Special City Commission Meeting

City of Lauderhill City Commission Chambers at City Hall 5581 W. Oakland Park Blvd. Lauderhill, FL, 33313 www.lauderhill-fl.gov Meeting Minutes - Final Tuesday, July 6, 2021 9:55 AM Attend via phone: Dial 1-312-626-6799 & Meeting ID: 923 2127 8679 Attend via Computer: https://www.colvcm.com Special City Commission Meeting LAUDERHILL CITY COMMISSION Mayor Ken Thurston Vice Mayor Denise D. Grant Commissioner Melissa P. Dunn Commissioner Lawrence Martin Commissioner Sarai Martin Desorae Giles-Smith, City Manager Andrea M. Anderson, City Clerk Earl Hall, City Attorney Special City Commission Meeting Meeting Minutes - Final July 6, 2021 I CALL TO ORDER Mayor Thurston called to order the Special City Commission Meeting at 9:55 AM. II ROLL CALL Present: 4- Commissioner Melissa P. Dunn,Vice Mayor Denise D. Grant,Commissioner Lawrence Martin, and Mayor Ken Thurston Absent: 1- Commissioner Sarai Martin ALSO PRESENT: Desorae Giles-Smith, City Manager Earl Hall, City Attorney Constance Stanley, Police Chief Andrea M. Anderson, City Clerk III THIS WILL BE A LIMITED AGENDA MEETING. THE ONLY ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED WILL BE: 1. RESOLUTION NO. 21R-07-134: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LAUDERHILL APPROVING THE 69th WEEKLY EXTENSION OF THE DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN THE CITY OF LAUDERHILL REGARDING COVID-19; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE (REQUESTED BY CITY MANAGER DESORAE GILES-SMITH). Attachments: RES-21R-07-134-SOE Extension -69th week.pdf AR 21R-07-134 SB 2006.pdf City Attorney Earl Hall stated that this was specifically regarding declaring a public health related emergency. The final Whereas clause in the subject Resolution stated specifically what the state legislature had implemented with SB 2006 and that the commission, as the public governing body, would now have to approve any State of Emergency involving a public health situation. Further, any such State of Emergency could not exceed 7 days and may not extend beyond a total duration 42 days. This authority was no longer with the City Manager and now was held by the public agency, or the City Commission. Currently, Attorney Hall explained, the City Manager signed a Declaration of State of Emergency, which were signed for 7-day increments and this process would still continue for hurricanes and other weather related emergencies. For public health emergencies, that action would need to be taken by the City Commission moving forward, though it would still be for 7-day increments and would last a maximum of 42 days. City Manager Desorae Giles-Smith clarified that the maximum length of time the Commission could extend this State of Emergency would be 42 days, to which City of Lauderhill Page 1 Special City Commission Meeting Meeting Minutes - Final July 6, 2021 Attorney Hall answered in the affirmative, stating this was language explicitly included in the statute. City Manager Giles-Smith wondered, then, if the current pandemic continued beyond the 42 days, the city would be unable to extend their State of Emergency further for things such as FEMA reimbursement. Attorney Hall was unsure of how exactly that would work, stating it was a matter that should be taken to the State League or Local League of Cities for direction or clarification on what would happen next. City Manager Giles-Smith noted this meant that, in about a month and a half, even if the City were still experiencing impacts from COVID-19, the State of Emergency would have to end. Attorney Hall said that was correct. Commissioner L. Martin questioned, with the state giving the local level the ability to only extend so far, would it not be the prudent understanding that the state or federal government would have stepped in by that point to determine next steps or to declare an emergency past that 42-days? He did not want the City, at the local level, coming to the end of the 42-day limit on our own State of Emergency, with no idea of how to go forward. Commissioner L. Martin felt this was a matter that needed to be looked at now. Attorney Hall explained that the State still would have the authority to take action in allowing a State of Emergency to continue, but the City could only extend up to 42-days at present. We would have to wait to see what the Governor did and follow that lead. City Manager Giles-Smith added that the City could not declare a State of Emergency until the Governor did, which Attorney Hall affirmed was accurate. Vice Mayor Grant asked if the Commissioners could take the matter to the Florida League of Cities (FLC) to have further discussion. Both Attorney Hall and City Manager Giles-Smith agreed that this was something that should be done. Vice Mayor then asked if there was any specific direction on the path this process should take – would it be best for a Commissioner or the Mayor to take the matter to the FLC or would it be better to have a letter drafted from the City? Attorney Hall did not offer suggestion either way but advised that it may just be a matter of receiving agreement from the Commission for one of them to reach out to the president of the FLC and/or the Broward League of Cities to hold such discussion. Commissioner L. Martin wanted to confirm that the Commission would be acting with a unified message, asking if they were going to approach FLC and Broward League of Cities with a statement of agreement or disagreement with the policy or if they were just looking to open a conversation due to the questions being raised. He wanted to be sure that, if one Commissioner broached the subject that everyone City of Lauderhill Page 2 Special City Commission Meeting Meeting Minutes - Final July 6, 2021 was on the same page and any questions being asked were inclusive of all concerns, particularly the need for direction of what would happen at the end of 42 days. He asked, if the state must declare a State of Emergency before the City could, what would the City’s intent be beyond that? Would it be to be more or less restrictive? Vice Mayor Grant stated that she was looking specifically at the question of needing more guidance for the end of the 42-day period and noted this was an issue other cities would also likely be facing. Based on what information or guidance was given, Vice Mayor agreed that anything moving forward from that, such as a letter to the Governor, would be brought back to the Commission so all could come to a consensus on the content. A motion was made by Commissioner L. Martin, seconded by Vice Mayor D. Grant, that this Resolution be approved. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 4- Commissioner M. Dunn, Vice Mayor D. Grant, Commissioner L. Martin, and Mayor K. Thurston Abstain: 0 IV COMMUNICATIONS FROM PUBLIC OFFICIALS V ADJOURNMENT - 10:10 AM City of Lauderhill Page 3