Village Council - Regular Meeting

AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. MY MIC IS ON. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OUT THERE. VICE MAYOR CANTER, CAN YOU LEAD US? IF WE COULD PLEASE BOW OUR HEADS IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.

EVERYONE COULD PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

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.

Are there any additions, deletions, or deferrals for the order of business tonight?

It will be coming to a meeting soon and fast. Thank you. Any other additions, deletions, or changes? Hearing as there's none, Madam Clerk.

With the state of Florida looking into homestead exemption, and then if you look historically with exemptions in ad valorem, parks is usually the one that takes the first hit because services normally, like fire rescue and police, are usually not touched, and then the pensions. How do other states, how have they dealt with A cut like that, I mean, are you still, the municipality still be able to borrow money or is just the rates going to change or what's your experience with that?

Is there also, since you're all around the country, is there an appetite for public-private partnerships in park systems across the country?

Ryan, I just want to thank you for such a thorough perspective on all this and really kind of filling us in with some of the next steps here. I do have a question for Angie while we have you up here, though. And, you know, obviously, or at least I don't want to speak for my colleagues, at least for me, there seems to be a lot of interest coming off the heels of this presentation at the last meeting and a lot of excitement and um whether there's interest or not pulling it off i think it's a whole nother task at hand and as someone who's been with us for a long time and who's if we are able to p

Well, I'm not even saying fixed and all that. I mean, at this point, we have so many aging facilities that it's going to cost us as much. But the clear distinction for me is getting the community to recognize, because obviously no one wants their taxes to go up, okay? But making the community recognize that they're going to get this money back in the value of their homes with a brand new community center that goes in, new programming, new facilities, and the cost alone backtracked. This is what I'm saying is we, moving forward, I think... And I also don't want to speak for anyone else, but in

So based on the information we've been able to gather so far and the fact that the report was so comprehensive and included, even to the details of walking path extension do you think that it would be in our best interest right now to kind of come up with an abc list of once where we address critical top list priorities from the report and then make maybe a b wish list and see what so we can kind of begin to differentiate the different parts and see which parts we can get the most traction behind or

Bringing something to us that we can, I guess I was off, that we can look at in order to kind of see what those different months look like. Sure. Maybe we can begin to have those conversations. I think, like I said, I don't know anyone else who wants to do it, but if none of my other colleagues want to do it, I would volunteer myself to be part of this process. Because like I said, if we miss it, obviously November is too soon, but if we miss it in April. Wow.

I'll take this time also, since I have a captive audience here. The village is going to be 100 years old in 2032, so do the math. I mean, we're voting in this would be April 27, and then construction, destruction, construction. What do we want to look like in 2032 as a village? And having a brand-new rec center somewhere around completion time of that would be something that we actually as a community should target for.

Angie, another question. Another project, it's my understanding, Esmond, that right now our contract at the park at the end of 96th Street with this particular contractor only involves him building the seawall.

Is that correct? Or does it involve him also refurbishing the park? Just the seawall.

Right. And so as a part of this Parks Master Plan, I don't know. I'm interested in what the committee felt. But right now we're going to end up with a seawall with basically a fence on this side of it if we don't proceed with doing something with that strip of land there in your plan. So how did the Where did that fit into the group's thinking as far as – It's definitely on the priority list.

Well, then I would agree that we need to get some type of priority, you know, discuss that as far as what we're going to include and do first and over what – over what time frame? Certainly your triangle is number one, but I'd hate to see us another five years with nothing but a fence there at the end of 96th Street. MR.

Just go to the podium. That way it's recorded.

We can't. We can't discuss it. We can't. Is that the end of this portion of the minor's update?

Madam Clerk. At this point in time, it's a public meeting. This is the juncture of the meeting that we have public comments. It's open to general comments. If it's item specific, the person could do that later on. If they speak about a specific item now, then they can't repeat at then. It's three minutes at the podium. State your name, address, and have three minutes to speak. So the floor is open right now.

You're allowed to say whatever you want. OK. As long as you state your name and address first.

You come every Tuesday and there's three minutes. I'd love to see you at every meeting. Every other Tuesday. Only if we get out of here at 8, there's cocktails after the meeting.

Madam Clerk, are there any e-comments and public comment?

I think for that to be in the record, I think it's better on the night. Otherwise, it's asking them to do it again. That's my opinion. I have a consensus from the council. To go in the record, do you want the public comments in the record for tonight or when the RFP is actually discussed? They submitted them for tonight, I think. You want them to go in the record tonight? Then the clerk will read them tonight? Okay.

Just for the record, so that the public knows, it's after school for the full year to Miami Shores residents. I think for me, looking up on the website, that's about $2,800 per student, $2,870, I think. Yes. Correct. So then, therefore, even the $5,000 doesn't cover everything, but then these two would be a full scholarship, correct? That's correct, yeah. Just one question. That's two residents. Is it for the residents of Miami Shores that would attend there, would... It'd also just be a benefit if it was five residents at 1,000 apiece and then instead of the 2,800 for the year? Or is it just

I think it would for just the community to know about it.

Right. And this one's specifically for Miami Shores residents.

And of the 10,000 students that attend, How many of those are Shores residents?

Would the students, the ones that are after school, would they also do a performance at some point in the year and then they're friends?

And the attendance normally at the shows that are the year culmination for the after school project are usually residents from Miami Shores?

Have we, as a council, donated money to this cause in the past?

I think you've received funding, though, through the community alliance in the past?

I don't know where everyone else's head is on this, but I was thinking since we haven't previously donated money to this cause and because we foreseeably will hear a lot more applications for these charitable donations before the end of the year, I would possibly entertain funding 50 percent for each of the scholarships, so giving a $2,800 donation, $1,400 if the tuition is $2,800. That way we're giving a 50% donation towards two students participating. I don't know if anyone else feels.

you know subsidizing somebody else's like charity basically because they're going to go and make a selection and they're going to choose who who gets it I don't I don't know it's it's it's it's rough chair Neil if that's a motion I would second it these are the type of programs I believe that we need here in the shores I think they're good for our community and good for our students We have a lot of organizations that we need to support. We've only got a limited amount of money as far as spending other people's money. Every penny we spend here on any project we okay. is other people's money. T

Through the chair, I'd just like to echo my colleague's sentiment that it is a very concentrated benefit. It could be a huge impact for those children's lives to have that scholarship, but the only thing is it's only for two people, and the other concern is we have an implicit precedent that we've set where the Miami Shores Community Alliance asked for $15,000, and we settled on $5,000, and then subsequently the Miami Shores Elementary parent-teacher association asked for $5,000 as well. I think we settled on $1,000. So I just feel like throughout the rest of the year, if we get more charitabl

Through the chair, I definitely hear both your points on the end, and I definitely think they're they're very valid points, but I think that charity is a gamble at the end of the day, no matter what. I think that sometimes you take an opportunity to put your money, money behind something and whether it's scholarship or whether it's for programming or whatever, it's not always guaranteed to work out. These two students who may get selected, they may not, or one of them might be the next Chadwick Bostrom who, you know, uh, was fun, had his career funded by Denzel Washington as a, uh, I saw that

recommended amount so but if we have a counter offer or something else we'd like to discuss so that we can do something I would be inclined I mean for being on the board how would you how would you feel for I mean I know that it was in the scope and the request was to students but how would the money be best served for

And since you do have the time right now and the podium, could you also use your time to tell the public how much the arts actually have been impacted on lack of funding?

I think one last thing, though, as I said at the end of the day, it's always a gamble, and I think that we could take an opportunity to do a great thing for two students who might not have the opportunity to do so otherwise. And I definitely see the value in that. And as we're getting older up here, the future is in the kids. I mean, they're going to be running this world. And I think you never know when you get an opportunity to take someone who doesn't have an opportunity to do something and give them an opportunity to become somebody that they never imagined they could become before.

So you want to amend this part of the whereas? Amend it?

So I was going to make a motion to Approve the resolution in the amount of $2,800, which would give a 50% opportunity to two different students. Second.

One semester is $2,870. Paying 50% of them. We weren't covering too fully because our $5,000 cap, so it's $2,870 per semester, which is $5,740. Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh about that. The $5,000 was not going to cover

My question in the beginning was they would actually, the wave, if you go to their website and see the price for the whole semester, for the school year, 26-27, the price is actually higher than what they're asking, and then the organization was just going to cover that cost, the difference.

But then if you do this, but then if you do it, it's just half, and then it's just half and half, so $1,900, right? Yeah. Well, what number did you do? I thought it was $2,870.

Right, but if you're doing two children. Two children is $1,400 each, right? $1,400. $1,400, so $2,800. So my minimum is for $2,800. We could do $2,870.

And more so, well, I have the floor. I feel like this is a thing that every year you hear more and more and more arts, theater, performance programs, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash. I mean, it does not carry the weight and value it did even... 10 years ago, in my opinion, as far as the funding that these programs used to get. We have to fight, I feel like, to keep these things around. And if we can play a small part by giving 50% tuition to two students for a semester, I feel like we're playing a good part in the game.

They're going to have to pick up a lot more now, but at least we're still... They will. Somebody will, for sure. But my point is, and the reason I made the adjustment is because we are going to have, I believe, a lot more applications this year, and I want to make sure we leave enough money for other causes so that we show fairness to other departments as well, but I think this is an opportunity, like I said, to make a statement.

It's not as good as the original, but like I said, in fairness to the other applicants we'll probably have to hear this year, knowing that we want to give a maximum of $25,000. Like as you said, we don't have to give that all away, but we have up to that to give if we have enough people who... That's not the point of what I was saying.

No, they are. They're eating tremendously more of the cost. No, they're eating way more of the cost than they originally had asked for.

I'm not going to pick it up. I'm saying somebody is going to have to pick it up.

Or maybe some other scholarship opportunities that you guys get funding from.

I don't think that's what it became, though. I think it became less generous than what they're asking for. But I'm still trying to be fair and generous at the same time.

Can we call a question? We've kind of discussed this. We have a motion and a second.

There's a motion and a second. All those in favor of the amendment to tonight's resolution, say go by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Thank you.

It's also great to see three applicants for one position. We have a lot of boards that I wish we had that same ratio to the seats that are there. So hopefully this will set a precedence.

And through the chair, if you don't get appointed to the board tonight, we have a lot of other great vacancies going on right now. So if you're looking for other ways to serve our community, we're really struggling to get applicants in right now. And we really need, and this is something our community has done well for a long time, but we're not doing so well right now. So please consider other types of service as well, because we need it.

Well, and I would add to that, perhaps if you look at the other boards where we have a lot of vacancies, find something that you would be able to help that particular area with. We're trying to build our rec center. We're trying to do our parks plan, our planning and zoning board. You know to find something that where you have some area of expertise because we could sure use your help this council depends on these committees to advise us we are certainly not experts in all these areas and we depend on our committee structure to come forward and and give us Some informed advice on what should b

This is an item that we have discussed several times and I'm hoping that this evening we can come to some kind of consensus for this widow that everyone feels would be a fair and just resolution of this situation. At the current time, she has only received the insurance from the death benefit. As far as the contributions at 3%, she's not taking those because if the pension plan becomes involved. If she removes that money, then she's no longer eligible for that at this particular point. So this has dragged on for quite a long time. I know Jerome at the last meeting had some recommendations. I w

Yeah. In the discussion or even what was requested by this council to go back to the pension fund was instead of changing the ordinance in the pension fund was all their alternatives. And you heard from the attorney that showed up. He didn't give us any alternatives. And the last discussion we had on the dais about this was to work with staff on that. Even if the one thing that I proffered about using the general fund, it would still have to go through legal. This is not a, it wasn't an at-work death, and what we're looking for is a one-time compensation or discussion about how does a village

I don't mind deferring this to the next meeting if that's what you all want to do.

To the Chair, though, I think you make a good point, Mr. Birch, that I think that next meeting, once presented with the options, it's time to make a decision and time to... unless they put this behind us, because that's not the case. But I want to get this sorted, and I think that we should do so at the next meeting once presented with the information. I think no matter what we end up deciding at the end of the day, and this was obviously Mr. Scott's recommendation, but I think the most appropriate thing on top of whatever we decide is to make sure that we honor this longstanding employee with

The only thing I was trying to do is I don't think we can lay this 100% on staff. Again, as a council, it is our responsibility to represent the taxpayers and the money here. And so with what gets brought forward, we need to We need to discuss this with the different ideas, but again, I would move then to defer this to the next meeting and we'll go that way.

Two things, then, Elizabeth. Let me ask you a couple of questions. Were either of those people, had they reached their retirement age? Right. So that really doesn't affect the conversation.

Again, I did the best I could with old residents and with the previous village manager. I questioned as many people as I could. It's good to get that additional information. Another thing I forgot to bring up, the vote with the pension board was not four to three. The vote with the Pension Board was four to two. Esmond had another obligation and was not at that meeting. There were only six individuals at the meeting. But none of that's important. What's important is that we, after a year, resolve this. So again, I move to defer this item until the next meeting.

As I said, we should try to make it a target to decide next meeting.

Yeah. Manager, I have a question. This item is deferred, but is staff going to bring up the item, or will it be – if this is deferred, that means this has to come up again.

Does somebody from the council have to be the one proffering it, or it will come from the manager's desk?

My point is then the two items then. I mean, the council member is asking for a deferral of this discussion and possible action, which is new business.

Thank you. And also, since we have this.

Well, while we're here, though, in this council, and this was brought up two years ago, There are two separate things, but we might as well talk about it tonight. And it should be addressed while this council is active is, in my opinion, is number one, a death benefit modernization. Two, pre-retirement death benefit restructuring. Three, the employer contribution refund rate. It was brought up before, but we should still address it because other people have asked for it and other communities have it as a COLA. I mean, but that's totally sensitivity to analysis and cost with actuaries. But it w

Can you give us that list again, please?

So it's overall looking at it. And number top, this is also legal framework. We have to work within the state constitution. But I mean, in general, for us to have a discussion, and maybe I know this doesn't go back to the pension board, but this is where the council wants to have a discussion about it. It's modernization of the death benefit. All right? This is separate from what we've been talking about tonight. Number two, pre-retirement death benefit restructuring. Number three, employee contribution refund rate. Then when do we set the rate on the one? What year was that written in? On the

Right. I mean, but I think it should be, because it came up in this, and it's one of the things that we had to be deferred to another decision because of. So it needs to be talked about in another sense separate from the one employee. And then totally sensitive to this on every budget year, understand where the public comes from for the taxpayer, understand where the employee comes from. Cost of living increase, we should have a discussion about it so that at least the employees know where they're and who work here and how we will or any council could move forward with it. And then non-pension

Well, I have the floor and this is open. It's not an easy discussion. I just wanted to use this opportunity to Well, because since we've talked about this or kicked it around in other meetings and with one-on-ones with the manager or me being on the pension board and hearing or presentations from staff, I just think the village, since it is an older document, I think that we should just look at it. And on one sense, it's expensive and everybody knows it, but it's also a way to benefits are always part of compensation and attracting workers or attracting people and keeping, retaining quality pe

I'd just like to say I think that's a great idea. And I hope that when we bring this forward that those other items that Jerome just brought up our part of that discussion. It might not be you.

Yes, I'm crystal clear on that. I just don't want this to... Once the decision is made on the other one, I would like that the pension and benefits and compensation for the village be addressed at some point. That it doesn't become old business, that it actually gets in the... And I support that as well. Thank you. Next item.

So you all remember... When I first got elected, one of the first things I wanted was an ad hoc traffic committee, which met for over a year. At the end, their conclusion was that we needed a new traffic study and couldn't really do any more with the old one that we had. I still get constant complaints from residents on traffic and speeding as recently as this morning. And so my concern was that when we dropped this committee, that that subject would disappear, which at least looking back at our recent agendas, it pretty much has. And I don't really know what to tell these people now that call

Let's hope the residents are watching. Yes.

Quickly, as you all know from reading the paper, we have constant alerts now, don't swim in the bay. That's due to coliform bacteria, which basically comes from sewerage. And it's certainly not Miami Shores that's responsible for that. It's any of the cities and municipalities that are along our waterway and then the ones that dump into our drainage canals like the C8 canal. But right now we've got over 8 million, Esmond, allotted, what is it, 8 million? 8.7. 8.7 million allotted for our next sewer project and You know, back in 2015, Coastal Risk Management did the study for flooding here in M

So I'll keep you informed on that. The second half speakeasy is in the play. I was going to say, turn this dais right here into a service bar.

No, I was going to ask you about since Tallahassee is 900 miles away or whatever it is, can you inform the council and the public what happened today?

House, yes. And then the Senate 30 to 9.

It's a level of service. Level of service. And then with it also, it seems like they changed some of the language, the one where it's ambiguous about the five-year. It seems like today they changed it that that would be effective to anybody that moves to the state of Florida after 2027. Right. So therefore, that loophole that was how do you put it on the ballot for you've got to wait five years, they're just grandfathering everybody in before January 21st. So, I mean, with it, the other thing about it for – The Miami Shores residents just let you know. The homestead, the exemption that's there

The other thing to add is this. I did a little math on that. It looks like it'll cost the village a little over a million dollars the first year this is instituted. However, the assessed value of of homes from Dade County went up 5%, which pretty much cancels that out. So as far as at least the first year, it's not gonna have a lot of effect on us. By the time the average home in Miami Shores now is a million and a quarter. When it gets to 500,000, obviously it's gonna affect us, but it isn't gonna affect us much at the 150.

I disagree. The math that you did there, those homes that you're talking about were capped at 3%. And this will definitely affect us more than what you just said there.

Listen to the homes that are here that are even homesteaded, that the value, if you add that to what their taxable dollars are and you subtract it, it affects the bottom line here because they were capped at 3%. If the county raises up the whole value of the whatever we're at, what is it, billions, two point whatever, for the two point square miles, that effect is over our overall budget for the general fund. I mean, there's eight, what is it, 65% of the homes here are homesteaded at that 3% increase, no matter what the county raises to overall property value here. But the overall, the ones th

Well, just to piggyback on that, if you think about just the system of it, the state is the one that's allowed to tax. And then the county is a franchise of the state. Property appraiser is a separate entity. Property appraiser just looks at houses sold in Miami Shores, then does that figure that he just said. Then they say, oh, by the way, the taxes are too high. Well, the mayor and this council did not set the prices of the houses here. The public did. And the public's saying, we're getting charged too much in taxes when the state is the one that set the rate. And now they're being the heroe

And you'll have green and white cars driving through here instead of black and white ones.

We had to take care of everything ourselves here back in that time when a municipality existed.

That's come up for vote three times, or it did come up for vote three times, whether or not We should even have a metropolitan Dade County. And of course the cities opposed it on one of the votes. It was less than a thousand votes that decided the outcome. When I was young, This village had its own fire department. It had its own judges. It had its own, well, we still have our own police department. But we were a totally self-sufficient, independent city. And Tallahassee is constantly, and the county, doing what they can to take that power away from us. And the farther that you get from the go

One other education for the public, 20, it might have been 40 years ago, the state, we all voted on a tax committee that was independent from the legislature to convene every 20 years. They were supposed to convene in 2027. So it's a little bit disingenuous with the legislature passing a law to give to the public to vote on taxes before what we voted for over 40 years ago to convene independently from the legislature or how our citizens are taxed. So we'll see what's coming up. I was surprised that a three-day special session could move something as quick or two-day than even to use their whol

Still, I mean, with that said, there's still a law that you cannot do anything with birds, whether you have the sign or not. It's a protected village.

And if you're talking about birds... And I'm talking about new residents, Jerome.

In other words, people that have just moved here and, you know, have they read all the resolutions that we've... Well, there's a county law against doing anything against birds in a bird sanctuary. So, I mean, I guess we could put up signs. I'd rather actually put up trespassing signs or no trespassing around the golf course, more so the... keep e-bikes off of it so that the police officers can actually get them for trespassing.

We have more than one problem, I'll say that. We've had several complaints from residents which you know about. Well, they're visiting my house.

They've crossed over 10th Avenue. By the way, we should have a joint meeting about this with the village south of us because they have a total different opinion on those birds. Last time I checked, those birds don't know the difference between Miami Shores or El Portal. They just are peacocks. And hopefully you got the email from Coral Gables. I think they're having it, and they don't agree with how Pinecrest does it. It definitely is an issue. But also with the bird sanctuary, one of the things for environmental stuff, the iguanas, we have two sides of it, they really shouldn't be here, and t

They're peahen and peacock laws on the books. The county has one. But it's also, even with it, that it's come to the attention of all the council about the flock that is in Miami Shores. It really started off with just one male, and then obviously one female but the brooder flock or whatever it is actually gotten way bigger than what should be in the area that they've decided to do it start off with two and there's over I think 24 now and then again back to like the speed bumps in the neighborhood if you go into the neighborhood where they're nesting it's not a hundred percent it's but if we c

Not tonight. I know. We're going to get out of here. We talked about a lot of stuff tonight.

Oh, no, but no. I'd also counsel comment. I had the pleasure of being able to attend the graduation ceremony for doctor's charter at Berry University, and I'll pass it to my colleague.

Yeah, it was a wonderful experience, once again, to be part of. Me and Jerome got to sit on the stage for the graduation. We set records with this class as far as dual enrollment numbers, a bunch of great scholarship opportunities, a bunch of kids going to some really great universities, some really great speakers from the student body. So it was a great thing to be part of, and we're going to continue to do the work over there. We have several vacancies right now on that board, if anyone's interested in serving, obviously. As far as that, I'm going to save my other council comment for next me

Thank you for doing that, Tom. And by the way, he gave a speech, too, that we just sat on the stage. Right, right. I remembered my speech. I gave my speech. He gave a speech to the whole audience. Any other council comments? Motion to adjourn. So moved. Thank you.