Fort Lauderdale City Commission Regular Meeting June 3, 2025
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Fort Lauderdale City Commission Regular Meeting – June 3, 2025
The Fort Lauderdale City Commission met on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Broward Center for the Performing Arts – Mary N. Porter Riverview Ballroom. The meeting included proclamations, consent agenda approvals, discussion of individual motions, resolutions, ordinance readings, and two walk-on items. The meeting concluded without extended debate.
Proclamations & Presentations
- Gun Violence Prevention and Awareness Month – Vice Mayor Herbst presented a proclamation declaring June 2025 as National Gun Violence Prevention and Awareness Month. He emphasized safe storage and mental health crisis support. Allison Myers (League of Women Voters of Broward County) accepted and noted that over 200 Americans are shot each day, 65% of gun deaths are suicides, and gun injuries remain the leading cause of death for children and teens. Free gun locks were offered.
- LGBTQ+ Pride Month – Commissioner Glassman presented the proclamation, noting that in 2024 nearly 600 anti-LGBTQ bills were filed nationally and 22 in Florida; however, in 2025 only four were filed, none passing. Speakers Robert Boo (Pride Center), Robert Kesten (Stonewall National Museum), and others emphasized community unity. The city welcomes over 1.3 million LGBTQ+ visitors annually.
- Men's Mental Health Awareness Month – Commissioner Sorensen presented the proclamation. Dustin Giannelli (Here's Dustin.com), who is profoundly deaf, spoke about invisible disabilities and the importance of positive mental attitude.
Consent Agenda
- The consent agenda included routine approvals, settlement agreements, contract extensions, and financial authorizations. Items CM1 (Stonewall Pride Parade) and CM2 (911 Never Forget Event) were pulled for separate discussion.
- CM1 – Stonewall Pride Parade – Approved subject to re-execution of the agreement due to a corporate structure change.
- CM2 – 911 Never Forget Event – Approved after Commissioner Sorensen acknowledged coordination with Riverwalk and the site plan development.
Neighbor Presentations
- Captain Jo Randazzo – Was not present; Vice Mayor Herbst reported that a broken water meter issue is being resolved.
- Tim Moffitt (Lighthouse of Broward Services) – Highlighted 50 years of services for blind/visually impaired individuals, noting that the city provided $35,000 in 2022 and $30,000 in 2023, serving low-income seniors with assistive technology. The organization recently moved to a 25,000 sq. ft. facility in Sunrise.
Motions & Resolutions
- M-1 – Miami Rescue Mission Extension – Approved unanimously (5-0). One-year extension of the shelter placement agreement not to exceed $328,500.
- R-1 – Board & Committee Appointments – Approved unanimously. Appointments included Ed Murphy (Code Enforcement), Jeff Johnson (Aviation Advisory), Nicola Stan (Central City Redevelopment), Kim Ray Hill (Economic Development), Bruce Ager and Gear (Fire Rescue Bond), Theodore Morley (Marine Advisory), and Patricia Ziler (Parks & Recreation).
- R-2 – Cybersecurity Grant – Approved unanimously. Authorizes acceptance of in-kind grant from the Florida Local Government Cybersecurity Program.
- R-3 – Chamber of Commerce Honorary Director – Approved unanimously.
- R-4 – Removal of Site #83 from Broward County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Map – Approved unanimously.
Public Hearings & Ordinances
- PH-1 (Reclassified as Ordinance First Reading) – Broward County Convention Center Special Sign District. Passed on first reading (5-0). No public hearing was required; the item will return for second reading.
- OSR-1 – Business Tax Receipt Categories Consolidation – Approved on second reading (5-0).
Walk-On Items
- Florida Panthers Postseason Celebration – Resolution passed (5-0) delegating authority to the city manager to negotiate a temporary beach license/event agreement with the Florida Panthers Hockey Club or Foundation, with in-kind city services not to exceed $200,000. The county contributed $100,000 in-kind last year.
- New City Hall Unsolicited Proposal – Resolution passed (5-0) authorizing notice of intent to enter into a comprehensive agreement with Meridium Infrastructure North America for design, development, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of a new city hall. A 60-day period for competing proposals will begin after publication in the Florida Administrative Register and Sun Sentinel.
Meeting Transcript
Hey, good evening, everybody, and welcome to the City Commission meeting this uh June 3rd, 2025. Thank you all for being here tonight. Um we appreciate uh your attendance and uh for those of you who have who are here for the first time, thank you for coming. And uh we have a certain format which we begin our meetings. We start with the Pledge of Allegiance and then we have various presentations. And tonight we have three presentations. Presentations are a way for the commission to recognize individuals, events, uh certain uh activities taking place in our city, and uh they're usually accompanied by a proclamation in which one of the members of the commission will recite along with the recipient. So if I could please ask Marley Brown and Connor Giles from Riverland Elementary School to please join me at the podium, and may you all please rise and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it is one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Very good. Thank you. Please be seated, everybody. There's one for you and one for you. Can we take a little picture together? Commissioner B seated. Thank you. Is any member of your family here tonight? Why don't they come up and have a picture? Come on, come on, have a picture with mom. Oh, stay cheering. Come this way, on this way. Okay. Smile pretty. Thank you very much. That was the hard part of tonight's meeting. The rest is downhill from there. And now please join me in a moment of silence. And and when and when we take that moment, I want to first thank our our um our firefighters personnel who attempted to try to save the lives of people who were involved in uh uh boat explosions this past week. And we found out, I believe yesterday that one of those people that suffered injuries ultimately passed away. So uh please take a moment of silence and uh keep them in your prayers. Thank you. Uh couple of announcements to make. Uh we have some retirements, people who have served the our city for very long period of time. Uh first of all, John Heiser, captain in the fire department who served us for 25 years. Thank you, John, for your for your uh dedication and commitment to our city, and Eric Stern, a firefighter, who's been with us for 20 years. Thank you and congratulations. Thank you for your service. Um so with that being said, Mr. Clerk, please call the roll. Vice Mayor Herbs. Commissioner Glassman. Here, Commissioner Beasley Pittman. Here, Commissioner Sorensen. Here, Mayor Trentiles. Here. We have a few agenda announcements. Uh April 1st, 2025. The uh regular commission minutes uh were removed for revisions, and so there's another set of minute uh administered we will vote on tonight. Um PH 1 is labeled a public hearing in error, and this is going to be changed to an ordinance first reading. We have a walk-on resolution accepting an unsolicited proposal from Meridium Infrastructure North America, and to accept other proposals for the same project for City Hall, and another walk-on delegating authority to our city manager to negotiate a temporary license, beach license, an outdoor event agreement, or both with either the Florida Panthers Hockey Club Limited or the Florida Panthers Foundation, and to determine the level of in-kind city services provided to support the Panthers in postseason celebration events.
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