Village Council - Regular Meeting

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Madam Clerk, roll call.

Thank you. Are there any additions or deletions or deferrals at this point in time to the agenda?

Okay. Are there any others? Hearing as there's none, manager's update?

Madam Clerk? At this point in time it's pointing the meeting for public comment It's limited to three minutes per person if you come up to the podium, please state your name and address If you come up at this part of the meeting, it's just general public comment, but if you do speak item specific at this point in time You can't then come up and do it when the item comes up So the floor is open now to the public

That was a paid political announcement by Mr. Walsh? Paid political announcement.

Are there any other public comments? Madam Clerk, are there e-comments?

So we'll read those when we get to the item specific. Or do you want to read them now?

Move to approve the consent agenda. Do I have a second? Second.

There's a motion and a second. All those in favor, signal by saying aye. Aye. Motion carries. Madam Clerk.

Is there any discussion on this item now that it was pulled out of consent? Is there any public comment on item 7C? None to vote. No e-comment. Any discussion?

There's a motion to approve 7C. Second. There's a motion to second. All those in favor, signal by saying aye. Aye. Motion carries. Thank you, Mayor Constable. Thank you. Madam Clerk.

Thank you. Move to approve. Is there any public comment on this item? Is there no e-comments either? Okay. Sorry about that. Councilmember, move to approve. Is there a second? There's a motion and a second. All those in favor, signal by saying aye. Aye. Aye.

Madam Attorney, can we just wait two seconds? I think Mr. Walensky is on his way in. I'll just pause for a minute. Sorry about that. yeah he's better dressed than me we saved this moment for you we're on we're actually on item a day I appreciate that my apologies out of town only took half the kids with her

The only discussion, I think, before we get started would be the standard here is three minutes and then just have a discussion amongst ourselves for a presentation. What do you think is fair? Or do you want to hit the three-minute timer and then just give additional? Or do you just want to give a new number right now?

We can determine whether we might continue here, but three sometimes can be a little bit tight give them a full five minutes, I think For the for the presenter it's technically in the just public comment We're just affording a courtesy because the protest Of an additional two minutes or both would again just waiving the three minute we have to do that now Otherwise we have to stick to the three minutes I don't know if the three-minute did, then we could afford the courtesy to them if you want to do it individually and just stick to the three-minute also. Okay. But that interrupts the presentat

Okay. So we settled on that? Correct. Seems like there's consensus. We have consensus for that? Yeah. And then the next step is? The manager. The managers. Mr. Manager?

Which way do you want to do? Do you want to do Q&A with this group first, or do you want to have both? Do you want to do Q&A with this?

I think since this one's fresh, it's probably better to each entity than do the Q&A right now. And then we'll do a general discussion at the end of it.

I have a question for you also with joint venture too. In the JV term, it isn't a JV yet because then those four companies would have a JV and then name it something else or whatever it would be, and that's not there yet. I understand that they did this as four, but the question I have between the two is, for you is explain to the public the difference between net and gross revenue and the structure for the village working with a new entity in this P3.

Aren't they both, they're not the same of what their proposal to the village is, is there? The structure for each entity.

Well, that's one of the things for me that stood out, the difference between the two, is one, for the village, when you deal with gross, you know what it is. Okay. And accounting-wise, when you deal with net,

So your decision for recommendation for us wasn't based on that yet because the next step for you, whichever one it is, is part of the negotiation process. Yes, sir. And the main concern is that it's four entities under one joint venture, even though the RFP allowed a joint venture to... And I'd like Donald to speak on that, because my interpretation on that is a little different.

It's just a question back and forth while they're here. I think the overall discussion will happen after the next presentation. But these are just some of these that are clear. I mean, for my point of view. I mean, some of this need to be cleared for this.

I just needed to clarify for this right now.

Thank you. Did you have intentions of forming the JV as one LLC?

Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you

At this time, I'd like to open it up for public comment, and this will stick to three minutes apiece and state your name and address, and address the council, not the audience.

Discussion on this item the chair This is a basic philosophical difference You're looking at a group of people that were elected to represent the residents of this village We all ran for election Whoever got the highest number of votes got to sit on this council. I don't want you blaming our village manager. The village manager comes here and makes a recommendation. We don't have to follow that. There have been many times we haven't followed it. He puts together a committee and that committee gives him information and he's trying to help us. But in the end it's this group of people and our job

They had the LLC based with professional course management, and now it's going to be based with Miami Shores Village. But it's the same.

It's not that they didn't have an LLC, that it wasn't operating there. It simply is a change of ownership of the tennis facility.

Also, Mr. Walensky, the structure of it, too, with how the tennis facility was over the country club, it was PCM was managing it and then there was another P3 or through them, a subcontracting out for the entity that's now Miami Shores Tennis. And the difference between other municipalities is the village or city itself runs everything. So all the booking of the tennis, all the inventory, everything is run through the municipality. for my understanding that the Miami Shores tennis that's been over there has been doing that and then at the end of the year monthly or whatever the deed is is that

No, I was just trying to, I mean, to me, I think for where he's coming from on this, one of it is, is even how that facility has been run I would hope that the residents know how that was how that was it all ran through PCM at the end of the year and this one's being different now that it is under parks but now we're going with a p3 and then we're looking at an entity that actually it's a turnkey system they're running they're handing over the keys to an entity to run the facility

You haven't gotten a dime. Johnny Lopenzina had an agreement with the tennis facility. They gave him a flat rate of money regardless of what went on there. He did not want to personally have his group involved in running it. He personally told me that. So that, and you all are here, you can correct me if I am mistaken, but that's what he told me. And so the relationship was between professional course management and the tennis facility. And he ran both as being the manager of the club and the only money that we got on a $7 million gross was $368,000, I think, last year. from Johnny based on th

I think I'll just make a quick comment about I think the issue is that we already have a proven history of Miami Shores tennis management staff working with this community specifically you know I think the joint venture I think they have a lot of skill combined experience among them but we already have this proven experience and community relation and I think the other thing I'm considering is like if the joint venture if we vote yes and they have to walk away would they form an LLC and continue to solicit other communities That would be my concern. It's like essentially I don't necessarily kn

Well, at some point I think I could speak, right?

It depends. Do you want to call the question and then you want to speak? No, I wanted to do it before you call the question, if you don't mind.

Time machine. That was a long time. That was weird. That's it. That's it. Well, I had a colleague that says they don't know anything about tennis. I'm a little bit different than that. I grew up in a house that tennis was, I would breathe and eat tennis. My mother was the first one on the tennis advisory board in Miami Shores. My brother played D1 tennis. very familiar with it I would also like to just to tell the general public tennis is a service to the community it's it's a outdoor sport and I know there's money kicked around here and talked about but for the most part it falls under parks

It is to the entity. Now, like, where Coral Gables decides to do it, but then you're running that part of the business. If we buy the software for the scheduling, we own the pro shop. We stock the pro shop. We make the logos for it. All of those. We sell the tennis balls. We make the contract for the tennis balls. We buy the clay. All of that is running the business of tennis. Everybody that does that professionally, that are really good at it, they make a good living doing it they should so the other part I mean just so the public understands with it but when it's when it's part of the park s

Yeah. I mean, again, I just don't want to lay this on Esmond. I agree with everything he said. I think 99% of the time we have gone along with whatever he's presented. There have been a few times we have not. And it's nice that he puts the committee together and tries to get the information. But in the end, we have to look at things he doesn't look at. And what we have to look at is what do the residents in this community want? That's what we have to look at. That's what our responsibility is. They elect us and put us here to do that. And they have spoken very, on this particular issue, the ma

Is there an amendment to it? Whatever you want.

Well, he already does that. I mean, we've had instances before. Do we need it?

Okay. But it's an if, and it's all right.

Mr. Burt, are you happy with that? Oh, sure. I mean, I can't remember the instance now. Maybe you can, but we've had one instance so far where we were unable to come to terms with whoever the first choice was, and we ended up going with the With the second one, you remember which event that was? But I mean, it was with you.

There's a motion and a second. All those in favor, signal by saying aye. Aye. Motion carries. Thank you, everybody, for coming out. I appreciate it.

Excuse me. Isabella, can you answer a question? You said that Kahang was more interested in education, but did she mention whether she was willing to serve on two boards then or not?

Mr. Crickets. I know that makes it a little bit more challenging. We're just happy to have volunteers. Amen. Yes.

He got him for there was a resident I think he got $200 for the pair. I paid a lot more. Well, he was up in that. No, I was on the floor. No, he was all the way up. Yeah, no, he was way, way up. He paid mortgage payment. Mr. Manager, you're running out of teams to root for in the tournament. I don't know what I'm going to root for now. I'm going to root for England. Gee, what I said, really? One of them's gone.

Oh. I might have to refer to Switzerland because it's like running for the UN. I mean, that team is like, really? It's the global team.

England's trying to go to 66 is what they're trying to do. They're trying to get this on the 26th. Yes, yes. We'll see. Today's thing, though. Well, I don't know about that. I don't know why. You let somebody run down 100 yards and then say you had to review that?

Just to have a paper record of it and then just put it into the record, I think.

We'll grow another one, but it is the resiliency committee. Unless there's a recycle bin or on the phone Through the chair

Your first meeting is tomorrow, you know, right To the Miami shows

All right two things then Neil if I'm stepping on your toes here Stop tell me that I want to say and there's mostly to the community because everybody else here knows that Doctors charter school our village charter school got an a rating their rating was 67 points higher than it has ever been before and They're doing a fantastic job there, and as well as Miami Shores Elementary, we need to support them because things are really going well and getting better. And the other thing I'd like to say is that the July 4th meeting at the country club, to me, was a booming success. The place was sold ou

I think it's worked really well for us for golf. And I think when any council member takes one of these on, and especially how the state works with us with Sunshine, you're more nimble and can then report back to us. And I've met with residents, too, about this. They're looking at strategies for. I've given recommendations that if the community wants, just like Council Member Birch says, the community gets. And some of this is they look to Village Hall for leadership. I get that. But a lot of the work that would be done for that parks master planner amongst the residents so that the messaging

To the chair, I'm sorry I forgot one thing that I think is important. We've had the offer, which you all have read, on the 9900 building for $2.3 million. That property belongs to the village, and it would require the village to vote in favor of selling that. And in order to get that on the November ballot as opposed to the following April ballot, Isabelle told me that has to be done by the 28th of this month. 24th of this month so I wish we could discuss that a little bit and maybe get a consensus of how you feel I would say this I don't think that the village wants to get into the business o

Whether that's a good idea or not. I will speak with the parks director and just so that we're in that pre-budget workshop, we can figure out for, I think, next steps. Like the last one where you presented to us, he did have it. And I think he's been in constant conversation with Ms. Dorney. And then I think... where we were at and what they can afford. I think there's even to it for the discussion for it. I think there's tiers of it. It's not just you just give a blanket thing and say you're going to be tasked with doing all this. They were very successful in Doral and like you said, their tr

MR. Well, the only thing I would add to that is this, and that It's always easy to pass that and I'm glad you're willing to take that on. But each of us has a group of people that have put us in the position that we're in or we wouldn't be sitting up here. And those are the people that each of us needs to go to once we've got all the facts. And, you know, your group of friends and my group of friends, they're not going to be the same. You know, I'm going to be 79. I've got a different part of this community that, you know, I deal with. And we all do. And so we need to go to them and... And hav

Since you brought up bond I think working with staff mr. Manager just moving forward. I think the council on two things one with the golf course itself It would be good if or whatever the arrangement of timeline that we could go to bond council because the golf course needs Kemper's been there for a month now and think the from their feedback is that the renovation has to take place but I think that this council itself needs to be educated on how much we can borrow on the renovation of that golf course and then I think we could piggyback on it during that bond council also see what what what i

It was pulled out of consent and discussed.

It wasn't just rubber stamped. It was actually the manager informed us.

He's here. He's the sergeant at arms. He's still here.

Never in the almost 11 years I've been here.

The assurance to the public, the transition has happened, but the new company is switching to a different point of sale, and part of that, That will be fixed. The golfers are dealing with it right now. But let me just say, better than I've ever seen in the past. But if you are out there and you are a golfer right now, the beverage card, as it goes across the golf course, is cash only. So if you do go play there.

But for the very first time, and I've been out on the golf course every Fourth of July, you know,

And I was like, wow, you should get a couple more of those. That will be taken care of. Very cool. I think that's coming up in the next week or two. Can we discuss the 9900 building?

I have a different opinion. I mean, I believe, I mean, for living here and how the municipality is, is that the government already has a large footprint on Northeast 2nd Ave. We have plenty of blocks, and that's a commercial piece of property. I also consider it a liability. I understand what they're saying with what the sale part of it is, but you also have to look, just like you said, we're not in the business of. But you should look at it that there are partners that are willing to work with us And just like we have a covenant on a piece of property up at Berry, if you think that it's part

Well, it does certainly increase. It's not like we're giving it away, and we're also increasing tax revenue, and we've also done two studies that I know of looking for different ways to use it and had professionals evaluate it as a building, and none of that has worked. Well, that leaves you, Delaney. What do you think?

I think that I'm in favor of waiting and seeing, I guess.

Essentially, like, evaluating should we sell it or should we not?

Well, I think because of how the charter is, and I'm not too sure about the square footage or what the actual law is for what the body here has and is making a decision or it has to be an honest conversation for instead of just cancel comments that it is a discussion and possible action first steps so that it would become new business and then afford the public the opportunity to have their input instead of the five of us obviously we do the due diligence for us and the previous manager purchased this for a reason just for it's out there that that recreational center that didn't get built he w

And the lease thing also is a little catch-22. A lot of companies will not. There's money that has to be invested in that building, and who does it? Does Miami Shores invest in it, or does a leasee? And then what you run into for a business deal is that a nine-year lease is kind of short. No, I mean, I'm well aware that the public, when they voted on the charter, they want to say, and

On the top. On the top. Yeah, the problem's already inside on that one. Right.

Can we do that as a fundraiser? Just give all the people sledgehammers and goggles? I personally would love to do that.

Exactly. Yeah, I know where that's coming from. Are there any other comments?

No, but also from this seat, just please keep this active because the dates for the administrative staff, they do get away from us since we only have two meetings. And then also for how the council has been in the past, don't foresee it for this one, but, you know, the next election is in April and sometimes they take away the power from what we have if they see that there's other candidates running and say, why are we voting on stuff in February when you get a new council in April? Okay. so just I would rather keep it in in the conversation and where we're at and thoughts on it because again

But it was filed, right? Yeah. Okay. But just keep aware of that also.

To the chair, I hope that you all will think some more about this as far as the village getting into businesses. Yes, we're in the business of the golf course because, as you know, we were receiving a very small amount of money for a very a big asset, and I think we're in a better position there than we were. But we're laying a lot on the Village staff and the employees that are here. We are not developers. We are not business creators. We, as the village gets into more and more businesses, we're putting responsibilities on our management that You know, I mean, we all did different things, or

Motion to adjourn? Second. Thank you. Thank you, everybody.