[music] I just want you to know that I'm recording this at 11:14 p.m. cuz I love y'all. So, hello my friends. Vanessa Joseph here, your elected city clerk in the sizzling hot, it is so hot, city of North Miami. As we
continue through the heart of summer, it's the perfect time to enjoy everything our community has to offer. from supporting local businesses and attending neighborhood events to spending time with family and friends. Before diving into another edition of Long Meeting Short, highlighting some of
what took place during our July 14 special CRA and regular city council meetings, this is your reminder that the mayor and city council will be on recess from July 17 through August 24th, 2026. But while council takes a short summer break, city services in my office will
continue to serve our residents all summer long. On the CRA agenda, we have the redevelopment agreement for the project at 1525 Northwest 135th Street, which was updated to transfer $8 million of an infrastructure grant from Redwood CPD Dev to Redwood CP Holdings, the new
entity managing phase one of the project. The update allows the mixeduse residential and retail development to move forward under the new ownership with some modifications to the agreement. The council voted to cancel a previously approved redevelopment incentive. The incentive would have
refunded 50% of the increase in property tax revenue generated by the property's improvements back to the developer. By rescending the award, the city decided that the incentive will no longer be provided. The developer won't be eligible for tax exemptions on approximately 7,000 ft of commercial
space in building 1. The agreement also requires the project to include at least 100,000 square feet of taxable commercial space, helping ensure the development continues to generate property tax revenue for the city. And finally, they'll be providing 20 scholarships annually for the life of
the North Miami CRA for approximately $55,555. Now, on to council meeting. During council meeting special presentations, a proclamation was presented to the parks department in honor of Parks and Recreation Month. Recognizing the important role that parks, recreational
programs, and public spaces play in promoting healthy lifestyles, community engagement, and a high quality of life for North Miami residents. Anthony Brunson, PA also presented the annual audit and financial review, providing an overview of the city's financial performance and the results of the
independent audit. The city received a clean audit opinion with auditors highlighting increased assets, reduced liabilities, higher property tax revenues, and a stronger overall financial position. The presentation also noted that North Miami remains in good standing with its federal and state
grant programs while recommending continued improvements to lease accounting and financial reporting practices to strengthen the city's financial management. Mayor and city council approved a sister city partnership with the city of Savalu, Benin. You might remember that not too
long ago, the city welcomed the king of Savalu. Savaloo stands as one of the country's most historically significant towns. The partnership will promote cultural exchange, educational opportunities, economic development, and international collaboration, strengthening the relationship between
the two communities, and creating opportunities for residents, businesses, and future partnerships. An agreement was approved with the Crystal Ray Miami High School work study program to provide work study opportunities for four students during the 2026 2027 school year at a cost not to exceed
$34,800. The program gives students valuable hands-on work experience while helping prepare them for future careers through opportunities within the city of North Miami. It's always a joy for our office to host students from Crystal Ray while we teach them valuable skills that
they'll use throughout their professional career. Shameless beg. Send me some interns because we're low on staff and we have plenty of work and wisdom to go around. The city attorney was authorized to pursue legal action against the owner and operator of a property at 12640
Exora Road for allegedly operating a commercial vehicle rental business in a single family residential neighborhood. According to our land development regulations, vehicle rental is a separate use category and is not permitted within a R1 residential zoning
district. Florida statutes authorizes municipalities to enforce violations of municipal codes and ordinances by filing a civil action. The action is intended to enforce the city's zoning regulations and protect the character of residential areas. Sanitary sewer system repairs
totaling up to $3,600,000 were approved with LMK Pipe Renewal and Atlantic Pipe Services as part of North Miami's ongoing sanitary sewer evaluation program. The projects will repair aging sewer pipes, sewer lines,
and manholes to improve system reliability, reduce the risk of sewer failures, and help ensure compliance with Miami Dade County regulations. A project totaling up to $267,289 was approved to convert the existing shuffleboard courts at the Griffin
Community Center into new tennis and pickle ball courts. The improvements will provide more recreational opportunities for residents of all ages, promote active lifestyles, and enhance the amenities available at the community center. Mayor and council authorized city administration to procure federal
lobbying services exceeding $50,000 to support the proposed expansion of the Winston Water Treatment Plant. The selected firms will help secure federal funding and advocate for the project in Washington, DC. The expansion is intended to increase the city's water
treatment capacity, improve the reliability of the water system, and support North Miami's future growth and long-term water needs. Utility billing will transition from a quarterly billing cycle to a monthly billing cycle for North Miami water and sewer customers.
You may remember that this item came up a few months ago and was tabled. The hope is that this change will provide residents and businesses with smaller, more manageable monthly bills, improve on-time payments, reduce overdue balances, and strengthen the city's
utility billing and revenue collection process. a city-wide project totaling up to $45,657,129 to replace North Miami's existing water meters with an advanced metering infrastructure or AMI system was
rejected. This was on the agenda back in March, but I can't remember if I talked to you about it or maybe I did. I might have told you that it's somewhat comparable to how FPL works and that you're able to see live usage data. Well, advanced metering infrastructure or AMI is a modern water meter system
that would automatically send water usage information to the city through a secure network. Unlike traditional water meters, which requires someone to physically read the meter or only provide limited information, AMI gives
you near realtime data on water use. This technology would have allowed residents to monitor their water usage, receive alerts about possible leaks or unusually high usage, and would help the city identify system issues more quickly. It can also improve billing
accuracy by reducing the need for manual meter readings. Disaster debris monitoring services for a cost of up to $650,000 per declared disaster event were approved with Tetrate Tech, Inc. The
company will oversee debris removal operations, monitor contractors, and assist the city in applying for reimbursement from FEMA, the state of Florida, and other eligible agencies, helping North Miami recover more efficiently after hurricanes and other emergency events. Holiday lighting and
decor services were approved for North Miami's 2026 holiday lighting program at a cost not to exceed $250,000. The agreement includes the installation, maintenance, and removal of holiday lights and decorations throughout the city, helping create a festive
atmosphere for residents and visitors during the holiday season. I can't wait to see how we light up North Miami this winter holiday season. AJ Center, Inc. was approved to provide professional tutoring services at the Suniss Grove Community Center at a cost not to exceed
$100,000. The program will serve students in District 4 during the 2026 2027 school year. A partnership was approved between the city of North Miami and Florida International University or FIU for the
North Miami Brewfest in the amount of $100,000. The agreement provides sponsorship and naming rights for the event, which promotes brewing, science education, supports the local craft beer industry, and continues to bring visitors and economic activity to North Miami. I
don't drink beer, but I'll be there for the food. I hope you'll be there, too. The building and zoning department's permit fee schedule was updated to comply with Florida law and city regulations. The changes revise certain building permit fees and provide private
provider fee requirements, helping ensure that the city's permitting process remains current, efficient, and in compliance with state requirements. Florida statute requires the city to reduce commercial permit fees by a minimum of 25% if a private provider
handles plan reviews or inspections and a minimum of 50% if they perform both. Building height limits were increased from 110 ft to 210 ft for certain properties within the Biscane Boulevard Plan corridor development overlay district through updates to the city's
2045 comprehensive plan and land development regulations. The changes are intended to encourage mixeduse development, attract new investment, create additional housing and commercial opportunities, and support the long-term revitalization and economic growth of
the Biscane Boulevard corridor. During discussion, the council voted to set our budget hearing dates and a maximum uh mileage rate of 7.4 mills. The mayor proposed holding city council meetings once a month. The proposal was discussed and ultimately no action was taken.
There was also a discussion about a citywide RV moratorum. Residents had also expressed their concerns about the issue of RVs in their neighborhoods. The city will be exploring solutions for the issue, including potentially banning them entirely. And that is all, folks. But if you ever want to know more about
what happened during any city meeting or what the discussions were like or why it took us so long to finish, feel free to visit our website to watch the entire meeting for yourself. Even while we're in recess, if there's anything that me or the office of the city clerk can do to better serve you, just let me know.
We can be reached at 3058959817 or by email at cityclerknorthmiami.gov. And if you're on social media, go ahead and give us a follow or like us or subscribe. I don't know, whatever it is that you got to do. But catch us on
social media, North Miami Clerk, so you can keep up with us. And I hope you have an amazing summer and I can't wait to see you when we get back. North Miami Council meetings take [music] place at 700 p.m. on the 2nd and fourth Tuesday of every month in the North [music]
Miami City Council Chambers located on the second floor of City Hall. If you're unable to attend a meeting in person, you can watch it live on channel 77, [music] the city of North Miami's YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Vimeo liveream. [music] If you're interested
in obtaining a copy of the agenda, please contact the office of the city clerk at 3058959817 [music] or city clerk@ northmiami.gov. The agenda can also be found on the
city's website at [music] www. northmiami.gov