Remarks by Erica G. Ávila
112 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 3 of 5
- Play at 57:52
“But we don't have an option for either of those, for any kind of A-frame signage. So what the setbacks are in those examples, we'll discuss. But I'm still committed to trying to find a solution for our business owners, because this is affecting their ability to pay their rent. It is costing money for someone who's been in that spot. How many years?”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 58:24
“I've been working there are the business been there for 19 I've been working there for 16 for him to be spending his time sitting here when he obviously has business to attend to to Repeatedly bring this problem forward. It's not because he's got nothing else to do This is a real situation for a lot of businesses in our downtown and we should be making it a priority so you have my commitment to try to maybe pass a resolution urging the county to change the rules to make it allowable so that it then trickles down and we don't have the excuse anymore and But for right now, there's no answer we…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:05:41
“Thank you. As a fellow Girl Scout leader, thank you for everything that you're doing to lead these girls into service. And I'm curious, this is so that you can earn your which award is it? Your bronze award. So as juniors, you have to strive to solve a problem, right? So it's very good of you to do that. And whose idea was it to get food for the animals? was it a collective idea okay well i love the team effort i absolutely support the box being placed at the community at the dickinson center there's plenty of space in the lobby it would be one of those rectangular boxes i assume similar to…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:09:09
“everyone comfortable waving the the staff report moving right into uh questions or comments who would like to open the discussion councilwoman thank you mayor this item um i did have a briefing on it um and while on the surface it seems like it's you know providing um you know clarity and giving uh some tools to our code and pd to you know conduct and solve noise complaint issues. I do think that this is, and I'll use the mayor's example, a solution in search of a problem. We don't have an issue with our officers being able to handle noise complaint calls, and by passing this ordinance,…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:12:14
“I'd like to also add sorry, Mayor. Thank you. This request. Did it come through Homestead Police Department?”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:12:40
“So that's no, this was not a request made by the Homestead Police Department for us to add these tools to their toolkit. This was a code enforcement driven initiative, correct?”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:26:07
“Thank you, Mayor, I would be more in favor of of committing to having the workshops to start working on a sign code revision and putting a moratorium on sign enforcement or something soft that allows us to. Prioritize this as soon as possible. Since I've been on here in 2020, we've been talking about rewriting the code. The sign code was not enforced for probably 20 years. We have a robust code enforcement department that is enforcing everything, which that's their job. It's in our code. They have to enforce it. We have to respond to these issues and these challenges and act on actually…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:27:46
“Or we could put in abeyance all existing violations. That's an option too.”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:28:26
“preferring to actually resolve the problem with coming up with a code we all agree with because the rhetoric has been that we don't agree with our sign code and it may be one of us does you know that's obvious but I don't think the majority is in favor of the sign code that exists and the people that actually live here work here the majority of them probably need to have this relief sooner than later”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:35:20
“It was just a second with direction to schedule the workshop on the sign code.”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:41:02
“Thank you, it's my honor to bring back for consideration the interfaith advisory board and this ordinance would provide for a seven member voting board with each member of city council appointeen one members would be should be active within the faith based community and reflect the cross section of faiths within the community. The board would serve strictly as an advisory capacity to the City Council with responsibilities including advising Mayor and Council City Manager on relevant community matters, serving as a liaison with faith-based and spiritual communities, recommending cooperative…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:52:38
“Yes, Councilwoman. Thank you. Great question. The original board was set up as an ad hoc, so it comes with a sunset. This is codified like our other committees now, and we're not discussing budgets or anything at this time. That'll come during budget planning and whatnot, but... certainly to be a thermostat or being able to have meetings and and promote attendance etc you know there would be costs i mean the national day of prayer has been put on without us financially um you know covering those expenses and through volunteerism and whatnot, and I would expect that those services would…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:57:30
“Thank you, Mary. The intentions was to create the confines of this committee as we have with all the other committees, which are all advisory in nature. And there is a liaison assigned from council to work with them. And any events, especially starting back up again, would be put together as a proposal, as was intended for us to come back for approval and discussion on. There's no budget in this document.”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:57:59
“There's no budget in this document. No, that's correct. But there was.”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 1:58:04
“Well, no, it was mentioned. by one of the speakers in support of the item, making a clarification, and I'm making a further clarification, that there could be and should be a budget assigned to this committee so that they can serve in the capacities that this body sees fit. How they propose their work and what items in their plan and all that is yet to be seen, and not to be debated tonight. But the goal is to form the committee for it to be a branch of the city, just like the agricultural committee will be, just like CRB and SWAC and several other committees that we have. So I'm not asking…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:02:48
“Thank you, Mayor. I see that proposed. This item was proposed by a council member, but I just wanted to get clarification. They're requesting these funds? Because I thought this was negotiated part of the contract. It feels like a slippery slope of changes being made. And there was proffering of the scholarships. My understanding is that's not happening. Now we're being proposed a residential community. So it's like now I'm seeing they want us to pay for development. fees when it was all part of the agreement to or did did our attorney make a mistake and now we negotiated the contract like…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:06:18
“half of the permit fees and cost recovery again limited solely to the green fields thank you mayor i i appreciate the explanation i i don't think it was something that was overlooked i i recall the briefings and if they were going to pay 100 for the build i will support this item tonight only and purely out of support for you councilman fletcher We need the money it's already been expressed, we are we don't know what's coming and we could use the dollars in our account, but.”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:11:37
“Thank you, Mayor. This is about getting serious about our commitment to preserving the agricultural roots of the city of homestead. We're going to have a field and a tractor in our logo. We might as well have an agricultural committee. And all the comments made prior to this item with relation to the other committee all stand. So I do hope that there are plenty of events and plenty of engagement forums and. and i do hope for us to be able to assign a budgetary allocation for it to be able to function efficiently in the future but for right now those are not up for debate this is just to pass…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:13:56
“I don't, I don't understand the challenge because of preserving and promoting the city's are you you referencing that the city currently does not have an agricultural identity?”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:14:50
“Okay, well there are existing community gardens that exist within the City of Homestead right here off of, I think it's Flagler. We just talked about the other day of a site that we are conveying to a developer to include programming for community garden experiences within the City of Homestead. That's well within our borders of what this is meant to preserve and promote. So while I appreciate that there is that perception that the city of Homestead is not the Redlands and the city of Homestead is no longer or is eliminating farming communities, I don't agree with that. I want to try to…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:16:27
“Maybe not maybe it's I don't want codes being stuck stuck on them, so the challenge that I hear you saying is that. I don't think anyone has any less respect for the true, true farmers that were here or that still exist within the greater Homestead area. And I think the state has expanded the definition of agriculture to also include agritourism. I think you're nitpicking here, but you did mention there was some other verbiage that was not consistent with the creation of the committee. Is this the only example?”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:17:34
“I can understand that lack of faith, Mayor, and I appreciate Councilman Konski's support and her participation in the sunshine meetings that we've had leading up to this and for her commitment to do what she can with her passion, her experience, and her connections within this community to revive what little agricultural flame may exist that you perceive. I think that agriculture was still a big part of our identity and I'd like to preserve it. I'll leave that. Thank you.”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:26:18
“Mayor, thank you, I see that says it says exhibit one exhibit to exhibit three and during briefing just trying to get through it all. I did not notice there were not actual exhibits like so i'm familiar with them penco West property that's the linear project we'd approved and the. D.R. Horton and Aspen Estates, but the Miami-Dade County property area there, that little piece of that carve-out, I'm not familiar with that one. So is there an exhibit that's supposed to be part of this packet that showcases what it is? And then with regards to the taxes, I mean, this is, Councilman Konski is in…”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:31:42
“Thank you, Mayor. I would not want to subject city secondary levels of regulation on top of any existing property owner. So exhibit three, unless you're seeing it as a potential sale to a developer in the future and it gives us the ability to then curate the property development,”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026
- Play at 2:33:13
“Sorry, one more question for clarification. Would this have a second reading where it gives those property owners an opportunity to come and object and vocalize?”
City Council · Jun 2, 2026