Remarks by Fabiola Stuyvesant
109 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 5
- Play at 18:25
“OK. Commissioner? Yes. I want to start with a question to the city manager. How do we usually set these priorities?”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 18:45
“OK, well, so let's talk about the process a little bit. Last year, we set our legislative priorities. And really, what they were at the very beginning were the Florida legal cities platform, which are defend home rule, condominium reform, protect our local business tax, et cetera. So we supported all those positions, but they are really defensive. And we shared them with more than 400 other municipalities. So last year, we didn't ask for one single dollar to Tallahassee, nothing. So I want to be ahead of the curve, and I'm bringing this item so we can update our process. And we have real…”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 22:09
“No, no problem. We can have it maybe for later on. So that's the point, just to make sure that we are going to be requesting from Tallahassee money for what is our priorities, especially for the big contracts that we assume we're going to be having during the following year, and to make sure that that contract with the lobbies, either the one that we have now, or any other one that we're going to have does not expire or gets terminated without informing us. And we need to make sure that we have, like I said, representation. And we are asking for things specifically for the city of Sonny Hills…”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 22:54
“It was between 60 and 70, yeah. OK. Thank you. Anybody else have something?”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 23:29
“No, thank you. And that's great. But still, the point is that we didn't ask for the first time any money to Tallahassee. And I find out when our state representative called me, because he needed those projects to negotiate with other representatives. So when I find out, it was too late. The window was closed. And we were never made aware that we were not even making any appropriation requests. So that decision should be a decision of the commission and not a decision that the staff takes on its own, like it happened.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 30:18
“They're going back after the elections. And that's apparently, they don't have the dates just yet.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 31:41
“OK, so about this, we only have one workshop to discuss the actual budget. And the whole time, we were just talking about the SIP, because it was very large, all the projects in there. So we haven't had the time to actually discuss the budget after it was printed and given to us. So I'm going to request a special meeting, workshop, whatever you want to call it, so we can go through the budget. Like I said, we have not gone through it just yet. However, right now, I just want to have the time to request some more information about the debt. Because when we had that workshop, I was asking a few…”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 36:07
“Yeah. So basically, from the proposed budget, I can deduct $175 million.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 37:16
“It's connected to it, so I have no problem if he wants to jump his item in here because, like I said, my question continues to be the same. The proposed budget was $348 million, so I'm going to round it to $350 million. If we are not going to be issuing any bond and we don't have that debt issue that we had before, page 813, but nobody else has their book here. So right now, if we did that from 350, 175, that's what I say. We're slashing the proposed budget in half. And I'm very happy with that. So meaning, so right now, our proposed budget is going to be in the realm of $175 million, right?”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 38:28
“I want a very simple answer. What is the amount of the budget right now as we see it, as you have it right now?”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 39:30
“OK. Thank you, Tiffany. Thank you very much. You're welcome. To my point that we do need a workshop or a meeting or a special meeting, which I'm going to formally ask for it, to have this discussion. A budget that is not even ready, how can we be the next time to have in front of us to vote yes or no? We can have both yes or no event. Right now, something that we don't have, it hasn't been built yet. So I see, I know that the process is very fluid, and that's a good thing. So by we're going to, if the number one of our TASK AS A COMMISSION IS TO APPROVE THE BUDGET, WE CANNOT JUST BLINDLY GO…”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 49:44
“Commissioner Susan? Yeah, I'm going to bring the 4F, because it's part of the same discussion. It's the Office of the Inspector General. That was my number one priority for the budget.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 51:02
“OK. OK. And this one is going to start also with a question. So what is it that it is? I heard rumors that something's going to be changing with the way we are managing the rentals for Gateway. So is anything that you guys can share with us right now?”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 51:27
“Okay. Okay. So I'll continue. So how we got to the system that we have right now? In 2022, there was a competitive bidding and only one person or one company was the bidder. And then we gave them a contract to basically manage the events in Gateway Park. Just as a... For reference, that part, overall, it costs around $40 million. And we give the control of the events to a private company. So that private company, we did a contract with them in 2022. We did a renewal, I'm sorry, an amendment, first amendment we signed in 2024. In 2024, the contract changed. And now, it was for two years. In…”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 58:04
“Oh, anybody else? No. No? Go ahead. OK, so like I said, the contractor keeps 100% of the catering, the flowers, the decor, the entertainment of every event. So as an example, and probably it will be good if you guys can share those examples with us with detail. So the maximum that they can charge, if it's not a resident, if I'm not mistaken, is $4,800. I believe it's the maximum that they can. So of a $40,000 contract, if somebody pays $5,000, then the private company is getting over $35,000 from that simple contract. We have over 300 employees in the city, and we have continuously are making…”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:03:47
“But whoever rents it, they have to get an insurance of a million on their name, in our name as well. So the insurance, anyway, whoever's going to rent it has to have paid for the insurance. So we had the same company since 2022. And this company was the only bidder. So we never had like a real competition, you know? You guys know it's very uncomfortable when we are not bidding and just giving the contracts to whoever we feel familiar with. So I would like to see options of doing it in-house and then put that revenue back to the people, especially how we're talking about property taxes. So we…”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:04:33
“If it's managed correctly. And then also we can then discuss if that's the path we want to go or if we want to beat this and put it out there and see what other options we're going to have with somebody else.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:06:52
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:07:32
“So we need to make sure that we get closer to at least make some revenue out of the rooms that we have there. Not only the big room and other rooms. We run a lot of good senior programs there.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:07:58
“It might as well. We need to be a little bit more creative using the resources that we have right now to try to make a little bit more money than the one we're making right now. And like I said, we have a very, very good talent pool of employees running events continuously. So to the point that next year we are apparently planning to spend around half a million dollars only for the city anniversary. So I do believe we can take care of it. It might not happen.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:09:55
“So we have already expired. That was my first question, actually.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:13:40
“And we don't have no public speakers, right? We didn't have any, no. OK, perfect. So every resident of the city pays for the beach. But if you live west of Collins and you want to have a birthday on the sand or whatever other kind of party, the city published a document titled the Public Beach Park Events Permit Application. Under the word public, it says, and I'm quoting, all individuals seeking a special event permit must contract with an offland property owner, and special event permits are not issued directly to individuals. So we created a public speech application and told the public…”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:15:59
“OK. OK, so this is something that we can easily fix. to allowing the public and anybody, any resident or whatever terms we want to use, owners or so, of the city of Sunny Isles Beach to be able to apply to have events on the beach. I did receive, and I believe everybody else received, an email from one of the, I'm looking for it, from the attorney from Aquilina requesting not to change the status quo because they consider the beach an extension of their home and they don't want to see, I'm paraphrasing because I cannot find the email right now. Like I said, this is something that, according…”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:20:21
“Right. Because I have a question before you continue, please.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:21:39
“In about the 161 that you were referring to, it says the title seawater erosion control line invests in the state. like we know, held in trust for all the people. Condoms on upland to the ECL, to the erosion control line. The white re-nourished beach is sovereign public land. They hold riparian rights, access, view, bathing, not tidal to the sand, and not a veto over a permit. Right now, they are the ones deciding who even gets to apply, because you have to go to the building and beg them to be the ones to put in the application for you, because nobody can apply. Only the buildings can apply.”
City Commission · Aug 20, 2026