September 20, 2018 Commission Meeting Minutes The City Of CITY COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES Aventura Government Center
19200 W.Country Club Drive
Aventura SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 Aventura. Florida 33180
9:00 A.M.
1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order by Mayor Enid
Weisman at 9:05 a.m. The following were present: Mayor Enid Weisman, Vice Mayor
Gladys Mezrahi, Commissioner Denise Landman, Commissioner Dr. Linda Marks,
Commissioner Marc Narotsky, Commissioner Robert Shelley, Commissioner Howard
Weinberg, Interim City Manager Joanne Carr, City Clerk Ellisa L. Horvath, and City
Attorney David M. Wolpin. As a quorum was determined to be present, the meeting
commenced.
2. RESOLUTION: Mr. Wolpin read the following Resolution by title:
CITY COMMISSION, IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE AVENTURA CHARTER HIGH
SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AVENTURA,
FLORIDA, ACTING IN THEIR CAPACITY AS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR
THE AVENTURA CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL, AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE ATTACHED CHARTER SCHOOL
CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT FOR THE AVENTURA CHARTER HIGH
SCHOOL BETWEEN THE CITY OF AVENTURA AND THE MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO DO ALL
THINGS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE AIMS OF THIS RESOLUTION; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
A motion to approve the Resolution was offered by Vice Mayor Mezrahi and seconded
by Commissioner Dr. Marks.
City Consultant Eric M. Soroka, CMOS Consulting Services LLC, reviewed the 15-year
charter agreement and noted that the parent contract exhibit would be modified,
pursuant to the School Board's request, to change the wording for mandatory volunteer
hours to strongly encouraged volunteer hours.
Mayor Weisman opened the public hearing. There being no speakers, the public
hearing was closed.
The motion to approve the Resolution unanimously passed, by roll call vote, and
Resolution No. 2018-79 was adopted.
3. AVENTURA CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL UPDATE (CHARTER SCHOOLS USA,
INC. AND CMCS CONSULTING SERVICES, LLC): City Consultant Eric M. Soroka,
CMCS Consulting Services LLC, introduced Rachel Winder-Freitag and David McNight
with Charter Schools USA.
Ms. Winder-Freitag and Mr. McNight distributed and reviewed the Don Soffer Aventura
High School flyer. A PowerPoint was also reviewed highlighting the following: Learning
Outcomes (Academic & Non-Academic), Learning Approach (Personalized & Rigorous),
Learning Environment, Learning Facilitators, Athletic Offerings, and Planning for
Success.
Aventura City Commission Meeting Minutes
September 20, 2018
Mr. Soroka reviewed the following items: lottery process beginning in October with the
goal to be completed in early November, the first year operating budget general fund
subsidy to increase by $153,000 from the original amount due to increase to teacher
salaries, addition of technology coach and software needed for the digital teaching
platform, providing a community information meeting on October 2, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.,
the ability to accelerate construction time by closing the fields at Waterways Park for
three months, school opening limited to 9th grade for the first year based on the
construction time line affected by the environmental aspects of the site, and the ribbon
cutting to be scheduled for September 2019.
Mr. Soroka will report back on the following items: amount of time gained and the cost
to replace the sod should the Waterways Park fields be closed, as well as any cost to
provide a full curriculum and if adding other curriculum would entail using additional
floors.
The following members of the public provided comments: Frida Lapidot and Nicole
Shein.
Mr. McKnight addressed concerns regarding the affects on the educational component
based on the limitation of having only 9th grade.
The Commission additionally discussed the following items: providing names of
Aventura retirees interested in volunteering for specific subjects/athletics at the school,
start-up national programs to provide students with the ability to work in different
environments, alerting the community to funding opportunities at the school, and
creating a focused 501(c)(3) separate from the City for the high school.
4. MOTION APPROVING ACCEPTANCE OF DONATION OF "AVENTURA THE
CITY OF EXCELLENCE" ART EXHIBITION FROM THE ARTISTS AND BANCO DO
BRASIL AMERICAS: Mr. Wolpin read the motion into the record.
A motion to approve was offered by Commissioner Landman and seconded by Vice
Mayor Mezrahi.
Mayor Weisman explained that the photo exhibit was originally located at the Banco Do
Brasil Americas in Aventura, which had since been donated to the City and was now
located outside of the Executive Conference Room on the fifth floor.
Ms. Carr requested formal approval of the donated art exhibit and noted that the artists
would be recognized at the November Commission Meeting.
The motion to approve unanimously passed, by roll call vote.
The following additional items were discussed:
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Aventura City Commission Meeting Minutes
September 20, 2018
Commissioner Dr. Marks reported that the portion of the contract with CMOS Consulting
Services, LLC for transitional support ends on September 30, 2018 and recommended
that it be extended for two months, as allowed per mutual agreement.
A motion was offered by Commissioner Dr. Marks and seconded by Commissioner
Landman to extend the contract with CMOS Consulting Services, LLC for transitional
support through November 30, 2018.
City Consultant Eric M. Soroka, CMCS Consulting Services LLC, agreed to the
extension for transitional support.
The motion to approve unanimously passed, by roll call vote.
5. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the
Commission, the meeting was adjourned by consensus at 10:47 a.m.
Ellisa L. Horvath, MMC. ity Clerk
Approved by the Commission on October 2, 2018.
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