Remarks by Robert "B.J." Duncan
25 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 1
- Play at 44:26
“Thank you. It was just a comment. So the exercise that we're discussing as far as the $2.5 million, that's for the $150,000 threshold, but to remind our residents that that goes up to a $250,000 threshold in the following fiscal year, which then I believe would amount to a $4.3 million cut.”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 1:15:30
“Thank you. Mr. Mayor. I just have a few items that I'd like to just get consensus on from the council that I'd like to work with town staff on in developing for future councils as far as resolutions and ordinances. The first of which is I'd like to seek consensus to work on urging a new resolution to the state legislature to amend the current firefighters, retired firefighters cancer bill to eliminate the 10-year cap that is currently in place for retired firefighters and to work through some of the other limitations that are currently within that. This kind of hits home to me. I have a…”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 1:16:40
“Yeah, that's absolutely fine. Okay, fantastic. Next one, I'd like to work on updating and kind of future-proofing our current ordinance as it pertains to farmers' markets. Our current ordinance on the books is from 2012. It eliminates or it limits the times in which a farmers' market can operate to the morning until 3 p.m., We have a farmer's market that's been operating here in town recently. It's very, very hot in the mornings and up to 3 p.m. Other municipalities allow a farmer's market to operate into the evening. I'd like to work with town staff to explore the feasibility of and to…”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 1:17:45
“That would be an ordinance because that's part of the code.”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 1:17:52
“Okay. Number three. I'd like the consensus on creating a Cutler Bay historical task force similar to what we did recently with the environmental task force. It would not be a standing committee or task force. It would be tasked with collecting stories, histories, artifacts, things of that nature, that then after a specified amount of time that the council determines, whether it be six months, what have you, they come back and provide a final report. This would go towards providing historical exhibits in our new legacy park and town hall that highlights the history of Cutler Ridge, of Cutler…”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 1:19:24
“Absolutely. And we can absolutely, and that's something that if I have the consensus to bring it forward, then I'll bring it forward and we can debate that on the dais and figure out the best way to kind of put that forward.”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 1:19:34
“Thank you. And then the last item that I have, it's just kind of something that in going through our code and going through our charter, there's nothing, ultimately what it is, is I would like to work with the town staff to kind of future-proof The way that we conduct business in that ethics, transparency, and public trust safeguards as it pertains to people who serve on this council, on this body. Right now, there's no protections in place if you are directly related to somebody who serves. There's nothing legally that prohibits that from happening, but there is a certain... Idea that if you…”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 2:28:55
“Councilman Duncan, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Councilmember Ramirez. Yeah, I'll echo some of the sentiments that he had said. I do have a few, I guess, questions or points for clarification. Could you put the slide back on that demonstrates what the rents will be just so that our residents will have an understanding as to what that is? Because, I mean, we can, you know, until we're blue in the face, say 120% of the AMI, but for most people, you know, you tell them what the monthly rents will be and that's a little bit easier to kind of grasp and understand.”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 2:30:30
“Okay, thank you so very much for sharing that. Moving on, so I'm very pleased of the development where essentially the certificate of occupancy for the retail would also come online the same time as the residential. That was one of the things that I was hoping to at least discuss tonight, but I'm glad you all worked that out ahead of time. Similarly to how the vice mayor was able to work with the public's property to get those out parcels insured that they were built and not just get the residential part built and then oops, we're not going to build these. So I think that is the biggest…”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 2:31:37
“So, the traffic study that that's currently underway, or that's pending if the traffic study comes back saying that improvements need to be made. beyond the $450,000, what is the enforcement mechanism for that?”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 2:32:06
“I do want to emphasize that the traffic study is performed by us internally.”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 2:32:12
“Looking out for what's in the best interest of the residents, especially along that 216th corridor. So any sort of negative impacts of traffic with this development, if anything needs to be added, whether lighting or traffic signaling, curb, what have you, it would have to be handled at that point.”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 2:32:31
“Okay, perfect. And then the only other point that I'll make, and just to re-emphasize in the same way that Councilmember Ramirez did, is with the live local, just for the residents to understand, they can, as of right, so 714, I believe was the number that we did, 714 units without this council ever saying yay or nay correct so i'm glad that that our town staff and and the team has been able to negotiate a lot of very positive community benefits that are going to benefit all of the community not just you know the lakes by the bay and isles bay shore community but all of cutler bay So thank…”
Town Council · Jun 17, 2026
- Play at 18:45
“Spread out. Spread out over. Let's everybody move a little this way. A little to your left. Two steps to the left.”
Town Council · May 20, 2026
- Play at 53:32
“Thank you, Mr. Vice Mayor. Just one quick point for clarification, and this could be for Emma or for Ralph, is the delays that we're experiencing through DERM and getting approval for phase one for the soil remediation, This seems to be a little excessive, but maybe I'm being naive on that, but is this typical as far as the amount of delays we're facing on this for other projects? And if not, then why is this one seeming to drag on longer than it should?”
Town Council · May 20, 2026
- Play at 1:02:20
“Hey, Vice Mayor. Yes, just one quick question. So presently, Cranjo is open to traffic up from 184th until Martinique. Is there a plan for it to open up to through traffic from Martinique anywhere beyond the rest of stage four and stage five prior to final completion? Or are we anticipating that from Martinique to Old Cutler, it will remain closed to through traffic until the project is 100% complete?”
Town Council · May 20, 2026
- Play at 32:50
“Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I do want to thank Councilmember Lord for making a great point on the transparency and having that as an opportunity for us to share with our residents, not just the total construction and the total process, but specifically with the pool as it relates to the Legacy Park pool. I think that's a great point, a great opportunity. I think it's a great idea. I think going through the motions with town staff, with town manager and being briefed and seeing what we kind of have before us, I do want to just reiterate to the residents that we've, we've emphasized bumping up the,…”
Town Council · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 55:27
“Councilman Dunham. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I do have one quick question. We have these beautiful light poles that months ago we were told FPL was working to connect. It's April. I think the first time I asked about it was November. I was told in January they were working on it. Do we know when they will be on?”
Town Council · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 1:13:05
“Comment, comment. And I just want the public to know that the applicant has also proffered to allow our senior citizens, our active adults, use of the community room in this development 12 times a year. 12 times a year, so thank you for that.”
Town Council · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 27:13
“Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just a quick comment on behalf of myself and the mayor, who we both have an item on the agenda today specifically tailored to the UDB, urging the Florida legislature to protect it, keep it intact. I do want to thank you preemptively for protecting it ahead of even this vote tonight. So just thank you for looking out and continuing to serve the town and protect the overdevelopment from perhaps happening in that urban development.”
Town Council · Mar 18, 2026
- Play at 38:17
“Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I guess the question that I have, and I'll defer to the Vice Mayor on this, just from your expertise and the Parks Committee. Do we know yet what the timeline would be if the council were to authorize an amount up to $50,000? How long it would take once that is allocated and spent to determine the next steps on this pool? And what I ask that in that If we do have the $4.3 million pool that we're building in Legacy Park, and that has already been approved, we already have those plans, and that is slated for end of 2029. I'm curious as to how much time that this current…”
Town Council · Mar 18, 2026
- Play at 41:49
“And then I guess a follow-up question, and this really is just a question for the council to at least consider writ large. If the determination, so we invest $50,000, determine what the cost is, we get that back 60 days. Whenever we get that back, the pool's inoperable until any sort of work potentially happens. Let's say it comes back, and whether it's $300,000, $700,000, or more, from an economic efficiency standpoint, I guess the question that I have for the rest of the council to consider would be, Are you prepared when we have a new pool at the Legacy Park in the future to either operate…”
Town Council · Mar 18, 2026
- Play at 56:09
“Councilman Duncan? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I do have one other comment. This council has previous, we have set a precedent previously for parks that have been in need of repair that have served our community for multiple years. And that precedent is Franjo Park.”
Town Council · Mar 18, 2026
- Play at 56:36
“where after extensive hurricane damage, even within our own plan for the town, was that if the park was ever to be destroyed to that point, we would not renew the baseball fields. We would just make it a passive park. But this council... Previously, you know, earlier on when I was first on the council, this council approved, I believe it was up to $2.8 million to restore Franjo Park, really for the exclusive reason of we've had generations of Cutler Ridge kids going and playing baseball at that park. So with this Cutler Ridge pool, it kind of puts us in a similar situation where we have a…”
Town Council · Mar 18, 2026
- Play at 1:12:29
“Councilman Duncan, recognize? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. I want to thank the applicant for considering making changes. If you have curriculum or if you have things that are not serving you, you know, yourself as the applicant, but as well, the residents, the citizens, and replacing it with nursing and things that are going to benefit our aging community. I think those are definitely positives. The only question I have with specifically South Place City Center, Does your client have a long-term lease or what exactly is that? How do they relate to the redevelopment and how that's going to…”
Town Council · Mar 18, 2026