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[32:09] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Welcome everyone yesterday
[32:12] was election day and you had the opportunity to go vote.
[32:15] It was kind of a low turnout...
[32:22] But the votes were tallied and people one,
[32:27] and some didn't succeed, but we want
[32:30] to thank all of those who won and those
[32:33] who ran for caring about our community
[32:35] enough to put their hat in the ring
[32:38] and to offer their services to a great community.
[32:42] I want to thank all of you for voting,
[32:47] for those of you who didn't get to vote,
[32:50] please set your calendar for the next election.
[32:53] I'm not a great example at a great many things,
[32:57] but I can tell you I voted in every election
[33:00] since I was aged 18.
[33:09] It's important.
[33:10] If you don't vote, somebody else's vote counts for double
[33:17] and if that person doesn't vote, whoever doesn't show up --
[33:28] does show up counts for triple.
[33:30] Cast your vote, it's a civic duty,
[33:33] and it helps to keep our nation great, so thank you very much.
[33:42] Can we call the roll please?
[33:49] [Roll call]
[34:04] I would like to ask you if you could please stand
[34:09] for the Pledge of Allegiance which will be followed
[34:12] by the National anthem .
[34:17] Today, leading us in the pledge and singing the National anthem
[34:20] is Jenna Chan, her grandparents have been Long Pembroke Pines
[34:26] residents .
[34:40] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
[34:43] and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
[34:43] indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[35:20] [Singing] Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early What
[35:24] so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last Whose
[35:26] broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous
[35:26] O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly
[35:26] And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in Gave proof
[35:26] through the night that our flag was still Oh, say!
[35:26] does that star-spangled banner yet O'er the land of the free
[35:26] and the home of the On the shore, dimly seen
[35:26] through the mists of the Where the foe's haughty host in dread
[35:26] silence What is that which the breeze,
[35:26] o'er the towering As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half Now
[35:26] it catches the gleam of the morning's
[35:26] first In fully glory reflected now shines
[35:26] in the 'Tis the star-spangled banner!
[35:26] Oh, long may it O'er the land of the free and the home of the
[35:27] And where is that band who so vauntingly That the havoc of war
[35:27] and the battle's A home and a country
[35:27] should leave us no Their blood has washed
[35:27] out their foul footsteps' No refuge could save the hireling
[35:27] and From the terror of flight or the gloom of the
[35:27] And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth
[35:27] O'er the land of the free and the home of the Oh,
[35:27] thus be it ever, when freemen shall Between their loved home
[35:27] and the war's Blest with victory and peace,
[35:27] may the heav'n-rescued Praise the Power that hath made
[35:27] and preserved us a Then conquer we must,
[35:27] when our cause it is And this be our motto:
[35:27] "In God is our And the star-spangled banner in triumph
[35:29] shall O'er the land of the free and the home of the source:
[36:28] [Applause]
[36:36] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Welcome to Commissioner good,
[36:39] please Mark Commissioner good as present.
[36:42] We've got some presentations to do today .
[37:20] Speaker: This is a proclamation of the city of Pembroke Pines
[37:24] Florida.
[37:38] [Applause]
[37:50] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Whereas on August 15th 2026 marks
[38:04] the 80th anniversary of India independence commemorating eight
[38:09] decades of its enduring commitment to liberty,
[38:13] self-determination, democracy, and the rule of law and whereas
[38:17] the city of Pembroke Pines is proud to recognize and celebrate
[38:20] the rich cultural heritage, traditions and history
[38:23] in the Indian community and of all communities,
[38:26] whose members have made meaningful contributions
[38:30] to social, cultural, educational, medical,
[38:35] technological, and the economic vitality of our community.
[38:39] I, the mayor of the City of Pembroke Pines Florida declare
[38:47] August 15th India's Independence Day in the city of Pembroke
[38:53] Pines Joining in the commemoration of this 80th
[39:03] anniversary of India's independence, thank you.
[39:11] [Applause]
[39:35] Speaker: Thank you very much on behalf of Indian Americans,
[39:51] this is an honor for us because in this country
[39:57] I know there's a lot of opportunity,
[40:00] and we are happy we have been able to achieve that
[40:04] and I respect and honor that proclamation.
[40:07] Let me read what I wrote --
[40:23] I am an Indian American, I have been a long time resident
[40:29] of the city of Pembroke Pines since 1998 and I have been proud
[40:36] of living in the city of Pembroke Pines and it is
[40:40] my absolute honor and privilege to receive this proclamation
[40:45] celebrating August 15th as the 80th anniversary of India
[40:50] Independence Day.
[40:52] Even though it is a workday, some of my colleagues are here
[40:57] and we will take a photograph.
[41:01] We cannot thank you enough for your kind consideration
[41:04] of the community , planned erection of Gandhi's Statue,
[41:13] Diwali resolution, and Hindu Heritage Month which is
[41:22] the month of October.
[41:31] I want to thank you because Commissioner Good attended
[41:36] the 250th anniversary celebration at the Temple.
[41:41] The mayor was busy because of his grandson,
[41:52] It is noteworthy similarities between India
[41:58] and the United States are deep commitment to liberty, equality,
[42:02] democracy, fundamental rights, and the rule of law.
[42:07] We are happy that our customs here in the USA and India
[42:13] are similar.
[42:14] We are proud both as Indian heritage
[42:17] and as American citizens.
[42:22] This partnership between the world's two largest democracies,
[42:26] we are 1.4 billion people which is
[42:30] almost four times the population of the United States
[42:34] and one third of the area, so we are Very densely populated.
[42:50] Though India has never been an aggressor,
[42:55] but it has fought wars with its hostile neighbor.
[42:59] America has always been the land of opportunity
[43:06] and we are achieving our American dream
[43:10] and we are appreciative of the opportunity.
[43:13] We are law abiding, peace loving,
[43:17] and happy to serve as doctors, engineers, IT professionals,
[43:22] business owners and participate in all the social activities.
[43:27] Mayor, I always look for your Facebook page
[43:32] that you devote to public affairs and civic engagement.
[43:37] I learn a lot, especially on property appraisal and things
[43:42] of that kind.
[43:44] Thank you mayor , and we would like to have a photograph.
[43:59] [Applause]
[45:27] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Vice mayor, if you will join us.
[45:34] The vice mayor has a certificate of recognition to present.
[45:42] Vice Mayor Michael A. Hernandez: I'm
[45:43] going to attempt to do this without my glasses, that's
[45:46] called courage.
[45:46] Can we have the Pembroke Pines Running Club come up?
[45:56] I'm going to read something and then I will hand this back
[46:01] to you .
[46:12] I'm going to read this .
[46:19] On behalf of the City Commission I'm
[46:22] proud to recognize the company as they celebrate
[46:26] their first anniversary and you will see them out
[46:32] in our community.
[46:33] Their dedication to providing health
[46:36] through the sport of running has brought people together
[46:38] in our city, strengthened our community spirit.
[46:42] You have created an inclusive environment
[46:46] where individuals of all ages and abilities
[46:48] are encouraged to connect, achieve their goals,
[46:51] and support one another.
[46:59] [Reading celebrants' names]
[47:33] We appreciate your commitment to fostering a more healthy,
[47:37] connected Pembroke Pines community
[47:39] and extend our congratulations and best
[47:42] wishes for your extended success ahead.
[47:45] I do follow you on Instagram, I don't know that I'm brave enough
[47:49] to run several miles, I'm more of a Stairmaster person
[47:53] but I appreciate very much for reaching out to me about this.
[47:58] I will make up the fact the day I
[48:00] was supposed to be there I was sick
[48:02] and I did not want to be around you at that time,
[48:05] so I will be going out, text me.
[48:07] But this is for you all, and if you have anything to say Adrian.
[48:19] Speaker: We started this about a year ago, myself and the others,
[48:23] this guy right here actually motivated me to start this,
[48:28] Dominic .
[48:32] My initiative with this was just to get pines moving,
[48:35] Pines is a beautiful community and want
[48:37] to continue to push our agenda and health
[48:39] and wellness out there, we would like
[48:41] to continue to align with the city.
[48:44] Thank you guys so much .
[48:50] [Applause]
[48:52] Vice Mayor Michael A. Hernandez: We're going to take a photo.
[49:42] Mayor Angelo Castillo: I run every four years,
[49:44] that's about it, it's a one time event,
[49:48] but it's usually a lot of fun .
[50:01] I'm glad that you are out and you are doing it,
[50:05] congratulations .
[50:10] Now we have the charter schools, on behalf of the city Commission
[50:22] and our entire community I congratulate the city
[50:26] of Pembroke Pines Charter Schools on earning two very
[50:30] highly significant awards, the first is the government Finance
[50:34] Officers Association Distinguished budget
[50:37] Presentation Award, this is a prestigious award that honors
[50:44] excellence in budget presentation,
[50:47] and the Association of School Business Officers International
[50:53] Meritorious Budget Award , and these prestigious national
[51:00] honors recognize the city's unwavering commitment
[51:02] to transparency, accountability, and the excellence of financial
[51:12] structure.
[51:13] It reinforces our promise to responsibly manage
[51:16] public resources while providing exceptional educational
[51:20] opportunities for our students, here to accept these awards
[51:26] is the city's Comptroller.
[51:34] [Applause]
[52:15] Speaker: Even though this award is currently tied to my team
[52:18] and myself, it's definitely a team effort and there's a lot
[52:22] of work that goes behind it so I do want to acknowledge
[52:25] the people that helped put this together,
[52:27] that of course is our school leadership team and I thank you
[52:33] for your unwavering commitment to our charter schools
[52:36] dedication to our students, individuals in our finance
[52:42] department, my team on a day to day basis and last I want
[52:49] to personally thank my mentor Who always supports me .
[53:09] I'm accepting this on behalf of all of those teams
[53:14] that make this
[53:22] [Inaudible]
[53:49] City Manager: I'm providing public notice of an upcoming
[53:51] community meeting on August 25th from 6 to 7 p.m.
[53:55] As required by Florida Law.
[53:57] This is not a city commission meeting,
[53:59] nor a meeting conducted by city staff,
[54:02] although the meeting is being posted by the city.
[54:04] The Florida legislature created the Brownfield Redevelopment Act
[54:08] cited as separate sections in Florida statutes
[54:18] providing for the designation by the City
[54:20] Commission for resolution of a future date for one
[54:23] or more parcels within the city as a Brownfield area
[54:26] and for the corresponding provisions
[54:30] of environmental Remediation and economic development.
[54:34] State law provides the framework and application requirements
[54:37] for the property owners to comply with before resolution
[54:41] is placed on the City Commission public meeting
[54:44] agenda for consideration.
[54:46] One of those requirements concerns public transparency,
[54:49] the community meeting being conducted by the applicant,
[54:58] we must announce this meeting here during a public forum.
[55:02] Wants the applicant has successfully
[55:05] completed all the statute requirements
[55:09] they must announce and schedule an additional public hearing
[55:15] in advance.
[55:17] The parcel in question has been posted outside at our posting
[55:27] board at the Northwest corner of Pembroke Road in hiatus,
[55:31] the public meeting we'll be here on the 25th between 6 and 7 p.m.
[55:37] We've posted to a more commissioners may be
[55:40] in attendance .
[55:46] We will be back at a later date with additional information
[55:49] outside of the public meeting Next week.
[55:56] Thank you.
[56:02] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Commission report?
[56:07] board of adjustment decisions?
[56:14] Speaker: None, mayor.
[56:20] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Okay, appointments.
[56:22] I'm happy to announce the appointment
[56:30] on the advisory board.
[56:37] Speaker: Thank you for the opportunity,
[56:39] I've been waiting several years and finally it is here.
[56:51] Mayor Angelo Castillo: He served as an alternate member with
[56:54] the Greater Appreciation Board and I want to thank you
[56:56] for your service , whenever possible it's my policy
[57:05] to appoint alternate members to be regular members because you
[57:12] have a sense of what they talk about.
[57:15] I really want to thank you for your service, good luck.
[57:21] [Applause]
[57:24] Commissioner good?
[57:31] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: Today I'm
[57:32] pleased to bring forward the appointment of Hennessy Toledo
[57:36] to our citizens Budget Advisory Board, she is in the audience
[57:42] if she can come up to the podium while I introduce her
[57:45] to our public hearing.
[57:49] Yancy has been a resident of Pembroke Pines for eight years
[57:54] and she brings both a deep commitment
[57:57] to our community and an exceptional professional
[58:00] background in municipal finance.
[58:03] In her application she expressed a genuine desire to help make
[58:10] responsible, transparent, and well informed budget decisions .
[58:17] The commitment is something I know
[58:19] to be true from professional experience.
[58:21] I had the privilege with working with her years
[58:24] ago during our time together in government
[58:26] and I saw firsthand the level of talent
[58:28] that she brings to the table.
[58:31] Her professionalism, her mastery of complex financial systems
[58:37] and her ability to break down complicated budget issues
[58:41] into clear, actionable insights made her
[58:44] an invaluable part of the team.
[58:47] I will be honest, I was saddened when she moved on because she
[58:52] was exactly the kind of steady, thoughtful highly skilled
[58:57] professional you always want in your organization .
[59:04] Her resume reflects that same strength.
[59:06] More than 20 years of experience in government finance,
[59:10] including her current role as grants and accounting manager
[59:14] and prior service as an accounting supervisor
[59:19] and senior budget analysis.
[59:21] She has deep expertise in forecasting, budgeting,
[59:30] ERP systems and financial reporting.
[59:33] That's the precise skill set that strengthens this
[59:37] board's ability to analyze complex financial information .
[59:45] But beyond her technical qualification,
[59:47] she brings a citizens focused perspective and a sincere desire
[59:52] to contribute to the long term fiscal health of the city where
[59:57] she and her family call home .
[1:00:02] She's experienced, she is committed,
[1:00:04] and she's someone I personally know to be exceptional ,
[1:00:11] so Mister Mayor I make my appointment to the citizens
[1:00:16] Budget Advisory Board.
[1:00:22] [Applause]
[1:00:24] Speaker: Thank you so much for all your kind words,
[1:00:38] I certainly appreciate the opportunity.
[1:00:40] It's an honor to serve my community
[1:00:43] and I will definitely not disappoint,
[1:00:47] I know I have big expectations and I will certainly beat them.
[1:00:51] As of right now I can tell you I feel very honored
[1:00:54] to have this opportunity to speak on behalf of my community
[1:01:00] and I would definitely hope to make some wise recommendations
[1:01:11] as to how we can all move forward
[1:01:15] in a more efficient manner and also
[1:01:19] being prudent and making best use of our budgeted funds, which
[1:01:25] we all know is going to be impacted by the upcoming
[1:01:28] property tax, so I know the budget
[1:01:32] is going to be looked at very closely
[1:01:34] and will be almost scrutinized where we can maximize
[1:01:39] the use of our funds and how we can serve our constituents
[1:01:42] in the best way possible.
[1:01:44] I hope to be part of that effort, I'm honored to be here
[1:01:48] and I thank you again for this opportunity
[1:01:50] and thank you again for your kind words, Commissioner.
[1:02:01] Mayor Angelo Castillo: The consent agenda today --
[1:02:09] I'm sorry, go right ahead.
[1:02:14] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: I'm also
[1:02:16] proud to bring forward the appointment
[1:02:18] and in this case reassignment of Aaron Lee
[1:02:20] to the city of Pembroke Pines budget Advisory board.
[1:02:24] If he could come up, and as he's making his way,
[1:02:28] let me again introduce you to the public .
[1:02:34] Aaron is a third generation resident
[1:02:36] of Pembroke Pines with more than 20 years of living in the city.
[1:02:41] His roots here run deep, and his commitment to our neighborhoods,
[1:02:45] our family, and our future is unmistakable .
[1:02:52] I want to take a moment to thank his grandmother Betty who is
[1:02:56] here tonight, and his mother Shawna who is also here tonight
[1:03:03] .
[1:03:04] Two women who poured love, discipline, and community
[1:03:08] pride into raising him.
[1:03:11] Their dedication has shaped the young leader
[1:03:14] who is stepping forward to serve the city they wholeheartedly
[1:03:19] support.
[1:03:21] Pembroke Pines is stronger because of families like theirs,
[1:03:25] families who raise the next generation with care show up
[1:03:30] and to lead it.
[1:03:32] Aaron joins this board after serving with distinction
[1:03:36] on the economic Development Board
[1:03:37] where he was highly respected for his professionalism,
[1:03:41] his preparation and his ability to bring
[1:03:45] a fresh community centered perspective to every discussion.
[1:03:49] This tenure there has taught him well,
[1:03:53] he understands how economic choices, development patterns,
[1:03:57] and market trends directly influence the city's long term
[1:04:01] financial health.
[1:04:23] These are exactly the skills that
[1:04:27] strengthen the work of our budget advisory.
[1:04:31] What stands out most about Aaron is his heart for service.
[1:04:36] In his application he wrote that he wants to offer new innovative
[1:04:41] solutions for the greater good of my community while advocating
[1:04:46] for other residents .
[1:04:51] That is the mindset we want guiding
[1:04:53] our fiscal conversations, thoughtful, forward looking,
[1:04:57] and rooted in the lived experience of our residents.
[1:05:00] Aaron is actively engaged in issues that directly impact
[1:05:05] our immediate and surrounding communities,
[1:05:09] he understands the decisions we make today shape the city
[1:05:14] our families want to inherit tomorrow pier his reassignment
[1:05:18] to this board is not only appropriate,
[1:05:21] it is an investment in the kind of leadership that Pembroke
[1:05:26] Pines deserves .
[1:05:30] With gratitude to the family that raised him,
[1:05:35] and confidence in the leadership he
[1:05:37] brings come I welcome him to the Budget Advisory Board.
[1:05:42] Thank you for taking on this opportunity sir .
[1:05:56] Speaker: Thank you everybody , two years ago I was before you
[1:06:07] all because I was coming up for an appointment on being
[1:06:14] on the economic board and I learned a lot of what it takes
[1:06:19] to keep a busy city productive the right way.
[1:06:24] Though this is bittersweet, I do look forward
[1:06:28] to being on the budget advisory board
[1:06:31] and I definitely want to share more innovative ideas
[1:06:39] but also make sure the city goes in the right direction.
[1:06:45] I personally want to thank you for considering me
[1:06:49] for this role, and thank you guys again for having me here.
[1:07:05] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: Mayor, Mr. Lee, come back down.
[1:07:08] It's not customary for us to address appointees afterwards,
[1:07:12] but I must tell you that your work on the Economic Development
[1:07:17] Board did not go unnoticed by me and your peers ,
[1:07:26] and everything that was said I want to double that.
[1:07:35] Speaker: You have the commitment of this community,
[1:07:38] keep moving forward, thank you so much.
[1:07:46] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Today's consent agenda
[1:07:48] consists of items one through five.
[1:08:01] The motion would need to be -- is there a motion?
[1:08:17] it passes unanimously.
[1:08:26] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Motion
[1:08:27] to approve countertops for housing apartments.
[1:08:34] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Is there a second?
[1:08:41] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Thank you
[1:08:43] for your comments in the Monday night memo,
[1:08:45] I do have some follow up questions in the bid package.
[1:08:52] It says there's a project manager assigned to this
[1:08:56] overseeing the installation.
[1:08:58] Do you have that person already identified ?
[1:09:47] So we've been installing these countertops
[1:09:50] for a period of time?
[1:09:54] Assistant City Manager: Multiple times
[1:09:56] this contract has been brought in front of the commission
[1:09:58] and we've awarded it to different bids.
[1:10:11] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Who
[1:10:12] approves the number of installations expected?
[1:10:24] Assistant City Manager: I believe
[1:10:25] it's the public service department,
[1:10:27] they have a need for renovation.
[1:10:31] I specifically don't know how many are in need of replacement
[1:10:36] today .
[1:10:59] Speaker: There are new apartments that need countertops
[1:11:02] at Pines Place, however, there may be tomorrow .
[1:11:13] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Do you
[1:11:14] anticipate between now and the end of the year
[1:11:16] 68 kitchen bathrooms that would need to be replaced?
[1:11:25] Speaker: No.
[1:11:30] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Page 13 has a total of 68 units
[1:11:33] currently in the bid spec.
[1:11:35] Given the fact that the property may be sold
[1:11:41] and maybe closed upon before the end of the year,
[1:11:44] I don't know if we are in good faith
[1:11:48] putting this out to bid in good faith
[1:11:52] to a potential vendor that are going to be placing
[1:11:57] time and effort for potentially 68 countertops
[1:12:02] but the closing is anticipated to occur
[1:12:06] before the end of the year.
[1:12:08] I don't know why we are going with this,
[1:12:13] let alone making a potential investment.
[1:12:24] Especially if we have no foreseeable vacancies
[1:12:28] in the foreseeable future.
[1:12:35] Speaker: The vendor has no expectations ,
[1:12:46] as we inspect them, very often public works can come
[1:12:51] in and make the countertops, they don't need to replace them,
[1:12:55] it happens on an as needed basis.
[1:13:01] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: The current vendor
[1:13:03] is aware of it?
[1:13:08] Assistant City Manager: This is for as needed service,
[1:13:13] we go back and work with the community Services department
[1:13:16] and come up with a different estimate
[1:13:18] or I can change all those quantities to one if that's
[1:13:21] something you would prefer.
[1:13:27] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: I would like to be able to put
[1:13:28] something out to the public that is actually going to occur,
[1:13:30] because what's going to happen is you're going to have a major
[1:13:35] retailer , they have the economies of scale going from
[1:13:45] this specific manufacturer.
[1:13:48] You've already selected what is going to be produced
[1:13:54] and what type, therefore the only other possibility
[1:13:58] for the vendor is to buy in quantity for the cheaper price.
[1:14:06] If they're putting a bid in, potentially 50 or more units,
[1:14:10] they're certainly not going to get it if we are only going
[1:14:13] to be turning over 3 or 4 on an as needed basis .
[1:14:23] You do have a one year cap , which is fine.
[1:14:28] I'm just not comfortable putting something out on the street --
[1:14:38] it doesn't say as needed In the bid spec.
[1:14:51] Assistant City Manager: I believe
[1:14:53] the bid spec does represent that it's on an as needed basis,
[1:14:56] we can always go back and add additional language
[1:14:59] about the potential sale of the property
[1:15:01] if that would make the Commissioner more
[1:15:03] comfortable with the item we could change it
[1:15:05] to unit quantities of one.
[1:15:08] At the end of the day, we don't really
[1:15:11] know what is expected at that facility.
[1:15:13] Turnover can happen any day and needs could arise,
[1:15:16] so that's why we have this contract just
[1:15:18] on an as needed basis to address those situations
[1:15:22] but we could definitely do that.
[1:15:33] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: If you're comfortable with that,
[1:15:35] mayor would it be appropriate?
[1:15:54] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: So this
[1:15:56] is a contract for both locations?
[1:16:03] you don't want to knock it down to nothing
[1:16:09] when you have Pembroke Pines Point with a bunch of seniors
[1:16:16] living there.
[1:16:19] Assistant City Manager: I know the comment was
[1:16:21] made that the vendors typically by the materials ahead of time,
[1:16:24] I don't know any vendors buying tons of countertops
[1:16:31] ahead of time to install them.
[1:16:38] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: This is a contract .
[1:16:50] Mayor Angelo Castillo: What is the source
[1:16:52] of funds for this contract?
[1:16:55] Assistant City Manager: Community services
[1:16:57] department's budget.
[1:17:03] Mayor Angelo Castillo: What is the source of funds,
[1:17:05] is this a grant?
[1:17:09] comes out of revenues from the rents,
[1:17:13] and this vendor continues to be available
[1:17:17] for any potential future?
[1:17:22] Assistant City Manager: That would
[1:17:24] be an opportunity for the purchaser
[1:17:25] to work out with the vendor.
[1:17:31] Mayor Angelo Castillo: If they want
[1:17:32] to work out a different contract but they have the ability
[1:17:34] to use our contract, or their own,
[1:17:36] has that been thought through?
[1:17:40] Assistant City Manager: The purchaser would be a separate
[1:17:43] entity, they could definitely contract with a vendor
[1:17:46] and utilize the same pricing and the purchaser would have
[1:17:48] to agree to the pricing, it's definitely something that can be
[1:17:53] arranged..
[1:17:57] .
[1:18:01] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: What would be the appropriate
[1:18:05] language to adopt this modification to quantity
[1:18:14] as needed ?
[1:18:36] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Can you still extract a bid
[1:18:38] if it has no numbers in it?
[1:18:46] does it allow you to make a determination on pricing?
[1:18:54] Assistant City Manager: Staff comes up
[1:18:55] with a quantity to help estimate what they believe is needed.
[1:19:00] We go with the lowest bidder once they are qualified,
[1:19:04] so if we use the quality of one we
[1:19:09] would just total that versus skewed data
[1:19:12] with higher quantities for different types of work.
[1:19:26] Mayor Angelo Castillo: It's right there in the document,
[1:19:29] on an as needed basis, so I'm not sure
[1:19:34] that we need this motion.
[1:19:50] It's right in front of you.
[1:19:57] On the city's screen, it's 4.1, it's in blue.
[1:20:10] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: That clarifies the as needed,
[1:20:13] so there's no need for me to make that change ,
[1:20:18] I think there should be a separation between point
[1:20:21] and place , I think there ought to be.
[1:20:29] I would like to , would that be a bifurcation?
[1:20:40] Speaker: Maybe we can just reference not to exceed a number
[1:20:44] of units .
[1:20:54] Can you put in a not to exceed number?
[1:21:01] Assistant City Manager: I wouldn't recommend
[1:21:03] that we limit the city to not exceed a certain number,
[1:21:07] I think if we just identify that these are estimated numbers
[1:21:11] and we're asking the vendor to provide services
[1:21:13] on an as needed basis that provides
[1:21:15] enough information to the vendor to adequately vet the project
[1:21:19] and gives the city the flexibility To award
[1:21:25] the parts needed.
[1:21:32] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Can we just
[1:21:35] procure the actual material and move the labor out?
[1:21:42] Mayor Angelo Castillo: If you want
[1:21:43] to have a conversation about the internal operations of the city,
[1:21:46] this is not the place to have it.
[1:21:49] This entire discussion , I didn't see the as needed and I
[1:21:59] didn't see the 68 versus the one versus the discussion about
[1:22:05] whether or not it should be done on a time materials basis .
[1:22:16] The staff knows what they are doing ,
[1:22:20] I think the as needed point was very well taken,
[1:22:24] it's right there.
[1:22:26] So unless you have a motion to make, we need to move on.
[1:22:32] All those in favor say aye?
[1:22:39] It passes unanimously.
[1:22:51] I have two speakers .
[1:23:18] Mario Garcia: Good evening mayor , vice mayor,
[1:23:40] members of the city Council, men and women of the Pembroke Pines
[1:23:47] Police Department.
[1:23:48] Thank you for allowing me a few minutes
[1:23:50] to speak before you about something that's
[1:23:53] very personal to me, but also something I believe
[1:23:57] is very important to our entire community.
[1:23:59] I'm here today as a father who lost his only son.
[1:24:03] He was a decorated former South Florida law enforcement
[1:24:08] officer who struggled with PTSD during and after his service.
[1:24:14] A few years ago, he took his life.
[1:24:19] There isn't a day that doesn't go by that I
[1:24:23] don't think about my son.
[1:24:24] As a father, I will always wonder
[1:24:27] if there was something more that I could have done,
[1:24:30] but today I don't want to just focus only on what we lost,
[1:24:36] I want to focus on lives we can still save.
[1:24:42] our police officers see things that most people will never
[1:24:46] see in a lifetime, they deal with the trauma, violence,
[1:24:51] death, and tremendous pressure, also
[1:24:53] while being expected to go home at the end of their shift
[1:25:00] and simply move on.
[1:25:01] We ask our officers to protect our families, our businesses,
[1:25:05] and our communities.
[1:25:06] I believe we have a responsibility to them as well.
[1:25:10] I am respectfully asking the City Council and the city
[1:25:15] of Pembroke Pines to look at providing additional mental
[1:25:22] health resources specifically for the men and women
[1:25:26] of the Pembroke Pines Police Department that could include
[1:25:31] confidential counseling, PTSD and trauma service,
[1:25:34] peer support groups, and making sure that our officers can speak
[1:25:42] without feeling that asking for help could hurt their careers
[1:25:46] and their reputations .
[1:25:51] We cannot wait until another officer reaches that breaking
[1:25:54] point or until another family has to experience the kind
[1:25:57] of loss that my family has experienced.
[1:26:03] my son's life cannot be saved, but perhaps some other
[1:26:11] officer's life can be.
[1:26:17] If putting better resources in place
[1:26:21] helps even one officer to come home safely to their family,
[1:26:26] then I believe it was well worth every effort and every dollar
[1:26:32] invested in it.
[1:26:36] we lost a police officer last week in the city of sunrise,
[1:26:40] we lost a police officer in the city of Doral 13 days ago ,
[1:26:47] continues to happen, something has got to be done.
[1:26:53] I asked the city to look at options
[1:26:55] that we can explore to make sure that the safety and the wellness
[1:27:00] of our police officers, men and women, are cared for.
[1:27:04] Thank you very much for your time , and God help us all.
[1:27:11] Thank you.
[1:27:20] Mayor Angelo Castillo: We thank you for your service
[1:27:22] and for your son's service, I know
[1:27:26] the police department is in the back
[1:27:28] and you are part of the citizens group.
[1:27:31] Please talk to them, and open a dialog that will allow you
[1:27:37] to know what it is that we do to keep the mental health of all
[1:27:43] of our officers strong , and let's talk about what more we
[1:27:50] can do and I want to thank you for coming forward .
[1:27:56] It's an honor to have you.
[1:28:00] Second reading ordinance.
[1:28:11] Speaker: Proposal of the ordinance
[1:28:16] of the city of Pembroke Pines amending chapter 38
[1:28:20] of the city's Code of Ordinances which
[1:28:22] provides for retirement income plan for general employees
[1:28:26] of the city to completely terminate the plan in accordance
[1:28:30] with the provisions of the city's code.
[1:29:08] For the purposes Of Effectuating the termination plan described
[1:29:15] and provided for herein with codification and effective date
[1:29:21] for the record the item is now on the floor for consideration.
[1:29:29] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Moved and seconded any discussion
[1:29:35] or questions?
[1:29:50] Speaker: Although you may benefit theoretically
[1:29:52] from the termination plan you are
[1:29:55] entitled to vote under chapter 12 that may require
[1:30:08] your recusal from voting.
[1:30:19] Speaker: I received an email today --
[1:30:38] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: Referencing the retirement plan,
[1:30:41] I don't know anything about that.
[1:30:53] Speaker: There are no changes to the existing plan.
[1:31:03] Speaker: That individual has been contacted
[1:31:15] and told he does have a coda that's part of the plan,
[1:31:22] it's in the documentation, so he was notified.
[1:31:31] Commissioner Thomas Jr.: So there's
[1:31:31] a clear reference to the documentation that
[1:31:33] indicates This plan, or whoever is
[1:31:42] going to assume responsibility.
[1:31:49] the most important thing for me is just that it's all spelled
[1:31:52] out .
[1:32:01] There was no reference in any of the controlling documents and I
[1:32:10] just wanted to make sure it exists .
[1:32:17] That's all I needed.
[1:32:24] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Will you please call the roll? [ Voting -
[1:32:38] all ayes]
[1:32:45] Mayor Angelo Castillo: This item passes unanimously,
[1:32:47] thank you very much.
[1:33:01] I want to congratulate the city manager, city attorney, and also
[1:33:10] Mr. Rothstein for a job well done.
[1:33:13] Item number seven.
[1:33:23] Speaker: A motion to adopt proposed ordinance
[1:33:27] on second and final reading of an ordinance of the City
[1:33:34] Commission of the city of Pembroke Pines Florida amending
[1:33:38] ordinance number 2052 providing for an amended
[1:33:43] budget for fiscal year 2025 2026 for the city,
[1:33:47] providing for conflicts, providing for severability,
[1:33:50] and providing an effective date.
[1:33:57] Mayor Angelo Castillo: By your vote,
[1:34:16] this item passes, thank you very much.
[1:34:27] Number eight.
[1:34:38] City Attorney: Proposed ordinance
[1:34:39] in the city of Pembroke Pines Florida charter
[1:34:45] authorizing the execution of the agreement
[1:34:49] to a sub sublease for a real property generally located
[1:34:59] at 8013 South Palm Drive tower one, 8210 Florida Drive Tower
[1:35:08] two, and 8203 Florida Drive Tower three,
[1:35:12] collectively referred to as Pines Place
[1:35:15] and described in exhibit B which property is subleased
[1:35:17] by the city from the State of Florida Department of Children
[1:35:20] and Family Services and owned by the State of Florida
[1:35:22] through the Board of Trustees of the Internal Trust
[1:35:24] Fund of the State of Florida.
[1:35:27] Authorizing the closing of the transaction contemplated
[1:35:35] in the agreement effective upon the filing by the City Manager
[1:35:39] with the City Clerk of a certificate confirming
[1:35:41] that the closing requirements in the agreement
[1:35:43] have been satisfied, the form of which
[1:35:46] is attached here as exhibit C subject to the terms
[1:35:50] and conditions as set forth in the agreement,
[1:35:54] authorizing the proper city officials to execute
[1:35:57] all necessary documents and to take
[1:35:59] all actions necessary to close the transaction
[1:36:03] consistent with the authority granted herein,
[1:36:06] providing that any amendments extending the review
[1:36:08] period to the agreement to enter sub sublease
[1:36:10] may be approved by a duly executed resolution of the City
[1:36:13] Commission, providing for conflicts,
[1:36:15] providing for severability,
[1:36:16] and providing for an effective date.
[1:36:22] Mayor Angelo Castillo: By your vote, this item passes.
[1:36:50] You have your 4/5 vote, congratulations Pembroke Pines.
[1:36:56] We are on our way to doing great things with this item
[1:37:01] and I really look forward to doing the next steps.
[1:37:06] Number nine.
[1:37:12] City Attorney: Propose resolution vacating
[1:37:22] the Unplatted utility easement recorded in Broward County
[1:37:27] official records book and as more particularly described
[1:37:32] in exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein,
[1:37:35] on the property located at 151 southwest 184th Avenue,
[1:37:40] Pembroke Pines Florida.
[1:37:42] More particularly described by its legal description in exhibit
[1:37:45] B, attached hereto and incorporated herein,
[1:37:49] providing for recordation, providing
[1:37:52] for conflicts, severability, and an effective date.
[1:38:00] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Any discussion?
[1:38:03] All those in favor say aye?
[1:38:10] Motion passes unanimously.
[1:38:19] City Attorney: Number ten for the record is motion to adopt
[1:38:22] proposed resolution number 2026 R 19 ,
[1:38:30] proposed resolution of the city of Pembroke Pines Florida
[1:38:34] amending the budget for the State University Charter
[1:38:37] Elementary School for the charter school fiscal year
[1:38:39] beginning July 1st 2025 .
[1:38:50] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Any discussion?
[1:38:54] motion passes unanimously.
[1:39:02] City Attorney: Next up is number 11,
[1:39:06] proposed resolution number 2026 R 20 is a resolution of the City
[1:39:12] of Pembroke Pines Florida, amending the budget for the City
[1:39:16] of Pembroke Pines Florida State University Charter Elementary
[1:39:19] School for the charter school fiscal year beginning July 1st
[1:39:22] 2025 providing for conflicts, severability,
[1:39:25] and an effective date.
[1:39:33] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Motion please.
[1:39:37] Any discussion?
[1:39:40] All those in favor say aye, it passes unanimously.
[1:39:56] Reports of league and MPO representatives.
[1:40:05] Speaker: Very happy to have attended .
[1:40:18] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: The city of Coral Springs
[1:40:20] was most interesting, the Sunshine law
[1:40:25] and things in relation to communications were there,
[1:40:28] it was really interesting and the theme of it
[1:40:31] was basically going beyond the social post showing us what
[1:40:35] the city's example was doing.
[1:40:38] One highlight that we saw is they're actually doing a series
[1:40:42] on their social media and YouTube in the daily life
[1:40:46] of a worker mostly focused on highlighting what their taxes
[1:40:51] pay for, which I think we talked about here highlighting more
[1:40:57] with the taxpayer money goes to and so they've done a really
[1:41:07] beautifully done curated video series that they have online,
[1:41:11] I encourage our communications department to look at that
[1:41:15] and they also mentioned a whole host of resources ,
[1:41:22] the presentation is available on the app when you log in with
[1:41:28] your credentials for the conference.
[1:41:30] If you can't find it, I can share the ones I got
[1:41:41] and be able to take knowledge from what they've been doing.
[1:41:45] On September 3rd there's going to be the next meeting .
[1:42:07] Mayor Angelo Castillo: I want to thank all of you that attended.
[1:42:13] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Colleagues who've attended
[1:42:15] conferences , usually the material covered Is distributed
[1:42:31] amongst the rest of the commission.
[1:42:33] If you are able, can you--?
[1:42:57] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Sure.
[1:43:00] Anything else on that?
[1:43:22] Mr. Attorney?
[1:43:28] City Attorney: Regarding the tax issue,
[1:43:30] we confirmed no appeal has been filed
[1:43:34] and the parties took the litigation to Tallahassee
[1:43:39] and Leon County and that item will appear
[1:43:50] on the ballot in November.
[1:43:59] Thank you for the coordination regarding the meeting that will
[1:44:04] occur on the 31st of August at 2:00 regarding the pending
[1:44:09] litigation.
[1:44:23] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: All right, discussion
[1:44:26] and possible action regarding the draft of a resolution
[1:44:29] condemning Islamophobia.
[1:44:34] I've been working a lot with the Muslim community
[1:44:40] and engage with the Muslim Students Association
[1:44:43] and I've heard growing concerns about increased Islamophobic
[1:44:50] rhetoric, a lot of us have also been hearing anti-Semitic
[1:44:54] as well on the rise due to global conflicts.
[1:44:57] Those concerns are reflected nationally across the board
[1:45:00] and the data showed that religion based hate
[1:45:04] crimes reached their highest level in 2023 since 2017
[1:45:08] and a few research poll found Muslims reported
[1:45:14] discrimination had increased following
[1:45:18] recent global conflicts.
[1:45:21] I'm asking for the Legal Council to develop
[1:45:26] the appropriate language for the resolution to formally adopt
[1:45:30] a resolution requesting the administration
[1:45:34] to add this to existing discrimination policies.
[1:45:53] It would be according to those guidelines
[1:45:58] as well, this is not to provide special protections,
[1:46:04] it's about reaffirming a standard that applies equally
[1:46:08] to everyone in Pembroke Pines.
[1:46:10] No person should face discrimination, threats,
[1:46:14] violence, or unequal treatment because of their religion
[1:46:17] or perceived religion.
[1:46:34] When antisemitism, anti hatred, racism and other forms of bias
[1:46:42] affect our community, we must speak effectively against them
[1:46:47] and I hope we can do that here .
[1:46:53] It's just the direction to the city's attorney office,
[1:47:02] and I hope we can discuss that here.
[1:47:08] Mayor Angelo Castillo: This commission
[1:47:08] has never shied away from the principle
[1:47:10] that every single resident of Pembroke Pines regardless
[1:47:12] of characteristics of birth or chance are welcomed here
[1:47:15] and should be respected on equal terms.
[1:47:18] We have the same set of laws that apply to everyone,
[1:47:26] and there's no reason for there to be this kind of bigotry
[1:47:33] or racism or hatred of any kind in the city
[1:47:36] is diverse and beautiful as ours, and really does get along.
[1:47:43] While the state of Florida has created
[1:47:45] some new laws in that regard that
[1:47:47] don't go into effect until the beginning of this year,
[1:47:51] if we do not require Tallahassee or anybody else
[1:47:54] to tell us what our conscience already tells us
[1:47:57] which is that respect for everyone regardless of how they
[1:48:05] pray or where they're from, what color they are, their age
[1:48:11] or who they love or any of those other things.
[1:48:14] Here in Pembroke Pines, we stand up for the dignity of every
[1:48:20] human being .
[1:48:27] They are accountable to the law for their behavior
[1:48:30] but not to their status as it relates
[1:48:32] to characteristics of birth.
[1:48:36] We've done it before, there are two previous resolutions that
[1:48:41] are in effect that were passed by the previous Commission
[1:48:47] and have never been overturned by this commission,
[1:48:51] I hope they never are.
[1:48:52] This adds to that , we did indeed pass an antisemitism
[1:49:00] resolution.
[1:49:03] Everyone here is welcome, respected,
[1:49:08] and as the governing body of this city it's
[1:49:12] important we be on the record to say
[1:49:16] that everyone matters so I have no difficulty with your item.
[1:49:23] Anybody else wish to speak?
[1:49:39] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: I agree with modifying our anti
[1:49:42] ordinance, I just want to make sure the city attorney
[1:49:47] recognizes that any changes to the document does not conflict
[1:49:51] with state statute and it does not endorse any organization
[1:50:00] and involve any prohibited entity .
[1:50:13] I can tell you our Muslim residents
[1:50:15] are part of the fabric of Pembroke Pines.
[1:50:21] Families who contribute to our city every day,
[1:50:25] and standing against discrimination
[1:50:26] towards them is simply just standing for our community,
[1:50:31] so I certainly support Your discussion
[1:50:37] and your bringing this forward, Commissioner Rodriguez,
[1:50:42] thank you.
[1:51:08] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Remember the days
[1:51:11] when God forbid you sat down next to a Muslim
[1:51:17] and had the conversation and broke bread.
[1:51:20] But the truth is , I condemn hatred,
[1:51:30] intimidation and discrimination on all levels.
[1:51:35] Anti-Semitism, it's been less than a year since I've been
[1:51:41] attacked on social media .
[1:51:49] We have an opportunity to embrace the resolution
[1:51:57] that we passed to include all whether you're
[1:52:09] a Muslim, a Jew, a Hindu, people of faith, people with no faith.
[1:52:19] They have every single right that everybody else does ,
[1:52:25] so I'd like to be able to include that , city attorney.
[1:52:32] And just know that the city will continue
[1:52:35] to stand against hatred and discrimination.
[1:52:41] Mayor, I remember 2015, an eight year old boy
[1:52:50] attending Pines Mill who came up to me and said he
[1:52:54] was being bullied in school because he was Muslim,
[1:53:00] and I went to the parents and the parents
[1:53:02] were afraid to speak out because they thought
[1:53:04] they were going to get horrific things done
[1:53:07] to them Or their property.
[1:53:13] And that is three blocks away from here, right inside
[1:53:20] the municipal boundary of Pembroke Pines.
[1:53:23] I remember knocking on the door and an individual
[1:53:26] came out and says I'll support you Commissioner
[1:53:28] if you get rid of that so and so three doors down from me.
[1:53:42] If we're going to re-do this Resolution,
[1:53:52] we need to acknowledge there's hatred existing
[1:53:56] today in the current boundaries, anything else is just words.
[1:54:26] Resolutions are only paper unless we act upon those words.
[1:54:31] This country is beautiful because all of us
[1:54:38] have the same goal.
[1:54:40] Living in peace, freedom, raising a family .
[1:54:50] The United States of America is beautiful ,
[1:54:56] but it's being torn apart by rhetoric.
[1:55:00] November is coming and the rhetoric
[1:55:02] is going to get even worse.
[1:55:08] the question is, what are we going
[1:55:10] to do as neighbors to go you know what?
[1:55:16] That's not acceptable.
[1:55:18] Are we going to be part of feeding the nonsense ,
[1:55:25] identify people red blue purple green, are we going to do that?
[1:55:32] it's not the neighbors I know, the friends that I have.
[1:55:37] But they exist within our society .
[1:55:43] I don't want to get any more emotional than this mayor,
[1:55:47] so I will stop.
[1:56:02] Mayor Angelo Castillo: I'm sensing that we have consensus.
[1:56:04] A lot of people say to me what has happened to America
[1:56:10] and what is going on with all this hatred and division?
[1:56:16] America is just fine, she is waiting for us exactly where we
[1:56:22] left her, hopeful that we will come back .
[1:56:27] And that's why it's so important when
[1:56:29] we say to young people and one another welcome to America,
[1:56:35] that those words mean something and that they
[1:56:41] don't mean the wrong thing.
[1:56:44] I want to thank you for coming forward with this.
[1:56:59] City Attorney: I've listened to the discussion ,
[1:57:05] I also am wary and aware of the various statutes regulations
[1:57:09] and policies in the legal matters that you are aware
[1:57:14] of as well which we consider very seriously as we craft
[1:57:17] the document we can live with legally, operationally,
[1:57:22] and for the benefit of the City of Pembroke Pines,
[1:57:26] we will do that.
[1:57:59] Mayor Angelo Castillo: I don't want anyone to misunderstand
[1:58:01] the action that we are doing , we just all need to get along
[1:58:08] better, we need to shape up that way.
[1:58:14] Thank you again Commissioner Rodriguez
[1:58:17] for a very well thought item.
[1:58:20] With that consensus, we now have item 13 .
[1:58:34] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: I just wanted to put on the table
[1:58:36] a discussion request update .
[1:58:43] I know there was also some follow up questions
[1:58:48] so staff can let us know how the texting program is working
[1:58:51] and how people can sign up and afterwards
[1:58:54] make sure we have that information rotate it online.
[1:58:58] I know it's been published multiple times .
[1:59:36] Speaker: I had a couple of questions
[1:59:40] that I think a lot of them were explained within the memo
[1:59:45] but I wanted to ask.
[1:59:50] There's a program with the emergency
[1:59:57] and non-emergency texting, can you speak on that
[2:00:03] so we have an explanation and if you
[2:00:05] are able to share any sorts of communication
[2:00:08] it would be greatly appreciated.
[2:00:18] Speaker: Currently the system is contracted through the state's
[2:00:20] Emergency Management department, and through this system
[2:00:23] we can push out both emergency and non-emergency notification
[2:00:27] systems.
[2:00:28] The emergency notification systems are set out city wide,
[2:00:33] so it goes to tens of thousands of residents that have
[2:00:37] information that links them to Pembroke Pines and emergency
[2:00:42] notifications are intended for anything that presents a safety
[2:00:47] concern, and no one --
[2:00:55] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: Can you
[2:00:56] give us an example of what might be sent out in that manner?
[2:01:01] Speaker: We've only posted a city wide emergency alert once
[2:01:04] since we implemented the system, and that was when Flamingo Road
[2:01:08] and the Boulevard westbound and northbound lanes were completely
[2:01:12] shut down , I thought it rose to a safety concern and so everyone
[2:01:25] who has any sort of connection to Pembroke Pines
[2:01:27] that's in the Everbridge system received that alert .
[2:01:34] That's intended for just emergency
[2:01:37] purposes safety concerns.
[2:01:39] Typically I would not use it for traffic related issues except
[2:01:44] for the specific location .
[2:01:57] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: I believe you can sign up online,
[2:02:00] Mr. Clark can you show us where that is?
[2:02:06] so people know how to sign up for the opt in one,
[2:02:12] my understanding is it is guided more
[2:02:15] towards non-emergency scenarios.
[2:02:20] Speaker: They could sign up and put their contact information,
[2:02:23] whatever they prefer, and they can choose once they sign up
[2:02:28] they will automatically always get emergency notifications
[2:02:31] but there are now three categories for opt
[2:02:34] in non-emergency which includes city events,
[2:02:38] city services and city traffic alerts .
[2:03:10] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: I believe
[2:03:12] it is that free cost, correct?
[2:03:21] Speaker: From what I understand, it is completely free of charge.
[2:03:27] Because Everbridge is contracted through the state,
[2:03:32] it is free of charge from what I understand .
[2:03:54] Speaker: The grant is no charge for emergency and non-emergency.
[2:04:02] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: If there's
[2:04:04] construction on our particular road or things like that
[2:04:06] and there's going to be a disruption in the space,
[2:04:10] this text messaging program can also
[2:04:13] be worked towards that as well, correct?
[2:04:20] Speaker: We have templates already, yes.
[2:04:27] Speaker: If you are signed up for the opt in notifications,
[2:04:30] I have been utilizing the system regularly since June
[2:04:33] for disruptions , so I very highly recommend residents
[2:04:41] to opt in.
[2:04:51] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: I wanted
[2:04:51] to be able to promote this as much as possible because it's
[2:04:54] only really as useful as however many people sign up
[2:04:57] and opt into it, and I wanted obviously
[2:05:00] to bring attention to it which is why I put it on the agenda,
[2:05:04] so if we can continuously online and on social media
[2:05:08] be able to communicate that we have this communication system,
[2:05:12] I think not necessarily innovative as we all
[2:05:16] have text messages, but it really
[2:05:18] slims down all the constant barrage of information
[2:05:20] we get on social media.
[2:05:22] This is very particular and we can Geo target
[2:05:26] for specific circumstances, so I think
[2:05:29] it's a wonderful system and program the city is
[2:05:32] able to provide with a grant free of cost until 2029,
[2:05:36] after that hopefully the grant continues but I just
[2:05:40] wanted to highlight that.
[2:05:49] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Anyone else
[2:05:50] have any questions about this?
[2:05:54] let's get to item 14.
[2:05:59] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Possible action
[2:06:01] to direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance amending
[2:06:05] a section of the city's Land Development Code currently
[2:06:08] referenced as domesticated livestock and poultry
[2:06:10] to include provisions for the management of livestock waste.
[2:06:15] Staff has provided some language for us to consider,
[2:06:23] and if you have any questions about that language?
[2:06:42] The purpose of this is to protect the public from horse
[2:06:50] manure waste properly using the appropriate storage bins,
[2:06:59] how you manage it to prevent runoff,
[2:07:04] and this came forward from the discussion back in May or June I
[2:07:10] believe .
[2:07:15] Most of it is in the backup, so I would ask my colleagues
[2:07:18] for a second.
[2:07:24] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Item dies for lack of a second.
[2:07:26] Item 15.
[2:07:33] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Discussion and possible action
[2:07:38] to review the administration previous agenda item ,
[2:07:45] I have the city attorney to come down.
[2:07:53] This one is a little bit unique, this was not
[2:07:58] commission driven back in 2024.
[2:08:04] This was prepared by administration,
[2:08:08] placed on an agenda and subsequently pulled
[2:08:13] by the administration for a reason that has not really
[2:08:19] been quite explained in the public view.
[2:08:23] I sat down with code enforcement now three times this year ,
[2:08:31] once in January, again in February, last time without Mr.
[2:08:37] Sherman's presence because it wasn't included in the invite,
[2:08:41] that would have been in July.
[2:08:45] The city manager, city administration was asked on all
[2:08:52] three of those meetings when and if the item would ever come back
[2:09:06] .
[2:09:11] City Manager: I just want clarity
[2:09:12] that the item was pulled because it was never discussed with me.
[2:09:17] Normally the policy of commission
[2:09:19] if there's going to be a change there
[2:09:22] has to be a motion to direct the city attorney to do so.
[2:09:26] I was not involved in any of those meetings concerning
[2:09:31] this item, and that was the reason it was pulled.
[2:09:36] As indicated, this item should have been brought forward asking
[2:09:41] for the city Attorney's office to prepare an item regarding
[2:09:49] these code enforcement issues , that is all we are waiting for .
[2:10:08] I was informed there were suggestions that were made,
[2:10:11] I know our city attorney Brian was involved
[2:10:18] and this item should have been placed on the agenda
[2:10:21] to instruct the city attorney to prepare
[2:10:23] an ordinance with some direction and the ordinance
[2:10:28] would come back to the Commission
[2:10:29] to give them an opportunity to hear what the issues are
[2:10:34] and discuss them at that time.
[2:10:43] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: What
[2:10:45] I recall hearing in the meeting in January of this year,
[2:10:47] and again in February of this year,
[2:10:52] was that it was pulled to give Vargas the opportunity
[2:10:57] to review the policy.
[2:11:00] At those two meetings I had inquired of the city manager
[2:11:03] to review the information, here we are just about September
[2:11:09] and I had to put it on because we haven't had any movement.
[2:11:14] Basically, I want to give the microphone to the city attorney
[2:11:19] Sherman, but without stealing his thunder,
[2:11:24] our magistrates would have another tool in their toolbox
[2:11:31] to address repeated offenders if we were to take Mr.
[2:11:38] Ross's polling, the public does not have a majority
[2:11:42] of confidence in our code enforcement .
[2:11:48] Looking at that, I learned the end of the meeting two weeks ago
[2:11:55] I was requested if this was going to come up I
[2:12:00] need to put it on.
[2:12:01] So it's here because I've asked the administration three times
[2:12:04] to bring it forward and they said
[2:12:07] if you want to discuss it you need to bring it forward,
[2:12:12] the city attorney's office never really reviewed it
[2:12:15] but I don't know how that's even possible considering staff
[2:12:19] has two exhibits with strikeouts.
[2:12:24] Staff didn't do that.
[2:12:25] I mean, maybe staff did it, but it's not the dollar amount .
[2:12:38] I'm not fixated on one value of how much a fine should be.
[2:12:45] Would I recognize is that we made
[2:12:52] an adjustment for other items within our city policies
[2:12:58] because $10 today is a lot less money than it was ten years ago,
[2:13:04] and we clearly do not have the attention of repeat offenders
[2:13:11] when it comes to cleaning up their property,
[2:13:21] coding up the compliance.
[2:13:22] And the magistrate has the ability
[2:13:24] if the city were to allow them to do so,
[2:13:28] to look at some other options.
[2:13:32] Can you please address the commission on exhibit one which
[2:13:42] I believe is an actual proposed ordinance whereas clause .
[2:13:51] Staff didn't do that.
[2:13:52] There's code, there's underlines.
[2:13:54] Staff did not do that, somebody had to prepare that.
[2:14:00] As the city attorney, do you have any recollection
[2:14:05] on how exhibit one and two showed up?
[2:14:38] Assistant City Attorney: We were asked to put something together
[2:14:42] for discussion, understanding it still
[2:14:46] needed to go to commission.
[2:14:48] We drafted this particular document,
[2:14:51] as to why it was pulled or anything
[2:14:54] that happened after it was submitted,
[2:14:56] I would refer you to Mr.
[2:15:06] [Inaudible]
[2:15:17] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: City manager Dodge,
[2:15:19] we have a product produced, give us
[2:15:22] the opportunity to discuss it.
[2:15:37] City Manager: If an item is to be presented and drafted
[2:15:39] as an ordinance, it must first be presented to the Commission
[2:15:42] to discuss and then the city attorney prepares it
[2:15:46] and then we consider it as a vote.
[2:15:49] This was totally inappropriate, the police chief wasn't
[2:15:55] aware of it, I wasn't aware of it, no one consulted
[2:16:00] or even presented any to me.
[2:16:05] Some of these fines I think are absolutely ridiculous to expect
[2:16:11] a homeowner to be fined up to $1,000 per day for a violation
[2:16:17] for the first violations I'm reading right here.
[2:16:21] As we know, the purpose for code is compliance,
[2:16:24] it's not a fine or to penalize somebody.
[2:16:30] Usually those who have these violations, if it
[2:16:33] was for not cutting their grass or maintaining their property
[2:16:37] or painting their house, it's probably
[2:16:41] because they didn't have the resources to do it
[2:16:43] and now you are looking at putting fines that in my opinion
[2:16:53] are ridiculous.
[2:16:54] I suggested before this item come on
[2:16:58] it be an item to direct city attorney to prepare something
[2:17:02] with ideas that the commissioner would have
[2:17:05] and then once you do that, it's incorporated.
[2:17:10] We never present an ordinance that has not been directed to do
[2:17:15] so by the Commission .
[2:17:19] Was out of place, it wasn't discussed with
[2:17:21] the administration, if a staff person did it
[2:17:25] at someone's request, I don't know whose request it was at ,
[2:17:30] it certainly wasn't from my office.
[2:17:33] I think this evening, there's nothing wrong
[2:17:37] with changing this motion to instruct the city
[2:17:39] attorney to prepare something based
[2:17:41] on a recommendation by a commissioner
[2:17:45] and bring it back to the Commission for consideration.
[2:17:55] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: I'm trying hard to be as kind
[2:18:00] about this as I can, but --
[2:18:12] Mayor Angelo Castillo: There have
[2:18:13] been certain items brought before this commission that
[2:18:15] have not been vetted by staff.
[2:18:17] Even though we have two new members,
[2:18:21] we have all been here long enough
[2:18:23] to know that we rely on professional staff
[2:18:26] to assist us in organizing presentations
[2:18:30] before the Commission, and with respect to this matter, that
[2:18:34] was not done.
[2:18:35] The city manager wasn't talked to,
[2:18:38] the police chief wasn't talked to,
[2:18:40] I don't know how this came up.
[2:18:43] I've never seen it before.
[2:18:45] Substantively, I am not a fine increase mode from $250 to 500
[2:18:54] or 1000 , that's just not in my judgment a thing that has any
[2:19:03] sense of place or time right now .
[2:19:08] In my state of the city speech I made note of the fact that 80%
[2:19:13] of all code compliance concerns in the community whether
[2:19:19] in violation, 80% are voluntarily resolved .
[2:19:28] While I hear a lot of stuff out there about code compliance,
[2:19:32] people are very slow to pick up the phone and call it in,
[2:19:40] but they want to complain about the community.
[2:19:42] And then when we pass things like don't park on your lawn,
[2:19:46] they call us all kind of names because we
[2:19:49] are enforcing this stuff.
[2:19:53] Just a quick vignette, I remember a phone call I got from
[2:19:58] a lady in Pines Village , she wanted to sell her house.
[2:20:05] She had a good price, she had a homeowner that was looking
[2:20:10] to buy her house to live there , but her neighbor had three
[2:20:18] trucks and two broken down cars parked on the lawn and she
[2:20:21] looked at that and said I love your house, it's a great price,
[2:20:25] but I can't live like this.
[2:20:27] That person lost the sale because we don't have a sense
[2:20:34] of standards , so we went to staff,
[2:20:39] it was done in the right way , and we created some new rules.
[2:20:45] Now all of a sudden people are complaining
[2:20:47] because they can't park their car on the lawn anymore.
[2:20:50] It's enough to tear your hair out!
[2:20:55] If we want to have a conversation about code
[2:20:59] enforcement, I think we should, and if there's
[2:21:03] an appetite for more fines, much less what I'm looking at here,
[2:21:10] thousands of dollars, if someone wants
[2:21:13] to have that discussion you should have it, but let's
[2:21:16] vet these items through the staff.
[2:21:19] I'm sick and tired of staff saying
[2:21:22] I never heard this before, no one ever contacted me.
[2:21:25] We have people here who are responsible for assets
[2:21:28] and money, go and see them and then bring
[2:21:33] an item that is vetted so we can have this discussion.
[2:21:48] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: If the clerk can pull up
[2:21:51] the first page, I know we have a really good IT department.
[2:21:54] This file was created January 13th 2025,
[2:21:57] clearly somebody stuck it in.
[2:22:07] It was on our agenda on the 5th of February 2025,
[2:22:18] and then it got pulled.
[2:22:23] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Did the city Commission order this item?
[2:22:28] so this is just a request for the city manager
[2:22:30] that was never presented to us?
[2:22:34] You're looking at some draft, and what is your point?
[2:22:41] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: The manager
[2:22:42] had concerns of how it got there.
[2:22:47] Mayor Angelo Castillo: It doesn't matter how it got there,
[2:22:49] it didn't go through the administration and it was never
[2:22:52] before us .
[2:23:00] Commissioner, if you were still bringing the items to manager
[2:23:03] back after it's vetted with staff,
[2:23:07] we are duty bound to entertain it
[2:23:10] but staff have to be met with, the police chief
[2:23:15] has to be met with, the director of code has to be met with,
[2:23:18] the city attorney should be part of that.
[2:23:20] If you want to bring an item to raise the fines or whatever--
[2:23:27] I'm looking at what I'm reading.
[2:23:34] If you wish to bring an item, meet with staff, vet your item .
[2:23:45] We are now on item 16, Commissioner vice mayor.
[2:23:57] Vice Mayor Michael A. Hernandez: Thank you for making this
[2:23:59] the longest possible item ever .
[2:24:08] As our city attorney advise us , the governor vetoed bill --
[2:24:37] the bill would have required operating requirements .
[2:24:45] Notwithstanding the veto and given a clear proliferation
[2:24:47] of the use of e-bikes, e-scooters,
[2:24:50] and related micromobility devices by not just
[2:24:53] the general population of adults,
[2:24:56] but also a significant number of minor children
[2:24:58] and publicized evidence of debilitating injuries accidents
[2:25:01] and significant life safety issues
[2:25:03] and impacts affecting this proliferation,
[2:25:05] I will respectfully seek the following
[2:25:07] from the mayor, City Commission, and city administration.
[2:25:11] A motion to authorize and to direct the city's police
[2:25:15] department professionals via the City Manager
[2:25:18] to provide a public review and report to the Mayor and City
[2:25:21] Commission in the near term as to the existence
[2:25:23] and use of e-bikes and related devices in the city,
[2:25:27] and an analysis of recommendation
[2:25:29] to better protect the public health and safety
[2:25:31] necessitated by the ongoing proliferation of such devices
[2:25:34] in our community.
[2:25:35] And a motion to authorize and direct the City Attorney's
[2:25:40] Office to review viable and lawful legislative alternatives
[2:25:42] for City Commission consideration
[2:25:44] as to the potential regulation of e-bikes and related
[2:25:46] micromobility devices to protect best the health safety
[2:25:49] and welfare of the citizens and residents of the city and others
[2:25:52] who may utilize the city's public streets, highways,
[2:25:56] sidewalks and parks.
[2:26:03] Mayor Angelo Castillo: So with that objection
[2:26:06] I'm going to combine the two motions
[2:26:09] and if someone wants to bifurcate them let me know.
[2:26:16] Is there a second for discussion?
[2:26:30] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: I could tell you
[2:26:32] this was very disappointing to see that the governor vetoed
[2:26:42] legislation to deal with an issue that's starting
[2:26:46] to take over our communities.
[2:26:50] The state was probably the best level to manage this particular
[2:26:53] concern .
[2:26:58] What you've put here is an excellent start,
[2:27:04] I 100% support all of this review
[2:27:07] and would also like to ask if you would consider
[2:27:10] adding something that would also incorporate what are
[2:27:16] other cities doing in the area.
[2:27:23] We could make a law here going to Miramar or any one of these
[2:27:31] other cities , and this is the crux of the problem.
[2:27:37] It's got to be a regional type of thing,
[2:27:40] we are having some discussions but this is really good,
[2:27:48] we need to really understand what it is
[2:27:51] and how it impacts our city but we also
[2:27:54] need to understand what our city is doing in regards to this
[2:27:58] and trying to dovetail whatever we want to do with what
[2:28:02] other people are doing or go and do a presentation asking them
[2:28:08] to consider adopting something, I
[2:28:12] ask you incorporate some form of regionalization as well.
[2:28:34] Speaker: Those folks up there never
[2:28:35] vote unanimously on any legislation,
[2:28:37] it was a unanimous vote.
[2:28:40] Governor Desantis on June 25th or 26th vetoed it .
[2:28:47] Sometimes I can understand where the governor is coming from,
[2:28:50] sometimes I can't and this one I can't.
[2:28:53] Ultimately I don't want to put words in your mouth but there
[2:28:56] are often times we are upset with Tallahassee preempting us
[2:28:59] but then there are other times where uniformity,
[2:29:02] because to your point, you can go down 1/84 close by where I
[2:29:09] live and after you cross Pembroke Road they come through
[2:29:14] our city and if you don't have uniformity,
[2:29:18] it's challenging I believe it's Cooper City,
[2:29:27] possibly Coral Springs also was mentioned.
[2:29:31] This is a starting point, and I don't have the answers.
[2:29:39] I think law enforcement has something they could present .
[2:29:48] I know Mr. Mayor, our neighbor and constituent back there,
[2:29:55] he's passionate about the issue and I wanted to mention
[2:29:59] something .
[2:30:04] But if you don't know a lot about Senate Bill 382,
[2:30:09] I think it's important to know nobody's
[2:30:13] banning any of these vehicles.
[2:30:15] My ten year old daughter said dad,
[2:30:19] are you trying to take my friends e-bikes and e-scooters
[2:30:22] away and I said no I am not, I am simply trying to protect
[2:30:28] the drivers and operators of e-bikes and e-scooters ,
[2:30:37] drivers like me that will get in a car and drive home when I
[2:30:40] leave here, and pedestrians.
[2:30:48] Vice Mayor Michael A. Hernandez: I do want our esteemed police
[2:30:51] department which does a wonderful job at traffic
[2:30:53] management, by the way thanks for the first two
[2:30:56] weeks of school and traffic, I know it's hard,
[2:30:59] thank you very much for what you've done.
[2:31:02] School traffic you have these issues with these vehicles .
[2:31:09] You're supposed to only be about 750 lots,
[2:31:12] and some go above the 750W, above what normally the limit
[2:31:19] on the machine is of 28 miles an hour .
[2:31:27] I believe part of what was going to be required in this bill was
[2:31:32] reducing speed to ten miles an hour on sidewalks within 50ft
[2:31:37] of pedestrians .
[2:31:46] There are no licenses required to operate the vehicle,
[2:31:51] and no age restriction.
[2:31:55] If you look at the material provided to me by Pembroke Pines
[2:32:02] Police and the City Attorney's Office,
[2:32:05] you are supposed to adhere to the safety rules of the road .
[2:32:11] If you are 12 years old and have never sat
[2:32:15] for a driver's license, I'm not sure how you're going to be
[2:32:21] familiar with the rules of the road,
[2:32:24] and that's a big part of it I appreciate very much because I
[2:32:30] see kids riding at, but there has to be some kind
[2:32:33] of guardrails before they get injured,
[2:32:36] before a vehicular driver injures them or injures
[2:32:41] themselves because of an accident that takes place .
[2:32:46] I know we had two young kids out in the Western part of Pembroke
[2:32:51] Pines I believe the first day of school who
[2:32:55] were injured on these e-bikes, or e-scooters.
[2:33:00] I understand there's a great deal of legality that
[2:33:08] our wonderful city attorney's office can help us work through,
[2:33:13] but why I wanted to bring this now is because the governor
[2:33:18] vetoed this legislation after we had entered summer recess
[2:33:22] on the City Commission , and therefore we couldn't meet.
[2:33:30] Also, I was hopeful we would have some progress on this
[2:33:36] in Tallahassee and I applaud our legislators for Passing it,
[2:33:42] I don't quite understand why the governor vetoed it.
[2:33:45] I meant this as a starting point for discussion kicking it
[2:33:48] to the experts in our police department, our attorneys,
[2:33:53] and there's a point that there are folks who are either
[2:33:59] watching or will watch contact our city Commission et cetera
[2:34:03] who have expressed ongoing concerns,
[2:34:06] and I just feel that it's incumbent upon us
[2:34:12] to at a minimum start the process to see how it is we
[2:34:15] could better protect those drivers and pedestrians ,
[2:34:21] one is here that will speak to his experience
[2:34:23] at the appropriate time.
[2:34:25] I appreciate Commissioner good, your comments, and again, I'm
[2:34:30] looking to my colleagues for support,
[2:34:32] and to the experts for guidance.
[2:34:35] Thank you.
[2:34:50] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: I want to mention e-bikes
[2:34:52] and e-scooters sometimes are a very reliable source of mobility
[2:34:56] for some of our residents who can't own cars,
[2:35:00] maybe too young to drive cars and you guys hear me talk about
[2:35:06] it all the time, the lack of transportation opportunity
[2:35:09] within the city of Pembroke Pines and we all continued
[2:35:19] to work on .
[2:35:25] We wanted to make the regulation so it
[2:35:27] would be safer for the movie to be able to use
[2:35:33] these vehicles in a sense.
[2:35:37] Setting forth the right regulation,
[2:35:41] possibly children and speed and things
[2:35:45] like that, but there are people who use them
[2:35:47] because cars are very expensive and gasoline is very expensive
[2:35:51] and this is a way that some people have been getting around
[2:35:58] because of the ease that you can get around without actually
[2:36:02] pedaling the bike so I wanted us to be able to have that in mind
[2:36:15] as well.
[2:36:16] The goal isn't to ban, but we don't
[2:36:18] want to overregulate what some people use
[2:36:21] as their only source of mobility to get to and from work.
[2:36:25] I wanted to flag that and mention balancing the safety
[2:36:34] but also the protection of our residents to be able to get
[2:36:38] to and from where they need to go .
[2:37:08] Vice Mayor Michael A. Hernandez: There are multiple conversations
[2:37:10] with the police department going back last year and again in June
[2:37:15] and again recently, I don't want to speak for the chief
[2:37:20] but we are all hopeful there would
[2:37:22] be some guidance from Tallahassee
[2:37:23] or some regulation from Tallahassee,
[2:37:25] and again unfortunately the governor
[2:37:27] vetoed it so I've been in contact both with Chief Vargas's
[2:37:32] command staff, City manager Dodge,
[2:37:36] and of course Mr. Sherman and Mr. Gorin.
[2:37:52] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: If the governor hadn't vetoed it,
[2:37:55] it would have been a moving violation ?
[2:38:01] Vice Mayor Michael A. Hernandez: The text
[2:38:03] is there in the Senate bill.
[2:38:16] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Will there be a code enforcement
[2:38:18] city attorney?
[2:38:24] City Attorney: It would be a code violation,
[2:38:25] and all bicycles are classified the same way .
[2:38:37] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: I'm just trying to see
[2:38:39] the enforcement side of it , if it hadn't been vetoed if we are
[2:38:45] looking at doing something unless it becomes a code
[2:38:51] enforcement matter .
[2:39:00] City Attorney: Depending on how the drafting occurs,
[2:39:02] the regulation would be essentially a police issue.
[2:39:12] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: Are you hearing with direction
[2:39:15] from the commission that you would make it police enforcement
[2:39:19] action .
[2:39:28] Vice Mayor Michael A. Hernandez: My intent is not
[2:39:30] to have our code enforcement out policing these vehicles,
[2:39:35] I appreciate what Commissioner Rodriguez said
[2:39:39] which is why I'm not looking for any sort of overregulation, just
[2:39:43] safety.
[2:39:44] I want code enforcement going to homes that are violating code,
[2:39:48] I don't want code enforcement chasing down
[2:39:51] folks who are driving either irresponsibly above a speed
[2:39:55] limit or they shouldn't be.
[2:39:58] I believe this should be a law enforcement matter,
[2:40:02] I believe the chief is perfectly capable of coming back,
[2:40:08] the item is asking questions about something that we have
[2:40:13] the ability to direct administration to come back
[2:40:16] with, so the answers to what you're saying are looking
[2:40:23] at each of us and determining what we would like
[2:40:26] the administration to return with so I would like it to be
[2:40:30] a law enforcement matter , I think our traffic division
[2:40:39] police officers within our schools where a lot of these
[2:40:46] vehicles are, I see them every day dropping my children off
[2:40:49] or picking them up or when I'm jogging ,
[2:40:55] I would like this to be a law enforcement issue.
[2:41:09] Commissioner Jay Schwartz: When the item first came to us
[2:41:11] it was in complete, so I asked for the item to be recent.
[2:41:15] For the record for clarification, law enforcement .
[2:41:27] Vice Mayor Michael A. Hernandez: I believe you are referring
[2:41:28] to a technical error made by our administrative assistant that
[2:41:32] didn't put in all of the information .
[2:41:38] She immediately added the rest of the text,
[2:41:43] so that's a non issue .
[2:41:54] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Let me weigh in on this ,
[2:41:59] when stuff like this comes up, I tend to be resistant
[2:42:06] to legislating quickly.
[2:42:12] There's a Jeffersonian streak in me,
[2:42:15] that governs best governs least, let the people figure
[2:42:19] this thing out if they can.
[2:42:20] This business with the e-bikes has gotten dangerous.
[2:42:27] It's gotten dangerous for adults that drive,
[2:42:29] it's gotten dangerous for adults that use them
[2:42:31] and it's gotten dangerous for kids that use them.
[2:42:34] We're hearing more and more about it, Chief Vargas ,
[2:42:45] I had a good chat with our friend Chief Susan.
[2:42:50] I don't know if he's North Bay village or Key Biscayne .
[2:42:59] They had to regulate it because they had deaths and cars were
[2:43:05] hitting these things.
[2:43:10] This is a step down from a moped and sometimes a step up
[2:43:17] depending on what you buy .
[2:43:22] I am disappointed, vice mayor, that this was vetoed.
[2:43:27] It's necessary for safety.
[2:43:29] We are not saying don't use the vehicle ,
[2:43:38] we are saying it's got to be used safely and there have to be
[2:43:42] some rules, especially for children.
[2:43:44] I see kids pulling wheelies on those things,
[2:43:50] making believe that they are motorcycles and they're doing
[2:43:55] wheelies, it's unsafe .
[2:44:03] but I agree with what Commissioner Rodriguez said,
[2:44:07] which is let's not go crazy with this,
[2:44:10] let's figure out what's prudent, do that,
[2:44:16] ordinances can always be amended and strengthened ,
[2:44:22] but at the same time , these kinds of things have been used
[2:44:28] in Europe forever .
[2:44:34] Mopeds and Vespas and all that, they
[2:44:37] don't have the kind of abuses that we've
[2:44:40] seen here on terrain that is frankly much more
[2:44:47] dangerous than ours.
[2:44:49] So I want to support this, and I want
[2:44:52] to thank you Vice Mayor for bringing it forward because it
[2:44:56] definitely stops the problem.
[2:44:58] It is a police problem, if you see someone
[2:45:01] in a bike in a road breaking the law, it's a police matter,
[2:45:04] it's not code.
[2:45:06] I tell people when you see that, call 911,
[2:45:10] and they don't want to call 911.
[2:45:12] If you don't participate in the partnership,
[2:45:15] you can't be satisfied with the outcome .
[2:45:21] They want to blog immediately, I saw a bunch of kids,
[2:45:25] as if blogging it makes it -- people don't understand,
[2:45:32] the police chief can explain better than I can,
[2:45:35] there are patterns to things.
[2:45:38] When you report it to 911, it gets
[2:45:42] reported on the time and the date and all of that
[2:45:46] and when the crime analysts see a pattern and safety
[2:45:50] specialists, they know how to deploy people based on patterns.
[2:45:54] That's why it's important to report these things.
[2:45:58] Anything that you see that's a danger or a crime,
[2:46:03] pick up the phone and report it so they can understand how
[2:46:08] to manage around those patterns, because they tend to be
[2:46:12] repetitive .
[2:46:16] I think Commissioner good's point is also well taken .
[2:46:23] I don't know how, but we should get a list of efforts
[2:46:28] to regulate these e-bikes if there were the tri county
[2:46:36] area, what those ordinances looked like I don't know how you
[2:46:42] would go about that, but if it's out there
[2:46:46] and you can search for it there's
[2:46:50] some best practices out there in terms of ordinances.
[2:46:53] I know our police department is a very creative one,
[2:46:57] they will take a look at this and the best practices
[2:46:59] and come back hopefully with something
[2:47:02] we can all be proud of.
[2:47:11] Vice Mayor Michael A. Hernandez: Would you
[2:47:11] all like to see the presentation or just
[2:47:13] direct the administration?
[2:47:26] Mayor Angelo Castillo: How long is the presentation?
[2:47:29] Come on up.
[2:47:44] Speaker: I'm currently one of the two supervisors
[2:47:46] of our traffic division previously assigned
[2:47:48] to our community Affairs unit and prior to promotion
[2:47:52] of Sergeant I was assigned to the traffic division
[2:47:54] as an officer from 2016 to 2019.
[2:47:58] First off, I would just like to say thank you
[2:48:03] for allowing us and inviting us to present this information,
[2:48:06] we are confident it's going to answer most if not all
[2:48:10] of the things you presented or planned to
[2:48:14] as well as provide insight into the community, especially
[2:48:18] parents who may have already purchased these vehicles
[2:48:21] or were planning to.
[2:48:24] As well as provide some clarification on misconceptions
[2:48:29] or confusion about this topic.
[2:48:35] Vice Mayor Hernandez, as you mentioned
[2:48:40] there is a clear proliferation increased popularity
[2:48:44] in electric mobility devices especially
[2:48:47] with electric scooters and electric bicycles.
[2:48:50] As Commissioner Rodriguez mentioned,
[2:48:52] that's due to their affordability
[2:48:54] and the convenience provided by being able to travel not only
[2:48:58] further, but faster with much less effort ,
[2:49:03] and that is why we are seeing them much more frequently
[2:49:06] in the community.
[2:49:09] What we are seeing in the police department is an increase in two
[2:49:12] separate groups that appear to be mistakenly categorized under
[2:49:17] the same classification as e-bikes .
[2:49:23] The city attorney mentioned it before, there's actually
[2:49:26] two separate groups.
[2:49:28] There's the e-bikes we've been speaking about,
[2:49:30] but there's more commonly referred to as E-motors
[2:49:33] which are electric motorcycles, and that's exactly what they
[2:49:39] are, they're motorcycles.
[2:49:40] As I mentioned, there's no licensing or registration
[2:49:44] insurance requirements for electric bicycles or e-bikes
[2:49:47] because that's exactly what they are, they're just bicycles.
[2:49:56] Correct, the definition of an electric bicycle
[2:49:59] is already established in state law.
[2:50:02] Some of the criteria for a device to be considered
[2:50:06] an electric bicycle, it must have pedals,
[2:50:10] it must not exceed 750W of power output and it must have a saddle
[2:50:15] like a traditional bicycle.
[2:50:17] It can be traditionally operated by all ages ,
[2:50:26] there's no additional endorsements required and they
[2:50:29] can operate anywhere that bicycles can whether
[2:50:31] that's in the roadway or on the sidewalk and so forth.
[2:50:35] E motorcycles on the other hand are motor vehicles .
[2:50:47] Because electric motorcycles are motor vehicles,
[2:50:49] they do have registration and insurance requirements
[2:50:54] and sometimes a motorcycle endorsement.
[2:50:57] They can only ride on the streets and cannot be ridden
[2:51:01] on the sidewalks and they exceed well above 20mph,
[2:51:06] sometimes in excess of 50 or 60mph that's the dangerous
[2:51:13] aspect we are seeing more of is E motors being operated .
[2:51:29] Depending on the power output of the device ,
[2:51:34] when the cyclist stops pedaling the electronic assistance
[2:51:37] of the motor ceases.
[2:51:39] Speed is 20mph, class two can be a pedal assist or a throttle
[2:51:44] also max speed of 20mph .
[2:51:52] There are specific statutes and state law that regulate
[2:51:55] the modification of these devices to exceed those
[2:51:59] classified speed limits , and there are traffic violation that
[2:52:05] can be enforced if it's determined they have been
[2:52:08] modified to exceed those speed limit regulations.
[2:52:11] Just like bicycles, they are restricted by the same
[2:52:15] guidelines, they have to obey all traffic signals and signs,
[2:52:20] stop at red lights, use signals to indicate change of direction
[2:52:23] or lane change, yield to pedestrians,
[2:52:28] and the helmet requirements are the same as bicycles ,
[2:52:36] they must be utilized by Riders under 16 years of age.
[2:52:50] they are subject to requirements on roadways and sidewalks
[2:52:54] and the added danger comes from the added speed,
[2:53:01] in comparison the average bicyclist rides at 12mph.
[2:53:04] Here's some local statistics between August
[2:53:07] of last year and this year, traffic crashes
[2:53:12] involving e-bikes have been a total of 14,
[2:53:15] you will notice the location of the crash between the crosswalk
[2:53:20] and intersection roadway adds up to more than 14,
[2:53:23] that's because some of those crashes occurred
[2:53:25] within a crosswalk were also within an intersection.
[2:53:29] Those crashes, half of the contributing party
[2:53:35] was the driver of the vehicle and the other half
[2:53:38] of the contributing party was the operator
[2:53:40] of the electric bicycle.
[2:53:42] You see the ages of the riders in the third to last category.
[2:53:56] This is data specifically towards
[2:53:59] the electronic motorcycles, same time frame.
[2:54:04] There's been five crashes, mostly on the roadway and all
[2:54:08] five were injured and again as I mentioned
[2:54:12] before, most of these operators are
[2:54:16] unlicensed and unexperienced juveniles operating
[2:54:19] what is considered motor vehicles that
[2:54:21] should be registered.
[2:54:26] Here's some initiatives the police department has already
[2:54:29] implemented, traffic division specifically
[2:54:32] has received specialized training
[2:54:34] through the University of North Florida Institute of Police
[2:54:38] Technology and Management, this has been issued to our personnel
[2:54:43] and the reference materials that we obtain annually
[2:54:47] include our quick reference traffic violation
[2:54:50] guides that contain information on e-bike classifications,
[2:54:55] privileges and restrictions we've provided
[2:54:57] to you for your reference.
[2:54:59] Online resources provided through our Office
[2:55:01] of Communications where we shared numerous posts
[2:55:04] on all of our social media platforms
[2:55:08] regarding e-bike safety, and it has been added to our website.
[2:55:14] Signs have been deployed throughout the city alerting
[2:55:19] the public to information and where they can find it,
[2:55:23] and data collection so we can more accurately determine
[2:55:28] with data dealing with electric bicycles.
[2:55:31] Future objectives to provide additional training to personnel
[2:55:36] by providing information on legal updates, education
[2:55:41] options.
[2:55:42] We plan to have some coordinated operation along with
[2:55:49] our neighborhood safety team to focus efforts towards
[2:55:53] bicyclists, and drivers .
[2:56:05] Safety tips and information and some clarity
[2:56:09] between the difference between the vehicles
[2:56:11] have been provided in the lobby if anyone would
[2:56:14] like to look on the way out.
[2:56:17] This information has been disseminated out to the schools
[2:56:22] and again, we ask the administration
[2:56:25] through the school system to help
[2:56:27] us push out this information.
[2:56:30] That being said, this is really an education initiative
[2:56:34] to let people know that primarily
[2:56:37] the electric motorcycles can and should not
[2:56:41] be operated by juveniles and providing information
[2:56:47] to other riders on how to safely navigate the roadways.
[2:56:56] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Great job with this, chief and staff,
[2:57:00] outstanding.
[2:57:01] I think we are on to something here that's actually doable
[2:57:08] and will be workable , that we can really get this done.
[2:57:15] I'm sort of interested in knowing the city attorney ,
[2:57:22] as you give this some thought, how we can intervene if not
[2:57:32] legally, then persuasively in some way to get to the parents
[2:57:38] of children that use the E motors and let them know what
[2:57:50] the rules are that do exist and how to stay safe,
[2:57:55] and whether we can take this material which is very valuable,
[2:58:01] and also converted in to some sort of website driven video
[2:58:08] that parents can ask kids to watch before they get on one
[2:58:14] of these things, those are the kinds of things that I think
[2:58:20] make a difference is when we explain to folks you need
[2:58:33] to know how to do it safely.
[2:58:42] to make sure they know the rules, they're using the rules,
[2:58:46] so they can go out there and get it done.
[2:58:53] I asked for a report on civil citation,
[2:59:00] I know that's going to come soon .
[2:59:10] I don't want to see a million arrests unless
[2:59:13] they're absolutely warranted , but police are very good
[2:59:20] at putting together a little gang of kids who are misbehaving
[2:59:34] and saying you should follow the rules because it could save
[2:59:40] your life , so they really need to know this kind of thing.
[3:00:02] I'm all for it, I think there's ways to do this properly .
[3:00:15] I hope it will be statewide one day.
[3:00:41] Commissioner Maria Rodriguez: The county is working,
[3:00:47] they have a specific task force for that and the regulation
[3:00:52] of both .
[3:01:30] Speaker: I'm a resident that have been with the Pines 15
[3:01:34] years now.
[3:01:44] I'm standing by our police department
[3:01:47] for their enforcement.
[3:01:48] I'm an e-scooter rider, it goes 40 miles an hour.
[3:01:53] I ride up and down pines every day, Pembroke Road .
[3:02:02] I see a lot of reckless driving going on with these e motor
[3:02:06] bikes and these 12 year Olds doing wheelies on sidewalks
[3:02:09] and around pedestrians .
[3:02:19] The reason I feel so strongly is because I visit hospitals
[3:02:24] every day, 80% of the injuries I visit at these rehab hospitals
[3:02:32] are motorcycles and bike accidents.
[3:02:39] 80% have to do motorcycle knock, bicycle crashes with vehicles,
[3:02:46] and they end up like me.
[3:02:48] I would hate to be the parent that
[3:02:52] has to go visit their 12 or 11 year old in a hospital
[3:02:55] because they got hit on their E motor
[3:02:58] going 50 or 60 miles an hour.
[3:03:02] We are talking about a 12 year old doing wheelies
[3:03:06] in the middle of the street, they are not licensed
[3:03:12] and neither is the equipment and I just
[3:03:16] find it absurd you've got a 60 mile an hour
[3:03:19] vehicle being ridden down the road with children that
[3:03:21] are 12 years old that have no road rules
[3:03:24] and don't understand the dangers,
[3:03:26] and there's zero accountability.
[3:03:28] Why are the parents allowing it ,
[3:03:36] the accountability starts at the home.
[3:03:40] My question is, not when but how many.
[3:03:48] Most cases, paralyzed for the rest of their life
[3:03:52] because they did something stupid on a motorbike
[3:03:56] and I'll be the first one to tell you,
[3:04:01] riding on Pines Boulevard and crossing streets
[3:04:03] here is putting your life on the line because people do not
[3:04:07] stop or yield for pedestrians, they blow through right hand
[3:04:12] turns and people like me have to worry not about how I drive
[3:04:17] but how all other drivers drive.
[3:04:19] That's me as a senior citizen, responsible driver.
[3:04:23] I can't imagine a 12 year old on a motor scooter
[3:04:26] going 60 miles an hour and thinking
[3:04:28] they're going to blow through an intersection
[3:04:30] and they're going to stop for them.
[3:04:32] They will be hospitalized in a rehab center by the time they
[3:04:36] get off that bike and that could be my kids or your kids
[3:04:40] or your grandchild or anybody, I see it happen day in and day out
[3:04:46] and I'm not going to preach a whole lecture I'm just
[3:04:49] supporting my vice mayor Mike for taking on this issue
[3:04:54] because this is dangerous .
[3:05:05] It should not be allowed by anybody,
[3:05:08] let alone people who are not mature minded enough
[3:05:11] to know I shouldn't be doing a wheelie in the middle
[3:05:14] of the parkway, thank you for your support
[3:05:19] and I hope something comes out of this.
[3:05:39] Mayor Angelo Castillo: I made the suggestion
[3:05:41] to unify these motions under one item
[3:05:45] consistent with the commentary we've all
[3:05:53] had included in the motion.
[3:06:04] That item passes unanimously.
[3:06:07] That concludes what we had today on the agenda,
[3:06:10] I do have one item on old business.
[3:06:15] I thank you for your indulgence, this will not take long.
[3:06:20] At our last city Commission meeting,
[3:06:22] we had a resident of Pembroke Lakes on 106th come forward
[3:06:31] and talk about a problem with trees with a certain degree
[3:06:36] of urgency expressed to deal with this right away.
[3:06:40] I found that request out of order and I asked for the item
[3:06:44] to come back.
[3:06:45] It was not on the agenda, there's probably a good reason
[3:06:49] why but nevertheless, I inquired the day after that commission
[3:06:54] meeting , and I had certain information that came to me from
[3:07:02] Assistant City Manager.
[3:07:04] Apparently we are already on this issue,
[3:07:06] can you come forward please and tell us what we are doing with
[3:07:12] the trees on 106th and Taft.
[3:07:15] I understand it was an Ada related lawsuit, which
[3:07:19] also connects to some of the sidewalk work
[3:07:22] that we are trying to get done in Pembroke Lakes,
[3:07:30] Can you talk to us about what we are doing regarding the concern?
[3:07:38] Assistant City Manager: There was an Ada complaint --
[3:07:54] City Attorney: The complainant was before the Federal Highway
[3:07:57] Administration, and it was a complainant file in connection
[3:08:03] with the assay and there was no order
[3:08:08] but there was a settlement of some sort that
[3:08:10] relates to the city's obligation providing for a transition plan
[3:08:15] and for a safety plan going forward
[3:08:18] with regard to that issue impacted by Ada requirements.
[3:08:29] Assistant City Attorney: I asked Carl to come join us,
[3:08:33] he will give you some more details.
[3:08:49] Carl Kent, City Engineer: They measured various sidewalks
[3:08:53] to determine if there were discontinuities between
[3:08:56] the flags , there were like six streets that were identified
[3:09:03] in the letter where they mentioned the letters .
[3:09:19] They made mention of trees that were uprooting the sidewalk
[3:09:23] and slopes of the sidewalk that were bad,
[3:09:29] they also made comments about cars parking in the driveway
[3:09:36] sidewalks , police have been going through the neighborhood
[3:09:44] and enforcing that .
[3:09:57] The areas that were identified in the letter of finding are
[3:10:02] the ones we are working on first ,
[3:10:11] we are removing the sidewalks and the offending trees and they
[3:10:20] weren't able to get through areas because the sidewalks were
[3:10:26] sloped in the wrong location and that they had to go through
[3:10:31] puddles.
[3:10:32] It's being done right now.
[3:10:36] Any of the trees that are a move that are needed have been done .
[3:10:54] Mayor Angelo Castillo: What is the timetable
[3:10:55] for completion of this?
[3:11:00] within the next Carl Kent, City Engineer: Within the next month
[3:11:12] or so.
[3:11:23] City Manager: I believe Mr. Bonilla and Mr.
[3:11:25] Hernandez went over the scope of the project and talked about
[3:11:31] the trees , and the replacement trees,
[3:11:36] and it's my understanding he's better placement right now.
[3:11:48] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Those are the questions that I asked
[3:11:51] and that's the information I've got and I wanted to make sure it
[3:11:54] was on the record, and if there's anything more we have
[3:11:56] to do with respect to trees or sidewalks or anything else,
[3:12:03] it's an important thing for the residents of our community
[3:12:06] to count on the Americans with Disabilities Act for justice .
[3:12:19] Without anything further?
[3:12:38] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: New business,
[3:12:40] we received an email from Mary Stevens about activity
[3:12:43] taking place, have we found out anything
[3:12:46] about what they're doing?
[3:12:52] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Maybe 4 or 5 months ago I had
[3:12:55] a conversation with her, as you know,
[3:13:00] it's pretty much been the trash and recycling with the county
[3:13:06] working in tandem with the Solid Waste Authority,
[3:13:11] but they wish to use a compost location for vegetation .
[3:13:23] That's only tree clippings and that kind of thing,
[3:13:28] no putrefication waste .
[3:13:34] They're also currently using it for concrete and construction
[3:13:42] debris, Chopping that up and preparing
[3:13:47] it for reuse, and so forth.
[3:14:10] City Manager: I've been following it,
[3:14:17] they haven't made a determination as a company made
[3:14:26] an offer to the county for stated composting vegetation,
[3:14:30] the county is going to have the discussion on this week's agenda
[3:14:35] and they have to decide whether that goes out
[3:14:38] for proposals or just a contract,
[3:14:41] but it's only for that section.
[3:14:49] Mayor Angelo Castillo: You know this
[3:14:51] from your own professional experience
[3:14:53] but my understanding is it doesn't generate
[3:14:56] a great deal of smell or nuisances
[3:15:03] that composting garbage would.
[3:15:13] City Manager: You're right, providing it's done correctly.
[3:15:16] Many years ago we tried to do composting in the city.
[3:15:24] City Manager: Several years ago, it was municipal solid waste
[3:15:29] back in the early 90s.
[3:15:38] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: And it
[3:15:39] was the process that failed, not necessarily the concept.
[3:15:46] City Manager: The problem was the process
[3:15:48] that created an odor.
[3:15:54] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: If we could just keep an eye
[3:15:56] on this, because even the county has recognized this could create
[3:15:59] odors, and the reason why is just because it's not food
[3:16:03] scraps, it's a process where it goes from air to no air and you
[3:16:11] have anaerobic conditions and needs .
[3:16:18] What they are doing is putting them outside and of course
[3:16:24] there's a process that has to keep it nice so you
[3:16:29] don't get air in it.
[3:16:31] But the point is, the county themselves in their letter ,
[3:16:39] it's very interesting that they are not totally going to do it
[3:16:46] yet.
[3:16:47] It's a good opportunity for us to watch this process.
[3:16:51] I don't know how we can get involved
[3:16:54] in watching the process, it is a negotiation
[3:17:02] and they could still open it up and have
[3:17:06] other participants come in.
[3:17:08] Even though they say it's green waste,
[3:17:12] it may sometimes include fruit and vegetables.
[3:17:17] It's just something to still keep an eye on ,
[3:17:28] a plume wherever the wind blows.
[3:17:41] Mayor Angelo Castillo: How would we go about this?
[3:17:47] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: Pay attention to the way it goes
[3:17:50] and if it's going to be acceptable to us,
[3:17:52] and if it's not, then we need to voice an opinion
[3:17:55] because we've already missed an opportunity where they took
[3:17:58] the landfill from 100ft to 300ft,
[3:18:02] we have nothing on record that says we oppose that.
[3:18:06] At least here if they want to move forward,
[3:18:12] we want to be on record saying we are not okay.
[3:18:23] City Manager: I will follow to see what the county decides,
[3:18:25] but I don't think this is going to happen tomorrow,
[3:18:29] it could be several months .
[3:18:35] We will follow up on it, but they
[3:18:36] are doing this independently.
[3:18:45] Commissioner Thomas Good Jr.: It's August 20th,
[3:18:47] which is this week, just pay attention to if they accept it
[3:18:52] and who's going to be taking it on to negotiations, thank you.
[3:19:03] Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz: When do you
[3:19:05] anticipate bringing us a factory recycling plan?
[3:19:20] City Manager: The recycling we have to sit and still negotiate
[3:19:22] and come up with a cost factor.
[3:19:32] Mayor Angelo Castillo: When do you
[3:19:33] feel you might be ready to present that to us?
[3:19:39] Assistant City Attorney: The one for the result project,
[3:19:42] the conversation with the commission we are still
[3:19:47] looking at finalizing the design criteria package.
[3:19:56] Mayor Angelo Castillo: Once we have the package,
[3:19:58] I'm thinking we should go to residents and do a survey.
[3:20:02] We already started the process, maybe we need to think of what
[3:20:14] different ways we can do this, so I think we should probably go
[3:20:21] back out and survey people .
[3:20:35] Anything else?
[3:20:38] All right, this meeting is adjourned, thank you very much.