City Commission Regular Meeting Brief for June 11, 2024

City Commission Approves Resolution 24-16
The City Commission approved a resolution that grants a request for Variance Petition #V4-1-24, for the property generally located at 9425 SW 53 Street in Cooper City. This approval grants a variance from the City’s Code of Ordinances to allow for a nine (9) foot wide residential parking space versus the Code required twelve (12) foot wide space. The applicant made this request to keep the current 18ft x 40ft driveway versus widening to the Code-required 24ft x 40ft, in order to preserve a mature tree and preserve open space. This request is part of a carport conversion which requires the eliminated carport parking space to be “made up for” with additional surface parking, meeting the minimum of 3 parking spaces for a single-family residential unit.

City Commission Approves Amendment to Agreement to Administer Programs Funded by ARPA
The City Commission approved the eighth amendment with John M. Perez to administer the programs and initiatives proposed for funding by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. ARPA funds have allowed the City to undertake projects beyond the City’s regular operations and therefore, has been beyond the routine staffing allocation in the annual budget. As such, additional staffing and consulting services have been utilized. There are approximately 60 programs and initiatives being progressed. There is a need for staff resources to setup programs (research program guidelines; project eligibility and compliance; develop implementation schedule, etc.) and coordinate the City’s efforts among the various departments. The ARPA guidelines acknowledge the need for additional staff to support ARPA execution and allow for administrative costs to be included within the funding. John M. Perez has the requisite experience and has been coordinating this effort over the last 17 months. The hourly rate is $70 per hour, with the City incurring no benefits, with a total estimate of $40,000. These are eligible ARPA administrative costs that qualify for funding from the City’s ARPA allocation. A budget amendment was required to fund this amendment to the agreement. The City is funding this by closing the ARPA ineligible S.T.A.R.S. Grant Program with a Fiscal Year 2024 Budget of $100,000.

City Commission Approves Purchase of Control Units for Lift Stations
The City Commission approved the purchase of 100 Telemetry Control Units (TCUs) TCU800, to replace the existing TCU001 for the Lift Stations’ Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System, from Data Flow Systems, LLC in the amount not to exceed $449,700. The City's Wastewater Collection and Transmission Division heavily relies on TCUs to ensure the smooth daily operation of our lift stations. At present, our Utilities Department manages 83 operational TCU001 units across the city's lift stations, with an additional 17 units held in reserve to mitigate the risk of electrical or electronic failures, as well as lightning strikes. While the TCU001 has served as the backbone of our operations for over 8 years, the rapid evolution of software and technology has made sourcing its components increasingly challenging. Its successor, the TCU800, represents a significant advancement. Equipped with a faster microprocessor, expanded analog inputs, and enhanced monitoring capabilities, including a larger display and touchscreen graphical interface, the TCU800 promises to revolutionize our SCADA system. With 18 digital monitoring inputs, compared to the previous 12, the TCU800 empowers the City to monitor a broader range of equipment, facilitating more efficient operations and reduced downtime in each lift station. There is sufficient funding in the Water and Sewer Utility Fund for this purchase.

City Commission Approves Agreement with Franklin Academy for Traffic Mitigation
The City Commission approved the renewal of an agreement which was forged between Franklin Academy and the City to create vehicle stacking in Flamingo West Park, which is a City-owned facility adjacent to the school located at 6301 S. Flamingo Road. This agreement was initially approved on September 26, 2023, due to the school’s drop-off and pickup adding noticeable congestion to the normal traffic flow along South Flamingo Road. A $5,000 fee is paid to the City by Franklin Academy upon the execution of this agreement.

City Commission Approves Amendment to Agreement for Temporary Services
The City Commission approved the first amendment to an existing professional services agreement to perform the services for the Interim Public Works Director. This amendment extends the term of the original agreement through July 31, 2024.

City Commission Approves Resolution 24-15
The City Commission approved a resolution which authorizes the Water & Sewer Developer’s Agreement with Nur-Ul-Islam of South Florida Inc. for the Mosque and School Project at 10600 SW 59 Street in Cooper City. The agreement is for five (5) equivalent residential connections (ERCs) for water and five ERCs for sewer for a total cost of $18,824.85. The City owns the Utility system, which provides water distribution and sewage collections services and has sufficient capacity to support the project.

City Commission Approves Resolution 24-17
The City Commission approved a resolution which authorizes a tri-party agreement between the City, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, and Renaissance Charter School for resource officer services. This agreement is needed to facilitate Renaissance’s compliance with their conditional use approval. Currently, the City pays for the SRO as it is tied to their staffing complement. This agreement helps to ensure the position is staffed and that the city is reimbursed for the full cost of the position. This agreement facilitates the City being reimbursed $212,762.

City Commission Approves Ordinance 24-15 on First Reading
The City Commission approved an ordinance, on first reading, that would amend Chapter 2, Article VI of the City’s Code of Ordinances, entitled “Employee Benefits” by specifically amending Section 2-156 entitled “General Employees Pension Plan.” This amendment would require any member of the Board of Trustees for the City’s General Employees Retirement who is appointed by the city manager to be a resident of Cooper City. This ordinance will be brought forward for a second reading during the City Commission Regular Meeting on July 23, 2023.

More Information
For more information related to items on the June 11, 2024 agenda, please visit: https://meetings.municode.com/adaHtmlDocument/index?cc=COOPERCITY&me=738441047f984d469411e8e0a0edc2cc&ip=true.

The next City Commission Regular Meeting will be held on July 23, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. at Cooper City Hall located at 9090 SW 50 Place, Cooper City, FL 33328.