City Council - public_hearing

Good evening, everyone. Thank you for your patience. We'll be starting in just a little bit. I should have a recording of this. That way it'll make it easier, right? The beginning of the meeting. We'll be starting in a couple of minutes. Thank you, everybody. Good? Everybody's live? Yeah, thank you. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming. Thank you for your patience again. And welcome to the City of Hialeah Council Agenda Meeting. This portion will be for a budget hearing, public meeting, budget hearing for fiscal year 27, which starts in a few weeks. And so I'm going to call this Septem

Thank you. Invocation from... Victoria Plaza. Oh, Victoria Plaza. Thank you. I didn't get your name until now. Thank you. Invocation, would you like everyone to rise or stay seated?

Thank you very much. Everyone, please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. If you could please face the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. You may be seated. Madam Clerk, can you please read the meeting guidelines for tonight?

Thank you, Madam Clerk. The next item, item six, is comments and questions. Just to remind, do we have anybody who signed up to speak, Madam Clerk? No. Okay, that doesn't mean that somebody from the audience could not come up now if there's any comments and questions. Specifically, please, if you're here for the council meeting and you have an issue there, this is not the meeting. The comments and questions for the public today is dealing directly with the budget. Absent any comments and questions, do we have any, we have presentation, we'll get to that in a minute. Any announcement or amendme

Thank you, Pedro. Does anyone from the dais want to ask questions now, or should we ask them as we go along with each of the seven items? Whatever your pleasure is.

I'd rather ask the questions. Yes, ma'am.

Going back to the budget timeline, once again, thank you for your hard work and dedication to this. Going back to the budget timeline that is in the actual budget book does not match what was presented to us. Because here is... It says proposed budget is printed, delivered to council and available to city website. It will be September. You mentioned that you will meet with us on August, correct? Yes. At the council meeting. And I know you will be meeting with the mayor prior for preliminary budget meetings, et cetera. Do you think The council can be, after you meet with the mayor, you guys do

And, you know, through the process that the council should, if they have any questions that, you know, preliminary budget workshops, if we can, because this is a lot to take. And obviously we're not here every day knowing the operations of the city. So we need to understand what we're voting for. Because obviously we represent the residents the same way the mayor and all everybody in the city represents the mayor. We represent the residents of the city as well. So I really want that we work on this budget timeline.

I think, and I appreciate that, Mayor. Like I said, this has been one of my main topics.

Okay. I know we approved previously the senior relief for the taxes that we, is that something we're going to look for the upcoming year?

Going back to the tax relief, I just want to make sure, because I know we said last time that this will be something that we eliminated for 65 or older, like we eliminated taxes, giving it like a relief to the senior, a relief to the seniors. I just want to make sure that we do the same thing this year, if it's possible.

Okay. I have some questions regarding the JFK investment that we're planning to do. I understand. What is the $8 million for the museum at JFK library? Like how, like... you know, we're approving this and we're budgeting for it. Where do we come up with that number? Like a million dollars.

And obviously we'll go through the whole process of bidding.

I just want to make sure we still offer for the kids to go and do their homework. I personally was raised here in Hialeah and my parents didn't have the means to have a computer. So I went to my homework there and projects there. So I want to make sure we maintain that. I understand the museum. And all that, and once we get closer and have an idea, what are we going to do? Because I would like to see, obviously, pictures and the idea that we have, and we should all be putting an input of what we think that space.

So, yeah, I just want to make sure we still have our library.

Okay. Once again, going back to the budget timeline, unfortunately, and I would love to see if I can get the support to reschedule this to maybe... Well, remember, we have the second hearing, which is going to be in two weeks.

I just want to make sure that I review this before I vote. President?

I want to see if we can reschedule the budget hearing and take this like a workshop.

So just to be clear what you're asking, it would be, today would be not a budget meeting? And we would reschedule and have a completely separate budget meeting, a special meeting, aside from the second meeting that we have in the second council meeting.

No, no, of course, of course, of course. Yeah, yeah, we have a motion to table this. We don't know a date yet.

You mean if we do pass this first hearing?

Correct. As a councilwoman. Table this first hearing. But we'd have to have an additional separate hearing.

I just wanted to ask, just so that I'm aware, if this were to pass on first reading, and I think we had a very successful workshop last month on the boats and the RVs. And I know you mentioned, right, kind of just having like this dialogue. And I know, you know, technically this is our budget meeting. But are we able to do between first reading and second reading a workshop where we would be able to truly deep dive? I mean, that was one of my requests for next year.

How much in advance do we have to sunshine? Do we have the time to do it before the next scheduled meeting?

The announcement? Yeah. Oh, okay. All that being said... Do you still stand with the motion, Madam? Okay. We have a motion to table this. We don't know what date it would be.

We don't know that yet, then. We don't know that date yet?

Through the chair, can we recess for five minutes? Is that enough time? Just so that we're kind of clear before we vote. Okay.

Yeah. Madam Vice President has asked if we can have a recess. Do we have to vote on that? I guess so. No. Yeah. Do you want a motion on that? Try to get for a recess? Do we have to vote on the recess? We don't. Does everybody agree to have a recess then? No motion. OK, Lewis, just we don't need anything. So I guess it's. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Six fifty seven p.m. When do you want to come back? 7.05 or is that too soon? That's seven minutes? Eight minutes? 7.05? Recess for till... Now you're confusing me. Till 7.10. Let's give them 10 minutes. Okay. We are in recess at 6.58. We will adjourn t

We went a little bit over the recess, so I'm calling today's the City of Hialeah budget meeting of September 8th, 2026. I'm calling the meeting back in order at 7.21 p.m.

So that would be, if it got tabled, that would be the next available? Yeah.

What time would the workshop be if that is the case?

That would be if it goes to that. Okay. So... We have a motion, right? We have a motion to table it from Councilwoman Jalene Perez. Councilwoman Jalene Perez, sorry. Right, so we have a motion to table. And that would be to... Yeah, to table it. Wait, we're talking the workshop. Do we have a date if we had to? The workshop would be the 14th. If we were to successfully table this today, when would be the first hearing?

That's the date we have, we can do it in. Okay, so that's...

The September 14th, if that's the will of the entire council. So we have a motion to table this entire meeting today till September 14th. Pleasure of the council. Through the chair? Oh, sorry. Yes, ma'am. Ladies first. Yes, ma'am.

I propose something to reschedule because I need more time to review the budget. But it's up to the council to decide what they want at the end of the day. I just won't vote. Yeah.

All right. So as far as the motion to table, if we don't have a second, it dies. That's right, sir. So we're going to go ahead and continue with the meeting today. Okay, we don't have to take any action on that, right? So go ahead and read, please. And anybody, of course, any questions through the process, go ahead, Madam Clerk, and read item A.

Thank you. Agenda item 9A is on first reading and of course open for our discussion or public discussion. This is an exemption made for budget meetings, even on first reading public discussion is allowed. That being said, barring any public discussion, pleasure of the council on item a through the chair. Yes, ma'am.

So I just before we take a vote on this, I just want to kind of just mention, right? I kind of. I agree with Councilwoman Perez. There's, you know, the fact that things were given very late, bring a lot of questions. I am for kind of moving forward, but I do want to make sure we can have a workshop because to me that's very important. I don't want to kind of get to second reading without a workshop. I know we're going to kind of go through it because there wasn't a second motion, but I just kind of want to make sure that's on the table. Can we

Okay, so basically we're going to, and this is also, right, so those at home understand we're going to go through and continue the meeting. We're also going to have a workshop so that all of us can discuss in detail, right, many of the things about the budget. And if anything comes up, we can change that before second reading, correct?

So the deadline is the 15th to make any changes?

All right, so we just make a note of that. We're scheduled for the 14th at 9 a.m. for the workshop. But okay, coming back to A, pleasure of the council. Motion from Councilman Luis Gonzalez and second from Councilman Luis Rodriguez. Please call the roll, Madam Clerk. Ms. G. Perez.

Once again. I'm going to vote no based on the fact that I need more time to review the budget. Duly noted. I just want to note that.

Thank you. Item B is also on first hearing, of course, and open for public discussion. Otherwise, motion. Second. Also, we have a first. Item B from Councilman Luis Gonzalez. I'm sorry, from Councilman Luis Rodriguez. And the second from Councilman Luis Gonzalez. Please call the roll.

Item C is also first reading, but open for public discussion. Otherwise, pleasure of the council.

Second from Councilman Luis Rodriguez. Please call the roll.

Thank you. Item 9D, Madam Clerk, please.

Item D, 9D, first reading. Public discussion is available for this. Otherwise, pleasure of the council. Motion. Motion from Councilman Luis Gonzalez on item D. Second from Councilman William Herrera, right? Okay. Thank you, sir. Please call the roll.

Thank you. First reading on item 9E, open for public discussion, if any. Otherwise, pleasure of the council. Motion to approve. Motion from Councilman Luis Gonzalez. Thank you. Second from Councilman Willie Marrero. Please call the roll.

Thank you. Item F is on first reading, open for public discussion. Otherwise, pleasure of the council.

Did you say motion? Second from Councilman, first from Councilman Luis Gonzalez, second from Councilman Luis Rodriguez. Please call the roll.

Thank you. Thank you. Item G is on... First reading as well. But they forgot the language.

Just a resolution. Open for public discussion or pleasure of the council. Motion from Luis Rodriguez on item G. Second.

The chair, I need clarification for this 1. yes.

Okay, so we have any more questions? We have a first from Councilman Luis Rodriguez on item 9G. Did you, William? Is that second? Second. All right. Second from, yes, second from Councilman William Marrero. Please call the roll.

Ten. Unfinished business? The chair. The chair. Yes. Yes, sir.

If there's no new business, anybody new business, our last item left. Otherwise, I will adjourn our first budget meeting of September 8, 2026 at 7.38pm. Thank you.