Preview of May 14 Council meeting

The Miami Lakes Town Council held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 14 and council members were expected to approve three ordinances, a host of resolutions and new business items for lawmakers’ discussions.
• Council members were expected to give their final approval for an ordinance which now permits decks in the street side yard setback of RU-1Z corner lots providing for a minimum setback of three feet and to allow up to 60 percent of the required yards of such lots to be impervious.
• Council members were expected to give their initial approval for an ordinance to adopt its own franchise agreement with FPL for a 30 year period.
The effective date of the ordinance would be the termination date of Miami-Dade’s current agreement with FPL (May 25, 2020) or an earlier date, if the town is able to prematurely terminate its interlocal with the county prior to May 25, 2020.
The town is expected to receive about $2.3 million in the first year of the new FPL agreement, the ordinance says.
After Miami Lakes incorporated in 2000, the county, through an interlocal agreement with the town, shared the revenues collected from FPL users located within the town. Under the county-FPL agreement and all other FPL franchise agreements entered into with Miami-Dade cities, local governments are allowed to collect up to six percent surcharge on utility fees.
According to the ordinance, the average residence in Miami Lakes (consuming 1000 kWh per month) will experience an average increase of $3.19 in the monthly electrical bill.
• Council members were expected to give their initial approval for an ordinance to amend the town’s current budget to carry forward fund balance in the special revenue fund based on fiscal year 2017-2018, recognize grants awarded to the town and donations received from specific town events, and amend select budget line items to provide funding for projects in the capital projects fund.
Some of the carry forward fund balance adjustments include general fund balance of $4.2 million for Hurricane Irma expenses for clean up and recovery efforts; $506,000 for litigation and settlement reserve; and $769,000 for one-time capital improvement expenditures ($316,670 for Miami Lakes Optimist Park master plan and $150,000 for Optimist Clubhouse storage facility).
• Council members were expected to approve a resolution to award a contract to RG Underground Engineering for Royal Oaks drainage and roadway improvements (first phase) in an amount not to exceed $1.2 million.
• Council members were expected to approve a resolution authorizing the town manager to approve the owner direct purchase of material and supplies from specific vendors to be used in the N.W. 67 Avenue widening project by Southeastern Engineering Contractors, resulting in a cost savings of $7,340.
• Council members were expected to approve a resolution which authorizes the town manager to apply for an FDOT public transit service development program grant for Miami Lakes’ Freebee public transit service expansion project in an amount not to exceed $172,000 per year for 2021, 2022 and 2023, totaling $516,000.
• Council members were expected to approve an agreement with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to provide senior high students with an Academic School Year Internship with Miami Lakes starting in the fall 2019 school year.
• Council members were expected to authorize the town manager to contract with USA Sweeping Inc., as the primary contractor and SFM Services as the secondary contractor in the event USA Sweeping is non-responsive or otherwise unable to perform street cleaning services throughout the town.
• Lawmakers were expected to approve Councilmember Carlos Alvarez’s proposal to place safety signals in pedestrian crosswalks on Montrose Road where many residents walk, jog and ride their bike to Miami Lakes Picnic Park West.
The safety signals would be ideal for drivers on that road to be alerted when pedestrians are crossing the street.
• Lawmakers were expected to approve Councilmember Luis Collazo’s proposal to explore Coral Gables’ approach to treat the cause of the staining produced by Black Olive trees to determine if it would be a good practice for Miami Lakes’ effort to protect Black Olive trees throughout the town.
• Council members were expected to approve Mayor Manny Cid’s proposal to eliminate the porta potties and install proper bathrooms for the outdoor fields at Miami Lakes Optimist Park. Royal Oaks Park and Miami Lakes Picnic Park West have indoor bathroom facilities but the town’s oldest park doesn’t.
The town would have to enter into an agreement with Miami-Dade County Public Schools which owns portion of the park next to Miami Lakes Middle School.
Cid said installing the new bathrooms would cost the town an estimated $500,000.