Opa-locka commissioners ask staff to draft single ordinance package to overhaul advisory boards

City of Opa-locka commissioners discussed proposed changes to the city’s advisory boards during a March 26 workshop and asked city staff to return with a single package of legislation to implement the recommendations.

The discussion focused on measures to make boards more functional and locally controlled, including changing membership and quorum rules for planning and zoning and historic preservation panels, consolidating the teen advisory board into the community relations board, creating alternate members to ensure quorums, and improving recruitment, incentives and training for volunteers.

The recommendations stem from a report requested by the mayor on Jan. 8 and presented to the commission on Feb. 12. City Clerk (presenter) described broad recommendations to amend ordinances so each board’s scope, duties and membership are clearer, to set aside line items for board administrative costs and training, and to adopt rules of procedure and consistent minute-submission practices.

Among the panel-specific proposals, staff recommended that the Planning & Zoning Board — currently a seven-member body with a four-member quorum — be reconstituted as a five-member board with two alternates, with quorum set at three. Staff made a similar recommendation for the Historic Preservation Board, which the presenter said is currently a nine-member board that has struggled to meet its five-member quorum. The presenter said adding alternates would reduce delays on land-use and preservation cases.

The presenter also recommended folding the Teen and Young Adult Advisory Board (ages 16–21) into the Community Relations, Recreation and Activities Advisory Board by reserving several slots for teen or young-adult members. Commissioners and staff discussed reasons for low teen participation — including graduations, college attendance and extracurricular schedules — and potential remedies such as Saturday meetings, recruitment through schools and trade schools, and recruiting at city events with printed applications or QR codes.

Public commenter Audrey Dominguez said she serves on the Planning & Zoning and Civil Service boards and urged better publicity and clearer role descriptions for boards. Dominguez also said the city has “lost a lot of good employees, staff members that have been fired for personal reasons and not because of violation, violation of of city policies.”

Several commissioners supported incentives and training for volunteers, quarterly board reports to the commission, and aligning board-member terms with the terms of the appointing commissioners so new officeholders have appointment influence. Vice Mayor (unnamed) urged that appointments “coincide with the terms” of elected officials to give newly elected commissioners a say in board appointments.

Commissioners discussed the Civil Service Board separately. Staff presented a recommendation to repeal or amend the Civil Service Board ordinance, noting an earlier repeal ordinance brought July 10, 2023, died for lack of a second. The presenter said the repeal language has been reviewed by the city attorney, the city manager and the HR director; the HR director was not present but the presenter said she has recommendations. Commissioners asked that HR provide its comments when legislation is returned.

Questions were raised about alternates and whether alternates should be appointed at-large; staff said it would research how alternates would be implemented and follow up with legal counsel. Commissioners also discussed retaining local control of the Historic Preservation Board to avoid delays that could result from county involvement.

City Manager Samir said staff would prepare legislation to implement the pack of recommendations together. “No. We’ll bring back legislation to do everything at once,” he said. The manager and clerk indicated that any recommended ordinance language and HR input would be provided to the commission when the bill(s) are returned for consideration.

No formal ordinance changes were adopted at the workshop. The only formal action recorded in the transcript was a motion to adjourn the workshop; Commissioner Santiago made the motion, Commissioner Irvin seconded, and the meeting was adjourned.

Next steps: staff will prepare and return a single legislative package addressing the boards, with proposed ordinance language, HR input on the Civil Service Board, and implementation details such as alternates, quorum language and proposed funding lines for training and materials.