City Commission

City of Delray Beach 100 NW 1st Avenue - Delray Beach, Florida 33444 Phone: (561) 243-7000 www.delraybeachfl.gov Minutes - Final Thursday, September 11, 2025 6:00 PM Special Meeting at 6:00 PM Delray Beach City Hall or Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc2j0JhnR8Hx0Hj13RhCJag/s treams City Commission Mayor Thomas F. Carney, Jr. Vice Mayor Rob Long Deputy Vice Mayor Angela Burns Commissioner Tom Markert Commissioner Juli Casale City Commission Minutes - Final September 11, 2025 Pursuant to Section 3.12 of the Charter of the City of Delray Beach the Mayor has instructed me to announce a Special Meeting of the City Commission to be held for the following purposes: SP.1. PUBLIC COMMENTS The September 11, 2025 Special Meeting was called to order at 6:12 p.m. Alexis Givings, City Clerk, called the roll, and the following were present: Present: 5 - Mayor Carney, Jr., Deputy Vice Mayor Angela Burns, Vice Mayor Rob Long, Commissioner Juli Casale, Commissioner Tom Markert Others present were: Terrence Moore, City Manager Lynn Gelin, City Attorney Alexis Givings, City Clerk Prior to Public Comment, Vice Mayor Long raised a point of order and read a letter he had written concerning the meeting. He stated that this meeting was noticed and calendared as a special meeting, not an emergency meeting. He referenced the City’s Charter, which requires a minimum notice of 12 hours whenever practicable. He pointed out that only 5 hours of notice was given for this meeting, emphasizing that a 12-hour notice was not an unreasonable expectation, especially since this was not an emergency. He argued that by scheduling this meeting with such short notice, the City was deliberately compressing notice that blocked public input and invited Sunshine challenges and potential fee exposure, and the loss of public trust. He requested moving this meeting to a properly noticed meeting on Monday, September 15, at 3:00 p.m. Mayor Carney stated that the meeting was scheduled for 6:00 p.m. to accommodate the Commissioners' availability. Lynn Gelin, City Attorney, stated that the local rules do address special meetings and commented that the meeting was properly noticed and was postponed by 5 hours. She read the local rules regarding noticing special meetings into the record, which stated that the failure to provide a 12-hour notice did not affect the legality of this meeting. Vice Mayor Long expressed concern that the public trust had been damaged. Mayor Carney read a personal letter into the record, raising the question of why the City of Delray Beach should not wait and see how the judge rules on other municipalities that were challenging the FDOT’s decision to eliminate the Pride Streetscapes. He mentioned that the City could lose 60 million dollars in funding by challenging their action. Additionally, he pointed City of Delray Beach Page 2 Printed on 10/17/2025 City Commission Minutes - Final September 11, 2025 out that numerous forms of street art had been removed from cities across Florida. Mayor Carney recalled that the City had voted to join Fort Lauderdale in requesting a “stay,” which has since been lifted, and emphasized that the Commission’s discussion was never about the legal analysis of the case, which he stated would be impossible to win. Commissioner Casale emphasized that there are other significant ways to support the LGBTQ community without risking crucial state funding or incurring costly legal fees. She recognized the importance of maintaining a good working relationship with a government entity. Ms. Gelin stated that this case was not a class action lawsuit; it is a petition, and if the cities that filed petitions were successful, the final verdict would apply to all municipalities, including those that did not file. PUBLIC COMMENT: Mayor Carney opened the floor to anyone who wished to speak on this matter. Ronnie Deniero, 2916 SW 22nd Circle, Delray Beach Suggested finding alternative ways to support the LGBTQ community without putting residents in a difficult position. Nicholas Coppola, 3930 Lowson Blvd, Delray Beach, Suggested joining other cities that were challenging the State and setting a monetary cap on legal fees to support the Home Rule Bill. George Long, 46 North Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach Shared his opinions on the state’s painting over the various themed crosswalks. Seeing no one else present, Mayor Carney closed public comment. SP.2. FOLLOW UP CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH'S PETITION CHALLENGING THE VALIDITY OF UN-ADOPTED RULES. Sponsors: City Manager Department The Commission engaged in a discussion about what actions the City should take next on this matter. Mayor Carney addressed the challenges the City would face in a lawsuit regarding this matter, noting the financial strain it would place on taxpayers. City of Delray Beach Page 3 Printed on 10/17/2025 City Commission Minutes - Final September 11, 2025 Vice Mayor Long discussed the possibility of the City having its day in court through due process to demonstrate to the residents that the Commission cares. A motion was made by Deputy Vice Mayor Burns, seconded by Mayor Carney (who acknowledged that he couldn’t second the vote), then seconded by Commissioner Markert, to rescind the original motion to vote to move forward without challenging FDOT. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 4 - Mayor Carney, Deputy Vice Mayor Burns, Commissioner Markert, Commissioner Casale No: 1 - Vice Mayor Long A second motion was made by Commissioner Markert, seconded by Deputy Vice Mayor Burns, to cease any further petition filings in court concerning the FDOT non-compliance matter with the Pride Crosswalk. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 4 - Mayor Carney, Deputy Vice Mayor Burns, Commissioner Markert, Commissioner Casale No: 1 - Vice Mayor Long There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Carney adjourned the meeting at 7:27 p.m.p.m. The City shall furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of a service, program, or activity conducted by the City. Please contact the Human Resources Department at (561) 243-7125 at least 24 hours prior to the program or activity for the City to reasonably accommodate your request . Adaptive listening devices are available for meetings in the Commission Chambers. City of Delray Beach Page 4 Printed on 10/17/2025