Fort Lauderdale City Commission Conference Meeting - June 30, 2025
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Fort Lauderdale City Commission Conference Meeting - June 30, 2025
The Fort Lauderdale City Commission held a conference meeting on Monday, June 30, 2025, beginning at 1:30 PM. The meeting covered a neighbor presentation, a state legislative update, and several business items including the Transportation Surtax Interlocal Agreement, Holiday Park parking proposals, the Himmarshee Entertainment District, and a mediation update with Miami Beckham United. The meeting was recessed at approximately 6:00 PM and was scheduled to resume at 6:30 PM for the evening session.
Neighbor Presentation
- Troy Liggett, president of the Middle River Terrace Neighborhood Association and former member/chair of the Central City Redevelopment Advisory Board (CRAB), made three requests:
- Extend CRAB member terms from three consecutive one-year terms to two three-year terms (six years total) to reduce turnover and improve continuity. He noted the board has turned over five times since 2012, causing delays on projects like the Fourth Avenue Streetscape.
- Direct CRA staff to update the Central City CRA redevelopment plan, which is two years overdue.
- Request a meeting with the city manager to discuss management issues within the CRA.
- The Commission reached a consensus to extend CRAB terms to two three-year terms (six years total), to update the redevelopment plan, and to schedule the requested meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were heard on consent items.
- On the Holiday Park Parking item, Gary Olson asked about public input opportunities; he was informed that public comment would occur at the evaluation meeting and when the comprehensive agreement is presented. Scott Zrolick (FINFROC) stated his team has a third unsolicited proposal ready for submission.
- Public comments on the Himmarshee Entertainment District item were deferred to the evening session.
Discussion Items
- 2025 End-of-Session State Legislative Update (CF-1): City lobbyist Daphne reported on state appropriations: the city received $5.3 million of $11.9 million requested across nine projects. Highlights included full funding for Fire Rescue special event ambulances ($320,000), roadway resurfacing ($750,000), sidewalk repair ($750,000), and $1 million for a city project; partial funding for homeless transitional housing ($500,000 of $1M), educational enrichment ($350,000 of $500,000), Galt Mile Improvement ($500,000 of $2M), and violence interruption ($650,000 of $900,000). The Growth Opportunities Program was not funded. State legislators (Sen. Osgood, Reps. Campbell, LaMarca, Cassell, Rosenwald) presented key bills passed: K-8 cellphone ban (HB 1105), dangerous speeding law (50 mph over = criminal), fentanyl awareness day, Spectrum Alert bill, condo reform (HB 913, glide path for reserves), My Safe Florida Home condo pilot, and others. Lobbyist Ron Book highlighted issues: sovereign immunity bill defeated, CRA elimination killed, state preemptions (SB 180 on post-storm moratoriums), and the elimination of commercial rental tax impacting transportation surtax. The Commission requested a comparison of appropriations with other Florida cities.
- Transportation Surtax Interlocal Agreement Third Amendment (BUS-1): Gretchen Cassini (Broward County) presented the Third Amendment, which streamlines processes, clarifies eligible uses (including microtransit, decorative art, and revenue-generating parking), provides a minimum 10% annual guarantee to municipalities, and adds a grant match program. The amendment requires approval by municipalities representing at least 50% of the county’s population. The city’s approval would cross that threshold, making the amendment effective immediately. The Commission supported the amendment.
- Holiday Park Parking Unsolicited Proposals (BUS-2): Staff presented two unsolicited proposals from Holiday Park Parking Partners (with Siles, CES, Walker Parking) and Park Place Garages (with Gulf Building, Craven Thompson). The current park has 784 paved spaces which are often at capacity. A parking needs analysis suggests a 1,000-space garage plus 300 surface spaces. Staff recommended Option 1: accept both proposals and initiate a 45-day competition period, similar to the City Hall process. The Commission directed staff to proceed with that option, with a walk-on resolution at the evening session to set the competition period.
- Himmarshee Entertainment District Review (BUS-3): Staff presented an overview of the 111-property Special Entertainment District (SED) within the Himmarshee Historic District. Issues include outdated control, 14 of 21 businesses not listed in the 2013 operating agreement, safety concerns, and increased calls for service. Data showed a minor decrease in police calls over 40 months but a 56% increase in substance-related fire calls from 2021-2024, particularly between midnight and 4 AM. Options included updating the SED ordinance citywide or creating a subsection for Himmarshee. Commissioners expressed concerns about the corridor becoming a “party destination” and losing daytime family appeal. No formal vote was taken; public comments and further discussion were deferred to the evening session.
- Miami Beckham United Mediation Update (BUS-5): Mediator Jack Siler presented a proposed settlement agreement. Key terms: Miami Beckham United (MBU) will not seek reimbursement for $6.3 million in demolition costs and $1.4 million in permit fees (previously disputed). MBU will contribute $4 million total: $2.5 million toward community site improvements and $1.5 million toward a north parking facility (260 spaces). MBU will build the park for an estimated $25 million (the city’s contribution will be the difference). The parking lot will be shared: MBU has exclusive use 3 hours before and after games; city has use the rest of the time (estimated 75-80%). The agreement calls for a second amendment to the comprehensive agreement within 90 days, with construction to commence by April 30, 2026. The Commission debated design details, particularly the loss of multi-purpose playing fields. Vice Mayor Herbst strongly opposed, calling it a poor deal for District 1. Mayor Trantalis, Commissioner Glassman, and Commissioner Sorensen supported moving forward. Commissioner Beasley-Pittman stated she was in favor of moving toward the park. The Commission directed the city attorney to finalize language clarifying that MBU will construct the parking facility and that the city will forego the $1.5 million contingency payment.
Key Outcomes
- NP-1: Commission consensus to extend CRAB board terms to two three-year terms; direct CRA staff to update the redevelopment plan; schedule a meeting with the city manager.
- BUS-1: Commission expressed support for the Third Amendment; city approval expected to trigger implementation.
- BUS-2: Commission directed staff to initiate a 45-day competition period for both Holiday Park parking proposals, with a walk-on resolution for the evening session.
- BUS-3: No vote; discussion to continue in the evening session with public comments.
- BUS-5: Majority of Commissioners (Mayor Trantalis, Commissioners Glassman, Sorensen, and Beasley-Pittman) indicated support for the settlement agreement; Vice Mayor Herbst opposed. The Commission directed the city attorney to finalize the agreement, including language that MBU will construct the north parking facility. A walk-on resolution for approval was expected at the evening session.
City Commissioner Reports & Other Business
- The Commission discussed removing Business Item 4 (Public-Private Partnership ordinance) from the agenda due to no public speakers and lack of time; it will be carried over to a future meeting.
- The meeting recessed at approximately 6:00 PM, to resume at 6:30 PM for the regular evening agenda.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everybody. If you all take your seats. So this is a day I've been waiting for my whole life. John Herbst now gets to be mayor for the day. Thank you, Dean, for giving me this opportunity. I appreciate it. Meeting in turn. No, sorry, I can't do that. Hope everybody's enjoying our summer so far. I'm getting ready for the 4th of July. Yeah. Should be on. Yep. Yep, we're on. We're good. All right. Well, once again, thank you everybody for coming on in. I appreciate your making the time to come on down and be part of our government. So it's a conference meeting for the City of Fort Lauderdale for Monday, June 30th, 2025. And we will start off. We have one neighbor presentation, and then we're going to move on after that to our end of session uh state legislative update. So, Troy Liggett, you've got your turn at the mic. Thank you, Commissioner Herbst. Vice Chair Herps, I should say, and members of the commission. Um, thank you for this opportunity. I'm Troy Liggett, the resident of Fort Lauderdale representing the Middle River Terrace Neighborhood Association, whereas where I'm serving as my fourth term as president. Um I'm a former member and chair of the Central City Redevelopment Advisory Board, commonly known as the CRAB, which is what I'm here to make my presentation about. Um I'm here to ask for your support and action on three issues involving the Crab, which is a vi which advises you on the Central City Community Redevelopment Area. As background, the Central City CRA was established in 2012 to combat blight across parts of several neighborhoods north of Sunrise Boulevard. The CRA runs from Lauderdale Manors in District 3 to South Middle River, Middle River Terrace, and Lake Ridge in District 2, and is important to Point City Heights neighborhood in District 1. As I mentioned, I have three requests for you. First, I ask that you consider extending the three-year term of service of the CRAB to mirror that of the nine-year term of service for the Northwest Progresso Flagler Heights Advisory Board. The Central City Advisory Board serves three, can serve three one-year terms. Thus, you appoint them every year, and they can serve for only three years total. This is unlike almost all other city boards, except for the short-term ones that you appoint for specific reasons. Um is very different from the other CRA's board. I ask that you extend the terms for two important reasons. First, there is an extensive learning curve for new advisory board members. And the CRAB spends an ordinate amount of time simply bringing the constant flow of new members up to speed. By the time by the time they figure out what's going on, and I can attest as a former board member, they're gone. And we start over. Second, the CRA has a lifespan of 30 years, with 17 years remaining. And redevelopment is a long-term task that needs consistency. The lengthy nature of CRA projects is generally longer than the short three-year terms of advisory members. So the board that was involved with creating a project is almost never around to serve for its implementation, which has caused problems specifically on the recent Fourth Avenue Streetscape project, which was designed five years ago and faced many delays. There are many reasons why it's taken over a decade for the CRAB to endorse the rezoning proposal, but I suggest one of the most significant is the constant turnover of the board. We're on our fifth new board since the initiative began. The constant turnover also directly led to the Crab's recent endorsement of a rezoning plan for parts of the southern part of Middle River Terrace. They passed the plan by an eight to two vote, and I suggest that that vote total is incredibly deceiving because six of the eight votes were appointed by members were by members appointed just a couple of months before the vote, and had never been engaged in the rezoning process before their appointment. Indeed, five of the six were recruited by one South Middle River resident on behalf of commercial property developers who are not pleased with the compromise and plan endorsed by an equally loud-sided vote the other way just 10 months earlier.
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