OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Broward County Commission Meeting - April 14, 2026

Upcoming and Archived Meetings — Tuesday, April 14, 2026
BodyBroward County, Florida
SessionUpcoming and Archived Meetings
DateTuesday, April 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 6:04:22
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Is not permitted.

0:01

Thank you for joining us.

0:02

The meeting will begin shortly.

0:20

Good morning, everybody.

0:26

How are you?

0:29

We're good.

0:29

We're good.

0:30

Good morning, everybody.

0:31

Good morning.

0:36

Excuse me.

0:39

Monica, you guys ready?

0:42

Okay, we got a big meeting today.

0:43

Want to get started?

0:46

Good morning, everybody.

0:47

Good morning.

0:49

If I can have a little quiet, appreciate it.

0:54

Good morning, everyone.

0:55

Today is uh April 14, 2026.

0:57

Welcome to the Broward County Commission.

0:59

I'd like to ask you to please rise for a Pledge of Allegiance and ask a Commissioner Fisher to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:13

And to the Republic for which it stands.

1:16

One nation under God.

1:23

Can you please remain standing?

1:25

Ladies and gentlemen, it's customary that we observe a moment of silence in honor of notable persons from our community who have recently passed.

1:33

And what I normally do is go around the dais, but today I'm going to start first to talk about two individuals if I can.

1:42

First, um I'd like to talk about uh briefly the passing of our Coral Springs Vice Mayor, Nancy Mate Brought Bowen.

1:50

Uh Coral Springs has been represented at this dais by Commissioner Udeen and myself.

1:56

And uh briefly in 2020, she made history as the first black and Haitian American woman to be elected as a Coral Springs City Commissioner.

2:06

In 2025, she was appointed to serve as Vice Mayor of the City of Coral Springs.

2:12

Before she was elected, she served many internships.

2:15

One notable was at the White House internship with Barack Obama.

2:19

She was a dedicated public servant who could cared about the people she represented.

2:24

We offer our condolences to her family and friends and ask we keep keep them in our prayers.

2:30

And also on behalf of the County Commission, uh at the end, uh we'll be doing a uh expression of sympathy and asked uh Commissioner Rogers will be reading it on our behalf.

2:42

Um secondly, I'd like to also uh note that on April 5th, less than 10 days ago, Broward County lost one of its heroes.

2:52

Uh Broward Sheriff's Officer Office Firefighter Paramedic Stephen Lebsider suffered a medical emergency while working at the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.

3:04

And he passed away that day at the Broward Medical Center at the age of 34 years old, leaving a wife and two kids.

3:11

Firefighter paramedic Lebsel served in very special specialized divisions during his 19-year career with BSO, including airport, seaport, hazardous materials, and air rescue.

3:24

And again, ask everyone to keep his family and our thoughts and prayers.

3:28

And what I also would like to also point out that three years ago, this commission voted to approve a $50,000 budget item to be given to any law enforcement firefighter who passes while serving in our community, and because of that item, our county will be providing death benefits to uh Mr.

3:50

Leipziger's family uh as a first responder to his family.

3:54

And with that, I'm gonna go around the dais.

3:56

Start with Commissioner Rogers.

4:00

Thank you, Mr.

4:01

Mayor.

4:01

Good morning, everyone.

4:03

And I too would like to just say Nancy was truly a blessing.

4:09

She was you know, we hug and we felt each other because she was the first.

4:16

You know, whenever you're the first, you kind of have a little bun going on there.

4:21

And she was a respectful young lady.

4:24

And we would always say gone too soon, and the same for the firefighter.

4:28

Thanks for mentioning both, Mayor.

4:31

We all can feel the pain because he too was a young man with a family.

4:36

So when you need to go to the doctors, take time, because I should blame myself for not taking that special time to do what we need to do for self.

4:47

So I just wanted to add my comments to the family.

4:53

We feel your pain, and we understand your pain, and I'm glad we had something.

5:00

We were visionaries in deciding to put aside that budget item for things such as this.

5:07

Thank you very much.

5:11

I'll save any remarks to that Commissioner Mateo Bowen till uh we discuss her.

5:17

Commissioner Fisher.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Tourism Promotion█████████████████17%
Procurement And Contracting████████████12%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Arts And Culture██████████10%
Public Safety█████████9%
Affordable Housing████████8%
Procedural██████6%
Community Engagement█████5%
Public Health████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Broward County Commission Meeting - April 14, 2026

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners met on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, from 10:01 AM to 4:29 PM (with a recess from 1:29 PM to 1:54 PM). The meeting included proclamations, a presentation on the Omni Hotel, approval of a large consent agenda, public hearings, and discussions on affordable housing, security guard holiday pay, cultural funding, FIFA World Cup sponsorship, and disaster recovery funds. Mayor Mark D. Bogen presided. All nine commissioners were present at the start; attendance varied during the afternoon.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved Items 1 through 46 (with withdrawals of Items 19 and 26, and transfers of Items 60, 69, and 70 to consent). Items voted separately: 16 (pulled by County Attorney), 40 (pulled by public), 46 (pulled by Commissioner Furr). All consent items passed unanimously (9-0) unless noted.
  • Key Consent Actions:
    • Board appointments (Linda Parker to Homeless Continuum of Care Board) – 9-0.
    • Airport artwork projects (Terminal 1-2 and 2-3 Connectors) – $400,000 each – 9-0.
    • Port Everglades agreements (TransMontaigne pipeline reimbursement up to $500,000; lease with Resolve Fire and Hazard Response) – 9-0.
    • Transit minibus purchase (19 additional vehicles, increase of $2,470,389) – 9-0.
    • Energy assistance MOA with FPL – 9-0.
    • Broward Municipal Services District road easements – 9-0.
    • Budget transfers for Sheriff’s Office (Public Safety Exchange Program $247,900, Camera Analytics $983,000, Community Outreach $62,900, Airport Active Threat Response Vehicle $257,400) – 9-0.
    • Financial statements and audit reports (filed with scrivener’s error corrections) – 9-0.
    • Contracts: Regional Effluent and Reuse Solutions Bid Pack No. 2 ($16,482,609) – 9-0; Port Everglades Sand Bypass Project North Jetty Improvements ($31,712,322) – approved as amended – 9-0.
    • Settlement with Control Instruments, Inc. (SCADA project) – 9-0.
    • Authorization for County Administrator to acquire real property through October 16, 2026 – 9-0.
    • Manatee Protection Plan update and Fire Rescue operational control study – 9-0.
    • Employment agreement for Annika E. Ashton as County Attorney – 9-0.
    • County Auditor’s Audit of Dependent Water Control Districts (Report No. 26-06) – 9-0.
    • Settlement in Maria Yolanda Llaguna case – 9-0.
    • Opioid litigation Participation Agreement (Item 40) – approved 8-0 (Commissioner McKinzie absent).
    • Amendment to 2026 meeting schedule – 9-0.
    • Mayor’s travel to Japan and Taiwan (May 27-June 4, 2026) – 9-0.
    • Termination for cause of contract with R.J. Sullivan Corp. (Item 69) – 9-0.
    • Fallen Responder Financial Aid Program budget supplement ($50,000) (Item 70) – 9-0 (Resolution No. 2026-082).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Item 40 (Opioid Settlement Funds): Rick Ricardi (Fellowship Recovery Community) urged the county to engage stakeholders before finalizing funding strategies. He stated that of $46 million received, only $6 million had been utilized, leaving $40 million unappropriated. County Administrator Monica Cepero and staff clarified that all funds have been either expended or allocated through ongoing stakeholder meetings, including the United Way and Broward Coalition on Behavioral Health and Drug Prevention. Commissioner Udine and Fisher commended Mr. Ricardi’s work. The item was approved 8-0.

Discussion Items

  • Omni Hotel Presentation (Pre-Consent): Representatives reported Q1 financials tracking 8% over budget, $2 million in revenue above projections, 2,036 cruisers transported Jan–Mar, and strong group bookings. Future outlook includes opening of Barchetta restaurant and IPW event.
  • Item 16 (Beach Erosion Fund Transfer and Sand Bypass Contract): County Attorney pulled to add amendment language. Approved as amended (Resolution No. 2026-078 and contract award).
  • Item 46 (Affordable Housing RFA for projects under 70 units): Commissioner Davis sponsored. Discussion on rental vs. homeownership, funding amount ($1 million), and staff direction. Commissioner Furr requested clarity on target. Approved 9-0.
  • Item 59 (Cultural Division Sponsorship Program Changes): Commissioner Davis proposed allowing each commission office to apply for up to $25,000 for events (including non-cultural). County Attorney Meyers raised legal concerns regarding Sunshine Law and upcoming SB 1134 (DEI restrictions). Several commissioners opposed due to liability, potential reduction of overall program funding, and administrative burden. No motion passed; staff will bring back a refined proposal.
  • Item 61 (Evaluation Committee Scoring Subjectivity): Mayor Bogen discussed concerns about perceived bias in procurement scoring. Purchasing Director Bob Gleason explained that RFP evaluations are inherently subjective but criteria are designed to be objective. No action taken.
  • Item 62 (EMS Council Appointment): Mayor Bogen nominated Commissioner Geller as primary and Commissioner Davis as alternate. Approved 7-0 (Rich absent).
  • Item 63 (Holiday Pay for Security Guards): Motion to direct County Administrator to negotiate amendments with vendors to pay for July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas on contract GEN2119058B2, subject to collective bargaining and legal review. Approved 8-1 (Commissioner Geller dissenting). Estimated annual cost: $250,000.
  • Item 64 (CDBG-DR Funds for Affordable Housing): Commissioner Davis proposed using a portion of the $12.967 million for under-70 unit projects and homeownership. Commissioner Furr advocated for more resiliency infrastructure. Staff will bring back a revised percentage distribution.
  • Item 65 (FIFA World Cup 2026 Sponsorship Status): Commissioner Rogers hosted a delegation from Lauderhill and Lauderdale Lakes requesting $1 million for municipal events. County Administration reported $2 million sponsorship with deliverables including four watch parties at Amerant Bank Arena, one soccer clinic (360 children), team hotels in Broward, and marketing. No additional funds committed; direction to continue negotiations and invite all cities to a planning meeting.
  • Item 66 (Project Dashboard Update): Mayor Bogen announced an expanded digital dashboard tracking the county’s top 100 projects.
  • Item 67 (Mayor and Commissioner Reports): Included transit presentation (April 21), library award, Solid Waste Authority master plan, My Next Move program, free ice cream event, Honor Flight, and discussion of Heart Project for county employees (County Attorney to bring item for discussion).

Key Outcomes

  • Approved Resolutions: 2026-071 through 2026-082.
  • Enacted Ordinances: No. 2026-10 (Oakland Park land use), 2026-11 (Lauderhill land use), 2026-12 (Environmentally Sensitive Lands text amendment), 2026-13 (Landlord registration fee elimination), 2026-14 (Motor carriers).
  • Directives:
    • County Administrator to negotiate holiday pay for security guards under specified contract (8-1).
    • County Administration to bring back refined CDBG-DR distribution plan (Item 64).">- Appointments: Linda Parker (Homeless Continuum of Care Board); Commissioner Davis (Broward League of Cities Director), Rogers (Alternate), Udine (Second Alternate); Commissioner Geller (EMS Council), Davis (Alternate).
  • Next Steps:
    • Cultural division guidelines to be redrafted and brought back for discussion.
    • FIFA World Cup negotiations to continue; city coordination meeting to be scheduled.
    • Heart Project employee benefit item to be prepared.
    • Resiliency funding request to be included in budget cycle.
  • Meetings extended to complete agenda.

Meeting Transcript

Is not permitted. Thank you for joining us. The meeting will begin shortly. Good morning, everybody. How are you? We're good. We're good. Good morning, everybody. Good morning. Excuse me. Monica, you guys ready? Okay, we got a big meeting today. Want to get started? Good morning, everybody. Good morning. If I can have a little quiet, appreciate it. Good morning, everyone. Today is uh April 14, 2026. Welcome to the Broward County Commission. I'd like to ask you to please rise for a Pledge of Allegiance and ask a Commissioner Fisher to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Can you please remain standing? Ladies and gentlemen, it's customary that we observe a moment of silence in honor of notable persons from our community who have recently passed. And what I normally do is go around the dais, but today I'm going to start first to talk about two individuals if I can. First, um I'd like to talk about uh briefly the passing of our Coral Springs Vice Mayor, Nancy Mate Brought Bowen. Uh Coral Springs has been represented at this dais by Commissioner Udeen and myself. And uh briefly in 2020, she made history as the first black and Haitian American woman to be elected as a Coral Springs City Commissioner. In 2025, she was appointed to serve as Vice Mayor of the City of Coral Springs. Before she was elected, she served many internships. One notable was at the White House internship with Barack Obama. She was a dedicated public servant who could cared about the people she represented. We offer our condolences to her family and friends and ask we keep keep them in our prayers. And also on behalf of the County Commission, uh at the end, uh we'll be doing a uh expression of sympathy and asked uh Commissioner Rogers will be reading it on our behalf. Um secondly, I'd like to also uh note that on April 5th, less than 10 days ago, Broward County lost one of its heroes. Uh Broward Sheriff's Officer Office Firefighter Paramedic Stephen Lebsider suffered a medical emergency while working at the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. And he passed away that day at the Broward Medical Center at the age of 34 years old, leaving a wife and two kids. Firefighter paramedic Lebsel served in very special specialized divisions during his 19-year career with BSO, including airport, seaport, hazardous materials, and air rescue. And again, ask everyone to keep his family and our thoughts and prayers. And what I also would like to also point out that three years ago, this commission voted to approve a $50,000 budget item to be given to any law enforcement firefighter who passes while serving in our community, and because of that item, our county will be providing death benefits to uh Mr. Leipziger's family uh as a first responder to his family. And with that, I'm gonna go around the dais. Start with Commissioner Rogers. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Good morning, everyone. And I too would like to just say Nancy was truly a blessing. She was you know, we hug and we felt each other because she was the first. You know, whenever you're the first, you kind of have a little bun going on there. And she was a respectful young lady.

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