please take your seats the meeting is about to begin remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public records please stand by we are going on air in 5 4 3 2
one good morning and Welcome to our February 26th 2025 commission meeting hybrid meeting zoom and in person I'll turn to our city clerk Ralph Granado for any 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 third floor the public May attend the meeting virtually however members of the public 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 by telephone you can join at 305 2241 1968 again 305 2241 1968 the toll-free number
is 888- 475-4988 18475 4499 the webinar ID is 813 9285 7671 pound again the webinar ID is 813 928 576 71 pound members of the
public wanting to speak virtually on an item during the meeting must click the raiseed hand icon if using the Zoom app or press star N9 on the telephone to raise their hand please note that the zoom link Zoom link webinar ID ID and telephone numbers provided for this Commission meeting are static and do not change from meeting to meeting thank you
mayor thank you Ralph and before we start start the sutnik uh citizens Forum I'd like to ask Pastor Kip of St John's on the lake to give us an invation good morning beloved people of Miami Beach and the city commission
Mayors mayor and City Commissioner I'm so happy to be here my name is Kip Nelson I serve as the pastor of St John's on the lake United Methodist church located on Pine Tree Drive here in myi Beach um and as we begin this morning I would just invite us into a
moment of meditation and Center our hearts and Minds as we do the Beloved work of caring for our community would you join me in a spirit of prayer this morning holy and eternal one known by many names and beyond all
names Spirit of Life Spirit of Love Spirit of community Spirit of Justice we ask your blessings upon these people who have been called to lead us here in Miami Beach the place that thousands are blessed to call home we celebrate and
give thanks for all their willingness to serve the greater good in these positions May each of them take seriously the roles they've been elected to and might each of them respect honor and serve all their constituents may they lead by example and be
exemplary in their character help them to listen for the needs of this community to speak for those who have not been heard and to stand up for those often left behind and mistreated by the world we ask your blessings upon all of
our residents and those particularly present here today help these leaders and all of us in Miami Beach remember to love and to care for our neighbor and this beautiful land you have given us may we continually strive to care for
the least of these our children the elderly the poor the hungry those without jobs or homes those who are ill in body mind or Spirit The Strangers the tourists the immigrants in our midst those who live on the margins the
hardworking and underpaid and all those living in fear May these leaders and each of us as Citizens do the work of Mercy Justice and compassion may this Council lead the
charge to care and act for our Beloved Community in this beautiful city we get to call home may this time and discussion yield a better City and a stronger Community one in which we can live and thrive in together one in which
no one is a stranger and one in which we can all belong and flirt flourish Eternal one bind us all together in a spirit of peace so that we might move toward the common good and still in us a spirit of service and
goodness in each person present here today and may the spirit of love care and compassion forever guide our actions our words and our policies amid all that is going around
us we eagerly await your divine goodness to break into our midst might our prayers for peace and Justice also be reflected by our very actions that come out of this time together may we never neglect an
opportunity to do good for this place called Miami Beach oh Divine and eternal spirit be with us be with us now and this time together amen wow thank you Pastor Kip our job
now is to take your words into our hearts and for the next 11 hours at least and uh and so thank you for that now now I get the fun job of picking somebody randomly in the in the crowd uh and surprise them and I'm going to call one of our fine residents we have many
fun residents here and a friend Jonathan Welsh if you wouldn't mind uh coming up you just started off and we'll we'll uh we'll join you in in the rest of the Pledge thank you please rise for the pledge 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 thank you Jonathan it's a test to make sure everyone knows the
words okay let's start our sutnik uh sutnik half hour good morning everyone anyone who wishes to address the Commission in the audience please come to the podium and I will do one from the audience and then one from Zoom state your name address and you have two
minutes go ahead please good morning Mr Mayor and Commissioners my name is Anita grman and I am president of the Miami Beach Garden Club I'm here representing our members who are asking your support for today's agenda item
c7k this is a patriotic installation for canopy Park the club and the VFW Post 3559 are working together to honor the men women and families of our armed services with this
installation we want to thank commissioner Fernandez for spearheading this project we look forward to your approval of this tribute and our continuing work with the city thank you thank you so much our next virtual speaker our first virtual speaker is Ken
Barnes please unmute yourself you have two minutes state your name and address please my name is Ken Barnes I live in Miami and I am a physician and member of Jewish voice for peace I here today to comment on your proposal to Grant the center for
combating anti-Semitism $50,000 to educate the staff at Mount Si hospital about anti-Semitism while there is no doubt that educating about anti-Semitism is necessary I question whether giving that money to Mount Si is the best use of the
money of all institutions I would ask how much anti-Semitism there really is at Mount Si it is a Jewish hospital and bias against Jews would be deeply frowned upon and I suspect grounds for dismissal so I ask why are you really
giving this money to the Center for combating anti-Semitism racism of which anti-Semitism is a part is prevalent in in our society Miami Beach itself has a population that is over 40% minority why not use this money to educate the public
in Miami Beach about the horrors of racism as a formerly practicing physician I saw substantial evidence of racism and Medicine in the United States spanning historical injustices to present day disparities and Healthcare
access treatment and outcomes why not give this money towards reducing the racism that is present in all our medical schools as well as Society at large inspecting the public record I don't see where the Miami Beach City commission is currently donating
funds specifically to anti-racist programs I again urge you to reconsider your plan to spend tax dollars at an institution where I suspect anti-Semitism to be very low in my opinion giving our attention to racism
in general would be a much wiser use of this money thank you very much thank you next please can I speak Joe Manning Miami Beach resident for 30 years I want to thank the mayor and Commissioners bot
and magazine for helping me yesterday and speaking out against the issue that I faced a year ago with a habitual criminal who tried to attack me I think that some reforms need to be made with the state attorney's office because
residents and tourists and I was shocked to learn who the woman was who was attacked in front of Walgreens apparently the CEO of a very very big luxury hotel chain and I was wondering was she here to scout out a location
well she'll never come back but again thank you very much thank you our next virtual speaker is Alicia Casanova please state your name address and you have two minutes uh my name is Alisia NOA 4775
Collins Avenue in Miami Beach I'm here this morning representing the mid Beach neighborhood association the MBNA to express our full support for two of commissioner Alex Fernandez's referral items and these are c4v referral to the public safety and neighborhood quality
of life to discuss extending installation of white dividing papers to the remaining areas of the beachwalk while the white while the temporary lines that were recently placed are much better than the bleeding painted lines the white brick pavers are more durable
and will also continue what is currently in place north of 47th Street we also want to support C4 AK referral to the finance and economic resiliency committee to discuss potential short-term improvements at the Miami Beach prominade which was formerly known
as Miami Beach Drive and that's situated between 24th and 29th Street including Rehabilitation of sidewalks Landscapes lighting improvements and another necessary Aesthetics we understand these shortterm uh are very necessary the the
street is very very uh ugly right now and needs help and of course we'll also be working with the city for long-term plans for Miami Beach prominade thank you thank you so much next please hi Dr lennet Long chair Miami Beach commission
for women resident West Avenue I'm here today to announce that starting Saturday is women's history month and our exhibit is going up Friday in Lumis Park between 8th and 9th Street there is an um
ceremony on Monday I mean Tuesday March 4th at 12:30 and I want to tell you that what makes this year's exhibit especially exciting is the commission for women members voted to have living
women all from the Miami Beach area and they're coming to the ceremony we have big placards for each of them a gift for each of them a cake and then um they'll have an opportunity to accept the award and speak and there's a lot of
enthusiasm for this event because it gives the public a chance to meet Michelle Bernstein or belky or digna here are our nominees all picked by the commission for women by vote and Furious debate about who should be the honores
Dig abello the fire chief Tony Lerner Anson the founder of Miami City Ballet lesie Balman the dermatologist wrote the first book on cosmetic Dermatology and the number one worldwide bestseller um author Judy Bloom who absolutely lived
at 1313 1330 Pennsylvania Avenue growing up um Deborah plut Nick Briggs from the Betsy Hotel community outreach belkey um the newscaster and bite with belies TV hosts five-time Emmy Award winner Sophie
Ringle clean Miami Beach Tanisha TT Terry Olympic gold medalist and Tracy Young DJ who's won 61 billboard number one hits what a lineup please show up
and everybody's invited at 12:30 thank you and thanks to communication team Park Service you did a great job thank you our next virtual speaker has a screen name of Judith or Judy go
ahead good morning this is Judith Smigel UK Avenue Min Beach I also um would appreciate we looking at the $50,000 grant for training at Mount siai
since IND training to all all groups who have experienced hate would be good if the people providing the training would prove to be competent I'm not reflecting on the current group I just know that there have been
questions about the effectiveness of so-called sensitivity training the crimes against the people pursued to seem to be Muslim have been rising
um as you probably know reported by the Miami heral on February 20th was a shooting of people that the shooters said were Palestinian who ironically turned out to be actually
Jews and the C A organization received the most complaints for hate and they represent Muslims last year in their 30-year history so yes there is hate but let's target it effectively thank
you thank you please go ahead good morning Mr Mayor and Miami Beach residents I'm Fabian basabi your state representative also a Miami Beach resident I'm also here to speak on behalf of this item anti-Semitism is a warning sign of a deeper societal
Decay it's not simply another form of prejudice when anti-Semitism Rises it's never just about the Jews it's a symptom of a broader movement that seeks to undermine Faith Law and Order and the Very principles that make our country
strong the same forces that Target Jewish communities today are the exact ones attacking police pushing radical ideologies and weakening the institutions that hold our nation together this is not a partis an issue it's an American issue medicine is built
on trust and ethics no patient should ever wonder if their doctor's personal biases will affect their care and no professional should ever feel unsafe practicing their faith yet today anti-Semitism is ignored in nearly every anti-bias training in the healthc care
system that's not just an oversight it's a total failure of moral responsibility and I was surprised to learn it this is not about equal opportunity or unconscious bias this is about survival the Jewish people have faced something no other group has systemic
organized attempts at Annihilation Century after Century from the programs to the Holocaust to the terror attacks of today and history proves one undeniable truth it never stops with the Jews many extremist ideologies Begin by
targeting Jews when Society tolerates anti-Semitism it signals an erosion of moral order that eventually consumes everyone let's take a look at history Nazi Germany didn't stop at the Jews Stalin's purges didn't stop at the Jews
nor does the radical Islamic Terror stop at Jews when civilization abandons its duty to protect the Jewish people the doors are open to persecution of Christians law enforcement and anyone who dares to stand for Traditional Values Miami Beach has a choice ignore
this Rising tide or take a stand for the values that Define us Faith freedom and fairness Mount siai Medical Center was founded because Jewish do doctors were banned from practicing elsewhere that same hatred is creeping back into our institutions across this country if we
don't fight it now we will regret it later this is a moment for leadership this initiative is not about special treatment it's about protecting the ethical Foundation of our medical system and standing for what's right I urge each of you to support this effort not just for the Jewish Community but for
every person of faith for every patient who deserves just treatment and for the future of our community and our country thank you for listening thank you thank you our next virtual speaker is Sharon Sharon state your name address and you have two minutes hi good morning uh my name is
Sharon Weiss uh 233 81st Street and uh I am calling today uh to urge the commission and anyone running for reelection or for a commission seat to seriously consider uh a deep deep audit
into uh the city's expenses uh I know doge is a uh a terrible word right now and is very loaded and comes with a lot of negative association but there should be nothing wrong and nothing partisan about demanding fiscal accountability
most of us uh have a budget we stick to it and we keep very close watch to it and we should demand no less from our elected officials uh and our our city government because it's our money that they are are spending and we should demand a full accounting and uh a
complete transparency with where our money is going thank you thank you go ahead please thank you good morning my name is uh Gino santorio I'm the president and CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center good morning Mr Mayor Commissioners Mr manager and everyone here uh present and virtually um we
celebrate our 75th year this year uh so it's a very special year in 1949 a group of Jewish philanthropists and Physicians started Mount siai Medical Center because at the time there was no place for minorities including uh Jewish Physicians and patients to to practice
medicine freely and be treated freely um our institution will never forget its roots and we will never take for granted the sacred trust that our community has placed in us so when the center for combating anti-Semitism reached out there really wasn't any decision for Mount siai to make we actually do
anti-bias and sensitivity training right now on minorities and embarrassingly uh I am here to admit we don't do that for anti semitism um and it was a stark realization to find out that it's really not happening anywhere so when the
opportunity came up we were um obviously thrilled with the opportunity to be the first anywhere that will take a practical Approach at resolving the current problem of anti-Semitism in medicine um and there is a problem uh there's been peer review papers on it um
and there is a a practical solution in terms of specific training I'm here to thank the city of my Beach for everything that you've done to combat uh anti-Semitism uh racism and and bigotry in this city and just to tell you what we're doing as the sole Hospital in
Miami Beach uh on how we're going to do this with anti-Semitism our training will arm our medical professionals to be able to report track and counter anti-Semitism as well as other forms of bigotry in the workplace it's a disease that will not cure itself and the City of Miami Beach is partnership is
important in this in the community the problem of anti-Semitism in medicine is not not something that will go away quickly and that's why we have a training solution that we're piloting as well as other local medical institutions who have agreed to sign on to it so I just wanted to come today and thank you
for that and educate the uh the community on what we're doing today thank you thank you our next virtual speaker is Johan Moore Mr Moore state your name address and you have two minutes good morning I wasn't going to speak uh I was going to let Jewish voice
for peace lead the way today but Zionism is a form of bigotry unless you address that you're not addressing it correctly thank you thank you so much I can't even let that go without some kind of comment it's it's it's such
a hatred remark that you just said it's it's it's hard to I I I get your emails Johan it's like it's it's it's hard to read it's it's I I I I I I I can't even voice the bigotry in that comment that
Jewish people should not be allowed to live peacefully despite 3,000 years of what you heard representative basabi say you heard our pres CEO from mounts say the constant persecution attacks and
even today in its Homeland um it's just it's hard to hear I just uh I I just couldn't let it go without a comment thank you so much go ahead please state your name address you have two minutes okay thank you um I do have copies of that survey study that Gino was mentioning so I'd like to pass on that
after good morning Commissioners thank you for having me my name is Dr Holly Noble sabog I'm a local practitioner here 15 years third generation Mii Beach native and I'm also a professor at a local Medical College I'm here today on behalf of the center for combating anti-Semitism but more importantly I'm
here on behalf of the Jewish Community which is suffering record rap of crime and unlawful discrimination anti-Semitism in medicine is rapidly becoming a Public Health crisis let me repeat that again anti-Semitism in medicine is becoming a
Public Health crisis I'm certain just two weeks ago many of you have seen the viral video of the two Australian nurses who bragged on social media about killing Jewish patients now I'm here to briefly talk about what's going on in the USA but we are not safe or immune to this problem I work with a team that
conducted a survey on anti-Semitism in US Healthcare in December I brought a copy of those findings and I'm going to list four key points that I'd like to share for your consideration one almost one4 of Jewish Physicians reported that their patients present with medical or
psychological issues as a result of the October 7th attacks and the spike in anti-Semitism which followed two there's a substantial risk that Healthcare Providers May dismiss the concerns of Jewish patients especially if they lack awareness about the link between
physical health and anti-Semitism or if they hold anti anti-semitic beliefs themselves three Jewish practitioners ourselves often feel ostracized and unsafe to publicly show our Jewish identity bigotry in healthcare not only
poses a risk to patients and providers but it threatens the very credibility of a field which entirely depends on a trustworthy system of ethics and a sacred hypocritic oath most importantly the survey results show that anti-Semitism is largely ignored in
anti-bias training in healthcare 73 and a half% of healthcare professionals are required to take antidiscrimination and anti-bias training yet less than 2% of that training includes training on anti-Semitism this commission has an
important role to play in safeguarding our community and I want to thank you so much for doing your part thank you so much our next virtual speaker is Larry Schaefer Mr Schaefer unmute yourself state your name and address you have two minutes Larry schaer 23 381st Street hello to the
commission so nice they had to meet twice in this month of February in fact he actually met four times but um I don't know if the police chief is there but I'd like to report a robbery um the Geo Bond staff specifically David Gomez David Martinez and Maria Hernandez along
with Karen Revo who heads up the geobond committee and appointed by Steven Miner has completely failed Us in Northshore I'm looking at your geobond information website we are owed 82.8 million in North Beach and we have received 8.5
million in 7 years these people have failed Us in addition Eric Carpenter has failed us he's overseen the whole operation where's the money to the CFO Jason Green where is the money did you steal it did someone run away with it did you push it into the general fund
and pay for sending firefighters to Israel we want to know what you did with the money because we've been taxed on it for seven years and I don't want to have any politician come and ask me or anyone else hopefully for a vote unless you reconcile what you owe us already now
this is not just a North Beach problem this is a problem throughout the entire Miami Beach the only neighborhood that got a decent Shake was the mayor's neighborhood of mid Beach where they got 34 million out of 73 million well good job steering funds to your neighborhood Stephen because you youve really did not
deliver for us up here are you going to come up here and ask for votes let's look at South Beach South Beach geobond was owed 126 million in spending they got 17.5 million so it looks to me like the greedy people in mid Beach are taking all the funds and there's no way
you could reconcile this but other than deliver the money that you've been taxing on us for seven years thank you so much next speaker please just one moment Larry I I I literally listen to your facts I don't even know what you're talking about just to leave it at
that thank you sir state your name address you have two minutes please good morning joose 400 West 41st Street I'm here just to make two simple points and to ask that the commission keep the item uh to partner with Mount SII Hospital on anti-discrimination uh training on the
agenda for today one key point to be aware of is obviously anti-Semitism is alive and well we've listened to a few people who have called in and made that point for us the city has a very important role to play here given its history of of uh facing anti-Semitism uh
well in the past but more importantly by partnering in this program the city has the ability to bring a whole lot of visibility to the solution it's very very appropriate for the city to lend its own credibility to this and so I really want to urge everybody to uh take
that into consideration secondly a person doesn't have to be Jewish in order to suffer anti-Semitism a biased and hateful practitioner merely has to perceive that person to be Jewish or perceive that person simply to be pro-israel in order
to carry out some unlawful Act of bias against that person so um with that being said you know the last thing I'll point out is that you know we have representative uh basabi here with us today a non-jewish person who often takes a stand on behalf of the Jewish Community the hate mail that he receives
and the treatment you know the unfair treatment that often you know shows up in his inbox and and in other places is absolutely a testament to that fact a person does not have to be Jewish in order to suffer anti-Semitism so uh just with that being said I want to thank the uh the
commission for hopefully keeping this item on the agenda today and allowing it to proceed forward thank you thank you Mr Welsh good morning it's so nice to see uh such familiar faces um I'm here today Mr W I'm sorry
just for the record your oh sorry yes sir my name is Jonathan Welsh I'm a resident at Mii Beach I've been a resident for over 10 years and during that period I have served on an array of committees um alongside my city the ad
hoc antibullying task force the human rights committee and now I have the unique opportunity to serve on the lgbtq advisory committee um appointed by
many here today um um mayor mayor Miner Alex Fernandez um so I'm here today to specifically talk about a ref um an item today a
resolution which will provide an annual allocation of $3,000 to each of the city's six advisory committees addressing human rights and civil rights and this funding especially right
now in this time in which we live this funding is not just an investment in these communities it's investment in our community and the values that make Miami Beach a leader in inclusivity equity and Civic
engagement advisory committees like ours play a critical role in advocating for marginalized communities addressing pressing social issues and Advising the city Commission on policies that shape the lives of
residents and visitors alike yet too often we are asked to do this all this work with limited or no resources at all a modest allocation of
$3,000 will help these committees allocate um help us organize meaningful community outreach amplifier voices whether it's hosting a town hall or conducting research or collaborating
with other organization we can be more impactful and better serve our city thank you very much thank you next please thank you and if you're waiting to speak please make sure you get on the Queue because we're about to end so go ahead
please go ahead ma'am yes I was waiting for somebody good morning Blanca viello 1881 Washington Avenue uh good morning mayor and Commissioners thank you for this opportunity I wanted to share something
with you when I bought my property in 95 this place was horrible Beyond horrible all Washington Avenue whatever so I never came back I used to live in New York and finally I came back in 2010 n and I found a booming Lincoln Road a
booming Ocean Drive full of very nice restaurants and bars and nice nightclubs yesterday morning and that's why I'm here I was walking by Lincoln Road let's say about noon 1:00 or
earlier and it was super sad we are having a crisis and I don't know if it's just to put the paddle uh court and that will bring more people but it's a crisis in less than one month two stores have
closed mayor the Pearl store close a month ago and they were there exactly one year and yesterday to my surprise I passed by an espresso is close espresso was a flat place when it was at the end
of uh Lincoln Road with a very nice place to have a Gran and a coffee and in the evenings a glass of prco and a little bit of a m so I think we are not on the time of like promotion I think it's the time maybe to bring an
specialist in crisis management because really I think we have a crisis in Lincoln Road so it would be very nice to go back to that booming H Lincoln Road and not losing all these tourists to bck bck is becoming the place to go thank you thank you next please go ahead state
your name address you have two minutes please thank you good morning mayor City commissioners and City staff my name is Matthew ganof and I live at 125 Jefferson Avenue I'm here today to ask you to take a closer look at r7c that's r7c
Charlie this is the city's own draft Vision zero action plan and the goal is to to reduce to zero the serious injuries and number of people killed who are driving walking and biking in our city and in this plan it states that in
the past six years there were 780 crashes involving people that were walking 121 pedestrians were seriously injured and 18 people were killed in total 48 people lost their lives on the streets of Miami Beach
during this time period for comparison there were only 28 I shouldn't say only but there were 28 homicides more people lost their lost their lives driving walking and biking in our city than by violence a recent study from New York City released in
January 2025 showed that hardened inter section treatment such as pedestrian curve extensions which are also known as bull belts reduced serious injuries and and fatality fatalities by 44% and yet today there's an item on the agenda that's going to ask the city
Administration to evaluate removing these very effective treatments that help reduce the number of people injured and killed in our city and according to the own plan excuse me according to this plan there was someone who was killed on the street walk
right across from North Beach Elementary along 41st Street so two years ago the city Administration recommended against removing bul outs the data hasn't changed the studies continue to show that these are very effective I ask you again to consider the safety of
ramifications Public Safety is the number one priority we hear from everyone here and take a further look at r7c today thank you next please state your name address you have two minutes minutes good morning mayor and
Commissioners my name is Nathan Rosenberg I'm a recent graduate of the University of M Michigan and while I was there my last year was rattled with anti-Semitism I experienced something that I never thought I would experience going to a university full of so many
Jews when I came down to Miami I was so excited to be in a wonderful Jewish Community but when I'm hearing about the anti-Semitism in the medical system I get scared I realize that this toxin is not not solely for an area like Michigan or throughout the United States but
rather in Miami it's it's just as presentent and I think there's a wonderful opportunity here to reinforce the training at Mount Si to reinforce the training in Miami for creating a more conducive environment for Jews and not only that but this can generalize
this can generalize out to other states to other countries even I think there's a wonderful opportunity here to lead by example and through Mount Si and through a wonderful relationship here you can Garner a momentum that will Ripple throughout the country will Ripple throughout the world and it doesn't just
start here but rather if you can develop a strong system and Implement and show the efficacy I believe that it will create a really powerful impact and be very loud and show that Miami means business thank you thank you so much next speaker please state your name
address and you have two minutes good morning everyone welcome my name is Luigi Mary that is Lui d as in delta GI last name m a r y I'd like to thank everyone uh for
their participation and uh and your attendance in this Lively meeting today I will say this um much of the Grassroots um efforts uh that I have uh attempted to do to promote Community
Unity has been voiced by uh some of our um esteemed uh distinguished uh Physicians and uh medical professionals and uh I'd also like to um take a moment to acknowledge the great efforts by our uh Miami Beach uh
police department in doing everything that they can to try to prevent uh Joe instances that you have had to deal with and you have my continued support there as you know uh we uh Joe and I we were at a um Miami Beach uh police department
symposium talking about um various concerns uh cyber security Etc and uh the fact that the fact that there were less than two dozen citizens there um I found disheartening because our Police Department is making
the effort but we have to meet them halfway so I will say this once again my name is Luigi Mary Lui DS and Delta GI last name m y I want to take a moment to also acknowledge our Airman and our uh VFW thank you so much for a fabulous
Super Bowl weekend event with fireman carry and everything else we do appreciate you make sure that you go visit the gentleman at the VFW thank you again all the uh members of the community and we do appreciate everyone here the day thank you for your excellent excellent
work next speaker please good morning all my name is Iona Sawyer I work at Lotus house women's shelter also a co-chair with livid experience I've come to speak to you all about in regarding to c7h Amendment four for Salvation Army and amendment five
Camila's house because what it is is that basically we just need to make sure that those that are homeless as well as coming back into the scene from being convicted need to make sure to have their voting rights also we have the you all have where there is called bikini
hastel which is a hotel not only a hotel but also has rooms for the homeless and what we need to make sure as the city so many of the US now tries to say that if you're homeless you're a criminal which is not true so we ask that if we're not
able to give them food they're not able to pay for a room and board just to allow that hotel to continue to be open to be room for them until they're able to get help because if that is there for them then you will have so many of the public that will not be frustrated with
them living on the streets because it's not that they're wanting to be there it's that they have nowhere else to go thank you thank you so much and that concludes the sennik uh 30 minutes in the morning okay I'll turn it over to you Ralph uh thank you everyone for your
comments and participation uh let's let's turn to the consent agenda thank you mayor um on the days you have the list of separated items I'm going to say them out loud so the public is aware which items have been separated from the consent agenda and will be heard uh
separately mayor Miner has separated two items C7 a apple dog and C7 AF so again mayor Miner has separated C7 a C7 AF commissioner Fernandez has separated
two items C2 time Ral yep to be a little quicker uh commissioner Fernandez has separated two items C2C and C4 am as in Mary so C2C and C4
a commissioner magazine has separated one item c2f commissioner Suarez has separated three items C7 U C7 AO C7 W again commissioner
swarz has separated C7 U C7 AO c7w for the record on the day you have the addendum that was added last night it is item C4 AO uh it is a referral to sister cities for the record also the
mayor has not approved any of the addendums to be added to the agenda so all the addendum items will be heard after 5:00 pm um for not on your list okay so please take note that not on your list the following items have been told to me
that they're going to be open and continued so these items are r5e and r5f so again r5e and r5f are going to be continued open and continued to December
15th so by acclamation may we do so so move also I'm noting that item R5 is being requested to be open and continued to March 19th so again R50 March 19th if we could do so by
acclamation I'll take that as a yes and we'll move on uh so those are the three items that are being open and continued in the ordinances I just point of clarification last night I sent an email about an item that I am r5n yes sir that's being withdrawn but
that's on the list already I'm not withdrawing r5n R R5 m is being withdrawn and r5n is being open and continued yes sir and we have that on the list already so that's why I didn't announce them because they made the list and I have no other announcements I'll make a motion to
approve the consent agenda as amended by the city clerk and with the exception of the pulled items May I have a second from commissioner Ros Gonzalez so then the consent agenda have a motion from commissioner Fernandez a second from uh for commissioner Rosen Gonzalez
all in favor please say I the cons the consent agenda is approved excluding the separated items I'd like to uh call one of the items that I pulled uh first only because uh Gino the CEO of mounts Gino
cantoro is still here and uh he may want to speak that's a C7 ad yes sir C7 a is allocate $50,000 to anti-Semitism in is anti-Semitism is Bad Medicine training program C7 ad was
separated by mayor Miner thank you and uh thank you commissioner Suarez for for bringing this item and and this issue to the forfront I did I guess when I saw it I as much as I love the item I did sort of question whether the the city uh
should be allocating the funds and um but before I I get to the substance I I just want to Echo some of the comments that people have have made about how important this training is in today and and the explosiveness of of anti-Semitism and and any Jewish person
knows as many non-jewish people know it too and I'm a big believer especially in United States the overwhelming people respect all people and want don't want hatred in any form including anti-Semitism and are
horrified by the things we've seen the uh University campus protests the the vocal uh really minority of people that being said I can tell you Jewish people in this country before October 7th
thought that this was a safe haven that would continue maybe in perpetuity but that history has shown us that is not the case and I can tell you that Jewish people today and I think I don't want to speak for everybody but it's almost everybody I've spoken to has
started thinking when is our time up here in America and where do we go when our time is up think about what that means for people who are raising their families here who thought until October 7th never even thought about whether
they should be looking for a place in Israel whether they need another passport dual citizenship that's the reality of what Jewish people fear and face today so these trainings are important and and um
and I'm I'm I'm fully supportive of it I did speak to and and if he wants to speak or I I could turn it over to you commissioner I mean Mount sin is is I I want to figure out a way we could partner but maybe even mounts will uh will fund it so it wouldn't come out of
necessarily city funding and um I think there's a lot more to come on this I I was just talking to Mr saag and about hosting if you mind me saying hosting a a a more
widespread uh Community from different hospitals and health centers from many different parts that are outside of Miami Beach and we would host it here in Miami Beach so there's a lot more to this but I think we need to address this specific item now and where the funding
comes from do do you want yeah sure thank you Mr Mayor I you know I think it's important to to also note that uh Medical institutions already cover training for all
uh races and genders and everything that you can think of besides anti-Semitism and so you know I I think one of the best ways to to Really highlight the growing concern in our community is to show a couple of videos
so PJ if you could show the couple of videos that I have lined up Kamesha Hart a register nurse at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital why should you know her name because she's taken to social media to openly Express her hatred of Jews calling them dogs and rats claiming she
will deny them Medical Care and even hoping they meet their ancestors soon let that sink in a medical professional someone sworn to provide care without bias proudly and openly broadcasting her refusal to treat Jewish patients it's not just anti-Semitism which is bad enough it's a violation of medical
ethics Oregon Health and Science University has yet to take action should someone like this really be trusted with patient care and what happens if this goes unchecked hospitals have a responsibility to protect all patients if you believe hate has no place in healthcare make sure that this story is
heard you can share the other video please you know what oh sh how are you man good how are you m man pretty good are you a nurse a doctor I'm a doctor M man a doctor for what um in hospital what what what about you where you from
from Israel from the Holy Land you know what I I'm going to be really honest with you all right I'm going to be really honest with you you actually got a really really beautiful eyes but I'm so but I'm so upset that you're isi like eventually you're going to get killed and you're going to go to Janam in but
like this pretty eyes they should stay in this in this world for longer why do you think why do you think I'm going to get killed it's palestine's country not your country are what's your name one day one day your time will come and you will die die the
most we spread listen to me peace listen to me when your time comes how are you doctors I want you to remember my faith okay okay understand got I have a question disgusting death all right all
right for sure I have a question though I have a question let's say let's say an Israeli God for them I want trat them I'll kill them you'll kill them so if in Israeli is in in Australia and God forbid something happened to him and he
comes to your hospital to God would you kill him okay you have no idea how many Israeli do came to this hospital and as so this is not make believe that we're
we're we're not doing this as a political gesture this is real there are lives at stake here Miami Beach is one of the few cities in the world that has a
tremendous historical and cultural Jewish population of significance and to think that in hospitals where myself I'm half Israeli I go to a
hospital I want to make sure that I don't ever see anything like that especially the residents of Miami Beach you know we we've we've seen a lot of anti-Semitism on Miami Beach we've
seen people hail Hitler on Ocean Drive we've had elderly people leaving synagogues be accosted by a bunch of of crazies we've had businesses vandalized just because they have an
Israeli flag flying on their on their storefront so I want Miami Beach to be a leader in fighting anti-Semitism across the world and we can be a shining Beacon
for those who want to feel safe and be Jewish in Miami Beach especially when a medical emergency God forbid happens so I'm going to be fully of support of this obviously I think it's it's going to be the first of its kind
the money doesn't go to the hospital it goes to a nonprofit and I believe it is money well spent thank you commissioner magazine thank you Mr Mayor thank you commissioner Suarez uh want to say thank you to Gino uh Mount
Si and yourself are true Partners to our community right uh our two organizations work hand inand and uh it's cliche but you can't have one without the other you're a true partner I thank you for your support while generally um even through my own anecdotal experience am not generally supportive
of HR type trainings um implicit bias in the medical system is very real right when you look at the uh birth mortality rates of African-American women uh four times higher than non-hispanic white women large part why that's thought is
the implicit bias within the medical system and I am very hardened to hear that Mount Si already has those training programs in place uh to address that which is a very real not just ceremonial issue um but a very important component of that seems to be missing and that is
having that same uh training for our uh Jewish brothers and sisters and uh I'll I'm going to be happily supportive of this and uh if you could add me as a co-sponsor I'd appreciate that thank you commissioner Fernandez then commissioner Rosen Gonzalez thank you Mr Mayor and I
want to uh thank my colleague for and and and this entire day is for for always being so proactive and ensuring that Miami Beach remains a safe Community for for for everyone including the Jewish Community because the
instances of hate and the instances of of anti-Semitism um it has has has been Vivid in our society has been seen in our community and indeed Miami Beach
must continue to be a a beacon um so I truly see the incredible value and the importance of this and no industry uh should should anti-Semitism be tolerated but much less in a safe space like a
hospital where people seek comp passion where people seek warmth and support at their times of greatest need and at times even at their times of greatest uh Joy when they're bringing a child into the world or something like that so we need to make sure that that that our
medical institutions continue being uh safe for the Jewish Community but I also do like what mayor Miner was was mentioning because in the very Spirit of us being a beacon and a leader well what
a better leader could we be if if this could be expanded Beyond Miami Beach and if and if Mount Si is willing to fund this this program which I would imagine and I don't want to put the president
CEO on the on on the spot but if I just can ask him if if Mount Si is willing to fund this or are they unable to fund this without the city's funding so Mount Si is going to uh do this regardless of of fing um I I think the difference here
is um hospitals are required to provide anti-bias training and it's riddled with identifying racism uh people of color uh lgd uh lgbtq it's it's everything that you're used to what's not in there is anti-Semitism part of the reason it's
not in there um one of the reasons is there really is no good training module so what I liked about this is it's really a pilot program on how to Target the contemporary forms of anti-semitism ISM I'll share with you I took the survey and I was um embarrassed at my
results uh and to find out that it really was not um out of the ordinary in terms of how it could be perceived is is was alarming right so I think it's a good thing to do partnering in any form whatever that may be with the city I think would be good because that'll help us as a pilot to then roll this out to
other areas across the country and that's and and and that's my my question are you willing to include other uh if you fund this for Mount siai and let's say the city provides the venue are you willing to would you be willing to expand this for other uh medical
organizations in in in the community in the community as a matter of fact we've already spoken about um doing continuing medical education credits that Physicians and providers have to do on an annual basis so we would provide those to come do trainings have guest guest lectures um we talked a lot about
that I've actually reached out to the Florida Hospital Association I've reached out to some other partners Mii J um I'm sure there's a lot of other medical providers that once this Pilot's up and running and they can look at it they would you know hopefully that will waterfall and and we'll start to see that included elsewhere I think the
message of the city of Miami Beach supporting this is so important but I think the the greater importance is is is driving corporate responsibility within the institutions we can't expect all institutions in our community and we
have large Employers in the city of Miami Beach to expect the city to fund what should be their responsibility what should be uh instilled in their corporate values and what should already be instilled in their practices so we have other large employers they
shouldn't be depending on city funding to provide the anti-Semitism training that they should be providing especially operating in in a city like the city of of Miami Beach and so and so if anything we should be encouraging our corporate part ERS to be
providing this this training but what I would love to to see is and in the spirit of our colleague who has introduced this this item is really be a leader in helping amplify the message that if Mount Si is investing in
providing uh this funding that we help Mount Si amplify the message of that uh anti-Semitism training um so that so that more people can partici participate in it so that we can provide the venue so that other clinics and other doctor's
offices and medical institutions can participate in it rather than just the limited footprint of your campus so th those are my thoughts on this uh very important I think uh very well-intentioned item which we we should be discussing thank you Mr Mayor thank
you commissioner Rosa Gonzalez so thank you for giving us the study it was very interesting out of the 2100 respondents 45 responded and 40% of them said that they had felt uh fear or
they'd felt um anti-Semitism so I'm going to be supportive because I don't want any patient in any hospital to ever worry about getting treatment because of who they are for what color you are what religion you are what gender you are
when you walk through the doors of the hospital everyone should be treated equally so I'm glad that we are um funding this um I would I maybe possibly you know we have a very active branch of BM maybe on some level they would want
to be involved in this um so I would reach out to Robin Jacobs and that group and see if somehow they would like to get involved with this and um thank you very much for giving us this information thank you I think this was a
good discussion um and and uh I want to Echo what commissioner magazine said about Mount sin being an outstanding partner in our city and and if you watch you probably too busy to watch many of our commission meetings I don't give too many accolades uh but I could say you personally are a great partner anytime
I've reached out to meet on any issue including addressing homelessness for it just you have always been a really a good willing partner for our community and and and I feel really blessed uh to have Mount sin and you in particular leading the helm um yeah interestingly
we talked about the training of Mount Si uh I brought an item within the past year we didn't have anti-Semitism in our in our own trading we had literally every group but not anti-Semitism so that has now I brought an item and that has now changed and I could tell you in
this this further Echoes what we're with commissioner Suarez and Mount Si and our and our whole and our whole body here and really our residents are trying to accomplish is that Miami Beach be a a model for other cities throughout the country and uh batting hate in any form
but certainly uh with the rise of anti-Semitism and we've done so much whether it's increasing police presence we we uh we had we had demonstrations before the university demonstrations that were harassing intimidating uh our residents and and we put an end to that you'll have your Free Speech but you're
not going to intimidate people here uh and threaten people on Miami Beach we send firefighters to Israel we increased our geob bonds we strengthen their anti-bds legislation I have an item today we're going to we're going to light up City Hall in Orange and and thank you Mr City attorney who's wearing
an orange tie today to commemorate the uh the bbus family in all hostages this has been a very painful year for Jewish people this is not an academic exercise that we talk about these
issues and when we're dealing with Kamas and those organizations that is there's a common enemy it is for the betterment of the United States itself to eradicate that hatred and evil and terrorism because believe me they're coming here
too if not them organizations like them we've seen it already it's not it's not hypothetical and that's why the United States is standing so strong and close with Israel to make sure that Israel stays
safe which is for the betterment of the entire world and what's interesting is I meet with a lot of different representatives from countries and I bring this up a lot about the anti-Semitism Israel not a lot I bring it up every time I meet with a a representative usually they're coming
for a different reason and I'm not gonna I'm not going to say that some of the representatives of different countries have debated me but you know what's interesting I've met with well it wasn't Representatives it was at the F2 conference these were business people from Saudi Arabia and guess what I don't
think they were just saying it to me they support Israel they know Kamas is a threat not only to Israel but to them representatives from UAE United Arab arids they also want to see Hamas eradicated this is not just an Israel
problem this is most many many Arab countries do not want to see this form of ter terrorism and they know it's a threat to them too and it's a threat to the United States and to you and me because when that bomb goes off God
forbid somewhere most of the time it makes no distinction between Jew non-jew doesn't matter vice mayor bot um so I I appreciate the spirit in which this is intended you know we talk
about how safe Miami Beach has been for so long for Jews and other people who are generally targeted for one reason or another but it's important to remember our history because if we don't we are doomed to repeat it parts of entire sections of North Beach were developed
and built by a man named Henry Levy um if you go up there and all the street names turn to French the Normandy Fountain you can thank him um but the reason for that is because Carl fiser who we hail as a great founding father was a raging anti-semite and he wouldn't
sell land to Jews there are many other examples in many other ways over the Decades of um my Miami Beach not leading the way on openm mindedness and tolerance and um just letting people Live and Let Live
and and welcoming everybody I think this is a great initiative I would prefer to see it expanded I want it to happen at Mount Si but I really love the idea of creating sort of a regional or national Forum on
how to address this in um in lots of professional capacities I mean obviously if you're a health care provider you literally have somebody's Health in your hands and possibly life in your hands so it's especially important for that industry but you know there are others that are tangential and I think we need
to to make that happen uh if you don't mind um you know I'd be curious to know um how this item originated do you approach us to get some funding help or did we approach you or so uh I was uh at an event um focused on keeping
anti-semitism off the beach um and um Jose bog as uh I I reached out to after that that lecture um and he had been working with Commissioners magazine and and Suarez on other items and I had asked him um for some help uh related to
a couple of things um and he approached me with this training program which was uh really transformational from um from what I see just because a lot of the training programs you come out of it and and you don't learn as much as as um you
knew half of it right we've been we've been trained year after year after year after year when I look at this training even as much as I've educated myself there's a lot to learn right so Ed rolling that out to the 5,000 employees that we have um especially in light of seeing the survey when it talks about
40% of people having felt anti-Semitism in the medical profession that's an alarming rate um so it really was um it was an easy um decision to make to partner uh as far as the funding um that's something that Mount Si from the
GetGo has committed to we're doing this whether or without funding I think the initiative for funding from the from the city was really to send a message that could be um leveraged across different communities in the state and then Beyond in terms of look at the partnership
that's available here from a uh city funding the medical uh facilities in order to have a safe place to to live work and play right having your hospitals and all the medical professionals being trained on this to prevent that that mechanism creates an
additional um point of Leverage that we can go and and go to Tampa or go to you know Gainesville and talk about the partnership between the municipalities and the health systems that's really I think the impetus behind it so thank you for that so I um you know I definitely
want to see you guys do it and and learn from your experience and see what change is effectuated I would um you know I know everybody could use more money to make things better um but I would almost rather see um you know maybe a
contribution towards the cost of this but the bulk of the the money being suggested for this funding since there it's already something you're going to be doing to be spent to um put together a conference a National Conference in the city of Miami Beach utilizing our
resources at the convention center and drawing in as many Regional national state International partners that we can um that we can encourage to come to this and really making this a leader globally I mean we are a leader globally on so
many other things sea level rise and and um cultural things and I think we should be a leader in this as well and I would rather dedicate these not insignificant resources to something along those lines thank
you thank you I just want to take a moment to to assure the commissioner um that everything that she's pointing out is well underway and is a part of the plan um you know clearly we need to get the recipe right uh before we start cooking for the crowd so to speak Mount sin is the perfect place to go ahead and
to Pilot this um and then really I think that the city's part is to be an amplifier to help increase the visibility to lend the impr primature of the city is really going to add a lot to you know uh to what we're doing in terms of the media worthiness um and to to gain the attention of other in
institutions and a Showcase Event is going to happen um quite soon uh I think part of the reason why we saw uh representative basab here today also is because the state is taking notice of that this is a program that we've recently also discussed uh uh with the
incoming uh staff at the CDC so our plan absolutely is to bring this to all institutions possible however Miami Beach is for many many reasons the appropriate starting point and this is really about showcasing the SE the city's leadership on this issue because I think it's the May pointed out uh the
city of Miami Beach has the ability to lead other cities and and clearly the opportunity here for the city is is to exercise that leadership Factor well I would love to uh through the mayor I would I would love to uh have a more in-depth conversation with you about
that when when you have a moment ABS to come visit and and let's put our heads together and see how we can collaborate absolutely I have a question and thank you for your efforts on this I know you're working tirelessly uh on this commissioner for andz thank you Mr Mayor um let me just ask you have you worked
with uh Jackson or Basin Palmer or or any of the other Regional hospitals we've taken on Mount saai it's in just in terms of the size of the institution and the number of employees who are going to now be a part of the pilot um like I said this is the first point of delivery so for us it's so that's that's
and and that's why I'm asking because I'm fully supportive of us uh uh you know contributing to to this effort um but as I think of patients in Miami Beach and this is and this is why my my comments earlier we get to amplify the
message so much more and make sure that our residents don't encount encounter anti-Semitism in any point uh when they go to a hospital I know a lot of our residents um you know they might have to go at times to Jackson it's where the
trauma center is at a lot of times uh we have residents that have to go to to bask and Palmer you know for for for you know eye issues and and and that type of stuff if if we if we contribute and if
Mount Sinai contributes are we able to expand the footprint of this absolutely and if we provide a venue for it so that more people can and that's part of amplifying I get I I get the importance of the city contributing because that
being an example in that manner is very important so that we show the example to other elected officials of what's the right thing to to do of investing uh in this in in this type of of uh of anti-Semitism sensitivity training so
that's important from from from setting the example to other governments but if we're putting this public investment really making sure that our constit understanding that our constituents don't only go to mount siai they might need to get medical services either from
other clinics in in Miami Beach or other facil facilities outside the beach and that's where I think this item could have a broader uh reach if we expand it to then Mr commissioner that's entirely the aim um I think that the uh the hospital uh mounts Hospital itself
recognizes that it's going to serve as a showcase and that this process is going to be demonstrated in front of the other healthc Care Systems I know that Gino is a fantastic person to help lead that process and to bring in other institutions to see what Mount Sai is doing and the difference that it's
making and so clearly this is really just the point of delivery the city of Miami Beach will help to provide a platform as well but the idea is that this needs to be showcased everywhere we want as many institutions and as many professionals as possible to have access to this programming thank you for being
so thoughtful and so concerned and leading on this on this front thank you so much thanks everybody thank you let's call the vote your motion I'll move it second by I'll second so motion by commissioner Suarez second by
commissioner mag on C7 a all in favor please say I I any opposed item passes 70 that was item C7 a thank you thank you commissioner Suarez for bringing the item and uh want to acknowledge uh we approved on consent
we're going to have a new parking director William McDonald I believe he's here I just got confirmation he was here and now uh everyone's looking around well in the interim let's call the next item r5b as in boy r5b is an ordinance of the mayor
City Commission of city of May Beach Florida amending the city of May beach year 2040 comprehensive plan pursuant to the expedited State review process of Section 163 3184 subsection 3 Florida Statutes by amending the resilient land use and development element goal rl1
entitled land use objective rlu 1.1 entitled establishment of future land use categories at table rlu 1.1 to provide consistency with floor area ratio regulations at policy rlu 1.1.5 entitled low density multif family
residential rm1 to provide F incentives to encourage the conversion of Legally established transient uses to residential uses in the West Avenue Bayfront overlay by amending policy rlu 1.1.6 entitled medium density multif family residential rm2 to provide F
incentives to encourage the development of residential uses and the conversion of existing transient uses to residential uses for properties located in the mid Beach residential use incentive area and to provide F incentives to encourage the conversion of Legally established transient uses to
residential uses in the West Avenue Bayfront overlay by amending policy rlu 1.1 1.7 and title high density multif family residential rm3 to provide F incentives to encourage the development of residential uses and the conversion of existing transient uses to
residential uses for properties located in the mid Beach residential use incentive area by amending policy 1.1.2 entitled high density residential performance standards are PS4 to provide F incentives to encourage the development of residential uses and the
conversion of existing transient uses to residential uses by amending objective 1.2 entitled land use regulations to establish policy 1.2.8 entitle residential use incentives to provide minimum standards for obtaining the F incentives set forth in this ordinance
and providing for qualification repeal or sub ability at an effective date this is a second reading public hearing it is item r5b we should make it a legislative priority that you you're able to shorten that uh that title but no thank you Ralph um commissioner Dominguez and co-sponsored by commissioner magazine
and Suarez so this item passed second reading at the last Commission meeting but the state uh did not receive the notification in time from the city and so we've had to put it on for a second reading for a second time a reminder of
what this item was about was to give uh modest incentives in different areas of our city where we have transient use um to encourage residential use instead yeah commissioner I'll move that along take the vote
I heard a motion from commissioner magazine seconded by commissioner Dominguez commissioner brosen Gonzalez yes commissioner Suarez yes commissioner magazine yes commissioner Fernandez yes vice mayor bot yes commissioner Dominguez yes mayor Miner yes motion
carries the item is approved that was item r5b thank you uh commissioner Dominguez let's call r5g 5G is an ordinance to the mayor and City Commission of city of May Florida I'm sorry and for that last item it was a public hearing I apologize there is one
hand raise so if I can go David are you here to speak on item r5b residential use incentives David if you're here to speak on r5b please unmute your s okay David's hand was raised from before so I don't think he was here to
speak on that item so I'm going to start again on r5g I apologize r5g is an ordance of the mayor and City Commission of the city of M Beach Florida amending chapter 62 of the code of the city of Mii Beach entitled human relations by amending Article 2 entitled discrimination by amending section 6235 thereof entitled membership to amend the human rights Committee Member term
limits and providing for repealer of ability qualification and effective date this is a second reading public hearing I see no one in zoom and I see no one in the audience re to I move my I have a motion by commissioner Fernandez seconded by commissioner
magazine if there's no discussion may I call the rooll yes commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes commissioner Suarez yes commissioner Dominguez yes commissioner Fernandez yes vice mayor bot yes commissioner magazine yes mayor Miner
yes motion carries the item is approved that was item r5g r5h r5h is an ordance of the mayor City Commission of the city of Mii Beach Florida amending chapter two of the code of the city of May beach entitle Administration by amending article three entitled agencies boards and committee
by amending division 14 entitled Next Generation Council by amending section 2176 entitled establish purpose section 2- 177 entitled powers and duties and section 2178 entitled composition to revise the requirements for service on the Next Generation Council and provide
for repealers sh ability C ification and effective date this is a second reading public hearing it is item r5h for the record I see no one in Zoom requesting to speak nor in the audience commissioner magazine uh I'll move the item on I think we've talked about this lot I'll
second I have a motion by commissioner magazine seconded seconded by the mayor hearing no one requesting to speak commissioner Suarez yes commissioner Dominguez yes commissioner magazine yes vice mayor bot yes Commission Fernandez yes commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes
mayor Miner yes motion is approved 70 that was r5h r5i r5i is in Ord of the mayor and City Commissioner of the city of man Beach Florida amending chapter six of the code of the city of Miami Beach entitled alcoholic beverages article one in general by amending section 63 thereof
entitle hours of sale violations by amending subsection A9 thereof to update the requirements of this subsection providing for repealers of ability codification and an effective date this is a second reading public hearing hearing it is item r5i for the record I see no one requesting to speak on this
item in Zoom or in the audience vice mayor bot um this is the second reading of an item designed to try to close loopholes for uh nightlife establishments that are um circumnavigating our guidelines about
reporting um entertainment of uh that could be disruptive to the city to the police department um after the first conversation about this there is a desire to look further at different um at different options to see if there are other avenues that we could explore um
the the change between first and second is going from 350 to 250 which captures more of the um The Nightlife venues in uh in the parameters and um I unless there's discussion to be had um I would move the item
um I'd like to speak is there is there any reason why we have a minimum can we apply to any alcohol establishment I would defer to my uh legal colleague Rob do you want to explain the thinking on
this uh there isn't any legal reason why you can't have a more robust number but it would be simply add to the workload and to the number of uh reports that would required to
be uh uh processed it's also what is the if I if I might if it's also we're trying to look at you know where the biggest problems are right so a tiny little venue is not going to cause a Ruckus um
if somebody pops up uh unannounced and nor do they go to tiny little venues typically um it's the it's the larger venues that have large craft capacities that end up having people lining up on the street um trying to get in it's it's
a bit of a mess so I share your desire commissioner Suarez to um re in bad behavior but there's there's sort of a a Tipping Point that we're trying to capture um and there has been a great deal of of time and effort put into this
trying to find the right balance of what we can do and so the notion of um it's a different approach to try to uh do it for everybody or to really batten down the hatches and I don't think that it is warranted at this point if we can try
this first and see if we if we mitigate the issue uh that's better than closing off the Avenue for um you know for for all operators and I would just add that there is and we decided to we started with 350 because that was what PD asked
for when they asked for this tool and so now this is sort of an expansion to uh more to more establishments uh but through our legal analysis which I I discussed with most of you off the DI and I can do that
again off the dice uh if you'd like we feel this is the most legally defensible uh option to uh to to to do um May
i m Suarez thank you uh Tom Mr planning director would you bu any chance to know the oad for Galla nightclub which one is Galla nightclub uh I can tell you I think
they're I think they're like 275 okay so my only issue is that it's not just larger nightclubs it's also more Boutique uh venues that have a very low
threshold and so like if bakara which was Gala um you know I'm looking at a headline man killed two women injured in Miami Beach triple shooting that happened at gallon nightclub so if they lower their o load from 275 to 249 they're not going
to be included in this in this ordinance so uh you know I I I think if we're going to do something let's do it right I I think it's a little shortsighted to say that it's only happening at large venues I think it's happening at all venues and
if we can if we can maybe expand it just a little bit more to make sure that it's smaller venues would also get captured in this I think that's a a good idea vice mayor bot um Chief Jones I'm
sort of put you on the spot with pop quiz so um since we weren't here when this item was originally created in its original format a few years ago can you talk about the rationale between the
about the number that was selected 350 um does 250 get to where you need to be does 200 get to where you need to be should it be a zero tolerance policy what what works based on your your information and your your trend line what what you see happening uh from a
trend perspective yeah good morning mayor commission Wayne Jones chief of police um you know I I would say that the more restrictive the better from a police perspective I I think the thought process when this was initially
discussed a number of years ago and when the decision was made about the 350 Mark was sort of sort of splitting the baby if you will not over overly burdening the small and more Boutique uh venues in the city um but certainly trying to hold
those who have more capacity um to have more clients more guests at any given time certainly trying to raise your standards as you relate to relates to security do you feel that 250 gets you
to where you want to be do you need it I mean we could keep moving the threshold down to zero uh you know and that doesn't seem to be an appropriate thing to do um that's why we came back with 250 thoughts yeah so listen I I I don't
know where The Sweet Spot is in this to be quite honest with you i' have to do some some more research on the matter but I tell you off the cuff I I think the more restricted to better Miss go ahead vice mayor I I think
perhaps we lower it to um 100 I mean really you're not going to have a venue that is um that is going to have be large scale where you have more than 100 people I mean I think if we're going to do this let's do it right you know um we know we
have spring break coming right around the corner and the last thing I want to see is EV any you just go from 275 to 249 uh to to accommodate or or to to loophole out of of this
ordinance Rob Rick do you guys want to weigh in we are recommending the current number for the reasons that we've discussed with you off the dice relating
to the legalities of what we are doing and not drawing a challenge so as a policy matter you can do what you see fit but we've discussed off the DI the danger of broadening this to uh a
degree where challenges are more likely and the possibility of losing the whole thing becomes a possibility okay so thank you for that Rick I don't want to preempt you from having an opportunity to weigh in if you'd like one no I rely
on on Rob for this one okay um all right so with that taking your your thought process under advisement commissioner Suarez I will move my item as it is presented here commissioner Fernandez and just because I I I understand the importance of getting something like the
this past in advance of the month of March uh and and exposing anything like this to the concerns that was raised by our chief Deputy City attorney would be concerning it would contradict the whole purpose of advancing something we're
going to get stuck in court um so we can avoid that now to get this passed in March if necessary the great thing about legislation is that we can always work and adapt uh and continue improving upon it and so I think the the goal was to
get something adopted by March and that's what we're doing here today but if necessary we can always go back and make it more restrictive in nature lower uh lower the the the maximum uh occupancy further if
necessary yeah I I agree and you know at the end of the day you can't legislate out stupid behavior and dangerous Behavior you can put laws in place to make it harder to do but people are people and they will do god- awful things and so um I would rather get good
legislation defensible legislation pass to catch the majority of the Bad actors and if we have extenuating circumstances or something changes we can as you said commissioner uh Fernandez we can adapt and and move on but but in the interest
of Public Safety I think we need to move now as as presented Mr Mayor what Marez Rob what's the difference legally speaking between 100 and 200 people oad uh I I'd rather not get into particulars on the dies but I would just
say it raises the chances of a challenge and it raises the CH the possibility that the entire scheme could be stricken down and we could lose the entire idea of
reporting uh performances Le in advance is that because more establishments are captured or in it or is it like a it's because the more people that are subject to it possibly leads to a more concerted
effort or more interest in challenging the idea of this disclosure requirement which we've had on very limited terms up until now for very specific reasons and
for that very specific reason we're broadening it slightly and increasing the risk that uh we get that kind of Challenge and possibly get that kind of loss losing the entire uh ordinance the more that you broaden it the more that
that possibility increases yeah I just I mean where did the 350 to 250 Mark come from was it just like an arbitrary number decision or was it based on some sort of empirical evidence of entertainment establishments that
have um lock loads of less than 350 well I think the information that that you uh alluded to where there had been a shooting at a nightclub that uh was currently not included in the 350 o load
would now be included in the the the lower o load okay let call the oh commissioner Rosen Gonzalez and then we'll call the vote I wanted to just ask a qu question about how many places I'm I'm supportive of it
I understand you know 350 to 250 but for example I just was curious like how many night Clips do we have with 350 how many nightclubs do we have with occupancy of 250 did you include any of this data we did not include the data I have a spreadsheet on my desk unfortunately I
didn't bring it down here but that they're a lot a lot like when you say a lot like what do you mean like 50 100 I don't I don't have the number in in my head and I I I apologize I didn't bring the spreadsheet down with me but uh I do have it and I'm if you give me a call
I'm happy to provide that to you but it's a it's an extensive Excel spreadsheet okay fine with it call a vote so I have a motion by commissioner bot who seconded please second have a motion by
commissioner VI May bot seconded by mayor Miner there is no one in Zoom no one on the audience requesting to speak vice mayor bot absolutely yes commissioner brosen Gonzalez yes commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner magazine yes commissioner
Dominguez yes commissioner Suarez mayor Miner yes motion carries the item is approved that was item R5 I R5 L R5 L is nor of the mayor City commission City May Beach Florida amending Chapter 58 of the May Beach city code entitled housing by amending
article 3 entitled property ba and Sanders by amending section 58- 298 thereof to require Property Owners of commercial historically designated buildings and all other historic districts as defined to maintain the historic character by promptly addressing exterior maintenance on improved signage or awnings or other
visual blight violations and providing for repealers have ability clarification and effective date this is a second reading public hearing it is item r5l vice mayor bot co-sponsored by commissioner Rosen Gonzalez um I don't believe there have been any changes between first and
second reading um so I would move the item call call the vote just for the record there's no one requested in Zoom to to speak on this well there is now um and no one in the audience Mr No Mitch noic please unmute yourself state your name address
you have two minutes good morning 91 Collins Avenue we already have in the Land Development regulations uh minimum maintenance standards which all Property Owners need to follow uh to
keep their property up to uh minimum maintenance uh we often have a problem with enforcement uh but I like the Spirit of this ordinance but it's already there thank you thank you there is no other public speaker vice mayor for the record
this item had a Time certain of 10:25 were earlier than uh the schedule so if we can postpone the vote till that time at that time I'll check if there's anyone requesting to speak and we can just take the vote at that time that sounds good okay so we need to call
we need to call another item so do you want to do this easy I'm sorry Ralph I'm sorry I stepped away for a second you want to call the RDA items sorry sorry we're going to first do the Redevelopment agency items which have a
10: a.m. 10 a.m. time certain we are recessing as a city commission meeting and convening as a Redevelopment agency uh commissioner Higgins is absent the one item that is on the agenda is item rda1 create empty space re reutilization
initiative use vacant space at anchor garage it is rda1 good morning Commissioners city manager mayor vice mayor ozie Dominguez division director of asset management for the City of Miami Beach uh this item is to use uh City vacant spaces for uh artist
Studios photogra photographers or nonprofits we do have a couple of vacant spaces that we can use for that at the anchor shops while we vet out permanent tenants um in addition to that we're also considering the use of the Southshore Community Center
commissioner Rosen Gonzalez I actually I had a constituent approach me the other day and say that um we don't have a bookstore anymore on Miami Beach and I know that we have a meeting schedule to speak with somebody who would like to open a bookstore and I think that every
city needs a bookstore so yes passion um yes yes so um hopefully uh when we have that meeting we'll consider you know uh offering one of these spaces so that Mii beach has a book bookstore again absolutely
thanks Fernandez no sorry I think it was me oh Eric I Heard a Voice I Heard a Voice down there I I just wanted to mention to the commissioner's comment um that we actually do have plans to try to
reintroduce a bookstore component as part of the collins floor uh Collins Park Garage ground floor um Redevelopment with the uh Miami new drama partnership so that is something that we feel we agree with you
is needed in the community and we would love to see come back okay we might have to put this out for RFP because even though this one constituent approached us maybe books and books wants to come back and open an outlet so I think we need to have some sort of fair process um but I also think we're probably going
to have to subsidize it because apparently um owning a bookstore is not a viable business model with the current retail um prices on Miami Beach so hopefully we can put something out there and make it affordable okay call the vote I need a
motion please I'll move in second have a motion by commissioner Suarez seconded by commissioner Fernandez all in favor of RDA 1 please say I I I I have 70 with commissioner Higgins absent we are now if if possible mayor can we maybe
reconvene as or convene as a North SE Community for development agency item you read my mind I was told that item two had been deferred is that not correct correct correct it is deferred correct it is deferred okay so we are done then
R is okay so thank Liz you're staying with me up there or or actually not I think it's Heather uh we're doing North Beach community redevelopment a gency it is item one accept North Beach community redevelopment agency recommendation use
C funds to create North Beach artistic recycling program for the record commissioner Steinberg is absent this is now North Beach CRA 1 what's your item commissioner magazine uh this is great uh Heather
thank you and Lizette for your team for working on this uh it was actually great when you gave me feedback that it was quite a fun item to work on um so I got this uh uh idea where we think about trying to promote uh resiliency recycling things that are environmentally friendly um but do so in
a way that's actually uh bring awareness to the situation to the need to do so in our city and also uh find ways just to clean up our city right um I think we should take the utmost pride in how our city looks and uh look for ways to incanti or encourage others whether
they're residents or visitors to our city to keep our city green uh I believe it's in Portugal it is where they have this uh huge recycling bin that is uh artistically done in a way that actually looks like a fish and that's where I got
uh our idea and I challenged our city staff to say go out and create something that one serves the purpose of promoting uh environmentally friendly sustainable uh ecosystem for our city but let's do so in a way that is uh visually appeasing and uh uh creates brand
awareness as well um so I'll turn it over to Heather and lazette if you want to uh take us on the journey through uh where some of your actions led and what our final product is Heather Shaw assistant director Economic Development and I'm joined by my
colleague rante director of Tourism and culture good morning uh Mr Mayor committee members uh this is actually was a really fun uh project program to work on uh we partnered we did a cross- sector collaboration partner with one lighter Fab Lab and clean Miami Beach
and we are uh creating a temporary artistic recycling bin in North Beach uh it will launch on April 1st is a tentative date to honor Earth month and we are going to have a series of uh activations in North
Beach uh the pilot program is for two months it will end on June 1st in preparation for Hurricane Season we're going to remove the pilot at that time we'll come back to committee and Report how many pounds of recycling materials we were able to
gather but this has been a really fun project to work on and thank you excellent thank you and just a quick question for that uh it's not as if the shelf life for the uh receptacle is only two months right we're just going to take it in that's correct so we'll be
able to you know either test it out in another location uh in The Following Season okay excellent well thank you ladies and your team for a lot of help I don't know if you have a quick visual for what this is going to look like I don't want to put you on the spot or maybe you just follow up with an LTC
because I know I was very uh excited about what's to come absolutely thank you sir and with that I'll motion I'll second the vote have a motion from commissioner magazine seconded by commissioner BL mayor bot all in favor
please say I motion pass to 70 commissioner Steinberg is absent thank you call r9d as in David r9d is legislative update by Senator Chevron D
Jones so legislative update uh our state senator of State of Florida um who unfortunately I'm actually sorry he's not able to be here but I'm sure you will uh capably uh give us the update uh karon fredman the legislative Aid to uh
our state senator uh Senate District 34 good morning everyone my name is Carrington Freeman I am the district well the legislative aid for District 34 um with Senator Chevon Jones and today's update will serve as a legislative update for the 2025 legislative session
which will begin next week so for the 2025 session um Senator Jones has many bills that will be bringing forth um to the legislature um that he wants to shared with you today the first bill will be SB 268 which is a public records and public officers bill
which will impact the mayor and City commission the bill will create a public records exemption for various public officers protecting the partial address and telephone numbers for the officer and their spouse as well as protections for the minor children as it relates to
their name date of birth telephone name and school and daycare this bill is not meant to hinder the transparency of Florida Sunshine loss but it is meant to protect our elected officials who over the years have been increasingly subject to threats and harms
as well as to ensure that we are protecting our democratic system and creating a safe space for individuals who are thinking of running for office s SP 268 passed in the first of the three committees and we are looking forward to carrying this across the
Finish Line this session another bill that Senator Jones has filed is s SP 204 which is Educator certifications and training which is filed last year but was unable to get across the Finish Line this bill will require active shooter and mass casualty trainings as part of
Education certification whether that they be traditional route or the alternate route and will also include a 5-year recertification s sp24 is not meant for our teachers to become First Responders however it is intended to equip our teachers with the tools and resources
necessary to keep themselves and our students safe in the event that a tragedy happens among other legislation Senator Jones Will Champion heading into this upcoming session is sb26 236 I'm sorry um which is community violence task
force this bill will educate will create a task force with the Democratic Department of sorry with the Department of Law Enforcement to review system failures and the causes of high crime rates and violence in urban core neighborhoods and communities the task force will develop recommendations for
Solutions programs services and strategies for improving inter agency Comm communication between local and state governmental agencies to help facilitate the reduction of 58% of crime and violence in the urban core neighborhoods and communities the last item I want to
discuss pertains to the legislation in an array of consumer protection bills which aim to keep money and Floridan Pockets so we have the first one we have the cancellation of Health Club contracts um this bill enhances consumer rights with health Studio gems and
things of that such by contracts and cancellation providing them cancellation rights guaranteeing refunds ensuring multiple cancellation methods and providing cancellation for online projects um elimination of hidden fees this bill targets deceptive advertising
practices that Mis mislead consumers it prohibits businesses from engaging in misrepresenting prices misrepresenting goods and services misrepresenting benefits and misrepresenting Authority this bill strengthens the consumer protection by clearly defining
deceptive advertising practices and providing a legal framework for enforcement it enforces and aims to create a fair Marketplace which consumers can make informed decisions based on accurate information I also want to touch on some
environmental legislation a couple weeks ago Senator Jones held an environmental town hall with the bis gang Bay Coalition and it was great to hear some of the concerns from the community and that information was taken back and discussed amongst our team we are currently have we currently have some language in drafting and look forward to
filing them this session I also want to discuss the derc vessel legislation which stems from our tour that we had in Miami Beach we want to ensure that we are giving Miami Beach Marine Patrol the tools to effectively do their job we believe this legislation will allow them to do so so a huge thank you to
commissioner Suarez um and his team for assisting us with that language um while we are working alongside other legislators other other legislators I'm sorry um and members to enforce legislation that will benefit our district um if there are any questions
about anything please don't hesitate to reach out to our office um we are always willing to assist in any way that we can thanks thank you very much appreciative and please uh send Senator Jones our best and thank him for all the hard work he's
doing mayor uh we have people from the audience who may not may have not heard r5e and r5f those were uh deferred to December 17th so r5e and r5f open and continue to
December 17th let's call uh r5a r5a is in ordance of the mayor and City Commissioner of the city of M Beach FL amending the Land Development and Land Development land use element of the comprehensive plan Pur to section 2.4 .1 of the Land Development regulations by amending the resilient land use and
development element goal rlu one entitled land use objective rlu 1.1 entitle establishment of future land use categories at table rlu 1.1 by creating policy rlu 1.1.18 B entitled Recreation and open
space Civic and Convention Center rccc and pursuant to Florida statute Section 163 3181 and section 6 163 3187 amending the future land use map of the comprehensive plan by changing the future land use designation for a parcel of land located at Pride Park which is
comprised of less than 10 acres from the current designation of public facilities Convention Center facilities PF CCC the future land use category of recreation and open space Civic at convention center rccc providing for inclusion in the comprehensive plan transmittal repealer ability at an effective date this is a
first reading public hearing the item is r5a commissioner Fernandez thank you Mr Mayor this is an item uh it's kind of nerdy in nature because it's uh it's a uh tax amendment um and and for most people it might not
they might not understand the significance of it um but as part of the Redevelopment of the convention center uh a public park was promised to the community and that's uh the um the 5.7
Acres uh that we have here in the heart of our of our city center uh um and it's it's owned by the city it's what the voters in 2019 uh decided to name Pride Park uh it
was promised to the community as a park the voters named it to be a park yet when you look at our uh comprehensive plan it is it is listed as a Convention Center facility as a public facility SLC
Convention Center facility fa and what that means is that unlike our other parks in the city it doesn't benefit from the same protections it doesn't benefit from the same protections as Flamingo Park it doesn't benefit from the same protections as Lumis park or
the same protections as North Beach uh uh open space park or so many of our other uh green spaces uh that are used for recreational purposes in our city so this item amens a comprehensive plan and
the future land use uh map of the city to make sure that this is forever a recreational and open space and it can only be changed and this is why it's so important it can only be changed through
a voter referendum right now uh being part of the of of a designation that allows uh for for Convention Center facilities in the future a future commission could put a ballroom in that space a future commission could put
other ancillary uses to the convention center in that space But now with this amendment that we're doing we're securing for the public that these five acres don't end up with a Convention Center related building there and that
if anything were to change with this green space it would only be the voters who would be allowed to make that change with that I'm going to recognize our planning director Tom money uh to to expand on anything else as might be
necessary um I think you covered um everything perfectly commissioner Fernandez I'll just add that the planning board transmitted this with a favorable recommendation unanimously and the administration recommends approval at first reading and so while we're not creating a new park today we are giving
this green space that was promised as a park the protections of a park for the continuity of this recreational open space for the residents of the city of Miami beach with that Mr Mayor I'm proud to move this item I'll
second this why you're chair of the land use committee uh commissioner Fernandez a nerdy item very nerdy item I don't know if I've ever heard somebody describe their item as nerdy but uh you just did so this this is a public hearing we have one uh individual requesting to speak Andrew Andrew please
state your name address and you have two minutes this is on item r5a hi there my name is for I am located at 920 Meridian Avenue thank you for uh speaking about this park it's a beautiful place to walk infinite Loops
thank you for the designer it's amazing coordinated with soundscape park looks very great just wanted to speak to the restroom access right now on the website it's listed as during events only for Pride Park which is similar to soundscape park however Pride parks restrooms have been opened throughout
the days sometimes in the last month or so it'd be nice for those restrooms to be open throughout all days as well as soundscape Park if and when available to allow people to leisurely enjoy recreational time in our parks that have been built to enjoy the sunshine in our city thank you so much to Everybody Take
Care thank you Ander thank you I see no one else requesting to speak may I call the roll call the RO and and and if I may I just um as the speaker was uh was coming about the bathrooms I just had a sidebar conversation with the city manager about
that so just to recognize the speaker's comments thank you commissioner magazine yes commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes commissioner Fernandez yes vice mayor bot yes commissioner Dominguez yes commissioner Suarez yeah commission
mayor Miner yes motion carries the item the second reading public hearing is scheduled for April 23rd that was item r5a April 23rd is second reading public hearing slightly early for a Time certain so I'm going to call r5c Mayor may we take the vote on the
previous item before we go to r5c yes okay so we're back on r5l uh just for the record r5l was uh property maintenance standards historic buildings and all
historic districts there it is a public hearing no one is requesting to speak on the item either in the audience or via Zoom I had a motion from commissioner bot uh vice mayor bot seconded by commissioner Schwarz commissioner magazine to vote commissioner
magazine yes commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes vice mayor bot yes commissioner Dominguez yes commissioner Suarez yes mayor Miner yes motion carries the item is approved that
was item r5l I know but I called it right r5c r5c is an ordance of the mayor and City Commissioner of city of May Beach Florida amending the might Beach resiliency code by amending chapter 7 entitled zoning districts and regulations article one entitled General to all zoning districts by amending
section 7.1.5 entitled uniside says that subsection 7.1.5 point2 titled uniside standards by modifying the minimum lodging and hotel unit size wide Citywide by amending chapter 7 entitled zoning districts and regulations are 2 entitle District regulations by amending
section 7.2.4 entitle rm1 residential family multif family low intensity at subsection 7.2.4 point3 entitle development regulations rm1 by amending section 7.2.5 entitle rm2 residential multi family medium intensity at
subsection 7.2.5 point3 entitled development regulations rm2 by amending sub bying section 7.2.6 intitle rm3 residential multif family high intensity at subsection 7.2.6 point3 entitled
development regulations R3 by amending section 7.2.1 entitled cd1 commercial low intensity District at subsection 7.2.1 10.3 entitled development regulations cd1 by amending section 7.2.1 entitled cd2 commercial medium
intensity District at subsection 7.2.1 111.3 entitled development regulations cd2 by amending section 7.2.2 entitled cd2 commercial high intensity District at subsection 7.2.2 12.3 entitled development regulation CD3 by amending
section 7.2.3 entitled mix use Entertainment District at subsection 7.2.1 13.3 entitled development regulations mxe by amending section 7.2.4 entitled North Beach town center core District by
modifying subsection 7.2.1 14.4 entitled development regulations TC to modify the minimum lodging and hotel unit size and and by modifying subsection 7.2.1 14.6 entitled Town Center Central core District by removing micro hotel as a
permitted use along with Associated references by amending section 7.25 entitle performance standard District PS as subsection 7.2.1 15.2 entitle residential performance standard District RPS to modify the minimum lodging and hotel unit size and by
amending subsection 7.2.1 15.3 entitled commercial performance standards districts CPS to modify the minimum lodging and hotel unit size and providing for catification repeat deers of ability applicability at an effective date this is a first reading public hearing the item requires 57s vote it is
r5c I'm sorry Ralph I didn't get that can you say that again a new contract's going to be by the word look at our vice mayor here uh commissioner Rosa Gonzalez thank you Ralph pretty impressive um so over the
past 10 years we've had the pro proliferation of micro hotel units at 175 sare feet is that the minimum that we have done Tom in the Town Center area and on Washington Avenue okay so this
removes that correct it removes it for Town Center but I would like to remove it for Washington Avenue also okay if possible um and make sure that we don't have these micro hotel units um it would make the minimum unit size 335 Square ft
that way we know that we're not sticking people into these micro units and we are not comp with our historic district hotels either in that area um didn't we do that didn't we do that already for we have not it is ex I would remove all I don't know how you feel about this
there's a bunch of exemptions here but I would say that moving forward all hotel rooms should be 335 square feet and above this way we protect we have plenty of smaller units um in our historic district um and the only exemption that I would have is if anybody is renovating
a historic property and those rooms are smaller um in that case I would allow for the smaller than 335 ft um but apart from that um you know if it's existing and it's operating as a hotel Tom I don't know how you feel
about that change because there's several exemptions here and I don't think this goes far enough I was under the impression that it was Citywide and I see that there's many exemptions here that I when it went to lands the we had identified the
exception and the recommendation of land use was to modify the um unit size Citywide but other than the TCC District to leave the existing exceptions in um if you want to
remove the other exceptions in the other districts we can do that but that might result in a modification to the title I'd have to look at that to see if that modifies the title or not well okay we have between first in second reading I don't know how you feel about this but I
definitely don't want more 175 ft micro hotel units I don't think they add anything to our current transient stock they are tiny rooms we have a bunch of them already we got them on Washington Avenue we have the Citizen M that opened up um now we we're adding an additional
800 rooms with the convention center hotel and if we have too many of these micro units and our rates drop below $100 that's when uh you know this place becomes comes free-for-all Party Central and we want to protect our current
Hospitality owners um and I think that this is um a great direction for us to go in commissioner magazine uh yeah thank you for this and if you could add me I I I'm shocked I already wasn't but if you could add me as a co-sponsor of this uh
something I I've long advocated for um I'd be in favor of removing the exemptions as well uh the one thing I do want to be careful of uh Tom is if tell me if I get this right if if there's any projects that are currently I don't want
to pull the rug out from anything that's removed and if we would essentially change this and something that's already kind of in the permitting and development process and they might be out for financing and it would be non-conforming usage would that
essentially uh impede their ability to go and secure financing if not I have no issues whatsoever um but I just want to be careful not to pull the rug out on any projects that are uh in the planning and have already been approved and it could impact their ability to get
financing there is an applicability provision pertaining to um projects on Washington Avenue I think that there's just one that this ordinance would not apply to and anybody else who has either obtained land use sport approval or
they've obtained a building permit they wouldn't be affected by the ordinance yeah and it's not even because I necessarily want to usher in those projects but uh in a term of fairness I I don't want to pull the rug out on anything that's already been planned and approved we we added an applicability
Clause to cover that so this would be Citywide that's it Tom 335 square fet or bigger moving forward okay so you and this won't affect my My worry is like let's say that you own a hotel in the historic district and you want to renovate it and the room sizes are you
know 150 200 square fet that would not affect their ability to to renovate that correct correct so the only exception you want to leave in is the exception for historic hotels okay and that's it are you guys okay with that so with that
I will move the item I'll second call the vote and before you vote just to to clarify this will be approved at first reading and we're going to add the removal of all the other exceptions
however for historic hot hotels the current exception for historic hotels will remain but all the other less than 335 ft square foot exceptions will be removed historic hotels operating as hotels correct I mean we don't want
something that's residential to turn into a I was just going toor hotel right yeah we can say for existing hotels operating as hotels okay yeah call a vote it is a public hearing I see no one in zoom and no one in the audience I have a motion by commissioner
Rosen Gonzalez second vice mayor bot vice mayor bot yes commissioner magazine yes and I don't know the protocol for doing this can I ask a quick point of clarification even though we're at the vote time um this is not the protocol but you go ahead or is hotels
interchangeable with short-term rentals because you just triggered something where if we would essentially I know we have a limited ability to uh manage or limit our short-term rentals um uh but there was a good point brought up and something I've been
working on since uh before being elected is stopping the conversion of residential to Transit usages and those either tend to take two forms one is by turning older oftentimes historic buildings into uh condo hotels or just
operating them in short-term rentals and if we put a minimum size unit where for any type of conversion into a hotel even if you are in a historic area we've removed that exemption so if you have one of these
older homes and or older multif family buildings and they operating is residential and they have the smaller efficiencies if they're less than 335 Square fet which many of these older uh buildings with small efficiencies are you wouldn't be able to convert but
would there be a loophole where they say well we're going to convert to a short-term rental could we essentially say even though we're preempted by the state in uh preventing short-term rentals say Well it has to be at least a minimum unit size so that would further strengthen uh or put more teeth into uh
preventing residential being converted into these Transit usages short-term the term short-term rental applies solely to a residential apartment and residential Apartments have a different larger minimum unit size requirement than
hotels do so if you have an older building that is being utilized as a hotel and it doesn't have kitchen then there in order for that hotel to convert or change the use from hotel to
residential apartment they would have to go through the change of use process and they would have to meet the minimum and average unisize requirements for residential apartment um which would likely mean they would have to modify the units both
out the kitchens as well as increase the size now if they are in a district that allows for short-term rentals that's something that the city is preempted from regulating if they are in a district that currently permits short-term rentals but short-term rentals only applies to residential apartment units it doesn't apply to
hotels so what what we're preempted from preventing them could we put a minimum unit size allowed or is that preempted as well we already have a minimum unit size requirement for residential apartments in most districts it's 550 Square ft with an average unit size of
800 you can forego the average unit size is if you agree by covenant not to have any short-term rentals but if you want to Avail yourself to short-term rentals you would have to meet both the minimum unit size of 550 Square fet as well as the average unit size of 800 square F
feet for the entire building perhaps something we'll brainstorm more offline I appreciate the uh info so we had a we voted uh commissioner bot voted in favor commissioner magazine yes commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes commissioner
Dominguez yes commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner Suarez yes mayor Miner yes motion carries the second reading public hearing is scheduled for April 23rd this item was r5c and it was adopted as
amended great uh r7d as in David r7d is notify residents before toying of vehicles and the mayor is also being is also adding himself as a co-sponsor r7d commissioner Fernandez thank you Mr Mayor um I'm proud to be
bringing forward uh this uh Common Sense solution that ensures that our parking enforcement policies are fair they're transparent and ultimately compliance driven while reducing unnecessary Financial burdens on our
residents The Proposal that I'm bringing today uh that that I've called on social media as a text before toone notification it will give residents a 15minute uh grace period to correct a parking violation before their car is
towed except obviously in a life safety situation currently uh too many of our residents return to find their cars towed I think last year there were about 2,000 residents uh that had their cars towed in the city of Miami Beach without
having had the chance to correct the parking violation it's frustrating it's costly and in many cases it really is avoidable uh and ultimately I really do feel that the goal of parking enforcement should
be compliance not P not punishment and I think ultimately that is our overall goal we are a compliance driven government this resolution does not eliminate Towing it remains an essential tool to ensure that our streets are safe
that our parking is accessible however we do not lose uh anything by implementing this policy it's an opportunity to inform and engage our residents before their car is towed by simply sending a text message
providing a 15minute grace period we can com we can potentially achieve compliance faster uh than having to wait for a tool truck while saving residents from unnecessary cost C and inconvenience I believe this is a very
balanced approach I believe this is very pragmatic it allows us to maintain the Integrity of our parking regulations while recognizing that sometimes people make mistakes and when they do a little notice to our residents can go a long way in ensuring compliance before
escalating a situation to a toe and most importantly they still get penalized because a minimum they'll get a parking ticket that is at least $36 uh it just gives our rest this courtesy of notice to move their car and
potentially avoid destroying someone's day and the inconveniences and the costs that are um that that are involved I also want to uh clarify uh that we've incorporated into this some necessary exceptions for issues like fire lanes
and bicycle lanes and obviously disabled parking we never want to encourage uh this type of bad behavior uh that had abuses these fire lanes and bike lanes and and disabled parking spaces so those
will still result in immediate Towing uh public safety concerns remain our top priority but for non-life safety violations uh for example you parked at a valet ramp or you um you know you you
went into an area that that that has a residential Zone that starts at a certain time and you didn't realize that or you parked in in the wrong Zone you're usually within a close distance to your car um and so this resident first approach uh it Fosters
communication but it Fosters compliance and I'm very proud to be bringing forward this initiative that takes account the needs and the concerns of our residents and I hope I can count with your support thank you Mr Mayor commissioner Dominguez then commissioner magazine thank you uh thank you for
coming up with this item commissioner Fernandez U getting to it is a very stressful situation it's happened to me a couple of times and to think that now the residents in non lifethreatening situations will have uh notice in advance I think it's wonderful so thank
you for bringing it forward I'm very supportive thank you commissioner commissioner magazine yeah you can do more than count on my support commissioner Fernandez uh this is fantastic legislation um applaud you for this uh you have my support my sponsorship and uh also my recognition
and hopefully others recognition for this uh very resident Centric approach that you've taken thank you great can you please add my name as a sponsor commissioner oh uh Ralph if you can add my name as a sponsor that'd be great thank you commissioner Rosen Gonzalez
then vice mayor bot I love this I've heard stories of people like watching their car get towed and they won't remove the car even though they're right there at that given time like they run into Dunkin Donuts and so this is going to alleviate a lot of Resident
complaints that we have I mean because we spend a lot of time Fielding these complaints making sure that they get the resident discount I think that uh the 4,000 phone numbers that you don't have um can you can you mail those 4,000 residents explaining what's happening
and request that they you know have some sort of link where they fill out an application and provide their phone number so that we're covered um with you know anybody registered in the system but even be above and beyond that how could we get like every resident to sign
up beyond the 20,000 and through the mayor uh commissioner absolutely uh there needs to be Community awareness Outreach uh in parallel with this effort in in advance of implementing any system there's going
to be a very robust Outreach effort to make sure that every resident is aware of it and signs up because if a resident is not signed signed up if or they could be signed up and not have left their contact information their phone number we need their phone numbers in order to
be able to contact them and uh so that they can Avail themselves of this 15minute grace period commissioner fites you should do a commercial with the city about this and have it on TV and with like a phone number that they can call or really promote it I think that you should work
with Communications and really do some serious Outreach on this because this is groundbreaking stuff congratulations thank you and I'm grateful that the city manager's office is is already looking at how to communicate with the residents make sure that we expand this uh database of of phone numbers and making
sure that our intent of serving the residents is fully achieved by letting them know how important it is for them to be uh registered with the city's parking permit system so that so that they can uh benefit from this text before tow notification that we as a
body are implementing it's not me this is something that is the work and the result of discussions we all have had uh the Fielding the complaints of of our residents and so so this is something that we all as a body need to be proud of it's not just my item it is ours as a
collective uh commission thank you Mr Mayor Mr Mayor thank you vice mayor bot um Ralph could you please add me as a co-sponsor as well Alex sorry commissioner Fernandez um well done I think this will be good for everybody and um me too Ralph it's a a good Common
Sense solution and I look forward to helping it get implemented thank you you're writing High I don't think I need to call any more of your items today no this is one of those items where I look at I'm like wow how come I didn't think of that so it's right it's like it's but it's a great item thank
you well and and and why don't we all become co- primes of this so that it is the entire city commission that's doing this this is not Alex Fernandez this is the city's leadership looking out for the residents of our city who we are here to serve so it is all of ours it's
not mine it's all of us thank you still need to call a vote yeah I I need a motion for I got I'm assuming I got a motion from uh commissioner Fernandez second second Vice May button got it uh all in favor please say
I I item pass a 70 r7d R5 mayor R50 is being open and continued to March 19 18 uh may we do so by acclamation yep um I'm sorry r5d so R I'm sorry
R5 David r5d is an ordinance to the mayor and City Commissioner city of May Beach Florida amending the bamb beach resiliency code by amending chap R r5d yes I'm read uh an ordinance
of the mayor and City Commission of the city M Beach Florida amending that b beach resiliency code by amending chapter 7even entitled zoning districts and regulations article two entitle District regulations by amending section 7.2.4 entitle rm1 residential multif family low intensity as subsection 7.2.4
point2 intitle uses rm1 and by amending section 7.2.5 intitle rm2 residential multif family medium intensity as subsection 7.2.5 point2 entitle uses r-2 and amending section 7.2.6 entitle R-3 residential multif family high intensity
at subsection 7.2.6 point2 entitle uses rm3 and by amending section 7210 entitle cd1 commercial low intensity districts at subsection 7.2.1 10.2 entitle uses cd1 and by amending section 7.2.1 entitle cd2 commercial medium intensity
District as subsection 7.2.1 111.2 in title uses cd2 and by amending section 7.2.2 entitle CD3 commercial high intensity District that's up section 7.2.2 point2 entitles uses CD3 and by amending section 7.2.3 entitled mix use
entertain District at subsection 7.2.3 intitle usus mxe by amending section 7.2.4 intitle North Beach town center core District TC at subsection 7.2.1 14.2 in title uses tc1 tc2 and by
amending subsection 7.2.1 14.3 in title usus TC3 bying subsection 7.2.1 14.6 in title Town Center Central Court TCC district and by amending section 7.2.5 in title performance standard District PS on subsection 7.2.5 15.2 entitled
residential performance sard districts RPS by amending subsection 7.2.1 15.3 entitle commercial performance standards District CPS by referencing the hotel approval process established under Section 2.72 2.7.2 and conforming the regulations for
each respective zoning District reflect that the approval of a warrant by the city commission shall be required part to the review of a land use board application or building permit for a hotel suite hotel apartment hotel or hostel subject to exceptions and subject to the procedur requirements and review criteria in section
2.7.2 and providing for qualification repealer severability applicability and an effective date this is a first reading public hearing it requires 5 SS vote it is item r5d commissioner magazine well thank you R um Tom gonna turn it over to you but
this is uh one in a numerous number of initiatives that uh collectively we have all uh kind of embarked on and uh taken to essentially turn the focus for future and further development into residential focused away from transit usages uh it
truly is night and day seeing this commission I look back when I was doing research into some of the bikini hosel things and reading the commentary from not 50 years ago uh just as recently as 2009 you know talking about uh wanting
to turn areas like West Avenue uh seeing that right for hotel development um and even as late as 2016 uh where our areas like Washington Avenue and Lincoln Road were targeted for just more and more uh hotels um in
many cases micro unit hotels uh so this commission uh continues to be resident resident Centric and uh even in terms of not just our exist existing infrastructure but looking ahead uh for what we want our city to be uh has been through a residential Focus lens so Tom
kick it over to you for uh uh what this legislation means sure thank you uh commissioner magazine as the commission may recall last month um or a few weeks ago actually on February 3rd uh you adopted uh an ordinance amendment that
established a commission warrant process for any future Hotel uses in the city The Only Exception was Oceanfront properties in order to provide Clarity because we had amended one section of the code in order to ensure that people
are fully aware by zoning District of that change this particular um ordinance Amendment basically updates each zoning District classification that allows for hotels in some capacity and um um
basically creates the notification that a warrant would be required so um it this is really more of a clarification ordinance it's not what I would characterize as a substantive ordinance because a substantive ordinance was adopted by the commission on February 3rd but this will provide some clarity
so that anybody looking through each zoning district will be fully aware that a commission warrant will be required for any type of new hotel use I you commissioner Dominguez thank you and thank you commissioner magazine for bringing this item forward I
remember at the February 3rd meeting there were some applicability Clauses that were approved and I know Nick that you had spoken to the City attorney and felt that it was covered and wasn't needed but for clarity I want to make sure that the applicability Clauses are also attached to this to avoid any
future confusion that's right commissioner um the the city commission included a few applicability Clauses as part of the hotel approval process that was adopted on February 3rd um between first and second reading we're going to amend this ordinance so that they're all set out
again um in in in this version even though you know our position is the applicability Clauses still apply we want this ordinance to be uh clear thank you much appreciated commissioner Suarez what were the addresses again for
the applicability Clauses for those I don't have the addresses in front of me but I can tell you I can describe them to you the one was for properties fronting washhington Avenue that had a uh that had already filed applications and had a notice to proceed
um prior to July 1 of 2024 the second was for properties on the west side of Collins between 77th and 79th streets which had also initiated the process to to for for approval of a hotel and the third was for properties on the west
side of Collins between 13th and 14th Street with a contributing building uh with less than 50 units if the building was originally constructed as a hotel so was three applicability Clauses okay call a
vote it is a public hearing I see no one in zoom and no one requesting to speak in the audience I need a motion please I'll move it second by commissioner R Fernandez Fernandez okay commissioner magazine yes
vice mayor bot yes commissioner Dominguez yes commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes commissioner Suarez yes commissioner Fernandez yes Miner yes motion Carri second reading public hearing is scheduled for April 23rd that was item
r5d R5 J R5 J is in ordance of the mayor and City Commission of City M Beach Florida amending chapter 12 of the M Beach city code entitled Arts culture and entertainment by amending article two entitled special events by creating section 12- 5.2 thereof entitled special event permit required for large scale
residential parties and events and providing for repealers of ability codification and an effective date this is a first reading public hearing R 5j commissioner Fernandez thank you Mr Mayor at the November City commission meeting I
sponsored uh and we all uh adopted collectively new regulations for special event permits during our week uh to address the issue of large scale commercial grade parties in residential neighborhoods of of our city like Palm
hibiscus star uh ultimately to most importantly above it all is to protect Public Safety that's a reason why we legislate these things and and it also has a positive impact on the quality of life and and to protect the area of
residents but the priority is always Public Safety I think the pilot program was uh successful uh in in in addressing the um the concerns that we have with this we were able to limit uh the size of some
parties we were able to put in there um you know certain requirements through through through the city manager um you know having to do with building permits uh accessibility to properties for enforcement and overall the outcome was
was much better for the city there's still room for improvement uh in this in in this process but there was a clear uh Avenue for improvement um what we adopted in November this policy uh was
upheld as lawful uh by the United States distri District Court uh for the southern district in the hhin uh versus Miami Beach case and I want to commend our exceptional uh legal team for not only crafting dis ordinance but capably
defending it and upholding it in in Court um and um and the success of this initiative has laid the foundation for stronger and broader uh protections um the goal was to make the
protections uh permanent and Citywide and that's what we're bringing now uh this ordinance that we have before us today creates a Citywide special event permit system for large scale commercial
uh grade uh parties in SLE family homes events during specific periods aiming to allow um residents to use their homes but to be able to mitigate the negative
impacts in our neighborhoods the ability of our city manager to review permits the ability of neighborhood associations to chime in with concerns uh and the ability to put in their conditions as it relates to Public
Safety and traffic and parking management and also ultimately if necessary for the public good and the public safety being able to deny a a permit if if if necessary uh the special event uh permit
that we're creating it it will be required for residential parties or events that made any of the following criteria s such as having fireworks uh they're expecting more than 100 attendees more than 50 vehicles uh
expected for pickup drop off or parking uh the use of institutional or commercial grade speakers lighting or generators and the use of commercial grade uh bars and I just want to highlight on the issue of commercial
grade equipment uh because when you uh speak about noise complaints in our city you'll hear it time and over again from our code enforcement team the number one complaint relating to noise comes from residential areas and in part why it's
so important to regulate the commercial use of these of these uh speakers and generators and and lights uh I want to be very clear that uh that that while we are expanding this Beyond uh the art week period as what we
did last year were're it's not year round this is for very prescribed periods of of the Year we're talking about periods like spring break periods like Memorial day periods like Independence Day Halloween art buzle the
holidays the new years's um you know I would like us to consider possibly expanding this for Super Bowl weekends uh Formula 1 uh periods like the Grammys you know that we know that they could be
concerning but but residents still have the ability outside of these periods to be able to have events without getting a permit we just know during these high impact periods permits are necessary because you can't have every house in a
block hosting a party you can't have cars blocking the aess for emergency vehicles you can't have families kept up till 3:00 in the morning with commercial grade speed speakers pointing at their
children's uh bedroom so they're going to be required to get a permit during these uh periods property um the requirements for obtaining a permit is that the property owners uh agreement for City personnel to conduct uh
inspections before and during the event that's very important because in the past our our enforcement officers have been denied access to properties and so I they want to get a permit they need to be willing for there to be uh Code
Compliance and and police to to to to conduct um these inspections they need to obtain necessary permits from relevant departments like for example a lot of these uh parties have porta potties yet they don't even get building
permits uh for it or they have other build outs that may require electrical permits or other types of permits so this requires that they get get the necessary permits again that is a life safety regulation we require them to comply
with the special event guidelines and such as in obtaining the necessary insurance and identification and adhering to any other um any other restrictions that may that may be imposed by the city manager to
protect uh Public Safety and that's one of the key elements in this uh there might be greater conc concerns that might be site specific and through this review process the neighbors of the area are able to provide advisory feedback to
the city we're able to consult with code enforcement and with police to get life safety feedback and the city manager if he deems necessary he can impose in these permits the necessary conditions to protect these uh life sa safety
situations the special event permit applications will need to be submitted at least 90 days before the event and will be reviewed by the re revent City department and as I mentioned earlier by The Neighborhood associations and one of the most important things about the
penalties of not getting this permit is that among the different penalties perhaps the most important penalty is that the owner who does not comply will face a 13-month ban on obtaining a special event permit and why is that
important because a lot of these uh party homes they'll have a party every Formula 1 they'll have a party every art week or they'll have uh a party every spring break but if they now violate getting
the permit they won't be able to get a permit for next year with this 13-year ban with 13-month ban I'm sorry and if let's say the following year since they can't get the permit and they decide to go throw a party they
could even be facing a penalty of arrest is that correct Mr attorney that is correct and so this is this is very strong legislation but it's legislation that is built upon the foundations of legislation that's been upheld as lawful
already by the US District Court and that will ultimately protect our residents our residents quality of life but most importantly above all the Public Safety of our residents when we seen streets so clogged and so backed up
that not even an emergency vehicle God forbid would be able to get through should it be necessary to save someone's life so I'm very proud of this item I'm proud of the work we collectively did in November to pass the pilot version of the of this legislation and I'll repeat
again I'm so proud of our city attorney's office of rck too and our chief uh Deputy City attorney uh Robert Rosen Wald and the litigation team and everyone involved who up who got this upheld in court and now is our opportunity to adopt a permanent
Citywide version of this to protect all the residents in our city and with that I'm happy to move my item Mr Mayor I'm so proud of you I'm going to add my name as a co-sponsor as well and already a co-sponsor on this item is commissioner Dominguez thank you mayor uh so I've had
meetings with the Palm hibiscus um Association and also the Venetian Islands neighborhood association and the city attorney's office thank you so much commissioner Fernandez for bringing this item forward uh this uh is so important and what I love about it is that it's
Citywide so hopefully we're not having any loopholes anywhere I know that there's been parties on North Bay Road and in pine tree and uh the residents deserve to have peace and quiet even in high impact weekends so uh thank you for that I'll second your motion
commissioner Fernandez let's call the vote I think is this a public it is a public hearing I see no one in zoom and I see no one go ahead please hi there uh Amy day sen I'm executive director of palm hibiscus star Islands Association and I'm here on
behalf of the board in support of this item the residents of Palm hiis gastar Island have endured for a number of years these largescale commercial events in the homes next door virtual nightclub um with all the just multiple layers of
disturbance starting with the load in perhaps even 4 days in advance of the event with trucks unloading this commercial you know stages generators it's unbelievable um not to mention the noise the day of the event or the
evening of the event um there are typically crowds uh standing in the sale trying to gain admittance to these uh to these evenings uh you also have uh not only the parking up and down the streets that narrow the streets access you have
Uber drivers fighting um because of such gridlock and then uh to the commissioner's Point uh the emergency vehicles would not be able to access any area of the island sometimes the traffic backs up to the MacArthur Causeway in these events um and not to mention the
drain on City resources because the sub substantial number of mbpd fire department co- compliance and parking officials that are necessary to try to manage the chaos us it's incredible and for that reason we are here today in
support of this item thank you we have Daniel Caldo on Zoom Mr caldos state your name address and you have two minutes yes hi Daniel seral I'm preservation Le this is such a a good idea as we know the proliferation of the
party houses mostly due to the speculative development of mcmansions throughout our Islands which which has gone unfettered over the past 10 plus years and the ensuing deregulation of that is leading to major issues
throughout our quiet non-commercial single family neighborhoods so we really appreciate this initiat to protect the resident quality of life and we hope the commission will go further to ensure design guidelines for compatible non-commercial new construction thank you thank you so
much I see no one else request to speak so therefore I have a motion by commissioner Fernandez seconded by mayor Miner commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes commissioner magazine yes vice mayor bot yes commissioner Dominguez yes commissioner Suarez
commissioner Fernandez yes mayor Miner yes motion carries a second reading public hearing is scheduled for March 19th that was item R5 J r5k r5k is in ordance of the mayor and City Commissioner of the city of May Beach Florida amending chapter 2 of the May Beach city code and tile Administration
by amending article four entitled officers and employees by amending division five thereof entitled Office of the Inspector General by amending section 2256 thereof entitled Office of the Inspector General to authorized red flag review by the office of the Inspector General of propose or impeding City action and providing for repealers
of ability qualification and an effective date this is a first reading public hearing its item r5k commissioner Fernandez you're a roll so we'll keep it going thank you Mr Mayor um you know our residents deserve a government that is
transparent accountable and fiscally responsible and that's why I'm bringing forward uh this ordinance which uh strengthens I believe oversight and helps ensure that every decision we make is truly in the best interest of our city and its residents and uh this
ordinance uh which I've titled the red flag ordinance enhances the role of the office of the Inspector General by requiring it to uh or by encouraging it to re review agenda items that would result in expenditures over a hundred
uh, uh dollars and notify us if there is a potential violation of City policy if there's waste if there's fraud if there's abuse or there's inefficiency I believe that um that it's just in very simple terms terms this
ordinance gives us an early warning system a safeguard to identify risks before they become costly mistakes and we need to know these uh concerns before we vote on an item uh it doesn't interfere with the
decisionmaking uh but it rather empowers us with critical information that allows us to make informed decisions on behalf of of our residents and I really want to highlight the office of the Inspector General who already plays a pivotal role
in promoting good governance in our organization and this ordinance uh formalizes and strengthens that roles uh it ensures that our commission has access um to expert oversight before we vote on major financial decisions rather
than learning about problems after the fact uh I believe that this initiative uh is about protecting taxpayers dollars it's about increasing in government accountability and ensuring that every dollar spent serves our community
efficiently uh I think it's a common sense uh measure and I look forward to your support I know the Inspector General is here I'd like to recognize Mr cerino um his office put out a memo I think back in October uh supporting uh
this initiative and um and I look forward to the support of my colleagues on this on this effort and Mr Cino I don't know there's anything you like to just very briefly uh Joseph sanino uh Inspector General um I want to thank commissioner Fernandez for sponsoring
this and also City attorney uh Mr Depo for working with both of us on coming up with uh you know the the right balance between our in our uh Independence um and the need for confidentiality on a lot of things but also giving us at
least a path toward communicating and and and there really is nothing in the ordinance now that deals with how we can or should communicate with the commission or with the administration um I have on occasion you know uh taken a liberty of of talking about matters
under investigation or under audit that haven't been completed just because I think there were times when some people needed to know uh about things like that but this gives us a path it gives us something that's that's recognizable of our uh providing information on under certain
circumstances uh you know where we think it would be helpful and important for uh the decision makers to know and that's that's it all right and and I just want to correct because originally when I when we were working at this item I was thinking of a threshold if it was
100,000 or not and um and and I misspoke because our our item is actually more General it doesn't establish that that thresold and Mr attorney I I'll I'll defer to you sure um in drafting and working on the item with the Inspector General uh we came up language that we
felt was would serve the interest of the intent behind this ordinance uh without compromising the inspector General's UH responsibilities to maintain confidentiality and um and also we built in some protections so that the disclosure obligation would not apply if
there is an investigation if there is litigation or an adversarial proceeding where the disclosure of the information could uh result in in a in a problem or Prejudice um so so there are some little details but overall it's a see something
say something ordinance and um I think it it's it's a it's a good ordinance for good Mr commissioner magazine yeah like the ordinance in fact I think it's very timely because we had a resident they called in uh today during sutnik hour and uh you know seem
to point the finger at City staff and people overseeing some of our go Bond items for reasons uh projects haven't been delivered and um you know just kind of think of a couple projects off the top of my head I think it's uh more due to legislative changes and delays and
kind of uh letting sometimes good be the enemy of perfect uh or if it's the other way around um but I I think we need to Shorter some of that burden if we are the ones responsible for it and I think this uh is a good measure to kind of
highlight the implications where we make some of these decisions and or maybe our lack of making some of these decisions and it does have real life uh consequences and cost so I think it's good to have that highlight thank you and and if I may just just through the
mayor you know a lot of times we review items um and you know if if if something is of concern to us I think it's good that we are empowering the oig to respond
you know to inquiries from from us from from other City officials um as long as it doesn't uh interfere with their ongoing in investigations because the last thing that any of us want um is for us to
review a propos for for for us to vote on a proposal or to vote on something and after the fact realize that you know there was an issue a violation City policy a violation uh in in any law that you know
it was being looked at or reviewed for Waste fraud abuse or other type of efficiency inefficiency that's the type of stuff we need to know in advanc of of taking uh a vote and that's and that's that's the great thing of of what we're
doing here a lot of times reports and investigations get concluded after the city commission has voted on something at least this now um provides an Avenue where where where the Inspector General
is authorized to contact us directly and tell us Hey listen you know there's this proposal on the on the agenda and it could have a significant negative impact involving waste it could be it could have something that might be under
review for for fraud or some sort of of abuse use and you know be able to tell us of this behind the scenes before we commit our vote to advancing something um that perhaps we shouldn't be advancing and uh and that's the type of
guidance we need from our Inspector General to ultimately uphold pivotal amongst all else is a Public's trust and I think this helps us with that thank you we have a motion move my
item I'll second is a public hearing and I see Mr Mitch noic is on the line go ahead Mr Mitch I'm mute yourself please okay you hear me now yes thank you uh sorry about that it was
a double unmute uh Mitch noi uh speaking of waste Fraud and Abuse the administration is now proposing an idea to for a $300 million plus idea for to
raise uh our Utility Billing water rates once again understand for the last Dozen Years every October we've had what's essentially become an automatic rate increase without any discussion by the
commission or outrage by the public for over 30 years I've been arguing against these increases and our infrastructure should have been goldplated by now but we all know administrations change directors
change uh Commissioners and Mayors change and no one's has been accountable for all this fraud waste and abuse which is clearly evident and I hope the taxpayers of this city compel you guys
to look within thank you thank you seeing no one else public hearing is closed I have a motion in a second M call all please I have a motion by commissioner Fernandez seconded by the mayor commissioner Dominguez yes vice
mayor bot yes commissioner magazine yes commissioner Suarez yes okay commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner Rosa Gonzalez yes mayor Miner yes motion is approved 7-0 second reading public hearing is scheduled for March
19th r5r r5r is in ordance of the mayor and City Commission of city of Mayor amending chapter 86 of m city code entitled sales by amending Article 2 entitled garage sales by amending section 86-5 8 entitle conditions for issuance by amending subsection 8 to provide a garage sale permit as required
by section 86-56 shall be issued for a garage sale located at in any single family residence or multif family building on no more than two occasions during any 12 month period provide and providing for repealer Serv ability catification and effective date this is
a first reading uh it is item r5r it is a public hearing commissioner Dominguez thank you so this item was brought to me by uh the filo Park neighborhood and residents there um there are several lowrise buildings and sometimes they're
allowed to have a garage sale now but um in uh multif family buildings uh there's been a request to have two and so I wanted to I sent it to the neighborhoods uh committee and we discussed it and to keep it with tight
parameters uh we felt that an individual unit owner in a multif family building can't make the request for the garage sale it has to come with approval from the uh board of directors from that building um and it if you if Manny
Marquez from Finance or the City attorney Mark Fishman have anything else to add uh good morning Manny Marquez Assistant Director of Finance uh commissioner I think you summed it up pretty pretty well uh currently we allow one garage sale this ordinance would allow two garage sales per year at
multif Family dwellings thank you so I'll move the item second call a vote it is a public hearing I see no one in Zoom no one in the audience I have a motion by uh commissioner Dominguez seconded by commissioner Fernandez uh no
commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes commissioner Suarez is absent vice mayor bot yes commissioner magazine yes commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner Dominguez yes mayor Miner yes motion carries second
reading public hearing is scheduled for March 19th that was item r5r hold on for one sec and commissioner Suarez is a yes how'd you get that technology he he's watching ah bathroom
tell him to have a couple of his items if he's uh when when he's back uh in the interim let's call r5t as in Tom all right 5T is an ordance of the mayor and City Commissioner of City MI Beach for amending by Beach city code chapter 38 entitled election section 38-4 entitled acceptance of election
returns installation of new officers for the purpose of conforming implementing into the code voter approved amendments to the city Charter uh concerning runoff election date and date of installation and commencement of terms and providing for repealers of ability codification and effective date this is item r5t it is a public hearing commissioner
Fernandez thank you Mr Mayor I'm going to defer to her Chief Deputy City attorney Nick cerges and Mr Mayor could we also call um R5 S&R companion items that implement the charter amendments that were approved by the voters uh on November 5th let's do
it r5s is an Ord to the mayor City Commissioner of city of Mi Beach Florida amending Mi Beach city code chapter 2 entitle Administration section 2-1 thereof entitle reasonable opportunity to be heard section 2-2 thereof entitle alternative publication of legal notices online and section 2-14 thereof entitled meeting procedures and agendas for the
purpose of conforming implementing into the code voter approve amendments to the city Charter and citizens Bill of Rights concerning increased public rights to be heard via two Stanley subject citizens Forum at regular City commission meetings alternative publication of legal notices online and amending uh procedures for referral of commissioned
uh items as well as requirement for two public hearings for city ordinances accept emergency ordinances as proposed and proposed ordinances subject to adoption procedures established in the city's zoning ordinance and providing for repealers of ability qualification and effectiv dat this item is r5s it is
also a public hearing and very briefly the uh the first ordinance item r5s amends chapter two of the code to implement the charter amendments approved by the voters on November 5th the first amendment is to
include two Stanley suing forms at each regular meeting of the city commission uh to allow notices on ordinances to be published online it implements the rules on items deferred by commission sponsors and it requires two public hearings on
ordinances before the city commission um I can also go over r5t which amends chapter 38 of the code relating to elections to reflect the new runoff election day which is now the second Tuesday in December uh the date of installation of new commission members
which is the Monday following the second Tuesday in December and the commencement of terms um which is on the date of installation it is a public heing I see no one on zoom and no one in the audience so s& T correct yes second please I'll
second and may I call the roll let's call the roll so this is both for r5s and r5t commissioner Fernandez yes vice mayor bot yes commissioner magazine yes commissioner Dominguez yes commissioner
Suarez he's a yes commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes mayor Miner yes thank you both both motions passed second reading public hearing on both r5s and r5t scheduled for March 19th r5p as in
Paul r5p is an ordinance of the mayor and City Commissioner of the city of M Beach Florida amending chapter 1 and6 of the city city code entitled ta traffic and vehicles by amending article 3 entitled off street parking lots and Facilities by creating section 106-119 thereof entitle requirements for private properties used for motor vehicle
parking penalties by requiring owners and operators of private properties that are open to the public for motor vehicle parking to place certain signage in such private parking lots and Facilities by imposing certain requirements for the issuance of private parking invoice by requiring specific appeal procedures for
private parking invoices by requiring a 15minute grace period of private parking lots and Facilities by providing private parking lots personal information obtained from party from preventing parking facilities from selling offering to sell or transferring any personal information obtained from a party using
the private property for parking services by by providing civil penalties for violation and providing for repealers have ability qualification and effective date this is a first reading public hearing it's item r5p commissioner Suarez thank you Mr Mayor this is in
response to a lot of Resident complaints that we've been getting for um individuals that uh get visitors and residents that Park and get warning or uh violation notices that claim to be
uh part of the government and I think it's very it's very important to make sure that they're clear on distinguishing between private and government entities um so I I'd like to move my
item no PowerPoint no commissioner Dominguez thank you and thank you commissioner SES for bringing this item forward it is so important just yesterday I was meeting with someone and they said that they went to a birthday
dinner at in Collins Park neighborhood uh for Orange Blossom they couldn't find parking they finally found it and um it cost them $41 um to pay for parking uh because it wasn't clearly marked and they hadn't seen it so um I'm
supportive if I could Madam vice mayor uh I just want to just want to commend you for this uh again it's looking out for the residents and visitors as well um just being fair right being fair transparent and honest so uh fantastic legislation is going to protect a lot of
good people we have a motion we do what's the difference between this and what we already sorry what's the difference between what we already yeah this one regulate similarly private parking lots and what I mean is parking lots that are privately owned and operated yet uh available to the public for paid motor
vehicle parking and the difference is this one basically is very similar to this has been a Statewide issue it's very similar to Florida statute 715 075 and imposes regulations in terms of that the state has imposed and we sort of emulate them uh in terms of signage in
terms of the invoices that can be issued in terms of a grace period so long as you don't park appeal procedures uh the personal information can't be sold or or transferred um and it also has certain penalties that we've imposed $500 for a first offense 750 for a second and a th
for a third or amazing awesome great thank you Mark and I can attest from our private meetings that you don't look at notes when you're reading those statute numbers you got them in your uh in your head so thank you truly all the lawyers on our team um can recite statue and and and
citations by by memory and it's verging on a lot in you guys should really have we ever fact checked them but really nothing that would prevent you from just making things up what I got 7575 occasionally I have actually they're good Al join as a
co-sponsor all right we have a motion in a second I heard a motion from commissioner fernandz am I correct I'll second and I'd like to be listed as a co-sponsor and I'll be a co-sponsor as well yes it is a public hearing I see no one requesting to speak either in Zoom or in the audience I have a motion
commissioner Suarez uh seconded by commissioner Fernandez commissioner magazine yes commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes commissioner Dominguez yes commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner Suarez vice mayor bot uh yes I think I was the the second
and I wanted to be a co-sponsor mayor Miner yes thank you motion carry second reading public hearing is scheduled for March 19th r5u R5 VI is a norance of the mayor and City Commissioner of the city of M Beach Florida amending chapter two of the code
of city by region Administration by amending article three entit agencies boards and committees by amending division one entitled generally at section 2-22 thereof entitled General requirements to adopt restrictions on the appointment of city of a city vendor including a principal or employee vendor to a City Board committee and providing
for repealer qualification cability and effective date this is r5u it is a first reading public hearing commissioner Suarez thank you Mr Mayor I'd like to have Nick to this up for me please sure I'd be happy to um so this
ordinance is an amendment to the board and committee requirements in chapter two of our code um to adopt restrictions on the appointment of a city vendor including a principal employee of of a vendor to a city board or committee um
the ordinance because it amends the rules on our board and committee members would be prospective and application to to terms beginning on or after uh April 1 2025 and it requires that as part of uh
as part of applying for appointment to a board the applicant would have to agree that should they or the entity of which their principal or employee become a vendor while serving on an agency border committee the execution of the contract shall be deemed an automatic tender of
resignation from that board or committee um the the the ordinance provides that the requirement can be waved on a 57 vote by the city commission um and I would also point out that the term vendor includes any individual or entity doing business directly with the city
such as renting leasing managing or selling realy goods or services or any grantee receiving City funds um at a threshold of of uh of of $110,000 or more in a given fiscal year thank you Nick so
uh I'd like to move my item Nick I'm sorry um can you before we uh is this public reading it is a public hearing okay so Nick can you just make sure that um we have the same um
specifications that we did in the prior item that I had brought um a few months ago so that if you're um um a bakery and you provide donuts for events at City Hall you're not an employee of the bakery is not precluded from um being a
uh considered for um a spot on a board that would require an amendment to this to this item because this right now does not have an exception okay so I think that we need to be consistent in our in our um uh in what we put forth
and as we try to clean up um government and transparency and integrity so I would make a motion to defer this until that amendment is incorporated if that's the right way to proceed or can you make an amendment and bring back first and second well you could
move um you could move that the ordinance be amended now you could as part of your motion to adopt this ordinance ask that that change be included prior to Second reading you could do it either way but but that would need to be voted on the amendment itself at some point okay okay so I
would like to before we vote on this item make a friendly amendment to make sure that we have consistency in in what we're trying to do and make sure this item conforms with the one we had done prior so I would just need a a little clarification because the the prior
ordinance which you sponsored applied to the city engaging a vendor who has performed campaign consulting services for a candidate for office um and this is a restriction on the appointment of City board or
committee members right but unless I'm misunderstanding this is so that people who are vendors or employees of vendors cannot be appointed to City boards correct right so if you are employed at a bakery and the city buys donuts for
meetings from that Bakery this would then because that that that Bakery is now a vendor that person who might have a lot to say about you know whatever and it's a good fit for a board or a committee this ordinance would preclude that person from being appointed is that
right okay so a vendor that that is right so so a vendor that provides Goods is what you're well so whatever the car routes were for in the prior um legislation I it was like goods and services I forget the language of it but but we had a very precise set of car
outs if I may um through the chair through um the exceptions that we included were any individual or entity that provides Goods to a candidate for office um now I don't know whether the body wants to debate whether that should apply here
or not or with a particular threshold because here we have a $10,000 threshold and the question is if a vendor provides a million dollars uh to the city do you want that same exemption we also had an exemption for an individual or entity that provide services to a candidate for
office if those same services are regular performed by the individual or entity in the ordinary course of business for clients or customers other than candidates this would include Banks telephone companies internet service providers printing companies event
venues Etc and then finally any individual or entity which performs licensed Professional Services including legal or non-accounting uh so the issues are you know related but I think there may be some differences between your ordinance and this one that you might
want to discuss Commission Rosen Gonzalez you know my worry about this is that sometimes you need expertise on certain boards for example you know on the affordable housing advisory committee I need somebody who is you know developing affordable housing
preferably in Miami Beach now I mean I I understand the waiver requirement I would suggest that rather than a ban um you just do a disclosure and then a vote a majority vote and that way you know if somebody has some sort of objection and they think that you know I I don't know
you have some contract with the city and you're serving on the commission for women that you're really you know I don't really understand why this is such a big deal I don't think that it happens that often do we currently know how many um of our sitting committee members who
could be residents might do might somehow be a city vendor or work for a city vendor I think this might cause problems in terms of finding people for boards um I think that a lot of people that are connected to businesses that
could potentially work with the city could be affected I just don't understand why a disclosure and a vote instead of a ban wouldn't be possible I'm trying to understand what are you trying to root out like you think that
serving on the human rights board means that there's going to be some sort of corruption if you know if somebody that works for a company that does business with the city has appointed to the committee for Quality education I mean these committees don't aren't really
spending money most of them if you wanted to do this for land use boards I would say okay but I don't think you need this prohibition on the majority of our boards I would like to understand why you're doing this I'm okay with just
narrowing it down to land use boards so only for land use boards I'm okay with that um and but for land use boards it should be a disclosure and I I believe I would say a majority vote if you would like a 57s vote fine but if people are just closing it I don't see why there
would be um a problem with it through the mayor if if I'm uh let me go vice mayor bot commissioner magazine and commissioner Fernandez um I actually I I like that suggestion commissioner Rosen Gonzalez
um of narrowing it down um so that it's not all of the 30 some OD committees that we have um we know that we have a hard time filling um spots that are open and we do need expertise and I also like the idea of um disclosures with a
majority 5 sevens vote um because I think that lets us instead of a sweeping ban take things on a case-by Case basis and discuss the merits as needed and I I suspect that it's not even going to be necessary all that often so I would be
inclined to support your Amendment so my Amendment it would be a disclosure with a majority vote and and I thought you had also said um or I think somebody had said um narrowing it down
to only land only land only land use boards and they would have to disclose and have a majority vote of the commission and I think that will put a check yep on whatever commissioner what this item is trying to root out and if I could make a commissioner
magazine I don't want to put words in his mouth but perhaps this is something he's trying to root out this is a text message I received when I was campaigning somebody that's well known in our community that serves on boards sent me a contract proposal they said
they wanted to meet to support my campaign and get behind me I thought it was altruistic we had a great meeting and I said yeah certainly need Champions and then they sent me a proposal later that day well for $3,000 per month for
the months this is what I'll do and I was very apprehensive and kind of caught me off guard somebody that kind of painted themselves as this organic grassroot supporter and I found out I was being manipulated and when I'm
trying to process this and hadn't responded they write just letting you know I'm heading to this meeting at the Bandell as the not going to name the position but this everybody with such a broad brush uh but I do think that we need to have uh some
more protections in place because many times people are looking to exploit us right and I didn't know kind of the Mine Fields of the campaign I just kind of come in from the sidelines and this is what was put in front of me um so it's not just to protect us and
protect the city but some people when I was approached to this I I I wasn't well versed in you know the the inner workings of our city so it's to protect good people that are getting involved campaigns from becoming exploited and manipulated so uh I I'll certainly
support your disclosure and vote waiver um but I don't think it's something that should be limited to just land use boards because uh the board is very Rec the board that quite literally use the word exploit and expose for the campaign
uh is not a land use board but it's a very high profile and prolific board in our city Mr Mayor commissioner I just want to answer him very quickly commissioner magazine I think we corrected that with
commissioner bot's item because at this point if you serve on any committee you can no longer work for campaigns I believe you're prohibited if you have some contract we already did this is like the third one I just don't I I I mean you can make it apply to all boards
if you want but this is I mean I think you fixed it I think I think commissioner bot's item fixed it I would ask you to consider only land use boards I think those are the boards where the majority of this stuff is going on and I do think that in the past there have been
um there there has been pressure you know when I first filed um to run for office you know this massive email goes out and I started getting phone calls from all these people across the city and I'm like wow they're so excited about my candidacy until I realized that
everybody wanted cash yeah from the cam wanted to work work for the campaign and that's kind of the industry of of politics I'm It Is by for sure not perfect um but I would say that if if there is a disclosure and a majority
vote I really do think that that should be enough and I don't even know how many people that this would currently apply to but we do want to encourage some people we need some expertise from people that work with the city for example you you know and and and so I
think if you would accept only land use boards instead of yeah and I think uh I appreciate that and sorry jump in back and forth but may if I could be recognized yeah I I do think that the previous iteration uh was probably more applicable I'm certainly not aware of
you know vendors looking to exploit our uh our boards and committees and things like that um so yeah I'll kind of I'll be supportive either way whichever direction the uh sponsor my colleagues want to carry this uh I'll get behind yeah before I turn to
commissioner Fernandez I'll I'll like to be added as a co-sponsor and uh I'll have a couple of questions but commissioner sarez is I since it's your item I won't I'll let you decide how strong or whether but I I will support pretty much however strong you want to
make it commissioner Fernandez thank you Mr Mayor and so I just want to just jump in because I I heard the Hispanic Affairs committee mentioned and you know it's it's I I almost wish it it had not because unfor fortunately I think a lot of times Hispanics get painted with a
broad brush and uh and so you know I think if anything it's incumbent upon the elected officials making appointments to these boards to be mindful of the individuals being appointed to these committees uh we have that responsibility as elected officials
to elevate these these committees by appointing individuals who deserve to be appointed to these committees and who can contribute substance and who can contribute knowledge and expertise uh for example I'm I'm very proud to to
have appointed uh Julian lar so the Hispanic Affairs committee who who who works uh in through through throughout cultural institutions and who works in multiple Chambers of Commerce uh I know I recommended to the mayor Rosary fero a
distinguished Banker in our Co Community uh who's raising a beautiful family in Miami Beach and who's a member of of St Patrick's Catholic Church here in in Miami Beach um and I encourage all of us if we're concerned with the
activities of the members who are appointed to these boards and committees I challenge all of us uh to find better contributing members to serve on committees more ethical individuals to appoint to committees individuals who
align with our with our whether whether it be values or ethics or who we feel can contribute to these committees that's in incumbent on all of us without having to um to almost uh offend those
who are serving there and and and you know unintentionally portray an image of of individuals even limiting this to the uh to to the land use boards I'll tell you um like for example unattended
consequences we support the cultural activities that go on at Collins park I think many of us the majority of us were at Collins Park this weekend supporting cultural activities going on at Collins Park they're on the city's vendor list
uh so for so a member uh of Collins Park an officer of Collins Park who also happens to serve on the his on the historic preservation board is going to be affected by this and that's something that I think we we we need to be mindful
of when we pass these uh these types of policies um you know and we're going to be limiting individuals in in the future we have individuals that serve on educational foundations in our city we have individuals who serve uh on on
Normandy Fountain Business Association in North Beach that perhaps in in the future could could be affected because they appear on this uh vendor list we have individuals that serve on our Chamber of Commerce the Chamber of Commerce appears on
this very very long book of vendors that uh that uh that constitute uh our our vendor list and so uh and that's not even taking into consideration like for example you know individuals who um who
participate uh like for example Unidad that takes care of the elderly the Miami Beach Garden Club uh is a b is is a vend there is a business entity that does work with with the city they'll be affected by this um you know moonlighter
moonlighter that does uh great stuff is going to be affected by this and so ultimately we have the ability by whom we put on these committees and by who we vote for to control
this let's nominate better people let's vote for better people if we don't if if we don't if if we don't like that no but like you know um I just I got to say I I really don't like you know there's so much stuff that goes on and so many examples of stuff that goes on in this
city but to highlight the Hispanic Affairs committee and to single out the Hispanic Affairs committee is personally uh it it really it offend me because I served as a chair of that committee and I pushed to elevate uh and and and fight
uh to uh raise the standards as and the work that that that committee does I I know it was unintended and so I totally got it actually commission I totally got it it was intended to highlight what was shared with me it happened to come from the Hispanic Affairs committee right it wasn't me not the committee a member a
member of the committee and and I encourage you report it to the commission on ethics and most importantly report it to the state attorney's office because that is someone that's seeking to profit from their position and and I've encouraged it in in the past that someone did that
that needs to be reported to the state attorney's office rather than being used an example on the day that needs to be reported that type of activity regardless of which committee it is it is someone that's using a public a position of public trust that was
entrusted upon them it doesn't matter which committee it is it is someone that is using a public committee a committee of the city a position of public trust to to enrich themselves from that and that needs to be called out and it needs to be reported regardless of which
committee it is vice mayor bot can you clarify what principle means in this ordinance um um if you serve on the board of an organization uh and you know like a
board of directors are you a principal or does that not apply to you I think a principal could include a an an officer it could include anyone with uh with an ownership interest if you were on the board of a of a company I think it would it would include you what if you're an
uh on a board of a non for-profit organization so there's no Financial there's no Financial stake you're lending your expertise and and time to a non for-profit organization I think an officer of a nonprofit would be included no if you're just a a board member of a
nonprofit it would depend it would depend on the C I think if you are like not not an not an officer of the board so not the chair or VI Vice chair of the board just a board member that's something that the commission could decide you know one way or the other on but right right now I would say it's
fairly broad I I think this you know it's well intended I mean I certainly was on this track with the ordinance I brought um and I I appreciate that but I I think that the way it's been crafted so far it's overly Broad and I think it's going
to narrow our choices commissioner Rosa Gonzalez what don't we do a simple disc closure that way when you're voting for somebody for a committee or you're appointing somebody on a committee there will be a disclosure there and if they work for a city vendor or they're affiliated with some sort of city vendor or they're an officer for a nonprofit
they disclose it and then you can make a choice in your personal appointments and we have the freedom to vote on this when we make commission appointments so I think disclosure is a great start that would be my that would that would be my
suggestion Suarez thank you Mr may I I disagree I I think that we need to have a clear distinction between um people who get funds from the city with taxpayer dollars and then serve on a
board that can affect policy issues uh land use decisions I think it's I think we need to make every effort we can to be ethically congruent with with our values
of Miami Beach I'm okay with limiting this to uh land use boards however I'm I'm not going to water down my proposal to just a simple disclosure in fact I have another item
coming before us to discuss amending simple disclosures to full terms and so look um you know recently I I've i' I've uncovered many unethical things about our city and the way it works and um it
it's alarming and this is the intent of that reason I'm very surprised that my colleagues wouldn't be in favor of stronger ethical laws that really remove any sort of conflict of interest with our
city um so we have some support I'm co-sponsor with you yeah yeah uh you know I I I think it's I I I think there's been an old old way of doing things in Miami Beach and there there's a status
quo and and I'm not okay with that I I don't think that there should be any wiggle room for a possible conflict of interest I have a follow-up question um I Heard commissioner Magazine first and commissioner Fernandez and can we
quantify so I'm actually surprised uh I have a list of the dcard payments would that be covered under here all employees from these entities because we'd be looking at Nike Facebook uh big pink um so I I want to support the intent here
is it the principles in uh inv vendors or things like that um I want to support my colleague and have a lot of teeth in this uh but don't have it overly broad where um employees from Amazon or
Facebook or Best Buy wouldn't be able to serve on here this when I was thinking vendors I was thinking you know the the main four or five that we're all kind of commonly aware of but when we say vendors can we is there a threshold for the amount of payments that they receive
or is there a way to kind of provide the teeth that my colleague wants to achieve but not be have tons of unintended consequences again just again there's a waiver so there's a 57th waiver we can all agree on I I think
but I think I think his question is right because like for example are grantees considered vendors under this definition yes yeah so like for example on the vendor list I see for example the Greater Miami Hebrew Academy is is there would employees of the Greater Miami
Hebrew Academy be able to serve in this case or you know would they be affected by this yes assuming the grant is more than how about the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce that's on the vendor list assuming these grants are are are 10,000 or more than then yes clean Miami Beach like Sophie Ringle would she be affected
by this again assuming the number threshold David Saxton who serves on the Normand def Business Association would he be affected by this or let's say Ray Breslin who who Collins Park neighborhood association
appears on the on the vendor list would they be affected by this if yeah if any of those organizations meet the threshold then how about how about the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce uh and let's say someone like Brit that that recently got appointed to the millennial
task force or no the nextg uh task force would would she be affected by this not if we I guess limited to to to land use disclosure land use but that but this is but this like you know the your intent is great but we're creating
a perception unfortunately with these items that these individuals who do good in our city who who get grants to do good in our city are engaging in something corrupt that's the perception that's being created we're creating a perception of
corruption by individuals who are getting grants to clean up our beaches to create cultural programming in in our in in our parks and and Facilities to provide activities uh for for for the
seniors or create activities that we all attend uh in North Beach at at the fountain and that this perception that if you happen to appear on that Miami Beach vendor list that that that that you're not allowed to participate in in
in these discussions because you know it's just going to be implied that you're doing it for self-serving or corrupt reasons and I think I and I and and and I think it's a very high and mighty and holy holy position to take when we're all Neighbors at the end of
the day like like these are individuals who we supporting who were supporting with with with Grant for the because we believe in them and we trust them to be contributing positively to our to like like like for example our Miami Beach
police retirement fund appears on on the vendor list how how is that going to affect like if this eror gets expanded and I always think about these things because usually we start policies and then eventually maybe not this commission or a future commission might
expand the policy so let's say in the future this is expanded to other boards and and committee you have the retirement fund um for for for for police officers that appear on the vendor list now all of the sudden you're
the Personnel Board is going to be affected so there are unintended consequences and I get we want to we want to create an ethical government we need to have an ethical government but I think a lot of that is incumbent on the
people who we place without creating a perception that individual ual in our community are serving on boards and committees with a corrupt intent of personal profit and that's what's happening we're we're creating this perception and we're getting to the
point that we're having to extend term limits of individuals because we can't find people who are willing to serve on our boards and and committees and so I just want to be I just want to be mindful of the
unintended consequences of well-meaning policy like this I think no one is arguing against against the intent but the unintended consequences of of saying that individuals certain
individuals are corrupt I think commissioner magazin gave one example of something that is very alarming and should never happen and I hope it's fully investigated by our IG by the state attorney by the commission on ethics but other than that we have really good individuals who make it on
this list and get get unfortunately painted as self- serving and corrupt when they're anything but thank you Mr Mayor yeah actually if I could just make a quick comment good points but uh I'll throw in
there it's not kind of this item but we do have a lot of boards and committees it's actually very taxing on our on our city staff and administration so that's something to consider they serve an incredible purpose I'm not taking away from that but there are a
lot how many 48 48 yeah so it that that's why it takes so many people to fill these spots and sometimes it is can be somewhat challenging commissioner Suarez Mr May certainly my intent was not to give the perception that people
who serve on boards is is somehow corrupt um you are well however there are instances where I think there's corruption where where you have City vendors who have employees that sit on boards
and have their own agenda they're getting taxpayer money into tunes of hundreds of thousands of dollars and there is a there's an issue with that with me and so um I'm okay with limiting
this to land use boards um however I I would not be okay with watering it down so for to a simple disclosure I think that there should be a caseby casee basis especially when they're on a land use board where policy decisions are
made and and property rights are are at risk so um I'd like to hear what my colleagues the rest of my colleagues have to say about keeping the uh 57s waiver for for an approval and limiting
it to land use board yeah I I would support a waiver I'm looking through some of the vendors it's Charles Schwab JP Morgan uh you know it's unlikely Jamie Diamond is going to apply to be on our board but you may have uh yeah I mean I I would Jamie if
you're out there you'd like to be on the newly formed Economic Development board we uh we welcome you and I'll support your waiver um but uh you know if you are uh a wealth manager at GP Morgan you're in no way benefiting from you know any type of vendor payments uh to
the parent company uh so I would support a uh a disclosure and waiver uh a vote um majority vote uh at the time of appointment and I'll support it being only to the land use committees I just
you know we just really have to be careful about you know how we make people feel I mean we have good people who serve in our community who serve on these boards and committees And when they see an item like this they feel targeted you know we have the south
Florida Hispanic chamber of commerce that that um that I just put on a on on a committee as well we have members who sit on the quality and education that we recently expanded the membership of the quality of of Education people from
there might appear on this on on this list and we create this this perception when that they're corrupt because they're on a they happen to be on a vendor list because at some point the city may have given them a contribution and now
they're serving on a committee thank you for narrowing this down I think it's the right thing to do and if we can find a way to approve these individuals through a 57th vote without making them look as if they're engaging in something corrupt
it's a right thing to do because these are good people doing good stuff in our community uh again clean up Miami Beach the Chamber of Commerce the Normandy found col Park uh Unidad these are all
great and uh you know institutions that are contributing in Miami Beach Rosen Gonzalez so the only I think we all decided to limit it to land use boards and you agreed and I think the only thing is it should it be a majority
vote or should it be 57s I think it should be a majority vote um that's really where we need to pull 5 Sev 5 sevens yeah because if it's just a simple majority vote you're not you're not putting any Safeguard the majority doesn't matter
yeah but it's a regular it's to to make an appointment is a regular 47th so if you're going to make it stricter because the person is a vendor what makes sense at that point is it's a 57th as a waiver I don't know that I support a 57s vote on this I would like it to be a majority vote it's there
they're already disclosing it's only limited to land use boards and I can think of a few examples of well-intentioned individuals in our community that could be being targeted by this and I don't like that because it
doesn't make any sense because there this isn't about being corrupt this is about eliminating people who have voices and opposition um to certain members of this body and I think that's wrong and also like for example and if I may through
through them here just to highlight listen we have here the Greater Miami Jewish predation we have over over here um we have we had um Miami new drama we have um uh the Miami um Miami Music
Festival that's that's a part of this uh there's so many entities that will be affected by this that we're not thinking of who officers and employees live in our community who will no who will now we're
going to create a higher threshold uh to uh serve on these ports and and and committees so yeah yeah thank you uh vice mayor again I'm okay with limiting it to just the four boards the L use boards um if it's okay with
everyone I'd like to seek a waiver from the land use committee um no sure no I'd like to seek referral a waiver of referral for the Land Community and just have it come back at second reading um
because I mean I think we've pretty much flushed it out here now and I don't think it needs another we need to go to planning board would be referral today oh okay so it it'd have to go to planning board and um and come back to us so what what is
the current version of this it's um land use only waiver five SE uh uh disclosure 57 vote is that where we are so if that if I'm reading this correctly Nick the only thing that changed in the
ordinance is just limiting to land use boards that's right okay um but wait a minute I thought there has been robust conversation of um um only land use boards for for land use boards
only having a disclosure and a 5 sevs vote to to enable people to be able to serve who might be on a board of a not for-profit or might work for a vendor that has has been on our PE card list I think the initial question is is it a
requirement is it a restriction or is it a disclosure requirement so I understood that the consensus was keep it as a restriction with the 57 waiver keep the 57 waiver but limit it to the land use boards I thought that was my correct that's that's the
original that's the original intent of the item so it was to every board disclosure and a 57s waiver now we're limiting it to just land use boards colleagues is that what your understanding because I don't want us to
mistakenly vote on something that we did we have between second reading you can get more clarity so land use only with a waiver oh I'm sorry not a waiver land use only with a um uh land a disclosure and a
vote that's what this would be am I right on that Nick that's right and to be crystal clear a 5 sth vote right corre it's exactly what the original item is limited to land use boards and
if we're going to only include land use boards I believe Nick told me that you have to have a separate process and process would be planning board and the land use committee stop and I'm asking for a waiver to the land use committee stop um can we can we
request a a waiver from the planning board or no no the planning board is required to review any Amendment to the ldr so you could move today to to to make the referral to either the land use committee or uh or directly to the planning board which would require the
waiver wait I'm sorry what is this waiver we're talking about the the commission committee rules require that any Amendment to the ldrs has to First be uh referred to the land use committee before the city commission refers process the legislative process we're W
process process we're not talking about waving any requirements for being appointed to one of these boards we're waving the process on an item that creates process yeah I it's just fabulous through through the through the chair um the way that this ordinance was initially drafted it did not require
going to land use or to the um planning board because it was an amendment to chapter 2-22 in The Code by amending it to apply solely to Landy boards it is now going to be an amendment to the ldrs hence the request by the sponsor to wave
the first step which would ordinarily be a referral to land use since you've already had a debate here with the entire body that clears it up Rick just for on the record uh can you articulate the land use boards sure is the historic
presid a board the design review board the planning board and the board of adjustment and and so what's going to end up happening is that you know decisions that you know should be based someone might be very
qualified and be able to contribute W rather than making a decision based on their contributions to a board and their ability to capably serve the objective of that board they might end up being
rejected because they they have an employment somewhere it's being disclosed but that employment might not end up influencing at all anything having to to to to do with their with their board someone might be an employee of Amazon
someone might be an employee of of of some entity of you know an officer of Collins park or something like that and and just because there's this perception of ethics and what ends up happening when it comes to ethics issues we never
like voting against ethics issues because we don't want to create that perception and so we're going to deny qualified individuals the opportunity to serve on boards and and committees not on the merits of what they'll be able to contribute but because we've created a
more burdensome uh voting requirement just because they happen to have a job with an entity that may have received a PE card payment from the city or a contribution from the city at some point through the May through the mayor but that's but that's exactly why we
have the 57s vote to weed out any of those those non-issues no what's going to end up happening is that some individuals just because they're they're they're an employee of an entity and you got to do this ethics waiver now uh you know
there'll be people that will vote on that just just solely on that and uh and and so you'll have you know good people who will be removed just because of their employment but not because of the merits of what they can contribute to a board like the planning
board where you really want individuals with substance where you really want in individuals who can contribute stuff like for example we um on the fourth seventh vote we nominated and appointed someone to the design review board last
meeting and that person that person I don't know if today would be able to uh to to to to serve if this pass I didn't nominate that person the sponsor of this Ida nominated that person and I'm not sure I'm not sure if if today that
person would be able to get the necessary votes had we adopted this item okay I think it's pretty clear where everyone stands on this issue let's call a vote I need a I'll second okay it is a public hearing uh Mr Caldo
is on Zoom go ahead please thank you yes design preservation um I haven't reviewed this in depth but I'm just kind of looking at the historic preservation board where we have Lindsay loville
who's on the Chamber of Commerce Brian Erick is on the bass board uh Scott needleman on Flamingo Park we've got other uh John Stewart on FIU Urban studio so I guess my question is would this kind of make them have to leave or
or would it be only forward thinking but just keep this in mind that almost the whole historic preservation board you have very high ranking uh uh folks from very well well-known institutions uh partly funded with tax money which means
that a lot of the information is more readily available than let's say homeowners association and neighborhood groups so hoping that this will be further discussed so that we don't have even less people ready and willing to serve on our boards thank
you there's no one else on zoom and no one else in the audience would you like to ma'am do you want to speak uh first question one question that I have first is your name please I'm sorry my name is Iona soy I work at Lotus house also a co-chair at at livid
experience one question I want to know you all said say that if people work at vendors they're not allowed to be on the board does this also refer to those that used to work at the places that may have retired or have maybe moved to other facilities say if they've started their
own business but say they used to work at say crispy K cream or McDonald's does that refer to them also I can I can answer that question mayor um the the ordinance has drafted would include anyone who is currently a
principal or employee or of a vendor or who has been within the preceding onee period the oneyear period preceding the appointment okay well one thing we need to think about we're human because you all are up at the top you are going to
have people that are going to corrupt you Hispanic Jewish African-American anybody no matter who it is they're going to try and corrupt you that is why we must we must have it
where no matter who you bring in you must have it where you do some type of thorough search because someone at crispy K cream somebody at Amazon anywhere they may have that exact vitamin that you need to strengthen your
your um your board your committee because you'll get someone from the city from the outside it will it will really nourish you with what you need because you have you all the education and whatnot but
then to turn around and to have the people that are out in the field that will really give you what you want so it will in turn give you so much more to turn them down to push them away and say because those rotten apples and those
cores tried to knock you all down it's really going to hurt them and hurt you all in the end because you're turning away so much that can help you all and that's something that you really shouldn't do because that's just like burning police officers bad officers
that did B now all officers are bad really look at everybody that's out there because you've got nourishment out there that can really benefit you all thank you we have an additional speaker in Zoom Lori akum
Lori um hello this is Lori bacham I'm the executive director of power access South Beach Jazz Festival um long time Miami Beach resident I didn't intend to call but um for anything today but I
feel like it's important to address this issue I can say for our own board of directors many um do serve on the disability access committee on many um of our advisory councils have been on
CAC um I myself I'm a past longtime member of the homeless committee um and did that while serving on different nonprofit boards that work with the city I know many other very engaged people that both serve on nonprofit boards and
on committees because engaged people are engaged and involved in the community um everyone I know that has done that has always very strongly recused themselves from any committee item that would be in
financial situation or any other with a board they served on and that's really the proper way so that just a little um I don't know Insight from somebody that has been in both positions and also has
served um on the Miami Dade Cultural Arts Community Grant review panel um also that's always includes people that receive money but you recuse yourself when it involves your organization thank you so
much thank you Lori no one else I have a I have a question Mr Mayor commissioner Fernandez because um so the caller just spoke spoke about the disability access committee Mr clerk correct me if I'm wrong I believe if if memory serves me
right there's a seat on the design review board that belongs to the disability access committee is that correct correct it is a nonvoting ex official seat that is appointed by the city manager okay and so how would that so let's say that the person from the
disability access committee and she was just saying how many of the people who serve on the disability access committee you know are officers of or employees of entities that get funding from from the city and so and so let's say that the
qualified person from from the disability access the qualified individual from the disability access committee that would be capable of serving on the design review board um you know has one of these conflicts what would happen in a situation like that
they would have to get a 57th vote of the city Commission in order to be appointed there yes even though they're a non-voting person I mean that's something we could address as part of this new ordinance that would be referred but but as as this one is drafted yes they would need
a waiver yeah can we can we just restate one more time what the parameters are based on this version that is proposed for the vote so the the motion the motion is amended is now to refer this item I believe to the
planning board commissioner is that correct to directly to the planning board to um as drafted but but limit application to the land the four land use boards only so it would be a restriction on the appointment of a vendor or principal or
employee of a vendor um to the land use boards and it would provide for a waiver by the city Commission on a 57s vote okay let's call a vote so on the referral I have motion by commissioner Suarez seconded by the mayor all in
favor I I the item is referred to the planning board with it returning to to the city commission at a specific time Nick or uh once once it's been reviewed by the by the planning board and transmitted did we wave the land use
thing that's it was direct up uh to the planning board so yes okay let's take a lunch break um this point let's call it 1:30 we'll return at 1:3 w heyy heyy
he hey heyyy hey hey hey hey he hey he he for wor
w he he hey hey hey he hey hey hey heyy he he 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 standby we are going on air in 5 4 3 2 1 welcome back to our afternoon session
we'll start with the uh sutnik uh citizens Forum hello thank you so anyone who's interested in speaking please approach the podium please state your name address and you have two minutes go ahead please hi um Amanda nap I live at 1200 West Avenue um I serve as the
city's human rights chair and today on behalf of the human rights committee um I'm asking the Commissioners to support agenda item c7w you currently the Committees um have no allocated funding and members have had to spend our own
money on city-wide initiatives this funding allows us to provide essential educational resources on critical issues such as human trafficking uh sustainable communities and voting rights initiatives like the human trafficking
Coalition and the annual red sand event in collaboration with the Miami Beach Police Department human trafficking unit um and other City departments are critical in raising uh awareness of human trafficking additionally we have educational panels and human rights
Expos that provide Vital Information to the community create opportunities for engagement advocacy and meaningful change without dedicated funds these efforts are very difficult to the human rights committee to expand our issues so
please please support uh c7w so we can continue our impactful work thankk you for all you guys do thank you our first virtual speaker is Josh Squire Josh unmute yourself state your name and address you have two
minutes hi Josh Squire 34 34647 Street um I am uh I I'd like to thank uh commissioner Fern Fernandez uh for bringing up item C4 ad uh I serve on the transportation committee and it's actually something that we discussed not
too long ago um status of TDM uh Transportation demand Management program in the city and what we discovered at the committee is that um basically there's no mandatory program for large
employers and until you Institute mandatory program as part of the business licensing renewal process um you're not going to get any uh meaningful progress here because um we tried it in the past and that's what's
missing here is mandatory so it's something to consider um and um the other part is the city I believe as a large employer should lead the way and practice what they preach and we looked
into the city's TDN program and it is very um very thin um very low participation um and the final thing is we'd like the city to consider um basically increasing the amount of resources towards this program because
the transportation department could do only so much with the resources they have and this would be a great program to reduce traffic in the city thank you thank you so much next Mitch good afternoon Mitch novic 901
Collins Avenue 37e resident come early next month former commissioner and mayor David durmer would regularly publicly State he would never support any rate increases
while serving the residents of Miami Beach during his tenure taxpayers received a partial advm tax refund check from Miami Beach two years in a row not too long ago our billion dollar budget
was less than half of what it is today the administration is now requesting an unconscionable increase in Utility Billing water rates for over a dozen years as seen every October we've had
more than a dozen rate increases which includ which which includes newly created fees such as the monthly water sprinkler fee due to my 30 plus years advocacy on this subject the increases
have become Auto atic in order to reduce commission discussion public engagement and outrage make no mistake our infrastructure by all means should have been goldplated by now we all know
administrations change city managers change directors change and Commissioners and Mayors change as well unfortunately you're left holding the bag of what can only be described as a
pool of fraud waste and past incompetence we've hired 500 more Municipal Employees over the past Dozen Years while Public Safety and quality of life has diminished enough with the pork barrel
spending the ill-conceived hundred million bondle Lumis Park desecration plan and 100 million Aquatic Center need to be canned until we can afford them them your focus needs to be on reducing our billion
dollar budget and deny all rate hikes which have had the greatest impact on housing and affordability and The Exodus of long-term residents from our baguer city thank you thank you our next uh
virtual caller is Alan Lavine Mr LaVine please unmute yourself state your name and you have two minutes my name is Alan Lavine you can hear me go ahead sir um I'm a resident of Miami Beach um
I'm speaking with regard to the resolution proposing to pay $50,000 for Mount siai hospital to have anti-Semitism training I start with a basic question if Mount Si believes it needs such
training why should the city pay for it Mount Si pays for anti-bias training most other private institutions do that why is that the city's responsibility the city could feed feed a lot of houseless people for
$50,000 beyond that if the commission thinks it should be paying for anti-racism training it should keep in mind that less than two weeks ago someone tried to kill two men because he thought they were
Palestinian that shooting reflects a mood of anti-palestinian racism that has become pervasive over the past year lots of things have contributed to that mood but in particular when the mayor and a
commissioner character characterize those who Express concern for the plight of Palestinians as Hamas lovers and terrorist sympathizers and anti-semites it is no surprise that there is widespread
hostility in the City of Miami Beach to those who are thought to be Palestinian the recent shooting should be understood in that context all of which is to say that the city should think of funding a training
that will deal with all forms of racism in our city thank you thank you so much is there anyone else in the audience who wishes to speak if not I'm going to go to Nick Nick unmute yourself please State your full name two
minutes thank you uh Nicholas Petrus I live at 1211 Pennsylvania Avenue and I'm writing more as a um speaking today more as a concerned citizen um you know I've only been here for a couple years and I moved here because it's a beautiful city I love
being here and I moved from a city that dealt with tremendous homelessness issues and seeing uh that we have um a Bikini Hostel that wants to cater more to the homelessness Community is uh was a little bit concerning
because over the past couple months I've seen a large increase in homeless just in Flamingo Park I've walked that Park every single day three times a day for a couple years now and most recently I'm seeing groups of homeless people gather
at the steps of the tennis court at the steps of the swimming park throughout the day and then two weeks ago was very disturbing seeing a group of about 10 homeless people gathered at the corner of 13th and Meridian two homeless people
uh with their carts had blocked a sidewalk another couple homeless people blocked another sidewalk with their carts and belongings and then several others taking over the benches half naked shoes off and just uh really stench smell and what was really
disturbing was watching about 30 students over a 30-minute per period walk through this group of homelessness and I was just beside myself that there wasn't a park ranger an officer anyone
stationed to just make sure that nothing's going to happen I've lived around homeless people in other cities and eventually homeless people snap and do very stupid things and you know I can get over the fact that homeless people sleep around
Flamingo Park all day long scattered through rout but when our young children have to walk through that disgustingness I I think that we should do something about it and I was even more Disturbed okay thank you our next virtual speaker
thank you for the call and we do have a couple items that we're going to hear today on the bikini hosle so we're going to have a robust uh and I think probably a lively discussion about it thank you mayor uh our next caller has a screen name of Lisa
Liza say your full name address and you have two minutes please hi thanks my name is Lisa elme and I've lived in Miami Beach since 1993 um April and I'm from 5565 Lor
drive and I'm calling um I wanted to speak to say that item r5e which is the Washington Avenue residential plan the comprehensive plan amendment that was supposed to be looked at today it was delayed until December the 15th that's
10 and a half months from now I mean 10 10 months and five days from now and I just don't understand why it's being delay so long I watched my my life on Washington Avenue and you know I see room for so much improvement that this could be looked at and could be
considered and possibly um passed so that things could be more harmonious and uh better lifestyle in in that Washington Washington Avenue New Order so thank you for uh letting me speak that's all I have to say and for
the record that it's December 17th just oh two I just I know but I just want to make sure everyone got the right the right info uh thank you so much our next viral speaker is Wayne Wayne go ahead
please hello ladies and gentlemen um good afternoon hope you enjoyed your lunch I want to begin by saying I I love Miami Beach I love the people I love the voices I love the diversity I love arts and culture and the Beautiful buildings and
the residents um and I wanted to continue for many generations going forward in a positive way um I just want to alert you how I feel after living here seven or eight years
that um people focus on on keywords you know that that are are the words of the day it works in industry as well like uh in marketing your products but it it's it's it's marketing more than reality
and um you know five years ago they were talking about St you know the need for North Beach and and how uh Str strs became over populated in the development phase um today we're talking about residential
uses um uh and increasing F and and density in a city that that's quite dense already um and I have no problem with development um sound develop based on the Merit of each individual case but
what the city's talking about recently that has me very concerned is that you're using a broad stroke to increase the F and density across the city itself uh without merits by case um so uh using
language that talks about anti hotel but it has no prerequisite that they were a hotel before uh uh adding um density and and and and variance the height uh enabling um uh to Developers for those
properties uh so you know it's somewhat um it's somewhat a selling issue rather than an improvement issue and I think we need to take a look at that in a serious way and come up with a better solution a broad stroke to all my getting up zoned
thank you very much thank you again if there's anyone else in the audience please come to the podium next speaker is Larry Schaefer Mr Schaefer state your name address I have two minutes hello good afternoon Larry schaer 23 381st Street um my comments
are going to be more muted than ones this morning but but you're going to contain quite a bit of facts that I think this body needs to consider in making day-to-day decisions um Governor Dan santis has started new Department of government efficiency uh at the state level and he's specifically targeting
local governments County and municipalities looking for cost savings Because he believes that these taxing authorities overburden the taxpayers so we already have an outside influence at the state level looking in going to be looking in over your shoulder pretty soon I think it's a good time right now
to really take a look at each item you consider and decide if it's crucial urgent and needed or if it's something that's optional and start to say no to things that are optional number two Dan santis as well has decided to explore reforming property taxes he wants to call for the removal I don't think
that's going to happen but reform is probably pretty likely um so you have to think that possibly you're not going to be able to collect as many as much money in taxes as you did before and you need to start to plan for downsizing this government if you can if you have the
will number three Thomas regalato the newly elected property appraiser wants to reduce property tax assessed values based on climate change basically what he wants to do is to say if you're in a flood zone and you have high flood costs I'm going to reduce your assessed value and give you a break that's not going to
bode well for the coffers of of this city if he dramatically reduces the entire Beach um properties on the mainland some of them are not in flood zones finally you're staring at a at the possibility of a market collapse in condominium prices the 2025 champagne
Towers collapsed created new reserve requirements those hit it by the end of this year you got a 10% property tax increase from this taxing body you have school taxes continue to rise and the county is taking their share property insurance is through the roof interest rates are high and finally you're going
to hit the condos with huge water increases they have one meter they can't even they don't even know if if toilets are running in different rooms please try to focus on cost cutting instead of handing out money to anyone who asks thank you thank you mayor there are no other speakers okay thank you for
everyone who called in and now I'm going to call r9e r9e is presentation by county commissioner Mickey Steinberg welcome commissioner Steinberg our former colleague a friend not just to us on the dayas but a friend of uh Miami Beach and our residents thank
you thank you thank you for having me it's the first time I've been in this chamber since you've redone it wow oh wow um so it's a pleasure to be here thank you mayor Commissioners and commissioner Fernandez for inviting me to come here and speak give a brief brief I know how these meetings can go so I'll be very brief on the condo
special assessment program that Miami day count is doing just want to give you some of the highlights so that the public is aware we're out there trying to educate people that we have a program designed to assist homeowners um who have made less than 140% of the median income so you may ask
well what does that mean in actual salary numbers so to give you an example this program is a catchall up to 140% of the median income so an individual earning up to $111,000 could qualify two people up to 127 ,000 as a combined income three
people up to 142,000 so anywhere from 30,00 $220,000 salary to $100,000 salary depending on the Range so I think it's very important that it really catches those who really need it and that middle bracket as well the annual just very
important note that the program is only designed for a homestead primary residence it is not for any investment property it's truly for helping with the burden of the cost as someone had mentioned you know we're going to be I
live in a condo it's not easy sometimes with all the assessments and the insurance costs and so this is truly just for the structural integrity and the recertification process and the assessments that we get trying to get it all in there quickly so um if you have
any other questions the loan itself is up to $50,000 does not get paid to you as an individual it goes right to the should you qualify it goes right to the association to cover those costs and it's paid over 40 years at 0%
interest so really great program we're trying to do our part in helping alleviate that burden and my district has a lot of condos so we're trying to just get out there and educate it's on first come first serve basis and should you have any questions you can contact the commun uh Housing and Community
Development Department at the county or you can just reach out to us directly and email Margie she's here Margie Amador miami.gov or District the number4 at miami.gov and we'll help facilitate and help make sure you're eligible and
and get you to the right department and that's what I'm here for thank you see you are you keep it the brevity is uh is great thank you for that and I see you're still doing the Mondays with Mickey's I got to join you recently which is great giving you a
plug thank you we have the sheriff um coming on Monday the 3D and if I just may for just a moment we also have our mom and pop if you live if you work or have a small business in District 4 we have our mom and pop applications you can get a grand up to $2,500 for your
small business and you can email our office for more information the deadline is March 7th at noon thank you thank you commissioner Steinberg Mr Mayor and thank you for uh putting uh this item on of course and um and actually be before commissioner
Steinberg leaves I just want to take a moment just out of personal privilege if you if you allow me just to flashback back to November 11th of last year the city commission passed a resolution um thanking commissioner St Steinberg for her service with distinction as a member
of the board of County Commissioners representing uh District 4 representing the city of Miami Beach you have such a clear commitment to our residents to affordability to helping those individuals who are facing struggles uh such as our condominium uh owners in our
city that are facing assessments and and escalation in in costs and promoting programs like this that directly help with affordability and that directly help people stay in their homes is great the mayor and the entire city commission had signed this
resolution for you back in November I don't think we had seen you since then it's been sitting in my office and so I just wanted to mention it because I'll give it to to you once we're done here well I did run into to commissioner Steinberg when I was in the county last week uh but I didn't have the
proclamation with me commissioner Rosen Gonzalez one question um commissioner up to how much can people apply for what's the what's the full amount so the program allows up to $50,000 but not all assessments actually
amount to that to that cost and it depends on the eligibility of how much you can get so it's up to 50 that's the maximum okay so if you have an assessment up to $50,000 and you make up to $111,000 you qualify for this thank you thanks for coming forward and you know
sharing with us um we're working we worked recently on some discounting of condo certification fees so we're doing whatever we can on our end but all of this really helps a lot to keep people in their homes thanks great thanks again come back more
often okay let's call if if I may just on the they just handed out a new item on the on the day if I can announce it just for the record sir this new item is going to be item C4 AP it is an addendum it will be heard after
five if the mayor so calls it I'm going to read the item titled fully if possible it's a referral to land use and sustainability committee discuss requiring members of the city commission to disclose and request an opinion from the Miami day County Commission on ethics and public trust and or if
applicable the Florida Commission on ethics prior to sponsoring and placing on a city Commission meeting agenda any item that would impact or apply to the member or a relative or business associate of the member or a principal by whom the member is retained including any item
that impacts real property owned by the member or that impacts property within the vicinity vicinity of such property owned by the member and requiring that any such conflict opinions be attached to the agenda item this is an referral item from commissioner
Hernandez yes thank you I think that is the fastest drafted uh item ever in the history uh but uh okay well we'll deal with that probably next month thank you I appreciate you
conceding that um R9 uh B let's let's this is committee r9b is a board and committee appointments everyone on the Das has a yellow sheet all these appointments are are uh are unopposed we could go one by one or we can do them by
acclamation acclamation by acclamation so if there's an opposition then all these members are appointed thank you everyone in agreement you want so basically there's no opposition
there's no opposition and there's some of these have more seats than there are even nominees correct so somebody wants to move it I'll second all in favor of the appointments I motion carries that the
nominees are approved let's do we do r7e yes sir r7e is accept recommendation Implement one-year Lincoln Road outdoor concession AB batement program it is a public works item
Jay it's good to have you back good afternoon mayor Commissioners the EM before you um was heard at the finance and resiliency committee um it is looking at a discount program
for um the sidewalk cafes along Lincoln Road as well as an incentive program for the first three months months for new sidewalk cafes the administration at this time does not recommend this program um because it does have a
financial impact the impact will be in fiscal year 26 not in fiscal 25 but as we have heard um at both the finance committee uh and elsewhere that the fisal 26 is going to be tough and to put
a burden uh on that at this time time does not seem appropriate the um fiscal impact really looks at discounting Lincoln Road or at least that's what the
discussion was um and you know when you look at the overall revenue from the sidewalk cafes you're talking a total revenue about $2.1 million um the Lincoln Road cafes by themselves represent um almost half of
that um so while there is a uh a request for you know making things uh a little more palatable on the restaurants on Lincoln Road um I'm not
sure this is the the best way to do that at the finance committee there was questions about you know well what about the uh Sidewalk Cafe on on Washington right around the corner and so to sort of give a visual that we did attach a uh
a GIS representative of where all the sidewalk cafes and parklets are so that while they are um there's a lot along Lincoln Road there's a lot along Ocean Drive there are others that are scattered throughout North Beach as well as South Beach thank
you thank you Jay and I I I understand administration's like not supporting this but let me give you some perspective in the down season with all of these hotels closed um any kind of relief that we can give small businesses
allows them to keep their staff even if it's a skeletal staff and even if what seems like it's not making a difference to you will make a difference to a small business we've also approved our small business loan Grant application now what
we have is a situation where we could have more vacancies on Lincoln Road more vacancies are going to lead to more delinquency more crime and then we're going to have in two years time this convention center Hotel built and next
door to it is going to be a you know going to start to look you know more and more vacant delinquent uh you know and we're doing whatever we can to support those small businesses the reason that we started this initiative in the first place is because the cafes came to us
and asked now I wouldn't only like to do this I would like to discount for those three months out of the year it's only the three worst months out of the year and in addition I would also like to have an abatement for any impact fees for sidewalk cafes 10 seats or less uh
cafes on Washington Avenue for example like the Lifeguard that just opened up um the impact fee per seat what is the um what do you call it it's not the impact fee what do we call this the mo mobility Mobility fee the mobility fee is very expensive how much is the
mobility fee like $1,000 dollar per seat so anyway it's very expensive I would like to Abate all Mobility Fe fees for any sidewalk cafe of across Miami Beach 10 seats or less this does not
affect the big businesses and in the slower months of the year have this rent abatement for sidewalk cafes because it's the least we can do to support our small businesses and by the way this only takes place while the larger hotels are
closed correct my item um went and like we can revisit it next year um but right now you have the Delano that's closed the Raleigh is under construction the Shore Club is closed and Lincoln Road is suffering I think we need to do whatever
we can to make sure that these spots are not vacant because you see what happens when we have vacant canes um I saw uh Luigi Mary who's sitting there in the audience I saw his video where he interviewed a literal gang on um a gang
of homeless on Lincoln Road and what I and I think that when you have business owners who are there and they are watching their properties and they are cleaning the streets and they are making sure that there isn't any vacancy um I think that's important and I was glad actually that you did that video because
it showed me that there's actually like an organized grp group of homeless on Lincoln Road if we don't do something to support our small businesses that group is going to grow larger the V the vagrancy is going to grow bigger and this is a public safety issue frankly it's not just an economic issue it's
closely related to Public Safety it's important for Lincoln Road to remain vibrant and open for the conventions that we currently do have and we don't want to see some of our leg Legacy businesses like the one that approached me um go out of business so while this
is not going to move the needle 100% it might help pay a few employees on the down months that need it that's I have questions this pleas through the vice mayor I think this is a great program um
because to to to your point you know any little bit I think helps during during the down months um you know I also do think it's important to reward um good actors you know and I think
Espanola Way is an example of you know of what a lot of corridors should be aspiring to it's clean it's quality restaurants but nonetheless are suffering during the months of of that
we have you know slower activity and uh and if we do move this forward uh I love to be supportive I just like to make a friendly amendment that we consider including in it ESP Panola Way uh because you know if the businesses on Lincoln Road are are suffering I think
so too are the businesses on Espanola Way They seems they seem so packed to me compared to Lincoln Road but I would I would include them I think every business is suffering I think our our slow seasons are slower than ever before because we thing yeah it's a Citywide
thing we've become hypers seasonal the high net worth individuals that are living here 6 months in one day are leaving and we're become instead of having a fulltime I know commission looking at commissioner Magazine's face because I know that you want to populate the city with more people but we are
getting more people they're just people that leave um half the year and it's it's terrible because and that's why places for example um like Southampton in the offseason businesses just shut down because they can't stay open so what do we have to do we need in any way
possible to subsidize our businesses in the offseason so that we don't become a a hypers seasonal place like these other Resort towns um because that's what we're moving toward and uh you know while we're waiting for this convention center hotel to be built which is two years away and hopefully that will bring
more business we need to do whatever we can to make sure that Lincoln Road stays open we need these C cafes to stay open but this is also why I through the chair why items that create yearr round economic activity like what's being proposed in Washington Avenue was being
proposed on on Lincoln Road for full-time residents it's so important because that's the only way we create the year round activity to sustain businesses in the slow season because even when all these high-end hotels open up once they're done with construction
you're still going to have the slow months and the economy is still going to suffer in the slow months because that's what traditionally has happened in in Miami Beach if we want to overcome that what we need to do is you know create the full-time residency
that we need here in in our city and so it goes hand inand I think temporarily this is a temporary support but in the long term we cover this how by making sure we have full-time residents uh supporting stuff like what commissioner
Suarez has for for for Washington Avenue what we're working on for for for Lincoln Road in in the long term thank you thank you Mr Mayor vice mayor bot um I I'm I'm contemplating supporting this
for Lincoln Road um as a short-term stop Gap measure but I don't think continuing with these subsidies for private businesses is the solution for anything our businesses need to adapt to the current conditions and find a way to
move forward and more importantly we as a city need to find a way to diversify our economy if we are not truly um a pure tourist town where we shut down for six months or four months of
the year the way towns do in the Northeast um then we need to find a way to make sure that there are enough people living here and working here to to patronize our businesses and it is not the job of of our government to
subsidize businesses um that can't adapt to the current conditions and that sounds really harsh and I'm not trying to be harsh I I'm I'm like I said considering supporting this as a stop Gap because we have a um an unusual series of of circumstances which is
limiting what happens on Lincoln Road and we've all seen the depression I know the bid is working hard to to diversify what goes on there but at the end of the day we're in a brutal real estate cycle where rents are astronomical we have the convention center that's been closed
we've got all the con the hotels at the end of Lincoln Road that are closed so that's that's one thing but listen I was about a week away from taking over ownership of the freeze in February of 2020
wow I did not as you can see I'm sitting here and I'm not dishing out delicious ice cream but does anybody remember what happened in March of 2020 yes and also by the way Lincoln Road was half of it was closing for construction or it was intended to be closed it it would not
have been the city's job to to bail me out and and keep me open for three years as I tried to navigate what was going on so I think we need to be really really careful about doing this and and um I love espanol away I think it is a huge
success story I remember it wasn't even I don't think four or five years ago when we had to shooting and multiple shootings there and we all said it was a cesspool and it would never um come back the way we needed it to and yet it is constantly touted now as one of the
brightest spots in our city so I'm not sure that we need to incorporate um them into this plan because I don't believe they are as directly affected by the closed businesses U closed hotels as those on Lincoln Road are um so I I just think
this this sets a dangerous precedent I agree with you on Espanola Way by the way and I do think that this is a temporary fix I also think there are several live local projects that are going to be built across the city we'll see what happens you know I worry though that when we um give a piece of land and
we give a $10 million subsidy and we come out with four um 100 foot units and rental prices that are 2600 units when we go to the private sector and they have to pay for land and they you know and they have to pay for the building cost will those rents be um affordable
for the workforce I'm not so sure so right now what we've geared oursel toward is this hyper tourism they're saying we need this convention center hotel to be programmed uh we're waiting for the hotel I spoke to the city manager yesterday he said that the hotel should be finished by 2027 correct so I
think I think that this is just temporary but we really don't want to have those vacancies and I do believe that the market is going to correct itself commissioner bought I think that there are certain restaurants on Lincoln Road that are doing extremely well and certain restaurants are struggling and I
think the restaurants that are struggling the most are the restaurants that are frequented by residents because the restaurant that approached me for this discount is one of the restaurants on Lincoln Road that we all go to a legacy restaurant which one Rosella and
it's been there for 30 years and he's the one who said I need the subsidy because I don't have my you know my you know the resident population and it wasn't you know and and I took it very seriously so so um I think that this combined with the small business grant
program that um commissioner bot and commissioner magazine approved that committee too I think that these small tweaks at least allow them to keep a skeletal staff when business gets really bad can I just out of curiosity um do
you know what they pay for rent i r I think I believe he even owns the building he said it's just gotten so hyp seasonal in September and October especially and I think it's also extreme weather it's so hot here and our businesses are just empty our hotels are empty so I
think that this is this is temporary it is a temporary moment um I think that there are many projects in the pipeline that are going to fill up these businesses especially as these hotels come online again I was looking at the Delano the other day it looks like it has a long way to go but we saw that the
shellborne reopened we know that they're building the Shore Club right now um the Ritz Carlton I see they're finally marketing their residences and hopefully they'll get that you know Project online and those people are going to frequent linol Road and by the way with or
without this subsidy the businesses some businesses are still going to go out of business others will reopen but this in the inome will keep at least some vacancies from happening so just one more thing and
this is for the businesses out there um listening the the weather is not going to get better it's not suddenly going to get drier and cooler in August we need to collectively think about how we navigate the future that is upon us um it's not
going to get easier it's not going to get less seasonal in terms of weather we need to think about what we do collectively and how we appeal to our potential customers and what we offer them to make sure that we have something that's compelling um
in the slow month so I I don't want to blavor this but you know this is something that is just our new reality commissioner magazine yeah so thank you for bringing this and we've identified what the problem is right we have economy that's struggling for a
multitude of reasons we're addressing a lot of those the permitting process uh but for businesses that are open 30 years there's nothing to do with permitting or government bureaucracy it's the ecosystem right and Miami Beach is staring at a once in a generation
opportunity to truly diversify our economy we see offices that are opening in Sunset Harbor right after the salt tax reform was passed in 2017 that started the uh population and wealth migration out of high tax states to
places like Florida Florida is adding 400,000 new residents each year but Miami Beach really hasn't been a beneficiary of that because we do not have the housing inventory to accommodate right right so while I'm excited about the Convention Center
Hotel I am a Miss remiss to think that it's going to be a silver bullet solution that just because a few hotels open and the Convention Center Hotel because they're all going to have their own competing retail they're going to have their own dining and restaurants and things of that nature um and as
excited as I am for projects like the Shore Club and uh perhaps it's more years away but the Raleigh uh those are very um small Footprints with very very high prices that'll probably just actually compound our seasonality issues right
what we need are real people living in real places without a focus on the waterfront right the infield commercial corridors that are dying that are dying and a plague on our city you know you look at Washington Avenue it is ripe for people
to live work and play in that area if you go outside here at City Hall we have thousands of employees that drive into City Hall each day and that strains our infrastructure do you know what you don't see when you walk outside of City
Hall anywhere for people to live and the people that would live here would then go and Shop on Lincoln Road they would go and do their Pilates their yoga they would go to Rosen Elli they would have gone to books and books tourists don't come into town to go to books and books
but people that live here do when daku closed the owner was quoted in the Miami new time saying the residents that used to come here for a happy hour have disappeared right so we see what we need to do and the answer is really not hard
right we need to accommodate our entire city where we're not so hypers seasonal that will never change and relying on hotels to open certainly isn't going to change the seasonality or the cyclicality think about this we're facing
economy locally that is strained and troubled in some metrics but it's when the macroeconomy has been booming postco right imagine if we get a macroeconomic downturn what that's going to do for us so it's a dereliction of Duty if we do
not begin better preparing to diversify our city diversify our economy because despite e uh some efforts and some progress made you can also argue where's hyp hper cyclical and Hyper seasonal as we've
ever been so I'm going to begrudgingly try and support this again but I really lament that we keep doing this Band-Aid approach whether it's giving out small business grants or you know subsidizing and things like that if we want the market to correct
itself it's it's not going to be through the government intervening right we need to provide a level and equal playing field but we need to take broader action that's really going to support our economy and that that is the Silver
Bullet right it will be complemented by a Convention Center Hotel but all the urban planning decisions that we're making are further straining our hyper sensitive and Hyper cyclical economy further straining our infrastructure and further straining our
housing affordability so I appreciate you caring so much for small business I absolutely know you do it's been your your biggest and best passion uh over the years that I commend you for um I'm going to support this but I have a finite shelf life for how much we're just going to do the Band-Aid approach
where we we truly do need to get serious about some initiatives so thank you for bringing this I know you you truly do care about you know operators like rosanelli and other people that have uh built their uh lives their families their livelihoods on uh on our
city yeah I'm supportive as well so thank you um I I do get I share some of your concerns some some of the different reasons but I I think it's worth a shot and uh if it can help I get partly concerned because the more we do for the small businesses the landlords I feel factor that in and then they keep
checking up the rates as we know it's it that's an issue as well uh where we have vacancies and I know firsthand where you know I'm not I'm I'm I'm not the owner of the property but they've had they've had bids on there and they some of them would rather leave it vacant so um you
have that issue as well you know it's interesting because yeah the numbers show that we're not adding new residents but I I I don't have a study on this but anecdotally it seems that many of our residents who are snowbirds are staying longer than they than they were uh instead of coming for a month or two they're staying um closer to six months
that's what I that's what I see it's think I think it's reflective in the traffic that we we face as well um but I'm I'm happy to to support this and I think ultimately good businesses I hate to single out businesses but on a positive note we have for example bagel
that that opened recently on 41st they are I mean they're rocking it I mean they they I don't want to speak for them but they they have far exceeded their their expectations uh as to their popularity and it's many many different restaurants uh I've around the city I I'm singling at one because they're
fairly new I think there's a level of success that that can be had when when offering the product that that that people want and that's what we need to uh to do I and and I'm supportive of trying to incentivize businesses to see that they can be successful in Miami
Beach yep I I would like to add that I also do think it's the nature of some of these restaurants and the market conditions like commissioner bod said are going to determine which restaurants stay open and which which restaurants close I mean
you have Mila which has become the highest grossing restaurant in the entire United States um and I do think that some of these larger sidewalk cafes popped up to cater to a large tourist popul population That Grew From all of
these hotels so I do think we're seeing a correction and this is really just to keep it open because having it all closed that is blight and we can't have any more of that blight I mean that's really what affects us more than
anything else okay call a vote oh commissioner Suarez thank you Mr Mayor um just to add my two cent you know generally I don't believe that government should be getting involved in subsidizing businesses I also find it
a little I it doesn't sit right with me that a business would come to you or to me and um ask for a uh an abatement I think I don't know that to
me that is a conflict um I'm I'm All About promoting in local businesses doing incentivizing what we can to bring them more customers but uh personally for me when when I'm
getting asked to subsidize with from taxpayer money that would go to projects we really need to support a single business I I think that's a bridge too far so I'm not going
to be supportive today just a question on the item so is the item amended to include Espanola Way or not yes I would just say that Espanola Way had a massive capital investment they are booming right now when I walk
past every single Cafe there seems to be doing very well and already they're upset that we're taking away these fees from Leo look at Brad Jay 8 another copy so if possible I would only like to do Lincoln Road for right now you know if
that's okay with you and how much money does this equate to on an annual basis what is the total fiscal impact for this year the 123,000 that would be that's projected impact for FY 26 so it so I'll I'll say
this Lincoln Road has a bit a bit business improvement district and the businesses tax themselves to support the business initiatives of of Lincoln Road and then we come frequently and we
supplement provide more funding and we're happy to do that to support Lincoln Lincoln Road other areas don't ask for that as much and so for example we have Nory at 71st Street where we
have you know businesses that need support as well I think Carnitas car Carnitas used to be on 71st Street and they you know they close down um you know we have businesses that also depend on tourism on Espanola Way which I was
mentioning and they suffer too if if this is more expansive than than than Lincoln Road I'll support it if if this is just limited to Lincoln Road because I you know
the entire city suffers that and that's and that's a struggle you know the why why is the struggle of the business on Lincoln Road during the slow months different than the struggle of the business on 71st street during the slow
month or the business on Espanola Way during during during the slow month they're they're all businesses and they're all our our our constituents as well well that's why we have the small business grant program and there are no sidewalk cafes in North Beach we
completely waved all of those fees because we knew that they absolutely couldn't pay those not in the good months not in the bad months so there are no fees um in all of North Beach and we did that purpos on 41st did we do it on 41st Street as well I don't think there are no fees on 41st Street um I
don't believe you know listen I I think it's important for Lincoln Road for right now this is a this is a trans I think we're going through a transitional period right now but if we if we waved the fees on North Beach if we waved the
fees on 41st stre and we're offering this abatement program on Lincoln Road why wouldn't we also support the ones on on Espanola Way if I may um it's a corridor as well if I may
um the carnit situation in uh North Beach is very unfortunate they made it outstanding pic sandwich I will just say um it did not have anything to do with our fees or outdoor cafe or anything like that it was a situation of landlord
lease issues and grease trap issues through new fall to the city it was like a it's a different set of circumstances I think the reason why there may be resistance why there is resistance speaking for myself at least um to extending it to Espanola Way is because I have yet to walk past espanol away at
any time you know from late afternoon on when I do not see it booming so you know we just we just passed something to hand 50 Grand to Mount Sinai for an a laudable important program that they are
prepared to pay and do regardless of our funding right so we made that choice and that's so be it but why would we be handing out money to businesses that are thriving they're doing pretty well on
Espanola L hasn't had the capital investment that washing when you when you look at Espanola Way and I I heard otherwise by the way about about the businesses on Espanola yeah I've heard some businesses do do struggle then let's offer they're all dealing with the
with the with inflationary issues uh just like everyone else okay well we are not in the business of subsidizing inflationary issues I am a liberal Democrat and you're and I'm saying that I know it's hard to believe but but
we're not listen it's expensive here it's ridiculous I somebody just posted a picture of 18 eggs going for 20 bucks like come on we have to draw the line someplace is this first reading or second is this accepting the recommend
resolution resolution so here's what I propose I propose we pass it as intended without Espanola and do the research and find out if there is an issue that merits being included on this and we can bring it back and and amend it moving forward but
I would you consider that commissioner Fernandez and if I find I'll go speak to the restaurants on Espanola Way if they would like it to which I'm sure they might say that they would we can bring it forward and put it through the finance committee find out the financial impact um but I would like to just pass
this already if possible Mr commissioner I think it's a really bad precedent to be passing legislation on a big business that has lobbied one of our commissioners to um to receive an
abatement and only single out um that business on that road I think it's very dangerous it's not good policy I think we're trying to do mental gymnastics here that are um really going
to bite us in the future and so I I I highly cautious us caution us to really think this one through right so I is there a is there a business lobbying for this because I haven't been lobbying no they did not Lobby anyone
except for the bid and it was a casual conversation and based on that conversation I chose to take some action after speaking with several of the other business owners too like I said this is a stop Gap I think we're a city in transition while the entire area is
being rebuilt so I also think that we have to be smart and understand that we have this massive Convention Center people exit the convention center and they need a place to go and so we'd like these cafes to stay open so nothing
exists in a vacuum and a lot of these cafes are full as you see when the convention center is open the cafes are full and it's a PL it's a it's a nice business flow and and so for right now if they're asking us um so that they can
remain staffed in the offseason when they're when the convention center is sitting empty I don't think that this is um a ridiculous ask as I said I think that I think that the market is going to correct itself I think it's important to
understand the entire system um and that is why I'm putting this forward because nothing exists in a vacuum I'd like to move this item I'm going to move it a second a
second really so not wait I'm going to say it again I would like to Second this item to help our small businesses on Lincoln Road do I have a second commissioner Dominguez hi uh commissioner Ros
Gonzalez I this sounds like a very uh neat idea I almost think we should approach more like a small business can apply for a grant in the city administration reviews rather than a blanket of batement because it's it's just not right well we have that you
know what we could do then we only have $100,000 on our small business grant program we could allocate more funds because businesses are going to apply for these grants so if you would like what we could do is allocate $100,000 to
add to the small business grant which is not only for restaurants um I believe believe it's for all small businesses so that our hair salons stay open so that you know um so that restaurants like Carnitas or other restaurants I mean you
know what that's fine I put this through I'm not wedded to it I was trying to help Lincoln Road um I don't think they got their Capital Improvements like they should have I think the businesses reached out to us and said could you do anything to help I think the compassionate and actually smart thing
to do is to try to help I don't think it's going to move the needle that much but I think when you have the small business cramp program and the abatement program it offers some relief and it keeps people employed um if this body does not believe that that is important
um I feel very badly because I think that this is smart policy as you can see the county also agrees they have a small mom and pop Grant um program also um but if this body doesn't agree I will withdraw so let me let me excuse and we
can die vice mayor B without compassion vice mayor bot um I'm sorry just a small as side it makes me think of you know if you see an opera at the last minute the heroin who's dying of consumption it's like floundering on the floor and then gets
up and does a whole big ARA because it was like the last dying gas we might be able to save this this ARA here's here's what I'm thinking Jason Mr CFO not to put you on the spot but I'm going to put you on the spot and I don't know if you have the answer oh Heather maybe you between the two of you guys somebody
will know the the small business grants no I'm looking at how it no I know maybe tamaa knows oh Tama always knows everything um t no I'm kidding um so the small business grant that we have uh program that we have is it funded is it
administered by Economic Development yes it's $100,000 to cover the Year yes do do we use that money every year do we it's this is the fira shaw assistant director of Economic Development this is the first year we're doing it um and the grants are open for two months where the
purpose of it is to make sure that we have the grants the applications open now so we can give the money to the businesses for the summer okay but it's only it's a one time and so um do we have enough applicants we just open a few week two
weeks ago on on Valentine's Day and we go it closes April 14th so and we we're start we have applications in yes okay so this is what I would propose I love this idea Commissioner dingz of doing it as a Grant application as opposed to a blanket um situation and I think if we
could expand what we're doing with the small business grants or whatever the programs officially called and let restaurants who may be affected by seasonality know that this is a thing you apply now to get you through the the tough months and then those who need it can make a case for it and it gets
reviewed and vetted properly and those who don't need it don't apply and so I think that accomplishes your goal commissioner Rosen Gonzalez and and is a better Financial Steward for all of us and um you know it it is a more Equitable way of um of proceeding and if
you see once this is communicated broadly um that there is a real influx a real need then we can come back as a body and say you know what maybe we extend this for a couple more months maybe we add a little bit more to the pot but at least have some metrics and
know where in the business in the city it's coming from and part of the application process should be what is causing the hardship like is it a crazy rent is it you know the the chef passed away and so you're scrambling like whatever God forbid but you know um if people are saying you know I'm hampered
by seasonality or you know the businesses around me are closed I'm waiting for them to open like it will be a great uh you data collection vehicle as well for us and I think we should take that information that we get from the applications and make sure that we are that it is widely disseminated for
all of us so we can um inform our policy decisions accordingly but I think that would accomplish your goal it would be Equitable for those who need it and um we could not set a precedent that might go badly for us so this is for Lincoln Road people can apply for this abatement
and as part of the application process they have to answer certain questions and then I guess Economic Development will either approve or deny this isn't with the current small business grant program ask those questions we ask why do you need the money and in addition to this program we're
going to add on that people can apply for an abatement in the months that we specified in this program and go through a similar process to then get the abatement okay instead of a blanket abatement which I actually agree with because I think that some of the
businesses might not need the abatement and what yeah okay so if I make that motion will somebody second it well yeah okay thank you commissioner J guys I guess one of the the issues then is what the criteria would be because this would be a new program we're creating here on
the floor with we don't have criteria so when they apply how would we know who to I think it's not a new program it's folding fing the folding it into the existing program criteria for the small business program and there's criteria for the the sidewalk con or the the
abatement I'm sorry for the abatement you have criteria for the abatement I'm asking but then we'd have to come up with I want to explain you're raising Water and Sewer rates you have pegged all of our fees to the CPI something that we have never done before that Mitch novic brought up and we have this
hypers seasonality and we're suffering and you see inflation Jason we have to I think I understand that there is that there is a hesitation to help the private sector but I think we're facing some situations right now that are
Beyond um normal and I don't think that there're forever more but I would say that I cannot stand that we are going to raise Water and Sewer fees every single fee is going to be uh to be raised by 3%
I think that this is egregious stuff that is squeezing our small business community that is already suffering so I don't agree with that I really I I find it upsetting that the administration um disagreed with this and one of the reasons why I propose this is because my
entire life since I've 20 since I'm 20 I've kind of been in the restaurant business and I've seen the hypers seasonality but I've seen it grow worse and worse and worse I'm no longer in the restaurant business right now um but I understand what they're going through and one of the biggest problems is
keeping staff and if you really want people living in Flamingo Park to not have to leave Miami Beach these small tweaks go a long way so so I going to recognize um our our city uh I just changed your job description to City attorney it's okay Rick congratulations
you're the new city manager H I've always wanted to sit next to the City attorney but but I I will just say you know and we're gonna have a much more robust discussion about the rate increases but at the end of the day you know the city for 30 years has not
increased the impact fees that we're that we charge and we have major infrastructure projects that have to happen because flooding doesn't stop and you know some something has to give like you need to so are we not going to fix the infrastructure we and you know all the flooding that happens so but that is
a different discussion for a different time and it's not Jason is do doing this to us it is no let me finish please and then and then Eric um it is a a the role of government is to protect our residents and if our residents are
flooded out every time it rains during the summer there is a problem and we know that what was the number um uh 50 to 80% of our pipes are at least 50 years old or something like that I'm sure I'm not getting it right but we need to fix it and we can't just magic
them up we have to pay for them so you know but it's a different conversation so let's not conflate the two because it doesn't do any justice to what you're trying to accomplish which is legitimate and what needs to happen with a much more robust conversation that where everybody's informed on the issue so with all due respect let's keep those
two items separate and now I'm going to um Eric had his uh his like on for a while if I can just ask a little bit of clarification on this uh and just 100% transparency the administration understands the challenge
of ret tenanting commercial spaces and we're not trying to push anybody out of business here in the city of Miami Beach what I would just like to understand is we're talking about I guess
$100,000 of additional funding going into a small business grant program similar to the one that we already have or are we adding it to the one that already exists or are we creating a restaurant version of that so my vision
and and feel free to chime in folks but my vision was we take the program that we have and we expand the parameters of who can apply for what with the existing 100,000 and if towards the end of the op the open enrollment or application time
we see we have a run on it and there like you know uh many more people applied for for things and they have legitimate cases um then we can come back and and add some funding if we need to I'm not envisioning a separate program I'm not envisioning adding money
right now because we don't know if we'll even hit the $100,000 Mark so let's start with 100 with the existing program maybe just expand the parameters of what it could cover um and it and then um you know as we get get closer to the end of
April when the when the program is closed down for applications then we can evaluate do we need to keep it going for another month do we need to add some money to the kitty but but that isn't what okay I thought that you were saying that there were two separate situations
we have the $100,000 in our small mom and prop grants for small businesses in our in our slow months and then in addition to that um I thought that on Lincoln Road sidewalk cafes could apply for an abatement throughout throughout those months if they go through a similar process but that is not coming
out of the $100,000 on the small business program that is just the city discounting fees they're two different things do you understand one of them we're giving um we're offering money to pay either for rent or employees that's what the program says we'll either pay
um you know we'll either give money toward rent or toward um employee I believe I think it's employees um yeah payroll okay so that is one program and I think what you're suggest ing is and I think we could just move this it's for a
couple of months sidewalk cafes that would like an abatement can apply can apply okay but that but they're applying for discounted fees that's not coming out of the $100,000 and I think that's the understanding is we have the existing $100,000 Citywide grant program which is
which is set and I think to the commissioner's point it's correct it's I'm not cutting a check which would require funding this is I'm going to get less Revenue right guess the question is the item as it is now is for one year on Lincoln Road only would be a 50% discount during that one six-month
period I guess the question is there seems to be some debate on if you're going to put criteria on that are you going to say that there's a maximum size there's a revenue size of building so there seem to talk about do you want to put a criteria or is it blanket that everyone will get that discount during that period which is with the item I believe that is
presented I mean my view is if we're trying to support the smaller businesses that need help that we should should have criteria that Define what that is I mean what I don't want to have is the businesses that have opened up south of fifth you know the multi-million dollar bill out only I understand but just for
for argument sake to say you know what I want to get some some rebates or batement on my fees as well so if I can perhaps we could if if uh wanted we know uh Ed could come back next month with some recommended criteria talk in the
public works if if the intention is to keep the Box not all of linol roow but a specific subset If You Give a Little Bit of feedback you know Heather and Ed will will uh take that information could come back narrow it is Lincoln Road we don't
have to do six months August September and October which are our slower months businesses can apply for an abatement or a discount for those months and um and if they go through a process and they provide us this information we will give the discount by the way commissioner bot
what you say makes a lot of sense because that way we're collecting data and we're not paying for a study so let's say it's $100,000 if we had to do a study at FIU it would cost us $100,000 so um that that would be the motion are you okay with that motion without without due respect the
commissioner we we have exemptions or exceptions even in the small business grant program not all businesses get it so I understand that but this is not the small business program this is just Lincoln Road sidewalk cafes three months out of the year the slowest months
discounting the fees by 50% that's it if I may the reason I said six months is because the public works department bills in six months so if it's a 50% discount for that three months effective that six-month bill would then be discounted by 25% that's all I wanted it doesn't have to be for it doesn't
business doesn't drop off until when it's July right July August okay July we're still kind of soaring a little bit August September October but the issue is that that's how it's buil so so I think we're in agreement on what the the revised proposal will be so I will move
the item second should we call a vote Yes vote I'm sorry Mr Mayor can we just exact Mr city clerk can you please clarify what exactly we're voting on
right now I have go ahead sure um so rather than having a program that would be open to all or that would apply across the board to all uh sidewalk cafes or concessions on Lincoln Road this will be a program that will require
an application to receive the 50% discount during the months of August September and October um and a business will need to satisfy certain criteria that the economic development department will develop and come back to commission next month for your approval uh and it
will be a needs-based program so if you're a business that can afford to pay during those months then you will not get the abatement but if you need um the help you get the help I don't think it needs to come back next month I think we're just approving it and that's it we already defined the parameters of the
program if it's simple Lincoln Road sidewalk cafes September August September and October that's it what call the item like call let's call the vote I think I think I I would want to know what the what the qualifications
are I mean just because you were on Lincoln Road I don't know if that NE Lincoln Road sidewalk cafes those businesses that apply and what we decided was it was important to collect the data so the economic development is good idea to rush this I think we should have to go through the process BR bring
it back next month let's not shoot from the head bring it back next you're right this is such a big item I think it's important I think it's important to be I think it's important to be responsible with tax money for a while you had many opportunities to weigh in on this at
every single moment it was in committee for a couple of months we discussed it at committee we've discussed it here but it's okay we can bring it back next month and that's fine and I do hope that our small businesses across Miami Beach appreciate the effort of this entire
body um offering these subsidies and doing this work so that our businesses stay open as we transition um and build more and go through this process but you know you're not make it's we're not making it easier for people I'm going to say it one final time all of our rates
and increases are improving Insurance prices have gone through the roof Water and Sewer is debilitatingly high for small businesses and I do think that those businesses with great products Will Survive but the
question is and the reason and and this doesn't really move the needle that much I wish I could do more is frankly and we can't we cannot determine what landlords are charging for rent um as their costs go up so you
know so so I don't think this is a time where we should be raising Water and Sewer but commissioner bot you bring up a great you know you you you the property owners should be covering the water and sewer but unfortunately commissioner bot they passed that on to the small business owners so you'll see
your water bill go from $1,000 and I don't know the exact specifics of the increase because I um did not see the I it's not here yet but if your water bill in a slow month goes from a $1,000 to, 1500 it hurts it hurts 50% well no it
well no it's n is it 9% I I believe the water and sewer was 9% right so we go let's say 1,90 to how much 1,90 in that scenario 1,9 okay so not a 50% increase but if your water bill goes up 10% and your insurance increase is 10% and you
know and then we have other fees I I'm not quite sure I can get a list probably from Jason of all the fees that were increased this year but like I like like Mitch novic said before normally we didn't just automatically increase fees like we are now doing normally there was
a public conversation surrounding it and there was always a vote and so if somebody brings forward an item that we have to vote on these increases rather than Peg them to CPI um I am 100% in favor of that because we pay more than any other municipality in Miami day
County it is expensive our real estate is expensive our insurance is more costly our real estate prices um parking it's impossible to do business this here and I think through Mr Mr attorney correct me if I'm wrong we have an item now that at the start of every budget
season I think it's an item that I brought forward we need to get full disclosure on any and all rate and fee increases being proposed for the next fiscal year is that correct that is exactly correct all right so that's an item that that and I see the CFO wants
to speak on it so when we start the budget we won't be caught by surprise it can't be buried in the book the manager needs to give us a memo that delineates every single fee increase that's being proposed so that we can decide do we want to support this these fee increases
or do we want to oppose these fee increases correct commissioner and that was your was your item and we will what will happen is in the June July uh budget workshops related to the one will be operational uh budget there will be an attachment to that budget memo that would have that attachment of all all of
those so that we can have that transparent discussion that you're talking about about inrees commissioner Suarez thank you Mr Mayor you know I I I don't want to get too off topic because we're talking about struggling small businesses and I know this has been discussed earlier but
we're kind of just running around in circles when the real problem that we have is the economy and you know it's very easy to to point fingers that we have hotels that are opening up or the convention center is
not here uh and our economy is cyclical and seasonal you know I I I truly believe that if you really want to have a transformative City in the next 10 20 30 years something has to change and that's
why I'm I'm bringing forward a legislation to put you know residential houses on the most struggling uh areas of our of our city such as Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue and that's going to
completely change the the dynamic uh of our of our economy instead of having uh vape shops and um you know touristic uh establishments you're
going to have grocery stores you know um you're going to have stores and businesses that cater to a full-time uh resident crowd uh so we look you know we can we can continue to go back and forth and try to nickel and
dime you know the the taxpayers and and try to come up with these small little ideas to help businesses but if you really want to really transform the city for the Next Generation you got to you got to think a little bit bigger um and and and do
what's right wait can I just I would just like to and I know we have to bring this into a lending but I would like to say that prior to Chief Jones coming on board and are breaking up with spring break campaign we have the worst PR in the entire world and then we had that
breaking up with spring break that went viral we got a new police chief we demanded police presence um in areas for years we passed policies right all of us commissioner Fernandez mayor Miner we passed these policies that eventually
have now they're taking effect but the number one thing that influences everything is marketing and what we've done so far and what we kind of needed to do was tell everybody don't come here for spring break because we can't control the crowds so now we are
suffering because of our own marketing it's not a bad thing because it gotten out of control now we have this you know this another marketing campaign this year eventually we're going to going to have to supplement with marketing that is positive that says come back to Miami Beach and our businesses are going to
fill right up just like we can tell people not to come we can Market away out of it and tell people to come okay this is all marketing and perception you it's not about building okay I can guarantee 100% it's not about density okay it's not build build build I do I I
I wouldn't mind a few projects if it was low scale but you know the fact that we can't get around is very very frustrating so while I understand this and one thing by the way way is for example our Workforce housing on places like West Avenue when we replace a building that has Workforce housing with
a luxury tower that means that half the year those people aren't going to be here so that contributes to the hypers seasonality I would love to get on board with some sort of minimal density or at least height so that we're not Cas in Shadows and our beach isn't you know cast in Shadows um because that's
something that our residents would not um appreciate if we can find a product that is attractive to people that's fine but remember we are coming out of a situation that had gotten out of control it was a managed decline over many years
to ruin our historic district so that they could redevelop it and we're finally climbing our way out of it and I would like to commend Chief Jones and our Police Department I've never seen a police presence like the one that you have provided you have done a great job
and also Melissa berier and your Communications team team and Commissioners Fernandez and Suarez and mayor Miner for what you have put forward mayor Miner with your prosecution staff commissioner Suarez with his inflated parking did that
really turned people away also made them mad but you know what uh we did not have any problems and commissioner FIS I don't know how many ordinances you have passed on crime and curfews and everything that we've done so it's been a collective effort it's almost like
we're in the ashes and we're emerging right now like a phoenix and so we can Define that we can Define that through marketing and uh and maybe what we need to do is explore different marketing campaigns to fill up our businesses maybe the $100,000 that
we're going to give in small business grants maybe we put that into a marketing campaign and then we don't and then the businesses fill up so I'm going to work on something between now and the next meeting and I'm glad we have this conversation because I would because
maybe $100,000 in a social media marketing campaign um would be the Elixir and not small business grants thank you Rick where are we as as I understand the body is voting to uh request that the administration
return with criteria and I think the only thing you will vote on at that time will be to approve the criteria today you're are voting to approve this program which would be to allow businesses or restaurants on Lincoln Road to apply for the abatement uh during the months of August September
and October 50% abatement of the concession fees no Jason you want to clarify if the whole program has to come back I I would assume the item would just be heard in return next month with the some of the criteria um we'll bring it back next month with the criteria and
put it on the consent agenda unless commissioner Suarez would like to I mean has issues with it if he wants we can have a sunshine meeting and discuss the criteria for the 3mon 25% 50% abatement for the sidewalk cafes
because I know that this is really upsetting him so I will make myself available and I will speak with economic development we will come back with criteria that everybody will love I correct myself nothing to vote on today so it's I think so so we're continuing the item till next month to
March 19th where criteria and a new res will be brought sounds good Mr Mayor onor brighter note I just want to mention that you already passed on C7 y as part of the consent agenda a refresh
of the finding your wave campaign that we are going to be launching immediately after spring break this year so amazing and and I will mention that there is a lot of capital coming into our city we have uh I took a tour I think I've mentioned this before there's over
hundred million of capital coming into Lincoln Road and and new businesses and refurbishing of of businesses so it's and I actually took a tour it it is spectacular what is going to be opening up fairly soon to that point uh we actually um
have approved a specific Economic Development marketing budget uh to promote some of these initiatives that the mayor's highlighted I know we're all excited to get working on that so thank you all thank you okay thank you all going to turn to uh several items relating to the Bikini Hostel um I'm GNA
call I'm gonna call them all all at the same time um in deference to commissioner magazine who brought an item last month I believe vice mayor bot you're a co-sponsor um R9 AB commissioner Rosen Gonzalez has an
item R9 AF and uh commissioner Fernandez has an informational report number two um as well I'm going to since my colleagues brought the items I have some strong
thoughts and and a potential proposal as well on this I'll share but uh I'll let you introduce the items and then I I want to hear from my colleagues and mayor just for PJ's uh to put the item up we're going to do it all under R R9 ABB discuss take action report on 1247
West Avenue update on the current situation requested by commissioner magazine we're hearing R9 AF and report number two so first since you brought the item last month commissioner magazine I'll I'll call on R9 AB first yeah thank you for that Mr Mayor and to all my colleagues because this is
something that we've all spent uh a huge amount of time on a huge amount of uh brain power unfortunately how our City Works is we can't talk amongst each other uh except in publicly noticed meetings so we don't really get that chance to kind of brainstorm together um
and the intent of me putting this on last month was really just to get some information into the public atmosphere right because we were see so much incoming uh calls emails uh inquiries saying why don't you do this why don't you do that uh as our City attorney
could attest uh I'm not sure if there's been two consecutive days o over the past couple of months that have went by where we haven't you know discussed and talked about uh the current situation with the bikini hosel what the city's options are um so almost just want to get some things
out there into the public record that we're not just sitting back uh being reactive this situation uh myself my father's in the audience the the night that the homeless were dropped off uh I was laying in bed with my daughter coloring at 900 P pm on a
Friday night and got that call from our city manager um every single one of my colleagues I I believe uh made a trip there at 10 p.m. on a Friday night stayed until 1 pm uh and there's been numerous occasions where we have all for different reasons
found ourselves there um so there's a lot going on behind the scenes but if I could almost hand it over to the City attorney um not to be you know too short-winded but to keep things concise have we explored our
options now and even historically because issues at the bikini hos didn't just start arising when the homeless were busted in fact we just had this conversation uh this has really been a plague on that neighborhood for years well predating the arrival of the homeless people there where there was
not a single site in our city that had more calls for Code Compliance uh there was a study done that over a 5 Monon period all the different police and um Code Compliance resources that had to respond to calls there total over a million dollars a million dollars of
taxpayer money for resources just to respond to the bikini hosel and that is before the current situation here so this has long been a problematic operator in our neighborhood um but this is a hard thing to say to my constituents our constit
there's limited levers that we have as a government to pull uh perhaps the mayor's smirking because he he may come up with one um you know when he has his item read uh but I'm just going to kick it over to the City attorney and just say what are our options and if there's
limited we need to be forthcoming and honest with the public about that sure and I think you you set that up very uh perfectly because there are limited levers um the Bikini Hostel is operating
within its permitted use um and we we understand that the neighborhood uh is is not necessarily happy about um the the current guests who are there but they are not doing anything that is outside of what they are currently
allowed to do um and I know that there have been code violations over the years I believe that all of those except one that might be pending currently have been addressed or have been to the special magistrate they may have paid fines uh but there there has never been
anything that has amounted um to uh something that would trigger a I want to te up that I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna challenge that in in a bit when I talk okay okay fair enough um and and then in terms of prospective
legislation uh the you know anything that we could come up with that might um impact the uses would be prospective only so so what is existing there now would become uh which I believe it is actually currently legal non-conforming
um but any other changes we desire or the body desires to make uh would similarly be uh perspective what I have shared with with you commissioner magazine and with some of your colleagues that um I think the the perhaps best option for a solution would
be to find a diplomatic solution to negotiate with the folks who are bringing uh these these individuals uh to to the Bikini Hostel to a residential neighborhood where arguably uh is not the best place or not the most suitable place especially since some of them have
jobs across the way and and uh are not where where they would like to be uh which is closer to where they work but um but legal options there may be a couple of ideas that we can talk about today um but in terms of moving the needle I think ultimately this is going
to require a a diplomatic solution um before I go commissioner Ros Gonzalez you have an item did you want to speak so I was also there that night in November following the court case where
Miami Beach um won um the option to not tax our local restaurants the 1% and so it was very bizarre that night when the homeless uh were literally bust in at 9:00 at night we got the phone
call um they were confused themselves they were literally ripped out of the Camila's house they came holding their stuff in plastic bags they weren't told why they had to leave they had jobs nearby and they were brought to this
Bikini Hostel I would like to know how the bikini hosel became conflated with zoning because these are two mutually exclusive items the Bikini Hostel is one item that we need to deal with
separately all of a sudden it has to do with zoning and they shouldn't be conflated these are two separate items um I I requested some numbers right now that the police that we have stationed outside of the Bikini
Hostel is costing us $35,000 per month to have that police car outside of the Bikini Hostel and even though that police car is there um you know it's it's the whole atmosphere that
homeless population was at Camila's house for a reason there were rules there was a curfew there was no smoking or drinking and now this population which was already struggling to get their lives together and have jobs now
they have no rules um David Adams showed me a video that he went and took at the bikini Hospital of all of these bikes that were painted black which means that this population is going out and you know there were a lot of bikes back
there okay um so we're getting theft in our community as you can see that a resident called in right now and said you know that this population is is gathering and by the way there's no common area except for on West Avenue so
the only place that this population has to go if they want to sit and talk to someone there's no living room in the Bikini Hostel it's tiny little cell likee rooms and so they have to congregate in the streets so what do you have in the
middle of this residential neighborhood you have a large homeless population and why is that an for an issue because number one it was not zoned to be a homeless shelter you have families and children that live in the surrounding
area um and and frankly it doesn't belong there and I see the tourists who are arriving at the Bikini Hostel and we witnessed this that night in November these young tourists came up went in and
literally came out like running because they thought they were going to just a a tourism hostel and it wasn't it was a homeless shelter so we have to take action and I think the first part of the action is to understand
who approached the Bikini Hostel and and why is a developer now purchasing that hostel are we being held hostage by the hostel for
zoning I mean if we approve the zoning does the hos does the does the homeless population go away because that the two should not have anything to do with each other and if anybody's going to purchase the Bikini Hostel at this point I think that
the city of Miami Beach should purchase it so that there is no conflict so we have a situation here and that's why I put this on the agenda and I would like to understand from the administration what we can do what we can do
to to relocate this homeless population to a facility with common areas with proper meals and nutrition because right now they're getting pizza every day I see it they're living on junk food cheap uh
cheap fast food they're not there's no rules there's a bar next door I mean this is not how you rehabilitate people this is the wor anti- Rehabilitation so what are we going to do and I think we
have to take every action possible so that this population is relocated to a facility that can meet their needs no thank you for that and I I agree I'm make a proposal in a minute so just I just want to teed up I think we kind of have said it but again uh to quickly
recap there was a voter referendum item that would add an 1% tax to our certain uh restaurants would have made us the highest tax in the in the city I believe you and I commissioner rosenal and I had voted no on that a couple years ago uh to that tax but it did pass that current
commission commissioner Suarez uh brought an item which our commission passed to remove it from the voter referendum and we uh we basically won in court and shortly thereafter although the homeless trust denies it but uh you can you can you can put two and two
together all of a sudden for the first time ever we had homeless individuals being brought in as you mentioned sort of uh uh without their even knowledge coming into our city and I'll add that after that vote voting the moving the
voter referendum I got calls from not residents you would think residents would be upset maybe and some probably were I I heard from some that the voter referendum was taken off but most people that wasn't the issue it was political players mostly from the county level
that no person should ever receive I will I'll call them threats uh what they were and what it showed to me this wasn't a level of caring you we know the difference everybody knows the difference not there's nothing special about us I mean we just have we're elected you know the difference when you're getting a call because someone is sincere and compassionate
and when you get a call because there is big money involved and that was what's going on here so let's not let that is absolutely this is Big Money business we ended up coming together as a commission
and uh voting to use Convention Center Hotel money basically we made the county and the homeless trust whole we did that but yet the homeless individuals who are in the Bikini Hospital are still there I've met with leadership in the county
county mayor the chair I mean I literally have met with everybody I think a lot of my colleagues have as well and I don't want to repeat conversations not everybody said the same thing you know what's interesting you know what's interesting what I hear I'm like there's no way this homeless trust can just make these decisions and nobody and pretty much everyone says oh
no the homeless trust and Ron book he's actually one of the most powerful people in the State of Florida nobody nobody wants to try to Buck him and but yet our commission our commission is trying to find a way out of this and I try to negotiate with them and I and I actually
visited the bikini hosel um I've been there I've visited before but I went last week there's an open bar there's besides the open bar there are little fridges in the lobby in the main area that have alcohol in it I mean I don't
even know how it's legal to have homeless individuals who are going through and by the way you see the social workers sitting literally on the sidewalk from uh from Social Services trying to help them and and and because there's no place to go I mean it's just a completely inappropriate place and
also in the middle of a residential area near one of our major Parks Flamingo Park it's it's it's if you saw this in a movie you probably wouldn't believe it that it's so and you know the they argue the homeless trust will argue well the individuals are basically seeking employment it's the lowest level they're
not criminals and have a criminal record but even putting that aside recently ice actually actually was about to send someone there who had a serious uh sexual offender history they called the homeless trust and my understanding is they intervened and told them not to
send them there but that's the point people are viewing this the federal government was viewing this as a place where that would be appropriate to bring it's just a matter of time before a major incident happens and it behooves us to make sure that we prevent that um
I actually tried to negotiate with the homeless trust that now remember these individuals that came were from the city of Miami paid for by the uh they were in Camila's house uh there's a whole lot of history there they raised their rates our uh homeless Outreach director Albert just negotiated and reduced uh the
negotiated rates significantly from like think $70 or to about 57 um it used to be in the 30s uh my understanding is right now they're paying $37 the homeless TR is paying about $37 sorry if I'm getting a couple of the the dollars off but this is the information that was
provided to me so basically what I offered and obviously when I say offer offered subject to commission approval uh was that we would pay the difference and these individuals would go to a place that is more appropr like Camila's house that is appropriate for their situation to help them and not sit on
the side of a curb in West Avenue with a social worker on a little chair and a desk and and not even a desk like a little table that's ricking back and forth I mean with a bar as as everyone as you've heard literally multiple bars it it's so absurd to watch this scene
so I offered that we I offered $100,000 and and and it basically there's nobody there's nobody to negotiate with there I mean they came back like 100,000 a month to as a start I mean it it was so absurd um what I say my proposal
is we pay we allocate $100,000 we're paying as as commissioner Rosen Galo said we pay we're paying $35,000 a month for the police offic to begin with we pay the $100,000 to pay for whatever how time that uses it's about six months that would pay for about 6 months they
go to somewhere more appropriate we give the proper notice to these individuals explain to them unlike what happened last time we explain to them why we're doing this what's going to happen we give them appropriate notice most of them I think are going to be happy to go back it's Clos to their potential employment or potential employment and
that now the obviously the the pitfall in this is the homeless trust can turn around and send people back to bikini hosel and my proposal would be that we block them from doing that and go to court if necessary and I believe we would win because this facility is not
is not a homeless shelter in no way shape or form and I find it hard to believe that a judge would would order these individuals it is not compassionate to these individuals you know it's funny we get a lot of heat sometimes as a as a body here because we've put stringent enforcement measures
there's no sleeping in public we offer you the shelter and the help which we don't have to do on the Supreme Court law but we do we offer you but if you don't take it you're going to be arrested and we get some heat from that but it's okay our residents like it it's good and that's why by the way it's one of the reasons we went from 250 homeless people a
couple years ago and now we're about 105 so that's compassionate and that we spend millions of dollars to provide services what's not compassionate is to get back at us for a decision they didn't like you now have homeless
individuals in a bar it's called the bikini hostile for a reason look it up online look it up online is a bar that's my proposal $100,000 we we we we get them the services they they need at Camila's house and if they if the homeless trust
turns around and sends them back we we we block it and and and use the uh and use the legal mechanisms we have at our disposal to enforce it Mr Mayor I just commissioner Fernandez I I agree with that um I completely agree with that
what ability do we have as a city to ra regulate temporary or transitional housing or us usage of of facilities like the bikini hosel uh or other other hostel as temporary housing do we have
the ability to regulate that well I'm going to I'm going to ask Nick cerges to to uh come to the podium but as I understand um the use that they have currently is is a hotel use and the fact that these individuals are living their
transitional doesn't affect the the use and the legality of the use but Nick please the problem is it's not it's the it's the duration of the tendency there and so and so and and so that's part of of of the challenge is that is that because of
the duration of the tendency is become a makeshift shelter without providing the Supportive Services that you know that would be dignified for a homeless population and so what ability do we have to regulate the duration
of tency and and could we bring you know a first reading ordinance at at the next meeting regarding that commissioner I I don't think we have authority to regulate duration of the of the tendency I think that um the Bikini Hostel is licensed as a as a transient lodging
establishment and people can stay for a few nights at a time or could could stay for a few months at a time um the the the the issue here is that as a as a zoning matter um the the the individuals who are who are who are living at the
Bikini Hostel are are are like Hotel guests in some regards and that and that someone is paying for them to stay there on a you know on a slightly longer period of time than um than your average hotel guest but under so but but but but
then how do we differentiate between hotel and hosel uses and um and you know and an apartment building like why why why can't we set a limit as the amount of time that someone can stay at a facility like this we are except for
there are certain exceptions but we are generally preempted from regulating public transit lodging establishments I think the the question here is probably not under is probably not how how long the stays are but rather what services are being provided here and if we had
evidence to think that there were other let's say you know Medical Services being provided here other rehabilitative services that might exceed what they're allowed to do as a zoning matter then that's something that we could take enforcement action on if we had reason to suspect that there was criminal activity we could we could take
enforcement action if they had uh if they had code violations we can take enforcement action but I think just the the fact that they're that that that the individuals are staying there overnight for a longer period of time I don't think that alone is outside the bounds
of a of a hostel or hotel use yeah I promised the vice mayor bot and then commissioner rosing um I I've got two points to make first of all um I forwarded information to Chief Jones about the apparent
bicycle Chop Chop that's going on at the Bikini Hostel I'm sure not every single person who's staying there um is involved but it is happening that is il legal activity and we need to be getting to the bottom of it yesterday and if that is enough to
get um that B that poor operator shut down um you know have at it the other thing I want to mention is um you know the Bikini Hostel has lousy reviews online has for
years I can only imagine how much worse they will be and have I haven't looked my fault I should have um you're 18 years old you're a freshman in college you're showing up for your first spring break in Miami Beach and um you made
your reservation and you walk through a gauntlet of people who have temporary housing there with and it's fine and they might all be lovely people I'm sure most of them are as as any group of people most people are
lovely you did not have the right to make an informed decision on where you'd be staying in what conditions you'd be staying the way that any other a business needs to share information
about what happens there you businesses let you know if they have um you know nightclubs in their facility you can make an informed decision of you know what this trip I'm feeling a night club kind of vibe the next trip you might be feeling a a spa retreat kind of vibe and
go someplace else but this business is not clearly communicating what its offerings are and so people are coming unawares and I will tell you that as we head into silly season of the month of March and people do things they might
not normally do on vacation in Miami Beach not only is it going to be bad for the homeless population that's trying to find their path forward um because having a bunch of you know scantily clad very drunk um patrons gallivanting
around the adjacent hotel or the the bar restaurant that is part of the property can't be good and the fact that this business is not does not have the courtesy to inform perspective patrons of what its current conditions are I
think is is a is a problem and I I I Turn to You and and to our City attorney to advise on how um we can hold them accountable for sharing the accurate descriptions of of um what they offer I mean if you said that you're a
vegetarian restaurant and you offer um nothing but stake that that's you know that's not great that's a terrible analogy I take that back but you know Clarity in in in in communicating what the current conditions of your business are and I think um commissioner vice
mayor assuming we could legislate in that realm it would need to apply to a class of of establishments uh and and I think the only thing that that I'm aware of as of as of now that separates uh Bikini Hostel from other similar hotels
or or other transient establishments in the city is that they are a recipient of of County uh hotel motel um uh you know temporary housing funds and so I think the question would be I think the question you're asking is could we
require um a disclosure on their website or advertising materials that they are a participant in the program that's something we we will need to look at well I don't have a problem with having it be a wider classification I mean if there are other businesses who are claiming to be doing one thing but are
actually doing another thing they should put that out in the public realm as well I mean there should be transparency in in all you know um I I if you remember from the planning board when that that business came before us and said they wanted different um parking or different
hours I forget what they were looking for and they're like no no we're a restaurant really we're a restaurant but they're open till 5 and um I think my line was I see um I looked at their their social media feed and I Saidi see a lot of breasts on your social media feeds but none of them are chicken breasts so I'm not sure
you're actually a restaurant and and you know they they ended up closing down because they were claiming to be one thing but they were definitely another thing so I have no issue if we have other Bad actors in in the city who are claiming to be one thing and being another thing then then let's have them
disclose that as well commissioner Rosen Gonzalez um that is a very good idea but I think we need to take stricter action and I think $100,000 is too generous Alba how
many beds could you get us right now if we said to you that we needed 50 beds at Camila house Salvation Army whatever you can put together 50 beds for two weeks could you do that could you get that for us hi good afternoon Al office of
Housing and Community Services that would be something that I would need to speak to the providers on because that would obviously be a large sum of beds coming online rather quickly for a short period of time okay thank you I think
that we need to go in revoke the BTR because they are operating as a homeless shelter they are not operating as a hotel they are a recipient of public funds and by the way the compassionate
thing to do is to relocate them especially as it gets hotter there's no common area except for the area outside they have nowhere to go what are they going to sit in those tiny little rooms in the Bikini Hostel they can't they're
not getting nutritious food they have no rules and when the Bikini Hostel let's take them to court let's go to court and let's fight it and say they are not operating as you know as a as a vacation hosel they're operating as a homeless shelter in the
middle wait they're operating as a homeless shelter in the middle of a res residential neighborhood with no oversight no rules and no oversight and that is unacceptable I remember in North Beach when we had a recover addiction recovery center that wanted to come
online do you remember this Eric we fought and we were able to say you're not bringing that facility to North Beach and we were able to save that residential neighborhood from having you know a use in the middle of a neighborhood that was threatening the
public safety so I think that we should do the I mean I I I agree with your plan but I think we should have two weeks of beds because these are really not our homeless these are city of Miami's homeless that they brought to
us right and go in and revoke it because it is not the use it is like commissioner bot said it is not the use that they are claiming to have right now and um and I think that a judge will 100% side with us when they see what happened and they see the retribution
they see the change of uses with absolutely no oversight and by the way the compassionate thing to do is to get these individuals into a place with proper meals close to where they work and let's let's take them back to City of Miami could you do that Eric would
you be able to go in revoke the BTR offer them beds we will get you beds for two weeks and let's bring them back to City of Miami um where you know where they where this population came from I
do believe we would win in court a shelter okay so we will take them back to Camila's house we will purchase beds for two weeks um for them and then let City of Miami take over because aren't they subsidizing us right now Alba isn't City of Miami paying for
some um transportation and things like that the city of Miami participates in the hotel molel program so that's where they're getting their funding for the clients at the beiny hospital okay so City of Miami does recognize and City of Miami could be part of this lawsuit too Rick I think that we owe it to the
residents of this neighborhood when I and we owe it to the to the residents of camil of of the Bikini Hostel because it is not fair that they don't have any air conditioned space to be in we need to act now before it gets too hot I don't know where they're going to go midday um
because it's so crowded inside and um I think we need to react now before the summer months come and it's raining outside where are they going to go there's no where for them to go I want to I want to follow up on on your question would you be will are you would
you be willing to revoke the BTR and B could we legislatively force that I say I'm trying to my proposal I believe we can do legislatively that's why I'm asking whether we can do that as a public nuisance possibly so I am not aware of a
situation where we have revoked a BTR in the past absent criminal activity on the property but I would obviously have to confer with our City attorney and make sure that we're all on the same page as
to what's there and what is within the confines of the allowable reasons for revocation of a BTR before we would proceed with something like that Mr Mayor yeah if I could be recognized commission I'm sorry I actually did I
promise well it's it's it's aligned with what the manager is mentioning because PJ you get the email um with from Monica just because I think we need to be aware of of what's happening there because I think we're all we all want to
be compassionate we understand the situation when we want to get these individuals in the right place um but here we go this is uh this is what's happening at at the hospel right now and respond to to to what the manager was was asking this is a review for someone
that stayed there if I could give it zero Stars I would staff seemed fairly annoyed when I arrived I'm told I'm in 17c can't find the room and I go into the office and ask where the room was office guy couldn't find it after going back downstairs he finally realized what
room it was I left my door open as I planned on leaving very shortly after like I was going to change shoes and then leave then this guy came next door comes over then this guy next door comes over he asked if I smoked weed and I
told him no he then proess processed to shut the door I'm already freaked out then he's wanting to do some more inappropriate stuff trying to keep this PG then he started to touch my feet and I told him no probably 10 times after he
finally leaves I go down to the office and tell them what happened and said either he's leaving or I am the staff tells him not to do it again that's not going to to stop him I'm I told them I'm leaving cuz I don't feel safe they seemed annoyed it's like no you didn't
handle the situation at all only probe would be would have been was fairly close to the beach but whatever listen to what our visitors are experiencing there they're being they're being asked if they smoke weed and
they're being I they're being yeah I mean it's touched inappropriately by people staying there how do we not investigate this as a public safety situation to Residents to to visitors
who are innocently coming into our city I mean this place is operating this place is operating whether whether whether we like spring break or not we know that people do come here for spring break we are a destination and we're gonna have college
kids staying here in a place where online online people are writing that people are walking into their rooms Uninvited asking them if they smoke weed and touching them touching them how is this
not a public safety situation it is a public safety situation we need to find these reviews read them and investigate them and there's others there's others um oh there's another one by a man named Juan quille that wrote only
drug addicts alcoholics and thieves live there thieves I mean like can you imagine the experience that this person must have had I want to give everyone a chance and so and so I just I really feel is the homeless individuals need to
go to a dignified place that's appropriate for them and I don't know if this activity is being done by by the homeless individuals or not but something really bad and really wrong is happening here and it's being written about online and it needs to be
investigated and looked at because people are saying that it's not safe for them and we owe a responsibility to these visitors whether it's them or people who might be sending their college kids here in in the future to make sure that no one gets touched or
offer the things that they've been offered in the in the reviews as that's being written about online commissioner Dominguez thank you you uh so I've had multiple conversations with the city manager and the city attorney's office saying hostiles are known for having
kids come from all over the world young people to stay here and we are having them stay with um the homeless people that are trying to get back on their feet and um may have job someplace else and as commissioner Fernandez just stated
um the people that are coming do not feel safe at this point enough is enough I I agree with the mayor and if we get sued I think we will win because what's happening is wrong and there are bad things happening there and we need to stop it immediately revoke the BTR uh
stop the use end it enough is enough we can't wait and have a tragedy and then say well there was something we could do yes we can do something and if they sue us I think we'll win thank you commissioner bot and then commissioner magazine um I wanted to just clarify
that I wasn't proposing that the um clear communication of what they offered was a solution it is in in addition to everything we do uh something possibly that could happen faster whatever I you know I am online now looking at reviews
and um the things that are being I I would say you know I would send code in for starters um because it seems like they are not operating a sanitary facility um they the place smells like pee I mean there's all kinds of things just going through the reviews it would
constitute a laundry list of reasons to go in and and close them down that they are um not offering refunds that they are they are promising one thing and delivering another that is that is bad business practice and I don't think we want to be known as a city that endorses
uh supports or allows businesses that that do not operate in a in a um ethical manner I mean I think there you know sometimes you get the one silver bullet that is the thing that provides the solution to the problem sometimes you have to do what I call the
Swiss cheese theory of governance which is by itself one slice of Swiss cheese won't fix it but when you stack up those slices of Swiss cheese it makes a solid block and I think we need to approach this that way and you know with all um
Avenues to be explored you know inappropriate touching bicycle CH Chop Shop code violations unethical business practices um you know to me that's a laundry list of things that that could be used to to put the breaks on this in addition to other things being uh
proposed commissioner magazine yeah and I couldn't agree more this this needs to be gone from our neighborhoods it's the neighborhood I live in with my eight-year-old daughter and uh on Valentine's evening we were driving uh past this and there was a commotion
outside and there was a a large group uh five people that were outside two of them children with all of their belongings in a bag and my daughter and I went up to speak to them didn't speak English well one wanted to welcome them uh to Miami under unfortunate
circumstances uh but it's no way to live and uh called the city manager right away and we thought it was the homeless trust that was sending people there but it's not what's happened is this is essentially persisted for so long we're just getting out on the street and these
were just normal not not normal these were just homeless people not affili iated with the homeless trust that were over in the city of Miami and got a ride over here not through any government not through any type of service because they
had heard the word on the street is Miami Beach now has a homeless shelter and the cruel irony in this was that Homeless Shelter was actually full for the night so these five people with all of their belongings an 8-year-old and 11-year-old we're going to sleep outside
on West Avenue until our homeless our own homeless resources and our police were able to get them uh immediate and temporary relief uh but absent that the word's getting out so it's not just the homeless trust that is bringing people over here now uh we're being known as
operating at the deao homeless shelter on West Avenue that cannot be allowed the longer this becomes ingrained in our city the longer the more consequences and the more compounding is going to happen so Mr Mayor I'm going to move your item for the $100,000 I do think
that that is is um just gives us a little bit of breathing room and we need to really discuss longer term Solutions uh because what I don't want to do is play whack-a-mole uh for the remainder of uh the year uh the term um our
neighborhood deserves better the people that are temporarily staying there deserve better uh but the 87,000 constituents I represent we all represent and especially those that live on West Avenue driving past there every single day uh it is not a compatible
usage for the neighborhood so I'm going to move uh your proposal to take care of this in the short term but I think we need to be serious adults for how we operate and manage this going forward I think you can have a stronger motion I think the motion should be to revoke the
BTR effective immediately and allocate $100,000 to any cost associated with it as revoke the BTR immediately as a public safety hazard and nuisance um I think that should be the motion and and allocate $100,000 for
whatever costs are associated with getting beds for anybody who was left out in the street and may maybe I'll defer to legal here um because this I think it's all the direction we wanted to go but if you tell me there's nothing
to be concerned about us sitting here talking and giving directives for that but I think we crossed into some pretty hairy territory yes and thank you um I was going to ask the chair to speak because the commission cannot direct the revocation of BTR only the city manager
can revoke BTR and it has to be uh in accordance with our code and and certain criteria that have to be established I don't think that at least we have developed that criteria yet but the the review that commissioner Fernandez posted uh may be a sign that there's
more information that can be gathered to provide the basis for for the city manager to make a determination in accordance with the code but the commission unfortunately is not in a position to to just decide to as much as you know we understand the urgency of the situation and that that something
needs to happen but we want to do things correctly so that that whatever action we take is a lasting um has is a lasting solution and not one which we will fill out commissioner I like your idea I'm happy to to amend the the motion that that basically my motion that
commissioner Magazine made but I don't want to mandate it because I'm not sure we can I I would like to word it in a way that we're urging our city manager to to do it if if possible but everything else that I mentioned we can do can we if if I may Mr Mayor support
the motion that commissioner magazine has placed on the table uh which is moving what you've proposed in addition to uh urging the urging the administration to investigate the complaints and the concerns about
Public Safety that have been made public and part of of of of the record that is going on at the Bikini Hostel urging the city Administration to further investigate these to determine whether it may or may not be necessary to take
further action such as the revocation of the BTR as a result of it can we do that Mr Mr attorney yes that would that be the more appropriate that would be appropriate and the reason why the the 100 and I understand I believe me it took me a little while to get there myself the
100,000 the reason why I'm proposing that is because if we do a short time period I'm afraid that the homeless trust will just turn around after a week or two and and and and send individuals back as commissioner magazine said we don't want this this it's sort of getting sort of ingrained and accepted
that this this homeless shelter is there this this covers almost six months worth I think I think any Court would look at it and say we're paying for this if the if if the homeless trust tries to turn around after a couple days a week a month and then just send people back
well like what are we paying for right I I mean at that point and that's part of part of the motion is that we would stop paying and that we would we would block it and and and use and use all legal remedies I mean this is not this is not a homeless shelter I'm pretty confident
if we if we examine these statutes as to what is appropriate for use as a homeless shelter this this this is not it Mr May uh so just to clarify the $100,000 is to book rooms at the Bikini
Hostel or to relocate the homeless individuals relocate it's to pay the differential the current the current differential because we negoti well I'll give Alba the credit she negotiated them down to $57 uh it's a rough estimate because I'm
being told they're paying 3750 and IED the bikini household so this would pay the difference and if you do the math it covers about 6 months wor what happens if the homeless trust says well we've got more homeless people to send your way we stop payment immediately well wait a second and and and and and go to
court no hold on hold on please um I just trying to get just trying to get the facts uh Mr City attorney if can the homeless right now the way this is written if if we the current individuals
right now at the at the Bikini Hostel if they get relocated because we're now paying the difference for um in a more appropriate place what exactly is our fallback if the homeless trust decides to send a different set of people to the shelter
um I I think we well as I've mentioned before I think the Diplomatic solution with the homeless trust to ensure that that does not happen would be ideal barring that I would rather not I tried barring that I would rather not discuss
what litigation strategies we may pursue in the event that that were to come to happen can I say something are you done commission Forest yeah so maybe I can ask the sponsor um but what is if what
does stop them from from just setting just sending a new set of homeless people to or or the people that fit the criteria to be in the Bikini Hospital what what is stopping them in theory nothing but there's nothing we would stop we would stop paying what we're paying we don't have to pay those IND
for those beds where we are choosing to do that obviously I mean pending a vote we would stop paying for it and also I mean I think it would look pretty ridiculous for them to do that yeah but I you're unfortunately we're dealing with people who have no morals uh who
who who um who handle the homeless trust and they are they're using the most vulnerable people as political ponds um I'm I'm a little just a little concerned that um that that they would they would
do that because in reality you know these these are the most struggling people and I I was there when when they first got there they didn't know about it they were given an hour notice and a and a garbage bag to put all their stuff in there what I don't want to happen is they get sent to
another place um and then they get moved around again it's just I I I don't I just want to be careful about what we're doing to the people there because they're not
necessarily homeless they're they're trying to get their on back on their feet at least the ones that I met I don't know the current ones there now um I'm I'm going to be supportive but I have almost no faith in in the leadership at the homeless trust
obviously um they've been caught lying and are very disingenuous especially to the city of Miami Beach um so I I I think it's I think it's something worth trying and and hopefully there's going to be
um a positive direction commissioner Rosen Gonzalez okay um I think the allocation of the funding is a great idea but I disagree that there's a diplomatic situation with the homeless trust and I do feel that there's illegal activity
and dangerous AC AC ity happening in violation of our code at the bikini hospital and because they're in violation of our code I think we need to urge the administration effective immediately to revoke the BTR at the bikini hospital that um is a remedy and
that is the compassionate remedy because it's taking um vulnerable people who the homeless trust has put in a situation where they might where they will fail and they you know and they will drink and not show up to work and there is no oversight and there is no healthy food
um it's and and and it is not operating as a bikini hospital it is operating as a homeless shelter and it does not have the capacity to operate as a homeless shelter and as commissioner Fernandez has shown with that review there is
dangerous and illegal activity happening at the bikini hospital so in addition I I while I think that yes so I think our motion should be to urge the administration to revoke this BTR effective immediately they violating our
code I'll make that friendly amendment I like the way you worded it I I I I didn't want to mandate it because I don't think we can but urging I I I I love the way you said that and I I I will accept that friendly amend amendment by the way I second your uh motion if I may Mr Mayor let me ask you
anybody watching by the way I can't move I can't move the items as the uh chair that's why I always uh rely on my colleagues on my items could always pass a gble to the vice mayor then you could move I could but I just uh luckily uh commissioner magazine stepped up but
I'll second it um Mr Mayor um could since we're coming in and we're putting our taxpayers dollars on the line you know just following on the thought of my colleague commissioner Suarez could we if we're paying the
differential why wouldn't we want to try to get an agreement from from from the trust that they wouldn't be placing more individuals at the Bikini Hostel so or somewhere else that would it be inappropriate and I think maybe we could
put that in in this motion as well I'm just telling you I tried and I you know maybe somebody else will be more successful maybe our city manager will be more successful I I based on the negotiations I don't feel there's there's any partner to negotiate with
but but you see but that that to me is very concerning that that to me is telling me that not only did we agree to give them what is it on an annual basis Mr Mr manager how much do we agreed to give them $4 million on an annual basis I believe it's between four and five
with a floor of four okay so we agreed to give them on an annual basis four or five million but we're saying we're coming in to cover the differential and they're not willing to close that door that they want to keep
the door open to use inappropriate facilities that don't have Supportive Services that don't have case management that don't have medical services for homeless in individuals that there I that that to me is a
concerning part that to me is the very concerning part that we're going to be putting this money there in addition to the $4 million that we already committed to and they're not willing to close that door and I I sh I I share your
sentiment and so and so are we gonna just you know send 50 to to Camila's house and or 30 how many individuals do we have now at the house I think it's 30 I when I spoke with the homeless trust just today they told they didn't have an
exact number but they thought it was more than 30 so 30 100 that SC ala how many individuals do we have there I believe the range is in the 100 I believe so they've not only have the people from Camila's house been
placed but they have placed um other individuals there after um city of Miami is providing placement as well as in Manos deay what do you mean City of Miami is providing placement city of Miami's Place placement here placing clients on in the Bikini Hostel as well as another
provider called Manoa so it's grown yes I excuse me was by the way your expression is priceless wasn't the agreement to be 50 people Max not the agement agreement not I mischaracterize
what it was didn't they tell us that it was going to be not more than 50 people how is it doubled the Bikini Hostel is a participant in the hotel molto program and from my understanding they have the homeless trust has beds there um and I
believe that the amount is about 150 beds not all of the beds are occupied at the moment and and here's the other problematic uh thing that could result in this is and it's awful to even think about
rewarding bad operators but do we think about some sort of buy out of the bikini hosel for a month or two because if we take away essentially they're not looking at these as human beings they're looking at this as a revenue source and if we take away that Revenue Source from
them they're not just going to sit back and say no okay Miami Beach got us here right that they're going to essentially look to refill that Revenue Source it could be from a homeless program in Broward County it could be for Spring
Breakers sitting out uh drinking tequila in the courtyard until 5 a.m. um you know it we we need to get rid of the immediate problem but the longer issues still festers and similar to you
commissioner Fernandez uh I'm going to support the motion but just thinking through things you know the the reservation lies in okay well we get rid of we replace or or we uh help move the
people that are there now um but there's going to be something that comes in and fills that void or vacuum how do we I did just get a text from the homeless trust there's 103 individuals there right now that's what they 103 all the things that they decided to talk about that's what they on you know I I
just have to say I am so disappointed I really am so so disappointed because this body you know I didn't agree with the with with some of the actions of this body but Creative Solutions were found and I stand by by
the decision of our city you know I didn't agree with one decision but a creative Avenue was found to provide funding to the to the homeless trust to to to address the needs and we agreed to provide $4 to5 million a years as as as
as a base and and I was told I was told I was guaranteed by people by people who I thought could be respected that this was a temporary Arrangement and that the population would not
grow and it's multiplied it is multiplied so and so how do we now use our taxpayers dollars to go and fund these beds at Camila's house and think that we're not going to
be taken advantage of again that they're not going to go to another hostel that they're not going to go to another space we need an I I strongly feel now that we need an agreement um we need an agreement with
with them that I you know and maybe and maybe we need to go you know beyond the trust I don't know what Authority the County Commission has I don't know but this is a problem yeah and that's why I mentioned my my my in my conversations I don't see anyone who wants to take this
on we are I give I give each one of us credit because we're unified here we're just trying to find the solution but like literally I don't hear anybody else there was one County Commissioner who was and that has changed it's you're there these are
powerful players and we seem to be the only one willing to stand up um I I literally I I said it before I'll say it again I literally been T like there's got to be somebody could step up like mayor he's literally one of the most powerful people in Florida so
nobody wants to take it on but I you know I think I think we have the facts and the law on our side here and I'm and that's why I'm I'm I'm moving this forward and I think I think we're in a good place as a as a body I to do something Mr Mayor wait I promise
commissioner Suarez and then commissioner couple things I I I wanted to show a video but before I do um you know let me show the video while uh P PJ can you can you put up the video this is what David Adams posted
today um know they're you what what caught my attention to all all those beds certainly looks like they're going to be um
expanding okay P you can um that so I I think what would be prudent with with uh especially with taxpayer money uh I don't know how my colleagues feel about this I think what we should do is we should urge the city commission
urge the city manager to aggressively pres find out if there are any uh criminal activities at the Bikini Hostel and possibly revoke their
BTR and come back at the next Commission with some findings and then at that point let us have another month to decide if we want to use $100,000 of taxpayer money
to um to to to subsidize the relocation because the more I think about it um on how this homeless trust is operating and who it's being operated by
I just have no confidence that they're going to act in good faith I every single day that you allow that place to operate there is criminal activity happening the other night when I was walking down West
Avenue on my way to the meeting one of the um uh gentleman outside of the Bikini Hostel um started to follow me and strike up a conversation there are children uh living in the surrounding area there is a reason why Camila's
house has a curfew and has rules I think that there is um a danger and if you allow 30 days to go by and do nothing you will allow the this expansion so I would I would say that the urging needs
to be that this property is in violation of our code and we should urge the administration effective immediately to revoke the BTR but before this grows to
150 homeless individuals which is what's going to happen after um the homeless trust see this meeting and let's go in front of a judge and let's show him the um let's show him the reviews online let's show him the footage of what's Happening commissioner
magazine just showed me a video of um his daughter being followed down the street and the look on you know um so yeah there's that's that's what I just proposed except no you said let's wait 30 days and that's not what we're proposing I said let's wait 30 days
before giving $100,000 to subsidize the the we have to give them a place to go for at least a few weeks we're not going to cast them out on the street we need to relocate these we need to relocate this
population um to a shelter and by the way I think the Judge needs to understand that that the homeless trust is is not looking to rehabilitate or help or house these homeless in any way that's going to help them um the
homeless trust in this case in this scenario is setting them up for failure and I guarantee you that any judge who sees what's happening here and sees all of the evidence that we can provide is going to side with us in terms of Public Safety yeah and just one thing I I want
to be drug use outside and after this we have a motion in a second and and and it incorporates commissioner Rosen Gonzalez's uh urging just from a legal Le standpoint I want to be careful not putting the cart before the horse I think the urging should be the city Administration investigate what's going
on here I think we all read between the lines and know what the end action is but I'm just fearful if we put something like well urge to shut down or urge to take the BTR uh that could come back to budget legally but I think the urging should be um for City Administration to
get out there and investigate the things that we're seeing firsthand you know it's not as if uh this is falling out of thin air these are incoming queries to us things that are being posted publicly on Facebook so that motion should be in urging for the administration to investigate rigorously and then come
back with their findings um let's call the vote I have a motion a second all in favor yes yes we will need an after the fact reso thank you thank you let's call um a couple items that were
pulled from the consent agenda C2C C2C issue ITN 2025 253 DF 1701 building space available for lease C2C was separated by commissioner Fernandez commissioner Fernandez just a
a simple Amendment just to make sure that as we put this space out there for consideration uh as part of an ITN that we include in there the uh the tax collector's office for potential DMV uh operation that we reach out to them as
well with that I move the item I'll second we have no discussion all in favor of C2C as amended I I I hearing no NOS the item passes as amended commissioner magazine back there
okay we'll call uh C7 U C7 U is extend funding for private property adaptation program through fiscal year 2023 C7 U was separated by commissioner Suarez 2030 just I'm sorry
2030 sorry commissioner Suarez commissioner dominguez's item you pulled it okay um thank you Mr Mayor okay so um
you know today I want to talk about I think I think the general consensus today we've been really hammering on responsible spending um and making sure that our limited taxpayer dollars are used in a way that benefits the most people and
the most Equitable way um the private property adapt adaptation program is a prime example of a well intended initiative that simply does not deliver the kind of widespread Equitable
impact that our C City currently needs um the funding for this program was originally meant for storm water capital projects to help offset Rising storm water fees which are set to increase by 70% over the next four years
Water and Sewer rates will increase 30% over the next 30 Years so um instead of using these funds to lessen the financial burden of all residents These funds are being funnel into a program that primarily benefits a very small
group of single family homeowners most of them who own million dooll homes um so far we've spent $47,000 on this program yet only7 $1,000 has gone toward actual projects while an
astonishing $236,000 has been sent on just procurement and assessments out of 76 property assessments conducted only four have actually been completed and reimbursed that's four projects total
after three years of administrative processing and hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money spent nearly 80% of all participants are single family homeowners with an average property value of $3
million this means we are subsidizing multi-million dollar single family homes for private Renovations with taxpayer dollars I certainly do not want my taxpayer dollars paying for
renovations of single family homes and I actually have a few here that are on the program I was actually quite astonished um there's one on Sunset Island which has a value of $18 million there's one on Venetian Island that has
a value a valuation of $10 million there's palm and hibiscus um like I said the average value of these homes is $3 million I don't think it's the responsibility of our taxpayers to be
subsidized ing private Renovations for single family homes I believe these funds should be used toward the broader community of residents in Miami Beach to help offset the DraStic increases in waters sewer and storm water hikes that
are here to be over the next couple years you know um I I think that this is like a reverse Robin Hood you're taking money from hard earned tax Pairs and you're giving it
to uh Millionaires and I I don't think that's right I I have a fundamental disagreement with that um and I understand the intent of this program uh was uh to to help
reduce uh storm water uh resiliency mitigations but I just can't in good conscious put my name on an item that gives taxpayer money to million dooll homes to upgrade their seaw walls or put
in uh pavers for for their driveway so um I'm I pulled it because I I'm not going to be put my name on this so uh that's the reason I pulled it yes M Dominguez thank you this
program was started by commissioner Mark samin and the intent was for private property adaptation as the city is uh making our streets dry it does put our prop private properties at risk and this was meant to help those Pro properties
it was launched in July of 2022 and it's open for single family homes and also for buildings as a matter of fact right now the program is open and the city is very excited about this program we've gotten great um applications and
feedback and it's about making the homes more resilience it's an incentive I went last week to um the private property adaptation event um this item was discussed at length at firk on Friday and the reason why it's even on the
agenda today is because the intent of the funding was to come out of the hotel uh Convention Center Hotel and because of the delay and it not being built I had to do an amendment um to the funding until the hotel is built uh the
resolution that uh mark had passed was done in 2020 and with that I would like to uh bring forward Amy nolles um so she can talk a little bit more about the program and then uh call the item for a vote from my colleagues um the city
manager and I have also had conversations about it and I know that he's uh very supportive and he can weigh in after as well and um for those uh buildings and homes that uh need to get your um seaw walls leveled or if you do
have resilient features that you're going to have done for your home please apply the program is open until April 25 and we're here to help the residents of Miami Beach Amy sure good afternoon Amy NS chief rilian officer and I think
you covered that well commissioner I'll just be very brief um you know Miami Beach has 93% of its buildings within the FEMA special flood Hazard area uh 64% of our buildings were before 1972 when the first FEMA rate Maps were created so we have a lot of housing
stock that is older and isn't subject to our neuro resilient code so this program was really intended to help those Property Owners you know that's the goal it's a flood mitigation program um we have a lot of different project types we currently have 55 people in the program
uh permeable pavers is actually a great easy to do flood mitigation because it helps retain um and allow the filtration and flow of rainwater and it stops sort of that sheet flooding that happens and impact people's properties and it has good environmental benefits as well um
rain Gardens we have uh French drains permanent flood walls seaw wall improvements underground systemns floor elevation crawl space improvements temporary flood barriers mechanical electrical system flood protection uh rain barrels and cisterns um green roofs
are some recommendations perimeter burms sanitary sewer back flone prevention living shorelines and dry flood proofing so these are the type of recommendations that are provided by the city through an engineering flood uh mitigation assessment and so overall it is not a
program Built For Speed it takes a long time to help homeowners through the process as well so um we're proud of the program and happy to be opening it up and offering it again second Eric uh what's your thoughts uh I'm tremendously supportive
of this program I think that this program is ex extremely helpful in advancing our resiliency efforts um we're not just a city of infrastructure we're a city of private properties and infrastructure and we need to be working
with both of them to bring everything along collectively Mr Mayor uh well let me just get commissioner Suarez and c p and then commissioner Rose Gonzalez look I I think we we just had a robust discussion
of using taxpayer funds to not subsidize businesses in a blanket response um and here we are subsidizing taxpayer dollars single family
homeowners for homes that are worth 18 million 10 million 7 million and again the average of of of the people who applied and are in the process the average sale is $3 million why are we using tax payer dollars to subsidize
million dooll single family homes especially when we have rate hikes that are going to be over the next three years that are going to put a tremendous amount of strain on all residents I think the better use of taxpayer money
$666,000 would be better spent toward lessening that burden you know the county has a program where you have a rebate program if if anyone in the city applies to redo
their faucets or their showerheads uh or they more water saving uh uh um faucets you know they they'll reimburse you for up to a certain amount for those faucets and that I think is a much more
Equitable way to really give the most benefit to everyone uh I understand it's available to Condominiums but but I'm sure as everyone knows if you're in a condo getting that board to agree to anything is is very very hard and
difficult uh when you look at the math uh I believe it's only 20% of the applicants or condos uh in fact there's one two three four five six I'll just one quick I'm not sure clear on something but 20 this is up to $20,000
and it's a matching Grant so the residents do need to put skin in the game it's not a free gift like $50,000 to M sin this is something that they have to put skin in the game too well you know I find that very offensive that you would compare you know the atroc
atrocities that are happening to the Jewish people comp to this program okay um you made your point clear I think other people should can you let me finish please thank you uh one property here which is very interesting is for sale so we're we're actually
subsidizing uh an effort a property that is going to be for sale uh and we're we're our taxpaying dollars are enhancing that property value I think that's disingenuous I
think that's a really bad use of taxpayer funds and I'm I I would be very shocked of whoever supports this to uh to make this happen I think it's ridiculous to use taxpayer dollars
to fund million doll single family homes uh so I'm going to be a no um I I think it's um I think it's it's a little it's a little disingenuous to to
um to to subsidize the the single family homeowners who who have million-dollar projects when we have much bigger issues Mr Rosa Gonzalez um there are many people across Miami Beach
that list their homes for sale for many different reasons and we don't know if maybe possibly that homeowner had their insurance rates double or we don't know if they had a type of mortgage that increased in
interest and now they have to sell their home there are many working people who live in multi-million dollar single family homes who purchase their homes for $150,000 200 $250,000 as little as 10 years ago so to
say that everybody who owns a property that is now worth a million dollars has um the means okay um to mitigate some of this flooding is a is to not comprehend um the many working people
who live across Miami Beach of whom I am one if I had to purchase my home today as a community college professor I would not be able to and if I needed that grant money and I had to match it that would help a lot and I admire
commissioner Dominguez and I watched uh commissioner samelan may he rest in peace create this program with so much foresight of how we were going to mitigate resiliency and it's been an incredibly successful program that other cities
should probably um watch to see what we're doing and um this type of um attack on working people uh small businesses um who might need our help uh single family homeowners who might need
our help is uh in my opinion lacking compassion and understanding okay last word but then we're going to call the vote sure look I I I I don't think that people living on Sunset Island 3 uh are trying to make ends meet or
Venetian Islands or lagor it's you know look uh you know what's even crazier is I'm not even mentioning names but a lot of these people here are very politically connected and it's it to me it's very
frustrating that we're going to be using taxpayer dollars again to subsidize multi-million dollar properties for single family homeowners I I just I think that's insane I think that's like a reverse Robin Hood we're taking money from hard
payer hardworking taxpayers and then giving it to properties that are worth millions of dollars this is insane to me so uh especially when we could be using much better use of taxpayer funds okay let's call let's call the vot I'll just
say um first of all commissioner Dominguez thank you for I know this was uh a legacy program for uh commissioner Smith Samuel in and continuing with that I will give you credit commissioner sarz I I love the fact that you're a steart and and watching and watching our dollar
so I do I do appreciate do appreciate that I I will just add since you mentioned the political component uh commissioner Dominguez has zero say and who this program uh receives the the grant funding so um that's that's
completely out of anybody on this body's control um so let's call a vote I have a motion on uh C mayor bot wants to comment I I I'm I'm ready to vote I just wanted to say the pro I applied for when I was living on Parkview Island um and I withdrew uh
when I obviously put my house on when I sold my house um it is a very robust process in which um educated people who are Engineers come out and assess what makes sense or not and so um you know I happen to be one of those people who I
couldn't afford to buy that house now um I bought bought it when it was very inexpensive relative to what it offered and so sure if you if you pull the listing now you would see how much it cost but um that's not what I bought it for and I couldn't afford the whatever it was 40 Grand that would would
mitigate uh that would help with the the um the flood plates since I lived on the water so I think let's not cast dispersions based on a handful of data points I think this is a great program I think it should be continued anything we can get to do to get our um our
residents to proa actively Harden their their um homes against the rising Tides I think we should continue to do it and again this will eventually be funded out of the hotel revenues and um so let's keep it going is rather than having a fiveyear hiest let's thank you call the
vote I have a motion by commissioner Dominguez a second by commissioner Fernandez all in favor please say I I any opposed I hear one Nay from commissioner Suarez and for the record commissioner magazine is a yes 62f I'm sorry c2f excuse c2f issue RFP 2025 2018 ND
pel facility on Surface parking lot uh garage c2f was separated by commissioner magazine commissioner magazine so thank you for this uh very excited uh we hosted our RFP town hall
yesterday um so I pulled this from consent myself because there's uh some slight modifications that uh I'm going to propose that I believe will not only be welcomed but uh a sigh of relief from some of my colleagues uh and that is
essentially um listen I personally feel uh this Vision on a Surface uh portion of a surface parking lot would have delivered a more of a vibrancy and energy to Lincoln Road uh that we kind of lament that we've lost but that being
said um I want to build consensus and Achieve community building and I want this to be something that we can all get behind uh so as it stands now there were three different proposals uh for the RFP the parking lot of p26 uh the rooftop of
uh the 17th Street Garage and also the Pennsylvania uh rooftop um I want to take the uh propos to take the p26 lot off the table because again uh despite what I personally feel um I I want to all of us to get behind this and our
entire community and in the Outreach that we've had um even up to yesterday uh even the naysayers for the original proposal seem to be uh lock step and uh incredibly excited about this proposal so uh with that said you know I think
we've discussed this ADM um I'll turn it over to our team and our staff here but uh you know I I think we'll have broad you uh I don't want to say unanimous put the cart before the horse but I I think we'll have large consensus uh removing p26 and any surface parking lot
from the uh RFP process and uh sticking exclusively with the rooftop of the 17th Street Garage and and staff thank you for all of your hard work I'd like to thank my colleagues because I think at the end of the day uh regardless of the form this will take this will be uh
Community activation that will be just wildly uh celebrated by our entire community um whether it be uh season players people new to the game people that aren't even uh playing paddle but they're there for the community activations I said this at the meeting yesterday the paddle portion was
secondary the first was finding a vision that brought energy vibrancy and our residents back to Lincoln Road that have long abandoned it and uh the means of achieving that was was just landing on paddle um and thinking of the aial uh shots of Miami Beach and and this
rooftop uh activated with with people in health and wellness and playing a sport and recreational activity with the ocean uh to one Corridor and the skyline of the city in of Miami this will just be an absolutely wonderful and fantastic initiative that I think we can all be
proud to get by commissioner uh I thought we had a great community meeting last night with was a lot of positive feedback um as you stated we have removed both surface Lots from the RFP and the only two rooftops
now are G9 and G5 Christie can go through any of the details if the Commissioners have questions or would like um but the the main components where we remove both of those those surface Lots so um I actually have a a question I'm I'm generally very
supportive of doing something that will um bring people back to Lincoln Road um and maybe this was covered at one point excuse me and I missed it but um as it currently stands we're talking about having a private operator come in and and do this as an amend for the city or
as a as an offering within our city that would have some public benefits is there not a way for us to accomplish the same thing but do it within our own parks and wreck um existing structure so that it's a city you know something that we offer
like our soccer camps yeah I I will say that these are and this is my uh my Layman's view right um these are hard entities to operate uh it's no different than operating you know the Miami Beach Country Club or when we lease out
commercial restaurant space or uh even the operator for the uh the Tennis Academy right there's a lot of tech that goes into schedule in games the upkeep the operations essentially here what we'd be able to essentially do is we're going to be getting paid uh for this right The Operators is going to come out
with some type of lease payment uh and we want to see what a community benefit is going to be they will essentially be responsible for the capital and infrastructure costs uh and it'll be an expedited time frame there's just in my view some things that the private sector does better so if I look at what the
different options are we'll be able to expedite this because we don't have the funding to do this ourselves right so the operator is going to make like a 10year commitment a capex commitment uh so they're going to be paying millions of dollars upfront to essentially do this and then operate if we wanted to uh
encourage some type of Revenue share model right so there would be a Baseline rent and then uh whatever income they get over a certain rent percentage uh the city receives some of the upside we could put those terms into the process um but in terms of trying to build this
isn't an easy task and Mark I'll hand that over to you just the uh forget the operational component which is a challenge in and of itself and one of the reasons why the city actually hasn't built any public pel facilities Even in our uh Parks and Rec spaces um but just
actually const constructing this on the roof of a parking deck is a challenge uh even for the private sector but not something that we're certainly uh capable to do uh tomorrow in our Parks and Rec division but I I would say that
that we don't have a budget in place to do a project like this currently that's not to say that we couldn't we couldn't budget funds but I think there'd also be some added headcount in in order to have Parks and Recreation staff be able to to manage and and overse see that facility
so the whatever the pleasure of the Comm is okay thank you um do we anybody else have anything to say this my Ros Gonzalez one thing that's for certain is that whether it's pickle ball
or padel people are crazy for this sport I have gotten emails about putting one we is there a garage South the fifth where is there a rooftop in you know in Northeast so I'm excited about the possibility of having them on the garage rooftops also
because I like the idea of people going through these garages because some of them could use cleanup and population and you know and some of that in some of these garages we even find IL illegal activity sometime so I think that having
a sports-minded population that's driving through the garages and making you know and driving all the way up to the top is going to go a long way in in allowing us to be more uh proactive in keeping them clean and the owners of you know whichever padel or
pickle ball or whatever kind of paddle ball facility I don't I did buy some pickle ball paddles I haven't gone out to play yet but I plan on it and um and and I'm looking forward to seeing what this will bring and by the way I think it's going to be better on a rooftop and I'll tell
you why you always get a breeze on a rooftop and um it gets so hot in summer and when you think about putting it in that Corridor of you know Lincoln Road where there isn't that much of a a a Gusty breeze on that side of the you
know parking garage I think it's going to be a a better fit on the rooftop as for the public benefit and like you know I think we should see what people come back with and I think we're going to be really excited and maybe every single rooftop um eventually in the city you
will be the rooftop padel king um no thank you commissioner and uh whatever form this was going to take I think would have been uh great amenity for our community uh but with paddle being the fastest growing sport in the
world and just taking off Lake uh fire we actually have a racket convention uh coming to the convention center in March where it's going to bring thousands of attendees given the prominence of an emergence of the sport in the Miami area area but to my knowledge you know in our
area this would be the most prominent public private partnership um I I think this is going to be a model that other cities use because I I think we're going to get a lot of uh positive press attention out of this so thank you to my colleagues that help make this uh Vision
even better for the entire Community um the feedback you're able to share our city staff and really for our entire Community for if you supported its original uh original iteration if you didn't but provided feedback of what would be better we we all had a hand and
make things come uh to fruition so I'm very thankful for the community and this is how you build our consensus you definitely got a lot of feedback if I may through the chair um the RFP current link contemplates that this would be structured as a lease agreement for either five years or uh
just shy of 10 years and I would like to recommend for the consideration of of the body that we include an option for this to be a management agreement uh there may be some uh complications with a leasee agreement involving property taxes that we could potentially not have
to address if if we use the management agreement form so we should give the proposers the option but um the management agreement should be included in the RFB I accept your friendly Amendment let's call a vote with that
friendly Amendment motion by commissioner magazine second by all in favor of C2C please say I I I the item is approved as amended c7w c7w annual allocation $3,000 of City six human and civil rights advisory
committees c7w was separated by commissioner Suarez commissioner Suarez thank you Mr Mayor um simply separated because I I think from the discussions I had with staff and I'd like Eric to chime in is this really opens up the
door to a slippery slope slope of uh taxpayer funds uh growing um to accommodate um a set of boards and um it it may not stop there it may go to every other I think
we said there was like 48 boards in the city of Miami Beach and I I think uh it's important to to to be a steward of taxpayer money so Eric if you can chime in on um on why you had a little bit
hesitation on this um that' be great so commissioner um on this particular item the the concern that I have is that we've operated with these boards without giving them a dedicated budget for a
number of years um obviously I understand the commissioner putting this item forward the concept of trying to give them the ability to have some autonomy to do some things on their own I I think it's been working that when
they have something that they feel needs to be funded by the commission that they put forward a recommendation and the commission picks it up and ultimately these additional costs get funded as individual items as opposed to a
dedicated budget for at this point we're talking about six committees like you mentioned there are a number of additional committees that I am concerned will also be knocking at the door in the near future and so my only
ask is that we be very judicious as to setting aside dollars for committees based on the number of committees that we have available yeah so um again my my concern is we're opening up Pandora's box with
funding you know because if you give them $3,000 $5,000 they're they will spend the money and so I kind of I I prefer the program that we have now where if they have a specific request they come to the commission and we're you know we're pretty generous as far as as a
commission um but to just give them the money um I I I to me I I think that's um that that that's just sets up a dangerous precedent for for wasteful spending okay commissioner
fetes thank you uh Madame vice mayor Mr Mr attorney um are we just giving them the money or or are we setting aside an allocation uh that needs to be approved is there is there a safeguard mechanism
built into into this resolution or are we just handing over money to to to our Municipal advisory boards as drafted the city manager would need to approve um the events that would be funded with
these monies so so so we're not giving the boards the money we it this is this is money that's available but they need to put in a request and that request needs to be approved by the city manager that is correct Okay the reason why I'm
doing this is because I rather set a budget and a framework within which for them to to to work with other than us coming peace meal and bring forward pieces of legislation that end up costing probably more than than the
three than the $3,000 wor giving them by doing this it's a framework they each know listen you got $3,000 you just can't do with it whatever you want you H it has to be public purpose and nature has to be aligned with the spirit of your
committee whatever you request has to be approved through the city manager and so and so you know I think you know many precedents can be said and precedents you know are said left and right I think
I I think this is this is something um where you know it's just how you decide to do it do you decide to set aside now a set amount of money and tell them listen you've got this amount of money within which to work with or do we want to just end up doing it peace meal uh
into into into the future what I what I just just want to make very clear because it's very easy to get something like this and spin it and say oh we're just giving away the taxpayers dollars to these committees and no number one these are Committees of the city we're not giving them the money the money is
under the jurisdiction of the city manager they have to request the money the money has to be for a public purpose aligned with their committee and if the city manager agrees then the funds can be used but we're just not giving away
uh the the taxpayers dollars and Mr manager I just want to to to clarify these are committees that they're created by the city right yes so the these are not private entities these are not for-profit
corporations or even non for-profit corporations the these are Committees of the city correct all right and and it has to be for public purpose you're saying the Committees have to be for public purpose or the use of the money the use of the money so
or Mr attorney um the the resolution specifies that it needs to be uh for Community um events and such um and we would never use City funds for anything that is that does not include a public purpose so I'm
sure that the manager uh would would have discretion to make sure that whatever event is proposed would would serve a public purpose all right so so I think I think it's I think it's better to do it this way where they each know what they're getting on an annual basis you gave you give them an envelope
within which to to to to work with and um and um with that I move my item commissioner magazine then commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yeah thank you for both the item commissioner Fernandez and pulling it uh commissioner Suarez I'd love the focus on uh Financial uh
restraint is there a way we could thread this need because I want to be supportive here but I also uh do get concerned about the Pandora's Box so is there a way we could essentially approve this and what I don't want to open the door for then there's 40 committees that
come and go well give us $3,000 and then it balloons to 10 so can we approve this but in conjunction with appr approving this set a higher hurdle or threshold to then increasing allocations or expanding allocations so we approve this but we
say okay is part of this uh for the next two years incremental funding above $3,000 to these committees or expanding away from these uh six committees would require a 57th vote to essentially try
and um mitigate the the proverbial Pandora's Box being opened here where essentially we turn $155,000 in funding or $118,000 in funding to then if 40 committees get $10,000 it balloons to 400 right I I'm not concerned about this
I just want to try and mitigate the Pandora's Box AR argument so would that be a way to thread that needle and something you'd be open to yeah for sure for sure I mean we just need to realize what we end up doing is actually we probably end up spending more than the 18,000 with the peace meal pieces of
legislation we end up bringing in because we haven't defined the structure so what ends up happening is that is is that you have otherwise an endless pot of money where they feel okay well well just whatever project we want to do we're
just going to keep on coming in with more and more requests because we haven't set a cap this sets a cap this sets a structure and I'm fine with with with what you're trying to incorporate yeah I I just don't want to support this then turn around the Iguana guys come in
you know get $10,000 so I think if we can thread that needle I think that uh that comforts me yeah absolutely I welcome that oh commissioner Rosa Gonzalez so this morning I was very happy to vote for the anti-Semitism education funding
I strongly believe in education and awareness so um the $3,000 to go to the human rights committee the women's committee the disability access committee the black Affairs committee Hispanic Affairs committee and lgbtq
that doesn't that's a total of $188,000 versus 50,000 that we gave out this morning so you know I was thinking just now 20 people resigned from Elon musk's does committee you might want to go and apply
for a job because you are doing a good job trying to root it all out um I think that's a compliment um I just would like to say that I'm very happy for all of these
committees to have some funding and why is that because for the women's during women's history month we like to host a series of events and have that presence all around our the same with lgbtq the same with disability the same with Black History Month you know um we are not giving up
on uh Dei in Miami Beach not at all as a matter of fact we pride ourselves on human rights and I'm not afraid to say it um I love diversity I love inclusion I love to fund education for it and I think that given that we you know I I
didn't mention that this this this morning but did you know that we give Mount Si one million each year no questions asked nothing in return we just give them a million okay and I didn't say anything this morning because I believe so much in this type of
education so I would think that even questioning these small amount um to create events throughout our city that really make a difference and show that we care and that we support human rights
is such a small um Pitt compared to what we you know compared to what you know you sponsored this morning and you know we we all got behind you and that's what that's what that's what this is about it's about supporting each other and
being a team and that's what leadership is and and I just if if I may Madam vice mayor Mr Mayor you know what you know what we voted on this morning was very important and we have to support what we voted on this this
morning anti-semitism is real and funding anti- semitism sensitivity training is a need and I'm glad the Miami Beach is is leading on that and that's its own item on its own merits that stands on its own you know this is something separate you know we're
talking about the human rights committee that is dealing with the issues of of of human trafficking uh and they're trying to create awareness we're talking about the uh Hispanic Affairs committee and and we know what's going on with Hispanics that that that feel
marginalized and targeted right now because of of immigration issues um and and just so many other committees a black Affairs committee that has uh requested support uh in in the past for for its programming uh if we don't do it
this way we just end up doing it another way an unstructured way a structure that doesn't create caps and and boundaries and so um you know I'm proud of my item I I I think it's it's nominal and I
don't think it hurts to the to the contrary it expands uh on on on our community it speaks highly of our community that we're supporting these committees and their programming Eric do you have a sense uh Mr sure just quick question do we have a
sense because you mentioned that the there were requests and that we would often approve them how much money we were allocating annually so I had asked Jason for that information this morning unfortunately we don't have a
good way to track how those requests from the Committees being funded so I don't have a full number for you but I I would say it was significantly more than the $188,000 I I
know that there's some individual items that have been more than the $118,000 commissioner Fernandez are you are you contemplating that this is a floor or is this sort of this is the framework they're supposed to be working under and it would be an exception rather i' rather I rather get them a
framework through which in which to to operate uh I like what commissioner magazine said that if that if anyone requests more money you know it has to be a super majority you know that's that's that's fine uh but I rather give people a framework within which to to to
operate um I get I get the concerns uh of of of my colleague um but you know I don't see why why we wouldn't want to support the activities of the Hispanic Affairs committee or the commission for
for women or the black Affairs committee um they're part of our community um we appointed people to these committees to do these activities and often times I know from personal experience because I've served in these
committees the committee members have to end up putting out from their own pocket to support the needs of of of of the committee and that's not that's not right either um and so and so um you
know this this should be kind of like a no-brainer uh for us if Mr Mayor commissioner Suarez if we're going to be setting up a framework uh can we agree that any other funds that were going to be requested uh would need to do a
a 67th vote you know um I mean if that's the intent then to set up a a more stringent framework of taxpayer dollars being used I think uh what I don't want to happen is we we
set a budget and then trust me that budget is going to grow over the next couple years um but on top of that there's still these uh extra requests uh for for funds so at look I'm I'm just trying to put safeguards on on taxpayer
dollars you know I appreciate that I'm going to defer the item and I'm going to refer to committee because I'm going to ask for there to be an analysis and let's see the amount of funding that's allocated by community in the city of Miami Beach and so that that way we can
be more Equitable in in how we allocate our funding so so so I think you bring up a very good point commissioner Suarez uh I'm going to suggest that we send us to the finance committee I'm going to request that we look into Mr manager you
know let's let's see how much how much money we funding uh by by Community um because I think we really want if we want to be fair I think you're right we should be fair in how we're doing it uh
so so I I will make a motion to to refer this to the finance committee if I deny your motion could I move ahead with your item with the with the that we put in place how does that work I the we put in place I think let's
let's let's refer to the finance committee so that so we can look into this commissioner Fernandez your always full of surprises why no it's very very yeah no no I think I'm impressed I'm impressed listen I think I I I think it merits a
conversation um you know and uh listen to to do uh Jose Marti picnic it might cost us what $ thousand dollars to to throw Jose Marti picnic and you know have a little event for the Hispanic Affairs committee or you know or you
know it might cost us a$ thousand dollars to do the Red Sand event for for for victims of human trafficking uh you know and I know the black Affairs committee doesn't really ask for really that much uh so you know I thought I I thought that this was good but but I get
what you're saying and yeah let's let's let's send it and Let's do let's do a better analysis so that we really are fair on how on how we're we're using the taxpayers dollars we have a motion and a second for referral yes sir all in favor please say I I any opposed hearing none
item c7w is referred to the finance committee C7 AF C7 C7 AF is identifi identify allocate $250,000 for State Grant to fund Pier Park project it was separated
by the there yes I I separated because what I'm being told by our city manager is that depending on the cost of the project we we we would be on the hook for that so it's great to get the grant but I just want to I want that everyone to be mindful what we potentially could
be getting into and on the hook for yeah magazine thank you Mr Mayor and essentially what this does is uh this was kind of put into our laps that uh the state could have some money for us and this is one of those things where it was we have the opportunity to potenti
get $2 million to help our street ends similar to what happened on Lincoln Road uh now there's an initiative underway to do something similar beautification pedestrianization of the street end down in uh South Point so essentially the
state has ear marks for us $2 million we have to have some type of contribution uh believe I you know I worked with the state representative uh that's going to be responsible for this uh State Rep Vicky Lopez uh Miami Beach has to have some skin in the game so we were able to
essentially come up with uh if we come up with uh $250,000 we get I believe $2 million is that where we lie Mr city manager so I know based on the conversation that we had with the state representative she felt like we could get up to that money I think a lot of
that is been going to be predicated on how much we have in matching dollars got it okay and uh but that point came up uh yesterday Mr Mayor in my briefing uh with the um city manager and it was
certainly I don't want to commit to some $20 million project just because we're getting $2 million uh but once we do a further analysis of the full cost of what this project would be um and if it is well above and beyond the $2 million that we would be receiving we're able to
essentially just cut and run maybe there could be some you know political wins where we uh initially accepted a grant that we would then send back and we would get our 200 $50,000 back but it's not as if uh just because we move this forward now that Were Somehow tying us
uh definitively into moving forward with this project if after further analysis this turns into a 10 or 15 million project we can essentially Cut and Run correct so we we typically don't like to give back Grant dollars um but obviously
we're still very early on in the analysis of this and we need to know a little bit more before we could commit to anything but for the last part if it was uh elevated figure it's not as if by accepting this right now it locks us
into some larger cap X if this came back in the analysis was well this will actually cost $10 million we could cut and run at that point you as a body absolutely would have to budget any dollars to any future project before
anything could move forward okay somebody want to move this oh sorry you're back you're moving it yes and were you good with what you heard from the city manager where uh if the project comes back and there is some elevated cost we would be able to give
back the grant money in Cut and Run right I'm not signing us up for some $10 million capex this is you know what's what we hope to be be uh fully funded with the grant money that we're receiving great so got a got a motion I'll
second okay so the mayor will second it so it's C7 AF all in favor please say I I and I will inquire of commissioner Suarez upon his return I heard a yes
707 here first okay it's call r7a r7a is a public hearing a adopt third amendment to fiscal year 2025 operating budget r7a uh thank you uh what we have is the
a budget amendment for the operating and we have a couple of items there I'll go through those individual items uh the first item is for the Southshore Community Center uh summer camp and other programming this was item was heard at firk and this is to run uh the
summer camp and this would seek to appropriate $300,000 from general fund reserves uh to the parks recreation department and these uh funds would compromise 110,00 ,000 in one-time costs for necessary equipment purchases and
facility Renovations and $190,000 in recurring costs for uh daily programming uh that include additional uh parks and wreck uh Staffing and this is to get the uh summer count program up and running at the Southshore Community Center uh the next item is additional support
services for City commissioners uh this is based on a resolution passed from last month and this proposed budget amendment is therefore to appropriate $160,000 prated for eight months in the mayor and commission commission's 2025
general fund budget uh for for additional uh AIDS as requested in the last uh budget amendment and then the the the next one and I'll turn it to to make it for the special revenues is the is is a donation the city received
through the mayor Commission office for $20,000 uh this would appropriate those dollars to the mayor and Commission office office uh and this is for senior programs and the fourth item is additional funding for the city's VPK scholarship program in amount of 81,000
this was approved by the city commission at last uh well the February 3rd commission meeting and this will be funded from general fund reserves and the last item is for the star child sculpture 5G utility pole relocation this was approved by the city commission
it's currently obstructing the sculpture and they suggest to move it 50 yard south of the location yeah I have questions about that one yes I'll uh it sounds like I'm not the only one who has questions nice mayor why don't you go for it okay everyone knows that I am a huge
proponent of arts and culture and I happen to love the star child statue I think it is incredible and um a great marker for our city um I I don't think this is the best highest use of almost $100,000 and it would be lovely to
offset the FPL poll and um and really set off the sculpture but given all the conversations we've had today given the conversation we haven't officially had yet about rate increases and the fact that we're losing $7 million from our budget right off the bat next year with
our fancy new DMV which will be great but is really expensive you know down the road if we're flush this could be something we could do you know we have many billionaires living in our City who are major donors to Arts institution who
institutions around the country who are philanthropists in all kinds of different ways and I would suggest this would be a terrific opportunity for somebody to step up and and do it of their own valtion um because boy the 86 Grand could go a long way to um helping
kids get a head start in um prek or feeding seniors or expanding summer camp which so many of our families use that we have waiting lists and kids get turned away so I would I would move this um minus the the utility pole removal
and relocation we just ask so the funding my understanding you're about to say would be coming we are we already allocate a budget to the Arts and public places and they would be using their funding for this correct yes or they could use that to buy more
art we have current work if I may uh Mr Mayor commission members listen arante director tourism and culture so this piece uh was approved um couple years ago by the previous commission to acquire this work of art contingent on
moving the 5G pool um and it went to FK it went to commission and if there was funding within aipp and it was approved by AI we would just be able to move the poll which is what happened however this is
uh the to move the poll we have to work with our public works department they've been working with Crystal crown castle um for over a year now in coordinating the contract and that's why you're seeing this now but this has been approved and it's coming from the aipp
uh capital budget and we went through afpp and there's no issues The Works that we have uh in the pipeline are bashore Park and Flamingo Park and there's ample funding for those as well I if I may you know it's one of the things I have a note to follow up on
months and months ago May last year um I brought an item about artistic wayfinding at City Hall um and that's languished in in The Ether I don't know where it is it's has not languished so we worked with public works and it was a
partnership uh with oite arts and moonliner Fab Lab but the oite Arts any partnership right now is on pause so that's why you haven't seen that okay but so AI funds could potentially defray the cost of that project right um that is
now considered a a work of art way finding is signage uh but we had allocated funding between um I believe it was 15,000 in total to have an artisan residence uh that would work on on these types of projects so it was 7,000 from tourism and culture and 7,000
from public works for a total of 15 if I my memory serves me right this is a while ago okay well yeah I I have I have concerns about it I I don't have the Keen Eye I'm sure as the members of the AIP so I'm not but I actually see that from I pass
it every day and and maybe I'm just I just have never said wow I wish that poll wasn't there um again maybe I'm probably not looking in the same way as someone who has a Keen Eye for it so I I I I respect that and I don't mean that in any
disrespect I I just have a hard time justifying that understood but when we had decided to acquire this work uh we spoke with the artist and also commission it was direct it was agreed contingent upon moving that piece to
that that location was approved I mean is there a contract on that I believe I I can check originally this was supposed I me because I remember when we first it was supposed to be like three months right was temporary but our presidents really loved it and then that's why the commission approved to acquire it you
got a really great response from our residents we still hear people saying I love seeing that that sculpture like you get a lot of great positive feedback and it was also I need to also share something we don't put art just for art sake you know there is a purpose right
and when we had this funding to do temporary art through um cultural funding a while back we did elevat spanola and the other funding we used to bring some uh vibrant works of art to 41st Corridor this is a creative placemaking project it's not that we
just decided like well this looks cool here there's a purpose for that because that Corridor needs uh help and make in fighting mitigating blight and that's the reason for this so I just want to share that thank you commissioner Rosen Gonzalez as I sit in traffic every day
on Pine Tree waiting to cross 44st street I look up at star child and it's the one thing that makes me smile because it's a good 10 minutes you know where it's in my line of view um I was there when I you know saw the artist it was something that I think was
really transformative for that area of um Mid Beach I understand how particular something that might not seem like a big deal to us to an artist who's exhibiting his art if he comes it was almost like for him that's his Mona Lisa you can't have a poll in front of his Mona Lisa I
know it seems like a lot of money but I think the Goodwill that that has generated in the 41st Street Corridor which been very difficult to you know create change and create something vibrant you know I I think that um if this is what is required to keep it
there as it is right now then we and we have the funding for it then I think we then I think we have to move forward because it is really literally a ray of sunshine in our neighborhood it's beautiful the
residents love it um and I I you know I support I support this I'll take a step back why do we have to approve this if it's already budgeted and allocated uh so it's not allocated so there is funding available in the fund
balance and we'd have to appropriate it so she can actually spend the dollars and would that happen no matter what the project was so anything that AI they already have a budget they say this is what we want to use our money on and we say yes or no uh so in the budget
process normally we would have a list of projects uh it was not included in the the list of projects so that's why it's coming to you separately it would have normally been in the budget do we even know we don't have jurisdiction over the 5G poll do we even
know that we can move it yes yes and that's why it's taken so long uh Mr Mayor uh in public works I'm not sure if they're here but the negotiations with crown castle uh they were okay moving it as long as it did not incur any cost when we would discussed this over a year
ago so it's it's not just like moving a light pool it's a 5G pool so it's taking some while um I'm gonna have the art folks upset at me but I'm just not comfortable with it
understood I don't think I've ever been called that before ESP by De commissioner Suarez yeah I'm um I'm gonna have to join you on this one mayor so where are we commissioner by where's your where do you
land um to me this is ministerial the money's there it was part of the original um agreement were not and were it discretionary funding i' would be a hard not but given that
information I'm a reluctant okay magazine uh similar to my kague commissioner bot I came into this saying no it's not something I'm going to support if we have the money and it's just about AI is saying yes this is what we
want there's a reason I'm not on AI and join the Bro Team um I'm gonna nominate you uh so I'm I'm going to go ahead support it uh given that the money's there and we're just making an allocation
decision it is also a public hearing there's no one on zoom and no one in the audience requesting to speak and I I just want to put for for for the record back in 2023 I worked uh with uh with arts and culture I think it was a recommendation
of the mayor's 41st Street committee it may have been to permanently acquire the the the artwork and uh and since we acquired it I've been working with Jessica Fernandez and castle on moving this this poll because
you know it's how you admire the art it's not just having the art you know you can have art but if you cover the art you really can't appreciate the art the way that you should um and so you know I public art is important public
art uh it's part of having an inclusive community not everyone can afford to go to museums and it makes our community more enjoyable having a 5G pole blocking uh piece of public art just makes no
sense uh had we not agreed to move this pole I don't think I would have supported purchasing this artwork or P or or placing this artwork there but we purchased this artwork and we decided to install this artwork at this location
understanding that we would go through the motions and the mechanisms to move this it's taken almost two years to get to the point that we've been able to navigate the bureaucracy in order to move this at one point I was even asking
might it be easier and cheaper to move the star child and Mr manager is it easier or cheaper to move the star child absolutely not and so and so you know you know you could you could have a Mona
Lisa and block the Mona Lisa or or you can you know have art and be able to appreciate the art without obstruction you know yeah and so and so you know this is the decision that we made back in 2023 when we initiated this let's
let's call the vote um I think we see where it's going I'm GNA I'm going to stick to I see it every day I see it from my bedroom window too and it's never I I literally never noticed that it was all you're going to see is the you're going to be like that's probably true tonight I'm going to be like oh man but but you see but I
just I just want to mention this because the majority of people that appreciate the star child are seeing it at the ground level and you really the thing is today you really can't appreciated to fullest capacity at the ground level because you do have that pull so when
you're driving by there or walking by there you know it's I to me it sticks out it's offensive to to to me whenever I see it you know that we invested money in art and you know that P and it's been such a fight for all of these years I
mean every few months you know I'm calling the manager okay sorry no no no no no I mean I just think why do we invest in art if we're going to block the art yeah um if if I were the deciding vote I'd probably ask more questions about where
it's going to go but it it it's it's I mean the votes are there let's call the vice mayor you already had originally had made the motion but as amended motion as is as is thank you as is uh second did I get um the
pin okay you got it let's call R second by by commissioner Rosen Gonzalez roll call alphabetical order commissioner bot yes commissioner Dominguez yes commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes commissioner magazine
commissioner Suarez mayor Miner no motion passes the item is approved and for the record again there was no one in Zoom no one on the audience requesting to speak our 7A is is adopted we'll be next R
r7b r7b is a public hearing adopt Fourth Amendment to the capital budget for fiscal year 2025 r7b yes this contains three items it proposes an increase of a million dollars and the realignment of 266,000 between existing projects the first is
additional funding for the 4 First Street Corridor geobond project this additional funding through an additional scope was approved by the city commission at its December 1st 20124 commission meeting it is recommended that this be funded with interest income
in the available uh geobond project fund the second project and that one was for $391,000 in the event that we need to go back to the two-way configuration of oce Ocean Drive so it's a placeholder for now and the last project is the North Beach
ocean front center which is the unit ad the recommendation is to appropriate 750,000 which would fund phase one of a project that's needed the total cost is estimated at $4.5 million and this is because there's significant concrete
fallen and cracks at multiple facades of the building so this would F phase one which rec covered design permitting and installation of temporary Shoring and the recommendation is to fund this from a few two projects that have additional funds from savings and
$625,000 from available interest income from the arts and culture Bond that's it it is a public hearing mayor and we have Larry schaer requesting to speak sure Mr Schaefer state your name address you have two minutes
go ahead sir we cannot hear Mr schaer I'll call again in a minute we yeah hello go ahead yeah I'm sorry about that I had a little technical difficulties um here we are calling up additional budget items I
guess here from the geobond I don't understand the reason why certain projects are getting put forth and moving forward and a lot of other projects are not moving forward this is what I spoke about earlier today about not understanding how the Geo Bond allocations are working and why some
projects get put forward and some get ignored for seven years in 2018 this commission or not this commission but the city commission passed a resolution to rebuild the log cabin and now we're talking about doing a change order for
something at Unidad where's the logic for your geobond allocations is is the CFO there can he explain why some projects get the money and some others is it political process because we have a resolution to say to rebuild the cabin and this looks like a change order can
you explain this thank you very much our next speaker is Jane krup Jane go ahead please yes just to could you just clarify what the money for Ocean Drive
restoring two-way configuration is exactly for is it that we're going to lose our bike lane that's my question thank you uh there is no other speaker requesting to speak on Zoom I see no one here in the audience public hearing is closed vice mayor bot
um Jason and maybe Maria um I would love you guys to comment on our um penultimate caller comments about the log cabin and the um 72nd Street complex um my understanding is that the Log
Cabin couldn't be restored until um the Park was renovated which has been a while now so um it is it's in process is my understanding but it's slow and I agree and I know commissioner Rosen Gonzalez and I share this concern because it feels like it's been forever
since we were able to buy our holiday shrubs at that at that facility um so it would be great to get that update but I also want to correct the record or have you guys correct the record on the 72nd Street complex um in previous calls today we've heard um that it should be
dismissed because we don't have the money for it um we have the money has been allocated since last year or two years ago um and um you know it's a it's a dramatic policy decision if we want to undo the will of the voters on a project
that was approved and listen I led the charge about having an ous breakdown because it's now approved it's now funded at twice the level of what it was approved well not quite twice but a significant increase from what was approved um and I'm still pestering people trying to get detail about what
exactly is going to go in there because maybe we don't need this or we we need that so but again it is a major complex that is being built and it is not that it's not getting done is that it is a process that is onerous and time
consuming and it's underway so I I hear the frustration and at times I share it about things taking longer and North Beach not getting its fair share but I would like you guys to address with specifics we hear the same thing about sidewalks you know so if you could
correct the record on some of this I think that would be um uh really useful for everybody to understand what the what the challenges are and where we stand on these things and I I let them answer and then and then no let them answer and then let I'll come back to
you I I'll make a brief comment and then I'll ask um I have an item on so maybe you call it and I finally this it the Log Cabin item has been on the agenda for like six months if we're going to discuss it maybe we just call in I can the L item at the same time is we get
r9w please Ral so that we can address all the correct r9w discuss update geobond Log Cabin project I I'll speak about 72 a little bit and then Maria we we'll dova and add anything I missed on the 72nd Street and
then the law the law C uh the 72nd Street complex you are correct commissioner uh it is fully funded the last piece of of funding for that is programmed uh in the upcoming budget uh from the parking side you know as we we discussed the 72nd Street complex
project recently which involved you know adding additional lay of parking all those dollars uh are available and would would be appropriated in the 26 budget which would give the full full budgeted amount and just I think just overall as a reminder you know a lot of these geob projects were not necessarily uh meant
to be fully funded by the geobond it might have been a piece of the puzzle or uh you know for a private uh building you know called the capital stack right it's part of the stack that gets you to the full funding of that and a lot of that was dealt with you know I I remember being a resident uh when when
this was voted on and going out to those uh Public public hearings and and having those discussions and it was always meant to be a part of the puzzle there so 72nd Street uh does have its full amount uh for funding and then for the law cabin and I can speak from when I was the vice chair of the geobond
committee I know we talked about some of this prioritization that was originally I want to say a trunch two or trunch three project but there was a resolution semi recently that moved that from a further trunch so the question is why wasn't the G why wasn't the law cabin done because it was never planned or scheduled to be that it
was meant to be and the further years but through commission action it was moved to be more more recently and and I'd ask Maria if she could um add it a little bit I guess where we are which is commissioner Rosen Gonzalez's item about this the current status and I I would
just like everyone to know about the Log Cabin that right now as we speak we have air conditioned containers that are costing us a fortune to house The Log Cabin the last time I went to see the pieces of the Log Cabin that are in
these air conditioned containers who only knows how much they cost was when Adrien Morales was in charge how many years ago those years so this has been going on since 20 the log hav got demolished I think in 2018 for six how
many years seven years we've been storing it in air conditioned containers it really needs to get prioritized if I tell you how many emails I constantly get about the Log Cabin this was $1 million we really need we this
commission agreed to prioritize the log cabin and really um it's time to get it out of I what is the cost here's one interesting thing I'd like to know from facilities what is
the cost of the air conditioned containers on the kitty campus that are currently housing the pieces of the log Heaven that we took apart because to not put it back together is unacceptable by the way
we'll give this a couple minutes we're we're actually on r7b we got to get back to that we called both of them though I I I understand so we'll address it for a couple of minutes but I don't think there's a vote to take on this but let's get an update and uh let's get back to our 7B so we can vote so to answer your
question commissioner it's only about $5,000 how much 5,000 5,000 for the year yes for all those containers that's correct I'm shocked that's the only time I've ever heard you guys tell me a price that is reasonable I thought it like it was
going to be way more money okay so it's only $5,000 because there's several air conditioned containers I've gone to see them myself good afternoon Garcia Facilities Management division director there was there's two dry storage containers um 8 by 20s we were renting them for some
time and then we purchased them for $5,000 each oh and okay so it's not costing us that much money thank goodness because it's been years and years and years Maria do you have an update on where we are with the lck cabin thank
you hi David Gomez uh director for their Capital Improvements where we are in the Log Cabin as you all will remember um when the Log Cabin became a project that it was demolished in 2018 we had to find a location for the for the Log Cabin that was decided that it was North Beach
Oceanside Park we had to go through that remodel so it was scheduled later in the Geo bond process it was now moved up and and we're moving forward we are actually on consultant number four trying to get a proposal for them to design and and
prepare the construction documents for the Log Cabin they are scheduled to give us their final version March 4th uh to give you an idea the the kinds of issues we've been having some Consultants after uh determining the scope and and putting together a
proposal that backed out and said no that they were too busy or weren't interested the most recent one the most recent one that we terminated negotiations with was asking for like 7 or $800,000 to prepare what is a total $2 million project so we terminated that
negotiation and moved on to the one that we're dealing with now that we're supposed to have a proposal on March 4th I you know could this not be instead of using Consultants who are Builders of who
knows what could we not go out to um or FIU you know um has a great School of Architecture and could we not make this a project for a year at through one of the schools of architecture as a historic preservation project resiliency and work with them so that you know we
can we can fund the building costs you know find find the builders but have them put together the proposal and everything it would take and just move this along I mean it's absurd that we're we have we're now on on consultant number four let's think differently about how to get this done we know where
we want to put it now it's not a complicated building even though half of it was demolished and tossed out which I will save that rant for another day um but let's think differently about how we get ideas of what it's going to take and it's going to get done because there and
if it's not um go further a field Go I mean there are historic uh preservation uh degrees that you can get in architecture let's go to them and say we have a great project for you and let's make a national event out of it let's make it huge and look what we're doing
here in Miami Beach where this is one of our oldest buildings and it's you know it's going to be built back and we're incorporating students let let's think out of the box and I would be um very eager to meet with you and discuss this with you and you know talk to Miami Heritage Trust and you know everybody who could give us different ideas but
let's not keep going down the consultant Road I mean we're on number four so I would commissioner Rosen Gonzalez and then we're going back to r7b but if we've paid a consultant consultant number four have we issued any money to consultant number four no this is this
is negotiating the agreement so that they assume the contract to do the design and then they get buil they get paid on a percentage of completion my only worry if you involve a university I think it's a great idea commissioner bot I just think that the log cap will might
never get built if that's what we do you know I I really do you do you have any faith that this consultant is going to do the job number four listen I I'll if I thought that that was going to be more efficient and get it done quicker commissioner bot I would say yes but if
if but what what's different about consultant number four than the first three I don't want to speak for David Gomez but I I think there's any guarantee that Consulting them before is going to work out I just want to make sure I'm we're clear this this is a new structure at the end of the day the
material and and and pieces that are in storage will be incorporated into what will be a formal structure that will have to have a building permit it will have to have construction documents it's a structure it has to meet all building codes just like anything else it just
happens to incorporate elements from the for former lock cabin so it it's you need a a Bonafide architect or engineer that is going to designed and put together construction documents I suspect that a lot of these folks that
are looking at it are seeing at something that's somewhat complicated and it's going to get hairy because of the incorporation of these pieces so they're probably asking for astronomical Consulting fees um so that's what we're vetting through and I'll let David wait
can I you know what I have a suggestion can I move do you are you do you guys agree I would like to move the Log Cabin to neighborhoods committee and then do a monthly update on the progress of the log cabin and we'll just call it every month and we'll have a discussion about
it every month so that we know it's moving forward I'm I'm not I don't think that's necessary I'm not I'm personally not going to agree to that in in neighborhoods oh in neighborhoods I'm sorry I apologize talking about apiz that's I mean why I'm trying to move it to a committee yeah yeah that's fine I'm sorry I miss so I think this is really
important to a large uh population in our community mayor Miner and I think that many of us love the Log Cabin if not it would not be included in the Geo Bond and it would not have the funding that it has so if I may I would second that motion and um I will eagerly sorry
Laura but I'm going to be at neighborhoods like every month now um but so and I I support that and I want to work to get this done in the best possible way and I I don't want to hear about a consultant number five um and I would also very much like to because I sort of derailed the meeting by asking
you guys to talk about this go back to um r7b but look it is do we need a motion to refer to neighborhoods if we can refer that item by uh uh by acclamation y yes yes okay r9w is referred to Public Safety neighborhood
quality of life committee for monthly updates excellent ready uh r7b yes I we already had the public hearing so I believe it's the vote there's no one else requesting to speak speak either on Zoom or in the audience call the vote uh do we have a
motion remember correctly commissioner bot said yes and I can't I can't recall who second it I second it okay great thank you commissioner all in favor of the adopted amended budget I any opposed seeing everyone hearing no one
70 approved thank you thank you great so uh a couple of moments ago commissioner Ros Gonzalez you mentioned the traffic on 41st when we're talking about the uh the art Starchild so there's three items relating to uh 41st Street traffic there's
traffic everywhere so uh which is recognized but let's call C7 and for the record that was approved on consent so I thought it was uh it was an addendum so it was not included but oh I'm so sorry you're correct yes absolutely correct C7 a extend 41st
Street traffic Dave VI commissioner s us recirculation pilot program C7 I'll R9 ah r98 H is discuss take action creation of second traffic lane at designated
41st Street and r7c r7c is accept recommendation of potential removal of bul outs okay so let's let's do uh commissioner Suarez's item first C7 a thank you Mr Mayor U
simply put I think we need a little bit more time for the 41st Street traffic recirculation program Jose if you want to te up sure uh good afternoon Mr Mayor Commissioners Jose Gonzalez transportation and Mobility director um
so the the pilot on 41st Street uh we call it the traffic recirculation pilot started in September of last year um it's it was intended to remain for 6 months so it does expire uh next month
in March and um generally we've received favorable feedback with regard to the pilot if you recall the pilot consisted of um making or keeping Royal Palm and Sheridan for two-way traffic but no
turns allowed onto 41st Street from either Royal Palm or Sheridan so what that was intended to do was to um to to really improve the Northbound and southbound uh travel times along those two Avenues mainly for trips within the
city that are staying within the city um so from that standpoint the pilot has actually been successful we've received uh as I mentioned generally favorable feedback what we've seen on those two Avenues is volumes have increased but delay has actually decreased which means
we're processing more vehicles through the 41st Street intersections along both uh Sheridan and Royal pal uh however the pilot was only initially intended to be for 6 months and while we've been collecting data both before the pilot
started as well as during the pilot we do feel that having a little more data would be beneficial to ultimately determine uh whether there is a cost benefit associated with this pilot particularly that our traffic is very seasonal um so we've we collected some
some data in the months of October November and December but it would be very beneficial to also collect to continue to collect data uh during the rest of the high impact period as well as the low okay so I'd like to move the
item have a second call the vote C7 a.m I have a motion by commissioner Suarez seconded by the mayor uh all in favor of C7 am please say I I I hearing no oppose the item passes c7a
and so the next two items r7c R9 ah uh I'm just going to te it up and I'm actually going to turn to uh our city manager I've had a number of discussions with him just here's the goal there's a number of places I know commissioner Rose Gonzalez you had an item on this a little bit ago um then I brought one um
about the bu bouts it turns out there's actually uh The Bu bouts is one conversation but there's actually an extra room on many of the side streets North and South leading up to 41st and I'll let Eric uh give the specifics that there's actually enough room for a
second lane um and we could do that part of it the issue is the traffic light and potentially um having a left turn signal which right now those traffic lights don't have the capabilities as part of this I think one of the things we need to do is we have a good relationship
with fot we deal with them a lot I know my office and and uh and and I do and Blake from my office uh my Deputy Chief of Staff deals with them a lot and they're very helpful in many ways but we need more funding our streets have been
rated failing and as far from the state itself from fot because of the traffic concerns you don't need a rating to see it we we live it uh our our residents live it every day and we need help we have issues for example the supposed to
we're supposed to have the second turning lane from Indian Creek on to 41st and there are delays with that now uh but they're going to do it they agreed to that and these are things where if we have to change the mass arm which is very expensive we need funding help and we need to make this a legislative priority and we need to we
need to push every lever we can uh because a second lane can can alleviate Ian it's not going to mitigate all of it but it's going to alleviate some of the issues we have right because if a car is making a left turn nobody can move nobody can move and it's hard to make those left turns sometimes so if we have
a second lane that can go straight or right it will allow cars to to pass through so I'll turn it to you Eric to give some of the specifics and and uh how we bring this home so I will try and give you the very high level cliffnotes version and then if we want to dig deeper obviously Jose can add to this um
basically we asked our our consultant to do a traffic analysis of what's happening at the intersections along 41st Street and whether or not there was capability to insert a left turn a dedicated left turn lane what our
consultant found is that there would be value in adding a left turn lane a dedicated left turn lane at um Chase Prairie Royal Palm and Sheridan Royal Palm and Sheridan we already have the
pilot program we've just extended that pilot program and that's a good thing um the good news is that it Chase Royal Palm and Sheridan we have enough space that we could introduce just by changing
the striping a dedicated left turn lane however we would need to do the structural analysis on the Mast arms to see if there was an ability to add the additional signal head or the modification to the signal heads to be
able to provide the dedicated left turn signal um and if that structural analysis is determined that they need new Mast arms that's going to add probably a year at least six to eight months to the
to the delivery of the project so we want to get direction from the commission to at least proceed forward with those three locations where we would not need to make any structural changes to the intersection and Ana create an analysis
for the n masted arms and see if we could get the county and the state to buy off on those changes without having to do any wholesale infrastructure modifications in the intersection if we could do it with just
striping it would be much quicker we adopt that as a motion would you sorry commissioner magazine and then commissioner Ros gonzal trying to comprehend here would you need all three of those to make it work um when we're talking about removing bul
BS uh the one that sticks out uh most is North Beach Elementary right there so the good news about the three that I brought up is that you would not need to remove bulb outs the only one that you would need to remove bulb outs in order
to Institute a left turning lane is Prairie and that's because we don't have enough space between the bicycle lanes and the parking and the two travel LAN Lanes you would have to reconfigure the bulb out in order to Institute a left
turn lane there um we're we're open to discussing whether or not that that's worthwhile to add that fourth one we think there's value in trying to add at least at those other three locations because what we may find is that we can
move forward with one or two of them without having to do wholesale structural modifications to the M arms uh commissioner Rosa Gonzalez then vice mayor bot okay so I thought we were removing the bulb outs on 40th
Street because that's where the big problem and the gridlock occurs and I've been trying to do this for 10 years by the way 2015 I got elected no during my campaign robbi Bixon came to me he said I watch this street every day along 40th
Street and before there were two lanes and the cars could go around and make a right turn it's not really about a left turn it's about being able to go around the car that's at the light making the left turn go around and take a right turn so that's where the bull belts are
needed along 40th at all of the intersections every place where we put them we backed up traffic and and so they need to be removed especially once you do that around on 40th Street people are going to be able to start to move around and that's our street we we don't
need to speak to fot you don't need to do anything except remove the bulb out and stripe it so that you can turn right so because right now you have to wait and if you're just waiting there to go right the bul out's there so you can't go around the car to take a right do you
understand yes yes I mean so yeah so if I could that's issue I thought the exact same thing that you thought uhhuh until having a lengthier conversation with Jose about 41st
Street if we were to do right turn Lanes in areas where the traffic patterns tell us there's not a significant amount of right turns but there are a significant amount of left turns then what happens is that
you have through vehicles that Cube behind the left turning vehicle and get stuck and the right turning Lane sits empty and you have people that are just naturally going to try and pull around
in the right turn lane which will lead to situations where you have two vehicles going through an intersection with only one receiving Lane well but according to the people that work and live on that street there was no backup
until the bul outs came and when the bul outs came every everything started to back up so theoretically you could be right but in practicum I don't think that that's the case I mean I I so is there a specific intersection that we're
talking about is it 40th in Chase 40th and Prairie yes I think it's Chase and Prairie for sure Chase is that where our is it's the one where's the one where Cafe Avon is that's Chase right Chase yes the bulbs on Chase if you remove
those that will really begin to go a long way to alleviating and if we get that done first after so many years I would be so happy because we've never been able to get it done but literally if you go and speak to the people there they'll
explain to you that we caused the problem and it's not you you were not here when the buls were decided and done but those bulots cause a real problem Eric so as part of of this item that's
on the agenda we're suggesting that we're happy to look at other locations where we think that there might be benefits in addressing bulb outs especially in locations where you don't have heavy pedestrian traffic and it's
primarily vehicular traffic and there's no bicycle facilities it makes all the sense in the world to try and facilitate the movements of the vehicles where you have heavy pest pedestrian traffic then you've got to balance the two needs to
figure out what makes the most sense but ultimately we think there's value based on the studies that we've done to date we think there's value in further analysis on Chase Sheridan Royal Palm
regarding the left turn lanes and we're happy to analyze additional areas throughout the city that might be also of value so if I may I um I lived in that neighborhood for 13 years and um
there is a lot of pedestrian traffic in that neighborhood and um I've also sat in the gridlock FR across 41st um I I think it's really we need to be extremely judicious about this and I
would much prefer to see the three streets that you named that make sense and are logistically loow hanging fruit you know it is a very tidy little grid there and so if we can preserve 41st in Prairie and keep that bulb out where there is a ton of traffic uh pedestrian
traffic and and cyclist traffic and also not take on the expense of of moving a bulb out because you have three other avenues no pun intended to go north south or to to take a turn one way or the other so you know we just heard
about the um project zero where there are fatalities and mouts protect pedestrians we're trying to manage the needs of multimodal Transportation whether it's feet bikes or other wheels or vehicles and so you know once again
one of my favorite sayings measure twice cut once um so you know and you yourselves have recommended against not removing all these bul bouts so let's be super careful about how we proceed the other thing I will say is that um um I
have I mean I've texted the numerous times and other folks in law enforcement about the fact that when you're in approaching 40th and 41st but you're a few blocks south on any of those through streets I they're almost all stops four-way stops and the number
of times people have zoomed around and just blown through the line of cars queuing to go through the intersection I mean talk about um an opportunity to put um to put officers to catch uh terrible drivers um it's gotten better since
getting cross 41st has gotten better but it still happens so I don't know how we mitigate that other than parking motormen right there but it's it's offensive and so dangerous because they're so important that they have to get to the four-way stop before anybody else they're going to hit somebody I I
just just Fern let's try to give the direction and make and well I just want to say I've been seeing the police officers there I think uh I'm not sure which officer was that I saw um I his I'm seeing his face and his name is skipping me uh literally exactly what
you were describing vice mayor bod uh pulled over the guy and uh and grabbed them uh in in exactly the act that you were mentioning because they were present there on on on 40th Street listen I I understand why the bull bouts
are there but I've been hearing about this for years um you know people feel that they do more harm than good and and um and you know I think that they that they ultimately need to be removed uh to
be able to better facilitate the flow of traffic uh unfortunately it's it's just the reality of the Dynamics that are there I get they're important for pedestrianism um but but the reality is that you know we have a heavy amount of
traffic that's being held up and it's creating an unsafe situation when our street is so saturated and so congested that we can't get the movement of cars uh flowing appropriately and so is that a motion I I will move the item one
quick question magaz Who that um I think what I'm most concerned about is just The Pedestrian safety when you're Crossing 41st for the elementary school right so is are we removing bulb outs right there on Prairie and Chase or
no no that's not being contemplated on this item he I just wanted to double and triple check and the idea is to squeeze in an additional turn lane without impacting the ball BS that's a win-win if you do that if you do that I think the
residents of mid Beach will be so pleased to be able to turn again and not have to wait for the light to change so this isn't just adding a full Lane this is essentially just room for the turn lane there because you know you're you're a transportation expert
correct with being modest but yes yes it's counterintuitive but in general does adding an extra Lane reduce traffic flow help help alleviate traffic flow in this case it is a turn lane and it is so not a turning lane but just in general
like if you add an extra Lane of traffic does that do anything to reduce uh traffic congestion it it it depends it increases the capacity but if the the the vehicular demand is such that one lane may not be enough which we see
widening projects all over the county where F will come in and widen but there's still congestion even after the white bu and that's because the demand I'm under No Illusion that this will solve the problem but I I think it's just a matter of simple supply and
demand if you have an extra Lane in multiple different corridors it's it's going to help the flow so did you move it Eric I think you said it best usually we have legal oh Rick
you're back but did you hear at all Rick I apologize I I was away fair enough so the item as I described it was to move forward with the analysis and interfacing with Miami Dade County and
the Florida Department of Transportation regarding the introduction of left turn Lanes at ch Sheridan and Royal Pro Royal Palm with left turn Lanes with the with the idea that you'd create a second lane that could and that could go straight or turn
right correct now I was advocating that we do that now um you uh that basically we could still have a a a right turn lane you couldn't go straight because you'd have convergence of of traffic but you could have a right turn lane but you were telling me and you were trying to
talk me out of that because you said the county would probably not uh agree uh I was trying to talk you out of an interim condition with a dedicated right turn lane Because unless you're talking about
the southbound movement of prairie or chase chase southbound movement on Chase the traffic volumes for a dedicated right turn lane were not there and so it's going to sit empty and people are
going to use it to bypass Vehicles waiting for the left and it's going to create an unsafe condition I have to agree that from my perspective as you go further
west the greater demand is to turn left and as you're going further east from my perspective the greater demand is to turn right because you know the people when you're when you get West to the West Point like Chase a is the people that have avoided 41st Street to go
towards towards the Tuttle uh and then when you go further east you see the backup to turn right uh which is which are the people who have avoided 41st Street to go towards Colin Avenue and cross and cross uh the Indian Creek so
that's yeah just you know building upon what the manager was saying so do we have but let me let me let me just ask this so so this doesn't con we this keeps a bulb outs on 41st Street this would keep that correct all right but I
for years have been hearing the complaints uh and the concerns about the bull bouts on 40th Street 4th uh so can that be incorporated as part of this I think I think we shouldn't be considering removing the bulb Ms on 41st
Street because that clearly 100% needed for pedestrian safety needed uh especially with the with the schools right there but if we can see explore the possibility of removing them on 40th Street where you don't have the level of
traffic the volume of traffic they have on 41st Street I think uh you know I don't know if if my colleagues would be inclined to consider that so that this item contemplates doing additional analysis of bulb out removal in other
areas of the city 40th Street we've heard you loud and clear is something of Interest we would have to actually budget and and move forward with a traffic analysis in order to confirm that we could remove those bulb outs
but that's something that we could look at if you wanted to do that as a one-off rather than doing it as part of a holistic Citywide study we could potentially move that forward quicker I I remember when this happened it was part it was part of a capital
program uh that was done on 40th Street like I remember this was probably over 10 years ago and sa Francis was a parking director at at the time and there was no consultation between Capital Improvement at the time and the parking department and there was a loss
of parking because of those bulb outs and I still remember mayor Bower screaming about the loss of parking that happened there because of the amount of calls and emails the city was was getting at the time and now it's evolved into the issue is not the loss of parking the issue is the way that the
ball about is affecting the movement of the traffic there so so if it could be incorporated to correct uh this this that was done you know 10 years ago I I would suggested because it's very different here on 40th Street than on
41st you have your direction Eric I do I'm not you're comfortable is that a motion commissioner Fernandez actually if I can if I clarify we have two um items really r7c which is to to move forward with uh evaluating the potential removal of
certain B belts and then um r7a AG which will now R9 R I'm sorry R9 ah which will direct Administration to discuss with the county and fdot um uh the I guess setting up left turn Lanes with another
Lane that would go straight or turn right at Chase Sheridan and Royal Palm is that right sure let's put an emphasis on action and not discussion seriously I mean that this we've missed the high season for this year uh based on your estimates of how long this will take but
we we got to get it by the time the high peak season starts for next year we're going to move forward with the Mast arm analysis right away because that's really going to be the rate limiting step figure so just for the record on r98 I have a motion from commissioner
Fernandez uh seconded by the mayor and that's the direction one when we take the vote on that let's do it on R9 ah all in favor please say I I now we have to do r7c is that correct was that okay I have
a motion from commissioner Fernandez seconded by commissioner Suarez on r7c all in favor please say I I I motion passes 70 thank you uh time sensitive let's call c78 I'm sorry mayor I was C7
AP C7 AP is light up City Hall in Orange regarding the uh the victims uh the Bas family yeah I mean we had an extensive discussions this morning uh on on anti-Semitism so I won't say too much on this but just in case people are not
familiar um I think most people are familiar that there's an ongoing uh hostage exchange for the ceasefire that's happening between Israel and Hamas um recently and I'll try to do this without getting choked up there was a uh family that was returned
some of the hostages thankfully returned alive some not so and PJ if you could put the picture up uh that was a 9-month-old and a four-year-old and the mom who were kidnapped into Gaza by
Kamas on October 7th uh and their bodies were returned to Israel and uh the uh analysis by medical staff was that uh and I won't even describe it they were horrifically brutalized and and murdered uh in in in
ways that it's hard to even comprehend um but so as you see from the toddler the the orange hair so that's become sort of the rallying cry in Israel but elsewhere so the foreign Ministry of Israel and now uh has
adopted that orange color and there are cities uh throughout the world that are doing different uh different things and I just it was something that I thought uh actually I'll I think it was my wife Shannon who actually had the idea I'll
give her the credit hey why not light up City Hall in Orange and I thought it was such a good idea uh I brought it I brought it forward and I think it'll be very impactful um we had Gino sent Torio from the Mount Si told me this morning that they're going to be lighting up Mount Si
in Orange as well in solidarity and um I would just anybody who's watching and who has the ability to light up their buildings or do something to show support and I think what we said this morning it's so impactful I mean obviously this is showing support for the state of Israel but it's it's really showing support for for Western values
and for fighting terrorism in all its forms because we've seen it on our Shores and uh whether it be bombs or planes crashing into buildings it's it's the it's the same ideology and uh we need uh the United States Israel needs
to be United in fighting this Terror and um this the you know it's funny how certain things captured the imagination we've been it's been over 500 Days since the hostages were there but this family and that picture and seeing that those kids who were brutalized just I think
it's it's hard not to look at that and and grieve so I hope uh everyone supports this commissioner Ros Gonzalez isn't the BS family suing Netanyahu for using their family as
propaganda I'm not familiar with that okay I'm going to support this but if it's true that the B's family doesn't want this death used as propaganda then we should make sure that that's not the case I mean I I I agree with you
100% um but if that's the case then I think we should respect the family and allow them to mourn this horrific death it's the first I hear of it I called actually mayor albas starinsky the council general for uh the Miami area and he he was fully supportive of of
this idea and and uh what he told me is that the state of Israel is is fully supporting actually this comes from the foreign Ministry of Israel so uh this the first first first I've hear heard of of that and I I have no idea if that's okay then
I mean I'm 100% supportive I'm not sure um Mr look it says here the beus family threatens to sue Israeli regime over propaganda this was 11 hours ago they're getting very upset that their family is being used as propaganda um the relative Israeli captive Sher Bas has demanded
that the Israeli regime stop exploiting their family members deaths for propaganda purposes threatening to sue the regime if it continues to publish details of their deaths the bis family made the request on Wednesday a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revie revealed details of the
deaths while speaking before the American Israeli public affairs committee yeah um I I don't know I think it's okay if we if if if I'm going I'm going to support this but at the same time I do understand their family
wanting to mourn and not be used as a yeah again it's the first time hearing it but based on what you read that's completely different than this there there are certain details I guess that came out about how they were brutalized this is commemorating a family and showing support not just it's not just
for the bius family it's for all hostages all the victims of October 7th and I mean Israel Israel is a very is a is a small country and in the sense when someone dies there's literally somebody usually knows somebody who knows that
person when an Israeli soldier is killed or a hostage has come back there's a I mean state of Israel this twice a year literally they they the whole country stops because and they sound a siren that's like almost hard to believe but literally you're driving in a car you
stop on the highway the train is going the train stops airplanes don't fly it's a very close-knit country so I I I I whatever issues that may be dealing with that you just described again I'm not familiar I think that has nothing to do with showing support for
for this family and all of the victims and hostages from October 7th commissioner Suarez then commissioner magazine thank you Mr Mayor I I don't think it's propaganda to support and um commerate with with the families uh that
have been brutalized by by Hamas so I'm going to be fully supportive of this can I can I just ask what what what website is that so I could look it up um watch she's getting that would you
mind if I yeah um and I would agree uh before you even made that uh that was the comments I was going to make I'm not privy to uh uh this somewhat new news but as the way was described it seemed uh much different what we're looking to
do commemorate uh victims I I did so in my own right by uh offering prayers uh personally throughout the weekend and I think that's what we're coming together here to do uh perhaps what that's referring to while I'm speculating is uh details that were released that you know could be used to further uh other
political agendas that that's nothing that we're doing we're commemorating uh uh brutal deaths and honoring hostages that still need to be returned um so I think uh even if this is uh happening uh it's very different than the attack that we're essentially looking to
take I'm going to be I'm going to be supportive um um as we're not using a likeness or anything um do you have the website just uh I'm not I'm not see yeah I was going to say is that Al
jazer no I don't think so I think it but but um okay should we call the vote I need a motion please I can't move it so I'll move the item Mr Mayor I'll motion by commissioner Fernandez second by commissioner Suarez all in favor please
say I I any opposed hearing none C7 AP is approved 70 and Mr Mayor I I think it's just you know I I think what matters is the intent and the and the gesture of our City's continued and unwavering support for the innocent
victims of of of what you know has been terrorism you know the um the those who were brutally murdered and the taken hostages and it just share it I think it just highlights our shared commitment for peace for dignity for remembrance
and so putting aside any any article that may be out there is the intent and is the spirit and what we stand for um honoring the Bas family and all the innocent lives that have been lost oh I
just it's actually the um Israel times so it's not just propaganda bab friendly tells nyaho to shut up as the details of the murders so I do think that we should allow the family to mourn in their own way um I I I do think we could light up
City Hall um for all the hostages but um if that is the family's wishes yeah I I in The Times of Israel I mean I don't know I think that that's pretty um again I'm just basing on what you're
reading I still think that's they're two separate completely different issues uh one is you're you're describing medical details and this is just showing support for the family and and all the victims of October 7th so uh call the
vote so I have we did it right mayor we did it was uh commissioner Fernandez made a motion commissioner Suarez and it was 70 great thank you um couple of requests I'm going to call them commissioner Suarez and then I'm going to call vice mayor Bots item commissioner Suarez which which item was
it well um there's two uh the pick one for now I'll how about this I'll let you pick there's the 1% tax that we have to officially vote on as second reading or the pension item I thought the the I was under the impression that the 1% tax we
didn't it was moot that not true well I'll turn it over to our city to it's moot because the voters did not approve it but it's still on on our books so would a previous would a would a future commission be able to allow it to be back on the ballot or even though we
have a new agreement with uh the county yes and a new commission just to be clear could also reopt the ordinance so it's up to you which one you want to feel like it's not okay let's want to
do the pension sure which one is that r right right you want to read into the record yes sir r5w is an ordinance of the mayor and City Commission of the city of M Florida amending the Mii Beach employees retirement plan created by ordinance 2006-3 54 as subsequently
amended to amend the pre the provisions of applicable to elected officials providing for severability repealing all ordinance in conflict therewith and providing an effective date r5w is a first reading public hearing thank you Mr Mayor um I sponsor
this item to eliminate life lifetime pensions for part-time elected officials in the city of Miami Beach for both City commissioners and mayor who currently qualify after serving only four years in office this ordinance would apply prospectively and transition future
electeds to a defined contribution retirement system similar to a private sector 401K this change ensures a more fair and fiscally responsible approach to how we handle retirement benefits for
those elected to serve the people of Miami Beach let's start by acknowledging the situation we saw in Miami after the city commission approved lifetime pensions the backlash from residence was
very Swift and I believe mayor Suarez uh rightfully vetoed The Proposal um you know Miami's debacle and the content displayed by one of its Commissioners highlights why lifetime pensions for
part-time politicians are fundamentally wrong some argue we work hard and deserve these benefits while no one denies The Blood Sweat and Tears and long hours that we put into this role let's put a few things into perspective
in the private sector lifetime pensions after 4 years are unheard of they simply do not exist for comparison young men and women in the military risk their lives for 20 years to receive 50% of their base pay and
retirement Miami Beach officers dedicate 10 years to our city just to get vested and yet under our city current system a part-time politician could receive a full retirement after serving just four years this is disrespectful to the
taxpayers of our city fortunately it's never too late to do the right thing our current city commission is different from past City commissions consistently prioritizing public service and the greater good over political and economic self-interests so with that I'd like to
hear what my colleagues think about this and I would like to move the item I'll second the item Mr commissioner magazine I actually uh originally wasn't going to be supportive of this I thought it was a small amount uh almost akin to
around error and you know all the arguments that are made about the hard work putting in so yeah it's just not worth it but uh hopefully with uh the mayor's permission we're going to hear an item later uh today um talking about where we stand from a city budget
standpoint where the county came in with a newly elected office and it's going to essentially uh evaporate $6 million from our annual coffers just like that and you know it's going to be a tough budget year and I want to get that out in the
open and it's easy to sit there about every single item and say we need to start being fiscally conscious but you know what this is just a small amount uh but sometimes you just have to put your money where your mouth is and you know start somewhere so uh originally it was
going to be one of those things where it was just hey this this isn't worth it it's not it's not anything Monumental or uh seismic that's really going to cause a difference the taxpayer money um but we have to show leadership and we have to start somewhere so uh I'll be
supportive of the atem commissioner Fernandez thank you Mr Mayor I just want to say you know it's it's an honor to co-sponsor dis ordinance I think uh it reflects our commitment to responsible governance to um to to to Really being
good stewards of the taxpayers dollars I think I think when it comes to pensions this is where the real meat and potatoes uh matter uh and I think as elected officials we need to lead by example uh ensuring that our retirement system
remains sustainable um and aligned with the best interest of the residents who we who we represent I think by transitioning elected officials to a defined contribution retirement system which is what this does is that correct Mr attorney yes current well currently
elected can be in one or the other uh this ordinance would eliminate the MBP provision requiring future electeds to participate in the defined contribution plan and so I think it it's it does strengthen our our fiscal Integrity of
our pension plan I think is fair um and um you know it's it's I think it's just an easy decision to make it's what makes sense uh and uh and I'm not sure in a private sector that that the pension would be the same
uh for a part-time position like that of a City Commissioner and I and I think it's important to to to highlight that so I'm proud to co-sponsor and I think it's the right thing to to do for our community thank you Mr you think this is really a part-time position no but but we sign up
for it knowing that it's a part-time position as a I'm sorry yeah commissioner Rosen Gonzalez so to the sponsors of this item are you willing to also give up your pensions I don't collect a salary I
actually donate my salary and I'm yeah I don't plan on having taking advantage of a pension you agreed to give up yes 100% okay commissioner Fernandez you agree to give up your pension I'll discuss it with Robert but I give up my I already gave up I mean this commission increased
its salary and not only did I vote against it I said I'm going to Forfeit that that that increase we amended the legislation so that I wouldn't receive that that increase and so not only did I vote against that I said Not only am I voting against it but should it pass I
don't want to get that money and so I'm going to sacrifice that sacrifice your pension I'm talking about the salary that we got so I don't know what my pension implication is and I don't know if we can even legally do that um I haven't consulted with the city attorney
on it so I just want to make sure that that I can legally do that so I can't answer that right now but but I think transitioning no but I think I I think the bigger picture is I think the bigger picture is I'm one person and I don't know what
Dent my my one pension makes to the city's budget if you want to make a high and mighty political Point go for it if you want me to sacrifice my pension just say it but you're trying to make a high and mighty and Grand standand and making political points but but no no but wait
but but but but let me finish I think the bigger point is it's not one individual pension it's a Collective pensions of individuals when you aggregate two together and you multiply it over years and years and years of elected officials and what should the
city's policy be moving forward and that's what we're determining here and what is in the best fiscal interest of the taxpayers of the city of of Miami Beach I'll talk to the City attorney about it I don't I don't I don't know what what what the implications are so
so so I'll have that conversation with with the City attorney uh but I've been clear in what I've done in in in the past I've tried to lead by example when I vote against things I tried to do it in in a way that uh that subjects me to it as well so could I make a motion to defer until we find out what the
financial implications of each of our pensions are because I think that anybody who votes yes on this and maybe I'll vote Yes too we should find out exactly what the implications are and then come back and then if all of us willingly agree to give up our pensions
then then we can do this prospectively for everybody else but I think we should do a financial analysis and then maybe we think about this maybe we send it to the finance committee get this financial analysis because to do this any other way I I I
have to I believe in the Golden Rule and I didn't even know when I ran for office that I was going to get a pension and by the way our pensions are small they're based on they're you know they're not large pensions and when I found out I was like ah you
know gosh you know like the city really appreciates all this work that I've put in you know 20 hour days sometimes I wake up you know so for me to impose something on future people when I myself
am receiving it that doesn't seem right um I do understand the financial implications but I would request financial information on all of this and if we approve this then we all all give up our pensions together let's just give it up if you're willing to do it
commissioner Fernandez is a sponsor commissioner magazine you want to give up your pension commissioner I mayor minor you want to give it up I haven't spoken yet I didn't say I just feel like this is this is a some sort of bizarre like like so we're GNA people will get elected and then those Commissioners are
going to know that you're getting a pension and they're not they're going that's not fair okay um so if we do this then we have to make the sacrifice and um and I would like to understand all of the financial implications there in vice
mayor bot and then commissioner Suarez so um a few thoughts first of all I spent six years working to well two summers working at Maryland but six years working most recently at a financial um advisory that also had a pension and 401K administrative arm of
the business and they will tell you that the evisceration of the middle class came was rooted in two things the decrease of unions and the move from pensions to 401ks we that's one thing second of all
um I think it's fabulous for the individuals excuse me I think it's fabulous that we have individuals in our community who are independently wealthy and can afford to issue salaries and um forego pensions that does not apply to everybody they
plenty of people who would be interested in running but can't afford to to work as a commissioner uh because they'd have to hold at least one other job or multiple jobs to make ends meet so you know what is good for one person financially may not be good for another
third of all we are taxed as Commissioners on not taxed our pensions come from $6,000 a year um and Jason you told me or Eric I forget who told me it's like I don't remember what the number the financial impact is but it is very very small to the overall budget
and I am not being Cavalier about the issues that we are facing as as commissioner magazine said next year is going to be a very tough budget discussion but I will say that the small amount it makes of difference to the city commission you
guys the small amount of of difference it makes to the city budget is not um commensurate to the impact it makes on individual because people in retirement take a pension from this job a 401k from
that job uh Social Security not everybody has millions of dollars waiting for them for them in retirement or or you know from their whatever their current financial situation most of us are hoping that with the savings we've
done in 401ks and the pension we have from previous jobs and the Social Security we will be able to cover our nuts and I I I I find it um thoughtful and well- intended but the city in of Miami was a different
situation where the mayor there makes $120,000 so that is a very different Financial impact I will tell you right now that I'm very proud to be earning a pension from the city of Miami Beach I plan to give this city eight years of my
best years of my life working my highy off to do the best job I can and if I get a pension based on a 6,000 dollar a year salary well I don't think that's terrible and I will tell you that I will not give up my pension because I need it
I'm not independently wealthy I will never become independently wealthy unless somebody buys me a lottery ticket so yeah I'm keeping my pension you guys who can afford it God bless I can't vice mayor M thank you thank you
vice mayor um serving serving a public office is is a privilege it's it's certainly not a job okay I don't I don't I don't I think it's bad precedent to to to get
elected to make money and I know it's a very small amount but like I said there it's just unheard of to have a pension after four years a lifetime pension after four years it used to be 5 years
now it's four so all you have to do is just get elected I I think this is I I think this is just unfair to all the thousands of employees that we have in Miami Beach where they have to work I think a decade more to to
vest uh in their pensions um I I think you know a lot of people are watching this I this is a very hot topic I I you know having elected officials have lifetime pensions
is is really not it's just it's just not good government and and you know we don't get into this to to make a lifetime pension we got into we got involved to make a difference in our community with all due respect I did not literally bet my house quit my job sell
my house and run for office because of the lifetime pension on a $6,000 a year salary I did not work my heiny off to get this job because it was going to be a great money maker for me I got into this because I want to be one of the
best public servants this city has ever seen I do actually need to pay my maintenance fee for my apartment and buy dog food among other things I do not think it is shameful to be a human being who requires some minimal compensation
for the work done as I said before if you're independently wealthy and the the financials uh work in your favor that's terrific but some of us actually need to make a salary and whether you're doing it by cobbling together three full-time jobs plus this or if you have just
decreased your cost of living to the point where you can scrape ey on what we make here not 6,000 obviously I'm not crazy but um with with the the the net amount which by the way is not included in what the pension uh benefits would be accured
on you know there there's this presumption that you have to be independently wealthy to to be a decent good public servant and I really find that narrative offensive there are people who do not have the backgrounds
do not have the generational wealth have not built a business Empire have not gotten lucky with a lottery ticket who are excellent candidates to be excellent public servants and to to presume that it's a failing of of theirs that they cannot be a good Public Service unless
they issue all compensation for their time and effort I know that this is officially a part-time job because that's how it was put in the charter decades ago but anybody who has done this job well can tell you very well that it is not a a part-time job so I I
this narrative is nonsense with all due respect can I ask by the way the I just wanted by the way the pension is not only based on $6,000 it's it's the reimbursements and the pension bll as well so it's like $60,000 but at the end of the day is it really fair is it is it
really fair to have um pensions after Vester vice mayor bot I'm sorry do you really think it's fair to have pensions after only four years of service a lifetime pension I I just I I find that
crazy to believe that that that's that's okay I wanted to weigh in on that actually because it used to be five years uh the previous commission actually passed make it four I'm very proud that I voted no to it he passed but um and I was actually a candidate so I would have I would have I benefited
from it if I had lost the mayor race um I didn't obviously know what was going to happen so that's another option too we could we could switch it back so you have to win more than one time uh to to be to be eligible Jason not that I
question what you're saying just Jason is that is that true just so I just want to confirm because I did have that question is the pension on the full because I get I I could be wrong and I'm not even sure but I think it's approximately 10,000 in quote unquote salary the Commissioners are 6,000 but
then I get about 40,000 in automatic expenses so it comes out to 50,000 again I'm I'm rounding out that's roughly that I don't even know exactly and the Commissioners get about 35,000 or somewhere around there so 45 understanding is the pension on that full amount I believe it's on the salary
and on the expense uh allowance um and that was changed I think I I believe it might have been changed at the same time when it was moved from 5,000 and it expend for I don't know um I don't see Mara here with the total amount of the expense allance which was just increased
um I think just in the P this so it's not based on the 6,000 I don't believe so I believe it's based on the salary plus the expense allowance what do we pay on an annual basis for the pensions of of former elected officials I don't have that number off the top of my head
I'd have to check I'm piggy backing on what commissioner Rosen because I think that's an important number to have with how much we budget for the the P contribution I could find that out but I don't know if that Mr I may I you know if I could because
you spoke a lot so I just like Fernandez then mayor bot commissioner I've always been very consistent on this Mr Mayor when you voted no I voted no as well at that time I never voted to uh lower lower the uh years for for for the
pension from five years to four my I was a consistent resounding no on that when uh when when when we circumvented the voters ultimately to
increase um this this this reimbursement that that elected officials get to a higher amount I voted no and I was consistent I just voting no but asking to amend the legislation so that even if it passed I would not get the money and
I just have to be consistent it's with with this I I get and I respect everyone's position I absolutely respect everyone's position on this uh this has just been a a a longstanding position of mine and I think the beauty of this day
is is that there are issues where perhaps we all won't be United on and then we'll all be able to chime our own personal experiences and and and disagree on for me on on this one I I don't think you
know salary pension Health Care are the reasons why we run for office I know everyone on this day has run for office with a great desire to do good to contribute to the city so that the Next Generation can inherit a clean a cleaner
safer more resilient and beautiful city and a lot of that inails a lot of great personal sacrifice and I get that and I respect everyone's prision here and I don't look down upon anyone who wishes to oppose legislation like this my my
consistent position has been to to to to decide more conservative conservatively on these uh on these matters and I'll I'll remain consistent on that and I respect you commissioner bot because you are an example of a public servant
that's that has made great personal sacrifice you you you gave up your job you sold your home and you have committed yourself to be a tremendously honorable public servant and I and I and I admire that but I just don't like the idea
that that people run for office in the hopes of after one term they can get a lifetime pension that I I don't I don't agree with that with that idea and I don't want that to be a motivator for
individuals in the future to run for office I want the motivator to run for office individuals who sacrifice of themselves to contribute their time and their talents to leave behind a better Community than the one we've inherited
for the Next Generation Um so I wanted to uh first correct the record I apologize I was not trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes I was given an inaccurate piece of information that I was basing my comments on I understood that we were
only um that only our salary got um uh B that our pensions were accured only on the salary part of our compensation so I apologize again not trying to dissemble or um or lie about anything that's not how I roll so um I just want to clear
the record on that second of all anybody who is foolish enough to to raise a quarter of a million or more to win a seat or try to win a seat because they may get a lifetime pension of a few grand over the course of a
year I would question their decision-making abilities commissioner magazine I was next again uh commissioner bot this doesn't apply to you uh and this applies to Future elected uh officials and it's
not like we're we're we're saying that they're not going to have a uh defined contribution plan part of this resolution is is giving a a an Avenue for a retirement plan it just doesn't happen to be a lifelong pension plan
funded by taxpayers so um you you you were going to be well vested uh as long as everyone else in this de who who seeks to have it I'm not um I can't I don't know about others but I there are
options for a defined contribution benefits plan for future elected officials u m uh Comm magazine I'll give it over to you but as I said before six years working for a financial advisor and retirement plans administrator who will tell you that the middle class was
eviscerated starting with when pensions were decreased in favor of voluntary contributions so I'm just putting that out there as it's something we can all chew on commissioner magazine de at it and funny coming from my time in Merlin uh I I saw things with with with another
Viewpoint in fact um I'm reading an email that I sent uh to the mayor and Commission in 2018 actually about the pensions right so that kind of skews my thinking here um I want to pull back the conversation a little bit I don't want to even begin
to try and assign motives to people that they're somehow running for office for these fringe benefits that that's just not realistic I I agree with you there that nobody in the right mind is going to spend all day from 8:00 a.m. until 700 p.m. and then all that incremental
time uh with a so motive of somehow collecting this uh huge windfall of a couple hundred bucks per month um that being said you know uh in the email that I wrote back in 2018 to the Maring commission I'm sitting here looking at now my position I wrote a five-page
email I'm like I must have been insane if I ever thought the May and commission would read five pages about the Miami Beach pension system uh but that being said you know I I talk about you know we had a $400 million underfunded pension liability uh the agregate pension
performance um and then ran I sound like such a dork but but then ran stress test analysis of if the annual percentage return would come in under what was pinpointed in our pension obligations of s and a half% what that would do to the
budget um I I just I can't comprehend my state of mind at the time thinking somebody would have read this uh but that being said it was an important yes it was an important topic to me then um and this isn't even about really uh yes
it's about the money but I studied pensions kind of across the board from a Public Finance Municipal Finance standpoint when you look at uh Chicago's debt rating uh just got downgraded to Triple B and it's going to uh ironically they just uh I believe today or
yesterday passed a billion doll infastructure geobond and the rates to essentially go out and try and fund that are incrementally higher because of their lower credit rating much of which is predicated on their unfunded pension liabilities uh so where I'm going with
this is what I was trying to convey to the uh mayor and commission then was that that is the primary Catalyst for municipalities that are essentially experiencing Financial uh trouble or burdens is their unfunded pension
liability I I get that um this isn't going to be seismic or Mountain moving but going to try and lead with example I speak on this sorry yes go ahead so I could vote Yes on this and be
a lily white because frankly doesn't affect me doesn't affect you commissioner magazine doesn't affect any of us up here but I think it would be so hypocritical if I vote Yes and then my
like a colleague who gets elected is not going to get the same benefit that I am that is not nice it's not compassionate um it's it's
hypocritical that's what it is it's it's hypocrisy and it's this is the most elest legislation that has no compassion for anybody moving forward so I made a to defer because maybe we need I think
that I'd like to see the financial implications of these pensions and I would request that everybody who supports this item also give up their pension and go into a defined contribution because anybody who votes for this okay and it doesn't affect them
but it punishes everybody else in the future who might want to run for office um I think there's a moral wrong there and and and and so you know we could all be hypocritical
Pharisees and say yes the moral high road is that we do not run for office to get these small pensions but that's not the reality of what's going on here um this is a political maneuver I don't think that this is about cost cutting savings because you know um I think
that's very subjective I think this is to hurt um people and force votes and there's not a lot of compassion um embedded in this item um so I would like to see the financials before I make a decision do you want to
I mean we could defer I'm going to support because I wanted the I want the information as well do you want to defer this can I just chime in here yeah uh with Marla that doesn't just come naturally right that has to be that's going to cost money in and of itself
it's going to take a considerable amount of time it's not just you know back of the envelope stuff that they have lying around they would have to go and have to reach out to an actuary pay for St wait wait I I got to ask some followup questions on that there's how many how many we can't see I mean there's maybe
what 20 or 30 how many electeds are there that receive pensions former electeds oh there's a lot I I don't know the answer to the question I can get it for you just no but we're sending out we're sending out checks to these people right we don't
know how much we're paying them well the they get like $500 a commissioner gets like 500 but somebody like Maddie Bower who worked for 14 years receives about 12 let me I think the question is what would the financial impact of this ordinance be that work has to be done by
an actuary because it's not a simple straightforward I guess I'm asking a different question I'm asking what right now how much money we spend annually on pensions for former elected officials I can find that out from the pension board
we don't I don't have that dat but they have it they do I think that's the question I don't think we need an actual analysis costing whatever you're thinking hundreds I just I and I think I don't want to speak for you commissioner but I think that's what we're seeking what do we pay currently annually I think that's the number we need um it's
going to change a little bit because if I if I may if the question is just how much on a monthly basis uh that the pension fund which is a separate legal entity pays out on a monthly basis to uh pension collecting uh elected official officials obviously yes they would have that number and have that
number quickly but that's just going to tell you what that what that that current amount is and obviously would increase a bit in the future as more elected officials become pension eligible but at some point it would you know it would do you want to make a motion commissioner Ros Gonzalez to to refer this to the finance committee this
is a finance issue and then we'll and I'll support that okay I would like to refer this to the finance committee and I would also like to reiterate that anybody voting yes for this should and willingly give up their pension because that's the right thing to do and support of this I'll second your motion
okay Mr Mayor um I look I I I this isn't a political stunt okay this has been on the agenda for a long time this actually I put this on as soon as I heard about what happened in the city of Miami so this isn't I didn't just put this on the agenda for this meeting
um you know look I I I can agree I I I do my best to work and agree with my colleagues but when I think there is just bad policy and bad governance uh I'm going to disagree so it really doesn't matter what the numbers are it's
not like it's going to change they vested okay um I I I simply just don't believe that after four years you have a lifetime pension on 60,000 75,000 and
that's not to say that in the future those numbers are going to go up and you know maybe in 10 years it's $100,000 uh with with everything combined okay we have a motion and a second on the table let's call that vote and then we'll call if if that fails then we'll call the item itself so this is as a referral to
the finance committee all in favor please say I nay nay so no I here commissioner uh Suarez no I hear commissioner Fernandez is that correct so 52 no 43 43 so the item is referred to the finance committee is that going
to be then this item is on hold or is that between first and second reading there were two parts to this motion so if you vote no on this does that mean that you're willing to sacrifice a future pensions but collect a pension yourself that the item passed it's going
it's going to be referred to finance that's crazy anybody who's voting to harm their future colleages take it themselves Mr Mayor C7 Mr Mayor the item passed but I but you know we were called what you call this
Pharisees or something like that what what did you call this yes okay let's just okay I think just to clarify the record maybe it's my but maybe it's just my experience working in government as it relates to pensions and I know the
City attorney attorney told me he needs to spend talk talk to pension C Council about this government the moment you vest in a pension I'm actually going to stop the no the we we've all talked we've all settled personally I have you're very
selective about them Mr Mayor with all due respect the item passed no I don't I can't think of one single item today that we've discussed after the item passed it passed we have a lot of items to discuss it pass to go to finance that's what I'm saying the item passed I'm sorry we we've we've we've we we've all got our
input on it C7 AO sir C7 AO is for sister cities Odessa Ukraine uh just for that one item was separated by commissioner Suarez c78 thank you Mr Mayor um so I I wanted
to ask uh vice mayor bot um did did anybody from our local members of Congress Maria Salazar Carlos s menz di Bard freder Wilson or Scott collaborate with you on this drafting of
this resolution are you kidding no no I wrote it when I was supposed to be doing my agenda uh prep at home one night before I dove into my agenda so again no elected member of
Congress has collaborated with you on this no okay so look I mean considering the timing of this last minute submission to I think it came in last night um I'm going to venture to Guess that the intent of this resolution is purely
partisan and an attempt to antagonize anyone right A Center you know I I don't think that this is a proper way to govern as a nonpartisan government official um you know we have more I it
really be best if you just focused on the item itself I mean you're making a little personal so focus on the language that I think that would be better look I I think we have more registered NPA in this city than either Democrat or Republicans three of which are on this
deas um you know I I personally cannot support a hyperparallel um you know I think that this is the opposite of Common Sense and and an extreme gesture to attack a specific
political party um can I finish please thank you you know the hyper partisanship of this resolution risks damaging our City's ability to access certain funds and resources from state and federal agencies you know I I don't
understand why we are poking this bear we're going to need the state's help for spring break this year we're going to need the federal government for pending infrastructure projects uh you know injecting a political bias into a to City governance
by forcing a vote on a resolution regarding Ukraine sets a dangerous precedent and distracts from our core responsibilities to the residents of Miami Beach our commission exists to address local issues Public Safety infrastructure
Community well-being not to engage in honestly political theater and symbolic Grand standing on an international conflicts that fall outside our jurisdiction while Global events May a strong emotions our role is to focus on
policies that have a direct and meaningful impact on our city and residents using the commission as a platform for personal political statements not only waste time and resources but also risk dividing our community over matters that we have no authority to
influence good governance demands that we remain committed and focused to serving our residents not engaging in performative political State politic Politics on the world stage so you know I'm certainly not going to put my name on a resolution
that might affect our financial and political relationships at the state and federal level and I highly advise all of you to think this through and not repeat the mistakes of previous commissions um the only person using this as a political stunt at the moment
is you it was a um I'm not asking you to votee on anything it would not have been called out it follows in the precedent of supporting our sister cities all this is doing is restating facts and urging that
we um uh reaffirm our our support for our sister city Odessa we are not sending them a fire station a fire truck like we have to uh Israel we are not donating a fire truck like we have have to kumel we are in uh we have done this
before with adessa where we um uh did this in 2022 I don't see you pulling the item that uh talks about the TPS for Venezuelans it is an equivalent um potential poking of the bear but this item is being singled out and that item
is not um I I I take offense at at when we and you know the the irony the irony is that today today Heather Shaw let me know that the mayor of Odessa actually emailed us asking for
guidance on how to help protect their historic um uh sites they are UNESCO City Odessa is getting clobbered in this war that they did not start they were invaded let's not forget that but
politics aside we are sister cities and in times of need we have a rich history of supporting our sister cities and to call this out when when it's been done in the past and it's being done at the same time uh you know urging some some
different viewpoints with the TPS for Venezuelans is being done on this very same agenda I'm not the one making political statements here commissioner Fernandez thank you I just you
know this is a sister city this is a sister city the sister city is something that we enter into to extend bonds and support and we are a community here in Miami Beach that understands the cost of
Oppression the pain of people who have been displaced the sacrifices made in the fight for self-determination and I think it's right to to to today to reaffirm our
support for our sister city um I think they've faced tremendous hardships uh from the destruction of homes uh to to attacks on their
infrastructure and their ports they've they've they've been suffering acts of aggression um and I think it's right I I think I I I think there are sister city we've entered into into this agreement I
think Miami Beach needs to stand with with with Odessa we need to stand with the principles of Peace of democracy of Human Rights uh which is the spirit upon which we entered into our agreement our
sister city agreement and and I think we should continue to use our voice to advocate for humanitarian assistance for protections uh for resources for people who who desperately need it uh especially in the face of Injustice
especially when they were provoked uh and and and attacked the way that they were uh by by a murderous dictator um so you know if if we didn't have this sister city
relationship one could question and I would still think it would still be right because supporting supporting Odessa I think aligns with with with our values um but but this is indeed today the right thing to to do to
continue supporting Ukraine in its fight uh for for Freedom after all that they've been suffering just would it would it help if we uh I don't know if the sponsor is willing but if we took out the fourth the third to last Warehouse Clause where it talks about
the language about false narratives I mean the the the resolution stands on its own without that paragraph with that a would you be willing vice mayor and B would that would that um because otherwise look I just
again I I think the intent of this resolution is is ill- founded I mean why not why wasn't this not sent a year ago U why is it why was it just sent last night as an addendum I think and and why is it being sent to the US delegation to
the United States we've actually had had uh resolutions in the past supporting Ukraine and we actually lit up City Hall um but and we had a delegation we had a delegation come and the mayor of of of Odessa participated via zoom in
our meeting and it there's a strong bond there there's me excuse me there's a I just think it's very I I just think it's it's an issue that it's a last minute submission and and when we had a whole year to do this so I I look because you
know one of the things that triggered this was that um there was a bombing of Chernobyl right there's a drone attack what does that have to do with Miami Beach we are a sister city you know we not aister exuse me may I finish my thought of
course we are not even a Sovereign Nation after October 7th we spent another I think it's 10 million jason10 million invested in Israeli bonds to show support we have sent I don't know what cost a City ambulance uh a fire
truck to to Israel and I think that's great I have no issue with that with that I didn't question the timing I didn't question why we did it we are a sister city of this or of this city that is a UNESCO world heritage site I you know I'm sorry that it didn't occur to
me to do it on February 20 whatever the the two weeks ago when when the bombing happened uh February 14th I should have drafted it then it didn't occur to me and I apologize for not thinking about things that way but my question to you is if you're so upset about this gesture
why aren't you so UPS excuse me why aren't you ask literally if I me finish my sentence why aren't you pulling the TPS for Venezuelan issue item and having the same discussion about that I I mean I think I think you're being selected so
I I think if you're trying to compare Ukraine to Venezuela or Israel to the resent suami Beach you're very out of touch with presence of Miami Beach I think I find it I I personally find it personally offensive to just to suggest the two are even comparable I don't know
what the population on that on that one I'm generally supportive but on that one I agree I I don't like the analogy of your I think it's I think it's highly offensive to suggest that there's there's a symbolic comparison between Ukraine and Israel for Miami Beach Miami
Beach was founded by Jews it's basically half Jewish right now Joe stonecrab was the first first business built in May beach was built by Jews you know um I don't remember hearing a a vast
population of significant cultural historical uh significance of Ukrainian people to Miami Beach although this was discussed earlier as of late we have people chanting Hil Hitler on on Ocean Drive we have elderly
Jews being accosted by uh uh pramas sympathizers and we have local businesses being targeted for being Jewish I think it's when we talk about Israel that is
directly uh has significance to Miami Beach Ukraine does not TI even suggest so is ridiculous I mean I understand this as a sister city but the fact that I think the intent of this is to antagonize anyone Center of right and I
don't want it to jeopardize our relationship ships with the state and federal government we've had previous commissions that have done that in the past and it's never worked out and it's all political theater and we don't need
to do that we shouldn't be involving ourselves when it doesn't directly relate to Miami Beach and I'm not going to put my name on a piece of legislation that's going to be sent to Marco rubier or the US delegations on a on a poorly written resolution that is
anyone else wants to do that sure but I'm certainly not going to put my name on that commissioner Rosen Gonzalez you know vice mayor bot and let's call it in for in November I had a little PowerPoint related to tickets and travel after there was some controversy over
bosil and commissioner Suarez said to me at that time this is an election year and we should not campaign on the de so today I'm going to give you your own words commissioner sarez there is some
sort of campaigning going on right here on the deis and all day long I think it has been antagonistic I think um there have been forcing votes attacking uh programs um of different colleagues um
minimal funding for committees um commissioner dominguez's um resiliency program um I think that there has and I think that this is all campaigning from the day now I don't know what you're for and I don't know what the purpose of
this is but this is a simple benign resolution simple benign resolution about our sister city and I don't think that there's anything wrong with it and there is a real double standard if we approve like commissioner bot said the
Venezuelan um resolution but we have a problem with showing support for our sister city this is nothing more than commissioner Suarez is political theater and honestly it's really impeded business all day long and I'm not sure
what the purpose of all of it is or why you're campaigning or what you're campaigning for but I think that these attacks on all of us have been very disruptive today and I do take them as attacking because I've watched you attack every single colleague up here today and um I'm not sure if this is the
kind of leadership that uh you believe in but I'm supportive of this resolution we received the delegation through the Chamber of Commerce um from Odessa here and we have a very close relationship and we were very warm and supportive and
I don't see why this would be um offensive I have no problem putting my name on this and this is a nonpartisan group but this is our sister city and I'm very supportive of this Mr Mayor Mr I have commissioner May respond to that
okay I think I think wait wait wait wait wait wait I think it's important I will I the reason why I I'm going out of order commissioner Fernandez is he was he was directed a comment at him I'm goingon to allow him to respond dominate the conversation Mr Mayor you got to let everyone the opportunity I understand but he he he was directly challenged on
something I don't give him the opportunity I you're GNA give everyone the opportunity to when they're directly challenged so okay so now we know that's the rule when anyone's directly challenged we're going to have the opportunity before the vote is taken thank you thank you Mr Mayor look I I'm I'm certainly not campaigning got
another three years to go I I that's not even in my mindset right now uh I think the only person really campaigning from the deis is you commissioner Rosen Gonzalez I think on every I think on every I think on is
defending everybody else programs that you're attacking I think on every issue for future workers I mean this is you're being hyper partisan I think that I think the only person who's being say the I mean I've felt all day like we're being investigated by Doge and
it's to me and there's are these are small di Minimus numbers that we've been attacking all day um if we were absolutely to get some sort of financial analysis of some of the funding um that you have uh requested and we have provided I think that that would be
extremely telling so I don't think there's campaigning going on here I think what's going on here is some sort of um I don't like the attacks on yeah I don't want to attack but I mean having attacking everybody's issues and everyone's programs today especially
what I found the most offensive was the $3,000 for every single for the lgbtq the black Affairs handicapped people this is unacceptable commissioner Fernandez I think the most important thing is that we are a diverse
Community this is not a community just of Jewish people this is not just a community of Hispanic people this is not just a community of you know anglos this is a diverse Community I know Ukrainian people that
live in in in Miami Beach for whom this means something I've been invited to their house this weekend to celebrate this some pre-lent celebration that involves pancakes and waffles that they or pancakes and and uh
and um syrup or something like that that they do I don't know the tradition but I know it's a tradition that Ukrainian people do before lent and I've been invited to their house to celebrate that we are a community of many diff many different
backgrounds and I think we need to realize that there are Ukrainian people in Miami Beach who deserve to be recognized who has suffered and whose pain is real and whose sister city relationship with Miami Beach means
something to them we need to recognize that we are a community where we have Hispanic people and there's a Hispanic Affairs committee that recognizes the their work and their and their needs and and makes contributions towards a Hispanic Community they deserve our
support too we have a black Affairs committee that that that recognizes our black community and does programming and supports the needs of the black community they they that Community exists in Miami Beach and they support they deserve our support as well but in
this item there are Ukrainian people in Miami Beach you Ukrainian people who have suffered because of what has happened uh in their in in their home and we decided
to enter into bonds and ties of sister cityhood because of that and so and so it is only right it's right to support the Hispanic Community it's right to support sensitivity trainings against anti-Semitism and it's
right to support the black Affairs committee and it's also equally right in a nonpartisan way to support our sister city in Ukraine and I think what the mayor proposed was very reasonable and amendments to take out language that
might make the resolution feel uh more inflammatory than it needs to be I support that am because the goal is not to take a partisan stance and I don't think that was commissioner bot's goal commissioner bot's goal was to support people who have been
targeted and who deserve the moral support that we have given other communities in in the past we are a diverse community and we will continue to be a diverse Community we're not a homogenius community Miami Beach is
built on diversity Hispanics exist ukrainians exist blacks exist we are a community of diversity and I hope we don't steer away from the diversity that has built us okay um so I have the question whether you'll
take the friendly Amendment and remove the warehouse cl to me that makes it not uh takes out the partisanship but vice mayor Bob um you know first of all I'm not equating Ukraine with Israel and the order of magnitude is incalculable but I will point out
from the world Jewish relief organization that by 2023 this is I'm reading from their website Feel Free by 2023 a year after Russia's devastating full scale Invasion the Jewish community of Ukraine was estimated at only 43 I
added the only to be fair that was me editorializing at around 43,000 people just 3% of what it once was so if you want to throw religion into this which I was not trying to do that's another reason to support it again I I you know
we have a rich history of supporting our sister cities in times of need or crisis um we have done this before we did it in 2022 I'm happy to remove what some people think is inflammatory because of
say inflammatory partisan it's not partisan it is not partis it is a a letter of support for our sister city who is going through very difficult times and you Ain got the votes you're going to win 61 so so so but I do want
to ask because I've asked this will be the third time that I've asked if this is a concern for you why are we not discussing the Venezuela TPS issue well there's I'm certainly aware that there's a lot more Venezuelans in a Miami Beach than ukrainians but a do we have a motion yeah it's just it's just there's
there's more history with venezuel with the friendly Amendment with the friendly amendment I move it will somebody second it second call the vote I have a motion uh by commissioner bot seconded by commissioner Fernandez as amended C7 all in favor please say I I anyone opposed n
one no commissioner Suarez item passes we're running out of time but I'd like a couple things that I think are a little time sensitive C7 a yes sir C7 AK approved $5,000 scholarship to a UDA senior arts classes at Stella Mo's house C7
AK want to make a motion I think it's going to pass yes thank you commission r Gonzalez we have a second I'll second wow approved C7 AK I have a motion in a second all in favor please say I I I C7
AK passes 70 couple other time sensitive items if anyone has a time sensitive it please let me know C7 AI C7 AI direct Administration organized produced Miami Beach R Deco exhibition in Lumis Park C7 AI so second I heard a motion from
commissioner Dominguez seconded by commissioner Fernandez C7 7 AI if no discussion may take the vote Yes all in favor please say I I motion passes 70 that was C7 AI C7 am C7 am authorized mayor to participate in non-binding
negotiations with the Clevelander this continues the stay I'll move the item second call the vote I'm sorry I heard a second but I didn't hear the who made a motion commissioner Fernandez I second it I heard uh all in favor please say I
I I motion passes 70 so let's call can we do this quickly r5x R5 Y and R r5z Tom can I read them all together are they Yep they're all um they're all related they're all companion items yes
sir r5x an ordance of the mayor and City Commission of the city of M Beach Florida amending chapter 7 of the M Beach resiliency code zoning districts and regulations article 3 entitled overlay District at section 7.3.6 Ocean Terrace overlay to amend the Ocean Terrace overlay regulations to clarify that regulations applicable to properties that were previously zoned
mxc will continue to apply to properties fronting ocean terce and providing for catification repealer severability and effective date that was r5x it is a first reading public hearing the item requires 57s vote r5y is in ordinance of the mayor and City Commission of the city of May Beach
Florida amending the future land use map of the the comprehensive plant by CH changing the future land use category pursuant to section 2.4.1 of b beach resiliency code and pursuant to sections 163 3181 and Section 163 3187 Florida statutes for the mxc mix use
Entertainment District in North Beach located along Ocean Terrace between 73rd and 75th streets and which is comprised of less than 10 acres from the current designation of mxe mixed use entertainment to the Future land use category of cd2 commercial medium intensity and providing for inclusion in
the comprehensive plan mid repealer sh ability at an effective date this is a first reading public hearing that was item R5 Y r5z is an order to the mayor and City Commission of the city of man Beach Florida amending the officials official zoning District map reference in section 7.2.1 point2 of the man Beach
resiliency code entitled District map pursuant to section 2.51 entitled change of zoning District boundaries resoning by changing the zoning District classification for the mxc mix use Entertainment District located in North Beach along Ocean Terrace between 73rd and 75th streets and which is comprised
of less than 10 acres from the current zoning classification of mxe mix use entertainment to cd2 commercial medium intensity and providing for codification repealers have ability at an effective date there is a first reading public hearing the item requires 57s vote that was r5z commissioner bot vice mayor bot oh
sorry this is this should be an easy one um I'll let Tom do the heavy lifting and explain it but basically this is the final step in rolling back um the MSC designation for Ocean Terrace which had been initially put in place for a good reason as it was in um o on Ocean Drive
and and the mxc down here to encourage development and and sort of uh jump start um a more abund part of the city and that's great and um we don't need that Ocean Terrace we have a big new project that will eventually come online that we're looking forward to we have a
ton of other um great stuff going on in North Beach and this is just a protection to make sure that we don't somehow accidentally find ourselves falling into an out of control nightclub so Tom have about it I'll just mention just from a technical standpoint uh
r5z is the amendment to the zoning map which changes the properties fronting ocean terrorist between 73rd and 75th from mxc to cd2 which would mayor the cd2 district uh on the properties immediately to the West on Collins r5y
is the comprehensive plan amendment that changes the future land use map designation to the same thing from um mxc to cd2 and then lastly r5x is an ldr text amendment that does a minor text Amendment to the ocean tffs overlay to
basically replace mxe with cd2 can I move it it's my item can I move it second okay call the V and this is a public hearing yes it is it is a public hearing I see no one in Zoom no one in the audience requesting to speak on any of these three items may I call the vote on all of them yes uh
commissioner Suarez yes commissioner Dominguez uh absent commissioner who uh Dominguez so Dominguez commissioner Fernandez yes vice mayor bot well okay yes commissioner magazine yes
commissioner Rosen Gonzalez yes mayor Miner yes motion carries and commissioner Dominguez is a yes motion carries the second reading public hearing for all three items is scheduled for April 23rd being told uh I've had a request
there's a couple of time sensitive items motion to extend the meeting for 15 minutes 15 minutes okay with that okay all right C4 a fun C4 a direct survey of health
insurance participants C7 a no that's you just read C7 a this is a different one I'm sorry which item then C4 I'm s I'm sorry one sec so we're doing C4
Al to finance expand health benefits include fertility treatment for employees C7 a C4 Al C4 Al um this is an item I placed on the agenda because Mr Mr manager correct me if I'm wrong we're currently negotiating our health
benefits is that correct this is correct I've think I've spoken with members of our Workforce that have encountered issues with reproductive Health with fertility and they've encountered that there's uh little oftentimes to no coverage of these of these issues uh in
their in in in the city's uh health insurance uh it's often not spoken about because for a lot of people it's a very sensitive it's a very delicate it's a very emotional uh matter and uh and this is uh only a referral to committee to explore the possibility the cost the
feasibility of including reproductive health and and fertility as part of our coverage for those for those individuals uh that needed in our Workforce with that I move my item second let's call a
vote I have a motion in a second on C4 a all in favor say I I I the item is referred 70 C4 Al C7 Al C7 Al is direct survey of health insurance
participants and Mr Mayor this is a companion item I've I've accompanied I've I've placed on the on the agenda because you know similar to the issue with matters relating to reproductive Health I've spoken with members of our Workforce who there are medications that
they need that the insurance might not cover I even came across one person in our Workforce that went to go at their annual mamogram something that's preventative and they had to get a more specialized uh mamogram something having to do with mass or something like that
something that apparently is pretty common and the insurance wouldn't cover it and these are only the things that we hear about I only can imagine what other things uh might might what other deficiencies might exist in our health care that might be important for
People's Health even even preventative medicine in nature um and screening in nature that might not be covered but we need to know uh of as we go about our negotiations with our health insurance so uh so this is a survey of our
Workforce to see what are the needs that they have that AR being covered currently uh by the health insurance so that we can take it into account while we're negotiating these plans with that I move my item than I have a motion in a second by commissioner Suarez I call the
RO yes all in favor of C7 please say I I I hearing no one opposed the item is approved 70 C7 a there's a there's a few um just they were on consent but they were addendum so they didn't get approved on consent they're just
referrals hopefully it'll go quick C4 a C4 a is referral to finance sidewalk landscape lighting improvements Miami Beach promin C C4 AK I'll move my item Mr Mayor second all the vote I have a
motion by commissioner Fernandez second by commissioner sarez C4 a all in favor please say I I item is referred 70 C4 a C4 am C4 am is referral to F establish
of security District in bashore neighborhood I believe that was separated by commissioner Fernandez C4 am Mr Mayor call yes Mr Mayor I'm I recusing from agenda item item C4 a am as I as I have AV voiding conflict of
interest I am abstaining from participating and voting on this matter because my spouse and I have ownership interest and real in real property located in the bayor neighborhood including apartment buildings and the single family home where we reside as this measure could lead to the imposition of special assessments on
multiple properties in which my spouse or I have an ownership I am abstaining from participation in this matter I'm not trying to be funny because you choose to or because that's the right thing to do because we live in a Seven Mile City right we're we're all
going to uh be voting on matters that have uh an impact on the property that we own thank you thank you Mr commissioner I'm going to defer to our City attorney and to our Inspector General I I come from the practice of um growing up in public service over the
years when there are things that could potentially be a conflict I was always thought you check to see if you have a potential conflict of interest I checked with the city attorney I also checked with the Inspector General to seek their guidance
and Mr attorney I'll pass it on to you this particular sorry I asked just almost for my own benefit so we're when I'm voting on something on West Avenue you know yeah well but this this is something well I'll refer to there there are some instances where it's a matter that is of General application where you
don't have to recuse yourself but because this is a specific neighborhood and because of the amount of property that commissioner Fernandez and his spouse own there is a potential conflict so the the best course is for him to recuse himself in this particular
case but it's always on a case-by Case basis so if you ever have a concern that you may have a conflict please contact me or Nick cles yes commissioner Suarez thank you Mr Mayor this is my item and and in full disclosure I currently live in this neighborhood um the reason I
brought this forward is because uh there's been a recent string of burglaries and and home robberies in in my neighborhood um neighbors reached out to me asking me what can be done and I floated the idea of a uh potential
special taxing district for roving security guards um and there seem I'm I'm in a group chat with dozens of of people in in Bay Shore and so uh they are asking me to at least start the conf
conversation so um Mr City attorney is there any sort of conflict of interest that I could be um that I should be aware of um when it comes to this should I hand this over to one of my colleagues to to Champion um you let me know uh I
at this time because the neighborhood is is so broadly defined I don't see a need for you to recuse yourself if the if the boundaries for any proposed special taxing district should change we would have to look at this again and then determine whether you could bring the item at all or one of your colleagues
would need to take it over um if if they wish to okay so at the current time um it should be fine and if there is any sort of conflict of interest you will let me know uh yes we will work closely with you to make sure that if there's a conflict that we we take the prop proper steps okay thank you so with that I'd
like to move my item so I'd like to just make a quick comment I you know it's curious to me because um I lived on the in bore for 13 years I was on the board of the bore HOA and I reached out to to um to uh leadership of the HOA and they didn't know they were taken back by
seeing this item on the agenda so I'm C I'll be very curious to see how this goes um I'm you know it's a perfectly valid point uh conversation to have and I'm I'll support it but uh it's just a little surprising that b or HOA
leadership I'd like to I'd like to call our police chief uh you you commissioner you use the term string of robbery a Burg string of burglaries in the Bas our neighborhood and I'd like to call the chief to good good evening Wayne Jones please Chief um so Mr Mayor commission um we
have had some some concerning uh incidents over there in the past few weeks typically speaking the neighborhood is very very very very safe uh but in recent weeks we had had some issues we had at least one occupied burglary I think um that subject was arrested but out of the issue where I think a couple of people are trespassing
in a home that was addressed as well those folks arrested as well is there one and I I understand there's one person still at large correct yeah that's correct okay and and and just for the record uh Mr Mayor again this is from the group chat hello my name is
Nicole and my my husband and I recently moved into 2145 Meridian at about 4:25 a.m. on February 18th two men attempted to break into my home they attempted to dismantle the camera on the side of my door and then proceeded into my backyard and peered Through the Windows I filed a CRI criminal complaint and I've been in
touched with the detective assigned to raja's Case and provided the detective with all the video footage the detectives believe one of the men is in custody but he is still not able to identify the second suspect and then there's again there's you know not a very warm welcome um you know one one a
man came into our backyard took a shower my housekeeper was here called me I was out of the country I said call the police he left by the time they got there uh he stole an Amazon package in the middle of the night and I I there's there's at least a dozen of these issues
where people have have reached out to me in the Bayshore neighborhood so this I just want to make it very clear that this is not because I live in the neighborhood uh there is a public record of actual neighbors and residents reaching out to me for for help and I'd
like to float this idea of a um a special test commissioner Dominguez and commissioner Rose Gonzalez just a remind this is a referral correct oh my I was just going to suggest a friendly amendment to make it a dual referral to the neighborhoods committee so that the bayor neighborhood could come in here
about it that's fine okay commissioner Rosa Gonzalez um this could be like a just the same people I had North bab Road reach out to me too lower North bab Road said they've had a rash of burglaries or and they want to close their neighborhood off too so so I don't know
how easy this is to do but um hopefully you'll catch these people because maybe it's the same people that are hitting all of these single family homes yeah one person some some of them are each situation some of them are car burglaries uh not homes but uh yeah commissioner magazine yeah Mr Mayor and
chief Jones uh we actually had a similar conversation uh close to a year ago about North Bay Road in the Venetian Islands after I came in and met with you with uh with a member of North Bay Road that uh his house was intruded upon and there's been uh since multiple incidents
in that area in particular on both lower middle and upper um so I guess I'll have to bring a separate item next month but but uh I think I'll look to establish or explore the possibility of a self- taxing district on the North Bay Road
area uh that would just provide roving whether it be off-duty uh police or things like that um I don't think we're to the extent or wouldn't be feasible logistically feasible where we shut off that road uh but you know given um some of the quality of life issues that have
popped up in that area if those uh residents are willing to self-fund uh roaming Security in the evenings that will be concentrated in that area I think it's an idea that I'll look to explore and Mr Mayor just want to clarify something we're not closing off
anyone anything uh for at least for bayor the idea is just again to have uh additional roving Security in the neighborhood dedicated to Bayshore so there's no guard Gates uh or any physical uh
barriers um okay it's North Bay Road from 41st to 47th they said that they've had a lot of car burglaries too maybe we could go park a car there or something I know that that sometimes helps yeah so we've had both um we call decco Vehicles
parked at various places along North Bay Road particularly up in North Bay Road we've also had um a car assigned to northb Road uh for well over a year we've recently doubled that so now we have two cars assigned to North B Road
um and at this very moment we also implemented uh a special detail to address issues in mid Beach uh broadly but in specifically northb Road as well I did have my Amazon packages stolen the other day for the first time
ever so you know there's someone out there and maybe there's a a question for both the City attorney I I think the sponsor will be open to it uh but I don't know about the title and the naming would we be able to amend this and have a referral for North Bay Road as well or would that have to come as a
separate sure we could do that eventually we may need to split the items up but uh we could we could do that would you be okay with that yeah as long as we can split it up yeah yeah that's where we'll go in committee I just want to do it for timing sake okay yeah and chief you had you had uh
mentioned to me when I inquired that there were um additional resources that you were putting into North Bay Road you also mentioned I don't want to I'm going to hint that it because I don't want to say something that you wouldn't want publicly but there's other agencies involved do you want to is that something you can share correct so we're
doing a a region task force to address issues that have been occurring at around NorthBay road because it's not issues that uh just limited or restricted to May beach it's happening regionally and exclusive neighborhood out South Florida C4 uh so let's take
the vote so I have a referral I have I have a referral to Public Safety and to FK and also to amenda to include North Bay Road I have a motion by commissioner Suarez seconded by second by commissioner magazine all in favor favor motion passes uh
commissioner Fernandez is recused he will have to file form AB uh and if we can call him back please then uh while he's coming back we'll call another referral item C4 C4 a is a referral to the finance committee establishment of security
District in Venetian Island C4 a I'll make a motion if you could add me as a coor item is this also a dual referral or just yeah do AAL referral yeah okay so commissioner Fernand I have
a motion by commissioner magazine second by commissioner Rosen Gonzalez C4 all in favor please say I I the item is dually referred to finance and Public Safety neighborhood quality of life commissioner Fernandez I motion to extend the me the meeting by minutes
what there's one I'm being told there's one last very time sensitive item uh R9 AJ and then we'll call it quick thank you Mr R9 AJ is austic Action Impact of mday tax collector operations change commission magazine yeah thank
you Mr Mayor this is something that I feel is critical to kind of get out into the atmosphere um we discussed it at FK but this is an item that our city should be aware of uh our our commission We Got A LTC uh for it um but this is going to
have some very significant implications for our budget uh even without this uh it's debatable that our budget could be entering uh rather challenging year the last three years we've benefited from near double digigit property tax
valuation increases um and right now essentially uh I'll leave it to staff to explain but given the what was voted on in uh our County resolution where uh there will be a new uh constitutional Charter officer with the DMV that uh the
head of the DMV a tremendous gentleman uh but he's exercised his authority where they will no longer get funding from the state they will go out and actually charge each individual municipality uh so that's $6 million from our budget that will go to Just
funding DMVs uh to give a state of where things were we ended last year and and that was with a 9% property valuation increase we ended last year with a $14 million budget surplus if you take half of that if you take $6 million that's
half of our entire Surplus right there and then we have uh pension I'm sorry Union negotiate Union contracts that we had to renegotiate and uh we're sitting uh basically at a different spot an incremental $6 to7 million just based
off of those Union contracts so if we would just extrapolate last year's budget where we had a $14 million surplus it's gone like that in just these two line items so uh the county is facing uh similar uh budget I don't want to say challenges uh but they're going
into uh what they've deemed a challenging budget year as well um they're actually anticipating a softening in uh property valuation increases and I think it's absolutely prudent that we are front and center about this begin talking about this now
and Factor it into the decisions that we're making each and every meeting each and every day so Mr CFO uh hopefully I teed that up for you if there's anything you want to add to that um feel free I think uh to be as you know I can be succinct I think you covered really all
of the items it's uh just to be very wary going into this budget season that we are looking at you know a potential uh we're still having some conversations but we're looking at a potential you know 6 million plus hit to the general fund and that ALS so hits the CRA the
RDA and our voted Debt Service so we're kind of starting off with a hole so it's it's going to be a tough budget season coming up yeah and for a lot of these capital projects sorry Mr Mayor a lot of these capital projects that are un underfunded we would essentially say okay well we're going to take $3 million
out of the Surplus put these into the capital projects uh just based on where we wound up last year extrapolate that a year ahead and then take these two line items out there's no Surplus it's yes it's going to be very difficult operationally for our operations budget
and if there's any Capital dollars you know again we funded the change on the fire station which took up a big chunk of the Surplus we usually would use uh to fund our Pago projects so it's going to be very slim in our capital budget and even tight it might even tighter in our operating I'll add two points one is
we sent 207 Miami Beach sent $273 million to the county last year on property taxes so uh we pay our fair share and then some a lot of residents don't realize a lot of the property taxes do not stay in our budget the other thing is I did receive a call from uh one of the major cities in Miami day
County um a mayor who was very concerned about this as well so I think there's there's there there's some concern there there's I'm involved in a group that we're having some conversations okay what do you want to do with this really this was the way raise awareness uh
there's no take action um but it's something that should be at the Forefront of our minds as we go through all of our decisions report commissioner Ros Gonzalez can I ask one question I know you mentioned this to me earlier why does he need two two and a half% of our budget for what uh the reason is
that the uh he he's availing himself of this constitutional right you know our first-time elected uh tax collector to take over the DMV so the his idea is to instead of having I think the two centralized DMV offices is to have a series or a network of tax collector
offices providing many different Services the State DMV runs at a substantial deficit so they'll be utilizing our property taxes to cover uh the D the DMV side of their services and was the 2 and a half% arbitrary it's 2% and that's my understanding is that's
based on the um the Constitutional that's the the state so a state constitutional officer has the right to invade property taxes up to 2% at the end of this legislative cycle we might not even have property taxes right isn't that a movement well I know I mean I read that
the governor said this you know so this could be a thing we haven't seen all the bills coming out of Tallahasse yet it's going to be fun thank you everyone great meeting