with that?

Yeah. and and and we will commit to that. Obviously, in the past, just by example, the majority of the projects that I've seen have done off-site have been directly across from the project. We've gone over and above where we're not even arguing treating ponds. We've gone a block over. I think that will complete that block so it's not mismatched.

What I look by the time this project and that infrastructure gets built, I'm going to want to limb here, Mr. manager and I don't want to speak for you, but I'm pretty sure that we'll be literally going right behind the developer because this is that infrastructure is the last thing you do. This project takes two years to build. So, you're literally we should be done in two years with planning, funding, and the permitting, God willing, and we'll be able to come in right behind. They'll they'll finish what they have to do and then we'll literally start right behind them. That's the goal. Yes, ma'am.

So, what we'd like to see as residents, obviously, every res every comprehensive plan. So, right now, and and I'm sure Miss Desai can can explain uh the the impact fees from this project will go for a res 2023 resolution will go to our neighborhood city impact. So, we're planning the the development the improvements are put on. Remember, we had I understand

the residential street and so it was decided that was most important because that's where you have a but that's what we would like to also see for the sake of these neighbors you know it's going to be oh wow how beautiful the city would like to complete that Julie, part of I give you my word. Let me just We're negotiating right now. We're going to finish the block off and we're going to we're going to move on just just to make it maybe some of the commission members are not aware of this. No,

that the vision plan was split between pond and the residential and I promise you that we're we're working on the study now and it's going to literally be a seamless transition. I'm going to work with the manager, one of my colleagues in an effort to when this project gets started and gets completed and they start doing the infrastructure work, which is the final stuff that gets done, you know, the list of asphalt, all that kind of stuff, we literally take advantage of and potentially even, Mr. Manager, are able to even use similar contractors to try to piggy back and save money. So, let us get there. I think today's a win. I think it's a win. We have a 61 foot project, which could be 170 plus if they would live local. Um, and now we have additional infrastructure that's been promised by the manager. Madam City attorney, can we make sure that we incorporate that in our in our request?

Yes, of course. Okay. Um, unless there's any further comment, I'd like to move on. So, I just couple couple additional comments. Yes.

You know, and just so there's a good historical perspective. I mean, the zoning on this particular property was an asphalt parking lot in the back. The zoning required the entrance and exits for the building to go in front of the residential homes and not on a pon. That was a clear line of delineation that the residents didn't want the zoning on the property would have allowed the removal of uh a specimen oak. Um this developer designed around that tree and kept this very interesting uh specimen oak. You should go look at it if you haven't. So there were major substantial concessions you know through the many many many meetings that we had between a residents I have those u as a you know the live local drawings as well and it would have been a horrific building would have been very very ugly and you would have been looking at a service parking lot it would have been an ugly situation where this commission wouldn't had any real negotiating power at all so um regarding theote as I'm within a few blocks of an active um construction site. I can share with you that our code enforcement officers took the parking very very seriously and become even more serious about it. And at some point, the developer ended up with a fine in excess of $25,000 for not following the plan and having their people park all over the neighborhood and making a mess out of the things. So, theote is my ask from the city manager's office. Some of this was during a prior administration when the might not have been quite uh to the level of expertise uh that we're getting now. clearly provides that these construction workers are not going to be

parked in front of all these residential homes and you know getting dressed and undressed and everything else the trash that goes it's very hard to manage construction workers. Uh we've seen that nightmare happen on other sites. Very true.

Very very true. So, you know, just that's the ask and u and not allow the construction workers to use the freebie to get to and from wherever offsite parking location that you're going to be at because it leaves the freebies a mess. I think there there was a um monetary penalty for each time that they violated, you know, that requirement. I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about somebody else in order to make sure that you know there was compliance uh with that requirement because it was just costing us uh a lot of money. And lastly, the contrast between live local has been pointed out regarding height and density. The other impact that we have um is there's no contribution financially. I shouldn't say no, but there is some contribution financially, but they pay fewer taxes. their taxes are less. So therefore the monetary contribution towards upkeep of roads and upkeep of trolleys and upkeep of all the infrastructure that the city uh wants to have maintained is decreased and that's why look local um does not always work in every community. It it hurts hurts financially. I know it's an ongoing topic in Tallahassee because there's a lot of cities that are complaining about live local projects because of the tax base decrease that it brings with it, but the increased burdens that are not being filled elsewhere. Thank you for your very hard work doing this. I hope to continue the conversation with you all about uh saving a few of those trees and relocating throughout the neighborhood.

We're committed to that. All right. Um I need a motion. Second. Second. if um when the commission is ready to take up uh the conditions of approval which I believe are on the pipeline approval. There was two uh cleanup items. One is to uh clarify the additional scope of improvements that we committed to and one is just a clarification on the EVS parking um which if I could address both now or if you rather when you get to that item happy to do it at any time.

You can you can address. So, uh, regarding condition, uh, and Jennifer, tell me if I get this wrong in any way. One B six, that would be the additional off-site improvements that we just committed to. Uh, I would propose modifying that section to provide street beautifification on both sides of Boabadia, adding the language from Ponds to Chiba Court. That would take us up to the corner of that intersection. And then regarding the EVS spaces, um we've committed to provide EVS. I know the state has uh done away with that requirement. We voluntarily committed to provide it. Uh this project's a little different than other mixeduse projects that that you see. We have over 500 parking spaces. Uh we provide additional parking spaces to address some of the neighbors um prior concerns with uh not having enough parking. We've committed to provide 5% of the spaces uh with EV charging stations. the time that we finish the project, that'll be a total of 25 and an additional 15% are going to be EV capable. Uh so that's a total of 100 spaces within the garage. There is uh I think a line at the end that was left in uh when we were working on this which says the remaining parking spaces shall have sle to allow for future installation of EV charging infrastructure. We like to remove that. Obviously with 500 spaces, it would be probably impractical and not able to be achieved from an energy capacity standpoint to have all those spaces EV. So we would ask for a deletion of that last line. We're going to have to deal with another issue is going to come up because the fire department do not want to have the spaces located within the structure and that's something that I know that which fire was here. I just went yesterday. I was up in Coral Springs and the fire department make sure that the spaces,

the EV spaces we had inside the garage had to come out because of fire, they cannot control the fire. That's something that is happening. We're going to commit to do it, but just keep that in mind. Um, yeah, we we can look at that item for the future. I understand where you're at. I've had similar conversations with with fire because there are other parking garages here that are much more challenging to handle that issue on. Um but I'm supportive of your request through the mayor. Yes.

Um thank you very much for meeting with all my colleagues regarding this development. But quick question. How many times did you meet with me regarding this development? I don't believe we met with you. We met really with the residents on this project.

Okay. Yes. Well, um we we never we never got together. I know all my colleagues here say that they've been working with you or with the developer. I would have appreciated maybe a little more intel, but that's that's that's okay. However, I did have residents at close proximity in condominiums close to these address that have approached me for a while and they're not happy with it. That's why I'm going to go ahead and stand with my same vote as as a noble. Okay. Um, you know, through the mayor. Yes.

A quick a question. Uh, Commissioner Cash because I'm not sure I caught the last part of your voice kind of like for me at least it kind of tapered away. You're you're stating that the reason you're going to be voting no again so I can hear is what? The residents that have reached out to me repeatedly in close proximity condom condominiums of close proximity are not in agreeance with this. They're not in agreement with this. Correct.

Okay. So, may I ask if they've articulated any of these reasons, can you share them with us? Because as you know, this has all been unanimously approved by the PNZ. You have vocal, present residents who have fought hard over years uh to reach something short of what they desired, certainly something short and what the developer desired to reach a consensus. Um can you share any reasons why um you're going to be voting no specifically relate to you by any particular resident?

Residents are not okay with more buildings coming up and us upzoning because it's in our hands, right? You people are going to vote on this. Yes, it's a beautiful development. It is. Okay. I'm not the one that lives there, but they're not okay with it. Now, if you're trying to ask for an excuse or feel good about approving this upzoning, I mean, that's that's on you.

Well, no. I I certainly don't need excuses. I would just be in this instant with the overwhelming majority of interested parties on all points on the compass. Right. So much so that that's why I'm asking you. All I heard they don't want more buildings. I'm not sure I understand that statement. Are we going to just a moment take that to mean that they prefer to demolition the building to make it a surface parking lot? I'm not sure I know what you mean by they don't want more buildings. They want us to respect our zoning code. Okay. And in respecting the zoning code, you heard from the PNZ and you're going to be hearing from the commissioners. And if we all vote in favor of this, that is respecting the zoning code. Wouldn't you agree?

No, I wouldn't agree. That would be in violation or in contradiction of the zoning code. Is that what you're saying? What I'm saying is that I mean, I'm not going to go back and forth with you right now. This is ridiculous. I'm sorry, Commissioner La. I mean, we're getting nowhere. You already know where my vote stands. I know what your vote is. So asking you what your vote is would be sort of repetitive, right? I'm asking why your vote is what it is. I just answered it. Well, if all you're going to say is some residents don't want buildings and you want to respect the code, anything else you want to add? We should stick with our zoning code. Okay. We should not be approving of zonings like it's spreading out candy.

Is that what is that what you think we're doing here? spreading out candy. I'm going to refrain from the rest of my comments just to be respectful to you. Okay. Well, don't worry about that because I've only been respectful towards you. I'm done. I'm done. Thank you very much. So then the answer to my question is you have nothing else to add to your no vote. Right. If that is the p your perception of my answers because I answered you, then go ahead and take it. But this is on the record and what I answered is what I answered. Let's not rephrase what I answered. I'm only repeating what you said, not rephrasing it, but I just um think I got the answer as best as I could ever hope to get from you. So, thank you to the mayor. Just want to Yeah.

Just note for the record, aside from the fact that I've visited the area extensively. There are no condominiums across the street. Family homes single family,

excuse me, Commissioner. There are single family homes on the other side of 8th Street. They're going to be enjoying a nice little local project that these people will not have to be looking at. The choices are very few. These residents have chose that live across the street from this not to have a live local project, not to have a surface parking lot in front of their homes, not to have the entrance and exit to a live local project in front of their homes, and to have something beautiful in front of their homes that preserves an existing specimen oak and improves the neighborhood significantly, but bumps out and traffic calming. That's that was their choice. and I will follow their choice. I think we can call the vote.

I just want to There is one building on that street. It's I think it's a threetory building on ponds next to the uh or twotory building. It's a little two-story building there. That's all that's all that's all that's there. 1920 is a two-story building. Yeah. And I've and I've walked that I've walked that neighborhood with you. I I don't even remember how many times. Um my point is this. Look, the politics is clear. It's right here in front of you. We have to make decisions. Some of us are here for a paycheck. Some of us are here to do good for the city. At the end of the day, we have tough decisions to make. When you say, "Vote for the zoning code. Vote for the zoning code." It's embarrassing because I popped up and the clerk has the list of how we voted in the last two years. We voted lock step over 85% of the times and they're all zoning changes as a zoning attorney and a and and an architect will tell you things require setback changes you know variances certain you know a little bit of squeezing here a little bit moving back so you can get parks so you can get some infrastructure improvements. Nothing is by the code. The code to me is a starting point which helps us keep ourselves to a certain scale. But now when you talk about live local and the RTZ, the ball is the game is not in our favor. So we have to negotiate. And I believe that a 61 foot building versus 170 which is going to be built across the street potentially if it gets approved is a much better product than just saying I'm not voting for it because it's against the code. I mean I think that's ridiculous

and it's an embarrassment to be an elected official. So, I think we can do much better. And we can disagree on everything, but that's not going to get people reelected here. People put you in office to make the tough decisions, the tough decisions. And you can't make everybody happy. That's the bottom line about being a public servant. So, we have a lot of issues today on the agenda. I'm very happy that all the residents Miss Maria Cruz is not a resident in this neighborhood. Okay. The residents who are here with us, who have been part of this roller coaster for the last four years and have held on tight and have negotiated with a developer, are in favor of this compromise and we've been able to get additional infrastructure and we're going to produce all the infrastructure, the rest of the infrastructure as per the city. We're going to find a way to deliver it because this neighborhood deserves it. So, Mr. manager. If

I could just put one thing on the record I think is important, Mr. Mayor, is that we've had three neighborhood meetings that have been noticed to all the residents and owners, whether you're a tenant or an owner in the area. These last three meetings have all been advertised and there hasn't been one person come or submit a letter of objection.

And I want to put something on the record, okay? Doesn't matter if it's Gable's Insider or it's the Gable's Gazette or it's Politico or it's Maria Cruz or it's Sue or Felix or Robert whoever it is at the end of the day the residents in this community are not stupid. They know the agenda and it was proven at the last election. They're smart. They know what they want. They know what the city deserves. They saw the fiasco that was created here under Amos Rojas and the 101% salary increases and the Maseratis and and all the kind of crazy things that were happening here. So at the end of the day, we can keep barking and saying all the ridiculous things we want so it can be included in some Instagram posts and you know all kinds of things like that, but the reality is that this project is a compromise. It's a much better situation than what could possibly go there on the live local which is going Mr. Manager I don't want to misspe 100t away across the street so give or take

right so my point is that I think this is a healthy compromise and it's time to give the neighborhood the infrastructure that they deserve the trees the traffic calming the bow outs the sidewalks okay Mr. M uh Mr. Clerk, do we have a motion and a second here or we do not? We do, Mr. Mayor. It'll be for agenda item E5. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro? No. Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lada? Yes. Mayor Logo? Yes. Next item. E6. I'll move it. Second. Commissioner Castro? No. Commissioner Fernandez?

Yes. Commissioner Lada? Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes. Mayor Log. Yes. Next item. E8. I think it's E. It's E7. E7. So on this item, I think this is the one where we're asking for the modifications of condition 1B6 and 3M for the off-site improvements and the EVS changes. I'll move it with the amendments. Second. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner Lada. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro? No. Mayor Lo. Yes. E13. E13. This one has the same changes as E7.

Yes. But I want to make sure I don't want to just give these things away. I want to make sure that it's it's it's a requirement and that we can get it done by the fire department. Okay. I want to make sure that we can because the vice mayor and I have worked very hard to make sure that we upgrade our infrastructure in regards to charging. We're committed to provide it. Yeah. That's why we want it in the conditions unless we're told otherwise. Okay. Commissioner Lada. Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Commissioner Castro, no. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Mayor Lago, yes. Thank you all so much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you.

All right. So, we have a 3:00 time, sir. Let's see if we can do item F6. Madame City attorney, this is an item which I'm putting on the agenda. An update and potential direction to authorize legal action regarding requests for documents and information from the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center Association. Madam City attorney, will you please provide us with an update?

Yes, Mayor. Um, as as I mentioned to each of you during our briefings, we did have a meeting scheduled with council for the the association. Um the the meeting unfortunately had to be rescheduled due to um a conflict that came up for our special counsel and we did reschedule it um but then unfortunately council for the association was called into trial and so we are going to work on rescheduling that but I know that she's in trial at least through the end of this week um and so we will we have not been able to have the meeting.

So let me tell you my intentions and I hope my colleagues will support me on this. I will not be kicking the can down the curb. I will making a motion and passing the gavl to the vice mayor. I want to take action. I want to provide 10 days from today for there to be a meeting for our request to be met. And when I mean request, the letter that was provided by our council to Kirk Mendez and the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center Association that all the requested information be provided. As you're aware, if you read that letter, um there's been a lot more comingling and more collaboration between the city and the youth center and the war memorial youth center than we thought before. And I'm when I say collaboration, I'm talking about the city has been involved financially with this organization which as you're aware um let their 501c3 designation lapse for 5 years and is not being transparent as a partner for the city. So I think it is incumbent of us as individuals who want transparency to make sure that any association that has any power over something as important as our jewel at the youth center be in compliance. So if we do not get this information within 10 days, I ask that my colleagues that we give direction to the city attorney to move forward with a lawsuit. Why do I say that? Because our next commission meeting is in January. So, I think that I'm not in the position that I want to waste any time because it's simple. I've been involved in litigation recently. I won a big case and uh I think that a little added pressure goes a long way, especially

with something as simple as just providing the documents. There shouldn't be an issue with providing these documents. We're partners. We should want to provide these documents. Mr. Mr. Mayor, I understand the concept uh very well. I know you do. You know it better than I do. Trust me,

of adding a little more pressure, I suppose, right, to resort to litigation. I I had hoped that um former commissioner Kirk Menendez would actually be here since this agenda item has been noticed with plenty of time for him to offer up an explanation uh or to answer questions coming from the dis. But from my perspective, I think it's shared by the majority here on the commission as well. We have a former elected official, a former commissioner, Kirk Mendez, who sits in a position overseeing the War Memorial Youth uh the War Memorial Youth Center, who's being asked to provide documents to answer questions, not to raise more questions. whether or not it is a legal obligation. We're not talking about a fight between IBM and Microsoft. We're talking about former colleagues of his of the commission on behalf of the residents asking for him to show documents that provide clarity as it pertains to a reverter clause that in um that amounts to really a cloud on the title as it affects the city as it affects the city with respect to the um millions in capital improvement that are invested in the youth center to a potentially uncertain future given this um this cloud on the title documents that should be I will assume kept in a normal course of business records not difficult to put your hands on and this all could have been provided and cleared up months and months and months ago when there was a first whisper of a concern rather than what it's devolved into which is embarrassing which I think is shameful which I still implore my friend

Kirk Mendez to please do the right thing and just produce the documents. These are not personal records. These are not matters of of family or or or or things of that nature, but rather it's it's business records. These are exchanged regularly all the time, but more so under this under this scenario where questions and material questions need answers and need them right away. So to avoid what might be the institution of a lawsuit to seek these documents, Mr. Mendez has the keys to his own cell. Just produce the documents. Produce them now. Certainly before the next commission meeting

through the mayor. Yes. You forgot you passed. Oh, sorry, Madam Vice Mayor. Go ahead. The chair. I know it's knee knee-jerk. Yes. Through the chair. Um, I think we're setting a ter terrible president going after a civic organization with a long history in service in our community. Billy, can you go ahead and put um what I shared with you on the screen? Can cable TV share the

And I think we need to be very mindful because if we're going to go down this path, I guess every other private civic organization in Coral Gable should be aware. From the Coral Gables Community Foundation to the Garden Club to the Women's Club, Knights of Columbus, Rotary Club, Friends of Gables High, and so on should be on notice for the long reach. Our city government may target your fabricate may target you for fabricated post-election political reasons. The association isn't a newcomer to Coral Gables. This is a private civic organization with an 80year history of service and an impressive list of civic leaders who have served on the association's board. Now, if you can go ahead and read I'm not going to read them. They're right there on the screen. Um, this is not even all of them. This is just a list of them for the past 80 years. And let's just face it. This isn't about producing documents. This is about carrying out vendettas. Mayor, this is your part. And this is your vendetta against Commissioner Kirk Menendez for standing up to you. Something you can't stand even from me. Because you know very well, Mayor, when people stop fearing you, they'll see that the emperor wears no clothes. Thank you.

Okay, now that that was real quick. I gotta respond. I gotta respond to I got to respond to Tom Wells or whoever wrote that for you. So, let me uh let me Yes, Mayor speak.

Sorry, Madam Madam if I may. Madam Vice Mayor, if I may mad madam madam if I may. I'm sorry. So you stood up here along with Kirk Mendez and my colleague Ariel Fernandez and said that there was a cesspool of corruption. I asked you to bring an IG here. I made the motion. The vice mayor was the one that supported me. I said we will root out corruption by bringing an IG here. I asked to bring the Miami date county IG here. You voted against it because you said we couldn't afford it. Why? You raised your salary to the tune of 101%. You know, it has been constant attacks against me, my family, my business for the last two years over and over and over and over again. The last elections spoke volumes. People do not want your style of leadership. They don't. They're tired of the continued behavior. You have no resume in this city. I'm proud of what I have accomplished in this city. I'm proud of my dedication of service here in this community. Like Commissioner Alana said it very eloquently and very clearly, "This is easy. Just provide the documents. All those individuals on that list of the ones that are alive, none of them have come to me and said a word. They've only told me that he should just hand the documents over for the ones that are still with us. So, at the end of the day, you can conflate the issues as you always do and use your proxies, but at the end of the day, just provide the documents. You are a partner with the city. You have a 501c3 that has been

defunct for over 5 years. And if you provide the information, you're perfectly fine. How about I give you another option? You don't want to provide the information, it's perfectly fine. We will sign a covenant. Just release the reverber. We will sign a covenant that the the youth center will never be developed, which is that's the fear of Kirk Menendez. The same person who sat with the manager and said, "Upzone my properties or I'll fire you." A few weeks later, he fired him. The same guy who came here and said that in front of the Miami Herald that's here that said, "I was bribed or about to be bribed or I don't know what I don't know what happened." And when the Herald reporter, who's here with us today, called him, he said, "Well, I don't want to talk about it because it never happened. The constant smearing, the constant attacks, nothing has come out of it. It has gotten you nowhere. And that's why Kirk Menendez is lost. And that's why the same thing that happened to him is going to happen to both of you in November. because people clearly see that this is a charade that you've been playing here for the last two years to enrich yourself and everyone can unsee it. So you can say whatever you like and you can attack me as many times you want but I continue to do the people's will and the people are looking for transparency and this is a simple way to address the issues. If you want to see the way things are supposed to be dealt with, you should have no issues with providing the documentation. What is it that you're hiding of why you don't want to provide documents? Every person that's on that list that I have a relationship that is still alive has said, "Vince, just provide the documents." We are an organization that is a partner with the city of Coral Gables. We shouldn't have any issues whatsoever with providing this documentation. if your first and only interest is the youth center. But if you have

your own personal interest and you don't want to provide those documents because you don't want to provide them because you're afraid of what's in those documents, then that's a different story. So to the chair, um recognize

it is extremely disappointing that I don't even call it disappointing anymore. You know, I had a resident ask me this weekend, "Vince has a lot of hatred towards you. What do you feel towards him?" And I told them, "Pity. I really pity you because the man that I helped get into office was a man that everybody looked up to. But you've gotten yourself to the point where you don't move past things. You hold grudges. You pledged to destroy people. I mean, the show you made at St. Teresa this weekend. It didn't make the city look good where the mayor of Miami had to calm you down. It's you need to move past things. This is a clear and and we've heard it here. The Youth Center Foundation name has been used three times. Kirk Mendez's name has been used how many times? This is about Kirk Mendez. This isn't about the foundation. If it was about the foundation, nobody would have mentioned Kirk Menendez because he's just one of the members of the organization which has a full board. So, we're now using taxpayer dollars to go after political enemies. And I and I asked staff, I think I've been as cooperative as I can as I've been able to be since April, working, taking the assaults, the false attacks from you. I mean, the only person up here who stood by you on the Israeli flag was me, and you went on the radio and said that it was because of me and Melissa Castro politicizing it that it never happened. Yet I was the

only one who stood next to you and said I'd be out out there putting up the flag with you. I mean, you can't look past things because of the hatred that's consuming you. And I pray for you every day at mass because it really saddens me. You were somebody who My son tells me all the time, Vince was our friend. He was your best friend and now he treats you like a bully. And it's a really sad state of affairs. We have and we live in the best city and this has become all about political inner fighting, political vendettas and attacking people, attacking their families. You talk about your family and your business being attacked. My family and my business have been attacked for four years. Ever since I stood up against the mobility hub against you and I told you I would not support the mobility hub and from that point everything went downhill. We need to move past things. That's the message that people sent in the election. And a lot of people have come up to me and said, "We voted for whatever nickname you said you had. You guys had all whatever it was because we thought they were about civility." But we've noticed that's not the case. We need to move past that. I won't support this because this is supporting using taxpayer dollars for political vendettas. The only reason that reverted clause is in there is to ensure that your youth center as resident remains a youth center so that the city can't change it into something else and give it to somebody else for whatever use they want. So if we're talking now about removing that reverter clause, my biggest question is what's the end goal? What do you want to change the youth center for? because that's the only reason that you would want to remove the reverter clause.

If your gripe is with the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center Association because of their agreement with the city, we can have a conversation. But if this is all about going after Kirk Mendez because he had the audacity to run against you, then I'm sorry. I'm not supportive.

Madam Vice Mayor, if I may respond, please. First and foremost, first and foremost, um I think it's embarrassing and I would love to have the mayor of Miami here because I don't have any clue what you're talking about and it's hilarious because it's the typical Ariel Fernandez play like you've been known so well to do with all the employees here with Gables Insider and now the Coral Gables Gazette in an effort to smear people. Remember, don't forget you were that close friend who was on the radio who initiated the statements about me being under investigation, which at the end of the day, I won uh very clearly. But my point is this, we were never best friends. We have a very different opinion professionally and in regards to the way the city should be run. The bottom line is this. For two years, when you had the upper hand, you wrote zero legislation. You brought in Amos Rojos. You indebted the city. the things that you did here, for example, to tarnish a good man's name like Peter Glaciius by getting $500,000 worth of scaffolding put up on this city that was unnecessary. And thank God that the DCM had the courage to stand up here and say it on the record, it was unnecessary. It was just in an effort to tarnish and destroy people. You are known at the FDLE. You are known at the ethics commission as a person who for years has turned people in both at Ilana's when you were when you were working at Ilianas as as a as a golfer and when you were also involved with David Rivera. So to come out here and say and say that you are like some this come and now you've seen the light Ariel you will never change. You're a person who is one of the most destructive individuals and everybody says it. So we can agree to disagree on the simple facts. I heard you out. We don't have to like each other at the end of day, but we have to serve this community. But by the way, everybody knows you pulled that fishing stunt off. Everybody's well aware of it and you can keep hiding from it and you were part of the recall against me. So to say that

you're my friend and you tried to recall me and you do the fishing scam and the whole things that have been brought to light is an embarrassment not to me but to you every single time just like when Amos Roas was in my office and says hey I was assaulted by the mayor. What happens? You ran to the the Miami Herald. You got him to publish an article about saying that I was assaulted. I assaulted the manager. Six months later FDLE cleared my name. Just like in everything it's happened. You have put a intensive social media campaign and effort to try to do everything in my power in your power to get me under some sort of scrutiny and nothing has ever happened. So

you suffer from what is the worst thing you could suffer from and that is envy. Your envy is on every single front. So you can be holier than thou and talk about Jesus Christ and God and the whole thing and I accept that. I actually value that. I actually value that. I actually value that. But at the end of the day, everyone knows who the real Ariel Fernandez is. Okay. So, Madam Vice Mayor, so there's a guy up there and he's watching you and he knows you better than I do. I know. I know Ariel, it's okay. Don't worry. So, let's let's see if we can set aside. Agreed.

Madam Vice Mayor, if I may say one last thing, if I may, I'm sorry to interrupt you. This is not about a Kirk Menz. This is about getting the facts. It's about getting the information. So, if it were Kirk Menendez or anybody else, I would want to make sure that there isn't anything that is holding the city hostage. And I believe that this entity is holding the city hostage. So, so I want to see if we can just focus on the issues, not this tit for tat on politics, politics and personalities. By the way, I was out at St. Teresa. I have no idea what you're talking about. Yeah. But um

can you say that again, madam vice mayor? You were there in St. Teresa. Did you see something in St. Terresa because it's a typical aerial Fernandez technique. Did you What did you see at St. Teresa? I didn't see any what was described. So, um I saw a lot of love. I I saw a lot of um good feelings um that were expressed there and a lot of happiness u that evening and and what we were there for at St. Teresa. Um and everybody was thankful that we were present. I also opposed the first version of the mobility hub and I'm not going to re reiterate why it was a aesthetic issue for our city. We need the parking. Now, when we first discussed this issue about the records from the War Memorial Youth Center, I emphasized that we need to have a good historical record. It's part of the fabric of our community and I would think that someone would be proud and the organization should be proud to have well established their contribution to our city. I also emphasize the fact that we have a number of parks in our city. We're only growing the number of parks in our city and there's no intention whatsoever to develop these things. In fact, we want to protect them from development. That is why We've created them. We passed something today about green spaces and so forth again to protect from development. There many parcels out there that I wish we could have obtained. Hindsight's always 2020, but I do have uh concerns that the history of the organization has not

always been alive and well. It's dissolved. It's renewed itself. And if we truly want to protect a parcel of land from development, there's a better way to do it than rely upon something that may not be here tomorrow. So I do feel kicking the can down the road is not an effective way to do it. for our historical record. We do need to have things in place and the existing asks haven't worked for something that should be something you should be proud of providing to the city so that we can have a complete historical record and sit down and talk about for the future the best way to make sure that this property is preserved. Okay. Know we have a commission meeting coming up in early January. Having dealt with countless cases in my or at least countless now in my career dealing with something where there is not a date marked. I know what will happen. The can will continue to be kicked down the road forever until a date is set by something to be done by or the city has to take the necessary actions to move forward and get the records that they need. And I think it will help encourage the parties to get around the table. And that's I think the ultimate goal. Let's find the best solution to make sure that the youth center is here today, tomorrow, for the next hundred years, for the next 200 years. And it doesn't turn into a local project. It doesn't turn into a housing project. I mean, this this city has a history of

preservation. I mean, look at what the history was for the Builtmore Hotel. Developers wanted to tear it down and make it development city didn't allow it. The residents spoke up. So really, the reverter itself doesn't have that effect. But we're going to invest money into this youth center

to increase and expand the quality of the experience that our children have there. We need to make sure that we don't have a a situation where you have an organization that's alive today. It's not alive 20 years from now trying to protect something as a precious gem in our community. Or worse yet, someone buys an interest in that. It is a developer and now we're talking about serious litigation. It's like any contract, the language can be interpreted. I think it's better that we preserve this property. So, I'm in favor.

May I ask something? May I say something? You know what I think is also the typical assault that's done by my colleagues is the continued like what happened here with Kirk Mendes the other day. you know the the I was going to be bribed when the herald calls cowards doesn't want to say say anything. You say that you're afraid that the youth center could be redeveloped and that the reverter is required. Name me one elected official on this dis or in this past dis that has bought more private land and has contributed more pieces of property in the downtown. And right now, the manager will tell you that we're working on a sixacre parcel of land that we are weeks away from bringing to the commission to take it from private hands and to bring it into the city to make the largest park in the city's history. There's never been in this commission a person has found more pieces of property to conserve and to put into public trust to make sure that they don't get developed and that we have more green space here in this city than myself. So, the problem is the idea of scaring residents. They see past that. they see past that and there's no need there's no need for a reverter because no one would be insane enough to redevelop the youth center. The intent of the youth center is to serve the residents of this community. And it's so simple when you look at it. You just provide the information just like you provide audited financials. When you have to get a bank loan, when you get a bank loan, you have to provide audited financials. They ask you for audited financials. It's not a big deal. Everybody provides them. I have to provide my audited financials all the time. So when you don't want to provide the audited financials is because there's a problem and because you don't want to show those documents and you don't want to show instability. You don't want to show that maybe the doc the money is not there. So again when you tell people that no because the mayor wants to redevelop the youth center, you're the one that looks ridiculous

because everybody here knows that I would never even dare do that. And it's just and that's what people tell me on the street and it's evidently clear when you look at the last elections. There was a clear choice between two individuals and two polar opposite views. And at the end of the day, like you said, hey, everybody says a week ago, you were saying that everybody's telling talking around town that I'm Vince Lago 2.0. You were the one that said that. It didn't come from my mouth. I know. It's it saddens me.

Oh, okay. But just to answer his point, Madame Vice Mayor, um you asked about me saying that I was afraid. I said no. I'm I was wondering if that was the intent because the organization, from my understanding, is there for the eventuality if the city decides to move in a different direction. And I think the vice mayor phrased it perfectly in the last discussion item where she said, "We're here now. We're not going to be here forever, and we need to make sure that it preserves." And I think that was the initial intent of the creation of the foundation to protect the youth center and ensure that the youth center remained. Now, madam, madame uh vice mayor, I'm sorry, madam uh city attorney, there was a meeting scheduled. Our attorney canled and then when the next one was scheduled, their attorney was called to court to trial.

Correct. So there is an intent to have a meeting after this trial period ends which is supposed to be when I my understanding is that she's in trial through the end of the week. I don't know at least through the end of the week. I don't know how long. Got it. So that's why madame vice mayor to the chair I said from today you have 10 days to meet and provide the documentation that was requested by our attorney in a good faith effort by the association. If not, we give direction to the city attorney to move forward with engaging in litigation. It's pretty simple and and standard stuff. It's nothing, Madam Madam vice mayor, am I correct? Pretty simple, pretty standard in the legal world.

So, I I do have to correct you on one thing. Audited financial statements were not necessarily required. What was required was under penalty of perjury uh type statements. It's something I routinely do for a lot of my small clients. So to decrease cost. Uh I do have a question though for the clerk. When is our first meeting? January 13th. 13th.

I know we do have the holidays. and and hence my respectful request that we ask them to meet and I think a meeting is is going to be fruitful a week a by a week ahead of time by January 6 because I think there's more in common than there is not in common in wanting to preserve this gem for the future. And if people would sit down around a table, they'll find out that 95% of it is in common. And I think they would understand from a historical perspective why it's so incredibly important to honor the legacy of the work of all those individuals you had up on the screen, Commissioner, and be able to provide the complete history of the contribution not only from the War Memorial Youth Center, but the contribution that Gables made to to the the um the foundation as it then existed. It it's not the same foundation any anymore. But there there was this cohesive relationship and for the legacy to continue we need to make sure it's perpetual because the foundation has lapsed in the past and to have to maintain a board. There's a better way to do this than having this reverter clause to an organization that can be gone tomorrow. We owe it to our community. We owe it to our children. We owe it to the future generations for the city of Co Gables. So that's my modification. Um I guess I pass the gavvel back. I don't know. Listen,

if I may, as if I may, Madam Chair, my intent was simple. 10 days. you want to make it two weeks to meet. If not, if if the city attorney has the right to proceed to litigation, it's more than enough time for them to have a conversation, for them to meet and for them to share the documents. You know, and I think and I think it's very interesting when we talk about this because what if we found out that this organization was defunct or the money that they had have been misappropriated? Don't know. Don't know. But we don't we'll never know if we don't sit down.

But I think that it's the that's my point. But my point is that why wouldn't a partner of the city want to have a transparent conversation with the city? It doesn't make sense. And the reason why I use the issue of audited financials, when you have a credit line or an equity line or you do business with a bank, you have to provide audited financials every year. So they're providing they're asking you for that level of transparency for you to conduct business through that bank through the vice mayor.

Uh question for you um city attorney. So has a position been taken by council for the war memorial youth center that the reason they're not turning it over is because of some concern that they've expressed? They they the position has been that they're not obligated to turn them over. Okay. So, put differently, they've stated no reason why they are not turning them over, but just stating I don't have an obligation to turn them over. Am I right? That's correct. Okay. So, and and just because to be fair, they did give some documents as you know, the the the publicly available documents and Yeah.

Exactly. Right. And I was going to go to that point. So, it's a little confounding because if they said that um they're not going to turn over some documents because they're not obligated to do so, they nevertheless sent over some documents even though they're not obligated to do so. So, that leaves me kind of wondering what was the methodology or the thought think thought pattern, you know, behind it. You said to me in answering my question, they've offered none. Correct. Other than I don't have to turn them over, right? Yes. They've also said that the doc some of the documents were asking for the city should already have and um and so they did give us some samples of of what that might be, but it's it's it's email communications that their position is the city should already have these.

So then open question I guess to the commission. So if there's anyone on the commission that believes that the position taken by the war memorial youth center board is that they're concerned about potential development of the youth center. That has never been a stated position from the war memorial youth center. Right. Um, Commissioner, I'd have to go back there. They did send one comprehensive letter that I think they did mention something about a concern of of of development, but it's not the reason I think for holding back the documents,

right? Because the only issue I understand is that we're trying to get our hands on on these documents as it connects and relates to our concerns regarding the reverter clause. However, that's never as far as we know at this m at this point been the basis for withholding the documents that we've requested. Right. Right. So if there's a suggestion from this dis that they are holding the documents back that we've requested because of a concern of development that has never been the position taken by the Warmore Youth Center. Correct. I don't believe so.

So, Madame Vice Mayor, through the chair, uh my request is 10 10 days to two weeks uh to provide the documentation to meet if not provide uh the city attorney the legal um checks and balance so she can move forward with litigation to attain the requested documentation. Understood. I think it's a reasonable request. Do we have a second? Second. Mr. Clerk, call the item. Uh, Madame Vice Mayor, I have members of the public requesting to speak on this item. Absolutely.

Okay. M. Mary Cruz, Mrs. Maria Cruz. And it is Mrs. Maria Cruz, 1447 Miller Road. If this wasn't so sad, it would be so funny. I think if we play the tape, some people will be laughing at the silliness of what's being discussed here. But thinking, you know, all the the time that I've been sitting here today, I wonder, you know, we have several organizations that we partner with. I didn't see one in the in the list that Miss Castro proposed, but I know there's one that we somehow raise money through a mayor's bowl that we give thousands of dollars to. And nobody has ever questioned what happens with that money or whether that money is really given to them. Maybe we should ask for their financials to see. And since it's a 5 13C, they would have to provide it because that's public record. But then we have somebody who was my friend. Not only was my friend, but I thought it was one of my best friends. And uh because I didn't do what he wanted me to do, support somebody. I became his enemy. I was not Mrs. Mayor anymore. I was Miss Cruz. But let me move that move on from that because that's silly. Um he raised the point that you know we need to trust him because you know

there's no intention. There's no veiled intention. Well, how can we trust someone who for years told his selected group for 10 years or or so sitting at his house that he did not have any business within the city borders, no business conducted within our borders. And then it was a lie because there was business conducted within the city. So, how can you trust somebody that says one thing to one today, another tomorrow? He had at one point 90 employees in his business. Well, it doesn't seem that it was his business. Then it was 40 30. The number has changed back and forth. Now we find out that it was after all not his business. And uh some people have checked some financial records already that it was never his business because it was a different entity that he had a uh some interest in. You know, let me tell you, it is very sad that we are in a position that instead of doing what we promised the day that the new commission was installed to f take care of the fences to bring back civility and now we're fighting like cats and dogs over something that makes no sense whatsoever. So, I don't know. Some of you have to go back and watch that video and see what you promised the people.

Madam, Vice Mayor, may I respond, please? I think it's important. Coming from a person who was thrown out of the school board and is well documented and a person who is currently involved in a massive lawsuit with her brother because she stole her brother's inheritance is not one to come up here and speak. Number one, in regards to my gala, which is next week and we raised hundreds of thousand dollars for charity, both the community foundation and both LA Cancer, which none of the individuals to my left or my right are willing to do that. And I'm more than willing to ask them to help me to do it. Okay? I've been doing it for years knowing that this would happen one day. You know what? I' how I've always run that gala that the checks for the donations are made straight to La Liga. I don't have any 501c3. It goes straight to La Liga and they're the ones that deal with the money. But again, this is your typical effort on the record to try to smear, defame, you know, hit somebody over the head that's trying to do something good because they're not doing anything good. All they do is spread rumors and lies and continue. But nobody raises money. I was going to mention it before, but I'll mention it now. Last week, our wine auction was an incredible success for those that attended. Thank you. We raised over $100,000 for scholarships for young children in the Coral Gables Community Foundation. Every donation was paid directly to the foundation. If you'd like to audit the LIA and you'd like to audit the foundation, please call them. They'll give you all the documentation. They know how to run a real 501c3 and they've never been defunct. Number two, in regards to my employment where I was a partner, I'm no longer there after 16 years. It's a big step in in a different direction for me, but it's something that I'm proud of having given 16 years

of my life to a company that we took from barely a handful employees to over 60 70 employees at one point. And it's something that I worked on very very hard in my life and I'm very proud of extremely proud of and I look forward to building that back up again. And I wish my ex partners only the best of luck. The constant statements, the constant mentioning, the gazette, the politito, the trying to tear me down. It's the complete insanity that you have here which both to my left and to my right take advantage of it every day. because I do things differently, my friend. Very differently. My name is on everything. It's called Coral Gables First. That's what I do. And I'm very clear that when I write something and I say something, I have facts and I put the facts out there. So again, envy is a very dangerous, very dangerous in feeling emotion that people deal with. And at the end of the day, I can't help you deal with your envy. I can only be who I am and continue to do what I can on behalf of the city. So, while you sit in the back and you giggle and you laugh and you say horrific things like in front of my family members and my children when you were very clearly in front of St. Augustine church and you said that I hope that Vince Lago shoots himself like like Sergio Pino and multiple people heard it in front of my family. It only comes out that you're an individual who has tried everything in your power to destroy me and I'll pray for you just like I pray for my friend Ariel Fernandez and Melissa Castro.

Thank you Vince Log 2.0. Madam Vice Mayor, thank you. U Mr. Cork, is there any more public comment? No, ma'am. the item. Yes, ma'am. Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro, I almost forgot what the item was at this point. No. Commissioner Fernandez, no. Commissioner Lada, yes. Mayor Lock, yes. Thank you.

Moving on. We'll address one more item and then we will hear our time start at 3:00. We'll take a five minute break if you don't mind to go to the bathroom. I apologize. Uh F7. This is something that I would love to take credit for, but it was brought to me by JC Padron and and it's I like to give credit where credit is due. Diaz Padron. He gets upset about being called Padron. See Vinslago 2.0 coming in the clutch. Wait, wait, wait. I didn't hear that. My hearing's going. Diaz Padron. Diaz Padron. It's Juan Carlos Diaz Padron, not Jose Padron as he's been called before.

All right. Well, now that we got that out of the way, we'll deal with the legislation. I think it's important uh I own a moch. I don't use it enough. I should um but I think it's important that we have a real discussion and move forward about following the necessary protocols so that we could be a real golf cart community. And I know that you have some information that you've been working on uh with my staff uh to really see, you know, how to get the proper credentials, the proper insurance so that we can promote a golf cart community. but also be as safe as possible because I don't want to see somebody get hurt out there. And I also have requirements in regards to I don't want to see golf carts full of advertisement. I don't think that's appropriate and I think it takes away from our brand. We don't we don't allow that here in cars. We're very careful in regards to advertisement in regards to cars and I think we should should have the same tasteful expectations out of the golf carts. Mr. City Attorney, thank you for being here.

My pleasure. Uh good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor, and commissioners. Uh so I was asked to discuss basically the differences between currently LSVs and golf carts. So as most of you, I believe, know, a lot of times you'll see golf carts on the road and you can't tell the difference between whether it's a golf cart or an LSV. And the only way you'll be able to tell is if you look in the back, they'll have a license plate. If it has a license plate, is registered with the state of Florida. It has proper insurance. has gone through the proper DOT inspections. That is a different item that is controlled by the state. That vehicle can drive on any road in the state of Florida that has a speed limit of 35 miles an hour or lower. So, that is currently allowed in the city. I drive mine almost exclusively to work. Today, I didn't because it looks like it's going to rain this afternoon and I rather not get wet. Um, so the alternative that a lot of other municipalities have taken on, uh, Cutler Bay, Miami Lakes, West Miami, Palmetto Bay, they have created a program the state allows under Florida statute 316212 specifically allows the city to designate certain roads that will allow a golf cart to be driven on those roads. Now, the golf carts do have certain minimum requirements. For the most part, you need to have functioning brakes. You need to have reflectors on the front and the back. um you need to have a re rearview mirror. We can put additional standards beyond that uh as part of our registration. And what other cities have done is you apply, you basically fill out an affidavit, you fill out a document. Some cities do inspections, some cities do not. And as long as you meet the criteria for that item, you would get basically a sticker from your municipality. So pros and cons to that. Typically, those types of golf carts in terms of insurance are much more economical, but they don't have full coverage like you would an LSV or a car. Uh, additionally, they're not as

regulated. Um, they are supposed to be limited to only 20 miles an hour. A golf cart that is approved by municipality can only go between 15 and 20. An LSV is designed to go between 20 and 25 miles an hour. So, if the city would like to consider doing that, we can definitely look in preparing some sort of an ordinance

and we can set out certain requirements and the registration process and how you would get your decal and what that would look like. We cannot uh allow we would be limited to city streets. So we cannot designate county roads or state roads. So once again if it was a golf cart process that we create you cannot drive on those roads. If a person wants to do an LSV, they can still do that, but the process goes through the state and you have to follow the requirements of the DOT. So, I was corrected. I don't have a golf cart. I have an LSV. So, yeah, thank you for that. Um, this is what you're stating right now is what I would like to do at the next commission meeting if possible. Okay. But I would also like to put very clearly in the legislation that again remain the same have the same standards as a car in regards to aesthetics. Okay. I think that we should be very tasteful in regards to the vehicles and wraps and all kinds of things that I think that are all over the top. We have it for that legislation already in place for cars and I think it's important that we, you know, make sure that we hold true to our standards here in the city.

Mayor, we can work with you on bringing the ordinance back if you wanted at the first meeting in January. That would be nice. Vice Mayor. So I I have a request if you have a chart height of the vehicles, you know, I I just for a comparison is what you're comparison, you know, I want to make sure that they're visible by truck drivers. I want to make sure that they're visible period. Um, you know, we already talked about not going on bike lanes because it presents a problem for the bicyclists. So this would strictly be on residential roads or roads designated by the city of Coral Gables. You can allow them on sidewalks, but that's a different process and you have to do an analysis and you have to submit that to DOT. I don't think that's a

something we want to do. Um, but so for the most part, if you're just creating a registration process, it's basically any roads that we designate in the city that are not city that are not county roads and not state roads and under 30 m 35 mph. So, so I'll I'll make my position clear. I'm a hard no on putting them on sidewalks and this are the little kitty ones that you know they're driving around the block. But uh yeah, but I'd like to look at more of the the devils in the details as some people say. I'd like to look at that and then brainstorm it some more. But thank you, mayor, for bringing this up. Are we able to put in regulations like they should have seat belts, reflectors? Um

there's minimum requirements. the minimums I think were what I stated the if you look at the state statute when you're when a city is passing an ordinance to allow this on their residential streets it's very limited it's not like the LSV process that is very thorough it literally says functioning brakes it does say reflectors on the front and the back and it says a rearview mirror I mean that's that's the extent of it I suspect that we'll probably want to mirror more of that SV with side mirrors running lights, things of that nature. The uh triangle stop in the back. Wipers.

Yeah, wipers. Wipers is also one of the This is interesting because it's actually not in the state statute, but for some reason at the local level when you go to get it, they require a wiper. I'm not sure how functional they are, but I'll tell you, it does make a difference. I've driven golf carts with without a wiper, and you have to look out sometimes because you can't really see. Uh, so the wiper does make a difference when in the rain. No, it would. I wish I had wipers on my glasses when I'm riding in the rain, but Okay. So, thank you very much. So, we'll bring this back uh the next commission meeting. Yes. Thank you very much. Um, we're going to take a 10-minute break and we'll be right back. Thank you, sir.

Mr. Clerk, you ready? Recording in progress. Yes, sir. We're ready. All right. Welcome back. We have two items left on the agenda. One is a time sharing item for 3 p.m. I apologize we're so late. Item I1, Madam City attorney.

Thank you, mayor. Item I1 is a hearing pursuant to the alternative dispute resolution mechanism set forth in the class action settlement agreement regarding the determination by the retirement board that class members in Murhey versus city of Coral Gables case number 13-20731CA13 Florida 11 circuit court gap members and opt out members should receive a cost of living increase to retirement benefits. Mayor, if you allow me, I'd like to um kind of explain um the process here.

Yes. The alternative dispute resolution mechanism was established pursuant to the class action settlement agreement and was ultimately codified in the city code pursuant to ordinances 2018-1, 2018-25, and 2018-35. The mayor has issued a procedural order to govern the conduct of this hearing that has been shared with interested parties and is included in the record for this agenda item. The procedural order provides as follows. Any person wishing to speak must be sworn in by the city clerk. The finance director or her designate will have three minutes to present her professional recommendation based on the memorandum provided to the city commission. Any individual wishing to address the city commission will be afforded three minutes each. After the conclusion of the presentations, the city commission may ask questions of any party or individual. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, the city commission in its sole discretion may by a four-fits vote reject the retirement board's determination or reduce the amount of the proposed COLA considering the following factors. A whether the present value of the proposed COLA exceeds the net actuarial experience of the retirement system accumulated from all sources of gains and losses since July 1st, 1994. B the amount of the unfunded actuarial acred liability and whether it has been declining or increasing and the amount of such decline or increase. C the amount of the unfunded actuarial acred liability and the amount by which it will increase if the proposed COLA is granted. D the number of years since the last COLA was granted. E, the percentage increase of the last cola that was granted. F, the single year actuarial experience of the retirement system for each of the seven years preceding the proposed cola and the net actuarial experience of the preceding seven years. And G, the increase or decrease of the consumer price index issued by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. If the commission takes no action today or there is not a forfeits vote to reject or reduce the retirement board's determination, the retirement board's determination to grant a cola of 1.45% will stand. If the commission votes to eliminate or reduce the cola by a forfeits vote, the city commission's

decision will not be overturned unless arbitrary and capricious, any decision of the commission to reject the retirement board's determination or reduce the amount of the proposed cola based on factor A alone and regardless of the other factors specified will not be considered arbitrary or capricious. And so, mayor, with your permission, I would ask the city clerk to please swear in everyone who will be speaking today and then we can turn it over to the finance director. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Those who will be testifying on this item, please stand and raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm the testimony you'll provide today will be the truth and nothing but the truth? Thank you. How are you?

Good. Before we get started, there's going to be some rules as you remember from the last time when we had this. We will allow everyone to speak the allotted three minutes. There will be no shouting from the back. There will be no one running up to the podium like we had last time. here. You will have one time to speak, which is what's allotted to everyone that comes here and speak. The last time that we had this, it was a rodeo. It was a circus in the public safety building. As Miss Maria Cruz knows in the back, she's giggling away because she enjoys it more than anybody else. It will not happen today. No matter the outcome, we will respect the chambers and we respect the city of Co Gables. Many of you were here last time. Many of you understood exactly what happened. While many agreed or disagreed, it was an embarrassing moment for the city of Coral Gables. The way that things were conducted was not the way that we should conduct ourselves here in the city. So, I ask you, like I do in every commission meeting, let's be respectful, let's be thoughtful, and let's abide by the rules that make this city so special. Madam Finance director, the floor is yours.

Good afternoon. Diana Gomez, finance director. At the pension board meeting of November 13, 2025, the board voted to approve the 2026 COLA of 1.45% to class members as required by the COLA lawsuit settlement. Additionally, the pension board voted to approve the same 2026 COLA to gapped and out opt out members in accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement. At this hearing, the city commission in a sold discretion may by a super majority of four-fifths vote reject the retirement board's determination or reduce the amount of the proposed cola. As a finance director of the city of Coral Gables, it is my professional recommendation that the city commission reject the board's proposed 2026 cola for class members, gap, and opt- out members. My recommendation considers the factors listed in the ordinance ordinance that are to be considered by the city commission in making this der determination. Specifically, a the present value of the proposed COLA will exceed the net actuarial experience of the retirement system. The current cumulative experience loss as of September 30th, 2024 is $194.9 million as of the 2024 actuarial valuation report. B. The unfunded liability is $169.8 million as of the last valuation. The unfunded liability has increased from the previous year by $12.8 million. C. Providing for the 2026 COLA of 1.45% would increase the unfunded liability by $5.25 million. D. The last COLA paid was paid on January 1st, 2025. E. The last cola provided 4% COLA for 2025. F. The single year actual experience of the retirement system for each of the seven preceding years um years preceding the proposed COLA is provided in my memo to the commission. But the sum of those net actuary experience over the preceding seven years is a gain of 8.165

million. G the increase of the consumer price index since the last cola paid in January 2025 is 2.9%. for the factors support the the above factors support rejection of the 2026 COLA as the cost associated with granting the COLA would adversely impact the pension system. It's my professional recommendation that the city commission does not grant a cola of any amount until the pension fund is in a positive actuarial position. A cola granted before then would cause additional increase to the unfunded liability which would adversely impact the pension system. Thank you very much, Mr. Clerk. I'd like to hear from the individuals that like to be heard.

Understood. First speaker, Mr. Mayor Maria Cruz. Mrs. Maria Cruz. It is Mrs. Maria Cruz. 1447 Miller Road. Today during A6, item A6, we heard a proclamation that was read about how wonderful our police and fire departments employees are. We heard marvelous things about our police. And some of you may think or may have thought at that time that this commission loves the police and the firemen. The only problem is that actions speak louder than words. The reality is bigger than smoke and mirrors. We have elected officials that are here present that forget when it comes time to negotiating contracts and discussing cola benefits that they love the police and the wonderful job that the fire department does. They forget that we have young police officers and young firemen that leave this city because of the salaries. And now is that's not the only point. Now we also see that once they retire,

we forget about them. We don't care about them anymore. You already served. You already did your job. Forget about you. If you can't make it, too bad. So here we are. Once before, not long ago, last month, when we were all distraught about the two officers that were killed, and some of us really meant it. Some of us were really upset about that, but some put on a very good show. We were so so sad because, you know, we love the police and then we know the reality. The reality is we love the police and the fire except when it comes down to compensation. We are here today to talk about cola. I think you need to look at the people that are here, the retired people that need you to show how much you support them and forget about the hypocritical comments that you all make and make it happen. This is not a charade. This is reality. These are people that worked for you, that work for me, that work for our city. And now, because they're retired, you don't care about them. And I'm sorry. I don't mean all of you. I mean those of you that do not think that they deserve what most human beings would deserve. And yes, the time ended. Uh, Lago, Mr.

Next person, please. Charles Davis. Hello. Good afternoon, sir.

Hello. Thank you, uh, mayor, commissioners. My name is Charles Davis. I'm a retired coros firefighter. Um, my mother actually worked for the city, um, and had to quit because she was pregnant with me back in 60some years ago. Um, I came to work for the city and I kind of made a deal. I if I did this, if I worked these many years, then my retirement would be this. and and it was pretty well set in stone for the 25 years that I was here. After I left and it was time to get a cola, the deal changed. And this cola isn't so that I can buy a new TV or, you know, buy a new car or, you know, get get luxuries. It's a cost of living increase. At this point, we're talking about one and a half%. If I went to Publix and told them I only want to pay one and a half% more than groceries were last year, they'd laugh at me. Okay, one and a half% is a drop in the bucket, but it's better than nothing. And it's sad that I should even have to come here every year and beg for one and a half%. But I'm just asking that you guys please do the right thing. Thank you. And I'd like to yield the rest of my time to the other speakers.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Dan Thornnehill. Thanks, Charlie. Um, I believe he had almost two minutes left or so if I could just run over a few over my three minutes. Um, thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. Mr. Mayor, you said the word respect, and I surely hope that you'll reciprocate that respect when we talk about the the importance of this issue here, the the respect of these individuals that are dying, that have been retired 15, 20 years that aren't able to attend here and the lack of respect that they feel by having their uh agreement that they retired under taken away. May I respect May I respond to you, please? Because you you invoked me.

Well, you looked at me when you said respect and I said process. So, I'm reciprocating it back to you as well, but please go ahead. I said respect. Mr. Clerk, will you do me a favor? Will you pull the public records request and make sure that everyone here gets a copy of last year's video of this exchange that happened here in the middle just in case they forgot how it happened. I respect your work. I respect what you've done here in the city, but disagreeing with you doesn't mean that I don't respect you. And you know that very well. Yeah, I was just using your word, respect.

No, what I what I was talking about was the way that the meeting will be conducted. I know that last year on their Amos Rojos, uh, this was a circus and it was enjoyable to see people screaming from the grand stands. You know, you even had the Chief Hudac show up here. Uh, you had multiple people screaming and running up to it's not going to happen because at the end of the day, it's not appropriate. You can make your point without having to attack me or disrespect the city. So, I just said, let's be respectful and thoughtful. And if you come and if you come to the meetings, if you happen to come to our commission meetings in the beginning, you will see that I read always a public comment statement. It says very clearly, I say, "Welcome. I'm going to ask everyone who comes up to state their name and address for the record. You will have three minutes to share your thoughts with the commission. As a reminder, these comments are limited to those items on the agenda or within the scope of the city's commission jurisdiction. If you wish to speak on an item that is on the agenda right now, please remember that you will not be given additional opportunity. Please be respectful and thoughtful. Thank you very much. So, I'm treating you the same way I treat everyone else.

And I appreciate that. Thank you. But you have to admit since we're talking about respect that last year was a circus. I'm not going to agree with that, but that that's your opinion. That's Thank you very much as well. Um seat.

Thank you and thank you for the opportunity. Welcome back, Peter. Uh Commissioner Lava or Laura, excuse me. Welcome. Uh happy to have you here. Uh Dan Thornnehill, retired firefighter, 31 years with the city of Coral Gables. 16 of that I was a battalion chief. Um, as dramatic as it sounds, uh, I made decisions that determined if firefighters went home. And I know it sounds dramatic, but that's the reality of it. and seeing the younger firefighters here today, uh, it made me really reflect that the older firefighters, and that's really what we're talking about. Even though this affects me as well, and it's my monies that I agree to and and did everything I was supposed to, but the older firefighters, they didn't have the training, the equipment, the response time, the building construction, the things that protect and insulate some of the newer, younger firefighters. He he's out on disability. There's four other firefighters I spoke to today couldn't make the drive because of their illness and they have cancer. They have different heart issues and if you understand sleep deprivation, there's a a plethora of information out there about what that does to the body. And firefighters working 24 on off 48 and with mandatory overtime so we can keep all the units staffed 24 hours a day. Keith Cook was instrumental in making sure that we had that minimum staffing article so we would have here 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We never close. That comes at a cost, not monetarily, but physically. Um, you talk about numbers and I respect numbers just as everybody does, but you have a goal that you would like to get to 90% funded and lower the assumption rate. Admirable, but that's a cost. Let's talk about some other numbers of that lawsuit. How many of these people have died? That brings the cost down. It doesn't bring it up. There's been over 200 people, I believe, that have died since this thing started. The two colas that were granted were cut in half. Cut in half. If somebody said to you, "Hey, you know what? Your parents are retired in Social Security and they did a great job. They did

everything they're supposed to, but we're going to cut their benefit fit in half." I'm sure you could raise your arm and say, "Wait a minute. What?" It's no different here. We've averaged 0.55% 0.55% in 13 years as far as a cost of living adjustment. 10 years went by a decade that nothing was done. We get the phone calls from our retired widows from the older retirees. We have I think 12 different guys right now that don't qualify for Medicare. We don't get social security and they're in our health trust. Our health trust has gone up 20%. 10% last year, 10% coming up in January. This 1.45% makes a huge difference. Even though it's only a prescription or whatever, I'm begging you, please support this. It's not a major cost.

Thank you very much. And I thank you, Mr. Clerk. Rick Cook, Chief, good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Mr. manager, vice mayor, attorney, and uh glad to be here today. Um but I'm not glad to be here again. I'm here representing the old guys. I am one of the old guys now at uh 70 plus years of age. Uh trying to stay on my feet, but there's a lot of guys that I worked with for I worked 34 years and I was the fire chief. But uh these guys are hurting out there. Um, I've worked side jobs. I taught in a university for 10 years after I retired. Um, because I had to. And I can tell you right now, but a lot of my friends that were firefighters, they can't work and they can barely survive. Um, so I just want to commend you first of all for doing the job you do, but I wanted you to go look in your heart, as Dan had said, for these people that signed a contract, had a deal with the city for a certain amount of money, and then things change. Now, I know things change in life, uh, but I don't believe they deserve to be living under the circumstances that they are, and I know a lot of them. I still have the phone numbers and names of every person who worked on the fire department, and I talk with them often, and uh, yeah, there's some guys that are doing great out there, but there's a lot that aren't, and they're living dayto day. And that's I just ask that you would think about that as you vote. and I know you have a tough tough job to do uh but I pray you'll do your best. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir.

Mr. Clerk, Harry Pickering.

Good afternoon. My name is Harry Pickering, retired police major. I served from 1976 until uh 2007. Regarding colas, uh, to prepare for the immediate future, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson made a motion at last year's COLA hearing to create a line item in the city's annual budget, a line item or an account or a bucket, so to speak, for depositing funds in that bucket to help fund future colas or some sort of other retirey benefit. That motion did pass. I believe it passed unanimously. Retiree Martin Baros has been communicating in the past with Vice Mayor Anderson about about this going back several years prior to that meeting and since. Well, when we examined this year's budget estimate and then the final budget, there was no cola line item. The commission either failed to follow its own direction or the manager's office or whomever failed to follow up on the commission's direction from that day. You all were at the annual city commission workshop just 39 days ago on October 24th. Each one of you is well aware that the that the retirement board actuary has documented in writing that if the pension fund continues to meet or exceed its assumption rate and earns the projected interest in the investment plan that we will be fully funded in six years. Here's a quote from that joint workshop. Assuming the total city contributions along with the extra payments being made every year which increase 1.2 2.5% each year in the 15-year recovery plan. And if the investment return assumption remains at 7% and all assumptions are realized and we earn 7% interest a year, then our retirement system should be fully funded in just six years on October 1st, 2031. End quote. On November 14th, Mayor Lago published his online mayor's newsletter criticizing commissioners Castro and Fernandez for voting for a 4% cola last

year while failing to mention that Commissioner Menendez and Vice Mayor Anderson also vote also voted for a super majority. Many retirees personally resented this article, but the bottom line of the mayor's article is true. The coal is awarded between now and six years or so from now will increase the unfunded actuarial liability and could extend the time it takes to become fully funded. Forcing retirees to wait six years or more for a cost of living increase is unconsciousable. Whatever terms you like or dislike, all retirees are suffering from financial distress trying to make ends meet. Today the catchphrase being affordability. So if you do not approve today the 1.4% four besides percent cola. Then my suggestion is that we need to start thinking outside the box and instead inward a one-time lumpsum bonus or stimulus check to the retirees each year not funded by monies from the pension fund but funded from this new promised line item in the budget so it doesn't affect the unfunded actuarial liability of pension fund. So I'm asking you to please just one more paragraph sir. So, I'm asking you to please find a source of the funds to grant a stimulus or bonus check for retirees without incurring any liability on the pension fund. And I further ask that you grant this stimulus or bonus check to all retirees, not just the retirees that were members of the lawsuit that was settled in 2018. Last year, the retirees were members of the settlement agreement received the COLA. But those retirees that have retired since 2018, and retirees in the next six years or so did not and will not receive a COLA. Last year, some 756 retirees who were members of the settlement agreement received the COLA, but some 237 other retirees did not receive a COLA. And we have approximately 993 retirees. So I'm asking you to also

please include those retirees that are not a part of the settlement agreement. Thank you very much. Retired since that time and henceforth thank you. Mr. Clerk Joe McNickel. Good afternoon sir.

Good afternoon. My name is Joe McNickel. I served with the police department for 30 years from 1982 until 2012. And uh along with my other retirees, thank you for the opportunity to address you on this uh on this item. This is the third consecutive year me and my fellow retirees have come to speak on this agenda item and we do so in the true spirit of the alternate dispute resolution mechanism called for in the cost of living adjustment litigation with the city last year. You listened to your retired employees and granted a 4% cost of living adjustment. Your listening and your vote to grant that adjustment is acknowledged and appreciated. The other aspect of this issue that is also acknowledged by retirees is the challenge of the retirement system's unfunded liability that you have maintained your commit commitment to addressing with the city's annual contributions to the retirement system. As we do appreciate the city's commitment to the long-term sustainability of the retirement system, we must also continue to remind you of what the long-term financial challenges are for your retirees. Those being the estimated cumulative increases in the consumer price index. The finance director's November 30th memo only cites the 2025 CPI of 2.9%. To appreciate the full scope of retirees financial challenges, you can look to the CPI inflation calculator provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is found easily online by searching for BLS CPI inflation calculator. Using the BLS calculator, you can see that from January of 2000 to September 2025, an amount of goods and services that cost $1,000 in the year 2000 is now estimated to cost $1,924.

That's a compounded cumulative increase of 90% in a 25-year period. Using the history of uh cost of living adjustments provided by GRS, the actuary, and their 2026 COLA determination letter, the COLA is granted to retirees in the same 25-year period amount to 20.275%. While retirees do not expect the percentage of cumulative adjustments to match the inflation calculator, we do remind you that our only ability to get a little closer than we are rests in this process of addressing you. To echo uh Harry Pickering's remarks, in each of the previous two years, Vice Mayor Anderson has expressed at length her desire to see funds allocated as part of an annual budget process until the net actual experience approved in six or seven years. Funds that would not be a percentage adjustment, but a fixed amount of retirement to retirement system beneficiaries. But as far as any of us have heard, that proposal has not resulted in much if any followup in the annual budget estimate process. So again, uh in the true spirit of the alternative dispute resolution mechanism process, if you cannot grant the proposed 1.45% adjustment, which we desperately need you to do, then please resolve to follow up with Vice Mayor Anderson's proposal during the annual budget estimate process.

Thank you very much. You are retirees only allies in our battle with compounded long-term inflation. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. That's it. Mr. Mayor, please close the public comment. What is the will of the commission?

Mr. So I this past week had the opportunity to go and speak to our state leaders and as most of you are aware there are a number of proposals out there for elimination of property taxes. The reality is this is the way we pay bills in our city. But before I I reach some of my u reflections on that visit, I'm going to share with you, you know, because you brought up a number of times that I asked for the line item that was because in the budgeting process to come after the budget is done and now ask for monies that have already been budgeted elsewhere is is really not a well way a good way to run a budget. But there was a substantial COLA increase last year. Not a line item type of increase, but a substantial increase that required monies to be taken out of other budgeted areas and put in uh to take care of the coal increase. In the future, you know, a line item may be warranted for doing lumpsum checks. Lumpsum checks are much more predictable, less less volatile, much easier to make sure that we take care of the rank and file that are currently serving our city. And that's not to denigrate the years of service that you all have, but really the budgetary realities because the budgetary realities this year are dramatically different than last year. We don't know where we're going. We don't know if it's going to be off a cliff where there's zero property tax dollars coming in, but we know something for sure is going to

happen. So, this morning I put together just a brief memo to highlight a few things and our government affairs director followed through as well. Then I'll make some additional comments so you understand the true picture of what's happening in Tallahassee and perhaps your voices need to be heard there as well. During the legislative trip this last week, I was able to meet with key legislators listed in the end of this memo and lieutenant governor for our city's budgeting purposes. Listed below are some of the issues discussed during those meetings and information we have received from other sources that have and will decrease the city's revenues and increase expenses. Property taxes is the first item I touch on. It's abundantly clear that the Florida legislature will be passing a proposal for property tax relief this year and the governor will call for special sessions if a proposal is not reached during the regular session. While some proposals exempt funding for quote first responders, the first the House committee discussions reveal that some of the proposals only consider the police department as exempt. Stated differently, the fire department budget is not exempted from the revenue cutting proposal. Let that sink in. This is my concern. We don't know where we're going. We don't we will not know until this legislative session is over. And then the voters who get to punch the ballot of eliminating property taxes don't really understand the repercussions of what they're choosing. Number two, TPO funding. This is the transportation planning organization. That funding was cut uh for our trolley and freebie services.

That's current cut. We're going to have People want that service. We will be facing the music on that one, too. Business tax receipts as are again coming this year. As in past years, the Florida legislature is considering proposals to cut city business tax receipts. I recently learned that there are proposals in both the House and the Senate this year that will make that cut more likely this legislative session. And I know the city manager knows the impact of that. And it's not pocket change that we're talking about again. It's going to be more hundreds of thousand. I don't know million4 million I think it is.

You would be able to tell me $4 million there.

Based upon the foregoing revenue cuts to our current and future budgets. I respectfully request that staff highlight the impact of these proposals on every decision this commission makes to increase expenses or decrease revenues to the city. and the long-term impact of the reduction of revenue to our city services and capital improvements that residents expect the city to accomplish and maintain. I listed in there the folks that I met with and spoke with, some of them twice. There's a memo attached to this uh from our government affairs director. This will be posted on the city's website so you all can retrieve it. There's a number of factors that our finance director cited. None of them dealt with this issue here. The elimination of property taxes is a real threat this year. It's going to happen in some form or another. There will be a reduction and we're going to have to be able to pivot and re reshape our budget and it's going to cut fire budget. It's going to cut all kinds of budgets. It which supports fire it which supports police

garbage garbage maintenance of the vehicles the trucks that run the police vehicles that run. This is a big topic that we have to deal with before we can deal with anything else. So, I'm sorry I cannot support a full increase this year with the major issues that we're facing on city budget. Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor. Go to the mayor.

Thank you, Vice Mayor. What I would like to say is I would not be supporting a cola this year. Um, when I got elected in 2013, our pension was funded 52%. We gave I think it was about half a million dollars that year, Mr. Manager. I don't have a chart in front of me. And every year we've been going up to last year, I think we gave a little over 9 million. Correct. And this year we went down to seven.

Yes. Uh uh last year was 9.5 million. This uh excuse me, the year before was 9.5 million. Last year is about 7.7 million. The reason we reduced it is because we took the money to pay for the cola. So while you got your cola, we still hurt you in your retirement. So when we talk about respect and we talk about commitment, I could have spent all that money with my colleagues on beautifification projects. I respected you and I invested that additional money every year, 7.5 million, $99.5 million in the pension. This is the right thing to do. It's not the pretty thing to do or the sexy thing to do, but it's the right thing to do. They say it's going to be fully funded in six years. Yeah, that's if we don't continue to chip away at. We don't continue to grant colas. It's a tough situation to be in. Do you grant employees that deserve a cola or do you not? You can hate me for it. It's fine. I know I'm in a tough position, but I got to vote my conscience. Just to put it on the record before other people take credit for it. That's the way it works around here. I will take credit for it with Kase and Raising and Mana and Quesada. That started in 2015. That's when we started tightening our belt to ensure that we pay down the unfunded. A fully a fully funded pension will free up capital. Significant. Right now, we're required to pay $5 million. We're paying, correct me if I'm wrong, madam finance director, $32 million a year. Correct. For the entire amount for a pension yearly, $ 32 million. But we're obligated to only pay five.

Think about that. It's a huge difference. Huge difference because we're putting additional monies as gravy to ensure that your retirement is taken care of. That's respect. Real respect. So yes, my colleagues voted for a cola and I voted against it. But these are the tough decisions where you got to make a decision whether you continue to jeopardize a pension by just granting colas and granting colas and granting colas knowing that there's going to be legislation coming from Tallahassee that's going to potentially jeopardize our source of income. I just can't do that. I can't. So I think gradu I think granting a almost $2 million a year cola last year was beyond rich and then stacking that on top of it now you know where the money's going to come from right the money's coming from the additional unfunded liability payments that we're making. That's where we're going to take the money from. So we're going to just continue to hurt your pension. just continue to hurt the pension because the other option is raising taxes. And before the um the blog snippet and put it out there that I want to raise taxes, I'll never raise taxes. I'll never do that. We need to live within our means and we need to tighten our belt. So, I'm a firm no on this. I think we need to be thoughtful. I know you're in need. I could have kept my salary when my colleagues to my left and right raised their salaries by 101%. But out of respect for you and the employees, I cut back that salary along with my colleagues here, Commissioner Lada and the vice mayor. I don't think it was appropriate. I

thought it was actually a slap in the face to the retirees. So, I'm a firm no uh in regards to this and I hope that you understand it that it's in protection of your pensions and in protection of the city that at the end of the day you all depend on because the city does well. We pay down our pensions and we continue to ensure that your retirement is protected. um through the mayor measur I have been attacked over and over again by the mayor being right here to my left that's true

100% and by his pearl gables first since he likes to mention it so much you know why because I was supporting police and fire retirees that is the reason okay but before I continue I want to thank you for your service because that's really important and that's something that you cannot oversee because all of you sacrificed a lot of your lives for this city and that's why I feel so strong that we need to give back when you guys are struggling. This lawsuit settlement was in 2018. It started off with 91 members. Right now in this settlement there's 744 left. Do you know what that means? Let me put something into perspective. That means that while we have not been giving you a cola increase, let me 157 have passed away. So my question to this commission is what are we waiting for? For all of them to pass away. Is that what we're waiting for? To finally give a cola to what when there's a hundred left? I mean, I I think it's our responsibility to take care of you guys in in a balanced approach that does not hurt the city and that you guys are not struggling at home trying to make ends meet. It is our responsibility. The mayor here says, "Put your money where your mouth is." That's what he just said, that he backs the blue, that he backs first responders. Well, this is your chance to prove that you back first responders. Put your money where your mouth is. Um, this city deeply loves police and fire and I think this commission needs to take that into perspective. You guys are the backbone. You were the backbone and

I respect you and once again, thank you for your service. in response to the commissioner and the last union contract negotiate with the police and support of the union contract. We're in a good position with our employees, but I will not waste all the hard work that we've done since 2013 to ensure that we pay down our pension because I will not allow you to be in a position where your retirement is in jeopardy. So, all the back to blue and put your money where your mouth is. Again, belt tightening is something that is very difficult to do and people have to do it. Retirees have to do it and we have to do it too to ensure that we are viable. So, at the end of the day, I will be voting no. Still back the blue. I still back our firefighters, but I will not agree to irresponsible agreements, especially when it comes to pensions that have massive legacy implications. Massive legacy implications. Because look what we look how we got into this. I didn't give you 52% funded pension. I walked into it in 2013. Let's remember that and remember that clearly. But I assume that responsibility along with my colleagues in the commission to add additional money to take care of your pensions that were mismanaged until we got here. People tend to forget that. And it's very easy for people on my right to mention that when they they weren't at 52% when they walked in at almost 80% funded. Spend. It's not my money. At the end of the day, as a taxpayer in this community, as a homeowner, I have to protect the residents alongside the employees.

And that's the difference between myself and Commissioner Castro. She doesn't pay property taxes here. She doesn't understand that. And when you do, you have a little more clarity before you make decisions that cost the city $20 million and potentially even more today. another 7 million. Commissioner Lada, you had something you wanted to say?

Yeah, I just wanted to say, you know, I want to echo bits and pieces of what the rest of my commissioner colleagues here have said. I mean, I'm very appreciative, very grateful for all the service you brave men have given over the years to the city. Um, I mean, a great personal sacrifice, great economic sacrifice to yourselves. There certainly is an easier way to make a living than to be a firefighter or to be a police officer. There's no question about that. Um, but that being said, echoing what the vice mayor said, echoing what the mayor said, we have great uncertainty about where we're going to be with respect to the budget following these uh likely um property tax reductions. I mean, like what is certain is that there's going to be a property tax reduction. what is uncertain, you know, because the vice mayor and I were up in Tallahassee last week. That's what came across pretty loud and clear from our legislature. So until then, until we have a clear picture to understand, you know, what we're going to be looking at revenue going forward, my responsibility, why I was elected was to ensure a long time long-term fiscal balance and to ensure that we have enough money to make all of our obligations. I cannot pick and choose as if it were my money how to spend it. I'm responsible for all the residents and all the services that the residents of Corables deserve and expect. It would be uh unwise. It wouldn't be prudent. And I'm not in the business of of Robin Peter to pay Paul because in the end I will be putting to jeopardy where we're going to find the funds when I don't know what the financial future looks like and climbing out of a hole is very difficult to do and it won't be on my

watch that we're going to climb uh downwards into a hole. There'll be another time we'll be able to perhaps revisit this issue. I like some of the creative ideas that were coming up. Maybe lump sum payment or some other avenue that we can look at when we have a clearer picture of what our revenues will look like. But in the meantime, I mean, understand, gentlemen, when I was elected, I ran understanding exactly for for for illustrative purposes, right? I knew how much the salary would be as a commissioner and I ran knowing what it was, but the very first vote I took here was to cut it in half. I did my part that that's money that would have been in my pocket going back to the city. I also am a homeowner. I pay taxes to this city, but I was elected to make sure that I wasn't going to be anything less than prudent about how we spend it. Um, it's a difficult decision, but we're not up here to make the easy ones. Believe me, the easier decision would be to give everybody who wants something and even deserves something. Give it now and let the next commissioner elected worry about those decisions tomorrow. I'm trying to figure out tomorrow today. So, my vote will be no. Commission Commissioner Fernandez. These discussions are never easy. They were more difficult when you're dealing with somebody who's just launching political attacks all the time just to try to score cheap political points. Last year, four of us voted to grant a 3-2 vote as the mayor has tried to paint many different occasions and his pack. And I agreed with the vice mayor then.

And I have to tell you, I agree with the vice mayor today. We are in a situation today where our uncertainty going into October is we're not sure what tax revenue is going to be come October. And we may have to be finding ways just to pay our portion, not just the additional payment, but the portion that we have to pay. Until that uncertainty is addressed, I agree with Commissioner Lara, we're in a position and and I mentioned it last year, this always comes about during a very difficult time. It's after budget season and at that point is when we have the numbers and we can figure out what we need to what that coal is going to be. And that's a situation we're in today. Predicting where we'll be in October is virtually impossible. too many factors that are at play. Granting a cola right now will put the city in a situation which I believe will put us in a bad situation going into October with the potential uncertainty that we face. Had we had a conversation even 3 months ago, the whole conversation about property taxes was just, you know, pie in the sky. This was something that was being, you know, tossed around, but nobody thought it was a reality. But today we know that is their goal. It's no longer an idea that was tossed around. It's a goal in Tallahassee to ensure that property taxes are either eliminated, reduced, or reformed. And we have a responsibility up here to ensure not only your financial future because if we're not paying into the pension fund, those funds are going to dry out, but also the men and women in uniform today, but we need to make sure we can keep them on our streets. We can

live up to the contracts and the contract exp expectations that we have with them. And as difficult as it is to say, I can't support the cola today. I I really can't. And and you all know how difficult this decision was has been for me in the past. Three years ago when I voted against it last year, we were able to to get something done. We were in a better position. We're not this year. We're really not this year. The the uncertainty that's being tossed to us from Tallahassee is very a very difficult situation. uh and it could put the city in a very untenable position trying to provide the services that we need to provide. So, we need to make that decision. Unfortunately, we can't put ourselves in a position where we're now having to take money out in order to before we get into that that that situation. So, as much as I would like to support a cola today, you had my support on it last year and you know, next year we'll see what next year brings. Um I cannot support it today.

Thank you very much. Uh entertain a motion motion move to deny. A second clerk. Just to clarify, it' be a motion to reject the determination of the retirement board to grant the cola of 1.45%. Yes. We have a second. Mr. Commissioner Castro, no. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner La, yes. Vice Mayor Anderson, yes. Mayor Lock. Yes. Moving on to the next item.

If I may, Mr. Mayor, um I would like to take up the determination we had made last year about possibly putting an line item on the budget or at least bringing this issue up again in budget season so that we can have a conversation at that point, making that a priority going into budget season just to have a conversation and be ready if we're in this position next year. Um because we we did vote on that last year. I thought it had been included in the budget. It was not. Um but just to make sure if there will be the possibility if if we're not in the financial situation we're we're trying to prevent um that we can at least have a conversation during budget season uh to see if we can be ready for this position versus always being behind the eightball.

Call it um if I may. It was called political attacks and all kinds of things. I voted in favor of having the conversation. Amos Rojos was the manager. A manager who would not speak to me for 10 months. This could have been brought up at any time over the last year. So if we're serious about it, you're serious about it, bring it up the first day in the budget or a month before the budget or two months before. Don't bring it up now saying, "Oh, I thought this was going to happen." So, at the end of the day, if you're serious about it, do it. Don't just talk about it and then say, "Oh, this is politics. This is politics. This is politics." It's not politics. This is reality.

This is what it is. So, if you're serious about it, grab the bull by the horns and start talking about it,

not during budget ser. Start talking about it in February, in April. Start talking about it before and sit down with the manager and sit down with his team and figure out a way to address the issue. And where are we going to get the money from? But if I may one last thing, where are we going to cut from? Remember, we're cutting. Cuz remember what I said and my dear friend in the back, the giggler said, "Winter's coming. Winter's here." And everybody laughed at me. Property values were going up 11 and 12%. Then where did they go, Mr. Manager? Down to eight. Correct.

Yes. And then they went down 5.5. 5.5.

Winter came. Winter came. And now it's being exacerbated like a five like a five gallallon drum of oil being thrown on a fire by the conversations that are being had at state level. So winners here. So at the end of the day, we can talk about it, but there's not going to be more revenue. We're actually losing revenue. Let me give you examples because I like facts, not politics. So the gas tax has gone down because more people are using electric cars. TPO funding, which I've gotten before and we're back on the TPO, has gone down. Correct. Property values are not going up double digits. That's gone down. But what's gone up? Insurance keep continues to be an issue. Healthc care coverage continues to be an issue. It's a litany of things that are continuing to be an issue. So, want to be honest with my colleagues on the commission and the blogs. You're going to have to cut services or you're going to have to cut projects or staff. That's what it means to run a business. But winter's not coming. Winner's here, guys. Okay? We laughed and we giggled and we danced and we had a good time. We mocked. But it's here. That's why a $20 million cola last year, which cost $2 million, was catastrophic. Okay. Madam, Vice Mayor,

so I'm going to put a footnote on it for the rank file as well. If we spend recklessly, and I'm not saying this is reckless, if we spend without the checks and balances of being able to pay our bills, Tallahassee is watching. And and they, you know, we have to be careful how we spend. We have to balance the budget. Robbing Peter to pay Paul doesn't work. We have to maintain our streets. They expect us to maintain our streets. They expect us to maintain our sidewalks. Okay? And we have to, if we're going to get any appropriations request from them, come up with at least a 50% match. If you don't, you're not going to get the appropriation. You have an opportunity to speak to your state legislators about why it would not be wise to cut the revenues that can go to to the fire department because we all know how important a fire department is not only to this municipality but all the municipalities throughout the state of Florida where the departments triage in advance of a storm coming through. Some legislators may not be aware of that. It's time to help inform them just the remarkable performance that happens and the type of resources it takes for that to happen. Instead of cutting the revenues for these departments, they should leave them alone. So that's my my final comment on that. through the mayor. Yes. Briefly, I just wanted to add

to what the vice mayor said, and that's an excellent,

very astute observation on your part because when you and I were up in Tallahassee last week, I was taken aback actually by how frank, how direct, and how candid people, I would say the majority of the folks that we met with were in expressing just how focused their eyes are on Coral Gables and how we spend money. They were specific in saying that they were displeased to be charitable, okay, with the increases that the former commission allotted for themselves while at the same time going up to Tallahassee and asking for appropriations. I was not a part of that delegation, but I'm hearing from the people up in Tallahassee saying that we are watching you. The silver lining is that they did they did express that they like the way the new direction that the city has been taken since the last election. I took that I took some solace in that, but I also took that as a warning. change course. We control the purse strings. So I have to echo and note what you said because you hit the nail square on the head and that's part of the overall conversation. I want everybody here today on this item to understand we are under tremendous pressure here, not just here but all the municipalities all over Florida. But the one I'm worried about is this one here in Coral Gable. I'm not worried about other municipalities because I wasn't elected statewide. I was elected here to be commissioner. So that that is further explanation and further underscoring why this is a very

difficult decision from an emotional uh perspective but not at all from a fiscal prudent perspective. It's actually the only one that makes sense. Thank you. Um Mr. Clerk, just want to make sure we have one item left on the agenda. That is correct, Mr. Mayor. Item F8. Yes, sir. Mayor, we also have a a pocket item that the Yes, we'll do that after that. Item F8,

Mr. Kirk. Uh, pocket item that we have here from the manager. And I'd like to also give as a pocket item our government affairs director an opportunity to summarize our our trip to While we're waiting for her to come up here. Uh Mr. Manager, would you like to address your pocket item here? Mayor, do you want me to read the title? Yes. Yeah. Okay. So, this is a resolution of the city commission of Coral Gables appointing Javier Font as a special master for quasi judicial public hearings for the board of architects pursuant to sections 14-103.3 and 14-103.2 two of the Coral Cape Bulls zoning code. Can I get a motion? I'll move it. A second. Thank you for serving. Thank you for serving. Yes.

Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner Lada. Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson. Yes. Commissioner Castro. Yes. Mayor Log. Yes. Um, Vice Mayor the Forers. Thank you. Okay. Our government affairs director Chelsea Grenell accompanied us on a trip to Tallahassee and has prepared a beautiful memo giving the highlights of that trip and I'd like to give her an opportunity to present um what we were able to accomplish.

Thank you, Vice Mayor. Appreciate that. Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, and commissioners. Um as the vice mayor mentioned, I'm Chelsea Grenell, the government affairs director. On December 8th, I circulated a memo summarizing our trip. And today, I'd like to briefly recap our highly productive visit to Tallahassee. Sorry, I had to catch my breath. I was running up here. Our delegation, Vice Mayor Anderson, Commissioner Lara, and um and myself met with approximately a dozen key legislators across the House, Senate, and Executive branch. We advanced our appropriations, elevated our policy priorities, and strengthened critical relationships. It was clear throughout these meetings that Coral Gables is viewed as a well-prepared city and we are we were commended on several occasions for protecting and maintaining our reserves and remaining fiscally responsible. I'm also pleased to report that all six of our appropriation projects have been sponsored and filed by Senator Lyanna Garcia and Representative Demi Busousada. During our meetings, we discussed several major city priorities, including environmental and water quality funding, tree canopy protection, transportation and mobility improvements, school bus safety, um microobility and electric bike safety, and the importance of protecting public safety services in any statewide fiscal change. Property tax reform was the most discussed topic. For the most part, the Senate and the House have divided perspectives. Legislators emphasize that the governor has directed that a decision has to be made this session. The Senate favors a phased approach and police and fire services are expected to be protected. We, the delegation, reiterated our concerns regarding long-term revenue reductions and their potential impact on essential municipal services. One of the greatest strengths of this

trip was our coordination with the Coral Gable's Chamber of Commerce, which fully supported our 2026 legislative priorities and help ampl amplify our shared message. Together, we supported um we had a consistent message and uh we worked collaboratively uh and uh to to to speak to legislators uh with regard to what our um our asks were. I want to thank our state legislators for taking the time to meet with us. Um specifically uh chamber president uh Jorge Adrieta and um the chamber leadership that went with us on this trip. But I would especially like to take this time to thank the vice mayor, Vice Mayor Anderson and Commissioner Lara for their incredible leadership. Um they really did have a strong voice up there and their advocacy and representative representation for our residents. uh were were very much well heard. So thank you for that. And um I also wanted to thank our communications team like uh Martha Pantene for their collaboration and producing this uh very beautiful legislative brochure which uh has now become the standard for many people um who would look to also produce something similar. So um I just wanted to summarize this by saying that our trip I thought um along with the delegation that it was very successful uh it strengthened our partnership position the city in a very uh uh good place for this coming session and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

First and foremost I'd like to thank you the vice mayor and commissioner lot for doing an amazing job. I've spoken to the speaker of the house. I've also spoken to multiple state reps and senators. I'm actually meeting with them for coffee and for breakfast in the next few days. Uh they all spoke amazing uh in regards to the work uh that all of you did along with the chamber and they were very gracious uh about having the city of Coral Gables and I'm happy that commissioner touched upon it and the vice mayor touched upon it and you touched upon it in your memo about the issues of fiscal responsibility and being very thoughtful and being very careful and the and and just the fact that we we rehabilitated ourselves to a certain extent after the actions that were taken after this recent election. Um but that was front of mind uh front and center uh for individuals like Brian Aila, Senator Brian Aila, uh the speaker of the house, uh me members like uh Speaker, excuse me, uh Representative Poras, uh Rizzo, uh Garcia, you know, these were individuals who are very very fiscally sound. Uh believe they believe in the constitution. They believe in understanding putting residents first. and they were they were they they were they were very clear to deliver a message of that they're proud of the position that the Coral Gables is in and the position that we're taking. So I wanted to thank all of you for doing that work and I apologize for missing the time that was there. I had a business meeting that I couldn't miss.

So I I want to highlight one one more item on there and and each and every individual that we met with including lieutenant governor very much recognized and appreciated the fact that we have this ballot item coming in April. It's one of the things he also mentioned. I forgot to mention

it. It was critical that we do this, you know, so just be mindful of that. You know, the impact of doing opposite messaging uh will have a negative impact on our appropriations requests. I can see that in the future. So, um, in order to represent residents the best, we have to give them the choice to be able to vote and do a good job of making sure we make it easy for them. And I uh thank again our Alina Garcia for everything that she's done to facilitate us in this process.

Senator Garcia has been an incredible advocate and she's always, you know, doing the best that she can on behalf of the city. And one of the things that she mentioned to me was the IG uh was critical uh for you know restoring uh a little bit of respect and dignity in regards to certain decisions we have made in the past. So I thought it was very important that that came out to the mayor. Quick question. Do we have sponsors for all our appropriations?

Yes. So all six of our appropriations have been sponsored on the Senate side by Senator Lyanna Garcia and um state rep Demi Busada. Um, not only do we have sponsors, but during our trip, we talked about our policy priorities. Um, and regardless of whether or not uh the legislators we met with sponsored our items, there was a great appetite for a lot of the policies that we as a city have passed. Um, one of them, I believe, was school bus safety in addition to environmental ones as well. you know, the vice mayor did a really good job at spearheading um specific policies that she was interested in as well as commissioner Lara. All right. Well, thank you very much. Great work.

Great work. Thank you. And by the way, the memo is very comprehensive. Well done. Well done memo on behalf of all of you. Thank you. Um madam vice mayor, anything for the good of the order? I hope to see you all out for the orange bulb parade. We have minoral lighting coming up as well. Um, it's a beautiful time of year and we have a manger that everybody can enjoy. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and enjoy most of all the time with your families because our time on this earth is limited and we have to enjoy those that we love the most.

Commissioner Castro. Yeah. Um, so this is the last meeting of the year and I'm definitely going to miss all of you very much. I'll see you next year. Um, happy holidays, merry Christmas and I hope we start this next new year in the greatest level of civility.

I wish I want to echo that. Um, I wish everybody all the very best uh this holiday season. We'll all be reconvening in the new year. Wishing everybody U health, happiness, and that you enjoy time with your loved ones, your family, and that we um remember what a privileged and what a a special place it is uh to be residents of this amazing city, the city beautiful, and what a privilege it is for all of us to sit here in this capacity. Um I'm very grateful and very joyous about where we find ourselves and where we are headed. So, thank you all for for support. Commissioner Fernandez,

that's hard to follow. U but uh we also have uh the manura lighting. I don't know if you have you're going to be touching upon that. And we also have the um Hanukkah celebration at Pon Circle Park which will be taking place. I believe it's uh this coming week. So um thanks to our staff. Um you're out there every day, even during the holidays. I know a lot of you will be working. So thank you for your dedication to our city and to our residents and to all our residents. Um, happy holidays, merry Christmas, and happy Hanukkah.

Thank you very much. Uh, just a few items as we come to an end. This year has been incredibly successful. What a turnaround for the city of Coral Gables. It's a proud moment, a very proud moment for the city. Residents are happy. They're excited and it's a beautiful thing. The changes are well welcome, and uh, I can't thank you enough for having faith and trust in the leadership up here who's delivering on behalf of this community. Um, Centennial Recap. What an amazing year it's been. I want to thank Martha, ACM, DCM, city manager, all of staff. The concert was an incredible success. Sold out. Uh, a beautiful, beautiful evening. Uh, John Bell did an amazing job along with the the the entire ensemble that was there. It was an amazing amazing opportunity for everyone to come and gather and enjoy themselves. I also want to give you a recap. Uh, I ask you all, thank you for Commissioner Lada and uh and Vice Mayor Anderson for buying tickets, uh, for going to the wine auction. We raised $120,000 this year for scholarships for children. Every check, as you can know, because I know that our friend Giggles was wondering about that. Uh, all the money is written to the Corable Community Foundation. Just so you know, because I know you're interested, in four years, that wine option that I have the honor of chairing has raised $500,000 for scholarships for children who are graduating high school. If anybody would like to chair with me next year, I welcome you. Simple. We got over 220 lots this year donated from friends and family in the community, and it's been an incredible success. We broke records and that's just one of the many things that we're doing as this community to raise money in regards to our philanthropic efforts. Number number three, uh, next this weekend, sorry to say this, but we're sold out for a fourth year in the gala, but if you'd like to make a donation, all donations have to be made to the

League of Contra Cancer, a charity that I've been involved with for over 30 years, and my dad has been a proono physician at along with our dear friend who's in the back today, Tom Jr., who's been very involved with La Liga, and I thank you for your help along with his father. and we're going to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for that wonderful charity. 50% goes to La Liga. 50% goes to the foundation for the children's scholarships. Let's build together. Let's build together. Let's do good things together. Let's build. Enough knocking things down. I want to see people build beautiful things. I build for a living. So, let's keep going. Um, the nativity set. I want to thank Commissioner Lada and the vice mayor for donating. It's a beautiful cause. We finally have a nativity set up there. Uh, something that I've been thinking about over the last two years since we donated the minora, my family and I. And I'm looking forward that hopefully the entire community can show up. I think it's the 17th, correct me if I'm wrong, uh, where we're going to be c celebrating the lighting of the minora uh, here in the city. Beautiful. And here's a here's a little video of uh of our nativity set which is just amazing. A long time coming here on the city property. It's a proud moment for everyone here in the city and everyone is welcome and I've been getting great great feedback uh in regards to that. I also want to thank a resident whose family is a resident, Fernando Mendoza. I've never had the pleasure of meeting with meeting him while I didn't go to school with him. He went to Columbus. He is now a Heisman finalist. Can you believe that? A Coral Gables resident and he is uh beat Ohio State, you know, with an amazing pass at the end to to his tight end and they'll be chasing their dreams in the College Football Playoff. But this is one of our own here in the City Beautiful who God willing uh wins the Heisman and is doing an amazing job representing the city

beautiful. I'm really glad that Ohio State didn't win that game. Yes. Yes. Fernando, well done. Well done. So, well done.

Two things that I'm going to take an opportunity to use the sunshine that we're in here that I think are critically important. Uh, number one, in full transparency, um, Madame ACM, Madame DCM, Mr. Manager, we need to be very thoughtful and careful how we curate media credentials. Media, we cannot give media credentials. Media credentials has to be legitimate media credentials. It cannot be blogs. It cannot be anonymous blogs. It cannot be anything. It has to be legit. The intent the intent of the centennial orchestra event was to celebrate our centennial and we cut we slashed the price of the tickets for employees. I paid full price. I wrote a memo on it and I sent put it up. I know that was some interested people who are still here that wanted to know if I had paid for my ticket. So I wanted to make sure that that privilege was given to residents to employees, excuse me. We should not be giving media credentials to media that is not media, it's blogs. It's paid blogs. If it's the Herald, the Suns Sentinel, you know, to me, I don't have an issue with that. That's perfectly fine. We want them there. We want them to exhibit the beauty of the city of Coral Gables and the great things we're doing, but not pay for play blogs. So, um, I want I would hope that the support of the commission and I ask you to please in the next commission meeting that we have a detailed resolution that details what media credentials are for city events for city events. So, I asked that on the next commission agenda. And the final item is one that I've been working on in an effort to again streamline the process and be more transparent. it. And I'm I'm happy that the manager and I have been working on cameras for our fire department inspectors. I think it's critically important to be as transparent as possible and I think that when those inspections are ongoing, we need to make sure there's cameras just like we have for the police. So, I look

forward to that being in the next commission agenda uh so we can address this appropriately uh and it can be something that again sets the bar high, sets a standard high and we are the benchmark in regards to all municipalities. you would like to say something, Mr. Yes, they've been approved. Mayor, I'm sorry. We we're they've been approved. We are we are purchasing them to use them already.

And the final item that I'd like to have in the next agenda, please, on on January 8th, uh 13th, I'm sorry, is a recap and update of our permitting permitting system. Where are we with the study? Where are we with the implementation? Where are we with all the things that all the goodies all the goodies that we found after scouring the software and finding out a lot of things that were going on? um in the software and we can find out and we can make sure because I know that we've shut down a lot of back doors that were being used by certain uh people to have access to systems that they should not have had access to. So, I'd like to have an update on that in the next commission agenda uh because I think people are going to be very interesting very interested to find out uh certain uh Trojan horses that were inside and they were accessing the permitting department when they shouldn't have been accessing the permitting department. So, uh Mr. manager. I would like to have that on the agenda for the next commission meeting. I think it's important. I want to know where George Dios is at and where we are in regards to delivering worldclass permitting services. To me, that's critically important. And finally, I want to wish everybody a merry Christmas. I want to wish you the best of times with your family, your loved ones, your friends. Go out and enjoy yourself. Go out and support our community. It's about family and friends. It's about taking a step back and understanding that we are blessed because we have so much to give thanks to God for. So enjoy us as we light the join us as we light the minora and thank you for all of those that joined us as we lit the tree the Christmas tree. Merry Christmas. God bless and I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a safe New Year. Thank you.