Heat [music] up. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music]
Heat. Heat. [music] Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Good morning. If you can start having a seat, we're going to get going. Uh, Chairwoman King is not feeling well
today, unfortunately, so I'll be filling in her shoes. Not to the full extent of her shoes, but I will do my best. Welcome to the city of Miami commission meeting, March 12th, 2026. Procedures for the public comment will
be explained by the city attorney shortly. Procedures for the swearing in of parties for planning and zoning and quasi judicial items will be explained by the city attorney. The members of the city commission appearing for this meeting are Rolando Escalona, Ralph
Rafael Rosalo, Chairwoman Christine King, myself, and the honorable Madame Mayor. The meeting will begin and open with a prayer and Pastor Kenneth Washington from the Greater Israel Bethl Primitive
Baptist Church. Pastor Washington. Thank you, sir. Shall we pray? Eternal God, our father, before we ask you for anything, Lord, we want to thank you for everything. We thank you for this meeting uh today. We pray our father that everything may be done
decently and in order. and we will be careful to give you all the honor and the praise for it is in your son's name we do ask it all for his sake let everybody say amen >> and commissioner Rosado if you could lead us in the pledge of allegiance
to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for Yeah, >> Mr. City Attorney, can you please state
the procedures to be followed during the meeting? >> Yes, Mr. Chair. Thank you. George Weissong, city attorney, city of Miami. Detailed information about the processes, order of business, rules of procedure, and scheduling or rescheduling of city commission meetings can be found in chapter 2, article 2 of the city code, a copy of which is
available online at www.mmunico.com. Any person who is a lobbyist pursuant to chapter 2, article six of the city code must register with the city clerk and comply with related city requirements for lobbyists before appearing before the city commission. A person may not lobby a city official, board member, or staff member until registering. A copy
of the code section about lobbyists is available in the in the city clerk's office or online at www.municode.com. Any person making a presentation, formal request, or petition to the city commission concerning real property must make the disclosures required by the city code in writing. A copy of the city
code sections available at the office of city clerk or online at www.mminico.com. The city of Miami requires that anyone requesting action by the city commission must disclose before the hearing any consideration provided or committed to anyone for agreement to support or withhold objection to the requested action pursuant to city code section
2-8. Any documents offered to the city commission that have not been provided 7 days before the meeting as part of the agenda materials will be entered into the record at the city commission's discretion in accordance with section 2-33F and G of the city code. The agenda material for each item on the agenda is
available during business hours at the city clerk's office and online 24 hours a day at www.mmgv.com. The the meeting of the Miami city commission is a limited public forum. Any person may be heard by the city commission through the chair for not more than two minutes on any proposition before the city commission unless
modified by the chair. Public comment will begin at approximately 9:15 a.m. and remain open until public comment is closed by the chairperson. Any person making offensive remarks or who becomes unruly in the commission chambers will be barred from further attending city commission meetings and may be subject to arrest. No clapping, applauding,
heckling, or verbal outbursts in support or opposition to a speaker or or his or her remarks shall be permitted. No signs or placards shall be allowed in the commission chambers. Persons exiting the commission chambers shall do so quietly. Members of the public wishing to address the body may do so by submitting written
comments via the online comment form. Please visit www.mmygov.com/meing instructions for detailed instructions on how to provide public comment using the online public comment form. The comments submitted through the comment form have been and will be distributed to the elected officials, their staff and city administration throughout the day so that the elected officials may
consider the comments prior to taking any action. Additionally, the online comment form will remain open during the meeting to accept comments and distribute to the elected officials or staff in the city administration up until the chairperson closes public comment. Public comment may also be provided here live at city hall at 3500
Panamean Drive, Miami, Florida, subject to any and all city rules as they may be amended. If the proposition is being considered or rescheduled, the opportunity to be heard may be such at such later date before the city commission takes action on such proposition. When addressing the city commission, the member of the public must first state their name, their
address, and what item will be spoken about. Any person with the disability requiring assistance, auxiliary aids, and services for this meeting may notify the city clerk. The city has provided different public comment methods to indicate among other things the public support, opposition, or neutrality on the items and topics to be discussed at
the city commission meeting in compliance with section 286.01144C Florida statutes. The public has been given the opportunity to provide public comment during the meeting and within reasonable proximity and time before the meeting. Please note, commissioners have generally been briefed by city staff and the city attorney's office on items on
the agenda today. Anyone wishing a verbatim record of an item considered at this meeting may request it at the office of communications or view it online at www.mygv.com. For planning and zoning items, PZ items shall proceed according to section 7.1.4
of the Miami 21 zoning ordinance. parties for any PZ items including any applicant, appellant, apples, city staff and any person recognized by the decision-making body as a qualified intervenor as well as the applicant's representatives and any experts testifying on behalf of the applicant, appellent or appale may be physically
present at city hall to be sworn in by oath or affirmation by the city clerk. The members of the city commission shall disclose any exparte communications to remove the presumption of prejudice pursuant to Florida statute section 286.0115 and section 7.1.4.5 4.5 of the Miami 21
zoning ordinance. The order of presentation shall be set forth in Miami 21 and in the city code. Staff will briefly present each item to be heard. The applicant will present its application or request to the city commission. If the applicant agrees with the staff recommendation, the city commission may proceed to the to its
deliberation and decision. The the applicant may also wave the right to an evidentary hearing on the record. Please silence all cell phones and other noise making devices. This meeting can be viewed live on Miami TV, the city's Facebook page, city's Twitter page, city's YouTube channel, and Comcast
channel. The broadcast will have closed captioning. And finally, pursuant to advisory legal opinion of the attorney general, AGO 2020-03 issued on March 19, 2020. The Florida Attorney General app that consistent with prior attorney general opinions, a member of a local
governing body who is presently unable to attend a meeting because of medical treatment or due to medical reasons could participate and vote in meetings where a quorum of the other members was physically present. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Mr. City Clerk, please state the
swearing in procedures to be followed during the meeting. >> Thank you, chair. The procedures for individuals will be providing testimony to be sworn in for planning and zoning items and any quasi judicial items on today's city commission agenda will be as follows. Members of city staff or any other individuals required to be sworn
in who are currently present at city hall uh will be sworn in by me, the city clerk, immediately after I finish explaining these procedures. Those individuals who are paying remotely may be sworn in now or at any time prior to the individual providing testimony for planning zoning items and our quas judicial items. Commissioners, are you comfortable with all the notice
provisions set forth in the uniform rules of procedures we have established for this meeting? Chair may administer the oath for the planning and zoning items. >> Yes. >> Thank you, chair. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. If we would be speaking on any of today's planning and zoning items, those are the PZ items. May you please have you stand and raise your
right hand. And again, that's just for the planning and zoning items. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to give at today's hearing is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? And your response is Thank you, Chair.
>> Mr. City Manager, do you have any items to be deferred or withdrawn? >> Good morning. Good morning, Madame Mayor, Chairman, and Chairwoman virtually. Uh, commissioners, city attorney, and city clerk. The administration would like to defer withdraw the following items. RE8 to be
deferred to May 14th, FR3 to be withdrawn, and discussion item two to be indefinitely deferred. Thank you. >> Commissioners, do you have any items to be deferred or withdrawn?
>> No. >> No. >> Uh, yes, I do. uh pertaining to the ultra I can't see the uh >> RE10. >> That's right. I'd like to defer that to April 23rd.
>> So, April 23rd. >> Anyone else? Commissioner Escalona. Commissioner Rosado. >> No. >> And chair, if I may briefly just to interrupt, I do have a number of sponsor and co-sponsor requests. Um, so if you can just bear with me, uh, Mayor Higgins
will be co-sponsoring RE9. Commissioner Partardo will be sponsoring CA1, CA2, CA3, CA4, CA5, CA6, CA7, RE2, and RE3. Uh, Commissioner Part will also be co-sponsoring RE11, RE15, and RE17.
Commissioner Escalona will be co-sponsoring RE9. Commissioner Rosado will be sponsoring RE8 and co-sponsoring FR5. Commissioner King will be sponsoring FL1 and co-sponsoring RE9. Thank you, chair. >> I know Madame Chair is not feeling well and there were items that we wanted to
bring forward that require a four fifths. So, Madame Chair, if you're if you're there on the Zoom >> and chair, if I may, my apologies. Um, for the items that are being deferred and withdrawn, if you would like to ask for a motion and a vote. >> Wait, wait, wait. >> Discussion.
>> Wait, can you guys hear me? >> Yes, we can hear you. >> Okay. Um, I didn't I didn't get the items that the manager said will be deferred and withdrawn. Could you do that one more time, please?
>> Absolutely, city manager. >> Hope you feel better, Chairman. >> Thank you. >> RE8 to be deferred May 14th. RE8 deferred to May 14th. FR3 to be
withdrawn. and discussion item two to be indefinitely deferred. >> And in addition, RE10 was deferred to April 23rd. >> I got that one. Um, I would like to defer I thought administration was going to defer it,
but I would like to defer uh PZ2. Is is that it, Chairwoman? >> That would be it. Yes. >> Apologize. I didn't I didn't go through you on the on the Zoom first. Um and my apologies, Chair, to what date is PZ2
being deferred? >> Uh let's indefinitely defer it cuz we're going to work on it a bit and we can bring it back at any time. [clears throat and snorts] >> Okay. So, can we have a motion? >> I'm sorry. on the re sorry give me [clears throat] a minute here
>> sure >> on R10 what do we agree to defer >> April 23rd >> is that the second meeting in >> that's the second meeting in April >> okay so I motion to defer R10 >> okay along with the whole list of items
>> we're good >> okay all those in favor >> motion carries >> now for the items uh to be considered now were PH4, RE6, and RE9.
>> These are four fifth items that we're moving forward so that the chairwoman can vote on these items. Is there any discussion? >> Wait, I think you got to do public comment first. >> Ah, okay. Thank you. Appreciate that. So, our public comment period is now
open. Yes, sir. >> Good morning, commissioners. Madame Mayor, my name is Rick Madan, president of the Bisque Neighborhoods Association, and I am a resident of Edgewater. I'm here to express our neighborhood strong support for several items that
prioritize our safety, mobility, and environment. First, we urge you to support for the Margaret Pace Park Improvements RE2. As one of our primary green spaces, the proposed Baywalk segment and kayak launch are vital for
public access. Similarly, we support the I395 Baywalk connector RE17 and CA12. These projects move us closer to the long-term vision of a continuous safe front path for pedestrians and cyclists. Regarding mobility, we thank
Commissioner Rosado for sponsoring the discussion on traffic light synchronization, DI3. In high density areas like ours, efficient traffic flow is a daily necessity. Uh we also support uh marine patrol upgrades, CA2, essential for emergency
response on our busy waterways. Eliminating uh single-use plastics, RE15, a critical step in protecting the health of Biscane Bay. Finally, we appreciate Commissioner Porter for initiating the discussion on managing
homelessness and the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery DI5. A comprehensive serviceoriented approach is vital for the well-being of our entire community. Thank you for your time and for moving these important initiatives forward.
>> Thank you, ma'am. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor. Good morning, >> commissioners. Commissioner Partardo. Um, my name is Merlene Barton, the representing the Thelma Gibson Health
Initiative, 3640 Grand Avenue. Today is one month and one day since our beloved Mrs. Gibson left us physically. I'm here in support today in support of RE9
um acknowledging the work of both Reverend Father Gibson and Mrs. Thelma Gibson who tirelessly advocated for fairness funding to make the lives of the residents of West Coconut Grove um
better not just not just better but providing opportunities for them. So I ask the entire board to please support RE9 as this community and Miami date county should remember the tireless work and
dedication both Father Gibson and Mrs. Thelma Gibson gave gave their lives for. So I mean not not gave their lives for but dedicated their lives. Um thank you. >> Thank you
sir. Uh good morning gentlemen. Perhaps you can take another speaker while we're waiting for the Oh, here I am. Okay. Good morning. Regarding the uh find grants, you have a
total of 12 fine grants on today's agenda and find the Florida Inland Navigation District exists to increase public access to the waterways. The total grants are over $9.5 million.
But those fine grants could be in jeopardy. And here's why. The Legion Park boat ramp opened in 1966. Here it is being used by motorboats in 2007, but due to a lack of maintenance, it was
closed and fenced off in 2009. Imagine that. A city facility that was not wellmaintained. Later, some neighbors objected to the motorboats using the ramp. I told those neighbors the fine grant required motorboat access.
It's very easy to take away a personal freedom as long as it's someone else's personal freedom. But rather than continue allowing motorboats, the city cancelled the find grant. Find was not happy and said so.
So, here's the before. uh they were started construction in 2023 and 2022 and in 2024 this is what ended up your cars can no longer park there. They
expect the kayakers to carry their kayak 610 ft. There's no parking allowed at the end of the street and what little parking is available is taken by a 236 unit apartment building before after.
I highly recommend you repave the Legion Park boat ramp parking lot and put it back in service. Please bring back a public waterfront benefit that should never have been taken away. Find and the public will be most appreciative. Thank you.
>> Thank you, sir. Morning. My name is Keith Moore. I'm from the um historical research group, Profiles in Black Miami. Um it's been our task to um bring bring to fruition hidden history
within the black community. We have been sponsors of several street naming events. I'm here for RE9, the street naming event for Father Gibson and Mrs. Delma Gibson. um they have contributed to his community, Father Gibson, from the 1950s
to the 1980s as a civil right activist and as a um commissioner, the second black commissioner to be um s in this chamber. Mrs. Gibson took him from there where she did a lot of community work. She did work for women's rights and and
advocated for this community immensely. um their history is not hidden in plain in um plain sight. We know about them, but today I'm here to support the proposal to have a street named after them for future generations to see.
Thank you. >> Thank you very much, ma'am. >> Good morning. Alisa Margules, 3333 Rice Street and Center Grove. I think we should all join Mayor Higgins in sponsoring RE15. Eliminating single-use plastics and
polystyrene containers would be a huge win for Miami. A word of caution, though, many cities have tried and failed. Take the time to learn from their mistakes. Reach out to environmental groups in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland.
Ask them about the unintended consequences of implementing bans without suitable alternatives. Next, look to cities and countries that succeeded in banning plastic bags and takeout containers. Washington DC, Santa Barbara, Hong Kong, Ireland. They
figured it out. Follow their lead. Tap into our local resources like Filibag for their expertise. Did you know more than 100,000 sea turtles, whales, and dolphins die each year from plastic ingestion and entanglement? When you include other sea life, the number
increases to over a million. And that doesn't even include the seabirds. The numbers are staggering. With the right public messaging and the necessary incentives, businesses and residents will become invested in this challenge. Even the most jaded can be persuaded.
Finally, now that you've started this conversation, please make sure it doesn't get bogged down in typical Miami bureaucracy. Because when you find the right formula, the impact on our environment will be immediately noticeable. and what a legacy that will leave. Thank you.
>> Thank you, sir. >> Good morning, acting uh acting chairperson and the rest of the day. My name is Reynold Martin. I'm with the uh homeowners and tennis association of the West Grove and I chair Grove Rights and Community Equity, otherwise known as
Grace. I'm here to offer support for RE9. It's legendary what the Gibson has contributed to both Coconut Grove and the rest of the city of Miami. But I'm also here to support the renaming or the naming of the aquatic center at B Park
after uh Bika Silva. We we know a lot about her, but there's a lot more that we can learn about Reika Silva who who certainly imminently qualified to have this thing renamed after her. She was an alumnest of Carver High School and she was also inducted into the Hall of Fame
at Florida&M University. You know, at Florida&M University, folks didn't hear too much about Coconut Grove, but but but they always heard something about Carver. And when they found out that Carver and Coconut Grove were synonymous, oh my god, when you go to FAMU and you say that's where you're
from, then you get recognition. But in addition to that, Miss Silva was president of so many organizations in the community. She was president of the National uh Association of of Black School Educators. She was president of the girls club of America,
the Miami chapter and everything that she was a part of. She was an officer, the Gibson memorial fund, Miami mental health, day countyel, sigma gamaro. So, Miss Silva is certainly deserving to
have her name on the aquatic center at B Park. So, I thank you for your consideration of this. >> Thank you, >> sir. Good morning. Mark Floro, uh, 627th Street, Miami. Good morning, commissioners. Good morning, Madame
Mayor. Um, city officials, and I wish, uh, Sherwoman King get better soon. I live in Wedgie Water and I'm about quality of life. So, I'm here to speak
for four items. Um the first one is the application for grant for the Marger base park. The next two are related to Baywalk. We've been fighting for Baywalk here for
three years. So the R re7 Baywalk connector design and permitting grant application and the CA12 the design for the I35 Baywalk pedestrian and bike uh bikeway uh bridge
and uh the last one is related to the Miami patrol the CA uh number two Miami patrol boat engine replacement grant application. So all those four topics and I agree with others but I select only these four is really related to
provide to Edgewater to the city of Miami a better quality of life. Thank you very much. >> Thank you sir Adam Gerston uh 710 Biscane Boulevard. Uh good morning commissioners uh madam
chairwoman hope you feel better. Morning madame mayor. Um I am the chair of the planning and zoning uh planning zoning and appeals board and I'm supposed to deliver a report. Uh you all already have it but I think you know for the benefit of the public just to know what we do and what
we've done in the last year. Uh, the board serves as the city's local planning agency, providing recommendations to the commission on important planning and zoning matters, including Miami 21 amendments, comprehensive neighborhood planning updates, reszonings, and special area
plans. The board also serves in a quasi judicial capacity, hearing variances, exceptions, land use, and zoning appeals. In 2025, the board held 20 public meetings with two canceled due to lack of quorum. We apologize for that.
Uh during the year, the board reviewed approximately 83 resolutions and six discussion items addressing planning and development matters across the city. The board remains committed to transparency and public participation, ensuring meetings are publicly noticed, materials are available in advance, and
proceedings are accessible through the city's broadcast channels. board members completed their required Miami 21 ethics and sunshine law training to ensure compliance with state law and best practices. Um, everyone on the board appreciates the opportunity to serve.
Um, I've done so for uh a long time. I hope to continue to um and I I know my time's up, but I just want to say that, you know, we're hoping to be able to explain what we do beforehand. We've taken the cue from some of the commissioners who like to, you know, let people know what's going on. So, we're
hoping that as we move forward, that's a possibility that we can explain to the public a little more what's happening in advance. It's sometimes hard to explain how to click through, even though we think it's obvious to click on a PDF and go through an agenda. So, um, the more we can reach the public in more clear
ways, we'd like to. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> sir. >> Good morning, commissioners, madame mayor, city staff. I'm Steven Dutton, resident of downtown 244 Biscane Boulevard, apartment 3906 Miami, Florida. I moved here with Thomas Lang,
my life partner, in 2013 after we both retired. We enjoyed the next few years in Miami, mixing a wonderful life of leisure and travel. In September of 2016, we returned home from a couple from a cruise for a couple of months and with our dogs, Lucy and Max, we were
enjoying coffee and breakfast outside a cafe along Flaggler. Sadly, everything changed for us that morning as we were startled by a man across the street in front of Walgreens screaming obscenities at everyone who passed and shouting threats. He was
enraged, but his voice was also sounding delirious. And by his dress, we knew he was homeless. I made a decision to photograph him so the police could be alerted. He saw me take the photo and yelled, "Take my photo, mother f." And he came across the street and after
swinging a punch that missed me, he ran to my partner who yelled, "Leave us alone." And he pushed Tom to the pavement, landing squarely on his head, causing his death two days later at Jackson Memorial. It would be hard for me to advocate for
anything to help the man who caused Tom's death were it not for the fact that I spent the last 20 years of my professional life as chief executive officer of Samaritan House in Fort Worth, Texas before moving to Miami. Tom and I were both attorneys. He was with
the bank and we both were very involved in our community. How sadly ironic that after creating a medically supportive facility there for persons who were homeless due to AIDS as well as from mental illness and substance abuse that I would now live in Miami suffering as a
victim of violence from a homeless man suffering untreated mental illness. I can only surmise my journey to finding peace will include helping this community finally understand there is no silver bullet ending homelessness. But through the goodness of heart and the
persistence of persons working to end this scourge, progress most definitely can happen. Your problem is simply one of deciding for the community the next step not yet taken. Despite the millions of tax dollars spent in our city for incarcerating persons that are homeless,
but with untreated mental illness, followed by short hospital stays for medications that help, but then back to the streets when it all starts all over again. >> Thank you. >> All right. I'm sorry. Apologize. Thank you. >> We We appreciate it. Thank you very much.
>> Ma'am, >> good morning to you all. Uh I'm Anna Viamonte Ross and I live at 34 Elmaria Avenue in Coral Gables. I am uh I served as secretary of health for the state of Florida as well as a first surgeon general for the state. I'm currently
administrative medical director at Camila's health concern as well as a professor of medicine at Florida International University College of Medicine. In 20 and I say this because I'm really very passionate and very committed to the health of everyone in
our community. In 2023, Camila's health concern was approached by Judge Lifeman at the Miami Center for Mental Health team to explore potential leadership and partnership in this area. uh the medical team we felt at Camila's Health would be
able to uh help in this uh initiative and that we would be able to uh provide continuum of primary care services as well as episotic care for acute illnesses, chronic disease management and specialty and surgical referrals as needed. Uh we're committed to evaluating
all these patients and making referrals to Jackson Memorial Hospital emergency room when appropriate. Uh we feel that Camila's health concern as well as the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery have a natural alignment and serving individuals with complex health needs uh particularly those with serious
mental illness, co-occurring chronic conditions and social vulnerabilities. We believe this partnership enhances patient outcomes for everyone in the community and reduces reduces reliance on emergency and impatient services. Thank you.
>> Thank you, sir. Good morning, honorable commissioners and mayor. My name is William Hopper. I live at 527 Northeast 56th Street. I want to express my appreciation to the chairwoman for allowing me to present the annual report of the historic environmental preservation board during public
comments. Uh throughout the year uh at monthly board meetings, the board has reviewed applications for special certificates of appropriateness for alterations to designated historic sites and districts, designation of historic resources and tree appeals regarding intended decisions to remove trees
throughout the city. The board also has the authority to review certificates to dig for major ground disturbing activity in archaeological sites and zones and special certificates of appro approval for tree removal and/or construction activity in an environmental preservation district or scenic
transportation corridor. During 2025, the board had held 11 meetings lasting approximately 32 hours and made a total of 45 resolutions including the following. two preliminary designation report reviews, two final designation of historic resources, including John Su's
Haly Hall gate columns and [clears throat] 3634 Pro Avenue 35 special certificates of appropriateness for alterations to historic resources in districts. Four historic preservation waiverss to allow for restoration or adaptive reuse of
designated historic resources. two tree rep two tree removal permit appeals. In addition, the board has reviewed an action with on the archaeological site under excavation at 77 Southeast Fifth Street/444
Burkel Avenue. Other discussion items included the progress of Charles Avenue developments, ongoing he board enhancements, updates to demolition by neglect legislation, the implementation of an inventory and assessment of the city's historic resources with unsafe structures
violation and proposals for new designations. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Good morning. My name is Orlando Mutier Borat. I represent the Assembly for the Cuban Resistance. Uh the assembly is a coalition of 52 civic Cuban Cuban
American civic organizations inside and outside Cuba that recently expanded as as we have signed an agreement with the Pasuk coalition just about a week ago uh right there in the de I'm here to speak on behalf of item DI4
support for city planning for transition in Cuba. Cuba is on the cusp of change. Preparedness is essential. As we learned from history, what happens in Cuba deeply affects Miami, but what happens in Miami also deeply affects Cuba.
We must prepare because we have a long history of being affected by the crisis in Cuba. And I'm not preparing in spite of the of the writing being on the wall for the for these crisis. Um, and we believe that the city of Miami must not
only prepare, but it can also assist the federal government in that outcome which is most beneficial for the city of Miami, for the people of Cuba, for the United States. There are many possible scenarios in Cuba. Two of them, hybrid change or the regime remaining in place will have a negative fallout for Miami,
but real change towards democracy, towards freedom, can really help Miami and be a boost for Miami's economy. The assembly has a coherent plan for national reconstruction of Cuba, for national salvation. We have commissions who who are working on different areas and we're more than glad to help the
city in any way to prepare. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, sir. >> Good morning. I'm Dr. David Newman. I live in Coconut Grove, uh 2470 Trap Avenue. Uh I just want to express my extreme support for the funding of the
mental health facility. uh you all know how long it's been on you know uh on the agendas. It's been a project of Judge Lifman's for over 20 years. Uh and to pull any kind of funding now uh would be
we're it's really at the one inch line. Okay. It's uh it's gotten the support of uh the commissions up until now and it's uh a lot of things have been a lot of foot dragging but we're really right at the door and all all we need to do is to turn the key on this. I was at the
commission meeting for the county and uh strangely they're using the the reasoning that well city of Miami and and Miami Beach are not sure about funding it itself. So uh they're using this the uh uh unsuress of of funding it
as an excuse for them not to fully go forward. Uh it's it's really it's crazy because the amount of money they're asking from the uh county and and the money that that uh the city is also putting up is is really lint in the pockets. Uh really it's such a minimal
amount of money for for the amount of money this will save taxpayers. It'll uh greatly reduce jail time of of the people who don't deserve to be in jail to begin with. So on many different levels, this serves the community. Uh,
it saves money. It gives people uh who need the help the help that they need. And uh I hope you could uh continue to uh fund this uh project because it's it's good on so many levels. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, ma'am.
>> Good morning. I am Yaml Anderson Ruff, the youngest niece of Thelma Vernell Anderson Gibson. Um and I'm coming to you from her address, 3661 Franklin Avenue. Um, and we are here to speak in support of RE9, the co-designation.
And I just want to speak about my aunt Thelma, not as an activist, but as a woman and beloved aunt who helped raise my father and was mother to me when mine was lost. Proverbs 31 speaks of a good wife being valued greater than rubies.
Because she was absolutely a woman of noble character and brought Uncle Theodore, her family, and community good. We agree. While Uncle Theroda was a leader in his own right, my aunt Theelma enabled him to do greater as that Proverbs 31 woman and she continued
and multiplied their work even after his death in 1982. She was truly a woman of great value. She was the model for us as we her nieces and nephews aka her children are educators, ministers, police
officers, community organizers, health care professionals, and military service people. We carry her legacy all over the world and are proud of the home she worked to create for us and hope that you will vote to move forward with the re the co-designation. Thank you.
>> Thank you, ma'am. Good morning. Laura Okamura, 50 Biscane Boulevard, Miami. Um, I'm here to speak against RE10, the the >> We ended up deferring RE10 from the agenda,
>> correct? Yes. I >> So, is there some other item on the agenda that you would like to speak on? >> Uh, no. So, are you voting on that deferral today? >> It is deferred already. We've already voted to defer it. So, that'll come back on April 23rd.
>> Okay. Thank you. No, thank you for taking the time to come. Thank you. >> Good morning. I am Misty Brown, resident of Myar, Florida, address on file. Today, I stand to ask for your support for RE9.
Uh to to commemorate the legacy of both Reverend Theodore Gibson and our beloved aunt Delma Gibson. We thank this commission for always uh being in support of her
and her efforts and everything that she did in this community. We know behind this sacred desk that she sacred deas that she and Reverend uh Gibson served this community well with pride and with
dignity and and served especially the west part of Coconut Grove um their beloved home. um with with integrity. She would want to say today to thank this commission and although she had
high regards for the men on this day, she had a special special affinity for uh chairwoman Christine King and her last act of civic duty was to vote for our new mayor, Mayor Higgins. And so we
thank you on behalf of the family for this recognitions for generations to come to know to get to know and know about the great works that Reverend Theodore Gibson and Thelma Rennell Anderson Gibson uh did for on behalf for
this community and all the constituents. Thank you again. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> Good morning. It's so good to be here this day today. My name is Elaine Black and I am the president of the Liberty
City Trust and we are here to present our annual report for 2025 and our direction for 2026. Uh our vice president, Professor Sam Laddermore will do the first introduction.
>> Good morning. [clears throat] My name is Professor Sam Latimore. Uh 937 Northwest 55 Street, Miami. Been a resident for over 70 years. Um and I am with uh uh with the association of Liberty City
Trust. I just want to briefly mention that the vision of the Liberty City Trust is to empower those who live, learn uh and work and play in the Liberty City overreaching objectives uh
as it relates to transforming a distressed high poverty community into a valuable mixed income sustainable neighborhood with access to well functioning services. high quality
public schools and in educational programs as well as quality early learning prop uh situations, public assets, reliable public transportation and improved access to employment opportunities.
>> Thank you. I'd like to uh just say that our goals for 2026, we have nine pillars. commercial development. And under commercial development, I'm happy to say on March 25th, we're going to have the grand opening or ribbon
cutting for Jagger Plaza. The reason Jagger Plaza is important is because there was a doctor by the name of uh Mr. Jerger, Dr. Joerger, and he served our community for many years. He came to many of our initial meetings uh many
years ago and advocated uh and as a result of that >> we are building 135 unit apartment building with 10,000 square ft of open recreational space across from Liberty Square. >> Thank you. >> Oh, thank you.
>> Oh, thank you. >> Thank you, ma'am. Good morning to Mayor Eileen Higgins, Chairwoman Christine King, and the city of Miami commissioners. Um, I am Dr. Tadra Anderson Rhodess, the seventh
niece of Mrs. Thelma Vernell Anderson Gibson. Um, and Reverend Theodore Gibson. I'm Dr. Todra, as my aunt called me. I'm from uh actually Pin Brook Pines, Florida, but my father was one of
her brothers and so I grew up in the Grove. I'm also on the board an active board member of the Thelma Gibson Health Initiative, which as you all know or should know provides amazing health care services, behavioral health services, social work services, and so much more.
The city of Miami residents, especially those in the historic grove, my uncle and aunt, whom I both loved, knew, revered, and cherished, led with integrity, always always doing what's right. They led with passion, him more
loudly than her, as those of you who knew them will can can attest, but also with compassion for all people, especially the least of these, those who are underserved, underinsured, or uninsured, making sure that they gained
what they needed to be productive citizens in our community. They inspired me to become a physician along with my mother who was a nurse, but they inspired my twin sister and I to become physicians and I am now a chief medical officer in Broward County. On behalf of
our very large family, which many of you have met, who have learned how to serve our God, our church, our community, our family, and each other, we have learned from two of the best, Uncle Theodore, whom you all know as Reverend Gibson, and Aunt Thelma. We thank you for your
consideration of RE9, the street naming co-designation in their honor for their legacy of love and servant leadership. And I want that highlighted again, love and servant leadership. We thank you for this timeless way that you can honor
them for what they have given to all of us. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Thank you, sir. >> Good morning, commissioners. Uh, mayor, man, city manager Steve Warick, um, 396 Alhamra here on behalf of Winwood
Community Enhancement Association to speak in support of PZD1, the NRD2 text amendments. U, we're very grateful for the collaboration with the city's planning department, uh, with Commissioner King's office, Chairwoman King, for her support and sponsorship of this item. This has been a a continued
collaboration to make muchneeded neighborhood improvements and see this neighborhood grow in a way that's sensitive for the existing residents. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> Good morning. Uh Maggie and Chester Wiler, 195 Sunrise Drive, Key Biscane. I
am the senior manager for Florida Conservation for Ocean Conservancy and we've been a proud partner of the city of Miami uh through our shores forward program since 2020. We're excited to see the city is taking steps to limit the procurement of single-use plastics on
their property. As the leader of the International Coastal Cleanup, we found that single-use plastic items are the most commonly picked up items year after year, and Miami is no exception. Single-use plastics can be some of the most challenging items to recycle, which
means that limiting their use to begin with means less waste. It means saving money on waste hauling and less litter on our streets and our beaches. As a city that's benefiting massively from our beautiful Biscane Bay, you have the opportunity to be more than just a good
steward, but a real leader in her protection. In 2021, we worked with the city of Miami, the University of Georgia, and many residents and stakeholders to assess circularity in the city and look for opportunities for waste reduction.
Starting with your own procurement process is was one of the recommendations from this uh study, this this uh engagement process, and we're really happy to see that this idea is gathering some steam. So, we're happy to support this resolution. And if you need
any support in identifying plastic alternatives or looking at other ways to reduce plastic and waste around the city, you have a huge network of allies in this community. Um myself and Ocean Conservancy included. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. Good morning. Uh my name
is Chaplain Stanley Young of Freedom Prison Edge Ministry serving all of Miami Day County. Uh we want to give well wishes to our chairwoman Christine Kenny. Hope you get better for all the commissioners. Mayor, thank you for
serving and serving our community well that as you have been doing. I'm here to talk on CA 1 through7. It's about all the grants that you have put out on in the community. Um, I
stopped everything I was doing just to come down and thank you for what you are doing and supporting in our community. Cuz we can't do what we're doing in the community without your support, without your uh encouragement, without you
opening your doors, answering the phones, sending emails to actually engage with us to really do what we do. I love doing what I do. I do it without a paycheck. I do it without a congratulations. Been doing it for 36
years and I plan on doing it probably for the rest of my life. Serving my community and trying to make my community just a little better than than we I have found it. That is my motto. That is something I live by. That is something uh I'm going to leave here
with that I left my community better than I found it. Uh, I thank you once again. Uh, 500 Northwest 2nd Avenue, Miami, Florida. Call me. Let's collaborate. Let's, uh, see what we
could do to make our community better. Thank you. God bless. >> Thank you. Ma'am, >> good morning, mayor and commissioners. Jessica Fernandez, 3401 Northwest 82nd Avenue, uh, Dorado, Florida, uh, 33122.
I'm here on behalf of Crown Castle and I wanted to thank you, Commissioner Rosado, for um agreeing to uh postpone or withdraw the item FR3 uh so that we can discuss the best collaboration with utility companies. Um Crown Castle is
committed to maintaining the highest standards of restoration in the public rights of way as we work to enhance our neighborhoods uh telecommunications infrastructure. And so we really appreciate this opportunity to work in partnership with you uh Commissioner Rosado and with each of you Commissioner
Escalona um not King Bardo Commissioner Partardo and Commissioner Gaba. Thank you so much and I hope you have a great day. >> Thank you sir. >> Charles Gibson uh 3679 Franklin Avenue. I am uh the grandson of Theodore and
Thelma Gibson. First of all, I'd like to thank you all uh uh all of the commission commissioners and the mayor for uh for er9. Um we know that uh Mr. Mrs. Gibson and
Reverend Gibson have left the place better than what they found it. They dedicated their lives to the improvement of this city. Their level of service is unmatched. And um I'd like to thank you all for considering this measure and I'm
in support of it. On behalf of our family um the Andersons and the Gibsons, uh we really appreciate your support and we hope that the commission will approve our E9. >> Thank you, sir. >> Hi, good morning, mayor and
commissioners. My name is Dave Dobler. I'm a plastic fisherman residing at 8000 West Drive. I'm here to support RE15, the plastics in procurement. I founded CO uh I founded volunteercleup.org 12 years ago, and our organization has
helped facilitate more than 5,000 cleanups, removing over 1.4 million pounds of trash from Biscane Bay. Our work protects our waters, marine life, and our food supply because no one wants plastic in their fish tacos. A huge
portion of what we pull out of the water is single-use plastics and polystyrene. In fact, four of the top five items uh our volunteers collect are used for food and beverage, including plastic bottles, bottle caps, and utensils. These products are designed to be used
for a few minutes and they last on our planet for hundreds of years. The reality is simple. What is sold and distributed becomes what ends up in our streets, storm drains, and ultimately waterways. That's why this resolution is so important. It focuses on something
the city fully controls, its own contracts, concessionires, and events operating on city property. When the city sets the standards, businesses quickly adapt, costs come down, and the public follows, leveraging capitalism to
solve problems. We've already seen this work in Miami Date County and City of Miami Beach where similar leadership helped move the market towards better alternatives. Ultra Music Festival is a great example of an event on city property that has made major progress eliminating single-use plastics, shifting to
recyclable products and reclaiming that material. They've shown that reducing single-use plastics makes good business sense. This is about leading by example and reducing the flow of single-use plastics that we know cause the most harm. So on behalf of the thousands of volunteers who show up every year to
protect our waters, I strongly encourage you to support this resolution. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. >> Good morning. My name is Ernest Champagne and uh I live in 5545 Northwest 3rd Avenue and I just came
here to, you know, go ahead and thank uh Miss Chairwoman Christine King for her continual support of Focal. Uh I started in the program when I was younger and now my son attends the program as well. uh you know especially you know in growing up in that area you know there
wasn't my mom and dad didn't have a lot of money sometimes and because of that program I was able to you know go to like different do different activities like outside of state even like uh things like uh college uh you know check out college campuses and things like that and so that program really helped
me uh you know develop myself as a student and even and even as an adult today because I also worked there after I graduated. So again, I just wanted to thank uh Miss Christine King for uh her continued support of Focal. Thank you. >> Thank you, ma'am.
>> Good morning, commissioners. Uh my name is Theresa Pinto. Uh 140 Northeast 84th Street, number 1365 in Miami. Um I'm here with the Pure Group. I'm an attorney um with the Pure Group or nonprofit law firm that advocates for thriving sustainable communities that
put p sorry that put vulnerable populations first. I'm here to support RE15, um the city's green procurement resolution. Um I commend them in thinking about this that would help reduce plastics in our environment. Um as you probably know, plastics are
entering our environment at an alarming rate. Um and I include people in that environment and it's having um huge health impacts. Um micro nano and now picoplastics have been found in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Um and almost in every human bodily fluid that
includes the brain, the placenta and seminal fluids. Um and we still don't know what these impacts will be down the line. Um plastics never break down. They just basically get smaller and smaller. Um and so the environment and people are basically absorbing over 90% of the
plastics that are being produced. So I commend the city for thinking about turning to green procurement and helping to um alleviate this issue. Thank you. >> Thank you ma'am. >> Good morning. My name is Rosioa >> 3015 Northwest 8th Avenue apartment 12
Miami. I'm coming here to thank all the people from Focal, a program that helps children. The impact that it has on our families as a single mother. The aid that it has given me is very valuable. It lets me work while my child is taken
care of in a loving and caring way. It's really important to me. I want to thank them and God bless all the people who make this possible along with their teachers to make the pro this program. A special thanks to Madame Chairwoman Christine King.
>> Thank you, ma'am. >> Good morning. My name is Amanda Deerna, 3775 Loqua Avenue. I am the director of Zero Waste Cultural Change at Debris Free Oceans. We're a local nonprofit working to prevent plastic pollution and advance zero waste solutions across our
community. I'm here today in support of RE15. And plastics are made from fossil fuels. And if the global plastics industry were a country, it would be the fifth largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. There are more than 4,200 chemicals associated with
plastics that have been known to be harmful to human health and the environment. And microplastics have been detected throughout the human body. Here in Miami, single-use plastics are the most common items found in our storm drains, canals, and waterways, contributing to the hundreds of
thousands of pounds of debris removed by the city and local organizations every year. Procurement policies like this are an important opportunity for the city to reduce plastic at the source. If your bathtub was overflowing, the first thing you would do is turn off the tap. Setting standards for city concessions
allows Miami to lead by example and safeguard the health of its residents and ecosystems. We have already seen proof of that this works here in Miami. Ultra Music Festival, which takes place on city property, has voluntarily taken major steps to reduce plastic waste
through its mission home sustainability program. The festival has eliminated more than 2.6 million single-use plastic items from entering the waist stream and in 2025 reduced the types of single-use plastics used at the event by approximately 91%. Reducing single-use
plastics protects Biscane Bay and supports Miami's long-term climate and resilience goals. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. Is there anyone Okay. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. Good morning. Good
morning, Mayor. Um, council. I'm Wills Feline. I'm with the Arts and Entertainment Council. I have my distinguished um council members, Gloria Rodriguez and Herman Dubois.
The Miami Arts and Entertainment Council serves as an advisory board um to the city commission providing guidance and recommendations that support artistic programming, cultural events, and creative initiatives throughout the city of Miami. Our mission is simple. To cultivate
opportunities to expand our arts, support creative organizations, and enhance [clears throat] Miami's cultural identity. Over the past year, the council has focused on strategic partnerships that directly impact residents, artists, and cultural institutions.
[snorts] Throughout our collaboration with um such um projects like the locust project, we supported Luda Haiti, Little Haiti River Art Days, helping activate gallery studios with bringing residents and visitors together to experience the neighborhood's creative economy. We
partnered with Neato Refuge of the Census to support initiative programming that encourages exploration, experimentation, and contemporary art while welcoming diverse audiences to engage with creative expression. During Art Basle Week, the council
sponsored public art activations with Miami Urban Contemporary Experience, including the Animal Kindred Spirits ex exhibition. >> You You still have 30 seconds. >> Okay. exhibition and um which um explored resilience environmental
changes throughout the art. Um well, since I'm running out of time here, on behalf of the Miami Arts and Entertainment Council, we thank the commission for its continued support of the arts and creative community that helps define the spirit of our city.
All right. Thank you, ma'am. Good morning, commissioners and Mayor Higgins. My name is Maddie Kaufman and I live at 3375 Southwest 29th Terrace and I'm here today also speaking in support of RE15 to phase out the procurement and
distribution of single-use plastics and polystyrene throughout city contracts and events. So I work at debrief oceans where I oversee a coalition of more than 160 people representing more than a 100 organizations working to prevent waste at the source who are here to support
the roll out of this contract. And this resolution really is a practical and achievable step forward that has already been implemented in Miami Date County and this proposal simply brings the city into alignment with that leadership. Did you know there's actually nearly 40 years of precedent for a policy like
this? The city of Berkeley actually eliminated polystyrene foam back in 1988. And since then, entire states including New York, New Jersey, Maine, Vermont, Maryland, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon have phased out certain plastic products statewide. So we can really no
longer make the argument that there are not enough alternatives available at reasonable prices. And this does hold true in Florida where Miami Beach, Kiscane, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, Key West among others have implemented policies to reduce single-use plastics. And the reason
communities are moving in this direction is because the science is really impossible to ignore at this point. As folks have already mentioned, you know, beyond our oceans and the environment, plastics have been throughout our entire bodies, including lungs, kidneys, hearts, blood, the brain, as well as
placentas and breast milk in indicating that we're passing it on to the next generation. And so, this resolution addresses the problem where it starts and it really safeguards public health. And so, Debbie, Free Oceans, and Zero Waste Miami are in full support and are here to help roll out. And I also want to highlight that Ultra Music Festival
has done an incredible job eliminating these products anyways, eliminating millions of plastics from being introduced in Miami and so I support the continuation of their lease at Bayront Park as well. >> Thank you, >> sir. >> Good. Good morning. >> Morning.
>> My name is Herman Duba, reside at 7900 Harbor Island Drive in North Bay Village. Uh thank you this morning for accommodating us. I serve as the vice chair for the Miami Arts and Entertainment Council. Um I was a mayor appointee of Mayor Suarez and I'm
seeking an additional appointee under uh Miss Higgins's administration. Um wanted to just reiterate what was said by one of my uh colleagues that the Miami Arts and Entertainment Council is an excellent group because it represents the district commissioners and we want
to make sure that art is something that's accessible to all of our residents throughout our districts. We know there's a heavy concentration of art in the Wingwood area, which is wonderful, but art is for everybody, and we want to be able to represent the interests of the districts, but
unfortunately, we're unable to do so because we have several seats of districts that are vacant. With your appointee, we can operate with a full council and we'll be able to maximize the role we serve. But if you need some assistance, we have interested individuals from the respective
districts that are willing to serve with your permission. And so we ask for your continued support. We thank you for the for the encouraging to continue to work in the arts and entertainment communities. And we again our main focus is to make art accessible for all. Thank
you very much. >> Thank you ma'am. >> Greetings. My name is Jamila English. Our office is located at 765 Northwest 36th Street, Miami, Florida 33127. I want to say good morning to the chairwoman. I hope you feel better. I
know you're watching. Welcome, Madame Mayor and the commissioners. And I'd like to extend a warm welcome to you, Madame Mayor, and to the new commissioners and introduce you to a wonderful program called Focal. You met two of our parents already and I just want to thank you for stepping into the
the shoes of public service and we look forward to your leadership. Once again I am Jamila English. I am the executive director of the foundation of community assistance and leadership. Focal focal is located in the city of Miami's mor park in district 5. And since 1999,
Focal has served youth and family in our community with a mission to empower youth young people through education, mentorship, workforce development, and life skills training to help them build the foundation they need to be successful future leaders. For the past
26 years, FOCU has successfully maintained our mission by providing services to over 120 students daily. Our services include homework assistance, tutoring, life skills, job training, and career exploration. And we offer after
school meals daily with a 92% retention rate. Many students start in elementary school and go and continue throughout high school and some continue into college by maintaining a job. >> You have 30 seconds.
>> Okay. Through our work hard, play hard model, we provide students and family opportunities that they normally would not have. And today we are here just to thank the commissioner um the chairwoman Christine King for PH4 and we look forward to our continued support and we also would like to thank um commissioner
Gabella. We border his district and he has been very supportive of our program as well. Thank you. >> Thank you ma'am. >> Good morning commissioners, mayor. My name is Gloria Rodriguez Deos Reyes. I am a appointee for the Arts
Entertainment Council and I'm here not only in support of our chair uh man's report but also to request that the um mayor appointees get reappointed today. Not just myself but also but those of us who weren't able to make it. If we can
get that reappointment done today, we can basically continue to serve. Again, we are here to serve you and the public in support of the arts and entertainment. And uh I myself am also an educator. So I am also working on trying to get some of that uh education
uh not only education of the arts but also education for financial education for the artists. Um also I see Commissioner Rosado is busy but uh I would like to get just as quick attention. I I uh realize that there's a new interfaith uh council that is
opening up. my masters in philosophy of science and religion. I'd be very interested if I can speak to you afterwards or get in contact and uh if there's anything else that my chair might need. I think that um basically it uh please reappoint us today and we'd be
very grateful. >> Thank you sir. >> Good morning madame mayor, madame chairwoman, Mr. Chair, members of the commission. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be here. Uh my name is Steve Lifman and I live here in Edgewater and it's a pleasure to be
here. Uh I do have some briefing document that I will give to the clerk to be handed out. But first I want to express my sincere gratitude uh to the city of Miami for your tremendous support for the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery. The center fulfills
a promise made to voters in 2004 to create an effective, cost-efficient alternative for people with serious mental illnesses who repeatedly cycle through homelessness, jail, and hospitalization. The reason for the center is quite straightforward. When community mental health was first
created in the United States, individuals with the most severe and persistent mental illnesses, particularly those with the psychotic disorders, were still in state hospitals. Community mental health was actually designed and developed for people with moderate mental illnesses. And when we closed the hospitals, we
went to the war on crime and drugs. We cut back housing. This population got thrown into communities that frankly was just not built for them. No one should be surprised at what happened. They became homeless and they became they started to cycle in and out of our very
expensive criminal justice system. Today, there is nowhere in Miami Dade County for many of these individuals to go. In fact, there's virtually nowhere in the United States for them to go. As a result, our jails in this country have become the deacto mental health
facilities. We would never tell someone suffering from cancer or heart disease that their only option for treatment is jail. Yet, that is effectively what we have done to people with severe mental illnesses. Today in our jail in Miami Dade County, 70 to 80% of the
individuals in our jail have been diagnosed with a mental illness at a cost of $414 million a year. This is why we set up the jail diversion program. We've been able to reduce recidivism from 75 to 20%. We've reduced the jail
audit from 7,400 to 4,400. >> I appreciate your continued support. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, sir. Good morning, Madame Mayor, Mr. Manager, Mr. Chairman, and members of the city commission. Jose Bermudez, 801 South
Miami Avenue, and I'm here to um basically commend um Commissioner Rossado on adding to the Downtown Development Authority three positions for the residents perspective. I think it's incredibly important uh to add that
those resident components to the authority and I am very proud to be nominated and I'm I'm here to ask for your support but also offer my support as as a resident as someone that has lived in Bickl for over 10 years and in
Miami downtown area for over 20 years. Um, so I look forward to working with the entire commission and making our DDA area more vibrant, more vibrant than it already is. So, thank you so much. >> Thank you,
sir. >> Uh, thank you, Madame Mayor, honorable members of the commission. My name is Chris Hodkins. I'm also, like Jose, here to say uh thank you for the opportunity to be on the DDA. Um, I look forward to working with all of you, with the
chairman Rosado of the DDA and looking at the residents first aspect in making our our downtown a better place to live, work, and play. Um, I've been here in Miami since 2010. I think I've played a role in the physical and economic
landscape, and I'm excited to work with all of you. um excited because the new energy and the uh and the cooperation of everyone to move us all forward. The timing couldn't be better. Um you know, with uh with Chair Rosado's background
and planning, uh the mayor saying she still wants to uh be the leader on transportation and mobility and housing and all the good works that this commission is doing. I'm excited to play a role in trying to help things uh move forward. My claim to fame is building
one of the largest uh infrastructure projects uh in the city of Miami on time and under budget and working with uh stakeholder involvement that involved over 7,000 people working on that tunnel. 83% being right here from our
305. But it's a privilege and an honor to hopefully be part of your DDA. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you, ma'am. Good morning. My name is Shen Jones. I'm an activities director at Focal located
at 765 Northwest 36th Street. Um, I just wanted to say the impact that Focal has played in my life as someone who has attended the program over 15 years ago and a FAMU alum. Um, with Focal, as
Ernest mentioned, um, we were able to attend college tours. um go to space camp and just experience things that um we may not have experienced outside of focal. Um
it's still it's still um prevalent in my life. Having family members attend there, my children, um nieces, cousins, um we try to make an impact in the kids' lives um inside the classroom and
outside the classroom. Um, we follow the work hard, play hard model and um, we thank um, Chairwoman Christine King for her continued support of the program. Thank you for your time. Have a nice day.
>> Thank you. >> For public comment. >> Okay. What agenda item? Um, well, the items for Well, good morning. >> Good morning. >> And I do want to thank all of you for your service, especially Miss Higgins. Thank you. I supported you and I think
you do an awesome job. My commissioner is Mr. Rosado. My name is Myra Rodriguez. I have a nonprofit and I help the elderlys and people with disabilities. And I just wanted to speak on the fact that you are doing the
articles of the streets and you have done such a great job that I want to thank you in person and let you know that I'm happy to I'm honored to have you as my commissioner because you are my commissioner. >> Thank you >> all of you. Thank you for your service. I'll be leaving a little paper for each
of you uh so you can read a little bit more about my nonprofit. It's a legacy of Nanito Velasquez. He was a very good activist and a humanitary person that worked at house inspector for section 8,
but he also was an activ of politics back with Victor de Jur and Mangalon. So, >> thank you. >> I mean, it's it's a lot. So, thank you, Mr. Cavella, for also being here. I haven't had the pleasure to really meet you like in person just when we do distribution with Kevin Cava back in the
days. So, thank you for your help because the elderlys are really suffering a lot right now. They just cut their food stamps to $64. No one eats with $64. So, I just wanted to bring this up to you so you'll know what we're
going and what we're facing. I get all the calls. I'm just a bridge between our community and yourself. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Have a wonderful day. >> Thank you. >> And I'm sorry, but I'm not used to speaking to all of Oh, no. It's It's
great to hear you. Thank you. >> Is there anyone else here for public comment? Anyone else would like to make any any then come up to the to the podium. Any item on the agenda? >> Has to be an item on the agenda. Yeah. >> Right there. Yes.
>> Hi. Good morning to all. >> Morning. >> So, I am here on behalf of FOC. Um, I know that it's already been discussed, but I also wanted to just let you guys know how important that program is. I have four children, the oldest one being
28, the youngest one being 16. All of my kids have gone to that program from 5 years old. Had it not been for a program like this, I wouldn't be able to hold the job. I'll be worried sick about my kids and the surrounding.
They give them opportunities that are not available to the community. So this is a very important program and I wish there would be more like these and I thank you guys for the support you guys give. That's all. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> My my apologies chair if we have the
speaker's name for the record. >> Can we have your name for the record? >> My name is Noel Dorivio. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Is there anyone else that would like to make a public comment?
Okay. Okay. >> Hi, my name is Luis Aalo. >> Good morning. And the mic. There you go. >> Okay. My name is Luis Aalo. I wanted to thank you and everybody who supported the program for um after school because I do struggle. Not everybody know I'm
widow and I have two kids. So supporting me with the program that you guys are allowing. I'm really happy for that. Thank you. >> Thank you. Is there anyone else that would like to make a public comment? >> Okay, seeing no one else, the public
comment period is now closed. So, we're going to take the items that Chairwoman King will be involved with. It's going to be out of order. So patience from from my colleagues, we're going to be skipping around a little bit.
I'll bring one at a time. If there's any discussion, just let me know if there's discussion. Otherwise, I'll go to the next item. PH4. Any discussion on item PH4? Okay. Over here, Commissioner Cabella. >> No, I'm good. >> No, thank you.
>> RE6. Did you want to to vote on them individually or >> I was I was going to just go through the list. >> That's a block vote. >> Block vote. >> Understood. >> Yep. >> RE6. Any discussion? >> No. Okay. RE9.
I actually have some discussion about RE9. All I want to say is I have tremendous uh respect. I kind of idolize Mrs. Thelma Gibson. And when I when I started, you know, for years I had been trying to meet her for years. I grew up
in the Grove and for years I was like, how you I tried to reach out to people. How can I speak to Mrs. Gibson? Everyone would say, well, you know, she's kind of older now. She doesn't really take, you know, requests. And I was so frustrated. I can honestly say that one of the best
things about having been elected is the fact that I had to knock on doors throughout all of Coconut Grove. And one of those doors was hers. and she answered the door and I was looking at my my phone, my computer screen, and at I look at her, we had a little
conversation. I asked her, "Is there anything in your neighborhood you'd like to change or you think should be different?" She's like, "Oh, no, honey. Such a nice day. Have a nice day." That was [laughter] it. So, I leave, I look at my phone, and I'm like, "Oh my god, that was Mrs. Delmson." So I immediately
returned back to the door and I just had to tell her how much I honored her and how much her work and her service had meant to me personally. And always from that day even I got had the pleasure of working with her a little bit, but always from that day forward um I I kind
of was afraid to take a picture with like it was somebody that was so special in that way that it just felt like respecting her needed to be done a certain way. So, I did want to share that because we're super proud to support this and have put it on the agenda and support the code designation
and I know chair you also had a very special relationship. I don't know if you want to make any comment on that. >> Yes, she was such a joy and you know I I have a reputation of being very strict with public comments. You can speak for
two minutes and that's it. And but when she came up, I would let her speak for as long as she wanted because she earned that and she appreciated that. And I would get uh surprisingly, you let her speak for
more than 2 minutes and I remember clapping back with someone and I said, "When you make it to her age and have the accomplishments that she has on her resume, I'll let you speak for as long as you want as well." So, it is my honor
to support this initiative for her and her husband because it is welld deserved. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. City Clerk, >> and thank you, Chair Bartto. Um, I also wanted to state on the record that Commissioner Rosado will also be co-sponsoring RE9. Thank you, sir.
>> Okay. Uh, moving on with the items RE12. >> Any discussion? No. RE13 any discussion. All right. RE14 RE18. Okay. So, as a block vote, we'll take all these items. Can I have a motion? >> So, move. >> Sir, it's only the ones that you
mentioned, right? >> Only the ones that I've mentioned. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Okay. Motion. Motion carries. >> Now that can we repeat those? >> Yes, absolutely. PH4 >> PH4 >> RE6
>> RE6 >> RE9 >> RE9 >> RE12 >> RE1 12 >> RE13 >> RE13 >> RE14 >> RE14 >> and RE18 >> RE18 >> 18 >> Okay, thank you.
>> Okay, those are all the items. Chairwoman, I hope you feel better. Um, if anything at all, you're welcome to stay as long as as as you stay. But >> I'm going to be I'm going to I'm going to be listening. I'm going to be voting
and I'm going to participate in [clears throat] the OmniCA meeting to make sure um you have my support. There are a couple of four fifth items on there as well. >> Thank you. >> And then I will go and lay down.
>> Okay. Well, thank you. Thank you. Really very much appreciated. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> So, I know we have a presentation that we wanted to bring forward for five minutes. >> Uh this would be the moment for the
Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery. And this what we're going to do is we're going to move the discussion item right behind this so that it kind of makes sense. We take DI6 as part of this.
>> Well, the original DI. >> Oh, DI5. >> Yeah, D5. >> Good morning. Good morning, Madame Mayor, uh, chair, chairman, city commission. Um, I want to thank you today for the opportunity to speak and
thank you for the continued support of this work. My name is Isabelle Perez Marina. I have a doctorate in clinical forensic psychology and I'm the CEO of Advocate Program. Advocate Program is a nonprofit that has served Miami for over 50 years. Our main client office has
long been headquartered in the city of Miami, currently at 1399 Northwest 17th Avenue. Our work sits at the very particular intersection mental illness, addiction, homelessness, crime, and family violence. We serve as Miami Dade's
misdemeanor probation provider. We provide outpatient behavioral health services to justice involved individuals. And we're a provider through the homeless trust, Driving Mind, worked alongside Miami's problem-solving courts for decades. In other words, we meet people where multiple systems are already touching
their lives and often when those systems are struggling to coordinate care. If given the privilege, our role at the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery is to continue doing what we do best. help build systems that work together, coordinate care for individuals with the most complex needs, and serve as a bridge between vulnerable
residents and the services designed to support them. The center itself is not open yet, but the funding allocated to our team, including support from the city of Miami, has already been put to work. We have mobilized a field-based team of care coordinators and peer
specialists who are now integrated with the jail diversion program. And that team is already stabilized individuals who would otherwise fall through the cracks of multiple systems. But there remains a population our current system simply cannot serve well. And I want to
take a moment to tell you about one of them. And we'll call him Sam. And Sam was born in 1976 and his first arrest was in 1998. That timing is not unusual for individuals with serious mental illness.
Many experience their first major psych psychiatric crisis in their early 20s. And when treatment is not available, that crisis often shows up in the system as an arrest rather than a medical intervention. Since then, Sam has been arrested more than 46 times, and that doesn't count
the bench warrants. He's been cycling between homelessness and jail for nearly three decades. We don't know how many times he's been through emergency rooms or crisis stabilization units. We just know it's a lot. Last week, our team met Sam at a crisis stabilization unit after
he had been transported there from jail. His most recent charge was a misdemeanor battery, and he agreed to accept help, and that was a major victory. But here is where our system failed him. Miami currently has no short-term residential treatment options between
crisis and independent living. There's no structured secure place for someone like Sam to stabilize beyond a few days other than of course jail. So Sam was stabilized, given medication, and placed in an Uber to travel across town to housing and outpatient treatment where
our team was waiting for him. Sam never arrived. At some point during that ride, he got out of the car and ran. And now he has an arrest warrant. And so the system starts again. The Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery was built for
people like Sam. Within this facility, Sam would not be leaving crisis and getting into an Uber across the city. He would simply go upstairs. He would have structured care, stability, and time. Time to treat an illness that often interferes with a person's ability to make decisions in their own best
interest. The initial scope of the center will include 75 treatment beds, including short-term and longerterm options designed specifically for individuals with complex behavioral health needs. The annual service cost to operate this scale will will be approximately $10 million. And that is a
significant investment. But it is worth asking a simple question. How much have we already spent on SAM through police responses, jail bookings, emergency rooms, transportations, staff time, and crisis units? and what is it solved? The Miami Center for Miami Health and Recovery
represents something rare in public policy, a moment where a community chooses to solve a problem instead of simply managing it. The city of Miami has already been an important early partner in this effort. Your support has helped move the center from a vision into something real, and projects like
this succeed when local leaders continue to stand behind them and help maintain momentum alongside our county and community partners. This facility will give Sam something it hasn't had. he hasn't had for more than 20 years. A chance, a chance for stability, a chance for treatment, and a chance for a different outcome. And it gives our
community something as well, the opportunity to finally interrupt a cycle that has affected our courts, our law enforcement, our emergency rooms, and our street for decades. Thank you to the leadership of this commission, and the city, and um we know uh that you'll
continue to stand with the partners to help make this Miami Menal Center a reality. >> Thank you. Thank you. So I I had brought this discussion item uh because we all talk about this Commissioner Gabella. This is a very big problem in in you in your district in
our my district and your district and your district. This is throughout the city of Miami. City of Miami is ground zero for uh what I would say is is is an issue where we're that we're trying to solve and nobody has been able to solve
successfully. I have a family member that suffers from mental illness who is was on the street, isn't anymore, but there is no way to to help that person. There hasn't, trust
me, I mean, you know, through family, through friends, you don't want somebody you care and you love out on the street. That's not a great place to be no matter what. And so, you know, I've been following, I'm sure, like many of you and many of us on on this day is all the
the stories and the trying to fix this issue. And I just wanted to open it up for a discussion among us about how serious the problem is and how we should really push for a collaborative effort to finally get this done because the
folks we see on the street can't go anywhere. There isn't anywhere for them to go. They have a serious illness. Commissioner Commissioner Scalona, >> let me ask you a question. Do you have any updates or what's happening at the county with the center?
>> Well, I mean, I know yesterday an item was deferred, but we can talk about that. We can talk about that later. >> Can I >> Oh, Chairwoman King, I know you have your your hands up and then chair chair um Commissioner Gabella. >> Madam Chair, >> I wanted to say this facility, it should
have been opened years ago. I had the pleasure of taking a tour of the facility and I also had Judge Lifeman on my podcast and we talked about this and I find myself saying this a lot lately.
Compassion is not partisan. Compassion is not political. We have to support initiatives like what Judge Lifeman has done with this facility. It is a gamecher and it will
help us get to functional zero with our homelessness issues. Commissioner Gabella and I we carry the brunt of um homelessness. I think Escalona is right there with us as well. I mean, I I have to say downtown and
>> Commissioner Escalona is right there along with us, but Overtown when I got elected had a large population of homelessness. I used to be on the board of the Camila House. I understand this.
And I think as public servants, we have got to wrap our minds around the fact that government is going to have to substantially support these efforts. They can't do it alone. But it's
shortsighted of us to not see the long-term savings that we will gain by helping this community and particularly those who suffer from mental illness. We do not turn away cancer patients. We do
not turn away folks that have what we I guess consider a tangible illness or disease. Just because you cannot see mental illness or you think um addiction just stop or get better.
They can't. They need our help. Just like affordable housing. affordable housing. We will not see affordable housing in our community unless we as the elected officials substantially
fund, support, subsidize, and that's what we have to do. And I stand with Commissioner Partardo. We need to make a directive to the city manager, to the city that we want to move forward with
doing whatever it is needed in terms of funding this facility so that it could move forward. And I will encourage my colleagues if we all have to go to the county and stand up and say and all municipalities, Miami Beach, everybody
benefits from what the city of Miami does. We shouldn't have to hold that purse all by oursel and we should lean in on this. It is a shame that this facility is not open so many years later
and it's being held up because we're trapped in some political hell. Compassion is not political and we need to stop it. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner Gabella. >> Yeah. Let me just uh state for the record. I I also have a close family
member that that's been dealing with mental health issues. Uh you know, we've been dealing with that for all our lives. My mom, myself, and u I I also took the tour about a year ago with the judge and uh they spent quite a substantial, you know, hours and money to make that place ready uh to take this
on. And and and this also now that we we're in that this is why I I think that uh and you guys gave me your help and this is why I also wanted and want the Alipata CRA because with that money we can also help people like this. Okay.
And take a little bit more. We're never going to resolve the problem 100% of the time. There there is no silver bullet like somebody said. But you know we have to do something about it. We can't just, you know, talk about it and talk about it and not do anything. And and and it affects the chairwoman district greatly. It affects mines big time because that
7th Avenue corridor with the Camella House and everything else that we have there, you know, there's a lot of resources spent on on this recycling of of doing the same thing, you know, and and if you know, if if 100% of 100 people go in there and and we fixed, you know, 20 were helped, that's 20 that are
not going to be recycling in the system. And you know, so it's just to me, you know, in my view, you know, this has to be done. And I've been talking about this since I got into office, you know, and I would also urge the county, okay, and and let me just say this, you know,
u we've worked diligently here for two years on the Alipata CRA, you know, uh we first tried to merge the the Alipata CRA and make it a an omni thing, and that wouldn't have worked because if it would have been Commissioner Bardro that sits on the board like it is now, he's he rightly so would have been pushing
for his district like he should. And if if I would have been the chairman, I would have done the same thing. I'd be pushing. So that wasn't going to work. And then what did we do? We established the Alipata CRA with your help, Commissioner Pardo, with your help uh uh Chairwoman King. And that was over a
year and a half ago. And as we sit here today, my Alipata CRA has not been done. They they don't want to give us a win. Somebody in the county does not want to give me or the people of Alipata a win. Okay, this is the only thing I can read this. And by the way, we've sent two
letters already to the county. Okay, two letters already to the county. no response. It's like we don't exist yet about a month ago. Okay. When the question came up whether they were they were going to put a moratorium on CRAAS, that failed. The commission said no, we're not going to put a moratorium on CRAAS cuz they're needed. And then
number two, the South Miami CRA and the Alipata CRA were the only two new CRAAS out of 40 that already exist in South Florida. And you know what? The South Miami um CRA got passed. They got passed. And by the way, they don't offer affordable housing because in that bill,
you cannot offer affordable housing. And and what we passed here, it's affordable housing. It's different in infrastructure. It's everything that can be used to to to mitigate this situation that we got on the 7th Avenue corridor. So, I would urge the county, whoever it is that's playing games, to stop playing
games, okay? Because, and I've talked to Weissong about this, by the way. We are but we if if this doesn't move I am going to file a lawsuit because it's been over 120 days for the second time in a row and nobody has responded to us from the county. Nobody. Okay. So u
Madame Chair Commissioner Pardo Commissioner Kona Commissioner Rosado we are all in this together. Okay. And we need to act. We we've done a lot of talking here but the time has come to put our foot down and and and act. >> Thank you. Thank you.
I I echo what my colleagues have said. I I echo what all the speakers have said and I am open to doing whatever it takes to get it open. >> Commissioners Kuna, >> same. I believe we all are on the same page. >> So, if I heard you correctly, Madame Chair, you'd like us to give a directive
to the city manager basically to collaborate on this issue and see how we can get this moving so that there's a resolution. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. So, let's go ahead and Mr. city manager a directive for please let's work on this issue as hard as we can
bring parties together and hopefully see how we can make something happen so that this population gets served and taken care of. Could could we have uh through the chair could we have an update at the next meeting? Like let's keep this on as
many agendas as possible. I'm happy to go speak at the county commission as well. I mean, whatever whatever it takes the facilities sitting there, uh, I know I've been on the record a number of times. If the concern I've heard an an assortment of concerns from assorted people at the county, so I it's it's
unclear to me what the real genuine concern is. Um, I I've I've been on the record a number of times saying that I if their concern is an ongoing budgetary shortfall, I'm comfortable supporting additional allocations from assorted city budgets, whether it's the DDA, the
city, you know, CRAAS, etc. to get at getting this open and keeping it open. >> Yep. Thank you. And Mr. City Manager, you've heard the discussion and thank you. >> We will move forward. Thank you. >> Thank you very much.
>> Okay. So now we move to the approval of the minutes. Do I have a motion for the minutes of January 8th, 2026 and January 20? So moved. Second. >> Second. Second. Okay. All those in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries.
>> Motion carries. Our consent agenda items. Are there any items that any one would like to pull? Any of the commissioners? No. >> Commissioner Escaluna? >> No. Commissioner Rosado.
Okay. So, CA1, CA2, CA3, CA4, CA5, CA6, CA7, CA8, CA 9, CA 10, CA 11, and CA12. May I have a motion?
>> Motion. >> Second. Okay. All those in favor? >> I >> Motion car motion carries. PH items. Are there any here that any commissioner would like to pull? No.
>> Okay. No. All right. PH1, PH2, and PH3. >> May I have a motion? >> Move. >> Motion. >> Second. >> Okay. All those in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries. Motion carries. Are items? Are there any items anyone here
would like to pull? Sorry, I want to pull RE7. >> Okay. Anyone else? Commissioner Scala >> R19 has to be discussed after the initiary meeting, right? >> Yes. Yes. >> Which one was that? >> Okay. I should I'll just go through the
Let me go through the whole So, RE6, >> we already took on that. >> We're already right. Okay. So, RE7 RE8 I have a a deferral, right? >> No, RE7 we're going to
>> Yeah. discussed R8's deferred. RE9's deferred. RE10 is deferred. >> R10 passed, but RE10 was deferred. RE9 did pass. R10 was deferred. >> Great. Then RE15. >> No, R11, you missed R1.
>> Those have already >> R11 is in play. I I can read the list. >> Okay. Please. Thank you. >> Sure. Um so Ari 1 2 3 4 5 7 has been pulled but uh then 11
15 16 17 19 and 20 are all in play. >> So I'd like to indefinitely defer RE16 and RE19 needs to be heard later because it's tied to the CRA to omnic. So then if you would like to make a motion for
RA16, that's an indefinite deferral on RE16, correct? >> Yes. >> Hang on a minute. Let's let's talk about that. Why are we deferring that? >> Do you want to talk about all of those items together? >> Well, the the 16 is is to abolish what
we said we were going to do that we were going to in >> Oh, I have the wrong item then. That completely >> I thought you were confused. Yeah. >> No, no, no. We're then we're pulling it for discussion. >> Yeah, >> Mr. City Attorney. No, I was just going to say R16 is um separating Maurice Ray Park. >> That's what I thought. Yeah. So that is
indefinitely deferred. That's something else. It's separating the two. It's creating a structure around >> which we agreed that we weren't going to do is my understanding. >> No, there that hasn't been agreed upon. There hasn't been any agreement upon any structure or not structure at least that
I >> Okay, let's let's talk about it then. >> Okay. Give it a minute. >> We got some confusion. >> That's all right. >> Do you want to table R16 and we can >> Let's table R16 for the moment. >> Um so
maybe we can do uh maybe it's just easier to go one by one. >> Yeah, >> let's do that. Um, so, uh, so just for the record, are you 1 2 3 4 5 71 15 16 17 19 and 20 are all in play. And
probably best just to go one by one numerically. >> Okay. So, RE1, >> so moved. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I motion carries. >> RE2, >> so moved.
>> Second. All those in favor? I >> I >> R3. Okay. So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I >> R4 motion. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I. >> R5. >> Motion. >> Move. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> I motion >> second. All those in favor? >> I >> I
>> R15 motion. >> Second. All in favor? >> I motion carries. >> R17. >> Motion. >> Second. All in favor? I >> motion carries
>> and chair my apologies. Just for the record, Commissioner Rosado is submitting multiple backup documents into the record for agenda item RE17. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Then RE20 motion. >> Motion. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I >> and chair for RE20. R E20 needs to be amended pursuant to a substitution memo dated March 5th, 2026. So RE20 will be as amended. And just for the record, the substitution was changing exhibit A to
amend and update the award number and the award name. >> Okay. Then we're at RA16, which was coming back from deferral. R16 was coming back from deferral. I'm just indefinitely deferring it again.
>> Yeah, I thought we were going to get rid of it. >> No, no, because nothing's been decided. That's going to be discussed today, but that item was just coming back. It's been around forever. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> All right. Got it. >> So, uh, can I have a motion to indefinitely defer RE16? >> Motion.
>> Move. >> Second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Um, actually, it's it's a withdrawal, no is what we're doing >> for RE16. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. You I believe you were requesting a withdrawal of that item.
>> So, this is the other item. >> This Yeah. RE16 is the resolution relating to separating Maurice Ray Park from Bis from Bayfront Park. Then there's um >> that is our original item, correct? That was indefinitely deferred and coming
back. >> Then there's two more items on the >> right. So we're just indefinitely deferring it again. That's all we're doing. >> Okay, we're good. >> Well, I thought so we I thought we had come to a consensus that we were not going to give the park to the city.
That's what I thought. But correct me if I'm wrong. If that is not then, you know, >> I don't think there's been any consensus. I think that's what we're going to talk about today. >> Oh, okay. All right. >> That's why I was just indefinitely deferring and and instead have the conversation on the on your item so that we can >> Correct. >> Okay.
>> Got it. >> We're good. >> Yep. >> Okay. I have a motion again just to make be clear. >> Oh, we're good to go for R16. Okay. Good to go. So what's remaining for in the resolutions category is RE7 and RE19 and
it's my understanding RE19 has to be heard after the omnic meeting. >> Correct. Correct. >> So this one for real. >> What's that? >> I'm sorry chair. >> Nothing. My phone rang. >> Okay. No, no worries. And then
Commissioner Gabella, you pulled for discussion RE7. >> Yeah. So this is a hold over where I presented this about I don't know five or six months ago. Uh and then uh you know at the time nobody really wanted to do anything about it you know and and it came back
again okay and while we're at the subject you know uh let's talk about the subject right and the conversation has to hit be had so what I said was that if we were going to go after the attorney's fees right and we would had have anybody on board right that what we were really
going to do you know practically is you know spend our wheels collecting a piece of paper, a judgment that we were probably never going to collect on. Okay, that's that's a reality of the situation. However, for me, you know, now I I got a problem and it's out of principle, right? Because I I I make
here, you know, business decisions all the time and not necessarily, you know, right the the other way around. It's just that we want to settle the matter to save the the, you know, the the taxpayer money, uh, is what we try to do here. Uh, hence our fiduciary duty. But,
uh, you know, this this bothers me. it not this, but it bothers me that in light that that we were going to be lenient, okay, and and not be petty and say, you know what, you know, this happened. You know, we're going to collect a piece of paper. We're not going to collect any real money at the
end of the day. We're going to spin our wheels and we're going to pay for attorney's cost. But now we have a problem that Mr. Kado himself is suing the city of Miami for, you know, 1.5 I don't know how much it is. We've all been to the to the Shay meeting, you know, and you know this what he's suing
us on is a he claims that he uh he was short changed on his retirement. Now, this has been going on for >> Excuse me. >> I I was waiting for the city attorney to step in because I don't think that we're supposed to be talking about meeting >> the litigation [clears throat]
and I >> No, I'm I'm not going to talk. But but here's the thing. I'm I'm You guys >> Well, no. My point was I was >> We're not playing that game. We're not playing that game that I'm not going to talk about attorney saying something. >> I'm not playing that game. >> No, no. I'm I'm going to keep myself from going into legal uh ramifications,
shall we say. Okay. But this is the thing that that it is public uh knowledge that the man is suing us. Uh you know uh he says, you know, that he u you know, this been going on for 15 years. He's the one that didn't bring it on for 15 years. And now all of a sudden
he's suing us for 1.5. I don't know how much it is that he's suing us for. And I say that we leverage. Okay. That we leverage the situation. >> I I think Mr. City attorney, it's your >> Yeah, I was just going to um try and prevent you from talking about any
settlement negotiations relating to the case of Coro versus the city of Miami. But generally, you're right. There is a lawsuit that has been filed and um it relates to a pension issue that he has filed but um I would encourage you not
to discuss the the background details of the litigation whilst we're in the middle of >> I'm not going to disc discuss the details but I am going to discuss the the you know that I I don't think that with all the money that he has cost the taxpayer up until this point in the
millions of dollars he should let this you know be gone. I I was willing to, you know, say, you know what, let bygones be bygones. I'm that kind of a guy. Water under the bridge, you know, let it let it be. But now we got a a situation where so he spent millions of dollars in in my opinion of the taxpayer
money, right? Taxpayer money in the millions of dollars, not one million, not two folks, multi. Okay, it's been going on for, you know, I don't know how many years now because I lo I lost track. Ever since I got here, we've been talking about this issue. Okay, now I don't want to let it go. You know, me personally. You know why? because now
he's going after us on this other thing that it the way I see it and what's been told to me was of his doing by not bringing it forward before this, okay, before this. And so I say, you know, uh I say we go forward uh in recovering the
fees that he cost the city of Miami because of what he's doing now to to us on the other side. That's my opinion. >> Okay. So that's so that's your opinion on RE7 to move it forward. >> That is correct. discussion. >> Are we are we likely to collect?
>> Um once again you asked me to look into the crystal ball of the future. Um who knows? Um I will tell you that um there is a judgment that is recorded against the the former commissioner already in the tune of $63 million plus incurring
interest I would imagine. Um so any any sort of relief we would get would be behind that position. Um now things could happen that somehow that judgment goes away or um he hits the the billion
dollar lottery and is able to pay that off as well as other things. So there's there is a possibility that the city would be able to proceed, but in all likelihood we would um have a paper judgment as the commissioner said um we would record it. It would remain on the
books for quite a long period of time, 20 years. And um in the sort of like just imagine um Mr. OJ Simpson, he was sued. He had a huge judgment against him. He was deemed judgment proof. He moved to Florida to take advantage of
our um homestead exemption laws um which we all enjoy here. So you can't take a person's house to um um collect on a judgment. So right now the former commissioner is is relatively speaking
judgment proof, but that doesn't change what the future holds. And um the only other caveat I would have to throw out is um we as a city attorney's office because he was a former commissioner would not be able to prosecute that case because
we have a conflict, a clear conflict. We have worked with the commissioner. We still defend him in other cases. And so um um we would have to hire outside counsel to um sue and collect on the attorney's fees. I just wanted to add
that just for the flavor. Now I believe the statute of limitations for this would be approximately four years. The case the United States Supreme Court just um two weeks ago I believe it was determined that his appeals were over. They they denied sersiori appeal and um
so his that Fuller one case as we've described it over the years is completely dead. So, um, the timing is appropriate to sue on that and I believe the statute of limitations, I'll check with my staff, but it's most likely four years from from that date that we could
sue. So, you don't necessarily have to make the decision today, but um, state law permits us to sue. The there's not a legal issue on suing. The only issue would be um, the collectibility of the judgment and the cost it takes to to get
that judgment. Any more discussion? Commissioner Rosado. Uh, Commissioner Escalona, hold on one moment. Commissioner Gabell, I I do have a question for the city attorney. So, if I'm hearing you correctly, it would be very difficult to
ever see any any kind of compensation or any kind of benefit from this lawsuit because it's behind the $65 million, >> right, >> lawsuit that's in first position. given that he's asset protected, he he's not
likely uh to be in that position. What I'm curious about is what are the costs associated with us having to deal with this civil action? I don't think it would be that expensive of a lawsuit to file because it's it's pretty
straightforward. What were the attorney's fees? Um the state law seems to provide entitlement. they may resist that or he may take a default, I don't know, just to save himself attorney's fees. Um but um I don't think it would
it would be extremely expensive, but um >> what what is that in dollars? >> Um well, lawyers are expensive these days. >> Well, that's that's why I'm asking. >> We were discussing that um you know um depends on who the lawyers are. Um, but
we would probably have a firm at the at the rate of somewhere like $600, $650 an hour to sue. Um, you would need an expert um [clears throat] to talk about the fees to indic, you know, to go over whether the fees are appropriate and stuff like that. Um, but I think I think
it would be relatively quick action. A summary judgement motion would resolve the issue. Um, but once again, you cannot predict. I mean that the Fuller one case went from the beginning to the end over multiple years and multiple courts. So it all it all depends
unfortunately. >> Commissioner Gabella. >> Yeah. But we can offset if we if we did the the the lawsuit and we won, we can offset if if then he he prevails on the 1.5, we can offset that, couldn't we? And we can and we can wind up not paying him the 1.5, can we? So So in actual
fact, there is there is something there. Well, the only issue there is and we're starting to get into that case and uncomfortableness of discussing that case, but the only difference there is that relates to pension benefits and pension benefits are not um they're immune from collection for these type of
things. So, um so that's a good point. It provides leverage. It provides you um you know the ability to um you know it could affect the litigation. I'll I'll leave
it at that, but I don't want to get into it further. >> Do you have a motion, Commissioner Gabella? >> I have a motion if if uh you know, I can read a room and I have a motion if this body has the appetite to do it. You know, I would go ahead and do it to leverage it and to say to him, you know,
no, you're not going to get the 1.5. You've already placed the taxpayer. We've already the taxpayer. Enough is enough. That's the message that I would send if you gentlemen, you know. >> Got it. We have a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Motion and a second. All those in favor?
>> I >> I >> I. >> And that'll be shown. >> Motion carries unanimously. >> As amended to add the Supreme Court of the United States case number. >> So, we have the second reading items. Uh, Mr. Mr. City Clerk, would you like
to read the titles for the second reading? >> I'll defer to the city attorney. >> Mr. City attorney, would you like to read the titles for the second reading ordinance? >> One moment. All right. Second reading items.
SR1, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending chapter 2, article 2, section 2-32 of the code of the city of Miami, Florida, as amended, titled administration, mayor, and city commission time and place of meeting to remove provisions specifying the time of hearings for certain ordinances involving zoning map amendments of 10
contiguous acres or more, or changes to permitted, conditional, or prohibited uses within a zoning category, thereby deferring to the requirements of section 166.0413C2, 0413C2 Florida statutes providing for severability and providing for an immediate effective date. SR2 second
reading ordinance an ordinance of the Miami city commission amending chapter 38 article 1 of the code of the city of Miami Florida as amended titled parks and recreation general by creating section 38-41 naming titled naming of facilities at Elizabeth Verick Park more specifically naming the aquatic facility
at Elizabeth Veric Park as the Verernica Sturup Silva aquatic facility containing a severability clause and providing for an immediate effective date SR3 an ordinance of the Miami city commission amending chapter 2 article 11 division six of the code of the city of Miami, Florida is amended city code titled
administration boards, committees, commissions, reserve more specifically by amending section 2-101 through two-2018 of the city code to establish the education advisory board stating the board's purpose, powers, duties, composition, appointment qualifications,
and requirements for membership providing for officers, rules of procedure, meetings, quorum, legal and staff support, assignment of personnel, waiverss, other necessary provisions, and public notice containing the severity clause and providing for an immediate effective date. SR4 and second reading ordinance. An ordinance to the
Miami City Commission amending chapter 2 article 11 division 9 of the code of the city of Miami floor is amended titled administration boards committees commissions reserve more specifically by amending section 2-121 through 2-1139 of the city code to establish the interfaith advisory
council stating the council's purpose powers duties composition appointments qualifications and requirements for membership providing for officers rules of procedure meetings quorum legal and staff support assignment of personnel waiverss other necessary provisions and public notice containing a separate
clause and providing for an immediate effective date. And then we have SR5 second reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending chapter 2, article two of the code of the city of Miami, Florida's amended city code titled administration, mayor, and city commission by amending section
2-33 titled order of business rules of procedure to amend the time in which an elected official may place an item on the city commission agenda from noon seven business days before the city commission meeting to midnight on the second Sunday preceding the city commission meeting containing a several day clause and providing for an
immediate effective date. On second reading five, we've submitted a um substitution which would have a different title which would read an ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending chapter 2 article two of the code of the city of Miami, Florida is amended titled administration, mayor and
city commission by amending section 2-33 titled order of business and rules of procedure to amend the time in which an elected official may place an item on the city commission agenda from noon seven business days before the city commission meeting to to noon eight business days before the city commission meeting containing a seability clause.
and providing for an immediate effective date. So, we would clean up the the understanding of the language in SR5 if the substitution is accepted. >> Thank you. Are there any items that any of the commissioners would like to pull in second reading ordinances?
May I have a motion? >> So, move second. >> All those in favor? I >> I >> motion carries. >> Mr. City Attorney, can you read the titles for the first reading ordinances? >> All right. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
FR1, first ringing ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending chapter 20 of the code of the city of Miami, Florida, as amended, titled Flood Damage Prevention, providing guidelines and timelines for reertification of existing drainage systems, providing a fee for the reertification review, establishing
reporting criteria for compliance, and aligning drainage reertification requirements with the city's building reertification program, containing a serability clause, and providing for an effective date. FR2, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission repealing in its entirety ordinance number 14382 adopted
on July 10, 2025 as amended by ordinance number 14422 adopted on December 11th, 2025 prior to its scheduled effective date of July 15, 2026. said ordinance having abolished the Bayfront Park Management Trust and amended various sections of the code of the city of
Miami, Florida is amended, including chapter 38, article 3 of the city code titled Parks and Recreation, Bayfront Park Management Trust. Chapter 2, article 11, division 2 titled Administration Boards, committees, commission standards for creation and review of boards generally. Chapter 18,
article se article 3 section 18-72 titled finance city of Miami procurement ordinance application and exclusions and chapter 54 article 1 section 54-9 titled streets and sidewalks in general placing signs advertisement or displays on any
portion of public rightway street or sidewalk surface containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. FR3 has been withdrawn. FR4, it's a big one. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending chapter 2, article 4 of the code of the city of
Miami, Florida as amended, city code titled administration departments, more specifically by amending division two titled planning, building and zoning department, division three titled department of fire rescue and division four titled resilience and public works department. Chapter three of the city
code, more specifically by amending article two titled alarm systems, burglary and robbery alarms and article three titled fire alarms. Chapter 10, article one, division one of the city code titled buildings in general more specifically by amending
article four titled registration of vacant, blighted, unsecured or abandoned structures and of defaulted mortgage properties. In article five titled the code relief program, chapter 11 of the city code titled cable television. Chapter 12 of the city code titled
amusement games or machines. Chapter 17 of the city code titled environmental presentation more specifically by amending article one titled tree protection in general and article two titled environmental preservation districts. Chapter 18 of the city code titled finance more specifically by amending article one titled in general
and article three titled city of Miami procurement ordinance and article 8 titled storm water utility fees and article 11 titled leases of city-owned submerged lands chapter 19 of the city code titled fire protection chapter 22 article one of the city code titled
garbage and other solid waste in general chapter 22.5 of the city code green initiatives more specifically amending article Six titled soil erosion, waterway sedimentation, and airborne dust generation control. Chapter 23, article one of the city code titled historic preservation.
Historic preservation. Uh chapter 32, article one titled merchandising bankruptcy and closing out sales. Chapter 35 of the city code titled motor vehicles and traffic more specifically by amending article 4 titled parking rates in article 9 titled valet parking.
Chapter 38 article one of the city code titled parks and recreation general. Chapter 39, article two of the city code titled pedallers and itinerant vendors, sidewalk and street vendors. Chapter 42 of the city code titled police more specifically article one titled in general. Chapter 53 of the city code
titled stadiums and convention centers. More specifically by amending article one titled in general, article two division two titled city stadiums marine stadium and article four titled convention center of the city of Miami University of Miami James L. 9. Chapter 54 of the city code titled streets and
sidewalks more specifically by amending article one titled in general. Article two titled construction, excavation or repair. Article six titled sidewalk and street cafes. Article 7 titled news racks on public rights of way. And article 9 titled Coconut Grove special
events district. Chapter 57, article three of the city code titled vehicles for hire, pedics for hire. and chapter 62 of the city code titled planning and zoning more specifically by amending article one titled in general article three titled planning zoning and appeals
board article 7 titled historic and environmental preservation board article 12 titled parks and open space trust fund and article 13 titled division 8 titled planning and zoning approval for temporary uses and occupancies permit
required temporary banners and article 13 division 9 titled planning ing and zoning approval for temporary uses and occupancies permit required farmers market to remove the requirements for fees to be adopted by ordinance and provide for fees to be set by city commission through resolution containing
a severability clause and providing for an effective date FR5 first reading an ordinance of the Miami city commission amending chapter 18 article 3 of the code of the city of Miami Florida's amended city code titled finance city of Miami procurement ordinance by amending sections 1873 and
1811 titled definitions and contracts of other governmental entities, respectively, to define cooperative purchasing organization and authorize the city manager to utilize competitively award contracts of other governmental entities and cooperative purchasing organizations subject to
specified conditions, reporting and commission notice for certain purchases containing serability clause and providing for an effective date, an immediate effective date. FR6 first reading an ordinance of the Miami city commission amending chapter 38 article 3 of the code of the city of Miami Florida as amended city code titled parks and
recreation bayfront park management trust by amending section 38-103 titled governing body to establish and appoint the city commission as exeicial members and provide for two appointments from the city's district 2 commissioner obtaining a separate clause and providing for an immediate effective
date that concludes the first reading ordinances a >> lot of chapters there and articles concluded. [laughter] >> So, are there any items to pull for discussion, Commissioner Gabella? >> Yeah. So, u I think you wanted a F FR2, right? And FR FR6
>> and FR6. Yeah, FR5. >> FR5. >> F5. >> FR5. Commissioner Rosado. Okay. So, for FR1, FR3, FR4. May I have a motion? >> Sure. Chair, I'm sorry. Um, so FR3 was
withdrawn. >> FR3 was withdraw. >> Perfect. That's correct. >> So maybe just one at a time. >> Yep. FR1. >> Is there a motion? >> Motion. >> Motion. >> Second. Okay. All in favor? >> I. >> FR4. Is there a motion?
>> So moved. Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Motion carries. And then pulling for discussion. FR2. Commissioner Gabbalo. Okay. So, what what are we doing here? Because we got we got a bunch of >> Do you want me to [laughter]
No, this is the reason that that on FR2 and F FR6 all those different structures are out there in November when we had last >> Yeah. >> revisited this and it took a long time to get there. [laughter] We had said that we were just going to kind of leave everything on hold, see
what the audits finally reveal, which still haven't been, you know, concluded. uh you had said at that time that you would be stepping down mid July. Everything was kind of out there, but we don't really have the guard rails. We haven't really had a conversation or I
don't know if they have at the Bayront Park Management Trust board contemplated what changes they'd like to make uh to kind of to kind of avoid where we had been because that was the whole >> Let me bring you up to speech. So yes, >> so when when when we got in there, uh we
put those uh in 2019 for example, auditors went over and they said uh there's a problem here with the gap the accounting practices, general accounting practices and we rectified that. We put guard rails and in 2019 they you know they they told them you got to do this. They didn't do it. Okay. And we put that
in place. Uh, for example, we changed the meetings from uh, you know, 12 uh, 12 uh, 12:00 noon basically on a weekday, which you know, not a lot of a lot of people could attend and we changed it to 6:00 p.m. as you know, so a lot of people can attend and out of work. So, we did we we bu done so many
things, you know, and all the irregularities that we found those were reported. Okay? You know, uh, I don't think there's there's any one thing that we haven't touched. I mean everything that you know that you know there's still more to do right but the the the
the idea was you know that uh it was going to be dissolved and given to the city. Okay. And my argument was that the city should not be the one getting it because it doesn't run things pretty you know very well at least at the time. Uh I for example went to my
water park in this in my district in the freedom uh park and I found out that that water park because the city was taking care of it had only was only opening up two months out of the year and I think I made that statement in maybe a kona wasn't here. Commissioner Kona I don't think was here yet but the
point was that water park out of the 12 months that the year has was opening up two months and when I asked why you know not very good reasons the city ran that we then passed a resolution for that water park to have some you know private entities come in and revamp it and they
run it and we we're going to get into the profit sharing why because we don't seem to run certain things very good you know that's always been government right you know and I thought that we had all agreed you Um after the attempt was made to take it to the city um we had made
the case we have put all those guardrails in in place and by the way the the audit uh has no reflection on me or my executive director or who's there now because remember we came into the fault much after all that stuff you know that they were claiming happened. Okay.
Now, they did the first uh phase of the audit. Then the second phase u came through. The city then said that they weren't going to pay for it. Okay? And we said, you know, what's going on? That's what was said. Then the city said they that we're going to pay for that. By the way, that's before you guys got
here, madame mayor. With all due respect and city manager, that was before you guys got here. So, let me bring you up to speed. And then so, so they said, "No, we're not going to pay for it. Yes, we're going to pay for it." Back then, no, we're not going to pay for it. Okay. In the beginning when this whole thing started, we said that we were going to
pay for it at Bayfront Trust. So we out of the Bayfront Trust funds, we were going to pay for that first audit on all of them and the city said to us, "No, no, no. We don't want you to do that for whatever reason." And I said, "Okay, all right, you guys." And then we picked, you know, the auditing company out of four or five that they gave us to to
pick. And that's that's what transpired. So we've done everything possible, humanly possible. you know the parking situation where they were taking cash at one point by the way okay that was dealt with okay that was dealt with immediately you know because there was
no accountability okay uh you know our meetings you know um if you've seen our meetings if you and you and you have sent the Lexus over there your lives you know our meetings you know I we let everybody talk you know you know it's at 6 pm sometimes it lasts an hour other
times it lasts two in other words we are an open book okay And you know, we have done everything humanly possible and continue to do it to put all those guard rails that hadn't been put there before. Okay. So, so that's that. You know, the and again I stress the audit was not a
reflection on us. The audit was a reflection on what happened before we got [snorts] there. You know, if you want to do an audit on us, I'd be happily to comply because we're not I know you don't, but I'm saying, you know, we're happy to comply. We're we're not, you know, we're not hiding anything. As a matter of fact, we've
been more transparent than I think what was going on there before. We we don't hear complaints of neighbors come and you're not doing this, you know, and and they're open just like let me let me just say uh the ultra thing with the contract, you know, we had an open meeting about a month ago on the ultra
thing at 6 p.m. Nobody showed up to to to contest the you know the the the contract, you know what I mean? and and the board voted and they they gave me, you know, uh consent to to deal with ultra and that's what I did. But but but having said that, I know you were concerned and that's why I deferred it
because I know you're the district two commissioner. I respect you. I respect your district and that's why we deferred. But but but I'm giving you an example of what we've done. >> No, listen, I I think those are all really good changes. The point I was trying to make is from the community participation side and some of these
items we're talking about changing the board structure, having more commission participation on the board structure, which for something like an area like district 2 would be important because still residents feel like whether it's a billboard or ultra, they're not whatever
the process is because it's not you and it's not your board. It's more a process question. And that's why from from my perspective, what I would love if you would if you would be willing to go along is just to defer it a bit so that we can work through this and then come back with something that is well
understood because I'm not there yet, but I can be >> and I understand and and bring the community with us. I think that would be >> but here here's so so let me let me just answer that by telling you very quickly, you know, because we're not going to beat this horse to death, right? But u we've talked a lot about it. But here's
the thing, you know, you're never going to please 100% of the people all the time. You you know what I mean? So there's always going to be the naysayers and no matter what you do, you know, in this world, right? And and that's okay, you know, but you know, like like I've always said, you know, when people come up here and they give you credit, we like taking the credit, but we also got
to take when they criticize us, right? Because that's what we signed up for. That this is what this job, you know, entails, you know. But by the same token, you know, you guys don't see me, for example, questioning the DDA, questioning the OmniCA, you know what I
mean? You guys don't see me at that. You know, you know, and I don't because I believe if I voted for you as the chairman of the, you know, OmniCA, I trust you. There's not been one time that I've questioned your your integrity or anything on that thing because I I know I know you're you're a good person
and you're doing it with heart for your community. The same thing with uh Commissioner Rosado. We might have our differences. We've had our differences in the past, but I don't question his judgment and that's why I actually nominate him for the for the DDA and and and and I've seen Rolando's work and the
same thing goes for Commissioner Scarona with all the respect, right? You know, at the end of the day, you know, what I don't want is that you guys assign me as the chairman to the Bay Trust. And then there's all these questions, you know, because remember, I'm not the guy that was there prior to February of 2025. I'm
the guy that stepped in to take care of that situation. And I think I I think we've taken care of that situation. So, I'll leave it at that. But no problem. If you want to defer, let's defer. >> No, listen. I just want to say it's no question to your integrity or the board or all the good work you've done. It's just more time so that we can get to a
place. And you know, frankly, it's because it's in the district and we're dealing with the residents and all of those issues in our office. So, it's it's actually no different than what we've asked with Commissioner Rossado uh dealing with the DDA. Uh so, it's very similar to that. just a little more time
so that we're all on the same page and we can come back with a plan that not only we understand but we can communicate. >> But I'll tell you one thing, if we're going to talk about the downtown and we're going to talk about, you know, that side of the, you know, the the your neck of the woods, you've got more problems, people talking about the DDA
and how they're overt taxed than actually the Bayront Trust. So, but I don't but you don't see me questioning, you know, and say, "Hey, are we going to dissolve your your thing down there?" You see what I'm saying? But you but you see my point. There's a lot of noise on that. There's a lot of noise on that. Okay. That that the downtowners think
that they're being overt taxed and they're not getting as many services downtown. That's a big one. You don't see that in Bayfront yet. You guys are telling me, "Hey, wait a minute. You know, maybe we should dissolve it." Well, hell, I might start to ask the question in a couple of months time. You know, what is up with the the with the DDA? You know what I mean?
>> Listen, I think I'm always I think transparency is always a great thing. >> Um, am I hearing you correctly? You're okay with deferring this? >> That's fine. Can can we look at May? Absolutely. Like the end of May. >> That's there's no hurry. >> The second meeting in May. Is that is that acceptable?
>> Do you want to defer Gaba FR2? >> Yeah. If if he wants to defer, he's not comfortable with the >> Thank you very much, Commissioner. >> 16. It's 16. >> The second What's the second meeting in May? >> Motion >> May 28th. >> Motion made. Is there a second?
>> All those in favor? >> I'm sorry. Who was the second? >> Okay, but guys, just make this clear. It's we're we're dealing with R16. >> Yes, correct. >> Okay. I'm sorry because I >> No, we're dealing with what? >> R16. >> So, we have
>> Oh, by the way, hang on, guys. There's a problem. Frank has just alerted me that this needs two readings if we do in fact to to decide to not abolish the park and give it to the city. And in July the 15th, I think is the date that we set for it to, you know, to sunset. >> Okay. Okay.
>> So, do you want to do it in the first meeting of May? >> That's a good idea. Okay. >> Let's do it at the first meeting. >> So, I'll just need a motion. So, right now we're on FR2. FR2 was deferred. >> That's exactly what I thought. >> Yes. So, >> Oh, yes. I You know what? I'm mistaken. Um, Commissioner
>> and again, my apologies for the interruption, but FR2 uh uh there was a motion in a second which passed uh to defer it to May 28th. So, what I'll need is a motion to reconsider. >> Motion toot Second. >> And then >> all in favor?
>> I I >> I motion carries. >> Now, if you'd like to um make a new motion for that's May 14th, is that May 14th? >> Motion. >> All in favor? >> I I thank you. >> Motion carries.
>> And then FR5 was pulled. I believe Commissioner Escalona. Yes, the item is good, but I have some concerns in the piggyback. Is there any way that we can amend this to 1.5 million just to keep the transparency there?
>> That's R5. >> Yes. >> To the chair. >> I'll refer to the city manager. >> Commissioner, I do not have any issues with that. >> Okay. >> Amount. >> Okay. So, it's a friendly amendment of 1.5. >> Yes, sir. >> Do we have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. Second. >> All in favor? I.
>> Motion carries. as amended. >> As amended >> and then FR6 was just indefinitely deferral. It goes with all of this together. >> So I'll need a motion for the >> Is there a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. >> We're talking about the first six, right?
>> Yeah. It's the same as the other item. >> Yes. You you Okay. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I >> I >> Motion carries. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So I know for board and committees, Mr. City Clerk, >> sorry, Mr. Chairman, through you. >> Yeah. There's a there's a there's a
problem with u we didn't did we do R16 did it's the same thing. >> Did we address that? >> R16 was indefinitely deferred. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you chair. Boards and committees BC1 arts and entertainment council.
Commissioner Commissioner Partardo will be re will be appointing Michelle McCoy. >> May I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Motion and a second. All those in favor? I >> I motion carries. >> BC3 Bayfront Park Management Trust.
Commissioner Gabella will be reappointing Carlos Martell to his seat and reappointing Anamatoss and Horasio Stewart Agid to the atlarge seats. >> So moved. >> Second motion. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor?
>> Motion carries. >> DC4, Climate Resilience Committee. Mayor Higgins will be appointing Ireela Beay to the community and real estate development category and city manager Reyes will be reappointing Grant Muer to the emergency management category.
>> May I have a motion? >> Move. >> Second. >> Second. >> Motion second. All those in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries >> DC5 code enforcement board. Commissioner Gabella will be reappointing John Kunil to his seat and reappointing Juan Galan
to the alternate atlarge seat. Commissioner Rosado will be appointing Ulisses Aras to the atlarge vacancy. >> Do we have a motion? >> Move. >> Motion second. >> All those in favor? >> I motion carries. >> BC6 Downtown Development Authority. The
Downtown Development Authority is requesting confirmation of the following individuals. Chris Hodkins to the arts and entertainment district seat. Jose Bermudez to the Bickl district seat and Christina Palamo Palomo to the atlarge residency.
>> May I have a motion? >> So move motion second. All those in favor. >> Motion carries. >> DCA finance committee. City manager Reyes will be reappointing Mona Daniel.
>> Motion move. >> Second. Okay. Motion and a second. Motion. All in favor? >> I >> I motion carries. >> BC10 LGBTQ Advisory Board. Commissioner Escalona will be appointing Aaron Rifa with a 4-fifths residency waiver.
>> Move. >> Second. >> Second. Motion second. All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries. >> BC12 Planning Zoning and Appeals Board. Mayor Higgins will be appointing Lynette Cardock and Commissioner Gabella will be appointing Chris Collins.
So move second. >> Okay. Motion second. All in favor? >> I motion carries. >> That concludes the boards and committees. Thank you, chair. >> Thank you, >> Mr. City Attorney. Can we have the titles for the PZ items?
>> Yes, sir. Um PZ1, second reading ordinance, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending ordinance number 13114, the zoning ordinance of the city of Miami, Florida, as amended Miami 21 code specifically by amending appendix P. Windwood Norte neighborhood revital revitalization district 2 NRD2
by amending appendix P section 3.2.1 2.1 titled general to zones NRD2 thorough affairs and corridors to allow for dominant setback waiverss on a Windwood Norte corridor by amending appendix P section 3.3 titled general to zones windwood Norte public benefits program
to adjust bonus height regulations in all T4 and T5 transex zones within Windwood Norte by amending appendix P section 5 titled specific to zones to clarify and update bonus height regulations in T5 transex zones by amending appendix P section 7 title sign
regulations to modify master sign package requirement for structures with multiple commercial or office tenants by amending appendix P section 9 titled street master plan to provide additional NRD2 setback requirements along Winwood Norte thorough affairs making findings
containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date Mr. City clerk, did we move PZ2? >> PZ2 was indefinitely deferred. >> Thank you. That concludes the PZ. >> So, an item PZ1. Is there any discussion? >> No.
>> Okay. Is there a motion? >> So, move >> second. >> Hang on. What are we What are we voting on? >> We're on PZ1. Item PZ1. >> Didn't we defer PZ1? >> PZ2 was deferred. >> PZ2 was deferred. Okay. >> Any discussion, Commissioner Gabella? >> No, not me.
>> Okay, we have a motion and a second. All in favor? I >> I motion carries. >> I >> moving to the discussion items. >> DI1. We already covered that in the public comments. Do we need to vote? No, we're
good. Excellent. Thank you. DI2. >> DI2 is indefinitely conferred. >> Okay. DI3. I think that was Commissioner Rosado, right? >> Yes. Yes. Um, so DI3 is about traffic light synchronization. I know that in
recent years the the city of Los Angeles became the first city in or first major city in the country to synchronize all its traffic lights. Uh I think we are comparable in terms of traffic and land uses to LA. And so I' I'd like to see us
do some research on how we can work with the county to expedite that in in terms of the city of Miami. Right? We're at the center of the county. We are the city that's most impacted by the way the traffic flows. This is definitely something that residents ask all the time about. They complain about the
lights not quite making sense together. And so I'd like to see if the manager could and the public works director could speak with the county and see what can be done to prioritize our traffic lights. In addition, very related to that, I had a great conversation with the mayor recently. Um there's been an
analysis done countywide about the hundred most dangerous intersections. And as you can imagine, the city of Miami has several of those. And so I'd like to see us get regular updates on what we're doing to address the most dangerous intersections from that list. Uh in terms of, you know, funding for
design, you know, redesign, construction, etc. I know some projects are along the way, others maybe not so much. Um but I'd like to see us get regular updates on those. And I think because this information should be readily available at a minimum, I'd like to see an update at one of the April
meetings as to where we stand on these things. And then we can from there we can as a as a body we can determine what we'd like to see the next steps be. But this this first step would be providing information on how viable it is for Miami to be like the first city within Miami County that has a traffic lights
synchronized and also where we are with regard to the most dangerous intersections of that top 100 in the city of Miami. >> Maluna. >> Yeah. >> Oh, I'm sorry, Mayor Higgins. >> Okay. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Um on the traffic light synchronization,
uh the county has funded a many many many many millions of dollars projects to upgrade every signal in Miami date county. So it might actually be that um perhaps our public works director wants to invite someone from the county to give an update on the progress of that
project. Uh it's certainly a multi-year implementation because every signal has to be upgraded to become a smart signal. So that might be um something we we may want to ask for. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Mr. City Mr. City Manager, would you like uh staff to address any of those
issues? >> Good morning, Madame Mayor, commissioners. So, yes. So, Miami Dade County is is working on their adaptive traffic signal control upgrades. Um, I'll gladly have uh a conversation with both the director and the deputy
director and ask him um to to come and join us and and uh give us a briefing on that. We've already sent them a request for an update on on their project. Um and we're waiting for to hear back from them, but we'll continue that conversation and and invite them. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh other
Commissioner Gabella, you >> know, good. Commissioner Escalona, I I do want to say that I think this is probably the most important project for our county. I know that for the folks in downtown Edgewater, Bickl, everybody in this county, traffic is just unbearable.
So, if there's a way for us to lighten that load, I would whatever we need to do to collaborate, prioritize, help, support, uh please let us know because we're we're 100% behind it. >> Definitely. >> Any anything else? A chair? Madam Chair, is there anything you would like to add?
>> No, I'm okay. >> Thank you. >> The only other item for discussion is TI4 and I believe Commissioner Rosado. Sure, that was your item. >> It it is this is a a topic that's getting a lot of attention. Uh I hear about it. I mean, I think we're all seeing this on the news, but also I'm just hearing about it from individual
residents in district 4 and and that is that the fact in the last few months we've seen obviously major changes in Venezuela and we are hearing a number of statements from both the president and secretary Rubio to a potential transition in Cuba. This you we are the
epicenter of the Cuban community in the United States and so I'd love to know a little bit more and I'm sure the public and and my colleagues as well, you know, what are transition plans that the city has in place? when was it most recently updated? Because I'm sure there is a plan, but I know it's plans are often
not updated as as often as they they could be. I'd like to know more about who's in charge, where there to be a transition. Uh I want to make sure that we're respecting people's, you know, civil liberties, but we're also prepared for crowd events and things like that. Could you talk to us a little bit about that, Mr. Manager?
>> Sure. Thank you, Commissioner. So, first and foremost, uh approximately 3 weeks after taking this office, um obviously we got some of the same feedback that the commissioner just alluded to. Uh at that time, we requested that our um fire chief and our police chief both uh
refresh their plans um in terms of responding to the challenges presented with the politics currently playing out in Cuba, particularly on two fronts. One is obviously the mass migration front. The other one is well we could expect a lot of celebration and mass
demonstrations here uh within the city. Both the fire chief and police chief have executed and issued updated action plans as it relates specifically to the challenges presented with the politics surrounding Cuba and the impacts here of
the city of Miami. Particularly for South Florida, it's a multi- agency task force that combines not only our state partners, our county partners, but also our federal partners, particularly on the migration front um with operation uh
vigilant century, which has been in place now for quite a while in preparation for not only Cuba, but also any Haitian mass migration that we might receive. So, we are well prepared to collaborate with our local partners.
Beyond that, our emergency management, our office of emergency management under the opice of fire rescue would take the lead from an incident command perspective. We would have a incident command post on the most impacted area within the city, identify an incident
commander that will lead in that uh response effort. >> Good. Yes. >> Thank you. Any other any other statements from Commissioner Gabella? >> No. It's important. Obviously, this is an important thing. So, I'm glad we we touched on on the subject.
>> Commissioner Escala, >> Chairwoman King. >> No, I'm okay. >> Okay. All right. Okay. So, uh we're going to recess this meeting. We're going to take OmniCRA and then we'll come back, reconvene our meeting for
that one item that relies on Omni. So, Mr. City Clerk, have you turned the tape? Uh Nichol. Okay. Thank you. >> Sure. No, no worries. >> Yeah. Okay, we're going to go ahead and
convene with uh with the Omnic. Good morning everyone. I'm calling to order the March 12th, 2026 Omnic CRA meeting. I know there's a state a statement from assistant city attorney Good afternoon board members. Dominic
Gibbs story, assistant city attorney for the city of Miami, serving as general counsel for the CRA. Pursuant to advisory legal opinion 2020-03 issued on March 19th, 2020 of Florida attorney general upon that consistent
with prior AG opinions, a member of the governing body who is physically unable to attend a meeting because of medical treatment or due to medical reasons could participate and vote in meetings where a quorum of the other members was physically present. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Is there a motion to approve the minutes for the February 12th, 2025 Omnic CRA meeting? >> Move. >> Okay. Moved. Second. All those in favor? >> I. >> I. Motion carries. >> Motion carries. Thank you.
>> Madame Assistant City Attorney, please briefly read agenda items CRA resolution 1 through three into the record. Item number one is a resolution supplementing resolution CRA R2500076 adopted on December 11, 2025 which
authorized the issuance of the not to exceed aggregate principal amount of $150 million redevelopment revenue bond series 2026 for the principal purpose of financing certain redevelopment projects. Item number two is a resolution by four fifths authorizing the allocation of
funds in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000 to A&E District Holdings Company LLC contingent upon the issuance of the CRA's tax increment revenue bond series 2026 to underwrite costs associated with the construction and development of a
mixed income affordable housing project located within the CRA boundaries and identified by the various folios stated in the published resolution consisting of 576 units, including 10 units at or below 100% of the area medium income,
221 units at or below 120% AMI, and 345 residential units at market rate, requiring rents to be restricted for a period of 30 years. Item number three is a resolution by four fifths affirmative vote authorizing the allocation of grant funds in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000
to Greater Israel Bethl Primitive Baptist Church located at 160 Northwest 18th Street, Miami, Florida, contingent upon the issuance of the CRA's tax increment revenue bond series 2026 for repairs, rehabilitation, and renovations
to the property. Those are the items. >> Thank you. The public comment period is now open for all resolutions on today's agenda. Anyone who would like to come forward and speak, please. >> Good morning, Pastor. >> Good morning. [clears throat]
Good morning to the chairman of the OmniCA, the Honorable Commissioner Damian uh Part of District 2. to the honorable vice chair. We're hoping that you will get well of the Omn uh Commission, Commissioner Christine
King of District 5, Carlos Suarez, executive director of the Omni CRA and his dynamic and efficient staff. To all the esteemed city commissioners and staff assembled here, thank you for the opportunity to address you. I am Elder
Kenneth Washington, pastor of the great Israel Bethl Primitive Baptist Church, a mother church that has stood for the right and just of in harmony and overtime for more than 113 years. Great
Israel Primitive Baptist Church is more than a building. It is a pillar of faith and service. We have fed the poor, clothed the needy, educated, inspired, and uplifted our community for generations. Today, we stand before you
because our church is urgently in need. These are not just needed repairs. They are essentials to breaking barriers to prevent us from fully uh that prevent us from uh I'm sorry, from fully servicing
Omni and Overtown. Your vision has made our neighborhoods more vibrant and hopeful than ever. With your approval of our grant request, item number three, we can restore our church to its full strength so it remains a bright light
and a moral compass for all. Your decision today will empower us to serve not only this present age, but generations to come. Thank you for your dedication to our community. May God bless you all as you
continue to bless many others. >> Thank you, Pastor Washington. Public comment. Would anyone else like to come up and speak on any item on today's agenda? Okay, seeing no further public comment,
the public comment period is now closed. Is there any discussion amongst the board members regarding resolutions 1 through three? >> No. >> Commissioner Gabella? >> No. >> Commissioner Rosado? >> No. >> Chair King?
>> No. >> Motion. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> I. Passes unanimously. Seeing no further items or no further discussion, we are now ready to close
today's meeting. The meeting is now adjourned. Thank you also, >> Chairman. Chairman, I'd like to reconsider uh FR16. >> I'm sorry, Commissioner Gabella, we're flipping the tape right now to go back to the city commission meeting. So, we need about 60 seconds. Yeah,
>> actually we uh we flipped the tape rather quickly today. So, we're we're ready to [snorts] go. >> Commissioner Escalona, we're ready. We're ready to go. >> If I may, >> let's open
Todd. >> Okay. So, the meeting is now reconvened, >> guys. I want to with all due respect I want to vote up or down on the F FR2 and RE16. I'm not going to be in limbo anymore and neither should the employees of B of the Bayer trust. I thought we had settled this matter if you know I
want an up and down vote today. F FR2 and R16. You cannot expect me to continue serving we've with this you know attitude of whether we're going to be there or not there we've been there before already. I thought this matter was settled. I'd like to vote up or down >> FR2 and RE16. So you
>> decide the future of wavefront. >> I probably best to to address them one at a time. Um so there's a motion. Which one would you like to start with first? Commissioner >> FR2. >> So we would need a motion to reconsider FR2 because FR2's already been deferred. >> Motion to consider FR2.
>> Move. >> Okay. So if we're reconsidering FR2, I just want to say commissioner, I don't understand why. What? Just let me let me, you know, say my piece here. I don't understand why there's an urgency to reconsider this item instead of being
able to bring the community along. I personally do not understand where all of this is at. Uh I think many people have told me they don't understand where all of this is at as far as process, as far as procedures, as far as policy. Those are important things to consider.
I think that if we all just take that small period of time, we can come back a lot stronger with something that works and is communicated well. This is no reflection on you or the trust. It's not meant to keep the employees hanging at all. I think we're headed in a good
direction. I commend you for your work and the work of the trust. I just think it could be better if we take this small period of time and come back with the item so that there is that understanding in the district among the residents among the staff and here on the days
that's just >> and with all due respect can I proceed uh commissioner with all due respect okay uh I have been dealing with this for now a year now and something okay we want to vote up and down I want to vote up or down I'm tired of this you know what I mean I you know this is like if
you were on the you're on the Omni um CRA, I voted for you, you know, I didn't even have to look at the book because I trust your judgment, you know, and I I I need to do the same thing. I cannot you cannot expect me to, you know, to be there or uh my executive director,
people like this with the uncertainty whether we're going to be or not to be or not to be. This is the question like Shakespeare said, okay, we need to decide that today. I'm tired of this already. You know, I you know, your residents, the residents that you're talking about, I haven't seen them because I I I we're open to the public
till 6:00 p.m. Nobody has gone in there say, "Oh, you know, we want bay from uh trust to be absorbed by the city. We don't know about that. You know, let me think about that." No, nobody's come in there and all the time that I've been there, you know, and that's the truth of the matter. So, look, as for me, I want to vote up or down. Whatever you don't want.
>> Very good. We have We end this today. We end this today on FR2 and R16. >> We have a motion on We have a motion on the floor. And we have a second >> to reconsider. >> To reconsider. >> The motion to reconsider. All those in favor? >> I >> I
>> unanimous. Do not >> Yes. >> 5-0. >> Oh, no. I'm I'm No, I'm a no on recon. >> 41. 41. >> So FR2 is now in play. >> Now you have to call the question to FR2. So F FR2 my uh my what I am
intending to do is to repeal it the ordinance that it was going to be stripped away and given to the city. That's what I want to do. You let me know what that motion is and I'll make that motion. >> Simply make a motion to pass FR2. >> So motion to pass FR2. >> Move.
>> You do want a second. Second. >> Second. >> So there is a motion and a second on the floor to pass FR2. >> All those in favor? I >> I >> I >> I >> no >> 41. >> And now moving on to RE16.
>> I'll need a motion to reconsider RE16. >> Motion to reconsider. >> Seconded by Commissioner Escalona for the reconsideration of RE16. So there's a motion and a second on the floor. >> Okay. All those in favor? I I
>> Motion carries. >> Is that 5-0 5-0 for the reconsideration? No, I'm >> 41. >> Yeah. >> 41. So, Commissioner Partardo voting no. >> Okay. R16 is in play. >> Okay. RS16 very simple. I wanted assume
management of Maurice Fer Park. I assume that this is a city, right? To that they were going to assume the Is that correct? What am I supposed to vote here to end the takeover of the city of Miami to the Bay Trust? That's it. Very simple. >> And I apologize. I would need defer to the city attorney. I think this one is >> I believe what you want to do because
this resolution would be to separate them, right? >> So I want to end. >> So if you move to withdraw that ends the request. >> Move to withdraw. >> A second. >> Yes. >> The motion is to withdraw the item. >> Yeah. >> Second. >> Okay. All those in favor?
>> I >> and one no. >> 41 with Commissioner Partardo voting no. Understood. >> And then we have the omni item. >> Okay. >> R19. >> R19. R19. Is there any discussion on R19? >> No motion. >> Motion made. Is there a second?
>> Second. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> And um RE19 will be amended to include the following resolution number C-R26-000010. So RE19 was adopted as amended. >> Okay. Any other discussion? Any other items?
>> No. >> Okay. Thank you all. Thank you everyone for coming. Today's meeting is now adjourned. Thank you.