City Council - Regular Meeting

All right, I'm going to call to order the City Commission meeting of Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Ms. Bravo, if you would, please call the roll.

Mayor Ryan.

Present.

Deputy Mayor Guzman. Here. Assistant Deputy Mayor Clark. Here. Commissioner Kirch.

Here.

Commissioner Scudo absent. City Manager Mark Lebowski. Present. City Attorney Thomas Moss. Present. Administrative Services Manager Lourdes Lawrence. Present. City Clerk Felicia Bravo here.

All right, good afternoon. This meeting has been noticed both as an in-person meeting and a virtual meeting. The public may attend in person or participate in the meeting by calling 954-395-2401 and entering the code 368262. Procedures for public participation and comments will be explained in a moment. Information for each item on the agenda has been and is currently available at City Hall and online 24 hours a day at www.sunrisefl.gov. Anyone interested is also invited to call 954-746-3430 for additional information. The city has provided various options for members of the public to address the commission. Prior to the start of the meeting, we asked if anyone wished to speak on any matters before us. We maintain that list, and I'll call upon speakers at an appropriate time. I'll also open it up for public comment at an appropriate time and ask if anyone attending in person or by phone wishes to speak. For those participating by phone, you may press five star on your phone to request to be heard. I'll attempt to take the comments in the order they're requested by the five star feature, but be assured that all comments will be included as part of the public record for this meeting and will be considered prior to any action taken. When addressing us, please state your name, address, and what you're here to speak about. I'd ask that everybody on the call please mute your phones until you wish to speak. Also, please do not place this call on hold as it could cause an unintended interruption to the meeting due to background music. If you're experiencing technical difficulties, you may call 954-578-4792 at any time, and our staff is available to assist you. As we do before each meeting, it's an opportunity for us as a community to gather for a moment of collective and individual silence. It's an opportunity for us to reflect perhaps on our own lives, on those around us who maybe are going through struggles, those who can't be with us here tonight. And something that we've always done at every commission meeting is we make sure that we reflect upon the fact that as we are here right now, there are so many, so many who are serving directly in harm's way and so many others in ready support all over the world. And as we've seen, the line of demarcation between what is in harm's way and what is in ready support continues to evaporate. And so many have been put at risk. And just this past week, we saw eight who were killed in the B-52 bomber that crashed in a test run. Senior ranking military folks, contractors, civilians, there to test something to make the plane and the platform perform better. lost their lives just in a training mission. And so we can never take for granted the fact that there are those who are serving in support. Those are getting ready. And for those of us in our community, like the deputy mayor, whose children are beginning that process of serving, it is a time of great stress for the families and for those who are missing. So please be sure that in that moment of silence that you just reflect on the grace that we have to be here and that it's come at a cost. We're grateful as a nation, and we have a debt that we can never fully repay to those who have sacrificed so much. Anyone we need to remember since we were gathered together? If you would, then please stand.

I'll just share that my son left this morning to the Army, so he's got a spot right there. So thank you.

It is so difficult on families as they say goodbye, no matter how they may have tried to find a distance between their child and a recruiter, their distance between their child and taking the oath. And it is always, and I know because I grew up in a family of those who serve, it is always a matter of stress, particularly where you don't know who they are. So keep in your thoughts, not just those who are serving, but the families of those who serve and those that are missing and those that just today. are off to serve their country. So if you would please stand for a moment of individual and collective silence prior to the pledge. All right, we have some great presentations tonight. Before we get to those, we have the consent agenda for A through F. Can I have a motion?

Move it.

Motion by Commissioner Kirch, seconded by the Deputy Mayor. Any polls for my colleagues? Does staff have any items it wishes to poll?

No polls, Mayor.

Does anybody in the public wish to have any items on the consent agenda removed from the consent agenda and handled as a full public hearing? If so, please raise your hand or press 5-star on your phone. All right, I see none. Go ahead and call the question on 4A through 4F.

Commissioner Kirch?

Yes.

Assistant Deputy Mayor Clark? Yes. Deputy Mayor Guzman? Yes. Mayor Ryan?

Yes. Items passed four to zero. All right, the quasi-judicial consent agenda. Can I have a motion on 5A? Motion by Commissioner Kirch, seconded by Deputy Mayor. This is a quasi-judicial consent agenda for Baptist Health Sunrise. The applicant here.

Good evening, Mayor. Jana Lotto with Holland & Knight on behalf of Baptist Health South Florida.

Nice to see you again, by the way. Thank you for a great event last week.

Thank you for participating.

Of course. Mr. Obelski, any affected parties? No affected parties, Mayor. All right. Do you waive a full quasi-judicial hearing in this regard?

We do.

All right. Go ahead and call the question on 5A.

Deputy Mayor Guzman. Yes. Commissioner Kirch. Yes. Assistant Deputy Mayor Clark. Yes. Mayor Ryan.

Yes. I didn't pass 4-0. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Look forward to flipping the light switch on soon. You like that optimism, right? Okay. Is Adams not here? Severa, right? No. Okay. So we'll go ahead and we'll start. Deputy Mayor, if you would. Sure.

Proclamation proclaiming the month of June 2026 as Interfaith Family and Community Month in the City of Sunrise.

It must be the summer months that are causing people to be a little quiet, right? So we have a whole host of folks here to help us celebrate the interfaith community here at Sunrise. Hey, how are you? Nice to see you again. Nice to see you. So before we begin with that, I'm going to ask everyone to introduce themselves, but I want to put this in some context for our community. You know, in Sunrise for decades, almost from the start. Sunrise has enjoyed and been the benefactor of a diverse interfaith community, not just one that exists, but one that is active in our community in so many ways. Not just in the moments of charity that we typically think of at certain times of the year, but in providing the support to families to those in our community who don't have a voice, to providing that spiritual support that is so important to a community. And in Sunrise, it's almost hard to get your head around how many faiths and how many faith leaders call Sunrise home. It is something that we, I think, too often take for granted. And to put it in some context, we know that when there have been moments of strife when there have been moments when we needed help, when we needed support, the interfaith community has been there, not only for the city, but for each other. And to the credit of our staff, the commission, the police department, the fire department, we have recognized that the celebration of the interfaith community is not just in moments of strife or need, or even when there's a conflict or tough conversations. It's most important when there's moments of peace where we are together to be able to say, hey, how are you? It's been a while to be able to share. And in our community, the ability to have the interfaith community bond over so many different languages, over a diverse faith that no matter how you pray, no matter how you worship and whether you do or not, The interfaith community has always been there for you. So we have a huge group here. I'm going to pass the microphone around, and I do that with risk, right? But I do want the opportunity, because I think it's important for the community, those at home, the millions watching at home right now, to be able to understand the beauty of this community. So you each get an opportunity for a shameless plug, too, as well. So I'll just start all the way on my right.

Just introduce ourselves? Yeah.

Hi, I'm Virgil Sierra, a lead pastor of Vertical Church, aka Iglesia Vertical. It's an honor to be in City of Sunrise, and we love partnering with the city to make an impact. Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Fallon Johnson. I serve as the senior division manager of community justice for the Urban League of Broward County. It is an honor to be here tonight with the City of Sunrise. Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Muktadir Naeem. I'm a board member of Islamic Foundation of South Florida, City of Sunrise. Thank you so much for inviting us and also part of the Broward County Hate Crime Task Force. Thank you so much.

My name is Veronica Walker. I'm with the Broward State Attorney's Office. I also chair the Broward County Hate Crimes Task Force. I want to say that today is a celebration. The Broward County Hate Crimes Task Force has been successful for reasons because we've included our interfaith community, and it's our interfaith community that has progressed and has pushed us forward. You know, I have learned that although our faiths make difference, we do have shared common values when it comes to community, unity, our values, and our shared experiences. So I want to thank the City of Sunrise and the mayor for this opportunity, and thank you for this proclamation today.

I will take a stop because Veronica from the state attorney's office is here for so many events. We are just one of 31 municipalities, not even counting the county, not even counting all the other things you have to do. But when it comes to either our stand against hate, our commitment to bonding the community or this interfaith evening, you've always been here. And the city of Sunrise is blessed to have you as such a strong advocate and thank Mr. Pryor for giving you the latitude to do that as well. So fantastic. One more time, big round of applause for her.

Hi, good evening. My name is Oslyn Rodriguez, representing Backpack International and Terranova Educational Resource. I want to thank the City of Sunrise for welcoming us with open doors. We, as a ministry and organization, have been welcomed. We've had our students do see you at the poll right here at City Hall. We've been welcomed to share our light, and I'm so thankful for that.

Hello, my name is Beverly Hales, and I'm here in support of Backpack International. I'm proud of this young lady. She's my daughter, and I'm here supporting her all the way.

Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Sierra Hilaire. I am the president of a nonprofit organization here in the City of Sunrise, Divine Potential Services. And our mission is to restore families and empower change. But I stand here today as a proud homeschool family with the Terranova Education Center, in which we are so honored to be a part of this community. And we just thank you all here in the City of Sunrise for the love and support that you've shown us. So thank you.

Hello. Hello, my name is Judy Nance. I'm a member of the Sunrise Chamber. I write children books to motivate and lift kids. And coming from a small town in Arkansas, Sunrise gives me that feeling of a small town community. So I just love living in Sunrise. Thank you.

Hello, good evening. I'm Abraham Flynn, junior pastor, Mount Hermon Community Baptist Church in the city of Sunrise for over 35 years now. And we just want to thank the mayor and the commission and for all you do for this beautiful city. It's a pleasure being here. Thank you so much for the proclamation. And we just want to thank God for that too.

Good evening, everyone. My junior pastor here is celebrating his birthday today. So he took time out to be here. My name is Fitz Albert Morrison. I'm the senior pastor of Mount Hermon Community Baptist Church. situated at 1171 Sunset Strip in Sunrise. As our junior pastor mentioned, we have been a church here for 35 years, and this September 29th, we'll be celebrating our 35th anniversary, and my 20th year as pastor there. So we just thank God for the opportunity, and you may have been such a wonderful experience pillar in this community and we appreciate everything you and your staff and the City of Sunrise is doing and thank you for this initiative. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Pastor, for that. And as you and everyone here knows, nothing's done alone. This city commission has unanimously, year after year, done what it can to support the interfaith community, to be there in the moments, to be just a call away when there's need. And what we recognize as a city is that we can't be successful without a strong interfaith community. It simply cannot happen. And I'll give a couple of reasons. One, you see the pain in the community. You see the needs in the community. You see where there are gaps in services and things. And your congregation will share with you and will talk to you. And from our perspective as city commission, as city staff, you are our eyes and ears as to what's going on. And year after year, we've turned to you because you're an early warning system. of the issues that our community face, whether it's from food scarcity, food insecurity, housing issues, hate crime issues, all of the things that can be corrosive to a community you hear about and you share with us. The other thing is that when it comes time for us to advocate for our community, for what Sunrise represents, we can get up and speak. Each of the commissioners and myself, we know how to speak. but your congregation is going to listen to you, right? When it's set on a Friday night, a Saturday, or a Sunday, and it comes from you as to what is going on, your congregation listens. And so you're also an ambassador for what we do here in the community, and we cannot, as I said at the outset, can't be a success without you. So I thank you. And to the community, this represents an almost infinitesimal fraction of the interfaith community here in Sunrise, the number of churches, the number of religious leaders, those of faith who are participating. And I thank you for being here and being a representative all across. So it's my honor on behalf of the commission to declare Interfaith Family and Community Month here in the city of Sunrise. Yeah. Whereas the city of Sunrise recognizes that strong families, meaningful relationships and supportive communities are the foundation of a thriving and a compassionate society. Whereas people of many faiths, cultures, traditions and backgrounds contribute to the rich diversity that makes Sunrise a welcoming and vibrant community. And whereas faith communities Community organizations and families of all structures and dynamics play an important role in fostering the values of kindness, service, respect, responsibility, compassion, empathy, love, and care for one another. Whereas the month of June provides an opportunity to encourage residents to strengthen those connections with loved ones, spend quality time together, engage in acts of service, and build relationships that promote understanding and unity. Whereas the City of Sunrise celebrates and supports all families, recognizing that they come in many forms and are united by love and commitment and support and shared experiences. And whereas promoting interfaith understanding... and mutual respect, helps bring neighbors together, strengthen our community bonds, and reflects the inclusive spirit of the City of Sunrise. And whereas by embracing our shared values and celebrating our differences, we create a more connected, resilient, and welcoming city for residents of all ages and all backgrounds. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Michael J. Ryan, Mayor of the City of Sunrise, along with my colleagues on the Commission, do hereby proclaim the month of June 2026 as Interfaith Family and Community Month in the City of Sunrise, and I encourage all residents to take the time to connect with family and friends, participate in community activities, support one another, and celebrate the values of faith, compassion, inclusion, empathy, love, and unity that strengthens our city. One more time, big round of applause for everybody here. Thank you. We'll just keep handing them down the line. Thank you. If you open them up, we'll just take a picture together. Thank you. We even have some extras here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Here, you get your own, by the way. Oh. Okay. Yay. All right. If you would, come forward so we can take a lovely picture.

Thank you. Thank you.

One more time. Big round of applause.

All right, B, proclamation proclaiming the month of June 2026 as Juneteenth in the City of Sunrise, Mayor Michael J. Ryan, Deputy Mayor Jacqueline A. Guzman, Assistant Deputy Mayor Latoya S. Clark, Commissioner Neal C. Kirch, and Commissioner Joey A. Scudo. Yay!

And Judy's here, and Urban League didn't leave yet, did they? Yeah, come on up, come on up. And of course, come on up as well, Veronica. Okay. Come on, everybody can come up. We're talking about Juneteenth. Why are you sitting in the back? Everybody come on up if you want. So we're here tonight to celebrate as has been done all across the country. that has become such an important feature of the June celebrations, but more importantly for the historic understanding and the education that's necessary that comes with the celebration And the context, right, is so hard for young people to get their heads around, right, that you could have the Emancipation Proclamation in January of 1865 and it taking all the way to June 19th, 1865 to get to Texas. We are living in an instantaneous society now. But what's important about not only the recognition of what Juneteenth represents is not just about how it was revolutionary in the sense of what this country needed to do to deal with the original sin, but it was also a recognition of how in our own society today we take for granted how information flows and how civil rights have happened and how rapidly sometimes things can occur. In reality, the struggle has taken so long. And Juneteenth really is emblematic of that struggle, that even when there's a declaration Of what should be that it can take so long to deliver on that promise. And so there's a much deeper, much deeper meaning behind Juneteenth other than celebrating, if you will, what the Emancipation Proclamation meant and what it meant to those who learned of it on June 19th, 1865. So I'll turn it over to anyone who, Urban League obviously is always such a strong representative, and tell us about why this is so important, not just here at Sunrise, because this has been a national movement to make sure we're recognizing this, and it has been a slow process to get there. So I'd really love for you to talk a little bit about that.

Millions at home can see you, not behind the podium, right?

Millions? Great.

No pressure. First of all, thank you for this opportunity. I do want to just recognize the fact that we are speaking about youth learning about Juneteenth, but there are a lot of adults who don't really know what Juneteenth is about. It is, it actually took two years for it to really come to fruition. But what's important, what I think is important is that a lot of times they're not teaching certain things to our kids and we are responsible for doing those things. Have conversations at the table when you're eating. Just a month ago, there was an attack on a mosque, for example, right? And that happened with teenagers. So a lot of times we think that they're too young to get a message. Start talking to them about certain things. Do the research on what Juneteenth is about. Learn your culture, even if it's not... Specifically about you. It may be your neighbor. We were just having a conversation about this earlier today where our friend, Mark, who's taking a video right now. Thank you for that. We always come to anything that he invites us to. I knew nothing about the Muslim community, and I was destined to understand it, so I go to him and I ask questions. And that's what it's about. It's just about learning about somebody else's culture, being informed, just so you know what's going on and why Juneteenth is important. Come on, a round of applause.

And as you said, look, it's, you know, from January one, 1863 to January 19th, 1865, it's almost inconceivable that it takes that long to declare freedom, right. To declare the equality of, um, and yet we, we, you know, as you said, we take for granted some of this, but the, the transcendent nature of the message. right to other communities about what that struggle means and to educate is the most important. And as you point out, there's many adults who didn't even know it existed. So thank you for that. And so it's certainly our honor, uh, the commission and staff to declare this and to participate in this and to educate the community and to see tonight, particularly the interfaith community out here just together on this. Yes. Oh, sorry. Yes.

Well, good afternoon or good evening everyone and especially Mayor Ryan and all of the commissioners here today. It is an honor to be here with the City of Sunrise and thank you all so much for this proclamation. When I think about Juneteenth, it is deeply meaningful to me as an African-American woman who stands on the shoulders of generations who've endured unimaginable hardship yet never gave up hope. As the first person in my family to earn a college degree and a doctoral degree, I recognize my achievements are possible because of the sacrifices, resilience, and the perseverance of those who came before me. Juneteenth is more than a celebration of freedom. It is a reminder of the delayed promise of liberty and the ongoing pursuit of equity and opportunity. It causes me to reflect on how far we have come as a people while also acknowledging the work that remains. As the Assistant Vice President for Baptist Health of South Florida Pharmacy, I am reminded daily of the importance of creating pathways for others, breaking barriers, and ensuring that the future generations have opportunities that once seemed out of reach. So for me, Juneteenth is personal. It is a day of gratitude, reflection, and responsibility, a time to honor our ancestors, celebrate our progress, and recommit ourselves to building a future where everyone has opportunity to thrive. Thank you.

Fantastic. Thank you for sharing your personal story, but also putting it in context of the journey that's far from over. So thank you for that. That's very, very powerful. So it's my honor on behalf of the commission and our city to declare Juneteenth Day here in the city of Sunrise. Whereas the U.S. was formed on declared principles, one that was that all men are created equal. and all are guaranteed equal protection under the law. The country is made up of people from every nation on earth who are declared equal not only in freedom but also in justice, both of which are essential for peace in modern human civilization and in our democratic traditions. And whereas Juneteenth or Juneteenth Independence Day commemorates the traditional observance of the end of slavery in the United States and observed annually on June 19th, Whereas President Abraham Lincoln declared, in giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free. Honorable alike in what we give and what we preserve, we shall nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope of earth. And whereas on January 1st, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the U.S., shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free. And whereas President Lincoln correctly believed slavery to be in violation of the principles of the Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal principle, and that in its abolition, it represented a new birth of freedom, a new birth of freedom for the U.S. Whereas more than two years would pass before the news reached African Americans living in Texas when on June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger and his regiment finally arrived in Galveston and spread the word that slavery had been abolished. And whereas the following year, the first official Juneteenth celebration took place in Texas and continued across the U.S. throughout the years. Whereas emancipation in Florida was proclaimed in Tallahassee on May 20th, 1865. And for this reasons, uh, for this reason, Floridians traditionally celebrate emancipation day on May 20th. Whereas Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery. And in 2021, president Joseph Biden signed the Juneteenth national independence day act, making it the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King jr. Day. And whereas Juneteenth is an important opportunity to honor the principles of the declaration of independence. and celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans that they have made and continue to make in the beautiful city of Sunrise, the great state of Florida, and across our nation. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Michael J. Ryan, mayor of the city of Sunrise, along with my colleagues on the commission, do hereby proclaim June 19th, 2026 is Juneteenth day in the city of Sunrise. And I urge all residents and businesses in our community to respect and appreciate all of our differences and to work together. Getting involved in supporting Juneteenth celebration creates new bonds of friendship and understanding amongst us. This indeed brightens our future and that is the spirit of Juneteenth. Thank you for all those that were here and thank you for your very powerful words tonight. Let's give them a round of applause. mind also you didn't realize All right, one more time, big round of applause.

The proclamation proclaiming the week of June 22nd and June 26th, 2026 as National Boys and Girls Club in the City of Sunrise. Mayor Michael J. Ryan, Deputy Mayor Jacqueline A. Guzman, Assistant Deputy Mayor Latoya S. Clark, Commissioner Neal C. Kirch, Commissioner Joseph A. Scudo.

All right, well, this is also special for us as a commission, as a community, because following come, come, come, don't step away. You guys are too important. You guys are up here in the middle, right there. Come on. For so long, the city of Sunrise wanted to have the opportunity to be able to utilize the power and transcendent transformational trajectory that the Boys and Girls Club offer to young people. And we struggle in our community to try to find a way to do that. And after many years of trying to plan and trying to find a way, we ultimately were able to partner with the Boys and Girls Club to have our own club right here in the City of Sunrise. And the power of it at Rourke Hall is that it represents a true neighborhood community-based Boys and Girls Club, one where folks can walk to, folks can participate in the community. But most importantly for the entire neighborhood, even those who are not directly participating, they recognize that the Boys and Girls Club is there. And it reminds us, again, of the transformational power of what the Boys and Girls Club does. It is, you know, I think, misperceived as to what the Boys and Girls Club does. I think there was, in our community, in many communities, there was this mistaken belief that it's just a place where kids go to hang out. In reality, the Boys and Girls Club is one of the largest and most impactful youth empowerment programs in the country. It represents a continuum of commitment, From the Boys and Girls Club and local communities like the City of Sunrise and so many others. It connects the business community who understand the paramount importance of what the Boys and Girls Club represents. And they do that by investing in it. And this is incredibly important. When you see the CEOs and you see the industry that are behind Boys and Girls Club, it isn't because they needed a place to send their own children. It's because they understand the fulcrum that is offered, the leverage that is offered by supporting a Boys and Girls Club in any community and how it benefits all of us, even if it's not in our own city. So it's a long way of saying thank you. But I want to give you the opportunity to talk about, obviously, the best club in all of Florida, which is in Sunrise. But if you want to talk about it more broadly, about what the others do, that's fine, too. But we do want to express our gratitude tonight for you all to be part of this. So go ahead.

I'm thinking, good evening, everybody. I just want to express.

Oh, yes. That's right.

Okay. So, yes, my name is Cherie Harge, and I'm the director of the Gary Wenteen Center right here in Sunrise. Yay!

Yay!

Yay! Thank you. And I just want to offer my continuous gratitude for partnering with us and putting the teen center in the city of Sunrise. I want to highlight that we are entering our second year in Sunrise, and so we continue to make a powerful impact on the kids. As we continue to grow, our numbers have doubled. We had four seniors graduate this past high school graduation season, and they all got scholarships. Yes. They all got scholarships to go on to college, and that's just one of the great things that the Boys and Girls Club offers.

My name is Cameron Ward. I'm director of development for Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. So we thank you all for having us here. We greatly appreciate the support from the city of Sunrise and the commission. Boys and Girls Club of Broward County is fully dedicated to doing whatever it takes to shape great futures. And we can't do that without the support of our community and the municipalities that govern them, right? So they say that nationally across the U.S., one in 19 people are former Boys and Girls Club kids. So that means that each one of us may personally know someone who's been in a Boys and Girls Club, an alumni, or you may pass one every day and just not realize it. So when you're supporting boys and girls clubs, you're supporting future doctors, future lawyers, future city officials, teachers, athletes, businessmen, and peers, right? So it's kind of clear for us, right? America needs club kids. Broward County needs club kids. The city of Sunrise needs club kids.

You're on it. I like you. You're floating, right? Yeah.

So once again, we continue to thank you for that support of our growth and our mission. We encourage all in the community to come visit us and see how we're impacting lives every single day.

That's great.

That's an opportunity for a shameless plug. You got to do it. There's folks out there that got checkbooks and credit cards. Talk to them about how do you support.

So you can visit our website, Boys and Girls Club of Broward County, bgcbc.org. It's really great to know, right? Our membership, right? We have our traditional sites throughout Broward, Teen Center, right here in Sunrise. We serve youth age six all the way to 18, right? And our membership runs from school year to school year, summer included, for only $15 for the entire year. I'm going to say that again. $15, that's one five, for the entire year. And while they're in our program, they get two meals a day, a hot meal and a cold meal. We are an out-of-school organization, out-of-school-time organization. So after school, summertime, whenever schools close outside of major holidays, we are open and available. through the school year, it's 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Right now, during the summer session, getting a lot of kids, right? We're open 8.30 to 6.30, right? And so we're trying to grow ourselves even more to be a point of access for our youth. So within our mission, we have four core pillar values, academic success, healthy habits, good character and citizenship, and now life and workforce readiness. So once again, any way you can support is always welcome. In my line of work in the development officer's role, they say there are five T's of support. I'll run off for you real quick. That's time, talent, treasures, testimony, and ties. So if you can give any of those, it's welcome. If you can give all of them, they're very strong.

And for those of us on the commission who had the opportunity and have had the opportunity to talk to these young people, it's important. I don't think the community fully realizes so much of the mentoring that goes on is not just from adults who work at the Boys and Girls Club. It's the club kids amongst themselves. Story after story is about another club kid who saved another club kid. who gave them the confidence, who found in them a spark that they didn't know exists, maybe didn't have the support at home. And they found it through their fellowship, if you will, with the other club kids. And having been part of the Youth of the Year process where you get to hear from – Really, the best of each of the clubs who come forward to tell their story as club kids. I was just floored and in awe of the sheer talent and capacity for change in each of their stories. Because at some point, you don't need a clinical trial to prove this. Anecdote proves the mission. And what I really invite the community to do is to learn more about these club kids, the successes that happen. And yes, some go on to be great athletes and musicians, and we've had them come back and do all that. But so much of it is just about making them a stronger person for whatever dream they're pursuing. for many of them just to believe that there is a dream they can follow. And so I, we cannot thank you enough. Uh, the commission, uh, is behind the mission. We know how important it is to invest and to be part of it. We are so grateful to the business community. Um, Rick and Rita case and so many others have been such a strong and powerful force for this in not only, uh, supporting the club, but finger wagging at us to make sure we're doing it as well. And to our city staff, they deserve a round of applause because they have gotten behind this fully from Kevin to everybody else involved. It's taken every department to really get behind this. So let's give them a round of applause for that as well. And so it's my honor on behalf of my colleagues in the commission to declare National Boys and Girls Club Week here in the city of Sunrise. Whereas the young people of Sunrise are tomorrow's leaders, and whereas many such young people need professional youth services to help them fully reach their potential as productive, caring, and responsible members of our community. Whereas the Gary Wendt Teen Center serves Sunrise community each day, helping Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County continue providing services to an average of 12,000 young people ages 6 to 18 annually. Not all here in Sunrise, obviously, 12,000 is a much larger number. Maybe we'll get that big someday. We're trying to, right? Okay, perfect. Whereas the Boys and Girls Club are places where great futures start. They build a formula for impact through core efforts and academic success, character and leadership, healthy lifestyles, and life and workforce readiness. 97% of the members graduated from high school, 92% are expected to graduate on time, and 88% are enrolled in college. Whereas the Boys and Girls Club organization in our state helps to ensure youth have a safe and supportive space to learn, grow, and belong. Offering life-enhancing programs that build skills and character, members are providing meaningful relationships with caring, and I would say nurturing adult professionals as well as fellow club kids. Whereas the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County will celebrate National Boys and Girls Club Week in 2026, along with some 5,400 other clubs and more than 3 million young people nationwide. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Michael J. Ryan, Mayor of the City of Sunrise, together with my colleagues on the Commission, do hereby proclaim the week of June 22nd through June 26th as National Boys and Girls Club Week in the City of Sunrise. And I call on all residents and businesses to join me in recognizing and commending the Boys and Girls Club organization in our state for providing comprehensive, effective services to young people in our community that are transforming lives. Congratulations and thank you for what you do.

I'll eventually get there.

All right, any word from board member Severa? Okay, that's fine. We can reschedule him for when he's available. All right, open discussion. Do we have anyone signed up for open discussion who wishes to speak on any matters before the city? Please come forward or press five star on your phone. I see no one come forward. Any hands raised online? No hands are raised. All right, we'll close open discussion. 12A, can I have a motion to move up 12A? Motion by Commissioner Kirch, seconded by Deputy Mayor. I just want to make sure we wait for the Assistant Deputy Mayor on this. All right, I'm going to read the item in the meantime. Commission discussion and our action for a second reading of the Orders of the City of Sunrise, Florida, amending Chapter 14, Traffic and Motor Vehicles, Article 1 in general, by creating Section 14-3 entitled Electric Bicycles, Motorized Scooters, and motorized mobility devices in public parks to prohibit the use of electric bicycles, motorized scooters, and motorized mobility devices in public parks, except on park roads and in designated parking areas, providing for definitions, providing for conflict, providing for severability, providing for inclusion in city code, and providing for an effective date. City Manager Mark Lebelski, Thomas P. Moss, City Attorney, First Reading, City Commission Meeting 6-9-2026, passed 5-0. This is a public hearing. Anyone wishing to be heard on this matter, please come forward or press 5-star on your phone. All right, I see no one come forward. Can you confirm no hands are raised?

I confirm no hands are raised.

All right, I'll close public discussion.

Mayor, was there a motion and second?

Okay, motion. Motion by Commissioner Kirsch, seconded by Deputy Mayor. All right, again, I know we all voted for this. I just want to raise a couple of issues that I think we're going to have to ultimately deal with. The genesis of this ordinance and the concerns that are raised, which are valid concerns, address the misuse of electric bikes particularly, but also some scooters in our park system, either by way of speed or off of paths across grassy areas and through parts that should not have required it. The effort here is to obviously keep everyone safe while preserving the park from damage done. Um, and again, the motivation for this, I, I, I'm a hundred percent behind. I do have concerns and I think we're going to have to watch how this, this plays out. I think when you step away from the ill that we're trying to, um, address, which is a legitimate one and we've seen in all the parks, um, And let me just say, we've seen around the country and in places that folks have been seriously hurt, some killed. It was just recently, I don't know if you saw in New York, but a scooter versus bike on one of the pathways resulted in, and there were two separate accidents that resulted in two deaths. It's a serious issue as we try to deal with the advancements. But the... Electric bikes have become ubiquitous. They're becoming more and more available, particularly for folks perhaps can't pedal as far, who utilize them as an assisted device to go distances. And there are many, if not most, who use these in the most responsible way. As we struggle to address the misuse of those, You know, part of the concern is we're going to put our park rangers on the front lines of this followed very closely behind by our officers. Um, signage is key, gives authority, lets folks know, but you know, they're, as written, it would capture even someone, let's say who was on the greenway using an electric bike to, for, for distance, um, perhaps someone old like myself, uh, who decides to go through Wellaby, uh, and uses the pathway, uh, would technically be prohibited. There's no distinction, uh, between the 12 or 14 year old who's misusing it, riding it through, um, you know, the abuse we've seen or an adult who's using it responsibly. I think there's going to have to be a measure of, um, balance, uh, that's going to be necessary in deciding whether to, to enforce this. Uh, and I also recognize that even for the park rangers who may at one point say, you know, to, to a young person, you can't be doing that. And perhaps they don't, uh, naturally comply with that directive. Um, you know, police could get called, but by the time that happens, they're long gone. And so we'll have to figure out how to best manage this over time. This is not something that I think we, we simply put on the books and turn, turn our eye against. I think we need to get evaluations from our park rangers and our police officers. Um, and also, um, identify, you know, which parks seem to have greater risk for this. Um, you know, a sawgrass, uh, You know, a park may not have as much as another park, maybe a Wellaby, where there's a lot more ground to cover. But I'm going to support this, but I do really encourage staff to keep us updated on either the moments of friction that are causing concern. You know, our park rangers have so much that they have to do already. We don't want them being put in harm's way in arguments or feeling like they have a responsibility to stop, literally stop someone from utilizing it. There's is more of a, a reporting, perhaps, you know, gentle encouragement. And if that doesn't work for those that are repetitive or recidivists on it, then it'll have to be the police department to figure that out. But I just want to be clear. This is not going to solve the issue. Just putting something on the book, just putting up a few signs. We're going to have to hope that there is again, balance in its, its approach. and utilize education as much as possible. Commissioner Kirch.

I just wanted to agree with you. This is something that needs to be educated to the public. As I said, I don't want to see kids being stopped and abused their rights and use this as a pretext for stop. But it also is a concern. When I was at the Juneteenth concert on the east side, I watched a young boy travel right through about 20 miles an hour on a scooter right to where the people were dancing right in front of the stage and whipped right on through. And it was just like accident waiting to happen. If he would have hit an elderly person or someone, that would have resulted in some serious injuries based on the force and the impact going forward. So it's a good first step, but I'm going to want to be kept informed on how it's being enforced and what we're doing. going forward in relation to this ordinance.

Right, and I think it does reflect, let me say this, it doesn't reflect this idea that this is something we're just trying to stop young people from doing or we're not keeping up with the age. There are serious risks to folks in the park, and I think this is where the balance is going to have to come in where if there's nobody in the park, do we really want a ranger chasing somebody down who happens to be tearing through it? That's going to be a judgment call. On the other hand, we've seen also the abuse of it being used to tear across soccer fields and other things that does damage. And there really is no, there can't be really much tolerance for that because that's costing all of us beyond a safety issue. It's also just destruction of property. But at the same time, let's make sure we prioritize carefully this. You know, as Commissioner Kirsch said, what this is not supposed to be is a, a roundup of young people who use scooters. It's meant to really educate and say, look, you just can't do that. We don't want to have to take further steps. So I encourage the signage, I encourage the work of it, but I would really like, Mr. Lebelski, that you coordinate to really keep us up to date on how this is rolling out, both in terms of the successes, but also concerns about, for our staff and the safety of our staff. Is that fair? Okay, any further discussion? Go ahead and call the question.

I am having microphone problems tonight. Um, let's see. Assistant deputy mayor Clark. Yes. Deputy mayor Guzman. Yes. Commissioner Kirch. Yes. Mayor Ryan.

Yes. Item passes four to zero. I have a motion to move up 16 a motion by, uh, commissioner Kerr, seconded by deputy mayor 16, a resolution city of centralized Florida approving the second amendment. to the interlocal agreement for solid waste disposal and recyclable materials processing authority of Broward County, Florida, authorizing the mayor to execute the second amendment to the interlocal agreement, directing the city clerk to provide a copy of this resolution executed second amendment to the interlocal agreement for solid waste disposal and recyclable material processing authority of Broward County, Florida, and providing for conflicts, providing for severability, providing for an effective aid city manager, Mark Lovelsky. Can I have a motion? Motion by Commissioner Kurtz, seconded by Deputy Mayor. This is a public hearing. Anyone wishing to be heard on this matter, please come forward or press five star on your phone. I see no one can fall forward. Can you confirm no hands raised?

I confirm no hands are raised.

All right. Closed public discussion. This is a second amendment that has passed unanimously at the executive committee and the governing board to allow a further non-conditional or unconditional opt-out at the end of 2027. This had been requested by a number of cities as they wanted to see how this process moves forward in an effort to encourage not only the success of the SWA, but to take into taking into consideration some of the concerns, including whether or not, you know, by signing on with somebody committing to 20 or 40 years, this offers the city even more leverage in its decision-making process come the end of 2027. And as I said, this passed unanimously from the Executive Committee and the Governing Board. Any discussion? Any concerns from staff?

No concerns from staff, Mayor.

Any discussion from my colleagues? Call the question.

Commissioner Kirch? Yes. Assistant Deputy Mayor Clark? Yes. Deputy Mayor Guzman? Yes. Mayor Ryan?

Yes. Item passes four to zero. Can I have a motion to move up 17A?

Motion.

Motion by Assistant Deputy Mayor, seconded by Commissioner Kirch. All in favor say aye. Aye. Commission discussion or action regarding pavement condition of Oakland Park Boulevard. Deputy Mayor Jacqueline Guzman, can I have a motion?

Motion by Commissioner Kerr second by deputy mayor deputy mayor floors yours So I think we all know the condition of Brooklyn Park isn't the greatest and something we've been dealing with for many many many years prior to me even being here But recently I got to physically see the potholes being filled in in patches And one it didn't look great Didn't do the best job there was gravel all over the road as I was driving and It was slowing up the traffic. It was just not a great sight to see. And it just kind of made me a little disappointed and upset all over again because it's been an issue that I believe needs to be addressed or should have been addressed years ago. And I personally feel like we keep getting the runaround as to this project and that project, and we have this vision for 20 years, and we're going to do this in 10 years, and nothing's being done. I believe Sunrise is one of the most... All communities are important, but Sunrise is very special and unique, given that we have tourism, we have people coming from all over to the arena, and they take that main road. And Oakland should be... Clean, new, paved properly, safe for many reasons. And I just want to know when. When are we going to have it resolved? When are we going to put the pressure on the county? When is the county going to actually give us sufficient information of a solution? And I just have all these questions. And I just want to know, what can we do as a city to make that happen?

All right, Ms. Lebowski, first of all, I think this is an important discussion to explain to the community because I think so often we As the local elected officials, someone will say, hey, why haven't you taken care of this? And if it was our roadway, we know we would be able to. That's one, too. Even in the areas where, and again, it's a county. I'm not trying to kick the county. We need their collaboration and cooperation on this. But even in the areas where they do repair, repairs are often not lasting. And we can debate why they don't last that long. I'm sure those on our road crews would be able to explain it, perhaps in the in the decision making as to how to do these. But overall, it's been a very long time since Oakland Park's been repaved or addressed. I think part of the concerns that we've expressed as well, right, is we don't want this to be held up because of other reasons that they may think they want to do the BCT or they want to do other things and and they're holding up we need to really have this address now and I know from a staff perspective you've raised this with the county are you able to first of all just give us a sense of of the scope of the issue and that may be the frustration see staff has had in this regard as well thank you mayor Mark Lebowski city manager as you mentioned mayor the Oakland Park Boulevard is not owned or maintained by the city so any potholes repaving is a responsibility of the county

and there has been some concerns on the condition of the roadway for quite some time. In fact, when the surtax dollar, penny surtax was approved, this was one of the projects we listed. We actually put forward two projects as part of the original surtax projects, which were actually approved by the county. One was a bike lane along Oakland Park Boulevard, which would have resulted in repaving also. And then also was a multi-use path on the south side, which was also approved as part of the surtax. So we actually had dollars allocated from the county for the design of both of those projects. Subsequently, then the county was looking at the BRT project that they presented to the commission not too long ago. And as part of that project, they said, well, we're going to overtake and add the bike lane and the multi-use path as part of the BRT. And therefore, everything with the surtax dollar project the city was going to manage was put on hold. So that initially started 2019. Now we're here in 2026. Um, there are some higher priority areas. I'll say the segment between Pine Island and Nob Hill is probably the worst segment of the condition within the county. We did reach out to county staff this afternoon, and I know that they are preparing a probably a formal response to the city in terms of what the where they're at with this. There's multiple agencies that deal with this within the county. From the public works side, they have dollars that they allocate towards maintenance, and they do agree, at least on a staff level, that Oakland Park Boulevard is worthy of repaving. So that's a positive. The negative is they say that there are higher priority projects countywide above repaving projects such as bridges that take higher priority. So they weren't able to give me any kind of formal commitment of time or when, but I do expect something in writing from the county in the short term. I don't know if it's going to be a commitment of any time, but I, I will forward that to the commission as soon as I received that formal, but I, your staff does have some frustrations as, as you had mentioned.

Okay. Just lastly, I did send an email to, um, the County, excuse me. So just so y'all aware, they did get to hear my point of view.

Uh, so hopefully we do get a response. So thank you.

All right. We look forward to a report back from staff on that. Uh, obviously, uh, We need to collaborate with the county. We need to cooperate with them. We recognize that there certainly can be other priorities and bridges and otherwise, but this is an area that's been quite tired and hasn't gotten the attention it needs. So let's continue. If it's the will of the commission, we can craft a gentle request from the commission signed by the commissioners. I'm happy to do it on behalf of the commission. I'll just follow your direction. We can send an official correspondence if that's what you all would like to do. All right. Okay. So Mr. Belsky, you and I will work together on that, but let's make sure we account the history while balancing the recognition that there are obviously other priorities, but this needs to be addressed. Okay. All right. City manager's report. No report, mayor. City attorney's report.

No report. Thank you.

City clerk's report. No report, sir. Deputy mayor.

No report.

Commissioner Kirch.

One thing I know. You know, I'm all for a good party, and I'm referring to the Lauder Hill Sportsplex that we get the emails with their parties going until 11, 12 at night. Some emails from people in Sunrise Lakes, phase one or two. I don't know if city staff can reach out to their staff. It's about the base, basically. Go on.

It's all about the base, I hear.

Yeah, it is all about the base. But I don't know if your counterparts in Lauder Hill, they can take that into effect. I know we got several emails that were directed to Lauder Hill officials, but we were copied. But then we also got a couple from Sunrise Lakes residents indicating that 10 p.m., 11 p.m., it's allowed. It might go a long way in helping our residents who have to live next door.

Okay. This is Deputy Mayor. All right. Just very briefly a report on the city has won the Florida League of Mayor's Municipal Innovation Award in the quality of life category. And it is being awarded for our team leadership summit. the application stood out this is from the Florida League of Mayors stood out from other applications and reflected a solid commitment to the residents that we serve it will be awarded in August I'll ask staff to make sure all of you are there while it's the Florida League of Mayors obviously this was a collaborative effort of the entire Commission and staff and so this is a shared award and I congratulate each of you for that and obviously this was not done to for any accolades or recognition. It's just good to see that the work that was done did receive some innovative attention to it. So congratulations to all of you and to staff. Thank you for that commitment. I'll share that with Mr. Lebowski and make sure we share it with staff.

Can I add to that really quick? Sure. I just want to thank the staff because you guys have been amazing. So Dee, your team, all of you. I've seen it the past couple of years. It keeps growing. I'm so glad to hear that it was awarded. And that's all to... the City of Sunrise staff, so thank you.

All right, that's it. Do I have a motion to adjourn? Motion by Commissioner Kirk, seconded by Deputy Mayor and Assistant Deputy Mayor. All in favor say aye. We are adjourned. Thank you.