Sep 25, 2024 Commission Meeting ((Budget Related))

[00:00:01]

PLEASE STAND BY.

WE ARE GOING ON AIR IN 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

[CALL TO ORDER]

I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY CLERK TO MAKE ANY, UH, NECESSARY ANNOUNCEMENTS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

DURING THIS HYBRID COMMISSION MEETING, THE CITY COMMISSION IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE COMMISSION CHAMBER AT MIAMI BEACH CITY HALL, 1700 CONVENTIONAL CENTER DRIVE THIRD FLOOR.

THE PUBLIC MAY ATTEND THE MEETING VIRTUALLY, HOWEVER, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ATTEND THE MEETING OR PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON MAY APPEAR AT THE COMMISSION CHAMBER TO PARTICIPATE OR PROVIDE COMMENT VIRTUALLY DURING THE COMMISSION MEETING.

THE PUBLIC MAY JOIN THE MEETING BY VISITING THE ZOOM APP ON THEIR SMART DEVICE OR ON THE WEB AT ZOOM US OR BY TELEPHONE AT AREA CODE THREE OH FIVE TWO TWO FOUR NINETEEN SIXTY EIGHT, THREE OH FIVE TWO TWO FOUR NINETEEN SIXTY EIGHT.

THE WEBINAR ID IS 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND.

AGAIN, 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WANTING TO SPEAK VIRTUALLY ON AN ITEM DURING THE MEETING MUST CLICK THE RAISE HAND ICON IF USING THE ZOOM APP, OR PRESS STAR NINE ON THE TELEPHONE TO RAISE THEIR HAND.

UH, THERE ARE SOME ADDENDUM ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A DETERMINATION AT SOME POINT AS TO THE ADDITION TO THE AGENDA.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON THE FIRST ITEM, I JUST WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES HERE AND OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION.

THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO BALANCING A BUDGET, WHICH IS STATUTORILY REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET AS A CITY, UH, COMMISSION, UNLIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

AND A LOT OF WORK GOES INTO DOING THAT.

I'M ALSO PROUD IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET ITEMS, AND I MENTIONED THIS LAST TIME, THAT WE ARE PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SAFETY CLEANLINESS.

REALLY THE ISSUES THAT OUR RESIDENTS, UH, ARE IMPACTED MOSTLY BY THIS IS, UM, BY AND LARGE, A, A VERY GOOD BUDGET, AND I THINK SOMETHING OUR RESIDENTS CAN BE PROUD OF.

OUR RESIDENT FEEDBACK AND SURVEYS HAVE TOLD US WHAT'S IMPORTANT, AND THIS ADDRESSES THAT WITH, UM, POLICING, SANITATION, EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES, UM, BEING RESPONSIVE TO OUR RESIDENTS.

UM, SO I I'M VERY PROUD OF IT.

IT'S A LOT OF SUBSTANCE.

YOU CAN GO THROUGH IT AND SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SUBSTANCE.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET RID OF THE, THE FLUFF ITEMS. AND, UM, I'M PROUD OF THIS BUDGET FOR ONE AND, AND EVERYONE HERE WHO'S HELPED PUT THAT TOGETHER.

I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CHAIR OF THE BUDGET AND FINANCE, UH, COMMITTEE MEETINGS WHERE A LOT OF THIS HAPPENS ON A MONTHLY BASIS IN SUBCOMMITTEE.

UM, SO TAKE IT AWAY, JOE.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND OUR STAFF.

UH, WE'RE COMING TO THE ACCUMULATION OF A LONG BUDGET PROCESS THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND CONSEQUENTIAL THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO AS A COLLECTIVE BODY.

UH, THERE'S NO GREATER RESPONSIBILITY FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAN DECIDING, UH, WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO TAX, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO TAX, AND WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO BE ALLOCATED.

UH, A LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE NO ABILITY TO RAISE MONEY THROUGH ANY WAY OTHER THAN TAXING.

SO ANY MONEY THAT WE SPEND IS A RESULT OF TAXES THAT ARE PLACED ON EITHER OUR BUSINESSES, OUR RESIDENTS.

SO THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY MONUMENTAL TASK.

AND, UH, AS THE MAYOR POINTED OUT, IT REALLY SHOWS WHERE THE PRIORITIES OF OUR CITY ARE.

AND I, FOR ONE, AM PROUD OF THE BUDGET WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD.

I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE DONE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

I'M ACTUALLY GLAD JUST IN THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, UH, WE'VE RECEIVED, UH, DOZENS OF EMAILS, UH, SOME OF US ABOUT THE MILLAGE RATES AND EVEN KEEPING THE MILLAGE RATES, UH, COLLECTIVELY AS THEY ARE, HOW COULD RESULT IN, UM, YOU KNOW, HIGH COSTS FOR SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT ARE RENTING.

AND WHY I'M GLAD THAT WE RECEIVED THOSE EMAILS IS IT REALLY PUTS LIFE INTO PERSPECTIVE THAT THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING UP HERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCES AND TAXES, HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON EVERY SINGLE RESIDENT OF OUR CITY.

AND WHETHER IT BE SPENDING A DOLLAR, A MILLION DOLLARS OR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, ALL OF THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN WITH, UH, UH, AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF GRAVITY AND CONSEQUENCE.

AND, UH, I THINK COLLECTIVELY THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT GOING FORWARD.

SO THANK YOU, MR. MERRILL.

I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO YOU.

UH, R SEVEN H,

[R7 H A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO REFRAIN FROM IMPLEMENTING ANY AUTOMATIC 5-YEAR CONSUMER PRICE INDEX PARKING FEE INCREASES.]

IT IS A RESOLUTION.

IT'S NOT EVERY DAY.

YOU SEE, UH, ALL SEVEN OF US SPONSOR LEGISLATION AND VERY QUICKLY, UH, SO WE GOT A LOT OF EMAILS, BASICALLY, UH, A CITY COMMISSION BACK IN, UH, 2019.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ON THIS COMMISSION WAS ACTUALLY ACTIVE THEN, IF I'M, I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UH, PASSED, UH, BASICALLY A PARKING INCREASE THAT WOULD DOUBLE FOR RESIDENTS.

UH, BASICALLY OCTOBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR.

WE, UH, WE QUICKLY, AS YOU SEE, UH, SPONSORED ALL COLLECTIVELY THIS, UH, RESOLUTION TO OVERTURN THAT.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MAKE MOTION.

IS THIS A PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM?

[00:05:01]

I'LL MAKE A MOTION.

IF YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US SEPARATELY.

IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT, IT'S GONNA START GETTING, I APPRECIATE IT, MITCH, THOUGH.

I MAKE THE MOTION.

I'LL SECOND I MOTION AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.

ANY DISCUSSION? MOVE, TAKE THE VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

IT'S UNANIMOUS.

SEVEN ZERO.

THE ITEM PASSES.

IT'S CALL R SEVEN.

[R7 G A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE ADDITION OF AN ANNUAL PUBLIC SAFETY APPRECIATION DAY AS A PAID HOLIDAY TO BE OBSERVED EACH YEAR ON THE FOURTH FRIDAY OF OCTOBER, FOR ALL EMPLOYEES INCLUDING EMPLOYEES WHOSE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS WILL PROVIDE FOR THIS HOLIDAY, WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF OCTOBER 25, 2024.]

OCTOBER 25TH, 2024.

I'LL TURN THIS ONE OVER TO, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER, ERIC.

OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAYOR.

UH, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS SOMETHING THAT COMES ON THE HEEL OF THE STATE DECLARATION, UH, OF, I BELIEVE IT'S, UM, IT'S NOT PUBLIC SAFETY.

IT'S, UH, IT'S CALLED LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY.

UM, AND THEN MORE RECENTLY, THE COUNTY HAS ADOPTED A PUBLIC SAFETY APPRECIATION DAY THAT IS, UM, RECOGNIZED EVERY YEAR IN MAY AS A OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNTY TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS.

UH, WE WERE APPROACHED BY OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNITS, OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE UNIONS, AND THEY ASKED FOR CONSIDERATION FOR INCORPORATING THIS INTO THEIR NEXT ROUND OF CONTRACTS.

WE FELT THAT IT WAS REASONABLE FOR US TO BE ON PARODY WITH THE COUNTY FOR THE INCLUSION OF THIS PUBLIC SAFETY APPRECIATION DAY.

AND WE HAVE, AS IS GENERALLY THE CASE, WE HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO ACCEPT A NEW, UM, HOLIDAY, THAT WE MAKE THAT HOLIDAY, UH, CITYWIDE.

SO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS BEING PRESENTED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AHEAD OF THE, UH, CONTRACTS BEING ADOPTED BECAUSE THE CURRENT CONTRACT EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 30TH OF THIS YEAR.

AND THIS PROPOSED PUBLIC SAFETY APPRECIATION DAY WOULD BE THE FOURTH FRIDAY OF OCTOBER, WHICH WOULD EFFECTIVELY BE OCTOBER 25TH OF THIS YEAR.

BEFORE WE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RATIFY THE CONTRACTS ON OCTOBER 30TH, PRESENTED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

AND, UH, I HOPE YOUR FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.

ANY COMMENTS, MOTIONS, SOMEBODY WANNA MOVE IT OR IF NOT, THEN WE MOVE ON.

SECOND.

I HAVE A MOTION FROM, UH, VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.

IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION, MAY WE TAKE THE VOTE? IF SO, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

MOTION CARRIED.

ANY OPPOSED? NO.

ALL PASSES.

SEVEN ZERO R SEVEN GR FIVE

[R5 A AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, BY AMENDING CHAPTER 1 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, ENTITLED “GENERAL PROVISIONS” BY AMENDING SECTION 1-15, ENTITLED “FEE SCHEDULE,” BY AMENDING APPENDIX “A” THEREOF TO REPEAL AUTOMATIC 5-YEAR CONSUMER PRICE INDEX ADJUSTMENTS TO PARKING RATES; AND PROVIDING FOR REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.]

YES SIR.

R FIVE A IS AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR OF CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA BY AMENDING CHAPTER ONE OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH ENTITLED GENERAL PROVISIONS BY AMENDING SECTION ONE DASH 15 ENTITLED FEE SCHEDULE BY AMENDING APPENDIX A THEREOF TO REPEAL AUTOMATIC FIVE YEAR CONSUMER PRICE INDEX ADJUSTMENT TO PARKING RATES AND PROVIDE FOR REPEAL OF ABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND EFFECTIVE DATE.

THIS IS A FIRST READING.

WELL, IT'S SPONSORED BY ALL SEVEN OF US.

ANYBODY WANNA MAKE THE MOTION ? LET'S CALL THE VOTE.

COMMISSIONER BACH? YES.

COMMISSIONER SUAREZ? YES.

COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE? YES.

VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ? YES.

COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ? YES.

COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ? YES.

MAYOR MINOR.

YES.

MOTION CARRIED.

SECOND READING.

PUBLIC HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 30TH.

THAT WAS ITEM R FIVE A.

UH, R FIVE HR FIVE H, SORRY.

R SEVEN A

[R7 A A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING: 1) THE FINAL AD VALOREM MILLAGE OF 5.8522 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 FOR GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES, WHICH IS NINE AND SIX TENTHS PERCENT (9.6%) MORE THAN THE "ROLLED-BACK" RATE OF 5.3395 MILLS; AND 2) THE DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE RATE OF 0.2959 MILLS.]

AND THE DEBT SERVICE MILIT RATE OF 0.2959

[00:10:01]

THIS IS A SECOND READING PUBLIC HEARING.

IT IS ITEM R SEVEN A.

GOT A MOTION.

I MOVE.

I'LL SECOND IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION ON R SEVEN A.

I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ, SECONDED BY THE MAYOR.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? WAIT, I HAD SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO SAY.

I MEAN, THIS ALL WENT SO QUICKLY.

THIS IS ON THE FINAL BUDGET, CORRECT.

UM, PJ, CAN YOU PLEASE PULL UP MY PRESENTATION? FIRST AND FOREMOST, I CONGRATULATE EVERYONE ON THIS BUDGET.

A FEW THINGS WERE SAID AT THE LAST MEETING.

I NEED TO CLARIFY THIS BEFORE WE MOVE ON.

UM, AND IT'S NOT IN THE SPIRIT OF MAKING OUR MEETING A CIRCUS.

IT'S IN THE SPIRIT OF BASICALLY CLEARING MY NAME BECAUSE I WAS VERY UPSET IN THE GASS AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID.

AND ACTUALLY, UM, MR. MAYOR , YOU ACTUALLY REQUESTED THIS.

SO, UM, THERE WERE SOME THINGS SAID ABOUT THE TICKETS AND TRAVEL BUDGET, WHICH I FEEL LIKE IS GOING TO BECOME SOME SORT OF ISSUE IN THE FUTURE.

SO VERY CALMLY, I'D LIKE TO JUST MOVE FORWARD.

PJ, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? I WAS VERY UPSET OVER NOT GETTING ANY KIND OF ANSWER ABOUT MY TICKET.

THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

CAN YOU PLAY THAT PJ, PLEASE? WHAT HAPPENED TO IT? WE MOVE ON.

SO ANYWAY, I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD NOT ATTEND AND IT'S NOT IN THE SPIRIT OF MAKING OUR MEETING A CIRCUS.

IT'S IN THE SPIRIT OF BASICALLY CLEARING MY NAME BECAUSE I WAS VERY UPSET IN THE GAS THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID, AND ACTUALLY, UM, MR. MAY YOU ACTUALLY REQUESTED THIS.

SO, UM, THIS ISN'T WHAT THE VIDEO SAYS.

THERE WAS SOMETHING SAID ABOUT TICKETS AND TRAVEL.

SO TRAVEL, I WAS TOLD THAT, WHICH I FEEL LIKE IS GOING TO BECOME SOME SORT OF ISSUE IN THE FUTURE.

SO, VERY C WHAT'S GOING ON? SLIDE PLEASE.

IT WAS VERY, SO ANYWAY, I WAS TOLD THAT WE'RE NOT ATTEND THIS KIND JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES EVENT.

IT WAS $50.

THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

OKAY.

CAN YOU PLAY THAT PJ WE'RE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES SO EVERYBODY COULD BE PATIENT BECAUSE I PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO, UM, THIS PRESENTATION, WE MOVE ON.

SO ANYWAY, I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD NOT ATTEND AND IT'S NOT IN THE SPIRIT OF MAKING OUR MEETING A CIRCUS.

IT'S IN THE SPIRIT OF BASICALLY CLEARING MY NAME BECAUSE I WAS VERY UPSET IN AG GASSED THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID, AND ACTUALLY, UM, MR. MAY YOU ACTUALLY REQUESTED THIS.

PJ THIS IS NOT WHAT MY PRESENTATION SAYS.

THIS IS NOT WHAT MY POWERPOINT SAYS.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO HOOK INTO MY COMPUTER SO THAT WE CAN GO WITH MY VERSION OF THE POWERPOINT, THAT'S FINE.

BUT WHATEVER'S HAPPENING HERE, UM, IS COMICAL.

'CAUSE THIS IS NOT WHAT I SENT OKAY.

TOLD THAT I JEWISH COMMUNITY UNTIL THEY FIX THE WHATEVER PRESENTATION.

CAN WE MOVE ON TO OUR, TO THE NEXT ITEM? PLEASE? NO, I, I LIKE, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND, I MEAN, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

IT'S BASICALLY PUSHING PLAY.

THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

PARDON THE INTERRUPTION.

BUT, UM, THIS IS WHAT WE RECEIVE.

IT WAS NOT ALTERED IN ANY FORM.

WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, THEN I CAN PLAY MINE RIGHT HERE.

AND IF THAT, UM, IF THAT'S BETTER, UM, I'LL JUST PLAY IT ON MINE AND THEN WE CAN MOVE THROUGH THE SLIDES DIFFERENTLY.

HERE IS ACTUALLY WHAT WAS SAID.

LET'S PLAY THIS.

SO ANYWAY, I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD NOT ATTEND THIS JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES EVENT.

IT WAS $50 PER TICKET.

UM, I THINK WE HAD A WHOLE, ACTUALLY WE HAVE A WHOLE THREAD.

YOU CAN GO BACK AND YOU CAN CHECK IT.

WE HAVE IT IN BLACK AND WHITE.

UM, WHY DON'T YOU BRING IT UP AS A SLIDE.

WHY DON'T YOU BRING IT UP AS AN, OKAY, SO THE MAYOR ASKED ME TO BRING IT UP AS A SLIDE.

CAN I PLEASE SET MY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION UP AGAIN AND I'LL DO THE AV MYSELF IF IT'S NOT WORKING FOR OUR AV, WHICH I FIND JUST, OKAY.

SO AFTER THIS, WHAT I WANTED TO PROVE WAS THAT OUR OFFICE WAS GIVEN THE RUNAROUND BECAUSE I WAS TOLD BY THE MAYOR THAT IT WASN'T TRUE.

AND TO COME UP WITH SOME SLIDES.

CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? FIRST, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE SENT US THIS ABOUT THE FACT THAT OUR SALARIES ARE TO PURCHASE THESE TICKETS.

COULD YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? AND THEN WE RECEIVED, WE KEPT REACHING OUT TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.

WE WERE BOUNCED AROUND TO THE ADMINISTRATION.

UM, EVERY, WE KEPT LIKE THE, THE FINANCE BOUNCED US OVER TO, YOU KNOW, BACK TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.

AND SO WE ENDED UP IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.

'CAUSE I WANTED TO EXPLAIN TO EVERYBODY WHY THIS LEGISLATION CAME ABOUT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

COULD WE PLEASE HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE? DID THAT AUTOMATION .

OKAY.

SO THE ADMINISTRATION SENT US TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.

[00:15:01]

I WANTED TO SHOW THIS BECAUSE I REMEMBER THAT JASON COULDN'T REMEMBER ANY OF THESE EMAILS.

THERE ARE MANY OF THEM, AND I'M NOT BLAMING ANYBODY FOR THIS.

I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE LEGISLATION THAT I CREATED WAS BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET AN ANSWER FROM THE ADMINISTRATION.

I COULDN'T GET AN ANSWER FROM, UH, FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.

SO I HAD NO RECOURSE.

BUT TO FINALLY GET A SOLUTION BY CREATING THE RESOLUTION, WHICH BY THE WAY, WE VOTED FOR UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT SLIDE.

SHOULD I GO TO MY OWN? IS THIS GONNA WORK THIS TIME OR SHOULD I JUST, CAN WE PLEASE HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE? MANY CHARITY EVENTS THAT I DO NOT.

OKAY, HERE WE GO.

MANY, MANY EVENTS THAT I, MANY CHARITY EVENTS THAT I DO NOT SEEK REIMBURSEMENTS.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS JC THING IS, BUT I PAY OUT OF MY OWN POCKET BECAUSE, AND I'M NOT WEALTHY.

I AM NOT A WEALTHY PERSON.

OKAY, SO YOU SAID RIGHT THERE, MR. MAYOR, COULD WE HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE KIND OF FRAMING ME AS THOUGH I'M LOOKING TO PAY FOR TICKETS, WHEREAS YOU'RE NOT.

BUT WHEN I WENT IN AND I DID A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST, UM, YOU ACTUALLY DID HAVE THE CITY PAY FOR MANY TICKETS AND AS DID I, AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED ABOUT SUPPORTING NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S VERY DISINGENUOUS OR CYNICAL TO TELL EVERYBODY THAT YOU PAY FOR ALL THESE TICKETS YOURSELF, WHEN IN REALITY, UH, THE CITY IS PURCHASING TICKETS FOR YOU, JUST LIKE THEY PURCHASED FROM ME AND EVERYONE ELSE.

SURE.

THERE WAS THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, WHICH WAS EXPENSIVE, AND TALLAHASSEE DAY DAYS WAS AN ADDITIONAL 1500.

SO I ADDITIONAL 500.

SO YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE WERE A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TICKETS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO SHAME OTHER WITH IT.

SHAME EACH OTHER WITH IT.

AND I THINK THAT, UM, MOVING FORWARD, THIS SHOULDN'T BE A CONVERSATION ANYMORE.

AND I JUST HAD TO CON EXCUSE ME FOR A SECOND.

HE NEVER ATTENDED THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS.

I'LL, I'LL CORRECT THE HONOR.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

WELL, I MEAN, I GOT A PUBLIC RECORD REQUEST.

THERE WAS A CREDIT CARD, THERE WAS A CHARGE MEMBERSHIP FEE.

WHY AM I BEING INTERRUPTED BY YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF? THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW.

OKAY, SO LET'S MOVE ON WHEN, AS I DID THIS RESEARCH, OKAY, HERE'S ANOTHER ONE.

CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? IT'S REALLY NOT EFFECTIVE.

I'M VERY UPSET THAT MY AV ISN'T WORKING, BUT IT'S WORKING ON MY POWERPOINT.

SO , THE BOTTOM LINE IS, BY THE WAY, LET, LET'S MENTION THE TAXPAYERS PAID FOR YOUR TRIP TO BASEL, SWITZERLAND THAT I APPROVED.

OKAY? THIS I FOUND VERY, UM, OFFENSIVE SIMPLY BECAUSE, UH, THE MAYOR INSISTED THAT, CAN I HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THEN I GOT ACCUSED OF GOING TO BASEL WHERE I WAS ACTUALLY WORKING.

AND, UM, WHAT MAYOR MINOR FAILED TO DISCLOSE, WHICH WAS ANOTHER DISINGENUOUS COMMENT, WAS THAT HE SENT HIS CHIEF OF STAFF WHO ACTUALLY SPENT MORE MONEY THAN I DID AT BASEL 5,184 VERSUS 4,188.

BY THE WAY, I WENT AS AN AMBASSADOR AND ELECTED OFFICIAL.

CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? UM, ART BASEL, AS WE KNOW, UM, THIS IS FROM THE CITY'S WEBSITE, BUT YOU CAN FIND IT ON BASEL.

AND THEN SEVERAL NEWS ARTICLES HAS A FOUR TO $500 MILLION IMPACT ANNUALLY.

UM, SO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ANY OF US ATTENDING ART BASEL.

I DO NOT WANT ANYONE IN THE FUTURE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT AN ATTACK REGARDING ART BASEL.

AND FRANKLY, THE ENTIRE, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT ART BASEL AND WHY YOU SENT THE CHIEF OF STAFF IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO SEND A VIDEO MESSAGE TO OUR WELCOMING LUNCHEON WITH BASEL.

AND FAZEL ACTUALLY SAID TO YOU, NO, WE DON'T DO THAT.

AND YOU WERE SO UPSET ABOUT THAT, THAT YOU CHOSE TO SEND YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF, WHICH WAS, I I I DON'T CARE.

I I DON'T MIND THAT YOU SENT YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF, BUT TO ACCUSE ME WHEN YOU YOURSELF SENT A REPRESENTATIVE.

I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S NOT MAYORAL.

COULD WE HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? AND THEN HERE'S THE PART THAT I FEEL IS VERY GERMANE TO THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION, WHICH IS A 35% INCREASE IN THE BUDGET OF THE OFFICE AND MAY MAYOR AND COMMISSION PRIMARILY IN STAFF THAT SERVE THE MAYOR.

UM, I'M NOT GOING, SEVERAL ITEMS THAT I PASSED WITH THE TICKET AND TRAVEL LEGISLATION WAS 75,000.

I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL, UM, 105,000 FOR STIPEND INCREASES.

AND THERE WERE, BUT THE, BUT THERE IS.

BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW, AND WHAT MY RESEARCH SHOWED IS THAT SIX EMPLOYEES WERE ADDED TO THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION THAT REPORT DIRECTLY TO YOU.

NO, NO OTHER MAYOR, UM, HAS NEEDED TO HAVE THAT AMOUNT OF STAFF.

AND I THINK YOUR STAFF IS GREAT AND WONDERFUL, BUT YOU HAVE SWOLLEN OUR BUDGET.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.

AND I MIGHT POTENTIALLY VOTE AGAINST THE BUDGET BECAUSE OF IT, BECAUSE THERE REALLY WAS NO EXTENSION CON CONVERSATION.

AND I FINALLY, LAST MINUTE, GOT THE NUMBERS ON, UM, THE ENTOURAGE IF, IF, UH, BE ON THE, THE ENTOURAGE REGARDING, UM, THE NUMBERS, UM, OF THE CAR AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND THE SECURITY THAT YOU

[00:20:01]

AND THE SERGEANT AT ARMS, UM, UNDER DAN GELBER, THAT COST WAS ROUGHLY $34,000.

AND I DON'T HAVE THIS ON THE POWERPOINT BECAUSE IT, I LITERALLY GOT IT, UH, LAST MINUTE, JUST SO THAT ALL OF, YOU KNOW, UNDER DAN GELBER FROM NOVEMBER 28TH, 2022 TO SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2023, THE AMOUNT SPENT WAS 36,437.

MR. MAYOR, UNDER YOUR TENURE, THAT AMOUNT IS TRIPLED TO $92,248 AND 21 CENTS.

SO WHEN WE ARE SPEAKING IN DOLLARS AND CENTS, AND I'M GOING TO BE CHASTISED FOR EITHER A $50 TICKET OR A SIMPLE, UH, LEGISLATION SO THAT I DON'T GET BOUNCED AROUND FROM ONE DEPARTMENT OR ANOTHER, AND THEN GET ACCUSED FOR ACTUALLY GOING ON A DIPLOMATIC, UM, MISSION, WHICH MIGHT BE DIFFICULT, UH, FOR YOU, YOU, MR. MAYOR, TO UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU YOURSELF SENT AN EMISSARY, UH, WHICH SPENT MORE MONEY THAN I DID.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS AN APOLOGY.

AND AFTER THAT, I WOULD LIKE US TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS AS A GROUP.

I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GET ALONG WITH YOU.

I DON'T WANNA FEEL LIKE I AM A TARGET.

UM, I'M EXTENDING AN OLIVE BRANCH.

WHY? BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE.

AND BY THE WAY, HAD, HAD I DONE SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO YOU, YOU WOULD'VE BEEN SO FURIOUS.

UM, AND RIGHT NOW I CAN ACTUALLY THANK YOU FOR FINALLY NUMBER ONE, NOT INTERRUPTING ME FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK AND FOR OPENING UP OUR MICROPHONE SYSTEM.

I THINK THAT OVERALL, AS A BODY, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK.

WE HAVE SEEN TREMENDOUS CHANGES IN THE CITY.

WE ARE SEEING A CLEANER, SAFER CITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE THANK GOODNESS WE ARE BLESSED WITH PROPERTY INCREASES THAT ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO OFFER ALL OF THESE SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTS OF MIAMI BEACH.

AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT WHETHER IT'S PROGRAMMING OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A MORE BEAUTIFUL CITY.

UM, I DON'T WANT A CIRCUS.

I DON'T WANT THIS MEETING TO TURN INTO A CIRCUS.

I FEEL AT THIS POINT, LIKE I HAVE CLEARED MY NAME, UH, USING NUMBERS AND FACTS AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, IF ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE SWOLLEN BUDGET OF THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION, I WELCOME YOU TO COMMENT.

SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA APOLOGIZE TO OUR RESIDENTS THAT I EVEN NEED TO SPEND TIME ON THIS, BUT I'M GONNA HAVE TO, I, AND, UM, I, I, AS YOU ACKNOWLEDGE, I LET YOU SPEAK AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO, UNFORTUNATELY, I DO HAVE TO REFUTE LITERALLY EVERYTHING THAT WAS JUST SAID.

SO IF YOU GO BACK AND WATCH THAT MEETING THAT THE COMMISSIONER JUST SHOWED, YOU'LL SEE THAT I WAS ACCUSED MULTIPLE TIMES OF HAVING THE CITY PAY FOR A TICKET TO JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES AND NOT APPROVING THE COMMISSIONERS.

FIRST OF ALL, IN THEORY, THAT WOULD BE MY RIGHT.

BUT I DIDN'T DO THAT.

I ACTUALLY WENT TO THE EVENT AND PAID FOR THE TICKET MYSELF.

I PAID FOR THAT TICKET.

AND BY THE WAY, THE COMMISSIONER MADE, I BELIEVE, WAS WITH AMENDMENTS.

AND THE CITY CAN CORRECT ME, I'M, I'M 16 OR 17 PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS RELATING TO THE INFORMATION SHE JUST SHARED WITH YOU ON THE POWERPOINT, INCLUDING MULTIPLE REQUESTS ON THIS JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES.

'CAUSE APPARENTLY WHEN THE CITY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECORD OF IT, BECAUSE I DIDN'T ASK FOR THE MONEY, I PAID FOR IT AND MY OWN CREDIT CARD, WHICH I HAVE THE PROOF OF THAT AS WELL.

SO, BUT, BUT THINK ABOUT THAT.

16 OR 70 PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS, THAT IS A LOT OF TIME THAT THE CITY ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO SPEND IN LOOKING AND REVIEWING.

THAT REQUIRES CITY CLERK, CITY ATTORNEY, THAT REQUIRES THE CFO.

THAT IS A LOT OF CITY TIME THAT YOU JUST SAW PUT INTO THAT POWERPOINT.

I DIDN'T WANNA HAVE TO BRING UP ART BASEL.

I I BROUGHT IT UP BECAUSE I WAS ACCUSED AT THE MEETING OF, OF ACCEPTING, OF ACCEPTING A CITY, UH, PAYMENT, UH, FOR, FOR THIS JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES.

WHEN I DISAPPROVED IT.

AND AS COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ SAID VERY WELL LAST TIME, OUR BUDGET, NOW OUR BUDGET IS A LITTLE HIGHER 'CAUSE OUR COMMISSION APPROVED IT.

BUT OUR BUDGET WAS VERY LOW IN THE MAYOR.

AND, AND, AND, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE INHERITED IT FROM THE PAST MAYOR, I BROUGHT UP THE ART BASEL BECAUSE THE COMMISSIONER, BASED ON WHAT I'M BEING TOLD, I DON'T KNOW THIS FIRSTHAND, BUT WHAT I WAS TOLD IS THAT MAYOR LEVINE AND MAYOR GILBERT DISAPPROVED YORK TRIP'S ART BASE AND I APPROVED IT.

SO YOU'RE GIVING ME A HARD TIME ABOUT A A HUNDRED DOLLARS TICKET TO JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES WHEN ART BASEL, AND I'M GLAD YOU WENT.

THAT'S WHY I APPROVED IT.

OBVIOUSLY, I WANTED YOU TO GO, YOU REQUESTED IT.

UM, BUT, BUT I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS GETTING SUCH A HARD TIME OF A HUNDRED DOLLARS TICKET, WHICH BY THE WAY, AGAIN, I PAID FOR, UH, OF MY OWN MONEY.

I WAS JUST POINTING OUT THAT I WASN'T DISAPPROVING EVERYTHING THAT YOU WERE ASKING FOR.

BUT, UM, ANYWAY, US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, BY THE WAY, I DID NOT, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A CONFLICT I DID NOT ATTEND THAT THAT IS A MEMBERSHIP FEE THAT WOULD BE A COMPLETE EMBARRASSMENT TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH IF WE WERE NOT MEMBERS OF THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS.

LITERALLY EVERY MIDDLE, UH, SIZE CITY IS A, IS A MEMBER OF THAT MIAMI BEACH NEEDS TO BE, THAT IS A MEMBERSHIP FEE.

SO THAT $6,000 NUMBER THAT YOU THREW THERE, THAT IS A MEMBERSHIP FEE THAT WE PAY ANNUALLY.

UH, FOR THAT, I, I DID NOT

[00:25:01]

I WILL ALSO POINT OUT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YES, I DID ADD SOME POSITIONS TO OUR MAYORS AND COMMISSIONS OFFICE.

BY THE WAY, I WILL ACTUALLY SAY TO YOU RESIDENTS, I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.

THE REASON WE DID THAT IS I MADE THE DETERMINATION, HAVING BEEN A COMMISSIONER FOR FOUR YEARS, THAT THERE WAS, THERE WAS MORE RESPONSIVENESS THAT THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE COULD DO THAT WAS NOT BEING DONE, THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, THAT OUR RESIDENTS EXPECTED TO BE DONE.

AND BY THE WAY, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD IT TOO.

I'VE HAD RESIDENTS TELL ME THEY'VE LIVED THERE FOR 25, 30 YEARS.

THEY'VE NEVER HAD A MAYOR'S OFFICE AS RESPONSES OF OUR OFFICE.

YES.

AND IT DOES COST SOME MONEY, BUT EVERYBODY'S WORKING.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY'S WORKING.

AND BY THE WAY, IT WAS A MOTION, IT WAS A, IT WAS A RESOLUTION FROM ANOTHER COMMISSIONER.

WE ACTUALLY GAVE EVERYONE HERE THE ABILITY TO, UH, INCREASE THEIR STAFF.

SO YOU ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADD A SECOND AID.

ALL OF THOSE SIX POSITIONS, BY THE WAY, ARE NOT DIRECTLY REPORTING TO ME.

I MEAN, TECHNICALLY, EVERYONE IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE REPORTS TO ME, BUT I DO NOT.

AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T EVEN TALK TO MOST OF THE AIDES UNLESS I SEE THEM AND SAY HELLO.

UH, TECHNICALLY I THINK TECHNICALLY THEY REPORT TO ME AND THEY'RE UNDER, UNDER, THEY'RE UNDER MY BUDGET, BUT THEY DON'T REPORT TO ME.

UM, I WILL ALSO ADD THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE ITEMS THAT I VOTED NO TO, THAT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY ADDED TO OUR CITY BUDGET.

WE, AS A BODY VOTED TO INCREASE THE SALARIES AND THE EXPENSES OF THIS COMMISSION.

I VOTED NO.

I VOTED NO.

WE LAST COMMISSION, WE VOTED TO INCREASE THE, UH, SHORTENED THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO GET A PENSION.

I VOTED NO, BY THE WAY, THAT COULD HAVE IMPACTED ME.

'CAUSE YOU NEED FIVE, YOU NEEDED FIVE YEARS BEFORE.

AND I WAS RUNNING FOR MAYOR, AND I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA WIN.

OBVIOUSLY, I'M NOT PROPHETIC AND I WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN A PENSION IF I LOST THAT RACE, BUT YET I VOTED NO.

SO THERE ARE INCREASED EXPENSES THAT I HAVE, UH, VOTED OUT TO, BY THE WAY, ON THE DETAIL.

I WILL SAY THIS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE.

I, I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE.

I DIDN'T EVEN, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THOSE NUMBERS.

BUT I COULD TELL YOU TWO THINGS.

ONE, I GO TO MANY EVENTS WHERE THERE ARE, I DON'T WANNA MENTION NAMES, BUT THERE ARE MAYORS OF OUR SURROUNDING THAT THERE IS NO DETAIL WITH ME.

I GO SOLO AND I'VE ACTUALLY HAD THOSE MAYORS AND THEIR LEAD DETAIL TELL ME, MAYOR, YOU ARE MAKING A MAJOR MISTAKE.

YOU'RE PUTTING YOURSELF IN JEOPARDY.

YOU ARE A TARGET, YOU'RE A VERY HIGH PROFILE.

AND I AM VERY OUTSPOKEN ON CERTAIN ISSUES THAT WE COULD ALL KNOW ABOUT.

I'VE ACTUALLY HAD PEOPLE PUT THEIR HANDS ON ME.

I'VE ACTUALLY HAD BEEN THREATENED.

SO IT'S, I I, IT'S HARD FOR ME THAT I EVEN HAVE TO JUSTIFY THE USE OF IT.

AND I DON'T, AGAIN, THE, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT.

THE NUMBERS I DON'T EVEN KNOW.

BUT I COULD TELL YOU THAT I DO NOT, I COULD TECHNICALLY HAVE A DETAIL 24 7.

I DO NOT.

I BARELY, I USE IT MOSTLY WHEN I'M IN LARGE CROWDS.

AND I ALSO NEED TO GO PLACE TO PLACE VERY QUICKLY.

'CAUSE AT THE BEGINNING WHEN I FIRST BECAME MAYOR, I ACTUALLY DID NOT USE IT AS MUCH.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS, I WAS GETTING LATE TO EVENTS BECAUSE IT'S, IT TAKES TIME.

YOU GOTTA GET THROUGH AND THERE'S PARKING ISSUES.

AND I WAS LITERALLY DRIVING MYSELF.

BUT, UH, AGAIN, EVEN TODAY THOUGH, I WAS JUST AT AN EVENT RECENTLY AND THE LEAD DETAIL OF A MAYOR THAT YOU ALL KNOW THE NAME TOLD ME, MAYOR, YOU'RE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE.

YOU'RE PUTTING YOURSELF AND YOUR CITY IN JEOPARDY BY YOU NOT HAVING A DETAIL WITH YOU.

AND YOU'RE WALKING HERE ALONE.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY? I DO.

I'M, I'M ACTUALLY, I'M NEXT IN THE QUEUE.

OKAY.

THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.

I'M NEXT IN THE QUEUE.

THANK YOU, ACTUALLY, I AGREE.

AND WHILE I'M SPEAKING, UM, I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ, UH, YOU BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO THINGS THAT, UH, YOU FELT WERE UNFAIRLY DIRECTED YOUR WAY.

MR. MAYOR, I'M GLAD THAT YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND IN KIND.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM.

WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET THAT SECOND, THAT'S, UH, BEING PASSED.

UH, I WANT TO TAKE SERIOUSLY THE OLIVE BRANCH THAT WAS OFFERED THAT WE ATTENDED THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS.

WE AIRED SOME THINGS OUT, AND I DO HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL MOVE FORWARD AS A COLLECTIVE BODY.

THE NUMBER ONE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE RECEIVED FROM RESIDENTS IS HOW HAPPY THEY ARE.

NOT ONLY THE SERVICES PROVIDED, BUT THE LEADERSHIP EXAMPLE.

WE'VE COLLECTIVELY ALL SET.

AND I SAY WE REMAIN ON THAT TRACK.

SO I HOPE I HAVE SUPPORT FROM MY COLLEAGUES.

I SECOND THE MOTION.

THANK YOU.

OH, I GET TO REBUT VERY QUICKLY.

I MEAN, ACTUALLY SOMETHING'S WORTH SAID THAT WOULD NOT TRUE.

LET ME, LET ME JUST ONE LIE.

I, I, LET ME SPEAK, PLEASE.

I DID ATTEND OUR UNDER, EXCUSE ME SPEAK COMMISSIONER.

I'M SORRY.

LOOK, I, I UNDERSTAND.

I'M IN LINE TO SPEAK I INFORMATION AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.

SO THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS HOW A COMMISSION IS BROKEN.

I WANT EVERYONE TO SEE THAT, OKAY? LIKE, THIS IS, THIS IS A CIRCUS.

I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS, OKAY? I, I WENT, I KNOCKED ON OVER 5,000 DOORS.

I SPENT MY OWN MONEY ON MY CAMPAIGN.

I DIDN'T DO, I DIDN'T SIGN UP AND WENT THROUGH ALL THAT HELL TO BE ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I

[00:30:01]

I HAVE A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, INCLUDING COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.

BUT I FIND IT VERY OFFENSIVE WHEN THERE IS CAMPAIGNING GOING ON, ON, ON LIVE TELEVISION IN FRONT OF THE WORLD WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.

AND WE'RE BICKERING OVER, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

WHEN, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE, THE DATA, YOU KNOW WHAT MY, MY EXPENDITURES WERE ZERO.

ZERO, OKAY? AND I HOPE, I HOPE THAT EVERY COLLEAGUE UP HERE, INCLUDING COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, HAS THE SAME TENACITY AND SAME ACCOUNTING ACUMEN WHEN IT COMES TO OTHER ITEMS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING TODAY.

SO I DON'T WANT THIS TO COME INTO A CIRCUS.

I WANT TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.

I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR A A, A KANGAROO COMMISSION.

AND I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT I'M NOT GONNA STAND FOR THIS.

THIS IF, IF, IF WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE MEETINGS WHERE THERE'S CAMPAIGNING GOING ON, UH, UH, THINGS ARE GONNA CHANGE AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE GOOD BECAUSE WE ARE NOT GONNA SIT UP HERE AND, AND, AND ENTANGLE EACH OTHER.

WE'RE HERE TO DO BUSINESS.

IF YOU WANT TO CAMPAIGN, YOU DO IT OUTSIDE THESE CHAMBERS, IT'S CALL THE VOTE.

SO THIS IS TO MOVE ON.

IF SO, WE COULD DO THAT BY ACCLAMATION.

YEP.

SO, SO IT'S, UH, SO WE'RE GOING BACK TO ITEM R SEVEN A FOR THE RECORD.

THAT WAS A PUBLIC HEARING.

I SAW NO ONE IN ZOOM.

I SEE NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE, THEREFORE, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE VOTE AGAIN.

ALL IN FAVOR OF R SEVEN A, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

R SEVEN A R SEVEN A PASSES SEVEN ZERO.

LET'S CALL R SEVEN

[R7 B A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL BUDGETS FOR THE GENERAL, G.O. DEBT SERVICE, CITY CENTER RDA AD VALOREM TAXES, NORTH BEACH CRA AD VALOREM TAXES, ENTERPRISE, INTERNAL SERVICE, AND SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.]

YES SIR.

R SEVEN B IS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL BUDGETS FOR THE GENERAL GEO DEBT SERVICE CITY CENTER, RDA AT VALOREM, TEXAS NORTH BEACH, CRA AT VALOREM TAXES, ENTERPRISE INTERNAL SERVICE OF SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.

THIS IS A SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING.

SOMEBODY WANNA MOVE IT? I, I'D LIKE TO, UH, SPEAK ON A FEW ITEMS. UM, THERE WAS, UH, A FEW LAST MINUTE REQUESTS FOR, UH, FUNDING.

AND, AND LET ME, LET ME, LET ME PREFACE THIS WITH, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST, I GUESS 48 HOURS, WE'VE BEEN HAVING, UH, A SLEW OF EMAILS RELATED TO, UH, THE INCREASE IN, IN TAXES.

AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE, THE BURDEN IS GONNA FALL ON THE RENTERS OF MIAMI BEACH.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, THREE FIFTHS OF THE RESIDENTS OF MIAMI BEACH ARE RENTERS.

THEY'RE NOT HOMESTEADED.

SO THEY'RE NOT PARTICULARLY, UH, SAFEGUARDED BY A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, FOR EXAMPLE.

AND SO, I I THINK WHILE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF, OF LOOKING AT EXPENDITURES AND, AND BLOATING, A BUDGET, ESPECIALLY A RECURRING BUDGET, UM, I, I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE, THE MIAMI NEW DRAMA, $200,000 INCREASE IN RECURRING COSTS.

OKAY? UM, WE HAD SERIES OF FINANCE MEETINGS, UH, NONE OF WHICH WAS THIS $200,000 WAS REQUESTED, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A RECURRING COST.

RIGHT NOW, THE CITY, WE GIVE $500,000 A YEAR TO MIAMI NEW DRAMA.

IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, BUT, UH, AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE, THERE HAS BEEN, UH, UH, A REQUEST TO INCREASE IT BY $200,000 WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE TYPICAL PROCESS OF, OF A, OF A FINANCE COMMITTEE HEARINGS, THAT AMOUNTS TO A 40% INCREASE.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE STATE HAS, HAS SEVERELY CUT THE CULTURAL ARTS BUDGET.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL DATA, THE MIAMI NEW DRAMA WAS ONLY GETTING 3% OF THE STATE FUNDING, WHICH AMOUNTS TO I THINK, $70,000.

SO, YOU KNOW, I I I, I FIND IT FUNNY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE HAVE COLLEAGUES UP HERE WHO ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT CERTAIN SPENDING YET, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALLOWING BASICALLY, UH, AN ORGANIZATION TO COME IN VERY LAST MINUTE AND ASK FOR AN ADDITIONAL $200,000

[00:35:01]

MEANWHILE, INCREASING THE COST TO, UH, UH, UH, OUR, OUR RENTERS, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY OUR WORKFORCE.

YOU KNOW, THIS SETS A REALLY BAD PRECEDENT.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING STOPPING ANOTHER ORGANIZATION FROM COMING IN AND ASKING FOR THE SAME, UH, FOR THE SAME BENEFIT.

UM, YOU KNOW, A A $200,000 INCREASE IN OUR, FROM OUR, UH, GENERAL FUND IS GOING TO, UH, YOU LOOK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW WE GET TO A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.

YOU, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS CAMPAIGNED ON IS THAT THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND SHOULD REALLY BE GOING TO ONLY THREE THINGS.

IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY, IT'S QUALITY OF LIFE, AND IT'S SANITATION.

AND, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING THAT OUR, OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE TRENDING LOWER AND OUR RESORT TAX IS TRENDING SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER, I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE TO START REALLY TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE, WHAT, WHERE DO WE NEED TO CUT BACK ON? AND I'M NOT SAYING WE NEED TO CUT 'EM OFF COMPLETELY, BUT I THINK WHEN YOU COME AT THE LAST MINUTE AND YOU TRY TO PUSH THIS THROUGH, UH, THROUGH EITHER A CONSENT AGENDA OR, UH, RIGHT BEFORE THE BUDGET HEARINGS, I THINK THAT'S, THAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT THE PROCESS.

OKAY? SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF FISCAL CAUTION ON THIS.

OKAY? UM, WE ARE TRENDING DOWN, OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE TRENDING DOWN, OUR RESORT TAXES ARE, ARE TRENDING DOWN, AND WE CONTINUE TO SPEND, SPEND, SPEND.

AND WE ALSO HAVE, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONERS UP HERE THAT HAVE SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE, WE, WE'RE NOT GONNA INCREASE FAR, WE'RE NOT GONNA INCREASE ANYTHING TO SPUR DEVELOPMENT.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW WE HA HAVE A RICH CITY.

WE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE VA PROPERTIES TO ASSESS SO THAT WE CAN AFFORD THESE AMAZING THINGS THAT WE WE'D LIKE.

SO, UM, I, I THINK, UH, I I, I, I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE A CAUTION ON THAT.

WE'RE GONNA BE SETTING A REALLY BAD PRECEDENT IF, IF WE ALLOW THIS.

AND I, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.

COMMISSIONER BOT.

YEAH, I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO CALL LIZETTE ANTE TO CORRECT THE RECORD ON THAT, JUST BECAUSE I THINK YOU MIGHT BE CONFLATING DIFFERENT THINGS.

MY RECOLLECTION, I DO HAVE A TERRIBLE MEMORY, WHICH IS WHY I'M ASKING LIZETTE TO BE MY EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE, IS THAT THE NEW WORLD, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE, UM, MIAMI NEW DRAMA ASK CAME MONTHS AGO AND WAS AN ADJUSTMENT TO, UM, A CONTRACT IN LINE WITH WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE RECEIVING.

AND IS, UM, UNLESS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, BUT THAT, THAT'S MY RECOLLECTION.

UH, GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR.

COMMISSIONERS, UH, THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER BOT.

THE MIAMI NEW DRAMA ITEM CAME, I BELIEVE AT, I CAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES.

THE MIAMI NEW DRAMA ITEM CAME, I BELIEVE DURING OUR FIRST, UH, NO, DURING OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP.

SO IT, IT DID NOT GO THROUGH FERC.

IT WAS HEARD, IT WAS, I DON'T, I DON'T EVEN BELIEVE IT WAS ON THE AGENDA.

UM, AND THEN THAT'S HOW IT KIND OF CAME INTO THIS PROCESS.

SO, BUT IT, IT CAME THROUGH THE PROCESS IN A, IN A ACCEPTABLE WAY, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE GUIDANCE I WAS GIVEN MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS AGO.

RIGHT.

LEMME SPEAK TO THAT.

IF, IF I CAN.

I THINK IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO, TO SPEAK TO IT.

UH, IT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE JULY, UH, ONE OF THE JULY BUDGET WORKSHOPS ON THE OPERATING BUDGET.

IT WAS BROUGHT UP ON, ON THE FLOOR.

UM, SO IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH, UM, KIND OF THE LONGER PROCESS WHERE IT WOULD GET A REFERRAL, IT WOULD GO TO FERC FOR DISCUSSION, GO BACK TO COMMISSION TO MAKE A BUDGET PRIORITY.

BUT AS IS, UH, DOES HAPPEN, IT HAPPENS AT THE, UH, CAPITAL ONE WE HAVE IN JUNE, THE OPERATING ONE IN JULY.

AND EVEN AT THE FIRST HEARING, THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE MADE UP, UH, MADE AT THE FLOOR WHERE ITEMS THAT HADN'T BEEN HEARD OF FERC YET, OR HADN'T, UH, BEEN DISCUSSED AT ALL YET, CAN, CAN COME UP.

SO IT, IT, THAT DOES HAPPEN.

AND THE, THE FUNDING FOR THIS COMES FROM RESORT TAX RESERVES.

UH, NO, THE, THE $200,000 ADDITIONAL RECURRING, IT WAS COMING FROM THE GENERAL, GENERAL FUND, UH, RECURRING TAXES.

AND DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY, UM, MIAMI NEW DRAMA GENERATES FOR THE CITY IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT? I'LL LEAVE THAT TILL AS THAT.

WE ALSO HAVE, UM, CAN'T HEAR YOU, NICK RICHBURG HERE FROM MIAMI, NEW DRAMA THAT CAN SPEAK TO THAT.

AND THEY DID DO AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY, UH, EARLIER THIS SUMMER WHERE THEY SHARED, UH, THE TOTAL

[00:40:01]

AND NICK, IF YOU CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THAT.

SURE.

NICK RICHBURG MIAMI DRAMA, UH, YOUR POINT IS VERY WELL TAKEN, COMMISSIONER.

UM, WE ARE EXTREMELY COGNIZANT OF THE SENSITIVITY AROUND THE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CITY.

UM, AS WE SAID IN THE FIRST, UH, BUDGET HEARING THAT IT WAS HEARD AT, WE TAKE, UH, OWNERSHIP OF THE TIMING OF THIS, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BRING A FACT-BASED APPROACH TO THIS REQUEST, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN THE FORM OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY THAT WE COMMISSIONED, UH, WHICH SHOWED WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW ANECDOTALLY, WHICH IS THAT THE ACTIVITY AT THE COLONY GENERATES, UH, A POWERFUL ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR LINCOLN ROAD IN THE CITY, $1.2 MILLION A YEAR DIRECTLY TO THE BUSINESSES OF LINCOLN ROAD, $150,000 A YEAR IN PARKING AND, AND, UH, AND TOURIST TAXES, $5.3 MILLION IN DIRECT LABOR, UH, INJECTION, AND A TOTAL OF $10 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE CITY.

GDP.

THAT'S A 1300% ROI ON THE NEWLY RECOMMENDED LEVELS, UH, THAT CAME FROM THE STAFF REVIEW OF THIS WHEN THEY WERE DIRECTED TO REVIEW IT, UH, FROM THAT, UH, FIRST, WAS THIS A STAFF LITTLE STUDY OR WAS THIS A, WAS THIS A STUDY COMMISSIONED BY THE MIAMI NEW DRUM? THIS IS AN INDEPENDENTLY COMMISSIONED ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY USING THE FIRM THAT THE CITY USES, UH, MIAMI ECONOMIC ASSOCIATES, WHICH THE CITY ITSELF HAS USED MANY TIMES FOR WHO, WHO PAID FOR THE, WHO PAID FOR THE STUDY.

MIAMI NEW DRAMA DID AS, AS, AS IS, UH, USUALLY THE CASE WITH ORGANIZATIONS TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE FOR INCREASED FUNDING.

SO, UM, WE CERTAINLY TAKE YOUR POINT THOUGH ON PROCESS.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY WOULD AIM TO INCORPORATE, UH, IN THE FUTURE AND FUTURE CONTRACT, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND NEGOTIATIONS.

I HOPE THAT WE CAN AGREE ON THE MERITS OF THE, UH, AND THE NEED FOR THE, UH, INSTANCE.

AND, AND, AND JUST, AND JUST TO SPEAK TO THAT, AND LOOK AGAIN, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARY, BUT THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE REGULAR PROCESS AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A ROBUST DISCUSSION, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I I, I AM NOT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT AND I'M NOT GONNA VOTE ON THIS.