[{"_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",6261713,"mediaKeyId","3120645-90b1af1f2c26eeb9821fa4246fe5e24a","parentId",3120645,"title","Royal Oaks residents split over nighttime license checks and license‑plate readers","audioSeconds",145,"startMs",7884205,"endMs",8030000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3120645-90b1af1f2c26eeb9821fa4246fe5e24a&start=7884&end=8030","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3120645-90b1af1f2c26eeb9821fa4246fe5e24a/thumbnail_7884205.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6261713/Miami-Lakes/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Royal-Oaks-residents-split-over-nighttime-license-checks-and-licenseplate-readers","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261713-f1a1ca2d46f3d7f5e03445d75221e704/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157579&Signature=b60HHKqvBf-orINwEuyjLMgbmVuAc79eAIFJoV7OhnC6JHteOEzQo4qWJk7K6Y3ckw1bvEA2W0UpEmf2dzlnWYLoTYTRKH6T9AA4uT7TZwb1hYnMIQvUNfKVkRhzSgGlti2jGSVjaNQgQymQIPPzE7BOu9AfFBt9fe-Boc3jd7Q3YBiB2-v5SjyMac8h3V5ptopiJDnJvXjhlL-1meSUtvbyqEirHLKCd28Kjugm~r0C3RCML4O21p89fhzEPhvUeY4VVeHD6ZT84A~gOjjpZgISQF~ngIO8jhxDX9XsnjQwZsjBHKtX2eDwikU2OSSqkoEb94GpDFVCQPG-kncGPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Miami Lakes, FL","date","2025-04-25T08:09:52.223Z","article","Council members and staff heard sharply divided views during a Miami Lakes workshop on whether guard houses should ask for drivers’ licenses at night and whether license‑plate‑reader (LPR) charges belong in district budgets.

Proponents framed the measure as a public‑safety deterrent. Lydia Hernandez, a Royal Oaks East resident, told the council she felt vulnerable after several nearby vehicle thefts and said asking for license information at night would help: “we feel like we're sitting ducks in our neighborhood,” she said. Manny Lopez, a resident who owns a private security company, described gate security as “just a visual deterrent” and urged the town to put services out to bid and consider operational changes, including resident access modules, that would reduce guard workload.

Opponents included Homer (Homero) Cruz, president of the Royal Oaks HOA, who told the council his group had previously provided extensive volunteer support to the town and said abolishing advisory boards had reduced residents’ ability to review complex budget and service proposals. Cruz argued residents should be consulted and warned against imposing new procedures without consensus. At the workshop Cruz said removing the advisory boards had made it harder for residents to do the detailed work that once guided budgets and contracts.

Staff and councilmembers described options and next steps rather than making a decision. Council member Herzberg said he had discussed implementation details with staff and expects to present a formal proposal to the council in May; he suggested a phased pilot that would begin with nighttime checks and run for a trial period. “I expect to have something come up in May... I would like to see [a start date] August 1,” Herzberg said; he added the town would need time to notify residents and coordinate with the security contractor.

Town staff and contractor representatives clarified legal and operational limits. JP, a town official working on STDs, told the workshop that gate guards may ask for a driver’s license but cannot deny access; he said similar practices exist in other Miami‑area districts and described the measure as a deterrent rather than an enforcement tool. Jorge (George) Gonzales, operations manager for SFM Security, described the difference between level‑1 and level‑2 guards as largely experience requirements and said town staff would invite the contractor to explain training and pay differentials.

Residents and HOA leaders asked practical questions about notification and implementation. Staff proposed additional communications — mailers, a‑frame signs and weatherproof screens on guard houses — and said some notification duties formerly handled by an HOA management company may shift to the town. JP and staff said they would explore low‑cost notice options (a‑frames, gatehouse screens) and would return with costs and an implementation plan ahead of any May council action. No vote was taken at the workshop.

The debate underscored a broader tension in Miami Lakes between neighborhood autonomy and townwide uniformity: some HOAs want to retain local control over procedures and communications; other residents asked the council to act quickly to address perceived crime risk. Councilmembers signaled they will take the item back for study, public hearing and a council vote after staff returns with options and estimated costs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Workshop | April 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council members and staff heard sharply divided views during a Miami Lakes workshop on whether guard houses should ask for drivers’ licenses at night and whether license‑plate‑reader (LPR) charges belong in district budgets.","taxTitle","Miami Lakes, Miami-Dade County, Florida","taxId",55516,"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},6261719,"Miami Lakes workshop previews special taxing district budgets as guard contract and formula changes push some assessments higher",6976,4291225,11268120,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3120645-90b1af1f2c26eeb9821fa4246fe5e24a&start=4291&end=11268","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3120645-90b1af1f2c26eeb9821fa4246fe5e24a/thumbnail_4291225.jpg","/articles/6261719/Miami-Lakes/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Miami-Lakes-workshop-previews-special-taxing-district-budgets-as-guard-contract-and-formula-changes-push-some-assessments-higher","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261719-74f1fd154d96270499836a66ba3a1245/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157579&Signature=K1Cc0ZXKh1M1LHQxpyxcmktflHM6i~LGxBWQ4wpGyZuFKfQfO2QLPM~1oNSIIgkMMjqAI~~084iF0nbIRUImMQQT0TeoDBtfKTvJRHa2dAXiXvQ43Rsu77adApNIrUPTzBz0wu6Bf11h-XtUV~fJu~lPRD5ubhdCztmgPfot~-F~ktW4-Z8Aa9C0h4jBVArc7a8Uj1wG7c70SSPb5oC0-Sr59tABF3Yl-qcKmbg8NlIy2feWJeWekiaaU8FWYFlw4-hGG7hEt8~wY2tplrfQ8l5y4qwEAA91uFRjJitm0dhKrc3B-OudxY38CWUXuLmlQEbMhUb4t4AdnjpRH4U3Hw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Town of Miami Lakes council workshop held in the evening (the clerk recorded the roll at 6:37 p.m.), council members and staff reviewed preliminary budgets and proposed assessment rates for the town's special taxing districts, noting that the materials were for public input and are not final.

The review matters because assessment rates fund gate guards, lake maintenance and other services in the districts; staff warned residents that the draft numbers reflect recent changes to the cost-allocation formula and rising guard wages, and that final votes will come at later public readings. “What’s presented here is a preliminary budget. It is not something that even when this is presented to the council in May on first reading, we will have 2 readings. It is only to really approve the assessment,” Budget Director Melissa said during the workshop.

Staff described the schedule and purpose of the materials. Melissa told the group the council will consider an assessment rate (first reading in May, second reading in June) so staff can transmit the rate to the county for TRIM purposes by about July 10–11, and the town’s full budget will be adopted in September. JP, a town staff member working on the STDs, said the draft presented to residents is intended to give the council options on whether to increase, reduce or hold assessment levels.

Residents and district representatives raised multiple concerns about how costs were calculated. Esperanza Reynolds, a Lakeland Island resident, said the original ordinance had promised a much lower assessment and asked staff to restore rates closer to that figure: “the original ordinance promised that we would only pay 208,” she said. Boris Foster, a Royal Oaks resident, asked about the removal of license‑plate‑reader charges from district budgets, and several residents pressed staff for clearer documentation in advance of workshops.

Staff explained the main drivers of higher assessments in some districts. Melissa said the town now divides indirect costs among districts by the total number of units in each district, which can increase a single district’s share if it contains a large fraction of the total units. JP walked the council through Miami Lakes Section 1 numbers: 841 units, a preliminary assessment rate shown in the packet of $330 per unit, and a preliminary total budget figure of $312,125 that includes a 10% contingency of $28,528. JP explained that the town had to draw from contingency in prior years to cover increases in guard hourly wages (for one district Melissa said the guard wage rose from $15.50 an hour in 2022 to $22.10 in 2022–23), and that those increases fed into the current proposed assessment.

Several residents pointed to large year‑to‑year swings in specific line items. One widely discussed example was a jump in “direct costs” shown on the draft: direct costs for one district rose from $6,610 (2022 actuals) to $31,601 (2023 actuals). JP and Melissa attributed that in part to the change in cost‑allocation formula and to higher hourly rates paid to the security contractor after the council decided to piggyback on a county contract. JP said SFM Security — the contractor now covering multiple districts — has requested a change order that would raise the hourly rate for level‑1 guards and level‑2 guards; he summarized the request as an increase for level‑1 from about $21.40 to $22.75 and for level‑2 from about $23.43 to $24.13, and said Royal Oaks and Loch Lomond will be on the same contract starting Oct. 1. JP also said that because the town piggybacked on an existing contract the hourly rate for guards rose immediately for districts that were already on that contract.

Staff walked residents through operating and carry‑forward items. Melissa explained that some districts carry significant contingency reserves (for example, Lake Hilda’s draft showed a projected carryforward near $20,000) and that carryforwards are often earmarked as contingency per the town ordinance. She said the preliminary packet increases planned mailings for each district to cover quarterly meetings, a budget mailer and a possible additional emergency mailing — a change from the prior practice under advisory boards that budgeted only a single mailer.

Residents asked for more transparency and time to review detail. Several speakers, including Homer Cruz, president of the Royal Oaks HOA, said the prior advisory boards provided more granular review and voiced frustration at having to consider complex budget math in a short workshop. Melissa and JP said the May council agenda will include more complete backup, that the draft is preliminary and that the council will have further chances to adjust contingency levels (for example, changing a 10% contingency to 5%) before finalizing assessments.

No formal actions were taken at the workshop. Staff said any changes to assessment rates or contingency policy would be proposed to the council at later readings and that residents will have additional opportunities to comment before votes.

Looking ahead, staff said they will present the formal assessment‑rate ordinance for first reading in May and second reading in June, allowing time for public review and for the town to transmit the chosen rate to the county for TRIM processing.","At a Town of Miami Lakes council workshop held in the evening (the clerk recorded the roll at 6:37 p.m.), council members and staff reviewed preliminary budgets and proposed assessment rates for the town's special taxing districts, noting that the materials were for public input and are not final.",{"_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},6261709,"Loch Lomond residents trigger petition process for guardhouse renovations; petition form and thresholds explained",333,9880265,10214000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3120645-90b1af1f2c26eeb9821fa4246fe5e24a&start=9880&end=10214","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3120645-90b1af1f2c26eeb9821fa4246fe5e24a/thumbnail_9880265.jpg","/articles/6261709/Miami-Lakes/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Loch-Lomond-residents-trigger-petition-process-for-guardhouse-renovations-petition-form-and-thresholds-explained","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261709-ded98e320a941b532b47261d4900b576/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157579&Signature=Xpm3uDUrmrzxZpjJBCfDcnPBdqIZ5u9LZmVSOqEwcJsblgRL1JilRknBzVDrH-hMRSuK0hatTyeE877dvMsiBkbw-N4YXlDyvBRLw4n67sjDAzsM69~CsbeN3qd~xnuVOR6fOMIREU5VLvBT~U2nj5GXPF1Y4TA7lI3PwsOY6-oXK7nqk7PVst3ywy5OEwH-Pl29c9ahBl8ghPLLM1YAwoa7DunS0Dow2-Ni1wQ6lZrPTdyWwTooAojIlEdweEV4RSzVMpR6BAGdYimKV9cAHbvzXlxxwnZ0pPgqTeoYIzrNaCiEdZsJ6jm9rGtAri7wpuC~f-j4diVDN565bHJFLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Loch Lomond residents submitted a letter of intent that, under the town’s special taxing district procedures, triggers preparation of a formal petition to consider renovation or replacement of the neighborhood’s guard house.

JP and staff told the workshop the HOA provided signatures meeting the 10% letter‑of‑intent threshold established by the town’s STD ordinance, which requires town staff to prepare a petition. JP said the petition process is stepwise: if petition signatures reach 50% plus one of property owners the town proceeds to a legislative package that would go before the council and, if needed, an election; if signatures exceed two‑thirds, the town can prepare an enactment package directly. JP summarized the rule for the council: “If the support of at least 50% of the property owners plus 1 additional property owner is not attained on the petition, then the request… will have been deemed unsuccessful… If the support of more than 50% but not more than 66.66% is attained… then a legislative package will be prepared… If the support of more than 2 thirds is attained… then a legislative package will be prepared for approval and enactment,” he read aloud.

Pat (Patrick) Kunkel and HOA representatives told the council they sought clearer cost estimates before asking members to sign a ballot or vote. JP said he obtained preliminary estimates for several renovation options but cautioned that full design and construction estimates will require architectural and engineering work. The options presented to residents included: (1) full entrance replacement (additional lane, guardhouse moved to median, new plumbing and restroom), (2) renovation of the existing guardhouse without major reconfiguration, or (3) no change. Pat and other residents said they expected staff to gather more precise cost estimates before the petition goes to a full vote.

Staff clarified funding and ownership limits. JP noted one frequently raised point: the community’s back gate is owned by the HOA, not the special taxing district, so any work on that gate would be paid for and approved by the HOA rather than by STD funds. The town will validate signatures and prepare the petition form for distribution; HOA leaders will circulate the petition per the ordinance and return it to the town for counting and the next procedural steps.

Next steps: Town staff will collect more detailed quotes and return to council with estimates and a formal petition form. If residents gather the required majority signatures on the petition, the council will follow the ordinance’s stage‑gating for legislative action or an election.","Residents in Loch Lomond submitted sufficient letters of intent to begin a petition under the town's special taxing district rules to consider guardhouse renovations. Staff outlined three options — full replacement, renovation, or no change — and explained the petition thresholds and next procedural steps.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Royal Oaks residents split over nighttime license checks and license‑plate readers

Miami Lakes workshop previews special taxing district budgets as guard contract and formula changes push some assessments higher

Loch Lomond residents trigger petition process for guardhouse renovations; petition form and thresholds explained