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Council revises inspector general duties and penalties process; amends appeal language to cite Chapter 162.21
Summary
Council adopted amendments assigning some code‑compliance duties to the inspector general and updated penalty and appeal language to reference Florida Statute chapter 162.21 and county court review.
The City of Doral on May 14 adopted two related ordinances: amendments to the Office of the Inspector General's duties (Ordinance 2025‑16) and an ordinance creating penalties for violating rules of conduct and mayor/council orders (Ordinance 2025‑17). Council members debated how appeals and due‑process protections should operate for citations issued by the inspector general.
Vice Mayor Maureen Porras raised concerns that a sentence in the proposed IG duties ordinance describing appeals to the Eleventh Circuit was incomplete and risked running afoul of due‑process protections. Porras said the code should explicitly provide notice and the opportunity for a hearing before penalties are assessed. The city attorney recommended replacing the incomplete sentence with language referencing Florida Statute chapter 162.21 and directing contested citations to county court in Miami‑Dade County, which sets out notice, hearing and appeal provisions.
City Attorney Coviela explained that Chapter 162 of Florida Statutes provides two alternative methods for code enforcement and that following chapter 162.21's procedures would incorporate the statute's notice and contest mechanisms. The city attorney proposed amended language: citations issued by the inspector general may be contested as provided in Florida Statute chapter 162.21 to county court in Miami‑Dade County.
Council members also discussed the administrative process for assessing and collecting fines and the timing of any stipend deductions for council members. Several council members emphasized that any deduction from a council member's stipend should occur only after final administrative or judicial remedies are exhausted. One speaker summarized the intended flow: investigation by the IG, issuance of citation if warranted, opportunity to contest in county court pursuant to chapter 162.21, and only after final order is entered may any fines be collected or stipend deductions applied.
Motion to approve Ordinance 2025‑16 as amended carried on a recorded roll call: Councilman Pinedo and Councilwoman Reynoso voted yes; one councilmember voted no (recorded in transcript as "Councilwoman Coda"/Cabral); Vice Mayor Porras voted no; Mayor Christie Fraga voted yes. A similar roll call approved Ordinance 2025‑17 on second reading with the same pattern of votes.
During public comment, a resident raised concerns about a county library book and child‑protection statutes; councilmembers clarified that the county library system, not the city, administers county libraries and suggested the speaker contact the county commissioner.
The council adopted the inspector‑general and penalties changes with amendments to reference Chapter 162.21 procedures and to make clear that contested citations follow the statutory notice and appeal procedures before fines are finalized or deducted.
