* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] PLEASE STAND BY. WE ARE GOING ON AIR IN 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 [CALL TO ORDER] FOR TODAY, AND WE ARE ALL BUDGET RELATED. 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.] SIR, R SEVEN EIGHT IS REFRAIN INCREASING PARKING RATES TO REGISTERED RESIDENTS. 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] IT IS NOT. 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.] GR SEVEN G IS APPROVED PUBLIC SAFETY APPRECIATION DATE AS ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY EFFECTIVE. 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.] A. 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.] R SEVEN A IS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR OF CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING ONE THE FINAL AVALOR MILLAGE OF 5.8522 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 FOR GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES, WHICH IS NINE NINE AND SIX 10TH PERCENT MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 5.3395 MILLS. AND THE DEBT SERVICE MILIT RATE OF 0.2959 [00:10:01] MILS. 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] UM, THERE'S AN EXTENSIVE EMAIL CHAIN TO PROVE IT. 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] GO AROUND WITH. 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] ATTEND THAT, THAT CONFERENCE. 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, I THINK IT'S CLEAR HERE THAT THERE IS A POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING GOING UP HERE, AND I DON'T APPRECIATE THAT. 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.] B. 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] RECURRING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE VERY HARD TO BRING DOWN. 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] ECONOMIC IMPACT IS ABOUT 10 MILLION, UH, FROM THE COLONY THEATER. 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. AND, AND, AND, AND SO, UM, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CERTAIN PROCESS, , IT'S FUNNY 'CAUSE WHAT I'VE REALIZED IN GOVERNMENT IS THAT THERE REALLY IS A REASON FOR EVERYTHING. AND AS CUMBERSOME AS IT MIGHT BE, I, I CAN, I CAN APPRECIATE IT A LOT MORE NOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY, BECAUSE IT'S NOT OUR MONEY, IT'S OUR TAXPAYER'S MONEY. AND I THINK WE'D BE SETTING A REALLY BAD PRECEDENT IF YOU COME IN AT THE LAST MINUTE AND ASK FOR A 40% INCREASE. YOU'RE GETTING, YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING $700,000 A YEAR FROM TAXPAYERS. AND WHETHER YOU'RE, WHETHER THE STUDY IS JUSTIFIED OR NOT, I I THINK WHEN YOU GO THROUGH, UH, SORT OF THE HAIL MARY APPROACH, UH, ON TRYING TO GET THIS PASSED, THAT DOESN'T SIT RIGHT WITH ME BECAUSE THERE REALLY IS NO PUBLIC INPUT. YOU KNOW, THERE REALLY WASN'T AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO WEIGH IN. I MEAN, I, I KNOW LIKE MITCH NOVIK OVER THERE WOULD BE, HE, HE'D WANT TO COME IN AND, AND, AND, AND, AND TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHY, HOW DO WE JUSTIFY AN, AN EXTRA $200,000 WHEN WE'RE ALREADY PAYING $500,000? SO, UM, AND, AND LOOK, I I, I, I DON'T WANT YOU TO TAKE THIS AS A SIGN OF DISRESPECT. I AM DOING MY DUTY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. I'M DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE. AND WHEN I SEE THAT THERE'S NOT REALLY A, UH, THAT THERE WASN'T A, FOR SUCH A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY, WE, WE, WE DID NOT GO THROUGH THE, THE REGULAR PROCESS FOR SUCH AN AMOUNT. IT DOESN'T SIT RIGHT WITH ME. AND, UM, I I I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD AGREE TO STICK WITH THE ORIGINAL, UM, ALLOCATION OF ONLY $500,000 FOR, FOR THIS, FOR THIS, UH, LINE ITEM. IF I COULD ASK A QUESTION, UH, I THINK I HEARD CORRECTLY THAT THIS WAS BUDGETED AND THEN IT'S RECURRING. IT IS, IT'S AN AMENDMENT TO THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT. SO WOULD THERE BE THE ABILITY TO ESSENTIALLY, AND MAYBE THIS IS THE QUESTION FOR THE CFO TO BIFURCATE THAT WHERE WE APPROVE THIS AS A ONE-TIME FUNDING AND, YOU KNOW, ABSENT ROBUST PUBLIC DISCUSSION, WE BRING BACK THE RECURRING NATURE OF THAT, UH, THROUGH THE MORE ROBUST PROCESS GOING THROUGH THE FUR COMMITTEE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO ESSENTIALLY, COULD WE BIFURCATE IT WHERE WE DO A ONE TIME, UH, ALLOCATION AND THEN FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, TO GO FORWARD ON A RECURRING BASIS, IT GOES THROUGH A MORE ROBUST PROCESS. I THINK YOU HAVE TWO WAYS OF ATTACKING THIS. THIS IS LISTED AS A RECURRING, UH, THIS IS JUST FROM THE BUDGET PERSPECTIVE. THE COMMISSION WILL HAVE ON THE OCTOBER 30TH AGENDA, THE ACTUAL CONTRACT, WHICH WOULD, WOULD NEED TO BE EX, YOU KNOW, APPROVED BY COMMISSION AND THEN EXECUTED THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THAT PAYMENT TO HAPPEN. UH, SO IF THERE'S INTEREST, THIS COULD BE MOVED FROM A RECURRING [00:45:01] TO A ONE TIME FOR FY 25, AND THEN THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A DISCUSSION AT THE OCTOBER 30TH COMMISSION THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACT AMENDMENT TERMS WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, AMENDED TO HAVE IT FOR ONE YEAR OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. IF I COULD JUST MAKE SOME COMMENTS. UH, CAN I JUST ASK A QUESTION, JASON? GO AHEAD. CLARIFICATION. I'M SORRY. COULD, COULD YOU JUST, COULD YOU JUST, UM, EXPLAIN OTHER OVER THE YEARS OTHER, UM, UM, EXAMPLES OF ITEMS THAT WERE HANDLED THIS WAY? BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THE ONLY REASON THIS DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE NORMAL PROCESS WAS BECAUSE THIS STUDY WAS COMING A FEW DAYS LATER AND WE WERE GONNA RUN OUT OF TIME TO HAVE ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. AND SO I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS, AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD OTHER ITEMS COME TO THE FLOOR IN A LESS CONVENTIONAL BUT APPROPRIATE WAY TO DO THIS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, THERE ARE, I DON'T REMEMBER IF THE, THE BUDGET MEETINGS ARE PUBLIC. I THINK THEY ARE. MM-HMM, , UM, THIS IS A, AN ADJUSTMENT THAT HAS BEEN, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT HASN'T BEEN TO KEEP UP WITH THE COSTS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF ITEMS, AND I, AND I SHARE YOUR CONCERN ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THINGS THAT WE CAN DEFER OR INSTEAD OF GETTING FOUR OF WHATEVER WE CAN GET TO THIS YEAR AND GET TO NEXT YEAR, BUT THIS IS A, THIS IS HOW A, HOW A BUSINESS CAN PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD. SO TO DO IT AS A ONE TIME, UM, ITEM, BECAUSE THE TIMING DIDN'T COINCIDE BETWEEN WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND WHAT OUR SCHEDULE WAS. AND SO WE BROUGHT IT FORWARD AS IN A, WHAT I WAS GIVEN GUIDANCE ON IS A PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE WAY TO BRING THIS FORWARD IN MAY, I THINK IT WAS MAY OR JUNE, WHENEVER THE, THE BUDGET RETREAT WAS, WHICH MEANS WE'VE HAD MONTHS TO TALK ABOUT IT. UH, I'M, I'M JUST NOT SURE WHY, OF ALL THE, THE MANY THINGS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO HERE COLLECTIVELY TO MAKE THIS A BETTER CITY. THIS IS A RELATIVELY SMALL, UH, IMPACT WHEN THERE ARE OTHERS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HIRING THREE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICERS, WHICH I THINK WE ALL AGREE IS A GREAT IDEA. AND, AND MAYBE WE HIRE ONE THIS YEAR AND ONE NEXT YEAR AND ONE THE YEAR AFTER. YOU KNOW, I, SO IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THAT, I'D APPRECIATE IT. NO PROBLEM. COMMISSIONER. YEAH. THIS, THIS, HOW THIS CAME UP WAS FROM WHAT MY RECOLLECTION WAS DURING THE, UH, ONE OF THE JULY, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOPS, IT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE FLOOR, BUT IT, AS YOU SAID, IS ABSOLUTELY NOT A UNICORN. THIS IS NOT A, AN UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE. UH, THIS HAPPENS EVERY YEAR AT EVERY STEP ALONG THE PROCESS WHERE THERE ARE ITEMS THAT, UH, SOME, SOMETIMES THERE ARE ITEMS THAT HAVE GOTTEN REFERRALS AND THEY'RE WAITING TO BE HEARD AT FERC, BUT THE TIMING IS RUNNING OUT. AND THE COMMISSIONER MIGHT SAY, HEY, I HAVE AN ITEM THAT'S AT FERC. IT HASN'T BEEN HEARD YET. I REALLY, THIS IS IMPORTANT. AND THEY MAKE THEIR CASE AT ANY STAGE ALONG THE PROCESS. THE COMMISSIONER, YOU KNOW, AS A, AT THE END OF THE DAY, REMEMBER THE BUDGET IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POLICY DOCUMENT OF THE COMMISSION HAS THE ABILITY AND THE POWER TO COME UP WITH AN IDEA ON THE FLOOR AND SAY, I KNOW THIS HASN'T BEEN HEARD BEFORE THROUGH A COMMITTEE PROCESS OR SUCH, BUT I BELIEVE IN THIS, AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO ME AND THIS IS WHY. AND YOU JUST NEED A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO HAVE THAT MAJORITY, TO HAVE THAT ADDED AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND, AND IF, IF I MAY, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WHEN MY COLLEAGUE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WERE WAITING FOR THE STUDY, CLEARLY THE STUDY WASN'T DONE BY STAFF, AND IT'S NOT REALLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO ASK YOU TO HAVE THE STUDY IN APPROPRIATE TIME FOR A FINANCE HEARING. SO, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS THAT WAS A FORESIGHT AND THAT WAS JUST AN UN THAT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE SET OF EVENTS. I I DON'T KNOW IF THE, THE TESTING COMPANY OR, OR, OR THE, THE COMPANY THAT YOU HIRED, UM, HAD DIFFICULTIES IN GIVING AND, AND ON TIME, BUT IT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE, ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE IT ON TIME, UH, FOR, FOR THE REGULAR PROCESS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS, YES, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT THIS IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY. $200,000 IS STILL A LOT OF MONEY TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE GET TO A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET BY ADDING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS HERE, $200,000 HERE, $300,000 HERE THROUGH OUR OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH IS RECURRING BECAUSE ONCE WE, ONCE WE GIVE IT, IT'S GONNA BE IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE AWAY, YOU KNOW, ONCE, ONCE, ONCE, ONCE THAT'S GIVEN IT, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO, TO CUT BACK. AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU SEE IT AT THE STATE RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, EVERYONE IS UP IN ARMS BECAUSE [00:50:01] THEY, THEY CUT STATE FUNDING, AND IF WE EVER DID THAT, EVERYONE WOULD BE UP IN ARMS. SO, YOU KNOW, I'D RATHER HAVE THE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION NOW THAN LATER AND BE AT, AT A DISADVANTAGE. AND, YOU KNOW, I I, I'M GONNA STAND FIRM. I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR TAXPAYERS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW THE PROCESS. AND, AND SO LOOK, UM, I'M OKAY WITH A ONE TIME AND MAKING IT NOT RECURRING. UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS THE YEAR AFTER THAT, WE CAN HAVE MORE OF A ROBUST DISCUSSION ON, UM, UM, UH, ON, ON THE VIABILITY O OF THE EXTRA $200,000. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M A, I'M A NO ON JUST HAVING THIS RECURRING COST, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND, AND LOOK, I, I UNDERSTAND JASON HAS SAID THAT THIS IS, THIS IS SORT OF NOT A UNICORN, BUT THIS IS MY FIRST RODEO AND IF THIS IS HOW THINGS ARE DONE, I WAS JUST, OKAY. THAT'S NEWS TO ME. SO, UM, I, I THINK, UH, I THINK WE JUST GOTTA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CAUTIOUS WITH TAXPAYER MONEY. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UM, I'M JUST GONNA MAKE A, A FEW COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHEN WE AS A CITY ARE DEFINING WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE AND WHAT WE DO WANT TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, MIAMI NEW DRAMA IS, IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE MORE NOTABLE, THE MORE KNOWN, UM, ARTISTIC INSTITUTIONS THAT WE HAVE IN, IN MIAMI BEACH. THE PROMOTIONS THAT YOU GUYS, UH, DO, UH, THROUGHOUT THE REGION IS SO, IS SO IMPORTANT. AND YOU GUYS ARE PRESENTING WORLD CLASS PRODUCTIONS, UH, AND AT MIAMI NEW DRAMA, THIS IS, THIS IS INVESTING IN MORE OF WHAT WE WANT TO BE IN OUR CITY. UM, MR. CFO, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UM, THIS WAS DISCUSSED AND RECOMMENDED BY THE FERC, UH, BUDGET BRIEFING OF JULY 12TH. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. AND MR. MANAGER, IS THE CITY ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDING, UH, THIS FUNDING? SO THE CITY ADMINISTRATION IS RECOMMENDING THIS FUNDING AS PART OF THE FINAL BUDGET ADOPTION FOR FISCAL YEAR 25? OKAY, SO I'M GONNA FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. I'M GONNA FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION AS, AS PROPOSED ON THE BUDGET REGARDING THIS. AND SEPARATELY, I'M GONNA FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SUPPORT ARTS AND CULTURE. THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO STEP AWAY FROM A DIFFERENT TYPE OF NIGHTLIFE THAT HAS PLAYED OUR CITY IN, IN THE PAST. AND TO STEP AWAY FROM THAT, WE NEED TO INVEST IN WHAT, IN WHAT IS THE, THE, THE, THE TYPE OF PROGRAMMING WE WANT TO SEE. AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE FACT THAT THIS SUPPORTS, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE OPERATIONS AND THE MAINTENANCE OF A CITY OWNED FACILITY. IT'S NOT THAT THIS IS GOING JUST TO A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION WITH A PRIVATELY OWNED FACILITY. THESE PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING TO ADMINISTER TO MAINTAIN AND TO PROGRAM A PUBLIC FACILITY, WHICH WE AS THE CITY HAVE ASKED THEM TO PROGRAM ON OUR BEHALF. AND SO I SEE THERE BEING A LEGITIMATE AND A NECESSARY PUBLIC PURPOSE HERE TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING THIS TYPE OF, OF POSITIVE PROGRAMMING, WHICH DOES ENHANCE US. YOU LISTEN TO, UH, PUBLIC RADIO, YOU HEAR THE ADVERTISEMENT FORM AND YOU HEAR MIAMI BEACH MENTIONED IN PUBLIC RADIO. YOU OPEN, UH, THE SPANISH NEWSPAPERS. YOU SEE MIAMI BEACH PROMOTED IN THE SPANISH NEWSPAPERS BECAUSE OF MIAMI NEW DRAMA. YOU PUT ON THE SPANISH NEWS, YOU SEE CONSTANT PROMOTION FOR MIAMI BEACH, THANKS TO MIAMI, NEW DRAMA, AND YOU LISTEN TO OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR RESIDENTS SUPPORT IT. SO I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT IT. COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ. UM, I LOVE MIAMI NEW DRAMA, AND I ATTEND THE THEATER REGULARLY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S AN ANCHOR AT A TIME WHEN LINCOLN ROAD DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF ANCHORS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE 700,000 THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GIVING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE THAT IS OF YOUR OVERALL OPERATING BUDGET. DO YOU HAVE THAT? ABOUT 13%. IT'S ABOUT 13%. UM, UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THE RENOVATIONS OF LINCOLN ROAD ARE FIN, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE FINISHED. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T SEE THIS AS BEING, UM, ANYTHING BUT POSITIVE FOR THE COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE THEATER. YOU'VE SEEN THE, UM, INCREASE, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, INFLATION AND THE COST [00:55:01] LIKE RISING, AND I UNDERSTAND IT, I UNDERSTAND IT. I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T INCREASED THIS. HAVE WE BEEN, HAVE WE EVER INCREASED IT BEFORE? AND WE INITIALLY GAVE IT WHEN? IN 2017 OR 2016? YES, WHEN THE BUDGET OF THE COMPANY WAS $1.5 MILLION. SINCE THEN, SINCE 2019, OPERATION COSTS OF THE FACILITY HAVE INCREASED 56%. UH, OUR INVESTMENT IN, IN PROGRAMMING AND OPERATING THE FACILITY HAVE INCREASED 300%. AND THE OPERATING AGREEMENT, THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT HAS INCREASED 0%. SO, I MEAN, I'M FINE WITH THIS. WE OWN THIS. WE OWN IT IN THE SENSE THAT WE OWN THIS THEATER ON LINCOLN ROAD. WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH MIAMI, NEW DRAMA. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY'VE EVER COME FORWARD AND ASKED FOR AN INCREASE. THEY HOPEFULLY OVER TIME, UM, THEY WILL GENERATE, OH, REALLY, YOU KNOW, MORE REVENUE. MAYBE YOU WON'T EVEN NEED THE SUBSIDY AT SOME POINT IN TIME, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, I'M WILLING TO SUPPORT THE $200,000 ADDITIONAL RECURRING. COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, THANK YOU. UH, I TOO AM WILLING TO SUPPORT. I THINK THAT MIAMI NEW DRAMA AND MIAMI BEACH DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB. YOU'RE AN ANCHOR. THERE'S NEW CONSTRUCTION SPACE THAT'S COMING. YOU AND I MET SEVERAL WEEKS BACK. YOU HAD THE WHOLE DECK AND WENT THROUGH WHY, UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NECESSARY. UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT. COMMISSIONER B, CAN YOU TELL US HOW MANY, UM, HOW OFTEN IT IS FOR A REGIONAL THEATER TO HAVE A SHOW CREATED LOCALLY OPEN ON BROADWAY? IT'S NEVER HAPPENED FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA, SO A NEVER. AND HAS IT EVER HAPPENED IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH? NO. AND IS IT HAPPENING NOW? UH, YES. A WONDERFUL WORLD, WHICH WAS CREATED AND PREMIERED AT THE COLONY THEATER IS OPENING ON BROADWAY ON NOVEMBER 11TH. AND IN THE PROGRAM, IT WILL STATE THAT IT WAS BORN AT THE COLONY THEATER IN MIAMI BEACH. SO FOR A COMMISSION, UM, THAT IS VERY UNIFIED IN SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE OF WHAT MIAMI BEACH IS TO INCLUDE AND INCORPORATE AND ENCOMPASS A BROADER RANGE OF THINGS, AND WHICH GETS, UM, EARNED MEDIA FOR THINGS THAT ARE NOT OUR FAULT, PER SE. BAD ACTORS DOING CRAPPY THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, NOT MAKING GOOD DECISIONS, AS WE WOULD SAY TO OUR KIDS, TO GET THIS AMOUNT OF, OF EARNED MEDIA, ABOUT A SHOW OPENING ON BROADWAY. THE BROADWAY THAT WAS GENERATED ON LINCOLN ROAD IS IT'S IMMEASURABLE. IT IS, IT IS A FAR GREATER RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAN, I THINK YOU SAID, A HUNDRED AND 1300% THIR, SORRY, 1300%. UM, AND TO COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ'S POINT, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, WE CAN ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, DECREASE OUR, OUR ENDOWMENT OF YOU, BECAUSE YOU WON'T NEED IT ANYMORE. SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION ON THIS LINE ITEM OR WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE HAVE A LINE ITEM VETO POWER. BUT I WOULD SAY, I, I RESPECTFULLY HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I GOT YOU. I GOT YOU, BOO. UM, AND IT'S A GOOD CONVERSATION, BUT MAYBE NOT, NOT ON THIS PARTICULAR, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I, I THINK I JUST WANT THE TAXPAYERS TO BE INVOLVED AND I THINK THEY, I, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LONGER DISCUSSION. I'M JUST DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TO COLONY. I, I, I SAW THE, THE, THE PLAY WHERE IT WAS, UM, I THINK IT WAS TO KEEP IT VOTE YES. YEAH. AND IT WAS GREAT. I MEAN, I, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT VENUE. UM, IT'S LOVELY, BUT I'M JUST DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE, DUE DILIGENCE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. AND, AND, AND, AND, AND I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE AT LEAST NOT STANDING UP AND SAYING, HEY, LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE DO, GOING THROUGH A PROCESS. I'M OKAY WITH A ONE TIME PAYMENT. AND THEN HAVING YOU COME NEXT YEAR GOING THROUGH THE REGULAR PROCESS AND SAYING, OKAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THIS $200,000. I MEAN, ARE, ARE YOU WILLING TO DO THAT? ARE, ARE YOU OKAY WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT? UH, WE WOULD LIKE THE RECURRING, UH, SUBSIDY. UH, THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT IS DUE FOR RENEWAL AND RENEGOTIATION IN TWO YEARS TIME ANYWAY. AND WE'LL BEGINNING BE BEGINNING THAT PROCESS IN JANUARY WITH STAFF. BUT WE WOULD ASK FOR THE STAFF RECOMMENDED $200,000 ANNUAL SUBSIDY RECURRING, PLEASE. COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UM, AND SO LET ME ASK YOU, UH, NICK, UM, HOW MANY EVENTS, UH, D DOES MIAMI NEW DRAMA ORGANIZE A YEAR IN THE FACILITY, AS PER THE CONTRACT? SURE. UM, WE'RE PROJECTED TO HAVE 175, UH, ACTIVE, UH, NIGHTS AT THE COLONY COMPARED TO, UH, BEFORE MIAMI. NEW DRAMA TOOK OVER THE COLONY. IT WAS ACTIVE, UH, ROUGHLY 40 TO 50 NIGHTS PER YEAR. AND, AND THAT'S A A, THAT'S ABOUT HOW MANY EVENTS? THOSE ARE ACTIVE NIGHTS. I KNOW, I KNOW. AT ONE POINT THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, I THINK SPOKE. THOSE ARE PER, THOSE ARE PERFORMANCES THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE EVENING. THOSE ARE PERFORMANCES. YEAH. SO, SO LET'S SEE HERE. THAT'S, UH, LET'S SEE. THAT'S ABOUT $4,000 OF PERFORMANCE. HOW MUCH, UH, IS [01:00:01] THAT, ERIC? I DON'T KNOW. LET'S SEE HERE. 700,000 DIVIDED BY 1 75. YEAH, $4,000. ALRIGHT, LET'S TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE ASKING MIAMI, NEW DRAMA TO DO WITH THAT MONEY, OPERATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. WE'RE ASKING THEM TO ACQUIRE SERVICES, EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, MAINTENANCE OF THE, OF THE PROPERTY PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT. WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO COLLECTIONS AND BILLING IN ADDITION TO MAINTENANCE OF, OF, OF THE BUILDING, LONG-TERM CAPITAL REPAIRS, REPAIRING OF, OF THE AC OF THE ROOF, UH, ELECTRICAL ELEVATOR. THIS IS ALL STUFF THAT, THAT MIAMI NEW DRAMA HAS TO DO. ALSO TIED TO THIS MONEY. IT'S NOT JUST PRODUCING, UH, 175 NIGHTS. AND IT'S NOT JUST MARKETING AND ELEVATING THE IMAGE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, BUT WITH THIS $700,000, THEY'RE ALSO MAINTAINING A FACILITY DURING DOING REPAIRS, MAKING SURE THAT THE BUILDING IS PROPERLY STAFFED AND EQUIPPED. AND SO, AND SO, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE JUST NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT. UM, IS, IF YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE HAS SPOKEN ON THIS FROM MR. MAYOR, I'M DONE WITH, WITH MY PART. UM, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS RECOMMENDED BY OUR CITY MANAGERS RECOMMENDED BY FERC DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE MANAGERS RECOMMENDING IT. YEAH. SO MY 2 CENTS, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO COMMEND COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, NOT THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP, UM, A LINE ITEM. AND I'M SURE PEOPLE CAN APPRECIATE THESE BUDGETS ARE QUITE LENGTHY. UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON AND, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE A STEWARD FOR OUR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE POINTING IT OUT. I DO THINK, I MEAN, I, I ALSO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, JASON. IT HAPPENS THAT THINGS COME UP, UH, LIKE THAT. UM, IT'S NOT THE BEST PRACTICE THOUGH. I THINK WE'D ALL ADMIT THAT'S, UH, THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO DO IT. AND IT'S SOMETIMES, BY THE WAY, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT US, EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S COMING FROM US, OBVIOUSLY WE GET INSTITUTIONS REACHING OUT TO US. WE'RE TRYING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT. UM, BUT IT'S NOT BEST PRACTICES AND I DON'T, AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. SO WE TRY TO HAVE A ROBUST CONVERSATION DISCUSSION. UM, WE'LL SEE, WE'LL SEE WHERE THIS BODY, IT SEEMS LIKE THE RECURRING HAS THE VOTES. I, I PROBABLY LEAN TOWARD NOT RECURRING. UM, SO WE COULD HAVE A MORE ROBUST DISCUSSION, BUT, UM, WE'LL SEE WHERE IT FALLS. I MEAN, A, IF I MAY, MAYOR, UH, AB ABSENT A, A MOTION TO, TO AMEND THE BUDGET ON THAT. IT WOULD, IT WOULD STAND UNLESS THERE'S, UH, OTHER ITEMS TO, UH, BRING UP. I, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE THE MAG NEW DRAMA, GET A ONE TIME $200,000, UH, PAYMENT. AND THEN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE CAN HAVE IT AS A, A LONGER DISCUSSION FOR THE TAXPAYERS TO DISCUSS A RECURRING ITEM QUESTION. I'LL, I'LL SECOND. MAY I JUST ASK YOU A QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION? COMMISSIONER BOT, UM, NICK, YOU SAID THAT THE, YOUR CONTRACT'S UP IN TWO YEARS ANYHOW, AND SO THIS IS ALL UP FOR RENEGOTIATION WITH PLENTY OF TIME. CORRECT? I WE'RE MISSING, THERE HAS BEEN PUBLIC INPUT AT THE BUDGET MEETING IN JULY. IT, IT CAME UP, THERE WAS NO, THERE WAS NO, THAT WAS A WORKSHOP. IT, BUT IT WAS A PUBLIC MEETING AND THERE WAS A, IT CAME TO FERC AND, UM, DID IT COME TO FERC? YES. THAT'S AWESOME. THE JULY BUDGET WORKSHOP IS CONSIDERED A FERC MEETING. THAT'S WHY IT'S LED BY THE CHAIR'S. CORRECT. BUT THAT'S NOT THE NORMAL PROCESS FOR AN INCREASE IN THE, IN THE, IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. I, I'VE SAID MY PIECE, I'M NOT GONNA RE-LITIGATE. OKAY. BUT I THINK IT'S CONVENIENT. COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, DO WE HAVE THE MOTION FOR, SO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON NON-RECURRING, CORRECT? YES. OKAY. SO WHY DON'T WE TAKE THAT VOTE AND SEE WHERE THAT LANDS AND WHAT I CAN SAY TO YOU, IF THIS PASSES RIGHT, IT'S NOT MY INTENTION TO NOT HAVE THIS RECURRING, I'LL VOTE FOR IT NOW, AND I'LL ACTUALLY MAKE A REFERRAL TO FETA HERE RIGHT AWAY. UH, SO WE CAN ESTABLISH IT AS A RECURRING ITEM. SO IT'S NOT MY INTENTION TO HAVE THIS AS A ONE AND DONE THING. I DO THINK THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID TO HAVING ROBUST DISCUSSION. SO, UH, IF I VOTE FOR A, A ONE TIME, THAT'S NOT SAYING THAT IS MY FINITE CAPACITY, RIGHT? IT'S SAYING, LET'S GET THIS IN. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROCESS WAS A BIT, UH, DIFFERENT BECAUSE, UM, OF THE TIMING, HOWEVER, MY SUPPORT FOR THIS IS LIKELY GOING TO BE ONGOING. UM, THIS WILL JUST GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS AS A RECURRING LINE ITEM, UH, WITH A MORE ROBUST FERC PROCESS. UNDERSTOOD. AND BY THE WAY, I, I DIDN'T PREFACE IT, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO, THAT MY, MY STATEMENT IS MORE OF A PROCESS ISSUE THAN THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION DO. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR [01:05:01] THAT. AND I, MY GUESS IS, I, I THINK I'LL SUPPORT IT TOO GOING FORWARD, BUT JUST FOR NOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I FEEL, MR. MAYOR, I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING. I'M SO SORRY. UM, SO BEFORE WE VOTE, THIS PROCESS IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND I JUST WANT TO BE VERY RESPECTFUL OF THE PROCESS AND, AND, AND THE OPTICS OF SOMETHING BEING BROUGHT LAST MINUTE, UH, THE CONSIDERATION THAT ALL THESE THINGS SHOULD BE GIVEN BECAUSE IT IS THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS, AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT TO MIAMI NEW DRAMA. WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THIS BEING A RECURRING VOTE TODAY OR A ONE TIME VOTE TODAY? HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOUR OPERATIONS? WELL, I THINK, AS COMMISSIONER BOT MENTIONED, UM, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS BUDGET, UH, AND FORECAST FAR OUT INTO THE FUTURE, RIGHT? WE EMPLOY, UH, MANY, MANY PEOPLE TO OPERATE THE COLONY THEATER. THOSE, THOSE EXPENSES, AS I MENTIONED, WERE THE ONES THAT HAVE RISEN 56%. UM, IT JUST HAMPERS OUR ABILITY TO PLAN TO SIGN, UH, LONG-TERM CONTRACTS. WE'RE CURRENTLY, UH, NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS TO THREE YEARS OUT PLANNING WHAT EVENTS AND PRODUCTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE THEATER TO, AND THREE YEARS OUT AND EVEN, AND EVEN FURTHER THAN THAT. SO, UH, IT DOES MAKE THAT MORE DIFFICULT. OKAY. SO I JUST, FOR, SO FOR US, THIS IS A VERY BIG DECISION IN ESSENCE THAT WE ARE MAKING AS TO, AS TO WHAT WE WANT TO VOTE FOR MIAMI NEW DRAMA TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE DOING. IF WE REALLY WANT TRUE QUALITY INVESTMENT AND HIGH CALIBER PRODUCTIONS TO COME INTO LINCOLN ROAD AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE POTENTIALLY GOING TO LOSE THE MOVIE THEATER AT A TIME WHEN WE HAVE HIGH VACANCY, UH, RATES ON, ON LINCOLN ROAD AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE ABOUT TO LOSE YARD HOUSE ON THE, ON THE WEST SIDE OF, OF, OF LINCOLN ROAD, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A BIG DECISION. DO WE WANT TO INVEST IN BEING ABLE TO ALLOW MIAMI NEW DRAMA NOT TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT TODAY? THE WINE TIME FUNDING HELPS 'EM THROUGH TODAY, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE PROJECTION, THE PROJECTION OF THEM BEING ABLE TO DO THOSE LONG TERM MEANINGFUL COMMITMENTS THAT WILL HELP ELEVATE AN AREA OF OUR CITY THAT NEEDS, THAT NEEDS THIS INJECTION, UH, AT, AT, AT THE MOMENT. TO ME, THAT'S IMPORTANT. THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE CAN INVEST ON ARTWORK, TEMPORARY ART INSTALLATIONS ON LINCOLN ROAD. WE CAN INVEST ON, ON PUTTING THE BIG PLANTERS INSTEAD OF THE JERSEY BARRIERS ON LINCOLN ROAD. WE CAN INVEST ON PUTTING, UM, PUTTING THE CHILDREN'S INSTRUMENTS ON, ON LINCOLN ROAD. WE CAN INVEST ON LIGHTING FOR LINCOLN ROAD. BUT IF LINCOLN ROAD IS, IS EMPTY AND LACKS ENERGY, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE NEED ON LINCOLN ROAD IS ARTISTIC ENERGY. WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT LINCOLN ROAD, THEY TALK OF A LINCOLN ROAD OF THE DAY. THEY TALK OF A LINCOLN ROAD WHEN THERE WAS ENERGY, CREATIVE ENERGY, ARTISTIC ENERGY THAT FLOODED. PEOPLE TALK OF ART STUDIOS AND SMALL BUSINESSES, PEOPLE REMINISCE OF THOSE BEAUTIFUL DAYS OF LINCOLN ROAD AND ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING ENTITIES THAT WE HAVE ON LINCOLN ROAD THAT DOES CONTRIBUTE TO THAT HEYDAY OF LINCOLN ROAD. AND THAT CAN BRING US AT ANY MOMENT BACK TO IMAGINING THAT RENAISSANCE OF LINCOLN ROAD IN THE PRESENT IS MIAMI NEW DRAMA. AND SO, AND SO TRUE TO WHAT I BELIEVE SHOULD BE THE FUTURE AND THE TOPIC OF INVESTMENT WE SHOULD BE MAKING IN OUR CITY AND THE DIRECTION THAT I WANNA SEE OUR CITY GOING IN. I AM GOING TO SUPPORT THE RECURRING, UH, FUNDING AND MR. AND IF I AND MR. MAYOR, IF I, IF I MAY RESPOND, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, AT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I, I'M, THIS IS SORT OF MY ITEM. UM, AND I, LOOK, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA INVEST IN THE FUTURE. I'M NOT GONNA, I I JUST THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A PROCESS, ESPECIALLY FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY WHERE THERE'S PUBLIC INPUT AND IT'S GOING THROUGH THE RIGHT STAGES. UM, AND, AND LET'S BE CLEAR LIKE THIS 40% INCREASE IS TO KEEP THE STATUS QUO, OKAY? LINCOLN ROAD RIGHT NOW, IT, IT IS, IS IS NOT WHERE IT WAS. AND I DON'T THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVING, UH, AN EXTRA $200,000 RECURRING IS GOING TO EITHER MAKE OR BREAK LINCOLN ROAD. I THINK THERE'S A WAY MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO LINCOLN ROAD TO REALLY ENHANCE LINCOLN ROAD. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, MY, MY ARGUMENT IS IF THAT WAS THE CASE, IT WOULD'VE ALREADY HAPPENED BY NOW. AND THIS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T AN INCREASE FOR ENHANCED, I GUESS, UM, UH, PROGRAMMING. THIS IS, THIS IS TO KEEP US WHERE THIS IS, TO KEEP IN LINE WITH INFLATION AND, AND, AND THE, THE LACK OF YEARS OF, OF BUDGET [01:10:01] INCREASES THAT, THAT YOU WOULD'VE NEEDED. I JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING IT AT THE LAST MINUTE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH A PROCESS. AND I KNOW WE HAD IT AT A JULY WORKSHOP WHERE TYPICALLY I DON'T THINK THERE IS PUBLIC INPUT, OKAY? I DON'T THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS. IN FACT, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE FIRST TIME THIS WAS BROUGHT UP, I WAS NOT AT THE BUDGET WORKSHOP. I WAS ON ZOOM IN LIKE COSTA RICA, UH, AND I WAS LISTENING TO THIS AND, AND I, I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THAT THIS IS ALL OF A SUDDEN COMING UP, UH, AT A WORKSHOP WHERE THERE IS NO PUBLIC INPUT. SO AGAIN, I MEAN, LOOK, UM, I, I THINK I, THE INTENT AS YOU CAN SEE FROM ALL OF US HERE, IS TO, WE WANT TO KEEP IT GOING, OKAY? BUT IT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A STUDY DONE IN TIME FOR A PROCESS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE, BE HELD TO. SO, UM, YEAH. I, I, I THINK WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING, MR. GONZALES? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SECOND MOTION FOR RECURRING FUNDING FOLLOWING THE VOTE ON NON-RECURRING. DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS? OKAY, SECOND. SO WE HAVE, SO WE'LL HAVE TWO VOTES. UM, AND ALSO, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT WHAT IS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A LAST MINUTE DISCUSSION ON AN ITEM THAT IS $200,000 ON A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET. MY ITEM WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS ON A SWOLLEN A MILLION DOLLARS IN A DEPARTMENT. SO EVERYTHING MATTERS. MY VOICE MATTERS, YOUR CONCERNS, OR, YOU KNOW, YOUR CONCERNS MATTER. AND I DON'T THINK THAT GRANDSTANDING FOR WHAT I THINK OUR POLITICAL PURPOSE IS, IS, IS HEALTHY FOR ANY OF US. SO TO CHASTISE AND BASICALLY, UH, MAKES SOME OF US FEEL LIKE WE'RE IMMATURE IS ALSO WRONG. AND I'M SURE YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT I'M DOING TO YOU RIGHT NOW, AND THE ONLY REASON THAT I AM SAYING THIS TO YOU IS BASED ON WHAT YOU SAID TO ME EARLIER, AND NOW I'M GIVING YOU AN OLIVE BRANCH TOO. . ALRIGHT, LOOK, I THINK, SO I, I'LL, I'LL MAKE ONE COMMENT. UH, I, I'M GONNA VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE RECURRING FUNDING, BUT I'M ALSO GOING TO BE, UH, VERY COGNIZANT OF WHAT MY COLLEAGUE HAS BROUGHT UP AND, UH, INTRODUCE LEGISLATION THAT IF ANY ITEM, UH, GOING FORWARD IS ADDED ON AT A BUDGET MEETING, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A FIVE SEVENS VOTE, UH, TO BE INCLUDED IN THAT BUDGET. THAT'S GOOD. I LIKE THAT. IF I MAY JUST HELP TO FACILITATE THE, THE MOTION I BELIEVE ON THE FLOOR WAS TO MOVE IT FROM RECURRING TO ONE TIME. I THINK IF THAT VOTE FAILS, THEN THE SECOND VOTE IS, IS NOT, IS A MOOT POINT BECAUSE IT WOULD JUST REMAIN AS A RECURRING. SO I THINK WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO HAVE THAT VOTE. CLERK. YES. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, JASON. CONFUSING. YEAH, 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S IN THE BUDGET ALREADY AS A RECURRENCE. IT'S ALREADY IN THE BUDGET, SO I THINK NOW WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR THE VOTE. COMMISSIONER SUAREZ HAS A MOTION AND I, AND I SECOND LET'S TAKE THAT VOTE. SO THIS IS FOR ONE TIME PAYMENT. A YES IS FOR ONE TIME PAYMENT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED? AYE. AYE. FOUR OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THE NOS FIVE OPPOSED? TWO, TWO IN FAVOR. THANK YOU. SO ON THAT ITEM, WE'LL, WE'LL, IT WILL REMAIN AS A RECURRING. OKAY. CAN WE TAKE THE, TAKE THE VOTE ON THE R SEVEN B? YES, SIR. IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING. I SEE NO ONE IN ZOOM. I SEE NO ONE RARE THE PUBLIC. MR. MAYOR ERIC, UH, I APOLOGIZE. UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS AWARE AS WE'RE APPROACHING, UM, BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, UH, WE DID PASS A RESOLUTION IN JUNE OF 2023 TO ALLOCATE $50,000 OF NON-RECURRING FUNDING AND TO TRY TO FIND RECURRING FUNDING FOR LA LIGA CONTRA CANCER. THEY PROVIDE A MOBILE MAMMOGRAM SERVICE. UM, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THEY'VE SERVICED OVER A HUNDRED RESIDENTS HERE IN THE CITY, UM, WITH MOBILE MAMMOGRAM SERVICES, AND THEY PROVIDE CANCER SCREENINGS AND FOLLOW-UP CARE. AND I DO THINK THAT THEY ARE SOMEBODY THAT WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER, UM, INCORPORATING ON A NON-RECURRING BASIS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY STAY ACTIVE IN THE CITY WITH THEIR MOBILE MAMMOGRAM. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. WE GOT IT. THAT SOUNDS VERY WORTHWHILE. UH, BUT ERIC, IF, CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED. IT'S LIKE, SEEMS I'M SORT SURPRISED. SO, SO I APOLOGIZE. UM, YEAH, TELL ME, GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKDROP, HOW THIS CAME UP. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE IDENTIFIED BETWEEN THE LAST MEETING AND THIS MEETING AS, UM, SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN [01:15:01] INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET BUT WAS LEFT OUT. AND I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THIS VALUABLE SERVICE IF WE DON'T HAVE FUNDING TO KEEP THEM ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE CITY. HOW MUCH IS IT? IT'S 50,000 NON-RECURRING. I MEAN THIS IS, THIS GOES TO MY POINT OF LIKE, OKAY, FINE. I I'M, YEAH, IT'S A NON-RECURRING ITEM. YEAH, IT'S NON-RECURRING. IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT, IT JUST NOT RECURRING. I, I GUESS THE PROBLEM IS I DON'T KNOW ABOUT MY COLLEAGUES. LIKE WE SPEAK TO THE ADMINISTRATOR, I SPEAK TO YOU GUYS EVERY DAY. IT'S LIKE I'M HEARING ABOUT THIS NOW IF I, AND, AND IF I MAY, IF I'M RECOGNIZED, YES, THANK YOU. WE PASSED LEGISLATION, I THINK IT WAS IN 2022, UH, TO INCORPORATE THIS $50,000, UH, ON A RECURRING BASIS. UM, IT DIDN'T MAKE IT ONTO THE BUDGET, UM, AS A, AS A RECURRING ITEM AND IT WAS CAUGHT AFTERWARDS. UH, WE DO, UM, WE DO ON A VERY FREQUENT BASIS THE MOBILE MAMMOGRAMS AND THEN THEY ALSO PROVIDE THE FOLLOW UP TREATMENT FREE ONCOLOGY AND FREE TOTAL TREATMENT FOR, UM, UNINSURED PATIENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY. UM, AND I THINK IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT. THAT WAS MY BUDGET. I BELIEVE IT WAS YOUR ITEM COMMISSIONER? YES. THAT WAS PUT ON THE AGENDA. UM, I HAVE A JUNE, 2023 DATE. 2023 FOR ONE TIME FUNDING, BUT A REFERRAL TO THE COMMITTEE TO MAKE IT PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET BECAUSE THERE WAS ONE TIME FUNDING STILL AVAILABLE. IT DIDN'T GET INCORPORATED INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET. AND SO IT DIDN'T ROLL FORWARD INTO 25. THEY'VE NOW RUN OUT OF THAT ONE TIME FUNDING THAT THEY HAD FROM BEFORE. AND WE JUST DON'T WANT TO LOSE THEM AS A PARTNER IN THE CITY. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE, FOR THE, THE LATENESS OF NO, AND I'M SORRY TO CALL YOU OUT ON IT AND I, I, I TRUST YOU. SO, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT, GREAT CAUSE I MEAN, I'M, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION ABOUT THAT. I, I JUST, AND THIS, I'M REALLY PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT COMMISSIONER SUAREZ SORT OF STARTED OFF WITH. WE REALLY NEED TO AVOID THESE SITUATIONS 'CAUSE WE'RE GET, WE GET CAUGHT LIKE SORT OF LIKE, AND WE DO OUR RESEARCH. I KNOW COMMISSIONER SUAREZ DOES IT. MAYBE HE WOULD'VE HAD A POWERPOINT. UH, I HOPE THIS ONE, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF, IF I, IF I MAY FOR THE MAYOR, I, I THINK ONE TIME RECURRING PAYMENTS, THERE'S A ONE OFF. I GET IT. BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, MY ISSUE IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING RECURRING, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO SCALE THAT BACK. OKAY. IT'S JUST, IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION. SO, UM, I'M OKAY. I'M OKAY WITH IT. I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT ACT THAT THAT GOES TO, YOU KNOW, SAVING LIVES AND I'M, I'M, I'M TOTALLY ON BOARD WITH THAT. UH, 'CAUSE GOD FORBID WE DIDN'T PASS THAT AND THEY DIDN'T COME HERE AND SOMEONE, GOD FORBID, PASSED AWAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET A SCREENING ON TIME. I, I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH MYSELF. SO, UM, I'M OKAY WITH THAT. BUT AGAIN, LIKE WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, IF THERE IS AN ITEM, TALK TO US. OKAY. YOU KNOW, I I, THIS SORT OF LIKE LITERALLY THE LAST SECOND THAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THIS BUDGET, YOU'RE BRINGING THIS UP. I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S UNPROFESSIONAL. MY, MY APOLOGIES. CALL A VOTE THIS, IF I MAY, THIS IT'LL BE A VOTE THEN AS AMENDED, WHICH FOR THAT ONE ITEM. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS, I HAD A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ TO ADD THE $50,000. CAN WE DO THAT BY ACCLIMATION? YES. OKAY. FOR THE ACTUAL ITEM, I ONLY HAD A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. I DON'T HAVE A SECOND YET. I'LL SECOND. SO A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER SUAREZ. IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING. AGAIN, NO ONE IN ZOOM, NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE ON R SEVEN B. ALL IN FAVOR AS AMENDED, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIE SEVEN ZERO. IT WAS ITEM R SEVEN BR SEVEN CR [R7 C A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADOPTING THE FINAL AD VALOREM MILLAGE RATE OF 0.7789 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 FOR THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WHICH IS FIVE AND FOUR TENTHS PERCENT (5.4%) MORE THAN THE "ROLLED-BACK" RATE OF 0.7387 MILLS.] SEVEN C. WE ARE RECESSING THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING AND CONVENING AS A BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT R SEVEN C IS A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, ADOPTING THE FINAL AT THE LAUREN MILLAGE RATE OF 0.7789 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 FOR THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WHICH IS FIVE AND FOUR TENS MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 0.7387 MILLS. THIS IS A SECOND READING PUBLIC HEARING. IT IS ITEM R SEVEN C. NO CHANGE FROM THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. I'M SORRY. NO CHANGE FROM THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THE I I'LL SECOND. IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING. I SEE NO ONE IN ZOOM. AND I SEE NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE REQUESTING TO SPEAK ON R SEVEN C. IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION, MAY, MAY I CALL THE VOTE? YES. ALL IN FAVOR OF R SEVEN C. PLEASE SAY AYE. [01:20:01] AYE. AYE. AYE. I HEAR NO ONE OPPOSE ITEM IS APPROVED. R SEVEN C SEVEN R SEVEN D. [R7 D A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.] IT IS A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. IT IS A SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING R SEVEN D. NO CHANGE FROM THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. VICE MAYOR, YOU'RE MOVING IT. I'LL MOVE THE ACTION. I'LL SECOND. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. I SEE NO ONE IN ZOOM. AND I SEE NO ONE IN THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. HEARING NO ONE OPPOSED THE ITEM IS APPROVED. SEVEN ZERO R SEVEN D. WE ARE NOW CONCLUDING THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AND RECONVENING AS A CITY COMMISSION. R SEVEN ER [R7 E A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEARS 2025 – 2029 AND ADOPTING THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH FINAL CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.] SEVEN E IS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR OF CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEARS 2025 THROUGH 2029. ADOPTING THE, ADOPTING THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. FINAL CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. THERE'S A SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING. IT'S ITEM R SEVEN E. NO CHANGE FROM THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. VICE MAYOR, YOU'RE MOVING IT. I'LL SECOND. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. THERE'S NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE. NO ONE IN ZOOM REQUESTING TO SPEAK. IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION PLE, UH, PLEASE SAY AYE. IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF R SEVEN E. AYE. AYE. AYE. HEARING NO OPPOSITION ITEM R SEVEN E IS ADOPTED. R UH, SEVEN ZERO R SEVEN FR [R7 F A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. JOINT CITY COMMISSION AND NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY] SEVEN F IS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. THIS IS A JOINT CITY COMMISSION IN NORTH BY NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ITEM R SEVEN F. ANY CHANGES? WELL, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU HEAR IN THE NORTH BEACH, UH, CRE BUDGET. IT'S INCREASED BY 573,000. HOW MUCH? 5 73. AND THAT'S PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE INCREMENTAL REVENUES FROM, UM, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. AND THE CITY'S BUDGET. WHAT'S THE TOTAL BUDGET? IT'S $2.5 MILLION. COMMISSIONER B. SO THE INCREASE IN THE BUDGET IS GENERATED BY SUCCESS? YES. YES. IT'S NOT ASKING FOR MORE MONEY. THAT IS CORRECT. AND THE, UM, IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HEARING IT. SO DOES THAT MEAN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A LITTLE HOMEWORK AND ASK SOME QUESTIONS AND THEN VOTE ON IT FINALLY AT, AT A LATER DATE? OR THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HEARING IT AND ONE AND DONE. IT'S ONE AND DONE. YEP. OKAY. SO, YOU KNOW, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT, UM, BANG FOR THE BUCK AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND, UM, HOW SMALL DOLLARS THOUGHTFULLY INVESTED, UM, CAN SIGNIFICANTLY MAKE CHANGE IN NEIGHBORHOODS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT IN, UM, ON LINCOLN ROAD, NOT NECESSARILY SMALL DOLLARS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT POTENTIALLY ON, UH, WASHINGTON. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN VARIOUS ARTS INSTITUTIONS. YES, SIR. AND I CAN THINK OF NO BETTER SHINING EXAMPLE OF THAT PRINCIPLE PUT INTO PRACTICE THAN WITH THE NORTH BEACH CRA AND I'M, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, RICK, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, UM, BRING TO COMMISSION IN OCTOBER, THE EXPANSION OF THE CRA TO INCLUDE PARKVIEW ISLAND, UM, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT THING, BUT I, I'M SO PROUD OF WHAT THIS HAS DONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO FOR NORTH BEACH. AND EVERY TIME WE GET, UM, A LITTLE BIT ANXIOUS ABOUT THIS NOTION OF INVESTING IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS, I, I WANT US ALL, MYSELF INCLUDED, TO REMEMBER, UM, AND, AND HOLD THIS UP AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE GOOD THAT CAN BE DONE. UM, SO KUDOS AND I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT THIS. I'LL SECOND THE ITEM. AND MR. MAYOR, IF I MAY, UM, COMMISSIONER, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU. YOU SAID IT BEAUTIFULLY. AND PARKVIEW ISLAND SHOULD BE, UH, A PART OF THE NORTH BEACH CRAI HAD AT ONE POINT REQUESTED LEGISLATION ON THAT. UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO RELINQUISH THE SPONSORSHIP OF THAT LEGISLATION TO YOU BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN A LONG TIME RESIDENT, NOT ONLY OF NORTH BEACH, BUT A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF, UH, PARKVIEW PARKVIEW ISLAND. AND I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE AND LOVE FOR THAT COMMUNITY. AND, UH, I'D BE PROUD TO RELINQUISH THE, UH, LEGISLATION TO YOU. ALEX, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME CRY. VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ TO YOU. SORRY. , YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS. THANK YOU. TAKE THE VOTE, SIR. SO I HAVE MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER BATTLE, A SECOND FROM VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ. ALL IN FAVOR OF R SEVEN F. PLEASE SIGNAL BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ITEM PASSES SEVEN ZERO R SEVEN F. IT'S CALLED THE [RDA-1. A RESOLUTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, ADOPTING AND APPROPRIATING THE MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 AND ADOPTING THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEARS 2025 - 2029.] REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ITEMS RDA ONE AND TWO. SO [01:25:01] WE ARE RE RECESSING AGAINST THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING RECONVENING AS THE RDA, UH, FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER HIGGINS IS ABSENT. THE FIRST ITEM IS ADOPT FINAL CITY CENTER, RDA CAPITAL BUDGET ITEM ONE. SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'RE SEEING THE RDA CAPITAL, BUT IT'S A SUBSET OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET THAT YOU JUST APPROVED. MM-HMM, . SO WE'RE JUST TAKING OUT THE RDA ITEMS SPECIFICALLY. SO YOU WOULD'VE SEEN THESE PROJECTS PRIOR. I'LL MOVE THE ITEM. I'LL SECOND IF NO DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR OF RDA ONE, PLEASE SIGNAL BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIE. SEVEN ZERO WITH ONE ABSENT. COMMISSIONER HIGGINS. ITEM [RDA-2. A RESOLUTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGETS FOR THE CITY CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AREA, THE ANCHOR SHOPS AND PARKING GARAGE, THE PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SHOPS AND PARKING GARAGE, AND THE COLLINS PARK PARKING GARAGE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.] TWO IS ADOPT FINAL CITY CENTER RDA OPERATING BUDGETS FOR FRISCO YEAR 2025. RDA TWO I MOVE THE ITEM. I'LL SECOND. YES. OKAY. IF NO DISCUSSION MAY I PLEASE SIGNAL BY SAYING AYE, IF YOU'RE IN APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM. AYE. AYE. AYE. ITEM PASSES SEVEN ZERO. COMMISSIONER HIGGINS IS ABSENT. WE ARE RECONVENING AS THE, UH, CITY COMMISSION MEETING. MAY WE GO TO [CRA-1. A RESOLUTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. JOINT CITY COMMISSION AND NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY] THE NORTH BEACH CRA? YES. SO WE'LL NOW RECO, WE WE'RE GOING TO GO NOW TO THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY. WE HAVE ONE ITEM. IT IS THE JOINT ITEM ADOPT FINAL NORTH BEACH CRA, OPERATING BUDGETS FOR 2025. IT IS NORTH BEACH CRA ONE. THIS IS THE SAME BUDGET YOU JUST ADOPTED. OKAY, I'LL MOVE THE ITEM. I'LL SECOND. I HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND. COMMISSIONER STEINBERG IS ABSENT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. MOTION IS APPROVED. 7 0 1 ABSENT. AND OUR LAST ITEM R NINE [R9 A REFERRAL TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE COMMITTEE (FERC) FOR THE CREATION OF A UTILITY COST RELIEF PROGRAM TO INCENTIVIZE LANDLORDS TO ABSORB INCREASED UTILITY FEES, PROTECTING LOW-INCOME TENANTS AND SUPPORTING HOMESTEAD PROPERTY OWNERS AMID RISING UTILITY RATES.] A R NINE A IS A REFERRAL TO FERC PROPOSED UTILITY COST RELIEF PROGRAM FOR TENANTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS. IT WAS REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, R NINE A. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. UH, THIS IS AN ITEM I PLACED ON THE AGENDA. UM, BACK, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN 2020. UM, A RESOLUTION WAS PASSED TRIGGERING AUTOMATIC INCREASES IN UTILITY RATES, SPECIFICALLY WATER AND SEWER RATES. I THINK THIS YEAR WENT UP, I THINK IT WAS 3.7%, UH, WENT UP AND I THINK OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, IT MAY HAVE BEEN 11% HAS GONE UP. UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS DOES GET TRICKLED DOWN. PROPERTY OWNERS TRICKLE IT DOWN TO TENANTS AND, AND RENTERS WHO LIVED ON, WHO LIVE ON FIXED INCOMES AND NOT JUST, UH, TENANTS AND RENTERS. UM, IT'S IT'S SENIORS WHO AGE IN PLACE. IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S INDIVIDUALS WITH HOMESTEAD EXCEPTIONS THAT ARE, UH, TRYING TO STAY LIVING IN OUR CITY. AND I LIKE FOR US TO, UH, CONSIDER AT FERC THE CREATION OF A COST RELIEF, UH, PROGRAM TO HELP, UH, THESE, UH, THESE LANDLORDS, UH, FROM PUSHING OUT THEIR TENANTS WITH RENT INCREASES. WE SHOULDN'T BE PASSING THAT ON TO RENTERS, AND WE NEED TO HELP OUR HOMESTEADED, UH, HOMEOWNERS CONTINUE LIVING IN OUR CITY. SO I WANNA MOVE, UH, SENDING THIS ITEM TO FERC. I'LL SECOND MR. MAYOR, CAN I, CAN I HAVE A MOMENT? IS IT PUBLIC COMMENT? IT IS DONE. I'M SORRY, MITCH. OKAY. CALL ME AFTERWARDS THOUGH. WE'LL TALK . I'M SORRY, I, I THINK I HEARD THE MAYOR SAY SECOND THE ITEM. YEAH. SO THIS IS THE REFERRAL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THE ITEM IS REFERRED. THERE ARE NO OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. THIS ONE GREAT MEETING. WE'VE FULFILLED OUR STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS. I WANNA THANK ALL MY COLLEAGUES, UM, AND OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS A BUDGET THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF, WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF. OUR RESIDENTS CAN AND SHOULD BE PROUD OF IT. BY THE WAY, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR BUDGET, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME, TO MY COLLEAGUES, TO OUR CITY MANAGER. WE'RE HAPPY TO, UH, TO ELABORATE. THANK YOU ALL. AND, AND MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY AGAIN, THANK COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, WHO AS THE CHAIR OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND HIS FIRST YEAR AS A CITY COMMISSIONER, DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB, UH, LEADING THIS PROCESS AND BEING OFTENTIMES THE ADULT IN THE ROOM, IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. UH, SO JUST SO PROUD TO SERVE WITH YOU. THANK YOU WITH YOU ALL. VERY PROUD OF THAT APPOINTMENT. YES, HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. GOD BLESS YOU TOMORROW. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.