Regular City Commission Meeting - Special Meeting

Alright, there.

So thank you all so much. Today is 04/22/2026. We are here for a special city commission meeting to discuss, as the the city commission has before, the status, the implementation, and the impacts of the the June implementation that's been taking place on Hollywood Beach. And we set this meeting in order to consider and take any action deemed necessary with regards to the agreement that was brought about this work. And so I'd like to turn it over to city manager, Raylan Story, and thank our county partners for being here.

Excuse me, mayor. Can we do roll call, please? It's a special meeting.

Okay. Roll call. Let me light everybody's microphone up real quick. Go ahead.

Commissioner Biederman. Here. Commissioner Cantana. Here. Commissioner Shuham. Here. Commissioner Hernandez.

Here.

Vice mayor Kalari. Yes. Commissioner Gruber.

Here.

Mayor Levy?

Here. Alright. City manager.

Good morning, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners. As, you are aware, at our last city commission meeting, we had a robust discussion regarding the shoreline protection project that is currently underway on Hollywood Beach and some of the concerns that you all were hearing from residents, public safety, business owners, staff had been out on-site, a number of different folks from different departments and had been in contact with our partners at Broward County. It's important to note that the city over many years, really decades since the 1970s when beach renourishment programs first really began in South Florida, have been partnered with the county on these types of programs with the county providing a lot of guidance and leadership in this regard. So in 2024, the county undertook a renourishment project, completed I should say, a renourishment project on Hollywood Beach. And a part of that project was the installation of dunes.

And we worked pretty handily with the county to try to figure out how to make that and tailor that to really work well on Hollywood Beach. At the same time, several of us also are very aware and in fact attended even a presentation yesterday on the long range plan. Because this is an ongoing issue on Hollywood Beach. How do we keep sand? Not just on Hollywood Beach, but all of the beaches in Broward County.

But particularly south of the inlet. And so another project that is very important to that is the sand bypass project, a project that has been in the planning and permitting for thirty years and began construction this past fall. So I say all of that just to really share that these, even though we're here for a very specific discussion today on the current status of a project, that it is part of this larger framework of cooperation and collaboration with Broward County on these efforts. And we did have staff after our meeting and the stop work that we requested from the county. Staff did spend with the county staff, Doctor.

Jennifer Horado, who leads that division. We spent a great deal of time, Jose Cortez, Chris Roshchak, our consultants with Moffett and Nickel, and some folks from public safety on the weekend working through a lot of the issues. And so you're going to hear from Jose Cortez this morning on how those discussions went. I think we've been able to really come to agreement on much of it. There may still be a little additional guidance that we need from you regarding those discussions, and we hope to get that today so that we can move forward in a continued collaboration on this issue. So with that, I will turn it over to Jose to give you an update on the discussions.

Good morning, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners, manager and city attorney, and everybody else. I will move on to give you, before we go into the details of the project, a little bit of background on kind of the history of the city, how we got here, timelines, so that it is beneficial in the context of the discussions today. They adopted Doom Master Plan, as you all know, was adopted in 2020. And that Doom Master Plan, for the most part, provided the framework in which any design of Dunes for the city of Hollywood was going to be undertaken. So it is not intended to be a set of design documents, but more of a guideline of what the city aspired or aspires to have as part of this master plan, yeah?

With a vision long term for how the beach and the resiliency elements are kind of meshed together to provide what the city wanted. At the same time, while the city is in the process of doing master planning, the county also has coastal management element. And some of this was presented in 2024 that support the same initiatives of increasing living shorelines and dunes and pretty much aligns with the city's Dual Master Plan concept of adding resiliency to our city as well as to the county. Through the process of the segment three project, which was funded through multiple different sources of funding, the Army Corps of Engineers with the county completed the Beechman Everestman in April 2024. You see the permit number from there.

And what you see in left hand side of the screen is a letter that was sent back to the previous city manager, Yoshkaert, in 2003 that the county at that time understood that they had fundings to undertake the work and that there was not going to be a need for the cities to contribute to the project and that the county was undertaking the job completely for the benefit of city. For other contexts and timelines, I think going back to historically, and there's a lot more timelines I was just putting here, the ones that are kind of the most relevant. But there was already discussions from 2023 on what this design concept should be for City of Hollywood within the context of what they needed from a resiliency standpoint of view, as well as the city's dual master plan. We worked through those, and then in February 2024, we came to the city commission to adjust the amend the dual master plan to reflect an 8.4 NABD because our Dune Master Plan only referenced an elevation as it related to the knee wall height. And at that meeting, there were discussions about what the City Commission wanted this design to look like and what was intended for the design to have incorporated as part of it, meaning that the project design needed to meet the intent and the desire of the Doom Master Plan.

Benjamin Eripeng is finished a couple of months later, and then design continues. And I think the latest presentation that was done to commission was in October 2025, where the access agreement with the county was brought to this body for review and approval, and that included discussions on the design elements of the project and what the vision and desire of the City Commission was, again, in concert with the Dune master plan. The agreement was executed in June '13 and construction of the dunes began in I'm sorry, not June 13, January 13. And the dune construction began in January 20. From that on, we've been dealing with the project and challenges and issues here and there that always surface on projects.

And that brings us to the City Commission last week and today, and we'll kind of share with you our evaluation of the site and current situation. So, for the purpose of the discussion, and I think this came out the site visit, we kind of broke down the project in kind of four segments. And it reflects kind of the uniqueness of the different areas where they have a lot of erosion. And as we're going through the discussion, I'm going to show you how each of the segments is reflected during the visit. And then we'll share with you what the county has proposed that can be done in those areas.

And at the end, we'll obviously give you the recommendation of what we feel should be appropriate, given where we are today. Main concerns that have prevailed or been part of this project is obviously the protection of the coconut palms. And I think that as we go through different segments, this is prevalent in pretty much all the areas where we have palms, the post and rope. Some have talked about how high they are, the elevation, if the ropes are correct. So as we go through the different segments, coconut pounds, the post and pedestrian access will be but that became an issue at the beginning of the project because there was a kind of a misunderstanding of where the access points were supposed to be at elevation.

Public Works is working on lowering those segments where those access points were left at a higher elevation. And the contractor from the county, starting from Bougainvillea South, was doing them at grade. So, we are currently in the process of lowering those access points that were not lowered as part of the project until we agreed with the county that they had to stay at grade. So, when we talk about access and ADA compliance for public safety in those areas, again, Bougainvillea North is the areas where we had to kind of overcome a little bit of challenges in there. And then lastly, and perhaps the biggest, more complicated discussion is the two to one ratios as it relates to the different segments.

So, let's go I'll share with you. So, segment four, segment one, which is the one all the way up north, is the area where we have dunes kind of in front of the dunes. And what you see, and most of these pictures are reflective of the site visit we had on Saturday the eighteenth. I would also like to say that we also went out on the thirteenth, Monday, with the city manager, chief resiliency officer, public safety, different members of of the city leadership team also went out to the site and I know other members of the city commission have done the same. So as you can see, this area is a pretty eroded or critically eroded area.

And if you look at the picture on the left hand side, we took measurements that were presented to this body on the last commission meeting, where you are seeing that in this specific segment, the doom to width ratio was 1.6. I would contest that probably today is a little lower than that because of the conditions that have prevailed this week. But and if you see on the picture on the left hand side, you see almost the poles already kind of getting almost close to falling. So this is one of the areas that we visited. So you get an idea of how segment one looks and the conditions in there.

The right hand side, you obviously see how crowded the beach is. This is one of the areas that there was a significant amount of concern by public safety in terms of response time for an event that happened about a week, a week and a half ago. So if at any time we need to bring our chief to talk about the concerns with that from a public safety standpoint of view, we'll be more than happy to do that. But obviously, clearly a eroded area, kind of highly difficult to meet the two to one ratios, and a significant level of public safety concerns in terms of access and density of people in the area. Segment four, I'm going through the ones that are and then we'll go to the ones with less concerns.

This is segment four. Obviously, this all goes all the way from the city limit to Magnolia Terrace. In this area, I'd like to mention that the diplomat and the diplomat residences were scheduled to receive sand, but there was not going to be any vegetation. As the plan still moving forward, there was still going to be some vegetation included in these areas. And if you see in the picture you see South Of Kirin Park, the ratio in this area as it relates to the Doom Master Plan is point 89 to one.

And I do know, and I'll show a couple of pictures, that there's a little bit of interpretation of what that two to one ratio means. But when you see this picture and you see the amount of space that there is there, and you get below the one, even if there's a discrepancy in how we might consider the mean high water versus where we're calculating from, it seems to me it's very hard to think that you can achieve the two to one ratio anyway. And we have none, most of the numbers we are seeing in here were done out in the field with our consultant. Yeah, it's not based on a survey, but we're working on getting that done. Then, segment three.

This area is the area that has the healthiest beach width. And if you see, you know, Magnolia, as you start getting south, you know, obviously, let me say, covers from Harrison to Magnolia Terrace. And if you see, as you start going south and you get closer to Magnolia Terrace, that becomes a little bit more problematic in terms of the width of the beach. But all the other areas outside of that, if you look at Iris Terrace, it's 2.83 to one. Harrison, we have 170 feet of beach there, it's 3.7 to one.

Virginia Street is 3.85. And the picture kind of shows you how healthy it is in terms of the dune versus the recreational space that is allowed. So, let me walk you through a couple of things on segment two, which is the area where we have perhaps the biggest amount of concern as it relates to the two to one ratio. And there's a lot of information in here, but I want to kind of point out a couple of things. What you see in the circle reflects the February 2024 mean high water line for analysis of the dunes.

So when the design was done and the county worked with us in doing the project, you have all the areas that are in green, that's the footprint of the dunes, and then that line to the dunes becomes a two to one ratio. So that's the line that is being used to calculate these two to one ratios. But if you see, that's 2024. After the Dune agreement was done, if you see, there's a new survey in January 2026. And if you can see the difference in the adjustment that the county and city staff had to make to make the dunes fit the new width of the beach, given the erosion that is occurring, you see the adjustment.

And if you see the line, you can see it in there, right next to Positano on the left hand side, you see how thinner it is. And in the dune that is in front of Positano, in the previous evaluation of the dunes, we had dunes there. Once the survey comes in January, those have to be retreated. And then, from January until now, which is kind of where we are, this is a picture of what and you have seen this picture, I just wanted to bring it up one more time, Because I think the challenge is that this is not a static project where you can say, well, you're doing a building, here is the site, this site is continuously moving. And from the implementation, and from the standpoint of how do you meet the two to one ratio, I think we've seen the progression of the, you know, the other thing I'd like to say is in 2024, that's at the time that beach management is getting done so that we have more beach.

So, we have continuously lost width on the beach, while the county and the team has been trying to figure out how do we make this fit. Well, even with a new survey in January to now, we're still at a place where we cannot guarantee or see that that doom to with ratio is met. And what's happening with this scenario, as you all know, it creates a couple of issues. First, we don't know if this is the worst erosion that this segment of the beach is going to have. I looked at some numbers from 2005, and they are down to 50 feet.

This is about 69 feet, I think, when we measure it, excluding the 10 foot zone. So it's creating a couple of concerns for public safety in the way they are. First, we're pushing the people a little bit closer with more density on the beach, of course. But it's also creating issues in how can fire transpires in front of the dunes. It's really difficult to know exactly how well we can preserve this ratio that we need, given the continuous change of the beach shoreline.

As the width of the beach gets narrower, the harder it becomes. Because five feet means a lot. If you are dealing with 170 and you lose 10, it's not an issue. I did some numbers to say, Okay, well, what if we get 10 feet in there? Ratios will change dramatically, but it doesn't change the fact that fire still needs 10 feet in front of the room to be able to carry someone throughout, that response time has to be in there on time that police need access, all that kind of stuff.

So, going back to that sentiment too, and I guess I got ahead of myself, I think we do have some beach with limitations. You know, it's very hard to continue or to maintain or predict what that two to one ratio will be, which is I don't think the intent of the Doom Master Plan was to say, well, the Doom Beach ratio should be preserved sometimes and not all the time. Yeah? And it's a hard thing to reconcile when you're trying to manage resiliency and enjoyment, but we have to go by what is the set of documents and what the city commission has asked us to do, which is to deliver a job that has a two to one ratio. Yeah?

Obviously, public safety considerations, crowd density becomes a big issue. We have not even evaluated in here how is the beach going to behave when we start getting tired, that's the season with less beach, where you can't have access to it. And then I would feel that more historical data and also projections should be looked into so that we can rebaseline this segment to something that you all can feel comfortable about the decisions you're making on whether or not there's a trade off on the two to one ratio or not, rather than react to a change quickly. We had one survey in '24, we adjusted it in '26, Now we're three months after that and we're out of the percentages again. I met with fire, police, chief residency officer, myself, and a couple of us.

And we think that the most sensible thing to do at this stage, given the level of work and investment that has been put in there, is to pause it. Not to say that we need to cancel it, but we should pause to reevaluate these things. I think this ever moving target of the coast should be looked at deeper before we move forward with a full implementation, specifically in this segment. So, with that, this is Doctor. Jurado and us had a really good site visit.

I'll say that it couldn't have been a better collaborative visit with them. And, you know, we're all trying to figure out what's the best way to make something good out of this. And I think they were very supportive on a lot of the areas of the city and fire, and everybody had concerns. And as you will see in here, and I don't want to speak for Doctor. Herrado and her team, but I'll go through it.

If I misrepresent anything that relates to the county's commitment or agreement with the city and what you're willing to do, just let me know, and I'll allow you to come in and share. But segment four, I'm going to start from the South coming north. Segment four, I think the county was okay in saying, look, I get it, let's don't put any vegetation or rope in here for now. So we don't feel that there's any concerns with that segment, except for perhaps a couple of things that might need to be addressed in terms of if there's any areas where the elevations or the stuff might create an issue, so we have to look into that. Segment three, for the most part, except for any of the other things that are listed on the other project wide considerations, we did not see an issue as it related to the Doom to Beach ratio.

So that area to us seems to be okay. Obviously, we still have to deal with the Palms, the other areas, and then the county obviously would want us to limit or perhaps not do any regrading of some of the sand that has been put in place unless we feel that I'm adding this portion, that from a public safety standpoint of view, it makes sense to do so, yeah? Central Beach, obviously, is excluded. I'm going go to the northern portion, which is segment one that covers from Thomas to Franklin, same concept. Their request is, there's fine, no vegetation, but they were asked, they're asking the city that if we could take the posts that are there installed already and move them closer to in front of the existing dunes for protection of the dunes and stuff like that.

And then the last, which is the one that is kind of the most problematic, at least in my view, is segment two, where the county we have areas where the dunes are 35 to 40 feet. The county said, look, we are willing to reduce the dunes from the existing width to 26.5. Those are anything that I'm missing, Doctor. Jurado? Okay. Good. So that is what and yeah, this is the picture. So with that, I think we will like to, I guess, open it up for discussions, questions.

So I think we do have some speaker cards. Pat, if you could please give me the speaker cards. Let's hear from folks who came to speak on this. All right, let's go ahead with Jenny Bianca. Please come on up Jenny, then Kat Udin, and then will be Lee Gottlieb.

Hi everybody. My name is Jenny and I'm the owner of the Mermaid Queen. I was lucky to work on the beach the past sixteen years. When I say I work on the beach, I work in front of the ocean every day. I was twelve years on Garfield Street, which we have a dune with seagrass and a lot of other stuff.

The project, it looks amazing and I'm pretty sure that you guys have studied this a lot. In regards how it works, I can definitely tell you how it works. The dunes for us doesn't make any difference when there's a storm or when the sea decides to grow or lower. It doesn't make any difference. We receive on Garfield Street up to two, three feet of sand inside our broad walk and on the street.

So, Lisa, at that point, will work in CRA, so she will be the first one receiving emails saying, You need to bring the machines to move it because we were it was impossible for everybody to walk through. Right now, I'm on Bam Buren Street and thanks God we didn't receive so many storms, but we don't see any difference. We don't see any difference between having or not having dunes, which I totally understand how the dunes work. I grew up on the beach in Cancun, so I really know how they work and how necessary they are. But it really goes hand to hand to something deeper, which means in the ocean you guys are attacking the front of the problem, which is on the beach, the sand, but the problem is inside because as much as you're piling sand on the beach, the ocean will take all the sand and it will create different levels of sand on the ocean that will create more strength to the ocean to pull more.

So, I think as much as you guys are doing a great job piling sand on the beach, something a little more deeper has to be done. I think the reef, the project of the Mermaid Reef, it was amazing. Something like that will work not only for the ocean, for the environment, but for one more activity for people to do, which is go in and see the real ocean. And I'm pretty sure sea walls will help a lot, way more of piling just sea and sand. The second thing is, I will say 90% of the people that comes to the Broadwalk is tourists.

People think that we get business from local people. We don't get that much. It's really, really minimum. Most of the people that lives in Hollywood, they don't go that often. So, most of 90% of our customers, they come to the beach to see the ocean and all the dooms right now that they're doing, the way they're doing it right now, it's really obstructing the entire view of everybody.

Jenny, I'm sorry about the time. Know you spoke generally, but I know you have the restaurant and I heard from you the impact that you're having in terms of the view Terrible. Everything. Just in fairness, I'm going to have to end your public comment because of the time limit,

unfortunately. Sure, sure.

But I certainly understand your issues at the restaurant.

CAROLINE Thank you. CAROLINE Thank guys.

Thank

Kat Udin, followed by Lee Gottlieb. And the final speaker will be Dan Kennedy.

Good afternoon. KAT UDEN. I'm going to try to be really brief because, obviously, the issues with the Dune project and how it's been implemented has been brought up. I appreciate that all of the stakeholders are here, business owners, beachgoers, resilience experts, because when everybody gets together and talks about it, you, can make the best plan. I remember many years ago being on the Parks and Rec Advisory Committee and Lee Gottlieb and Bob Glickman and people from the Dune Task Force coming in to do the presentation.

It's a shame that it couldn't be implemented properly and long ago because it's creating a lot of negative feelings towards dunes in general when we know that vegetation keeps the sand on the beach. Lee planted a dune at Connecticut Street. That dune, I don't remember anybody complaining about the dune at Connecticut Street. You can still see over it. It doesn't block the view.

That was one of the promises that was made when I was on the Parks and Rec Advisory Committee, the dune master plan. You know, Lee came in and said it will not block your view. And, the Connecticut Dune does not block your view. There's also video evidence that shows he has video of the difference between when the tide comes up, the broad walk there versus a place that doesn't have any vegetation. There was far more water and more sand on the broad walk.

So, does its job, but it doesn't make anybody upset, and you can see over it. So, I hope that, you know, we can, whether it be now or, you know, in the future, come up with a plan that does make everyone happy, that serves both purposes. Keep the sand on the beach as long as possible, but also, you know, not create this these impacts to the business owners and everybody involved. Thanks.

Thank you. Leigh Gottlieb. Thank you, mayor. You're the guy, Lee. You're the doing guy. Tell us.

So what I've learned over the years is a plan that's presented to me to plant dunes on the beach sometimes doesn't work. And that's what we have today. The plan is a static plan, and our beaches are changing every day. So as our Dune Master Plan stated, we need to be flexible in our beach and not ignore the other needs that are on our beach, the recreational, the emergency access, and so forth. So it's obvious that the cookie cutter did not work in this situation.

And what I don't want to have happen is a pause where we don't do anything because we have the momentum now and we need to figure out a Hollywood way to address this situation. And our nonprofit affiliates are willing to assist. So I want you to know that we're willing to come in and help with planting, with design, and so forth, with whatever modifications that you decide. But I implore you not to stop this project. Let's get it done. Let's get it done right. Let's get it done the Hollywood way. Thank you.

Thank you, Lee. Dan Kennedy.

Hello, all. I don't usually do this. It's not something I'm comfortable doing, so I'll give my best shot. I'm in segment four. You guys just spent a hell of a lot of money on a fire station, little barricade gate going up and down Monroe Street

Segment 3, but go ahead.

At 05:30 in the morning, your trucks are starting to go down Monroe Street going onto the beach. The gate goes up and down. There's no way anybody can see on this beach with what's going on. The fire trucks go down there, the the the lifeguards, the city beach cleaners, everybody goes on that beach early morning. Take the view so they can't see where they're going. It's hard enough now going out there in the morning. I jog the beach every day. And I say, I look to where I'm going, so I don't get run over by a bike or someone going to and you can't really see much if the if the broad walk is blocked. And I feel bad for the fire guys because my wall is right next to where they have to drive their cars. They pretty much already took out half my wall of my house trying to get around things and stuff.

So I don't know how you get the fire stuff. I don't know how you get the lifeguard stuff. I don't know how you get the street clean stuff through an eight foot tall dune bush. I just don't see how it can happen. So I'm not against the sand pile, the dune, but I don't think you should put the vegetation that's gonna block the views. That's my opinion.

Thanks, Dan.

Thank you, guys.

Alright. That concludes public comment. So I think we've we've seen where Jose had presented the different characteristics of the four different areas of the beach. And I want to thank Doctor. Herrado and Ms.

Roche and the county for visiting the beach and understanding that these different segments have different characteristics. And I thank you for your flexibility in recognizing segments one and four the changes that you've accepted. And I agree that the biggest heartache for all of us is segment two, where it seems that even with the reduction of the 26.5 feet in that segment, given the public safety constraints and the guiding principle that's in the agreement for the two to one ratio of beach to dune ratio, it's not really Jose, what you've shown is that it's not necessarily achievable with the 26.5 feet. And as Lee offered and as you suggested, perhaps there needs to be a more specific approach, a more custom approach that's tailored toward pursuing resiliency, which all of us support, but yet that needs more careful planning and more careful design in that specific segment of the Broadwalk, as you mentioned. Clearly, we know that it has more recreational use than maybe we thought at the outset.

And I think given the construction of the dunes and the pole placement, which woke everybody up, I think we recognized immediately, the city commission did in staff, that there is what we could say is a flaw in the implementation because the resulting placement definitely did not meet the two to one ratio. It also questions whether or not the design in this segment was defective as well because it didn't result in the two to one ratio. And of course, the tree wells issue, which continues throughout, continues to be inconsistent with what we called for in the agreement for the protection and preservation of the coconut trees that are important and we don't want to risk. We studied in the beginning what the risk is to the trees if they were to be one or two foot buried of their trunk. Well, objective analysis will tell you that the trees it puts the trees prone to not surviving.

And so I think there's a reason why we put some of these requirements in, the implementation criteria, into the agreement. And now we do have to wrestle as uncomfortable as it is for all of us with our county partners here, we do have to wrestle with how do we overcome the inability of the or the construction projects noncompliance with the implementation provisions of the agreement. And so I know that you've provided here your recommendations, Jose. And segment three, I agree. The beach width is pretty expansive.

You are able to meet a two to one or greater ratio of dune to beach. And I think Dan and Jenny had pointed out to specific impacts. In Dan's case, it's emergency access in Monroe. In Jenny's case, it's the one restaurant that's in that area that already loses its beach view. And we appreciate the economic impact, not just specifically looking at sand. I think that needs to be dealt with between staff. And I believe that everybody can come together. They're supportive of the endeavors, but they say, hey, two specific impacts in segment three. I think I trust that you guys can deal with that, and yet at the same time construct the dunes here in the spirit of the agreement and about where we all want to go in segment three.

With regards to but

putting Now, that aside, my trust that that can be done and there's ample room, we do have to resolve the tree issue here. I also don't believe that we need post and rope forever. If at all, I think it should be at a two foot height where the posts and rope are not taller than the dune itself. And it's very, very impactful to the natural space. The posts and rope have kind of introduced a very unnatural fixture into the long, beautiful view of the beach, the open view.

And I personally don't feel like we even need post and rope because once there are there is vegetation in segment three, for example, I don't believe that you need to tell people, don't step on this. You could put some signs here and there. But I don't think we need the post and rope all over the place. If it's, for some reason, needed in the beginning, would need to be much lower. Now segment two in my mind, I agree with you in that given the public safety constraints and how much of a heavy use it is in that broad walk segment, that we do need to redesign that area, relook at where dunes are possible.

A city manager pointed out that the gap that we've traditionally had ever since dunes were introduced to the Broadwalk area of setting them back 10 feet from the knee wall in order to have a public safety access. She pointed out that public safety doesn't prefer to use that, and that gets cluttered up with showers and different things that really don't make it suitable for the purpose in which we're keeping that 10 feet let's just call it dune free and then maybe setting vegetation back all the way to the knee wall would be the proper solution in that segment of the beach. And so I think we definitely have good reason to consider that this design of the plan is flawed in that respect of this segment two because considering beach safety and access and the inability to keep the two to one ratio, which I don't think there is necessarily should be a difference of opinion on how you interpret two to one. It's very simple in the agreement that references the Dune Master Plan that the two to one means two times sandy beach to one time vegetation. And given where the beach is today, you see where sand is today, all the way to the knee wall.

And then you look at what previously was the thought of the setback area, etcetera. But I don't know that we really necessarily need to pick that so much. And I hope that the county understands that we embraced the implementation of this agreement, that we love to have a resilient beach, but that we're also very sensitive to how it's implemented and want a way at segment two that is a win win for everyone. And so I agree with what staff has pointed out, that segment two needs further look. Lee Gottlieb offered a way to say, hey, let's look at this together.

We have ideas. We all have ideas. And maybe not every segment of segment two is appropriate to have vegetation. Maybe some of it is only sand, similar to how we considered Central Beach, the core section in the middle. So I just wanted to set out some impressions of my own.

But clearly, throughout the project, the trees, the wells have not been put in. And that's going to have to be something that's cured as well in order for those trees to survive. So just opening it up to my fellow members of city commission here. If we're really talking about segments three and segment two, then that's probably where the city commission needs to weigh in and decide. And hopefully, we'll hear from the county as to whether or not they can join us in that further look, specifically in segments two and three.

And hopefully, we can continue to work together to make it happen. If not, then I think there is a way for us to do it, as Lee called it, the Hollywood way, and for us as a community to more closely fine tune how we can balance the factors here. So I thank you for the effort and to looking into this and saying, where where where are really are the pain points and how do we address them? Let's go to Commissioner Schuhem.

Thanks, mayor. I I think that was well said. I first want to just thank the county and their staff. I think the one thing all of us have to recognize are these projects are always done with the best of intentions. The idea of the dune is to protect our beach, and that's it. And while things can be done differently all the time, I think all of us just have to take a deep breath and recognize that we're all here for a unified purpose, and that is to make our beach the best it can be. And how we get there, you know, there's always going to be different ideas. So, first one, express the gratitude. Really, you you said it. There are things just might have to be tweaked because of unique situations.

Jose, Raylan, I want to thank you guys so much. Chris and your staff for taking the time going out there on a weekend, taking a really hard look. You know, all of us who live out there, we walk up and down, and sometimes you just don't you don't see it. So, it's always great to have extra eyes. I just want to understand this slide, Jose. So, let's start with the gray box, where it says other project wide conditions, where it says no proposed modifications. What does that mean?

I think we've discussed and Doctor. Hiraldo, the idea is that they're not at this time entertaining opening these areas on the coconut palms.

Okay.

Unless that's is that accurate? Yes.

Okay. So, the bottom part is

So, we have to do it if we want to have the Coconut Palms survive. All

right. So, that would be something the city could do.

We have to do it, yeah.

So, this whole slide then is basically what the county has presented. Okay. So for me, a couple of things. I think, you know, in segment one and I have spoken with Doctor. Herrado about this the idea of moving the rope and post back to the existing beneficial.

Because the existing dune, what what and I know Joseph, when he sees rope and post, part of it on a new dune is to protect the baby plants. But in older dunes, is also to set the dune line so that a dune does not grow beyond the rope and post because we're concerned about taking up too much beach. North Beach has not had rope and post. And so I think to add rope and post that is there for any purpose other than protecting baby dunes, it should come out. Because that is a natural place.

If the dune grows, the dune grows. I don't think we want to put burden on our public works to now keep an old dune within a rope and post. And I don't want to put words in the county's mouth, but I believe they were okay taking out the rope and post in segment one. Segment two, I think to the best of my knowledge, north and south of some of the hotspots, this 26 foot dune is is okay. There just may be certain spots where the beach is particularly narrow.

So I don't disagree with the mayor that we may just need to take a hard look. But the sand is there now. I mean, the sand has been placed. So the question is, can the county hold off planting in that area? And that's gonna be a question that the county has to answer, and Ill ask Doctor. Herrado to come up in a minute. I'm going to come back to Central Beach. Segment three, no comment. Segment four, no comment. The coconut palms, you know, I think that's something that it looks like it's doable.

You just, you know, dig the sand out around the trees. But you then have a high dune around that well. So that's something that I think we need to understand. It's not just digging out what happens after. If there's no if there's vegetation holding the surrounding dune in place, that's one thing. But if there's no vegetation, you know, are we just, you know, digging and then it's just going to blow right back in. So I think we have to think about how to fix that. The post height. And this is something that when you look at the attachment to the ILA, what I see are five foot posts with two feet buried, three feet above ground. That's what I thought the contract condition was.

You know, two feet even better. But at least across the board, my understanding is no more than three feet.

36 inches. Yeah. The design documents is 36 inches. That's it's set up.

So to the mayor's point, I think if we could just get it down I

believe that's what it

is. Yeah.

If we could just get it down to the 36 inches, visually, it would make a huge difference in areas where we're protecting plants. The shower areas and sand placement three and four, I think those are okay with me. Central Beach, I don't want to lose sight of that, and I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I think, Mayor, you did an excellent job when we started this process of saying that part really needs, you know, the surgical. And to Leigh's point, although we've had our issues here, I think we need to not stop on Central Beach.

But we should continue. I know Jose, you were very, you know, working on designs in that area. And there's, let's keep going. Let's get a design in front of this commission that satisfies all the business concerns and everything else, similar to what we have in front of Charno, and not stop there. It was not part of the county contract, but it still needs attention.

And our goal, as I recall, was to make it beautiful, very individualistic for that part of the beach. So those are generally my comments. I want to add though, and again, I do want to hear from the county. One request that I have is to the extent that the county has committed via its contractor to invest or purchase plant material, rope and post, anything like that, that it not go to waste. And that to the extent that portions of this are treated as a deductive change to their contractors agreement, Any materials that can't be returned that we somehow get them to adopt a dune so they're used in a proper way.

Plants don't die. Rope and post doesn't get tossed out. I want that to be part of the solution that all those materials are put to good use in Hollywood or beyond. Thank you.

One quick comment on the Central Beach. We already have some design concepts that were almost getting finalized. Kind of put them on hold waiting for this one to happen, not to overwhelm the system with both jobs at the same time. But, yeah, that's something that we're already working on. Do we have our consultant on board? And, whatever time those get ready to be brought back to the City Commission, we can certainly do that.

Okay. And, you know, I defer to the commission and the mayor, but to the extent the county wants to, you know, interject at this point, or if we're saying anything that's out of school, I think it's appropriate that we hear from the county if what we're talking about so far can go forward.

I think the commission will be happy to hear from whether it's doctor Otto or Stephanie if she wants to provide a county perspective for us to consider.

Thank you, Mayor and Commission. You know, I think that, you know, I would reiterate what Rae Lynn had shared about the coordination of our teams throughout the process. You know, we've worked very closely together. I think, you know, it's obviously unfortunate to be in the position that we are today. I certainly respect everything that you summarized, mayor.

You know, I'm not gonna dispute that you have concerns that the entire commission is sensitive to, and I I recognize that. I just want, you know, for the record to recognize that I think that we ended up in a spot where we had a plan that from all of our understanding was consistent with the city's Dune Master Plan to the extent that, you know, it was approved, to the extent that there were issues that were identified along the way. I think that Stephanie and the team here at the city worked very closely together to address each and every issue. Lots of amendments were made and I would hope that the Board would, you know, recognize that. You know, we didn't vegetate areas that were requested that would have been vegetated.

We maintained access points that weren't flagged in the original design. We had the contractor open up additional access points. So I hope that the appreciation is made that, you know, we've been very we tried to be very flexible and responsive along the way and didn't approach this project as one that was stagnant and inflexible. I would acknowledge that, you know, we have built and designed a project in accordance with what is a you know, it's a definition of a mean high waterline, and it's referenced in the plans. And I understand that the city is looking at point in time, you know, what was the city's impression of two to one point in time is different from, you know, the design specs and, you know, we've been going through a period of extreme conditions.

I understand the city's sensitivity to those conditions to date, but we are where we are. Jose synthesized well what we had discussed in the field. I wish to acknowledge that while I respect the city's desire to go back and revisit, you know, in particular segment two or even conditions in segment three, We're at the position that if we can plant in Segment three as defined, we're ready to plant, but we're not able to go back and revisit what is going to be included within the design. If the city wants to deviate from what we have in the segment three, let's call it profile at this time from the planting, we want to build what's designed, what's in the specs, but if you would like to revisit that at this time, I think that we would prefer to defer to the city and have allow you to take that on. On the segment two, we're not in the position of being able to keep our contractor on hold.

So if we were able to move forward with the 26.5, great. But there's too much time that's involved in an iterative process. The last time we went through this, it was a full year. I don't think anyone's able to make commitments about what that would look like at this time. And so I don't believe that we're going to be in the position of being able to satisfy the city's interest with the modified, segment two beyond the 26.5, which is easy enough if we were to agree on that today, but if we can't, then we just acknowledge that.

And I do wish to just allow the city to know that the rope and post and vegetation for the reaches segments one, two and three and four well, think actually I was only wanting to refer to segments four, two and one.

I think that those were

the estimates that I had around $420,000 in rope and post and vegetation. That is an incurred expense for the contractor for material that, you know, we would just need to talk about as it is a recognition of about four twenty. And if we did not install rows and posts, depending on what you all decide on segment three, that was not included in the figure that I just shared with you. The height of the posts, I believe our design spec with the contractor was 36 to 42 inches above ground. And when you look at the elevation of the dune, it is on par.

I understand the desire to try to get closer to 36 inches to the extent that we had additional post and rope that we would be installing, such as in Segment 3 if you landed there. We would be pleased to ask the contractor to pound

it

a little bit further in to get to the 36, closer to that rather than the 42. And I would just say that I think it would be very difficult for another party to take up this. I mean, aren't stakes. They're heavy post and rope, and it's just not a casual entity that can come in and, you know, put those in the ground. So I've just have you consider that as you think about alternative purposes, that it's probably not as an easy commodity to pass off and have installed the way it would need be. But I I hope I've responded to the questions. I mean, that's what I think that we can share at this point. Respect your conversation, and we'll wait to hear your next steps.

Oops. Excuse me.

Thank you. Alright. Commissioner Quintana.

Thank you, mayor. I just wanted to make a brief statement that as a preliminary matter at the outset of this item, I'd like to address questions or concerns regarding any potential conflict of interest due to my employment at the county. I've consulted with the city attorney and confirmed that I have no financial interest. I have no financial interest nor would any special private gain or loss inure to me, no matter what the outcome of this item may be. Therefore, I have no conflict in regard to this item. I will reserve comments after I listen to what everyone has to say. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Quintana. Let's go to Commissioner Gruber.

Thank you. A few questions. One with regards to the wells around the coconut palms. And the county has decided I guess I can ask you, Jose, or Doctor. Herrado that they're not going to modify those. Wasn't it per contract that we had to have those palm trees with the wells around them? Yes. So can I ask the reason that the county doesn't want to modify it as per contract?

Thank

you. I believe that the language in the agreement is to the best of the ability. The picture that was shared in the slide show is not representative of the final condition in which those trees were left. There were amendments. Our contractor has,

to

the best of the ability, tried to be sensitive to the location, but we can't hand fill among all those trees. In addition, without the vegetation holding sand in place, it's going to spill back in. And so we did, to the best of our ability, try to treat the trees with sensitivity, but we're not able to preserve and be so refined as I think that the city would ideally like, but we did to the best of our ability.

Okay. Thank you. And then if I can just go through each segment as well, because I have questions. Jose, yeah. So if we can go to for segment one, I think it was page seven, just showing where Yeah. No. Go back. Right. So I just want to get kind of a feel as to what was intended and what happened. I mean, looking at this as a layman, I think these posts and this dune are going to be gone within the next couple of months.

Am I right? There's no shot at that being there. And I just want to know why again, I'm not the expert we would have attempted to even put those in front of some of the most established dunes in South Florida. I mean, when I walk to that beach, I think it's like 80 feet of path through a dune. And we see them failing already. Like, what was the intent there? What went wrong? Maybe Doctor. Herrado, if you can let us know.

It's a design thing, they own the design.

That's not protecting anything.

Yeah. Know, all I can say here is I believe it was consistent with the city's own master plan. We had a period of severe weather, and we are always going to have periods like that. When we have erosional events now, I can't say how much of that sand will come back, but here's the what I would say, that it is very dynamic. We're accustomed to events where you have high erosion. The sand doesn't disappear from the system. It's near shore. A lot of that will come back. You'll have recovery. Will it look identical?

Probably not. But the whole point of, you know, the sand bypass project and all of the other investments with more frequent nourishment is that in order to lessen the severity of the type of erosion that would naturally occur during these events, that we have supplemental sand coming into the system and devices into place to keep it there. Are the posts in jeopardy? Possibly. But I think that this was overlap with what the city had contemplated on its own.

Not ideal situation by any means, but we're not inexperienced with regards to having which were very severe conditions. We couldn't even get the dredge out for our own port project, the SAM Bypass. And it's just unfortunate, the timing.

Okay. Thank you. So now with this segment, if you can go back to the segment one. So this segment, the goal here is we're just pulling the posts and letting it be?

Yep.

That's it. So it's not a dune. People can use that. But now and I know in our last meeting when we spoke about this, you had mentioned that I was conflating cliffing with the dunes. But I have confirmed with Lee and other people that and this is obviously excessive cliffing due to the dune that we put in there. So even when we pull that, I just hope that doesn't get worse because that's already a safety hazard for people tripping. So Okay. So for that segment, we pull it. And then just, what, are we flattening that dune? Are we leaving that dune?

No, we're leaving it to take To discourse.

To do whatever it does. Right. Okay. Go to the next segment. If we can just go segment by we can stop there, actually. So I'll go to the opposite side of the beach. The Diplomat, same thing, just not putting posts, leaving it same way as segment one?

No posts, no planting. So in other words, it's really Yes. At this stage, it's really a renourishment of sand in that area.

And you do it, so and should that stay as is or should that be flattened a little bit and spread out? What's the safer?

The request from the county as it is right now is to leave the sand that they placed without grading at this stage and let nature take its course in there. I feel that if we see an area where we think public safety is a concern, then we can kind of handle it that way. I won't speak for the county, but it seems like there's a concern about a wet sand permit that is not in place. And we can't take sand, especially in the areas that are really close to the waterline. And start grading sand that goes into the wet sand because they don't have a permit for Got it.

Okay. So that's not an option. So it's a Okay. So those two segments, it's pull it and just let it be. And no restrictions for people going on wherever that sand was put. Right. Okay. What are the other segments? If you can go to that

It's three.

Forget the okay. So segment three, fine. You know, that's that's really the only place I see of this whole plan where what we're doing actually works, I think. I'd like to in hindsight, I would have loved to have planted it at grade the way Lee does his his dunes and let it slowly grow up because there is enough of a beach there that that that had time to do that. If we can figure out a way to lessen the impact of the views and whatever it's doing for the business owners, I'd like that. That's probably the only segment I think that we're moving in the right direction. That's the next segment. Segment two, Cleveland to Thomas.

I guess I got another picture, that one, that shows

That's a Hollywood Terrace.

From Cleveland to Thomas.

Yes. So I've spent lots of time there since this happened. And I think I would be more in favor of doing what we're doing in the first segment and the diplomat segment there. There's really no beach at this point. To add eight or nine feet I don't think is going to cure it. And I would like to do the same, my opinion, as we are doing in segment one and segment five over there. It's just too narrow.

And that's what our staff has recommended, is that we take look at this separately and decide how.

Separately, take a look. Maybe we can do something at grade closer to the wall and not rush into continuing with what it is there. So that's my I 2¢. JOSHUA

just want to point out and I don't know that we'll be able to achieve this, but I think Adam told me that there is a 1PM magistrate hearing that's supposed to take place in this room. But we're going to finish the item regardless. But hopefully, can just keep that in mind. Let's go to Vice Mayor Caleri.

Thank you, mayor. So if you can go back to the slide where you said it was the best, the longest part of the beach. Yeah. There.

This one.

So I I don't think I'm okay with that because the palm trees are still covered. And that sand is gonna go into those palm trees. And then we're gonna lose those palm trees. So I'm not okay with that. I'm not okay with it at all. And if you look at, you know, just we just celebrated our centennial. And we've had a beach in Hollywood that we I've lived here for forty five plus years. We have had beach erosion, and then we have days where it comes and it goes. It comes and it goes. I think doctor Herrado mentioned it, and also this is just how it's been.

Some years more, some years less. But the sand finds its way back. It's like we're a rotating world. I think the biggest issue and maybe I'm misguided or misinformed is the sand dunes are basically, and we had many discussions about it, was to prevent the intrusion of the water when there is is high tide or the water is king tides. Well, not king tides but high tide and it comes in.

And the dunes kind of protected that water from intrusion to the businesses and the broad walk and so forth and so on. But we've had this for years and years, longer than all of us have been alive. And our beach is still one of the best beaches. It finds its way. Yes, we have beach renourishment.

And I know we have doing advocacy here for goodness, for the protection of our beach sand and for the protection of the business in the Broadwalk. But what we've heard over the last couple of weeks since this has been implemented is the amount of sand from the winds because of the season and the time, there's a lot of wind going on. Now the sand has been blown over the knee wall. It's all come off of the area. The vision has been of the beach has been eliminated to some extent because of the height of the sand.

And then the trees. And people use that for refuge to stay out of the sun. And now these trees are at harm. Know, they say if it's not broke, don't fix it. But there is some needed additions to policing dunes, but not at the magnitude that we have done it. I think that we've just overzealous. We've gone way beyond where we need to be. So if you can go back to the sections, please.

Yep. Hold on.

There you go.

So, if we just look at this one picture right here, it's so disturbing, right? How does that get fixed? We have no guarantee that that will get fixed. Am I correct?

So, I'd like to say something as I know Doctor. Gerardo alluded to this. This picture is just a picture I added in there to address the coconut palms. Some of it is being fixed in some areas, not everywhere, but just to say that there's an issue with the palm trees. This is while they were planting the sand. But yeah, there is a condition we know there is with the coconut punch. Perhaps this picture is not completely reflective of the current situation. But there is an issue with them that we still have to address. So I just want to say, this is when they were placed in the sand. There are still areas that they were working on and they're not aware of.

If you can go to where we're keeping and what we're not doing. So Central Beach, we already agree, currently no dunes.

Exactly.

I know we had the issue where it was a misinformation and Lee had come out and it was a big craziness, but it's all about communication, right? But segment four, where's the breakdown of what it is? We're going to leave it alone, leave the sand?

Yes.

Okay. Segment three?

Male Segment three is the one that you saw on the slide. That's the big width of Dune. Actually, this is probably even better if I show it like this. Got

the, there you go.

Male Because it shows you segment three is in green actually for not pun intended, but that is the one that we feel is the one that has the ratios. Yeah, but you still have the concern with the And

south of Hollywood Boulevard, isn't that the sand placement higher than the actual knee wall in that area as well?

So, sand placement is at a point four in ABD. When we did the, I don't know specifically for this area, but when we did the analysis for Central Beach, which is what we excluded from, there are areas in when we analyze how the NAVD will relate to the knee wall. In some areas in Central Beach that is outside of this area, you have places where the sand will be below the knee wall, and you have places where the sand will be above the knee wall because of the contours of the broad walk. So, at times, there's going to be the perception, hey, this is too high. Yeah, relative to where you're standing, but not necessarily relative to the 8.4 NABD that is required.

So that causes a little bit of confusion, they're too high. Perhaps we haven't done surveys to see if they're high or not. But in some places, they're going to be higher than the knee wall because it aligns with the NABD, not the knee wall height.

Okay. So instead of making things difficult or misunderstanding, I'm not comfortable with the project as is. Not that it was done in any ill will or intention. It just didn't turn out to meet our expectations thus far and has created a lot of negativity, perception, however you want to say it. So there's a lot of other different ways.

Like I said, the beach has always been there for the past hundred years. Some years, it's smaller. Some years, it's larger. Yes, I understand the importance of some of the sand dunes. But the biggest question I have, and maybe Lee can answer it, or in the 1301 area where we have the walkover, those dunes, were those there or did we plant them years ago?

Wouldn't have planted in the 1301?

In front of 1301 and in front of the Hollywood Beach Hotel, they were planted.

Oh, they were planted, he says. Yeah.

So that to me is the bigger concern in some of the areas because they were planted. And they've been there, I don't know, a long time. But that gives you a perspective of what the future holds as well and as far as visual goes. Again, similar to what we were talking about earlier today, we may not be here to see what it amounts to, but that's what it will be. And that changes our beach pretty much. And I don't know if that's what we want either, especially in some of these areas that we're talking about. It's a big concern. So the price that we've been given, I think, is a total of 7,000,000 estimate?

The total project costs at our best estimate are approximately $7,000,000

And if we were to leave what is recommended here, is it a negotiated cost from that point forward or where are we at with that?

So much of it would depend on what the county determined that they wanted to bring as claims under this contract. The $7,000,000 is simply our best estimate of what this total project cost is. And within that, I could not tell you what the county may claim or what they may not. But the $7,000,000 is what we see as the likely ceiling.

And if I could ask, in reference to the contract, did who oversell the contract in in the city?

It is my understanding that DCM oversees the contract as contract administration agent.

Because there's some concerns with replacement of the palm trees if they were to be destroyed from that. And as it was just stated, if you could state what the contract says about the palm trees, which is concerning because I feel that it puts us, a little bit at risk.

The contract language regarding the coconut palms in the additional project implementation terms states that where dunes will be constructed in areas with existing coconut palm trees, county shall use its best efforts to one, leave a well or buffer of one to two feet around the perimeter of the coconut palm tree trunks, and two, prevent construction equipment from inadvertently impacting the tree trunks, including hand filling sand around the coconut palm trees.

But it says nothing about dunes being placed around it where the sand would blow into and prevent that from being maintained. Correct? No. So it's all a perception. So to me, I feel like there's a lot of loopholes and a lot of concerns that are going to be continual effects on the Hollywood Beach. So I want to hear the rest of my colleagues' comments. But I'm not comfortable with with settling as what is here now. And I don't know how we get to the resolution where we are gonna be comfortable.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Caleri. Let's go to Commissioner Hernandez.

Thank you, mayor. Couple of questions. Can you just read what you just read again, please?

Where dunes will be constructed in areas with existing coconut palm trees, county shall use its best efforts to one, leave a well or buffer around one to two feet around the perimeter of the coconut palm tree trunks and two, prevent construction equipment from inadvertently impacting the tree trunks, including hand filling sand around the coconut palm trees.

Okay, thank you. Doctor. Hrudado, could I ask you a question based on the statement you just made a minute ago? When it was brought up regarding the palm trees, you said to the best of the of your ability. And you said that you weren't gonna do any hand placing or digging when it comes to those palm wells.

But yet our contract says that you will. How can we come to a happy medium when it comes to that? Because that's one of the issues that we are all concerned on is regarding our trees. And the reason why I'm familiar with equipment and I think the operator that is doing the job is probably using a 10 to 12 foot wide blade and it may not be easy for them to do something like that, but that doesn't mean that the burden should fall on us. But how can you address that?

Well, I'll have a difficult time addressing it. When we first got out in the field, I know that the contractor had a nervousness about the condition of the palms on the beach in the first place. In fact, when they arrived without even touching any of the palms, one of them fell down and was recognized to be relatively diseased. We had documented that. So some of the palms don't look like they're in great condition as it is.

They had a difficult time working with the equipment in a manner that we could stay away from the trees, couldn't take the time to hand fill because it wasn't practical, given what was needed. And they did their best of their ability of placing sand, being sensitive to the existence of the trees, but recognizing that they weren't in great shape to begin with. And so, it's a delicate matter in terms of how to manage that. So, we did the best of our ability, but recognized that there were concerns at the very beginning.

You did the best of your ability with the equipment that he was using. And that may not be the proper equipment to be used because of the size of the equipment. And now, we're being told that maybe the trees were sick to start with and dying. That doesn't sit well with us. Particularly when the trees were there for a long time and the one tree that fell down looked like that the machine actually hit it. And I wasn't there. I'm just saying by the way that the tree fell. But I'm just saying, when you say to the best of your ability, you say to the best of the ability with the contractors equipment that he's using on-site. There is other smaller equipment that could be used and should be used and it's not hand digging that would probably get the right profile for the sloping that needs to be done regarding that. So there's no cliff.

The same as some of the pathway that were open, they were just the pathway was open and there was no intent. You could see the intent. I walked the beach that there was no intent to get a proper slope when it comes to that particular opening. Which means that you have the drop off of where the machine, those are actually clear the path and no other intent was done to slope the rest of that bank into that particular dune. Those are the details that we were talking about that it can be done.

And it may be tedious for the contractor to come back and says, well I didn't bid it like that. But that's between the county and the contractor. We don't want to have an unfinished product. And I think that's what it's looking like when it comes to when you walk by and you see those things, you see the path that was done and then you see that there was no sloping of that path. Those are the things that we're talking about.

No different than with a machine if you're using some machine that has a 10 to twelve five blade, it becomes difficult. Yet when you have a skid steer that may have a six or seven or eight foot bucket or blade, you may be able to get to those things without damaging the tree and without being concerned. If the trees die six years from now or six months from now or six days from now, that they have no sand on, it's on us. But if you guys put sand on top of that tree and the tree is not doing well, it'll definitely speed up the process of For

the access areas, I was under the impression that the city staff were pleased with the access areas. We knew that there would be some refinements being provided and and we acknowledge that the city might wanna polish some of those edges more to the city's liking. I apologize if I didn't understand that they were reading the city's expectations.

No apologies needed. The question that I have while you're here and you said that, is the county given the city permission to move some sand around as needed in order to be able to create those sloping? I just wanted to ask that on the record.

Acknowledge that the city fully has the capacity to provide refinements to the trunk areas or to the access edges as the city deems more Thank to your

you. The other question is when is the permit expires for moving the sand around? Because we don't want to get ourselves in trouble.

The nesting season of the sea turtles commences at the end of this month. Hence, there are it's not feasible to get out on the beach with heavy equipment beyond April 30 without compromising or being in violation of the permit.

Is there a possibility of asking for a thirty day extension with monitoring of the beach area for the nesting of the turtles?

I don't know about that. I could make the inquiry, I don't know.

If it's possible, if the public works may need the extra time because it's difficult for them to be able to do everything they need to do within the ten days. I'm just asking if you would make the inquiring in order for it to be monitored. We're more than happy to take care of the monitoring part and bring it into compliance. But if we need another two weeks or thirty days, is it possible for you guys to work with us?

Yeah, so we will ask the question. It would be of course the city undertaking the work rather than our contractor.

Correct, correct. We're not trying to get you guys to do it. Regarding the other issue when it comes to the post. Basically, to put this post on the ground and use a hydraulic, could be used more than one way, you could dig it which they're not digging and they're just pounding it in, is a hydraulic hammer if you would in order to do it. But if the poles are already where they need to be as far as the depths that need to be done, if we need to make them lower, all we actually need to do rather than to pound them anymore, just cut them, drill a hole, run the rope through them. So there's more than one way to do it in order to be able to reach the proper height that we're looking for. Are you guys okay if we do something like that?

We would have no objection to those posts being lowered to the 36 inches from the sand level at which they're placed. So, know, not it wouldn't, you know, the posts are situated in a dune. They're already at, you know, there's a certain amount of sand accumulation. So it wouldn't be relative to the adjacent grade of beach because if you lower the post pretty soon you just walk right over it if the posts aren't and the rope are not tall enough.

And some of them are actually outside where the sand is level and it's not anywhere near the dune. Some of them are near the dune, as you said. Some of them are farther away from the dune. Another question that I have is whenever we are doing the sloping around the palm trees, the rope and post that you have encumber the palm trees, which makes it necessary for our maintenance personnel to actually go into those roped areas. Is it possible that we can actually exclude those trees from being inside the roped area in order for nobody to be able to walk into where they're doing this?

I wouldn't be prepared to respond to that because I don't know the area of question.

Okay, can look at those areas and go item by item if need be with our staff so that we can see some of those areas of concern, if possible. I'm trying to come up with a happy medium here so that you guys are There

are areas where I think that that would not be feasible in terms of completely bringing the ropes to the other side of the trees and maintaining the dune there. So, I could go through it with your staff, but I don't know without, as you say, without looking at it.

There may be

areas where it couldn't be accommodated. There may be areas where it could.

And the reason that I mentioned that is because there are some areas where I think is allowed where you actually have enough room where the shade area is, that people actually congregate near those palm trees. And what I'm afraid that will happen is once we do this, the swell and the proper sloping, then they're gonna want to congregate inside the rope and that's where we're gonna run into trouble. I'm just trying to avoid some of that.

I understand. I understand what you're asking. I'm not sure that it would fall upon our contractor to relocate

that We're if you're asking about the not asking about the contract. I think at this point we're trying to take on as much as we can.

Very good.

Because of the fact that we want the product to be a good And we're not trying to get you to do more. We're trying to have the ability within the apartment and with your okay to be able to do the things that we feel that are needed to surgically make the beach the place that we thought it was going to be.

We look forward to working with you on those questions.

And those are the things that we're looking for. Regarding the area in front of the diplomat, I believe that it was just going to be sand that it was added And that's not going to be an issue at this point. One of the concerns that I have was with the segment. No, you can stay up there because I just want segment one, if I remember correctly, which is where the cliffing is. And I want to address some of my colleagues. And if you can put the picture back up, please. Excuse me.

And just real quick, for the record, the magistrate hearing is going to take place in Room 215. So we don't have that time limitation in this room. If anyone's here for the magistrate hearing, please go next door. Thank you so much.

Okay. The left picture where the posts are there. And I'm okay with by the way, I know some of you guys may not want the posts there. I'm okay with leaving the post there because if somebody's walking on the top and they fall, the fact that the poles were there and now been removed, it becomes our liability. And so I'm okay with doing something like that or even move them farther in to protect the doing and for people not to be able to have something like that. I I don't know if you're okay with something like that or not because at this point you were okay with removing those poles. I just wanna know is there a

The the the issue was entirely with the city with regards to your public access and safety and regarding whether the ATVs and so forth could have access to the beach under the circumstances of the perverse preserved rope post and rope if if if it's on it it's on city's hands.

You're saying it's at our option in this segment.

My question is if it's at our option, can we move them inland a little more?

We can discuss that, I think.

Well, just wanted to She's here.

We had no objection to your moving them further inland. That was a matter of whether or not your safety equipment would have the space that they needed for the safety equipment without intruding on the existing.

And that was my point because an ATV is only four feet wide versus that if we have a full size truck, we won't be able to do it no matter. We'd have to be on top of the doing. I'm not looking. I just want to look into create the four foot or five foot area. You're shaking your head saying yes. Am I saying something wrong or am I

No, no, no. Just, yeah. I wanted to just make sure that I was able to reiterate that I think essentially we have agreement on everything for segment one, segment three with the caveat of, and let me pause for just a second, segment one, segment four, and segment three being the section of the beach where it's the widest, but there's concern about the tree areas that you mentioned and some of the sloping. Our staff is working on that now. The county has corrected some of it.

The access points we will continue to work on. So the item and I think we you know thank you for clarifying the ability to you know, make some changes to those you know access areas and the sloping a bit and to continue to work through the trees. The item that we have before you now is really one of you all potentially accepting the segment one, the segment four, and the segment three allowing staff to continue to work with the county on the modifications. We've heard what you all have said and then the only place that we really do need the direction on, you've heard from Doctor. Herrado, segment two is probably they can put in a dune at the 26.5 feet, which obviously we don't believe will preserve that two to one ratio and will create some challenges given the current extensive erosion with the beach maintenance, with the public safety and some of those things.

So they are saying let's just you know leave segment two out. At this point it's too late for their contractor to make a lot of modifications. There has been some materials and post and rope you know purchased for that area to the tune of about 420,000 that we have to recognize in some way.

Well, I I I This is where I was going next.

Okay. Alright.

I'm just going item by item and Okay.

So I just wanted to make sure that we if you guys are getting pretty comfortable with that, then that we can just continue to negotiate that and get that done.

My point is the contractors already being paid for that. So, if the county wants to pay the contractor for and allow us to have the materials and to have the rope and post and we will, if it's okay with them, for us to be able to address that in a way that it meets our needs. And that's why I was asking her that I was going, please come up because and that's where I was going next and you took all my thunder away because I just went through the, I just want to know if the 26 and a half feet which is what we're talking about meets with the county. And this is the only issue that we're at odds here if you would. Can we actually have the post and rope and the material for us to actually finish the job so that your contractor doesn't be adverse?

Because we have a nonprofit that is willing to do it. And we're willing to do the work ourselves. If it's okay with the commission, I'm not speaking for the rest of them. I'm just asking you if it's okay with you, then it's something for us to consider.

I think that it's not off the table. I would, you know, confer with, you know, our attorneys on the matter and make sure that we're all in agreement. But it's not off the table if the materials can be beneficially used.

Absolutely. Absolutely. We don't want any waste. That's the last of our things. We just wanna make sure that our beach is resilient and it also serves the purpose for what is there for, which is our economic engine.

So we don't wanna hurt that because if we hurt that, then we're kinda hurting ourselves and it becomes counterproductive. So if it's okay with you, please confer with the attorney and just let us know, The sooner the better. And I don't know if the commission is willing to take on that particular work. And I'm asking you to please ask if an extension of the of the sand with a proper monitoring would be at our expense can be done so that we can do this and not rush the job. I also understand that when we talked about this last go around, there was a time element of trying to push the job through because of the turtle nesting season and we wanted to get that.

But sometimes haste makes waste. And in this case, we don't want to get stuck with something that will be there for decades to come that will hurt us in perpetuity. So if it takes some of our effort to do it and some of our money to do it, I think the commission is willing to do that and we're willing to make sure that our businesses and our residents alike are pleased with the end product. Understood, And thank if you could ask for the extra time, move the sand, it'd be great. And I'm just committing our public works department to get the right equipment to do the right thing for the sloping around those trees.

And please look at the individual sites to see if we can actually move the rope behind the level of the trees in order. Because if you look in the afternoon, which is when I walk, you can see that the shade comes on the west side of the trees and then that's where people congregate. And what I'm afraid of is if we don't leave that out, because they're actually currently inside the post and rope, you know, in the shade. So if we actually make that area accommodating for them, it would help with some of the shorter beach area that we have on the East Side. That's all if we can compromise with that.

I think what Doctor. Herrado, and I don't want to speak for her, has indicated as it relates to those trees is that we, that there are some of them that may be so far inside that the dune would no longer be beneficial. But there may be some that are on the edge that we could potentially adjust that if we're able to do that and work through that modification that we could make some of those. So as long as there's not an expectation that every palm tree is no longer going to be in the dew.

No, but I can tell you that some of the ones I'm referring to, and I know that she can't see them because they're in my head, are right next to where there is an access point to walk in. And the trees are right next to the knee wall. And they're maybe within five to 10 feet of that. And the dune in this particular area is much wider than that. And we could probably, if we could just do the rope around the tree so people could enjoy the shade, that would be beneficial. That's all. Those are the things that I'm talking about. And I'm more than happy to meet with you guys and show you the areas that I'm referring to because I didn't take the time because I didn't have anything to write with to to note them. But if we're willing to work together when it comes to some of the things, we're willing to put our effort and our mind and our money and our expertise that we have somebody that is willing to help us do it. Thank you.

Thank you. Let's go to Commissioner Biederman.

Thank you. Kind of big on compromise and if we're going to give a little bit, they got to give a little bit. But it seems like we're just giving a lot or we're willing to just take out on ourselves. So my concern is number one, if a contractor is paid to do a job, then let them do it and not just say, We don't like the way you did it, so we're just going to do it ourselves and you're going to get paid fully anyway. I have a problem with that.

My understanding, my recollection of when we were talking about this last time is that we were going build the dunes around trees that were existing because we didn't want to hurt those trees. Now they just pile dirt in front of them and they're gonna try and scoop it from around, which doesn't make sense to me. It's almost like the contractor said, I'm gonna do it my way, and if you don't like it, then I'm gonna get paid anyway and you guys can finish the job because I'm not compromising. I have problems with that. What is is there a specific I think I asked this in one of our meetings, but is there

a

specific sloping ratio that dunes have to be in order to maintain and not be eroded from? Is that one to one, two to one? Where are we I know we keep talking about the ratio of dune to beach, but what's the ratio of sloping?

Yeah, there's sloping on the design.

Dunes, it's the same kind of a thing, right?

See, the design has some sloping. I wouldn't know it by heart. I don't know if you guys can tell us what the sloping is. But yes, they're sloping in terms of what the cresta, Hythys and then, I think, is it three to one? It's three to one from the crest of the dune to the sides. And then, the same, but what happened with the openings is that we have to do the same so that there's no sand in the way that people are crossing. But, it has specs, and those specs have to be reviewed by the contractors, to be surveyed, submitted. And then we also have our consultant that will be looking over that to make sure that we're meeting, they're meeting that requirement.

So, in the areas where we have these extra wide dunes, all we needed was a dune that was properly sloped so that it wouldn't be eroded, not necessarily having a peak that we could walk on because we were talking know, at one point we were talking about having wide dunes and having a walkway right down the center of the dune. But we're not having that walkway. We're just having these extra wide dunes for no apparent reason in my mind. You know, when we build berms or we build sloping along a lake or something, it's a four to one slope, I think, that prevents erosion. Mean, I don't remember

exactly No, it's

three to one.

Fourteen years since I dealt with this kind of thing. But that's what my expectations were with the dunes, that they were just going to be built minimum size, properly sloped so that they do their job. But it seems like we just arbitrarily said, hey, let's have a 35 foot dune for no reason at all other than to plant plants. So I'm having a problem. I'm having trouble understanding why the dunes are so wide in certain places if we only need a minimum size dune to do the job of preventing erosion and protecting the inland from wave impact, right?

So I'll say two things. I think I don't want to speak for the designer of the Dooms and even the county. I think there's a level certain of resiliency and width and size that they need for them to be as resilient as they want it need them to be for the funding, actually. So I don't know, Doctor. Hurrell, if you want to share anything with respect to the width, the heights, and how that's decided.

But my understanding is that those sizes and the widths and the heights and so response to the certain level of resiliency that the county needed for making the investment. And this is why that meeting in February 2024 was all about increasing the elevation of the dunes to 8.4 NAVD, because the county wasn't willing to fund the Dunes unless we got them to an 8.4 NAVD, because their design and their resiliency standards would not allow them to be built according to what they are willing to invest on. Is that close to?

So all the

at I'll grade let her share a little bit more.

So all the at grade dunes that Lee is planting are useless?

No, I don't say that. I think that from the county's perspective, hey, to make this investment. This is a resiliency for what we're expecting on the design. Here is the product that we're bringing. We're paying for it. You like it, not like it. We say yes, and here we are.

So I mean, I've had these conversations with Doctor. Gerardo. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her for like twenty five years already whenever I first met her. I just have the concern that we're just building the dunes too wide. And if we're not and if there's some science behind, you have to have a certain width of dune Mhmm. Then where we're building the dunes half the width because we don't have beach, then that's a waste of money also. So I'm having trouble understanding this. I'm having trouble not holding a contractor's feet to the fire, and I'm having trouble compromising one way.

Understood.

I also have problems with this palm trees that we should have really went around the trees. We could dig them out. We could put up silt fences right around it to protect them and protect the dirt from going the sand from going in it. You know, I just don't see that we're doing enough to maintain what our vision was and what the Dune master plan vision was. So Doctor. Rado, if you want to address some of those concerns, I'm willing to listen.

Sure. You know, I'm glad to respond. Know, there's an optimal height and width for a resilient dune. And, you know, the work that mister Gottlieb does is completely commendable, but we're talking about building a dune that develops, delivers resilience at the time of installation rather than waiting two, three years, and four years to accumulate sand. So you build a dune because it delivers resilience right away.

A vegetated dune more than an un vegetated dune, an un vegetated dune not serving that function. So, though, in order to be able to have a successful project with the city, you know, we heard all of your concerns and we made tons of concessions in order to be able to say, you know what, it's not an optimal doom, but gosh dang it, want to have a good project. What can we do to get there? And we've made reductions, reductions, reductions. You know, wanted to have a footpath on top.

Okay, we'll move the doom in. We'll make these adjustments in order to make it fit. Is it ideal? No. But we were able to move forward with a project that I thought mutually met what was expressed as priorities and needs of the cities and the county's interest in helping the city and our own interest because we all pay into beach nourishment projects.

What can we do to optimize these features and get them deployed? So I would agree, best case scenario, we have a wider dune. But in every case, a dune performs much better than no dune. And that was the purpose of trying to get together with the project, even though there were weaknesses that we recognized that were part of that project, which was reduced dune width. If we can recover something and a city takes that on and provide something that's lesser, then that's great.

It's an advancement but to suggest that a plane level dune is the same as a dune built at elevation and that there aren't optimal dimensions, those are all very specific engineered and proven performance. And that's what we were trying to get and we're okay with what we had amended in order to have something acceptable. Didn't pan out quite right. We look forward to the next iteration in those areas where the city wants to rework things.

Okay. I have some more questions.

For me or someone else?

I don't know. Somebody can answer this. Hi. But we've talked about planted dunes, unplanted dunes. Really, if it's not planted, it's not really a dune, I guess. So when we are talking about kind of sculpturing the dunes a little bit, at what point are we not allowed to touch the dunes anymore? Like, my concern is if we don't sculpt it and finish it before a certain time, we're never gonna be able to touch it because dunes are protected. So can you kind of explain that one to me?

Is that myth or is that real? I mean, maintenance, changes to dunes

I don't know if

you know the answer to that or not, Jose.

What's within the rope and posts?

Is that protected? Well, we have a consultant here, but I'm going to try to attempt to answer a little bit. Once you have planting on the dunes, that becomes a little bit harder to deal with FTP, especially if there's roping Like if

you planted in mistakenly the wrong area, that might be private property kind of thing?

Yeah, could be. So if they're planted, that becomes a little bit of a bigger issue in the areas where you don't have post and rope. If we want to move material around, yeah, we need to get the permits. As long as we're going to use the permit for some time for the things we have to do, good. If not, the city will have to get our own permits to move sun around in the areas that we think is needed to make the project work the way we want it to work.

So being at an unplanted dune really isn't optimal. What is the drawbacks to planting the dunes that we're not gonna plant? And if they're sacrificial, they're sacrificial. I mean, let I mean, there's places in the country that they have planted beaches and people still enjoy the beaches on their beach chairs or whatever, you know? So why can't we plant those dunes, like, by the diplomat, and let people lounge in them? And if they die, they die. But chances are they might not die. But at least they will root and try and protect some of the beach. Is that like just very

Moffat and Nikos, any thoughts on that?

Naive thinking?

Yeah. I I don't know if that's allowed, so I'm gonna let Moffat and Nikos address any questions on whether or not you're allowed to do that.

Sometimes you sit on the grass at the Arts Park. You sit on the grass

I think they're protected. Once you have them, they kind of have to be protected. Is

anyone familiar with what the DEP regulations say? Is that really

I mean, I guess, at this point, are fetched. To understand these proposed changes to design that are being proposed. And then at that point, we'll have a conversation with the FTP in terms of, number one, how those changes may be able to be fit with the existent environmental permit. And number two, when is the time when those dunes become protected? Whether or not planting makes them protected? Whether or not establishment of the vegetation makes them protected? That's a conversation that we'll need to have with them.

So, I mean, does it make sense? Like, if we're not going to plant them, then they're not protected dunes. So let's, like try it. What I mean, does it really hurt to if we already own the plants, does it really hurt to plant the plants in places we're not that we're talking about not planting them and seeing if they take root. And if they take root, great. But at least it's something as opposed to the sand washing away because nothing is rooting.

We can certainly do that and look at areas where we think that might work and that could be part of the plan that Chris and us kind of undertake as we look into it. I'll be a little cautious on if we do it where we do it so that it doesn't become a bigger issue, and that if it's done, it's done in a way that we know is adding to the resiliency efforts that we want to have. But yes, can we look at it and figure out if they're said yes? Yes, commissioner.

So I

guess the real question is if somebody plants a chair in a roped off dune, it's as if state statute violation, they get a ticket for it, right?

I would imagine if you're mean, do you have something like that or doing I have no idea.

But Lee, please come on up to the microphone if you could.

Yeah, come in.

I mean, I just don't want to create these safety zones that people can't sit at. But if we're not gonna do anything and people are gonna sit there, at least let's try to do something.

So in reference to the diplomat, there's a mound of sand there now between the knee wall seawall and where the recreation chairs are. Basically, now, is no place for emergency vehicles to come down that road because that 20 feet is now going to be potentially roped off or just a mound of sand. So you're not going to be able to get emergency vehicles down there at all because there's no room between the chairs and the jet skis and everything else they have on the beach. So that 20 feet of mounded sand right there basically should just be left there and should not be planted because then you have an another obstruction for emergency vehicles that if they try to get down there. That's the only way they're gonna get down there is on that sand.

But you could ride an ATV through grass.

If there's no grasses there, there's nothing to talk about. It's not a dune at that point. It's only a dune when you plant it. So just putting sand there doesn't make it a dune at all.

So why can't we plant it and then take root, they take root.

You have an obstruction now. You're losing too many feet in front of the diplomat. There's no way it doesn't

You wouldn't be at a two to one or even a one to one ratio.

All right. Yeah. If we

I was trying.

Yeah. And if we had the chance to do that, I think that we would have kind of done the same with the county. I think the idea mainly was because of public safety. We said, look, it's just the public safety concern on that area. Because if you look at how it looks right now, some areas is bigger. You have the doom to beach ratio. But we know it's going to get really bad for public safety. And the county said, look, I get it. I know there's more. When you go south of the Diplomat, there's more room in there. You can almost have the two to one ratio. It just doesn't work because we know we're expecting severe erosion. And for public safety reasons, that was the best approach there. Can we look at it? Yes. And come back with you with our observations. We can But do

I'm gonna finish with this. We're doing beach renourishment. We're planting dunes to protect the beach because the beaches are economic engine developed, you know. It brings in tourists, but if we're not gonna have beach left for the tourists to go to, then they're not gonna come here and we're gonna lose that economic engine that we were investing all this money in to protect. Mhmm. So we gotta there's gotta be a balance. And I kind of support the reduction, as much reduction as we can in Naddun by the segment two or whatever it was called.

Two and three.

Segment two. Because it's just too wide. I mean, you could stand there, you see it's too wide. You could be on top of a rooftop and Yeah. You could see it's too wide. I mean, the pictures that we showed last time, it was just too wide. So whatever we could do to reduce that as much as possible, just to have the beneficial dune is better than having no beach left for people to enjoy. Know, I mean, we get, you know, certain times a year, get, you know, a 100,000 people to the beach. If there's no place for them to sit, then it's just you know, and we have a 10 foot separation of tents on our beach and umbrellas and stuff like that. I mean, we're just losing it all.

It just doesn't make sense to me. And once we have the dunes in place, they're there forever, like it was stated earlier. So, I mean, we need to be cautious on where we're going. And with this picture and the palm trees, we need to do something to save the palm trees. I mean, I know there's people that don't think palm trees are beneficial and they're not really trees, but, you know, they're still living organisms that we shouldn't purposely try to kill.

Thank you, commissioner Beiterman. Commissioner Quintana is next, and I just want to orient the the commission to, hone in on our direction to staff with regards to the areas that we need to address and give them direction on, which is segment two and segment three. Segment two specifically staff recommended that even though the counties offered a reduction to 26.5, that it needs further study and is not necessarily workable at 26.5. So we would take it upon ourselves to find solutions for that area. Segment three is where the Wide Beach is.

And given there are a few access and that one restaurant issue that Jenny pointed out to, the staff is suggesting that we leave the design as is, except for the adjustments needed for the trees. If I've said that correctly, I think I have. So let's go to Commissioner Quintana.

Thank you, Mary. That's I was actually going to ask that this slide be brought up. I appreciate you bringing us back to focus. And then, I just wanted to ask perhaps a very fundamental basic question about what is the purpose of what is the purpose of the DUNS Beyond high tides and king tides, is there any other reason for having them there? What is the purpose? I want to because I mean we just have talked a lot, but understanding why do we have them?

I think it's best to ask Doctor. Hirado to come forward and maybe share that information.

Thank you for the question. You know, fundamentally we struggle to keep sand on the beach, especially in the segment three reach. And in segment three in this speak, my speak, not that slide, is Dania, Hollywood, and Hallandale. And this segment of beach has driven the most frequent beach nourishment projects throughout the county. And those projects become more and more costly, and there are ways to try and ensure that more sand remains on the beach, is not lost from the system, while we work to bring more sand to the system.

Dunes are a fundamental part of one, helping to keep sand on the system because when you do have storms and overwash, the dunes will capture that sand and keep it on the beach where we want it. It helps reduce wave energy and damage to infrastructure. We saw with Tropical Storm Sandy, collapse of infrastructure. Dunes are key to help mitigating that. Our beaches and dunes together protect about 2,500,000,000 in infrastructure in the city of Hollywood.

So it's every measure that we can do to provide shore protection, and dunes are part of that. And then as we bring more sand into the system through the sand bypass project, having more and more features along the shore, in the beach, that help keep that sand in the system as well. So it's about optimizing every dollar in a combined shoreline protection strategy that helps protect the shoreline and the beach and keeps the sand where we want it, which is on the beach. And not offshore and not inland clogging streets and storm drains.

Right. So, I guess what I'm hearing you say is that it will help us continue to have a beach where our economy is so dependent on having sand on the beach. But I also heard you say that our area, Denia, is the one that has needed renourishment more frequently than perhaps others, right? Because we keep losing sand. So we spend all this money on replenishing sand. And then the money goes out in the water and we lose it and we have to spend more money bringing in more sand so that we can keep our beach. Did I understand that correctly?

Correct.

Okay. And then help me understand in plain speak, if you can, why four feet? I know you answered it, but just say it once again in plain people speak. Why four feet versus at grade at this particular point?

Just just altogether, if you build a dune with elevation, it provides storm protection and immediate benefits in terms of erosion protection, wave reduction, trapping of sand. It's at elevation immediately. As opposed to if you plan it grade, you could build up the dune, but you don't receive the benefits immediately. And that's just why we work to construct as part of the project that dune if we can on the backside because it delivers immediately where a beach, a flat beach does not. And vegetating a flat beach doesn't produce a dune overnight.

Got you. So, I mean in some ways for all of us, planting at grade gives us a chance to get used to the idea that our beach doesn't look the same way that it did perhaps the way we remember it when we were children. It gives us a way to kind of adjust to a new look for the beach. There's so many things in our lives that are not gonna be the same for the next generation as they were for us. And so, like, having it be at grade give us gives us a little bit of time of adjustment.

We're having somebody come in and put forth a four foot mound in front of our in our beach is is a shock because we're not used to seeing it looking like that. So for me, like that's one of the things that's it's like how do we adjust to a new reality, which is difficult, I think, for everybody. One of the things I was looking at is just how much value there is beyond the Broadwalk and all that has been built there in Hollywood. And I was trying to do some research about how much there is. It's $2,500,000,000 worth of property value that's East of the Intracoastal Area.

And I mean, I'm thinking that that's part of what we want to protect. I'm thinking about all those businesses that are right there that I'm afraid that if we have a storm that we haven't had since I first moved to Florida, I've only been through one big storm and it wasn't even that big from what I'm told historically. My I'm worried for those buildings that I'm scared when I see storms that go from a category one to a category five in a matter of twelve hours, and it seems like that's something that's more common than it used to be. And so, I get it. Not having the same flat, sandy beach is a like we talked about bitter pill this morning with our the conversation we had about utility rates.

This is a bitter pill, too. But that said, I think it's a great opportunity with segment two to create perhaps something that we could then be feel good and proud of because we created it ourselves. And I'm you know, I think it's really good if we can collaborate on making that happen and bringing Lee's expertise to whatever happens in segment two. It seems like that's the part that we still have some work to do on, as far as I can tell, that we kind of have agreed about the rest of it. It's just what happens with segment two that is still in the works. Is that is my understanding correct?

So yes, I think the segment two issue is that we all believe that segment two needs to have some dune infrastructure. But looking at it and looking at the current erosion, it appears that that needs to be really carefully tailored. And under the current agreement with the county, that cannot be accomplished within the permit time that we have. Now, as Commissioner Hernandez asked, the county has indicated they will ask for additional time. I don't know that that will be granted but that's really helpful if there is the possibility given the turtle nesting season to gain some additional time to move sand.

But our commitment to you from the city side is that we will continue to work through segment two in the same way that we were planning for the Central Beach segment and being able to sort of curate those dunes over a little bit more interaction and outreach to our residents and business owners because that's really all kind of part of the same feel of the beach adjacent to the knee wall where there are some more businesses and that type of thing. So it feels like we're not able to say to the county today, yes go ahead with 26 foot dunes and the county does not have the time at this moment to fine tune the project with us. So if unless I misunderstood, we're comfortable with leaving segment two out of it, making the changes that we've all talked about to segment one, the segment four, the no vegetation, no post and rope at this point. And then segment three, we've discussed the modifications around the trees that our team would work on. And this doesn't leave the contractor out.

The contractor is still going to plant all of these plants and finish up what they were needing to do and we're just working in tandem to make sure that some of those specific requests that we have as a city are able to be handled with the contractor and it sounds like the county is willing for us to do some of that with them. And so that's what I'm understanding to be what we're able to pull off right now. And if you all were to approve the resolution today, you would be giving the authority to me and city staff to make those modifications that we've talked about today and then you know go ahead and continue on with the access agreement that we have in place. We would you would be lifting the stop work request that you all had directed previously and our city attorney would then we had provided a concern about a number of different breaches that we felt were of the contract and we would of course then rescind that.

Or just have to modify the terms of the agreement a little bit to

Right. We would be modifying the terms of the agreement to reflect what you see on the screen here today with the exception of segment two and some of the would come off as not part of the project currently other than any materials that are currently purchased for segment two that it sounds like the county would be potentially willing to provide to us

At cost.

And that we could right.

All right. I think that sums it up pretty well. And it would be great since every member of the body had an opportunity to speak. I know that you yep. So that's what I'm asking for is is specific to that. And then we'll we'll continue the discussion. But commissioner Quintana, are you good with, Railin's direction?

Yes.

Okay. Let's go to commissioner Shuham. Whoops. I'm sorry. Let me activate your mic. Go ahead.

Thank you, mayor. I would like to make a motion of to support the resolution with two caveats. One, I would like the the notice of breached, withdrawn. And secondly, to Commissioner Hernandez's point about the rope and post in segment one, the suggestion is to move it back to the existing dune. That's like 20 feet back.

It doesn't protect that cliffing that you're seeing. That cliffing is a result of the sand that was just deposited. So the idea is to get rid of that rope and post that will smooth out as it always does. So my motion is to approve the resolution subject to withdrawal of that letter and removal of the rope and post in the segment one, which was acceptable to the county as I understand it, because we've always had that doom there, and we've never had rope imposed. Thank you.

So just to the point of withdrawing the notice of breach, I I don't think the and mind you, hopefully we have spirit of cooperation. I think we'd want to ideally modify the agreement. I just don't think that procedurally, it's sensible to remove that notice of breach since it does give a ten day it's a provision within the agreement that requires a ten day notice for cost.

Forces the in my opinion, we never gave authorization from this dais to send that notice. And I think that we do have a spirit of cooperation. And I like the way the resolution was drafted. I don't know why we would leave that notice out there. We have our city manager coordinating with the county on how to get us through this and modify. That's what I like about the resolution, modify the agreement. So with that language in the resolution, I think that we're saying two different things, and we shouldn't be. We should all be on the same page that we're working together to modify this agreement and resolve any open issues. So that's my motion.

So I would just like to clarify if Doctor. Rado could are you do you accept the opportunity to modify the agreement? Well, in accordance with the terms that we're describing here.

Going forward per agreement of both parties.

Yeah. We we are amenable to the the the motion as it was stated, and I would work with our county attorney, Jennifer Brown, who is here to review the provisions and and ensure acceptability and and make sure that we could comply with the requested amendment.

With the adjustment of segment three and the removal of segment two. But I just want I want to count on record to say

that That is correct.

Willing to modify the agreement within the confines that we're discussing here for all that we've discussed segments one, two, three, and four.

That would be our intent as it was stated. That was my understanding of how we would want to work mutually in an agreement forward to resolve that.

Alright. Alright. Well, city attorney, a point of clarification was requested.

As commissioner Schuham stated that it is her belief that there was never any direction from this dais from the commission to direct that notice of breach to go to the county. It is my understanding that based on the direction from the commission, you're requesting that an item be brought back at the next city commission meeting, which was May 6, to consider what to do with the agreement up to and including termination. Based on that direction, I believe that it was important for me to send a notice of the breach to preserve our abilities to terminate for cause if that was the direction in which the commission wished to go, not forcing any termination for cause. And to be clear, I am completely happy to withdraw the letter in favor of modification of the agreement if that is the wish of this commission.

Alright. Well, it depends on on the appetite for the commission on preserving their rights just for the sake of if an agreement cannot be reached, which I hope it can, and they've just kind of proffered that that the spirit of the agreement is consistent with what they're willing to to do with what we've said. So there was a motion. Is there a second at this time? Motion? The motion

is to accept the resolution that was in the agenda today with a withdrawal determination. Because even I'm just going to say it's not going to happen in ten days. There's still a lot to discuss on how the ILA would be formally modified. It's almost a moot point, but I just don't feel like we have the authority. Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor. Herrano, please.

I would like to have, if possible, stated for the record that we have permission to move forward with the planting of the segment three. I don't believe that we can afford the time, and I would like to make sure that there's nothing that would prevent knowing that the agreement is in the amendment process. We would want permission to work with the contractor to move immediately to the segment three planting rather than what, you know, the timeframe involved for additional negotiations and so forth. So, know, moving forward with the amendments so that it's clean and capturing of everything with the ability to move forward immediately on the segment three wrap up.

And the only caveat to that, you know, I'm sorry, we're trying to sort this all out and it's not But 100%

I

want to make sure Doctor. Herrado and I had talked about making sure that when they do do the planting that they're not planting near the tree wells that we are still in the process of clearing out with our crews. Obviously we've talked about doing some modifications. Our team would be out there right away to help discern a couple of those modification areas within segment three. The trees that could be where they are on the edge, that could be outside of the post and rope and that's so

I just

want to be clear that that this would resume right away they need to get started but with those considerations.

So let me restate the motion to approve the resolution subject to no rope imposed in segment one. No proceeding with planting in segment three with coordinating closely with the city because we know there'll be some tweaks and withdrawing the notice of breach. That's my motion.

I also just want to make sure that everyone is aware, just for procedural and as you consider, that if the letter was withdrawn, there is nothing to prevent another letter being issued at a later point in time. I just want to make sure that that's clear.

All right. Is there a second to this motion? And just to make her the motion that includes with segment two, no no further action until the city decides what to do with it. Correct?

Or, you know, if if the city and the county can agree to something, you know, then they'll agree to it. Or the way the the motion reads, it says, authorize the city manager to take action as deemed necessary by the city commission regarding modifications to the agreement. So I think that really says it.

Well, I think we need to specify exactly what we direct for segment two, which has been to to hold back until we further review. Right, Rylan?

Our doc I'm feeling of of city staff at this point given the erosion that we've seen in this area, the historical photos that we've looked at for this area is that we need a little more time to really fine tune something. So, you know, we'll have that conversation but I do not believe that that the Modi that segment two will be left out of the county work that they have contracted right now.

Yeah. Outside of this agreement for further Right. Decision by the city.

And any post and rope that's there currently

Would be removed.

Removed. Right. Would be removed. Right.

Okay. So do you need that to be part of the motion?

No, I think that we're all on the same

It'd be better if it were.

Okay. Go ahead. All right. So now that it's been seconded, do we need to withdraw the second so I can restate my motion?

Yes. Or you could restate or you could ask for an amendment to the motion. But that would have

to be Commissioner Quintana, you withdraw your second and I'll restate? Okay. All right. I make a motion to approve the resolution subject to withdraw the notice of breach. In segment one, no rope imposed. In segment two, the rope and post will be removed, and further work will be subject to agreement between the city and the county. Is that good?

No. Segment two would be removed.

Oh, segment two is removed. Right. Okay. Central Beach is on hold. Segment three will proceed with planting subject to tweaking between the city and the county. And segment four, no vegetation, no rope and post. Do I have a second?

Second. Second from commissioner Quintana. Now let's discuss the rest of the commission's views on the motion.

Commissioner Hernandez. Mayor, I don't wanna lose my turn and being able to talk about what we were talking about earlier, which this motion kind of took me out of the equation when it comes to that. So if you don't mind, I've spoken one time. Everybody

Yes, please.

Several times. I'll talk about the motion. No, there's no way in hell I will support that motion.

Okay.

Is that clear enough? Yeah. Then I will come back to do the other one.

Sure. Sure. Sure.

And I reserve my time for the other. If we're just talking about No.

I mean, if you wanna like

I I I won't Happy

for you to maybe offer an amendment that changes things if you would like to. You have the right, as member of the dais to

No. I I rather I rather Dispose of the after longest dispose of the motion and then go from there because I don't wanna give yes. We can we can give another letter and then it's another ten days. Why not resolve this now? Do not want to give up the rope and post that we have. I just want to move it in. Whether we move it in five feet, 10 feet, that's gonna be up to our first responders what they need in order to traverse through there. The counties seem to be okay with that. Why not protect whatever dunes we have? That's the purpose of this.

And with the material that we're gonna have, we may be able to even put some more planting in front of the dunes that currently exist in order to prevent some more erosion. So I don't believe taking the rope and post out of Section 1 is the right move. Moving it in, I think it is. Provide them with the space that they need in order to move through there for them to be able to get to that site. When it comes to Section 2, the county has given us, has said that they will give us permission in order for us to do some sloping.

And I think that the difference is when you're talking about sloping and moving sand, moving sand infers that you're to have equipment loading sand and moving sand from one place to the other. When you slope and you're just grading what you currently have, it's less of an impact. So whenever you ask for the permission, if we could go beyond April 30, please ask for the sloping of the sand rather than to move of the sand because I don't want the DEP to think that we're going to be bringing sand from one area of the beach to another area of the beach when in fact all we're to be doing is the slope in the existing area. Commissioner Biederman asked about slopes. Normally slopes are four to one, three to one.

It depends on what it calls for. But no more than that. Two to one is too much. And these are some of the things that I'm saying. I prefer to go ahead right away and move forward. Not wait till next year or next month with public works with the proper equipment to start freeing some of those palm trees. The county said that they will be willing to work with us when it comes to that. Jump on that right away. If we can do something, today is Wednesday. We can rent the equipment.

If we don't have it, bring something in here for the weekend. If we got to work on a weekend, if we got to work next week, if they're willing to give us the okay to do it, go ahead and do that. Let's not throw, no pun intended, the baby out with the bathwater. We're getting $7,000,000 worth of work. If we have to put some money out of our own in order to get it the way we want it, we should be. We shouldn't be penny wise and dollar foolish. That's how I see it. So to me, I do not support the motion because number one, I do think that we need to protect the Dunes on section one. Just move them a little farther back if need be. Yes, there may be an expense, but it protects whatever dunes that's currently there.

And if we need to slope the current grade that it's cliffing, so be it. We have the ability to do that. If they're asking, if they're saying that we can do that. This will prevent people from falling down this thing. That's all. He wanted to say something.

Public works is already working with the coconut trees already. They were the palm, the palm, coconut palms. They're working on it already. They're making progress on it. My point While the county is working on it, we are working on it and that has not stopped yet.

I'm going to support a motion which I will, we can put an amendment motion if you like, of actually working with the county to come to succession of the plan as we foresee it within the guidelines that they're willing to give us so far. Doctor. Hiraldo, you've given some concessions as to what you're allowing us to do and some that you are not allowing us to do. You basically do not want us to touch section two. Segment two.

Sorry. Segment three.

Right. Go ahead. Segment So. Two is the one with the 26 and a half feet.

I I I just don't know what's being asked. We I I I would state that if the city felt it could move forward with the 26 and a half feet on segment two, But if you cannot, and if you need to rework your segment two, we can't hold up our contractor to await a plan that hasn't yet been developed. So unless the city is amenable to 26 and a half, I prefer you leave segment two out because I don't think we can be the partner that you need to deliver because of the time constraints and the constraints with our contractor agreement.

So what happens if we leave out segment two?

Then the city owns what happens next in its entirety.

And what does that mean?

Means that you would be responsible for the vegetation and the removal amendment of sand. I don't know what the city has in mind, but unless we install the plantings within the 26 and a half and move the posts, we can do that. But other than that, most of that hasn't been posted. So we would, if you move forward with 26 and a half, we could do that. If you can't, then you should remove it and the city should undertake what's required next.

Okay, let me ask you something because it was a question that was asked earlier. If we start with a dune of three feet above where it is right now, which is what the sand height is supposed to be currently, correct?

We measure to a specific elevation. It may be between three and some feet, but estimated.

Let's go with the estimate, two and a half, three feet, whatever it is. When you do the planting and the dunes actually collect the sand, how tall can they be? How much taller can they be?

I don't know how much taller they would be, but the city has the ability first of all, we're not putting in tall planting. It's just grass. So there's nothing like a sea grape when some of the other examples are provided about the size of the dune.

There's no

So these are sea oats if I if I remember correctly.

Sea oats and and other ground cover. And so the city has the ability to maintain the dune and its height and do that under a separate permit with the DEP. It's your maintenance project.

So how much higher could it go?

I don't know. Let's claim it's a foot.

So it'll be now, if it's two and a half feet, it's three and a half feet?

Potentially.

That's just the sand, not the grass itself,

correct? Potentially.

Okay, so my point, and this is some of the residents' concern and some of the businesses' concern, if we start at this rather than grade, and I'm okay with either one, I don't have an issue with that, the dunes are going to grow and so is the vegetation. So if you guys are concerned about the viewing of the ocean from the people that are visiting, that will be impaired as time goes on because the dunes will continue to collect sand and the grass will continue to grow. So the decisions here, even though we seem to be without lunch and what have you, but the decisions here are monumental in the long term. And thank you for allowing me to be able to talk about this during the motion, but I cannot support the motion as it is, period. And that's for the reasons that we just mentioned.

Can we work out through this thing and what have you? Yes, and maybe we should take a break and talk to Doctor. Jurado as to what the county and their attorney which is here, and our attorney and our city manager and Jose to see what we can come up with doing the time that we break in order to come back and address it properly. I think right now, we've just taken all of what we currently have done out of the equation by withdrawing the letter and doing all that other stuff without having an end product. So that's the reason why I can't support the motion because to me, it's premature.

So your issues with the motion are the withdrawal of the letter. And how about the segment three issue? Are you okay with proceeding to plant segment three or do you think that needs a redesign as well?

No, I'm okay with proceeding to plant segment three as long as we deal with the tree wells in a way that it's the sloping of those. As long as we do that, I think that the sand itself is good. I think that we're going to be sandblasting some people whenever there's a windy storm. But I'm okay with that. That's something that I'm okay with. But

So really, then what you're the crux of what you're saying, just in trying to get to the spirit of of getting to a vote, Commissioner Hernandez, is you would amend the motion to remove the withdrawal of the letter to preserve the city's rights so that while this is being modified, that we don't lose that notice of breach for cause. That's basically what you're saying,

right? That's number one, yes. And the other one is a rope imposed on section one, segment one. I gotcha.

So And and I will say, with regards to segment one and what I've heard and and the motion well, we can amend it. But really, it's at the city's election as to whether or not we want rope or not. And the county is saying, do what you want.

Correct.

If you want post and rope, great. If you don't want it, also good. So we don't have to really get through that today.

Correct. And that's the reason I'm saying I don't support that. But why would we get that out of our ability to do that by saying remove that?

So why don't you amend the motion to

Because I didn't second the motion.

Well, can offer an amendment.

I can I can make a subsequent motion that would address with that? But that that why why can't we just vote on this and then made the right motion to start with? So the the the

The keeper of Robert's rules Commissioner Biederman says that you may amend.

Right. Okay,

I'll make a motion to amend that we actually maintain our notice to the county as we work out the kinks that we have. Right. And to actually remove removing the poles and rope that we Leave that

as an open item for

Leave that as an open item for us to be able to make that decision as we go. The county has given us the decision to do that. So that's my amendment to the motion.

So can we take a quick vote on the amendment if that's okay with everyone else? Was there a second? We have motion and a second to amend the motion as stated by commissioner Hernandez to preserve the city's determination on the post and rope in segment one and to not withdraw the notice of breach at this time to preserve the city's rights while the agreement comes back to us modified. Go ahead.

So on section I'm fine with the way it was stated. But what it says is relocate the rope and post to the front of the existing dune line. There is absolutely no reason to do that. We've never had it. If anything, it impedes life safety.

But but the But

I'm amendment perfectly perfectly fine with the way it was

The amendment is to Yes. Not make that an issue now. The city's decision later in time to decide that.

I I am fine with that. Okay.

Alright. So let's go ahead and vote on the amendment. All those in favor of the amendment say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Motion carries six to one. Alright. So now we have an amended motion, which for segment one, obviously no vegetation. Post and rub will be a decision at a later time. Segment two is withdrawn from the agreement. Segment three proceeds with planting with some tweaks and maybe some determination that maybe some of the ground cover is more appropriate versus sea oats in some of the areas. That could be a solution. And segment four, of course, no vegetation, no post and rope. All right. So let's, if anyone has discussion on that, then let's go ahead to Commission Vice Mayor Caleri.

Just

clicking buttons here, but she was in the queue. Maybe because I called on you because of the amendment, it took you out of the queue. Go ahead, Commissioner Biederman.

Thank you. So I don't I I I'm not really a 100% thrilled, but I seconded it. I voted on it just to move things along a little bit. But I have a question because I'm not ready to pull out of segment two. And I'm not ready to take the post and ropes down protecting a doom because that's what they're there for. So why would we arbitrarily say this doom doesn't need post and rope but this one does? That's my concern. My other concern is if we were to pull out of segment two, it's already got the sand there, we want to reduce the width of the dune. Whether we pull out or not, the dune is getting reduced. What's happening to all that sand?

How is it being moved? Where is it being moved to? Because right now, it's a 40 foot wide. We're getting rid of by how I don't know how many blocks long it is. And we're getting rid of 15 feet wide by three feet deep by multiple blocks long. Where's all that sand gonna go? How's it getting put wherever we're putting it?

Well, Commissioner, at this point in time, that sand what we've seen is that people are sitting on that sand and and doing, you know, setting up their towels and chairs on that sand because of the narrowness of the beach. Even when the post and rope went in in a small area, people were climbing over the post and rope and setting up their chairs when the erosion was at its, you know, I mean due to the erosion.

So, it's basically spread out on beach?

Right. So, it will gradually spread out over time and you know, as we work through the plans for Central Beach and segment two, some of that sand will be beneficial for the future planting in those two areas.

That's where I was going with this. So we basically got some sand there. If we could protect it from being washed away, we have some sand there that could be moved into Central Beach to reduce the amount of sand we're gonna have to buy when we create the dunes in Central Beach? Is that

I mean presumably we would need to get our own permit at that point in time to move sand around the beach to create you know more of an elevated dune if that were the desire of the approved plan that would come back to the commission you know before we would begin the Central Beach and segment two project.

So we already accepted full responsibility for the cost of Central Beach Dune, whatever that might be. But this county was gonna pay for segment two, which is kind of smaller segment I guess. Is if we were to pull that out of the equation right now and they were to walk off the job site and leave whatever sand is there and whatever post and dunes are there, is the county willing to give us some of the money that they're gonna be saving on segment two to go towards our costs of the completion of segment two and the materials that were already bought for segment two? Why not? You already bought them. You already budgeted for them. Why can't we use it for the thing?

I mean, that's a talking point for the city manager I think Yes.

Let us mean, we can certainly talk about that. The point is taken. I I do think the county has expended some resources, you know, out there to move things in that we will benefit from that will not actually result in a doom. Yes. So we'll work through that.

And I'm gonna reiterate, I'm not in favor of removing the letter. We have to protect the residents of Hollywood, not protect the county administration.

Thank you. Vice Commissioner Biederman, Vice Mayor Culary.

Yes. So a meeting that was supposed to take an hour. Here we are three hours and I don't feel we're at any resolution as of yet, although we're making progress. How we got to this point? I don't think it takes rocket scientists, but we got to this point because we got several letters of disapproval. Our emails blew up. We got phone calls. We walked. We spent time. Endless hours of our city staff going down on weekends to observe what we have been presented by the county.

We all agreed at the pretty much all of us agreed at the last meeting how this this how much disapproval we had of the presentation, how we didn't like what was happening. We almost couldn't I heard even some of us said, I can't believe my eyes. I can't believe what I've seen. Look what's going on. Everybody was almost like a sticker price shell shell shock. The letter still continue to come in. Here we are. I would I I agree. I am not in favor of removing the letter because I think the letter gave us some grit to have what we have discussion here today. That the county showed we meant business and we're dissatisfied with what's happening to Hollywood Beach.

Not Broward County Beach, what's happening to Hollywood Beach. Hindsight's 2020. Lee Gottlieb presented all these amazing dune projects and then the county came in with this grandeur. We could save a lot of money. Here we are going to place these amazing dunes, and we decided to leave out Central Beach.

And here we are still disappointed. I I did not agree to the motion, And I'll tell you why. It is Hollywood Beach. We ultimately, at the end of the day, are responsible for our beach, making sure that our residents and our visitors get what they pay for. And right now, that's not happening. It's not happening. So I would say I don't even know if I could say it. I don't even know if I can make a motion to say, here's Hollywood Beach. Can I make a motion? Can I make a new motion?

At this time, was a motion outstanding on the floor.

I thought it passed. There

was a motion to amend.

We have an amended motion.

Right. If your motion is to amend the, current motion that's on the floor, then that's something that can be entertained. But if you wanted to do an entirely new motion, then the motion that's currently on the floor needs to be voted upon and dispensed with.

I thought motion to amend. So the county, in the beginning of this conversation before I got all convoluted, if I'm not mistaken, had said that they're giving us permission to move the sand as we feel best for our beach. Am I incorrect with that statement? Anyone?

Okay.

So we've gone from we're giving permission. The county is giving us permission to be able to Well, I need somebody to I I asked the question, if somebody could answer it.

She was passing by in front of me, so I didn't hear your commissioner. So my apologies.

So my question is, at the beginning of the meeting, and while we're all here, my understanding is the county not didn't have an issue with giving permission to the city of Hollywood to say, okay, we did this. We're gonna go ahead and put it back in your hands, you can figure out how you wanna make it. And then you'll discuss finances and all of that later. Is that not correct?

Yeah. We I think we can move sand. We're doing that with the opening. So there are certain levels of the beach. We can move sand as as as The county giving the

city of Hollywood permission to take care of our beach from this point forward? Is that how we started this meeting?

I think I think right now what we are

Jose, is that how we started the meeting? That the county was giving permission to the city because we were disappointed in what we have

Oh, see what I yeah.

And because we came we came, I I wanna say guns a blazing, and said we're disappointed. In the beginning of this three hour meeting, in the very beginning was, if you're disappointed, the county has the ability to give Hollywood permission to do with what is there. Is that wrong?

Because they have the permit and

Yeah. They have the permit. Yeah.

That's that's where it's coming from.

It's a permit. They have the permit. So they say, look, we're allowing you to use our permit to make the move. Otherwise, we have to come up with our own permit. Challenge right now here is that by the end of the month, a lot of these things have to be done. So we don't have enough time to go in, start having our own permits and stuff, and it makes it more complicated. But they're Okay with us doing the openings and stuff. They're almost done on all the access points. They allowed us to do that through their permit.

What I would like to see at the end of today, after all of this back and forth, is that the city of Hollywood can take care of and properly maintain our vision that we had set forth with, which I think we are not being presented with now, and give permission to the city of Hollywood to be able to create our dunes in such a way that we meet the environmental impact. It's not a hurricane five because if a hurricane five comes through the city of Hollywood, we're all done. The dunes are not gonna protect any of us. Hurricane one, dunes are not gonna protect it. It is to keep the sand on the beach is what these dunes are meant for.

In the dune.

And in the dune. Not on the broad walk, not out. So I just want I feel that this agreement that we made with the county sounded and seemed like a great initiative, But it has turned into something that is not. And I would like for the city of Hollywood to be able to take back ownership and be able to maintain and create what we had envisioned. And currently, that is not it.

Okay, so I

think that, look, we have an agreement, an access agreement with the county that I believe spans five years, think is the term of And this so the idea right now is that they were given access to put in place a plan that we that they have agreed to modify in the ways that we've talked about today. If you do not want them to be a part of this at all, it is my understanding and the city attorney will will add on or provide clarification, you would be making a motion to terminate the access agreement. And there could potentially be because resources have been expended some real liability to the city over that. And we could then move forward in the future with our own Dune project at our own expense. But you just those are the those are the options.

So we were trying to work through modifications under where we currently are. If you feel that the modifications that we've discussed today do not meet what you believe is correct, then you would presumably vote against the motion on the table and you would try to offer a counter motion if that were the case devil's But we believe that we staff believes we could come up with some modifications that would meet the intent of what you all are talking about, which would be a dune project that works for Hollywood.

So being a devil's advocate, once you plant the dunes, we're stuck. And we're talking about planting a dune

Segment three.

Segment Three only. Three only. Once you plant it, that's it. Right? So we're basically handing over our beach, tourism, economics, whatever you want to say, environment. We're basically handing it over to someone that we've already handed it over to that we're not happy with. And now we're continuing. Even though we're negotiating, it's like we've already seen a disappointment. And it's not just what we see. We have palm trees that are affected.

They're prob I don't know. I'm not a a a landscaper, but perhaps the palm trees have been damaged already by the impact of the sand. So now those palm trees, who's going to replace those palm trees? Who's going to put those palm trees in this beach? Like, there's just a lot of continual what ifs that I'm not comfortable with just by what we have been presented with already. It has not met our expectations. And so that's where my challenge is. And thank God we did not take out that letter because I think that that letter is what brought everyone to the table today to say show that we mean business. And we are concerned about what happens to our beach. And I don't know how to go from here.

But I don't think negotiating and going back and forth because once something gets planted, that's it. We're stuck with it.

Vice mayor, you've passionately advocated for what you see as a better direction and termination. So I think you've made your voice and your opposition to the motion clear. Let's hear from the rest of the of the body, and we'll we'll we'll take a vote on the amended motion. Commissioner Gruber?

Yes. Just for clarification purposes, we can't move sand nine days from now and beyond. But from planting, we can plant, right? Correct, Jose?

You can plant after with a permit, but just yes. Right.

The urge like, so as far as sand, we have nine days, then it's done. As far

as That would have plant equipment.

That doesn't have to be done.

Unless it's accepted.

But I would say, sand placement is already done.

Placement

Sand placement, they're done with that scope The of only portion that is left for segment three, if you all decide that you want to move in that direction, is planting on segment three. The rest of the scope of the project, if you're really looking to it, it completely preserves us, except for you all agreeing where segment three is a good segment to go and do. We already said we don't support doing segment two right now, so we're going handle that later. We've got a whole bunch of sand that is there that we think is going to stay there while we decide what to do with it. But you're preserving the vision for the Doom master plan segments four, two, one, segment three is within the parameters of the dual master plan as long as the trees and all the other components are agreed and you all feel that you want to move forward with that type.

But the rest of the stuff, the county basically said, Okay, take segment four, segment one, segment two we're preserving, we're not doing anything in the So, they're basically only doing from Magnolia to Johnson, the sand is in place. It's a question of whether or we're going let them plant any materials in there and protecting the trees and all of that.

Got it.

Just to put in perspective there. Okay. Thank And

a quick Lee, do you mind coming up for a quick question? It was brought up, I think, by Commissioner Quintana just as far as the comparison to planting at grade and doing it the way they were done here, that it just may be a perception thing. And people want to get used to it. But from my understanding is those ones done at grade are in sand that's already been there and more established. So they're hardier and they last better than when you put the dunes, when you plop the sand on like we just did, especially in the shorter beaches. Can you just kind of get into the pros and cons and why you do at grade dunes?

So Doctor. Rhijardo and I have had this conversation many, many times. And there's always going to be a difference of opinion. In my opinion, building mounds ultimately cause cliffing.

In

addition to that, planting on a mound, the sand is not stable for five years. There's nothing holding the sand. The roots are not there. When you plant at grade, you have roots establishing as the sand actually accumulates. And in fact, in Cherno Park, we proved that even after less than six months, that dune actually held during a storm surge and actually accumulated sand and actually functioned as a dune from day one.

So that debate will continue for on, forever. I feel that in compliance with our dune master plan, the idea of putting, you know, that mound of sand conflicted with that from day one. But that was the compromise to accept that money. So I think that in this situation, leaving sand un vegetated potentially puts the Broadwalk at risk because that sand is going to eventually blow or be moved by storm surge. So we need to figure out whether to plant it or to grade it at a lower grade.

Just leaving sand there is not an option. To me that would just be a waste of time and money. But it's been proven in my projects that planting a grade allows the dunes to naturally accrete sand in a stable situation where building mounds over or planting over mounds is not stable for at least up to five years. And I will refer to the Fort Lauderdale project where the mounds were built and less than six weeks later we had a storm and all that sand was the street because there was nothing to hold the sand. Now, you know, there is probably engineering reasons that they do that, and I deal with reality.

I have to deal with reality. And reality is that if you build a mound, it's not stable. And if you build a grade, it's stable from day one.

Yep. Thank you.

Did I

answer your question?

Yes. Alright.

Thank you. Completely. Thank you.

Alright.

Commissioner Gruber, thank you. That's it. Yeah. Alright. Commissioner Hernandez, and then hopefully we'll take a motion on the amendment amended motion.

Well, I I I was just gonna call the question on the amended motion, which is basically to eliminate the the removal of the letter and to the removal of the

So So we already voted on the amendment.

I I was just gonna call the question. I just wanted to

Restate it.

Re re come up with what we're voting on. Basically we're basically eliminating those two things, and then we're voting on having them continue with segment three, which is currently to code. And we would talk about segment two on our own. And I believe public work is already trying to get the equipment to do the sloping and what have you around the trees. So I think that we're moving forward to try to come up with a happy medium when it comes to this. I don't think that we can go backwards and just change everything. So I'm ready to move on to on the motion.

Alright. So everyone's clear on the motion. If just for the record, I'll just state it as it relates to segments one through four real quick. Segment one would be no vegetation, and the city would reserve the right to place or displace post and rope at a later decision of the city. Segment two is withdrawn from the agreement in its entirety.

Segment three will proceed with planting with specific opportunity to take a look at the trees and placement of posts and rope at a designated height. That's sufficient. I hate I still think three, is too high, but that is what it is. I just want to clarify that for segment three, the vegetation type, hopefully the county can agree with us to what to put, because not only is it sea oats, but also some ground cover that has a lower impact on the visual screening that could take place. And so I would just ask the city manager in those two areas that we've discussed to take a look at that and work with the county.

And then segment four, no vegetation, no post and rope. Mayor And I believe

Go ahead. Believe that the county offered to give us the planting materials on the post and rope for section two in order for us to later on address.

Yeah. Well, any post and rope unused by the project, the city would perhaps take and negotiate with the county with regards to that and the same with any plants already received.