October 19, 2023 Aventura City Commission Special Meeting Minutes &`?i
AVENTURA CITY COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 19, 2023
Following 9:00 a.m. Local Planning Agency Meeting
Aventura Government Center
19200 W. Country Club Drive
Aventura, FL 33180
1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order by Mayor
Weinberg at 9:29 a.m. The roll was called and the following were present: Mayor Howard
S. Weinberg, Vice Mayor Amit Bloom, Commissioner Rachel S. Friedland',
Commissioner Billy Joel, Commissioner Paul A. Kruss, Commissioner Dr. Linda Marks,
Commissioner Michael Stern, City Manager Ronald J. Wasson, City Clerk Ellisa L.
Horvath, and City Attorney Robert Meyers. As a quorum was determined to be present,
the meeting commenced.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The Pledge was done at the Local Planning Agency
Meeting.
Mrs. Horvath read the following motion:
3. AVENTURA CITY COMMISSION, ACTING IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE GOVERNING BOARD
FOR THE DON SOFFER AVENTURA HIGH SCHOOL (DSAHS):
A MOTION APPROVING A SCHOOL CALENDAR AMENDMENT FOR THE DON SOFFER
AVENTURA HIGH SCHOOL (DSAHS).
A motion for approval was offered by Vice Mayor Bloom and seconded by Commissioner
Kruss.
Mr. Wasson reviewed the item.
No comments were provided by the City Commission.
Mayor Weinberg opened the item for public comment. There being no comments, Mayor
Weinberg closed the item for public input.
The motion for approval passed unanimously by roll call vote.
Mrs. Horvath read the following motion:
1 Participated via virtual communications media technology.
Aventura City Commission Special Meeting Minutes
October 19, 2023
4. AVENTURA CITY COMMISSION, ACTING IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE GOVERNING BOARD
FOR THE DON SOFFER AVENTURA HIGH SCHOOL (DSAHS):
A MOTION APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE DON SOFFER AVENTURA HIGH SCHOOL
(DSAHS)CHARTER SCHOOL CONTRACT WITH THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
TO INCREASE THE ENROLLMENT CAP FROM 800 TO 900 STUDENTS.
A motion for approval was offered by Commissioner Dr. Marks and seconded by
Commissioner Joel.
Mr. Wasson reviewed the item.
The City Commission discussed the item including increasing the cap, the capacity of the
current school, and the possibility of a new school in the future.
A motion to amend the approval was offered by Commissioner Dr. Marks and seconded
by Commissioner Stern to increase the enrollment cap from 800 to 900 students and up
to 1 ,000 students if possible.
Mayor Weinberg opened the item for public comment. There being no comments, Mayor
Weinberg closed the item for public input.
The motion for approval as amended passed unanimously by roll call vote.
5. ORDINANCE — FIRST READING/PUBLIC INPUT: Mrs. Horvath read the
following Ordinance title:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF AVENTURA, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 31,
"LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS" OF THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES BY
AMENDING SECTION 31-145, "TOWN CENTER ZONING DISTRICTS", TO ALLOW
MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL DENSITIES WITH A MAXIMUM OF 70 DWELLING UNITS PER
ACRE FOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT PROVIDE RESIDENTIAL UNITS TO THE CITY'S HERO
HOUSING PROGRAM; SUBJECT TO CONDITIONAL USE APPROVAL; PROVIDING FOR
SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
A motion to approve the Ordinance with the amendment for a maximum of 70 dwelling
units per acre for developments in the TC1 District and for a maximum of 50 dwelling
units per acre for developments in the TC2, TC3, and TC4 Districts was offered by
Commissioner Dr. Marks and seconded by Commissioner Joel.
Community Development Director Keven Klopp entered the comments from the Local
Planning Agency Meeting into the record by reference and entered the staff report
recommending approval, subject to conditional use approval, in exchange for the project
committing residential units to the City's HERO Housing program.
The City Commission discussed the item including the HERO housing concept, feature
article on Aventura in Invest Magazine, letters of support from the Police Chief and
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Aventura City Commission Special Meeting Minutes
October 19, 2023
Charter School Principals, providing information to other municipalities wanting to
emulate HERO housing, and recruitment for officers and 911 operators.
Mayor Weinberg opened the item for public comment.
The following members of the public provided comments: Michael Marrero, Esq. (Bercow
Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes, PLLC - 200 S. Biscayne Blvd. Suite 300, Miami).
There being no additional comments, Mayor Weinberg closed the item for public input.
The motion for approval of the Ordinance as amended on first reading passed
unanimously by roll call vote.
6. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the
Commission, a motion to adjourn was offered by Commissioner Joel, seconded by Vice
Mayor Bloom, and unanimously approved; thus, adjourning the meeting at 9.53 a.m.
•
Ellisa L. Horvath, M , City Clerk
Approved by the City Commission on November 7, 2023.
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