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[Music] [Music] September 25th, 2025.
We are going to begin our meeting by recognizing some special folks and/or organizations who have contributed to the city of Miami and we would like to honor them for their service. I'm going to begin with my colleague Commissioner
Miguel A Gabella. It is World's Alzheimer's Awareness Month and that is such a we are we our country our nation are making such big strides in
preventative measures for Alzheimer's and dementia and prayerfully soon we are walking upon a cure. So, would you like to >> So, like the chairwoman said, this is the in recognition of the World
Alzheimer's Awareness uh month. Uh who's would you please come up? Who's going to get the award? We want to thank you for what you do and the efforts that are put into for the research. Yes, thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. I want to thank Commissioner
Rosaloo for sponsoring this measure and obviously um Commissioner Christine King and the rest of the commission. The Alzheimer's Association has made a real effort to partner with the county and various municipalities in Miami Date County this past year because we have
the very unfortunate reality that Miami Dade County has the highest prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in the entire country. I'm going to say that again because it's really horrific. Miami Dade County has the highest prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in the entire country.
And so this is a silent epidemic that as stark as we know the journey can be. It's personal. I walked the journey with my mom for nine years until she passed in 2017. I'm also a former owner operator of an assisted living facility.
So while I know the personal, I also know the economic impact. And we have hope. As Christine, as Commissioner King has said, we now have three treatments that are on the market that can help stave off some of the worst effects of
the disease for a period of time. And yet, it is only eligible for patients that are diagnosed early. And so hence the effort to partner with cities like the city of Miami to ensure that we bring awareness and education because it's all going to be about early diagnosis and being able to access those
treatments. And then the second I think opportunity for hope is the reality that science has shown us that 40% of our risk factor can be reduced if we make the right decisions in our 20s, 30s and 40s. And more importantly, we can be
proactive and do that of our own accord. So, I hope that with this proclamation, we can count on your support on the commission and with the city manager. We'd love to at the Alzheimer's Association bring those treat um early diagnosis and education and awareness
and hopefully we can also kick off a city of Miami team to lead the walk to end Alzheimer's. So, thank you so much. We really appreciate your support. One of the first things that I did when I got elected in 2021 was me and my team
and at the time my sergeant-at-arms who since retired, we did the Alzheimer's walk. We had our purple shirts and um I manage in my district there are a lot of senior programs and I would love for you
your organization to come out to speak to them about the early signs of Alzheimer's and what can be done. I would love that. Thank you for what you do. >> Thank you, Gloria. Uh this is something that's very personal I think to many of
us. Uh this is something that my grandmother uh my beloved grandmother dealt with for over a decade. My mom is actually in the audience today. So I I know how how she's feeling right now. And so it's something that affects us all. And I'm I'm glad that my colleagues
all support this. And thank you for the work that you and the association are doing to help address this this horrible horrible disease. Thank you. [Applause] [Applause]
10 ways to love your brain. Look it up. Alzheimer's Association. 10 ways to love your brain. Our next proclamation. >> Thank you, Chairwoman. So, this next one is for a very, very special family, and I'd love it if they would join us up
here. This is in recognition of the life and labor uh of Jorge Monteudo. And Jorge is a Cuman immigrant who had he passed away a few years ago. So, we're being joined by by Amnes Montagudo. Actually, my mom
should join us for this as well because they are very very good friends. and Jorge founded George's Pharmacy 53 years ago in the city of Miami. It is still very much up and running at the corner of 17th Avenue in Coral Way. It
is actually one of our oldest uh long longestr running businesses in the city of Miami of any kind. And it is an incredible business, not only successful for what it's done financially, but for the sheer number of people that it's helped in the
community. Jorge had the the heart of somebody who just never says no to anyone. And so he if you could not afford the medication, he would make sure you got that medication for free if you really needed it. He went on international missions. He helped a number of local organizations for over
50 years. So, we want to honor his memory and thank his family for everything he did not just to make that corner of our community successful, but for everything he did internationally to help uh in regards to healthcare and his
generosity. So, you got an I don't know if you'd like to say a little something. >> I want to thank uh um the commission your commissioner Rosado and all the city commissioners for this great honor. uh we'll we pharmacy um we'll keep
serving the community as we have done uh for the past 53 52 years. Thank you all. [Applause] [Applause] Absolutely. All right. If we if we could have State
Senator Elana Garcia and State Representative Alex Rizzo join us. So, so this year in Tallahassee, the session was very challenging for the city. Unfortunately, we didn't get everything that we wanted to be able to get, but but thanks to them, we did get
one very important appropriation, and that is $1 million to help feed senior citizens in the western part of the city of Miami. $1 million. Thank you, sir. The these two work
tirelessly for our community, for their entire districts and beyond because this is actually not Representative Rizzo's district, but he wanted to make sure to go to bat for the city. We could not thank you more for the work that you do for us. You are always accessible to us 24/7, 365. Thank you for working
non-stop to help make the city of Miami and Miami date county so much better. And that is going to feed a lot of seniors in the city of Miami. Thank you guys so much. [Applause]
Well, this is a part of my district and this is so important for me. My grandmother always says, "As you see me, you shall see yourself." So, as I was mentioning to several people that we were we were speaking with here today, the best the best thing that you can possibly do for yourself is
set a precedent of what you would like things to be like when it's your turn. And I think that this is the least that we can do for such a wonderful community that has made the city of Miami what it is today. Thank you >> very much.
So, so just just to be clear, thank you, Commissioner Rosado, for for those words. Just to be clear, Badia Center is not in my district. However, about 50 about 50% of my district does comprise the city of Miami. And so, it's it's a it's an honor for me to do so. It's an
honor for me to commit to the city of Miami. Uh many many many people refer to me as the representative from Hyalia. That is my hometown. However, I'm very proud to represent the great people of Miami as well along with the senator. And so, this is this is a legacy
project. This was something that in the in the name and memory of Manor Reyes, God rest his soul. Um this is something that we began and we have this isn't the first appropriation for Bidia Center, it won't be the last. We will continue to
fight for it. Um and also even though uh Commissioner, you're right. This is the only appropriation that the city of Miami was the sponsor of along with the senator and myself up in the legislature. Um, at speaking for myself, I know the senator has a lot more in
appropriations. My total appropriations that are housed within the confines of the city of Miami total just under $6.5 million. All four of the residents of the city of Miami. So, thank you for that. And so without further ado, Senator
Senator Garcia and myself would like to present the city of Miami and all of you uh this check for $1 million. [Applause] Thank you. Thank you.
>> Thank you both so much. And at this time we are going to begin the meeting with prayer. We are honored today a a leader of the universal society of
Hinduism. How do you say >> Rajen le Zed? Yes. I shall be reading from ancient Hindu scriptures some as old as 1500 BCE in
Sanskrit then interpret in English. We meditate on the transcendental glory of the deity supreme who inside the heart of the earth inside the life of the sky and inside the soul of the heaven. May he stimulate and illuminate
our minds. Lead us from the unreal to the real. Lead us from darkness to light. Lead us from death to immortality. loca strive constantly to serve the welfare
of the world by devotion to selfless one attain the supreme goal of life. Do your work with the welfare of others always in mind. just May we be protected together. May we be nourished together. May we work together
with great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us. United your resolve, united your hearts. May your spirits be at one that you may long together dwell in unity and
conquered. Om shanti shanti shanti. Peace, peace, peace be unto all. Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all >> at this time. Thank you so much. At this time, Mr. City Attorney, would you please read your statement? >> Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you. Good morning.
Detailed information. George Weissong, city attorney, city of Miami. Detailed information about the processes, order of business, rules of procedure, and scheduling or rescheduling of city commission meetings can be found in chapter 2, article 2 of the city code, a copy of which is available online at www.mminicode.com.
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view it online at www.mygv.com. For planning and zoning, PZ items shall proceed according to section 7.1.4 4 the Miami 21 zoning ordinance parties for any PZ items including any applicant appellant appeal city staff and any person recognized by the decision-making
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of prejudice pursuant to Florida statute 286.0115 0115 and section 7.1.4.5 of the Miami 21 zoning ordinance. The order of presentation shall be as 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 appellant will present its appeal to the city commission, followed by the Apple.
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, Madam Chair. >> Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. Mr. City Clerk, would you please read your statement? Thank you, chair. The procedures for individuals who providing testimony to be sworn in for planning and zoning items and any quasi judicial items under today's city commission
agenda will be as follows. The members of the 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 finish explaining these procedures. Those individuals who are appearing remotely may be sworn in now or at any time prior to the individual providing testimony for
planning and zoning items and or quasi judicial items. Commissioners, are you comfortable with all the notice provisions set forth in these uniform rules and procedures we have established for this meeting? >> Yes. >> And chair, may I administer the oath for the planning and zoning items? >> Please. >> Thank you, chair. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. If we will be speaking on
any of today's planning and zoning items, the PZ items, may 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. City Clerk. Mr. City Manager, are there any items on this agenda that will be withdrawn or
deferred at this time? Good morning. Uh, Madame Chair, uh, commissioners, Mr. City attorney, Mr. City Clerk, at this time the administration would like to defer and or withdraw the following items. CA2
to be indefinitely deferred. PH2 to be deferred to October 23rd. RE1 to be withdrawn. RE3 to be deferred to the October 9th meeting.
RE9 to be indefinitely deferred. DI1 to be deferred to October 23rd. DI3 to be withdrawn.
DI4 to be withdrawn, PZ1 to be deferred to October 23rd, PZ4 to be indefinitely deferred, and PZ5 to be indefinitely deferred. That concludes the items. We have it right. >> CA2
to be indefinitely deferred. PH2 to be deferred to October 23rd. RE1 to be withdrawn. RE3 to be deferred to October 9th.
RE9 to be indefinitely deferred. DI1 to be deferred to October 23rd. DI3 to be withdrawn. DI4 to be withdrawn.
PZ1 to be deferred to October 23rd. PZ4 to be indefinitely deferred. And PZ5 to be indefinitely deferred. Gentlemen, are there any items on this agenda that you would like to have
withdrawn or deferred? Commissioner Partardo, >> Commissioner Cabella >> for discussion or >> No, just for withdrawn or deferred. >> No, not >> Vice Chair. >> Um, thank you, Chair. Uh for the record,
Commissioner Rossado will be co-sponsoring RE16 SR1 and SR3. Additionally, there are two pocket items. The first uh pocket item is a resolution adding the Kerry P Me Senior Center and Cultural Center to the list of early voting sites to be used for the November 4th general election and if
required December 9th runoff election. The other pocket item is a resolution waving the private property limitation for special events, reserve pedal special event. Thank you. Uh I believe Commissioner Rosado, I was checking with you to see if you had any items that you would like
to withdraw or defer. >> I do not. >> May I have a motion to set the agenda? >> Motion. >> I have a motion and a second. All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries. At this point, I am going to open the floor for public
comment. You may speak on any item that is here. Any item on the agenda that is before us today, please limit the lines to five. I believe our fire department is walking
up already to advise. And when you when you come up, please state your name and the item for which you are speaking. JC and Good morning, Elvis. How are you today? >> Good morning, Elvis Cruz, 631 Northeast
57th Street, PH3, the Olympia Theater. Will today go down in Miami history as the day you enabled more of the city's dysfunctionality or the day you did the right thing? Over my 45 years of civic activism, I've learned that the city of
Miami loves to do things for its own comfort and convenience, even if it causes the public's discomfort and inconvenience. The city's default position is inaction. And for 50 years, the city has done the wrong thing. They tell us that they are
incapable of restoring and maintaining the Olympia, yet a charter school can. Are they smarter than us? We have a capital budget of $1.7 billion. We have TDRs and we can get historic preservation grants. Yet somehow a
school can afford the restoration, but we can't. Of course, we can. You just got to hire the capable people. We should be setting an example for all our residents to maintain their property. Commissioner Partardo and all of you,
this is your chance to be the hero to change the city's long horrible habit of deferred maintenance, which is really a euphemism euphemism for demolition by neglect, which the city did with the Miami Baseball Stadium, the Orange Bowl,
and the Miami Marine Stadium. Imagine if a child told their parents, "Mom, dad, I'm not good at math, so you shouldn't make me take algebra. You should preserve and protect this precious asset instead of seeing it as a liability to
be disposed of. What do you want your legacy to be? Commissioners, as Winston Churchill said, it is not enough that we do our best. Sometimes we have to do what's required. Please do the right thing. Don't sell the Olympia Theater.
Please restore it. Lastly, for item CA5, please do not accept the big billboard. Please have it demolished. Thank you. >> Thank you. Just a a note, please do not address any of the commissioners individually by their names. Side note, thank you.
>> I'm sorry. I apologize. I didn't realize that that was a no no. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> John Olsson, 4205 Lennox Drive, Covenant Grove, Florida. It's too easy to stand up here and be cynical about the Olympia
Theater deal. It's far too easy. people here have, you know, we've got plenty of reason to be cynical in the past about many decisions have been made. That's just a given. But this is a good deal. This is $50 million of private money
going in with a vested interest by a school to restore that theater and bring it back to life. We don't need Coconut Grove Playhouse, too. We need solutions, not complaints. This city has shown over
and over and over it doesn't have the will, the manpower, or the capability to run a theater. It's a good deal. Make it happen today. On the uh PAM billboard, I totally agree. That's a that's a monstrosity. Now, we just about this a
couple days ago. Uh didn't even realize this solution was coming. uh uh our commissioner for district one did not know that it district two did not know that it was uh this deal was in place. Please put that off long enough to let the residents of our district look at
that deal, talk it over and decide if it's a good one for the city of Miami. Thanks a lot. Let's not be cynical today. Let's do the right thing. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, chair, commissioners. Ken Russell, 3142 Ohio Street, Little
Bahamas of Coconut Grove. Uh, I I completely agree with Mr. Doulson uh with Elvis Cruz about the Olympia Theater on PH3. Please do not sell it. Let's keep our jewel and asset >> commissioner, >> but I'm here to >> It was 14 and one against.
>> It was one against. >> My mistake. >> I apologize. >> Okay. >> I agree with Elvis Cruz that we should keep it. >> Okay. Uh but actually I'm here to speak to you about SR2 uh the definition of homestead property in order to preserve uh
affordability. Uh I agree with that wholeheartedly and I applaud that. I'd like to see us go a little further. There is an ordinance that you can pass in the next month that will change senior citizens homestead definitions for the next year and for year to come. it by by opting into an existing state
program under statute, all seniors who qualify who are homesteaded can double the homestead exemption from 50,000 to $100,000. And this is for vulnerable homesteaded seniors, not for the wealthy. And for those who have owned their home for more than 25 years, you
can eliminate their taxes in the city altogether by simply opting in by ordinance next month, presenting that to the county by December 1st, and your seniors will be really helped. This does not have a major impact. Less than $2 million on the city budget overall, but it could help probably 3 to 4,000
seniors who have owned their homes, and their taxes have tripled over the last 25 years that they've owned that home, but they're on fixed income. So, I've passed around a draft ordinance. The clerk has it uh as well. Uh but of course, your your capable attorneys can put it together if there's a willing
sponsor. This is one of those types of things that you could easily get universal sponsorship on because there's no downside. Thank you for your consideration. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. Debbie Doulson, 4205 Lennox Drive, Coconut Grove. Um I'd like
to speak about the Olympia Theater. The city has a lot of jobs, a lot of responsibilities, but managing and operating a theater is not one of them. It's failed as a steward of the Olympia Theater, and it's time to pass it on to
an organization that will restore it, make it available to educate our children, and make it available to the public. Does the city have the funds or the will to restore or save this theater? No. If they did, we wouldn't be
here. So, vote yes on PH3. CA5, the PAM billboard. State Representative Vicky Lopez stood right here in this hall recently and spoke to the city commission and informed you that this sign exceeds the state of
Florida size uh regulations. It's too big. It's illegal. Are you willing to violate state laws and set a precedent for other districts, maybe even your own district to have an oversized billboard? Because once this starts, it's going to
spread. Downtown residents in district 2 commissioner part need to be included in the uh uh settlement discussions. So please defer CA5 until all stakeholders have been heard, community meetings have
been held because the residents deserve a seat at the table. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is James Franklin 12705 Southwest 114th Avenue and I'm here to speak to RE15, the storm
resolution. Uh I was a hurricane forecaster at NHC for almost 20 years and a person who flew research missions for 17 years before that. Uh and the resolution refers to proposed Noah budget cuts. And I think it's important
that people in harm's way from hurricanes stand up for the work that Noah has done. Hurricane forecast errors have been cut track errors in half over the last 25 years and the intensity errors by a third and much of that
improve improvement was due to Noah research. Uh if the president's budget for Noah goes into effect, Noah research will be shut down. Noah research will be shut down and that will bring most of those improvements to
a halt starting pretty immediately. uh Noah research flights with the Doppler radar would be shut down uh by next year. Certain important tools for the hurricane center would become unavailable. So, I'm pleased to see this resolution uh and I hope the
commissioners will support it. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Andy Parish, 3940 Main Highway. Um, I'm completely opposed to these giant billboards going in uh downtown, even though I live in the
Grove. Uh, I know almost all the neighbors who are immediately near near that where those billboards are going to be or most of it. I've been coming down here for 40 years. Uh, there's only one commissioner here who will go unnamed who probably remembers me from coming down all those years. But, um, the big
change in the commission district is the amount of respect you give each other. It used to be when I came down here, the commissioner whose district something was was given not not absolute respect, but his desires and wishes uh were deeply respected by his colleagues. And
I don't think that always happens here. It's more like who gangs up against who. So that's that change. Uh I'm going to make some predictions which I've never done when I come down here. First of all, I think there's going to be a ballot referendum passed. Um
strongermiami.org org, which is going to be passed because we've already got half of the signatures needed to get it passed on the ballot for next year. It's going to provide nine commission districts and I think that will pass overwhelmingly. Then, um, each of you will need four
additional votes to have your way, which means you'll have to negotiate with each other respectfully. Um, so I continue to predict when this comes back on these billboards, if you pass this um this agreement today to settle this, it will
come back before you and it will require four additional um commission votes to support the district commissioner. But I predict it will get all nine. And Mr. city attorney when they vote all nine to repeal what you do today if you pass these billboards
I strongly suggest in the settlement agreement you put that the when it's canceled that the billboard companies cannot appeal it cannot get fees cannot get um cancellation payments put all that in the agreement so when this comes
back and you guys vote it down all nine of you it uh will be undone thank you >> thank you good Morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. Rick Madan. I reside at 2900 Northeast 7th Avenue. I want to quickly voice my support for a few important items on the uh agenda
today. RE5, it's it's a great step towards uh greater accountability with the independent inspector general. U RE9 I think was deferred, so we'll skip that one. I also support RE16, the water taxi expansion, a great initiative that I
hope includes an edgewater um stop to help our community with the traffic. So, thank you for that. However, I'm here primarily to speak about the the settlement with Perez Art Museum
um over its illegal billboard CA5. You know, this issue is more about uh than just a billboard. It's about whether our city laws apply to everyone equally. This settlement, which would allow a sign twice the legal size to
remain, would set a dangerous precedent. It It sends a message that a powerful organization can simply pay a fee to bypass our ordinances, undermining the very laws that are in place to protect our community's quality of life.
The community has not had the time to weigh in on this. We deserve to be a part of the decision. As commissioners, you've all championed uh the the preserving our waterfront. How can you vote in favor of a settlement that allows an illegal sign
to continue blighting our city? With elections coming up in November, let's be clear that this vote will be a test of your commitment to transparency and holding the line on illegal development. The community is watching and we will
remember how you vote on this issue. I urge you to defer this item and give the public a chance to be heard. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is Sandy Moyes, 5910 Northeast 6 Court,
Miami. I'm here today urging you to either vote no on PH3 or defer it. This item uh proposes to give away our historic and iconic Olympia Theater to Slam Foundation for just $10 via shady no bid arrangement made behind closed
doors. From the beginning, this deal has raised more questions than answers. And the closer we look, the worse it gets. City officials have acted more like paid lobbyists than public servants, appearing on podcasts and social media to spin a narrative that simply doesn't hold up. Meanwhile, we the residents,
the true stakeholders, have been left in the dark and left behind. In May, we were told repairs to the Olympia would cost $30 million. Now, with no receipts, no engineering report, and no transparency, were suddenly told the cost has ballooned to $77 million. The
city's own appraisal of the property, if even if one exists, has been yet to be made public. on the contract. It's filled with vague promises and loopholes, including no concrete plan for who will manage the Olympia theater. What types of programming will be offered or how the publicly public will
be meaningfully able to access it for 180 days out of the year. Let's talk about the Flaggler District bid, which agreed to support the deal, but only if Slam pays them up to a hundred million up to a million dollars a year. If that kind of money is available, why isn't the city keeping ownership of the
theater and collecting that million dollars in revenue uh each year to benefit all taxpayers? And what about the Gusmans? How much are they or their foundation being paid through the settlement? And who's paying the settlement? Is it us taxpayers again? What happens to the public deed
restrictions? Who receives the TDR development rights? and how will regular public school students, not just slam charter school kids, ever benefit from access to this historic cultural space? We're not any closer to answers or accountability than we were in July. What we are closer to is giving away one
of Miami's greatest public treasures in a backroom deal that does not reflect the will or the best interest of the people. Don't discard the Olympia, discard the officials who neglected and betrayed it. Our cultural soul deserves better than a backroom giveaway. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
Good morning. >> Morning, Chairwoman. Good morning, commissioners. I'm here to talk about three topics. Number one is CA5. I think um most of the people already articulated it's too
big, too bright, illegal. I really encourage you guys to defer this because it's nonsense. Number two is RE5. About a month ago, Commissioner Partardo
um had a workshop partnering for progress and I have a chance to speak with uh Antonio Gtas and I took a note what he said. It's about eliminating corruption. It's about creating a culture of accountability where the
rules apply to everyone with no exception. So I strongly support uh this uh RE5. And last but not least, I would like to congratulate the uh the
water taxi stop. I think uh will help in many fronts especially in in edge water, not only traffic but security. So I I really support your motion. Thank you. M >> chair, my apologies. Can I have the speaker's name for the record? Sir,
>> my name is Marcus Lorito. I said at the beginning. >> Thank you, sir. Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Madame Chair. Good morning, commissioners. My name is Franklin Surmans. I'm the director of the Perez Art Museum Miami, 11:03 Miss Biscane Boulevard. I'm here in support
of the proposed settlement regarding the Pam sign. Pam is more than a museum. It is a public square for ideas, a classroom without walls, and a gathering place that brings Miami together. The sign acts as a beacon as well as our digital canvas, allowing us to project,
among other things, art for our community to enjoy. The sign revenue is not a luxury. It is essential. Without it, Pam cannot maintain the free access and outreach programs that make it truly the people's museum. In each of your
districts, here are the numbers of children reached just during the 2024 25 school year alone by our vibrant youth programs. not including our MDCPS PAM student pass and free second Saturdays. District 1,717.
District 2,252. District 3,46. District 4,399. District 5 2,889. Every free program for a child from the
three to five year olds at our PAM story time to the leaders of tomorrow who are heading off to college for the Pam Teen Arts Council sparks curiosity that may one day turn into a career, an innovative entrepreneurial business or a work of art that defines Miami on the
world stage. We often speak of infrastructure in terms of roads and bridges, but cultural infrastructure is equally essential to a thriving city. Art is a cornerstone of sustainable development. It is what makes Miami Miami not only livable but lovable. And
it is certainly one of the economic drivers of our growing downtown community. Our partnership with the city has always been strong. Please let end with an agreement to move forward. Together we are better together. Miami deserves a
healthy art museum for all to enjoy. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Mrs. King. My name is Elena Maria Lim and I'm a executive member of the DNA, but I
will be speaking on my own capacity. I live at 253 North Swiss, Second Street, apartment 4008. My husband and myself moved in 2021 permanently from Manhattan, New York to Miami and we bought an apartment on
Biscane Boulevard, a high-end downtown residential neighborhood overlooking Bayside Park and the Bay. I am appalled and very saddened with the sudden and increasingly appearance of
enormous billboards that are slowly polluting our once beautiful clear skyline. I sincerely trust that the commissioners and her relevant city officials will take heed of the concerns by residents
and halt the sale of downtown airspace before it is too late. Downtown Miami is a residential area. It's not touristic time square. As for the Olympic Theater, please save
it and keep this historic building for cultural use. Thank you for the opportunity to address this forum. >> Thank you. Good morning again. >> Good morning. Good morning again madam chair uh Mr. Vice Chair, commissioners
and uh Mr. Manager Al State Representative Alex Rizzo 601 West 43rd Place Haley of Florida. I'm here to speak on in support of PH3, the Olympia theater. As as a state representative,
um I have the responsibility of of hearing pro uh profering bills, voting on things. But the other thing that we must do as state representatives, the only constitutional duty that we have is to pass a balanced budget.
Many times we're faced with very difficult decisions. Those decisions are what is wanted, what is needed, and you juxtapose that with how much money there is to meet all of those needs and wants.
Every municipality in the state of Florida will soon possibly and probably be dealing with budget, I'm not going to say shortfalls, but tighter budgets because citizens in the state of Florida want
property tax reform. And as you know, that hits municipalities. I believe that that will pass. That is a stark reality. I believe that is coming and that's something that every single person on this day needs to take into
consideration. The largest section of our budget is healthcare. Second largest is education. Way way way way down the list is cultural preservation. And it's not
that we don't want to do it. Again, wants versus needs. and dealing with our citizens. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to not only
preserve the Olympia, but also restore it. And I think that we should pass it and all support it. Uh, everyone should support it and I certainly commit to supporting it in any capacity that I can. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good morning, commissioners. I'm Christina Palomo. I reside at 244 Biscane Boulevard and I'm here in strong opposition to CA5. So, I know most of you have listened over the last few years to many residents express the opposition to the
billboard at the PAM and raised serious concerns over its impact on their views and general character of the neighborhood. I myself have worked with many investors and tenants in the buildings across from it and I can tell you I haven't run across anyone who doesn't consider it an eyesore to be
bombarded with the visual pollution of bright advertisements within their living space. If you agree to this settlement, it opens the door to more signs, bigger and brighter, and allowing them will be a betrayal to the residents who spent years trying to protect the aesthetic integrity of our neighborhood
and the natural landscape of our parks that visitors from all over the world enjoy. But even if none of this is important to you, there is still an even more concerning aspect to this proposed settlement, which is that it sets a precedent to just negotiate away a
non-conforming use or structure in exchange for money. This sends a horrible message that entitles those who are capable of making large sum payments to rewrite the rules so that they don't apply to them and they can do so avoiding to comply with proper
permitting and code. when on the other hand, a typical resident spends years jumping through hoops to navigate permitting and code just to open a small business. I'm one of those. This commission should be very cognizant that this type of message does not resonate
in any way with the voters in the city of Miami. And I ask you to please take this into consideration and thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is Beatatric Moors and I'm in support of PH3.
I am the principal of Matter Preparatory Academy. Our school serves families in Little Havana, Alapata, as well as those who work in the courthouse and Jackson Hospital. We are part of the heart of Miami, supporting children whose parents
keep this city running every day. Our students and families are committed to education. And as their elementary principal, one of the questions I get over and over is, "Where will my students go for middle high?" Right now, that answer is unanswered.
Our students and families are committed to education. They want security and safety. And what better than the Olympia project? This project provides much needed solution to a high school where our students will continue their education
in a high inspiring performing historical setting. This opportunity is more than bricks and mortar. This is about stability and family continuing their education. On behalf of our school, our parents, I want to support and thank you for your leadership in
identifying a team that our city that we can agree will be successful in delivering our vision. I thank you and on behalf of the families support this and an effort I deeply gratitude for the commitment you are showing to our
students and families. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. Good morning everyone in their respective places especially commissioners that have been supportive. My name is Manista Lee Kinsler um MLK for the short. I am the
founder of a leap of faith foundation. I'm here on behalf of the PH Street Olympian Theater which we known as the Gusman Theater. The Gusman Theater is what inspired me to be the artist that I am today. I have over 15 scripts. When I
saw that on the news, I was appalled because as a writer and a producer, I have to pay big money to rent a venue to help the community. I come with arts from the health aspect, from the criminal aspect, and from all the
aspects we deal with in our community. I deal with social activists and social justice causes through arts. Why do I have to pay so much for a venue just to bring awareness to our community? And how is it that people who are not going to do nothing but prostitute me because
I have to pay them, but they cannot keep that building going. I have 15 scripts can keep y'all buildings going all throughout Day County for years. How is it that the developers get the access to prostitute my community? So, I would love for y'all to pay attention to who
we giving these buildings to for what. Why would you need a theater and you can't even produce nothing? you going to have to put people in there to do it. So, I'm asking, why can't a leap of faith Foundation have the building? So, we can take crime and homelessness off the street through the artistic measure.
Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Madam Chair, members of the commission. Joe Ruiz with offices at 396 Alhammer Circle. I'm here on behalf of the applicant for items PZ2 and PZ3. Uh these are for reszoning of future land use uh map change for the
properties located at 175 Northeast 55th Street and 184 Northeast 56th Street. I'm proud to say that we work closely with the community on these applications, including the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust. And to that end, I'd like to submit a letter of support from the trust into the record. I'd also
like to submit a voluntarily profered covenant into the record and also respectfully ask that when this item comes up that we modify the resoning request from T50 to T5L which came at the request of the trust. Thank you all very much.
>> Thank you. Good morning. >> Morning. Um Katrina Morris, 4130 Lie Avenue, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133. Um, I would like to know which is true because they can't all be true. As reported in the Coconut Grove Spotlight
when discussing the extra 300 police officers Miami Dade will need in the future, City of Miami Police Chief Manny Morales stated during the June Commission meeting, "Our officers are doing well, but I'm looking at the city and how we're growing. It's not that there is a need now, but there is a need
to prepare for what Miami is to become." He said that according to the department projections, Miami will see an increase of about 7,000 dwelling units over the next few years. The cost for these police officers to serve the future residents of Miami that don't exist and
that is not necessary as we're sitting is $161 million. At the same time, we're told that the cost to restore the Olympia and provide for cultural programming is too much and there isn't enough of a demand for a
historical venue. Are you saying that the future inhabitants of those 7,000 dwelling units will all be criminals and uninterested in live shows? The other thing we're told is that Slam Team can run the theater profitably
despite being a school and not a cultural programming organization with Miami Dade College running the programming which is very vague. Which is it? Can the venue not support public programming or can it be run profitably
as a public venue? Which is it? Finally, I have not heard a reason why the city of Miami should exercise a quick claim deed and surrender the deed to SLAM. If the theater is not to is not to be sold or altered in use later and that all
SLAM is looking for is revenue from its use and programming, why not do the standard 99-year lease with the same restrictions as noted in exhibit C for the purchase and sale agreement? I don't understand why we're giving it to them. You are really bad lawyers. I would fire
you all. Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. Um, Analisa Duran, 1101 Biscane Boulevard, Miami, Florida 33132. I'm here as a representative of the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science as the senior director of
science education in opposition of uh CA5. Frost Science strongly opposes the continued operation of the illegal LED sign at PAM. For over a year, this commercial installation has undermined the integrity of Maurice A. Fer Park, formerly Museum Park, creating a
distracting and commercialized environment that conflicts with the cultural and educational mission of our institutions. The signs, scale, and brightness compromise the visitor experience and disrupt nighttime programming and the museum's wildlife through light pollution. The park was
envisioned as a civic space for education, science, and culture. And this sign erodess that vision while setting a troubling precedent for future for the future of our shared public spaces. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. Safe Hamida 5600 Biscane
Boulevard. I'm here to urge the city to accept the settlement with Pam so the great folks at PAM can move on and get to get to the work that they're doing now. Every single day in Spain, there are more people visiting Spain than there are who live in Spain. And that's
because centuries ago they made an investment in art and architecture and that beauty built a culture and a community. And that's what we're doing here in Miami today. But unfortunately, we do not have the funds from both the state and private patronage to build a
world-class museum the way it needs to be built. I've traveled across the United States. I've worked with several public art programs in New York, Chicago, LA, even Cleveland, Ohio, and I've seen larger budgets for the arts and culture than here in Miami. And so what the team has done is gone out and
found a creative way to face two major headwinds and try to build a program in the face of adversity. I would urge you to accept this so Franklin Surmans and team can go back to doing what they're doing, which is opening a flagship institution for the community to learn
about art and to beautify our city and to bring people from all over the world to the cultural capital, Miami, Florida. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is Jesselle Bernal, principal of Matter
Academy at Corpus Christi in Alapata. Speaking on PH3, I serve more than 800 K3 families. Families who work hard, who struggle, who count on us every day. Alongside the
parish priest, Father Menendez, we do all we can, but the question I hear from parents again and again is this. Where will my child go for high school? And the truth is, I don't have an exact answer. They need options. And the
Olympia Theater Project gives us that. It's not just about restoring a building. It's about giving our children the high school they need right here in their city in a space that fills them with pride. I thank you today and I'm
asking all of you to listen to the voices of the families that I represent. They deserve stability and hope for their children's future. On behalf of our students, teachers, and parents, I urge you to make this happen. We thank
you for your leadership. Our Alapata community is counting on you. Thank you. >> Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is Michelle Pistana, 980 MacArthur Causeway. On behalf of Miami Children's
Museum Charter Elementary School, I am the proud principal of Miami Children's Museum Charter School located within Miami Children's Museum. Our school has a truly unique location off of the MacArthur Causeway, just minutes away from downtown Miami. From this
vantage point, we serve hundreds of families from the inner core of our city, many of whom live and work in the heart of Miami. Every day I see the commitment of our parents and students to education and I hear their concerns of what comes next. The question is
where will our students go? Today my answer to them is uncertain. The Olympia theater project offers the clear practical solution our families need. It will provide a needed pathway close to home in a setting that reflects the energy and creativity of both our
students and the city of Miami. On behalf of our teachers, students, and families, I want to thank you for your vision in identifying a team in our city that we can all agree will be successful delivering your vision for this great facility.
On behalf of our families, we stand in full support of this effort and we are deeply grateful for the commitment you are making to our children and their future. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Madam Chair. Good morning, commissioners. My name is Dilliana
Alexander and I'm the co-founder and executive director of Filmgate Miami, Florida's premier media nonprofit organization. For over 13 years, we have supported independent filmmakers, immersive creators, and educators in our
region, making sure Miami's creative economy has a strong and innovative future. I speak today in support of uh PH3 and Slam's purchase of the Olympia Theater. As a downtown resident, commercial property owner, and a leader
of a nonprofit that has collaborated with schools, students, and community partners, I know how vital the Olympia is to our cultural fabric. Slam has promised to this community to preserve and restore the Olympia theater, to keep
its doors open for cultural programming and community use, to provide students real opportunities in the arts and media performances right here in downtown Miami. Well, right there. And to partner with other nonprofits like ours.
So the Olympia is not just a school asset but a living hub for creativity and education. So if you bake that in into the contract and slum is committed and accountable they will ensure the Olympia does not
fall into further disresp disrepair and be and becomes and it's not a closed and empty shell. Instead, it will be restored, activated, and shared. A place where resident students, artists, and visitors can gather to celebrate Miami's
culture. And we saw how activated it was last weekend with Martella Hernandez and the Netflix special. That was it was amazing to see this youthful energy on Flaggler Street. It would like to see this every day, not just once in a while. So, on behalf of Filmgate Miami
and our members, I urge you to approve this transfer. Um, let's give the Olympia Theater a future as vibrant as its past. A future. >> Thank you. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Eileen
Hernandez and I am the principal of Matter Academy Kiwanis in Little Havana, 998 Southwest First Street, Miami, Florida 33130. And I'm here in honor of PH3 for the Olympia Theater. Our school is located
in East Little Havana, just a few blocks away from downtown Miami. Matter Kiwani was founded as a partnership between Matter Academy and the Kiwani Club of Little Havana. And together, we have been able to serve families in this
historic neighborhood with a highquality public education. We serve many of your most needy families. They are hardworking and deeply committed to their children's success. The Olympia Theater Project will help
provide the high school our families most desperately need. Something that is close to home in a safe and inspiring space that honors Miami's history while preparing our children for the future. This opportunity is more than just
restoring a building. It's about creating continuity for our families, stability for our students, and hope for the next generation. On behalf of the Matter Kiwani community, I want to thank you for your
leadership in identifying a team in our city that we can all agree will be successful in delivering your vision for a greater facility. We stand in strong support for this proposal and we are grateful for your commitment to the
children and families in the Little Havana area. Thank you very much for your time. >> Good morning, commissioners. U my name is Jenny Rodriguez and I'm here on behalf, excuse me, of Philip and Patricia of Frost Museum of Science in
downtown Miami. Uh for years, Frost Science has been a cultural anchor in District 2, welcoming millions of visitors for learning, discovery, and exploration. The oversized LED billboard installed by Perez Art Museum and Orange
Barrel Media undermines that vision this campus was built on. This billboard overwhelms our public space, takes away from the natural beauty of the waterfront, and disrupt the immersive environment our institution have worked
so hard to create. We ask you to please not rush into a settlement on item CA 518137. Approving it would set a president that put short-term advertising ahead of
Miami's long-term cultural vitality. This campus was meant to be a place for children uh families and residents to experience the arts and science and not a platform for third party ads. On behalf of our science, I respectedly
urge you to protect the integrity of our campus and keep the focus on culture, education, and community. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. Good morning, commissioners. I am Sheila Calo, the proud principal of Matter Grove Academy
located inside of the Boys and Girls Club campus in Coconut Grove, 2805 Southwest 32nd Avenue. Matterrove Academy was founded in 2011 in a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, and this year we proudly celebrate our 15th year of educating students
together. Together we serve 1,200 students kindergarten through 8th grade in our shared campus. And just as the Boys and Girls Club has nurtured young people through sports and afterchool programs, the Olympia Theater will nurture them through arts, culture, and
creativity, representing the next chapter for our students as a high school. The Olympia will give our families a high quality option and a top-notch education in a setting that is both historic and inspiring. And most importantly, it will provide our
students the opportunity to pursue a highquality high school education through the arts. The Olympia ensures continuity for our students while keeping the talent and energy right here in our community. We are very proud to
support this effort and we thank you for your support. We are deeply grateful for your commitment to the future of our students and our city. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. Thank you
for this forum. My name is Bill Tech. I'm here to speak on PH3, the Olympia Theater. I'm a lifelong uh Miami resident, born and raised, and I'm here to speak to you as a filmmaker and also someone who grew up attending uh different concerts and films and
festivals at the Olympic Theater. It's very close to my heart. I even remember the late film critic Bill Cosford hosting some screenings uh that were outside of the festival. It's very important to stress the relevance of preserving the Olympia as a movie palace which is what it it was built for. Um
I'm a working filmmaker. I attend festivals all the time. My latest film is uh was just nominated for a Grammy for best music film. And this is important that we have this culture in Miami and that we preserve it. It was built for that. It's important to continue having it as a venue for
Miami's film festival and I know the Slam team can make that happen. I have followed them uh since before day one. My son attended and graduated from uh the schools that SLAM is affiliated with and I've seen firsthand the enthusiasm,
the grace, the care, and the sense of serving the community that these organizations bring. I also know the individuals who lead this group of schools. I agree that you've identified one of the few organizations in our city that you can rest assured will be
successful in delivering your vision for this great building. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Lucas Abatini. I'm a 15 year old 15 year resident of the city of Miami. I'm here in U to talk
in favor of PH3. Uh I'm also a touring professional in the arts and entertainment and um you know based on the work I do throughout the country actually it seems to me that the theaters that are thriving and are successful and can keep up with the
demand are the ones that have been privatized and have fallen into the ends of um institutions and uh groups of people that really care. Uh, you know, it seems that the city of Miami has made it clear that at the moment you don't it's as as the state senator said, it's
about needs and wants. It's not you don't want, we don't blame you for that perhaps, but at the moment it's not an urgent need, but it is an urgent need for the community. I think that to have a space that can be um what a theater is supposed to be, which is a a place of
fruition for the arts is very important. It seems to me that the agenda that this Islam group has put together is very intentional uh does address many uh good initiatives from education um to restoration not just for the sake of
beautifying a historical theater but for the sake of putting it to good use once again. Um, I think that it's really a no-brainer to pass this u this uh PH3 um situation and I'm deeply in favor of it
and I know all of the young professionals in the city are in favor of it as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Madame Chair and Commissioners. My name is Sa Camarena.
I'm here to speak in support of the PH3. I have the honor to be the principal Amara International Academy at San Roberto Armino campus 3405 Northwest 27th Avenue. Our school serves families
in Little Havana and Alapara. My parent desperately needs a high school. Every day they ask me where my child will go for high school. Right now the answer is uncertain. The Olympia Theater Project provides the solution. It offers our
students a receiving high school close to home in a safe, inspiring, and historic setting. This opportunity, it's about far more than restoring a landmark. It is about continuity for families, stability for
children, and a stronger community for Miami. On behalf of our school, I thank you all for your leadership in identifying a team in our city that we can all agree will be successful delivering your vision for this great
facility. In support of hundreds of families at our school, we thank you for this effort. We are deeply grateful for the commitment you are showing to our students and our community. Also, my godson, Marcelo Hernandez, just
performed multiple soldout shows at the Olympia Theater this past weekend. As his godmother, thank you again for making sure this theater continues to serve Miami. I'm 100% confident that the team you've selected will not only
deliver on your vision, but will also fix the air conditioning once for all. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is Z Sultan. I'm the vice president of the DNA Downtown Neighbors Alliance as well as the a resident at the Paramount. I'm
here to speak on two issues. One being the the PAM orange barrel media billboard and the second being the DDA bylaw bylaw changes. Uh f on the first topic, downtown residents have fought the 10-story billboard at the Perez Art Museum for over a year. You repealed the
2023 law that enabled outside signs and directed legal action. Thank you. Now, there's a proposal to settle with a Pam Orange uh with Pam Orange Barrel Media for 500,000 per year. That's not really accountability. It's a pay-to-play precedent for
breaking the rules and negotiating after the fact. The sign went live despite an ongoing dispute and repeal of the enabling law. Residents are calling it the digital blight. The proposed settlement would keep the jumbo sign operating with conditions instead of restoring the status quo. This a rewards
non-compliance and invites copycasts. Commissioners, I ask you to reject the settlement, pursue the case to judgment, and enforce our zoning and lease terms with no special carveouts. When rules are enforced, we protect residents, our waterfront parks, and the city's
credibility. Uh the second of which is going to be the DDA uh bylaw changes. We ask that you center resident voices. The board has 15 seats on the DDA. The draft floating number of residents to only three seats is insufficient. Downtown is
no longer just offices as tens of thousands of residents paying into the district and living with the consequences of everyday decisions. We ask that the board reflects the community it serves. Ensure expired terms are filled on time, nominations are transparent, and compliance with the
ownership designation rules is verified at at appointment. In closing, we ask that residents aren't asking for special treatment. We're asking for equal treatment. Enforce the rules on the billboards. Don't monetize non-compliance and modernize DDA representation so residents finally have
a voice. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. I am not David Letterman. My name is Kevin Minet. I live at 7950 Northeast Seashore Court. I'm also the senior director of production and artistic operations of Florida Grand Opera. and I'm here today in support of
PH3 and the use of the Olympia Theater. Florida Grand Opera has a long and storied history in the state of Florida. We're the oldest performing arts organization in the state. We are also the seventh or ninth oldest performing arts opera company, sorry, in in the
United States. We believe there is great synergy between education, arts educa, arts education, historic preservation, and the work that we do. We believe we serve over 42,000 children yearly uh
through our education programs, through our final dress performances in Miami date county and we are strongly in support of this move with Slam and the preservation of the Olympic Theater. We
we look forward to the opportunities that this building will provide. Florida Grand Opera in its original days as Greater Miami Opera Association performed at the Olympia and we look forward to being back there working with SLAM in education capacity. Thank you
very much. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Alexander Cordovas, 400 Northwest 1st Avenue. I come here today as a downtown resident urging you to support the proposal for PH3. If you attended the last meeting, I
spoke about how the changes happening in downtown have had a positive effect on my life and that of the community, and the Olympia Theat's restoration is no different. It's not just about saving a building. It's an investment in our city's cultural and economic future. We've seen how the restorations on flag
on Flaggler have brought back uh life into our community. The addition of the slam next door further strengthen further strengthens this vision. As a Matter Academy alum, I see firsthand the positive effects of high performing charter schools in our community. I'm a
direct benefit. Students already spill into downtown businesses daily, and the synergy between the school and the theater will only deepen that connection. I've seen what Slam can do. Shaping the next generation to be engaged citizens with pride in their school, pride in the Olympia, and in
their city. I have faith in this restoration and I have faith in the restoration will ensure the Olympia theater will once again become a cultural anchor for us all. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Denise Galves,
a resident of the city. I know a lot of people here that are speaking are not residents of the city. Um I happen to have a small business and be a resident of the city. So I'm going to try to speak in generality since there's so many items. Um, first of all, I find it really hypocritical that we're talking
about handing over the Olympia Theater because of money. While in the same exact agenda, we're talking about giving away millions for legal settlements and the purchases of properties in Little Havana with no plans as to what is going to be done with these properties. When I
walk the neighborhoods, the number one thing I get is they're sick of the waste. They're sick of the corruption and affordability. And I it's really really disheartening to see the city misspend our hard-earned tax money on things like buying properties in Little
Havana that's on the agenda with zero plans as to what's going to happen to that property. I can tell you the city's done that before and that's that property is now empty and blighted and full of homeless. So I'm asking you to please vote no on that purchase in Little Havana. I'm also asking you to
please set a precedent here when it comes to the legal fees of commissioners, okay, who commit all sorts of alleged crimes. If they are not ex exonerated by a court and a jury, we should not be paying their legal fees. They want to take it up with the state
who accused them, they can take it up with the state, but we should not be paying their legal fees. And for those other commissioners who are not sitting here today who were found guilty of a federal judgment, they should be responsible for those fees as well. We should cl claw back that money and use
it for affordable housing with an actual plan in partnership with public and private institutions, not the city. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Hi, my name is Katarina Hadad, uh 212 North Miami Avenue. Uh I'm here to
support the plans for the Olympia theater. Um I'm a senior marketing manager for Club Space and Three Points. I work a lot in uh cultural programming, grassroots, and national. Um I live and work in downtown and I've been deeply
involved in the community since 2017. Um downtown has always been my hub. Um my my work is rooted in building bridges between artists and audiences, grassroot creativity and major institutions. Miami's legacy and its future. That's
why I support this plan. The Olympia is more than a building. It's a landmark in our city's story with enormous untapped potential to become a cultural hub again. The plan proposed honors its history while reimagining its future as an accessible and sustainable home for the arts. The idea of another piece of
downtown breathing in new life excites me as somebody who has watched it slowly come back to life in the past few years. Um, the commitment to collaboration with local operators also excites me with the possibility for Miami's local voices to be heard, shaping programming that is
diverse, innovative, and inclusive. Uh, the Olympia can be a stage where international names perform, but also where local producers, educators, and creatives like us share our work and connect with our community in meaningful ways. So, I'm here to support the plan. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good morning. Let me get this. Good morning, commissioners. Uh Millie Sanchez, 1717 North Beayhore Drive. I'm one of the founders of SLAM and I currently serve as the chief administrative officer for the
organization. Um I think that everyone here can agree on one thing and that you've heard the Olympia is an iconic landmark that must be preserved. Um, SLAM has stepped up to do just that with a commitment to at minimum $50 million
for the renovation and preservation of the theater. That is the level of investment necessary to restore and preserve this landmark. Our proposal saves the Olympia Theater, which you have heard from many, to do just that.
It saves the city and its taxpayers from bearing that cost. And you know, one very important factor in all this is that the Guzman family, the benefactor, the original benefactor, the family supports this plan. As you have heard at multiple meetings, and I
see that Mr. Bquette is here, so you may hear that again today. It resolves their litigation and honors Maurice Guzman's vision that the Olympia remain a cultural institution open to the people of Miami. Under this proposal, the
theater stays a theater. The public continues to enjoy the venue and the adjoining tower becomes a hub for education, culture, and the arts. We've been working handinhand with community groups representing the arts and civic
partners to bring this vision to life. Many of them came out to speak today, so I thank them as well. Today, you have the power to secure the future of Olympia. A yes on PH3 preserves this historic landmark. It
ends the litigation and it advances the revitalization of our city's downtown corridor. SLAM has been serving this community for almost 15 years. We care about our city and about our community and as your
partner, we will continue to be good public stewards. We are fully capable and committed to delivering on this vision. With your support, we can make that vision a reality today. I thank you. And as a resident of
District 2 and a stakeholder, I trust that you will do what is right for our city. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Sasha Torres, 2007 Southwest 8th Street. Uh I have
been in culture and arts almost my entire life. I think this is a unique opportunity with an excellent group in Slam uh that's going to provide the support to make the Olympia what it deserves to be.
Uh it's languished. um it's just been too long and we need a group that's going to go in there, get the job done and get it done right. So, uh I'm just here to lend my support. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Chairwoman and commissioners and staff. uh chaplain Stanley Young of Freedom Prison and Jail Ministry assisting those inmates that are coming to our prisons and jails to get their life started out right. I'm
here to speak uh about a what I do in the community. I go into all of Miami. >> Excuse me. >> And share >> chaplain. Can you >> re >> RE2 >> RE2 I was going to get to um this community sticks out out of all the
communities I go to that I go to to pass out Narcan I go to to talk to the community try to get those who need the help and assistance that they need but this community uh needs your help I mean uh
there's a lot of drugs a lot of alcohol in this community that needs uh your attention. We need to continue. You're doing a great job in and help bring it up some of our communities. Uh but we
need to continue. We need to continue to uh fund and help these uh uh unsung heroes that goes into the community that helps bring up the our community so our community uh can house good people
living in some adequate uh housing. So continue your work, continue uh funding some of these organizations that are doing that kind of work because that's the kind of work that I dedicated my life to to helping that brother, that
sister uh get up off the streets, out of the, you know, out of drugs and out of things that's really bringing their bringing them down. But it takes you to uh revitalize our community, to bring our community up. There's still a lot of
old properties that really needs to be torn down and have some new properties built. That's not an easy task, I understand, but it is a doable task. Thank you. God bless. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Risa Fernandez,
992 Northwest Fifth Street. Uh, commissioners, thank you the opportunity to speak on PH3. I urge you to vote no on this proposed agreement for the Olympia Theater. This building is one of the city of Miami's most
cultural treasures. What is before is not a true investment in restoration and community need. And it also doesn't mean the urgent need of our residents. We don't have to look further for inspiration. Miami Senior
High, where I and many others in our community have deep roots, was beautifully restored through the leadership of public Miami Day public schools alongside preservation partners and nonprofit organizations. That effort proved that what is possible when we
commit to preserving our history while lifting the people who live here. Olympia deserves the same. We hear today many of the Matter Academyy's faculty and staff about their students. Yes, these families deserve safe and stable
schools that they can thrive in. But many of those very students live in lowincome neighborhoods in our city where many have been where many of those teachers have not been here to advocate for housing parks programming that
support the children's health and safety in their community. If we truly want to help them, then the Olympia theater should be restored and converted into something that addresses those needs directly and pro and maintain the cultural heritage of the theater like
affordable work housing for the families and maybe some of those students that go to those schools. The Olympia Theater belongs to the people of Miami. Just like Miami Senior High was preserved for future generations, so too should the Olympia Theater be. Please reject this
agreement and instead invest in a plan that honors our history while meeting the needs of our residents. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Madam Chair, uh board members. My name is Charles Gibson, uh and I'm speaking on behalf of PH3 in
support of it. Um I uh a longtime resident, been here my whole life, but I am here as a as a uh to to ask for the commission to support uh this item. Uh I'm the founder and current board chair of Gibson Charter School. We serve
uh the Overtown area. Uh that we have a K through five uh school there. We've been there for approximately about 10 years at this point. And it's always a question of where are my kids going to go next? Um, with the Olympia project, we have a opportunity, you all have an
opportunity to have another step for some of our kids who want to get into that type of program. Um, one of the things is that the, as you all know, Gusman Center, um, it needs work. Uh, it needs support. Um there have been many
opportunities, many different private entities who've come to try to uh enhance the project, but every time they see the sticker bill, there's a backout. Um it's been very difficult. It's been going on for years, and finally we have an opportunity to preserve this
beautiful uh uh example of Miami. Um I know many of you, if if you all grew up in this area, you probably been there for one reason or another. And I think it's time that we move forward. We should not be holding up projects with phantom uh ideas uh without any real
pocketbooks. The the the uh SLAM Foundation has the money, they have the wherewithal, and they have the operational experience to make this work. I urge all of you commissioners to vote yes and let's move forward. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Madame Chair. Uh, city commissioners. Terrell Fretz, 111 East Flaggler Street, director of the Flaggler Business Improvement District, here to voice the bid's enthusiastic
support for item PH3 regarding the Olympia Theater. We are encouraged that the substitute resolution now reflects commitments we have advocated, including that SLAM shall aim for an annual
minimum budget of 750,000 to a million dollars towards theater operations and cultural programming and recognizing that Slam made commitments to the Flaggler bid board do not oppose zoning amendments that allow compatible
entertainment, nightlife, and food and beverage uses. These provisions help ensure that the Olympia thrives not only as a future educational asset, which we assume it will be, but also preserves its status
as a cultural, civic, and economic anchor for the downtown community. We do however have one outstanding concern. Clause 8 of the quick claim g is ambiguous and could be interpreted to allow conveyance of the Olympia to
another party without commission approval as long as the use remains for educational and civic uses. The decision to convey the Olympia to SLAM has been built on trust of the organizations and individuals the community has just met.
We're confident the city would not unreasonably withhold future approval and we respectfully ask that this be amended to safeguard public oversight of the historic theater by requiring uh commission approval. Thank you for your leadership in this exciting endeavor.
>> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. Nice to see you. And um I guess I'm talking to three of you. That's more than I normally see. Uh Bob Derez 200 Southeast 15th Road 33129
District 2 been here since 1970 a groite half the time um please don't disregard the Olympia theaterman theater vote no and issue a fair and transparent
RFP which what bothers me you know I people don't have a good memory 20 25 years ago we put tens of millions millions of dollars in that theater, but people forget. So, what's going to happen 20 years from now? Are they going to put in another 50 or actually because
of inflation $75 million to to continue to maintain it? Why don't we have a reserve like we do in condominiums, you know, and make sure they pay something every year so that they don't, you know, there isn't any default. Uh, which
brings to the fact what who wave that magic wand that's all of a sudden leases and RFPs are 75 years and 99 years 99 years it's like we're paying on
Watson Island oh par oh and this reminds me I think about how you know 50 years 40 years ago or 30 years ago we're all sitting here talking about parro jungle you know and giving that away over on Watson Island that had turned into 30
years were of them not paying any any of their rent at all and and to try to find out how how those people how much they were paying themselves and their lawyers every year. You could not find that out. Uh and then it turns into it was Par Jungle and today we sold it, right? All
you have to do is put on the ballot that we're going to get increase our taxes and all these voters that don't know anything will vote yes. And we lost that along with the other property. We the par that that parrot jungle the property on Watson Island a million.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. I wish I had more time. >> Sorry. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning madam chair. Commissioners Mikee LSN law 3800 uh northeast 1st Avenue representing Frost Science. The
agreement authorizing the PAM sign quote violates the city charter because it was executed without approval by a majority of voters at a ballot referendum. A ballot referendum was required here. Those are not my words. That's the city attorney's office in court pleadings.
The PAM sign is not in compliance with state law despite Pam's arguments to the contrary and jeopardizes significant federal highway funding for the state. quote, "I believe that statewide enforcement issues would arise if Pam's
interpretation were to hold, potentially impacting the department's federal funding per the 1972 FHWA FTO agreement." Not my words. That's an FDOT attorney who also prepared a draft letter threatening to issue to Pam a
notice of violation of illegally erected sign. And we have the FHWA, the ultimate uh jurisdiction, authority with jurisdiction. They've been knocking on FDOT's door all year, trying to get someone to explain how this sign does
not violate state and federal law. An FHWA official warned FDOT that the advertisements on the PAM sign, quote, could disqualify the sign from a waiver under the outdoor advertising regulations. The Pam sign commissioners
is a 10-story illuminated red flag. It violates the city charter. It violates state law. It violates federal law and it jeopardizes hundreds of millions in state highway funding. Item CA5 invites
you to ignore these red flags and to become a partner in the business venture. Notwithstanding the law, notwithstanding stridident opposition from the community, including the frost. Item R5, CA5 is a bad idea. Please vote
no. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Mark Rosenloom, COO, Perez Art Museum, Miami Ham, 11:03 Biscane Boulevard, Miami 33132. I'm here to speak in support of the proposed settlement regarding the PAM
sign. I'd like to start with a salute to this leadership group. Thank you for your continued support of the arts for allowing our flagship institution to become a leader in our field, educating our communities, promoting the Miami name all over the globe. This does not
happen with just the hard work of our skilled local workforce and our worldclass facility. It takes significant annual operating funds to deliver. Yes, we clearly punch above our weight. We are motivated to be the best because that's what Miami deserves. You
understood this when you approved the ordinance allowing us to start the process. You understood this when you issued a building permit to begin construction. And you understood this when you allowed us to turn the sign on more than a year ago. So today, I again thank you for understanding it is time
to agree on a settlement to allow us to move forward. Arts funding is in danger at every level of the government. Museums like ours are forced to lean on creative ideas and the private sector. Please don't penalize us for finding
non-traditional sources of funding. I remind you all, we employ over 250 people in this community. Our free programs and educational initiatives reach over 25,000 children and elders each year, crossing all your districts.
In a sea of lighted signs, buildings, and bridges in downtown Miami, our sign is one with an important purpose. Pam has proven itself a responsible steward of this sign and these funds, leveraging them to deliver value to our residents
and our economy. If we diminish the arts, we diminish Miami. If we sustain them, we strengthen both our economy and our souls. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Madam Chair, commissioners. My name is Andy Alonso,
speaking in support of PH3. Um, I stand here as a very, very proud graduate of Matter Academy Charter High and Performing Arts Academy. That title is one of the great honors of my life and I carry it with me everywhere that I go. The organizations and the people who are
leading this proposal have proven themselves as good and faithful stewards not only in my life but in the lives of thousands of students of families and graduates across the schools. I speak not only as an alumnist but also as someone who deeply cares for and has
passion for the arts. From dancing, classical ballet to working alongside arts and cultural groups. There is real enthusiasm in the arts community for what this plan represents. the innovation and the creativity that it will bring to our city. I asked myself
if I were sitting at this dis today, what would I want to hear to guide my decision? Uh and know that I was making the best choice for our city. There have been many many plans and discussions about the past. But as we stand here today in the present looking at this
proposal before us um and also casting future u vision for the future of Miami um the question stands is this the right path forward and um are these the right organizations the right people to make it happen and my answer to that is
unequivocally without any doubt or reservation yes. Uh having worked across education, government, media, and entertainment, I am confident that the proposed plan represents the best interest of the city. I believe that God's providence
often shows itself in these moments, the right people positioned in the right place at the right time. Um and that's what I see here. I think it most certainly includes each of you. Thank you for your consideration. >> Thank you. Good morning.
>> Hi. Good morning. Good morning, commissioners. My name is Kim Gillarde Gil and I am here in support of PH3. 30 years ago, I had the privilege of serving as the founding principal of Matter Academy. Today, I serve as chief
operating officer of the Matter Academy network with schools across our nation, but headquartered right here in our city. What began as a small effort rooted in Centro Mater in Little Havana has grown into a network that now serves tens of
thousands of students across the nation. Over the decades, Matter has remained committed to its mission of providing highquality public education, particularly to the families of Miami who first inspired our work. The SLAM
network was originally nested inside Matter Academy and eventually became a separate and independent network. Today, Matter and SLAM continue to collaborate closely, sharing the same vision for students and communities. Here in the
city of Miami, Matter Academy directly serves over 8,000 families. Several of the principles from those schools are here with us today. They have shared with you their urgent need for receiving a high school and
Olympia theater project provides that solution. This opportunity will ensure that our students have a pathway to continue their education in their own city close to home in a historic and inspiring setting. On behalf of Matter Academy, I want to
thank you for your leadership in safeguarding the Olympia's future and in identifying a team in our city that we can all agree will be successful delivering your vision for this great facility. We are happy to stand with you and we are grateful for your commitment
to the children and families we serve. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is Amanda Milan and I'm here to speak on behalf of PH3 PH3. I am beyond honored to stand here today as an alumni of Slam, the inaugural student station general manager of SLAM radio, the first
and only studentr run national radio station in the country, and now as a proud employee of SLAM. My journey in the halls of SLAM and our Series XM studio is a testament to the incredible opportunity SAM provides, and I'm here to ensure the next generation gets the same shot that I did. When I was a
student at SLAM, I discovered my passion for radio and production through hands-on experiences that opened my eyes to what was possible. Because of SAM's commitment to fostering creativity and skills, I now work with our students every day at SAM radio, living out my dream. But I did not go back just to
share my story. I returned to SLAM because I believe in paying it forward. All students deserve the same access to arts and media that transformed my life. That's why I am so excited about the Olympia Project. This initiative will bring more arts access to our entire community, amplifying what Sam does
best, preparing kids for their future careers. It's about giving every student the tools to tell their story, to find their voice, and to build a path to success. Whether that's in radio, production, or in any field that they dream of. The Olympia Project isn't just
about art. It's about opportunity. It's about ensuring that every kid and artist in our city has a chance to shine, just like I did. Together, we're not just shaping the future of our community. We're empowering the next generation to lead it. I hope you support this project as it will open doors for so many more
students just like I once was. Let's keep the arts alive and our students thriving. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Madam Chair and commissioners. My name is Tony Messa and I serve as the chair and president of SLAM and I'm here to speak in support of
PH3. During this process, I have learned how the Olympia is like a big puzzle. And to solve that puzzle, someone has to have all the pieces. Unfortunately, over the years, no one has been able to bring all the pieces to the city to solve it.
There's always been a piece missing, often many pieces. Until now. Slam is uniquely positioned and has all the pieces to solve the Olympia puzzle. The financial piece, a 50 million plus commitment to restore and preserve it. A
commitment that ensures zero cost, not one penny to the city and its taxpayers. The capacity piece. SLAM is a reliable, responsible nonprofit with a proven record, strong, valuable partners and a
mission that aligns with this plan. The purpose piece. Maurice Guzman's vision of the Olympia being a cultural institution for public use with a civic purpose will not only be preserved, but it will be amplified with the plan's use of the adjoining Tower as an educational
and cultural hub. The Gusman family supports this plan so much so they will end their litigation if approved. These are the pieces to the Olympia puzzle. Slam is very fortunate to have them. No one else does. With your support, we
want to use them to save the Olympia. The 100-year anniversary of the Olympia Theater is next year. I think it's fitting that all of this is happening on its eve. And while none of us can be at the second 100-year anniversary and all the anniversaries thereafter,
a yes vote today ensures that others will. We hope to have the privilege to make this commitment, bear this responsibility, and honor Mr. Gusman's vision. We thank you for your vision and for your consideration in making that possible. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is Larry Mang and I am the proud national director of Slam Radio, the nation's only studentled radio station on Sirius XM. I'm here today speaking in favor of PH3
to give you a little bit of my perspective. Every day, our students are learning how to produce live radio shows, interviewing national figures, and creating original programming that reaches listeners across the country and across the globe. It is proof of what young adults can achieve when they're
given the tools, the mentorship, and the platform to lead. Imagine our students gravitate to gaining knowledge, doing research, and speaking their opinions, their truths. They understand the show must go on, just like in life, and they answer the call every day. Their work
ethic is only surpassed by their passion to learn and to exercise their first amendment rights. The Olympia Theater Project gives us the chance to expand that impact in the most amazing way. Inside the restored building, we plan to launch a radio cafe, a space that will
give Flaggler Street, the life, the performances, conversations, and live programming it deserves. artists, community members, and our students will all have access to this space, creating a unique hub where ideas and creativity flow freely. It will be a place where young broadcasters sit alongside
established artists, where the community and the classroom meet, and where future professionals take their first steps. Through Slam Radio, we've already built partnerships with major organizations and leaders in the arts and the media. We've proven that me Miami students can compete and succeed on a national stage.
Now with the Olympia Theater as our home base, we can bring that same level of energy downtown, changing not just the landscape of Flaggler, but the cultural footprint of the city as a whole. This is more than just restoring a theater. This is for our students, for our neighborhood, and for Miami's future of
the arts. I ask you to support so we can continue building this vision together. God bless you. God bless the city of Miami, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. Douglas Rodriguez, 230 Southwest 17th Road. Currently the
principal at Matter Bickl Academy and Miami Tech on the campus of Miami Dade Community College Wolfson campus. I'm also currently involved in the pre-planning for the Olympia project and have had the opportunity to look at the space and what the potential is to
create the most dynamic and robust performing arts program in the country. And I want this commission to think about the dichotomy of what I'm saying. We're talking about the most technologically advanced school and performing arts program in the country
sitting adjacent to a 100-year-old theater. And I think back to two weeks ago when I went to a performance in that theater. As I sat outside looking at the building and getting ready to go inside and see this amazing performance in this incredibly historic and wonderful
theater, it dawned on me the theater is made of brick and concrete. That's not what makes that theater special. What makes that theater special is the fact that there are connections that we make historically throughout our lives and
events that have taken place in that theater that have an impact on us. I want you to think about the next hundred years. The 200 students a year that will graduate from that theater and will walk across that stage as part of the Olympia
project, making 20,000 new students who create a love and a connection for that theater. If we're looking at the future of the theater, it's more than just about the next 10 years. It's about the next hundred long
after we're gone. I've had the opportunity to serve this county as principal in many schools throughout every corner of the county from Miami Central High School, Ronald Reagan Dural High School, Miami Springs High School, Matter Biscane Academy, Dural Academy,
all of those. I've had my imprint on those schools and the educational programs and I can assure this commission that we will deliver on delivering an equality program. >> Thank Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is
Armando Ruiz. I am a student of Slam Miami as well as the lead student host of SLAM radio. I am speaking in support of item PH3, uh, Restoring the Olympia Theater. Before anything, I would like to speak
about the importance of choices. Sometimes a singular choice can lead to a whole future which was unimaginable at the time. When I was given the choice to join Slam Radio, my response was um sure
because I was hesitant. You know, the class was called digital audio production. I had no idea what that meant. Um and I had never done anything in communications before. Now here I am speaking in front of the commissioners
of the city of Miami speaking for that same program all because I made a choice to say yes. I mean how many students can say that? How many students can say that they have spoken to and interviewed
pitbull hente Arizona Grammy award-winning producers, professional sports players, politicians, etc., etc., etc. That's a pretty good resume. All because I said yes that day. I wouldn't
have had that choice, that opportunity without Slam Radio. And because of Slam Radio, I've grown in maturity, confidence, and a lot of experiences. I'm sure you can imagine how eyeopening
and uniquely exciting something like this is. Now, imagine what can be done by expanding a curriculum like this to the scale of a theater. That is why it is so important to support the preservation of
the Olympia Theater, to support education that prepares us for careers and for making sure Miami students have opportunities to succeed. >> Thank you. >> Please choose to say yes to PH3. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, chairwoman. Good morning,
commissioners. My name is Aaron Deo. I am the chair of the city's climate resilience committee. I'm here to speak today on item RE15 addresses 66 West Flagler 33130. On September 15th, our commission our
committee unanimously adopted the storm resolution science-based tracking and operational resilience for Miami and it's to strengthen preparedness and reaffirm the city's commitment to sciencebased storm forecasting. The weather has a profound impact on the lives and economy of South Florida. This
is not about climate change. This is not about the past. This is not about a distant future. This is about today and tomorrow and having the data and systems in place that you all need and the emergency response team needs in order to make well-informed decisions and save lives and property. That's why we
recommend that the commission support the storm initiative and sustain investment at the federal, state, and local levels and to strengthen partnerships so Miami is always ready with science and data needed to act. Thank you all.
>> Thank you. Good morning. Sorry. Good morning. >> Good morning, Madam Chair. Um, commissioners, my name is Rolando Jiannis. on the principle of Civica architecture and I have the pleasure of being the architect working alongside Richard Heisenbottle and his team and
the folks at SLAM uh on what would potentially be if this were this item were to be approved um the full restoration uh and rehabilitation of the Olympia Theater. But I come before you really um and I felt compelled to stand
up to um remind myself and all of us of another project that I was very much involved in um almost 30 years to the day. I stood in this room before it was renovated beautifully by the team of Richard Heisenbottle um with local
community folks to hope uh and to present plans for the adaptive reuse and restoration of a another iconic work of architecture in the city of Miami that used to be on the corner of Northwest 20
um 3rd Avenue and and 10th Avenue and 23rd Street. I don't know if you remember it, but it was Miami baseball stadium, uh, also known as Bobby Maduro Stadium. We we we stood here with local community groups, with Father Menendez, with the late Joe Fleming, with the late
Yoel Kami and members of the Alipata community showing the city of Miami and the community at large plans to adaptively reuse that iconic stadium, that iconic building. Um,
we pleaded with the development community. We pleaded with the city of Miami. We pleaded with the historic preservation folks to see if anyone with nonprofits to see if anyone would step forward and do what they had to do to do their part to put their money where
their mouth is to preserve one of the most iconic buildings in the city of Miami. At the end of the day, a wrecking ball called apathy tore that stadium down in 2001. It no longer stands. It's gone forever. We're left with documentaries and books. Thank you.
>> So, the last point I will make is that while you consider the brightness of a billboard, >> don't do what you have to do to make sure that the lights of the Olympia Theater shine brightly for the next generation. >> Thank you. >> Good morning.
>> Good morning. TZ Vento, general counsel of the Perez Art Museum, Miami, 1103 Biscane Boulevard, speaking about the PAM digital sign settlement. In the pending lawsuit, Pam recently filed a motion for summary judgement detailing the evidence and legal arguments why Pam
should win without the need of a trial. It was compelling. The City of Miami legal department, taking into consideration the respected opinions of others, saw the handwriting on the wall. If the court rules in Pam's favor, Pam could activate the sign 24/7 at the
light levels in the original sign ordinance. The case before the court is currently on hold while the parties finalize that settlement. We are sure the city attorney conveyed to you at the July shade meeting Pam's proposed settlement that permanently retains what
Pam had voluntarily agreed to last year. Going dark between 11 p.m. and and 6:00 a.m. and reduced brightness at dawn and dusk. Residents currently don't see the pan sign at all when most people are asleep. However, there are plenty of
other large and bright signs which they and nearby animals can see at night, including the brightly list Frost Science Museum, four billboards at Fere Park, other large waterfronts digital signs, and soon the signature bridge.
The parade of horribles that were predicted by opponents to the Pam sign has not happened. Let's call the opposition to the Pam sign what it is, selective outrage. The sign is not coming down, but that's not a surprise. This commission has noted repeatedly
during the six commission meetings held on this topic that doing so would expose the city to huge liability because of vested permits. And attorney Widong noted at April 25, 2024 meeting that some folks mistakenly thought that by
adopting the compromised sign ordinance, the signs were going to come down. Quote, "That's not the case. They will be in a non-conforming status, which means they can stay until they are essentially taken down or abandoned by the sign companies. Please vote in favor. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name is Ronald Doare, City of Miami District 3 resident, a proud SL Miami parent, and I am speaking in favor of PH3. First, I want to thank you for always supporting education and the future of
children in the city of Miami. As a parent, we know the arts and education go hand in hand. The Olympia Theater is not just a historic building. It's an opportunity for the future generation. With Slam Vision, the restoration will
create new opportunity for our kids to learn and experience the arts in ways that inspire their creativity and confidence. Approving this proposal means investing directly in the next generation. Our childrens are Miami's future and giving them access to
inspiring worldclass spaces like the Olympia and its tower. Thank you for leading the vision and standing beside Slam and the families working towards the brighter future for the children's in our city.
>> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning. I'm Jana Reid with the law firm Sterns Weaver Miller in downtown Miami and we represent Perez Art Museum Miami in connection with the litigation against the city. The sign at PAM has
already been the subject of extensive review by the city commission and by the public. The sign was approved in 2022 after two city commission meetings and a planning, zoning, and appeals board meeting. And the issue appeared then on
the commission agenda eight additional times over a fivemon span in 2024 on January 11th, January 25th, February 8th, February 22nd, March 14th, April 11th, April 25th, and May 23rd with
extensive public comment. So the notion that additional public commentary on this issue is needed is incorrect. There's been plenty of public commentary regarding the sign at Pam and in response, Pam has been a good neighbor for more than a year, voluntarily
dimming the sign and turning it off every night at 11 p.m. These voluntary restrictions result in significant loss of revenue, and other signs in the area remain illuminated 247. It's a clear disadvantage financially and otherwise,
but Pam remains a committed and responsible, respectful community partner. We are here today with one goal, which is to ensure that this litigation gets resolved collaboratively today. A settlement will allow Pam and the city to move forward on mutually
acceptable terms and continue the long-standing and positive relationship that the parties enjoyed for many years. But the current settlement offer will expire today after today's meeting. If an agreement cannot be reached, we are prepared to continue litigating and
based on the facts, we are confident we will win. The city will continue to incur substantial legal expense to likely obtain an outcome that will allow the city to operate the sign to operate continuously without the restrictions and the brightness controls. It's in
everyone's interest to turn the page on this dispute >> and move forward with the settlement. Thank you. >> Good morning. I'm sorry. Good morning. My name is Amaya Machado. I'm a student
with Slam Radio or with Slam and I'm an executive producer at Slam Radio. To come here today and to speak about something I truly love like Slam Radio is an amazing opportunity in itself, but it's also a clear example of everything they teach us. Experiences like this
structure and support are all things Slam Miami provides for its students. I've been able to progress in broadcasting and it's shown me that there are pathways for me in industries that I would have never considered before. Mr. Millian is my teacher at Slim Radio and he has taught me that my
voice has value and if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be the young woman I am today. The Olympia Theater Project would be a chance to do the same for students who are just like me and need a safe space to support and help them excel in anything they set their mind to. To see
that we are the future and we are what the world is going to be. So, we have a say. Thank you so much. Have a good day. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. Uh Brian Kern here from 900 Biscane Boulevard
speaking on CA5. Um, you've all received emails from me uh uh on behalf of the 2,000 voters I represent that live in my building. Um, and I'm here to reiterate those concerns. So, earlier in the week, I took a walk. I went from uh the river
downtown all the way up to the Pam. So, it's uh 15 blocks um just went up the east side of Biscane along Bayfront Park and Maurice Feret. Uh on that 25m minute walk, I counted 19 digital billboards. Uh this is the kiosks uh hogging our
sidewalks. These are the monstrosities that Commissioner Coroya threw up along uh Bayfront and Breeze Frey Park. Uh and finally, the Pam's giant screen. This body has already allowed Orange Barrel Media and other ad companies to turn our public spaces into a private ad gallery.
Uh on that walk, I was served more advertisements than had I just spent the same time surfing the internet. It's exhausting and it needs to stop. The city should not legitimize a structure that was built illegally on city land enabled by corrupt legislation. The only
legitimate outcome is removal, not a sweetheart deal that rewards the violator. Uh I also want to address some of the comments from those um defending Pam's position here, representatives from the the PAM, I believe. Uh what other
flagship art museum in the world funds itself through dig massive digital billboards? There's none that I'm aware of. That sign is not a beacon. It's a nuisance to neighbors. It's a dangerous distraction to drivers on an already dangerous stretch of roadway. Uh and
it's a stain on our city skyline. What does it say about Miami as a city when one of its leading cultural institutions, uh one that claims to nurture the city's youth resorts to something as crass as this? Uh, and what does it say about our uh, city government government that
instead of defending residents in public space, you're even considering protecting an illegal billboard to appease lobbyists and corporate interests? Uh, please reject the settlement and protect the residents. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good morning. >> Good morning, chairwoman, and good
morning to the commissioners. My name is Nadir Rivas and I am currently speaking in favor of PH3. I am currently a student at Slam Miami and I want to thank you guys for your commitment to education and for creating opportunities that allow students like
me to grow. Having a chance to speak with you all today is an honor. At Slam Miami, I've had the opportunity to broadcast my voice on national radio and that experience has changed my perspective on life. It taught me to have the value of my own voice and give me confidence to speak
with knowledge. In class, I've learned life lessons that I'll carry into my future, like the importance of doing things the right way and being able to communicate ideas clearly. The Olympia project takes all of this to another level. Its history and presence in downtown Miami make it
more than just a building. It's a symbol of culture, creativity, and opportunity. Having access to a space like this can mean means that students like me perform practice in a professional environment. All this while being connected to the
heart of our city. The Olympia Theater would not only help us grow our skills, but it would also put many students on a path to greater success. Thank you for supporting education and ensuring that Miami students can have every opportunity to succeed. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Chairwoman King. Our Stewart Agira as the volunteer chairman for the Miami River Commission, and I'm here to support Commissioner Gabella's resolution regarding manatees. For the
record, that's R16. And you know, Commissioner, like you, I also live on the Miami River. And like every other member of the Miami River Commission and the Miami River District, we truly appreciate the manatees. They're wonderful God's creatures.
They're manatees. They're mammals. They live in families and they give a great deal to our community. But like you, we also respect the need for employment in the recreational yaching and boating industry. Boating is a family sport.
It's a family pastime. It keeps families together. And right now, we have a real shortage of facilities for recreational yaching. So, and recreational boating that is such a big part of our economic engine in Miami. So, we support your
initiative on this matter, Commissioner. Thank you, Chairwoman. >> Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning, Peter Homer on behalf of Frost Museum on CA1 CA5 on this. Um, I'm
outside litigation council for uh Frost Museum. Um and as you know the Frost is a nonprofit unlike PAM unlike OBM whose money is really what is driving this um they are purely moneydriven at this
point. Frost on the other hand seeks only to further the public interest. It protect the aesthetics of the arts and the science district. And um indeed it's important for the commission to
understand this. Before approaching PAM, OBM proposed to Frost to use its Biscane Boulevard frontage for a mega sign. Frost, consistent with its educational
mission and the arts district's aesthetics, said no, no deal, even though it would have garnered millions of dollars for that entity. When the city became embroiled in this litigation here, Frost sought to intervene. I did
so on behalf of Frost on that. Uh the city agreed to our intervention on that. Pam and their OBM supplied council resisted that intervention. Much like their hurry up approach that they want
you to take today on this. Pam and OBM didn't want meaningful resistance on that. I want to stress to you there is no exigency here that requires you to do this on a hurry up fashion here. Um I know they want to desire to do that. The
motion for summary judgement briefing was not completed. The motion for summary judgement was not set for hearing at this point. Um and I'm completely confident in the city's position. I have all the respect in the world for the city attorney's office and what they can accomplish. I've looked at
those carefully, those materials on this and I believe they will prevail. But even if they don't prevail, it's important. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. >> I'm Timothy Bquette and I represent the
Gusman family and the Gusman Foundation. 2019, Bruce Gusman came to my office with a repair or demolish order that was posted on the theater and the adjacent building and said, "Tim, this is enough. It's it's it's gone way too far. We need to do something and take this theater
back. Bruce, what are we going to do with it?" Well, we'll figure that out. So, over the last six years of litigation, the city of Miami has put out RFPs. We've worked very hard trying to figure out a solution. That was the sentiment
when we went to mediation with the city. What are you guys going to do with it? Well, that's what we started working on. And then we came across Matter Academy and SLAM. We visited their campuses. We met with their people. We are so confident that they could do the right
thing with this building. We brought SLAM to the city of Miami. We brought it to the mayor who brought it to you as commissioners. Your commissioners were a little skeptical in the beginning. Mr. Partardo had town halls and there were a lot of
people skeptical, but you see the overwhelming support that we have here today. This is a wonderful thing. You see these young students standing up advocating for this. I don't know if this is going to work, but I want to
play a sound clip and I hope it works. for our community, for the city of Miami. I honestly believe that this will bring back life to downtown. There'll be a lot
of activity, people want to come. that be nice legitimate shows, opera in addition to the phenomenon concert. Also, ballet and many nice things that people want to
come and the more people come, the less people will be afraid. >> That was Maurice Gusman in 1975 when he gave this building to the city of Miami. We want civic use and we found it and everybody here should support it.
The Karens that aren't supporting us need to close their mouth, open their eyes and ears and look at this deal and and they too will be convinced it's the right thing. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
Is there anyone else that would like to speak on behalf of any item on our agenda? Seeing none, the public comment period is now closed. Gentlemen, we have a long day today. It
is 12:00. We have two CRA meetings. Can I get you to maybe take a couple of items off of the agenda for now? Um, is that okay? Okay, hold on one second.
Okay. May I have a motion for pocket item one and two? >> Motion. Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries. Okay. For the CA items, I would
I would assume we want to discuss CA5. So, I'm going to put CA5 for discussion. Are there any other items in the CA items that you would like to pull for
discussion? We have remaining CA 1, three, and four. >> I'm ready for a motion. >> May I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> motion All
unanimous vote for CA 1, three, and four. Passes. Okay. Of the PH items, gentlemen, >> we only have one remaining, right? which is just PH1.
>> No, we have PH1 and we have PH3 which is a four fifths vote. Does anyone want to pull any of the PH items? >> PH3. I I I thought we'd already pulled it.
>> Okay, we're going to pull PH3. So, may I have a motion for PH1? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> PH1 passes. Okay. Are there any items that you would like
to pull that remain on the re items? We have RE2 RE4 5 6 7 8 9 >> chair. Nine was indefinitely deferred. Oh, >> I'm sorry. 10.
>> 8. I'm going to defer eight. You want to defer RE8? I need a motion. >> Motion. >> Can I second? >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second to defer RE8 to what day? >> Next commission meeting? >> October the uh
>> October 9th. >> October 9th. >> That's fine. >> Okay. I have a motion >> and I'd like to pull on RE5. I'd like to discuss. >> Okay. Well, let me get this motion done first. I have a motion and a second to defer RE8 to October 9th meeting. All in
favor? >> I I >> Okay, Commissioner Partardo, you'd like to pull RE5 >> for discussion. Any other any >> Yeah, I'd like to pull RE1. >> RE1.
Okay. 5. >> RE5 was pulled. RE 11 is pulled. We have remaining RE 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, >> RE5, RE1.
R12 >> and I'd like to pull R15 >> R15 >> R15. >> Is that it? Okay. So, may I have >> M madam chair, the city clerk's raising his hand >> and just for the record, R2 as amended.
>> R2 as amended. Got it. So, may I have a motion to pass RE2 as amended? RE4. >> What was that amendment? >> In brief. >> So, um it's my understanding that RE2 will be amended pursuant to a
substitution memo dated September 19th, 2025. >> Okay, no problem. >> Okay. Again, RE2 as amended, RE4, RE6, RE7,
RE 10, RE 13, 14, 16, and 17. May I have a motion? >> Motion. >> I have a motion and a second. All in favor? >> I >> I
>> Sorry, but um the motion's fine. Um, could you repeat just the ones that we just uh re >> uh hold on, let me go back. Two, four, >> six, >> 10, 13,
14, 16, and 17. >> Thank you, >> chair. I believe R7 >> was included in the motion. R7 R7 also passed. Right. Okay. Thank you. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read
into the record the titles for the second ordinances? >> Yes, Madam Chair. SR1 second reading ordinance an ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments amending chapter 18 article 4 of the code of the city of Miami as amended city code
titled finance grants more specifically by amending section 18-139 titled anti-poverty anti-poverty initiative established to expand the eligible use of anti-poverty initiative funds by the city of Miami departments
further ensuring that set amendment is incorporated into all API applications ations and funding request forms going forward containing a severability clause and providing for an immediate effective date. SR2 second reading ordinance. It's an ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending chapter 35 article 1
of the code of the city of Miami, Florida has amended city codes titled motorized vehicles and traffic in general. Specifically by amending section 35-1 of the city code titled definitions to provide a definition for a homestead property and by establishing a new section 3512 of the city code
titled parking for homestead exempt property providing for certain allowable parking on a homestead containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date and SR3 second reading ordinance an ordinance of the Miami city commission repealing section 62-2.2
2 of the code of the city of Miami, Florida as amended titled independent feasibility and economic impact studies providing for the treatment of pending applications containing a severability clause and providing for an immediate effective date. Thank you, Madam Chair.
>> Gentlemen, of the second reading items, are there any items that you would like to pull for discussion? >> Yeah, I'd like to pull three and four. >> There's only three. >> FR1, two, three, and four. >> We're on SR. Oh, sorry. >> We're only on the SRS.
>> Excuse me. My mistake. >> Okay. >> I' I'd like to pull SR2. >> Anything else from the SRS? Okay. May I have a motion for SR >> one and three? >> All in favor? I
>> items passes. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read into the record first reading items? >> Yes, madam chair. First reading ordinances FR1 first reading an ordinance of the Miami city commission amending chapter 10 article 1 division 2
section 10-18 of the code of the city of Miami, Florida is amended. City code titled buildings in general building administration fees and waivers. building permit fee schedule, waiverss, elevator, escalator, boiler, etc. Amending section 10-18 of the city code
to incorporate current elevator inspection fees, boiler and unfired pressure vessel fees and fines for non-compliance providing for severability and providing for an immediate effective date. FR2 first reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami city commission amending
chapter 2 article four of the code of the city of Miami, Florida is amended titled administration departments adding a new division 17 to establish the grants department providing for the purpose authority and functions of the department. Further amending chapter 18 article 4 of the city code titled
finance grants to provide for the acceptance of grant awards to the city of Miami containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. F FR3 first reading ordinance an ordinance of the Miami city commission with attachments amending
chapter 50 article 4 section 158 of the code of the city of Miami Florida is amended titled ships vessels and waterway Miami vessel moing code reserve to allow for vessel anchorage limitations provided by section 327.60 6 parenthesis 2 F3 Florida statutes in
specified areas containing a servability clause and providing for an effective date and FR4 first reading ordinance an ordinance of the Miami city commission amending chapter 14 article two of the code of the ordinances of the city of Miami Florida's amended city code titled downtown development downtown district
more particularly by amending division one titled generally to define residency in the downtown development authority of the city of Miami Florida authority and by amending division two titled downtown development authority to amend the composition of the downtown development authority of the city of Miami Florida
authority board of directors and various amendments including but not limited to the authorities's definitions powers and duties and removal of members containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date that concludes the first reading ordinances >> I believe commissioner you want to pull
>> yeah three and four I got a real quick question >> a quick question or >> quick question. Just want to know how many seats are are being up to the residents. So, um I got the briefing, but I just want to make sure that the public knows that we've uh that you've
allotted for more >> seats from the residents. >> Is that FR4? >> It is. It's FR4. >> Okay. Do you have an answer? >> I I do. Yes. So, we're guaranteeing uh at least one seat per each of the three subd districts. So one for Bickl, one for the central business districts, one for the arts and enter entertainment
districts and overall uh 40% of seats would be for uh residents of downtown residents. >> So there has been a net gain for the residents. >> I'm sorry. >> There has been a net gain for the residents of seats >> there. There has been. >> Okay, that's all I want to know. Thank you.
>> Okay. You also pulled FR3. >> FR3. Yes. >> What's about that? Is that a quick one or >> uh Okay, so on the F FR3, I understand why we're doing it, but here's here's the problem. If you make it harder for those guys that live on boats outside the perimeter perimeter there of the
mooring field, and I know what we're trying to do, my my fear is that I don't want to make those guys because they're way off now, they can't come to shore. Now they're homeless. Now we got another guy that because he can't live on the boat. Now we got another guy here that we got to deal with in the in the
street. So So that's my my concern on on that one there. I mean, I want to I'm all for, you know, law and order and, you know, everything clean, but uh my only fear is that, you know, uh some of these guys that are living out there, they're living out there for a reason because they they can't, you know, they they can't afford rent or and they live
on their boats. You know what I mean? And if you're going to get them, you know, I think we have a limit now of 100 ft. I've been briefed on this and now it's 300 feet. Do we really want to make it impossible for those guys then have nowhere to go and then we got more more of a homeless uh uh you know, situation
going on? Just saying. my my two cents worth, but you know, so I'm I'm concerned with this uh what we're trying to do. >> Let me So uh uh Marine Patrol has been really instrumental with this and this mimics an existing ordinance in the city
of Miami Beach that was passed by Commissioner David Suarez and it's really aimed at derelict vessels. We have a very big problem with vessels that are just left there and it costs tens of thousands of dollars uh to remove with remove them and deal with
them. So this is actually much better for enforcement. U marine patrol is 100% behind it and of course we sponsored it. We think it's a good idea. Do you think commissioner that we can amend it to say if we in fact certify that the vessel is derelict then we take it but if there's somebody living on the vessel then
>> I mean they're not they're not there kicking people out of the vessel there you know they're trying to enforce uh a 300t barrier anchoring out outside making sure that they are outside of the moring field so I I'll defer to the city attorney
maybe you can >> well so um the statute andor the Miami Beach ordinance as uh Commissioner Partardo and and um Gabella both said that um it extends right now it's illegal to moore a vessel within 100
feet of a manage moing field. Um state law permits us to extend that to 300 ft. Actually state law extended it to 300 feet. We could opt out. Um and so there's another provision of the state law which are ordinance tracks which says that if you're you moore your
vessel um for more than 30 days between the hours of sunrise and sunset >> or actually sunset to sunrise um then we can remove that vessel. But it doesn't it's not earmarked towards a derelic
vessel per se. It includes both u boats that are just morowed there and boats that are morowed there for the purposes of living aboard. So it it will affect both type of voters. >> Um >> okay. So how about um
do you guys want to defer FR3? >> Yeah, let's go ahead and defer it >> just so we could get more >> to the next meeting and that way >> that's fine with me. >> Okay. >> Yeah, you can get >> I know what you're trying to do and I commend it. I just want to make sure that the you know the wrong people don't get
>> So may I have a motion to defer FR3 to >> second >> FR >> FR3 to the OC >> October 9th october 9th yes >> October 9th meeting >> first meeting in October
>> okay so now may I have a motion for FR1 FR2 and >> I'm sorry um was there a vote on the the motion to defer Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. Unanimous. Understood. >> Yes. So, may I have a motion for FR1, 2,
and FR4? >> So moved. Second. >> All in favor? >> And FR4 is amended pursuant to a substitution memo dated September 24th, 2025. >> Yes. As amended. >> Mr. City Attorney, would you please read
into the record the title of the PZ items? Yes, Madam Chair. The remaining PZ items are PZ2, 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 small-scale amendment procedures subject to section 163.3187 Florida statutes by changing the future land use designation from medium-density multifamily residential to restricted commercial of the acreage described herein of real property at 175 Northeast
55 street Miami Florida and the western portion of 184 northeast 56th Street Miami Florida. All is more particularly described in exhibit A attached and incorporated making findings and providing for an effective date. PZ3
first reading ordinance an ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments amending the zoning atlas of ordinance number 13114 the zoning ordinance of the city of Miami Florida is amended Miami 21 code by changing the zoning transsect of the western portion of the property bifurcated by two
transact zones located at 184 northeast 56th Street Miami Florida from T4R general urban transact zone restricted to T50 urban center transact zone open and the property geneneralally ly located at 175 Northeast 55 Street from T4R general urban transit zone
restricted to T50 urban center transit zone open more particularly described in exhibit Attached and incorporated making findings containing a servability clause and providing for an effective date PZ 6 first reading ordinance an ordinance of the Miami city commission amending the
zoning atlas of ordinance number 13114 the zoning ordinance of the city of Miami 21 code as amended by changing the zoning classification from T5L L Urban Center zone limited to T50 urban center zone open of the property generally generally located at 349 Southwest 12th
Street, 375 Southwest 15th Road, 11:09 and 1131 Southwest 4th Avenue, and 364 Southwest 11th Street, Miami, Florida, more particularly described in exhibit A, making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. And finally, PZ7, 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, Miami 21 code by changing the zoning classification from T50 urban center transact zone open to T680 urban core
transit zone open for the property generally located at 710 Southwest 16th Avenue, Miami, Florida, is more particularly described in the attached and incorporated exhibit A making findings containing a severity clause. cause and providing for an effective date. Thank you, Madam Chair.
>> Thank you, gentlemen. Any of the PZ items you would like to pull for discussion? >> They can't hear you. He has he hasn't. It's on. >> They say they can't still can't hear you. It's >> It's not working. >> Right. It's not working.
>> It's not working. Well, now it is. Now it is. Um, thank God I'm not in the United Nations, but uh, uh, if uh, we could go to the
CRA items and then take up the rest of the meeting in the afternoon. We're past noon. I have an engagement that I can't miss. Um, at >> Well, let's take these PC items up first. If does anyone have uh, want to
pull these items? any any PZ items anybody >> and I believe the um the planning director needs to state an amendment uh for the record regarding PZ3 >> Mr. Planning Director. >> Yes. Um so for PZ3 the applicant has
requested uh both the property covenant uh restricted covenant for the reszone of the property. Um in that covenant they specify changing the designation uh of the T50 to T5L. Um so that is something that the
commission will need to consider >> as amended. Okay. So may I have a motion for PZ 23? >> Move >> six and seven. >> Second >> as amended. Does the um director have any objections to that amendment?
>> No objections. >> Okay. >> I have a motion and a second. All in favor? >> I >> items cast passes. Gentlemen, we have a long day today. Um, the only items remaining on our agenda
are one discussion item and we have two CRA meetings, a shade meeting and our budget meeting. >> By the way, there's one in the back. Can we pass that now? It's an easy one. FL. >> Oh, it's just for information. Okay. Just read it. We don't have to pass it.
>> Okay. >> So, what is the pleasure of the team? Do you want a break, do the CRA meetings, and then get the rest of this? I would propose that we do the remainder of this >> say four o'clock.
>> If if we could do the CRA because I we always break. It's our traditional, >> right? So that's why I'm saying if we do the CRA meetings, then we break and we come back like 4:00 cuz we have to be here at 5:00 for the
budget meetings. if we could cover the rest except one. If we if you could just indulge me, um I know it was if it's not controversial, if we could approve RE5,
um the employment agreement for our inspector general, if that's controversial and you need a lot of discussion, >> I don't think we'll need a lot of discussion. Maybe not. But there there are some areas that uh we need to bring up. I think Commissioner Partardo asked
for that to be pulled. >> So maybe we can bring it back. >> Okay, we'll do that after. >> And Madam Chair, we have a shade meeting >> and a shade meeting. So >> So So u are we we got to we got two contentious items. >> Right. So no, we're not going through
those. What I'm saying is we break now, take up our CRA meetings, and then we break until 4:00. We have a shade meeting >> and we'll all be back at 4:00. the five of us. Every everybody's >> Yes. Well, you guys got to show up for
the budget hearing. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Okay. So, do we agree? >> Yes. Yeah. >> Yes. Okay. The commission meeting is now in recess. We will resume at 4:00
and we're going to have the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA meeting and the Omni CRA meeting. Afternoon. Welcome to the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA meeting for September 25th,
2025. I am your chair, Christine King. I am joined with my executive director, Mr. James D. McQueen and our deputy director, Mr. Vincent T. Brown, along with my colleagues, Commissioner Coroyo,
Commissioner Rosado, Commissioner Gabella, and Commissioner Partardo. At this time, I'm going to ask our executive, our deputy to director to read the items that are before us today.
>> Thank you, Madam Chair. The first item for consideration is a resolution appointing James E. McQueen as the executive director for the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA. The second resolution is a resolution with attachments authorizing
the executive director to donate equipment described in exhibit A to Urchent Inc. as surplus property no longer suitable for CRA use. Item number three is a resolution authorizing executive director to accept a donation in the amount of $30,000 from the Coffin Lynn Construction Company, a Florida
for-profit corporation to be used for non- tax increment financing purposes. Article three is a resolution with attachments authorizing the executive director to negotiate and execute the development agreement and substantially the same form as attached in exhibit A
Core Rock Developers and the disposition of CR property at a below market rate further of the development on 12th Avenue Housing Development Project located at 1141 Northwest 3rd Avenue, 242 Northwest 12th
Street, 234 Northwest 12th Street, and 224 Northwest 12th Street, Alden, Miami, Florida. Further allocating and appropriating proceeds from the series 2025 bond issuance in an amount not to exceed $15 million.
Item number five is a resolution with attachments by 450 vote ratifying, approving, and confirming executive director recommendation and findings that competitive negotiations and methods and procedures are not practable, advantageous, waving the requirements for competitive bidding. approving a grant request in the amount
of $325,000 have been Dixon and Amati International, a Florida for-profit corporation, underwrite critical costs associated with the expansion of Howard University to the CRA development area. Item number six is a resolution authorizing the executive director to
engage William Bloom as special counsel to the community redevelopment agency to handle complex real estate and development transactions. At this time, I'm going to open the floor for public comment. Is there anyone here that would like to speak on
any items that are on this agenda? Seeing none, public comment period is closed. Gentlemen, are there any items on this agenda that you would like to pull for discussion? >> Yeah, I'm thinking about number one. >> I'm just kidding. >> We have riffs. Today, Mr. McQueen
>> Commissioner, at 6:00 today, I'll be providing ribs and fixings at during your meeting this evening. Okay. >> Okay. Mr. McQueen, I guess. Uh, >> we can move forward.
>> I do I do have a a question. >> See the which is the one here? Um, okay. And item five, I think it is. Um,
this is uh for Ben Dixon Amandi. Not Ben Dixon Amandi. Little Billy Corbin too, right? >> No. No. Little Billy Corbin is involved in this at all. >> Okay. That that you know. >> Yeah. I Well, if I found out little Billy was involved, it wouldn't be on
the agenda. >> All right. My only other question is uh look I don't think anybody here would not be in agreement that
you know we uh could certainly use Howard University uh to come down to the CRA area and uh that the economic impact back and
visibility uh will be there. I'm just wondering uh on on the amount that we're paying for this study if it could be less. It's it's a lot of money for something that
we all know how it's going to come back. >> Uh let let me explain the item just a little bit. it what we are going to try to do is not going to be limited to Howard University. Uh we once we started talking about this
study we found that there are state universities Florida&M University and Tallahassee that are also interested in local universities FIU Florida Memorial. So this will not be limited. We we're
we're really looking toward having uh for lack of a better term a campus of universities and I will go back and talk with the people at uh the consulting firm and see if we can get them to adjust the amount and I'll bring it back at the next meeting. >> Okay.
>> All right. >> That's fine. >> May I have a motion re 1 >> 2 3 four five and six. I have a motion and a second. >> My apologies. So, um, we're going to
pass item number five today. Or do you want to defer that? >> No. No. He passed. He'll bring it back if he could get a better deal. >> Understood. >> So, I have a motion and a second. All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries unanimous. Thank you all for your advocacy. This concludes the
Southeast Overtown Park West CRA meeting for September 25. For September 25, 2025. and I'll see you at 6:00. Congratulations, Mr. McQueen. Thank you so much. >> And at this time, the clerk's going to
turn the tape so we can begin the OmniCA meeting. >> We're good to go. >> Chair Partardo, you may begin. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm calling to order the September 25th, 2025 Omnic meeting. Is there a motion to
approve the minutes for the July 24th, 2025? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries. Madame Executive Director, please briefly read into the agenda CRA resolutions 1 through 4
into the record. >> Good afternoon. Um, the first item is a resolution of the OmniCRA authorizing the issuance of a grant in an amount not to exceed $741,95 to the Miami Downtown Development Authority to continue services of the
downtown Downtown Enhancement Team and providing for an increase in the hourly rate of pay and personnel providing job, skills, training, and opportunities in the OmniCRA area. Item two is a resolution of the OmniCRA with attachments by a four-fifths affirmative
vote authorizing the executive director to negotiate and execute amendments to the economic incentive agreement, forgivable project loan agreement, rent regulatory agreement, and supporting documents, all in forms accessible to general counsel to allocate additional funding in an amount not to exceed 12
million contingent upon the issuance of the CRA's tax increment revenue bond series 2026 for the mixeduse and mixed income home project located at the addresses listed in the item. Um, item three is a resolution rescending
resolution number CRA-R2100038 adopted on October 22nd, 2021 in its entirety authorizing by 45ths affirmative vote an amount not to exceed $150,000 to Miami Homes for All, Inc. to provide housing incentives and technical
assistance initiatives for small and emerging developers within the CRA area and requiring a match in the amount not to exceed $300,000 from the grantee. Item four is a resolution of the OmniCRA authorizing executive director to
initiate an activation of approximately 945 square ft of retail and/or commercial space located at 2035 North Miami Avenue. the property known as Winwood Works for temporary use as an art and exhibition space open to the
public. Authorizing the executive director to develop guidelines for the temporary use of the property by artists and cultural organizations authorizing the collection of fees for cleaning and damages incurred during the activation period. >> Thank you. The public comment period is
now open for all items on today's agenda. Okay, seeing no further public comment on the agenda items, is there any discussion amongst board members? Can I have a motion? >> Second. All those in favor?
>> I. >> Motion carries. Thank you for being here today. Meeting adjourned. [Music] Part: 2
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of Miami commission meeting for September 25, 2025. We are going to resume our regular commission meeting. There were a few items that we didn't finish up >> and and my apologies chair. The city
attorney will just make a brief statement that the attorney client session is concluded. >> Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. >> Thank you, Mr. City Clerk. Madam Chair, the um shade meeting in um Buller versus the Fuller at all versus the city of
Miami at all um at this time has concluded and we're moving to the regular city commission meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. >> The budget hearing will start as soon as we're finished with the City of Miami
Commission meeting. Commissioner Cabella, did we finish with FR3? >> FR3 is the overnight anchoring limitations. Did we vote on that? >> We deferred it to October 9th. >> We deferred it. Okay. >> Okay. I'm sorry. Where are we? What's the record?
>> Wait, hold on. I He said we deferred it. I'm going there's a discussion item two update on ordinance 14307 commercial property pilot amnesty pilot program >> DI2
>> DI2 is that yours >> No, I didn't pull that. >> No, no, it's for discussion. >> Oh, for No, but I didn't pull it. I don't know. >> Okay, so we can move on. No, no. It's literally a discussion item. >> But if no one put it in, we can move on. >> No. Somebody Whose discussion item is it
>> on the agenda? It states Department of Building. >> Well, >> Department of Building. Do we have >> No, we could wait for the next meeting. Okay. >> We got a lot of stuff now. >> Can I have a motion to defer? >> Motion to defer >> DI2. Second. >> All in favor? I
>> to the first meeting in October. Okay. >> SR2 was pulled for discussion. >> Yeah. Let me >> parking on Homestead property. >> I didn't pull it. >> I I I did pull it. Um, uh, Chairwoman, I
I know that this is your item, but it's something that my neighbors have heard about and and asked me to vote against because it allows folks to park vehicles on the grass in front of their homes, and my neighbors are not supportive. >> Okay. Um, may I have a motion? >> Motion.
>> Second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries. >> The motion passes 401 with Commissioner Rosado voting no. >> Thank you. That was R. I'm sorry. That was >> It was RE
SR2. >> SR2. >> Okay. RE1 purchase and sale agreement. Lopez optical. >> If we could defer this for the next meeting. >> May I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Second. >> All in favor?
>> I >> I >> I >> to what meeting? >> The >> next meeting? >> October 9th. >> Yeah. Okay. And >> well, okay, just for what did we defer? >> Which item was that? >> R1. >> R1, that's the property on Southwest A
Street, 25,000 or so uh square feet >> for housing and commercial in the bottom for Miami 21. >> Next item is RE15. Someone pulled >> defer to the next meeting.
>> RE15. Okay. May I have a motion? Motion to move second. >> Second. All in favor? >> I >> defer to October 9th. >> RE5 approve employment agreement. Inspector General. >> Um I
would like to ask that there would be a 5% reduction on the requested salary. um particularly when there's an increase of 5% that we're going to include in in
the amount uh each year as to the other items while I had some hesitations. Uh, I had a a good conversation with uh the uh the applicant and he he made a
good case uh for himself uh in explaining u um some of my concerns and uh while we're not as large as the county, Broward County, some other places that he showed me, they're
paying more um for the inspector general in these locations. But Miami is not as big either. So, um, that's the the point that I wanted to touch upon. I have some concerns in one other area,
but I think we could bring that back if need be in the near future and deal with it. Uh, I don't want to get into unless there's a lot more discussions or concerns. I don't want to get into too much more right now. Uh, this is a process that was very transparent.
We had some of our top uh um law enforcement uh agencies, whether state attorneys, whether uh others that selected uh I'm not about to second guess whom they selected from the people uh that
they had as applicants. Um, I um I only uh needed to address the package uh that was given and that's the only area that I'd like to change. >> Commissioner Partardo.
>> Yeah. My only concern here was that he could be terminated with a four-fifths vote of the commission. >> Well, that's the one that I talked about before. Uh Commissioner. >> Yeah, but no, just let me finish this. And there really is no manner for him like a layer between that four fifths.
Obviously, if he's investigating all of us and there are enough of us that are upset, he's in a precarious uh position. I'd rather see something like that go to an arbitration and then if there's no cause, an arbiter finds that there is no cause, he's reinstated to his position.
>> So that so that that four fifths isn't the >> Those I think are are things that uh are certainly in the realm. I'm not going to shut the door to it at all because I think there's good arguments could could be made to it. Uh we just have a heck of
a meeting. We got to get through it. Um I, you know, I got commitments that I hope we're done because otherwise I'm going to be big trouble. Um thinking that we're going to finish this earlier. Uh if there's, you know, smaller items
like this that we could bring it back, you could bring it back next. >> Yeah. Or can it just be a friendly amendment now to the >> I I just think that we need to think more on that one. Uh is it just that way
we do it or or not? Or do we do it a a stronger way? I think it's important because it it's all about the true independence of his position. >> Well, that's true. But you know how hard it is to get a four-fifth vote. Uh,
>> not when you're investigating everything, >> Mr. No. Well, well, Emilio Gonzalez was here investigating commissioners like Manola Reyes and uh others. Uh, and >> there was only a 32 vote to get rid of
him. That's how hard it is to get a four fifth. Then on the other hand, you had a six months former police chief that there were five votes to get rid of him, but he only wanted to sit three three Hispanics.
Uh so it could go uh either way in that, but uh this is going to get into a lot of discussion, a lot more than we really have time for today. I'd like to get at least get him on board that he's hired and then take this one, you know, next
month and, you know, do it. And I promise that I'll give it whatever time we need to. >> So, you're promising that we'll do it next month. >> Yeah, that's what I'm saying. >> Okay. >> I I just really want to get to the bottom line because the most important thing that we have in today's agenda
that we got to get done is our budget. >> All right. And there's a couple of things there that some of you might be happy, especially coming from me. U but I'm looking at the whole city, not just one part. Uh that I think I found the
dollars to make the budget better that I want to deal with. And uh uh we really need to get that budget out of the way. And in fact, the vast majority of people that are here are for the budget. So, let me understand because I share your concerns. I brought that up with
you yesterday, right? Isn't that funny? Because I said he should truly be independent akin to like the Florida Supreme Court. They don't have to worry about voting party because they're appointed for life and they can't be taken, removed, fired. So, I had that
same concern. So maybe it is better that we defer it so we could bake in um some guard rails >> and I don't know how you feel about this 5% reduction. So it's the will of the
body what you guys >> So look if you want to defer it at all for the next meeting. >> Uh I wanted to I wanted to at least get him going. I don't know if we can appoint without um without We cannot George is shaking his head before I can
even get it out. We can't appoint him without approving his employment contract. Correct. They're shaking their head. >> Can't correct the code. >> It would We would have to either have to do it all right now or defer it for another meeting.
>> George, the I'm sorry, George. The code could also be changed in the future as well. The code is an ordinance and so there is a procedure for changing it. It would of course require two readings, but it could be changed. Well, Tony, if you're willing to wait, what the
chairwoman is saying is just to defer one more meeting and get it all right with plenty of time uh for you to be able to speak, express your opinion, and you know, I I've heard what Commissioner Part said, but we
might possibly want to discuss one that's a little tighter u in in protection and independence uh on it also. So, um, you know, it it if you're saying to us, uh, Mr. Attorney, that you
got to do it all or none, then I I guess it's best that we defer this for the next meeting. And, uh, let's make sure that we bring this up uh, quickly so that we have enough time for this item because this is a very important item
for the city's future. >> Do I have a motion to defer? >> Motion. Second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries to the October 10th. >> October 9th. >> 9th. >> Yeah. >> Thank you.
>> Do do let us know on the 5% but I think right now it's the least of it. Uh here >> I think the most important thing is the independence of the office more than even the pay. >> Well, that's why I made that statement. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Okay. Um, PH3 purchase and sale agreement of the Olympia Theater. >> Madam Chair, I actually think we have RE12 >> was within the uh items there that we were taking. >> They did tell me that RE12 use
property for public park 50 Southwest 68th Street. You who pulled that? >> I I pulled that for information purpose and and let me read this. Um, I don't mind uh to help any district commissioner for additional parkland or
monies for parks, but this resolution says u resolution of the Miami city commissioner approving and authorizing the city manager to take any and all necessary budgetary and financial actions, including but not limited to
necessary budgetary amendments to allow for the rear property located at 50 southwest West 68th Avenue uh to be used for public park purpose. Now, is this a property that the city owns already or
>> No, it it is it's one that the city closed on a few months back. >> Okay. >> And uh and so I'd like to use it. >> Yeah, go ahead. That's fine. So my my only question is and this is part of what we approved back during the financial crisis when I was mayor uh and
commissioner Teal made the motion in the commission at the time. Uh what is the cost that's going to involve getting it out because if he's got budgets in his office that he wants to allocate to it, I have no
problem. But my concern is that it could be a high amount. he doesn't have the budgets and wishes to approve forcing the manager uh even to make budgetary amendments. >> Yeah. I I think the initial intent of
this property acquisition was for housing. He's his intent I think is to repurpose it for a public park. That's fine. >> So the idea is functionally some of the resources we used >> obviously because it was being acquired for housing are different pots of money. You don't you don't have an amount of
what it's going to cost to do whatever he envisions to do here in the park, right? >> Um I don't know that we've established. >> Okay. So, the only thing that I would like to put as a friendly amendment that uh all monies would come from designating
uh park uh recreation monies from district 4. >> Yeah. >> And absolutely that's fine. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. because if not we start making resolutions like this and sooner or later we're going to get in trouble doing it this way. So that that's the only thing.
>> All right, I'll make the motion. >> I have a motion. Do I have a second? >> Second >> as amended. All in favor? >> I >> I. And what else do we have? PH3 purchase sale agreement. >> Um >> Olympia Theater.
>> Uh which one? >> Olympia Theater. PH3. >> PH3. >> Um that was pulled. >> Oh yeah. Well, I'd like to be a co-sponsor on that as well. >> Where what was pulled? PH3. >> PH3. >> The Olympia Theater. >> The Olympia Theater. >> Okay.
>> And you know, I just want to say uh my reasoning behind this. I think that that Tim Burquette made a very compelling case when he spoke about the Gusman litigation when he spoke about the fact that Maurice Gusman donated this property to the city of Miami because
the city of Miami was not capable of keeping up this property. Ultimately, they had to sue us to try to continue uh its upkeep. And over the years, RFPs have been made. Nobody's replied because they wanted the city to put a lot of
money in it. And this is the first opportunity where we have a group that's willing to put up $50 million to completely renovate the Olympia theater. Plans done by Rich Heisenbottle who restored this building, restored the
Freedom Tower, has restored some of the most precious buildings in our community. And those plans are already in permitting. So, we have an opportunity with an educational youth partner that has great credibility. We have
communitydriven cultural programming. And we have organizations involved like Miami date college that have signed on to an agreement, Flaggler Bid supporting it, the DDA and many others who came here this morning to support. So, I just think that we have this incredible
opportunity as the District 2 commissioner. I just saw the saga of the Coconut Grove Playhouse play out and I would not want to see this happen. I don't want to see us lose an opportunity. I don't want to see us
suffer with with the saying of uh you know good what is the perfection or good is the energet. >> Exactly. Perfect is the enemy of good. So I would hate that for this to be the
case. would uh madame chair, fellow commissioners, um the the facts are that not just the city of Miami um was not good in running
doing the upkeep of the Gusman. >> Neither neither was the off street parking authority. Uh the the bottom line is that Mr. Gusman, I know, had a great heart, but he was a
great businessman, too. And he knew that as beautiful as that theater was, it was a white elephant. You could not make money on it. And it
was going to cost him and his hairs, if he left it with them, a bundle in the future to run it. they were going to have a deficit every year and then the upkeep for a place like that was going to be substantial.
Frankly, the the more I look at place like that, I become more and more convinced that these are the areas that government is just not capable of running like the
private sector. There are things that the government can excel in and there are things that the government is just a disaster in. And this is one of those. Um
it's not just that can we find the money to do the upgrading then you're going to be having a deficit every year. substantial
and it's not going to be that many years down the road either before you're back and having to pour more money in it. It's an old building and old buildings like that have to be kept and then what do we do with the rest of the space? It's always been a dilemma
for the city. So a a as much as I don't like to part with city property, this is one of those cases that the deal on the table
um is a good deal for the city because while we're not making any money in the actual sale, we're going to save substantial monies uh not only on refurbishing that whole
building put every year on a big deficit, a big hole that it's going to give us. But more so, we're still going to have the Olympia theater available for
our government purposes for the public to use uh slightly over half the year or half the year. um where it's going to become available. So, we're getting the best of both worlds. They're putting the money to
upgrade the whole building and we can still use and we'll still have the Olympia theater. Now there's a third component that's one that more than ever uh
I find it very appealing and that's the component of having a charter school there. Downtown is growing by leaps and bounds in the areas around. We need more schools. The school board just is not
keeping up with it. and charter schools are taking up the slack. And here we have a a charter school that has proven that every charter school they touch is a home run
uh out of the ballpark where kids have high grades, kids are getting scholarships into so many different colleges. uh and this is going to open up the
doors in a major way to many children into the future particularly in a new area um that we don't have too many schools teaching kids about radio and theater
like this and so on. Um I you know I I wish that uh it was not so but I I have to I have to be a realist. I have to be a realist and and
know that uh what's before of us uh is a good deal for the city. We're dealing with serious people that have the dollars. uh and uh based upon what I said before, Mr.
Manager, you're making sure that there is uh certain guarantees that those dollars will come in. And finally, if um something unexpected uh would happen in
the future, a cat five comes in, earthquake that you know, we shouldn't have many in Miami, but you never know the way this world is. uh and that building would be lost or fire and then somebody wants to come in and
put another huge highrise there. Uh we're putting the guarantees that the city will receive uh a reasonable percentage of profits also into the future if that would
happen. I think it's only fair, but uh right now uh we're getting off our bags a huge amount of money and we're still having the Olympia theater for
all kinds of community purpose or governmental uh purposes. So, that's where I'm at. >> Thank you. >> And Madam Chair, I did have an amendment and I believe the city clerk is aware. It simply takes out uh two words that
say aim for. It says SLAM has agreed to an annual minimum budget of $750,000 to a million dollars toward theater operations and cultural programming including fundraising and in kind support through educational amenities. >> Thank you. Is there I accept that is
there anyone here from SLAM? Um, what I wanted to ask is there was a very thoughtful public speaker that came up and she says she has um, scripts, plays that she has written. Would the community be able to utilize
this space? Is that part of the community benefits? >> I know we've negotiated community benefits, but I'd like to know if there is an opportunity for locals to have their work showcased at the Olympia Theater.
>> Yes. Yes to the chair. Thank you. Um yes, I remember her. She was standing here speaking about that. And one of the things that we've done is after several meetings with the community and with the public, we met for example with the Flagler bid and the DDA and they work with actual local filmmakers, local
artists. And so one of the priorities is making sure that we are partnering with them. Uh there was also a speaker from Filmgate here um who supports those local artists. So yes, the answer is yes. Our goal is to make sure that it's not just about um having those event
spaces for you know um performers such as you know maybe Sting or or performers right Marcelo but also featuring local um artists and community groups that may not have a chance or have the space or
have the funding to do that. So there's um one of the groups that we're working with do a lot of grants in the community for that and that's been something that obviously we're passionate about because that was really it's about not just highlighting and putting Miami on the map but making sure that our local
community have access. So the answer to that is yes. >> Well that's wonderful because I also have a youth program Overtown Urgent Inc. and they do media stuff. um they create documentaries and it would be amazing if they could partner with the
theater and get behind the camera scenes. So I just wanted to make sure >> and what we've done again we put a website and we've asked people to come reach out and that's how we've made these connections. So, if if you have those contacts, if there's anyone out there, uh obviously after this meeting, if this goes through, the goal is to
make those plans and be able to put that on our list of priorities for what the theater will support. But yes, I want to, you know, highlight that, you know, the goal here is it's definitely to make sure that folks like that have an opportunity because that is really uh
what makes our city special. And so, >> thank you, >> Chair. I could have the speaker's name for the record. Millie Sanchez, Slam Foundation. >> Do I have a motion? >> Actually, madam, Madam Chair, I have a couple of things I want to get on the record. Um, if that's okay. I have a DDA
support resolution which the clerk's office will distribute. And so, they made a presentation to the board after um the initial presentation that they had made a few months ago. I will tell you after that first presentation I was a no on this item but
I'm really glad that they agreed to the three public meetings which were really well attended and teased out a lot of the questions and concerns that folks have and so I feel much more comfortable with this deal than I did a few months ago. Uh it's much more robust and beneficial to the city. Um, I I you
know, I think the I had to wrap my brain around the school use, right? Because the folks have said a number of times, they'd love to see a boutique hotel and a restaurant. And I think that sounds wonderful, but the unsolicited proposal process in Florida is very, very, very wellnown. And nobody's moved forward to
try to offer that kind of thing. Uh, after thinking about it for a bit, I actually think a school use is perhaps pretty ideal. And I'll tell you why. the school means that they're going to activate the building during the day when normally a venue like that is basically dead, right? You wouldn't see
folks there Monday through Friday during the daytime. So, they're going to activate it at those hours. And then when the school shuts down, that's when we'd be having performances. So, this is a venue that will now have activity probably 14 hours a day. And that's exactly the kind of thing you want in
your downtown. Uh there's something that I I saw the everything that was requested by the DDA board made it into the agreement or the resolution. There's one thing that did not make it in which is the downtown permit clinic which is very popular. It has one of the retail
fronts uh that's part of the Olympia and I know that they want to take over that space and they need to be able to separate that use from their use. Uh, and so I would like to request that they cover the relocation costs up to a fee that I think is pretty nominal of
$20,000. And we've actually identified a ground floor location at one of the Miami Day College garages. It's available. They have said we could move the use there and it's uh just a couple blocks away from the Olympia. And so this is something that downtown folks
could use to pull their permits. In fact, tonight during the budget hearing, I'm going to be asking to try to make this uh something that's open two days a week because it is so so popular and so used in downtown. >> What What is it that you're actually requesting it >> that they cover the relocation cost so
we continue to have a downtown permit clinic right now? It's in the Olympia. It's in one of the retail storefronts and I know that they want to take over all of the storefronts, right? So, there's another tenant who also be moving away. They're going to use uh one or more of these for their radio station, etc. But we've had this discussion. It's something that didn't
make it into the contract that I think that they are willing to to do. >> Yes, we are definitely willing to um allocate those costs. >> So, hearing from no one else, uh chair, uh I will make the motion with the amendment uh at hand.
>> Do I have a second? I need I need to read something into the record. >> Yeah, me too. >> You You want to say something? >> No, no, no. That was for the vote. No, go. No, I just want to say that I I I want to we want to assure the public that u you know this have been at this
for years. Nothing has been done. Uh this is a win-win for everybody and if uh and this is these are serious people and uh if if it doesn't happen and they don't do what they say they're going to do, we have a reverted clause. So, you know, the public should feel safe that we're not giving this thing away. It's a
responsible, you know, corporate uh uh good corporate people that uh are going to run this, I think, correctly. So, I think it's a win-win. I just wanted to put that record. We are not giving it away. There's a rever reverter clause if uh if things uh don't happen the way they the the the good uh gentleman
ladies said. Thank you. >> Thank you. I have a motion and a second for PH 3 as amended pursuant to a substitution memo dated September 24th, 2025. All in favor?
>> In addition to Commissioner Partardo and Commissioner Rosado's amendments. >> In addition to Commissioner Partardo and Commissioner Rosado's amendment. All in favor? I I >> motion carries. >> Unanimously. >> Unanimously. >> CA5.
Commissioner Partardo. >> Sure. I'll start. I want to give a little bit of background. Obviously, Orange Barrel Media is a very strong organization with lots of lobbyists. I think I see three of them here. Uh they have lobbyists in the federal government, in the state
government, in the county government, and in our city government. A few years back, an ordinance was passed that allowed for mega signs. Now, to have an idea of what that means, the state of Florida has a maximum of 950 square
feet. That's the biggest sign you can have in the whole state of Florida. This ordinance allowed them to be 1,800 square ft, which is bigger than my home. Uh, the state of Florida requires that they can only be 65 ft high. This
ordinance allowed it to go to 100 ft high. And this has been the problem with that billboard because while that ordinance was in place, the city of Miami issued a permit. Once the city of Miami issues a permit, it's done. It
would we would suffer millions of dollars in damages because it's vested. It's a right. They have a right to to have uh that sign operating. problem though at the same time is that city of Miami has a lease with the PAM
and under the lease with the PAM they were in violation because they did not receive approval from the city of Miami for that same sign. So at that time we directed the city and through the city attorney's office to go ahead and
litigate thinking that we would try to bring down the sign and if we didn't have the support to bring down the sign we would get the best deal possible for the city of Miami. About 86% of the downtown residents when we did this poll
back then this is I think this is like 18 months ago. This is a long time already. about 86% of the downtown residents were against this. So this was kind of like a very clear mandate for us to go ahead and fight this fight. So in
the interim uh we and this is my thinking uh city attorney, correct me if I'm wrong, but my thinking is that that was your charge, right? That's correct. And um we were going to file suit, but the um PAM folks sued us
first, but then we um filed a counter claim. So we got to court and um we've litigated the matter and some of the speakers even mentioned things that are in our complaint. So every few months I would give a phone call, follow up, say, "Hey, how are we doing? What's going
and then uh we you announced we would have a shade session." >> That's right. >> And then what why why were we having that? What was the purpose of the shade session? So the purpose of the shade session was that the plaintiffs slash counterdefendants
had um we had mediation basically with the the parties and um they presented an offer of settlement and um it's our resp >> to the city >> to the city >> and it's our responsibility to present that uh settlement offer in good faith and so that's what we did
>> but the session that at least I attended there was no outcome >> there was no outright resolution correct >> there was no resolution In fact, we didn't even know if we could settle. >> Correct. There was no settlement at the end of that shing.
>> So after that session, um, this item, this settlement pops up on this agenda and you know, basically I'm told that four of my colleagues requested this settlement on this agenda. But if there was no agreement on any of
the terms, like I just want to know what what were the conversations like how did people >> Well, so as I tried to explain in the in the briefing that um there's two ways to resolve litigation. One is we can have a shade meeting and all get in a room um
outside the sunshine law and discuss an item. But if a majority of city commissioners say, "Please place an item on the the agenda to settle this." You know, those are my clients. And um if their desire is to resolve the litigation um in an
expeditious manner, then um that's what we do. And so we brought that offer of settlement, placed it on the agenda, and that's how we ended up here today. So, I I imagine a lobbyist and I know there's a former district 2 commissioner. There's a lobbyist uh different lobbyists went to different
commissioners and they requested these same terms. Well, there's there's a lot of lobbyists on this issue, some for, some against, and I'm sure they have gone to each of your offices and tried to advocate either for settlement or oppo opposition to the settlement.
>> But my point is like what did they say? Did they say, "Hey, we want the settlement." or did they give you the terms? >> The well the terms of the settlement are included in the resolution that was published on the agenda. So, it's been published. It's there. >> But is that what was requested by each
of the different offices? That was the settlement offer by the plaintiffs and the notion was that um let's put that settlement offer on the city commission agenda to see if we get consensus to approve it >> because I mean I know especially commissioner Gabella you've mentioned
that these one-on- onsu are never good but essentially I have not had the ability to make any case or represent as the district 2 commissioner my residents with this being placed on an agenda and a bunch of one-on-one one
conversations. I mean, I don't know if uh a dollar amount is a good thing or if we should be getting a percentage of the revenue. I don't even know what the revenues are under this. I don't know if there are other modifications or if they should change the times during daylight
savings time. There has been zero information communicated about any of this as far as any kind of variables or any kind of negotiation that we could possibly have. So, it's very disappointing to me that the folks
representing us uh are kind of there, you know, don't provide any of this information and instead it's kind of like, hey, here, you know, >> go deal with it on the deis. I don't think this is right. I don't think this
is the way to go. I think that we just saw a very good example with the Olympia Theater of what can happen when we follow a community process and we involve the community and maybe even involve the Pam as a cultural institution. I'm a bit shocked that it's
not more responsive to either the Frost or its residents and that people aren't more willing to come together on this. I you know I would love to see us and and as the district commissioner I wouldn't do this to any one of you. I think that
I should have the difference to be able to hold community meetings and to be able to include residents and residents input and um you know I'm just I'm very very disappointed at the way this has been handled because one-on-one you know
a lobbyist or someone talking to a commissioner that commissioner calling you me being left out of that whole process for each separate commissioner and not doing another shade meeting is the wrong call. we should have had the opportunity to meet face to face so that
I could say this in front of my colleagues and make these arguments and then move forward. So I would like to request that we defer this to the second meeting in October to at least give us uh a month 30 days to be able to do some work in the community.
>> Commissioner Capella. >> Okay. So, so first you guys tell us not to talk about the state meetings, but then you're kind of talking about the state meetings. So, let me know when I cross the line because you know what I mean, right? >> And we're talking about it, but we're not talking about it.
>> And just to be just to be consistent, we should not discuss things that occurred in the state. >> You kind of you guys kind of were right now, you know, but but that's okay. So, the way I remember it, you know, here's the problem. You know, you asked a question and if I say what happened in
the state meeting, I'm how am I going to explain? You know, I remember being there and I remember that there was a settlement brought to us. Okay. You know, from from my perspective since I I've been here, this has been, you know, an issue and and my issue is not whether I don't have one side whether the sign
stays up or or comes down. You know, I'm not that. My problem has been that we gave these people a uh a permit. uh we told them that they can build you know and in this instance we happen to be the landlord like you correctly say of the PAM and we also happen to be the same
people that give out permits so it's like saying to go ahead and build your house oh but I'm sorry I made a mistake after it's built I'm sorry I got to take that back and you you know you spent a million dollars or whatever you did to build your house and the effort and now we're telling you you know and I say that with all due respect commissioner
and then we tell we made a mistake sorry you got to tear down you know your your house, you know, the the and then I remember that through the months we we we made a motion here because we thought the courts were going to take care of it, right? Which uh you mentioned the other day that the courts are still
involved. Now, from my perspective, >> there's no rush to do this at all. >> No, but but let me let me get to where I'm going. So, from my perspective, okay, if we end up on the wrong side of this, this is going to cost us millions. This reminds me of the Watkins Island uh
fiasco years ago where one commissioner uh you know uh was uh successful in in persuading the other commissioners to go along with it. We got sued and I think we paid to the tune of $22 million. This is very similar to that because the problem is
>> that we told them to they can build and then we told them you can't build. Now here's the other thing that I keep hearing that's interesting to me. We keep hearing that the state is going to come and you know and take it down or give them well I don't see the state protecting their interest you know why
doesn't the state come down if this is the the you know in fact the matter and why don't they you know issue a a violation and say you got to take the the the sign down because I keep hearing this but I don't see the state taking you know defending the position you know I don't see that so you know I'm
confused you know and then the other thing is my my fear is that we get to trial okay because we're not going to settle. We get the trial, then we're not going to get anything out of it. Right now, I believe uh we're close to $500,000 a year that they're going to
give us with a 5% annual increase. If please, if I'm if I uh if I make a mistake, you know, correctly, you know, >> $500,000 um per per year. Now, there is a caveat that if the um um that's based
on what's in the city code. if the city code amount, this is basically $80,000 over what they would have paid if they were a legal conforming sign. So, in the event that the um city code is changed to increase that amount, this amount that they pay us would increase with that uh change to the code.
>> Okay. Apart from the monies that they're offering now, okay, if we should make a settlement and this body would decide to to go for it, right, we're also going to be able to regulate them. If they went in court, we are not going to be able to regulate them. So, I want to regulate them when they can turn the sign on and
off. Okay, this provides that and I want, you know, yes, I I like that revenue that's coming to the city because I don't want to get into a lawsuit and I don't want to have to have the taxpayer foot the bill, you know, to the, you know, to what happened with the fiasco in in Watson Island, you know.
So, as for me, I'll be voting for this commissioner. And I don't mean any disrespect with with you and I I understand where you're coming from, but the problem here is that somebody got us into trouble cuz somebody told these people that they can build and the people built and now we're telling, well, sorry, we made a mistake. Well, you know, it ain't like that. People in
the real world, you know, you know, I don't think this is, you know, a good presence for us that that we issue a permit and the permanent means nothing at the at the end of the of of the day, you know. So, so for me, you know, uh I prefer to make a settlement where I I'm
earning revenues for the city rather than paying than the city, you know, the taxpayer footing the bill and we get to regulate it. And I believe that they uh that nailed her off from 11:00 in the uh in the at in the evening to 6:00 in the morning, but I believe they're they they
somebody told me this that maybe they they're they're willing to go an extra hour off. You know, we get to regulate it. If we go all the way to the end, okay, and we lose this thing, we're going to be out millions of dollars. And and you guys always keep telling me, you know, be careful with the lawsuits, you
know, this and that. Well, I'm being careful with the lawsuits, you know, and and so that's where I'm at. Respect respect you and I I respect you, sir. And >> yeah, but I mean, >> Commissioner Pardo, I think some other commissioners want to speak. So, I want to >> what uh your better speech is up here in
the day as Commissioner Goa. Um, but you brought up something that uh caught my curiosity and my u mind back to memory lane. What you were referring to was when Commissioner
Russell insisted and pushed this commission to go along with him in a lawsuit uh against >> That is correct. >> Yeah. against uh uh one of the leases we had in Washington Island and it ended up
costing 20 million to settle after the city lost and close to maybe $10 million in attorney's fees. Now, in this particular case, there hasn't been many items
uh in the last couple of years that has been discussed publicly up here as much as this item. The facts are that for better or worse, the city of Miami signed off on every
single permit that they needed. And while there's a claim that well, we had a separate lease with the Paris Museum that they can do that. Uh it appears that that's also not
accurate uh in what was signed with a prayers museum. But even if that's the case, the city should have known that and should have never then have signed off
on all those permits. So either way, um, in the terrain that we're in now, the courts, our chances are tough in in winning this. And here's what we will be
facing. tremendous amount of dollars uh that they're going to hit us with in losses. Um attorney's fees that I don't know how substantial it would be, but they they will be there. Yeah. Seriously.
>> Uh you know, it's a difference when somebody sues you and you don't have the ability to say no and they keep suing you time and time again for the same thing. It's a big difference when you have the ability to prevent
lawsuits like this, which is what Commissioner Galla was talking about. Um the we go to court, we lose on top of that
what I described, we're going to lose on half a million a year that we will be getting, believe you me. uh the city of Miami needs every dollar that it can get. So those are the reasons uh that uh
I would be voting in favor of this because I don't see how the city of Miami uh is going to be in any better shape than accepting this today. The
consequence I think would be dire uh if we don't accept it. Now I know it's going to look great that we fought it but at what price? So that it still stays up there and
doesn't come down. >> Commissioner Rosado. >> Sure. Uh I I mean I I have to tell you I absolutely hate this item and the fact that this has dragged on and it's something that we're dealing with now. Uh there's there's so many items like this. I don't think the sign should have
been put up in the first place, but once we permitted it, everything changed as far as I'm concerned. Um I would like to support Commissioner Pardo's request to defer it. I don't think we need to defer it a month. I think this is such a widely known item. I would be perfectly
comfortable supporting a deferral for one meeting because I think it's possible to have public engagement next next week. Uh on the Olympia item, we were able to turn around and have very robust public engagement very quickly because people are paying a lot of attention. That's what I would support
on on this item. I think we could perhaps look at at the payment amount. I think perhaps there there may be some wiggle room to to be considered there. I think there should be a 5% annual increase. I don't think it should be contingent on any other regulatory changes. Um
I think we should look at how sunup affects uh the sunrise affects the the lighting so that it should run with that so that it's not up before the sun is up. It's not a dramatic change, but I think it's something that will make a difference. And I think very explicitly
that the funds generated by this, every single dollar should not be swept into the general fund. Those dollars I think should be kept downtown for the benefit of downtowners and downtown issues. >> So, so from my perspective, this is a bad
deal for the city of Miami and this is a gift to Pam. We are talking about dollar amounts. We're not even talking about percentages over time. We don't know what the revenues are. We haven't even involved the community to know what's important to the community. We don't
know if what's important to them is the illumination or the hours of operation or anything else. We have not involved them in any kind of negotiation. In fact, we have not been involved in any negotiation. These terms have been here. That's your settlement.
And that is not what we should be doing. We shouldn't be picking winners and losers in this case. We should be trying to call people to unity, call people to heal on this issue and try to figure out a middle road. I am I am sure that there
is a place where we can get people to agree. Now you say one meeting, we're the ones who did the forums for the Olympia. That's not something you can do in a week or two weeks. I'm asking for 30 days thinking that's us working really hard and trying to get to a
middle ground with cultural organizations and with residents that have been fighting this for 18 months. So all I'm asking for is that as the district commissioner, this is in my district, the person who wasn't even included in this settlement that came
before you. >> So I too dislike this item. It has been going on forever and it also reminds me of the exercise
equipment in the park. My issue is that I'm not sure how you didn't get briefed because I got briefed. And a lot of the concessions that are in this agreement,
this settlement agreement, are the concessions that I brought up, turning the sign off at a certain time, the the illumination not being so bright. Those were my ideas. I was the one that was advocating for compromise. all along,
but there was no compromise. And now that here we are in this situation and there's a settlement now you want to take it to the community cuz I've known about this for a while. I I
don't know. I I I didn't say put this on the agenda, but I've known about it. We We talked about it. We agreed to it. We agreed to something because we're not supposed to we're not supposed to. I mean, they just can't come up with an
agreement without briefing us on. >> So, George, you did brief us on this agreement, the terms of this agreement. >> Yes, Madam Chair. We briefed you. >> I I just want to make sure I'm not I'm not crazy.
However, it is your district and I think if there's anyone up here, I'm for having meetings in the community. I would be willing one meeting. I would be willing to give you
one meeting, but not 30 days. It shouldn't drag out. And there's it cuz I'm in favor of the settlement. Let me just say that. I am in favor of the settlement,
but I don't want to take away your right to take it to the community and have so I will give you if I'm not willing to do 30 days, but I will give you till the next meeting to present this to your community.
because it's your community. >> Well, I'm appreciative of any time I can get. Uh obviously, I don't agree that it should be that short, but I'm appreciative and grateful. I will say that that so that means that if we come back and we have amendments to this
somehow, um if for example, their their main point isn't that they need x amount of dollars, they would rather see us do something different. Can we still incorporate any of that feedback into >> Wait, let me Okay, first George, is there a time sensitivity here that we
have to do it today? >> The the the only time sensitivity is you saw one of the council get up here and said it's a now or never. You know, this is our final offer and it's rescended. I don't know if they're willing to come up and say they'd give the commissioner a
meeting to >> so that would that would be a that would be a game changer for now or never because I don't want to like this has been dragging on if it's a now or never issue it's it's got to be now because >> can I can I just weigh in for one minute
>> so in light and I'm like you I am ready to go I'm ready to vote on this and put it to bed now if I can count and you need three votes if if so are you saying that you're willing to detain it, then I I would caution you from Orange Barrel
uh that you don't have the votes up here right now the way you're leaning. So, >> if that's the case or not, Commissioner Goa, I think that >> if this comes to a head, >> but that's what I'm cautioning about it. This is a now never you know, consider you know,
>> and and look, we we all have been here for a while and we know how things are done. uh this is to buy time. This is the one of the issues that has been discussed back and forth the most and most people
in the public uh uh that feel affected have been able to participate and we all know this truth. >> I agree Mr. Chairwoman >> what what I am saying is >> let her answer the question commissioner let her answer the question. >> Thank you Mr. Chair woman.
My name is Jana Reid. from uh council on behalf of Perez Art Museum Miami. And as I stated earlier during the public comment period, it is today is the time. Um again, as I mentioned previously, this issue has been talked about more
than eight times in the public in terms of the sign. Um all of the issues that were brought up right now just before you in terms of there being vested rights, in terms of none of that is going to change in terms of the community's input. There are vested
rights that are at issue here. The permits were issued. None of that is going to change based on the information that you get from the community. Now, again, our position is it is today. It needs to be today. And if we're pushed to a different um forum that the the uh
settlement offer will expire. Well, that does change things because I I do want to I >> I will vote for it because in our community we have a saying am better than them.
You got to know what I'm saying. Something is better than nothing. I I'm not willing to roll the dice like you said and this has again I was in favor of compromise from day one I made and
everybody was no it has to come down it has to come down and I knew it would come to this because that's how that's how things are compromised everybody's not going to be happy but you know we can't just we
can't just go on with the litigation litigation commissioner a part of. >> Yeah. Okay. So, this is not about the permit. This is about the lease and our litigation under the lease. Um, George, when I asked you about this, I mean, sorry, city attorney, when I asked you
about this, you said there was no rush that we were in process. And what else is she going to say? Of course, she's going to say now is the time. We, you know, this is our final offer. I mean, this is part of the negotiation that we're living right now. No, but she can
she can say that she they they can say no, right? But >> and go to >> carry us into court. >> So, we're not set for trial yet. We have uh each filed a motion for summary judgement >> or but the case was stayed pursuant to
the settlement negotiations, but um >> so the case has stayed >> but >> only for the settlement go if we don't settle, they pull the settlement, we don't agree to settle, we're going to court and we don't want to do that. I don't want to I don't want to do that. >> Is there any flexibility uh city
attorney to be able to work around this so that we can have community input? Because people keep saying, "Wow, people have been coming up here and giving public comment." But when you come here and you give a public comment, you are not negotiating. You are not being given the information so that you can make a
wise decision for your own interests. And what we are doing here is we're siding with money interests versus our residents. And that's exactly what we should never do. And for a little more time, we might be able to get to a much better place.
>> Right. Understood. And the the issue with litigation is and with settlements is the primary motivation for settling is the uncertainty of the result. You know, you have no idea what's going to happen. And so they say, for example, that today is the day. Um they may
relent, but they may not relent. And um they may say, you know, we gave you you had a mediation, you didn't resolve it. Came to city commission, you didn't resolve it. We're done. Um that's up to them. We can't control that. We're willing to, you know, do what we can to get the best deal for the city, but um I
can't control what >> And what is your professional assessment of this case? What is our downside? >> Well, the downside is, as they've expressed, is that if the city were to lose and um just Just as you say, the
issue at at hand is um the contract required consent from the city manager. Consent was never obtained from the city manager. So um we then filed a claim saying that they were in
breach of the contract because they did not get the consent. Um the question, one of the uncertainties of litigation is how significant of an event that will be. Will the uh court find that um that's a a reason to hold them in breach
and throw them out of their lease? Um we don't know. Um and so um worst case scenario as they've indicated is that they would um turn the sign back on 247 because a lot of their monetary pred predictions I believe at the beginning
um and some of the numbers that we've heard today about um what they're garnering from the sign were based on I think a 24-hour operational model. they've shut it down um during this pendency at 11 pm until 6 a.m. And so
having the amount of opportunity that they have to generate money from the sign. So um there's a potential that that could go away there's a potential that um I think that if there's another element of the settlement is that they've agreed to reduce the number of
lumens in the sign. I I don't see them turning it back up to um you know um outrageous levels because you know um I could see someone else filing a suit for nuisance or something like that. But um but the main and also the revenues you
know they've come to the table with 80,000 above what they would normally have to pay and um and so we could lose that opportunity for additional enhanced revenue. So those are sort of what's at play here. So, we're not talking about millions of dollars of damages or
>> Well, no. Um, once again, the uncertainty is we believe we believe it's fairly certain that there are no attorneys fees claims in this case at this point. Um, there's also no damage claim at this point. It's a mo it's a declaratory judgment action,
>> but that doesn't foreclose them from filing some additional action or something like that, saying that we unreasonably uh didn't resolve this or something. Who knows? That's another uncertainty of litigation. >> And so, obviously, we're giving up the ability to have won or have had a ruling
in our favor. And we're releasing them of all claims. >> Right. In our in our best day, we would we would get the court to conclude that the consent should have been provided, it wasn't, and that they are in breach of the agreement, and then we would then move to terminate the lease and, you
know, take over the property. And at that point, um, something else might happen, but, um, that's in our best day. >> Did we ever get an appraisal? >> I'm sorry. >> Did we get an appraisal or anything? >> Um, well, there's appraisal for the
property or >> for the um, there's no appraisal for for that. C, >> can I answer your question, George? >> So, you said that they had upped the ante from 400 something to to close to five, right? >> To 500. And I think it was so it was 70 more, right?
>> It's 80 more. >> 80. Okay. Do the math, gentlemen. >> That's four. >> Take $80,000 and divide it into what was it before? >> I think it's 420. >> 420. Divide it into 420. >> 19%. >> It's uh it's a 19% increase. So it's a
sub. So, you know, it's it's a substantial increase from what they were, you know, proposing. >> But if we were putting a percentage, we would get a percentage of their revenue. And as their revenue grows, our take grows. You know what I'm afraid of of
happening here is that it's not like this is the first time that we discuss this. You discuss this many times. You know, I I repeat this is one of the first big items that we discussed when you and >> not as a settlement. Can we No, no, not as a settlement, but as a you know, as what it was. But here's the point. Every
time I heard you, you guys, there was no compromise. You just wanted to sign down. And and what we got to understand here's the sign. if we don't want to get sued and we don't want, you know, I for one, I repeat, you know, I I have I have a fiduciary duty to the taxpayer to my
districts, okay, to to my district that that, you know, money for no good reason goes out rather than spending it on roads, schools, and other stuff. So, the point that I'm trying to make is, you know, if if if you guys are doing this because you want to succeed somehow to tear down the site, I don't think that's
going to happen. That's not a reality right right now. And that's what I'm trying to >> get a better deal. What what more better of a deal? Let's negotiate right now >> at a percentage. >> All right, let's negotiate right now. >> Are you in a position to negotiate right now? >> Let's do it. >> I am not in a position to negotiate because the deal that we have offered is
the deal that we have offered. We've as as commission the chairwoman King has has stated many of the provisions that are in here are things that were specifically asked for. These are things that have significant revenue loss with respect to PAM in terms of not being
able to turn the sign on for from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. That's significant revenue loss. We're already losing revenue with respect to that and that's something that has been considered in terms of how we addressed and how we came to the table with respect to the negotiations.
So to suggest somehow that now there's a different deal that needs to be had or any of those types of things, there is no ability to have that. Additionally, uh I'm not really clear on where the city thinks that there would have a basis for having the percent with respect to the revenue. There's no basis
with respect to that. There's no basis to be able to um achieve that type of result. And as it has been stated, the sign is here. The sign is here. It was permitted by the city. It was allowed by the city. We've followed all of the specific procedures that needed to go
forward in terms of having the sign available and having it up. And so to now suggest somehow that you know the settlement terms or they need to be looked at again or they need to be renegotiated. Uh we've come here in good faith. Uh we've come to mediation in
good faith. And so to have this continue to drag on and to suggest somehow that my client should defer this to another time period when the negotiations have been longstanding um is is just um unreasonable. Well, chair,
bottom line is that uh I've heard Commissioner Partardo say that he's doing this to do a better deal, negotiate more. So, he's basically has agreed that they do have best
rights. Uh, and that's the whole point that they're given $500,000 after they've cut 7 hours out of the 24 hours in the day when they made their original deal with
the museum. Uh, that's revenue that they have lost. And on top of that, we're going to get half a million dollars. Now, keep this in mind. This is the deal that it was directly with the city. No middleman. But there is a middleman. The
middleman is the Paris Museum. And after they cut a deal there that the Paris Museum, I'm sure it was very tough on uh they are willing to give us half a million after even taking out seven out
of the 24 hours that they could sell. So very much more meat in the bone here uh to to get. Um I I would just like to ask you one question because normally I I
would ask no less than 3% uh increases uh which is what I think we have established in Bayfront Park so that people can know what their increases are per year. But
this is a a deal that I know is to the bone because of what the Paris Museum did with you. This is a deal after you did a deal already. Uh so we're we're getting uh monies from you after you had
done a deal with the Paris Museum that was supposed to be their monies, your monies, and that was it. Now you got a third partner into the deal. And can you go at least >> 2% more increase, which I think would be
a fair amount per year? >> Just to be clear, what are you asking? You're asking for a 2% escalator? >> 2% escalator each year on the 500,000 that you've offered. >> I do not currently have authority for that, but I can confer with my client
very quickly to uh identify. Is that an offer that you are presenting to be able to >> Yes. so that I could bring this to a head and have a vote. >> Uh, and again, would that be uh with respect to this being resolved today? >> Excuse me. >> Would that be with respect to resolving
this today? >> Yes. >> Okay. Let me >> So, we're negotiating now. >> I am not authorized to negotiate, which was what I, you know, stated at the beginning, but I can take if you have an offer that I I am obligated to take it to my client. I
>> This is a small percentage that will increase throughout the years. And >> why not five? Why not? >> Five is what I mentioned before. Five is where I think we should land. The value of 500,000 depreciates year after year in terms of what it buys us. From our
side, I'd like to reiterate, I would like these dollars to stay exclusively for the benefit of downtown and Overtown. I think something that would benefit folks in that vicinity is the Under Deck, which we've lost our grant for, unfortunately. I'd like to see every single penny be dedicated to that project which benefits people that are
in the proximity of the sign. >> So now what you're saying is that the money is going to go to to to you to to >> to the specifically the underd greenway project. >> You you changed this so many times. >> That's on our end. That doesn't affect >> we should include the residents. uh what
you know I'm going to tell you what I'm going to suggest and this body could do as it please but I I think it's coming to the wire on what we need to do. >> Can you go and see if you can get the 2% cola? >> Yeah. While she's going >> to ask your client. >> I will ask.
>> While she's going I I'd like to u talk about where I'd like for this money to go. This is something that I brought up at the last fiscal budget hearing for us to look for this one, chairwoman, and you express strong
support for it. I think when you hear this uh you will be even more supportive like all of us. Uh this is from the federal uh US education department from the federal government.
12th grade math and reading scores in US hit new low. American high school senior scores and major math and reading tests fell to their lowest level on record according to results released this past
Tuesday by the US education department. 12th graders average mass scores was the worst since the current test began in 2005. That's a math. and reading was below any point since
the assessment started in 1992. The share of 12th graders who were proficient slipped by 2% uh between 2019 and 2024
to only having 35% of our 12th graders nationally proficient in reading and 22 in math. And I submit to you that as a country, that as a city, we're not going to be able to compete in this globalized
world with these grace if we don't help our future, our kids in school. So, I will propose uh that this half million that we're getting in increases per year along with
some other monies that I found um and I would put a million dollars from my own district budget into it uh would go to the establishment of a tutoring program
uh from elementary school to high school so that every child, every student that needs help for their homework, school work, that we could provide a teacher that can tutor them at least twice a
week. Um maybe more if we raise some money and they need it. And that teacher could also be a mentor, a life mentor for them. We all know here that uh we have many many families in
our city. Father and mother work across the board. They don't have the time even if they wanted to help the kids with their schoolwork. How many single mother homes do we have? And the single mother
works late. the grandmother, the grandmothers, the parents of today, uh with the advancement in math and educ in science, etc. Um they don't know how to help their kids in many cases. So, we
need as a city to invest in our future. Otherwise, our our future is not going to be pretty if we don't make sure that our kids can graduate and graduate with good grades. can go uh to colleges around our country
uh with scholarships and including many of our top athletes where they fall sometimes is that they can't qualify for the school they want to go to because of the educational component. If we do this, this is the greatest
accomplishment that we can do for our city's future, investing in our youth. And this is where we suggest this money goes to. It will cover Overtown, downtown. Uh, and the rest of the money, if you want, that we bring in can cover
the rest of the city. And I think this is only the beginning. We have to find more funding for this into the future. I have asked the manager to speak uh to the Kiwanis of Little Havana that have been very invested in this for them to
be part of better together with Alonesome morning and what was established uh in the community center with him in Overtown uh back when I was mayor and they could lead this bring teachers from school board from charter schools so
that our kids uh can have the tools tools that they need to succeed. >> Okay. Um, she was >> Yeah, Madam Chair, if I could add something while she's >> Yeah. >> conversing with her her colleagues. >> Wait, because she's coming right back
and I want to know the answer to the question. So the answer to the question of the 2% escalator that was offered is that we would accept that as a um amendment or change to the settlement terms with all the other terms being the same. >> Okay.
>> I will make the motion. >> One more thing. I'd like the hours to change from 6:00 am to 7 am. >> Um that part would um again what is the basis for us to change to 7 a.m.
>> By 7 whether it's daylight savings time or not by 7 a.m. the sun has come up. Everybody doesn't wake up at 6:00 in the morning but the sun the sun is up. So, the concerns that the residents have, it's still dark at 6:00 a.m. depending
on the time of the year. >> I I don't know, chair, if this might be a bridge too far because every hour that they take out, >> I understand >> a lot of revenue they lose. >> Uh, we are authorized to accept um 7:00
a.m. change. So, from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. um would would be um agreed to by Pam. Okay. I have a motion. >> Do you have a motion? Do >> um Mr. City Clerk, >> in addition to Commissioner Cory's
amendment, in addition to Commissioner King's amendment, there's one other amendment that needs to be made, and that's to change demands pending a dismissals with prejudice to demands pending and dismissals with prejudice. >> I have a motion and a second. All in
favor? I >> I >> there's a second here >> and >> Commissioner Cabala >> and in the amendments that I had there were two the one in the 2% and the one on the money go to a fund. >> No, let's No, no, no. I don't agree with that at all.
>> No, let's let's work that out at a different time. >> Let's work that out at a different time. >> Well, uh bottom line is we have half a million dollars more, Mr. Manager, for the budget this evening to work with. Aren't the other boards on a percentage
basis? >> I don't know. Wait, wait. I'm in the middle of a vote. I have a motion in a second. All in favor? >> I I >> It sounds unanimous as amended. >> No. >> No. >> I'm 41. >> I'm a no. >> 41 with Commissioner Partardo voting no.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you for your time, Commissioner. >> And that concludes the commission meeting for September 25th, 2025. Is is that everything on the agenda today? >> That was it. >> That was it. >> Actually, madam madam chair, uh our city
clerk reminded me that for an item that was voted on earlier today, RE16, I had uh provided him with a support resolution for Commissioner Gabella's uh manity item related to the um >> Yeah, that passed right >> the water taxes. Just he he wanted me to
go ahead and read in the record that we have a support resolution from the DDA. >> Okay. and that we're good to go. >> So now the meeting is okay. The meeting has now adjourned. Thank you for your advocacy. Once the tape is flipped, we
will begin our budget hearing. Wait for the tape. We have someone that's here to pray for it. We are also going to begin this meeting with prayer. We have today attorney Bonita Jones Peabody, but she's also a
pastor and my friend Hallelujah. It's such a privilege and an honor to be here with this commission tonight and to offer up prayer. I invite you to pray with me.
Our father who art in heaven, Lord God, we come before your presence this evening and we thank you for the gift of life. We thank you, Lord God, for these who you have placed in this place. We ask that you would anoint their hands
and that you would bless the work. We thank you, Lord God, for those who've let this building better than where they found it. We thank you for those that have cleaned it and made it beautiful. Those that are pushing the paper and
sharpening the pens. We thank you for them, Lord God, because we recognize that they could not do it without you. We ask, oh Lord God, that you would give them insight, that you would give them courage to do your bidding.
Help them, oh Lord God, to administer to the people, that every hurting heart would be healed. That in the limited resources, all needs will be met. That our elderly will be taken care of.
that our babies will be nurtured and protected and that those of us who carry the weight will have strength for the journey ahead. We give it all over to you tonight. We ask that you would take care
of the homes so that these that are laboring here will not have any need of worry. We especially ask, oh Lord God, that you watch over our commissioner in our district 5, that you would protect her
and that you would give her insight. Help her, Lord God, as she leads. You know what she stands in need of. Supply it according to your riches and glory. And for this, we'll be ever grateful. We thank you. It's in Jesus's
name that we're praying tonight. Amen. Amen. And amen. >> Everyone could stand, please. And we're going to say the pledge of allegiance. >> Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and
to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. City Attorney. >> Yes, Madam Chair. >> Would you please read your statement for the record? >> Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you. George
Weissong, city attorney, city of Miami. Statement of the city attorney. This evening, the city of Miami is holding its second and final budget meeting and the related second and final budget public hearing for the purposes of fixing the city's final millage rate, adopting the city's final budget, and
approving various agency budgets for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025, and ending September 30th, 2025. This hearing was set pursuant to resolution number R250304 adopted on July 24, 2022 and in
compliance with chapter 200 and section 166.241 Florida statutes and all other applicable codes, rules and regulations. Detailed information about the processes, order of business, rules of procedure and scheduling and rescheduling of city commission meetings can be found in chapter 2, article two
of the city code, a copy of which is available online at www.mmunico.com. Any person who is a lobbyist pursuant to chapter 2, article six of the city code must register with the city clerk and comply with related city requirements for lobbyists before appearing before the city commission. A person may not
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directly or on its behalf to anyone for an agreement to support or withhold objection to the requested approval, relief, or other action pursuant to city code section 2-8. Any documents offered to the city commission that have not been provided at least seven 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 materials 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.mmygov.com. The meeting of the Miami City Commission
is a limited public forum. Any person may be heard by the city commission through the chair for not more than two minutes on any proposition before the city commission unless modified by the chair. Public comment will begin in approximately 7:20 p.m. and remain open until public comment is closed by the
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be allowed in the commission chambers. Persons exiting the ch commission chambers should do so quietly. Members of the public wishing to address the body may also do so by submitting written comments via the online comment form. Please visit www.mygv.com/meing instructions. >> For detailed instructions on how to
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as may be amended from time to time. 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 or on such proposition. When addressing the city commission, the members of the public must first state their name, their address, and what item or items they are
speaking on. Any person with a disability requiring assistance, auxiliary aids, and services for this meeting may notify the city clerk. The city has provided different public comment methods to indicate, among other things, the public support, opposition or neutrality on the items and topics to be discussed at the city commission meeting in compliance with section
286.01144 C Florida statutes. The public has been given the opportunity to provide public comment during the meeting and within reasonable proximity and time before the meeting. Please note, commissioners have generally been briefed by city staff and the city attorney on items on the agenda
today. Anyone wishing a verbatim record on of any item considered at this meeting may request it at the office of communications or view it online at www.mmyggov.com/metv. Now with staining the foregoing pursuant to Florida statute section 200.065 parenthesis 3 and 286.0105
and Florida administrative code rule 12D-17.005 parenthesis 2 parentheses C22. No verbatim record is required for the appeal of any decision made during public hearings required by chapter 200. This meeting can be viewed live on Miami
TV, the city's Facebook page, the city's ex formerly Twitter page, the city's YouTube channel, and Comcast channel 77. Um, thank you, Madam Chair. >> Thank you, >> Mr. City Manager. Are there any items on
this agenda that you want to pull? for defer withdrawal. U Madame Chair, uh city commission, there are no items to be pulled or deferred as part of this budget hearing. >> Thank you. I believe at this time our budget
director will read a statement or read a good evening madame chair commissioners based on the millage reduction that we did in the last meeting it went from 1 7.1364 for the operating millillage to 71080
based on the proposed proposed millage rate which was advertised on Sunday the 21st. The proposed general operating millage rate is 7.1080 mills for the city of Miami for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2025
and ending September 30th, 2026. That operating millage rate is 7.67% higher than the state defined roll back rate of 6.6015. Thank you. And at this time, we are going to have a
statement from our DDA executive director. Good evening. My name is Christina Crosby and I'm the CEO and executive director of the Miami Downtown Development Authority. The proposed tentative millage rate to fund the operations of the Miami DDA for
fiscal year 202526 is 0.3900 mills. The Miami DDA's roll back rate is453 mills. The current proposed tentative millage rate is 3.7% less than the roll back rate. Thank you.
>> Thank you. And at this time I'm going to open the floor for public comment. If you are here for this same organization, I will allow two persons from the organization to speak on behalf of the
organization. So if there are multiple people from one organization, please designate one or two persons to speak. We're going to say the same thing. So public comment period is now open. If
anyone >> Good evening everyone. My name is Vanessa Le Jim and I'm 10 years old. I represent Family Action Network Movement. Fam has helped families for 33 years. FAM has helped people with youth
programs, house assistance, immigration support, health and wellness, and more. If you support FORM, it won't just help today. You will be helping people have a better tomorrow so kids can have a safe environment to live. Please support FOM.
Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. >> Good evening, >> Madam Reita Holmes. Um, you can check with the clerk's office because of security. >> Madam Holmes, let's have the next person. >> Oh, the same organization. >> It's the same organization. >> Oh, by all means. I'll wait for three or
four more speakers. >> Okay. >> Good evening everyone. My name is Janice Tulis and I am 9 years old. I am a part of family action network movement. Please support farm. The after school programs helps with homework and
reading. It will help kids like me get a good education and be a leader in the future. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. Well, I I want to say that um I'm supporting FOMO. FOM is in my district. FOMO does wonderful work.
So, I I want to set your mind at ease that I am going to support your organization. And if we can quickly get a picture, that would be great. You guys indulge me. Let me run down and take a picture with them.
Come on. That's a tough act to follow. Good afternoon, Madame Chair and commissioners. My name is Fimma Campbell and I am the founder and CEO of Girl Power Rocks, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls
in our community through education, mentoring, mentorship, mental health support, and creative expressions. We serve hundreds of girls across Miami, many of whom face serious challenges,
poverty, violence, lack of access to safe spaces. But when they walk through our doors at Girl Power, they find something different. They find strength, they find sisterhood, and they find hope.
With your support over the years, we've been able to provide life-changing programs in Liberty City, Overtown, and beyond. We've seen girls improve academically, grow emotionally, and develop into leaders. Not just leaders
of tomorrow, but leaders of today. Investing in girls is not charity. It is smart policy. It means lower crime, stronger families, and a more resilient Miami. As you consider this year's budget, I
urge you to please continue to invest in Girl Power Rocks and organizations like ours and the rest of these beautiful people you see here in this room this evening because when you uplift girls, you uplift the entire community. Thank you for listening.
>> Thank you. Good. Good evening. Good evening, uh, chairwoman and commissioners. Uh, well, I was here this morning and I'm here tonight. Uh, Chaplain Stanley Young, uh, Freedom Prison and Jail Ministry, uh, that's located in the city of Miami, 500
Northwest 2nd Avenue. Um, I've come back tonight to really invite each and every one of you to come alongside and freedom prison and jail ministry to see what we do, how we do, and why we do what we do.
Last year 2014, we trained, we encouraged, we have uh helped over 2,000 people that is in the city of Miami to help them get off the
streets, get off drugs, help them, train them in different aspects of life, to help them go on with their life away from crime. Um, but I really came back out tonight to really open the doors to
Freedom Prison and Jail Ministry for you to come. Staff come uh volunteers come whoever wants to come and see on the ground of what we actually do. We also pass out over I say a thousand Narcans
in the city of Miami with those who are on hard drugs, those who are looking to get off drugs, who may overdose on drugs and in that respect. We also give out uh bus passes that we to help these uh
individuals to get to jobs, to help them to get to hospitals, to help get to their mom's house, to help them to get around the city so they could uh not do anything that is illegal. Uh I'm committed on on what I do. Uh I'm open
to any scrutiny, any kind of thing that you would like to uh know about us. I thank you. God bless and have a blessed day. >> Thank you. Good morning. Good. Good evening, Madam Chair. >> Good evening. Good evening. >> I'm not used to being here. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. It's all right.
It's all right. I'm a little bit disappointed and I really want you to work on the timing. You know, it takes a lot of time to come down. I'm I'm getting that age, you know, uh when I come down for hearing that got a lot to say. So, thank you for listening. Um I'm here to help raise your awareness on the
lack of resources, funding a programmatic initiative to address the disparit issue of domestic violence in Liberty City. Uh things don't have to always get reported, but yet they're witness. And witness account means that
there's a constant reaction going on. Uh I haven't heard any CBOS that particularly deal with specifically the issue of domestic violence um and uh restraining orders, but housing makes a big difference for some of the women. I
tell you that there are women that are returning from prison, mothers, they've done their time, some for protecting themselves. There are LGBTQ that have fought back and their restraining orders requires and their vows require that they have sufficient housing. Here's the
bottom line towards resolve. There are various properties that could be committed to provide homes for these women unless they return to prison. There are various places for us that we need to be where we can't be in the regular that the trauma level is high. We have no one dealing with that. I'm
not going to take much of your time, but you know, I kind of base things on facts and I don't have the numbers right there. I'm asking you, those of us who take a special interest, no one should be beaten because of their sexuality. No one should discriminate in housing because of their sexuality. But there
are children and there are women with children and some men that really are catching hell. I wish the police department was here to talk about it. They don't get many reports. But the question still remains that I don't get an answer to. Why is it so difficult for people to serve restraining orders for
the city of Miami Police Department? Why are people telling women that that's for the county to do? And why is there no place to go although we have VAWA grants and VAWA vouchers that are going out? If you're open to talking about some of these properties, there are those of us
that and May I close? I waited two and a half hours. Just three more seconds. We only got two minutes. >> Okay. Thank you. And so the pro as fairly as I I thank you. But here's the challenge to you all. If you genuinely care, please come back and talk about it. >> Thank you.
>> Yeah. Yes. I'll just finish. >> Thank you. >> That's what we hear out there as victims and survivors. We don't have time. And so women die. >> Good evening. Hello, my name is Elaine Black, the president of Li of the Liberty City
Trust located at 4800 Northwest 12th Avenue. We want to sub want your support for our 19 for our 2042 25 budget revision that allowed us to
provide jobs to 170 young people this summer. We also would like to have your support for our budget for 202526. Our focus is housing and ensuring that
residents can get and buy new infield housing. And because of our commissioner, wonderful things are happening as far as infield housing in our community, the rehabilitation of housing in our community, and ensuring
that residents in our community are aware of rental properties available. The youth program has made a difference in reducing crime and providing young people additional training during the summer, job experience as well as
learning. This summer we had an opportunity to do uh photo shots of the individuals who did participate so that on their social media they will now have a photograph that they can be proud of
as they move forward. resilience. H I'm so happy we have not had a hurricane this year, but we did participate with the city of Miami's resilience program to ensure that heat sensors were put into the homes of many
of our residents. And we will continue to work with them as we move forward and ensure that the Charles Hadley Park is a place where you can come and have heat sensitivity there. you can get water and
a cooling spot for us here in the Liberty City area. >> So overall, thank you and have a wonderful day. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. The office William 1391 North 95th Street. Uh often time we talk
about budget situation. It should be out of four years, it should be some communication with the taxpayer like us to tell us how the money being spent, not come here every year to the county and other areas to
say we're in a shortfall. Maybe we paying too much legal fees from people who don't taxpayer help paying illegal fees. We need to look into some of that. How many lawsuits we need to look in They not telling us this.
They're not telling us. But the problem is it always be the little people get hit. But when we put y'all, it's politics over people. But when it come to us, it's no answer. We have to pay the price for what y'all
doing rather than come. Half of the time y'all do things, but we don't vote on it. Y'all don't come to us to see how we feel. You got the CRA and all them billing. We still got homeless people. We need to
look into all this C money going on. Road improvement. And if you got the lowest tax in the history of the city of Miami, why we at a budget meeting? Why we at a budget meeting?
And the leader is not him. When we come here, he's the people we vote for. There's too many people getting in the race. It's not going to benefit this city or this town. It's all about them. Be careful who you vote for because it's
not about us. It's about them. It's a business now. The people suffering as us. See, everybody comes for votes and promise is broken promise. And who can we trust is friends and buddies getting what they
want? Politics over people. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. My name is Professor Sam Latimore. I live at 937 Northwest 55 Street, Miami
33127. Uh that's been a residence for us since the 1950s. Uh I'm here to support the resolution uh approving and adopting the budget of the Liberty City uh community
revitalizing revitalization trust uh and master plan for fiscal year uh 2024 204 and 2526. And the reason for that is I've had an
occasion to work with them on the board. I've lived in this town for a long time. I've had a number of occupations and they have done more to impact along with the uh the assistance of the
commissioner in changing the lives of people who grew up here. I grew up here and I'm pleased that they're doing some wonderful things. The jobs program is awesome because we are taking young people who don't get an opportunity to
work because they don't have the necessary language skills nor the educational skills. So I ask for your support uh for the budget uh and help us and assist us with the housing rehabilitation programs that we have
started. Thank you. Have a good day. >> Thank you. Good evening. >> Good evening. My name is Mercedes Rodriguez. I reside at 1510 Northwest 19th Avenue. Before anything, I want to thank the administration for all the hard work they've done putting together
this budget throughout the last few months. One thing that we need to take a look at as session starts in Tallahassee with committee is to have a consideration to try to have a fire testing district. One of the biggest needs that we have across the city is
regarding our fire stations and our fire equipment. They're old. We need to replace some of them. And we also need to increase the number of training classes. Also, regarding the SER program, which a lot of money has been invested into and also we need to have a
more of a bigger pace in hiring fires and police officers as our city is growing in population. We are an international city and most of us have a call to make regarding fire. Not not necessarily regarding a crime issue, which is excellent because our fire
department is doing a great job, but from time to time we do have a health issue. We do have accidents. Even our own firemen um need additional training. So I would like to put that on the record in order for us to consider that
maybe in midterm starting at the beginning of next year in January. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good evening. >> Wow. Good evening Brenda 1436 Street. Um I want to just echo what Merc was saying
about a fire station at the police stations. We want to understand um that the budget need to reflect what we're doing for the police and fire. Um I know we shortage but we need to make sure we have uh what we need for those who don't know at least in my area is a lot of
gang activities. So a lot of drug is being moved into this and entwined um to be more um understanding about the we chore and police. But when we knock on doors and we talk to people, the only concern,
number one concern is drugs and crime. After that is how the streets are being taken care of, which is done. So we need to make sure that our residents are receiving what we need. And I'm saying as a as a as a property
owner, to me, it's very difficult to understand sometime how the budget goes. And you guys are in charge of the budget, but at the same time, the budget, the way that you guys are distributing, need to show that you actually doing something with the money
of the city of Miami. Streets are not better. Sidewalks are not better. Well, I cannot say that of Commissioner King because I went over to overtown and your street have been clean as ever since I was there in Booker T many years back. So, but we has to see
sidewalks, streets, police, and lightning. It's really important. And I know that most of you are trying to work on it, but the flooding issue as well. So, please, I don't know how the budget is going to reflect that, but we need to work on that. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good evening. >> Good evening. My name's Leverne Holiday and I am the special assistant to Leverne Spicer who is the CEO and founder of Curly's House. We've been
around uh almost 30 years and uh I'm asking for your support, continued support. We feed over 5,000 people a week and some of them line up at 7:00 in the morning and the rain and the
sweltering eat to be served by 11 and until the food runs out. So we are asking for support in your 25 26 year budget and if there's any leftover in the 2425
we're asking for your help in that as well. In addition, uh, Chairman, Chairwoman King, I'd like to thank you and your staff for the support you've done with us this year and also the mayor. So, thank you and keep us in mind
with the budget cut. We have we are suffering significantly with the budget cuts from the county. Thank you and have a great evening. >> Thank you. Hi, my name is Wendy Mendoza and I live at 815 Northeast 70th. I'm not sure how
this all works, but I'm here because of our storm water infrastructure and our seaw wall and I don't know how it all gets distributed, but I just wanted to make note that we're in desperate need and I know that you center your people and they're working on it and they're wonderful, but I just want to make sure
that they remember us in this budget. So, thanks. Thank you. Seeing no one else for public comment. Public comment period is now closed. Gentlemen, BH1 and BH2 were taken care
of. When our budget director read her statement, that was BH1. And when the DDA executive director read her statement that is BH2. So we have remaining BH3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
9, and 10. Are any of the remaining items you want to pull for discussion? Do you want to pull any of these items for discussion? Yeah, I need to talk about the the 9 million that has to do with you, Commissioner Pu, and uh the uh
decision that we made here. >> Which item is that? >> Uh I don't know if that's pertaining to BH10, city manager. >> That would be the the nine mill that we spoke about coming from the Bayern Trust. That would be related to BH10,
correct? >> Yes, it would be BH10. Okay. >> So, I would pull BH10. >> So, you want to pull BH10? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Commissioner Partardo, do you have any items that you want to pull? >> No. >> I know.
>> I'm sorry. >> No. >> No. Okay. Commissioner Rosado, is there? No, >> I don't have any to. >> Commissioner, >> I don't have any to pull, but I do want to add something to the budget.
>> Okay. So before you do that, may I have a motion? >> Madam Chair, BH3 is an ordinance. So I just I'm not >> I'm not block voting it. I have >> Which one are we doing? >> I'm going to ask for a motion to pass BH4.
>> Motion. >> Yeah. >> BH3, I'm sorry. Um BH4 has to be voted on individually. >> I'm going to do it individually. >> Okay, understood. May I have a motion for BH5? >> I have a motion and a second. All in favor?
>> Motion carries unanimously. >> May I have a motion for BH5? >> Move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> BH5 passes unanimously. May I have a motion for BH6? >> Move. Second.
>> All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries unanimously. May I have a motion for BH7? Actually, I just needed some clarification on that one. The million dollars for homelessness, that wasn't I know we had
a few memos about the Bayront Trust budget, but I didn't see that explicitly listed in there. I just want to make sure that that resolution that we already passed in wanted the uh >> million dollar, right? >> There's a direction to the executive
director to include that in their fiscal year 2526 budget. >> That's taken care of. >> Okay. just because it wasn't explicit in the budget. So there's no >> Oh, that was taken care of >> as amended. >> That was the last meeting. Yeah, it was. Okay. >> Yes. Okay. So, may I have a motion for
BH7 as amended? >> All in favor? >> May I have a motion for BH8? >> Move. >> Second. >> Chair. >> As amended. >> All in favor? I >> passes unanimously. May I have a motion
for BH 9? >> Move. Second. >> All in favor? >> Carries unanimously. >> Uh BH3 was pulled for discussion and BH10. Let's take You want to take BH10 first or BH3?
>> Um let's take BH3 if we could. Well, this for the downtown Development Authority. >> Oh, hold on one second. One second. >> That's No, that's BH2. >> No, BH2 is just a statement that was read by >> BH3. >> Um, hold on. It needs to be the title needs to be read into the record.
>> Yes, Madam Chair. Um, BH3 ordinance, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments relating to taxation defining and designating the territorial limits for the city of Miami City, levying an advalorum tax on all real and personal property in the city at a total
final rate of 7.3616 mills on the dollar of the taxable value of such property for the purposes of funding the general operating budget and payment of debt service for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026 containing a
severability clause and providing for an effective date. >> Someone had a question. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Um, Mr. manager, I have gone over the budget and
besides the $500,000 new dollars that we have now from the sign at Maurice Fay Park, I found that there was a major miscalculation
of monies that will be coming to this year's fiscal budget uh from the fee that fire rescue collects from insurance companies. Um this year they've collected some $21
million. Um the year before it was right below 10. uh when the new fire chief took over, he saw that there were some tremendous
deficits that didn't make sense and he immediately jumped into it and brought it up to over 21 million for this year. Now being conservative, he doesn't feel that that could necessarily go as high,
but he feels very comfortable it could go up to 10 $18 million. In this proposed budget, you had allocated 12 million. I would respectfully suggest that we go the medium amount, not 12, not 18, go with
15 million on the budget, which will free up three additional million dollars. And let me explain where I think this money should go. looking at the whole city of Miami like we
should. Uh obviously we all like to take care of our districts, but we're all commissioners of the whole city. One of the biggest areas with the biggest populations
that has a major deficit in how long it takes to have an ambulance get to them is over by 37th Avenue, our big beautiful park that's there. All
that area right across the street. uh 12 minutes to get on the average a fire rescue truck there. That's totally unacceptable for an area that large. And I suggest that out of that 3
million, we use 2 million uh to go there. That will get us uh 13 new paramedics, firefighters um for that particular unit. And you
know it's you need three but times 24 that's three shifts you need nine and those nines to 40 hours are done in four days out of the week. Then that's why you need 13 with the rest
that cover the extra days and the off days also. um $2 million. Uh I would propose uh if you agree that we are correct and I feel we're very conservatively correct
that 2 million additional dollars should go towards putting an extra fire rescue unit to begin with. In the future we could see what we need. I feel pretty certain that in the near future we're
going to need also a fire truck, but that's for the next budget. >> Vice Chair, >> um yes, >> I believe you're talking about BH10 because BH3 is only the millillage. >> Yeah. Well, yeah, I'm just talking o o overall to include Yeah. for the budget
>> because we were on the BH3 part first to handle the the millillage. >> Okay. But, uh, concerning the the the commissioner's rightly correct assessment of of my area, uh, I also would like to put into the record that we have a firehouse on 41st Avenue and
Northwest 7th Street that we've been trying to get done. And I was wondering whether we can maybe work towards that end to kind of get started on that on the shortfall that we had, Mr. senator because that firehouse I've toured it
and it's very old uh very outdated and uh they've already purchased land in the back to think you're familiar with what I'm >> Guys guys if I can redirect us if we can address the millillage first and then BH10 is exactly what you're talking about. So if I could have a motion
>> move on the second >> now BH3 requires roll call Mr. City clerk. >> Thank you Sher. Roll call on agenda item BH3. Commissioner Partardo, >> approve.
>> Commissioner Gabella, >> yes. >> Commissioner Rosado, >> yes. >> Vice Chair Cyo, >> yes. >> Chair Kaine, >> yes. >> Motion passes 5-0. >> Okay. BH10, go. Go ahead, Commissioner Cabella. >> Yeah. No, I was just saying the city
manager was about to give me a a response. He's talking to the fire chief now. Mr. City Manager, >> what was the question? >> The question was firehouse. >> You want the firehouse question? Yeah. >> So, um, the current plan is to come back
to the commission with a overall capital plan specifically focused on both police and fire. So from a public safety perspective, you know, we've talked a lot about a public safety building and we want to eventually wrap that um
plan both on the disposition of the existing footprint of the police headquarters and fire headquarters and then the development of a new public safety building which we are in very short order. I wanted to get through the budget to finalize this, come and brief each of you individually on the location
recommendations. Um Mr. manager, is that coming to us in October? >> Yes. >> Okay. Um and then worked into that is the current capital needs for existing fire stations >> for any new stations we may need, right? And then also the upgrades to the
existing um police infrastructure, which is both the north and uh and central stations. Um, so we're going to wrap all of that into a recommendation for uh for for um a bond that would actually go towards funding the entire capital
project. That particular project currently has I think a shortfall of what $6 million >> 78 more or less. I mean the the existing plan, but we've talked about value engineering that plan anyway. So, um, it would wrap that particular fire station and then we have a number of others that
are in pretty poor condition that need to be upgraded there. We also have some that are just not the appropriate size for the area they service and we need to add some more capacity there, too. So, all of that's going to get worked into one overarching. >> Maybe, Mr. manager, what you might want to do in the very near future is have uh
a special meeting, a work uh uh meeting uh so that we could dedicated to public safety, >> okay? >> And what our needs are both for police and fire so that we know what is needed
now and into the future. uh do a five-year plan of the needs of the city in public safety so that we can take action now rather than later >> uh when it hits us. >> Excellent suggestion.
>> Uh we have quite a major need I think both police and fire >> but this one right now uh that I'm mentioning is I think the most critical out of all the areas. There's not that
many. There's a few in the city that are deficient, but this is the biggest by far. Uh it's a it's got the largest population, biggest area and 12 minutes to get a fire uh rescue ambulance there.
It that that's unacceptable in our city and particularly when we strive uh throughout the rest of the city to get it there in about five minutes or less. U so vice >> chair >> this is where I would suggest that the 3
million that I've shown that's there definitely there uh conservatively that we use 2 million for that that would cover the bulk of it uh and the additional million that we use it for
the program that I talked about before uh leave no kid behind help each student succeed Uh and this would be citywide uh with a million uh from this general budget like this
putting in the other half million that we just got and I would put a million from my own district with $2.5 million. we could reach uh in excess of 750 kids uh 28 weeks out of the year through the
school year um for no less than 5 hours a week, two days a week in in tutoring them. And I think that would go a long way, but it's not going to be enough for the future. So that's laying the foundation
for this program into the future. Vice Chair, could I ask a clarification? I I missed the location that we were talking about for fire rescue. >> The location that we're talking about is uh in Mel Ree. Uh
they call it the golf course of Freedom Park. >> Yeah. What used to be the club. >> Yeah. That's right across uh a huge area that goes all the way to 27th Avenue. Correct, Commissioner Gaba? >> Yeah. 37th Avenue approximately uh Northwest 17th Street approximately.
>> Yeah. And that whole area takes 12 minutes or more to get an ambulance from our city there when the rest of the city for the most part is about 5 minutes or so. So that's that's a a red zone that
we have to take care of now. Uh and this uh this will do it. Chief, >> thank you. Commissioner Robert Deia, director of Department of Fire Rescue. So to specifically answer your question, the commissioner is correct. We have areas that we've identified both in for fire suppression EMS. We conduct heat
maps and some areas that are are 12 minutes because it's kind of like in a dead zone. You look geographically when these stations were built 50, 60 years ago. Traffic is much different now. So it's not really distance obviously that has changed, but the density and traffic that's slowing our units down. If you've
been to the station that Commissioner Gabella was speaking of, station 10 on 41st Avenue and Northwest 7th Street, for the unit to pull out of the station is a mission. Sometimes there's a delay just getting out of the station to be able to turn. So the uh the area that
we're we're looking at for for this Freedom Park would extend from 37th Avenue on the west side. It would be it would be barriered by the uh river on the north side and go down to Northwest 7th Street and then would move east all the way to around Northwest 21st Court. So, it's a pretty large area
>> um and it would cover all the areas that >> we're not even talking about into the future once that whole complex is built with the mall with hotels with office building and our own administration building. >> We've counted the you definitely will need it then but now
>> Mhm. You need it because you have a huge area of people that takes 12 minutes to get an ambulance or more. >> Yes. >> Chief Chief, is this the is this how does this overlap with the beacum area that we discussed?
>> So, this is going to benefit this is what we're talking about here is what the commissioner is proposing is is a rescue truck. So currently because that area is so busy, it's being serviced by the the fire station on 41st and Northwest 7th Street. So what inevitably
happens is that the rescues get called. They're busy on calls. Well, then another call comes in. The biggest donor to that territory is the station on Beacon Boulevard, Northwest 7th Street. That is going into that ter territory nearly 500 times a year. And that's where you see delays because it's coming
from all the way from Beacon Boulevard all the way to 37. So what what is what happens then? Well then the Beacon Boulevard area is now short of a truck. Takes them longer to get back and it's kind of a domino effect. So this one unit really benefits although it it's primarily in Commissioner Gabella's
district. It does benefit all of these surrounding areas in district 4 and district three. The residents because their units will stay in longer in their territory >> in particular the Beacon one. Uh you would have your rescue there not having to be so far away. And that's part of
the things that we need to uh consider into the future. And this is why I'm asking, Mr. manager, with a police chief, with the fire chief that we have a meeting especially uh for public
safety needs into the future because the city is growing so much. Traffic is getting so horrendous that it takes longer, much longer to get from point A to point B now than ever before. Therefore, we're going to have to build
more fire stations. We might even have to uh add a few more, you know, mini substations in different areas. >> Do I have a motion for BH10? >> Motion. >> There's a motion with if amendments that I've made uh
>> with whatever BH10. >> Um there's a motion with the >> BH10. >> BH10. Yes. >> No. Okay. >> Yeah. I have some items also for BH10. >> The uh Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I >> the amendment that I made that the
manager would add $3 million that were overlooked that we will have for this next fiscal year's budget and the 2 million will go for the fire, right? >> The rescue truck there and 1 million will go for tutorings and helping each student succeed in leaving no student
behind. >> But is that part of BH10? >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yes, it would be if we agree. >> All right. So, I just want to say one thing and then we can vote if you are if you all are ready. So, what I wanted to say is that there's a 9 million proposal just so you know because it's it you
know since it's not clear right now what we're doing with the Bayfront Trust. Uh it was uh proposed to take 9 million out of the 22 million in reserve okay and use it to for fire equipment uh tentative next year. And what I said
to the city manager was that, you know, we were putting the cart before the horse because first we should decide what it is that the park is going to become and then take the 9 mill. So I just want you to be aware because I don't know whatever we do with the park, it might affect you since it's in your
district and and see you all you ladies and gentlemen are, you know, aware what's going on. So what was agreed on is that it's tentative there. It's not going to be touched till next year. Is that correct, Mr. City Manager? What we proposed in the change man memo
was since the final determination on the structure of whatever's going to happen with the Bayfront Park, whether it end up in a uh as a city department, an enterprise fund, conservancy, whatever, um that we could we could move the allocation of that 9 million to a
midyear um budget decision versus incorporating it into the budget. Now, that was what we proposed as a >> right. But it's not going to be transferred. Whatever is done, it's not going to be transferred till next year when if and when we decide to change the >> commission would have to decide because it would come through a mid-year budget.
>> Okay. But right now, that's what we have on >> that's that's incorporated into the memo. >> So, in other words, no funds will be taken out at this moment. No funds will be transferred. No funds will be dispersed >> of the 9 mil. >> No, it's not nothing happens with the 9
mil until it comes for reconsideration. And I'm here. >> Just want to clear that up. Thank you, >> Commissioner Rosado. >> I have a few items. Uh I support uh what uh Commissioner Coryo has brought up with regards to supporting our fire rescue uh crew and as well as what he
has brought up in terms of assisting students. Um certainly helping our youth is is a good thing. Uh and one of the comments that was made at the first public hearing about spending additional dollars on social services resonated with me. uh and I didn't know exactly where I would wanted to support something like that, but I think his
proposal makes a lot of sense. So, happy to support it. I have I have a couple of items that I'd like to uh make adjustments to. I I know that uh all of us have been supportive of adding additional police officers and the number that we've collectively uh preliminarily settled
upon was 100 additional officers. But I will tell you in speaking with the department and and and seeing the fact that we are at historically low crime rates, I am perfectly comfortable scaling that number uh to a lower number because I just don't know that 100 is
necessarily the number we need to land upon. I definitely want to support an increase in our officer uh numbers, but I'm happy to, you know, slice that in half and increase 50 per year for the next several years. And I think if if
our crime rates were high, I would feel differently. But we had a press conference talking about just how safe the city is. I think that's somewhere where we could scale back a little bit. Again, we could look at it in the midyear and make a decision if we are needing to move in a different
direction. As much as I want to support additional officers, I just don't know that we need to go as high as 100. Well, we definitely need a hundred more police officers per each fiscal year. Uh
if you look at where we are today in com uh comparison >> to our population, we should be higher. Especially when you have to take in consideration that this city besides its
normal living population uh has several hundred thousands of people that come to our city every day who work in it from somewhere else uh or as tourists or visitors. Uh that's
a very high population. Downtown for instance that we talked so much about today. I remember years ago, you couldn't go past one block without seeing an officer or two in every block in downtown. That's not the case anymore. You could go through any of our
neighborhoods and you do not see the police presence that you once saw. Uh and you know we could get into the many reasons for that but just because crime all over the country not just here is in
a downtrend uh you do not uh hold back um what you need to do in your police department or fire department. um because that's when it's going to catch you and then when the trend starts
going up, you don't have the manpower that you need uh nor the trained manpower that you need. So, you know, I I'm the only one up here that comes from a law enforcement uh background. I
understand what we need. Uh, I mean even marine patrol, we don't have sufficient marine patrol even though we've increased it, but we don't have enough still. You got all these boats that are going by entering our Miami River that
you could hear from two blocks away. Uh, and it's still happening. chief. By the way, the the city needs to have an accurate an adequate uh police force. 100 is not uh a high
number to bring in. It's u in fact I think a conservative number to to bring in. And uh I would not be in favor of taking out one less police officers and and frankly the only reason that I've
gone along with a hundred each year because this way you have a workable number that you could bring in through the academy, train them, uh be able to do adequate background checks and just
not hire anybody. >> Anything else? Commissioner Rosado, >> I I'd like to hear from Chief Morales on this. >> Babu, >> and again, I can certainly respect that position. Uh, if crime were trending upward, if crime were even flat, but if
crime is trending downward, I I think you all are doing a good job. I'm not as compelled to have that higher number added to our roles. >> Good evening. Manny Morales, chief of police, 400 Northwest Second Avenue. Commissioner, I I we are absolutely
having a fantastic year. We've had uh for the last couple of months, we're almost 20% down in part one crimes, almost 40 something% down on on uh stolen vehicles, and we we're looking great, but we're still having 10 to
12,000 crimes a year for a city of our size. Right. So what this would do, the addition of the officers will do is prepare us for the future knowing that it takes 13 months till that one officer that gets hired today is able to serve
us on the streets. So I'm just forecasting, keep it in mind also, not only the growth of the population. We're the number two destination in the United States, second only to New York. So the influx of folks that we're getting, the popularity and the vibrancy of Miami
just continues to expand. Now I we still have um this year just to give you an idea we did 71 hires right new recruits coming in put them in the academy um we lost 35
gives us a net of about 36 a year right so as we're getting it we we see an attrition of about 50 a year so as we're bringing in the hundred right that we're able to kind of grab and put through the academy depending on the quality of candidate in the pool,
then we're we're kind of left with a net gain of about 50 to 60 depending on the quality of of the classes and the recruits, right? But but chief, is that a real nut gain? Is it, you know, I've asked this question before, Mark, we were making up for what we were losing,
right? So, so but at the end of the day, is it a real nut gain? Because I I think uh we need police officers. You know, I've been advocating since I came in for this, but but my question to you is right now I don't think we have a real net gain, do we? >> That the net game >> a net gain that that we're replacing our
officers that we lost and we're putting new ones that we didn't have before. >> If if we're able to put four classes, right, one every quarter, which is what our academy can handle per square foot, looking at the FDLE restrictions that we have in place, um we'll get about 80
individuals through the academy. If our current trajectory on on attrition holds steady for 50, we're adding about 30 year real cops on the street, right? Unless we make some changes to our academy. I've floated some ideas with
our guys about running twommies, one in the daytime, one in the night time, farming out some work to uh to Miami Date Community North, even though no disrespect to our our former academy. I went to to Miami Day North uh campus.
Our academy is far superior. We do have some of the highest pass rates on the state exam uh that any training center has across our state. So I would prefer for us to have it inhouse, but >> back then I remember that that's the academy that we had for everybody.
>> Correct. >> When I went through BL5, um that was the academy. You went through what class? >> B58. 158. Okay. >> Back in 94. >> So, Chief, you believe that we need the 100?
>> Yes. >> Okay. And anything else? >> Not not on that specific subject. >> Do you have something else? >> I do. Um I have two more items. The first one is in speaking with the
the mayor in recent weeks. Um I mentioned to him that I'd like to see additional dollars for housing assistance. I think it's probably something that we're all asked for. I feel like I'm asked I'm asked on an almost daily basis. And I asked if he thought of uh anywhere that we could
find some additional dollars within the budget that wouldn't hurt anything else. And he mentioned about the uh dollars associated with Miami coin. So apparently there's over $5 million that are um available for housing assistance tied specifically to the COVID era.
There's approximately uh $54 million sitting there. Uh they had created an uh an application process, but almost nobody applied or nobody applied perhaps. And so it seems like there's 5, if I understand it correctly, 5.25 million that we could use for housing
assistance. And in our district, this is such a common request. There's such a need for this, especially for seniors. I'd like to see us use those dollars and divide them up >> perhaps by uh CDBG eligibility. >> Commissioner, that train already left the station. Uh that's what the manager,
at least what was said to me that he intended for that money that could be used for divided into all our districts. But now that you mentioned Miami uh coin again, uh I have a major problem
and also since you mentioned the mayor, it was the mayor that came here and sold this city and Miami coined that this is going to be uh what was going to do away with paying property taxes because it was going to bring so much money. Um we
were supposed to get 30% of it. Now based on the calculations that were given to me, there's another 18 million maybe more that we never
seen. I don't know why we haven't taken it, why it wasn't given to us. And based on those calculations, there had to be at least $70 million minimum and and who knows how much more that was sold to
investors, institutions, and the Miami coin that was like a meteorite. It went up beautifully and came down just as quick and crashed where is worth less today than the
Venezuelan believer that you need a truck to be able to buy a US dollar with. Uh what happened to all those millions of dollars that we were supposed to get, not just the five million now. What happened to the rest of that money?
because no one's been able to tell me what happened to the money. >> Good evening, Commissioner Erica Pascal. Darling, um the only amount that we have received in donation to date is the 5.2.
The city coin was a donation agreement and based and they were given the ability to not to donate when they wanted to. >> Yeah. But they used their name. They even in the website today that they
still have, it has the office of the mayor of Miami that they used to sell the Miami coin and give the impression that it was backed by the city of Miami
or at least his mayor or both. Now, was there anything signed with them that stated that they were going to donate 30%? Because in Florida, even if you don't have it signed,
a verbal contract is as good as a signed contract. And they put all over the place, we were getting 30%. So, what happened to that 30%? Uh 5.2
2 million was nowhere near 30%. What happened to the rest of that money? >> We did not receive any further donations after the 5. >> Well, then you know what? We need to do something about it and get to the bottom line because when this came before us
and we were put up against the wall because we were told by the mayor that this was going to be the solution to Miami's future. No more property taxes. So much money was going to come in. Yeah. money came in for a few months that somebody made, but there were
hundreds if not thousands of people that got nailed and lost their money. But those that had the great idea made money. And at that time, I had asked this administration to make sure that these people were vetted
uh before we would enter into any agreement with them. And I've gotten the results today. We did no vetting. None whatsoever. But what I did find out is
that the guy that was the main one that had the idea that we were speaking to all the time, uh, the company, as was told to us, was a Delaware nonprofit corporation. They were supposed to, according to the
resolution that we passed, to have registered as a Florida corporation before we would begin uh doing anything with them. They never did that. They never registered as a
Florida nonprofit corporation or even for-profit corporation. What I do know now is that the Delaware address then went to a Los Angeles address in one of
the let me put it politically correct less desirable areas of Los Angeles in a strip mall where you don't expect to find major capital firms that are putting out major uh offerings like
this. Uh, and >> is this offline? >> Excuse me. >> We have that offline the conversation or >> Well, look, you you could look at some of this like I did and stuff. And I want
to know what happened to the 30% that we were supposed to get. It's worthless now, but it wasn't then. What happened to it? M >> M Mr. manager. >> We would have to research to determine.
>> Well, I've been asking just that. Uh the manager knows it. I've sent a lot of uh uh requests and you know, it's uh like a twilight zone. It's lost uh in it. You
can't get any answers. You can't get anything. It's shuffled to one group to the other. And the only thing I know, there were tens of millions of dollars that were invested. We were supposed to get 30%.
We only got a chump change of a little over 5 million. Um, some people made a lot of money and uh, very few made a lot of money and a lot of people got nailed
and lost all their investment. You want to talk about the Miami coin anymore? >> I well I I want to know if we have that 5.25 available to us and if we could agree in the upcoming budget to uh allocate those to each of the districts >> per CDBG eligibility ratios.
>> So yes, the previous resolution allocated 2 million to provide supplemental funding to the city's senior rental assistance program and then 3.2 2 million was to be equally allocated between the five commissioner
districts to allocate appropriate future resolutions for district specific affordable housing. >> The that initial 2 million that you mentioned that is available. How >> I would have to >> is it first come first serve or could
could we just agree to divvy it up per based on CDBG eligibility? The what? The initial 5.2. >> Yeah. Apparently the entire thing is sitting there. >> Yes, it is. >> No, but equally by district. >> Equally by district. Yes,
>> you you could certainly do that. It wasn't part of how the original reszo was constructed, but you could. And we could we could bring back a reszo if you'd like and specifically codify how that money is distributed by district if you'd like. I >> And then bring it the next meeting.
>> Yeah, we can we can modify that. I I'd like for this city to finally see some money from >> Yeah. >> the Miami coin >> worth less than a believer >> today. So I'll sponsor that item, Mr. Clerk, for the October.
>> I think the manager understands the direction. >> Okay. >> Okay. The the final thing that I wanted to discuss with regard to the budget is uh my my predecessor, may he rest in peace, he restarted a tradition that was
very important to many of us growing up, which is the three kings parade. >> It's in the budget. >> Well, it it's currently in the budget. We had we've had internally a number of uh discussions about this. It is currently in the budget for 200,000, but realistically when it was done most
recently, it was done on a very modified scale. it wasn't that many streets to take it back to what it was originally to really restore it to its glory. It would be a larger route and so it would require more inkind dollars etc. And so after speaking with a number of folks,
what we'd like to do is request that the instead of 200,000 that it be increased to 350 so that it can be what it was when I was >> suggest commissioner so that we keep our budget uh intact since I haven't heard you mention any new money that you
found. Uh since it's going to go through your district in mine, you could put the uh other 75,000 from your budget. I'll put the other 75 from district three and you got the extra 150 to the 200.
And this way we don't have to be here another hour trying to figure out where we're going to get another 150 for. >> What happened? >> Deal. >> Wants more money. >> Deal. >> Okay. All right. That's fine. >> Run that deal by me. Um
>> it's uh in uh in house. We don't have to vote on this one. >> Oh, okay. Um, I'll leave. >> Commission, you're fine. >> I haven't said anything. I'm fine. As a matter of fact, I promised uh the late
commissioner, may rest in peace, that I would uh you know uh carry out the tradition and you're the commissioner for that area. So, I I think it's only proper and I think it's a fine. Keep in mind that within uh two more budgets at
least uh if not one more there's going to have to be more money allocated there because you're also going to require a fire truck. Okay. So that's on you for the future to remind
>> a manager. Um the last that I would like to do and in item 10 and what I uh proposed uh that's been second I believe um is that the
half mill that we has found in downtown that that also goes to the schooling the uh tutoring for our young children and that half mill can take priority for the
It's in Overtown, the Omni District, downtown. Um, and if there's any leftover, which I doubt, then it could go to other districts. >> Let Let me express my reservation there, Commissioner. The issue here is the most
the people most impacted by what's happening there downtown are not are not being included at all. And these funds should be trapped and their priorities should be at least recognized before we make any decision like that. Not to say that what you're proposing isn't a good
idea, but I think it could be proposed to that same group and see where we end up. >> That's fine. I would say propose it. You could do a midyear revision earlier than right at midyear and since you're going to have all these public meetings to see
what they want to do with it. Uh once they decide uh then we take it from the midyear revisions. But at least put this now so that we could begin this fiscal year with sufficient monies that at
least 750 uh of our kids we could provide tutors for, if not 800. And that's that's all that I'm asking. >> Yeah, but I don't want to allocate this now. That's the only thing. >> Well,
uh 2 million is not going to get us as far as half million. Uh it's up to the commission if they want to include it uh here uh or or not. But you can't find a a more worthy cause
uh than putting it to help our next generation um pass school, get better grades, and be able to be part of the uh competition in the global workforce.
>> Okay. So we have BH10 for consideration. There was an amendment proposed for >> it's a resolution that'll be coming back at the 1 October meeting to divide up
the Miami coin 5.25 million. >> But it's it's done separately. The money's budgeted. We'll just bring it back how to distribute it. So, so, so if I >> Wait, wait. Well, >> no, I said BH10.
BH9 is I know I have to amend it, >> but we have to bring it back to amend it. So, Todd, what happened? >> With BH9, I need to uh a vote for reconsideration because they left out an amendment. >> May I have a vote a motion for BH9 to
reconsider? >> What do we reconsider? >> They for they left out an amendment. They left some term out that we have to include. >> Okay. What is that amendment? >> Yeah. What's >> I'm going to tell you when we I got a vote. >> All right. So So motion to reconsider. >> So I got a motion and a second to reconsiderate. Reconsider. All in favor?
I >> motion passes now. >> Good evening again. This item it was the exhibit that the memo that was distributed. I'd like to amend that memo to include there was an item that was part of the midyear that took the 10
million that divided up between the four districts to be for parks improvement. I need to amend that for it to be any capital needs that the district needs. They can use those dollars not just for parks improvements.
>> Hang on. Hold on. Where's this 10 mill come from? >> The 10 million is already was has already been allocated from the general fund. That's from Freedom Park. >> To where? >> Allocated to each district. >> Each >> for each district. >> Does this have to do with Freedom Park and the money allowed allowed for
Freedom Park >> from Freedom Park? >> From Freedom Park. >> From from Initially, it was just for parks and now they're changing it so that you can use it. >> But that wasn't the deal. That wasn't the deal. The deal was that it was 10 mil to keep there. You and I talked about this. Am I
>> No, no, this is a separate 10 million. But that's what I'm asking. >> That's not the 10 million you're referencing. This was that other res that was passed to take 10 million from the >> from the general fund and allocated district. Yes, that's what she's talking about. >> So the 10 mail that that's there, right? And this is the other town,
>> correct? >> From the general fund to be distributed between >> and what they're doing is creating more flexibility around how you >> So you don't have to use it for park, you can use it for park affordable housing. >> Yeah, you can use it forever. I >> I have a Yeah, I'm I'm a little bit confused on this. So it's not related to the Freedom Park park funding, but you
mentioned four districts, not five. So >> yeah, because I got left out. I got left out because supposedly since I got the 10 mil for Freedom Park for what's coming there, there was a deal struck here even though the original deal I wasn't even here when it it was struck,
you know, and then some somebody somehow decided, well, if he's getting 10 mil, we got to get 10 mil. And then you divided upon, right? That's that's the way it was. >> I got that's the way it was. That's the way the reszo was passed in that the additional $10 million would be divided
amongst the districts outside of district one. >> You had gotten left out one time, too, but >> got put back in. >> And and I'm inviting everybody to the three kings parade. >> Well, remember district three, District 4.
Uh >> but everybody's welcome. So, may I have a motion for BH9 as amended? >> So, moved. >> So, the only thing Hang on, please. The only thing we're doing here is we're widening the scope >> of how the money can be used, right?
>> Correct. >> Nothing else. >> Nothing else. >> Okay. Thank you. >> May I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Yeah, >> I already had that. All in favor? >> Motion carries as amended. Back to BH10. There's a motion that I made second by
Commissioner Glla VH10. Yes. >> All in favor? >> Wait, wait. May I just want to because there was a lot of discussion here. So, I just want to clarify what the amendments were. So, the the amendments I have here are that the fire and EMS fees, the revenue will be increased by
$3 million, 2 million for uh a new fire unit for the Miami Freedom Park area, which will include 13 positions, and then 1 million for education of that that 3 million. And then >> for tutoring for children in the urban core of the city.
>> Tutoring for children in the urban core. >> Yeah, I think he labeled it leave no child behind. >> Yep. And and then um there will be an additional $150,000 allocated for the three kings parade with 75,000 coming from >> No
150 allocated. District 4 is going to put 75 from his budget. I'm going to put 75 from my budget. >> Otherwise, >> Okay. >> So that doesn't need >> We have a deficit in the budget. >> That doesn't that doesn't need to go into >> Yeah, exactly. That doesn't need We said
that before. You're complicating it. >> Okay. So, and there's only that one amendment then of the fire EMS fees. >> The amendment is 2 million out of the three that we found >> for um Freedom Park for fire rescue unit
that's going to have 13 new firefighters that have to be hired. >> Yes. >> And 1 million for No Child Left Behind Tutoring >> and and the allocation of the half million dollars. What do we have do with that? >> Well, I'm I think we should put that
We're not addressing that now. >> We don't Yeah, we don't have to decide. Okay, so it's just the $3 million. Okay, >> city clerk. >> And I have two administrative amendments. Um, so on page two of the resolution, it'll need to include today's date. And I also need to replace the placeholder exhibit A with an
updated exhibit A. >> Okay, hang on people. I'm sorry. I'm in a lot of land today. So the 500K, we're talking about the 500K of the sign business, right? Is that what we're talking about that you don't want it? >> Yeah, that's not allocated. But that's the one that you still don't want to allocate. Okay, got it.
>> May I have a motion? >> Move. >> Second. >> A second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries unanimously. >> As amended. >> As amended. Thank you all. This concludes our budget hearing
for September 25th, 2025. [Laughter] >> I was on