Miramar City Commission Regular Meeting - November 1, 2023

The City Commission of Miramar, FL, held its regular meeting on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the Commission Chambers. All votes were unanimous. The meeting featured proclamations, staff recognition, an aviation presentation by Embry-Riddle and Miramar High School, consent agenda approvals, resolutions, budget amendments, land development code changes, and reports.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes from the October 18, 2023 workshop and regular meetings (to be placed on the November 13, 2023 agenda).
• Approved Temporary Resolution R7967 designating Public Works and Utilities employees as first responders as federally and state mandated, and authorizing use of the National Public Works Association responder symbol.
• Consent items were approved unanimously by Mayor Messam, Vice Mayor Davis, Commissioners Barnes, Chambers, and Colbourne.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Eddie Edwards (11969 SW 68 28 Court, Miramar) stated that the issue he intended to bring before the commission had been resolved, thanked the commission for their work, and made no further comment.

Resolutions

• R7951 – Milling and Resurfacing Award: Approved awarding IFB No. 23-026 (re-bid) to The Stout Group, LLC, the second lowest responsive responsible bidder, with a bid amount of $1,679,015 and a 20% construction allowance of $335,803, totaling $2,014,818. The project covers five lane miles of milling and resurfacing, sidewalk ADA upgrades, and drainage apron installation in the Flamingo/S days community. Funded by the Broward County transportation surtax (voter-approved in 2018). The contractor must meet a 40% CBE goal.
• R8006 – Water Meter Purchase: Approved purchase of water meters, associated parts, and software-as-a-service from Sensus USA in an amount not to exceed $1,053,300.58, waiving competitive bidding per City Code Section 2-413(3). The city maintains over 34,800 active water meters. The replacement plan targets approximately 3,000 meters per year (10% annually), with full modernization expected within 3–5 years. Discussion confirmed the new system will provide daily usage data and leak alerts to proactively notify residents of anomalies, preventing surprise high bills.

Ordinances – First Reading

• O1819 – FY2023 Final Budget Amendment: Approved on first reading. The general fund revenue was decreased by $1 million due to a reduction in the allocated budget for ARPA program 162; corresponding expense reductions included increases in some departments (e.g., City Manager +$599,000, Police +$274,000, Parks +$176,000) offset by decreases (e.g., Non-Departmental -$2.2 million, Building Planning and Zoning -$268,000). Total general fund expenses decreased by $1 million. Staff clarified that the $1 million ARPA reduction is a reappropriation to FY2024, not a loss of revenue. Second reading scheduled for November 13, 2023.
• O1821 – FY2024 First Budget Amendment: Approved on first reading. Increases economic development fund 006 fund balance by $690,000 to appropriate funding for grants to others (economic incentives), focusing on commercial property owners and tenants in the historic area between University Drive and State Road 7. Second reading scheduled for November 13, 2023.

Public Hearing – Second Reading

• O1817 – Land Development Code Amendment: Approved. Amends Section 402 and Tables 402-2/402-3 (development bulk standards for single-family and multi-family residential districts) and Section 403/Table 403-1 (principal uses in non-residential and mixed-use districts). No changes from first reading on October 4, 2023. Commissioner Colbourne noted she had met with staff for clarifications and thanked them.
• O1818 – Land Development Code Amendment: Approved. Creates new Section 505 on accessory uses and standards, repeals Section 809 and Table 402-5, amends Section 808 off-street parking, and revises Chapter 2 definitions. No changes from first reading.

Other Business & Reports

• Commission Reports: Vice Mayor Davis thanked staff for the Black British Heritage Month celebration. Commissioner Colbourne reported on Read for the Record visits, a pastor appreciation luncheon, and praised the Halloween event at River Run Park, also reminding of the upcoming Panamanian Independence celebration. Commissioner Chambers praised staff for the Halloween event and State of the City, suggesting more time (3–5 minutes) for commissioners' remarks at the latter. Commissioner Barnes announced a Turkey giveaway on November 16 at Fairway Park and a new swim program (contact 954-602-3132).
• Mayor Messam: Clarified the purpose of the State of the City address as a mayoral address, noting that he invited commissioners as a courtesy. He also announced voter registration events on November 7 and 20, ahead of 2024 elections, and thanked staff for the successful Halloween event at Ansin Sports Complex.
• City Attorney Report: Reported a successful summary judgment dismissing all 11 counts of a lawsuit pending since 2012, in which the plaintiff sought over $2 million. This was noted as the last old case in the city's litigation portfolio, and several commissioners praised the legal team's performance.

Key Outcomes

• All agenda items (consent calendar, resolutions, ordinances, public hearing) were approved unanimously.
• Next regular commission meeting: Monday, November 13, 2023, at 7:00 PM.