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[Music] Hey. Number Please take your seats. The meeting is about to begin. Remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public record. Please stand by. We are going on air in
5 4 3 2 1. Good morning and welcome to our June 25th commission meeting. Thank you to my colleagues for being here and I'll turn it over to our city clerk Ralph Granado for any special announcements. Good morning everyone. During this hybrid
commission meeting, the city commission is physically present in the commission chamber at Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive. The public may attend the meeting virtually. However, members of the public who wish to attend the meeting or provide public comments in person may appear at the commission chamber. To participate or provide
comments virtually during the commission meeting, the public may join the meeting by visiting the Zoom app on their smart device or on the web at zoom. us or by telephone at 3052241968. Again, 3052241968. The toll-free number is 888-4754499.
The webinar ID is 813-928-57671 pound. Webinar ID is 813-928-57671 pound. Members of the public wanting to speak virtually on an item during the meeting must click the raise hand icon if using the Zoom app or press star9 on the telephone to raise their hand. Note that the Zoom link, webinar ID, and
telephone numbers provided for this commission are static and do not change from meeting to meeting. Thank you, mayor. Thank you, and thank you to my colleagues for and everyone for being here. Good morning again. Uh, Commissioner Magazine asked me to announce that he is had a commitment that he's dealing with this morning, but
we'll be here shortly. And I'm very proud to see you this morning. Thank you, Father Sosa from St. Joseph Catholic Parish, for being here. And uh, I'd like to invite you up to give us some words of invocation and wisdom. We don't waste any time with the prayers
here. I thought you would do the pledge of allegiance first. No, we'll do it right after. All right. Okay. No problem at all. We just uh we uh we're always grateful. And you were smiling today, by the way. That's wonderful. I remember the last meeting there was some
discussion. We grow grateful for God's gifts around us and our gratitude finds a source in the letters of Paul of Tarsus, particularly when he wrote to the community of Philippi way out in Asia Minor that he knew so well. And this I quote, "The Lord is nearby. Have
no anxiety, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving." That's the attitude I'm trying to convey. Make your requests from God. So in that context, we pray this morning as once again the commission is meeting here in
Miami Beach. Almighty and eternal God, you are the source of peace and justice and have revealed your gifts to all who recognize your presence, especially during conflicts or aggressions. We ask you
today as always to guide our elected officials, their assistants who strive to exercise their call to the people entrusted with their care in our city of Miami Beach. Assist them with your spirit of counsel
and fortitude that their work may find expression in righteousness and peace. Let the light of your divine wisdom direct their deliberations and shine forth in their proceedings so that as
they seek to promote the well-being of this community with all of its diversity and at times unexpected tensions, they may continue to guard our welfare and do their best for the common good. May you enable them by your powerful
protection to continue to discharge their duties with honesty and ability. We do this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our God, forever and ever. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. So now we're going
to do the pledge of allegiance. And I haven't asked anybody, so I'm going to surprise someone in the crowd here. And since I'm used to seeing Mitch Novik standing here for Sutnik, I'm going to ask him to lead us in the pledge. Thank you for the honor, Mr. Mayor. Uh, please place your hand in front of your
heart. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
You don't get to skip the line now. That's right. No, she's first. I'm first. Say something. I just want to say something. An optimistic message because this morning um in preparation for today, I walked to to the beach and I it's how I love to start my day is
walking to to the beach and you know aligned with the thoughts of of the father. You know, I just want to give thanks for this day. We really are so blessed to be here on this day and to be
in this paradise and to start the day every every meeting Mr. mayor recognizing our country, the greatness of our country, and recognizing the blessings that we have. Still also recognize our rich diversity to
recognize our Jewish families who found safety here from hatred. to recognize our LGBTQ community that found here freedom to celebrate with pride and to live and to love openly, to celebrate
immigrants who found here in our community, the o the opportunity to achieve freedom and to bring their families and to contribute and enrich our diversity and support our own families and contribute to the economy
of of this city. And so it's part of the beauty of our city. We get to celebrate and give thanks for our beautiful Jewish community and the safety they've found here. Our beautiful LGBTQ community and the embrace that they've been able to
live here authentically. Our law-abiding immigrant community that contribute to the beautiful and diverse fabric of this community is something that I give thanks to God for every single day. And may they know that our police officers, our firefighters,
and that every city worker embraces them and that they know that they are safe and that they belong in this city. And I just thank God every day for that. I wanted to say it as a follow-up to the prayer because this morning when I was in the beach, it just inspired me because we truly are blessed to live in
this beautiful city. Thank you. Thank you, Wendy. Okay. Lead it off. I will good morning to all of you on the deis and I wanted to use two words today that I don't think we use enough and those are the words thank you and thank you to
all of you forgiving of your time but I want to point out three things in particular and one of them is one of our police officers that I know you know police officer Deborah Martinu who has
continued the legacy of with PAL of her late husband Art Mu who passed away last year. We went to the scholarship event and then Commissioner Fernandez was there and she not only spoke about the
legacy but she spoke about each of the individual candidates that were going to be award scholarships and that's an exemplary performance by a police officer in Miami Beach. So thank you Deborah. I hope
she's watching and know that we appreciate what she has done, not only watching our streets, protecting us, but doing something good for the youth in our community. The other one that I
wanted to thank are sitting on our deas is Commissioner Bot and Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez for coming out with all the residents on No Kings Day on Saturday, June 14th. You ought to be
commended for standing with us and I was so happy to see your faces. and Commissioner Bot, you do a real good job of making a poster that says what we all think. So, thank you twice. And last but
not least, a big thank you to prop proprietors of Santorini Restaurant down on First Street who provide a lot of events with catering without charging a penny to
Miami Beach. So, Georgios and Katarina, thank you from all of us. You truly exemplify community spirit. Thank you again and thank all of you. Thank you. Thank you. And for the record, that was
Wendy Rug. Our next virtual caller will be uh Johan Moore. Mr. Moore, go ahead. State your name, address, and you have two minutes. Good morning. Johan Moore, 717 Jefferson Avenue. I want to begin by expressing my
support for a few items. C4R uh to address Ocean Drive, C7BC, uh a turtle friendly lighting proposal for Lumis Park, and finally, Meridian Court community is especially supportive of C7AM, the Flamingo Park neighborhood
traffic study. I call today to oppose item C7BF, a motion of censure against me. In light of State Representative Randy Fine's recent outrageous call for Israel to New Gaza, I believe that my letter to the
editor of the New York Times, which I copied only the Commission on, and uh press, not members of the community, uh is both protected speech under the First Amendment and well within the apparently
uh capacious guidelines uh of community standards in Southeast Florida. I urge you to support the first amendment. I urge you to reject this motion of censure. There is no Zionism exception.
There is no Palestine exception to the first amendment. Please support appointees rights to express their opinions without the current atmosphere of intimidation, coercion, and censorship, which
certainly will not make it any easier for members of the public to consider submitting their names for nomination uh to be considered for appointments to a board. I want to thank my previous appointing commissioner uh whom I will not name by name in order to spare her
any further grief in that case uh in this case from first amendment. And I thank everyone who has contacted me to support the first amendment including a state senator uh whom I have urged to pursue a motion of rebuke to state
representative fine. if this body today. Thank you, sir. Your time is up. Our next state your name, address, and you have two minutes. Sure, it's working. Okay, great. Hi, and good morning. Good morning, Mr. Mayor, and good morning. Um, commissioners, my name is Linda
Kulko. I live at 334 West 25th Street, um, which is at the corner of West 25th and Flamingo Place, which is only a block away from the new Beayshore Park. And we can't wait. I say tell you they're working on that every day, even Saturday. So, we're very excited in our
neighborhood. Anyway, and I also own a small business. Anyway, I want to express my support for resolution C7, which is transferring the management of the construction for the improvements of the Collins Park Cultural Facility at the Collins Park garage from the city of
Miami Beach to Miami New Drama, one of our city's best cultural organizations. We're very excited about what Miami New Drama will do with the space and how it will ina enhance our community. I think that's a great idea. Also, I would like
to support resolution C7AF which will approve a temporary food truck. Thank you, Commissioner Fernandez at Liberty Plaza in our neighborhood and it will rotate locations as needed. I think this will also enhance our neighborhood's quality of life. I
realize this is not on the agenda today, but I request that the commission vote to commence the development of the Barkley Plaza Apartments. We all know that our city needs more affordable and workforce housing and I understand that the city has received six viable
proposals. We have seen some of them in our neighborhood association. I leave that up to you which one is the most appropriate FAR issues and all that. But please work together to find an acceptable proposal to get the project moving because our city our citizens cannot keep waiting. We definitely need
more affordable housing. Thank you all very much. Goodbye. Thank you so much. Our next virtual speaker is Bob Goldring. State your name, address, and you have two minutes. Hi, Bob Goldring here, SGS Global Marine
Services. The reason I'm calling is because I'm very active with the local neighborhood associations uh like FP, I think it's NAN, Meridian Court community, and I follow the
sustainability uh committee uh quite frequently. I actually went through Yan Moore on that because we take care of all of the cruise ships in Miami in the port of Miami and Port Everglades. So that's my involvement and I think the
city is important because we do air pollution as well and we want to hear concerns from the city. Anyway, the reason I'm calling I got a statement of censure for Yan Moore through one of the local neighborhood organizations
and I looked at it and I said okay. I told my company of course too and what is this about? I don't know why he's being censured. I did not get any statement. So, I went to the local
residents and asked, did anyone what's going on? No one got any statement from Johan. I even called the Miami Herald and the New York Times and Dasha at the city clerk's office. So, evidently what I hear, it was a private email sent out
to the commissioners mocking a statement. this Randy Fine Z said mocking something. It's very confusing. Anyway, anyway, this is a private matter that I I think you're hanging out
in public and I I don't want to um you know, I don't want to penalize the relationship that we have with uh Miami Beach. So, that's what I have to say. Um, I don't see how, you know, a private
email could be turned into Thank you so much, sir. Your time is up. State your name, address. You have two minutes, ma'am. Thank you. Good morning, mayor and commissioners. My name is Patricia Agnello, 2555 Collins Avenue, and I am here once again to voice my deep opposition to the proposed redevelopment
of the Doville site. What's being asked of you isn't a routine land use decision. It's a referendum on whether we reward deliberate yearslong neglect. The Mel family led a historic landmark rot. They ignored violations,
endangered the public, and accumulated millions of dollars in fines, not out of carelessness, but because it served their endgame, demolition by neglect. Now, after erasing a piece of Miami Beach history, they're back, asking for a dramatic upzoning, twin 380 foot
towers, and a hulking 166,000 square foot podium that dwarfs anything allowed under current zoning. This isn't just overreach. It's a giveaway. Economic analysis shows the developers stand to gain an estimated
$568 million in additional profit from the added height alone. And that podium, it's not just big, it's suspicious. It stretches the definition of a hotel podium to the point of absurdity. And with the Mel Group's extensive casino
background, we have every reason to be concerned. If we don't confront that risk now, we won't get another chance. This is not anti-growth. It's about setting a line in the sand. North Beach deserves thoughtful, lawful development, not towering excess that opens the
floodgates for more outsized projects under the Live Local Act. We are not Sunny Isles, and we shouldn't act like we want to be. Our zoning code isn't a starting point for negotiation. It's a promise to protect this community's scale, soul, and future. Please reject
this proposal. Insist on something worthy of this city and the people who live here. Demand a plan that honors the neighborhood, adheres to the rules, and genuinely benefits the community. Thank you. Thank you.
No, thank you. And uh just in case anyone didn't know, we sent that I called a special commission meeting for Friday. We're going to be discussing the 1250 West Avenue and the Dovville then. And the reason why I did that, and thank you to my colleagues for being amendable and available to do that on Friday. We're going to start at 2:00. We're
going to have a heart cut off at 7. And the reason why you could see I'm I'm SL I'm allotting 5 hours for two items. And I didn't want it to overtake our commission meeting today. We have a lot of quality of life important resident focused issues that I didn't want to deviate from. So, we're going to do that special commission meeting on Friday
starting at 2. Okay. Good morning. Yes, please. Good morning. My name is Elaine Litvac. I live at the uh Morano Portoino uh in South Point and um the marina is my front yard and the marina is not
behaving very well and is not a very good neighbor. There are many party boats. I wish there were none. Uh we know that people are getting off these party boats after the hot sun, drinking a lot. They are very uh difficult. uh
they get off, they're argumentative, they're using the sidewalks as bathrooms, they're littering. It it's a really a very bad scene that is there. And I'm uh you know asking the commission to please take this very seriously. I wrote a letter to all of
the people on the commission. Uh, I want to thank uh uh Commissioner Gonzalez for uh acknowledging it and especially uh consider uh Commissioner Bot because you wrote back and you told me that you sent
my letter and your concerns to code enforcement to the city manager to the chief of police and I know that there is some action that is going to be taken but please just don't do this once just don't do this twice. This needs
consistency because this is a beautiful part of our city and uh people walk on it, tourists from all over and it really needs to be uh a residential type area with people acting correctly. Now you
guys have done your magic with um Memorial Day weekend. My husband and I have lived here for about 20 some years and we have seen how you've corrected Memorial Day. we have seen how you've really work and are still working on spring break and I know you can do this
but it needs consistency and I'm counting on you. So anyways, I'm hoping this will happen and I want to thank you for all the good work that you do good to the for the city. I really appreciate you all. Thank you. Thank you. And now you you raised a good point and we we we
hear you loud and clear. There's two items on the commission agenda today uh relating to this. Uh, Commissioner Suarez has an item. I have an item as well. You know, a couple years ago when it was getting really bad, we our commission collectively I had brought legislation. We all approved um cutting
down the commercial hours and it worked for a while. Things had gotten better, but certainly uh in the last few months it's gotten it's gotten out of hand. I've seen the videos. We all see the videos and the emails. So, uh we're we're ready to address that today. Jose
me. Well, we'll go with you next and then we're going to start calling the people on Zoom. So, go ahead, sir. To state your name, address. You have two minutes. Good morning. Um um Mr. Mayor, commissioners, uh city staff, and thank you very much to give me the opportunity
to speak. I have I was going to have a long speak. I I talked to my partner Shaji DP and he wrote something real nice to me. for too long and stuff. So I I decide to use my own words. Um as you know I'm a microphone shy. I'm no good.
But I guess can I approach and distributed some material to you guys? Sure. Can I do that? And Jose, state your full name when you get back so I can grab this. Let me have him. I'll take Thank you.
So this what you have in front of you it is is from the last month just right in front of my balcony. I'm not just searching. I have a lot of videos and I haven't uh reached the uh local media or the social media because I don't want to
embarrass my city or their leadership. But it's a lot of stuff going in the marina. Um the marina operator. Yeah. Yes. Yes. But yes, boy is it I don't want to embarrass my city or the Yes. Exactly. Exactly. So anyways, here my
the manager sent an email a months ago May 30 to the the GM for the marina where he CC Mr. Carpenter uh the city manager is I was going to read that email but it's very disturbing, very embarrassed. I don't want to do that. if
you guys want to, he has a copy of that. This is the email back and forth. Um, it's very easy. So, so what I want to the point I want to bring here is 110 BTR, 110 vessels operating on a 400 boat
marina. um whatever you pass here is a good intention and you're moving forward but it's very difficult to enforce where you have uh five block marina on a on a over 10 10
slip and it's very difficult to to to to enforce that and what was going to say um give him another minute huh I'm giving you another minute cuz you took So, so um it's u even though the code enforcement
and everybody try to do the best job, it's very it's it's totally difficult because the bottom line the marina do not have the infrastructure to accommodate all these commercial v. So, it never was built or intended to but it's been converted converted into a
commercial. probably will gain more money for the operators or for the you know whoever that is but it's not intended to they should be in a in a commercial pier a sign for these people where they have bathroom and all that stuff so won't be that urination all
over the place in front in front it's very embarrassing what's been going on there and it's very dangerous and we've been very lucky that nothing nothing really hasn't happened. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you Jose. Thank you. Our our next virtual speaker is Judith Smeiggel. Judith, state your
name, address, and you have two minutes. Judith, please unmute yourself. Okay. My name is Judith Smiggle. I am a resident South Beach Yuku Avenue. First, you can't hear me, right? We can hear you. Go ahead.
First, I want to second Linda Koko's endorsement of Miami drama which truly is a treasure in our fine city. I am here today against C7BF the century of Rohan War for quote
incendiary remarks and also against his removal from the sustainability committee where he has been a tireless and valuable member. Rohan certainly does not favor the mayor or commissioner Suarez, but that is not his role as a resident. His role to is to speak up
against wrongdoing, which he did regarding a call by Florida State Representative Fine for Israel to muke Gaza. Clearly incendiary speech, but protected about me. I am horrified by
increasing anti-semitism. My niec's children go to Jewish Sunday school. The 8-year-old gets on a kids bus daily to a Jewish camp an hour from the city. I am frightened for them, all Jews, and the people who love him. However, my Jewish values honest
examination leave him here today. Johan Mur and I condemn Israel's violent starvation and explosion of Palestinians. Again, criticizing Israel does not make us anti-semites.
Using strong language to do so may be impolite, but it is still protected. I urge you to reinstate Johan to the sus of the committee and to vote down the center of him in his speech. Thank you and it's an honor to speak in front of
this wonderful city's commission. Thank you so much. Ma'am, go ahead. Two names two say your name in two minutes, please. Okay. My name is Joe Caribel. I live at the Yach Club, 90 Alton Road. And every morning I go down the back stairs to the marina. I face the marina.
And walking down those stairs in the morning with my dog, I find needles, condoms, it reeks of urine. And I go out early, so every morning after that, our staff cleans it up. And every morning, it's
exactly the same. I'm here to ask if you could please authorize a gate to be put there. So that it's frightening to be first of all a woman alone. I go there at night too to walk through the garage. The garage is filthy with overflown overfilled garbage
cans, food all over the floor. And when people can just walk in and out, it's it's scary. I keep my eyes on all the exits to make sure I I'm safe because there are very dangerous people walking around that marina. So, I'm just asking
please think of a way to block that, at least for my building. Thank you very much. My my chief of staff's coming down to get your contact info to make sure because we want to make sure we get the right spot and and everything. Obviously, we're going to be addressing it generally, but that issue
specifically. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next virtual speaker has a screen name of CWA Local 3178 Miami Beach. Please state identify yourself, state your name, address, and you have two minutes.
Good morning everyone. My name is Monique Con. I'm the vice president of CWA Local 3178 for Miami Beach Communication Workers of America. I'm calling to give my support of resolution
7 uh correction R7K R 7K the resolution um by the commission to give the employees covered by the CW bargaining unit the cost living increase of 3% starting um in July 2025. Um we want to
thank uh the HR team uh Mara Lana also our um city manager Mr. um and Mr. Bark Taxes uh for their support in this uh uh resolution. Um we are very excited to
get back at the bargaining table and to bargain with the city. Um and we're very excited um to put money in the hardworking pockets of our city employees in cold ocean rescue uh dispatch in different areas in the city.
And we just want to just thank Madas and Mr. Mayor and the commissioners for their support. Thank you so much. You all have a great day. Thank you so much. Go ahead, sir. State your name, address. You have two minutes. Hey there. My name is Kristoff Babka. I live at 11 Island A, beautiful
Bell Island. And I wanted to uh publicly thank Mayor Miner for appointing me to the LGBTQIA+ advisory council. I am happy to represent every letter, and we have many of them. I um most recently attended World Pride up in DC and I was very
proud to represent the amazing city of Miami Beach. I also wanted to put forward that in advance of pride I took self-defense courses through Cobra. I was afraid of some sort of retribution or attack. And I wanted to just express not only gratitude for this amazing city
for celebrating and honoring our LGBTQIA+ community, but most importantly loving and protecting us in a world where we seem to have targets on our back if we have a voice of freedom or anything that descends from public. I want you to know
that we have your backs to defend and protect you because you have defended and protected us for so long. And thank you for continuing to do so. I want to give the minute back to you all just saying thank you for your service and thank you for making this city the most amazing one we have. Appreciate you.
Our next our next virtual caller is Larry Schaefer. Mr. Schaefer, state your name, address and you have two minutes. Good morning, Larry Schaefer, 23381st Street. Um, I'd like to first of all, you know, thank the commission and the mayor. This may not be the Kumbaya
Commission at this point, but it certainly was the Lightning Commission recently as we went through so many items and were so productive with quality of life issues that are important to the residents and taxpayers. So, I want to commend you on the way you've been operating and the way you've separated out the development
issues um the development projects into separate meetings. You're just working harder for us. So, I appreciate that. I want to uh issue some support for the Kitty campus item number C6 A. This is an appropriation for container structures so that they can complete
their mission to uh delivering beachwide spay and neuter to the feline population or community cat population. Linda Diamond and Holly Whan are doing great work there and they need these containers for the support. So I'm super happy to see four supporters or um sponsors on that. I also want to issue
some support for the tennis center item with Lori Neer. That's R7E that's sponsored by Tanya Bot. Adding a cafe to that uh successful tennis center which is a public private partnership. Another successful public private part partnership in North Beach brings social
fitness capabilities. It allows people to sit down before or after playing at cafe tables and engage in community which is one of the pillars of the Blue Zones uh concept and effort. Um, and it's just another successful public private partnership that we have in North Beach like the the Bandshell and
Rhythm Foundation. So, super happy to see that one. Um, and that's it. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Go ahead, sir. State your name, address. You have two minutes. Hi, Chad Braver, 801 West Toledo Drive. Uh, president of the Venetian Islands Homeowners
Association. Good morning. Um, we would like to fully support resolution to adopt Fus to the real-time intelligence center and expand intelligence-led policing. We're especially excited about integration between private security infrastructure and feel that public
private partnerships are a key element to rapidly expanding the city's intelligence network. Separately, we support the 30 night o or the 30-day overnight anchoring limitation allowed under HB481 and the ban on commercial vessels
anchoring to rent other boats. Thank you all for uh all your time today. And then also based on this all the Marina talk, one one thing that would be great just putting my MWPA hat on would be if if Sunex brought a representative to those
committee meetings because right now there is no open dialogue. So some of these things might be able to be solved with just conversations regularly. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Our next virtual caller has a screen name of WR. State your name, address, and you have two
minutes, sir. Good morning, Wayne Roberts. I have the flu, so I hope I don't sound terrible. Um, the problem with the marina as I see it today started when we
opened up parking without permit and that it became paybyplate. Um that is the biggest issue facing safety, security and the uh the the valuation of our properties because it depreciates
from all the damage that uh these uh out of town uh do to our garages and surrounding area. So I I don't really think it's so much it is a problem. we should limit it the uh
number of of uh boats that are used for commercial purposes. But the biggest issue, the one that creates the most problems are the open air rides without any security that that feeds hundreds and hundreds of people
rather than just a few dozen party goers. Thank you. Thank you very much. Go ahead, sir. Good morning. For the record, Ray Brereslin, president of Collins Park Neighborhood Association. I'm here to talk to you today about the Barlay Plaza, which is not really on
your agenda, but I wanted to make it very clear because um you know, back in 2023, you finally signed over to Legacy to to develop that site that he's come to Don Don Peeles the third has come to you
with six different proposals and he doesn't feel that he has six sevenths of you and I'd like to think we could have all seven of you uh vote for the increased F to to build this project. I want to bring it a little bit uh more into perspective. You know, if you look
at the live local law, which doesn't affect this property because you own it, um he could build up to 400 ft because of the fact you built the convention center hotel was very close by. He is simply asking to build as high as the
convention center across the street and several stories lower than the octagon half a block away. You get 132 residential units mixed between affordable workforce housing and and and regular housing. Uh and this is what
something that's really needed. And I want to let you realize what you you're looking at. If you look at the workforce housing building that you just built, you wouldn't have been able to build that had you not changed from 50 feet to 75 ft. And you changed that because right across the street you could build
75 ft. I want you to really seriously look at the proposal that you have, not the new one that you're trying to make them stay within the F and bring half the number of units. That that's not really what we want. But he wants to be able to build. You guys have left this
in rack and ruin for nine years. It's been vacant. You've owned it for 15. Let's move forward. Let's get this going. And the pro the proposal that he gave you number six is absolutely supported by the neighborhood. Please do
that. Thank you so much. Our next virtual speaker is Valerie Navaret. Valerie, state your name, address, and you have two minutes. Good morning everyone. Valerie Navaret, Lincoln and the Bay. Uh I would like to second what Ray just said in the
proposal number six from Don Pel and uh the Barkley. Uh and also I would like to let's say request ask I don't know beg the commission uh I learned
yesterday about the alligator Alcatras which I know it's not a Miami beach but it's a Miami date and we are part of the county and uh now we have our government wanted to get this land at a 90%
discount so I wish that our city together with the other 33 municipalities stick together by the county and don't let that happen. It's already horrific that we have no choice but lose that land to
this horrible things that will happen there and we know it. But at least let's help Della to get that money. Let's be united. Let's show the rest of the country that Florida is united. Thank you.
Thank Thank you so much. Next, please go ahead, state your name, address. You have two minutes, sir. Hi, my name is Timothy Sanders. I live at 90 Alton Road. I also have a yacht in Pier K1 Miami Beach Marina. Uh, I want to thank the commission and the mayor for the job you've done. We've made progress over
the last couple of years. Um, we, you know, we've worked really hard to make peace in the marina. We've given a lot of chances to people who didn't deserve chances. Now, this plaque, it doesn't look like much, right? It probably cost maybe 10 bucks
to make. That's from suntex the tenant. That's every employee from top to bottom awarding me for my efforts. When I was appointed by John Caprio of soft as a mediator between all the residents that abate the marina, I took it very
seriously because I have children here and families here. And then I started taking it a little bit more seriously. Rebecca Towers. Rebecca Towers is full of elderly people, a lot of minorities,
a lot of people that can't afford food. So, we supply them fish, fresh fish every week. And a 94 year old man comes and picks up that fish and feeds these people. These people can't come out of their home after 700 p.m. or during a
400 p.m. charter disembarkment uh because of maybe eight bad actors. Eight bad actors. I'm not here to butcher suntex. I'm not here to butcher the city or anybody else. Everybody has a list of these bad actors tit for tat. They give us one here, they
give us one there that that's not part of the program. You have the list of the bad actors. They are causing grief in our community as you've heard from people you know the left would say are Karens this morning. You want to make this a political platform? I'll make it
a political platform. the first lady that spoke here, that was a political platform. That wasn't for the city. We're for the city. We have a great commission and we have a great mayor. We have warriors like Joseph Magazine,
David Suarez. We have great people here. Tanya Bat. Thank you, sir. I need another minute, please. Then I'm gone. Okay. So, I'm telling everyone from here, I came from a major city. I've worked in civil rights for
over 30 years. This has nothing to do with race. This has to do with behavioral issues. Behavioral issues. All of this can be stopped by eliminating the charters you all have a list of. It's detrimental
to the peace of our community. And that's about it. You have an FBI agent that's had a code back here. His hands are tied. He can't get rid of these five bad actors. Who's running this? Who's running it? Who's running
it? You have the list. You know who the bad actors are. They keep throwing one here at us. Mike Grio asked me to meet him at the marina this week to show him the boats of the bad actors. They vandalized me. They threatened to kill me. They claimed whatever. I don't care. I'm here to fight for our community.
Just like David Suarez has with the Airbnb. It has to stop. These bad actors have to go. Thank you, sir. SUNTEX and the city have the financial capability to make this a first class marina. It's that
simple. It's not hard. It's not difficult. It's very simple. So, as a resident here with children here, with neighbors that are elderly that can't come out, and if you think I won't get that Rebecca Towers vote for him, you're
wrong. I will. Let's not make let's let's not make this political but um political with that sort of sir I didn't even say thank thank you you know what you should really correct someone when they do that I literally literally just say anything I literally just did um
obviously I can't I can't predict what people are going to say but the marina issue is going to be addressed today we have several items on the agenda and we I'm confident our commission is going to address this forcefully mayor We have 30 minutes have elapsed.
If I can ask who's the last person. Can you raise your hand if you're speaking? Who's the last person? The last person is this gentleman right here. Okay. So, if anyone wants to speak and they're not in line, please do so now. Otherwise, we're cutting everyone off after the last
gentleman. There's no one on Zoom, so we're just going to go. Please go ahead. State your name, address, and you have two minutes. Yes. My name is Hal Taylor. I've been a resident of Miami Beach since 1995. And um I'm here today to thank you for
your work, right? We're not all here, but uh thank you for all your work and uh protecting us. You have a huge responsibility and and we appreciate that. Um I'm also u a board member of SAVE, which I'm sure you've heard of.
And um when I came here in 95, I fell in love quite quickly. It became my home, you know, and it wasn't because of the beautiful beaches and the the ocean breezes or the beautiful people, although that was a bonus. I do I fell
in love because I felt safe. This was 30 years ago and I felt safe. Miami Beach was safe for LGBTQ people. I don't sense that now, right? And we know the temperature. We won't go into
the the details of how this happened, but it's different now. And and it it disturbs me when I see people looking in a in a in a very angry way just because of who we are, just because
this is who we became, you know, and I know it's very difficult. Someone asked me, well, how do you know? And I started reflecting. I know, like you know, when there's misogyny, I don't know what a woman goes through with misogyny, but I know it
happens. I believe you. I don't know what it's like to be Jewish and experience anti-semitism, but I know it happens and I believe you, right? If we aren't careful, right, and have this on our minds and and have this on
the agenda, we will experience more hate crimes, right? And we can't allow that, right? I mean, you know, when we came, we didn't just come with our gay Okay, one more second. We didn't come with just our gay dollars, right? Uh we came with our
talents and we invested in Miami Beach. We were about 50% is what I felt like, right? That's changed. That's okay. And and gay and straight work together. We live together. There's no hatred. So I Oh, no. Thank you. Thank you all. Next,
please state your name, address. You have two minutes. Good morning, mayor and commissioners. My name is Jessica Fernandez, 3470 Northwest 82nd Avenue. uh sweet 1000 Dorado, Florida 33122.
I'm here on behalf of Crown Castle today in support of Mayor Miner's resolution C7AZ uh in support of additional telecommunications infrastructure on the Julia Tuttle. Um, more generally and beyond just the uh telecommunications in
the Jul on the Julia Tuttle, we definitely urge the city to consider um passing an updated ordinance that would encourage uh providers such as Crown Castle. We are a shared infrastructure provider. on our infrastructure rides
all the providers uh that that currently serve us, the the big three that you know. Um we are very proud to have to be uh deployed currently all over Miami Beach and um some of your sensitive historic and design areas. Um and we look forward to working with the city to
make sure that you guys have the latest and greatest updates in communications infrastructure to make sure things like our Zoom and our uh texting to 911 work efficiently. Thank you so much. Thank you. Let's definitely follow up after this. Thank you.
Thank you. Name, address, and two minutes, please. Good morning, mayor, commissioner, commissioners, city manager, and staff. My name is Matthew Ganoff, and I reside at 125 Jefferson Avenue. I want to speak on two items today. First, I want to support my
neighbors. I live uh down south of Fifth as well, across the street from the marina. And I know that they've gone through a lot over the last five years. And while a lot has been improved, there's still other things that could be done. Uh one of the ladies spoke about
uh the public uh going using the bathroom in the public restrooms are an important topic and that is something that perhaps could be considered for the marina and also perhaps there other ideas as well. So while a lot has been done, I think more can be done and
hopefully some pragmatic solutions to work together will be found. The other thing I want to speak about is an item that's not on the agenda today, but will be discussed and has been discussed in the budget hearings, which is the trolley system. It's uh it's an extremely successful system, over three
million riders per year. But if anyone has ridden it, they know that it's slow, it's dirty, the buses are not comfortable to ride, and it it can be elevated substantially. So, I'm just asking that as you go through all of the budget talks the rest of the summer and
draft the final budget for consideration this fall that you invest in this. It is a core service for residents, for visitors, and others. and uh and really I hope that it's elevated finally to match the city that we are in Miami
Beach. Thank you so much. Thank you, Matt. Eric, uh put you on the spot. When when is that new trolley contract coming to us? So, we are finalizing negotiations. I'm hoping that we can bring it to you in July. Right. Okay.
Come back in July. Can I make one more point? I'm sorry. Sure. The most important thing I would say my my experience is two doors on those trolleys. That's number one priority and then others as well are important. Thank you. Thank you.
Hello. Good morning, Mayor Miner and commissioners. Uh my name is Marina Brain, advocacy and outreach manager at SAVE, um Florida's longest serving LGBTQ advocacy organization. Um, while I'm sadly no longer a resident of Miami Beach, um, I have had the pleasure of
living here and working to support Miami Beach for se for for several years while I worked in the Florida legislature. Um, since June is Pride Month, um, I'm here in support of Commissioner Fernandez um, item on the committees um, and allocations for those funding. Um, I'm
also here for SAVE's advocacy is pride campaign to recognize Miami Beach for its constant support of the LGBTQ community. Uh today Miami Beach has one of the largest pride events in the country. Um it is celebrating its 17th anniversary. Um as the future of Miami
Beach Pride is considered, let's remember that the event has become a major attraction for Miami Beach, bringing significant economic benefits to the area. And it's not just a party, of course. Uh Miami Beach has also expanded its programming to include
educational and advocacy programs promoting social and cultural engagement. The inclusion of those is why Pride Month is so important. It's not just about a single celebration. It is a call to action. From Miami Beach Police Department's safe place
initiative to provide support and assistance to queer individuals who have been victims of hate crimes to the city of Miami Beach far exemption for genderneutral restrooms that incentivizes developers to build inclusive restroom facilities in all departments, uh, which was sponsored by
Commissioner Fernandez. Um, I think that the city of Miami Beach has done a wonderful job at making sure LGBTQ residents and staff feel fully protected and valued and supported. Um, so I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you to the whole commission. Um, and I hope
that you all will continue to hold the line um, in defend of our community. Um, and we really do appreciate all the work that you've done. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning. My name is Nicole Henry. I'm a resident of Miami Beach since
1998. Uh I reside at 1308 Drexel Avenue. And I just want to say thank you so much for taking care of our city, for loving our city. Um I'm here this morning full of gratitude. I love coming home to Miami Beach. I happen to be an entertainer and when I get off the
plane, I'm thrilled to cross over the causeways and come back to Miami Beach. So thank you for taking care of our city. I'm here today to just support you all and to ask for continued support for both for many organizations for our LGBTQ community. I partner with SAVE
LGBT um dot LGBT or anyway I partner with SAVE. I partner with Miami Music Project uh an organization that is bringing arts education, music education into our schools here at the Miami Beach um elementary school on Washington Avenue. I partner with many um music and
arts organizations, Miami New Drama. So, I just want to say thank you for your support for the arts. Thank you for making sure that uh for for empowering our most vulnerable, our disenfranchised um residents and those who make this city strong and the best it can be. So,
please continue to support equality. Um please continue to support with understanding and and and encouraging understanding for our our all of our residents as well as compassion. Um, and and I I love seeing that through the arts and again through the LGBT commu
community. So many blessings to you all and I hope I can help you serve our city. Thank you. Next, please. Good morning, everyone. My name is John Latella. I'm a gay man, a proud board
member of SAVE, and I live at 110 Washington Avenue in South the 5th, where I'm currently president of the board at the Cosmopolitan Residences. I joined SAVE because I want young LGBTQ people, gay, lesbian, by trans, non-binary, to know that they're not
alone, that some someone is looking out for them, especially now when so many are growing up in a political climate that treats their identity as a debate or worse, a threat. What I want these kids to hear is, and people like me are standing with you. When I was growing up
in Jersey City, there was no road map for being out, no positive role models in politics, on TV, or in most neighborhoods. What helped me survive was realizing that there were adults who had made it through, that a life beyond fear was possible. And that's what I hope to represent today, that living a
full, authentic, joyful life is still possible. That's also what STA stands for. Not just pride month vis visibility, but ongoing safety, inclusion, and dignity, especially for young people and for our trans neighbors who are far too target too often
targeted just for being who they are. They deserve better from our state, our leaders, and from all of us. Inclusion is a strategy that makes our communities stronger, more equitable, and more innovative. That's why funding the LGBTQ plus advisory board isn't optional. It's
essential. It helps identify gaps in services, builds trust, and ensures LGBTQ plus residents are seen, heard, and represented in real decision-making. Miami Beach has never been afraid to lead. The city has always had more courage and heart than most. In the 2024
municipal qual equality index, we earned a perfect score of 100, reflecting a high level of inclusion and protection. However, candidates with anti-LGBTQ values are currently running against SAVE endorsed champions on the Miami Beach Commission. Let's make sure every
LGBTQ plus young person in this city knows that we belong here, that they belong here, and that that we've got their back. Thank you. Go ahead. Please say your name, address, and you have two minutes. Good morning, Sarah Dey, Sansa Harbor
Neighborhood Association. I'm here in support of R5EFGHI which addresses vessels limitation and anchoring and strengthening the law especially in Sansa Harbor neighborhood where we have paddle boards and kayaks and some of the vessels are jeopardized
by safety. Thank you. And um I want to thank Davis Suarez for addressing this. It is not a popular items and has gotten a lot of heat from it but thank you very much for doing that. Kristen, thank you very much for helping us trying to get the planters in front of our building, which is not there yet. If you can push
them to actually replace the pilings with the planters will be looking nicer in Tonser Harbor Street. Thank you. Last but not least, okay, good morning. My name is Bobby Duke. I live at 1450 Lincoln Road and I've lived
here most of my life. And the reason I came down today because of my broke my hip is because I think it's very important that I say something here. I live at the end of Lincoln Road on the bay and I have more than enough people have said to me, "Why don't you clean up
this area? Why don't you get the people out of here that don't belong here?" I feel the same way. I asked some of the people that live there, "How come you don't bring your children by here anymore because I live right next to them?" They said because we don't feel safe. There's enough of these boats that
come by there and drop people off. That's not the right thing to do. You know, you want to make it a marina. That's great. But you have all these transons that come in here, bring in their boats, and then leave. That's not a way to run a business. I've lived on
Miami Beach most of my life, and I can tell you this right now. I wouldn't have come here today unless I thought this was important. This is more important than you probably really know. There are so many people that have stopped coming to the little park at the end of Lincoln Road because of the type of people that
hang out there and you have to put a stop to it. Thank you very much. Thank you. You know how I know it's important? You did the talking and not your Oh, you're going to speak as well, Nancy. Okay. I just I just wanted to say he's right on. Spot on. And I want to thank
all of you also and you especially, Mr. mayor because you were the first one who stepped forward to help our neighborhood. So, I thank you. And of course, David. David doesn't like it when I thank him. But really, he's made it a personal mission to help us. Oh, he loves it. We really we really needed
help. Can you state your name for the record? I'm sorry I didn't catch you. Yeah. So, he's been there for us all all, you know, all the way through everything. As a matter of fact, he's probably sick of hearing from me. I I'm texting him constantly. I'm calling the police constantly. Um and code is has been awesome. Without code, I don't know
where we'd be. So, I want to thank all of you for helping us. We really need it. And the boater the boats that are in there, some of them have been in there for at least five years or so. They're falling apart. Something needs to be done. Thank you. Can you say your name? I'm sorry. I didn't catch it.
Oh, I'm so sorry. Nancy Duke, 1450 Lincoln Road. Thank you. We just assumed everyone knows you. Really? We certainly do up here. All about the same thing. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you for everyone who spoke, who called in. Uh appreciate uh the comments and uh it's important to
hear from you. So, thank you for being here and uh and addressing us. Let's um I have some announcements. Mayor, if I may, please. Uh the mayor has called a special commission meeting for the following items. And for item R5A, which
is a second reading Alton Beachfront Overlay District Comp plan amendment, it is being open and continued to June 27th at 2:01 p.m. in the commission chamber. Companion item R5B. It's a second reading Alton Beach Bayfront Overlay
District LDR amendment. It is being open and continued to June 27th at 2:02 p.m. in the commission chamber. R5C, which is a second reading of the North Beach Oceanfront overlay comp plan amendment, is being open and continued to June 27th
at 204 PM in the commission chamber. Companion item R R our R5D, which is a second reading North Beach Ofront overlay LDR amendment is being open and continued to June 27th at 2:5 p.m. in the commission chamber. Item R7B, which
is a second reading of the Alton Beach Bayfront Overlay Development Agreement, is being open and continued to June 27th at 2:03 p.m. here in the commission chamber. Item R7C, which is the second reading of the North Beach Oceanside
District Doville development agreement, is being open and continued to June 27th at 20:06 p.m. in the commission commission chamber. and item R7D approve amendment one to the Doville settlement agreement is being open and continued to the June 27th uh uh special commission
meeting. So all those items are being spoken and discussed and action will be taken at special commission meeting on June 27th. The meeting starts at 2 p.m. As far as the separated items, the following items have been separated. Commissioner Dominguez is separating
from the consent C7U. Commissioner Fernandez is separating C2B, C4T, C7W, C7X, C7Y. And for your record on your list of
separated items, there's an additional item to be added, which is C7P by Commissioner Fernandez. So C7P, Commissioner Fernandez is also, so if you can mark that down on your list. Commissioner Magazine is separating C7BT. that was also not on your original
list. If you can add that to your list. So, Commissioner Magazine C7BT and Commissioner Suarez is separating C7J and C7BF. One more procedural item. Each member of the commission is allowed uh no more
than eight discussion and resolution items combined. Commissioner Fernandez currently has nine. He's seeking a 57th vote of the city commission to add item C7AP, which is a resolution declaring June 2025 as LGBTQ Pride Month in the city.
If I may have a motion to approve that request, that'll be appreciated. I'll make a motion. So, I hear a motion from Commissioner Dominguez. I heard a second from Commissioner Magazine. Uh, all in favor of adding that item to the consent agenda, please say I. I heard 70.
Uh if that's the case, we can now uh do the consent agenda excluding the separated items. I move the consent agenda with the exception of the separated items. Seconded. Second. I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by
Mayor Miner. All in favor of approving the consent agenda excluding the separated item, please say I. I. Hearing no opposition, the item is approved. 70. Those are the consent agenda items. It's called R7A. R7 A is a public hearing approved final
assessment role to the Lincoln Road bid. So I sponsored this item and the all of my colleagues are co-sponsors. So I think we know how this vote's going to go. It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom and I see no one in the audience. If so, I heard a motion, I
believe, by Commissioner Fernandez. Second, and second by Commissioner Miner. There's no discussion on item R 7A. All in favor, please say I. I. I. I hear no one in opposition. R7A is approved as is
70. Let's call C7 BT. B7BT is accept agreement with city and Zman Felic replace at the Lennox Court seaw wall. B7BT was separated by Commissioner Magazine. Go ahead. Uh reason I
separated it, I think this was going to be on consent uh without too much um uh back and forth. However, because it was added late to the agenda, it wouldn't have been able to be called until 5:00. Uh so wanted to get this out of the way out of respect for the rabbi's time. Uh,
so Brad, maybe if you can tee it up and I think we're all kind of aligned here. Thank you. Um, th this item um is is working directly in connection with the rabbi to address u rabbis portion of the
seaw wall which is that had collapsed on day and there's a section of 23 ft that is also part of this on Linux court that is part of the city's responsibility. Um, so this agreement is going to allow this whole process to be done um in a
very expedited fashion uh thanks to the rabbis's ability to get a contractor in place very quickly. H and it makes sense from our perspective to have the city's portion of the 23 ft um be part of that. um what we had obviously tried to attempt to do previously in getting cost
estimates were more challenging and way higher and based upon the numbers um that the rabbi was able to produce from his contractor it just makes sense to do it all as part of that uh and the city uh will have a great benefit of cost savings from doing it. So we are
completely in support of uh this project. I'd like to see such public private partnerships replicated about a million times across the city. Uh so that being said, I'll move uh make a motion to move forward with the recommendation of city staff. Got a motion from Commissioner Magazine, second from Commissioner Fernandez.
Let's call the vote. All in favor? This is item C7BT. Please say I. I. Hearing no one opposed. The item is approved. 70. And and as Commissioner Magazine stated, all the addendum items will be heard after five except for this one.
that can I with the permission of the mayor just have a minute? Sure. You know you just won the vote. Yes. You're risking it. Mayor Gilbert would always say when you go to law school they teach you don't speak when you just won. So what you do say is I want to say thank
you to all of you and it's been a pleasure working with our city manager, our assistant uh city manager, David, and uh of course Brad, our director. I mean arc assistant director or a
director. Yeah. Interimm director of uh public works. It was really a pleasure working with them and expediting it and I really appreciate it. Just I wanted to read something if you don't you don't mind. I want to begin by expressing my sincere
thanks to Blake. I know he's um who I respect refly refer to as our commander-in-chief, but I know you uh he's your deputy mayor and a true public servant. Blake was the very first person I called after the storm on March 30th regarding concerns about the bridge
which appeared to have have sustained damage. As always, Blake acted immediately. He contacted FDOT who promptly dispatched the crew to inspect the bridge structure and review our survey. Their initial indication to Blake was the seaw wall was a city's
responsibility as it does not fall in the boundaries of my property. However, as time passed and the city carried out its due diligence, it was ultimately determined that it seemed to be our responsibility. Blake then facilitated
the meeting that proved invaluable and we submitted an engineer report and that's what brings us here today and got everything finalized. Blake, I just want to sincerely thank you for your commitment and seeing this through the end. I first met Blake approximately two
years ago when the street lights on Pine Tree Drive on 44th Street across Pine Tree Dog Park were not functioning. The area was quite dark to say the least and uncomfortable. Despite my repeated efforts over the previous two years to resolve the matter with FPNL, nothing
was done. Once Blake became involved, he took charge. Within a short time, the entire two block stretch had functioning street lights. Blake stayed on top of it and ensured the work was completed. And he made the time to come to my house and
to make sure that's all working in the evening. I mean, that's amazing. Since then, we've worked together on numerous matters ranging from the BTR improvements, which I work with uh the city manager as well, to addressing homelessness, to concerns in Sunset
Harbor, which were all taken care of and executed. Blake is someone who responds to emails at any hour of the day and night. I truly don't know how he does it, but I truly am grateful to have him in our city of Miami Beach, the beacon of light to all the other cities. And as
the labavaji which uh the our mayor makes a proclamation for him said this is the city of Miami Beach is the Jerusalem of the diaspora. So we have a big responsibility on our hands to make sure we are a true beacon of light. I
want to say that I want to thank you all. I want to thank uh Rick, David Suarez, Laura Tanya. I gave you a book Tanya. I hope you're reading it. our holy mayor Joe and um Kristen and Alex
Fernandez. I feel you're all my friends. We've all worked together and uh we should continue to work together. I want to especially thank you Steve and I'll tell you why. For keeping our city safe and sound because without a se safe sound city we have nothing. You can
spend money in fixing this building and you can spend money in changing the windows, but it's not safe and sound. And we see currently see what's going on in New York. Um, you saw the Democratic Mariel primary, the Mand Mandani, if I'm
pronouncing his name name right. I mean, it's very scary. I actually got phone calls this morning from a bunch of friends of mine that live in Brooklyn that are heading here to Florida. So make room and uh thank you again really for keeping this I know that's your number one thing and continue to do
that. Keep us safe and sound and all and everybody else in this our community. Thank you all. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. And I'll give a thank you to you. Uh obviously you you have a lot of interest in Sunset Harbor and I know you spent a lot of time and your own resources in making sure you do your
part in keeping that neighborhood and your properties clean and safe. So thank you. And I personally hope that in the future we can do things on Washington Avenue and other areas and um Cast Sunset Harbor really is a beautiful gem that we have. And I I really appreciate
I see you a lot of you a lot of the commissioners and the mayor and uh even I see Tom coming to Sunset Harbor and enjoying it and thank you for your time and uh I really appreciate everything you guys do. Really I feel like I have personal friends up there on the deis.
Thank you. And uh like Govon, my deputy chief of staff, I think we'll be hiring you as his agent. Uh you listen, you're gonna have to get royalties. I offered him already to become partners with me in any business he wants to go into. He's a real He's a real executor and a real asset for the city of Miami Beach.
I really mean that. I think I think the crowd feels that way. Yeah, I have a great team. But yes, uh thank you. Uh Blake Blake is a superstar. I felt he needed a call out and acknowledging and giving someone thanks is the most important thing. As our President Trump said after he said, "Thank you, God. I
love God." And recognizing that is important. Thank you very much. Thank you. One, we're going to call uh several items. I'm gonna I think we're going to call several items together.
Is this it? So, I'll read it out and I'll leave it to our city clerk. R5E, R5F, R5G, R5H, R5 I, R5 AB. They all seem to be related. Okay, give me one sec.
Which one is that? I'm going to read them all and one sec. Okay. So, I'm going to read the titles to all those items and the first one is R5E that I'm reading the title to. It is an ordinance of the mayor and city
commission of the city of Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 86 of the code of the city of Miami Beach, Florida entitled marine structures, facilities, and vessels by amending article 3 entitled peers, docks, and boat ramps by amending section 66-116 thereof entitled commercial vessel
activities, hours of operation at private marinas and private marines facilities to correct a scrier's error in the definition of pleasure vessel and providing for repealer servability codification and an effective date. This is a second reading public hearing. That
was item R5E. Item R5F is an ordinance to the mayor, city commissioner of the city of Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 82 of the code of the city of Miami Beach entitled public properties by amending article 3 entitled use of public property by amending division one entitled generally by amending section
82-72 thereof entitled commercial vessel activity hours of operation of publicly owned marinas. to clarify the definition set forth therein and establish limitations for owner affirmative defense for personal use outside of permitted hours of operation and providing for repealer shability
cification and an effective date. That was item that is a second reading public hearing. It is item R5F. R5G is an ordinance of the mayor, city commissioner of city of Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 102 of the code of the city of Miami Beach, Florida entitled taxation by amending article 4
entitled local business tax by amending section 102-368 thereof entitled posting of business tax receipt and decal display of business tax receipt number in advertisements by requiring that commercial vessels related businesses prominently display a
cityissued business tax receipt decal on each commercial vessel in their fleet and providing for repealer of ability and effective date. That's a second reading public hearing. That was item R5G. Thanks. Item R5H is an order of the mayor and city commissioner of city of Miami Beach Florida amending chapter 66
of the code of the city of Miami Beach Florida entitled marine structures facilities and vessels by amending article 4 entitled vessels by creating section 66-143 thereof entitled anchoring of commercial vessels or floating structures used to rent store or otherwise secure other vessels
prohibited and providing for repealer subability clarification and an effective date that is a first reading public hearing that was item R5 5H item R5 I is an ordinance of a mayor and city commissioner of the city of Miami
Beach Florida amending chapter 66 the of the city code entitled marine structures facilities and vessels by amending article 4 entitled vessels by creating section 66-156 entitled Miami Beach overnight anchoring limitation area established by establishing a Miami Beach overnight
anchoring limitation area and providing for repealer shability clarification and an effective date item R5 I is a first Reading R5AB is an ordinance of the mayor and city commission of the city of Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 82 of the Miami Beach City Code entitled
publicly public property by amending article 3 entitled use of public property by amending division one entitled generally by amending section 82-73 thereof entitled balloons prohibited at public marinas, marine facilities, parks and beaches to increase civil penalties and specify
responsible parties for violations in order to deter harm harmful littering and protect marine and coastal wildlife and providing for repealer servability clarification and effective date. That is a first reading public hearing. That was item R5AB. Okay. Thank you, Ralph. Um, Commissioner
Suarez. So R5E, R5F, and R5G, they're related to they're all the same um items that And I'd like to move three items.
I'm sorry. So that was on you're moving R5E, R5F, and R5G. Thank you. Separately. Do you want to have discussion on those three items? I don't think there's going to be a discussion. So on these are public hearings. I see no one in Zoom
and I see no one in the audience. So may I have a I want to do a roll call on all three items. They were we're talking about R5E, F, and G. We have a motion by Vice Mayor Suarez, and it's been seconded by Commissioner Fernandez. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Vice Mayor
Suarez, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Bot, yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. The items are approved. That was R5E, F, and G70. And I'd like to move R5AB, the
balloons at the marina. May I have a second? Can you explain the item, Commissioner Suarez? I have a question about it, too. Um, about a year ago, we passed a law where we prohibited balloons
at public beaches, marinas, and parks. And the law only applied to at least on the marina, the law only applied to the person holding the balloons uh or owning the balloons. Um and so what I've seen
at the marina with the specifically with these bad actor charters is they they bring hundreds of balloons at a time. It's to the same boat. It's to the same charter. And I'd like to I'd like to apply the
um ordinance to the boat owners as well. Um because these are the charter operators. So um it's no longer the guests of of the charter because many people who who go on these charters probably have no
idea of our ordinance uh banning balloons at public marinas. But the boat owners do know. And so I want to make sure that to to get enforcement I'd like to have Mr. Mayor if I may have question Mr. Fernandez. Is there anything here that changes or
expands the definition of what is a balloon? The the definition of balloon has been further clarified to include certain materials that were not listed originally such as um rubber, latex,
polyclloropene, bopet uh which is sometimes known as myar and materialized plastic or nylon fabric. And the other thing that the ordinance does is it creates a stiffer penalty for balloons that are released
at marinas. So, in addition to making the vessel operator or owner liable for uh balloons held by their passengers um by any crew members, um it also stiffens the penalties for for balloons.
And just as a followup, does that mean that that the balloons those are like aluminum? There's these aluminum balloons that they're not rubber, they're not latex. There are the other ones. Um, those are now included. Those
are now included. Yes. Are they called? Myar. Myar. Is that still allowed? Yes. So, no. Bopet is is actually the generic name for myar. Myar is a trademarked name. Would that be still allowed? No,
that would not be allowed. The nylon balloons are not allowed. Correct. And so and so there would be in essence no option for anyone that wants to have something celebratory like you won't be able to have only on the marina only in the marina. Correct. So but this
ordinance right now when it was crafted it applied to parks public facilities and all that parks beaches public marinas Gonzalez. I mean look the truth is it's kind of aspirational. It's impossible to
enforce no balloons at parks. Nearly impossible. That's not true. The the soreness has been enforced actually. Has it been enforced? I mean, I would like I understand that it's there, but to be able to enforce it. But I do think that moving forward, it's an opportunity to kind of educate and I think if you are
going to pass this, you should probably have some sort of interesting signage explaining why. We do. You know, at the marina, believe it or not, at every gate at the marina, there is a sign that says balloons are prohibited. But these charter operators, as you can see from the people that came here, they don't
care about the quality of life. They certainly don't care about our environment, it seems. And they tell their guests to bring as many balloons as they want. And so what I what I'd like to do is instead of I don't I don't really fault the people bringing the balloons. It's more so that the
operators who enabled this behavior. I have a question. What happened at the marina? like it was under control and about 3 months ago we began to get complaints again. I thought that we had fixed this entire situation. Now I
understand that if the balloons are a means of not just environmental but a way to control these charter operators. That's great and I think that's wonderful. But I think the administration needs to explain to us what the heck has happened. There are so many people angry here. They're
threatening us over the marina. And I'd like to understand why. What changed in the past 90 days? What have we not been enforcing? And why are we facing this situation right now?
So, I would ask assistant city manager Mark Taxis, who I've asked to take the lead on all items related to the marina, to speak to what's transpired over the last couple of months. I can't answer that there's anything magical that's happened, but there certainly has been an uptick. Um, we have had a police
presence and a code presence there. Um, I don't think it's been enough. Um, I'm working with the police department under the manager's direction along with code compliance. And beginning on Thursday, we're going to have an enhanced detail of both code officers and police
officers. There's not going to just be one or two. We're going to have a strong contingent of both police officers and code compliance officers there um to cite all of these bad actors and anybody that does anything. And that will give
us the the leverage that we need to be able to evict these bad operators from the marina. So, we're going to be all over it beginning Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights from 8:00 p.m. till 2 a.m. Um I have a question. So, I ran out after that gentleman who threatened me
and I said, "What what's going on? Why are you so upset? And he said, you know what's going on. There's six bad actors and you guys have not banned these six bad charter actors. What does he mean by that? Why haven't we banned them if we
know that they're bad actors? Um what's happening with this? I think the marina's position, the marina's position has been that we have to be able to cite them before they can evict them without them um having to face a legal challenge as to why they're being evicted just
because someone says they're a bad actor. So, I don't know that we've had a a strong enough presence there to be able to cite all of these, but that's going to change starting Thursday. If someone steps out of line, we're going to evict them. But why only Thursday if it's summer and there's people partying
every day? I mean, I think given the amount of people that are angry and the activity that's happening, because I'm getting these texts and emails, not just on the weekends, I'm getting it every single day at this point. Commissioner U
Rosen Gonzalez, if I may, um the three items that we just passed, uh and and forgive me, but I I didn't I just for the sake of time, I didn't want to have to to give a sort of introduction, but for R5G, it's really what we just passed
um it's really going to help code enforcement with these issues. And the reason is because right now these charter operators after 7:00 they say, "Oh, these are just my friends." and there's no way to prove that. But what we just passed is now the burden of
proof is on them. They have to prove and fill out an affidavit saying that these are the their friends. And so this is going to give what we just passed a lot more tools to code enforcement. Obviously, it starts in 10 days from today or 10 business days. But um what
we just passed is going to what I believe and what the city attorneys have drafted give much more control uh of regulating these these bad actors because there's only I think there's only five or six of them and which and I don't want to get too far off topic because we're talking
about balloons the these five or six charter operators are the ones consistently bring hundreds of balloons at a time and so um the these items address what we're talking about as far as quality of life at the marina and the environmental concerns.
I would just like to add and this is for sundext. A member of the audit committee called me yesterday and said that um the inspector general's report on the marina had come in and they found that um annually it's like something like they
owe us $661,000 because they are charging um for the parking. They are um the numbers are incorrect on the subleas leases. Um, there are so many reasons why. And if you look, they only did the audit for
one year and in one year they found $661,000, which basically means that Sentex is really in violation of our contract. And if you can't take that audit report that shows that not only the numbers that they're sending to the state of Florida
are incorrect, that we are losing money on um the parking, that they are not giving us um all of the money from the subleas leases and everything else. How come you're not just going to sax right now and saying if you don't stop this nonsense, we're going to um you know take serious legal action because you're
in violation of the Sunax contract. I mean they are in gross violation millions of dollars of violation of the of the contract. So I mean at this point I don't understand why the administration hasn't done anything. If if I also before the administration responds, I'm actually working with
legal to bring an item on the next commission agenda to to discuss the audit report and and we have also had multiple meetings with our legal department to work through the details of that audit report to determine which
of those are legally enforceable and which aren't so that we are billing them the correct amount. um because I do think that ultimately they're going to challenge most of those results. All I know is I spoke to a member of the
audit committee, an accountant, a CPA that I've known for years, and he said that in his he's never seen such gross contract violations like he sees with Sunsex and our Marina. And I don't know ex if we could
we should terminate this contract with them for cause based on this audit information based or have an additional audit done and go into you know litigation. I've had enough because I mean we get these complaints constantly and now it's somehow Miami Beach's
responsibility when really SUNTEX is managing this marina and it's it's really um become somewhat of a cancer. uh something that should be really uh beautiful and wonderful is a quality of life
um I don't know disease it's horrible Mr. Mayor. So, yeah, if I could just comment. Uh, so yeah, I am bringing an item next month. Uh, I do have a separate item R9V, but if I just wanted to ask one question. Yes, sir. I had asked the administration this. I don't know if we've got an answer yet. Several
years ago, I when we were discussing the issues at the marina, my recollection is I remember we beefed up security. My recollection is that some techs actually helped pay for the offduty officers or extra security. Um it's but it was 3
four years ago and I just want to make sure I'm because if that's the case we should until these problems are uh are alleviated we should implement that again and we looked that up there was a referral but there was no specific action but SUNTEX has hired um security
guards that they have out there but what's been out there has not been adequate enough to be able to address the issues and like I said um and I agree with what Commissioner Suarez said certainly the tools that that you all just passed with those three are going
to um enable our code compliance department to be able to much to to stop these people from skirting through loopholes and being able to skirt around what they can and can't do by saying, "Oh, well, it's just me and my friends out on our boat. It's our family." When when it's not. So, I think those are
going to be a tremendous help. But on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we're going to have a strong contingent out there and we're going to get this under control quickly. Commissioner Rose Gonzalez and Commissioner Fernandez. Yep. My final question is I mean we have these bad operators but I would also like the good operators who are following the rules to
be able to have I would like visitors to Miami Beach to be able to take a boat ride and have a nice charter day. How many charters do we have total? Because I you know I haven't gotten into the weeds on how many charter licenses there
are. I mean, we know that we've pinpointed certain bad operators and we're going to start to enforce, but at the same time, will we be able to um protect the operators who are not violating these rules? Because I, you know, I'm I banning everything is also
not an option. Absolutely. We have good operators out there and we're not they're they're not going to be impacted. But I will say that SUNTEX has been working well with this and over the last 30 days I think we've had nine terminations of leases and there's a few more that are under review right now. Commissioner Fernandez. Yeah. I'm just
this is not how a meeting is ran. We are talking on an item about balloons and I understand this is a very serious issue and our residents are suffering and enforcement must be taken and we need to do whatever we legally can to restore the progress we were making there. But
we are talking about an ordinance about balloons in marinas. We're not talking about suntex. We're not talking about enforcement of leases. And if we're just going to go train of thought on items, I'm just then we're just we're going to have a crazy agenda on every single
item. I'm going to second this item. The the balloon ordness is important. We've had over 22 vessels that have been investigated by code enforcement. our park rangers, I think since the enactment of this ordinance has issued over 119
warnings. So, it is clearly an issue and I thank you to the sponsor for tailoring this, finally tailoring this to be specific about the marina so that the more strict uh materials are on the marinas and not necessarily on the parks because we don't want to ruin the
parties and the family activities where they may want to bring some type of balloons. So, I'll second the item. So can you call the role please? Actually we cannot. It is a public hearing scheduled for 1:40. So what we will do is at that time open the public hearing.
Currently there's no one. We'll just take the vote at that time. Okay. So can we call R5 uh H and R I do that but let me let me comment. Uh thank you Commissioner Fernandez. Actually um it's a good point. I did
have R9V which um which was dealing with sunt. So I'm not going to call that item separately since we just had the conversation now. Although maybe you want to call it up Ralph just as a procedural matter matter so that we did call it and talk about it and uh we we and we'll see how it goes during the
month. So R9V is discuss take action concerns regarding commercial vessel operators R9V by the mayor. Okay, which we just did. The the final two is R5H and R5i.
So, which was already called. Yes, I called him. Sorry. Commissioner Suarez, thank you. Uh PJ, if you could put up R5i, please. Um and I want to say colleagues, um and before you do that, PJ, one one second.
Um, you know, as a the first actually the first item I got elected when I got elected, one of the first items I took on was uh the derelict uh boats in our bay. Um,
and I quickly realized that at a city level, we had no control over our waterways. uh there's nothing we could do to regulate uh anchoring visitation. Um
pretty much our hands were completely tied uh as far as enforcement in our own waterways. And if you look at our municipal map, half of Miami Beach is underwater. Um and so in reality, we half of our
city we were not able to control. I over the last two years, year and a half, I spent many trips to Tallahassee um advocating for a change uh in in
local control. And for the first time in a long time, the state of Florida has given our county along with a few others um more control over our destiny. uh
it's kind of the opposite of what we've been seeing as far as preeemptions with live local in this particular case. Now the city actually has more control over its domain. So um I'm going to try to keep this really short, less than 5 minutes. This is uh a PowerPoint
presentation that I'd like to do for uh anchoring limitations. So PJ, can you put it back on please? Thank you. Um major victory for waterways. You can go to the next slide. So, derelict boats overrunning our state
waterways. In 2023, over 160 derelict or abandoned vessels in Miami Beach. In 2007, which I'll show you on the next slide, it was only five. Uh, most are unseaorthy, lack working way systems,
sink and storms, spilling fuel, sewage, uh, used for illegal rentals such as Airbnb. Um, they evade zoning, taxes, and safety codes. uh they create safety hazards, environmental destruction and unfair competition.
Go to the next slide, PJ. And so this is just a quick show from 2007 where there was five boats to 2023 where there's 162 boats. Uh next slide, please. So the environmental damage, um many of these
boats do not move. Uh they haven't moved in years. Um, and one can only imagine that if you don't move, you have waste systems, they get dumped into the bay. Um, their anchor systems that they have during high winds. They'll scrape
precious seaggrass off the floor. Um, they'll sink, leak oil, gas, and waste during storms. Um, it undermines our taxpayer dollars that fund seaggrass restoration. And again, it threatens marine life and
water quality and and to extent private property. Next slide, please. Uh, sunken vessels block navigation routes. They pose hazards for recreational and commercial voters. They complicate emergency operations, cost removal, burdens of
taxpayers. Every time there is a boat that's sunk, it cost the taxpayers anywhere between 10 and $20,000 a single boat to retrieve and and dispose of. um and an increased law enforcement and rescue interventions. So, the abuse uh next slide, please.
Derelic boats exploited for illegal vacation rentals. Um I've seen posts on Airbnb, on on Craigslist, on Facebook Marketplace. Um where they're advertising monthly and nightly rentals on the water. Um,
and they completely evade all our code um, and zoning laws, which in effect they're exploiting our public waterways for their private game. Next slide, please. So, here are just a few examples. One that's leaking, one that's blocking navigation, one's
actually anchored to to a sunken boat, and then the boat on the left is there at night. voters can't see that and risks, you know, risk bodily harm if you're if you're at night traveling.
Next slide, please. And so when I mentioned the seaggrass destruction, those the anchors and the chains from from their anchors, they scrape the seagrass bed floor. And what you can see are the burn marks around each boat uh
of seaggrass. Next slide, please. And so here in Miami Beach, this is Sunset Harbor. You can see that it's you cannot if you're a boat, you cannot navigate through that in Sunset Harbor. On the right, there was just a year ago, there was a sailboat that broke free. Its mast is
banging against the sewage line. And if that sewage line would have broke, it would have dumped millions of gallons of sewage into the bay, or $1,200 a night uh on the water. And again, there's nothing we can do about that since it's in state waters. So, next slide, please. So, what I've
been working on um is HB481. It was sponsored by Vicky Lopez, Representative Vicky Lopez, and Senator Jonathan Martin. It was signed by Governor Dantis, and gives local governments real enforcement tools. Next slide.
So, what this does is it gives a 30-day anchoring limit for counties with a population of 1.5 million or greater. Um, so which basically means that boats may not anchor in the same county for more than 30 days in a six-month period.
Uh, it also refineses anchoring now restricted within 300 ft of a moing field. Um, and some of the exceptions are marine construction, maintenance, and marked moing fields. Now, next slide. Why this works? So, simple timebased rule. It's a lot easier
to enforce. Our marine patrol can easily see that this boat has been here for 30 nights in a six-month period. Um, and gives clear enforcement, uh, avoids lengthy legal fights to prove to prove that a boat's at risk or derelick. Um,
it also aligns with our no camping rules, uh, prevents floating encampments, and it also supports legitimate cruisers who do come to Miami Beach to vacation and and on their journey to the Bahamas or further south.
Next slide, please. Um, balance and focus approach does not target responsible boers, preserves water access for recreation and legal liverboards. Marinas and mooring fields are still options for legal liable boards. Uh focuses on the worst hit counties, Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and
Hillsboro. Um, next slide, please. So, what does this mean for our city? Uh, localities can enforce a 30-day anchoring limit immediately after the locality passes legislation. Uh, it will deter derelic boats and marine
squatters, protects marine life, private property and public resources, helps restore freedom of navigation and water safety, and encou encourages responsible, regulated use of our city waters and state waters. Last slide, I want to give a shout out to
Representative uh Vicky Lopez. Yes. Uh Vicky Lopez, Senator Jonathan Martin, Speaker Danny Perez, Senator Pre Senate President Ben Albritten, and Governor Ronda Santz for making this happen. It's been a long time coming, and this is going to be uh monumental
for our city and our marine patrol. So, uh PJ, you can um close this slide. Oh, I'd also like to thank um because none of this the the law that was HB41 would not have been been possible had it
been for our outstanding legal team. And um I want to thank Mark Fishman who took the time, studied this um and carefully um reviewed this to make this legislation happen. the the state
legislature literally took our city attorney's language and and and pretty much adopted it. Um I also want to thank Rob Rosenwald for really crafting this particular legislation for Miami Beach. Um and it's
it's a great step of h finally having local control. Uh, Ricardo, thank you. Or city attorney, thank you so much for having a great team and and and helping this become a reality because what's going to happen here is, you know, other municipalities, other maritime
municipalities are going to are going to take this and use it as a template for their um their city. And so, uh, with that, uh, I welcome any questions. Other than that, I'd like to move my item. Let's call the vote.
It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom and I see no one in the audience. Commissioner Magazine on R5i. Yeah, I just like to acknowledge the time, effort, and passion, uh, Commissioner Suarez put into this. So, congratulations. I know was a multi-year effort, something important to you and
know how much much it meant. So, uh, with that, you know, of course. Yes. Vice Mayor Suarez. Yes. Commissioner Bot, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, I would also just like to say that from the time you put on the GoPro and dove
in the water and drew attention to the boats, it's really been kind of a herculean effort. So, congratulations on this. Thank you. Yes, Commissioner Fernandez. Yes, and thank you for your tremendous work with this amazing
Mayor Miner. Yes. Motion carries. Second reading. Public hearing scheduled for July 23rd. Is there a time certain? We still have R5H to do. I'd like to move R5H. Second. Call the vote.
It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom and I see no one in the audience requesting to speak on R5H. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Commissioner Dominguez. Commissioner Dominguez.
R5H. R5H. Yes. Commissioner Bot. Yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Yes. Commissioner Magazine. Yes. Vice Mayor Suarez. Yes. Mayor Miner. Yes. Motion carry. Second reading. Public hearing is scheduled for July 23rd.
Thank you. Thank you. Good work on on that and uh it's going to make our waterways and city safer. So, thank you. Let's do R2A. R2A is award RFP 2025 2018. ND paddle
pickle ball facility garage rooftop link lane north. Link lane north. Mr. Vice Mayor Mr. Vice Mayor recognize who would like to speak. I I'll just
kind of teed up. Uh exciting day for me. I think the area for our health and wellness community. Um some time ago we discussed uh putting out an RFP to have a uh paddle facility on Lincoln Road. It's my strong strong belief that in
order to help reinvigorate some of our commercial corridors uh not only is it revitalization of public spaces but it's actually providing activations and a more vibrant lively atmosphere and one of the ways uh I envision doing so along with my colleagues that showed
tremendous support um is by having an RFP for public space for to bring a paddle facility which is one of the the fastest growing sport in the world has just been incredibly embraced by the Miami community. It draws an international crowd and brings a young,
vibrant uh consumer that is going to uh certainly help support the lifeblood and vibrancy of Lincoln Road. Uh this started out this I think is a a demonstration of true collaboration. None of us being so dogmatic that we
couldn't uh change what our original concepts or maybe vision was after hearing community feedback because this didn't wind up where it started. Um so I want to thank staff. I want to thank my colleagues for uh helping make this even a better thought or proposal. and I'll
turn it over to our procurement team to talk about where uh the process and what the recommendation is. Good morning. Thank you. Christy B, chief procurement officer. So the recommendation before you is to enter into negotiations with Racket Property
um as the top rank proposer and then Paddle Paddle uh it's a joint venture as the second rank proposer if negotiations were to fail with uh Racket Property. And then further in case um negotiations are unsuccessful with the second um top
ranked proposer to negotiate with um World Paddle Florida and this is for option B. Option B if you all may not recall it was for G5 the top floor of G5. We received a total of seven proposals for G5 and I'm sorry and one
proposal for G9. So, at this time, we're recommending to proceed with negotiations for option B, the top floor of G5. I think it's important to note that ultimately that final agreement will come back before the commission for
approval and acceptance. So, this is your opportunity to provide any input um that you want us to take back and hopefully we'll be back to you quickly with a final agreement so that we can move forward with this amenity. Correct.
Commissioner Bach. Yeah. I just um I want to echo what you said, Joe, and and commend you because this is your baby and, you know, there's no uh pride of authorship with you, which I really appreciate. But, you know, we we all up here thought it was a really great idea
and we heard from a lot of residents who are horrified at the thought of losing parking, which is a frequent refrain. And the end result is um is is I I I still believe a great idea and I'm really looking forward to you know seeing Lincoln Road cafes open for
people you know getting some orange juice before they go play and then you know meeting for a casual bite afterwards or whatever. Um and I I think it's it accomplishes the goal in the best possible way of hearing adjusting and moving forward. So, doesn't happen
often enough and I I'm proud to to uh to commend you for it. Yeah, I echo those sentiments. Uh the process worked as it should. You threw an idea out there. We we we all put ourselves on the line when we throw ideas out there to make our city better. We heard from our
residents, which is what our residents should be doing. We love to hear that and it and it made the item better, but uh kudos to you for listening and amending uh on on the fly. Mr. from here. Commissioner Fernandez, thank you. Uh, and like my colleagues
and our colleagues, Commissioner Magazine, this is so innovative. What a great vision that is going to bring healthy activity uh and energy to to an unused rooftop space. And uh and really
is just going to uh bring vibrant uh recreations. It's going to bring foot traffic. is gonna bring new energy into this iconic uh district. So, I think only you could have handled this in such a balanced manner. You had a vision, but
you knew you had to work with the community and with your colleagues, and you were able to pivot and bring it now to the place where where where this is at on the item that's before us. Um, so so the recommended top ranked vendor has
a local presence. Is that correct? Yes, they actually have a facility in city of Miami and they're building another facility in Boca Raton and Palm Beach. So, this is a proven vendor. Yes. And this is a vendor that is offering the city upfront rents. Correct. They are
offering an upfront payment of $200,000 and an annual um rental based payment of $200,000 with a 3% annual increase. Okay. Um a period of 119 months. Sorry, I'm sorry.
119 months. Okay. Um, as the city enters into negotiations, um, would it be possible to consider, and I leave it to the sponsor because you have a vision. Um, I saw that some of the other respondents, the second and
third opponents also had a pickle option, and not everyone's as sporty as you are, Commissioner Muscles. Um yeah, but some of us need the lighter sport. Uh so if you consider perhaps as as you
engage in negotiations, the feasibility of incorporating um incorporating the possibility of pickle ball as as part of this, we see it's exploding. Everyone loves it. It's everywhere. Um so I don't know if you're willing to ask staff to incorporate that
part. I think that's low cost for the provider to do and it would just be a compliment uh the more activation and vibrancy right I didn't start with saying how can we get paddle here it started with how can we bring vibrancy and energy to Lincoln Road and paddle
was the vessel in which to do so and I also wholeheartedly agree in fact I came up with this idea of driving past the Miami Beach Country Club at 11:00 p.m. at night and seeing how many people were out there and I said, "Wow, imagine that on Lincoln Road." I said, "Oh my gosh, actually I got elected to help bring
those visions to life. Um, and kind of took that into my own hands." So, I wholeheartedly agree if uh um you know, we have extra space up there. So, from us as a city, if we'd like to see that, uh we could ask the operator to, you know, essentially help bring that vision
to fruition. And just two other things as a followup that as we as as uh you commissioner and the administration go into negotiations. Um consider the branding of our city. We are the city of Miami Beach and I think there will be so
much excitement around uh this vendor coming into our garage that there will be plenty of promotions about it. It would be great to incorporate into that our Miami Beach brand so that so that it's tied uh to it. So I would ask to
them to incorporate it as part of their promotions. And I noticed that with the other rank proponents, they were there were gross revenue shares with the city. I saw some were up to 10%. And I'm certain that without me even mentioning here, I'm sure that the sponsor himself
would have been fighting for it since he is our finance guru. But I would just want to make sure that we get uh the best revenue share we can from the proponent when you bring back a negotiated contract. We'll do. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner.
Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Um I love this idea, not just because it's going to activate a rooftop that we're not using, but because people are going to be residents are going to be coming in and using that garage all the time, and that garage is not in great
shape. I don't know if we're if like we've been uh cleaning it lately or painting it. I also know that public works is on the ground floor. Are we moving public works as we do this or is that not part of this? This is on the rooftop.
It's a very different I understand. But you know what you're going to have to do is now that I mean it's you know I think it's unacceptable that public works is in that garage um where our convention center is in the city
center where all of our tourists see it. So now that we've commercialized this space, I think you need to have the plan to move public works out and at least tidy up what public works has there and I that should, you know, definitely be part of this. Yeah, I I agree that we
want to be put our best foot forward out of respect for our operator and the uh enhanced community that we're going to be welcoming there. When I originally wanted to see this on P26 or P27, part of that was actually freeing up space in
the ground floor. Uh, and I spoke with our interim public works director that even for the interim where, uh, until we find a more permanent home for public works, just from having a more welcoming environment for our guests, that ground floor is vital because people like to
park on a lower floor and walk right out of the garage. that area should be cleaned, rehabilitated, and freed up for our visitors for Lincoln Road. So, Brad, you know, I'll work with you uh for something for the July agenda. Uh and Commissioner Rosing Gingaz, a great
point. We want to put our best foot forward, not just for this uh operator, but for everybody that's visiting Lincoln Road and parking in that garage. And probably having our sanitation department on the ground floor is not the way to do so. So, uh, let's have a more aesthetic, uh, approach to this,
but I don't think we need to incorporate in that. We we'll work separately to, uh, to get that done. And then also, what I'd like to see on that same line is have code compliance, not parking in uh, P27. Those should be vital spots for our residents and visitors to Lincoln
Road. Uh, they should be parking in our parking garage just a mere block away. Um, but those are issues that we can tackle. And I would encourage the operator, is that you guys? I don't know if they're here. Um, whoever we're going to negotiate with, I would encourage you
if you see things that we need to fix on the ground floor where sanitation is, just please let us know. Maybe if you give us a a punch list of things that you think would be acceptable because, you know, as you have sanitation on the first floor, I'm sure there's like quick fixes that we might not see because we're not going to be in that garage
every day. So, please feel free to reach out to us and we'll get whatever it is that you need done so that you know you have a clean cleaner experience as people come to play. Patal, let's call the vote. No. Oh,
Commissioner Bot, third time's the charm. Um, two things. Speaking of beautifying that entryway, we talked at a last month, I think it was about or maybe two months ago about um a mural program that city provides the paint and we put out a call to artists. Um maybe
in this case the the people who get the bid uh do it or we start with this as a test program and that we start off with you know a sports themed mural or community activation in that entryway so that people know ah this is the the garage where I can go to the roof and
and and do something sporty. um one thought. The other thought is as you're negotiating and this is not uh my strength at all but super psyched to see that we get money up front and you know more money at the end of the year. Um but maybe there's also if they if we hit
you know if the vendor hits a um certain threshold thereafter we get a revenue split. So and I think that's the percentage of gross that commissioner was referring to. Okay. Sorry. Great minds think alike. We were having a
sidebar over here. I love it. Ju just if I could, uh, Mr. City Manager, I I think you hit on the keyword is expediency. Um, next summer will be with the World Cup coming to town, perhaps the most important event
in the history of Miami, coming to our city for seven weeks. A and what a great addition. I know it's ambitious, but to have this ready, it seems like the timeline that was put forward would be right around there. Um, permitting
certainly was a large chunk. It actually wasn't the construction process. Permitting is what seemed to be the largest indicator. So, if we could, you know, be as expedient as possible with the negotiation process, is there anything that we can do from a
legislative side? Do you envision uh and maybe uh our planning director could answer this. Will this require some type of uh amendment to um the F that we could uh start getting out of in front right now? Um because I really want to
essentially have a very ambitious goal of having this completed uh by this time next year. Yeah, I uh actually I talked to Nick about this very briefly yesterday. Um, I haven't reviewed the plans in great detail, but from what I've seen,
the only real regulatory requirement would be design review board review and approval. Uh, because this is a main use parking garage, up to 25% of the floor area can be used for non-parking purposes. And so, since most of this is open to the sky, there's not going to be
an F issue. And any limited enclosed areas, I believe, probably would fall under that 25% rule. So even if they would includes a clubhouse or includes the courts. Okay. Um if you could just uh kind of firm up that analysis uh because if we do need to pivot, I want
to get that, you know, started as soon as possible. But thank you for looking into that. You have a motion. Yes. Call the vote. I have a motion from Commissioner Magazine. I have a second from Commissioner Fernandez. All in favor,
please say I. I. Anyone opposed? Please note that Commissioner Suarez is a yes on this item. So the item is approved 70 R2A. Thank you, Commissioner Magazine. R5K R5K is the orders of the mayor, city commission of the city of Miami Beach,
Florida, amending chapter 46 of the code of the city of Miami Beach, Florida entitled environment by amending article 4 entitled noise by amending section 46 section 152 thereof entitled noises necessary and excessive prohibited to provide an exemption allowing commercial entities to utilize certain outdoor
maintenance equipment at spec at specified times in order to enhance sanitation. and cleanliness in the city and providing for repealers of ability clarification and an effective date. This is a second reading public hearing. It is item R5K. Commissioner Fernandez, I move my item.
I'll second. We have a question. Commissioner Dominguez. Thank you. Um I just want to make sure that uh this is limited to commercial areas so that residents um don't get disturbed. I'm specifically reminded of a former commissioner who has texted all
of us late at night because of stuff happening in Sunset Harbor. Yeah. So that would be my feedback. Yeah. So, uh this is um let me recognize the city attorney to answer. Uh this is only for
commercial areas or it's being handled. Sure. This is uh for commercial areas the first Friday of the month until 11:59 p.m. Yeah. And you know the key thing with this is that right now certain establishments
you cannot properly pressure wash their their areas because the they have pedestrians, they have people parking during normal business hours. And so the hours of operation that we currently have that allow the
pressure cleaning in our city fall completely during the hours of operations of an establishment like Publix for example uh which was who raised this concern uh to me. So this is a very modest exception one time a month
two hours one time a month uh so that we can make sure that we have clean areas clean supermarkets areas that aren't dirty. So Thank you. Very modest, Mr. Mayor. Well, uh, first Commissioner Bot and then, uh, thank you. Um, do you is
there as part of this, which I think is I don't have an issue with, but just as part of this initiative, is there any outreach to let um, businesses know and to give residents who might be live in affected areas a heads up that this will happen once a month? For instance,
Publix is the one who is asking for it, which is great, but there are other businesses who might want to be able to take advantage of this. So, are we going to do any kind of communications, any type of I'm sorry, communication outreach, um, letting businesses know that they have this available to them
and if there are residential buildings in the affected areas, um, or like across the street from I mean, we change the code 30 times a month. I'm not sure that we that we send communications every time we change the code, but we want to start with all due respect, I do
understand that. But this is something we're spending money in our budget to enhance our pressure washing services. And it's a constant source of conversation, I know, between residents and our code compliance and our public works department about who's responsible for cleaning the sidewalks. So, if
there's an opportunity for businesses to have an extra incentive to take better care of their sidewalks, it might be worth letting them know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. I mean, uh I don't know if it's directed in the ordinance. Uh Mr. Manager, how would we go about
communicating this to the affected parties in in in the commercial districts that haven't reached out to us that they need this but might benefit from this two hours once a month? So, I mean, obviously, we could work with our folks at code compliance to make sure
that they're proactively communicating to the individuals that, you know, we have a change in our nor noise ordinance regulations. Um, and obviously we could work through our economic development and marketing communication folks as well just to,
you know, put together a quick blurb so that people know. Could we also um do a sweep of the BTRs that that we have on file that are in those areas and send an email to them. I don't know, but we could certainly
check. Okay. All set. Yeah. I know just sorry, Commissioner Fernandez for doing something similar to what was done on the marine item because I know it's just tangentially related, but uh Mr. interim public works director. While we're talking about sanitation, pressure washing, no, no,
no, no, no. Uh, I save you time, can we get an LTC about an update on where we are with some of the, uh, enhanced sanitation, uh, cleaning efforts, specifically the the gum washing and pressure washing and things like that? LTC is letter to commission uh, in case anybody's wondering, from the staff to
us. Mitch, thank you. You did such a good job with the pledge. I appreciate that, Mitch. Novvic 901 Collins Avenue. My property abuts Ocean Court. Although I'm off for cleanliness. Uh my concern not
so much with me but with my neighbors uh al along that roadway uh is the impact of pressure washing uh one night a month uh near midnight. uh how that would impact residential buildings along that
corridor. That's it. Thank you. Thank you. I have a request someone uh named David requesting to speak on Zoom. David, state your full name address and you have two minutes. Yes. Hello. This is David Wallik. I just
want it to be clear that businesses uh can still pressure wash alleys, sidewalks in the morning every day, which we've done for 30 years and kept it clean. This is an expansive ordinance. It's not a restrictive
ordinance. It gives everyone two extra hours at the end of the day to keep their properties clean and beautiful and in sanitary conditions. You're causing such controversy, Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you. We
all want a cleaner, more beautiful, safer Miami Beach. Thank you. Thank you. No, but in all seriously, it's it's good that and and David and everyone who's asking questions, it's it's obviously good. Make sure uh everyone's understanding. I make light of it, but obviously we want
to make sure everyone's comfortable and understands what the what the legislation is doing and not doing. There's no one else requesting to speak. We can call the RO if you wish. Call the RO on R5K. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes.
Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Bach, yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion carries. The item is approved. That was item R5K. Thank you, Commissioner Fernandez. Thank
you, Mr. Mayor. R5L. R5L is an order to the mayor, city commissioner of city of Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 70 of the code of the city of Miami Beach entitled miscellaneous offenses by amending article three entitled graffiti by amending division one entitled generally by amending section 70-123 thereof entitled prohibition enforcement
and penalties to double the civil fines for violations of the section and providing for repeater shability clification and effective date. This is a second reading public hearing. It is item R5L. Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez and co-sponsored by Commissioner Suarez and me.
Just a simple ordinance to increase our graffiti fines um as we get stickered and tagged across the city. Um with that, I'll move my item. Second. Yeah, thank you. Good item. A couple years ago, I brought an item. I think I mentioned on first reading, but uh to
shorten the time period. It used to be 10 days an operator had or an owner had to fix graffiti. Now you have uh 48 hours. my time up. Yeah. For 40 48 hours and the city will come in and then and bill them. But this is this is a nice uh
item as well and um I support it. Call a vote. It is a public hearing. I see no one in Zoom and no one in the audience requesting to speak on R5L. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Bach, yes. Commissioner
Magazine, yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion carries. The item is approved. That was item R5 L. R5M. R5M is an ordinance to the mayor, city commissioner of city of Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 2 of the city code entitle administration article 5
entitled finance by creating section 2-280 thereof entitled use of rent payments received by the city from the convention center hotel lease to dedicate pursuant to the ballot measures approved by the city's voters on November 6, 2018. The guaranteed rent payments received by the city from the
convention center hotel lease to enhance funding for storm water projects in lie of rate increases, traffic reduction measures and education and require a 57 vote of the city commission to adopt any future amendments to this ordinance and providing for repealer qualification servability and an effective date. This is second reading public hearing. It is
item R5M sponsored by me and Commissioner Suarez. I'll move the item. Yeah, magazine just point out one thing just that the term in lie of um I'm completely supportive of uh using these rent payments to help
us fortify our city as I know resiliency is something important to all of us and something we want to work on. Uh but just in terms of the context and scale uh I don't think we'll be able to solely rely on the payments here. Uh you know
we talk about unfunded capital uh commitments of upwards of you know billions of dollars. Um so I don't think that this could be an eitheror. This is more of an enhancement. And you know,
maybe I'm asking Rick, uh, perhaps I'm just reading too much into the words in lie of. Uh, but, you know, I think of this more of an enhancement to help us fight resiliency. I I think you have it right. Um the the ordinance adopts what
the voters uh voted on in 2018 uh to help to mitigate increases, but uh there's no guarantee that increases aren't going to be needed beyond what the revenues are from the hotel once they're split up between the three uh
different buckets. So, we have a motion of Commissioner Fernandez. I'll second. And I just want to make sure that this ordinance allows for traffic reduction measures. Is that correct? Yes. It's traffic education and
storm water. And would that include like for example like there's a traffic diverter that's been promised to the Beayshore neighborhood. It feels like for decades now at Convention Center Drive and Date Boulevard that there's studies that are needed for it and the
implementation of it. Would that be covered by this? Well, keep in mind that the ordinance allows the commission to modify on 57's vote without the need of a modification. Does But I think yes, I
didn't finish. But I think that the the way that it's worded is broad enough to cover any traffic mitigation such as the one that you mentioned. Thank you. It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom and I see no one in the audience.
Yeah, just to be clear, Eric, this is this is an item that conforms to a voter referendum. Correct. Correct, Mr. Mayor. This is consistent with what the voters had voted on in the 2018 election for the use of the
convention center um revenue. Great, Ralph. Uh no, again, there's no one in the audience or Zoom requesting to speak. I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner Suarez. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Bach, yes. Vice Mayor
Suarez, yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Sorry. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion is approved. 70. It is item R5M.
R5N. R5N is an arts of the mayor city commission of city of Miami Beach, Florida amending chapter 58 of the Miami Beach city code entitled housing by creating article 7 entitled consumer protection of owners of residential real property by creating section 58-600 thereof to be entitled definitions to
adopt certain defined terms creating section 58-601 thereof to be entitled prohibited contacts for solicitation to adopt regulations prohibiting certain predatory solicitation to residential condominium condominium unit owners creating section 58-610 intend thereof to be entitled civil penalties to
provide for penalties and enforcement and providing for references to Florida statutes uh repeal of ability clarification and effective date. This is a second reading public hearing. It's item R5N. Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I I especially want to thank um our chief deputy city attorney Nick Collergis uh and our inspector general uh Joe Santorino for for working on this item that I'm bringing forward for second reading.
It's an important step towards protecting the rights of our residential condominium owners uh throughout Miami Beach. And I am very proud of it because it is groundbreaking legislation. I believe in the state of Florida.
Condominiums are not only a dominant form of dwelling for residents in our city. It's a bulk of our of our housing inventory. Um they are the backbone of many of our
cherished historic neighborhoods. Um, and in recent years, we've seen um we've seen cases of predatory buyout practices, tactics used by developers attempting to terminate older
condominiums and displace longtime residents. And they do this uh by putting undue influence, by putting pressure, by going after elderly people and people on fixed incomes and people of modest means and putting so much
pressure and so much solicitation and calls and mail and knocking on doors and even intimidation that we saw the need through guidance of our inspector general to create this new ordinance that creates consumer consumer
protections for condominium unit owners by prohibiting solicitations that are unwanted, that are threatening, that are made in bad faith, which is what we have seen happen in in the past. Then it
ensures that if one of our residents says, "No, I'm not interested." That that decision needs to be respected and that they cannot be tormented, that they cannot be threatened, that their quality of life cannot be impacted. So, I want
to recognize uh Nick to walk us a little bit more through the details of this of this ordinance. And again, I want to thank you, Nick, uh, publicly because we are the first city in the state of Florida that in absence of any other
protection for these condominium owners is taking bold steps and making sure that our residents can leave can can live peacefully and that they can't be prayed upon by large developers.
Uh, thank you, Commissioner. and and and I would just add that what the ordinance specifically prohibits um is any contact to a condo unit owner that contains a threat. For instance, a threat of a forced sale. Um and it prohibits a uh a
real estate developer from making three or more contacts to a condo unit owner within a 180day period. when the unit owner has rejected the solicitation or asked not to be contacted again. Uh the
ordinance creates a a penalty and fine schedule starting at $500 per violation and each individual contact for each individual unit would be treated as a separate violation and multiple offenses of this. Let's say someone violates this
this ordinance. Would they be covered by our habitual offender ordinance that we are taking through a different legislative track? Yes. A violation of this ordinance would uh would would count toward a uh a developer uh
determination of of of a habitual offender which uh which is an ordinance that we're working on with you, Commissioner Fernandez, and is is uh is was just reviewed and transmitted by the land use committee with a favorable recommendation. And and under that separate ordinance, what would be the
penalty that uh if adopted, someone that violates this this condo um uh ordinance, if they become an habitual offender, what would be the type of penalty one of these uh developers could be facing? Well, in addition to
resolving any open violations and paying any outstanding fines or fees to the city, um the the developer would have to uh would be subject to a a one-year cooling off period, which is a term Commissioner Bot suggested to me during
our briefing. Um where before those legislative amendments could be considered. So if if a developer comes in and prays on our residents and threaten our our residents and intimidate our residents the way we've
seen happen in other places under our new ordinances that we're that that that we're adopting today and potentially in the future. They could be facing up to a one-year cooling off period, which means that if you violate the rights of our
residents, you could potentially be affecting your own ability to move forward with your with your project. Right. That's right. So, ultimately, this legislation does not fair does not stop fair negotiations. It
allows for fair negotiations. It simply makes sure that people are not being prayed upon or harassed in our city. That's right. All right. With that, I'm proud to move the item. I'll second. Commissioner Dominguez.
Uh, thank you, Mayor. Uh, thank you, Commissioner Fernandez, for bringing this forward. Um, this is something that I have experience firsthand. Um, so Mark Samuel and I had a property on Fifth and Ocean and, uh, it was the first property that Mark had in u Miami Beach. She
bought it in 2003 and a developer came in and started buying up units. Um, and many of the people that own condos there lived part-time here and part-time overseas. And so, unbeknownst to them, um,
units were getting scooped up and, uh, guess what happened? They took over the board and then eventually dissolved the association and we're trying to give lowball offers and there were people that lived there full-time. It was really an awful experience. We had to
get an attorney uh to get our fair amount for that property. So, I commend you for bringing something so important forward to help the residents and I'm uh going to vote for this. Thank you. Let's call a vote. It is a public
hearing. I see uh Kristen Smith is on Zoom requesting to speak. Please state your full name, address, and you have two minutes. Kristen, please unmute yourself. I'm so sorry that was an accidental raise of my hand. Okay, thank you. And
there's no one else requesting to speak. Go ahead, please. No, no. Go ahead. Go. Approach. Got. Thank you. State your name, address, and you have two minutes, please. Thank you, Patricia. I know 2555 Collins Avenue. This is great legislation. Thank you
very much. My question is, if you're threatened or being harassed by telephone, how do you prove that, especially since we're a two-party state, for consent? And I will defer to our city attorney. Um, well, the two-party consent rule
obviously would still apply. So, a a property a unit owner could only record the call if they had the permission of the of the person calling them, right? Um, it, you know, as long as the unit owner uh made a made a note of of the call when it occurred, I would recommend
uh notes of as much de detail as as possible. Um, I think that that could certainly give rise to to a violation. Obviously, a a written contact is going to be easier to prove, right? Um, but I think if if a if a if a unit owner made
uh, you know, contemporary NES notes of the call that that, you know, depending on the details that could be used uh to support a violation. And how will this be communicated then to residents? Um we're uh we have an item on the consent agenda that I believe it was uh
passed on the consent agenda about a communication about educating an education initiative to make sure that this item that we're considering now and hopefully the next item R50 which is a companion item uh if that gets adopted
that we be able to uh communicate it to our condominium. Perfect. Thank you. Great job. Thank you. Thank you. Can I ask a question? Of course. Joanning, 1460 Ocean Drive. We get these calls all the time. Um, and people don't
necessarily identify themselves. They don't say who they are, who they're asking for. Is there a way to get a list of these developers who are doing this? Well, there might potentially be if we adopt item R50,
which is about transparency and and what that item says is that once you hit a certain threshold of contacting a certain amount of unit owners or getting them under contract that then now you have to notify the association and
potentially the city that you are engaging in a buyout. So that so that you as a unit owner in that building so that you are aware of what's happening and you can properly protect yourself. Might be too late but thank you.
And and the education initiative was passed on the consent agenda. My aid is telling me it was item C7 AQ. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Yeah. And I don't know where our condo
ombbudsman is, but I do know that it's really necessary that we have somebody um I know that we didn't pass the position. supposedly the state of Florida appointing somebody. Well, the condo laws are changing and we um I did
a Zoom last month after uh after the meeting and we went over the new condo laws, but a lot of people don't even understand that. So, are we doing anything at all to educate people on the fact that the laws have changed? They have to hold, you know, four Zooms per
year where they where they didn't have. They have to disclose certain items. And we have a big gap because a lot I I would say a large portion of our residents live in condominiums and we're not addressing this. I'm glad that we have this legislation out there, but we
really should have an ombbudsman who is constantly fielding these questions, not giving legal advice, but just informing people. We don't have one. I don't know where our ombbudsman is, but I'd like to find out from the administration because I know that mayor, you didn't want us to
get a condo. Well, Eric uh position has been so we actually we hired uh Bianca Guvera who is a permit coordinatorman position. She's basically here to help
residents constituents that have issues in dealing with the city or with the state on items of um you know regulatory or process questions. And so we're happy to help out in any way that we can with
any of those questions. A lot of those ultimately we're going to have to pass along to the state. Um but we do have that contact and we will be happy to help out in any way we can. I would say that there should be an open zoom monthly with our condo ombbudsmen and
associations can ask any questions that they want. And when you establish something like that, something where people don't have to go, it's a virtual forum. they can log in and ask any question that they have. When people know that it will be like the first Wednesday of every month, then you're
going to start to really provide a service that people are going to use. It has to have some sort of stability. And I think a Zoom forum is probably the the best the best form that you could have for it. It's just an idea, Commissioner Fernandez, in case you wanted to bring it. I don't think we have to do that
legislatively, but it's just a suggestion. And if you really want to have uh Blanca's service be useful to the residents and and in addition to uh what commissioner just mentioned the state there was a position there was a vacancy cuz there was uh Mr. Hennings
had the position it was then vacated that that position has now been filled by the state. So we do have uh an abudment position. Hi good morning Kevin Fleto neighborhood affairs division director. Um, so just to reiterate uh what the manager mentioned, we do have
uh Bianca, she's our new permit coordinator. Uh there is like a 60/40 split of condo questions she's been getting. So we've developed a great relationship with the DBPR uh and also with Peter uh from your office. Uh we we do have the unbudsman coming into city
hall. We're going to have monthly sessions. Uh we're trying to aim for like the first Thursday of each month. We actually just did one last month. uh it was a little more uh for residents that have reached out in the past. Going forward, you're going to start to see advertisements uh for future sessions in
person here in city hall. We're also looking to do some sort of zoom virtual session with the unbudsman office. Uh that's something he is willing to do. Uh the new unbudsman, I believe it's Ryan Ryan Shift. Yeah. And he's here regularly in Miami Beach. So yeah. Yeah. He is based out of Tampa, but when he
did come, he brought all his staff. So, that's going to be something new. Uh, going into July, uh, the DBPR office here locally, they're going to be hosting a units rights and responsibility session here in the chambers. Uh, so we're going to be promoting that soon uh, in the next couple weeks. So, there's going to be
some more education uh, that I'm tasking Bianca to work with. I would just make sure that even though like they're all on Zoom, too, right? Of Yes. Yeah. Yeah. The units rights, that's all going to be on Zoom. uh for the one-on-one with the unbudsman. We're going to try to get that Zoom session that's a little more
uh personal. Uh but that way uh any future kind of webinar or whatnot. It'll be kind of like a city meeting. Okay. Okay. Yeah. And we'll we'll publicize the state uh uh Ryan ship. We should publicize that in a big way. You are always a wealth of information, Kevin.
So, thank you. Happy to help. Thank you. We have one more speaker. May I One more speaker, Judith Smeiggel. Go ahead, please. Hi, Judith Small from South Beach. I am delighted with R5N.
Um, thank you so much, Commissioner Fernandez. I am delighted with Tristan's suggestion about regular contact with an unbudsman. I can tell you I didn't know there was an unbudsman. been part of my neighborhood association for a long time
and nobody ever said, "Oh yeah, let's get in touch with the unbudsman." And one more question. I'm a little concerned that the unbudsman we have now, Ryan Schiff, I believe, is out of Tallahassee. Does that mean that means to me that he
works for the this Tallahassee and not for us? Um, thank you. Do you want to address that uh Rick or Eric? So obviously the ombbudsman the
statewide ombbudsman's office is my understanding is someone who responds to questions that come up statewide. We do have a large concentration of condominiums here in South Florida and
so they have spent a significant amount of time down here both the prior ombbudsman and the current one. So um yes it is a statewide office but I think that we're also getting um a good representation when they come
down and and my understanding is they've always been helpful. I I think part of her question and sorry if I'm misreading it, but I think part of her question was can is she rep is this individual representing the interest of Miami Beach since the person is based out of Tallahassee? I mean, obviously
I don't know the answer to that question. Um, but I can tell you that Bianca is representing the interest of Miami Beach and she is interfacing with them very frequently. Just just add to sorry go ahead. This is
what happened with Commissioner Suarez's item. I'm so sorry. I I mean I and I and I and I I you No, no, I think it's actually relevant. I mean, I understand we're going to take the vote. The item is about our what we are doing locally. The state of Florida hasn't really
passed condominium protections. That's why we're having to step to the plate to protect the dignity and the right of our residents to live peacefully without being bombarded by pressure because it's not something that that that the
unbudsman can act on. It's but I got it but but I think it's an important role that we are supplementing but the state is as well. And I I recall at least when when Mr. Hennings was here that he was able to provide valuable uh information to our residents. I I recall sitting in
meetings when people would come to him just for basic information that it's hard to it's hard to navigate and he was able to do that. I understand your frustration, but I actually do think that this this is related to your item. We'll take the vote in a moment, but it also came up because we had residents ask questions about it. So, I didn't
want I didn't want to ignore our residents using your item appropriately, I think, to to get more information about their own condos. Kevin, and that's a great point. Just wanted to add uh Bianca is tasked with Miami Beach Centric. Uh you know, some of the
feedback we've gotten is that uh residents that live in condominiums and have concerns, they don't even know where to start. Uh so, the fact that they could come to us, uh Bianca and I, uh we're pointing them in the right direction. We have connections with the DBPR, with the state unbudsman directly, but also with Miami date county uh and
and Alba's team for all the different uh resources that they have that they might not have known known of. Uh so Bianca does have that Miami Beach kind of first mentality where she is pointing our residents kind of in the right direction. Just want to add that. Okay, we can call a vote. Yes, sir. Uh this is
on R5N. Vice Mayor Suarez is a yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Commissioner Bot, yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion carries.
The item is approved. That was item R5N. See, Commissioner Fernandez, you got like a two for one in that in that item. Uh, well, we'll call R5. R5. One second. R50
is an ordinance of the mayor and city commissioner of city mage Florida amending chapter 58 of the mage city code entitled housing by creating article 7 entitled consumer protection of owners of residential real property by creating section 58600 thereof to be entitled definitions to adopt certain defined terms creating section 58-602
thereof to be entitled notice to associations requiring prospective bulk owners of residential condominium units to provide notice of their acquisition of interest in condominium property creating section 58-610 thereof to be entitled civil penalties to provide for penalties and enforcement and providing
for references to Florida statutes repeal of abidity calcification and effective date. This is a second reading public hearing. It is item R50. Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And this ordinance while it's not about the unbudsman, and I apologize to
my colleagues that I'm not talking about the unbuttsmen, but it is about transparency and it's about fairness. I know. Yes. But I see how it's interconnected. Um, but this is about, this one is about transparency and fairness. And it's about ensuring that
when a developer begins to acquire a significant number of units in a condominium that every remaining owner gets the notification, we mentioned um when when Joe was speaking that they get that notification earlier in in the
process. Um, too often condo owners, especially seniors or individuals in fixed incomes, aren't made aware of a bulk buyout until it's too late for them to really speak up or make their plans.
And this ordinance gives them a voice at the table from the start. Um, it requires bulk buyers to disclose who they are, how many units they're they're looking to to to to purchase when they've got them under contract, and how to reach them. What's their contact uh
information, and it also ensures that associations and property managers properly post uh this information. So, I want to uh recognize Nick um for any other uh information we need to share about this. The only thing I would add,
Commissioner, is we've distributed a a handout at the sponsor's request, um, which would reduce the the threshold that would trigger the notice requirement from 30% to 20%, so once a
developer has 20% of the units under contract, that's only for larger buildings. Is that correct? For or is that for all buildings? The the amendment has has two parts. One is to lower the threshold to 20% and also
to apply the ordinance to buildings with a minimum of 12 units. But it sounds like would you like the 20% threshold to apply only to larger units and all other buildings to be subject to the 30% threshold? Is that No, no, no. How we how we disturb it was correct. Okay. So
the so the ordinance would only apply to condos with a minimum of 12 units. The last amendment I would suggest based on our conversation on the on the prior item is that to the list of parties that are required to receive notice under
this ordinance I would add the city manager. All right. With that I move the item. This is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom, no one on the uh present to requesting to speak. I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez to approve the
ordinance as amended. Seconded by Commissioner Bot. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Bot, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion carries. Second
reading. Uh, motion carries. The item is approved as amended. R5P, finish the condo items. R5P is an ordinance of the mayor of city commission city Miami Beach amending chapter 58 of Miami Beach to city code entitled housing by amending article one
entitled in general by creating section 58-2 thereof to be entitled fair approval process requiring condominium associations to approve or disapprove an application for from a potential resident within 15 business days and providing for repeal of ability clarification and effective date. This is a second reading public hearing. It's
item R5P. Commissioner Fernandez co-sponsored by Commissioner Bot. Uh this is a very simple item. Sometimes um condominiums in their declarations are mute as to the amount of time uh that an approval for a prospective applicant
needs to be provided. Uh and so this this sets a 15-day limit uh on that to make sure that people who need to move forward with their lives, need to know whether they're approved or not, uh can get those those answers in a fair and
timely way. And I want to thank our chief deputy city attorney, Robert Rosenwald, who worked very hard uh on this item. And I also want to thank the Miami Realtors Association who collaborated with me on this item. uh they they provided great feedback and
have supported uh this this item. And hopefully this ensures that people are not waiting a month to get a response uh when they're trying to move into a new apartment or a new condo. So with that,
I move the item. We have a motion in a second. Let's call the vote. There is a public hearing. No one on Zoom. No one in the audience. Motion from Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Vice Mayor Suarez. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes.
Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Bot, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion carries. The item is approved. That was item R5P. R5Q. RF5Q is an ordinance of the mayor city commission of city amending chapter 102 that may be read city code entitled
taxation by amending article 4 entitled resort tax by amending division four entitled tax by amending section 102-3060 of entitle definitions amending the definition of a responsible person and providing for repeater ability clarification and effective date this is a second reading it is item R5Q
commissioner Rosa Gonzalez this was just a cleanup from the legal department so with that I move my item got a motion a second. Let's call a vote. It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom, no one in the audience requesting to speak of. Motion by Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, seconded by
Vice Mayor Suarez, Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Bot, yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion is approved. 70. That was item R5Q.
R5R R5R is an order of the mayor, city commissioner of city of V Beach to man chapter 78 of the V city code entitled personnel by creating article 7 entitled classified employee salary ordinance by creating section 78-321 through 78-330 thereof to codify as part of the city
code and adopt amendments to the city's classified employee salary ordinance number 789. Which ordinance establishes the pay plan for classified city employees for purposes of clarity and ease of reference to delete and re and or revise outdated provisions and to codify existing administrative practices
repeating all ordinances in conflict with this ordinance and further providing for severability codification and effective date. This is a second reading public hearing. It is item R5R. Commissioner Magazine and welcome Marla. Thank you. Thank you. I'll turn it over to Mara city staff to tee this up. Thank
you, uh, mayor, commissioners. Mara Alpisar, um, human resources department director. This is, um, an ordinance to, um, which is a long-standing ordinance in the city for the classified employee salaries. And this is mainly a cleanup
item to codify our ordinance. It does provide for one major change which is that um in the future colas would be uh adopted by this commission through resolution rather than through an ordinance process
which means one reading instead of two. Yes sir. You have a motion. Mr. Magazine will second. Let's call the vote. It is a public hearing. No one on Zoom. One in the audience. I have a motion by Commissioner Bot, seconded by Commissioner Magazine. Commissioner
Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Commissioner Bot, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Carries. The item is approved. That was item R5R. R5S.
Mayor and commissioners, this is a one sec. Oh, excuse me. I got to do my job. I'm sorry. Uh, R5S is an ordinance the mayor city commissioner of city of Miami Beach, Florida amending chapter 78 of the Miami Beach city code entitled personnel by creating article six entitle unclassified employee salary ordinance by creating section 78-310 to
through 78-320 thereof to codify as part of the city code and adopt amendments to the city's unclassified employee salary ordinance number 1605 which ordinance establishes a pay plan for unclassified city employees for purposes of clarity and ease of reference to delete and or revise our daily provisions and to codify existing administrative practices
repeating ordinances in conflict with this ordinance and further providing for severability clarification and effective date. It is second reading public hearing item R5S Mara. Thank you mayor and commission. This is a similar item second reading
and this is for the unclassified salary ordinance. I'll move it. Second. It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom and no one in the audience requesting to speak. Have a motion by Commissioner Bot, seconded by Vice Mayor Suarez. Commissioner Bot. Oh, yes.
Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez. Yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, absent. Uh, Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, I heard a voice. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez is a yes. Vice Mayor Suarez is a yes. Commissioner
Dominguez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. The item is approved 70. That was R5S. Thank you, Marley. Great job. Thank you. R5T. R5T is the nor of the mayor city commission of the city of Miami Beach,
Florida, amending chapter two of the city code of the city of Miami Beach entitle administration by amending article three entitled agencies, boards, and committees by amending section 2-22 subsection 5B thereof entitled general requirements to remove the mandatory two-year hiatus prior to reappointments to another agency board or committee except for members of the land use
boards who shall continue to observe such hiatus and providing for repealer shability codification and effective date. This is item R5T. It is second reading public hearing. I move my item. I'll second it.
It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom and no one in the audience requesting to speak. I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner Bot. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Blot, yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Fernandez, yes.
Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion carries. Second, the the item is approved. That was item R5T. R5U. R5U is an orders of the mayor, city commission of city of Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 2 of the code of the city of Miami Beach, entitle
administration, article three, agencies, boards, and committees, division one, generally by amending section 2-22 thereof. Section 2-22, general requirements require that all applicants for appointment to a city agency board or committee submit a resume or curriculum vet CV as well as a statement of
interest. and that applicants for positions with professional or employment qualifications submit evidence of lensure or other relevant experience and providing for repealer qualification servability and an effective date. This is item R5U. It is a second reading public hearing.
Commissioner Bot and co-sponsored by Commissioner Dominguez. No, sorry. Um this is an item very simply that um for the I don't know how many 49 boards I think that we have committees and
boards that we have in the city. Um anybody who's interested in participating we welcome the interest and we think it's fabulous. But right now you just have to fill out a form and that's it. And so I think it's a pretty minor ask to ask for a resume or CV to be attached as part of the application
process as long as well as um a brief statement of interest and why you should be considered. I don't think that's of a a stretch. So um with that, am I allowed to move my item? Yep. I move my item.
Second. The correct co-sponsors the item. And if no discussion, there's no one in Zoom. Can we make a suggestion? Can we make an exception for the senior affairs committee? I don't know if some seniors are often
technology challenged and they might not always I know seniors that don't even have computers or a way to put together a CV. I mean, a CV for a CV can be loosely defined. It doesn't need to be a LinkedIn worthy resume. I mean, they're
able to apply. I I just I'm not trying to make things hard for seniors, but I think if we start making exceptions for one group or another. I think it might be complicated. I mean, a CV could be as simple as, you know, I spent 30 years working in retail and uh 10 years on the
the my department's steering committee and that's my CV and I want to be on this board um because you know, whatever the interest is. I mean, how are they applying I mean, a lot of times these are seniors
that we know from their activity in in the community. We know them. They raise concerns to us. No, no, I understand that. But there's still an application process that they have to fill out online, right? Unless I'm wrong, Ralph, can you clarify? It is online. If if someone needs help, we help them.
Sometimes we enter those for them with them there in the room. Is that how do we handle the seniors? because I I just know that and I think some of the members of the senior affairs committee I can see some of them not having a computer. We help you guys help them.
Okay. Are you going to help them create their CV? We will create something simple if they need to help. If someone in the seniors committee needs to help, we will not turn them down. Yeah. I mean, and it like I said, it doesn't have to be a formatted resume. It can just be, you know, an introduction of who they are. Otherwise, you know, a lot
of times people just put their name and and you know, address basically and that's a direct appointment for most part. You just have a a CV there that somebody could fill out their name and put in any work experience or education,
you know, with those you're helping. We we would help. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for Thank you for answering my question. I appreciate it. Of course. See no one on Zoom and no one in the audience requesting to speak. May I call the role? Yes. I have a motion by Commissioner Bos, seconded by Commissioner Suarez. Commissioner
Fernandez. Yes. Vice Mayor Suarez. Yes. Commissioner Magazine. I'll just say, Dad, you know, Commissioner Fernandez's, uh, you know, things about technology, uh, challenge. It wasn't directed specifically at you. So, uh, but yes,
Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Yes. Commissioner Bot. Yes. Commissioner Dominguez. Yes. Mayor Miner. Yes. Motion carries. The item is approved. That was item R5U. R5V. R5V is an ordinance to the mayor, city
commission of city of Miami Beach, Florida, amending the resiliency code of the city of Miami Beach by amending chapter 1 entitled general provisions, article two, entitled definitions, section 1.2.2 entitled use definitions by adding a definition for cosmetic stores. and by amending chapter 7 entitled zoning districts and
regulations article five entitle supplementary district regulations section 7.5 entitled supplementary use regulations se section 7.5.2 entitle adult entertainment by creating exemptions from the distance separation requirements for cosmetic stores where adult material constitutes less than 20%
of the floor area of the establishment and providing for codification repeal servability and an effective date. This is a second reading public hearing. The item requires a 57 vote is R5V. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Very narrow tail narrowly tailored item
to um attract a multi-million dollar investment. With that, I move my item second. We have a motion in a second. It is a public hearing. I see no one in Zoom and no one in the audience requesting to speak. I have a motion by Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez. May I call the
roll? Yes. Commissioner Magazine? Yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez? Yes. Commissioner Bach, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Vice Mayor Sorz, no. Mayor Miner, no. The item requires 57's vote. We have
the 57's vote. This item is approved. R5B. R5W. R5W is an ordinance of the mayor, city commissioner of city beach, Florida, amending the code of the city of Miami Beach subp part entitled Miami Beach Resiliency Code. Chapter 2, entitled Administration and Review Procedures, Article 4, Entitle Amendments to the
Comprehensive Plan and to the text of the land development regulations, section 2.4.2 entitle amendments to the text of the land development regulations by modifying the published notice requirements for amendments to the land development regulations of the city code and providing for qualification, repeal of ability, and effective date. This is
a second reading public hearing. The item requires 57's vote. It is item R5W. Commissioner Suarez, I move my item. I have a question on this item. Commissioner Fernandez, how many more of these items are there? That's it. That's it. This is the last one. No way.
Commissioner Sors, I think you've been working on this for over a year. Almost two years you've been bringing these items, but I you are u upgrading the way we do public notices. So, and actually, have you calculated how much money you're saved the city with these items? Yes, sir. So, we have saved so far, and
the reason it's a bit higher than usual is because we've had the Lincoln Road elections and we've had the South Beach election, but we have saved $122,93. What we have spent that we probably would not spend 99% of is $42,827.75.
And one of the things I would like to highlight is when we started talking about this item, we started talking about the fiscal efficiency would have in the in the city clerk's office that we could talk about how we can then use that dollars to help accommodate and the
consolidation of the committee commission committee liaison responsibilities in the city clerk's office. So I don't want to lose sight of that. um that that's something that I strongly feel should fall under the city clerk and that moving forward in the
future. I know it's not part of this item, but I just did what everyone else did. Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez. I mean, I know we've upgraded the notice requirements, but I really don't love this item because I do know that local press and media depend on
advertisements. I know we have thousands of residents, people like my mother who get the Miami Herald. And I have to say, she's not looking online ever. She's actually reading the newspaper. So, we're leaving out a group of people when we do this. And we can say that we're saving money
by doing this. But there's a group of people who are now, you know, marginalized. And I think it's important for cities to continue to whatever we need to do to uh support um independent objective media. distribute.
Yeah, we do distribute to the senior centers. We do distribute to the libraries. Uh we have copies in the at city hall. So, we are going at least attempting to go to reach those people. Uh but what about
people who don't go to senior centers or who don't go to libraries? I mean, they are being left out at some point in the future, you know. So, I I do I have a problem with it. Right. Ralph, what's the subscription level of the local media? The last time I got the number, which was October, so I apologize for
not getting it updated, was 3,300. Okay. But those are 3,300 people who are now not going to get public notices. And and I have a problem with that. I do have a problem with that. But that's that's between online subscribers and and uh physical. So that's really half.
Well, what they gave us was No. No. So the number that they gave us was 3,300 home deliveries and 2,900 digital. They never explained whether the 2,900 is also encompassing the 3,300. You know,
if it was 10 10 people that might not be noticed, I would have a problem with it because we that's why they have notices. And so I think it's wrong. And I think those 3,300 people should be noticed. Maybe if you know you don't want to pay
the fees to the publication, then you should mail those 3,300 homes or make sure that they somehow get noticed because a lot of people do not go online and we're not accommodating them. We have one individual who doesn't go to
the I'm not sure if they go or not, but we have one individual who has requested that every Tuesday we have the packet ready for them and we have a packet ready for them and they pick up. I mean, we've been trying to accommodate to whomever. I mean, so Ralph, correct me if I'm
wrong, but these notices put a tremendous strain on your on your department. Correct. I mean, and if there's an ever an error, it you it takes weeks to correct. It's it's forget the work. The issue is more of the
errors. Right now with a new herald policy, it's very difficult to make any corrections whether it's our fault or theirs. Uh we've had instances. So if there's a Hold on. If there is an error on their part, you cannot correct it. Well, it's too late. Ralph, can you describe the process you're about to
describe? So right now what we do is we create the ads just like we did and in five minutes is up it's up online um and with the process that through commissioner Suarez's legislation the other way the the old process was we
drafted the ad we sent it out to the herald the herald sent us back a proof the proof was usually wrong for whatever reason that didn't match what we requested we sent it back so and and what if you've read the newspaper It's,
you know, it's sometimes difficult to even catch an error because of the size that they give you. The proof is very small. So, this is much more effective. We get things done on Friday and half the time that we used to just our
portion of it. So, it is and and we will never have an issue which has happened in the past which is you send it to the Herald and they just don't publish it. even though they've acknowledged, even though they've given us a proof, it just doesn't get published that Sunday. So
those would then be not heard till a month from now. So right now we make a mistake like that since we give ourselves so much leadway that would be corrected on Monday if if something didn't publish on a Sunday because we hit a button wrong. So we
could fix our mistakes immediately. It seems like it's an an archaic process. Um, and we're streamlining it. And again, this is not my initiative. The state of Florida passed this law and we're just adopting it. And and the county also passed this in order for us
to adopt it. So, um, most and these this web page is for all the cities, meaning so everyone's going to a centralized bank. Everyone in Date County who's, you know, is going to one location versus numerous locations. Commissioner Magazine, one of the themes that I've
been focusing on uh in for some time, but especially in recent months, is not only cost savings for our city given some of the budgetary restraints. So, applaud you for the efforts for uh from that perspective, but also government efficiency measures and hearing uh you talk about this being a more efficient
process uh I think should really be amplified as well. So, uh with that said, I'll move the item. I have a motion by Commissioner Suarez, a seconded by Commissioner Magazine. Call a vote. We have one individual requesting to speak, Larry Schaefer.
Please state your name, address, and you have two minutes. Larry Schaefer, 23381st Street. on this item. Would it operationally, wouldn't it be would it be possible to just have people sign up for print notices with Ralph in his office? Sign up and then
when notices need to go out, they go out as a group and they get mailed using the US Postal Service and they show up in someone's mailbox who formerly would get the notices via the Miami Herald via similar signup process. someone who wants notices digitally through email,
they can go in the office, give them email address, and then they can get the notices directly in their email inbox. Both of these would provide for greater government efficiency and not require us to pay money to the Herald. Thank you. We do that. Okay. Thank you.
No one else. Let's call a vote. I have a motion by Commissioner Les Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Magazine. Uh Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, no. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Bot,
yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. The item is approved. That was item R5W. And just for the record, we will put a notice in the newspaper now saying that we're now including Tom's items as part of the digital. So, we'll do that in
Spanish and we'll do that in English. So, that will be published next as soon as possible. Great. Thank you. R5X. R5X. I'm sorry. R5X is in orance of the mayor of city commission of city Miami Beach amending chapter 110 of the code of the city of Miami Beach entitled utilities amending
article 4 entitled fees charges rates and building procedures by amending section 110-167 thereof entitled water impact fee by amending section 110-169 thereof entitled sewer impact fee and further amending appendix A of the city code entitled fee schedule to increase the water impact fee and sewer impact
fees imposed by the city pursuant to sections one 10 uh 110 1067 110169 and appendix A providing for qualification uh repealers of ability and effective date R5X is a second reading public
hearing. Commissioner Bach co-sponsored by Commissioner Magazine. Um, I will make this short. Um, but for anybody listening who's not familiar, basically we learned a number of months ago, uh, on a different item that the, um, impact
fees for water and sewer um, for new developments or substantial renovations had not been updated in 30 years. 1995. 1995. A lot has changed in 1995, not least of which which is um the cost of doing
business. And it is shocking that that I I don't know how this didn't get caught sooner than now, but here we are. And um I would just make a motion to to uh move this. Congrats for making it through Y2K.
It was dicey. You was touching the go there for a minute. I I want to just to point out that it's ironic because it was actually on my birthday in 1995 when it was last um modified. So So this is not this is not going to be something that um you know like fixes all of our
budget problems, but it will not continue to contribute. Um and so uh with that, I'd like to move the item. Can I ask a question? Could these impact fees go toward the debt service for increasing the water and
sewer for those other projects for the hotspot projects? Because these are pretty high numbers. I mean, I don't know how much this will generate annually, but don't you think we should have some sort of offset
and this could be it? Yeah, I mean, I've I have no problem using them for that. I defer to our uh CFO to tell us if we can. They are not I mean the numbers are high but I know the aggregate of the numbers will not make a huge dent but I'm you know I have no I have no issue
repurposing them for that but I defer to the experts. Uh Jason Green chief financial officer. All of this would go into the water and sewer fund which would fund not only the operations of the water and sewer but also the capital projects and that dirt service. So it already would go kind of to to that
point. It's all part of the financing plan. But what are you expecting the debt service to be just so that I mean because if there's any way possible that we cannot I'll put it this way. If this is passed and I know that we'll be talking about holistically about rates uh probably in the next several months,
this will be incorporated into that financing plan. Okay. So it's already it's cooked it. It's it's already baked in in the mix. And it again it's it is great that this is happening. It is shameful that it hasn't happened over the last 30 years. It's not going to make a material difference. So, I don't
I I hear it's it's already being done. I know. I just my only concern is that I'm I'm happy that we caught this, but the more that you guys understand when you're out in the public and you know, campaigning and walking around that are this water and sewer increase that we're
contemplating is going to be really, horrifically, debilitatingly awful for so many of our residents on fixed income. So any kind of revenue stream that we could dedicate toward that because I don't think I'm going to vote for it. And it's not fair that we have
to choose either, you know, 10% water or 9% water and sewer rate increases for five years in a row versus fixing our resiliency problems. That shouldn't be a choice that we have to make. You know, I'm going to be a no on the increase in the fees. So I I'm just saying that the
the reason why I'm looking at this, it's baked in. That's fine. But what is the debt service? because maybe we can we have to find another revenue stream for that debt service. But with all I I know that is a very real concern for all of us. Um all of the things that you raised
are real concerns for all of us. Um we don't want our residents to be having to make fundamental choices about what they can and can't afford. Nor do we want our residents to not have access to clean drinking water or toilets that flush. So however that is not before us right now.
So I with out of deference to this 40 pound um agenda that we have, I would like to just get this passed and when we bring that item back in November or December, we can have a very lengthy and robust discussion. The concern that you're raising about let's make sure
this money goes back into that pot to offset whatever we can. It's already being done. So I I I share that desire. It is already going to be done or is already planned to be done. So we are I think all of us aligned on that mission and let's you know let's get ready to um
discuss the bigger issue when it comes before us but it is not before us now. So I I um I think Joe you had a question but I do have Commissioner Magazine uh in direct contrast to Commissioner B trying to steer us away from this
conversation but just since it's up very simplistically uh I'll just take two off the top of my head. our first street resiliency project and West Avenue phase three. Can those be completed without the re-examination
of our water and sewer rates? It would probably be very difficult. Uh we know we discussed uh West Avenue phase three earlier um at the June budget uh workshop on capital. Uh we did have dollars to complete the storm water
funding of it. We did not have the money for the water and sewer. So to that effect, it would probably be very extremely difficult to get those projects across the finish line without uh dealing with water and sewer rates. But we're on, you know, target to deal with that in the next several months.
I I'm just saying that we're going to put people in serious problems. If you want to raise those water and sewer rates, then maybe you have to offer some sort of relief for people who apply for it because FPNL is what you like that
idea. I heard okay um I mean FPNL is also raising its rates substantially. My electric bill for my house was $429 this month, which is I think it's a huge amount. I think I got raised like 20%. So, if I'm complaining and I'm not on a
fixed income, I mean, you can imagine what our seniors are going through and I don't think we can add to it. And I don't think that those projects should be tied in and and paid for by, you know, um, senior citizens across the community who are not going to be able
to buy their medicine because of five, nine% year-over-year increases. There has to be some sort of uh, compassion, empathy program in place. Maybe we discount people over a certain age. I don't know what we're gonna do, but we cannot raise that rate. Commissioner Bot
and I know I apologize, Commissioner B. It is a very real concern, but it is not before us now. And we have a million other items to go through and I'm just Commissioner begging that we stay focused on this very simple. Guys,
please Commissioner Bot has the floor. I'm begging that we stay focused on this very simple move to hold our developers responsible for paying their fair share of impact fees. I don't I I don't want this to be co-opted and derailed. I hear the concerns. I share the concerns. We
will discuss the concerns when it comes up on an agenda item, but it is not this item and it is not today. So, I'm begging. I've made a motion. Let us move. Mr. I'm supporting this item. It's it's a a water impact and sewer impact fees on developers that rates have not
been raised in decades. So, Mr. I'd just like to be added as a co-sponsor. That's uh and I'll be a co-sponsor and I just have a question. Uh Commissioner Fernandez, uh I just want to know is there a moratorum on water and sewer
rate increases right now? Yes, there is. There is. I just want to make sure. Thank you. Call the vote. Mr. Mayor, can I just magazine and this doesn't have to be answered now. This goes to you Brad the Mr. CFO to planning
director. Um we kind of stumbled upon this in finance committee and I'm glad that we did. if there's any other things like this out there that staff is aware of that we, you know, may not stumble upon, if you
could be forthcoming with those, uh, put on your thinking caps about what some of these outdated code things are that we should perhaps be re-examining. Um, but with that, uh, I vote yes. Uh well, I'll let our CFO fill in the details, but the
short answer is I already have an item that is um being brought in the next month or two um where staff is reviewing all of our impact fees citywide and um and we are going to catch anything that we've missed so far. Let's call the vote. But let's stay focused on this
one. Let's call the vote. It is a public hearing. No one on Zoom, no one in the audience. Motion by Commissioner Bot, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez. Commissioner Bot. Well, I'm not sure. to school. Yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes.
Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion carries. The item is approved. We will add Commissioner Suarez and Commissioner Fernandez as co-sponsors. R5Y. R5 Y is an ordinance of the mayor of city commission of city of Miami Beach Florida amending and restating the Miami Beach employees retirement plan created
by ordinance number 2006-3504 and subsequently amended and by amending section 5.01 1 subsection B6 to provide a 4% acrruel factor for the inspector general and to provide that as applicable to the inspector general earnings shall include total W2
compensation plus any other payments or allowances up to the limitations set forth in section 41A17 of the internal revenue code and regulations promagated there and providing for severability repealing all ordinances in conflict there with and providing for an effective date. This is
a second reading public hearing. It's item R5Y. Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh this is uh an item that's about fairness uh with the office of the inspector uh general and it increases the approval from the
pension for the pension uh to make it consistent with all the other chartered officers from 2.5% to 4%. Uh so it's a very simple item about consistency and par. And with that
I move the item second. It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom and no one in the audience requesting to speak. I have a motion from Commissioner Suarez, seconded by uh Vice Mayor Suarez. May I call the RO? Yeah. Yep. Commissioner Bach. Yes. Vice
Mayor Suarez. Yes. Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez. Yes. Commissioner Magazine. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez. Yes. Vice Mayor I mean Commissioner Dominguez. Yes. Mayor Miner. Yes. Motion carries. The item is approved. That was R5Y.
Okay. Uh we're going to with going to confirm with the sponsor that R5Z is being withdrawn. Commissioner Suarez. Yes. Yes. So R5Z is withdrawn. Let's call C7BF.
C7BF centuring Johan Moore condemning his recent remarks. Commissioner Suarez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, you know, I want to speak to you from the heart, okay? um not just as a city
commissioner, but as a resident of the city, someone who's Jewish, uh and someone who loves Miami Beach for its diversity, decency, and its uh moral spine. Um, last week I got an email uh from a
gentleman named Johan Moore who frequently calls in here and um and was actually sitting on a board and and PJ if you could please pull it up. Johan Moore I ran email
Johan Moore sent this to the commission. uh a and a few news outlets. My husband joins me in congratulating Iran on its successful missile strikes against the genocidal Zionist regime. I urge Iran to nuke Zionist held
population centers. Dirty bombs sufficing if fision warheads aren't ready yet to pursue defeat of the occupation regime. The Zionist wouldn't hesitate as evidenced by building a nuclear bomb
first by stealing US secrets. That's Johan Moore. We put his presentation down for now. That's not some anonymous online troll. That was an email sent by Johan Moore to me, the mayor, the entire commission.
And my first reaction was horror. My second reaction was disbelief. And then the shock came that this man actually serves on one of our city boards, represents our city,
gets city privileges, and drives local policy. That wasn't a one-off. For years, Yan Moore has been bombarding this commission with emails full of anti-semitic rhetoric,
extremist views. I've seen it. My colleagues have seen it. And I want to bring up a few more. PJ, if you can put up the slideshow. Next slide, please. Now, there I think
are almost close to a hundred of these. I I picked just a few. Um, please find below indigenous Palestinian scholar Ysef Manaya perspective on Zionist genocide efforts and
Palestinians demand for self-determination over the totality of their unsucated occup occupied homeland, the right to return the electoral and franch infranchisement as you consider the mayor's blood liel against Palestinians.
Next slide. I write to express my outrage at the Miami Beach Police Department treatment of the pro Palestinian anti-genocide protesters, including employing handcuffs while declaring to charge the physical attacker by claiming the assault and battery committed
represented only by a misdemeanor. Does Miami Beach police hold the same view under opposed scenario of anti- genocide protesters physically assaulting the pro- genocide crowd assembled in this Zionist collusion center? He's talking
about a synagogue. Okay, just just take that for a second. He's talking he's saying that people in a synagogue is pro- genocidal crowd assembled in a Zionist collusion center. Next slide, please. Here he's saying, I accept a vote for
Hamas, no more brutal ideological entity than Zionism. And this is what really concerns me. He says obligates Hamas or some other organic resistance movements to violence.
He's saying that because uh Israel exists, it they it obligates Hamas to violence. That violence is rape of innocent women and children, death, murder.
Truly a disgusting person. Next slide, please. Here he's saying that the Republican party should execute Trump. Okay. And invoke and invoke an insurrection and declaring martial law.
This is July 2nd, 2024. Next slide, please. All Zionist occupiers in Palestine serve as human shields for a fascist genocidal movement. All acts of armed resistance by Palestinians are justified under international law. All acts of armed
resistance by Palestinians are justifiable. Again, those acts are rape, murder of innocent civilians, women, and children. When will Palestinians target sanist hospitals? Next.
And again, this is what he sent just a few days ago. My husband joins me in congratulating Iran on its successful missile strikes against the genocidal regime. I urge Iran to nuke Zionist held population centers. Dirty bombs sufficing efficient warheads aren't ready yet to pursue defeat of the
occupation regime. You can slide it down. And despite all that, he was somehow reappointed to one of our city boards. This man has literally said
Hamas is no brutal and ideological entity than Zionism. He said the US should ban the Republican party and execute our president. He justified Hamas as a terror armed resistance.
He's asked when will Palestines target Zionist hospitals. Let me say that again. He's targeting for hospitals to be targeted in an attack. And now after calling for a nuclear
annihilation of civilians, he's doubling down, emailing us again to justify his remarks. He wrote back, "I call upon the city attorney to cite the statute." Actually, I'll get to that in a second.
I reject as hypocritical the motion by Commissioner Suarez for censure of my intentionally blunt language. Intentionally. Those who excuse Randy Fine's rhetoric should be extend the same respect for my freedom of speech. Let me get something
straight. Johan Moore has the first amendment right to say whatever he wants, whatever hateful, delusional thing he wants. If he wants to advertise his raging anti-semitic beliefs, good. I prefer to
know who the anti-semmites are as opposed to the ones who hide it. But serving on a committee, that's a privilege, not a right. And if you advocate for genocide, if you cheer for terrorist regimes, if you call
for the nuclear bombing of civilians, you don't get to speak for the city of Miami Beach. Period. And let's be honest about what's really going on here. Yan is trying to weaponize free speech and deflect to
dodge accountability. But there's a difference between speech that challenges power and speech that calls for mass murder. He doesn't want a debate. He wants a platform. And he had one.
So, as uncomfortable as this may be, I'm going to ask Commissioner Dominguez to explain how on earth does this person, after
sending dozens and dozens of anti-semitic content to us, showing his beliefs, saying that the mayor has blood liable How is it possible that this person is
reappointed by you to a city board in Miami Beach? Because I just want to make this clear. He and in a response to my item, he said,
"I call upon the city attorney to cite state statute or municipal regulation deemed to override appointees first amendment rights upon which said office based its apparent opinion, pressuring my appointing commissioner to rescend my
appointment to the sustainability committee." So, I I think there needs to be some answers. Um, I want to know why you think it was a good idea to reappoint this anti-semite to a city board because this is certainly not the only person
that's been appointed by you who holds severe anti-semitic beliefs. And I want to know if the city attorney pressured you to resend his appointment or did you do it under a moral obligation?
Commissioner Dominguez. First, let me be very clear. The comments made by the resident serving on the sustainability committee are not reflective of me, any member of this body, or the city as a whole. I called the resident when I saw the email that he sent to the New York
Times copying the entire commission. And I shared my deep disappointment and asked him to resign from the city board. It had gone too far. I shared with the resident uh other residents that reached out um
that those who choose to serve on city boards are held to a higher standard just like we are as elected officials. And while I know Yan has passionately served the sustainability committee and
on the city bar uh board, the comments that he emailed to all city leaders raised levels of concern that led to the situation at hand. It referenced violence and it was deeply troubling and pose levels of concerns that warranted
his resignation. I've traveled to Israel on a delegation where I've worked to bridge opportunities between our community and the state of Israel. I've spoken out since the brutal attacks of October 7. No one individual will speak for me or
try to create a false narrative around my values. I alone will show my community my values as they know where I stand strongly and unequivocally. I've sponsored many items in support of Israel. With that said, I believe that
weaponizing and politicalization of every circumstance in our city is disgusting and only takes us down a path of further division. To publicly shame and put forward a resolution singling out a resident will send a chilling
effect to our residents who may now fear city leaders will unjustly target them. and to use divisive rhetoric to instill fear in the Jewish community to profit from uh to put profit in a pack that you
support is shameful and irresponsible. We're better than that in Miami Beach. The right recourse occurred in this case as the resident resigned from the board and that really should have been enough. As we close Pride Month, let's stand
proudly for injustices and celebrate the strengths of our community. Just as Israel shows the world how they celebrate one of the largest pride worldwide events, let's have Miami Beach reaffirm we have zero tolerance for
anti-semitism, zero tolerance for hate, and zero tolerance for demonizing our fellow neighbors and colleagues. Mr. Mayor, I have no problem demonizing an anti-semite
such as Johan Moore. I have no problem when you ask for the destruction and nuclear destruction of Israel cities that that's crossing a red line. There is a you know there's a saying, Commissioner
Dominguez, and it it is Never again. Never again means never again. And it references the Holocaust. Holocaust where 6 million Jews were
murdered in a short period of time not too long ago, survivors to this day. So respectfully, with all due respect, there needs to be accountability here.
This man has sent dozens and dozens of anti-semitic emails and somehow this person was allowed to continue to serve and represent us. This is not a good look for the city. This is
not a good look for the commission. This is not a good look for our Jewish resident population. And I think there needs to be a discussion about this. And
to to say that, you know, I'm demonizing this person. If this person would have said this about any other ethnic group or any gender, I would have I would have seven co-sponsors, six co-sponsors on this.
This type of behavior and rhetoric should be shunned from our city and should be called out every time. It should be called out every time and it should be made public because never again means never again,
especially in Miami Beach. And considering that Iran is throwing bombs on Israel right now where my family is and in bunkers, this person has no place in our city, no
place on our boards. And every time this person calls in, I'm going to remind everyone in this commission and the chambers and the public that this guy wanted to wants Iran to nuke civilian population
centers. So I I again I'm I'm I understand this is uncomfortable. It's probably very uncomfortable for Commissioner Dominguez and I. It's very uncomfortable for my colleagues on here. But this sort of
behavior needs to be called out because if it's not called out, it's going to continue to happen and there's going to there's going to be an more of enabling of these anti-semites in our city boards. So, um, respectfully, I'd like to move my item and formally censure
this individual and reassure the Jewish community that our values are are morally intact and we are not going to allow this sort of rhetoric to influence us or drive
policy in Miami Beach. I'll second your motion and I'll explain why. So pre-occtober 7th, we I got a lot of emails from Johan that I would consider not very favorable to say the least to Israel and Jews because I think one
thing and I I always say I don't I don't speak for every Jewish person, but I'll tell you I think what I'm about to say pretty much holds true. There's not a whole lot of distinction between the anti-Israel rhetoric and anti-semitism these days. They are collapsed under
one. Anti-semitism morphs from generation to generation. They're often inconsistent when you're looking at them over generation to generation. And that's the point. It defies logic. And that's what we're dealing with now. And when you say
never again, and that's the big phrase you used, Commissioner Suarez describes the Holocaust. And I said this, I used to think when I was learning about the Holocaust growing up that never again meant the Holocaust would never happen again. Something like that would never
happen. I realize now that's not what the term means or it's not how I determine it. Never again means we should never be in the environment where a holocaust could happen. But yet we are here again. And that's the point. The
the emails certainly post October 7th have been hard to read. I even had somebody in my team say, "Maybe you should block it." First of all, I don't block anybody, but also I wanted to I actually I want to be I want to read what people have to send to me. As hard
as it is to read, as painful as it is to read. But you're not exaggerating, Commissioner Suarez, when you read that email. He's literally said that Iran should kill 9 million
Jewish innocent civilians. mothers and fathers, bubbies and zadies, little children, women, daughters, sons, husbands. They didn't call for military targets.
He asked for the extermination of the Jewish people who live in Israel. And I'm not sure it's far behind when you call for the extermination of the Jewish people in Israel that it's the Jewish people everywhere. But he didn't say that. But still,
Israel targets military targets. In Iran, they Israel was very specific in its targets of military targets and leaders of those military targets.
You know, when I read the emails that Johan sent about Gaza for a year and a half, I know, and I think I'm most Jewish, almost all Jewish people know, when you're reading about these false lies
and misrepresentations about a genocide, Israel is fighting a war to defend literally its survival. And it's not just the survival of the state of Israel. It's the survival of the Jewish people. The IDF is fighting that battle.
So when you talk about military targets in Gaza, and I'm sorry, Kamas hides in the middle of population centers. It's a very hard war to fight. No army should ever be put in that position to have to fight a military war when the military,
unlike the United States or Israel, does not hide its military in hospitals and population centers. But I know when I read those emails about Gaza that it wasn't about Gaza, it was about Israel. And you see the
comments, Zionist regime. It's hard. It's hard. It's It's hard. It's hard to read. And I think you said it best, Commissioner Suarez. Anybody can say what they want. He's entitled to say it. I'm not stopping him. He can send the emails all he wants. I I I see them. I
don't block it. I read it. I don't respond. I read it. And he can continue to do that, but not on a committee that we as a a body or each and one of us individually have to appoint. That's not reflective. And I we I wouldn't allow it
for any group. None of us would allow it for any group of any any group, whether they're in Miami Beach or outside of Miami Beach. Just this type of hate speech just doesn't have a place here, and we need to defend that. I'll I'll
just finish off by saying that probably the item that I'm most proud of kind of relates to this in some respects was the demonstrations. It was post October 7th. It was post It was before the university
pro kamas. I call them pro kamas. They were carrying kamas flags. They're pro kamas demonstrations and there were multiple here in Miami Beach. And they were getting more aggressive. They were getting in residents faces. There were pictures. We've gone through this. There were pictures on social media where
elderly Jewish residents walking out of a synagogue were literally surrounded and screamed, "Shame on you. Shame on you." Basically blaming them for what they perceived to be the injustices uh happening in Israel and um Gaza.
And I put on legislation, which by the way, I got ripped on many fronts from electeds, certain electeds. I got ripped from the media. And thank God, I think our police, our police department will tell you, thank God we have that legislation. You're
going to have your free speech. Come and say what you want, but you're going to be behind a barricade or if it's necessary, you're going to be at a safe distance. You're not going to be able to go and surround 85 year old men and women and intimidate
and scream at them and harass them. That's just not going to happen here in Miami Beach. And I don't care if universities like Harvard and others allow that to happen. It ain't. That's not a real word. It's not going to happen here. And we going to get criticized sometimes
for that. But you're but that's when we're weaponizing that's when certain people try to weaponize free speech. Nobody is stopping the free speech. We're just protecting the residents who want to live their lives peacefully, freely, and safely.
And that's the theme. We're a safe city and we're going to protect our residents and our tourists at all costs. This does that as well. So I will support this item. Commissioner Magazine. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh those emails were really
really sick stuff. Um we have a handful of people that just email in and I I read every email that comes in to me. Uh I haven't read these emails because starting a year a year year and a half ago. Uh the specific sender just, you
know, tended to go off topic for things that aren't related to the city. And I have enough on my hands as all of us do. I really focus on the issues pertaining to the city. So I I didn't get into just, you know, some of these different rants. So I had no idea the depravity of
some of these emails. And in fact, I walked into our agenda briefing yesterday and I said to the city attorney and our city manager like, "Guess, what what are we doing? Like why are we censoring a a private citizen?" That makes no sense. Um and they shared
with me an email that he read. I said, "Oh, I'm almost going to use foul language myself if I repeated what I said." Um, it's just sick. Uh, it has no place in the city. I I can go back and forth mentally if the best way to
approach this is bring this out into the sunlight and the oxygen to show us what people are saying. Is that our place as a public body, uh, a government? I can make an argument either way. or is it better not to give things like this any
oxygen? That had tended to be my viewpoint. Um, you know, if I went around trying to correct the record of everything that said, uh, it it just doesn't make sense. I tell my my mom sees things that are
written about all of us on Facebook and gets upset and she go I I need to respond with the truth. I said, don't even get give it oxygen. So, I question is that the right approach? Just seeing the deprivity in some of these emails is uh is important. And I
think I certainly I believe all of my colleagues uh pride ourselves in creating such a safe community uh for everyone inclusive of our LGBT community, of our
minority communities, of our Jewish community. And since October 7th, that has become just of paramount importance. And I pride myself that Miami Beach has become perhaps the most welcoming, safe community outside of the state of Israel for Jewish brothers and sisters. Uh but
you see these things don't happen by accident, right? It's it's taking these bold leadership positions and being on the forefront of making that happen. It doesn't happen by chance. and that is the importance of
local government and all of us, you know, perhaps declaring a line in the sand for what's acceptable and what's not. This certainly isn't acceptable. Um, I'll support this. I I don't even not even entirely sure. Maybe we can just explain what a censorship is. I I
certainly don't think that this person should remain serving on a city board after calling for some of those things. You know, uh, free speech is free speech. you are free to say whatever you would like. Um there's certain legal lines, you know, you you can't cross. Uh
but serving on a board is a privilege in our city and representing our city, we want diversity of thought, diversity of opinion. But um hatred against any group and calling for the mass genocide of any group is not something that uh should be supported in our city. So um I'm back
and forth about whether it's best to sweep these things under the rug. that had been my historical thinking, but uh perhaps realizing the gravity of the situation we're dealing with, the best way is to get some of the dangers that we're facing um out there into the sunlight. Thank you, Commissioner
Dominguez. Thank you, Commissioner Mag. Thank you, Mayor. Um I just wanted to reiterate what I've already shared, which is my disgust for the comments that were made, and I've also made clear that they were unacceptable. I'm the one
that called for Yan to resign and I think that's the clearest form of accountability and I did it because it was the right thing to do and not for political theater. I think we have a motion to second. And Mr. Mayor, uh just to clarify the
question, a censure is is just a an expression of the sentiment of the body. It does not have any legal effect. Um Mr. Moore resigned. Um, if this was a motion to remove him from the committee, I would advise against doing that because of First Amendment concerns, but
this is a censure which is simply an expression of the body's sentiment. Mr. Mayor, as a citizen of Miami Beach, Sure. But I just wanted to comment on on what Rick said. I I actually um you kind of threw in something that didn't uh
that wasn't asked, but uh I'm not sure I agree with that legally as well, but since it's not it's a it's a moot point for this discussion, I I we can deal with it offline. Mayor, so you know, there's also people on sneak. Thank you for letting me speak. I mean,
if you open this, you may open up. Yeah, there's no problem. I I will give you the courtesy. I literally have no idea which way you're going to go, but I'm gonna give you the courtesy to speak, but I'm not going to open up the Zoom. If you're in person, I'll I'll Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, thank you for letting me speak. And, um, my name is
Jamie Loski. I'm a resident of Miami Beach. I'm a patriot, uh, citizen, a Jew, and a Zionist. I think Jews and Zionist is the same thing. Um, I do agree with that. Mayor and members of the city council,
congratulations on doing a great job on so many things that have improved quality of life for um Miami Beach citizens and Miami Beach residents. One topic that is outstanding is your support in Miami Beach police protection
of Miami Beach's Jewish community citizens and retentance. Compared to many other cities in the USA and internationally where anti-semitism, hate speech, hate crimes are out of control, daily riots funded
by left-wing organizations, Muslim entities have become normalized. You see it on TV every night, and you're shocked, you're surprised, and you're disgusted on what you see, and you can't believe in 2025 this kind of stuff is happening.
Unfortunately, as you're all talking about, there's a person very much involved in Miami Beach government and politics that y'all may know and apparently has a working relationship with Commissioner Dominguez. You know, I don't know. This
deranged person writes and posts anti-semitic stuff, suggests nuking Zionist populations. Zionist is an elitist leftist code for Jews. I mean, anybody, almost everybody
knows that now. Zionist this, Zionist that, but it's all about Jews. And you know, Jews for 3,000 years have been persecuted and we're very good at getting persecuted. And it's about time that we stood up. That said, by the way,
98% of Jews are Zionists, which basically means supporters of the state of Israel. Can I continue for another 30 seconds, sir? Thank you. Um, by the way, just a little fact, Miami is the 25th largest Jewish population
center on the planet with 170,000 Jewish citizens residents. Miami Beach has 16,000 Jewish Zionists. Mount Sinai, the largest hospital employer of 3,000 people, is a Jewish Zionist supported entity. This crazy radical person should be
investigated by the FBI, which I called and I spoke to the FBI about this guy. So, that probably should have been done a long time ago because he's a nut. Who knows what he's capable of doing. Um, so we should have this guy removed in any
way possible, forgetting about all the little ent, you know, minutia. There's no way that this person should have any relationship and we should be ashamed of any relationship with our beautiful peaceloving city. And I have the letter that this guy wrote. I'm not
going to repeat it because you all saw it. It's the same, you know, fabulous extremist vocabulary that these people all use. and my husband will join me and blah blah blah. This guy's a nut job and uh you know maybe he's planning to nuke
Miami Beach because it's a Zionist Jewish center. Thank you very much for your time. Commissioner Bot, um I don't appreciate anybody making this a left or right issue. It is a
do the right thing or don't do the right thing issue. I don't care to have national politics injected into something like this. I don't think it's appropriate. I don't think it's necessary. Um, you know, I actually have a tattoo on my
arm that says never again that I got many years ago after I spoke I I um met a Holocaust survivor and was um moved to literally the point of pain to do this. Not that this was my first interaction with a Holocaust survivor. It's
something that I was grew up being very aware aware of. My father's um mother's side of the family wouldn't be here in the United States um were it not for the fact that one person had already
immigrated to the states and one person was in Siberia because the rest of them were locked in a church and burned. So I'm quite familiar. I am also a very staunch supporter of the first amendment
and it is your right to say and write unhinged, deranged, hateful, incendiary, offensive to the core letters. Go for it. That's
what you want to do. Um, you know, Mr. Moore has has always been a very um outspoken advocate for his community. Therefore, we all engage with him as we do with all of our residents who speak up about residential concerns. I, for
one, have never and will never engage with somebody about foreign policy. It is not my job. If I wanted that job, I would be in Congress. And I am not. I'm here because I want to fight about sewer and water rates.
Not fight, find a a path forward. What what I've been doing with um these letters that we've received for so long um is when they come in, I they go specifically to a different inbox in my email and I go in once a week or every
couple weeks and make sure I'm not missing something that actually has to do with the city. I think that's a fair way to handle this because I don't care to subject myself to that toxic rhetoric. What caught my eye about this
that was different and and by the way, I would suggest it's not best practice for anybody who wants to be this toxic in their thought process and this public about it to share with public officials because it makes it a public record. whether or not any of us do anything.
Anybody can um do a public records request and because it came to us on our city emails, we can share it. Don't copy us on letters to the editor. You know, do what you want to do if you must, but keep it, you know, in your own backyard
if you must. Um the the fact that a couple of folks are suggesting that this was a sarcastic letter, I I find curious. I don't I don't know how I would read that into it when I've seen all the other emails that I've gotten over all, you know, the year
and a half that I've been serving. But what did catch my attention about this as opposed to all the other ones was that it now became a public safety issue for the city of Miami Beach. And that is what I'm elected to care about. We can
fight or agree and celebrate everything else that we do, but at the end of the day, our only job here is public safety. That is the only one. And so when I have a resident calling for um a
very antagonistic foreign power to bomb Israel, Jewish in population centers. He didn't specify just in the state of Israel. Not that that's okay. But as the the gentleman who was just speaking pointed out, South Florida is the fourth
largest Jewish population center outside of Israel. That puts us all at risk. I don't care what your personal beliefs are. I don't care if you pray to a different god. I don't care if you pray at all. But when somebody in my community is saying, "Hey, you should
think about bombing us." that now becomes a problem and so I am pleased that he has voluntarily removed himself from the committee and it is a shame because he was very productive on this committee. However, that does not
outweigh his hate speech. And that is why while I I might not have brought a censure, I might not have handled it in this way. And and why despite being a fierce and outspoken advocate for the First Amendment, I will also be supporting this center
today. Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez. as um well my grandparents were killed in a pogram in Bellarus. So
when I read Johan's comments, I was kind of shocked not just by the nuclear threat, but the way that you said like the dirtiest bomb possible. There was something about it
that shocked me. And so I'm supporting today's public censure. Um it's a public condemnation, Johan, because this was too much and too far. And there's freedom of speech and then
there's something so hateful that deserves a public commendation. I don't think there's anything that I can say up here that hasn't already been said except for that I have served with
all of our commissioners for years now and I can tell you that everybody sitting on this day has fully supports our Jewish community here in Miami Beach. I know that we all support the state of Israel. I think that
Commissioner Jaming bought had an item to purchase as Israeli bonds a few a few months ago. And what I would tell you is that everybody sitting up here would like Miami Beach to be a safe and loving
place for everyone. And um I would encourage Mr. for more who lives here to really think about what he's sending out because of because some of it's really just unacceptable.
And um I know that this body here cares very very deeply. And Commissioner Suarez, I'm glad um that you came forward and said something. I've been receiving the emails for years now and I have to say, you know, given freedom of
speech, I kind of passed them over. And this one I did not read because as Commissioner Magazine said, sometimes you, you know, read them. Sometimes you just know what it's going to be and it's free speech and you move on um to the next email. But this was unacceptable.
Unacceptable. And um I'm supporting the censure today. Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, over the weekend, someone asked me, "Did you see Johan's
email?" And I was like, I just stopped reading his messages, you know, because it it just like it naturally came out of me. It was like, you know, I just, you know, I just stopped reading it, not because
they didn't affect me, but because they did affect me. The tone has become so hateful and so cruel that it's just toxic. And it's just what if anything hurts me right now more than
the words that were written at a time in our world when we need peace and unity the most. If anything hurts me more than those words is that his message has been
amplified. He wanted to get published. He was published on our city agenda using the taxpayers resources using pay paper paid by the taxpayers of the city of of Miami Beach. The ones for whom he has
such great disdain. He wanted to be published by the New York Times. He's been published now in our city commission meeting and online and on social media. And we've dedicated so much time speaking about someone who
does not reflect who we are, the values that we hold. and to the people and the groups in our community and our Jewish friends and our Jewish family that he has targeted.
We support you. We stand with you. We condemn these hateful words, the bitterness, the intolerance, the violence. Because we are a community built on on
lifting people up in acceptance, in love, in diversity. Bombing people, bombing people, calling for death, calling for violence is the last thing
we need in this world. It's the last thing we need anyone serving in any capacity in our government to be advocating for. And so this hurts and it hurts the moment in our world and
our society and the point in time that we're living in the hate towards Jewish people. The attack I got to say it really hurts me. There's an undertone when I hear people saying, you know, referencing this issue, oh, his husband and his
husband, is there's an undertone there trying to link gay people with anti-semitism. Well, this gay man sitting right here stands with the people of Israel and stands with Israel's right to defend itself. And any undertone of that, I
will not tolerate to the gentleman sitting on the front row. And so, we are united. We're united because we need a world built on peace. We need to show the message that Miami Beach is different than everywhere else.
And that we will not tolerate the divisiveness that is taking over the world. Attacks on Jewish people, attacks on LGBTQ people, attacks on immigrants who fear for their own rights. We need
to be united as one community for each other. We have to end the division and we have to call out and condemn these hateful remarks. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. And I would like to reiterate one more time that there is not an anti-semitic person
sitting up on this day as in my 10 years of political experience in Miami Beach. I have had um the joy to serve with elected officials who love and respect our Jewish community, who stand with Israel. We've never not had any kind of
unanimous vote in support um of of Jewish people. And uh and and I would like everyone to know that the Miami Beach Commission stands with Israel. Nobody who serves here um has any
anti-semitic leanings whatsoever. And that needs to be clear because we are up here making decisions. And I want the members of our Jewish community to know that every member of the Miami Beach Commission, whether they are Jewish or not, has stood with Jewish people and
understands how important it is for the Jewish community to know that Miami Beach is a safe haven for them and that will and that will continue to stand. Mr. I I agree with that mostly, but there have been some tough votes this commission has taken that have not
always been in 100% support of the Jewish people. We're a great commission. We are a phenomenal commission. I don't mean to take away from that, but there have been a couple votes that haven't gone the way I can tell you that 99% of the Jewish community would have liked it to go, Mr. Mayor. And what vote would
that be? I'm not going to read I'm not going to read. I'm not going to read. I think that spreading division where there is not any. I think that a unified body I have always seen us stand with Israel and I don't agree with that at all. Thank you. I think we're a great commissioner. We're a great city. I I
don't mean to take away from anybody, but I'm not going to reiterate old votes, but there there there there have been some things. Mr. Mayor, thank you. Thank you very much. And and members and colleagues, thank you for speaking up on this. Um, Commissioner Fernandez, I I
think you make a valid point by giving air to this. Um, you kind of amplify however there was a line crossed and the and if this was just some random person and we
always get random people who send us anti-semitic content. It happens a lot. But the fact that this guy was able to serve on a on a city board and and and have certain privileges
um is where I draw the line. And I'm I'm thankful that everyone on this commission also draws a line because, you know, it's easy to stay quiet. And it certainly doesn't
certainly doesn't make relationships up here any easier, as you can imagine. But things like this need to be called out or else before you know it. We're we will be at a time where Jews
will be persecuted openly uh and without any sort of repercussion. And so I think it's very important to call it out and make sure that we are all united on this front. And
we should also be very careful about who we choose to represent our city and on our boards through our appointees. So I thank you. Let's call the I just I would be remiss not to say Commissioner
Dominguez. Thank you. for reaching out and getting someone to resign that has taken such a horrible position that does not reflect any of us, does not reflect you, does not reflect the status, does not represent the residents that we
deserve. And I can only imagine that that must have been a very strong and I'm sure very heated conversation to have, but thank you for taking that difficult action. Let's call the vote. I agree with that sentiment.
This is Thank you. on item C7BF. All in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? Hearing none. The item passes 70. Okay, let's take a break for lunch. Uh, let's call it for 115 for Sutnik hour to
begin. 1:15. Thank you. [Music] [Music] feel like Everything. [Music] [Music]
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Heat [Music] up here. [Music] [Music] that [Music] [Music] like that.
[Music] How do you feel? I'll be down. [Music] down. [Music] Hey
Heat. Heat. Hey, [Music] [Music] hey, hey. [Music] Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
[Music] Please take your seats. The meeting is about to begin. Remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public record.
Please stand by. We are going on air in 5 4 3 2 1. Welcome back to our afternoon session of the commission meeting. We will begin the sutnik portion of the meeting. If anybody wants to be heard either in
person or in zoom. If anyone wishes to speak, please approach the podium. Our first virtual caller is Monique Pope. Miss Pope, please state your name, address, and you have two minutes. Good afternoon, mayor and commissioners. This is Mon'nique Pope of 4570 North
Jefferson Avenue and candidate for Miami Beach Commission Group 1. Just a quick comment pertaining to C7BF, the censuring of Joanne Moore. As a community, we must always strive to uphold our shared values of respect,
inclusion, and unity. Anti-Semitic language and hate speech, no matter the setting or the speaker, have absolutely no place in our public discourse, particularly in a diverse and welcoming city like Miami Beach. I support the censure of such harmful rhetoric, not as
a means of silencing anyone's right to speak, but as a formal condemnation of hate in all of its forms. The first amendment does protect the right to free speech, including speech that many of us find offensive or deeply hurtful.
However, that protection does not absolve us of the responsibility to respond when words perpetuate hate, division, or fear. A censure is a symbolic action that reinforces the values of our city and affirms our commitment to standing against
anti-semitism and all forms of discrimination. Asensure retains one's rights of free speech but also denies them this institution as a pulpit to spew hate. This is not about politics. It is about principle. Miami Beach must
remain a place where people of all backgrounds feel safe, seen, and supported. Standing up against anti-semitism is not only the right thing to do, it is essential to who we are as a community. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next virtual speaker is
Rosalie Thompson. Please unmute yourself, state your name, address. You have two minutes. Rosalie Thompson. I'm in Mid Beach. Um, I would like to start out by saying that um, when the commission failed to
support Mayor Miner's plan to close down the O cinema when they wanted to uh, show a Hamas pro film. They thought it was free speech, but in
fact it was hate speech. And I was very disappointed that the commission did not understand or see the difference. Um terrorism is using our laws and our traditions to destroy us. Um this is
also the case with this censure. Um the commission has decided to censure this individual. That is something that would affect you and I. We would be upset by that. But for this person, it will give him street
cred. He'll probably get a bonus from whatever terroristic groups are supporting him. And so, it's not really enough. What would be more acceptable to me is if the commissioner who appointed
him to the uh a commission after he wrote all those anti-semitic letters would resign. That would be a statement um that I could support. Thank you for giving me the time to speak my opinion
today. Thank you so much. Is there anyone any Miss Commissioner Dominguez as to speak? Uh Rosalie Thompson, for clarity's sake, as soon as I saw the email, I called him and he asked him to resign, which he did. Um so I wanted to make sure that you were clear on that
and the rest of the stuff um that was on the agenda came after. screen name WR. Go ahead, sir. Yes. Wayne Roberts, South. Um, there's a distinct difference between O Cinema and
this ridiculous, horrendous human being. um talking about the extermination of Jews all over again. So blatantly, so obvious.
Um hurt me. Um Laura had nothing to do with this. O cinema had nothing to do with this. that film is the right of Americans in a in a in a art way. This is blatant
Hitler-like anti-semitism. And I want that guy to face my face and tell me that to my face and see what happens. See what happens to Joan. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.
Lori Beckham. Lori, unmute yourself. State your name, address. You have two minutes. Hello, this is Lori Bacham. I'm here on behalf of Power Access and the South Beach Jazz Festival, 1616 Michigan Avenue. We would like to invite everyone
to come on out to the South Beach Jazz Festival summer series, which starts this Friday evening. These are six wonderful concerts featuring local bands through the end of June and July. They are part of the Miami Beach OnStage
program and we thank the city, the commission, residents and staff for supporting arts and culture and making these fantastic free events possible in our city. Thank you. Thank you so much. Our next virtual caller is John Kartney.
John, please unmute yourself. Oh, sorry about that. I got it now. Um, I just want to call and express my gratitude to Commissioner Fernand Fernandez and Commissioner Dominguez for bringing forth the R5A for flooding resilience. I think it's incredible um
ordinance. I also want to thank Commissioner Samuel for for bringing uh the original ordinance as well. Um, I think it's going to do great things for our neighborhood and many neighborhoods in our city that get flooded by king tides. Um, and I would just ask that in addition to what's already been proposed
that we look for a way to not just fix the seaw walls, but also stop the flooding over a shorter time period. Seaw walls can take up to two or more years to be fixed. And I think in that interim period, we should also be stopping the flooding of our city
streets. Um, I think there's already some interest in doing that and I just hope uh we can see that through as part of this resolution. So, thank you again. Thank you so much. Is there anyone in the audience who wishes to speak? Larry Schaefer. Go ahead, sir.
Good afternoon, Larry Schaefer, 23381st Street. Um, I'm calling in to ask about the status of the North Beach Community Center. We are being taxed on geo bond funds from 2018. I believe the budget was originally $80 million. I believe
we've spent probably 8 to10 million in soft costs and continual revisions and plans, architectural drawings. The commissioners keep adding on more things to the pile of things we're trying to get out of this one piece of land. And nearby neighboring North Bay Village
just launched their community center and they expect to complete it within one year. This is ridiculous. We are Miami Beach. Why is neighboring North Bay Village able to break ground and complete a a a significant community center with valuable resources for its
residents, but we can't even finish plans and get permits filed and start the job. There's something wrong at city hall related to the community center in North Beach. We continue to go down these rabbit holes on many conversations that are off topic. We need to focus on
delivering what you promised. We voted for that. You were supposed to give it to us. What's happening? Thank you. Our next virtual speaker has a screen name of conferenc.
You have two minutes. Hello. Good morning. How are you? My name is Samuel Diaz. I'm calling from 1250 West Avenue. And first of all, I want to thank you for your job and everything you've been doing. Nonetheless, I'm calling to support the
item R7 L because I believe that many of the unclassified workers done amazing job and deserve a a cola and I just wanted to remind that you know that we have many people in this committee that are extremely valuable and that in this time of need we shouldn't give our turn our back to them. That's all. Thank you
very much for your job. Thank you so much. There is no one else in Zoom and no one else in the audience requesting to speak. Sutnik is can conclude. Thank you so much. Let's call R7 Y. Ry. Yes sir.
R seven Y is purchase fuchious software waving FK requirements by 57. R7Y. I'm the sponsor of the item. Thank you, Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez for co-sponsoring with me. Um I'm excited about this item. I know the police department is excited about it as
well. I'll I'll turn it over to you in a moment, but essentially what it does is it takes uh current city data and integrates them into one form of a fus. It can take video feeds from drones, CCTV, close circuit television, license plate
readers. It even can, and thank you Chad for coming and speaking earlier this morning about it. It's great when our residents pick up on on our items that we have on the agenda. um we uh we can integrate and it's voluntarily businesses and residents who have
cameras that want it integrated within our police department can do so and of course it's voluntary and you could turn it off at any time but uh that an extra uh capability that gives our our police department it incorporates GPS data uh
on a whole slew of uh issues. I actually learned of this when I was uh I was speaking at an anti-semitism conference in in Beverly Hills. It was like 200 mayors around the country. It was a great conference. But I uh I was on a panel with the uh chief of police of
Beverly Hills Police Department and the LA uh district attorney, Los Angeles District Attorney. And uh I befriended the police chief in Beverly Hills and he invited me to come visit their headquarters on Sunday morning, which I did. And uh I saw the fus in real time. It is uh it is an absolute uh great p
piece of software and um I'm happy to bring it forward. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Uh commissioners, Eric RCF of Miami Beach Police Department for the technical services division. Yes, we're we believe that uh Fus, which is a map-based
command and control information platform, is something that is going to be uh the next step in our evolution of our real-time intelligence center as well as other cap increasing our capabilities in in other areas as well.
Um, as the mayor stated, it integrates lots of different data sources into one cohesive platform that uh that can be used by uh not only our real-time intelligence center but also our command officers.
An important thing that the mayor also mentioned is that it creates an opportunity for community partnerships where um Axon H has a program that uh allows individual businesses uh to participate
in a sharing program where they purchase a service, a piece of hardware and service package and allows their cameras to be integrated into uh our real time intelligence center. So, lots of uh lots
of benefits here to answer any questions you may have. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Now, um I'm a co-sponsor of this. Um, I didn't go to Beverly Hills, but I did meet with our officers here. And, um, after meeting with president of Venetian
Isles, uh, Chad, and he was telling me that, you know, their 12 cameras could be well served by plugging into the real crime center, real time intelligence center, excuse me, but that we needed a software integration. And that is what this Fus does. It literally is going to
fuse everything together. And you know how many cameras do we have across the city? It varies but we have a little bit over 800 cameras um and significantly more number of camera views because some cameras are multi-ensor. So this does
allow for an integration that we have not had previously. Correct. So currently uh we have to uh what we do is we individually monitor these separate platforms and what this does is kind of like you said it fuses everything together brings everything into one uh
unified system makes it easier and more convenient and a lot more a lot quicker and more more efficient for us to see have a tactical picture of what's going on throughout the city and have everything on one screen. That's that's what they do. So, it's really taking uh the real- time intelligence center and
bringing it into real time fused together. So, Commissioner Bot, um I would like to move the item, but before I do, I'm trying, but I can't come up with it. A joke about you and the Beverly Hill Cup. We'll give you some some time to think
about it, but I would like to move the item. I think it's awesome and I can't wait to get it up and running. Just a question, Commissioner Fernandez. Is this a one-time purchase or is this a licensing agreement? How does this work? This is a This is a licensing agreement. Will there be a recurring cost? There is. What's the recurring cost? The way
it's structured today, it's 300,000 upfront and then 200,000 for the remainder of the 5-year contract. It's how much for the remainder of the contract? 200,000 per year. 200,000 per year that we're going to have to budget for as recurring. Okay. How do we measure the success whether this is you
know helping us? I think success is measured by the effectiveness of uh our crime reduction, our ability to synthesize information quickly and respond very quickly to incidents as they're as
they're occurring. Okay. Another aspect that it that it does a lot more efficiently than we currently have is it actually tells you where the police vehicles are throughout the city, which I think is helpful for officer safety, but also for to just know where
where everyone is. And is this scalable with other departments? Does this work with assets that other departments might have? It it does scale with other departments. Um, you know, we're kind of isolated where we are. It's we don't really have a lot of overlap with other departments, but yes, it does scale with
other departments that have that use and have the platform. Okay. All right. Thank you. Oh, sorry. Commissioner Bot move the item. I'll second. Commissioner Magazine. If there no other discussion, call a
vote. All in favor? This is item R7Y. Please say I. I. Hearing no one opposed. The item is approved. 70 R seven Y. Mayor, we didn't finish the balloon item. I don't know if you wanted to do that. Let's do it. So, we're going back
now on item R5. Oh, I'm sure. No, it's not 140 yet. Okay. So, let's call uh I was going to call a couple of the uh consent items that were pulled. So, let's let's start with one. C7U. Got it.
C7U is accept recommendation long-term public safety plan for Baywalk. It was separated by Commissioner Dominguez. C7U. Commissioner Dominguez. Thank you. Uh so this item went to neighborhoods and it was discussed at length at the time MBPD
presented to us that the cost was going to be $200,000 and change to have an officer there. That was one of the options. And uh during my agenda review, I was told that I was given incorrect information. It's actually over 400,000. So, one of the options presented uh to
us at committee was to allocate existing resources so that we're not spending actual funds. And that's what I would like my uh colleague, Commissioner Fernandez, um to consider. and we move that forward
instead of the um the option that we discussed at committee. All right, let me just while he's pulling that if I may, Mr. R. Commissioner Magazine. Yeah, I think preliminarily, Commissioner, I want to be supportive of that. Happy to entertain further discussion, but I
think I said to the chief yesterday on just a one-off talk, but um I've said this statement several times for the last few years, and we'll need to use it now more than ever, is we got to start learning to do more with the same, right? Because if we don't do that, we're going to be forced into a
financial situation where we have to do more with less. And before we drive ourselves to that, being uh fiscally cautious I I think is the way to go. So I'm very happy to do more with the same amount of resources that we have. Yeah.
Allocating. Thank you. So Commissioner Dominguez, you're mentioning that when this was considered at committee, we were given a lower cost. I believe we were told 196 I believe we were told 196,000. During my agenda review, the
city manager corrected that um they failed to factor in the pension and other items that go into the salary. So, it made it over $400,000. So, I think we should go with option four, which is to evaluate what existing resources we can
use to monitor the Baywalk. Why was this not brought up to my attention? This is my item. This went to committee. When this went to committee, I said that I wanted to go with this option because when you looked at the costs, it just made sense if I can have a mall cop
for 130,000 or park ranger for 115 and I could get a cop for 192 cops for two for 196. Yeah. Then, you know, that was the option I wanted to go to was, you know,
more bang for your buck. But if something changed, Mr. Manager, why didn't this come up in my briefing? So, I apologize, Commissioner. This was something that as we were looking at the numbers, we realized that that disparity
between the officer cost and the and the security guard cost. There was no way we could have afforded two police officers for the number that was in the memo for the committee. And so I asked the department to double
check their numbers and that's when they came back with this larger number. This should have been caught when this went to committee. And if something happened, if my colleague was told that this changed a briefing, you and I sat.
We went through the entire consent agenda. You didn't bring this up in my briefing and this is my item. And so I would like the courtesy if something changes that at least I be given a heads up that the numbers
especially when it has my name attached to it. So I hope this is the last time this happens. Commissioner Dominguez, thank you for catching it. Thank you for pulling the item. Thank you for rectifying this on the record and for moving forward with what is certainly a
much more prudent approach under this circumstance which would be um the option four. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Um and do we need to call the vote? Yeah. Okay. I'll second the item. Do you Before we
call the vote, on a lighter note, I understand it's your twins 7th year old birthday today. Yes, it is. Nice. Happy birthday. Thank you for recognizing, Mr. Mayor. I hope you're celebrating. Yes. So, is is there a motion as amended with option four? Is that what I understood?
Or I move it as a second with option four. Okay. Uh, Commissioner Dominguez and I heard a second by Vice Mayor Suarez on C7. And I'm sorry the the actual resolution was to consider this during the budget process but as there
will not actually be any budget impact then the resolution will be amended just to direct implementation using existing resources. So I have a motion by commissioner seconded by commissioner Suarez. Vice Mayor Suarez. All in favor of C7U as
amended please say I. I. I. Anyone opposed? Hearing none, the item is approved as amended. C7U. Okay, I think Ralph, it is now 144. Uh, we are going back to item R5AB,
which was the balloons prohibited in public maras. Uh, we had a discussion at that time. There was no one in Zoom and no one in the audience. I see again no one in Zoom requesting to speak. No one in the audience uh requesting to speak.
Originally had a motion by Vice Mayor Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez. May I call the RO? Yeah, I'm just um on the original item uh relating to the balloons uh relating to parks and what have you. I actually
was a no vote on that. It did pass. Um, I'm going to support this one today, but I I just think this is a different item, so I'm supportive, but we'll want to have some meetings just to make sure. So, Commissioner Fernandez, yes.
Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Glass Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Bach, yes. Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez, yes. Yes. Motion carries. Second reading. Public hearing is scheduled for July 23rd. That was item R5AB.
Let's go uh through some of the other pulled items. Commissioner Fernandez, you were busy with the consent agenda, so you have a few items here. Well, we thank you for that. C2B, I'm sorry, mayor. Which item? C2B. C2B
award RFQ 2025284 ND water taxi service separated by Commissioner Fernandez. I was more excited about this item almost than anything on the agenda, Commissioner Fernandez, the water taxi coming from Miami Beach. But uh yes, but let's hear what Well, and as I smi and
uh this really I think is going to be uh transformative. I just want to make sure that uh this item does come back something that's negotiated um with the selected vendor uh with the
proposed route with the rate structure. I want to make sure that before anything gets executed that this commission as a governing body for the city does get to see. And the only reason why I want that though we trust the administration's ability to handle this. Our our
experience with water taxis has been a little bit troubling in in the past. Um this is very different. Uh I I spoke with the city of Fort Lauderdale and they've had great experience uh with this. is I think they do something that's fair free. Uh and I'll tell you
my option would my my preference would be to see something negotiated by the administration that would be fair free uh to ensure the success of of the program. Um, and I also think, um, you know, I I hope we look at all options,
not just Miami Beach to downtown Miami, but north and south, uh, along Miami Beach, which I know has been discussed by, including yourself, Mr. Mayor, that you've been a leader on this on this effort. So um so that was my request
that something come back to us with the with what is negotiated with the routes with the rate structure so that we make sure that it really does serve the commuting needs of our residents and we'll be happy to bring it back. You
usually when we have something that's a little bit more um open-ended like this we do recommend bringing it back to commission. So we're happy to do that. wasn't clear on the item. So, they it was not. So, thank you for clarifying. Yeah. And if I can I know some some of
my colleagues want to speak as well, but just to I'm I'm glad you're I'm leaning over into Commissioner Magazine here. No, you got me so excited, Commissioner Fernandez. No, literally because I think you made an important distinction. There were there were parallel items several
years ago. Um I had brought this this current version of what's the water taxi. There was also a private entity that as you mentioned uh call it as it is it failed spectacularly. Um it was not it was not operating well it and it was expensive. I did not support that
item and they were it was a separate item. I actually did not support it. This item is as you mentioned not just going to Miami but north and south and it has to be something like we did for Art Basel. I mean that was a much smaller pilot program but an absolute success. I've not heard one person
criticizing quite the contrary. Everyone who used it said it was it was incredible. And that's what we have to bring here. One of the one of the items and I've spoken to this to the administration about and I'm also personally making the outreach but I but we need to is try to get additional
grant funding. This is a win-win for the county. This is a win for the state. Uh and it's a win for the federal government, too. So, uh, we did get a $600,000 grant from the state from FDOT, but we have to continue to, uh, implore them. I mean, there was overtures to
spend close to a billion dollars, uh, on a on a transportation item that that, you know, the Bayink this this is going to be a game changer for our city and we we need our partners to step up. 600,000 is great. We're appreciative,
but obviously this is going to be uh expensive and uh it behooves everyone involved to participate. Uh let's I know there's several I did see Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez's hand first and I saw Commissioner Bot and then Commissioner Magazine. I would have raised my hand first if I still had
I just I have a question for Jason. It says um the 600,000 is pending approval for the FY26 uh budget enhancement. Is this one of the $30 million items that we have to approve because this is probably something it's going to suck up
the whole million we have. Is this already been set aside? No, just as it says in the memo, this is a there's a budget enhancement for $600,000 uh out of the transportation fund that'll be uh considered and we'll be discussing on July 11th. Okay. So, that is so it's but it's different from like the general
fund. So this doesn't So because when I spoke to you the other day, I think you said we had um like $30 million in request and $1 million, you know, available. Would this be like part of that 1 million or is that apart from I'm just trying to understand. Yeah, a
couple of parts of that. Um there's actually now close to $57 million in general funded resort tax items for consideration. 57 million. Yeah. Approximately. It's a running total. We're we'll be adding up numbers that
come out of today for consideration. Um as we know from the June 1st numbers, we're actually at a deficit of $771,000. Um and then but this particular expenditure is through the transportation fund. uh it does have it will be coming from its fund balance and I know we discussed at our budget
retreat uh some structural issues that we'll have to deal with over the next several years uh for the transportation fund but uh you know as the mayor said we were awarded a a $600,000 grant so it's kind of 50 cents on the dollar which is a good deal so but yes it'll be an item to be considered uh during the
26 budget process and we'll deal with that in July 11th I I have a question about because they just want to understand the transportation fund so like one penny of every dollar spent in Miami date county is going to this what is it citizens independent
transportation trust right it's a what it's a separate that's a separate fund the fund that you're speaking about the half penny sales tax sax or transportation uh is expend I think almost exclusively on the trolley uh this transportation fund we're speaking of is funded almost primarily from our
resort taxes right I'll let 60% of one of our 1% resort tax funds wait it's 60% of one of our 1% resort tax revenues. Okay. Okay. So, this is coming from our transportation fund from resort taxes. Now, is the county giving us money?
They're giving us certain monies for the trolley. Correct. Because what they're removing bus services and cutting back, but we're expected to pick it up and we're not getting the monies that we should. Like Jose,
you've been here in transportation for 10 years. What level of reduction have you seen in 10 years in terms of the county spending um on Miami Beach? There's been um recently with the better bus project, the county revamped and
made significant modifications to the routes. As a result of that, new routes came into existence. Old routes were suspended or eliminated. So it's been I I I don't know that I have a number for you in terms of percent reduction. I
mean is the better bus initiative good for us? Is it has it been a positive experience? The the the better bus in general has there was the one issue with the route 115 the one that would serve Mount Si and we stepped in and um and
we're covering that with through our trolley operator. We're covering that route that serves North Beach and uh Mount Sinai as well. And then uh Miami date county has a route that they implemented as part of the better bus
that serves South Beach and takes the South Beach U constituents to Mount Si. Have we considered just sending a resolution to the county that they should chip in? I mean, we're kind of partners in the
convention center. this water taxi. We're using our tourism tax funds. I would, my motion would be to pass this and at the same time send a resolution to the county asking what they could potentially contribute to this water
taxi because I think that um they should want to have some ownership of it too because eventually they might be able to expand water taxi service along our waterways. So, I don't know how you guys feel about that, but they can either say yes or no, but in the situation that
we're in, um, I think we should at least ask. No, I I I like and that's kind of where I was working with the administration on it. I like your idea. I I would just add state and federal. There's potential funding everywhere. There's an application that we're submitting to the federal government for
for funding as well. But my motion, I would make a motion right now along with this to um ask the county to see what they could contribute city of Miami if you want to add that given that we're going to be going to the city of Miami. Oh, okay. Two
resolutions. No, just in the same, you know. Okay. A resolution to um Miami Dade County and city of Miami asking um what should we ask to perhaps even the Miami DA 200? We should have a specific ask, right? If we're going to spend
600,000, why don't we ask the city of Miami for 200,000 and the county for 200,000? And that way we're equal partners and that we have the grant funds, too. It's going to save us half a million dollars if they say yes. Do Do you want to work on a on a resolution so we can hash it out and
we'll approve it at the next commission meeting? And I'm happy to co-sponsor with you. Um, I suppose so, but I think we should just put it in motion now so that you get the funds so that we have a resolution and we can start lobbying because the sooner we get the fund the you know things take a while. Rick, you
can enough Rick? Yes, I think we can put something together. Okay, so that's my motion. Commissioner Bot, there second one second. Um, I think I saw in the memo uh convers or suggestion
that focusing on going across the bay first and then subsequent to that up and running then working on the north south route in your conversations as you negotiate the contract have the conversation about if we can get that north south route running concurrently
as opposed to secondarily. You know, we are talking ad nauseium about the traffic here and a lot of the traffic is people going from North Beach to South Beach and South Beach to North Beach and um you know, we're trying to get people on bikes and other micromobility
devices. So, if it is possible without making things overly complicated to get it up and running concurrently or very shortly thereafter as opposed to a year, two years, five years. Um I think that would help alleviate some of the traffic concerns. So, you know, I don't want to
derail the primary, but this is very close second. Um, so that's my comment. Mr. Vice Mayor, uh, Mr. Magazine, I I think this is a tremendous item. I'll just say Miami
Beach perhaps more than any other place, the the small small details here matter uh greatly, you know, and I love how this boat is smaller and more nimble, which I think uh reflects a better realistic expectation about the uh
ridership, what it's going to be. The larger boats took a lot longer, which made it less convenient for people to use. Um, and there just was never a realistic uh scenario where we would have been filling those boats uh for anything other than special events. Um,
and and not to kind of get off of the water tax because of this something I'm so excited to seeing, but as we're talking about the broader transportation fund, Jose, uh, I guess if either of us could answer this with a great degree of accuracy, neither of us would be sitting here collecting government salaries, but
um, how quickly is transportation changing, especially when we're looking to these uh, trolley RFPs? when I see the roll out of robo taxis and Whimos uh and all these self-driving taxis in places like Austin and San Francisco um
and now Amazon's announcement that it's been so successful they're going to be in mass production of 100,000 per year. How long is the contract for the trolley? The contract we're currently negotiating is I believe seven years. Okay. All
right. So it's not 10 or 15. Where I was going with that is would we be signing up for technology that's perhaps outdated by the time it gets delivered. Um but I think seven years is a manageable time frame uh for all this to kind of play out. But I think if some of
these uh rollouts of the robo taxis have the success uh that is initially being indicated th this will be uh change in our world and our society within the next three to five years that'll have profound impacts in terms
of what it means for our land use policies, the usages and needs for garages or parking lots. Uh certainly a two billion dollar train coming across the causeway that wouldn't be completed for 15 years. Um so I I think this
commission is done wise to say yes, we're in in favor of mass transportation, but we need to get this right. Uh but not to steal this this specific uh subject here, I I think the water taxi is something that uh will have a great impact and will be
celebrated widely across our community. But those small details do matter, right? whether it's on Fourth Street versus Sixth Street, just using that as an example, um can have a great great difference on whether people use it or not. So, leave it open-ended for you all
to discuss, negotiate, and come back. I move the item as amended. I'll second. Yeah. And by the way, I want I want to really want to This is a perfect example. Our commission is really for the most part very very united when I
first brought up this idea several years ago. I I had fights with some of my colleagues in the commission who are no longer here. So very appreciative that I mean we're all we're all in on this and um it's great it's great to see the unity and I think we're going to get a
phenomenal water taxi product uh because because of it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. May I call the role? Yes. All in favor? This is C2B as amended which includes an after the-act resolution. Say I please. I. Anyone opposed? Hearing
none. The item plus the after the fact resolutions are approved. 70. That was item C2B. C4T. C4T referral to public safety neighborhood quality of life committee food truck farmers market pilot program
on west lots or north beach oceanside park. C4T was separated by Commissioner Fernandez. Commissioner Fernandez is also requesting that this item be heard with C7P. May I call that item? Yes. C7P
is accept recommendation host monthly community activation residents on west lots uh west lot 4. So we're doing C4T and C7P. Commissioner Fernandez.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I just wanted to um number one thank the commissioner for placing this item on the agenda. Um back in back in May we discussed um C7P
at the neighborhoods committee to do activation in one of the west lots monthly activations at one of the west west lots and we we discussed that at the neighborhoods committee. Uh and we had even asked I think about doing food trucks. They were concerned about some of the logistics, but I love the idea
that Commissioner Dominguez has to bring food trucks to North Beach. Since we have C7P on the agenda already, that's approving something similar rather than sending another item to committee. If you want to join in with me on this item and incorporate the food trucks as part
of the monthly activation we're doing on the west lot, uh West lot number four between 82nd and 83rd Street. I'm happy to have you join me. Uh yeah, that is fine. Um I brought that item forward after a conversation with Larry Schaefer and Sharon Weiss who were very excited
about having something like that. And uh to combine the two is fantastic. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. You know, it's not that I don't love the idea of the food truck, but I worry that so many of our restaurants are struggling.
Is this gonna cause competition? Somebody could just drive up and then nearby you've got somebody who's paying all this money in rent and for a permit. So when we do this, maybe it could be something that's not going to be as competitive with some of our restaurants
like some beach concessions like this is going to be just once a month. Just a just once a month. And by the way, on 82nd Street, like there's no commercial around 82nd Street. you have a community of lows, you know, uh, low scale, lowrise buildings that's very walkable
there. I think your closest commercial is like in the 70s unless you go to Surfside and those restaurants are very expensive. Um, so it's just to do is more than anything is for community building, bringing people out together, neighbors getting to meet each other,
share in a familyfriendly environment. That's really the real purpose of this. And I get your concern about the businesses because you're so right. businesses are suffering, but I think this is so isolated. 82nd Street is so far away. We should invite when you do
the launch of this like young musicians unite and have the Beach High students perform so that we have some music the first time they do the food trucks. I don't know if we can include that in this, but I think it would be like a fun kickoff. Well, we have a monthly activation. what it is is a it's a monthly activation and that we're doing
and then as part of the monthly activation we're adding now Commissioner Dominguez's uh idea of the food trucks. So there was always going to be music, entertainment, children's activities. There's always going to be that type of activity. Now we would just be adding
the food truck. Okay. All right. Yeah. I um if if I mayor Yes, Commissioner Bot. I love I love doing that. It's um you know I don't want to commercialize our beaches. I'm not in favor of putting concessions on our beaches, but I do love the idea of every once in a while you know you can trip
off the beach and go grab a you know something and hang out and and you know take a little break from the sand and the and the sun and come in and grab something to eat. I think it's a super cool idea. Um, and um, I'm also working with a different group in addition to
YMU about doing musical popups around the city. And I will be sure to send that information off to the powers that be so that they can be incorporated into this. Um, and I'm actually going down on Saturday. Saturday? Yeah. Um, to check
out a um what is supposed to be a phenomenal farmers market because um, it was raised in a blue zones meeting. Uh, and I think we all know, we all agree on the commission that we are have a um a severe lack of of good farmers markets or any farmers markets here in the city.
And um so I'm going to go check that out. I was told they may be looking for a new home. unclear on that. But um you know there again if if that is something that um um progresses in some way you know maybe
there's an option that um you know once a year or something it goes up to the west lots that's the market from Coconut Grove. That market is spectacular. People drive from Yeah. miles around to get like organic toasted coconut water and vegan specialties. That would be a
real draw. So Speaking of Kumbaya commissions, here again, commissioners from different parts of different lanes of interest coming together on items to serve all of our our residents. So, more like that, please. Yes. By the way, we did this we did the first
one. I think it was like maybe three months ago that we had the community get together to discuss the West lots. And the takeaway from that was that what the community loved the most was just having the opportunity just to get together. Just community building, people who are
neighbors, having free activity, being able to get together, hear some music, kids being able to jump into jump, grab a little coffee from the little, you know, uh, coffee stand that went there. It was just beautiful. And so hopefully we got to recreate that vibe
there because that's all that we want to do. bring the community together and get them to enjoy this beautiful paradise we get to live in. Thank you colleagues for your support. Thank you. Thank you. Need a motion. I'll move it. A second. So I heard a motion from Commissioner Bot,
seconded by Commissioner Fernandez. Uh all in favor, this is on C7P because technically C4T is being withdrawn. U so all in favor of that item, please say I. I. Hearing no one opposed. The item is approved. 70
as Yes. And can you add me as a sponsor? Correct. On C7P, we're adding Commissioner Dominguez and Commissioner Bot. Um, we have one last second reading item to call. Let's call R5J.
R5 J is in order of mayor city commission of city of Miami Beach Florida uh amending chapter two of Miami Beach city code entitled administration by amending article 3 entitled agencies boards and committees by creating division 31 by creating section 2-190.157 through 2-190.160
to establish the economic development advisory committee to provide the administration and city commission with recommendations and ideas to better support and expand economic development in the city of Miami Beach and providing for repealer servability clarification and effective date. This is a second reading public hearing. The item
requires 57th vote. It is R5J. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, this commission uh has done a fantastic job of declaring what we do not want to be as a city and now it's time to pivot into the future about what we do want to
see. And I see economic development uh really really moving that needle forward. And without politicizing it, but you see events that are happening in some of our uh financial hubs of the country just overnight uh which could
lead an even further exodus of businesses and wealth migration into uh Florida and Miami. And this is our chance to essentially say definitively who we do want to be as a city and grow and progress into the future. Miami
Beach uh has such a unique opportunity because we are so blessed with so many different and prominent resources within within our own community given um so many people that want to live here and
the nature and caliber of some of our own residents. And what better way to essentially get a helping hand in moving our city forward than getting uh guidance from some of our own residents uh ones that in any other sense we'd be blessed to uh you know get business
advice from or their insight. So to be able to incorporate them and help move our city along, I I think is an opportunity that uh putting together a board with a caliber of very notable and well- reggarded um business minds could
really help moving Miami Beach forward. Uh perhaps uh any other colleagues want to speak? I I think the timing of this is great with our new economic development director coming on board. Um so I I think uh we're kind of firing on all cylinders here.
Great. Yeah. No, I'm supportive. I have a separate item just in big picture how we can potentially help the administration streamline because there is a lot of staff resources utilized for these meetings and how we can best utilize our our our resources. But um yeah, by the way, that was an incredibly
non-political way of saying something very political about why about potentially more businesses, but we are hearing it a lot. We keep saying it where there's there's an incredible opportunity in South Florida and uh certainly Miami Beach. um to for residents and businesses to to move down
here. People are looking the item. Yep. I'll second. So, I heard a motion by Commissioner Bot, seconded by Commissioner Magazine. It is a public hearing. I see no one in Zoom. No one in the audience. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes.
Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Bach, yes. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Mayor Miner. Yes. Motion carries. The item is approved. That was item R5J. Let's call R7F.
R7G. R7F is a public hearing. Adopt six amendment to fiscal year 2025 operational budget. Good afternoon. to make us our budget director. This is the sixth amendment to the operating budget. It contains four
items. It recommends an increase of 128,000 to the operating budget. All items were approved by the city commission at the May 21st commission meeting and all recommendations are to be funded from available general fund reserves. The first item is a UNIDA
senior meals program in amount of $70,000. This would increase the budgeted funding of 280,000 to 350,000 in order to mitigate the impact of the rising cost of food. The second item is a onetime matching grant to the
Sunflower Society in amount of $5,000 and this is for afterchool art classes. The third item is a one-time grant to names, not numbers, Holocaust documentary, and this will take place in FY in 2025 to 2026 school year at several schools in Miami Beach. And then
the last item is a matching grant to the Lincoln Road bid to support the Young Musicians Unite uh in the amount of $5,000 at an event that took place on May 30th. I move the item jigs. Have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez,
seconded by Commissioner B. It is a public hearing. I see no one in Zoom and no one in the audience. Call the vote on R sevenf. All in favor, please say I. I. I. Anyone opposed? Hearing none. The item is approved. 70.
That was item R7F. R7G. R7G is adopt seventh amendment to the capital budget fiscal year 2025. It is a public hearing. R7G. So this item contain this this amendment contains three items. It proposes an increase of
$2.2 million and a transfer of $294,000 from an existing project to a new project. So the first project is Ocean Drive corridor project. It was approved at the May 21st city commission meeting that we would expand the scope of the project to include lighting and sidewalk
improvements. The recommendation is to appropriate $346,288 from available capital reserve funds. The second project is a Miami Beach Convention Center softball soccer repairs and the request is for $300,000. The recommendation is to fund this
project with available convention center renewal and replacement funds. And the last project is a soundsscape sound system. And this item was approved by the city commission at the May 21st commission meeting. And this is to award a grant to the new symphony in order to
replace their sound system. This if is if it's approved will be funded $1.6 6 million from available interest income from the GO bond and the remaining $294,480 will be funded from an existing Sunscape project that has uh additional funding.
Move it. Second. It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom and no one in the audience requesting to speak up. A motion by Commissioner H. Seconded by You know what? I if I could, Mr. Mayor, if I could. Uh we've been in ongoing back and forth discussions with New World
Symphony about airing the um 2026 World Cup soccer games at the at Soundscape Park on the equipment that was funded by our taxpayers in the geo bond. Um I think that's such a tremendous community
uh activation. I think we had a similar discussion up here. Um and we all kind of felt that this would be a great opportunity. This is culture, right? Bringing a community together for perhaps the most celebrated
sports event, not perhaps for the most celebrated sports event in the entire world that is taking place in our backyard is a once in a generation opportunity. And I I think I'd make a motion um to see if my colleagues would
entertain uh that this funding is contingent on the New World Symphony agreeing to uh uh show the 2026 World Cup games on their uh outdoor screen. Commissioner, if if I may,
I don't disagree with you and I think we should highly encourage them to do it and I think we should use every leverage that we have. I do know that this equipment is equipment that has been aging that there is a great need to get it done. And what I just don't want to
do is tie the hands of the administration that if there is some sort of conflict, scheduling conflict, some sort of conflict that we might not be aware of that then they not be able to get the money to do this equipment repair that it was our responsibility
originally to take care of that this is an asset that is enjoyed by the public and it really is corroding and I'm sure you've seen the pictures. So, I agree with with what you're saying and I think we should do an urging to the New World uh symphony to do this
community activation, but I wouldn't do a contingent just because I don't know today that there isn't some conflict that we might not be a aware of that maybe they do want to do it and maybe I
I just I would just be careful of making it completely contingent. I wouldn't just have, you know, a strong urging, if you will. I know my office has been in communication back and forth. Has there been anybody within staff? I know we've talked about this for I have been a
month or two. Um, anybody in staff that's kind of formalized that or Commissioner Vod, if you want to share your feedback. So, Commissioner, uh, when this did arise, uh, last commission meeting, I did approach the New World Symphony, and they're open to having,
uh, a conversation with, uh, the administration. Um, I don't know if we have enough time to get the logistics of that in place because this would be a direct negotiation with FIFA and I think the complexity of that would put us beyond the point where this project
could get executed this summer. So that's that's the only Are there licensing agreements that have to be negotiated with FIFA? Oh, absolutely. Or broadcast. Yeah. Why? Because it's a public broadcast. Yes. Yes. So, you know, if Monty's wanted to show it, they'd be free to show. But because
we're the public, unless somebody ratted them out, yeah, they could do it, but for a public venue like this, it would be something that we would have to negotiate with FIFA. But now, but like let's say ESPN, I'm sure. Doesn't like ESPN and these broadcast stations air
it? I I don't know the complete legality of it, but I know there's licensing uh requirements for any public showing of just about anything that's televised. If I may. Oh, no. I I just wanted to mention even uh the Super Bowl certain
public venues, bars, and whatnot need to need to pay extra fees to broadcast. I I'm not familiar with FIFA's rules and regulations. I wouldn't be surprised if they similarly have based on the size of a venue, but I believe that it's something this large. Now, reminder that
that there is an item um that there was an item on the consent agenda that I believe was adopted that that directs the staff to collaborate with the host committee which is in direct contact with FIFA uh as well as the New World Symphony in order to to accomplish the
goal. Okay. Then, yeah. Oh, sorry, Commissioner. No, I was going to say then I'm fine. I don't want to tie up getting this equipment if we are having good faith negotiations and there's some more complexities uh given that there's externalities that may be out of our
control. Commissioner W. No, I I was going to say I I would also um recommend an urging um but if we're already having open conversations um you know one of the things we can one of perhaps one of the angles to negotiate this is that we are a host city and so maybe with if
within I don't know who's managing that part but we are providing a huge amount of sponsorship money and so perhaps sort of the intangible benefit one of them the intangible benefits would be the right to screen on a public building. this, you know, this location or whatever whatever we're the options are,
but you know, we are giving a lot of money and it is a great benefit to the city and um but let's let's get on that right away so that we're not behind the eightball and I don't definitely do not want to um slow the roll on and getting this equipment replaced.
I definitely think we should draft a resolution and put it in writing that we would urge them. But you know what we could do which might even be cooler is the projection mapping on Ocean Drive. Why don't you have it just projected across all of those buildings if they could? I don't know. It's I guess it's daytime, but for a nighttime match that
might be like even cooler. And we I mean I know we gave that equipment to Michael Rossi and funded it, but if we reached out to him um and maybe FIFA could pay him a fee. I don't know exactly what they were offering, but if you can't strike an agreement with the New World
Symphony, then just do the projection mapping. It would be great for Ocean Drive, too. Don't you think? I'm open to any and all ideas buildings. I mean, you project across the, you know, the game across seven buildings. That's kind of cool. That's like a whole for legal. Is the New World Symphony a public
building? Sorry. Is it a public? Is it a public building? It's it's a it's it's owned by the symphony. They are on city- owned land. There's a ground lease in place, but they actually own the building. So, and where I'm going with that is if
there's some sort of restriction about a public entity having a public viewing party, perhaps that's not covered because New World Symphony is a private entity. Um, I I I don't I think that an arrangement with FIFA will need to be made whether it's a private or a
for-profit or a municipality. They have very broad, you know, rights and they guard those rights jealously. So, we would just need to make sure that whoever is going to broadcast will have the right the right rights, the correct rights. Okay. Thank you.
Call the vote. Yes, sir. So, this is on uh I have a motion and a second motion by Commissioner Bot, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez. All in favor? I I item is approved. 70. Let's call R9T.
R9T discuss take action update on blue zones. Commissioner Bot. Um so this is something um that we don't have to vote on. So it's just an update to my colleagues and to the community. Um you might all walk away. You got to be careful when you say that. Well, I you
know I think it would behoove you to stick around. It's going to be a a short item. Um although it could, you know, we could talk for hours about this. We had a very successful community readout. Um, thank you to Commissioner Magazine for for coming and I know know Blake was there from your office. Um, we had
another 80 or so residents showing up and the interesting thing to me was that they weren't the same people who had come to the first Blue Zones community event. So, um, the enthusiasm cons continues to be extremely high for this concept of turning our city into a blue
zones um, city for all the reasons that we've stated before. After this meeting, we will provide um links to the video of the presentation as well as the um the full report. But today um I I have or we
have on the phone um Margaret Brown who's the dee director of development from Blue Zones and she is going to give a brief overview of um of where we are. So, since the the Blue Zones team was in um in community in February, and I want
to thank the city staff because so many of you made yourselves and your teams available with a treasure trove of information and data and time. Um the the Blue Zones team was in community speaking to the city staff as well as to
community residents and stakeholders. So, um uh businesses, um the schools sort of every topic was covered. Um, and then they've gone back and sort of crunched the numbers and and talked to more people and referred back to their
experts and they've come out with with a um a report that Margaret will take you through in very short um in a very abbreviated manner. But at the same time, while they've been working on that, I've been working with Danny Butner Jr. um to shore up funding
because if you remember, colleagues, this is not something that we need to pay for. We paid for the feasibility study that was the city's investment and um now it is upon incumbent upon us to find partners in the community who will um underwrite this program and be
sponsors and partners with us. So, we're talking to Mount Sinai. We're talking to Jackson, Sigma, um Florida Blue, uh Miami Date County, um Mark, Texas. What's the name of the um the company that that's not an insurance
company, but a wellness company? Personify. Personify. Yes. So, sort of these largecale um organizations, foundations. We've got a call with Miami Foundation at the end of this week um to get community to get buyin from these
folks so that they can help underwrite the five-year cost of doing this program. And the um the reception we've gotten, not just from our community members and stakeholders, but from the people we've talked to about joining us as as partners in this undertaking. It
is the right time. It is the right place. It is the right message for our community, for our collective goals of trying to bring um better opportunities for living better, longer everywhere to everyone. Um you know, we're not going
to eradicate fast food or or traffic or we're not going to solve the housing affordability crisis. Those are beyond the purview of this, but we are going to be able to meet people where they are and as Danny Butner likes to say, make the healthy choice the better choice.
And that's not just about eating or exercising, but it's about finding fellowship and finding purpose and finding community and connectivity and all these good things. So when we talk about the water taxi, when we talk about micromobility, when we talk about um
enhanced programming at parks um and and using public spaces to provide an opportunity for community, um this all falls within farmers markets. This all falls within the the scope. And as we have all said since we've all been
elected um and uh even before that a little bit, we want to turn the tide and turn the narrative and update the brand of Miami Beach from a party till you drop city to a health and wellness and
kind of all things to all people, right? We've got the arts, we've got the culture, we've got incredible natural resources, we've got historic architecture, we have great food, we have amazing nightclubs, and and you can still party to drop. Nobody's taking that away from you. We just suggest maybe not seven days a week. Um uh but
now also we will have the addition of the sort of blue zones and health and wellness and well-being overlay. um we see globally people are spending less money on nightclubs and alcohol and more money on sort of wellness experiences
and so you know it's just the the the perfect storm of all of this. So um Margaret, are you on the line? I am here. Okay. So before Margaret takes it away, I want to call out in particular, like I said, the entire staff has been great. Um, and I think it's been a
little bit more intensive than anybody of anybody had thought. But the person in particular who's been leading this charge and is absolutely invaluable to this undertaking is is Cindy Kasanova. Um, if you can just do a little wave so everybody sees where you are. um she has
been invaluable, you know, incredibly um supportive of the mission and incredibly um dedicated to making sure it ha happens without a a hitch and through all kinds of hiccups and crazy things that none of us anticipated. So Cindy, once again, as always, we wouldn't be
here without you. Um so Margaret, I don't know if you were able to hear all of that. we are a little bit pressed for time. So I wanted you to focus more on sort of the um the the readiness assessment um because I think that's what's so compelling about what the the
report has found and then in terms of the opportunities for activation, we can read through those things on our own. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much for having us today. Lovely to have spent time in Miami Beach this week and to meet Commissioner Bot face to face and
Joe Magazine. Thank you for um commissioner for coming to the meeting as well um as as well as the other staff. Certainly couldn't have done this without Cindy. So thank you again Cindy for all your support. Um ju you know just quickly we've we have delivered the
report um and we have shared through a virtual um inerson readout what those opportunities are. But just really quickly um listening to what you all have covered here today, one of the main
things is that um for blue zones is an excellent tool to move forward on some of those ideas that you have around economic development. Large employers and businesses want to go where they have a healthy base of employees to pull from and Blue Zones most certainly
offers that. um as well as the the other opportunities around farmers markets and connectivity and creating micro opportunities for engagement. Those are all things that Blue Zones have called out in their report. The major theme being how do we build on what the city
has done, the already great planning, the great infrastructure that has already been developed to synchronize and coordinate with other agencies such as Miami Dade schools, Miami Dade County governments and planning uh to bring more funds, to bring more support, and
to help elevate those items. And that is really what Blue Zones has focused on. From here, we're working with Commissioner Bot and others that will join on to help fund raise to help implement this. The timeline that we have proposed is a fouryear nine-month
process and that would start with nine months of foundation and planning um and then continue for four years of implementation. Um that process will start by building the on the ground team that will support this from a steering committee standpoint. Um but we've got a
little ways to get there. I I look forward to working with this commission to do exactly that. Um and and with that, Commissioner Bot, is there anything else you'd like for me to call out? Yeah, I think if you could just highlight some of the findings um that you uh presented about our our readiness
for this and how that is sort of a determining factor about whether or not we move forward. Yeah, absolutely. Um, one of the things that we um love to look at and and we have a scoring grid that we actually measure readiness on and I will say
Miami Beach in terms of participation from your county, from your city government was out, you've knocked it out of the park. We you are exactly right. We got a lot of rich information and some of that landed directly on that food infrastructure and that built environment aspect of how we keep
communities healthy. So some of the things I would say from our findings, you're doing a fantastic job and now it's about how do we connect in communities that maybe are not fairing so well. So most of your communities are within about a 10-minute walk to green space. There are opportunities to
activate more of those green spaces and to get more communities connected to green space. Secondly, um when we talk about building community, one of the things that we noted is while there's lots of great largescale events for Miami Beach, what
maybe is missing is some of these things that you've already been discussing today, those micro interventions to bring more community neighborhood level neighbors meeting neighbors, building new friendships together that are focused on the community um and and more on that micro level. So, I love this
idea of activating, bringing a food truck in, developing music, bringing people together really is a way to develop community and community identity. And within Blue Zones, we we actually made a recommendation for even more of that includes including looking at food and food sustainability. We
looked at it both through the lens of retail food. So, I love the discussion around not taking business from your established restaurants and the ones that are struggling. And actually, Blue Zones is looking at how do we bring in healthy options that make some of these restaurants that are the go-to for your residents every day to bring healthier
options in that will actually help them optimize their bottom lines and bring um you know that healthy choice to your neighborhoods, to your communities, to your families. Um working with markets and corner stores to optimize those healthy choices as well. It became clear in our findings. There's lots of
opportunity there. instead of thinking a full-fledged grocery store, how do we optimize corner stores and markets by bringing in those healthy choices and help optimize their bottom line at the same time? And we can do that through activating those spaces, through events and programming, etc. We've got a lot to
to uncover still yet in work sites, but already there are notable hotelers and others, restaurant groups that are ready want to see this work move forward. And they would have a great um opportunity to come into the community, be more of a presence and expand those offerings um to their employees and to the residents
and to your visitors every year to help make those those choices um healthier and present and top of mind um for everyone that visits. And so I think these things collectively together are going to help turn that tide in terms of the perception of Miami Beach, having it a place of well wellness destination or
to have a good time as Commissioner Bot said, but you want to offer a little bit of something for everyone um and especially getting to the bottom line of your residents that are going to attract future business as you develop that workforce um and that sustainability. Great Margaret, thank you so much and
thank you for being here on Monday. So we are going to get um for my colleagues on the deis we are going to get a hard copy of the full report bound and and distributed to you um and anybody in the staff obviously who wants that just let us know. Um for residents we will have
the video of the presentation from Monday night and a link to the hard copy report available in the next day or so online in a multitude of of ways. And um if you receive my newsletter I'll certainly be sending that out as well. And I think the next um point on this
journey will be in September, October when we have our our partners lined up and we will come back to the commission um with a full recommendation to move forward and you know then it's boots on the ground and getting to work and I for one cannot wait. I mean the the public
support of this has been outrageous in the best sense of this word. So um you know this is really something for all of us in Miami Beach, not just one group or another. it is for all of us and um I I'm really appreciative that to date you have all been um unanimously supportive
of this endeavor and I I look forward to that continuing to be the case all the way forward. So, thank you for your time, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Commissioner Bot. Commissioner Suarez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um I want to I want to reiterate my support for for blue zones. It's a
great initiative. Thank you, Commissioner Bot. um you know for years to come this is going to be um a great initiative for for our city because we we are so uniquely designed to be a walkable city right and and all the things that come along with
that. So um when do we get to be a blue zone city like like when like what's the timeline because I'm I'm ready to say we're a blue zone city. So, like like I said, um over the next couple of months, the last couple of months and the next couple of months, um we need to find the the full funding. Um it's about a
million and a half dollars a year over the next five years to support the hiring and training and and um employment of uh I believe it's four full-time employees that that is not City of Miami Beach employees. It's a it's a um you know, a new co basically.
And then they go out and they advocate and advise and and help shape policy with our uh our stakeholders, with our large scale businesses, with folks in the county, folks at the at uh schools, you know, working with all of us. Um and as soon as we have that funding in
place, so September, October, we come back here, we present our plan, and once we say, "Yep, let's go." Then we start hiring, and we're on our path. And so, and we'll talk much more about this in in granular detail when we come back in the fall. Um, but basically there there
are benchmarks that are hit or that need to be hit. It is not just here's a million and a half dollars a year. Good luck and hope it works out. There are benchmarks. It's accountable um or there are metrics. We are accountable for what the money is going to and how it gets spent. And we will be seeing concrete
returns on investment. And in the report that I'll be sharing, um, you see what other cities have been able to effectuate with this kind of work. You know, health outcomes, smoking outcomes, kids staying in school with better outcomes, um, you know, less attrition for workplaces, fewer dollars spent on
health care for businesses. you know, it it basically ends up paying for itself and and um generating hundreds of millions of dollars for u Miami Beach in terms of money saved um for for its residents, its employees, its media
coverage. Um so, it's not just a, you know, feel-good pie in the sky kind of thing there. This is actually a business model. It's a business plan. It has worked in over 90 cities around the country already. There's nothing like this in Southeast Florida. And as we all know, there is nothing like Miami Beach.
And we seek to be the leaders in so many um globally impactful ways in terms of micromobility and resilience and um compassionate living. Um and we will also be a leader in this.
Commissioner Magazine and Commissioner Bot, is this something that we're all able to get behind? Because what I would hate to see happen is somebody like Commissioner Suarez who has enthusiasm just because he's ranked in the middle of the fitness commissioners list. I still want him to be able to get
involved. There will always be a place for Commissioner Sarns. No, this is this is I am I am the fitness commissioner of South Florida. Listen Commissioner magazine official. Listen, I am not even on the fitness commissioner list and it is my baby. So,
but the thing that's so um that's so great about this for real is that as a city, you know, sometimes I I feel like we're a tale of two cities, right? We've got the folks who live in $40 million pen houses and God bless and we the folks who are living, you know, four generations in a one-bedroom apartment
and and this is a program that reaches everybody where they are. So, you know, people will will find different ways to interact with it. It's going to have offerings that resonate with people at all different points along their their their life continuum, their world
continuum, their connectivity continuum. So, yes, there's we there's no reason to not be behind this. Yeah. And I you could see from the level of interest uh every time we do an event, there a large contingency of res
residents show up. There's media attention to it. It's uh it definitely uh it captures people's uh attention. So um and and can serve our city well. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Um it sounds great and I know that
sometimes educational initiatives like this and actually transformative initiatives do pay for themselves over time. I would just like to add that as we do blue zones, I've had a tree item languishing in our finance committee for
like a year and it is a massive investment in a tree canopy. Something that we need to do if you want to be able to walk around Miami Beach. Uh we need shade. We have tree desert. We have deserts in Miami Beach. There are areas
where you can't there's no shade. There are no trees. There's no green. All you see are electrical lines. So, I would like to encourage everybody because I mean trees not only make us more resilient and provide shade and make a city more walkable. I mean there's
nothing negative that you can say about planting trees and yet it's been really difficult for um for this item to move forward. So, um, so I will say that one of the things that's great about the blue zones that I learned from Margaret,
um, is that these sorts of things that we all want to do, we don't have the money to do, you know, whether it's the trees or finishing bicycle lanes or, you know, whatever. Um, this holistic approach, um, it's not just
education, it's action. And through the experts that we will have access to who will be training the trainers uh the teachers basically um are our um opportunities to tap into grants and so other organizations that perhaps would
fund the initiatives that we want to get done but we don't have the money for or we're not quite sure how the best way to proceed is. So it is so much more than just you know make beans for dinner instead of having a burger. It's it's infinitely richer, deeper, and more impactful than that. So, I hear you loud
and clear, and that is one of the reasons why I'm so excited about about doing this because I think as a city, for all of our department directors who are so good at what they do, there will be resources like you can't believe to to help answer questions, find funding,
find experts who have done something similar elsewhere with a case study that works. So, I think it's really um it's going to be a win. and you can read about in Miami today in this edition that came out today. There's an article on blue zones. How about that? Uh good conversation. Thank you, Commissioner
Bot. Um let's call R7N R7 R seven discuss take action spring break 2025 review of recommendations for spring break. R I'm sorry R7N is wave bid execute service agreement with waste
connection of Florida. R7N Commissioner Magazine, co-sponsored by Commissioner Fernandez. Yeah, I'll turn this over to city staff, but uh the one thing I want to make clear before for all of us and anybody listening watching is we're really bifurcating here. This
is specific to the residential contract. The one that has been a bit more controversial and drawn out is our commercial contract. This is the residential contract. I put this item on the agenda after extensive conversations with uh our head of public works, our
city manager. Um so if you're out there want, you know, thinking that this is uh uh the catchall for all of our contracts, that is not. This is just for the residential items. So Brad, let us turn it over to you. Uh thank you, Commissioner Magazine. Um, today I'm I'm
I'm pleased to bring forward to the uh city commission and the city manager uh a long-term agreement for our residential solid waste u collection and disposal. Um this was a uh a great effort between um city staff and uh
waste connections team uh to put this agreement together. It's a very challenging market uh today in the uh waste industry. Uh and uh we really looked at this very carefully before we uh came to this conclusion and decided that uh this was the best route to go uh
for the residents of this community. Uh so I'm pleased to bring forward to you uh and I'm just going to highlight, you know, just kind of some of the little bit of the terms uh of it. Uh and um you know, then if Grant has anything to add to it, I'll I'll certainly let him. But um this is an initial affiliate for a
10-year agreement um that will be in effect uh January uh 2026 and go to December 31st, 2035. Um it will take the rate that we currently have uh and this is just the
base rate of the agreement that we um are paying waste connections from 34 of 37 uh a month uh per home to 4203. Um, and I just I just should in all transparency and purposes so you understand there's another component to that rate that is a city service fee and
it's kind of similar to the franchise fees that the city um, you know, adds on to that rate which is about $16 a month. This this just addresses, you know, what our agreement is and and obligation is. Yes. So, I'm going to I'm going to get
into that. Um so this agreement uh that will go into effect in January 2026 that new rate uh there will not be a CPI increase next year. That will just continue every year throughout the course of the agreement. That will be capped at 5% uh you know being the
ceiling and and and obviously zero being the floor uh in that agreement. Um, it will also continue to provide uh the same backyard service, sideyard service that we are getting today, twice a week. Uh, six bulk pickups uh for everybody.
Uh, access once a month to our bulk waste event that happens um at 75th in Dickens and at um Terminal Island. Uh, they will continue to operate, which is again a really big benefit. the green waste facilities which takes yard waste from the residents that's open six days
away right here on Meridian by the golf course and that also takes electronic waste and textiles. Um as part of that agreement as well um they will continue to provide contributions for any upgrades related to the green waste facility uh for recycling programs um in
kind services uh to the city for waste services uh rolloff containers advertisement of the bulk waste event promotional material uh public advertisements as well and as I mentioned the bulk waste um so basically
after this adjustment in January, uh the rate will only basically go up at most 5% a year, uh based on the CPI. Um and I think that that that in today's market that that's a super deal. Um and and just for everybody's edification, most
municipalities in Florida do not have this service. Uh it is mostly a a front yard uh sideloadader service that is done by cart tipper and by one person. This is a very um uh basically white glove service uh that our residents get
and to be able to maintain uh with this within the price range that we are I think is a fantastic agreement and and um I completely stand here and I support every every bit of this agreement because it's going to keep uh the rates uh you know pretty stable and low and
they will only move by again as I said the CPI after that and there are two options for renewal in for five and three years after that. So, uh, in theory, by mutual consent, by the way, I think that's an important thing to let you know, both parties have to agree to that extension. And, you know, so it
could possibly be up to an 18-year agreement. Um, again, in today's market, that's that's really, really good stuff. Brent, I always start with the premise for this or anything else that competition is good. Competition is good for the consumer. And I'm asking a question I know the answer to because
you've informed me. But just for the public's benefit, why a bid waiver here? Why why does that make sense? It's a very good question and the answer is is very simple. Um because of the unique service that we have here, it is more labor intensive. It requires more than you know one person on a vehicle to
provide the service. And in today's market, as I said, most municipalities uh in the state of Florida have a cart tipper, you know, one-armed bandit service where basically it's a 95gallon carton, you know, automated service comes and tips it over. Here, um we have
people going into people's sides of their houses and into their backyard in some cases. And just so you know, um you know, we we asked, you know, as we went through this process, you know, what percentage of residents are really using that? And the number was overwhelming. It's important about 80% of our
residents of the 5,600 Samar single family homes we have and and then the multif family which is about 1300 units 2 to eight um use that service. Uh so it's a significant number. So it's a really great service that everybody uh you know really gets a great benefit of
and and and enjoys. So um the market today in in most cities where they're going out and this is just for um that service as I mentioned that's uh cart tipper service front front yard uh is you know between anywhere between 40 and
60% increases every municipality is seeing in in those services. So this service is even more labor intensive and requires a lot more effort. So uh the cost would probably be even way beyond that. So, we felt um you know, negotiating this long-term agreement and
Waste Connections being a willing partner to do it at the rates they're doing it and again providing that great service for the Green Waste facility as well. um you know just was a terrific uh deal and long-term arrangement that we we feel uh certainly is beneficial to all the residents and that's why we're
so so uh advocating uh to go forward with this agreement because we think it's absolutely going to keep pricing stable and in the best interests of our residents. And Mr. Mr. Mayor, I just, if I may, I just want to say as a resident of a single family home, I think it's
one of those services that is most consistent and one of the municipal services that I get the least amount of complaints about in the city of Miami Beach is our residential waste uh waste uh collection services. Um, and I think
at a time when there's so many dramatic rate increases in so many different areas and seeing um what other cities have have faced uh as as relates to
um to the increased cost of their other waste collection. I mean, this is just a very responsible approach to stabilizing pricing for for our residents. And I and I echo what Commissioner Magazine said
is I usually like competition, especially in the area of of waste collection. I'm I'm a big proponent of that, as much competition as as possible. In this case, it's not broken. in this case is is working uh well and
we've been able to en ensure a high quality uh product that is reliable that is well priced that is environmentally friendly for our residents. Uh so I'm usually also not a big the biggest fan
of of bid waiverss um but here you know it just makes sense and so I want to thank you for bringing the item. I have I have a question for you. Um, hypothetically speaking, I know we're not at this other item yet, but it is related. Hypothetically speaking, um,
would there be an opportunity to potentially, and I don't know if it's a a wise thing, um, or not, but if it were, um, to separate out small multif family unit
um, buildings. So, I don't know what the right number is, like six or fewer, 10 or fewer, and fold them into this contract or um because to me, somebody who's got 200 units is very different from somebody that's got six units. And a 200 unit building is run by a
professional staff who can, you know, negotiate and and do all this stuff, but as you know, a smaller building is, you know, if you're lucky, you've got a resident owner paying attention. Um, so is that something that could be done? hypothetically
um there probably is an opportunity um to look at and I think we we've had some discussions about it before uh about potentially adding the 9 to 25 I think and I think that's really the the range
of a lot of the discussion we've had um you know at committees about um you know multifamily and small multif family buildings and you know looking for assistance in that respect um that's something that I think I don't want to speak for Grant, but uh I I think that that's something, you know, if that is
the direction um you know, from commission, we could certainly look at. But we recently did didn't we recently expand our residential waste services to include units, buildings with up to eight units. It it it commissioner Grant
Smith with Waste Connections. And to your question, Madam Commissioner, this contract includes the two to eight unit buildings and that has since the beginning of time. As long I've been here since 2009 working on this contract
with the city and it has been that way ever since. So I I misspoke with my numbers, but you know that's that smaller group. Yes, those very small groups, but still 10 through you know 15 or 20 units is very different from 200 units. And I think they might get lost
in the shuffle. Certainly, if it's the will of the city, we'd be happy to participate in those discussions. Absolutely. Um, how does it affect the item that's before us today? It it doesn't it would be an contract. It would be a contract
amendment to just ch first, I think you have to change your code. I think there's a code provision that outlines what's included in the residential contract. then we would potentially negotiate an amendment to this contract to include the uh larger buildings. I I
think it's a two-step process from I found recently, not too long ago, we amended something to be more to bring some of these in. I thought maybe two or three years ago, but um but I'm completely aligned. I I do believe that
some of these small even even up to 12 units we have a lot of 12plex uh you know there's a lot of other um situations the complexities that get involved because you're talking about bins and whether they have space for
storage and there's just a lot of other complexities that get involved once you start going into larger buildings. Um, but Commissioner Bod, I think what do you say makes sense. Um, and um, I think it's not bad to explore it. Commissioner
Rosa Gonzalez. Well, first I will say that our residents love your service. They literally know the waste haulers because they're coming onto everybody's properties. I mean, in my neighborhood, they gave Saul a party. like literally I
don't know where Saul is, but we should give him an award because that's how much people um like him. So I I listen I'm okay with this. The truth is everything's getting more expensive. Electric, water, waste hauling. Um so
what we have is a roughly 20% increase or 25% 20% increase. It's going from 3437 to 42 uh 30 $34.37 per unit. So $42.3 and then the county has a pass through
cost. That's the $10.51. No, no, there there's just there's just a city service fee which is that is a normal part of the rate that the city um adds to that number. It brings it basically, you know, 58.47 I believe is the number.
Madam Commissioner, if I can address what you're what I believe you're looking at. The component of the rate that we'll call the $40 piece is in two different components. Part of it is the actual hauling, which is the trucks and the employees and things, and then the
other part is the disposal piece. And those two in the contract have different CPIs um based on what the actual disposal cost is. and then one the the the pickup and the
hauling piece is based on the CPI formula established by the government. So that's I believe that's what you're looking at and it's just two different components that make up the one component. It's nothing on top of that. Okay. So we're getting so we have that initial increase and then the following
year no increase and then up to 5% capped per year. Yes, ma'am. I I had a question. these public benefit um is is this a like for example the onetime $25,000 contribution for green waste facility upgrades
is that one time for the 10-year contract it is but let me explain what this is we run the green waste facility and like I said we have forever we have an employee there and I know this is going to be horrible to say but we've never had electric or water there and so
this contribution is for the city to bring us electric and water so that our employee has water and electric. So, so yes, that is a one-time thing to do the facility upgrades to make it a little bit more habitable for our employee
who's there. Oh, okay. So, we have that and then the contribution the 20 I'm just trying to see if like some of these public benefits could be exchanged for like a lesser increase um for residents. No. Well, in a in a in a manner of
speaking, they are right. So, so for example, if we didn't contribute the $25,000 per year to the recycling program, most likely you would be paying that out of the general fund. So, it's it's one or the other. Um, and these are
things that we negotiated extensively with administration, Mr. Carpenter and his staff. Um, and and these are all things that made sense uh in the context of this contract. Okay. We get the promotional materials
and the advertisement on the trucks. We I I didn't even know we had truck ad. So, we can put anything we want on the side of the trucks. If we approve this contract, this will be a new provision to be able to incorporate some public service
announcements on their vehicles. We could sell that out. It has to be city related. And I don't know the answer to that. I don't know if the company would allow third party advertising on the trucks. They normally don't. The only thing I've
ever seen for advertising on the trucks is is potentially like the fuel supply. You know, there's things like that supply the trucks. Not necessarily. Um for you know, for example, um recently we were approached, we we do the hauling
in the city of Haley and they're having, as you may know, their 100th anniversary. So they asked us if we would wrap our trucks in their 100year logo and we did that for them. You know, it can be those kinds of things for the city at the will of the city, you know,
at the direction of the of the manager. Okay. Um what else? Okay. I mean, I'm suppose this is fine. And all of these benefits are the we already rolled in the 8 unit or less condominium like those and they're getting the bulk
pickups the six pickups per year. Yes ma'am. I was going to ask a question on that if you don't mind. Of course, because um I and I apologize for not bringing this up earlier, Brad, and we haven't been able to speak about this,
but it would be great if for the apartment buildings, the multi-unit buildings, 2 to8 units, if we end up expanding to 12, which I think it would be great for our administration to look into expanding this up to 12 units to have monthly bulk pickup instead of six
times a year uh every month because the reality is our apartment buildings tend to be our more transient buildings. They tend to be rentals. You have people moving in and out at the end and the start of the of the month. And that's where that that's the area of our city
where sometimes we start to see illegal dumping. You see furniture in in the curb. Um stuff left behind when people move in and out. And we might be able to benefit and we might be able to address an issue in our city uh if we could, you
know, instead of doing six times a month, we could do once a month bulk weight pickup for these buildings. Understood. Um Oh, there we go. There we go. Um we understand that, Commissioner. This is because the those buildings pay per
unit. This is per unit. It's not per building. So it's six times per unit, which is probably which probably covers what you're discussing because it's not per building. Okay. So it it would be six times for each unit in that building
to call us. All right. Does that Does that make the best sense? I I don't I don't know. That's probably a policy decision. Um I I I honestly don't know. It's it's worked. We really
haven't had any bulk complaints about the people in those units. Yeah. I think the issue comes up where it's bigger uh more more units and where it's commercial service. I I don't think this has this service has been the issue on
that. So it's six times on demand. I think what you were thinking my impression was each building would have six times per year. So this is kind of like an on demand service. Is that what I'm understanding? It is. But this isn't the problem because this is the residential service
where we are getting the six times. It's the smaller contracts where people aren't getting anything and then they're having to go to where they dump trash or you're talking more about like the nine units and up, right? That's where you're really getting into more of the issue. It's not so much what's in this contract. We really don't have too many
issues because as Grant mentioned, they are getting at least six per unit and there's like 1,300 units in them. And that's where I think where really the issue is. Well, and that's where perhaps given that many of our Boulder building, our more affordable rental units fall within the 9 to 12 unit range. It does
include also the 2 to eight units, but it also goes beyond eight units, those 9 to 12 unit buildings. You know, I'd like for the administration to explore whether the agreement could be expanded or supplemented uh perhaps in the future
to include those properties particularly um where we have these uh these these apartments, you know, these 912 units. Enthusiastically support that because I I know for a fact that we have a lot of issues across South Beach in those
buildings. And I'd like just to announce one more thing just so that you know Miami Beach residents um whenever practical. Uh Waste Connection says that it will make a reasonable effort to employ personnel from among residents of the city of Miami Beach. So, if you're looking for a job, waste connection, you
apply to Waste Connections, uh you get a preference under this contract, you know, and that that actually goes to a point um that I think uh you made uh Commissioner is that this this is a this is a special city. I grew up down here.
I I understand the nature of Miami Beach. It's it's a it's a wonderful place, but the service that you provide is so personal in nature because people are going into their yards and and getting to know everybody. So having employees who know the area, long-term employees
who really understand the habits of the of the residents and where they put everything because sometimes when we have failed and we have failed over the term of the contract, it's been because it's a new employee who doesn't know where somebody sets something out
normally and so it takes some time to get there. So, we strive to have these long-term employees who know the community so that the service doesn't fail. That's the goal, obviously. Thank you. And especially now that we've allowed your employees to have water and
access to electricity, that becomes even worse. Thank you very much. Couple of comments. Uh yes, sir. As many know, I'm not a fan of bid waiverss. I'm going to support this. the administration convinced me that despite the rate increase um there
are significant rate increases throughout um and I and I did my own due diligence and found out not surprisingly but that was was accurate. I want to know what recourse there is if there was any issues in the contract what recourse there would be to make corrections.
Well, I mean just in general to state there's always a termination for convenience clause that we have in there. I mean that's which by the way we've learned in many different contexts that's never as simple as can be and and nobody's looking to terminate but if there's issues I I I mean I I can tell you this um you know from some of the um
things that come up sometimes um you know with service and that you know we have I will tell you that uh Waste Connections has been very responsive um in times where city staff per se has had
to uh perhaps help out or assist with. Um, you know, we've had the ability to recover those costs and they have been, you know, very very good in in addressing that and and actually reimbursing the city for that. So, I would tell you when those things come
up, uh, you know, they have been, you know, extremely good partners when those situations has happened and we've never gotten into a situation where, you know, we've been in a dispute over those kind of issues. Okay. And the last thing and I always mentioned earlier about the advertisements. I just want to get some clarity because I think there wasn't
such so much clarity. Maybe I'll turn to legal. What who has the final say and what can be put on it? Well, what I understood is that these are public service type announcements and that the city manager would have the discretion to request
certain ads be placed or wrapped on on the on the collection vehicles. Um, but I heard Mr. Smith say that we would not be in the business of selling ads to raise funds, which I think was uh what your colleague Commissioner Magazine asked uh because the company has a
policy against doing that. But but for example, if it was if there was some notice that you wanted to go out for a big event on the beach, you know, the the Aaron Sea show or something, we would do that. But where we're talking about if you said you know
by Heineken um we probably would say you know that's not appropriate for our truck. We would have a discussion with with Mr. Carpenter. But who has the final say? Well, you know the answer to your question is I don't know. It says I think the contract says as directed by
the manager, but I I I believe that the management here has always been reasonable and understands, you know, the bounds of good taste and appropriateness. So, so you know, again, just to be clear, the contract does not allow
your company to sell ads on the trucks. No, it does not. Okay. So, it's purely a public service. And I'm still hearing and I and I get it. This is a long contract, but you I still I'm still hearing we think or I think it says Well, I I guess I want confirmation that the city manager has full discretion.
You know, mayor, as far as I've as I know, the city has never asked for these kinds of things. Other cities have and they've always been a a discussion. Again, I I want to say it's in it is a
at the direction of the manager, but you have to give us some leeway to say, "No, we're not going to be advertising, you know, something else." Understood. Yeah. Okay, that's fine. If you're saying that you have ultimate authority to reject
what the city manager does, but I just want to make sure the city manager has the ultimate authority to reject something you may want to put on. Oh, I I I don't think we're putting anything on the Yeah, I I I would and let me just clarify. I thought this was a new provision. No, no, no. But, but I I'm just just giving you like little context, General. I have
never seen anything like that where uh a garbage hauler per se is working in a municipality and they're kind of doing their own advertising thing. What you'll normally see where there are uh agreements between municipalities and um the private haulers is stuff that's
actually probably related to things that the cities are doing or initiatives or programs and you see that you like you know um you know waste connections servicing the city of blank you know in support of this program or that program. So that you that that I've seen more commonly, but never like you wouldn't
see an ad for like Annheiser Bush, you know, on the side of Waste Connections truck, you know, you know, proudly serving or something to that effect. Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Fernandez, and perhaps this might answer some of our questions, but section 11.3 public
advertisements in the contract says as directed by the city manager, the contractor will at its sole cost and expense place city approved public advertisements on its collection trust trucks. The contractor shall replace any
such public advertisements with new public advertisements every six months during the term. So it says as directed by the city manager, city approved and and the another key word in that paragraph is public
um advertisements. So it would be to the benefit of the community. See, Alex, I've told Commissioner F, I've told you you don't need to go to law school sometimes to read a contract. So thank you. Thank you. Commissioner Ba, I actually think it could be such a great and unique
opportunity. I know it sounds really dumb, but And Melissa, this one's for you because I um I can envision this amazing almost viral um Instagrammable um long-term
campaign about your oil chain rags belong in this truck, not in our sewers. or you know it's storm season, make sure we've we're picking up your palm frrons or you know like that's not catchy at all, but like something super cool and that that relates to things that we're
doing a way of reaching all of our residents whether they subscribe to things or not. And it could be it could be so fun and creative because it's moving through the city. It's on a vehicle that doesn't normally, you know, we we see them and we don't focus on them because they're sort of neutral,
but it we could have some real fun with this. You know, madam, don't be trashy. You know, madam commissioner, um going back and I'll show my age here. There's a predecessor company to what the company that's now Republic and that company on the side of their trucks and
they were going through Broward, Miami Dade at the time in Palm Beach said free snow removal. So yeah, things like that. But you know, we have so many city sponsored initiatives about keeping the bay clean and um scooping your poop and you know,
composting um which wouldn't end up in your trucks. But, you know, there are things that people are are being advised to be more mindful about to help our community collectively. Um, and so if we could start thinking about a really cool set of rotating ads um that tie into
what we're doing and reminding people and I mean it could be super fun. Absolutely. Okay. Call the vote. Thank you. Need a motion. I'll move it. I'll second. I heard Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner Bot. All in
favor? I anyone opposed? Commissioner Suarez, are you in the room? Yes. Okay. So, 70. And I just want to make sure uh the administration, you're going to research expanding the 9 to 12 units and have that come back. Correct.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Whatever the number is. Thank you very much. Thank you. Let's call RDA1 and RDA2. Yes, sir. So we are recessing as a commission meeting and convening as the RDA. RDA one is amendment two lime tree
cafe lease additional eight months rent abatement. RDA 2 is amendment three open vision one lease additional 8 months rent abatement. Good afternoon members of the RDA, Mr. Executive Director, Mr. Attorney, Mr. Clerk Elizabeth Mido, um, facilities and
fleet management assistant director. For the record, the item before you for Limeree Cafe is a French Italian fusion restaurant which has been delayed in its construction and buildout due to permitting issues with Durm for the grease trap. Accordingly, they have requested an eight-month extension to
their abatement. Um, and this is also what we are recommending. Questions? May I say something, please? Think about what this says, right? On governmentowned property,
we can't get permits. So think and think about what that means then for private operators as I just happen to look at a small business owner out of the left part of my eye that we need to essentially provide renabatement because on government owned land we can't figure
out or navigate quickly this permitting process and I didn't mean to cut you off this but I I think you want to say this is a durm I'm not saying it's within our own city but talk about the inefficiencies of government right And we take a lot of the heat up here
because when these small businesses are hurting in Miami Beach, you know, they point the finger solely at us. And I have a couple of items on the agenda today focused on how to peel back some of the bureaucracy, some of the red tape to helping our small businesses.
But we've we've talked about this Durham issue. I believe we even have a liaison in the Durham office at the county now. I mean, does anybody and you know, we we don't want to point fingers at our counterparts, but what what is going on
here? And that's open-ended for anybody, whether you're standing at the podium or elsewhere. But if we can't get small businesses that are in government-owned space open in a quick efficient manner,
what hope is there out there for the backbone of our community, maybe new to our country, immigrants that are trying to navigate this process or small mom and pops that aren't savvy but want
to capture the American dream, right? that if we can't do so as as a big bureaucratic government, what help what hope is there for for others? And I'm only looking at you because I'm looking at you, but it's open-ended. And you know, we're going to do a lot of work on
our side to improve the process for small businesses, but it's not just Miami Beach alone in a vacuum. Commissioner, you're exactly right that there are a lot of challenges. This one is somewhat exacerbated because if I recall correctly, there is a shared
grease trap that we are trying to implement at this location which is now not only implic implicating one unit but now multiple units. And so they are trying to look at the totality of the
rental space to see whether or not the unit is sized correctly for everything that's being proposed. So, I hear you. I think there's a little bit of um additional clarification and I welcome
either of the ACMS that are sitting in the front row to weigh in um as we've talked about this prior to this meeting. Good afternoon, Maria Hernandez. Um we have um discussed this in the past and
uh we are very close to unleashing our entire program that we have completely um restructured in the building department and it definitely includes a
spot for derm in our phase 2 walkthrough which is now set up in the building department. So, we're opening everything up back to walkthroughs like we were years ago and Durm is going to have a spot there. So, we're going to be able to have Durm here to be able to address
a lot of these issues. Uh we're also dealing with every day there'll be permanent. Well, right now what we're thinking is that um and the manager and I um you know, we might have some differences as to how many days. Uh we had been talking about maybe four days a
week uh from 8 to 12, but we'll have to see because if we don't get enough people because remember we have to have our employees sitting in those desks. Uh maybe we'll change that. Maybe it's a couple of days, but we are going to give both businesses and residents the
ability to come and show us what the problems are and all the people that you need to help you resolve it are going to be there. When does that start? Uh we were thinking of July 1st, but that's great. That's very soon. I mean this is a derm related but I I literally Eric is
familiar and some of you I got a call Monday from a a restaurant owner who has a restaurant here was moving locations not because of their own valition they had to and literally was like begging me. He's like I've spent half a million dollars. You guys are killing me. Yeah.
And he may have there may have been some issues on his but this is where we and you know what everyone in the next morning 9:00 in the morning got in a room and it was done. Mhm. We need more of that. Like if we realize a businesses is having trouble getting their getting their items through. I mean it's a hard
process. This is a a a family-owned business and he had a permit expedited but still they weren't getting it done and everyone got in a room and got it done. Yeah. So getting the right people in the room is key. Um, so the face toface is going to make a
huge difference because there's nothing like that and and there never was nothing better anything better than that. Um, so we're we're going to bring every department from the city that needs to be there going to be there. I'm sorry. Is every department from the city
that needs to be present will be present? Yes, Mr. Mayor, if I could, that's one of the challenges. We have some departments that literally have one reviewer that touch the permitting process. And so if we take them out of their normal
day-to-day activities of reviewing permits to deal with walkthroughs, they're basically not getting done what they would normally have gotten done during that time period to be able to handle the walkthroughs. Can they at
least be reachable? We're we're trying to work through those details. We're I'm just I'm only highlighting that it there are a lot of moving pieces to the um ultimate solution and that's why we're going to we're going to launch it and
then we're going to potentially make tweaks after. I mean on the positive front, we always have to give the positives. I gave an example that it is definitely gotten better. It has definitely gotten better. I I I've personally I've gotten a lot less complaints. Um but we still there's more
to go. less visits from Blake. Exactly. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, what I would tell you is that the feedback that you have programmed into that software system is very confusing.
I um first it says, you know, like you don't just get failed, you get partially failed. And then there's a huge paragraph about why you failed the inspection, but you don't really understand it. I don't even think the architects or the engineers understand the feedback. So, I don't know if when
an inspector is going out, it has like numbers programmed in like fail fail. So, you get they're putting these numbers in and you're getting this jumbled uh feedback that somebody really needs to translate into something that people can understand. I would say that
is one of the biggest problems and you have to go into the software and see what's going on in the permit process with that. The second problem is different inspectors on each job. the first person that goes out should be the only person to return to that job site because when you have somebody go in,
they pass it and then the next electrician comes in and says you need to move the outlet there. So that is another problem and I think the biggest problem with durm and I'm glad that you have them there is because you you start the process, you put your application in
and the first thing goes perfectly because you have these red and green dots, right? You say, "Wow, they've accepted my application green." and then everything else goes to red. And when you click on the red, it gives you an email address and a phone number for that person who never ever returns your
call ever. Okay? So, you can call that person every single day and email that person at the county and they never return the calls. And that's where the problem is. When I was opening um Cafe Bernie, the only reason that I finally got Durham to respond is because I
literally copied every inspector. I copied the county mayor. I copied every single elected official and I said, "Help. I'm in deep trouble and I don't Did I copy you?" I think I copied I copied everybody that I knew. You copied me. I didn't even work in government.
So, I copied and I finally finally finally got a response. But this is what people are dealing with. And I would suggest that somebody from I mean I I think the biggest problem with the restaurants and the grease traps is the fact that you can't get a hold of Derm.
But even bigger the even bigger problem is whatever that software is that we're using that is generating um feedback that I'm telling you it's like reading Chinese. Um I tried to help somebody the other day and I couldn't even understand it. So until you fix
that, and you know what I'm talking about, Maria, right? If you want, I have copies of it here because I was looking at someone's feedback. We're we're launching decision engine at the same time that we're opening up our face to face. And you'll see that it's a whole different world. What is decision is
that decision engine walks you through every single step that you need to take to get to where you need to go. And what I'd like to do is um launch all of this, take it to committee and show it maybe at neighborhoods.
Yeah. The tree is you go, you go, you go and then you end up where you need to go. And then the other thing that we have to fix, which is another big problem is certificates of use and BTRs because that's another thing that people get lost in and we're taking there's
very close. I keep saying very close. it can never be fast enough, but um that we're also facilitating that for owners um and businesses because they're the ones that struggle the most with that. What I would love is for you to send us all of a link and invite us to try and
get a permit as residents through the walkthrough system that we'll do a mockup. Okay? like you're renovating your bathroom and I'm renovating my kitchen and I would like to see what our process is so that we understand what the residents are going through because if you've never applied for a permit before, then you can't possibly
understand it. So, as soon as you get this new permit software, please if you could somehow program the system so we could all go in and apply for a permit, then I think we're really going to know. I was going to secret shop you on something when it send out an LTC until you click
here, click there. Yeah, but you know what? It's it's really important because this is what our residents face and we we need to see it. We know Mr. Mr. Magaz if I could and and I actually had an item that passed on consent uh instructing our city staff over the next 60 days to do a comprehensive reform on
all the rules and regulations that we have that are impacting our small businesses, right? because this issue is durm but then a lot of the pro uh the product that's impacting small businesses is we're we govern largely by incorporating more
and more regulation just you know look at our agenda there's a hundred items every every month you know 10 or 11 months per year so a lot of times we're putting on things that are more restrictive never going back and saying let's pull back some of those regulations let's cut that red tape
there was a a small business on Washington Avenue that caught many of our attention on Facebook. I believe it was Lifeguard uh Cafe and it was about code going out and finding some violation that seemed incredibly nuanced
and silly. It was about a TV that was a certain way away from the window in the advertising. I'll be honest, we don't want code having all this discretion and nuance. If there are rules and regulations that don't make sense, we
should be repealing them, not telling code to go out and ignore them because then where do you draw the line? What is silly to them? That should be legislative decisions, right? That that power rightfully or wrongfully is in our hands. So if there are things that are silly, it shouldn't be Hearnen telling
his team, "Guys, ignore ignore the silly thing about the TV turned, you know, upside down in the store window within 90 ft of a construction site." No, we shouldn't have that regulation in the first place. And I hope that this is what this 60-day review can uncover. I'm
going to guess we have a book like this about, you know, the code and compliance and regulations that burden a lot of these small businesses. And I encourage all of us just as we're encouraging efficiency within our own local government that we can provide a more efficient business environment for our
small businesses that operate in Miami Beach. Yeah. Mark and let's call the vote. I think and as as Eric said, he's exactly right. It was a grease trap issue. It's it is with Durm. What's before you is an eight-month extension.
They don't believe it's going to be anywhere near 8 months. I believe the master permit is about 72% completed. So, um, we think it'll be much quicker than that. Um, but that's what's before you today. I know that Monica's here on behalf of the tenant. It's a good tenant and we think we can get there quickly.
And I think a gamecher is going to be what Maria's described with getting everyone in one room. And I know that Eric has has been hands-on with trying to find a way to get that to happen where everybody's in one room to to expedite the process and make it easier for our residents and businesses.
And where is this tenant? Where is the room? It's on the in the building department floor when you walk in. No, I'm sorry. The anchor garage. Yeah. Oh, this is in the anchor garage. Yes. July 1st. I'm not going to be here because I'm on
going on vacation. So, I'm kind of nervous about just saying that without me being present, but that's what we had agreed to. Okay. Yes. July 1st. Ready to vote? Did you have something to say? I just want to thank your asset
management facilities. They have been just unprecially helpful. Without them, we wouldn't be able to navigate through this permitting, which has been, you know, frustrating, but they have been incredible. So, I just want to recognize the efforts that they have put in to get us to the 72% of this permit. So, we we
really are grateful. Hey, Monica, just introduce yourself. Just I'm sorry. Introduce yourself. Apologies. Yes. Monica and um I represent the uh tenants. Thanks, Monica. Thank you. Okay, let's call a vote. Thank you all. I need a motion, please. I'll second.
So, Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner Magazine. All in favor, please say I. I. Anyone opposed? Hearing none. The item is approved. Commissioner Higgins is absent. It's approved. 70. That's RDA1. May we do RDA 2, please? I've read the
title. No, let me see. Amendment three, open vision, one lease, additional eight months rent. So, this is the adjoining restaurant, the adjacent restaurant which is also sharing the grease trap. Um, in addition to that, also an eight-month extension or the earlier of opening up the
premises beforehand. If you could just extrapolate my rant to this business as well, it'll be more efficient for office. July noted. Is that a second also? Okay. I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner Magazine. All in favor, please say I. I. Hearing no
one opposed. The item is approved 70. Commissioner Bot, I mean Commissioner Higgins is absent. This concludes the RDA. We're reconvening as a commission meeting. It's called CRA1 and R7E. Yes, sir. Uh
CRA1. So, we're now convening as a North Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. Uh uh our C North Beach CRA 1 is approved North Beach CRA funding for Northshore Park Miami Beach Tennis Center Capital Project. That is NBC1 and the companion
item is R7E which is approved North Beach CRA funding Northshore Park Miami Beach Tennis Center project. Moved by Commissioner Fernandez, second by Commissioner Suarez. Mr. Mayor, if I could just add something
to this item. Sure. Um, I just want to provide that uh we are double-checking with the county to make sure the CRA funding is uh available for this specific project. We believe it is. Um,
but in the event that the county comes back with any concerns, I just want to make sure that this approval is conditioned upon the county authorizing the use of the CRA funds. Okay, let's call the vote. All in favor of
North Beach CRA 1 NR7E, please say I. Hearing no one opposed, the item is approved 70 for the North Beach CRA item. Commissioner Steinberg is absent. Let's finish uh some of the pulled items from consent.
We got C7W. C7W is accept recommendation purchase mobile police substation to enhance law enforcement. C7W was separated by Commissioner Fernandez. Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And actually I separated C7W
uh so that it could be heard together with C7X and C7Y. Uh I think we can handle them together if you so allow them to be considered together. So I'll read all three titles. Uh I've
read C7W C7Xes accept recommendation expand marine patrol unit to detect detect the Turk crime in Biscane Bay. T7 Y is accept recommendation divide area two into two areas zones east and west
of Indian Creek. So that's C7WX and Y. Okay. And so the reason why I I pulled this and I'm just trying to find my papers here. Okay. We have on this agenda
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
23 items that add to the deficit of the upcoming fiscal year of the fiscal year 6 budget. And so we we speak a lot about about um
fiscal responsibility. These items that we have on the agenda, it's going to get us into probably what $30 million in unfunded uh budget going into the coming fiscal year. Mr. Manager, at least. Well, at least if I
could, we can't we have to it's it's law. We have to balance our budget, right? We we simply we won't be able to take on a lot of these, right? So, it's not as if we can carry a deficit. We're going to have to sit here and say we have 30 items. We can fund three of
them. Right now, we're we are tracking, I believe, $18 million worth of asks that are going to be considered as part of the budget process. I think our budget team had done an analysis and it looks like there's an additional 15
million at least on this budget for additional considerations as part of the process. The key point is considerations considerations. Ultimately, we have to balance the budget as the chair of the finance committee mentioned. Um, and so
we will have some discussions about what our available funds are and you know what items are going to be able to be funded and not. And so and so I I just wanted to bring
it up because you know I'm just going to start off you know with deferring a few of my items into into the next fiscal year. The dividing of area two. Uh, I'm going to defer that
to the next fiscal year consideration. Uh, the the marine patrol, actually the marine patrol, I'm going to put something on the record. The the marine patrol, I started that item uh last year and the recommendation of the of the administration, Mr. Manager, was that
that item should be tabled. And then a separate item on marine patrol similar said this should be considered as part of the fiscal year 26 process. And so and so two similar items with different
recommendations which you know please we have to be more diligent and making sure that we're not contradicting ourselves. So, so since it's in the list of items to be considered already uh through a separate item, I'm going to be deferring C7X.
Um, and then and then the police uh substations, I'm going to be deferring that uh as well because, you know, we do have to be prudent. Um, we we already have a deficit and I'm not going to I was going to pull all these items going
into all these items that we're sending to the fiscal year 26 budget, but I decided not to. But I am going to address the items that I have here that I that I can defer. Um, just because I just think it's we just have to be
realistic. Um, did and I I wasn't at the finance committee. Did did the finance committee feel any way on these items? Uh, Commissioner Wilson Gonzalez, I know I know you sent an email this morning and I know uh I think you were sitting in
that that finance committee. I mean, did you have concerns with these items at the finance committee? I mean, we love we love your items. The like not not everybody's items. They're all good items. The question is how much
can we inflate an operating budget? know I mean capital is one time but something like a marine patrol we have to just like we we can't just keep adding without understanding where we're going to be and maybe we need to you
know as part of the budget process ask the police department what what do you need where can we cut if possible not cut but you know what I mean like let's look at this and say you know how can we deploy the resources that we have in a
you you know, in in a more efficient way. I know, you know, fill the positions that we have, but it's kind of scary to keep adding um to the budget because, you know, we don't know where we're going to be next year. And commissioner, if I could, so at the
finance meeting, there were Mr. CFO what nine items I I think there were where we just said we recognize that we're going to be challenged for the year ahead. So there's really no point in debating the merits of each one of these when in two
or three weeks we're going to be in front of the full commission and have a lot you know a list of about 30 items and have to essentially go through the process of elimination and just the you know we we are very you know salary
intensive. I got uh a heartbreaking text message yesterday from a father of friends of South Point Elementary and saying something so simple. We're Miami Beach, right? We're Miami Beach. He goes, "Hey Joe, following up again, any
idea when they're going to begin working on just repaving the basketball courts that are used for the community?" Right. And I I literally couldn't write him back to tell him that's budgeted for three years from now, right? We're Miami
Beach and we've had doubledigit property tax increases over the past three or four years and I have to tell parents a playground where your kids play every single day, it's scheduled to be repaved three years from now. Um,
so we have to continue on this theme of, you know, really analyzing a lot of our expenses. And similar to you, Commissioner Fernandez, I'm going to be re-evaluating some of the things that I personally have sitting at that 2026 budget workshop for things that were
nice to haves that just uh may not be feasible or prioritized this year. No. And and and I get it. And I I get it. And it's hard because we all put things that are worthy of merit. Um, you know, but like going back to the email we got
this morning, I mean, it it calls out something that's important. Um, you know, we need to be mindful about what we're putting into into into the budget. So, like for example, you know, C7H, I mean, do we need to do the projection mapping this year? I mean, is that an
essential to this year? No. And I and by the way, I'm not since I figured out what our budget numbers were, I'm not putting any more requests for anything. And I think we all need to be cognizant of that. I swear. And if you did find $15 million, well then you have to roll
it over into capital improvement so that we do pave that playground. You can't, you know, I mean, we all want these things. We want to wrap everything in lights and add all this new stuff, but maybe we just can't. And so I mean you have to make a tough decision, Eric, and
kind of tell us, hey, look guys, we found this extra money and I would love to do, you know, the marine science museum, for example, but I we can't because we have to fix what we currently have, you know, and we don't know what
that inventory is. And by the way, it looks like ter it looks terrible. As you drive across the city, our surface lots, they're not repaved. Our walls aren't painted. and and and so you have to push back on us and say, you know, no, and it's hard. I understand. So,
Commissioner, I'm making a pledge to not through the mayor, Eric. Um, all of this is is a conversation about process. Um, and I think that what we've actually done by pushing a lot of these things to
the discussion during the budget is kind of opened everybody's eyes to the amount of asks that we get. And now it's going to be an opportunity for us to look at a long menu of items and really allocate
dollars to the ones that have the best return. And so I think that that process is already happening and it's just a function of we need to stay true to the course. Yeah. And Commissioner Fernandez, I I commend you because it's not easy to to look at your own items.
So really, you actually started a great conversation, but also took a very mature approach. Bottom line is we're seeing it at every level of government from the federal government to the state to the county. everyone is either cutting or stabilizing and obviously
that's going to impact us and uh we're going to have to look at these items very carefully um and tighten tighten our belts but also um I mean we are fortunate in a sense that some of the items like um fixing our sidewalks and and what have you we have geo bond
funding that's been approved by our voters so there are c certain things that are the money is there and we've we've uh we've bonded it out so we're going to still go forward and we're we're in a better position probably than other municipalities that gonna that are going to face the cuts that we're that we we have funding for. But I mean and
and so you know today I'm starting with I'm not going after anyone's item. I'm going after my own item. I am going after my own item items that I've been asking for and working on for for a number of years. Dividing area two. If
you live on the southwestern end of the Venetian Islands, you're sharing the same six patrol cops as the guy that lives on the northeastern end of 63rd
Street and our beachfront. and and and I was looking to divide it because the demands uh even though the numbers don't show it, you see it on in the population density, the complaints that you get from people about whether
it be homelessness on the beach or visibility on the beachwalk or car se thefts in residential neighborhoods or bike gangs coming through through our city. An area so big needs more police
presence. Even if it's not justified by cause for service, residential areas, people want police presence in their in in their neighborhoods, but we don't have the funding for it. So, you know, I'm the first one to take it off my my list, but even today, even today, we
approved something that's beautiful, something something that's that's great, which is the purchase of the trailers for the Kitty campus. We approved we a budget amendment of $250,000. But Eric, how much is that really going to cost us?
Commissioner, I don't know that we have a firm number on that yet. Um, but we are capped at 250. It's It's not in the budget yet. It wasn't included in the budget amendment. So, that would have to come back as a budget amendment next
month to be included in the budget. And by then, we will have firm numbers. But you told me in my in my briefing that this is going to cost us potentially a million dollars. That is not true. I have invoices and this my item. But wait, but this is but this is what he
told me in my briefing. I just I want to I want to know. We did discuss this at first. We did, but but we we discussed it at FK in detail and I don't think Eric had the opportunity to watch it, but each container is $53,000. And then we initially were asking for $170.
And then we did speak with Brad and um and Ron and they came up and they said with that additional money all and and by the way at $53,000 they come with the AC unit with the water with everything in the containers the they shopped this
Holly and Linda really went out of their way to find the cheapest possible way so that those poor cats that are under a tarp in um in cages right now recovering, have a container um and someplace with shelter because we
invested in these cat trappers. We said we're going to solve this problem and now we have all these sick uh little kitties that are outside like under a tarp and they're getting rained on. I mean, and they're sick. So, I mean, we have to we we started out with the
trailer. This is like the super economical the item pass. There's zero way you're voting. My point is is that I'm guilty of this too because I have those kitty containers on the agenda and I felt real guilt knowing that I have those. But I just need to know from Eric
because my understanding from my briefing you told me that this was going to cost us a million dollars. So I want to know what what did I vote to sign up my city for as a funding responsibility once we acquire these new trailers. Is it $250,000
to acquire the trailers or do we need architecture and engineering services? Is there construction costs? Is there is there do you have electricity, IT infrastructure? Do you have permitting? Are there contingency costs involved that that that go in addition to the
250? So, Commissioner, the resolution that you approved today is up to $250,000. I have not been able to vet those numbers. I've talked them over with my team. They acknowledge that the folks from Soie Cats brought forward some cost
estimates, but those are, you know, offtheshelf containers and then we're going to have to run electricity, run water to them. We're going to have to do something to be able to permit them to make them permanent basically um accommodations on
the site. I am very skeptical that it will be $250,000 at the end of the day. And are the numbers that are in the item that you approved that's on the agenda the numbers associated to the issues that you just brought to my attention? So the numbers that are on there are the
original numbers that were put together for the trailers. This is for the containers as opposed to the trailers. Okay. But I don't know where the number is going to fall. I believe it's going to be somewhere in between the two. All right. So, so, so we have to be ready
for that. So, that's why all that I'm saying is that I'm going into July 11th with haircut mode. Um, it's not going to be fun because it's my birthday on July 11th and I get to spend it with all of you saying telling people what we're not going to fund. That's no fun. I think
that was a hint, but we can't use city funds to buy you a cake. Well, we we'll split it. Not with all of this going on. Um, but yeah. So, so I'm just going to defer those three large ticket items that I that that I have here just
because I do have a lot of concerns and Commissioner Rosen House, you did point it out this morning in your email and that and I think it was important to point out because I think the public that comes and approaches us, the different neighborhood associations, the different residents groups that approach us, the different nonprofits, the
different cultural entities, all that have good causes need to understand that this government is going to have to start saying no more often for as much as it breaks our heart. To have to tell good causes no,
wonderful cultural institutions no. Um friends who do great things for education and other activities. We're gonna have to start saying no more than what we've been used to and other entities are going to have to step up to
to the plate. Private philanthropy and other uh government agencies. Yeah. If I could uh commissioner, what was and you're hitting the nail right on the head, right? And when we talk about this kitty campus, and this is not specific
to this item, right? It's more about the I just really question how much it costs for us to do things in Miami Beach. And Brad, please correct me if I'm wrong, but we looked at the cost of those actual containers of being about $40,000 each. And even if we would get two,
we're looking at $80,000. And I'm like, the rest is permitting or running electricity, right? So, we're putting $150,000 in our budget for a permitting process
that we control and we're paying ourselves. And that is I have a I have a detailed invoice in front of me from M1 M1 Containers in CMI, Florida. The so socats actually went out, they priced it
out. We have an invoice here. We have a vendor and frankly maybe what we need to do in the future with projects like this if it if it cost like if we could hire like maybe Soie Catz should be managing it kind of like a new drama Miami new drama is going to manage their
construction. If so Cats can get an electrical contractor to come out and do that connection for $10,000 and it's going to cost us $50,000. Well then maybe that's how we should do these kind of projects because I have invoices. These are real current invoices of the
containers of what it's going to cost. The only inflated cost in this entire thing are, I hate to say it, are the city's costs to run electric and water. And that's not a big deal. They could probably hire their own plumber and they could probably hire an electrician if they can get through the permitting
process and derm. And seriously, you shared that with me, commissioner. I appreciate you. So, I mean, I just haven't had a chance to review it and make sure that it's you know that everything's there. We haven't had a chance to make sure everything's there yet. Okay. But the point is is like they
this is like the most economical way that we could possibly solve a problem. And and I'm making a commitment right now, like I said before, a pledge that I'm not going to put any more funding items on the agenda because we simply can't right now. Yeah. Comm and and
unless we cut some place. No, no, it's a good conversation, Commissioner Fernandez. I I appreciate you highlighting. I wanted to ask Jason because I recall you mentioning obviously during our budget brief briefings that we're at our literally highest reserves that we've had. I this is a conversation we need to
have and we do need to tighten, but I I also want to show our our fiscal health as well as part of this conversation. Uh yes, mayor. I think it's very important to to state the city is has a ve is a very strong financial position. We do have our highest reserves in our resort
tax and our general fund that we've ever had. we've fully met all of our goals. Uh I am very excited to hear some of the conversation that we're having. I know it will be a very lively debate on July 11th uh when we go through the operating budget. We deliver a balanced budget. You know, we working directly with the
city manager with the budget team and the assistant city managers and we will be delivering I think a very solid balanced budget uh going forward. So very excited to hear. Great. Thank you. Thank you. If I could, Mr. Mayor Jason, before you go, could I request from either you or Tama, if you have it at
your fingertips, actually right now would be fine. Um, if not, later tonight, tomorrow, an LTC uh providing a list of the budget enhancements that we're going to be looking at come July 11th. If I can, we're this is all still being worked on,
and that's part of the agenda item that working working on for the July 11th meeting. that would um we won't be able to finalize that whole package until after the July 1st numbers come out. So that'll probably be out July 7th, but that's all still being worked on, but you will absolutely get that package of
all the one-time and all of the onetime uh enhancements, all of the recurring enhancements, and any efficiencies or reductions that even if you caveat it that these aren't the final numbers, we have a list of the current projects that are being requested. Now, the final numbers have to come in and we know that
that's subject to change, but we have a finite list of the budget enhancements we're going to be looking at. I think he's just asking for the asks, not what we're going to have to do, theations to balance the budget. And it's good news
to you because I think where this conversation is going is we're all going to begin preliminary looking at things that we may need to pull back which should be music to the ears of the CFO. Uh yes. Uh let me work with the budget office to see uh how quickly we could put together just a list of the
commission uh endorsed uh priorities during this budget and we could just provide a just a list of description and dollar value and we can see we can get that out to you in the next couple of days. Uh, but we can work on that. And can I ask a question? At my budget briefing yesterday, you said $30 million
and asked, "We only have a million dollars in discretionary." How did you find $15 million between yesterday afternoon and this morning? Where did the 15 million come from that you said we found 15? We just Where did it come from?
The Yeah, you said 30. The $30 million number that I gave you yesterday was the 18 and the 15. I think I told you between 30 and 40. No. Yes. And by this morning, Jason said that our asks were up to $57 million. I have not verified.
But yesterday, you said there was $1 million available to fund these things. And you just said now that there was $15 million available to fund these things. So, oh, no, no, the 15 was the additional asks in this meeting. Oh, this was 15 additional. Yes. So, we're
at $57 million with $1 million um in asks. And at least the water taxi is half of more than half of that. So there we go. I think I mean it it's going to be a difficult meeting. I don't even under we do need a list of all of
those asks because we're all going to have to make I mean we can't fund any of them. Correct. Yeah. As if I may as required the city manager is required to provide a balanced preliminary budget for review and and direction by the commission. Uh that will be discussed on
July 11th. That package will probably go out on July 7th. What I'm hearing is uh you know usually like to wait to h have everything complete. We could try to put together because there's many things still in flux especially for this meeting but budget can try to put together we caveat it that it's a draft
list you know subject to change but it's as of now what we know are commission endorsed um uh budget enhancements on the operating side and we can try to get that out to you in the next couple of days. Great. to the final. Well, the final you'll
have on July 7th with everything. So, Mor, I'm going to defer my items to the fiscal year 2627 budget process. Thank you, Commissioner Fernandez. Wait, one one final thing I would add, um, Eric, is you know what, if you see that it's a good item, even if it comes with a positive recommendation from the finance
committee, if you know that we can't fund it, you have to put in the recommendation. And I saw that you're putting that in every recommendation. It's a scary thing given our capital needs. It's on every single it's right there under fiscal impact. So I know you're trying to but maybe you have to
just give us a negative recommendation and say the administration recommends again against against this or you know we have to figure out how we're going to you know pay for all this extra stuff all this extra stuff and I just found out that we're not going to be able to fund West Avenue and First Street if we
don't raise the water and sewer rates. I mean, this not not good. Not good. Cuz aren't we allocating monies from this to West Avenue? So, we're raising water and sewer rates West Avenue. Not this. Not this item. No, I I
understand that. But the the whole point about it is that it's coming from everywhere to fund these large scale projects and we need to maybe go out and and find this funding elsewhere because we can't um we can't afford it. Great discussion everyone. Thank you. So just
make sure I got this correct. By acclamation, we are moving these three items as amended to the 2627 budget cycle. Yes. Okay. If I may just for clarification. So I assume the resolution would just be changed to to be considered as part of the 27 26 27.
Exactly. So it'll be as amended by acclamation all three approved. R seven I sir R seven I is a public hearing new lease agreement with Soie Tuscana LLC 22 Washington Avenue R seven I requires
57's vote let's call the vote R seven I is a public hearing I see no one on Zoom and I see no one on uh in the audience I heard Commissioner Fernandez seconded by Vice Mayor Suarez says all in favor of R seven I please say I I anyone opposed
hearing no the item is approved 70 that was R7 I could have held out for some of olive oil um let's finish the pulled items from the consent agenda C7J C7J is accept hold uh accept
recommendation use fines from billville settlement repair surrounding buildings C7J was uh separated by Vice Mayor Suarez. Commissioner Suarez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um it's actually a perfect item to follow up on the last item we just
had. Um it seems the city already has a policy that I think 20% of large capital payments go to the into a special infrastructure fund. Um the balance goes into a fund as a surplus to
be applied to the following year's budget. Um the recommendation from finance committee which unfortunately I was not on at the time well I was not at that meeting is that the additional 30% of the balance of the money from the
Doville fines uh will be used as uh grants or gifts uh to the surrounding residential buildings to be used for repairs or or to individual unit owners to pay for their special assessments
uh for building repairs. Um, so when I saw this item, I I immediately said, you know, I started questioning it. Uh, because if you have extra money to give away, um, the first decision should be who gets it?
Um, should it go to uh indigent residents, uh, special programs, social welfare, charities, employee bonuses, school programs, etc. um if you decide to give it to private
property owners um and private entities and the surrounding area, what what is the criteria for such a program? Um and I just wrote down some questions, you know, c can it go to investors who own
rental apartments or just condo associations or individual condo unit owners to pay their assessments? Um, if it's an individual, who qualifies? Uh, if it's based upon income, age, net
worth, can any unit owner, including investors who rent the units, get the money? Um, you know, if there's a multi-millionaire, but they live on social security, do are they qualified? Um, who in the city is going to run this
program and make these particular decisions for this money? because I believe it's like $1.3 million. Um, who's going to monitor and vet the applications? Um, I understand and the state attorney
can opine. Um, the state has now passed new laws that that do not require assessments and has delayed their the requirements for up to two years. Um, also the state has allowed condos to put up letters of credit as opposed to
assessing owners. I believe even our county um gives loans but they do not give grants to uh condominium associations. And look, at the end of the day, I I think public money should stay for in
the public needs uh not private entities uh to a select handful of buildings in the surrounding area. We just had a long conversation about how we're going to have to tighten our belts. Um, and this
money from the Doville fines is can certainly be used for the greater good of North Beach. I think um, one of the biggest concerns for North Beach is the water quality. So, you know, for example, we opened up a kayak launch uh,
I think 10 years ago and it's been shut down ever since because of bad water quality. Injection walls are not properly installed. We have pump stations that are not properly funded. I asked David Martinez from Capital Improvements, how much money and
outstanding uh projects do we have in North Beach specifically? It's upward of $130 million. Um, so I'm kind of always kind of be against this idea of taking public money, giving it to private entities
um, and select private entities to uh, for for whatever reason. I think the public money should stay in the public uh, domain, put it towards something that everyone can um can value from,
especially our capital improvement projects. uh where the residents of North Beach can can benefit. So, um I also want to remind everyone and thank Commission uh Mayor Miner at the time he was a commissioner. The whole reason we have this $6 million in fines is because
he put the effort to um to get this money. And so it would be a real shame if we took some of this money uh and gave it to private people or private entities and and individuals and not
keep it in the public infrastructure. Uh Commissioner Dominguez, thank you so much. U having affordable housing is so critical for our city and we continue to lose it. Part of the reason why that we're losing it is buildings are being scooped up by developers because people
can afford to pay their assessments. So, the city reached a $6.3 million settlement related to the Doville property with over 5.3 million stemming from special magistrate fines. And per the city policy, 20% which is 1.07
million is required to be allocated to mass transit capital and acquisition costs. In a previous meeting, I made the suggestion, and I thank Commissioner Bot so much for co-sponsoring this, that 30% of the fines, which is 1.29
million, go towards a one-time grant program to help owners of buildings with repairs and special assessments for property owners in North Beach, north of 73rd Street. And the intent was to continue to keep our affordable housing
units, that stock that we have there. So, this program is intended to help homeowners in a lower inome neighborhood to get their fair share of a city settlement with the Doville owners and prevent displacement of these residents
by preserving the property values and preventing homes from getting special assessments and violations. Currently, there are about 200 billion uh 200 buildings in that area that have
over 400 violations, reertifications, things that they need to tackle, but those affordable housing stock buildings are still trying to scrape by and get the money. So, it's a great program. I was very happy that the finance
committee unanimously approved it. And Commissioner Ba, do you have anything to add about this? Yeah, I you know, I I understand your concerns and I I to some degree I I I share the general gist of that, but in this case, you know, we we just spent
how much time this morning talking about predatory practices and how to protect residents from um unscrupulous investors who want to come in and buy up buildings and properties who are in distress. And if a if a building um a small multif
family project um or or building rather is is um rock solid except they don't have the cash flow to do the roof renovation or whatever it is that they need. um that could potentially put them
at risk of um falling into this predatory net of people who want to take advantage of people who are scraping by to turf them out and build something much more expensive. Um
so I you know I totally agree with us needing to make sure that we have the right guard rails and that we administer it thoughtfully. Um, and I am very happy to work with my co-sponsor and the city staff and whoever else wants to get involved on how that works. Um, but I do
think that protecting this naturally afford naturally occurring affordable housing um in the neighborhood where it exists, where people have communities and families um rather than letting it be turned into um investment
opportunities to to um turn them out of their homes is the right thing to do. Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Suarez. Yeah, look, um, as elected officials, I I I don't think it's appropriate for us to be picking winners and losers, uh, on who gets the
money and who doesn't. You know, I think we can separate certainly separate condo owners who have special assessments that need to get paid and then predatory practices. I don't necessarily think that
they have to be mingled together. Again, as a public governing body, I think our main responsibility is public works and public safety. I I don't think we should be in the business
of giving public funds to private entities. We just had a discussion for about 45 minutes on on funds that we could use for paving basketball courts,
for paving simple roads, for great ideas that we have that the whole public can benefit. I just find it crazy to think that we're going to take seven figures of public money and give it to individuals when we don't even know the criteria that's going to be set because
there's neighboring buildings who are oceanfront properties. I just have a percent we have several people who want to speak. So yes, thank you. I look these again the neighboring properties of Doville are on the ocean front. I mean,
I I'm I'm sorry, but you know, I I don't think that's an appropriate use of public funds. So, if Well, first of all, I pro I know you want to respond, but Commissioner Magazine hasn't been heard, then I'm going to go Commissioner Bot. So, I guess my question is procedural.
Is are these funds that are being allocated or proposed to be allocated because of damage that was caused by the Doville? If I can speak to a couple of uh comments and listening to the discussion here, I the item that here that's here
before us is just a a to be I think as the mayor said a to be considered a consideration resolution. So we would go on the list of items to be considered as part of the 26 budget process. So if this was approved today, this would just become an item for discussion as part of the budget process. So this would not
make the program happen. If this does end up getting budgeted as part of the 26 budget process, it does um I think the speak that there's some item elements that that could be refined on that and maybe an item that maybe uh could be the administration could take through committee to refine that to make
sure they get the eyes dotted, tees crossed there so that we don't have to hash out the details of a program that may or may not get budgeted for next year to to assist that. And as for the dollars, these are unbudgeted revenues that would be coming into the city into this fiscal year. So what would if uh if
this did not move forward was not approved what it would happen is this would roll as part of our surplus general fund surplus in November which would then by commission policy get allocated to our outstated capital program so get that so this would essentially just come into our general fund correct correct and then flow to
our capital program for next year so and without that part so how I'm thinking about this is at fk we just you know said okay let's consider this as part of the 2026 budget request. Um, yes, we're getting the money from the Doville, but I guess my question is, were these
properties that were selected, is it because of damage that was caused due to the Doville? I'd have to ask the the sponsor on their the specifics, but again, I think the specifics of the program could be hashed out if and when this actually gets appropriated. No, it was an opportunity to help the North
Beach resident with a community benefit. These were coming out of the fines. These are not taxpayer dollars, per se. they were fined and 70% of it is going to go into the general fund. I asked for 30% to go to help buildings. It's the reason you ran because of people getting
displaced. Um and it's to help people stay in their buildings and they say thank you for telling me why I ran. Um so part of the way I address that is through legislative policies, not taking taxpayer dollars from one person and give them to the other. Um that's not
where I was going with this. I I truly thought that because these were the Doville fines, it was because these buildings were impacted by that. But now what we're essentially looking at is separate the Doville fines, right? It's just it'll be a budget request. Do we
want to take general fund money because this money is coming into the general fund. Do we want to take general fund money and give them to this subset of buildings? Right. It's as simple as that. Correct. I have a question. Commission I promised Commissioner Bot. Thank Commissioner
Fernandez. Um, I'm going to skip my comment. Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And so, okay, I just and I got to what Commissioner Magazine just mentioned because that is an important uh procedural distinction here. We're
not creating the program here. this is, you know, whether on July 11th, you know, this can be added to the pile of things that we're going to possibly be axing uh on July 11th that Eric is going to come up with a asking list for us. Uh
I prefer recommendations, but yes. Yes. Um, so but putting that aside, I just it's not lost in me that the area surrounding the Deville, it's where we have some of our most naturally
affording naturally occurring affordable housing is where we have uh also a lot of historic uh districts uh in that in that in that area. And this is it's what you're proposing here is specifically in
the area in in the surrounding residential buildings of the Duville. Correct. Uh well, north of 71st. So it would be just north of the Dville. Um I can't think of any residential housing in front of the Doville that's not more
fluent. Right. And so and I want to ask our planning director Tom Mooney. Um the residential buildings in that area surrounding the Deville, north of the of of the Deville, these are our these are our historic districts, aren't
they? The Doville is located in the uh North Beach Resort Historic District. And the large buildings to the immediate south and to the immediate north, some of them are classified as contributing. But then we also have um uh like for
like the Tantum. Um, then we have the Tantum Waterway. Well, we have Tatum Waterway and then we have the Northshore Historic District, but that's north of 72nd Street, right? And that's some of the areas that this uh legislation
considers. Is that correct? Uh, Commissioner Dominguez, you were saying that you were looking at areas north of north of 71st Street. Yeah, I was looking at like um Your mic is off. Yeah, from Abbott. Your mic? um from Abbott West to Tatum because
they're older rundown buildings and so these are some of our historic districts. Is that correct? Correct. So I you know I don't mind I I don't mind um having that discussion. Um,
I don't mind having that discussion of how to use these funds if it's if it's directed towards helping some of these older buildings. You tend to have residents who tend to be on fixed incomes and these are historic buildings
and they usually do need repairs and these are historic districts, historic districts that we are trying to save. Uh so so so to the extent of that today, I'm fine with this. We're not creating the program, but I could see how this
does help advance a good uh public purpose. At the end of the day, this is the most affordable housing that we have in Miami Beach. And if if
the cost of some of these repairs fall singularly on the property owner or owners, we could potentially experience great displacements and we've seen it come out on the news with people crying. We've been Miami Beach has been on the news.
Yeah. Because of this and so and so and so today we're not making the final decision on this. just a procedural motion so that we can consider it on July 11th. Um so based on that I feel today comfortable in considering the
merits of it on July 11th and then even if July 11th let's say it does get the funding recommendation we can still put a program scope together that makes sure that these are really individuals who are facing financial hardship and that they meet the criteria that we would
want to make sure uh made to make it a true uh and eligible public purpose. Mr. Commissioner Bot, I mean, nobody is proposing that this is a feeding frenzy for people who can afford it. This is designed this is it's not designed yet, but this is intended to be for those who
are most at risk of being turfed out of their homes because of cash flow issues because they are um uh on fixed incomes or working three jobs and barely making making ends meet. And you know, we need to look out for all of our residents. We do it in lots of different ways. We have
rental assistance. We have food handouts. Um we have all kinds of um opportunities for government to help backs stop those who are most at in need. And this is not the final decision. This will not go out as an
unbaked program. It should it make the cut at during our budget process. It will be needsbased. It will be very thoughtful. It will be very um you know, it's not just a you know, grab a handful of cash and and have fun with it. This will be a thoughtful program like the
rest of our uh our programs to help those most in need like what we would have been talking about needing to do for the water and sewer rate hikes, right? Like it's the same concept, just a different topic. So, let's move this item. If if my colleague chooses to not
vote for it, so be it. I would like to make a motion to move this item and let's proceed. Let's call the vote. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Um I Commissioner Fernandez, didn't you pass an item a few years ago that all of
the fines from the Doville should go to historic preservation of sorts. Anyway, I think it's still on some committee some it is. I'm pretty sure that we created a vehicle that those Doville fines were supposed to go on some level to historic preservation. That's
different than that's that's fine. It's not going to a private entity or private individual condo owners. I my my position is these are public dollars. They should stay in the public domain. What are we doing? So, let me just let me finish it. If it's historic
preservation and it's it's toward, you know, enhancing the character of a neighborhood, that's where everyone enjoys and benefits from public dollars being sent is paying someone's special assessment because they just didn't they
didn't want to or for whatever reason, and I'm not saying that it's that they didn't want to, but look, there's there's a there's a multitude of reasons why people have lapsed under on special assessment. It's not our responsibility to pay them. I'm as much as as as as as
compassionate as it may seem, our job is to benefit the public at large, not a few properties. I don't understand why people 71st Street get to benefit from the area around the Doville. I I think the Doville's on 67th Street. What does it have to do with 71st Street? I mean,
you know, like and and the fact that we don't even have a program lined up to give these money, like I said, you could have a multi-millionaire on social security who we we don't know what the funds are, and we could potentially be helping people with these properties who
just for some reason don't want to pay or uh whatever reason. I don't think we should be in the business of giving public money to private people or private entities ever. I think we should put you draw a red line on how we spend
our money. This is not our money. This is our taxpayers money. And and I don't think we should It's not taxpayer money. It's it's the it's it's money. It's money owed to the taxpayers. It's money owed to the taxpayers. And that's money that we can all benefit from. Paved basketball courts, paved roads. Great
discussion, but it is literally a procedural uh one because we're going to have this conversation on July 11th. This is not a final vote. I guess we could nyx it today. Yeah, we could. Or we could just punt it till another conversation with another 20ome items. Uh but either way, let's let's
let's pull the vote. I like the intent of the item. share I share some of the concerns, but uh but you know, if we're going to whether it's today or in July pull the plug on this item, are we going to then go through all of our budget items um all the programs that we fund
that take public money to assist individuals? Because, you know, talk about calling balls and strikes. That means that we're not feeding seniors. That means that we're not offering scholarships to to prek. It means that we're doing all we're going to rescend a whole bunch of stuff that we've just
approved. So, let's think about this. Funding seniors is different than funding someone's special assessment. Excuse me. Let me please finish. Nobody is talking about handouts to millionaires living on social securities. And that kind of example,
and I know we I know that we all pull examples out of, you know, whatever. And I've done it a million times, given out terrible examples. I I trust that our staff is capable of crafting a very specific set of guidelines to help the
least among us who are or not the least among us, those among us who are the least able to do repairs. It's not somebody who's like, "Oh, I don't want to pay my special assessment." It's somebody who's possibly at risk of of losing their home because they can't afford a repair. And you know, maybe it
gets structured as a matching grant. I we don't know at this point but I think the concept of adding another thing that we are um helping our most vulnerable population in the city many of whom are seniors right and we do a lot for our
seniors we do a lot for our vulnerable population and so I'm not sure why this one in particular is being singled out when all the other ones are warmly supported as they should be that is part of being a compassionate thoughtful community and at one that is is as wealthy as we are and we are I mean
we're we're talking about all the hardship that we face and it's a true thing. We are going to make have to make some tough decisions. That is a true thing. I I get it. I'm very well aware and I appreciate my colleagues saying that they are not going to be um adding to the the mix and and that we're all
going to have to go through and um take out some of the things that we really care about. I get it. But why are we singling out one tiny little project out of all of the things that we do to help support the residents who need help from
us? Commissioner Fernandez, you know, and and I just want to highlight there is there's such great merit towards protecting the taxpayers dollars. ultimately any monies that come whether it comes from litigation
the moment it's the cities it's the taxpayers so so so whether it comes from property taxes or not so so I believe in the zealousness of protecting those those dollars they are ultimately the taxpayers to me you know how I see this
you know I think many many of us have great relationships for for example with representative Vicky Lopez over over in in the state of Florida. I know Commissioner Suarez, you worked closely with with Representative Lopez on so many of the ALA bills that you uh worked
with her on. This is very similar to the My Florida Safe uh condominium pilot program uh that Representative Lopez sponsored in Tallahassee specifically to help coastal condominium associations
harden their buildings for hurricanes and and and that type of stuff. And this is, you know, similar but different at a local level because we have more than just condominiums. We also have apartment buildings where you have individuals with with fixed incomes and needs of historic preservation that go
beyond just hardening for for for hurricanes. But in essence, there's already kind of some sort of a framework, some sort of a precedent that's already been established by someone that we both respect, that we've
both have have worked with in Tallahassee. Um and and and we see that in the My Safe uh Florida uh condo uh program that provides these associations and these buildings with with funding. And here we have the opportunity to uh
build upon that because we know that that pool of dollars is actually very limited and it's not going to be sufficed to address the great need that that that there is. So following that lead and that example, I think it is
completely in the public purpose for us to help these historic buildings that do need our our help, especially when we consider the displacement that could potentially lead to these communities. And these are
displacements of people who don't speak English, of people that don't know that this meeting is taking place, of people that don't engage with us, but who do need the assistance of their government and who do require on our empathy to walk in their shoes and understand their
needs so that they can continue contributing to our community. Let's call the vote. Have a motion by Commissioner Bot, seconded by Commissioner Dominguez. All in favor of C7J, please say I. I. Anyone opposed? Nay. I hear one. No. Commissioner Suarez item is approved 61.
That was C7J. Call R5 AE. R5 AE is an ordinance of the mayor, city commission of the city of Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 106 of the city code entitled traffic and vehicles article two entitled meter parking division one entitled generally section
106-55 entitled parking rates fees and penalties exceptions to expand the existing exemption from the requirement to pay a fee for the permanent removal of a parking space when the removal is necessary prov to provide access to off- streetet parking. A to allow for the
removal of up to two spaces and B to enable duplexes and triplexes to qualify for the exe exception providing for qualification repeater servability and an effective date. This is a first reading public hearing. It's item R5 AE
Eric David Martinez. Nobody wants it. Good afternoon. I think um this this item is to address a situation that uh that came up on a particular property on 71st Street. uh a particular property
that had been vacant for several years and they uh developed uh basically three town homes on the property. The property did not have a driveway access to 71st Street. The property owner obtained an FOT permit being that it's an FOD
jurisdiction to construct the driveway. However, he's not able to obtain a permit from us to construct the driveway unless they were to pay for a potential of one to two parking spaces on street spaces that would be lost in order for
them to have access to the required six on on on the property parking spaces that were required. So, what this ordinance does is it assists properties that are up to three units that require
access to the required on-site parking to take effect. U and I'll and David, yeah, the property owner had reached out to me and thank you to staff for really handling a lot of meetings with him. He he owns that property, right? He's that that is correct. He's not a he's not a
developer. He's He owns the town homes and he's trying to use it to supplement his income to pay his rent. I That's correct, Mr. Mayor. That's what he represented. Yes. Okay. Mayor, I've just had the item as so as not to create a parking deficit. The
item requires that the number of off streetet spaces created by the project be at least equal to the number of spaces that are being removed. So if if let's say what is it in this case? So in this case I believe it's it's it's one
or two. In in this case it could be up to two. It depends on how the restriping on 71st Street occurs. Could be up to two but he's providing six uh on-site spaces that he has to access from 71st Street. So you lose you could lose two but you're you're getting gaining a net
of four up to four. Commissioner Fran. So you're getting four on the property. You're getting six on the property, but you're going to lose up to two on the street. So the net gain would be about four, could be even five.
But those are private spaces that only that only the residents of those town homes can use. that and so and so then you're taking from the public domain away parking spaces that multiple
properties could use and you're transferring now to private ownership. What I will say a couple of things to that commissioner is the current uh ordinance uh and the city attorney can correct me if I'm wrong or the planning
director um allows for a single if this were a single family home with the same exact situation they would be they would be able to be that fee would be able to be waved and they'd be able to do this the what this
is doing is allowing the same benefit benefit to a triplex up to a triplex unit. But okay. And so this this town home development is located in what area?
It's on 71st Street, but I believe it's on a more it's it's it's in a residential district. Is that right? It is in a res. And can we limit this to areas zoned RS with an with an underlining RS zoning district? So that because what I'm
concerned is that something like this applied in an RM area where you are more densely populated where you have more residential multifamily and then you may have a duplex like for example you know um like Shoma Homes Show Homes did that
duplex development by 15th Street I think it was and that's in a more densely populated multifamily district. I wouldn't want them converting on street parking that's needed for the
other apartment buildings in the area that don't have private parking spaces into a cutin for a private development. I would need Tom to confirm the district. Do you know the location the
location of this one particular property? Is it between Versailles and Run Notream on 71st Street? I think it is because I know that the property is not zoned single family because a triplex is
not permitted in single family. I believe the zoning is Ror. It's 11:34. It's uh it's it's zoned residential office. Understood. But the zoning at that site, it it's it's fine. So then can we just limit this the applicability
of this ordinance to that specific to a residential zoning district as opposed to being open-ended? We could amend this ordinance to to specify maybe RS
RO, right? RS and RO districts. I would feel more comfortable with that if Mr. mayor as a sponsor if you'd agree to that because that way we don't risk hurting our multifamily districts where there is a greater need for the parking.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'll move the item. I'll second. Let's call the vote. It is a public hearing. I have Larry Schaefer requesting to speak via Zoom. Mr. Schaefer, you have two minutes. Please go ahead.
Good afternoon. Larry Schaefer, 23381st Street. I live in an RM1 zoned area in Northshore and we have a duplex and this item is quite interesting in that, if I understand it correctly, it removes a
single parking spot at the street to allow for driveway access. There was an item passed earlier this year, I think Tanya Bot was the sponsor, allowing people to also use that cutout space for parking with the consent of the owner. So, let's keep that in mind that this
doesn't automatically delete street parking. There's another um part of the law that's already been passed to allow that to be used flexibly. I would like to see if this is available for RM1 zoning. So, I think when it goes back to staff, I'd like to see if maybe
we can figure out a way to use this in Northshore because most of Northshore is RM1, but it's not tall buildings. It's two-story duplexes and the like. Thank you. Thank you. There's no one else on Zoom and no one else in the audience. I
have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Mayor Miner. Calling the role. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, yes. Commissioner Bot, yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Magazine, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Mayor
Miner, yes. Motion carries. The item is approved as amended. Second reading, public hearing is scheduled for July 23rd. R5 AF. R5 AF is an ordinance of mayor, city commissioner of city of Miami Beach, Florida amending the chapter 102 of the code of the city of Miami Beach entitled
taxation by amending article 5 entitled local business tax by amending section 102-377 thereof entitled penalties enforcement collection of delinquent fees and taxes and criminal penalties by clarifying the penalties for businesses that repeatedly operate without procuring the required local business
tax receipt and providing for repealers of ability on an effective date. This is a first reading public hearing. It is item R5 AF. Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, and and this is an item com and you know,
Commissioner Magazine earlier was was speaking about about the directive that he sponsored to our administration to see how we can help our businesses and he and see how we can um make process more efficient. And this is one of those
items that goes to help um help our our small businesses. Um currently, um a business that is found not having their business tax receipt um has a first
violation of being shut down. On their first violation, the um the business can be ordered closed. They have to cease their operations by order or of code enforcements. And what I've seen is
through the information that's been shared with us is that sometimes this happens to unsophisticated individuals that might not know better. A small salon owner that has clients
that didn't realize that they needed to have a um a business tax receipt and they end up getting shut down. And I actually I just today I got an email from from a salon owner
about this. Uh let's see where is it here. Here we go. BTR shutdown. Hi Alex. I wanted to take a moment to write to you about an issue that occurred at White Space Salon on April 12, 2024. The city
came into the salon and asked to see our individual business tax receipt or BTR. The entirety of the staff was unaware that this was necessary to work on the beach. We were under the impression that the salon owner needed to hold one. The the proceeded they proceeded to shut
down the salon to shut the salon down. We were in the middle of our clients and were completely caught off guard. We had to reschedu all of our upcoming clients. It was scary and concerning that they could just shut us down like that. I just wanted to share this with you and
see if there might be anything you could do. Uh that happened in in 2024. It's happened to Dunkin Donuts on 41st Streets. It's happened to Cow Bakery on Alton Road. I think many of us received
emails uh from Tony Cow last year when it when it happened to to them. the Mediterranean restaurant on Alton Road. Uh what's his name? Uh Srredan. Um I'm not pronouncing it right. S. So yes, Su.
It happened to them. It's happened to barber shops on on Washington Avenue. It's happened to small bodeas up in in in North Beach. There are many businesses that have suffered the
unintentional consequences of this ordinance. And I don't think it was the intention when this ordinance was passed to shut down uh businesses on their first violation. Um it certainly wasn't it wasn't my intent when I when when I
voted for this uh I guess this was in 2023, but we learn and when we learn of something that needs to be fixed, we accept that and we fix it. And I think businesses should be given the opportunity that if they are found to not have a business tax receipt, that we
go in there, that we offer them a helping hand, that we tell them about the law, and that we give them an appropriate amount of time to get their licenses in order before we go and take the heavy-handed action of shutting them down. So that's the purpose of this
item, Mr. Mayor. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Yeah, I agree with you 100% because it is so difficult to to to get the BTR. You know, Manny is the only reason I'm mentioning this right now because poor
Suat. Somebody brought me there the other day and then literally the owner was like in tears. He has this beautiful restaurant and he's stuck in some sort of process and he just can't get a a beer and wine license which is like $200. I'm like, why can't you get that
license? And he just can't navigate his way out of it. And I don't want him to become a vacancy. So, businesses like this, who are they reaching out to? I thought we, you know, they they're lost. Sudd uh good good evening or good afternoon everybody. Manny Marcus,
assistant director of finance. Sufra is one of my favorite restaurants. It's it's on my rotation of week. Can you go help them then? Because they It's not a a BTR issue. It's a planning and zoning issue. the required number of seats for for beer and wine. I think they're under those seats. So, they're not even at my
level for for taxation, but they probably have like 30 seats. I think they have some impact fee issues. So, I defer to to planning and zoning for that. Tom, can you reach out to them? I mean, it's, you know, these are our small businesses. They invested all this
money. I it I'm pretty sure because at one point that was Bernie's LA cafe and I'm sure that he had the same amount of seats and he for sure had beer and wine in that spot. So if it's impact or whatever it is, you know, we'll follow out. I just want to help our small businesses cuz he needs 30 seats for
beer and wine and 50 for for hard liquor. And if he has the seats, then there there's there's fees associated concurrency fees. So how much are there concurrency fees? out of curiosity. I just don't even know that.
I don't have the information, but if you're adding seats to a restaurant, depending on where you're located, there might be a parking impact fee associated with that. Um, there is a mobility fee associated with an increase in seats. And as Manny cor stated correctly, uh,
we do have minimum seat requirements for beer and wine license as well as liquor licenses. Now, somebody could potentially apply for a variance for a lesser number of seats. That might be another option, but I just don't I don't know the details off hand for this
restaurant. I don't I don't know. I just know that they're in a problem. I was just thinking I think it's a question of them filling the form out wrong because they bought an existing restaurant and then filled the form out wrong. All right. like you know we should have
somebody who's just willing to help our small like a small business hotline to navigate these issues and I don't know do we have something like that Manny where they could just call like and somebody will always pick up the phone you know like from 9 to call our call
our call center 604 city 6737000 and we'll help people call do people can you get a human hands yeah if I call right now will somebody pick up if I call call right now and someone will pick up 67 well right Now they're probably watching. I'm going to try. Oh, they're not watching. They're answering phone
calls. What? Yeah, that that's her call. So, while she's calling, let me ask you. No, Commissioner Bots next and then Commissioner Magazine. So, I actually have an item um coming up. I think we passed a referral on consent this morning to discuss how to help small
businesses. I know our our new business development um team does a a good job of providing resources, but how let's brainstorm on how to catch people before they get into this situation. And so and not here, not now. I mean that I'm just saying that this is an item that is
coming before us because hang on just one second. Um because there are too many times where somebody opens a business and either the realtor or the landlord or the permit exped expediter doesn't know doesn't share the information some and so they are
operating their business without the proper underpinnings. you know, the the details might vary. And it is the business owner, the small business owner who's trying to do the right thing and adding to the complex rich tapestry of our
community that is left holding the bag and they are generally, you know, barely making it uh, you know, from month to month. They're paying their rent. They're paying their employees. They are they're ekking out a living and people go to them, but all of a sudden they get hit with $5,000 something or rather. and
and so we need to make sure that they have the correct information and and so that's what that item is prepared to do. But what I'm curious about and this is a you question. It's also maybe a hen question. There seems to be a difference in the way people are treated if um
somebody goes in and is caught in a violation the first time versus if it's you know a sweep of you know doing the BTR review that comes out of your office and then they're at their given time, a month, two months, whatever to rectify
the situation. So, is there can you educate me on how that that's different and why it's different and is there a way to make it on par barring any bad actors? This is sins of um omission rather than commission. Um, this is why
this legislation is is very good because right now the ordinance says we shall close down a business after they've received their their third violation for a period of 13 months. This takes the shell out out of it and it says may with the city manager direction. Also,
manager Carpenter uh started a task force, a BTR task force where we have staff staff from from my office and staff from economic development. We hit the pavement every week. We've walked Alton Road, Washington Avenue, Collins Avenue, uh 41st Street, was 7 uh 71st
Street. We're walking all the business corridors and giving folks warnings because if if code goes out and they catch them uh violating the BTR ordinance, they give them a violation. But with the BTR task force, we're giving them 45 days to to come in and
get all their cryp done. some a lot of times they don't even have a CO so they have to start at the very beginning getting their their TCO CU and the BTR. So I'm ju just to redirect slightly I'm less interested in the third time third striker out thing because to me that's a
different issue. I'm talking about when somebody's first advised, right? So, when you advise them, you've got 45 minutes, 45 days to set it straight. You know, there may be some flexibility in that. And that's great. That's how it should be. And and there should be somebody that that they can talk to on
how to navigate the system if they didn't know. Um what I'm concerned with, I guess, is if somebody um gets a violation for they're in the same circumstances, but they didn't show up in the sweep,
let's say, but they did show up because code walked in and it it learned that they didn't have the CEO or the you know, whatever it is. But basically, it's the same thing. It's parody. It's their first violation. Um and it's a sin of omission, not commission. I'm not talking about the bad actors, the people
who know that they didn't open correctly, who, you know, trying to gain the system. I'm not interested in extending our our grace to them when they've been, you know, gotten two prior warnings. That's a different conversation. But for the first person, for the f the person who's getting a a
violation or getting caught, to use that term loosely, the first time by code, can we make that first time catch if you will, commensurate with what Manny's team does and say, you've got 45 days. Here are the phone numbers
you need. Here's the email. Get cracking. And because to me, if if you're regardless of how it's it's uncovered, if it's a sweep versus code walking in to check something else and it's determined that they don't have what they need and it's not somebody as
a bad actor, then they should be treated the same way. Yes, Commissioner Hern and Cardino for code complaints. And they are in those two scenarios that you uh just mentioned, they're treated identical. They're both shut down. And so what happened was I'm sorry. Hang on. I
thought Manny I thought you said that the the the the people aren't shut down. They've got 45 days to rectify. When my team with economic development goes out with the part of the BTR task force, we don't shut them down. That's what I'm saying. We give them the application. We That's what I'm saying. That's what I
want to have happen on the first. Right. So, as it stands now for code compliance with the amendments that happened back in March of 2023, that discretion was taken away and the word was added where it shall be shut down. But I thought it was shall be after the third, not after
the first. No, it's still on the first. First offense within a 12-month period punishable by $1,000 and the business shall be prohibited from operating until the required tax. Those two scenarios, they're handled identically by code compliance. That's different than the
BTR task force, which is like an advanced team who goes out and reaches out to the businesses and asks them to come in. If we go out there, we we don't have that discretion as of March of 2023. It's shell. Okay. But there are
instances when somebody hasn't been found through the advance team and it they're they're being out of compliance is something that you guys find generally. No. It's a BTR violation and you don't have it then you're subject to shutdown. Now on the front end, what we
do do is the high liability establishments, which is our tattoo parlors, our massage parlors, um maybe some of our salons, anywhere where someone is placing their hands on you, those are high liability. We do those right on the on the front and right October 1st, we start going through our
list by district, but those are proactive and it's still subject to shutdown on the first violation. ju just to just to be clear, what this ordinance does is it gives the manager the discretion whether to do the
13-month shutdown if it's upon a third violation within a 12-month period um or on a first violation if it's during a high impact period. It's not just for any first violation. I guess I guess what I'm trying to get at is if there is a firsttime violator
that code finds and I understand that most of the time that's not the case but if that should happen um that they be given the same 45 day period to rectify rather than shut down and and we have an item that's being referred to the finance committee about
that process uh about the process of individuals who on their first violation whether process is Is it a due process? Is an opportunity to cure in addition to the correction that we're uh initiating here on first reading. Uh changing it
from shall to may at the discretion of the city manager when it is known that is known knowingly and will what what is it knowingly and willfully correctly um violating the ordinance. So, this would be if you've had three violations,
instead of automatically being shut down, the city manager can make that decision. On the third violation, under the current code, they're shut down and prohibited from getting a BTR for 13 months. It gives me the discretion to
wave that 13-month penalty box, but they're still going to be shut down until they get a BTR. They're shut down by the third violation. they're going to be shut down. It's just a matter of they have to then get their
BTR before they can reopen. I have the discretion of allowing that prior to the 13-month run out. And how do we shut down that that business at the third at the third strike? How do we shut them down? Yeah. I mean, what if a business chooses to not
comply? You're like, "Yeah, I don't care. I'm still going to operate." then we go back out there and we shut them down again. But we do have instances sometimes where folks basically um you know kind of thumb
their nose at us and and try to operate around the system and through the mayor. If I may, I just want to make a clarification from the first violation the business is shut down until they receive a BTR. what we're talking about here, which is the third violation
within a 12-month period, the business is ineligible currently to obtain a BTR for 13 months. What this does, as as Nick explained, is that this makes it discretionary to the manager. But even from a first violation until they get a
BTR, they are shut down. So, I I've just if if I may through through the mayor, Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you. And um just hearing the discussion here in the deis with guidance from the city attorney
that could guide me perhaps we could start saying in the first offense within a 12-month period rather than starting with prohibiting them from operating until the required
tax receipt is obtained. giving them in that first offense 30 days, 45 days, something an appropriate amount of time to be able to
achieve their business tax receipt and let me and I would like guidance from the city attorney on that. Well, this is, you know, certainly a policy call, but um it could have unintended consequences if if you choose to go down that path
such as um you may you may allow this and there may be bad actors that you unwittingly are allowing to continue to operate for 30 days. Well, but perhaps we do have certain circumstances where the city
manager, you know, where the city manager still has authority, but the standard practice, like for example, there are individuals like going back to some of the examples I mentioned earlier, um you you know some
a shoe repair man that opens up shop and doesn't realize that they needed a BTR. are and shutting them down for a day, for a week until they're able to get their business tax receipt
that that could put them out of business. Well, especially the smaller the more unsuffic. So if we could give them a certain amount of time and except for extraordinary circumstances where the city manager could retain authority
um to if you know really extraordinary circumstances that he be able to suspend that BTR. Mr. If I may make a suggestion for your consideration, perhaps to provide, and I believe there's already an expedited hearing afforded to
somebody who is shut down, um allow the special magistrate to consider all of the facts and circumstances to determine if this individual or or business falls into the category of the, you know, shoe maker who, you know, missed the payment
by by accident versus one of the operators. That that has been a problem. And but I see there. I I still have a concern that that that that business is still going to be shut down until whenever we have a special master
hearing scheduled and and you know having to go through the docket and hoping that they don't get you know postponed rescheduled. I I would rather I would rather and I see Hernand shaking your head. Hearn and give give give me your feedback because
you're obviously expressing so some of the unintended consequences that our city attorney um kind of made mention of. Think about our um illegal charters and our vessels who don't have BTRs that would give them that same time to
come into compliance. Think about our short-term rentals and zoning where it's allowed. there would be no certificate of use and there would be no life safety inspections by our fire department and it would grant them that same amount of time to come into compliance with the BTR. That's the unintended consequences
here. So why don't Okay. So why don't you all how I would like for us at finance because we did refer this this broader discussion to finance um identify what are categories that
shouldn't like of course we're trying to address the issue with everything happening with the with the party votes and and and all that. Um and you mentioned the types of businesses where you need to place your hands on someone's body. Understood
those are issues that are health and safety oriented. Um so identify the businesses the category of businesses or the category of violation where you could allow them to
rectify the issue without a shutdown. And then the ones where without a BTR you absolutely have to shut it down. And Mr. Manager seems like you wanted to speak. I just I wanted to just give a little bit of context. I mean the
movement that we made in 23 going from May to SHA I think was a function of the fact that we had identified I I want to say it was more than 600 outstanding BTRs some of which were
multiple years where people had not come in and because they weren't you know staying current they weren't getting notices oto October one of the following year that they needed to apply reapply
for their BTR and so they were just into this cycle. So I think the whole concept was to try to you know incentivize everybody to get back into the system which is why we implemented the advanced team to go out and touch base with them.
How are we doing on the total number of of folks that are non-compliant as far as we know? We we have a hard time tracking that exact number, but as of today, 96% of our BTRs have paid their renewals for for this current fiscal
year. So only 4% have not paid yet. Th those 4% have been turned over to code. Also, the task force works. Uh last year around this time, anecdotally, we had approximately 7,000 businesses in the city of Miami Beach. Today, we have over 8,100 businesses. And that's from
hitting the pavement and going block by block, door by door. So from 7,000 to 8,100 licensed businesses in in Miami Beach. So we're going to continue with the task force. We hit the streets every week and the task force is great and that was a very important task force. Um
the manager's idea. Yeah. But um I I I would just say that an issue was identified. The policy was created to address the problem. But hopefully the goal is to eliminate the
problem. And when the problem is eliminated or the problem is solved, hopefully then the very ownorous policy going back to the excellent point my colleague Commissioner Magazine made, you know, hopefully then you can bring back rein in some of the more ownorous
policies on on our businesses. Um, and so, you know, you're telling me that today we are at 96% paid uh paid uh for BTRs. Does that is that better than where we were at at the beginning of this task force? Oh, yeah.
We were about 88 87. So, and we're moving the needle forward. Okay. And I mean, we're almost at 100%. And and that means, you know, Yeah. Excellent work. We're It's a one big team. We can't do our work without co- compliance. We
can't expect well we'll never have 100% because you always have those businesses that don't that go out of business business or BTRs that you may have for temporary uh activities because you do also have BTRs for for temporary
activities and so and so I would just say and I'm sorry and others that never got a BTR and others that have never encouraging that business, whatever it may be, charter vessel, salon, whatever it may be, to operate until we get
caught. And until we get caught, then will afford them that window to come into compliance. So, so the 96% doesn't account for like what we had this weekend, we had two vessels that had never been in the system, had never gotten a BTR, um, and they fall under
number one, first offense, shut down. You can't do chartering of your vessel until you get a business tax receipt. Maybe it's as simple as going back to May instead of shall. Well, if I could, and I love where you're going with this,
right, because we want to we don't want to be ownorous onto the good operators or those aspiring to be the good operators. So I think where we can land this plane is by yes may but giving some discretion to you and maybe the
conversation shifts to what should the default be where you are not automatically shut down for operating without a BTR the first time but the city manager reserves the right to shut you down if you are a problematic actor
like a a charter or a short-term rental or is the default fault that you are shut down, but the city manager reserves the right to uh restore your ability to continue operating while you apply. I if I have any say in that, I would
much prefer that I'm allowed to grant leniency rather than heavier hammer. Um I think if people's expectation is that they're going to get hit with a heavy hammer, then they're appreciative on getting some leniency.
But if they expect leniency off the get-go, a lot of times they will push the envelope. But then I would I would agree with what has been stated. You know, perhaps, you know, when we look at this first offense, uh, you know, the
first offense within a 12-month period punishable by a $1,000 fine, and the business may changing from SHA to May, be prohibited from operating until the required tax receipt is is obtained and
continuing like that, you know, for for for the second and third, you know, changing that shall to May, right? the vote and and then we have the separate item uh that was the referral to finance and Rick, how does that
differentiate from this? Well, and if I may first, because if you were trying to follow what the city manager recommended, I think what he's recommending is that it would remain as a shell, but it will say, but the city manager may wave this or grant a period
of 30 days to come into compliance because if you make it a may, then now you are giving him a hammer as opposed to a get out of jail free card. or you could go either way if you want. I I think that's I think that's
accurate. I think that's um a reasonable approach. Uh I would want to have a little bit more flexibility than 30 days because there are going to be circumstances where somebody has a grease trap issue for for lack of a
better term and and we know that a grease trap issue can't be resolved in 30 days. That that would be my my only ask. You know, maybe it's 90 days or something along those lines. 90 days. And I'm
sorry, explain the 90 days again. The the default position is if you don't have a BTR, you can't operate. But in certain circumstances, the manager has the discretion to allow them up to 90
days to get their paperwork in order that you're proposing. That's I mean I'm not a policy maker. I'm just offering that. I I feel a lot more comfortable with that because I'm very worried about the unintended consequences. I mean I'm already hearing rumblings from small businesses saying, "Well, that guy is
not, you know, being held accountable. Why should I?" And I don't want that. And it's we know it's hard enough to get businesses open here. We don't want people to say, you know what, let them come find me, right? Because that's what's going to happen. That is just what's going to happen. So, I'm much more comfort. But I do understand the
desire to help um a small business that just gets caught in not caught like you for doing something bad, but gets tripped up by not knowing. Um and then us having the not us but the manager
having the discretion to evaluate the situation and if warranted um provide some some relief in time to get the issue addressed. But it it needs to be somebody who really didn't know or
really had, you know, thought that all the paperwork was complete because they have the sign thing from the permit expediter, whatever. But, you know, folks who are just trying to pull a fast one, not okay, I think, but not every one may assume that someone's trying to pull a fast one, but there's just a lot
of people with good intentions. No. And I and I agree and that's why I'm saying let's let's give Eric the opportunity to evaluate the facts there. You know, I think that's right that most people are um trying to do the right thing. But we know I mean when I was on the planning board, you know, we had a very large
operator constantly coming back. I don't know there were 18 maybe 18 um episodes over my three years on the planning board. Maybe I don't know 12 maybe. I don't know what it was, but it was like ridiculous. Like they know what they're supposed to do. They're bad actors, right? So, I'm not I'm not trying to
give those guys a a way out. I'm trying to help those small folks who are really truly trying to do the right thing. And I think this does that with maintaining keeping the lid on it a little bit more than changing it to me. So, tell me where we're at now because this this
policy has evolved. So, I let's let's circle back and tell us where where are we in an amendment for So, I think would be the miss the the the attorney. Well, the other thing you you asked the question, how does this compare to the
referral? You do have a referral to finance to discuss due process and how it might be different for certain businesses that are health safety related versus certain violations that might be more administrative in nature where somebody forgot to pay the bill.
Um, one thought for consideration would be to leave this in place until you have that discussion um, at FK or if you want to act immediately and do something now um, you could either go the route that you initially mentioned which was to say
the the BTR or that the business may not be able to operate or to say the shell not be operable to operate but giving the city manager discretion to give them a a free you know get out of jail free card for lack of a better term. Yeah, I I just think that the committee
discussion is probably going to be very involved. I mean, as we're seeing something that I thought was going to be simple. There's a lot of complexities, rightfully so, and these are policies that have been created out of need because of impacts of people's quality of life and their safety. And so, I
think for I I do want to move forward with with with this ordinance. So, tell me where we are in the amendment, the amended form of this ordinance. Sure. Um well you you suggested to change shall to May and I mentioned that if you wanted to be more consistent with what
the manager recommended it would rather than changing may uh uh shall you leave it as a shall but you allow the manager discretion to provide a a reasonable period of time to come into compliance. Is that good? Fine with that. Okay let's
call the vote. All right. is it is a public hearing and I have well I'm sorry we should define what is or are you going to give the manager discretion as to the period of time I think that might make sense we can work on that between first and second reading
we have uh by Mal's by Mal's iPhone requesting to speak please go ahead sir you have two minutes state your name address yes my name is Bal Ray I'm thankful to commissioners and mayor and man city manager for helping small
businesses and being compassionate. Small businesses do suffer most of the time and our process can be tedious and they're being compassionate. I was listening to all of them. I applaud and salute them and thank you for helping
rightfully businesses and this is just to thank you all. Thank you sir. Thank you for your comments. Uh Gus, you're up next. State your full name, address, and you have two minutes. Yes. Gus Minesis, Blackat Cigar Lounge. I'd like to say uh
big thank you to Alex uh city manager, uh the mayor, and um whoever else was involved with this. Um I have to say uh a small business like mine and uh which is basically administrative uh did suffer for the past two and a
half months uh now but we stayed afloat somehow by using our money personal money and loans. Uh some businesses cannot do that. So what you did today and doing today is going to help a lot of businesses like myself and some that could not afford to be closed not even
for two weeks. So with this in mind I just want to say thank you. Uh thank you Alex. We've worked hard with Alex back and forth. He never let me down and he stuck to his word to put it in front of the commission and I do appreciate it. And Eric, I hope I get to meet you and I
know you're going to do the right thing. Thank you very much for everyone. Thank you. Thank you. There is no one else in the audience and no one else in Zoom. I need a motion, please. Second. of a motion to approve as amended by Commissioner Fernandez,
seconded by Mayor Miner, Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Yes. Yes. Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Commissioner Bach, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, yes. Commissioner Magazine is a yes. Mayor
Miner, yes. Motion carry. Second reading public hearing is scheduled on July 23rd. The item is as amended, R5 AF. Thank you. And as you said, Manny, good team work. R7H R7H is a public hearing approved
commemorative plaque for Arthur Martin 999 11th Street. How can we do this without Deborah here? Go ahead. Hi Elizabeth. Uh good afternoon. This is basically to establish a a memorial plaque on 9911
street building where currently we have the police athletic league uh in commemoration of Arthur Martino. Sure. Obviously he was it was such a big part of his life and the impact that he made on the on the pal. Exactly. So I
think it's a great item. I'll second. I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, a seconded by Mayor Miner. It is a public hearing. I see no one on Zoom and no one in the audience requesting to speak. May I call the RO? Yes. All in favor of R7H, please say I.
I. Hearing no one opposed, the item passes. For the record, Commissioner Magazine is a yes. Item is approved. 70. Uh R7 J. We're going to call R7J, R7K, R7 L. R7J is established pay plan for
classified service. Ask me others approved their 3% COLA. R7K establish established pay plan for classified service CWA approved 3% COLA. And R7L established pay plan for unclassified service approved 3% cola. So we're doing
R7 JK and L. I move the item. No discussion. I think we're good. Let's vote. We have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner Suarez. All in favor of R7J K&NL, please say I. I. I. Thank you. Commissioner uh
magazine is also a yes. So the item is approved 70. The three items are approved. R 70. R7M uh R7N is amendment one to grant agreement for Miami City Ballet GB Arts
and Culture. Move the item. I'll second it. Call the vote. R7M. I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner Bot. All in favor, please say I. I. Item is approved. 6.
Commissioner Magazine is absent. Call R70. R70 is enhanced public transportation senior centers midsize midsize bus service. Yeah, happy to sponsor this. Thank you to uh my co-sponsors, Commissioner Dominguez, Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez,
Commissioner Fernandez. I think that's the votes right there. Um, again, this is a finance item that I'll go into the uh into the bucket, but uh I brought this and I think my my co-sponsors and all of us have heard similar um
suggestions, I would say, from our from our seniors and our senior living uh facilities that it's it's can be very challenging for them to to get to basic grocery shopping. Um, obviously we have trolleys in certain places we have the freebie, but this would be a dedicated
midsize bus that would come to their facility once a week, take them uh to to shop and uh and they can do their shopping discounted and um it's something we hear I hear over and over and over again and I and it's just it breaks my heart when I see them ask uh
knowing how difficult it can be for them to uh to they're they're not as mobile obviously as as many of us. So like to get this uh passed today and on to the next onto the next round and uh while we have our budget discussions. I'll move it. Second. Okay, let's call a vote.
Have a motion by Commissioner Bot, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez. All in favor, please say I. I. I. Motion passes. For the record, Commissioner Magazine is a yes on this item. The item is approved. 70. R sevenP. R7P is direct administration
to deploy additional police decoy vehicles. R7P. Oh, actually before I'm I'm calling the item, but R70 is also there was a companion item on R9L. So, which was a discuss uh an update and that's I guess got a resolution. So, if
we can just call R9L as well. So, at least we we call R9L discuss take action enhance public transportation at senior center midsize bus service. That was a discussion. Yeah. So, so you want to link it and have just link it. It's already done. We'll probably end up just combining them.
List me as a co-sponsor of that. I'm sorry, Commissioner. I didn't hear you. List me as a co on that I know linked Fernandez. Okay. Sorry. RP
R sevenP direct administration to deploy additional police decoy. Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez. So, as we've had complaints around single family neighborhoods of, you know, burglaries or home intrusions and
especially in certain areas, we found that these decoy cars for $600 each can are retrofitted with this solar powered lighting system. And um and it just distract detracts burglars. It's an
inexpensive way to um you know to have a police presence without paying a police officer and um I'd like us to deploy as many as possible because I'd rather have a decoy vehicle retrofitted with the solar lights than you know have you know
actual police well listen I'd rather have both but the truth of the matter is is that it's inexpensive it's effective and uh I think this is great for our neighborhoods. So, um, with that, I would, um, you know, move my item. Second. Yeah. No, it's good item. Thank
you. Uh, I will give I'll give a shout out to our police, though, because there were certain areas that we were seeing, uh, oftentimes homeless individuals who are sort of hiding out in homes or some auto we were having areas with auto
burglaries and it really has uh, minimized significantly. I know there was a lot of police work. Um I I personally saw uh late at night police vehicles driving through residential neighborhoods. Uh there was undercover
work as well. Um it's never gone, but really it you did a great job u minimizing that. Uh so thank you. Thank you for that. The uh but I agree with you, Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. The cars, especially now with the new solar powered retrofit lights,
is great. It's a little You used to have a decoy car just sitting there with the lights off. kind of new now. It's a little harder to tell that it's just a decoy car. Uh, so we have a motion in a second. Have a motion by Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, second by Commissioner
Hernandez. All in favor of R 7P, please say I. I. I. Anyone opposed? Hearing no. The item is approved. 6. Commissioner Magazine is absent. R seven R. R7R approved $25,000 grant to
police athletic league. Commissioner Bot. Um so this is an item I I guess um I guess okay um De will come and and talk about it in a moment, but this is
basically an opportunity for us to um get the table set for the PAL to move forward with a clean slate. There was um there's a little bit of a disconnect between what needed to happen and where they are now. And this will
allow them to um to fund it, to get it corrected, and to move forward. Do we need to add Do we need to add anything or move it? I'll just move it then. I heard a motion by Commissioner Bot and
a second by Commissioner Suarez. Vice Mayor Suarez, R7R, call the vote. Uh, all in favor of R sevenR, please say I. Anyone opposed? Hearing none, the item is approved. 6. Commissioner of magazine is absent.
R7S. R7S create task force to enforce camping and other quality of life offenses. Commissioner Suarez, co-sponsored by Commissioner Magazine. which is Yep. That's what we're doing.
R9 R9U is discuss take action address city's persistent criminal homeless population. So we're doing R 7S and R9U. Thank you. Figured we just get it all done once. Commissioner Suarez. Thank
you. Um so I have a I have a little slideshow. PJ, if you could put up the of course anti-amping. Okay. So, um, everyone up here knows the situation with the, uh, the homeless and
criminal activity. We get the sins all the time, uh, on a moment's notice. And, um, you know, what we get, the public doesn't necessarily see. So, I want to just give the public a little taste of what we get pretty much on a daily
basis. So, you can go to the next slide, please, DJ. Um, and I'm I'm going to point out some of the most heinous crimes from these homeless individuals. Um, Am Hamas says a man accused of threatening to bomb Jewish schools in
Miami Beach, according to police. Next, man accused of punching a 73-year-old tourist in Miami Beach, threatening bystanders with a knife. Homeless. Next. Man accused of buying tea and alcohol raping her in Miami Beach.
Another homeless individual. Next. Man arrested in connection with a tip jar theft at Miami Beach business. Next, police arrest 39-year-old man accused of exploiting exposing himself to a seven-year-old girl in Miami Beach. Another homeless individual. Next.
As we all know, this man was arrested in Miami Beach uh for a crime spree spree. He held up one of our commissioners, Commissioner Magazine, had a gun in his own condominium parking garage. He was homeless. Next,
transwoman uh murdered while sleeping outside Miami City Ballet. I think I believe by a metal pipe, another homeless individual. Next, uh I believe this is the homeless individual that attacked uh one of our
long-standing residents, Joe Manning, um and sexually abused her. Next, uh man, 34 accused of stabbing a friend while they watched soccer game in Miami Beach. Another homeless. Next,
uh two homeless males involved in verbal altercation leads to one getting stabbed in the abdomen. Next woman was fatally beaten in South Beach over a neck a snatch necklace. Police say one jailed. So someone died over a snatch necklace. This was a homeless on
homeless crime. Next Miami Beach rapist is Illinois sexual predator who failed to register then sexually assaulted women rollerblading down the beachwalk. Another homeless individual. Next. Homeless individuals showering in public beaches completely nude and few of the
public. Next, and I hope everyone's paying attention to the slot to the dates because they're very close to each other. Uh, man beats Miami Beach Hotel employee threatens to rape her. Another homeless individual. Next, man accused of homophobic beating in
South Beach. Nothing short of hate and violence. Next. Man accused of attacking, raping women walking near Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Another homeless individual. Next. And here's a video showing a man
stabbing a couple after an argument near Miami Beach Cafe. This was on the news. Next. Um, this is another bond denied for man charged with sexually battering terrorist in Miami Beach. Another homeless individual. Next
woman's night out with people she trusted turns into a nightmare of stranger in South Beach. Can only imagine what happened. Next. And here's a homeless man accused of spitting on chasing business owner with pipe in Miami Beach. Next
video shows man cops say inserted himself into South Beach Street light, stabbed victim, breaking it up. Next. And and I think this is the last slide. A man accused of hitting an 82-year-old with tequila bottles screamed he was going to kill the lesbians gays
caregiver says. Next, this is 7 News at 10. Now at 10 and on just one station, two violent and vicious attacks. First, it was a blood bath. The poor thing in his
wheelchair. an elderly man falling victim to a brutal beating and he banned the bottle and broke it on his head. Then police raced to save a woman stalked and stabbed. Okay, you you
Thank you. So, look, I I don't I'm not trying to belver this, right? But there it's a lot, you know. Um, and when I looked at the statistics, uh, from
January 1st, 2025 to June 17th, 2025, was a total of 2400 arrests, 22,441. Um, of those 1,028 were identified as homeless. So 42% of
all the crimes in that time period comparatively to last year and comparing the rate homeless defendants in Miami Beach faced 191 charges for violent crimes. That's one that's more than one violent
crime every other day. And he says rape um battery burglary. I don't know if actually I don't know if it's burglary or I think it's wars um murder and uh manslaughter
and okay approximately 40% of all arrests in 2024 were homeless individuals. So in the January 2025 point in time uh report an unsheltered population of 106 individuals. So if there's 106
individuals and you have this many violent crimes, certainly it it doesn't seem like we're we're addressing the problem where it is. And so if there is if if there's a
certain segment of criminals, uh nearly half of them are homeless. I think it only makes sense that to have a task force to address um
the the the the anti-amping ordinance that we passed well the previous commission passed a couple years ago. Go to next slide please. That's it. So um what what can you explain what the task
force would be? So I I believe we have I believe the police department has an outreach um task force in in the police department, Mr. City Manager, and through the mayor. Um, and I don't believe it it is responsible for
enforcing uh our anti-amping laws. I think I think uh a lot of it has to do with providing um services to to homeless individuals, engaging homeless individuals, but from
my understanding, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. matter. There is no dedicated task force that uh goes out and enforces the anti-amping ordinance that we have passed. And so what I'm proposing is that through the
city manager, there is a a division in the police department that does exactly that. um doesn't have to be 24/7, but if we're going to be enforcing anti-amping, it only makes sense to be
enforcing it in after sunset. Um and and do whatever we can to to to address this because if you look at the same period as last year, I I gave those stats between uh January 1st and July, it was at 36%
all in all uh crimes committed by uh homeless people. Now it's 42%. So there is an increase from last year to this year. And I think it's wise to really address this. I mean, you know, we we certainly go through the pain of of and
and political capital of passing these laws. They're sometimes very controversial and if it's not if it's not enforced, then it's all in vain. So um with that, I'd welcome the discussion. and my
colleagues to uh hear what your thoughts are. Yeah, thank you. Uh appreciate you pointing out uh obviously some of the issues we face and and uh certainly we work to correct them. I'm going to play a little bit good cop for a moment. Sometimes I play the bad cop, but I'm
going to play good cop. So, as you pointed out, the numbers were 106, uh which I think a couple years ago we were at 250. um that decrease significant decrease uh more than have is uh in obviously large part due to our police department, our
homeless outreach teams and the work you do. It's also this body, this commission that passed legislation giving our police department, this is even before the state passed similar legislation giving our police department the tools if someone is sleeping in public and
they refuse the shelter. Supreme Court does not require the shel us to offer it, but we continue to offer that and if they refuse the shelter that we offer, then they can be arrested. Um, so we're we're providing you the tools and and obviously I think you're doing doing a
nice job. What's interesting is and we all face it because we are taking homelessness seriously and compassionately. We spend millions of dollars to help homeless individuals get back on their feet. Homeless. We have the most fullervice homeless walk-in
center in the entire county. We continue to get criticized and vilified, but nobody in the county, 34 cities, offers what we offer. It's incredible the compassionate and humane humanity that we have. But yet for many circles, the
media and others, we continue to get criticized that we do not uh handle the the homeless with compassion because yet we are going to enforce our laws. There is a criminal component to homelessness as Commissioner Suarez is pointing out
with your 42% numbers and we are going to enforce the laws. Make no doubt about it. Our residents demand it. They expect it and they should. Um, I mean, we have a there's a memo actually here, uh, just some stats that to give you an interesting perspective. This is a a
memo from Mayor Danielle Levian Cava from Miami Date County to the chairman of the county commission, Anthony Rodriguez, May 13th, 2025. And in it she she writes that 165 arrests were made relating to the state law relating to
anti-amping and 160 were attributed to the city of Miami Beach. I'm actually proud of that. I'm actually proud of that. I think it shows that we're doing our job and uh people shouldn't shouldn't be camping on the street. Evidently based on these stats that we
made 160 other 165 over uh looks like a January 1st 20 about a year and a half period other cities are not similarly enforcing it. But I I just wanted to give that kudos to to our police department for doing that. And uh but I
do agree there's more to do and we need to keep pushing. but also the responsiveness. I I personally sometimes I call it in and sometimes our residents tell more times our residents tell me when they call the police are there very quickly. I just had a conversation more
than one conversation of people living in LA. They call nobody comes. They're not coming. That's what they tell me. I'm just basing on what people who live there tell me. So I appreciate the the responsiveness as well and taking this issue as seriously as as we do.
just um just and just to follow through, you know, I don't want it to be where an elected official has to call, right? And it gets taken seriously. Um I think No, it's residents, too. I was just saying that sometimes I I call and sometimes
residents call me and then I they don't call 911, but they call me and I pass it along. Yeah. And and I think where we're getting at is we don't want it to have to be necessarily resident driven. I I think there needs to be a more proactive approach from the police department. Um,
you know, similar to how Alba and her team goes out, I don't know if it's every four months. Now, we can go out three times a week. Oh, no. And while you go out and do the count, you can also, you know, offer services or or make the arrest. Um, so I
have a question on that actually because I'm sorry, I promised I promised Commissioner Dominguez, Commissioner Bot, and Commissioner Fernandez. So yeah, um just we more my intent is to be more proactive. Um Dominguez, are you
finished? Sorry. Yeah, sure. Commission Dominguez, thank you. Um I have seen the police be proactive on that. I've gone out on Bell Isisle and uh seen groups of police officers. I always check in when I'm walking my dog and they're like, "No, we're doing um our focus today is
homeless encampments." And I've heard from residents that it's happening in other areas and maybe the chief can expand how often you do it because I do know it happens. Sure. Thank you so much, Wayne Jones, police chief, and thanks giving me the opportunity to speak on on this topic. Um, one of the
things I'm proud of and mayor may sort of touched on this. We arrest more homeless people um for committing criminal offenses than any other police department in this county. in fact more than most police departments combined in this county. Nonetheless, homeless
issues persist um because as I've said so many times so many people, homelessness in of itself is not just a police issue. It's really a societal issue and we do our very best to um to address it. We're the only police
department in the county that has a sergeant plus a professional staff member with lived experience in homelessness, plus four police officers assigned to addressing homeless issues. And to Commissioner Sor's point, they
don't only make arrests when necessary, they do a whole host of other things to include supporting the city's homeless outreach team in offering services, providing that service once it's it's um accepted. They don't simply just arrest for
violation of the county ordinance. We do however and have been doing this for quite some time and just reimplemented this June 11th where we have two police officers twice a week on overtime to go out and they focus narrowly on enforcing
the sleeping camping ordinance. So we've been doing that um and we'll continue to do that. Uh but understanding your point, Commissioner, we we hear you. We'll pivot. We'll make some changes in how we address the camping ordinance.
Commissioner, uh Commissioner Bach, Commissioner Fernandez, Commissioner Magazine, I just wanted to um correct something that was said since it was said in the public record. Um, one of our residents was um, threatened and,
you know, attacked verbally by a homeless person, but she was not se sexually assaulted. And I want to put that in the record because that's a thing that has a lot of emotional baggage for some people and it did not happen to her
thankfully. Not taking away from any of the points you're making. Just wanted to correct the record. Commissioner Fernandez and Commissioner Magazine. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you, Commissioner Suarez, for um highlighting the issues and the challenges with homelessness. Something
that I've always tried to be very aware of is managing expectations also as it relates to as it as as it relates to homeless issues as it relates to you know arrest of homeless individuals
the transient nature of homeless populations. Um because we are in an urban environment. We are in an urban environment that is a destination that has public transportation running through here. Um, and so it is natural
that regardless of the efforts that we engage in, we're going to have a homeless population. It's Do I like that? No. Do I wish we we we could have a zero homeless
population? Yes. But it's just the reality of it. I mean, the reality is we to this day have a bus that goes from TGK out in West Miami Dade that comes all the way to 41st
Street, stops in front of the Burger King, that goes onto Collins Avenue, that comes around up to Lincoln Road, and and it's it's a revolving door that no matter the the 1,00
21 homeless individuals that the Miami Beach Police Department arrested this year. They got out of jail because judges let them get out of jail.
They get on a bus that brings them back to Miami Beach. the the sign outside of that correctional facility says on that bus sign it says destination Miami Beach Lincoln Road.
That is what's outside of the correctional facility. I thought you fixed that. No, we haven't fixed that because unfortunately the entity that needs to collaborate is not very willing to collaborate and they make every excuse in the book as to why we can't
change that. Why not us? Why they can't change that? And and it's it's very frustrating. It is very frustrating because we are the only city that has that as the destination point that right outside of the correctional
facility. So no matter the amount of money we spend, the amount of effort of this police department, the reality is that public transportation is going to bring them back into our city. I would say our efforts are best spent.
Commissioner Rosen Gazans, you once said we should have a lobbyist at the county. Maybe we do need to get a lobbyist to go to the county and try to advocate to fix this on our behalf because then you will see that the rapist, the murderer that
killed the transgender uh woman, the guy that is praying on on on the elderly, the guy that got the tequila bottle and broke it over over over someone, the one that is engaging in theft.
that those guys don't make their way back to Miami Beach. Absent that, any expectation that the men and women of the Miami Beach Police Department are going to be able to create an iron curtain and keep the homeless criminal
homeless population. There not there are homeless individuals who are who who are not criminal. We're talking about criminal homeless individuals. the thought that the Miami Beach Police Department is able to do this iron curtain and prevent homeless criminal
individuals being released from TGK from making their way back into our city. It's it's unfortunately a false expectation. It is it is a false expectation. Now, I know you have an operation
that is done on a weekly basis that's separate than the compassionate outreach that is done. And I think that that is important. And I and so so you have Sergeant Jerome Burian together with Bo Hall
together with the Office of Housing and Community Services and they go out once a week. Is that correct? Yes. And those are the compassionate missions where where where they try to get individuals into
housing. Yes. All right. But separate than that, that's on the compassion side. Separate that there are more enforcement related missions that you that your department is involved with. That's
correct. And even on those uh weekly joint missions with the city's homeless outreach team, the road police officers not only to be there to support the homeless outreach team and to encourage people to take shelter, take help, but they observe criminal activity. Their job is also to make the arrest as well.
Separate apart from that, we also have a twice weekly mission where we pay two officers um twice a week to go out and their sole purpose is to enforce the county ordinance. That's so that's that's overtime. That's overtime. Yeah. And so
how can we get that out of overtime is I because that's a concern. Overtime costs us more money. How can we get that out of overtime and do it more frequently so we can address the concern that Commissioner Suarez has that I share the
concern as as well and not limited because and and I'll tell you Commissioner Suarez your item is great but I do have a concern that when we focus on specific areas when we say well we're going to focus on Lincoln Road, Washington Avenue, Collins Park, Alto
Demar Park and in the beachwalk. Addressing homelessness is like water. Water is like a balloon is water in a balloon. It shifts. It finds gravity. If you put the task force only on Lincoln Road and only on Washington Avenue and
only in Col Collins Park and only on and Altom, you know what's going to happen? They're going to be hanging out behind the bank on 41st Street. We're going to see more of them at the Burger King on 41st Street. We're going to see more of them on the bus stop on on 41st Street.
We're going to see more of them hang out by the pump stations. This happens. We're going to see more of them go into the golf courses. We're going to see more of the homeless individuals sleeping in in in the breezeway of of the Sunset Harbor garage where where
Panther uh Coffee is at. We're going to see more of the homeless individuals going into south of Fifth and find finding alleyways and we're going to see more more of them move to to to sleep behind apartment buildings and they're
going to find uh porches of people's homes and they're going to try to go over there. So, when you have a task force of this nature that is targeted in a specific area, you're not going to solve the problem. you're going to move
the problem. What I feel that the to address the bigger problem is that we need the more consistent enforcement of this operation but citywide so that they have the ability to move to where the issue is is
going. Yeah. Well, the folks I'm talking about much like Jerome Baron and his team, they are citywide. They typically go where the hot spots are and sometimes driven by complaints is where they focus their energies on any given day. So one day they may be in South Beach everyone
another night they may be in North Beach or mid beach depending on where the issues are. Yeah. And uh Commissioner Magazine was next. So how do we get that to be more regular, more consistent because and we've had this conversation multiple
times. Yeah. I really don't think doing doing that operation um that proactive enforcement operation on the camping orders and I'm not talking about the compassionate mission. I'm talking now about the enforcement mission. That enforcement mission I feel
once a week is not sufficient. And so what is it that you need in order to be able to do that more frequently? Do you feel we should be doing it more frequently? and and and and what are the resources that you need to do that?
Well, certainly, Commissioner, there is some some capacity issues that we can probably try to maximize. For example, one of the things we do, and I think this is smart, not costing any type of overtime or additional uh dollars uh from our budget is oftent times between
the overlap times between the afternoon shift and our midnight shift uh coming on and the afternoon shift going home, we assign police officers specific task. This could be one of those those tasks. This could be uh we can assign officers to and that I think would provide the consistency you just asked about. But
okay, but isn't that the same that we're now putting on the 100 blocks? Partly, yes. So, how are we going to have them do the 100 blocks while going to different parts in our city to do the enforcement of the camping? Well, the
100 block initiative is a temporary initiative. It's going to be shortlived. Um and once that's done obviously we can shift resources. Uh I think we may have the capacity even while it's going on to shift limited resources do some of what you're asking us to do. Okay. And now
how do we get because I think the bigger thing also is making sure that every police officer is engaging with the homeless individuals. And I gotta say, I um two weeks ago uh I was in Tallahassee
for a graduation and there was an issue with with with a homeless in individual. A homeless individual was having an issue with someone on the street. I literally saw a police officer pull over in his in his car, get out of it, and
address the situation. And and I I like it just stuck out to me. I wish I would have taken a picture of it because it just like to me, okay, this is what it should be, you know, people just proactively without being asked engaging with the homeless. And I feel like
sometimes we get used to seeing a lot of these homeless individuals and we become familiar with the homeless individuals and we almost become immune to to to the fact that they were there. But how do we remind, how do we encourage, how do we instill in the police officers that
responsibility that when you see homeless individuals, you need to engage the homeless individuals, you need to offer them uh services, but most importantly, when they are violating the camping ordinance, we have to proceed with enforcing that. Yeah. Glad you saw
that interaction in Tallahassee. Um, that's exactly what a cop should have done. I I can tell you all of our cops here in the police department have been trained in in the enforcement of the camping ordinance and retrained in the camping enforcement ordinance and and I expect them to I'm sure they are doing
the same type of engagement you witness in Tallahassee. I just fear I fear like for example you know we have the high visibility detail mid beach the high visibility details throughout the entire city but like for example mid beach I know that in mid
beach there's been times I've seen issues with homeless in in individuals that unless it's brought to the officer's attention is not necessarily addressed. That's where I fear I I feel like that we just need to be a little
bit more proactive with that. Yeah. No, I echo that as as I'll I'll give the kudos, but for our police force, we would have a serious problem that we couldn't even imagine. So, I give you that credit, but I do echo the
sentiments that despite all the success and the kudos that I'll give you, we could even do more. But the reality is, yeah, we could do more. We are at 106. Yes, we were at 250 and you mentioned it, Mr. Mayor. I think just the reality is that we can't think that we're going
to get to zero though it is a great goal and I but I just think there is reality there is expectation to manage and there is just something that is out of our control which is the fact that we have public transportation bringing back
these individuals over here and many of them ride their bikes across the causeways on a daily basis and those are two things that no matter what each one of our officers do, those are two things that we can't control that keeps
attracting people back into our city. Commissioner Magazine. Yeah. My goal for Miami Beach is simple. It's nothing short than being the best city in the world to live, to visit, to raise a family. Um, we're not there yet, but that doesn't mean every single day I
don't walk and admire and be thankful for the great things that we have and this beautiful paradise we live in. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. I can look at you, chief, and your entire staff and say kudos to the job
you've done. Right. Truly, I mean, that's backed up by the stats. It's backed up by the stats. but in the same breath say let's keep pushing for more right let's aspire to be even better than we were when we woke up this morning and I think that's simply what
we're asking for here right it is to say it's proven out by the data that we're doing more than any other city in Miami D county and we recognize that fact and we recognize the the great work that your men and women have done but let's keep pushing right and a lot of this is
actually preventative so there could be detective that maybe that's not his core unit, but when we go and see 42% of our crimes are committed by homeless, a lot of these turning into very serious things. A lot of this could be getting out in front before some of those
serious crimes happened. So, I'm supportive of the task force. Uh I'm indifferent to whether we center it on certain areas or do citywide. I I'll leave that to uh you where your resources are best deemed even if it is
officially citywide, but you kind of concentrate on the areas where you know to be hot spots. But that also brings me to my next point is this can't be one-sided, right? And I've said that since uh the day I was elected. You do your job, but we also need to do our job
legis legislatively. We can't arrest our way out of all of these things. And we need to examine public safety through better urban planning. Right? It's staring us in the face. I mean,
it's danger of asking a question you don't know the answer to, but I'm pretty sure I do. What's a bigger strain on your resources and uh a more problematic area? uh Washington Avenue in front of Pure Vita
or Collins Avenue where we see every video at Mitch Novak's house that that would be certainly the 100 block of uh Ninth Street and I can tell you anecdotally I'm pretty confident that a data would support this would be
the 100 block of ninth street right and so we need to sit here and self-reflect and say what is it about areas like that that are attracting an element that certainly is not conducive for our city that we're not proud of and we could put a police
station right there. We could move it three blocks to the east and you're still going to have problems there. Why? Right? Why do we have a mega pizza and a liquor store uh one block away from one of the most iconic beaches in the entire world, right? And then we need to self-reflect and say, what do we want to
be as a city and how can we make legislative changes perhaps through urban planning about how to make that area better? Because we all sit up here and we notice our police budget is uh first responders and public safety 60 62% of our entire budget, right? We have
a finite pie that just can't keep growing more. So, we need to look at other ways to address public safety other than just throwing more resources, more resources, more resources because that's a finite pie. So, I'll wrap it up
and try and be concise. Kudos to you and your team. Thank you for what you've done. Just as I expect the same out of myself where I'm able to say, "Okay, here are the good things that we've done, but let's keep going and do better." I'll ask the same in our partnership. Thank you, Mr.
Mayor. Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez and Commissioner Bot. Commissioner Suarez, Commissioner Fernandez brings up a good point about the bus in front of TG, what is it? TGK, TGK that comes across the bridge. And I know for sure that the
county is never going to eliminate that bus route. and they were actually offended when we said that we wanted to. But it is not in the county's financial interest for them to keep busing people to Miami Beach and then we arrest them because it's expensive. I remember when
we were at the county, they were complaining and saying all of these arrests are costing too much money. Now, couldn't we put a sign near the bus or speak to them saying that we're enforcing our camping ordinance, you know, like which might be a warning
like, you know, don't necessarily come to Miami Beach because we're enforcing the ordinance. And if the county says that we can't put it, but really, you should find out how much money it's costing them with these homeless arrests.
Why don't we look in the area for advertising opportunities, right? And put up a big sign across the street because I don't know what I haven't been to TGK. Never arrested, but I'm sure I don't know what it's like when you first get out. Um, is it on a street? Is it
like like I mean it's on a street obviously, but is it a commercial street? It's an industrial area. You have the airport across the street. You have the transportation. Are there any buildings where we could place an ad? Because maybe we will save a lot of money and time and investment if we pay
to put an ad there or a wayfinding signed in New York City or you know but seriously if we tell people that we're enforcing this ordinance it could deter people right I think the homeless population do they know what the camping ordinance is at this point would you say
I'm pretty sure they do they have an incredible sort of communication system so I mean I don't know we're talking you were talking about creative ways. I think sometimes it's not, you know, throwing more people at it. It's just, you know, thinking about how we can or
if we can't do anything on their end. Where does where is the bus stop in Miami Beach? The first stop is on 41st Street by Garden Avenue. Well, let's put a scary sign there. So, yes. And let's put a scary sign at that bus stop. Okay.
And say, "Warning, we are enforcing camping ordinance. do not sleep on the street or something like that and then follow that around. I mean, it can't hurt, right? If this is true, what you say and it's encouraging the homeless population. I I I really believe our
homeless population is aggravated by this. I've gone over there. I've gotten in the bus. I've ridden the entire bus. I've done it more than once to confirm what I've seen. And it is incredibly frustrating. is incredibly frustrating because at the end of the day it's good
resource putting good resources after bad. Putting aside the fact that we have judges that are just creating this revolving door on criminals who are praying on our community. Now you know we have
this this bus we've had for years this bus that's just sending them back. And and I really think Commissioner Suarez, for as good as your idea of the task force is, it's not going to address the issue. It's not going to address the issue. The only way we are going to
address the issue of the criminal homeless population, again, the criminal homeless population, because not all homeless are criminals, but are the ones that are committing these crimes, is if we cut this direct line from the jail
over here. Mr. May, hold on. Can I just answer this question, please? That That's what I'm saying. But there maybe we could do something in between. You're not going to be able to cut the They're not going to stop the bus line. But let's try to get a lobbyist. Why don't we Why don't we try to hire a
lobbyist? I tried. Well, I know. And that's why I mentioned, but maybe let's try maybe maybe we should try hiring a lobbyist that has good relationships with the county to help us once and for all that knows
how to navigate the politics of the county that can help us address this issue. Um, thank you. Um, I respectfully, Commissioner Fernet, I disagree. Um, I think we could do both. I I do think
that having a proactive task force would be effective. It's at least something that we have control over. Um I my interactions with the county is very difficult, especially when we have a county commissioner most of the time
adverse to our own interests uh on Miami Beach. And I, as the chief said, they have a sub commmunication system. The word has gotten out that it's not conducive to uh
camping in in in Miami Beach. Um, but you know, one thing I want to mention, you know, Chief, you said you have a response team, right? That's reactive, right? Again, what I'm asking for and what I'm asking my colleagues to sign on board with is a
proactive force. Look, maybe it doesn't have to be seven days a week. Let's just start with four days a week. Um more than the once a week uh um period that we do now. I think
it would it would pay dividends down the line because it does deter homeless from staying in Miami Beach once they realize at 2:00 in the morning when when they're sleeping on the sidewalk with all their with all their gear. They nothing
nothing nothing is worse than getting woken up uh from from your beauty rest and then having to either accept services or go to jail. and you do that a couple times, they're not going to come back. They're not going to want to come back. Um, and
that it is a deterrent. And and that's that that is the whole ethos of of the ordinance that we passed is to really make it not a a conducive place to to to camp overnight in Miami Beach on the
public right away. So again, I I I can't stress enough that a more proactive presence. I I know Commissioner Fernandin has had issues. Um I I don't know if you'd had issues or not, but if
I I I certainly would like this discussion to give direction to the chief on direction, like clear direction um on a proactive task. Why don't we create a pilot? Let's test it. Let's test it. you know, he's already been the
chief. You've already been testing this um on on a weekly basis and and and maybe is expanding it uh on a on a pilot basis before we commit to it permanently to see what inroads uh it makes before
we dedicate permanent resources to it. Right. Um, so I mean, wait, I'm not trying I'm not trying to micromanage. Um, I I'm just trying to give a very high level idea of Commission. Do you plan on a vote today or is this more
guidance? Guidance. Okay. Yeah. Um, just wanted to make sure where we're headed. Unless someone wants to bring a motion for a vote, but I think I'm just trying to give a highlevel idea of sort of what we need. Um, and I just want to make sure with all my colleagues that he's
given clear direction. And I, you know, I would like um, you know, Commissioner Bot and Commissioner Dominguez to to also chime in because I want it to be a unanimous direction on how we're going to
um, possibly carry through with this idea. Do you have direction? I'm sorry, sir. Do you need more direction or do you feel comfortable with the uh Well, what I'm hearing is I'm asked to do more of the proactive um camping ordinance
enforcement is what I'm hearing generally generally. Just to be clear, is it is it it's not just camping ordinance, right? I mean, I think it's I I think No, I I I think it is the anti-amping ordinance because um and that's I mean, I think it's homeless in
general. Sometimes the individual is uh you can have situations again it's not illegal but there are situations where you can see there's a a a problem that is absolutely person screaming on the top of their lungs. We've all driven by that. They may not be sleeping at the moment but you know
there's a problem. I just want to be clear what your there's criminal activity and then there's and then there's camping right. Um and let's bifrogate it too. there's criminal activity, obviously the police, they do a fine job in addressing that on a daily
basis. But if there is a homeless person who doesn't commit any crimes um other than the fact that they may be just camping on on public property, there's really no there's no drive for a police officer driving by to say, "Oh, he's sleeping, but he's not doing
anything bad. No one's called it in." There's no reason for that person like someone in Tallahassee like Commissioner Fernandez to stop and and address the issue because you know if you go by Washington Avenue any day of the week I can't I don't know just to be clear
you're talking about sleeping in the public and and I just want to point out because you made a very good distinction is when we saw the slideshow we saw the slideshowed of individuals who committed some pretty egregious crimes.
And I don't know that absent those crimes if the police would have seen one of these individuals walking before they committed the crime if they would have had the ability even with a task force
to arrest that in individual. It it's you know the fact that they committed the crime that they ended up getting arrested and they made those headlines that you showed. Um now and so you bifurcated that you you you you just mentioned the distinction that
the individuals who committed those crimes they committed those specific crimes that that's not camping. Those people may have come on the bus. They may have been in other places in in Miami because the homeless population does move around and they do come in
during the day and they leave at night which it does happen. though. And then we have the more permanent homeless population here that they do sleep in in our streets. They sleep in our uh beaches. They sleep in in our parks. And
so and and and again that's why I just want us to be very mindful of expectations because we might very well be going after those who are violating the camping ordinance and sleeping in our beaches at night, but those might
not necessarily be the individuals who are committing all those other crimes that you highlighted in your in your presentation. And I and I think you realize that because you just made the distinction between the two. Well, that's why I raised the issue because sometimes it's it's very obvious there's
an issue. Obviously, sometimes they're not committing crimes and we're not but but when there's but that's why I'm I I would even expand it beyond that because if somebody is sitting on the sidewalk not sleeping but they have seven shopping bags around them and it's and it's it's clear everyone visualizes what
I'm saying, the police can tell them to move along. Well, we passed our right-of-way ordinance uh that is supposed to allow police to make an arrest when they're, you know, when they have so much that they're blocking the right of ways that Rob, you helped us uh
craft that ordinance as well. Uh that we should be, you know, enforcing enforcing that in this in the context if there is this type of task force, it should be enforced as part of that, I would hope. Yeah. So, so the the homeless individuals that I showed that committed
those violent crimes, at some point they were sleeping in Miami Beach, right? They were they were they were sleeping they were camping, however you want to call it, on public right away. Um, I mean, the guy, you know, that that that
dirt bag who held up our colleague with a gun, he'd been here for months and um he was sleeping somewhere and it wasn't at someone's home. He was sleeping on the street. Um, and I and I think he had
a bunch of warrants. Correct. Um, I don't recall if he had warrants, but we did arrest him. But again, when after he got out, do you arrest him again? And not only that, but he was holding he was he had a gun on him, right? And you know, if there was a proactive police force that stopped him,
you know, checked his ID, realized that he had a gun on him, it could have prevented a lot of of of what, you know, obviously happened. The same person that attacked Joe Manning, I've seen him sleeping on this, I personally seen that guy sleeping in Miami Beach. Um, a lot
of the people that I showed, I personally saw sleeping in Miami Beach. So, at some point, they do sleep in Miami Beach. And it it's again it's it you know having a proactive task force is a preventative
uh criminal enforcement in my opinion. I I just want to interject that um the Miami Beach Crime Page feels that it's not so much the police officers but the municipal prosecutors that are dropping the charges. So we are arresting people
but then they're not prosecuting on our end. And I don't know what those numbers look like. I don't have the numbers, but they seem to feel that if you know, we're we're the police are arresting and they're doing this difficult job and then they're going they're making the
arrest and we're dropping the charges. Is that true? Hi, that's completely untrue. Our municipal prosecutors dropped virtually nothing. We're actually at a 92% success rate right now. We went from 8%. That's when I started bringing all that legislation that our commission passed and uh we are
at 92% less that I checked. Said I don't know you said look at the crimerevention case. There are several instances where we're not um dropping the charges. I'm going to go in and look at it yesterday, but as of yesterday, 6:24, once again, the city of Miami Beach municipal
prosecutor fails the residents of Miami Beach by agreeing with the public defender's request to dismiss the Camping Beach case in order to close out this dangerous convicted felons to open misdemeanor cases with a plea deal. So, this is happening. So, if we can find that specific case, I'd love to know. I
mean, and and if that is true, then you know, it's not just the police officers, it's the ent, you know, you have to look at the entire system. If you can forward me that case, I'm happy to look into it. But from what it sounds like, that was a misdemeanor case, which would be handled by the state attorneys and our agreement
to include our municipal case with their prosecution, uh, is a strategic decision made based on the case and the strength of that individual state prosecution. But I can tell you that very very very few municipal prosecution cases and I've
never even heard of one uh being dismissed by our municipal uh so my office we're actually working on legislation for July to perhaps invite them in and you know with your team kind of because we don't have a lot of granularity except for stats right and
to share kind of the inner workings just to essentially highlight you know where that program is. um any types of changes, any type of uh legislative guidance that we could give. Um so I I think that would be good just for us to kind of get a peak under the hood. Yeah,
of course. We'd be very happy to do that. It's our municipal prosecutors are extremely aggressive. They enforce everything. They don't drop anything. So So just to for everyone watching the changes that have been made over the last I'd say three, four years. What
generally happened is we we are the only city in the Miami date 34 cities that has a municipal prosecutor. We have I think four now. Uh yes. So we have four. We used to have one. We were the only one that even had one. The state attorney handles almost everything
including felonies. And we handled a handful of misdemeanors. I and a couple of my colleagues brought others too, but I brought many different misdemeanors. I actually did the research and found which ones that were not being prosecuted to the level that we thought they should be and we added
that to our arsenal of cases that we handled. So we had to increase the number of prosecutors that we had. The other issue is we made sure that we were prosecuting these cases because what happens is and the one thing you will notice is a lot of these arrests, although many of the individuals have
criminal records that are it's it's like pages long, but generally not over and over and over again in Miami Beach. Generally, we used to see that a lot. You'd have people and residents and and I'd see it. You'd have the same person arrested in the same place in the city
over and over again because the cases weren't being prosecuted. But now we're prosecuting those cases. So they have a there's a conviction. They don't always get jail time the first time around. Again, that's a lot of the the judges have the discretion often, but once you start seeing those convictions, the
judges will take generally will take action. So you don't see those repeat criminal offenders uh as much in our city as as you used to. And that's because of the work of our city commission and passing this legislation. I brought much much of it, but again working in tandem and um but still it
it's still there are still still cases that uh that the felonies we cannot handle by state law. That's the state attorney's office. Um and the judges obviously were still at the at the mercy of the judges. And you see the stats. I read you the stats from that memo from Mayor Cabba. We made 160 of the 165
homeless arrests over a period of time. And unfortunately, a lot of the judges don't like these cases and they don't they don't feel as compassionate to of our residents, I I'd say, as we do, and they say, "Well, this is not really a criminal offense. I'm not going to." We
we had somebody just arrested in our city who literally had, I think, over 50 arrests, including Joe Manning. It was that individual, and he was arrested in our city, and he was released on his own recgnissance. I mean, it's it's shameful, but it it happens. and and
unfortunately some of that outside of an election of is outside of our control, but we are doing a good job. Obviously, we'll follow up on the specific case that was referenced, but uh I mean we monitor this and and I know you're you're you're doing a good job. Uh the
state attorney's office I know has is uh I think done a better job. I'm in communications with them frequently and if there's an issue, we certainly reach out to them. M Mr. Mayor, how about I make a suggestion for for my colleagues and for the city manager and chief? How
about we um revisit this in July and in between that time, what why don't you through the city manager have a concrete plan of what a proactive force looks like? Um and then you can give us sort
of like your feeling on on what it is and then let us let us discuss it. um hopefully not as long as today, but and I'm sure you'll be reaching out to us individually um and so the public can see. Does that does that sound fair with my colleagues? I think that's fair. And
I think one of the things I'd love to see is because in June is when you started the operation. Uh so then hopefully by that point we'll have a month worth of data to see how the operation is is going and whether it's
worth expanding and building upon it. Then at that point we'll have concrete data on that. So I I like that idea. Yes, we'll do. Vice Mayor, do you want to move R sevens and R9U or just one of them? Uh let's what's R7U again? The
it's just a discussion item, right? Yes. And then R sevens withdraw for now. Um that's a res. No, that that'll be uh deferred till next month. Okay. So defer that one and not the discussion. Correct. Discussion, close out, defer the
the task force to next month. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Okay. We got a little less than an hour. Let's try to plow through these items if we can. Uh we got two more R seven items. Let's finish those. R sevenW. R7W. Install no dumping
drains to the bay. Signage. Commissioner Dominguez. So, this item uh was brought forth um by uh some community members and it directs the city administration to install no dumping drains to the bay signs at 200
storm water drain locations throughout our city. This is an item that's come before us in the past. Uh public awareness and educating people is key to curbing the improper disposal of waste into our drains. And our neighbors in
Kiskain have taken this initiative and it's shown success in reducing their storm water contamination. And it's a relatively low cost and can prevent future expensive water cleanups. Um I don't know if there's anybody here to
talk more about it. second your No, this is something that we've done in the past and we're very open to doing in the future. Everything that you put into the storm drainage system in the city of Miami Beach ultim ultimately ends up in
the bay. And so we want to make sure that people are only allowing water to go down the drain. Uh people should not be putting garbage. They should not be putting dog waste. they should not be putting um you know chemicals or washing
their you know grease mats or any of these things into the drains because ultimately that all is going to be problematic for the bay if I I have a suggestion to the sponsor. um so uh we want to install no dumping
drains and it obviously cost money $10,000 I believe. H how about I don't know how my colleagues feel about this but you know how they have adopt the highway. How about adopt a drain where
someone can can uh gift the city the $10,000 and their name is put on, you know, on behalf of the such and such family or this individual and it's on that drain forever. Um, and then they
pay for the cost or you can dedicate it after an enemy. You know, I don't know, Commissioner Dominguez, if that's something you'd be open to. Um but u something where if if if there's a
if there's people in the community that want to donate to to adopting a drain and have their name on it. I think that could be I think if you Yeah, I think we would probably get a lot of buy in for that. How does the city attorney feel about
this? You actually have a referral uh to establish an adopt or to consider establishing an adopted drain program. So you are both thinking you are both thinking similarly. So uh not a bad idea. So is it is it allowed by the way over there? Yeah, it can be allowed. I
mean it I mean it's it's symbolic. The person's not going to actually take ownership of the drain. But the idea for this was that people would adopt the drain and clean up any debris, but you can expand it to include paying for the signage and their and the person's
family name or the name could be on the drain. You all can get as creative as you want. Cool. You know, I I will just say um Kristen and I and Alex um there are zoos and things where you can like donate a box of rats to be eaten by a snake or
something in your ex's in the name of your ex or something like that. So, I think this actually could be a great fundraising mechanism. There you go. So, R7W is as amended. I think I'm hearing that this is going to be merged into the referral item. Okay, let's do that. R7W is withdrawn.
Okay. And I'll I'll co-sponsor this item with Commissioner Dominguez. R7X R7X allocate FY25 surplus of acquisitions of 7605 Collins Avenue. Four. I move the item. Commissioner
Fernandez, co-sponsored by Commissioner Suarez. Second. Let's call the vote on R sevenX. Uh, I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, second by Vice Mayor Suarez. All in favor, please say I. I. I. Any opposed? Our 7X is adopted.
70. We have a couple of C7 items. Surplus money. Let's do uh C7BU C7BU increase pride park activation days from 75 to 78 for 26 only for Adobe Max
Commissioner Magazine. Yeah, thank you Mr. Mayor and Commissioner Fernandez co-sponsor. So before I forget, I want to thank an incredible group of residents. Uh the commission was kind of like thrust in the middle of some of this Pride Park activation for the
convention center. Just a very high level backdrop. Pride Park serves as uh a staging ground or even um uh an event ground for a lot of convention center activities. Obviously, the residents want to maximize their usage time of
that park. Uh the convention center is a threequarters of a billion dollar asset that we have that is an economic driver for our city. Uh so at times there can be competing interests. The commission kind of got thrust in the middle with our residents wanting one thing and the more business-minded folks wanting
another. Um it it took some massaging, but we had a great group of residents. Uh, I'll give a shout out to um John and Chris over at uh Palm View and Robin Jacobs who serves on the convention center advisory board. Uh they have
become uh quick best friends as uh as text messages uh indicate to me. But kidding aside, uh those two entities worked together and found a collaborative solution to accommodate uh a very magical event uh that was held in
our city for the first time last year. uh the Adobe conference and it's going to use an activation of Pride Park for three days. So this is a one-off accommodation for one year to increase the uh allowable utilization
time which is measured in days from 75 to 78 that is going to allow uh the Adobe conference to accommodate um or to activate Pride Park. So, I'll let you take that, Maria. And, you know, for the
team that worked so well together to come up with a collaborative solution, perhaps we can find a way to add some nuance to this because when we had such a black and white rule where it was, okay, if you have 75 days and you have
the best convention center um activation in the world coming, they need to use it for one more day. there was no ambiguity and no discussion that was able to be made and Adobe was almost sent packing before they even got here. Uh so perhaps if we come up with some understanding of
you know what both sides want and what a compromise could look like we can add a little nuance and ambiguity into that policy going forward. And uh when you know we have some marquee uh conferences that come especially with the addition of our convention center hotel uh we can
have a working collaborative relationship between this economic driver and our very important residential group. So Maria thank you and Lette for your team um for uh kind of spearheading this working with the resident neighborhood group. So tell us what the accommodation of these three
extra days is going to mean to our city. Thank you commissioner. Um uh yes, on Monday I attended the convention center advisory board meeting and there were Palm View residents there and they were all supportive of the item. Uh which is why also um Robin Jacobs sent out the
LTC with a motion showing their support. So what these three days are going to allow is for Design Miami to actually mobilize on the site um about 9 days earlier than they normally would. Um,
and what this is then going to allow is for Design Miami to be able to be in um, let's just call it like a semi shutdown mode when Adobe Max comes and programs Convention Center Drive. So, they want
to do the show exactly the same way they did it uh the last time they were here where they have an entire uh let's just call it a food court on Convention Center Drive and they wanted the area to be very quiet. Um and um we are this
will allow Design Miami to be able to do that. Now, of course, the details now mean that we're going to have to work with Design Miami to help them um figure out what needs to be done in order for
that to happen. But they only need an extra nine days in the front end, which is the three days that we're asking for outside of our 75 days. So, um this is the first phase. This is the first step. they needed to have this approved by
commission so that they knew that they were good for the time and now we have to put everything else in motion and we're going to be working on that um over the next few weeks. So, it's all good. And by the way, like you said, this is one time only because uh they
also want to come back in um 2027, but they won't have the conflict. So, they'll be able to get the other dates that don't um conflict with Design Miami. And if I could, Alex, real quick, then I'll pass it over to you. I don't know if it it is just asking staff to
use kind of common sense or if you need something legislatively. You tell me. But we do have this restriction of 75 days and we want to adhere to it. But if there are incredible gamechanging opportunities for our city, I want to be
sure that we're acting with some semblance of nuance, right? Where if Adobe 2.0 know comes up and comes to staff and says, "We have this incredible conference, but we would need to go over one day." Yeah. Bring that to us. Don't just send them packing. Right. And if
there's not the appetite to do that, then that's a legislative call. But I don't want such a black and white rule where we're essentially telling potentially great new operators to our city, I'm sorry, we're at 75 days and there's a legislative policy where you
can't get to 76 and you need that one day of activation. So, I'm hoping it's just common sense, but if you and your team discuss and you need something legislatively to thread that needle, let us know. We'll bring it to you. It's part of our guidelines. I believe set. It's just they're guidelines. It's not
like, you know, um it's not an ordinance or anything. It's it's guidelines and that's where I think, you know, we can work is I think we we should have we have trust in our city management. We have trust in our city administration and per perhaps for extraordinary
circumstances like this where we run the risk of losing something that is such a great activation. the energy that was in our city last year with with Adobe. But sometimes they can't wait for a city commission meeting for us to take the
action where it might be prudent for certain extraordinary circumstances like that, certain limited days that the city manager have some sort of limited authority to say, okay, this is only three days. It's not a big impact. Um, you know, I'm I feel comfortable signing
this waiver and that's something maybe we we can work on together at the right time. Commissioner Dominguez, thank you. Um, you know, it sounds like this is a one-time thing and uh I'm supportive of it in general. I will say that I've heard from two people from the
Palm View Neighborhood Association that they feel blindsided that and that this was snuck through. Um, so to the extent that anytime in the future as much advanced notice if there is a circumstance like this, um, because I did hear from two people that were not
happy about this. Yeah. I just asked you about the the board of Palm View, Eric, fill us in what you told me. My understanding is that the member from the Palmri board that's a member of the CCAB was supportive of this item and had
represented that the majority of his board was supportive. Yes. Um I think the issue is that they have not been able to formally meet on this because of the timing. like you said, it took a little bit longer to try um maybe to to
have a different workaround where this wouldn't have been necessary, but it ended up that it had to happen. So, we had to take like an extra month to figure it out. Um they're going to uh let her team go to the Palm View
neighborhood every year to talk about Design Miami and how that's going to, you know, be um put together. And this year what she can do is show them 2026 as well. So they can have that full discussion when she goes to them like
she normally does every year. So we'll give them a a more detailed path at that time and get their feedback. Um so we know. Thank you. Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez. Um, also just because I have you guys here, would it be possible for you to
send us all a list of all the conventions that are booked at the convention center right now through summer? Yeah, of course we have so that we have an idea. Yes, the convention center has that list. Keeps it updated. I would love to get an LTC with how many
conventions we have and also, you know, how much revenue is the convention center generating, what is it costing us? Yeah. um that yeah for right now if you could just get us a cop all of us a copy of the list that would be
this particular event by the way has a $30 million economic impact one show it was an outstanding event very organized too they came in with their buses last year yeah those are the best how much of an economic 30 million 30 million one show that's great two years so it's 60
the other day somebody was telling me that you know we have this great investment but that during hurricane months, nobody wants to book a convention because of the high risk. And so I was wondering, what are we doing at in those months? And is that really something within the industry that no
large convention will book in certain months from like June until October? So that's June, July, October. I don't know about that means that five months out of the year we're like out of commission. Well, they're coming in October. So that's right smack in the middle of our hurricane season. So that's one. Who's
who's who's coming in October? Adobe Max. Adobe is doing October. So in October it's So what are the months that people stop coming? June, July, August, September, summer. So those four months, what do we do um during those months? I mean, have we attracted any conventions
at all? Did we realize this? Do we like try to switch to like weddings or events? I don't know. like what I think um the best thing to do would have you know would have I would have Freddy Peterson and his team tell you um
what it is that they do but they do plan for those um for those times now in September things ramp up again and um as a matter of fact the reason why we're having to go through all of this is because they're they're book solid I
mean there's no other time that we can put Adobe max other than in this slot. Um we have the jewelry show, we have a lot of events. Uh we just don't have as many, but we still program I mean there's still events in the convention center. Um but I can get you the list
and we can take a look at it and maybe we can talk about it at committee. Okay. Um I'm happy to second your motion, Commissioner Magazine. Second call vote. I have a motion by Commissioner Magazine, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez. All in favor,
please say I. I. Any opposed? Hearing none. Items C7BU is approved. 70. Let's do the board and committee. None are contested. Correct. So, we everyone has a yellow piece of paper. There's one seat for every nomination. I don't know if you wanted me to go through all of
them or just do them all byation. I'll move the appointment of all them by acclamation. I'll second. Thank you. All in favor? Approve. 70. Commissioner Fernandez and seconded Commissioner Bot. Okay.
All the position. We done. I think so. Okay. Everybody objects. That's correct. Oh, you want Yes. Okay. Yeah. Sorry.
Okay. So, by acclamation, so 70 everyone's appointed. Congratulations. Congratulations. Thank you for your service. R5A R5 AAA is a norance of the mayor and city commission of S Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 54 of the Miami Beach city code entitled floods by amending article 3 entitled resiliency
standard for title flood protection to amend applicability of this article. modify definitions and strengthen construction standards for new and existing seaw walls and other title flood barriers to strengthen coastal resilience and mitigate the effects of title flooding and sea level rise and providing for repealer severability
calcification and effective date. This is a first reading public hearing. It's item R 5A. Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh I'm going to move this item. There's still some minor tweaking we're going to do between first and second
reading pending some um some adoption of ordinances from the county uh and also uh to to to incorporate some recommendations from the Palm View uh neighborhood. Uh but for now, I'm going to move to this.
Let's call a vote. It is a public hearing. No one in the audience. No one in Zoom. I have motion from Commissioner Fernandez. Seconded by Vice Mayor Suarez. Uh Commissioner Magazine. Yes. Commissioner Bach, yes. Commissioner Dominguez, yes. Vice Mayor Suarez, Commissioner Rosa Gonzalez, yes.
Commissioner Fernandez, yes. Mayor Miner, yes. Motion carries. Second reading, public hearing is scheduled for July 23rd. This is just a referral item. C4 A. C4 A referral to Finance Economic Resiliency Committee, due process framework for business closures, local BTR violations.
C4 A. I move the item. Have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner West Mayor Suarez. All in favor, please say I. I. The item is referred 70. That was item C4 A D. A D.
I'm just trying to finish the C7 item. C7BO. Sorry. C7BO. Develop free beach day program to benefit residents. C7BO. I move the item Fernandez of mot by Commissioner
Fernandez, seconded by Vice Mayor Suarez. All in favor of C7BO, please say I. I. Item is approved. 70 C7 BO R9 R9S R9S Discuss update non-exclusive waste
hauler request for qualification R9S Yes. Thank you, Eric. You ready for this one? Commissioner Fernandez, I I just want to ask a question, and I know it's not my item, but I just wanted to just ask a question. Um, how far away are we from
actually uh doing anything with this? Are we, you know, a month or two away? Are we six months away? Do we think we're a year away? I just, you know, very superficially. So very very superficially um we went through the
procurement process. We did not get any new consultants that submitted um I had directed Brad to focus on the residential contract. So now that we've finalized that we can start to work more heavily on this one. Um and we're
probably six to eight months is my six to eight months. The reason why I'm I I asked the mayor to uh call this up because I just want to propose in the meantime, you know, I think competition is important. Uh I think I I think the
more options the consumers have uh within a limited scope is is good. And like it it just keeps on bothering me that like for example, Great Waste, Great Waste pays a franchise fee. They have their trucks in Miami Beach. They're serving Miami Day County Public
Schools, another governmental entity. They're in South Beach. They're in Mid Beach. They're in North Beach, but our consumers, our our our commercial accounts can't approach them for pricing, and they might be able to get a better price. And so for as long as
we're in a monthtomonth in our commercial uh franchise agreements and this could take another six to eight months, why not allow this other of company that is already paying franchise fees that already has their trucks here
to offer their services to our commercial accounts. They're working for another governmental entity while we hammer out and bring this process in. So, I don't I don't know how my colleagues would feel about about having
another another um franchise being able to compete and offer services to our commercial accounts, but I'd be I'd be willing to make a motion to bring back an RF an RF um a waiver for whatever
language the city manager feels would be appropriate for the next meeting so that we can just give another option of someone that's already doing business in our city is has has an agreement already with another governmental entity and could help the competitive market offer
uh another option to our um commercial clients. Commissioner Fern Commissioner Fernandez, do do you mean while we're in the interim? Yeah, while we're in the interim. Um well, you know, why don't I look I I think this has been going on long enough. I I don't know how my
colleagues feel about this, but why don't we just make a decision today if we're going to do single hauler or multiholler to what if we're going to go forward with a single hauler system or a multihauler system. I'm not going to vote for a single hauler system. I believe in the competitive uh in in in
the in the competitive market. I think the smaller the properties, you know, we see that works very well in the residential marketplace, in the small apartment buildings where we can advocate uh with with with the pricing. We're talking about going up to 12 units
uh for for for the exclusive uh because those are the smaller uh properties, but for for um for the larger commercial accounts, I I don't feel for us uh we're best positioned to tell that consumer,
hey, listen, this is who you need to use for your commercial waste services. Thank you. And so and respectfully and through the mayor. Um sort of hijacked it on the vice mayor role here while you were back there. Um I think this is my last meeting. So let me uh let me back.
Um well look we we had a report right? Uh I think that said twice that the single hauler is more beneficial to Miami Beach. Um Alec uh Commissioner Fernandez uh has just you know stated his position. I'd
like to see where we're at and then let's just make a decision today because let's not kick the can down the road and see where we're at. So, I mean, if every commissioner can just kind of just say, are you for a single hauler or single hauler or multihauler? Um, then we then we then we that way we can just have the
administration move forward on on on what we'd like. But even then is still from what Erica is saying still like what an eight-month process. Yes, we are still going to be having to put together an RFP. Um, that RFP is
going to have to be broken out to be able to provide all of the many different services that you would be required to provide to the different types of buildings across the city. Um, and then you would have to put it out to the competitive marketplace. So, that
would be an RFP for a multihauler system. It could it it could be either. If you were going to go with a current who's you the commission or landlord? If the city were to go forward with a single hauler system, we would go
out with an RFP which is the the current direction that we have from the commission. Um potentially to explore hybrid options was also part of the direction that we received. Right. um which is potentially trying to figure
out where is the line between the more sophisticated you know customers that can negotiate versus the ones that would be better served to have an exclusive or single hauler system. Um, but ultimately
you would have to come up with a a competitive bidding process that would then allow you to provide service to anybody that was going to be within that pool and because that's where your competitive pricing is going to come
from. It's when you put it out to the marketplace and ask them to come back with their best pricing options. But if there's a pool, there's multiple meaning could multiple people get order the bid or is it going to be a single hauler? So right now the direction that we have
from the commission is to move forward with a single hauler, hire a consultant to draft that RFP and look at the hybrid option. That's the current direction that we have from the commission. He tried to do the RFQ
for the consultant, but the same consultant responded whose report we already have and it was the desire of the commission not to use the same consultant. And so and so and so at this at this juncture, the decision is well, do we go back out do another RFQ for
another consultant? Do we go ahead and issue an RFP for for a for a single hauler for a single hauler and see what the pricing comes back as? or do we try and find a hybrid solution that might be able to solve most of the problems that
we believe we're experiencing in the community? And what's your recommendation as as the city manager? Do you think what do you think it is going to just bring closure to this? Is it going to be single hauler? Do you think it's going to be hybrid? What is your recommendation as a city manager? As a city manager, my recommendation
would be to see if we can expand the residential contract into some larger multif family units. See if there's a sweet spot somewhere in the um the breakdown of both small commercial
businesses and small multif family units that would be beneficial in being under a contract managed by the city. And then which is a single hauler which is a single hauler and then potentially consider some of the more sophisticated
larger buildings and larger commercial properties be allowed to negotiate their contracts under a multiholeer. So what you're describing is a hybrid option which to me is what makes sense. Smaller buildings need might benefit from having
something that's negotiated by the city, but the bigger buildings that have unique situations, uh larger commercial accounts, supermarket stores, restaurants, uh that have very unique needs, larger apartment buildings,
office buildings, that is a very very different dynamic. um even the price points and the protections in place and the customer service that's needed is very different and they might be better served even price-wise
negotiating their own prices otherwise we might end up passing along to our residents at at at um whether it be Bentley Bay or or the Icon or some of the other buildings uh or even some of
the commercial buildings passing out to them rate increases when we put them under the umbrella of of the city. Which is why I like what the manager is saying that's hybrid because we give the larger council the ability to negotiate their
best deal, their b their best price given their unique needs within the marketplace and the smaller buildings have the protections that the city can afford them. Commissioner Bot, um, a couple things, you know, I think
This was one of the first items we voted on as a commission and it's been languishing in purgatory ever since. Um I I do think there's something that's missing. I I think we had agreed that we were going to do a community outreach to residents and businesses to have
conversation to hear directly from those affected. Um but this is what I would propose. You know, we've been sort of taking this on as or or approaching this as um the majority of the city will have a an opportunity to bid or to um to use
uh multiple services and and they it will be incumbent upon them to to manage what they what to negotiate the best rates. what we've talked about earlier today, what you're talking about now, what we've talked about in previous meetings is that there are a lot of businesses, smaller
businesses and and small to midsize uh multiple family dwellings that could benefit from being under the um single family hauler umbrella. So instead of thinking about this as, you know, most of the city gets it gets the the the the
opportunity to negotiate, I think most people would prefer to just get a decent fair price for the services they need and be done with it and not have to think about it. And the bigger businesses, the bigger condos possibly
would be interested in a in a um in the opportunity to to to negotiate. What I'd propose is this. let us construct um an RFP for the largest businesses and the
largest um um uh condos, the the tall buildings um and they could potentially be a a um a multi-hauler system. everybody else and you guys have to figure out what that cut off point but
it's more than you know a six to 10 unit building like 20 30 maybe 40 you know maybe up to 40 I'm not sure that's where you guys come in but I don't want to like but that's what we're saying that's what the city I don't want to go to but I I we need to flip the the concept it's
not the the majority of the city will get um multiple haulers the the majority of the city will be under single haulers and then the very large businesses, the very large hotels, the very large condos, that small subsection of of locations will be able to have
Well, I think I think that's what the the city administration needs to work out. And I think that's that's kind of what Eric is saying that now that Brad has finished the residential uh contract that now they need to sit down and figure out. I understand that.
What I'm saying is that we the way we think about it is that more of the city falls into the single hauler, right? We've we've been talking about it as a very proscribed um you know small multiple family units of 10 units or you know 10 unit buildings or less or
whatever the cut off point. I'm saying expand that up to whatever the majority is, right? Of those smaller because we have a lot of those buildings. But I don't know. And so hang on a second. And so I I really don't want to spend more time hiring the same consultant to get the same answers. Um and and why don't
we put together the the framework for the RFP for what we want and then if we don't get what we want from the single, you know, for the for this um get get more of the people under the
umbrella of the single family single hauler. Good gravy, I can't even speak anymore. the single hauler that we've talked about, but expanding that pool so more of these people get so caught up into that and then and then work on a
very small sub subsection of the largest buildings, the largest businesses go to a I don't want to favor one over the other. I don't want to say, well, I want to put the majority of people in one and then a minority on the other. I want the administration to be able to figure out what is it that makes sense. It might
not make sense to have the majority in one and the minority in the other. But we have a Well, I let you finish, so let me finish. I want them to be able to sit down and and see, okay, what makes sense? What size of a building, what
size of a of a business could benefit from a contract negotiated by the city and let them determine what is that threshold and then what size? No, that's not what you're saying. You're saying, "No, it's not. you were saying, "Well, let's put the majority of the people in
a in a single holler and right the majority based on what makes sense, not just like random numbers." I mean, so let's let's let them figure that out. Put together. I think we're all unified in this. It sounds to me that we all kind of like agree that we should let them just create. And Eric, before you
get to that, I just want to mention a few things. Um, and I think the reason why we kind of we're kind of getting lost in translation. The reason why there's been such a debate on single hauler versus multiholler and I would invite Brad to speak on this but you know if you're going to have multiple
haulers for these for many businesses for example in South Beach we don't know how many dump trucks are going to be coming in and out of the city. So you you could see multiple dump trucks at different times where they're not well they're they're not coordinating because they're competitors coming at different
times of the day and that can be a big nuisance uh to to to our our our traffic um and the residents. Um another issue is brokers. I believe a lot of these a lot of these buildings, you know, maybe
between the 20 30 uh unit buildings, not necessarily a high-rise, not necessarily uh you know, a very small unit, but they get locked into these contracts because of these, you know, unscrupulous brokers for 5 years and they can't get out. Um, and so there's there there's a reason
why we're here and and and I want to make sure we don't lose sight of the fact that um that's why we're having this discussion. Um, and Brad, maybe you can through the mayor, you can discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of I I we actually have one more item
after this that'll we'll literally finish the non-discussion items and I'd like to get to that today unless uh Commissioner Dominguez and then I believe you're going to make a motion. Yeah, Al Commissioner Fernandez. Yeah, that's what she I haven't spoken yet on the item. I actually uh brought this item forward uh two almost two years
ago, a year and a half ago and at the time it was a really uh different uh time with the haulers. Um the IG had brought forth a scathing report. There uh was research that the majority of the cities in Miami Beach in the uh the
state of Florida, I think maybe 70% use the single hauler system. Um for our single family homes, we use the single hauler. People talk about price competition. That comes at the RFP time. So that's when we would get the best
price. And I was getting bombarded with um multif family homes and businesses about the poor services and prices and uh how horrible it was to deal with the waist haulers and the brokers and not getting the services that they wanted.
Um, when this item idled out, um, anytime I got a complaint, I would go straight to the attorneys for the haulers and, uh, that's really helped. And with some of the businesses, um, they've even made special
concessions and contracts. So, I've changed from where it was a year and a half ago, and I would be supportive of a hybrid model. But one thing that we need to do is make a decision and do it because we talk about being stewards for
our city and the finances. And in the meantime, we haven't had contracts and doing monthtomonth and that's cost the city millions and millions and millions of dollars. And to think that a year and a half ago, we all voted 70 for a synchro hauler and a decision still
hasn't been made is frustrating. And so, Mr. Mayor, I I would I would like to bring it home. Well, yes. I'm going to propose two things. Number one, we know that at best this is eight months down the road. I know that today there are people suffering from price issues and
and I really and I really it bothers me that we have someone that is paying franchise fees and is servicing a government already has their trucks already going through our neighborhoods and can't offer our our consumers a competitive price or some price relief.
And so and so to that extent I want to I don't know what would the proper motion be Mr. Manager to be able to bring an item for the next meeting to try to include them in the in the in the commercial in the non-exclusive waste
hauler program. So, I I would need some help from the city attorney's office, but I believe we would need to potentially have to extend a franchise
agreement by bid waiver. Yes, you you would need to make a recommendation that it's in the best interest of the city to do a bid waiver uh to wave the the procurement process uh for this for this hauler. Um that would be what what would
what it would take and multihaulers are selected only based on qualifications. That's correct. So it would be a Q process if it were the alternatives are put it out competitively procured
through a qualification process or wave bid. Can I ask a question? And so I just, you know, this is someone that's already providing it to the school system and so they're already all over our city and it's just it's bothered me because we hear from everyone and from businesses
and from condominiums on costs on everything and you know we've been having this conversation I feel like probably for a year that I've been speaking w with you guys about this like why is it that this person that is paying franchise fees cannot offer and
compete to give our businesses and our condominium premiums and more competitive rate. So, Mr. Attorney, if if you could help me frame the proper motion uh to see what we could bring for the next commission meeting regarding this. Well, I think your motion would be
to direct the um manager to consider bringing back a a bid waiver. And I think you need to give the manager the discretion to determine whether it's in the best interest after he and his staff uh review the qualifications of this
particular hauler. Okay. So, so yeah, if so, so to ask the city manager to determine whether it would or would not be in the city's uh best interest to consider the qualifications of this of this holler and if so to bring forward
uh bid waiver at at the next meeting. That'll be my first motion. Can I just ask quick question? I don't know I don't know anything about this other company. Do they only do school facilities around the county or South Florida or do they
do apartment buildings and businesses? So, I'm just thinking about the schools and they generally have, you know, pretty open space to go in and get the stuff and leave again. No, they do. They they handle other companies, other other types of of commercial uses uh
throughout the county. And my thing is they're already here. They're in our streets and but our our businesses and our condos can't use them, but they're here already and they're paying the franchise fee to the city. Is that is that correct, Brad? Does Great Ways pay
franchise fees to the city? They do pay franchise fees. They do pay franchise fees to the city. Are are there other entities that pay franchise fees that aren't part of Are there other entities that pay franchise fees that aren't
included in what what's the correct verbiage? Pool when you say other entities other waste holders. No. So the only the only ones that are paying the franchise fees are
waste management and waste connections because they are the only two licensed haulers. They went through a qualifications process as the manager mentioned as an RFQ process and they were both awarded licenses to solicit business and based on their share of the
businesses they pay you know franchise fees. But what is then great waste to paying a franchise fee for? There was there was at at a point in time a inspector general report done on
their business in the city and it was determined because they were collecting waste in the city um that they should be paying franchise fees. Oh for the schools. So are there other waste holders? There are none other than that. Okay. So we're so so so so this business
is is in a disparity and our our our customers can't use them but the trucks are here. Y makes sense. Yeah. Then I guess what I would uh finish with is given it seems like I don't want to say there's unanimous support but pretty clear direction that we want to
establish what that medium ground is about what will be included in residential and then what will essentially be part of the hybrid method which is a multiholer at some point given that there's seems like kind of forming um consensus here.
Is there any way we could shrink down that timeline of six to eight months? So perhaps this accommodation wouldn't be needed. Could we get an RFP prepared and out in three months? If I could make a suggestion that I think might help a little bit, I would
probably take this on a multi-track path just based on the discussion here today. What I would first do is I would look at because I think this has always been where the issue has been really in the 9 to 24 25 um you know multif family. Brad I'm sorry to interrupt you but Mr. Mayor
just I'm going to make a motion to extend the meeting. Second. Thank you. You may proceed. I'm still waiting to hear what your second idea was on a totally I I I would I would I would evaluate that and perhaps profer
that uh waste connections can look at what they can price that for, you know, and package that into um you know an addendum to their agreement. Um and that would be similar to set pricing as the residential um single family homes are.
Okay, that would be number one. I think the other thing simultaneously is we can go forward and start preparing an RFQ as the manager mentioned that's for the non-exclusive similar just licenses and that would allow for um you know obviously multihaulers to participate
and that would be anything above that um the 25 and including commercial businesses and the last thing that I would say is we can also look at uh and we have the complete list of all the accounts that they have. So we can evaluate uh when we're talking about
small businesses and and businesses that you know perhaps have one or two yarders which are you know small containers services and see you know how many of them you know that may fall into a certain category and then ultimately decide where we feel is best and come
back with a recommendation you know based upon the numbers. How quickly given this kind of forming direction here could you issue an RFQ? An RFQ, you know, will take a lot quicker than an RFP? An RFP would be go
out for a single hauler. It's a much more extensive process because we'd want to put a lot of things in there and we're creating it obviously, you know, for the multifamily and the commercial. But at the RFQ, you know, I would say, you know, two to three months at probably most to do an
RFQ. Did you make a motion, Commissioner Fernandez? Well, I had made a motion so that so that the city manager, the one that related to gradeways, which is the the company that's already paying franchise fees, and it's already here, so the city manager could consider the qualifications and consider whether it
would or would not be in the best interest of the city to consider a bid waiver for our consumers so that they could have that extra choice of this third company that is here that is paying the franchise fee, but is being deprived of giving our consumers a a an
option to use them. And so that was the that that was the first motion I had. And then separately, uh I like kind of like what Brad is is saying, but that was the first motion that I had on the table. Can you bring it on? I'll second them both because I want to finish this. You're going to
separate out 9 to 25 units, correct? So the smaller buildings aren't going to have a problem. You said 25. Prepare the RFP. 25. Prepare the RFP. Everything else is the wild west. I have no idea what the other three I find the whole way thing fascinating. So you have
that's the motion. Whatever he said first and and followed by what you said. Call the vote and just clarify. Mr. Manager, we have one more item after this. If I could just clarify, I don't want to tie our hands to 25. It could be 20. It could be 30. Um I just want to
make sure that we're right sizing it based on data. The key is hybrid. We want to take care of the little guys and we do not want them to have to contact somebody, you know, because they're in a bad contract or, you know, just make sure our residents in the smaller
buildings are not being exploited. They're not being exploited. And I really don't like that we're treat treating large condos commercially because they really are just a group of residents, but the goal would be from that process is to create unit pricing for them to be fixed for that group. All
right. You mean for larger condos through No, no. Through that group that we're talking through waste connections contract. That would be the goal. That's you want to envelop 9 to 25 into the waste connections contract at a unit price. Correct. Okay. Is that is that your motion? Call the vote. So on the
two motions, uh, all in favor, please say I. I. Clear, Mr. Attorney, what the motion is? Yes. The first motion is to direct the manager and it will all of course be subject to compliance with the code of ordinances but I think we have the general sense of of what you are
requesting and then the second one is for the administration to return with a proposed hybrid model. Awesome. And and you'll determine what are the right thresholds for each one. Okay. That was so the last last item I'll call in the agenda. It's the last legislative item
that is not a discussion item. So it's all we've hit all the legislative items. Uh C7BV C7BV spring break 2026 comprehensive strategy and action plan. Right now I move the item. I'll second. Hold on.
So I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by the mayor C7B. All in favor? I I. No one opposed. We are done. Okay. Motion to adjourn. Mr. Mayor, motion not
accepted. Motion to adjurnn. Mr. Mayor, thank you very much everyone. The meeting is adjourned. God bless.