Dec. 9 Agenda Briefing: The important items you should know (without having to read 17 jargon-filled pages)
$56M in parking debt, term limits round two, and your chance to weigh in
NOTE: Not every item from the official agenda is featured in this briefing. I consolidated it to what I thought were the most important items. Also, these are in the same order as the official agenda.
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żď¸ PARKING RATE INCREASE
Agenda Item 10: 26-124 P.H. 2026-20: (PUBLIC HEARING 1ST READING)
The City wants to raise parking rates 20% to help finance two major garages (worth $56M+ in new garage debt) -- one at the beach (the next item on the agenda) and one in Old Town (the third item on the agenda).
The tradeoff: Residents get a discount of 50% off (up from 20%).
Key changes:
âŹď¸ 20% rate increase citywide (Harbor Village excluded)
đď¸ 50% resident discount on all spaces
đ¤ New annual boat trailer parking pass at Alsdorf Park (Based on availability)
đĄ More tech upgrades: license plate readers, space-count sensors
đ żď¸ Funds two new garages:
Oceanside Garage (~715 spaces)
Old Town Garage (300â400+ future spaces)
The catch:
(Source: Vice Mayor Alison Fournier)
Only 206 residents use the discount today (0.18% of the population), but the Cityâs financial model assumes 6,000+ will sign up. For the math to work, theyâd need adoption to increase roughly 30x!
If adoption stays under 1,000 residents: The city could collect $470,000 to $550,000 MORE per year than what the pro forma projects. Over the 30-year life of the financial plan, thatâs potentially $14-16 million in additional revenue that isnât accounted for.
Current & Proposed Pompano Beach Parking Rates - Dec. 9, 2025
đ¤ Questions to ask:
What adoption rate is the city projecting?
If enrollment stays low, what happens to the extra revenue?
What outreach is planned to drive registration?
Is the resident discount sign-up process going to be easier? Because right now the online form doesnât work, you have to go in-person to sign up, and you need a utility bill or lease form to prove residency, but what if you donât have either, because you live with a family member, etc?
Why is there a $0.40 additional fee when you pay by PayByPhone? Why isnât this transparent in your rate sheets online and in the attached proposal documents? Very misleading.
đŹ OCEANSIDE PARKING GARAGE ($33M)
Agenda Item 11: 26-37 (Resolution -- Postponed from Nov. 13, 2025)
This agenda item is a request for the City Commission to approve a nearly $33 million contract with Whiting-Turner Contracting Company to design and build a new parking garage on the barrier island at 109 N. Ocean Boulevard (the big existing surface lot by the pier area).
This agenda item asks the Commission to:
â Award Whiting-Turner the contract, but only for the design phase right now
The total project is $32.8 million.
The City will only commit to $3 million to start the design and pre-construction work.
The actual construction cost (~$29.8 million) will only move forward after:
The design is finished (around early Fall 2027)
The City confirms it can borrow the money (issue debt)
The Commission approves a separate financing package later
If the City canât issue the bonds, construction does not proceed.
đ§ Why the garage is being proposed:
According to the memo:
A future private development (Relatedâs Parcel A at 20 N. Ocean) will remove 150 public parking spaces.
Parking demand on the beach keeps rising, especially after Fishing Village, Hilton, Sandbar and W Hotel projects.
The City wants a long-term permanent parking solution rather than depending on temporary leased lots.
The garage would feature 715 spaces, with a coral-inspired wrap by local artist Dennis Friel and over 25% local contracting participation.
Fun Fact: The project has already been postponed twice (Nov. 13 and earlier) because the financial plan and timing needed more clarity.
đ° Where the money will come from:
Design Phase (Now): $3,037,041
Already available in the Cityâs Parking Fund reserves.
No new borrowing yet.
Construction Phase (Later): $29,839,649
Will be financed through 30-year debt (bonds).
Estimated annual debt payments: $2.3 million.
Funds would come from the Parking Enterprise Fund (garage + metered revenue).
This financing requires a separate vote once design is complete.
đ Some food for thought
1ď¸âŁ Construction will disrupt parking on the beach
Only 40 spaces of the existing 278 will remain open during construction. The City plans to rely heavily on:
Additional Circuit carts
The 200-space St. Martinâs lot
Directing people to private paid lots
For any resident who already thinks parking on the beach is difficult, the next 2â3 years will be much worse.
2ď¸âŁ Timeline: This is a LONG project
Design completion: Summer/Fall 2027
Construction: 2026â2027
New garage opens: Fall 2027
If anything slips (and large public projects routinely do), this could easily be 2028.
3ď¸âŁ Why this matters now
Even though the City isnât committing to build yet, choosing Whiting-Turner and starting design:
Sets the garage size (715 spaces)
Locks in the aesthetic, layout and footprint
Makes it much harder politically to reverse course later
Once millions are spent on design, scrapping the project becomes unlikely.
đ§ OLD TOWN PARKING GARAGE: $5M LAND PURCHASE
Agenda Item 12: 26-23 (Resolution)
The city wants to buy the last vacant lot in Old Town (40,757 sq ft at 134 NE 3rd St), because businesses will eventually need 722 parking spaces and currently face deficits during big events, like Untapped.
Price: $5M (appraised at $5.2-6.1M)
Short-term: Surface lot with ~85 spaces
Long-term: Multi-level garage (300-400+ spaces)
Free of charge (for time being)
â ď¸ Whatâs missing:
Actual occupancy rates of existing parking
Peak usage times/dates
Documentation of businesses losing customers due to lack of parking
Why theyâre planning for maximum buildout when the area isnât that busy yet (They say theyâll lose out if they donât act fast)
âWhere are these numbers coming from?
They are NOT based on current traffic. The memo admits the table represents projected âbusiness demand at build-out,â not the current needs.
They built the numbers using:
â Assumed future restaurants, bars and mixed-use development
Page 6 includes âfuture restaurant,â âfuture brewery,â âfuture wine bar,â âCRA future food/beverage,â etc. Most of these donât exist today.
â Industry-standard formulas
Cities typically estimate restaurant parking by rules of thumb like:
10â15 spaces per 1,000 sq ft
1 space per X seats
1 space per employee
These formulas inflate demand, especially for walkable districts.
â Peak dinner/evening assumptions
Most restaurant-heavy districts calculate parking for the busiest hour (e.g., Saturday at 7 PM), not the actual average daily use.
â CRAâs vision of Old Town as a nightlife/restaurant district
This memo isnât describing the current Old Town -- itâs describing the cityâs idealized future Old Town.
âWhy is the city projecting such high numbers?
The memo is doing this:
Plan for the future â Assume every lot gets built out â Assume all restaurants are full â Assume max demand â Use formulas that inflate parking needs â Use that number to justify the land purchase
Itâs not a conspiracy -- itâs just how government planning documents often work, but itâs also not what a realistic person would call honest forecasting.
đ IS POMPANOâS $327K/YEAR SHUTTLE SERVICE WORTH THE INVESTMENT?
Agenda Item 13: 26-103 (PUBLIC HEARING 1ST READING)
The City of Pompano Beach wants to renew and expand its contract with Circuit Transit, the company that runs those small electric shuttles that give free or low-cost rides around the beach area and nearby neighborhoods.
Theyâve been doing this since 2021, and the city says the service helps:
Move people around without using cars
Reduce traffic
Make it easier to get to shops, restaurants, and the beach
Eventually connect east and west Pompano with short-hop rides
This ordinance would approve a new 5-year contract so Circuit can keep operating and possibly grow the service area.
𧞠What is a âPublic Hearing First Readingâ?
Before the City Commission can finalize this kind of law (an ordinance), they must:
Hold a public hearing â residents can comment
Vote on a first reading
Vote again on a second reading at a later meeting
This agenda item is step No. 1.
đ° What does it cost?
The maximum cost over 5 years is $1.63 million, which averages to $326,709 per year.
Where will the money come from each year?
Year 1
FDOT grant: $163,354
Gas tax fund: $115,000
Parking fund: $48,354
Year 2
FDOT grant: $31,645
Gas tax fund: $115,000
Parking fund: $180,063
Years 3â5
Gas tax fund: $115,000 per year
Parking fund: $211,709 per year
FDOT grants are helping pay for this now, but the city will cover more of the cost later.
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PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGES COULD EXTEND COMMISSIONER TERMS TO 12 YEARS
Agenda Item 18: 2026-01: (PUBLIC HEARING 2ND READING -- First reading: Nov. 13, 2025)
This ordinance is a proposal to change the rules for how long Pompanoâs Mayor and City Commissioners can serve, how long their terms last and when their elections happen. BUT none of this becomes real unless voters approve it in November 2026.
𧊠What Changes Are Being Proposed?
1. Create Term Limits
Right now, Pompano Beach has NO term limits. Commissioners and the Mayor can serve unlimited terms.
The proposal would change that to:
Max of 3 consecutive 4-year terms for Commissioners
Max of 3 consecutive 4-year terms for the Mayor
That means: đ Maximum of 12 years in a row, then you must step out.
2. Expand the Length of Commissioner Terms
Currently: Commissioners serve 2-year terms.
Proposed change: Everyone eventually moves to 4-year terms.
However, to stagger elections properly:
Odd-numbered districts start 4-year terms in 2028
Even-numbered districts get one 2-year term in 2026, then switch to 4-year terms in 2028
Why? To make sure not everyone is up for reelection at the same time.
3. Elections to Line up with November General Elections
They want elections to line up with big November general elections, not March, because turnout is much higher in general elections than in special or off-cycle ones.
The Charter Advisory Board recommended:
Do NOT hold a special election, it would have low turnout.
Put this on the November 2026 general election ballot.
Run a big public education campaign so residents understand whatâs being voted on.
đłď¸ Pompano Beach did vote on this before
In March 2020, Pompano Beach (Proposed Amendment No. 2), asked voters if they wanted to expand District Commissioner terms from two years to four years, the âNoâ vote was approximately 71%.
Yes: 29.12% (4,110 votes)
No: 70.88% (10,004 votes)
â Voters said NO.
The measure failed. This 2026 proposal is essentially a repackaged version of the 2020 effort, same goals, slightly rewritten structure.
đ So why are we seeing it again?
Based on public comments, meeting notes, and what attachments show:
The Commission wants to try again, believing turnout will be higher in a November general election than in the low-turnout March election where it failed.
The Charter Amendment Advisory Board agreed that:
The idea can go on the ballot again
It should not be a special election
It should be placed on the November 2026 general ballot (which matches your memo)
The city should run an âeducation campaignâ to help it pass
đđťââď¸ Why it may have failed before
Based on news reports and public comments:
Voters were suspicious of commissioners trying to lengthen their own terms
Residents didnât feel informed (low public education/outreach)
Some groups pushed against what looked like âself-servingâ changes
The off-cycle March election meant very low turnout, so opponents dominated the vote
đ¤ STATE LAW FORCES POMPANO TO STRIP PUBLIC HEARINGS FROM DEVELOPMENT APPROVALS
Agenda Item 19: 26-75 (Public hearing 2nd reading)
Pompano Beach is voting on an ordinance that removes public hearings and City Commission approval from the process of approving plats -- the maps that lay out new subdivisions and development sites.
The city has no choice. A new Florida law (SB 784) now mandates that plat approvals be handled administratively by a staff member, not elected officials.
đ¨ Why it matters
Public input goes away: Residents will no longer get hearings or a chance to speak before a plat is approved.
Commission loses power: Plat approvals shift entirely to the Development Services Director.
Faster development approvals: Developers can move projects through the pipeline more quickly.
Local control reduced: This is another example of the state preempting city authority.
đ The vote, explained
Even though the decision has already been made at the state level, Pompano Beach must still update its own code to comply.
Tomorrowâs vote is basically the city saying: âWeâre updating our paperwork to match state law.â
If they voted âno,â the city would be violating state statute, risking lawsuits and legal penalties.
đ Whatâs changing
The Development Services Director becomes the sole approval authority for plats.
All public hearing requirements are deleted.
Several zoning and procedural sections are rewritten to match the new law.
đĽ New standalone ER rules up for a vote
Agenda Item 23: 25-444 -- P.H. 2025-57: (PUBLIC HEARING 1ST READING)
A developer wants the city to rewrite zoning rules to allow hospital-based off-campus emergency departments -- standalone ERs that operate 24/7 -- potentially closer to neighborhoods than what current rules allow.
If approved, the city could see 24/7 standalone ERs in more commercial areas, including those near homes. That means more medical access, but also ambulance noise, lighting, and traffic concerns.
It would also change standards for urgent care and other medical uses, including rules about how far 24-hour facilities must be from residential homes.
The Planning & Zoning Board voted 6â1 to deny the change in May, saying any 24-hour medical facility should be at least 500 feet from residential districts.
Between the lines: This change wasnât initiated by the city â it was requested by a private applicant represented by high-profile land-use attorney Dennis Mele, signaling an upcoming project that would benefit from looser zoning rules.
The item has been postponed five times, a sign of behind-the-scenes negotiations, pushback or attempts to refine (or soften) the rules.
Whatâs next:
Commissioners will decide whether to:
Side with P&Z and reject the change
Support staff and the applicant
Or negotiate new separation standards before moving it forward
đś Pompano updates pet-sale rules
Agenda Item No. 24: 26-119 -- P.H. 2025-69: (PUBLIC HEARING 1ST READING)
Pompano Beach may rewrite its rules for businesses and breeders that sell dogs and cats. The current ordinance is old, and the City Attorney says it needs to be strengthened to better regulate how animals are bred, kept and sold.
𧊠Whatâs in the update
While the summary doesnât list all the details, this type of ordinance usually covers things like:
Minimum standards for animal care
Required paperwork (vaccines, source records, age limits, etc.)
Limits on where pets can come from
Requirements for hobby breeders operating inside city limits
Penalties for non-compliance
It does not appear to ban pet sales -- it just tightens the rules.
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The backstory
Originally scheduled for Sept. 9, 2025 â postponed
Then Oct. 28, 2025 â postponed
Now coming back for 1st reading
When something gets postponed multiple times, it usually means:
Staff or commissioners wanted changes, or
Stakeholders (pet stores, breeders, advocates) pushed back.
TL;DR: If someone is selling dogs or cats in Pompano Beach, the city wants to make sure theyâre doing it responsibly.
đ¸ Should the City Attorney get a raise?
Agenda Item 28: 26-78 -- Discuss the annual performance evaluation for Mr. Mark E. Berman, City Attorney.
The council will discuss the annual performance of City Attorney Mark Berman -- one of the Cityâs four Charter Officers and one of the most influential people in City Hall. Commissioners will discuss his work, consider his raise and decide on next yearâs priorities.
His current vs. increased bi-weekly salary
His current bi-weekly salary vs. the top raise option (4%). Commissioners will choose whether he gets a 2%, 3%, or 4% bump.
đ$12,473 â $12,972
Key achievements (according to performance review)
300+ Ordinances and resolutions he drafted or reviewed this year, which is an unusually high volume.
$12 million+ PFAS (PSAF) settlement funds secured to fix water system contamination -- a major financial win for the City.
0 major disputes: No signs of conflict with the Commission or staff in this yearâs evaluation materials.
đŁ HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Consent Agenda: Commission can pull items for discussion. Speak during Audience to be Heard.
Public Hearings: Sign up to speak on each agenda item.
Audience to be Heard: General comments at the end of the meeting.