Miami Lakes committee approves Scottish band booking, sets golf-cart limit and fee for 25th-anniversary event

The Miami Lakes Events Committee on Wednesday approved a $750 booking for a Scottish band to perform at the town's 25th-anniversary celebration and set rules for golf-cart parade participation, including a fee to help cover public-safety costs.

The decisions came as committee members reviewed vendor sign-ups, sponsorships, stage and lighting plans, a cake order and security staffing estimates while refining the event timeline. Committee members discussed logistics for the park parade entrance, parking for golf carts, and details for a sensory-friendly area.

Committee members said the Scottish band (formerly the St. Andrews backpipers and now billed as Miami Backpipes) will perform early in the program to lead the dignitary entrance; the booking was presented as a $750 invoice that a committee member said Councilmember JC Fernandez would cover through sponsorship. Kimberly Trellis, a committee participant, said, "I have the sponsorship forms. I've been handing them out," and she described vendor and sponsorship outreach efforts.

Members discussed the number of food trucks and vendor booths expected, noting an estimate of six to seven trucks at roughly $100 apiece and multiple sponsorship tiers (including two $1,500 sponsors confirmed at the time of the meeting). The committee reviewed a draft event flyer and requested brighter images and a clearer callout for the sensory-friendly space listed on the draft.

Public-safety staffing and parade logistics were central to the discussion. The committee heard an estimate that providing six officers for six hours would cost about $2,880; members agreed to add extra time before and after the 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. event for setup and breakdown. To manage parade safety and commitment, the committee voted to limit golf-cart parade entries (members discussed a target capacity around 50) and to charge a participation fee of $25 per cart to help defray security and coordination costs.

Other operational items discussed included:
- Event timeline and sequence (committee requested the opening historical video be shown at the start and again during the fireworks at the end).
- Cake order: a three-layer vanilla/chocolate cake with a "25" topper and the town logo to be delivered to Mary Collins Park around 3:00'3:30 p.m. on event day.
- Lighting and stage equipment: committee confirmed light towers and requested staff test them the day before.
- Volunteers: recruiting plans included local high-school Key Club volunteers and civic-association contacts.
- Sensory-friendly accommodations: committee asked staff to make the sensory area more visible on promotional materials.

Votes at a glance:
- Approval of meeting minutes: motion carried (vote recorded as voice vote; tally not specified in the record).
- Motion to approve a Scottish band for $750, with expenses to be covered by a sponsor (Councilmember JC Fernandez indicated support): motion carried (voice vote; tally not specified). Note: the band booking was described as pending invoice.
- Motion to limit golf-cart parade participation (discussion targeted roughly 50 carts) and charge $25 per cart to help cover security costs: motion carried (voice vote; tally not specified).

The committee asked staff to continue outreach to vendors and sponsors (the sponsorship deadline for flyer recognition was noted as Nov. 17 on the draft materials), confirm final invoices for performers and services, and finalize parking and staging maps for parade-day vehicle routing. Several members emphasized the need for clearer imagery and historical photos for the event flyer; a member said Mayor Slayton offered archival material to help with historical content.

The meeting closed after scheduling follow-up actions and confirming the next meeting date would be set by email. Adjournment was recorded at 7:44 p.m.