Preview of Town Council meeting

The Miami Lakes Town Council was expected to approve several ordinance, a host of resolutions and new business items during its July 16 regular meeting at Miami Lakes Town Hall.
• Council members were expected to give their final approval for an ordinance to adopt its own franchise agreement with FPL for 30 years.
The effective date of the ordinance should 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 interlock 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 their monthly electrical bill.
• Council members were expected to give their final approval for an ordinance that now prohibits overnight street parking for commercial vehicles within the town’s rights-of-way adjacent to residential areas, parks and government buildings.
• Council members were expected to give their final approval for an ordinance to create a dockless mobility program to regulate dockles mobility programs and motorized scooters within Miami Lakes.
• Council members were expected to give their initial approval for an ordinance amending a section of the town’s code for variance application fees.
The town’s Planning and Zoning Board initiated a review process for the fees, and based on research by town staff, Miami Lakes was subsidizing many variance requests above and beyond existing fee schedule.
Council members instructed Town Manager Ed Pidermann to adjust the variance fee schedule to recover the full cost of providing the service.
• Council members were expected to approve a resolution to modify the conditions for a conditional use for establishing an indoor shooting range in an industrial section of Miami Lakes.
Andy’s Shooting Range, 14000 N.W. 82 Avenue, which was strictly a training facility for law enforcement and academy cadets, has requested an allowable noise levels of eight regarding the use of the range by the public, and change the closing time to 9 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.
• Council members were expected to authorize the town manager to execute contracts with SFM Security Services, Kent Security Services and FPI Security Services for the town’s special taxing districts for an amount not to exceed the town’s budgeted funds for those services.
• Council members were expected to adopt a stormwater master plan update No. 3 and incorporating identified capital projects into the town’s strategic plan.
• Council members were expected to approve a resolution for a memorandum of understanding for school-based law enforcement officers with Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School.
Last year in the wake of the Majorie Stoneman Douglas mass shooting, the town, as part of an agreement with the public school system, added officers at Bob Graham Education Center and Miami Lakes K-8 Center to protect students from gun violence.
The agreement also included providing protection for private schools in Miami Lakes.
The town has estimated the costs at $22,484 to assign a school resource officer at Our Lady of the Lakes.
• Lawmakers were expected to approve Councilmember Josh Dieguez’s two proposals on traffic safety. Dieguez is suggesting placing traffic calming devices on Fairway Drive after the town has experienced too many threatening incidents along the roadway.
He’s also recommending installing a traffic calming device at the K-9 Cove dog park along N.W. 79th Avenue until the town builds parking spaces adjacent to the outdoor facility.
• Lawmakers were expected to approve Councilmember Marilyn Ruano’s proposal to instruct the town’s public works department to design an effective drainage project for residents who are affected by massive flooding in the Royal Oaks area.
Ruano said the residents have been battling extreme flooding conditions on their block for years.
• Council members were expected to approve Mayor Manny Cid’s proposal to create a resolution to support a Senate bill and Congress bill that would designate an independent zip code for Miami Lakes. Cid has been spearheading the issue since he first took office as a council member in 2010.
The town’s resolution would support Senator Marco Rubio’s bill and Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart’s bill to give the town its own zip code.
• Council members were expected to approve Vice Mayor Nelson Rodriguez’s proposal to name the new courtyard areas at Royal Oaks Park after Brenna Vergara.
Vergara was 10 years-old when she died from a rare heart condition during dance class.
Vergara has inspired several Miami Lakes regulations that require athletes and people participating in physical activities at the town’s parks and facilities get a cardiogram to detect any heart problems.