[00:00:02]
UH, WELCOME TO THE JUNE 28TH FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE MEETING.
UH, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL FRIDAY MORNING IN MIAMI BEACH.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE ME IF I'M NOT ABLE TO MASTER THIS NEW MICROPHONE SYSTEM, SO HOPEFULLY MY COLLEAGUES WILL BEAR WITH ME.
THIS MAY BE, UH, A TRIAL AND ERROR.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, WANT TO KICK IT OVER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY TO KICK US OFF.
THEN WE'LL GO TO OUR CFO, UH, FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET RIGHT INTO THINGS.
GOOD MORNING TO TODAY'S FINANCE.
TODAY'S MEETING OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN SCHEDULED IN A HYBRID FORMAT WITH A QUORUM OF THE COMMITTEE PHYSICALLY PRESENT, AND REMAINING MEMBERS, STAFF, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC APPEARING EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM.
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S MEETING, VIRTUALLY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY DIAL 1-888-475-FOUR 4 9 9 TOLL FREE, AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH IS 8 6 3 6 0 5 9 5 4 6 2 POUND, OR LOG INTO THE ZOOM APP AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH IS AGAIN, 8 6 3 6 0 5 9 5 4 6 2.
ANY INDIVIDUAL WISHING TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM, MUST CLICK THE RAISE HAND ICON IF THEY'RE USING THE ZOOM APP, OR DIAL STAR NINE IF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING BY PHONE.
[DEFERRED ITEMS]
FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS.ITEM ONE, ITEM SIX, ITEM 12, 19 22, AND 23 ARE DEFERRED.
ITEM 16 HAS A 10:45 AM TIME CERTAIN NUMBER 14 HAS AN 11:00 AM TIME CERTAIN
[FUTURE ITEMS]
THE ITEM 25, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A FUTURE ITEM.UH, COMMISSIONER BOT HAS REQUESTED TO BE ADDED TO AS A CO-SPONSOR AND, AND WILL BE RECORDED THAT FOR THE JULY MEETING.
AND THERE'S A REQUEST, UH, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ WON'T BE WITH US, AND HE HAS REQUESTED THAT HIS ITEMS NUMBER SEVEN AND NUMBER 11 ARE MOVED TO THE JULY 12TH, UH, FERC BUDGET WORKSHOP.
AND IF CHAIR, IF YOU'RE, UH, OKAY WITH THAT, WE COULD SHOW THOSE ITEMS TO JUST BE DISCUSSED AT THE WORKSHOP.
AND THEN JUST ONE LAST THING FOR THE ORDER IS THAT JULY 12TH, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP, WHICH ORIGINALLY GONNA BE AT 10 30, UH, WILL BE MOVED UP TO 9:00 AM SO IT'LL BE A 9:00 AM TO 12:00 AM UH, UH, SLOT.
[NEW BUSINESS]
AND BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 13.UH, THIS IS THE, UH, CONVEYANCE OF ERROR RIGHTS EASEMENT AT FERRY LANE.
UH, ALTHOUGH BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, ONE OF THE THINGS I, I'LL LET OUR CITY ATTORNEY INTRODUCE, I REALLY WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE HAD THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANNA FOCUS ON DURING THIS DISCUSSION, IS IF I COULD READ THE ITEM INTO THE RECORD.
UH, NUMBER 13, DISCUSS CONVEYANCE OF AIR RIGHTS EASEMENT, MMS SEVEN, FARLEY LANE, LLC, ITEM NUMBER 13.
SIR, YOU WANNA COME UP AND INTRODUCE THE ITEM? GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS JOSEPH PARDO, PARDO LAW IN MIAMI BEACH.
I REPRESENT THE APPLICANT, MMS FERRY.
UH, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT TO YOU AT THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING, AND IT WAS DEFERRED FOR A MONTH TO ALLOW US TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THE ESSENCE OF THE ITEM IS THAT THE APPLICANT IS SEEKING TO PURCHASE AIR RIGHTS FROM THE CITY OVER A SMALL ALLEYWAY ON FERRY LANE, SO THAT IT CAN, UH, COMBINE TWO PARCELS WITH A, A UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE UNDERSTOOD FROM THE LAST MEETING THAT WE WANTED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND SINCE THE LAST MEETING, I WAS ABLE TO REACH OUT TO AND OBTAIN, UH, CLOSE TO 70% OF THE SUPPORT OF THE RESIDENTS ON FERRY LANE, INCLUDING EACH OF THE NEIGHBORS OF THE APPLICANT'S PROPERTY, THE OTHER RESIDENTS, AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS, INCLUDING THE ENTIRE APARTMENT COMPLEX COM, UH, DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY.
UH, WE'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO RA.
WE INTEND TO HAVE A HOLISTIC CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT POTENTIAL ALLOCATION OF THE USE OF THE SALE PROCEEDS.
UH, WE DEFER TO THE COMMITTEE ON ITS JUDGMENT AND ADHERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
DO WE HAVE ANY REPRESENTATIVES OF BIERA POSSIBLY ON THE LINE, BECAUSE I, I DO WANNA SEE, UM, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT ENGAGEMENT AND MOVING FORWARD.
I'M NOT SURE WHO THEY WOULD BE OR WHO, SEAN, PATRICK, CAROL, JACK ROBBINS, OR ME.
I'LL, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ TO MAKE
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A COMMENT.AND IF YOU SEE ANYBODY RAISE THEIR HANDS AND WANNA PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, WANNA GIVE A PRIORITY TO THAT? YEAH, ALL I SEE IS A 5 7 1 NUMBER CAPTION JASMINE CART SPANISH.
SO, SO WE'LL LEAVE IT, UH, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, WE TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
AND IF THERE ARE MEMBERS OF RA, UH, THAT ARE ONLINE AND WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, DIAL IN JUST WITH THEIR COLLECTIVE THOUGHTS, UM, AND HOW THEY WOULD, UH, CHOOSE TO PROCEED, IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, SO WHEN THIS ITEM CAME UP LAST TIME, I HAD, UH, BEEN CONTACTED BY THE BELL ISLE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION, AND THEY HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED.
AND, UM, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT AT THAT MEETING, THE CITY ADMINISTRATION WOULD REACH OUT TO BERA, AND AS OF LAST NIGHT, THEY HAD NOT HEARD FROM THE CITY.
ALSO, THIS IS A RESIDENT'S RIGHT TO KNOW ITEM, AND IT WASN'T TAGGED AS SUCH.
SO THAT'S WHY, UH, BERA WAS UPSET.
UM, I HAVE EMAIL CONNECTED, UH, JOE, WHO'S ALSO A BELL ISLE RESIDENT WITH THE BUREAU BOARD SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE COMMUNICATIONS.
THE BIGGEST CONCERN WITH BUREAU IS HOW IS THE MONEY GOING TO BE ALLOCATED TO BENEFIT BUREAU? AND, UM, WITH THAT, I'LL GIVE IT BACK TO THE CHAIR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
AND, UH, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I DIDN'T SEE ANY ISSUES WITH THIS.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE MODEST IMPACT.
UM, BUT I GUESS IT'LL BE AMONGST, UH, OUR COLLEAGUES' DECISION, UH, IF WE WANT TO ESSENTIALLY MOVE THIS FORWARD OUT OF COMMITTEE, UH, AND ESSENTIALLY ENSURE THAT BUREAU, UH, HAS THEIR, UM, VOICES ADDRESSED BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.
BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THAT ESSENTIALLY PREVENTS US FROM MOVING IT OUT OF COMMITTEE, ENGAGING THEM.
AND IF WE GET TO A POINT WHERE, UH, THEY DON'T AGREE, WE CAN ESSENTIALLY PIVOT IN COMMISSION.
BUT I WANNA BE SURE THAT MY COLLEAGUES FEEL THE SAME, MR. PARDO AND I WANNA MAKE AN AFFIRMATIVE REPRESENTATION THAT I WILL REACH OUT AND CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH BERA AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS DIRECTLY WITH THEM BETWEEN NOW AND GOD WILLING WHEN IT GOES TO COMMITTEE, UH, EXCUSE ME, TO COMMISSION.
UH, MR. PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
UM, GOOD, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR.
UH, JOE GOMEZ, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED, UM, WE'RE IN FAVOR OF, OF, OF GRANTING THIS, UH, AIR RIGHTS.
UH, THERE IS A PUBLIC BENEFIT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THAT WE'VE OUTLINED THE MEMO, UH, WHICH IS A, UH, APPROXIMATELY $803,250 IN FAVOR OF THE CITY.
MR. CITY ATTORNEY, ANY ENGAGEMENT ON THE PHONE? UH, I, NOBODY HAS HIS OR HER HAND RAISED.
THERE IS A PHONE NUMBER, UH, THERE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DIAL IN, BUT I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF WHO THAT IS.
THEN I, I GUESS, UH, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, I, I WANT TO GIVE, I KNOW THIS IS YOUR BACKYARD, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND, UH, VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO YOU.
SO I WANT TO GIVE DEFERENCE WHERE I'M AT.
I'D BE COMFORTABLE MOVING THIS FORWARD, GIVEN IT SEEMS RELATIVELY BENIGN.
WE HAVE A POSITIVE AFFIRMATION FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THIS PROJECT THAT'LL ENGAGE WITH BERA.
AND IT SEEMED LIKE THEIR CONCERNS WEREN'T ABOUT WHETHER THIS PROJECT HAS MERIT, RATHER JUST HOW THESE FUNDS WOULD BE ALLOCATED.
SO I'D BE COMFORTABLE MOVING OUT OF COMMITTEE, BUT IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT FEELING, I'M GONNA GIVE DEFERENCE TO YOU.
THEN DOES ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, UH, TO THE COMMISSION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
SO THIS IS BEING MOVED TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION? YES.
PLEASE SHOW, UH, COMMISSIONER BOT YOU.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA HOLD YOU TO THAT, SO, OKAY.
UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10, UH, DISCUSSION REGARDING, UH, FITNESS AND FASHION.
UH, I'M SORRY, JUST FITNESS FESTIVAL IN MARCH, MIAMI, MARCH, 2025.
UH, LET ME HAND IT OVER TO MY, UH, COLLEAGUE, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM.
UH, SO WE, A WHILE AGO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MEMORIAL DAY, AND MEMORIAL DAY WAS, WAS PRETTY MUCH SOLVED WITH THE AIR AND SEA SHOW, AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR SPRING BREAK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK OF BRINGING MEGA CONCERTS, UM, TO, TO SOUTH BEACH FOR, FOR SPRING BREAK, UM, UH, AND A HOST OF OTHER ACTIVITIES.
I THINK IF WE REALLY WANT TO REBRAND MIAMI
[00:10:01]
BEACH DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO IT THAN A MARCH FITNESS MONTH? CAN, YOU KNOW, MIAMI BEACH IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE SUN, THE WEATHER, UM, THE BEACHES, AND WHAT BETTER PLACE DO YOU HAVE A REAL FIT? A A HOST OF FITNESS EVENTS IN THE WORLD, UH, IN THE MONTH OF MARCH FOR MIAMI BEACH? AND SO, UM, I WANTED TO BRING THIS TO MY COLLEAGUES, CHECK THE TEMPERATURE, AND, AND SEE HOW WE FEEL FOR A POSSIBLY 2026 START.UM, I KNOW FROM, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUES ON AADE, THAT I THINK 2025, WE ALSO, WE WANNA REPEAT WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR.
I THINK FOR 2026, WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE FORWARD THINKING AND, AND REALIZE THAT WE CAN'T JUST SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN, UM, FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF OUR BEST TIMES OF THE YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, I ASKED, UH, LISETTE TO, TO ENGAGE AND, AND, AND DO SOME VERY HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSIONS ON, ON WHAT WE CAN BRING.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE WOULD HAVE ONE WEEK OF PERHAPS HIGH ROCKS.
ANOTHER WEEK WOULD BE CROSSFIT.
UM, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE WATER PALOOZA THAT HAPPENS IN, UH, ACROSS THE, THE BAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD REALLY REBRAND OUR, OUR MONTH OF MARCH FOR MIAMI BEACH.
SO, I, I'D LOVE TO SEE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES THINK ABOUT THIS.
I, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT STEP IN, IN, IN DECIDING THE FUTURE OF, OF WHAT MARGE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR MIAMI BEACH.
LET ME KICK IT OVER TO LIZETTE.
UM, PLEASE GIVE US, UH, YOUR OVERVIEW HERE.
LISA GARCIA, ANTE, DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND CULTURE, CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
AS, UM, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ KEYED IT UP PROPERLY.
UH, WE HAVE HAD HIGH LEVEL CONVERSATIONS WITH HIGH ROCKS SINCE, UH, WE HOSTED MIAMI BEACH LIVE IN 2023.
HIGH ROCKS IS, UM, A HIT TYPE FESTIVAL.
UH, THEY'RE VERY EXCITED TO COME BACK TO MIAMI BEACH IN 2026.
WE ALSO HAD HIGH LEVEL CONVERSATIONS WITH LOUD AND LIVE THE, UH, PRODUCTION COMPANY THAT OVERSEES THE REEBOK CROSSFIT WATER PALOOZA THAT'S BEEN FOR MANY YEARS, UH, IN BAYFRONT PARK.
THEY'RE ALSO EXCITED TO BRING A CROSSFIT EVENT.
UM, AS THE MEMO STATES, WE ARE RECOMMENDING SHOULD THE CITY, UH, COMMISSION APPROVE THIS TO FOCUS ON THE TWO HIGHEST IMPACT WEEKENDS, AS WE'VE DONE IN, IN THE PAST, UH, FOR MARCH OF 2026.
I, I PERSONALLY LOVE THIS IDEA.
I'M NOT GOING TO REHASH ALL THE POSITIVE, UH, ATTRIBUTES THAT IT COULD BRING.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN, UH, IN TURN PAY FOR ITSELF.
UH, WHETHER, ESPECIALLY I REALLY LIKE THAT YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO FORCE A SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE IN TERMS OF TIMING AND RUSH SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS GOING TO BE A CRITICAL PART OF OUR FUTURE AND TRY AND GET IT DONE THE NEXT EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS THAT WE HAVE, ESSENTIALLY, UH, OVER A YEAR TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
AND REALLY ONE HELP DOUBLE DOWN ON OUR MESSAGE OF BREAKING UP WITH SPRING BREAK.
UH, AND THEN WE'VE DISCUSSED WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE.
THIS REALLY SHOWS WHO WE DO WANT TO BE.
UH, WE'LL GET SOME OF THE DETAILS WORKED OUT, BUT FROM A HIGH LEVEL CONCEPT, UH, I'M SUPPORTIVE.
YEAH, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AS WELL.
UM, I THINK IT TIES IN REALLY WELL WITH THE, OUR BLUE ZONE CITIES INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING.
UM, AND I AM AM EAGER TO SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF IT.
I LIKE THE IDEA THAT IT'S BEING FOCUSED ON TWO MONTHS, UH, TWO WEEKS, NOT, YOU KNOW, TAKING OVER THE ENTIRE MONTH.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO PROCEED, UM, AMONG THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SPEAK WITH.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT, THERE ARE GONNA BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT, UM, DECIDE THAT, THAT INFORM THE DECISION ABOUT HOW TO PROCEED AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND WITH WHOM WE PARTNER.
BUT IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING AND FUN TO ALSO HAVE SOMEBODY LIKE ZUMA.
UM, I KNOW THEY HAVE A SUPER HIGH ENERGY, VERY IMPACTFUL, UM, AND, AND MUCH BELOVED ANNUAL FESTIVAL, UH, LIKE EVERYBODY WHO TEACHES ZUMBA APPARENTLY GOES AND DANCES THEIR BRAINS OUT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A FUN COUNTERPOINT TO SOMETHING LIKE HIGH HIGH ROCKS OR CROSSFIT.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONE COULD BE SUPER HARDCORE AND ONE COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY AND FUN, AND NOT, NOT THAT THAT'S NOT FUN,
WHAT'S THAT I, MY ACROSS? WELL, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF VIBE, AND SO IT MIGHT BE FUN TO KIND OF BALANCE 'EM OUT.
SO AS YOU GO ALONG AND DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE, MAYBE YOU COULD FACTOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT INTO THE MIX AS WELL.
BUT I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AND SOME HISTORY.
[00:15:01]
AT, UM, CRUNCH ON MIAMI BEACH.DID IT? THE, YEAH, THE FOUNDER, BETO, HE STARTED BRING HIS CLASS.
UH, YEAH, I USED TO GO TO THAT CLASS, SO, UH, IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND SEE IF THEY'RE INTERESTED.
AND, AND HE ACTUALLY, UH, STILL LIVES IN MIAMI BEACH.
UH, HE'S ONE OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS, UH, WILDLY POPULAR IN COLUMBIA AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, IF, IF, UM, IF I MAY, UH, LIZETTE, IF WE WANT TO, UM, PERHAPS BUDGET THIS FOR 2026, I BELIEVE WE NEED BUDGET PERHAPS MAYBE FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR AND NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST IS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION TO, I GUESS, PUT THIS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OR THE NEXT STEP? SURE.
AND I, UH, AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE HAD HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSIONS, UH, WITH HIGH ROCKS.
UM, THEY MENTIONED THEY WOULD NEED, UH, ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE GAVE THEM IN 2023, WHICH IS ABOUT 600,000, UH, WITH, UH, CROSSFIT LOUD AND LIVE.
THEY MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO 800.
UH, I, AND I DEFER ALSO TO OUR CFO, BUT WE HAVE OUR LARGE SCALE, UH, EVENT FUND THAT'S AT 6 0 6, THAT, THAT'S ALREADY IN THE RECURRING BUDGET THAT WE CAN START, UH, AND USE THAT FOR 2025 AND 26.
BUT JASON, UH, THANK YOU, LIZETTE.
SO, UH, CURRENTLY IN THE 2024 BUDGET, IT WAS A NEW ITEM THAT WAS ADDED, UM, WAS A, UH, COMMUNITY EVENTS, UM, POOL OF FUNDS AVAILABLE AS EVENTS COME UP.
AND, UH, THE COMMISSION HAS APPROVED A, A, A NUMBER OF EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, THAT DIDN'T HAVE ATTACHED FUNDING, YOU KNOW, AS A SPECIFIC ITEM.
BUT WE'VE UTILIZED THAT POOL TO, TO COVER THOSE COSTS.
UM, SO WHAT WE, WE COULD DO, I BELIEVE IT, 600, $6,000 IS AVAILABLE IN THAT POOL.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE OVER THE TWO YEARS, 25 AND 26, 1 0.2 MILLION, AND JUST DOING QUICK MATH, I THINK IT'S AROUND 1.4 MILLION WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THAT.
SO THAT WOULD EXHAUST THE POOL TOTALLY FOR 25 AND 26 AND STILL BE SHORT 200,000, WHICH IS, WHICH IS FINE.
UH, JUST A COUPLE CAVEATS THAT, SO IF THIS GOES BACK TO COMMISSION TO BECOME A, A, YOU KNOW, A, A BUDGET PRIORITY THROUGH THE 25 AND 26 BUDGET PRIORITY, WHAT WE COULD DO IS WE COULD ALLOCATE $600,000 IN THE 25 25 BUDGET DEDICATED TOWARDS THAT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, THE 600 FOR 26 WOULD ALSO BE ALLOCATED, AND WE WOULD THEN HAVE TO PONY UP AN ADDITIONAL 200,026 TO COVER THAT.
THE ONLY CAVEAT I JUST WANTED TO ADD THEN IS, UM, FOR THE COMMISSION TO HOPEFULLY BE MINDFUL THEN WHEN THERE'S THESE EVENTS OF LET'S GIVE $25,000 FOR THIS THING AND 10,000 FOR THIS THING, THEN THERE WOULD BE NO POOL REALLY AVAILABLE TO, TO COVER THAT.
UM, SO JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE, THE CONCEPTS ON, ON THE NUMBERS THERE.
AND THIS ESSENTIALLY BEING A PLACEHOLDER.
ONE THING THAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS IS I CAN SEE THE STRONG POSSIBILITY OF AN ROI ON THIS RIGHT MARCH IS A MONTH WHERE WE WENT FROM HAVING VERY LITTLE DIRECTION IN WHAT WE WANTED TO BE, AND NOW WE'RE IMPLEMENTING CURFEWS AND, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY, UH, TELLING PEOPLE, YES, COME HERE, BUT NO, DO NOT COME HERE.
UM, AND THIS IS, UH, GOING TO KIND OF HELP, UH, RESHAPE AND REINVIGORATE, UH, TIME THAT MIGHT HAVE HAD SOMEWHAT OF AN ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, OF WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE HANDLING SPRING BREAK.
IF I CAN ALSO, MAYBE JUST TO, TO RECOMMEND, UH, THERE'S AROUND $400,000 LEFT IN A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT LEFT IN THE POOL FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT THERE'S AN OUTSTANDING OBLIGATION TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH IS ALSO IN TWO YEARS OF $400,000.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I, SPEAKING TO, TO LIZETTE ABOUT THIS IS THAT WE WOULD JUST UTILIZE THAT OUTSTANDING, UH, UH, REQUIREMENT, UH, FOR THOSE DOLLARS THAT THERE WILL BE A SMALL AMOUNT THAT I WOULD ALLOW TO GET ROLLED, ROLLED OVER, UH, TO COVER THAT.
BUT PERHAPS THE, THE MOTION IS TO GO BACK TO COMMISSION, UH, YOU KNOW, FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENGAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN AGREEMENT, UH, NEGOTIATIONS TO COME BACK TO COMMISSION, UH, FOR THESE, UH, FOR THESE VENDORS WITH A, A BUDGET OF UP TO $1.4 MILLION OF WHICH 600,000 WILL BE ALLOCATED AS PART OF THE LARGE SCALE, UH, POT IN 25.
AND, UH, ANOTHER 800,000 IN 26.
SO, BUT AGAIN, JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS WOULD MEAN THEN THAT THIS WOULD BE ALL OF THE POOL BEING, UH, BEING ALLOCATED, BUT WE'D BE ABLE TO TALK, UH, AT OUR UPCOMING BUDGET RETREATS AND WORKSHOPS, WHICH I THINK THE NEXT ONE IS ACTUALLY FOCUSED ON OPERATING, NOT, WE'VE ALREADY DONE CAPITAL, SO WE'RE DOING OPERATING.
SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT, UH, PRIORITIZING, ACTUALLY REPLENISHING THAT IF WE DECIDE TO ALLOCATE IT IN THIS FASHION.
UH, DOLLARS COULD BE, UH, IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL, UH, SURPLUS, UH, THAT WANNA BE ALLOCATED TOWARDS THAT, UH, SOME DOLLARS, MAYBE THE 200,000, UH, THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA IDENTIFY NEED OR, OR SOME AMOUNT, UH, ADDITIONAL COULD BE ADDED TO IT TO LEAVE SOME AMOUNT IN THE POOL.
AND, AND JUST, I THINK IN THE REALITIES OF THE WORLD, IT'S PROBABLY HELPFUL TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S AT LEAST A HUNDRED OR $150,000.
'CAUSE THINGS WILL COME UP, UH,
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THAT, YOU KNOW, AND LIZETTE CAN SPEAK TO YOU PRIVATELY OFF, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE OTHER POOLS OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE FOR EVENTS AND ALL THE, THE, THE VERY DETAILED PROCESSES THAT SHE'S PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, VERY MANY HUNGER MOUTHS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE INTEREST IN AND, AND RUNNING REALLY GREAT EVENTS HERE AT THE CITY.I, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE INFORMATIVE DIALOGUE.
DO, UH, DO I HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
I WILL SECOND, AND IF I CAN, SO THAT MOTION WOULD BE TO RETURN TO, UH, AGAIN, ALWAYS FOR THE RECORD, RIGHT? UH, RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO, FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENGAGE, UH, WITH THE, UH, RELEVANT VENDORS TO BRING A, UH, FITNESS FESTIVAL DURING MARCH OF 2026, AND TO MAKE IT A BUDGET PRIORITY DURING THE 25 AND 26 BUDGET PROCESS.
COMMISSIONER GON OFF? YES, I'M FINE WITH IT.
WE'LL, WE'LL SHOW YOU UNANIMOUS.
LET'S MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 15, DISCUSSION REGARDING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH DOG BEACH ACCESS PROGRAM AND THE BUDGET PROCESS.
I FEEL LIKE I'M DOING SOMEBODY ELSE'S JOB RIGHT NOW.
AM I DOING YOUR JOB, RICK? NO, I WASN'T SURE IF YOU'D LIKE INTRODUCING OH, NO, THAT, OH, I'M DOING YOUR, ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD.
THAT WAS ITEM NUMBER 15, SORRY.
UH, DISCUSSION REGARDING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DOG BEACH ACCESS PROGRAM AND THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE FI 2025 FISCAL YEAR NUMBER 15.
UM, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY AN EXCITING ITEM FOR US BECAUSE, UH, IT'S, I'M SORRY IF I COULD, UH, JUST NOT FOR MY, UH, KNOWLEDGE, BUT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE'S US BEING WHO APOLOGIZE IF YOU COULD A YOURSELF, I APOLOGIZE.
JOSE, RISK ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS ONE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY HAVE A, AN ISSUE.
WE HAVE DOGS ON THE BEACH, WE WITNESS IT, YOU KNOW, UM, OUR RANGERS WITNESS IT, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, ET CETERA.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE, IT'S AN ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE TACKLED.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EXCITED THAT THIS ITEM CAME BEFORE US.
AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY ONE OF TWO WAYS, RIGHT? ONE IS ENFORCEMENT, ANOTHER ONE IS CREATING AN AVENUE, UM, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO LAWFULLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEIR DOGS ACCESS BEACH AREAS, ET CETERA.
IN 2014, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT INITIATED, UH, A PILOT PROGRAM.
AND THAT PROGRAM REQUIRED REGISTRATION, UH, PAYING $5 IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT, $25 IF YOU WEREN'T A RESIDENT, ET CETERA, TO USE, UH, THE BEACH AREA, UH, ON 81ST STREET.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THEIR DOGS.
AND BASICALLY FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY A FOUR HOUR PERIOD SEASONALLY ADJUSTED.
UH, AND THAT PROGRAM HAS SINCE THEN, UH, WEANED DOWN IN THE SENSE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF USE, UH, OF THE PROGRAM.
SO WE STOPPED, UH, RESTRICTING, YOU KNOW, OR REQUIRING REGISTRATION.
UM, WE DO HAVE FOLKS THAT DO FOLLOW THE RULES.
WE DO HAVE FOLKS THAT USE THE PROGRAM, BUT WE HAVE SEEN, YOU KNOW, DOGS IN THE BEACH IN OTHER AREAS, YOU KNOW, SOUTH BEACH, MID BEACH, ET CETERA.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE PROVIDED OUR COSTS.
UH, WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, AS RECOMMENDED AND AS PROFFERED, YOU KNOW, PARK RANGERS COULD MONITOR, UM, THE BUDGET THAT WE'VE PROVIDED IS KIND OF A, UM, WORST CASE SCENARIO BUDGET IN THE SENSE THAT WE ALWAYS TRY TO MOVE OUR STAFFING AROUND, UM, AND REMAIN FLEXIBLE IN, YOU KNOW, UH, BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, RES STATION AND REPOSITION RANGERS, UH, TO AVOID OVERTIME COSTS.
BUT, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED, UM, ARE INCLUSIVE.
IF WE HAD, UH, OF RANGER COVERAGE DEDICATED THERE DURING THE, UH, ENTIRE PERIOD, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEING PROFITED.
ORIGINALLY, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS 7:00 AM TO 9:00 AM.
UH, HOWEVER, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH ENVIRONMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY, UM, AND THEY'VE RECOMMENDED MAYBE THAT WE PUSH THE HOURS BACK 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM UH, JUST BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S ENOUGH TIME FOR, UH, THE COUNTY TO GO OUT AND DO THE TURTLE NESTING, UH, YOU KNOW, RECONNAISSANCE THAT THEY DO EVERY MORNING, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WE CERTAINLY ARE, UH, HAPPY TO DISCUSS AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, UH, QUESTIONS, ET CETERA.
WE, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, WHY DON'T I KICK AT YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS FIRST, UM, GIVEN THIS YOUR ITEM.
UH, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK JOSE HIT IT ON THE HEAD, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, I, THE PEOPLE BRING THEIR DOGS TO THE BEACHES ANYWAYS.
THIS, THIS GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY OR AN AVENUE FOR A LEGAL PLACE WHERE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DEDICATE OUR RESOURCES FOR CLEANUP AND, AND SANITATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WHAT, SEVEN MILES OF BEACHES.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK THAT WE CAN ENFORCE EVERYWHERE.
BUT IF WE EDUCATE WITH A, UH, WITH,
[00:25:01]
WITH A SPECIFIC PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BRING THEIR DOGS TO THE BEACH AND ENJOY IT DURING A VERY SET SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME, I THINK THAT WOULD BE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT THREE DOGS.
UM, AND I, I, I LOVE BRINGING, YOU KNOW, UH, I, WHEN I, WHEN I CAN BRING MY DOGS TO THE BEACH, I, I EITHER HAVE TO GO TO HAULOVER OR BISCAYNE BEACH, AND, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T SEEM, UH, FEASIBLE FOR A RESIDENT TO DO THAT IF THEY WANT TO ENJOY THE BEACH WITH THEIR DOG.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF TIES IN PERFECTLY WITH OUR BLUE ZONE CITY, UH, INITIATIVE.
IT'S OUR PETS THAT WE CAN BRING, UH, WE CAN GO RUN ON THE BEACH WITH THE DOGS.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A QUALITY OF LIFE.
IT'S ISSUE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE BRINGING TO THE RESIDENTS THAT'S GONNA MAKE LIVING HERE SO MUCH MORE DESIRABLE.
WE, WE CAN JUST ENGAGE IN BACK AND FORTH.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CHAIR ON THIS.
ALRIGHT,
NUMBER ONE, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT FLEAS IN THE SAND? 'CAUSE THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE CONCERNS.
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST PEOPLE BRINGING DOGS TO THE BEACH, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET ONE DOG WITH FLEAS, THE SAND GETS INFECTED WITH FLEAS, AND THEN PEOPLE ARE GETTING BITES.
THE SECOND THING IS THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE HAVING FUN AND, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST URINATE
SO MY TWO QUESTIONS, HOW CAN WE KEEP THE SAND CLEAN? THAT'S MY ONLY, YOU KNOW, MY ONLY WORRY.
LET'S SAY THAT WE HAVE THIS SPECIFIC AREA, IT NEEDS TO BE SANITIZED AT SOME POINT, LIKE AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROTOCOL IS FOR THAT.
DO YOU, I SAW THAT YOU'RE GONNA TEST THE WATER QUALITY FINE, BUT WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TO MAKE THE SAND SAFE? YEAH, SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAND, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND TRY TO SEE WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MAINTAIN THE BEACH ITSELF.
THEY DO THE BEACH RAKING, ET CETERA.
UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO FECES, ET CETERA, THE RANGERS WOULD BE THERE.
UH, THEY'D BE HANDING OUT BAGS, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ENSURING THAT FOLKS ARE CLEANING UP AFTER THEIR PETS.
WE WOULD ALSO ENGAGE, OBVIOUSLY, IF WE CAME ACROSS ANY FECES.
BUT OF COURSE, URINE IS A CONCERN, AND POLICE COULD ALWAYS BE A CONCERN AS WELL.
SO MY, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M GONNA BE SUPPORTIVE.
AS LONG AS THEY FIND SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN EITHER SPRAY THE SAND SANDWICH, IT'S NOT TOXIC, THAT'LL GET RID OF THE URINE, UM, ODOR AND WELL, AND FLEAS.
I MEAN, THERE IS RAIN
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IN TODAY'S AGE, WITH TECH, TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY, I THINK 90% OF DOGS ARE ON FLEA MEDICATION, ESPECIALLY IN MIAMI BEACH.
UM, WHERE IT, IT, IT'S ALMOST LIKE NON-EXISTENT AT THIS POINT.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A PILOT PROGRAM, SO, YEAH, NO, MY ONLY QUESTION IS IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT TOXIC, THAT THEY CAN SPRAY THE SANDWICH, I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, SO I WOULD JUST ADD THAT TO IT, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, I'LL JUST MAKE A, A QUICK COMMENT.
UM, AND IT'S NOT RELATED TO DOG FLEAS, BUT, UM, THERE IS SAND LICE THAT EXISTS ON THE BEACHES, AND THERE'S A SEASON, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE SEASON IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AND THE LICE COMES FROM THE SARGASSUM THAT BUILDS UP ON THE SAND.
SO I WOULDN'T WANT THE PEOPLE TO CONFUSE IT WITH THE DOGS BRINGING THE LICE.
IT, IT HAPPENS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE SEAWEED.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
IN GENERAL, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, BUT I, I'M, YOU KNOW, AMY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE HERE AND MAYBE YOU CAN ADDRESS HOW WE'RE GONNA, UM, HAVE INCREASED WATER TESTING.
WE HAVE DEFINITE ISSUES WITH WATER QUALITY AROUND MIAMI BEACH ALREADY, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ADDING TO THE PROBLEM BY TRYING TO DO SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WANT.
SO IS THERE GONNA BE ENHANCED TESTING MORE FREQUENT, MORE LIKE IN, IN THESE PARTICULAR SPOTS? WILL WE DO TESTING SPECIFICALLY? UM, IS ONE QUESTION.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF INDEPENDENT MINDED THINKERS IN MIAMI BEACH, AND EVEN IF WE HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL DOG PARKS TO THE, THE BIG ONE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE UP IN NORTH BEACH, PEOPLE ARE STILL GONNA HAVE THEIR DOGS OFF LEASH ON THE BEACH WHEREVER THEY WANT AS THEY DO.
NOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO, UM, COMMUNICATE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AND, AND STEP UP OUR ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES SO THAT YOU EITHER HAVE YOUR DOG ON, ON THE DOG PARK BEACH, OR YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR DOG ON THE BEACH AT ALL? MM-HMM.
BUT IF IT DOESN'T SOLVE THAT ISSUE AND, YOU KNOW, WE TURN THE ENTIRE BEACH INTO A DOG BEACH, EFFECTIVELY, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
THE NUMBERS VARY BY
[00:30:01]
SEEMS. BUT YOU KNOW, I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE TERRIFIED OF DOGS OR ALLERGIC TO DOGS OR, YOU KNOW, DOGS ARE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT, EVEN THE BEST TRAINED ONES STILL ANIMALS.AND IF SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SET SOMEBODY ELSE OFF, THAT IS AN ISSUE.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, BE SORT OF STICKING OUR FOOT IN IT WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING.
SO HOW ARE YOU GUYS HANDLING THOSE THINGS? SURE.
WELL, GOOD MORNING, UM, COMMISSIONER AND COMMISSIONER AMY KNOWLES, UH, CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER.
UM, WHEN THE ITEM WAS FIRST CONCEIVED, UM, THE, UH, COMMISSIONER AS WELL AS ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DID REACH OUT, UH, TO ME PERSONALLY TO FIND OUT WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WOULD THINK ABOUT THIS WITH THOSE SAME CONCERNS.
THE AREAS THAT ARE, UM, BEING RECOMMENDED ALREADY ARE WITHIN THE FDOH HEALTHY BEACHES PROGRAM.
SO 53RD STREET, 21ST STREET, AS WELL AS THE EXISTING 81ST OR ALREADY WITHIN THAT PROGRAM.
UM, THEY WOULD NOT BE INCLINED TO ADD ANY ADDITIONAL SAMPLING.
SO WE WOULD NEED TO UTILIZE WHAT WE HAVE.
AND I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO MONITOR IT CAREFULLY.
SO WHEN THERE IS, YOU KNOW, ANY EXCEEDANCES, THERE ARE ALERTS THAT ARE GO OUT, YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN THEM YOURSELF.
SO THAT WOULD BE MONITORED, YOU KNOW, IN THAT WAY.
UM, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, OR THEY DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY OVER THIS AS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, BUT THEY HAVE A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WERE ALSO INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGE, ANY ENFORCEMENT FOR THE EDUCATIONAL ENFORCEMENT AS TO ENFORCEMENT.
UM, SO THE RANGES ARE CERTAINLY A COMPONENT.
WE CURRENTLY DON'T PATROL THE BEACH.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, COMBINED WITH THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS COMBINED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHO ALSO HAS SOME BEACH WALK DETAILS, WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK WITH THEM AND, AND TRY TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
UM, IT DOES COME UP, WE DO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS, UM, AND WE ALL TRY TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER TO, UH, TACKLE THE ISSUE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE EXCITED THAT WE'RE TAKING A STAB AT, YOU KNOW, AN APPROACH TO SEE IF IT ALLEVIATES SOME OF THE, UM, CONCERNS THAT WE'RE HAVING NOW IN THOSE AREAS WHERE IT'S NOT PERMISSED RIGHT NOW.
AND WE WOULD ALSO WORK WITH COMMUNICATIONS BECAUSE A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THIS, LIKE ANY, YOU KNOW, ACTION WE TAKE IS A COMMUNICATION PIECE, RIGHT? SO PEOPLE ARE AWARE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, INNATELY, PEOPLE WANT TO, UH, CERTAINLY COMPLY WITH THE RULES, YOU KNOW, AND NOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MID BEACH LOCATION, A SOUTH BEACH LOCATION, UM, I THINK IT'LL CERTAINLY PROVIDE AN AVENUE FOR FURTHER COMPLIANCE.
YEAH, JUST, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER BOT, IT'S NOT THREE ADDITIONAL, UM, IT'S TOO ADDITIONAL.
I I, I NEVER, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT NORTH BEACH HAD A DOG BEACH, AND SO, UM, WHEN I FOUND THAT OUT, I'M LIKE, BEACH
UM, SO IT'S GONNA BE ADDING TWO ADDITIONAL BEACHES, AND, AND THE IDEA IS TO BASICALLY HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, SO EVERY, YOU KNOW, EVERY PART OF THE BEACH GETS ITS OWN, UM, LITTLE SLICE OF PARADISE ON THE BEACH.
UH, MAYBE I'M HOPING THE DOG LOBBY ISN'T AS STRONG AS THE CAT LOBBY AFTER THIS, BUT WE'LL SEE.
BUT, UH, MR. CFO, JUST TO CONFIRM, WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH OUR LATEST BUDGET MM-HMM,
AND WHILE IT'S NOT ON THE BEACH, IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, ON COLLINS AVENUE RIGHT OFF OF THE BEACH.
I BELIEVE ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WAS RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING WAS A 35TH STREET, UH, UH, DOG PARK, WHICH I THINK IS, UH, ADJACENT, UH, TO, TO THE BEACH.
AND IF I COULD JUST ALSO, 'CAUSE THE DOLLARS AREN'T MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY THIS INITIATIVE, UM, IF THIS GOES BACK TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION, I WOULD ASSUME AND INCLUDE THE $140,000, UH, BUDGET, UH, MAKE IT A BUDGET PARTY DURING THE 2025 BUDGET PROCESS.
'CAUSE THERE IS A, A DOLLAR VALUE ASSOCIATED WITH INITIATING THE THIS PROGRAM.
SO WHILE THE CONCEPT I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH, BUT CAN BE SUPPORTIVE, I, I THINK WE'RE KIND OF, UH, I DON'T SAY ASKING FOR TROUBLE, BUT I CAN JUST, UH, ENVISION THE EMAILS THAT WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE OF PEOPLE WALKING BAREFOOT DOWN THE BEACH AND STEPPING IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT DEAL WITH THAT WHEN IT GETS THERE.
BUT FROM THE BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE, IF WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT ADDING ANY TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE OR THINGS LIKE THAT, HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW, JUST SAYING, OKAY, FROM SEVEN TO NINE OR NINE TO 11, YOU TAKE YOUR DOGS ON THE BEACH, HOW THAT TRANSLATES TO $140,000.
AND I HOPE IT'S NOT BECAUSE, WELL NOW WE NEED, UH, IN, IN A THREE BLOCK AREA, UM, PEOPLE TO STOP BY EVERY 15 MINUTES.
UH, I, I'M NOT GONNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF IF THAT COSTS $140,000.
SO THE WAY, THE MOST OF THE COST, I MEAN, THERE'S MINOR, UH, COSTS RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE, MEANING WE WOULD HAVE THE DOGGY BAG, UH, DISPENSERS BOTH AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE BEACH AND IN THE ACTUAL AREA AS WELL.
BUT THOSE COSTS ARE, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY MINIMAL.
WE WOULD HAVE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DOG BAGS, UH, THE POOP BAGS THEMSELVES.
UH, MOST OF THE COSTS ARE STAFFING, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE WAY THAT WE, UM, ORIGINALLY HAD THE DISCUSSIONS WAS HAVING RANGERS DEDICATED
[00:35:01]
THERE PRESENT WHILE IT'S HAPPENING, UM, TO MONITOR THE ACTIVITY, RIGHT? TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE PICKING UP AFTER THEMSELVES.UM, AND, AND TO FURTHER, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, THAT IS THE COST.
IF WE HAD TO HAVE A RANGER ON AN OVERTIME DETAIL, PERFORM THE WORK.
SO, UH, SORRY, WHO WAS THAT? MR. CITY ATTORNEY.
IS THERE ANY LEGAL LIABILITY WHERE THAT WOULD BE, UH, REQUIREMENT HAVING THE RANGER STAFF THIS? BECAUSE, UM, UNTIL WE SEE AN ISSUE, MAYBE WE, WE DON'T GO FORWARD WITH THE PERSONNEL COMPONENT, BUT IF WE COULD PUT IN A NOMINAL AMOUNT, LIKE, UH, 10, $15,000 FOR THE DOGGY BAGS, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN WE GO FORWARD AS A CONCEPT, I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT.
THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER YOU NEED, NEED TO HAVE A RANGER THERE TO MONITOR, THAT'S A POLICY CALL THAT IS NOT A LEGAL QUESTION.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MY COLLEAGUES WOULD FEEL IF WE MOVE FORWARD IN CONCEPT, BUT WE'RE NOT ALLOCATING DEDICATED PERSONNEL IN THE TUNE OF $140,000.
UH, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? UH, THE, BY THE WAY, THE BOUCHER BROTHERS, UM, TOLD ME THAT THEY'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP ON THE CLEANUP EFFORTS AND SANITATION EFFORTS.
SO, UM, I THINK WE HAVE, WE HAVE A, A VENDOR WHO'S WILLING TO, I, I GET AND DO IT FOR FREE, UM, AND EVEN PRINT OUT BAGS WITH MIAMI BEACH LOGOS ON IT, UM, THE POOP BAGS.
SO, UM, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO MAYBE BRING IT WHEN WE BRING IT TO THE COMMISSION THAT THEY CAN PRESENT AND SAY, HEY, THEY'RE WILLING TO, UH, STEP UP AS A GREAT ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY TO HELP US TO HELP WITH THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
WERE NEVER AN AVENUE I ENVISIONED FOR ADVERTISING, BUT, UM, HEY, THAT'S WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
HOW WOULD YOU ALL FEEL IF WE, UH, APPROVED THIS ITEM, BUT WE ALLOCATED AN AMOUNT OF $15,000 FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND, UH, DON'T GO FORWARD UNTIL WE WOULD DISCOVER NEED FOR IT WITH THE PERSONNEL COMPONENT? I, IF I MAY.
THE, UM, PROPOSED LOCATIONS, ARE THOSE LOCATIONS WHERE THE BOUCHER BROTHERS ALREADY HAVE OPERATIONS, OR WOULD THAT BE THE VOLUNTEERING AND THAT WOULD BE AN EXPANSION? I BELIEVE IT'S, THEY'RE GONNA BE VOLUNTEERING.
I, I, I'M NOT, I THINK MID BEACH, THEY MAY HAVE AN OPERATION THERE, BUT I KNOW SOUTH BEACH, THEY FOR SURE THE ONE ON 21ST STREET.
UM, I JUST WANNA BE CAREFUL BECAUSE, UM, WE DON'T WANT THE, I AM HAPPY TO ACCEPT HELP FROM ANYBODY WILLING TO OFFER, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO, UM, IF THERE'S NOT ALREADY A BOUCHER BROTHERS LOCATION AT THE LOCATION OF THE PARK, I DON'T WANT THAT TO TURN INTO NO, I, I THINK ANOTHER BOUCHER BROTHERS LOCATION I WANNA KEEP, I THINK, I THINK DURING THAT, I THINK DURING THAT TWO HOUR LIMITED TIME, THEY'RE WILLING TO SEND SOMEONE THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S BEING HANDLED PROPERLY.
I, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA SET UP SHOPPING
YEAH, NO, I MEAN, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO A COMMUNITY NEED, RIGHT? LIKE THE BALANCE BETWEEN BEING ABLE TO JUST THROW YOUR TOWEL DOWN WITH YOUR FRIENDS VERSUS BEING RELEGATED TO THE BACK OF THE BUS BECAUSE THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF CHAIRS ON THE BEACH, RIGHT? UM, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR VISION OF, UM, MOVING IT FORWARD WITH THE SMALLER BUDGET.
AND THEN IF WE NEED TO FIND FUNDING BECAUSE SOMETHING IS AMISS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN WE COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION MEETING, WE'LL KNOW IF THE BOUCHER BROTHERS ARE ABLE TO HELP.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT, THEN WE CAN RECONSIDER WHAT THE FUNDING NEEDS MIGHT BE.
SO DOES SOMEBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE WILL MOVE THIS, UH, ITEM FORWARD WITH, UH, BUT WITH A MODIFICATION THAT WE WILL, UM, REFLECT THE FUNDING, NOT OF A FISCAL IMPACT OF UP TO $140,000, BUT WE'LL SAY $10,000, WHICH I STILL THINK IS VERY GRACIOUS, UH, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU DID START AT 15, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, TIME VALUE OF MONEY,
UM, AND IF, UH, THIS PROGRAM, WE DECIDE WE NEED MORE RESOURCES AND MORE PERSONNEL COME BACK TO US, AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, BUT LET'S MOVE THE, THE CONCEPT FORWARD WITH A LESSER FINANCIAL IMPACT.
IF I COULD, UM, CHAIR, IF I, IF I COULD, HEARING EVERYTHING AND TRYING TO WORK THE MOTION, IF, IF I'M CORRECT, THE MOTION WOULD BE TO, UH, RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO ADD TWO NEW DOG BEACH LOCATIONS WITH A $15,000 COST, 10, I'M SORRY, 10,000, UH, TO BE A BUDGET PRIORITY DURING THE 2025 BUDGET PROCESS, AND FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO DISCUSS AN ADDITIONAL PUBLIC BENEFIT WITH THE BOUCHER BROTHERS.
IS THAT PERFECT? GET EVERYTHING.
DO, UH, DOES A COLLEAGUE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
UH, WE HAVE A 10 45 TIMES CERTAIN FOR ITEM NUMBER 16.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO, UH, TIMING HERE.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOUR ITEM? UH, YOU WANNA READ THE ITEM INTO
[00:40:01]
THE RECORD? OH, UH, I'LL JUST READ THE ITEM INTO THE RECORD.UH, NUMBER 16 IS A REFERRAL TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE, UH, M MBPS LGBQ, UH, OUTREACH INITIATIVES.
DISCUSSION OF THE TYPES OF SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO THE LGBQ COMMUNITY IN THE CITY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO STI AND OR DRUG TESTING CENTERS AND EXPLORATION AND COLLABORATIONS, UH, BETWEEN THE CITY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS TO STRENGTH AND PROMOTE THESE CRUCIAL SERVICES IN THE CITY.
UH, SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS ITEM IS TO REALLY ENSURE THAT WE HAVE AN ALLOCATED LINE ITEM SO THAT MBPD CAN, UH, UTILIZE FUNDS FROM THAT.
I LINE ITEM FOR LGBT USES RIGHT NOW WITH THE CURRENT CHIEF AND COMMAND STAFF.
THEY ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF L-G-B-T-Q INITIATIVES, AND WE WANNA ENSURE THAT, UM, FUNDS FOR THEIR DIFFERENT ITEMS ARE PROTECTED, UH, THROUGH A SEPARATE LINE ITEM.
AND CECILE URI IS HERE TO DISCUSS IT.
UM, THE ITEM ASKED FOR OVERVIEW OF THE PD SERVICES, AND SO WE ALSO ASK, UH, DR.
ROSENFELD AND PARKS AND RECREATION FOR WHAT THEY DO ON LGBT INITIATIVE.
SO THE MEMO REFLECTS THE INFORMATION WE RECEIVE AS WELL AS PDS INITIATIVES.
UM, RIGHT NOW THERE'S TWO, UH, PILES OF MONEY ALLOCATED BY THE COMMISSION, WHICH IS A, UH, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH PRIDE LINES AND THE PARTNERSHIP WITH SAVE, UM, THAT'S FOR SURE, ENSURING CERTAIN SERVICES IN THE CITY.
IN TERMS OF THE POLICE, THAT'S A BIG PART OF THE COMMUNITY POLICING APPROACH.
HOWEVER, THERE'S NO DEDICATED FUNDING ATTACHED TO IT.
UH, WE HAVE PERSONNEL, WE HAVE TWO LIAISON DOING SOME OF THE WORK.
UH, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S NO BUDGET ATTACHED TO IT, IT'S VERY DEPENDENT ON THE LEADERSHIP'S SUPPORT.
IT'S ALSO DEPENDENT ON WHAT IS LEFT IN THE BUDGET.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED, UM, OR SPRING BREAK COULD COST MORE MONEY OR SOMETHING LIKE THE ATTACK ON, ON OCTOBER 7TH THAT DEPLOYED A LARGE PORTION OF OVERTIME FUNDING TO SAFEGUARD THE JEWISH INSTITUTION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THEN YOU COULD END UP WITH NO FUNDING FOR LGBT OR THE, OR NOT SURE.
AND YOU CAN'T LAUNCH A PROGRAM UNLESS YOU KNOW IT'S GONNA BE FUNDED.
SO IT MAKES DOING THOSE ACTIVITIES, UM, PRETTY CHALLENGING THE LACK OF DEDICATED LINE ITEM.
AND THERE'S BEEN A HIGH DEMAND FOR ACTUALLY MORE FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WITH, WITH WHICH WE COLLABORATE ON LGBT INITIATIVES.
AND SO IT WOULD REALLY, UH, ALLOW US TO, NUMBER ONE, SAFEGUARD THE FACT THAT WE, WE WOULD KNOW CERTAIN ACTIVITIES ARE GONNA HAPPEN EVERY YEAR.
AND NUMBER TWO, TO PROBABLY DO MORE IF WE HAD A DEDICATED LINE ITEM, UH, FOR THIS.
AND ON PAGE 1 68 OF OUR PACKAGE, IT LISTS, UH, THE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT IT WOULD BE USED, UH, FOR, AND THE LINE ITEM REQUEST IS FOR $54,000.
AND, AND I THINK WHAT YOU'VE SEEN, UH, FROM OUR COMMISSION IS JUST BROAD BASED, UH, SUPPORT, UM, AND LOVE FOR OUR LGBT COMMUNITY.
WE UNDERSTAND THE TRYING TIMES, UH, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS IN OUR STATE THAT THAT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN CASTED UPON THEM.
UM, THAT IS NOT HOW WE VIEW THINGS IN MIAMI BEACH.
WE, WE WANT TO DO THINGS THAT ARE SUPPORTIVE.
UH, SO IF SOMETHING ELSE SUPPORT, LET ME TURN OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, BOT.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, IF JASON, IF YOU COULD ADD ME AS A CO-SPONSOR TO THIS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, I THINK THAT NOT ONLY SHOULD WE, UM, MEMORIALIZE THIS AND PROTECT THE FUNDING, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO DO IT WITH A, WHATEVER THE APPROPRIATE CPI INCREASES PER YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN 10 YEARS FROM NOW, YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT STILL AT 54,000 HAVE TO CUT A PROGRAM.
SO, UM, I DON'T WANNA INFLATE THINGS UNDULY, BUT ALSO THINGS THERE'S INFLATION.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO FACTOR THAT IN.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AS YOU SAID, UM, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, THAT, UM, WE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS, ESPECIALLY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WHERE, UM, WHERE WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY GAY AND PROTECT THOSE WHO MAY FEEL, UM, THAT THEY'RE THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG OUR, OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND, UM, PROVIDE SAFE SPACES AND RESOURCES.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A DEFINITE TWO THUMBS UP FOR ME.
THE, SO THE MOTION WILL BE TO RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE A, UH, MAKE IT A BUDGET PRIORITY, UH, DURING THE 2025 BUDGET PROCESS FOR $54,000 TO BE ADDED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET RELATED TO THE LGBQ UH, INITIATIVES, AND THAT, THAT DOLLAR VALUE TO BE, UH, INDEXED TO INFLATION GOING FORWARD.
AND BELIEVE, UH, COMMISSIONERS BAD MYSELF, UH, S BE ADDED AS CO-SPONSORS.
[00:45:01]
I'LL REFLECT.OKAY, UM, I'M GONNA MOVE PAST ITEM 14, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE AN 11:00 AM TIME CERTAIN.
AND WHILE WE'RE CLOSE, I BELIEVE THE RULES ARE, WE CAN'T CALL IT ANY TIME BEFORE 11, EVEN THOUGH WE CERTAINLY HAVE OUR REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
SO IF YOU COULD BEAR WITH US FOR SIX MINUTES, WE'LL, WE'LL GET YOU UP HERE AND OUT OF HERE.
UH, SO LET'S GO TO, UM, ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSS ACTION PILOT PROGRAM TO UTILIZE BLOCK THE BOX CAMERAS.
ARE YOU GONNA CALL MY MR. CHAIR? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UH, SO I BROUGHT THIS BACK, UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND THE IDEA HERE IS RIGHT NOW WE CANNOT ISSUE A CITATION VIA MAIL, UM, FOR BLOCKING THE BOX.
IF THERE IS AN OFFICER PRESENT, WE CAN ISSUE A CITATION.
UH, AND THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY A FUNCTION OF STATE LAW.
THE IDEA AND INTENT BEHIND THIS ITEM IS, IS TWOFOLD.
UM, ONE, ONE IDEA IS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE WHO DO BLOCK THE BOX.
WE CAN FIND OUT WHO THEY ARE, AND WE CAN SEND THEM A WRITTEN NOTICE SAYING, HEY, YOU BLOCKED THE BOX.
PLEASE BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSIDERATE.
OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
AND I BELIEVE THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN 2025 IN THE FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION, 2025, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LOBBY ACTIVITY, UM, TO PUSH FOR ITEMS SUCH AS THIS.
AND THE IDEA IS BY THE TIME WE GET APPROVED FUNDING PERMITS, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE ONE OR TWO YEARS ANYWAYS.
AND I'M FORESEEING US HAVING A HUGE SUCCESS IN TALLAHASSEE TO ACTUALLY GET CITATIONS, UH, MAILED OUT, UH, THROUGH THIS TECHNOLOGY.
WE, WE JUST DID IT WITH SCHOOL ZONES AND SPEEDING.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS LESS INTRUSIVE, UM, FOR, IN TERMS OF, UH, ENFORCEMENT.
SO, UH, I WANTED TO CHECK THE TEMPERATURE OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, ON, YOU KNOW, IT COMES TO MIND 41ST STREET, UM, 17TH STREET IN ALTON, UM, YEAH, NORTH BEACH.
UM, THAT THERE'S A CONSISTENT ISSUE WITH PEOPLE BLOCKING THE BOX, AND IT REALLY A AFFECTS TRAFFIC.
AND SO THIS IS STARTING TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR BETTER BEHAVIOR ON THE ROAD.
UH, LET ME TURN OVER TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS, UH, ERIC GARCIA MAJOR OF, UH, POLICE TECH SERVICES.
UH, SO BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATION BY COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED TO LOOK INTO THIS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
WE'VE, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO, UH, OUR CURRENT RED LIGHT CAMERA VENDOR.
THEY ARE CONDUCTING SOME TESTING ON, UH, A SYSTEM THAT WOULD DO, BASICALLY THAT IN DELAWARE, HAS NOT STARTED YET.
UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER, UH, AGENCY THAT WE REACHED OUT TO THAT WE FOUND OUT WAS DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS WAS IN WASHINGTON STATE.
UM, IN WASHINGTON STATE, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY BLOCKING THE BOX.
THEIR TECHNOLOGY WORKS MORE ABOUT BLOCKING CROSSWALKS.
UM, SO THEY THINK THAT TECHNOLOGY MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE ADAPTED BECAUSE, UH, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S ONLY CA IT'S NOT CAPTURING EVERY VEHICLE THAT WOULD BE BLOCKING THE BOX INTERSECTION.
IT ONLY CAPTURES THE LAST ONE IN THE LINE, WHICH USUALLY IS THE ONE THAT'S IN THE CROSSWALK, AND THEY'RE CITING FOR THAT.
SO WE HAVE NOT YET FOUND, UH, A VENDOR THAT DOES SPECIFICALLY BLOCK THE BOX TECHNOLOGY.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GONNA KEEP LOOKING ANYTIME THAT WE CAN, UH, UH, FIND A SOLUTION TO A, UH, PROBLEM LIKE THIS WITH TECHNOLOGY IS MUCH BETTER THAN SOLVING IT WITH PERSONNEL.
MUCH, MUCH MORE COST EFFICIENT.
UM, OUR CONCERN COMMISSIONER WITH, UH, WITH THE LOCATIONS WE HAVE, WE HAVE A UNIQUE SITUATION WHERE THE BIGGEST PRO LOCATIONS WHERE THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ARE ON STATE ROADS.
WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT, UH, THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WOULD PERMIT, UH, US INSTALLING A SYSTEM TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS NOT LEGALLY ALLOWED.
[00:50:01]
WE ALSO HAVE A CONCERN REGARDING, UH, USING CAMERAS AND, UH, OBTAINING INFORMATION FROM THE DRIVER DATABASE FOR A, NOT FOR, UH, A NON-ENFORCEMENT TYPE OF CITATION.UH, WE'VE LOOKED INTO THIS WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, PREVIOUSLY WE CANNOT GET A DEFINITIVE OPINION FROM THE D-H-S-M-V, WHETHER IT'S A PERMISSIBLE USE OR NOT.
SO WE HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THAT, THAT WE'D, WE'D HAVE TO WORK OUT.
AND, UM, AND, AND, AND AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT WE'RE AT, WHAT WE'D ASK FOR FROM, UH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, I, I, UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK FOR ANYTHING.
'CAUSE I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH THIS WOULD COST.
WE HAVE NOT FOUND A VENDOR THAT DOES THIS YET.
UM, THE COST COULD VARY WIDELY DEPENDING ON WHETHER THEY REQUIRE HARD INFRASTRUCTURE OR, UH, SOME TYPE OF WIRELESS AND SOLAR, UH, INSTALL INSTALLATION.
SO, I, I DON'T, I, I DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK YOU FOR ANY FUNDING AT THIS POINT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK IF WE CAN.
UH, MY, MY, UH, OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE LOOKING INTO THIS.
WE DO HAVE SOME, UH, UH, POLICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, CONFERENCES AND EXPOSITIONS THAT COME UP AT THE END OF, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR WHERE MAYBE WE CAN FIND A VENDOR THAT, UH, THAT DOES THIS.
UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK INTO IT.
BUT AT THIS POINT, I JUST DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ASK YOU FOR BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD COST AT THIS POINT.
DEPUTY CHIEF, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF ESSENTIALLY, UH, THE, I DON'T WANT TO USE THE WRONG WORD, BUT THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT WE WILL HAVE STATIONED AT THE, SOME OF THE PROBLEMATIC INTERSECTIONS.
UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A SPECIFIC, UH, MONIKER NAMED FOR P-I-P-P-P-S-S IS, YEAH.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY SPECIALIST.
UM, YESTERDAY THAT WE HAVE, WE HOSTED A GRADUATION IN WHICH SEVEN GRADUATED.
WE HAVE THE REMAINDER STARTING THE, UM, UH, ACADEMY PER SE, OUR IN-HOUSE ACADEMY ON MONDAY.
UM, SO WE SHOULD BE FULLY STAFFED AT SOME POINT WITH THE 10 THAT WAS ALLOCATED BY THE COMMISSION.
UM, THE SEVEN ARE NOW GONNA ENTER INTO WHAT WE CALL THE FTO PHASE.
THEY'RE GONNA RIDE FOR A SHORT TIME WITH AN EXPERIENCED PSS, UM, GAINED SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THE CITY, UM, GEOGRAPHY, UM, AND ACTUALLY PERFORM THE WORK, UM, THAT THEY WERE TRAINED TO DO.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY THEY'LL BE RELEASED ON THEIR OWN, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE OUT THERE, UM, BEGINNING ON MONDAY, ACTUALLY PERFORMING SOME OF THIS WORK AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS AROUND THE CITY.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA REITERATE, UH, WHAT MAJOR GARCIA SAID.
WE ARE A PROPONENT FOR THIS, AND WE, WE SUPPORT WHAT COMMISSIONER SUAREZ IS TRYING TO DO HERE.
UM, THE ABILITY TO FREE UP LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEN TO EDUCATE THE, THE PUBLIC, UM, UM, THROUGH TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS THIS WITH, UM, ENFORCEMENT ACTION, UM, IS THE WAY TO GO.
WE JUST HAVE THAT HURDLE WITH FDOT AND HOPEFULLY THROUGH THE STATE, AND SOMETHING PASSING ALONG THESE LINES THAT, UM, ALLOWS CITIES ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE STATE TO, UH, PERFORM THIS TYPE OF FUNCTION, UH, IS, IS A LONG-TERM GOAL.
AND I HOPE THEY, THEY COME FORTH WITH IT, UH, 'CAUSE IT'LL HELP US TREMENDOUSLY.
UH, IF I COULD ASK ONE FOLLOW UP, UH, PERHAPS BEFORE MONDAY, IF YOU'D BE ABLE TO ISSUE A VERY, VERY QUICK BRIEF, UH, LETTER TO COMMISSION, UM, PERHAPS IDENTIFYING THE TIMES AND PLACES WHERE THESE SEVEN OFFICERS WILL BE ON MONDAY.
I, I'D LOVE TO COME OUT AND, UH, SHOW MY PERSONAL SUPPORT AND SEE HOW THIS IS WORKING LIVE AND IN PERSON.
AND JUST, JUST AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, SIR, UM, THEY'RE GONNA MOVE AROUND TO CONGESTED AREAS AROUND THE CITY, SO IT, IT'LL FLUCTUATE, BUT WE CAN GET YOU SOME INFORMATION.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT THAT, UM, I THINK, UH, AT THE POINT IN TIME WHERE THIS IS LEGISLATIVELY APPROVED, I THINK VERY QUICKLY YOU'LL FIND PEOPLE MOVING INTO THE MARKET JUST THE SAME WAY THAT WE SAW WITH THE RED LIGHT, WITH THE SPEEDING CAMERAS IN, UH, IN SCHOOL ZONES.
THE MINUTE THAT THIS IS APPROVED LEGISLATIVELY THROUGH THE STATE, I THINK YOU'LL FIND EVERYBODY WILL HAVE A SOLUTION THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME AND, AND TRY TO SELL US IMMEDIATELY.
SO, UH, WE'RE KIND OF A LITTLE, UH, PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, BUT HOPEFULLY, UH, ONCE IT HAPPENS, OR, UH, ONCE THERE'S SOME, SOME, UH, UH, MOMENTUM FOR THAT TO GET APPROVED, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVE IN AND, UH, THERE'LL BE, THERE'LL BE SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE.
COMMISSIONER SUZA, WHAT DIRECTION WANT TO TAKE HERE? DO YOU WANNA PERHAPS, UH, CLOSE THIS OUT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR, OUR POLICE STAFF WILL STILL, UH, BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND PROACTIVELY LOOKING FOR, UM, DIFFERENT VENDORS AND DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS.
BUT GIVEN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, ANY ASK RIGHT NOW YEAH.
OR DO YOU WANNA KEEP THIS KIND OF OPEN AND REVISITING SIX MONTHS? UH, CORRECT.
SO I'M, I'M NOT A MEMBER ON THIS COMMITTEE, SO I, I UNFORTUNATELY CANNOT MAKE ANY MOTIONS.
[00:55:01]
UM,AND I WOULD ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THIS BECOME A LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY FOR THE 2025, UH, FLORIDA STATE SESSION.
YEAH, I, I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
I KNOW WE'RE BIG BOYS AND GIRLS HERE, SO JUST 'CAUSE WE CLOSE THE, CLOSE THIS OUT, I'M CONFIDENT THAT YOU'LL KEEP WORKING ON IT IN THE BACKGROUND.
DO WE NEED A MOTION? IF, IF I CAN, TO HELP SUMMARIZE THE ITSELF? I'LL, I'LL MOVE WHAT HE SAID.
YOU WANNA BRING IT BACK IN LIKE A FEW MONTHS TO SEE WHAT THEY FOUND OUT.
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED? SIX? YEAH, SIX.
BUT I THINK WE GONNA CLOSE THAT, BRING IT BACK IN SIX MONTHS.
SO, AND WE WILL LET THE, IT, I THINK IS, THERE'S A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT TO THERE IS THE MOTION, UH, COULD BE TO RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE THE, UM, AND I'LL WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY, MAYBE ON THE LANGUAGE A LITTLE BIT, IS THE BLOCK, THE BOX RELATED LAW, UH, STATE LAW ADJUSTMENTS TO BECOME A, UH, UH, CAMERA LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY, UH, FOR THE COMMISSION TO, UH, FOR AN LTC TO BE ISSUED ON THE PSS, UH, DEPLOYMENT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE FUTURE IS, IF THAT LAWS EVER DID CHANGE, WOULD THEN WORK WITH, I THINK, COMMISSIONER TO THEN GO DOWN THE, UH, PROPER PROCESS.
DOES, DOES THAT, I'M SUMMARIZING IT.
COMMISSIONER BOT, YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE THAT.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE LACKING OUR ALL IN FAVOR COUNT HERE TODAY.
I'LL JUST TAKE ALL IN FAVOR TODAY,
ACTUALLY, BEFORE WE CLOSE THE ITEM OUT, CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN WHAT RELEASING THE PSSS IS? IS IT LIKE RELEASING THE KRAKEN
THEY HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ACTIVELY OUT ON THE ROADWAY.
UM, THERE'S, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UH, LEARNING HOW TO MOVE CARS AND, AND A VERY SMALL, UH, CONFINED, UH, INTERSECTION VERSUS PICKING 'EM AT 41ST STREET AND ALTON, AS AN EXAMPLE, WHICH IS A MAJOR INTERSECTION WITH LOTS OF, UH, UH, TURN LANES AND THROUGH LANES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND THEN THERE'S REPORT WRITING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND HEAR, UH, OUR TIME, CERTAIN OF 11:00 AM ITEM NUMBER 14.
UH, AFTER THAT, WE'RE GONNA HEAR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
NUMBER 14, DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CITY, ASSUMING CONTROL AND MANAGING THE SUNSET HARBOR LIFT STATION.
NUMBER 14, ALL HANDS ARE CALLED.
GENTLEMEN, TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THIS? I THINK, UH, WE WILL HAVE, UM, JOE GARCIA.
UH, AGAIN, JOE GOMEZ, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
THIS IS A REQUEST, UH, FROM THE SUNSET HARBOR, UM, UH, BUILDINGS, UM, THE NORTH TOWER, SUNSET HARBOR, SOUTH TOWER, THE TOWN HOMES, AND SUNSET HARBOR, AND THE YACHT CLUB.
COLLECTIVELY, THE, THE PROPERTIES MAKING A REQUEST FOR THE CITY TO TAKE OVER THE PRIVATE LIFT STATION THAT CURRENTLY SERVES THESE FOUR BUILDINGS.
UM, UH, IN THE, IN THE MEMO, WE DETAILED FOR YOU, UM, OUR ANALYSIS OF THIS, UM, I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE SITUATION TO, TO THIS LOCATION.
UH, WE HAVE OVER 30 PRIVATE LIFT STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, MOUNT SINAI HAS SEVERAL, UH, THE ADDITION, UM, HOTEL HAS TWO.
THE COAST GUARD, UH, STATION HAS, UH, HAS, HAS, HAS, UH, SEVERAL.
SO THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE SITUATION.
HOWEVER, UM, AFTER CAREFUL ANALYSIS BY OUR TEAM, UM, IF WE WERE TO, TO TAKE OVER A STATION LIKE THIS, UM, WE'VE ESTIMATED THAT THE COST TO UPGRADE THE STATION, UM, BASED ON OUR CITY STANDARDS, UM, WITH NEW EQUIPMENT, IS SOMEWHERE IN THE, IN THE RANGE OF A MILLION TO A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT WOULD HAVE AN ANNUAL OPERATING COST OF ABOUT $60,000.
AS SUCH, UH, WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT THIS BE APPROVED.
IT ALSO IMPLIES THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE, UH, LEGAL INSTRUMENTS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, BECAUSE THE, THE LOCATION OF THE PUMP STATION'S NOT GONNA CHANGE.
SO, IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THIS, THIS FACILITY, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE REVOKE, IRREVOCABLE, UH, LICENSE, UH, PERMITS TO BE ABLE TO ENTER PRIVATE PROPERTY
[01:00:01]
IN ORDER FOR US TO DO THAT.SO THESE, ALL OF THESE PRIVATE LIFT STATIONS ARE ALL WITHIN PRIVATE PROPERTY.
AND AS AN EXAMPLE, THE, THE, THE BEST EXAMPLE IS IT IN THE CASE OF A PRIVATE LIFT STATION, WHAT IT DOES IS IT PROVIDES A POINT OF COLLECTION FOR THOSE PARTICULAR BUILDING, BUILDING OR BUILDINGS TO BE ABLE THEN TO, TO PUMP INTO A, THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY TO THE PUBLIC SYSTEM.
UM, AND MAYBE IF WE COULD TURN IT OVER TO SUNSET HARBOR, IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THEN, UH, MAKE THE REASON FOR WHERE THIS ASK IS ORIGINATING FROM.
SO, UM, THANK YOU, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COMMISSIONERS CHAIR.
UH, MY NAME IS MARK HALBURN, UM, WITH HALBURN AND RODRIGUEZ.
UM, WE REPRESENT A VARIETY OF THE COMMUNITIES OUT THERE.
IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA POINT OUT SOME INACCURACIES, UM, UM, THAT YOU JUST HEARD.
UH, NUMBER ONE, WE'RE ABOUT 641 UNITS REPRESENTING OVER 2000 RESIDENTS, UH, IN, IN THE SUNSET HARBOR AREA.
UM, THE WORD USED WAS, THIS IS NOT UNIQUE.
WE ARE THE ONLY LOCATION IN THE CITY FACED WITH ESSENTIALLY PERFORMING AS A PUBLIC UTILITY.
THIS PREDATES EVERYBODY'S TIME HERE, HOWEVER THIS HAPPENED.
BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND, WE OPERATE A LIFT STATION THAT DEALS WITH THE SEWAGE OF FOUR DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
NOT OURS, NOT SO, SO THE, THE ACTUAL LIFT STATION IS LOCATED AT SUNSET HARBOR SOUTH.
THOSE PIPES RUN THROUGH OUR NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY.
IT, THEY RUN THROUGH, UH, THE CITY'S PROPERTY.
WE ARE ESSENTIALLY HANDLING THE SEWAGE FOR THREE PRIVATE COMMUNITIES, NOT INCLUDING OUR OWN.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR THAT THIS IS NOT UNIQUE BECAUSE MOUNT SINAI DOES IT, OR THE COAST GUARD STATION OR SOME HOTEL, THEY ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES.
IMAGINE IF YOU WERE MAINTAINING YOUR NEIGHBOR'S SEWAGE NEEDS, PUMPING THEIR SEWAGE FOR THEM.
AND I'VE BEEN ON THIS ISSUE LOOSELY FOR 10 TO 15 YEARS.
UH, WE WORKED WITH PUBLIC WORKS BACK WHEN THEY TORE UP PURDY, AND THE SEWAGE LINE NEEDED TO BE WIDENED BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED DENSITY DOWN THERE.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT THEN IN ALL OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACED WITH BY ESSENTIALLY RUNNING A PUBLIC UTILITY.
THIS WAS A SETUP THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED.
WE'VE SEARCHED THE CITY RECORDS TO FIND HOW THE DEVELOPER OF THIS COMMUNITY GOT AWAY WITH THIS.
WE DON'T HAVE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN OURSELVES AND OUR NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
WE'VE BEEN REALLY GOOD RESIDENTS DEALING WITH THIS FOR 25 YEARS.
AND I, I, I DO HAVE A FEW THINGS THAT I JUST WANT TO GO THROUGH.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS CRITICAL WASTE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH, SPENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS.
YOU HEARD THAT TO BRING THIS LIFT STATION UP TO CODE IT WAS GONNA COST THE, AND WHICH IS, THIS IS REALLY UPSETTING BECAUSE WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR.
WE HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF OUR OWN MONEY.
I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT WHEN YOU SAY WE YES.
WHO, WHO IS RUNNING THIS NOW? LIKE, STRANGELY ENOUGH, WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN SUNSET HARBOR SOUTH, WE GET CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO, OKAY, SO 1800, 1900 Y YEAH.
SO, SO AS YOU ALL AND HOA IS GOING INTO OPERATING THIS.
SO REALLY THE OPERATING IS BEING DONE BY ONE OF US BECAUSE IT'S ON OUR PROPERTIES, MEANING SUNSET HARBOR SOUTH.
SO, SO SUNSET HARBOR SOUTH HAS BEEN OPERATING THIS FOR 25 YEARS.
WE HAVE REALLY, JUST WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION AND AND SO FORTH, WE GET, WE BILL THE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES THAT WE ARE SERVICING FROM TOWN HOMES OF SUNSET HARBOR, SUNSET HARBOR NORTH.
OBVIOUSLY WE ARE SOUTH AND WE ALSO SERVICE THE MARINA.
UM, THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS NOT EVEN THE MONEY FOR US.
WHEN THE CITY COMES OUT AND THEY HAVE TO DO WORK ON THE SEWER SYSTEM, WE GET SHUT DOWN.
YOU KNOW HOW SOME, MOST OF THE TIME WE FIND OUT ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE IN TERMS OF POINT OF CONNECTION, THE LAST COMMUNITY, WHICH IS, UH, TOWN HOMES OF SUNSET HARBOR, STARTS GETTING BACKFLOW IN ALL OF THEIR TOILETS AND FECES AND ALL OF THAT STUFF.
SO NOT ONLY IS THIS AN OPERATING NIGHTMARE FOR US, THERE IS A SERIOUS HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERN.
AND WE ANTICIPATE AT SOME POINT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
[01:05:01]
THERE'S GONNA BE RAW SEWAGE THAT'S GONNA, UH, LET ME, LET ME MOVE PAST THAT.WE'VE BEEN DOWN, OUR PUMP STATION HAS BEEN DOWN AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON A BYPASS SINCE 2017.
WE HAVE SINCE 2017, SPENT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS GETTING THIS THING UP.
THE, THE, THE CODE CONTINUES TO CHANGE ON US.
FORTUNATELY, UH, I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU ALL HERE TODAY THAT WE ANTICIPATE GETTING AN OPERATIVE CONTROL PANEL, UH, MID-JULY.
UM, SO THIS IDEA THAT THERE'S THIS UPFRONT MILLION TO MILLION FIVE COST IS UNTRUE.
WE PROPOSE TO TURN THIS OVER TO THE CITY IN TIP TOP SHAPE.
BUT IF WE JUST TURN IT OVER, JUST TURN OVER THE OPERATIONS, IS THAT GOING TO DRAMATICALLY AFFECT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU'VE JUST DESCRIBED? ABSOLUTELY.
BECAUSE WE HAVE A COORDINATION NIGHTMARE.
WE HAVE A COORDINATION NIGHTMARE.
THE CITY DOES EVERYTHING IN THAT AREA EXCEPT MAINTAIN THIS STATION.
AND BY THE WAY, WE'RE A CONDO ASSOCIATION.
WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THE CITY DOES TO DEAL WITH THIS.
AND IF THEY'RE GONNA WORK ON, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, SOME CRUCIAL, UH, WE, WE, WE FIGHT ABOUT PUTTING OUT, UH, CHAIRS AT OUR POOL.
IF WE HAD THIS RESPONSIBILITY.
AND, AND BY THE WAY, BY THE WAY, I HAVE WITH ME, 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY BETTER, UM, UH, TO, TO, TO, TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY IN THE TRENCHES HERE.
AND, AND BY THE WAY, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS AS MUCH TIME AS YOU ALL WILL GIVE US, WE'RE VERY THANKFUL TO BE HERE.
BUT I HAVE WITH ME, RENA, WHO IS THE MANAGER OF SUNSET HARBOR SOUTH.
SHE'S THE ONE THAT REALLY DEALS WITH THIS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, THE NIGHTMARE THAT IT IS, SHE, SHE CAN GO OVER SOME OF THE PRACTICAL, REAL PRACTICAL ISSUES.
I ALSO HAVE, UH, AND SOME PEOPLE THAT I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE, SARAH DE LOS REYES, SHE'S A RESIDENT, AN ACTIVIST HERE ON, ON, ON MY BEACH THAT WANTS TO TALK A LITTLE BIT, UM, ABOUT, ABOUT SOME OF THE FINANCIAL ISSUES.
AND I HAVE MARILYN FICK HERE WHO, WHO DID INCREDIBLE LEGWORK BECAUSE WE GOT A LIST.
WE, WE KNOW WHERE ALL THE PRIVATE LIFT STATIONS ARE.
NONE OF THEM ARE SIMILARLY SITUATED, NOT ONE.
AND SO IT, IT'S A, IT IT, I KNOW YOU, I'M HEARING YOU.
NUMBER ONE, OBVIOUSLY THOSE BUILDINGS ARE TREMENDOUSLY DENSE.
AND HAVE WE LOOKED THROUGH OUR PUBLIC RECORDS TO SEE WHEN THEY GOT THE BUILDING PERMIT FOR THIS, IF THERE WAS ANYTHING INCLUDED? YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S ZERO RECORDS ON THIS ZERO, AND WE'VE ASKED THE CITY TO LOOK, WE'VE THIS MULTIPLE, SOMETHING WEIRD HAPPENED.
I WOULD SAY, SAY THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING, THE FIRST THING THAT WE NEED TO DO IS LOOK VERY CAREFULLY THROUGH EVERYTHING.
BECAUSE MAYBE THE ONLY REASON THAT YOU GOT PERMISSION TO BUILD IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS IF YOU AGREED TO THIS STATION.
WAIT, NOT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU DO RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT IF I JUST MEANT, BUT THE FIRST THING, THE STEP THAT WE DIDN'T AS A CITY, 'CAUSE THIS IS A TREMENDOUS EXPENSE AND WE DON'T KNOW.
WHAT I WOULD ASK IS BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING, LET'S HAVE, UM, OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE COMB THROUGH OUR PUBLIC RECORDS AND HAVE US DO A VERY THOROUGH SEARCH TO LOOK NOT JUST AT THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, UH, BUILDING PERMIT, BUT LOOK AT THE NOTES, UM, FROM THE LAND USE COMMITTEE AT, YOU KNOW, AND FROM THE PLANNING BOARD TO SEE WHAT THE CONVERSATION WAS WHEN YOU GOT THE BUILDING PERMIT.
BECAUSE HOW MANY UNITS TOTAL IS IT? IT'S PROBABLY 6, 641.
SO, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME THEY PROBABLY SAID, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA LET YOU BUILD THIS, BUT YOU HAVE TO AGREE TO MAINTAIN THAT STATION.
SO WE NEED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS, WHAT THE COVENANT IS, WHAT THE AGREEMENT IS BEFORE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
NOW, IF MONEY IS NOT AN ISSUE, UM, AND MAINTENANCE IS, UM, SO BASICALLY IT'S OUT OF COMPLIANCE AND IT'S GONNA TAKE A MILLION TO A MILLION AND A HALF TO BRING IT UP TO COMPLIANCE, OR IT'S IN COMPLIANCE, IT'S INACCURATE.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY INFORMATION EXCEPT FOR THAT YOU GUYS HAVEN'T FOUND ANY INFORMATION.
MY MOTION ON THIS WOULD BE BETWEEN NOW AND OUR JULY MEETING, LET'S COMB THE PUBLIC RECORDS AND FIND OUT WHAT THE AGREEMENT WAS SO THAT WE CAN AT LEAST WORK FROM THERE.
AND ONCE WE HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED, WE CAN POSSIBLY STRIKE SOME SORT OF A COMPROMISE.
AND, AND I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WOULD BE MY OPINION BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW.
SO LET'S FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS, WHAT EVERYBODY AGREED TO.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NOT IN YOUR CONDO DOCS, AND IT PROBABLY ISN'T.
I'M SURE THAT THIS WAS DISCUSSED AT THE PLANNING BOARD.
SO WHAT WE NEED IS TO FIND OUT FROM YOU GUYS, AND I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD CONTACT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND FIND OUT WHAT THE AGREEMENT WAS AT THAT PLANNING BOARD MEETING, WHEN THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING WAS HELD BY THE DEVELOPER.
AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION BASED ON WHAT TRANSPIRED BACK THEN.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY WOULD SUPPORT THAT.
[01:10:01]
MORE ABOUT THIS.UH, NOT AN AREA JOE GENTLEMEN WAS PRETTY COMPELLING.
UM, UM, LET ME START, UM, WHEN THEY SAY IT'S BEING BROUGHT UP TO CODE, I AGREE THAT THEY'RE BRINGING UP THE ELECTRICAL PANEL.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND ALL THAT.
WHAT I SAID WAS BRINGING IT UP TO STANDARDS.
WE DID A HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAD APPROACHED US WHEN I FIRST STARTED WITH THE CITY, UH, ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO.
UM, AND THEY HAD APPROACHED US ABOUT THE ISSUES THEY WERE HAVING.
WE, UH, COMMISSIONED A HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS.
AND THE HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE ISSUE IS THE PUMP STATION ITSELF.
THE PUMPS ARE UNDERSIZED FOR THE AMOUNT OF, OF VOLUME THAT, OF THE CAPACITY OF THOSE OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
WE PROVIDED THAT HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS TO THEM.
UM, SO TO SAY THAT IF THEY'RE BRINGING IT UP TO STANDARDS, WE HAVEN'T SEEN PROOF THAT THE PUMPS HAVE BEEN CHANGED.
THAT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY UNDERSIZED.
THE PUMP, THE PUMP STATION, THE LIFT STATION, THE PRIVATE LIFT STATION CONNECTS TO A SIX INCH FORCE, MAIN OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY THAT CONNECTS TO OUR, OUR LINE ON DADE BOULEVARD.
SO WHEN THAT LIFT STATION COLLECTS EVERYTHING, IT, IT, IT FEEDS THROUGH A, A, A, A FORCE MAIN THAT'S ALONG PURDY AVENUE AND CONNECTS TO DAVE BOULEVARD.
BUT I WILL, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, WHATEVER MR. HALPER IS SAYING THAT WE DID DO A HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS, AND THE HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE, THE PUMP STATION, THE LIFT STATION WAS DEFICIENT FOR, FOR THE, THE, THE VOLUME, THE CAPACITY OF, OF THOSE, OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
AND, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, COMMISSIONER ROSE AND GONZALEZ.
BUT HOW I'M LOOKING AT THIS IS, THIS SOUNDS LIKE COMPLICATED STUFF, RIGHT? REALLY COMPLICATED STUFF.
ARE WE ESSENTIALLY SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR FURTHER FAILURE AS A CITY BY RELYING ON A CONDO BUILDING TO PERFORM THIS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE UNDERTAKING? BECAUSE EVEN IF WE WOULDN'T SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I, I'M SORRY, THIS WAS IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, YOU HAVE TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP, I'M SORRY.
BUT IF WE'RE SITTING HERE SAYING, WELL, YOU NEED TO DO ALL THIS, IT DOESN'T SOUND AS IF, AND THIS IS NO DISRESPECT, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE.
A CONDO BUILDING WOULDN'T, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM.
SO WE CAN'T JUST SIT HERE AND SAY, WE AS A CITY, THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
BECAUSE WHAT WE ULTIMATELY CARE ABOUT IS THIS GETS DONE RIGHT.
BECAUSE IT DOESN'T JUST AFFECT THEIR BUILDING.
THIS AFFECTS THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO ARE WE ALMOST HAVING A DERELICTION OF DUTY BY ALLOWING THEM TO UNDERTAKE THIS? PRIVATE LIFT STATIONS ARE TYPICALLY PROVIDED BY LARGE DEVELOPMENTS WHEN THE, THE DISTANCE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT BY GRAVITY TO A CITY FACILITY BECOMES SO DEEP THAT AT THAT POINT IT'S IMPRACTICAL.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IN THOSE CASES IS THAT THE LIFT STATION, IT, THE PRIVATE LIFT STATION IS PROVIDED TO BE ABLE TO BOOST AND THEN CONNECT TO A SYSTEM.
SO AGAIN, A A PRIVATE LIFT STATION IS, IS A CHOICE BECAUSE THE COST TO, TO DO THE UPGRADES THAT A DEVELOPER WOULD HAVE TO INCUR TO PROVIDE THAT CONNECTION TO THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY MAY BE SO HIGH THAT THEY OPT TO, UH, REDUCE THE COST BY PROVIDING A PRIVATE LIFT STATION WITH A CONNECTION THAT FORCES IN INTO THE SYSTEM.
THAT'S A CHOICE THAT DEVELOPERS MAKE.
AND IT, AGAIN, I REGARDLESS OF, OR THIS IS THE ONLY ONE, THE ONLY FOUR BUILDINGS THAT ARE CONNECTED WITH A PRIVATE LIFT STATION, THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES IN THE CITY.
I HAVE TOTAL OF 30 PRIVATE LIFT STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT CHOSE TO DO THAT AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
I'M NOT FAULTING IT IN HOW THAT AGREEMENT WAS ARRIVED AT 20 SOME YEARS AGO.
ALL, ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT AT, AT CURRENT, BASED ON THE ANALYSIS WE DID, THAT PUMP, THAT LIFT STATION IS UNDERSIZED FOR THE, FOR THE AMOUNT OF BILL FOR THE CAPACITY THAT IT NEEDS.
IF, IF I MAY, UH, GIVE ONE SECOND.
LET'S KEEP UP HERE ON THE COMMISSION FOR A MOMENT.
UM, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO DOING SOMETHING AND IT REALLY BOTHERS ME WHEN A DEVELOPER COMES ALONG OKAY AND GETS A PERMISSION AND THEN PUTS US IN THIS PRECARIOUS SITUATION AND BUILDS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE.
AND THEN PEOPLE BUY INTO IT AND THEN THEY'RE STUCK WITH A PROBLEM.
I SEE THIS IN SO MANY DIFFERENT CONDOMINIUMS, AND I'M NOT, NOT AMENABLE TO STRIKING SOME SORT OF COMPROMISE, POSSIBLY A COST SPLIT OR SOMETHING, UM, YOU KNOW, AND SOME HELP FROM THE CITY.
BUT BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING, AND I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THIS AGAIN, LET, LET'S FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED SO THAT WE KNOW, AND THEN WE, WE ARE IN A BETTER POSITION TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO REALLY CONSIDER THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, LEGAL AGREEMENT
[01:15:01]
BACK THEN.BECAUSE THEY MADE A COMMITMENT, OBVIOUSLY, TO TAKE THIS ON, OR THE DEVELOPER CUT COSTS AND CHOSE NOT TO BILL THE KIND OF STATION, UH, THAT HE DID, WHICH IS HORRIBLE.
SO I'M NOT OPPOSED TO IT, BUT I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE TAKING ANY ACTION TODAY BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T, WE HAVE NO INFORMATION.
SO, UM, IF, IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU AND THAT INTEREST OF TIME, UM, AND SARAH, AND, AND MARILYN, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING, YOU CAN, IT I, MY MOTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO, SECOND IT WOULD BE TO GET THE INFORMATION AND THEN COME BACK NEXT MONTH AND FIGURE OUT SOME SORT OF SOLUTION WHEN WE HAVE DATA, WHEN WE HAVE, WHEN WE UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT IT IS AND, AND, AND LET'S KEEP THE MOTION ON THE TABLE, UH, AND WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE MORE DISCUSSION.
SO I, I'M ACTUALLY INCLINED TO SUPPORT THAT.
I, I, I WONDER IF, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHEN, HOW THAT DEVELOPMENT WAS BUILT, BUT I WONDER IF THE LIFT STATION WAS BUILT FOR, LET'S SAY THE FIRST TWO TOWERS OR THE FIRST TOWER OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN THE OTHER THINGS, THE OTHER PARCELS OF THAT PROJECT CAME ONLINE AFTER THE FACT.
UM, AND SO THAT LIFT STATION MIGHT'VE BEEN SUFFICIENT FOR THE ORIGINAL BUILDING, BUT NOT FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT.
UM, BUT WE CAN'T FIGURE THAT OUT UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT THE COMMITMENTS WERE.
UM, MY, MY CONCERN, I HAVE TWO CONCERNS.
ONE IS THAT I DON'T WANT THIS TO SET PRECEDENT FOR OTHER, AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR SITUATION IS UNIQUE BECAUSE OF THE MULTITUDE THAT THAT GETS SERVED.
BUT I DON'T WANT THIS TO SET PRECEDENT FOR OTHER PRIVATE ENTERPRISES TO, UM, TRY TO, YOU KNOW, PUSH THE RESPONSIBILITY OFF FOR, FOR OTHERS, UM, ONTO THE CITY.
BUT I'M, I'M GONNA HOLD THAT AT BAY.
THE, THE OTHER, THE THIRD THING THAT'S ON MY MIND IS, UM, MR. HALER, YOU SAID THAT, UM, THE CONDO ASSOCIATION ISN'T NOTIFIED OF WORK BY THE CITY.
SO YOU FIND OUT ABOUT IT BECAUSE RESIDENTS HAVE UNFORTUNATE EPISODES.
I WOULD ASK THE CITY, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A PARTICULAR INCIDENT WHERE SOMETHING JUST DIDN'T GET PROPERLY COMMUNICATED OR THERE WAS ONE REALLY BAD INCIDENT INCIDENT, OR IT'S TIED INTO OVER, YOU KNOW, GENERAL INFRASTRUCTURE OVERWHELM, LIKE WHEN WE HAD THE RAINS.
BUT IF YOU GUYS CAN HAVE A CHAT, YOU KNOW, OFFLINE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY THERE'S NO COMMUNICATION, 'CAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING WE CAN AND MUST FIX NO MATTER WHAT, UM, AND CAN HAPPEN STARTING TODAY.
SO, SO I, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH HONESTLY ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID.
I THINK TWO THINGS ARE IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.
ONE, I I WANNA JUST LEAVE A A I WANNA LEAVE A COUPLE MINUTES REAL QUICK FOR RENA, THE PERSON THAT'S BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO TALK TO YOU ALL.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY AS TO THE PRESIDENTIAL, UH, UH, SORT OF EFFECT, I CHALLENGE THE CITY.
I CHALLENGE 'EM RIGHT NOW TO PLEASE FIND ME ANOTHER COMMUNITY OR PRIVATE LIFT STATION OF THE 30.
THEY'VE DONE SOME HOMEWORK THAT SERVICE PARCELS OTHER THAN THEIR OWN.
WHEN YOU START TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE YOUR CITY ATTORNEY, WHEN THEY START TO DO THAT, YOU BECOME A PUBLIC UTILITY BY DEFINITION.
COULD WE REQUEST THAT FROM THE CITY? I, I THINK I'M INCLINED.
I THINK WE'RE ALL INCLINED TO KIND OF SUPPORT, UH, WHAT COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ WAS SAYING.
SO IF WE CAN INCLUDE THAT AS SOME OF THE ANALYSIS THAT WE GET BACK ON.
AND IF WE CAN INDULGE YOU FOR A SECOND LONGER, I'D LOVE FOR Y'ALL TO MEET ADA AND JUST TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ONE OF YOUR CONCERNS, WHICH IS, WAS THIS A ONE-TIME THING OR DOES IT HAPPEN OFTEN? AND HOW, HOW, HOW DO WE LIVE DAY TO DAY? SO OMA HER SPEAK INSTEAD OF US.
IF, IF YOU DON'T MIND, UM, THIS IS MY ITEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I PERSONALLY VISITED A LIFT STATION AND IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S CRAZY THAT THIS COMMUNITY OR THIS, THIS ONE PARTICULAR HOA SERVICES, THREE OTHER HOAS, AND THIS, THIS WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.
THIS WAS CONCERNING FOR ME BECAUSE IT IS NEXT TO THE WATER.
AND WHENEVER THERE IS A BACKUP, IT GOES INTO, UM, THE BAY.
UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, ROSA GONZALEZ, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE DEVELOPER KIND OF BACKS UP BY THE WAY, THIS DEVELOPER HAS PASSED AWAY.
UM, AND HE, HE, I'VE BEEN ASKING THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR, TO FIND THIS DOCUMENT, UH, FOR THE LAST MONTH.
UM, BUT IT IS SMART TO GO TO THE PLANNING BOARD AND LOOK AT THE MINUTES FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
I, I DON'T THINK THEY'VE DONE THAT, WHICH IS A GREAT IDEA.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM ALL THE POINTS RAISED HERE, OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, SEWAGE BACKING UP INTO PEOPLE'S PLACES, IT DOES SEEM OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAT A CONDO IS SERVICING THREE OTHER CONDOS.
[01:20:02]
AND I JUST DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE EQUIPPED TO DO THAT.I THINK THAT REALLY SHOULD BE A CITY OWNED, UM, RESPONSIBILITY.
I'VE ASKED, I'VE HAD PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, WITH THE HOA ON SAYING, LOOK, YOU KNOW, AND I TOTALLY GET THE ARGUMENT THAT IF THERE WAS A DEAL STRUCK WITH THE DEVELOPER AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE DEAL.
IF THIS IS GOING TO COST A MILLION DOLLARS, MAYBE YOU, MAYBE THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR HALF OF THAT IN THE CITY.
AND SO, AND, AND THAT'S, I THINK, AND BY THE WAY, THEY'RE MORE THAN WILLING TO WORK WITH US.
BUT I, I THINK COMMISSIONER ING IS ALSO, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
LET'S GET THE FACTS OF, OF EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT.
I'M TOTALLY OKAY WITH THAT, AND I'M SURE THEY ARE.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, WE'RE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT WORKING WITH ALL THE DATA.
AND SO, UM, I'M HOPING THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CAN, CAN PRODUCE THAT.
AND, AND SARAH, IF I COULD QUOTE YOU THE CODE NAME FOR ONE SECOND, YOU KNOW, SUNSET HARBOR, I THINK THIS HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING AREAS IN, IN OUR ENTIRE CITY.
SOME OF THAT IS PREDICATED BY ON, UH, NEW PROJECTS THAT HAVE COME OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
THERE'S SOME PROJECTS WHERE WE'VE ESSENTIALLY SAID, OKAY, YOU WANT TO DO THIS? WE NEED SOME SORT OF PUBLIC BENEFIT.
OR MM-HMM,
PERHAPS WHAT WE COULD LOOK AT IS, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, SOME OF THESE NEW PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS, WE COULD SAY, WELL, THIS IS OUR PRIORITY NOW WHEN INSTEAD OF PAYING A NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT ESTABLISHMENT FEE THAT GOES TO X OR TRANSPORTATION, WE NEED THIS TO GO TO OUR SANITATION, YOU KNOW, TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THESE COSTS.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S CRAZY WHEN THEY WERE DEVELOPING THE PALAU AND THESE OTHER BUILDINGS, HAD WE HAD THIS INFORMATION, WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCLUDE THEM AND SOMEHOW BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
BUT THEY'RE DIRECTLY CONNECTED.
BUT WE DIDN'T, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M ALONG THE SAME LINES OF COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
I'M WILLING TO TAKE, POSSIBLY DO SOME SORT OF COMPROMISE IN TERMS OF RESPONSIBILITY, BUT LET'S COME BACK NEXT MONTH AND GET THE NOTES FROM THE PLANNING BOARD AND SEE WHAT YOUR DEVELOPER, UH, AGREED TO.
PLEASE LISTEN TO HER BECAUSE SHE IS THE EXPERT ON THIS.
I THINK THOSE ARE ALL WISE COMMENTS.
IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE, I'M RENA, I'M THE SOLE PERSON THAT OPERATES FOR THE 671 UNITS, WHICH INCLUDE OVER 5,000 BATHROOMS. ASIDE FROM RUNNING A 26 STORY BUILDING, GOING THROUGH AN ELEVATOR MODERNIZATION OF FACADE PROJECT A, BDA SYSTEM INSTALLATION OF FIRE ALARM MODERNIZATION.
YOU'RE THE BUILDING MANAGER AT ETO.
WHEN DURHAM SHOWS UP, IT'S ME.
UM, I HAD AN INSTANCE WHERE, UM, I CAME IN IN THE MORNING ON A FRIDAY AND I HAD COFFEE YET, AND THERE WAS PUBLIC WORKS TO TELL ME THAT THE VENETIAN MAIN HAD BROKE DOWN.
I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY DROP EVERYTHING I WAS DOING, MAKE SURE I HAD SIX PUMP OUT TRUCKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE RUNNING AT LEAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
'CAUSE THE FIRST PLACE THAT GOES DOWN IS THE TOWN HALLS.
WE LITERALLY HAVE FE AND OTHER HAZARD'S WASTE IN THE FIRST FLOOR OF THEIR BUILDING.
THEIR RESIDENCES ARE ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
THE SECOND PLACE IS THE NORTH TOWER.
THEY START GOING THROUGH THE LANDSCAPING.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS US, AND WE ACTUALLY COME OUT THROUGH OUR LOBBY.
SO I HAVE TO PREVENT ALL OF THIS FROM HAPPENING.
I'VE HAD OTHER INSTANCES WHERE THE COAST GUARDS GOT SHUT DOWN.
NEXT THING I KNOW, I HAVE LITERALLY FECES IN THE STREET.
SO I HAD TO CALL, I GOT SHUT DOWN.
SO BASED ON ALL OF THAT, ALSO, I HAVE UPGRADED THE CONTROL PANEL, WHICH WILL BE DONE AT THE END OF JULY.
ONLY $40,000 AND A HALF, NOT MILLIONS.
I HAVE HIRED CIVIL ENGINEERS, STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, ELECTRIC ENGINEERS, ELECTRICIANS, PLUMBERS, AND I'M HAVING ALL OF THE SYSTEM, HALF A MILE OF PIPES BEING REPAIRED, STARTING THIS MONTH.
I'M FIXING CONNECTIONS, CLEAN OUTS AND PIPES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT REHABILITATED SYSTEM BEFORE JULY 27TH, WHICH IS MY DEADLINE.
AND IT'S NOT COSTING ME HALF A MILLION OR MILLIONS.
IT'S COSTING ME $200,000 WITH THE ENGINEERS INCLUDED TO HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT SOLID SYSTEM BY MID-JULY.
MEANING? AND HOW, HOW DOES THAT, UH, BILLING PROCESS WORK, WANNA COME WORK FOR OUR PUBLIC WORKS?
BUT, BUT BY THE WAY, OUR BIGGEST NIGHTMARE, OUR BIGGEST NIGHTMARE IS LOSING SEAL MATA BECAUSE THERE'S NO OTHER MANAGER IN THE CITY THAT COULD DO WHAT SHE DOES IN THIS REGARD.
AND THEN DO YOU GO OUT AND THEN ACTUALLY BUILD THE OTHER BUILDINGS? SO THERE'S SOME SORT OF, YEAH.
SO THEN AT JOINT AGREEMENT, PLEASE.
SO, SO AT THE END OF THE YEAR, I COLLECT ALL OF THE FEES, AND THEN I COLLECT ALL OF THE INVOICES, THE BACKUP, AND I SEND IT TO THE OTHER FOUR ASSOCIATIONS AND GIVE THEM TO HARD CASH.
SO WHERE WOULD THOSE, IF THE CITY TAKES OVER, WHERE WOULD THOSE FEES GO IF THESE BUILDINGS ARE ALREADY PAYING? WELL, THESE FEES WOULD NEVER COME UP AGAIN.
THIS IS A 25-YEAR-OLD SYSTEM THAT I'M GONNA GET TO YOU PRACTICALLY NEW.
SO PERHAPS, PERHAPS THAT'S SOME SORT OF PART OF THE COMPROMISE THAT THOSE FEES ACTUALLY COME INTO US.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY REMAIN, THE CITY JUST TAKES OVER, UH, PROFESSIONALIZES THE OPERATIONS AND THE MAINTENANCE, THE, THE MAINTENANCE THAT WE ACTUALLY PAY MONTHLY, UM, ANNUALLY REGULAR
[01:25:01]
IS ONLY $1,500.IF, IF I CAN SHARE, I, I BELIEVE THE, UH, THE REQUEST WAS TO RETURN TO FERC, UH, AFTER RESEARCHING THE DEVELOPMENT ORDERS AND OTHER RELATED DOCUMENTATION RELATED TO THE SUNSET HARBOR LIFT STATION.
I THINK WE'RE ALL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
THE COMMUNITY IS IN AGREEMENT.
THANK, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR MAKING TIME FOR US.
CAN I, CAN I ADD ONE THING? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THAT MOTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS POSSIBLE, RICK, COULD YOU SEE, UM, WITH PLANNING, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO MOVING FORWARD TO PUT SOME SORT OF OVERLAY IN SUNSET HARBOR.
SO ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS WILL HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE INTO THE FUND, LIKE COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE SAID, SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BEGIN TO HELP COVER THE COST IF ANYTHING ELSE ADDITIONAL IS DEVELOPED IN THE AREA.
SO THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HELP COVER THE COST.
WAIT A NEW, UH, ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO A FUND, ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THAT SUNSET HARBOR AREA THAT COULD POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT THEY SOMEHOW PAY INTO A FUND SO THAT WE MAINTAIN THIS.
I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD IN THAT AREA.
MAYBE THEY PAY INTO A FUND TO, TO, TO HELP THEM.
WELL, I MEAN, AS I UNDERSTOOD EARLIER, IF YOU BUILD A CERTAIN WAY, YOU DO NOT NEED A LIFT STATION.
SO IF THE DEVELOPER IS GONNA USE THIS LIFT STATION, I SUPPOSE I, I, I'M NOT SURE IT DOESN'T MATTER, WE CAN STILL CHARGE THEM AN IMPACT FEE THAT WILL HELP COVER OUR COST IN THE CASE THAT WE DO REACH A COMPROMISE MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE CAN SAY, LISTEN, IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE SUNSET HARBOR, IF YOU WANT TO PUT ANY MORE DENSITY, OR IF YOU WANT TO BUILD, IF YOU WANT MORE WATER AND SEWER, YOU HAVE TO PAY INTO, UM, A FUND.
IF I CAN THINK, RICK, SO THIS ISN'T TECHNICALLY RELATED TO THIS ITEM, IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD WORK WITH THE, UH, COMMISSIONER TO AS A COMMISSION ITEM? OKAY.
THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO PUMP THIS TO COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, 'CAUSE THIS IS HIS BABY.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THAT ITEM? SEE SOME THEMES ON COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ'S ITEMS THERE?
AND IF YOU DON'T WANNA WORK ON THAT, IT'S FINE.
UM, OKAY, LET'S GET THE FACTS FIRST.
I'M WITH THE TOWN HOMES AT SUNSET HARBOR.
UH, THE LOWEST POINT OF ALL THESE, UM, ENDEAVOR HERE.
AND WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS, THE FIRST GARAGE THAT GETS THE POOP IS US.
AND WE HAD TO INSTALL SPECIAL DRAINS THAT ONLY ALLOW WATER OR WHATEVER TO GO DOWN AND NOT UP TO THE TUNE OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN OUR BUILDING TO HELP NOT PREVENT, BUT TO HELP WITH THIS.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY.
WHAT I WANT, IF YOU INDULGE ME FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES, UH, THIS DEVELOPER, WHAT HE DID WAS INCREDIBLE.
SO WE HAVE NO IDEA, NO IDEA OF EXACTLY WHAT DEALS HE MADE WITH THE CITY.
WE HAVE A GUARDHOUSE IN OUR TOWN HOMES, AND WE NEEDED TO CHANGE THE DOORS AND THE WINDOWS BECAUSE THEY WERE OLD AND, YOU KNOW, NOT COMPLIANT WITH THE HURRICANE.
SO WE GO DOWN TO THE CITY WITH OUR PLANS TO ASK FOR A PERMIT TO CHANGE THE WINDOWS AND THE DOORS.
AND, UH, THE CITY TELLS ME, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE A GUARDHOUSE.
AND I SAY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T HAVE A GUARDHOUSE? NO, THAT WAS NEVER PERMITTED.
SO WE HAD TO PERMIT A GUARDHOUSE IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE DOORS AND THE WINDOWS.
THAT SHOWS YOU WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
WE ARE DOING A HUGE, MASSIVE RENOVATION IN OUR, UH, PROPERTY NOW.
SO WE WANTED TO CONVERT THE BACK PATIOS.
SO WE GO WITH ALL THE PLANS, ALL ASKING FOR A PERMIT.
AND, AND AGAIN, MICHAEL BELU TELLS ME, MARILYN, YOU DON'T HAVE PATIOS IN YOUR PLANTS.
WHAT YOU HAVE BACK THERE ARE GARDENS.
I SAID, WE'VE HAD PATIOS FROM DAY ONE.
HE SAYS, WELL, YOU HAVE TO PERMIT THE PATIOS BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE PATIOS.
SO THIS GUY BUILT THINGS WITHOUT PERMITS, OBVIOUSLY.
HE BUILT THINGS WITHOUT PERMIT.
AND LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER BAT WAS SAYING MAYBE HE DID THAT LIFT STATION IN THE SOUTH TOWER BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST THING HE BUILT.
THEN HE BUILT THE NORTH TOWER AND HE WAS BUILT, WAS GONNA BE THE THIRD TOWER WHERE WE ARE THE TOWN HOMES.
[01:30:01]
THE CITY WAS SUED BY THE ISLANDS BECAUSE THE TOWER WILL CAST A SHADOW ON THEM.SO THERE WAS A BIG LAWSUIT, WHICH THE CITY LOST, AND THEY COULDN'T BUILD THE TOWER THERE.
AND THEN THEY DECIDED TO BUILD THE TOWN HOMES, WHICH COULDN'T BE HIGHER THAN X.
SO THAT, UH, THE MANSIONS ON THE OTHER SIDE WOULDN'T GET A SHADOW.
SO EVERYTHING IS VERY NOT ABOVE BOARD WHEN IT COMES TO, TO MR. BEZO.
MAY HE REST IN PEACE? WE MIGHT.
WHAT DID, WHAT WAS THE DEVELOPER'S NAME? MARILYN BESO.
WHAT WAS THE OLD MAN'S NAME? BESO.
IS YOUR PACIFIC THEY WERE FROM CANADA? NO, WE'RE, WE'RE SYMPATHETIC.
UM, WE ALL WE'RE ASKING, I MEAN, THIS LIFT STATION IS, IS GONNA BE OPERATIONAL A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WHEN IF YOU DO GET IT, IT'S LIKE BRAND NEW.
YOU HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE, WITH THE LIFT STATION.
AND WE ARE WILLING TO PAY SOMETHING FOR, FOR YOU GUYS, THE CITY.
BUT SUMARA, SHE'S NOT AN ENGINEER, SHE'S NOT A PUBLIC WORK PERSON.
SHE'S THE MOST AMAZING MANAGER THAT ANYONE COULD DREAM OF HAVING.
NO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE DISCUSSION.
MY LAST THOUGHT WAS THAT IF BUSH COMES TO SHOVE, MAYBE THE CITY WOULD WORK WITH US TO MAKE LIKE A SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICT.
WELL, THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA FIGURE SOMETHING OUT, SOMETHING WE'RE PROPOSING.
MAYBE NOT THAT, BUT ALONG THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT, THEY PAY SOME SORT OF IMPACT FOR YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EARS, GUYS.
I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
LET'S, UM, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UH, DO WE HAVE HR HERE? OH, YES.
UH, NUMBER FOUR, A REFERRAL TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMIA BEACH, FLORIDA, ESTABLISHING HIS POLICY OF THE CITY OF IOWA BEACH, THAT MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS MEDICINE THAT IS NOT AN ILLICIT RECREATIONAL DRUG THAT EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY WHO ARE PRESCRIBED MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY A PROPERLY LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA LAW, SHALL BE PERMITTED TO USE THIS PROPERLY PRESCRIBED MEDICATION DURING NON-WORKING HOURS AND SUFFICIENTLY IN ADVANCE OF ANY SCHEDULED WORK SHIFT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE EMPLOYEE IS NOT IMPAIRED BY THE USE OF THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA WHILE ON THE JOB.
AND DIRECTING THIS ADMINISTRATION TO DRAFT AND PROCLAMATION, UH, WRITTEN DIRECTIVES EFFECTUATING THE CITY POLICY NUMBER FOUR, COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, PLEASE KICK IT OFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, WE WE'RE A NONPARTISAN, UH, BODY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THINK OF US ALSO AS A PROGRESSIVE BODY.
AND IN THE PAST WE'VE, YOU KNOW, DONE SOME GREAT THINGS FOR EMPLOYEES.
LIKE, UH, I BELIEVE IN 2016, I, I CREATED THIS PAID PARENTAL LEAVE, WHICH REALLY, YOU KNOW, HAD A GREAT, WONDERFUL DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR EMPLOYEES AND MORALE.
AND, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE SO PROGRESSIVE AS A BODY.
UM, I HAD AN EMPLOYEE COME TO ME WHO HAD, UH, CANCER AND HE, UH, HAD A PRESCRIPTION.
HE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FLORIDA, THE FLORIDA STATE LAW SAYS THAT IF YOU HAVE AN AILMENT AND YOU HAVE A PRESCRIPTION, THEN YOU ARE ENTITLED TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA BECAUSE IT IS MEDICINE.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DO, AND I THINK THIS WOULD BE THE PROGRESSIVE THING, IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A DOCUMENTED ILLNESS AND DIAGNOSIS, AND YOU NEED MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE FLORIDA STATE LAW AND ALLOW FOR IT.
I DO THINK THAT TECHNICALLY IF ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES WERE TO SUE US, UM, UNDER STATE LAW, THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO MEDICINE.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, AS LONG AS, YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S LAW, AND WE ALLOW FOR THIS, AND BY THE WAY, IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, EVERYBODY HAS PERFORMANCE REVIEWS.
IF YOU'RE SOMEHOW NOT COMPLYING, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T DO YOUR JOB, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT THE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, THERE'S, THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENCES.
THIS IS IF YOU HAVE AN ILLNESS AND YOU HAVE A PRESCRIPTION AND YOU NEED THE MEDICINE, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS THE BENIGN, HUMANE, COMPASSIONATE COURSE OF ACTION FOR US TO TAKE AS A PROGRESSIVE CITY.
HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT THAT? I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO HEAR, UM, FROM MARLA, BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE QUESTIONS I, MY, MY INSTINCT, MY WISH
[01:35:01]
IS TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.MY UNDERSTANDING, AND, AND I'LL ASK YOU FOR MORE, MORE DETAIL ON THIS, IS THAT, UM, IT, IT WOULD AFFECT THE RATES.
WE'RE ABLE TO, AND, AND OFFER ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE IT CHANGES OUR INSURANCE.
UH, AND THE OTHER THING IS, I, I THINK THAT IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE TO SUGGEST THAT IF THIS WERE SOMETHING THAT WERE ADOPTED, IT WOULD, THERE WOULD BE CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF JOBS, IT WOULD BE EXEMPTED FROM THIS.
SO IF YOU ARE AN, AN EMERGENCY RESPONDER, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, THEN TX D FOR YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, THEN MAYBE
UM, NO, BUT I, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY, UM, IN THE LIFEGUARD TOWER FOR 30 YEARS OF YOUR CAREER, BUT NOW YOU'RE DEALING WITH A HEALTH CONSIDERATION, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MAKE FORCE YOU OUTTA YOUR JOB, BUT YOUR JOB DUTY GETS CHANGED INSTEAD OF BEING FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE, YOUR TRAINING PEOPLE OR YOUR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
UM, SO NOW THAT I'VE ASKED YOU WHAT I
UM, CHAIRMAN MAGAZINE, CITY COMMISSIONERS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL JUST READ FROM A PREPARED, UH, STATEMENT AND THEN DIRECTLY TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS LEGAL IN FLORIDA STATE LAW DOES NOT PROHIBIT EMPLOYERS FROM ESTABLISHING A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE, WHICH IS A DESIGNATION UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS FOR INSURANCE AND WORKERS' COMP PURPOSES, AS WELL AS OTHER PURPOSES, OR FROM HAVING RULES SUCH AS PROHIBITING THE USE OF SCHEDULE ONE DRUGS, WHICH MARIJUANA IS CURRENTLY A SCHEDULE ONE DRUG UNDER FEDERAL LAW, OR FROM BEING IMPAIRED AT WORK FROM THE USE OF ANY DRUG, ALCOHOL, OR ANY SUBSTANCE.
SO WHILE MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS LEGAL IN FLORIDA, THE FLORIDA LAW IS STRUCTURED TO ALLOW WORKPLACES, IS TO STILL MAINTAIN THESE TYPES OF RULES THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PROVIDED IN OUR MEMO TO COMM, COMMIT TO THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, A MEMO THAT ISSUES THAT OUTLINES ISSUES SURROUNDING THE USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND HOW IT INTERSECTS SOMETIMES IN CONFLICTING AND CONFUSING WAYS WITH MULTIPLE FEDERAL LAWS.
STATE LAW, UM, I SHOULD HAVE SAID FEDERAL LAWS INCLUDING THE A DA, WORKERS' COMPENSATION ISSUES, LIABILITY ISSUES, AND THEN ALSO OUR CITY BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, ALL OF WHICH, UM, PROHIBIT THE USE OF, UM, MARIJUANA.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT HR, THE CITY ADMINISTRATION, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE ALL TAKE CARE CURRENTLY TO INTERACT WITH OUR EMPLOYEES ON THESE MATTERS IN A SENSITIVE, CAREFUL, AND LEGAL WAY.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT SITUATIONS WE SEE WITH DIFFERENT EMPLOYEES WHERE, UM, EACH PARTICULAR CASE MAY INTERACT WITH THIS ISSUE.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE THAT HAS A SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM AND THEY'RE SEEKING HELP THAT TRIGGERS OUR RESPONSIVE REACTION IN A COMPASSIONATE WAY WITH A CERTAIN SET OF ACTIONS.
SOME EMPLOYEES MAY BE IMPAIRED AT WORK AND HAVE AN ACCIDENT THAT TRIGGERS DIFFERENT RESPONSES.
SOME EMPLOYEES MAY HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION, AND WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR US IS LIKE WHAT COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ IS BRINGING UP.
THEY'RE ASKING US FOR AN ACCOMMODATION, WHICH WE MIGHT DO SOMETHING LIKE, COMMISSIONER, WHAT COMMISSIONER BOT JUST MENTIONED, HOW CAN WE WORK WITH YOU TO ADJUST YOUR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES TO GIVE YOU THIS REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION? AND THEN FINALLY, YOU MIGHT HAVE A NEW EMPLOYEE CANDIDATE THAT TESTS POSITIVE AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY AUTOMATICALLY REJECT.
WE WOULD SIT, SIT WITH THEM AND HAVE AN INTERACTIVE CONVERSATION AND SAY, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE, UH, THAT IS BEFORE THAT YOU CAN DO TO AND BE EMPLOYED HERE? IS THERE, UM, A DIFFERENT JOB THAT IS NOT SAFETY SENSITIVE? SO DEPENDING ON THAT SITUATION, EACH OF THESE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT REQUIRING HR NOT TO JUST TAKE ACTION, BUT TO CONSULT WITH, UM, OUR ATTORNEYS BECAUSE THESE ARE COMPLEX LEGAL MATTERS AND OUR DEPARTMENTS TO DETERMINE WHAT CAN BE DONE REASONABLY AND NOT REASONABLY TO NAVIGATE THESE LEGAL MATTERS, BE HELPFUL TO OUR EMPLOYEES, MAINTAIN OUR OPERATIONS AND OUR SAFETY, AND TO COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE LAWS, CONTRACTS, AND PROCEDURES.
PLEASE NOTE THAT IF WE ADOPT, UM, THIS
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REFERRAL, UH, THIS, THIS RESOLUTION, WE WOULD NEED A VERY DELIBERATE AND CAREFUL CHANGE OF MANY ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES, INCLUDING OUR DRUG TESTING PRACTICES, OUR DISCIPLINE PRACTICES, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH OUR UNIONS CHANGES TO EACH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.SO THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT A SIMPLE SITUATION.
I DO WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALREADY APPROACH THESE MATTERS VERY CAREFULLY WITH LOTS OF THOUGHT AND COMPASSION.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, DOES THIS ALL GET EASIER ONCE IT'S NO LONGER A FEDERALLY SCHEDULE ONE, UH, DRUG? SO I'M GONNA SAY YES, AND IT DEPENDS.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION LAW IS PROBABLY AMONG THE STRICT, AND I, AND I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, SO PLEASE ATTORNEY, JUMP IN IF I'M GETTING OFF HERE.
BUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RULES REGARDING LICENSING OF CDL DRIVERS, MANY OF WHICH OUR JOBS REQUIRE CDL DRIVING, UM, THEY'RE MUCH STRICTER THAN, AND THOSE THINGS HAVE TO DO WITH, UM, LICENSING OF, OF OPERATORS WHO DO, UH, CERTAIN, UM, I MEAN AIRLINE PILOTS, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, CDL DRIVING, OTHER TYPES OF DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RULES ARE THE STRICTEST.
AND SO PROBABLY, UM, EVEN IF IT BECAME A SCHEDULE THREE DRUG, IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WOULD DO AS FAR AS THEIR RULES REGARDING THE LICENSING OF FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION LICENSES.
AND MAYBE, UM, DO WE KNOW WHERE, WHERE IT IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DECLASSIFIED FEDERALLY? SO I, I ACTUALLY THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND THERE'S THREE RECENT UPDATES.
IN APRIL, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RECOMMENDED TO COMMENCE A RULEMAKING PROCESS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
IT'S GONNA TAKE MANY MONTHS, UM, TO EASE FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS ON RULES SURROUNDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA, NOT RECREATIONAL.
THIS RULEMAKING PROCESS IS NOT EXPECTED TO END FEDERAL CRIMINALIZATION OF THE DRUG, BUT IT MAY INCLUDE CHANGING THE SCHEDULE CLASSIFICATION.
ANOTHER UPDATE IS ON MAY 1ST, 2024, A BILL WAS INTRODUCED IN THE US SENATE TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA AND REMOVE IT FROM SCHEDULE ONE ON THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE LIST AS OF NOW.
AND THAT WAS AT THE TIME OF THE WRITING OF THE MEMO TO FERC, NO, REPUBLICANS HAD SIGNED ON TO CO-SPONSOR THE BILL IN THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND THAT WAS IN MAY.
AND THEN HERE IN FLORIDA, VOTERS WILL BE DECIDING ON A REFERENDUM FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON THE NOVEMBER 5TH BALLOT, UH, TO POSSIBLY LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
SO THERE ARE CHANGES COMING IN THE FEDERAL AND IN THE STATE, UM, LEVEL THAT WE'RE MONITORING AND PAYING ATTENTION TO.
I, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, IF I MIGHT, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
UM, IS IT POSSIBLE, MY UNDERSTANDING, AND COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS, THIS IS CURRENTLY, WELL, THIS, THIS INITIATIVE IS PREDICATED ON ONE INDIVIDUAL'S NEEDS CURRENTLY THAT WE KNOW ABOUT.
I MEAN, WHO KNOWS WHAT HASN'T BEEN REPORTED, BUT, UM, IS THERE A WAY TO ACCOMMODATE ONE PERSON AS A, A STANDALONE, UM, NOT A POLICY CHANGE? THAT'S NOT MY ITEM.
IF YOU WANTED TO ACCOMMODATE MY ITEM.
NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I WANNA, I WANNA UNDERSTAND IF IT'S EVEN POSSIBLE.
WELL, I MEAN, WE STARTED, WE STARTED THERE, BUT THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT OUR PRACTICES, I THOUGHT ABOUT OVERALL MORALE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
I THINK THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY STRESSFUL PLACE TO WORK.
DO YOU KNOW THAT WE LIKE TERRORIZE DEPARTMENTS WITH RANDOM DRUG SWEEPS AT ANY GIVEN TIME? AND PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS PERSONALLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE THIS, LIKE, LOOMING INSPECTOR GENERAL USED TO BE THE HEAD OF THE, YOU KNOW, CRIMINAL DIVISION.
AND HE IS, WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS THE, OH, THERE YOU ARE.
NOT THAT YOU'RE TERRORIZING PEOPLE, BUT YOU, YOU FRIGHTEN PEOPLE.
AND YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS CULTURE WHERE EVERYBODY IS SO AFRAID THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ACCUSED OF SOMETHING AT ANY TIME.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO STOP SOME OF THESE PRACTICES, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
BECAUSE HAPPY EMPLOYEES ARE PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEES, OKAY? AND THOUGH OUR CULTURE RIGHT NOW IS NOT A HAPPY, I'M TELLING YOU, IT IS NOT A HAPPY CULTURE.
IT IS A FEAR-BASED CULTURE, AND PEOPLE LOVE TO WORK IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, BUT SOME OF THESE PRACTICES NEED TO SHIFT AND CHANGE, AND WE NEED TO SOMETIMES PUSH BACK, YOU KNOW? UM, AND I'M NOT SAYING YOU ARE WONDERFUL.
LOOK, HR PEOPLE ARE, THIS IS YOUR JOB AND THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
BUT I HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, AS A PHD IN COMMUNICATIONS AND SOMEBODY WHO ACTUALLY
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AND, AND LOOKS AT A PRACTICES AND HOW THEY AFFECT CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE.UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND OBSERVANCES OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, UM, I THINK WE COULD DO BETTER.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE, UH, THE LEADERS IN, IN, IN PUSHING BACK A LITTLE BIT ON THIS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT, THAT WHETHER, YOU KNOW, I, I, I WON'T BE OFFENDED IF YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, MOVE IT FORWARD WITH AN UNFAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.
BUT I DO THINK IF WE EXEMPT ANYBODY, UM, WHO HAS TO OPERATE MACHINERY OR UM, ANYBODY WHO IS INVOLVED IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, WHAT IS IT? WHAT DID YOU FIRST RESPONDERS, I GUESS FIRST RESPONDERS, ANYBODY OPERATING HEAVY EQUIPMENT? UH, IT WOULD NOT, UM, APPLY TO THEM, BUT I THINK THAT ANYONE ELSE WHO IS SICK AND THE INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED HAS CANCER.
AND WE STARTED OUT WITH A MEETING, WE, UM, AND, AND, AND BY THE WAY, HAD I GOTTEN PERMISSION AT THAT MEETING TO SOMEHOW EXEMPT THAT INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE PUSHED FORWARD WITH IT, BUT MAYBE I WOULD HAVE ANYWAY, BECAUSE I DO, I DO DISLIKE SOME OF OUR, UM, PRACTICES.
WE EVEN LIKE, UM, WHEN WE TEST, LIKE I THINK IF YOU HAVE LIKE A DRINK THE NIGHT BEFORE, DON'T YOU, WE TEST FOR ALCOHOL TOO.
WHEN WE DO THESE TESTS, I THINK THAT WE GO A LITTLE TOO FAR AND I WOULD LIKE US TO SET SOME P RELAX SOME OF THESE POLICIES SO THAT OUR WORKERS DON'T FEEL AFRAID BECAUSE LET'S SAY THAT IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY THE NIGHT BEFORE AND YOU HAD A FEW DRINKS, AND THEN YOU GET ONE OF THESE RANDOM DRUG SWEEPS FOR ALCOHOL IN THE MORNING, AND YOU JUST HAD A FEW DRINKS LATE.
SO YOU HAD A COUPLE OF COSMOS THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU COULD TEST.
I THINK IT'S TERRIBLE PRACTICE IT BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE REALLY ARE LIVING IN FEAR.
SO APART FROM THE FACT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE ALL OF THOSE TESTING REQUIREMENTS, WHICH MIGHT BE ANOTHER THING COMING, AND MAYBE THAT'S PART OF THIS, UH, UH, DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE DESIGNATION, UM, MY MOTION WOULD BE TO, TO, TO MOVE THIS FORWARD AND HEAR WHAT, WHAT THE BODY HAS TO SAY, FIND OUT WHAT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS ARE FOR US.
AND I DO THINK THAT IF WE REALIZE FOR ANYBODY WHO HAS A PRESCRIPTION AND IS ILL, UM, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS BAD POLICY.
I GUARANTEE YOU IT'S GONNA GO A LONG WAY IN, UH, MAKING HAPPIER, UM, EMPLOYEES.
BY THE WAY, DO YOU KNOW THE INCREASE IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY? AND IT'S TERRIBLE.
THE COST OF LIVING IS ESCALATING.
AND I, AND SO MANY PEOPLE ARE ADDICTED TO LEGAL DRUGS LIKE OXYCONTIN, HORRIBLE THINGS.
THEY LIKE XANAX DRUGS THAT REALLY, REALLY WREAK HAVOC AND, AND HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A A A TERRIBLE, YOU KNOW, TERRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK THAT YOU, THAT YOU GUYS ALLOW ME TO, TO MOVE IT AND HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
LET'S FIND OUT WHAT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS ARE, AND I GUARANTEE YOU THAT THIS IS, THIS WILL BE A POSITIVE SHIFT IN THE, IN, IN THE EMPLOYEE BASE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
MARLA, CAN I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION? DO YOU, YEAH.
UM, DO WE, DO YOU KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, UM, OR NOT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, BUT DO YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT WHAT THE IMPLICATION WOULD BE FOR OUR HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS? OKAY, SO THE COST THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS OUTLINED IN THE MEMO.
AND BASICALLY, BY US BEING A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE, THERE ARE DISCOUNTS THAT WE RECEIVE IN OUR STATE OF FLORIDA WORKERS' COMPENSATION FEES.
WE RECEIVE AN ANNUAL 5% CREDIT, WHICH IS $30,000 ANNUALLY.
WE, WE DO NOT RECOMMEND NOT BEING WHAT IS CALLED A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE BECAUSE IT ALSO, UM, IMPACTS OUR ABILITY TO CERTIFY AND RECEIVE FEDERAL GRANTS.
UM, YOU HAVE TO SAY, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE MANY FEDERAL GRANTS THAT YOU ARE A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE PROGRAM.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT, THE, THE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE PROGRAM UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS BASICALLY ARE SAYING WE'RE GOING TO, UM, OPERATE OUR, UM, OUR CITY, OUR, OUR, OUR EMPLOYING, UH, EMPLOYMENT IN A WAY THAT MEANS PEOPLE ARE NOT IMPAIRED AT WORK.
SO WE NOTICE THAT WE'RE A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE AS YOU APPLY, WE NOTICE IT WHEN YOU SIGN UP TO GET HIRED, WE GIVE YOU A COPY OF THE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND SAY, WE ARE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.
AND EACH, IT'S BARGAINED INTO EACH COLLECTING BARGAINING AGREEMENT AS WELL.
SO THERE'S LAYERS UPON LAYERS OF NOTIFICATION TO EMPLOYEES WHEN THEY APPLY AND WHEN THEY SIGN UP TO WORK HERE THAT SAYS, IN ORDER TO BE A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE TO QUALIFY FOR THESE INSURANCE DISCOUNTS TO OFFER YOU WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND, AND INDEMNIFY YOU, YOU CAN'T BE IMPAIRED AT WORK.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN THESE SET OF RULES AND TESTING GUIDELINES IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THESE, UM, THESE, UM, FEDERAL GRANTS AND THESE, UM, AND THESE INSURANCE DISCOUNTS.
IS THAT BEING SAID? THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THEIR QUESTIONS, IF I COULD JUST TOUCH ON THEM.
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IN THE CASE OF ANY EMPLOYEE THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW THE EMPLOYEE THAT THE COMMISSIONER SPOKE TO, BUT IN ANY EMPLOYEE THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION AND I, UM, I'M WORRIED ABOUT TESTING POSITIVE IN THE FUTURE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW HR THAT I NEED AN ACCOMMODATION TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS DRUG THAT THE DOCTOR HAS TOLD ME TO USE, WHETHER WHATEVER THE DRUG IS, UM, WE WOULD MEET WITH THAT EMPLOYEE AND THE ATTORNEYS AND WE WOULD SAY, WELL, IS THIS, OR IS THIS NOT A SAFETY SENSITIVE JOB? CAN THE PERSON RECEIVE THIS TREATMENT AND NOT BE IMPAIRED AT WORK? THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.AND THEN BEYOND THAT, WE WOULD GO, SO IN MANY CASES THE ANSWER IS YES, WE CAN ACCOMMODATE YOU.
WE, FOR THIS PERIOD OF TIME, IF YOU TEST POSITIVE AND YOU'VE GIVEN US THIS NOTE, AND THIS IS PART OF YOUR TREATMENT, YOU'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CREATE A SITUATION WHERE YOUR EMPLOYMENT IS ENDANGERED IN ANY WAY OR DISCIPLINE IS IMPLEMENTED IN ANY WAY.
WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMMODATE YOU.
IF YOU'RE A POLICE OFFICER WITH A GUN OR A LIFEGUARD IN A TOWER, THE ANSWER MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME.
UM, IT MIGHT BE, WHAT ALTERNATIVE PLACEMENT FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME DO WE HAVE TO OFFER YOU? OR WE CAN'T ACCOMMODATE YOU DURING THIS PERIOD.
HERE'S SOME LEAVE THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE.
IT DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF THE JOB.
I APPRECIATE THAT, MARLON, AND I AGREE.
I'M ALL FOR A MORE, UH, JOYFUL, PRODUCTIVE WORKFORCE.
UM, PERHAPS WHAT WE CAN DO IS EVALUATE IF TESTING REQUIREMENTS ARE TOO STRINGENT AND BURDENSOME.
I COULD SUPPORT A, A REVIEW OF THAT, BUT I DO, I AM COMFORTED THAT WE HAVE A REASONABLE ABILITY FOR ACCOMMODATION.
UM, WE ARE NOT RESTRICTING PEOPLE'S RIGHTS THAT ARE IN SOME SORT OF MEDICAL SITUATION.
BUT, UM, DO I CARE IF SOMEBODY SMOKES MARIJUANA AT NIGHT WHEN THEY'RE HOME ON THEIR COUCH? NO, I DON'T.
BUT THERE'S REAL WORLD IMPLICATIONS FOR THAT FOR SOME OF THESE FEDERAL GRANTS AND FUNDING.
SO IN A PERFECT WORLD, I'D LOVE TO SAY NO, NO, I HAVE NO ISSUES WITH WHATEVER PEOPLE DO IN THEIR PERSONAL TIME.
UM, AND IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LIGHTEN UP TESTING REQUIREMENTS, I I, I'D BE HAPPY TO EXPLORE THAT, EXCUSE ME.
UM, BUT TO SIT THERE AND TAKE ON, HAVE THIS UNDERTAKING AND, UH, PIVOT DIRECTION AND LOSE SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING AND GRANTS AND HAVE, UH, IMPLICATIONS IN HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS, I DON'T THINK IT'S A MEASURE I'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF IF I'M ONE OF OUR MANY EMPLOYEES SITTING HERE AND SAYING, NO, I'M DRUG FREE BY CHOICE.
AND, BUT NOW MY COLLEAGUES DO ALLOW THEM TO SMOKE MARIJUANA, MY HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS ARE GOING TO GO UP.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD DO FOR MORALE EITHER.
SO YEAH, PLEASE, NUMBER ONE, IT'S, IT'S NOT A DRUG, IT'S A MEDICINE.
SO, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE MINDSET THAT NEEDS TO SHIFT IS THAT IT IS NOT, IT IS A DRUG JUST LIKE YOU TAKE, UM, I SUPPOSE AN A, AN ASPIRIN OR A DIAZEPAM OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU TAKE IT IS THE SAME.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM SO MUCH PAIN, TOO PHYSICAL PAIN.
UM, MY ITEM IS NOT ABOUT THE TESTING, BUT I WOULD LOVE YOU TO BRING FORWARD AN ITEM ABOUT TESTING AND I WILL ABSOLUTELY 100% BACK YOU AND SUPPORT YOU AND CO-SPONSOR IT WITH YOU.
MY ITEM IS ABOUT ALLOWING EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE A MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS TO GET THE MEDICINE THAT THEY NEED.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, SO WE'RE GONNA $30,000 IN INSURANCE COSTS.
HOW MANY FEDERAL GRANTS, UM, CAN YOU GIVE ME A LIST OF THE FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WE, UM, THAT WE HAVE? 'CAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THAT.
HOW MANY FEDERAL GRANTS HAVE REQUIRED THE FEDERAL, UH, DRUG FREE WORKPLACE? UM, I WOULD NEED TO CONSULT WITH THE GRANTS DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW THAT I SIGNED PROBABLY FIVE A YEAR.
BUT LIKE HOW MUCH, LIKE HOW MUCH WOULD YOU SAY? I'M, THAT'S AN ESTIMATE.
I DON'T KNOW THE AMOUNTS BECAUSE I'M NOT, WHAT I'M SIGNING IS THAT THE CITY AS HR DIRECTOR, THE CITY IS A, A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.
AND THEN I SIGN, SO I GET ABOUT FIVE OR SIX OF THOSE A YEAR, AND I WOULD NEED TO CONSULT WITH THE GRANTS OFFICE TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO LET'S SAY THAT THE OVERALL FINANCIAL IMPACT, I GUARANTEE YOU, IS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT WE CAN GET THE EXACT AMOUNT.
AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO GO BACK, GO BACK FIVE YEARS AND TELL ME ANNUALLY EXACTLY HOW MANY FEDERAL GRANTS REQUIRED A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY, JACQUELINE, YOU'RE IN THE OFFICE, WOULD YOU PLEASE HAVE A MEETING WITH MARLA SO WE CAN SCHEDULE A MEETING AND GO THROUGH ALL THIS DATA AND FIND OUT WHAT THE FINANCIAL IMPACTS WOULD BE YEAR OVER YEAR? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, MY MOTION AND YOU GUYS MIGHT VOTE AGAINST IT, I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THIS AND HAVE A DISCUSSION AT THE FULL COMMISSION AND MAYBE, UM, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, UM, YOU GUYS CAN, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT IT.
I, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE THE SUPPORT, BUT I AM GONNA MOVE IT FORWARD.
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AND I, I DO WANNA HAVE IT AT THE COMMISSION.MY MOTION IS TO TAKE THIS POLICY, UM, IF YOU HAVE A, AN ILLNESS, OKAY? AND, AND I WOULD EXEMPT THE CATEGORIES, UM, OF, IF YOU'RE OPERATING HEAVY MACHINERY, AND IF YOU ARE A FIRST RESPONDER, IT DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU, BUT TO ALL OTHER EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, UM, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS MEDICINE SO THAT MAYBE YOU TAKE THIS INSTEAD OF A DIAZEPAM OR AN OXYCONTIN OR WHATEVER ELSE, KIND OF PAIN MEDICATION YOU MIGHT HAVE.
BUT, SO, AND, AND YOU CAN VOTE AGAINST IT.
UM, I, I'M STILL ALLOWED TO MOVE THIS TO THE FULL COMMISSION WITH A NEGATIVE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT, HOW COMMISSIONER BOT IS GOING TO, UM, VOTE ON THIS, BUT, UM, BUT IF, IF I COULD ONE SECOND.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S THE BASIS OF OUR DISCUSSION HERE, IS WE DO HAVE THAT ACCOMMODATION IN PLACE, CORRECT? YES.
THE ANSWER IS NOT YES FOR EVERYONE.
THE ANSWER IS WHAT CAN WE DO REASONABLY, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO UNDER FEDERAL LAW.
YOU HAVE AN EMPLOYEE RIGHT NOW WITH CANCER, AND WHAT HAVE WE DONE FOR HIM? BECAUSE HE'S BEEN, THIS IS GOING ON FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
I OFTEN, HAVE WE DONE ANYTHING FOR THIS EMPLOYEE BECAUSE HE CAME TO ME DESPERATE.
NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE FOR THIS EMPLOYEE.
THIS EMPLOYEE HAS CANCER, HE HAS PAIN, AND WE HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING FOR HIM YEAR.
SO TO CHAIR IN, IN THE MEETING WITH YOU AND FOLLOW UP IN THE MEETING WITH THE UNION THAT WAS PRESENT WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS ITEM, I OFFERED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT IF THE EMPLOYEE WANTED TO PRIVATELY MEET WITH HR, I WOULD BE VERY AMENABLE TO THAT.
I CAN'T HELP SOMEONE THAT I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE OR WHAT THEY NEED, OR I, I MEAN, I CAN'T HELP SOMEONE THAT HASN'T COME FORWARD.
SO, THAT BEING SAID, UH, YOU ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT TESTING LIMITATIONS.
WHEN YOU TEST FOR ALCOHOL, YOU CAN TEST WITH, UM, THE TESTS SHOW YOU WHETHER SOMEONE'S IMPAIRED OR NOT, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TIME LIMITATIONS THAT ARE TIED TO, UM, HOW LONG IT TAKES ALCO YOUR, YOUR BODY TO PROCESS ALCOHOL.
MARIJUANA'S A LITTLE UNIQUE IN THAT ALL THE OTHER DRUGS WE TEST FOR ARE LIKE ALCOHOL.
THEY HAVE SIMILAR, UM, YOU KNOW, TIE-INS TO, UH, IMPAIRMENT.
MARIJUANA SHOWS UP WHEN YOU TEST FOR MARIJUANA.
IT CAN BE LIKE A 30 DAY WINDOW.
YOU COULD HAVE USED MARIJUANA 30 DAYS PRIOR, AND THEN YOU HAVE A RESULT THAT SHOWS A MARIJUANA USE.
AND YOU DON'T KNOW IF THAT USE WAS 30 DAYS AGO OR TODAY.
AND WHAT DO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DO? ARE YOU FAMILIAR? THE COUNTY, THE CITY OF MIAMI, ARE WE THE OUTLIER OR NO, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE ANYWAY.
THERE ARE NEW TESTS THAT HR IS EXPLORING WITH OUR, UM, OUR MEDICAL, UM, UM, OFFICER TO SEE IF THERE ARE NEW PROTOCOLS WITH THESE NEW APPROVED TESTS.
THEY'RE SWAB TESTS AND THEY HAVE A MUCH MORE NARROW WINDOW OF TIME OF TESTING POSITIVE.
SO PEOPLE COULD THEORETICALLY USE MARIJUANA 30 DAYS AGO AND KNOW THAT THEY'RE COMING TO WORK THIS WEEK.
AND IF WE WERE USING A DIFFERENT TEST THAT'S MORE MODERN AND IT IS NOW APPROVED, THEN WE WOULD NOT BE, UM, THEY WOULD NOT SHOW POSITIVE FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS 30 DAYS AGO.
SO WE ARE NOW CURRENTLY IN BARGAINING DISCUSSING WITH OUR UNIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE WANNA HAVE A, UH, AN ABILITY TO CHANGE OUR TESTING PROTOCOLS IF THESE TESTS ARE BETTER, AND THEY'RE MORE IN LINE WITH MEASURING RECENT IMPAIRMENT.
SO COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ COMMEND YOUR EFFORTS.
I'M LIKELY NOT GOING TO BE SUPPORTIVE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO THWART THIS FROM GOING TO THE FULL COMMISSION, MR. CITY ATTORNEY.
UH, IF, AND COMMISSIONER BAD, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE AT ON THIS.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE A YES, UH, DO YOU WANT TO PUT YOUR CARDS ON THE TABLE? YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO.
I LISTEN, I, I, I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT GOING FORWARD.
UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS NOT TO PREEMPT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE AS CHIEF BEL JUST POINT POINTED OUT, WE GET REIMBURSEMENTS FOR HURRICANE DAMAGE FROM AND EXPENDITURES THROUGH FEMA, UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT, BOTH GET USAI, FEDERAL GRANT.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME LOOK SO SMART.
UM, BUT SO THERE IS MONEY TO BE, TO BE, UM, TO BE FACTORED IN.
THAT CAN BE, YOU KNOW, THANKFULLY WE HAVEN'T NEEDED, AND I DON'T WANNA JINX IT, SO I'M NOT GONNA FINISH THAT THOUGHT, BUT A LOT OF MONEY FROM FEMA AND HOPEFULLY WE WON'T NEED A LOT IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE IT EVER AGAIN.
UM, BUT I DON'T WANNA JEOPARDIZE SOMETHING.
I DO AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT IS A POLICY THAT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED, BUT I DON'T WANNA DO IT BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE THAT WE DEPEND ON AND OUR REPRESENTATIVE, AND HANG ON, LET ME FINISH.
UM, UM, IT, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA, IT IS KINDA LIKE BITING, CUTTING OFF OUR NOSE TO SPITE OUR FACE, RIGHT? SO, YES, WE DIDN'T NEED TO UPDATE THIS.
I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON MORE, UM, UH, NUANCED TESTS BECAUSE, UM, I THINK IT'S WILDLY UNFAIR THAT IF SOMEBODY WAS AT SOMEBODY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY AND HAD A HIT
[02:00:01]
OFF SOMEBODY'S JOINT A MONTH AGO, UM, THEY ARE NOW LIKE AT RISK FOR, I DUNNO WHAT HAPPENS.DO WE TIE THEM TO A STAKE AND BURN THEM OR LIKE WHAT HAPPENS? NO, IF THEY WERE TO TEST POSITIVE AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT I HAD A HIT A MONTH AGO AND I'M NOT IMPAIRED, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THEIR BARGAINING AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A GOOD EMPLOYEE, WE'LL WE'LL WORK WITH THEM AND WE'LL SAY, WELL LOOK, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA PUT YOU ON WHAT'S CALLED A LAST CHANCE AGREEMENT UNDER OUR BARGAINING RULES.
IT SAYS YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T USE THESE SUBSTANCES.
UM, AND WE WOULD SAY, UM, FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR SOME DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THE EMPLOYEE'S BEEN HERE, AND IF THEY'RE A GOOD EMPLOYEE, OKAY, THE UNION AGREES, THE EMPLOYEE AGREES, THE CITY AGREES, OKAY? AND WE SAY, WE'RE GONNA TEST YOU MORE FREQUENTLY FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS TRUE AND YOU'RE NOT USING THE SUBSTANCE REGULARLY, THEN YOU'RE GONNA COME OFF THE AGREEMENT.
WE DO LET PROBABLY, I, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE PROBABLY ENTERED INTO, I'M GONNA MAKE UP A NUMBER, SOME OVER 30 LAST CHANCE AGREEMENTS WITH EMPLOYEES THAT TEST POSITIVE.
AND THEY, WE DON'T ENDANGER THEIR JOB.
THEY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE AGREEMENT AND THEY COME OFF OF LAST CHANCE AGREEMENT.
OKAY? SO I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING, UM, IT IS GONNA HAVE TO BE UPDATED AS CULTURE EVOLVES.
UM, I WANNA BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND, AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS, SO WE DON'T IMPAIR THINGS.
I'M QUITE SURE THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE PRETTY P****D TO HAVE THE ANNUAL INSURANCE RATE GO UP AND THEN ALSO AN ADDITIONAL 5% IN THE PREMIUM BECAUSE THEY'RE PAYING FOR SOMETHING SOMEBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE DON'T, I THINK, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, THERE'S, IF YOU SMOKE, YOU PAY MORE FOR YOUR INSURANCE POLICY, BUT WE DON'T ALL PAY MORE FOR YOUR, FOR EVERYBODY'S INSURANCE IF THERE ARE SMOKERS IN THE, IN THE ORGANIZATION, YES.
BUT WE'RE NOT FACTORING MEDICAL MARIJUANA INTO THOSE.
SO WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT BECAUSE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUAL ACCOMMODATION CURRENTLY, AND BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING MORE NUANCED TESTS AND BECAUSE WE NEED THE FEDERAL SUPPORT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS WITHOUT, IN ENDANGERING THE FINANCIAL IMPACT, I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THIS AT THIS TIME.
HOWEVER, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE EFFORT TO PRIORITIZE, UM, MAKING THIS BETTER FOR EVERYBODY.
AND IF IT TAKES A YEAR OR TWO AND, AND THAT'S WHEN THE LAWS CATCH UP, AND THEN WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE TAKE THE JOBS HERE KNOWING WHAT THE DEAL IS.
LIKE IF YOU SAID, UH, THE JOB HERE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ONLY WORK FROM 6:00 PM TILL 6:00 AM THAT'S THE, THE WORKING HOURS HERE.
AND SOMEBODY SAID HALFWAY THROUGH THEIR JOB, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT? I CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
I HAVE DIFFERENT DEMANDS AT HOME.
WE COULD ACCOMMODATE THAT OR WE COULDN'T AND THEY COULD CHANGE JOBS.
AND I KNOW THAT'S A HARD LINE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE KIND OF HARD ASS RESPONSE.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER MASSIVE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE IS NOT, DOES NOT HAVE THIS DESIGNATION.
WE ARE NOT TERRORIZED WITH, UH, WELL, LET'S GET THERE, LET'S GET OURSELVES, LET'S, WELL, I'M GONNA MOVE IT FORWARD ANYWAY BECAUSE I BELIEVE SO STRONGLY IN THIS.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A POSITIVE MOVE, UM, FOR OUR CORPORATE CULTURE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE TO ALSO FOLLOW UP TO RELAX SOME OF THE CURRENT TESTING REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE REAGAN AREA ERA POLICIES, AND THEY WERE DESIGNED REALLY TO INCARCERATE A LOT OF MINORITIES.
A LOT OF THESE POLICIES WERE MANUFACTURED, OKAY? PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED IN JAIL BECAUSE OF THEM.
PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN FIRED BECAUSE OF THEM.
AND THESE WE KNOW NOW THAT JUST SAY NO.
AND BY THE WAY, IT IS NOT A DRUG ANYMORE.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, OUR STATE LAW, OKAY? AND WE LIVE IN A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE STATE.
OUR LEGISLATURE, AND I BELIEVE IN MIAMI BEACH, IT WAS 79% OKAY? PASSED BY 79%.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO REFLECT WHAT OUR ELECTORATE CARES ABOUT.
AND THEY REALLY CAME OUT TO VOTE FOR THIS.
UM, WE NEED TO REFLECT OUR PROGRESSIVE VALUES, BY THE WAY, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALSO DOESN'T RECOGNIZE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE, BUT GUESS WHAT THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH DOES, BECAUSE WE WERE PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE LAW.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOK AT FEDERAL DESIGNATIONS, I'M JUST USING THAT LOGIC.
THEY SAID NO TO PAID PARENTAL LEAVE.
I BROUGHT IT BEFORE THIS BODY, AND WE SAID WE ARE GOING TO CREATE A BENIGN POLICY SO THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A BABY IN MIAMI BEACH, WE FOR OVER, YOU KNOW, OVER THE FIRST, I BELIEVE IT'S A GENEROUS POLICY, ISN'T IT? IT'S A VERY GENEROUS POLICY.
WE GIVE A VERY GENEROUS POLICY.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE ARE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT DON'T HAVE THAT POLICY, BUT WE, BUT WE DID IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT, BECAUSE I, I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND WE MIGHT DIFFER IN THIS BELIEF, OR YOU MIGHT FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE DOING THIS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT OTHER LARGE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS DO NOT HAVE THIS DESIGNATION.
THE FINANCIAL IMPACT IS IN NO WAY.
UH, I I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE MUCH WORSE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE GRANTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM IN WRITING THE GRANTS AND THE AMOUNTS OF THE GRANTS AND, UM, CITY
[02:05:01]
EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.I WANT YOU TO NOT FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GONNA BE TERRORIZED BY SOME TEST AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME.
AND I'M GONNA MOVE THIS TO THE FULL COMMISSION AND LET'S HAVE A ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, EVEN IF I DON'T HAVE SUPPORT.
UH, I'M GOING TO BE A NO, BUT IF IT COMES BACK AND THERE IS A DI MINIMIS FINANCIAL IMPACT WHERE THE GRANTS TOTAL A THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH, THEN I WON'T HAVE THOSE CAVEATS OR RESERVATIONS.
OH, AND MY, MY, MY MOTION, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SUPPORTED, UM, WOULD BE TO EXEMPT FIRST RESPONDERS AND ANYBODY OPERATING, HAVING MACHINERY FROM THIS POLICY, MR. CHAIR.
WE JUST NEED TO SEE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT.
I MEAN, IF IT'S $50 MILLION, THAT'S A BIG FINANCIAL IMPACT.
IF IT'S $50,000, THEN WE CAN PROBABLY FIGURE THAT OUT ONCE WE ALSO SEE WHAT THE IMPACT IS FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S PREMIUMS. MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT THAT YOU SIGN A WAIVER AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
AND SO THEN YOUR, YOUR INDIVIDUAL PREMIUM COSTS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAT THE, THE WAY YOU DO WITH SMOKERS, I'M JUST SAYING WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
OKAY, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, IF, UH, IF THERE IS A ONE TO TWO RECOMME RECOMMENDATION AGAINST, CAN THIS STILL MOVE FORWARD TO THE FULL COMMISSION? BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE THREE MEMBERS HERE TODAY.
WHAT I BELIEVE WE SHOULD DO AND IS, IS THAT THIS WILL GO BACK WITH AN UNFAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION, BUT THE COMMISSION CAN STILL DISCUSS THE ITEM.
WAIT, CAN I GIVE THEM ONE LAST? CAN I NO, NO, NO, I'M GOOD.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO VOTE YES OR NO ON IT.
YOU'RE NOT VOTING ON THE POLICY RIGHT NOW.
WHY DON'T YOU, PRELIMINARILY, AND WE HAVE IN OUR AUDIENCE, ONE OF THE, UM, STATE OF FLORIDA, AND I DID NOT INVITE YOU TO COME, BUT YOU ARE THE, THE AUTHORITY ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND GOT THE LAW PASSED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR MANY YEARS.
YEAH, WHAT I'M HOPING, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S ERIC STEVENS.
WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY LIBERAL ABOUT HOW WE ARE ON OUR MEETINGS, BUT LET, LET'S HAVE SOME WATER COME TALK TO ME IN BETWEEN THE NEXT MEETING.
WHY DON'T YOU MOVE IT FORWARD WITH A, WELL, WE ARE WITH A, WE'RE MOVING IT FORWARD, BUT WHY DON'T YOU CONSIDER, JUST FOR RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY VOTING ON THE POLICY.
LET'S MOVE IT FORWARD IN A COMPASSIONATE WAY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA IN BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN THE VOTE IS, AND YOU DON'T, AND YOU HATE IT, IF, IF YOU MAKE A DECISION, I RESPECT THAT AND I DON'T URGE YOU OR PULL AT YOU, I SAY, OKAY, THAT'S HER DECISION.
I WOULD ASK IF YOU DO THE SAME, WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS I GO INTO THIS WITH AN OPEN MIND.
I WOULDN'T HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM MOVING FORWARD, BUT GIVEN THAT WE CAN MOVE THIS FORWARD AND CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION, THAT'S THE MATTER I'M MOST COMFORTABLE IN.
IF THIS COMES BACK AND WE SEE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT IS GOING TO BE DI MINIMIS, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO TURN THAT AROUND.
BUT RIGHT NOW, I, I DON'T HAVE THAT, UH, THAT SENSE OR INKLING, UM, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SIX GRANTS, UH, FEMA FUNDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
MY STARTING POINT IS, IS GOING TO BE A, A LARGER FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH.
BUT IN THE EVENT THAT THAT IS INCORRECT, I'M OPEN TO CHANGING MY MIND ON THIS.
THAT IS MUSIC TO SO MANY PEOPLE'S EARS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
AND ALONG WITH THIS, HOPEFULLY WE'LL REMOVE SOME OF THESE, UH, VERY, VERY STRINGENT TESTING REQUIREMENTS.
THAT'S WONDERFUL NEWS COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
I IN THAT FAVOR, THAT UNTIL WE GET THIS POLICY PASSED, OKAY,
IS THAT CORRECT? AND ANYBODY OPERATING HEAVY, MR. ANYBODY OPERATING TO THE CHAIR? I, I RECOGNIZE THAT COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ USES THE PHRASE HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND FIRST RESPONDERS.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, THAT UNDER FEDERAL LAW, CDL DRIVERS CANNOT TEST POSITIVE FOR MARIJUANA.
SO CDL DRIVERS CANNOT HAVE A CDL WILL BE SUSPEND, WE CAN HAVE SUSPEND HRS IMPACT ABOUT WHAT THE EXEMPTIVE CLASS SUSPEND, AND YOU CAN WORK ON THE EXEMPTIONS BETWEEN NOW AND THEN WHEN WE MOVE IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
IF I COULD, IF I COULD, I COULD MODIFY TO JUST MODIFY THE RESOLUTION TO ALLOW FOR CERTAIN EXEMPTIONS AND JUST LEAVE IT CERTAIN EXEMPTIONS.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS GOING TO BE, AND I'M GONNA NEED RICK'S HELP ON THIS WITH ROBERT'S RULES.
THIS IS AN UNFAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION, AND IT'S A TWO TO ONE, TWO TO ONE FOR AN UNFAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.
AND BY THE WAY, I, I, I WANNA TELL YOU GUYS A COLORFUL ANECDOTE OF 2015 WHEN, UM, I WAS ELECTED, AND BY THE WAY, THE, UH, DRUG TESTING DOES NOT APPLY TO, UH, COMMISSIONERS, BUT IT WAS AN OVERALL DRUG TESTING.
I REMEMBER RIGHT AFTER THE ELECTION, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND, UM, I HAD GONE TO A PARTY, UH, LIKE TWO, TWO DAYS BEFORE, AND
[02:10:01]
I, I KNEW THAT I, I, LIKE, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WE WERE GONNA GET TESTED FOR ALCOHOL.ANYWAY, RICKY, ARIEL AND I SHOW UP, AND WE, YOU COULDN'T SEE TWO MORE MISERABLE LOOKING PEOPLE EVER.
IF I TELL, AND WE'RE STANDING THERE AND WE'RE WAITING TO BE TESTED, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE BOTH GET A CALL FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND HE GOES, HEY, THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO THE TWO OF YOU.
AND WE WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND WE GOTTA, SO IT'S NOT EVEN FAIR.
WE'RE NOT GETTING SWEPT, WE'RE NOT GETTING TESTED.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, IF IT DOESN'T APPLY TO US, WHY SHOULD IT APPLY TO THEM IF THE DIRECTORS ARE GIVING THEM PERFORMANCE REVIEWS AND THEIR PERFORMANCES ARE OKAY, DO YOU UNDERSTAND? YEAH.
LET'S, IT'S, LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON.
LET, LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 20.
UH, DISCUSS FINANCIAL AND MANPOWER IMPACT OF EXTENDING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER INITIATIVES THE THURSDAY NIGHTS DURING THE TWO MIDDLE WEEKENDS OF MARCH.
UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, IF YOU WANNA KICK THIS OFF, I CO-SPONSORED THIS.
I KNOW WE WERE BOTH OUT THERE DURING SPRING BREAK, SO IT'S, UH, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AND WE'RE KIND OF, UH, WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED, AND I LIKE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE STATIC.
WE WE'RE GONNA BE DYNAMIC AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT WORKED.
THIS IS WHAT DIDN'T, YOU WERE SUCH A CHAMPION OF THAT.
SO LET ME, UH, GO AHEAD AND KICK THIS OVER TO YOU.
I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CO-SPONSORING THIS ITEM.
UM, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF ACOSTA, I JUST, YOU KNOW, IT WORKED REALLY WELL THIS YEAR.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT DIDN'T WORK.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT DID WORK.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UH, TAKE OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS A LITTLE BIT FOR NEXT YEAR.
BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WORKED INCREDIBLY WELL THAT WE WANNA ACTUALLY DO A BIT MORE OF IS EXTEND THE, UM, THE, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, THE DUI AND CHECKPOINTS, UH, DUI, CHECKPOINTS AND LPRS THURSDAY NIGHT UNDERSTANDING FULL WELL, JASON, THAT THERE'S A COST
UM, IT DID, IT DID SUCH A GREAT JOB OF DETERRING BAD ACTORS FROM DOING CRAPPY THINGS IN OUR CITY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A FEW MORE YEARS OF, OF, OF THIS AND EXTEND THE HOURS TO COVER THURSDAY, WHEN THE WEEKEND REALLY KICKS OFF FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, THEN I THINK WE WILL BE, UM, REALLY MORE EFFECTIVE, EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT WE KNOW THAT MOST OF THE BAG ACTORS ARE THE FOLKS DRIVING IN WITH STUFF IN THEIR TRUNK THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE, UM, AS OPPOSED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE FLYING IN FROM PARTS ON, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE COUNTRY.
GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR AGAIN.
UH, MADAM COMMISSIONER, UM, PAUL ACOSTA HERE ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF ADDING THURSDAYS TO TWO, UM, OF THE HIGHEST IMPACT WEEKENDS, UH, FOR MARCH.
WE ANTICIPATE NOT, WE ANTICIPATE WHAT WE LOOKED AHEAD AND, UH, MUCH LIKE 2024.
2025 HAS FIVE WEEKENDS IN MARCH.
SO, UH, WE ARE GONNA FINE TUNE AND IDENTIFY THE MOST IMPACTFUL WEEKENDS, UH, THE BACK-TO-BACK WEEKENDS, TYPICALLY THE SECOND AND THIRD OR THE THIRD AND FOURTH, UM, ADDING THE THURSDAY, UH, IN TERMS OF COVERAGE AND OVERTIME EXPENSES AND INCLUDING, UM, COSTS RELATED TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES.
WE ANTICIPATE BASED UPON WHAT OUR BUDGET WAS THIS YEAR, OR BASED UPON THE COST THIS YEAR, UM, IT SHOULD AMOUNT TO ABOUT 195,000, UM, ON THE HIGH END.
AND, UM, WHAT WE DON'T HAVE, AND WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS WHAT OTHER AGENCIES ARE GONNA DO NEXT YEAR IN 2025 IN TERMS OF, UM, SENDING US AN INVOICE FOR THEIR SERVICES NEXT YEAR.
WE DO KNOW THAT REQUESTING OUTSIDE AGENCIES TO HELP US HAS IMPACTED THEIR AGENCIES AND THEIR CITIES FINANCIALLY.
UM, AND THEY HAVE TURNED TO US TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW DO WE REIMBURSE THEM FOR SOME OF THEIR COSTS, ALL OF THEIR COSTS, UM, DO THEY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT THEY SEND HERE TO ASSIST US DURING SPRING BREAK? SO A LOT OF THAT, A LOT OF THOSE FACTORS ARE NOT, UH, CONSIDERED IN THIS PARTICULAR, UH, FISCAL IMPACT AND AND PROPOSAL HERE.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO LAY THAT OUT THERE.
THERE'S, UM, SOME UNKNOWNS, BUT FOR US RIGHT NOW, AS WE STAND, IF WE WERE TO MIRROR THIS YEAR AND, AND PUSH INTO NEXT YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 200,000, UH, TO ADD BOTH THURSDAYS, UH, FOR SPRING BREAK.
AND WHEN WE SAY THIS, UH, DID YOU GET THE SENSE FOR THURSDAY NIGHT WHERE MAYBE WE COULD ADD SOME RESOURCES, BUT NOT THE SAME AMOUNT AS A FRIDAY AND SATURDAY? YES.
WE DON'T WANNA SACRIFICE PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, FINE LINE BETWEEN, UH, REPLICATING OUR EXACT EFFORTS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, UM, BUT MAYBE NOT TO THAT EXTENT.
SO WHAT I'M THINKING IS PERHAPS, UM, HAVING MANPOWER MAN AND WOMAN POWER ON, UH, FIFTH STREET ON SOME OF THE ENTRANCES, UH, THAT REALLY SERVES AS THAT DETERRENT THAT YES, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE ACTUALLY ARE PREPARED HERE.
WE CAN MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.
AND IS YOUR SUNDAY NIGHT COVERAGE AS ROBUST AS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT, OR IS THAT ALREADY TAPERED DOWN? NO, IT SAYS ROBUST AS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
DOES IT NEED TO BE? I MEAN, IS THAT A WAY? YES.
[02:15:01]
OKAY.UH, SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE MOTION YEAH.
UM, WITH, UH, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, THE EVALUATION OF IF EXACTLY MIRRORING OUR RESOURCES ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY NIGHTS ARE FULLY NEEDED, OR IF WE'D BE ABLE TO FIND, UH, SOME SORT OF BETTER TUNE OR BETTER BALANCE OF MORE RESOURCES ON THURSDAY THAN WE HAD LAST YEAR, BUT PERHAPS NOT TAKE IT TO A THURSDAY FRI OR FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY COVERAGE LEVEL.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET DOWN TO THE MINUTIA OF, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR OPERATIONS, YOU'RE THE EXPERTS, BUT IF WE'D BE ABLE TO STRIKE SOME SEMBLANCE OF, UH, BALANCE THERE.
SO IF I, IF I CAN, AND, AND, UM, AS YOUR CFO, MAYBE TO, TO ASK IF THIS ITEM IS THEN SET TO BE A RECURRING ONE OR PERHAPS JUST THE 2025 ONE TIME, WHICH LET'S START WITH THE 2025 ONE TIME.
I, I THINK WE ALL TAKE IT AS A PERSONAL CHALLENGE THAT THIS ISN'T HOW WE WANNA LIVE MARCH ON A, UH, IN, IN PERPETUITY.
SO IF I CAN, IF I BELIEVE, THEN THE MOTION WILL BE TO RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE A 2025 BUDGET PRIORITY TO ADD THE TWO THURSDAY NIGHTS, UH, FOR ENHANCED LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS DURING SPRING BREAK, 2025 IN THE AMOUNT OF $200,000.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THEY'LL, THEY'LL, THE POLICE WILL LOOK AT, UM, IF THERE'S A, A PAIRED DOWN ONE THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED.
THIS WILL BE AN ENHANCEMENT, A NEW ENHANCEMENT DOESN'T EXIST, BUT, UH, WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT THE JULY 12TH, UH, FOR BUDGET WORKSHOP.
SO, UM, I WOULD ASK PAUL TO WORK WITH OUR BUDGET DEPARTMENT TO GET THAT ENHANCEMENT PREPPED.
UM, LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
UH, CONSIDER FUNDING FOR ARTISTIC WAY FINDING SIGNAGE AT CITY HALL.
UH, COMMISSIONER BOT KICK THIS OVER TO YOU.
UH, IF YOU COULD JUST TELL US A LITTLE VISUAL VISUALIZATION ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY COOL IDEA.
SO, UM, AS I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL FOR TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT IN THE FALL, UM, I SAW PEOPLE COMING, UH, ACROSS THE PLAZA WHERE THE TREE IS IN THAT SEATING AREA IS, UM, NOT KNOWING WHICH DIRECTION THE BAY WAS, WHICH DIRECTION THE BEACH WAS, WHICH DIRECTION LINCOLN ROAD WAS, WHERE THE MUSEUMS ARE, WHERE'S WASHINGTON.
THEY WERE JUST TOTALLY TURNED AROUND.
AND I KNOW IT SAYS MAYAN BEACH CITY HALL, BUT NOBODY EVEN LIKE THAT.
AS BOLD AND GRAPHIC AS IT IS, NOBODY REALLY SEES THAT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, THE NAME OF THE LINCOLN ROAD GARAGE ON THE GARAGE BUILDING, AND IT'S, I, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, IT SAYS LINCOLN ROAD WITH AN ARROW KIND OF STRAIGHT UP IN THE SKY, WHICH IS NOT ENTIRELY ACCURATE.
AND ALSO YOU HAVE TO KIND OF WALK EITHER THROUGH A STORE OR THROUGH A GARAGE OR AROUND TO GET ONTO LINCOLN ROAD.
SO I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE DO, AND THERE'S NOT A HUGE, MY VISION FOR THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, A MULTI HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR PROJECT, BUT, UM, TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY EITHER WITH A LOCAL ARTIST OR LOCAL KIDS, UM, TO DESIGN, UM, SOME KIND OF REALLY COOL, FUN ENGAGING, VISUALLY STIMULATING THAT'S NOT AN IKE KIOSK, UM, SCULPTURE ALMOST, OR, OR SIGNPOSTS.
UM, SOMETHING A LITTLE LESS CLICHE THAN, YOU KNOW, THE BEACH THAT WAY.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU SEE IN ON BEACH POSTCARDS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, GENERIC.
BUT, UM, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT THE FAB MOONLIGHT LAB FABRICATING FOLKS ARE ABLE TO KICK IN AND, AND HELP US, BUT HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS, BECOMES A, A PLACE WHERE NOT ONLY DO PEOPLE COMING OUTTA THE CONVENTION CENTER KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO, OR PEOPLE GOING ACROSS, UM, BUT ALSO IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WANNA TAKE A PICTURE WITH.
UM, IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMING INTO THIS PART OF THE CITY.
UM, AND IT IS ARGUABLY OUR LEAST GRACEFUL PART OF THE CITY.
THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, UM, A CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL ANY DAY NOW.
UM, AND THAT'S GONNA HAVE A WHOLE TON MORE PEOPLE COMING IN.
IT'S REALLY GONNA ELEVATE THE LOOK OF THIS, OF THIS AREA.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO OUR PART TO, UM, MAKE THIS WELCOMING AND ENGAGING AND APPEALING.
FROM MY STANDPOINT, UM, TYPICALLY VERY MUCH AGAINST MORE SIGNS, UH, ESPECIALLY JUST DIRECTIONAL, THERE'S ONE SIGN IN PARTICULAR THAT, THAT REALLY RUBS ME THE WRONG WAY.
DRIVING NORTH ON COLLINS, AND YOU'RE IN MID BEACH AND IT SAYS NORTH BEACH STRAIGHT AHEAD.
I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN TO A POINT IN SOCIETY WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING NORTH AND YOU'RE IN SOUTH BEACH OR MID BEACH, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT BEACH YOU'RE GONNA GET TO IS NORTH BEACH.
THAT BEING SAID, IF THIS IS OF THE ARTISTIC, UM, VARIETY, THAT'S WHAT KIND OF REALLY EXCITES ME AND HOW I'M THINKING ABOUT THIS.
BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO LIZ, UH, PERHAPS BEFORE EVEN PUTTING SOME SORT OF BUDGET ITEM ON, MAYBE THIS IS WHERE
[02:20:01]
YOU'RE THINKING MAYBE NOT, UH, GIVE ME DIRECTION WHERE IT'S, WE OPEN THIS UP TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAY, COME BACK WITH SOMETHING VISUALLY AND ARTISTICALLY REALLY COOL, AND THEN WE'LL EVALUATE WHAT THE BUDGET NEED IS FOR THAT.IS THAT KIND OF ALONG YOUR LINE OF THINKING? YEAH, I MEAN, I, I HAD PULLED REFERENCES AND I, I CAN, UM, INCLUDE THEM IN THE, UM, UM, WHEN IT COMES BACK TO PERMISSION OF THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I WAS ENVISIONING, BUT I'M VERY HAPPY TO, AND IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, LIZETTE TO YOUR POINT, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE A RENOWNED ARTIST FROM SOMEWHERE.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO, 'CAUSE IT'S FUN, BUT, UM, IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WHO'S GRADE SIX AND UNDER CAN, THIS IS AN OPEN CALL TO YOUNG ARTISTS AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BRING THEIR VISION TO LIFE, RIGHT? LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO MAKE, UM, TAKE KIDS DRAWINGS AND TURN THEM INTO STUFFED ANIMALS.
LIKE IT, WE COULD DO, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE COULD MAKE THIS, UM, REALLY A FUN AND ENGAGING WAY TO DO THIS.
UM, MAYBE THERE ARE LOCAL ARTISTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEER THEIR DESIGN AND WHATEVER, BUT I'M VERY OPEN TO HOW THIS, IF, IF I MAY, THROUGH THE CHAIR, YES.
UH, WE HAVE HAD HIGH LEVEL CONVERSATIONS WITH MOONLIGHTER FAB LAB TO DO A TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP WHERE WE CAN ENGAGE A DESIGNER TO PROVIDE INPUT IN, UM, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THIS KIND OF FALLS ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, THEY, WE CAN STILL WORK WITH THEM TO ENGAGE DESIGNER.
I THINK THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY THAN ENGAGING A VISUAL ARTIST.
UH, AND THEY DO HAVE SUMMER CAMP, SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS. SO I THINK THERE, THERE'S SOME SYNERGIES THERE BETWEEN THE CITY AND THIS AMAZING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF MY COLLEAGUE HAS ANY, ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT.
BUT, UM, THEY ALSO HAVE 3D PRINTING THAT WE CAN, UM, USE TO KIND OF MAKE A MAQUETTE.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO ENGAGE OUR RESIDENTS LIKE WE DO A LEGACY PURCHASE AND MAYBE NARROW IT DOWN TO THREE DESIGNS AND HAVE THEM VOTE AND REALLY GET THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE, UM, IN OUR OFFICE OF THE AMERICAN MISSION, A VERY TALENTED DESIGNER AND GRAPHIC ARTIST, UM, IN, IN THE FORM OF, OF GEORGE, NOT YOU.
I MEAN, TATTOOS, NOT WITH SANDY
UM, GEORGIE, MELISSA VIC, YOU KNOW, HAS, HAS A GREAT TRACK RECORD, AND THIS IS WHAT HE HAS SPENT HIS CAREER DOING.
SO, UM, MAYBE MAKING HIM A POINT PERSON ON THIS TO WORK WITH YOU, LISETTE AND, AND KIND OF HELP BRIDGE THE, THE INITIAL CREATIVE VISION OF, YOU KNOW, IF IT ENDS UP BEING A SCHOOL PROJECT AND IT'S KIDS WITH CRAYONS ON CRAFT PAPER, AND THEN HELP TRANSLATE THAT WITH FAB LAB INTO SOMETHING THAT COULD BE FUNCTIONAL.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING IT BE SOMETHING THAT COMMUNITY VOTES ON AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL HANDS ON DECK.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S FANTASTIC.
COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ, I, I'M TOTAL A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORTIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DESIGN THE NEW SIGNAGE ACROSS THE CITY.
AND, UM, SO YEAH, THERE, SO THERE WAS A, UM, IF YOU, IF IT'S OKAY, UM, THERE, THE, WELL, ERIC CAN PROBABLY GIVE A BETTER UPDATE ON THIS THAN I CAN, BUT, OR ACTUALLY LIZ, YOU PROBABLY ARE DEEP INVOLVED IN IT AS WELL.
UM, THERE WAS A, A WHOLE SIGNAGE INVENTORY THAT WAS DONE, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR, APPROXIMATELY.
AND I THINK THAT REPORT IS BEING FINALIZED OR HAS JUST BEEN FINALIZED.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE NEED, AND, AND THEN THAT WILL, IN THEORY, TRIGGER AN UPDATE OF OUR ENTIRE MIAMI BEACH BRANDING, BECAUSE THEN IT'LL BE TRANSLATED BACK TO THE SIGNAGE.
SO THAT IS A PROJECT NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
WELL, I, I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL ITEM AND, UM, I THINK YOU SHOULD MOVE IT.
AND I WILL BE YOUR SECOND IF YOU WANT.
UH, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND, AND I'LL NEED HELP HERE IF I GOT THIS OFF, IS THE RETURN TO COMMISSIONER WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENGAGE WITH MOONLIGHT FAB LAB TO DEVELOP ARTISTIC WAYFINDING SIGNAGE AT CITY HALL.
UH, ARE WE GONNA LIMIT THE MOONLIGHT FAB LAB? I THINK, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE, MORE CONVERSATION INTERNALLY ABOUT HOW EXACTLY WE WANNA DO IT.
BUT IT, IT COULD INCLUDE ENGAGING WITH MOONLIGHT F FABLAB, IT COULD INCLUDE ENGAGING WITH LOCAL ARTISTS.
IT COULD INCLUDE, UM, A CALL TO COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS.
I, I THINK IT JUST NEEDS TO BE, MAYBE I CAN SIMPLIFY THE LANGUAGE INSTEAD OF SAYING, ENGAGE WITH MOONLIGHT FABLAB TO ENGAGE WITH EXTERNAL PARTIES AND KEEP ENGAGE USING A MORE GENERIC TERM, LIKE AN EXTERNAL PARTY.
OR DO WE WANT LIMIT THE COMMUNITY, UH, BASED PARTIES? NO, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, I THINK IT'S RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO EXPLORE HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, WHICH COULD INCLUDE ANY COMBINATION, BUT DOES NOT, IS NOT LIMITED TO ENGAGE WITH FAB LAB.
UM, HAVING, UM, SCHOOLS INVOLVED, HAVING COMMUNITY INVOLVED, HIRING AN ARTIST, GETTING AN ARTIST TO DONATE.
[02:25:01]
LET'S, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD KINDA START OFF WITH AND THEN HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO, HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.MAYBE I CAN SIMPLIFY IT ONE MORE TIME.
RETURNING COMMISSION IN FAVOR OF RECOMMENDATION DIRECT TO THIS ADMINISTRATION TO DEVELOP AN ARTISTIC WAY FINDING, UH, SIGNAGE AT CITY HALL PROGRAM.
IS THAT BROAD ENOUGH? THAT'S FLEXIBLE ENOUGH.
UH, LIZ, YOU KNOW WHAT? WHILE YOU'RE UP HERE, WE, I'M, I'M SORRY THERE WASN'T A VOTE.
TECHNICALLY, I'LL, I'LL MOVE IT ALL IN FAVOR? OH, YES.
COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, UH, WAS YOUR SECOND.
AND I THINK ALL THREE IN FAVOR.
IF WE COULD DISCUSS ITEM NUMBER SIX, UH, DISCUSS SPECIAL EVENT GUIDELINES AND CITY SPONSORSHIP THAT WAS DEFERRED, UH, CHAIR DEFERRED.
UM, LET'S, UH, DO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, FENCING FOR VACANT AND ABANDONED LOTS.
SO WE GOT IT PASSED IN THE CITY THAT IF YOU HAVE A VACANT LOT
UM, WE PASSED FOR EVERYONE ELSE THAT IF YOU HAVE A VACANT LOT, IT HAS TO BE FENCED AND LANDSCAPED AND LIT AND, AND, AND BEAUTIFUL.
WE, YOU KNOW, AND SO, BUT WE EXEMPTED OURSELVES FROM THIS.
AND, UH, BUT SOME OF OUR VACANT LOTS, UM, WE CLEANED UP THE ONE AT THE BARLEY, WHICH IS REALLY BAD BEFORE, BY THE WAY.
I WAS OVER THERE THE OTHER DAY AND IT ACTUALLY LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
YOU CAN'T SEE INSIDE THE SITE IS SECURE.
UH, I, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY COMPLAINING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE WE FINALLY CLEANED THAT UP.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THIS SHOULD APPLY TO US TOO, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IF WE DO MAKE IT APPLY TO US, WE WILL BEAUTIFY OUR CITY.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS, AND I HAVE TO ACTUALLY, WHAT WAS THE FINANCIAL IMPACT? AND BEFORE YOU, IT'S A LOT, BUT BEFORE YOU GO INTO THAT, UM, WHEN I HEARD THIS ORIGINAL DISCUSSION, I WAS SAYING, YES, OF COURSE THIS MAKES SENSE.
BUT THEN WHEN I WAS ACTUALLY GOING FOLIO BY FOLIO, I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT REALLY MAKES SENSE FOR A PRO COMMISSIONER.
I, UM, YEAH, I I, I THINK I WANNA CATCH YOUR ATTENTION WITH THIS.
SO WHEN I ORIGINALLY HEARD THIS, I SAID, YES, OF COURSE THIS SHOULD APPLY TO US AND FOR PROPERTIES LIKE THE BARCLAY FULLY SUPPORTIVE, BUT WHEN I WAS ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH OUR AGENDA AND THE MEMORANDUM AND GOING FOLIO BY FOLIO, A LOT OF THIS WERE PROPERTIES IN NORTH BEACH.
AND I'M SITTING THERE SAYING, WOW, I'M NOT LOOKING AT THIS AS LIKE A VACANT, ABANDONED PROPERTY.
THIS IS ACTUALLY QUASI GREEN SPACE.
IF I'M JUST WALKING ALONG UP IN NORTH BEACH HERE, I'M NOT SAYING, OH, THIS IS AN ABANDONED LOT.
NOW THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO BEAUTIFY IT, BUT IF I'M A NEIGHBOR THERE, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO BE UPSET IF THESE ARE FENCED OFF BECAUSE, AND THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO ME.
RIGHT? I, UH, WELL, THAT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THIS APPLY THEN ONLY IF IT IS A VACANT BUILDING, NOT A VACANT LAW.
AND I, IF CAN I BUILD ON THAT? MM-HMM.
SO I MEAN, YOU KNOW, CHRIS KNOW IS REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AND, AND MM-HMM,
UM, AND FOR INSTANCE, WITH THE VILLE, JUST HAVING A CLEAN ALUMINUM FENCE MAKES THAT HIDEOUS SITE LOOK SO MUCH BETTER, UM, DOES MAKE THE SITE ITSELF LOOK BETTER, BUT THE, THE GAPING HOLE DOESN'T LIKE ASSAULT YOUR SENSES.
UM, GEE, I DON'T HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS AT ALL, BUT, BUT TO JOE'S POINT, THERE ARE SOME, THERE'S SOME IMAGES IN HERE THAT DEFINITELY NEED TO BE BEAUTIFIED, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY THAT JUST LOOK LIKE BEAUTIFUL, YOU KNOW, PASSIVE PARTS.
AND I WOULD ACTUALLY SUGGEST THAT YOUR SUGGESTION OF IF IT'S A BUILDING, IT SHOULD BE, UM, IT SHOULD BE FENCED IN.
BUT IF IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR INSTANCE ON THIS IMAGE, UM, IT IS THIS SORT OF, WELL, AND I THINK THIS SHOULD ACTUALLY APPLY TO ALMOST EVERY VACANT LOT.
SO WHAT THAT, IF IT'S A VACANT LOT, IT SHOULD, IT SHOULD BE GRASSED OVER LIKE THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO NOT, NOT THIS SORT OF HODGEPODGE OF SOME SCRAPPY GRASS AND SOME GRAVEL AND, BUT LOOK HOW GORGEOUS THIS IS.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, GO PLAY SOCCER.
SO, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO LIMIT IT TO BUILDINGS AND, UM, AND IN SITUATIONS WHERE THERE'S ALREADY BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFULLY MAINTAINED GRASSY LOTS, THERE'S NOTHING FURTHER THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
BUT IF THERE ARE LOTS THAT NEED SOME TLC THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE SOME GRAVEL OR EXPOSED YUCKY THINGS, THAT, THAT GETS UPGRADED TO A BEAUTIFUL GRASSY LOT.
AND BY THE WAY, MY ORDINANCE APPLIES TO EVERY SINGLE VACANT LOT IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
'CAUSE I THINK I NEED TO CHANGE MY ORDINANCE TO SAY ONLY VACANT BUILDINGS.
OR VACANT BUILDING SITES OR CONSTRUCTION SITES.
UM, IF YOU HAVE VACANT GREEN SPACE, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO FENCE THAT.
SO I, I WOULD MOVE IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION ONLY
[02:30:01]
HAVE IT APPLY TO US.IF IT'S A VACANT BUILDING, WELL, COULD WE ACTUALLY KEEP IT HERE FOR ANOTHER MONTH AND HAVE FACILITIES COME BACK AND SAY, UNDER THIS NEW DIRECTION, THIS IS WHAT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT WOULD BE.
BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOKED AT ALL VACANT PROPERTIES, THE, THE FINANCIAL IMPACT WAS GONNA BE UPWARDS OF TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND EVEN IF WE SAID WE WANNA FENCE IN ALL THIS GREEN SPACE, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FEASIBLE ANYWAY.
SO I'M HOPING WITH COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ'S NEW DIRECTION, UH, NOT ONLY ARE WE SAVING GREEN SPACE, BUT WE CAN ALSO, UH, MUCH, UH, MUCH REDUCE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN AS WELL.
SO MY MOTION WOULD BE WHAT HE JUST SAID, AND WE CAN BRING IT BACK HERE.
CAN I MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THAT? MM-HMM.
SO WHAT HE JUST SAID AND
SO LIKE, THERE'S SOME THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TO, AND THERE'S SOME THAT YOU NEED TO SOD AND, AND TAKE OVER THAT WAY.
AND I'M ACTUALLY GONNA AMEND MY OVERALL ORDINANCE SO THAT IT'S, IT DOESN'T REALLY APPLY TO VACANT GREEN SPACE, ONLY VACANT, UH, BUILDINGS OR CONSTRUCTION SITES.
SO WE NEED TO AMEND THAT TOO AT THE NEXT MEETING.
WE, I'LL SECOND WAIT, I MADE A MOTION.
IF YOU AMEND IT TO BE ONLY BUILDINGS OR, UM, CONSTRUCTION SITES, THERE ARE SOME GREEN SPACES THAT ARE UNEVEN.
SO LIKE, PART OF IT LOOKS GREAT AND PART OF IT LOOKS TERRIBLE.
SO WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS FOR THE PART THAT LOOKS TERRIBLE, GET IT SODDED AND MAKE IT UNIFORMLY LOOKING GREAT.
YOU MEAN FOR US OR FOR, FOR US.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE, MY MOTION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE NEEDS TO, WE'LL BRING IT BACK NEXT MONTH, BUT I KNOW IF ERIC COMES UP, WE SHOULD LET HIM SPEAK.
HONORABLE CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, ERIC CARPENTER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
UH, JUST WANTED TO BRING UP FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES THE POTENTIAL OF CONSIDERING A PROPERTY WITH A ZERO LOT LINE AS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN ONE.
BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE'RE ALL ENVISIONING, OR CERTAINLY WHAT I WAS ENVISIONING IS A VACANT PROPERTY WITH A PARKING LOT OR A, YOU KNOW, A, A EPT VEGETATIVE AREA SIMILAR TO THE BARCLAY, WHICH BECOMES AN ICEO UNSIGHTLY ONLY FOR UNSIGHTLY VACANT PARCELS.
WE DON'T WANT TO FENCE IN THE BAR GREEN SPACE, WHICH WE ONLY WANT A FENCE IN SOMETHING THAT'S UGLY.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LEGISLATE THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S SO SUBJECTIVE.
SO USE YOUR NUANCE, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HAVE TO, LET'S USE PRACTICAL THINKING.
SO WE'LL JUST DO AND IDENTIFY THE FOLIOS WHERE IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS THE BARKLEY 2.0, THIS IS WHERE FENCING WOULD BE REQUIRED AND GIVE US THE FINANCIAL IMPACT.
AND IF YOU COULD, UH, HAVE PICTURES THAT IDENTIFY EACH OF THOSE FOLIOS THAT WE'D BE, UH, LOOKING TO APPLY THESE PARAMETERS TO.
AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING ELSE, I THINK AFTER, AND I, I THINK IT WAS BASED ON, I DON'T KNOW WHOSE ITEM ABOUT ASPIRATIONAL QUOTES, IF WE DO FENCE SOMETHING IN, OH COURSE, I THINK WE SHOULD ADD IN LIKE A COOL ASPIRATIONAL QUOTES ABOUT MIAMI BEACH, LIKE HISTORICAL QUOTES, SOMETHING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE TOO.
SO, UM, YEAH, I, AND THAT'S LIKE A SEPARATE THING ALTOGETHER.
JACKIE PUT THAT ON THE LIST SO WE CAN
JUST KNOW THAT WE DID HAVE THE LANDSCAPING COST FOR EACH ONE OF THE FOLIOS AS WELL AS THE FENCING CAUSE FOR YOU TO SELECT FROM.
BUT WE'LL REVISE THIS LIST BASED ON YOUR DIRECTION.
SO IT WOULD BE THOSE THAT NEED FENCING AND LANDSCAPING AND THOSE THAT JUST NEED LANDSCAPING.
AND EVEN IF YOU JUST SOUGHT IT, CHEAPEST THING.
SO IF, IF, IF I MAY, 'CAUSE THIS WAS A, AN ORDINANCE THAT WAS, UH, SENT DOWN HERE FOR REVIEW ON THAT WAS, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT DISCUSSION HERE.
IT TO RE COULD A RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAIR RECOMMENDATION THAT THE FENCING ORDINANCE APPLY TO CITY PROPERTIES.
IF IT'S A VACANT BUILDING THAT DOES NOT HAVE ZERO LOT LINES, I THINK WE WANT TO GET THE FINANCIAL IMPACT.
WE WANT TO KEEP IT HERE, KEEP IT HERE.
OR CAN WE JUST NOT KEEP IT OPEN FOR THE NEXT MONTH AND YEAH, YEAH.
WE'LL JUST, WE'LL JUST RETURN AS APPROPRIATE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE FACILITIES HAS CLEAR DIRECTION.
UH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A 12 IS ALSO DEFERRED.
WHERE ARE YOU GONNA LEAVE AFTER THAT? I WON'T LEAVE.
IF YOU CALL, MAYBE IF YOU SAID YOU WERE, I, IF AGAIN, THERE'S NOT A NUMBER LEFT, I CAN TELL YOU THE NUMBERS THAT ARE LEFT.
UH, NUMBER 24, WHICH WAS THE NEW ONE THAT WAS JUST ADDED, UH, FROM WENDY'S WEDNESDAY'S COMMISSION MEETING, UH, RELATED TO THE ROLL OFFS.
UH, NUMBER 21, HIRING DETENTION OFFICERS IS REMAINING THE BALLROOM'S NUMBER TWO, SMALL BUSINESS GRANT.
[02:35:01]
UH, WEST AVENUE PHASE THREE, NUMBER 17 IS, IS, UH, LEFT.YOU SAID IT WAS DEFERRED NUMBER 17? NO, WEST AVENUE PHASE THREE.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE CALL ORDER.
WHAT'S 18? AND THEN NUMBER EIGHT, NUMBER 18 WAS MR. UH, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
HE WITHDREW IT BEFORE HE LEFT.
UM, GOD, THAT LEAVES US WITH NUMBER NINE.
ACTUALLY YOU CAN READ THE ITEM INTO THE RECORD.
UH, NUMBER ITEM DISCUSSION REGARDING SMALL BUSINESS GRANT FUNDING FOR BUSINESSES IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER MONTHS NUMBER NINE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS JUST ON SOCIAL MEDIA YESTERDAY SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FREEZE ICE CREAM SHOP WAS CLOSING AFTER I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS OF BEING ON MIAMI BEACH.
WHAT I STOPPED THAT THE FREEZE, I HAD HAD CONTRACT THAT WAS SIGNED IN FEBRUARY, 2020.
IT'S WELL BUSINESS, THE POINT IS IT'S BECOMING, IT'S, IT'S HARDER AND HARDER FOR SMALL MOM AND POPS, ESPECIALLY IN FOOD SERVICE, UH, TO MAKE IT BECAUSE WE'VE BECOME INCREASINGLY HYPER SEASONAL DO BECAUSE OUR WEATHER IS SO EXTREME.
AND WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS ALLOW, IS CREATE THIS PROGRAM AND, YOU KNOW, WE SAID $10,000 GRANTS.
I WOULD MAKE IT $5,000 GRANTS BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS, UM, IN THE OFF SEASON IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR RENT IS 10 OR $12,000 A MONTH, OKAY, AND YOU'RE STILL, YOU'RE, YOU'RE TRYING TO PAY YOUR PAYROLL 'CAUSE YOU WANNA KEEP YOUR TRAINED EMPLOYEES THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY, VERY HARD.
AND IF WE, AND WE DO HAVE THE FUNDING, UM, TO HAND OUT THESE SMALL GRANTS OF $5,000.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT THEY COULD APPLY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
EVEN IF, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR TOURISM TAXES, I THINK THE WORST MONTHS ARE ACT LIKE, UM, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.
IS THAT WHERE OUR TOURISM TEXAS ARE LOWEST? YES.
I MEAN THEY JUST DROP THE DROP IS, UH, DRAMATIC.
AND UM, THEN YOU, YOU HAVE ADDED TO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE JEWISH HOLIDAYS IN SEPTEMBER LIKE REALLY KILL BUSINESS BECAUSE PEOPLE EITHER LEAVE TOWN OR THEY'RE NOT GOING OUT TO EAT BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING FAMILY MEALS.
SO, UM, IT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE $5,000 PER MONTH WOULD, WOULD BE THAT HELPFUL, BUT I THINK IN, IN SOME CASES IT LIKE JUST ALLOWS, YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESSES TO BREATHE.
I WOULD HAVE THIS APPLY TO, YOU KNOW, LOCAL BUSINESSES DOING UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF REVENUE.
UM, LOCAL BUSINESSES DOING UNDER, I DON'T KNOW, A COUPLE MILLION.
WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS? FOOD SERVICE.
SO WE, WE SAID, UM, 10,000, BUT I WOULD SAY THE CITY COMMISSION ALLOCATED OF 200,000.
SO WE DID THIS ONCE DURING COVID AND IT WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL.
UM, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO PILOT ONE YEAR.
MAYBE NOBODY EVEN TAKES IT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOBODY EVEN, YOU KNOW, TAKES, BUT THIS IS LIKE THE FREEZE.
IT COULD BE A BIG DIFFERENCE 'CAUSE IT COULD COVER YOUR PAYROLL, YOU KNOW, THESE KIDS SCOOPING ICE CREAM AT, YOU KNOW, MINIMUM WAGE.
AT LEAST YOU KNOW, YOU COVER YOUR PAYROLL OR YOU SUPPLEMENT YOUR RENT OR YOU DO SOMETHING TO HELP OR YOUR UTILITIES, WHICH ARE BECOME HYPER EXPENSIVE WITH, YOU KNOW, AIR CONDITIONING EVEN, YOU KNOW, YOUR FP AND L BILL.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, WE SHOULD TRY IT.
YOU KNOW, WE GIVE SO MANY OTHER GRANTS TO SO MANY OTHER, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT OPERATING BUSINESSES IN MIAMI BEACH.
A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, 5 0 1 C THREES I SAW WE JUST GAVE, YOU KNOW, PRIDE LINES TESTING LIKE $50,000.
I MEAN, WHY WOULDN'T WE SHARE A LITTLE BIT BACK WITH OUR BUSINESSES THAT WE ENJOY, ESPECIALLY SMALLER BUSINESSES IN NORTH BEACH.
I THINK IT'S REALLY, IT WILL HELP.
I THINK IT WILL GO A LONG WAY.
AND, AND THIS WILL BE ME GETTING ALL MY SOAPBOX FOR A LITTLE BIT, SO EXCUSE THAT, BUT I, IF YOU DON'T SUPPORT, IT'S FINE.
UH, UM, BUT WHAT RUBS ME IS OVER THE YEARS WE'VE TAKEN OR MAYBE FOREGONE INITIATIVES TO TRULY DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY AND MAKE US A MORE FULL-TIME RESIDENTIAL AREA.
UH, IN FACT IT JUST ALL, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS THAT WENT VIRAL LAST WEEK AND IT WAS FROM JULIAN HENRY'S, UH, DOWNTOWN FOOD HALL AND, UH, SHOTS OF BRICKLE SAYING WE ARE NO LONGER A SEASONAL TOWN.
WE ARE A FULL-TIME RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK IF I CONSIDER THINGS LIKE THIS, WE CAN'T KEEP TAKING BANDAID APPROACHES.
WE NEED TO SAY WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM, RIGHT? THESE BUSINESSES ARE DYING IN THE SUMMER, BUT IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T TAKEN THE STEPS TO REALLY SAY, OKAY, LET'S MATURE
[02:40:01]
AS A CITY.WE DON'T NEED TO BE DOUBLE, TRIPLE DOWN IN TOURISM.
UH, WE CAN BUILD A FULL-TIME ECONOMY WITH FULL-TIME RESIDENTS.
AND WE DON'T NEED TO BE THIS CYCLICAL HOSPITALITY DRIVEN TOWN.
UM, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO HEATHER.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THESE PARAMETERS COULD BE.
UH, WHAT THE PROGRAM, WELL WE HAVE THE CRITERIA RIGHT HERE.
YOU GOTTA BE IN BUSINESS, YOU'VE HAD TO HAVE A BTR FOR TWO YEARS REGISTERED AS AN ACTIVE ENTITY WITH FLORIDA DIVISION OF CORPORATIONS IN GOOD STANDING, NOT A NATIONAL CHAIN OR FRANCHISE.
UM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR BTR UP TO DATE.
NO OUTSTANDING FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL TAXES AND REVENUE.
ANNUAL STAYS LIMIT AS EVIDENCED BY RECENT BUSINESS TAX FILING.
WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WAS THE NUMBER, WHAT WAS THE CAP, HEATHER, ON THE TOTAL REVENUE THAT YOU NEEDED TO BE IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE? IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE SIZE OF THE, OF THE BUSINESS.
SO I MEAN THESE ARE JUST LOCAL.
WELL, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? I MEAN, WHEN WE SAY WHAT WOULD BE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF REVENUE BUSINESS COULD RECEIVE IF THEY'RE GOING TO APPLY FOR THIS? WELL, A SMALL BUSINESS BASED ON, ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IT COULD BE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE REVENUE THAT THEY WERE SAYING THAT THEY PRESENTED IN THEIR APPLICATION ALSO REPLICATED WHAT THEY HAD FILED.
BUT WHAT ARE WE SAYING, UH, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE THIS TO, UM, LIVE NIGHTCLUB, YOU KNOW, THAT MAKES $25 MILLION, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE FOR THEM.
WE WANT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD DO A, A CAP OF LIKE BUSINESSES DOING UNDER LIKE $2 MILLION PER YEAR.
RIGHT? THAT'S OUR REAL MOM AND POP.
AND WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF, YOU CAN'T, IF YOU'RE A NIGHTCLUB, LIQUOR, A GUN SHOP, PAWN SHOP, NONE OF THE TATTOO PARLORS, PIERCINGS, NONE OF THOSE AGRICULTURAL SOURCES, NONE OF THE, THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE.
AND BY THE WAY, SOMETHING REALLY COOL HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THIS.
AND HEATHER, THANK YOU FOR THIS.
THE G-M-C-V-B HAS AGREED TO NOT NECESSARILY HELP FUND THIS, BUT THE G-M-C-B-B WOULD SAY THAT THEY WOULD WAIVE MIAMI SPICE FUNDING FOR RESTAURANTS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A GREAT DEAL BECAUSE THAT'S LIKE $1,500.
WHAT'S THE PRICE TO BE IN MIAMI SPICE? I THINK IT'S LIKE A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN IN JULY.
'CAUSE WHEN DOES MIAMI SPICE KICK IN AUGUST? SEPTEMBER.
SO WE, WE MISSED THE BOAT FOR JULY.
UM, DO WE HAVE TO LEGISLATE THAT? THAT'S NOT A LEG, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO LEGISLATE.
WE PUT THE GMC M CVV TO DO THAT.
NO, WE CAN DO THAT ON THEIR OWN.
WE SHOULD ACTUALLY, WE SHOULD RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE I THINK WE CAN HAVE THIS DONE.
WE SHOULD PUT OUT SOME COMMUNICATION TO OUR BUSINESSES AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THE G-M-C-V-B IS WILLING TO, UH, WAIVE THE MIAMI SPICE FEE FOR CERTAIN RESTAURANTS.
BECAUSE A LOT OF RESTAURANTS DON'T WANNA DO THAT.
'CAUSE THE $1,500 JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD DO A DIRECT ADVERTISING.
I'D WANNA RE RETURN TO THE G-M-C-V-B.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH THEM IN JANUARY, BUT I WANT TO RE GO BACK TO THEM 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THEIR COMMUNICATIONS TO DO IT FOR JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER.
BUT, OKAY, SO I GUESS THAT PART, THAT PORTION COULD BE FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO MOVE IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION AS IS WITH A BUSINESS CAP OF DOING LESS THAN $2 MILLION A YEAR.
IT'S NOT THAT IT'S NOT VERY MANY GRANTS, IT'S $200,000.
THIS IS DIRECT IMPACT GOING DIRECTLY BACK INTO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE AND WORK HERE AND DO BUSINESS HERE.
AND I GUARANTEE YOU, UM, THEY WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL THE COUNTY DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS OUT.
THEY WOULD NEED A PHYSICAL LOCATION.
PARDON? UH, THE BUSINESS WOULD NEED A PHYSICAL LOCATION.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE A, A REGISTERED BUSINESS WITH A BT R FOR THE YEAR ON THE BEACH.
BUT UM, LET'S SAY SOMEBODY HAD A BUSINESS OUT OF THEIR HOME.
THEY HAD A BTR, BUT THEY'RE SHIPPING THINGS ON AMAZON.
WE DID MAKE THAT AS A STIPULATION THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STOREFRONT.
OH, HAVE TO HAVE A, YOU DO HAVE TO HAVE A, AND I WOULD ACTUALLY, I WOULD EXEMPT REAL ESTATE.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT ON THE EXEMPTION LIST.
I DON'T THINK ANY REAL ESTATE.
WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO, UM, THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ BECAUSE THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE A PHYSICAL STOREFRONT? NO, OF COURSE YOU NEED A PHYSICAL STOREFRONT AND UH, AND REAL ESTATE TO BE INELIGIBLE ALSO.
SO HOME BASED BUSINESSES ARE ALREADY EXEMPT.
AND ALSO JUST A, I'M SORRY, WITH, UH, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, UM, WE PUT THIS, UH, THE FUNDING FOR THIS, UH, PROGRAM IN AS AN ENHANCEMENT IN FISCAL 25.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE FOR NOT THIS YEAR, THIS MONTH.
HOW COME WE DIDN'T GET IT DONE FOR THIS YEAR? 'CAUSE IT WASN'T CALLED
IT'S BEEN ON HERE FOR SIX MONTHS.
THAT'S TOO BAD BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT.
THERE'S NO WAY TO GET THIS DONE FOR THIS, FOR THIS SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
YEAH, I THINK WE CAN DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THIS AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO DO IT AND JUST HAVE THE GRANTS DONE FOR THIS YEAR BECAUSE WHY SHOULD WE WAIT AN ENTIRE YEAR WHEN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER IS GONNA BE HOT, RAINY.
AND WE'RE GETTING BAD PR ABOUT LIKE RAIN EVENTS TOO.
I MEAN MORE NOW MORE THAN EVER.
AND BY THE WAY, DURING THOSE DAYS OF RAIN EVENTS, NOBODY IS GOING OUT TO EAT.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS WHEN YOUR SALES WHEN YOU HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A 10 OR $15,000 MONTHLY RENT,
[02:45:01]
AND YOU GO THREE DAYS WITH NO REVENUE, IT KILLS YOU FOR THE MONTH.SO CAN I JUST ASK SOME QUESTIONS, MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY.
BASICALLY, THIS IS GONNA GO JUST TO RESTAURANTS, IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING EFFECTIVELY.
WELL, ACTUALLY, WHEN THIS WAS FIRST HEARD, UM, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ WANTED JUST BE RESTAURANT, BUT THEN COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ ASKED THAT IT BE OPEN TO NO, I I UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, BUT NOW WE'VE, YOU KNOW, HOMEBASED BUSINESSES, OBVIOUSLY YOU MUST HAVE A STOREFRONT, OBVIOUSLY.
LIKE WHAT OTHER, SO IT'S RESTAURANTS, COFFEE SHOPS, FOOD-BASED BUSINESSES, BUT WHAT OTHER BUSINESSES? RETAIL ON PAGE ONE OF SEVEN OF YOUR BOOK, IT LISTS IT'S EVER BUSINESS BOUTIQUE, UH, ON 71ST STREET, STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, TO PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, BECAUSE OF COURSE I WANNA SEE OUR BUSINESSES THRIVE, UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT TO RUN A BUSINESS, WELL, YOU NEED TO PLAN FOR WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR BUSINESS.
AND IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE LIVING IN A SEASONAL TOWN, YOU NEED TO, TO PLAN YOUR BUSINESS P AND L ACCORDINGLY.
AND SO IF YOU MAKE, YOU KNOW, JASON, YOU'VE TOLD THE STORY ABOUT GROWING UP IN YOUR DAD'S PET PET STORE, AND YOU KNEW THAT, THAT THE, THE BULK OF THE BUSINESS WAS GENERATED OVER, YOU KNOW, DECEMBER, JANUARY OR WHATEVER, AND AUGUST WAS INCONSEQUENTIAL.
YOU HAVE TO RUN YOUR BUSINESS KNOWING THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FALLOW MONTHS.
I WOULD SUGGEST THERE'S ONE OTHER THING THAT WE COULD DO.
I, I, WE COULD DO IT PER COMMISSION OFFICE, LIKE THE COUNTY DOES.
EACH ONE OF US, IF WE TOOK THE 200,000, WE DIVIDED IT BY SEVEN, EACH OF US COULD HAND OUT SIX DIFFERENT GRANTS TO APPLICANTS WHO APPLY TO EACH OF US.
I, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE OUTTA THE HANDS OF COMMISSIONERS.
I THINK THAT SETS UP ALL KINDS OF DRAMA THAT NOBODY NEEDS, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THE COUNTY DOES IT.
I, BUT OKAY, SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT SUPPORTIVE, COMMISSIONER BLACK? WELL, NO, LEMME FINISH MY THOUGHT.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY, UM, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S ANY STIPULATION, ANY REQUIREMENT FOR WHY YOU NEED THIS.
SO SOMEBODY MIGHT APPLY FOR THIS WHERE THEY ACTUALLY HAD A PERFECTLY GOOD MONTH, RIGHT? SO COULD IT NOT BE, UM, A RETROACTIVE THAT IF YOU, YOU KNOW, HAD WHATEVER FOR WHATEVER REASON, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER WERE DISASTROUS FOR YOU, THEN WE CAN GIVE YOU A GRANT TO MAKE UP FOR YOUR, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED.
BUT TO HAND IT OUT, YOU KNOW, JUST, IT'S NOT A BIG AMOUNT.
IT'S A $5,000 GRANT AND IT'S SHOWING GOODWILL TO OUR BUSINESSES.
I BUT YOU COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
I, I JUST WANNA, AND I, I'M NOT LIKE EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT PEOPLE HAVE GRANTS, I DON'T, I DON'T NECESSARILY, UM, ALWAYS, ALWAYS 100% AGREE WITH SOME OF THE MONIES THAT WE HAND OUT AND VERY LARGE AMOUNTS.
I HAVE NEVER, I, I DON'T VOTE AGAINST.
YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE EVEN IF, EVEN IF WE'RE REALLY NOT GETTING ANYTHING BACK, 'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE, WE DON'T, AND, AND, AND I SUPPORT IT.
AND YOU KNOW WHY I SUPPORT IT BECAUSE THANK GOODNESS, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE THIS EXTRA ADDED REVENUE FROM TOURISM AND OUR LARGE PROPERTY VALUATIONS, AND WE CAN SHOW THIS GOODWILL AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY DO IT FOR THE IMPACT OF OUR BUSINESSES.
AND, UM, AND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, FIRST OF ALL, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF ANYBODY'S GOING TO APPLY, BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, IF SOMEBODY, THIS IS NOT AN EASY APPLICATION, AND IF SOMEBODY GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS OF FILLING THIS OUT FOR FIVE GRAND, IT'S BECAUSE THEY NEED TO APPLY THE FIVE GRAND TO EITHER THEIR PAYROLL OR THEIR RENT.
AND IF NOT, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THE FREEZES CLOSE.
BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, AS MORE HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS BUY PROPERTIES AND LIVE HERE ONLY HALF THE YEAR, MANY PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE YEAR ROUND, UM, USED TO, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD LIVE HERE.
THEY'D GO ON VACATION FOR TWO WEEKS.
NOW WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT SIX MONTHS IN ONE DAY ARE LIVING HERE, AND THEN THEY'RE OUTTA HERE THE REST OF THE TIME.
MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION? SURE.
CAN WE DO IT IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT IS, UM, ENCUMBERED TO BE USED ONLY FOR PAYROLL AND OR ONLY FOR RENT? ABSOLUTELY.
BECAUSE IF YOU, IN THE MEMO, WE HAVE UTILITIES, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WHICH IS PAYROLL, MARKETING, TECHNOLOGY, RENT AND REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENT OF, UH, EQUIPMENT.
SO, SO, SO, RENT, PAYROLL, UTILITIES.
YOU ONLY WANT PAYROLL AND UTILITIES AND RENT.
AND, AND IS THE THOUGHT OF THIS, THIS IS GOING TO BE A ONE TIME THIS YEAR ITEM, OR IS THIS JUST, IT'S A TEST, RIGHT? THIS YEAR IS A TEST THIS YEAR.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE DON'T, THEY'RE PROPOSING IT FOR NEXT YEAR.
BUT I REALLY THINK THAT MORE THAN EVER WE NEED IT THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THAT WE GET THIS RAIN AND UNFORTUNATELY WE GET THE RAIN AT ROUND DINNER,
I DON'T, SO PEOPLE AREN'T GOING
[02:50:01]
DO, YOU DON'T HOW MANY PEOPLE ON LINCOLN ROAD LAST YEAR? THESE BUSINESSES WHO ARE NORMALLY, I MEAN, THEY'RE LO THEY'RE LOSING SO MUCH MONEY, BUT, BUT WE LIVE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.IT RAINS DURING THE SUMMER IN THE LATE AFTERNOON.
LIKE THAT IS JUST A FACT OF LIFE SHUTTERING.
I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, OH, SO I'LL SUPPORT THIS IF YOU PROMISE, PROMISE ME THAT WE HAVE A SERIOUS, HONEST TO GOD DISCUSSION ABOUT WHY SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES ARE BEING PRESSURED.
BECAUSE GIVING $5,000 TO A BUSINESS ON LINCOLN ROAD IS NOT GOING TO MAKE STRUCTURAL CHANGES.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOSING 20,000 LET'S THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE SHOULDERING A $20,000 LOSS PER MONTH AND THEN BECAUSE OF OUR GRANT, IT BECOMES A $15,000 LOSS.
YOU SAY TO YOURSELF, WELL, AT LEAST I'M GETTING SOME.
AND MAYBE THEY GO TO THE COUNTY AND THEY GET AN ADDITIONAL $5,000 FROM HIGG.
SO I GET STEINBERG AND, AND, AND AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGMENT, I WILL BE SUPPORTIVE IN HELPING THIS OUT.
IF YOU PROMISE THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHY BUSINESSES ON LINCOLN ROAD ARE LOSING $20,000 A YEAR.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT A NEW PHENOMENON THAT WE'RE JUST GETTING RAIN IN SOUTH FLORIDA, OR IT'S HOT HERE IN THE SUMMER.
WE HAVE SOME STRUCTURAL ISSUES ABOUT OUR ECONOMY THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND IT'S NOT THROUGH HANDING OUT $5,000 TO 40 BUSINESSES.
SO I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE SERIOUS CONVERSATION EXACTLY.
ABOUT SOME OF THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES FOR WHY THESE BUSINESSES MAY BE IN NEED OF THIS MONEY.
AND, AND, AND, AND I'M TELLING YOU THE SEASONALITY, IT'S BECOME HYPER SEASONAL.
OUR WORKING CLASS CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
AND BY, AND MOST PEOPLE WHO DID LIVE HERE HAVE NOW SOLD THEIR HOMES TO EXTREMELY HIGH WORTH, YOU KNOW, HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ONLY LIVING HERE SIX MONTHS IN A YEAR.
THEY'RE OUT OF HERE AS OF MAY
WE DON'T SEE HIM AGAIN TILL DECEMBER.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THAT, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT IS BECAUSE LIVING HERE FULL TIME, UM, AND NOT BEING A HIGH WORTH INDIVIDUAL WHEN YOU HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUAL, WHEN YOU HAVE TO SHOULDER OUR INSURANCE COSTS AND THE, YOU KNOW, INCREASING UTILITY COSTS, I MEAN, IT'S JUST SUPER EXPENSIVE.
RIGHT? BUT THAT COMES AT A TIME WHEN EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD IN OUR SURROUNDING PROXIMITY HAS DECREASED SEASONALITY.
LIKE IT'S FOR BUSINESSES LIKE CHEESEBURGER BABY.
NO, YOU KNOW, NO, I I IT'S FOR BUSINESSES.
I GET THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, LISTEN, WE'RE WE'RE LIVING OUR RESORT TAXES ARE FLAT OR UP.
OUR STOCK MARKET IS AT RECORD HIGHS.
OUR ECONOMY, UH, EMPLOYMENT IS AT RECORD LOW.
SO I'M SITTING HERE FROM A FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE SAYING IF THIS IS EVER NEEDED, NOW IS NOT THE TIME, BUT I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SUPPORT THIS.
IF YOU PROMISE WE CAN HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES IMPACTING OUR ECONOMY THAT ARE VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIFIC TO MIAMI BEACH.
AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T MAKE US LOOK LIKE DUBAI, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
IF I COULD ADD, UH, ONE QUESTION BEFORE I HELPED, UH, CRAFT A MOTION, UH, THE ITEM IS PRESENTED, THE PROGRAM IS PRESENTED BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, HAD A $100,000, UH, PRICE TAG.
IS THAT THE, UM, WE'RE GONNA GIVE ABOUT 20 GRAND.
AND THEN IF I CAN, I'M GONNA TRY TO CRAFT A MOTION BASICALLY.
SO RETURN TO COMMISSION 200, NO, 100.
'CAUSE WE WERE DOING $10,000 GRANTS AT A HUNDRED.
'CAUSE BECAUSE IT IS A PILOT PROGRAM.
SO WE'LL DO 20 GRANTS THE FIRST YEAR, AND LET'S SEE WHO APPLIES.
LET'S GET A LIST OF BUSINESSES WHO DO APPLY.
LET'S GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THOSE BUSINESSES AND THEY CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA HELP, BUT AT LEAST WE'RE SHOWING THAT WE CARE AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, AND IF WE COULD, AS A STIPULATION, THE 20 BUSINESSES THAT RECEIVE GRANTS, IF WE CAN GET AN INFORMAL FEEDBACK ABOUT THE STATE OF BUSINESS IN MIAMI BEACH, WHY THEY'RE REACHING OUT FOR THIS GRANT, WHAT WE DO GOOD, WHAT WE DO BAD, AND THEN WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND, AND HOW THEY COULD BE FURTHER THEIR HELP GOING FORWARD.
WE'LL DO, WE CAN ADD A SURVEY TO THEIR APPLICATION.
UH, COMMISSIONER, I KNOW YOU CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY, SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT PASSION.
SO AGAIN, THE, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE A ONETIME 2025, UH, BUDGET PRIORITY, UH, TO IMPLEMENT AN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM AS PRESENTED IN THE AMOUNT OF $100,000 WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT IT WOULD ONLY BE APPLICABLE TO PAYROLL, RENT, AND UTILITIES, UH, WOULD BE ONLY APPLICABLE TO BUSINESSES WITH A $2 MILLION REVENUE CAP.
AND NO REAL ESTATE AGENCY WOULD BE ADDED TO THE INELIGIBLE BUSINESSES.
JUST FOR THE, I I'VE HEARD FROM THE CITY MANAGER.
IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, AND ROLL THAT OUT, UM, FOR IN, IN 30 DAYS.
[02:55:01]
THE RECOMMEND, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE AS IF THIS WOULD BE EXPLORED.GIVEN THE FACT THAT MY ITEM HAS LANGUISHED ON THIS AGENDA FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN CALLED, I WOULD ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO TRY TO ROLL THIS OUT FOR AT LEAST THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER FOR 2024.
WOULD YOU ACCEPT THAT COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE? TO BE FAIR, I DID ASK YOU IF YOU WANT TO DIS OR THE SISTINE CHAPEL AND YOU CHOSE, UH, THE OTHER, BUT
AND IF THEY DID APPROVE IT, WE WOULD RETURN WITH A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN SEPTEMBER, WHICH IS AFTER THE FACT.
JUST PROCESS WISE ALSO JUST THE ABILITY, AND I JUST, I WAS GETTING COMMUNICATION FROM THE, YOU KNOW, OUR CITY MANAGER, THAT THE, THE CONCEPT OF BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP, ROLL THIS OUT, IMPLEMENT THIS IN SUCH A SHORT TIMEFRAME IS, IS DIFFICULT.
LET'S JUST SAY DISAPPOINTED THAT I HAVE THIS ON.
I MEAN, WHEN, WHEN WAS MY ITEM ORIGINALLY? THIS IS WHY UPSETS ME THOUGH, BECAUSE I REALLY, REALLY COULDN'T GET INTO THIS.
WELL, I MEAN, IT, IT, IT DOES UPSET ME BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA HAVE SEASONALITY AND BECAUSE IT'S SAT HERE AND I DON'T THINK THIS, I'M JUST SAYING, AND I, BECAUSE BECAUSE YOU THINK I, I END MEETINGS EARLY AND I SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GONNA END AN HOUR EARLY.
SO I DON'T CALL KRISTEN'S ITEMS. OKAY.
EVERY SINGLE MEETING, YOU SIT HERE AND SAY, OH, WE DIDN'T GET TO THIS.
WE SIT HERE FOR THREE OR FOUR HOURS AT A TIME AND NONSTOP HERE ITEM AFTER ITEM AFTER ITEM.
THE REASON I'M UPSET IS NOT BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT ABOUT ME.
IT'S ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE BECAUSE MY ITEM WASN'T CALLED.
I, I CAN HAVE FEELINGS AND BE A POLITICIAN.
SO COMMISSIONERS, WE COULD POTENTIALLY, UM, BE ABLE TO, IF IT GETS APPROVED THROUGH THE COMMISSION IN JULY THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY TRY TO GET IT ROLLED OUT FOR AUGUST, SEPTEMBER.
WE'RE
IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I, I'M SORRY TO CONTRADICT, BUT THERE'S A FUNDING DIFFICULTY.
THERE IS NO FUNDING TO FUND THIS, SO THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE, THE ISSUE.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW TO, TO PROCEED WITH THIS IN SUCH A RAPID MANNER.
SO IF IT'S OKAY, DOES THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO, UH, COVER THIS EXPENDITURE? WE DON'T HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO COVER IT, BUT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COVER SOME TO, TO ROLL IT OUT.
SO I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE MOTION IS.
SO, UH, IF YOU COULD CALL THE, THE VOTE ON THE FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE 25 PROGRAM.
WE'LL SHOW IT UNANIMOUSLY PROOF.
UM, BALLROOMS, ITEM NUMBER TWO.
ITEM NUMBER TWO, DISCUSS IDEAS TO INCREASE UTILIZATION OF BALLROOM AT THE MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER.
ITEM NUMBER TWO, UH, THANK YOU.
GOTTA LIGHT IN THE AIR A LITTLE.
I'M THE, UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT BY MAYOR MINOR IN JANUARY OF 30, UH, JANUARY OF THIS YEAR OF 2024, UM, WHERE HE HAD MADE A REQUEST TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE UTILIZATION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER'S BALLROOM AND THAT, UM, HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE PUBLIC WASN'T GETTING, UM, EQUAL USE OF THE BALLROOM.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME HISTORY, AND I'M SURE I'M PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT AFTER WE DID THIS MASSIVE REIMAGINATION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WAS PLACED INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER TO TAKE IT UP TO, UM, WHERE IT IS NOW.
IT IS A WORLD CLASS BUILDING THAT HAS MULTIPLE BALLROOMS. WE HAVE A, A, A, A LARGE, UH, GRAND BALLROOM.
WE'VE ADDED, UM, MULTIPLE NEW, UM, MEETING ROOMS AND HAVE BROUGHT UP THE AMENITIES OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO IT COULD BE A WORLD CLASS, UH, BUILDING THAT CAN ATTRACT THE TYPE OF CLIENTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE.
IN THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE DIVIDE UP THE CONVENTION CENTER IN TERMS OF, UH, THE CLIENTS IS PRIORITY ONES.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO COME IN WHO HAVE MORE THAN, UM, 15,000 ROOMS ON PEAK.
WE HAVE, UH, PRIORITY TWOS THAT ARE A THOUSAND, UM, UH, MEETINGS.
AND THEN WE HAVE A PRIORITY THREE, UM, UH, CLIENTS THAT ARE LESS THAN, UM, 500 ROOMS ON PEAK.
SO WE KIND OF DIVIDE THEM THAT WAY.
AND THEN ALSO, THE WAY THAT WE THINK ABOUT THE SALE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE THE GREAT AMENITIES FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, MEANING ALL THE BALLROOMS AND THE MEETING
[03:00:01]
ROOMS. AND WE DO THIS SO WE NOT, DON'T JUST, UH, ATTRACT QUANTITY, A LARGE QUANTITY OF CLIENTS, BUT QUALITY CLIENTS.WE WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE DEEP POCKETS, WHO ARE GOING TO UTILIZE THE BUILDING THE WAY WE WANT TO, AND NOT ON A RAPID BASIS, BUT, BUT ON A, IN A WAY THAT IS MORE MEANINGFUL.
AND WHEN I SAY MEANINGFUL, IS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING THE, THE REASON THAT MOST CITIES HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER IS TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY.
WE WANNA BRING PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE GOING TO GO TO OUR RESTAURANTS, STAY IN OUR HOTELS, UTILIZE OUR, OUR, OUR BUSINESSES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.
WE WANT THOSE TYPES OF BUSINESSES.
BUT ON TOP OF THAT, WE ALSO WANT TO ENHANCE OUR REPUTATION OF BEING A GREAT DESTINATION.
AND THE CONVENTION CENTER DOES THAT BY BRINGING ALSO GROUPS THAT COME, EVEN SMALLER GROUPS THAT MAY NOT TAKE OVER THE ENTIRE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT MAY HAVE SMALLER ONES.
AND THEN THIRD, AND OF COURSE MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN UTILIZE THE SPACE, WHICH WE DO, BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN A SMART WAY.
WE WANT TO UTILIZE THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER SPACE FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR THOSE WHO ARE GONNA BRING REVENUE, THAT ARE GONNA BRING PEOPLE TO THE DESTINATION, WHO ARE GOING TO IN TURN PUT MONEY INTO OUR ECONOMY.
AND SO WE UTILIZE THOSE DATES FIRST FOR THE CLIENTS.
AND THOSE, THE DATES THAT ARE NOT UTILIZED, WE ALWAYS OFFER UP TO OUR RESIDENTS TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH I'M SURE YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR, LIKE THAT YOU'VE APPROVED ON, UM, A COMMISSION FOR SOME OF THE NON-PROFITS THAT COME IN, LIKE THE 5,000 ROLE MODELS FOR THE MARTIN LUTHER KING.
WE DID, UH, PRIDE PARK, UM, WE DID THE, UM, THE PARK PRIDE PARK, UM, EVENT IN PRIDE PARK FOR THE FAMILY DAY.
UM, WE ARE DOING, UM, STYLE SAVES.
WE HAVE A, A NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT COME IN THAT WE UTILIZE FOR, UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, WE DO, WE DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS TO COME TO THE, TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT WE DON'T WANNA DO IT AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR HOTELS.
WE HAVE VERY LARGE HOTELS HERE THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGE WEDDINGS, THAT CAN DO A THOUSAND, A THOUSAND PERSON EVENTS.
WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY BUSINESS FROM THOSE HOTELS AND PUT THEM IN THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO WE, AS THE CONVENTION CENTER, MAKE SURE THAT THEIR WEDDINGS, RAS OR BRIDAL SHOWERS OR, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, HONOR PROGRAMS WHERE THEY'RE GIVING AWAY AWARDS, IF IT CAN FIT INTO A HOTEL, WE TEND TO STEER THEM TO THE HOTELS BECAUSE WE WANT TO ALSO HELP, THEY'RE PART OF OUR ECONOMY AS WELL.
SO I THINK THAT MAYBE WHERE THERE MAY BE A EITHER A A, UM, WE TRY TO CREATE A BALANCE AND THERE MAY BE, UM, SOME DISCONNECT IN COMMUNICATION AS TO WHEN SOME PEOPLE ARE COMING TO THE CONVENTION CENTER SAYING, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CAN'T GET A DATE OR, OR, UM, THE COST MAY BE A LITTLE PROHIBITIVE, BUT, OR THAT WE'VE STEERED THEM TO, UM, A HOTEL WHERE THEY WANNA BE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IF THEY WANNA BE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE DEFINITELY WELCOME THEM.
BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE KIND OF KEEP OUR ECONOMY BALANCED BY MAKING SURE THAT OUR HOTELS, UM, HAVE, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST PITCH TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND, UM, AS TO WHETHER THEY WANTED TO USE THEM OR NOT.
SO IN THE END, ALL OF THIS, AND IT'S IN THE MEMO THAT I'VE WRITTEN, IT'S, WE ARE, IT IS ABOUT BALANCE.
IT IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE, THE RESIDENTS DO GET TO UTILIZE THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT WE UTILIZE IT FOR, LIKE THE HALL OF FAME.
AND WE DID, UM, UM, MUHAMMAD ALI THAT WE DO HAVE THOSE EVENTS, BUT WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR OTHER BUSINESSES THAT CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CLIENTS THAT ARE COMING TO TOWN OR, OR THAT ARE IN TOWN THAT WANNA DO THAT.
SO WHAT IS THE ASK TODAY? I THINK THAT THE MAYOR JUST WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON HOW WE COULD BETTER UTILIZE THE CONVENTION CENTER AND WE DO THAT THROUGH, THROUGH YOU.
DO, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM? WHEN WE WENT TO SURFSIDE FOR A, DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD THAT DINNER IN SURFSIDE AND WE ALL DROVE UP TO THE TEMPLE ON 95TH STREET? OH YEAH.
UM, WHEN WE WERE HAVING DINNER THERE, HE SAID, THIS IS A MIAMI BEACH ORGANIZATION, WHY ARE THEY HOLDING THIS IN SURFSIDE? AND THEY SAID THEY WERE HAVING A PROBLEM FINDING LARGE VENUE SPACES.
SO WHAT HE WANTED TO DO, AND THE REASON HE BROUGHT THIS ITEM FORWARD WAS THAT HE SAID AT THE TIME, AT LIKE, AT THE TIME, WE SHOULD, UM, WE WERE HAVING AN INFORMAL DISCUSSION, I WONDER WHY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T OFFER TO HOST THESE TYPES OF COMMUNITY EVENTS, OR AT LEAST OPEN IT UP SO THAT THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY WITH US IN OUR CONVENTION CENTER RATHER THAN GOING TO SURFSIDE.
AND I THINK THAT WAS HIS, UH, VISION.
BUT AT THE TIME I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT OF THE FACT THAT LIKE, IF WE START TO PROMOTE OUR CONVENTION CENTER FOR LOCAL EVENTS LIKE THAT, WE WOULD BE TAKING AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, HOTELS.
I THINK THERE IS A MARKET FOR SOMETHING IN BETWEEN.
I DON'T KNOW, UM, THERE WAS WHAT ACTION COULD BE TAKEN, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THAT WAS HIS THOUGHT PROCESS AND, AND, UM, UM, WITH PERMISSION.
UM, AND A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE MIA LEGACY AWARDS.
THEY WERE TAKING PLACE AT THE DIPLOMAT HOTEL, WHICH IS OUTSIDE MIAMI BEACH FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
AND THEY HAD, UH, COME TO US ABOUT HAVING A LOCATION AND THEY WENT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER AND IT JUST WASN'T THE RIGHT FIT FOR THEM.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO STEER THEM TO
[03:05:01]
THE LOWE'S HOTEL AND IT WAS A PHENOMENAL EVENT AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE BROUGHT TO MIAMI BEACH.UM, AND, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO WEIGH OUT WHETHER THEY WANTED TO DO IT AT THE CONVENTION CENTER OR ONE OF OUR HOTELS.
AND I THINK A LOT OF IT IS REALLY ABOUT US, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO HAVE OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY AND LETTING THEM KNOW THE TYPES OF SPACE THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE POWER TO SAY WHERE SOMEONE WANTS TO GO, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO OFFER AND SHOWCASE ALL OF THE SPACES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE CITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE CONTINUE TO DO.
I PART OF IT IS ALSO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE, UM, THE HOTEL BUILT THERE.
SO THAT IS A CHUNK OF BUSINESS THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE GETTING UNTIL THAT IS ONLINE.
UM, IS THE CONVENTION CENTER ABLE TO HOST EVENTS WHERE A KOSHER KITCHEN IS REQUIRED? I BELIEVE SO.
I BELIEVE THAT, UM, SODEXO WILL ALLOW THEM TO COME IN AND THEY BRING IN LIKE A PORTABLE KITCHEN.
BUT I THINK THIS IS ALSO MORE OF NOT THE, THE PRIORITY ONE, PRIORITY TWO, UH, CLIENTS.
THESE ARE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE TRYING TO HAVE A ONE DAY EVENT VERSUS A MULTIPLE DAY EVENT.
SO THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE LIKE HOTEL ROOMS OR ANYTHING THAT, THAT WE TYPICALLY LIKE TO HAVE.
DO YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM US OR DO YOU WANNA, SHOULD WE CLOSE THIS ITEM? IT, IT JUST, THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FEW JUST DISCUSSION ITEMS AT FE.
SO IT COULD JUST BE DIS IT, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, PRESENTED.
AND THIS COULD JUST BE NOTED AS, UH, ITEM PRESENTED AND CLOSED.
IF, UH, THE COMMITTEE IS, UH, AMICABLE TO THAT, I AM AMENABLE TO THAT AND I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION TO CLOSE THIS OUT.
YOU GUYS, I'M MAKING A MOTION TO CLOSE THIS OUT.
I HAVEN'T CALLED ENOUGH ENOUGH.
WELL, I MEAN, I'M JUST TELLING YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT? THEN YOU SHOULD BE CHAIR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DECIDE WHAT ITEMS TO BE CALLED.
JUST SAYING THAT MY ITEM WAS CALLED FROM DECEMBER.
IT'S THE ONLY ONE FROM DECEMBER.
IT DIDN'T GET HERE UNTIL FEBRUARY.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT BEING CALLED ANYWHERE.
MR. CFO, WHAT ITEMS DO WE STILL HAVE OUTSTANDING FOR TODAY? UH, I KNOW WE HAVE A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
I THINK ITEM 17 TALKING ABOUT, UH, PRIORITIZING, UH, FUNDING FOR PHASE THREE OF WEST YEP.
SHOULD, UH, BE GOOD TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE THIS OUT.
IF I COULD JUST ADD AS, UH, WE HAVE OUR CIP INTERIM DIRECTOR COME UP JUST, UH, AND HE'LL CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
UM, THIS ACTUALLY, LEMME READ THE ITEM INTO THE RECORD.
FIRST, UH, NUMBER 17, DISCUSSION REGARDING PRIORITIZATION OF IDENTIFYING FUNDING FOR PHASE THREE OF THE WEST AVENUE RESILIENCY PROJECT DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 PROCESS, UH, NUMBER 17.
AND BEFORE I, I RECOGNIZE OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR, I BELIEVE, IF YOU COULD CORRECT ME, IS THERE IS NOT ACTUALLY FUNDING APPROPRIATION REQUEST NEEDED FOR PHASE THREE FOR FY 25.
IS THAT CORRECT? INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, DAVID GOMEZ? THAT IS CORRECT, YES.
UH, SO, SO, UM, THIS ITEM SPECIFICALLY T TALKS ABOUT, UH, MAKING IT A BUDGET PARTY DURING THE 2025 BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE, UH, PHASE THREE OF THE WEST AVENUE.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAID, THE TECHNICAL, THERE IS NOTHING LISTED AS AN APPROPRIATION REQUIREMENT.
UH, FOR PHASE THREE DURING 2025, THERE WILL BE A REQUEST PROBABLY IN 26 OR 27.
UH, BUT FOR 25 THERE ACTUALLY IS NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING REQUIRED TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.
SO WHERE DO WE GO WITH THIS? UH, I I THINK THAT THIS IS A DISCUSSION.
YES, IT'S A CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF PRIORITIES, RIGHT? SO IS CORRECT.
WHERE, WHERE, WHERE CAN THIS FUNDING START COMING FROM? WELL, THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE DISCUSSED DURING THE 26TH, UH, BUDGET PROCESS.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $10 MILLION ROUND? UH, I BELIEVE IT'S 2021 AND A HALF.
AND, AND COULD THIS EVER BE, UH, DONE
[03:10:01]
THROUGH THE ISSUANCE OF, UM, STORM WATER BONDS? YES.I, I BELIEVE, UM, SO OF THAT 20 SOME MILLION DOLLARS, THAT IS, UH, SHORT ON THAT, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE ARE ACTIVELY, UH, PURSUING GRANTS TO HELP, UH, CLOSE THAT GAP.
I BELIEVE THAT, UH, 'CAUSE OUR, THESE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ARE FUNDED THROUGH THREE SOURCES TRADITIONALLY.
UH, ONE IS STORM WATER, THE OTHER IS WATER AND SEWER.
AND THE THIRD IS WHAT THEY CALL THE ABOVE GROUND PORTION.
THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE YOUR ASPHALT AND YOUR STREETSCAPE AFTER THE FACT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU HAD THAT BREAKDOWN OF, OF THE FUNDING GAP AT WHICH ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES HAS THAT, UH, DECREASE? I THINK MARIA DOES.
AND, AND, AND IT COMES TO WATER AND SEWER AND STORMWATER.
THOSE WOULD BE BONDABLE AND WOULD BECOME PART OF A, UH, UPCOMING FUTURE ISSUANCE, WHICH WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, BRINGING TO FERC DURING AN ISSUANCE.
IT WAS NOT PART OF THE 85 MILLION THAT WE DID THE DECLARATION OF INTENT ON THE WATER AND SEWER.
THOSE WERE ALL CRITICAL NEEDS PROJECTS, NOT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE WOULD GO BACK AND MAYBE MODIFY THAT, THAT DECLARATION TO INTENT IF WE NEED TO ADD IT.
UM, THE ABOVE GROUND WOULD BE THE MOST DIFFICULT PORTION BECAUSE THAT'S TRADITIONALLY FUNDED THROUGH A PEGO OR MAYBE TRANSPORTATION FUNDS.
AND AS WE KNOW, WE JUST DISCUSSED, OH MY GOD, I HAVE, WE HAVE A BIG POSSIBLE, DEPENDING ON HOW AUGUST GOES WITH A VOTE, THERE MAY BE A, UM, A BIG PRIORITY RELATED TO A PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECT.
SO ALL OF THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE LOOKED INTO.
UM, AND, AND COULD I ASK, I KNOW THAT WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, IN OUR BUDGET RETREAT, UM, BUT WE ESSENTIALLY STARTED WITH, WE HAVE THIS $1.2 BILLION UNFUNDED, UH, GAP, RIGHT? BUT THAT INCLUDES A LOT OF THE STORM WATER WASTE WATER, ACTUALLY A VERY LARGE CHUNK IF PERHAPS, UH, IN OUR NEXT BUDGET MEETING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FOCUSED ON OPERATING, IF WE COULD GET A LIST OUT OF THE UNFUNDED CAPITAL PROJECTS JUST SO WE SEE WHAT OUR COMPETING NEEDS ARE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN MANY WAYS WE'RE DEALING WITH A ZERO SUM GAME HERE, CORRECT CHAIR.
ACTUALLY, THERE WAS A REQUEST DURING THE, UH, JUNE, UH, CAPITAL ONE THAT TO, TO ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE OF SLIDES, UH, ON THAT CONCEPT OF WHAT ARE, ARE THE, UH, OUTSTANDING GAPS THAT WE KNOW OR DON'T KNOW THAT WE, THAT WE EITHER HAVE QUANTIFIED ALREADY OR, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT WILL BE COMING UP.
SO THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION TO THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT AND THERE WILL BE SOME SLIDES TO SHOW, AND THIS WILL BE AN EXAMPLE OF A, OF A KNOWN GAP, UH, OF, OF WHAT WE'LL HAVE TO IDENTIFY FUNDING IN THE FUTURE.
BUT YES, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
SHOCKINGLY, I DON'T THINK FOR THIS, WE ARE TAKING, I THINK THIS ITEM COULD JUST BE CLOSED OUT.
UM, THERE'S NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN THAT COULD BE CLOSED OUT AND THAT WOULD BE, BUT I, I MEAN, I THINK IT LEADS TO A BROADER CONVERSATION WHERE, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF PRIORITIES, RIGHT? A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND UNIDENTIFIED FUNDING NEEDS.
AND PERHAPS WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE IN GOING OUT AND IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE, LET'S CALL IT A $10 MILLION SURPLUS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, UM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, KNOCK ON WOOD, THAT'S IF PROPERTY VALUATIONS REMAIN STRONG AND GROWING AT A DOUBLE DIGIT OR NEAR DOUBLE DIG DIGIT RATE, UM, WE ARE HAVING A LOT OF COMPETING INTEREST AND PRIORITIES FOR A LOT OF THESE NUMBERS.
SO WE'RE PRIORITIZING A LOT OF THINGS.
AND WHEN YOU PRIORITIZE EVERYTHING, NOTHING IS A PRIORITY.
SO PERHAPS WE HAVE TO HAVE BROADER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT GIVING ALL OF THESE HIGH PRIORITY ITEMS. THEY'RE STARTING TO GET VERY BIG TICKET AND PERHAPS NOT SATISFIED BY JUST, OKAY, WE HAVE A $5 MILLION SURPLUS THIS YEAR.
DO WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND ENHANCE OUR REVENUE IN SOME WAYS THAT WE'RE NOT JUST LEAVING THINGS UP TO CHANCE? UH, CHAIR, I MAY I, I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
I THINK WE'LL START THAT CONVERSATION.
I THINK WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THAT CONVERSATION AND I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE THAT AT THE JULY 12TH, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE MORE CLARITY, UH, AFTER AUGUST, AND THEN THERE'S CLEAR DIRECTION HOW TO MOVE FORWARD ON, ON, UH, CERTAIN CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND THEN NOVEMBER, WHEN WE DO OUR CLOSEOUT, UM, BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, WITH ANY OF THE GENERAL FUND SURPLUSES BY COMMISSION POLICY, THOSE DOLLARS ARE TO BE ROLLED INTO OUR CAPITAL RESERVE.
BUT WE OFTEN MODIFY THAT A BIT AND WE COULD LOOK AT THOSE PRIORITIES BECAUSE IF WE HAVE A LARGE KNOWN GAP FOR A PROJECT AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE DIRECTED SPECIFICALLY TO A SPECIFIC PROJECT OR JUST PUT, PUT ASIDE TO BE DETERMINED A LATER POINT.
UH, WE'VE LOST QU AS THE, I THINK AS THE CITY TERM MENTIONED, WE'VE LOST QUORUM.
MR. CFO, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE COULD HEAR AND, UH, THAT WE DON'T NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON IT? IT'S INCREDIBLY UNFORTUNATE THAT, UH, FOR, I'M NOT SURE WHAT REASONS THAT WE'VE JUST LOST QUORUM.
[03:15:01]
IF THERE'S ITEMS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR ANYBODY ELSE, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR THEM TODAY.UH, GIVEN THAT WE'VE LOST QUORUM, ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT WE COULD CLOSE OUT THAT DON'T REQUIRE ACTION? UH, I THINK, UH, NUMBER 21 RELATED TO THE HIRING OF ADDITIONAL DETENTION OFFICERS COULD BE LIKE COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ'S REQUEST TO BE FORWARDED TO THE JULY 12TH COULD JUST BE DISCUSSED AT THE JULY.
WE COULD CLOSE IT OUT HERE AND JUST BE, UM, DISCUSSED AS AN ENHANCEMENT AT THE JULY 12TH.
UM, IS THAT A THING THAT WE CAN DO? YEAH, UH, I, YES, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE YOU CAN CLO YOU CAN CLOSE IT OUT AND DIS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TAKE ACTION HERE.
YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING BACK TO COMMISSIONER.
CAN WE, CAN WE HEAR WHAT DEPUTY CHIEF HAS TO SAY? I THINK YOU CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION JUST SO THERE ARE NO SURPRISES.
UM, MADAM COMMISSIONER, UH, THIS IS REGARDING THE ENHANCEMENT OF TWO DETENTION OFFICERS TO IMPROVE OUR OPERATIONAL READINESS ON A 24 HOUR PERIOD FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT ALLOWS POLICE OFFICERS TO BE POLICE OFFICERS THAT MAINTAIN VISIBILITY OUT IN THE STREET AND DO THE WORK THAT THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO DO AND ALLOW DETENTION OFFICERS TO DEAL WITH ALL PRISONERS THAT ARE INCOMING INTO THE POLICE STATION OR NEED TO BE TRANSPORTED TO TGK.
UM, QUITE OFTEN POLICE OFFICERS ARE, UM, AT TGK FOR A, A VAST AMOUNT OF HOURS.
IT IMPACTS CALLS FOR SERVICE BACK HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, ALLOWING, UM, THESE ADDITION OF TWO REALLY IMPROVES OUR READINESS AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, THE, THE, THE DEPARTMENT IS FOR THESE TWO ADDITIONS, UH, ADDITIONAL DETENTION OFFICERS.
UM, IT, IT DOES COME AT A COST.
UM, BUT BEFORE I GET INTO THAT COST, UM, WE THINK, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THIS WILL REDUCE OUR OVERTIME BUDGET FOR DETENTION OFFICERS BETWEEN 45 AND 55,000 A YEAR BY ADDING THESE TWO.
UM, THERE ARE STARTUP COSTS WHEN, WITH ANY, WHEN YOU HIRE ANY NEW POLICE OFFICER OR DETENTION OFFICER IN THIS CASE, UM, THERE'S SALARIES, BENEFITS, UM, POLICE CARS, RADIOS, TASERS, BODY-WORN CAMERAS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
IF WE ARE LOOKING AT TWO DETENTION OFFICERS, WE'RE LOOKING AT A STARTUP COST OF, UH, 344 FOR THE FIRST YEAR, AND THEN A REDUCTION IN YEAR TWO TO 236,000.
IF WE'RE DOING ONE AS AN EXAMPLE, IT'S HALF OF THAT COST ON EACH DEPUTY CHIEF.
WHEN WE HAD A DISCUSSION PREVIOUSLY ABOUT STAFFING, I BELIEVE ONE OF THE, UH, CAMERA CENTERS OR PERHAPS REAL-TIME INTELLIGENT UNIT UNITS, WE ESSENTIALLY SAID, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT THAT AREA, BUT OKAY, THESE WILL NOT BE YOUR FULL BORN POLICE OFFICERS.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY COMING AT, UH, LESSER COST I THINK WAS ABOUT THE REAL TIME INTELLIGENCE SERVICE, RIGHT? YES, YES.
UM, THE OFFICERS HERE, THE DETENTION OFFICERS, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO BE OUR SWORN OFFICERS, SWORN OFFICERS THAT COME AT A HIGHER EXPENSE OR, UH, IS THERE A SCALED DOWN VERSION AT A LOWER COST IF THESE ARE LARGELY KIND OF PROCESSING AND TRANSPORTATION RELATED? WELL, UM, THEY ARE PART OF OUR CITY'S BARGAINING UNIT.
THEY FALL UNDER THE FOP AS WELL IN TERMS OF BENEFITS AND SALARIES.
THEY DO COME AT A COST THAT'S LOWER THAN THE HIRING OF A POLICE OFFICER.
UM, THAT'S WHY WE WENT WITH THE DETENTION OFFICER PROGRAM.
UM, THEY ARE SWORN THEY CARRY FIREARMS. UM, AND THEY BASICALLY ON, IF YOU LOOK AT 'EM SIDE BY SIDE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PATCH, THEY LOOK LIKE POLICE OFFICERS, BUT THEIR DUTIES ARE SOLELY CENTERED AROUND THE, UH, PRI PRISONER PROCESSING AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THE SAFE TRANSPORT OVER TO THE TGK FACILITY AND THEN THEY, UH, LEAVE OFFICER, UH, RELIEVE OFFICERS, UM, SO THEY CAN REMAIN ON THE STREET DOING POLICE WORK.
SO I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
YEAH, I, BUT I COULD JUST SHARE THIS ITEM AS JUST ITEM AS HEARD AND FORWARDED THROUGH THE JULY 12TH FOR BUDGET WORKSHOP AND WE'LL CLOSE IT OUT.
SO IF WE LOSE QUORUM, IS THE MEETING ADJOURNED BY DEFAULT OR DO WE HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT? CAN'T MAKE A MOTION.
MAKE A MOTION, UH, FOR A MEETING.
JOE
NO, I'LL MAKE AN EXCEPTION SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE THANK YOU ALL.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY.