Committee seeks council approval for drowning-prevention swim lessons and advances its FY26–27 budget

The Miami Lakes Public Safety Committee voted to advance a report to the Town Council recommending a partnership with Miami-Dade County’s drowning-prevention program to provide multi-day swim lessons and to include updated budget figures for FY 26–27.

The Chair described how the county’s drowning-prevention program can enter into intergovernmental agreements with municipalities and school districts to offer free swim instruction. "What I suggest we do is... get this approved through the council as an event," the Chair said, recommending that staff be directed to work with Miami-Dade County to finalize an agreement and, if needed, set up the program for the next fiscal year.

Committee members noted that adequate swim lessons typically require at least two weeks and that the county program might waive facility fees if an intergovernmental agreement is in place. The committee agreed the initiative requires staff involvement (parks and recreation and the county) and flagged that, if not possible this school year, the effort should be fully prepared for the next fiscal year.

Separately, the committee reviewed and approved its FY 26–27 budget report for the council packet, updating line items to reflect the committee’s current estimates (including reducing the Back to Nature event estimate). The Chair explained items such as awards, PSAs, event costs (example estimates: Back to Nature $400–800, open house $1,200), and communications costs for PSAs. The committee set a special-call meeting for council budget review on June 4 and will present the updated package at the council meeting on June 16.

Next steps: staff will be directed to work with Miami-Dade County on the drowning-prevention agreement; the Chair will finalize budget line items with staff before the June 4 special-call meeting.