[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6678017,"mediaKeyId","2159118-1cf2b0fa2257e84d607c5ad2d31e82ac","parentId",2159118,"title","Cooper City commission approves ordinance lifting developer ban on campaign contributions after heated debate; 3-2 vote","audioSeconds",1658,"startMs",4740000,"endMs",6398000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159118-1cf2b0fa2257e84d607c5ad2d31e82ac&start=4740&end=6398","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159118-1cf2b0fa2257e84d607c5ad2d31e82ac/thumbnail_4740000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6678017/Cooper-City/Broward-County/Florida/Cooper-City-commission-approves-ordinance-lifting-developer-ban-on-campaign-contributions-after-heated-debate-3-2-vote","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678017-91eae0896b290525965140a2ca1f6859/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184957&Signature=XCMURZkpbxx8z355pPVeIhU6igteB4gf0DSco~ZWvoPkzv4AVhStkRu7QYBZzPyo5lS6fk51owfFvJ2yt9U8ZlvUSVG4vsx62wdUBwiOB-Y9vczHf2y5W5QUWGaRybfZHrd~eSg0RoAymrsFgTvaYKBJ-Y1JeR-bG5AowsS3SAnaZ1jhf5oMLjrVRe6i6OmnBEsp7Byc0-8zKX-PN9e5rzfz-25qkawinNdqRf3dBOoCoBDyfGtK5F3Mqov-ukci3uKPq7jjrFu7qkevYBgOI9YGoGBeKm8sghtHAvn36zRkl0VdgojFQCKB-x~EFYDaP2yRDRnpPqropwqeslXMUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cooper City ","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","The Cooper City Commission voted 3-2 on Feb. 11 to adopt Ordinance 25-1, which removes a city prohibition on campaign contributions from real estate developers that had been in the municipal code. Passage followed extended discussion about practical enforcement, public notice and how to avoid inadvertent violations by candidates.

The measure as adopted eliminates the existing ban on developers contributing to city candidates. Supporters of the ordinance said the prior restrictions were overly broad and that the city had already hard-coded other disclosure and lobbyist-registration rules. Opponents warned removal of the ban could create the appearance of influence by developers and argued it could expose candidates to later challenges and online attacks if contributors held development interests.

Commissioner Katzmann and Commissioner Schroeder voted no on the measure; Commissioners Smith, Mallozzi and Mayor Curran voted yes. During debate staff and the city attorney outlined practical complications in drafting a narrower prohibition tied to pending development applications. The city manager and city attorney said that lists of pending applications could be compiled and published, but that defining a workable, administrable time window and the exact boundaries of a \"developer\" definition would create enforcement complexity and potential fairness issues for candidates who accept small-dollar donations.

A previously proposed amendment from Commissioner Schroeder that would have restricted contributions from developers with pending applications or approvals within six months of a candidate receipt was discussed but not adopted. The commission's final vote removed the prohibition from the code while staff agreed to continue public-facing disclosure improvements and to post vendor and lobbyist lists online to help candidates and the public identify potential conflicts.

What happens next: The ordinance becomes effective as provided in the item (per the city clerk's timeline for codification); staff said they will continue to enhance online disclosure tools (vendor and lobbyist lists, and a searchable contributions registry) to make potential conflicts easier to spot for candidates and the public.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cooper City - City Commission Meeting - Jan 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","On second reading the commission approved Ordinance 25-1, removing a city prohibition on campaign contributions from real estate developers. The measure passed 3-2 after commissioners debated practical enforcement and disclosure issues.","taxTitle","Cooper City, Broward County, Florida","taxId",45148,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6678022,"Commission hears residents' concerns about travel soccer fields and directs staff on field maintenance, fencing and traffic-calming pilot",1594,814000,2408000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159118-1cf2b0fa2257e84d607c5ad2d31e82ac&start=814&end=2408","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159118-1cf2b0fa2257e84d607c5ad2d31e82ac/thumbnail_814000.jpg","/articles/6678022/Cooper-City/Broward-County/Florida/Commission-hears-residents-concerns-about-travel-soccer-fields-and-directs-staff-on-field-maintenance-fencing-and-traffic-calming-pilot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678022-d6c6be98b923093d8ada98c84e7ee4be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184957&Signature=hvgsRXnTVW1c-I6NTXCj3zZZiMI3lep5HnMA0ezV4WJ2OyicRiropFSJVZ4O4JrtbPnZRjmMiyBT1BwTyvp1qgv2Nbd~tfLxBnmwG-DBdJe4P5j5evSNdVBrOQ3b3sDYgyO66u-1z20PakQtK9QjCIzrcqtorModMiDhDnz-zqLFk618QPptxdoMdauJyQdMBVW-XaxUr9pPhaP5cohgM2vecKY2OqbyR-3RsKHduxDkK1UCTtzijHbJJZKHhOY~85bgy0yii9z8xRA5HLAj2XkXxj8Azzpz8ouhrU246CjU8dP7jCrkbK8ouKHi40ovMVpruxHKdv5cLl4ZfG6UMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents told the Cooper City Commission on Feb. 11 they were concerned about access for travel soccer and the condition and allocation of city fields, in particular Flamingo West Park.

Mister Ortiz, who spoke during public comment as a travel-soccer coach/representative, said travel teams and Olympic Development Program players need reliable access to Flamingo West and other fields and asked why Cooper City residents and travel teams were being moved to lesser fields rather than maintaining Flamingo West for heavy-use programs. Ortiz said some travel players practice five to seven days a week and emphasized a 60% residency rate among roughly 1,100 rec players when teams are formed.

City Manager Carlos (speaking as acting utilities/parks lead) and staff answered in detail. The manager said the city's practice is to rotate travel and recreational uses among Flamingo West, Bill Lips and another park to spread wear and tear and allow maintenance. Staff acknowledged there were problems with field conditions at Bill Lips and Suellen (names in the transcript) earlier in the season and said steps are being taken to improve field maintenance and avoid those problems next year. Staff emphasized the rotation is intended to provide fair access across programs and parks.

Staff also said the parks department will post daily updates on the city website to show what fields are closed for maintenance. \"Starting this week, if you have concerns as to what fields are open or not open, we are posting updates on the website,\" staff said, noting that short, temporary closures sometimes cause residents to think a field is closed long-term when it may be a 24-hour maintenance closure.

Separately, the commission heard a staff site visit report and directed work on fencing the easement behind Countryside Shops to restrict ATV access while maintaining pedestrian passage and retaining South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) access for maintenance. Captain (police) and building-inspections staff walked the site with the mayor and residents and described the area as a habitat suitable for placards, benches and pedestrian improvements. The city manager said staff scheduled a meeting with SFWMD for Feb. 13 to discuss easement access and expects to present a decorative-fencing plan and cost estimates to the commission at the Feb. 25 meeting.

Traffic calming pilot update: Parks and Public Works staff reported on the city's traffic-calming pilot. The commission earlier approved ordering 26 speed tables for nine locations (three per location except one location with two tables). Verbal approval from the county on signage was secured in December and the permit was issued the prior week. The ordered speed-table elements are expected to arrive in the week of Feb. 3 and initial installation of three tables will be performed by the contractor so city staff can observe the process before completing the remaining installations. Staff estimated installation plans mean the project will be staged over several weeks, with total time to install across nine locations spanning multiple weeks; signage procurement and installation timelines will follow.

Park staffing and access hours: The commission reviewed an analysis of park/hall operating hours, Optimist Club use, and available part-time staff hours. Staff reported the city's part-time park attendants and a senior park ranger provide about 12,750 labor hours per year in aggregate, leaving a gap if the commission requires staff presence every hour the fields are open; staff asked for 30 days to bring a refined staffing and hours recommendation to the Feb. 25 meeting. Commissioners asked staff to clarify job duties (enforcement vs. custodial) and consider reducing operating hours in places where demand is low to close the staffing gap.

What happens next: Staff will post daily field-status updates on the city website; the manager will return Feb. 25 with a staffing/hours plan and costed decorative-fence options for the Countryside Shops easement (pending SFWMD input). The traffic-calming pilot will progress to installation and observation of the first set of tables before the remainder are installed.","Residents and commissioners raised concerns about travel soccer access to Flamingo West Park and condition of other city fields. City staff described maintenance rotations, daily website updates for field closures, plans to replace fences and to limit ATV access behind Countryside Shops, and an upcoming traffic-calming speed-table pilot.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6678025,"Cooper City Commission approves multiple procurement and contracts, hires utilities director; series of other votes pass",528,2872000,3400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159118-1cf2b0fa2257e84d607c5ad2d31e82ac&start=2872&end=3400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159118-1cf2b0fa2257e84d607c5ad2d31e82ac/thumbnail_2872000.jpg","/articles/6678025/Cooper-City/Broward-County/Florida/Cooper-City-Commission-approves-multiple-procurement-and-contracts-hires-utilities-director-series-of-other-votes-pass","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678025-bdbc5430fa1804e4676b8bb002a49a05/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184957&Signature=fIH~2g6pbQJcQHWyxXZ7V7KOASIsoq5pIR4GwWQ0uKtQm02pW7X-CvhKIvQ88U-s~KCLo3ukTyGN5pW0mX0-FbwxJGU2QmC63M96veMP6tv-HtAoI2B8VpCcs1iDem9ap5twi-~yEppUNFl-yfeD6H30~SzQv1tDAxw8KXc5YJwya6SmtgpIr7iWaDHA2DWmaAY4CKex0n6vfzDzAbip27OUvoUiQ7rYNDCFJ357zXvvZs3wNn1U4zELkjSLvRSqHUQn3doy6jvhmxtmtYrVVQ4PJILtG22calZGGWEPycLjLGI9-OI6rTGmGejotEU1mvkkqU6T71TajyeBO0yfRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cooper City commissioners approved a package of procurement and contract actions and several resolutions during their Feb. 11 meeting, including repair and upgrade work on city wastewater lift stations, a contract amendment for biosolids hauling, fireworks services and the hire of a utilities director.

The most consequential routine items were several procurement motions the commission passed by voice vote or roll call. The commission approved a purchase order with Champion Controls Inc. for three above-ground duplex control panels for lift stations 5, 9 and 20 ($101,971.20). It also approved a piggyback agreement with the Hinterland Group and a purchase to rehabilitate the same three lift stations ($501,130.46). The commission approved an amendment to the city's contract with Synagro South LLC for hauling and disposal of wastewater biosolids and moved forward on related utility equipment purchases, including two replacement diesel generators for lift stations.

On personnel, the commission approved the city manager's recommendation to appoint Dinser Aiken Ozaiden as the city's utilities director. Ozaiden briefly introduced himself to the commission and public before the vote, which carried.

Other approved items included awarding the annual fireworks display contract to Island Outdoor Management Inc.; authorizing a series of single-source or single-service procurements for chemicals, SCADA maintenance, telemetry and pump repairs; and approving first amendments and work orders for water-resources and utilities projects.

The commission also passed several resolutions, including: authorizing the city to execute an interlocal agreement for the Community Development Block Grant transportation program with Broward County; authorizing pursuit and acceptance of a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) watershed planning grant with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and FEMA (the city will provide the 25% local match if required); and designating members for a Charter Review Board (appointment names to be confirmed by the Feb. 25 meeting per staff comments).

Vote tallies for procurement motions were not uniformly read aloud in the transcript: many were approved by unanimous roll call and are recorded in the official minutes. Where roll-call yes votes are audible in the transcript, commissioners present voted in the affirmative. Specific tally recorded in the meeting transcript: on second-reading ordinance 25-1 (see separate article) the commission approved the measure on a 3-2 vote.

What the commission did not finalize tonight were items that required follow-up, including a water- and sewer-developer agreement with Florida Power & Light Company (the agreement was approved subject to staff obtaining and approving an opinion of title) and a handful of ordinance draftings for future meetings.

Votes at a glance (items mentioned on the Feb. 11 agenda and acted on during the meeting):
- Purchase order: Champion Controls Inc., $101,971.20, for 3 duplex control panels (lift stations 5, 9 and 20) — approved.
- Piggyback contract and purchase: Hinterland Group (Palm Beach County piggyback), $501,130.46, rehabilitate lift stations 5, 9 and 20 — approved.
- Amendment to Synagro South LLC contract for hauling/disposal of biosolids — approved.
- Award: Island Outdoor Management Inc., fireworks display services (ITB2024-4-REC) — approved.
- Single-source/single-service procurements for chemicals, membrane cleaners, SCADA maintenance, lift station telemetry and pump repairs (various vendors) — approved under city manager authority, subject to budget availability.
- Purchase: two new diesel generators (to replace older Onan models) — approved.
- First amendment: CIP 220762 water resources improvement program contract — approved.
- Appointment: Dinser Aiken Ozaiden as utilities director — approved.
- Resolution 25-6: Execute CDBG transportation program interlocal agreement with Broward County — approved.
- Resolution (HMGP Watershed Planning Grant): Authorize pursuit and execution, local 25% match commitment if required — approved.
- Resolution 25-9: Charter Review Board appointments (placeholders to be filled; commission directed staff to finalize names by next meeting) — approved to proceed with resolution framework.

What's next: staff said contracts and purchase orders will proceed to execution consistent with budget authority and legal review. A number of agenda items required or will require follow-up materials (title opinion for the FPL developer agreement; finalized appointment names for the charter review board; and procurement deliveries and installation schedules for speed-table traffic-calming hardware referenced elsewhere on the agenda).

Ending note: The meeting record shows routine quorum roll calls and multiple unanimous approvals for operational procurements. Where the transcript records an explicit roll-call, the record is reflected in official minutes; the commission asked staff to return with follow-up materials on several items before final implementation.","At its Feb. 11 meeting the Cooper City Commission approved multiple purchase orders and contracts for wastewater lift station work, contracted services, equipment purchases and appointments, and passed a number of resolutions and ordinances. The commission also approved hiring a new utilities director.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cooper City commission approves ordinance lifting developer ban on campaign contributions after heated debate; 3-2 vote

Commission hears residents' concerns about travel soccer fields and directs staff on field maintenance, fencing and traffic-calming pilot

Cooper City Commission approves multiple procurement and contracts, hires utilities director; series of other votes pass