Alessia Bencomo

The document captures two parts of a session. The initial portion involved an attorney-client executive session, as noticed, to discuss the litigation case of Alan Faruson versus the Village of Palmetto Bay. Following a recess, the regular council meeting was reconvened. Key discussions during the regular session included a recognition ceremony for Deputy Sheriff Keith A. White on his retirement after nearly 28 years of service, with significant time spent with the village and former colleagues. Public comments focused heavily on the temporary shutdown of the farmers market, with proponents expressing concern over the impact on vendors and the community, and requesting permission to finish the current season while noting that a new RFP process is forthcoming. A resident also raised an issue regarding a Miami-Dade County inquiry related to parking and a request for follow-up on an investigation. Another citizen requested the council approach the Village of Pinecrest regarding a joint project to incorporate native pine rockland plantings in a new traffic circle at Old Cutler and 136th Street.

The key discussions and events during the meeting included the invocation and a moment of silence for a fallen Miami Dade Deputy. A motion was introduced to suspend rules to address a time-sensitive resolution regarding the Charter Review Commission forwarding revisions to voters, which was ultimately tabled until the December 3rd agenda. During the public comment period, residents raised concerns and presented arguments regarding Councilman Steve Cody's previous offensive social media posts, specifically concerning Antifa and accusations made against the Vice Mayor. There was also a motion to release transcripts from executive sessions from January 2025 onward, which the attorney strongly advised against due to potential sabotage of ongoing litigation, leading to a revised motion directing the attorney to review transcripts for non-sensitive material release, though this too faced legal concerns regarding partial release of executive session minutes.

The meeting commenced with the Village Manager addressing upcoming community activities. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to recognizing community members. Colonel Nick Morano, the Village Manager, received the Clarence Bill Greg Service Award for his distinguished military career spanning over 32 years, including combat tours in Iraq, and his subsequent service to the village. Following this, O'Neal Cooper was recognized for winning second place in the 2025 Turk competition for his 'Project Green Roof,' which utilized social media to promote the environmental benefits of living rooftop systems. The meeting also included plans to recognize Deputy Sheriff Keith White at a later date due to his unavailability.

The resolution pertains to grants for the Village of Palmetto Bay. It approves agreements with the Miami-Dade County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), administered by the Florida Department of Transportation, to receive grant funds for SMART Demonstration Projects. These funds will support a three-year on-demand service and the implementation of a new Park & Ride transit facility. The Village Manager is authorized to execute the agreements and related documents.

The resolution authorizes the Village Manager to renew the lease agreement with St. Richard Holy Rosary Catholic Church for a park and ride lot for six months. It allocates funding not to exceed $600.00 per month from the FY2018-2019 CITT Transit 20% Surtax.