City Commission Conference Meeting on 2025-08-19 1:30 PM - Aug 19, 2025

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Fort Lauderdale City Commission 2h 56m 6 speakers 8 agenda items transcribed 6 days ago official recording ↗

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What is the Parks, Recreation & Beaches Advisory Board’s position on the South Beach basketball courts?

Dean Trantalis 0:00

Okay, good afternoon everybody and welcome to the City Commission uh conference meeting this uh nineteenth day of August twenty twenty five. Thank you all for being here. Thank you for your patience in the in the delay of our meeting. Just wanted to announce that uh our our Vice Mayor um uh John Herbst has indicated he would not be attending the conference meeting this afternoon. Um so uh let us begin our conference meeting as we do always with communications that we receive from um from the various uh uh advisory boards. And our first one is from the Parks Recreation Beaches Advisory Board. And uh is there someone here on on behalf of the of the board? Yes, come on up. Uh up to the podium over there?

Dean Trantalis 0:43

And press the button at the bottom of the speaker. Are you Vanessa?

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 0:50

Good afternoon. I am Joy Oglesby.

Dean Trantalis 0:52

Oh okay, nice to meet you.

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 0:53

District four.

Dean Trantalis 0:54

Okay. Nice to meet you.

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 0:56

Nice to meet you too. Thank you for having me. So um the letters here, please tell me, Commissioner's protocol. I don't intend to read the entire letter or how do you want me to proceed? Well

Dean Trantalis 1:06

give us the highlights. So what is it that you're looking to accomplish here today?

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 1:09

So in May the board got together and decided to write a letter to the Commission advocating for retaining the basketball court on South Beach as is. And in part I will read after discussion, the parks board strongly opposes removing the basketball courts from the existing location. There are big plans for a big site with big investors slated for that area. It stands to reason that they can provide an alternate space for pickleball on their property development. If the development property arrangements spill over into the public space, then pickleball court should be considered in addition to the existing basketball court. So that's an excerpt from the letter that was presented.

Dean Trantalis 1:50

Okay. Is that the cont is that the full content of the letter? That's not the

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 1:55

entirety, but that is the gist of it.

Dean Trantalis 1:57

Well we continue then.

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 1:58

Oh well okay. I was just reading so I'll start from the beginning. This was May twenty eighth, twenty twenty five, regarding South Beach basketball courts. To our esteemed city commission during our May seventh, twenty twenty five meeting for the Parks, Recreation and Beaches Advisory Board, the discussion came up regarding the basketball court conversion in South Beach Fort Lauderdale. The board recognizes the popularity of the growing sport and the need for more courts. We have supported repurposing courts in such popular places as George English Park. holiday park and joint use parks such as Sunrise Middle School. We even supported the massive endeavour to donate land at Snyder Park for a pickleball park that was very controversial.

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 2:41

However, the city's agreement to remove the basketball courts and replace with pickleball have residents concerned. Board members agree that these iconic basketball courts have become a landmark and are part of the history of South Beach. After discussion, the board strongly opposes removing the basketball courts from the existing location. There are big plans for a big site with big investors slated for that area. It stands the reason that they can provide an alternate space for pickleball on their property development. If the development property arrangements spill over into public space, then pickleball courts should be considered in addition to the existing basketball courts. The communication to the city was unanimously approved by all attending members of the board during the meeting on Wednesday, may seventh, twenty twenty five, and also communicated to Director Carl Williams.

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 3:32

We hope that the city commission will reconsider its proposal to remove the basketball courts in question for pickleball courts, respectfully parks, recreation and the beaches advisory board.

Dean Trantalis 3:43

Okay. Is that the full content of the letter?

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 3:45

Okay,

Dean Trantalis 3:46

very good, very good. Um uh is there anything else you'd like to add to your to your communication?

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 3:51

Nothing additional.

Dean Trantalis 3:52

Okay. Does anyone w would like to respond to uh to the letter? I would.