Commissioners spent an extended portion of the conference meeting addressing violent incidents at entertainment districts (Beach Place and Hemmershe) and possible ordinance changes to address public-safety concerns.

Chief Bill Schultz briefed the commission on the two incidents: investigators have developed leads and an arrest warrant has been issued in one of the Hemmershe-related matters; no arrests were announced immediately but police said they were developing suspect leads and had located a vehicle under investigation.

City staff summarized a draft approach to amend the Special Entertainment District ordinance as previously directed by the commission: the code changes would remove open-container and outdoor-sales privileges from the entertainment districts (a change staff said would apply citywide to the five special districts), and for Hemmershe staff proposed replacing the dissolved ‘‘common control’’ entity with a permit-based oversight model and a district overseer that would ensure security plans, maintenance, sanitation and district-wide security coordination.

Chief Schultz and Assistant Chief Greenlaw outlined enforcement steps: pulling additional on-duty and overtime officers to maintain visible patrols, extending patrols later into the night in downtown Hemmershe and coordinating with Broward Sheriff's Office intelligence; the chief said staffing was improving and vacancies were down to three, which would assist enforcement capacity.

Commissioners asked staff to expedite ordinance changes and suggested applying 'high-impact area' curfews and other provisions used on the barrier island to other entertainment districts. Staff reported they aim to bring the open-container/outdoor-sales amendments to the commission for first reading in February, and could seek an accelerated timeline for some components.

Next steps: staff will finalize draft ordinance language to remove open-container and outdoor-sales privileges from entertainment districts; staff said they will also prepare an implementable Hemmershe permit/oversight model and seek legal assessment on whether district-specific hours or curfews can be applied.