--------- Hey, hey, hey. Honey. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. N. Honey. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat.
Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Are Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. Heat. Buddy.
How you doing? >> Can Well, hello everybody. Welcome to the city of Miami commission meeting. Our first meeting in July. Uh this particular past week uh has been a pretty important one for the city of
Miami. Uh particularly with the efforts of City of Miami Police Department and Miami Fire Rescue. Uh we have two amazing I think I don't know if milestones is the right word um but endeavors uh that went off extremely
successfully and as residents can make all of us very very proud. Um, and so we have some folks we need to recognize uh today and give special thanks to. And I'm going to start off uh with something that I guess is uh the fun in our life,
which has been uh the World Cup. We successfully completed 24 days of activation at at Bayfront Park. Um Commissioner Gabella is chair of that. We know um we don't usually do 24 days, but you uh did that at FanFest. Um, I'm
going to let the FIFA folks come up here and and tell you a little bit about their thoughts about that, but everybody that I've spoken to that has traveled across the country and seen other FanFest says ours was the best. Um, and part of the reason it was the best, it
wasn't just that it's by um, beautiful Biscane Bay and that our activations were incredible and that it was familyfriendly, but also that it was safe. And so today, um, we have I'm invite the chief of police and our our
fire chief to to join me up here to recognize the folks that operated the unified command center um in such a professional way to make sure that everybody who entered FanFest felt safe,
felt protected, and then given the heat um also managed to stay uh hydrated and electrolyed from from time to time. So, what um Chief Lopez and Chief Heavia on
behalf of the commission um we have proclamations of thanks to both of you. I have too many things going on. >> Well, right here. So, but in addition to that, of course, you all generally get
the credit because you're the top dogs, but I'd also like to invite up um 10 key individuals in the unified command. I'll let you both talk a little bit about this operation, but if Major Alexis Valdez, Captain Daniel Kerr, uh,
Lieutenant Genevie Satler, Sergeant Robert Robinson, Sergeant Pierre Cardone, Executive Officer Bobby Suarez, Yasmine Fernandez, we have Assistant Fire Chief Abby Art Loa, Lieutenant Muel Garcia,
and I don't I think assistant fire chief Mooers's here today, but he's in our heart. So, gentlemen, please come on up. >> Thank you guys. >> Hello. How are you? >> All right. Shall I turn it over to you, Chief and Chief and Chief? I guess it's
hard to say before I turn it over to my colleagues. >> Sure. Thank you, Madame Mayor. >> So, this was uh an amazing achievement for us. Let me shake these hands. >> Yeah, of course. >> The planning for an event like FanFest
um is very in-depth. that started in December of 2024 with our partners that are sitting up here in the front, the host committee. Um, can we join? >> Yeah. >> Come on up, guys. >> Committee. >> Come on up, Brett. Right.
So in December of 2024, all the partners in Miami Date County through emergency management, fire agencies, police agencies, our federal partners, our state partners began to meet and throughout the entire year of 2025, we all worked with our host committee
and the folks that you see represented here represent every aspect of that. Folks from emergency management put together tabletops and trainings throughout the entire year that continued into 2026. We have folks from our fire prevention bureau who look at the layout, the site
plan of the park and make sure every exit is the right size for the for the uh occupancy of the park. Every detail is looked at. And the folks in emergency management will say, "We're in the what if business." You know, what if there's lightning? What if there's rain? What if there's too many people? What if the heat index is high? Well, all that
happened. And we were able to manage it very successfully. And at the end of the day, all that planning needs to go down to execution. and the folks that worked at every day. Major Valdez from police, such a huge part, and Chief Lassada from the fire department and Chief uh um
Gonzalez and all the folks. We couldn't bring everybody that worked up on FanFest, but it shows the the key part of public safety is that when you have emergency management, you have the police department, you have the fire department, and you have your 911 center down to the responders all working
unified in planning and preparedness and in coordination and response. you get 24 days of success with nearly 600,000 folks and through partnerships as great as with Alina Hudach and her team from the from the host committee who have been great partners with us. Um it's a
team event and and it goes without saying that in in January of this year there's a bunch of folks that are behind this wall that from every department in the city that we're all singing to the same sheet of music. Um it was really incredible and we're very proud to have served the community and for it to be
such a great success. Thank you, Chief Heavia. Uh, listen, God's timing is the perfect timing. The fact that I was able to start right at the inception of FIFA and witness firsthand the amazing work and the amazing collaboration between PD fire the city's
leadership all entities from public works to the parks team to solid waste every working in conjunction to safeguard an event for me allowed me to to to see the amazing work the amazing experience and the amazing collaboration. Uh, so I'm very very
honored to be part of this team. The folks that are in the back, the folks are in the back are critically important to the success of these events. Like Chief Heavia said, it's a it's a team approach, but they're the ones that were spending countless hours in extreme
conditions away from their families, away from their loved ones, away from their kids who were not in school day in day out. I was able to walk that event, see the collaboration with our elected officials, with the city's leadership team every single day, visiting our command post, delivering water, all the
little things that truly make an event like this be a success. So, I want to thank the city's leadership, the city manager, all hands on deck for a successful event. And I was just grateful to see it all. So, thank you. So I had the opportunity, the good fortune to participate at FanFest on
five different occasions and everything went so incredibly beautifully. Uh there was one evening when we were at capacity as we were on many many days uh at 30,000 capacity people all over the world and Chief Evia took me on a tour and the level of complexity and
coordination that was involved was so impressive and the the reality is you all have made us proud not only on a local level but given the range of folks that were there and the kudos that we received from so many participants you made us proud on a global level. So I
mean hats off to each of you. Thank you so much. I'd like to say a big warm thank you to the host committee and to chairman Gabella. The park was amazing. The experience was over the top. Miami had
the best fanfest in the US. in the US to capacity. It I had so much fun and now I am forever a football fan. Forever a football fan. I started off knowing
zilch and now I know this much. But I can't imagine what went into that for 24 days. The preparation, the heat, like everyone's it was seamless. It was seamless. And I'm proud to say that the
la the last FanFest experience that we will have in Miami will be in District 5 at the Little Haiti Soccer Park for the bronze match. So, there's still more to come. We're going to have entertainment. We're going to have that wonderful match and food and everything that you saw at
Bayfront on a smaller scale because we have so many children in Little Haiti that play football and are now going to be able to experience it that and that's because of the thoughtfulness of the FIFA team and recognizing that viewing
parties needed to be in other places within the city as well. So, I want to thank you guys for that. I also want to thank all of you very much. I think you know when they say it takes a village, it really does. Commissioner Gabella, fantastic. The
entire host committee, fantastic. As the district 2 commissioner, it's in our district. And so we hear directly from residents about all the events that happened. But so many of our residents were proud of FanFest and they really got it. They understood like, yeah,
we're making some sacrifices here, but wow, we're making these sacrifices for great things for our city on a global level. Everything from sustainability, climate issues to the professional management of the events. And even on the days of extreme heat when we were like, time out, we've got to shut down.
We were great with the residents and I'm just very proud to to know all of you and to know all the work that you've done. I'm very very grateful. Thank you. Yeah, I just I just want to say uh thank you especially to our our our men and women
in uniform, the firefighters, the police, they they did a great job. For me, the most important thing that the the security issue in the park had been worked out and I I sat through meetings and and thank you for the host committee because I know you were at it for a year or two. You know, uh FIFA and me, we
have a we had our ups and downs, but we finally got it resolved. But uh thank you very much for what you did Ray and u Rodney and u it turned out to be a great event. So and and grateful uh for the D2 commissioner that it turned out that he's happy that the way it turned out
because at the at the end of the day it's his district. So thank you very much all who participated and made this happen. Thank you. >> Sure. >> Rodney Verto. Thank you. Um, mayor, I want to commend you, the the chairperson, and and the commission for
recognizing the police and fire department. Not often do they get recognized for their public service, and they did an amazing job. I and I I can't chief, I can't tell you, but I think it was just a handful of just minor arrests throughout 23 days, which just is which is just incredible. I I want to commend
that. I want to want to just want to recognize Alina who read was our president who ran the committee from day to day and our chief operating officer, a former assistant chief of police here. And by the way, I wore the uniform for six years and Ray and I were rookies
together and we're roommates. So, and this is a full circle. So, we're back here at the city and it's great to be home. I consider home. My mother worked for Panama and worked in this building. So, uh it's just it's really great to be here. But mayor, thank you. We couldn't
have done it with without the city and all their inkind service and and the police and fire. I want to recognize my dear friend Raquel Regalado, Commissioner Miami Date, who's here. Raquel, thank you. Because without Miami date support, we couldn't have we couldn't have pulled this off as well.
So, it was great to see the collaboration between Miami Dade, the city Miami, city Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, everybody. We we all work together. And you're right, FIFA has come to us and told us that we are the number one city in America for FanFest.
So, it's it's been great. Thank you. >> Good. Good morning everybody. Alina Hudek and it's certainly been an honor for me to at this, you know, particular juncture in my um professional path um to be in this position and I really want to thank our leadership Rodney for that
phone call a year and a half ago. um you know for us I I think so many of us um collectively I think we have I don't know hundreds of millions of years in public service and to have um this moment this legacy moment for our community so many unsung heroes in public service behind the scenes making
this happen for us and being a part of us the collective we um should be extraordinarily proud we have two more weeks to go we have two matches in Miami and we have 13 plus watch parties not only here in Miami date county but also in Broward So, we are as a host
committee extraordinarily grateful for the support that we received from all of our local jurisdictions. Um, and I and I have to really express my most sincere gratitude to our leadership, our executive committee represented here obviously by Rodney and David Whitaker. We have 24 members of our board that are
volunteers and leaders in our community that have supported us as well. So, for us, Mayor Higgins and Madam Chairwoman and to the commission, thank you so much. Um, I can tell you sincerely, I sit on a two week, every two weeks, we have a call with fellow CEOs and host
committees throughout the country, and I hear the issues that they're dealing with, and never in my 2-year tenure did I have to deal with that type of issue with my partners and with our jurisdictions and our government. So, thank you very much for all of your support. It's certainly been an honor.
And we have two more weeks to go, so let's keep watching soccer. Thank you. >> Organized for a photo. out of the way. >> Okay, let's do a picture. Thank you. And David, do you want to before you leave the stage want to talk a little
bit about the economic impact quickly? >> Well, Mayor, again, congratulations, Rodney. Thank you for your incredible leadership. Alina, thank you. Ray, I mean, what a team that you've heard about. you know, the convention and visitor bureau, we're a partner in all of this and the big events, whether it's the college football championship, the world baseball classic, there's several
major big events still coming to this city. We have become a big event town and one reason we do that is because our administration and our leaders, especially police and fire, pull it off miraculously. Uh, and so we know that we can host major events because we are so
well organized and it's because of the leaders on this stage, on this dis and in this room. Um, you know, we just look at hotel numbers as an example. Two weeks ago, our average daily rate was up 51%. That's 51% more taxes for services to
our community. Last week, with only one match, our average daily rate was up only 31%. So, and then of course this match this weekend is is the buzz is about it. So, we know the economic impact. We'll be working with the host committee on a full economic study, but the investments
the county and the city and the city of Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, others, Fort Lauderdale, the investments that we've made will pay off for itself. Uh, and at the end of the day, it's made Miami, as Rodney always says, on the world stage. We live, work, and play, and visit in
paradise. And aren't we all so blessed? So again, thank you for all the incredible leaders. >> Thank you everyone. All right. >> Thank you guys. So now, while we're changing up, if I
could invite um our urban search and rescue team from Florida Task Force 2 that was in Venezuela up here with us, that would be great. Well, good morning everyone. Um, we have a second presentation uh of importance
to our city today and that is to thank uh the team from Florida Task Force 2, particularly the members from the city of Miami's fire rescue department that went to Venezuela and labored there under very hot, very trying, and very
dangerous uh situations. I'm sure many of you saw their incredible rescue of Mr. Arnan Hill. Uh that was national news, not because of one rescue, but because of the hope that it
provided and the commitment um that it shows that the city of Miami shares with the residents of Venezuela as they suffer in in this incredibly difficult time. Um and
you gentlemen are very and the ladies on the team too that are around you are very courageous but courage without competence doesn't save lives and and so that's why I'm so very proud um of all of you because I
know that when we send you places and we worry about you where when you're gone we know that you've been training all year long to be safe for yourselves and so that you can bring safety to others. And I'll tell one last story before I'll
turn it over to the chief. Um last night actually um a number of us were at the start start uh or the launch of a new run club as part of um particularly uh Terron King's fitness initiatives in the neighborhood of Edgewater in the Omni
area. And you would think that would just be a bunch of joyous fitness nuts. Um and believe me, it was filled with giant fitness nuts. But two gentlemen, pretty big guys, came up to me, both of
whom cried in my arms to thank me for what the city of Miami did for the people of Venezuela by sending you there. You gave people hope and you made them feel that the country of Venezuela
and the people that are suffering are loved and for that I will be forever grateful. Thank you so much. Heat. Heat. Thank you, Madame Mayor and uh the commission of city administration for
for allowing us to go for for uh saying yes. I'd like to play a little video and then I'll speak a little bit about the team if we can um or if we have somebody that can press play there at the uh communications. >> It gives you a little context of what
our team team endured digging underneath the building collapse reaching a uh live victim been here for several days. and we've been working on here for over 48 hours. We've been assisted by teams from all over from Chile to Portugal to Mexico, Venezuela,
USA, international team. We're in a very precarious position that's trying to fall as a continuous state of falling and we'll try to keep it up as long as possible, keep our members safe and remove the trapped victim. Uh we're this is the end of day
seven for him and this is very important that we try to get him out as soon as possible. He has been receiving medical Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Bye-bye. All right.
Wow. I want to give a little context of the team and how they deploy because this is it's it's foreign to some folks. the urban search and rescue team. There are 28 federal teams in the United States. There are eight in in Florida state teams and uh it's a team made of Miami
firefighters and participating agencies and they deploy we deployed with 79 folks to Venezuela. You'll say, "Well, how is it when you get there?" Um, you know, where do you stay? Well, those are un unanswered. They leave there knowing that they have
to search and rescue for the people of Venezuela suffered this horrific catastrophe, this earthquake. And that's their mission. That's it. That's the instructions they have. And they left with 25 tons of equipment and land at an airport and have to figure it out. They
built a base of operations. They slept on the floor for eight days. They worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They never took a break working rotation and shifts. And what's incredible to me is when they deploy, they deploy as Florida Task Force 2. And this because they were deployed as an international team, they
were known as USA 11. And that to me is incredible because they represented not only our fire department, every elected official here, the city administration, all the department directors behind us, every resident of Miami, but they represented the United States of
America. It's incredible. There's 300 million people in this country over that a lot of emergency responders. And when the Department of State said they had to send the best people in the United States, they sent Miami firefighters. And I I want to take out any notion
that, you know, this is a team that we have hidden in a closet and they train all day. And it's not the way it is. It's not the way it is. They were going to wear these fancy long sleeve shirts that that they really don't care to wear in and ties because I made them wear it. They're going to leave out of here, put on a blue shirt, and they live in the
fire stations that are in your neighborhoods. They live in the fire stations in all these districts. And when you call 911, these are the same firefighters, whether it's for an accident, a heart attack, or you're just not feeling well, hopefully you never have to call 911. It's these same
firefighters that the USA called to represent the United States of America. They're going to go to your house. I encourage you, they're all standing around here today. If you're waiting in line to speak, I encourage you to visit a fire station in your neighborhood, and I encourage you to speak with them today, ask them about the careers of firefighter, and ask them what their
tour in Venezuela was like. I need to call out two people if you if you allow me a little bit of privilege. Jerry Rodriguez and Chris Diaz, if they'll come here, when the team deploys, they deploy in a in a hierarchy where their supervisors and leaders, the the two two bosses on
top are called task force leaders. And um we're going to Venezuela. I'm sending 79 folks. I'm responsible for them and I don't sleep until they come back and I talk to them as much as I can. I needed
the two best people I can think of to be task force leaders and Jerry Rodriguez and Christ were the two men that led that team. What's more important is that they're both devoted husbands. They both have children that are in elementary
school. This is an extremely dangerous mission. And I called them and I said, "I need you to do this for me." And without hesitation, they said yes. And in three hours, they were on a plane and they were going to Venezuela, left their family behind. That's incredible. We owe
you that. Ladies and gentlemen of fire family, I want to thank you for your compassion. I want to thank you for your courage. And I think most importantly, I want to thank you for reflecting the best of the
best of who we are as the city of Miami. I pray for these guys every night. The chief and I spoke before they were deployed. I shared my concerns and I am just so happy that you all came back safe. The incredible work that you
did. It is an honor to serve with you. It always has been. I have a special place in my heart for firefighters. Everyone knows that. And I could not be more proud to be a City of Miami resident than I am today. God bless you
all. I think my colleagues have said it very well. We're all very very proud of you. I know I was incredibly worried, chief. You know, we had conversations and and I can also tell you that our residents were too. And I think sometimes that goes by unpersceived, but residents like
you, Madame Mayor, came up to me and said, "Wow, it's incredible what city of Miami is doing. It's incredible." And you know, it was during the July 4th celebration. So just the concept of freedom and that we're so blessed in our country that we have the type of freedom where we can do this and we can extend
it throughout the world was incredible. Thank you very much. Very proud. Thank you. >> Yes. Thank you very much for your sacrifices and the sacrifices that your families make. Also, uh one more thank you from many thank yous that you deserve. So God bless and thank you very
much again for your service and what you do every day. Thank you. Can we get some of the tall guys on the back? No, not just not just Alex. You guys are not going to fit in. >> Can I have you step back and you guys
get a little closer? Well, good morning everyone. >> That was a pretty inspiring way to start the day with people who um serve us every day. Uh sometimes when it's hard and sometimes when it's dangerous. Um
this morning I am very grateful that pastor uh David Doriskar from Lively Stone Church of Miami is here to share a prayer with us to open our meeting. Thank you pastor.
>> Thank you. This prayer will be bilingual. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the courage of our leaders and we ask that you bless this meeting. We ask that you touch them.
We ask that you touch them that they may abound in love for you are love. We ask that you give them wisdom so that that love may be administered for the benefit of this city and the country. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus
Christ. Amen. Amen. Commissioner Rado, would you lead us in the pledge of >> allegiance? All right. Good morning everyone. >> Madame Mayor. >> Yes ma'am. >> If I may. Today I am intentionally
wearing pink in support of my colleagues Klanos. It's Commissioner Rzado's birthday. If you guys would join me. >> Happy birthday. Look at him in his pink. >> All right. Good morning, Mr. Attorney. Would you please state the procedures
for this meeting? >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. 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 which is available
online at www.mmunico.com. Any person who is a lobbyist pursuant to chapter 2, article 6 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 city clerk's office or online at www.mminicode.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
the city clerk or online at www.mmunicode.com. 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 and the 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.mmyggov.com. The meeting of the city commission is a limited public forum. Any person may be heard by the city commission through the chair for not more than 2 minutes on any proposition before the city commission
unless modified by the chair. Public comment will begin at approximately 9:55 a.m. and remain open until public comment is closed by the chairperson. Any person making offensive remarks or becomes unruly in the city commission chambers will be barred from further attending city commission meetings and
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city administration up until the chairperson closes public comment. Public comment may also be provided live at City Hall located at 3500 Pan-American Drive, Miami, Florida, subject to any and all city rules as they may be amended. If the proposition is being continued or rescheduled, the
opportunity to be heard may be at such later date before the city commission takes action on such proposition. When addressing the city commission, the members of the public must first state their name, their address, and what item will be spoken about. Any person with a disability requiring assistance, auxiliary aids, and services for this
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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 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 accord shall proceed according to section 7.1.4 before 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 appellant 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 286.01 0115 and section 7.1.4.5 of the Miami 21 zoning ordinance. The
order of presentation sh is 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 its deliberation and decision. The applicant
may also wave the right to an evidentary hearing on the record. For appeals, the appellent will present its appeal to the city commission, followed by the appallet. Staff will be allowed to make any recommendation they may have. Please silence all cell phones and other noise making devices. This meeting can be
viewed live on Miami TV, the city's Facebook page, the city's Twitter page, the city's YouTube channel, and Comcast channel 77. The broadcast will also have closed captioning. Thank you, Madame Mayor. >> Mr. City Clerk, please state the swearing in procedures. Thank you. >> Thank you, Sher. The procedures for
individuals who 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. The members of city staff or any other individuals required to be sworn in who are currently present at city hall will be sworn in by me, the city clerk, immediately after I finished
explaining these procedures. Those individuals who are appearing remotely may be sworn in now or at any time prior to the individual providing testimony of planning zoning items and/or quasi judicial items. Commissioners, are you comfortable with all notice provisions set forth in these uniform rules and procedures we have established for this
meeting? Chair, may I administer the oath? Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. If we be speaking on any of today's planning and zoning items, those are the PZ items. May I please have you stand and raise your right hand? 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. >> Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Um, all right, Mr. Manager, are there any items you need to withdraw or be deferred or any other
changes? >> Thank you. Good morning, Madame Mayor, Madame Chair, Commissioners. At this time, the administration would like to defer or withdraw the following items. RE8 to be withdrawn. RE8 to be withdrawn.
PZ1 to be indefinitely deferred. PZ1 to be indefinitely deferred. PZ2 to be indefinitely deferred. PZ3 to be indefinitely deferred. And lastly, PZ6
to be indefinitely deferred. So that is PZ 1, 2, 3, and six indefinitely deferred. All right, colleagues, do you all um have any things you also would like to withdraw or defer? Is that cover everything? >> I'd like to defer PZ10 to the next
meeting. >> Okay. >> All right. Anybody Anyone else? >> What What do we do? Deferred P10. >> PZ 10. Okay. >> All right. >> To defer PZ7. >> Okay. Others my
>> apologies chair >> to indefinitely defer it. >> PZ7 >> others Mr. >> No, what I have is that I had I had placed a on the agenda last agenda which I was not here a discussion item under security and somebody took it off
because I was not here. I'd like to reserve the right to talk about that as a pocket item later on if need be. >> Absolutely. That's not a problem. >> All right. So, with that, we'll set the agenda. >> Just um one moment I need to make a couple of statements. >> Sure. Regarding sponsor and co-sponsor
requests, Mayor Higgins will be sponsoring PZ4 and PZ5. Commissioner King will be co-sponsoring PZ8. Commissioner Partardo will be sponsoring PH8. Commissioner Escalona will be co-sponsoring RE11, FR1, and PZ8.
Commissioner Rosado will be co-sponsoring FR1. Additionally, I need to read an A brief statement regarding indefinite deferrals pursuant to section 62-22 of the city code and indefinitely deferred action initiated initiated by the city will cost the city mail noticing advertising
and posting of properties as applicical. Thank you chair and I do apologize. I missed a motion for the um indefinite deferrals withdrawal and deferrals. >> Yep. Can I have a motion for all of the withdrawals? Second. Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Show the agenda set. Thank you. All
right. We should open for reasonable opportunity to be heard in public hearing items. If folks could line up at both podiums, not too many, but maybe five in a row, get this underway. Thank you. Mr. Cruz, you may begin. >> I'm sorry.
>> You may begin, sir. >> Elvis Cruz, 631 Northeast 57th Street. Good morning. RE5. The bond ballot reads like a sales pitch, as they usually do. It's asking us to charge $450 million on
our credit card, but it leaves out an important piece of information. How much do we already owe on our credit card? That's about $1.2 billion. I hope you vote down this item, but if you do decide to go ahead, you should
change the ballot language to include that pre-existing $1.2 2 billion debt in the interest of transparency and fairness and fiduciary responsibility so the voters can make a better informed decision. Item PZ8 would increase the
buildable footprint on lot coverage without counting it as lot coverage in T3 neighborhoods by allowing front porches to take up half of the front setback which could become only 10 ft instead of the standard 20 foot front
setback. That creates an incentive to build wide porches which would decrease tree planting area, green space, permeable ground area, and increase her urban heat effect. The city talks about the importance of tree canopy, but this
item threatens one of the best places in the city to plant trees, which is a single family homes front yard. Please vote no. RE12 and 13. Wow, Commissioner Rosado, I almost had a heart attack when I saw the
city of Miami might actually start getting serious about maintaining facilities. Yes, it's much smarter and cheaper to maintain as you go instead of asking for a $450 million charge on our credit card. Thank you. FR1 is good.
Keep our sidewalks open during construction. PZ9 Coconut Grove Playhouse. It's a shame that the new design uses an ultramodern box detector style, which is an insult to the historic 1927 facade. Lastly, please heed the West Grove neighbors request to
be shielded from traffic, Mr. Cruz. >> You're very welcome. Thank you, ma'am. >> Yeah, folks, when you hear the buzzer, it's two minutes. So, thank you means thank you. All right. Please go ahead. >> Good evening, Jose Aldi, 788 Southeast
Park Drive. Yeah, I'm here on behalf like all the uh residents of Miami Day County. Even though we don't live within the city of Halia, the service you provide us is unbelievable. Some that we couldn't afford in Halia like your FanFest and also your cultural affairs council, how they benefit your city. The
this proposal about the Coca Grove Playhouse. I'm sure your planning is only understand the the return on investment in this. Yeah, you provide the facility, but they provide you're going to get millions of dollars in grants. I I'm a retired employee from City of Halia Parks Recreation and Leisure. I was a director of of Myander
Cultural Affairs for seven years. And the the what the job that the cultural affairs council does by you just providing a space is like unbelievable. And to be a great city like Miami is, you need a good cultural affairs uh presentations and facilities that are
are well renowned. um if you want to be like the return on investment on tourism and what you do to Miami Day County residents is like without feedback. And I also want to congratulate the new director Ashley Thomas because she's been able to provide like Liberty City
Overtown, the marginalized communities that in the past were not eligible. She's made an extra effort to reach those. So sometimes we think cultural affairs is only reaching those that could afford uh the ticket and the dinner in Coconut Grove, but they also reaching big time in in cities like uh
Liberty City and Overtown and Little Haiti. So I just want you to recognize the job that they do. Thank you. >> Okay. Hi, good morning. Um Elena Kasparis, 1155 Brigle Bay Drive. Um, in my area, um, we're seeing an
unprecedented amount of construction development that has caused disruption in numerous ways. So, I'm very happy to see FR1, um, brought to the commission today, and I asked for support of it. Um, I have personally almost been struck by a vehicle on more than one occasion because there's significant sidewalk
closures on both sides in many cases of of the same street, essentially forcing pedestrians into the street. There's no reason that we should not require developers to have safe and a standardized requirement for pedestrian passageways. We have seen a very
inconsistent application and usage of that. So I hope that FR1 will create that in a standardized and quality way even just across you know the bridge from Bickl where I live. We see a lot more under you know protected areas where you can pass through and downtown
but still very inconsistent. So, I hope that that will be provided today. There's many uh that that will be passed today. There's many cities that can do that. If we want to be a world-class city, we need to prioritize pedestrian safety, especially in areas that are very walkable that where uh we have significant amount of pedestrians on the
sidewalks. So, thank you. >> Good morning. Reynold Martin, uh Coconut Grove, 3325 Persville Avenue here representing Homeowners and Tennis Association and Grace. Now, a couple of weeks ago, we had a discussion with the
county regarding the the playhouse and there were so many deficiencies such that the PAB said, "Let's go back. Let's see if we can work on this." And, you know, we were very satisfied with the engagement between the city and the county trying to create a a a win-win
situation in in our community. And and I'm happy with what was proposed. However, I'm dissatisfied that we are obliterating the concept of civic and institutional and I'm also disturbed that we may lose our historical
significance. But but I think going forward these things ought to be considered and if we can accomplish these things that are proposed without obliterating the concept of civic and institutional and maintain our historical significance then we ought to go forward. Thank you.
Good morning, commissioners. Alejandro Martinez at 2525 Southwest Third Avenue. I support agenda item FR1 because pedestrians deserve to have safe and
accessible pathways even while construction is taking place. Too often, sidewalks are closed with little consideration for the people who rely on them every day, forcing residents,
families, seniors, and visitors into unsafe situations. Requiring temporary pedestrian protection structures is a practical, common sense solution that balance development with public safety. I
encourage the commission to approve this ordinance and make pedestrians access a priority. Thank you. Good morning. Renee Peshy, 5517 Sardinia, Coral Gables 33146. I'm here today in strong support for the
appeal to restore and reopen the Coconut Grove Playhouse. The Playhouse is an irreplaceable cultural landmark and a public asset that belongs to all of us. restoring. It's about preserving our history while creating opportunities for future generations to experience theater, arts, education, and community
programming. The arts are also a powerful economic engine. The Playhouse will create jobs, support local businesses, attract visitors, and strengthen our neighborhoods. Investing in the Playhouse is investing in Miami's economy, quality of life, and international cultural reputation. I ask
you to reverse the decision and improve this appeal. By doing so, you will preserve the treasured institution as a public cultural asset. If we fail to move forward with this project, we risk losing that vision, the opportunity to keep the Playhouse in service to our
community for generations to come. Thank you. >> Hello, my name is Tomas Kennedy. I live in 661 Northwest First Place, Miami, Florida 33150. I'm here to speak about the bond which I oppose. I I find it to be fiscally
irresponsible. Uh but I'd be remissed since it involves uh police related matters to not bring up the city's 287g agreement that deputy law enforcement to conduct immigration enforcement. Um there was about I think 70 80 people here that spoke for about 3 4 hours
calling on commissioners and the mayor to resend this agreement. I just want to reiterate under Florida statute 908.11 the city did not have to sign this agreement. It did so voluntarily and it can voluntarily exit it. And to finish, I just want to uh uh clarify a point of
misinformation that was stated during the meeting by the city attorney. With all due respect, the uh you said that 33 out of 34 municipalities in Miami date county signed 287g agreements. That's wrong. Only 10 cities signed uh 287g
agreements. Uh 21 police departments have not signed, including the Mikosuki police. And it would be accurate to say that less than a third of Miami date cities have signed on to 287g agreements. So again, I just call on you guys to do the right thing, exit this agreement. Uh you have the legal cover
to do so. You have the uh political context to do so and it would be the moral and right thing to do. Thank you. >> Thank you all. Good morning commissioners, chairwoman, staff. We thank you for serving our community and
I um just want my name is Chaplain Stanley Young, 500 Northwest uh Second Avenue. I have been uh approaching the the uh county for ye for a couple of years about the mental health facility
that needs to be opened. You had three of your commissioners came down to help push this thing this agenda across the finish line. Mr. Rosado, Cabela, and Porto came down and I was so pleased to
see them there actually uh showing their faces, showing their support. But I'm here to talk about PH1. I mean, PH1 through PH7 is about housing. My name is Chaplain Young. I walk the streets of Miami, try to uh
talk to all the homeless and those that are living on the streets to try to get them into a better situation. We need your help. Please don't cut any more from uh those CBOs, those people who are those unsung heroes who go out onto the
streets of Miami to try to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Somebody didn't have a bed to sleep in. Somebody don't have a shower to to wash up in. Somebody don't have a table to sit at to eat their food. That's where
we come in to try to help, try to support, and try to aid those people. I have been doing this work for 36 years. I love it. I don't get a paycheck. I I don't wouldn't even want one at this point. I just want to spend the rest of
my life serving those who really do need help in our community. And I thank you for any kind of support, any kind of prayer, anything you could do to h try to help me help them do what they really need to do in this community. Thank you.
God bless. >> Good morning, commissioners, madame mayor. I'm here on the never ending playhouse. I was the chair in 2005 when it was declared a sort. What we all want is the end to the litigation. You probably more than anybody. The county
today is going to be asking you to overturn the decision of your planning board. But I have to tell you that's not going to end the litigation in my opinion. But what will end the litigation is something you can do today. ask defer this item specifically
and ask the county to go back before the historic board who's asked for it to come back. The county will say they've already been before the board and has gotten a COA. It was a conditional COA conditioned on the county returning before the planning board with their final plans. So, request them to go
back. They can present the same exact presentation they're going to give to you today. And that will what will happen at the Hboard? Um, if the HEP board approves, they'll give them a COA, the building will stay on the National Historic Register and
the litigation. If the HEP board denies the county and says, "We don't like your plan." Well, they can always come back before this board and then you can overturn both the HEP board and your own planning board. So, I think it's a solution that because if it goes before
the HEP board, we'll preserve our our our Playhouse even though 80% of it's gone. And I think that will end the litigation. You're going to have the attorney for the uh um playhouse pres preservation group here today. You can ask him if that will end the litigation
and he say will say it will. So send them ask the county to go back before the headboard. They can put it immediately on their agenda, make their same presentation, get it approved and all done. End of litigation. Thank you very much for listening to me. I appreciate it.
>> Greetings and good morning everybody. My name is Jasmine Doyle. I live on 3326 Charles Avenue. Let me say that again. 3326 Charles Avenue. My family has lived in the Grove for generations and I'm here
to oppose PZ9 concerning the Coconut Grove Playhouse. I won't be up here too long, but um I believe with a such a huge commercial development like this, there needs to be protections and agreements
with the community. I strongly urge for there to be a community benefits agreement where all community within 500 ft, possibly beyond, will have a say in what goes on with this development and how it affects us. Um,
yeah. Uh, Charles Avenue is very historic, as you guys know, and we need protections. The black community of Coconut Grove has been here for centuries, and it's very important that we keep it
that way. And I hear a lot of comments concerning bringing back theater, preserving the theater, protecting the theater, but we need to protect the residents as well. Um there's a I hear also hear a lot of changes going on with
the community. There's going to be changes. There's been changes for the past 20, 30 years in Coconut Grove, specifically West Coconut Grove. But although there is changes there, we need to avoid erasure and that's what I'm standing here to
present today. Thank you. Community benefits agreement, please. Good morning. Alisa Margules, Rice Street Center Grove in support of FR1 for safe sidewalks. Now about that bond. Mayor, we love our first responders, but
the strategy of warning us about slow emergency response times while tugging at our heartstrings isn't working. Why? Because we actually live here. We sit in traffic for hours. We navigate endless sidewalk closures. We crawl past
construction sites. We watch our parks and trees disappear to make way for more development. You didn't create these problems, but you did ask voters for the opportunity to solve them. We're told this bond will only cost the average taxpayer about $131 a year. A couple of
restaurant dinners isn't what's standing in the way of our support. But a good business person doesn't keep repeating the same sales pitch after the customer says no. They find out what the customer actually wants. So, even if this is on the ballot, don't be surprised if v
voters still say no. You're selling the wrong thing. The city has helped create tremendous private wealth. It's time for those who've benefited the most to help shoulder the cost. Look to them first before looking to taxpayers. We've already told you what's important to us.
No need to ask. Just check your emails or your Instagram comments. Protect and expand our tree canopy. Create more parks. Acknowledge the consequences of unchecked overdevelopment. Stop treating every vacant piece of land as another development opportunity. Shade isn't a
luxury in Miami. It's essential infrastructure. Oh, and one more thing. Start protecting our money as if it were your own. Write ironclad contracts. Hold contractors accountable with measurable benchmarks, strict deadlines, and serious financial
consequences. And respectfully, don't give us more dashboards and reports. Give us independent oversight with real enforcement. We don't need another sales pitch. We just need a better offer. All's in your court. Good morning, chairwoman James Torres,
president of Downtown Neighbors Alliance on RE5. Much of this bond is about repairing aging facilities, modernizing stations, upgrading equipment, investing in infrastructure for our first responsors who re rely on this information and job safety effectively.
And while the city debates how to fund these critical items, there's another pot of gold in front of you. It's called the Downtown Development Authority, in which Commissioner Ralph Rosado is the chairman that controls over $20 million. Millions of dollars have been spent on
corporate giveaways, bloated PRs, contracts, sponsorships, branding, campaigns, influence style marketing, food festival, burger videos, consulting, political uh vanity projects, all funded through this tax burden. If you look at this at a very
easy scope and take $450 million, reduce that by 20, you are now working with $430 million. But here's a caveat for you. We're also being told that the bond question must be placed under the general election. That is not the case.
The city has the authority to place the question before voters in a special election. So why don't we do that? Because there has not been any outreach that was promised to the communities of the city of Miami. And before asking taxpayers to borrow the money, we deserve to have a better understanding
of what is going to be used in here. The downtown neighbors alliance earlier this month put out a survey and which came back where all of the residents indicated that there has not been a single level of outreach. Two days ago there was a website that was created to
share information. So what we're asking here is to delay or andor go to a different route in terms of addressing this bond. We are supportive of it but however there's not enough information. And after that's being done and taking $20 million from the DDA, now you're
working with something else that you're going to be able to do away with that agency. Thank you. Miami Gardens Councilwoman Linda Julian, 18605 Northwest 27th Avenue. Good morning, Madame Mayor, Madame Chairwoman, commissioners, and charter
officers. As a board member of the Miami Day Cultural Arts Cultural Affairs Council, I am here to speak in support of item PZ9, the Coconut Grove Playhouse Project. This long-awaited project will bring highly anticipated theater and
arts education back to the Grove and to the county at large, which is extremely important. As a former pianist, I'm an advocate for the arts education and I know firsthand I know firsthand how what this will do for the community. This project will not
only bring great theater, but more opportunities for our young people to have access to the arts. So, I urge you to please consider voting in favor of this project. And as I conclude my remarks, I'd like to wish Commissioner Ralph Rosado a very happy birthday.
Good morning. Scott Silver, 2980 McFroen in Road. Uh, we have two minutes to tell a one-hour story. The playhouse is fine, but the garage fails to pass a basic smell test. You can send this back with a condition. For almost 20 years, store owners have been paying into a parking
trust fund that now acrrews $7 million. Now, listen to the words, a parking trust fund. Don't break a promise to the people who have been paying a tax for over 20 years to use that money to increase the garage. The Grove bid was formed in 2008. I handled the formation of that. I was the lawyer who did that.
We became the guardian of those funds. The intent was always to use that money to to uh fix a well- acknowledged parking problem. The bid worked to a the bid tried to amend this went actually amended the state statute that allowed the playhouse to come back to the county. The whole intent of that fund
was to was to use the one site that was available which was the playhouse. We designed a 435 car garage that was done the design was done almost 10 years ago. Somehow during the process of uh of presenting this that the county reduced
that to 300 spaces. In the interim, Miami 21 and other zoning codes have uh portions of the zoning code have been amended to allow structures over 80 feet. Commodore Plaza is about to have at least two projects that will exceed 80 ft. If the concern was the height of
the garage, we went back and looked, I asked the city attorney, why did it change? Nobody had an answer. We finally went back to the HEP board resolution and we found that the only language in there was that the garage should be compatible with the with the playhouse. Compatibility is not just simply lpping
off 135 spaces. There's no other place to build this parking garage in the entire Grove. The money is there. The bid was contributing somewhere in the range of three million. They have that money there. They have $7 million. I would urge you, I know this is not going to be come up for discussion for about three more hours, but I would urge you
to remember that this is the only place where we can spend those monies. Use them wisely. Otherwise, there is no place to use the to build to build a garage. We need this on Commodore Plaza. We need there's 150,000 square feet of new space being built. >> Thank you.
>> Good morning. My name is Annie Lord. I'm the executive director at Miami Homes for All. Address 3250 Southwest 3rd Avenue, Miami, Florida. Commissioner Rosado, very happy birthday to you. Chairwoman, Madame Mayor, thank you so much. I'm here to speak on RE7 regarding the GSA site, the General Service
Administration site. Uh, I first just want to say thank you to Commissioner Cabella and to the administration for moving forward an RFP. Um, of course we all know we have a terrible affordable housing shortage uh in Miami and Miami Homes for All's mission is to ensure
that all Miamiians do have a safe, affordable place to call home. And we care about the GSA site because it might be the last great opportunity in the city of Miami to create thousands of new units of uh housing. And because of the
importance of first of all the city of Miami but also the neighborhood of Alapata uh to this city in terms of uh proximity to transit to Jackson to tons of jobs. Um there's really an unique
opportunity to create affordable housing that is affordable to the neighborhood of Alipata. You know the average income median income in Alipata is somewhere between 30 and 40,000 a year. That's like 50% of the area median income. So, we just urge everybody to uh ensure that
the affordability that could come along with this through the RFP process um is really deeply affordable, right? And we're not saying all of it, but you know, a a good percentage would do a lot for this uh for this city, for the neighborhood. And I mean, honestly, you
all would be heroes in my eyes. This is such an enormous opportunity. We've been paying attention to this for 7 years. It's a really difficult parcel. So, we have a lot of respect for the administration and for the commission to put this together well is going to be hard, but we support you. We appreciate
it. And thank you so much for prioritizing affordability, especially in that scoring criteria. Good morning. My name is Lorena Santenno. I'm a resident of the city of Miami and I am speaking today on behalf of the advocacy network on disabilities,
a nonprofit who support the respect and right of people with disability living in Miami. Here we are in opposition to FR2. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. First, we are aware of the efforts of Commissioner Escalona to
restore the shelter bed verifications requirement and the verbal warning with reasonable time to gather personal belongings for the homeless. Those are meaningful improvement. However, in our opinion, this ordinance still moves in the wrong direction. is continues to
prioritize arrest over support and removes the discretion officers needs to respond appropriately to people experiencing homelessness including many people with disabilities. People with disabilities are significantly over represented among individual
experiencing homelessness. Many live with physical disabilities, intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health condition, traumatic brain injuries or chronic illness. Arresting them does not address their need. It create additional barriers. Criminalization of homeless
disproportionately harms people with disabilities. When people are arrested, they can lose medications, medical equipment, mobility device, important documents and connection to health care providers and case managers. This disruption can have serious consequence
for their health and safety. And also we think that it may be not aligned with the American Disability Act. This ordinance does not create a single unit of housing or expand disability service. Instead, it's increased reliance on law enforcement to address what is
fundamentally a housing and public health issue. Housing and support service, not arrest, are the proven solution. In investing in permanent supportive housing, behavioral health service, disability support, and accessible housing is more effective and more human than expanded pathways to
incarcination. >> Thank you very much. Thank you. Good morning. Steve Wright, 2330 Southwest 13th Street. For the past 24 years, longtime proud Miami resident and a veteran of public service in this very building for about a decade. I'm here in
support of FR1. My heartfelt gratitude to the sponsor and everyone that's co-sponsored this. Uh I travel the world speaking about uh accessibility for people with disabilities and pedestrian mobility. Uh, I'll start on a slight negative. It's sad when I do my slide
deck and I show right now I believe it's sixth street between the world center and the bright line. So we have a billion dollars of private investment, one of the largest private sector mobility, trans transit trains and yet both sides are blocked for construction for two or three years. So that forces
not just us, it forces our children, our disabled veterans, our wheelchair users, everyone into the sidewalk, even delivery bots. Uh I'm also, having worked in this building, mindful that perhaps our partners in the development industry might say this is an added
cost. It is a fractional one. Uh, I don't think any one of us would put basic human civil rights with the American Disabilities Act guarantees. Just basic dignity and mobility to a costbenefit analysis. So, you know, when that comes up an hour and a half from
now or what have you, I guess I'll pour a little water on that. And, uh, last on the high note, uh, all these wonderful mom and pop businesses downtown. When I moved here, downtown was that typical you ran for your life after 5:00 p. p.m. a little bit of Arts of the Gusman, the
rest. Now we have but unfortunately a lot of restaurants and mom and pops flame out within a few years. We have commissioners up here that very well understand the demands of restaurant and how hard it is to keep afloat. Well, guess what? When it's walkable, when people don't give up and say, "I'll just
go drive to the mall in the BBS." All those mom and pop businesses make their nut. They make their rent. They expand. They don't have frustrated customers. So, what you're doing is fabulous. Please let it be a first step on our journey to total inclusion for all.
Thank you. >> Uh good morning. Uh Samuel Crow, 14636 Southwest 132nd Court. Uh PZ9. I'm here to speak on the partnership between FIU Department of Theater, which I am a proud alumni of, and Gable Stage Theater
Company, where I have worked at for the last four years since graduating. Uh, I've seen firsthand the benefits of this partnership for our community. Our educational programs have grown exponentially, especially our Shakespeare in the schools program,
which I have been a part of for the last four years, and our new theater in hospitals program, a dose of fun. I've seen the impact that these programs have on our community, our children, our high school students.
I'm excited for uh future projects uh between the two like the Coconut Grove Playhouse. When my father immigrated uh to this country from Trinidad and Tobago in 1988, his first week in this city included seeing his first musical at the
beautiful Coconut Grove Playhouse. Hearing my father talk about the wonder he experienced watching fame back in ' 88 has made it a dream of mine to see this 100-year-old piece of history come back to life. Thank you.
>> Good morning. Good morning, Mayor Higgins, Commissioner Partardo, commissioners. My name is Courtney Barry. I live at 3325 Charles Avenue in West Coconut Grove. I'm here this morning to ask you to not uh approve the
county's request to overturn planning and zoning's uh decision to not approve their waiverss. In other words, I ask you to please listen to members of our organization. Um our organization is called Preserve the West Grove. I'm a
board member. We represent over 35 families that live within 500 ft of the playhouse. We are united in our concern about the commercial aspects of the Playhouse project. We also want theater to return to Coconut Grove. We have no
problem with Gable Stage or or any of of the planned uh community programming, but we have grave concerns about the commercial nature of this project, particularly how traffic and uh the overflow of commercial activity will
hurt our quality of life as neighbors. Um we appreciate that the county has recently talked with us. Commissioner Partardo has convened conversations and and that the county has started to listen to our concerns, but we remain um very concerned that what is promised by
the county isn't binding. We are asking that um that the waiverss only be granted if there is a binding traffic plan in place that will protect residents rather than just promises that are made about some traffic will maybe
be addressed someday. That's the same standard that would be applied to a private development project. So, I want to clarify. People have said that we're people that have moved to the community recently and it's just because the neighborhood has changed. Um, more than 50% of our residents are historic
community members. We've lived in our house for more than 20 years and we have been involved in the beginning of the Playhouse discussions and we've been asking for the same things all along. So, we think all things can be achieved. Great theater can return to the grove with appropriate protections for the community. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Good morning. Mike Santangelo, 123 Menoris Avenue in Coral Gables. I'm here to speak against the ordinance that will allow uh take away police discretion whether to arrest homeless people on public property. I'm a graduate of M. I
worked uh as a shelter case manager, housing advocate, and outreach team leader in the streets with homeless people in New York City for years. I care about this issue and I oppose it on two grounds. Number one, this is a country where there's not one place where a person working full-time at
minimum wage can afford a one-bedroom apartment. And the stated goal of the police is to protect public safety. People are not a threat to public safety simply by being homeless. This is the criminalization of poverty and homelessness. Secondly, it doesn't make
financial sense. Uh, it costs more money to use our jails, prisons, and hospitals as homeless shelters than it does to just provide subsidized housing for homeless people. Thank you. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is Kayla Catz, addresses 2567 Tigerale
Avenue, and I've lived in this neighborhood for almost my entire life. I've heard so much frustration surrounding the Coconut Grove Playhouse. frustration that this isn't a full restoration and that this looks a lot like big development pushing into our historic neighborhood. And I see that
and I understand that. But here's where we stand. We have a historic site half demolished in the middle of being restored. And we have architects and a county back team ready to keep going and build something that fits who we are today. We can stay angry at what was
lost or we can ask the question that matters. Do we want a theater in this community or not? These architects want to work with us, not around us. There could be more traffic, but we have a cocoa walk already. We already have a
bayfront getting busier by the day and every and developers building skyrises. What we don't have is a place for local artists to imagine the future. And if this site doesn't become a theater and a true developer gets a hold of it, what
then? This won't be a Broadway house. It will be an intimate 300 seat seat space for us and for the future of this neighborhood. I've heard people talk about a theater coming back to this neighborhood since I was a little girl. I am an actress now. That is still my dream. Except now I'm old enough to
stand here and ask you to help make that dream a reality. Can we agree that this is a beautiful possibility? One we cannot pass up on. one that brings back the art artistic heart of Coconut Grove and could create a space for generations of f future artists. Thank you.
>> Good morning, Madame Mayor, commissioners. Happy birthday, Commissioner Rosso. I'm here to speak on the public safety bond. I'm Enrique Santos, a city of Miami property owner and a city reserve police officer. I understand the responsibility that comes with asking taxpayers to fund a project
like this. And I also understand the importance of giving our police officers and firefighters and hundreds of civilian employees in the city of Miami the facilities and working conditions that they need and that they so desperately deserve. That's why I'm here again in support of the public safety
bond and to respectfully ask that you allow the residents of the city of Miami to decide on this issue this coming November. Questions about the financing, oversight, and structure of this proposal are all important discussions to have. But as each day passes, these
structures continue to deteriorate, and our first responders have to perform despite the inadequate and unsafe conditions that may eventually get someone hurt or even worse. Nobody in this room can disagree that our police officers and firefighters
need better working conditions and facilities. We all know how bad, how unhealthy, and how truly embarrassing the situation is. Let's do what's right and what's desperately needed at this critical moment for our first responders, for our residents, and for
the future of Miami. If if voters reject the bond, uh, they've spoken. If they approve it, they've spoken. Either way, the decision belongs to the people of Miami. I just respectfully ask that we let them vote on it. Thank you. >> Good morning. Um, madame mayor,
commissioners, some of you that I know, it's a pleasure to be here. Happy birthday, sir. And, uh, my name is Patty Aras. I'm the executive director of the Latin Chamber of Commerce of the United States, Kamakul, 1401 West Flaggler Street, and a former theater actress.
That's how I got my first job, so I know it well. But I'm here to express our strong support and Kamako's strong support for uh the Miami Day County Department of Public Affairs of Cultural Affairs vision for the Coconut Grove Playhouse and its partnership with
Florida International University. For over 16 years, Kamak has promoted the creative industries because we recognize them as a powerful engine for economic development, entrepreneurship, job creation, and innovation. We have long
believed that investing in the creative community is investing in the city of Miami and Miami date county and in Florida. I know firsthand that the members of this commission are forward thinking and understand the many uh opportunities the sector brings. The
Coconut Grove Freight House project is much more than the restoration of an iconic landmark. It is a strategic investment that brings together culture, education, workforce development. The partnership with FIU transforms this project into more than a theater. It
becomes a living classroom where students can learn, train, intern, and prepare for careers across the spectrum while working along professionals. Please support this project and thank you very much. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor,
commissioners, and happy birthday, Commissioner Rossado. My name is Kang Jesso, Florida International University, and I am a senior vice president at the university. For over for over, excuse me, for over 15 years, we have envisioned
the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Sorry about that. I had a tough time this morning. For over 15 years, we have envisioned the Coconut Grove Playhouse as an amazing resources to advance our academic, educational, and community
engagement goals by bringing great theater back to this community. You've already heard from several speakers that talked about the educational, the cultural, and the economic benefits of
this great playhouse. I remember in 2011 touring the playhouse with then Commissioner Mark Sarnoff, our dean of the College of Arts, Architecture in the Arts, about what a great resource this could be for our community, but we could
not come up with a financially viable plan for the Playhouse. In 2013, as you've already heard, in partnership with Gable Stage of Miami Date County, we have a viable plan for the Playhouse
that will truly benefit all of the residents of our community. So, we are asking for your support of this great project. You've already heard from many, many speakers this morning that say, "This is needed. This is important.
Let's make it happen today." Thank you. Good morning, Madame Mayor, commissioners. Uh, my name is Matthew Dorsch, and I am asking you to please vote no on FR2 as drafted. It relates to the arrest of homeless uh, persons, which is something that the city of
Miami has a long history with. We already know what vague policies that criminalize homelessness do. The city itself has seen the effects of this when it paid out a $300,000 settlement in 2024 when workers
destroyed unhoused residents belongings, which is something that protections would be removed uh for under this ordinance and it paid 45,000 for arrests under a panhandling ban that was similarly vague in its language.
The city of Miami Beach uh serves as a warning sign for what these vague laws can do. Uh in February 2025, after passing a similar ordinance, arrests spike from 10 to 13 homeless persons per month to 78 in only a single month. In a
county that specially has a 1% food and beverage tax to fund emergency housing that gives tens of millions of dollars to the county for this specific reason. This ordinance takes away the processes that make that money effective and find
homeless people to fill those beds. So, please reject FR2 as it's written and codify a proper property handling policy for homeless individuals and define a minimum notice. Thank you. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor,
commissioners. My name is George Hodgej, 555 Northeast 15th Street, City of Miami resident and board member of Gable Stage Theater Company, which will operate the theater at the Playhouse once it's completed. We want to be respectful of the commission's time, so we won't all
speak today, but can I ask this Gable Stage team and supporters to stand or raise your hands? Thank you. Gable Stage puts on award-winning theater recognized as among the best in the region. But today, I just want to talk for a minute about
our impact in the community and the work that we look forward to bringing into the growth. In our 27 years, we've served more than half a million patrons and contributed more than $10 million to our economy. For more than 13 years, as you've heard, we've partnered with FIU
for Shakespeare in the Schools, which takes adaptations of Shakespeare's plays to more than 20 high schools every year. This year we featured 30 performances and reached 6,500 students. We also launched a dose of fun which brings
theater to children receiving care at Nicholas Children's Hospital and Holtz Children's Hospital. And beyond the performances, we're dedicated to partnering with community groups. Whether it's the speaker series at Temple Beth Aam, hosting our own events at the historic Hampton House, putting
on panel discussions with Mosaic Miami, or partnering with nonprofit organizations through nonprofit nights. To be clear, as a nonprofit, we exist only to serve this community and be part of the community. We look forward to not just bringing great theater back to the
Grove, but to be faithful stewards of this space. Thank you. And I will leave with the city clerk, if it's okay, our impact report, which goes over everything that we do in this community. Thank you. >> All right. >> Good morning. My name is Michelle Swift
and I have volunteered with the Miami Day community for seven years of my life. I was a volunteer art director with a nonprofit organization that helps the houseless. And I've seen firsthand what houselessness does to people. I believe that as a great community, we
should help our houseless and provide services that are supplementary and helpful and not illegalizing homelessness because anyone can become homeless. Your brother, your sister, your mother, your grandma, it does not
matter. you are not safe. And we need to create systems that support people as young as me, 20 to 35, who have been struggling finding work to support them in their transition
and to allow them to flourish and not fall. Everyone falls. Everyone needs a helping hand. And that's how I see our future. Help the houseless. Help them as much as we can. and it says a lot about
us as people. Thank you so much. >> Good morning. My my name is Matthew Pastfki and I'm here to oppose FR2. I am a fourthyear medical student who works with the Miami Street Medicine Team. I help take care of people who are unhoused. I see what living outside does
to the human body. Homelessness is not a housing issue. It is a medical condition created by social determinance of health. In Miami, this is not theoretical. During heat waves, the pavement can oftent times heat up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. I've seen patients
sandals melted and having thirdderee burns on their feet. People die of seizures due to heat stroke. People are outside in conditions that would make any of us sick. I have seen patients who are dehydrated, confused, sleepd deprived, mentally decompensating, not
because of any failure on their part, but because they are trying to survive in conditions no human being should have to endure. So I asked plainly, what is the point of criminalizing them? A patient just yesterday told me he had been waiting on the homelessness hotline for 72 hours. Shelter access is already
limited and services are already hard to reach. If we arrest people for being outside when they have nowhere realistic to go, we are not solving homelessness. We are making survival harder. Jail makes medical problems worse. People lose access to medications. They lose follow-up appointments. They lose
documents, belongings, phones, and trust. A person does not leave jail magically housed, treated, and stabilized. They often leave sicker, more disconnected, and end up back on the street. No one chooses homelessness. No one chooses to sleep on hot pavement, to be unsafe, to be sick, to be
invisible. Other cities are asking how to house people, how to provide treatment, how to respond with healthcare instead of handcuffs. Why aren't we? If Miami wants to be a national model, then let us be a model for dignity, housing, and public health, not for jailing poverty. Please vote no.
Thank you. >> Good morning. My name is my Umbberster. I reside at 3260 Thomas Avenue, Miami, Florida. I am here to speak on behalf of PZ9. That is the Playhouse. And I'm also a
member of Preserve the West Grove. We do not oppose the Playhouse. I'm standing here before you to ask that we do not have our resident a part of the Playhouse. When we moved in our area, as
a homeowner, as a residents, we have rights to expect no traffic, low traffic in our area. We want that to continue. We have children in the area. We um we
this project would cause increased transportation, commercial, and foot traffic into our neighborhood. We do not want our neighborhood Thomas Avenue as we've seen in some plans maybe and maybe not a Uber
drop off and pick up the planned culture arts. That's great. We love it. We have no objections. We just do not want our neighborhood to be invaded, to be intruded as part of the project. We have
rights and we would like to be protected. Thank you. Good morning. My name is Claire Trager. Um at I live at 3232 Corayway. >> Can you do you mind bringing that down a little bit more? >> Thank you.
My name is Claire Trager. Um I'm here I live at 3232 Corway. I'm here on behalf of the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Um I'm not a public speaker and I'm not here on behalf of a specific organization. I'm just a private member of the arts
community. I've worked in the arts and entertainment for 30 plus years and I know how important the cultural arts are to a city's identity. I wasn't necessarily planning to speak today, but I noticed that we started this meeting with a huge sense of pride um
celebrating the amazing way that Miami has um uh embraced FIFA and the activations around sports and soccer and how that brought the community together. I simply wanted to point out that in this day and age where social isolation is becoming
more and more of a problem and so many things divide the community. Um theater and the arts have the power to start conversations, exchange ideas and unite communities. In the same way that we were just applauding how much our city enjoyed coming together to celebrate
with this few short weeks of sports. I wanted to just remind everybody that along with the the economic and the creative advantages that the Coconut Grove Playhouse will offer, it will also serve as a more permanent space for our residents to come together. And I think we need to support those institutions
and I hope that you keep the project moving forward. Thank you. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor, Madame Chair, commissioners. My name is Walter Lewis. I'm the vice president of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police, 710 Southwest 12th Avenue. Uh here to speak
briefly and support and express my support for RE5, the safe and ready Miami bond initiative. Um as you guys are aware, we have uh facilities, fire and police that have outlived their their usefulness at this point and we
are in dire need of better infrastructure for police and fire. Uh this bond initiative will allow us to do that. And uh in addition to that, it'll allow us to work uh you know, if we get a a a newer facility uh public safety complex, it'll allow us to work under a
unified structure where we can continue to provide the worldass, you know, services that we provide not only to visitors, but to, you know, the residents who quite frankly deserve it. Uh we're just asking for your support. We know that you guys always support us. We're asking for your support to get us
this uh initiative to the voters so that they ultimately can decide. Thank you guys. Thank you uh Madame Mayor for uh championing this uh issue. Have a good day. >> Good morning. I'm Mitch Beerman from Weissera Healthman Cole and Beerman. We
are very proud to be one of the resources to cultural organizations in this community helping them like the Gable stage to work with government on public private philanthropic projects and the Coconut Grove Playhouse is one
of those. My, you know, you've heard tons of people urge you to move forward. I'm here just to say thank you. I'm here to thank you, the city commissioner, and the mayor for your strong advocacy in supporting cultural institutions in this
community because you realize that they're the life. They are what makes Miami Miami and not just some other city in Florida. We are so blessed to have these treasures. I want to thank Miami Day County's cultural affairs department
as well as the county commission who wholeheartedly support this. And I want to thank most recently Commissioner Partardau and County Commissioner Regalado who worked with the neighborhood and carefully and and with an open mind considered their concerns
and considered the many ways that their concerns could be accommodated. And it sounds to me today like they have largely been accommodated. There will always be a quibble about the design or a concern that somehow parking parking
or or or traffic is going to exceed what people hope. But at the end of the day, you did everything you possibly could to make this work for everybody. And I think today's plan works for everybody. And I urge you to support it. Thank you so much.
>> Thank you, Mitch. We need your address for the record. 2800 Ponto Leon Boulevard, 12th floor. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Broo Deir. Address is 3591 Lone Pine Road, Delray Beach. I did come from Delray Beach
today in support of the Coconut Grove Playhouse. I am a professional actress and I travel throughout all of South Florida to perform and also attend theater. Where great art exists, audiences and artists follow. A restored theater in Miami wouldn't only serve
Miami residents. It would draw people like me and countless others into the city to see productions, dine at local restaurants, support these mom and pop shops that we've heard about today as well. That's an appreciation of your local economy, not an antagonist. This
project also creates additional jobs not only for the actors but stage managers, designers, technicians, electricians, carpenters, costumeumers, administrators, ushers, maintenance staff, and so many others whose livelihoods depend on thriving arts organizations on a larger scale for an
existing theater. More hands will be needed for support uh for Gable Stage. I've also heard concerns about the redevelopment um becoming commercialized and threatening the character of this district. I understand those concerns, but preserving a historic theater by
bringing it back to life is exactly how you protect a neighborhood's identity. An abandoned building does not preserve history. It slowly erases it. Imagine if Jackie Onasses had never fought to protect Grand Central Station. uh the s
and now it is one of New York's greatest landmarks. Um pres preservation doesn't mean freezing a building in time and forgetting about it. It means giving it a purpose so future generations can experience it. Uh this would honor the district's history instead of allowing
it to fade away and eventually become commercialized uh by another developer who comes along. Uh, Gable Stage is also known for its educational outreach and uh, it allows young artists to contribute with uh, mean meaningful
opportunities and um, this would contribute to the community, not take away but uh, give back to it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hello, my name is Laura Nenamper. I'm at 3300 Charles Avenue and I'm here to speak with my concerns about PZ9. Um,
I'm a resident within 500 feet of the playhouse. I want to be clear that I'm not distinctly opposed to the playhouse being redesigned or redeveloped. Um, in fact, I support bringing this important cultural landscape back to the to life. And, um, Gable Stage sounds like they'll
do very great, wonderful work. However, there's a clear distinction. My concern is not with the civic use, but with the commercial use of the space and the amount of commercial space that is proposed. Um, I believe that before the plan moves forward, there should be
binding commitments in place to address the very real impacts that will be affected for the residents within 500 ft in the surrounding area. I'm particularly concerned about the increase of traffic, noise, and commercial activity that will spill into our neighborhood streets. We see it
directly with just residential buildings being built and a a building of this magnitude will will far exceed what we've already seen affect our narrow street. Our streets historic, narrow, residential, and it simply wasn't designed to absorb the level of traffic
and commercial activity that a project of this scale will bring. Without a traffic study and mitigations done in advance, we aren't able to trust the protections will be put in place for our residents. These protections should not be promises but more um but be made
after a plan and these should not be promises that are made after a plan is put into place but rather they should be clear, enforcable and in place before this plan is approved. I truly believe that we can reach a compromise that can return theater to the Grove while easing concerns of the commercial commercial
nature and encroachment to our neighborhood. But until then, I'm asking the commission to vote no on PZ9 until a binding community Community benefits agreement is in place. Please protect the residents of the West Grove. Thank you.
>> Good morning. Michael J. Langley, 40 Northwest 3rd Street, Sweet 200, and I serve as executive director of Florida Justice Institute, and I rise in staunch opposition to the proposed ordinance FR2. First, let me just say that I
cannot even believe that 5 days after com commemorating this country's 250th anniversary, our local government is considering jailing its own residents for simply existing. Nothing quite says America like incarcerating your neighbors. Moreover, proposing this in
the middle of hurricane season is beyond appalling. The commissioner stated goal in introducing this proposal is improving quality of life for the entire community. How could that possibly happen when a segment of the population will be thrown in jail under this
proposal for doing something that every single one of us needs to do daily to survive and that's sleep. But we all want to solve this issue. So if we take the commissioner at his word, this ain't it. As the kids would say, this is more than just a moral stance.
It's an economic imperative. Unfortunately, too often your zip code plays an outsized role in your upward mobility. According to the National Lowincome Housing Coalition, residents in the same zip code as this very building must earn over $50 an hour to
afford the average two-bedroom market rate unit. How many residents in your district earn that in this zip code citywide? Many of those without permanent housing throughout Florida are working but aren't making enough to reach that threshold, causing them to
live in cars, tents, and yes, on the streets. This proposal would criminalize them for their inability to afford the basics. Sadly, this playbook isn't new. What we do know is that housing is far and away less expensive to taxpayers than arresting and jailing people
without means. Listen, we know that these genative approaches are ineffective, costly, and exacerbate homelessness, not solve it. So, what does that tell you? We need to be transformational, not transactional. >> Thank you, sir. >> And we need evidence-based solutions. Thank you so much.
>> Appreciate it. Thank you very much. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor, commissioners, city officials, and most importantly, the community of Coconut Grove. My name is Elliot Durant, and before I was a businessman here in Coconut Grove, I was a performer. I was
a student at the High School of Performing Arts. As many just said, the school was called Fame. I've also been for 40 years in the Screen Actors Guild and AFT and Equity, American Equity. I played the Tin Man in the Whiz off Broadway, Antiggony, and
many other shows. And later, I worked in a 99 seat theater in the round in West Hollywood. That's where I learned something that never left me. There is nothing more exhilarating for an actor, and moreover, the audience, than being close enough to hear, see, feel, and
live inside a story together. That is theater. You cannot manufacture that. You can only preserve it. And that's why I stand here this morning in favor of moving forward with the Coconut Grove Playhouse with some caveats. We hope for it not to be a tear down,
but a restoration. We want it to be faithful to Kenel and Elliot's original 27 design down to the original exterior paint color. The ground floor um the ground floor the old the soul of the old auditorium should not be lost. Our conservatives have conservators have
carefully preserved the double precinium arch, some of the Solomonic columns and the decorative grills. Craftsmanship that cannot be recreated. We hope that they can live again inside the new theater. I think often of Monty Trainer, my chairman, when I served as president of the Coconut Grove Chamber of
Commerce, one of my closest friends that I've had since the day I arrived here in town. He has been like a father and son to me. Monty taught me that this town's character lives not just in its trees, its bays, but in the buildings like this
one, the Coconut Grove Playhouse. I also serve briefly as a community as in the community as a councilman of the Grove Council. And I'm proud to unveil the EcoPlanet Earth at the barnyard where I just donated the the building, the picnic tables and chairs for the children. >> Thank you. >> This town is just where I do business.
It's where I built a life. Thank you. >> Thanks. I appreciate it. Good morning, Madame Mayor and Commissioners. My name is Dilia Reynolds. I am a sergeant with the Miami Police Department. I am here today as a member of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police. I'm here to voice my support for
the safe and ready Miami Public Safety Bond Initiative. Many of our police and fire facilities have aged to the point where repairs are no longer the most practical or fiscally responsible option. Investing in modern public safety facilities is an investment in
the men and women who protect this city every day, as well as the residents we proudly serve. A new public safety complex will also improve coordination between police and fire by bringing both departments together under a unified command structure. That means stronger
communication, greater efficiency, and a faster, more effective emergency response when our community needs us the most. I respectfully ask the commission to support agenda item RE5 and allow the residents of Miami the opportunity to decide the future of this bond
initiative at the ballot box. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor and County Commissioners. My name is Rosia Haye, 1637 Southwest 8th Street Road. I am here today in strong support of I am here today in strong support of the appeal to restore and reopen the Coconut
Grove Playhouse. The Coconut Grove Playhouse is a cornerstone of Miami's cultural identity and a public investment that generates value far beyond the arts themselves. We know from decades of research that where the arts thrive, so do neighborhoods. Cultural institutions like Coconut Grove Playhouse increase in increase tourism,
strengthen property values, support local businesses, attract entrepreneurs, and create jobs. The arts are not an expense or economic infrastructure. The Coconut Grove Playhouse has been has the potential to anchor an entire creative ecosystem in Coconut Grove for generations to come. Preserving and investing in this landmark is an
investment in Miami's economy, our representation as a world-class cultural capital, our small businesses, and our workforce. I am asking that you please revise this decision and approve this appeal. Thank you for your leadership. Uh, good morning, Madame Mayor and Commissioners. Uh, my name is Vanessa
Fernandez. I am a proud server of the police department. Um, I am here as an executive uh officer board member of the City of Miami Fraternal Order of Police. I'm here to express my strong support for the Safe and Ready Miami Public
Safety Bond Initiative. As you all know, many of our police and fire stations are to the point where continuous repairs are no longer the cost effective or the responsible thing to do with taxpayer
money. Uh we are asking for you guys to just put this on the ballot and allow the city uh residents to vote and elect their choice as far as the RE5. Um I respectfully ask for you guys to
approve it and give the residents the opportunity in the ballot box. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor and the commissioners. My name is Heaven Jones and my address is 1637 Southwest 8th Street 33135.
I serve as the outreach manager at the Arts and Business Council of Miami and I'm here today to support the appeal and restore restoration and reopen of the Coconut Grove Playhouse. For so many of us in the arts community, the Playhouse represents possibility. It represents
what it means for a city to value culture not as an extra, but as something essential to civic life. Spaces like this are where artists are nurtured, where audience are built, and where communities come together across generations. At a time when Miami
continues to grow and define itself on a national and international stage, we should be protecting the cultural institutions that give the city depth, memory, memory, and meaning. The Coconut Grove Playhouse is one of those institutions. It its restoration is not just about honoring the past, but it's
about making a decision for the future. a future where public cultural spaces remain accessible, vibrant, and rooted in service of the community. I urge you to reserve the decision and move um move this project forward so that the playhouse can once again serve as a home
for creativity. Thank you for your time. Hello, I'm Cecilele Spock, 1025 Lisman Street, Coral Gables, speaking on PZ9. I'm 15 years old and I'm a Miami native who recently made my professional stage debut at Gable Stage. The prospect of
bringing back such a historic theater like the Coconut Grove Playhouse back into our community gives hope to a new generation of artists and performers who dream of living and working together in our hometown. Thank you. >> Morning, Madam Chair. Um my name is
David Sipkin, Miami Beach, PO Box 403 004. Uh, respectfully, I'd like to donate my time to Billy Corbin. >> I'm Miss to the We We don't generally do that. So, you you're welcome to speak
for two minutes. And then, of course, Mr. Corbin is welcome to speak for two minutes. Thank you. >> Point of order, Madam Chair. Point of order. Section 2-33 C2 of the Miami ordinances, I think, is quite clear on that issue. Uh, Mr. city attorney. I don't believe that the I don't believe that the chair has discretion and the
chair certainly has allowed it in the earlier uh meetings in just the past couple of months. >> The the code does provide that um no more than I guess 5 minutes total. Correct. You can't uh combine time but ultimately the chair does have the discretion.
>> That is not in the ordinance sir. >> Orderly fashion. >> That is not in the ordinance. >> Mr. Corbin, you have four minutes. >> Thank you. Good morning. I'm Billy Corbin on RE5. This $1 billion bond boondoggle is kamicazi fiscal policy. The city is on a
collision course with bankruptcy. With one vote, we could apparently double the city's debt to $2 billion. And after all the great questions asked by Commissioner Gabella and King and Partardo back in May, nothing has changed over the last two months. None of the promised community outreach or
town halls or public input. All you did was launch a pro bond propaganda website at taxpayer expense and it's all a straw man. We don't need pictures of leaky roofs and rundown fire stations. Everyone knows the city has failed our first responders and we all agree that
they deserve better. The question is how much should it cost and how are we going to pay for it? The administration admits it's going to be $800 million. So, you know, it's going to be at least a billion dollars and almost half a billion of that will go to interest, legal fees, and expenses. That is not a
community benefit. And who gets that money? We don't know and they won't tell us. And of the $450 million proposal, only $150 actually goes to neighborhood fire stations. 300 million goes to an office building in Mel Ree, which is also not a community benefit. And it's
way too much money for an office building. Commissioners, I urge you to do what you did last time. Defer this item. It needs more scrutiny, negotiation, and consideration. Be transparent. Hold town halls. Send it to the finance committee as is proper procedure, but do not pass it today
because this is effectively a billion dollar trust fund and we do not trust this administration yet. On RE3, Joe owes the city of Miami taxpayers $20 million in attorneys fees. So today, you
will be voting to give $770,000 to Joe Coryo. That doesn't make any sense. Hang on a second. That's not what you should be doing. What happened to Commissioner Gabella's very good plan to sue Joe Coroyo for that money as leverage in this litigation settlement? Commissioner
Rosado, I know Joe Coro spent $500,000 to get you elected, but he's going to spend two or three times that to get you unelected when he runs Manny Morales against you. So, vote no. Commissioner Escalona, you were elected to end the Coroyo corruption. Do it. Vote no. Commissioner, you're the
only attorney on the deis. You know full well that you should have stopped paying those attorneys fees the moment that it was fully adjudicated that this was a personal capacity lawsuit. Vote no. Commissioner Gabella, you've been the leader on this. For 2 years you've been asking for a straight answer from the city attorney on how much he actually
owes the city. If my lawyer wouldn't give me a straight answer and over two years I'd fire him and refer him to the Florida Bar. What are we doing? Vote no. Commissioner Partardo, you got elected in no small part because you stood outside this building months before election day and called for Joe Coro's
resignation over that 61 and 63.5 million corruption judgment. Speaking of which, don't listen to the city attorney. You guys know this already. He's not being straight with you, okay? He's just not. And you can't listen to his deputy city attorney either. All right? You can't get a straight answer
from him. And he is colluding with Joe Coro and his attorney. It's in the public record to protect this money in this settlement from the $61.5 million he owes in the corruption judgment for weaponizing government against private business owners in Little Havana. And finally, Madame Mayor, if they have the
gall to pass this item, you could be the hero. Veto it and tell Joe exactly what we think of him and where to go, which is exactly what you campaigned on. Thank you. >> Okay. Good morning, madame mayor and
commissioners. My name is Doris Gomez. I'm a police officer with the city of Miami Police Department. I am here as a member of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police located at 710 Southwest 12th Avenue. I want to express my support for the Save and Ready Miami Public Safety
Bond Initiative. Many of our police and fire facilities have reached such an advanced state of disrepair that renovation is no longer a practical or a cost-effective solution. Replacing these outdated facilities with a modern public
safety infrastructure is an investment not only for the safety of our first responders, but for the community that we serve. A new public safety complex will strengthen coordination by allowing police and fire to operate under an
unified command, improving communication and effic efficiency with public safety, emergency preparedness and emergency response capabilities. I respectfully encourage the commission
to vote in favor of this agenda item and give the residents of my of the Miami give the residents of Miami the opportunity to decide the future of this bond initiative at the ballot box. Thank you.
Good morning. I'm OAR 235 Catalonia Avenue. I'm here on behalf of Brian May, the chairman of the Miami Date's Cultural Affairs Council, reading this letter for the record. As Coconut Grove resident and chairman of Miami Dates Cultural Affairs Council, I write this letter to the city of Miami Commission
urging their support of the county's appeal regarding the Coconut Grove Playhouse zoning application. This application was previously approved by the city's PZAB in 2018, but unfortunately that approval expired while naysayers filed basis lawsuits
that were rejected time and time again by the courts. This coming vote is our chance to reclaim a cultural landmark that has shaped the identity of Miami and Coconut Grove for generations. Although although the PAB recorded a f five to4 majority on May 6 supporting
the county's application, the proposal fell short of the supermajority threshold required under Miami 21. The city's professional plan planning staff has consistently recommended approval, reaffirming that the plan is both neighborhood appropriate and essential to restoring the playhouse. This plan
for a revived Coconut Grove Playhouse honors the legacy preserving the historic gateway building while introducing a new 300 seat theater open air plazas and a garage building with food and beverage and office spaces. This plan not only gives the playhouse a
second life but a sustainable one. It provides desperately needed parking for the public, invites community groups and local businesses to thrive and for the Playhouse revenue to be sustained for generations to come. Thank you.
>> My turn. >> Well, praise the Lord, our savior, the Christ, who was named Jesus before his birth. My name is Williams Alfred Arberster. I've grown up uh I was born right down the street from uh the Playhouse, 3350
Charles Avenue, and now I'm residing on 3260 Thomas Avenue. my lovely wife and I who have you've uh she introduced herself earlier. Uh we are the parents of eight wonderful children, 14
excellent grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. So, amen. Praise the Lord and thank you Jesus for that. And I want to first give thanks to um the fire and police department who commits themselves to running into
danger every day. And then to you the board members uh u commissioners and the mayor because you have to discern what is truth and what is
looking like truth. Now, the playhouse um has always been detrimental to the community west of it because of the traffic flow. Because when I was growing up, they had traffic
running into the playhouse and traffic running out of the playhouse. And now that I'm in my retirement years, we got um um a street from main highway that opens up to Thomas Avenue where I live now. But that's not why I'm here. Why
I'm here now is to speak on this Playhouse is issue. And um we have nothing. I am a board member of preserve the Grove West Grove. And I'm also a husband of
one and a follower of Jesus. And I can only speak one language. And the only language I speak is truth. Not my truth, but the truth that is based on the facts. And the facts are this development needs to be
>> Thank you. >> And closed in within itself. >> Thank you. Sorry to say this is up. >> Amen. >> Okay. Say no until you get a design that is working with the neighborhood. That's all I'm here to say. >> Thank you. >> Say no until you get a design that is
fitting for the neighborhood. >> Uh Mr. Armbster, I'll continue your your your thought. Um, hi Katrina Morris. Uh, I'm a resident of Coconut Grove. Uh, you know that we had a public garage at Mary
and Oak with 439 spaces and that was sold to Terra Group for their offices. and the building next door to the new garage project that has a little theater in it because that's the lease
stipulation. Um the building next door got variances so that they didn't have to build a parking lot because they knew a parking lot was coming. So uh yeah, now it used to be that you come down
27th, hop right into uh Oak Street, you're in the garage. Now we know what's going to happen. People are going to come down Douglas and go up Charles. Boom. Done. So Charles is screwed. Um
so that's that's the playhouse. Um and and the historic part is completely demol demolished. But anyway, uh also please please do not vote for this uh extra allowance of of lot coverage for
the porticos. We already have a 77% lot coverage with imperous uh uh surfaces. So we're losing our habitat. We're just we're losing our habitat and we're losing our civic structures and we're losing civic
engagement and we're losing we're just losing. We're always losing. Where are the impact fees for these guys? They win. They always win. The developers always always win. Who is looking out for us? Are you guys not supposed to be
our lawyers? If my lawy if I I used to act if my agent gave away so many things that you guys give away, I would fire them. Thank you. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor,
commissioners. My name is Mercedes Rodriguez and I reside at 1510 Northwest 19th Avenue. This is the third time I'm here in the last few months regarding supporting the safety and ready bond. As we all heard throughout the three
different hearings that we've had on this issue, there's been different recommendations to defer this item. I request to please approve this item today to allow the voters of the city of Miami to make a decision as what we have
known for many years the conditions that the police and the fire department have been working under. The only reason why this has come up now is because it's under a new administration regarding the new city manager and the new mayor that has taken the initiative to try to
correct something that should have happened a long time ago. I myself I'm part of the SER program. I have volunteered with them throughout Kobic and I've seen them firsthand. I've seen them firsthand in the fire stations and
they never complain. When I started my career as a government employee, I started here at the city working with the police department upstairs in the manager's office and it's the same building that they are working under today.
My experience has been helping them try to help our residents in many different aspects. I've seen it firsthand with my dad and for me about a month ago I had an incident and I was taken twice to the hospital emergency room by the fire
department. And so I believe that this is the time, this is our 911 call to have the residents approve something that's way overdue. Thank you. Good morning. Marcelo Fernandez, 3637
Charles Avenue in the West Groves Bohemian District. I'm the former village council chair for two terms and I submitted a report for you all last commission meeting and about the PZA cottage housing. I'm a developer who's been dedicated to affordable housing and responsible development for last many
years. I've partnered with Delma Gibson Health Initiative to bring millions of real estate asset to her efforts and I worked with CDC in the Grove to bring 70 affordable units through Commissioner Partardo to the corner of Grand Douglas and I've also been spearheading this
cottage housing legislation with with the planning and zoning department to bring a better quality of life for the neighborhood. Miami 21 is broken in many areas. It has T3 backing up to T5. There's many errors that are going to
need to be corrected. Our GIS system identifies many T3R parcels that aren't T3R. They're their graveyards, their church, their old multif family communities. So, I did a detailed study on what the planning department is going to do. And
if you take each neighborhood by itself, you'll see that the potential impact for college housing T3R is a handful of lots. It's not going to be this massive double density that people are thinking about. It will not only bring more traditional, it will bring traditional
single family homes like the ones that built the communities. It will also give a an option to many generational families that own property to stay in their neighborhood and reject gentrification. Cottage illustration is a great step in the right direction. It was unanimously approved by Pab
and it really is going to be a benefit to the housing shortage. But the way it's proposed as T3 only does nothing for our housing shortage. What I'd like to request is that we do a demonstration project in a parcel I have with TGHI in the in in the grove that will allow you
to see exactly the positive impact this can make. The planning assistant planning director and the planning d person that spearhead this has endorsed this project. Also, >> please consider the demonstration project. Thank you. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor and
commissioners. My name is Richard Perez and I serve as a sergeant with the city of Miami Police Department. I am here today on behalf of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police to voice my support for the safe and ready Miami Public Safety Bond. Our police and fire facilities have served the city for many years, but
many have reached the point where continued repairs are no longer the best investment. Replacing outdated facilities with modern purpose-built spaces will better support the men and women who protect the community while ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested wisely. This initiative is also about improving
the way we serve the public. By housing fire and public in a shared public safety complex, we can strengthen communication, streamline operations, and coordinate emergency response more effectively. When seconds matter most, those improvements can make a real difference. I respectfully ask the
commission to approve agenda item RE5 and allow the voters of Miami to decide the future of this important investment at the ballot box. Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your consideration. Good morning, Madame Mayor, Madame Chair, and commissioners. My name is uh
Keller Gillette. Uh here I'm uh representing the city of Miami as a sergeant and also I'm here representing the Miami Fraternal Aldor of Police. Uh I'm here today to voice my support for the safe and ready Miami Public
Service Bond. Our police and fire facilities have served this city for many years, but many have reached the point where continued repairs are no longer the best investment. And for me right now, my personal experience is
being a police officer with the city. I'm going away from the script a little bit because I've uh served most of my time as a detective in the police department. And I've worked where we had to solve cases, but at times you come in where the roof was leaking. We didn't
have a place to actually work on those cases to serve the community. Again, we come forward today to make sure that, you know, you guys take this into consideration to see if you can vote for the RE5 that would better serve not just
the uh fire department, but also the police department so we can work jointly to serve the community in a better place. Uh thank you again. I'm respectfully asking the commissioner to approve their agenda and thank you for
your time. Good morning, Madame Mayor and members of the commission. My name is Roman, and I'm a 13-year-old resident of Coconut Grove, and I'm here to voice my strong opposition for the bond referendum for the police and fire departments. Listen, not only do I understand, but I agree
with the general consensus that we want the best possible facilities for police officers and firefighters. They risk their lives every day in the line of duty to protect the residents. And I understand that they want the best working conditions to give us the most efficient and safe service possible. But
a new project, $1 billion, is something that the city cannot afford right now. The cost of living in Miami is at an all-time high, and there are many city and there are many residents here who are already struggling to do basic things like paying rent and taxes. Having a new project after just having
another one would put the city in a debt that could last possibly 30 years. Meaning people like me would be paying this debt all the way into their 40s when we didn't even get to have a say or vote in the matter. If the debt stays while the cost of
living keeps increasing, taxpayers won't be able to pay the entire thing. Meaning there's a possibility that the city could go into bankruptcy. This will then lead to decreased public services and reduced pensions. One of the biggest benefits of being an officer or a firefighter is the lifetime pension.
Meaning that by taking that away from the bankruptcy, we would be hurting their salaries and hurting their benefits instead of helping them. Not to mention the headquarters would be in Miami would be around the Miami International Airport area which is mostly if not entirely commercial. That
means that if someone were to call for an emergency, that would mean that they would most likely not even be dispatching from that main headquarters area. And if they were, it would lead to longer response times and and other issues. So, I think that it
would be the best for the community and for the finances to oppose the new referendum and the agenda. Thank you for listening to me and I hope that you make the right decision for the next generation of Miami residents like me. Hello, my name is Jennifer Howard and
I'm uh live at 12101 Southwest 68 Court in Miami, Florida. I'm here to oppose the county plan, the PZ9. Um, if there is not a bigger symbol of the nefarious nature of the county's plan than that black shroud of death that they have
draped over our playhouse, and I don't know what other sign you need, they are hiding behind this. They are hiding behind their commercial uh advertisements trying to say that this is a playhouse project when they know full well this is 90% a commercial project. And why I am here
fighting my county who has turned into a developer, I can't believe it. But year after year after year, 20 plus years, we come back and we are not going away because we love our city. We think Coconut Grove is a treasure. And the fact that FIU is supporting this
venture, it cannot be their theater department. It can only be their hospitality department. So I am just ashamed who is supporting this project because if you really look into it, if you look at how the spaces are designed, it's not about a playhouse. and the fact that they need to add more space and
they are requesting more land. They are just eating up our growth. And I'm sick of it. I am sick of coming here year after year. But you can bet your butt I'm going to come here. But it's enough. It's enough that they keep appealing and winning. And we keep fighting and we win. So why are they getting to appeal
and do this over and over on our dollars? You know why? Because this is a free gift from the state and they're stealing it from us and it's time to put an end to it. Thank you very much. >> Good morning. Uh my name is Duriel
Smith. I'm a police sergeant for the Miami Police Department and uh also a member I'm here as a member of the uh Fraternal Order of Police. U I'm here to voice my support for the Safe and Ready Miami Public Safety Bond Initiative.
Uh, as been stated before, many of our facilities uh within the uh Miami and Fire uh police department have uh deteriorated and age over time to the point that the repairs are no longer uh practical.
Uh investing to build new facilities will invest in the men and women who serve the public and the uh city of Miami. Uh building a new safety uh complex can benefit in coordination between police and fire and bringing
both departments under one unified command where we can uh be more effective and uh respond to the community needs as needed. Um, I'm respectfully asking the commission to support agenda item RE5
and allow the Miami residents the opportunity to decide the future of this bond initiative at the ballot box. Thank you. >> My name is Gloriana Calhoun. I'm a South Grove resident and I'm here to oppose
the county plan for the Coconut Grove Playhouse. First and foremost, it needs to go back to the HEP board. Rules are rules and so many have been broken. So, the county is where it's at now because of so many broken rules. This project is
wrong. It's wrong for the Grove. It's wrong for the neighborhood. It's wrong for Coconut Grove's future. We need a two the plan. We have a good one. And if FIU is smart, they should join us and come over to the other side with the two
theater program that Mike Eson had proposed years ago. This is ruining the West Grove. It's going to be a traffic nightmare. You need to totally reopen streets and reopen traffic to have any project work there. This is hard on the
neighbors. And how is a theater going to be supported by little t-shirt shops in a shopping mall? FIU, that's not going to happen. You've been fed a bunch of lies all these years. This is ruining
the Grove. We have another plan. Please, the state needs to take this project back from the county. It's not right. Thank you. >> Good morning, Mle Buros Flores with the Alapara Collabor speaking on item PH10. Before I begin, I want to echo my
colleagues request for deep affordability on the GSA lot and the importance of engaging at the community, engaging the community at every step of the way. Alapatara CDC led the initial community engagement process at the request of Mayor Suarez, hoping that it
would drive the request of the RFP process based on the community's needs. We have a chance to do the right thing for the people of Alapata. On behalf of the Alpata Collaborative, I want to sincerely thank Commissioner Miguelang Hela for supporting Alapata
Entrepreneurs with item PH10. Today's investment is much more than funding. It's an investment in people. It's an investment in the entrepreneurs who open doors every morning in the families who have built their lives here and in the neighborhood whose diversity and
resilience have helped shape the story of Miami. Five years ago, we launched Alapata CDC just before the pandemic with a simple mission to ensure that as Alipata grows, the people who built this community have the opportunity to grow
with it. Since then, we've supported over 600 small businesses and entrepreneurs through training and technical assistance. We've helped them access capital, reach over $7 million in capital, create festivals to drive customers into the corridor, and build partnerships that
have brought national recognition to Alapata, including our selection by the Smithsonian Institution as one of the 10 communities in the country chosen to tell America's story through the eyes of people in Alapata. In our work, our work is just beginning. development.
Development is transforming our neighborhood every day and the challenges before us is making that revitalization doesn't come at the expense of local businesses and residents of Alapata. That's why we're working hard to create new pathways to ownership, opportunity, and long-term
stability for those businesses and residents. Commissioner Gabella has been a true partner of that vision. His support through this grant funding will allow us to continue the work. Thank you. Hi, I'm Rachel Prestoino. I'm here representing Catalyst Miami. Also
speaking briefly on the GSA lot. Um we're glad it's being redeveloped. Thank you, Commissioner Gabella. Catalyst Miami was involved in engaging community members in a previous iteration of this effort. Um and it's clear people want housing that is affordable for the actual residents of Alipata. I think
everybody on the board knows that the area median income in that area is more like $40,000 a year. not what workforce housing would designate at 100 to 140% of the county median income. And so just want to echo that that we really want to prioritize deeply affordable housing. I
know the RFP is going to be reissued um and could be written in a way that really um incentivizes that. So please involve us in um in engaging the community in that effort. Uh also speaking on um FR2 last night I was
pumping gas. I was speaking with a man named Ry. Recently released from incarceration after um at least 15, 20 years, incarcerated, completely reformed, just celebrated his 63rd birthday. So excited to have a Big Mac, fries, and a Coke. I hope it tastes the
same as he remembers. Um there's nothing for this man. With all respect to re-entry services and the people who work so hard, this man is sleeping on the street because he has no choice. He doesn't know how to work a cell phone. He hasn't even seen the cell phones we have now. No one's going to give this man a job at 63 years old. Getting into
shelters when you have a record into a for it's all there are no there are very few to no options for him and this item is not a solution right just what would you do what would you say to this man just to throw him back in jail after he
just got free? That's the solution just because some people complain that they don't want to have to look at him in a public park. That's you're policy makers. You're supposed to come up with solutions. This is not a solution. This is hiding away a problem. He is a human. There are many people like him and they
deserve dignity and homes and not to be incarcerated for the crime of existing. This board already made like national news over this. Let's not do it again. Thank you. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor, city manager, commissioners. My name is
Robert Robinson and I'm a sergeant with the city of Miami Police Department. I'm here today as a member of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police. I'm here to voice my support for the safe and ready Miami public safety and bond initiative.
Many of our police and fire facilities have aged to the point where repairs are no longer the most practical and fiscally responsible option. Investing in modern public safety facilities is an investment in the men
and women who protect the city every day, as well as the residents we proudly serve. A new public safety complex will also improve coordination between fire and police by bringing both departments
together under a unified command structure. That means stronger communication, greater efficiency, and faster, more effective emergency response when our community needs us most. I respectfully ask the commission
to support agenda item RE5 and allow the residents of Miami the opportunity to decide the future of this bond initiative at the ballot box. Thank you for your time and consideration. Good morning. I'm Steve Capellini. I
live at 3155 Florida Avenue and uh am with my wife at Shauna. We own a Chana's Homegrown Thai restaurant in the center of Coconut Grove. Also, uh I'm a homeowner and a resident just a block away from there. And I like to keep Coconut Grove just the way it is because
it's pretty great. Uh my wife and I met here 40 years ago and uh we're still here and uh we want to protect the canopy, keep traffic reasonable, and keep our neighborhood safe. But at the same time, as a business owner, uh we understand the need to improve the
infrastructure and make some upgrades. And that's why I'm here in support of the Playhouse project moving forward. The number one complaint most people have about The Grove is parking. A lot of people don't come to Lro because they just think of it as a place where you can't park and I think this will help a
lot with that. Although I don't think it's perfect. I have a project happening on our own street on Florida Avenue. It's going to be messy. There'll be a lot of changes. We're going to lose something of the old grove, but we'll also gain something. Uh they did a study
20 years ago, the Coconut Grove waterfront master plan causing through uh calling for some poos and alleyways to add to the charm and walkability of the grove. And I think this playhouse project will add an overall positive
with some of those same aspects of POS and walkability. Um, and I've heard I've talked to the architects there there will be a gate to block excess traffic and drop offs um for those neighbors back there. And so, so I I think that's
part of the project already. Um, I want the Grove to remain Grovy. We love it. But I also want people to be able to park so they can come support the businesses that really struggle, especially this time of the year. And there's no perfect decision you can make
today, I don't think. But maybe the best decision you can make is to move forward with compassion for our neighbors and our businesses. Thank you. >> Good morning, madam madame mayor. Good morning, commissioners. Packed agenda today. Uh my name is Katy Los Santos. uh
2150 Coral Way and I have the pleasure of serving as the executive director at Transit Alliance Miami, but previously in a different capacity, I also have worked in the past with uh my fellow collaborators at the Alpata Collaborative and a Miami Homes for All
are on the GSA lot. Uh item RE7 brings really the opportunity to once again uh reemphasize that community members, many of whom I had the pleasure of sitting in front of and having many long deep interviews, ask for deeply, deeply
affordable housing on this lot. There are opportunities here to move forward. Folks have been talking all morning about traffic. the way that we address traffic build near transit. You know what is near the GSA lot which is 20 acres of uh redevelopable land. Santa
Clara station and also the city of Miami trolley and a few other bus lines. Also this site uh provides a critical opportunity for not only the neighborhood but for the city of Miami. Um also F FR1 sidewalks are some of the
most basic infrastructure and when we protect them as we are experiencing this growth ideally from building deeply affordable housing uh in mixed income housing we really are protecting the rightway of pedestrians their safety and the accessibility of the city. Lastly on a
personal capacity I want to speak on FR2. The way we address homelessness and quality of life in the city of Miami is by ensuring access to opportunity, not criminalization that our residents who are most barred from that opportunity are honestly already facing. Uh the way
to solve that is actually through affordable housing. So many items here connected. Uh thank you for your time. >> Good morning uh madame mayor, madame chair, commissioners. Rob Piper 1401 Southwest 17 Terrace. I'm here actually
to to thank you uh thank you for RE9 and RE10 because I think that filling vacancies with elections as opposed to appointments is a much more democratic way to fill these vacancies. So I thank you for that. Also, thank you for RE12
and RE13 because I feel that and I have limited experience, but I feel that those are two more prudent ways to fund critical facilities for fire and uh and police than asking the county residents
to shoulder another uh almost half a half a half a billion dollar uh in debt. So, thank you for that. And finally, I am here against FR2. Compassion, dignity, and equity are very
important, and this ordinance does not do that for desperate people that are faced with living on the street. Uh I I thank the uh the commissioner that sponsored this bill for meeting with me and my my associate to make the changes
in this bill, in this piece of legislation. and I I appreciate that. But again, there are more compassionate, dignified, and equitable ways to ensure that the homeless issue, this this crisis, this emergency doesn't uh
interfere with the quality of life of our residents. So, I urge you to please either vote this down or defer it. Thank you very much. >> Good morning, uh, Madame Mayor and members of the commission. I'm Reverend Charlane Stevens and I currently serve
as the president of packed people acting for community together and I also serve as a senior pastor of Ebanese United Methodist Church in the Alipata area. I'm here to speak to oppose FR2 as been shared by so many others. Um I wanted to say that in our in my faith tradition,
scripture tells us that the poor will always be with us and I believe that's for a reason. is to keep us humble and to remind us that we are supposed to be caring for others, especially those who are the least among us. And so, while I understand that often times when someone is on the street and they are become
offensive to others, it does impact the quality of life for other citizens, I think that we should look for solutions to help them. It's already been stated that housing and lack of affordable or deeply affordable housing is one of the issues that really causes this to be a
major problem. But we also have the issue of mental health. Homelessness has a face and I know of a name Deroy Carter who is currently on the streets because he has issues with the drug addiction and he's also schizophrenic. PAC has
worked with the county and judge Steve Lifman to come about uh with the reopening of the center for mental health and recovery. And that is something that we'll eventually be able to help someone like Deroy. um not right now and hopefully within a few months we'll be able to do that work. But I
think it's important for us as stewards of the community and those of us who are charged with doing the stewardship to find ways to come up with solutions that will be helpful for those who really are vulnerable and in need of mental health. And I also have a concern. I was here a
few weeks ago to speak against 287G. I'm concerned about our law enforcement. I know that they're charged to con to conduct the work that they're set to do, but we're turning them into predators, ICE officers, and now going out and co, you know, collecting homeless folks and
putting them into jail is not helping them because they're going to be on the street again. It's going to be a vicious cycle. So, please think wisely and carefully about the choices and make a good decision. Thank you. Good morning, Madame Mayor, my
commissioner, Damian Pow Part, and the rest of the commission. I'm here regard the Playhouse issue, and I used to be a a merchant store on uh main highway in Florentino Plaza, and when the uh
Playhouse closed, it had a very serious negative impact on the Merkantile District here. And it's something that we all want to do and it's been such a long time. I'm at the stage of dim it do something. So I'm not going to get into
the back and forth of whatever it is. But I think we can modify the concerns of the residents by one completing the traffic study and presenting a plan that would mitigate the traffic. If you put that in advance, I think you would
reduce the content uh the contentions and the concerns and anxiety. I have a personal idea that we limit the uh westbound traffic from Maine up to a traffic circle and eastbound traffic on Charles Avenue to Habiscus. That would
do something. If we would also get a creative way that we can mitigate the commercial intrusion on Thomas and Williams. Fine. But whatever else you do, I'm with it cuz damn it, let's do something. Thank you. >> We we unfortunately we also need your
name and address for the record. I see. >> And I should know better. I I thought I said Jiad Rashid, 3629 Grand Avenue, Coconut Grove, Florida, 33133. >> Thank you. >> Good morning. My name is David Perry. I'm the executive director of the Florida Coalition to Advanced Racial
Equity, the successor to the Miami Coalition of Advanced Racial Equity. Our headquarters are at 1611 Northwest 65th Street um Commissioner Kings um district um in um Liberty City. I'm here today to speak out strongly against FR2, this um
um proposal to eliminate the warning requirements in um in the anticamping law. Um, I neglected to mention that I am also the lead plaintiff in the federal consent decree and the legis and
the um lawsuit that was known as Pottinger versus the city of Miami. So, effectively, I am Pottinger. And for the folks that know anything about homelessness um here in Miami, for 20 years, Pottinger prevented the Miami police and the city of Miami from
criminalizing homelessness. We had a protocol and a and a carefully refined regime for the police to work with the homeless in order to get them into housing. And that's the reason why Miami has a relatively lower homeless count
than other cities of its size. If you go to Washington DC or Atlanta, you're going to find five times more homeless on the streets than we have here in Miami. And that's because of success as Pottinger. F FR2 would completely undermine all of that. By striking this 24-hour warning requirement, you're
going to eliminate the uh availability and the space for the police to work with the homeless. They don't just warn the homeless off the streets. The Miami Heat unit actually works with um the homeless in affiliation with the Miami date homeless trust to connect with
housing. And housing is the only thing that eliminates homelessness, not arrests, not jails. We cannot convert our jails into into homeless shelters as the city of Miami Beach is feudally trying to do. So this um commission is
faced with a choice. We can either pay for jails or we can pay for apartments. That is our ultimate choice. You're going to pay and if you pay for jails, you're going to be paying 300% more. You'll be paying over and over and over again. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks.
>> Good morning, madame mayor and commissioners. My name is Travis Tvida and I proudly serve as a sergeant with the Miami Police Department. I am here on behalf of the M Miami Fraternal Order of Police in support of the safe and ready Miami Public Safety Bond. The residents of Miami deserve the highest
level of public safety possible. Many of our police and fire facilities have served this city for decades, but they have reached the point where continued repairs are no longer the best use of taxpayer dollars. Replacing outdated facilities with modern, purpose-built spaces is an
investment in the city's ability to serve its residents efficiently and effectively. This proposal is about more than constructing new buildings. By bringing police and fire together in a shared public safety complex, we can improve communication, strengthen coordination, and enhance our response when
emergencies occur. Those improvements ultimately benefit every resident, business, and visitor in the city of Miami. I respectfully ask this commission to approve agenda item RE5 and allow the voters of Miami the opportunity to decide this important investment at the ballot box. Thank you
for your time, your leadership, and consideration. Good morning, uh, Madame Mayor, Commission. My name is Erica Scott. I work for Miami Homes for All, 3250 Southwest 3rd Avenue. Uh, I'm here to speak in opposition to item FR2. Um, and I first do want to thank Commissioner
Escalona. We recently learned that um, you've invested in new beds for for homeless folks in District 3. Um, which is great to hear. We really want to keep working with you to um, ensure that every Miamiian has a safe place to sleep at night. But we're concerned that FR2 is not the right answer to that. Um, we
know data shows over and over again that criminalizing homelessness makes the problem worse. As folks have said today, it disrupts their relationships with service providers, can give them criminal records that prevent them from getting housing and jobs in the future. And it's ultimately part of a vicious cycle that keeps people trapped. Um,
especially when their only crime is not being able to afford housing. Um, we also know that the solution to homelessness is not arresting people, it's investing in affordable housing. Um, so that brings me to uh the second item I want to talk about today, which is RE7, uh, the GSA lot RFP. Um,
commissioners, Miami has a generational opportunity to build affordable housing in the heart of Alipata, um, in a place that, as Kathy said, is very well connected to transit. Um, and a site that you've correctly identified is underutilized. Thanks, Commissioner Cabella, for advancing the effort to to redevelop this site. Um, but as folks
have also noted, right, most folks in Alipata are not earning up to, you know, the AMI level of workforce housing. So, if we're going to make this site a meaningful opportunity for housing, we need to make it deeply affordable. And that means having at least 20% of the units um at 80% AMI or below. Um, thank
you very much. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor, Madame Chair, distinguished city commissioners. My name is Max Pearl. I am a uh native of Miami. I graduated from the University of Miami, double major in
film and theater and I've been uh um volunteering basically uh as a cheerleader, a proponent to save the Coconut Grove Playhouse on social media. We have 12,000 followers and uh for 17
years I've worked to preserve the Coconut Grove Playhouse out of civic pride. not making any money doing this. No interest in it. It's just civic pride. And the county con continually makes the comment, how many years, how many generations have missed out on a
playhouse, which I find ironic because the playhouse is gone. They will never experience the playhouse. You just cannot replace it with with what they're doing. Majority of it is going to be retail. Um I limited in
time. Let me just cut to the main points. The planning and zoning appeals board did not approve this application because the required supermajority vote was not obtained. Five votes are not six. Staff recommendations are not approvals. The question before you is whether there is a legally sufficient
basis to overthrow that to overturn the result of the PAD. The county is not above the law. The county treats the citizens who want to save the playhouse as public enemy number one. The county seized my private emails and many of the other citizens emails to former mayor
Suarez just because we didn't support their plan and were utilizing our right to free speech to voice concerns about the Playhouse. In 2004, nearly half a million Miami date county citizens voted to use 20 million in taxpayer funded bond money to quote restore the Coconut Grove Playhouse and add to its
performance and educational capabilities. Instead of adding, they subtracted. In case you didn't notice, you could take a drone and you'll see what was subtracted. The county plan to build predominantly shops and restaurants will hurt Let me just finish this. This is
important. The county plan to build predominantly shops and restaurants will hurt will hurt the >> Thank you very much. We appreciate it. Thank you. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor, commissioners, and city manager. My name is Ivan Miranda. I'm an officer with the
Miami Police Department. I'm here to speak in support of the Safe and Ready Miami public safety bond. Our police and fire facilities have served the city for decades, but many have reached the point where it makes more sense to replace them than to continue spending money on
repairs. Investing in updated public safety facilities is an investment in the people who protect the city every day and most importantly in the residents we serve. A new public safety complex will also bring our police and fire departments together, making it easier to
communicate, coordinate, and respond when emergencies happen. Working side by side will help us serve the community more efficiently and effectively. I respectfully ask the commission to approve agenda item RE5 and give the
people of Miami the opportunity to vote on this important initiative. Thank you for your time and consideration. Hi, my name isWami Crawford, 2157 Northwest 64th Street, Miami, Florida. I'm a new resident here in Florida. I
want to start out saying that I have been homeless in the past year. I am a part of a trans community that has been targeted and I am here to stand up for the citizens along with myself. It's not an issue because you're human. I'm
human. Everybody's human. Homelessness is an event. It is not a life sentence. And when you look at yourself, you're looking at that particular person. So, I want to just say thank you so much for listening to us today that you're
human, that God wants us all to be free, that we have all liberties, and that this this particular Mr. Rolando, I understand that you are proposing this, but you never know when you may be the
the very person that you're trying to lock up. So, I hope that in your heart that you find something that you see in that person that will result in a different outcome. Thank you so much for listening to us. Thank you for so much for being a part of leadership. But
leadership does not lock up people. leadership puts the solution in the hands of the citizens that they serve. Remember that you serve us. Remember that you have our our currency. You ask for our vote. You
say you'll work for us. Work for the citizens and the homeless people in your community. I've been here four months and I've seen bus stops filled with homeless people. I have been one that slept in my car. I've been on the street. I'm I'm 47 right now. I'm
standing before you. I'm new to this community and I would hope that you see the God in you and the God in the people that are on the streets. Have a heart. Okay. A lot of people take time right here to come out and speak to you, but you serve us. Thank you so much. I don't
need to take more of your time. >> Good morning, Madame Mayor and commissioners. Fernandomi, resident from the South Grove on RE5. First, I want to thank Commissioners Partardo, Gabella, Commissioner Rossado, Chairwoman King for prudently deferring this item back
in May and preventing this bond proposal, which still lacks the level of public financial detail appropriate for a decision of this magnitude, from being put on a rushed ballot. That was absolutely the responsible decision. And I applaud you all for it because when you're discussing a proposal that could
ultimately require we the taxpayers to repay up to maybe a billion dollars over 30 years including principal and debt service. Caution is not obstruction. Caution is fiduciary responsibility. And that's the real issue before you today.
Not whether our police officers and firefighters deserve safe and modern facilities. Of course they do. I agree absolutely with the mayor. I think we all do in that regard. The real question is whether the public has been given enough financial information to responsibly place this proposal before
the voters. I don't believe that standard has yet been met. Before creating new debt, the city should first publish a complete accounting of the 2017 Miami forever bond. Residents deserve one clear public dashboard showing what has been sent spent, what
has been remained, and what has been committed before b while that borrowing authority still exists and what debt taxpayers are already carrying. If there are truly urgent public safety needs, then address those first through phased investments while completing the
financial review. And all of this comes while Florida's property tax system is under active debate, creating future uncertainty about how cities may finance long-term obligations in the future. This is simply too important to rush. I respectfully ask you to please defer
this item again until the public has full financial picture through sunshine workshops, finance committee review, and a clear districtby district capital plan. Thank you all very much. Morning, commissioners. Madame Mayor, Mark Burns, executive director of the
Coconut Grove Business Improvement District. Madame Mayor, I asked if I could get one extra minute to read a prepared statement by one of my business owners. Not today. >> No long. All right, I'll be I'll be brief with mine then. >> You can give it to the clerk and he'll pass it around. >> Okay, perfect. Um, so please I'm here
obviously in support of the Playhouse project. Let's move this forward. It's it's been way too long. It's been back and forth for over 15 years here. Please complete the pro the promise that this this city commission made 10 or 15 years ago when they sold the Oak Avenue garage
to go ahead and support a uh a new garage over here in uh at the Playhouse property. But I'll start this statement here. Uh this is from Lee Kesler, owner of Barracuda Tap House at 3035 Fuller Street. Lee Kesler, owner of a Barracuda Center Grove resident and third
generation Miamiian. Thank you for allowing me to be heard even though I could not be present as I look forward to speaking about the Playhouse property but would be in the doghouse if I miss the short vacation with my family. Being a talker, I'm going to speak in bullet points to keep it short. The playhouse itself, the theater brings jobs, people,
foot traffic, full restaurants and bars, open retail rather than dark closed spaces after six and an artistic community that is part of the very fabric that makes the Grove. The Grove development is inevitable, but this is your chance to preserve part of our identity that has been missing for way too long. A restored theater would not
only improve the vitality of our neighborhood, but also the safety of having more eyes on the street. Please do the right thing and remember our roots. We wouldn't be here today without them. I'll end it a little short and I'll put the rest in the record. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Good morning, mayor, commissioners, manager. My name is Felix Rosario. the president for the fraternity of police lodge number 20. I represent all the city of Miami police officers. I would like to thank Mayor Higgins and Commissioner Scalona for sponsoring RE5.
It is very important for us. By now, we all know the conditions of our police station and all the fire stations. You know, they do not accurately serve our needs anymore. We have outgrown them. While other cities have invested in
modern facilities, right, a resilient resilient uh emergency operation facilities and unified command centers, we work out of a 50-year-old building. This not only has temporarily, this negatively impacts our criminal investigations, our evidence management,
and the employees who work there. This is not about a facility. This is about public safety. Again, this is not about a facility. Public safety. We've asked the commissioners to vote yes. Let the voters decide. Let the firefighters and the police officers have our residents
decide what we need that we need this facility. I'm sure in November we will get the votes that we need to have this bond pass. Thank you. Good morning. Anthony Vinca, 3325 Charles Avenue, board member, preserve the West Grove. We've heard a lot of
concern about the Playhouse today. That's because this is taking place in one of the most historic important communities of African descent in the state of Florida. We all know that co west coconut grove has protections that are placed by the city of Miami. We also
know that these protections which are supposed to protect the architecture and culture of the community have not been followed over the years. There have been sugar cubes going up. There's been commercial encroachment happening over the years. That's the context for this
playhouse project today. We have been working since 2021 for the last 5 years to address these issues of commercial encroachment in Village West. The playhouse unfortunately is going to increase that commercial encroachment
into the community. These are the county's own drawings of the commercialization that will open on Charles Williams and Thomas Avenue. This is T3R residential properties in one of the most historic communities in
the state of Florida. This is the types of things we've been seeing already in the process. There are no protections in place for Village West. Commissioner Partardo knows this. We've met with him a number of times about these issues. PAB denied this
project to move ahead because it was primarily commercial. PAB also denied it because of the protections the community's been asking for for 5 years that have not been put in place. There's no traffic mitigation plan. How can this move ahead without a clear traffic
mitigation plan? There's no plan for employment supporting Village West access for Village West organizations or integration with the historic elements. These items need to be placed in a binding community protections agreement before it meets moves ahead. This has
not happened yet. The county claims that it's going to be addressing these issues, but they need to be clearly articulated and binding before it moves ahead. So, we're asking you to please vote no. >> I appreciate it. Thank you. >> Good morning, honorable commissioners, Mr. City Attorney, Mr. Manager, Madame
Mayor. My name is Alexander Gnas. the president for the Miami Association of Firefighters Local 587 located at 2980 Northwest South River Drive. I'm here to speak on RE5, the safe and ready Miami Public Safety Bond. Now, today I'm not just here on behalf of the 900 brave and
highly skilled men and women of our fire department. There's no question that this bond has dra will drastically improve the working conditions of my members. They have proven that whether they're responding to a stub toe, a cardic arrest, an aggressive three alarm fire, or even the rescue efforts in a
foreign country after a devastating earthquake, our firefighters won't let adverse conditions get in the way of them doing their jobs and fulfilling their mission in Sworno to protect this city. But more importantly, I'm here on behalf of the 1 million residents and visitors that those 900 firefighters
proudly serve day in and day out. For far too long, there have been four key areas within our city that have been underserved and delayed response times are a growing concern. Your constituents, our patients are the ones bearing the greatest risk. And there's no discounting the risk here. These are
seconds and minutes that jeopardize our ability to save lives and protect property. And this bond will fix that. Now, this bond has seen its fair share of deferrals, just like the deferred maintenance our stations have endured over the years. But deferring whether or not we can arrive on time to save a drowning baby or the ability to respond
in time from someone bleeding out from a major traumatic incident is not an option for a city of Miami firefighter. Commissioners, all we're asking is that you allow the voters to decide for themselves whether or not they want to enhance their own public safety benefit. We simply cannot risk allowing these
subpar working conditions to persist and delayed response times to continue. As elected officials, you bear the same responsibility to keep our residents and visitors safe. Therefore, I respectfully ask you to labor with a vision and act with conviction. I strongly urge your support on RE5 for a safer and ready
Miami. Our firefighters and more importantly, our residents and visitors deserve better. Good, I guess, afternoon officially now. Um, Javier Avenue with the law firm of Bills and Sun, 1450 Bickl Avenue. I'm here on RE1. I will be brief. Um
although the history on this item is not um I will keep it to what I think are the important highlights of what this item does and does not do. Um this item is for the relocation uh under 62618.4
of the code that allows for the relocation and reconstruction of signs um in the city. Uh this will allow uh for this item to conclude um with a
payment uh that catches up the payments of the uh of the of the the typical fees that would be collected for signs um of up to $150,000 and also creates a revenue stream of an additional $600,000
as well. The signs are limited to just three districts, districts 1, three, and four where the signs can be relocated to. Uh so it cannot be relocated to districts two or five. Um and what the sign does not do, I think it's equally
important to um to to highlight those items. Uh this does not open Pandora's box, does not allow for uh the other uh entities that have entered into settlement agreements with the city to start establishing new signs. Um this
does not trigger any of those uh uh any of those concerns. And even if it did, there is a very robust indemnification provision that has been profered within the settlement agreement that completely holds the city harmless um and protects
the city to the extent that any you know other company or any other entity wishes to try and enforce um against the terms of the agreement. I think that's very important because there's no risk to the city in that in that regard. So I will
leave it at that and urge for your support. Thank you very much. >> Good afternoon madame mayor, honorable commissioners, Mr. Manager, Mr. City Attorney, Albert Robert, Miami Association of Firefighters located at 2980 Northwest River Drive, speaking on
RE5. What is before the commission today is more than a financial decision. It is a public safety decision. It is a decision that will determine whether our firefighters and paramedics can reach a father suffering a heart attack, a child who has stopped breathing, or a family
trapped in a houseire before it's too late. Today, our firefighters are doing everything they can, but they cannot overcome one simple reality. You cannot respond quickly when there aren't enough fire stations. Every minute lost because of distance is a minute that can mean
the difference between life and death. Delayed response times don't just affect the statistics, they affect families, neighbors, loved ones throughout our community. Supporting RE5 is an opportunity to change that. It's an opportunity to invest in the
infrastructure that protects every resident, every business, and every visitor to the city of Miami. Public safety should never be compromised because we failed to keep pace with the growth of our city. Our residents deserve first class public safety services. They deserve to know that when
they dial 911, help is already on the way, not delayed because the closest station is too far away. Today, you have the opportunity to make a decision that will save lives, not just tomorrow, but for decisions, I'm sorry, for generations to come. I respectfully ask
each of you to support RE5 and give the people of Miami the level of public safety they deserve. Thank you for your time and your consideration. All right, I see no more speakers. So, the public hearing and comment period is closed.
Colleagues, what would you like to do? Would you like to power through till 1:00 and get a few items done? I'm seeing heads yes. No, I have three. Yes. Okay, great. Um, we will do that. Um, so
we have the consent agenda. There's two items there. Anybody want to bifrocate any of those? I'll take a motion. >> Motion. >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Show those passed. Um we have a lot of
people here on one the bond and two um the playhouse. So I think we'll take those items up early so perhaps we can get folks um on their way before we break for lunch. Um so let's start with
RE5. Um I think over the past couple of weeks including the two deferrals. Um as as you all know I've now visited every facility
uh in our city multiple times. Sometimes uh even into the back of the electrical closets and the generator rooms in in a way that probably had never previously been done. I I know that um particularly for the three of you that have been on the commission for
a long time that you have been well aware of the um dangerous situation in our police headquarters building because in 2024 um you know Commissioner Pardo, Commissioner Cabbella and and um Terman King uh that is when the city undertook
the study to look at what it would cost to what it would need to design a new public safety building and where it could be cited um given the land that the city owns. Um obviously that continued in October of last year and December of last year uh where this
commission uh took the decision um to locate the new public safety building in Mel Reese Park. So the status of what's of what's been happening in the police headquarters been known quite frankly for for 20 years. Um, I guess that means
they're on their fourth mayor. Um, where it's been raining in the homicide department. It is well known that we need a new public safety building. There is absolutely no way to repair the one we have and that is the work that you have been doing for the past couple of
years um to rectify the neglect that have been going on for for many many years before that. I think what was not as well known to the public was the state of affairs of our fire rescue stations and and that's both a testament
uh to the men and women that work there that uh they didn't complain too much. Uh but when you go in there uh the working conditions in some of these older stations are unsafe. 60% of our stations are over 50 years old. Uh two of them are over 60 years
old uh and must be replaced. And then of course we have response times that are completely inadequate in many many neighborhoods uh throughout the city far above the the six minute um national standard. And that's just quite frankly
because we haven't built fire stations in those neighborhoods. And and so this is a can that has been kicked down the road uh for for many many many years. So, at the last meeting, we had a pretty robust uh debate. Uh, one of which was,
I think, extremely important was we wanted the maximum voter participation. And the idea of moving that to a November election where we're more than likely to have 80% of our our voters turnout would give us a true indication
of whether the voters support um support this bond. Uh the other was um really making sure that the projects were detailed and that this was indeed very different from the Miami Forever Bond.
Right? The Miami Forever Bond was a pot of money that over time projects began to get to. And I can tell you um Barbie Hernandez, our uh assistant city mayor, is doing a great job at trying to basically do a forensic analysis on
where all that money is. and put it together in a public-f facing dashboard. Um, and I had agreed last time to make sure we started with a public-f facing dashboard. And so that is up there explaining what is the current state and
what are the projects. This is a projectbased bond. It is ext totally different from the Miami forever bond. We have 20 projects basically, right? One of them is larger the public safety building which would colllocate as other
modern cities and municipalities are doing to have a unified command of police fire 911 and and for us finally a cat 5 ready emergency response center. We also um need to replace our two most
elderly uh fire stations. We need to build four new fire stations to provide the response times we need in the north grove, south grove, alapata, Liberty City, the far northwest corner of the city, and then the areas of East
Shannondoa. Those are all the areas that have response times for emergency calls that are above um six minutes and can sometimes be higher than eight minutes. Then we have 13, so that's our seven big projects. Then we have 13 stations that
need renovations. Um, some of them are health related, others of them are new roofs, some of them are flood damage, others are older electrical systems. All of those projects and the scope of them have been detailed by station in the
website which is available to the public to look at. This is a simple choice for us. We know these problems exist. We know the further we delay these repairs, the more expensive they are
going to get. We also know if we do not fix and expand our fire stations, we will not be providing life-saving care to some residents who are unfortunate enough to
not live within a mile of our fire stations. This commission has the opportunity to put on the ballot in November the question to our residents. We're pretty smart. Do they want to support this or do they
not want to support this? I told you last time I did a poll and I was very truthful about them that this is going to cost them money, right? On a monthly basis, right? Most of us pay our property taxes if we're paying through a mortgage, right? goes on the monthly
basis. So, we're very truthful. And I asked them, if you knew that in the first year it would cost you about $4 a month, are you more or less likely to vote for the bond? And 60 more almost 70% of them said they were more likely
to vote for the bond when they knew that. Then I asked them a different question, which is the larger amount of money. On average, it could be more than $10 a month. does that make you more or less likely to support the police and
fire bond? And the same percentage said yes. So at the end of the day, our residents know that their lives are worth in the first year $4 a month and in the out years 10 or $11 a month. Our team has looked at these projects. Thank
you to the administration particularly to OCI and others. We have looked at the costs. We have done the analysis with finance. it ends up in the first year, that monthly payment is closer to $2.38 and the average annual payment will be
under $10. So, our residents are open to considering this. They want to consider it and they have indicated that those costs and it's not they don't take these things lightly. We all know it's rough
for a lot of families to make ends meet, but at the end of the day, when their kid is having an asthma attack, they want somebody to respond and respond quickly and they have answered indicatively not at the ballot box yet
that they are supportive. The question be in front of us today is do we want to allow them to choose to repair these facilities, expand the fire rescue facilities we need, get our emergency
operations center up to CAT 5 standards with good backup power, and get our 911 call center out of a building that floods constantly. and we're constantly having to relocate our 911 center to a building that's over a hundred years
old. These are these are problems that we should have our city should have solved 10, 15, 20 years ago, but it didn't. I promised when I got here, I would look at what was going right in the city, and there's a lot, but I
always also would look at where the holes are, and I would be truthful to the residents when I saw them. And I saw this and I wanted you to be aware of it because it matters. It matters to you. It matters to your
children and it matters to the neighborhoods that we call home. So colleagues, I'm I'm looking forward to the discussion today and I certainly hope you will consider putting this on the ballot and letting the residents of
Miami choose or not choose to support this initiative. Thank you. Would colleagues, anyone want to start or >> Mardo? Yeah, go ahead. >> Oh, go ahead. >> No, no, you first.
>> Okay. So, we All right. So, let's get get down to the nitty here. Uh what happened was, and she's right. Okay. Uh prior administrations have kicked this uh can down the road and it landed up now and we're talking about it now. Right. Uh this morning I was threatened.
Okay. There was a mass text going around by my former campaign manager because since I took the uh the press away from him a while back and he's not making money with me anymore. You know, he's doing this kind of thing. Some of some of these people here know them. His name is Emiliano. And but he thinks I'm going
to be swayed with this. And and here's the thing. They're threatening me with a Republican vote. I am a Republican at the end of the day. But here's the deal. This isn't a Republican issue or this isn't a Democrat issue either. It's plain and simple. We need to bring this up to date. We need to take care of
this. And the the question is the objective is how are we going to do it? The financing. Now for me, okay, as I stated earlier, this is not the first time I say this, three things have to happen for me to push this forward. Okay, one of them is when we sell the
existing police headquarters, okay, which the estimates came in that it's worth now about $70 million, which I think it's low. I think it's worth a lot more money than that. If you compound uh for property value in the uh in the
future, I think that that uh that site is going to be worth a lot more money, probably between 100 and $150 million. Okay. So stipulate stipulation number one for me, the language has to be in there that when and if and when we sell that
building for whatever amount we sell it, that money will go to pay down the debt to lessen the burden on the taxpayer for taking this debt down. That's number one. Okay, that has to be in black and white for me. I have to have assure asurances because other than that, no go
for me, no can do. Okay, number two also. Okay. And a lot of people didn't talk about this when we issue one of these things. And in the past, okay, uh grants come in, some matching grants come in. Uh on the on the 400 million
that was issued, okay, 272 was actually issued. There remains 125 to 130 to be issued that we never issued that. Okay? But there were a lot of loopholes in that thing. And that's why people ask, hey, you know, you guys haven't even spent the money for the 400 and now you
want another 450. This is part of the of the problem here of and and the mixup here. Okay. Now, that wasn't our doing. That wasn't our doing. You weren't here. You weren't here. You weren't here. You weren't here. And I weren't wasn't here. Nobody was here. Okay. Now, having said that, okay, I say that if there are any
matching grants that come in, the matching grants will go to pay down the debt automatically, not to use for anything else. Okay? Not to use for anything else. That has to be in writing also. Not that we're going to say it up here. Like sometimes in the past has happened that we've said stuff up here
and the wind has taken it and then you see something else on paper that doesn't even reflect the conversation that we that we we've had up had up here. Okay. So So for me, okay, and for me and I understand my fiduciary duty with the taxpayer. Okay. Now, we also have to
have a cap on what we're going to spend for the police building headquarters. Okay. What is this that I hear of a billion dollars? >> Commissioner, um, and I'm happy to let the city manager weigh in. Um, when the
AA a has been doing the analysis on the public safety building, right? Let's be very clear, it's not just police headquarters. We also have to have our 911 call center and we'll be re recloating the emergency operations center and fire headquarters. Fire headquarters, as you all know, fires all over the city. So, they don't have very
much. It's more their office space. So, that's not um a huge amount of space. Um the current analysis, correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Manager, is coming in at about $320 million. Uh our new police chief, our city manager, myself, we are
all in conversations to value to engineer that to the do the amount that we committed to in here, which is 305 million dollars. >> I do support what Gabella said. I I have >> I support that everything you said.
>> Yeah, I have I wouldn't if I'm I have some emo I think I could have some amendments I could propose but I would need a motion first and a second to >> so then let's clear something else. Let's clear up. So we're proposing on a $450 million bond and we're going to
float that bond and crunches. We're not going to float at the same time. When you do float that bond is it's that bond is my understanding that you have a threeyear window to use it. Right. and we're not going to do anything with it that we're not actually using it to to, you know, to service the, you know, the the debt. But here's the thing. The 130
that you're also going to bring over from the 400 mil to add to the 450. Can we uh educate on what exactly we're doing that with those 130? So there's no confusion here >> on the the Miami Forever Bond. >> The Miami Forever one forever bond that
there was a 400 million. Okay. uh 272 was issued at the time. Actually out of the 272und and something was never actually spent. Okay. Still there but it is committed is what I understand. Okay. And then out of that 400 we never issued
ask you 125 to 130 that now you're going to bring it full circle and add it to the 450. Do do I have my math right or or not? Because that's what I >> commission commissioner. So I'll let our CFO speak to that but we're not bringing the the 130 over the 130. We remember just like we would do in this case, we
would be drawing down on the projects that are underway. So obviously we can't defund projects that are underway. The reason why we're drawing in stages is because as those projects progress in completion, so does the cost associated with those.
>> I I know that. I know that. But I want her to say so the public can understand exactly what's going on here. Good afternoon, Commissioner Erica Pascal, Darling, CFO. The balance of the Miami Forever Bond is $125 million. That
has not been issued to date. The majority of that is 100 million in affordable housing and the remainder is infrastructure projects as well as 6 million for uh fire station number 10.
>> Okay. So to be clear, that money is not to be used to join the 450. That and that's what I wanted to clear up. That money has already be been committed for something else. I don't know what why we why that money was never used and it took so long to use it because that's what people that that's part of the
problem here, okay? That people don't understand fully what we've done here, okay? And and and with and moving forward with the 450, we got to be extremely clear exactly what we're going to do with the money. And that's why I want to clear it up. Those are my points, okay? I want to help the police
station. Okay? I want to help the policemen, our men and women in uniform. I toured that police station a year and a half ago when they had the big flooding. I was one of the first guys there. I was there. I saw it. I saw the the conditions. Okay? I understand about the fire station. So, we have a
balancing act here to perform to take care of them, but we've also got to take care of the taxpayer. Okay? So, at the end of the day, I'm going to be brief. But at the end of the day for me, those stipulations had to be put in in black and and and white. My attorney put here
um basically in in more formalized uh you know legal jargon. Okay. Exactly what we want to see, what my office wants to see, Madame Mayor, what my office wants to see in the language going forward and let the taxpayer at the end of the day
if all this is met, I will be voting for it. if all everything is met in black and white and let the let the taxpayer decide if they want to do it or don't want to do it. Thank you. >> Um, Commissioner, I I would still need a motion in a second before I can make
amendments, but why don't I say back to you what I think I heard, which would make an amendment, and that would give you a little time to legalize it or legal. Um, so as I see it, there are three
potential sources of revenue that could help offset the need to issue the full $450 million. One is um once the new public safety building is is built, we can move folks in there and we could
sell the police headquarters. So we could allocate the proceeds from the sale of that police headquarters building to pay the debt off or not issue face value debt. >> We might not even need the money because if it's going to take time that 100 mil might just come in and and we don't even
have to have to issue >> part of the bond. Right. Correct. >> So we could either pay off the you you know you and the finance people we either >> pay down the debt or we do not have to issue the debt. So I would say the police headquarters also grants I think
um obviously that is very important as they come in. It's easier to get generally capital grants for fire than for police but we probably will get some almost every year. So we should have any capital grants that or for the projects that are in this bond should be have the
same conditions. They would pay off the debt or um or avoid the issuance of debt. >> Well I I I I'm sorry M mad mayor. I I I would see a key word. You said uh capital, you know, grant. No, any grant
that comes in pertaining that has to do with this issue here. Yes. >> And the fire stations and the police station, any grant at all will will be used to pay down the debt, the principal to be used to be pay down the principal on the bond. >> If it's a capital grant, meaning if if we get the grant from the state or the
federal government, it's allowed for construction, we can do that. If we get a grant, for example, for police cars, that's not capital. So, we do have to use the word, I think, capital improvements or physical improvements or, you know, something like that. >> Thank you. Thank you very much because
that was the other one I was that was the last one I was going to put. The monies cannot be used to buy police cars, equipment, fire equipment, none of that stuff. This is purely for what we said it's going to be. >> We're we're not allowed to bond that out those those things out anyway. But this is a project based bond. if it's not
listed in the projects on the website, we're not doing it. But I also have a third suggestion which I think is in line with your thinking. Um, you know, over the next three or four years, we may have developers that we that might want to profer some community benefits
that would be contributions to police and fire capital. And so we could perhaps Javi, you could help with this. Um any future community benefit agreements that are negotiated that are directed to these projects would also offset the debt because I think what
you're getting at is we need $450 million is what we need to do all this, right? That is the cost of this pro, you know, of these projects. But at the end of the day, we're asking folks for the opportunity to issue debt. But in the meantime, we're going to be looking
around for other ways to not have to issue all of that debt. And that's through grants, through the sale sale of the headquarter building, but quite frankly, it also might be through community benefits. Um, for example, the Watson Island fire station, we already have a commitment of $5 million, which
by the way is not enough to build the whole thing, but there's an opportunity to get more. that's just not yet in writing. So, we've already taken that $5 million into account in the bond, right, we're not issuing that, but should we on any of these fire stations get
additional community benefit, we would be able to use that. So, those would be the three things that I think encompass what you're saying, are you able to make that in on the fly into a real amendment? >> Uh, yes, we can work on that. So it would be it would be a pledge of the
proceeds of the sale of the current police headquarters for the repayment of the bond or to help offset the issuance of the bond. Um the second one is any matching grants subject to the terms of the grants and applicable laws that that that apply to the grants um would be
used to either pay down the debt or uh be used in lie of issuing debt. And then the final one would be that um to see if there this is the one's a little more um you know nebulous but it'll be to see if any future community benefit funds um to
best efforts to direct any community future community benefits towards uh offsetting the debt or um assisting with the construction of these projects to to avoid >> may maybe I want to clarify that I don't think we want all community benefit agreements to go to this right because
sometimes we're going to want affordable housing or sometimes we're going to want neighborhood participation, but should there be in a community benefits agreement, which are generally negotiated by and with the commissioner of the district that is
most effective. Should there be the choice made that part of that community benefits agreement be for police and fire capital for one of the projects in this bond that that also would be used. So, you're right, that's the most nebulous because different neighborhoods
need different things and different community benefit benefit neighborhoods in different ways. Um, some are poverty alleviation, some are affordable housing, some are green space and parks. Um, but we know we have had contributions particularly on the Watson
Island case um for um for police and fire. >> Does that cover your thoughts? Okay. >> Great. Okay. >> Okay. >> Ready? >> Yeah. >> All right. So, the the first thing is I know that there's $10 million listed as
repairs and modernization projects and that includes about 12 fire stations or so, maybe maybe more. And it seems like that's the really really critical piece with fire and why don't we just take that right from reserves? I mean, I don't even think we should wait for a
bond or including the bond if we have it in reserves and we can deal with them immediately. The other piece is the building of fire stations and that's where I think we could successfully find public private partnerships that use a design build finance and maintenance
model so that we don't Commissioner Rosado to your point about worried about maintenance. It's done. It's part of that package. The finance is part of that package but taxpayers don't pay for that. So the issue I have with the ballot question is that it makes people
feel like if I want to be safe, if I want to feel like my medical emergency will be tended to, I need to increase my taxes. >> And Commissioner Deella, when you and I first started, our very I think one of our first votes, >> cut taxes. >> So, you know, we're in an affordability
crisis. We're in a situation where we really haven't explored good models that work that don't increase taxes for taxpayers. And then we have $35 million which is slated for the safety administrative building. But that $35
million is very nebulous. It's not really okay. It's 305, but we have a new police chief. We have an eastern district. We're decentralizing services. Do we need as much space? Do we need different space? So, I commend the
effort and the fact that this is being highlighted because like everybody up here and as you know, police and fire, we support you 100%. But the question is, it shouldn't be this choice of police, fire, increase taxes. There are
other options and we just haven't explored them. That's why I won't be supporting this today. >> I'll go next. Um, I have several issues with this one. Again, as my colleagues have stated, this is not a question of whether we
support police and fire and it's unfair to make it so because we all support police and fire. Full stop. There's no question about that. Here are my concerns. The
misinformation that has been given Let's just start with just what just happened. We're trying to bake a cake here on the dis. We're trying to negotiate what this should look like on the dis. Madame Mayor has said that she did
polling. Polls cannot replace going to our communities having town hall meetings of which we've had none. Of which we've had none. I cannot support an item where we have not taken
this information to our communities. It has never been done such I have worked on bonds for the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA. It took multiple community meetings to get their feedback
and input. Public private partnerships do work. Community engagement is not a poll. You cannot say I p I didn't get the poll. I want this to work. But we also have to
address the fact that we have debt service coming up. The Marlin stadium, the Miami Forever Bond. So what is touted as $2, $4, $10 doesn't contemplate the other debt service we
must now put upon our residents. Misinformation number two, we can't propose this bond referendum in a special election. That's just not
true. We absolutely can. There is no reason for us to rush. It's $450 million that we're talking about. We have someone in the audience right now whose whole job is to build fire
stations. The organization is called CORE and they can do it within 12 to 15 18 months. What if the bond doesn't pass? Then what do we do?
we would be where we are right now. I think it is fiscally responsible for us to stop, take a breath, and work this through. Not in from May until July. You
don't contemplate $450 million in two months. You just don't do that. That's not fiscally responsible. That's not fiscally sound. And it's not fair to our community. And it's not fair to the police or fire department if this item fails because when I have spoken to my
community and outside of my community, I have a resounding no. I'm not ready. I don't understand this. Putting up a website does not does not take the place of community engagement. It just doesn't. Havi, you
just said that you're going to do an amendment to um contemplate grants and this and that. Grants are very specific. When we apply for grants, when we get grants, you have to use that grant for the purpose that it was given. You can't say, as Commissioner Gabella would like,
any grant money we get will be pledged for this. You can't do that. And you should have said that. >> Yeah. If I may clarify, what I had said was that any grants subject to the terms of the grant agreement and any applicable laws that apply to the grant
would be used to help either pay off debt or used for that project. So that's what I had. >> So as long as when we apply for grants, we apply for grants for a specific purpose and then it's to match funds for a specific purpose. Now the grants that
we get in all of them cannot be applied to that. So, it would be for a specific purpose and you can't we can't promise that you'll get a grant for a new fire station and if it is it's to match what's happening with the fire
station. You can't then put a stipulation that that grant will be used to pay down the debt service. That's why residents don't trust us because you say stuff like that and then in its application that's not what happens.
That's not what happens. And also, is anyone concerned about the prospect of losing a significant amount of revenue with the proposal of eliminating property >> taxes >> that is going to have a significant
impact on our community. And how are we going to make that up? We're borrowing money and we're losing money at the same time. It is fiscally responsible for us to first find out what happens with our property taxes and then move forward
because you're asking us to take on additional debt when we very well may be losing our property taxes that revenue. There is there there is nothing wrong with waiting until November and then
saying, "Hey, this is what we have. This is we've had an opportunity to go to our communities. We've had an opportunity to share with the community what's happening with this debt service that we have to pay." How much is that? Because I can tell you in my community, there
are some people that cannot afford an additional $2 a month. they can't afford additional $4 a month. Also, while fire and police are high up on
what we need, what about areas where we don't have resources? Let's take for example the Reverend Edward T. Graham Heritage Trail. We applied for a grant, IBUI grant,
federal government to get that. The city thought it was appropriate to put in a competing grant for the new stadium, the inner Miami stadium, of which they were awarded the grant. Now, Commissioner Partardo and I are
advocating for the Reverend Edward T. program which will address decades of life quality of life. So instead of us being awarded a grant to address decades
of quality of life issues in the Overtown community, we are now going to get a walkway to make it more convenient for folks to attend sporting events.
But a bond because we cannot get that space wrong. A portion of the bond could go to the Reverend Edward T. Grant Heritage Trail so that we get this space right and the residents of Overtown
finally get what they deserve. It's not and it doesn't have to be one or the other. we can find a path forward for everything without knowing what's happening in November with our property taxes. I can't support this without
sitting down and I would want to go with our mayor have town hall meetings. Have you had a town hall meeting in your district to see how your constituents feel about >> So here's the here's the deal. >> That's a rhetorical question. Well, you're asking but I'm going to answer.
>> I get it. >> All right. Good commission. Commissioner King, you still have the floor. >> So, I haven't been able to do that, save for constituent Tuesday. And in constituent Tuesday, I am not getting 60
70% overwhelmingly supporting this bond. I'm not. We had several persons come and speak today that is not in favor of the bond. The last time we had this on, all but one person was against the bar in
its format today. I will support, and let me say this clearly, I will and I do support some form of this for our fire and police department. But be clear,
there are too many unknowns. debt service, the property taxes, also being able to utilize public private partnerships, which by the way do work. And if any of you want to get more education on that, please check out my
textbook, Live Local. I teach Miami politics at FIU University. There were three cities in crisis. They didn't have the benefit of being able to bond to address their crisises.
They addressed the crisises with public private partnerships. I am sure I am confident that we could if we put our minds together identify public private partnerships that would lower the amount of money
that we need to ask our residents to go into debt for. So, with all of those reasons that I've just submitted to you, I cannot in good conscience for my community support
this. But I will support us taking time to do our due diligence to meet with our community and put this on a special election so that we really will have the support of the entirety of
the community. Because what will break my heart is if we just move forward and rush this through that our community rejects it. And it has been done in Florida. There were the last two bonds that came up in different cities. The
community rejected it. And I don't want to see that happen because we do need the police station, the fire stations. We do need that. I know better than anybody. I've toured these spaces. I am in the process of negotiating
a public private partnership for the substation on Northwest 62nd and 10th Avenue to build that. You're preaching to the converted. I've visited these spaces. I know what they need. I've had
best friends, childhood friends that are firefighters, that are police officers. There is no universe that I do not support the efforts of police and fire. But I cannot today support this by agreeing to put it on the ballot without
us doing some real work with the people who are going to take on this debt. We have to do community engagement. We have to go to our community and listen to them and answer the tough questions
because that's why we were elected. >> City attorney, is there a way to add to this resolution Petri consideration of Petri? Uh yes, if it's the will of this body, we can definitely add um into into the
recitals that uh consideration of uh public private partnerships would be something that we'll take into account for the construction of these projects. >> Okay. I would like to make a motion with that and with Commissioners Gabella's amendments. >> Okay. >> And I have one quick question. Is there
a way to just move those 10 million and get that going? the the 10 million that's being included here, can we just take that 10 from reserve and address repairs and modernization? >> Our reserves are complicated in the city.
>> It's it's detailed in the ordinance. So, I would look at uh our assistant city attorney to explain to you how it's limited in the use of the reserve fund. Not to mention that there's a quick turnaround also required to repay back into the reserve those funds.
>> Okay. which will then come from our general >> funase it not necessarily reserves but there's if there's available funding in the range of 10 million that can be used and prioritized for this so that it doesn't have to wait for a bond issuance
or some later date when we know that these repairs are really necessary and critical. >> Absolutely commissioner but if we had the 10 million available we would be using it for exactly that. So, we can take that out of the bond. Perfect. Yes, sir.
>> No, I I don't believe that. I'm sorry to Right now, we do not have $10 million allocated anywhere in the budget to do these repairs, right? And this budget has been voted on for years and years and years. So unless you know you all I
guess we'll roll out the budget, but my preference is we put in front of the voters what we need to deal with the situation that's been growing. And this is another one. Should you as a commission decide to take money out of
the general fund to pay for these items, again, we would not have to issue the full amount of debt. And I think that is at the core of this discussion today is in order to deal with the problem, we cannot do what we did in Miami Forever
Bond, right? Miami Forever Bond, we would say, "We're going to here 100 projects and this project costs $45 million and in Miami Forever Bond, we put $7 million in there and we're just going to get grants over time to do it. No one can figure out why the flooding
project hasn't been worked or why the community center in their park hasn't been finished." It's because we didn't say this is what it costs. >> And so what we need to do with this is say what it costs and then we find all kinds of other ways to fill it in. And
so we don't have to get to that $450 million cap. Could be P3s, could be grants, could be the sale of the police headquarters. Could be that you all in the upcoming budget year find the $10 million or in this case $13 million to
repair those um those items. But my preference is to go forward and be truthful with what we actually need. >> At the end of the day, we're getting off subject here. At the end of the day, the voter will decide. And if the voter doesn't want to do it, then let them do
it. Billy, you don't want to vote no, you vote no. I want to vote no, I'll vote no. Whatever. But put it up to the voter. And then meanwhile, Meanwhile, while we're putting it up to the voter, let's work on making it better. If we can make it better is what I'm saying because we've been at this. We've been beating this horse now for three months.
>> Commissioner Gamala, Commissioner Partardo, you still have the floor. And then we'll go way over there. So my question really is to the city manager. I mean, we reallocate all the time. We have mid-year budgets all the time. $10 million is a very small percent of our
overall budgets. We can find this money and take care of this and not have to wait while this process goes on. >> Commissioner, I'll be more than glad to work with each and every one of your offices to identify what dollars we can repurpose. >> Thank you.
>> Okay. Sure. We'll go over to you since it's your birthday first. Thank you. I I have two images that I wanted to show. So, I've gotten a lot of questions about how we got to this place. Uh and essentially, there are three different reasons why we are in the state that
we're in. So, the the first one is, you know, equipment changes over time and so buildings become obsolete. That's nobody's fault. If a fire station was built uh in the right capacity 60 or 70 years ago, but now it doesn't make sense. There you go. But now it doesn't make
sense. That's something that we just have to deal with. The second the second item is population growth. I think we all understand what that means. And the third one is maintenance. So I do want to assure those of you that are particularly concerned about maintenance and what we can do going forward. We've got two uh related items in here which
are RE12 and RE13. My team and I, this is Yoswani from my office. Uh we did a lot of national research. How do they address these kinds of issues in other places? And so RA12 is a what we're calling a facility condition index which is by the end of the year the manager
will provide to the full commission an assessment of every single building that is related to police or fire and we should do it for all city facilities in fact um so that we don't continue to butt up against this issue in the in the future right so if folks are saying we need more guardrails this is guardrail
number one and RE13 is guardrail number two which is a police and fire facilities maintenance reserve fund which gets at what commissioner part is is suggesting essentially which is we should be setting aside more money every single year to make sure our buildings don't get into this shape. So I hope my colleagues will support these items
regardless of how they feel about the bond at this time because these are good things to protect us into the future so we don't have to deal with these things. This is our current uh police uh parking garage in downtown that's been demolished in the last few weeks. So that's a lack of leadership, but we are where we are and we're going to need a
new headquarters regardless. If we can go to the the second image, and this one's a lot more personal. So, some of you know I lost my dad not too long ago. This picture is 10 years old. Those are my kids when they were much younger. They're essentially now adults. My parents lived, my mom continues to live
uh just outside District 4, just outside the city of Miami in unincorporated Miami Dade. Right around the time that this picture was taken, my dad had a heart attack and fire rescue from unincorporated Miami date off of 62nd Avenue just south of 8th Street. So just south of District 4, just south of the
city of Miami, saved his life within five minutes. Our response time had he lived the same distance away north of 8th Street would have been about 8 minutes. And I have been assured that he wouldn't have made it. So I cannot in good conscience say
that I can't support giving voters the right to choose what they want the response times for their families to be. >> Are we discussing? >> All right. So, are we calling the question? I a motion to >> call the second. >> All right. So, I need a motion then. >> I got a motion.
>> A motion on the table. Second the motion. >> Have we finished with discussion? >> I don't know. >> I mean, I'm confused. >> We haven't. Um >> Um I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Through the chair. That would be me today. Um Okay. So, Commissioner Gabella, you have a motion on the table.
>> Yes, ma'am. >> Um >> seconded by Commissioner Gabella. Um, so no, >> I'm sorry. I've got you. >> Move down there. >> Um, we will include, as Jav said, the sale of the police headquarters, any
grants that are specifically applied for to offset this, as the words used, comply with the law and the conditions. Um, and should any commissioner negotiate any future community benefit contributions. And we will put in the recitals that
when possible or practical P3s can be considered. And so those I think are the the four amendments. Do you accept all those commissioner Gabella? I >> accept all all those in the order that that it came. Yep. >> And at the end of the day, okay, if this money is not used for a police
department headquarters. Okay. >> Or for the repairing or betterment of fire stations, it will not be used and we will return it to the taxpayer. Is that clear? Am I clear on that? I mean I can't be any more clear than >> Todd Todd you have something >> briefly thank you chair so a motion was
made by commissioner Gabella to pass RE5 seconded by commissioner Escalona right now there are four amendments that were proper and except >> just one sec >> sorry one one more thing and if for any reason okay if for any reason the the uh the project does not go through because
things change um here okay then that money will be given back to the taxpayer in the city of Miami period End of story. That money will not be We will not use that money for anything other than that stated purpose. This will not be like the 400 million. >> Nope.
>> Okay. >> This has no correlation to a bond for all money. This is a project based bond. If it's not these projects, we can't >> only for that. >> Yep. Todd. Um so uh my apologies but briefly Commissioner Gabella made a motion to pass RE5 which was seconded by
Commissioner Escalona that um accepts the four profered amendments and there's just two administrative amendments that I need to read into the record. Um RE5 will be amended pursuant to a substitution mated June 30th 2026 in addition to adding a city commission resolution number to the body of the
legislation. Does the mover and seconder accept those two addition amendments? Thank you, chair. >> Okay. Um, it sounds like we're ready for a vote. >> Uh, thank I'm sorry, >> Madam Chair. Today, I think Commissioner Gabella and Commissioner Pardo and I
have >> You may have one more bite at the apple. >> Well, I'm just trying to figure out what does that ballot language look like. >> The ballot language is in is in the item. >> So, the ballot language stays that way. >> The ballot language has to be 75 words, as you well know,
>> right? These will all be recital. >> So, how does the voter know that they have the ballot language? >> How does the voter know they have other options or that they could >> they'll this will be a minute? >> Just one second. Let's finish with let's go back and forth then we'll come back.
>> Okay. There is a controlling document. Correct. The controlling document is what this gentleman the the good lawyer is now doing. Right. And I granted you're not going to be able to get all your legal excuse me your legal jargon in there, right? because it's 75 words.
But that is the controlling document what's stipulated what we are saying. >> Yes. So, so if I may Oh, my apology. You can go commissioner. >> No, no, no. I just want to So, the ballot language, the 75 words would still lead the voter to believe that they have this choice either between
safety, police, and fire, or increasing their taxes. There's no nothing outside of that. That doesn't change regardless of the amendments that we're adding right now. >> That's correct. right now >> and there's no discussion with the community and there's no outreach and there's no engagement and there's no
we're just putting this on for$450 million. That's what we're voting on. We're just going to put this on and have people go to the ballot box and be forced to make that choice. >> Why? Why are they forced? Wait, are you I'm an adult. I'm Wait a minute. I'm I'm an adult and and when I go vote I I you
know I read what's going on and if you don't read well and and by the way put on the 75 words that by the way this is going to cost you this because that's why I never wanted an election. Okay there wait a minute let me finish. I never wanted an election in August because it wasn't a true reading because
everybody wasn't come on I didn't want to jam this through. I always said that I wanted the election November because I want when everybody comes out I want a true reading what the taxpayer does. If we have an election like what you're talking about, you're not going to have a true a true election. You're not going to have a true reading. So So, and I and and and here's the thing. We beaten this
horse again for two or three months. We we've I I've asked the questions. I've gotten educated and I think we made it very clear what the deal is, you know? I mean, how much clearer can >> Okay, Commissioner Gabella, we're going to give um Commissioner King one more um set of comments and and then we'll move on.
>> I have a question for the city attorney. >> When you bond money, you can give it back. >> So, >> because that's I believe that's what has been said here. Bond the money, but if we don't use it, we give it back. It >> or we can give it back in another way
that you you then have if you have $450 million that you didn't have before, then you got you got a plus on against your liabilities. So, if you want to give it back in that way, you can give it back in that way. I don't know the you know the rules, but >> Madam Chair, if I may. So we do not draw
>> I wanted to ask the city attorney. >> So I I think I understand I understand what your your question is. If we do issue bonds right we actually issue them and we have the funds on hand. Um, from a returning standpoint, it'll all be
dependent on what the bond documents say say, how long we have to do it. I think you bring up the fees and yeah, we and whether we can pay it back, you know, in that manner, right? That would be determined on that and also kind of other requirements, you know, such as arbitrage and things of that nature. >> And so, so that's but you would have the
money. You would have the money because we just stated that the money cannot be used for anything other than fire stations or a police. So, if it's not used that, you are going to have the money. If it's not used on there, you know, it defeats. >> Okay. So, what this item if if approved by the voters, what it would do is it
would authorize the city to issue bonds in one or more series. So, it's not that we are automatically going to get the money. We'd have to issue that and and depending on how many series or the number series, as it says, I believe in um section 14 of the resolution, it
would still have to come back to city commission to authorize the terms of those issuances. It's going to be done in crunches is is what I understand. It's got to be done in crunches because we don't want money that we're not using yet and and service the the debt on that money that we're not actually using.
>> So, if we don't issue, then we just do not issue and there will be no debt to be uh to pay back. So, that's that's what how it works. >> And you can change projects, right? >> Just one second. We got three people going in the in Commissioner King has
the floor, folks. One more question. Go ahead. >> Look, I don't have another question. I might have another comment after you because here's the thing what you just said. We haven't gone through the bond process. We don't know how it's going to be issued. What's our rating?
How much money do we owe? How much money do we owe on the other bonds? When is that money due? Miami the Marlin Stadium, the Miami Forever Bond. When is that debt service due? I understand that it's due now. How much is that? How much
on top of what that is? Is this going to be? >> Can I ask you guys a question? Both of you. Let me ask you guys a question. You have Southeast Overtown Park West and he has the amicary. You just issued a bond for $150 million. Tell me before you issued the bond. Did you take a poll out there? Did you go out?
>> Absolutely. We totally did. I was part of Wever >> We had three people talking at once and this is a professional meeting. >> We answer professionally. I'm not sure I'm listen one, don't point your finger at me cuz I'm not your child. Don't
point your finger at me. Two, he asked us a question and Commissioner Partardo and I answered because we absolutely did take our bond. It took us over a year. >> It took us It took you over a year because the county held it up and other things happened. It didn't take over a year because you guys were doing county
>> folks. Commissioner Cabella. >> Yes, ma'am. this we're we're having a good discussion with answer his question. >> It took us that long because we had to take the information to our community. We have a community meeting. We get
feedback. We have to go back take in their feedback. Go back. We met with bond council. We went over this is not a problem. >> I got an idea. Let's do that. Let's do that. What are we now in July? We're now in July. How many months? June, July,
August, September, October, and then we get to November. We got three months to do it, ladies and gentlemen. Three months to do it. How about that? >> Okay. >> Can we call the question, please? >> Call the question. We also >> All right. The question has been called. >> All right. So, please. >> Yes. No. Go ahead, Todd. If you need to
clarify anything, please, Mr. Clerk. >> So, I believe we've had all amendments stated on the floor. We have a mover and second >> and so chair. >> Okay. >> Um, all in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed. No. >> Passes 3 to two. Thank you. >> 3 to two as amended.
>> As amended. >> Thank you. Um Okay, colleagues, it's a little after 1. Do we want to do another item or two or take a break? >> Let's take Let's take lunch. >> Okay. So, let's take lunch. It's just after 1. How long would you like? An hour and a half. Hour and 15. What are
your thoughts? >> I'm okay with 1 hour. >> 1 hour. Okay. Well, it's 5 after 1. So, why don't we come back at 2:15? Part: 2
Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. Yeah, heat. Number Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.
>> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> move over to the Virginia key board um for a few minutes. Are you guys ready?
Good afternoon everybody. Welcome to the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust meeting for July 9th, 2026. I am your chair, Christine King, and our executive director is here as well. We're going to get the meeting going.
Mr. City Attorney, would you please read into the record the items that are before us today? >> Yes, Madam Chair. The first item is a resolution of the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust approving
the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust meeting dates for the 2027 calendar year as set forth in exhibit A. Uh item number two is a resolution of the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust approving and adopting its operating budget attached and incorporated exhibit A in the total amount of $2,840,000
for the fiscal year commencing October 1st, 2026 and ending September 30th, 2027. uh subject to city of Miami city commission approval, directing the executive director to present said budget to the city of Miami for its approval and formal adoption. Um if
adopted, ratifying, approving and confirming certain necessary actions of the executive director to update the relevant financial controls, create the necessary fund accounts and undertake project closeouts, accounting entries and computer systems in connection therewith. >> Thank you. At this time, is there anyone
here that would like to speak on any of these items during public comment? Seeing none, the public comment period is now closed. May I have a motion for >> item one, the minutes for April 9th,
2026? >> So moved. Second. >> All in favor? >> And may I have a motion for resolutions one and two? >> Motion. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. All in favor? I >> I and we have a discussion item,
gentlemen, the executive director's quarterly report. Has everyone read it? >> Yes. >> Do you need a um formal >> no >> presentation? Me neither. >> Neither. Nope. Okay. Thank you, madame executive director. That shall Do you have You look like you want to say
something. I don't want to cut you off. Uh, just for the record, I just wanted to make it known that we did hand out the quarterly report because we didn't get an opportunity to put it in the packet and I put it on everyone's desk, okay, and emailed it. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Thank you. That shall conclude the
Virginia Key Beach Park Trust meeting for July 9th, 2026. >> Thank you. And it's my daughter's birthday today. >> And happy birthday to your daughter. >> Thank you. >> All righty. So, we are now back as we
switch attorneys. Yes. >> Flip the tape. >> I'm sorry. >> Flip the tape. >> Lightful. All right. Um, so we have another item that we still continue to have a lot of people in the
audience interested in and that's PZ9. Um, Commissioner Partardo, if you prefer, we could, you know, skip and take that one up and then we could get our our friends from around the county and the city uh on their way.
>> Uh, so let's take up PZ9. Mr. Attorney, do we need to read anything on that? >> No, it's a resolution, but um I believe the county is here to address the um it's their appeal. >> Um, >> and hello, Commissioner Regal.
>> Hello. How are you? >> Mr. Winkler, just stay seated for a second. Well, thanks. >> Thank you all very much. Good afternoon. I'm I'll be starting the county's U presentation. Um, as many of you know, we specifically requested we've been here since the public hearing, but we
asked to present all at one time. Um, first of all, uh, I'm Commissioner Raquel Regalado. Um, the and I'm here to present on the Playhouse. The Copic Grub Playhouse was closed in 2006 as a result of a bankruptcy. Um, in 2008, Miami date
county started a series of cheretses that you will hear about uh when we present and those cheretses actually led us to the plan that is before you today. In 2010, I was elected as a schoolboard member and became a board of the Coconut Grove Playhouse and worked with the city
and with the county on this project and on many of the educational programs that are now embedded in the county's project. In 2018, uh, Miami date county came before the city of Miami and received approvals for everything that
you are going to see today. After that, we entered into an extensive litigation regarding the size of the properties with several um, individuals including the city of Miami. And as a result of that, uh, one of the things that was at issue was the $10 million that the city
of Miami has said that they were going to contribute to the Cocon playhouse. In 2020 when I was elected to the commission, I started working on this again and in 2021 I asked the board of county commissioners to appoint me to settle the litigation with the city of Miami. That litigation was settled and
we are before you today because we did not want to litigate any further and we decided even though we had won all the cases against the city of Miami to voluntarily subject ourselves to this process again. Commissioner Partardo and I have had um several meetings on this
and we've had the opportunity to meet with the community. The community has changed. When the county first had these conversations, there were a series of things that the community wanted and now the community is saying that they want something different and we have been responsive to that. We have also um not
asked the city of Miami to contribute in any form to this project. This is a project that is fully funded uh by Miami Day County. Even though the costs have gone up as a result of the delay, a lot of the issues that you heard here today are issues that are confusing because they are different aspects of this
project. There is a group of people who wanted a thousand seats. There are people who support um the current program which has 300 seats and then there are people who want nothing there at all. I will say that of the input that you heard today, you actually had
22 uh people in favor, 10 um standing in favor and um 12 against. And the ones that were against were divided 50/50 for different reasons. Some want more seats, some want less seats, some want nothing. Um but that being said, um the county is
open to the following concessions that we've discussed uh with Commissioner Praau at the Sunshine meeting that we had. The first off that was requested uh by the groups is and you'll see in the presentation there is no commercial frontage into uh Little Bahamas uh West
Grove in the single family neighborhood. That was never an aspect of this and this is never that has never been an aspect. Um we were asked by the residents originally um in 2008 to eliminate the barriers because this neighborhood was initially segregated
from main highway. Um now the current neighbors have asked us to put up a buffer. We are willing to put up that buffer and we have agreed to do that as part of this process. Um and this is on the back side. Everything to do with the theater as you will see in the presentation comes in
through main highway. Regarding the traffic study, of course we will have a traffic study as any project would. Um but a lot of the issues that are being raised by the neighbors are outside the scope of our property. They want us to vacate an alley that doesn't belong to
us. They want us to close streets that belong to the city, not to the county. They want us to build walls. There's a series of things that are within your purview as a city commission and we have explained to them on several occasions that they would have to bring that request to you all. We have been working with our MPA partners and one of the
things that is frustrating about this project is that we are accused of being developers. We are not. This entire project is a community benefit. The MPA is our partner. One of the things that we were told early on is that this project had to be completely self- sustaining. That was the same thing that
the city of Miami also told the MPA. All commercial activity on these sites are to ensure that they are self-sustaining because the county will not pay for the operation and maintenance of this site and the city has also refused to pay for the operation and maintenance of this site. We have been asked to provide um
first source hiring and living wage. We're we're happy to agree to what is permissible under existing law. As many of you know, the state of Florida has preempted us from doing a lot of different things and the county already has a commitment for that. Uh Madame
Mayor uh spearheaded that when she was a commissioner at the county. We are very thoughtful as to that and part of our plan really as was mentioned during the public comment is to use this site not just for education but also for employment and training. However, we cannot agree to more than what the state
or the county or the city allows. Um, we were also asked to provide um access to the churches and community organizations. We discussed this at our sunshine meeting. Um, the county cannot pay for anything else. If the city of Miami wants to provide us with some
funding to provide that access, we're happy to do that as part of anou. We have an existingou with the city and we're happy to amend that. that has nothing to do with the current zoning situation. And then finally, the investment in the Little Bahamas history and the landmarks. We're committed to
that within reason and within with the city of Miami support. We've already um preserved the historic elements, the sign, and we'll be putting that all back into the playhouse. I will say this, I grew up going to the Coconut Grove Playhouse, as many of you did. Unfortunately, my children, who are 21
and 22, have never been inside. We've deprived an entire generation access to this amazing establishment. And today, we would like to ask you for your support to bring theater back to Coconut Grove. And with that, I will introduce our amazing attorney, Eddie Kirkley.
>> Good afternoon, uh, commissioners, Madame Mayor. Good to be here. Uh, I won't prolong this. I I just want to, um, thank you for your time and consideration. I'm here to answer any legal questions. I just want to say as Commissioner Regalado had indicated, we did obtain an approval in 2018
unfortunately due to the extensive litigation that this project has un undergone over the years that expired and and you know we thought that that should have been recognized through all of that and and we continue to believe that. But we're happy to be here. We hope we can have your support today. If you have legal questions, I'm here to
answer them um to make any objections of course if I need to and and I appreciate your indulgence. Um, our our cultural affairs director also has a full presentation at the will of this body if you'd like to see in more detail the project and also some of the modifications that have been made in
response to to the community. >> That's at your discretion, Commissioner Partardo, if you feel like you need I think you saw >> I think the summary of the of the concessions would be the best thing kind of like where we heard the community and what changed.
Uh, thank you so much. My name is Ashley Thomas. I am the interim director for the Department of Cultural Affairs. I'm gonna pass it here. We'll go to those slides. We'll speed through all the stuff that we've done. This is where those uh items are taking
place. So, as you'll see from the map and we've discussed at the meetings, um everything comes in and out through Main Highway. There's actually a small road that we've created in order to have drop off and pickup so that everything happens on main highway. We are providing a buffer
on the back. There is no um commercial activity on the back. Everything on the back side that abuts the neighborhood is the back of house for the playhouse. Everyone will be entering through the front. Um there is a po which we originally um created to connect the
back to the front. The neighbors have asked us to put a gate there. We're happy to put a gate there so that when there are events, people are not spilling into their neighborhood >> and a door closure. >> I would prefer not a permanent closure.
I would prefer a gate, but if you all want a permanent closure, I'm I'm happy to do that. I just don't want you to come back 10 years from now and ask me to open it again. Some people may want to get to Main Highway on foot. Just putting it out there. Uh but that was one of the requests that we got early on was to allow accessibility to Main
Highway. Uh but we're happy to make it permanent if you don't want a temporary closure. Um the traffic study is in progress. Uh one of the things that Commissioner Partardo and I talked about is to start dealing with uh the issues currently while we build uh what remains
of the you know the the second phase of the project. Um, one of the things that I will mention as a county commissioner that I have provided more traffic calming support in Coconut Grove than any other area in Miami Day County. So,
I'm happy to show you all the counts. Uh, Coconut Grove is the winner by more than double. Um, you have So, we we work on this all the time. Um, and that's not going to end here. Um, the cultural resources and the management plan, that's all part of it. the educational
programming. We've agreed um to all of that. Um like I said, the only thing that concerns us in the last three is um a what's available to us um under existing law. And then the last two is
really an ongoing issue um as we open the playhouse that we're happy to work with your office on and put into um ourou with the city of Miami. >> Thank you. Is the county resting its argument? >> Save for rebuttal if needed.
>> Okay. I believe um Mr. Winker sent a letter sometime this afternoon indicating he would like to request intervenor status. While while he gets ready, let me just um sort of advise the board. An intervenor pursuant to Miami 21 is a
person whose interest in the proceedings are adversely affected in a manner greater than those of the general public. A qualified intervenor, if you allow him, will be able to present, cross-examine, and make closing arguments in the in the order decided by the chair. Um
the seminal case on intervenor status is the Renard versus Miami Dade County case standing which says standing requires a definite interest beyond the general public. Relevant factors include among other things proximity to the subject property neighborhood character and
nature of the proposed change and entitlement to notice is a factor. So it'll be Mr. um Winker's burden to prove to you that um the folks he represent have suffered or have an interest that is greater than just say any other
person in the city. >> While we wait, u Mr. City attorney, I know that this request has had also happened at PAB. Yes, I should mention that >> they were denied uh intervenor status. >> A request for intervenor status. >> And I know they have the option to request it again, >> right? This is what they call a denovo
hearing. So, it's a whole new hearing. >> So, what has anything changed from the legal aspect that was given in that PV hearing to now? >> As far as I know, no, there's no change from that.
>> But that's for Mr. Winker to inform you. Good afternoon everybody. David Winker, law offices at 4720 South Leune Road. I'd like to begin. I have a presentation. Um, >> but before you go into the presentation,
could we um go through the >> No, I'm going to do the intervenor. I say I was I I' I'd like to I'm going to focus on the intervenor status because I believe that my clients meet the definition of intervenor.
I'm asking that four um residents be granted status. They live within 500 ft. I'm going to read the names into the record. William and Ma Mie Armister, Paul
Jackson, Jasmine Doyle, and Anthony Vinciggera. And as you can see, under Miami 21, intervenor is defined as a person whose interest in the proceedings are adversely affected in a
manner greater than the general public. The city of Miami itself has previously opined an agrieved party for standing in zoning matters is a resident that lives within 500 ft of the property.
I'd like to go over some of the adverse effects that are unique to my clients that live within the 500 ft. Traffic and transportation. The more than 35,000 square feet of commercial restaurants, retail, and
business office space will increase vehicle traffic on residential streets during the related expanded hours of commercial activity, leading to ride share drop off pickup near residences behind the playhouse next to the
commercial pos that empty into William Avenue and Avetair Way to avoid Congestion on Miami on Main Highway. Ride share vehicles idling on Charles Avenue. Valet parking drivers speeding
down Charles Avenue to retrieve vehicles quickly. Spillover parking in residential areas. Competition for resident parking. Aggressive cutth through drivers using residential streets as shortcuts to
commercial destinations. Employees of private commercial entities using neighborhood streets for parking and traffic cutth through to get to and from work. Greater risk of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists.
Reduced walkability and safety for children and pets. Blocked driveways or restricted access. Increased wear and tear on local roads. Delivery and garbage trucks using the neighborhood streets. You saw some of those slides earlier from one of the
potential interveners. Increased noise and pollution from idling vehicles. And actually, if I could have my the interveners come in so everyone can see who who who it is as I go through this. Noise and disturbance,
ongoing commercial activity noise, HVAC systems, machinery, increased ambient noise from customers and employees, noise from delivery and service vehicles, late night activity disrupting
quiet hours, and event related noise. environmental impacts, loss of green space. One of the things that was rejected by the PAB was the reduction in green space, increased pollution from traffic
and operations, light pollution from signage and parking lots, storm water runoff and potential flooding issues, urban heat island effect from pave services. Again, what they're asking you for is permission to
pave more than they're otherwise allowed to do. Strain on local water and sewer systems. Visual impact of this large ve building. For those of you that reviewed the transcript, there was shock at the
PAB at the height of the parking garage backing up on single family homes. something that we're all concerned about throughout the city. Commercial activity, increased foot traffic from non-residents,
potential rise in petty crime and nuisent nuisance activity, concerns about loitering and afterhour activities, reduced sense of privacy for residents, property and economic effects that are unique to this group. Change in property
values of homes immediately adjacent to the 35,000 square foot of new commercial activity. Increased property taxes driven by overall commercialization of the neighborhood. Pressure to sell or relocate.
Change in insurance rates and potential additional changes in zoning or land use regulations invited by encrossing commercial space. In some these individuals have an interest greater than the general public. They live next door to the
subject property and the negative effects are specific to these interveners and are greater than the general interest general interest of the community. So with that, I I would welcome them to
answer any specific questions you have, but I don't think there's any doubt that they meet the legal standard for intervening in this matter. >> Mr. City, >> Madam Madame Mayor, I would suggest giving the county an opportunity to rebut the um >> Please, Mr. Cartley.
>> Thank Thank you very much. I I won't prolong this other than to say that that we respectfully disagree. We do not believe that the the standard has been met. Certainly the case law is clear that attorney argument um much of what Mr. Winker has alluded to is speculation about effects of this project which are
not based in any facts or evidence and that attorney argument is not itself evident. So um we don't believe he's made the showing required to obtain intervenor status. That said, we have no objection as as we did at the PAB to him presenting if he wishes on behalf of his uh clients. Um I would note he would
have had the opportunity to do that during public comment um on their behalf. But um you know we're not here to shut anyone down from participating in this proceeding, but we also recognize that intervenor status is a legal a legal uh category of of designation for for someone and we just
don't think he meets it. So thank you very much. >> Um Mr. City Attorney, there seems to be a difference of opinion. Um Commissioner Gabala, do you have any problem if we give Mr. Winker four minutes or so? No, I don't >> to present um no matter whether he's an
intervenor or not. >> Okay, great. >> I'd recommend a finding that he was not a um they did not show evidence to show that they were had achieved intervenor status. However, the city commission will allow them time >> and I'd like to address that because I I
can definitely I just was trying to make it quick. They can they can each testify to what I just talked about if you want to take some testimony. >> Mr. Winker, just please make your presentation. And I presume it wasn't any longer than four minutes to begin with. So we're happy to hear you. Thank you.
>> But it's the decision is they did not meet the interviewer status. You're not going to allow them to testify. >> Correct. You But you will have the opportunity to make your presentation. >> Okay. Thank you guys. >> They they've denied your intervenor.
>> George, don't we have to determine if they made they meet the intervenor status? I don't know. Does the body have to or do you? >> If you disagree with the ruling of the chair, you could make a motion to like as a point of order and overrule the chair's decision of intervenor status. >> Wait, the chair said that they didn't
meet intervenor status. >> The chair indicated that they did not qualify as >> let me you you advised us that they did not meet the standard of intervenor. I think Mr. Wer should be able to provise
his presentation because it's always good to have alternative points of view and sometimes you get new ideas from them. So >> I agree. I just didn't I I wasn't aware that we decided that they didn't mean intervenor status or I didn't know if you said it. I'm just trying to
>> you to put it on the record to preserve the record. Did the body because they're presenting to us. Correct. >> Did the body >> say that they met it or they didn't meet it? Right. >> Um is that that's how it's out of George?
>> Well, typically the chairperson of the meeting makes those type of determinations. >> Okay. >> Um and I think Mr. Winker needs a determination. Um that could be an issue for the uh the appellet courts. >> Right. I just didn't hear it is why I'm I'm asking. Okay.
>> So, I'm gonna You guys So, I'm going to proceed. I just like, you know, I I I object to them not being able to provide the testimony, but I know you guys want to move it along. So, with that, I'd like to start. Um, we're
here today on a very specific issue. This is an appeal of a denial of the waiverss requested by the playhouse. That is the determination that you have
to make. Was the decision correct. Is the evidence there to allow them to have this waiver? Commissioner Regalado said that the
county objects to being called a developer. One of the things that's made this a very unique situation is I do a lot of work working with developers and we are here with the city. We're at the city
pushing back against the county who is the developer here. And so I want to be very clear as I go into this. A lot of the things that are happening here are the county's own doing that leads to these problems. And I believe
the evidence is going to show that the correct decision was made and the correct decision is to deny these waiverss. At this point, I think that we have to look at this a little bit globally. This is a civic use space. This is
public space. When it stopped operating as of today, it's 100% civic space. By my calculations, it's being turned into approximately 90%
commercial space. You can do that. There's nothing that stops a developer from buying up a property and changing its use. Um, I was involved with the Kousa golf course, a golf course which was parks and wreck at
the county level. They changed that. But to change that, you have to go through the processes to make that change. Here, the county is trying to avoid that. And what they're using is these waiverss and exceptions to come in and turn a
property, really change the essential use of the property. Your appointees at the Pab boed at that. They were very quick to point out like this is not how this is supposed to work. These exceptions are designed to
allow I'll use the Arch Center as an example. There's two restaurants. There's uh an event space. There's uh little bars. That's what this is designed for, not to turn the playhouse
into 35,000 ft of commercial activity. They can do that, but they need to go through a change of zoning. And I'm going to go into the issues with that, but I just wanted to set the stage for what we're here about. That's what
you're deciding on. As an initial matter, I believe the commission can reject this waiver. The county is not the owner of this property. Just to refresh everyone's memory,
the state of Florida is the owner. And in in the city of Miami code, [snorts] if you're not the owner of a property, you have to file what's called an authorization to act.
It's a notorized form signed by the owner or owner's representative. They don't have it. There's no argument they have it. It became an issue at the last hearing where they said they insisted that the state of Florida knows
about what's happening. >> Mr. Mr. Winker. >> Yes. >> So we we're at four minutes. I think we could go a little longer. Do you agree, Mr.? Okay. >> I'll try to do >> that would be wonderful. Thank you. And so in [snorts] that case the as an
initial matter as a as a fundamental legal matter they have not properly applied for this permit and there is no nothing on the record that shows that they have any permission from the property owner to to to to make this
application. I put on the thing actually the it's very interesting the owner is listed as Jimmy Morales um uh as the applicant and the primary owner um is also listed as that again just improper it's it's if any if any
normal property owner had applied that it would have been kicked out bring us back the signature of the owner do this property properly the county is asking for waiverss to increase the lot coverage from 50% to 62 poor Reduce green space from 30% to
14.9. Increase driveway width and allow pavement and front setbacks to increase from 30% to 100%. You hear residents complain about this all the time. This is not acceptable. This is not necessary for this project. It should be it should
be disallowed. one big issue, the lack of a traffic study. In the analysis, your planning director said after reviewing the facts of the application, it was determined that a traffic study
shall not be required. Again, non-starter. You should just right now just say do the traffic study. Come back when you have a traffic study. just completely unfair to these residents and taxpayers to not have that
done. This is based on a hardship. They have to show that they cannot build the project that they want to build because of a hardship and that reasonable development is not
permitted. It's not the case here. Financial gain is not hardship. They have not shown hardship. It's self induced. And finally, I bring it to the issue of incompatibility. This is out of scale and the testimony you heard undermines
the neighborhood uh character. I went through the adverse impacts and again I go back to what a waiver is before is for permits minor deviations.
Waivers are not intended to relieve specific cases of financial hardship nor to allow circumventing the intent of the code. That's the bottom line. They're trying to circumvent the code. And I leave you with that. Please vote no on all four waivers. Make them go
back to the drawing board. Bring back a project that is good for the neighborhood and works for these neighbors. >> Mr. Kurtley. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, just very briefly, you know, we clearly disagree with with Mr. Winker's uh
characterization of the project and and of the facts. Um, we do have authority to pursue this project. We do have the professional recommendation of of your staff which has gone through all of the requests and applied their professional expertise. Um if there are particular questions or areas of of concern that
the commission has um we have again we have the presentation the commissioner is here we have our our very talented director that can u address any specifics. >> Um and madame mayor I will add one thing as I mentioned in my presentation a lot of the issues are being confounded. Um,
we're happy to show you the square footage for what we're building. Um, we are partnered with the Miami Parking Authority who is building a parking garage and that parking garage has commercial space. We we have nothing to do with that. That was a determination that was made by the city of Miami that
asked everyone involved to ensure that these projects were self- sustaining. We are bringing back a historical building and the uses that we have are civic and educational. There are some commercial, but it is commercial that existed when
the building was open and it is part of our restoration of that building. So, there's a lot of misrepresentations made. We're happy to answer them one by one. Um, currently this is an asphalt jungle. There are no trees. We are planting trees. Um, we are asking for a
waiver because we were asked by the residents to provide a sidewalk. We can take out the sidewalk and plant more trees, but the residents don't want that. They want a sidewalk and there currently isn't a sidewalk. So, every single variance that is being requested
is a variance that exists because the city of Miami asked us to do these things. And we're happy to go through them one by one if that is your preference. But we have been litigating with Mr. Winker for over a decade in what is the world's longest bid protest.
and we're here to answer your questions. >> Commissioner Partardo, I'll let you take the lead on this one. >> Yeah, I I do have some comments. I have a quick question for the city attorney. When it failed at PAB, it failed because it was a super majority. Correct. >> Correct. I believe the vote was five to four.
>> Five to four. So, five in favor, four against. So, it's the superity code requires a super >> requires a super majority. That's why it failed. So, this obviously has been an incredibly contentious and emotional issue in Coconut Grove, decades long,
contentious, emotional issue. And from the days when I first started knocking on doors and listening to residents, it became very clear that people just wanted something positive done. people wanted to stop the arguing, the bickering, the fighting, and how do we
get to a place where we reach an understanding and we do something that is respected and wanted. I think the county has done a good job of designing and trying to preserve as much as could be preserved, including some of the business square footage that was
originally in front of the Cook Grove Playhouse. Obviously, we're building a parking garage. There was a gentleman here earlier criticizing us because it wasn't tall enough because it doesn't have enough parking spaces. But no, they respected the character of the neighborhood in the backside. And I
think we in our office, myself, have been very intentional about preserving everything that has to do with identity, culture, the West Grove, Little Bahamas. We think about it every single day. So, we're very committed to this. We have a
series of conditions that we want to read into the record. But when you hear that this is a big commercial thing, it it's just not the biggest commercial piece is parking and then you have a theater which is being restored which the community wants to see happen again
in Coconut Grove. It's not going to be a 1200 person theater. It's a what 350? Okay. So much less traffic, much less congestion. All of the traffic is geared to main highway, not the backside. We've
made some uh conditions that also help protect the backside and the neighborhood in the back. Another thing I want to say, it doesn't end here. The commitment here is to continue the conversation. We held a community meeting right here in city hall. It was
packed house. We heard from everyone. After that, we received an email from Grace Hoda Ministerial Alliance telling us we're good. If we stick to these conditions and we have a commitment to keep working on this, we're good. As the county commissioner mentioned, there are
some things that are within the purview of the city. I just want to go ahead and read these conditions into the record so that so that the residents know exactly what we're agreeing to. No commercial frontage into Little Bahamas single family neighborhood.
Include a buffer wall enclosure in the rear of the theater and parking garage. Traffic study, which I believe it's already okay. So, traffic study and traffic mitigation plan for construction of the playhouse and ultimate operations
developed with residents. So this is something that we will be very committed to and we will play our our office will play a very big role in first source for hiring and living wages. As the commissioner mentioned, there's some
state preeemptions, but guess what? We can go out to the community and we can do our best effort to make sure that we're trying to meet that. And we do that with other things. So I I feel pretty good about that. Meaningful access for historical churches and community organizations. Absolutely.
Even if we take an allocation from our office and we try to make that happen, we are happy to make sure that there is that kind of access and consideration for investment in Little Bahamas history and landmarks. I'm extremely passionate
about investing in Little Bahamas history and preservation. Our office just did $200,000 for the Ace Theater. We're working closely on Mariah Brownhouse. We have other other designs and plans of things we want to do. So, I want the residents to really feel good
about the fact that this is something it doesn't begin or end today. We've been doing this since we've been in office. This is a commitment that we extend to you that we will continue doing this. The markers that had been removed and people thought that, you know, it was disrespectful to have removed those
markers. Those markers were removed to have them preserved so that they weren't scratched, dented, damaged. they're all going to be replaced. So, and and we're looking at designing more markers and even more uh design elements around the entire idea of history, heritage,
identity, and preservation. So, those [snorts] are I just wanted my colleagues to have that background because, you know, we we've never really talked about it. >> Any other questions or comments? I I just want to thank uh Commissioner Pardo for his advocacy around this project and around Miami Marine Stadium, both of
which are historical, architectural, cultural assets that the city has had closed or city andor county has had closed for half of my lifetime. And I know you've been working really hard to get this reopened, restored, and renovated for the public. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And thank you, Commissioner. >> Sorry.
>> Go ahead, Commissioner Bella. want to disclose real quick that I do know the gentleman that's representing the uh the residents. I asked George if I have a conflict and he says that as long as I don't have a bias against him which I do that I can vote. So I just want to put that in the record.
>> Okay. And um Commissioner Part, I just want to compliment you on having um another community meeting with Commissioner Regalado and um from what I heard a lot of people understood the project as it is exists today kind of post lawsuits and were able to come to
terms with it. And I just kind of want to put on you know they they're they're asking for exceptions but the exceptions are still so much better than what we have today. Right now, we have about 2,000 square feet of green space. So, we
are literally going to have eight times the amount of green space when we're done. And we will have more than double the number of trees. And the fact that the driveway is a little wider is because we're trying to make sure that there's no traffic backups. and and so
um I realize it's push and pull on this, but I think um the two of you have negotiated well and as as long as we make sure we have community access um to the theater um in the future. So please work with Commissioner Partardo on that. So with that, I'll entertain a motion if
we're ready. >> Go ahead and make that motion. >> Second. >> Second. >> Do you need to say something? >> Yeah. So, the motion is to grant the appeal, which would >> correct. >> Um, >> grant the appeal. >> Yes, >> we have we have a motion to grant the
appeal. We have a second. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? >> Carries unanimously. >> As amended. >> As amended. >> As amended. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much for your patience with us. >> Thank you, Commissioner Regalado. Thank you, Ashley Thomas. Appreciate all your hard work. Forward to
>> working. Great meeting. I don't know. I'm not. >> Okay. Um well, let's see. How about we march through um >> Mayor Higgins? My apologies. Would it be possible to take FR2 um out of order? I
do apologize. We have a a publishing deadline with the Miami Herald and >> um if we could hear FR2 now, that would help us tremendously. Commissioner Escalona, are you okay with that? >> Yep. >> It's your I believe it's your item. All >> right. Let me read the title. FR2
FR2 first reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending chapter 37 of the code of the city of Miami, Florida. has amended city code titled offenses miscellaneous. More particularly by amending section 37-16 of the city code titled encampments on public property prohibited providing for
revised procedures of enforcement of violations containing a severity clause and providing an effective date. >> Okay, Commissioner Escalone, I'll turn it over to you as your item. >> Yes. So I heard our residents today and obviously
I understand how they feel and how passionate they are about this issue. The goal is not to arrest anybody. So because of the concerns they may have I have two amendments attorney can you read those amendments? >> Okay. You've request
>> sorry can you read those amendments into the record please? >> Yes sir. You've requested an amendment to the amendment which is it would be subsection 3. Prior to the enforcement of the provisions in subsection C1A and C, a police officer shall issue a verbal
warning to a person maintaining an encampment in violation of this section to inform that a failure to comply with the city's prohibition against encampments may result in the person's arrest and provide a reasonable amount of time for the person to abate his or her encampment.
So, if I understand this right, how it's going to work is let's say you have somebody sleeping on the sidewalk. The police officer would approach and James, I don't know if you want the police chief to explain how the process
will work in the future or you want to do it yourself. >> Thank you, Commissioner. Not only do we have the uh police chief present, but we also have the uh lieutenant that oversees the homeless task force um for the agency, we also have the legal
counsel um for our police department that actually worked in drafting uh this document available. So maybe if we could have both of them come up, I'd appreciate it. >> And and I just wanted to correct you to a certain degree in that it wouldn't be necessarily sleeping, it would be an
encampment. An encampment under the ordinance as it presently exists is the you unauthorized use of fabric, metal, cardboard, and other materials as a tent or other temporary structure. The unauthorized use of a bed, mattress, or bed roll in a public place, the unauthorized use of a heating device in
an area, or the unauthorized accumulation of personal property other than durable medical equipment that would not fit in a container 3 ft high, 3 ft wide, and 3 ft deep. So, they'd have to meet those elements. So question number one, if there are no beds,
if you offer a bed to an individual doing any of these activities, you offer a bed, they refuse. They either have to move or they go to jail. Is that right? >> Well, yeah. The the first critical component here is that there's bed space
available for these individuals. >> So if you don't have any beds, you cannot make the arrest. Is that >> correct? Okay. That's what I wanted to get out there because it it looked like we just wanted to arrest everybody and that's not the goal. That's not what we want to do. So, I just wanted to get
that clear. >> Yes, sir. >> I I have some questions about that. >> Commissioner Pardo, >> thank you. Um my concern would be, for example, there's someone uh near my home that is outside a lot with an umbrella, cardboard box, sitting in a chair with
their stuff, you know. If somebody complains about that situation, what would the police do in that in that sense? Absolutely. >> Is that an encampment having an umbrella and creating a small like area? >> So, what I want to harp on, Commissioner
here and and to the entire team is that we're allowed to utilize our discretion and we're human beings. We're, you know, trained in this uh in this field and we have a dedicated team of folks that deal with these type of issues on a daily basis that know our unhoused population,
many of them on a personal level. Uh Lieutenant Vader and his team do an amazing job building that rapport and getting resources. So arrest for us or anytime enforcement is a last resort. uh the critical component. It just gives us a a tool to be able to uh enforce
certain actions in situations which actually occur very rarely. Right? We've only had two arrests dealing with encampment issues yearto date this entire year. So this is a tool that's not used often. However, it gives us an opportunity for those
cases that are very rare to seek other alternative actions. But yeah, our team is dedicated to to uh assisting and providing resources uh for these individuals and absolutely officers have discretion at the end of the day. So when we encounter a situation like that, we're able to use alternative measures
to deal with it. >> Yeah, I think I definitely am concerned about us being perceived in any manner or opening a door for criminalization of homeless people. >> I agree. >> I think that's the, you know, what we're all trying to prevent. And from a policy perspective, when I hear something like
a reasonable time, a warning and a reasonable, what's a reasonable time? I mean, >> yeah. The last thing. >> So, so in a way, I'm also trying to protect our force, our police force. Absolutely. >> So that somebody doesn't make a, you know, an error in judgment and it ends
up being just a really bad situation, >> human situation. Commissioner Scalona was was very transparent in in our meetings and our conversation with the entire team and he's fully aware and he's very sympathetic to those same concerns. Reasonable time allows us to utilize that discretion. What we don't
want to do is anchor on certain time frames and it was 5 minutes over 10 minutes over and then we are you know in a situation where we need to enforce something that really uh should use other tactics. >> Thank you. Yes ma'am. Can I Madam Chair,
can I Okay. So, because I I've have had some problems that apparently you're having and I guess all of us are having >> I think we all Yes. >> Yeah. When I came in, I asked this question and I had an idea, right? My idea was since Miami Beach was exporting
part of their problem to us. I don't you're aware of that. And because TGK uh everybody lands up and they give them a ride over here and then they land up in the 7th Avenue quarter, my district and Camila's house. My idea was why don't we
uh do like an ID system of of the guys that are ours per se, okay? that that you know but not that are not shuffled from other see if we can cut down on on the amount of you know uh problems that we have with this situation because it's
not only the ones technically that are in our city that belongs to us. Okay, per how how do you judge that? That that's hard, right? But there's definitely other cities sending their problem to us and we've never dealt with that with that problem. No, nobody's wanted to to maybe send a letter to over
there to Miami Beach and others say, "Hey, you guys got to take care of your problem. You can't just keep on sending it over here." You know what I mean? So, and then the the other part that I just wanted to add on, you know, the key, I think, is having beds because if you don't have beds, then you hamper him because he can't do anything, right? If
we don't have beds, you can't arrest him, can you? Right. You can arrest him. You say, "We can take you to a place. We got a bed. We'll take you." And then if he if he doesn't want to do it, right, then you have the option to arrest him. Is that correct? >> But if we don't have the beds, you don't have that option. >> Exactly. >> You're right.
>> Absolutely. Yeah. We can definitely explore different options, sir, to see how we can >> Well, what I'm saying is that we need to give money to to have these Camila's houses and and others have beds. So, so then you can do your job because if we don't have that, you can't do your job.
But kind of what what you want to do, right? >> Sure. >> Madam Chair, Madame Mayor, chair. >> Yes, ma'am. Go ahead. Um, I'd like to ask our director of the heat team because in Overtown when I got elected there were a lot of encampments. I'd
like to know what the difference is. Um, I'm concerned about the term reasonable. What is reasonable notice for someone that is houseless? Uh, is that 24 hours?
Is that 72 hours? Is that a week? In Overtown, when I got elected, we had a huge problem with encampment right underneath the expressway. We don't have that anymore, do we? David, could you step up
and share what we have done? Because I agree with you. I'm completely sympathetic to our houseless situation. I do not want them to be criminalized,
nor do I believe it's fair to have criminal activity in Overtown. I was very sensitive to these encampments because it took up a block, two blocks where children had to go to school. They would have to walk in the street, which
was dangerous, and having them come home, possibly being snatched into one of these tents. It was really bad. We don't have that anymore. What did we do in Overtown? Because we we I didn't create any additional legislation.
What did we do in Overtown that has eliminated for the most part this issue? >> Well, there was two things. Well, David Gilbert, human service director. We went to a model for moving people directly from the streets into permanent supportive housing. That was the shift
that happened in District 5 and it's happening actually across the city of Miami. So, as opposed to just offering shelter beds, we are getting individuals ready for permanent supportive housing while they're on the streets. So, that eliminated the majority of the encampments and we have worked with the homeless trust to be working up different facilities that are outside of
the city um as the commissioner mentioned. So we don't have the centralized population of homelessness within the city of Miami. >> Let me ask you, David, what resources do we offer right now to homeless? >> We offer substance abuse and treatment.
We offer family reunification plans. We offer individuals to go to ALFs. We offer shelter beds. Just a plethora of things depending on the needs of that actual homeless individual. We have the hotel motel program which offers individuals that are family and they have minor kids. We have roughly 60
people on a daily basis in the hotel motel program, but within the shelter system is roughly 1,600 people on a daily basis within the shelter system. >> We also bought beds, right? >> Yes. >> By the way, how is that bed buying business that we seem to have had a
problem last year with Camila's house? Remember that when they changed the contract on us? Whatever did happen with that? Because I I call you guys, I used to call you guys quite often, remember that? I mean the whatever did happen that did did we acquire the same amount of beds did we not whatever
>> those actual beds went away but there were expansion to other facilities. So you had Chapman that increased beds throughout the south location and the up north location. He was able to um purchase beds at the Miami Rescue Mission which created those additional spaces. So just to say that we have additional 80 beds that are coming
online at the end of this month which is a low barrier facility which is an unincorporated day along with the 148 beds that the judge likeness center is. >> So let me ask you this. Are we up to the same capacity that we were prior to the little crisis there that we had with Camila South? >> We will be by the end of
>> Did we have a net gain of more beds or less? I mean >> it will be by the end of the year. It will be just it'll be equaled out by the end. >> It will be what a net gain the same. What? >> It's the same. [clears throat] But it's not right now. >> Not right now. >> And we also are looking at extra beds in
D5, right? >> That is correct. >> And that's going to be like approximately 120 beds. >> Yes. Yes. >> 120 beds. We identified another space. And the point I'm trying to make is I don't know that we need to create additional legislation and it will
result in arrest. I believe I I I think I think what we have now is sufficient particularly because I've seen it in Overtown. It was bad bad and scary. And our our former mayor one,
two, three times back, Mayor Suarez, but Dad Suarez, not Sun Suarez, he called me and said, "What are you doing?" because I just drove through Overtown and I've never seen it like that and it was really bad. So, I don't know that um
anything different is happening or it's any worse. We also had an aggressive street cleaning initiative and sidewalk cleaning initiative. Correct. >> That's correct. We would post notice that on Tuesday at 12:00 a street
cleaning was going to happen and clean the street, clean the sidewalk, and eventually we got all of those tents, mattresses, nightstands, because what happens is people come into our community and they
drop off their unwanted furniture and then they use this furniture. But all of that furniture, all of those things have to go away once you put the notice that the streets are going to be cleaned. So they have noticed that you have to get your stuff because this is their
belongings. like um part of the resolution, part of the part of your item says that they can take what they can and I mean sometimes their home is literally packed into a shopping cart and that
might not fit the criteria of that's acceptable. So I would want us to tread lightly and I really don't think that this item is needed. The vigilance is needed and even with this item, you still have to remain vigilant. You have
to remain vigilant because if you don't, they will come back and they will come back. But we remained vigilant. Every week or so, we had the street cleaning, the sidewalk cleaning. Correct. >> That is correct. Mhm. >> I was going to say right now, just so you guys know, right now, uh, the
Bayfront Trust, we're going to vote on giving the, uh, the Admanosay, um, you know, um, I think it, uh, I said $300,000 is what I said. I might give a little bit more. U, but, but I also want to take care of your your situation. We did something with the Salvation Army
last year from my office and we gave them money. Now, I don't I haven't kept track of that all the time because I got a lot a lot of stuff on my plate, but do you know where we're at on that? I think they're still in the process of doing an expansion. They're closing down offices and creating more dormitories on the second floor. I think it hasn't been completed as of yet.
>> Commissioner Partardo, you've been waiting patient. >> Thank you. Thank you. I have a quick question. So, when a person um doesn't accept housing, what happens to them? I mean, if if you're offering them a bed and they say, "I'm not interested
in that. I want to just stay with the shopping cart, my umbrella." we continue to build a rapport and try to provide them permanent support of houses if shelter is not an option. >> So they're not they're not going to jail because my my understanding of this whole thing is that it eliminates a
bureaucratic need to issue a written warning which is cumbersome and actually delays being able to get them into assist. Is that your read on this? >> But it also allows for other services that to be provided not just shelter beds. >> So you're you're fully supportive. Okay.
Okay, >> Mr. Manager, you've been waiting patiently to say something as well. >> I just wanted to add to a comment from Commissioner Gabella about the IDs and keeping track of where they're at. I I I do want to inform you that under our
director's leadership, we we do maintain an a database, an index of our homeless population, and we do a census uh regularly to be able to identify where they um tend to try to live uh while they're in our
community. So, we're not issuing IDs at the time, but we do have a database that tells us their identification, who they are, and where they reside in our city. David, I have one question for you. In the county, do you know which which city does the most for homeless,
>> offer more resources, etc. Do you happen to have an idea? >> I I can't speak for other cities, but I can tell you that the city of Miami has a substantial investment in the homeless just last year alone without reporting some of the other departments. It was over a $20 million investment, $8 million to the Hideway Bay for permanent supportive
housing solutions. We have $6 million invested in our department. We gave $200,000 to Lotus. We gave another 600,000 to Chapman. So it's just a significant investment to all of the community partners along with the homeless trust to provide the necessary resources to support unsheltered individuals.
>> Are you working with Manos? >> Yes, we are. >> Madame Chair, can you call the question, please? >> All right. Um I have a mo I presume you'd like to make a motion amended. Is there a second? Second. >> Yeah. Actually, I didn't I'm sorry. I didn't get the opportunity to speak. I wanted to No, that's okay. It's okay.
>> Is that okay with you, Commissioner Escalona? >> Yeah. Okay. I I wanted to thank Chairwoman King. Uh I had not heard about that before about the notices when you're doing sidewalk pressure cleaning. That is really a very smart tactic. At the DDA, we started about a week ago
pressure cleaning sidewalks, but I don't think that's part of the process that we undertake. So, my guess is that we're just avoiding certain spots. So, I'm going to make sure to talk to the staff about that because I think that could be helpful. Uh on this one, I want to support what I know uh is Commissioner
Scona's goal. This is one where I need a little more time to kind of wrap my brain around it um in terms of the different possibilities. Um I know that Mr. Gilbert is doing a wonderful job and I've now gotten a chance to kind of do a deep dive on um the various agencies
that help out and their different roles, but on this one I need a little more more time to kind of do my own my own research that just want to explain my position for right now. >> Would you be open to deferring it? >> No, you can vote against it. That's okay. I I don't want to vote against it.
I I don't see one where I just like a little more a little more time for it if that's okay. >> Motion on the floor. >> There's a motion on the floor. So, the only way to do that is to make a motion to defer. So, that's >> Yes. So, there's but there's already a
motion to Yeah. >> to He's a motion on the second. >> Yeah. >> We have a motion and a second. >> Yep. And may Commissioner Bell, you accept the amendment, correct? >> Yeah, I accepted the amendment. M I'm sure that you wouldn't consider a little more time on this one just to
bring it back to September. >> Very clear. We also I understand what it is what it is being homeless. I get that. But we also need to be honest and we also need to understand that we have residents. I
invite you all to stop by flag 12 and see flag 12. It's a disaster. I am not going to have a district like that. With all due respect, I understand that people go through situations in life, but we are providing the resources
that are needed for them to go to shelter. Nobody here is saying we're going to go and arrest you. No, we're providing resources, not only beds. We're providing way more than that. So, I genuinely don't understand what the issue with this is, but that's just my
opinion. M >> Mr. Gilbert, are you comfortable with the revised version of this? I mean, you're much more of an expert on this matter than I am. And and and Chief Lopez, what are your thoughts? >> I'm your recommendation. >> I'm I'm comfortable with it, but I will tend to leave to PD to from an
enforcement standpoint. >> You're comfortable with it, Chief Lopez. What are your thoughts on this then on the revised version? >> Yes, sir. I'm supportive of it as well. I lean on the director's uh opinion as well and those are conversations that we've had and most importantly,
Lieutenant Valader who's out in the community every single day. We hear about it. We read about it. We experience it occasionally. These officers do this every single day. He leads a core group of of of Miami PD folks who are out and about engaging and
uh those are the folks that I've spoken with in detail about it and uh they're supportive as well, sir. >> Commissioners, you have my support. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Vote. >> We have a motion. We have a second as amended. Mr. Clerk, all in favor say I.
Any opposed? I'm a no vote. >> One no vote. Show show Commissioner King as a no vote. All right. Thank you very much. Um I guess we'll go back to our regular order. So um public hearing items. Does anyone want to bifurcate any
of the public hearing items? >> No. >> Okay. None. Um Mr. Clerk, I know you have to amend them to add some resolution numbers. Do you want to read that? >> Yes. Thank you, chair. PH3 uh will be amended to add a city commission resolution number to the body of the
legislation. PH4 will be amended to add a city commission resolution number to the body of the legislation. PH6 is going to be amended to add a city commission resolution number to the body of the legislation. And PH7 will be amended to add a city commission resolution number to the body of the legislation. Thank you, chair.
>> All right. So, I will take a motion on all the public hearing items as amended. >> Second. >> All right. Second. All in favor say I. I >> any opposed? Okay. So, show all of those passed. Um, all right. Now, on the
remaining resolutions, does anyone want to bifurcate anything? We've already passed RE5. Um, anybody want to separate anything from RE1 to RE14? I'd like to pull RE1
and RE10. I guess RE9 and 10 go together. Yeah, they do. 9 9 10 and 11. >> 910 and 11. Anybody have anything else? >> Give me a minute. >> I'm sorry. Say that again. One minute. One minute, please.
>> Okay. No rush. >> City attorney for R3. We cannot discuss publicly what we were told. I was told. Right. >> Okay. >> Um, let me have Yeah. my um could you just go up to
that? We're represented by outside council on this issue and I introduce Mr. Fabian Ruiz. >> I just want I just want to know for the public to understand what can be discussed of the conversation that we had with you. >> So the conversations that you have with
me as a lawyer are privileged conversations. We shouldn't be having those publicly. I think you you can ask certain questions and we can kind of try to navigate you know what what the what the response >> explain how we go here with R3
>> please Mr. through through the chair. So So this is um this is a pension lawsuit. This was filed in 2006. It is >> So you're talking 20 years ago. >> This is a 20-year case. >> And you know, I jumped into this case in
December of 2025 because there was a period of time where there was not much happening in the case. Since December roughly of 2025, there has been activity in the case and now we're, you know, effectively set for trial in a couple of weeks. This is a settlement that has
been agreed to in terms of the number and and the terms of the settlement and it's now being presented for approval by the city commission. >> Okay. I mean, there are a lot of things that we can say, but look at the commission. I remember when I was
running the fights I'm sorry to sorry Gabella the fights in Gabella we have with Ko and the disagreements are part of with Ko as well I don't believe
some you have to see all the facts to understand why we're moving forward the way we are and they can see that later on right because this becomes public after what three months or something like Senator attorney,
>> upon the conclusion of the litigation, >> the the shade sessions that were had will become public. >> Exactly. So when you see the facts, you're going to understand a lot of things. That's all. >> Okay. So before we go there, I what I'm going to say. >> All right, folks. >> Yeah.
>> Um it seems like we're bifrocating RE3. >> All right. So let's go back to where we were. Stay there. I think they're going to ask you another question. Stay unless you need the steps. Um all right. So we have bifurcated RE3, RE 9, RE10, RE11. Anything else? All
right. I'll entertain a motion on RE1, RE2, RE4, RE 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, and 14. Mr. Clerk, >> um 8 was withdrawn. >> Oh, R8 was withdrawn. Yes. Sorry about that. >> And additionally, my apologies. R12 and
R1 13 will be as amended. >> Yes. Okay. I have a motion on all of that. Thank you. Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> All right. Now we will return to RE3. Um, Commissioner Gabella, I think you were the one with the next question. Is that correct? >> Yeah. I'm going to watch my words here
so I don't get >> Let's be careful. >> So I don't I don't get Okay. So the only thing that and and I'm going to go along because at the same meetings you guys decided to go, you know, the consensus was we do this. But you know what
bothers me about this? you know, um, since I've gotten here, I've been do I've been dealing, you have too, and Madam Chair, you guys haven't because just got here, you know, a while back, but anyway, since I seen we we've been here, we've been dealing with the Gauo
matter, okay? And when I went into those uh you know meetings every single time it's been like 10 meetings or 12. Okay. I've been told but when I would ask a question um shouldn't we settle you know with uh the Fullers and this and this you know no let's keep going. Let's keep
>> I just I want to make sure that we're not getting somewhere or their their attorney client conversations. And I I don't think that you're you're having I don't think you're mentioning anything related. >> No no no. Don't this is an opinion. This is not anything that's going to have an effect on your case one way or the other. Okay. >> No, I'm just I'm just saying I I don't
think this goes into the the case that I'm working on. I think it relates to other matters. >> Well, then if it doesn't go into the case, you you don't have to worry about anything. I'm just talking to talk, right? >> Well, we do that. That's probably something best. >> No, no, but this needs to be said so the public can understand part of what he's
talking about. Okay. So, my my natural thing to this would be to vote against it. I I've stated that on the record. Okay. I'm not going to say anything else to that. However, what upsets me is that in the past regarding the other cases with Gio where God was the the
defendant, let's say that and the others of the plaint we were told that continue to the end. Continue to the end and no matter what money it cost us, don't ever settle and let's go to court. And then all of a sudden, Ko comes over here. He's asking for, you know, now 760. And all of a sudden, we're being told, "Oh,
don't go to court. Pay now. Pay now. Pay now." That's what bothers me. That's what bothers me. Okay, I'll leave it there. >> Thank you. >> I agree with him. >> All right. So, despite our total dismay about this item, no offense to your legal services.
>> Yeah. >> Um, do I have a motion? >> Move. >> Thank you. Do I have a second? >> No, I'm not going to be the second. I >> I know. I would never I am not going to be the second. >> I'm looking at anyone except you.
[laughter] And it's Commissioner Rado's birthday, so we can't ask him. >> I'm I'm I'm gonna go along kicking and screaming. [laughter] >> But maybe because it's your birthday, you could just do a favor. I don't We We can all hold our noses while we vote on
this if we need to. >> Look at me. [laughter] dies for lack of a second. >> This will die for lack of a second and we would go to court. >> Have to go to trial >> which I think we all know cost more. So that is >> that's why I wanted to discuss >> Yeah.
>> all the issues that we have in this case. >> Yeah. But it's hard to do that. >> All right. So no one is willing to second. >> I'll second. >> All right. >> I'll second. and then we'll owe you we'll owe you we'll owe you a second on another thing you don't want to do in
the future. All right. So, everyone please hold your nose as we vote on this item. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? All right. Show that item passed um
begrudgingly by our commission. I'd >> like to thank attorney Ruiz for his fine service in this matter as well. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. We're We're sorry you have this case. All right. Um RE3, now we're on to RE 9 and 10, which are connected,
I think. Um who would like I know Commissioner King, you pulled >> I would just like some information on this item. I'm not I don't understand why we would be taking away the option to
fill a vacancy by appointment. um to take that away. For example, I want to use the example when Commissioner Reyes got sick and he really he he really worked until almost the very end. But
what if we have a situation where there's a vacancy 30 days or less um before a an election then we don't have the option to fill that vacancy
through appointment and I also think that with respect to vacancies there should be some consideration for what the district commissioner would want. I remember when I was in this
situation, there was a decision to either call for a special election or appoint someone. I wanted a special election. I believe that the electorate should be able to decide who their
representative would be and I have since I got elected I have not changed my mind on that. But I do not believe that we should take the choice away from this body. And there are circumstances
that would make an appointment feasible. I certainly, for example, if Commissioner Reyes had said, I'd like to appoint X to fill out the remainder of my term. I'm terminally ill, and this
person most aligned with me until such a time for an election, I would have honored his request. But this takes that away from this body.
>> I don't May I I don't believe we should be able to determine what they want. I believe is the will as you say the will of the people. So they should elect whoever they want. who we believe could
be good for that seat. I strongly oppose appointments. To me is always always election. Let them decide what they want who they want to be represented with. That's my point. >> Well, so I agree with you again. I have
I that has been my position. But if you said because you know what your district wants and you said I would like to appoint X I'm saying I don't think we need to remove the choice because when the body comes here and they make it
clear I go with what the community says but now if the community says a point we can't do it >> they can do it on the ballot. No, you can't. Well, again,
I don't think me I I just don't think we should take that away from this body, the choice. And I've always gone since I've been elected, I've gone with special elections versus appointment,
but I don't think that we should we should take the choice away from this body to do. >> I agree. I agree with you. And furthermore, when I remember when Rosado was election, okay, we chose election. We never we could have we could have said, "Hey, we're going to appoint
somebody and and none of us did." We said, "None of us go for election." So, I understand both sides, but I'm I'm with you. >> Commissioner Partardo, you again, you're the patient one. That's I think there's a very important point here that makes City of Miami different uh than than all
the others and that's that the way our vacancies work if somebody makes an appointment for a vacancy it counts as a full term. So if they choose to appoint somebody just for 6 months or for one month or for a day it counts for four
years. So, it was done that way to provide a disincentive to ever accept an appointment, especially if you have political plans. There have been times in our past, like when we appointed Mrs. Thelma Gibson to sit in this chair, uh, that was an appointment and it was
perfect. It was a steward for a period of time until we could save money and align our elections so that it worked out better for the taxpayers and for everyone else. So I do think we take away that flexibility and I think that flexibility is important. I I am a big proponent of special election election
have the people decide but there are unique circumstances and not everybody is aware of the inner workings of those kinds of issues that end up working better for our residents. So yeah I I feel the same way as somebody who was elected via special election. I'm very
very supportive of the process and I agree with letting the people decide. For me, the one sort of nuance to this is how much time is left in the term. Because if there's very little time, logistically, the elections department doesn't have time to pull together an election and then, you know, if they're able to do it, the person may just serve
for one or two months. It doesn't doesn't quite make sense given the expense. Uh my election costs almost $230,000, just to give you an idea. Um and and so for me, I want to vote for this, but I' I'd like to propose a friendly amendment that there be at least three months left in the term.
Otherwise, it's just uh you know a short-term appointment >> can that be done city attorney. So here here's the thing that what I'm going to say is this the thing is that if if you do for example what we did in in your election that you had that
special election uh commission recital what happened was in that election that it was it was a fast election you know I kind of like you know this is the problem right um my point is to your point when you have a fast election the candidates can't go
out and meet the you know their constituents and what it is that you And sometimes what Commissioner Pro is necessary to do to give the candidates time to go out, meet their constituents, have a real campaign, not a campaign of
weeks like like you guys had. And and I'm sorry, I don't mean to disparage your campaign because you worked hard. That's not what I meant. But what I mean is that sometimes we we might be in a situation where we want to say, "No, no, wait a minute. Don't have the election tomorrow. have the election in five months so the candidates can go out and
properly campaign and know the issues and then we'll have an election or let's let's time the election with a November election that possibly might be coming up, right? And we don't have to spend the extra money in the special election. So so there's there's pluses. I understand where where you're going, but
there's also some negatives here. >> I and I do think because typically the body is aligned. We hear the public comments and we listen. We listen. Taking the choice away though. Also, special elections
or appointments is not necessarily favorable. Appointments have been the kiss of death. You don't enjoy you don't get an advantage. You don't enjoy um incumbency like we have. And even with special
elections because what Commissioner Gabella said, you the the community decides so quickly, but then the person that's um elected, they're in the seat and then now the community has time to and that doesn't work out either lately.
Um Miami date county, they only appoint a vacancy, right, mayor? >> I think that's a big mistake. I personally believe >> they do a lot. I don't they do a lot, right? Miami day county appoints >> they did um pardon the interruption. Um
it used to be they could appoint for a very long time even as long as you know three and a half you know let's say god forbid something happens on day one what of a term you could appoint someone for four years but we put a charter amendment on that you could appoint but that appointment was only good until the
next countywide election. So, you know, so for example, Commissioner Lopez was appointed less than a year ago and she's already on the ballot. So, there was this idea that you didn't want to they didn't want to in countywide elections or the county is, you know, has sometimes more can be more expensive to
run election than ours. Um, but the idea was you wouldn't inc you had the option to not run a special election, but the minute there was an election in the county, you had to that person had to run again. Um, but to Commissioner Part's point, the county is different.
An appointment doesn't equal a term. Can here if you are appointed for nine months, that's a term. Um, so >> and your term limited. So, >> also also one more thing. I'm talking about Rosado's election. My election
when when my predecessor was taken out. Okay. You guys, and and we weren't here. You weren't here. I wasn't here. You were here. You guys chosen not appoint. No, it was more than that. I think it was like two months. But you guys might you could have appointed somebody. But
you could have appointed somebody and you guys made the choice the constant choice not to appoint anybody. So you know >> Yeah. Listen to me this is about letting them decide what they want to do. But I understand your points.
>> Yeah. And just just as the charter currently stands, when you get appointed, you serve essentially until the next election. Uh so our our charter is very similar to the county in that respect. I just wanted to clarify that. >> So what are we doing,
>> colleagues? >> You have a motion. >> Yes. >> Is this with the >> Mr. City Clerk? >> Uh thank you uh chair. Um, Commissioner [snorts] King brought up an excellent point about the timing of a vacancy. And so, as we all know, um, the
2027 election cycle made up of districts 1, 2, and 4. Uh, so going through a hypothetical scenario, if a vacancy occurred in any one of those three seats at, let's just say May 24th of 2027. With the current process that we have,
you could either appoint or if you decided to call for a special election, that special election would be held sometime between July 18th and July 25th. The person who would win that uh the winner of the special election would be starting to qualify two months later
for the November 2027 general election because it's 1, two, and four. um even if you use the the new process that's being proposed, we would fall just short of being able to line with the uh the November um 2027 election. So, it it's it's all about timing. And
that's why sometimes an appointment, not necessarily 3 months, but it's it's all, you know, very rarely can you control uh when a vacancy occurs. And so, I just want to make sure I brought up that hypothetical scenario. Todd, do you do you I'm sorry. Do you have a recommendation then based on the
election dates, the qualifying dates? >> We still can decide when we want. So let's say that I leave the commission, we decide when we have the election, right? >> If this passes right now, they cannot
appoint anybody. >> Yeah. >> And I leave tomorrow. >> Yes. So basically the way it's written is the city commission would have 30 days to pick the election date. >> Exactly. So that could be 3 months from now, four, five, six, seven, eight. Right. >> Yeah. But the election must occur, I
think it's 120 days thereafter. >> And so that's where the timing becomes um somewhat complicated. And if it's in an even year election cycle, if we're not aligning with an August primary or November general, the SOE could say that um you need to align your special
election with our election. And I'm not exactly sure how that would work if it doesn't work within our charter. But we're also taking away a reasonable solution to that issue that the voters and the residents may really be
supportive. They may be supporting it. Do you believe the residents will support an appointment? >> I believe absolutely. I I believe Listen, totally disagree with you. I know the residents totally supported Miss Thelma Gibson being appointed in my seat. >> A different time. >> Well, no, not really. There are people
who are stewards and it makes sense. And by the way, back then we didn't have that disincentive for appointments that exists now. That's new with our term limits. So, no, I I actually think we would weaken the situation for our voters and our residents by taking away
the option completely. I think it's it's extreme for for for being able to solve the problems that come before us because we're going to hear them. We're going to hear their public comments. We're going to we have to I mean, that's that's who we report to.
>> Yeah. And then the problem becomes that we might have to because of what he said we might have a vacancy that we cannot fill because of what you said. Is that correct or not? >> The timing. >> The timing. >> It depends on the timing. >> Um I >> So it's possible to have a scenario
where where we we'd have a vacancy. We'd we'd have a you know a district without a commissioner for a couple of months. M >> so um if there if the option to appoint is removed uh depending on when the vacancy occurs um you may more run into
more of an issue of whether or not in an even year election if if the timing would allow us to piggyback off of an August or November general um election uh for the county. Um if not, if if we fell short by maybe a month, um the SOE would most likely tell the city that you
can't have, um let's just say it's a vacancy in the mayor's position. You can't have a a citywide election one month before our primary election in August or our general election in November. It all comes down to timing. >> I
This is one of those times where it's it's very complicated because obviously we should always elect our representatives, right? That an obvious feature of our democracy, our country, and certainly our community. But then you run into every now and then you have
a six or nine month or one year gap where you've got to fill things in. And when the supervisor election used to report to the county, you at least had a a municipal government that had control over the supervisor elections. Um, and we have a
pretty good relationship with the county. I realized today we had a little, you know, tit and tat with them, but in in general we have a pretty good relationship and so you could probably work out. But um the supervisors of election can refuse to run a special election if it interferes with anything she's doing.
>> Um maybe there maybe there is something in here about making the appointment process more arduous. Right now, it's just a simple majority to be appointed. And and to make it more considerate,
perhaps um you as commissioners might want to make it a supermajority or unanimous vote so that it is clear to the residents that you're not choosing to do this because you like somebody. You're you're choosing to do it because it lines up with another election cycle.
We won't end up with a vacancy for nine months. Um and and then you move it to the next city election. Um >> right now what what do we need a a three a three >> a three vote simple >> majority >> so maybe we we do the four fifth or
unanimous >> I mean I don't know >> I don't know what you >> I mean I I don't we are having a lot of good suggestions here I I think >> you want we can defer this item and then we can revisit >> yeah sure >> okay so we'll defer nine and 10
indefinitely I think there's a lot of meat in this discussion right because we can end up with vacancies right now that we don't have the ability to fill properly, quickly, and efficiently with within our charter. And whether that ends up being a charter amendment the next time there's an election, great.
And if there's something we can do Okay. All right. So, we have a motion to defer 9 and 10. Do >> I? >> All right. All in favor? >> That and chair, I have that as an indefinite deferral. >> Yes. That will give Commissioner
Escalone a time to >> And chair, if I may, speaking of elections, um currently we have two ballot questions for the November 3rd, 2026 City Miami special election. Um the order uh the order of the ballot questions, um would you uh prefer to have the general obligation bond first
and then the enter into lease agreement Virginia Key LLC second? >> Yes. >> And is that unanimous consent? Is that okay with the body? It's up to >> What are we doing? I'm sorry. >> Just the order. There's two ballot questions for uh November later on this
year. And I was just asking um for direction as to the order of the questions. And um if you'd like to have the general obligation upon first and then the entering into the lease agreement with Virginia Key LLC second. Um I can do so just simply through unanimous consent. >> Sure.
>> Okay with everybody. >> Okay. >> Perfect. >> Thank you. Thank you, Todd, for reminding us of that. Okay. Um, RE1, um, Mr. King, I think you pulled that, correct? >> Yes. So, I have an issue with RE1
because this seems like, um, billboard shopping. This issue was first brought to my attention in district five. It's a billboard, not a billboard. It's um, and then when I
realized that nope, this isn't a billboard. It was never actually a billboard. And now you're trying to move it over here and put it over there. And I disagree with the statement that this will not create a chain effect for other
billboard companies to come back and want an amendment to their their contracts that they have to pay us for billboards, etc., etc. I don't think that you should be able to because this this initiated
in district 5. This initiated in district 5 and based on what was being asked of me for my community, I said no. And then they found another district to
go to. And I don't think that's right. I believe that our billboards have the the reasoning for the billboards and what goes on with them and the fees that we receive are there
for a reason and we're limited in where we can put billboards, how billboards can go. I um I would ask staff if they could come and address this issue, but I can tell you that this is happening
because District 5 said no and they found another location to go to and I believe that poses legal challenges and implications. Good afternoon, commissioners. Julia Serado with the building department. Um
to your question relevant to whether this would open up for more, it would ma'am. Um there is a most favored nation clause in two of the settlement agreements where the those particular um advertisers would be able to request the
same terms. So potentially the exchange in particular would change. Um this proposal is for one structure for two LED faces potentially whereas the standard which is in all the agreements and in the code
is four structures per LED phase and I mean four structures take down >> and I I just like for the record to confirm that this billboard issue originated in district 5. >> Yes ma'am. >> Okay. And I just want to let my
colleagues know that if something like that happened in your district and you said no and they came shopping it in my district that would be a no for me because >> we are talking about billboards. Right. >> Right. >> In districts. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Right. So and we
know how sensitive the community is about these billboards. And again I don't believe that you should be shopping. you know, you get a no from one district and then you go find another district that it's palatable for in addition to the legal ramifications
that we will be walking into, which is what I said and then they went someplace else. So, >> well, >> I'm a no. >> Okay. So, well through the chair. Um, okay. So then on the flip side of that, I imagine that might there be a component here that the big guys don't
want this, you know, they don't want competition. >> I don't I'm not familiar with that, sir. All I could tell you is that currently there are three settlement agreements. One with Clear Channel, one with Outfront, and one with Carter Outdoor. The Clear Channel and the Carter Outdoor
agreements both have favored nation clauses. So essentially, if the terms of this agreement are approved, those two agreements could potentially come back and say, "The city, we would like those same terms because they may be more favorable to them versus the terms that they currently have in their settlement
agreements. >> Madam Chair, I know that we have the attorneys involved with this item, the outside attorneys, and I I wonder if we could hear from them because there seems to be a discrepancy between the two sets of attorneys." Yes, but Mr. Ainho, not for very long.
>> I I will not be I I will try. So again, Javier, >> you spoke during public. >> Again, uh for the record, Javier office is at 1450 Burkel Avenue. So, first and foremost, I do want to point out that on the 2024 uh prior version, as uh Commissioner
King said, this was approved as to legal form and sufficiency. And at no point in time were there concerns raised in that legislation uh as to uh you know the >> by who? >> It it's it's a it's >> a draft. It's not approved because if it
was approved, it would have come forward. >> I know. But all I'm suggesting is that at that point in time >> it wasn't approved. That was a draft. It wasn't app if it was approved. >> It was reviewed. >> It was reviewed and it was not >> Commissioner Commissioner Rossado has
the floor so we can get to you after Commissioner Rado finishes. >> So I just I just wanted to clarify >> to me. I was just answering him because he spoke to me directly. No, I I was just pointing for the record that the at in 2024 at that point in time it was reviewed for legal form and sufficiency
and signed off for legal form and sufficiency. And so there wasn't at least a perceived or raised concern with the items that staff has just mentioned. That said, I do think it's important for Tom Julian, who's with Gunster Oakley, who has been uh the forefront of the uh
the most favored nation clauses and involved with the settlement agreements of the other major uh uh companies to be able to provide some additional color because I think there's a disconnect on on how the ma that that uh portion would
be applied. They can't just pick and choose aspects of uh the agreement that's before you that you'd be signing. They they would have to wholly step into the same exact agreement in its completeness and abandon their agreement, which does not work for any
of those companies. I can assure you. Um but I would like Tom to to address it a little bit more. My name's Tom Julen and I'm with the Gunster Law Firm at 600 BL Avenue. Uh I've had the uh honor to represent the
outdoor advertising companies since 2000. And so my experience with this goes back to National Advertising's case against the city of Miami and then SD Media's predecessor, South Florida Equities lawsuit against the city of Miami. and I
was involved with all of the negotiations back then in the 2000s and and going forward. The the most favored nations clauses came up when Carter and Clear Channel were settling and they
were concerned that their major competitor CBS Outdoor would get perhaps a better deal because they were holding out. they were continuing to litigate and the and the most favored nation clause that was put into the uh clear channel and Carter agreements was an
unusual clause. It's not like uh the normal most favored nation clause that says, you know, if we have to pay $2 and you give somebody else a deal that says $1, then we get the $1. It wasn't anything like that at all. It was a very
unusual clause and it said if in the event the city shall reach a settlement with any billboard owner then Clear Channel or Carter may elect to be governed by all terms, conditions, covenants and restrictions contained in
that settlement. Clear Channel wanted to make sure if CBS got a different deal, it could elect to have all of the same deal. It couldn't pick and choose from a subsequent deal. The settlement
agreement that's being proposed for SD Media is unique to a company that is seeking a single permit in exchange for what it's going to give the city. So, it's not uh this particular covenant is
not something that any of the other billboard companies, the three big companies with the boards that are all over the comp uh the city that uh it's not something that they even as a practical matter could in any way, shape or form elect. It wouldn't make any
sense. There's not, I don't believe, a judge in this city uh that would say yes, you can have the SDE media deal now and just ignore every aspect of your other deal. So the whole idea that they
can now take this settlement and use it to get a better deal, that's I think preposterous. What this is, it's an attempt by the three companies to keep out one small competitor. >> Okay. Thank you. um to our city attorney. You want to explain that to all of us?
>> Well, the one thing is that um notwithstanding um what council just said and and I appreciate that in their their proposed agreement, they would defend and save the city from any of this litigation. Um so to that one point, but I disagree. I
think that if I was Carter or uh these other entities, the agreement that matters is the one between the city, not the one that they had. And so I think it would be worth litigating. Number two, um what Mr. I think was sort of preempting when he
made his comments about why was this resolution approved as to form and correctness because um when we did a deeper dive in this um we noted that the city code section 62-618.3
has a provision that says new billboards prohibited without exception no new freestanding billboards as defined herein shall be permitted anywhere within the territorial bound boundaries of the city. So the question is and um
the dispute we have with Mr. Ainho is if they want to put a billboard in district one, what was it? Three or four, that would be a new billboard because one doesn't exist there. They had a
billboard that was removed in 2019 and it's gone. they had the opportunity to sue just like the I in fact I believe they did sue um and they dropped their litigation against the city. So in our view the question of whether or not a
new I don't see how you can put a new billboard in the city um without being in contravention of section 62-618.3 because there is no billboard that currently exists. The the following provision 62-618.4
for relocation and reconstruction of existing billboards permitted. That's built into the agreements that's in the code and that permits the um entities that already have billboards to relocate them to different portions in the city. So it's you take you've got 300
billboards in the city, you move one, you still have 300 billboards here. This would be a net gain of one billboard if they're permitted to put in a billboard. I I think that um that would be a fairly simple argument to make to the court. And further, I think that the statute of
limitations is run on these issues. This ordinance went into effect in 2012. The settlements were all resolved in the 18s 2011, I'm sorry. And so I I you know I do appreciate the fact that if if the
commission were to disagree with me and we were to be sued they would be paying for the um defense of the city but I don't I I'm fearful of moving forward just based on an assurance of indemnity. >> May we res commissioner Gabella you have
a question about can I >> Okay. So, so you're telling me, so for example, let's say I have a let's say it was in my area and I said, "No, I don't want to do it." Right? Then they moved to somewhere else. How is it in that game when the one in my area I just
said, "No, you're not going to do it." Right? How how explain to me how cuz I'm seeing as you're moving over here, you got 300 and you're moving all over the place. But but explain to me if it's >> So the three companies, Carter, >> how does it Well, you're not letting
them in your area, right? read. >> No, no, I couldn't. First of all, there's some history that's being left out. It's not even a billboard and there's some state issues. Um, attorney Douly could speak to that. It's not even a billboard. Correct.
>> So, it's not it's not that if it was a billboard, I would have placed the billboard in D5 when they wanted to do it. There's several issues that go along with this that they are not talking about because I'm not
unreasonable. You know, they were going to give me community benefits from this billboard if in fact we could have made it work. But there were several issues going along. One of which they didn't have a billboard. It was
>> They don't have a billboard. What are they? >> Exactly. >> Well, I'm I'm asking. I would defer to our city attorneys to speak to that >> at some point or can we >> respond after >> Good afternoon Rachel Douly, assistant
city attorney. So all of this goes back to pre20. So you have to think along those lines. Um the owner of this billboard uh which was not ever a billboard. So there was a billboard
structure with two static faces on it on top of a building called the board work billboard is what they called it. It was never a permitted billboard in the city of Miami. It was always an illegal billboard in the city of Miami. They were cited in 2010 for the violation of
the city code. Uh they were found in violation. They appealed that violation along with all of the other billboard companies that were appealing at that time. They dropped their appeal. Um, the billboard itself had an F dot tag on it
when the owner bought it from the other people. However, the billboard structure itself was completely illegal. So, that billboard ran a lean for over 3,000 days to several hundred,000. It
was taken down in 2019 by the owner because he was selling the property, the owner of the property. um that is the only reason why that thing came off uh that structure. It is also important to note that the person coming before you
proceeded to continue to illegally advertise on that billboard, collect revenues, and never pay a permit to the city. So those were one of the issues. So when the billboard settlements all went through in 2010 in 200 and
let's see 2011 in April of 2011 and I believe council was there at the time it was Warren Bner from my office who would have been standing here. >> Their settlement agreement which is right here from 2011 was rejected by the
commission. They already had it rejected. uh they did nothing after their settlement agreement was rejected. They decided to I keep coming back for the last 15 years. >> We we have we have to interject here. I
mean like >> well I think you've had plenty of time today. So if I could finish that would be great. Thank you. >> Um so those are basic facts of the case. Now they're here. And I think the one of
the main issues is whether you decide their argument is that well we we took it down. They didn't really take it down. It was forced down. They're going to pay the back permit fees owed. Uh and so it's a takeown. It's not a new
billboard. However, it never was a legal billboard in the city of Miami. Um so that is the first hurdle. The second hurdle is it's been 16 years. Um they gave up all of their legal arguments in court um and in federal court.
Council um who is here now also argued to the commission back in 2011 that they only filed that lawsuit so that they could get a settlement agreement, not necessarily that they had a case. They were looking for a settlement agreement and that's in those transcripts from
that commission meeting. Um, and so that's where we are today. Currently, any billboard company that wants to have LEDs, because you make a lot of money off LEDs, they have to give up four full monopol. So that's two sides each of
static for one LED sign face, right? So because the goal was to lower the number of billboards, the proposal here is I have one billboard, this one monopole billboard that was static and there's a
second billboard that they wanted credit for would still would only give them two billboards, not even four, not even enough for one LED sign face, but they would like the option in this agreement for two LED sign faces andor getting two
actual polls which was never part of any other discussion. So that that would be sort of the facts as they went. It did come before in 24 but it was withdrawn. >> Okay. >> Through district 5. >> All right colleagues, any more discussion or thoughts on this?
Commissioner Rado, how would you like to proceed? >> Are they going to talk? >> When are they going to talk? >> Can we at least hear the record? >> I I have control of the meeting. Thank you very much. Yeah, >> Commissioner Rado, >> madam, >> how would we like to proceed? >> Madam Chair, I do want to give them the opportunity to clear the record.
>> Okay, that's fine. >> So, there there's a couple of points I'd like to make and and that is number one, the the claims that were made originally back in 2000 were that the way that the city was permitting uh signs was
unconstitutional. That lawsuit did not address the merits of that claim. It was determined to be moot because the city changed the ordinance before an adjudication of the claim. When the lawsuit was brought in
2011, the city of Miami again changed its ordinance which was alleged to be unconstitutional and it was deemed to be moot. The claims were never addressed. The claim that SD media now
has is that the way that the city is engaged in permitting is unconstitutional, violates the first amendment for many different reasons. And you can just look at the code itself. One of the thing that's very interesting in the code is the last section of the code has a special
section for Carter, Clear Channel, and CBS that says all these standards that are being applied now to SDE media do not apply to those three companies that got these very large deals with the city, paying them fees for their
permits. Now the SDE media position today is we would like to be treated the same as those other three companies to have one board. They helped in fact CBS to get the permits from the city by doing various things and and their deal
with CBS was they would get one sign and the other companies would get their hundreds of signs. So, ever since that's been done, the three companies have been trying to keep out this one small competitor who is unwilling to go along.
Now, the vulnerability for the city today, if you decide to reject the agreement with SDE media, SDM media goes right back to court challenging the constitutionality of this code provision that says there's a special deal for these three large companies that are
going to keep out this competitor. And the most favored nation clause is one of the best pieces of evidence of that because those kinds of clauses are regularly reviewed as anti-competitive. They're put in for the specific purpose of keeping a competitor out. And this is
not a big competitor. This is a small competitor that wants one sign to compete with these three big uh companies that have all these uh signs and that are paying the city very large uh very large sums. So this is a fair
deal that is being proposed. It's a small deal that is being proposed. It is one that cannot possibly extend in any way, shape or form to the other three big companies. They cannot elect to take any of the terms here. So this would put
to bed a piece of controversy that has been pending now for 15 years. came very close to being accepted 15 years ago and is now is going to continue on I suspect for another 15 years if we can't resolve
it now. And this is I think a very easy fair resolution for all concerned. >> I' I'd like to make a motion to approve. >> Okay, there's a motion to approve. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay, we have a second. All those in favor say I. >> I.
>> I. >> Any oppose? No. No. >> Motion passes three to two with Commissioner King, Commissioner Partardo being no votes. Thank you. >> All right. Where are we? First readings, I believe. Will we read those titles
into the record? First reading one, first reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending chapter 54, article one of the code of the city of Miami, Florida as amended. city code titled streets and sidewalks in general more particularly by amending section 54-1 of the city code titled definitions
and section 54-3 of the city code titled permit required for work that obstructs or closes a street sidewalk or impedes traffic fees waiver of fees to require sidewalk safety and temporary pedestrian protection structures containing serability clause and providing an
effective date. Uh, we already did FR2, FR3, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending chapter 2 of the code of the city of Miami, Florida is amended titled administration, chapter 18 of the city code titled finance and chapter 62 of the city code titled planning and zoning by amending sections
2-160 2-830-884-886 2-1013 2- 1108 2-123 2-1272-308 18-86 1889
18-139 18-178-182 62-2.1 and 62-16 to provide where applicable that certain city commission supermajority requirements may be satisfied by the otherwise required four-fifths or twothirds vote or by unanimous vote of
the quorum that exists because of either absentions or vacancies resulting from resignation death suspension or physical incapacitation containing a sever severability clause and providing for an immediate effective date. That concludes the first reading items. >> Colleagues, do you want to um bifurcate
either of those? >> Just on FR1, I think we have a substitution, George. >> Oh, yes. I'm sorry. In uh FR1, the title remains the same, but there will be additional language added in section 54-3
B, little I, which will which will add um currently it says at the discretion of the Department of Resilience and Public Works, it may deem upon submitt of a report the new languages prepared by a Florida licensed contractor and approved by a licensed Florida engineer
or architect that the sidewalk protection is impract. practical with that modification. >> All right. So, do I have a motion on FR1 as amended and FR3? >> So moved. >> All right. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed?
>> Show both of those passed unanimously. Um I think maybe now we have boards and committees. Do we have any appointments? Todd? >> Yes. Thank you, chair. BC1 Winwood NRD1 public benefits trust on committee. Commissioner Partardo will be appointing Joseph first.
>> A motion. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I That concludes the boards and committees. Thank you, chair. >> All right. Um, now we move into the PZY items. I think we have four, five, and
eight. Does anyone want to bifurcate any of those? All right. I'll entertain a motion for this. >> Wait, wait. Let me read the titles. I'm sorry. >> Yes. I'm sorry. I'm getting ahead of you, George. PZ4 first reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments amending ordinance number 10544 is
amended the future land use map of the Miami comprehensive neighborhood plan pursuant to smallcale amendment procedure subject to section 163.3187 Florida statutes by changing the future land use designation from single family residential to major institutional public facilities, transportation and
utilities of the acreage described herein of real property at 770 Northwest 41 Avenue, Miami, Florida. as more particularly described in the attached and incorporated exhibit A making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. PZ5 first reading ordinance an
ordinance of the Miami city commission with attachments amending the zoning atlas of ordinance number 13114 the zoning code of the city of Miami Florida as amended by changing the zoning classification from T3R suburban transact zone restricted to CI civic in
institution transact zone for the property generally located at 770 Northwest 41 Avenue Miami Florida as more particularly described in the attached and incorporated exhibit A making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date.
And then I believe that's it. I'm sorry, PZ8. First reading ordinance, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending ordinance number 13114, the zoning ordinance of the city of Miami, Florida, as amended by amending article one of the Miami 21 code titled definitions to introduce a
definition for cottage housing and update the definition of lot coverage and by amending article 5 section 5.3 of the Miami 21 code titled suburban transex zones T3 to allow for a new housing typology within T30 transsect zones and on T3 non-conforming lots and
and to update the porticos and porches regulations making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. >> All right. Now, does anyone want to bifurcate anything? Commissioner Gabella. >> Oh, I'm ready for a motion. >> Oh, you're ready for motion. Okay. So, moved by Commissioner Gabella. Seconded
by >> Second. Second >> by Commissioner Escalone. All in favor say I. >> I. >> All righty. Show those items passed unanimous. >> Um Mr. I think um Commissioner Gabella, it's probably time for your pocket. Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
>> All right. Discussion. >> I I just want to address something quickly and I called it >> um Commissioner K. This has to do with you. Uh your office invited me to attend the 11th of July event that you're having for a free Cuba and and you and I and a bunch of people here share the
same sentiment that we are passionate about the freedom the the the cause for freedom for Cuba. However, you know, I have a problem attending and I think you know why. Ernesto Martin that you're going to have there also known aka as
okay. Uh this gentleman has has had problems like you know in the past few days. Uh if he's there I am not going because we in the Cuban community we've always talked about the people from Europe going to Cuba to abuse of our
young ladies 14 and 15 in prostitution. This gentleman was caught about four or five days ago soliciting prostitution. I think it would be a mistake for the Cuban cause to have this gentleman there. I will not sit or stand at the same stage with the same gentleman. So, and I want to tend I want you to
succeed. I want to I I want our cause to succeed and and to see a free Cuba very quickly. However, I cannot in all good faith in all we've criticized about the prostitution and h how they abuse those girls and the human trafficking that goes on in this country to stand by a
gentleman that has just been arrested, you know, on July the 3rd, I think it was, you know, and I just can't do that. So, so if you don't see me there, that's the reason why. If you tell me the gentleman's not going to be there, then I will be happy to attend with you and honor your the uh the 11th of July that
you're going to have. And I wish you well. I wish you good luck. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. But I I I had to say that, you know, because I invite you to my stuff and I and I'm glad that you guys go. Uh we missed you, Chairwoman, in in the Bayern July, but I I know we're doing your thing and I was
glad that Commissioner Partle went Rosado, yourself of uh Escalona and the mayor and and everybody else. A lot of people went to to to the to the event. So I appreciate when you guys come and you support uh whatever cause you know we're doing. Uh, and and I mean this
with the most sincerity. I'm not a guy want to backstab you or to, you know, do stuff in the back. I I I, you know, I I play it in the front. You know, homie don't play that, you know, going doing stuff in the background and stabbing people. I don't I don't play that honestly. But I I felt I must tell you
and give you that warning because I think that if that gentleman is allowed to go to that event, it would be a grave mistake for those of us that uh are trying to to any anytime we can speak out for the freedom of of Cuba and that
imprisoned uh island. Thank you, >> Commissioner. I heard about what happened yesterday 9. Let me do my research and I will let you know. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, that concludes the business. You all have a shade session. Um, do you need to read
something before we leave? >> Before we go to the >> city attorney. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Um, madam chairwoman and members of the commission on June 25, 2026 under the provisions of section 286.011 parenthesis 8 Florida statutes. I requested that this city commission meet
in private to discuss pending litigation in the matter of William O. Fuller Martin Pineia II, the Barlington Group LLC, Caillou Marketplace LLC, Yoamo Cayeta LLC, Little Havana Arts Building LLC, Little Havana Arts Building 2 LLC, Tower Hotel LLC, Bickl Station LLC,
Pedress Villas LLC, Futurama LLC, El Shopping LLC, Beatstick LLC, Vionis Culturalis, Cultural Fridays, Inc., Little Havana Bungalow's LLC, and Elhab Trace LLC versus City of Miami at all. Case number 23 CD245
24251 DRG pending in the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, to which the city is presently a party. The city commission approved my request and will now at approximately um 4:30 commence a private attorney client session under the parameters of
section 286.011 parenthesis 8, Florida statutes. The subject of the meeting will be confined to settlement negotiations or strategy sessions related to litigation expenditures. This private meeting will conclude approximately one hour later. The the session will be attended by the members of the city commission which include chairwoman Christine King,
commissioners Miguel Anel Gabella, Damen Partardo, Rolando Escalona and Ralph Raphael Rosado, city manager James Reyes, city attorney George Weissong, deputy city attorney Kevin Jones and outside council Angel Cartinius and Jonathan Cascco Esquire. a certified copy. A certified court reporter will be
present to ensure that the session is fully transcribed and the transcript will be made public upon the conclusion of the litigation. At the conclusion of the attorney client session, the regular commission meeting will be reopened and the person chairing the commission meeting will announce the termination of the attorney client session. Thank you.
>> All right. Thank you. Um, Commissioner Escalona, before we recess, will you gave us out when you guys have to come back down here? >> Perfect. The meeting is recessed and Commissioner Escalona will gave us out at the end. Thank you.
Hey everyone. Heat. Heat. I'm Everything. >> [music] >> Everybody. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music]
[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. N. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. N.
Heat. Heat. Hey everybody. [music] Heat. Heat. N. [music] Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] [music] [music]
>> Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. [music] I'm happy. Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> How are you?
Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat.
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to do. Hey Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. city attorney. >> Thank you. The shade meeting is now closed. And if I may, I need to read a
script for another shade meeting. >> Yes. Now members of the city commission pursuance to the provisions of section 286.011 subsection 8 Florida statutes I'm requesting that the at the city commission meeting of July 23rd 2026 and attorney client session closed to the
public be held for the purposes of discussing the pending litigation in the matter of city of Miami versus Miami date county case number 2023 028335 CA02 pending in the 11th judicial circuit court of Miami date county to to which the city is presently a party. The
subject of the meeting will be confined to settlement negotiations or strategy strategy sessions related to litigation expenditures. This private meeting will begin at approximately 10 a.m. or or as soon thereafter as the commissioner schedules permit and conclude approximately 1 hour later. The session
will be attended by the members of the city commission which include commissioner Christine King, commissioners Miguel Angel Gabella, Damen Partardo, Rolando Escalona, and Ralph Raphael Rosado, city manager James Reyes, city attorney George K. Weissong III, Deputy City Attorney Kevin R. Jones, Deputy City Attorney Javier Eel
Bond, Litigation and Appeals Division Chief Eric J. Eves, Landuse Division Chief Amber Elk Keter, and Assistant City Attorney Margarite Snyder. Certified Court reporter will be present to ensure that the session is fully transcribed and the transcript will be made public upon the conclusion of the
litigation. At the conclusion of the attorney client session, the regular uh commission meeting will be reopened and the person sharing the commission meeting will announce the termination of the attorney client session. Right. This should conclude the city of Miami commission meeting for July 9. Thank you.
>> Thank you. everyone.