Council - Special Meeting

Testing, one, two. Testing, testing.

Thank you. Thank you.

Medellis, how far away is Lorenzo? Okay, perfect. Yeah, just give him the two minute warning please. All right, thank you. Hey, sir, what's up? Alexis, is Gina nearby? Is Gina nearby? Oh, okay, perfect. All right. Good evening. I'm calling the special call meeting of the town council for July 14th to order at 6.30 p.m. Everyone, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, which will be led today by Councilman Steven Herzberger. Please remain standing for the moment of silence to be led today by Councilman Sanchez. Thank you very much. You may be seated. And I realize, while we're waiting for a clerk, that I skipped over the quorum call, or not quorum call, but the roll call. So Madam Clerk, please call the roll at this time.

Council Member Cuadra Garcia is absent. Council Member Fernandez is absent. Council Member Garcia?

Present.

Council Member Herzberg?

Present.

Council Member Sanchez. Present. Vice Mayor Morera.

Present. Mayor Diaz. Here. Mayor, you have quorum. Excellent. We are now moving on to the order of business. At this time, I would like to add item 7B, which would be an alternate mayoral appointment, a ballot question. And 7 C which will be an alternate runoff schedule which I'll prove I'll discuss with my colleagues when we get to those items are there any other deferrals additions or deletions to the agenda. All right seeing none is their motion move a second it's been moved and second by the vice mayor seconded by councilman Garcia. And with that all those in favor of them in the agenda as stated say aye aye all opposed no. guys have it the agenda is amended as stated and we are now on public comments madam clerk please uh read the rules and then open we'll open public comments first of all good evening to everyone in council chambers and as well the public that always watches us online

If you are here and you want to participate in public comments, the only thing you need to do is please just approach the podium, state your name and address for the record, and we will be providing you three minutes for your public comments. And as I always like to state, if you are online and you want to participate in public comments, you want to speak, the only thing you need to do is click on the reactions icon and select raise hand and IT will allow you to speak. And as well, if you want to listen to the meeting and however you don't want to participate, the only thing you need to do is press hashtag number nine and you'll be able to speak as well via phone. I also want to read into the record that all comments and questions from the attending public and also the virtual public shall always be directed to the mayor in a courteous tone and to ensure the orderly conduct and efficiency of the meeting. Public comments shall be limited to three minutes maximum per person. Again, if you want to speak, please do so now by approaching the podium or raising your hand if you are attending virtually.

And before we move on to the audience, I just want to note for the record that Councilman Fernandez has arrived and joined us here on the days. And with that, I'm going to recognize the Vice Mayor for a point of personal privilege before we continue.

Thank you, Mayor. I did just want to excuse myself and apologize for breaching the quorum and not having a blazer. I did totally intend to pass by my house and grab one. Got caught up in the office and didn't have time. But I know the rules and I'm supposed to have a blazer on. Just wanted to apologize for that. Anyone for public comments?

Anyone in the audience wishing to speak? Okay, seeing none. Madam Clerk, anyone online wishing to speak?

I don't see anyone participating online. Let the record reflect.

Okay, excellent. And so now that takes us to item 7A, Charter Revision Commission's report to the citizens of the town of Miami Lakes. For that, we'll go to the chair of the committee or the attorney, whoever would like to present on behalf of the CRC to present the 14 ballot questions that we have in front of us.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. For this, part of the presentation is really an introduction and a summary of that. I would like to, as a moment, take a moment of personal privilege just to tell this council that I am- And I'm sorry to cut you off, but Don or whoever's in the back there, can you raise the volume in chambers regarding the sound?

It sounds very low so far for everyone that has spoken.

Okay, I'll try to much. Oh, there we go. There we go. So if I could take just a moment of personal privilege, Mr. Mayor, I want to thank the chair for his leadership in really, it's been almost six months, meeting two times, sometimes three times, not including the Sundays that we spent in our office, even when the AC would go off and reviewing this charter. from the very beginning, word by word, line by line, and really trying to see what was things that were necessary to be changed and things that were not, and then deliberating those during our meetings and coming to this final product, which you will be seeing tonight. I wanna thank all of the members, especially those that are here present and those that are not, for your work. I want to thank my colleague, Morales-Castilla, who's here and without, it leaves to be said, not to be, I'm not using the right word. I want to thank the clerk's office, especially Gina and Alexis. Part of their work was keeping copious minutes, making sure that everything was written in a way that we could then use to be able to go from one meeting to the next, especially when there were a lot of motions being made and votes being taken. What I want to say by all this is just it's been a lot of work. Thank you for the people that you chose and you entrusted to be part of this commission. I think you all did well for the residents of Miami Lakes in the choices you made. And without further ado, I'm going to pass it on to our chair, Javi Leisoro.

You have to hit the button at the base of the mic. There we go.

It's good? Can you guys hear me? Great. Good evening, Mayor Diegas, Vice Mayor Morera, members of the Town Council, and residents of Miami Lakes. It is my distinct honor to stand before you here tonight to present the final report of the Town of Miami Lakes 2026 Charter Revision Commission. As we gather in these chambers, it is impossible to ignore the historical weight of the year we are celebrating. Just 10 days ago, on July 4th, 2026, America celebrated its semi-quincentennial, our nation's 250th anniversary. Just as our founding fathers undertook the monumental task of establishing a nation and subsequently drafting the United States Constitution in 1787 to provide enduring direction for our country, we too in Miami Lakes have a foundational text to uphold. Our town charter is our local constitution. It is the bedrock of our municipal governance and reviewing it is a solemn responsibility and it is a task this commission did not take lightly. In undertaking this effort, we recognize that we did not start from scratch. This commission built upon the diligent work of the original charter commission and the dedicated charter revision commissions that came before us. Over the past seven months, the Charter Revision Commission convened for 10 official meetings. I extend my profound gratitude to every single member of the Commission, including Vice Chairman Ramiro Inguanzo, Commission Member Hector Abad, Commission Member David Bennett, Commission Member Tony Fernandez, Commission Member Lynn Matos, Commission Member Marilyn Ruano, and Councilman Juan Carlos J.C. Fernandez. Most of them are here tonight. In the dedication, rigorous preparation, and civic passion they brought to the dais, meeting after meeting has been nothing short of inspiring. If you look through the agendas and the minutes of these 10 meetings, you will see a record of deep, thoughtful, and sometimes challenging deliberations. Reviewing a town charter requires the rigorous scrutiny that fundamental legal documents demand. We did not merely skim the surface, we dissected the precise phrasing of every proposed amendment to ensure it was clear, unambiguous, and legally sound. There were moments of passionate debate on the dais. We weighed differing philosophies on the balance of power, analyzed the operational realities of our municipal government, and meticulously cross-referenced our local codes with state statutes. We listened to public comments, absorbed the concerns of our residents, and refined our drafts until we reached a consensus. It was a rigorous and exacting process, but it was absolutely necessary. We tackled complex issues that strike at the heart of how Miami Lakes operates and seeks to grow. We tackled the structural and electoral mechanics, rigorously debating everything from reducing the number of council seats from seven to five to moving runoff elections from the Thanksgiving holiday period to December to maximize voter turnout. We addressed practical municipal needs from updating our town map to establishing clear protocols for filling vacancies and resigned to run scenarios. We carefully addressed the separation of powers, recommending direct council oversight for the town clerk, and crafting clear non-interference clauses that respect administrative boundaries. We deliberated extensively on term limits, culminating in a proposed two-term lifetime limit for the mayor and council members. Through this exhaustive process, we have finalized a recommendation, 14 ballot questions for the voters. Accompanying this report, you will also find a comprehensive red line version detailing every single proposed change to the town charter. Every decision made was a result of meticulous drafting, intense scrutiny, and a shared commitment for the betterment of our community. We took great care in drafting these amendments, but the most crucial principle guiding our work was humility in our role. This commission strongly believes that while it is our job to evaluate and recommend, the ultimate authority does not rest with us. It does not even rest solely with this council. It is the fundamental tenet of our democracy that the electors of the town of Miami Lakes must have the last and final say on the future of our town. Tonight, we ask that you accept this report and forward these 14 recommended ballot questions to the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections so they may be placed before the voters on the November 3rd, 2026 election ballot. Let the people decide the path forward. In closing, I want to thank the Town Council for entrusting us with this vital endeavor. I want to thank you, Mr. Mayor Diegas, for the distinct privilege of appointing me to this commission and to my fellow commissioners for the high honor of selecting me to serve as their chairman. I must also extend my deepest appreciation to the dedicated professionals who supported our work behind the scenes, to our town attorneys whose sharp legal counsel guided us safely through complex statutory frameworks and clearly crafted language to express our intentions, to our town clerk whose meticulous administration