07-22-2026 Council Meeting

The City of Homestead held a council meeting on July 22, 2026, which included extensive discussions on multiple procurement and development projects. Key procurement-related items included the approval of contracts for pool operations and lifeguard services awarded to One Stop Aquatic Safety LLC, a $2.3 million contract to Acosta Tractors Inc. for the Basin 11 Pump Station Force Main project, and a $1.46 million contract to Pantropic Power Inc. for backup generators at the wastewater treatment plant. The council also approved the fiscal year 2026-2027 Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Program annual action plan, and renewed an FDOT turf and landscape maintenance agreement. A significant portion of the meeting focused on a public-private partnership proposal by Sports Performance Hub (SPH) to invest $5.5 million in renovating Harris Field, including upgrades to the stadium and maintenance commitments, with council members expressing cautious support pending further details and public input. The council discussed the renaming of Harris Field’s football field in honor of Coach Don Dracon, directing staff to develop a naming plan. The meeting also addressed the appointment of special magistrates, with debate over transitioning from volunteer special masters to attorney magistrates, resulting in a deferral for further consideration. Additionally, the council considered a request from Integral Florida for conveyance of city-owned lots to develop workforce townhomes as part of a larger redevelopment effort with Miami-Dade County, but deferred action pending further information and resolution of related property issues. The council approved a business relocation and expansion grant of $55,000 for a new ice cream and candy shop on North Crome Avenue. Other agenda items included zoning amendments to allow express mechanical car washes and small animal clinics, and a resolution to submit a nonbinding advisory ballot question on whether the city should cease operating its municipal electric utility, which was met with divided opinions and no motion to proceed. The meeting concluded with a deferral of several items for further review and a scheduled workshop to discuss development projects in the Southwest neighborhood.