Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Commission approves subsidy for Little Haiti FC after heated debate over youth‑sports funding
Summary
The North Miami Beach City Commission approved a one‑year, $52,240 facility‑use and subsidy agreement for Little Haiti FC to run free youth soccer programming for city residents, amid concerns from other local providers and questions about scheduling and use of limited youth sports funds.
The North Miami Beach City Commission approved a facility‑use agreement and a one‑time subsidy of $52,240 to support Little Haiti FC's free youth soccer program after nearly two hours of public comment and commissioner debate. The measure passed after amendments that require the program to prioritize North Miami Beach residents and return to the commission before a multi‑year renewal.
Pat Santangelo, who described himself as co‑founder of Little Haiti FC, told the commission the program is “the only free youth soccer program in the state of Florida” and highlighted education and wraparound services the group provides. Coach Joas “JP” Castro explained the team’s model and said the club charges families about $100 per month for two weekly sessions when it operates as a paid program, but Little Haiti FC’s proposal for North Miami Beach…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
