where to get started. Uh, welcome to city hall. If you have not signed up, we do have a sign-in sheet at the back and the front of the room. If you're here to speak on any item or like to speak during public remarks, please add your name to the list. Thank you. Okay. Good evening. Good evening
everyone. Today is Tuesday, May 6. The time is approximately 7 p.m. We will now call to order the city of South Miami uh commission meeting. If you could please silence or turn off your cell phones, we'd greatly appreciate it. Madame Clerk, if you could call the role, please. Yes, Mayor Fernandez. Present. Vice
Mayor Corey present. Commissioner Wish here. Commissioner Cay here. Commissioner Rodriguez here. You have a poll. Thank you, Madam Clerk. If we could please stand for a brief prayer followed by the pledge of allegiance led by Vice Mayor Corey. And I would ask this evening that
we keep uh in our prayer briefly uh former city Miami commissioner Manola Reyes uh who left us last month and also Pope Francis. Uh and with that I'd ask us to say a brief Hail Mary. Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Amen. Vice Mayor Corey. I pledge allegiance to the flag of United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Please be seated. Madame clerk, we have no presentations this evening. No. Uh are there any item items, please? Yes. One um community redevelopment agency um discussion.
Thank you. Colleagues, any uh objection to adding on item F1? No, mayor. No. Seeing no objection, we will consider that item added on to tonight's agenda. U madam clerk, are there minutes to be approved? No. Okay. Mr. Manager, your report, please. Yes, sir. Ma, Madame
Deputy is going to provide the report. Madam Deputy Manager, you're recognized. Thank you. Good evening. We have some new and exciting programs in our parks department. First, we have a music production workshop that's going to be hosted in the Mobley building on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and that's
absolutely free for South Miami teens ages 13 to 17. We also have a junior lifeguard program for any kids who are interested in um learning lifeguard skills and water safety. They can get their CPR and first aid. That's $50 for residents and 125 for non-residents ages
11 to 16. Our summer camp kicks off at the community center on June 9th. So that's daily activities includes lunch. South Miami residents benefit for um $50 $50 a week. On the event side tomorrow in partnership with Miami Dade Fire
Rescue, we have morning with the medics. So that's going to be hosted by our friends at Kitchen 57. It's from 8 to 9:30. It's an opportunity for the community to meet our Miami Dade County Fire Department that services our city. We also have the Mother's Day party at the senior center from 10:00 to 12:30 on
Thursday. That's in partnership with Commissioner Shagalo's office. Um she's donating some treats. Finally, this weekend is our second community cleanup event. We'll be meeting at Fuches Park. Um 9:00 a.m. volunteers are going to be split into different groups where they'll clean up South Miami Dog Park,
Bues Park, Van Smith, and it's going to be followed by anformational session about recycling. Kids are able to get volunteer hours for that. So there's a registration on our website, and they can also sign in that day to receive their hours. That's the manager's report. Thank you.
Any questions, colleagues? Seeing no, we'll move on. Thank you again. Thank you. Uh Mr. City attorney, your report, please. Just one just want to give you an update on uh the mandle stam discussions. We've we've had productive discussions. Spoke
with him just last week. Um we he has the application materials. Mr. Lightoot provided those to him uh for the plan development application that he intends to submit. um kind of walk through the process and just trying to respond to to what he needs. I I have also made it
clear to him that we need this easement uh very soon or it doesn't have the work the the value that that it would otherwise have to us. So he's aware and we're trying to push forward but he has not signed the settlement. Are we are we having these conversations via telephone
or in person? Sir, this was a the last one was a via telephone. Okay. If I could ask you to organize another follow-up meeting. Absolutely. where I can attend with him and our council. Okay. I think we just need to kind of have another face to face conversation to kind of put him at ease because I know he's a little bit concerned about
terms changing and this is not necessarily the easiest subject matter for a lay person to understand. So, we'll do if we can do that next week, I'd appreciate it. Okay. Okay. Colleagues, any questions about that? Okay. Uh moving on, we'll move to public remarks at this time. Uh on the list
this evening, I starting off Mr. Levi Kelly, you're recognized, sir. Please come forward. Good afternoon. Afternoon. Levi Kelly, 6250 South at 60 Avenue. I'm here to speak on our annual Junth activities that we have every
year. This year it will be hosted again at the Dela Gibson Center the 21st of June and this from 2 to 5. Everyone is welcome. There's limited seating so get there early, have a good
time, learn a little history and have some good food. Okay. Uh secondly, I was asked to announce that the uh community action agency meeting is going to be held on the 21st of this month at the
senior do for those who are interested that I think this subject will continue about the proposed uh Marshall Williamson project. So everyone is welcome to attend that meeting. Thank you.
6 p.m. Thank you to the mayor. Yes, sir. Can we also have the date that we have for the for the community meeting on that? Is that public already talk about the follow? Yes. Follow up. We don't have a date yet. I suggested
the 22nd. 22nd of May. Okay. Let's take that up after we close public remarks if we can. Okay. Just we can fix the date. Uh next on the list, uh Mr. Damian Damen Stevens, please come forward. Good evening.
Uh good evening, mayor, uh city commission. Um I am here to I just found out about this. I'm a trainer over at Bethl Gibson Community Center and it was brought to my attention about two hours ago. um that there is an amendment that
wants to increase the fees in which we pay um to provide our services at the gym by 600%. Um so I felt the need to show up here and voice my opinion about the fee
schedule going up to 600%. Now I did see a piece of paper. I don't have much information about it and I just have the the total dollar amount um regarding the fee schedule and justification for it. Uh now I've worked at the Bethl Gibson for a couple of years, number of years
where I'm a trainer. I taught the senior's class. I taught water aerobics as well and it's a really great place to work. Um it's not a big commercial gym. It's very intimate. Um and recently we did have uh several other trainers come
over and join us over there and I think that is probably the catalyst for why we're having this discussion or someone brought to the attention of hey what are they paying in fees and the fee was fee schedule was being compared to um a lot
of the public gyms in the area which it's not a municipality it's not run like a municipality um speaking for myself I work maybe two hours there. Um, so that fee schedule probably is not
going to work for me. And I know everyone's in a little bit different position over there with regards to how many people they're training, uh, who's working for them, etc., etc. So, everyone's got their own unique situation. But speaking for myself, I work in the middle of the day from 10 to
12 maybe working with special populations Parkinson's seniors uh with its grand total of five people. Now taking my training fees from 600 to three 3,600 um is a little bit high. Uh now I
passing that along to these folks is not really a viable solution for me. So, and especially with everything that's going on in the world, you know, going up by 600%, especially now, you know, I think it's a little bit
high. So, I'm just going to ask that you guys reconsider maybe taking a look at uh other ways maybe based upon usage uh or things like that to come up with another viable solution to this. But going up 600% I don't think is a really viable
solution. Thank you. Thank you, sir. All right. Thank you. Um, Mr. Phillips, I've got you next on the list. I'm happy to recognize you now, but I think it might be more valuable to our conversation about this. I'll take up your item towards the top
of the agenda and maybe let you speak when we call the item up. So, your comments happen and Mr. and Mr. Stevens, I'll recognize you again if you like to add something to the conversation just so it's happens contemporaneously. It's a little bit more fresh in our minds. Is that okay? Okay. I also have Mr. Lopez
and Mr. Trouy on the list for the resoning uh which is item five on our agenda. I'll also move that up. You're welcome to speak now or I can call you up when we have the public hearing on the item. Okay. Mr. Lopez, you're fine. Mr. Trouy, good. Okay. Okay. Anyone else in public remarks that has not signed on
to the list? Madam Clerk, is there anyone online? Mr. McC, you're recognized. Anyone on Zoom, please raise your virtual hand. Good evening everybody. 6210 Southwest 63rd Terrace. Um I was trying to understand about the the date
that you just said about the 22nd and following up on the Madison Square um property. Is that what I what I just heard? We have we have we haven't fixed the date yet. So I think the clerk had suggested possibly May 22nd as a date for the follow-up community meeting that we uh discussed. Okay. just to put it
put this out there because we're meeting on the 21st already and and is it possible just to combine those meetings so you can get a little more participation uh from folks from the community? I have no this so what you're saying is piggyback on the existing CA meeting.
Yeah. And have this as an agenda? I don't have any objection. Colleagues, do you Mr. Manager? Any thoughts? You do? No objection. No objection. The clerk was just trying to get availability from from all you. I think that that's what she was working on. Um, so I I would just say it's not our
forum. Yeah, I know it's but but if there if there's no objection from the chair, if Dr. Price wants to have us heard is already on board with it. We discussed it. Okay. Uh Mr. Kell is the vice chair. So So madam clerk, if you can confirm with uh Dr. Price, but she has no objection to having that added
onto their agenda. We can certainly do the public outreach on that day. Okay. Okay. And one one more thing. Um, I want to thank uh, Commissioner Steve for putting us in touch with the Metro Underline. You still can't say my last name. Can I just call him Just call him
Street. It's fine. What do you say? Call him. Just call him Commissioner Street. That's what I call him. Street. All right. Listen, thank you for getting us in contact with the U subcontractors. You two, mayor, you piggybacked on this. So, they started hiring um, this uh, this week, as a matter of fact.
Excellent. So, we got a couple people from the community. So, thank you, Danny. Thank you for getting there, spearheading the um the um the uh uh the truck drivers, the food vendors. Uh the pastors are very appreciative. You're going to get some more calls for that.
Thank all of you you for voting on that issue, too. Thank you, sir. We appreciate your comments. Okay. Anyone else in public remarks? You're welcome to come forward this time on any topic, whether it's on the agenda or not. Okay. Seeing no in the chamber, madam clerk, again, anyone online? Anyone on Zoom? Please raise your virtual hand.
Okay, seeing no one on Zoom, we'll go ahead and close public remarks. Uh, colleagues, I think the manager wanted us to defer item four, which is the interlocal on recycling. Uh, Mr. Manager, is there a date you'd like to defer to? Um, May 20th. They'll probably give enough time. May 20th. Can I get a
motion to defer item four to May 20th? I'll move the motion, Mayor. Is there a second? Second. Okay. Uh, without objection, shall the item deferred to May 20th? Okay. Um, can I get a quick motion if you, Madam Clerk, if you can read items N1,
N2, and N3, which are the board appointments? Yes. Well, I need votes on these as well. You do need votes on them. Yes. Can they be taken in together or do they have to be voted on separately? You can do one. One by one. Okay, no problem. If you can read item N1 then, please. Yes. Planning board
John J. Miller has been recommended by Commissioner Rodriguez to re to be reappointed to serve at large on the planning board. Okay. Okay. Can I get a motion on N1? Motion moved by Commission Rodriguez and seconded by Vice Mayor Bonich. Yes. I saw she's looking for her
microphone. No problem. Madam Clerk, if you can call the role, please. Yes. Commissioner Cayenne? Yes. Commissioner Bonish? Yes. Commissioner Rodriguez? Yes. Vice Mayor Cory? Yes. Mayor Fernandez. Yes. Okay. He's a reappoint. Thank you. You can read item in two, please. And design review board. Mariana
Corell has been recommended to be reappointed to serve at large as a landscape architect on the design review board. Commissioner Rodriguez, would you like to move that as well? Move it. Is there a second again by the by Second? Okay. Got a motion by Commissioner Rodriguez and a second by Commissioner Street. Madam Clerk, if you can call the
RO, please. Commissioner Street. I love it. She's jumping on board. Commissioner Bonish. Yes. Commissioner Rodriguez. Yes. Vice Mayor Cy. Yes. Smear Fernandez. Yes. 5 Z. If you can
read item N3, please. Yes. Design review board Java Bayana has been recommended to be reappointed to serve at large as a Florida registered architect on a design review board. Great. Is there a motion on item three, please? I'll move a motion. Second. I'll second. A motion by Commissioner Cay and a second by
Commissioner Bonich. Madam Clerk, if you can call the RO once again, please. Commissioner Cay. Yes. Commissioner Bonich. Yes. Commissioner Rodriguez. Yes. Vice Mayor Cory? Yes. Mayor Fernandez? Yes. passes 5. Okay, colleagues, um I'm going to propose the following orders because I do see people in the audience on virus items. So, we
can take M3, which is discussion item, which is on trailers and RVs that was added by Commissioner Rodriguez, and we'll move on to item five, which is the uh resoning, and then I'll take up the uh gym fee change uh as a third item. Okay. Any objection to that sequence?
No, mayor. Okay. If you can read item M3 for the record, please. Yes. Commissioner Rodriguez, reviewing how the city currently allows for trailers in backyards of residents, possibly adding guidelines or not allowing trailers. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Commissioner Rodriguez, did you want to
uh leave us off with any thoughts or should we get a state of the current play from the city attorney on what the rules are today? And so, we're all kind of working from the same I I think that would be best to get uh current state. Mr. city attorney or madam city attorney, could you give us a quick overview on the rules we have in place
that regulate uh I guess the storage of recreational vehicles on on single family residential lots. Yes. Hi, good evening everyone. So the rules are in 20-3.6 subsection S accessory storage of
recreational vehicles. The vehicles are defined for what they are and essentially they're storage regulations and none of them can be used for an abode or dwelling place while parked within the city. It cannot be used as a temporary living quarter. It may be
parked on site subject to certain conditions which are laid out in the code. Only one per site. Um it has to be within certain setback areas in the rear and on the side. and it has to be maintained in a clean clean condition.
Most importantly, subsection seven of those conditions, the RV shall not be used for living or sleeping quarters or for housekeeping or storage purposes and shall not have attached any service connections except as periodically required to maintain the RV and
appliances thereon. And there's certain other limitations, but essentially the code allows for storage of the RV with these conditions that are that are laid out. Colleagues, any questions about the current rules? No. Okay. You've got questions? No. No. Okay.
Good. Sorry. All good on this side. Great. Okay. Sir, you're recognized if you want to go ahead and make some comments. Okay. So, the reason that I bring this up as a discussion item is, you know, recently we've, you know, it's come to our attention that, you know,
there there are neighbors that are having RVs um in their backyards and there are neighbors that don't appreciate having to see the RVs from their house. Understandably, the the problem begins
when the RV is hard to monitor whether it's being lived in or not because obviously our code enforcement does not work at night. So, if during the day nobody's in the RV and at night there's someone sleeping there, obviously it becomes an issue.
So, I wanted to bring this up as a discussion item because I don't think I don't believe that it's something that anybody would want to see from from their backyard to have, you know, an RV. Plus, there are
people that probably do it for good reasons, but then, as you know, there's probably other people that can use it for the wrong reasons. renting out the RV and having people living in that back in that RV when you're not supposed to. So, I bring this up as a discussion item
to discuss amongst the commission whether do we want RVs or maybe we find a happy medium where basically if you want to have an RV in your backyard, you would have to pull a permit. That permit would be for a
certain time frame. Why? because that gives the person if they're using the RV for if they're doing an addition or they have a family member that's that's living with them for a little bit, they can use the RV and then for the other resident that has to see it in their
backyard, we'll understand that there's a time frame that it's not going to be there indefinitely. So that can be an option where you pull a permit and then you're could be limited to certain amount of times where you can either extend it or pull a new permit because
the way around it would be you permit expires or your permit's over and you just pull another one and then pull another one and then pull another one and it never ends. So you would be limited to a certain amount of time and how many times you can pull that that permit is a suggestion that I have but I
wanted to discuss it amongst the the commission and see how how you all felt. Colleagues, who wants to go next? You you absolutely recognize Commissioner Bonich. Thank you. Um first I want to tell you something that actually happened to my sister. My
sister lives in unincorporated Dade and she had her camper on the side of her She had had it there forever. When she did her driveway, the county came and said, "By the way, you can't have that there. You have to do this. You have to." At the end of the day, come to
learn that the county is actually cracking down on any of these in any property because of exactly what Commissioner Rodriguez just said, the economy obviously not great. People are using these to live in. I don't think that that's something that
we should be having in our city. I don't if it was my next door neighbor, I would not be happy having an RV that I can see from my backyard. I I think we're doing so many things to push us toward the direction of having a more beautiful
city, having something, you know, a city of pleasant living has to be pleasant in the front yard and in the backyard and for the neighbors all around you. And I think that when you have an RV in your backyard, that's not pleasant for anybody except maybe the person owns it.
There's there are places where you can store these and I don't think that our backyards should be one of them. Further comments, Commissioner Kayak, Vice Mayor, who wants to go next. So, I come from a family that has RVs. So, I'm
on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. So, my family, they have their RVs in the back. Um, they use them. My parents are currently traveling North America right now in an RV, right? They're in Toronto. say hi to my parents. Um, we've also had this problem before when
we talked about boats. Correct. Right. So, we left the boats not in the front, but we left them in the back for storage. I come from the agreement that if you want to have a toy and you want to put it on your house, it's okay, right? That's what that's why we live here, right? Because we have the
abilities to have boats. We have the abilities to have RVs or whatever toys that we want. It's in your backyard. It's enclosed. So, I'm on the opposite side of it. So, I'm okay the way the the the legislation's been written. I'm not a big fan of changing it, but that's just my opinion and that's where I come
from. So, I can't be hypocritical about it because we do it in our family. So, that's that's my point. Mr. Vice Mayor, you want to say something? Sure. Yeah. I think uh similar to Commissioner Kai, as a matter of principle, I would say that like having it in the backyard does seem like something that people should have
as a right. I do think that it does make sense to regulate them, at least similar to how we do with boats. From an aesthetic point of view, I do get that they're very difficult to regulate to know if somebody's living there. Obviously, we could catch it if somebody was potentially advertising it as a rental on an Airbnb site or something
like that. Uh hopefully we would potentially be able to find it, but yes, it is very difficult to regulate, but I think I would be uncomfortable uh saying that you couldn't have something like that in your backyard. I do think that it would might make sense to regulate it very similar to how we do
with boats from an aesthetics point of view, though. Okay. So, my two cents, um, appreciate the suggestion regarding allowing people to permit living there, but I think that opens up Pandora's box, although it's from a very place of good intentions. I I like the rule that we
have that doesn't allow people to use it for uh, living at all. Um, I'm not an RV guy. Uh, I have a little slightly different perspective on this, which is, and I've shared it with a couple of the neighbors who've called me about it. I I get concerned when we go to ban things that we're inviting Tallahassee to come
in and preempt us, right, which is something they've been doing with a lot of regularity. And RVs, while I'm not a fan, Commissioner Guy's family is, they're very popular across the state. And so I just be careful we don't invite, you know, u industry to go to
the legislature as they do and say, you know, don't allow jurisdictions to put reasonable rules around around where these things can be stored, right? I think from a consistency perspective, we should begin at least treating this like it's a boat should not be in the front
yard. I think the screening standards that we have are probably a little bit too lax because these things are a little bit taller than the average boat. So, I would say um right now I think they're required to have a sixoot wall uh or fence probably if we should require landscaping of at least 10 feet
so it mass the majority of the RV a hedge or something in the rear yard where it can be stored. Uh I think we should start by requiring them to be registered, right? We talked about the difficulty in enforcing whether people are living there, part of that is we don't know where they are. So I think uh as a matter of course if you have a toy
in your backyard or your front yard or wherever we allow it, we should require you to register it so we can actually give code enforcement a list and they can on occasion spot check these locations unannounced and make sure that you know people aren't using these. You know, a boat can have a a boat can have
a cabin that could be lived in as well that's connected to power. Uh and so I think you know it allows it it lends itself to the same kind of abuse. Um I certainly think in the one case that we've all been made aware of to me very obvious if the RV is open side panels are extended it's being used for living.
I think primapacia that should be in our code an indicator there should be a uh Tony help me here. Uh legal standard what's the it should be a precedent not a precedent. It should be um Gosh I was trying to beat you guys illegally. Should be a rebuttable presumption. that
if if the RV is open and not closed, right, that it's being used for living and it's on the burden become the burden's on the property owner to to rebut that presumption. So, I think that would might be one way to strengthen our standard so that it's on the property owner then if they're if it's open, you
know, which should indicate that it's being used for living and not just being stored on the property, uh that they've got to present evidence to the contrary. Otherwise, it's it's it's a violation. Yes, ma'am. If we're going to do this, then I think in fairness, we need to say they cannot
emit noise because my s my sister ended up literally having to get rid of her. They cannot admit they should not be able to admit noise or run the air conditioning other than for, you know, five minutes for maintenance, right? Which they need to just kind of keep the systems running. But it should not be a condition where the the the whether it's trailer or motorized
recreational vehicle should not be running, right? Simply all we're doing is allowing storage. Um, and you know, we can take it we can take it a step further. I would say given the lesson we all learned from the boat conversation, if we want to move towards banning it. I wouldn't say we do it right away. I say
we give the owners that have them today the same protections we gave boat owners, which is we've allowed here for generations, people to store boats in their front yards. We grandfathered those people in. And I don't I don't think I've ever seen an RV in the front yard here. I I I have. I just I saw one recently driving around the city this
weekend. Right. Uh there's one that's visible to the street on the neighbor's property in my area of South Miami. Um I saw another condition near the one that we all got an email about that frankly was more concerning to me than the one we got the email about frankly. So I
reported to code enforcement. Um I I would say we should think about if we're going to move towards you know it being a more pleasant condition to use our language. Um, if we're going to go that far, we should give people that own one, are the registered owner of the house and the vehicle the chance to continue
to own it for the duration of their time that they own the home as we did with boats. I mean, with boats, we've allowed people to keep them in their backyard. So, we are treating toys, to use Commissioner Ga's term, slightly differently here. Um, again, it's a policy decision on the part of this
board. I, you know, I asked the deputy manager for what our violation history is on these issues. We've had five violations that we've identified um in the last three years. Four were kind of proactive on our part. One was reactive.
One actually got to the notice of violation stage. So I would tell you we're not in the situation that Halia found itself in recently where the people were actually living rampantly in RVs and backyards for all the reasons you mentioned because of the rising cost of housing. I don't know that our situation rises the level where we
banned them and highlighted the opposite. they legalized all the illegal units that they had as a kind of the to strike a balance in the market there. But um my suggestion was that we should definitely start with registration so that we know we know where they are and then we can go from from there and
certainly I would say registration enhanced screening would be the two things I'd like to see in the short term if you want to give a staff that direction. So so commission Rodriguez. Yeah, I'll go back around the horn. So through the mayor um so pulling a permit actually is a form of registration. So if someone pulls a permit for it, they
know we know that it's there. Yeah. I just don't want to pull a permit so they can live there. So that's that's why I was disagreeing with the reason I'm saying live there. And the reason I'm giving this option or I suggested this option is because there are people as the current one that we know that needs
it temporarily as it was mentioned. There are other people who do additions to their homes that can't afford another apartment or another house. So they and there is someone in the city who lives in a RV in their backyard. That's why I
said it. We limit the time frame. So it's it's a finite time that they're allowed to have it and only have it for and only be able to do that a certain amount of times. That that's the reason I said the permit. I'm I'm I'm okay with the registration, but there are people
that might need it for other reasons than just And then you do get the special uh instances like we had on 64th that the guy had four RVs and he was renting them out to four different people and he had basically a trailer park in his backyard in his backyard and
that's what we're trying to avoid because I don't think any other residents in our city would appreciate that. So the permit just lets us know that it's there. We know what they're using it for and at the end of the day it gets inspected by by our by our building department to make sure that
it's up to code and it's only for a finite time. The person who has it knows that it's limited and the neighbor also knows that it's limited, not there for you. Say it's got to be it's got to be you can only you can only get the use authorized if it's in in conjunction
with a building permit for the remodeling of the principal residence for that. Yeah, that that could be one. Yeah. Okay. Thoughts on that, colleagues? So, mayor. Yes, sir. You're recognized. Um,
currently, uh, and Tony, maybe you can help me with this. Do we currently have the boats being registered if it's in their backyard? I don't think so. Right. We do not. No. Right. So, it's only for front yard, but I'm using the model the same. I If it's We can do it with boats, we can do with RVs in the back. So, you
don't need a permit. You don't need a register. I think the only the only reason I would suggest there's a difference is that it this this particular toy lends itself more easily for people to live in it than both. Yeah. Right. And our code already states you cannot live in it. So if they're violating code, they're they're liable
to get, you know, a fine. No, I understand, but I think it's also harder for Look, I I want to be practical in what we do. I think if if code enforcement has a list, right, and there's 12 of these registered across the city, code enforcement once every couple weeks can do spot checks of those
addresses and just see whether, you know, those recreational vehicles are being misused. That's that's the only reason I suggest the registration, you know, um but you know, that's whatever the preference of the board is. Mayor, I just struggle with that because I mean, if we have that and we have a consistent government is consistently going in
there and doing checks on it and you have you have a that is in need of it. The the neighbors don't really care if they have an RV in there, right? Why why is it up to us to go decide if it's liable or not? Like the neighbors can go
work on it. If it doesn't bother the neighbors, why should it bother us, right? If if if a family needs it for a couple of months and they're living on it, why why does that matter for us? I I don't think we should intervene in that. That's what that's my opinion. Okay. Yes, sir. Wait, let's go back around,
Vice Mayor, and I'll get you to close. I I think I'm very clear. I actually like your suggestions, Mr. Mayor, because it lends itself to some form of not only personal responsibility, but
responsibility towards your neighbors. It you we are supposing that you are a good neighbor and not everybody is. And so if we have guard rails for this, I think it it helps us be
better. And so I if it was up to me, you all know how I feel about them. Not having that then having what you are suggesting is a good idea in conjunction with having something that goes higher things that you can't see and having it
where you don't turn it on you know because unless it's for maintenance exactly unless it's for maintenance that you don't have it on special instance like you're saying when you're building your house I just wanted to say for in this particular instance I am also in support of the registration
just because to to what was already previously mentioned. This is a situation that even if the neighbors aren't reporting, it could multiply and multiply and multiply under conditions that that that are currently existing. Okay. Okay. Commissioner Rodriguez, I'll
let you close. No, I I I just wanted to say that um you know um just to answer uh Commissioner Kas for a RV, you can have a very little RV and live in it. You need a ve you need a pretty good sized boat to be able
to live in it. I mean, you need to get up to a a 30 foot, you know, 36 foot boat to to live in it. And even then, that's very very very small quarters where if you get a 10-ft trailer, you can you can have a kitchen, you can have
a bathroom, you can have everything in in that. So, I just wanted to clarify that. And there are people there are neighbors complaining, you know. So you said why should we get involved and no neighbors are complaining. The whole issue this came up is because there are
concerned um residents about this issue and I'm just try I'm we're hoping that we can come to a solution where you know we don't just completely ignore one side or the other but try to come up with something that you know helps both sides
but also doesn't leave it there permanently. That's that's really all I a registration. I'm I'm good with the registration because at least we know it's there. So I I I I would I think if there's consensus, I'd like to give the city attorney direction to bring back a
revision to this code section. This requires any owner that has an RV to register it with the city at no cost, just so we know where it is. And I would I think the one the one standard in the code I'd like to modify is the screening, which I think to right now
it's too low. It's like less than half the size of the maximum height of the unit. I would say maybe landscaping that's at least 10 ft tall on the edge is where the the setback closest to where it's going to be screened or the two setbacks closest to where it's going to be located on the lot so that the
abuing neighbors have some visual protection from from the storage of the uh recreational vehicle. Those would be my two suggestions. I'm open to any others. Yes, sir. Did you also want to grandfather in the ones that are currently Well, I think I would only do that if we're going to move to to ban
them in any particular location. Right now, they're only allowed in the rear yard, which is consistent with where we allow our boats. So, I mean, if we're going to go to I thought I heard Commissioner Mon say maybe that we should not allow them at all to be stored on on properties. I would say if we're going to do that, then we should give the current owners the ability to
keep it. But if if title changes to either the RV or the property, it's inconsistent with either one. as with the boats, you'd lose the right to keep it there. Um, I I would say let's take into steps. I don't think we have we have a condition obviously that we're all aware of. We should try to course
correct for it. I really don't want to overregulate in the space for all the reasons I mentioned because we might invite people to come in and say and take away that authority. Um, I think if the registration and the landscaping don't get us further into a posture of compliance and we keep we see a
proliferation of the issue, more people buying RVs to basically rent them in their backyards or to use them as, you know, additional living space, then we can take further steps. That that's my suggestion. So, any further add-ons or what are we doing with that direction? I'm I'm okay with that direction. I just
also want to mention that you know when we to regulate it that means that our code enforcement would have to go out there at night or very early in the morning I guess would be so just keep that in mind that the the regulations regulating part of this is difficult.
Yeah, I would I would say though that if we and I would I think I mentioned this, right? We should have a rebuttable presumption in the standard that you bring forward like to include that where because you know, Commissioner Rodriguez, one of the things that's obvious, the circumstance we're all aware of is when you look at the RV,
it's open. So the sides, right, this not every time, but if you're typically living in it, you're going to you're going to open it up. You're not going to keep it collapsed like it would be when you're driving. So I think that should be a an assumption that it's being used improperly, right? And you put the burden on the property owner so
that happens less frequently. And again, it's not this not only empowers our code enforcement, but any neighbor as was the case with Stunner for those of us who were on the board at the time can send us video of what's happening after hours to document the condition and with that we can bring forward a code enforcement
action. So I if I'm misspeaking, madam city attorney, Mr. City attorney, please let me know. But I think that should give us more tools to help clamp down the problem and not have to necessarily be enforcing overnight. Okay. So with that I would say direction three three things
registration uh requiring a landscape landscaping hedge of 10 ft and then uh yes sir I'm sorry I'm uh through the mayor instead of limited 10 feet can we just put full coverage? Is that the is that the posture of the
board? I'm I'm because let's say 10 feet and you still see the RV. I mean, what's the purpose of the 10 feet? Might as well just do full coverage. So, so require some kind of hedge material, a hedge material that would fully cover the RV at at minimum.
Remember, I only sgest trying to think of the sight line from a neighbor's, you know, sideyard or rear yard. They're not necessarily going to be, you know, if you're standing right up against up against the property line, you're probably not going to see over the edge at 10 feet up. You never know. Yeah. I
mean, let's work on the standard. Let's just fully screen it and then we'll we can discuss it when we uh bring it back on first reading. Okay. Right. Okay. Okay. Let's move on. So, uh thank you for that. We will bring up
um let's go to item five, please. Item five, an ordinance of the mayor and city commissioner of the city of South Miami, Florida amending the zoning map of the city of South Miami to change the zoning district of the property located at 6540 Manane from duplex residential
RT6 to townhouse residential RT18. Great. Mr. City attorney, this is a quasi judicial matter. Do you need to give any warnings? Thank you, mayor. Uh application number five on uh this evening's agenda is quasi judicial in nature. The clerk has read the title of the resolution um which before the
public hearing which will start shortly. The public hearing will include presentations by staff and the applicant in public comment. The commission may ask any questions either before or after public comment is closed. Following public comment, the commission may deliberate on the item. The quasi judicial procedures require this commission to consider the evidence presented to it and base your decision
on the applicable law and primarily on the evidence presented whether by the applicant, staff, or members of the public. Uh, this is the first of two readings of of an ordinance to consider the applicant's request to reszone the property. The criteria to consider is in section 20-5.7 and in general law, which requires the proposed zoning be
consistent with the comprehensive plan and compatible with the surrounding area. The evidence considered must be substantial competent evidence. That means testimony or other evidence based on personal observation or relevant expert testimony that a reasonable mind would accept as adequate to support a conclusion. It is not a popularity contest. cannot be based solely on
non-expert opinions, no matter how fervent those opinions might be. Anyone who seeks to speak on an item should be given an opportunity to speak during the public comment portion for the hearing. If you intend to provide testimony as to the application, u you will be sworn in before your testimony is taken. We'll do that shortly. Please know if you speak,
you may be subject to cross-examination. If you refuse either to be cross-examined or to be sworn, your testimony will be considered in that context and given its due date. The general public will not be permitted to cross-examine witnesses, but the public may request the commission to direct questions on their behalf to either staff or the applicant. At this time,
anyone who wishes to speak should be sworn in. I I'd ask that you please stand and raise your right hands if you plan on speaking. Mr. Trouy, I'm going to Thank you. Do you I think that's everyone that's registered. That's everybody. Okay. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth? Thank you, Madam Clerk, please confirm compliance with the advertising and notice requirements for tonight's hearing. Yes. Thank you, Madam Clerk. And then, uh, last thing, uh, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners, have any of you had any exparte communications with the applicant or any members of the
public on this item just with staff? I have not. Everyone else said, no, I I spoke to one of them earlier before the meeting to one of the the the residents. Yeah. Got it. Okay. Thank you. About about the application. Yes. Thank you. Thank you for that
disclosure. All right. Okay. Thank you. Uh staff, who's making the presentation, Mr. Manager, good evening again. If I could just ask you to um for purpose of the presentation, unless we want to start from the beginning, can we focus on the modifications since the
last time we saw this a month ago? and um yeah, that would be helpful. Thank you. Okay, no problem. Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, and commissioners. My name is Craig Pinder, senior planner with Calvin Geo and Associates consultant for the city. So, as we know,
this item was heard um last month on April 1st, and the applicant has made some changes to the site plan, and we are going to um speak about that a little bit today. Um the item before you is to resume the property from duplex residential RT6 to townhouse townhouse
residential RT18. So some of the changes that the applicant made first of all the applicant reduced the total number of units from six units to a total of five units. Another change that was made each unit now has its own parking garage and
each parking garage will be able to house two vehicles. Um, another change that the applicant made to the site plan is that there are no on street parking spaces proposed any longer. And a big one that I think the applicant proposed is to split the mass of the building
into two separate buildings which helps to reduce the visual scale or visual appearance of the building. Those are the main changes to the application. The reasoning is still in is still consistent with the city's code and
staff still recommends approval by the city commission. If you have any questions, staff is available. Colleagues, any questions on the site plan and the application? Shakaya? No.
Are you sure? Okay. Mayor, if I could add one thing, please. I've distributed uh copies of the covenant that the uh applicant has submitted. uh to try to address some of the concerns that were raised last time. Um he has limited the proposed height of
the town homes to two stories or 35 ft from finished grade. Uh he will provide a minimum of two parking spaces um on site it whether in garage or open air parking spaces. He's limited the the number of units to five town home units.
Attorney on on on 2.2 which is the garage. Yes. I just want to make sure I'm understanding what I saw in the package. Yes, the garage spaces are all designed to be undercover. Correct. The garage spaces are so that that's but there it's
two it's two spaces in each garage. Am I No, he has he has I believe it's one space per garage and the applicant is here to address it. Okay. Okay. Mr. Fond, do you want to do you want to answer that question for the mayor? Let's let's do this. Let's let's we'll let you summarize and we'll bring you up
to make a presentation. and you can clarify these issues for us. All right. Okay. So, uh the so he's limiting the the number of units to five town home units based on the plans that you have there. Um uh he if the units developed are rented, the rental agreements will cannot be for
a period of less than 30 days and any new trees uh any new trees that are required to mitigate the removal of the existing trees on site and which cannot be accommodated on the property will be planted on either city land to be agreed upon or the or the underlying property. Okay. Those are the commitments he's
made. Okay. And Mr. Attorney, in terms of the enforcement rights under the declaration, they're in favor of the city. And in the case of dispute, do we get our cost recovered or how does how does that work? At this point,
at this point, there's no provision for for fee shifting. Um, we can incorporate that before second reading. Okay. I think we should. Okay. To the mayor. Yes, sir. What's your thought process on that? Why why do you want to do some shift? Because I don't want to have to bear the cost to enforce the covenant if
there's a violation of it. And the covenants for what again? And we prevail. What? What's the covenant? The covenant is to uh so that we're not we're not providing the way I read this. The covenant is in favor of the city. So they're profering it to us. Right. That's right. And so we're the only party that can bring an action to
enforce it. I do not want costs, right, to be an impediment to this board or a future board to bring an enforcement action to make sure that any of the representations made by the applicant are adhered to. So, it's it's silent on that point, I think, as I
looked at this quickly. Yeah. And I just want to be expressed that if there is an alleged violation and we bring forward an action to enforce a covenant that the ultimately the owner of the property is going to be burdened with uh reimbursing us for our costs. That's why I asked for it. Any
objection to it? No. Okay. Okay. Uh Mr. Pender, thank you for the for the clarification on the changes. We'll recognize the applicant and we'll open up a public hearing. Okay. Good evening, mayor, commissioners, and staff. Javier font, so many line um so
many underline a 4533 constantly on boulevard and thank you for the opportunity. Um I won't go through um Mr. Font, I just I I would appreciate in your presentation if you I'm just want to keep get us to the issues um summary of what the changes were and if you can
share with us what the what the comments you heard from neighbors. I know you had I believe you when you left here the intention was to have conversations. Correct. Understand what was discussed. What you gathered from those conversations and how it may be reflected into the changes that you
incorporated. Okay. I I I met with um the couple that lived right across the street. I met with her on site and walked the site. I was not able to be with the second person who spoke. Um I did speak to him prior to the meeting. Kind of showed them the changes. Uh but the the biggest move I think was uh if
you remember we had one building with six units and the entry to the entry and exit from the driveway was actually on the left hand side of the plan that you're looking at sort of parallel to the property next to us. And so right where town where townhouse one is
depicted. Correct. Correct. And there was concern that that was coming out into the corner. And although we had um some discussions about lights not shining into the neighbors when we're coming in, we were shining lights into the neighbors when we were coming out.
So what we decided to do was obviously reduce one unit to five. U take the three-unit building and split the building in two. So we took the three-unit building, put it on the hard corner, which is a little bit busier. We took the two unit building and faced it towards the neighbors across the street.
Got rid of that driveway. So it it made it a lot more pleasant for them to look across the street and not see cars coming in and out. And we did put the driveway in the center where it comes out directly into the office building in front of us. So I think that that was the biggest move. Obviously, as as you
guys have heard, two stories, 35 foot max. Um the the entry drive move, no parking in the swale area in the front. all the parking in the back. We do have two cars per or a double car garage per unit. So, we want to make sure we have plenty of
parking back there. Um and once and we've agreed that um because there are some trees on the site. It's there's some that are actually on the other line, some on our site, the the large Royal Palm that's back there we hear is in pretty bad shape. Um, so what we've decided is any trees that we have to
mitigate for, if we can't fit them on site or we can't move them off site, we will plant those trees either in the underline in the in the swale area in the front or somewhere else that the city would want us to plant them. And then the last concession that we made was no short-term rentals, no Airbnb or
anything like that. So nothing under 30 days uh rent them. Okay, colleagues, any questions or comments? Yeah. Yes, sir. You're recognized. Thank you, Mr. F. Can you speak a little bit about the current tree disposition plan? Like what what is it that's there now? Uh any impressive
folks or any I I would I would I I specifically would like to know there's about four mango trees that are along the front that at least a couple of them from this plan will get lost. So if they're they're removed, those are the ones I'm interested in understanding how they're going to be relocated on the
site or preserved. So if they can be. Absolutely. I I I don't know if we can fit them on the site or not, but there are mango trees that would have to be removed. Um so so the site basically has um mango trees. I think there's one
avocado tree. There's two um Royal Point Siennas. One of them which is on our property, one of them which is just outside our property on the underlying property. Um there there are some palms uh thatch palms I think that aren't worth much. There are two royals on the
property that are huge. Um, and those probably a hazard. Honestly, I haven't had one problem, so they should be removed. And then the one tree that is I think an oak is actually on our neighbor's properties. It's not on ours. Um, and it was it is on the side of the
property where the driveway used to be in and and where we have a landscape area now. So, um, but yes, obviously because we're moving or we're building the town homes on the street and those mangoes and that avocado tree or alongside the street, those are going to
be removed or well either replace them somewhere or we'll mitigate for them. Happy to plant some mango trees wherever you guys would would want. So, um I mean we want to do a heavy landscape plan. We want to do something nice obviously but for ourselves in that corner uh because
it is a busy corner. Uh but we just haven't gotten to that point yet. So, but the one specimen tree, if you will, that that's out there is the Royal Point Sienna um that sits on our yard. Uh we have had an arburst look at it. He said it's not in great shape. Um but our
landscape architect is talking to the underlying to maybe move it onto the underlying next to the other one that's there. But we we'll do you know whatever is right to be done. Mr. Gay for the comments. Mr. Rodriguez, you're recognized. Um hello Mr. H. Um
where do you do about guest parking? So we don't have any guest parking right now. We're going to assume that they'll park either on the swale across the street, but you know that that was one of the things that the city had talked about. Um so and they may be able to park behind some of the town homes
there. So further comments vice mayor, I'm sorry, Mr. Vice Mayor, Madam Commissioner, nothing. Sorry. Thank you. Um I I just a couple comments. I think you know again I I don't know how much this was informed by conversation with the neighbors, but I
certainly prefer this disposition sub substantially an enhancement over the last iteration. Um I'm very interested to see how we can preserve those are very mature seem to be very healthy mang mango and avocado trees. I mean, I think after the storm
this weekend was driving down and ran across the manager. We had a ficus tree fall on Manor Lane and there people out on the lot actually picking up, you know, you know, fresh fruit that had just fallen off the tree over the weekend. So, um, if those can be either
you can keep them on the lot in the open area at the at the I guess it's the souththeast corner of the lot if my directions off or or we can relocate them somewhere else in the city. That would be my preference. I I I think we
should work on the language in 25. The last option should be any sort of cash payment mitigation. That's um the least desirable outcome from my perspective. So we can work with we can work on modifying your profer in 2.5 and maybe get you some suggested language.
Um, I wanted to ask you in terms of the drive aisle, which I think is a very elegant way to push any traffic towards a commercial use, uh, as opposed to into the neighborhood. Um, is that going to be access controlled? Is it going to be
open? What's the It's open right now. We We're not assuming access control because obviously we don't want to back up on the street. So, we're not assuming. So, yeah, I think I think if that's open, it's a preferable condition as well. on that. I think I am concerned about guest parking. We're probably going to need we do need to come up with
a solution for at least a handful of spaces. Uh maybe one per one per unit and maybe if we can do that in the back. I I would like to preserve as much of the open area as possible. I don't know what the clearances are. It looks like you got a 20 foot drive. So probably not deep enough there to you probably have
to you'll probably have to eat into that open area to to do that. But in the next iteration on second reading, if you can think about a solution for some guest parking, I do not that that swell condition with the office building notwithstanding, it's a wonderful owner. It's like a suboptimal condition for the
neighborhood today and I don't want to compound it further by not planning for some level of guest parking for the units on site. So, um, would appreciate your continuing to work on that. Well, we'll try. I don't think we can get five and I don't think any code would call
for one per but no but if we get try and get see what we can do on shoot shoot for shoot for the moon from my perspective so okay uh colleagues further comments okay thank you for your presentation we're going to open up the public hearing I had two folks who had registered Mr. Lopez you want to come
forward at this time you're recognized followed by Mr. Trouy and then anyone else who'd like to come up and speak, please just line up behind the podium here. Good evening, sir. Hello, my name is Jason Lopez. I live at 7730 Southwest 65 Place. I would like to point out that
I did have the benefit of speaking with them just minutes before this started. And I did speak to Danny Rodriguez just minutes before this started where he informed me that he had spoken to many neighbors that were in support of this,
which he did not the city attorney at the time that he showed up. So, I'm a little frustrated right now. I feel intimidated by the commission to a degree. I realize that's neither here nor there. Um, let's talk about the trees. Moving
those trees is a farce. Let's be real. They're not going to be taken care of and saved and properly moved. Uh, they do stand as as an a very enjoyable entrance to our
neighborhood where they are. If you look at this plan, the easiest way to save the entrance to our neighborhood is to a make it four units and not five and to move those buildings back where there's no trees because right now they're choosing to build these buildings where
the trees are. I will say you are correct that the Royal Palm is dangerous, but it is not unhealthy. It is one of the healthiest royal palms in Miami. And the delonics reio the royal poinsi is also a very healthy tree. So when you're when they're just like, "Oh,
they're just mangoes. Oh, they're unhealthy trees." It's because it is not in their best interest to take care of them. It is not in their best interest to take care of the entrance to our neighborhood. They would rather point at sending the trees to the underline. Has
anyone discussed that the underline is a native plant garden? is going to accept the mango trees. It's hogwash. He's lying. It does. That's not accurate. So, the easiest way for this project not to affect the neighborhood and to protect
the integrity of our tree canopy and our cultural history of this neighborhood is to change that plan. It's not to reszone it to six units. That is not the way to do this. The other thing worth pointing out is that these units are going to be
rented out. You guys about adding space for families in South Miami. Yes. Okay. Wow. 30-day rentals. What does that mean? That means we get a new family every 30 days. They're going to contribute to the integrity of the city of Pleasant Living. No, we we were
I think what they're trying to do with that restriction is respond to a concern about not authorizing short-term rentals. I respect that. But but it would be a lot better if this if this that was going on that was changing the neighborhood was an opportunity for five different families to invest in South Miami, not for and developer to make
money off of rental units while changing the character of the neighborhood. And so you guys have the opportunity to control what's going on here. I realize that we need to move forward. I realize that we need construction. We need to bring more people in, but this is still
a greedy plan. This is still asking for too much. And it is not taking into account what is actually in the neighborhood. It's taking into account their bank accounts and how much money they can make and what they can sell. So, I ask you guys, please don't push
this forward. Make them come back to you and make the plan better. Actually go to the site. Speak to the residents. I wasn't spoken with. I've been the most vocal person about this. They did not reach out to me. So, I feel that the
responsibility is on you guys to protect our neighborhood. I realize that we have to move forward, but we don't have to move forward with this plan. So, please consider. Thank you, sir. Appreciate the comments. Mr. Trouy, good evening. Good evening, everybody. Um, um, this first
I've heard Jason Lopez talk, but I'm in total agreement with Sorry, sir. Please, please state your name and address for the record. Christopher Trouy. Thank you. And address your address as well. Um, 7740 Southwest 65th Place. Thank you. Okay. I'm in total agreement of
what Jason Lopez just said. Uh as a resident of this city and a coach and a teacher at Sunset Elementary for 25 years and I've taught 1,200 kids through
there with sports and teaching them about pleasant living as we call it here. Teach them to be good neighbors. Keep teaching them just to be good people. I'm not saying these guys are bad people. I wouldn't I wouldn't go that
far. But greedy is a good word. We don't want I know I'm late to the party, but No, you guys are not late to the party. Just to be clear, please take into consideration what you're doing here. We're talking about
putting apartment buildings on a corner that is one of the busiest. Have you guys ever been there in the morning? I mean, that's the way I go to work every morning. Tom Thumb to 80th, I mean to US1 is so backed up every morning and I have kids on one side that go to school
to at South Miami. I have kids that go down school uh school down south and I have to go to work. You can't leave. I mean, you're really stuck in there for a good 20 minutes before you can even get out on the 80th already. And now we're going to put six more twocar units. Is
that what I heard? It's five. five more units with two cars. So, potentially 10 10 more people right there in that little really rough area of of parking and I mean of traffic and now parking sounds like too. So, I'm not going to
take a lot of your time. No one spoke to me or anybody that I know of around my neighborhood. And I I really wish somebody would have talked to us about this. I know we got a few things in the mail here and there, but if if this gentleman is saying he spoke to anybody,
I'd like to know who he spoke to. I'd like to know which resident said, "Yeah, go ahead." Because I don't I don't I don't believe that. So, anyways, that's what I'm trying to say. Um, I just think this is uh Yeah, please consider everything that's going on here. And
it's not for us, you know, it's for all the little kids in the neighborhood. Traffic already down Manor Lane is horrible coming through. People cutting through all the time and in the morning and the afternoon. And I got two kids. They've been almost hit by cars so many
times. I can't, you know, I can't tell you. I'm just letting you know. It's it's it's a bad area already. So, traffic wise, I don't mean a bad area. I love I love South Miami, but that's where I'm going with all this. All right. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Appreciate the comments. Uh, is there
anyone else who like to address this commission on please come forward and again your name and address for the record, please. August 6515 Southwest 78 Terrace. Uh, this is the second time I've spoken in front of you. It was in April where this
was not um up on the docket, but I have to echo both of their concerns in addition to the traffic. It For some reason within the last few months, I don't know if it's the buildings that are going up around the
area, it has just been a cluster of trying to get out of South Miami. And I have to say, it's not 20 minutes. It could be an hour. So, I just have to echo both of what they're saying and what's happening in our neighborhood. And we're all very close living around
in the area. Um, and there's just tons of violations. South Miami police isn't present. Rights on reds on the streets that are not permitted. I physically see every morning within 20 minutes when I'm walking my dogs 10
violations. So again, just want you to consider that and maybe come out and see what's happening in the area. Thank you for your comments. Anyone else would like to address this commission? Good evening. My name is Nancy Edwards. I live at
7561 Southwest 65th Place. I've been a resident of South Miami since 1961. And to put that into our neighborhood would be absolutely criminal because you would
be destroying the mango trees. I remember when I moved into the neighborhood in 1961, there was a single home there and um you're just making city of South Miami a concrete slab. You're taking
away all the natural foliage and it's it's really a crime and I really do feel it's greedy. It's very greedy. and what you did on 80th with all of those town houses all the way down and the traffic in the morning. We we didn't approve
those ma'am. Those are incorporated county just to be clear. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. No, it's fine. We We It's fine. We get It's I just want to So everyone is clear, you know. Yes. And I and and I you weren't here either, but just to kind of set the posture, we did defer this item for a full meeting. Yes. With the purpose they can have more
conversation and evolve the plan. And I think we're hearing that that needs to continue. uh we'll decide whether we give them an affirmative vote today to move forward that and so everyone's clear today's the preliminary vote the final vote would happen next month so there's still again Mr. Trib said you're late to the party. I want you to
understand you're right on time for the party. Right. Okay. And I and I'm in total agree agreement. By the way, we can give her her time back. I'm sorry. I interrupted her. And if you can give her back at 30 seconds I stole from her, I'd appreciate it. I'm in a total agreeance
uh agreement to um Nick Trouy and uh Jason Lopez and Lisa. U because that traffic on that corner, you need to go there in the mornings and watch the traffic. going to South Miami Hospital
down Manor Lane and then coming back in the afternoons. The traffic is horrendous and then they're cutting through the streets to get to where they want to go and they're just using it like a raceway. And that corner on Manor
Lane and and 80th, it's it's horrendous. You need to go there and experience it during the uh the hours. As a matter of fact, all through the uh day Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so nervous. Take your time. There's nothing to be nervous
about here. But, uh, in the mornings and in the afternoons, at lunchtime, and when everybody's getting off from work, it's it's really hazardous and people are rude. You know, the city of Miami, they're rude drivers here, and they're
disrespectful. So, go there, experience it, and you'll see what we're talking about in this lazy, beautiful land of pleasant living. in South Miami which uh we're losing we're losing because of uh such
development and taking away the the canopy of our neighborhood. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Good evening. Good evening 6492 Manor Lane. I lived five houses down from the property. Um I don't really have an opposition to the units.
My opposition again like my fellow residents is those are beautiful trees. There is no moving those around. They're just going to be killed off if they try to get moved. Secondly, the driveway, while it solves the problem for the neighbor on the corner, they're not showing the entire scope of how that
intersection works. You come off of a curb that then is a turn. It's a really awkward corner. And without showing the rest of it, that leads right out into the other street that's coming in from 67. I foresee a lot of accidents if you put it there. I'm sorry. Can can you can
you clarify because I'm I'm looking at the geometry with with an with an aerial right. Well, it's not on here. I thought I just to again I just since I had the chance to have a conversation with a neighbor. We can't do that without having to disclose it in uh outside the
setting. I the prior condition was where townhouse one was. If you can see on the drawing now I I thought the prior condition probably lent itself more to the condition you're concerned about about a conflict at the intersection. I never saw the original rendering and I'm not speaking as to one's better than the other. I'm just saying that that center
spot has a lot of blind spots for everybody coming around the curb when people are coming out. It's it's just a really hot intersection because it's I'm just saying it's not represented in this picture what's going on there. So, it's hard to understand and so that's just a concern for me. Okay. It's current placement. Biggest thing is the trees
and I was unaware of that they were being presented as rental properties um more so than being sold as town homes. there. I don't think I don't think the applicants made any representation as to what they're I I don't recall. I see a finger wagging in the background. I only say because it's been brought up in that
special of 30 days and whatnot, which I didn't know why we're because we just so you can understand uh in the profer which they have to volunteer. We're not allowed to regulate short-term rentals any longer by mandate of Tallahassee.
So, from my perspective, that's a very valuable profer. The applicant's giving, saying they're not going to do Airbnb for if they do it, it's got to be for more than 30 days. Were they keeping the property to have it as a lease property or they selling off the We'll let them come back up and
they can address that question. That that was my concern. It seemed from that wording that maybe this was going to be a rental property where it wasn't being sold. It was just going to be run as a rental property. And that does change the dynamic in the neighborhood because it's all single family homes with the exception of the motel. you know, on the other side of the canal
and that already becomes businesses down there. So, you know, in that sense, it's it's a different concept if it's going to be a rental property to his point of bringing in five families that are going to be South Miami res. So, thank you for Thank you very
much. Further comments. Okay, seeing no one in the chamber, madam clerk, is there anyone online? Anyone on Zoom, please raise your virtual hand. Okay. So, that will close the public hearing. Um, Mr. Font, would you like to
address any of the comments that were made? And, and I and I would appreciate because I, you know, again, um, I've seen some pretty large specimen trees. I'm thinking of MG Developers Project in Coral Gables relocated
recently, but I but I think Mr. Lopez, sorry, if you're welcome to come back up if you want to say something. It is. It is but that's I mean that's so that's that's a challenge here right so I think you know their comment was made about the possibility
of modifying the design as I look at the arrow we don't have the benefit of a survey that shows where these trees exactly lay out relative to the sidewalk that's there but they're pretty close to it [Music] um you have a 10- foot setback area in
the front yard so if I can address yeah the the idea of pushing the town homes back. Okay. So, we've done numerous plans for this site. Some of the first ones that we did
were traditional town home designs, if you will, where you have two parking spaces in front and you back out into the street. So even if we push the town homes back, we can no longer rear load the parking on them. The parking would
have to be at the front of town home. So we would have 10 cars backing up into Explain that to me because the way I I I I was going to agree with my obstacle, my mental obstacle, look at the geometry of the site to Mr. Lopez's comment in
terms of setting the town homes back probably applied most acutely to town home 5, right? because it looks like you're not going to get enough rear apron to allow for a movement out of a rear garage. But with respect to the others, you won't. I mean, if you push
the town homes back, and we we we tried it, right? There's no way to maneuver back into the town. First of all, you're going to close off the the access way to them. As you can tell, you push it back, you'll close off the access. So, there's really no way to get back behind them,
and you'll have no way to maneuver back there to get back into a garage. So, you would have to have your parking in front, which is a traditional town home, right? Um, but then you're you're going to have the driveway cuts at the front. You're going to have 10 cars backing up into the street, and you're going to
have to get rid of the trees anyways because there's no way you can do the 10 cars across the front and get rid of the trees. So, I have I have in my personal home I moved five oaks, one of which was 80 feet tall to keep. So I love
trees. I I can tell you that it's probably cheaper to buy a mango tree than to move one of those mango trees. So I'm not up here lying to you. What I offered and what we profered in the covenant was that we will do
whatever is right at the time. If we can move one of the trees, we'll move one of the trees. If we need to mitate, we're Happy to put those wherever you guys. Well, first first and foremost, does the design does the design you presented require you to remove all the trees? Because I I I mean I believe at least Yes, it does. Yes, it does. It it
requires definitely all the mangoes and we would remove the royals because we we think they are dangerous even though one of them could probably stay. Some of the thatch palms could probably stay. I don't think they bring any value. Um the royal point sienna um I I would
personally remove I don't think it's It's a beautiful tree. It's not my favorite tree and from what I understand it, it's not in good shape. Um, we're happy to come back in with larger specimen trees. We're happy to donate trees to a park somewhere. We're happy to plant, you know, mature mangoes
somewhere. Yes, it's very hard to move a mango. It's not as difficult to move an oak. It's difficult to move an oak, but you have much success and it's worth a lot more to move an oak than it is to move a mango tree. It's probably easier to say, "Okay, I'm going to plant two mangoes, two the sides of those mango
trees somewhere else than than actually move those particular mango trees um so we're we're opening ourselves to whatever is right and whatever possibilities there are out there to do it." Unfortunately, you know, it is not
it's not a huge site and um for us to get the town homes in front, which is what the new code is calling for. What the city is pushing for is that streetscape. So, if you're walking along the street, you're not walking behind 10 cars. You're walking in somebody's front
door, somebody's stoop. So, it's a much more um pleasant um walk. You know, if you were to walk from Manor Lane over to the Underline, you'd actually be walking in front of these town homes and actually experiencing the architecture
of the homes as opposed to experiencing the back of 10 cars, right? So, we think that this is the right um concept for this site. You know, we truly believe this is a transitional site. Um we know that it's been um land use plan for many
many years as town homes um and that this uh you know a duplex on this site is just to me it's not reasonable right um so uh what
else as far as the rentals are concerned we don't know if we're going to sell them or not that'll you know we'll we'll make that decision once we get closer um if we're able to to build the project once we get closer to finishing the project. Very strong possibility that they sell if the market
is right. I don't want to say that we're going to sell them. I know we'll at least rent them. I don't know if we'll sell them or not, but I know rent them, but we'll make that decision at that point. Um you know, if we rent them, they're not going to be cheap rentals. So, you're going to have people that you
know you would want in your community renting these. Um and I think That was all the comments that were made. So, okay, thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Okay, colleagues, uh, who wants to kick off the discussion, please?
Am I right in thinking that across the street where Bike Tech is, that falls under RTZ? Does that fall under that zoning? I'm trying to figure out like I don't I'm not sure if it's RTZ. Um I don't know Mr. Chern if you know it's
definitely count it's it's definitely zoned commercial by the county but I don't know if it's RTZ. I don't think it's RTZ. So what could end up there? Let's look it up. Yeah I I I it may be part of an urban center district Tony I don't remember but um pulling it up
right now. C certainly I will tell you given that it has a a mixeduse commercial or industrial designation um you could end up with a very large local project. Yeah. In that area. So when I look at this I mean we all know that I
was a I I don't know you so I'm sorry like I I don't have inner voice. I I apologize everybody. Um when we saw this last time I was a hard no. There's no way. This is like trying to stick, you know, 25 French fries in the babysized
French fry thing. Um, this makes a lot more sense to me because it's less in your face to the neighbors. I can understand somebody may mention about the driveway because we all know I'm a terrible driver. Um, I I get what you're saying because that's a little scary.
But when we look at the use of this land, realistically, I think we all wish that things would stay the same way forever and ever. I think we saw the same thing on 67th Avenue on three lots where the neighbors were like, "Was
trees forever and ever." And when somebody buys it, they buy the property, they they are able to develop it. And so you're stuck kind of in that pushpull between what neighbors are used to and what the purchaser is able to do. So I
think we need to become for lack of a nice word like realistic in what is possible here while we have the conversation because while I think we'd all love to see it stay a green space
forever, he paid money for it. And so unless he's dedicating it as a park, we're very limited in what we can do when it comes to this. And so I look at it as five town houses now. And I mean, I'm looking it's like 2,000 something
square feet each. So it's it's not low end. So it's, you know, we find ourselves in kind of a push pull. I don't I'd love to hear what you guys think. this because when I look at it
now, not withstanding the trees, which I get it, I don't know how much better this could get. Trish, you're recognized. Yeah. Look, so the biggest comment that I see from the residents and and I mean, most people
know that I am the biggest proponent of tree canopy. We've lost 10% of our tree canopy over the last 10 years and it's ridiculous. So, we are doing a lot more to bring that canopy back. It's really important to us and we will work with the architect to make sure we enforce
and make sure that the trees are either moved, protected or grown so we have that same cabinet, if not what we have now better moving forward. I I think that's really important that that that that the city of South Miami understands that how how compassionate how we're
moving to really bring back canopy. Um saying that I agree with Commissioner Bonich where breaking up the facade having two different buildings you have roughly the size of one house into two town houses. The comments made on traffic we hear it
all the time. You know we we do have a major redevelopment going down in our downtown and that's the always the same concern when it comes to traffic. the traffic is not controlled by us, right? The traffic is moving north or it's moving south at at the PM level. So having these points of entry are not
really going to affect it that much. It it really isn't. I I drive on that street on 80th Street coming back, dropping off my daughter, coming back on 80th Street so I can go back into South Miami almost every single day. The traffic on 80th Street is unbearable. But to make a left on 67th is not. So
there's some caveats to jump in on US1 and just US1 is just a major major artery that no matter if it's South Miami, if it's Pinerest, if it's, you know, Cutler Bay, Homestead, they're all driving on that corridor and it's only going to continue to get worse. What we can try to do is when we have these
points of points of of of living that they're closer to the metro station. You will see a big push and you're seeing it now with the underline that we want to push people to the metro stations. this is very close to the metro station whether it's South Miami or Dayland where it could be used
a lot more. So traffic is always going to be an issue and and and it's unfortunate but this is only five homes. Um it's not a big condominium which could go across the street. Those are the things that we cannot control. What we can control is this particular piece of land, the tree canopy that we want to
protect and the ability to make sure it looks in line with what the neighborhood looks like. So, we are going to continue to do that, but the property and what the what the architect has already done to appease a lot of the comments that were made before in my eyes look
acceptable. So, that's my opinion on it. Marcus, are you able to put um G004 by any chance? Okay. Um, I'm sorry, sir. I I forgot your Sorry. So, I think this one gives you a better depiction of what you
were talking about, right? Okay, good. Um, so if you look at this picture to the right, the one that's singled out by itself, the neighborhoods, the the house behind it and along that line, I know that there's an architect that most of
those are are rentals. Reason I bring this up is because rentals is nothing new to that to that manner lane. I've I've I've spoken to them. They those are a lot of rentals there like like I said. So I just wanted to bring that point to you so you know that rentals
is in the neighborhood. Sir, I I'll allow you to come forward if you want to get the microphone, but we just can't have comments from the audience that are not captured in the record. So, if you want to come forward and since he's addressing you directly, we're having a that was my fault. Sorry. I I just wanted to address your point because I know you said Let me just let
me just recognize him. So, if you can put in your your two cents and then we'll close the public hearing again. Sir, for your name one more time. Yeah. Jloves 6492. Anyway, so to your point, I'm not saying I don't want people renting their private homes. I'm just
saying it's it's a different component when you have five town houses that are all rentals. It's just a different It's just slightly different. You know, it's when somebody owns a property, they may be renting it for now because they're trying to sell it. They have plans to do something else. That doesn't necessarily mean it's always going to be a rental. But when you make a facility like this
that is just for, you know, leases and rentals, it's just a slightly different component. And I'm not against rentals or anything. I'm just And and again, I I'm just pointing that out because you said the oh, we'll have different families coming because of the rentals. And I get your point. I'm just
clarifying that those houses behind a lot are rentals. That's it. That's all I was just trying to point out for clarification purposes. Thank you. Just to be fully clear, all those rentals houses are my father's houses. Oh, okay. All right. There you go. Then you know that they're rentals then. All right. Uh
you you you can if we if we can if we can all agree to do the following, I will reopen the public hearing for two more speakers. You're you're welcome to come forward. Just please come to the microphone. your name and address for the record. We can keep some order. Lisa August 6515 Southwest 78 Terrace. Thank
you. Yes, we agree that there are rentals on Manor Lane, but they are single dwelling homes that have multiple rentals. So, I just want to go on the record. Single I'm sorry. Can you There are single family homes. Yes. That have rooms that are being rented. So, a
single family home has five rooms. That sounds That sounds worse. Worse than this. Yes. Yes. That sounds worse. There's like at least three houses that have Can you speak to Can you speak to that young lady with the glasses right there and try to cut enforcement and please let her know what those addresses
are because I don't I I doubt that that I can definitely let you know. That does not comply with our I'm sure with our regulations. That's why I wanted you to go on. Thank you. Okay. Did anyone else want to say anything? Okay. I'm going to close the public hearing without further objection. Okay. Commissioner Rodriguez,
you're recognized again. I'm going to go Okay. No, I I I just wanted to finish off just by and thank you, I guess, for pointing that out, too. Um, again, I I said this the last time, townhouse is how we're trying
to buffer from a commercial area like this into a residential neighborhood. It's in the downtown district. It's all around the city. That's that's what the zoning code what we're trying to accomplish. That way it just doesn't go commercial residential and you have a
single family home backing up to a commercial building or or or commercial space. So town houses were is the way that we're trying to mitigate that. So I think this is a very nice project that you guys have presented. Ultimately, I
do say to the to to the residents this are we close enough for live local here or because because if you are close to live local be careful what you fight for because at the end of the day this could become much bigger and
much worse than than than than what you're getting right now. I'm just ask just think about that. Okay. We had a we had a clarification from the city attorney. You're recognized, sir. Sure. So, so that corner property across 80th Street South is zone BU1. BU1 would allow up to four
stories under the the code the base the base code provision. The base code provision um with a density of up to 13 units per acre. Uh now under live local that would be considerably more. You're looking at something on the order of 65
units and sky's the limit on height. It would be it would be restricted by how big the property is just because it's within one mile of of downtown uh Kendall. Yeah, we have a floor and we have now have a lot coverage preeemption that's going to take effect in July. So the situation in terms of what our what
Tallahassee is doing in terms of limiting our ability to regulate property is getting worse by the day. So I think to your point, Commissioner Rodriguez, uh Mr. Vice Mayor, did you want to say something? Sure. I just wanted to thank um the applicant for some of the revisions that were made at
least off of the initial. I do think that this has the potential of being a beautiful project as an entrance to an amazing community which is Manor Lane. I do think we heard a lot of feedback today that maybe we haven't heard before and incorporating as much as possible between first and second reading would
give me a lot more confidence in the project. Obviously, with the focus on trees, with traffic, and any modifications that can be made to allow this project to be a little bit more neighborly in the community, uh that would be amazing. I unless there's other compelling arguments, I'll probably
support it on first, but I would love to see some of the feedback that came from the residents incorporated into the second reading. Thank you for those comments. Yes, you're recognized, ma'am. I actually don't have a comment for the developer. I have a comment for us and
that is that we may want to see what we do in that area if we've got people turning and going crazy on those streets, which I think that we do. I think that to say that we don't is to have never been down those streets. Um, and I think when everybody that's on the
status was campaigning, we probably at one point or another were there. I know that I was. Um, we should maybe have the I call it the bean counter. It's not a bean counter. It's a counts cars and
speeds and all of that. We should employ that in that area so that we can get an accurate read whether it's perception or reality what is going on in that neighborhood to see if we mitigate with speed bumps or something or do not
enters or whatever it is. But now having had the residents speak to us about it doing nothing I think is irresponsible. So, I'll I'll just um add a couple thoughts. One, uh for those of you who were not here the last time we discussed this project, I think obviously the the
biggest missed opportunity is we as a city did not act to try to buy this and make this a public green space. Um that's not a foreclosed option, but it's not it's a very expensive option because these folks just purchased it for a very nice number. Um if if the neighbors are
serious about preserving it exactly the way it is, it's going to be a real conversation about digging into our collective pockets to acquire it and probably pay a very hefty sum just to leave it exactly as it is. I invite people that's a conversation you want to want to kind of show some support for that so that you know it's an option we
could consider evaluating. But but in the world of in the world of the most likely options the this person this applicant has brought a proposal forward. I appreciate the modifications. I think the modifications both in terms of the orientation respectfully disagree
that the drive aisle I think here is much better positioned to avoid traffic conflicts because of the geometry of that other corner what was cited before really lent itself to you know uh a lot more blind spots uh with two with two streets intersectioning intersecting
with a third and making that access more hazardous. I think this mitigates some of the visual and light impact on certainly the most abudding neighbor to the north and east. Uh I I appreciate the profiter of a covenant. Um I think
the design is very nice. I wanted to make sure if we were going to approve a resoning here, we're approving it to a specific site plan so that if they do not build this, they're not just getting rights to build whatever. It's got to come back to be modified in the future so that the neighbors at least have some measure of protection in that regard as
well in terms of getting a good quality design product and getting a commitment on what was going to be built there. Um I think where I'm still sat dissatisfied on two points of the homework between first and second reading I think um I'm going to follow the lead of my my vice mayor here is I think some more
conversation with the neighbors particularly with a focus on landscaping. Um, this is a very lush edge and to Commissioner Gaia's point, it would be a shame to if we're going to lose these fruit trees to not replace uh the street or that street edge with, you
know, some larger specimen shade trees that at least could, you know, preserve the character of that entrance in a reconfigured format, but certainly keeping the canopy healthy and lush at this corner. Um, like I said, we had a
not an insignificant storm event and literally I think I when I drove by to meet the manager out there, there was three or four people scurrying across the lot picking up whatever fruit had hit the ground immediately after the the storm event. So, uh, it is a treasured little piece of dirt. U, I think the
worst outcome for all of us is for it to remain vacant. Um, traffic at this intersection is a problem. I live just across the way on US1, just off of 80th. Uh we've got a lot of work to do in terms of rationalizing our intersections
across US1. It's not something that's not that we're not attuned to. Uh I think traffic has been worse lately because we have a lot of maintenance of traffic plans on 62nd. A lot of people are avoid going out to 62nd right now because of the work being done to the pedestrian bridge at South
Miami Hospital and the new orthopedic center that they're building north of Sunset. So I imagine right now that condition is probably worse than it's been in recent memory because people are trying to avoid having to uh triangulate around that that that node right now. Um
but I I do think this is a fairly elegant execution. It needs some more refinement uh to kind of give the com the applicant some motivation to kind of bring something continue to work with us. I'm I'm going to support it on first reading again, but I would ask that you meet with uh Mr. Lopez, Mr. True and
others in the neighborhood with a real focus on how we're going to treat that street frontage from a landscape perspective so that if we lose something, we're going to get something of uh like or better quality uh if in fact we move forward with the approval.
Okay. Any final comments? Is there a motion uh on on item five? You'll move it. A motion a motion to approve. What do we what do we with the profer with the with the profer I I think you just laid it out really well.
Okay. So, a motion by Commissioner Bonich to adopt it and accept the profer. Uh and I would like to work on the language attorney in 2.5. Um and again, I think the applicants made a recommendation that they're going to work into the revised site plan some amount of guest parking
to try to address that issue as well. Okay. So, a motion to approve. Is there a second? Okay. A second by the vice mayor. Uh, without further discussion, Madame Clerk, if you can call the role. Yes. Commissioner, not my microphone. Yes. Vice Mayor Cory?
Yes. Commissioner Rodriguez? No. Commissioner Cay? Yes. Mayor Fernandez? Yes. That's his first reading for one. Thank you. Uh, we'll see you here all again in a month. Uh, let's move to item
Yes, that's that's right. The gym fees. Please, if we can read item two into the record, please. Yes. Item two, a resolution of the mayor city commission of the city of South Florida amending the schedule fees and fines, parks and recreation fees scheduled to amend the fitness trainer permit, please.
Thank you, Mr. Manager. Uh, are you hearing the presentation? Yes, sir. We'll have our parks director uh present the item to you. Mr. P, good evening. How are you? Good evening. You I know I always say I always want to say po. I'm not sure why. I apologize. As soon as I said that, I
was correcting myself. Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners. Thank you, manager. Uh staff recommends increasing the fitness center personal trainer permit fee at the Gibson Bethal Community Center from 600 annually to 300 per month effective October 1st,
2025. The benchmarking analysis in your memo provided indicates that comparable facilities typically charge personal trainers between 400 and 500 per month for on-site training um access.
The proposed 300 a month rate remains intentionally below market average to maintain accessibility for community users. Support local trainers who often subsidize membership fees for their clients. Reflect the facility's modest size and available equipment at the
community center. If approved as appro If approved as proposed, the program could generate up to 14,400 in annual revenue. These funds could help offset operating costs or at the discretion of the city commission uh be allocated to
subsidize membership or program fees for resident youth who qualify for financial assistance. I'm available should you have any follow-up questions? Okay, colleagues, any questions of the director? Q.
Um I are we so how many municipalities allow um for for non-residents and residents to use their their gyms? Are we one of the only gymnasiums where we we don't um
that we allow non-residents to use it or No. From my understanding, um, every municipality allows their membership either residents or non-residents to use their facilities from what I know, including trainer or trainers is
different. So, some facilities, um, there's a few Miami Day County facilities that do not allow trainers. Um, Coral Gables, their rec center, their community youth rec center, they don't allow trainers there. However, at
their uh country club, they allow trainers there. Uh, Village of Pinerest allows personal trainers at their site. They currently charge 400 a month um for their trainers to be there. Okay. So, us and Pine South Miami and Pine Crest are
Pinerest and US are pretty similar and how we handle our personal trainers. Okay. Thank you. Further questions. Um, so was it part of the Thanks, uh, director. Was it part of the
um, changes that you want to make also uh, lowering the amount of trainers that we can do? Yes. So, currently it's at six. Currently, it's at six. Our program allows up to eight. Um, but currently we have six trainers. And you want to lower that to four? That is correct. And
what's your thought process behind that? Reason for that is um one one there's the trainers they they have a lot of clients. All right is the first reason they some of them not all of them
but some of them have a lot of clients and they are um not monopolizing but using a facility um for the entire day you know so they're there from let's say from 6 or 6 or 7 a.m. in the morning and
they're spending roughly about four to maybe eight hours a day at the site. So, um I think that's okay. However, we can't have six trainers doing that or at least we shouldn't have six or eight trainers doing that um because it is a
very intimate um site. Um there's limited capacity there and um we have to find some way to find a balance I think. So yes. Okay. And then the other question I had for you, do you feel like right now we we're close to capacity or you feel like we're inundated with
people maybe from trainers or just you know residents or non-residents in general? No, not at all. We do have peak hours. What are those peak hours? Peak hours anywhere between in the mornings from 6:00 a.m. or let's just say 7 a.m. to 9:30 and roughly about 4:30 to about
7 o'clock. So my opinion is a little bit different on what you're recommending to do. Um I attend the gym every morning. Uh well I try to go every morning. It's a live I say every sorry I apologize. I am lying if I say I go every morning.
[Music] Um there's a benefit of having it's if it's six trainers and if they monopolize it, there is a benefit to that, right? The benefit is that whatever clients they're bringing are paying membership fees for the year, right? So that go
that has its pros and its cons. In my opinion, what we always try to do, and I say this all the time, is that we want to strive for the best, right? So, do we want our gyms to be full? Yeah, we do. I want more people to go, and this is my opinion. I want more people to go to the gym. I want more usage of all the amenities that we have. Did I say that
word correctly? Amenities. Amenities. Amenities. There you go. See, I always say that wrong. Um, like a sea creature. It's like a sea creature at the same time. Yeah. Should just keep going. Anyways, it's the street in you. Sorry, I'm gonna just get it out of the system. The point is that I in my
opinion, I think that we want to do is create a little bit more of an opportunity to have more and more people come here. So, if that's trainers, I think the limitation of six or eight is fine. I don't think we need to lower it. Um, I think that increasing the amount, and I understand where you're coming
from, right? But I think increasing the amount on business owners that are attracting people to our our gyms and generally creating a good ambiance for training to do it 600% on one shot like that is not feasible. Right? People
create businesses based on uh an understanding of of what's already there. Right? So if they make a business plan and they want to be a trainer, they're doing things like that. Increasing their net rent by 600% is is a little crazy for me. I would recommend
to the board that we lower it to like $150, $200 a month, all right, from the $50 a month that it is now, not the extravagant 300. And if we we feel the need that it's doing better or worse, we can revisit that in a couple of years. Um, but and overall, look, I I don't
think the gym's full at all. Um, I think I think that whatever we can do to attract more people to our facilities and understand what we're doing, it's all pros. So, that's just where I stand on this. Vice Mayor, I I certainly trust uh uh
the wisdom of our great parks director. I do um in some ways I agree with uh Commissioner Cay and that maybe just to make sure that we're not, you know, we still have the demand that would be necessary to have the trainer maybe going to the $150 a month. And of
course, we want to be fair with our facilities and how much we're generating, especially if if it's business owners and not residents necessarily involved. Um, but yeah, I think I would be a a little bit more comfortable with that $150 a month type of uh uh setup just because I I'm I'm
concerned if we go too high, we'll we'll we'll run out of demand. I'm going to reserve my comments and questions for after we open up for public hearing. So, um, no further questions. You want to ask something? You're recognized. I when this
first came to my attention, it didn't have anything to do with money. It had to do with people in the gym. And I think somehow this moved around, did whatever it did. And we
moved away from at least in what I've seen, we've moved 100% away from anything having to do with a number per trainer. and now we're looking at a fee. Um, I agree with Commissioner Gay when
he's saying we had and I think we continue to have an underutilized space. And for whatever reason, we we tend and and I say this historically, not not
you, I think it stems from this day is historically. We tend to want to roll out the red carpet for people and then when they put their foot on it, we pull it back. And I I don't think it's a good look for us. I think that these trainers
have planned for whatever the fee is, whether it's 60, 100, whatever the number is right now, they planned on that. They brought their clients on that. Their clients bought memberships based on that. Whether it's three clients like the first gentleman that came to speak with us or you know 103
clients the these people have paid yearly memberships now they are our people whether they are residents or not they are our people they are our Can I clar for clarification you're saying they paid us yearly membership? Yes they they have to pay a yearly membership to the gym correct to be able to use it.
And what what is that for a resident or non-resident? 150 for the year. for the year was resident or non-resident we don't we don't distinguish res non resident board members I mean I I think that's something we should correct absolutely I think res non-resident I
just I just want to say this because notwithstanding that people have made a $150 investment that's way below what anyone would pay market at any public or private gym I wonder where we are relative to our benchmarks on
that membership fee I would I would That's probably the bottom of the market, right? Or close to the bottom. It depends on who you look at. If you look at it, let's say a Planet Fitness, you know, $10 a month. Yeah. For, you know, if you're LA Fitness or, you know, certainly Lifetime, I mean, again, not
that we're offering those kind of facil we're not offering those facilities. It's not go crazy, but but it is, but it's it's it's still, you know, $150 a month is still very modest. It doesn't take away that they came to the South Miami Gibson Bethl Center and paid their
yearly membership and as such they are our members now and we need to respect that and so I think any changes that we're going to make number one they definitely need to be phased in this this very very big change in a very
short amount of time I don't think is fair to a business plan for any of the trainers that we have. Um, number two, if we're going to do something like this, I don't know that we are even talking to where we
originally started, which I maybe I'm wrong, but I I don't see it there. So, so Vice Mayor, I'm sorry, Commissioner, two of your points. One, um, we are phasing it where I'm asking or recommending that this be implemented
October 1st to give them time to make the adjustment, etc. Number two, um, director, just on that point, is that that's the same time when the annual memberships lapse for the members themselves, their clients? Not necessarily for their members. Okay. So,
that's not that's not a that's not a fiscal year because October one's our fiscal year start. Why you picked that date? That date was picked because a couple of them actually expire on that time and then maybe there's another one or two that expire two months later or so. So, and then number two, um to your
point, yes, this started off in a totally different direction. However, we evaluate the entire program as a whole, which includes the feet um you know, how the trainers are operating, when they're operating, how many clients they're um you know, training at one period of
time, um stuff like that. So, we evaluated the entire program and the fee was included in that assessment. So then we've moved away from the limiting the numbers and now we're in the fee. No, not necessarily. The other matters are more so of what I would call
day-to-day operational matters that will be handled internally. The fee itself that I'm recommending is more of a policy issue and that's why that's coming before. I I I I'm sorry, but I I disagree. I think that if we're making a decision, I think we need to have the
whole picture because I want I want to ask you're asking us to approve just the fee or or or the policy to limit the number of trainers as well. Just the just the fee adjustment. Just the fee adjustment. Yeah. But as a as a policy, I just want to clarify what we're doing. So because I want I want to
be clear because I'm confused now from the discussion. So your decision to limit the number of trainers is one that's not part of today's action. Correct. Okay. And I just chime in because because fees
are approved by this board obviously um and so that's what specifically for understood. Yeah. Okay. And it stems from originally we had you know the trainers are bringing in their clients who are paying the yearly memberships and then
they come in and there were complaints from a certain number of individuals that they weren't able to use the machines. So then it was like, okay, we're going to limit the number of of individuals that maybe a trainer can bring in and then it went quiet and then
this this is the part we've seen, but I think it's more of a multi-layered approach. We're just seeing kind of like, you know, the tip of the iceberg of the Titanic. And and that's why I I think this is it it feels for me knowing what I know disjointed.
Um first of all, I don't I don't agree with $3,600 a year. I don't think any anybody who's basing their business even two months ago with what we were offering them two months ago can kind of keep up with that. even if we're saying
it's October. Um, we should have a phased in approach. And I think when we're saying we're trying to be best-in-class, I I think that's great. Um, but it can't just be best-in-class when it comes to trainers. We have to look at, you know, our summer program.
We'd have to look at everything. We can't just I feel like we're I I feel like we're looking at like pieces of teeth. I I'm sorry. this doesn't make like you know when you smack your mouth and you've got teeth everywhere and you're like I'm I think I think I think the point is she liked the
full policy considered as opposed to just a piece of it. So I I think I take that as your as your major point. I'm I'm going to open up the I'm going to open up the floor for to allow folks to hear to speak and then we can close the conversation. Thank you, Mr. Director. Yes, m
um sorry I lost my list here. Uh Mr. Stevens, I think you wanted to be recognized uh again. And Mr. Phillips, we didn't get a chance to hear from you. So, whoever wants to go first, please step up. Yeah, just real quick. I think uh again, one more time, Nam. Damen Stevens, 4051
Southwest 57 feminine. Um you brought up an important point where it I think it is the tip of the iceberg. I heard some things that somebody was upset and then that started down this pathway of well let's re-evaluate the whole program. Um
and then the explanation just given moments ago about well they evaluated the they're doing some evaluation to come up with these fees. Well, I'm one of those who don't is not a heavy user. I'm not there at 7 o'clock in the
morning going all all the way through till 10 o'clock at night. I'm there just in the middle of the day for a couple of specific hours. So doing a flat rate and jumping from three, you know, $600 and going up
600% is a lot. So what would you recommend for uh as an alternative to um I mean it's a great question. You could do a sliding scale based upon usage. Now, I understand there is an issue at times during peak hours. Uh, if you wanted to limit those hours to doing
one-on-one training between during those peak hours, say 5:00 till closing, you know, you guys got to do one-on-one, you know, you can only instead of doing their small group training, uh, something like that, something more manageable because I'm not exactly sure what the issue is and why this whole
thing came up. Was it a um we're overusing the facility or it's getting too crowded? Is was that was that the issue? I that's why I asked the specific question. Yeah. Of the usage and we we agree that it's low. So like I don't I
don't think the usage is a problem is what I heard from the director. Is that accurate? Mr. Director, why don't you come up and address the question right now? I mean the usage is higher than what it was two, three, four years ago. So, so let's just since I don't clearly do not go to the gym, right? I'm
gonna ask the question, right, which is do we have a problem in peak hours where we have people doing group classes that are basically commandeering the equipment that makes it impossible for Commissioner Kaya to work out at 5:30. The usage the usage is within the
building code allows for that room. Understood. Understood. But uh but is it is it more likely than not that if I mean honestly at 5:30 you have a trainer who brings six clients to do a group class right is that is that is that
what's happening in my opinion it is it is not high usage okay at any period of time however okay it is a very intimate site it is is very small so if you have 15 people in there at any given time it feels crowded it feels very crowded okay
Okay. So, that's sort of the issue at hand. There's a few there's a handful of folks who have complained that it is too crowded in here uh when there's 15 16 people. Although, from a building code,
you can have up to 35 people in a room. However, from a comfortability or ease of use, it's best to have 20. But again, 15 people at one time to someone who's used to that gym being a private facility like it was five, seven years
ago, that is very crowded. Okay. So, why why the Well, let me let him finish making his comments. We'll recognize Mr. Mr. uh Phillips and then we'll I'll I'll ask him my question. Thank you. Well, that was kind of my question. The
motivation behind it, whether it was a, hey, we're looking for more money and we got to put some more money in our coffers and let's go to the trainers over there. Especially now, I mean, we're not killing it. We're Ham and Edgars over here. We we're wage earners,
so to put this on us now is, you know, I wish it would. Okay, understood. Thank you, sir. Put it that way. Mr. Phillips, you're recognized. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Commissioner. Um, I'm one of name and address for the record. Sorry. Richard Phillips, 5830
Southwest 53rd Terrace. Thank you, sir. Um, I'm one of the trainers, the last trainers that were brought into the facility, the number six. as opposed to meeting with James the the director over at I met with him numerous
times and I've asked him numerous times are you able to handle the flow that if I bring here other people he says our gym is empty non-stop is empty completely throughout the day and
I've he basically offered me you come and start whenever you're ready, you know, and I So, what's your model, if I can ask? Huh? What's your model? When do you come in? And are you there all day? Are you there for I'm the one who's there all day. Okay. So, I start at 6:00
a.m. and I finish at 12:00 in the afternoon and I come back from 4:00 to 6. Okay. I have South Miami family members that would like to work with their kids, like to work with their husbands, you know, bonding for their
family to work out together, you know. Um, I would work out, you know, at the same I work at the same time with Mr. Cay and Mr. about when they work out together and we all agree that the gym is empty non-stop. Mr. Secretary, is is
the gym empty? No. No, it's really there's really never never more than 12 people during the jump. Okay. Mr. Cabrera probably goes on occasion, too, I'm sure. Yeah. And you have 20, by the way, you have 20 pieces. Um, but you have like 20 pieces of
equipment in there. So, the most I've ever counted in in keeping track of kind of visually seeing people is 12 people and half of those people are with trainers. Do you understand? So it's like if you get rid of some of the
trainers that come in there, then you go back to an empty gym. What happens to them? You know, it's it's there's no happy medium where you can, you know, try to juggle and then make the customers h the members happy that do pay the membership that
want to work out with their family members. The husband and wife bond together, the son and the daughter, you know, work out together. I have I have a whole group of people coming and I've been in the gym for 35 years. How many What percentage of your clients live in South Miami?
That I can't tell you that I don't know. I know there's a good less than 50%. Less than 50. No, not less than 50%. No, more more live here. Okay. More chose to come. We one of one
of one of my one of my main reasons why I chose to come to South Miami Community the Gibson Bethl Community Center was one of my clients was also a member there and she told me that there's never anybody there training you can come in
at any time you want now adding with Steve and Damian and there's a now there's a there's a selective few clients trainers that are only there for one hour two hours you know, a day and then they leave and then you don't see them
all day long. So, basically, we do have maybe three or four a little bit more range of hours in the in the facility, but you know, as a as a fullness and as a the amount of clientele you have, there's nowhere near
being the capacity that you you cannot handle in there. And being as Steve and Damon, we're all professionals. We've been in this industry for so long. We know how to manage a room. If somebody if there's a member that's not with a trainer and they want to use the
equipment, I'm Steve seeing me see me that I get up. I said use it. I give up the machine to let them have access to it and I always go back to it because I can always do something else. I can modify my my training, you know. We appreciate your comments. Okay. Thank
you, sir. Thank you. Okay. I'm going to uh anyone else who'd like to make comments on Senator, please come forward, sir. And again, name for the record. I'm Steve 971. I been in the gym now for four
months. I I really love it. It's It's great fun and it's got it's a great environment. And one thing I've noticed is that it has grown a little But it's nowhere near close to capacity. Uh like Rick said, it's
generally no more than 10 or 12 people. I think what's happened, it's perception. People are used to being seeing it empty. Even people that have been for a long time. Now that it's gotten some activity, they might have complained just based on not it not being what it
was a year ago, two years ago, but it's really I haven't seen anything close to overcrowding personally. Okay. I'm one of the busier uh trainers. I'm there, you know, throughout the day, you know, but and I'm teaching some of the classes there, but I, you know, I just think
it's a wonderful place. It's got a great environment. It's a great vibe, if you will. So, I'm grateful to be there and I think it's it's wonderful. I I don't see an overcrowding issue, personally. So, thank you very much. Appreciate the comments. May, you may ask you a
question. Before you leave, can you give out uh your I want everybody to know about your class on Thursday. It's really No, listen. Listen, listen. Yeah. Self-defense course. Yeah. I've been teaching it for years. I've taught law enforcement and other uh agencies, but yeah, I teach a woman's self-defense
course. That's I have to say it's very good because teaches women how to get away more than anything else. So, what time? And it's from 6:00 to 8. It's in two hours seminar. And I I should probably I probably learn a lot more than what I know right now. Yeah. If you know any young females, they would
great. I I feel good when women take the class because I I know that that's one person whose chances of survival are going to be so much better than somebody that didn't take the class. So, get my daughter uh daughter signed up before she goes to college. Very good.
Thanks. Thank you very much, Steve. Appreciate you. Okay, colleagues, uh questions of the director. How do you want to land the plane on this quickly? My go ahead. No, you haven't spoken. I'm just gonna So I give it a little bit of the history
because I guess it it was me talking with Quinn and a certain gentleman. You created this mess. Um I'm just going to give you the the the quick synopsis of what happened. There was a client that or a a gym goer
um that's a resident that was just maybe like as you said was just basically used to a gym that wasn't occupied and now the gym is occupied. So, you know, he says that a preference was being given to people that are not
residents of the city where he felt that residents should get a priority and that's basically how this all started. Okay.
Yes, sir. Yeah. Go ahead, please. So, in the we did take the opportunity to to review um some holes that we haven't really touched. I mean, we haven't had a price increase there. uh for trainers in a very long time. Is that accurate? That is correct. We established the program
in 2021, right? Oh, okay. So, the ability here to actually come up with a little bit um a little bit more fairer I mean $50 a month in my opinion was a little bit low. Uh we don't have the best facilities compared to Pinerest or
which is the one you go to the Lifetime. I go I go to none of them obviously by my fantastic physique right now. So, a price increase in my opinion was something that's feasible and and to make sure that we accommodate not only our residents, but but like I said, it
we want these trainers to bring more and more people. Look, the opportunity and the and the problem that we want to have is that we have too many people. That way, we can go solve a problem and figure out what to do there. So, I we've had this conversation over and over. We don't want less, we want more. So, I'll
leave it at that. Yes, ma'am. be recognized. Thank you. I I think that we're solving for X when we don't need to. I think if we want to look at fees across the board, I I don't
think this is the only place to look at it. I I think the assistant city manager said our summer program is $50 a week, if I heard that correctly. That is correct. So, so I think that when we're when we're looking at that, it needs to
be something we look at across the board because it I worked at the youth. I'm 53 years old. I worked at the Korea Gibbles youth center when I was 17. It wasn't $50 when I was 17. So, and that was so many years ago, it's not even funny. Um,
so I I think that if we're going to look at things holistically, we look at everything. I think that it would also benefit us as a body to know what the entire iceberg looks like. So So am I hearing a motion to def to table this
item or defer it and take it up as as part of the budget? I just want to land the conversation. I mean, we're not we're not we're not the director's not proposing to increase fees tomorrow. So I think it's fair warning to the trainers. We're probably going to see a fee increase. It's probably from what
I'm hearing at this board, there's no appetite to raise it to more than $150. That's what I'm getting from the conversation. So, uh, we may not take I would suggest we just move to defer this item and take it up in the course of the budget. And I would suggest that, uh, the message that I would take away if I
was sitting in your chairs is you're probably going to be paying as much as $150 a month. Okay? Um, that's what I've taken away from this conversation in terms of where the board's head is at. We may revisit a final number over the course of the next few months. We start our budget planning now in June, July,
and adopt a final budget in September. So, I would encourage you guys, if you're interested in this conversation, maybe follow it. If there is a motion to defer, unless you want to give the director some some direction and and finalize a fee on this one item,
whichever direction you all want to go in, I'll move to I'll move to defer. move to defer. Is there a second? I I'm I'll second that. I I'd like when we defer it and we see it next time, I'd like an entire picture, please. So, I I think what you know I I would like to see
again I'd like to see differential fees rates for all our facilities, gym, tennis, pickle ball, residents, non-residents again. And I think we should we should not going to we can talk about it offline afterwards. We got plenty of time to think about this. So,
um, you know, so I would say if we don't have a differential rate here at the gym, we should consider one. Okay. Uh, that's my only tutorial on this entire conversation. So, we have a motion and a second uh to defer to when defer indefinitely. Inde. Okay. Any objection
to the indefinite deferral? Okay. So, seeing no objection, we'll just consider the deferral adopted. Thank you, Mr. Director. No problem. Thank you. Okay. Uh let's take up item three, which is a public hearing item, and then we'll take up item F1, so we can get the two
consultants that have been patiently sitting in the room out of here. So, madam clerk, if you can read item three for the record, please. Yes. Item three, a resolution of the Marian city commission of the city of South Florida approving a proposal and agreement with the Cordino Group, Inc. to perform
general planning services for the development services utilizing the terms and condition of the competitive bid city of Dural continuing professional service agreement competitive bid concurrent to RFQ number 2023-208 thank you thank you madam clerk um Mr.
Mr. City Manager, you're recognized. Thank you, Mayor. Uh, mayor, this item is um something that's been in the works for for a little bit. Our director of development services u and I have been discussing uh augmenting and supporting uh our uh the efforts of that department
as it relates to planning and and bringing a skill set um combination maybe a skill set that that uh we may be lacking and or workload. Um so uh in this case and we're looking at other uh ideas on how to augment uh what we do uh
from that department as it relates to planning and zoning included in that conversation with our city attorney Mr. Hesio and and and bringing in his perspective uh on working on land use issues. This is uh one piece u that is part of that puzzle. Uh we're also going
to be discussing this through our budget process as well. So what's before you is u the ability for us to leverage a an RFQ that was uh competitively led by the city of Dorado for um general planning services. In this case it would be with
Cordino Group. Um what this would allow if you approve it would be to for us to be able to negotiate uh agreement with uh Cordino Group on a work order basis either uh hourly or fixed fee or lump or not to exceed based on a project basis.
Um it is uh it is capped at the uh purchasing authority that I have of $30,000. Um if we were to exceed that, it would have to come back to this board. So in this case, you're approving the ability for us to leverage this RFQ let out by DOAL to be able to use
Cordino Group uh in general planning services and they would serve as an extension of our staff. Um and and then we would negotiate that that work order um individually for assignments. Again, could be a hourly rate, it could be a
fixed fee and or it could be a not to exceed. Um, so that's what this item is before you and certainly happy to answer any questions. And I know our director's here and Mr. Alvarez is here who who would be the person assigned uh on this project colleagues, any questions?
No. Uh, only question I have, Mr. Manager, is this is on a work order basis with a a cap subject to your purchasing authority. There's no there's no total line item amount we're allocating. So, we have a line item that we would pay it from. Okay. Which that's what I thought. I thought I thought we're authorizing it up to the amount of
that budget budget line item. No, it it it'd be limited by my uh authorization based on the item. I no I I what I what I'm and the reason I asked the question is I'm concerned if we have a larger project review which is probably when we would enlist Cordino or a third party
reviewer that the proposed scope exceeds $30,000. We now have an extra procedural step that's got to come back to this board for approval before they can begin working some of those which which delays the review. And so I I'm just wondering whether and I don't know if we have need
to readvertise this to make it legally compliant, but I'm wondering whether we should just authorize you to procure services pursuant to this contract on a work order basis up to the budget line item amount. So um attorney, you follow me? Yeah, I do. I do. I don't think you
need to read. We do not. So I I mean my my recommendation would be to make that modification. I do not want applicants whose projects are going to be reviewed to be delayed by the need for us to act on a work order that exceeds your
procurement your your I can't speak your procurement authority or purchasing authority. Yeah. No, mayor. Thank you. I mean obviously that gives us more flexibility. Just a clarification and attorney correct me if I'm wrong. This would not apply to cost recovery type items which which are usually some of those items that are the bigger biggest
ticket items. But nevertheless, we could find ourselves in that situation. So certainly if the board provides that flexibility, we we would have certainly would only I would only want as an addendum to the to a motion hopefully that someone would make is to have that item any expenditure above the $30,000 cap to be included in a futures
management report after the funding is encumbered just so that we're aware and if we have any questions, we can certainly ask you about it. Fair enough, colleagues. Okay. Uh this is a public hearing item, Mr. City Attorney. Correct. So we will open up the floor for a public hearing on item three,
which is an item to basically piggyback off a contract for the city of draw for planning services. Anyone would like to address this commission with regard to item three, please come forward at this time. Okay, seeing no one in the chamber, is there anyone online, madam clerk? No one's online. Seeing no one online, we will close the public
hearing. U Mr. City Attorney, anything else that you need or Mr. Mr. Sander, by way of clarification? No, I think we're No, we're clear. Yeah. So, so you're amending would be amending. So, I would I would move that we adopt the resolution y with with the
amendment that we authorize the manager to expend uh up to the budget line which I thought it was $130,000. The line item has 156,000 $156,000. Okay. Which we've approved in our budget for planning services
pursuant to this contract. and that any expenditure in excess of $30,000 be provided to uh be reported to the commission uh by the city manager once the contract is encumbered. Got it. Okay. Is there a second as part of their
report to us? Correct. Yes. Yes. At the subsequent meeting. So yeah, I'll second. Okay. With that any any discussion? Okay. Uh, madam clerk, we have a motion and a motion by myself, a second by Commissioner Bonich. If you could call the role, please. Yes. Commissioner Kay, yes. Commissioner
Rodriguez, yes. Commissioner Bonish, yes. Vice Cory, yes. Mayor Fernandez, yes. Item passes. Thank you. If we can uh call uh the add-on item F1, please. Number one is what? Is there
someone here for number one? We have No, we we only have we have no consent. Do we have resolutions? Yes. I was just going to take uh I know we have um Oh my gosh, I'm now having a senior moment. Uh Mr. Crowder, Kevin Crowder, thank you with business flares
here. So, that's why I wanted to take up the uh the CRA discussion without objection. Okay. And clerk, if you can read F1, please. Yes. F1, Community Redevelopment Agency um CRA discussion. Thank you. I think uh at our last workshop, Mr. manager, we had asked you
to procure a proposal. Do you have something to share with us? That's correct, sir. Um and we we've shared um a proposal by business flare, which principal is Mr. Kevin Crowder here with us today. Um and that proposal is a scope of work for finding of necessity,
which be the initial step to be taken in assessing uh potential CRA. Um so that's to the tune of 275 to do that finding of necessity. Certainly, Mr. Crowder is here to to be able to share some light on on that process. The scope pretty much outlines what those tasks are, but
certainly he can uh illuminate a little bit more on that. He's worked on other uh CRA uh work throughout this community and and um he's currently part of the placemaking as a subconsultant to that process and and and certainly has worked with plusbia inc plan which would be the
next step. Um so um this is before you and I think we've shared a copy of the proposal. Okay, colleagues, any questions of Mr. Crowder regarding the proposal? I know Commissioner Rodriguez, you were not here during the workshop when we gave the manager direction. I know this is an
item that is important to you. So do you want to kick us off with any questions if you have any or No, this is this is basically just to give the manager the go-ahhead to start working on it. I mean all the details and the points of what we're going to do with the CRA is going to come down the line,
right? So, correct. Yeah. So, the um this is uh the first of what I would say are three key documents and please correct me if I'm wrong. Number one is the finding of necessity which kind of sets or you know is our uh study the
evidence that we meet the statuto requirements to create one and then a negotiate interlocal with the county on the establishment of the of the district and the trust fund and then lastly is the adoption of a CRA plan which would govern the expenditure and priorities of
the CRA. So both the F interlocal and the CRA plan all have to be approved by this board and the county commission for the CRA to be enacted. Correct. That's correct. Thank you. Mr. Crowder, do you want to add anything else? I I think
that's it. We uh so those are the three documents that would be necessary. We've been I mean we've worked for we've done work in 12 of the CRA just here in Miami date county about 40 over the last five years. We just finished the city side of the completion
of the creation of a CRA in Alabama for the city of Miami. Um, I'm happy to answer any questions. The finding is a pretty straightforward process. It's it's physical examinations of conditions of blight as defined by the statute if they exist as well as looking at some
data, some data that we maintain and that we have access to and a couple of places places that or pieces that we get from the city. Crime uh emergency service calls, building code violations, and We we find the the flight exists, package that and then get you start over
that process. Commissioner K, you're recognized. Um have we reviewed the previous flight that we had and do we see any changes whe whether it's our demographics, crime because I mean a lot of those things have dropped. So do you
see obviously there's variations from what it was before what it is now. So there have been changes. There have been some changes and I think that that some of the conditions of life that existed um in certain areas have but have changed but we do see some of those
still existing. I know in 2019 you had a finding of necessity done to expand the boundaries of the CRA and some of those I mean defective rightway. You still have defective rightway in the proposed boundaries. Um um outdated you know, the outdated
building density patterns. I think I think you still have that in existence. I think that's changed. I think that that the level of that that you have as contributing to blight is is maybe a little more localized. Um I'm not sure that you have the
commercial vacancy that you had at that time. Um residential, I don't have a good sense. It's probably unchanged since 2019. We'd have to get into that and analyze that. Um you know, at the It had a higher incident of crime than than the city as a whole. When you're
speaking about just so I'm think are you talking about the 20 as compared to the 2019 study or or the original CR? This is as compared to the 2019 study for that expanded area. I have not reviewed the going all the way back to the original study which I think was 2000 maybe around 2000
1998. There we go. Thank you James. Thanks James. And uh at the time it was a higher incidence of building poke violations in 2019. At that time I don't have a sense of of that yet. It may not be but obviously you're doing the report so we can understand that. My only fear here
is that we're we don't qualify and but you wouldn't know until you finish reporting. So well I I again it's I think we have to satisfy how many two of the 15 indisha in the statute. What's the standard? I forget. There are two. So there are 15 standards in statute that that find blight and you that's
correct, mayor. You have to meet two of those. I think we'll I think we'll pretty easily do that. And and I'm I I will tell you that that when I looked at it and we're familiar with South Miami and as was mentioned, we're on the buseria team. We've worked for South Miami Hometown and Red Sunset Merchants
Association when they were thinking about trying to create a business improvement district. And um you know we if I was concerned that you were not going to meet the two criteria of blight I would do a deeper evaluation before getting to the step asking you to enter
into a contract and spend money. All right that that was the root of my question. I appreciate that. Thank you. Further questions just uh in terms of timing for this Kevin what's your expectation in terms of uh time to complete the F and
then I've seen this done in all sorts of sequences we did the omni expansion at the city you know in the as right this was the last piece that was done as a should be the first usually but the jurisdictions negotiated the extension modified the CRA plan and then did the
when after the fact. So, I know we're starting in the right order, right? Um, colleagues, from my perspective, there's a window of time to get this done, which is probably this calendar year to get all three approved by the by our board and the county commission. So, I just want to get a sense of the time to get this done and then, you know, when
should we start uh preparing the plan and I think some limited public outreach to kind of gauge what priorities are in the downtown and the community that will probably be part of the historic boundary. Um, and if you can give us a sense of the cost of those two other well, that one other piece because the
other piece is the legal instrument which our city attorney will negotiate. Right. So, the the finding itself will probably take about six weeks. I think it'll take us about four weeks to prepare it, but we're going to we'll have to work with the city and gather some of the data and pull that in. But that's usually a pretty quick process.
Um, some of the pieces there will be an existing conditions element sort of the phase one existing conditions as part of that that then can inform the plan. So there's there's some pieces of that, you know, call it six six weeks for for that. Um, you know, the plan public
engagement, you know, I don't expect that that there's going to be a whole lot, but we'll do surveys. We oneon one we'll we'll get names from each of you on who are the key people we want to make sure that we talk to and then see what other sort of outreach we need to do um in Alipata we did surveys we did
one-on- ones we did one uh open house on a Saturday but it's much much larger CRA footprint wise it's a very large CR it's larger than the Overtown and Omni CRA come um but you know we've been doing this a long time and we're familiar with their
we you know we we understand what those needs are going to Also keep in mind that there's limitations on what you can do in a CRA and with your TIF money. Um, and a lot of times, you know, there's there's a lot there's more hopes and dreams for an area than you're than things that you're
authorized to do with TIFF. Um, you know, Alipata finding and and um the plan was about 10 to 12 week process. Now, that was under the gun of a potential effective bill in Tallahassee of July 1st. And so, that
one ended up getting getting accelerated um quite a bit. But the the timing for the plan itself is usually a three to four month process um to do with the plan. Um you know, we we talked to staff earlier today. It's it's in the 65 to 90
range, but again, there's different things that that impact that. I would I bet. I mean, if we were going to do it here, it's probably in the high 60s, 60 68. Okay. So, I So, I appreciate that. Uh obviously time is time is very
valuable to all of us and uh you know be I mean in my mind what I want to potentially use this tool for is to you know finance any portion of our streetscape enhancements, rebuild our transit station which you know is not
climatized and not a good amenity for that reason. you know, focus on upgrading our water and sewer infrastructure in this district so we can serve the future of residential units. And then, you know, the last thing, you know, um other priorities for me is rationalizing and financing some
of these intersection improvements and enhancing the connectivity across US1. But I know that Sunset Place also is very motivated to have this tool in place because their colleagues likely going to create a uh community
development district which is a financing mechanism for their infrastructure that will in in part the debt service for the bond that they'll issue will be paid by they'll probably come to us and ask us to do a deal on on TIFF generated on their site. That's a
whole more complicated conversation, but those two things are intersected and, you know, they do have a very s significant infrastructure lift that uh, you know, we obviously want to help them get over so we can get our project there started. Uh, I say that all to say those
to me are the main motivators for wanting to do this quickly. I also mention that because I think I'm going to turn to my friends and partner over there, Mr. if they could if they could explore the possibility of helping us with a portion of the cost of the not the fighting of necessity but the actual
CRA plan. Um I just asked the manager to speak to them about that as a possibility and see if we can you know do some cost sharing since it's not just going to benefit you know us as a city but also specifically as a project. So, um, anyhow, I'm hoping we can entertain
a motion to we don't need to approve a motion that it's this is within the manager's procurement authority. If we have no objections, I just want to give the manager direction to get started. No objection. Okay. No. Yes, you're right. I made through the mayor. Um, so I just I I apologize. I missed
the the last meeting. Uh I one priority for me as far as the CRA and and what we can do with it is again this I'm just giving you a broad stroke is how we can use it to incentivize businesses to come into um into our city. And I'm, you
know, when when I'm saying it's not someone who's just creating a brand new business and that we're talking about trying to bring in established people who have been in process, the the requirements can be set later. That's down the road. But I do want to stress that that that you know,
the business aspect and bringing good businesses to our um downtown or Marshall Williamson area and those related projects anywhere that we can, that that for me is a is a high priority. Yeah. No. And I I I I share it. I would and Mr. Crowder can probably
comment because he probably watches this all more closely than we do, but um those are the kind of things that have been the subject of a lot of controversy in Tallahassee. Um certainly there a lot of scrutiny about events
uh festivals um some business uh grants that have been underwritten by CRAAS have been the subject of a lot of conversation and a lot of criticism by CRAAS and other jurisdictions. I don't know if you want to elaborate on the kinds of things that traditionally maybe
some entities have done that have kind of fallen out of favor with, you know, our the legislature in recent years and and I'm sorry. Um and and if I may preface it, I've worked directly with the CRA in Hallland and in Del Rey where
it was used for businesses to bring in quality businesses. One was on Atlantic Avenue, the other one was offendale Boulevard, which completely regenerated a whole block. So, and that's kind of what I'm looking obviously I know that
we don't uh you know, how do I say like but I think I think so, you know, corporate socialism or we're not trying to welfare, you know, but there there's a way that we can do it where, you know, and I know because I've seen it done and I've I've
been part of it. That's right. and and of course the rules we're playing by keep changing and and what we can do keep shrinking but and we've worked in both of those and Allenale we've worked on the developer side on the Howlandale city center project which is there on on
West Dixie on Dixie Highway and what we've done is and there's also like you can't support non forprofits there's attorney general opinions that have come out on that but there's once you figure out the need and you figure out the goal then you can look at the statute and say okay whats the ways that we can do this.
And so sometimes that means it's you're not going to be giving operational grants and that sort of funding to an organization, but you can work with your developer partner to incorporate space. And that's what we did in Haladell City Center to make sure that we could attract a supermarket that we could attract small entrepreneurial startups
and pop-ups and have space for that. So we were able to figure out what are those needs and how can we incorporate those within the spirit and more in the spirit what's going to be most likely next year uh more more of a letter of the law that they incorporate in there.
It's just a matter of of you know, they may have one need over here, but we can find a way to meet that need over here in a way that complies with chapter 163. And to think to to your point, there are things we can do to, you know, um, you know, pay, you know, offset the
cost of permitting fees. Correct. Right. Uh, pay for water and sewer connections or upgrades for existing buildings. I I think that the the more we stay in the in the ambit of infrastructure, right? Um as opposed to, you know, some some
other orans have done like capital, you know, facade grants to buildings, etc. Some of that stuff is being scrutinized more closely, although it's been done historically. And so, but I know that there's going to be a healthy amount of skepticism of the county commission about this vehicle. And the more we get
out of bread and butter kind of stuff, you know, the the more we we risk the likelihood that we don't get uh enough votes to support it uh reincarnation. The last priority, which I forgot to mention, I apologize. It's a big part of the statute is focus on affordable housing or workforce housing. And so
this is also a vehicle potentially to do something on city- owned property or in the district to kind of you know shepherd a project to create you know opportunities for people in the workforce to you know live near work right and that has been a lot of the work that we've done in in where we're
not working for the CRA but on with developers has been on affordable housing and the needs the ways that CRAAS can help meet that facade grants we've still seen supportive but it's we've had CRAAS that have been doing all kinds of different sort of grants and program programs on the interior. Those are getting
lumped in sort of with the parades and the festivals and other things that are really targeted. What we heard, I've been to Tallahassee four times this this session with this 991. They want to see things built. That's how they look at the statute. And it can be infrastructure that they want to see built or they want to see brick and
mortar. They want to see those stores. That's that's why we try and adapt. In North Miami, um, one of the incentive programs we do is offsetting building permit fees, impact fees. Impact fees was a big affordable housing that we were able to do.
Appreciate that. So, any further questions? If not, we'll wrap up the conversation. Mr. Manager, I think the direction is to proceed, colleagues, correct? So, uh, look forward to working with you on this. Likewise. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Um, moving on. I think we've got a
couple more items. You want to read item one for the record, Madam Clerk? Yes. Item one, a resolution of the mayor city commission of the city of South Florida approving and authorizing a waiver of certain event related fees and cost in Mount Tennessee 366.84 pursuant to a section 15B6 of the
city code for a special event known as the Twilight 5K run walk presented by team footworks educational and fitness corporation to be held on Sunday June 1st 2025. Thank you. Colleagues in Lou full presentation. Do you have any questions for the director? Seeing none.
Is there a motion? Motion to move. Motion to approve. Okay. Is there a second? Second. There's a motion by Commissioner Rodriguez, a second by uh the vice mayor. Um Madam Clerk, if you can call the role. Excellent presentation.
Commissioner Cay, yes. Commissioner Bonish, yes. Commissioner Rodriguez, yes. Vice Mayor Cory, yes. Mayor Fernandez, yes. Item passes 5. Okay, madam clerk, if I'm keeping track accurately, I think that leads us to discussion items. Is that correct? Yes. Okay. So, Commissioner Rodriguez, if we
can read item one, and then I'll defer to you, sir. Yes. Commissioner Rodriguez, review parking hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Thank you, sir. You're recognized. So, this one's simple. Um, where This one's simple. Oh, man. There we go. Just cursed it right
there. Um, yeah, especially that uh Alfredo's not here. Exactly. Well, that was pretty simple. No. Um, so currently on Friday and Saturdays, or let me start over.
Monday through Thursday and Sunday, we enforce parking till 1000 p.m. at night. Fridays and Saturdays are two busiest nights. We enforce to 12:00 p.m. Oh, he's back. He's back. Bam.
So, no, but I feel that being our two busiest nights, you know, I I I came out of Great Vape the other day and I'm walking to my car and I see someone that's there in here or here in our city and um having a good time and enjoying our facilities and has a
parking ticket at 11 o'clock at night and that just like eats at me. Um, we did the study and it would basically be a loss to the city of $45,000 annually, give or take, uh, for reducing those two hours and just making
it through enforcement through 10 p.m. through the entire week. And I think just we're we're a city that's growing. We're a city that's asking people to come to our city. We have Grape Ape now. We have BarbellA. We have Reco Foxes. you know, we're we're building a a a a
group of good restaurants. I think that it's good to not go so deep into the giving tickets aspect of this government and um
give give these patrons a a little breathing room. And you know, I understand every city requires parking to pay for parking. I'm not saying don't do it. I just said, "Let's stop it at 10:00. That way when people get out, you know, at 11, 12:00, there's not a ticket
on their car and give them leave that as the last thing that they experienced in our city." Comments. Okay. We don't want your comments. Uh, Christian, I mean, I I I I echo the sentiment wholeheartedly. I would just
suggest this by way of modification. So, I had Mr. for river. I'll prepare a year ago. Uh a lovely analysis that basically tells us parking by hour and day for a week and then parking citation tickets
issued which can be a proxy for revenue and I want to reduce the hours as you suggested. Um, I think we probably make sense to reduce it Friday and Saturday as you're proposing, but I also think that there's probably days like Sunday where we have
very little parking revenue, a lot of parking citations, and we probably want to encourage people come in here and have brunch, right? And so reducing parking enforcement and maybe giving people the free day on Sunday makes equal sense. So with with with your with your indulgence, what I would suggest is
rather than just moving directing them to do it for these specific days and changing the enforce hours, let's look at how the district's performing in terms of demand and adjust the enforcement to not suppress demand on days where it's already soft. So because
what we saw the way in part we got to some of the modification the hours as we had them today is we saw that in the hours that we were enforcing before which went beyond 10 o'clock during the week. We enforced to midnight y right there was no parking demand. No one was parking anywhere in the district but we were issuing tickets and so you saw a
lot of tickets being issued and there was negligible parking revenue in the inventory. So I I think I I would say let the numbers guide us to where we should go in terms of you know where we have soft demand. Let's dial back the enforcement so that we can encourage
people to come into the district and and and enjoy it as opposed to um as opposed to just kind of arbitrarily picking days. I'm not saying I think your I think your selection of days is wellounded because even after 10 demand for spaces on Friday and Saturday
drops off significantly. So, I think the numbers will bear it out, but I would just suggest to to the to our commissioner's point uh in her prior conversation about fees, she should look at the whole obviously let's look at the whole picture and maybe come up with a with a suggested solution. Oh, okay.
Well, I'm sorry. I'm I'm a little So, but it it's 45,000 is what we lose in dropping those two hours, those two days. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, and you want to go to check see on Sunday when it's soft and add less parking enforcement on
Sunday. So I I think ages ago here we had it was free parking on Sundays. No, never. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So I I've heard from residents that there one point was like you could park here for free on Sundays. So that's not at least not through 2010.
But yeah, so I again I I support like I'm whole hog on team reduce hours. I beat that I beat that horse to death before by myself and you ask them to do the analysis. I would just say let's take a look at where we are, how this is performing so we're not working off old
data and figure out where we modify enforcement so we can help support the man. That's all I'm suggesting. Uh Madame Commissioner, you want to say something? I just want to remind everybody that is sitting on this deis that every time
that we squeeze this balloon and we give up revenue, we're giving up revenue. Okay? And I everybody's like, "We want to wave fees for event. We just did it. We want
to lower parking. We want we want to lower lower a lot of things." And that's that's great. I don't have a problem with that. We just have to see where the money is going to come from. We can't take away from here and not add here. You know, it it it wouldn't work at your
house. At your house, you you can't turn around and say, you know what, I'm not going to do I'm I'm not going to pay my electrical and this and this and so I'm going to have a bucket of money over here. You know what I mean? No, it's 100% agree. But I think I think the worst the worst the worst thing we can
do is balance our budget on the back of enforcement revenue, which is what we've done here for decades, right? We this little 350 spot inventory generates $3 million of recurring revenue. $800,000 plus dollars of enforcement revenue that keeps people from coming here. I'd
rather I'd rather have more people come, have the real estate become more valuable because it's more highly sought after and utilized. rents go up, valuations go up, and that drives more revenue into our general fund. Right? So, there is I think there's we've got to create a virtuous cycle for
investment. And right now, I share I share Commissioner Rodriguez's opinion. We cut our nose to spite our face because again, as you said before, we roll out the red carpet and then we business and then we're pulling it back from under their feet because when people come on a Tuesday night at 10:00, they get a parking ticket and there's
literally five cars on the street. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with the parking thing because like I said in an interview when I was first elected, I think the best thing of sitting up here is none of this garbage. It's free parking. That is we get no parking
tickets. Exactly. But if we're taking something away, we got to add something somewhere else. And and that's our responsibility. And I see we minus minus minus. At some point we are going to have to plus plus plus plus somewhere
else because guess what? The money's flying out of the back of the pickup truck. $45,000. We say it here like it's $3. $45,000 is somebody's salary. Okay? It's that's a lot of
money. So, I'm just saying when we have this conversation, I do not disagree with you that people get really unhappy when they get a parking ticket. I think that's the case universally. I am saying while we have these conversations, one
of us, all of us, some of us, somebody in this universe needs to come up with where is this money going to come from or where are we going to save it elsewhere? We we're all aware of that. Yeah, but we're not doing it. So, we better go with the money, honey. Gym fees. Gym fees. There you go. I don't
have a problem. Okay. So, how do we want to proceed? Um, is there a direction you want to give uh Alfredo to do some more re So, you again, I'm just trying to Am I the only one? I'm
I'm just trying to figure out exactly. I know we're on the same page. I'm just trying to figure out where we're different. That's it. I just say uh I would just say Alfredo bring back you know give me a week last month with the chart that says revenues by by day by hour right for parking and then enforcement and we're looking at the two
to figure out there's demand from 12 to 2 during the week for lunch we should enforce the hell out of the parking to make sure that people are turning it over but from 7 to 10 on a Wednesday there's no one parking in the district as evidence by the parking revenues maybe we should
cut back enforcement Right. So, I I just say let's take a look at the picture, the full picture, revenues versus citation revenue, because I think what we're going to find is that we are my the last time I looked at this, which is now 18 months ago, we were way over enforcing the district
given the demand. We have two streets where our parking inventory is highly soughta and then everything else in the district, even at peak hours, is pretty light except except during the middle of the day. I'm good with that. I I mean at the end of the day I just wanted to all of that is going to be at the end of
the day to Commissioner Mon's point there's going to be a limit on how much we can absorb in any year in terms of reducing enforcement because we still need to bring that parking revenue home maybe less enforcement but that parking revenue need to stay relatively stable. So that's we'll have to figure out what the right balance is but I rather look
at the whole picture if you're okay with that. Okay. I'm I'm fine with that. Okay. So is that something you can put together for us again Alfredo? Okay. Thank you. Thank you, sir. I know. I know. He's thrilled. Okay. Further discussion. Okay. Seeing none, uh, Madam Clerk, if
you can read item two, please. Item two. Commissioner Rodriguez supplementing the $3,000 shortage to the Marshia Williamson scholarship. So, this one's this one's just short. Um, spoke to the manager about this. uh we he uh staff and and and with our
great parts director Quinton um found the money basically this was there we have the money for 10 scholarships there's three extra scholarships we don't want to leave those three you know we want to we want to give them their scholarship found the money we're good
okay thank you for that thank you any any further comments or reports commissioners I did I had something really quick please yes you're recognized thank you very We didn't have the opportunity to have the discussion we normally have before the meeting. So, I just wanted to make the board preview you a conversation I
had with Alfredo um regarding annexation. We probably should have had a map on the first resolution that I did for this. But essentially, I saw sort of a gap area that would be interesting to include in our study, which we'll see the feedback on hopefully in the first
Sunshine meeting in June, but area B was not included. And for the benefit of the public, that's an area that's north of 64th, west of 67th Avenue, and south of Blue Road 48th. Um, so that area was not included in the original resolution. So
I asked Alfredo to create two models, one with the original area with the um that was part of the resolution and one with this extra area which is all um residential. So hopefully in June 6 or or soon after that we'll have the the
the sort of back of the napkin on revenue and costs for for this. So area A, just to be clear, is uh Builtmore Heights and the areas north of 64 Street that are incorporated D. Yes. Okay. Yeah. And that's already been uh given
direction to the city to look into that. Okay. And then area B was not included in the original resolution. It's all residential. Um, and it would create a gap as which we're trying to sort of avoid and creating a more continuous service area. It would create a gap.
It would leave that it would leave us uh I guess that's is that 67th or Yeah, 67th. So, leave us a gap between I guess 62nd and 67th south of Blue Road that Yeah. otherwise would be out of our boundary. Oh, okay. Okay. Can I can I ask commissioner or vice mayor, excuse
me, what is that large parcel just where it says area B there? Do you know area? Uh, that's a school. It's a school. Okay. What school is that? Uh, the elementary. Is that not the elementary? The I think it's the elementary. Is it? No, I think that that's uh South Miami
High School. Okay. South Miami High. That's what I thought. Okay. I wasn't sure. All right. Sorry. There's no street. There's no street. There's no street because I think that I think that's Miller right there because my house. That's right. We can hit a golf ball from your house there. Yeah, that's true. Okay. Oh, yeah. But that would also allow us to uh be connected to the
Lum Trail in that area as well. And obviously we don't want gaps. That's the whole point of this. Thank you. Yeah. Comments, colleagues. Okay. Just a quick question. So, um, Vice Mayor Corey, so this area here, that's the commercial area. We're not
going to include that or No. And we can't because of the moratorum. Okay. Uh, though there is some analysis on the Bird Road commercial. Uh I I didn't want to share numbers that I heard from Alfredo yet because they're still working on it, but it's very minimal. It's very minimal, but we're procluded
from asking for it. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Any other reports? Seeing none and having no further business before this commission, we stand adjourned.