June 17, 2021 Aventura City Commission Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes •
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AVENTURA CITY COMMISSION
REGULAR WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES
JUNE 17, 2021
9:00 a.m.
Aventura Government Center
19200 W. Country Club Drive
Aventura, FL 33180
The meeting was held in the Commission Chamber at Aventura Government Center.
1. Call to Order/Roll Call: The meeting was called to order by Mayor Enid Weisman
at 9:06 a.m. The following were present: Mayor Enid Weisman, Vice Mayor Dr. Linda
Marks, Commissioner Jonathan Evans, Commissioner Rachel S. Friedland,
Commissioner Denise Landman', Commissioner Marc Narotsky, Commissioner Robert
Shelley, City Manager Ronald J. Wasson, City Clerk Ellisa L. Horvath, and City Attorney
David M. Wolpin. As a quorum was determined to be present, the meeting commenced.
Following a request by Mayor Weisman and consensus of the City Commission the
following item was discussed:
Emergency Info Plan: Former Senator Ron Silver and John Pastore, Founder —
Emergency Info Plan, provided a brief update and requested the City's assistance in
educating the public regarding the plan, which provides first responders access to vital
medical information, enables alerts to emergency contacts, and shares location during
emergencies.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission for Mr.
Wasson to follow up on this item.
2. Presentation: Aventura Corporate Center Project (City Manager): Mr. Wasson
and Community Development Director Keven Klopp introduced the project and the
representatives in attendance.
Jeffrey Bercow, Attorney (Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes), Bernard
Zyscovich, Architect (Zyscovich Architects), and Timothy Plummer, Engineer (David
Plummer & Associates), reviewed a PowerPoint of the mixed-use project including the
following: Ground Floor, Existing Aerial Photo, Proposed Rendering, Lake Proposed
Rendering, and Concept Lake. The trip generation comparison, phases for the project,
and upcoming requests for the project were also discussed.
1 Commissioner Landman left the meeting during Item 5.
Aventura City Commission
Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes—June 17, 2021
The Commission discussed assurance needed that all phases of the project would be
completed if a rezoning was approved, traffic and turning signals, and green spaces
including the lake.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission to proceed
with this item.
3. Review: Capital Improvement Plan 2021/22 — 2025/26 (City Manager): Mr.
Wasson reviewed the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for the fiscal period October
1 , 2021 through September 30, 2026.
The Commission provided positive comments and discussed basketball, pickleball, and
the tot lot at Waterways Park.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission to place a
resolution on the July Commission Meeting Agenda, accepting and adopting the Capital
Improvement Program for 2021/2022-2025/2026 as presented.
4. Discussion: Work Authorization No. 2021-043508122-001 Due Diligence for
Aventura Middle School Expansion (ACES) (City Manager): Mr. Wasson reviewed the
work authorization as a first step in determining if the land around the Aventura City of
Excellence School (ACES) could be considered for a multi-story building expansion, to
accommodate an additional 700-1 ,000 students.
Mr. Wasson discussed the operating costs annually to subsidize the schools and noted
that an increase would be anticipated with any expansion. The Commission discussed
the need to also look at expanding the high school should ACES be expanded.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission to place a
resolution on the July Commission Meeting Agenda authorizing the execution of the work
authorization with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. as presented.
5. Review: Don Soffer Aventura High School Education Plan (2021/2022) (City
Manager: DSAHS Principal Dr. Geoff McKee reviewed a PowerPoint with the following
highlights: First Thirty Days, Information Gathering, Review Priority Initiatives, and 2021-
2022 Enrollment. Rachel Wind ler-Freitag, South Florida Deputy Director — Charter
Schools USA, also provided comments.
The Commission discussed the following additional items: school wait list, a school
marquee, and virtual school classes
City Manager Summary: This review was provided for informational purposes.
6. Discussion: Municipal Positions on Miami-Dade County Items (Mayor
Weisman): Mayor Weisman explained the request from County Commissioner Regalado
for the City's support for a proposed ordinance amending the Board's rules of procedures,
which would require the Clerk of the Board to distribute adopted resolutions/ordinances
that were received from municipalities concerning positions on proposed County
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Aventura City Commission
Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes—June 17, 2021
resolutions/ordinances. She also discussed the importance of supporting requests from
County Commissioners.
Mr. Wasson additionally discussed a request from Commissioner Regalado for the City's
support regarding an item creating a task force on the transition from septic to sewer.
There were no concerns expressed in doing so.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission to provide
a resolution on the July Commission Meeting Agenda urging the County Commission to
adopt the proposed ordinance as provided.
7. Review: Ordinance Amending the City Code to Implement the Recent
Amendment of City Charter Section 7.03(b) (City Manager): Mr. Wasson explained
the need to amend the City Code to provide the procedures for the amended City Charter
enhanced ethics provisions, as approved by the voters on April 27, 2021.
Mr. Wolpin reviewed the proposed ordinance to implement the procedures.
City Manager Summary: It was the consensus of the City Commission to place
the ordinance, as provided and reviewed, on the July Commission Meeting Agenda.
The following additional items were discussed:
Mr. Wasson discussed the interns working at the City during the summer. Morgan
Matlaga, Intern for the Finance Department, provided brief remarks.
The following items will be discussed at a future workshop: enhanced communication with
residents and vaccination efforts.
Following discussion, consensus of the City Commission was provided to allow the
Commission Liaison Meetings to continue with the focus on school curriculum.
8. Adjournment: There being no further business to come before the Commission,
the meeting was adjourned by consensus at 11 :04 a.m.
•
Ellisa L. Horvath, M , City Clerk
C'iry of S,Ke',
Approved by the City Commission on July 13, 2021 .
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