Good evening, everybody, and welcome to the city commission meeting this uh May 5th, uh 2026.

Thank you all for being here today.

Uh we have uh quite a long agenda, so we'll try to get through it tonight.

Um, just to let some folks know that uh after the consent agenda, we're going to uh break and go back to the afternoon agenda in which we were talking about uh a park design plan that was uh proposed for the beach.

Um so for those of you who are here for the first time, welcome.

We begin our meetings with uh pledge of allegiance, a moment of silence, and then we have some special presentations tonight.

We have two tonight.

So if I could please invite uh Shauna Roberts, Zuri Williams, and Zoe Williams to please join me by the podium so we can all do the Pledge of Allegiance together.

And may I ask you all to please rise?

How are you?

Your right hand on your armor that's it, very good, and you may begin.

Anaga, yes, sir all.

Token of our appreciation.

Thank you so much.

You wanna take a picture?

Yeah, we're gonna go up front.

Okay, Mom, you can't see it.

No, no, no, no, no.

I don't have any questions to you, so it's not what we got.

Very good.

Thank you, second.

Yeah, okay.

At this moment, uh uh I'd like to invite everybody to share in this moment of silence.

And tonight, uh keep especially in your thoughts uh the following people who have recently passed away: Mary Cotton, Hattie Courley, Dorothy Bailey Young, and Joseph Almaturo.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you so much.

Um at this time I also like to take a point of privilege to announce some recent retirees in our from our our community.

These are uh individuals who have worked with the city for more than 20 years.

We have martinez police officer who's been with us 23 years.

Thank you, Yvette, for your service to our city.

We have Derek Armstrong, who is a paramedic firefighter who's been with us 23 years.

Uh Thomas Filiaw, who is a firefighter, been with us 25 years, and Ricardo Pardo, Captain and Fire Rescue, who's been with us 27 years.

So thank you so much for your service.

Okay, hard shoes to fill, but uh thank you for your service.

So uh before we vote on the agenda, we have a few announcements.

Uh we have a walk-on resolution calling for a special election to be held on November 3rd, 2026, to elect a uh uh city commission candidate uh with regard to commission district one and to establish a qualifying period for the special municipal election.

Second walk on is a resolution providing notice of intent to enter into a comprehensive agreement for a qualifying project for the Melrose Manor Stormwater Improvement projects, and the third walk-on is a resolution providing notice of intent to enter into a comprehensive agreement for a qualifying project for the Rivilland Stormwater Improvement project.

Also, R five, the CAM was updated to add exhibit two resolution to the CAM, and exhibit two resolution was added.

So uh may I hear a motion to approve the agenda and the minutes as uh as amended.

To move the seconded, please call the role.

Oh, first of all, let's call the role of the commission.

Commissioner Herbst.

Commissioner Glossman here.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Here.

Vice Mayor Sorensen.

Here.

Mayor Trentellus.

Here.

Now please call the role on the vote to regarding the uh agenda and the minutes.

Commissioner Herbst.

Commissioner Glossman.

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Sorensen.

Yes.

Mayor Trentels.

Yes.

And the uh the minutes and the agenda as amended have now been approved.

So let us begin with the presentations and I'd like to uh ask and invite our Vice Mayor, Vice Mayor Ben Sorensen to present a proclamation regarding um trophic lateral sclerosis awareness month in the city of Fort Lauderdale.

And if I can please ask Gabriel Walker and Tina Duane and uh Sadia Bolagun of the ALS Association to please join the vice mayor.

Are any of you folks here?

Yeah, thank you.

Come on up.

Thank you for being here.

Yeah.

I have.

Oh, okay.

Good to see you, Gabriel.

Thanks for being here.

Thank you.

Well, this is in recognition of ALS month here in the city of Fort Lauderdale.

I'll love to share this with you and then ask you to share some words.

Would be fantastic.

And just share with me, Gabriel's mom has ALS.

So this is especially meaningful for you.

So thank you for being here, Gabriel.

Yeah.

Whereas ALS, also commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease in which a person's brain loses connection with their muscles, slowly reducing a person's ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe.

Whereas thousands of new ALS cases are diagnosed each year, and on average, every 90 minutes, one person is diagnosed while another loses their life to the disease.

Whereas the causes of ALS remain largely unknown, there is no known cure, and certain populations, including military veterans, face a higher risk of developing the disease.

And whereas the ALS Association is the largest philanthropic funder of ALS research globally, having committed more than a hundred and fifty-four million dollars to support over 550 projects across the United States and 18 other countries, while also providing critical support services to individuals and families affected by ALS.

And whereas ALS Awareness Month provides an opportunity to increase public awareness of the challenges faced by people living with ALS, recognize the profound impact of the disease on individuals and their families, and encourage support for ongoing care.

Now therefore, we as city commissioners of the city of Fort Lauderdale proclaim May 2026 as ALS month here in the city.

Dated this fifth day of May, June May 2026, signed your mayor Dean J.

Trantellus.

Hello everyone.

So thank you again to the city of Fort Lauderdale.

Thank you to the ALS Association for all the work that they do.

Thank you for the support that you have provided to my mom.

Um it's not easy.

Uh living with a person who has ALS.

Uh I wrote some stuff down, but you know, I would like to speak about my mother, Iris Cordova Martin.

ALS has taken many things from her.

Uh it's taken her ability to walk.

It has taken her ability to even raise a cup of coffee to her own lips.

It will take her voice away soon and eventually it will take her life.

Um, those are not easy things to say, and uh I've come to terms with that in my own way.

Maybe my mom hasn't.

Maybe the rest of my family hasn't.

I'm here today to talk about that because it sucks.

But importantly, uh it's taken away her agency.

My mom has always been the matriarch of my family.

She did everything for everyone, and we are picking up a lot of slack.

Now it's hard.

It really is.

It has given me some things, her diagnosis.

It has given me some time to grieve with my mother.

I don't think many people get that opportunity to grieve alongside the person who's dying.

It's given me the opportunity to speak to her and tell her all the things that I have to say and things that maybe I didn't want to say earlier.

Before, you know, she goes.

It has given me time to reflect on the foundation that my mom has provided for me, but also for my family, for my brother.

But yeah, uh, this is dedicated to my mom, Iris Martin.

Thank you.

Well, you know, I'm being.

Hi, everyone.

I'm the development manager for South Florida.

I just want to thank the city commission and first importantly, Gabriel, for what you did.

Um your mother's a hero, and I want you to know that.

And I also want you to know anything that you all are able to do to support all we do at the association means so much, and you all heroes too.

Thank you guys.

Thank you so much, Vice Mayor.

I appreciate it.

Our next presentation, I'd like to invite uh Commissioner Glassman to present a proclamation regarding National Small Business Week here in the city of Fort Lauderdale.

And in doing so, I'd like to invite the following persons to accompany him at the podium.

Um, Russ Clennett, uh, from the Economic Development Advisory Board, Allison Myers, also from the board.

Uh, Dr.

Kim Ray Ms.

Mizel Hill, uh, and David Lang, both from the uh uh Economic Development Advisory Board, from the Hispanic Heritage Chamber, Mary Show, uh Marisol Gonzalez, uh from Broad County Library, Frank Pennetti, uh from the uh NFTE uh Aero, that's uh Daniel Williams, uh Todd Holt and David Cottington from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, um Portia Garcia, Director of Community Services here in our city, uh Katrina Johnson, Assistant Director of CDCSD, and then the following four people from the Economic Development Division, Melissa Mata, uh Sharda Sobers, Vaughan Howard, and Amber Cabrera.

And why don't the rest of all of you come on up here now?

Let's just let's get everybody up here.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good evening, everybody.

It's a pleasure to present this proclamation from the office of the mayor, City of Fort Lauderdale, in recognition of National Small Business Week.

Whereas for more than 60 years, the United States Small Business Administration has celebrated National Small Business Week, recognizing the vital contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners to the strength of our economy and communities.

And whereas small businesses play a critical role in economic growth, representing approximately 97% of all businesses in Broward County, and serving as a driving force behind local job creation and innovation.

And whereas the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance serves as a key partner in advancing economic growth in the region, providing leadership and strategic support for business attraction and expansion.

And whereas the AERO Small Business Expo provides Fort Lauderdale entrepreneurs with access to vital resources that strengthen the foundation of the local business community.

And whereas the City of Fort Lauderdale's economic development division, in collaboration with community partners and members of the economic development advisory board, supports small businesses through targeted initiatives and programs, including Cis Drunk Community Talks, Startup FTL, and the building business with impact pitch competition, connecting entrepreneurs to capital, mentorship and growth and long-term success.

And whereas the innovative tools such as size up FTL empower small business owners with data-driven insights to benchmark performance, identity opportunities, and make informed decisions, supporting a more competitive and sustainable business environment.

And whereas during National Small Business Week 2026, the City of Fort Lauderdale launches the small business big impact shop local campaign, celebrating the entrepreneurs and industries that define each commission district and encouraging neighbors and visitors to support local businesses.

Now, therefore, we as city commissioners of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to hereby proclaim May 3rd through 9, 2026 as National Small Business Week in the city of Fort Lauderdale and urge the residents of our community and communities across the country to support small businesses.

Dated this, the fifth day of May, 2026, and signed by the mayor, Honorable Dean J.

Trentales.

I guess we're gonna all know the mayor.

Okay, as we proceed into the agenda, uh at this point, we'd like to um ask each member of the commission if they have any item from the consent agenda that they would like to pull and vote on separately.

Uh, let's see.

We're gonna do that after the consent agenda.

Um, some people have signed up to speak on the consent agenda items, but we'll see if any of them are going to be pulled.

Um commissioner uh herbs, do you have any member any items of the consent agenda?

Okay, um Commissioner Beasley Pittman?

None.

I have none.

Uh Commissioner Glassman.

None.

And Vice Mayor CR2, please.

CR2?

Yes, CR2.

Okay, so several people have signed up to speak on other items, but um just for questions only, except Chiara Stevens, you want to speak on CM3?

Is Kiara here?

Is Kiara here?

No.

Oh, questions only?

Okay, all right.

So um except for uh CR2, do I have a motion to approve all the consent agenda items?

Moved.

Direct moved and seconded.

Please call the roll.

Commissioner Herbst, yes, Commissioner Glossman?

Yes, Mr.

Beasley Pittman, yes, Vice Mayor Sorensen?

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes, in all those consent agenda items are now approved except CR2.

You're welcome to stay for the rest of the meeting if you'd like.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just wanted to highlight this.

It's uh I think a shining example of our commitment to our waterways, and it's something we've been working on for a while.

And for those of you who might not be familiar, a living seawall is a seawall that is often 3D printed with uh material that's pH neutral, so uh more advantageous for our waterways.

It is oftentimes designed similar to mangrove roots, so that it allows for greater adherence of oysters, uh seagrass, other marine life to it, which allows for better marine environment for all of our uh marine animals.

It is what this ordinance does is allows for a hundred percent rebate when a property owner, business or resident decides to build a living seawall and chooses a living seawall rather than a traditional seawall.

So it provides an economic incentive to that resident to build something that's really gonna have a more profound positive impact on our environment and our waterways, and we have uh many examples of living seawall being uh constructed and considered in the city in large part as a result of this ordinance.

This ordinance will be the first in the country, first in the country that allows a 100% rebate of fees for living seawall construction, which is gonna benefit the entirety of the city.

We have um it looks like Harrier here from uh Church by the Sea, which is exploring a living seawall, Rich Walzer.

We've been exploring living seawall possibilities as well.

Um so there's uh just Mayor, I just want to thank everyone on and mayor.

I also want to thank our former chief waterway officer, Marco Aguilera, who was very helpful in this.

Todd Hinshu, thank you for your great work in this.

Again, leading the way in waterway quality, waterway improvement, uh, not just in the city, but in the country.

It says a lot about what we're doing and city manager.

I also wanted to highlight city attorney, city attorney.

If you could just share with us, just because city attorney's office doesn't always get recognized, but if you could just share with us a little bit what you and your team have been working on to bring this to us today to so we can better understand city attorney's role in something like this.

Well, thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um, it is actually a collaborative effort with the city manager's office.

We've got a great team working on projects like this, and we work together to develop and craft something that is um uh beneficial and meets the intent of your request to have an ordinance do this.

We we work as a collaborative team.

Thank you.

Thanks for that.

Thanks for that work and recognition.

Yeah, I appreciate it.

City manager, thank you for your work on this.

It's a it's a really a great moment in our our history, and I think we're gonna see more and more living seawalls uh coming across the city, which is gonna be fantastic.

Yep, thank you, Nancy.

Yeah, um Susie Bailey also might not be here, but she's also been very helpful in this instrumental, as have many of you in the audience.

So I just want to thank you uh for that work.

Mayor, I will move the item if that's all right.

Okay.

So CR2s being introduced.

Um just to just to piggyback on your comments.

You know, it's we have a lot of seawalls in this city, right?

We do over 160 miles of waterways, and you know, it behooves us to start somewhere.

You know, just in one place is not going to make a big difference, but over time and collectively, we'll continue to find ways to nourish our our sea life, um, the the marine life that exists uh in all of our canals and and our rivers, and considering what we've, you know, how we have polluted our waterways over the years, um, it seems that it's about time we turn the clock and try to do the right thing.

So I um I applaud the efforts of the city and uh and our city staff and moving this forward.

So as a resolution's been introduced, please call the roll.

A resolution of the city commission of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida establishing a permit free assistance program to encourage the installation of living sea walls, providing a 100% discount on city-based building permit fees for qualifying projects and providing for an effective date.

Commissioner Herbst, yes, Commissioner Glassman.

Ditto everyone's comments.

This is really a great step forward.

Yes, thank you.

Yes, Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Yes, Vice Mayor Sorensen.

Yeah, and I see Steve Win out there, Marine Advisory Board Chair.

Thank you, Steve, for your continued work on this and other efforts.

Yes, and Mayor Trentals.

Yes, and that items now approved.

Thank you.

Okay, so uh so now we have to pause the evening agenda and move back to the afternoon agenda, in which the issue regarding uh the parks improvement on the beach is called business four, and a number of people sign up to speak, and so I just want to begin that process.

I'll call your names three at a time and uh um and I'd ask that you take the two minutes that you're allotted and and and convey your remarks within that time period.

So we'll start out with Lorraine Saunders, followed by Fabian, Camillo, and a lot of other names.

Uh and uh Aspen Vincent.

Are you folks here?

Is Lorraine Saunders here?

How about uh Fabian?

How about Aspen Vincent?

How about Nancy Thomas?

Followed by Trisha Halliday, followed by Michaela Conka.

Good evening.

I was gonna say good afternoon, but now it's evening.

Um, Nancy Thomas, 41-year resident of Fort Lauderdale.

I think our beach is wonderful.

Um all my guests and relatives love it because you can see it from A1A.

You don't have to have buildings blocking you like you do in Miami.

Um, the rendition that uh EDSA has put together, it just doesn't give the public enough information because this is a public beach, the whole thing, and this is only part of it, and there have been a lot of questions raised, which I don't know how much you'll hear because not everybody could stay.

Um about it it's just not for enough information for the public because we need a full rendition of the beach.

We've passed the bond, the bonds for it.

Um, I guess EDSA, I'm not blaming them, I guess they're you know, they were asked to do this section, but the city needs to provide a full rendition of what's proposed here because it's our beach.

Can you hear me?

I'll stop the clock.

Do you saw the you saw the renderings on the backup?

You saw the renderings on the backup, right?

You saw all the dip all the pictures.

There was some elevations, and there's that schematic.

What let me help you out here.

What is it that you don't understand so we can kind of bring it up?

Well, what's what has arisen among the public are issues, some of which some issues were addressed earlier.

Um the picnic tables, the grills, the shade, the restrooms, the uh playground.

If you just looked at this, you really wouldn't know what the rest of the beach was going to look like.

And um, and that's the main thing is that before this goes any farther, the public wants to know.

Well, how does it affect the other parts of the beach?

Because that's a public beach, and we've we passed the bond issue, and half the money spent on this is gonna be for that.

Well, the thing is, this this proposal that that's before us is only regarding this section.

There are going to be many projects throughout the beach over the years, and that's and I don't think this I don't think the city's prepared to give you, you know, one big master plan, which has never really been uh contemplated in this this particular proposal.

So I don't want you thinking like that something else is going to be built or added to the beach other than what's here attached.

The only thing that that's we're considering as a commission is what you see.

In fact, I think it's on page 13.

You're just showing one page, but this page 13, um, which is a 13, yeah, which has the uh see.

Mayor, I'm asking them to pull it up.

Pull it up if you want.

Yeah, could you see?

Yeah, page 13.

Is it 13 or the one right before this one?

It's hard to see.

Okay, we'll we'll get we'll get some options up.

Page 10.

Excuse me, page 10.

Could you pull up page 10?

I printed off page 10.

It's one of these two.

No, no, no.

It's not no, no, no.

I paid printed pages 10 and 11.

Well, you pick you printed up 11, page 10.

Is that what you're bringing up?

I'm bringing up page 10.

I don't want you to be misunderstanding anything.

I want you.

Keep going.

Keep going.

Page 10.

Next one.

There we go.

I got both of those right here.

Well, it's okay.

Now everyone can see it.

So this is all we're contemplating, what you see here.

Nothing else on the beach, nothing to the north, nothing to the south.

The only proposal that's before the commission right now is what you see there.

But Mayor, the public didn't know that when they looked at this.

It's it was attached to the agenda.

That nothing else was going to be moved, that we weren't gonna have any limited space for what's there already.

Well, look at the picture above there.

What you see above there is what exists, and right now all we have there are the basketball courts, which are staying where they are.

Okay, yeah, that's great.

And that that's a wonderful concession.

I appreciate that.

Um, okay, well, I'm just telling you that the public may see something that you don't, and not everybody is able to go to the agenda and read all the backup and know what's going on.

It's only 12 pages, it's not all of the agenda, it's only so this is a perfect opportunity.

You said you you didn't have enough information, so I don't want you leaving here tonight thinking you're leaving without all the information.

This picture tells it all.

We this is what we want to create.

Looks nice, doesn't it?

It does, but we don't need four pickleball courts.

That takes up too much space, two basketball courts, two bits of pickleball courts.

That was the original plan, and that's all we need.

Okay, it looks like it goes pretty far south, and something's gonna be lost with an extra two pickleball courts.

Okay, uh, and that was a request by the city commission.

I read all that, I was I heard it.

We don't need four.

Um, and I will stand by my word.

I've talked to a lot of people about well, what's the rest of the beach gonna look like?

We half this money is bond money.

We've been waiting since 2019.

Okay, well, we'll see.

We don't know.

That's not what this is before, though.

Nancy, this is just the only thing.

Okay, I'm telling you what people want is they want a full rendition of what the beach is gonna look like in case there are changes that we don't like.

Okay, thank you.

Trish Holiday.

Good evening.

Um, it's been a long day.

I know you guys have put in a day's not over yet.

I know it's not getting started.

However, um, I I have the same question that Nancy had, and um it's a beautiful picture, looks great.

However, one of my first questions was I thought originally we were supposed to have two pickleball courts.

When did we go to four?

And how was that determined?

Um, and then I know this afternoon um it was decided that we don't have to have plastic grass.

Um, we can do other things, but um in fact I think you the terminology was used that ecological um something or other renourishment, thank you, and building dunes, which would be wonderful.

I think that's a wonderful idea.

Um, however, the plastic brass, because you know, with the heat index issues and the vapors and everything, would not be the greatest thing there.

Uh, as so we're hoping that that will be next, and um let's see, what else did I have written down here?

And um, uh well, on here I can't see.

I was wondering about the restrooms, and again, you've answered the question about the um the picnic tables.

So I just wanted to verify again that this was a you've done a wonderful job, but this is a public beach, and I want the public to be able to make a choice.

Okay.

And if you can answer me about the number of pickleball courts, that would be wonderful as well.

Okay, thank you.

Can I ask a question?

I I'm just curious because I know a number of people have objected to the turf, and I'm just curious why.

Why?

Because it breaks down.

Number one, it's hot, it's so hot.

If it's 90 degrees, nor you know, regular turf will stay around that time.

If if it's gonna be in the sun, which it's gonna be in the in there, I mean it'll be an extra 10 to 15 to 20 degrees hotter.

And not only that, you'll get vapors coming off of it, which are not since it's plastic, it's not going to be very good for the there's a lot of people at very high-end houses that are putting these into their backyards.

And it's it's incredibly popular right now.

So I'm I understand that, but we can't do anything about people in private residents.

Although, but but no, what I'm getting to the point of, though, is that I passed a law.

It seems to be very popular.

You're suggesting is that people won't like it out there, and I want to understand why.

Because people are paying tens of thousands of dollars to put this in their backyard so that they can enjoy it.

Apparently, they don't find it to be a hundred and fifty degrees and not tolerable.

They they're they're literally spending 20, 30, 40,000 to install this.

I understand that.

And I just I have a feeling it has to do more with education and uh communication out there to what exactly they are putting in their backyards.

Um, your point, Commissioner, I I would also agree with you, but to tell you that the quality of the artificial turf has really progressed over the years.

Um the makeup of the material is very different from what it first was.

And I will also tell you, um, in my district is the Las Olis Oceanside Park.

There's a large area of artificial turf that people are doing yoga classes on every weekend, people are gathering.

My office has never received one complaint about the artificial turf at the Las Olas Oceanside Park.

First of all, it's cleaner.

You will not have to use pesticides on the grass, and people would of course complain about the pesticides if we had to use pesticides.

We will not have to have an irrigation system.

We will not have mosquitoes, we will not have everything that the natural grass would do there, and it is proved to be really very successful at the Las Olas Oceanside Park.

Uh again, no complaints, people are gathering there in all in all weather, hot cold, you name it again for those classes for the gatherings.

How long has that been down so far?

Just out of curiosity.

Is it about five years?

At least five years.

Okay, I good now.

I I will guarantee I will I will say that there are variations of of the different types of of grass.

By the way, I think the sand would be as hot as any gas.

But you don't think the sand is gonna get up on top of that artificial turf?

I mean, come on, let's let's if you can go natural, which you said, but you could do earlier, and also, by the way, the maintenance of regular turf would be uh at least 100,000 a year to keep that right as opposed to something far less.

You know what?

This is a city, yes, it's the city.

That that was so excited.

I mean, and I was excited too when you decided not to use plastic straws on the beach, and you're gonna put plastic grass on the beach.

Come on, come on, come on, no, come on, come on, come on.

All right.

I want to answer one more question.

There's another question, all right.

Yeah, Michaela.

Wait, I I so by the way, how question about the restrooms?

It's important to know.

The reason we're not seeing that is the restrooms, the picnic tables, the grills are not affected by this.

That's all to the south, and it's still staying there.

That's why that's why it's not on the on the uh renderings.

Thank you.

All right, Michaela Conka.

She's not here.

And mayor, while we're waiting for that.

So Commissioner Glassman, I wanted to ask you, because that actually came up in my agenda briefing last night where we talked about the oceanside park, and I said I wasn't aware of any complaints.

I've been I've been there a lot, and I've never noticed that it's particularly hot when I've sat there or I haven't burned myself when I've been there.

No, no one has.

Uh in fact, we gather there even for the city events.

We'll be gathering there for the American Beach Party at the end of this month, right?

And we always have the ceremonies there.

It's it has not been an issue.

That's all okay.

No, thank you.

I appreciate that.

I I wasn't sure if your office had heard anything or not.

Not at all, okay.

Continuing, John Roth, followed by Leo Lorenz, followed by Vicky Maori.

I know you were here the same.

Oh, there you are.

Ready, okay.

Ready?

Okay, commissioners.

So sit on.

You're on, okay.

Commissioners and uh mayor, everyone, mayor and vice mayor, and everyone who's on the days, and all of the public that's here.

My name is John Roth.

I live in four seasons condominium, which is just over the inner coastal water, way I've lived here 35 years, in the same place on the water.

I'm a boater and very involved with the marine community because that was my business.

Anyway, I'm not a basketballer, I'm not a pickleballer, but my wife was maybe you should start.

It's fun, it's fun.

So anyway, the deal is is that I walk this area for many years, and I'm uh a mechanical engineer.

I look at how things are built, how much they cost to work, to make work, how much it costs to clean.

Um, and I'm just gonna start with a couple of things that I've noticed about this, especially directed to the landscape architects and the people who have conceived this project.

My overall opinion is that there's not been much market serious market analysis of the future customers and clientele of who would use this facility.

You say it's the same people that we have now.

You say no one's gonna use the basketball courts?

No, oh I'm not saying that.

Who are the people that will come?

And so I would say that for example, people who are the kind of customers who use the St.

Regis, will not usually brush shoulders with the people are basketballers.

I don't know about that.

Probably not.

I don't know about that.

Because I've worked in worked in 40 large marinas around the world.

Right.

And they're all similar to the Saint Regis.

And the client tell or the people who have 120 foot and larger yachts do not usually hang around with low-level mechanics like myself.

And or managers.

So they have to look at who is going to be there.

Um, and what is what does that have to do with the viability of this project?

Well, the thing is, is if it's if people don't like it, they won't come.

But the but but the argument has been for us to retain the basketball courts because we have the public that uses them.

That is nothing to do with your single.

I'm talking about cutting down all of the pine trees so we don't have any shade.

There are no pine trees on this picture.

This is what they've done about.

What are you talking about?

Well, I'm looking at the picture right in front of me, and I see all palm trees where there used to be pine trees.

Um, look at the picture in the at the in the corner.

That's the existing condition.

Tell me where all where all these trees you're seeing.

Well, that's an aerial view of what's there now.

Well, that's an aerial artist's conception, and it's been managed.

So on the right-hand side.

Is that a is that a modified.

I can't hear you.

The Google Earth aerial?

It's a Google Earth area.

The trees are located just south of the image, the artist rendition, south of that.

That image been modified in any way.

No, that's not true.

But anyway, um I'm gonna I I will take him at his work.

Thank you.

Okay, so the thing is is that you come over the bridge, they've got uh major uh work done at the on the bridge itself at the bottom.

They've got an area which is be make a nice raised patio.

You could put a band down there for music or something if you wanted, and there's an exit and an exit.

And you've taken out a lot of the space underneath and replaced it with very small little cubicles for the maintenance on the guys on the beach.

And I just look at this from the point of view of maintenance of the artificial turf, you'll probably need more machinery to maintain the artificial turf than what they have now, so they're gonna need space for that, and none of that stuff is small, and uh everything that they're showing on the drawing is small spaces, so some a lot of work needs to be done to make this thing compatible with parks and recreation department and the financial side of this.

So there was a mention just when I heard this morning or this afternoon that said that the people can move their picnic tables around.

The picnic tables are heavy and they use a high lift to move them around.

They don't use people picking up your own family picking things.

They said people pick them around.

I think the city's staff moves them around, not once you get there in the morning.

The insinuation was that I heard was is that when you get there and you're gonna have a fantastic place to move in, and if you're they're not spaced to your liking, you will be able to pick one or your family would be able to pick up a picnic table and move it.

We don't want people picking up picnics.

That's fine.

So can you please complete your remarks because your time is my time is up, thank you.

And uh I hope that you do more work on this because I've had projects before in my life, and you think everything is just perfect in a hunky dory.

Okay, and nobody comes.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Nobody come, nobody, John.

Those pickleball courts will be full, people will come, trust me, they'll come.

The people will come, they'll play basketball, and all four pickleball courts will be full all the time.

The pine trees are all the way to the south.

I don't think they shade that area.

And because it's not part of this, it's not part of the open project.

It's not part of this plan, okay.

Okay, you okay, they use pickleball, and they've such a bright 90 degrees sound.

They like to find some shade.

Okay.

Have you been on any of the city's pickleball court?

All right, all right, all right.

Okay, you haven't been.

Okay.

I'm telling you, they're playing all day, all night, yeah.

Okay, plan.

Thank you.

The plan.

Yes, sir.

Wait a minute.

Mayor that was meant.

Yes, quick.

You're on.

There were mentions about um palms.

I just want to, you know, advise you all that again.

This is a high level conceptual that is being shown here.

Um there is some data that we do have that suggests that approximately 21 palms will be removed from the site to accommodate the pickleball courts, and we're estimating that 80 pounds will be installed as part of this project.

Okay, great, thank you.

So that's a net of 60 palms.

Okay, Quinn.

Just wonder will any pine trees be impacted?

Based on what we have at the moment, no pine trees will be impacted.

There is one tree that would be removed and 21 palms that would be removed.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Leo Lorenz is Leo here.

Followed by Vicki Maori, followed by Ted and Sarah.

Uh good evening, uh, mayor and commissioners.

Uh the proposed plan that we have come up with and that we've reviewed negatively impacts the residents and the visitors to the park.

There's a growing uproar about the proposed layout and the fact that it is not being generated by the city internally to accommodate the wishes of the community.

It's been confirmed that this plan has been put forth only for the benefit of the developer, the behemoth and the CDD.

They sugarcoated saying that it's a win-win for all the residents, but we don't see it that way.

Okay, number one, it removes the exercise equipment and the stations from its current location and it puts it at the south end of the park near the bathrooms, away from where the basketball courts are.

People use the facilities together and do not want to hike back and forth between the locations when they're playing basketball and then working out at the workout areas.

People wait their turn to get into a basketball game typically.

They go over and they work out at the exercise stations while they monitor the progress of the game to finish to the finish.

According to the drawings right now that you're showing you you can't see the basketball courts because you got the pickleball courts in a way.

Uh everybody wants to keep the workout stations in its current location.

They don't want it changed.

Number two, the proposed plan removes the picnic tables and the grills to the south side.

Nowhere on those pictures up there do they show picnic tables and grills in their current location now.

They're being shifted further to the south.

Parents can no longer have a watchful eye on their children while they're playing basketball on the courts.

And we got children out there that are like from six to twelve years old.

They're always on the courts.

Parents supervise them while they're there on the picnic tables in the grills.

They can't see them if they're way down on the other end.

Okay.

Please conclude your remarks.

Um placement of the four pickleball courts on the beach, uh, doesn't make any sense out there either because most of the pickleball players that we know, they say that it is not a good idea to be playing out there.

Two pickleball courts might be good, but not four.

And I'll just let it go at that.

Okay, great.

Thank you so much.

Vicki Maori.

Before you start running that clock, may I ask uh for two for a correction on earlier today, way earlier.

Uh believe the gentleman from EDSA said that uh mentioned shade structures, which was not listed on any of the material that I looked at.

Also, there was a what did you just say?

Shade structures.

What about shade structure?

That was mentioned as one of the options.

Options where?

Coming into this area, okay.

It wasn't on any of the written material, it was just mentioned.

Okay.

Secondly, staff, I believe, is who mentioned that indeed where the pickleball courts are, there are grills and picnic tables that will be moved.

If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

I don't see them.

Okay.

I am Vicki Maori.

I live at one La Sola Circle at the beach.

This beach is really the people's beach.

And the people who use it do so in a variety of simple, enjoyable ways.

They picnic, they sunbathe, they relax, they shoot hoops, they exercise, they have quiet time, or they party with family and friends.

They know what to expect when they go to that beach, expansive views of the ocean, and seemingly in the sand and sun.

This is the people's beach.

Why are you our elected officials and guardians of our city even entertaining the idea of mucking up this area with 1700 square feet of concrete for a welcome pad or central plaza?

As though the natural beauty isn't welcome enough.

Artificial service surfaces and blocked views with fencing and dense landscaping around pickleball courts is not needed or wanted.

And about these pickleball courts, the developer who has a long and riching lease on our property, should build those courts on his property, not on this.

What we need from you is continuing maintenance.

I'm about done, upgrades as necessary, such as the exercise equipment, and keep picnic tables and grills in plentiful supply.

We need you to listen and we expect you to respond accordingly.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor I just need I need to address a couple of things, Vicky, but I thank you for your input.

But I I want folks to understand something.

And I know there are people in the room that don't seem to like pickleball.

Um, and I, you know, whatever.

I hear from people all the time that they're excited about this, they want more courts at Holiday Park.

There are, trust me, there are people out there that like pickleball.

They are there.

So here's the deal.

Uh, why are they not here?

Because typically the people that come to the meetings are people that are opposed to things.

That's been our history, I think.

So that's the reason.

So let me just explain.

We signed an agreement as a commission.

This commission in January of 2024 entered into an agreement with the Bahia Mar and the taxing district that they created for themselves to raise money.

We entered into an agreement with them in January of 2024.

It's a legal binding agreement, more than two years ago.

That agreement says that the basketball courts will be removed and replaced by pickleball.

When that word got out, people were upset, and I understand that.

They came to the commission, they said, please don't do this.

Do not remove the basketball and replace it with the pickleball.

So we went back to the developer and we said, okay, look, there's a public outcry.

People do not want to see the basketball courts go.

What can we do?

So the first thing I asked for them was to extend that agreement past January of 2027.

We are legally obligated right now, legally obligated right now to have all of this finished by January of 2027.

We can't do that.

That's impossible.

So what we said to the developer was please tell your CDD, your community district, please tell them that we did an extension.

So our legal team is working on that extension now to give us more time so that we don't get sued and lose.

So the development team said, fine, we will reconsider.

So we will keep the basketball courts.

By the way, those basketball courts don't look great today.

They're all being totally, totally refurbished.

Okay.

I'm not arguing that, of course.

As they should.

They're being totally refurbished.

Remember, the legal contract says they're to be removed.

And the only way that we could get around that was by both parties, the city and the community development district agreeing to that.

So here's here here's the crunch.

Here's the crunch.

At any point in time, this developer could actually say to us, you know what?

We're just going back to the original legal agreement that we have with you.

So what do you think about that?

And then we'd be we would be behind between a rock and a hard place.

It's not true, it's true.

It's true.

We're not gonna get into a disagreement with that, but it's it's true.

So what everyone tried to do was come up with something that made sense for everybody so that we could move forward so that we would have the pickleball that was guaranteed in the legal agreement, we could have the basketball that we brought back, and in the meantime, make the area really a very much a community area.

This is not going to be a private area.

I've heard that misinformation.

It's not, this is open to the public.

Of course, this is for the public.

This is for all the public to enjoy, all of the new fitness equipment.

By the way, there is a designated fitness equipment area right to a gym about 2500 square feet, I believe, right to the south, which on your view would be to the right of the pickleball.

Um, so I I think that everyone came up with a great middle of the road compromise where everyone should be happy with something.

Will everybody be happy with everything?

Probably not, but we never see that anyway.

Um, but there's, I think, a lot of reason to be happy about how we got from where we were with the elimination of the pickleball, I'm sorry, of the basketball, to something for everyone.

And in the meantime, doing some really nice landscaping.

I think when this is done, people are going to be very happy.

Uh, people are gonna enjoy it.

I think people are gonna say, wow, this is a really pretty little area of the beach on both sides of that pedestrian bridge that crosses A1A.

So it's really important just to know the facts.

I want everyone to understand uh the legal, the legal ramifications of what's going on here and how we had to finesse and make sure um that we just don't get sued and lose, and then everybody loses.

The money is not all of the parks bond money, the money is just some of the parks bond money, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the development team's also kicking in a million dollars on this.

I think.

Yes, the community development district will reimburse the city up to a million dollars for eligible improvements.

That's what I thought.

So that's where we are.

That's the history of how we began this discussion, and this is where we are now.

That's all.

I just want to make sure everyone understood everything.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Ted and Sarah, followed by uh Kendall Antoine, I think it says, and Mary Furtick.

Hello, everybody.

My name is Ted and Sarah.

I'm the president of the River Oak Civic Association.

Thank you, everybody on the dais for letting me be here.

Boy, that was I don't even know after that.

Um, Mr.

Gasman, if I even need to speak or not, I guess it's already uh made up.

But what I'm saying, what Vicky said was absolutely correct.

This is the residence beach, this is the people's beach.

This is the one area, it's the wide area of the beach that we can come and picnic, that we can come and park, we can play some ball, we can go into the water, and this is the part we we have.

Anything to the north, it's all the hotels.

Everybody is all into the uh, you know, having their little private beaches or or their own beaches in front of the hotels.

This is for the residents and always has been because I was born here in 1956 in Broward General Hospital.

I've lived in River Oaks for 60 years, and I'm still there today, and I wouldn't live anywhere else.

But this part of the beach, you know, there's two iconic views when you're riding around uh Los Alas Boulevard, I mean uh Fort Largo.

When you make that turn onto Las Oulas and you see those beautiful, magical lighted trees going down the median strip on Las Oles Boulevard, that's magic.

That is boy, that says Fort Lauderdale.

That's and you guys are gonna take that view away from us.

The other one is when you're coming east on 17th Street, you make that curve down by the Yankee Clipper, and then you're going around there, Parkland, and you got that straight view.

You see the ocean, you see the beach.

That's another iconic view of Fort Lauderdale.

And now you want to take that away from us.

Everything seems to be geared towards the visitors.

You know, people actually live here, and but it's like we couldn't just have a swimming hall of fame swimming pool.

We need an aquarium.

Oh, I'm I'm surprised with all you you guys like to cruise that we don't have a roller coaster on top of the aquarium.

Because we just need to cram as much stuff as we can everywhere we can.

So, so let's let me see if I understand this correctly.

Well, so I might not.

You're going down the street here.

Oh, yeah, uh, east on some I'm talking.

Stop.

Okay, stop.

Come on.

So, we're going down A1A, right?

And what do you see?

Parking lot with cars, right?

Parking lot with cars.

Okay, no, no obstructing of the ocean there, right?

Then you got a wave wall.

Okay, no obstruction there.

Well, it's two feet tall.

And now all of a sudden, uh a pickleball court, which is on the ground, is suddenly obstructing the view.

I mean, tell me the thought here because look, like you said with this picture, it tells it all right there.

That's all you need to know about.

So, what view is now being obscured by pickleball courts?

The ocean when you're coming in your car, making that great curve around 17th Street by the Yankee Clipper.

Yeah, right there.

You are not gonna have the view that you have coming over.

Just like we don't have the view, that great view coming over Los Bridge anymore.

Ted, come on, come on.

And in the other, Ted, this is nowhere near the city.

We do not need the port.

Ted, this is nowhere near the Yankee Clipper.

You know that, correct?

Uh yeah, I was boring here.

So so you're you're talking about something that's a thousand yards down the beach.

Okay, hundred.

Yeah, okay.

So mom, let's you I know you want to talk, and I know you have a point of view.

Yes, I think your point of view is to be respected, but I just want to keep it in context and listen.

You can't create your own facts, okay?

Oh, I'm not creating fire.

Okay, all right.

When you say you're you're obstructing the view, when you've got you've got two rows of cars and a wave wall.

I can't see how pickleball courts that are flat on the ground are obstructing your your ocean.

Those those palm trees are not there now.

Those are part of the 80s.

You don't want the palm trees?

I'm I'm speaking now.

Yes.

And uh that you uh you don't have the palm trees there right now, that that you normally would have obstructing the view.

They're not there, they're gonna be planted there.

And you know what I think too when it comes to these pine trees that they say they're not gonna touch.

I know this city, and I know these developers.

Suddenly they're gonna be deceased, just like the trees on Los Oles Medium.

And all those pine trees have to go because an arborist that they paid for is gonna come not next week.

I mean, very very soon, and claim that they are sorry, all these pine trees are diseased, they gotta go.

Even though he sat here and told us that, oh, we're not touching the pine trees.

I've heard that before so many times.

And you know what I see when I see this picture right here?

Yes, I see about 20 cement trucks pulled up, pouring concrete on our beach, the beach sand, which should never happen.

This is a turtle nesting area.

You want to play basketball on sandal spot.

Do you want to play basketball on sand then?

That's there.

That's there.

Oh, but you're saying you don't like concrete on the beach, so why don't we say pouring more concrete?

You were listening, you would hear what's scene.

Isn't that good enough?

What now?

Never go.

This is gonna be, I can see 20 of those round cement trucks just in line, pouring that thing right down on our public beach, the people's beach on the beach sand, which they should have no be able to get any permits to pour this cement on our beach.

Ted, don't you realize that people like to play sports?

Oh my gosh, we have pickleball, you almost run into a pickleball wherever you go.

Right.

Why is that?

Why is that?

So we need it then everywhere.

Then let's let's take out this uh this gazebo over here on Esplanon Park.

We need pickleballs over here, too.

I'm surprised you don't work on floating docks along the river walk with pickleball courts on them.

Good idea.

Good idea.

All right, next.

Thank you, Ted.

Well, he's going to see it.

Thank you.

And mayor, you know, I love the concrete phobia.

We took away a lot of beach when we did that whole sidewalk along A1A.

We took away a lot of beach.

When we built the iconic wave wall, the length of the beach, we took away the sand, we took away the beach.

Where was all the concrete phobia then when we built those things from concrete?

I'm just wondering.

It's okay.

Thank you.

Kendall, followed by Mary Fertig, followed by uh Chris Chikowski.

Is Kendall here?

Nope.

Okay.

Um, Mary Fertig.

Oh, there's Mary.

Hi, how are you?

I'm good.

How much time do I have?

You have two minutes.

Two minutes.

All right.

Well, then I better get this out quickly.

Come on, Mary.

All right.

So we can do this thing to your presentation earlier.

I had a question.

When the bond passed in 2019, what was contemplated for this space?

You don't have to answer these questions, but you can.

And then I just couldn't.

When this when you got a contribution from the CDD, and I know that was a lot of um conversation about that, but I have to say that having attended the meeting on Lockhart 10 days ago, I have to wonder what they getting for their one million dollar contribution.

Maybe nothing, but that would be a question I have.

What rights to this do are they given for the contribution?

All right.

The next thing I wanted to say was this car, this really blew up about a year ago, a little more than a year ago.

So I was glad to see they picked EDSA and they're local, and that's great.

So that makes me wonder did you have a meeting with the community about what the community would like to see at this site before coming up with this traffic?

Um and if not, who who did who who did they meet with?

These are all questions you can answer in wrong to me, Mr.

I said we come before the Central Beach Alliance.

I don't take my time though.

I love Bill, but just add me a few more minutes in.

Well, but to come back.

But Mr.

Brown is the president of the Central Beach Alliance.

I think and his neighborhood association would be the one that would be the public.

Because we're not voting on anything tonight, it's going to be presented to them at the next meeting.

And my question is, because I believe, and you can add some more time in for the time you took, but you spoke so well that I I'm glad you should.

Yes, thank you.

My point on this, Dean, is um, and that's great, but I believe this belief this beach belongs to everybody in Fort Lauderdale.

I believe it really belongs to the people in the county, the tourists we enticed to come here.

This is, as Vicky said, this is the people's beach.

So I think it's wonderful they're going to the Central Beach Alliance, but I think there's some other constituencies they should have met with as well, and maybe there's time for that, and then you could bring people in instead of closing people out.

Um, so I just want to, I don't have much time.

So I want to say I like to think in 1953 that my grandmother went to the polls to vote on the ordinance on this beach, which keeps it public for all time.

Now I did bring in and I could read it to you, but you're cutting me off on time, so I won't.

So can you let me just read the end of it?

Because we have a lot of conversation about a public speech, and this beach, unlike almost every other one that we talk about, this was subject to a referendum of the people.

And so it said, as aforesaid, it shall not be amended or repealed except upon a vote of a majority of the electors at any regular biennial municipal election.

It gives it just that much more strength.

And so this is a public beach.

It was a conscious decision by the voters to make it a public beach.

And so, whatever you do with this piece of property with this beach, I hope that you do it by including everybody in this room and everybody who couldn't come tonight that wants to speak on it.

Mary, can I ask you a question?

Yes.

Looking at this picture, can you show me where in this picture the public is being excluded from the use of the beach?

Uh, well, I think that came up earlier when the advertisements, which are still online, discussed a private beach club.

But that's that's not what we're private beach, and I'm not saying you aren't Dean.

I've simply said, because I know you wouldn't you wouldn't because you know this referendum was passed in 1953.

And I understand how it would make it very difficult unless all of us got together and said we want to make it a private beach club.

Right, but it's not it's nothing.

Every single square inch of this, what you're seeing today is open to the public.

I can go there, you can go there.

Everybody can go there.

And so we're not taking away anything from the public.

And I don't know why people keep saying that.

So I would just say I'm glad you're making that statement.

And if, and the one thing that I think could really help the public to really accept and adopt that is if you start a meeting with all the people who have tried to have a voice in this and haven't been able to before you come back to the next conference meeting, and then see what their vision is for this beach, not what the vision of a few people is, but what the vision of the of the people who own the beach would be.

Got it.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Chris followed by Barbara Stern, followed by uh Jaris Goss.

First, like to start off by thanking Commissioner Herbst for all of his service.

You will duly be missed in your fiscal common sense, man.

Which is something that uh seems to escape us here quite a bit.

Uh first off, there's a lot of different things that were covered here, and we'll start off with the big one.

The outrage came when we found out that it was gonna be a deal done with changing out pickleball for basketball courts.

Nobody knew about that.

So we really got ticked off about that.

Uh the whole pickleball thing to me, we're so sick and tired of hearing about pickleball enough already.

It's Patel now.

We you guys are missing it.

Uh fake grass at the beach.

It's called the beach for a reason.

You're gonna put fake grass there.

And uh, since everybody's typing away on their computers, go ahead and just Google for a second.

Is fake grass harmful?

Go for it because the environmental protection agency, the National Institute of Health, don't take my word for it.

The National Environmental Institute of Health, three different colleges, and the sustainable advisory board that Mr.

Ansir and I went to proved that all of these things are bad.

Not just the heat, not just the bugs, you're still gonna need uh pesticides to kill the weeds and everything else.

Bad idea.

This whole thing is a bad idea.

Private developers have no business on public land.

Oh, well, it's public, it's public.

Where are these concession stands coming from?

Where are these shaded areas coming from?

What should be done with the beach should be maintained by the city?

And if the city was doing its job, we wouldn't need any of this.

You guys should be maintaining the basketball courts, you guys should be maintaining the exercise equipment.

That's what the park bond was for.

But here we are, we're gonna take a million dollars from the guy across the street that nobody knew was happening, so we can build his little dream because we're legally obligated, right, to pickleball courts.

We've had enough of this stuff.

You guys need to get your act together.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor.

Before I go into my speech, may I just have a point of privilege to answer one of your questions about where did all this concern about the uh privatization of the beach come from?

And I believe that was the messaging from the developer.

Good.

I don't dispute that.

You're not wrong on that, but but that's been that's been changed or will be changed, yeah.

But will be changed.

Okay.

So the problem is it's not being changed now.

And quite frankly, I'm glad to see that these materials refer to this as the Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, because in Jimmy's uh writes uh uh dedication of fiction that he sent to the commission and the historic preservation board in his attempt to block historic preservation designation for this beach.

He refers to it as the Bahia Mar Park, which it is not, it is the Fort Lauderdale Beach Park.

So I'm glad at least that's part of the presentation.

We've settled that tonight.

Okay.

Well, thank thank goodness for that, because he continues to refer to it as Bahiemar.

And I believe that's part of what the problem is because all these additions that we're seeing, they're things that have been in advertising for the Behemar St.

Regis project.

For instance, I'll pass around the advertisement for yoga on the beach, which they are doing in the sand.

Why do we need a concrete platform for yoga?

It's being done in the sand.

We should be able to continue doing it on sand, but it's something to promote what they have in their advertising materials.

We heard about a shade structure.

If you go through the Behemoth St.

Regis's marketing materials, they're advertising a little gazebo on the beach to enjoy your sunset.

So when people talk about is this for us?

Maybe it's because of the advertising and marketing materials coming out from the behemoth.

They are the ones who have created this problem.

That is why we were here today.

The agreement was for a two pickleball courts, not four.

Commissioner Glassman asked for four.

I don't dispute that pickleball is all the rage and they will probably get used.

I think it's a horrible location when you think about the wind velocity and trying to play out there.

Um, in terms of of the grass or artificial turf.

Have you ever tried to get sand out of that?

Have you traveled around?

I've seen it in California.

It's a joke.

How are we going to maintain it?

This isn't what the people wanted.

This is what the Behemar St.

Regis wants to match their marketing.

We don't need to move the exercise equipment.

It should stay right where it is.

What kind of welcome center do we have?

We had to hear that it needs to be more welcoming for the people, make it usable.

People are on that beach all the time.

We don't need this to make it usable.

Go down there on any given Saturday or Sunday.

It's packed.

We did hear today, it doesn't show up in the materials, that the grills and the picnic tables will have to be moved somewhat.

Go down there on a Saturday or Sunday.

I'm gonna date myself and bring up the United Colors of Benetton, because that is what it is like down there.

It's like the United Nations of people enjoying that section of the beach.

And when you're pushing it further south, all I can seem to ask myself is, are we trying to move that from being in front of the St.

Regis?

So as you come up with these plans, I encourage you to reject us current design.

The exercise equipment should stay where it is.

The picnic tables and barbecue girls need to stay where they are.

Figure out your design, go back to the two pickleball courts.

Um, we were not in threat of being sued.

That agreement said it could be modified.

The CDD doesn't even have the money yet.

Last time, according to their financials that were filed for the end of September, they only have about six thousand dollars, or maybe they're negative three thousand dollars.

They don't even have the money because they haven't even broken ground.

Have they even sold enough units yet to break ground to start collecting dollars?

So maybe Mr.

Tate can give us a timeline for when that'll happen to find out because I thought we should already be at that process by now.

So thank you.

All right, you're welcome.

Thank you.

Uh Jared's followed by Nicole Holmes, followed by uh Michael Gerhardt, and then wrapping up with Maggie Hunt.

Okay.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

I'd like to start by assisting regarding the turf question.

The spaces become more engineered, structured.

We're losing natural flexibility and so and social feel that made them valuable in the first place.

Regarding Ted's point, the obstruction views, the obstructive use is valid because public spaces aren't just about movement through them, they're also about the openness and experience being there, the skyline.

Although there are broader environmental impacts considered, like stormwater, drainage, um, concerns, maintenance, lifespan maintenance, and construction waste.

My focus here today is preserving the existing community, staying with connection and staying with the connection and unintended consequences.

EDSA designs spaces for the people.

My concern is the connection displacement of the existing workout and community space.

The plan shows and talks about everything connected, but the space already functions as one socially, not just physically.

As far as the slide size, the slide up there, I'm guessing the concrete line is where the workout space would be because we don't want to divide that area.

I'm not 100% sure on that.

I haven't really looked into all that.

Um but if you divide it, you still have the same pieces, but you lose what makes it special.

It's energy and quality of life.

Elevation should come at should elevation shouldn't come at the cost of what's already there.

Regardless of curb appeal, these plants are breaking up something that's already that already functions organically.

I understand there are legal infrastructure obligations driving parts of this project.

Just please consider a vision.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Is Nicole Holmes here?

No, and uh Michael Gerhardt, you've already spoken.

Uh and Maggie Hunt.

Maggie, are you here?

Is there anyone else?

Maggie, there you are.

Anyone else wish to speak on this item?

Okay.

Well, I know everybody is not necessarily environmentally um, you know, caring as some other people as others are, but you know, when when the rain happens, it's gonna wash chemicals and all the nanoplastics that are in that grass out into the ocean, and we're already starting to see fish with little plastic particles in there.

While I know most of it comes from plastic bottles and waste out in the ocean, I just don't feel like we need to contribute.

I don't think it's a necessary area.

And you know, when you talk about Central Park, that's a more necessary area because you've got really heavy foot traffic there with the festivals and the music events, and yes, it looks better, but it still looks like plastic.

When I'm thinking about enjoying an idyllic place on the beach, um, it doesn't involve sitting on a big giant piece of green plastic grass, you know.

I would avoid it actually, and I I don't know if it gets hot or not, and I appreciate the fact that there's a lot of shade trees there.

I hope whether there's sand or whatever, I hope that there's enough trees there that to provide a little bit of shade there.

As far as yoga goes, people that make a point of going to the beach for yoga, go there for the uneven surface in the sand.

If you're beginner, you might not be able to do it, but then you could maybe BMR would have a place over by the intercoastal.

It has a beautiful view where you could just be on the grass there for beginners.

It's just not a necessary place as I see it to have artificial turf there.

You go to the beach, people go to the beach because they want in the sand, and the presenter said, Who wants to sit in the sand?

Well, me and everybody else I see there on the weekends and the holidays that pack those beaches that are there and so happy to be on sand.

And I see them picnicking, and I picnic there, you know, with a towel on the ground.

In fact, if you want a picnic with grass, we have so many public parks to picnic in.

I think one of the I think is the more artificial turf that we have, I think in our parks, more people get upset about it.

And maybe you haven't gotten emails about it, but if you go look on social media, there's a lot of people that aren't in.

Yes, I have seen in people's backyards on the water and stuff.

I I don't know what makes what percentage makes popular, but I appreciate the point that some people think it.

Um so the other the last question I have too is about, you know, when we did those parks bond and we planned all the other parks.

There was stuff online, you know, to say, oh, what do you want here?

What do you want there?

What do you think about this?

What do you think about this?

And way back then, I didn't, I mean, I didn't see, I filled out that survey and I didn't see anything on there for the beach, and that's a park, right?

And I so would assume the same process would happen.

And maybe it happened, and I just skipped over that part and didn't see it somehow online, but I was there something way back when we passed this bond and we're talking about what we wanted at parks where people got input as to hey, if the beach is gonna change and have this park area, what would people like to see?

Because I've got some ideas that aren't on there.

I'm I'm sure there's people that would want to pick a ball.

I also, but I'm sure they would anyway.

I'm just wondering where that where that was in the beginning.

Thanks.

All right, thank you.

Is there anyone else who wishes to speak on this item?

Did you sign up?

Uh I did earlier, but I didn't hear my name.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Well, come on up.

Tell tell us your name.

Tell us your name.

Good evening to everyone.

My name is Fabian Diaz.

Oh, yeah, I called you earlier, yeah.

Oh, you did, yeah.

Uh, I think that's I couldn't pronounce your the rest of your name though.

You had a lot of names on there.

Go ahead.

Well, hello, everyone.

Um thank you guys for your time today.

So I've been a Brower County resident for the past six years, but I have been using these bars and the outdoor equipment after Lauderdale for over 10 years.

That's actually what I started my calisthenics journey.

I don't know if you guys are aware what that is.

It's bodyweight training basically.

But with that being said, I really don't think that the picklebulls are needed.

I don't see South Beach or Miami Beach having pickleballs everywhere.

They rather have upgraded equipment and also volleyball um courts as well.

So that's something that could be considered for this.

That are just I don't know.

It just I love the beach the way it is right now, and I feel like many people are very familiar with the way it is already, and basically it's just it just needs to be upgraded with new newer equipment, better equipment.

And I also think that instead of the pickleball courts, we should be adding more workout areas so we can help our youth also have more accessibility to workout equipment, even if they cannot afford it.

Um we know that South Florida has been becoming more of a health and wellness place lately, and you know, pushing more basketball courts and workout areas instead of pickleballs.

For me, I think that's what would push people to become stronger.

And yeah.

Okay.

All right.

That it all right, thank you.

Yes.

Thank you.

All right, no one has signed up to speak.

So this was just a disc for discussion purposes.

Um I think now the the uh um the the folks at uh behirmar are gonna take this to the CBA now and uh we'll get some feedback from the community there, and then the city manager will bring it back uh at some future meeting.

May I find out when is that future meeting?

And I asked that question because we've been discussing this property.

I think for two years we've been discussing exactly where all these elements are going to be.

I know that we, you know, we keep having discussion, keep having discussion.

That's not bad.

Um some folks in the public don't pay attention till a little bit later than others.

That's not bad.

It's just the way it is, but I I'm just not interested in continuing to kick the can down the road.

At some point in time, we are going to have to make a decision as a commission as to what we're going to do here.

Uh, and I certainly hope that will happen before we take our summer break.

So, city manager, when do you envision this coming back to us in the evening for a vote on the site plan?

We actually did vote.

Well, we had a can we had a consensus on a site plan, and then that went away, right?

Because there was a change of heart, and so this is not a new topic.

Um, I'm just curious as to when you see us actually seeing a vote at night on the site plan.

As shared in the backup material, we intend to come back to the commission on or before July 2nd, 2026 with an amendment to the interlocal agreement to extend the timeline.

So between now and then, uh it is anticipated that we should be able to have an audience with the Central Beach Alliance to share information and gather any additional feedback and incorporate that in the materials for July 2nd or before.

So you see this coming back to us for a vote prior to our summer break.

I think that is feasible.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, um, so that would complete our afternoon agenda for now, right?

Are we going to not we're not gonna have business um we're not gonna have the other two business items?

Are we're gonna defer that to another meeting?

What have we decided to do there?

What do we decide to do the commissioner?

It does impact district three.

I want to defer to the commissioner.

What do you want to do?

I really think we could um wind this up in a um discuss it in a short manner.

I think we should go ahead and take care of it tonight.

Okay, now or at the end of the uh evening meeting now is there anybody here who's on the um let's find out who's still here anyone here on business five and business six two uh well just the the I don't see I believe we could do it in a um timely manner I believe we can do it in a timely manner if we could move forward please ma'am okay all right we'll move on to business five then uh presentation of the evaluation of the unsolicit proposal submitted by David Mancini for Rivillan portion of the uh Melrose Manor's uh Riverland stormwater improvement fortified Lauderdale project Brad thank you mayor we have Brad Kane Public Works director before he begins you'll recall that I shared a letter to the commission on January 5th of this year since then we've been made apprised of some changes to what we know as the site conditions and as a result uh we're bringing forward this item for discussion there is a companion item so business five and six are very much related and I'll allow Director Kane to proceed.

You can speak to both of them yeah yeah thank you manager Williams good evening Brad Kane Public Works Director Mayor Trentellus Vice Mayor Sorensen fellow commission uh the presentation tonight if I if we could flip them to Melrose versus Riverland we could do that.

Good yep thank you so I'm just gonna try to highlight some of these things real quick and and get to the uh the real uh items at hand as it relates to the unsolicited proposals um just to recap the scope of the work for these two projects combined where as you see in the slides here um it's basically neighborhood design drainage and construction of stormwater infrastructure in both of uh the areas which consists of the following items there 21 miles of drainage pipe 1200 drainage structures two water quality structures and two stormwater pump stations uh water and sanitary sewer line relocations and some swale improvements um this is what I really wanted to get to which is really you know one of the key updates here the current project status uh as we have it um the the project currently is about in 60% design um but as I get to this one issue as you'll see um the city's design phase timeline has been extended by one year um and that's because we've just learned uh very recently of some conflicts as it relates to some FPL undergrounding projects that are happening in the area that create conflicts with the design of this project um and therefore that's going to delay our timeline in terms of completing design by about another year um the other thing just to understand we're also working currently with the chipmunk property to get the necessary drainage easement um that probably will come to commission at some time this summer um that's not gonna affect this um but that other item as I just mentioned is really important to understand that that has an effect on um our ability to complete design as we anticipated it uh currently.

The next slide just talks about the different regulatory permits that you know are required for the county, US Corps of Army Engineers, FDOT and FDEP typically for a drainage project of the size.

Just kind of just pointing those out um to everybody uh just for informational purposes.

Mr.

Kane, could you speak up a little bit?

Of course, please thank you sorry.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

The unsolicited proposals we received on December 23rd, 2025 were from Mancon and David Mancini and Sons for the design construction and delivery of stormwater improvements within the Melrose and Riverland neighborhoods.

They were two separate proposals, which is why we had them in two separate presentations tonight, but very little difference in terms of the overall information being provided, which is just a couple of slides which I can explain as we go through this.

The Melrose Manors one, which we're talking about right now was uh submitted by Mancon and Riverland was by David Mancini and Sons.

Just a little background on ManCon.

They have over 30 years experience in the underground utility infrastructure business in South Florida, specializing in stormwater, sanitary sewer, water mains, uh force mains and drainage system construction.

They have experience in delivering large-scale projects of this size, including neighborhood improvements and pipeline.

Um, the unsolicited proposal specifically related to Melbourne's included, as I pointed out here, 63,000 linear feet of gravity stormwater pipe, over a thousand lineal feet of force main, over 740 drainage structures and one stormwater pump station for this particular project.

This is the other slide that's pretty critical to understand.

Um, so as it stands today, our anticipated completion uh for design won't occur until summer of 2027 with a construction period in the range of two to four years.

And as we get through this process of the additional design, we'll have a better idea on actually where that will fall in terms of the years of construction.

The estimated completion time, as far as we have it right now, is somewhere between 2029 and 2020 31.

In the unsolicited proposals we received, um, it's the same for both.

Um it's two years of guaranteed from notice to proceed.

Uh so basically, if we gave them an NTP uh in July, they would have substantial completion by July of 2028.

Now, this slide here is just showing um the city's estimated cost of this individual project related to Melrose is about 80 million 969,721.

Um's price was around 91, 840, 159.

And I need to just point out in the original um package that we submitted, um, there was an error on these numbers in both projects as related to um information we had received from our consultant.

Uh, we basically there were some inversions of the basins that were involved.

So those numbers, particularly in this one, were way higher uh than the difference now, which is only about 11 million dollar gap, and it still falls within the uh high estimate for the overall project.

But I needed to point that out because it was pretty significant in this one.

But now that number has been updated and corrected.

So, so Brad, just to so I'm clear.

So, this this is post that design change based on the utilities in the uh in the right-away.

Just so I'm clear on that, right?

Your 80 million dollar estimate, 81 million.

That is where we see it today.

Right, right.

Right now, correct as of now.

Once we go and do the additional design work and get to 60 percent on that again, that number will probably change.

And as we get to 90 percent and 100%, that number will change as well.

Sure, it'll firm up and it'll it'll change and it'll it'll it'll narrow down to what your final numbers might be.

And that's in the next 12 to 16 months, yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

So we're at the point we're at today is for consideration from the city commission is um some of the things that would go into the uh P3 if it was accepted.

Um we are looking at putting in significant damages as it relates to liquidation, um, you know, to encourage this project to be completed in a timely fashion.

The contractor is guaranteeing uh the maximum price with no change orders, and that would be negotiated in the agreement, and all permitting from regulatory agencies have to be obtained before any construction uh on these projects.

And that's the same for both projects.

Um, but we would negotiate separate agreements uh for each one based upon um the scope of work.

So the next steps uh at this point would be uh either to reject the unsolicited proposal, continue advancing with the current design bid build approach, utilizing the city's upcoming proof qualified contractors list for this project and for others, or we can accept the unsolicited, proceed in accordance with the statutory requirements by advertising the proposal to invite uh competitive submission through a public notice competition period, which could be at minimum 21 days, or by conducting two public notice meetings to present the proposal received public input and make a determination of public interest, and that's what we're looking for guidance on today from the city commission.

Quick question.

So on uh page nine, it says the city estimate was eighty-four million for Riverland, but the truck contractor's proposal came in as 79.

So there I haven't I haven't got to that proposal.

This is specifically talking about Melrose.

Um, but I'm just it says city estimate 84 million fifty thousand dollars, and then it says, and that's the same number for Riverland.

Am I not reading this correctly?

There is updated numbers for Riverland 2, which I'm not on yet, and those numbers have have varied.

There's a variables.

So is the contractor's proposal greater than or lesser than the city's estimate?

It's greater than in both.

It's greater in both.

Correct.

It still falls within the overall higher end of the engineer estimates, but it is higher than both the current estimates at this time.

Okay.

But Brad, wouldn't we also be then subject to an increase because of the time delay that we would be going through, waiting for all the other stuff to fall into place?

In other words, how you can't really use that number today.

I think it would definitely increase.

Correct.

Going through this process and with the design change in the next 12 to 16 months, um, and then having it back at 60 percent and then 90 and 100.

Up these is those estimates absolutely are subject to change and not necessarily lower.

No, that's that's my point.

Thank you.

So uh Commissioner Beasley Pipps.

Yes.

What is your what are your thoughts?

On your district, yes, it's in my district, and when um I had this conversation, um, my um drive with this is with the opportunity of the method in which this project will be done, um, given an opportunity of um addressing an a quicker matter of the flooding, putting down these bank these uh drain basins that would also address some of the issues that we're having with the flooding.

Um, with that being said, could we call up the um the proposal to let them explain also um what was shared so we can understand how this would uh move this process um in a manner that would be really um proactive while we're going through this process?

David Mancini.

We have David and Anthony Mancini.

And if you could share with us um the concept of methodology regarding um the storm basins that you're proposing to put in place in this uh good evening, mayor, good evening, commission.

Um, this project, Melrose Manors and Riverland, um, is a neighborhood with zero infrastructure.

It is a a quite literally a bull just collecting water.

There is there's nothing, there's nowhere for the water to go.

So our first task and our first sequence, if we're awarded this project and we advance into uh construction would be immediately implementing um protective measures for this rain season that would stay into effect in the next rain season until the project is complete and the lift station is fully operational.

Um it may not prevent, but it will definitely uh help in a major rain event.

Where do you see the water flowing into?

What we would do is in the low-lying areas in these neighborhoods, we would drop catch basins in these neighborhoods, and then we would set up temporary pumps where we would we would divert water from the low-lying areas directly out into F DOT right of way, instead of using, as you remember, the large pump trucks that are maybe one fifteenth the capacity of these pumps.

When you say FDOT right away, why don't you put that into simple terms today?

Yeah, existing infrastructure to the north and south of the neighborhood.

Is there a river or canal anywhere near this neighborhood?

There is.

And that's where the water would be pumped into.

It would actually be pumped into existing drainage systems that the state manages in a major rain event.

It would push the water out of the neighborhood.

Okay.

That's all I want to say.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

With this, I am I want to move in an acceptance of this unsolicited proposal and asking that my colleagues have a consensus and we move in this direction.

I do not want to um witness our neighbors in Melrose Manors and Melrose Park experience what we have in the last several years.

If there's an opportunity to reduce that flooding where it's not high standing, understanding that this is not a complete fix, but it is a way to address the problem to bring down this issue.

So that's my recommendation that we accept this.

Okay.

What does the rest of the commission think about this?

I agree with the digital commissioner.

From my perspective also, and I think from the rest of the districts, actually, this project, correct me if I'm wrong, creates a little bit of a bottleneck for the phase two projects because of the size and the constraints of it.

If we don't expedite this and move in this direction with the unsolicited proposal, I'm afraid that our delays of at least another year to a year and a half just to get through all of our design phases, we'll just create an awful bottleneck for all of the rest of the phase two projects in all of our districts, including more in district three.

So I really think this doesn't just uh behoove district three immediately, but it also helps the entire city in making sure that our Tranch two projects are moving smoothly ahead.

Any other comments?

Yeah, Mayor, I completely support uh Commissioner Beasley Pittman and we need to move as quickly and efficiently as possible towards infrastructure, and this is vital.

So I'm happy to support and excited about moving forward with uh with infrastructure.

Okay.

So thank you, Mayor.

So we had an opportunity to chat this morning.

So let's talk about some of the things we discussed this morning.

Um as I shared with you, I'm not a big fan of P3s for what's otherwise a very basic project.

You know, P3 should be limited to those things that are somewhat unique in nature.

Um, as I said to you, and I'll say it publicly, these are great companies.

We've used them for a lot of projects before.

I'm very comfortable with uh with the companies involved.

That's not the issue.

Um, I am always a little concerned about the about the process though.

So talk to me and let's share with uh with everybody what you said about being able to move forward faster than we can right now because where we were before, in terms of being previously at Brad, correct me if I'm wrong, 90% design previously, before we found out about the utilities.

I thought we were at 90 with the previous design.

So we were at 90% design before we found out about the utility, prior prior to the prior to current.

So, and I and I know these proposals had come in earlier, and I will tell you candidly, I would not have been at all willing to consider doing a P3 when we were at 90% design.

We were ready to go out on the street, and so it would have made absolutely no sense.

Um, I'm willing to consider it now because of the argument that's made about advancing this and the time it's gonna take for us to get to 90% design before we can go out to bid.

So tell us a little bit about what we talked about earlier about your willingness to move forward with this at your risk.

Because I think that's a very important aspect for me.

Sure, go ahead, Dave.

Yeah, so um, if uh this is approved, we will be taking it on in a design build format.

And by that alone, we will take over the design.

The city will hand us where they're at today, and we will plan to break it up in phases to be able to accelerate getting that infrastructure in the ground within three months, having actual pipe and structures installed in the neighborhood, which in the event of a rainstorm, what happens now?

There's no there's nowhere to drop a pump.

So there's no struct there's no infrastructure in the neighborhood as it sits right now.

So if anybody lives in Melrose, when it's a heavy rainstorm, you see they're using the VAC truck pump trucks because that only needs a couple inches of head water to be able to suck the water and dispose of it outside the neighborhood.

But in changing that to a design build, we can install, you know, do the design and phases, smaller phases rather than designing the entire project and putting that out for bid.

We can design one critical block, get those pipe and structures installed quickly, much faster than the whole project's permitting, and as a result, in a rainstorm, be able to drop our pumps into that infrastructure that we install quickly and be able to pump the water out of the neighborhood much faster.

Okay, and we were also talking that we're looking at this as a as basically a GMP with a CM at risk.

So basically you guys are gonna own your price.

We own it.

So oil goes up to $140 a barrel.

We're in trouble.

You still own the price, right?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Which is why you're riding, which is why your estimate is coming in higher than our engineering estimates, because you've got to build some contingency into your numbers because that that's your that's that's your wiggle room in case everything goes even even even further south than we are today.

There is also um, in addition to those contingencies, which absolutely are included in our price, um the estimate definitely doesn't have that storm water response.

So we're taking on for the duration of the project, managing if there is any flooding.

Um that's the one thing we didn't get a chance to discuss today, and I wanted to ask you about so storm-related events.

I mean, uh obviously anything other than a hurricane force majeure, but just regular, you know, regular weather.

Well, even in a hurricane event, we will have a plan of action to be able to address that and will we're gonna take over the neighborhood as it relates to flooding until the project is delivered fully complete.

Okay.

Well, again, as I said to you earlier today, for this kind of a project, I would not have been in favor of it previously.

But given the fact that we're we're looking at a 16-month setback, um, I think it makes sense for the neighborhood to do this.

So I'm comfortable with moving it forward.

Um, I also will share though, with the commission, one thing I I did share with uh with the two companies and and they understand where I'm coming from, but I don't think they object to it is given the enormity of the amount of money that we're spending.

I I would not be in favor of the minimum number of days of putting this out for other companies to bid.

I'm very much in favor of the fact that whenever we're putting public taxpayer dollars to work, that we afford people an opportunity to compete for those dollars.

So I I think for anybody to put a bid together in three weeks and something of this magnitude.

I I do public bids for other companies that I consult with, and I can tell you it's an enormous undertaking.

So I hope we have a reasonable amount of time that encourages competition.

That's all.

Thank you.

Just to clarify, the minimum number of days for a competition period is 21 days, but it can go up to 120 days.

So we would want that level of feedback from the commission if there was a decision to proceed to accept the project and set a competition period.

So I'm just saying not the minimum.

This is not a project of 80 million dollars for each for each component that we're talking about and sixty million dollars give or take isn't is not a 21 day time frame that I think is reasonable for the vendor community.

So what are you recommending?

I was gonna ask this.

Thank you, Mayor.

What recommendation?

Um I sorry, I I think 30 is probably realistic.

45 would be ideal, but 30 is probably realistic.

I like 30.

All right, so we'll leave it.

I just don't want to delay too much.

And actually, I think the I think what we're gonna find, I'm gonna make a prediction that no one else is gonna come in on this because the pricing that we have guaranteed now actually falls within the range of what we thought it was going to be.

A little bit on the high end of the range, but it does fall within the range, and yet those are numbers that don't even take in, as I said, that do not take into consideration what we're still facing.

We have those numbers will really escalate.

So I'm good with 30.

I'll defer to the district commissioner, but I want to get this started.

Yes, I I want to get this started as well.

Um I am comfortable with the 21.

Um, I I want to I want to see this move forward.

I have with what we've discussed and what's on the opportunity.

I believe that this is the time for the community.

Um, it may be considered what nine days, but 21 days to me is comfortable.

I want to move forward for our community, can feel comfortable.

You know, every time it rains, we're getting these phone calls about the water being a fearful of the storm.

So if there's anything that I can do to represent to alleviate that, I believe this is the way to go.

So I'm representing 21.

Me too.

All right, so 30 20 agreed.

I agree with 21.

21.

Okay.

All right, before we before we move on, um, city manager, can I ask a couple questions?

Um, how how are we paying for this?

Is this a 30-year bond?

So for all of our fortified Lauderdale projects, we utilize bond revenue.

Is that a 30-year bond?

We have several issuances.

There's actually one on your agenda tonight for phase two.

Is that what's related to this project?

We already have some funding in place for this project as it's related to phase one.

Okay, so it and how long does that bond period usually last?

I'd be Vet Matthews coming forward with that detail.

Sorry, I don't have it right in front of me, but usually we're doing 30-year bonds on it.

So I'm just so just so that we have some perspective here, and I'm going to support this tonight, but just so that we have some perspective, because city manager, you in the past have um, like when we talked about the city hall, you know when the projection of what the actual cost would be for a project, um, at at you know, this 148 million or the high estimates 173 million, it's not really 173 million, it's probably more a half a billion.

Isn't that correct?

Where are you going?

Where'd you go with that?

As I as I try to compare, you know, the analyses that we um that that we were that was proposed to us when we're discussing the new construction of the city hall.

Um the city hall was estimated at uh the I think it was the 200 million dollar mark.

You estimate it was gonna cost over 700 million.

So the reality is that this Melrose Manors Riverland uh storm mitigation project is not really 148, and it's not really 173, it's really half a billion dollars, isn't that correct?

Yeah, and um mayor, the important thing to note was the city hall 720 million dollars was inclusive both of the debt service, the developer's equity, as well as the OM costs, uh, which were six million dollars a year.

I like to do a it's kind of like with your mortgage, right?

So you take a mortgage out on your house, it's for a certain price.

You should in your mind at least double it because by the time you're done paying for it, it usually with the interest costs will end up costing almost double the cost.

And so it's a similar situation when we issue bonds.

We do pay a debt service.

We're very fortunate that because of our strong credit rating, it usually is at a favorable rate.

But you're right, there is interest costs that come along with issuing debt.

Is this does this cost include operation and maintenance of the stormwater system?

So we budget as you look at our stand tech models um each year in June, you'll notice that we budget for the expansion of the operations and maintenance of our stormwater system as we bring new projects online.

So we've beefed up our staffing as well as the overall operating cost associated with the stormwater system.

But these prices that are on our um page nine, they would not, they would be specifically for the project.

Right.

And I just want to add that every time we do a bond issuance, we do indicate how much it will cost the city over the life.

So whether it's 30 years, we share that information at that point.

But this isn't a this isn't a 30-year number.

That's correct, but we do share that in other agenda items that speaks to the revenue that is supporting this project.

But we don't highlight it ever like we did with City Hall, do we?

So I'm just the point I'm trying to make is that in full disclosure, being transparent here, the public should know that this project is not the price that we see here.

It's much more than that.

And um, and that's why when we talked about the city Hall, I thought that that $720 million dollar number was um was was not only inaccurate, but it was distracting from uh from a a credible conversation regarding the cost of the new city hall, because it wasn't really $720 million dollars, it was much less.

And for some reason, you added the developer's fee, you added you know 30 years operation and maintenance.

I mean, you know, so I want I want to make sure that going forward that we present numbers that are real and and when we get back to the city hall conversation that we don't keep piling on numbers of for whatever reason that we did that uh when in fact you know the price is what we're presented now and and what it what it costs us over 30 years is another is another uh cost that will we will have to absorb in in future budgets.

But I I bring that up as a point because you didn't do it here, but you did it with the city hall, and that's why I'm concerned that you know you didn't also bring it up here because the reality is this is gonna cost us half a billion dollars.

511,514,331 dollars and eight cents.

Thank you, Dr.

Spock.

Just as the CPA.

Yvette, when you talked about like you should look at it like when people have a mortgage on their home.

That was what I was trying to get out in the conversation about City Hall.

A real estate agent advertises uh a five.

Excuse me, please don't yell from the audience.

A real estate agent doesn't advertise a house at what it will cost after a 30-year mortgage, they advertise the purchase price of the house.

Same thing when you purchase a car and you get a car loan, but for some reason we didn't do that before.

Um, but now we need to let's make it apples to apples, that's all.

If we're going to highlight something, like on Atlas Project with big bold letters and tell tell the residents that we're spending three quarters of a billion dollars on a city hall, it's a little disingenuous, is what I'm saying.

That's all, thank you.

All right, so let's move forward.

I think the 21 days is the consensus.

Um I think that uh these neighborhoods have suffered long enough.

Uh, not just so many of our neighborhoods were never built uh with proper infrastructure.

A lot of them were built on the cheap by the original developers, and now we're we're having to pay for it.

But I'm sorry, Mary.

And just to clarify, Melrose Manors was built without infrastructure.

I'm saying they have zero.

That's what I'm saying.

All these all these neighborhoods were built on the cheap without without sidewalks, without uh stormwater, without pump stations, without a lot of things.

And um, and so now so just like a lot of the rest of the infrastructure in our city, we're making up for lost time for failure to invest that we should have in the past, and you know, it's about time we do this because I remember when I was campaigning in 2020, and we're standing in in huge pools of water over in Melrose uh Manors because there was no infrastructure, and we had tremendous rain three days before the election, lucky us.

But uh let's move forward as aggressively and as uh as quick as quickly as possible on this.

Thank you.

That's with four that's with regard to business five and business six.

Yes.

Later on this evening, we do have two walk-on items related to these conference discussion items that will address the competition period.

All right, great.

All right, that's it for the afternoon discussion.

We're done conference.

That meeting is concluded.

That's it.

All right, now let's move on to the regular.

All those folks that are here for Melrose Manors and Riverland Road, the item is going forward.

Okay, moving on to R1 appointment of board and committee members.

Mr.

Clerk, would you please like to read the names into the into the record?

Are they turning the lights up, please?

Uh Mayor, we have uh motions also before before resolutions.

I can't hear you.

Motions.

M1.

Did I skip motions?

Oh, I'm sorry.

M1 motion approving a service agreement with Pepe Gotka related to the installation of a mural in Peter Felman Park.

Before we get there, I saw the rendering.

Uh who can speak to me on the rendering?

We have Josh Harden, our cultural affairs officer.

Josh, you may have answered this question before, but I just want to make sure I understand if you Josh, this rendering is not just one side, it's all sides.

Because this is a significant amount of money we're paying for a uh a mural.

And I just want to make sure that we're not just paying, you know, this amount of money for one side.

So the same kind of artwork will appear on all four sides of this.

Yes, sir.

Exactly.

All right, all right.

Um, someone like to move the item.

So moved.

Do I hear a second?

Second.

Move and seconded.

Any questions regarding this?

Josh, this is going to be finished in June.

We're hoping so, yes, sir.

It's been a long time.

It has, yes, sir.

Long time.

So let's get Pepe moving.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

He's back in the country.

He's back in the country.

Yes.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Thank you so much.

Please call the roll.

Commissioner Herbst.

Yes.

Commissioner Glossman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Sorensen?

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes.

And M1's approved.

M2, a motion approving an agreement.

Pursuant to a multi-step procurement process.

Uh request for qualifications, pre-qualification for design bill services, and so forth and so on.

This is regarding core construction services of Florida.

This is regarding fire station number 13.

No one is signed up to speak.

Does anyone have any questions?

No.

Um very excited about this, Mayor.

Thank you.

Yes, about time, right?

Yeah, yeah, that's me.

Excellent.

Mayor, may I clarify that this also has to do with medical substation number 88?

Yeah.

So there are two facilities in one and fire start.

Fire station 13 is the last of the 2004 fire bond projects.

So we're very excited to see this come forward.

You know, those those projects, when I was commissioner, we voted to build all those fire stations for 20 million dollars.

It just shows you how long you've been around.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And how long it costs us when we wait and delay like this.

Right?

Yeah.

Okay.

It's been moved.

Has it been seconded?

Second.

Okay.

Please call the roll.

Commissioner Herbst.

Yes.

Commissioner Glossman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Sorensen.

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes.

And M2 is approved.

R1.

Now the appointment of board and committee members.

Please read the names into the record.

Thank you, Mayor.

For tonight's resolution, Aviation Advisor Board, Lewis Gabba, nominated by Vice Mayor Sorensen.

Board of Adjustment, Jay Scheckman, nominated by Vice Mayor Sorensen.

Cemetery System Board of Trustees, Kelly Scurry, nominated by Vice Mayor Sorensen.

Charter Revision Board, Michael Albeda, nominated by Commissioner Glossman.

Economic Development Advisor Board, Elena Jean Francoell, nominated by Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

And Marine Advisory Board, Theodore Morley, nominated by Vice Mayor Sorensen, and that rounds it out.

Okay.

Uh, any other modifications or additions?

There being none.

Would someone like to introduce the resolution?

Introduced.

Resolution's been introduced.

Please call the roll.

A resolution of city commission of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida appointing or nominating if applicable boarding committee members as set forth in the exhibit attached here too.

Hereof Commissioner Herbst?

Yes.

Commissioner Glossman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Sorensen.

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes.

And R1 is now approved.

And I want to thank those individuals who have uh volunteered to sit on the board and committees.

Thank you for your commitment to our city.

R2 resolution approving an interlocal agreement between the city of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County for $3 million surtax grant match program for Breakers Avenue.

When are we going to get breakers done already?

Excuse me.

Mayor.

Mayor, remember your first charette in 2003.

2003.

In Breakers Avenue.

Well, it's only 23 years later.

Almost the same amount of time we waited for Mary Brickle Avenue to get uh named.

Uh right?

Almost the same amount of time.

Uh yeah, I would be very happy to uh would you like to introduce the resolution?

So pleased to move this resolution.

Yes.

Any questions with regard to this?

There being none, please call the role.

A resolution of the city commission of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, approving an interlocal cert tax funding agreement for city of Fort Lauderdale between the city of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County for the Breakers Avenue Resiliency and Traffic Improvement Surtex Grant Match program authorizing the city manager to execute the interlocal agreement and any required documents associated with the interlocal agreement and providing for an effective date.

Commissioner Herbst?

Yes.

Commissioner Glossman?

Yes.

Mr.

Beasley Pittman?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Sorensen?

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes.

And R2 is approved.

R three resolution approving a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for one million dollars.

State appropriation for the Las Otas uh Boulevard safety Improvements and Americans with Disabilities upgrades.

West the Western Corridor from Andrews Avenue to 17th Avenue.

No one is signed up to speak.

Someone please introduce the resolution.

I'll introduce it, Mayor.

Just thank uh city staff, transportation and mobility, Milo, the whole team.

This is gonna be a fantastic improvement for uh those with disabilities and and challenges and also for all folks uh on 17th.

So thank you.

Okay.

Um resolution has been introduced.

Please call the role.

A resolution city commission of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida approving a state funded grant agreement with the state of Florida Department of Transportation authorizing the acceptance of the grant funds from the Florida Department of Transportation, the amount of one million dollars for the construction of the Los Souls Boulevard Safety Improvements with American with Disabilities Act upgrades and authorizing city manager to execute the grant agreement any and all documents necessary or incidental to accept such grant funding on behalf of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and providing for an effective date, Commissioner Herbst.

Yes, Commissioner Glossman?

Yes, Commissioner Beasley Pittman, yes, Vice Mayor Sorensen?

Yes, Mayor Trentals.

Yes, and that item is now approved.

R4 resolution approving a grant agreement with the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development for the construction of the Breakers Avenue Resiliency and Traffic Improvements Project in the amount of eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

One person is signed up to speak.

Is Mr.

Joe Askerberg still here?

He is not okay.

Anyone else wish to speak on this item?

There being no one.

Um someone like to introduce the resolution.

Yes, sir.

This is a companion to that.

Thank you to the federal government and Congress uh Congressman Maskowitz for all of his help in getting us uh these funds for the Breakers Avenue project.

Please call the role.

A resolution city commission of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida approving a grant agreement authorizing the acceptance of the grant funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Breakers Avenue resiliency and traffic improvements project in the amount in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the amount of $850,000 delegating authority to the city manager to execute the grant agreement and any and all documents necessary or incidental to acceptance of such grant funding on behalf of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, providing for an effective date.

Commissioner Herbst, yes, Commissioner Glossman, yes, Mr.

Beasley Pittman.

Yes, Vice Mayor Sorensen, yes, Mayor Trentals.

Yes, and that item is now approved.

Uh R 5 city manager annual performance review.

Uh I understand the city manager has a presentation.

I just have a few introductory comments.

Was there I was told there might be a video?

No, there is no video.

There's an attachment exhibit one.

Right.

Okay.

So has everyone had a chance to review the uh the attachment?

Yes.

Yes.

All right.

Um, okay.

Anyone wish any do you have any comments you'd like to make?

Thank you, Mayor.

I just want to start by saying that it has truly been an honor and privilege to serve as your city manager over the last year.

It has been 14 years since the city of Fort Lauderdale welcomed someone external to the organization to come in and serve in this capacity.

So it has truly been a year of growth and learning and progress.

Uh exhibit one reflects a sampling of the work that has been done under my leadership, but with your guidance and support through the strength of our very, very capable team of individuals.

I've had the opportunity to go out into the community to learn more about the neighborhoods and the districts and the concerns.

I've met with stakeholders.

I've had a chance to do ride-alongs with various operational departments and learn more about the needs of the operation.

I'm very proud that our city remains financially solvent.

Uh, this year we have re-implemented a financial integrity principles policy.

And we haven't done that in 10 years, and so I'm really proud of that.

This year we also established an emergency reserve fund.

We haven't what we haven't maintained.

What was that?

Financial integrity principles.

We had not refreshed those in about 10 years.

I'm proud of the reorganization that we've done, which has allowed for new departments to thrive and to allow existing departments to be even more productive.

Our team is full of momentum, and I think the past year has taught me a lot about the strengths of our team members, and they've been very flexible and agile.

No matter what I've asked for, they found a way to deliver, and I really appreciate all of them for that.

And if if every member of the staff could stand up at this time just to be acknowledged for all the work that you do.

We're all a work in progress, and I'm truly proud of our efforts to date.

And I know this is only the beginning of more positivity to come.

So thank you.

So a number of people have signed up to speak.

So before the commission um has their conversation, why don't we just listen to the public?

Um I'll call your names by threes.

Jerry Nesbitt, Gerald Nesbitt Sr.

Uh Dudley, Dudley Harvard, and Ted and Sarah.

Is Gerald Nesbitt here?

You left?

Is Dudley here?

Oh, come on up.

And then Ted and Sarah.

This is Dudley, right?

Yeah, this is good.

Good evening, everyone.

Good evening, mayor, commissioner, staff, and everyone.

My name is Dudley Etienne Harvard, and I proudly serve as the president of Sunset Civic Association within District Three under the leadership of Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

I'm here today to speak in support of our city manager, Miss Williams.

During her annual performance review, from what I've seen and what is reflected in her leadership, she demonstrates a strong commitment to responsiveness, accountability, and community engagement.

Those are not just words, they're experienced in firsthand within Sunset.

Miss Williams took the time to personally be with our civic association and the residents.

She didn't just listen, she act, she ensured we were connected to the right department, the right staff, and the right um solutions.

That level of follow-up speaks volumes about her leadership, style and dedication for serving the neighbors and not just some.

Effective leadership at the city level requires collaboration, transparency, and ability to move priorities forward, and we've seen that in action.

Her approach aligns with what residents want, a city that listens, responds, and delivers.

On behalf of Sunset Community, I want to say thank you.

Thank you.

Ted and Sarah, followed by Steve Witten, followed by uh Dr.

John Bill.

Ted and Sarah President of River Oaks.

I didn't plan on speaking twice tonight.

I thought it was one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

But uh I just want to say, you know, River Oaks, we have a strange relationship with some city officials.

You know, especially in the past, and uh a few department heads refused to come to River Oaks for to our civic association, meaning because they claimed there was a hostile environment.

But uh I just want to say that we had Raquel very early when she was hired, and we weren't the first.

I know downtown was, but we were right there, remember two or three, and uh and let me tell you, from that day on, she really wowed our civic association.

And the key, not only that, it was the people that she has brought with her.

Um let me tell you, I was speaking with Brad Cain this uh over this past weekend about the rain, because you know, if from River Oaks, we have a flooding problem.

I reached right out to him and he reached right back to me.

Uh I met with Quinton at the uh Gorbett's Park, you know, on ground level.

He came out and and we walked the ground.

Anytime I've reached out to them, they have always come through.

And she was smart enough to keep Chris and Ben back here that are vital parts.

You know, and you know, knew who to keep and who to replace.

And I agreed with every one of her uh uh every one of her commands and uh she's a hidden river oaks.

She's I think she's a benefit to the city of Port Lauderdale, and uh we're just I am, I know.

Let me speak for myself.

I'm just uh very happy that she's our city manager.

Okay, thank you.

Is Steve Witten here?

Steve, followed by John, Dr.

John Hill.

Followed by Bob Bobby Henry.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and commissioners.

First of all, congratulations for passing the living seawall permit of fee assistance, a tremendous program.

And as Ben said, one of the um leaders in the country, so congratulations for that.

A quick moment of your time, please.

Um I didn't come here tonight to celebrate Raquel's success, but I came instead to celebrate yours.

This is about the five of you as much as it is about Raquel and her team.

As my old Italian partner from Harrison, New York used to say, There is no I in team.

I want to tell you how proud I am of all of you for taking the shot with what I thought was a still somewhat untested young woman from Miami, and look at the results.

Look at the group, look at the respect, look at the collective respect for all of you.

You picked the right person, you did it, and our residents are reaping the collective benefits of your hard and insightful work, the work hard work of Raquel and her team, but it's all a result of your efforts.

Through your efforts, we are truly one of the most respected waterfront communities in the United States, and it's now not just lip service when we refer to ourselves as the boating capital of the world.

What's happened over the last couple of years, etc., particularly the last year, we are indeed the boating capital of the world.

We're not the yachting capital of the world.

It's boating for everybody.

And again, you did this.

You collectively created one of the hottest, most vibrant melting pots of the community.

Raquel simply keeps the lights on and the city functioning, but it's all a result of your efforts.

We absolutely look the part.

Look at you guys, everybody on the team.

We speak the part of a true big waterfront city.

Allow me to share.

Back way too many years ago, I was in a master's program in behavioral psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and we participated in a groundbreaking study on Bell Telephone employees.

Do you remember operators?

What motivates employees more?

Is it more money or is it acknowledgement?

It turned out the extra dollar so wasn't nearly as important as acknowledging somebody for their outstanding efforts, aka a job well done.

We definitely all use some additional pats on the back.

No gratuitous bullshit, but some simple acknowledgments of people for jobs well done.

I'd like to suggest we take a moment to applaud what Raquel and their team have accomplished, but even more importantly, what this group has accomplished.

I can't wait to see what the next 12 months hold for the city under your collective leadership, everybody's leadership.

Come on, everyone.

Let's get up and applaud Raquel and the five bosses on the game.

Terrific job.

Thank you.

You could keep talking, Steve.

No.

Uh Dr.

Is Dr.

Hill here?

Oh, there you are.

Followed by uh Bobby Henry, followed by Titiana Johnson.

Honorable mayor, commissioners, and special kudos to Commissioner Beasley of district tree of which I'm in.

I apologize because I have some Laurential problems with my throat here and trying to vocalize, so I hope that I can make some lucidity and you guys understanding what I'm saying.

I'm Dr.

John H.

Myzel Hill the Third.

An offspring of one of the most influential black families here in Broward County, the Hill Myzel family.

I am a retired medical professor in anatomical sciences, or trade science professor, FIU, adjunct professor in the College of Public Health and Environmental Toxicology.

This is my very beautiful daughter, which I'm so proud, proud of.

She's um, yeah.

Well, the mayor will let me talk.

He'll let me know.

I'll be I'll be patient here.

So I uh I'd like to say something very complimentary about our city manager, that's why I'm here.

For her exceptional uh leadership and dedication to our city.

Heads off to you, her constant guidance, fortitude, thoughtful making decisions, and the complete transparency to forwarding our city into significant and very very advantageous and progressive uh matters through dedication, through okay, all right.

Well, anyway, we commend her, and we have really uh have appreciated her services to the city, and we hope she continues to do uh the work that she's done.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Bobby Henry, followed by Titiana Johnson.

Anyone else wish to speak?

That's it.

Good evening, to everybody, mayor, vice mayor, and entire commission staff, and to everybody in the room.

I want to take my hat off and tip it to the lady.

I um was trying to find three things that you did, but instead I got seven.

I'm not gonna read them.

You talked about them tonight.

What I want to say on behalf of my family, my sisters over there, we're another one of those families in the community that uh is exceedingly proud to be a part of this, and uh city manager.

Your staff and all of its diversity speaks to where this community, this city can go, and you can take some credit for that.

The gentleman before the gentleman before me.

He said it best because of you all who's sitting up here, you made it possible.

She couldn't do it alone.

So you all need to be commended, and we all need to understand what it means to have diversity as a team, and I'm spelling team with two M's.

Together, each can accomplish much more, and you got a team here.

So I think you need to use it, and I learned something tonight coming here, other than laughing at y'all sometime when y'all put on y'all performances.

I learned about a natural seawall and what that meant.

I learned about grass, fake grass, and how it can cause damage.

I learned how people who can disagree and in the end agree to get something done.

And that's what it's all about.

So I want to say to the community, don't let this be your last time coming here.

And don't be afraid to have a difference.

It's okay for us to have a difference to be different.

That's okay.

So you mentioned the button on me.

Are you?

Thank you.

The band's again.

The band's gonna play it a couple seconds.

And again, thank you so very much.

And Miss Williams, keep it up.

We got your back.

Good evening.

Go ahead.

Good evening, everyone.

Today I rise to speak in support of someone who is not only making a difference.

Can you pull that microphone down a little bit?

Yes, pull it down a little bit more.

Get it right.

There you go.

Yeah.

Okay.

Good evening, everyone.

Today I rise to speak in support of someone who is not only making a difference, but redefining what true service to a city and community looks like.

In every neighborhood, there are people who talk about change, and then there are those who do the work.

The individual work we're recognizing today falls firmly in that second category.

Working as a city worker in this space, she carries not just the weight of responsibility, but the hopes, voices, and lived experiences of many too often go unheard.

And yet they don't just show up, they show out.

They show up when resources are limited.

They show up when challenges challenges feel overwhelming.

They show up when others step back, but more importantly, she shows results.

Because of her dedication, families are being supported, voices are being amplified, and doors that once felt closed are now opening.

They are building trust where there was doubt, creating opportunity, there where there was scarcity, and inspiring others to believe that real change is possible.

Representing representation matters, but impact matters even more.

And this individual brings both.

She reminds us that leadership is not about titles, it's about service, it's about consistency, it's about having the courage to stand in spaces when you may be the only one, and still choosing to give all for the greater good.

So today we don't just acknowledge her, we stand in full support, we support her vision, support her work, and we commit to standing us alongside her because when one person is doing great things for the community and city, it's up to all of us to uplift, protect, and continue that momentum.

Let's not just applaud her efforts, but let's match her energy.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Also to those of you who have held me accountable and who've said, hey, what's going on over here?

We need the city to do better in this area.

So thank you for the continuous feedback and the support.

Thank you.

So before I open it up to the commission, and I'm sure everyone on the commission would like to say something.

Um I think that uh listening to the public here tonight has been very helpful in understanding the um the image and the impression that you have given the community and uh since you've been here a little over one year now.

And uh, and I think that's important because uh I think that that um the people look up to you as a role model, and uh and and having been having come from you know Miami Dade and and now here in our city, uh, you know, people continue to want to see uh people from their community rise to levels of of leadership and importance, and want to see them succeed.

And I think we all want to see everyone succeed.

That you know you brought a lot of very quality people to our city.

Many of the assistant city managers and directors that have now been hired, you know, have brought a significant amount of value to our city.

But you know, what what I want to bring up also, however, is that there are situations which I have great concern over.

And so let me let's all sit back and you know, I want I want you to understand me, and I want everyone to understand where I'm coming from.

You know, I love Fort Lauderdale, and we've spent, and I personally have spent many, many years on this dais as a commissioner as in the mayor, trying to accomplish the things that I believe this community has wanted to see.

And we have made great strides, uh, starting from you know sports arenas, sports centers, underground infrastructure, um, getting us through COVID.

Um it's been there have been challenges every time we turn around.

And it's been an interesting ride, and uh and I have to say that you know this commission in its different forms have uh have really risen to the task of of trying to accomplish the things that needed to get done.

Um and so we set that standard and we set that go those those goals and um and it's really the purpose of a city manager to fulfill those goals, and uh and that's and so to that extent, I think it's important for us to understand that personally I feel that a number of the things that um this commission has asked this the city manager to fulfill realistic efforts have been have been made.

But I also want you to understand my frustration in seeing a number of things that were not fulfilled, and um and it's very difficult for me to continue to stay on this path and not be able to verbalize my frustration in some of the things that you know I feel that when the commission says something the city manager's responsibility is to fulfill those responsibilities, and um and one of those things is understanding how this commission does business, and uh I know for example Commissioner Herbst has never been a fan of P3 development, but P3 development has always been a very important aspect of how we've gotten things done in the last eight years of this city.

Um fact when it was first introduced by the state legislature as an as uh at these unsolicited proposals, it's been a handy tool for the city in order to get things done.

You've often fought against it, and you've verbalized it on many occasions to people both within the city and without how frustrated you are with the P3 approach, and in many cases we have seen you fight back against trying to handle some of these projects uh from that perspective, and that's very frustrating for for commission that has made it a priority that the P3 process is very important to our city, and uh and to see um the see frustrations materialize because we we thought we had a person who's going to work with us, not against us.

Um, and it's really important that the commission feel feel comfortable in knowing that a city manager is not working behind his back and and having an alternative agenda that does that doesn't it that isn't consistent with her own vision, and I think that um and uh and I can go into detail, but right now I just want to talk in generalities because we have a lot ahead of us, we have a lot of projects we're trying to fulfill.

I'm very happy we are going ahead on a P3 project with uh Mancini tonight.

We've uh we've we've given direction to the commission to the manager now to to move forward on those projects, but it's been very frustrating in the past to try to work through those processes.

Moreover, we have a concern about your relationship with our um our public safety departments.

Um for the last several months I've heard nothing but um uh frustration and difficulty in your relationship with our public safety departments.

Our fire chief, our police chief, uh mid-level command staff, um they're they're uh tremendous amount of frustration, and um and that's not a good thing.

The city manager should always work in synced with our with our public safety departments, and uh, and we're finding that uh that that's not happening.

Uh in fact um there's a significant amount of pressure on them to even leave the city because they can't continue to work with you, and uh, and I think that to me that you know we're happy with our our police department, we're happy with our fire department, we're not looking for change.

So when we when we asked you to join our city, you know, it wasn't so much to it was there to be a facilitator to fulfill the goals of the commission, not to be a disruptor, to upset the the uh the foundations of some of the just taking us years to try to create and um and here we're finding ourselves constantly uh trying to to um uh to I don't know trying to make sure that our city stays intact and we don't continue to lose personnel who um who have told us time and again they're they're ready to leave our city because it's fine they're finding it difficult to work under your directives.

Um and I find that uh particularly frustrating because uh just the other day I got a call from a union chief who said he's been trying to reach you for the last couple of weeks and you're not returning his phone calls, and and that's not good, and that's not that's not how we want to run our our city, and it's it's disrespectful.

And a lot of the a lot of the um community partners that we deal with, whether they be union people, whether they be uh people in other industries and or other levels of government uh continue to um inform me that you've often been very dismissive of them, and you've often been uh uh unwilling to work with them, and uh and that's not good because we spend years trying to build relationships in this city, and uh you come in here with a somewhat imperious attitude that has been very frustrating.

I know, I know you should know what's going on, folks.

I know.

Well, I I think you should hear it because this is what's going on.

Okay.

And so and so, and so for that reason, it it's alarming that we have to we are now at a crossroads as to you know our relationship with you and to determine whether or not you know, you know, what's our what are our next steps?

It's very frustrating because um, you know, you've been very friendly towards me.

Uh you've uh shown uh compassion in many situations.

You've uh you know you've uh you you show up at a lot of events, and um it's been uh it's been welcoming because not all city managers have been that way.

Um you have uh you know you've directed your attention in places where before uh they places have been ignored, but at the same time, you know, we find that it's it's becoming it we're at a point in our in our governance that we have to make a decision where we're going uh from this point forward, simply because um I refuse to accept the fact that our public safety people um are at their wits' end, and uh and why that's happening and why why that behavior and that and that relationship has has occurred.

It's never happened before in any of our city managers, and trust me, we've lived through a number of them in the last eight years, but the reality is that we that it's not something that we can continue to to uh to uh sustain.

So, those are my initial remarks.

Um, and but I want to just point out one other thing.

You know, there was a situation in which the NAACP had a press conference a couple weeks ago regarding an allegation of uh racism within our our department, and um I had asked you uh uh the day of that of that uh um press conference whether you knew anything about it.

And you said that you didn't know anything about it, but I have an email here that was that you received over a week prior to that news conference in which you were informed about it, and it's very clearly states that all this all the issues that were that arose that were stated in that news conference, and you know, it it created a very bad impression of our city because there were unsubstantiated allegations, yet there was a press conference making those allegations, it made our police department look bad, it made our police chief look bad, and I don't know whether that was deliberate or whether it was indifference, but the reality is that I don't believe you were honest with us with regard to that moment.

And why is that so important?

It's so important because I love my city.

I've spent years representing the city, and I don't want to know that I have a city manager that's prepared to throw someone under the bus and and not try to work with within the department and within with our community to be able to resolve issues that I find extremely revolting.

I think racism is a terrible thing, and I think that that anything we could have done to avoid that situation should have been undertaken by your office.

Especially since according to this email, you knew everything about it the week before.

So before I ask you to respond, I'd like to hear from the other members of this commission.

I'll start to my left, Commissioner Herbst.

Do you have any comments to make?

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, uh, I was not aware of uh of that, so this is news to me, and that's very disturbing, Michelle.

Uh Commissioner Herbs, could I interrupt you for a second?

Yeah.

Um I the mayor just uh shared some very uh biting feedback of the city manager.

So, I'd like the city manager to be afforded the opportunity to uh respond to that if that's all right.

Sure.

Um prior to us us talking through, if that's all right, Commissioner Harps.

That that's absolutely fine.

I'd I'd like to I'd like to get a response to that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Herbs and Vice Mayor Sorensen.

As it relates to the allegations of hostile work environment at the Fort Lauderdale police department, I was not aware that the NAACP was going to be holding a press conference to talk about those allegations.

What I was aware of is that there were some concerns with an exam related to a sergeant's test.

When I was made aware by our police chief of the concerns, I met with him, actually tried to give him some advice as to how to approach the situation and try to manage it and make it better.

He actually was intending on putting out a statement to the entire police department, and he shared that statement with me, and I gave him some feedback on it.

I in no way anticipated that it would become a press event.

We handle allegations or concerns administratively all the time.

Honestly, I'll let you finish, but so your relationship with the uh the African American community and um with Marsha Ellison, who happens to be in the audience, is that distant that she would not have alerted you that she was going to have a press conference regarding something so significant.

I don't think you want to go there, mayor.

Yeah, I really don't think you want to go there.

I do not I do not have it is my it is my assessment that the NAACP likely wanted to have a press conference without city staff having knowledge of it in advance.

That press conference was scheduled for the morning of a city commission meeting.

When the chief made me aware of the press conference.

I shared that immediately with every member of the city commission.

So any allegation as to my involvement with the press conference or me throwing any public safety professional under the bus is baseless.

Since I've joined the city, our police department has done nothing but get better and better.

We have shaved off 1.2 million dollars in overtime, not by accident, but because I involved myself as well as the Office of Management and Budget to help get that under control.

Since I joined the city, our police department is now sending crime stats to FDLE, something that was not happening on a regular basis prior to my inquiring about it.

So all I've done over the past year is provided support.

You can check from last year's decision packages as well as my most recent meeting with the police department, whereas I've been very supportive from a financial perspective and from a guidance perspective where necessary.

Is it perfect?

Absolutely not.

No police department is.

We're seeing our overall crime rate go down, but there's also areas that I think we all would like to see improve.

That's what a city manager does.

A city manager doesn't shy away, but I engage.

As to the fire department, also I've been very supportive of the fire department.

We've also shaved time about half a million dollars worth of overtime over the past year.

They have been supported in every facet and capacity by me and the rest of the administrative team.

In terms of public-private partnerships, I have no challenge with public-private partnerships.

I will always work in the best interest of the city under the guidance and leadership of the commission.

Over this past year, major public-private partnerships have been advanced under my leadership, not by accident.

Our city hall project, albeit that we are exploring additional options at the direction of the city commission, has advanced more so this year than it has in years.

Again, that is because we put our head down and we've done the work and we continue to do the work with pride.

I periodically have coffee with the FOP president, maybe every other month, I speak to our fire union president maybe once a month.

So I'm not really sure of which union president you are referring to.

I never want to come across as dismissive or imperious.

Sometimes a person in my role has to be assertive and has to be a leader.

What you've seen in exhibit one, not just a collection of things that we've accomplished, but things that I've put on my plate, not because anyone asked me to, not because the commission directed me to, not because staff said this is something that has to be done.

There's so many elements that have been completed and done based on me assessing and observing and making a decision that we can do even better than we've already done.

So, as your city manager, I am proud of the team that we have in place.

I'm proud of being able to help build the team to be even stronger.

And if there are areas or relationships that are weakened because of my style or my approach, and what I've shared with every team member is that I ask questions, I'm naturally inquisitive, and some questions probably should have been asked many years ago.

And I'm now asking them not because I'm doing a gotcha, but it's because I want to help.

I want to help.

And so if it is that the commission has challenges with my style or my approach, just know that I'm amenable, I am flexible.

It's great to hear the feedback.

My goal is to continue to progress.

Many of the items that you see here before you have lingered for years, years.

We've cleaned up so many things.

I spent the first six months just finding where the bodies are buried and addressing issues that have gone unaddressed.

Did that cause me to have to keep my head down a lot?

Yes.

But while I was keeping my head down, I was pounding the pavement.

I was at every neighborhood association meeting at every possible city related event or function.

I have dedicated so much of my time because it's required of me in this role, but also because I love service and I love what I do and I'm committed to what I do.

I don't ask anything of my team that I wouldn't do myself if I didn't have the time or if I know they have the expertise, so maybe they're probably better at doing it.

But my team knows how hard I work, they know how late I stay, they know that I'm up early, and they know that I'm committed.

And I'm hoping that this commission knows that I'm committed as well.

I would be disappointed to think that the commission may think otherwise.

I have dedicated uh myself in terms of purchasing a home in this city.

Uh something required of me, and thankfully the commission offered a grace period in which for me to do so.

Uh, I have ensured that we have left no stone unturned.

I do not just keep the lights on, I push Fort Lauderdale forward, and I have taken that approach since day one.

And hopefully that is acknowledged here today.

If the fire chief or police chief uh is supportive of the statements made today, that would be the first that I'm hearing of it.

I have I've never heard that either one of them wants to leave the city.

I have always supported them.

I even brought them to Tallahassee, uh some a place they had not been to before to help advocate and lobby on behalf of the city.

I've I've done quite a bit to ensure that those departments are supported and funded.

So I continue to be committed to leading with integrity and delivering excellence, something that I have said since day one, and these accusations and the aspersions that have been cast, I receive them in the manner in which they were offered as feedback, and I will work to address any of these concerns, but know that I continue to be dedicated to this city and to giving my all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I have thank you for that.

Commissioner Herbs, do you have any comments?

So uh again, as I was starting to say, so thank you.

Um, thank you for that explanation.

I'd I'd like to understand a little more about that, though.

So, what exactly did you know?

When did you know?

Because if you recall, as soon as I found out that the NAACP was was going to be having a press conference, I immediately asked you, you know, what's going on.

And candidly, you weren't quite that forthcoming with me initially.

You just said, you know, there were different versions of it.

I didn't realize at that time, and you weren't exactly again forthcoming with me that you had been aware of this for at least a week prior.

So that's that's this is and I'm surprised to hear that because I would have expected you to have shared that with me that you knew about this for a while.

You said there was going to be an IA investigation, and as I told you, I wasn't I wasn't interested in the IA investigation.

I wanted to know what you knew at the time.

So the sergeant's exam controversy, which is what I'll characterize it as, uh, it was an evolving matter.

The members of FLPD on all sides of the argument were providing their concerns at various moments in time.

So it was an evolving situation.

Uh we even had a staff call, city attorney included, human resources, outside counsel to determine how can we address this matter?

Do we need to talk to Miami Dade College, the folks who uh do the exam on our behalf?

Do we need to talk to anyone in human resources that has some insight into this?

And so when you asked me that day at the commission meeting after it was brought up from the Dais, I had heard rumblings.

None of it was substantiated, and I shared with you the advice that we had discussed at a team with counsel that because the NAACP had been asking for FDLE to step in and to investigate the matter, we thought the approach would be best handled by internal affairs in combination with our Office of Professional Standards to give somewhat of an outside element.

Even at that time that I shared that with you, that was still evolving and not the final determination until I sent that to the city commission via email.

I think it was the following day.

So there within police departments, from my experience, there's always something.

And the police chief can probably attest to that.

I viewed this as standard police operations, that there's always gonna be someone wondering why they either made it on the list or didn't make it on the list, and someone I believe uh within the department has invested time in trying to find out if maybe someone cheated or someone had a greater opportunity than they did.

I really don't know all the facts.

To this date, I don't know all the facts, which is why internal affairs is looking into it.

Did I want to have that conversation on the dais?

Absolutely not.

I do think it's embarrassing for Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

I do think the press conference was embarrassing for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, but I do expect that our police chief, when these matters come up, that he takes a proactive approach, and I think he did in this situation, and he actually came to me and shared it with me.

However, I think the situation was far bigger than what he or I anticipated.

And here we are today.

So I in no way uh intended to keep any information back from the commission.

This is very much an administrative situation or at that time, it felt like an administrative situation, and it escalated into the media, unfortunately.

So I'm I'm less focused on the specifics of what we're talking about.

Uh what I'm what I'm more concerned about is if you were having meetings with the city attorney and talking to Miami Dade College, this is the first time actually you've shared that with me.

So what I'm concerned about is that I don't feel like you're being forthcoming with us, telling us what it is that you know.

So I know that there's a lot of things you don't know.

I I certainly accept that that there are things that are known, there are things that are unknown.

What I expect is full and complete disclosure of the things that are known, and I I don't think that I've gotten that from you, and I'm disappointed.

Um, I I when I ask you a question, when I ask you what do you know, um, I don't want half answers.

I want full and complete answers.

Here's everything I know as of right now, and when I know more, I will share it with you immediately.

If you were meeting with the city attorney and you're talking to Miami Dade College, that's a lot of activity, and I would have expected to have known that when this came up.

So I'm disappointed with that.

I will tell you, I um I haven't had these conversations with the chiefs, but I have talked to the rank and file, and I've shared this with you before.

Um I can tell you that um that they're unhappy.

You know, I know there's been conversations about a vote of no confidence, and that concerns me greatly.

You know, we've had this once or twice before in our history, going back over 30 years.

Um, you know, once when I was here, once I believe when the mayor was here prior to that.

So I do know that that the folks that wear the uniform in PD, uh, I'm not talking about the executives, I'm not talking about the command staff.

I'm talking about the guys that are out there, guys and ladies that are patrolling, are not happy.

And that is a management issue that I do think you need to deal with.

The other thing that concerned me today, and we didn't get a chance to talk about it, was the uh the city auditors report.

There's an individual named in there who I have been talking with you about for the past year.

And I've I've explained to you my feelings about uh the management of what's been going on, and you haven't addressed it.

And I think that's also a failure to address problems, and and and this audit report reflected that failure of management that took place up there, and this was things that I brought to your attention, and you haven't addressed it.

So, I think these things reflect, I think again, perhaps lack of experience.

So I am concerned about that.

Um, I was worried about that when we brought you on.

You know, I I was very strong in advocating for somebody with decades of experience because I think a city of our size and complexity requires, sir.

Please, Bobby, please sit down, please sit down, or you will be asked to leave.

You are not, please.

The commissioner is speaking.

Please sit down, or please sit down.

So actually, I'll I'll I'll respond to that.

You ask a very good question.

I'll respond to that.

So I don't believe that you go from having no experience as a city manager to being a city manager of a billion dollar city.

I think you cut your teeth on a smaller city, you learn how to do it.

There's a you're you're asking me a question, I'm trying to respond.

Please give give me give me the give me all right, all right.

All right, this is not a dialogue back and forth.

I'm giving you my answer.

I'm trying to be respectful to the question that was asked, and I'm sharing my my thoughts with you.

But we got here here, and I've been trying to work with you since you've got here.

I've done my best to mentor you and share with you as much.

All right, please.

No, I wouldn't hug her.

Okay, please.

Respectfully, I know what I didn't didn't do.

I shook her hand, I wouldn't hug her.

I'm sorry.

I'll give you a hug.

Come on up.

John Doug, don't respond.

That was that that was yeah, a rhetorical question.

Thank you.

So my thought is your your first year has not been knocking it out of the park, and I don't think you're overly surprised to hear that.

I I think you have room to grow.

And I'll leave it at that.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Yes, um, first I want to say um, Mayor, I'm disappointed that you used the word we, uh, which are um summary, because I don't the direction that you went, um, I do not include myself with the statements where you say we as a commission, because I am in the position in where I stand, what Ms.

Williams, our city manager, has been um able to accomplish in this year.

I am quite pleased with.

Yes, there's room to grow.

Um, the frustration you're talking about, um, I'm not familiar with um this conversation about um officers who are um not, they're frustrated saying that they're gonna leave the agency.

I've been building a rapport with our officers with the fire department, and I'm the I am one who will say to individuals when I see them, how are you doing?

How's things going on?

Is there anything that you're not pleased with that's going on within the department within the city?

You can share with me because I want to know.

Those individuals who I have spoken with, people that I'm gonna say it this way people who look like me, people who do not look like me, they have not um expounded on any situations that they feel that Miss Williams is um dismissive or incompetent.

So the part about the we, please.

Um I'm gonna ask that you rephrase that and say and identify whoever agrees with that, because I do not, and I want that on the record, all right.

Um, because Miss Williams, I'm looking at someone who's come in as an outsider, never worked within our city, and has been able to build relationships, been able to achieve things as she said, and that's we have witnessed things that have been unaddressed, not even considered, and she's been able to execute them and make changes.

Um, I since I've been in this seat when we talked about the flooding and Merrills Park specifically, and I share with the commission, I share it with others that in a conversation, it was determined or revealed that when Merrill's Park and now Lauder Hill, when they were all on the Brower County before the annexing, at 31st Avenue and Broward Boulevard, there was a stormwater gate.

And for the past years, no one has been able to come to an agreement with Lauder Hill to get that gate open when it's raining.

So when we've seen those floods, is because the water was cut off and the water was trapped in Merrill's Park.

It took five years to get to a place that a conversation that City Manager Williams initiated, and now we have an agreement with Lauder Hill to make sure that that storm water gate is open.

So all these things that have been cited, I'm not familiar with.

What I am familiar with is the individual who's working for this city, for this city overall.

And I'm I'm gonna use the terms that I hear all the time.

Where are these people that's complaining?

I hear it every time.

When I bring something forward, or if I want to support something, where are the neighbors?

Where are these individuals?

I want to hear them.

I want to hear these people who are saying that they are not happy with this city manager.

Because there's no right now, there's no proof with it.

She's doing a great job.

Yes, there's room for improvement.

Yes, she's on the job.

Yes, she's been answering our questions.

And to for me, yes, there's been some things that may have been some delay, but minimal.

She's doing the job.

And I'm I'm gonna tell, I'm gonna say this let it fall where it fall.

I'm offended.

I'm truly offended.

A woman that's in this position, working for this city, and for us to discard, I'm offended.

It's not acceptable.

And even if you are frustrated, why are we waiting till tonight?

12 months, 12 months has been in this position, and now the other position, you give three months evaluation, six months, nine months.

Why haven't you said anything before tonight?

To me, this is a shame.

This is a shame, and it's an opportunity for us or for some of us to make a claim of what they don't like on a grandstand.

We hired her, we have faith in her.

So why would we put this out in an open atmosphere like this?

Well, commissioner, commissioner, as you know, as excuse me, as you know, we're only allowed to discuss these things at these meetings.

I agree, but you can also address with her.

And we and I have.

Okay.

So, but you don't know that because you're not allowed to know that.

You're only allowed to know what we discuss in public.

But also at conference, yes.

At conference, we have an opportunity to bring up any item that we are not pleased with, anything that we want to discuss before.

Correct.

So again, that was an opportunity, yes or no.

If it's someone wanted to the best opportunity to discuss this was during a review process, and that's what we're here for.

I understand that.

However, why would we wait 12 months?

Because this was her review date.

Let me let me say what I said before.

Yes.

There has been 12 months.

There have been opportunities along the way to bring up concerns that we have with our city manager.

And to do this tonight at her annual review, to me was a strategic tactic to this credit the work she's done in the 12 months.

I think we should it should have been done in a different manner.

Okay.

Well, I respectfully disagree that I have not brought up my disagreement with her on certain matters that have come across us uh over the past year, and we don't have to go into detail right now.

But there have been multiple times where I've disagreed with the city manager.

Uh I may not have been flailing my arms or yelling or screaming, but I have expressed myself.

But that's not it's not about me.

Okay, it's about what's best for the community.

So, Commissioner Glassman, do you have any comments?

Yes, I wasn't finished.

Oh, I shouldn't I'm sorry, go ahead, Commissioner.

Okay, I also wanted to say, um, with this, I'm I'm hoping that the direction of this conversation is one that we are going to support our city manager moving forward, given opportunity for growth and change.

This is not the time to be a commission that says we're gonna now look for a new city manager.

We look like individuals who are dysfunctional.

How many city managers have we had in the last 10 years?

Okay.

I am finished now, Mayor.

Thank you.

Okay, Commissioner Glassing.

Yes.

Thank you, Mayor.

City Manager, you and I have had a lot of conversations, right?

I have not been shy, and you have not been shy.

I wouldn't want your job for anything, okay?

Not at all.

Excuse me, please.

I can we just talk and respect each other.

That would be so nice.

I have always told you when I had a shit, I have a very busy district, and you know that there is so much happening in District 2, and you know that.

And I'm not gonna go into everything that we've had a conversation about with because you know exactly what's on my mind every step of the way.

Uh the first bump in the road that we had together over a project, we went out to lunch, we discussed, we we sat there for three hours.

We went through everything.

I am hearing little bits and pieces from my colleagues, and I'm agreeing with little bits and pieces of everyone that's speaking, because I've heard the same things.

I mean, I'm sure the mayor's not the only one who's hearing from people.

We've all heard these things.

So do I think do I think there's room for improvement?

Yes, I do.

But I think what I've always been telling you is what I think can be improved upon.

We have to make this work.

We have to make this work.

I know you're working really hard, and I I want this city to just keep moving forward.

But I also want you to know that I'm always gonna be honest with you.

I always have been honest with you.

Whenever I've been disappointed, whenever I've been upset about something in my district, I let you know immediately.

And then we get to work together on it.

But that doesn't mean that everything's perfect.

Uh this I'm sure has not been easy to listen to all of this.

Uh, but it's been an honest conversation.

Um, but we have to get to a point where everyone has that trust.

We have to get to a point where everyone feels that they're not being pressed on.

Everyone in this city, the entire staff has got to feel not just listened to and appreciated, but they have to feel room to breathe.

They have to feel not necessarily beaten on.

So if they feel that, that's what they feel.

I can't change that.

You can change that.

I don't have that one to one relationship on a daily basis with everybody.

But but I am gonna say to you that we will continue to work together, and we will continue to make sure that whenever there is a bump in the road or a problem, we're going to get over it, and we're just going to keep moving forward.

Just like just like I have always come to you, whenever there's an issue, I'm not hiding anything.

I would hope that you would too.

We've heard a lot tonight.

So I think there's a good list of things that we can work on together.

But I respect every single comment that each one of my colleagues is making.

And I understand where each one of them is coming from.

And I want to make sure that we that we take that advice and we take those feelings and we take everything that we've heard and we work on it.

That's all.

That's all I can ask from this moment on.

Thank you.

Okay.

Commissioner Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, I'm gonna take some time here.

So just get comfortable.

Um Raquel, uh, you and I have daily conversations.

Um, I provide you, I think regular feedback around what I think you're doing right and what I think you're doing wrong.

Is that is that accurate?

That's accurate.

Do I call you sometimes at 9 30 at night, sometimes 7 in the morning to work on behalf of the citizens of Fort Lauderdale?

That's accurate.

Um, as I've told you many times, I think you are doing an excellent job.

And when I think you can improve, as you and I have talked many times, I give you that immediate feedback.

Is that right?

That's accurate.

And have we had some tough conversations about some of the things I think you can do to improve?

Yes, Vice Mayor.

And I know a little bit about this because for 20 years I've been doing corporate leadership training and executive coaching, so I know a little something about uh evaluating talent uh at the highest levels and uh cultivating and developing talent because that's my other job.

So feedback is fantastic to get both corrective feedback and both feedback of what you're doing well.

So let's let's take some time to go through all this because there's a lot here that's all worthwhile to dig in.

Okay.

Um let's talk about P3s.

So tonight, this afternoon, we talked about a P3 for Melrose Park in Riverland, which is to provide stormwater infrastructure for a neighborhood that's never had it.

To my awareness, city manager, um, you did nothing uh to block that or stop that, but encouraged a dialogue.

And it from my perspective, uh you've continued to have an open mindset towards that P3 possibility.

Is there am I missing something on that?

I provided feedback to the commission earlier this year based on the conditions of the project at the time and when those conditions changed, uh, there was more even more room for a conversation, and I have always been open to conversations about public-private partnerships, including the two on today's conference agenda.

When you and I have talked about various P3 projects, you've consistently shared with me concerns about P3 projects, about the pros and cons going a unsolicitor P3 route, and the pros and cons going a city route, a traditional city uh um RFP process route.

That's a healthy, important dialogue to have, and it's important to consider the pros and cons of all options, especially as we evaluate P3 possibilities.

Let's go on to public safety.

So, like uh Fire Chief, if you could have the fire chief come up, city manager, Chief Gale.

Our chief, thanks for being here.

So, heard some serious concerns about public safety uh and about public safety leadership.

Uh following what the mayor said are ready to leave the city.

Uh, are you ready to leave the city, Chief?

No, sir.

I'm born and raised in this city, and the last thing I ever want to do is leave the city of Fort Lauderdale.

Um, so and I know it's going to be hard talking about your boss in front of your boss during her evaluation.

How do you think she's doing?

You know, uh, in full transparency, I I think that uh manager Williams and I were off to a rough start uh last year, and I think since that time, uh we've had a lot of meetings, we've worked together, and I feel like it it's completely changed.

Uh, I feel like we have a very open communication, we're willing to work together.

Um, there's a lot of things that are moving forward that I've never imagined to be possible and moving forward.

Uh I think the union contract is a lot further along than I had imagined that it would be.

Um, and and I do feel supported.

Okay.

How do you feel the rest of the fire department feels about the city manager?

I would assume.

Uh that's a rough, that's more of a union question for the union president than it is for me.

I have not been alerted to any challenges that are taking place.

My understanding through the union is that they're very happy and that everything is moving forward.

Uh, I believe you know, we're looking at uh our next negotiation meeting in a month, I believe, if June something, if I'm not mistaken, then I haven't heard any challenges or or nothing has been brought to my attention, but the body would not bring it to my attention.

They would bring it to the union president's attention, and then it would go from there, of which I would expect them to meet with the manager and and work out whatever those differences may be.

Okay.

Um, I've been on ride-alongs with Port Laro Fire Rescue, is that right?

Yes, sir.

Yeah, I've spent time with our firefighters, I've talked with them regularly.

Um, I have heard very strong support for you from the rank and file, and I've heard very strong support for our city manager from the rank and file.

That's been my experience when I'm riding along and spending time with our firefighters.

Is that surprising or shocking to you?

No, sir, not at all.

Okay, thank you.

Appreciate it.

Absolutely.

Um, Chief uh Chief of Police.

Can I just say something?

Please, man.

I can't expect an employee to be able to uh respond honestly and objectively when their boss is being asked.

Excuse me, I'm speaking.

You can't expect them to to be as forthright as you're expecting them to be.

Folks, I'm gonna clear the room if I can't speak, okay?

So please be please be respectful.

Whether you disagree with me or not, I I have an opportunity to speak with my colleague here.

Please do not point your finger at me.

And if you can't be quiet, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave the room, okay?

I think it's uh I think it's professionally unfair for you to ask uh each member of our senior staff to come up here and to say something honestly and objectively in front of their boss as to the uh their as to as to her quality of leadership.

Do you it's it's you're not gonna get an objective answer, and they're just gonna give you what you want to hear.

So I don't know what this exercise is all about.

If you have an interest in asking them, you can ask them privately, but to do this in public and to do it in front of the city manager, I think is unfair, and I think it's it's unproductive.

Mayor, that's my opinion.

Thank you.

Thank you for your feedback, Mayor.

I think it's unfair that you would label our city manager as having an imperious attitude.

Which means dominating and arrogance.

That's unfair.

Well, I've heard it multiple times from multiple people throughout the city staff for a number of weeks and months.

So that's why I'm I'm saying it.

Okay.

Okay.

That's so well.

It's unfair that that that that behavior should be felt, okay.

No, no employees should ever have to feel that way, but that's what people have said to me.

Okay.

To the point where two of her two people in her office have have left her office and have taken jobs within the city at a pay cut just to get away from her.

So keep those things in mind.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

I will.

I will.

I appreciate that.

Uh Chief uh Chief of Police, you come on up here.

Mayor, then why don't you share with us who are the leaders who are will or about to leave the city?

Please do tell us.

You have a right to continue to talk.

Okay.

I'm not here to be cross-examined by you.

Okay.

I'm just if you have something to say, you say something.

If you have people you want to call up and ask, you can ask them, but I'm not going to be cross-examined by you.

And I'm certainly not going to reveal confidences because you're trying to build a case.

Okay.

Okay.

Uh Chief Police, thanks for being here.

How's your relationship with the city manager?

So when she started, even before she started, we met, I think it was the cis drunk parade, and we went to lunch, and we began the relationship then.

And we too at the beginning, uh, she had concerns as she raised tonight about crime statistics about overtime.

And we met quite consistently at that point.

Um we definitely had long talks, uh, including uh at the Bowling Alley.

We've had a number of long discussions.

Uh and through that time, uh, she is correct.

Overtime has improved, uh, and our crime statistics uh we uncovered what was happening with that.

Uh there was certainly no malice there.

Uh there was uh a reporting, uh computer reporting issue that uh she was correct about and we did correct it.

Uh today uh we do meet regularly, uh weekly, if not biweekly.

Uh and that's just the public safety, but then we also have meetings re regularly, quarterly for the overtime, uh and for the crime statistics.

So thorough and through, uh, we have had a lot of long, uh sometimes difficult discussions.

Uh, but in the end, uh it is correct that things have improved in those two areas for sure.

Thank you.

Uh Chief, have you and I talked about the city manager?

We have.

And have you given me some uh critical feedback about the city manager around how she could improve?

Yes, I did.

City manager, did you and I talk about how you could improve your relationship with the police chief?

Yes, we've had a conversation to that effect.

Um I believe the police chief is being honest and forthcoming.

I believe the fire chief is being honest and forthcoming.

I do not think they are sugarcoating or withholding back.

That is my view, Chief.

Appreciate your candor.

What's your sense of the department and their feeling of how things are going right now?

So it was mentioned earlier about the number of city managers.

I was in a unique position because I was the eighth chief in three years.

So when I came into that department, it was uh absolutely a time of turmoil, uh, a time of uh lack of leadership, uh a vacuum, if you will, and it it had to be uh steadied.

Uh the department was uh at that very moment uh was very volatile.

Um I've done my best to do that, study it.

Uh, done my best to fill vacancies, and I've done my best, I hope, to make my employees feel welcome, respected, supported.

And the one thing that I I really am proud of is my employees see me.

Uh, it was mentioned how many events city manager goes to.

I think I go to a number of them as well, and my employees see that, and they come with me.

And I think in the last three years, under my uh leadership as chief, we have seen a community grow around a police department that I think the community at that point felt had left them or had abandoned them.

So I think my employees are on the same page with me in that regard, uh, but again, I would echo the fire chief.

Um, the union leaders are a great source for that information.

And as a couple of you have mentioned, talking to them one on one.

Uh, I know uh Commissioner Beasley Pittman does that often because I've seen her do it very often.

That's your best feedback is when you get them one on one.

Um, if I'm there standing next to their side, they might say something that they're not going to say uh if I'm away, or that they would say if I was away.

So in my estimation, I think we're in a very good place.

Thank you, Chief.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Mayor, so may I'm gonna be really honest now.

I don't know how many of you ever had a chance to watch the commission meeting.

I don't even know how many years ago that was.

Uh George Gretzis was the city manager.

And I'm just gonna say this now and be really honest because I I've listened to everyone up here.

So we have to figure something out here, because if you remember, I don't know how many years ago, was that 2006 or five?

2007.

It it must have gone on for about three or four hours that that pay for performance review.

You were on the commission at that time.

No, I was not.

Oh, you were not on that time?

Was that Commissioner Smith?

It was uh no, it was uh Charlotte Rodstrom.

Okay.

Uh with Charlotte Rodson.

I remember that we heard from all of the commissioners and and it was down the line, and then the mayor, Mayor Siler at the time said, because it all hinged on what he had to say, the mayor actually said that because he had heard such a split split on the commission in terms of feedback, in terms of experience, in terms of rating, that he actually voted to, and I don't know if he made the motion, but he actually voted to remove George Gretzis.

Um, and it created a lot of shock waves, but I I want to know how we get past this when obviously there is such a range of feelings, such a range of opinions, such a range of experiences.

I will agree with the mayor.

I don't think it was fair to ask the the two chiefs to speak and I you know what are they gonna say, please.

They they we don't control uh, I was speaking actually when you interrupted me just now.

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were done.

No.

Oh, I thought you said mayor, I thought you said okay, mayor.

I'm sorry, I apologize.

Go ahead, take it away.

Okay.

Take it away.

Okay.

Appreciate it, thank you.

Um, so thank you for that feedback.

Um both chiefs.

Um I'd like to go through city manager some of the exhibit here to ask you some questions.

Can you can we city clerk?

Can we pull up the uh the exhibit there, please?

Thank you.

Uh first thing I want to talk about, city manager uh on this exhibit is and we're going for page four.

Um the first points you say there is reduce the city's personnel budget growth from 8.1% in FY25 to 7.5% in FY26, and now projected further decrease to 5.08% in FY27.

Talk to me about what that means, please.

So every year personnel costs typically go up.

There is some level of growth that is anticipated based on cost of living allowances, merit, uh health insurance costs.

So there is that level of expectation.

And so what we've done and what we continue to do, you'll see a downward trend in the level of growth in our personnel budget.

So that is one of the avenues we're taking to try to be fiscally responsible.

Two of the approaches that support that is that we have streamlined our performance evaluation process.

Uh at this time, management category one employees are capped at a three percent merit increase.

Uh, and the year prior to my arrival, members of management category one, there were various levels of merit ascribed to different employees, some earning as much as 9% or 6% or anywhere in between.

And so we've streamlined that to be more in line with some of our bargaining units.

And that is one of the avenues that we've taken to try to limit personnel costs as well as tie the performance evaluation more closely to actual goals and accomplishments as opposed to a summary of work done in the prior year.

We have also reduced by 10% the travel and training budget for management category one employees to help to limit some of our costs.

Our human resources department has been very active in trying to negotiate our agreements with our health providers and so we're constantly looking for ways to improve in that area.

Okay.

Thank you.

That matters in my view especially given further budget budget deficit projections and and property tax possibly reforms.

So explain to me what is 5% of what seven percent of what so salaries infringe benefits.

So you've reduced salaries from 8.1% and you project 5% in 2027 that's that's impossible.

It's it's not impossible.

Because well first of all it's projected against a growing budget.

So clearly that's going to figure into it's going to be a smaller if you keep if you keep the amounts if you keep the amounts constant it's going to be it's going to be a smaller percentage as the as the budget total increases.

But you would but with with your adding more and more personnel to the budget I don't see how things come down when they should at least be even I don't understand I don't know how those numbers work.

We're largely filling existing vacancies and assistant city manager Yvette Matthews can explain in greater detail how we're reducing those costs.

How many assistant city managers do we have now we currently have four.

And how many did we have when you took office when I took office there were two acting and two permanent so four.

Four so still so those remain the same correct we memorialized the four that I was introduced to when I came right okay.

Good afternoon or evening mayor each year we look at our salary and wage budgets year over year.

So we look at the growth in personnel costs what we expect to see on an annual basis is really growth that's tied towards our merit and our cost of living adjustments so over the past in the past year the merit and cost of living adjustments for most management category employees have been a 3% merit a 3% cost of living adjustment those numbers go slightly higher as you look at our public safety personnel which have anywhere from a 4% step which is their commencement with the merit for a management category employee and then their cost of living adjustment has been tied for our public our police has been tied to Social Security COLA with a floor of three percent and then for our IAFF members it has been tied to the 75th percentile calculation.

What we're seeing year over year is a compounding of a couple of different things so last year what we saw was a high volume of retirements and with those retirements it tended to reset a lot of the the personnel related costs.

So we did see a slowdown of the increase in salaries and even though we did add a few positions within the general fund, because our overall salary costs were remaining consistent, as the manager was talking about the way that she has been filling those roles, you saw that with the personnel growth.

So we had a number of changes, but we did not see our personnel costs exceed what we anticipated regular growth to look like.

So so these numbers are not a they're not a percentage of the total cost of personnel, they're they're actually reflecting you're just giving uh smaller smaller uh increases in wages for year to year.

Um as a percentage of total personnel.

So it's your salaries and benefits together and it provides the year for year.

So the raises are smaller.

That's what you that's what that's all that is.

That's the component.

There are a number of components and that feed into the growth of a budget this big, but but it sounds as if it's a it's a percentage of the total cost of personnel has been decreased from 8% to 5%.

That's not the growth has been growth has been correct.

Correct.

Okay.

So the budget's still growing, it's just not growing as astronomically fast as it was growing.

Absolutely.

Okay, got it.

Um question I just want to ask because I I just want to make sure I'm uh I understand.

So all the years I've been here, we've only ever had two ACMs.

So, and uh you know I've objected to the four ACMs.

We are top heavy.

I've made that very clear when we went through the budget.

I think I've made that very clear to you.

So we've got way too many Indians and not enough chiefs around, way too many chiefs and not enough Indians around here.

Do we have four ACMs plus a deputy?

No, no, no.

Um the deputies included in that is the account.

Okay, well, I will tell you flat out, and I'm not trying to get rid of anybody.

Please don't take this the wrong way.

We don't need four assistant city managers in the city.

Okay.

I also objected to when we increase the departments.

I told you that too.

I know you everybody voted for this when we went through our budget, but I objected to that too.

So uh again, I just so we're clear on this budget stuff.

I've I've been a strong opponent of the growth in the number of departments, the administrative overhead, and the expenses.

So I will say that we need to slow that down going forward.

We need to be leaning into the fact that things are going to get tight.

Please, please, please start embracing frugality.

I can share with you that thus far, through our budget meetings with the various departments, the only two departments that are looking for positions are fire and police, and the those would be from the general fund.

Most other departments have not asked for any positions this year because I've shared with them at the budget kickoff that this year we are going to be even more conservative.

So just want to share that with you in advance.

Uh the fire department has asked for 23 positions, I believe.

And I think the police department has asked for 21 positions, all from general fund.

Uh, I have not brought that forward to the commission at this time.

We're still discussing those requests.

Um, but I am being very mindful of those concerns, and I just want to make sure that we're on the right track.

Well, we also have a number of new positions that you've created too.

Again, we've got some new very expensive positions that you've created that never existed before.

And they're in that city manager's office.

So I I don't want you to keep adding positions to the city manager's office.

You're building your executive staff, you're stocking them with people who make 250,000 a year, and we can't afford that.

So let's let's stop doing that, please.

I think the one thing I told you when we hired you is I don't want you to bring up everybody you ever worked with in Miami Beach.

And I certainly have not.

It feels like it.

I just want to pause the meeting for excuse me.

Uh, just want to pause the meeting because we need to extend the meeting, it's almost 10 o'clock.

Um motion to extend to what time?

11 seconds, second, do I call the role?

Commissioner Herbst, yes.

Commissioner Glassman, yes, Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Yes, Vice Mayor Swordson.

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes, meetings extended to 11, up to 11.

Uh, Vice Mayor, yeah.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, if you could scroll down, uh, achieved a triple A bond rating from SP global ratings.

Uh tell us a little bit about how that happens, City Manager.

What and what does that mean?

So when we get ready to issue bonds, there's a process that we go through where we're evaluated.

And so our team between the finance department, uh the Office of Management and Budget, the City Manager's Office, we meet with these rating agencies as well as with our financial advisors and bond council to try to be as attractive as possible uh so that we can have a rating that will yield greater returns for the city in terms of savings.

And so while the city has achieved a triple A bond rating in the past, not every bond issuance is guaranteed to have a triple A bond rating.

When we brought forward the special obligation bonds, we shared with the rating agencies the various measures that we have in place that makes the city of Fort Lauderdale financially sound and worthy of that bond rating.

So that when we are trying to invest in infrastructure or capital projects like a city hall, those things are important.

Thank you.

Do all cities get triple A bond ratings?

Is that just kind of a standard?

No, that is not a standard.

But we've had it for some I was gonna say how long we had it.

We've had it since uh we've had it since Chris Lark since Chris Lagerbloom, which is like 2019.

Right.

I'm not sure.

Absolutely, but how just how bond ratings work, and please correct me if I'm wrong, is it's not based on past bond ratings, it's a fresh new analysis every year.

That's so historic performance doesn't matter.

I understand.

Okay, okay.

Just to be clear, but we're very happy that she maintained the uh consistency of our spending and borrowing structure.

So okay absolutely, yeah.

That's uh a huge positive, huge positive.

Um great.

If we go to the next, if you roll down, please.

Uh to the top of page five.

Um developing secured city commission approval of new emergency reserve fund as well as the city's financial integrity principles.

So that please correct me if I'm wrong, but part of what that includes is the 25% of our annual operating budget to be in reserves.

Um is that saying that right?

Yeah, there were two components to this.

Um, the commission memorialize the target fund balance of 25%.

Um, and in addition to that, uh establish an emergency reserve, which at that time was one percent of our general fund operating budget.

Great, which another success, I think, both of the city commission and the city manager to be fiscally responsible and fiscally conservative in a very difficult time.

So another uh great win.

Um a little bit further down, overall crime rate decreased by 8.3% from 2024 to 2025.

Um, city manager, tell us a little bit about that.

What does that mean?

Sure.

So when we look at our violent crimes and property crimes, this is a combination showing a decrease.

Uh as I mentioned before, you know, I'm really proud of FLPD and all the work that they've done to decrease our overall crime crime rate.

Uh, we do have some uh strides to make in terms of looking at our violent crimes.

Uh and we are implementing the group violence interruption program as well as some other strategies to try to focus more on violent crime.

So I'm hoping that next year this decrease will be even more significant.

Thank you.

That matters and is very important in my view, public safety and continuing decrease in overall crime is critical to our city.

And that's in my view, credit to you.

This is 24 25.

This she didn't start until 2020.

So before she was here.

Yeah, the I think the crime statistics continue to decrease.

So happy to get Chief to come on up.

Come on up, Chief Schultz, if you won't mind.

Let's get some we'll get some real time feedback.

Mayor and Commissioner Glassman.

Chief Schultz, if you would share with us latest crime stats, how are we doing on reductions or increase in overall crime?

So it is correct.

Overall crime has gone down and continues to go down.

Uh, what the manager was referring to is the assaults.

So we have been taking a deep dive into that uh and we've been keeping manager advised of that.

It appears to be more domestic related.

Uh so that is something that we're working through.

And I do agree that the group violent uh program that we are initiating uh will have an impact in various parts of crime, but especially when it comes to violent crime.

So even as of today, violent crime continues to decrease when year over year.

In gen overall, yes, but there have been increases in assaults.

Okay.

Thank you very much, Chief.

Welcome.

Great, great news.

Uh let's go to the bottom of page five.

Recruited and graduated the largest fire rescue class since 1999, including 35 firefighters.

That was the federal program we applied for, which which was before she even came on.

This was this was a grant that we got from the federal government.

Right, the safer grant.

Yeah, the safer grant.

But on how many people?

35.

Thank you.

Great.

So is that a success or not?

But it was going to happen before she got here.

Okay.

Okay.

So it is a success.

I mean, we have to call it like it really is.

Let me just say instead of just grants, and we have to call it like it is.

We just are.

There are a lot of things that Dallas has participated in and no one is denying that.

You can go down the whole list of some things she was part of and something she wasn't.

I think she I think she like overstated a few things here.

But look, we're not we're not talking about these things.

These are all very, you know, clear and and I'm happy that you know some of these things were done in concert with our staff, and you know, she's got we got over 3,000 people that work for the city, and I have to commend every single one of them for participating, achieving these these uh initiatives and and goals.

So um, but you know, the things that I brought up have nothing to do with specific achievements and goals.

We're talking about relationships, environment, we're talking about uh um uh attitude problems, you know.

If these are things that can be worked on and achieved, then these are things that need to be worked on and achieved because we have you know, we have dissension within our ranks, and uh and no one's gonna come out here in public and and confess to it, but when you speak to people one-on-one, if they feel that they can trust you with anonymity, then you'll find out that more and more people are are realizing that that things need to change.

You know, maybe this conversation has been very constructive, and we'll be able to, you know, going forward this uh in the future, we'll be able to be more responsive and responsible.

And and maybe that's what needs to come out of this conversation.

But it needed to happen at this point at the review, because today we're gonna decide whether or not to give her an increase in salary, whether or not not to give her an increase in salary, and whether or not to maintain her position.

So I think that all these things that are being said are very constructive, and I think the city manager is hearing it, and uh, and I think going forward hopefully we'll be a better city.

Great.

Yeah, I agree.

And I have plenty of conversations one-on-one mayor with all types of city employees, and I think they're very candid with me.

And um, the the feedback you're receiving from individuals, clearly a little different than what I'm receiving.

So that's but that's part of the perspective.

You you may have a different uh you know ability in that, and that's that's great, and that's why we get to talk through all this.

So this is great.

That's great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Please, ma'am, you had the chance to speak.

Please don't yell from the audience.

You have sorry, city manager.

What what role, if any, did you play in supporting having the largest fire rescue class?

Is it did he play no role?

So while the city did apply for the safer grant prior to my arrival, the fact that we were able to recruit and graduate this many uh firefighters in one period is astonishing.

So I give full credit to the fire department, and what you'll see in this exhibit is that everything that I do requires a team.

So there's no accomplishment in here that doesn't come with the effort of our team.

There are some things in here that I've initiated on my own, and there's some things in here that I have advanced.

If there was a project that was initiated in 2020, but hasn't moved since twenty since 2020, but has now moved in 2025.

Yes, I'm gonna participate in taking some credit for that project moving.

So yes, the city is fluid.

There are projects that have started before my time, but everything that I've done in the past year has been to advance progress.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um City Manager, as we think about the many successes you've had, you also, just as all of us, many opportunities for growth and development.

Um why don't you share with us a few of those opportunities for improvement that you see as you self-reflect as a leader here at the city?

What can you be doing better?

And what do you commit to doing differently uh going forward?

Maybe based on the feedback you're hearing today, or maybe just your ongoing self-evaluation of of how you're doing.

Thank you for that.

Yeah, I'm definitely processing uh the feedback, and I think it is constructive and informative.

Uh I think that I in this moment uh realize that I could do a better job of asking for transparent feedback along the way.

Uh I do have opportunities to meet with various members of the commission on a regular basis, and you know, some of the things that I'm hearing today, perhaps I could have heard sooner had I asked, you know, maybe a more difficult or uncomfortable type of question.

Um perhaps some of these things aren't as easy to share in the regular course of business.

So I I'm gonna take that with me going forward.

Um I'm gonna be more uh deliberate about asking those types of questions.

Also, I I do want to make sure that I'm prioritizing uh time management.

Uh it while being busy at work and doing the actual day-to-day management, there is something to be said for building relationships and having more conversations and opportunities to get that feedback, and so I I probably need to find a little bit more of a balance between the management side of the work and the relational side of the work, all right.

Well, why don't we bring this conversation to a close?

I think everyone's kind of uh, if you don't mind, Vice Mayor, I know we have a lot of other business to do tonight.

So is there a motion uh to introduce a resolution?

Yeah, I'd like to introduce a resolution.

So the resolution uh uh R5 exhibit two, is that what this is uh titled at?

I don't know.

Where's our city attorney?

It is our five, yeah.

This is uh this is uh section one city manager Raquel Williams-based salaries increased by blank percent.

Yep.

So that would be the resolution.

So someone like to introduce a resolution and put a number in there, yeah.

Mayor, thank you.

I'd like to um, you know, uh, oftentimes, not all the time, but oftentimes we provide uh a three percent raise, and so I'd like to suggest that introduce a resolution that city managers base salary is increased by three percent, effective April 2nd, 2026.

Okay.

Um so anyone have any further questions or comments?

Well, again, I didn't get a finish a chance to finish last time.

I did defer to the vice mayor.

I like to just finish that comment.

Thank you, if you don't mind.

Um, again, we're not having the discussion that we should be having with a split commission right now.

So that's the discussion.

Just like when uh Mayor Salah had to opine the reason why he made a change because he said a split commission could not function that way, and that's why he went in the direction that he did.

There's a there's a big split here, and we have to figure out.

I mean, we're just gonna say, okay, well, forget that whole conversation and let's do a raise.

I don't know.

It just seems really strange to me.

So I don't know where we are as a commission.

Uh, I've only seen that in the past.

Uh, when a split like this occurred, that was a big problem.

So, do we just is that the elephant in the room and we just don't go there, or we just hope that it gets better, or what do you think, mayor?

You're you're the mayor.

Well, I'm the mayor, but I'm also listening.

Can I ask the question before?

Um, when the mayor started his introduction to um his statement, what was your opening statement?

You say you were not gonna do what tonight?

I don't remember my words.

Well, want to play it back.

I hope someone can play it back because I thought you were saying that you were not going to vote against the city manager.

I don't remember saying that.

Am I the only one that heard that from the day is?

Yeah.

I'm the only one that heard it.

I didn't hear I didn't say anything about voting.

Okay.

Well, I I well, maybe wasn't voting, but it did not appear that you were going in in the direction that you would be going against the city manager.

Maybe it wasn't voting, but I heard that you would not be going against the city manager.

Okay.

But no one else heard that.

Okay.

All right.

And yeah, okay, I'm sorry, go ahead.

I again I thought I heard when you began your your statement.

So mayor, I I'm happy to respond to Commissioner Glassman, but I want to defer to you.

I'm good.

Thank you.

Okay.

Yeah, so well, I I did I I did ask the mayor what he wanted to do.

Well, there's a there's a resolution.

There's a resolution on the floor.

Um and uh it could either be voted up or down.

And uh and and so that's what we need to do right now.

So um and I just need to ask the clerk to call the roll.

A resolution city commission of the city of Fort Lardo, Florida providing for a three percent merit salary increase for city manager Raquel Williams effect of April second, twenty twenty six.

Commissioner Herbst.

No.

Commissioner Glossman.

I just have a question.

Uh three percent.

What is the salary right now?

The dollar value of a three percent merit increase is ten thousand dollars.

Uh makes about three hundred and fifty thousand dollars now.

Ten thousand eight hundred and fifteen dollars.

That was the question.

The current salary is three fifty, plus benefit.

My base salary, I have since received a cost of living allowance.

My base salary is three sixty four nine nine and seventy-eight cents.

Thank you.

Uh I'm going to just basically vote on past practice of this commission.

We grant a three percent raise to all of the charter officers, and it's always unanimous.

This is not unanimous, so I'm gonna have to vote no.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Sorensen?

Yes.

And Mayor Trenton.

I'm gonna vote no.

So um Is there anything is there a I'm sorry?

I'm sorry.

This is completely disrespectful.