[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6673677,"mediaKeyId","2091391-83c62ccf064446747ef375ae58539afb","parentId",2091391,"title","City attorney: Hallandale Beach code prohibits fireworks; enforcement faces practical limits","audioSeconds",731,"startMs",7410000,"endMs",8141000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2091391-83c62ccf064446747ef375ae58539afb&start=7410&end=8141","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2091391-83c62ccf064446747ef375ae58539afb/thumbnail_7410000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6673677/Hallandale-Beach/Broward-County/Florida/City-attorney-Hallandale-Beach-code-prohibits-fireworks-enforcement-faces-practical-limits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6673677-3718cff1271e4add5767255f2f49fa70/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436894&Signature=Hs~AJ67HZeSAT9W432FjkJki9EkVt~MH5-j~kiD~zYvcrU-QFY14~3~mr~w7uoqUf6U6a41lur34xr1XvcYoazG76nW7Q74qco4ncEMAfWjaL5ZBzjRtlFQnpyaLQDwHTJw6xLSndVIRsmrY~CWlZ1JSFP75WMetbskOgzQraTVkafXfoGlQ9~JrKKY1ADQokNLfYHZyk7mlGcraJTJJfDEJs6zvbzP3UM9S19iBt~ZzD9Aa3mjIEr3q-gsn78UYZKjZlNc~G1S5WHoqZgWZfSROcQN1XbfOjtut3JEmmnuzSportpNVpUH7hXBWiZCTxwuw~xXQ-NwOs7TSYJWryw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hallandale Beach","date","2025-01-08T00:00:00Z","article","Hallandale Beach’s municipal code prohibits the use of fireworks within city limits unless authorized by the city manager, the city attorney told the commission on Jan. 8; the transcript shows staff and commissioners then discussed enforcement and public education.

City Attorney (identified in the meeting only by title) said state law on fireworks has an unusual structure that permits statewide use on New Year’s Eve and July 4, but also allows municipalities to maintain more restrictive ordinances that predate the state law. Hallandale Beach’s prohibition dates to 1980 and remains in force, the attorney said. The city manager’s office reported it did not find a prior signed city-manager policy authorizing fireworks on those dates.

Commissioners and staff discussed enforcement practicality. The city attorney noted municipal prosecutions are resource intensive and that the city’s prosecution office handles relatively few ordinance cases annually; an influx of hundreds of fireworks citations around holidays would stretch capacity. She said citations with adequate evidence can be prosecuted in county court, but that evidence often requires officers to witness the violation or to collect reliable video and other documentation.

Commissioner Butler said the Jan. 1 incident on a neighborhood street had caused property damage and noted residents recorded video; he and others said they wanted greater clarity for residents and stronger messaging that fireworks are prohibited. Commissioner Adams asked whether property trespass and damage would be separate legal avenues; the attorney confirmed trespass and property-damage claims would be handled under different legal standards.

City Manager Dr. Earl and public-safety staff said officers have discretion in field responses and acknowledged the difficulty of broad enforcement during holiday periods when many incidents occur simultaneously. Staff suggested focusing on public education, clarifying any permit process and reminding residents that targeted enforcement and prosecutions remain possible in egregious cases.

The commission discussed options including (1) formalizing a clear permit and review policy under existing code by delegating the city manager’s authority to a permit workflow; (2) leaving the current prohibition in place and increasing public messaging; or (3) amending the municipal code if the commission wants to carve out specific allowance days by ordinance. No ordinance change was proposed or voted on at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to follow up with clearer public guidance and a review of any internal, signed permitting policies.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hallandale Beach - January 8, 2025 City Commission Meeting. - Jan 08, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The city attorney told commissioners that Hallandale Beach’s municipal code bans fireworks without the city manager’s authorization, but enforcement of the ban — particularly on July 4 and New Year’s Eve — poses practical challenges for police and municipal prosecutors.","taxTitle","Hallandale Beach, Broward County, Florida","taxId",68768,"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},6673681,"Commission approves first reading of renewal-and-replacement fund ordinance to smooth capital spending",583,6653000,7236000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2091391-83c62ccf064446747ef375ae58539afb&start=6653&end=7236","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2091391-83c62ccf064446747ef375ae58539afb/thumbnail_6653000.jpg","/articles/6673681/Hallandale-Beach/Broward-County/Florida/Commission-approves-first-reading-of-renewal-and-replacement-fund-ordinance-to-smooth-capital-spending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6673681-87b4423afb3430afbf1ad6a778aaec57/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436894&Signature=VK~XhNLHkqcIN9iR4P7P~6ph9vBoClnuT0UL8b2tpH34T9l2sm0bpYKdWVrMr2LMfdAFJn0RqOMCMRfvH0JPq0qM6fLQM~HyEThFUcpljEwJD17B7OORlBJvODCVb0WZBS6F8rpUv8xlndCZW4X9L61EVZtHVfo5uckoQfX8j3q6e18nQ5seubqdblGPLsOBcz9mH1CqfphvsPloqAaYn4x5M4KmiDdjEp3BlSiaSLWueTWLyM5Cwki7CszzqIcr4AVrQcsU6TkaBIRQ1xZdz8z3-C-daF7c51skHQWLZM1hVgSmgcBWLJrXbyY0KrW07lDfpG9lr-8mYHPTXZJzCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hallandale Beach City Commission voted on first reading on Jan. 8 to create an ordinance establishing a Renewal & Replacement (R&R) fund intended to smooth budgeting for capital maintenance and replacement.

City budgeting staff and the city manager explained the proposed ordinance will replace the city’s current ‘‘pay-as-you-go’’ approach with a multi-year planning policy recommended by the Government Finance Officers Association. Natasha Mazze (identified as budgeting/grant monitoring director in the meeting) told commissioners the city has roughly $82 million in aging capital assets and that the R&R fund was launched in 2022 with an initial allocation of $1.5 million. Through fiscal 2025, staff said the fund will total about $3.5 million after additional allocations and investment earnings.

Key features of the ordinance include codifying the R&R fund, requiring 25-year replacement schedules aligned to asset lifecycles, and authorizing that any transfers out of the fund require commission approval by ordinance. Mazze said schedules would be provided for categories including technology, facilities, fire and police equipment, parks and open spaces; the city will transition schedules from a five-year to a 25-year basis and finalize full program integration by October of the fiscal year.

Mayor Joy Cooper and City Manager Dr. Earl described the R&R fund as a measure to reduce future budget volatility and to prevent unfunded maintenance liabilities from being deferred to later administrations. The manager said the policy also limits the ability of future managers to move funds without commission visibility.

On a motion and second, the commission approved first reading; the roll call recorded three commissioners present and voting for the measure and one commissioner absent, with first-reading approval recorded as 4-0 in the transcript. Staff said the ordinance will return for second reading in February and that departments will finalize 25-year schedules for integration into the next budget cycle.

Commissioners asked about replacement-life assumptions and how the city sets a replacement schedule for items such as roofs, playground equipment and HVAC systems; staff replied schedules will start with industry standards and then be adjusted based on local conditions such as saltwater exposure. The commission approved first reading and set a second reading date in February.","On first reading the Hallandale Beach City Commission approved an ordinance creating a Renewal & Replacement (R&R) fund and requiring multi-year schedules to stabilize capital maintenance funding; second reading set for February.",{"_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},6673685,"City consultants: Hallandale Beach EMS billing and collections lag; deficit could grow $4M by 2030",1048,3632000,4680000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2091391-83c62ccf064446747ef375ae58539afb&start=3632&end=4680","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2091391-83c62ccf064446747ef375ae58539afb/thumbnail_3632000.jpg","/articles/6673685/Hallandale-Beach/Broward-County/Florida/City-consultants-Hallandale-Beach-EMS-billing-and-collections-lag-deficit-could-grow-4M-by-2030","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6673685-f10dcc07953e6fc5f2dca023e2a47d40/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436894&Signature=mja-q1A3CuealIPnfrQshdm4UQ6HqU~Tw1tZGbmfdMLVkcB8rxUjw54X48vnBdP1c~3P0LY680qeqHdbSHqv6AfK7VDzFFN-6BUUJ7nhMiNHToHdL5jeU6NY1RbP5Vuk6dWqO-QWlt2TsfNl9FptedHHm~m2Bg2RVl2gPr-BiKiSN3Yd5Qaw~dGJMhOMI2cPEK4s9ruSH4Wtj8EgIb-dpACZXxDAQc7Z7dJcEDc4bBpH0hdpJpf9HhYhQK43hFN5Ohml-cAC1qh2Qf7HgUERY5sJuiEj8X6CRHbY0PsOaqnUUE0riW~iHQ1~ncWTSPtSPnqfgPB2hv7mQWWdW64JSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants presented a multi-year analysis of Hallandale Beach’s emergency medical services (EMS) revenue and collection practices at the City Commission meeting on Jan. 8, saying the city faces a growing shortfall unless billing, documentation and policy changes are made.

Cassandra Lee of Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) told the commission that most billable incidents are advanced life support (ALS) emergencies — “about 3,000 incidents per year” — while basic life support (BLS) transports are fewer than 1,000 annually. She summarized the city’s payer mix as heavily weighted to Medicare and noted that Medicare pays allowed rates limited by federal rules.

Lee said gross ALS charges average about $2.6 million annually and that Medicare accounted for nearly half of initial charges in the period reviewed. Patient self-pay charges totaled roughly $950,000 and adjustments and write-offs affected net revenue; ESCI reported roughly $1.1 million in adjustments largely tied to ALS claims. The consultants recommended steps including: reviewing ALS claims denials; standardizing patient-care narratives used for billing; revising the resident transport-fee waiver policy; contracting with specialized insurance-collections firms; and evaluating long-term revenue options such as a dedicated millage or special assessment.

City Manager Dr. Earl said the study will be foundational for upcoming budget discussions, and that, “that deficit will grow by approximately $4,000,000 over the next 5 years” if no changes are made; he added the single-year increase from FY26 to FY27 is roughly $800,000. The consultants also noted the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) provides fire rescue and EMS under contract and that some operational and data elements will require working closely with BSO and the city’s billing contractor.

Commissioners pressed for additional detail. Commissioner Butler said the city appears to be “creating a collections issue” by billing high gross charges when realized payments are a fraction of those amounts; Butler noted the city collects about 37% of ALS charges and 53% of BLS charges. ESCI explained some shortfalls stem from insurer allowable rates, narrative/documentation mismatches that lead to denials, and historical COVID-19 fund rules that temporarily changed billing practice.

Consultants flagged several follow-up tasks: obtain more granular denials reports from the billing vendor; analyze frequency of repeated transports by specific residents; clarify use and limits of the city’s transport-fee waiver; and explore community paramedic programs and other alternatives to repeated transports. ESCI also described AHCA/PEMT reporting and a federal CMS data survey that can help apportion EMS costs but noted the data collection is resource intensive.

There was no vote attached to the presentation; commissioners and staff said the findings will inform budget workshops and a future discussion about the fire assessment methodology and potential revenue measures.","Emergency services consultants told the Hallandale Beach City Commission that ambulance billable volume is heavily ALS, collections are limited by payer rules and the city's EMS cost gap may widen by about $4 million over five years without changes.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6673689,"Hallandale Beach proclaims 'Ofer Meir Day,' highlights NOVA music festival exhibit",2252,370000,2622000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2091391-83c62ccf064446747ef375ae58539afb&start=370&end=2622","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2091391-83c62ccf064446747ef375ae58539afb/thumbnail_370000.jpg","/articles/6673689/Hallandale-Beach/Broward-County/Florida/Hallandale-Beach-proclaims-Ofer-Meir-Day-highlights-NOVA-music-festival-exhibit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6673689-960d141ebdf3f1cc4496ce8625f52db6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436894&Signature=oDWVJSMIFSBx1~FxGbre8hPOWl42WbFDzfyfuMTxF9K84e~ZM9oBriDfth8OGOBXWQh-EOA2MOesEEIq0-1s7IpAVka-jwmvp3KLwtv0kBLFs12S7fWDuheH99wcPn4zqUX33xysV2jiiYOv26pzDOWcR2KlB~6bH6XRz~YDBYuHIXWoJZYQsmIOThS43moPffDuf2moShjmB0fcvwyducyrSOliLv4JxcHcRvV527ntH-q8Sn2Kta4Dv7o6MXZYQcqBCDVRGy3YAvLC1z~pBxrvgRrWzPITHjgDH8SlayGMJno4QViPcxCOwsAf9jK9PUhzBMVZouCW-AcsOrbj-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hallandale Beach City Commission on Wednesday proclaimed Jan. 8, 2025, in honor of Ofer (referred to in the meeting as Afar/Afar Meir) and recognized a traveling exhibit that documents the Oct. 7 attack at the NOVA music festival.

The proclamation, read by Mayor Joy Cooper, said the exhibit “honors loss of lives while providing survivors with a platform to share their stories” and called the installation “a place to educate and a place to fight hate.” The mayor presented the proclamation to representatives of the Israeli consulate and to survivors who had traveled to Hallandale Beach for the event.

The proclamation noted the exhibit recreates the festival’s atmosphere using salvaged remnants from the site, including scorched cars and other artifacts, and said it aims to “bear witness to the largest massacre in music history.” Gabriel Brandeis, identified at the meeting as a representative of the Israeli consulate, urged the audience to “wake up” to global threats and asked those present to applaud Israeli soldiers defending the country.

Ofer Meir and other survivors addressed the commission and attendees. One survivor said the exhibit was initially shown in Tel Aviv two months after Oct. 7 and that visitors ‘‘could see themselves or their families’’ in the displays; another said the installation is not about politics or religion but about what happened at a music festival. Several resident speakers and representatives from the Israel American Council described the exhibit as a tool for education, healing and fighting antisemitism.

City officials and residents urged people to visit the exhibit, which one speaker said was on display through mid-February, and several commissioners described prior city actions supporting Israel since Oct. 2023, including flag displays and past municipal delegations to Israeli communities. The mayor also said the city had offered tickets to the exhibit to municipal employees.

The presentation included a short video and a public photo opportunity with city leadership and the exhibit representatives. No formal vote on the proclamation was recorded in the meeting transcript; the item was presented during the opening portion of the meeting followed by a brief question-and-answer and public-comment period. The commission and members of the public emphasized the exhibit’s educational value and the need to keep attention on survivors and victims.

The event preceded the substantive business portion of the meeting, and city officials said they would continue to coordinate with exhibit organizers and community groups on outreach and educational visits.","The Hallandale Beach City Commission on Jan. 8 recognized survivors of the NOVA music festival attack, presented a proclamation for Ofer (Afăr) Meir and urged residents to visit an exhibit memorializing the event.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City attorney: Hallandale Beach code prohibits fireworks; enforcement faces practical limits

Commission approves first reading of renewal-and-replacement fund ordinance to smooth capital spending

City consultants: Hallandale Beach EMS billing and collections lag; deficit could grow $4M by 2030

Hallandale Beach proclaims 'Ofer Meir Day,' highlights NOVA music festival exhibit