Hollywood City Commission Regular Meeting - June 4, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Hollywood City Commission Regular Meeting - June 4, 2025
On June 4, 2025, the Hollywood City Commission held a regular meeting at City Hall. The agenda included proclamations recognizing Code Compliance Officers Appreciation Week and Domestic Workers' Day, presentations of life-saving awards by the Fire Department, the first reading of an ordinance to allow mailed parking citations using license plate readers, and an extensive discussion on parking rate changes and expansion of paid parking downtown and on the beach. The meeting also featured reports from the Marine Advisory Council and the City Manager, and public comments on hate groups, library services, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Consent Calendar
- Approved items 5 through 13 and 15 through 18 (consent agenda) unanimously, with item 14 (athletic field maintenance contract) pulled for discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Andre Brown expressed concern about Nazi groups appearing in Miami and urged the city to establish a task force to prevent such activity in Hollywood.
- Rita Lipoff criticized the commission for not providing a summer reading program for children at the closed Hollywood library, asking for pop-up events or book distribution.
- Tom Lander spoke as chair of Safe Schools South Florida, highlighting challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth, including the loss of school clubs and funding, and urged the commission to protect all citizens.
Discussion Items
- Code Compliance Officers Appreciation Week Proclamation: Commissioner Gruber read the proclamation; Director Javon Douglas accepted on behalf of the department.
- Fire Department Awards: Chief Jeff Levy recognized the recipients of the Second Chance Coin and Citizen Award of Merit for saving lives, including an 11-year-old girl and a man revived twice.
- Domestic Workers' Day Proclamation: Vice Mayor Quintana presented a proclamation recognizing June 16, 2025, as Domestic Workers' Day.
- Item 14 – Athletic Field Maintenance Contract: Commissioner Shuham pulled the item to discuss fertilizer use. She noted that the city provides the fertilizer, and staff committed to using best efforts to minimize environmental impact. The motion to approve passed unanimously.
- Ordinance 22 – Parking Enforcement via License Plate Readers: Javon Douglas presented the system for garages and lots. The ordinance passed on first reading with a 7-0 vote.
- Marine Advisory Council Report: Chair Eric Abrams presented accomplishments, including a fertilizer ban recommendation, fishing tournament, and derelict vessel monitoring. Commissioner Gruber suggested coordination with the Sustainability Advisory Board.
- Item 24 – Microtransit Renewal: Approved unanimously to renew the contract with Circuit Transit for $1,246,000.
- Item 25 – Parking Rate Changes and Expansion: The most extensive discussion. The commission debated and amended the proposal:
- Downtown: Approved Option A for rates ($2/hr Mon-Thu, $3/hr Fri-Sun; resident 50% off). Expanded paid parking to the dotted line area (golf course perimeter, Jackson, Taylor, etc.) with resident permit program ($25/year, two passes per household). West of the tracks (zones 35,36,43,48) set to two hours free, then paid. Employee permit rate reduced from $35 to $30 per month. Keating Park annual passes eliminated; staff to study hardship and provide refunds. Nebraska Garage rate reduced to $2/hr Mon-Thu, $3/hr Fri-Sun; resident 50% off. On-street beach parking increased by $0.50/hr. Garfield Garage rates unchanged. The motion passed unanimously.
- Item 26 – Cured-in-Place Pipe Lining Renewal: Approved unanimously for $1,900,000.
- City Manager’s Report: Introduced the police FOP Helping Hand program providing emergency housing; a video on public works recycling education at Orangebrook Elementary; and legislative updates. The commission agreed to a future presentation on impactful bills.
- Commissioner Comments: Commissioner Shuham secured support for staff to review a fertilizer ordinance; also reaffirmed the 2018 resolution opposing offshore drilling for submission to BOEM. Commissioner Biederman requested prioritization of gateway signage; commissioners agreed to each submit top five priorities.
Key Outcomes
- Votes: Consent agenda (except item 14) approved. Item 14 approved. Ordinance 22 passed first reading. Item 24, 25, and 26 approved.
- Directives: Staff to draft a fertilizer ordinance for consideration; to submit the 2018 offshore drilling resolution to BOEM; to prioritize gateway signage locations per commissioner input; to study Keating Park parking usage and refund annual passes.
- Next Steps: The July meeting will include a legislative update. The marina/resolution on sewer conversion and other items were noted.
Meeting Transcript
All right. All right, welcome everyone. Welcome to City Hall here in the city of Hollywood. Today is June fourth, twenty twenty five. Uh, we are here for a regular city commission meeting, but as we like to say, and as we can see today in the audience that we have, and those that are participating, that it's never a regular city commission meeting because we always have very important uh items and things to recognize and uh business to take care of. So thank you all for participating in today's meeting. Uh, before we ask you to rise for a moment of silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, I would like to take a moment uh for us to think about uh two people, uh, each uh having made Hollywood their home in a different way, uh, that unfortunately lost their lives recently. One was uh a fellow named Tim Burton. Tim uh was a long time uh community uh activist and and civic association leader in the Liberia neighborhood. Uh he also was a member of the African American Advisory Council here in Hollywood for a number of years and was a leading figure uh for some time uh in the Liberia community. Also worked at Memorial Regional uh or Memorial Healthcare System in the IT department, and at one point in his uh civic life was a candidate for office uh in District Two. So unfortunately, Tim, who had uh an illness that spanned a a long while had uh succumbed to a condition and to uh to uh circumstances uh just last week. Also, you might have uh heard in the news that uh there was a a few terrible uh boating uh accidents and explosions uh that took place in Fort Lauderdale uh the other week. Uh, one of the persons who unfortunately passed away, Joshua Fifi. Uh his family, you know, is a Hollywood family, uh, worked in Hollywood. Uh he lost his life at the young age of twenty something due to the vapor explosion on the boat, uh, along with uh, you know, I think over nine other people, including kids who were injured uh by the uh vapor explosion. So our hearts are with uh Christian, his father, and and their family and all the kids uh as well. So please think of Joshua and and Tim as we rise for the moment of silence. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republicans, one nation, under God, individual liberty and justice for all. Thank you all. Uh another important moment we have here is uh that we always always take time for is to recognize our active uh service personnel, U.S. veterans and their families. So if you are a member of the armed forces or a veteran or a family member, please rise. We'd like to recognize you. Thank you. Roll call, please. Commissioner Shoeham. Here. Commissioner Hernandez. Commissioner Kallary. Here. Commissioner Gruber. Commissioner Biederman. Here. Vice Mayor Quintana? Here. Mayor Levy. Here. Thank you. Today's consent agenda includes items five through eighteen. These are items that don't usually require individual discussion. However, if there is a speaker card or a request from one of the commissioners to remove an item for individual discussion, we're happy to do that. Pat, are there any speaker cards on five through eighteen today? No cards. Motion to approve. I went up. Pull 14, please. 14. Okay, hold on.
openpublica.com