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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-20-2024 City Commission Regular Workshop Agenda The City of City Commission Aventura Workshop Agenda February 20, 2024 9:00 a.m. Aventura Government Center 51" Floor Executive Conference Room 19200 W. Country Club Drive, Aventura, FL 33180 1. Call to Order/Roll Call 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Discussion: Alcoholic Beverage Approval for Gaby by Call Me Gaby at Aventura Mall (City Manager) 4. Discussion: Outdoor Basketball Courts (Mayor Weinberg)* 5. Discussion: Prosecution Staffing Crisis (Commissioner Dr. Marks)* 6. Discussion: New School (Commissioner Dr. Marks) 7. Discussion: 213t" Street Pocket Park (Commissioner Friedland) 8. Update: 2024 Legislative (City Attorney) 9. Update: Form 6 Litigation (City Attorney) 10. Adjournment * Back-up Information Exists This meeting is open to the public.In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,all persons who are disabled and who need special accommodations to participate in this meeting because of that disability should contact the Office of the City Clerk,305-466- 8901 or cityclerkCacityofaventura.com,not later than two days prior to such proceeding. One or more members of the City of Aventura Advisory Boards may participate in the meeting.Agenda items are available online at cityofaventura.com for viewing and printing.Copies of agenda items can also be requested through the Office of the City Clerk at 305-466-8901 or cityclerk@cityofaventura.com. CITY OF "ENTURA OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM TO: City Commission FROM: Ronald J. Wasson, City Manager DATE: February 16, 2024 SUBJECT: Outdoor Basketball Courts (Mayor Weinberg) February 20, 2024 City Commission Workshop Agenda The Mayor has requested the above matter be placed on the Workshop Agenda for discussion. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. RJW/act Attachment CC04006-24 � \ ��? 2 /�\ \ emu}\\ LLJ / \s/» Ggg®mz gt% 2 pi pi § Lu N q\ . k °\23 ® \s\\ LL, CR LL o z L ~\/ \ Q z \ 2 \ 7 �� k % \ \ ) \ i \ \ \\\ % J ( ? z 2 R w k \y/z / 2 ® 3 o ®6y° uw \ s a A w _ w � \<k e a < < < § k `3 6 M \ \ \ \ \`�\ \ \ [ \/// ƒ / . \ - qtn > eee< § ) � \jA . 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RJW/act Attachment CC04007-24 Prosecution Staffing Crisis 2023-2024 Legislative Session During the past few years,the Florida Legislature and Governor took substantial steps to compensate for their predecessors' decades of neglect. I am sincerely grateful for their efforts but I am not close to celebrating. Communities like ours remain at risk of a constitutional crisis as we continue losing applicants and prosecutors to other local government agencies and firms in our area. In the last two years alone,we have lost 156 prosecutors. We simply cannot compete. 1. Impact on Public Safety a. Our inability to recruit,hire, and retain attorneys and staff threatens public safety. b. Because of attrition, prosecutors are handling case volumes far in excess of their capabilities, due to lack of experience. Most of the prosecutors handling high-level cases, like attempted murder,rape,kidnapping,and armed robbery, have less than three years' experience and some of them have participated in only a handful of jury trials. c. As a result, victims and their families must deal with a constant rotation of lawyers on their cases, forced to relive the trauma and victimization they endured each time, often giving up, and causing cases to be dropped. 11. Miami is One of the Most Expensive Cities in the United States a. Our salaries remain so low that most law students cannot afford to work for our office. According to the Education Data Initiative, 74%of law students graduate in debt and the average graduate owes$160,000 in student loan debt.' Zumper reports that the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Miami was$2,781 in December 2023." b. For years, the cost of living and housing in Miami has been among the highest in the nation. In 2023, Miami surpassed New York and Los Angeles, becoming the most expensive housing market in the country. According to a Florida Atlantic University(FAU)study,the average renter needs a$100,000 salary to"avoid being classified as rent-burdened" in Miami."' c. At the end of FY 2022-2023, 113 of our prosecution positions were unfilled(33%), making it nearly impossible to properly staff critical divisions like our Gun Violence, Gang, Organized Crime, and Narcotics units. Given our current turnover rates,we expect an even higher vacancy rate during the Spring and Summer of 2024. III. Salaries for Florida Prosecutors are Not Competitive in Miami-Dade County a. The legislatively allocated starting salary for a prosecutor, $61,000, pales in comparison to the $87,776 average annual pay for an"Entry Level Lawyer" in Miami.'° While I have used vacancy money to raise the starting salary to $68,000, our starting salaries still remain in the bottom 25% for entry level attorneys. Not surprisingly, we continue to lose prosecutors at an astonishing rate despite the recent raises. b. The lowest paid attorney in our local County Attorney's Office earns nearly $152,000 and the lowest paid in the Office of Inspector General's Office earns$115,000.How can we be competitive if the salaries of local government offices, located just a few miles from us, are paying a minimum of$54,000 more? Our community and its victims, our office, and our attorneys deserve better. I respectfully continue to ask our Legislature to provide funding for the pay adjustments highlighted below. Our young lawyers can accept that they will never make as much money serving our community as they could make in the private sector but should be paid a reasonable wage commensurate with their great work and sacrifice. Solutions: a. Provide a 7.8% Cost of Living for all staff to help offset inflation; b. Increase prosecutor starting salaries to $75,000; and c. Provide funding for a locality pay differential for Miami-Dade County of 24% to match the differential provided by the Federal government to account for the cost of living in Miami, Fort Lauderdale,and Port St. Lucie. LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY FEBRUARY 16, 2024 1) Live Local Act (SB 328 and HB 1239): Adjust the height allowances for parcels adjacent to single-family residential uses with a single family neighborhood; clarifies that a local government's currently allowed density, height and floor area ration does not include any bonuses, variances or other special exceptions provided in their regulations. Last action 2/7 passed Senate 40-0; now in messages; House bill to be heard on 2/20 2) Local Business Tax Receipts (HB 609): Bill would freeze the revenue and rate for Local Business Taxes at the FY 23-24 level if you have an ordinance adopted to levy LBT before October 1, 2024. Moving forward, if revenues exceed the FY 23-24 level, cities will have to issue a refund to the local business paying the tax. SB 114 would fully repeal local governments' ability to levy local business tax. Last action 2/16 added to second reading calendar 3) Residential Building Permits (HB 267): The bill drastically changes the process that local governments have to go through before a building permit is approved, including significantly reducing the timeframes from approval of permits. Last action 2/19 first reading of substitute 4) Advanced Community Permitting (HB 665 and SB 812) are comprehensive bills dealing with the expedited approval of residential building permits. The bills do include a few protections for cities, include an indemnification clause and a requirement for applicants to have a performance bond of up to 130%. HB 2/12 second reading; SB 2/16 placed on calendar 5) Land Use and Development Regulations (SB 1184 and HB 1221): Comprehensive bill relating to land use and development regulations, amending various regulations relating to comprehensive plans. Would restrict optional elements of a comprehensive plan from containing policy restricting density and intensity. SB no action; HB 2/13 second reading calendar 6) Vacation Rentals (SB 280 and HB 1537): Creates a statewide process for the local registration of vacation rentals. Maintains the current preemption on local governments from adopting zoning ordinances specific to short-term rentals. Maintains the grandfathering in of ordinances adopted prior to June 1, 2011. SB 2/1 in messages; HB 2/5 first reading 7) Local Regulation of Nonconforming or Unsafe Structures (HB 1647 and SB 1526): Restricts local government from prohibiting, restricting or preventing the demolition of nonconforming or unsafe structures. Authorizes demolition of a structure and automatic replacement without requiring the new structure to have historical features or characteristics. HB 2/14 commerce committee; SB 2/15 calendar second reading 8) Sovereign Immunity (HB 569): The proposed changes include increasing the limits to $400,000 per person and $600,000 per incident cap. Last action 2/12 added to committee agenda 9) Unauthorized Public Camping (SB 1530 and HB 1365): Prohibits cities from permitting public sleeping on public property, at public building or on public rights of way without a lawfully issued temporary permit. SB 2/22 set for hearing; HB 2/9 in committee 10)Governing Body Meetings (HB 157 and SB 894): Allow local governments to meet and conduct official business via teleconferencing or other means no more than two times per year. HB 1/9; SB 2/8 rules committee 11) Public Records for City Manager/Attorneys (HB 811, 103 and SB 862 and SB 712): Creates public records exemption for the personal identifying information of the current city manager and information regarding the names and locations of schools and daycare facilities attended by children. Same exception for city attorneys. House bills 2/16 rules; Senate bills 2/8 and 2/12 on calendar 12)Cybersecurity (HB 473 and SB 658): Exempts cities from liability in connection with a cybersecurity incident of the local entity has substantially complied with the current training and cybersecurity standards required by Florida law. HB 2/19 judiciary committee; SB second reading calendar 13) Ethics (SB 7014 and HB 1597): Bills provide that if local government has more stringent standards of conduct and disclosure for lobbyists, any complaint procedure relating to such standards must require a sworn written complaint and based on personal knowledge. Prohibits the initiation of a complaint or investigation by the governing body or any entity created to enforce the standards. Establishes a process for recovery of costs and attorney fees against a person found to have filed a complaint with malicious intent or containing false allegations. HB 2/19 to committee; SB 2/1 in messages 14)Government Accountability (SB 734 and HB 735): Prohibits a person from lobbying a municipality unless he/she is registered with the Florida Commission on Ethics and authorizes Commission to investigation alleged violations of registration requirements. Prohibits a governing body from renewing or extending the employment contract of the city manager during the 8 months immediately preceding an election for the mayor or members of the governing body unless the vote is unanimous. Same rule for city attorney. HB 2/19 to committee; SB 2/7 to committee 15)Solicitation of Contributions(HB 759): Prohibits panhandling within 50/100 feet of certain location. Prohibits a person from approaching an operator or other occupant of a motor vehicle for panhandling purposes. Requires individuals engaged in solicitations on specified roads, ROWs to clearly identify the name of the charitable organization and the charitable purpose. No action 16) Local Government Impact Fees and Exactions (HB 1635 and SB 176): Requires local government to provide compensation for nonmonetary exaction equal to the fair market value of the exaction imposed. Ensure that the impact fee is collected only if the relevant property receives the service for which the fee was assessed. Requires local governments to establish impact feel zones or districts. HB last action 1/13, no Senate action 17) Public Records Requests (SB 1494): Provides that a public agency that has custody of a public record may not charge a fee once the agency has received a request to produce records. Bill provides that any person who violates this chapter may be punished by a $5,000 fine of the custodian knowingly deters a public records request, commits a first degree misdemeanor. No action