City Council

Esteban Bovo, Jr. Council Members Mayor Melinda De La Vega Juan Junco Jacqueline Garcia-Roves Monica Perez President Jesus Tundidor Carl Zogby Luis Rodriguez Vice President Joint Public Meeting between the City of Hialeah and Miami-Dade County Minutes April 1, 2025 11:00 a.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER A. REPORT: Mr. Anthony Rodriguez, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners of Miami- Dade County called the meeting to order at 11:10 a.m. B. REPORT: The meeting was held in the Commission Chambers of the Board of County Commissioners of Miami Dade County located at 111 Northwest 1st Street, Second Floor, Miami, Florida 33128. 2. ROLL CALL A. REPORT: The County Clerk for the Board of County Commissioners of Miami-Dade County called the roll. B. REPORT: Marbelys Fatjo, City Clerk, called the roll with the following Council Members present: 1. Council President Jacqueline Garcia-Roves 2. Council Member Perez 3. Council Member Tundidor (arrived at 11:17 a.m.) 4. Council Member Zogby 5. Council Member De La Vega 6. Council Member Junco (arrived at 11:21 a.m.) C. REPORT: Also present were: 1. Mayor Esteban Bovo, Jr. via Zoom. 4/11/2025 12:09 PM  2. Marbelys Fatjo, City Clerk 3. Rafael Suarez-Rivas, City Attorney 4. Brigette Leal, Deputy City Clerk 5. Barbara Govea, Deputy City Attorney 6. Payton Poliakoff, Assistant City Attorney 7. Karina Aragon, Executive Legal Assistant 8. Kevin Lynskey, Public Works Director 9. Alex Medina, Engineer, Department of Public Works 10. Karl Holzenberg, Division Director of Finance and Budget in the Public Works Department 11. Oscar Vasquez, Deputy Public Works Director 12. Ismare Monreal, Chief Operating Officer 13. Ruth Rubi, Executive Director of Finance Management 14. Gina Romero, Division Director of Media 3. Joint public meeting relating to an outstanding debt in the amount of $17.8 million dollars Miami-Dade County alleges is owed by the City of Hialeah to the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department for unpaid wholesale sewer services, and to which the City claims it was over billed. DISCUSSION: The following individuals spoke during the meeting: 1. Rafael Suarez Rivas, City Attorney, City of Hialeah 2. Geri Bonzon-Keenan, County Attorney, Miami-Dade County 3. Esteban Bovo, Jr., Mayor, City of Hialeah 4. Roy Coley, Chief Utilities and Regulatory Services Officer, Miami-Dade County • Utilized a visual presentation 5. Kevin Lynskey, Public Works Director, City of Hialeah • Utilized a visual presentation 6. Raquel Regalado, Commissioner, Miami-Dade County 7. Rene Garcia, Commissioner, Miami-Dade County 8. Oliver Gilbert, Commissioner, Miami-Dade County 9. Danielle Cohen Higgins, Commissioner, Miami-Dade County 10. Payton Poliakoff, Assistant City Attorney, City of Hialeah 11. Eileen Higgins, Commissioner, Miami-Dade County 12. Juan Carlos Bermudez, Commissioner, Miami-Dade County 13. Jesus Tundidor, Council Member, City of Hialeah REPORT: Motion by Commissioner Cohen Higgins declaring an impasse as to the Special Joint Meeting; directing the County Mayor or County Mayor’s designee to coordinate with the County Attorney’s Office to schedule mediation with the City of Hialeah pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 164, Florida Statutes, and to complete the mediation within 90 days of the effective date of this resolution; directing the County Mayor or County Mayor’s designee to retain an independent expert to complete testing on the County’s meters at the City of Hialeah’s Pump Station 200, prior to participating in the mediation with the City of Hialeah; and directing the County Attorney’s Office to proceed with any actions necessary to collect the outstanding debt 4/11/2025 12:09 PM  from the City of Hialeah, including filing a legal action, within 14 days of completion of the mediation, if such mediation does not resolve the dispute. MOTION PASSES. RESOLUTION: Proposed resolution of the Mayor and the City Council of the City of Hialeah, Florida, declaring an impasse as to the Joint Public Meeting between the City of Hialeah and Miami-Dade County held on April 1, 2025 and directing the City Mayor or City Mayor’s designee to coordinate with the City Attorney’s Office to schedule the required mediation between the City of Hialeah and Miami-Dade County, which shall be completed within 90 days, and prior to the parties’ participation in the mediation, the Mayor and the City Council hereby direct the administration to retain an independent expert and to carry out any testing necessary to determine whether the County’s P-72 meter at the City of Hialeah’s Pump Station 200 is the correct technology for the configuration at that Pump Station and is working correctly; and in the event that this matter is not resolved through mediation, the Mayor and the City Council moves to direct the City Attorney’s Office to proceed with any actions necessary to dispute the County’s alleged outstanding debt on behalf of the City, including filing and defending action in court, within 14 days of the conclusion of the mediation and to take any other actions required by Chapter 164 of the Florida Statutes or any other applicable laws. APPROVED 6-0-1 with Council Member Rodriguez absent. RESOLUTION NO. 2025-091 REPORT: Motion by Commissioner Garcia directing the County Mayor or County Mayor’s designee to discuss the Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant during the mediation, pursuant to Chapter 164, Florida Statutes, between Miami-Dade County and the City of Hialeah concerning the City of Hialeah’s outstanding debt to the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department. MOTION PASSES. REPORT: APPROVED BY THE CITY 6-0-1 with Council Member Rodriguez absent. Anyone wishing to obtain a copy of an agenda item should contact the Office of the City Clerk at (305) 883-5820 or visit at 501 Palm Avenue, 3rd Floor, Hialeah, Florida, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Persons wishing to appeal any decision made by the City Council, with respect to any matter considered at the meeting, will need a record of the proceedings and, for such purposes, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. An ordinance or resolution shall become effective when passed by the City Council and signed by the Mayor or at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting, if the Mayor’s signature is withheld or if the City Council overrides the Mayor’s veto. If the Mayor’s veto is sustained, the affected ordinance or resolution does not become law and is deemed null and void. 4/11/2025 12:09 PM In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons needing special accommodations to participate in the proceeding should contact the Office of the City Clerk at (305) 883- 5820 for assistance no later than two (2) days prior to the proceeding; if hearing impaired you may telephone the Florida Relay Service at (800) 955-8771 (TDD), (877) 955-8773 (Spanish) or (800) 955-8770 (Voice). 4/11/2025 12:09 PM