COUNCIL MEETING

>>Good morning, everyone and welcome to our May council meeting. Today is Wednesday the 13th and the time is now 10:04 AM. I hereby call this meeting to order. Just a reminder to please silence your phones if you must take a call, we kindly ask that you step outside and we remain we maintain a respectful atmosphere. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. >> Councilwoman Nicole Reinoso. >> Present. >> Councilwoman Maureen Porras. >> Here. >> Councilman Rafael Pineyro. >> Present. >> Vice Mayor Digna Cabral. >> Present. >> Mayor Christi Fraga. >> Present. >> Mayor, you have quorum. >> Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Councilwoman Reinoso. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay, we will now have our invocation, led today by Pastor Eduardo Key from the Keys of Heaven Church. Welcome. Thank you for joining us. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to everyone It's an honor. I was thinking what, how I'm going to start this today, and God put this something that I learned 20 years ago. Read the book of Proverbs every single day. If you guys don't do it, I will invite you to do that every single day. There are 31 Proverbs in the Bible, and, after 20 years, I find out that every single question that everyone may have the answer would be right there for everything, for family, for spiritual, for peace, for, health, for finances. Most they were, they were writing by Solomon, which is known as one of the greatest and calling by God the man with the more wisdom after Jesus. And one of the important parts of this is that he was so he got all this wisdom and in, in else's his life, he just lost track. He kind of like stayed away from God and he did wrong things. But finally, and you know, his life, he just turned back to God again. But thinking about this, it's like, well, if this was Solomon, it was so with he received the wisdom directly from God and he did all this, what about us? So, what I bring today to opening this meeting today, it's something as we find in the book of Proverbs 16:16. It says, how much better is to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver. Now the thing about wisdom is there is no wisdom without the fear of God. And as we know today, everyone called God. That's the way that's God's name. But we live in time when we should ask, what's your God's name? Because, you know, I don't know if you know, but it's like around I was reading about this is around 1 million different gods in this earth right now. People, they call God a rock, an animal, a monkey. So, I want to make sure the, the we get clear that I'll be praying for the God who gave his Son Jesus Christ for our sins, and he resurrected on the third day, and the God of the Bible. And I, I'm very pleased that I live in a city where they have the courage to bring someone to pray because, that makes a difference. And I think this is part of what this city makes it different. Other cities, they don't do that because they don't believe that God is important. They don't bring God to the table. It's like, don't worry, we got it. So, I would like to start and say thank you, the Lord. Thank you, God. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this opportunity. Thank you for, for the city. Thank you for every single person who work in this city, from the mayor and, all the council members, every single person who work in the city. I ask you to please bring wisdom to every single person, on the fear of God. So, every decision is made in this city, will be you'll be the person who will ask first if we're doing the right thing or we're not. And I ask you to please help them because they're here to serve the people. But things that got pretty messed up when people, they want to serve people without serving God first, when we want to please people without please God, that's when things got pretty, pretty bad, pretty ugly. So, I ask you to every single person who works in this city to give you the courage and, and, the wisdom to work with the truth in every single area of their life and every single thing that they do for the city. We present this time for you, and we thank you. Protect the city. Bring your angels around the city, and help us to, to always give the glory to you, the only one, our Creator, Heavenly Father. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you very much for the opportunity. >> Thank you, Pastor. >> Thank you very much. I feel honored. >> Thank you, thank you for being here. All right, we move on to the agenda order of business, starting with the manager's office. Madam Manager. >> Good morning, Mayor. No, I don't have anything. >> Okay. Mr. City Attorney. >> Good morning, Madam Mayor. I'm going to ask if we can defer item 20D, which is, an or an item to be heard in the evening, ordinance vacating the street related to La Jolla, to the June 10th, 2026 meeting. Yeah, so to move the item 20D, which is an ordinance vacating the street related to La Jolla, to the June 10th, 2026 meeting. >> Perfect. >> So just >> All right. Councilman Pineyro. >> Good morning, Mayor. I don't have anything. >> No. >> Okay, thank you. >> Vice Mayor Cabral. >> No. >> Councilwoman Reinoso. >> No, Mayor, I don't have anything. >> Councilwoman Porras. >> I'll be pulling 6A. >> Okay, Madam City Clerk. >> I have nothing. >> All right, so we're going to hear item 6A after discussion items. It'll be after 9, D 9D. Yep. Okay, there's nothing else. We'll move into the public comments portion. We'll now open the floor for public comments. Each speaker will have 3 minutes to address any item on today's agenda or any matters related to the city of Doral. Please begin with stating your name and address for the record to ensure you are registered with the city clerk. We will first hear from those who have preregistered I have a list of names followed by any walk-in speakers. Once all the registered speakers have spoken, I will invite any walk-in speakers to have final, public comments. As a reminder, in accordance with our city's code of conduct, we ask that all remarks be made in a respectful, courteous, and orderly manner. Personal attacks, offensive language, and disruptive behavior will not be permitted. Let's work together to make this a forum that is productive and constructive for all. The only name I have registered at this time is Mr. Richard Glutstadt. >> Good morning, everybody. >> Good morning. >> Remember this every time they make laws to hurt a particular group of people. If you have to make laws to hurt a group of people just to prove your morals and faith, then you have no true morals or faith to prove. That's a quote by George Takei from who was one of the actors in Star Trek. These are some of the groups that have been attacked and still are being attacked today. Women, Black, Brown, Asian, Indigenous, immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ, religious minorities. You name it, we attack it here. Today I'm going to talk to you about, Mr. Anthony Verdugo. Verdugo in Spanish, if you translate it, it means executioner. So, you could say that this man indirectly is creating the execution of a group of people. He's been after them for over 20 years. I don't think he'll be happy until they disappear from the face of the earth. He's the man that started the Christian Family Coalition in 2003. He promotes public prayer and religious expression. As long as it's what he wants. Parental rights, charter schools, limits on LGBTQ instruction in schools. He's pro-life, anti-abortion. He was arrested in August 2002 on one felony count of false swearing, forging names to repeal the Dade County ordinance It was called Take Back Miami. It was limiting LGBTQ rights. It was an ordinance protecting this group of people. Now, my family had to wear yellow stars in Germany when the Nazis were in power. And they didn't just have yellow stars. They had stars of all colors depending upon the group that you were, categorized in. Like gay people, had to wear pink stars. So, Mr. Verdugo, I, I have a suggestion. Why don't you just make all the, people in the gay community wear, wear pink stars so we know they're all gay? That's no way to run a democracy. If you want this country to progress, to be free, especially free of hate and discrimination. You need to stop associating yourselves and catering to this man and this organization, holding hands with him and praying, because if you do, you're just as guilty as he is legitimizing his hate group. His group should be considered a hate group and investigated by the FBI, in my opinion. It's very corrupt. >> Thank you, Mr. Gledstadt. I have no more registered speaker at this time. Would anyone else like to speak? This would be your reasonable opportunity. Being none are you here for a specific item? 90, this is discussion. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, public comments is now closed. Madam Clerk, I, I reflect no one else chose to speak at this time, and we'll move into the consent agenda. Madam Clerk, can you read the items that were pulled and the consent agenda? >> It'll be all of the items on Section 6 with the exception of 6A. >> Okay, I need a motion on consent agenda. >> Motion. >> Motion to approve by Councilman Pineyro. >> Second. >> Second by Councilwoman Reinoso. All in favor say aye. >> Aye. >> Aye. >> All right, we will then now move on to the minutes. Need a motion on the minutes. >> Motion. >> Motion to approve by Councilman Pineyro. >> Second. >> Second by Councilwoman Reinoso. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. All right, let the minutes and the consent agenda be reflected as passing unanimously. We'll now move into presentations. >> Item 8A, Keep Doral Beautiful Business Award. >> Mr. Del Toro, good morning. >> Good morning, honorable mayor, vice mayor, members of the council, madam manager, Mr. Deputy Manager, Mr. City Attorney, Madam Clerk, Danny Del Toro, Code Compliance Director. This month we are pleased to recognize Gateway Plaza at Doral for their outstanding commitment to keeping Doral beautiful. The property for which they're being recognized is located at 2000 Northwest 87th Avenue. Gateway Plaza at Doral has been in the City of Doral for 11 years. The property is approximately 322,000 total square feet and is managed by 3 employees. Gateway Plaza at Doral is a commercial property managed by JCT Management and comprises of office, medical, and retail spaces. Currently, it is home to 16 local businesses. Some of the recent improvements and ongoing maintenance efforts at the property include seal coating and striping of the parking lot, bimonthly landscape maintenance, biannual window cleaning, and the presence of an on-site maintenance team responsible for daily maintenance of exterior areas. It is with great pleasure that we name Gateway Plaza at Doral for the Keep Doral Beautiful Business Award for their continued efforts to keep Doral beautiful. Madam Mayor and Council, here to accept the award on behalf of the property is Senior Property Manager Eduardo Garcia and Maintenance Supervisor Alberto Mercado. >> All right, wonderful. >> They here? >> Hello, welcome, come on up. You'd like to sing anything? >> Thank you, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Good morning, everyone. Yeah, I'd like to say a couple things, on behalf of the owners that had to leave out of town. Obviously very honored. It's a privilege. On behalf of the entire team, I'd like to sincerely thank everyone for this recognition. Winning the award is truly a privilege. When the building was renovated in 2015, The vision was to bring a fresh, like, forward-thinking design to the area. I think we accomplished that. We were concerned about keeping it welcoming at the same time, so it was a balance. And I think the award reflects the hard work and the dedication of our ownership, our maintenance team, and management. You know, beautiful buildings don't stay beautiful without the people who take pride in them, and I believe we have pride in our properties and, and pride in, in our hard work and our dedication. We're believers and supporters of Doral, and we are privileged to be a part of its growth and evolution. Thank you for the recognition. >> Thank you so much for your investment in our community and for keeping it beautiful. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you so much. So nice. Congrats. Thank you so much. Can everyone take a step this way, please? >> Thank you. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you so much. >> You too. >> You too. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Wonderful. Okay, let's move on. Item A, B, Development Services semiannual report. >> Okay, Miss Jane Decker, how are you doing today? >> Keep that close by. Thank you, Danny. Clicker presentation. The books were handed out, Miss Connie? >> Yep. >> Awesome. So good morning, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor, welcome back, Miss Madam Manager, City Attorney, my colleagues in the audience and residents. Jane Decker, Development Services Administrator. First, I'd like to thank Councilman Pineyro because you brought this to our attention that we don't do a good enough job sort of marketing and advertising ourselves, in Development Services. So, thank you. And that's the impetus for how we arrived here. So much of the work that we do goes on behind the scenes and usually, and hopefully quietly. So, you don't necessarily know that we're doing a good job if everything's going right. And I also like to thank my fellow directors for being here, because this isn't just the Jane D show. They are the team that supports me. If you recall, Development Services was sort of reincarnated back in October. and it's the umbrella that encompasses building code compliance, planning, zoning, and business licensing. So, the goal is simple: one voice, one standard, building a stronger and safer Doral. More formally, we just we want it to be less of a maze and more of a guided path. The goal of Development Services is to operate as a unified group, so we need to keep performance strong every day. This summary also reflects many of the same themes that the mayor, recently touched on during her panel at the Emerge Americas conference, the connection between service, innovation, technology, economic activity, and how, the quality of life is maintained in Doral. So, Development Services directly affects how residents experience their city, how businesses open their doors, and how investors evaluate Doral. Over the last 6 months, our focus has been on maintaining strong day-to-day performance while building the systems, the staffing, and the culture needed for long-term consistency. We're always working toward making all the processes more predictable, and in government, predictability is a very underrated compliment. This slide represents our everyday guiding framework: operational excellence, performing dependably even when demand is high while maintaining community safety through consistent practices. Second, customer experience. We want to make sure residents, contractors, and businesses can reach us, understand us, and get meaningful help. Digital transformation and that's not technology for technology's sake, but tools that actually improve transparency, workflow, and service. And lastly, workforce stabilization, because even the best process in the world will still fail without trained and supported people carrying it out. This is the structure behind the work, and it helps keep all the divisions moving in the same direction. So, a few key initiatives that are helping move this framework forward: Launch 45, which is still in its early stages, not quite fully grown, but is already on the way. The concept remains focused on reducing review times for qualifying permits while protecting the quality and safety and standards expected in DUREL. You'll see the note there that, average time, total time to permit issuance from application to issuance. Right now, the average is running 32.37 days as of Monday. With EnerGov Assist, we're making marked improvements. Our new system analyst, a strategic grab from one of our neighboring cities, has already taken the bull by the horns. We're seeing real workflow improvements. and we're targeting a system upgrade don't shriek or roll your eyes, by the end of this quarter. So, we're very excited about that. We're not talking about just optimization but actually getting into the weeds and fixing how the work moves through the system. You'll also see some of our process improvement efforts. We're working on special events permitting and also outdoor, dining applications. May is also Building Safety Month, so this was a proclamation we did back in April for the month of May. Public Affairs has been instrumental in, pushing that messaging forward, and we've had amazing traction, with Open Office Fridays and Meet Your Local Building Official. We've had about, I'd say, a dozen or so people, each of the two Fridays so far, and more scheduled to come. For first and second quarter, we continue to do, meet our guests in the Solutions Center in less than 10 minutes. So, there's no not a lot of waiting around. In building, our first-round plan reviews, are under 10 business days. As of this morning, it was about 4 days. Planning and zoning is coming in right behind, especially now that they are fully staffed this quarter. No pressure, Alex. But truly, this is the benefit of stabilization. When staffing improves, performance improves. Inspections, still a big success in Doral. 99.5% of them are completed next business day. For a city with active development and high customer demand and regional coordination requirements, these numbers matter, and they reflect not just speed but discipline. The Building Department continues to deliver at a very high level. Construction activity is strong, calls are getting answered, plenty of customers are served in the Solutions Center. We have some exciting stuff happening that'll be formally approved next Monday, so stay tuned for that announcement. And also, an upgrade to our Solution Center. So, we've been doing a lot of work around the city, and the Solution Center, deserves a little bit of love too. Also importantly, private provider work remains under 1%, and that tells us something. So, when the city performs well, customers don't necessarily need to outsource that confidence. They can find it here. The Building Department also continues to maintain IAS accreditation, which is an important marker of consistency, professionalism, and public safety. Planning, zoning, and business licensing are all critical pieces of the Development Services umbrella. This team supports site planning, zoning determinations, inspections, BTRs, address creation, council items, and also coordination with internal and external partners. The numbers here reflect the breadth of the work, and this division has also gone through some significant staffing stabilization, new hires, promotions, and leadership changes. And this matters because planning and zoning is often where the bigger development questions start. So having a table a stable team there improves the entire customer journey. Code compliance continues to balance enforcement, education, and responsiveness. So, the first part of, the year has generated significant revenue in dollars, revenue dollars in permits, fines, judgments, work without permit cases, lien searches, and default property registrations. But the goal of code compliance is not just revenue, It's correction, safety, accountability, and community standards. And so, the real win is when properties, businesses, and cases are brought into compliance. They've addressed, BTRs, expired BTRs, and reportedly only 9 businesses vacated this They've worked on a few dozen properties for the 30-year building recertification efforts with multiple submittals coming in weekly and keeping Virginia on her toes. Code continued partnering with police on recurring noise violations and quality of life concerns. And this is where code compliance functions as more than enforcement. They're problem solvers, translators, and educators. The biggest improvements happen when departments stop operating in silos. So, code compliance is instrumental in working with licensing, with building. We're also excited that next week we will once again host our inter-annual interagency meeting, something that was started a few generations ago under prior building, leadership. This meeting brings together our local and regional partners so we can continue improving coordination with agencies that affect development in Doral. Because as we know from the customers expect, perspective, they do not care which agency or department owns the delay. They just want to help want help moving the issue forward. And that's what One Voice is all about. So, to looking ahead, we've got several important initiatives that, are moving forward with the help of IT, our zoning consultant, and public affairs, among others. We're working on the AI, resident assistant. That, that's an embedded round-the-clock chatbot that will help customers 24-7 through all city departments, not just Development Services. That kicks off this week. Code compliance accreditation is expected this time next year, so they've already started working on that. Gridix, which is the zoning management app that's going to help internal and external stakeholders navigate the complexities of the land development code. We're going to expand customer service surveys and feedback loops ever, ever important. And I'm also excited about, developing a Let's Build Durell Together step-by-step development services guide. And these tools are all aimed at the same goal: clearer information, better access, fewer surprises for the customer. We are listening, we are mapping the pain points. We've just got done working on a, a big internal workshop that was truly eye-opening for us. And we want to make the improvements that customers and staff can actually feel. So, I want to thank my team. They are sharp, they're smart, they're good-looking. and the city manager's office, all our partner departments, council, for their support as this new development services umbrella continues to mature. So, thank you very much, and I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Thank you, Jane. Any questions? >> I have a comment. >> Yeah, Councilman Pineyro. >> Thank you, Mayor. First of all, I want to thank James for actually putting this together. We had the conversation I want to thank the manager as well, the administration, because this is a department that sometimes you don't hear quite often in a, in a good term, let's put it that way. And that or, or the advertisement that sometimes you hear is not where really is taking place. Inside the city, inside the building, inside the city. So, I'm glad that you guys put this together. It's very good. And as a matter of fact, that I will recommend to put it on the, on the website as well so that we can actually, have it there. But more than that is to, to realize that look at the numbers. When you see what you guys do or have been doing in the last 7 months since we started the, the new fiscal year, you know, your, your average is about 200 permit applications every month. >> That's pretty high. And when you look at the waiting time and the return time when it comes to permitting processes, the fact that we're at 32 days average that's pretty good comparing with other municipalities, not even counting the, the Miami-Dade County services. So, the perception sometimes is, is wrong, and that's why I, I wanted to have this conversation, because I know how hard you guys work on this. And especially when we look when we're looking to improve our services and, and experience for residents and, and business owners. So, I'm happy that this is the result. I was not expecting anything less, so but again, it's something that we have to keep advertising, promoting as a city, explaining how you guys do it, what we do, what's coming. And I think that's also part of our communications department too which we started that process a couple of years ago, and I believe the it was one of the mayor's initiative where we started running campaigns, marketing campaigns, explaining the process in English, Spanish, and kind of letting the residents and business owners to know that we are here to help, to serve, and to make their life easier. Some of the stuff that you hear outside is when they don't have the right people doing the, the jobs when they don't have an architect that is supposed to be an architect, a licensed architect, but is not, or when you have a GC that is not a GC, or we or when you have violations in one of these particular places that now they have to legalize. So, there's a lot of things that takes place inside the building department that is not really what sometimes you hear, outside, when you hear some negative comments about it. So, I just want to say thank you to you and your department. I know you guys do an amazing job, and I'm going to keep supporting you all the way. Thank you. That's all, Mayor. >> Thank you, Councilman. Councilwoman Porras. >> Yes, thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to say I, and I, I meant to say it during the strategic planning session, but I, I didn't get a chance you're doing a really great job overseeing the departments and the entire team and the, all the, the directors, are doing amazing. Their response time, every time I send an email, an inquiry, they respond right away. And by the way, I don't expect you to respond the same day, but you do. And I do get a lot of good feedback from the people that you guys are helping. So, I, I really want to say you're doing such a great job. And I'm also very eager to, to see all of the new things that you're planning on implementing. And I love seeing how the departments are working together, which is, I think, what has made them more efficient. And I know that you're still also incorporating some of the other departments as well, and I think it's a great goal, to see all of the departments. So, I just wanted to mention that because I, I did mean to mention it during strategic session. >> Thank you. >> Residents, constituents, whoever reaches out through to my office and I send to you guys are very happy with, the response time and, and how you guys help them. Because it's not just about calling them and responding, but you actually assist them, and they're very grateful for that, and so am I. So, thank you, appreciate it. >> Thank you, Jane. I just have a quick question. Did we print enough of these to have them on the second floor? >> We have about 75 left that will be rotating on the magazine racks on the second floor. Yes. >> Okay, I'd get some more printed and put them around the city, or maybe, not just your office but even with constituent services. We're doing constituent services days again. So, I think it would be, you know, extremely helpful and a way to get the information out. We've had the conversation several times of you guys are extremely responsive and, and diligent in your work. And I have talked to people throughout the county that say that we're one of the best departments to work with. So, we're always happy to see that promoted and boasted about because we know how much, you know, work you guys put into it. So, I think that we're just continuing to improve Launch, 45 is really just a way to get that information out and continue the progress and obviously help those who take longer because they don't start with us. So that's, really the purpose of why we launched that program and the one voice. So, I've, you know, congratulate you all and share my gratitude with the fact that we've gotten it moving quickly. So, you, Linda, the entire team, Alex, who came in, you know, and hit the ground running, and, and Kenya and everybody, and Danny, I know, as well. So, thank you for, for the work that you guys to every single day, and we want to see this promoted more. I'll work with Public Affairs too through and make sure that we continue to promote that. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> Oh, Councilwoman Reinoso had a comment too. All right. >> Sorry, Jane. >> Hi. >> So, like always, Doral is a city of excellence, and this department is definitely helping us propel to that. I would also suggest maybe working with realtor offices and drop this off. >> We have actually something scheduled for June 10th. We're going to be at an event. >> Yeah, okay, great. So yeah, I'm glad that's being done. >> We should have them for that event. >> Yes, no problem. >> Yes, and start, reaching out in addition to that event to them because they are really like the gateway of people that come and invest in our community. And I, I love the, the pamphlet. Yeah, very informative, very nice, very clean. Well, you guys do an excellent job and I'm proud to have you guys representing the City of Doral. >> Thank you. >> Yes, thank you. All right, we'll move on. >> Madam Clerk, discussion item 9A, a resolution of the mayor and the city council of the City of Doral, Florida, approving a tuition reimbursement benefit policy for the mayor, members of the city council, providing for implementation, incorporation, recitals, and an effective date. >> All right, so this is, my item. So pretty self-explanatory. The city has already a policy for, tuition reimbursement for professional development for our employees. So, this extends it also to elected officials. The only difference between the city's, employee policy and ours is that we have to be in office while doing it, and it doesn't extend employees have to be here for an extended period of time after the reimbursement. For elected officials, the benefit is go get more professional development. It has to be geared towards government. So, whether it's public policy, whether it's public administration, even if it's a speech class, to help us represent the city better. I think it's important that we promote professional development. So, it's another incentive that, is extended to elected officials to continue educating and being better public servants. So, I did the Good Governance Initiative when I first started, and it was an incredible benefit to me. I actually paid it out of pocket, which was fine, but I think that this will encourage elected officials to go and do more, professional development that will enhance their, their way of serving. So that's the only difference. Also, obviously there has to be budgeted funds. If there's no budgeted funds for which we have a pot of money, once it's exhausted you can't dip into it. So, we'll budget to have a little more funds for elected officials, but, once that fund is, is expended, it, it can't be used. So, this is just a, an addition, an enhancement to education and, promoting professional development. If there's any questions, I'd be happy to take them. If not, I have a motion. >> I have a comment. >> Yes, Councilwoman Porras. >> So, I during this review, I, I actually didn't know we had a reimbursement policy for employees, which is, I think, really great. I actually thought we had kind of like a partial, cover or for tuition. It's I don't know why, but I think the, the reimbursement policy for employees, I think it is great. I think it's actually something that, you know, helps towards retention, towards recruitment. But I just don't think that we should have taxpayers pay for the education of the city council. That's just my, you know, my opinion. I, I think that if any of us one, because we're not here permanently, we're here however many years, right? But we move on and we move forward. I don't think that we, we should have taxpayers paying for, honestly, our education, because from the way that this reads, it seems like someone could get like a bachelor's, right? If I'm reading it correctly, because it's towards undergraduate degrees. >> Once you finish your questions, I'd be happy to answer. >> And so, you know, I think we learned from, you know, the pensions and different things that we should not be paying for council members to get, you know, more education. That's something that each of us wants to do individually. I think that's what we should do. I don't I'm not supporting it. I don't think it should be on the taxpayers. And again, we're not here permanently. I think it's a good policy for employees, but I just don't think, and I don't see why we, like, mayors and council members, should be should have our taxpayers pay for our education. >> So, a couple things. It's not a full reimbursement, it's a partial, same as the employee and the employees' benefits are. And, you know, we spend a lot of money on, I think, a lot of things that are more wasteful. For example, we spend a lot of money going to events, and sometimes some of us don't even show up after we spend the money to go to these events, which are taxpayer dollars. And that's in the thousands of dollars. And I, I don't necessarily think that it's unbeneficial. We're networking and promoting the city, and it's part of our role. I think all professional development provides a benefit. Like I said, I did the Good Governance Initiative. I did it when I first got elected. I also did, a first-time elected official's course, which that one was covered by the city, and it only enhanced my ability to serve this community and understand budgeting understand policymaking, which makes our jobs more efficient in what we provide to the residents. So, I understand your perspective, and I think that, you can turn it any way you want, but I think that any professional development that enhances our ability to be better public servants is well served to this community. You know, I you don't have to take advantage of it, and like I said, it's only when budgeted funds are available. But I would say that it's more wasteful to go buy a purchase a $15,000 table at an event and not show up. Any other comments? >> Motion to approve. >> Motion to approve by Councilman Pineyro. >> Second. >> Second by Councilwoman Reinoso. Any other comments? All right, Madam Clerk, please call the roll. >> Motion to approve made by Councilman Pineyro, seconded by Councilwoman Reinoso. Councilman Pineyro. >> Yes. >> Councilman Reinoso? >> Yes. >> Councilman Porras? >> No. >> Vice Mayor Cabral? >> No. >> Mayor Fraga? >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> All right, thank you very much. We move on to item 9B. >> 9B, Proclaiming the month of June 2026 as Children's Digital Wellness Month in the city of Doral directing the city manager to coordinate with the Miami date public library system and the parks recreation department and develop related community program. Providing implementation and corporation recitals and an effective date. >> All right, this is Councilwoman Reinoso's item. >> Thank you, Mayor. So, this item very simply is to make the month of June Children's Digital Wellness Month. In the summer it's hard to entertain, our youth, typically between the ages of 10 and 17, and they rely a lot on the tablets, the Nintendo's, the online gaming. And this just gives an opportunity for the city, along with, the public's, library system, to work on some programming that children can participate during the summer to kind of get them away from that. So, I think it's very beneficial for families. I think it's obviously very beneficial for our youth. And I think it's good that the city takes note of the needs, within our community and I think this would be a beneficial program for them. So, I ask for your support, my colleagues. >> Absolutely. Any questions? Need a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion to approve by Councilman Pineyro. >> Second. >> Second by Councilwoman Reinoso. Is there any additional questions? Hopefully the new library will be open very soon and we can work with it, but if not, the, the other one on the boulevard will, will be just fine. But the new one is extraordinary. It's going to be a great asset to our community. All right, Madam Clerk, please call the roll. >> Motion to approve. Mayor by Councilman Pineyro. Seconded by Councilman Reinoso. Councilman Pineyro? >> Yes. >> Councilman Reinoso? >> Yes. >> Councilman Porras? >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Cabral? >> Yes. >> Mayor Fraga? >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> All right, item 9C. >> Item 9C, a resolution of the mayor and the city council of the city of Doral, Florida, supporting the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States through a citywide patriotic flag display initiative, directing the city manager to explore a community flag distribution program, providing implementation, incorporation, recitals, and an effective date. >> Councilwoman Reinoso, this is your item. >> Thank you, Mayor. Well, as many of you may know, this year we're celebrating 250 years as a nation, so our July 4th should be the most spectacular show in all of maybe our lifetimes, right, to celebrate our nation. Our Commissioner, Natalie, or, Millian Orbis, which is not really our commissioner for this district, but she does support a lot of our initiatives and great programming within the county, came up with the agenda item that I'm supporting today within the city to promote flags within our city. So, the idea is to have as many homes, businesses display an American flag on time for July 4th. Now, from her office, I have her Deputy Chief of Staff Georgina Vargas, if we can allow her to say some words. >> Yes, absolutely. >> Thank you. >> Welcome, Miss Vargas. Thank you, thank you. >> Good morning, Mayor, council members, and the leadership of the City of Doral. My name is Georgina Vargas. I'm the Deputy Chief of Staff to Commissioner Natalie Millian Orbis. Thank you for inviting us here today. She could not make it, she's at a committee meeting this morning, but she has sent me to extend her congratulations and appreciation to the City of Doral for supporting such an important patriotic initiative. Flags Across Miami-Dade was created to promote patriotism, civic pride, and unity as our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the United States. It is encouraging to see municipalities like Doral stepping forward and embracing these efforts in their own communities, especially at a time when our country faces so many challenges. Initiatives like this help bring people together around the values that make America exceptional: freedom, opportunity, and pride in our nation. Commissioner Millian Orbis looks forward to continuing to work alongside the City of Doral and municipalities across Miami-Dade County to promote patriotism, a community engagement. And if there's any initiatives you guys are having in the city, we would love for you to share with our office so that we can participate. >> Thank you. Thank you. Please extend our gratitude to Commissioner Milian-Orbis and, our congratulations as well for coming up with this initiative. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. I do have, a motion that I need to make. I need to amend some things in my item. >> Yes. >> Okay. first, I would like my colleagues to consider this resolution with the following amendments. The title of the resolution will be amended to strike directing the city manager to explore a community flag distribution program. And also, the sixth whereas clause, which states, whereas the mayor and the city council finally authorizing a citywide patriotic display initiative and exploring a community-based flag American flag distribution program in honor of the United States' 250th anniversary serves as a compelling public interest and reflect the values and identity of the Doral community. So, this to be stricken and replaced with, whereas the mayor and the city council find that in furtherance of the city's responsibilities to foster civic engagement and promotion of our nation's democratic values and principles, it is in the city's best interest to promote the proper display of our nation's flags throughout the city, the city. Accordingly, I move to have this resolution passed with the amendment, please. >> Okay, we have a motion by Councilman Reinoso. >> Second. >> Second by Councilman Pineyro. >> I have a comment. >> Yes. >> I, I really like this initiative. Thanks for bringing it forward. I was getting asked by people, like, what the city was doing for the 250th, and I think this is a great way to celebrate it. I know that in, maybe like 2 years ago we talked about having a parade. Hopefully we can look into that maybe next year. Obviously right now it's too late. I think that 4th of July should be celebrated a lot more and, you know, just have a lot of the community participate. So, thanks for bringing it. I like it, I really do. >> Thank you. All right, thank you. Yes, this is a wonderful item. We're happy to support it and, promote it within the city. And, we are working on several 4th of July initiatives coming up for the summer, that will celebrate the 250-year anniversary. And this will just be another thing that we can continue to enhance and, and promote throughout the city. So, thank you, Councilman Reinoso, and thank you to the Commissioner's Office. Absolutely, we love working with her. >> Thank you. >> All right, Madam Clerk, please call the roll. >> Motion to approve as amended, made by Councilman Reinoso, seconded by Councilman Pineyro. Councilman Reinoso? >> Yes. >> Councilman Pineyro? >> Yes. >> Councilman Porras? >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Cabral? >> Yes. >> Mayor Fraga? >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> All right, thank you very much. We move on to the final Discussion item 9D. >> Discussion item 9D, advisory boards, committees, and commission member nominations. In front of you are some nominations received by my office for your, review and approval. >> All right, this is just, advisory board nominations. If there's no questions, please I need a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion to approve by Councilman Pineyro. >> Second. >> Second by Councilman Reinoso. Okay, please call the roll. >> Motion to approve the nominations as presented, made by Councilman Pineyro, seconded by Councilman Reinoso. Councilman Pineyro. >> Yes. >> Councilman Reinoso? >> Yes. >> Councilman Porras? >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Cabral? >> Yes. >> Mayor Fraga? >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> All right, I think we have item 6A. >> Correct, item 6A, a resolution of the mayor and the city council of the city of Doral, Florida, finding that the acquisition of private property through negotiated conveyance of eminent domain serves as a public purpose and it is necessary to provide for improvements, upkeep, and maintenance of Lakeway Drive and Geneva Way, which is privately owned and serves as right-of-way utilized by city residents, business owners, and guests. Authorizing the city attorney to initiate eminent domain proceedings. Authorizing the city attorney's office to retain experts as may be necessary. Authorizing the city attorney's office to take further actions that may be reasonably necessary to acquire the property described in Exhibit A. Providing for implementation, incorporation, or recitals, and an effective date. This was pulled by Councilman Porras. >> Okay, Councilman Porras, questions? >> So, I just wanted the, the attorney to put on record, you know, what this was about. We spoke earlier, and if you can just briefly just so that we, we can educate the residents and also have it on record. >> Sure, Councilwoman, through the mayor, this item is, specifically with the Lake Drive. We may remember that, a little bit over a year ago, through Councilman Pinheiro's office, this item was brought up about exploring possibility of having this road, Lake Drive, Lake Geneva. It's within Doral Gardens too. It's a private road, but it's a road that has been historically poorly maintained. It's had a lot of issues, it doesn't meet our code, there's poor lighting, there's no sidewalks. And so, the idea was, what could the city do? Well, obviously it's a private road, there's not much. So, the idea was, how do we transfer it? So, we engage with various several conversations with, the general counsel for Doral Gardens 2, with their HOA, and then eventually, as things have moved forward, we've met with, the, the HOA has engaged the firm of Siegfried Rivera and so one of the conversations that we've had more recently was about doing what is called a voluntary taking under threat of condemnation. So, the mechanism is the eminent domain. Once we file the eminent domain, the idea is to negotiate the actual taking of the road. It's really at no cost to the city. That's, that's what, what we desire. And then eventually we'll take a look at how we once we have taken possession of the road and it's now a public road, how we can enhance it and bring it up to code. So that's basically the idea. >> Yeah. >> And just again, for the record, they're they will have to decide whether they want to give the road to the city, correct? >> If they don't do it, it's not voluntary. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Okay, thank you. That's it. Motion. >> Okay, motion to approve by Councilwoman Porras. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Second by Councilman Pineyro. You have some questions? >> Yeah, were you able to get the information that I requested or to work on that, the deputy, and to this when I have the meeting, you were not >> you were out. >> But yes, and you were inquiring as to the long-term maintenance amounts for the road, right? >> So, we have, see the, the different, scenarios or the different, ways. >> So, the Public Works Director did look into that. It was numbers that were run preliminary, based off of previous projects that the city has conducted, similar length. As far as until we're not in there and determine what is the ultimate, design that's installed, what lighting is used, what that long-term cost could vary. You know, we, we could provide the preliminary numbers of what that can look like on the, on, on an approximate, design. And I know Carlos is ready with, with some numbers, but it won't be exact because we won't know until we're in there, it's, it's identified exactly as to what we can do based on the spacing, that's provided there, as far as what the storm, water, design will be, as far as what the lighting would be, sidewalks and all that. >> And my other question that when we were reviewing the agenda is that the how is this going to be covered? I mean, later on, if it is the, the city who acquires the maintenance of it, of the drainage system or the streets. >> So that, that was my other question at that time when we had that workshop and the understanding of everything that happened. We, we are going to do an assessment. They are going to be assessed for the work that is done. But yes, eventually, once since we are taking it over and it will become a city road, we will be responsible for the continued maintenance of that road. But for the work, yes, they will be there will be an assessment that will be worked into their, in their taxes. >> That was a question because that was not mentioned when I was making the I mean, when we're reviewing the agenda. So those were my questions on how is it that we're going to be forward, being able to carry the maintenance of those roads and, and the lighting. So, if it was going through a, a special tax, like sometimes has been in different communities when it comes to the light. So, because during the time of my review and now I didn't have any answer, so that's why I wanted to see if there was any information that you might gather. >> Yes, we, we went through it yesterday with the Public Works Director, and like I said, we also don't have exact numbers because once you start to, once you start to It's hard to do estimates. We, we can, but once you start, you may find things that are different. But again, the initial work and all of the work that is going to go into fixing the road, they will be assessed for that. The city will just take over after all of that is done to do the ongoing maintenance, like we do ongoing maintenance for all of our roads. >> Yeah, and the thing is that my question was not to give, to get numbers. It was afterwards. If there were other alternatives for to alleviate the city to be able to have to do the maintenance even though they, you know, we were going to acquire part of the streets. It's on the other with the drainage and all the other, different areas that need to be then covered. >> Yes, that will be assessed. In other words, the work will be assessed to them. >> Yeah, that was my question, but yeah, I'm asking here because I didn't have any answer in between. But thanks. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Yes, Councilman. >> Thank you, Mayor. I, I just want to take the, the opportunity to thank the city attorney and the administration, because since we started this conversation back in, in 2024, I know has been an ongoing effort from the administration and the city attorney in making this happen. And, and congratulations, because it's a big step. I mean, it's a big step when, I remember we used to hear comments from, from current and former elected officials saying that that was going to be impossible, legally speaking. And, and I do remember one of my comments was, you know, nothing is impossible if we have the willingness to make it happen. And especially when you're talking about not hundreds, you're talking about thousands of residents that actually live in that area and they have to face every single day issues when they have to when they have their kids walking to school. You don't even have a sidewalk. There's no lights. There's not drainage. Now that we have the raining season starting again, they, they have to go through different issues every day, every year. And look at the city has been incorporated for 23 years. And for the first time, we're giving a hope and a light to these residents that unfortunately they don't you know, they don't it's not their fault. And they're in a limbo when it comes to quality of life. So, when I started this conversation in 2024, I thought that was going to be, you know, it's going to be reasonable and it was going to make sense for us to take action on this. That's why I really want to thank the city attorney, because I know there has been a lot of calls, a lot of emails, conversations with management, with the legal part of the associations as well. And, and let me tell you, the people on the other side, they're, they're happy. They want to, they want to do it. The residents want to do it, the associations want to do it, everybody wants to do it because they're going to see the benefit. When you see Doral Everything that we do around the city, you have downtown Doral, but then suddenly when you go to 79th Avenue, it's like you're in another part of the county. And which, by the way, 79th Avenue should be part of the conversation too, because it's our road. So, and we have a lot of work to do on 79th Avenue as well, and we cannot stay quiet when it comes to these type of issues and we have an opportunity to make a, you know, better job when it comes to our own roads. So, 79 will be, on the list as well. But going back to Lake Drive Street, again, we're making or we will be making the life of thousands of residents much better. So, I'm, I'm happy that, you know, we're doing this. I know there's more work to do. But after 2 years of work, it's a clear message that whatever we decide to do, we can make it happen in order to have a better community. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Councilman. Any other comments? I just wanted to yes, go ahead. >> No, no, when was the second round? >> Go ahead, please. >> I just want to clarify something. I know that the city has been always trying to get together the HOAs and, the residents for that area. And even the last workshop that I remember, very few people even showed up. Those are private roads, and I just want to say that I am supportive of trying to resolve issues when it comes to our community, but we also have to take in account that being private roads and that the board was not engaged on trying to resolve this issue, it doesn't mean that the city have left them for many years in the limbo. So that's, I don't think that that's the right statement to make, when it comes to that. We actually, at that time, even though we try to get together again, these are roads that are responsible, the HOAs, they are like all the different HOAs of the, of the of the, of the community, of our city. We even made a way to how to drain the water, and I think the Public Works can confirm that, to the canal that is adjacent to it to try to alleviate that. So that was something that we work on in trying to get together with the board of that community. I hope that they will get together, and like the attorney said, and they give the, the authorization for us then to take over to the roads. So, I just want to clarify that. >> Thank you. So, just some clarity over the last 2 years. The last workshop we had was overwhelmingly attended with residents in that area, and the boards and the board you didn't go to that one, but the boards were, extremely engaged in wanting to get this done, and they've shown interest in trying to get this done for years, and, and unfortunately the city just didn't provide an avenue to do so until we pushed. And honestly, their attorneys pushed back. I actually attended the meetings with Lorenzo and the attorneys pushed back. And the reason we ended up at eminent domain was because it's really the only legal avenue for us to take it over. I was actually I also pushed back on eminent domain because I didn't want to set a precedent. But we came to an agreement that they were going to give it to us for no cost and that there would still be an assessment. So that's the understanding. We've had several meetings. We've been on top of this. I mean, we follow up. I know Councilman follows up and I follow up at least every 2 weeks with Lorenzo on this and directly with their attorney to get this done. So, I think we've made tremendous progress. Honestly, slower than I wanted to go. At that, at that workshop, we, you know, we told them about a year it would take, and it's taken longer. So, we're trying to do this as quickly as possible. We don't have a sum of what it'll cost to fix that road, but the residents are total understanding that it'll be an assessment, that will be, that will be divided up amongst all the properties in that area, because it's not fair for the rest of the city to carry the burden of fixing a road that has been theirs for many years and was, you know, had easements to be able to access all the different communities. The problem with that road, particularly different from a lot of other scenarios, is that it was a road that was owned by one association but Several associations were supposed to pay into the fund and were supposed to maintain it, and that never got done as it transitioned, as we see in many HOAs, in certain cases. However, this is a road that's used for public access quite a bit. So, after the assessments were made, conversations with Public Works, several workshops that we've had, and conversations with the board we've met with the board several times as well we have determined that this is the avenue to move forward in a way that will not burden the city. And moving forward, yes, the city will have to maintain the road as it does, all other roads. So, it's I think it's, definitely an important artery that provides access to thousands of residents, as Councilman Pineyro has, correctly stated. So, this is a benefit to a sector of our city that tremendously needs the upkeep. And, and absolutely, 79th Avenue is definitely one that we still I think one of the only areas in our city that still suffers severe flooding. So, I'm fully on supportive of, of that, Councilman Pineyro, that we, we address these issues. And I know all the state funding we've been trying to apply for and stuff is going to those areas and improving the drainage in that area because it does cause significant damage to properties, when those areas flood. So, we do what we can to provide a service and to enhance the quality of life of our residents. And I would encourage all of our council members to join in doing that in the time they have left. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. >> Motion approved by Councilman Porras, seconded by Councilman Pineyro. Councilman Porras? >> Yes. >> Councilman Pineyro? >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Reinoso? >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Cabral? >> Yes. Mayor Fraga? >> Yes. >> Motion passes. All right, mayor's report. >> Mayor's report. All right, I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. I would like to thank Public Affairs team and the Parks Department for their hard work and dedication and making National Day of Prayer a meaningful and successful event. I you all know that that's one of my favorite events of the year. And it's such a great opportunity for us to come together as a family, and praise. So, thank you very much for joining us and for staying and for, you know, just making it so special. So, it really is a fabulous night. I have two requests. We need to change the October council meeting to October 7th because it will conflict with our PP4K, golf tournament gala and State of the City. So, so excuse me, I'm asking that the council meeting be moved to October 7th. And also, we need to change, the November council meeting to November 18th. There wasn't a meeting on November, but charter changed, there's no runoffs, so we should have a November council meeting. That'll give us enough time to certify elections, welcome the new council, and get on with our work. So, looking forward to that date. So, we're, we're going to go ahead and move the November 18th council meeting. And for the final mayor's comments, we have several birthdays this month. I want to, just wish a happy birthday to some members from my team. Marta Brice o was on May 7th. Happy birthday. We have Luisa Moore from Economic Development was May 19th, or is May 19th coming up. Roman Martinez from Procurement. Happy birthday, May 22nd. and our chief's birthday, Edwin Lopez, May 30th. Happy birthday. And, two very special birthdays. We have our Councilwoman Nicole Reinoso on May 28th. And today we have our city clerk Connie Diaz. I left her for last because today is actually her birthday, so happy birthday everyone. All right, so we're going to sing happy birthday to everyone whose birthdays are here. Join me. Ready? Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Nicole Connie. Happy birthday to you. Thank you, IT. Thank you, IT. I love it. All right, that concludes my mayor's comments. >> All right, City Manager's report. >> Good morning again. Mayor, I just wanted to highlight I know you all received an LTC regarding this, but I wanted to put it out so the residents could whoever hasn't seen it, we're pleased to inform the City of Doral has been recognized as a 2026 USA Today Top Workplace winner. Yes, it's a distinguished national honor that highlights organizations with exceptional workplace cultures this recognition places the city among an elite group of, nationwide organizations, in the employee size of 500 to 999 employees. We were selected for this honor. This achievement underscores the city's ongoing commitment to fostering a positive, engaging, and high-performing work environment. And notably, this award is based entirely on employee feedback collected through the Energaged Workplace Survey, making one of the most credible and authentic measures for organizational culture. More than 240 City of Doral employees participated in the survey, providing valuable insight that directly contributed to this recognition and continues to guide, improvements across