Miami Lakes charter revision commission elects chair, sets twice‑monthly meeting schedule

The Miami Lakes Charter Revision Commission elected Javier Lesote/Lesoto as chair and Romero Inguance as vice chair and approved a twice‑monthly meeting schedule, the commission decided Tuesday as it organized its work to review the town charter over the coming months.

Deputy Town Attorney Lorenzo Coviela framed the commission’s task as foundational: "the charter is our constitution," he said, and warned members about open‑meeting and records obligations under Florida law. Coviela told commissioners to avoid private communications that could circumvent the Sunshine Law, noting such contacts could become subject to public‑records requests and "could be serious penalties to it, among them criminal penalties." The commission voted to meet twice a month at 6:30 p.m., beginning in January.

Why this matters: The commission’s recommendations will be forwarded to the town council and — if approved by council resolution — placed on a townwide referendum. The schedule and procedural rules the commission adopted will shape how quickly and how thoroughly the charter is reviewed before voters receive any proposed changes.

The session included introductions from the 10‑year reunion of past commission members and appointees. Several commissioners described prior experience with charter review: Dr. Dave Bennett, who chaired the 2016 commission, offered process advice and said he would make procedural materials available. Commissioners also discussed practical recordkeeping: members were advised to use separate, commission‑specific email accounts or to forward charter‑related messages to the clerk to ensure a single, searchable repository for public‑records compliance.

On leadership, Ramin Nguanso nominated Javier Lesote/Lesoto for chair; following a second and roll call the nomination was approved by the commission. For vice chair, Lynn Matos declined a nomination; commissioners then nominated Romero Inguance, who was elected after a roll call vote. The clerk said she will circulate calendar invites and asked members to accept them; the chair said he will send an email the next day specifying submission deadlines and agenda timing.

Staff and counsel also gave guidance on handling public comments and media inquiries. Counsel advised that public comment during meetings should be a one‑way presentation to the commission and discouraged extended back‑and‑forth during the comment period. Written public comments will be distributed to commissioners by the clerk but not read aloud.

The commission received a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order to use as a procedural reference and discussed logistics for upcoming meetings, including how staff will route recommendations and suggested charter edits to the clerk for distribution. The meeting closed with a formal motion to adjourn.

The next meeting dates and agenda deadlines will be set by the newly elected chair and shared with members via the clerk; the commission emphasized that its work must be completed in time for any council and election department deadlines required to place changes before voters.