Hollywood CRA Regular Meeting - April 6, 2026: FDOT Partnership, Backflow Preventers, and Executive Director Appointment
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Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency Regular Meeting - April 6, 2026
The Hollywood CRA Board met on April 6, 2026, at 9:00 AM in City Hall. The agenda included consent items, a presentation by FDOT District 4 Secretary Steve Braun on resiliency and flood management, approval of backflow preventer installation, the FY2025 audit presentation, security bollard installation, appointment of the CRA Executive Director, and informational reports on beach and downtown activities, including updates on Cinema Paradiso and the dune project.
Consent Calendar
- Items 5-9 approved unanimously: Resolutions amending the FY2026 budgets for the Downtown and Beach Districts (R-CRA-2026-12, R-CRA-2026-13), consenting to assignment of surveying contract (R-CRA-2026-14), approving a lease amendment for CRA office space (R-CRA-2026-15), and amending the Mural Only Program to streamline the art review process (R-CRA-2026-16).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Bob Glickman, Hollywood Beach resident: Expressed concerns that the new dunes are taking up about 40 percent of the sandy beach in the north central beach area, that the dunes appear higher than the knee wall, and that shade trees are being eliminated. He also called for a beach residential parking program, noted that parking garages remain mostly empty (estimated at 50 percent), requested an analysis of mid-block crossings (costing $100,000–$200,000) as opposed to traffic signals (over $1 million), and urged a contractor coordination program to prevent damage to drainage systems. During the FDOT presentation, he reiterated concerns that FDOT maintenance inspections of flapgates and underground drainage are not occurring twice a year as claimed, and criticized the condition of road repairs by contractors, citing metal plates not secured and traffic backups of up to 1.3 miles on Sheridan Street.
Discussion Items
- FDOT Partnership on Resiliency and Flood Management (Item 10, 9:15 AM Time Certain): FDOT District 4 Secretary Steve Braun and District Drainage Engineer James Poole presented a history of infrastructure investments since the early 2000s, including flapgate installations, pipe lining, and the current construction of pump stations and seawalls (phase one estimated repair cost $353,000, phase two estimated $210,000). They outlined a partnership funding model based on contributing drainage areas. Board members (Chair Levy, Board Members Shuham and Hernandez) pressed for a proactive pipe inspection protocol (not just reactive) and for the city to be able to tap into FDOT maintenance contracts for expedited repairs. FDOT acknowledged the need for a proactive schedule and committed to taking the issue to the technical working group. The board also discussed the need for funding for two additional pump stations (Jefferson Street ~$13M and Foxglove Terrace ~$8M) to complete the system; FDOT confirmed ongoing discussions. Board Member Hernandez suggested bifurcating technical coordination (city public utilities working directly with FDOT) from financial discussions (CRA handling funding).
- Backflow Preventer Installation (Item 11): Resolution to execute an agreement with Southeastern Engineering Contractors, Inc. for installation of backflow preventers (Waypro valves) along 30 east-west streets from Hollywood Boulevard to Sheridan Street, in an amount up to $1,016,187, plus a 30% contingency of up to $304,856.10, for a total cost up to $1,321,043.10, using a piggyback procurement. The contractor (Javier from Southeastern) stated work would start next month and take 4–6 months. Board members requested sequencing to prioritize the most flood-prone streets and careful maintenance of traffic during construction. Approved unanimously.
- FY2025 Annual Financial Report and Audit (Item 12): Tanya Davis of S. Davis and Associates presented an unmodified (clean) audit opinion for the year ended September 30, 2025, with no internal control deficiencies or noncompliance. Total assets increased from $143M to $173M; total liabilities from $4.5M to $6.5M; net position rose from $138M to $167M (of which $91M is net investment in capital assets and $76M restricted for future community development). The audit also confirmed no financial emergency conditions. Board members noted the CRA’s strong financial position.
- Security Bollards (Item 13): Resolution to execute an amendment to the Phase IV project’s GMP with Burkhardt Construction Inc. for installation of security bollards at beach street ends south of Hollywood Boulevard, in an amount up to $352,150.11 (including direct material purchase of $124,659), increasing total project cost from $76,105,930.25 to $76,458,080.36. Approved unanimously.
- Appointment of Executive Director (Item 14): Resolution appointing Raelin Storey as CRA Executive Director. Approved unanimously. Board Chair Levy asked for a future status report and plan regarding the beach district sunset (June 2027) and remaining project obligations.
- Informational Reports - Cinema Paradiso Update: Jennifer Homan, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, reported that Cinema Paradiso averages 800–1,000 visitors monthly but aims to double attendance. She highlighted new programming including foreign language films, a Peruvian Film Festival, a Bollywood festival, and a future multi-arts festival modeled after South by Southwest. She also noted that the center has provided key access to downtown police officers for break room use. The board approved the release of $15,000 in quarterly marketing funding (from CRA’s advertising budget) to support Cinema Paradiso, with Board Member Gruber requesting that future funding come from a different line item (e.g., cultural arts) rather than marketing. The motion passed 6-0.
- Informational Reports - Dune Project Update: Chris Roschek, Chief Resiliency Officer, reported that the county-led dune project on Hollywood Beach is nearing completion (expected by end of April 2026). He confirmed the project follows the one-third dune, two-thirds sandy beach ratio. Issues addressed include lowering pedestrian walkways for accessibility (using Moby Mats or similar), ensuring post heights are no taller than necessary (initially 6 feet set 2.5 feet in ground, resulting in 3.5 feet above ground), and plant survival concerns due to insufficient watering (contractor has a one-year warranty). The board requested follow-up on post height and a watering plan.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda (items 5–9) approved unanimously.
- FDOT partnership discussions resulted in board direction to develop a proactive pipe inspection protocol, explore city directly tapping into FDOT maintenance contracts, and continue funding negotiations for two additional pump stations ($22.5M total). The technical working group will bring back recommendations.
- Backflow preventer installation (item 11) approved unanimously ($1,321,043.10). Work to begin next month, finish in 4–6 months.
- Security bollards (item 13) approved unanimously ($352,150.11).
- Appointment of Raelin Storey as Executive Director (item 14) approved unanimously.
- Cinema Paradiso quarterly funding of $15,000 approved 6-0; board member Gruber requested future funding be moved from marketing to a cultural arts line item.
- Dune project – Board to receive post-construction surveys from the county; staff to follow up on plant watering and post height concerns.
- Directive to re-engage FDOT on redesign of the A1A/Hollywood Boulevard circular off-ramp, supported by board members.
Meeting Transcript
If you could please uh find your seat. Okay. And there's a story. All right. All right, good morning, everyone. Today is April sixth, twenty twenty-six. We are here for a regular community redevelopment agency meeting here in the city of Hollywood. Welcome to City Hall for those of you that are that are visiting. Um we will rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by roll call. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Thank you. Roll call, please. Vice Chair Callari. Chair Levy. Here. All right. I would like to entertain a motion to uh excuse uh Vice Mayor's um absence. She is out of the out of the country. Second. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, show the motion passes unanimously. Five oh uh, Commissioner Bieterman, just for the record, is here. Um, he'll step in and then we'll recognize his uh his attendance. All right, on to uh conflict disclosures. I don't anticipate any. Moving on to nine AM citizens' comments. Any speaker cards today? Clerk Bob Glickman, come on up, good morning, Bob Glickman, Hollywood Beach. The dunes were not supposed to be any higher than the knee wall. They're already higher than the knee wall. And North Central Beach, so I'll say from Scott or or Liberty Street heading north, they're also taking up about forty percent of the sandy beach. Okay, it that strip of the beach down there is kind of narrow, so there's really no beach for people to sit. And they're also encompassing the trees that are there. So any shade that we did have, no longer we have. So I wonder if something can be done about this before they move forward. They haven't done any plantings yet, but they put these uh they're gonna put rope and and sticks up there, but those poles are about uh five or six feet high. You know, so if they're anticipating the dunes to go that high, you know, we're gonna have a real problem uh with the tourist industry that we rely on here on Hollywood Beach. So I just wanted to bring that uh to your attention. Uh I also at the last meeting you talked about the beach master plan, but one of the things in that was to do something about uh having a truck ordinance on along A1A, delivery times and truck sizes, and we haven't done that yet. Also, maybe we can do that, and also a beach residential uh parking uh program. Rest of the city has one, beach residents need one as well. So we'd appreciate if you can do something. Uh the parking garages remain mostly empty most of the time. You can drive by there. They're 50 percent empty. This is not good. They're they're parking on the streets instead of into the garages.
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