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2026-02-17 MINUTES MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 17, 2026 6:30 PM COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Charles called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM. 2. MOMENT OF SILENCE / PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Jerome Charles Vice Mayor Neil Cantor Councilmember George Burch Councilmember Patrick B. Devaney Councilmember Jesse Valinsky Also Present: Village Manager Esmond Scott Village Attorney Chanae Wood Village Clerk Ysabely Rodriguez 4. ORDER OF BUSINESS ADDITIONS, DELETIONS, & DEFERRALS Village Manager Esmond Scott requested to move Item 9.C (management of the Miami Shores Country Club) to immediately after the consent agenda to accommodate a consultant present for that item. The Council agreed without objection. 5. PRESENTATIONS 5.A PRESENTATION ON THE MIAMI SHORES COMMUNITY ALLIANCE BY ROBERT BOURNE (SPONSORED BY: COUNCILMEMBER GEORGE BURCH). Robert Bourne, a 25-year resident of Miami Shores, presented on behalf of the Miami Shores Community Alliance. He explained that the organization, originally founded as the Mayor's Task Force in 1981, has quietly served the Village for over 40 years through volunteerism, beautification, and community partnerships. The Alliance is fully volunteer-driven and works collaboratively with 35 to 40 Miami Shores organizations, including schools, civic groups, and neighborhood organizations. Mr. Bourne requested a $15,000 sponsorship from the Village to support ongoing community programming, beautification projects, and initiatives. He emphasized that the request represents a coordinated effort on behalf of multiple nonprofits rather than dozens of individual requests. Several members and residents wearing green attended in support. Vice Mayor Neil Cantor inquired about the website still showing outdated information, and Mr. Bourne explained they had been working to regain control of the website from administrators in Spain. Councilmember Jesse Valinsky asked about fundraising events, and Mr. Bourne confirmed they hold one annual brunch fundraiser, scheduled for March 15th at the Country Club. 5.B PRESENTATION OF THE MIAMI SHORES POLICE DEPARTMENT 2025 ANNUAL REPORT (STAFF: CHIEF OF POLICE). Police Chief David Golt presented the 2025 annual report for the Miami Shores Police Department. Chief Golt acknowledged the support from Village officials and thanked the command staff present. He highlighted key accomplishments across five divisions: Professional Compliance, Support Services, Patrol Operations, Investigations and Training, and Administrative. 6. MANAGER'S UPDATE Village Manager Esmond Scott had no updates at this time but thanked Chief Golt for the presentation. 7. PUBLIC COMMENTS 3-Minute Time Limit Alice Burch reiterated support for the Miami Shores Community Alliance. Mary Benton thanked the Alliance for their work supporting organizations throughout Miami Shores. Mary Pierce testified about Pass It On Ministries' reliance on Alliance support to continue serving those in need of food. Carol Respondek reported on the composting pilot program presented to the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee, noting that after three weeks, approximately 54 pounds of compostable materials were collected from six Village facilities. She highlighted that one pound of compost can absorb 33 gallons of water and advocated for a permanent Village-wide composting solution. Maria McGuinnes urged the Council to follow the charitable donation resolution procedures and criteria, noting the $25,000 annual maximum, the $5,000 per-organization limit, and requirements for transparency and accountability to avoid double-dipping by individual organizations. Diana Scarmet, representing the Susan Komen Foundation, expressed support for the Miami Shores Community Alliance's request, noting they serve over 20 nonprofit organizations. Ed Gadol questioned why the Village approved nearly $300,000 for an outside contractor for the Biscayne Boulevard beautification project when public works staff had historically performed such work, suggesting the work should either stay in-house or the entire public works department should be contracted out. 8. CONSENT AGENDA All items listed within this section entitled "Consent Agenda" are considered to be self-explanatory and are not expected to require additional review or discussion, unless a member of the Village Council requests, in which case, the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered along with the regular order of business. Councilmember Valinsky moved to approve the consent agenda as presented and Vice Mayor Cantor seconded the motion which carried a 5-0 voice vote. 8.A A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF MIAMI SHORES VILLAGE, FLORIDA, RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 2024-28; DETERMINING NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION LOCAL AGENCY PROGRAM AGREEMENT FM NO. 447970-1-58-01 / 68-01 FOR THE MIAMI SHORES FLAGLER TRAIL PROJECT; PROVIDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE (STAFF: PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR). Passed on Consent. 1 8.B A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND VILLAGE COUNCIL OF MIAMI SHORES VILLAGE, FLORIDA, RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 2024- 17; DETERMINING NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION LOCAL AGENCY PROGRAM AGREEMENT FM NO. 447970-1-58-01 / 68-01 FOR THE MIAMI SHORES FLAGLER TRAIL PROJECT; PROVIDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE (STAFF: PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR). Passed on Consent. 8.C A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF MIAMI SHORES VILLAGE, FLORIDA; NAMING THE COMPETITION POOL AT THE MIAMI SHORES AQUATIC CENTER, LOCATED AT 10200 BISCAYNE BOULEVARD, AS THE SHIRLEY STOBS DAVIS COMPETITION POOL; AND PROVIDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE (STAFF: VILLAGE ATTORNEY). Passed on Consent. 9. RESOLUTION(S) 9.A A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF MIAMI SHORES VILLAGE, FLORIDA; FLORIDA ADOPTING THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LOCAL MITIGATION STRATEGY, AS MAY BE AMENDED IN THE FUTURE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS; PROVIDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE (STAFF: PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR). Village Clerk Rodriguez read the caption of the resolution. Public Works Director Delroy Peters explained that the Village participates in FEMA's Community Rating System program, which requires adopting a mitigation plan provided by the County every five years. Participation provides flood insurance discounts and opportunities for FEMA grant funding. The resolution adopts the required plan at this time. Vice Mayor Neil Cantor moved to approve the resolution and Councilmember Valinsky seconded the motion which carried unanimously. 9.B A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF MIAMI SHORES VILLAGE, FLORIDA; APPROVING THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH PABON ENGINEERING, INC., FOR THE 8TH AVE DRAINAGE PROJECT TO AMEND THE CONTRACT PRICE TO REFLECT THE ACTUAL COST OF MATERIALS AND LABOR; APPROVING A BUDGET REAPPROPRIATION WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027 CAPITAL BUDGET; PROVIDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE (STAFF: PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR). Village Clerk Rodriguez read the caption of the resolution. Public Works Director Delroy Peters presented the request to amend the contract for the Eighth Avenue Drainage Project, which was completed in record time. The project included Eighth Avenue and roads that empty into it (91st, 92nd, and 93rd Streets). As the project neared completion, staff noticed those three corridors needed resurfacing due to construction impacts and general disrepair. Since contingency funding was available and those roads were already planned for resurfacing, staff determined it would be cost-effective to use the existing contractor already mobilized rather than bidding separately. This avoided leaving Eighth Avenue nicely finished while adjacent roads looked poor. However, this resulted in exceeding the contract price by $39,000. The budget will not be exceeded overall as funds are being moved from other projects already in the budget, including the rescinded promenade and Flagler Trail projects. Public Comment: Alice Burch acknowledged understanding the rationale for the project but expressed concern about eliminating the two Local Area Program (LAP) grants previously secured for the Sixth Avenue Promenade and Flagler Trail. She emphasized the significant work invested in obtaining those grants and setting aside matching funds, urging the Council to maintain focus on pedestrian and cyclist needs alongside drainage and road maintenance. Councilmember Jesse Valinsky acknowledged the difficulty but stated this was the responsible approach, expressing hope for future opportunities to address pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, potentially with grants. Village Manager Esmond Scott clarified that he strongly supported and continues to support the Flagler Trail, but the project had ballooned to approximately $1.2 million. The Village encountered obstacles with the Florida East Coast Railroad, potential Club Drive narrowing, and numerous other challenges. He emphasized the Village tried extensively but found the project cost-prohibitive at this time. Both agencies confirmed the Village would not be blacklisted and could return to discuss these projects in the future. Vice Mayor Neil Cantor expressed confidence in the team constantly working on solutions and thanked the entire public works department for visible work throughout the Village. Mayor Charles noted that when the Flagler Trail was first discussed, it was promoted as part of a trail from Jacksonville to Key West with other communities participating, but this did not materialize. He reminded the community that the parks master plan is forthcoming and will address east-west movement for residents. Councilmember George Burch noted that several other communities have also dropped their Flagler Trail proposals, and running the trail through the middle of the golf course was impractical. A motion by Vice Mayor Neil Cantor, seconded by Councilmember Jesse Valinsky, to approve the resolution which motion carried unanimously. 9.C A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF MIAMI SHORES VILLAGE, FLORIDA; APPROVING THE FINAL RANKINGS OF RESPONDENTS TO RFP NO. 2025-11-02, MANAGEMENT OF THE MIAMI SHORES COUNTRY CLUB AND AUTHORIZING THE VILLAGE MANAGER OR DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH KEMPER SPORTS MANAGEMENT, LLC; AND IF NEGOTIATIONS ARE UNSUCCESSFUL, TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE NEXT HIGHEST RANKED FIRMS; PROVIDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE (STAFF: VILLAGE MANAGER). Village Clerk Rodriguez read the caption of the resolution into the record. Procurement Administrator Donna Rockfeld explained that the current long-time golf course management provider is leaving on April 30th, requiring a new company by May 1st. The RFP was issued in November 2025, and six timely proposals were received in January. The evaluation committee, consisting of seven residents with diverse expertise in finance, golf, and government, independently reviewed the proposals and ranked them. The top four firms were invited for oral presentations. Initial scoring showed less than 0.5% difference between the top-ranked and second-ranked firms, and between third and fourth. Following oral presentations with eight specific questions, the committee submitted final rankings with Kemper Sports Management as the top-ranked firm. Ms. Rockfeld emphasized that the resolution requests approval of the ranking and authorization for the manager to create a negotiating committee, proceeding to the second-ranked firm if negotiations with the top firm are unsuccessful. Mayor Charles opened public comments. ● William Griffith, a member of the evaluation committee, praised the quality of all six responding companies, noting Miami Shores is fortunate to have received such impressive responses. He indicated there was a clear favorite after oral presentations and urged the Council to approve the resolution and trust the committee's work. ● Maria McGuinnes expressed support for the resolution and congratulated all involved in the competitive bidding process, praising the timeliness and thoroughness of the effort. Councilmember Jesse Valinsky expressed pride in Mayor Charles and Village Manager Scott for reaching this point despite the short turnaround time, thanking procurement, the committee, and the attorney. He noted confidence in the manager for negotiations while acknowledging his own concerns would be shared privately. Vice Mayor Neil Cantor thanked the evaluation committee and staff, emphasizing pride in the continuous work visible throughout the Village. Mayor Charles thanked the manager, attorney, and staff, noting the journey since 2023 when they learned of PCM's retirement after 30 years. He acknowledged following the National Golf Foundation's recommendation to find a replacement management company and praised the committee's results. Village Manager Esmond Scott thanked the Council for their confidence, noting the tight timelines ahead and having backup plans in place. Vice Mayor Neil Cantor moved to approve the resolution and the motion was seconded by Councilmember Valinsky which carried unanimously. 10.DISCUSSION & POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS 10.A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON FUNDING THE FORTY (40) CHARITIES SUPPORTED BY THE MIAMI SHORES COMMUNITY ALLIANCE (SPONSORED BY: COUNCILMEMBER GEORGE BURCH). Councilmember George Burch provided opening remarks, requesting Council consideration of the Community Alliance’s request. Village Attorney Chanae Wood cautioned that while this could be a discussion item, taking action would require following the charitable donation resolution procedures. She confirmed with the Clerk that the Alliance had not applied pursuant to the resolution. Attorney Wood explained that procedurally, the Alliance would need to apply, which the Council would then review. She clarified that the resolution establishes a maximum of $25,000 per fiscal year for charitable donations with a maximum of $5,000 per organization. While the Alliance represents multiple organizations, the application itself would come from the Alliance as one organization. The Council could allocate $15,000 but would need a supermajority vote to exceed the $5,000 limit. Donations under $100 do not require this procedure. Councilmember George Burch questioned whether all 40 organizations should apply individually, but Attorney Wood clarified the Alliance could submit one application for $15,000, requiring only a supermajority vote to exceed the $5,000 limit. Councilmember Jesse Valinsky expressed support if the Alliance acts as a multiplier, raising additional funds beyond the Village's contribution through events, rather than simply redistributing the $15,000 to various charities. Councilmember George Burch confirmed the Alliance raised $50,000 last year and $60,000 the year before through fundraising. Attorney Wood emphasized the importance of having a complete application to know exactly what the Council would be voting on, suggesting the same process used for Doctor's Charter School's application where the Clerk places approved applications on the agenda for Council review. Vice Mayor Neil Cantor stated his support for the Alliance and the many great community members involved, but expressed concern that the current mayor was not involved this time and was not listed on the website, which he felt was a disservice. Councilmember George Burch agreed to withdraw the item to allow the Alliance to complete the application process. 10.B DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE POSSIBLE USES FOR THE MIAMI SHORES PUBLIC WORKS LAND (SPONSORED BY: COUNCILMEMBER GEORGE BURCH). Councilmember George Burch stated that following discussions with Village Manager Scott about solid waste, he believed additional information was needed before proceeding. He noted the land has been unused after two inconclusive studies. He suggested various possibilities including parking trucks, solid waste facilities, and mulching facilities, but requested more information. Councilmember Burch deferred the item to a future meeting pending the manager obtaining necessary information. 11.MANAGER'S REPORT Village Manager Esmond Scott reported that the library will remain closed for needed maintenance and is hopeful it will reopen on Friday. He expressed pride in the police department's annual report and announced that public works will present their annual report next, noting the significant volume of projects underway. He praised Public Works Director Delroy Peters' team, which includes two engineers and a general contractor. 12.ATTORNEY'S REPORT Village Attorney Chanae Wood provided an update on the septic-to-sewer research requested by the Council. She explained that while other laws exist that could require hookup, having a municipal ordinance is necessary for enforcement. She noted there are pros and cons to both approaches and would provide more specific information addressing each question raised during previous discussions. She described the issue as multilayered, involving state regulations, two different water utilities, the County, and the County's variance process. Attorney Wood encouraged the Council to stay updated on pending legislation through their lobbyists. She noted her office is tracking bills that chip away at home rule authority and zoning issues. She highlighted legislation regarding single-family development as particularly crucial for Miami Shores given the Village's primarily single-family character. She specifically mentioned accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as likely to pass and cautioned about the delicate balance of drafting the arts district regulations while monitoring uncertain legislative outcomes. 13.ANNOUNCEMENTS The Village Clerk read the announcements. 14.VILLAGE COUNCIL COMMENTS Vice Mayor Neil Cantor thanked the Council for appointing him to the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee and shared information from Xavier's presentation on composting. He learned that disposing of food scraps in a composting bin versus traditional garbage has no additional cost or time for companies beyond storing items in a designated bin for pickup and conversion to compost. Vice Mayor Cantor announced his intention to bring a discussion and possible action item to the next meeting proposing mandatory composting participation for all food service businesses in the Village by a certain date, positioning Miami Shores as a leader unless significant cost, time, or inconvenience concerns are identified. Councilmember George Burch noted that composting aligns with the "race to zero" initiative promoted by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and agreed the Village should become a leader. He also raised concerns about dangerous mahogany seeds falling from trees, which have caused injuries to three residents including Ed Gadal (14 stitches) and Gordon Moyer (flipped over his bicycle). The broken seed shells are hazardous for bicycles, pedestrians, and baby carriages. He discussed the issue with Manager Scott, and street sweepers were effective when deployed, but more seeds have since fallen and need removal during the current season. Councilmember Jesse Valinsky thanked staff for including information about Tallahassee property tax legislation in the newsletter. He noted Miami Shores ranks number one in Miami- Dade County for the percentage of property that is homestead exempt, making the Village the most affected by proposed legislation. He characterized this as an existential crisis for the Village and urged residents to pay attention, write their representatives, and educate themselves on where tax dollars go. Councilmember George Burch added that legislators are also targeting business taxes and want to double sovereign immunity limits. He advocated for the "local voices, local choices" group and urged citizens to write letters to committee chairs and members, emphasizing that citizen letters do help. Mayor Jerome Charles provided updates on the legislative session, noting movement away from HJR 201 (the lump sum constitutional amendment) toward other amendments. He explained that house joint resolutions change the constitution but require a corresponding bill and governor's signature to become law, and no house bill has been filed yet. He attends weekly tax meetings via Zoom with Miami-Dade mayors and managers, where the County and its attorney provide updates. While there was hope due to poor communication between legislative houses, the mayor emphasized this issue will not disappear and urged residents to read the Doge report, which suggested eliminating municipalities under 10,000 residents— with Miami Shores precariously positioned. He noted that while discussion focuses on rural counties and big cities collecting significant taxes, rural areas are often ignored. Mayor Charles confirmed weekly discussions with the manager about taking necessary action and mentioned other communities requesting resolutions regarding the urban boundary issue, with Bay Harbor sending information today. He thanked staff for the newsletter tax update and suggested continuing updates through March, especially if there is a special session. He acknowledged that while the messaging sounds appealing ("eliminate your property tax"), it lacks full clarification—particularly that the biggest exemption is public schools. He noted the implications for numerous districts statewide, fire services, pensions, and bonds. Mayor Charles emphasized the importance of the community staying vigilant to conserve what they have, and he expressed gratitude for their senator's opposition to the proposed legislation. 15.ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Village Council, the meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM. 11