11-19-2015 Workshop 'Th
e :City of CITY COMMISSION
Aventura WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES NOVEMBER 19, 2015 Aventura Government Center
19200 W. Country Club Drive
FOLLOWING THE REGULAR MEETING AT Aventura, Florida 33180
10:00 A.M.
CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order by Mayor Enid
Weisman at 10:05 a.m. The following were present: Mayor Enid Weisman, Vice Mayor
Robert Shelley, Commissioner Teri Holzberg, Commissioner Denise Landman,
Commissioner Marc Narotsky, Commissioner Howard Weinberg, City Manager Eric M.
Soroka, City Clerk Ellisa L. Horvath, and City Attorney David M. Wolpin. Commissioner
Enbar Cohen was absent. As a quorum was determined to be present, the meeting
commenced.
1. ARTS & CULTURAL CENTER ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTMENTS (c
Manager): Mr. Soroka reported that the current members had requested to continue
serving on the Board, except for Dr. Jules Oaklander, thus leaving a vacancy to be
filled. He reviewed the three resumes submitted for consideration to fill the vacancy.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission for a
Resolution to be placed on the January Commission Meeting Agenda, to appoint the
following members to the Arts & Cultural Center Advisory Board: Amit Bloom, Susan
Gottlieb, Gladys Mezrahi, Gloria Muroff, Rita Regev, Renee Rotta, and Lenore Toby-
Simmons, with Judy Scott serving as an alternate.
2. PARTNERSHIP WITH NORTH MIAMI BEACH LITTLE LEAGUE (City Manager):
Mr. Soroka spoke in favor of a request from the North Miami Beach Little League
Baseball, to merge Aventura's program with theirs, in order to provide a viable baseball
program to Aventura's residents.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission for the
City Manager to proceed with merging the City's program for little league baseball with
North Miami Beach.
3. REQUEST OF BISCAYNE LAKE GARDENS TO CONVEY CITY ROADWAYS
BACK TO THE ASSOCIATION (City Manager): Mr. Soroka explained that Aventura
had received the roads located within the Biscayne Lake Gardens development when
the City incorporated. He spoke in favor of the request to convey those roadways back
to Biscayne Lake Gardens Service Corp., in order for them to provide a guard gate,
provided that the City maintain some easements and that they maintain the roads to a
certain standard.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission for the
Manager to proceed.
4. UPDATE ON DRONE REGULATIONS (City Attorney): Mr. Wolpin discussed
pending State and Federal legislation for drone regulations and the possibility of a City
ordinance regulating drones, which could be enforced through the code enforcement
process. He reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi would be providing an opinion,
regarding the action the City could take regarding regulations.
Aventura City Commission
Workshop Meeting Minutes—November 19, 2015
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the Commission for the letter
to Attorney General Pam Bondi to include that regulations were needed for public
safety. Mr. Soroka was directed to amend the Legislative Priority List to add the support
of drone regulations, for public safety and privacy.
5. DISCUSSION ON NAMING A CITY OWNED AREA AFTER GEORGE BERLIN
(Commissioner Landman): Commissioner Landman requested that the Commission
consider naming the community garden, or another area, after George Berlin, in
response to a letter received from Debbie Lazar.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission for Mr.
Soroka to bring this item back to the January workshop meeting for further discussion.
The Commission discussed the following additional items:
Commissioner Holzberg suggested that a letter be sent to the businesses in Aventura
noting that the City recognized the Aventura Marketing Council as the only Chamber
sponsored by the City. It was the consensus of the Commission to provide such notice,
through the City's business tax receipts.
Mr. Soroka reported that the 20th anniversary concert was cancelled due to inclement
weather. He discussed the possibility of another date (March) for a concert headlined by
Air Supply and suggested an arts/crafts festival and jazz band, prior to the main venue.
He estimated that an additional $50,000-$60,000 would be required for those items. It
was the consensus of the Commission to proceed with the suggestions provided.
Commissioner Landman reported that the City had submitted an application for the
Knight Foundation Cities Grant to start innovative programs, for its bike sharing
program.
Mayor Weisman read an article by Sunny Isles Beach Commissioner Jennifer Levin
regarding a Charter High School for Aventura/Sunny Isles Beach.
6. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the
Commission, a motion to adjourn was offered by Vice Mayor Shelley, seconded by
Commissioner Narotsky, and passed unanimously; thereby adjourning the meeting at
11:22 a.m.
\J�� Ellisa L. Horvath, MC ' ity Clerk
4,6
Approved by the Commission on January 5, 2016
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