City of Hollywood Regular Commission Meeting: October 22, 2025
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City of Hollywood Regular Commission Meeting: October 22, 2025
The Hollywood City Commission convened on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at City Hall for a regular meeting addressing land use codes, public safety reports, infrastructure projects, affordable housing, and waste management contracts. The meeting opened with proclamations and ran through the evening, concluding with extensive citizen comments and commission discussions.
Proclamations & Presentations
- Florida City Week (Oct 20-26, 2025): Assistant City Manager Adam Reichbach accepted the proclamation and discussed the threat of state property tax reform, noting that 46% of general fund revenue comes from property taxes and that a complete elimination of non-school homestead taxes would cost the city $55 million annually.
- Youth Leadership Encounter Week (Oct 25 - Nov 1, 2025): Avantgarde Academy will host over 100 students from several countries focusing on marine ecosystem preservation.
- Inaugural South Florida Mental Wellness Summit & Expo Day (Oct 23): Proclamation issued in the group's absence.
Consent Calendar
Items 5-21 were approved unanimously. Item 12 (City Hall Space Planning) was pulled for discussion. Approved items included budget amendments, meeting minutes, contracts for records management (Vital Records Control, up to $120k/yr), retirement fund MOU ($185k), employee health center BAA, benefits consultant (Risk Strategies, up to $150k/yr), police grants for derelict vessels ($63,000) and pedestrian safety ($25,813.56), water facility plan and SRF loan ($12,050,000), wastewater treatment plant windows/doors ($190,150.00), sewer main inspection services (Flotech, $110,000.00), and a concrete grinding change order ($200k to $600k annually).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ann Ralston: Expressed deep gratitude to Fire Rescue for saving her husband (specifically Eric Mendoza, Jose Beltran, Henry Dombrowski). Criticized excessive parking signs on 17th Avenue and Polk, and raised safety concerns about e-bikes damaging the Echo golf course.
- Chris & Amanda Albertelli: Made an emotional plea regarding a T-Mobile 5G pole installed near their home. They stated they have spent thousands on mitigation, live in a Faraday tent to protect their children, and requested relocation. They claimed they were misled about relocation costs (quoted $250k vs. $10k-$21k per an attorney). The City Manager confirmed staff is actively working to find a new site for the pole.
- Larry Shram: (Speaking as a resident) Requested poles be moved to allow proper waste truck turning access to alleys, citing property damage.
- Henry Haft: Urged the commission to honor its promise to delay votes on projects affected by the disputed Charter Amendment (specifically the 1301 project) until after the 2026 election.
- Sean Tillotson: Criticized the jolting design of speed tables, the placement of roundabouts near marinas (hindering boat trailers), and excessive traffic calming signage. The City Manager agreed to review the standard design for future speed tables to make them less jolting.
- Miguel Fornalo: Reported that an alley repaving behind his home on Madison Street has exacerbated flooding into his garage, damaging appliances.
Discussion Items
- Historic Broadwalk Overlay (PO-2025-11 / Item 25): An ordinance designating the entire Hollywood Beach Broadwalk as a historic property overlay site. Commissioner Gruber confirmed it applies only to the pavement and does not affect adjacent private properties. Adopted unanimously on its only required reading.
- Painting, Color & Public Art Standards (PO-2025-10 / Item 24): An ordinance revising standards for exterior paint/color and art in public places. Commissioner Gruber opposed the 1% art requirement for developments, arguing the money could fund the Affordable Housing Trust. The ordinance passed on second reading (6-1).
- Code Compliance Fines (PO-2025-14 / Item 28): An ordinance allowing magistrates to impose a one-time fine up to $15,000 for irreparable violations (e.g., historic demolition, illegal dumping in waterways). Passed unanimously on first reading.
- School Speed Zone Camera Report (Item 29): Police Chief Devlin reported an 89% reduction in speeding and 36% reduction in accidents. A total of 28,030 violations were issued, with $1,738,518 collected. The city retained $656,245 after vendor fees and state/district contributions.
- Fire Rescue Drone & EV Apparatus (Item 30): Fire Chief Levy showcased the Drone Deployed Personal Flotation Device and the COBRA Cold Cut System for EV battery fires. Hollywood is the first agency in Florida with these specific capabilities.
- Sand Bypass Project Update (Item 31): Stephanie Roche from Broward County announced the dredge contractor is set to begin. Future maintenance events will occur every 2-4 years, lasting 45-90 days, providing 50% of sand needs for southern beaches.
- Hillcrest Village Affordable Housing Loan (Item 32): Authorized a $640,000 loan from ILA funds to the affordable housing development to increase its competitiveness for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The loan has a 20-year term. Adopted unanimously.
- Waste Disposal Contracts (Item 33): Approved blanket purchase agreements for processing recyclables, yard waste, bulk waste, and commingled waste. Coastal Waste was selected as primary for recycling ($108/ton); Panzarella MRF as primary for yard/bulk. Waste Management and Coastal representatives spoke on facility readiness. The resolution includes a 60-day termination clause. Adopted unanimously.
- Harrison Street Parking Garage (Item 34): Approved final ranking of design-build firms and authorized negotiations with Finfrock Construction. The garage will have ~350 spaces across 7-8 floors with LPR entry and a potential customer service kiosk. Adopted unanimously.
Key Outcomes & Directives
- Property Tax Reform Advocacy: Staff are actively educating the public on the impact of proposed state legislation.
- Affordable Housing Trust Fund: The commission agreed to bring back a discussion on funding sources, following a suggestion to divert part of the 1% art fee.
- Short-Term Rental Cameras: Commissioner Shuham's proposal to mandate security cameras for short-term vacation rentals was supported; staff will develop a proposal with legal review.
- Traffic Calming Design: Mayor Levy directed the City Manager to review the design specifications of speed tables to ensure future installations are less jolting.
- North Perry Airport Safety: Mayor Levy received support to send a letter urging Broward County to pursue safety and environmental studies at North Perry Airport.
- Sam Horvitz Recognition: The commission supported co-naming a portion of 46th Avenue through Emerald Hills as "Sam Horvitz Avenue" in honor of the developer of Hollywood Inc.
- T-Mobile 5G Pole Relocation: The City Manager confirmed on the record that the city is actively trying to find a way to relocate the pole near the Albertelli home.
- Executive Session: Scheduled for Monday, November 10, 2025, at 4:30 PM to discuss litigation (Astrid II LLC et al. vs. City of Hollywood).
- Appointments: Four members were appointed to the Education Advisory Committee (Luke Locart, Earnestine Bennett-Wright, Brooke Manasse). Christina Frazier was appointed to the African American Advisory Council.
Meeting Transcript
What are we doing with this? Um, for my comments, this reference. All right, welcome everyone. Welcome to City Hall here in the city of Hollywood. Today is Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025. Uh, we are here for a regular but always special and significant city commission meeting. Please rise for a moment of silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice. At the start of each meeting, we also think an important moment to recognize our uh U.S. veterans, active service personnel, or their families who may be in attendance. So if you are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, maybe even active service or a family member thereof, please rise, we'd like to recognize you. Roll call, please. Commissioner Bieterman. Vice Mayor Cantana. Here. Commissioner Shoeham. Here. Commissioner Hernandez. Here. Commissioner Kalleri. Here. Commissioner Gruber. Here. Mayor Levy. Here. All right. Today's consent agenda includes items five through twenty-one. These are items that don't usually require individual discussion. However, if there is a request from the dais to uh pull one item for a discussion or more, or uh a comment card on any item, we'll be happy to take it up and discuss it. Pat, are there any speaker cards on five through twenty-one? None. Anything from the dais. Um, I would like to pull number twelve. Twelve. Okay. If that's it, then I'll accept the motion to approve the balance of the consent agenda from Commissioner Kallery. And a second from Commissioner Biederman. Uh all those in favor of moving items five through eleven and thirteen through twenty-one say aye. Aye. Any opposed, hearing none. Those items carry unanimously, and we'll take up item twelve a little bit later in our agenda. Now let's go ahead with our presentations, proclamations, and awards. Uh let's begin with uh Commissioner Biederman, who will be presenting a proclamation recognizing Florida City Week, which is October twentieth through the twenty-sixth of this year. Uh accepting the proclamation will be our assistant city manager, Adam Reichbach. Commissioner Biederman. Florida City Week. Florida City Week, October 20th through the 26th, 2025, whereas city government is the government closest to the people, and the one with the most direct daily impact upon its residents, and whereas municipal government provides services and programs that enhance the quality of life for residents, making their city their home. And whereas city government is administered for and by its citizens and is dependent on public comment, public commitment to an understanding of its many responsibilities.
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