City Commission Regular Meeting Brief for April 8, 2025

City Commission Approves Resolution Regarding Site Plan
The City Commission approves Resolution 25-15 which grants site plan approval to Site Plan Petition SP# 1-1-24 for the approximately 1.5 acres of real property known as Taco Bell, generally located at 2500 Pine Island Road in Cooper City, within the Cooper City Commons shopping plaza. This is the last remaining vacant outparcel for the center which was constructed in 2001-2002. The plans are for a single-story 2,521 square-foot fast food restaurant with dual menu/ordering lanes converging to a single window pickup lane. There is a 60-person interior occupant load plus an additional 215 square-foot outdoor patio seating area. The plans reflect a modern-looking building with raised landscape berms along Pine Island Road. City staff and the Development Review Committee recommended approval of this site plan petition.

City Commission Approves Resolution Regarding Sign Package and Sign Waiver Request
The City Commission approved Resolution 25-16 which approves #SI 1-1-24, a sign package, and #SW 1-1-24, a sign waiver request, for the Taco Bell at Cooper City Commons, generally located at 2500 Pine Island Road in Cooper City. The proposed signage is part of the Taco Bell national branding and fits appropriately to the size, character, and orientation of the planned building. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of this sign waiver request.

City Commission Approves Purchase of Smart Camera Equipment
The City Commission approved the purchase of smart camera equipment from Vetted Security Solutions (VSS) through a proposed quote, totaling $207,489.75. The City Commission approved the item while providing City staff with direction to install purchased cameras at Bill Lips Sports Complex and along sections of the Stirling Road corridor, such as Stirling Road/Hiatus Road intersection and Stirling Road/Flamingo Road intersection. This agenda item was proposed to include smart cameras at the Pool and Tennis Center, but the Commission agreed the smart cameras would be better utilized at other locations. Removing the cameras for the Pool and Tennis Center will allow the BSO Cooper City District to re-designate the cameras to other City facilities. In brief, these cameras can learn the surrounding environment, such as typical behaviors and patterns for the area, day and night, and send real-time alerts of occurrences that are abnormal. This functionality can be tied into Cooper City’s Real-Time CrimeCenter (RTCC) to provide actionable field information to on-duty law enforcement personnel; thereby, enhancing the public safety response times, case solvability, and crime prevention efforts through investment in technology. This project will be funded via the BSO Police Contingency in the fiscal budget, which at the time of this approval included $239,866.

City Commission Holds Discussion to Find Method to Allow Carports Within Required Setback for Properties Adjacent to Cooper Colony Golf Course
The City Commission discussed methods to allow residents, specifically those with properties adjacent to Cooper Colony Golf Course, to install carports to protect life and property from golf balls that are hit off the neighboring course and toward their properties. The City Commission reached consensus and directed City staff to bring a future Commission item forward that would allow for administrative approval of variance petitions that would allow residents to seek approval for a carport through the Community Development Department. The City Commission agreed that any carports would need to meet all requirements of the Florida Building Code and follow the appropriate permitting process through Cooper City’s Community Development Department.

City Commission Approves the Appointment of BSO Cooper City District Chief
The City Commission approved Captain Andrea Tianga as Cooper City’s new Police Chief, leading BSO Cooper City District 16. With more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, Captain Tianga brings a wealth of expertise in strategic operations, policy development, and organizational leadership. Most recently, she led BSO's Division of Policy and Accountability, overseeing agency-wide directives, accreditation efforts, and innovation initiatives that drive long-term improvements. Her career also includes leading specialized investigative units and managing complex multi-agency partnerships. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Barry University and has completed executive leadership training with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Northwestern University.

City Commission Approves Athletic Field Renovation at Bill Lips Sports Complex
The City Commission approved agreements with Juniper Landscaping of Florida, LLC for $252,000 to prepare and install 135,000 square feet of sod, with Golf Agronomics and Supplies for $67,421 to provide fill, and with SiteOne for $5,000 to provide pre-dressing. The total cost of $324,421 will allow for the renovation of the multi-purpose fields at Bill Lips Sports Complex. Multi-purpose fields used for athletics that experience high traffic year-round can begin to deteriorate at a significantly faster rate, causing some of the building blocks of those fields, such as their “crown,” to be damaged beyond repair. It is industry standard to have athletic fields re-crowned every time a total sod renovation is completed which is typically done every 7-8 years dependent upon usage and overall maintenance programming. Thus, resetting a critical piece of the field’s drainage infrastructure. Bill Lips Sports Complex has not been re-crowned since the park's inception. The City reached out to various sod vendors to obtain quotes for various unique strains of Bermuda grasses. Upon receiving quotes, and visiting Star Farm - Sod Farm, the Parks and Recreation Department determined that Bimini Bermuda Sod would not be the best sod to install at City fields due to discoloration of the grass during the winter months. In learning this information, the City looked at other municipalities, which had contracts for sod. Cooper City considered accessing the City of Boynton Beach's Contract No. R227, Sod and Sod Installation Services, awarded to various vendors by sod type. The City received quotes from Mullings Engineering under this contract for $823,772.80 for only 270,000 sq. ft. of prep, installation and purchase of sod and from Juniper Landcaping of Florida Inc. through the City of Weston’s contract. City staff determined and recommended that the Weston contract is the most advantageous for Cooper City. Pursuant to Sec. 2-258 (e) of the Cooper City Procurement Code, the City determined accessing/piggybacking City of Weston Contract No. RFP No. 2019-13, Parks Maintenance Services awarded to Juniper will allow the City to procure, prepare, and install sod for City multi-purpose fields at a cost effective price. The City’s initial Fiscal Year 2025 budget for the Bill Lips Sports Complex Improvements – Capital Improvement Project was $644,886.20 which included a rollover of $44,886.20 from Fiscal Year 2024. At the time of this approval, the City Commission had also authorized $66,368 for irrigation work to Juniper Landscaping, leaving a balance of $533,632.

City Commission Approves Agreement for Storm Drain Cleaning, Repairs, and Maintenance Services
The City Commission authorized staff to piggyback on Contract No. RFP-2024-082-OA from the District Board of Trustees of Broward College for storm drain cleaning, repairs, and maintenance services with Shenandoah in an amount not to exceed $150,000 for three years from the original contract term of December 3, 2024, plus up to three one-year renewal options. The Stormwater Division of the Utilities Department is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the City’s stormwater drainage system. The City’s stormwater infrastructure has aged over time, and several sections of the stormwater pipes require rehabilitation to maintain efficient flow and prevent system failure. Pursuant to Sec. 2-258 (e) of the Cooper City Procurement Code, accessing/piggybacking Broward College Contract No. RFP-2024-082-OA allowed the City a cost-effective stormwater pipe relining method that reduces the need for extensive excavation and minimizes disruptions to the residents. Piggybacking this contract also saves time, reduces procurement costs, and avoids the need for a separate bidding process. The amount recommended for the award will cover current and future repairs, re-lining, or drain cleaning, as needed. The City currently has $27,033.20 budgeted for Fiscal Year 2025 for these services. Additional funds will be budgeted each fiscal year (not to exceed $150,000.00 of the entire contract term). 

City Commission Approves Asphalt Restoration Contract
The City Commission approved the extension of an agreement with Concrete Works & Paving, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $399,549, including $16,000 in contingency. This agreement will be utilized by the Utilities Department to install 224 curb ramp connections along sidewalks maintained by the City, and thereby making these connections compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A curb ramp is a sloped surface that allows people to move from the sidewalk to the street or vice versa, overcoming the barrier created by a curb or swale. It is typically designed to make public spaces accessible for people with disabilities, and for the public. An analysis conducted by City staff identified 224 locations where these deficiencies occurred. At the time of this approval, the City had an unencumbered balance of $161,628.50 within the Repairs – Sidewalk & Bikeway line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. To fund the additional $237,720.50 for this project, funds will be transferred from “Repairs – Road & Drainage” where there is an unencumbered balance of $398,998.04.

City Commission Approves Revision of Pay Plan Reclassification
The City Commission approved the revision of the City’s Pay Plan reclassification of the Park Maintenance Worker I, Park Maintenance Worker II, and Park Maintenance Worker III positions. During the implementation of the current Pay Plan, the Park Maintenance Worker I, II, and III positions were classified as pay grades 105, 107, and 109, while the Street Maintenance Workers I, II, and III were classified as pay grades 109, 112, and 113 respectively. These classifications require the same experience and qualifications, and there are no practical reasons for the difference. It is in the best interest of the City and the employees holding these positions to classify these positions at the same pay grade. Parks Maintenance employees will be brought to the minimum pay scale of the new positions, ranging from a difference in $1.34 per hour to a maximum of $3.75 per hour, resulting in an annual cost of about $21,000 or less than $10,000 for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2025.

City Commission Approves Resolution for Utility Access and Consent Agreement
The City Commission approved Resolution 25-17, which approves and authorizes the execution of the Utility Access and Consent Agreement (UACA) between the City and the Central Broward Water Control District. The Central Broward Water Control District criteria requires municipalities to enter into a UACA agreement to place Utilities within their existing drainage easements. The Central Broward Water Control District, through the passage of Resolution No. 25-17 grants the City of Cooper City, their contractors, and developers the right to install utility infrastructure within their drainage easements. Without this District & City UACA agreement, the City would not have the possibility to extend utility infrastructure into Town of Southwest Ranches and Town of Davie communities. The Cooper City Water Treatment Plant system has sufficient capacity to support this request.

City Commission Approvers Resolution for Water Agreement
The City Commission approved Resolution 25-18, which approves and authorizes the execution of a water agreement with 6591 Ranches, LLC. This resolution allows for two and one-half (2.5) Equivalent Residential Connections (ERCs) for the property located at 6591 Appaloosa Trail in Southwest Ranches. 6591 Ranches, LLC shall be responsible for all costs of construction and connection. The Town of Southwest Ranches, through the passage of its Resolution No. 2024-046, has granted this approval. Cooper City is the owner of the Utility system on Appaloosa Trail and provides water distribution services. The system has sufficient capacity to support this request.

City Commission Approves Resolution Regarding Employee Categories and Paid Holidays
The City Commission approved Resolution 25-19, which amends Commission Policy No. 01-004 and 02-008. The City Commission approved Policy 01-004, Employee Categories, and Policy 02-008, Paid Holidays, on August 27, 2024. The prior policies did not provide for part-time employees to receive compensation during a City-recognized holiday if they did not work on that holiday. The revised policies provide for both full-time and part-time employees to be compensated if they are scheduled to work during the scheduled City-designated holiday. However, the new policy inadvertently provided overtime benefits above those required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The proposed revision will eliminate that inconsistency. In addition, it will allow Payroll to ensure accuracy in the processing of paid holidays.

City Commission Approves Resolution with Regard to Grant Agreement with Florida Division of Emergency Management
The City Commission approved Resolution 25-21, which authorize the City Manager to pursue and execute a grant agreement with the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) for the Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program (HLMP) to fund the City of Cooper City Police Department Wind Mitigation Project in an amount not to exceed $160,000. If funded, this resolution authorizes the City Manager to accept the award of grant funds, to execute the grant agreement, expend budgeted funds, and take all necessary steps to implement the terms and conditions of the grant agreement. Built in 2000, the BSO District 16-Cooper City Police Department contains professional law enforcement divisions and serves the residents of the City. Located at 10580 Stirling Road, the Police Department’s lobby is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, providing a high level of daily professional police services to the public. In addition, the Police Department serves as the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), mobilizing for operations during emergencies, hurricanes, and severe weather events. Currently, the Police Department/City EOC lacks the vital wind mitigation windows and doors to protect the facility from the impact of windborne debris and wind-borne flooding. The Police Department’s EOC has experienced historical wind-borne rain overflows, rain entering through the existing windows and doors, during heavy rain events, affecting the structure’s interior floors and overall operations. Thus, the City Manager recommended the pursuit of the FDEM grant to fund wind mitigation and retrofit activities through the proposed removal and installation of approximately twenty-eight (28) windows and three (3) doors, thereby enhancing the police building’s resistance to hurricane force winds and debris, mitigating potential losses in the event of a hurricane or severe weather events, and fortifying the City’s Police Department/EOC.

More Information
For more information related to the April 8, 2025 agenda, please visit: https://meetings.municode.com/adaHtmlDocument/index?cc=COOPERCITY&me=c8332f829d594b72b2dfd06a3f750d1b&ip=true.

The next City Commission Regular Meeting will be held at City Hall, located at 9090 SW 50 Place, Cooper City, FL 33328 on April 22, 2025 at 6:30 PM.