Homestead council unanimously approves public mural, $2M CDBG boost for wastewater generator and $12M water‑and‑sewer budget increase

The City of Homestead council on Feb. 3 approved a slate of items including a public-art mural, grant amendments for wastewater resiliency and a sizeable water-and-sewer budget increase.

A staff resolution (Addendum 1) granted approval for a public mural requested by Greater Miami Youth for Christ for property at 1088 West Mallory Drive. An unnamed presenter described a roughly 148-foot wall design intended to be interactive for community members. The council opened a public hearing, heard no public speakers and approved the mural resolution on a roll-call vote recorded as unanimous by the clerk.

Separately, the council authorized the city manager to execute amendments to three federally funded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) subrecipient agreements to add $2,000,000 in grant funding for the city’s wastewater treatment plant backup generator project and extend the project timeline by one year. City staff said persistent coordination with the granting agency secured the additional funds and the extension. The motion to approve the CDBG amendment was moved by Councilman Cannonball, seconded by Councilwoman Avila, and carried unanimously on the clerk’s roll call.

The council also adopted the second reading of an ordinance to amend the water-and-sewer utility fund budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025, increasing total budgeted revenues and expenditures by $12,000,000. Staff characterized the change as a ministerial budget accounting item to reflect loan proceeds; the ordinance passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.

Other approvals at the meeting included placing the Homesteadstone Crab and Seafood Festival on the council agenda as an in-kind sponsorship (generators, lights, staff and trash services) and waiving the staff report to approve a wetland mitigation preserve item tied to a contractual obligation to maintain a mitigation area 'in perpetuity.'

Votes at a glance: - Mural resolution (Greater Miami Youth for Christ, 1088 W. Mallory Dr.): motion carried, clerk roll call unanimous 'Yes.' - CDBG amendment for wastewater backup generator: increase of $2,000,000 and one-year extension; motion carried, clerk roll call unanimous 'Yes.' - Second-reading ordinance, water & sewer utility fund: +$12,000,000 revenues/expenditures; motion carried, clerk roll call unanimous 'Yes.' - Homesteadstone Crab and Seafood Festival in-kind support (agenda placement/ sponsorship): voice vote approved. - Wetland mitigation preserve: voice vote approved.

Why it matters: The CDBG amendment and the budget ordinance together increase the city’s funding capacity for utility infrastructure and resiliency projects, while the mural and festival approvals reflect ongoing community events and public-art investments. The wastewater generator project has an added funding increase and a one-year timeline extension that staff said were necessary for engineering and design work.

What’s next: Staff will execute the CDBG subrecipient amendments and proceed with the wastewater generator project under the extended timeline; ordinance provisions take effect per the city’s standard schedule for second-reading adoption. The mural and festival sponsorships will proceed under the approvals granted at the meeting.

Speakers quoted or cited in this article are listed in the meeting transcript and include the clerk’s roll-call entries and named presenters; some presenters spoke without providing a full name in the transcript and are referenced as an unnamed presenter where necessary.