City Commission Conference Meeting on 2025-12-16 1:30 PM - Dec 16, 2025

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Fort Lauderdale City Commission 3h 45m 2 speakers 5 agenda items transcribed 4 days ago official recording ↗

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What concerns are raised about board membership and expertise at the beginning?

Unknown 0:01

Um and so we're grateful for that. Progress, progress.

Dean Trantalis 0:05

Yes, exactly. Um and uh of course, as you know, uh last month we celebrated, we had a WOW award presentation here, uh thanks uh uh uh to you as the commissioners, and we

Unknown 0:16

were able to celebrate that, and that's been one of the things that the the board does and is supposed to be doing is tasked with. Um but one of the uh the issues uh is has been really the membership.

Dean Trantalis 0:26

membership and more importantly, uh the qualified membership um that is actually required by the statute, um with which this board has been uh in existence uh since uh I believe nineteen uh seventy eight uh and so uh but we are we are lacking the the professional expertise uh for this board and we would love to see uh the mission of this board to continue. And so Uh this is the purpose of our communication. So So if according to your communication, the board should consist of twenty-five members and you only have five. So shame on us, Commission, that we need to pay more attention and see if we can it recruit some people who would be I know this could be a fun board and it's um given the right mix of people.

Dean Trantalis 1:11

So um I hear you, we all hear you, so uh let us do a better job. Hopefully by the uh the first part of the year we can start nominating some more people to the board. I would appreciate that. And just in bringing the uh again just the the to the attention is also realizing that this may not be the only board that may be struggling, and so we would love to see continue to be citywide engagement and uh so that we can continue to support the efforts and support you uh as a commission and also the city. We appreciate it. We appreciate all the good work that you do, dude. Thank Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thanks.

Pamela Beasley-Pittman 1:42

Before you move from the mic, um good afternoon and thank you for what you're doing currently. Thank you. Um I'm gonna ask if you would, um, for the room and for the record, um we know what the requirements are, but if you could share um what you said um expertise or um what it is that we should be looking for, and maybe we can tickle some ears that's in the room and get some volunteers. Volunteers.

Unknown 2:03

Yeah, I th that'd be great. Uh yeah, according to ordinance, um uh there are a specific uh number of types of professions

Dean Trantalis 2:13

that is supposed to help staff this board. Uh we are looking for uh licensed architects, uh people who are in the reality uh realtor business, um per perhaps even uh those who are even arborists, as a matter of fact. Uh anyone that would be within the profession of that would know anything about building codes and any of the constructing an architect because it's all about attractiveness. Sense of taste as well, yeah. Yeah. Okay. The the board is currently sta uh is is currently being uh uh ran by uh eager community members and those who w who of course want to participate in the in the process and we are grateful for our appointments and uh but we are here to support and stand with the city. Thank you.

Dean Trantalis 2:55

Chris, Ted, no? Yeah. Okay. Tell your commissioner you want to be on uh you wanna be on the community appearance board. Mayor, I I have a question for Sophia actually. If is Sophia here? Sophia, are you here? She

Juan (Unknown) 3:09

is the uh I think staff liaison. So uh and I I know that we've been reading this in other boards and committees as well, where as as Matthew said, we're struggling with some of these uh boards and committees reaching quorum.

Linda Short 3:22

Have we ever taken

Dean Trantalis 3:24

A look at all of our boards and committees and maybe done an exercise where we could consolidate. Maybe maybe there is an overlap in uh mission statements, in enabling legislation. Maybe there's a way uh that would obviously help alleviate you know the pressure of getting a quorum with a lot of them. But I'm starting to read this more and more with at least three, four, five boards and committees that are struggling. Just wondering if we have taken that uh step in doing an Exercise like that.

Sophia Alley 3:50

Uh Sophia Alley from the Office of Strategic Communications. I'm the manager. Um I have not personally done anything like that, but in speaking to the board and looking at what we communicate out to the public.