Special City Commission Meeting - Tuesday, September 29, 2026

At the September 29, 2026, special meeting of the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission, commissioners considered a resolution to suspend City Manager Alan Cohen with pay pending possible removal and an independent review of several financial and administrative actions. The concerns included 300 hours of vacation converted to cash, a 120-hour longevity award created by email, a separation agreement paying the former HR director $20,990.40 plus a $10,495.49 longevity award, and a later consulting agreement with that former director at $125 per hour, capped at $49,000 and renewable month to month. The stated competitive bidding threshold is $50,000; commissioners also heard that an invoice under the consulting agreement had initially been rejected and later approved at the city manager’s direction. These matters were presented as questions for review, not findings of misconduct. A motion to defer the suspension resolution failed, and the commission did not proceed to a vote on an investigation before the manager offered to resign.

The commission accepted the city manager’s resignation effective November 19, 2026, with paid administrative leave until then, 20 weeks of severance under Section 10(C) of his contract, and customary employee payouts; independent counsel will draft the agreement. The resignation motion passed 4–1. The commission also appointed Deputy City Manager Susan Simpson as acting city manager during the leave and transition, passing that resolution 4–1; the acting manager’s proposed 10% increase will not take effect before November 19. No new procurement was approved, but the commission discussed improving oversight and policies governing administrative actions and spending.