Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves three‑month trial for youth soccer program at Sherbani Park
Summary
The Opa‑locka City Commission voted 5‑0 on March 25 to authorize a facility‑use agreement with Soccer Star Elite for Sherbani Park, but only after adding a three‑month pilot clause requiring the city manager to report back on operations, staffing and public impacts.
The City of Opa‑locka on March 25 approved a facility‑use agreement allowing ADC International Group Inc., doing business as Soccer Star Elite, to use Sherbani Park for youth soccer on a month‑to‑month basis with a required three‑month pilot period and a manager's assessment due thereafter. The motion and an amendment to set the initial term as a three‑month trial passed unanimously, 5‑0.
The resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Santiago, was pulled for discussion before the vote after Commissioner Natasha Irvin raised concerns about short notice provisions in the agreement and whether park programming had been coordinated across Ingram and Shabbani parks. Commissioners debated a clause that would have required three days’ notice for emergency scheduling changes; Ms. Irvin said she opposed a strict three‑day requirement because league schedules sometimes change quickly.
Vice Mayor Kelly offered the amendment to make the contract an initial three‑month trial and to require the city manager to return to the commission with an assessment of how the arrangement worked. That amendment passed by voice vote, then the amended agreement was approved 5‑0.
In the discussion commissioners pressed staff on operational details that the contract would need to address: which parks would host football versus soccer, how many park staff would be present on weekends (staff reported Sherbanni typically has three regular staff on Saturday), whether off‑duty police would be required for games with higher attendance, and whether storage, restroom and concession use needed specific language in the contract. The manager said participants would provide a schedule to the parks director and that off‑duty police would be coordinated for games where attendance warranted it.
Mayor Taylor called for the manager to bring back a report at the end of the three‑month pilot to let the commission decide whether to continue, modify or terminate the agreement. The clerk recorded the roll‑call vote as Commissioners Irvin, Kelly, Santiago, Bass and Mayor Taylor voting yes.
The pilot approval allows park programming to proceed immediately if the vendor accepts the amended terms and signs the contract; commissioners emphasized the agreement remains cancelable with 30 days’ written notice by either party.
