[00:00:03]
BUDDY.WELCOME TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE MEETING.
UH, WE'RE HERE, WE HAVE A PRETTY PACKED AGENDA.
I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR CFO JASON GREEN FOR INTRODUCTIONS TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY, RICK DICO.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED WITH OUR AGENDA.
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 AGAIN IS 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 ARE USING THE ZOOM APP, OR DIAL STAR NINE IF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING BY PHONE.
WE HAVE, UH, A COUPLE OF TIMES CERTAINS TO AN, UH, TO ANNOUNCE, UH, OUR FIRST TIME CERTAIN IS NUMBER, ITEM NUMBER NINE AT 10 30 BE THE FIRST ITEM.
UH, THE SECOND ITEM TO BE HEARD WILL BE NUMBER SEVEN AT 10 45 TIMES CERTAIN.
AND THEN, UH, NUMBER FIVE HAS AN 1130 TIMES CERTAIN.
THOSE ARE ALL THE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I'M SORRY, JASON, WHAT WAS THE FIRST TIME CERTAIN? I'M NUMBER NINE WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME CERTAIN AT 10 30.
AND THEN NUMBER, UH, NUMBER FIVE WILL BE 1130.
[9. A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE AT ITS MARCH 22, 2024 MEETING TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO INITIATE NON-BINDING DISCUSSIONS WITH LIVE NATION WORLDWIDE, INC. REGARDING THE POSSIBLE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW THEATER AT THE JACKIE GLEASON THEATER SITE; AND REFERRING THIS MATTER BACK TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.]
WHY DON'T WE, UH, KICK OFF WITH ITEM NUMBER NINE.LET'S GET THE MEETING STARTED.
UH, A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE.
IT'S MARCH 22ND, 2024, MEETING TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO INITIATE A, A NON-BINDING DISCUSSIONS WITH LIVE NATION WORLDWIDE, INC.
REGARDING THE POSSIBLE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW THEATER AT THE JACKIE GLEASON THEATER SITE, AND REFERRING THIS MATTER BACK TO, UH, FERC, UH, FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION NUMBER NINE.
AND MR. CITY ATTORNEY, UH, WHY DON'T YOU TELL US THE DIRECTION WE'RE GONNA TAKE HERE? SURE.
UM, AFTER REVIEWING THE AFTER ACTION FOR THE APRIL 3RD, 2024 COMMISSION MEETING, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ITEM WAS, UH, REFERRED BACK TO THE COMMITTEE WITH THE REPORT THAT WAS PREPARED BY STAFF.
SO THERE WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION, UM, AND THE ITEM WAS PLACED ON THIS AGENDA, BUT IT REALLY BELONGS ON THE NEXT CITY COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA, WHICH WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER 11TH.
SO WE CAN SHOW THAT ITEM MOVED.
WE'LL SHOW THE ITEM, UH, SHOW THE ITEM MOVED TO COMMISSION FOR DISCUSSION AND DISCUSSION.
SO, MOTION TO CLOSE THE ITEM SECOND AFFIRMATION.
[7. A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE APPROPRIATE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE POSSIBLE EXTENSION OF THE TERM OF THE MIAMI BEACH MARINA LEASE, TO INCLUDE OPTIONS FOR BOTH A SHORT-TERM (LESS THAN 10 YEARS) AND LONG-TERM (10 YEARS OR MORE) EXTENSION, AND TO PRESENT A DRAFT TERM SHEET THAT INCLUDES BOTH OPTIONS TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE (FERC) AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY NEIGHBORHOODS AND QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE (PSNQLC) FOR REVIEW BY EACH COMMITTEE AS SOON AS REASONABLY PRACTICABLE]
WHY DON'T WE MOVE AHEAD TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, TIME CERTAIN FOR 10 45.READ NUMBER SEVEN INTO THE RECORD.
NUMBER SEVEN IS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTLY ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE APPROPRIATE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE POSSIBLE EXTENSION OF THE TERM OF THE MIAMI BEACH MARINA LEASE, TO INCLUDE OPTIONS FOR BOTH SHORT TERM LESS THAN 10 YEARS AND LONG TERM, 10 YEARS OR MORE EXTENSION, AND TO PRESENT A DRAFT TERM SHEET THAT INCLUDES BOTH OPTIONS TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC PUBLIC SAFETY NEIGHBORHOODS AND QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW BY EACH COMMITTEE AS SOON AS REASONABLY PRACTICAL.
AND, AND LIZ, I'LL LET YOU INTRODUCE THIS.
I'LL LET EVERYBODY KNOW KIND OF HOW I'M FEELING ABOUT THIS.
UH, THIS IS A COMPLICATED ITEM.
IT'S NOT INCREDIBLY TIME SENSITIVE GIVEN THAT THE LEASE ISN'T UP AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THIS, UH, THE MEAT AND POTATOES FOR THIS ITEM.
UH, AND THE FULL ANALYSIS CAME OUT LATE LAST NIGHT.
I THINK THERE HASN'T BEEN REALLY, UM, TOO MUCH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF IT IN PREVIOUS MONTHS, BUT IN TERMS OF HAVING THE, UH, ACTUAL CONTRACT AND PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF US AND THEN HAVING TIME TO, UH, READ THROUGH IT COMPREHENSIVELY, UH, DIGEST IT, DISCUSS IT WITH THE COMMUNITY, I, I, I WOULDN'T FEEL, UH, ENTIRELY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE DISCUSSION AND PERHAPS CONTINUE WITH THE SEPTEMBER MEETING.
I WANT TO GIVE, UH, UH, OUR CITY STAFF, IF THERE'S PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY OR ONLINE THAT WANNA SPEAK HERE.
UM, I WANNA BEGIN TO HAVE THESE, UH, CONVERSATIONS SO WE CAN PREPARE
[00:05:01]
TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.UM, BUT THAT'S, UH, THAT'S WHERE I STAND AND, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, UH, WE'LL HEAR FROM STAFF AND THEN I'LL, I'LL TURN IT TO MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT HOW WE WANNA PROCEED THIS, PLEASE.
ELIZABETH MIRO, INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR FACILITIES AND FLEET MANAGEMENT.
SO WE HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH TEX SOME POTENTIAL TERMS FOR THE EXTENSION OF A 10 YEAR AGREEMENT.
UM, WE FIRST PRESENTED THIS ITEM AT THE JULY 10TH NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, MEETING, AND WE CAME UP WITH SOME PRELIMINARY TERMS. FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT ALL THE TERMS THAT WERE ALREADY NEGOTIATED BETWEEN TEX AND SONA AS BEING INCORPORATED IN THE KEY TERMS, BUT WE HAVE ALSO MADE SOME OTHER, UM, ITEMS. I BELIEVE WE HAVE A, A COPY OF THE EXHIBIT.
AND IN CONSIDERATION OF THESE TERMS, WE'RE LOOKING AT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE GONNA REQUEST FROM SYNTAX, UM, TO PUT THE MAINTENANCE OF WORLD CLASS.
UM, MARINA, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, NEGOTIATIONS, NEGOTIATIONS, I'M SORRY, WITH SUB ME LAND LEASE, WHICH THE CITY CURRENTLY PAYS FOR.
AND ONCE THAT'S RENEWED, UM, WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE, INCLUDING ANY EXPANSION OF THE FOOTPRINT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, RESIDENT, UH, PRIORITIES, ET CETERA.
HOW CAN WE JUST GOT THE TERMS RIGHT NOW? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO POSSIBLY DIGEST THIS? I WOULD, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING.
I WOULD VENTURE, I WOULD, YES.
I WOULD MAKE A, A SECOND HIS MOTION TO DEFER TO, AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW I OPENED.
BUT I THINK MAYBE WE HAVE A PRESENTATION AND THEN WE DEFER.
ACTUALLY, I CAN'T EVEN, LIKE, UM, LET'S, CAN WE GIVE OVER COLLEAGUE THE COURTESY? OKAY.
UM, I THINK I, I JUST GOT THIS AS WELL.
AND SO I WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE QUALITY OF LIFE AROUND THE MARINA IS, IS UPHELD, AND THE ISSUE IS THESE PARTY CHARTER BOATS.
UM, AND I THINK ONE OF THE ISSUES, ONE OF THE AGREEMENTS IS WE, WE WILL LIMIT IT DOWN FROM I THINK 50 OR 60 BTRS DOWN TO 10.
UM, IDEALLY I'D LIKE TO HAVE ZERO CHARTER PARTY CHARTER BOATS.
I UNDERSTAND THE NEED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SOME, BUT, UM, WHAT I WANNA AVOID IS THESE PARTY CHARTER BOATS TURNING, UH, THEIR BTRS NOW ARE LIKE AN ECO TOUR WHERE THEY GO SEE SOME, I GUESS, FLAMINGOS, AND THEN THEY CRACK OPEN A KEG.
OR, UH, THEY GO ON A FISHING, YOU KNOW, THEY PUT UP ONE FISHING POLE, THEY SAY, HEY, WE'RE ON A FISHING TOUR, BUT IT'S REALLY A PARTY BOAT.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE REALLY TIGHT GUARDRAILS ON ENSURING THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, AND JUST SHOOTING FROM THE HIP.
I THINK A REALLY EASY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THEIR SECURITY CAMERAS WHERE IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO ASK.
MAYBE IT'S, WE JUST GO IN, LOG IN AND WE HAVE ACCESS, AND THEN WE CAN FIND OUT WHO LIKE THE BAD APPLES ARE.
UM, ANOTHER IDEA IS TO KEEP IT ALL AT ONE DOCK, ALL THE PARTY CHARTERS SO THAT IT'S MANAGEABLE, PREFERABLY THE FUEL DOCK.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE PUT FORWARD, THERE'S NO REALLY WIGGLE ROOM AROUND IT.
AND IF THEY'RE TRYING TO WIGGLE AROUND IT, WE CAN CATCH THEM.
AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE TERMS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED.
UM, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE MARINA TEX TO, TO REFINE THOSE.
AND COMMISSIONER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THE LEAD ON PERHAPS HAVING A SUNSHINE MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY? PROBABLY TIMING COULD BE A LITTLE TIGHT.
I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE NEXT, UH, FINANCE COMMITTEE IS, BUT PERHAPS SOMETIME PAST LABOR DAY, BUT BEFORE THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS, AND, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE.
I, I, DISCUSSION OF SUNSHINE MEETINGS ARE GREAT.
SO, UM, I, I, AND I'D WELCOME EVERYONE TO, TO JOIN.
AND IF YOU HOST ONE, I'LL TRY TO ATTEND THIS ONE.
WE HAVE TWO CALLERS ON THE LINE, PLEASE.
MICHAEL GRIECO, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, IS THAT, IS THAT SALMON? IS THAT THE COLOR OF THE JACKET? I CAN'T TELL.
IT'S THE SUMMER FRIDAY, AND I AM THE FITNESS COMMISSIONER.
I, I'VE, I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING ON, ON BOTH OF YOUR STORIES.
[00:10:01]
FASCINATING.MICHAEL GREEK ON BEHALF OF, OF SUNTEC.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
UM, A GOOD PORTION OF THE ITEMS, PORTION ITEMS, UM, ON THAT TERM SHEET.
I THINK THAT WE'VE COME TO AN ACCORD ON SOME OF THEM, SOME OF THEM NOT SO MUCH.
UM, THAT IS THE, UH, STAFF'S, UH, POSITIONS, UM, WHERE THEY ARE AT THIS POINT.
UM, THERE'S SOME ISSUES, AND SOME OF THEM I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH SEVERAL OF YOU INCLUDING, UH, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
SOME OF THE, UH, ISSUES LIKE GETTING ALL OF THE BOATS ON THE SAME DOCK MAY NOT BE FEASIBLE.
UM, I'M SPEAKING WITH THE MANAGER OF THE MARINA TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY WIGGLE ROOM ON THAT, BUT BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS SIZE OF THE REMAINING 10 CHARTERS, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA WORK.
UM, WE ARE LIKELY GOING TO IMPLEMENT A CAP ON THE NUMBER OF GUESTS ALLOWED ON THE EITHER ECO CHARTERS OR FISHING CHARTERS, WHICH I THINK CREATES EXTRA GUARDRAILS, UH, REGARDING ANY SORT OF, UH, POTENTIAL OF THEM GETTING CUTE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SAYING, OH, THERE'S A DOLPHIN AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S OPEN UP A SIX PACK KIND OF THING.
SO WE ARE, IT'S, IT'S IN EVERYBODY'S INTERESTS TO KIND OF LOWER THE TEMPERATURE REGARDING ANY SORT OF NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR THAT'S AFFECTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, UH, THE, OUR CFO AND MYSELF, WE LIVE RIGHT THERE, SO WE ARE BOTH DIRECTLY IMPACTED AS RESIDENTS, SO IT'S IN OUR INTEREST, ALL OF US, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SMOOTH SAILING.
UM, THERE'S JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT WITH STAFF, BUT I THINK MOST OF THESE ARE IN A GOOD SPOT.
THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES WERE REALLY WORKED OUT BETWEEN SONA AND TEX, AND I WAS ACTUALLY NOT PART OF THAT INITIAL CONVERSATION, BUT I'M IN CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF SONA, AND THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS GETTING RESOLVED.
I KNOW IT WAS DESCRIBED AS NOT TIME SENSITIVE, BUT THEY, THEY'RE LOOKING TO GET PRETTY AGGRESSIVE ABOUT CONVERTING THE PARKING IN THE TWO GARAGES, UH, BACK TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE, WHICH WE ARE IN FAVOR OF, UM, AS WELL AS THE REDUCTION IN CHARTERS.
SO I THINK THAT WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, JUST UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERY CONCESSION THAT TEX IS MAKING, IT IS A FINANCIAL, IT'S A REDUCTION IN THE, IN THE INCOME.
AND THAT AFFECTS BOTH THE BOTTOM LINE FOR TEX, BUT ALSO FOR THE CITY BECAUSE THE CITY'S GETTING 10% OF THE GROSS REVENUE FROM THE MARINA AS WELL.
I THINK THE MARINA WROTE A CHECK TO THE CITY FOR SOMEWHERE IN EXCESS OF $2.7 MILLION LAST YEAR.
SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO GIVE THE MARINA HAIRCUTS ON REVENUE GENERATION, THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT AFFECTS EVERYBODY, WHETHER IT'S THE PARKING, THE RENT, UH, FUEL, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF ME, YOU CAN ASK THEM NOW.
YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO YOU.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'D BE ALIGNED, UH, THINKING IT'S PREMATURE TO MOVE THIS OUT OF COMMITTEE HERE.
UH, WE CAN HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS AND ADDRESS THIS IN SEPTEMBER, SO IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, YOU WOULD BE IN AGREEMENT THERE.
WELL, YEAH, I THINK, UH, WE, ESPECIALLY WITH, I WAS COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH LIZ AND WITH ERIC, AND I THINK WITH SOME OF THE CITY MANAGER ISSUES KIND OF BEING IN, IN THE VORTEX, I THINK THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET AS MANY ISSUES RESOLVED AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT I THINK SOME OF THEM, I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, PUT OUR THUMB ON THE SCALE AT THIS POINT ON BOTH SIDES AND JUST GET IT DONE.
THERE'S SOME DEFINITIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE CLARIFIED REGARDING WHAT IS MAINTENANCE VERSUS WHAT IS CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST HAPPY THAT, YOU KNOW, SO FNA WAS REALLY, THEY WERE REALLY THE CATALYST IN ALL OF THIS BACK A YEAR AGO.
AND, UH, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, ADVERSARIAL NEGOTIATION.
I MEAN, THERE'S STILL, RIGHT NOW, 28 YEARS LEFT ON THE LEASE.
YOU KNOW, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE THE ADDITIONAL NINE POINT WHATEVER YEARS.
UM, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOOD PARTNERS WITH THE CITY.
UM, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY A VENDOR, BUT WE ARE PARTNERS WITH THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE REVENUE SHARING, AND WE WANT IT TO BE A LONG AND AND FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIP.
SO IF YOU'RE INCLINED TO PUSH THIS TO FINANCE IN, UM, IN SEPTEMBER WITH AN IDENTIFIABLE GOAL OF POTENTIALLY HAVING IT GO BACK TO COMMISSION IN OCTOBER, UM, I THINK WE'D BE OKAY WITH THAT.
AND, UH, WE'LL SPEND SOME TIME IN THE NEXT LITTLE WHILE.
UH, SHARPENING OUR PENCILS ON SOME OF THE, THE FINANCIAL ISSUES.
UH, UM, I'M HAPPY TO HAND IT OVER TO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES IF THEY WANNA PUT ISSUES, UH, OUT INTO THE PUBLIC REALM THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM.
IF NOT, HAPPY TO ALSO MOVE THIS FORWARD AND, UH, CONTINUE TO THE SEPTEMBER FINANCE MEETING.
SO WE'LL SHOW THE ITEM TO RETURN TO THE SEPTEMBER FERC AFTER A COMMUNITY OUTREACH MEETING.
WHY DON'T WE GET TO, UH, NEW BUSINESS.
[00:15:01]
NUMBER FOUR, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, CAT COMMISSIONER.IS ANYONE FROM THE CAT COLONY HERE OR, OKAY, BRAD.
I, I, I, I CAN SPEAK FOR THE, THE CAT FOLKS.
ARE YOU A CAT GUY OR, I'M THE CAT GUY.
BRAD, YOU NEED THAT FILTER THAT JUDGE HAD WHERE HE WAS ON ZOOM AND HE APPEARED AS A CAT.
I, I COULD
GO FOR J
AND SO, UM, I THINK THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, MISCOMMUNICATION ON, UH, ON THAT.
SO MAYBE YOU CAN HELP TO ENLIGHTEN THAT.
SO I, SO I THINK, UM, AND FOR GOOD MORNING CHAIRMAN AND FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, UH, BRAD KANE, INTERIM PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
UM, SO IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S A MULTI-TIERED PHASE APPROACH TO IT.
AND I THINK AS WE, UM, DISCUSSED AT THE LAST FERC MEETING, UM, I THINK EVERYBODY WAS IN LINE WITH SUPPORTING, I BELIEVE THERE'S A $30,000, UM, BUDGET, UM, UH, ADDITION TO, UH, FY 25.
AND THAT WHAT THAT'LL DO IS THAT'LL BEGIN THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS BASICALLY HAVING, UH, TEAMS OF LIKE TWO IN NORTH BEACH, MID AND SOUTH BEACH, AND BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND START DOING A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, CAT COUNT, SO TO SPEAK.
AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A PROTOCOL TO DOING THAT, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE GET, UH, ALL OF THEM DONE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS, UH, IN, IN BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HELP, UH, GET TO WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO BE.
SO WE HAVE TO GET THAT DONE FIRST.
AND I THINK ONCE THAT'S DONE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND, AND, AND, AND OUTLINE THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS.
SO I, I DON'T, I DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA SPEND $30,000 JUST TO COUNT, COUNT CATS, YOU KNOW, I'D RATHER, I'D RATHER YOU COME TO US, TELL US WHAT THE, I, I KNOW IT'S, I KNOW I'M PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, BUT IS IDEALLY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE COST WOULD BE FOR, LET'S JUST, HOW ABOUT WE ASSUME THAT THERE'S LIKE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CATS, AND I THINK HOLLY EVEN SAID THERE'S MAYBE 10,000, UH, COMMUNITY CATS.
UM, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT WOULD BE THE COST FOR THAT? RIGHT.
I, I, I, I THINK THERE'S MORE.
AND I THINK THAT THERE WAS A, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, OBVIOUSLY AS A RESULT OF COVID, THERE SEEMED TO BE MORE OF A GROWTH PERIOD FOR THOSE CATS IN THE CITY FROM, YOU KNOW, 2021 INTO TODAY.
AND I THINK THAT THE NUMBER THERE HAS, HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY.
SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EXACTLY SURE, AND I THINK THAT DOING THIS WILL GET US TO THAT POINT SO WE CAN HAVE AN, AN EXACT ACCOUNTING OF IT.
UM, AND THERE ARE CATS THAT ARE ALREADY MARKED, YOU KNOW, WITH WING TIP EARS.
AND THEN THERE ARE ONES THAT ARE NOT MARKED AT ALL, WHICH WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE THAT DELINEATION AND ACCOUNT FOR.
'CAUSE SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN PUT BACK IN THE CAT COLONY OUT THERE.
AND THEN THERE'S OBVIOUSLY THE ONES THAT ARE NOT.
SO I THINK IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE, AND I, AND I THINK IT MAY NOT HIT THAT $30,000, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT LIKE A SERVICE.
YOU CAN JUST GO OUT AND, YOU KNOW, SAY, CALL SOMEBODY UP AND SAY, HEY, I NEED YOU TO COME OUT AND DO THIS.
THEY'RE THROUGH SOY CATS AND, AND THROUGH HOLLY'S CONTACTS, UM, WE'RE FINDING SOME PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE PROGRAM AND THAT ARE ABLE TO THEN, UM, BE ABLE TO, UH, UH, PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS AND BE ABLE TO HELP US GET WHERE WE NEED TO GET IT.
IT, IT PROBABLY WILL COST LESS THAN THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
'CAUSE CERTAINLY FROM, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF LEVEL, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST HOLLY AND, AND JOANNE WHO IS THE CAT DROPPER.
UH, AND THAT'S THE ONLY STAFF, YOU KNOW, CITY HAS, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM.
I JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING $30,000 TO A COUPLE OF VOLUNTEERS TO GO OUT FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AND, AND CONTRACT CATS.
I MEAN, I'M ASSUMING THE 30,000 IS JUST A CAP.
UM, AND THAT WOULD BE FOR TWO PEOPLE PER NEIGHBORHOOD? OR WE, WE TRY TO DO IT BY HAVING AT LEAST A COUPLE PEOPLE UP IN NORTH BEACH, MID BEEF AND SOUTH BEACH.
SO IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A TOTAL OF LIKE SIX PEOPLE.
AND HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD TAKE? UM, YOU KNOW, I, I I WANT TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, SAFE IN SAYING IT'S PROBABLY WOULD WITHIN THE 30 DAY PERIOD, IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT MY COLLEAGUES FEEL ABOUT IT.
UH, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, I BELIEVE IS ON ZOOM, WOULD LIKE TO CHAT IF WE COULD RECOGNIZE SIR.
MORNING COMMISSIONER, VICE MAYOR.
AS AN ASIDE, UH, TO THIS ITEM, I JUST WANTED TO LOOP
[00:20:01]
THE BODY IN.I MET WITH THE COUNTY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND WAS MENTIONING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE, UH, TRAP NEUTER RELEASE, AND THEY'VE PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH ANIMAL SERVICES AND THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US ACCESS TO A MOBILE VET, UH, TO HAVE A FEW DAYS OF ACTION TO GET THIS DONE.
AND I WILL ENSURE TO COORDINATE WITH, UM, BRAD KANE AND HIS TEAM, UH, SO THAT WE GET ALL NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE BEACH.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT, UH, THIS WAS COMING DOWN THE PIKE AS WELL.
WE HAVE ONE WE JUST CHECK WITH.
I WAS GONNA CHECK WITH BRAD TO SEE IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THEN TO COME BACK IN THE OCTOBER FOR, FOR AN UPDATE.
IT WOULD SOUND LIKE IF THAT, IF THAT'S OKAY.
YEAH, THAT, THAT'S FINE WITH THAT.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL SHOW THE ITEM HEARD, UH, AND THE RETURN IN OCTOBER WITH AN UPDATE.
NUMBER FIVE AND SIX, WE'RE GONNA HEAR TOGETHER.
WE HAVE A TIME CERTAIN FOR THAT AT 1130.
COMMISSIONER, WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT.
WAYNE ROBERTS, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
I HAVE A FEELING YOU WERE PROBABLY CALLING ABOUT THE MARINA AND I'M SORRY YOU WEREN'T RECOGNIZED.
IF YOU WANT TO, UH, PUT YOUR 2 CENTS IN ON THAT, EVEN THOUGH WE, UH, MOVED ON, UH, I ALWAYS WELCOME PUBLIC COMMENT AND ENCOURAGE IT AS WELL.
YEAH, I'M NOT QUITE SURE THEY, THEY FORGOT ME.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS.
SO, UH, AS YOU PROBABLY ALL KNOW, UH, THERE WAS A, UM, A 99 YEAR LEASE, UM, UH, UH, REFERENDUM PLACED, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO ON THE BALLOT.
AND IT WAS DEFEATED LARGELY BECAUSE I GOT INVOLVED AND, UH, DID A CAMPAIGN WITH THE HELP OF HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS TO, UH, DEFEND, UH, THE CITY.
UH, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, THE, THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME, I THINK AS PAYBACK AGAINST THE, THE DEFEAT ENABLED TEX TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE GARAGES FOR PUBLIC PARKING THAT, UM, THAT WAS, THAT TURNED THE, THE UNDER OUR BUILDINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD INTO A, A CRIMINAL SITUATION.
UM, AND THEY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT THE CITIZENS OF, OF DAKOTA.
UM, THIS, THIS PROCEDURE, UM, THAT, UH, I'M HEARING NOW IS, IS IS COMPLETELY ILLEGAL IF YOU GO FORWARD WITH A 10 YEAR EXTENSION OR A NINE YEAR, 11 MONTH EXTENSION, OR NINE YEARS, 11 MONTHS, AND, UH, 364 DAYS, UH, BECAUSE, WELL, IT WOULD ONLY BE ILLEGAL IF YOU DON'T DO A REFEREND.
UM, I WORKED VERY HARD FOR FOUR MONTHS, FIVE MONTHS TO WORK WITH TEX AND, AND TERRA GROUP TO COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION, UH, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE BUILDINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE PARKING SITUATION THAT'S CRIMINAL, THE, UH, THE CHARTERS, UH, THE INVESTMENT IN THE BAY WALK.
AND I PRESENTED, I WORKED VERY HARD, AND, UM, I COULD TELL YOU THAT, UM, THE OUTCOME OF ANY EXTENSION FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WOULD ONLY, UH, DECREASE THE VALUATION THAT I ULTIMATELY MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM WHAT WAS PROPOSED, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO IN A REFERENDUM INTO THAT PROPOSAL.
UH, NET DOLLARS TO THE CITY, AND CHANGING THE DYNAMICS OF THE ECONOMIC, UH, UH, A PAYOUT TO THE CITY, UH, WHETHER IT'S COST TO, UH, MAINTAIN THE WATERWAY, UH, THAT WE PAY ON BEHALF OF TEX, UH, GOING FORWARD, WHETHER IT WAS, UH, RED SHARE, WHETHER IT'S, UH, UM, UH, THE FOOD SALES WHERE WE ONLY GET 1%, ALTHOUGH THE AGREEMENT GETTING BACK TO THE EIGHTIES REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN 10%.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW IT GOT TO 1%, BUT, UM, UH, EVERYTHING I DID, I, I THOUGHT OF THE INTEREST OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND THE CITY IN GENERAL.
AND, BUT WHAT I, I CAN'T STAND BY AND ALLOW IS OUR CHARTER TO BE, UH, UH, AFFECTED, UH, BY AN ILLEGAL ACTION, WHICH WOULD EXTEND A 28 YEAR LEASE BY 10 YEARS WITHOUT A REFERENDUM.
IF YOU DO A REFERENDUM, IT'S ALL SAID AND GOOD.
OKAY? BUT THIS COMMISSION CANNOT, CANNOT BY LAW CHANGE, UH, THE DEAL, UH, EXTEND THE DEAL, UH, UH, BEYOND.
THAT'S, UH, YEAH, WAYNE, THAT'S YOUR TIME.
AND, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU BEING PART OF THAT, UH, COMMUNITY DISCUSSION GOING FORWARD AS, UH, UH, IN THE INTERIM IN BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT, UH, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, COULD YOU PLEASE ADVISE IF, IF THAT'S A CORRECT STATEMENT, THAT WE WOULD NEED A REFERENDUM? UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS CORRECT.
PRIOR CITY ATTORNEYS AND I HAVE
[00:25:01]
DISCUSSED WITH, UH, AT LEAST ONE OR TWO, UM, VIEW THE REQUIREMENT NOT TO APPLY IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHY? JUST SO I CAN UNDERSTAND IT? THIS IS NOT ENTERING INTO A NEW AGREEMENT, WHICH IS WHAT THE CHARTER CONTEMPLATES.
THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF, OF AN, OF AN EXISTING AGREEMENT, NUMBER ONE.
AND NUMBER TWO, UH, THIS LEASE PREDATES THE CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT HAS THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS.
BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS NOT ENTERING INTO A NEW LEASE, WHICH IS WHAT THE CHARTER CONTEMPLATES.
UM, WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON, UH, BEFORE WE COME BACK TO OUR TIME, CERTAINS, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, DO
[8. DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE ACQUISITION OF CERTAIN OUTLOTS ALONG INDIAN CREEK DRIVE FOR THE CREATION OF BUS PULLOUT BAY/BUS STOPS TO AMELIORATE TRAFFIC.]
YOU WANNA PRESENT ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UH, DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE ACQUISITION OF CERTAIN OUTLETS ALONG INDIAN CREEK DRIVE.I'M JUST GONNA READ THE ITEM IN.
SO THE RECORD, UH, NUMBER EIGHT, DISCUSS POSSIBLE ACQUISITION OF CERTAIN LOTS ALONG INDIAN CREEK DRIVE FOR THE CREATION OF BUS PULLOUT.
UH, BAY BUS STOPS TO AMELIORATE TRAFFIC NUMBER EIGHT.
UM, THIS IS AN ITEM I'VE PLACED ON THE AGENDA DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC THAT WE ALL EXPERIENCE ON COLLINS AVENUE.
UH, MOST SPECIFICALLY, WHEN YOU'RE HEADING SOUTH ON COLLINS AVENUE, PART OF WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE TRAFFIC IN THIS AREA OF THE CITY IS WHEN YOU HAVE THE BUSES THAT STOP ON THE ROAD TO ALLOW THE BOARDING OF PASSENGERS ONTO THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
CERTAINLY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE ADVANCING UPON TO IRONICALLY RELIEVE THE, UH, TRAFFIC IN THE, IN THE AREA.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT PART OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IS, UH, CONSIDERING THE ACQUISITION OR ENTERING INTO SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE OUT LOTS ON THE WEST SIDE OF COLLINS AVENUE TO FACILITATE THE BUSES PULLING OVER INTO, INTO THE OUT LOTS.
AVOID THE BLOCKING AND THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC TO AMELIORATE, UH, THE BACKUP THAT WE OFTEN EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY DURING SEASON WHEN WE HAVE THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC.
WE HEAR IT FROM OUR RESIDENTS, IT COULD TAKE THEM 45 MINUTES AN HOUR TO GET FROM NORTH BEACH TO SOUTH BEACH, AND IT MOST CERTAINLY DOES BECOME A PUBLIC SAFETY SITUATION ONCE YOU HAVE AN AMBULANCE STUCK IN THAT TRAFFIC OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF EMERGENCY VEHICLE.
I SEE WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION STANDING BEFORE US, AND I'D LIKE SOME GUIDANCE, UH, FROM OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION AS TO WHAT ACTION IS NEEDED FROM THIS COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN ENGAGE IN NEGOTIATIONS OR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS OF THESE OUTLAWS, UH, TO FACILITATE THIS.
WHY DON'T YOU, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR.
UH, JOSE GONZALEZ, TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY DIRECTOR AND INTERIM PARKING DIRECTOR.
UH, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ FOR, FOR THE INTRODUCTION ON, ON THIS ITEM.
UM, THE, THE BUS STOP THAT IS ON INDIAN CREEK DRIVE JUST NORTH OF 41ST STREET, ACTUALLY PLAYS A VERY CRITICAL ROLE IN OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT NETWORK.
REASON BEING IS THAT IT IS A CRITICAL TRANSFER POINT BECAUSE OF OUR GRID SYSTEM, OUR STREET GRID SYSTEM, AND HOW COLLINS GOES UP.
COLLINS GOES UP TO 44TH, AND THEN IT CURVES BECOMES INDIAN CREEK DRIVE.
SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE BUS ROUTES THAT ORIGINATE SOUTH OF, UH, 44TH STREET THAT TRAVEL NORTHBOUND ALONG COLLINS.
THEY GET UP TO 44TH, THEY DO THE CURVE.
THEY, THEY NAVIGATE THE CURVE, AND WHEN THEY GET TO INDIAN CREEK, THEY MAKE A LEFT AND THEY GO SOUTHBOUND.
AND FROM THERE, THAT'S WHERE THIS BUS STOP PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE, BECAUSE THAT'S A DIVERSION POINT.
UH, BUS ROUTES CAN EITHER THEN PROCEED WESTBOUND ON 41ST STREET TOWARDS MOUNT SINAI, OR THEY CAN CONTINUE SOUTHBOUND ALONG INDIAN CREEK DRIVE.
SO THAT'S A, A, A A POINT OF DIVERSION, IF YOU WILL.
AND FOR THAT REASON, AND, AND I'LL MENTION AS WELL, THAT IT'S NOT JUST COUNTY BUSES, IT'S ALSO TRUMP, UH, TROLLEY.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, FIVE COUNTY BUS ROUTES AND TWO TROLLEY ROUTES.
SO SEVERAL ROUTES PASSED BY THAT POINT AND STOPPED THERE SO PASSENGERS CAN TRANSFER FROM ONE ANOTHER, ANOTHER.
UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS BUS ROUTE IS 100% UNDERSTOOD, AND WE NEED TO SUPPORT IT.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE SEEING OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UM, OPTIONS AS, AS A RESOURCE TO FACILITATE THE, THE, THE ISSUE WE
[00:30:01]
HAVE WITH TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN OUR CITY.SO THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ACTION DO YOU NEED FROM THE COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN EXPLORE ENTERING INTO USE AGREEMENTS OF THESE OUT LOTS SO THAT THESE BUSES, THEY'RE SO, THEY'RE NOT STOPPING ON A LANE OF TRAFFIC, SO THEY'RE NOT STOPPING ON A TRAVEL LANE, SO THEY CAN PULL OVER INTO A CUT-IN, IDEALLY IN THESE OUT LOTS, SO THAT TRAFFIC CAN CONTINUE FLOWING, ESPECIALLY DURING OUR PEAK HOURS OF TRAFFIC WHEN WE'RE HAVING TO MOBILIZE POLICE RESOURCES.
WE, WHEN WE'RE HAVING TO ASK THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO BUILD FOR US A SECOND, UH, TURNING LANE, UH, SO THAT, SO THAT, SO THAT IN ADDITION TO EVERYTHING THAT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IS DOING WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF PUBLIC, UH, OF TRAFFIC, UH, SPECIALISTS WITH THE WORK THAT FDLT IS DOING, WITH A DOUBLE TURNING LANE, THAT WE ALSO EXPLORED THIS ADDITIONAL OPTION TO, UH, ALLEVIATE THE TRAFFIC.
SO THE OPTION OF A BUS BAY, UH, THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, MM-HMM.
IT WOULD REQUIRE A, UH, SOME SORT OF ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER.
WHAT ACTION DO YOU NEED FROM THE COMMITTEE TODAY IN ORDER TO ENTER INTO THAT DISCUSSION AND NEGOTIATION? WE, WE CAN BE, WE CAN REACH OUT TO THE PROPERTY, PROPERTY O TO THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER AND ENGAGE THEM IN A CONVERSATION TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE AMENABLE TO SOME SORT OF A ARRANGEMENT, EITHER A TEMPORARY SHORT TERM ARRANGEMENT, SUCH AS A TEMPORARY LEASE OF, OF THAT PROPERTY, OR A FULL, FULL, YOU KNOW, FULL OUT, UH, ACQUISITION.
UM, WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT DUE DILIGENCE YET.
HAVING, I THINK, THE DIRECTION FROM THIS BODY TO BEGIN THAT PROCESS, UH, WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND MR. ATTORNEY, THE, THE DIRECTION THAT THIS COMMITTEE CAN'T PROVIDE DIRECTION CLEARLY, UH, SO WHAT WOULD PUT US IN THE PROPER POSTURE SO THAT WE CAN ADVANCE WITH THIS? YES, I'M GLAD THAT, THAT YOU'RE ASKING, UM, THE, THERE SHOULD BE A RESOLUTION FROM THIS COMMITTEE TO THE FULL COMMISSION, AND THEN THE COMMISSION CAN AUTHORIZE, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS, NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE VARIOUS PROPERTY OWNERS INVOLVED.
AND, AND, AND MR. DIRECTOR, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, YOU'VE IDENTIFIED, UH, I BELIEVE, UH, SEEMS LIKE TWO DIFFERENT, UH, LOCATIONS WHERE WE MIGHT POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO CONSIDER A BUS BAY THAT'S CORRECT.
WHERE THE BUS STOP IS CURRENTLY LOCATED ON PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
BUT IN ORDER TO, TO CREATE A BUS BAY, IT WOULD REQUIRE, UM, PRIVATE PROPERTY, RIGHT? YOU WOULD HAVE TO ENTER INTO PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO COLLEAGUES, UH, I, I'D APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS.
AS WE ALL KNOW, TRAFFIC IS A PROBLEM IN OUR CITY.
IT'LL ONLY CONTINUE TO TO GET WORSE, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S NO SOLUTION TO IT, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS TRY TO AMELIORATE IT.
UH, SO I WELCOME YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS MOTION BACK TO THE CITY COMMISSION.
YEAH, I, I LOVE THE IDEA, I LOVE THE CREATIVENESS.
I LOVE THE PROACTIVE THINKING.
UM, ONE THING I'LL ASK YOU, JOSE, IT SOUNDS ALMOST SILLY BECAUSE WE SHOULD ALL BE ON THE SAME TEAM, BUT DO WE HAVE, FOR A LACK OF A BETTER WORD, AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM TO ENSURE THAT IF WE DID DO AN ACQUISITION LIKE THIS, UH, THAT THE BUS DRIVERS ARE ACTUALLY PULLING INTO THE BUS BAY? UM, JUST THROUGH MY ANECDOTAL ON TWO EYES, I, I'VE SEEN THE EXACT PROBLEM.
COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ IS CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED AND THAT BUS BAY BEING OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE AND BUS DRIVERS IS TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT AND JUST REMAINING IN THAT LANE OF TRAFFIC.
SO DO WE HAVE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS TO ENSURE OUR DRIVERS ARE USING, PROPERLY UTILIZING THESE BUS BASE? UH, WE, WE, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENFORCE COUNTY, COUNTY BUSES AND REQUIRE THEM TO USE IT, BUT WE WOULD WORK WITH THE COUNTY TO INFORM ALL THE, ALL THEIR DRIVERS AND ALERT THEM TO USE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT BUS BAY ONCE IT'S CREATED.
ONE IMPORTANT, UH, POINT IS TO ENSURE THAT THAT BUS BAY, ONCE IT'S CREATED, IS ALWAYS KEPT FREE AND CLEAR OF ANY PARKED VEHICLES, OF ANY OBSTRUCTIONS.
THERE ARE TIMES WHERE BUSES WILL NOT USE A BUS BAY BECAUSE THERE IS A VEHICLE ILLEGALLY PARKED WITHIN THE BUS ZONE, IF YOU WILL.
SO WE CAN ASSIST WITH THAT AND JUST ENSURE THROUGH ENFORCEMENT THAT THAT AREA, ONCE IT'S CREATED, IS ALWAYS KEPT CLEAR FOR BUS DRIVERS TO BE ABLE TO USE IT.
BUT IN TERMS OF REQUIRING FORCING BUS DRIVERS TO, TO USE IT, WE WOULD RELY ON, UH, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FOR, FOR THAT ENFORCEMENT COMMISSIONER BUCK.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHAT THE IMPACT, THE, THE COST WOULD BE
[00:35:01]
TO ACQUIRE THIS, THESE PIECES OF LAND? NOT YET.OH, LIKE EVEN JUST A BALLPARK SENSE.
UM, WELL, WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE THE DIMENSIONS AND THOSE ARE, ARE SPECIFIED HERE IN YOUR, IN YOUR MEMO, THE DIMENSIONS OF A BUS BAY, AND THEY'RE QUITE LARGE.
BUS BAYS HAVE TO ALLOW FOR THE BUS TO ENTER WHAT'S CALLED THE, THE, UM, ENTRY TAPER, AND THEN THE ACTUAL, UM, LENGTH OF THE BUS PLUS THEN THE EXIT TAPER FOR THE BUS TO EXIT THE BUS BAY AND REENTER TRAFFIC.
SO IT BECOMES, UM, OVER A HUNDRED FEET, OVER A HUNDRED FEET LONG.
BUT IF ABOUT 107, IF I MAY, UM, IF I MAY, THE CITY HAS ENTERED, FOR EXAMPLE, SOUTH OF 41ST STREET, SOUTH OF 41ST STREET.
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HAS ENTERED INTO USE AGREEMENTS FOR OUT LOTS WHERE WE HAVE CONSTRUCTED A PEDESTRIAN PATH ALONG INDIAN CREEK WATERWAY.
HOW MUCH DID THE CITY PAY THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS, THOSE CONDOMINIUMS? UM, FOR, IN, IN THOSE, IN THOSE AGREEMENTS, FOR THE USE OF THOSE OUT LOTS, SOUTH OF 41ST STREET COMMISSIONER, I WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
I BELIEVE PUBLIC WORKS HANDLED MR. ATTORNEY.
UH, ARE YOU FAMILIAR, UH, WITH THAT? I'M NOT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THOSE ARE IN THE NATURE OF EASEMENTS.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE BUS SPACE.
SO THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON PRICE.
MAYBE IF WE COULD ASK BETWEEN JOSE, IF YOU COULD LEAVE WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS LEGAL, UM, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO COME BACK WITH THAT WITH A LETTER TO COMMISSION, THAT'D BE GREAT.
IF, IF I CAN TO HELP WITH, WITH THIS ITEM, I BELIEVE, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S DIRECTION TO RETURN THIS TO COMMISSION, UM, TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO EXPLORE EITHER PROPERTY ACQUISITION LEASE OR USE AGREEMENT FOR CERTAIN OUT LOTS ALONG INDIAN CREEK DRIVE SOUTH, NEAR 41ST STREET, AND THEN THE RETURN TO FERC FOR DISCUSSION OF THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
CAN THIS COMMITTEE NOT MAKE THAT, UH, DIRECTION TO STAFF PROVIDE DIRECTION? NO.
YOU RECOMMEND TO THE, TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
YOU RECOMMEND TO THE, TO THE COMMISSION.
CAN I JUST, UM, I'VE BEEN SITTING ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR, WELL, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEES FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND WE CAN GIVE DIRECTION WITHOUT GOING BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
MANY TIMES WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION FEELS THAT THEY CAN RESOLVE A SIMPLE ISSUE, AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT SO MUCH A DIRECTION, BUT IF THE ADMINISTRATION SAYS THIS DOESN'T NEED TO GO BACK TO THE COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL, AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN REFERRED HERE, WHICH, WHICH WAS OUR STOP, IF WE DIDN'T WANT IT REFERRED AND WE DIDN'T APPROVE IT, THEN WE DON'T REFER IT TO COMMITTEE.
SO YOU DO HAVE OUR, UH, UH, APPROVAL AND IF WE CAN TAKE CARE OF IT AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL LEVEL, WE ALWAYS HAVE.
OTHERWISE, YOU'RE JUST GONNA CLOG UP OUR AGENDA.
I'M, I'M NOT JUST PULLING THIS
WELL, AND I ASSUME WE HAVE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COMMISSION PRESENT, AND I DON'T SENSE OPPOSITION FROM ANY OF US EITHER.
I AM ALL FOR RID US OF BUREAUCRACY AND
IT JUST SEEMS VERY SILLY TO DELAY THIS FOR TWO MONTHS, UH, ON SOMETHING PROCEDURAL WHEN WE HAVE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SITTING HERE IN FAVOR OF JUST ASKING STAFF TO ESSENTIALLY CONTINUE OR ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO GO OUT AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT OR, UH, ENTER INTO A CONTRACT.
UH, WE ARE JUST ASKING FOR STAFF TO BEGIN THAT PROCESS.
SO, SO I BELIEVE THEN IT WOULD BE TO RETURN TO FERC FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION, UH, AFTER EXPLORING EITHER A PROPERTY ACQUISITION LEASE OR USE AGREEMENT COSTS, UH, FOR THE CERTAIN OUT LOTS ALONG IN INDIAN CREEK DRIVES, UH, SOUTH NEAR 41ST STREET.
HOW MUCH TIME DO WE THINK THAT THAT COULD TAKE? UH, IT'S HARD TO SAY, BUT I THINK REACHING OUT WE COULD DO FAIRLY QUICKLY.
AND IF THE OWNER GIVES US A, A MEETING, WE'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH 'EM AND COME BACK TO YOU WITH AN UPDATE AS TO WHETHER THEY'RE AMENABLE OR, THANK YOU.
WHAT'S THAT? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE OWNER? THAT'S THE HOLDOUT.
I DON'T EVEN THINK NO, NO, NO.
THIS IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 41ST STREET.
THE HOLD DOWN IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE ITEM NUMBER 12?
[00:40:01]
AND THEN WE'LL GO TO OUR 1130 TIME CERTAIN, UH, THAT I'LL HAND OVER TO COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ.UM, MR. CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO JUST, JUST OUT OF RESPECT TO OUR NEW CITY MANAGER, UH, AND THE TRUST WE'VE PLACED IN HIM.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS ITEM WITH HIM.
IT IS A MAJOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE TO A DEPARTMENT UNDER HIS PURVIEW.
UH, AND SO I'D LIKE TO DEFER THIS ITEM UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK WITH OUR, WITH OUR NEW CITY MANAGER.
WITH THAT, WE'LL SHOW THE ITEM DEFERRED.
UM, DO YOU WANT TO JUST, UH, AS WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO GET, UH, FEW, UH, THROUGH A FEW QUICK THINGS.
[2. DISCUSS AN INCREASE TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S PENSION ACCRUAL]
TWO, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHERE I WAS THINKING WITH THAT, AND THEN I'LL HAND IT OVER TO YOU TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM AND SEE THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO TAKE.UH, I THINK JUST GIVEN THE SENSITIVITIES, MAYBE WE ACTUALLY SEND THAT BACK TO THE ENTIRE COMMISSION, UH, JUST AS A DISCUSSION ITEM, UM, THAT WAY CHARTER OFFICER, THE FULL COMMISSION HAS A, UH, UH, SAYING THAT, BUT LET ME LET YOU INTRODUCE IT AND SEE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
UH, THIS, THIS IN ESSENCE IS TO, UH, PLACE THE, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S, UH, PENSION ACCRUAL, UH, FACTOR, UH, AT A PARALLEL WITH THE OTHER CHARTERED OFFICERS.
UM, AND IT'S AN ITEM FOR, FOR DISCUSSION AND NOT BRINGING FORWARD HERE ONE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION OR OR ANOTHER.
I THINK WE CAN ALSO PERHAPS SEEK THE INPUT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, UH, THAT DEALS CLOSELY WITH THE, WITH THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.
UH, IT'D BE GOOD TO, UH, GET THEIR FEEDBACK.
I'LL TELL YOU JUST SUPERFICIALLY, THE ROLE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IS ONE THAT WAS CREATED BY THE ELECTRIC TO, UH, SEEK, UH, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY, EFFICIENCY, AND PROPER, UH, CONDUCT IN, IN OUR, IN OUR GOVERNMENT, PREVENT FRAUD, WASTE AND, AND ABUSE.
UH, BUT I ALSO DON'T THINK THAT THAT THE WORKLOAD IT'S COM IS, IS COMPARABLE TO THE WORKLOAD OF A CITY MANAGER WHO'S ON CALL 24 7, IS NOT COMPARABLE TO THE WORKLOAD OF THE CITY ATTORNEY WHO'S CONSTANTLY GETTING PHONE CALLS FROM SEVEN ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM THE CITY ADMINISTRATION, FROM A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS TO PUT OUT FIRES AND EMERGENCY, LIKE LITERALLY TO PUT OUT LITERALLY FIRES AND EMERGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND SO, AND, AND SO, AND, AND SO I THINK THAT'S MY VIEW ON IT, BUT I LIKE THE VIEW OF SOMEWHAT MORE OF AN INDEPENDENT BODY.
AND I'D APPRECIATE THE INPUT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, UH, AS IT RELATES TO, TO THIS, BECAUSE I DO WANT TO BE FAIR TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, BUT I ALSO DO WANT TO BE FAIR TO THOSE WHO REALLY SACRIFICE TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES, WITH THEIR LOVED ONES, UH, IN ORDER TO SERVE OUR CITY AS, AS OUR CITY MANAGER AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY DO.
SO PERHAPS WE CAN REFER THIS TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND THEN TO THE FULL COMMISSION TO GET THEIR INPUT.
YEAH, I LIKE THE IDEA AND THAT'S KIND OF EXACTLY WHERE MY LINE OF THINKING WAS GOING.
REFERRING TO THIS, TO THE FULL COMMISSION INSTEAD OF JUST THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS SMALLER BODY.
UH, ANY ISSUES WITH THAT? NO, NO ISSUE.
CAN I, IF I COULD JUST ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY, IS THIS AN ITEM THEN THAT WOULD BE GO TO COMMISSION TO BE REFERRED TO AUDIT COMMITTEE? I DON'T KNOW IF A COMMITTEE TO COMMITTEE REFERRAL? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THE SAME DISCUSSION WE JUST HAD ONE AND A HALF MINUTES AGO.
COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ, UH,
[4. A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO PREPARE A PLAN AND A COST ESTIMATE FOR TRAPPING, SPAYING OR NEUTERING, AND RELEASING ALL COMMUNITY CATS WITHIN MIAMI BEACH WITHING AN EFFICIENT AND EXPEDITED TIMELINE, WITH THE PLAN TO BE PRESENTED TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE ("FERC") AT ITS JULY 26, 2024 MEETING.]
[5. DISCUSS STRATEGIES IN BRIDGING MIAMI BEACH FIENBERG FISHER K-8 FUNDING GAP IN LIGHT OF THEIR TITLE I FUNDING LOSS.]
YOU AND COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.ONE, TWO LINK ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE.
UH, WHILE WE HAVE THE ESTEEMED DOCTOR AND, UH, ALSO THE PTA FOR FISHER FEINBERG.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, UM, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, BETH EDWARDS FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A, BY THE WAY, JUST LET EVERYONE KNOWS, BETH DOES NOT EVEN HAVE A CHILD AT FEINBERG FISHER, WHICH WAS TITLE ONE SCHOOL, ONE OF OUR POOREST SCHOOLS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STUDENT BODY AND SHE'S MONITORING THE SITUATION, THEY LOST THEIR TITLE ONE FUNDING, WHICH PROVIDES ALL SORTS OF WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR THE STUDENTS, APPROXIMATELY $171,000.
SO THEY CAME TO ME TO THINK OF CREATIVE WAYS THAT THEY COULD RAISE MONEY.
FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW, MIAMI BEACH, SENIOR HIGH PTA, FOR EXAMPLE, DURING OUR BASEL, THEY, UM, THEY, THEY HAVE, THEY, THEY SELL PARKING SPACES OR OFFER PARKING AND THERE RAISE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY BY DOING THIS.
SO WHAT WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO DO IS EXTEND THIS, UM, TO FEINBERG FISHER, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, TO LESLIE OR BETH OR BOTH OF YOU, OR HOWEVER,
[00:45:01]
WHEREVER WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.I HAVEN'T SPOKEN HERE SINCE THIS NICE NEW GET UP HERE.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A LINE OF SIGHT, UM, KRISTEN, YOU SAID IT VERY ELOQUENTLY.
TITLE ONE FUNDING WAS REMOVED AND THE, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO HOW IT WAS REMOVED.
IT'S, IT'S IN THE WEEDS, BUT HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT TRANSPIRED.
ALRIGHT? THESE ARE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT ARE MOST AT RISK.
EXPLAIN WHAT THE WRAPAROUNDS ARE, FOR EXAMPLE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'VE GET COMMUNITY LIAISON SPECIALISTS.
WE GET OVER AND ABOVE PARAPROFESSIONALS AND THESE ARE FEDERAL FUNDS, OKAY? THIS IS NOT LIKE THE DISTRICT'S BEING A BAD GUY, ALRIGHT? I JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO BRING PARTIES TOGETHER.
SO WHEN I KNOW A CHILD IN OUR COMMUNITY IS SERIOUSLY AT RISK RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, IT IS, IT IS CATASTROPHIC.
'CAUSE I GOTTA TELL YOU, PULL UP THE READING AT FEINBERG FISHER AT THIRD GRADE, WHICH IS THE DANGER WILL ROBINSON GRADE FOR READING.
YOU REMOVE SERVICES LIKE READING, PARAPROFESSIONAL AND MATH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A FEEDER PATTERN, DOMINO EFFECT.
THESE KIDS FEED INTO BEACH HIGH, ALRIGHT? AND BEACH HIGH, UNFORTUNATELY, STEP BACKWARDS AS WELL.
SO WHAT WE CAN'T DO IS LOOK A PROBLEM IN THE FACE AND IGNORE IT DUE TO IT'S NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY.
I THINK WE HAVE BEEN UNBELIEVABLY GREAT.
I CALL IT CREATIVE COLLABORATION.
IT'S WHAT BUILT THE FOOTBALL FIELD.
I'M NOT HERE TO SUPPLANT SOMEBODY'S RESPONSIBILITY.
I'M HERE TO BE A REALITY PERSON.
I GOTTA TELL YOU, JUST LIKE OUR LITTLE PTA MOMS, WE ALREADY DIVIDED AND CONQUERED.
WE WENT DOWN TO THE DISTRICT, OKAY? WE PUT OUR NAMES TO SIGN UP AND WE GOT A PHONE CALL.
ALRIGHT? SO I, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT AS OF LAST NIGHT ON GOOD AUTHORITY, I ALREADY KNOW HALF OF THOSE FUNDS HAVE BEEN RETURNED.
SOMEBODY CAME UP WITH ABOUT HALF.
ALRIGHT? SO BRAVO, OKAY, THAT'S ADVOCACY AND WORK.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS DANGER WILL ROBINSON, WE STILL HAVE A GAP.
ALRIGHT? SO I DON'T WANNA HEAR, IT'S NOT MY JOB.
IT'S, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE IS A GAP.
SOME OTHER PART CAME TO THE TABLE, THAT'S GREAT, PEOPLE ARE HAPPY.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT LOOKS LIKE TWO READING INTERVENTIONISTS AND TWO MATH INTERVENTIONS ARE THE DELTA.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? 'CAUSE THESE KIDS ARE AT RISK, IT'S A FACT.
SO I ALWAYS LIKE TO BE CREATIVE.
I BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND SAY, HEY, WE, LET'S THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE MADE A VERY STRATEGIC MOTION AT THE QEC, BEING VP OF ADVOCACY FOR BERG FISHER.
LIKE, WE STRATEGICALLY MADE IT VAGUE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA PIGEONHOLE OURSELVES IN TERMS OF CREATIVITY.
I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT SOME SMART PEOPLE UP HERE.
I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT TOGETHER.
SO WITH THAT SAID, WE HAVE AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THE NEED AS OF LATE LAST NIGHT WAS TWO READING INTERVENTIONISTS AND TWO MASKS BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE CAME TO THE TABLE AND KIND OF FILLED IN SOME OF THE GAP.
AND THEN THERE'S THE LONG TERM.
YOU GUYS ARE GOING INTO BUDGET MEETING.
WHAT IS STRATEGIC? I GOTTA TELL YOU, YOU'VE GOT AN IDLE PARKING LOT.
ALRIGHT? THEY DID NOT USE THAT SHAME ON THEM.
IF THE DISTRICT IS NOT IN AN AGREEMENT WITH ANYBODY RIGHT NOW OVER A PARKING LOT THAT CAN HELP.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU AS VP OF ADVOCACY AT FEINBERG, WE'RE OKAY WITH WHEREVER THOSE FUNDS GO.
MEANING LIKE, IF THE CITY ENTERS AN AGREEMENT WITH DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AS LONG AS IT GOES TO OUR PUBLIC FEEDER PATTERN.
'CAUSE IT IS A PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S PUBLIC FUNDS IN THERE, MEANING LIKE IT'S OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE GOING TO THEM.
I'M JUST HERE TO BRING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.
LET'S HEAR WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO DO.
AND BEFORE YOU GO, DOCTOR, CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION? SURE.
ONE, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IS THIS EXPECTED TO BE, UH, A LOSS FOR ONE YEAR OR IS THIS CONTINUOUS? BECAUSE AS I UNDERSTAND IT, PERHAPS THERE WAS SOME CLERICAL STUFF THAT HAPPENED, UH, AND THE FUNDING SHOULD RETURN IN YEARS THEREAFTER.
OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD SPEND? IT COULD BE.
I MEAN, I'M NOT HERE TO BE A NAYSAYER, BUT WHEN FEDERAL POLICY AND THE DISTRICT DECIDES IT'S NOT GONNA BE ON FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH, I GOTTA TELL YOU, AND I'M NOT GOING DOWN AN IMMIGRATION HOLE RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU HAVE TO FIRST BE ON FEDERAL ASSISTANT.
SO YOU HAVE TO COME DOCUMENT YOURSELF.
SO I GOTTA TELL YOU, JUST FROM A POPULATION STANDPOINT, TAKE A LOOK AT FEINBERG FISHER.
IT IS PREDOMINANTLY CENTRAL AMERICAN.
AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY, BECAUSE I DO A LOT OF RESEARCH AROUND HERE, GO TAKE A LOOK AT CUBAN IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE COMING IN MIAMI LAKES.
THAT'S TITLE ONE BECAUSE THEY, IT'S EASIER FOR THEM TO GO FORWARD WITH FEDERAL DOCUMENTS.
ALL RIGHT? UNFORTUNATELY, THIS POPULATION IS NOT, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL EVER GET THEM TO STEP UP TO A PLATE.
[00:50:01]
SAYING? SO I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL.LET'S, LET'S, LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT PARKING LOT, IF ANYTHING AT ALL.
SO LESLIE, WE'RE, OR GOOD MORNING.
I, UH, ENDED MY EVENING LAST NIGHT SPEAKING TO BETH, AND I'M BEGINNING MY DAY.
AND, UH, SHE'S VERY PASSIONATE AND VERY WELL INFORMED.
UH, I HAVE REACHED TO THE DISTRICT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, UH, OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE LOST AS, AS A, AT THE, UM, LOSS OF THE TITLE, ONE OF THE 171,000 OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WERE FUNDED LAST YEAR.
WHAT WOULD BE, UM, REPLACED? I HAVE NOT RECEIVED, UH, ANY DIRECT INDICATOR OF WHAT IS BEING REPLACED.
HOWEVER, UH, I DO KNOW THAT OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE FUNDED IN THE 1 71, 1 OF THEM WAS A VPK CLASS.
I KNOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN, UH, SECURED AND WILL BE, UM, OFFERED AT FEINBERG.
AND WE ACTUALLY ARE PARTNERING WITH FEINBERG.
WE MOVED THE, UH, VPKK CLASS THAT WE FUND AT BISCAYNE TO FEINBERG TO ACCOMMODATE THE 37 FAMILIES THAT WERE ON THEIR WAIT LIST.
SO TOGETHER WE HAVE, UH, SECURED, UH, THAT POSITION AND ADDRESSED THAT NEED.
ADDITIONALLY, THE CITY ALREADY FUNDS MANY DIFFERENT ENHANCEMENTS.
WE FUND A, UH, READING INTERVENTIONIST AT EACH OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
UM, IT'S A PART-TIME COLLEGE STUDENT.
UM, WE PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 500 HOURS OF, UH, READING INTERVENTIONS AT EACH OF OUR FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
RECRUITMENT IS CHALLENGING, BUT WE CONTINUE TO RECRUIT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND WE ALSO, UM, FUND AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT, WHICH WAS PART OF THE 1 71 AT FEINBERG TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $40,000 A YEAR.
SO WE'RE IN THIS SPACE, UH, SUPPORTING, UH, THE NEEDS OF THOSE CHILDREN.
UM, BUT THAT DOES NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, DIMINISH WHAT BETH HAS SPOKEN ABOUT.
BUT I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC ANSWER, UH, REGARDING WHAT IS GONNA BE FUNDED.
HOW DID BCI GET THE PERMISSION TO COMMERCIALIZE THEIR PARKING LOT AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR DURING THE BOAT SHOW, DURING OUR PUZZLE, AND WE ALREADY HAD.
SO IF, I MEAN, IF WE JUST TAKE THAT LANGUAGE FROM THAT AGREEMENT AND APPLY IT TO, FOR EXAMPLE, SOUTH POINT AND THEN FEINBERG FISHER.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF MAKING INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT ALWAYS COMING TO US AND WE'RE SPENDING SO MUCH, BUT IF WE CAN USE THESE RESOURCES, UM, DID YOU GET A POSITIVE RESPONSE? I MEAN, THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT WITH BEACH HIGH, SO, SO SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT FEINBERG'S PARKING LOTS.
AND THEY HAVE FOUR LOTS THERE.
THEY DID NOT HAVE ANYBODY OPERATING THAT LOT.
UH, I DID SPEAK TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY AND POTENTIAL OF PARTNERSHIP WITH US.
OF COURSE, THE DIRECTION GIVEN HERE, UH, WOULD, WOULD, UM, PERHAPS ACCELERATE THAT CONVERSATION REGARDING BEACH HIGHS PARKING LOT.
UM, MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL'S LOT, UH, IS, IS OPERATED, UM, THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR THROUGH THE PTA AND THROUGH THE DIFFERENT CLUBS OF THAT SCHOOL.
AND THAT'S AN ARRANGEMENT THAT THE DISTRICT HAS WITH THAT SCHOOL AND THEIR PTA AND THEIR CLUBS.
SO, SO WOULD, SO IS THAT THE DIRECTION THAT WE WOULD MOVE IN? YOU WOULD YEAH.
I'M LOOKING FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS MODEL.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? AND I, I TRULY BELIEVE YOU.
CAN YOU, THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS PARKING, THESE CHILDREN NEED SERVICES AND WE'VE GOT IDLE LOTS.
I MEAN, THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME TYPE OF LEVERAGE YOU ALL CARRIED OUT.
HAVE LESLIE BE ABLE TO HAVE A FORMAL CONVERSATION? WHAT DIRECTION DO YOU NEED FROM US RIGHT NOW? WELL, HIS, WE DID ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BETWEEN 2016 AND 2019, WHICH ALLOWED THE CITY TO OPERATE THE LOT OF BEACH HIGH WHEN IT WAS NOT BEING OPERATED BY THE PTA AND THE CLUBS.
AND THEN IF WE OPERATED THE LOT, ANY FUNDING THAT WE, UH, COLLECTED WOULD FIRST COVER OUR COSTS AND THEN THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS BEYOND OUR COSTS WOULD BE SPREAD AND SHARED ACROSS THE SIX PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS.
WE DID HAVE AN AGREEMENT LIKE THAT.
HOW MUCH DID WE MAKE? HOW MUCH DID? WELL, WE ACTUALLY, WE HAD THE AGREEMENT, BUT THE PTAS AND THE, AND THE CLUBS RAN THE, RAN THE LOT, UH, DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO WE NEVER ACTUALLY HAD TO STEP ON THE PROPERTY, BUT WE HAD THE ABILITY TO DO IT.
WELL AS A FORMER PTA MEMBER OF EVERY SCHOOL HERE ON THE BEACH BOAT SHOW ALONE PAID FOR THE ENTIRE BUDGET.
OUR BOSWELL BRING IN ABOUT 50 JUST FOR A WEEKEND.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO THEN, DO YOU NEED US TO MOVE THIS TO THE FULL COMMISSION TO GET SOME SORT OF PERMISSION TO BE ABLE TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT? WOULD YOU LIKE A RESOLUTION AND YOU CAN WORK WITH THE LEGAL? LIKE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT SHOULD WE DO RIGHT NOW? IF THAT'S BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE OVERSATURATED WITH CARS ALL OVER THE CITY.
UM, I THINK DOING A PARKING LOT THAT IS OPEN TO RESIDENTS YEAR ROUND AT NIGHT SO THAT THERE'S NO RISK OF, YOU KNOW, COMMINGLING ADULT RESIDENTS WITH KIDS GETTING PICKED UP AFTER SCHOOL.
LIKE, SO FROM SEVEN TO SIX, 7:00 PM TO 6:00 AM MIGHT
[00:55:01]
BE A GREAT THING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.AND SINCE YOU'RE GOING TO BE GOING BACK TO THE DISTRICT AND ASKING ABOUT USING DISTRICT FACILITIES, WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, AS COMMISSIONER SUAREZ HAS BEEN FIGHTING ALONG WITH, WITH COMMISSIONER'S MAGAZINE AND FERNANDEZ TO UM, UH, HELP FIND PARKING SPACES IN NORTH BEACH.
WE HAVE A, IT'S NOT AN ENORMOUS LOT, BUT IT'S A NOT INSIGNIFICANT LOT AT, UM, AT THE SCHOOL UP JUST OFF OF PARKVIEW ISLAND.
AND IF WE CAN DO THAT THERE AS WELL, SO, YOU KNOW, 7:00 PM OR EIGHT OR WHATEVER THEY FIND TO BE COMFORTABLE, UM, TO 6:00 AM UM, YEAR ROUND WOULD BE INCREDIBLE AND SAME KIND OF THING, COVER THE COST OF OPERATING THAT.
UM, BUT ANYTHING ELSE COULD GET REDISTRIBUTED BACK TO THE SCHOOL OR SCHOOLS.
SO IF YOU'RE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, LET'S JUST DO IT FOR, FOR ALL OF THE FACILITIES.
SO WE WOULD BE PAYING FOR IT THEN, BECAUSE I THINK THE IDEA HERE IS FOR THEM TO COMMERCIALIZE IT AND GENERATE SERIOUS REVENUE SO THEY CAN MAKE UP THE COST.
SO WHAT IF WE DID A PARKING PASS, A PARKING PERMIT THERE? UM, WE, WE CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE PARKING ON THAT LOT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE PERMISSION TO USE THAT LOT.
BUT IF WE MADE THAT A SPECIAL PARKING ZONE FOR NORTH BEACH RESIDENTS, WE'RE INCLUDED IT AS PART OF THE NORTH BEACH.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, WHAT THE MECHANICS ARE NOW.
WE'RE TALKING TWO, EITHER TWO.
I WOULD BRING A SEPARATE WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO GO SCHOOL BY SCHOOL FOR, FOR, FOR, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DEAL IS WITH SOUTH POINT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT FEINBERG FISHER HAS A VERY SPECIALIZED NEED RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF SOUTH BEACH AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO GENERATE AS MANY UNDERSTOOD.
I WAS JUST THINKING IF YOU'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT PARKING LOT ANYHOW.
AND, AND, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
WE CAN DO IT SEPARATELY IF I MAY.
UH, I'M, I AM WORKING WITH LESLIE ON THE NORTH BEACH, ON THE BISCAY BEACH ELEMENTARY.
IT'S IN THE, AND AND BY THE WAY, WITH SOME OF THAT LAND, BY THE WAY, WE DO HAVE A PROGRAM BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE BEAUTIFYING THE, IS IT THE PLAYGROUND THERE OR IS IT THE PARKING LOT TOO? THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND? YES.
WE HAVE A, WHAT IS IT CALLED? THE TRUST.
THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON THAT.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO PASS THE BATON TO SOMEONE.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S GOING TO BE YOU.
AND, UM, IT'S TAKEN A VERY LONG TIME, BUT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
SO ANYWAY, EACH SCHOOL, I WOULD SAY, AND GC PS IS A I, I JUST DON'T WANNA JEOPARDIZE WHAT THEY NEED, LIKE, STARTING SEPTEMBER WITH ANYTHING ELSE.
SO, ROBIN, YOU READY? SHOULD I GET THIS TO THE COMMISSION WITH A RESOLUTION TO GO TO MY M-D-C-P-S? OR DO YOU WANNA COME BACK TO US? 'CAUSE WE WANNA GET THIS DONE AT ASAP.
HOWEVER, IF THIS DOES GO BACK TO COMMISSION BY RESOLUTION, THEN THE RESOLUTION WOULD ALLOW, UH, ADMINISTRATION TO WORK, UH, WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO POTENTIALLY NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE FEINBERG LOT, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF, UM, UTILIZING ANY FUNDS RAISED IN THAT LOT TO BE INFUSED BACK.
UH, I THINK AS BETH INDICATED TO OUR SIX PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UH, AND THEN REGARDING, UH, BISCAYNE BEACH ELEMENTARY, WE CERTAINLY CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT UTILIZATION OF THAT LOT FOR, UM, USE BY THE COMMUNITY, BUT NOT NECESSARILY AS A FUNDRAISER.
UM, MY, MY MOTION WOULD BE NUMBER ONE, LET'S, UH, CREATE THE RESOLUTION SO THAT, UH, DR.
ROSENFELD, SO YOU, BOTH OF YOU CAN GO AND, UH, LOBBY THE SCHOOL BOARD AND GET THE AGREEMENT DONE, WHICH WE'LL THEN HAVE TO RATIFY.
NOW, IN THE INTERIM, THE COST.
OKAY, LET'S SAY THAT YOU HAVE AN $80,000 GAP AT THIS POINT, RIGHT? YEAH.
I HAVE UPDATES OF WHAT WAS FINDING.
AND IF, LET'S SAY THAT WE, IF WE WERE TO PRO-RATE THE COST OF, OF THAT, CAN YOU FIND OUT WHAT THE COST OF THOSE SERVICES WOULD BE IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER? SO
I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, SO TWO, TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
ROSENFELD, FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU MIGHT NEED ON A PER MONTH PRO RATTA BASIS.
AND, UH, LET'S GET THE OTHER AGREEMENT DONE TOO.
AND IN THE INTERIM, EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS, WE'RE NOT MEETING IN AUGUST, I JUST WANT THIS TO MOVE THROUGH SO THAT AS IN SEPTEMBER, WE ARE PREPARED TO MOVE THROUGH WITH THE FUNDING, UM, THAT YOU MIGHT NEED.
AND ALSO GET THE AGREEMENT SO THAT YOU DON'T MISS THE SEASON AND YOU CAN MAKE THE MONEY THAT YOU NEED.
AND WE COULD, IF THEY MAKE ENOUGH MONEY, THEY COULD PAY US BACK.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO STEP ON THE MAYOR'S TOES, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING.
AS OF LAST NIGHT, IT WAS THE COMMUNITY LIAISON SPECIALIST AS WELL AS A FULL-TIME PARA THAT WAS FUNDED.
SO THERE'S BASICALLY, WE NEED MORE HELP IN READING AND MATH.
I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT.
SO I THINK I SENT YOU A SPREADSHEET EONS AGO.
THERE'S TWO LINES THAT HAVE BEEN REMOVED OFF THE COLUMN, NOW IT'S MATH AND READING.
SO I'M GONNA TELL YOU OF IMMEDIATE PRIORITY.
THIS TO ME IS LONG TERM, HOW WE'RE GONNA BUILD A BUSINESS MODEL.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, THERE ARE SERVICES THAT UNFORTUNATELY START COMING IN AUGUST.
[01:00:01]
NOT HERE TO BEG FOR MONEY.I'M JUST HERE TO RAISE AWARENESS TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO COVER BOTH.
SO LET'S DO, DO THOSE FOR SEPTEMBER.
AND, UM, AND CHRIS BUCK, YOU WANNA MAKE A SEPARATE ITEM.
UM, SOMETHING ABOUT, DO YOU WANT TO CREATE AN ITEM FOR NO, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ALREADY WORK IN PROGRESS.
SO IT'S READY, MR. CITY ATTORNEY FOR THIS SPECIFIC ITEM, HOW CAN WE, UH, PUT THIS FORWARD TO MAKE IT AS, UH, QUICK AND AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE? WE COULD CERTAINLY REFER THIS BACK TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
OR DO WE JUST BASICALLY PUT AN ITEM ON THE SEPTEMBER AGENDA ON CONSENT? UH, DOES THAT CUT A MONTH OUT OF THE PROCESS? I BELIEVE THE, WHAT? I MEAN, THE COMMISSION STILL NEEDS TO APPROVE THE, IDEALLY THE COMMISSION WOULD APPROVE ENTERING INTO NEGOTIATIONS, BUT IN LIGHT OF THE TIME SENSITIVITY, PERHAPS, UM, DR.
ROSENFELD COULD WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND BRING AN AGREEMENT TO COMMISSION, UH, FOR APPROVAL IN SEPTEMBER.
SO SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID BEFORE, IT'S FINE.
WE WILL, YOU HAVE OUR FULL BACKING THAT YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT TO GO OUT AND WORK WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THEY RECEIVE SOMETHING OFFICIAL FROM THE CITY CLERK.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIMING, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE RECEIVING THAT.
HOWEVER, UM, I HAVE WORKED WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR QUITE A LONG TIME AND, UH, I WILL REACH TO THEM AND WE WILL HAVE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I WANNA SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.
I DO NOT THINK WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE AN, AN AGREEMENT EXECUTED BY SEPTEMBER, UH, JUST BECAUSE THEIR PACE IS DIFFERENT THAN OUR PACE.
UH, AND THE PROCESS THEY FOLLOW IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOW.
BUT I WILL MAKE MY BEST ATTEMPT TO, UH, WORK WITH THEM AND SEE IF WE CAN, UH, REACH, REACH A A POINT OF CONSENSUS.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THAT INSTEAD OF MY CREATING A RESOLUTION THAT YOU DO TAKE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
'CAUSE SHE MIGHT GET TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND THE SCHOOL BOARD MIGHT SAY, WHERE DOES THE RESOLUTION? AND SHE'S GONNA DO THAT AS WELL.
I YOU'RE GONNA NEED, WE'RE GONNA DO IT ALL.
AND PLEASE, DOCTOR, IF YOU NEED US TO ESSENTIALLY LIAISE WITH YOU TO APPLY ADDITIONAL PRESSURE, UM, PRESSURE, I I THE SCHOOL BOARD.
THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND I SAY THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL, UH, WE'VE HAD A LONGSTANDING VERY, UH, POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP.
UH, WELL, UH, JUST THE TIMING, UH, SOMETIMES IS NOT AS QUICKLY AS WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE.
AND, AND COMMISSIONER, JUST REGARDING THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A KICKOFF IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
SO THAT IS MOVING ALONG WELL TOO.
THAT'S GONNA BE VERY EXCITING.
BECAUSE WHAT WE DID WAS WE PARTNERED WITH THIS GROUP THAT ACTUALLY COMES IN AND FUNDS IT.
THEY, THEY, THEY GAVE US THE FUNDING, RIGHT? PART OF THE FUNDING.
THEY WILL HELP US WITH FUNDRAISING.
OKAY, EDDIE, WE'RE GONNA BE BEAUTIFYING, UM, SOME OF OUR PLAYGROUNDS AND SOME OF THE AREAS ON THESE SCHOOL CAMPUSES THAT ARE UNSIGHTLY, UM, WITH THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND.
AND, AND COMMISSIONER BOT, HOPEFULLY, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ARE UP THERE IN NORTH BEACH, YOU WILL, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE THIS.
THAT'S, THAT'S A BISQUE BEACH ELEMENTARY PROJECT.
PLEASE INVITE ALL OF US TO THE, UH, TO THE GROUNDBREAKING OR WHATEVER WE'RE DOING.
I THINK I I THINK IT CAN CALL US.
THERE'S ONE ABOUT ENGAGING, UH, ON AN AGREEMENT, AND THE OTHER IS THE COST, UH, TO IT.
SO, SO IF I, IF I CAN ATTEMPT, I THINK RETURN TO COMMIT, SO WITH THIS WOULD BE AS A, A CONSENT RESOLUTION IN SEPTEMBER.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, UH, LIZZIE WILL START DOING THAT FOOTWORK AND THAT, THAT THAT DISCUSSION.
BUT RETURNING COMMISSION DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO ENGAGE WITH MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM TO NEGOTIATE A FACILITY USE AGREEMENT, UH, OR EQUIVALENT AGREEMENT, UH, FOR FISHER FEINBERG, UH, PARKING LOT TO GENERATE REVENUES TO SUPPORT THE MIAMI BEACH SCHOOL SYSTEM AFTER COVERING CITY COSTS AND FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO PRESENT COSTS, UH, UH, NEEDED FOR, TO, TO BRIDGE THE GAP AT FISHER FEINBERG FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR AT THE SEPTEMBER BUDGET HEARINGS.
'CAUSE THERE WERE TWO PIECES THAT YOU WANTED TO, TO DISCUSS.
ONE WAS THE FACILITY USE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS, I THINK A, LET'S CALL IT MEDIUM TERM SOLUTION.
THIS MAY NOT GENERATE REVENUE FOR SIX TO NINE MONTHS, JUST, JUST GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
BUT THERE'S A NEED IN, UH, COMING UP RIGHT NOW.
SO THE, SINCE WE DO HAVE THE SEPTEMBER BUDGET HEARINGS, IF THERE IS DOLLARS THEY'RE GONNA BE ALLOCATED, UM, THAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE COMMISSIONER'S INTENT.
IF I, AND FINAL THING, AND WE CAN CLOSE THIS OUT, I'M REALLY UPSET THAT THEY'RE LOSING THEIR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH.
UM, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE CALCULATION.
CAN YOU GUYS ALSO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH OUR FEDERAL CALCULATION SO WE CAN GO BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT MOVING FORWARD, THESE, I THOUGHT THAT EVERYBODY GOT FREE BREAKFAST.
EVERY CHILD ISN'T THAT WASN'T THAT RIGHT? BUT TO RECEIVE, UH, THE FEDERAL FUNDS, THE CUTOFF IS, UH, 75% OF YOUR POPULATION MUST MEET ELIGIBILITY AND FEINBERG FISHER'S, UH, APPLICATIONS, UH, WERE A LITTLE OVER, UM, 73.8%.
[01:05:02]
SO THEY JUST MISSED THE CUTOFF.AND THE CUTOFF IS NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, AN M-D-C-P-S CUTOFF.
ARE WE STUCK NOW BASED ON CENSUS DATA ON THIS? OR IS THIS A YEARLY CALCULATION? IT'S ANNUALLY.
EACH SCHOOL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO, UH, WORK WITH THEIR SCHOOL POPULATION TO SUBMIT THOSE APPLICATIONS.
AND THEY'LL BE REEVALUATED IN MARCH, APRIL OF THIS COMING, UH, 2025, SOMEBODY DROPPED THE BALL.
IT'S, IT GETS INTO AN IMMIGRATION ISSUE.
AND I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT.
SO I, I, I WOULD THINK THAT FISHER FEINBERG, EVEN IN THE MIAMI-DADE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IS NOT UNIQUE IN THAT MANNER.
SO PERHAPS IN, IN YOUR, UH, DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, YOU COULD ASK THEM FOR BEST PRACTICES, HOW OTHER SCHOOLS HANDLE THIS BECAUSE, UH, I, I DON'T THINK THE IMMIGRATION STATUS AT FISHER FEINBERG IS UNIQUE, UH, ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
THERE, THERE ARE 336 SCHOOLS, UH, THAT QUALIFY FOR, UH, TITLE ONE ACROSS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THIS PAST YEAR AND 337 IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR.
SO IS THE, I, I BELIEVE, UM, COMMISSIONER EZ GONZALEZ, THIS WAS YOUR ITEM.
I THINK THE MOTION AS I, AS I RECITED IS GOOD.
THE FINANCE AND THEN THE LEGAL CARD.
COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, DO YOU, UH, WHILE WE HAVE THESE LADIES, UM, WELL, PARTICULAR, UH, DR.
ROSENFELD, UH, DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT NUMBERS? UH, FIVE AMOUNT, RIGHT? FIVE, UH, SIX.
[6. DISCUSS THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION IN MIAMI BEACH SCHOOLS’ (“QEC”) MOTIONS PROMULGATED IN LTC 145-2024 RELATING TO STAFFING OF SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS WITHIN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.]
IT'S A POLICE ITEM.I SHOULD BE READING STUFF IN, UH, JUST, SORRY, WE MISSED A FEW BENCHING IN THE RECORD, BUT DISCUSS THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION IN MIAMI BEACH SCHOOLS.
THE QEC MOTIONS MATED, UH, BY LTC 1 4 5 DASH 2024, RELATING TO STAFFING OF SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS WITHIN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
SO AT THE APRIL, UH, COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION MEETING, UM, THE COMMITTEE WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE POSITIONS FOR SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS, UM, HAVE BEEN, UH, THERE'S BEEN A CHALLENGE IN FILLING THOSE POSITIONS.
UH, THE COMMITTEE REQUESTED THAT, UH, ALL OF THE POSITIONS BE FILLED AND THAT THE COMMISSION CONTEMPLATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERHAPS INCENTIVIZE, UH, THOSE POSITIONS SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, WE DO WITH A TEACH AT THE BEACH SUBSTITUTE TEACHER PROGRAM.
UM, FOLLOWING THAT COMMITTEE, UH, MOTION, UH, I, WE MET, UH, UH, TOGETHER TO DISCUSS, UH, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FOR, UH, THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR CROSSING GUARDS.
AND I'M GONNA DEFER TO, UH, SERGEANT, SERGEANT YOKA TO, UM, KIND OF SPEAK TO, UH, WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE WE DID DO A RECRUITMENT AND, UH, I'D LIKE HIM TO ADDRESS THAT.
I'M HERE, SERGEANT JAMOCA, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS UNIT SERGEANT.
UH, WHEN WE MET IN, UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE 14, UH, POSITIONS THAT ARE FUNDED.
ON MARCH 19TH, WE MET WITH THE QUALITY EDUCATION COMMISSION COMMITTEE, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL IDEAS ON HOW TO FULFILL THIS, UH, REQUEST.
AND THERE WERE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR ALLOWING US FOR FLEXIBLE HOURS AND INCENTIVIZE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE HERE AND THAT WANNA PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
IN THE LAST RECENT MONTHS, WE'VE HAD, UH, ONE OF OUR RECRUITMENTS, WHICH HAS STARTED IN JUNE 13TH, ALL THE WAY TO JULY 15TH, WHICH CLOSED, UH, WE HAD 43 APPLICANTS THAT WANTED TO PARTICIPATE, 300% INCREASE AFTER OUR MEETING.
35 ARE QUALIFIED TO DO THE JOB THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, ACCEPTED BEFORE THAT, ON MARCH 13TH, UH, THROUGH 27TH, WE ONLY HAD 13 APPLICANTS.
SO SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED, THANK YOU, DR.
UH, BUT AFTER THIS, NOW WE, NOW LESLIE HAPPENED, NOW WE HAVE 35 APPLICANTS THAT WE, WE COULD POSSIBLY FULFILL ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR FILLING THESE, UH, THESE SPOTS.
AND, AND, UM, AND, AND, AND IT WAS DEFINITELY A JOINT EFFORT.
UH, OUR COMMUNITY WANTS THEIR CHILDREN SAFE.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE DEFINITELY OPTIMISTIC OF THE, UH, 43 THAT APPLIED, THE 35 THAT YOU'VE INDICATED ARE ELIGIBLE.
HE, WE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL FIND, WILL BE ABLE TO FILL ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID DISCUSS, I THINK THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE, UM, UH, ATTRACTION TO THE POSITION WAS, UH, TO FLEX THE SCHEDULE SO THAT, UH, BECAUSE THESE ARE SPLIT SHIFT POSITIONS, WHICH WOULD BE VERY CHALLENGING TO HAVE TO DO A MORNING SHIFT AND THEN WAIT SEVEN, EIGHT HOURS AND DO AN AFTERNOON SHIFT.
WE DISCUSSED ALLOWING THE, UM, APPLICANTS TO CHOOSE TO DO ONLY MORNING OR ONLY AFTERNOON, AND PERHAPS SOME FLEXIBILITY EVEN WITH THE DAYS THAT THEY SELECT, WHICH, AGAIN, INCENTIVIZE
[01:10:01]
OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN AT THE SCHOOLS THAT THEY ATTEND TO POTENTIALLY JOIN US IN THIS EFFORT AS A SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD.SO, WE'RE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THAT.
UH, I, I THINK THAT, UH, WE HAD COME HERE WITH, WITH THE INTENT, UM, DEPENDING UPON HOW THE RECRUITMENT WENT, TO SEEK THE OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER INCENTIVIZE THE POSITIONS, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO FOR THE SUBSTITUTE AT THE BEACH POSITIONS, BECAUSE WE HAVE CHALLENGES WITH SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS.
THE INCENTIVE FOR RESIDENTS TO BECOME SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS IS THAT AFTER THEY HAVE SUBSTITUTE TAUGHT AT ANY OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AT LEAST FIVE TIMES THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR A CITYWIDE PARKING DECAL FOR ONE YEAR.
THAT IS, THAT IS ALWAYS A BIG DRAW.
UM, SO WE WERE CONTEMPLATING DOING THAT AS WELL.
HOWEVER, WE'D LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, FILL THESE POSITIONS WITH THE 35 APPLICATIONS, SEE HOW, UH, UH, THEY WORK OUT, AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THOSE POSITIONS ALL BEING FILLED THROUGHOUT THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
AND IF THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH KEEPING THEM FILLED TO RETURN, UH, POTENTIALLY TO DISCUSS FURTHER INCENTIVIZATION.
UH, WELL, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK WE'VE PRETTY MUCH FIGURED IT OUT.
AND I, I CAN WITHDRAW MY ITEM FOR WE, WE CAN SHOW THE ITEM, UH, HEARD ENCLOSED.
TO GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO MS. GEORGIA.
UH, SOUTH POINT ELEMENTARY, JUST A FANTASTIC CROSSING, GORD.
UM, THEY'RE SOME OF THE BEST AMBASSADORS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THE SAME O OVER AT NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY.
SO, UH, SHE, SHE
UH, FIRST PERSON MY DAUGHTER SEES IN THE MORNING THAT'S NOT IN HER FAMILY.
UM, SHE, SHE'S, SHE'S WONDERFUL.
SO THESE AREN'T INSIGNIFICANT POSITIONS.
THEY HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON OUR YOUTH.
[10. DISCUSS SPECIAL EVENT GUIDELINES AND CITY SPONSORSHIPS, FEE WAIVERS AND OTHER SUBSIDIES FOR SPECIAL EVENTS]
ITEM 10, COMMISSIONER BOT, UH, DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THAT? AND WE'LL HEAR THAT.UH, IF COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, UH, IS LISTENING, UH, WE WILL LEEWAY THAT INTO ITEM NUMBER 11.
UM, SO I WILL, UM, I'LL LET LIZETTE DO A LOT OF THE HEAVY LIFTING ON THIS, BUT, UM, I HAD ALSO WANTED TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR FIRE CHIEF AND ANYBODY FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, CHIEF JONES IS STILL HERE, BUT TO, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE ARE A VERY ATTRACTIVE CITY FOR EVENTS, WHETHER IT'S SOMEBODY'S WEDDING ON THE BEACH OR ART BASEL AND OTHER, UM, HIGH IMPACT EVENTS.
AND WE NEED, AND THERE'S A COST TO DOING IT.
SO NOT ONLY THE, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT GENERATED BY, UM, THESE EVENTS, BUT ALSO THE TAXING OF OUR RESOURCES.
SO WE HAVE CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR WHERE OUR POLICE AND FIRE AND SANITATION HAVE TO WORK INCREDIBLE HOURS, YOU KNOW, THE MONTH OF MARCH, BASICALLY.
UM, BUT EVERY LARGE SCALE EVENT THAT WE DO ON THE BEACH OR, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE CITY, UM, OUR OUR COLLEAGUES ARE BEING TAXED AT A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LEVEL.
I MEAN, THEY GET COMPENSATED, THEY'RE NOT VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE WORKING, YOU KNOW, 21 DAYS IN A ROW WITH NO TIME OFF, THAT TAKES A TOLL.
UM, SO THE, THIS ITEM WAS, WAS BROUGHT INITIALLY TO HAVE AN OPEN CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, HOW WE VET THESE, THESE ITEMS OR THESE, THESE EVENTS.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO START THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE? IS THERE A WAY TO LIMIT, YOU KNOW, HAVE OUR OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE, UM, IN THE FIRE, POLICE AND SANITATION SERVICES OPINE ON AT WHAT POINT IT BECOMES, UM, OVERLY BURDENSOME.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE DOING A SMALL WEDDING ON THE BEACH, THAT'S NOT A BIG DEAL.
BUT IF YOU'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, CARBONS ON THE BEACH, THAT IS A BIG DEAL.
SO, UM, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LIZETTE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS.
IT HAS CHANGED, AND I WILL SAY IT HAS CHANGED FOR THE, THE BETTER, UM, OVER THE LAST YEAR.
AND, AND I AM VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT.
I'VE HEARD GOOD THINGS FROM NEIGHBORS.
THERE'S ALWAYS, I'M SURE WE ROOMED FOR IMPROVEMENT AS WE GO ALONG.
BUT, UM, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU GUYS.
UH, LIZETTE AND CHIEF STILL LOVES SAYING THAT.
WELCOME A FELLOW, HAPPY TO BE HERE.
NOT TO SEAL YOUR THUNDER LIZETTE, BUT NO, NOT CHIEF, STILL NEW.
WHATEVER YOU WANT, YOU CAN JUST COME OVER.
I'LL, I'LL TAKE YOU UP ON THAT.
UH, GOOD MORNING, UH, MR. CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BAW FOR QUEUING IT UP.
UH, I KNOW WE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THIS ITEM.
UH, AND I CAN SHARE WITH YOU, THERE'S A EXTENSIVE VETTING, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE MEMO AS WHAT WE DO AS A DEPARTMENT.
BUT I THINK WHAT YOU WERE ALSO TRYING TO LOOK INTO WAS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THESE EVENTS AND HOW WE SPONSOR THESE EVENTS AND WE WAVE CERTAIN THINGS.
AND, UH, AARON, IF YOU COULD PLEASE SHARE THE SOUTH BEACH WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL, AND I KIND OF WANNA USE THIS AS AN EXAMPLE.
WE SPONSOR SOUTH BEACH WINE FOOD AT 175 OR 150 BEFORE AND WAVE CITY SERVICES.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMBINED GRAND TOTAL, IT WAS 213,000 FOR THE 2024 EVENT.
[01:15:01]
AND FRANCIS CAN SHARE WITH YOU, UM, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY THAT THEY DID IN 2018.THEY'RE DOING ONE CURRENTLY NOW FROM, FOR THE 2024 SHOW IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH WAS $34.2 MILLION.
SO I JUST WANTED, I SHARE THIS 'CAUSE I REALLY WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND AND, AND SEE THE, THE FIGURES, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT HELPS OUR CITY.
UM, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE DO WORK A LOT HERE IN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE AN EVENTS, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE DESTINATION, BUT WE HAVE THESE AMAZING WORLD CLASS EVENTS, UH, AND THEY DO TRICKLE DOWN TO THE RESTAURANTS, TO PARKING TO, TO ALL THE OTHER DIFFERENT ELEMENTS IN OUR CITY AND OR BRAND AND EXACTLY.
AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S REALLY AN INTANGIBLE.
HAVING THINGS LIKE ART BASEL AND FOOD AND WINE FEST, YOU KNOW, UH, IT GOES WELL ABOVE AND BEYOND JUST THE DIRECT BOTTOM LINE IMPACT.
AND I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE STAFFING ISSUES THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT OBVIOUSLY MY COLLEAGUES ARE BOTH HERE THAT CAN ANSWER TO THAT.
IF I CAN JUST JUMP IN FOR A SECOND TO BE CLEAR, I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE GET RID OF EVERYTHING.
I'M JUST SUGGESTING MAYBE WE SHOULD BE THINKING A LITTLE BIT MORE JUDICIOUSLY ABOUT HOW MANY OF WHAT SCALE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ATTACHMENTS WAS THE LIST OF THINGS COVERED ON ANY PARTICULAR, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND IT RANGED FROM SUPER BIG DEAL TO TINY DEAL.
AND MAYBE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE JUST CLEAR THE CLUTTER OUT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, IT, IT'S A CONVERSATION, IT'S NOT A MANDATE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS CHAT.
AND COMMISSIONER DOES THIS KIND OF, UH, LEEWAY INTO, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THE ITEM, BUT I THINK COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ ALMOST HAD AN IDEA WHERE WE WOULD HAVE A, A COMMITTEE THAT IS NOT JUST THE COMMISSION, ALMOST LIKE A SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE AND WAS YEAH, PLEASE.
THEY GO THROUGH SO MUCH RED TAPE TO HOLD AN EVENT AND GET A PERMIT.
AND TO PUT ANOTHER BLOCK OR ROAD BUMP IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROCESS, I THINK WOULD JUST REALLY UPSET A LOT OF
SO YOU, EVERYONE I'M SAYING WE VETTED IT OVER, YOU KNOW, MY ISSUES OF, UH, CUTTING GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY SAYING, OKAY, YOU SOLD, IT'S ALREADY OVERLY VETTED.
I HAVE NOTICE REQUIREMENT THAT I, DO WE STILL HAVE IT? DO WE ELIMINATE IT? WE DO SPECIAL MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HOAS AND CERTAIN OH, SPECIAL MEETINGS ATTEND NOTICE FROM.
YEAH, I, I, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S LISTENING AND CAN JUMP IN ONLINE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE HIS IDEA WAS TO, UM, WAS TO INCLUDE, UM, PEOPLE IN THESE, IN THE EXISTING SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE ALREADY.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WAIT UNTIL TO HEAR UNTIL HE'S BACK.
I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU WANNA PROCEED ON THAT.
BUT WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM, FROM WHAT HE'S, WHAT HE HAD SUBMITTED.
AND IF I MAY, WE DO NOT HAVE A COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY REVIEW MEETING THAT HAPPENS MONTHLY, THAT IT'S PUBLICLY NOTICED.
UM, WE DO EXTENSIVE OUTREACH, UH, AND IT'S HAS, IT'S VERY WELL ATTENDED.
AND THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY WHERE A CITY SERVICES, THE PRODUCERS AND, UM, OUR RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO DISCUSS EACH EVENT THAT'S HAPPENING IMPACTING THEIR SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD.
LISETTE, CAN YOU GIVE EXAMPLES OF, UM, WHEN OR IF IT'S EVER HAPPENED THAT RESIDENTS GIVE FEEDBACK AND IT CHANGES, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE LOCATION, THE HOURS, THE CONFIGURATION, THE CONCEPT, WHATEVER FOR EVENTS? SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, AT THE COMMUNITY REVIEW, THAT'S WHEN, UM, LET'S SAY IF THE, THERE'S COMMUNITY FEEDBACK REGARDING THE, THE SPEAKERS, LET'S SAY THEY, THEY, THEY ASK WHAT, WHERE ARE THEY FACING AT THAT TIME? IF IT'S NOT FACING EAST OR IT'S FACING, IT'S IMPACTING DIRECTLY TOWARDS THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WE MAKE SURE THAT THE PRODUCER, UH, ADHERES TO, TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN THEY COME BACK AND WE SHARE THE, THE UPDATED, UH, SITE PLAN THAT HAS TAKEN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO CONSIDERATION.
SORRY, WHAT'D YOU SAY? FIRE CHIEF.
SO, AS FAR AS, UM, THE IMPACT FOR SPECIAL EVENTS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE'VE HAD A 79% INCREASE IN EVENTS SINCE 2009.
WE'RE UP TO 359, UM, YOU KNOW, REVIEWS.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN IT IMPACTS LIFE SAFETY, WHETHER IT'S A ROAD CLOSURE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE AT THAT SITE, WE WILL STAFF IT WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL OR WE MAY NOT NEED TO STAFF IT BECAUSE IT'S
[01:20:01]
NOT CHANGING THE LAYOUT OF THE AREA.UM, THE, THE BIGGEST IMPACT FOR US IS THE BLOCKAGE OF ACCESS ROADS.
SO THE FIRE TRUCKS NEED 20 FEET AND WE HAVE AN INSPECTOR GOES ON SITE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THINGS ARE CHANGING OR WE DON'T KNOW THAT SOMETHING'S HAPPENING.
UM, THAT'S WHEN IT STARTS IMPACTING US STAFFING LAST MINUTE, UM, EVENTS, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S A COMMUNICATION.
SO SOMETIMES THE EVENT DOESN'T REQUIRE IT TO GO THROUGH LIZETTE'S, UH, DIVISION 'CAUSE IT JUST POPS UP ON OUR SIDE LIKE A FIREWORK OR SOMETHING, UM, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF EVENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH HER SO SHE CAN LET EVERYONE ELSE KNOW TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT IMPACTING.
I THINK THAT WHEN IT COMES TO SPRING BREAK IN MARCH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING A LOT OF THE PERSONNEL, BOTH FIRE AND POLICE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO START MITIGATING THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SO, UM, ENFORCING ON HOW EARLY WE GET THOSE PERMITS.
THE EARLIER WE KNOW IT'S EASIER FOR US TO PLAN AND, AND BE ABLE TO STOP OR CONTINUE EVENTS.
SO ANYBODY WHO'S EVER DONE EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING OR EVENT PLANNING OR EVENTS OF ANY STRIPE KNOWS THAT 90% OF THE DRAMA IS AT THE, THE END 11TH HOUR BEFORE THE THE GATES OPEN.
UM, IS THERE A KIND OF A, IS THERE A THRESHOLD AT WHICH, UM, EVENTS THAT ARE BELOW A CERTAIN SIZE DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH POLICE AND FIRE PLANS? IT ALL DEPENDS, BUT EVENTS THAT ARE BELOW 150 ATTENDEES, AND WE DO HAVE, UM, TIMELINES FOR ANY LARGE SCALE EVENTS, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT A PERMIT WITHIN, UM, MINIMUM 90 DAYS.
I MEAN, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO, TO MAKE THAT MORE THAN 90 DAYS AND, AND RE REQUIRE IT? WE DO.
SO WE START FOR OUR BASEL, WE START WORKING WITH A DIFFERENT, UH, PERMIT IN, IN JUNE RIGHT NOW.
NO, NO, BUT I MEAN, THOSE ARE ENORMOUS EVENTS THAT THEY'RE SUPER WELL ORGANIZED, THEY'RE PROS, THEY'RE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS.
I'M SORT OF THINKING THE NEXT TIER DOWN OR THE NEXT TWO TIERS DOWN, BECAUSE I'M SURE THOSE CAUSE UNTOLD HEADACHES, BUT YOU KIND OF KNOW WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE PREPARING FOR.
IT'S THE, THE THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, NOT SORT OF OUR, OUR OUR BRAND BUILDING BLOCKS, BUT THE STUFF BELOW THAT MIGHT COME IN FOR A YEAR OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE DOING IT, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT.
I, YOU KNOW, IT'S SORT OF THAT MIDDLE TIER OF, OF THINGS, UM, THAT WHERE, WHERE IT MIGHT NOT BE AS WELL ORGANIZED OR IS THERE LIKE AN, LIKE AN EVENT, LIKE A SPORTS EVENT, A TEAM THAT WASN'T EXPECTED TO, YOU KNOW, GET TO FINALS, RIGHT.
THAT WAS ON LINCOLN ROAD RECENTLY.
THERE WAS A CAJUN FESTIVAL ON LINCOLN ROAD.
I, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LIKE THAT FOR AN EXAMPLE, NOT SINGLING ANYTHING OUT, BUT USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.
THINK THAT CAME SOMEWHAT AT THE LAST MAYBE ISH.
YOU KNOW, AND IT'S SMALLER SCALE 90 DAYS BEFORE.
ARE YOU GUYS FIXING IT RIGHT THERE? NO, WE'RE, NO, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT'D YOU GUYS NEGOTIATE
UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME WE DO.
BUT I THINK, UH, WHAT CHIEF ABELL IS SAYING IS
AND I THINK SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT A SOCCER TEAM AND I WAS TRYING TO ASK HER WHAT, WHAT SHE WAS REFERRING TO, LIKE THE WEEKEND THAT THE COPA CAME, THAT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, STARTED SOMETHING VERY SMALL AND NOW IT'S EVOLVED AND THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A PERMIT.
THE RESIDENTS ARE SUPER EXCITED.
AND THEY TAKE OVER THE STREET.
SO THAT, I THINK THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS OF GETTING A PERMIT AND MAY MAYBE WE, WE ALL HAVE TO BE MORE DISCIPLINED.
I SAY THIS AS US ELECTEDS, WHEN WE GET THESE LAST MINUTE REQUESTS, WE ALL HAVE TO BE MORE DISCIPLINED, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN REALLY ADHERING TO A TIMELINE THAT, UH, IS FAIR FOR OUR PROCESS AND OUR PLANNING.
AND I'M SURE THAT WILL BE PLAYED BACK TO ME ON VIDEO WHEN I BREAK THAT.
UM, FEEL FREE TO DO SO
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE WE, WE JUST HAD A MEETING ABOUT ART DECO WEEKEND WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WHAT THEY SAID ALSO IN IT WAS THE THING THAT'S LIKE THE MOST TAXING IS, UM, IS, UH, THE ROAD CLOSURES.
AND SO IS THERE A WAY TO, UM, RETHINK HOW PERMITTED, HOW, HOW EVENTS ARE ABLE TO CLOSE OUR ROADS.
LIKE IF YOU WANNA DO AN EVENT WHERE THERE'S NO ROAD CLOSURE, THEN THAT'S ONE SORT OF CATEGORY OF, OF FEES.
BUT IF YOU'RE, OR TIMEFRAMES OR WHATEVER.
BUT IF YOU HAVE AN EVENT THAT WHERE THERE ARE GONNA BE ROAD CLOSURES, SINCE THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ISSUE OF MANPOWER PERSON POWER AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LAST MINUTE CHAOS,
[01:25:01]
MAYBE THAT IS AT A, AT A HIGHER, YOU KNOW, THERE MAYBE THERE'S A SURCHARGE FOR THAT THAT GETS USED TO DEFRAY SOME OF THE COSTS OR ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THE LAYOUT OF THEIR EVENT.SO IT DIDN'T, IT WOULDN'T REQUIRE AS MANY ROAD CLOSURES.
I, I DON'T KNOW, THIS IS NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE.
I JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS.
WE HAVE PEOPLE SAYING WE WOULD LIKE TO USE OUR RESOURCES WITHOUT HAVING TO ELBOW OTHER PEOPLE OUTTA THE WAY.
AND WE HAVE OUR LIFE SAFETY FOLKS SAYING WE ARE REALLY TAXED.
AND IT'S, IT'S AN ISSUE FOR RECRUITING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN WORK HERE AND BE A MIAMI MIAMI BEACH POLICE OFFICER OR FIREFIGHTER, BUT YOU HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, WORK, WORK-LIFE BALANCE TRADE OFFS.
SO I'M TRYING TO THINK HOLISTICALLY ABOUT THIS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY BRILLIANT IDEAS.
I'M LOOKING TO THE CROWD FOR THAT.
WELL LET, LET'S STICK WITH THE CHIEF THEME, ASSISTANT CHIEF
UH, GOOD MORNING, UH, MR. CHAIR.
COMMISSIONER, ASSISTANT CHIEF SAM GR UH, I RUN ART DECO.
I ALSO RUN ART BASEL AND ALL THESE SPECIAL EVENTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THESE ARE ALL BASICALLY VOLUNTEER OFFICERS.
THEY'RE ALL OFF DUTY, SO WE'RE NOT FORCING ANYBODY TO COME WORK THOSE EVENTS.
WE PUT ON, UH, AN, UH, AN EMAIL WHO WANTS TO WORK.
AND WE SHOULD BE SURPRISED HOW MANY OFFICERS VOLUNTEER TO WORK THIS TO THE POINT THAT WE HAVE A LIST THAT NOT EVERYBODY GETS TO WORK IT.
THE TWO BIGGEST ONES FOR US, AS YOU KNOW, IS SPRING BREAK AND MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
THOSE WE HAVE TO BASICALLY CHANGE THEIR, OUR OFFICER'S CALENDARS AND THEY TOLD 'EM I CAN'T GO ON VACATION.
AND THOSE WERE THEIR, THOSE, THOSE EVENTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT MOST OF THESE OTHER ONES, ALL THOSE SPECIAL EVENTS ARE DONE WITH, UH, VOLUNTEER OFFICERS WORKING IN AN OFF DUTY CAPACITY.
SO WHERE DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS COMMISSIONER? UM, I GUESS WE'LL MARK IT CLOSED AND HEARD.
WE CAN HEAR, UH, WE CAN HEAR THE, UM, SHOW THE ITEM HEARD AND CLOSED.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY BRILLIANT IDEAS OF HOW TO SORT OF LESSEN THE IMPACT OR SLOW THE FLOW OF MID-SIZE EVENTS.
I KNOW A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO PREPARING THIS AND I APPRECIATE THAT AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
HOW ABOUT, UH, ITEM NUMBER 22? UH, I THINK THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION.
CAN WE HEAR THAT THE DISCUSSED, UH, NEXT STEPS FOR FUNDING THE PINE TREE DRIVE IN 46TH STREET? 5 0 0 0.
UH, I'M SORRY, WHICH ONE? NUMBER 22 IS THE MIGHT BEACH SUMMER CAMP.
UH, PERHAPS I'M ON A PREVIOUS ONE IS, UH, 21 OR 22.
SORRY, WHICH ITEM YOU LOOKING FOR? UM, PINE TREE IS 21.
[21. DISCUSS NEXT STEPS AND FUNDING FOR THE PINE TREE DRIVE AND 46 STREET TRAFFIC CIRCLE PROJECT.]
PINE TREE DRIVE, 2121.DISCUSS NEXT STEPS FOR FUNDING FOR PINE TREE DRIVE AND 46TH STREET.
YEAH, DAVID, WELCOME MR. CHAIR.
DAVID GOMEZ, INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, THE PINE TREE DRIVE TRAFFIC CIRCLE PROJECT IS ONE THAT BEGAN WITH A JOINT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY TO DO SOME GEOMETRIC MODIFICATIONS AT THE INTERSECTION OF PINE TREE DRIVE AND 46TH STREET.
IT, UH, IT GOT ITS GENESIS THROUGH SOME CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC SAFETY IN THE AREA.
UH, AND THAT WAS A, A PROPOSED SOLUTION.
WE DID ENGAGE A CONSULTANT TO BEGIN THE DESIGN, WHO THEY DEVELOPED A, UH, SINGLE DUAL LANE ROUNDABOUT AS A SOLUTION.
WHEN WE MET WITH THE ADJOINING RESIDENTS, THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE ROUNDABOUT.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, THERE'S ONE IN CORAL GABLES THAT IS THE SAME GEOMETRY.
UM, BECAUSE OF THAT CONCERN, WE DID MEET WITH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, OUR DEPARTMENT, UH, AND THE RESIDENTS.
AND WE, UH, LOOKED AT ALTERNATIVES TO THAT DUAL LANE ROUNDABOUT AND, AND LOOKING AT HOW WE COULD DO IT WITH A SINGLE LANE.
UH, BECAUSE THE SINGLE LANE ROUNDABOUT REQUIRES MERGING AND MERGE DISTANCES, IT EXPANDED THE FOOTPRINT OF THE PROJECT, UH, TO INCLUDE NOW A, A SECOND CIRCLE AT 47TH STREET IN PINE TREE, UH, THAT IS, AND, AND IT'S IN YOUR, YOUR PACKAGE SHOWS THE, UH, PROPOSED LAYOUT BY EXPANDING THE LIMITS OF THE PROJECT AND CREATING THAT SECOND CIRCLE.
OBVIOUSLY THE COST OF THE PROJECT INCREASED.
WE WENT BACK TO THE COUNTY BECAUSE IT IS A COUNTY ASSET.
IT IS A COUNTY, UH, RIGHT OF WAY.
UH, AND DISCUSSED WITH THEM THE, THE POTENTIAL WE HAD TO SHOW THEM THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS WHICH THEY HAVE APPROVED.
THEY DID GO BACK AND FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE PROJECT.
[01:30:01]
ASSET.THE, WE DID GO THROUGH AND SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE FY 25 BUDGET PROCESS, A REQUEST FOR THE SHORTFALL.
UM, BUT IT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED, NUMBER ONE BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE ASK.
AND NUMBER TWO, BECAUSE IT IS A COUNTY RIGHT OF WAY AND A COUNTY RESPONSIBILITY, IT IS A PROGRAM FOR POTENTIAL FY 26.
WHAT IS THAT, UH, FINANCIAL ASK THAT WOULD BE BORNE BY OUR CITY.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING FOR A TOTAL CITY CONTRIBUTION OF THREE POINT, ALMOST TWO 3 MILLION 1 78.
IF I CAN JUST, THIS, THIS PROJECT IS LISTED IN OUR CIP, UH, IT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO MOVE FORWARD, I THINK ON THE PROJECT.
I DUNNO IF DAVID WANTS TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT.
SO THIS WOULD BE A $6.4 MILLION? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND, AND WHAT DRIVES THAT? I, IS THAT, IS THAT HOW WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THE COST OF TRAFFIC CIRCLES IN GENERAL? ARE THERE NUANCES, UH, ABOUT THE LOCATION HERE THAT MAKE THIS, UH, SO COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED? ONE OF THE CHALLENGES HERE IS BECAUSE THE DESIGN INVOLVES, UH, A SINGLE LANE ROUNDABOUT.
THE MERGE DISTANCE REQUIRED BECAUSE IT IS A TWO LANE ROAD TO GET DOWN TO ONE LANE PUSHES THE FOOTPRINT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
SO IT'S A MUCH LARGER PROJECT.
AND BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN 46TH AND 47TH STREET, WE HAD TO ADDRESS THAT INTERSECTION IN THE MERGE LENGTH AS WELL.
SO I WANT TO THINK AHEAD AND, AND I WANT INPUT FROM MY COLLEAGUES HERE BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING, AS I UNDERSTAND THOUGH, I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED WORK TRAFFIC COMING REQUESTED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR YEARS AND THEY'VE KIND OF BEEN GIVEN THE, UH, YOU KNOW, GO ROUND FOR YEARS NOW.
I I, I WAS TRYING TO STOP MYSELF FROM DOING THAT.
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT THE FOURTH PUN OF THE DAY,
SO I WAS ACTIVELY TRYING NOT TO DO THAT.
UM, SAILING, WE WANNA BRING TRAFFIC ON MEASURES TO THIS AREA.
IT'S BEEN, UH, HEARD BY THE COMMUNITY, BUT I CAN'T SIT HERE WITH A STRAIGHT FACE AND SAY, WE'RE GONNA PRIORITIZE $3.2 MILLION IN THE 2026 BUDGET.
AND I DON'T WANT TO JUST KEEP KICKING THIS DOWN THE ROAD AND SAY, AH, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE SITTING HERE A YEAR FROM NOW AND SAYING, WELL, WE'LL DO THIS IN 2027.
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE $3.2 MILLION WHERE WE SAY GO DO THIS FOR THAT.
SO I WANT TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRAFFIC COMING HERE, BUT ARE THERE MORE VIABLE, UH, GOT YOU PROMISES, MORE VIABLE SOLUTIONS THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT ARE PERHAPS COST EFFECTIVE.
AND COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ FERNANDEZ, UM, JASON HAD A REALLY INTERESTING SLIDE WHEN HE WAS GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET.
WHAT WERE THE PERCENTAGES THAT WE SPEND? NORTH BEACH, SOUTH BEACH, MID BEACH? I DON'T RECALL OFF THE TOP, TOP OF MY HEAD.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S DIFFERENT BASED ON POLICE CODE AND, AND, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT I BELIEVE, AND, AND THAT WAS A COMMISSIONER BOT'S ITEM, AND MYSELF AND TAMIKA WORKED WITH HER ON THAT.
AND I THINK THAT IT WAS PRETTY FAIRLY, IF I RECALL, AND COMMISSIONER BOT WILL JUMP IN IF I'M OFF.
AND ACTUALLY, I THINK THERE WAS A, A SURPRISES.
IT WAS NOT, IT WAS LIKE MID BEACH HAD SOMETHING LIKE 12% SPENT ON THEM.
IT WAS SOMETHING IT DEPENDED ON THE SERVICE.
IT, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS VERY, VERY LOW FOR MID BEACH.
MEANING THAT WE REALLY, WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY, WE SPEND ALMOST NOTHING ON MID BEACH.
UH, AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, NO, IT, I, I'M TELLING YOU THAT SLIDE, I NEED TO GET A COPY OF THAT SLIDE BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAW THE PERCENTAGES, IT WAS VERY SHOCKING.
UM, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW WE'RE SPENDING, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MID BEACH, YOU KNOW, WANTS, I MEAN, THAT'S WHY I WAS SO HAPPY THAT WE'RE FINALLY, UM, PRESSURE CLEANING SIDEWALKS IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA FINALLY SEE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING SOME MONEY THERE.
AND I'VE ACTUALLY NOTICED, AND I DON'T KNOW WHO'S DOING THE SIDEWALKS ON ALTON ROAD, THANK GOODNESS THAT SOME, IS THAT US OR IS THAT THE STATE? UP AND DOWN? ALTON, YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE, UH, FIXING SIDEWALKS.
OH, IT'S THE COUNTY, RIGHT? IT'S A COUNTY JURISDICTION.
IT'S NOT, IT'S A ALTON ROAD IS A STATE ROAD.
YES, IT'S A STATE ROAD THAT IS BEING COR UH, FIXED BY ATION.
WE FINALLY, YOU'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR SIDEWALKS FIXED, SO IT'S THE STATE DOING IT.
BUT THE POINT, POINT IS, IS WHEN WE LOOKED AT OVERALL SPENDING COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, AND THE ONLY REASON THAT I WOULD CONSIDER ENTERTAINING THIS IS THAT LITERALLY WE'RE NOT SPENDING ANY MONEY IN MID BEACH COMPARED TO NORTH AND SOUTH.
IF I CAN, I JUST GOT A, A TEXT FROM OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR IS 29% OF OUR CIP IS IN MID BEACH.
AND THEN, OKAY, WHAT ARE THE OTHER, WHAT ARE THE PERCENTAGES FOR SOUTH I I'LL WAIT FOR THE TEXT MAIL.
WELL ANYWAY, I WOULD GUESS AROUND A THIRD, BUT YES.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS WAY, WAY LOWER.
YEAH, IT, IT SIMPLY IS, YOU KNOW, DO WE GET, IS THE JUICE WORTH THE SQUEEZE FOR THIS? OR CAN WE FIND MORE COST EFFECTIVE MEASURES THAN
[01:35:01]
$6.4 MILLION? YOU KNOW, COUNTY MONEY IS STILL TAXPAYER MONEY.UH, COM WELL, WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
DO WE WANT TO TALK OR DO WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC FIRST 20 AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK WITH OUR DISCUSSION? WELL, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM, FROM THE PUBLIC, JUST BECAUSE WHAT MY COMMENT WAS, I REALLY HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC AND ANY SUPPORT FOR THIS CIRCLE.
I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY EMAILS.
I'VE HEARD TRADITIONALLY THAT THIS CIRCLE AT THIS LOCATION HASN'T MOVED FORWARD BECAUSE IT'S BEEN IN FACT, CONTROVERSIAL WITH THE NEIGHBORS AND THAT THE NEIGHBORS IN FACT DON'T NECESSARILY SUPPORT THIS.
UM, AND SO AND SO WITH ME, I, I MEAN, I JUST HAVE TREMENDOUS LEVEL OF HESITATION, YOU KNOW, PUTTING SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO SOMETHING THAT I REALLY HAVEN'T HEARD, YOU KNOW, PASSION ABOUT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, MR. CHAIR, I, I DEFER TO YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, YEAH.
UH, DAVID, GO AHEAD REAL QUICK.
'CAUSE I SAW YOU PUT YOUR HAND UP AND THEN I WANNA HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ESSENTIALLY HAVING THIS IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR THAT IT JUST THEN BECOMES LIKE, DO WE CONTINUE HAVING IT SAYING, AH, WE'RE GONNA PUT IT NEXT YEAR, NOT PRIORITIZING? OR DO WE FIND SOMETHING THAT'S MORE COST EFFICIENT? DAVID MARTINEZ, GO AHEAD.
YES, UH, GOOD MORNING, UH, MR. CHAIR.
I JUST WANT TO, UH, CLARIFY WHAT DIRECTION ADMINISTRATION SEEKING IN GENERAL.
THERE'S, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UH, CLEARLY THE FUNDING COMPONENT.
DO WE WANNA FUND THE ADDITIONAL GAP THAT WE HAVE LEFT, UH, AFTER THE COUNTY HAS PUT FORTH THEIR SHARE? BUT THE FIRST THING THAT WE WANNA GET DIRECTION AND GET YOUR OPINION ON THIS IS IT'S, THIS IS A COUNTY RIGHT OF WAY.
THERE'S SOME CON THERE'S CONDITIONS ON THIS ROAD THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
HOWEVER, DO WE AS A CITY WANT TO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CORRECTING, UM, THESE CONDITIONS ON A COUNTY RIGHT OF WAY DESPITE THEM OFFERING THESE FUNDS? UM, THEY HAVE PROFFERED AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORIGINAL JOINT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT OF 500,000 AS DAVID GOMEZ MENTIONED, OF ANOTHER 2.8 AND CHANGE, BRINGING UP THEIR TOTAL CONTRIBUTION TO OVER $3.3 MILLION.
THEY, THE NEXT STEP IS THEY'RE EXPECTING US TO EXECUTE THIS AMENDMENT TO THE JPA, WHICH THE COMMISSION WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE, AND THEN THAT WOULD GO BACK TO THEIR BOARD, TO THE COUNTY'S BOARD FOR THEM TO APPROVE THAT, AND THE MONEY WOULD BE IN.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS, DO WE WANT TO TAKE THIS ON OR, OR, OR LOOK AT, AT IT FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE AND, AND THROUGH, I'M NOT ASKING READ A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT I AM THAT 3.2 OR $3.6 MILLION FROM THE COUNTY THAT IS PROJECT SPECIFIC.
SO IT'S NOT AS IF THEY'RE SAYING, HERE'S $3.6 MILLION, GO DO THE BEST THAT YOU CAN WITH IT.
SO IF WE CAME BACK WITH A TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECT THAT COST $4 MILLION, THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SLASH THEIR ALLOCATION.
IT'S NOT JUST THE ABSOLUTE POT OF MONEY.
IT, IT, IT IS A, A PROJECT SPECIFIC, UH, FUNDING, UH, PROVISION THAT THEY HAVE GIVEN.
LET, LET'S HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
CAN I JUST ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
SO I KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, IN, IN THE QUEST TO DO THE BEST POSSIBLE JOB TO FIX AN ISSUE, UM, WE SOMETIMES HAVE A TENDENCY TO PUT IN THE MAXIMAL SOLUTION, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ROAD RAISING A DECADE AGO, IT'S LIKE, LET'S RAISE IT TO THE 50 YEAR LEVEL BECAUSE THAT IS THE BEST USE OF FUNDS AND IT'LL FIX IT FOR HALF A CENTURY.
BUT MAYBE ROAD RAISING FOR 20 YEARS IS ACTUALLY BETTER NOW BECAUSE WE'LL NEED TO GO BACK IN AND FIX THE ROADS ANYHOW, RIGHT? AND SO I, IT, WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE IN NORTH BEACH WHERE THERE'S A, A TRAFFIC CALMING SITUATION THAT WAS PROPOSED TO BE SOLVED BY, UM, A ROUNDABOUT THAT WOULD TAKE OUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF PARKING SPOTS.
AND IN FACT, AN ADEQUATE SOLUTION, A GOOD SOLUTION, UM, IS A LESS IMPACTFUL SOLUTION, RIGHT? SO IS THIS SOLUTION THE ROUNDABOUT, THE MAXIMAL VERSION OF A SOLUTION? OR COULD THERE BE TRAFFIC COMING, WHICH DEFINITELY NEEDS TO HAPPEN WITH A LESSER, LESS EXPENSIVE, LESS IMPACTFUL, UM, UH, SOLUTION? AND IF IT IS A LESSER, NOT A, NOT LESSER AS IN IT WON'T BE GOOD ENOUGH, BUT JUST LESS IT LESS AS SPINAL TAP WOULD PUT IT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO TO 11, RIGHT? IT CAN GO TO NINE OR 10 AND BE REALLY GOOD.
UM, AND IF, IF THERE IS A NINE OR 10 SOLUTION INSTEAD OF AN 11 SOLUTION, WOULD WE LOSE THE COUNTY MATCHING FUNDS? UM, I WILL BEGIN THE, THE RESPONSE IN A, I'LL PROBABLY NEED DAVID GOMEZ AND JOSE TO JUMP IN ON SOME OF THE DETAILS.
UM, YES, THIS SOLUTION IS THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION.
THIS WOULD BE IN THEORY, THE, THE, THE OVERALL FIX.
UH, OVER THE YEARS WHEN WE FIRST STARTED LOOKING AT THIS INTER AT THIS INTERSECTION, THE, THE CITY
[01:40:02]
PROPOSED OTHER LESS, UH, IMPACTFUL OR OR LESS COSTLY, UH, ALTERNATIVES.AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS, AND THIS IS WHERE I'M GONNA TURN TO DAVID AND JOSE, THE COUNTY WAS NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVE THAT, UH, WE WERE CONTEMPLATING.
UM, SO DAVID, AND THAT IS ACCURATE.
THE, WE, WE LOOKED AT, AT SOLUTIONS AS SIMPLE AS RUMBLE STRIPS OR SPEED BUMPS, WE RECEIVED HUGE PUSHBACK FROM RESIDENTS IN THE AREA THAT THAT WASN'T AN APPROPRIATE SOLUTION FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE DISCOMFORT OF DRIVING OVER THEM, BUT THE NOISE IT CREATES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE LOOKED AT THE SINGLE DUAL LANE ROUNDABOUT, WHICH WOULD BE A MORE ECONOMICAL SOLUTION, BUT RECEIVED HUGE PUSHBACK FROM THE ADJACENT RESIDENTS BECAUSE THE FOOTPRINT WAS JUST TOO BIG.
UM, SO THAT'S HOW WE WOUND UP WITH THIS SOLUTION.
AND I'LL LET JOSE ADD, JOSE, BEFORE YOU GO ON, LET'S HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, I'D LIKE SOME CONTEXT, UH, TO HOW THIS CAME TO FRUITION AND HOW THE RESIDENTS FEEL ABOUT THIS.
MATT AMSTER, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MATT, WITH THE LAW FIRM OF BERK, HOWARD DEL FERNANDEZ PAPEZ, UM, HERE ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE NEIGHBORS THAT LIVE RIGHT CLOSE TO 46TH STREET ON PINE TREE DRIVE, UH, THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED, UH, THE SPEEDING VEHICLES FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND ALSO A NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS.
AND, UH, DEFINITELY KNOW FIRSTHAND THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT EXIST AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEIR CITY AND APPRECIATE THE STAFF'S, UH, ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE PROCESS TO TRY TO COME UP WITH APPROPRIATE, UH, TRAFFIC CALMING.
UH, I THINK OVERALL, UH, TO COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS ARE DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF A TRAFFIC CALMING.
UH, BUT WE, UH, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DONE IN THE APPROPRIATE MANNER, UH, NOT ONLY FOR THE FOOTPRINT SIZE OF WHAT IS PROPOSED, UH, BUT ITS FUNCTIONALITY.
UH, A TWO-LANE ROUNDABOUT WILL BE, UM, NOT JUST WIDE AND TAKE UP TOO MUCH ROOM, BUT NOT DO THE, UH, FULL EFFECT OF SLOWING VEHICLES DOWN.
AND ALSO CAN CREATE CONFUSION FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE AREA FOR HOW TO, UH, NAVIGATE, UH, TWO LANE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO HAVE THE SAFEST CONFIGURATION.
UH, AND, UH, I DID PASS ON THREE WRITTEN LETTERS, BUT THERE ARE MORE NEIGHBORS.
UH, I SENT THEM BY EMAIL TO EVERYONE THIS MORNING, UH, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE AT LEAST IMPART OUR SUPPORT.
AND, UH, WE ARE HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO MEET WITH STAFF AND EVEN THE COUNTY TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THIS, UH, FUNDING HAPPEN AND BE A REALITY.
UH, AND I KNOW AT LEAST ONE OTHER, UH, NEIGHBOR SHOULD BE ON THE CALL TO VOICE, UH, THEIR THOUGHTS ON THIS AS WELL.
JAMIE RACK, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UH, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES.
UH, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA ASSUME YES UNLESS OTHERWISE TOLD SO, SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, YEAH, I WANT TO OBVIOUSLY ECHO EVERYTHING MATT SAYS.
I'M, I'M PROBABLY THE MOST AFFECTED, UM, NEIGHBOR, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THIS PROJECT, WHETHER IT WAS THE OLD FORMAT OR THE, OR THE CURRENT ONE, BECAUSE MY HOUSE IS EXACTLY ON THE, UH, IT'S ON THE, THE CIRCLE OF THE ROUNDABOUT.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S OF PERSONAL INTEREST TO ME.
BUT, BUT I I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, WE MOVED INTO THE OUR HOUSE, UH, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, AND THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN A STRING OF ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THE CHICANE THAT EXISTS, UH, AROUND, UH, 45TH STREET.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE PROBLEM IS IT'S A, CURRENTLY, IT'S A TWO LANE ROAD, AND THE CARS GET EXCITED, LIKE THEY'RE GONNA DRIVE ON A HIGHWAY AFTER THEY CROSS THE LIGHT AT ARTHUR GODFREY, AND THEY SPEED THROUGH THERE AND THERE'S A, A CHICANE, WHICH I THINK IS MARKED AS A 20 MILE AN HOUR SLOWDOWN, AND THEY IGNORE IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY TEND TO WIND UP MANGLED OR THEIR CARS MANGLED IN, IN THE FRONT YARD OF EITHER MY HOUSE OR, OR MY TWO NEIGHBORS TO THE SOUTH.
UM, SO, SO YOU HAVE THREE, THREE NEIGHBORS WHO ARE EXTREMELY WORRIED ABOUT THE, THE SAFETY CONFIGURATION.
WE WERE SHOWN THE, THE TWO LANE ROUNDABOUT.
I HAVE THE, THE MISFORTUNE OF, OF HAVING A MASTER'S DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING.
AND, AND, UH, UH, AS A RESULT, I HIRED OUR OWN TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
WE ALL AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM WITH HAVING TWO LANES IS, YOU KNOW, UNLESS PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY WILLING TO FOLLOW TRAFFIC RULES, THEY'RE JUST GONNA SPLIT THE MIDDLE OF THE TWO LANE ROUNDABOUT AND DRIVE THROUGH ABOUT AS FAST AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
AND THAT NARROWING THE, THE WHOLE SITUATION TO ONE LANE SOMEWHERE IN ADVANCE OF THAT ACTUALLY SOLVES THE WHOLE PROBLEM.
SO, SO, YOU KNOW, I SPEAK TO ALL THE NEIGHBORS WHO SPOKE TO MOST OF 'EM THIS MORNING.
EVERYBODY IS QUITE IN FAVOR OF THE IDEA OF A, A SINGLE LANE, UH, ROUNDABOUT HERE, UH, WOULD BE HUGELY IMPORTANT FOR, FOR SAFETY PURPOSES.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE NEIGHBORS, EVERYBODY'S GOT LITTLE OPINIONS ON THIS OR THAT, AND,
[01:45:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION THEM.UH, PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE.
UM, BUT ARE, ARE, LET'S SAY A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THE CONFIGURATION.
YOU, JAMIE, THE MEDIAN, OH, SORRY, NATALIE FOR ANOTHER JAMIE.
ANYBODY ELSE? THERE'S ONE MORE PLEASE.
MISSIER CALLER IDENTIFIED AS CALLER, END USER ONE, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONER.
MY NAME'S MATTHEW HANOFF, AND I WANT TO CALL AND SPEAK ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
AS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND AS SOME OF THE OTHER CALLERS HAVE MENTIONED, THERE'VE BEEN A NUMBER OF CRASHES AT, AT, IN THIS GENERAL VICINITY THAT RESULTED IN DEATHS OR FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES.
UM, SO WHILE THE PRICE HAS REALLY BALLOONED, I'VE SEEN SOME, UH, I SEE SOME IDEAS WHERE IT COULD BE SIMPLIFIED INSTEAD OF TWO ROUNDABOUTS, IT COULD BE ONE ROUNDABOUT AND, UH, SOME OTHER RECONFIGURATION.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THIS BE ADDRESSED AND BE ADDRESSED QUICKLY SO THAT THERE ARE NO MORE FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, RIGHT, LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF THERE'S WAYS TO SIMPLIFY IT SO THAT IT RESULTS IN THOSE DESIRED REDUCTIONS IN SPEEDS AND ALSO SIMPLIFIES.
AND PERHAPS EVEN YOU, YOU REMOVE, UH, ONE OF THE TRAFFIC CIRCLES, THE ONE AT 46TH STREET TO HELP REDUCE THE COST.
I THINK IT'S, UH, IMPERATIVE TO HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY REACH ITS DESIRED VISION ZERO AS WELL IN THE FUTURE.
YEAH, HEY, I, I WASN'T, I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE MORE TIME THAN I'M ENTITLED TO, BUT I WASN'T SURE IF YOU GUYS HEARD ME SINCE IT'S SORT OF CUT OUT IN THE MIDDLE.
BUT, UH, IF I'M ALLOWED TO KEEP TALKING, I'LL TALK FOR ONE MORE MINUTE, JAMIE, PLEASE THE TALK FOR ANOTHER MINUTE.
THAT, UH, SO, SO YEAH, THE, THERE'S AN ISSUE OF FINANCING HERE, AND THE NEIGHBORS WANT TO COOPERATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
I'LL KIND OF CUT TO THE CHASE.
UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S SOME WILLINGNESS, I WOULD SAY, FOR PARTICIPATION AT, AT LEAST AMONG THE, THE, UM, EAST SIDE OF THE STREET NEIGHBORS TO, UM, COVER SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME AND THREE, $3 MILLION, PRETTY MUCH.
BUT SOME OF THE COST OF THE, UH, THE LANDSCAPING, BECAUSE EVERYBODY PERCEIVES THE LANDSCAPING TO BE QUITE AN IMPROVEMENT.
AND I, FOR ONE, WOULD GLADLY PAY MY FAIR SHARE OF IT.
AND THEN THE OTHER SUGGESTION THAT WE HAD WAS, SINCE THIS CREATES BERMS, LARGER BERMS ON, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS, I DON'T THINK MUCH FOR ME, BUT FOR OTHERS, IT CREATES MUCH LARGER BERMS IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE.
I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY TO STRUCTURE SOMETHING WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE AIR RIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE BERMS ARE SOLD TO THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORS, WHICH I THINK THERE WOULD BE SOME WILLINGNESS TO DO, WHICH WOULD COVER PROBABLY A LOT OF THE COST.
RIGHT? AND IF I'M NOT MAKING SENSE, PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS IS IN A MEETING WITH, WITH STAFF, BUT WE'RE ALL VERY, UH, WE'RE ALL, WE'RE ALL VERY OPEN TO THOSE IDEAS, ESPECIALLY IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DESIGN.
YEAH, JAMIE, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I, FOR ONE, WOULD LOVE TO HAVE KIND OF A COLLABORATIVE SESSION, UH, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WITH STAFF TO SEE WHAT IS FEASIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE, UH, PREVIOUS GENTLEMAN, UH, MATT AMSTER'S ON THE PHONE AS WELL, THAT SAID HE REPRESENTED A BUNCH OF NEIGHBORS.
BUT, UM, I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO PUT OUR THINKING CAPS ON RECOGNIZE, UH, AS MR. GATTOV SAID, SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY IS NECESSARY HERE.
UH, BUT HOW WE PROCEED IN A MANNER THAT IS COST EFFICIENT.
PLEASE, CAN YOU JUST, I, I'M SORRY IF I'VE MISSED THIS, BUT DOES PINE TREE BECOME ONE WAY IN EACH DIRECTION AS A RESULT OF THIS? NO, IT, IT'S A DIVIDED HIGHWAY.
IT HAS A MEDIAN IN THE MIDDLE.
SO IT'S TWO LANES ON EACH SIDE.
NO, NO, I KNOW IT'S A DIVIDED HIGHWAY, BUT IS IT, DOES IT REMAIN TWO LANES ON EITHER SIDE? IT WILL WITH THE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MERGE, YES.
SO I KNOW THIS IS A DUMB QUESTION, BUT THAT NEVER STOPS ME.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A SPEEDING PROBLEM.
I MEAN, JUSTIN BIEBER TOTALED HIS CAR YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS LIVING A BLOCK AWAY.
UH, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T IT ALSO MAKE SENSE TO CHANGE THIS TO A ONE WAY DIVIDED HIGHWAY, UH, ONE LANE ON EACH SIDE OF THE DIVIDED MIDDLE? AND THEN YOU WOULDN'T NEED SUCH A COMPLEX ROUNDABOUT.
YOU WOULD SLOW THE SPEEDS BY DEFINITION, YOU WOULD PUT IN A TON MORE GREEN SPACE AND BIOSWALES AND, AND, AND BE ABLE TO DO A LOT MORE AND BETTER FOR RESILIENCY ISSUES.
UM, IT IS, THAT IS OUR BIGGEST ISSUE, IS THAT IT GETS, IT'S USED AS A, AS A RACETRACK.
SO WAS THAT CONSIDERED AND DISMISSED? AM I MISSING SOMETHING? YEAH, AND, AND I'LL ECHO THAT.
OF COURSE, I'M LOOKING HERE AS A COMPLETE LAY
[01:50:01]
PERSON.UM, BUT AS SOMEBODY MAKING A LEFT, UH, FROM 46TH STREET ONTO PINE TREE DRIVE, I'M GUESSING THAT'S WHERE IT BECOMES KIND OF A RACETRACK.
AND IF WE WOULD, EVEN IF IT'S NOT FOR THE ENTIRETY OF PINE TREE DRIVE, BUT UH, GOING NORTH ON THE LANE THAT IS ON THE EASTBOUND, IF WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY EASE INTO A TWO-WAY STREET.
SO RIGHT AT THAT TURN, BASICALLY HAVE IT A ONE WAY STREET SO PEOPLE CAN'T JUST GO AT ANY SPEED, UH, POSSIBLE.
WE, WE COULD FILL THAT IN WITH GREEN SPACE, WITH PALM TREES, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
UM, JUST SOMETHING THAT PROVIDES SOME SORT OF TRAFFIC EASING.
AND AS THEY MAKE THAT TURN ONTO PINE TREE, I MEAN, I, I LIVED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD A BLOCK, A COUPLE BLOCKS AWAY FROM THERE AND, UM, FOR, FOR 13 YEARS.
AND IT, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT THE, THE TURN GETS REALLY CONGESTED, BUT THE STREET ITSELF, UM, DOESN'T GET BACKED UP THE WAY OTHER STREETS DO.
I, I MEAN I THINK PART OF THE CONVERSATION, AND MAYBE THIS DOES NEED TO GO BACK TO THE COLLABORATIVE DRAWING BOARD, UM, TO LOOK AT A MORE HOLISTIC SOLUTION AND JUST MAKE IT ONE WAY, UM, ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION, AND THEN THAT SIMPLIFIES THE, THE ROUNDABOUTS.
IT, IT IMPROVES RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES.
AND MAYBE THE COUNTY WOULD BE STILL WILLING TO MATCH IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE HIGHEST BEST VERSION OF A ROUNDABOUT, BUT IT IS A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, HOLISTIC SOLUTION.
SO FROM A, FROM A TRAFFIC ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE, I, I DO AGREE.
I THINK IT'S PRUDENT, GIVEN THE CONCERNS WITH THE PROJECT ITSELF AND AS WELL AS THE COST ESCALATION THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WITH THIS PROJECT, I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO RE HUDDLE AND, AND SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER VIABLE ALTERNATIVES OUT THERE, UH, THAT WOULD BE LESS COSTLY AND PERHAPS JUST AS, OR EVEN IF IT'S NOT AS EFFECTIVE, BUT SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE FEASIBLE AND AND VIABLE.
AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO COORDINATE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE, THE COUNTY WOULD NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE.
UH, THE OTHER, UH, ONE THING I WANNA MENTION, SO, UM, COM COMMISSIONER BOT, TO YOUR POINT, YES.
THIS SECTION IS A, IS THE TWO-WAY SECTION OF PINE TREE.
THERE ARE TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION.
WHILE THE CIRCLE WOULD, UH, REDUCE THIS AREA TO ONE LANE, THE REST WOULD STILL BE TWO LANES.
IN ORDER TO LOOK AT REDUCING THE ENTIRE TWO, UM, TWO WAY SECTION TO EITHER ONE WAY OR ONE LANE, OR TWO WAY, BUT ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION INSTEAD OF, OF TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, THAT WOULD REQUIRE A WHOLE SEPARATE, UH, TRAFFIC STUDY THAN WHAT WAS DONE BACK IN 2020.
FOR THIS CIRCLE, THE STUDY THAT WAS DONE FOR THIS CIRCLE THAT RECOMMENDED THIS CIRCLE WAS VERY FOCUSED AT, UH, THE INTERSECTION, JUST THE INTERSECTION OF 46TH STREET, AND THEN IT WAS EXPANDED TO 47 STREETS.
SO IT WAS A VERY FOCUSED TRAFFIC STUDY THAT REALLY DIDN'T LOOK AT A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
UH, BECAUSE IT IS A SIGNALED INTERSECTION, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT MANY OPTIONS FOR A, FOR AN INTERSECTION ITSELF.
IT'S EITHER, YOU KNOW, YOU REMOVE THE SIGNAL, BUT THEN WHAT DO YOU PUT, YOU COULD PUT STOP SIGNS, YOU COULD PUT A TRAFFIC CIRCLE.
SO THERE AREN'T A LOT OF OPTIONS.
THAT'S WHY THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE WAS SORT OF THE DEFAULT, UH, OPTION, IF YOU WILL.
BUT, UH, THERE MAY BE WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE, THE ENTIRE SECTION THAT'S, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY, UH, TWO WAY, TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION.
AND JUST AS A SIDE NOTE, WE ARE LOOKING AT, OR WE ARE PROPOSING BICYCLE FACILITIES ALONG PINE TREE DRIVE IN THIS SECTION.
AND IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE A A BIKE FACILITY, UH, IN THIS SECTION, IT'S REALLY GONNA REQUIRE REMOVAL OF A LANE.
SO, WELL, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S SOUNDS LIKE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY THINK HOLISTICALLY ABOUT THIS WHOLE STRETCH, RESILIENCY, MICRO MOBILITY AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, HOW TO, HOW TO IMPROVE THAT TRAFFIC CALMING.
UM, I'D BE REALLY INTERESTED TO GET POLICE DATA ON CRASHES FROM, ON PINE TREE GOING BACK, YOU KNOW, FURTHER SOUTH AND, AND FURTHER NORTH.
UM, I THINK THIS MAY BE A PRO, A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING MORE SUITED TO WHERE WE ARE NOW, AS IN THE DIRECTION WE HAVE GOING FORWARD AS A CITY THAN MAYBE WHERE WE WERE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
UM, I WILL SAY, JUST AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE LOOPS, THE TRAFFIC LIGHT LOOPS YESTERDAY, UM, THE ONE THAT'S THERE NOW, IF YOU'RE COMING TRYING TO GET ONTO PINE TREE GOING NORTH, UM, FROM 46TH STREET, YOU MIGHT WAIT THREE MINUTES.
SO THAT MIGHT NEED TO, TO BE LOOKED AT IN THE INTERIM.
WE'LL CHECK THAT IF I, IF I CAN TO HELP IF LAND SIDE OF MIKE JUST TALKING HERE AS, I THINK PERHAPS WHAT WOULD WORK IS FOR US TO RETURN TO FERC WHEN APPROPRIATE AND FOR THE ADMINISTRATION WILL WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND LOCAL,
[01:55:01]
STATE, THE STAKEHOLDERS TO REVIEW THE PROJECT TO SEE IF WE CAN DELIVER IT AND THE COUNTY CAN DELIVER IT WITHIN ITS, ITS CURRENT BUDGET.RETURN NOT ONLY THE COUNTY, BUT LET'S ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
I, I'M HAPPY TO BE INVOLVED IN SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
FDLT HAS A PROJECT ON ALTON ROAD, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, AND AS PART OF THAT PROJECT, THEY'RE GONNA BE MAKING CERTAIN CHANGES TO, UH, TO, TO, TO ALTON ROAD AS, AS MIGHT BE NECESSARY.
DOES THE CITY CONTRIBUTE TO THAT PROJECT, OR IS THAT, UH, PAID BY FDLT? UH, I'LL ANSWER IT IF I'M WRONG.
SO WILL RUN UP HERE, I BELIEVE IN THERE.
WE, WE, UH, THAT IS FULLY FUNDED BY THE, THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT CONTROLS IT.
THE ONLY CONTRIBUTION THAT'S WHICH YOU WOULD SEE FOR THE DOT IS TO DEAL WITH OUR ASSETS, WHICH WOULD BE LIKE THE BELOW GROUND WATER SOURCE, STORM WATER, UH, TYPE ELEMENTS.
BUT THE ACTUAL ROADWAY PROJECT, IT'S THEIR ROAD.
AND IN THIS CASE, UM, PINE TREE DRIVE IS A COUNTY ASSET.
THIS IS A COUNTY ROAD AND A COUNTY PROJECT.
AND HOW MUCH DOES THE COUNTY HAVE AT THE TABLE RIGHT NOW FOR IT'S, UH, TWO, POSSIBLY HALF THREE.
ABOUT HALF 3.3 MILLION IS WHAT THEY HAVE THE, I THINK THE PROJECT'S GROWN SO MUCH OVER THE YEARS.
SO THE COUNTY IS PUTTING HALF.
AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR US TO CONTRIBUTE APPROXIMATELY HALF, APPROXIMATELY HALF ON THEIR PROJECT.
BUT, BUT THIS IS NOT A PROJECT THAT THE COUNTY INITIATED.
THIS IS A, THIS IS A, A PROJECT THAT WE'VE REQUESTED.
SO UNLIKE THE FDLT PROJECT ON ALTO ROAD, THAT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A PROGRAMMED INITIATIVE OF FDLT HERE, THIS IS DIFFERENT.
THE COUNTY WASN'T PLANNING ON COMING ONTO PINE TREE DRIVE TO ENGAGE IN THIS.
THEY'RE IN FACT RESPONDING TO US, AND THEY'VE FOUND MONEY TO HELP WITH WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
BUT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY HAD PROGRAMMED OR ANTICIPATED TO DO.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
WHEN IT COMES TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS, AND IF THIS CONTINUES TO BE A PROJECT THAT'S THE DESIRE OF THE CITY COMMISSION TO ADVANCE ON, THEN IT'S, THEN IT IS FAIR, THEN IT IS FAIR BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THAT THE COUNTY IS COMING TO US AND TELLING US, HEY, LISTEN, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING WORK ON PINE TREE DRIVE, AND WHAT CHANGES WOULD THE CITY LIKE TO SEE ON PINE TREE DRIVE? AND THEN THEY GOT TO INCORPORATE IT IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT.
THEN, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY SHOULD PAY 100% OF THE COSTS.
BUT THIS IS, THIS IS DIFFERENT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE REQUESTED AS A CITY, UH, THAT THEY'VE, THAT THEY'VE BEEN WILLING TO ACCOMMODATE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS APPRECIATED.
AND I THINK WHEN WE GO TO ANOTHER JURISDICTION, A HIGHER JURISDICTION, WE ASK THEM TO ENGAGE IN A, IN A, IN A PROJECT.
THEY LISTEN TO US, THEY SAY, YES, WE WILL DO IT, AND THEN THEY FIND FUNDING FOR IT.
I THINK IT'S ONLY FAIR THAT THEN WE COME BACK AND WE MATCH THE FUNDING.
AND SO, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
I, THAT'S THAT HEAR HEARING THE COMMENTS FROM THE RESIDENTS WHO CALLED IN WHO WE REPRESENT, KNOWING THAT THIS WAS INITIATED BY THE CITY AND NOT THE COUNTY, AND KNOWING HOW MUCH THE COUNTY HAS FOUND THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO FIND TO SUPPORT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY.
I THINK WE'RE ONLY THEN A GOOD PARTNER.
UM, IF, IF WE COME TO THE TABLE WITH AN EQUAL FUNDING AMOUNT AND, AND THERE ARE NOT A, IT IS NOT AN INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT THE RESIDENTS ON THIS ROAD AND IN THIS AREA PAY.
AND I THINK THE LEAST, UH, AMOUNT THAT WE CAN DO IS ENSURE THAT THEIR IMMEDIATE VICINITY IS, UH, SAFE AND HAS TRAFFIC ON MEASURES AND SOLUTIONS.
SO LET'S ENGAGE IN THOSE COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS.
LET'S SEE, UH, NOW FOUR YEARS LATER, ESSENTIALLY THE BEST OPTIONS GOING FORWARD, BUT I THINK WE COLLECTIVELY AGREE WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING.
I ALSO DON'T WANNA LOSE THE, UH, FUNDING THAT WE HAVE AT THE COUNTY AND THEIR ATTENTION.
UM, SO LET'S REALLY TRY AND MOVE FORWARD IN EXP EXPEDITIOUS MANNER IN THE NEXT, LET'S CALL IT COUPLE OF WEEKS, GET A MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UH, LET'S PUT OUR THINKING CAPS ON ABOUT HOW WE CAN PROVIDE ADEQUATE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES, UH, PERHAPS AT A, A MORE REASONABLE PRICE.
AND WE WILL EVALUATE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DIFFERENT PLETHORA OF ALTERNATIVES AND COME BACK TO THE FERC AND, AND LOOK TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
THAT MAKE SENSE FOR MY COLLEAGUES.
MR. CFO, UH, ARE WE JUST GONNA KEEP THIS OPEN AND CONTINUED WITH THE DIRECTION TO STAFF? YEAH, I THINK, WE'LL, WE'LL SHOW IT TO RETURN WHEN
[02:00:01]
TO FERC WHEN APPROPRIATE, AND THE ADMIN, LIKE I SAID, WE'LL WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND STAKEHOLDERS, REVIEW THE PROJECT, SEE IF IT CAN BE DELIVERED WITHIN BUDGET OR THERE'S EXTRA.UM, AND THAT, THAT'LL BE THAT ITEM.
I WANTED TO JUST FOR THE, FOR THE RECORD, AND I SOMETIMES IF WE MAKE A CORRECT INCORRECT STATEMENT, WE WANNA CORRECT OURSELVES.
AND MID BEACH IS 20% OF CAPITAL, UH, NORTH BEACH 33, AND SOUTH BEACH IS AT 47.
AND I KNOW AS WE DISCUSSED, A LOT OF IT'S 'CAUSE A VAST MAJORITY OF OUR ASSETS ARE IN THE SOUTH BEACH AREA.
BUT I DID WANNA CORRECT, I SAID 29 OUT ON THE CAPITAL.
I WILL LET YOU DECIDE ON THE PUNISHMENT.
WELL, I KNOW, I KNOW IT'S CRAZY.
BUT I DID SEE THE DISCREPANCY AND WHAT WOULD BE INTERESTING, AND ANOTHER CALCULATION THAT I'D LIKE TO DO IN ADDITION TO THAT IS WHEN WE LOOK AT PROPERTY TAX PERCENTAGES AND WE LOOK AT HOW MUCH, UM, MID BEACH, YOU KNOW, PAYS IN VERSUS THE 20% THAT WE'RE GETTING VERSUS SOUTH BEACH AND NORTH BEACH, THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL CALCULATION THAT WE SHOULD DO AS A JUSTIFICATION.
IF WE HAVE TO SPEND THIS MONEY, WE CAN.
YEAH, SO SOUTH BEACH ON TAXES BRINGS IN 53% OF TAXES.
MID BEACH BRINGS IN 31 NORTH BEACH BRINGS IN 16.
UH, COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ,
[16. DISCUSS DISCOUNTING FEES FOR THE EXISTING BUILDING RE-CERTIFICATION APPLICATION PROCESSING FEES TO INCENTIVIZE PROPERTY OWNERS TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER.]
WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 16.UH, WITH EVERYTHING COMING UP WITH THE, UH, CERTIFICATIONS OF, UH, BUILDINGS AND THINGS LIKE THIS AND, YOU KNOW, OUR RESIDENTS BEING COST BURDEN, I THINK THIS IS SUCH A, A CRITICAL MANNER.
SO WHY DON'T I TURN THIS OVER AND ALLOW YOU TO INTRODUCE THIS.
I'LL, I'LL READ NUMBER 16, 16, DISCUSS DISCOUNTING FEES FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS, RECERTIFICATION APPLICATION PROCESSING FEES TO INCENTIVIZE PROPERTY OWNERS TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY ALL GETTING EMAILS FROM CONSTITUENTS TOO THAT ARE CONCERNED.
UM, EVERYONE'S GETTING ASSESSED.
UM, THE RESERVE PRO IS A PROBLEM AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THESE RECERTIFICATIONS AND, UM, WE WORKED WITH THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT THINKING NATASHA AND, UH, OUR NOW CITY MANAGER, UH, ERIC CARPENTER FOR WORKING WITH US.
AND LISTEN, I KNOW THAT THESE ARE NOT MASSIVE, UH, DISCOUNTS, BUT SOMETIMES THE RECERTIFICATION FEE CAN BE AS MUCH AS $350,000.
AND THANK GOODNESS OUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT CAN AFFORD TO DISCOUNT THESE FEES.
AND WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY SCALED IT.
SO IN YEAR ONE OF THE PROGRAM, YOU'LL GET 75%.
WELL, I, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE THE CALENDAR YEAR, 2024, YOU SHOULD MAKE IT 2024 AND 25 AND THEN 26.
'CAUSE WE'RE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALREADY HA MORE THAN HALFWAY THROUGH 2024.
BUT IF, IF, IF SO, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 187 BUILDINGS DUE.
IF THEY COME IN RIGHT NOW, WE CAN GIVE THEM 75% OFF AND WE CAN, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, OF THEIR FILING FEES.
AND THIS COULD BE SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS AND OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF A RESPITE FOR RESIDENTS THAT ARE REALLY, UH, DESPERATE.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, THE RESERVE REQUIREMENTS, THE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND THE VIOLATIONS THAT CURRENT BUILDINGS HAVE, UM, IT'S NOT A GREAT SCENARIO.
SO, UM, IF YOU GUYS ARE OKAY WITH THIS, UM, I THINK THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WORK DONE WHERE THE, WE'D BE DISCOUNTING $146,000 TOTAL IN FEES FOR THOSE 187 BUILDINGS, RIGHT? IF ALL OF THEM APPLIED AND SUBMITTED ON TIME.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SEND THEM AN EMAIL AND SAY, LOOK, YOU'RE GONNA GET 75% OFF YOUR FEES IF YOU DO THIS BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
NUMBER ONE, IT'S AN IMPETUS TO GET YOUR APPLICATION DONE PRIOR AND YOU GET THE DISCOUNT.
I WOULD MOVE THIS WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.
JUST TO CLARIFY, SO YOU'D LIKE TO DO 24 AND 25 AT 75% OFF.
WOULD YOU GUYS BE OKAY WITH THIS? IT'S, IT'S A THREE YEAR PROGRAM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, LIKE YEAR AND A HALF INSTEAD OF A YEAR.
OKAY, SO IF YOU LOOK, WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE DUE FOR THEIR RECERTIFICATIONS AND THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT CAN WELL AFFORD TO DISCOUNT THESE FEES.
SOMETIMES A FEE FOR A SINGLE BUILDING COULD BE VERY PRICEY.
SO WHAT THIS ENCOURAGES THEM TO DO IS SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION EARLY
SO THE, FOR EVERY BUILDING, RIGHT? FOR EVERY BUILDING.
SO EACH BUILDING RECERTIFICATION FEE IS 1040 $5.
SO WHAT THIS WOULD DO IS DISCOUNT 75% OFF OF THAT 1040 $5.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT THE BIGGEST AMOUNT, BUT FOR A SMALLER ASSOCIATION SURE.
HOW DOES THIS UH, IMPACT, UM, WHEN I WAS NEWLY ELECTED, I PASSED, UM,
[02:05:01]
AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM.WHERE, WHERE IF THE, THE BUILDING OWNER SUBMITTED AN ANNUAL MAINTENANCE LOG AS WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE, UM, BY THE, UH, GRAND JURY, BY THE GRAND JURY CONVENED BY THE STATE ATTORNEY FOLLOWING THE CHAMPLAIN TOWER COLLAPSE THAT THE BUILDINGS WOULD GET A DISCOUNT CORRECT.
ON THEIR RECERTIFICATION FEES.
DOES THIS IMPACT THAT IN ANY WAY? NO, WE, THIS WORKS WELL TOGETHER.
CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION? WE, WHEN WE INITIALLY DID THIS, I THOUGHT WE WERE OFFERING LIKE 50% OFF THE TOTAL LIKE FEE SCHEDULE, BUT THIS IS ONLY OFF THE APPLICATION FEE.
WHAT HAPPENED TO OFFERING THE 50% OFF OF OUR ENTIRE, UM, THE ENTIRE AMOUNT, NOT JUST THE FILING FEE, BUT WHAT WE WERE GOING TO CHARGE THEM.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE ASSOCIATION CAME TO ME, THEY SAID OUR FILING FEE WAS $350,000.
SO WHEN I SAT DOWN WITH YOU AND ERIC, THE IDEA WAS NOT JUST THE FILING FEE, IT WAS TO GIVE THEM THE 50% OFF THAT, THAT ENTIRE FEE.
SO THE FILING FEE FOR RE-CERTIFICATION IS ONLY 1040 $5.
NOW, LET'S SAY THEY HAVE REPAIRS.
SO IT MAY BE THAT IN THAT CASE THEIR REPAIRS EQUAL, YOU KNOW, THE PERMIT FEES FOR THOSE REPAIRS AMOUNTED TO $350,000.
WHAT WOULD THE ECONOMIC, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, I MEAN THIS IS OKAY, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY CHANGE MAKER AT ALL.
I THOUGHT THAT THIS IS GONNA BE WAY MORE AGGRESSIVE AND HELP ASSOCIATIONS MUCH MORE.
I MEAN, WE COULD MOVE THIS FORWARD.
I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO COME BACK AND GIVE US A PERCENTAGE OFF OF THE ENTIRE FEE THAT YES.
FOR JUST FOR RECERTIFICATION FEES OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE IF YOUR FEE IS $350,000 AND WE COULD REDUCE IT AND THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT CAN AFFORD TO REDUCE IT BY $175,000.
THESE ARE SIMPLE RECERTIFICATION FEES.
THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT MAY, IS MAKING THE MAJORITY OF ITS REVENUE FROM THESE LARGE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING BUILT ACROSS THE CITY.
SO COULD YOU COME BACK WITH, IN ADDITION TO THE FILING FEE, UM, THE ENTIRE, YEAH.
SO, UH, I WILL PREFACE BY SAYING IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE WHAT SOMEBODY'S PERMIT FEES MIGHT AMOUNT TO.
'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF REPAIRS WOULD BE NEEDED AS PART OF THEIR RECERTIFICATION PROCESS.
SO, MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION? SO MAYBE YOU CAN, WHEN YOU EVALUATE THIS, YOU COULD DO IT BY TIER, LIKE IF YOUR, IF YOUR PERMIT FEES ARE GONNA BE BELOW WHATEVER, IT'S THIS PERCENTAGE, IF IT'S BETWEEN WHATEVER, PLUS, YOU KNOW, 25% AND, AND DO IT THAT WAY.
EVEN THE LARGER BUILDINGS ARE BEING HIT BY THIS.
NO, EVERYBODY IS EVERYONE, BUT EVERYBODY IS.
BUT UM, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTOOD.
DEFINITELY WE CAN TIER IT LIKE THAT AND COME UP WITH DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR THAT APPROACH.
AND I WOULD DO SOMETHING AGGRESSIVE BASED ON WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TO DO.
AND IT'S ONLY OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WHILE I THINK THE STATE OF FLORIDA IS WORKING THIS OUT, I THINK THEY REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE NEW CONDO LAWS HAVE SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING UP WITH FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS.
BUT IN THE INTERIM, THIS ONE BUILDING, AND IT WAS A LARGER BUILDING, CAME TO ME AND SAID, IT'S $350,000 APPLICATION FEE.
YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE GO IN ON TOP OF IT AND BUILDINGS END UP WITH A TON OF VIOLATIONS.
AND SO IT'S CRE IT, WHAT WHAT WE'VE DONE IS JUST OVERBURDEN THEM.
SO LET'S DO WHAT I THOUGHT I INITIALLY SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT IT, BUT, UM, COME BACK, WE WITH WHAT I WANTED.
SO IT'S THE PARTY OF SMALL GOVERNMENT, RIGHT? UM, IF I, IF I COULD, IF I COULD ASK, I, I THINK, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S TWO ELEMENTS AND I'M, I'M JUST GONNA ASK THE CITY ATTORNEYS FIRST.
'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THE TITLE AND I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU KNOW, PROCESS PERSON.
IS, UH, CAN THIS RETURN, UM, TO FERC WITH A, A DIFFERENT PERMITTING FEE DISCOUNT PROGRAM? OR WOULD THAT REQUIRE A NEW REFERRAL? UM, BECAUSE THERE'S A COMMISSION MEETING PRIOR TO THE NEXT FERC MEETING, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE GET COMMISSION DIRECTION OR COMMISSION DIRECTION TO DO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO DO, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WAS UNDERSTOOD APPARENTLY.
SO ACTUALLY, TOMMY WISE, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
AND WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PROPOSING IS GOING TO HOLD THIS BACK FOR 90 DAYS, I THINK APPLICATION PROCESSING FEES.
IT, IT WON'T, IT WON'T HOLD IT BACK.
THEY WOULD COME BACK TO FERC SEPTEMBER 20TH.
THERE'S A COMMISSION MEETING SEPTEMBER 11TH.
BUT I WANNA APPROVE THIS PROGRAM SEPTEMBER 11TH.
WHY IS IT THAT YOU'RE SAYING IT NEEDS TO GO BACK TO,
[02:10:01]
IT DOESN'T TO TO, TO COMMISSION.I, I UNDERSTAND IT DOESN'T, BUT I WANNA UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE.
OH, I WAS JUST, JUST REQUESTING SOME INSIGHT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY JUST ON THE TITLE IF IT REQUIRED A DIFFERENT ONE.
UM, BUT I THINK JUST TIMING WISE, I THINK, BUT, BUT OKAY.
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHY WOULD IT HAVE, WHY WOULD IT HAVE, JUST READING THE TITLE THAT THIS WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UH, DISCUSSING, UH, APP, UM, THE RECERTIFICATION APPLICATION PROCESSING.
I JUST WAS, WAS JUST ASKING THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OPINION, BUT I THINK EITHER WAY IT'S A PROCESSING FEES, IT'S A WIDE UMBRELLA.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM DOING THIS.
I'M NOT TAKING IT BACK TO COMMISSION AND DEFERRING THIS.
I'M SORRY, I'M OVERRIDING THIS, THIS COMMITTEE CAN GIVE THIS TYPE OF DIRECTION WE ALWAYS HAVE IN THE PAST.
AND, UH, AND, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT APPLICATION PROCESSING FEES, UM, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
PROCESSING AND PERMITTING FEES.
DID YOU WANT THE, UH, PROGRAM THAT WAS DISCUSSED TODAY TO GO BACK TO COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL? NOT YET.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR SEPTEMBER, UM, THAT I'LL PRESENT TO THE FULL, I MEAN, WHAT DID YOU SAY THE DATE WAS? THE COMMISSION MEETING IS THE, SEPTEMBER IS THE 11TH AND FERC IS AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, WHAT OUR OFFICE IS GOING TO WORK WITH NATASHA IN THE INTERIM, I SUPPOSE.
AND, UM, BRING SOMETHING FORWARD TO AT LEAST I, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS SUPPORT THIS, SO WE WILL GO AND WE WILL, I GUESS, REWORK THIS ENTIRE ITEM AND BRING IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION WITH WHAT I, WITH WHAT WE ASK FOR.
SO I GUESS THIS COMMITTEE IS DOING NOTHING WITH IT EXCEPT, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO DO THIS A THOUSAND DOLLARS WAIVER FEE.
WE WANT SOMETHING THAT, WE WANT SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS
HERE'S A, A SOLUTION, IF I MAY TAKE IT TO COMMISSION WITH THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'D LIKE AND INCLUDE A WAIVER OF REFERRING IT BACK TO FERC BECAUSE IT MIGHT EXCEED 75,000 AS AS FAR AS IMPACT.
IS THAT A MOTION
THIS WILL BE A, WELL, IF YOU WANNA RECOMMEND THIS PROGRAM, YOU SEND IT WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THEN YOU CREATE A NEW ITEM TO ADDRESS THE BUILDING PERMIT FEES.
AND THAT ONE WILL JUST COME STRAIGHT TO COMMISSION WITH A WAIVER OF THE FERC REFERRAL.
AND WE CAN'T JUST INCLUDE THAT IN THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS ITEM.
WE COULD, WE COULD, BECAUSE PERMITTING PROCESSING FEES COULD BE MANY THINGS.
SO WE'LL RETURN THE COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, IMPLEMENT THE OPTION.
ONE IS MODIFY FOR DISCOUNTING FEES FOR THE EXISTING BUILDING RECERTIFICATION APPLICATION PROCESSING FEES, AND ALSO TO DEVELOP, UH, TO APPROVE A, UH, TO BE DEVELOPED, UH, PERMITTING FEE DISCOUNTING PROGRAM.
I'D LIKE THIS THEME OF AN EFFICIENT STREAMLINED GOVERNMENT TODAY.
AND I THINK THAT GETS BOTH PIECES.
IT'S THIS PROGRAM PLUS IT GIVES YOU THE TIME BETWEEN NOW AND THEN TO DEVELOP A, A SECOND DAIRY ONE, WHICH IS THE, THE, THE PERMITTING ONE, WHICH I, I BELIEVE WAS THE INTENTION.
UH, LET'S GO ON TO ITEM NUMBER
[13. DISCUSS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTIONS 90-276 - 90-278 OF THE CITY CODE, CLARIFYING THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH A ROLLOFF PERMIT (AND PAYMENT OF THE PERCENTAGE OF GROSS RECEIPTS) IS REQUIRED FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES ENGAGED IN DEMOLITION AND/OR REMOVAL OF CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS AND/OR BULKY WASTE IN THE CITY, AND PROVIDING LIMITED EXEMPTIONS FROM OBTAINING A ROLLOFF PERMIT.]
[15. DISCUSS THE INCORPORATION OF THE SINGLE-FAMILY RECYCLING PROGRAM FEE, WHICH IS PRESENTLY COVERED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS SANITATION FUND, AS A DISTINCT LINE ITEM ON THE UTILITY BILL TO PASS THROUGH THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FEE.]
13 AND 15.UH, THESE ARE KIND OF WASTE HAULER, UH, RELATED, LEMME I'LL READ NUMBER.
THE MEN, UH, NUMBER 13 DISCUSSED THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION SECTIONS 9 0 2 7 6 TO 9 0 2 78 OF THE CITY CODE, CLARIFYING THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH A ROLL OFF PERMIT AND PAYMENT OF THE PERCENTAGE OF GROSS RECEIPTS IS REQUIRED FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES ENGAGED IN DEMOLITION AND OR REMOVAL OF CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS AND OR BULKY WASTE IN THE CITY.
AND PROVIDING A LIMITED EXEMPTIONS FROM AT OBTAINING A ROLL OFF PERMIT.
NUMBER 13, NUMBER 15, DISCUSS INCORPORATION OF THE SINGLE FAMILY RECYCLING PROGRAM FEE, WHICH IS PRESENTLY COVERED BY THE PUBLIC WORK SANITATION FUND AS A DISTINCT LINE ITEM ON THE UTILITY BILL TO PASS THROUGH THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FEE NUMBER 15.
SO I WILL LET, UM, BRAD AND OUR CFO GET INTO THE WEEDS ON THIS.
BUT I WILL PREFACE BOTH OF THESE ITEMS WITH, UM, THESE ARE TO NORMY ME BECAUSE IT IS IN BOTH CASES, ONE, UM, A SIN OF COMMISSION OWNED THE OTHER SIN OF OMISSION, AN ISSUE OF FAIRNESS AND INTEGRITY.
THE ITEM 15, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE ARE SUBSIDIZING ONE SET OF RESIDENTS AND NOT ANOTHER.
SO THAT IS JUST A CLEANING UP WITH A MINIMAL, UM, IMPACT TO PRIVATE HOMES, WHICH GENERALLY SPEAKING ARE THE MOST ABLE TO AFFORD FEES.
SO IT'S NOT DAMAGING ANYBODY'S, UH, ANYBODY'S INCOME.
UM, AND THEN, SO THAT SHOULD BE AN EASY YES.
AND THEN THE ROLL OFF FEES IS A SIN OF COMMISSION.
AND THAT IS JUST REALLY ANNOYING TO ME BECAUSE, UM, YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO ARE DEMOLISHING BUILDINGS AND TAKING WASTE AWAY AND CLAIMING THAT BECAUSE THE ITEM IS NOT, THE ITEMS ARE NOT BEING HAULED
[02:15:01]
OFF IN SOMETHING WITH WHEELS, THAT IT DOESN'T COUNT AS BEING SOMETHING THAT WOULD FALL UNDER A ROLL OFF FEE.AND THAT IS JUST ABSURD TO ME.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO CLEAN UP BOTH OF THESE ITEMS AND, UH, BRAD, GO FOR IT.
BRAD, FEEL FREE TO DISAGREE WITH HER IF YOU WANT
UM, SO FOR ITEM 13, UH, WE HAVE A LITTLE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND I'LL TRY TO REALLY GO THROUGH THAT PRETTY QUICK.
BUT AS, UM, COMMISSIONER BOT WAS EXPLAINING, UH, SO THE WAY THE CODE WAS WRITTEN, UM, IT REALLY ONLY COVERS CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF, UH, PICKING UP CONSTRUCTION, DEMOLITION MATERIAL, UM, BY ROLL OFF, BY HAVING A ROLL OFF CONTAINER OUT ON A, A CONSTRUCTION SITE.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LIST OF ACTIVE CONTRACTORS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE BASICALLY DOING THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
HOWEVER, WHAT IS CURRENTLY NOT IN THE CODE AND IS MISSING IS LANGUAGE AS IT RELATES TO, UH, ANY OTHER WAY THAT PEOPLE WHO WERE ENGAGING THE, UM, COLLECTION OF C AND D, UH, WHICH IS CONSTRUCTION DEMOLITION MATERIAL, EITHER THROUGH DEMOLISHING, OH, THERE IT IS.
I'LL TRY TO RUN THROUGH THESE SLIDES NOW.
QUICK ON THAT, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO HERE, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH THIS RATHER QUICKLY.
SO AGAIN, AS I SAID, THE CURRENT CODE, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS UNDER THE TERM ROLL OFF CONTRACTORS, UH, IS DESIGNED TO HAVE ANYTHING THAT'S INVOLVING THE REMOVAL OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION MATERIAL.
AND THERE'S A PROCESS TO GO THROUGH THAT CURRENTLY WHERE YOU HAVE TO OBTAIN A BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ROLL OFF FEES, FRANCHISE FEES THAT YOU HAVE TO BE PAYING ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AND YOU NEED TO, UH, ALSO HAVE A PERMIT TO PICK UP THE C AND D.
BUT WHAT THIS FAILS TO DO IS THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT YOU CAN PICK UP CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION MATERIAL WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE.
AND I'LL JUST USE THE DEVILLE AS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE ROLL OFF, UM, UH, BOXES OUT THERE CONTAINERS.
WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY HAD LIKE DUMP TRUCKS THAT THEY USED TO BASICALLY TAKE ALL THE STUFF AWAY WHILE THEY WERE USING A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT ON SITE THAT WAS BASICALLY LOADING THEM ALL UP.
AND THE WAY THE CURRENT CODE IS WRITTEN, IT'S, IT'S JUST GRAY.
AND IT, AND IT MAKES, UH, YOU KNOW, THEM WHEN THEY DO, UH, A PROJECT LIKE THAT, UH, ANY KIND OF, UH, DEMOLITION HAULER, IT, IT GIVES THEM A LOOPHOLE TO NOT HAVE TO PAY FRANCHISE FEES.
SO WHAT WE REALLY DID HERE, AND THANKS TO THE HELP OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICES, WE REALLY CLEANED UP THE, WE'RE CLEANING UP THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE IN ALL THREE, UM, ELEMENTS OF THE SECTIONS BETWEEN 2 76, 2 77 AND 2 78.
SO IT'S VERY SPECIFIC THAT, UM, THESE ARE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION PERMITS.
UH, AND ANY CONTRACTOR WHO IS ENGAGED IN THAT BUSINESS NEEDS A PERMIT.
AND IT DOES NOT MATTER, UH, WHAT TYPE OF, UH, EQUIPMENT, WHETHER IT'S A GRAPPLE TRUCK, WHETHER IT'S UH, DUMP TRUCK TRAILERS OR ANY OTHER KIND, UM, THAT ARE BEING USED TO ENGAGE IN THAT ACTIVITY, YOU HAVE TO PAY THE PERMIT, THE, THE FEES, UM, THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE, WITH THESE THINGS, WITH THE FRANCHISE FEES.
YOU NEED A BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT.
AND WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO, UH, HOPEFULLY UPON SUCCESSFUL PASSAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, OF THESE CHANGES IS WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND MAKE SURE WHEN CONTRACTORS GO IN FOR DEMOLITION WORK THAT THEY NEED BUILDING PERMITS FOR THAT.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET A PERMIT TO DO THE ROLL OFF.
AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, FOR EVERY SITE.
YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN RENOVATING HOUSES FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT I WILL SAY THAT WHEN YOU GO TO CITY OF MIAMI OR YOU GO TO MIAMI DAD COUNTY AND YOU'RE AN OWNER BUILDER AND YOU ARE PERFORMING ANY TYPE OF WORK, THERE IS NO PERMIT REQUIRED FOR GETTING A DUMPSTER.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CALL UP, WHAT'S THE LA PREA? OKAY.
THEY BRING YOU THE DUMPSTER RIGHT THERE AND YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING.
THEY SAID THAT IT IS SUCH A PAIN IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH AND I REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I WANTED TO PULL SOMETHING, I HAD TO GO TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND GET LIKE A, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND GET LIKE A BOND.
AND WE'RE THE ONLY CITY THAT'S DOING THAT.
I WOULD EXEMPT FROM THIS SINGLE FAMILY, HOMEOWNERS OWNER BUILDERS.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE THE PERMIT.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE THE FEE.
I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO COME UP AND CALL A DUMPSTER FOR 500 BUCKS AND JUST GET THEIR DUMPSTER.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO BE PRETTY PROUD TO SAY SOMETHING.
SO LEMME, IF YOU COULD JUST, ARE YOU EXEMPTING SINGLE? I WAS REALLY UPSET WHEN I HAD TO GET, GONNA GET SOME SPOTS AND YOU COULD DO IT.
WE HAVE SOME EXEMPTIONS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THAT.
AND IF WE COULD JUST MOVE AHEAD
[02:20:01]
A FEW SLIDES, UH, FORWARD.OH, KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING.
COMMISSIONER ROD, IF YOU FIX THIS, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT UNDER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
SO UNDER THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THIS, THERE, THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS LONG AND HARD WITH WHAT MADE SENSE AND IT DOESN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE TO US.
WE'RE NOT REALLY LOOKING TO DING PEOPLE DOING A REMODELING OF THEIR BATHROOM OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
THOSE ARE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, HOUSEHOLD THINGS AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO, UH, DO THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAME UP WITH, UH, ANY SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNER RENOVATIONS OR REPAIRS THAT WERE LIKE LESS THAN A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET IN AGGREGATE OVER THE COURSE OF A 12 MONTH PERIOD.
AND THE SAME, YOU KNOW, FOR MULTIFAMILY, THOSE SHOULD BE THE EXEMPTIONS.
BUT IF SOMEBODY'S DOING, UH, YOU KNOW, DEMOLISHING A HOME OR THEY'RE BUILDING A HOME MM-HMM,
AND IN SUCH, THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE THINK THE REQUIREMENTS SHOULD BE THE SAME, BUT ANY, YOU KNOW, RENOVATIONS OF ANY SORT OF THAT LITTLE NATURE, WE AGREE THAT THEY SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THIS ALSO.
YEAH, JUST LOOKING AT B UM, NUMBER THREE BI WOULD SAY, UM, CONFINED TO THE CONFINED TO A SINGLE UNIT MIGHT BE PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE IF YOU'RE IN A FOURPLEX FOR INSTANCE, AND THERE'S A LEAK UPSTAIRS AND YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THAT BATHROOM AND IT AFFECTED THE BATHROOM DOWNSTAIRS, UH, YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING RENOVATION ON TWO BATHROOMS. UM, AND, AND SO MAYBE THAT SHOULD BE EXEMPTED ALSO.
IT IT SHOULD BE EXEMPTED FROM PLANNING DEPARTMENT REVIEW.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF I WANNA HAVE A DRIVER, IF I WANNA HAVE A CONTAINER IN MY DRIVEWAY, WHY I HAVE TO GO TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALSO WITH THIS INITIAL THING, THERE WAS A BOND REQUIREMENT.
WHY DO I HAVE TO GET A BOND IF I WANT
I, I, I DON'T KNOW SPEAK TO THAT, BUT IT, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, RIGHT, BECAUSE WHEN I CASE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, SO IN ADDITION, COMMISSIONER BOT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO REMOVE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT REVIEW BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS NOW YOU'RE REMOVING THE, THE, THE PERMIT, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO SOMEHOW GO FOR PLANNING REVIEW.
AND I WOULD ELIMINATE THIS RIDICULOUS BOND THAT YOU HAVE.
'CAUSE I HAD TO PUT DOWN, LIKE, I DON'T, THEY WEREN'T, THEY GAVE IT BACK TO ME.
IT WAS HARD TO GET MY MONEY BACK.
BUT I THINK THOSE ARE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO I, BRAD, MAYBE YOU AND I AND TOM CAN AND, AND SOMEBODY, WHOEVER ELSE NEEDS TO BE PULLED INTO A CONVERSATION ABOUT THOSE OTHER ISSUES.
BUT THIS IS VERY NARROW AND SPECIFIC.
SO LET'S GET THIS GOING AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT THE, I MEAN THE WHOLE BUILDING APARTMENT AND PERMITTING BOTH YOU, YOU NEED TO DO BOTH OF THE FORMS. NO, BUT THIS IS, I DON'T WANNA HOLD THIS UP UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND.
I YOU HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT ON THIS 100%.
BUT WE NEED TO FIX THE BOND REQUIREMENT TOO, BECAUSE THAT EVEN IF YOU DON'T GET THE PERMIT, THE PEPPER'S LIKE, I CAN'T DO IT.
'CAUSE YOU'VE GOTTA GO TO PLANNING AND THEN YOU'VE GOTTA PRESENT THIS DRAWING.
LITERALLY I DREW IT LIKE THIS IN FRONT OF THEM AND I WAS LIKE, HERE'S MY DRAWING, HERE'S MY DRIVEWAY.
BUT I STILL HAD TO PUT FORWARD THE MONEY FOR A, BUT I DID.
BUT I LIKE THIS KOG, THE VOICE OF SMALL GOVERNMENT.
HE'LL TURN YOU INTO REPUBLICAN.
UH, SO, SO I THINK AT THIS POINT THEN IF, IF EVERYBODY'S KINDA ON THE SAME WAY, WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO OUR, OUR FAULT TO THE COMMISSION TO TAKE IT TO WELL, YEAH.
WE COULD DETERMINE VOTE WITH THAT, WITH THAT AMENDMENT TO BE OKAY.
I'LL WORK ON THAT WITH RICK SO WE COULD, I THINK THE IDEA IS TO RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION, APPROVE THE, UH, THE ORDINANCE AS MODIFIED.
UM, AND THEN THIS WOULD SHOW UP AS A FIRST READING.
SO YOU'LL HAVE TWO MORE T TIMES THE COAL COMMISS WILL HAVE TWO MORE TIMES TO LOOK AT, MODIFY AND ADJUST IT AS NEEDED AT FIRST READING AND AT SECOND READING.
CAN I JUST MOVE IT WITH FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION? OKAY.
AND THAT ONE WILL BE SHOWN AS PRESENTED.
[17. DISCUSS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND FEASIBILITY OF ALLOWING OUTDOOR DINING CONCESSIONS ON OCEAN DRIVE TO REMAIN OPEN UNTIL 5 P.M. ON WEEKDAYS, AND POSSIBLY ON WEEKENDS, DURING SPRING BREAK.]
17.HOW I'M VIEWING THIS IS, UH, I'M HOPING THIS IS A QUICK DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT'S JUST CENTERED ON THE FINANCIAL IMPACT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY GETTING MONEY INTO THE CITY.
HOWEVER, I THINK THIS IS BIFURCATED FROM THE ACTUAL LEGISLATIVE OR POLICY DECISION ABOUT FOR NEXT SPRING BREAK, WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS.
IS THAT HOW YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS? 'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE READY TO GET INTO DISCUSSION OF OKAY, AS PART OF OUR SPRING BREAK PLANNING, ARE WE GONNA HAVE THESE CAFE UH, SEATS OPEN OR NOT? IT'S JUST THE FINANCIAL IMPACT.
YEAH, I WAS DO YOU WANNA COME UP? YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, THE IDEA WAS, UM, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE LOSING, WHAT BUSINESS OWNERS ARE LOSING, WHAT THE CITY IS LOSING BY
[02:25:01]
NOT LETTING THEM, UM, HAVE THEIR CAFE SEATING DURING THE LESS FRAUGHT TIMES OF SPRING BREAK.AND SO I THOUGHT HAVING THE, HAVING THE INFORMATION PROVIDED WOULD BE A USEFUL THING RATHER THAN US JUST TRYING TO MAKE DECISIONS ON, ON A WHIM.
NOW, EVEN IF, IF WE DECIDE THAT THIS IS A GOOD THING TO DO, THE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS OWNERS MAY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S SUCH A PAIN IN THE NECK TO MOVE THE TABLES IN AND OUT FOR THOSE LIMITED PERIODS OF TIME.
WE'RE NOT GONNA CHOOSE TO, BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE COULD, OR YOU KNOW, THAT WE THINK WE COULD DO IT OR THINK WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT.
BUT I WANTED TO HAVE A, A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, LESS POLICY AND MORE INFORMATION TO MAKE THOSE POLICY DECISIONS.
IF I MAY, UM, I WAS, UM, INFORMED ABOUT THIS JUST LAST WEEK.
NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT WAS THE INTENTION, BUT, UM, THE ECONOMIC, EVERYONE COMES TO MIAMI BEACH TO SIT OUTDOORS.
OCEAN DRIVE IS PREDOMINANTLY ALL ABOUT OUR SIDEWALK CAFES.
SOME PLACES HAVE PATIOS, BUT SOME OF THEM DON'T.
SO, UM, AS MUCH AS THE INTERIOR SPACE MAY BE LARGE WITH LOTS OF SEATING, EVERYONE WANTS TO SIT OUTSIDE AND EACH ONE OF THOSE SEATS, UH, HAVE A VALUE, RIGHT? SO ANY DAY THAT THAT SIDEWALK CAFE IS CLOSED, THAT IS, THERE'S A VALUE TO THAT ONE SEAT, OR 50 SEATS OR 90 SEATS.
SO, UM, THE BEST TIME ALSO TO GO TO OCEAN DRIVE AND SIT IS AFTER 5:00 PM BECAUSE THAT'S DINNER TIME.
SO THAT IS PROBABLY THE HIGHEST REVENUE BASE THAT THEY HAVE OF THEIR THREE MEALS, BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER IS THEIR DINNER.
SO WE WOULD, UM, AND SUPPORTED, ACTUALLY, WE ASKED THEM NOT TO CLOSE THE SIDEWALK CAFES.
WE UNDERSTAND IT MIGHT BE A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AS IT WAS, THEY WANTED TO CLEAR THE SIDEWALK AND THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, BUT IT WAS NOT AN EASY ASK.
IT WAS REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE HAD ASKED BE THE FINAL, LIKE YOUR, IF YOU, IF YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, TO DO IT BECAUSE IT IS A HUGE, UM, ECONOMIC IMPACT, UM, TO THE, TO THE BUSINESSES.
THERE ARE 43 CAFES, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW.
I MEAN, IT IS THAT MUCH OF A ECONOMIC, UH, REVENUE GENERATOR FOR THE RESTAURANTS THAT THERE ARE 43 CAFES ON OCEAN DRIVE.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY THIS WILL BECOME A POLICY DECISION AND LET'S NOT WAIT UNTIL JANUARY OR FEBRUARY TO ENGAGE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE AS WE SAW, ONCE THIS PLAN GETS BAKED, IT BECOMES HARD TO PEEL BACK THE ONION.
SO I WOULD SAY AS SOON AS SUMMER IS OVER SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, LET'S HAVE THIS NOW BECAUSE I'M SURE ONE OF THE FIRST PRIORITIES OF OUR NEW CITY MANAGER, UH, AND NURSE STEAM STAFF, UM, OUR, OUR FORMER INTERIM CITY MANAGER, I'M SURE THEY'RE ALREADY PUTTING TOGETHER THAT SPRING BREAK PLAN, COMMISSIONER BACH, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ HAVE BOTH HAD, UH, IMMEDIATE CONVERSATIONS, UH, POST MARCH ABOUT WHAT WORKED, WHAT DID NOT.
SO LET'S START THOSE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE THE SPRING BREAK PLAN DEVELOPS, AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE MERITS OF KEEPING THESE, UH, OPEN.
AND IF I MAY, MARCH AND APRIL ARE THE BEST TIMES OF THE YEAR TO BE IN MIAMI BEACH, WE WOULD LOVE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE THERE'S NO BARRICADES, THERE'S NO ISSUE.
IT IS A SAFE PLACE TO BE, AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE THIS QUESTION.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, LISTEN, MY FOUR YEARS IS UP AND WE STILL HAVE BARRICADES.
I, I UNEQUIVOCALLY SAY I FAILED AT MY JOB.
THAT'S, THAT'S OUR COLLECTIVE GOAL.
IS THE, IS THE ACTION ITEM IS HEARD AND CLOSED, IS THE ITEM GOING BACK TO COMMISSION FOR DISCUSSION? HOW, HOW WOULD THE DISPOSITION OF THIS ITEM BE, UH, PERHAPS IF, IF WE CAN QUANTIFY THAT AND SEND AN LTC ABOUT THE REVENUE THAT COULD BE GENERATED BY, UH, THIS OR ACTUALLY THE REVENUE THAT'S LOST FROM THE BUSINESSES.
ARE WE ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY GET SOME SORT OF, UH, QUANTIFICATION OF THAT? I I LEAVE THAT UP TO, UH, FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, JUST, YOU KNOW, WE COLLECT REVENUE ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
SO I, I DID WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON THAT AND IT'S, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT SISSY, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO GIVE STAFF? UH, SO THE ONE THING THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS IS IT IS NOT BENEFICIAL TO COMPARE THIS MARCH WITH LAST MARCH OR EVEN THE MARCH BEFORE BECAUSE WE HAVE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, FIVE TO 10 YEARS SEEN A DECLINE.
SO THE POTENTIAL OF WHERE WE SHOULD BE CAN'T BE COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE IN THE LAST YEAR OF THE LAST TWO YEARS.
WE HAVE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE IN THE 30% DOWN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WHEN I WAS WORKING IN PUBLIC WORKS, WE WERE COMPARING IT TO LAST YEAR, IT SEEMED TO FLAT LINE, LIKE YOU CAN'T COMPARE TO A LOW TIME IN THE, IN, IN, IN THE, THE YEAR, BUT MAYBE YOU COULD WORK WITH YOUR RESTAURANTS YES.
AND PICK ANOTHER, UH, NEAR PRIME WEEK OR MONTH
[02:30:01]
AND SAY, HERE'S THE AMOUNT OF SALES THAT WE DO DURING THIS TIME WINDOW AND EXTRAPOLATE THAT TO ESSENTIALLY WHAT IS THEN LOST IN MARCH.WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACTUALLY WORK WITH IS WHAT IS THE VALUE OF EACH SEAT? SO ANYTIME YOU TAKE OFF A SEAT, THAT'S THE VALUE OF THE LOSS.
WHAT WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN, WE CAN SHOW THE ITEM THAT THE ADMINISTRATION TO IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ODA TO SEND AN LTC ON THE ISSUE.
[25. A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING OF A PEDESTRIAN JOGGING PATH AROUND THE MIAMI BEACH GOLF CLUB AND PRESENT ITS FINDINGS AND ESTIMATED COST TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION.]
POSEIDON FURRY ITEM.IS THAT 25 ITEM 25, A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, OF BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO TERMINATE THE CONCESSION AGREEMENT DATED MARCH 14TH, 2024, BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH AND POSEIDON FERRY, LLC POSEIDON, UH, DUE TO POSEIDON'S MATERIAL DEFAULT NUMBER 25, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.
UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE CITY ENTERED INTO A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH, UH, POSEIDON, UH, TO PROVIDE WITH, TO PROVIDE THE CITY WITH, UH, FERRY SERVICE FROM MARI, UH, GIBBS, UH, PARK TO, UM, TO DOWNTOWN MIAMI TO THE CIO MARINA.
EVER SINCE THE SERVICE STARTED, IT HAS ENCOUNTERED MECHANICAL, UH, ISSUES.
THEY'VE HAD TO SUSPEND SERVICES, UM, INCLUDING ON THE WEEKENDS WHEN YOU WOULD THINK IT WOULD HAVE THE BUS, THE, UH, BUSIEST, UH, RIDERSHIP.
UM, AND I THINK IF WE WERE TO ASK, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, OUR CITY ATTORNEY WOULD PROBABLY OPINE THAT THEY ARE A MATERIAL DEFAULT OF THEIR CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY.
IN ADDITION TO IT BEING WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A BAD DEAL FOR, FOR, FOR THE CITY, I BELIEVE IS A BAD INVESTMENT FOR OUR TAXPAYERS DOLLARS FOR WHAT WE'RE GETTING IN RETURN.
I DON'T THINK, UH, OUR, OUR RESIDENTS TRULY FEEL THAT IT'S A TRUE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTION.
UH, ONE THAT WOULD MERIT THE SUBSIDY OF THE TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY, THE HARDWORKING TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN QUITE FRANKLY, QUITE UNDERWHELMED BY THE, UM, BY THE LACK OF RIDERSHIP, LOW RIDERSHIP NUMBERS, UH, VERY UNIMPRESSIVE RIDERSHIP NUMBERS, UH, THAT, UH, THAT THIS SERVICE HAS YIELDED THUS FAR AS SUCH.
I PLACE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA TOGETHER WITH MY COLLEAGUE DAVID SUAREZ, UM, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ OF THIS LAST CITY COMMISSION MEETING TO TERMINATE, UM, UH, THE, THE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH POSEIDON, UH, FOR MATERIAL DEFAULT.
THE ITEM WAS POOLED AND IS BEFORE US NOW AT THIS BODY.
AND I LOVE THE FEEDBACK OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS.
SHOULD WE CONTINUE TESTING IT? SHOULD WE SUSPEND THIS SERVICE, UH, DO OUR TAXPAYERS AND THOSE DEPENDENT ON TAX, ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO SERVE A BETTER SERVICE, A MORE RELIABLE SERVICE FOR THIS IMPORTANT CONNECTIVITY? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UH, I AS WELL AM DISAPPOINTED IN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED.
THE ONLY WAY THIS COULD EVER WORK, THE ONLY WAY, AND EVEN THEN THE JURY WOULD STILL BE OUT, IS IF THEY CAN PROVIDE A CONSISTENT SERVICE WHERE WORKERS CAN SAY, I NEED TO BE AT WORK IN SUNSET HARBOR AT 5:00 PM I KNOW I CAN GET THE FOUR 15 FERRY, OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
UH, WITHOUT PROVIDING THAT LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY, THIS IS NEVER GOING TO HAVE ADEQUATE RIDERSHIP THAT JUSTIFIES THE USE OF OUR TAXPAYER MONEY.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, IF WE MOVE THIS TO THE FULL COMMISSION IN SEPTEMBER, THEY WILL HAVE A MONTH AND A HALF TO PROVE THAT THEY CAN ESSENTIALLY STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TURN THIS AROUND.
WE'RE NOT, THIS ISN'T TERMINATING TODAY, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT DIRECTION BECAUSE THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT, UH, THEY ARE NOT A, UH, RELIABLE PARTNER AND OUR TAXPAYERS ARE NOT GETTING THE RETURN FROM THEIR MONEY THAT I THINK WE ALL DESERVE.
UH, HOWEVER, IF THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE A CON I'M NOT TIED INTO THAT DECISION.
SO IF WE, WE ARE SHOWED THAT THEY PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE SERVICE THROUGH SEPTEMBER AND RIDERSHIP INCREASES, I AM FREE TO APPROACH THAT DECISION AT THE SEPTEMBER COMMISSION MEETING WITH A, UH, FREE AND OPEN MIND.
YEAH, I, I JUMPED ON AS A CO-SPONSOR BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I'VE LIVED IN CITIES ALL OVER THE PLACE THAT HAVE VERY ROBUST FERRY SERVICES, EVEN FORT LAUDERDALE.
I I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY THIS WAS CONTEMPLATED IN ITS FORM AS IT IS NOW.
AND I ALSO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHEN WE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS, UM, THAT ONE OF THE USES THAT THEY WOULD LOVE WOULD BE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT OVER TO SEE A HEAT GAME OR TO GO SEE A PERFORMANCE AT THE ARCH CENTER.
[02:35:01]
TO GET THERE, BUT YOU CAN'T COME BACK BECAUSE FERRY SERVICE ENDS.AND SO THE WHOLE THING SEEMED SORT OF HALF BAKED TO ME.
AND, UM, I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A, A RY SERVICE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS THE VERSION OF IT THAT WE NEED.
AND BY HALF BAKED YOU DON'T MEAN LIKE COOKIE TOE, ICE CREAM, HALF BAKED? NO, NOT THE FUN KIND.
OR MAYBE OUR NON-DRUG FREE WORKFORCE HALF BAKED.
UM, SO JUST SO THAT YOU GUYS KNOW, OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS WE HAVE PUT THIS OUT TO BID.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE BID THIS OUT? THAT, THAT, THAT I RECALL AT LEAST, AT LEAST ONCE.
BUT THIS ONE WAS A BID WAIVER, IS THAT CORRECT? WE HAVE, THIS ONE WAS A BID WAIVER.
WE HAVE BID THIS OUT AND NOBODY HAS RESPONDED.
AND IT'S NOT ONCE JOSE, IT'S BEEN AT LEAST TWO TIMES THAT WE BID IT OUT.
NOW, WE INITIALLY DID THE SERVICE WITH POSEIDON AND THEY WERE CHARGING EXORBITANT RATES, THEN WE CANCELED IT.
BUT THE REASON THAT WE HAVE THIS GOING RIGHT NOW WITH THE SUBSIDY IS THAT IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS, WE NEED TO PROVE THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING
IS IT PERFECT? NO, I SENT MY LEGISLATIVE AID, JACQUELINE TO RIDE IT THE OTHER DAY AND SHE ACTUALLY HAD A PRETTY AGREEABLE RIDE BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT I WAS GETTING.
I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE AWFUL, BUT SHE TOOK PICTURES OF THE ENTIRE BOAT.
SHE SAID IT WAS ACTUALLY A VERY PLEASANT RIDE.
IT DROPS YOU OFF BY, UM, CASA DONNA ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND I THINK, AND HERE'S WHAT I WOULD ASK OF ALL OF YOU.
I THINK POSEIDON REALIZES THAT THEY NEED TO STEP IT UP.
THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE OUT THEIR EQUIPMENT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, BUT IT HAD A RIDERSHIP OF, UM, NEARLY A THOUSAND PEOPLE AND IT'S FREE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT I WOULD ASK SO THAT WE CAN SHOW THAT WE HAVE SOME SORT OF A SERVICE SO THAT WE CAN APPLY FOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING SO THAT WE PROBABLY CAN HELP THEM GET A BETTER VOTE, IS TO NOT INTERRUPT THE ONLY THING THAT WE'VE GOT.
BECAUSE IF WE DO, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS.
I GUARANTEE I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE PAST BIDS THAT WE'VE PUT OUT THAT WE ONLY GET POSEIDON, BUT TO SEE IT FINALLY LAUNCH AFTER SO MANY YEARS AND THEN PULL IT, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE THEM A CHANCE.
KIND OF LIKE THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD BUT CAN'T RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE AWARE RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE BOAT, THAT IT WAS KIND OF DIRTY, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE PAINTED, THAT WE'RE EXPECTING SOMETHING.
I THINK THEY HAD A COUPLE, UH, UH, LANDING ISSUES, UM, ESPECIALLY ON THE 4TH OF JULY.
THEY KIND OF, PEOPLE GOT ON THE FERRY AND THEY WENT OVER AND THEN THE FERRY COULDN'T DOCK
SO IT WAS LIKE A FERRY THAT JUST DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE.
BUT I THINK THEY ARE IRONING OUT THOSE PROBLEMS AND EVEN THOUGH WHAT WE'RE GETTING RIGHT NOW IS NOT WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING, I WOULD ASK THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE SOMETHING RIGHT NOW THAT WE GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AND THEN REEVALUATE IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE FEDERAL FUNDING GRANTS FOR, UM, SO THAT WE CAN FULLY SUBSIDIZE AND POSSIBLY GET OUR OWN ELECTRIC, UH, FERRY MOVING FORWARD.
I MEAN, BUT WE HAVE TO SHOW THAT WE DID SOMETHING AND IF WE PULL IT, BUT THIS IS SUCH A BAD FERRY CONCEPT.
I MEAN IT'S, IT'S, THE HOURS DON'T WORK.
EVEN IF THERE ARE FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR IT, IT'S STILL TAXPAYERS DOLLARS AND IT'S STILL TAXPAYERS DOLLARS ON SOMETHING THAT ISN'T GOOD.
TO ME, WHEN YOU GET A RESPONSE FROM THE MARKET WHERE YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A RESPONSE EXCEPT FOR ONE PERSON, IT SHOWS YOU THAT PROBABLY THE MARKET DOESN'T THINK IT WORKS WELL BECAUSE P BECAUSE THEN YOU WOULD HAVE MARKET INTEREST.
WELL, BUT THE FACT, THE FACT THAT THAT, THAT THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY IS NOT RESPONDING TO IT IS BECAUSE WE MIGHT BE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING THAT JUST DOESN'T WORK.
I DUNNO, TO ME IT JUST SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, AS THAT'S NOT THE FIFTH RESIDENT WAS REMINDING ME THAT, THAT, THAT THERE'S A WATER TAXI SERVICE THERE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PRIVATE ENDEAVOR THAT CONTINUES TO OPERATE BECAUSE IT WORKS.
WHY ARE WE GONNA TRY TO FORCE SOMETHING THAT ISN'T WORKING USING THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLAR, WHETHER IT BE CITY DOLLARS OR FEDERAL DOLLARS, IF IT'S NOT WORKING, IT'S NOT WORKING FIRST.
CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING? YEAH.
FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS EVER BEFORE, BUT TO CUT THEM OFF AT ONE MONTH, AT ONE MONTH AFTER YEARS OF GOING BACK AND FORTH AND BIDDING THIS OUT, WE'VE, WHAT WE REALIZED MENTIONED IS NOBODY'S RESPONDING BECAUSE THEY NEED A SUBSIDY, AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THE PROOF WILL BE IN THE PUDDING.
YOU KNOW, IS, IS IT, IS IT GONNA BREAK DOWN AGAIN?
[02:40:01]
IS IT GONNA LEAVE PASSENGERS STRANDED AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAY WITH NO WAY TO GET BACK? AM I GONNA TAKE MY DECO BIKE MY AGAIN TO THE WEST, UH, SIDE OF THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY AND NOT BE ABLE TO GET BACK ON BECAUSE THEY DECIDED NOT TO BE OPERATING ON A SUNDAY AND OUR RIDER'S GONNA BE LEFT WITH NOTHING.I MEAN, IT'S JUST OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE BETTER, ESPECIALLY IN A CITY WITH AN OPERATING BUDGET THAT IS APPROACHING A $900 MILLION.
OKAY, HERE'S, LET ME JUST BE ONE, ONE SECOND COMMISSIONER.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT EVEN IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE THEY HAVE VERY HIGH VOLUME AND RIDERSHIP HIGHER THAN WE WILL EVER GET HERE, JUST 'CAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE DENSITY OF THE CITY.
EVEN THAT NEEDS TO BE SUBSIDIZED.
SO I UNDERSTAND FOR A SUCCESSFUL FURRY SERVICE, IT WILL NEED TO BE SUBSIDIZED, JUST LIKE ANY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND WE'VE TRIED IT BEFORE AND WE'VE TRIED IT BEFORE.
SO I WANT THIS TO WORK IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
IT'S NOT, SO WHEN YOU SAY GIVE IT AT THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, I'M MAKING UP A TERM, I'M, I'M GONNA GIVE IT THE NON BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.
WE'VE TRIED IT, WE'VE TRIED IT.
SO IF, IF, IF THEY COME BACK AND THEY SHOW THAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY ENHANCED THEIR SERVICES THROUGH SEPTEMBER, I, I APPROACH IT WITH AN OPEN MIND.
UM, BUT I, I WANNA SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT THEY CAN'T CONTINUE OPERATING, UH, IN THE CAPACITY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN.
SO HAVE ANY OF US WRITTEN IT? I TRIED HAVE.
COMMISSIONER WILSON GONZALEZ, I TRIED AND, UH, THE DAY THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY AND I WERE, WERE GONNA TRY TO GO, IT WASN'T WORKING.
AND THEN ON THE SUNDAY THAT I WAS ON MY CITY BIKE AND I TOOK IT TO ON ACROSS, ACROSS THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY AND I GOT TO THE MARINA AND IT'S OUT OF SERVICE.
AND THAT'S THE THING WITH IT, I, IT'S NOT RELIABLE.
CAN I JUST CHIME IN BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER, WHAT ARE THE HOURS COMMISSIONER BOT THAT WE NEED TO DO? WE NEED TO EXTEND THEM TO LIKE 11:00 PM OR SOMETHING SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET BACK.
SO, UM, AND MAYBE NOT EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WEEK, BUT MAYBE FRIDAY, SATURDAY OR SOMETHING.
ON WEEKENDS, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, WE WOULD LIKE THE FERRY TO GO TILL MIDNIGHT, 11:00 PM OR MIDNIGHT IS WHEN SHOT.
LOOK, I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T DO IT JUST NOW, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT I SAY.
AND IF, IF THERE'S APO, LOOK, MAYBE IT'S REALLY QUIET RIGHT NOW BECAUSE, UM, IT'S SUMMERTIME AND THERE ARE NO EVENTS.
UM, BUT IF THERE'RE GOING TO BE A SERVICE TO CONNECT OUR ISLAND WITH THE MAINLAND, IT SHOULDN'T BE JUST A SERVICE FOR PEOPLE COMMUTING.
IT SHOULD BE A SERVICE TO, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING TO NOT SIT ON THE MACARTHUR FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF TO GET TO A HEAT GAME GAMER TO SEE A SHOW.
I WOULD LIKE TO HELP THEM GROW AND FIX IT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN TOO MANY YEARS OF TRYING IT.
AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S SOMETHING, NOW LET'S WORK WITH THEM AND HELP THEM.
COMMISSIONER MINOR PASSED THIS ITEM.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FROM THE TIME THAT WE BID IT OUT UNTIL THE TIME THAT WE LAUNCHED THE SERVICE, THAT IN ITSELF WAS LIKE OVER A YEAR.
IT, IT TOOK SEVERAL MONTHS FROM WHEN IT WAS APPROVED BECAUSE THERE WAS A PERMITTING PROCESS INVOLVED.
SO TO JUST SAY RIGHT NOW TO GIVE IT THE ACTS BECAUSE IT, BECAUSE THEY'RE FINE, BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES.
STARTING IT UP I THINK WOULD DO A DISSERVICE.
UH, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER.
AND I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT PERFECT AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN START WORKING SO THAT SOMEBODY KNOWS HOW TO DO IT.
AND, AND TO SAY TO SOMEBODY WHO HASN'T DONE IT AND NOBODY ELSE WANTS TO DO IT, AND THE ONLY LITTLE ENGINE THAT WANTS TO DO IT, TO JUST SAY, YOU SUCK AND WE'RE CUTTING YOU OFF AFTER LIKE A YEAR OF PERMITTING.
I JUST THINK THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO WORK WITH THEM, JOSE.
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY'S UNHAPPY AND THEY'RE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK FOR THE, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE CUT THEM OFF? NOW WE'VE, WE'VE BROUGHT, IT'S LIKE THE THIRD TIME WE'VE BROUGHT IT, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME FROM DAY ONE, WE'VE BROUGHT ISSUES TO THEIR ATTENTION.
I MEAN, WE DID THIS UNDER MAYOR LEVINE.
I MEAN, WE'VE DONE THIS VERY, THIS IS, BUT THE, THE THING IS, ALEX, IS THAT NOBODY ELSE IS WILLING TO DO IT.
SO AT LEAST WITH THE ONE ENTITY THAT'S WILLING TO MAKE AN EFFORT, LET'S WORK WITH THEM THIS TIME BECAUSE NOW WE GOT THEM THE SUBSIDY THAT THEY NEED AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
UNTIL SEPTEMBER, IT'S, IT'S TOO, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST FIND IT SO, SO, SO INTERESTING BECAUSE LIKE HERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, PUSHING FOR SOMETHING THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY HITS ROUGH FROM WATERS THAT CAN NAVIGATE ITS WAY THROUGH.
[02:45:01]
AND, AND SO AND SO WE GET PASSIONATE ABOUT CONTINUING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.LIKE THINGS THAT WE KNOW THAT WILL WORK, YOU KNOW, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE DECIDE TO SOLVE LIKE REAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, LIKE THE BAY LINCOLN.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW THAT WOULD WORK, THAT WILL REALLY SERVE AN IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF OUR, OF OUR POPULATION.
AND SO LIKE REAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WE STOP IT.
UH, SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY PROVIDE REAL CONNECTIVITY IN, IN, IN, IN THE REGION.
AND THEN WE HERE, WE SIT TO JUST WASTE BECAUSE IT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE WASTING, WE'RE BURNING THROUGH THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS.
AND SOMETHING THAT WAS A FAILURE ALREADY, ONCE WE'RE PUSHING IT FORWARD AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO PUSH IT FORWARD AND, AND IT'S A DISRESPECT TO OUR TAXPAYERS, IT'S NOT RIGHT, IT'S, IT'S WRONG.
NUMBER ONE, I JUST GOT A TEXT MESSAGE.
THEIR BTR DOES NOT ALLOW THEM TO OPERATE PAST 8:00 PM SO WHY DON'T WE GIVE THEM AN EXTENSION ON THEIR BTR AND ALLOW THEM TO AT LEAST OPERATE UNTIL THE END OF A SHOW AT THE ART CENTER OR THE END, LOOK AT THE SCHEDULES FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING, EXTEND THE HOURS ON THEIR BTR BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN SET, SET UP FOR, FOR FAILURE.
UM, NUMBER TWO, I WOULD SAY IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT A WASTE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT, ALEX.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT A PERFECT SERVICE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE CUTTING IT OFF, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THERE.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW, I, I'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TOO MANY TIMES AND CUT THEM OFF TOO MANY TIMES AND WE'VE SET THEM UP FOR FAILURE.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL WE STARTED THE SERVICE.
NOW WE UNDERSTAND YOU'RE GETTING THERE.
WE NEED TO GO PAST 8:00 PM BUT IF WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THIS TRIAL AND ERROR, WE'RE NEVER GONNA FIND OUT.
AND BY THE WAY, YOU CAN CUT THIS OFF AND I WILL SIT HERE AND SAY THAT WE'LL PROBABLY NEVER, EVER HAVE A FERRY SERVICE.
SO, SO I'LL SAY THIS, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT CUTTING IT OFF TODAY.
I, I'LL SAY THIS, WE'RE NOT CUTTING IT OFF TODAY.
'CAUSE ACTUALLY, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO COMMISSION ANYWAY.
HAS TO GO TO, IF WE'RE GOING MODIFY HOURS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THE MOST ELEMENTARY THING THAT THEY COULD DO IS SHOW THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE A RELIABLE SERVICE.
IF WE'RE NOT GETTING NOTIFICATIONS EVERY OTHER DAY THAT THE SERVICE IS SHUT DOWN, THAT'S THEIR FIRST WIN IN MY BOOK.
RIGHT? AND, AND I'LL LOOK AT RIDERSHIP AFTERWARDS, AND I'LL UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S THE SUMMERTIME, SUMMER MONTHS AND THEY'RE JUST GETTING UP.
BUT THEY NEED TO SHOW ME, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR HOURS ARE, IS CONSISTENCY.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S, UH, A VERY LOW THRESHOLD.
THAT'S WHAT I NEED TO SEE BEFORE SEPTEMBER.
THAT THEY CAN OPERATE THIS BOAT IN A MANNER THAT ALLOWS OUR RESIDENTS, OUR TAXPAYERS, TO RELY ON THIS SERVICE.
SO, I, I DON'T NEED THE HOURS EXTENDED OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'RE GIVING THEM A CHANCE, ESSENTIALLY THROUGH SEPTEMBER, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS DISCUSSION THEN.
AND COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, LISTEN, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE AND YOU'RE, AND, AND, AND I KNOW YOU'RE COMING FROM A GOOD PLACE, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN SEPTEMBER, AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED, WE WILL, WE'LL HAVE BETTER DATA AND, UH, AND, AND LET'S, LET'S, UH, LET'S MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, TO, TO TO, TO SEND THIS RESOLUTION TERMINATING THE FERRY SERVICE BACK TO THE COMMISSIONS, UH, SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT IN SEPTEMBER.
AND WITH BETTER DATA, UH, MAKE A DETERMINATION AT THAT TIME.
AND, AND COMMISSIONER BOT AND THEN COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ AND JOSE.
I, I TALKED TO, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO IN THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THIS ALSO, BUT THEY WERE SAYING THAT, UM, RESIDENTS WOULD RIDE THROUGH RIDE FREE THROUGH JULY 31ST, BUT THEY'VE BEEN OUTTA SERVICE FOR AT LEAST FIVE DAYS, MAYBE MORE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST, AND THIS ISN'T A, A THING THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON, BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO THEM, THAT THEY SHOULD EXTEND HOWEVER MANY DAYS THEY WERE OUTTA SERVICE, THEY SHOULD EXTEND THAT FREE RIDERSHIP.
CAN WE ASK THE DISCUSSION? WE'D BE HAPPY TO, YEAH.
WHAT'S THAT? WE'D BE HAPPY TO RELAY THAT.
AND DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT? BUT CAN WE, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? YES.
COMMISSIONER ROSE GON, AND THE FINAL THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS, ALL OF THESE TIMES THAT WE HAVE BIDED OUT, WHY DO WE ONLY GET POSEIDON? WHY? WELL, THIS IS IS THE WORST.
THIS IS OUR, THE MARKET IS TELLING YOU SOMETHING.
SOMETIMES A FREE MARKET THAT TELLS YOU MESSAGE.
MAYBE, MAYBE WE NEED TO PUT IT OUT WITH THE SUBSIDY.
LIKE WE HAVE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE SUBSIDIZE THE SERVICE.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS AN UNSOLICITED TYPE OF FOOD.
WE DIDN'T PUT THAT OUT TO THE MARKET.
SO IF WE DO HAVE TO TERMINATE THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE UNRELIABLE AND DIRTY AND THE SERVICE DOESN'T WORK, THEN WE NEED TO IMMEDIATELY, THAT SAME COMMISSION MEETING PUT OUT TO BID A RELIABLE WORK ON A BID FOR A RELIABLE FERRY THAT HAS A SUBSIDY, THAT'S AN ELECTRIC BOAT.
SOMETHING THAT POSSIBLY WILL WORK.
AND I WOULD GET THAT STARTED AT THE SAME TIME.
I WOULD EVEN, I WISH WE COULD GIVE THE DIRECTION RIGHT NOW TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO YOU COULD START WORKING ON IT.
THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR, OUR PATH FORWARD.
THIS, THIS SERVICE THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE WITH, WITH POSEIDON IS
[02:50:01]
ACTUALLY JUST A 12 MONTH PILOT PROGRAM.AND THE IDEA WAS TO PUT TOGETHER A COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION AND GO OUT TO BID WITH A, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE A COMPANY THROUGH A SUBSIDY, THROUGH A SIMILAR ARRANGEMENT WHERE THE CITY WOULD SUBSIDIZE IT.
BUT THIS PILOT PROGRAM WAS JUST TO GET SOMETHING IN SOONER RATHER THAN, SO THEN WE HAVE SOMETHING I WOULD SAY THAT EVEN, YOU KNOW, AS THEY WORK TOWARD IT OVER THIS INITIAL 12 MONTH PILOT PROGRAM, THAT WE DON'T CANCEL IT WHILE WE BID OUT A BETTER SERVICE.
BECAUSE I THINK WE DO NEED TO SHOW THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING TO APPLY FOR ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS AND SHOW THAT WE'RE MAKING THE EFFORT.
BUT IF WE SHOW THAT WE'RE JUST CANCELING IT, THAT WE HAVE NOTHING, THEN WE HAVE NO PROOF OF RIDERSHIP.
THAT WE HAVE NOTHING TO GIVE THEM.
WE HAVE NO DATA THEN THAT, THAT DOES US A BIG DISSERVICE.
SO LET'S MOVE THIS FORWARD TO THE, UH, FULL COMMISSION IN SEPTEMBER.
RIGHT? THE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS HERE, WE'RE NOT, UM, TERMINATING ANYTHING TODAY.
UH, AND WE'LL HEAR THIS AT THE FULL COMMISSION IN SEPTEMBER, AND THE RESOLUTION IS GOING WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.
IS THAT UNANIMOUS? I AYE, CAPTAIN.
IT'LL BE RECORDED JUST BECAUSE I TALKED TO PARKS AND REC.
OH, IS THERE SOMEBODY ONLINE? NO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE FOR THE, UH, WOULD MY COLLEAGUES
[22. HIGHLIGHT THE DEMAND FOR THE MIAMI BEACH SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM, AND EXPLORE THE EXPANSION OF THE MIAMI BEACH SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM IF NEEDED.]
BE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN ONE ADDITIONAL ITEM ABOUT, UH, NUMBER 22, ABOUT THE MIAMI BEACH SUMMER CAMP? IF WE NEED TO LEAVE, WE CAN JUST, 'CAUSE I TOLD JOHN YEAH, YEAH.WE, I DON'T THINK WE NEED A FULL QUORUM.
NO, UH, BECAUSE IT'S JUST FEEDBACK.
UH, AND IT'S ESPECIALLY TIMELY.
UM, MY DAUGHTER CAPRI IS AT, UH, FLAMINGO PARK SUMMER CAMP.
I HAD HER IN ALL THESE FANCY CAMPS LAST YEAR WAS LIKE KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES.
SHE CAME BACK AND GOES, DADDY FLAMINGO PARK WAS THE BEST CAMP IN THE WORLD.
AND JUST LAST NIGHT THEY HAD THEIR TALENT SHOW.
AND IT WAS AN AUDIENCE LIKE THIS, THE MIAMI BEACH SUMMER CAMP PACKED THE BOTTOM ROW OF THE FILLMORE.
AND SO MANY, OFTENTIMES WE FORGET THAT THERE'S THIS, YOU KNOW, ENTIRE COMMUNITY OUT THERE THAT'S NOT THESE POLITICAL ACTIVISTS.
THEY DON'T SHOW UP TO MEETINGS.
BUT, BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD DID EXIST.
I, I THINK IT WAS THE, THE MAYOR OF BOGOTA, AND I'M PARAPHRASING HERE, BUT, UH, ENRIQUE PALERO, HE SAID, BUILD A CITY FOR THE CHILDREN AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.
AND, AND JOHN, THAT WHAT I SAW LAST NIGHT WAS, WAS MAGICAL, RIGHT? IT, IT WAS FAMILIES, IT WAS A COMMUNITY.
UM, HOWEVER, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, IS RESTRICTIVE IS, I KNOW FROM ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCE WHEN SUMMER CAMP SIGNUP COMES UP, IF IT OPENS AT 10:00 AM IF YOU'RE NOT REGISTERED FOR FLAMINGO PARK BY 10 15, YOU DON'T HAVE A SPOT FOR THE SUMMER.
AND I KNOW FROM ALL THE PARENT WHATSAPP, UH, YOU KNOW, PTA GROUPS THAT I'M ON, THERE ARE TONS OF KIDS THAT WANTED TO GET IN THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO DO SO.
SO THIS IS SUCH A CRITICAL SERVICE.
IT'S PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IT'S PART OF OUR FAMILIES.
HOW CAN WE EXPAND THIS? BECAUSE I JUST SENSE THAT THERE'S SUCH A DEMAND THERE THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET.
AND I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT.
I'M JUST GONNA READ THE ITEM NUMBER 22, HIGHLIGHT THE DEMAND FOR MAYA BEACH SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM AND EXPLORE THE EXPANSION OF THE MAYA BEACH SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM IF NEEDED.
ALRIGHT, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER.
UM, FOR, UM, THE, THE REVIEW FROM LAST NIGHT'S PLAYGROUND REVIEW.
YOU, YOU, YOU SAID IT VERY WELL.
UM, AND, AND COVERED ALL THE POINTS.
OUR SUMMER CAMP, OUR CHILDCARE IS EXTREMELY POPULAR.
WE ALSO, WE OFFER FULL, FULL YEAR CHILDCARE.
WE HAVE SUMMER CAMP ROLLS INTO YOUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM, WHICH ROLLS INTO YOUR TEACHER DAY OFF, WHICH ROLLS INTO YOUR SPRING BREAK AND WINTER BREAK HOLIDAYS.
SO WHAT YOU, WHAT MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE IS THOSE YEAR ROUND, IT'S CALLED A ROLLOVER.
SO A LOT OF THOSE YEAR ROUND CHILDCARE, UM, PARTICIPANTS, THEY AUTOMATICALLY FILL THE SPOTS.
SO THESE ONLY LIMITED AMOUNT OF SPOTS FOR, FOR OTHERS IT COMES OUT TO SPACE.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD ONLY HAVE SO MANY CHILDREN.
YOU HAVE RATIOS, YOU HAVE SQUARE FOOTAGE CAPACITIES.
UM, WE DO HAVE A GOB PROJECT FOR A FUTURE, FOR A FUTURE TRANCHE AT FLAMINGO PARK, WHICH WILL MAKE THAT FACILITY LARGER.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S YEARS AWAY.
YEAH, YOU HAVE THE SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITY CENTER, YOU HAVE THAT ENTIRE AREA DOWNSTAIRS.
YOU HAVE A PLAYGROUND, YOU HAVE AN UPSTAIRS AUDITORIUM, AND THERE'S NO SUMMER CAMP THERE, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE, I WOULD CO-SPONSOR WITH YOU A SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM AT THE SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITY CENTER.
BY THE WAY, THEY'RE CLOSE ENOUGH TO GET THEM TO THE POOL.
IF YOU WANTED TO GO TO THE POOL TOO, RIGHT NOW, IF DAVID'S ABLE TO LINK IN THE LEGISLATIVE AID INTO THIS, THAT'LL BE REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT OTHER THAN CONSTRUCTION AND OTHER POSSIBLE SITES, YOU, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CITIES DO, UM, PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT, BUT THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS
[02:55:01]
WITH THE SCHOOLS.THEY DO A LOT OF THEIR MAINTENANCE IN THE SUMMER AND THEY, THEY CAN'T OPEN IT UP FOR 10 WEEKS FOR THAT MANY HOURS.
BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY, UM, WORK TOGETHER.
WE DID TRY TO GET IN SCHOOL YEARS AGO, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO WHO AT THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT'S OUT OF, OUT OF MY SCHOOL, SO TO SAY.
UM, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A, A LARGE ENOUGH, UM, PROPERTY AND THEY
WE GO JUST TO GET THE CONVENTION.
SO WE'RE ESSENTIALLY SPACE CONSTRAINT RIGHT NOW.
LEMME ASK, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION, JOHN, WHEN A RESIDENT SIGNS UP MM-HMM.
ANY IDEA HOW MUCH WE'RE SUBSIDIZING PER JOB? OUR CHILDCARE IS HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED.
JUST, JUST DO AN LTC, UH, LATER ON.
OR, OR JUST BE PREPARED FOR NEXT DISCUSSION.
SO WE DON'T ONLY NEED TO FIND SPACE, BUT FUNDING, I, I JUST NEED TO KNOW, I CAN GIVE YOU A QUICK NUMBER.
SO IF I JUST QUICKLY USE, AND THIS ISN'T TALKING UTILITIES, THIS IS OPERATING EXPENSES.
NORTH SHORE PARK YOUTH CENTER HAS ABOUT 300 CAMPERS.
IT'S A, AND IT'S ABOUT A 300 THOU $298,000 SUBSIDY.
UH, SO ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER KID.
SPECIAL SPECIALTY CAMPS PAY FOR THEMSELVES OR MORE.
UM, SO WHAT I WILL ASK, WE WILL CONTINUE THIS, UH, NOT TO SEPTEMBER, BUT TO OCTOBER.
I WOULD LOVE IF YOU COULD WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REALM, WORK WITH OUR, UH, ASSISTANT, CITY MANAGER, CITY MANAGER, UH, PARKS, UH, I'M SORRY, WITH LIZ IN FACILITIES.
AND LET'S FIND PLACES WHERE WE'RE NOT SPACE CONSTRAINED.
THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, UH, SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, MAYBE THE TALLAHASSEE LEGISLATIVE AID
AND, AND I WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK AND TELL THESE FAMILIES AND SAY, IF YOU COULDN'T REGISTER FOR SUMMER CAMP THIS YEAR, YOU ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO NEXT YEAR.
I MEAN, I'M SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW AND I'M LOOKING AT THE DIRECTOR OF THE WOLFSONIAN AND I'M THINKING, WHY DOESN'T THE WOLFSONIAN HAVE SOME SORT OF SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM THAT WE HELP SUBSIDIZE TOO? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD WORK WITH RIGHT THERE.
OR EVEN THE JEWISH MUSEUM OF SOUTH FLORIDA.
BUT I MEAN, YOU GUYS WOULD PROBABLY WELCOME SOME SORT OF PROGRAMMING LIKE THAT.
AND YOU HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE SIU, UM, YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.
YOU COULD BRING IN, YOU KNOW, THEIR PEOPLE TO HELP YOU FORMAT THE PROGRAM.
NOT THOUGHT I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT.
CASEY AND CASEY, WE HEARD YOUR ITEM.
YOU'VE BEEN STANDING HERE, THE WHOLE SIT SITTING HERE PATIENTLY.
WHICH NUMBER IS YOUR ITEM NUMBER, NUMBER 19.
HE'S SO, HE'S SUCH A GENTLEMAN AND SOMEONE ELSE WOULD BE TEXTING ME LIKE, HEY, CALL MY ITEM CASEY, COME UP AND CASEY, COME ON.
AND YOU MIGHT BE GETTING A SUMMER CAMP.
WE'RE GONNA SHOW THE ITEM RETURN TO THE OCTOBER FERC WITH AN UPDATE ON POSSIBLE NEW LOCATIONS FOR SUMMER CAMP.
UH, AND PARTNERSHIPS NOT ONLY LOCATIONS, BUT PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UH, PERHAPS SOME OF OUR CULTURE INSTITUTIONS.
[19. DISCUSSION ON THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING UP THE FUNDING SHORTFALL FOR MIAMI BEACH ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS CAUSED BY THE NEW STATE BUDGET CUTs.]
YOU WANT NUMBER 19? I'M SORRY.NUMBER 19, DISCUSSION OF THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING UP THE FUNDING SHORTFALL FOR MIAMI BEACH ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS CAUSED BY THE NEW STATE BUDGET CUTS NUMBER 19.
SO, UM, CASEY, NICE TO SEE YOU CASEY AT THE BAT.
UM, SO THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN ONGOING, UH, EXPENDITURE.
THIS IS AN INTEND, THIS IS INTENDED TO BE, UM, A BANDAID WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH, UM, UNCEREMONIOUS CUTS TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE NO REASON TO HAVE THEIR FUNDING CUT BY POWERS OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY LIMITS.
UM, THERE WAS, UH, A TABLE PUT TOGETHER.
IT'S IN THE PACKET OF SORT OF THE BEST CASE SCENARIO OF WHAT EVERYBODY WOULD LOVE TO GET.
AND I THINK THAT IS KIND OF A, A LOT OF MONEY.
UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN USE AS A BANDAID.
SO WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS, UM, KIND OF A, UM, A, UH, A FORMAT OF, UM, EITHER $25,000 OR 50% OF YOUR ASK, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.
AND THAT'S HOW I WOULD KIND OF PROCEED WITH THIS.
UM, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT CAN'T BE A LINE ITEM EVERY YEAR, BUT YES, I'M SUPPORTIVE.
BUT CASEY, BEFORE I SAY MY SUPPORT, HOW'D YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT SUMMER CAMP IDEA?
BUT FIRST LET ME ASK YOU A FAVOR,
SO JUST COULD YOU CLARIFY 25,000 FOR EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE LISTED, OR 50
[03:00:01]
OR 50%, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.SO YOU DO UNDERSTAND OUR ORIGINAL S OR THE TO THE STATE? OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ORIGINAL FUNDING LEVELS THAT THE STATE'S RECOMMENDED? THE OF THE NINE 60.
YOU HAVE, I WISH IN THE IDEAL WORLD, I COULD GIVE YOU ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT, YOU KNOW, ANY FUNDS THAT CAN SUPPORT US AS THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS IS WELCOMED.
WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE PART OF A VERY VIBRANT COMMUNITY HERE.
AND CERTAINLY IT COMMIT, IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE ECONOMY OF THE COMMUNITY TOO.
THE DOLLARS WE SPEND, THEY HELP WITH SUMMER CAMPS, THEY HELP WITH EDUCATION, BUT THEY CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE OUR VISITORS TO SPEND DOLLARS IN HOTELS TO EAT MILLS.
UH, I THINK THERE'S A VERY VALUABLE STUDY PREVENTED THERE FROM THE A EP THAT SHOWS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WHAT WE BRING TO THE TYPO.
HAVE WE, UH, ISSUED THE ART AND CULTURE GEO BOND, THE ARTS AND CULTURE GEO BOND APPROVED BY VOTERS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO? WE'VE ISSUED APPROXIMATELY 100 OF THE $160 MILLION.
AND THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT, I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT AMOUNT.
SO WHERE I'M ACTUALLY GOING WITH THIS IS, AND I'M GUESSING THAT THE MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY HASN'T BEEN DEPLOYED YET.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY SITTING IN, UH, A QUASI ESCROW ACCOUNT AND IT'S EARNING INTERESTS, HOPEFULLY AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN, UH, WE WERE ANTICIPATING WHEN WE, UH, VOTED TO BORROW DOWN ON THAT.
IS THERE AN INTEREST, UH, INCOME THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THAT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS THAT'S BEEN, UH, ALREADY BONDED THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO PUT TOWARDS SOME OF THIS? UH, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SPECIFICALLY TOWARDS THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS AND, AND BONDED OUT.
IT WOULD HAVE NOT TO THOSE PROJECTS.
IT COULD, COULD NOT BE UTILIZED, UM, TOWARDS OPERATIONS.
UM, AND NOW YES, WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE.
DANIEL ERALDO, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
DANIEL ERALDO WITH MIAMI DESIGN PRESERVATION LEAGUE.
I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING ON THIS INITIATIVE.
UH, I WAS IN TALLAHASSEE FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE ADVOCACY, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AROUND THE STATE WORKED VERY HARD FOR THIS, UH, VERY LONG GRANT PROCESS.
AND, UM, THEN TO SEE THE LEGISLATURE OF THIS RECOMMEND 47%, UM, AND THEN IT GO AND GET, UH, VETOED AT THE END WAS, UH, IS A REAL HIT TO THE CULTURAL ANCHORS AND INSTITUTIONS OF THE CITY.
I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT THIS GRANT IS FOR OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.
SO, UM, THE GEO BOND BEING THE BIG CAPITAL PROJECTS IS VERY CRITICAL.
BUT THIS GRANT WAS SUPPOSED TO KICK IN THIS MONTH IN JULY, AND SO MANY OF US ARE SCRAMBLING FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S 70,000, UH, UH, AROUND THAT OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.
SO, UH, WE WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN AND I THINK IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF MIAMI BEACH LEADING THE WAY IN ARTSY.
WE THINK YOU'D BE PERFECT FOR SUMMER CAMP TOO, DANIEL, OVER THERE ON 10TH AND OCEAN.
WELL, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE OUR KIDS LEARNING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR DECO STUFF AND MIAMI.
OH, AND MIAMI MODERN, THE COMMISSIONER BOT.
UH, SO IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR IF I, IF I CAN, AND I KNOW I'M GONNA HAVE COMMISSIONER BOT HELP ME OUT WITH THIS.
I, I BELIEVE IT'S RETURN TO COMMISSION ON THE FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO PROVIDE SUPPORT OF $25,000 PER LISTED ORGANIZATION, OR 50% OF THE NUMBER PROVIDED.
WHICHEVER IS, WHICHEVER, WHICHEVER IS HIGHER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR A FABULOUS MEETING.
UH, DIDN'T SPEND A TON, UH,
UH, MOTION FOR MEETING ADJOURNED.