CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP on 2026-02-17 12:00 PM - Joint Workshop with Affordable Housing Advisory Committee - Feb 17, 2026

meeting

Fort Lauderdale City Commission 1h 10m 2 speakers 5 agenda items transcribed 2 months ago official recording ↗

▲ 0

Transcript

jump: agenda · speakers · find in transcript

Transcript

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

What opening goals and participants are introduced at the start of the joint workshop?

Dean Trantalis 0:00

AFTERNOON EVERYBODY AND WELCOME TO THE FORT LAUDERDALE CITY COMMISSION JOINT WORKSHOP WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I want to first of all thank you for all the good work that you do during the course of the year and all the advice that you give us and how important it is that we continue to find opportunities for affordable housing. I want to say I want to compliment the commission and city staff for the great work that we have already accomplished in finding opportunities for affordable housing both within the CRA and outside the CRA and how I think Fort Lauderdale stands out as a AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW IN TERMS OF TRYING TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT ALL LEVELS OF INCOME HERE IN OUR CITY.

Dean Trantalis 0:52

SO HAVING SAID THAT, I'LL TURN THE CHAIR OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER. OH, DO THE ROLL? OKAY. GOOD IDEA. Mr. Clerk, please take the role of the commission.

City Clerk (Unknown Name) 1:14

Yes. Vice Mayor Herbst is not present at the moment. Commissioner Glassman? Here. Commissioner Beasley-Pittman? Here. Commissioner Sorensen? Here. Mayor Trent Ellis?

Dean Trantalis 1:22

Yes. And now would you please take the role of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee?

City Clerk (Unknown Name) 1:27

Chair Susan Sprague? Sprague. Willie McKay? Not present. Chantal Jaram? Here. Commissioner Beasley-Pittman? HERE. HERE. HERE. HERE. HERE. HERE. HERE. HERE. HERE. HERE. HERE.

1:59

HERE.

Dean Trantalis 2:00

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.

Willie McKay (AHAC Member) / or AHAC Representative (likely Willie McKay) 2:04

DAVID, I'M SORRY. MCKAY, SHE IS HERE. SHE STEPPED OUT. SHE WAS WITH US EARLIER, SO SHE'S SOMEWHERE. OKAY. THANK YOU. IF YOU CAN RECOGNIZE HER AS PRESENT.

Dean Trantalis 2:17

OKAY. NOW CITY MANAGER.

City Manager (Unknown Name) 2:19

THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. I HAVE THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF ATTENDING A RECENT MEETING OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND I CAN ATTEST TO THE TREMENDOUS WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING AS A COMMITTEE AND HOW INTERESTED AND ENGAGED THEY ARE IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AS A CITY TO PROMOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. MS. RACHEL WILLIAMS AND THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION WILL LEAD THE PRESENTATION AND CHAIR SPRAG AS WELL AS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ARE AVAILABLE TO SHARE INFORMATION, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMISSION SO WE CAN DETERMINE THE NEXT STEPS IN TERMS OF POLICY DIRECTION. SO AT THIS TIME, MS. RACHEL WILLIAMS WILL COME FORWARD.

Dean Trantalis 3:07

GOOD AFTERNOON. IF YOU COULD JUST PUSH THE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM. GREAT. THANK YOU.

Rickelle Williams 3:12

Good afternoon, Mayor and Commissioners, city leadership, and AHAC members. I'm Rachel Williams, Housing and Community Development Manager, and today I'm here just to present an overview of the topics that will be discussed by the AHAC, and the AHAC, along with staff, will seek your feedback and directions on the incentives presented. But before I go on, I'd like to acknowledge members from the Housing and Community Development team that are present here with me today. I have with me Assistant Housing and Community Development Manager, Olivette Carter, and our very newly appointed planner, Amanda. Her first day in HCD.

Rickelle Williams 4:13

Okay, so today the AHEC will discuss three primary incentives, and staff will also seek direction on two prior incentives that were discussed with the Commission. The three incentives to be discussed today are, one, increase public awareness and education on affordable housing activities, the use of city-owned land for affordable housing, and to develop an affordable housing master plan. And I will hand over to Chair Sprague. Totally forgot that I had a cue, I'm going from... which will lead the AHAC team in further discussing those incentives. And then from there, we will seek the Commission's feedback on implementation of the incentives discussed, having a discussion around accessory dwelling unit policies and waiver of impact fees for affordable housing.

Rickelle Williams 5:31

Under public awareness and education, which is the first incentive that will be discussed, the AHEC will seek input on how can we increase communication and marketing to city residents on rental and home ownership opportunities. THEY WILL ALSO SEEK TO EXPLORE PARTNERSHIPS TO PROVIDE WORKSHOP FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS AND RESEARCH INCOME AND APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC.