Commission Supports Continued Collaboration with Optimist Club on New Agreement and Financial Accountability
The City Commission reached a consensus to give City Manager Alex Rey authority to negotiate a proposed agreement with the Cooper City Optimist Club on the Commission’s behalf. Current youth sports programs will continue without interruption as both organizations work toward an agreement that supports children and families while strengthening financial controls and accountability.Following hours of public comment from families, coaches, volunteers and other community members, the Commission reaffirmed its commitment to preserving youth sports and finding a collaborative path forward with the Optimist. The discussion focused on continuing the longstanding partnership while ensuring the Club implements and consistently follows the financial procedures needed to support its operations.A central part of that discussion was compliance with 21 high-priority financial and internal control items identified by the City Manager and Chief Financial Officer following an independent forensic review. These priorities address the collection, documentation, approval and oversight of funds, including fundraising and sponsorship receipts, purchasing, payments and reimbursements, banking controls, payroll documentation and Board review of financial activity.The discussion emphasized that compliance involves more than adopting policies. Those procedures must be consistently applied across the Club’s sports programs, with supporting records demonstrating that the controls are being followed.During the meeting, the Club President stated that the Optimist could satisfy the 21 high-priority items with an additional six months. The Commission agreed to that timeframe as a pillar for moving forward. That understanding will guide development of the proposed agreement, with specific dates and compliance terms to be established through negotiations.The Facility Use Agreement approved in June 2025 has terminated, and the City and Optimist are now working toward a new agreement. Both sides are striving to bring a proposal to the October 27, 2026, City Commission Regular Meeting, subject to completing negotiations and their respective approval processes. Any proposed agreement will return to the Commission for consideration and approval.The shared objective is to continue providing youth sports opportunities for Cooper City’s children and families while establishing consistent financial practices that strengthen the accountability and long-term stability of the programs.

Commission Approves $67,000 for Cleaning of City Drinking Water Storage Tanks
The City Commission approved $67,000 for interior cleaning of Cooper City’s four drinking water storage tanks through an agreement with U.S. Submergent Technologies, LLC. The work will remove accumulated sediment, deposits and other materials to help maintain the sanitary condition and operational integrity of these essential facilities. The City’s storage system includes three tanks with capacities of 500,000 gallons, 1 million gallons and 2 million gallons, along with a 35,000-gallon clearwell. These facilities store drinking water for residents and businesses and provide critical reserves to maintain reliable service, support emergency operations and ensure water is available for firefighting. According to staff, applicable state requirements call for finished drinking water storage tanks with access manholes to be inspected and cleaned at least once every five years. Staff reported that there is no record of the tanks’ last cleaning. This project will address that maintenance need and support the City’s ongoing operation of its public water system. The City will obtain the services through an existing competitively bid City of Daytona Beach contract, a purchasing method known as “piggybacking.” That contract remains valid through June 21, 2027. The project was not included in the original budget and will be funded through a $67,000 budget amendment transferring money from the Water and Sewer contingency account. The transfer will leave $453,000 in that contingency account. Spending in subsequent fiscal years during the contract term will be subject to approved budget amounts.

Commission Concludes Charter Review Board’s Service and Recognizes Members’ Contributions
The City Commission approved Resolution 26-53, formally concluding the service of the Cooper City Charter Review Board in accordance with Section 7.02 of the City Charter.The resolution expresses the Commission’s appreciation to the Board members for their service and outstanding efforts. The action closes out the Board’s current service and recognizes the time and commitment its members devoted to the charter review process.

Commission Approves Customer Service Survey to Improve City Services and Employee Accountability
The City Commission approved a proposal that directs the City Manager to establish a customer service survey for individuals who interact with customer-facing City departments. These include Permits, the City Clerk’s Office, Utility Billing, and Parks and Recreation centers.The brief, consistent survey will give customers an opportunity to share feedback about staff courtesy, professionalism, helpfulness, responsiveness and communication. It will also assess how easily customers accessed services, understood requirements, and completed the process; whether their requests were resolved accurately; and how long service took, including any delays or repeat contacts.Survey responses will be linked to service records to help identify the employees involved at each stage. The goal is to recognize strong performance, identify opportunities to improve City processes, and address service deficiencies through coaching, training and performance improvement.Validated feedback and service records will be considered in employee evaluations and merit increase decisions. Employees who consistently provide positive service and results may be recognized and considered for merit increases. Documented, continuing deficiencies may lead to reduced or withheld merit increases and corrective action, in accordance with applicable personnel procedures.The program will assess feedback alongside supervisor observations, workload and the complexity of each case, while distinguishing employee performance from delays beyond an employee’s control. A single unverified complaint or insufficient survey responses will not automatically determine a personnel decision. Results will be shared with the City Commission monthly.

Commission Approves $145,870 Stormwater Pipe Replacement to Address Recurring Sinkholes on SW 57th Street
The City Commission approved $145,870 for Shenandoah General Construction, LLC to replace a deteriorated stormwater drainage pipe near 11681 SW 57th Street. The project will address recurring sinkholes caused by the failing pipe and improve the reliability of drainage infrastructure serving the area.Stormwater enters a City catch basin across the street from the property, travels through a pipe within an easement in the resident’s yard, and discharges into the lake behind the home. The existing 15-inch corrugated metal pipe has extensive corrosion and structural damage, requiring multiple emergency and interim repairs.Shenandoah previously repaired a failed section of the pipe, but another sinkhole subsequently developed near the connection between the repaired section and the remaining original pipe. Based on these repeated failures and the pipe’s overall condition, the Utilities Department determined that further repairs were no longer practical and replacement was necessary.The approved work includes abandoning the existing metal pipe in place and installing approximately 155 feet of new 15-inch high-density polyethylene, or HDPE, drainage pipe within the existing utility easement.The City will obtain the services through an existing competitively awarded Broward College contract for storm drain cleaning, repairs and maintenance. This purchasing method, known as “piggybacking,” allows Cooper City to use that contract under its procurement procedures.The project will be funded through a $145,870 appropriation from the Stormwater Fund’s retained earnings, or accumulated available funds. Although the fiscal year 2027 contractual services budget includes $177,000, only $50,000 was earmarked for stormwater repairs, making an additional appropriation necessary. Based on the staff report’s projected fund balance, approximately $670,796 will remain after the appropriation.

Commission Approves Funding for SW 57th Street Stormwater Pipe Replacement
The City Commission approved Resolution 26-50, amending the Fiscal Year 2026–2027 Stormwater Fund budget to provide $145,870 for the drainage pipe and outfall replacement at 11681 SW 57th Street. This resolution works hand-in-hand with the Commission’s separate approval of the work by Shenandoah General Construction, LLC. The earlier item authorized the contractor and project expenditure; this resolution makes the corresponding budget amendment to fund that same work. The two approvals support one $145,870 project. Because the project was not included in the adopted budget, the resolution appropriates its full cost from the Stormwater Fund’s available fund balance. Although $177,000 was already budgeted for contractual services, only $50,000 of that amount was allocated to stormwater repairs. The amendment increases total Stormwater Fund appropriations from $1,185,700 to $1,331,570. After the $145,870 appropriation, the projected remaining fund balance is $670,796. These balance figures remain projections because Fiscal Year 2025-2026 had not yet been closed when the report was prepared.

Commission Approves Updated Loan Authorization for Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements
The City Commission approved Resolution 26-51, increasing the authorized Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan amount from $7.42 million to $8.904 million for construction of a new headworks facility at Cooper City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. The $1.484 million increase aligns the financing authorization with the updated project estimate following completion of the design phase.The project is a priority identified in the City’s 2024 Water and Wastewater Master Plan. The new facility will strengthen the treatment system’s resilience, improve operational efficiency, and enhance the City’s ability to manage additional water entering the wastewater system during storms, known as inflow and infiltration. Construction is estimated to be completed in 2028.The updated estimate covers civil and site work, mechanical and electrical components, permits, contingency funding, and construction engineering and inspection services. The Commission originally authorized pursuit of a $7.42 million loan in April 2026 and adopted the required facility plan in June. In August, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection recommended the project for the program’s priority list. Submitting the loan application is the next step in the funding process.The resolution also authorizes the City Manager to execute the loan agreement and necessary amendments, accept the funding, and carry out program requirements if the loan is awarded.According to the staff report, the loan would be repaid over 20 years at an approximately 3% fixed interest rate using Utility Fund revenues, including water and sewer rates, fees and charges. Property tax revenues will not be pledged or used to repay the loan.The City has also been awarded a $1.092 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Community Project Funding grant for the project. The report identifies that grant as funding to address potential increases in construction costs.

Commission Approves Stormwater Rate Increase to Fund Drainage Maintenance and Infrastructure Planning
Funding regular drain cleaning, street sweeping and a Stormwater Master Plan to address critical infrastructure needs were the primary reasons for the stormwater utility rate increase approved by the City Commission. These services help reduce flooding risks, maintain effective drainage, and limit the pollutants and debris entering local waterways. The Commission approved Resolution 26-52 to revise stormwater utility rates for fiscal year 2026–2027. The increase addresses a funding shortfall. According to staff, existing stormwater revenues are insufficient to cover operating costs. The original Fiscal Year 2026 budget projected $718,283 in revenue against $939,682 in expenditures, a shortfall of approximately $221,400. The additional revenue will support three key needs:

• Stormwater Master Plan: Planning to address critical stormwater infrastructure needs and guide improvements.

• Street sweeping: Removing material from roadways to keep streets clean and reduce pollutants entering waterways.

• Regular drain cleaning: Keeping drainage infrastructure clear to help prevent flooding and maintain effective stormwater flow.

Stormwater charges appear on monthly water and sewer utility bills. The rate structure distinguishes between customers receiving direct and indirect benefits from the City’s stormwater system. Direct-benefit customers receive the City’s full range of stormwater management services in areas with dedicated, City-owned roadways. Indirect-benefit customers are served locally by privately maintained stormwater systems and privately owned roadways, such as those maintained by homeowners’ associations, while benefiting from the City’s stormwater services beyond those private areas.

The following table shows the monthly rates:

*The Commission amended the duplex rate during the meeting.

For a single-family home receiving direct benefits, the monthly charge increases by $4.82, from $6.43 to $11.25. For a single-family home receiving indirect benefits, the monthly increase is 89 cents, from $1.18 to $2.07. Commercial, industrial, and institutional charges are calculated using equivalent residential units, each representing 1,750 square feet of impervious area, surfaces that do not readily absorb rainfall. Most single-family residential properties are considered one equivalent residential unit. The staff report projected that the proposed rate schedule would generate $1,185,700 in fiscal year 2026–2027, supporting the operating budget and the planned services described above. The revised rates take effect upon adoption of the resolution.

Commission Approves Reassignment of Existing Police Position to Money Laundering Task Force
The City Commission approved Resolution 26-54, authorizing an amendment to Cooper City’s police services agreement with the Broward Sheriff’s Office to convert an existing School Resource Officer position into a detective position assigned to the Cooper City District and contributed to a multi-agency Money Laundering Task Force.The position previously served Renaissance Charter School. The school has since obtained a School Resource Officer through the School Board of Broward County, eliminating the need for the City to continue funding a separate BSO assignment at that location. The approved change retains the existing sworn law enforcement position for investigative work rather than adding a new position.Through the task force, the detective will support investigations into money laundering and related criminal activity. Participation provides access to investigative resources, expertise and coordination across multiple agencies, expanding the capabilities available through an individual district assignment.The Commission also authorized a voluntary cooperation mutual aid memorandum of understanding with BSO and partnering agencies. This agreement establishes how participating agencies will assist one another, their jurisdiction and authority, and how forfeited property or proceeds from qualifying investigations may be allocated.The staff report anticipates that the detective’s personnel cost will be similar to the existing School Resource Officer position. However, the City will no longer receive the School Board reimbursement associated with that school assignment, resulting in the loss of that funding offset.Task force participation may make the City eligible for a share of forfeited property or proceeds, but those distributions depend on investigation outcomes, the agreement and applicable law. They are not guaranteed and cannot be assumed to replace the former School Resource Officer reimbursement.During the meeting, the City Attorney also noted that BSO was reconfirming the amendment’s rate provisions and requested flexibility for the City Manager to finalize those provisions consistent with that clarification.

More Information
For more information related to the October 13, 2026 agenda, please visit: https://meetings.municode.com/adaHtmlDocument/index?cc=COOPERCITY&me=934d897a16874f3c99dddba980dfbecd&ip=true

The next City Commission Regular Meeting is scheduled for October 27, 2026 at 6:30 PM at City Hall located at 9090 SW 50 Place, Cooper City, FL 33328.