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Heat. Heat. N. Heat. Heat. Please take your seats. The meeting is about to begin. Remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public record. Please stand by. We are going on air in
5 4 3 2 1. Good morning everyone. Welcome to the June 17th, 2026 meeting of the public safety and neighborhood quality of life committee. I'm joined by Vice Mayor Laura Dominguez, by Commissioner Tanya
Kbad, and by Commissioner Monica Matel Selenas. I'm going to pass the floor over to our staff liaison Stephanie Ray Brooks for this morning's announcements. >> Good morning. Today's public safety neighborhoods quality and life committee meeting is a hybrid meeting. The members of the committee will be physically
present at the commission chambers. Members of the public who wish to attend this meeting or provide public comment in person may appear at the commission chambers. Members of the public who want to participate or provide comment virtually during the meeting may join via webinar via Zoom. We also added a
supplemental this morning with residents comments for item number eight and that is live on the agenda. >> Thank you Stephanie. We're going to order we're going to take today's agenda in the order in which it was printed as as usual and uh as every committee meeting we're going to start with a
citizens public uh forum where residents are given two minutes to speak on any issue whether it's on the agenda or not. So residents wishing to speak uh feel free to approach the podium. Uh you'll be given two two minutes to speak.
Residents attending via Zoom feel free to raise your hand on Zoom and you'll be afforded two minutes as well. Good morning. Welcome. >> Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. Um you do such amazing work. I'm so uh entertained by the the depth of the commentary, the questions when I come in
here. Um, I did not know really how the public felt about having a bird bath on Bell Isle until I went out to ask. And inadvertently, my um, questions and my questioning them has created tremendous demand. I was feeding the birds this morning and I was just running out of
the car to get that food in there. Oh, well, somebody approaches me. Well, when when are we going to get the bird bath? Now, they all want a bird bath. It's a sophisticated crowd. I'm willing to increase the amount that I can contribute personally to $3,000 from
$2,000 at this point in time. And the only other question I have is um do you think since this is number 57 on the roster, do you think that this might be heard for discussion today? >> It's it's not on the agenda. The the the
item on the agenda for today are those who are listed under items to be heard and we take the agenda in the order that it's printed. >> So as are No, >> not today. the >> we won't he won't be here today. Thank you. I just wanted to I just wanted to let you all know Bell Isle really wants
this small charming thing for our wildlife. Thank you. >> Thank you for for joining us today. Uh Johan Moore, good morning. You have two minutes to speak. >> Good morning, commissioners. Uh while uh this is not on your uh agenda today, uh
I did want to submit a few remarks uh based on u Commissioner Fernandez uh recent comments about budgetary matters and and the need to address uh funding uh in an equitable way. I had a couple
of specific remarks about the uh millage rate and general fund budget uh and in particular I would uh draw your attention to items uh three and four uh
while u making it clear that uh I have absolutely no objection quite the contrary to item five which includes a 3% cost of living adjustment for city employees. But I wonder why uh I have a why and a why not. Why is the millage
rate not being considered uh uh to be changed to a variable rate which would fall more heavily on luxury properties? And that's my why not. And my wise are why a 0% increase in the city's health
insurance premiums but 10% increase for police and fire. uh and I hope we will get those answers at some point in time in the next uh however many months. And also item four, possibly of even more concern, an average 2% performance-based
merit uh increase in pay apparently uh except 5% for police and 4% for fire. Uh these are not rhetorical questions, but I also understand that this is not on the agenda today. So, I wanted to put those before the commission uh and
almost more to the point before the public uh in hopes of getting clarity on some of these issues as we move uh into uh this being on your agenda, I hope in the near future. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. Welcome. You have two minutes to speak.
>> Thank you. Good morning. Uh good morning, commissioners, committee members. My name is Matthew Galtanov and uh I was going to come this afternoon to speak on an item related to the budget, but then I realized that we had the Sutnik uh portion for this morning's meeting, which is so great. It gives the
public another opportunity to connect with the policy makers of the city. I wanted to talk about the bicycle pedestrian coordinator position which many uh which many of us fought for a couple of years ago including champions
that are sitting up on the deis right now of this position. I learned that it was uh being considered uh to be eliminated uh not only be eliminated but that it hasn't even been filled yet. It's been a number of years. Uh bicycle um bicycle usage has been has grown
tremendously. micromobility usage has grown tremendously and sadly we've seen in the last couple of months a number of fatal and serious crashes involving all three of those groups and I would just encourage the body here as well as the
entire commission to not only retain that position uh in-house as uh an employee that can retain and grow institutional knowledge and make um meaningful change in this city but to fill it as Well, and that is my comment.
Thank you. >> Thank you, Matthew, for bringing this to our attention. Certainly is important. Any other members of the public wishing to speak? Uh, seeing none in person and none on Zoom with their hand raised.
We're going to close uh the the Sunday citizens forum and we'll move to item number one on the agenda. Item number one is reports and updates. Monthly update on the status of the Fifth Street pedestrian bridge and the Mandin Hotel Miridor Condominium Baywalk
projects. This item is sponsored by Commissioner Dominguez. >> Stephanie, apologies for interrupting. I'm going to ask to defer number nine >> so we can show item number nine as as deferred. Um, good morning. Uh David, uh
you're here on the Fifth Street pedestrian bridge, uh and on the Baywalk projects. >> Good morning, Mr. Chair, uh Madame Commissioners. David Gomez, director of capital improvements, uh here to provide the update on the Baywalk and the PT Bridge. Um as you all are aware, the
portion of the Ped Bridge that was covered under this update has been completed and open to the public. Um so that has been ongoing for for several weeks now. uh and the update on the pedestrian bridge as of yesterday afternoon. The developer is uh in the
process of receiving final reports from their consultant later this week. So, we should have some direction or or some determination next week. They are looking at multiple options and multiple uh variations on the construction of the bridge itself. So, we should have more
information for you next week. So, uh, David, it was my understanding this bridge is pre-built. >> Portions of it are pre-fabricated. Yes. The the main structural portions, the beams that cross the the MacArthur are are scheduled to be pre-fabricated. Yes.
>> Okay. And so, and so now they're they're looking at potentially rebuilding the bridge. They're they're looking at any design option that will help them complete the bridge, whether it's changing alignment, changing foundations, changing layout, they're they're looking at what they can do to
make it happen. >> So FPL identified the landing spot for for for the power source. >> That's correct. to to the city. And then once that was identified, um the uh developer uh was identifying
or was trying to determine whether that was going to impact the foundations for the receiving end of of the bridge. >> That's 100% correct. Their first determination was whether or not it impacted the foundations. It does. So there now the next step is to determine
what they can do to work around that FPL. >> And that is what the consultant is currently doing. their consult. This isn't the city's consultant. >> No, this is the developers consultant. >> This is the So, so, so there's no taxpayers dollars from the city of Miami Beach being spent on a consultant to
trying to fix this issue between the developer and FPL. >> That's correct. >> Okay. And you said that that should be available by by when? >> As of yesterday afternoon, they told us they would have something they would receive something this week and then deliver it to us next week. >> Okay.
>> Commissioner Bond. Um, thank you, chair. Um, David, I have a couple of questions. One related to um, what the chair was just asking about, one related to the other end of the Baywalk. So, forgive me. This is not in the middle of of Commissioner Domingue, Vice Mayor's uh,
Dominguez's prescribed area. Um my understanding about the issue with the um Baywalk at the southern end is that it is um very close to power lines where nobody is willing to
really take ownership of the location of the power lines. And so, you know, I'm pulling back the to the 30,000 foot height. And this has been going on for a long time. I mean this is not a comment to say oh well they don't need to build what they committed to because they do.
Um but my question is if there is even a chance that in constructing the bridge as it is currently imagined there is a chance that either we will knock out power for an entire section of our very densely populated section for of of our
city for even an afternoon but it would likely be days or weeks before it got restored. That's a non-starter for me. And more importantly is if there's even a chance that a single person's life would be lost in construction of the
bridge as it is currently imagined. That's an absolute non-starter for me. So why are we still wasting time talking about how this version of this bridge can be built in this manner when what I think we should be doing and I know I'm just one voice. I'm not an engineer. Um,
I think what we should be doing is reimagining what that functionality could be. If it's an over-the-water extension of the pedestrian walkway, if it's a different kind of bridge that's built and engineered differently, like I understand the developer promised X, but
nobody had done the engineering work at that point. So when X proves to be to my view an untenable safety risk one way or another or god forbid both um move on to to another plan. So can you address that and then I also have another question
>> exactly to your point is why they're being so careful with the layout. FPL has determined with a pretty good level of certainty exactly where the line is but because of safety factors and wanting to make sure that we don't have the incidents you described there's a certain clear area that's required
around the lines. So that's really what's impacting the foundation layout. If it were a matter of just move the foundation a foot and we could do it, but we're just too close to the line. So we're we're keeping that safety factor. >> So when you say FPL has a pretty good degree of certainty to me, that's an
oxymoronic statement. Like certainty is not pretty good. It's either certain or it's not. And pretty good is like, you know, everything is relative and hand grenades and horseshoes, right? What's that expression? So I don't want >> um I I like I don't I don't want a pretty good certainty. I want ironclad certainty and I don't know from what
I've been talking about with various parties it doesn't seem like that certainty can exist. >> They have provided a survey drawing of the lines but FPL um like most utilities will never guarantee that it is exactly
where they're showing it. Um and because of the depth of the line it's hard to confirm while we're doing the construction. So, we have to build in that safety factor to make sure that we're not having the events that you described. Um, the the developer is
looking at not only how if it impacts the foundations, how it could be adjusted, but they're also looking at other alternatives. So, they are examining or reimagining the potentials. >> Okay. So, because this has been going on for at least since I was elected and far
longer because you guys have worked on it. Um, so why are we still dithering around with this version of the bridge instead of saying, you know what, it would have been beautiful like this, but let's go go to another plan. I mean, I know it's not our money, but it is our city's time, our residents in
convenience. And um, you know, let's go design something else that's beautiful and functional and doesn't put um power supplies and lives at risk. I mean, I I just doesn't see. >> And if I could add on that uh on under future items on our agenda, we have item
49 from Commissioner Matel Selenas to discuss the feasibility of replacing the planned Fifth Street pedestrian bridge with an overwater connection linking the Baywalk south of Fifth Street with a Baywalk north of Fifth Street. Commissioner, if you're ready to have that item heard at the next meeting,
I'll I'll make sure it gets placed on the agenda for for the next meeting. >> I'm ready. Let's do it. >> Okay. And and to your point, Commissioner, we are doing it on a parallel track. We're looking at multiple options. >> Okay. Perfect. So, thank you for that.
And Commissioner Mateos Selenus. Yay. Um and then switching to the other end of the Baywalk. Um the property Lincoln Bay Towers. >> Mhm. talk to me about what's going on because I'm getting sort of I I'm hearing from residents there that they
are not being apprised of what's going on that they are um they're not being included in the conversations and as it directly affects their backyard effectively. It seems like they should absolutely be part of the conversation of what's going to be built there, how, when, etc.
>> I will need to follow up with you. 1450 Lincoln, which is Lincoln Bay Towers, uh has been in conversations with the city about that Baywalk for a very long time. Um as a matter of fact, I think you helped us broker a deal with uh with the layout regarding the layout long ago. Um
that is now >> I don't think that was me, but um so give the credits someone who actually did the work. >> Um that is now part of the development responsibilities of the developer for the 1250 West Avenue. Um and they have been as a matter of fact I think just
last week at the request of Lincoln Bay Towers a meeting was cancelled uh where they were going to go over the presentation of the proposed Baywalk. We are working with through our neighborhood affairs division and the developer to to have those conversations and present to them the whatever layouts we can provide.
>> And are you meeting with the the board first and then the full Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. Okay. So conversations are moving forward. Thank you for that update. I appreciate that. Thank you, Commissioner B. Vice Mayor Dominguez. >> Uh I met with the uh development I mean
the team for 1250 yesterday and we went over the three pending areas of the Baywalk which was 800 West um 1228 and uh 1450. And um they're very close with the first two and with the third one.
They've met with the board of that building and they feel that they have an a rendering that um could potentially get approved by that building and um >> so I think >> Nancy's building. >> Yes. Okay.
>> Um so I think it may be on on its way with the pedestrian bridge. Um, and I know it's beyond our control, but I'm very disappointed because when this was first proposed, um, and Mark Samuel was on the commission, he was told by the developers that it would be done by our
Bosle the following year. And then here we are years and years and years. And it just feels like um, not us, but in general, it's dragging. People are dragging their feet and pointing fingers and making excuses, and we need to cut that out and get this
done. It's uh, embarrassing. uh what's happened with that pedestrian bridge project. I I personally vice mayor frustration >> and you know as as we've discussed Jose David we've discussed if this shouldn't
be a death by a thousand cuts and right now that's what it feels like is you know constantly going back to the drawing board constantly you know engaging consultants constantly looking at redesign uh when we almost know
the direction that this is going in. The direction that this is going in is that it won't be realistic to complete to to complete this, you know, without engaging in some very serious um public safety concerns and some very
serious impact to essential infrastructure in our city. And do we do we feel it's worth to engage in those public safety liabilities and impact to essential and critical infrastructure such as the power source to South Beach
uh if there are other options that could be pursued. So, we're going to prioritize Commissioner Matel Selena's uh item uh so that we can explore whether at this point it will be prudent to shift directions from the bridge over
the MacArthur Causeway and shift our resources and our focus to doing this over the water. What I want to make sure is that when we come back next month with that discussion that we do have analysis uh as it relates to the
contractual obligation of the developer to fulfill it in that manner if there are going to be fiscal impacts who are going who is going to bear uh those those fiscal impacts in addition to obviously um the regulatory matters of
building over the water but from but from what I gather we've already we've already successfully uh built Baywalk over the water when we see the advancement that we've done over the Baywalk over the past few years under
the opice of Commissioner Dominguez who has been leading this effort ever since being elected. We have seen significant advancement from where we were at four years ago to where we were at today. uh links that didn't exist before now exist
over over the over the water. So, we've learned how to do this. Now, we just need to shift focus and if something isn't going to be realistic, we just need to be true to our public, to our residents and and constituents. Something was promised. It's no longer feasible for reasons that were
unforeseen, but now this is the new plan. >> And if I might >> Yes, Commissioner. If I might add to that, I think also, you know, as beautiful as that rainbow bridge was designed to be, I mean, look at my shirt. It's like a a rendering of the rainbow bridge, >> a walking rainbow.
>> I know. And I think the expression is like a unicorn farted or something. So, you know, whatever. But, um, it's it's a beautiful design and it would be really fun and and cool, but there there were concerns about it, right? It's it was a little bit complicated for people with bikes to negotiate. I know it was it was
engineered so that it was feasible. It's a little bit complicated. There were concerns about safety over, you know, in at night. There were concerns about how hot it would get during the summer months. So, it was not a perfect perfect design. And like those concerns were addressed and and managed so that they
weren't deal breakers. But if we have something else that could be equally functional because at the end of the day that is the most important thing and also kind of addresses the concerns um be easier to navigate um for people who are wheeling their bikes because you're not allowed to use bikes on the Baywalk
but you know they're wheeling their bikes to connect to South Point or wherever. Um the safety issues are not as large for other reasons. Um, and it can be designed to have a beautiful, you know, uh, let's say a greenscape that is designed to, you know, enhance the
beauty of the functionality. Like, you know, Monica, I know this is your your whole thing for next month, but I at this point I'm like, no longer fish or cut bait. Like, let's cut bait and go get a different fish. So, so I think it might be appropriate for for next month together with Commissioner
Mattel Selenus's item is once we know what that final report from the consultant from the developer says, I want it to be on the agenda. If it's not going to be feasible, I think I think we need to clearly state on the record have an item on the on on our agenda as part
of this of this report uh for us to consider making a recommendation to the city commission to no longer pursue the bridge. And that is that is ultimately what is going to happen. Let's let's just pull this band-aid. Let's be
transparent with our residents and let's stop wasting the developers time and our staff time which is ultimately our staff time is taxpayer money. Uh, and let's just be ready at the next month to say the public safety committee is moving to
recommend that we no longer pursue the bridge and send that back to the full commission so that we can then focus all of our efforts into what could truly be the realistic path forward. is the next um neighborhoods committee meeting before it is before the next commission
meeting in July >> and if you all want to have just a special meeting on that just on that issue um I'm happy to accommodate it just because I do think this has just been lingering on for way too long I think we all know what's going to happen and I think it's just you know it's just
a bureaucracy the steps over the steps and the consultants and the reports and the engineers uh that we just go through before getting to the final destination that I think We all feel in our gut, we know what's going to be. >> All right. >> Agreed.
>> I mean, I still I'm still hopeful that we can get that um bridge done the way it was intended to be. And um so until I hear the final uh verdict, I don't want to pull the band-aid because I don't like the under the water under the MacArthur causeway. I think that's dangerous,
>> right? >> The safety concern >> and I and and and I understand that. And so I just, you know, my my my my concern is if the infrastructure, if our power supply to the city is going to be affected,
that that supersedes everything else for me. So uh we can see uh we can show this item completed for today and being brought back at our next meeting. If the committee wishes to have a special meeting once we get the report uh so
that we know which direction this is going in, I'm happy to to to convene a special meeting. >> All right, great. Thank you, David. Let's proceed to item number two. >> Item number two is the monthly updates on the status of ongoing and future
projects involving the use of the Leonard Horowitz color palette for art deco building restorations in collaboration with Barbara Hulani. This item is sponsored by Commissioner Dominguez. >> Commissioner Dominguez, this is your item.
>> Good morning, Mr. Chair, commissioners. Frank Garcia, facilities management division director. At the May 13th uh public safety and neighborhood quality of life committee meeting, the committee directed administration to prepare renderings for the painting of the two
beachfront restroom pavilions located at 6th and 14th Streets, respectively. Uh the facilities management division uh subsequently conferred with the planning department to select potential colors for the repainting of the restroom pavilions. The proposed renderings and
color selections have been included in the uh memo for the committee's review and I believe PJ can bring those up for us uh from the control room. Thank you PJ. I'm trying to remember if this is Sixth. It's It's Sixth Street. That's Sixth Street. Yes.
>> As as evidenced by the by the big block signage on top of >> And as we're um looking at these items, this is in collaboration with Barbara Hulani and >> No, ma'am. The um these the colors for
these renderings um were came from our planning department. And I personally conferred with our um incoming planning director, currently our um chief uh architecture and historic preservation officer, Miss Debbie Tacket. And so um
she helped select these colors and we put together these renderings. PJ next. >> This item is Barbara who >> but I think at the last committee meeting the committee the the staff sought feedback from the committee and and the committee u responded saying we were fine if if they wanted to confer
with planning staff instead of speaking with Miss Waniki. Um that was the feedback that the >> she's still getting her um her fee. >> Thank you Mr. Chair and commissioner. should add that um the total cost for this project um currently stands at
$8,400 for both restroom pavilions exclusive of any consulting fees. Should the committee wish to engage Miss Barbara Hula Nikki to consult on these painting projects as done with uh projects passed, we can anticipate an additional $10,000 in consulting fees.
Um it was for for the other um painting projects that she consulted on it was um $5,000 per >> and I think for for the other projects that were larger scale projects uh and so and so perhaps you know it was
beautifully done and and her input truly contributed to the to the outcome uh of it. These are smaller scale projects and if we have our our in-house historic preservation officer providing guidance, I wouldn't want to more than double the
cost uh when we have good feedback from our staff. >> All right. So, the item specifically says ongoing projects in collaboration with Barbara Hulani. So, if something does not involve her, it probably shouldn't be mentioned um under the Barbara Hulani item. And I believe that
economic development is working on locations where we can uh do the Barbara Hulani. So that's what I want as part of the update for the next time. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And if it doesn't include Barbara, then don't bring it up because that this item is specifically her uh collaborations.
And madam vice mayor, I I believe that that this title appears this way on the on the agenda because whenever this item was originated, I believe back in 2024, I think that may have been the title. And at the last meeting, staff staff
asked the committee if we wanted to continue with these two with these two buildings to with the guidance of of Miss Hulani and and the committee provided the feedback that it was okay
perhaps not to engage Miss Waniki just with these two bathrooms. That's not to say that for other >> picked up this item from a former commissioner. I'm now the sponsor. So making decisions when the sponsor isn't there to defend the item. I had a family emergency and was unable to attend. So
uh maybe for the next time if the sponsor is not there to defend it before slashing it, making large changes, defer it so that the sponsor can um speak up on the item like I'm doing now. >> Okay. So would you like u Miss Hulan be
engaged? >> Of course. Of course. Um I would like her engaged. Um, you already mentioned that these two smaller projects did not warrant her engagement and her fee. So, my ask is don't bring up items that are
um not going to have Barbara Hulani covered because that's what this item was intended to be, collaborations with Barbara Hulani. Um, check with economic development because I have heard that there are opportunities there and let's move forward with those.
>> Okay. Any other comments from the committee? >> No need to modify the title. Um, if we are collaborating with Miss Barbara Hulini. >> Yeah. Commissioner, uh, would you still like to proceed with these two restrooms on Lumis Park? >> Uh, yes.
>> Can you I'm sorry. Can you pull up the renderings? >> PJ, can you give us a hand with Yeah. Thank you. If you There's I think there's four such renderings if you want to scroll through those. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Is there a motion on the table to
support uh these two renderings? >> I'll make the motion. >> Okay. Is there a second? >> Not officially on the committee. >> Second. >> Okay. With that, let's show this um moving forward. And colleagues, if
there's ever an item on the agenda that you do not want to be heard, just, you know, let us know. We always try to be as accommodating as as we can. Items only get placed on the agenda if the sponsor is okay with the item being placed on the agenda. And if the sponsor
does not want an item heard, as we did today with item number nine, that the sponsor requested for it not to be heard today, then it will not be heard. >> Absolutely. And when emergencies arise, uh flexibility is also appreciated. >> All right, let's move forward with item
number three. Item number three is discuss reimagining the traffic pattern at the 63rd Street, Indian Creek, and Collins Avenue intersection to enhance pedestrian and micromobility devices operator safety. This item is sponsored by Commissioner B.
>> Commissioner Bod, this is your item. You're welcome to introduce it. >> Thank you. Um Jose will go through the heavy lifting of this item because like everything Jose and I work on together, it's not easy, so I'll let him do the hard part of this. But um the 63rd Street intersection um where you go
across 63rd Street and then either go north or south on Indian Creek or cross over to Collins is complicated and congested a lot of the time during or most of the time during um uh rush hour. But even when it's not congested, it is
not easy to navigate if you are on foot or on a bike or micromobility device just because the way it was designed which is car centric for obvious reasons. So the challenge is is there an opportunity to reimagine
how it could work without impacting negatively impacting traffic, vehicular traffic, but also enhancing pedestrian and micromobility safety. So that's the challenge and Jose will take you through where we are in this.
>> Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Chair, committee members. Jose Gonzalez, transportation and mobility director. Um, as Commissioner Bot pointed out, this is a challenging intersection in our city. It's one of several hot spots,
uh, choke points in our city because of the current grid, the roadway grid in our city. Um, a lot of history. I just want to really briefly recap some of the history uh with regard to prior efforts and current efforts to look at this
intersection in a comprehensive way and make some improvements. So this starts um about two years ago. We actually asked FDOT to um do a traffic study of that intersection to look at ways of
improving the level of service. Um that study was completed by FDOT. They looked at uh a a few alternatives including the do nothing alternative which is always an alternative for FDOT. They call it the the no build or do nothing. Um the
other >> that was just a factual statement. That was not an editorial comment. Correct. >> I just wanted to clarify that for the record. >> It's a real alternative. It's called do nothing. Um, the other alternative was to optimize signal timing to improve traffic flow. And the third alternative
was to add a westbound lane on 63rd Street. Because as the commissioner pointed out, currently if you're if you're traveling northbound on Collins Avenue, um, and you make a left on 63rd Street, you cannot go through the Indian
Creek Drive intersection. you can only make a right and go north on Indian Creek Drive or or south if you make a left. So, uh it's a it's a key movement to go west. 63rd Street is one of the few east west primary thorough affairs in our city. So, it would be it would be
beneficial to have 63rd Street punch through the Indian Creek Drive intersection uh so drivers can proceed westbound. Uh and so that um that study unfortunately led to uh FDOT
recommending that nothing be done at that intersection for the reason that uh for a um new left turn for a new westbound lane to be accommodated at the intersection. >> I'm going to fire me up. >> I'm going to ask to pause because I'm
not a voting member on this and Okay. Um, and to clarify, the FDOT study just looked at um, vehicular traffic impact, not pedestrian or micromobility. So, when they were looking at it, because we were looking at it like, yeah, it'd be
great to improve traffic, but what the impetus of this was was really how do we make it safer for people walking and biking or scootering or ebiking along the the way. So their study was useful in some regards but it didn't really address the fundamental issue that we
are now talking about. >> They did the study a couple years ago. We just started talking about it recently. So I do I want to just point that out to my colleagues on the day and to anybody listening that it is useful to have the FDOT study but it didn't wasn't undertaken under the opaces of
how do we make it safer for pedestrians and alternative um uh traffic modalities. >> That that's correct. And even when if we're only looking at vehicles, the the DOT study uh found that if a new
westbound lane were to be included or accommodated on 63rd Street, it would be detrimental to traffic along Indian Creek Drive traveling southbound approaching the bridge. So a new lane would actually make things worse. So
that's why ultimately the the study found that doing nothing is actually better than than doing something uh at that intersection. So that was the first effort that was two years ago. More recently uh we've undertaken what we call the North Beach traffic signal
optimization pilot project that it's a pilot project that was endorsed by the city commission. And what that is doing, it's looking at the network of streets in North Beach, including Abbott, including Harding, Indian Creek Drive, 71st Street, 69th Street. It's looking
at that whole grid and trying to see how to coordinate signal timing in a way that the entire grid um flows better because what's happened over the years is that different efforts have focused on a particular corridor such as Abbott
Avenue. And so Abbott Avenue may be improved north south, but it may adversely affect 69th Street going east west. So it's they've been very isolated intersection or uh cor corridor specific
um evaluations. What we're doing now is looking at um really that that in that portion of North Beach which is so congested, you know, on a on a daily basis, particularly during morning and afternoon rush periods. We're towards
the tail end of that pilot project. Um the next step is a key step which is bringing to the county the recommendations that we found to improve traffic flow because as as you all know ultimately Miami date county has
jurisdiction over traffic signal control timing. So, our our um consultant uh identified some improvements there from a network perspective and we're getting ready to present those to the county hopefully if they endorse it for
implementation and then the whole area will will uh flow a little better. >> And just to give a little color commentary on that, for instance, everyone knows about the North South Indian Creek crossing 71st going up to Dickens because everyone sat in that terrible traffic or knows somebody who
sat in that terrible traffic. But for instance, going from the Carolon to um Indian Creek can sometimes take 20 minutes >> and that's three blocks. >> Mhm. >> So, you know, that's not acceptable. So, clearly something is is a miss.
So the the the third and last effort that I'd like to uh to briefly touch upon is something that is just in getting off the ground as we speak and that is to engage the University of
Texas to do a comprehensive look into North Beach. And that would be a comprehensive evaluation that would look at all modes, not just vehicles, but pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, and micromobility safety. And our we are
collaborating with our public works department. We reached out to several universities, had interviews with them, asked them questions, and out of and they were all fantastic. out of the universities and I believe it was about four or five that we reached out to
University of Texas at Austin um you know really really shown through they they they we believe they've got the the resources and the right approach for our city. Um, they're not only going to look at this as a regular traffic study as a
traffic engineer would look at it, but they're going to look at it from a behavioral perspective to see how we can, you know, perhaps not just change traffic patterns uh within this area, but also behavior uh through different
strategies. And they've done this work uh for other other cities in the country. So, we're excited about that. we still need to go through a procurement process uh for that. Um so right now we're in we're having the discussions with the preferred
university which is the University of Texas and we're seeing how we can potentially move that effort along. So those are the three efforts that I wanted to touch upon that uh focused on this area. So there you know there
hasn't been a a lack of focus. Um but it is it is a challenging intersection. It is not an easy solution. Otherwise, it would have already been identified and implemented. Uh and it's a balance. It's a careful balance because if you improve
traffic, it may be at the expense of um either you know including a bicycle lane or um micromobility uh facility. So, it's needs to be carefully looked at and we believe we have a plan to do that going forward.
>> Do you need anything legislatively from us um to present the traffic findings, the traffic study findings to the county? Would it be useful to have something from the commission or are you just going to keep working your magic and keep us posted?
>> Um, let us have the first meeting with the county staff and see how it goes. if they're open-minded and open to changes because some of the changes are pretty drastic. Some of those signal timing plans for some of these streets up there
have been that have been, you know, in place for decades and haven't been refreshed and there's there's so much more development now. There's there's it's there's so much uh you know uh change in that area and but yet the signal timing plans have remained
predominantly the same for many years. So, we're going to have that conversation with county staff first and then, you know, commissioner, we brief you periodically on this effort. We'll let you know how it how it goes and if we need a city commission resolution,
that has proven to be helpful in the past. >> Um, what is your time frame to um go to the county with these findings and the procurement for the UT Austin vendor? So uh with regard to the pilot project
finding uh that's within the next 30 days as um you know as soon as we can get a meeting with them. So I think within the next 30 days we can have that uh first uh conversation with them and with regard to the University of Texas
effort uh my next step on that is to to work with procurement to see what would it take to move forward with the University of Texas. And my understanding is that there's federal grant money that we can use to defay the costs. >> Is that
>> I'm I'm not a at the moment. I can't think of a grant. >> I've been told that by >> by somebody, but okay. Um >> but funding will be funding will be an issue presuming that we can move forward with the University of Texas once we finalize the scope and the price
proposal. Uh obviously this is not something that's already cooked into our budget. So, we'd be approaching. >> I thought it was something that UT Austin had. We can talk about offline. I thought there was something there to help defay some of the the net costs. Um, okay. So,
it with through the chair if um if we can keep this here. >> Sure. >> And just get an update in the next month. >> And I appreciate you bringing this item forward. Over the past 5 years, there have been 175 accidents at this inter >> May I speak, please?
>> Yes, of course. We always open up. We always open up items to members of the public wishing to speak. So, yes, you're welcome. >> Um, I'm Myra Diaz Barakavoli. Thank you for let for allowing us this time. Um, I just want to add, I didn't realize this item was going to be on the agenda, but
I want to add that some years back there was an overpass, you all recall, on 63rd Street. It was taken down. The conversations with FDOT in the city before that overpass was taken down included uh such things as um
no truck traffic going through Alton Road heading westbound and then heading uh southbound on Alton to get to Juliet Tuttle. That truck traffic was going to continue or stay on al go to Collins
Avenue um if they were heading southbound. Right now, if you are on Indian Creek heading southbound, you have four lanes of traffic, two lanes go into 63rd Street, ultimately Alton Road,
and then two lanes into Collins Avenue, which is a five lane road when you include the turning lane, and it is also a multifamily commercial zoned street. Alton is single family. It doesn't
appear to us as Alton Road residents that we should have the same amount of traffic pushed towards Alton as you have going into Collins Avenue. So, if you can include some of that into your study because I think one lane would be more
than sufficient considering the zoning and the types of um dwellings on each road. Um, additionally, I understand that there is timing on the on the lights that are monitored by Dape
County. However, the timing on the lights that take you into 63rd Street when you're heading southbound um do not change that frequently. It's it's more of a continuous flow of traffic. At least it feels that way. And
so there appears to even have more traffic going into Alton than you have going into Collins Avenue. So much so that in the mornings when you're by Mount Si in the morning is when the traffic heads um um north or heads south
on Alton. the cars line up sometimes four or five blocks before they get to the intersection by Sinai to eventually get into uh the Juliet Tuttle Causeway. So, if you could look at those items, the no truck signage unless you were
servicing something on Alton um and the timing of those lights and the reduction of one lane heading uh westbound >> street. Ra, how effective was that in the past when the no uh truck signage was that?
>> It was never implemented. >> It was never implemented. >> It was just talk. >> Okay. >> Uh remember we were just dealing with FOD and saying this is what we want. What we wanted, what was agreed to ended up being differently.
>> Understood. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Uh I see uh Trisha with her hand raised on Zoom. Uh, welcome Trisha. You have two minutes to speak. >> Good morning, Trisha. >> Trisha, you are muted. If you could
please unmute yourself. >> Thank you. Hi. Sorry about that. Um, Trisha Hopkins, I've lived on Alton Road for over 30 years, and I have to agree with Myra that when that overpass came down, all of a sudden, every single
18-wheeler is on Alton Road um heading southbound to get on to to Juliet or going northbound. And um it is really a detriment to our neighborhood because they don't follow the speed limits and
it's it's very difficult. And it also adds to the problem that's agenda number eight with the trucks coming through. So I just wanted to agree with that that um I don't believe that the all those trucks should be coming down or being sent towards us that should also be
bearing on Collins Avenue. Thank you. >> Thank you Trisha. Any other members of the public wishing to speak on this item? If you're on Zoom, you can raise your hand on Zoom. Uh let me ask our our staff uh is this something that has been explored? Have you or do we even have
the ability to limit these larger trucks from going down Alton Road towards 63rd Street? >> It's it's not been explored u in recent years. Um, as as president Myra pointed
out, it was I think a topic of discussion many years ago and then never got implemented. Quite honestly, it was many years ago before even my time. I can't remember. I don't know why FDOT chose to not implement the truck
restrictions along Alton Road, but uh it's it's been many years. So, we can we can revisit that with >> that. So if the trucks are we talking southbound or northbound Alton or both? >> Southbound.
>> Southbound from uh >> from North Beach to because they have to get on the tuttle. So if we make them go down Collins, then they'll cross 41st Street. >> And so we want to now further back up 41st Street with semis and trucks heading out of the city.
I that's probably why would be my guess. That may be why, but at the end of the day, 41st Street is a commercial road and it has more lanes than Alton Road, and they have also
uh built-in speed control, which Alton Road does not have. The built-in speed control are the school zones for Nautilus, Temple Bash Shalom, and North Beach Elementary School. you are only allowed to go at a certain speed in the
morning, 20 miles hour. We don't have that on Alton. >> So, I would support on Alton Road, but I wouldn't support the trucks being forced to go down 41st Street cuz 41st Street is at capacity right now and it backs up all the way. You know, all of the condo buildings on Collins corridor as well
that they're impacted by that and they can't move either. >> And it's also very highly pedestrian as well, I think. But we can't move out of our driveways in the morning. Our traffic is up five blocks. >> Yeah. But perhaps but perhaps uh as
Commissioner Mats Selenas is is mentioning an alternative that could be explored as well is the speed >> the speed of of the vehicles. Um because if you know a lot of times the problems emerge from ways from Google that send
these vehicles down certain streets and you can go faster on Alter Road as opposed to another street or of the same speed >> or you're not being limited by the speed um then they'll send you down that way. So I do think to the extent that we
could look at the speed of a street like Alton Road where you have single family homes, I think generally uh any street that is primarily residential, Alter Road, North Bay Road, streets like Prairie Avenue, >> Lor Pine Tree,
>> Lor's Pine Tree, you know, these are all primarily residential single family homes. You have you have families living there with with children. uh in general we should be looking to have uh a lower speed limit in those areas and perhaps
that can encourage the behavior that we are looking for from these trucks as opposed to saying trucks won't be allowed to go down the street. Well, I could see how from a regulatory perspective they might not be able to allow them. But if everyone regardless
of the type of vehicle is held to the same standard of a lower speed limit, that might uh perhaps yield, you know, some of the outcomes that uh that >> Commissioner, you're correct, but we have a 30 mph speed limit on Alton Road.
And as much as the police try to enforce it when they are allowed to get to be there, it doesn't work. They're going at an average of 60 miles per hour on a single family residential street that has children and where people have to
back out of their driveway to get to work, to get to school. Um, it's a problem and it hasn't been addressed. I understand the problems on 41st Street, but try to eliminate a traffic uh light that's in the middle of the streets. In
the middle of a block, you have a traffic light between Royal Palm and Prairie Avenue. Why? To further stop traffic from flowing. You have a light on Royal Palm. You have one on Prairie Avenue. >> That's related to pedestrian. That's related to pedestrianism. And so we we
need to accommodate for everyone. We need to accommodate for vehicles. We need to accommodate for pedestrians and bicyclists. So So it's it's a balancing act. So we hear you. Uh thank you Myra. I'm going to recognize Commissioner Matselinas, then Commissioner Bod. So then we can take an action on this item.
>> Uh just Jose question. So implementing more speed tables on Alton Road, has that been assessed or >> that has been requested in the past. FDOT does not allow speed tables. They don't generally allow any vertical
traffic calming along Alton Road. Uh it is a state road. It's an evacuation route. These are not our rules. These are their rules. But the they they have what they will allow they they consider speed mitigation measures uh and they
have some strategies for speed mitigation but traffic calming as we know it to be with the rubberized uh speed uh tables or speed cush speed tables or rubberized speed cushions they will not allow that on a state road. >> We have requested commissioner Mateo
Salena's uh crosswalks. We also um not raised crosswalks, just crosswalks with some signage. We also requested um that there be a traffic light moved from the middle of 51st Street and Alton
acrossing the uh to the park on Fiser Park to the end of the block where you have intersections with 51st Street people coming in from Pineree Lagor Drive into Alton Road. Maida, let me if if if I may just because I don't I don't
want to lose uh track of this item and and and your issue is very important and I think perhaps we should send a referral to the committee to address the issue >> of the speeding and the traffic on this residential portion of Alton Road
because it is concerning. Uh and I know we have had fatalities even there. or I think >> more fatalities than any other street on Miami Beach. But just to let you know, FDOT says there is not enough traffic on Alton or speed to warrant the crosswalks
or the traffic light at that intersection. >> So, Mr. attorney. Let's let's work on a referral to put on next Wednesday's >> uh meeting to discuss the ongoing on a regular basis the ongoing issues uh that
we have on on Alton Road. Commissioner Bach. >> Yeah, thank you Maru for elevating this with your institutional knowledge. Um, you know, FDOT is complicated to work with and the my favorite super favorite response from them is we're not going to manage our everyday traffic because
we're concerned about what happens during emergency. Well, no, we're not talking about not having people using Alton Road to get off the island in an emergency. It's a totally different conversation. So, to me, that is um
it's a a specious argument, but I don't have control over FDOT. So, I've already, you know, thank you, uh, chair for making the referral. I've already inquired to, um, our attorney and, um, to create a new item on this topic because
it is super super important. Um, >> and I yield to you. You can lead that. So, I'll yield to you. >> We great minds think length. So, um, my point though is that, you know, we've looked at this years ago and, um, FDOT
is has its its playbook, but we as a city have looked at it years ago and only had the options that FDOT has given us or not given us. The traffic patterns have changed, the volumes have changed. We have things that we can potentially do about limiting the size of trucks
that come into the city or where and when they can go onto certain streets potentially. And that's kind of the stuff that I want to explore also. I mean, the vendors who come into Miami Beach treat us as a big city, whereas actually we were not. We don't have very wide streets. Most places and a lot of
the places where we do have wide streets, they're p primarily residential, whether it's Alton Road or Collins, um, one way or the other. So, I think it is a much bigger conversation. It's going to be pulled out of this item and be handled separately. So, um, it's
going to take a minute because everything does, but um, between this and the item number eight with the flooding, they're they're quite interrelated. And again, you know, from where we might have last looked at this 15 or 20 years ago to where we are today and where we're going to be in five years, the volume of traffic, the type
of traffic, um, and and the the intensity of traffic has changed dramatically. So, it definitely warrants a whole separate, uh, investigation. And Commissioner Bond, uh, following up on on that comment, um, with the 175
crashes that we've had, uh, going back to to the location of 63rd Street and Indian Creek and Collins Avenue, Jose, do we have any idea on the type of vehicle that was engaged in these crashes? Are these these commercial
vehicles that are engaging in these in these crashes? Are these regular uh, cars? um from our residents or visitors. Do we know the type of vehicle that is creating the safety situation at this intersection?
Uh Mr. Chair, I don't think it's any one vehicle in particular. I don't have those crash reports. We'd have to go through those crash reports to see if there is a type of vehicle which is contributing to these crashes, but I'm not aware that it's that it's any one at
least uh when FDOT did their study two years ago that that was not found or that was not a finding of that study uh that there's any one type of vehicle that is uh creating or causing an abnormal amount of of crashes. And the last thing I want to say, just I'd be
remiss if I if I don't mention that study from two years ago that FDOT did, we also asked for an additional crosswalk on the north leg of Indian Creek and 63rd because there is no crosswalk there. There's only three crosswalks. It's a four-legg intersection, but there are only three
crosswalks. And they also did not support that um adding a crosswalk on the north leg because it would be detrimental to the level of service, the operations mainly for vehicles at the intersection. Alex, um anecdotally, I know that a lot
of the I don't know if it's the majority or 20%, but I do know that a lot of the crashes at 63rd are overnight crashes when um people are speeding around that the suicide curve um at high speeds, often under you know, influence, not
always, and lose control of their vehicles um because it was happening like once a month there for a little while. So, you know, again, I don't know statistically if it's that's the majority, but I do know that's a a a significant part of the issue. >> And now, and thank you for that,
Commissioner. There's two curves at 163rd Street. The specific location is, you know, when you're approaching the bridge, >> there's there's when you're going east, there's there's a curve when you're going east on 63rd. Well, it's when you're going north on Alton and making
the the turn to go across east. >> It goes from being a a straightaway, which is, you know, quite fast if you're on the street by yourself with no cops at 2:00 in the morning and you're in your rented Lambo for the weekend or whatever. Um, and you lose you misjudge
the curve, you mis misread the street conditions, you're not functioning at your best, and it's that curve that seems to be the one that causes the drama. And so I just wonder I you know absent a solution because right now
there's not a solution. FDLT has not provided us a solution. >> That's correct. >> The city doesn't have a solution it can implement as well. But what we do know is that at nighttime, which is what the
pattern from our perception is that this is a nighttime uh issue at this at this intersection with this curb, I mean, is it possible to close that intersection? Like if you know that the issue is at night time during certain hours, the
late night hours of that of that intersection to have that uh intersection close between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. and make traffic stay on Collins or or another route. >> Well, there that's the issue is that there is no other route. And so and and
look, I don't take anybody's life or injury um for for granted or to minimize it. I'm not saying that every one of those lives lost was not a tragedy. Um, and also, by the way, even if you don't uh lose your life in a car accident, I mean, I was t-boned by a truck going on
12 years ago. I still have the injuries. Um, and you know, I walked away from that accident and and so accidents have trauma in all different forms. So for those people who have to navigate from North Beach to South Beach and back
again, taking away one of the only two ways to get north and south isn't really realistic. Um, you know, maybe what we could do um and do a pilot program is on um on weekends where we know there are a lot of visitors coming into town, have a
police detail station there overnight perhaps to catch speeders before they hit the curve. But that doesn't address the more ongoing issues of, you know, I listen, I take that southbound Alton Road um from from my apartment down to
city hall all the time and if I don't time it early enough, I'm sitting in traffic before I can even get to the merge to go continue south. Um so there are so many complicated issues because we're, you know, we're a growing city. There's a ton of construction. There's a ton of road work. You know, every time I
curse the public works project that's slowing us down, I'm like, "Oh, but thank God there's a public works project slowing us down." So, it's a lot of competing issues, not least of which is that we don't have control over all of our roadways. And so, things that we know um make sense for the residents are
not approved by the state and that that limits some of our solutions. But I it warrants a separate new look. Commissioner, are you referring to the curve just to make sure on 63rd Street that heads southbound onto Alton
>> because that has been the one with the most crashes. >> Yes. >> And at one point, he'll remember cuz he was here. Um FOT proposed and then took away from the table when they thought about it twice >> the possibility of doing a traffic circle at that intersection which would
slow down traffic. Um, but then they took it back because they said that there wasn't enough land, >> right? >> I I'm of a different opinion because there is land maybe not owned by FDOT, but it is owned by the city which is >> Yes, there's that little park,
>> but not just the park, but um it's the area that goes from um that curve into North Bay Road. that area there, not North Bay Road, but the area before North Bay Road um is city property and that could give them more of a radius
for a more uh significant traffic circle. So, I think look, we're going to have a separate item on this. It's going to be a long discussion. Um there are multiple issues that need to be addressed. The you know that the accidents, the um the trucks going down
what is basically a residential road. um traffic backups. So, we'll start this process and we'll figure out how we can move forward. >> May I speak for a moment? Lori K. Davis, I've been on Alton Road at 5965 since 2001. So, initially, uh FDOT wanted to
sell the the road to the city and the city declined. So, we'll start with that. In my 26 25 years of dealing with FOT, it's it needs to be speed enforcement. and F DOT says that and the city says no, it needs to be um
trafficcoming. But a really easy thing to start with, I have never seen our police um enforce speeds below it has to be 10 miles over before they start enforcing. And I've been told that and then residents get all upset if they're
given a ticket and they call the commissioners and they call the um mayor. So that's a really easy doesn't require meeting. Start ticketing earlier and then that's that's the way we train. And I've never seen we talk about that corner. I've
never seen police enforcement on that 20 m an hour. Not during the day. I know more happens at night, but nobody's going the speed limit and they're not even being penalized until they're at least 10 miles an hour. So, I will I will tell you that that is a very easy fix and I'm going to have a chat with
our chief about it. And you know, I have sped in my life. I really enjoy driving quickly and I'm not a race car driver. So, when I get a ticket, I'm like, you know what? And I don't, by the way, I don't do it in the city. I don't I'm not a crazy driver, but it's fun to drive fast. That's why people enjoy race cars
and and racing. So, but if you if you do something and you get caught, pay the ticket and get over yourself, right? If you get a parking ticket, you pay the ticket and get over yourself. So for residents who are speeding and then get pissed that they get caught and cry to somebody on the commission, get over
yourself. I have no sympathy for that whatsoever. If you don't want to get a speeding ticket, don't speed. It's very simple. >> I have absolutely zero tolerance for that. So I can't speak for my colleagues, but that's my position on it. Listen, I and and I I hope no one
ever thinks of calling me to help them with a with a police ticket. That I >> It's not a thing that I would >> It's not a thing that that that that happens or should ever happen. Um Commissioner, I think Maida was just just asked you for for for clarity
because there are two Yep. >> there are there are two curves. There's the curb and I want to make sure that the public I want to make sure I myself you know understand correctly here there's a curb when you're coming down uh Indian Creek and you turn right towards the bridge.
>> It's not that curve. >> Okay. >> It's the one from Alton going up or down but it's typically my understanding is it's typically going up Alton and taking it bears to the right >> to go across going from west to east. It's that curve
>> and those individuals, they're going to cross their whole intent is to cross the bridge and then to continue on Collins Avenue or to go down um to go down Indian Creek.
And if the issue is primarily in the evening hours, >> yeah, it's usually super late night. >> Super late night. That's not when we have our highest traffic congestion. If we know that that is that is when that that problem occurs, I almost feel,
you know, if we know there's a public safety situation, let's close from Indian Creek to the bridge during the late night hours because if this is happening on weekends, which usually is what happens from from my just perspective based on the comments I see
and my emails and in social media, this is happening late night and weekends. people are speeding speeding through there, then let's let's force them to go down, you know, the main corridor, the main
commercial corridor, which is 41st Street. Have them go down uh Collins Avenue. Those streets don't have these awkward curves that are creating the safety issue. And perhaps it might be prudent just to consider that schedule
during during weekends between the hours of midnight and 500 am. I'm just throwing a number out there without seeing what the data uh represents. Perhaps we should go back to the data to make it more analytical. Say, you know,
from the east portion of the bridge to the west side of Indian Creek, it's going to be closed and you just can't cut through there. You have to go down 41st Street. you have to go down Collins Avenue. >> The the challenge is is that sometimes and I I suppose we could coordinate this. So, I'm not I'm not saying no, but
just to put out there, um I have gone north on Collins coming up from 41st and there are nights when there's an event at the Fountain Blue or or multiple events at the Fountain Blue and um at um the Soho House. So, there are black cars
lining up and and blocking all that. Um, and then god forbid you also, because this happened to me a couple weeks ago, there's also road work on on Collins. So, literally you had four lines lanes of traffic going down to one. And normally that wouldn't be an issue, but
it happened that there was um there were multiple events going on at the same time and it was ridiculous. It was, you know, like Thursday night at 10:00 when there should be no traffic at all. Um, so it's it's an interesting idea to discuss. I I I
am very sensitive to the idea of limiting as it is. We only have two ways to get from north to south. >> That I understand. Yeah. >> And that that gets complicated because if one is compromised, then you're then you're really stuck. >> Sure. Under >> until we get our water taxi and we can just hop on the water taxi.
>> All right. Um I'm going to recognize Manuel and then we'll close this item to go to the next item. Good morning, Manuel. You have two minutes to speak. Man, hi. >> Hi, good morning. Hi, this is Manny Carales. I live in the uh 63rd Street in
Collins area and thank you, Commissioner Bot, for your interest in the traffic congestion in that area. Uh so, I just wanted to go back to Jose and his statement about uh previous FDOT studies of westbound traffic at 63rd Street. And
uh while I understand that traffic would have to be stopped in the southbound Indian Creek lanes to allow westbound traffic, it seems like if this the the signals are timed correctly, it would not be such a such a big deal. Um I I
suspect that a lot of these traffic uh traffic accidents are happening when people are going northbound at Indian Creek and have to make a Uturn to go south and then to to gain access to westbound 63rd Street. I mean that is
just a terrible solution. I can't imagine that FDA agrees with that. It's just a free-for-all. I've made videos of that and I've shared them with a commissioner, but um please look look at that again, maybe more actualized study.
Um it's it's it's a real concern. I think even a better solution would be just to allow northbound traffic on Collins to turn on 65th going west and then join southbound Indian Creek so that they can eventually go west on 63rd
Street. I hope everybody follows uh what what I'm talking about. Anyway, um that's that's one thing. The the second thing is also the loud horns and signals that are going off when the bridge opens. And honestly, at 2:00 in the
morning, 3:00 in the morning, you can hear them going off. I have an app on my phone where I've been able to uh um measure the sound and it goes up to 6165 dB which at 3:00 in the morning is just
really odious thing to to have waking you up. So anyway, please don't give up on the study and uh maybe something better can come up out of this. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right, Commissioner B. So uh we'll continue this item to next month. >> Yes, please.
>> Okay. Commissioner, if I could just ask you, you wanted a referral uh for Alton Road uh to be drafted today. So, I just want to clarify what it's to discuss. Ongoing traffic problems on Alton Road caused by increased traffic and
increased truck traffic. >> Just general I I mean and and I think Commissioner Ma is working on this as well as was just mentioned. My concern is the residents are are complaining about this not only the volume of traffic that is going down Alton Road in
this residential area area of Alton Road but the speed of the traffic as well. And I think I think it's those two things the volume and the speed >> and and the type of traffic also the commercial vehicles. >> Okay. Got it. And who is the sponsor? That's Commissioner Bot.
>> Yeah. All right. Thank you. And then we'll we're going to move on to our next item. >> There was a resolution passed by this commission. I'll send it to Mr. Rosen Wald and it talks as to all the issues of Alton that was sent to the state. Um
but nothing happened. I'll send it to you and it talks about all the issues there. >> Myra, could you please copy me on that too? >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. With that, we're going to go to item number five. Um, wait. I'm sorry. Item number four. >> Okay. Item number four is discuss
vehicular and pedestrian traffic conditions at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This item was sponsored by Commissioner Bond. >> Commission B, you're recognized. >> I'm turning into the traffic girl. Um, yeah. So this this is an item that um I'm bringing because as we come into
work during the day um increasingly happily we see the convention center being used more than it has been in years past and that's only going to increase with the construction and completion of the hotel. Um I know that some of the traffic is because of the
construction and of the hotel. So I'm not even counting that as an issue. But right now we have um uh ride sharers being not being geocached so that they drop and stop and pick up wherever they want to. Um people are wandering across
the cross streets um out of the side streets across uh regardless of where the the actual crosswalks are. Um there's confusion. I've seen people turn making a left turn to go north on Convention Center Drive um not realizing
that they are making an incorrect turn into oncoming traffic, a lane of oncoming traffic. Um, it's just complicated. It's messy. It's only going to get worse. Try people trying to get from Convention Center Drive into the garage and getting backed up there because it's slow. Like, I think we just
need to do now that we know what the scope is going to look like. Um, I think we need to do a a comprehensive review of of this area of town center, um, of city center rather, and look at how to manage ride share, how to better, um,
um, mark the road so people know where they go, deal with the queueing of picking up um, and and or trying to get in and out of the garage, deal with um, people trying to cross from Pride Park or other parts um, west of on the west
side of Convention Center Drive and just figure this out better. It doesn't seem to be as big of an issue on the other side of the convention center um on Washington. So, it's really, you know, you see people streaming towards the convention center in the mornings and
streaming back out when the convention ends for the day on this side of the street much more than this side of the convention center much more than you do on the other side. Um so, that's that's the impetus for this. >> All right. Thank you. Thank you,
Commissioner. So, just very briefly, uh there's several factors that are contributing and creating the the perfect storm, if you will, in this area of Convention Center Drive, 17th and along Convention Center Drive, not the least of which is the construction, the
ongoing construction, which has it reconfigured the lanes uh on Convention Center Drive approaching 17th Street. It constrained them as well. It's even more challenging now to make a turn if you're coming from 17th Street and you want to
make a a right turn onto Convention Center Drive or even if you're coming from the other side of 17th Street. Turns are now more difficult to maneuver because of the constrained uh space as a result of the hotel construction. So that is you know certainly not not
helping the situation. As a result of that we had to uh we did something which is good for pedestrians. We implemented a diagonal crosswalk uh which has helped pedestrian traffic. However, that diagonal crosswalk because a diagonal
crosswalk is longer than a perpendicular crosswalk requires more time for pedestrians, which means less time for vehicles to go through the intersection. So, again, uh a b a delicate balancing act there. Uh but we needed to do that
diagonal crosswalk in order to uh accommodate safe pedestrian movements from the you know the south side of 17th street to the north side of 17th street. Um yeah a a lot of a lot of different
issues. Right share is is also part of the friction that's caused there along um along Convention Center Drive. Um we um one of the things that we outlined here that we could do going forward is
uh try to establish a some sort of a program uh in collaboration with our parking department and ride share companies to identify areas that could be geoenced for rid share pickup and drop off. It's been tried in the past.
Um sometimes successfuls it's worked better than others. It's been tried more than once, but I think we need to to really identify a real plan that will work for ride shares, both pickup and drop off. And um I think that will help
uh a lot of the friction there because I'm sure we've all got caught behind a ride share that just decides to stop, you know, on the one lane going southbound on Convention Center Drive to pick up and drop off and then I myself have driven on the opposite lane of traffic to go around that ride share.
And Jose, I mean, perhaps for the drop off, it might be difficult to manage because you just never know where a passenger will tell a driver to drop them off at. Might be midblock or might go to the destination. But most certainly for the pickup, if we work
with the ride share companies, at least on the on the pickup, you won't have midblock pickups uh from from the ride shareer companies. So, you know, most certainly to the to the point that we can stop these midblock um vehicles
stopping, uh it might be helpful to to explore that. in >> for sure. >> In in in addition to the other thing that is to me very obvious and um >> that going southbound, you have you have a
southbound lane only one with um with a northbound lane just to the east of it and then the median. I think people got confused. >> They did for sure >> all the time. you see people treating it
like if it were two southbound lanes. And if and if the behavioral practice tells you that that is what people are reverting to, that's telling us that we're forcing on drivers something that doesn't come natural to them. And that that tells me we're creating a safety
situation. If if if this is if this is what the design the built environment is indicating to people that that northbound lane is actually a southbound lane, I think perhaps we should be considering, you know, whether whether we should just convert that to be a southbound lane because that that that
is what the driver's reflex is is telling them. Commissioner uh Bond, let me recognize uh Commissioner Matel Selenus who had some comments as well and then I'll go back to you. >> So, thank you, Mr. chair and um the sponsor. I'm not sure if this was your
intent, but my understanding of this traffic issue is not the traffic that's crossing, not the pedestrian crosswalk and not over there on um what is that over there. The issue is when you walk
out this door to Chambers and you look down right where the convention center is, it becomes a mess because people are trying to turn left to get to the parking garage right here. Some people are trying to go straight to drop off at the convention center. Other folks are trying to go right outside to go to
Lincoln Road. That intersection downstairs has high pedestrian volume and high traffic volume and absolutely zero signalization, four-way stops, stop signs. There's nobody there directing
that three-way intersection. So my suggestion to you would be when we have a big convention or sometimes we have two big conventions which happened when Hydrox and the Thriftcon Con happened at the convention center at the same time which created utter chaos down here. We
have we're pre-prepared and we have some type of traffic specialist directing traffic at that three-way intersection. So people can turn left, go straight northbound, southbound, drop off, head out, park in the garage. But that intersection right downstairs,
that's the problem, which I think uh sponsor Commissioner Bot, was that what precipitated this item? >> It's all of this. So yes, and also the basically it's from day down to 17th and everything along along it. So all of the
all of the intersections, all of the friction points, all the people turning one way into the wrong way because the street doesn't clearly indicate, you know, as as um the chair said, people are used to thinking of it as a two-way street. So yes, all of these things are are issues
>> and perhaps and one of the things that you mentioned uh Commissioner Mats Selenus and Mr. correct or I don't know if it would be possible is signalization. >> Mhm. >> You know, having a traffic light uh at that at that uh threepoint intersection
uh perhaps might be something that we should consider because it does commission Selenas is on point. That intersection gets chaotic. I don't know. I don't know if anyone has ever been injured there and if they haven't, it's it's a miracle because be between the
volume of pedestrians walking towards the convention center and mixed with the mixed with the amount of vehicles in that very small area, it's like they're all competing. >> Mhm. >> They're all competing and there's no coordination. >> And Jose, this is a question for you
since you're the traffic professional and I'm not and you have studied this much longer than I have. Is a signal a better idea than to have a four-way three-way stop there? Because I could also see where a signal might if it's not timed correctly back things up onto
Dade. But >> and someone there but just there needs to be somebody managing that because sometimes people need to turn left >> to head wherever they need to go and it's just really tough. So can can we get a traffic
management specialist down there? or a traffic what are they called? What are our traffic people called? >> Traffic safety specialist. >> Those people public safety specialists. The police. >> Yeah. Whatever the people that we have on 41st Street during rush hour, they need to be deployed right there when we have a high volume of events. Yes.
>> And mostly it's on the weekends so it won't conflict with the Monday through Friday 41st Street traffic, but they they need to be there and they need to be making sure that traffic flows safely. >> Agreed. Agreed. And so one of the things that we've done after that u very
chaotic uh conference um was we're having now and it's a it's a it's really a you know a team effort. It's police, it's parking, transportation, and it's the Miami Beach Convention Center staff. And we're having meetings prior to major
conferences to highlight those that we believe are going to be problematic from a, you know, just activity standpoint, ride share, pedestrians, cars, you know, everything. uh and police is trying to
proactively assign those public safety specialists to these hotspots along Convention Center Drive. And I believe you're referring to Convention Center Drive and 18th Street, the street that leads out of the uh the garage here. So
uh absolutely there's no you know there's only a stop sign for 18th Street and there is a lot of activity uh conflicting activity between pedestrians and cars and people that don't know the the street design itself quite candidly is is a bit confusing especially if
you're not from here. So um it's that confluence of factors. We there has not to answer your question there has not been a um localized study at that intersection to see if it warrants always stop control or a signal uh for
that matter. There hasn't been that's something that you know could be a next step. Um but in the meantime something that I believe has helped is when there are public safety specialists there either from our police department or from the Miami Beach Convention Center
uh staff. Um it it it helps because at least they can sort of control >> to get a study for that intersection because it's only going to get worse when the hotel opens. People are going to be coming in and out employees, you know, that's it's going to there's
going to be a lot more traffic. So what do we need to do to get a study? Can we make a motion from this committee to, you know, send something to commission to to study that intersection and what capacity is and what would be best
there? >> Do you do you need direction from that? If if you do, we're I mean happy to support you. We depending on the price of of this the the analysis which isn't too much. I we may be able to to absorb
it from our from our operating budget and you know do that analysis. It's not a complicated intersection. >> And Jose, but let me ask you this because this directly ties to the activation of the convention center and the convention center operates as an enterprise fund. And perhaps this is
something we can partner with the convention center that has its own revenue generating activities and has its own funds that need to be spent related to convention center activities >> uh to address this. Uh, you know, one of my questions actually just listening to this conversation when we have the
public safety specialist there on Convention Center Drive in 18th Street, is that being uh paid for by the convention center? >> I don't know, Mr. Chair. I don't know. I don't um don't see police here. I'm not sure who funds that. >> Police. >> Oh, yeah.
>> Over there. Sorry. >> Um, who funds the public safety specialists when they're out there for a conference? um controlling traffic. >> So, that's something we can follow up on that. Uh I I think that that should be
answered by the appropriate person from the police department. Not sure if the if the officers that we have here are the right individuals to answer that question, but perhaps we can just follow up with with an answer on that. Um because you know certainly if we are
pooling police resources for convention center related activity that means that our residents don't have those police services where they need it and it should be paid for by by the convention center. Commissioner >> B. Yeah, I totally agree with that. Um and that's probably a larger conversation like depending on the scale
of the convention. um if they because I wouldn't imagine that every single well maybe going forward every single event in the convention center hopefully will need that but it should be part of the fees that they are charged to manage to to get access to our convention center.
Um, a separate thought, uh, we have been talking with Will about talking to truck drivers and truck operators about loading zones, right? There's this whole process now where there's education and they have to sign a thing and there's a phone number and if the drivers are not
um, adhering to the rules of the loading zones, then in addition to getting fined, they can get reprimanded by their jobs or whatever. I know it's a little bit more complicated with ride shares because it's not as tightly cohesive a pool of employees. they're not
employees. But maybe we can also in addition to talking to ways and um Google maps and all the other things about making having people go around into different areas when they're trying to go north and south maybe we can also talk to them um to the ride share folks
about um having part of the onboarding because I know there's virtually no training but having part of the onboarding um be that you can only pick people up and drop people off in certain areas of the convention. center campus. Um when you
when you request a ride, the the driver is shown exactly where you can go and where you can't go. And so maybe you request a pickup, the option to be picked up right where you're standing is not shown on the app. You have to walk over like when you're at an airport, you have to walk to a certain section of the
terminal, certain level, whatever. So maybe we can start working on on that with them. >> I think that's very common sense and I thank you for bringing that up, Commissioner Matelinas. So, I want to close a loop on what I said earlier, but I also just want to address Commissioner Bot. I actually don't agree with that. I
think people should be allowed to be dropped off and picked off where they want, even if it's in front of the convention center. And if they are requested to walk, then it's just pushing the traffic into another area. And so, where do we push it? Do we do we then now block, you know, another street or another intersection? Do we push it
towards Palm View? So, I actually would not be supportive of that of that. But anyway, back to my point cuz I want to close the loop on this. You will be doing a traffic you're going to look into your budget to see if you can do a traffic study at that intersection to see what would help the traffic flow right there at 18th and convention
center >> be funded by the convention center. That's >> correct. But that that is something that you will be looking into and Okay. because I just want to make sure that that we have your commitment that you're going to study that because it has some it takes forever, you know, to study and
then to figure out the options and then to implement it and I really hope something is implemented before the hotel opens. >> So, I just want to close the loop on that and then if you need, you know, let us know if you need something legislative or an additional budget, which hopefully you don't because, you
know, enterprise funds. So, but I just want to have your commitment to that, right? >> Yes, Commissioner. We'll take just for to memorialize this, we'll take a resolution to the city commission accepting the moving forward with a traffic study at that intersection to
see what the best type of traffic control device would be. >> Okay, great. And in the meantime, when there is two different conventions happening there, you'll have the traffic specialists down there to conduct traffic to help that smoothly. >> That's correct. And that's that's more coordinated between our police
department, Major Feldman, and U and the Miami Beach Convention Center um staff, they have their own, as a matter of fact, their own transportation division there in the in the Miami Beach Convention Center. >> And to the extent that that Thank you. >> that that burden can fall on the
convention center, you know, the convention center is managing the facility, bringing in these revenues that need to be reinvested into the convention center. uh you know I don't I don't want to move resources and swarm personnel from where we might be needed
if the convention center has the ability to have its own uh traffic management people on the street guiding that because you know the convention center traffic people their focus is only the convention center the police department that you know we're pulling them all
over the place so to the extent that that's possible um that'd be great because commissioner Matsinus is right that right That right there, Commissioner is the heart of the of the issue. You've really identified that to together with Commissioner Bot on the issue of of um
the west side of Convention Center Drive. Uh what do you need in order to explore can that be as part of that traffic study that you're doing? is that a separate issue exploring whether whether we can reconfigure uh that westbound convention center lane uh into
the the two of them being southbound as opposed to one being southbound and the other one being northbound. >> So that that would require a much more intensive u traffic analysis feasibility study of of a redesign in essence is what I'm hearing if were to be
>> how but how is that a redesign? the the western half of the street, west of the median, those two lanes instead of operating one in each direction, they would both operate southbound, right? Because to the east of the median, the
two lanes are operating northbound. So, it would be designed as a more conventional street with a median in the middle. >> But the street is not being redesigned. I mean, the built environment already Yeah. That's just restriping. The the the built environment already kind of tells people that that is the
configuration of the street except it's not. The striping is actually what's making it confusing. >> Correct. And we're saying the same thing, but in engineering terms for Miami date county, for example, which would have to approve the new design and the new signalization and the new the
new u traffic flow because it's a change of traffic flow. So Miami date county would need to approve that. It would require a design. >> Yeah. Isn't this isn't that a local Miami Beach street? >> It is. But even so, um, when any street
to to change the directionality of any street, if it's a two-way, make it one way or or change the direction of a lane, that does require a traffic analysis and Miami date county approval. And they'll require a set of plans to permit. So there's three takeaways from
this conversation. Uh Commissioner Bod, uh you've requested for the study and the and the analysis of the ride share pickup drop off areas. Uh we're also requesting uh an analysis into the configuration of the west side of
Convention Center Drive. Uh and in addition to the comments raised by you uh Commissioner and Commissioner Metals Selenas about that intersection on 18th Street and Convention Center Drive and engaging some sort of study to see what
is the pro appropriate mechanism to better address the safety and the flow whether it's lighting or staff there or stop signs. Um is there anything else with this item that we're missing? >> I don't think so. >> Okay. So
>> and In the in the meantime, I wonder, you know, we have the parking spaces that are on the east side of city hall fronting Convention Center Drive. I I don't know if it would help with with traffic if we if if we temporarily uh
while there's that lane reduction there, if we temporarily remove uh those those parking spaces on the east side of city hall, reposition the bike share station to be able to accommodate more of of the volume of the traffic that's being
backed up. I don't know if if that's something that uh that can help mitigate the situation there. I'm putting it out there because I know that area there is truly a choke point right now. >> And thank you for pointing that out u Mr. Chair because it was one of the options that we included in the memo. It
was an idea that came up in discussing with the Miami Beach con uh convention center folks, police department, parking, transportation. It's it it was just an idea. has not been looked at in depth, but uh at least while the hotel construction is occurring, there may be
some value in repurposing that parking as a southbound lane >> and and temporarily. >> And I I would How long do we anticipate having the lane closure uh fronting fronting city hall uh as a result of the of the construction?
>> Morning, Ty. Morning. >> You have to push a little button. >> Good morning, TA Vier. Um the project liaison for the hotel. Um that lane closure will remain in place until about March, I believe, of next year.
>> March of next year. Okay. >> Yeah, around that time. >> And and Jose, how long would it take us uh you know, I don't want us to do an experiment uh of and this exercise of removing the parking and the bike share station. it's going to take us 6 months and then the public only benefits from
the relief for 3 months. So, how um how long will it take us to to go through this exercise? >> So, so it's it's hard to to give you a you know an exact timeline at this moment because we you know devil's in the details sometimes. So, it sounds
like an easy to do concept. We're going to try to keep it as easy as you know simple as possible. Uh but we do need to to to take uh you know at least a preliminary look at it to see how if there are any complications or if it's
like easy very easy and quick to do. >> Okay. I I think it's worth exploring uh because that is a challenge there. >> I think I just should do it because so Art >> Basle so that lane's going to be closed during Art >> Basel. So, you know, I think we should
just provided there's not any huge complicated road blocks that I think we should just do it. Let's just take the risk. >> Okay. And Commissioner B, >> I was just going to say um something about the ride share uh the and maybe I misprocessed the information, so correct
me if I'm wrong. Are you're not talking about um getting rid of any of the micro mobility resources? >> What do you mean? You're not talking about getting rid of the bike share or anything like that? >> Well, just just possibly repositioning
it, not eliminating it, but just moving it to a different location. >> Maybe maybe we can move it further closer, you know, 10 ft closer into the city hall property or, you know, reposition it somewhere in that in that vicinity. Um, but I'd like to encourage
Jose just to see the feasibility of it because to Commissioner Matel Selenus's point, if Kamar Bosle, you know, that uh that lane closure is still there, then the problem is just going to go. >> Yeah. No, I just want to make sure we're not taking it away without popping it in someplace else because we've got so many
other items where we're talking about let's increase the ride share, not the ride share, the micromobility, the bike share because that eliminates cars off the road entirely. So, um, just want to be mindful of all of these, you know, like 14 plates in the air without dropping all of them to try to
>> 100% agree. Yes. >> Effectuate the right answer. >> Yes. >> Thank you, Commissioner B. Are there members of the public wishing to speak on this item? >> Seeing none in person, none on Zoom with her hand raised, Commissioner Mattel Selenas, and then we're going to move on. >> I just have one more quick comment. Could we look at maybe taking that city
bike station and putting it somewhere inside Pride Park? >> Yeah, that's what I was wondering, too. >> We could. There's there's already a a city bike station in Pride Park. It was it was installed there maybe less than two years ago as a matter of fact. Uh
but we we can look to see if you know we can add on to that one or another location within Pride Park >> or even on the city hall property if you if you just move the bike station you know 10 feet closer to city hall. Uh we have that big plaza there. Um,
>> and we already have a bike bike bike share station that takes up parking spots in front of city hall. And we have this giant plaza that doesn't get used very much. So, yeah, it might make sense to do that for both of them. >> All right. Okay. Perfect. Thank you, Jose. Thank you, Commissioner Bot. Uh,
with that, let's move to item. >> So, we're keeping it here and getting updates. Yeah. >> Well, I I believe Jose was mentioning about sending an item back to commission for the traffic light to >> Okay. traffic light study. >> Uh the lane uh redesign on the west side
of Convention Center Drive. I don't know if you need direction on the on on the um portion of Convention Center Drive north of 18th Street where we currently have the lane block and the ride share. So if you know is there is there a motion?
>> Yes, that's good. That's good. >> All right. We can show that by acclamation. I'm sure that Stephanie got the intent written down. All right. Item number five. >> Item number five is discuss the maintenance of existing crosswalks along with the need for installation of
additional crosswalks in North Beach. This item was sponsored by Commissioner Doming, Vice Mayor Dominguez and co-sponsored by Commissioner B. >> Thank you, Stephanie. Commissioner Dominguez, this is your item. >> Uh my aid lives up in North Beach and he's my eyes and ears up there. And um
upon further review with the city administration, we found that about 40% of the crosswalks are in bad condition. Uh 65% of the street signs are in bad condition. And so this is an opportunity for us to make those areas better.
Sadly, we've had some fatalities up in North Beach at intersections. not um not indicating that it's a result of the crosswalks um entirely, but um anything that the city can do to make it safer
for residents and visitors is important. When looking at the recommendations from staff for this particular item, it did state that there would be areas um of improvement. I think that overall the cost would be about $200,000.
What I want to hear specifically is which areas and in what order are the improvements recommended and is it for street walks for crosswalks for both? >> Thank you commissioner. >> Is that your >> So >> Okay, good morning everyone. Good
morning commissioners. I'm Cara Boilles. I'm the assistant director for public works and the city engineer. I just joined the city about six months ago. So welcome. >> Thank you. Um so as you know I'll give a little brief summary that we kind of looked at this in two ways. We did some critical immediate needs and then we
also looked at the coordination effort that would be needed obviously because we have multi-jurisdictions uh in north all across North Beach. So um there were eight critical locations that were prioritized crosswalks that were prioritized for restriping and we
handled those inhouse. Um, six of those have been completed. There were two remaining that were adjacent to uh 7 on 77th Street near school and so those should be happening either this week or next week now that school is out and
we're able to um perform that work without any disruption. In terms of new sidewalks or sorry new crosswalks and signage, yeah, there are a considerable amount of projects happening in North Beach in which we are coordinating with
FDOT um in terms of um highlighting and replacing restriping sidewalk sorry crosswalks as well as signage in along those corridors. So those corridors I know that um our transportation team is very involved in those projects as well.
Um those corridors are 71st Street. In fact, as soon as FIFA is completed, a tripleR project will take place along 71st Street. And so those improvements, all the crosswalks and signage will be replaced there first. Um a little bit
later on in 2028, there will be some improvements on Collins Avenue from 20, I'm sorry, 75th to 63rd. And then a little bit even further in 2029. Um FD dot will revisit Normandy between Bay
Drive and um REI and will also do similar improvements in that section. That area area of Normandy Drive was originally scheduled to happen earlier, but we coordinated with FDOT to delay
their project for water main replacement um that public works is doing along that same section. So, >> so by um 2029 um how many of those uh 65 bad crosswalks,
I think it was 65 um will be done. Will we then be completed with fixing all of the bad crosswalks and bad street signs? >> I that is not that they would not all be addressed. So, I know that part of the
funding request, the $200,000 is for, I believe, additional striping in the future. Is that is that in your budget? I think the 200,000 is in transportation's budget. >> Um, part of that is a good example is that we have some crosswalks that are
more decorative in nature in North Beach. So, you have like the sort of like a brick paper crosswalk with the concrete headers that outline them. And what we are doing in terms of the other eight critical ones that I mentioned earlier, we can do that through our push
button contractor. So we have a line item pricing and we can do that but we do not have that sort of striping pricing in our push button. So we would have to do something um more specific with a contractor in order to address restriping those concrete headers that
align those decorative ones. So those would be we that's part of I think what that funding request is for for next year. concern um is that they got to this condition to begin with. So when different departments are implementing things, is there a line item for
maintenance so that things don't get too beyond repair or critical uh like we have in the situation? >> Yeah. The ongoing operations of m and maintenance of anything that we can >> Yeah. the >> the corrective action would be to add that to the next push button contract so
that we have it going forward. So let me so let me ask you because you've you you've mentioned a number of of the larger intersections that are part of larger projects and I think one of the benefits of this item that that uh Vice Mayor Dominguez has brought forward
perhaps some of the other areas that perhaps aren't as prominent aren't as large you know you've highlighted it seems I counted them I thought it was closer to to to 50 but you then you also have a lot of really faded signs with
you know even even uh children crossings uh for for schools that are completely faded. Uh clearly, you know, that's that's very concerning. Uh so we're talking about, you know, even smaller uh smaller uh streets uh Normac or Bonita
Drive or um you know uh smaller more localized areas of of Dickens Avenue that truly go into into into the neighborhoods. Um, you know, to me it's it seems like this is one of our basic core services, making making sure that
when people walk out of their homes, they have safe sidewalks, safe streets with the proper uh marations to be able to know uh that they're safe and so that so that cars uh don't don't create a
dangerous conditions uh for them. If if the funding were to exist, which I believe something like this, the moment is raised to our attention that you have unsafe uh conditions and bad uh stripings on crosswalks, we should
prioritize its repair. Once funding is made available, how long would it take to uh repair uh these crosswalks? >> A crosswalk can be strike in in one day. So, um it's a pretty immediate um
response that we can give to something like that. So I I would say again just just given the amount of concerns we have received over the past several months related to pedestrian safety, the catastrophes and the loss of life
that we have seen uh recently uh in North Beach uh associated uh with people walking and just trying to get from point A to point B and being you know hit by vehicles and losing their lives. you know, we we can't let those lives be
in vain and uh and and we can go back and make sure that other people are are kept safe, even if these intersections weren't the direct cause of that, but it's the call to action to make sure that our pedestrian crossings are are
safe. Madame Vice Mayor, if if you if if you were to consider a motion, you know, trying to find within the surplus that we have in the current fiscal year uh to find the the $200,000 to be able to restripe
uh and and improve these conditions and ask the finance committee to consider that as part of the surplus dollars that we have in this fiscal year. I'd be happy to support you. Uh because number one is, you know, making sure we have safe streets, we have safe sidewalks,
and that we create uh safe crossings for for residents. >> I think that's perfect. >> Commissioner Buff, >> I would also be happy to support you um in that as well. Um the the thing that didn't get covered in this item, um Jose, you and I have talked about, and I
know it's not directly our purview, but the street signs indicating what street number you're at. Um the green and white signs going up Collins um is where I've noticed them the the most, but I'm sure they're throughout where they're really
terrible. And I think the the feedback we got from can't remember if it was the county or the state is that they're having a supplier issue or some nonsense. So we we don't know if we'll ever see um updated replacement street signs and it's literally to the point
where you can't read what you're what intersection you're at. It's not even about public safety like the stop sign or the striping. It's like you don't know where you are. It's not like you don't know you are. You you don't you can't tell where you are. And um I would like that to be included in this effort
for the those signs that are particularly egregious. Um to do a survey of them, which I think you had done already when on one of our on one of our walkthroughs um and to find out where they are with the vendors and if they're not someplace that, you know, we're going to see the signs replaced in
our lifetime, then let's add it to this pot of improvements because it's it's it you know, if you need to call the police and they say, "Where are you?" when you look up for the street sign and all of them are completely off, then um that doesn't work. So, >> and I believe Commissioner Bot as part
of of Vice Mayor Dominguez's item, the estimated funding of $200,000 included for included the efforts to improve the c the crosswalks and the signage maintenance. So, I believe based on the memo that we have here with Commissioner
Dominguez's item, the $200,000. Um, >> did that cover the street signs like the the label? I don't know how you >> No, those essentially that's just striping. Um, with regard to signage, we try to forward those to Miami date
county. Ultimately, it is their responsibility. Uh, if it's a traffic control sign, if we're talking about traffic control signs, >> well, what do you call the green signs with the white numbers telling you where you are? Is that a traffic control? >> Those are internally illuminated street street name signs. >> Does whose perview does that fall under?
Ours? >> It should be Miami date county, but because they were not being very responsive, then we went to DOT. What we've noticed is that commissioner, some have been replaced. Not all of them, but some have been replaced. And and by the way, it's a city-wide issue. Mid Beach.
Uh I I it's I've seen them in Mid Beach and North Beach. Not so much in South Beach, but in Mid Beach also along Collins Avenue. Some of them are in deplorable condition. You can't even read the number. >> Right. So that's that's a life safety issue. If you call the police and they say, "Where are you so we can come help you?" And you're like, "I don't know.
There's a big building next to me, but you know, somebody just hit me." That doesn't help. So how do we how do we call that out specifically? And I don't want to exclude if if mid beach has the same issue. I mean, does it need to be a separate item? Can we fit it into this? Like, how do we
>> it I mean, ultimately, it's it's it's a policy decision. It's it's really the county's responsibility to >> the county isn't doing it. So, you had to go to FDA FDOT did some of them. So, how do we now if if if it's the city's
city commission's will to to u basically take that take that task on, then it would need to be budgeted. >> And how much would it cost roughly? I don't know what each I I can get that for you. I I don't know what each sign would cost to. >> So, does it need would it would we be
better would it be better for us to make it a separate item or put it into this one which generally covers street signs? >> I think it might it might be prudent to make it a separate item >> separate just >> and perhaps there needs to be a sign assessment and I think at some point
there was a citywide sign assessment that may have been done. I don't know why that seems to >> there's a wayf finding I think that was a different but but we did we did at least in North Beach a sign um you know what do you call them illuminated
>> illumin internally illuminated street name signs. >> Okay, that's a mouthful. Internally illuminated street name signs. >> There's got to be a better name. Um the green signs. Let's just call them the green signs. So um like let's we have it in North Beach. Let's go do a citywide
survey, determine what's missing and and figure out what it's going to cost, and then go through the process again, give the county and FDOT the right of first refusal within a reasonable amount of time. And if not, it's like when you have a landlord and they won't fix your fridge. You just fix the fridge and deduct it for the next month's rent.
>> Commissioner, I'm pretty sure we've we've done that. Surely we've done that for North Beach as a result of our walkthrough. I'm pretty sure we did that for Mid Beach as well. Developed a list, sent it to the county. The issue is that they're not giving us >> Okay. So, let's find out. Let's find out what >> what they have done so we can cross
those off what still remains. And if they don't give us an anticipated deadline or or completion date, then we'll go to FOT. And if they say we're not doing it, then let's figure out how we're going to pay for it and get it done because it's ridiculous. We've got literally the entire Okay, I take that back. It's not literally the entire
world. We don't have six billion people in Miami Beach this week, although it feels like it. But we do have the eyes of the entire world on Miami Beach. and we have tens and hundreds of thousands of visitors over the next couple of weeks. And for us to not have the fundamentals of street signs look like
we're we know what we're doing because we clearly know what we're doing, but it looks ridiculous and people are looking up trying to figure out where they are. So, let's make it a separate item and and >> so why don't you send that to the committee uh while so so that we can work on it uh get the feedback from
staff and make a proper recommendation at that point. So if if you want to um place that on the agenda, just bring it back to this item. Again, Commissioner Dominguez, you know, highlighted the very the very, you know, real situation that without clear marked crosswalks,
pedestrians, you know, are unsafe. Uh and and and you know, the lack of these safe crosswalks, they contribute to injuries, to collisions, ultimately to to to fatalities. and uh and she's she's
worked with the administration uh in evaluating the need for the installation and the maintenance and the improvements of these of these crosswalks and the and to fund this very essential public service that is goes to
the very core of safety for our pedestrians. there is a need of $200,000. And so, uh, I think Commissioner Dominguez was, uh, was willing to make a motion, uh, requesting that the city commission consider the funding of it
and perhaps sending that to, um, to the finance committee. >> Yeah, I think it has to go to commission first. Send it to finance. >> Okay. All right. So, I'll be happy to second that motion. Are there members of the public wishing to speak on this
item? If you're on Zoom, feel free to raise your hand. If you're in person, feel free to approach the podium. Seeing none in person and none in Zoom, we can show this item uh adopted by acclamation. >> And that it was a positive recommendation to go back to the
commission for $200,000. Is Was there anything else? >> No, I'm going to I'm writing a a referral. >> Okay. >> Separate referral. >> A citywide assessment uh that Commissioner Bod is going to work on a referral for. >> Got on the signs citywide on the street
signs and that is you know as the commissioner mentioned yet another important public safety issue. >> Okay, with that we're moving forward to item number six. >> Item number six is discuss the potential extension of the six-month pilot program for bicycle and microobility devices
storage at large scale events on public property. This item was sponsored by Commissioner Fernandez. >> I'd like to make a motion to move this item. >> Um thank you. I I I I appreciate that. Um I just want to make sure um you know as as we move this this item forward and
I see we have Francis uh from our uh tourism and special events department uh joining us. I just want to make make sure because we we tested this and and I feel that at the at the beginning the test perhaps it wasn't as widely
embraced because perhaps there wasn't the right structure um being communicated to the events of what were some minimum standards uh to be implemented um you know and so so Francis I just if you could walk us through the item tell
us what the administration is is is proposing uh so that so we can move forward. >> Yes. Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Francis Vio, interim director for tourism and culture. As you mentioned, we did have a pilot program previously. We presented the results at in March of
this year of the first iteration of that. As you mentioned, it was not highly used at the events that did have it. It was only three events because of the category has to be a large a large scale special event on public property. Um from that in discussion when we
presented in March in discussion in this committee the direction was for us to work with transportation because transportation has been doing a lot in more micromobility more in public spaces for anybody to use regardless of a special event. So what
we are proposing now is almost like a multi-ter approach where we still would have the requirement for large-scale special events to have a space in this in this extension of the pilot program but we will also communicate additional
spaces that transportation will advise us. So giving any attendee more options, but we also are going to include a requirement for the event to give us to provide us samples of how they are advertising this because we didn't have
that last time. So they may have provided the space, but we don't know if they let their attendees know that this was available to them. So that's going to be another approach of having u more communication needed. Um, in working with transportation, we also are looking
at adding make trying to see if Google will have uh the ability to add these to Google Maps, the the more of the permanent side of the microobility parking spaces. So, as mentioned, it's it's a multi-ter approach. Uh, one
change I did want to note when we originally wrote the memo, it mentioned to include with FIFA events. Clearly though, some of those are already took place. So, if we do extend it, it would probably capture the same events but with these tweaks.
>> Thank you, Francis. One of the things I noticed uh was that during last year's art week um you know there was for example everyone loves the installation on the beach uh behind Fena and that obviously draws a large crowd
and so there were people trying to go to that on their bicycle yet once they got there the the the um the facilities were not available And so and so I'm trying to understand like what would be the discrepancy
there, you know, because to me that is the perfect example of of an event that should have these facilities. You're drawing in large crowds. And so we want to encourage you, especially if you're if you're a local rather than getting in your car, hey, jump on a bike. Jump on a
bike because the event now is offering you that facility. Why would it be that an event of that nature wouldn't have had to abide by this regulation? >> Yes. And and I had a feeling that would come up because of previous conversations. So, we had the team look at it and it looks like they're they
what they report as attendance was a thousand. That may be per day, but it doesn't really capture what they're bringing in, which is clearly more than a thousand. So that's one that we do have on our radar that we would capture in this because what they bring in over the matter of days is way more than a
thousand people. >> And so how do we address that? So do we are we are we looking at attendance as the aggregate uh over the multip the multiple days of of of the event. >> That's how most events report their
attendance. Usually it's in the on title scope. They usually report over 10,000. in FA we realize they they're probably under reporting. >> Okay. All right. So I just uh so in this policy how as this policy moves forward,
how are we fixing that? >> It would definitely be over the course of the days. >> Okay. And is that currently reflected uh in how it's written that that we're looking at the aggregate of the days? And so and so if you exceed $5,000
5,000 uh >> attendees >> attendees over over over the course of the in the many days of the of the event then at that point you have to abide by the policy. >> That's how we would write it. This would if we get a favorable recommendation today we would take it back to
commission and that's how we would write it for the memo. >> Okay. Um and so I just want to go through uh a number of other recommendations that that that have been shared with me. Um making sure that the
bike ballet uh be at the entrance of the of the event which you know seems to be common sense. Uh apparently different events had different placements for the bicycle ballet but I think to the extent that we want to make it easy for them to
be identified it should be somewhere near the entrance. Uh is that being addressed at the end? >> Yeah. So to make the the difference I would imagine so as an example seafood festival their entire event takes place on the spoil. So they did have the space
closer to that untitled in scope. The event takes place on the beach and they have their their site plan that they use basically every year. So their spaces were on the spoil area as well. So if that's the will of the body that it be as close as
possible, they would probably have to redesign something on the beach side. I think it's important for the success for it to be because for it to clearly be as close as possible to wherever the public perceives to be the entrance of of of
the event. People usually they'll drive their bicycle to wherever the entrance is. Um >> the only difference is somebody would have to walk their bike longer to get to the to the site. Uh and I want to make sure that we are continuing to make the
ballet the bike ballet service free. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Uh what what requirements are we placing on these events to include the availability of uh this this bicycle storage infrastructure on their websites
on their social media. I know in the past like for example with our deco weekends uh years past they implemented this and it was promoted everywhere. You would see people because it was promoted people knew about it and so they were going to the event on their on their
bicycle and it was being checked in. Uh what what requirements are we putting on? So that's one item that for sure would be different from the first iteration where we will request samples of their marketing of how they are promoting this because I think that was
a failed opportunity in the first time that even if they provided the space people probably didn't know about it. >> Okay. How about wayfinding? So that once people get there, like to your point, sometimes not all events have the same
layout, so you have unique circumstances. Uh wayfinding. Uh >> sure, we we can definitely include that. All of all of this and uh in past discussions with event producers, specifically in the production industry council, where there's representatives
from all of you sitting on there, one item that came up was uh cost and liability. So, all of these items, I mean, the simple sign may not cost much, but all of those would add to their because they're they're not collecting on on any parking fee or anything like
that. So, they're just offering this service. >> Okay. All right. Um, Commissioner Mat Selenus had had made a motion. If any of these were not included, I want to make sure that we that that it's included in this um before this goes back to
commission. I would want to make sure that uh that we go together to the production industry council. Okay. >> Uh and uh and make sure that we get you know whatever other feedback they may have before we go to commission. >> Okay. That that would definitely be
helpful. And in that discussion we could also discuss the time frame. Last time we did it for six months but we can have that discussion >> I think. Well, I I would want to I would want to adopt the recommendations that
we have as another sixmonth uh pilot in the event, you know, in the implementation of these, you know, of this updated framework in case we need to tweak anything again, we have the opportunity uh to uh to to to change whatever may need to be changed.
>> I'll work with your with your office to schedule. >> Great. Is there comments from the deis on the item? Members of the public wishing to speak on the item, seeing none in person, none on Zoom, we can show this item adopted by acclamation.
And we can move forward to item number seven. >> Okay. Item number seven is explore the potential implementation of a blue light safety and emergency communication system along 41st Street. This item was sponsored by Commissioner Bond. >> Commissioner Bond, I love this item.
>> Um, thank you for the love. Um, I actually happened to be driving through Surfside yes, uh, earlier this week or last week and it seems that they've just installed a blue light camera and so it might be worth not a blue light camera, a blue
light security post. It might be worth having a chat with them to see what they did and um, if we can learn anything from them about what how they made their selection, who their vendor is and all that stuff. Um, so this is something that we've been talking about for a while. Um there didn't seem to be
appetite among some of my colleagues, not those here, but some of my other colleagues um for doing this on the beachwalk, but I think that um which I'm not giving up on yet, but um here on 41st Street, given the population, uh it
would make a lot of sense to to proceed with this. The one thing that I did um wonder about is if we needed um cameras at every single cross street because I think maybe like every other I I'm not sure. You guys are the police and public
safety experts. I will defer to you. Um but that was my one question. Um, and I would definitely opt for option um 13 in this case and not 13 option one um because there is power already on the
street and it should be relatively easy to tie into that but again I'm not a public works person so I could be wrong on that too. So why don't you educate us? >> Good morning uh Mr. Chair, commissioners and staff. Eric Garcia, Major Eric
Garcia, Police Technical Services Division. Yes. Um, so we're here today to discuss what the expectations are, get some guidance and some uh advice from the committee on locations, quantity, and
the type of funding that we how we're going to fund potentially this project. So happy to discuss the options with you, Commissioner. Whichever So your question initially >> your question initially was about cameras uh on each intersection. So
this call box project does not contemplate >> Yeah. I just want to we're not talking about cameras. We're calling >> Sorry, I misspeing. Call box. I misspoke. >> Okay. >> Sorry. I didn't mean to give everybody a heart attack. >> Okay. Yeah. So obviously there's nine intersections that we looked at from uh
starting at Pine Tree and going all the way to Alton didn't consider Collins and Indian Creek unless we can you know we can add obviously add those if that's something that uh you give us guidance on. Um and again nine intersections I don't know
that necessarily we need one on every intersection. Uh that's up to what your expectations would be. Um there's also uh as was discussed in an earlier item, there are also two inter there's also
two midblock uh crosswalks that might potentially also be an ideal location for an emergency call box if if you want to consider those as well. Um so 41st Street is actually going undergoing a major construction
reconstruction project. um potentially this type of service can be included in that project. That's something that potentially we can discuss or can be uh can be looked at as
part of that 41st Street reconstruction project. Um, aside from that, um, just a couple of decisions that need to be made regarding power versus, uh, like you said, hardwire versus solar. You know, solar has some limitations, you know,
especially being in a tight corridor as it is. Major, let me let me let me ask you, does the department uh feel that there is a a benefit to the community with the installation of of the proposed blue light uh communication system?
>> So, we're never going to say no to something that potentially can incrementally increase safety. Um, so we're we're going to support, >> okay, >> the decision of the of of the commission of the committee and the commission, whatever that would be. So through the
chair if I may. >> Yes. >> Um I've spoken at length with Chief Jones about this and he is very supportive. Um my my challenge to you all would be taking a look at these um I think it's nine intersections and let's identify five where it makes most sense.
And having lived in this neighborhood for so many years, I would suggest that um Sheridan Avenue and Pineree is um you know kind of around there. The Walgreens there gets all kinds of shady folks um wandering in often without pants because
they have been released from Mount Si and they're in their hospital gowns and holding their plastic bag and my heart goes out to them because that's not a way that anybody should be released back out of the hospital. But that is a that's a thing. Um so that that Walgreens situation and where the CVS
is. And so I would look to you for some guidance to tell us where um where the most likely areas would be. Um I remember that there was always a drama with the Burger King that was there um and kids running back and forth across
traffic when they're not supposed to be. I know that's a different issue than but like let's put some let's not just go blanketing the entire street. I don't think it it warrants that. Um, you know, the other thing about Pine Tree is that that is a nexus of people who observe
observe the Sabbath and would not be walking with their phones, right? Um, same thing with on the other end um whether it's Garden A or Jefferson, but somewhere in there maybe Meridian. Same thing where you have families wandering after dinner for a lovely stroll on
Friday night or Saturday. Um, so let's let's you guys I mean Chris Mitchell's out there all the time, so let's get Chris giving us his input. um on where the best places would be and let's start off with five and see how they work. I mean ideally we don't need more than five.
>> I and and and I just want to jump in because I I agree with everything that you have said. You know why I believe this is this is a good addition because you know unlike any other part of the city we have a high concentration of individuals in this area of the city who
are walking around without their cell phone. um and god forbid they have an an emergency, communicating with with uh with with police and law enforcement then becomes uh challenging. And so and so I I agree with with Commissioner
Bots's suggestion for the police department to identify strategically identify, you know, let's not just say every intersection for the sake of saying no, but strategically identify which are those those best locations
where this can be placed. um that is that that that can better enhance the safety of of of the residents and and the pedestrians in that in that area. So, I'm happy to support this item um
and with with the direction to to staff for when it goes back to the full city commission for it to go back uh with an identification of those locations in um that that the police department uh has
identified to be the uh the most critical. I would I would also say, you know, in addition to Chris Mitchell, who is out there all the time, our neighborhood resource officer is very familiar with the needs of that that area. Uh Hazy is very familiar with the
with with a unique uh character and and the needs of of the area there. So, I'd encourage that uh that Hazy be a part of of of that conversation. um the timeline for for CIP to be able to include this
as part of our 41st Street uh capital improvements project. >> The 41st Street project will be advertising under the ITB in the next weeks if not days. >> Uh but what we can do is we can add uh an ad alternate with a brief description
on what the potential could be and that way we can get some pricing in the process. >> Okay. All right. Great. So, >> yes. >> Um, if you could also just reach out to Surfside, um, and just learn what they've experienced and who they're using and why they made that decision.
And before it comes to commission, I'd like to be briefed on what the locations are um, and why they were chosen. Please. >> The the challenge in implementation, as you all know, is DOT permitting. It's their right of way. So, they're going to have to approve locations. But if if if
they're included as part of wayfinding and other infrastructure that's already easier, you know, and and I'd be remiss to imagine we have Captain Sanchez here uh who who is the captain of the of the area. So I think we have all all the right people available to help a
strategic uh decision. Uh it's it's a luxury and a an amenity. It is, but it's also a very unique area of our city. uh and I and I think if the technology is there to enhance the safety of our residents uh in a very unique uh setting
then we should be exploring it. So thank you Commissioner Bob. >> Thank you >> Commissioner Matel Selenas. No. All right. Are there members of the public wishing to speak on this item? Seeing none in Zoom, none in person, uh we can move forward to item number eight.
Item number eight is discuss take action regarding the blocking of flooded portions of the outermost lanes on Alton Road from 43rd Street to 63rd Street during flooding events to prevent homes from being swamped by vehicles driving through flooded portions. This item was sponsored by Commissioner Bot.
>> Commissioner Bot, you're welcome to introduce your item. >> Um well, we talked about it a little bit um tangentially earlier today. This is an item that um I'm bringing because it's been an issue that is getting increasingly dramatic over the last number of years. Um I've witnessed it in
some form. I think every year I've lived here 23 years, but it has gotten exponentially worse um over the last five or 10 years, but certainly the last five. And now that I'm in a position to hear residents concerns uh more than
anecdotally, I've heard from so many residents up and down Alton Road who are um you know, somebody just had just refinish the floors of their home and they were flooded. Somebody had literally saved up for years to buy himself his dream car, took possession
of it on Friday, a vintage something or other and on on Saturday it was totaled. And you know, I know these are first world problems, right? This isn't like, you know, we're we're being swept away and our children are being lost, but
these are people who've worked very hard to be able to feel safe and secure in their home that their home will not be damaged through weather. And we we live in a first world and we should be able to fix this. And we are working on infrastructure projects that will help mitigate this. But even if we fund them
yesterday, it will take years before they actually effectuate change. So what can we do in the interim um that will help people um live in homes that are not inundated with with flooding? Um one
friend literally had to put his dog on his kayak to take him out to go to the bathroom because they couldn't get out of their home. Um, I know one of our colleagues on on the commission the first year we were elected was out catching fish in people's front yards and putting them back into the
waterways. Like the stories are insane. And so it's not good enough to say we can't do it. And I know there there are impediments to doing it one way or another way, but we've got to find a way while we are working on the infrastructure to slow the roll literally and figuratively. It is
illegal. My understanding is that it is illegal to go over a certain speed when there is flood water. So, we need to figure out enforcement. We need to figure out can we stage vehicles and I know FOD is terribly concerned about what happens in an emergency. But I can tell you that nobody is speeding through
to get off the island during a flood. Like we're all hunkering down trying to keep ourselves dry. So, we've got to cut through the various narratives and figure out what we can do. So, this is the beginning of the conversation. I want to put this out here for everybody. This is the beginning of the
conversation. This is not the entirety of the conversation. So with that, I will turn it over to the experts in the room. >> All right. Good morning again, commissioners. So, as you mentioned, um uh just kind of gives a little more of that context, right? We do have the existing tool of the um state law that
says vehicles must slow down um and not create wakes in in the event of flooding. But um um enforcement of that would be a challenge. I wanted to mention you mentioned >> before you I'm sorry >> and I'm not the expert on that. >> I know. So let's let's have that let's
have this as a conversation opposed to a presentation per se because I think things get are better and more productive that way. So >> if I can my let me let me allow Captain Sanchez to occupy that podium and we'll obviously we'll recognize you because you are a key component. You are a
stakeholder who are who is directly affected by this. Well, Captain Sanchez, welcome. >> So, so talk to us about uh I know you have to introduce yourself and do all the things properly, but I'm jumping the gun on that. Talk to us about enforcement because I know you guys are strapped like we've all been here during
these rain bombs or whatever, like the perfect storm, literally and figuratively. I know the police department, um, sanitation, public works, everybody is flat out trying to literally and figuratively bail out the city. Is there a way without going to
extreme measures of alpha bravo and and um you know spring break type staffing chaos to anticipate that that these storms are coming and be able to identify officers on key roadways like we know Alton's going to be a disaster.
We know parts of Collins are going to be a disaster but it doesn't it's not as ownorous on Collins because there are no single family homes that are getting flooded. So, it is on you, the driver, to proceed with caution, and that seems to be okay. So, we know Alton Road in particular is a nightmare. We know where
the hot spots are. I mean, I lived uh in Beayshore on Sheridan 34th, and the whole neighborhood would flood, but my little part of the street wouldn't. So, we know it it varies. So, talk to us about staffing and and how you could um intercede before things get crazy.
>> Okay. So, good morning uh to everyone and thank you for jumping the gun and not shooting the gun. Um >> I won't do that. That's not my jam. That's your jam. >> Um predicting when a weather event would occur
uh is is quite a challenge. Uh the professionals don't get it right. We do our best to >> We do know like the city knows when we're hunkering down. Like the sandbags go out, the the resident alert goes out. So in a major flooding event um such as post a hurricane or a major storm that
we are expecting uh we have closed down uh streets for down power lines down trees um situations that would uh stall vehicles which would then create a public safety hazard which prevents um emergency vehicles to then be able to
traverse. Prior to that, for a an unforeseen weather event where we get weather that that rolls in and we do get flooding, it is um very difficult to
implement and to staff u a full lane closure for an exper for an extended period of time or for an extended distance. >> But what if it's not a lane closure and it's um the equivalent of a a traffic thing? the motor. I mean, I wouldn't
suggest the motormen because there are motorcycles. That sounds really unsafe. But like at certain points along Alton Road, you have officers out there like telling people directing traffic like you cannot go 30 40 miles an hour on Alton Road. You have to go 15 because of
the conditions. >> Well, let me ask this. Let me because not all rain events are the same. >> Correct. And we're talking about very specific type of rain events that generate a certain amount of volume of rain or is the because the cars are
>> No, the cars are not getting stalled with every rain event. We're getting cars stalled during the larger rain rain events. They actually usually happen around June, July, um August. And I know that because in August when we're away on vacation,
we're we we're getting phone calls uh and and people it's it's unfortunate. Their cars literally just stuck and you have elderly people. We one year we had elderly people trapped trapped in a in a car on on Alton on Alton Road. And so
and so I'm just wondering um madam engineer >> do we know the category the category of these of these weather events that generally cause this type of flooding or is that something that our department of emergency management uh might have
access to. >> Yeah they might they may know that number better than me. I don't know what it is. I mean it's going to it can be is a frequency issue. It's also a duration issue. So you could get a long lengthy storm that could be destructive, right? And happens over the course of extended
period of time, but you can also get those quick hit frequent storms just the intense storm and that could lead to conditions as well. So >> because what would be what what might be helpful to know is okay typically we see
this type of rain uh rain accumulation and flooding and vehicles getting installed in the in the rain with this type of weather event. uh usually these can be predicted and usually I know our department of environmental uh our department of emergency
management tracks these and sometimes at times we'll get notifications about it and perhaps when we get those notifications what might be prudent is is to send out a text alert to send out an email alert and maybe even social media and just
alerting in in individuals avoid out and road >> uh once we know that that type of rain event is is coming. It's not it's not closing the lane because I also think you know you need to deploy police resources during those those rain events
to different places and so you might not be able to commit to keep a police resource there. But the communication if people know at that point that with this type of weather event to expect the level of flooding that could cause their car to get stuck then perhaps they will
seek an alternate route. >> So if I if I might jump in on this also um I think it's not even just about the cars getting stuck. I mean that's bad enough. And you know, I always joke that I lived in Boston and had a convertible. >> Your home's getting destroyed.
>> That I had a convertible in Boston, but I have an SUV in Florida because I, you know, I I don't want to risk getting stuck in a in a flood, and it happens all the time. And with an SUV, you don't have to. But the converse flip flip side of that is that um people who are in
SUVs are able to navigate the roads and drive the normal speed limit. And that's the issue, right? So, it's I I I think education and awareness is is good and important. I'm always a big fan of that. I think it also needs to be explained that it doesn't matter if your car can
get through. It is illegal to go above a certain speed limit. And I think, you know, you're the police department PSAs are off the chart right now. They're so good. And so we should do one about this and deploy it every time that you know we're predicting the rain to remind
people that not only are you being kind of a a jerk as a neighbor and a community member, but you're also running the risk of getting caught and getting a pretty nasty t traffic ticket. So I I think that's all very good. I would like to see, and I'm not talking about closing a lane, but I would like
to see how we could um implement when we know a certain weather event is coming because we do get enough notice um most not all the time, but mostly um that we could implement an extra couple of traffic details along the Alton Road
corridor um not at the not to take away from life safety stuff that's going on with around the rest of the city, but if we get like we get 48 8 hours in advance. Um dem sends us things saying we're anticipating this sandbags. This is going to be closed. Whatever.
Then we can say, "All right, we're going to need a couple of extra folks working a couple extra hours. How are you guys? Work your magic." I know it's not that simple. I'm not being an idiot and I'm not being um cavalier about the fact that people also want to be home taking care of their own families. But I do think it's a thing that we need to try
to investigate because if this were only once or twice that this had happened, that'd be like, okay, well, that really stinks and I'm sorry, but it's now every one of these, not everyone, but multiple events every year and that is no longer just something we can say so sorry for
you. Um, Lori's gone now, but she was here. I think she's replaced her floors multiple times. and she lives on in a house that is a little bit elevated and a naturally occurring burm and is up on um up some steps. So, it's not that her house is getting flooded. Her house is
getting swamped by um >> her house did get flooded and Lori unfortunately had to leave. But her >> but my point is that it it's it's not that the waters are rising that high naturally. It's that the water is pushed up that high by cars. So, that's that's
what I'm saying, the distinction, because she's up pretty high. Um so um I would also like um to see if we can do a little um analysis of cross referencing let's say the last 5 years of the DEM
warnings on weather events where the city gets mobilized and the um reports of flooding from Alton Road so that we can get a better understanding of when does it happen, how often does it happen? Um, are there any commonalities
that we can identify to trigger a particular response in addition to whatever else we might be doing? >> Yeah. And and I and I want to put for for the record, this is something we're going to be facing uh at least for the for the next five to, you know, 11 five
to 11 years. this because you have 2031 uh you have the FDOT uh project that's going to be raising roads and working on drainage and storm water issues starting 2031. That's on the southern part of this corridor along uh along 43rd Street
to 48th Street. Uh they don't get all the way up to the northern end of 57th Street uh and Allison Road till 2037. Uh so so you know there are infrastructure improvements on on the works but in the interval so there is
light at the end of the t of the tunnel. Uh maybe not as quick as one would hope but you know there are solutions in in the way but in the in the meantime uh we do need uh these uh these these temporary solutions. Myra you've been patiently waiting uh to chime in and
then I'm going to recognize uh Trisha. Thank you, commissioners. >> Thank you, commissioners. So, your question as to how often this flooding into the homes occur, um it doesn't just occur when we have the 200year storm or
a hurricane or the warning of a hurricane. It happens also, as um was said, when there is a rainfall that happens very quickly or happens over a period of days. A couple of weeks ago,
we had a rainfall. Some of the homes were flooded. And it's not just caused because the storm sewers cannot take in all that water. We are talking about the original storm sewers from 1926 or something and they're
clogged inside. So, water doesn't really flow through as easily and it cannot be stored um in those storm sewer um pipes. But it happens um all the time. And it
happens not just because um it's a a big rainfall. It happens because the vehicles going by Alton on the outer lane and on the innermost lane are going fast enough that it causes a wake and
that wake pushes the water into the homes. As an example, Commissioner Fernandez, you were there in the 200year storm, which was a couple years ago. That's the only time I have seen in 45 years cars
stalled and left abandoned on the road where even the tow companies could not move them out. So, the issue here is not the cars being stalled. Um the issue is the water being pushed onto the homes
inside the homes from just a simple rainfall >> and the and the reason might I I mentioned the cars stalled is because the water is going into into the homes that's affecting you but you need to put it you need to message it in in a way
that captures the attention of the driver. You want the driver to to disengage in a certain activity. Well, they need to know, well, just avoid that area. Don't even go there. Um, >> and thank you. That would be very helpful. >> Yeah. And that's and that and that's where that that's where I would love to
see, you know, the overlap of of of the data. Okay. Which were those storms where we had the worst flooding, where the homes were getting affected the most, when we were having the cars stalled, what type of weather event was that? So that then so that then we can
push out then the text messages, the emails, the social media, everything uh telling people, okay, you know, you can't go there. In addition to the enhanced uh traffic uh enforcement on speed and all that, but I think we need
to correlate, okay, this big weather event, what was it? so that when we see it coming again in the future, we can proactively co-communicate and not just tell cars to go slow. No, discourage the cars >> from going from from entering that area
during that type of storm. And that's I think is going to be yield the best results while we wait in the interval for the FDOT improvements uh which are coming and that is that is good news. They they are coming. Um, but in the meantime, I think
>> but in the meantime, people are having to leave their homes for a month while mold remediation, water removal is being done, drywalls are removed and replaced, and cars are emptied of
50 gallons of water from one of my son's cars. >> The other one also had the same thing. >> Horrible. >> And not for nothing, but all of that causes damage to our environment, right? like you don't want stuff coming through your car into our bay. Basically, it's bad enough that we've streets that have
cars driving on them and with that storm water runoff going into the bay. So, um I I know that everybody is stretched super tight because of FIFA. I've got that and we're asking for people to do some more work to correlate data. Um we
are entering into our summer rain season. I don't want to break anybody, but if there's any way that we could get the the correlation between the storm information and the the reports of flooding going back at at a minimum
three years, it would be better for five years and come back to the commission with a plan of how we could work with DEM, get the, you know, have the data to illustrate and and have some kind of a staffing protocol that can be activated.
um to enhance having officers on Alton Road to to manage traffic effect effectively. If people are speeding, ticket them because it's it's illegal and we have that tool. So, they're they're pretty low hurdle um
improvements and I would love for them to come to the June meeting if it's possible knowing that you guys are all already beside yourselves so that we don't lose another two months and then we are in recess in August and you know then all of a sudden the rain season is
mostly over and we haven't been able to effective >> commission meeting >> if it's possible. I I leave that up to I I don't know if they'll be able to do that, but >> that's why that's why I want to have this >> commission. With all due respect, this issue has been before this city since
for the past 20 years, >> and I understand I know you you all just got here basically, but um these homes are being affected. There are people that are elderly and people that are challenged and cannot get out of the homes. That is specifically why I'm
asking my friends and colleagues in different departments to exert themselves even harder than we are already asking them to for during FIFA. If they can carve out a handful of hours or if they've got interns in their departments to do some of this research
and then put together a preliminary staffing plan. It doesn't have to be ironclad, but like yes, we can do it and here's kind of how we'll do it so that we can have this conversation in June. And if you need to massage it and figure it out from there, that's not an issue. But I don't want to lose another 6 weeks.
>> And and you know to and to build upon that the communication plan I I believe that that the communication aspect of it uh staffing is great once the vehicles are there. Uh and I think a lot of times with staffing you might not always be able to rely on the staffing being there because sometimes you need to move your
resources. >> No, I understand. But but communicating and trying to discourage the behavior of the people going there I think I think will be very helpful. I we need to move to one final item before we adjourn today. But Trisha has been patiently waiting. Uh Trisha uh welcome. You have
two minutes to speak. Trisha mute is up. Thank you. Um, first of all, I would like to say I appreciate the education and awareness. I think that that is a a a good uh next step. Um, a couple things though. You know, we talked about how fun it is to drive your
Lamborghini down Alton Road and it's fun because it's fast. Well, um, as um, Miss Bot pointed out, the SUVs are fun, too. the people bring their big vehicles, you know, the Teslas and and the the G Wagons and all these vehicles that are made to go through that type of water
and they think it's fun and it's fun to go fast. Um, so that's part of the problem and I do think education might help, but frankly people don't follow the rules very much anymore as we have found with the speeding on Alton Road. Um, anyone that lives on the golf course
is getting flooded both from the back and the front. the the waters are raging through in any type of water event. They're raging through from the golf course to Alton Road. So, they're going between our houses to Alton Road. Um,
this this creates that the water's coming from both ways and the wakes are in just what was saying, damaging cars. I had flooding for the first time ever in my home. Um, and the continuation of
this is horrible. It's not just it's it's also king tide activated because that major event where everyone was stuck for hours on Alton Road, including me, was it didn't recede until the tide
went down. And so it also is triggered by the tide. So that's something else you're going to have to look like look at and take into um effect with it. um from a standpoint of if you know that the ground has been saturated already,
well, of course, it's going to be worse. If you put up, you can use those new electronic signs to start to educate the people as well. I would suggest that changing that Fiser Park light to when there is a an event like this to so that
it is going off so that it slows the people down might be helpful as well. Um, you know, we would appreciate anything that you can do. Just as also an aside, the storm water or the sewer drain that runs along um the golf course
side, you guys are doing a great job of um getting everything pumped out. I see the the vehicles all over town pumping out the uh sewers and storm drains around the city, but everybody forgets about the golf course drains because they're hard to get to. The manhole access is you have to go down one of the
swailes at like 52nd Street is where you have to go and you have to go on grass and you can't do it when it's it when the grass is wet. So if it's not done when the grass is dry we're out of luck. Um you know all of these things and and
you know you say 193 or 2037 my goodness I I've been waiting for this for 30 years already. So, it's just discouraging. >> Thank you, Trisha. And you have our commitment that we're that we're all committed through Commissioner Bot's leadership
>> uh to to to show uh and yield improvements uh for you. Uh so, with that, uh Commissioner Bot, uh there's you made a motion to try to get this to the June meeting. >> I can't make a motion. >> You can't make a motion. So, your request is to try to bring this back to the June meeting.
>> Yeah. And I would just say also one of the things that we should be mindful of is that every time this happens um and a car gets totaled um that raises that resident's premium on the cars to the point where they may not be able to get car insurance. And the same thing with
home insurance claims. So it's not just it that it's an inconvenience because it's a huge inconvenience, but it also I mean it's going to eventually affect where people can afford to live. So again, I know I'm I'm being a little bit exagent on this, pushing you guys to
come back in June, but I want to get this going because I know it's going to take time once we come back in June to to tweak and and get it all up and running. But I I'll be here to do anything I can to help you guys come back for June. >> Yeah. And uh and and also I just and I
want us to, you know, think outside the box. Again, I don't want us to overly rely uh with on police on this on this specific issue. um you know I don't want to I don't I don't want us to say you know and prescribe you know police have to be
stationed at at these locations um just because during these situations you have a lot of emergencies that are happening you have a lot of you know public safety situations so I also want to give police some flexibility and perhaps they can give us some guidance as to how they
feel this can probably be be handled together with our fire departments. So with that, uh, we can show this unanimously, uh, adopted and hopefully we'll have something for for the June meeting. >> All right, Karen, you had something to
>> I'm looking at our >> Mr. Chair, I just want to clarify with you're talking about bringing it to next Wednesday's commission, Mr. Bot, >> is there any way we can with a supplemental? I mean, I think we can we'll we'll we'll do our best >> at least an update
>> an update with the analysis that you can get us. >> I think the biggest challenge would be just doing the administrative documentation and getting it through. But um I think that as long as we have the right data, you know, it's a matter of getting it grafted grafted and and and see what the trend looks like and
you know that that that's the that's the important task you want to hear about. And we can do it as a maybe a discuss and take action or something, but like I want the conversation to start in a commission meeting so that we're like, okay, we don't have the full details on
X, but on A, B, and C, we can press play and go. So that's what I'm trying to to get us to. And I think Cara, I think I think what you're seeing and and and David, you're seeing all of us realize this is a very >> last minute request for next week's meeting from from this committee. So we
I think we'll be understanding uh if you can't get us the most thorough information, but at least we can get the ball. >> It's a discussion. Okay. >> Okay. >> All right. Uh we can we can show this item closed. Uh and we're now going to item number 10. >> Sorry, you guys. Item number 10 is
discuss adding a resident empowerment and accountability on development dashboard read dashboard on the city website to include information on both proposed and improved developments projects in Miami Beach. This item was sponsored by Vice Mayor Dominguez and co-sponsored by Commissioner >> B.
>> I'd like to move the item. So last year, um it became evident that I that more transparency was needed and an easier way for residents to find items um on our website in one location uh
would serve everyone well. And I had many meetings with uh the planning department, Tom Mooney, and it clerk's office on how we can get this done. and I appreciate all of the work that went into this in in getting this completed.
Um, so now we have a read uh dashboard uh which is resident empowerment and accountability on development. Um, one thing I will uh request um, and I'm just going to pull up my notes real quick. Uh let's see here
because it has all of the columns that um I've been looking for. So development orders with uh the development agreements if uh applicable uh naming and column uh with the project information. It's more user friendly
right now. the name of the applicant, the company, a summary of the project, the direct link to the application if wanted somebody wanted to do a deep dive. >> I'd also like to add pending live local applications on the
dashboard. So, the code already requires notice to go to neighbors once a project is approved and the notice is provided to neighbors within 375 ft as well as neighborhood associations. But for pending applications that are
not yet approved, maybe we can have them listed and included in the status of a project. Um, I think that would be helpful to residents as well because as of late, I have been getting a lot of calls from neighborhood associations
asking about live local uh pending and um and I think that would allow for more transparency. >> And to build on that, if I might just um pending applications slash litigation because I think there are eight pending
applications that are currently being litigated. Um, and I'll run that by the city attorney's office um later to see if unless Rob has a quick answer on it. Um, if we need to advertise litigated items.
>> Uh, we would have to discuss that internally. >> Uh, let's discuss that after. >> Okay. We Yeah, we can definitely include a um column for pending live local. >> Okay. and you'll make that part of the
recommendation as part of this motion. >> Yeah, that would be amazing. We don't need to bring this item back. We can meet offline. Um I just wanted this item discussed at neighborhood so that uh residents that really follow our commission meetings um closely know that
we do have something available in my next newsletter. I'll include it so that resident know and we can close out the item um as long as my colleagues don't have any other additions, suggestions or questions. >> Yeah, great. I think um Vice Mayor
Dominguez, I think you this is one of these transparency elements that uh that our public deserves uh and you've prioritized that I know Commissioner Bod when when you were on on the planning board and we were both serving on the
planning board, you know, we we would talk a lot about, you know, how great it would be if a platform like this existed where you could see um not just what's being built in our city, those devel development agreements um that that that
the city was was a party to, you know, what is being approved, what are the public benefits. Uh it's a matter of transparency and it also helps the community better understand what is being projected. You know, a lot of times we only think about those projects
that are currently being discussed and those projects that are actively under construction, but then there's that period of time between a project being approved and a project breaking ground where you still have an active development agreement and where you're
looking at the big picture of the city. And when you're considering independent zoning applications or independent uh zoning legislation, you do want to consider you do want to consider what are those previously approved development agreements that are going to
be intertwined and part of that puzzle piece. So, uh, Vice Mayor Dominguez, uh, this goes to the heart of transparent, uh, urban planning, and you've prioritized it, uh, for for for a while now. Since last year, you've been
working hard on this, and, uh, and I think our community is going to be better served by this. Uh, com uh, Commissioner Bot, >> um, I also want to I echo everything you said. I love this item. Um, Commissioner Dominguez, Vice Mayor, sorry, Vice Mayor
Dominguez. Uh, Laura, my fave. Love calling you Laura. Um, I also want to recognize that the late great Mark Samuel was um the president of MBU when residents right to know was born and
brought up to the commission and adopted as legislation and then tweaked over the many years to make it as robust as it is now. Following in those footsteps, Herb Frank, also the late great Herb Frank, who was one of the founding members of
Miami Beach United, um really championed this idea. And it was it was a real mission for him to try to get this kind of a um very resident friendly dashboard um built and and used. And I'm sorry
that neither Mark nor Herb are here to see the the product of Laura's labors. And um it's a labor of love and um um this is why MBU is an important organization has been an important
organization and will continue to be because it advocates for residents to understand how to advocate for themselves at city hall. So between residents right to know which is enshrined in how we do business now and this dashboard which um um is is so
important and all the resident connect stuff that came out of all the residents right to know um advocacy. It's you know it's it it's a it's a thing that we should all take stock and be proud of and take a moment to reflect because it's not every city that makes itself
available to residents to find out what's going on. >> All right. Wonderful. Um, seeing uh no other comments uh from from from the deas, vice mayor, vice mayor Dominguez, thank you again for your leadership on this. I think it's going to help the
entire community just be better engaged and better informed as we talk about the planning of the future of Miami Beach. All right, with that, uh, is there any other business for the good of the order? No. Okay, we can show this
meeting adjourned. Thank you everyone.