City Commission Extends Energy Efficiency Project Development Agreement
The Commission approved Resolution 26-42, authorizing an amendment to the City’s Project Development Agreement with Energy Systems Group, LLC (ESG). The amendment extends the project development phase from 120 days to 205 days, providing additional time for ESG to complete an Investment Grade Audit examining potential energy-efficiency and infrastructure improvements across City facilities. The audit is already underway. At the 30% milestone, ESG established the City’s energy and water usage baseline and evaluated 18 potential energy conservation measures across 10 City facilities and the City-owned street lighting system. The extension will allow the process to advance through the 60%, 90% and 100% milestones, including development of project scopes, subcontractor pricing, projected returns on investment and, ultimately, a firm-fixed price with guaranteed savings for Commission consideration. Among the significant opportunities identified thus far are LED sports lighting at the Bill Lips and Suellen H. Fardelmann Sports Complexes; solar canopies and battery storage at several City facilities; conversion of 331 City-maintained streetlights to LED; and a potential net-zero transition for fleet management. Collectively, the measures carried forward at this stage have an estimated preliminary savings of approximately $265,000 annually. ESG also identified sanitary sewer manhole rehabilitation as a potential source of significant cost avoidance, but staff directed that this measure undergo additional analysis before being advanced. The figures remain preliminary and will be refined as the audit progresses. Importantly, approval of the extension carries no direct cost and does not commit the City to implementing or funding any of the projects identified through the audit. Under the agreement, proposed projects would need to meet established financial criteria, including a cost-recovery period of less than 20 years. Once the remaining analysis is completed, any fully priced, guaranteed-savings project would return to the City Commission for consideration.

City Commission Formally Approves Stipulated Agreement with Renaissance Charter School
The Commission approved the formal, quasi-judicial approval of the previously executed Stipulated Agreement with Renaissance Charter School, Inc. and Red Apple at Cooper City, LLC, establishing an enforceable framework intended to resolve the parties’ dispute and ensure the school’s continued compliance with the conditions of Conditional Use Approval No. CU 9-1-09. The matter stems from a June 23, 2026 quasi-judicial hearing, when the Commission considered testimony and evidence regarding alleged noncompliance with the school’s conditional use approval and voted to revoke that approval. Following the hearing, the City Manager, City Attorney’s Office and school representatives engaged in discussions aimed at resolving the alleged violations and other outstanding differences. Those discussions resulted in the Stipulated Agreement, which was approved by the Commission at its July 21 meeting. The item returned on August 25 because the July 21 meeting had not been advertised for this matter as a quasi-judicial proceeding. For the August 25 meeting, the property was posted and mailed notice was provided in accordance with applicable requirements, allowing the Commission to formally consider the agreement through the required quasi-judicial process. The City Attorney clarified that the agreement was returning strictly for formal approval under the City's quasi-judicial procedures, describing the action as a ratification of the agreement previously approved on July 21. He also emphasized that there had been no substantive changes to the agreement since the Commission's earlier approval. Following that clarification, the Commission approved the item. After the vote, the City Attorney also provided a brief update on implementation of matters associated with the agreement and prior Commission direction. He reported that the Broward County School Board had approved an agreement to provide a School Resource Officer (SRO) at the school, with the City's SRO expected to eventually be phased out as the School Board assumes that responsibility. He also noted that the school had a pending request with Broward County concerning the potential redirection of traffic through Brian Piccolo Park, for which the City had submitted a letter of support consistent with previous Commission direction. Additionally, the City Attorney reported that the school had connected to the Real-Time Crime Center, as directed by the Commission. Overall, the August 25 action did not renegotiate or substantively modify the Stipulated Agreement. Rather, it completed the formal quasi-judicial approval process for the agreement reached following the earlier enforcement proceedings. The agreement establishes the parties' respective responsibilities and provides an enforceable mechanism for achieving and maintaining compliance with the conditional use requirements governing the property and school operations.

City Commission Approves HVAC Replacement at BSO Cooper City Police Station
The Commission approved $459,735 in total project authorization for replacement of the 30-ton HVAC system serving the south wing of the Cooper City BSO Police Station. The authorization consists of $429,735 in additional expenditure authority with Trane U.S. under Contract No. 3341, along with a $30,000 City-controlled contingency for unforeseen conditions. The project will replace the existing split HVAC system, including its indoor air handling unit and ground-level outdoor condensing unit. The new 30-ton Trane system will relocate the condensing unit to the roof, which is expected to shorten refrigerant lines, improve efficiency and extend the equipment's useful life. The scope also includes new refrigerant piping, mechanical and electrical modifications, roofing and structural work, controls integration, engineering, permitting, crane and rigging services, and system startup. The purchase is being made through the City's existing cooperative purchasing arrangement with Trane. In August 2025, the Commission authorized the City to piggyback on OMNIA Partners Contract No. 3341 for HVAC products, installation and related services. The underlying contract currently runs through August 31, 2027, with a possible additional five-year term. The Commission asked about the anticipated timeline and why the Police Station investment was moving forward at this time. Staff indicated that the City intends to move as quickly as possible following approval, with a goal of completing the work around December 2026, when outdoor temperatures are cooler. The City Manager further explained that the HVAC replacement had been anticipated as a capital expenditure, but the City had held off while awaiting the results of its public safety facility study. That study recommended maintaining the existing building for continued use as a police facility, making improvements to the building appropriate. Funding for the project comes from the City's $808,000 Citywide A/C Replacement budget. After the $459,735 authorization, approximately $348,265 remains. Importantly, the City Manager clarified during the meeting that the full $808,000 was not budgeted solely for the Police Station project. The remaining funding is intended for other HVAC improvements, including system replacements at City Hall and the Community Center, along with mini-split installations at Bill Lips Sports Complex , Suellen H. Fardelmann Sports Complex and Flamingo West Park.

City Commission Provides Direction on Medical Insurance Renewal
The Commission held an extensive discussion regarding the City's medical insurance coverage for the 2026-2027 plan year and provided staff with direction on how to proceed with a potential transition from Florida Blue to Benecon, with UnitedHealthcare serving as the medical carrier. The staff report originally presented the item as a motion to approve the Benecon renewal; however, the Commission's discussion ultimately expanded beyond a straightforward renewal decision and focused on the timing of a transition, the structure of the Benecon program, future financial exposure and the level of benefits that should be offered. The City's current medical insurance is provided through Florida Blue, which proposed a 12.4% renewal increase for the upcoming plan year. The City's proposed FY 2027 budget had conservatively anticipated a 20% increase. Staff explained that employees have experienced difficulties with Florida Blue's provider network, including reduced access to local hospitals and physicians, and that some employees had expressed dissatisfaction with the coverage. The City's insurance consultant solicited proposals from 27 carriers, with four providing medical coverage proposals. Staff recommended Benecon after comparing those alternatives. Benecon administers the Florida Government Healthcare Solutions Pool, a pooled arrangement for public-sector employers, while UnitedHealthcare would provide the medical network. During the presentation, representatives explained that the arrangement would return employees to a UnitedHealthcare network similar to the coverage the City previously had and would provide substantially broader access to local hospitals and physicians than the City's current Florida Blue plan. Two primary Benecon benefit structures were discussed. One approximately matched the City's existing Florida Blue benefits and represented about a 5.2% increase, while a second, "richer" option more closely resembled the benefits employees previously received under UnitedHealthcare and represented approximately a 6.6% increase. Both compared favorably with Florida Blue's approximately 12.4% renewal increase. A significant portion of the Commission's discussion focused on the fact that Benecon is a level-funded, or self-funded hybrid, arrangement rather than a traditional fully insured plan. Representatives explained that the City's monthly contribution would remain fixed during the plan year regardless of claims activity, but the City's individual claims experience would play a greater role in determining future renewals. The Commission discussed the potential risk of future increases, particularly because Florida Blue had not provided complete claims-experience data for the City's current year. Representatives indicated that the program currently caps annual renewal increases at 20%, while the City's actual performance would be evaluated along with broader pool experience. The agreement would also require 12 months' notice to leave the pool. The staff report further identifies stop-loss and risk-sharing protections built into the arrangement and states that these provisions do not require additional City contributions beyond the established funding amounts. Commissioners generally expressed support for returning to UnitedHealthcare because of its broader provider network and the difficulties employees have experienced under Florida Blue. At the same time, there was concern about automatically restoring every element of the City's former, richer benefit package. Discussion centered on whether especially generous deductibles or other benefit provisions could encourage additional enrollment or utilization and, because future Benecon renewals would be more closely tied to the City's claims experience, contribute to larger increases in subsequent years. The Commission therefore discussed using the richer Benecon option as a maximum benefit level rather than requiring staff to adopt every provision exactly as presented. Another major issue was the City's current October 1 insurance renewal date, which coincides with the beginning of the fiscal year and leaves Human Resources with a compressed period to evaluate renewal pricing, receive Commission direction and conduct employee enrollment. Commissioners expressed interest in moving the City's medical insurance plan year closer to a January 1 start date, which would separate the insurance renewal process from the City's annual budget adoption process and provide staff and employees additional time to prepare for future changes. That led to the principal direction emerging from the discussion: staff should attempt to negotiate an extension of the current Florida Blue coverage for up to 90 days, which could move the transition toward January 1. Staff was also asked to determine whether Benecon would maintain, or substantially maintain, the rates presented to the City if implementation were delayed. The discussion made clear, however, that obtaining the Florida Blue extension was not intended to prevent the City from moving forward with Benecon. If an extension could not be secured, the direction was to proceed with the transition rather than remain with Florida Blue solely because the desired January start date could not be achieved. The Commission also indicated that the City Manager should have discretion to work with the City's insurance professionals to refine the final benefit design, with the richer Benecon proposal serving as the upper limit. This would allow staff to evaluate individual deductibles, copayments and other provisions with an eye toward providing strong employee benefits while managing the City's longer-term claims exposure. Commissioners also encouraged staff to consider preventative-health initiatives that could improve employee health while reducing significant claims over time. Ultimately, the key outcome was direction rather than final approval of a specific insurance package. Staff was directed to work toward transitioning the City's medical coverage to the Benecon/UnitedHealthcare program; pursue an extension of Florida Blue coverage for up to 90 days in an effort to establish a more manageable renewal date; seek to preserve the proposed Benecon pricing during that period; and allow the City Manager to refine the benefit package, not exceeding the richer level of benefits presented to the Commission. If the Florida Blue extension could not be obtained, the discussion indicated that staff should nevertheless move forward with the Benecon transition.

City Commission Advances Changes to RV and Boat Regulations on First Reading
The Commission approved Ordinance 26-16 on first reading, advancing proposed changes to Section 25-10(a) of the City's Code of Ordinances governing the parking and use of recreational vehicles (RVs) and boats on residential property. The ordinance follows previous Commission discussions, resident input at the August 11 meeting, an April 2025 public workshop and recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Board. A central change is the elimination of the City's registration requirement for RVs and boats, including the associated registration fees. During first reading, the City Attorney confirmed that the ordinance completely removes the registration process as previously directed by the Commission. The ordinance also maintains the City's existing allowance permitting an RV or boat to be parked in the front yard of a residential property for up to 36 hours. Rather than using the former registration process, the ordinance provides for the City to establish an online tracking system that property owners can use to document the duration of that temporary parking. The City Attorney further clarified that the ordinance removes conflicting language from the existing code and that the previously authorized direction to refund registration fees already collected remains in place. More broadly, Ordinance 26-16 addresses restrictions related to the use, maintenance, parking and height of boats and RVs on residential property, while incorporating the changes directed by the Commission during its prior discussions. The stated purpose of the proposed code amendment is to preserve community aesthetics while promoting the health, safety and welfare of the community. With approval on first reading, Ordinance 26-16 will return for second reading and a public hearing at the September 8, 2026 City Commission Regular Meeting.

More Information
For more information related to the August 25, 2026 City Commission Regular Meeting agenda, please visit: https://meetings.municode.com/adaHtmlDocument/index?cc=COOPERCITY&me=a61d75c7b94641e5aafc2c5c212ea612&ip=true

The next City Commission Regular Meeting is scheduled for September 8, 2026 at 6:30 PM at City Hall located at 9090 SW 50 Place, Cooper City, FL 33328.