Nov 14, 2024 Commission Meeting ((Special))

IS A REGIONAL ISSUE WE, WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

UM, YOU KNOW, I FIND IT, I I FIND IT EGREGIOUS, UM, TO FORCE THE HAND OF THE CITY THE WAY THAT THAT HAS BEEN FORCED OVER A MATTER OF LEGISLATIVE POLICY.

I DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE, WITH THE POSITION OF THE CITY COMMISSION, BUT WE ADOPT A FORMAL POSITION AS A CITY COMMISSION, AND I DON'T THINK NO LEGISLATIVE BODY SHOULD BE RETALIATED AGAINST, UH, HELD, UH, FOR PUNITIVE ACTION.

THE WAY THAT OUR CITY WAS, IT STARTED WITH $10 MILLION IN SURPLUS FUNDS, THEN ANOTHER A SECOND $10 MILLION, UH, THAT WAS DELINEATED YESTERDAY IN AN EMAIL.

SO NOW WE'RE UP TO $20 MILLION.

IN ADDITION TO, UH, GIVING UP OUR PORTION OF A, UH, PARTICIPATION FEE, UH, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY $25 MILLION, UH, WORTH.

SO WE'RE UP TO $45 MILLION IN ADDITION TO A 2% TRANSFER FEE THAT IS BEING DEMANDED FROM US FOR OUR CITY COMMISSION EXERCISING ITS LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY.

ONE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH INDIVIDUALLY AS COLLEAGUES, BUT ONCE A CITY TAKES A POSITION, A POLICY DECISION, WE NEED TO RESPECT THAT.

THE SAME WAY WE DON'T LIKE TALLAHASSEE, UH, PREEMPTING US, THE COUNTY SHOULDN'T BE PREEMPTING US EITHER.

AND I TRULY FIND THE, THE, THE ACTIONS OF COMING AFTER US FOR, FOR FUNDS IN THIS MATTER TO BE DISTASTEFUL.

UM, I DO AGREE THAT, THAT, THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS AS A REGION.

IT IS A REGIONAL ISSUE.

UH, WE HAVE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS THAT COME INTO OUR CITY FROM OTHER PARTS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS FROM MIAMI BEACH ALSO DO TRANSIT TO, TO OTHER PARTS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.

SO IT TRULY

[00:15:01]

SO MY MESSAGE IS THIS, IF MIAMI DADE COUNTY AND CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS C THE RDA AS THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR $10 MILLION TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, WELL THEN LET'S ALSO USE THE RDA TO ADDRESS WHAT IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF HOMELESSNESS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, WHICH IS THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.

MIAMI HOMES FOR ALL RELEASED A STUDY NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT INDICATES THAT MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IS SHORT OVER A BILLION DOLLARS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, TO, I'M SORRY, TO ADDRESS HOUSING OVER A BILLION DOLLARS SHORT TO ADDRESS AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.

NOW WE COULD REDIRECT THESE FUNDS TO ADDRESS THAT GREAT NEED OF HOUSING AND THEREBY ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHY WE HAVE HOMELESSNESS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.

SO THIS ITEM IS TO, IS TO REDIRECT THE FUNDS PART OF THIS GRANT AGREEMENT, REDIRECT THOSE FUNDS TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE HAVE IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, DIRECT THEM TOWARDS AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING SO THAT WE CAN HOLISTICALLY ADDRESS THE HOMELESS ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND REALLY TACKLING IT IN THE MOST SERIOUS WAY THAT WE COULD.

AND WITH THAT, I MOVE ITEM R SEVEN A TO ALLOCATE THE $92.5 MILLION AWAY FROM THE DEVELOPER SUBSIDY AND INSTEAD TOWARDS ADDRESSING AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.

I'LL SPEAK, UH, I HAVE, I HAVE TO, YOUR ITEM IS LITERALLY BRILLIANT.

I'M, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT IT TODAY, , BUT IT, IT'S ACTUALLY BRILLIANT.

'CAUSE WHAT I THINK, I THINK YOUR ITEM CHANGED THE CONVERSATION IN THE COUNTY BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THE COMMENTS BEING MADE, IT WAS, IT, IT IT, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD 50 HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS TRANSFERRED FROM MIAMI'S CAMILLA'S HOUSE TO OUR CITY RIGHT AFTER OUR VOTE.

THEN WE'RE BEING THREATENED WITH REMOVAL OF CRA FUNDING WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER FUNDING.

I, IT, IT'S ALMOST LIKE IF I STARTED IN A MOVIE, I'M NOT SURE I WOULD'VE BELIEVED IT, THAT IT COULD, THAT IT COULD BE TRUE.

IT WAS SO OBVIOUS AND IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, IS OUR RESIDENTS WOULD BE IMPACTED.

BUT OUR RESIDENTS ARE THEIR RESIDENTS.

UH, WE'RE ALL ONE COUNTY.

AND, UH, AND, AND AS COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, UH, ALLUDED TO, BUT I'M, I'M GONNA SAY IT STRAIGHT OUT, WE SEND 297 MILLION.

YOU CAN GRANT ME 300 MILLION.

I'LL ROUND UP $300 MILLION A YEAR FROM OUR CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

YOUR PROPERTY TAXES GO TO THE COUNTY.

WE MAKE UP LESS THAN 3% OF THE COUNTY POPULATION, 2.8%, AND WE PAY 12% OF THE PROPERTY TAXES.

SO THIS NOTION THAT MIAMI BEACH DOES NOT CARRY ITS WEIGHT OR PAY, ITS FAIR SHARE IS NOT TRUE.

WE PULL OUR WEIGHT AND THEN SOME TO HELP THE COUNTY.

SO, UH, GETTING BACK TO YOUR ITEM, IT'S BRILLIANT.

'CAUSE I THINK WHAT I NOTICED AFTER YOUR ITEM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S COMPLETELY RELATED, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE THAT YOUR, YOUR ITEM CALLED THEIR BLUFF.

I DO BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA LOSE THAT CONVENTION CENTER.

THERE'S FUNDING FOR THEM.

IT'S FUNDING FOR THEM.

AND THEY ALSO KNOW IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTY TO HAVE THAT CONVENTION CENTER.

SO THAT'S WHERE I, I, THAT'S WHY I'M HAVING, UH, DIFFICULTY GETTING THERE TO SUPPORT IT BECAUSE I JUST, WHILE YOU'RE HELPING THE HOMELESS WORKFORCE, HOUSING, ALL GREAT IDEAS, I JUST, I'M NOT READY TO GIVE UP ON THE CONVENTION CENTER AND WHAT IT COULD BRING TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH AND HELPING US IN, IN SO MANY WAYS THAT WE'VE OUTLINED BEFORE.

MR. MAYOR, I, I, I, MR. MAGAZINE.

I SECOND YOUR COMMENTS WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

UH, I COMMEND YOU, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, UH, YOUR OPENING, THERE WAS MAYBE SOME OF THE BEST COMMENTS I'VE SEEN FROM THIS DAY IS IN MY LONG TIME FOLLOWING THIS CITY, UH, THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO TAKE AN ITEM THAT YOU DIDN'T FIRST BEGIN AGREE WITH, BUT COME AND RECOGNIZE WE ALL SERVE COLLECTIVELY AS A BODY, AS PART OF DEMOCRACY.

AND YOU STUCK UP FOR YOUR CITY AND YOUR COLLEAGUES OVER WHAT YOU WERE IN THE MINORITY ON, BUT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR OUR COLLECTIVE BODY.

AND I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT.

AND THOSE COMMENTS THAT YOU OPENED WITH WERE SOME OF THE BEST I'VE HEARD ON THE DAYS FOR SOME TIME.

I WON'T TAKE THAT PERSONALLY.

, HE'S A GREAT POKER PLAYER.

SO PROBLEM WITH MY ITEM.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A SECOND NUMBER.

MY ITEM.

PARTLY IS WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE ALSO IS I THINK EVERYONE'S WAITING FOR COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE'S ITEM TO SEE WHERE WE LAND.

YOU KNOW, AND I THINK

[00:20:01]

SO MAYBE IF YOU WANNA DEFER IT AND SEE HOW THAT GOES.

UM, I, I THINK LISTEN, I, I THINK OR JUST WITHDRAW.

I, I NOT, I'M NOT GONNA WITHDRAW THE ITEM.

I, YOU KNOW, IT, I LIKE FOR YOU TO CALL THE QUESTION, UH, IF THERE'S A SECOND, IF THERE'S NOT A SECOND, I GUESS THE ITEM DIES ON THE TABLE, MR. ATTORNEY.

UM, BUT I MOVE THE ITEM AND, YOU KNOW, I MOVE MY ITEM.

PROVIDE A 15 YEAR CONTRACT BETWEEN OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS.

APPEARS THERE'S NO SECOND.

SO, UH, THE ITEM, THE ITEM FAILS, BUT THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE MAYOR

[R9 A DISCUSS/TAKE ACTION: PROPOSED FUNDING FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FROM MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY SURPLUS REVENUES AND MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER HEADQUARTER HOTEL BED TAXES.]

FERNANDEZ.

WE'LL CALL, UH, R NINE A.

R NINE A IS DISCUSS, TAKE ACTION.

PROPOSED FUNDING FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FROM RDA SURPLUS REVENUE, MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER, HOTEL TAXES COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.

THANK YOU MR. MAYOR.

THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES.

UM, AND I ECHO THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE UP HERE WHOLEHEARTEDLY ABOUT, UH, TAKING OFFENSE TO THE SAYINGS THAT WE DON'T PAY OUR FAIR SHARE BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S JUST NOT BORNE BY THE, UH, REALITIES AND THE ECONOMIC DATA THAT IS FACT DRIVEN.

UH, THAT BEING SAID, A LOT OF RAW MOTIONS, A LOT OF FINGER POINTING, UH, BUT I THINK FROM THIS MOMENT, WE REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD AND LOOK AHEAD, REALIZE THAT WE ARE PARTNERS WITH THE COUNTY WE ALWAYS WILL BE.

AND IT BEN BENEFITS OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY WHEN EVEN IN TIMES OF DISAGREEMENT, WE DO SO IN A RESPECTFUL FASHION UNDERSTANDING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP.

I'VE LISTENED TO EVERY WORD DISCUSSED.

UH, I'VE HAD MORE CONVERSATIONS THAN I EVER IMAGINED, UH, FEASIBLE.

UM, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A SOLUTION IN FRONT OF US THAT HAS MIAMI BEACH STEPPING UP AS A PARTNER IN THIS REGIONAL ISSUE OF ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COUNTY.

ACTUALLY GOING WELL, WELL ABOVE AND BEYOND IN HONORING A DEAL THAT WAS STRUCK IN 2021.

AND ALSO PROVIDING SAFEGUARDS TO MIAMI BEACH, OUR TAXPAYERS, OUR COUNTY PARTNERS, AND THE HOMELESS TRUST.

THERE'S A QUICK BIT OF HISTORY IN 2021 AND AN AGREEMENT WAS MADE.

MIAMI BEACH WOULD PLACE AN ITEM ON THE BALLOT THAT IF PASSED, WOULD'VE RAISED LIKELY JUST UNDER $8 MILLION TO THE HOMELESS TRUST.

AT THAT TIME, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOMELESS TRUST PLEDGED MIAMI BEACH WOULD BE MADE WHOLE FOR THE GENERAL FUND SPENDING WE DO ON THE HOMELESS, WHICH IS $5 MILLION.

IT WAS SAID AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WOULD BE SIGNED PRIOR TO THIS GOING ON THE BALLOT, AND THAT NEVER, EVER TRANSPIRED, WHICH IS A LARGE REASON WHY MYSELF AND COLLEAGUES VOTED TO REPEAL THE MEASURE FROM THE BALLOT AS WE LOST ANY ASSURANCES WE WOULD BE REIMBURSED, THAT WOULD'VE COME DIRECTLY AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR TAXPAYERS.

BUT THE RESULT WOULD'VE BEEN SEEING MIAMI BEACH SENDING THE COUNTY MONEY HOMELESS TRUST A NET NUMBER OF LESS THAN $3 MILLION.

SO WHERE ARE WE TODAY? IT LEAVES MIAMI BEACH COLLECTIVELY WANTING TO TAKE OUR PART IN HONOR OUR AGREEMENT, DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR A REGIONAL ISSUE, AND GET THE COUNTY A NET $3 MILLION PER YEAR NUMBER THAT WAS ORIGINALLY AGREED UPON.

THERE'S A PROPOSAL, I'LL LAY IT OUT IN DETAIL THAT ESSENTIALLY IS NOT BORN BY OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, OUR SMALL MOM AND POP BUSINESSES, NOR THE RESIDENTS THAT FREQUENT THEM.

MY PROPOSAL IS ONCE THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL IS CONSTRUCTED IN 2027, MIAMI BEACH WAS SET TO RECEIVE A 4% HOTEL TAX THAT IN FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS WOULD TOTAL FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS STARTING IN 2027 AND ESCALATING AS THE PERFORMANCE OF THE HOTEL, UH, EXCEEDS FROM THERE.

ADDITIONALLY, MIAMI BEACH WILL CONTINUE OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES TOWARDS HOMELESS SERVICES WE MAKE WITHIN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

SO IF WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE COUNTY, THE 4% HOTEL TAX OF ROUGHLY $4 MILLION IN ESCALATING PER YEAR, AND WE SEND THAT TO THE COUNTY AS OUR STAKE IN ADDRESSING THIS REGIONAL ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS, AND WE CONTINUE OUR GENERAL FUND SPENDING ON HOMELESS OF OVER $7 MILLION PER YEAR, THAT MAKES MIAMI BEACH'S COMMITMENT OVER $10 MILLION PER YEAR WITH THE CENSUS OF 132 HOMELESS PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.

THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING TOWARDS EVERY HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL IS WELL ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT ANYBODY COULD REASONABLY ARGUE IS OUR FAIR SHARE.

ADDITIONALLY, THIS MEASURE, IT PROVIDES SAFEGUARDS TO ALL PARTIES INVOLVED THAT THERE WILL NOT BE THE RISK OF A BALLOT MEASURE.

FAILING THE COUNTY TAKES NO RISK.

THIS FAILS AT THE BALLOT AS WE JUST SAW HAPPEN IN BOW HARBOR.

ALSO, WE ENTER INTO, AS A CITY, A LONG-TERM BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY.

SO THERE IS NO RISK.

A FUTURE COMMISSION COULD SIMPLY PASS AN ORDINANCE TO REMOVES THE 1% TAX.

THIS WILL

[00:25:01]

IT ALSO REMOVES THE RISK MIAMI BEACH FACE THAT WE WOULD SEND $10 MILLION TO THE TRUST IN ADDITION TO THE $10 MILLION ANNUAL SPENDING WE DO WITHIN OUR OWN CITY AND NOT GET REIMBURSED.

THIS DRASTICALLY SIMPLIFIES THE LOGISTICS OF ANY DEAL, BUT PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, IN MY MIND AND THE WORDS I'VE HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUES, IT SHIFTS THE BURDEN OF WHO PAYS FOR THIS TAX.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES THAT I HAD LONG BEFORE I BECAME A COMMISSIONER WITH THE 1% HOMELESS TAX IS THAT BURDEN WOULD'VE FALLEN TO OUR CITIZENS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.

LARGE HOTELS WERE EXCLUDED IF PASSED.

THAT 1% HOMELESS TAX BALLOT MEASURE WOULD'VE HIT OUR MOM AND POP BUSINESSES AND OUR RESIDENTS THAT FREQUENT THEM.

THIS PROPOSED STRUCTURE SHIFTS THAT BURDEN ENTIRELY TO THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL.

SO THIS TAX WILL BE BORN EXCLUSIVELY BY CONVENTIONEERS VISITING OUR CITY.

ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE FOUND A REVENUE STREAM THAT DID NOT CREATE A GAP IN OUR EXISTING BUDGET.

GIVEN THESE ARE FUTURE REVENUES, NOT IN OUR EXISTING BUDGET, THERE WILL BE NO GAPS WE NEED TO SCRAMBLE TO FILL.

SO WHERE DO WE ESSENTIALLY GO RIGHT NOW UNTIL THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL IS UP AND RUNNING, THE COUNTY WOULD GET OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS $10 MILLION FROM THE RDA SURPLUS.

THEN STARTING IN 2027, THE COUNTY GETS THE $4 MILLION DERIVED FROM THE HOTEL TAX ON THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL THAT FAR EXCEEDS THE NET NUMBER THAT WOULD'VE BEEN DERIVED FROM THE 1% HOTEL TAX COLLECTED AND MIAMI BEACH RE REIMBURSED FOR OUR GENERAL FUND HOMELESS SPENDING.

ANY SHORTFALL UNDER $4 MILLION FROM THE HOTEL TAX WOULD BE MADE WHOLE FROM THE REMAINING RDA SURPLUS FUNDS.

SO THE COUNTY ASSUMES LITTLE TO NO RISK ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL.

WE ENTER INTO A 15 YEAR BILATERAL CONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY STARTING IN 2025, TAKING ANY LEGISLATIVE RISK OFF THE TABLE.

GIVEN CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD, AS WELL AS ANALYZING WHAT EVERY SINGLE COUNTY COMMISSIONER STATED, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE THERE WILL BE SUPPORT TO PASS THIS MEASURE AT THE COUNTY.

I BELIEVE WE ADOPT AND PASS RD TWO, WHICH WILL ENSURE THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL MOVES FORWARD WITH THEIR APPROVAL AND OBTAINS THEIR FINANCING AND PASS THIS PROPOSED MEASURE FOR OUR CITY STAFF TO IRON OUT MINOR DETAILS WITH COUNTY STAFF AND PUT THIS FURTHER THEIR APPROVAL ON THE WEDNESDAY AGENDA.

COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, THEN COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.

WELL SET.

UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.

I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT.

SO THE VOTERS HAD VOTED TO HAVE THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL AND PART OF WHAT THEY VOTED ON WAS WHERE THAT MONEY WAS GOING TO GO.

AND I REMEMBER, UM, THE LATE COMMISSIONER, MARK SAMUEL HAD EARMARKED MONEY FOR THE PRIVATE PROPERTY ADAPTATION.

THERE'S A RESOLUTION WHERE MONEY WOULD GO TO RESILIENCY TO HELP FUND, UH, MICKEY STEINBERG HAD ALSO AT THE TIME REQUESTED EDUCATION AND, UM, THERE WAS ANOTHER, UH, LINE ITEM EARMARKED FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WERE GOING TO BE FUNDED THAT THE VOTERS VOTED ON THROUGH THE MAYOR? UM, SO COMMISSIONER DOMINGEZ, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

UH, THE THREE ITEMS THAT I BELIEVE YOU'RE REFERRING TO VOTED ON THE BALLOT WERE ADAPTATION EDUCATION AND TRANSPORTATION.

AND THOSE WERE TO BE ALLOCATED FROM THE GROUND LEASE PAYMENTS.

AND SO THIS PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE WOULD NOT IMPACT THOSE GROUND LEASE PAYMENTS.

THIS WOULD ONLY IMPACT THE RESORT TAX HOTEL BED TAX, UM, THAT WOULD BE GENERATED IN THE FUTURE ONCE THE HOTEL IS COMPLETE.

RIGHT NOW IT'S AN UNREALIZED REVENUE, SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE ANY IMPACT.

WOULD THAT REVENUE HAVE GONE TO THE G-M-C-V-B? IS THAT TAKING AWAY FROM, UM, FUTURE MARKETING? SO ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR RESORT TAX IS SOMETHING THAT IS USED FOR MANY DIFFERENT PURPOSES.

ALL RESORT AND, AND TOURISM RELATED.

A PIECE OF OUR RESORT TAX TODAY GOES TO THE G-M-C-V-B.

I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE OUR CFO CAN CAN OFFER SOME ADDITIONAL INSIGHT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS WOULD HAVE ANY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE G-M-C-V-B.

THANK YOU MR. ROSA GONZALEZ.

UM, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THIS IDEA, LIKE THIS IDEA, UM, WHAT'S THE TOTAL PROPOSED AMOUNT OF THESE TAXES THAT THE HOTEL WILL GENERATE, THE F AND B ON THIS HOTEL? YOU'RE SAYING $4 MILLION.

HOW MUCH IS THAT PROPERTY GONNA GENERATE TOTAL? LIKE, SO I, I THINK WE HAD A PROFORMA MM-HMM.

THAT WAS PRESENTED

[00:30:01]

LAST MONTH WHEN WE APPROVED THE AMENDMENT SIX TO THE RDA.

UM, THE TOTAL DOLLARS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER THE 99 YEARS THAT WOULD BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE CITY WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $3.6 BILLION WITH A NET PRESENT VALUE OF 342 MILLION.

BUT ANNUALLY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE GIVING UP THE $4 MILLION.

WHAT IF IT DOESN'T GENERATE $4 MILLION IN THE FIRST YEAR? ARE YOU EXPECTING THAT TO GENERATE YES.

ANNUALLY, BUT THROUGH THE MAYOR? UH, YES.

AND TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT.

SO THIS ESSENTIALLY, UH, REMOVES THE RISK OF THE COUNTY, UH, DEPENDING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL.

IF THE TAX REVENUE, IF THE HO 4% HOTEL TAX REVENUE, UH, COMES IN BELOW $4 MILLION, UH, THERE WOULD BE A CASH SWEEP OF THE EXCESS SURPLUS RDA FUNDS.

SIR MAYOR, MY, MY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, IS THAT HERE WE ARE, WE'RE GOING TO ABSORB, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS VERY LARGE BUILDING AND THE TRAFFIC AND THE DIRT CLEAN UP THAT IT REQUIRES, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE MONEY TO REMEDIATE ANY OF THAT.

I, I SUPPOSE IT'S FINE.

I, I I KNOW WE HAVE TO PULL IT FROM SOMEPLACE.

UM, AND I, I'M GONNA VOTE FOR YOUR ITEM TODAY.

UM, AND THE MAYOR HASN'T CALLED MY ITEM, BUT I'M JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT IT ANYWAY BECAUSE I THINK THAT, COULD I JUST RESPOND THAT S THE MAYOR, UM, SO JUST, JUST SO WE CAN BE CLEAR, UH, I BELIEVE, AND FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, OR MR. CFO LOOKING AT THE CASH PROJECTIONS.

UH, SO IN TOTAL, THE CITY'S TOTAL DIRECT PAYMENTS STARTING IN 2027 THROUGH VARIOUS MEASURES.

THE PROPERTY TAXES, UH, THE VARIOUS RESORT TAXES WOULD TOTAL $24.6 MILLION.

SO WE'D ONLY BE ABSORBING ABOUT $4 MILLION OF THAT.

SO 20% IS GOING TO GO TO THE HOMELESS.

THAT THAT'S FINE, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN HOW THIS MONEY IS ALLOCATED.

AND YOU'RE SAYING WHY? IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS OBSERVING, UM, THE ENTIRE SITUATION WITH THIS LA QUINTA IN DOWN SOUTH.

AND I'D LIKE TO QUOTE COMMISSIONER DANIELLE HIGGINS COHEN, WHO WAS REALLY FIGHTING BECAUSE SHE SAID THE LAQUINTA INN WAS NEVER ON THE MARKET, AND IT'S NOT ON THE MARKET TODAY.

SO THE THREAT OF IT BEING PULLED FROM THE MARKET, THE IDEA THAT THERE'S A POTENTIAL BUYER THAT'S WILLING TO OFFER 5 MILLION OVER THE ASKING PRICES, OUTRAGEOUS.

SO HERE WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA PULL $4 MILLION, YOU KNOW, OF, OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

AND THESE ARE THE TYPES OF DEALS THAT THE HOMELESS TRUST IS CURRENTLY.

UM, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE HOMELESS TRUST IS OVERPAYING FOUR PROPERTIES? THERE ARE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

WAIT, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, WAIT, BECAUSE I REALLY WANT YOU TO HEAR WHAT I'M ABOUT TO PROPOSE.

I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THIS MONEY, WE SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN HOW IT IS ALLOCATED.

WE HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF CRITICISM FROM THE COUNTY ABOUT ARRESTING THE HOMELESS AND SENDING THEM TO THE COUNTY JAIL.

I AGREE WITH THEM THAT CRIMINALIZING HOMELESSNESS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.

I ALSO WENT TO TOUR THE LIFEMAN CENTER, AND I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND MAYOR MINOR, AND I BELIEVE, UM, OUR STAFF, I, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY, UH, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, DID YOU VISIT THE, OKAY, IT'S A CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH, AND I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT BECAUSE INSTEAD OF ARRESTING OUR HOMELESS AND SENDING THEM TO THE COUNTY JAIL, WHICH IS PRODUCING A BURDEN, I WOULD LIKE THIS MONEY TO GO TO THE COUNTY AND GO TO THIS MENTAL HEALTH CENTER.

AND I WANNA TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.

UM, THIS MENTAL HEALTH CENTER THAT IS GOING TO BE OPEN SOMETIME IN 2025, THERE'S CURRENTLY AN RFP.

IT'S DESIGNED TO SOLVE THE HOMELESS PROBLEM.

IT HAS A COURT INSIDE OF IT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BE BAKER ACTED AND THE DOCTORS ON CALL CAN ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE GET THE MEDICINE THAT THEY NEED SOMETIMES AGAINST THEIR OWN WILL.

IT HAS A DENTIST, IT HAS TATTOO REMOVAL, IT HAS EDUCATION SERVICES, IT HAS COUNSELING.

IT'S ALL DONE IN SUBDUED LIGHTING WITH DIFFERENT COLORS OF LIGHT WOODS.

WHEN YOU ENTER THE LIFEMAN CENTER, THE IDEA, IT'S NOT GONNA BE CALLED THE LIFEMAN CENTER, IT'S GONNA BE CALLED THE CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH.

THEY ARE GOING TO WASH THE HOMELESS PERSON'S FEET, GIVE THEM A MEAL, TREAT THEM HUMANELY, AND THEN SAY TO THEM, WOULD YOU ACCEPT SERVICES? WILL YOU ACCEPT MEDICATION? I WOULD LIKE US TO FUND THAT.

I DON'T WANT TO GIVE OUR MONEY TO THE HOMELESS TRUST WITH A BLANK CHECK, KNOWING THAT POSSIBLY WE COULD BE PAYING OVERPAYING $5 MILLION FOR ANOTHER LAQUINTA INN.

THAT IS MY BIG CONCERN.

SO WHILE I WOULD VOTE FOR THIS FUNDING TODAY, I WOULD LIKE THE CAVEAT THAT AT LEAST HALF OF THIS MONEY THAT WE STIPULATE IN OUR AGREEMENT, THAT HALF OF THIS MONEY GET DEDICATED TOWARD THE MENTAL HEALTH CENTER THAT WE ALL KNOW IS A SOLUTION.

AND, AND THAT WAY, AS WE ARREST OR REMOVE

[00:35:01]

HOMELESS PEOPLE FROM MIAMI BEACH, WE HAVE A PLACE TO SEND THEM AND WE'RE HELPING FUND IT.

AND THIS IS, THIS IS A SOLUTION THAT MAKES SENSE.

UM, I, I DON'T WANNA VOTE FOR IT IF, IF THE MONEY IS GONNA GO TO A LA QUINTA AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND PAY OVERPAY $5 MILLION.

NOW I KNOW THAT THERE'S PROBABLY SUPPORT TO SUPPORT THIS MENTAL HEALTH CENTER.

I SPOKE TO THE COUNTY MAYOR.

I EXPLAINED HOW THIS MONEY SHOULD BE ALLOCATED.

I ALSO SPOKE TO COMMISSIONER RETO, UM, AND SHE WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEA OF POTENTIALLY HALF OF THIS MONEY, UH, BEING EARMARKED FOR, UM, THIS MENTAL HEALTH CENTER.

WE NEED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

WE'RE BEING ACCUSED OF BEING INHUMANE.

AND THE MOST HUMANE THING THAT WE CAN DO IS CONTRIBUTE TO THIS MENTAL HEALTH CENTER.

SO THE 4 MILLION IS FINE, BUT I WOULD LIKE 2 MILLION OF IT TO GO TO OPERATIONAL OR CAPITAL COST TO GET THIS MENTAL HEALTH CENTER UP AND RUNNING.

UM, COMM UM, MAYOR KAVA TOLD ME TODAY, UM, ON THE PHONE THAT THIS, THAT RIGHT NOW IT IS OUT FOR A, UM, AN RFP, THAT IT'S GOING TO EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO HOUSE 200 HOMELESS AND REHABILITATE THEM.

UM, BUT THAT RIGHT NOW IT ONLY HAS THE CAPACITY FOR 100.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MY COLLEAGUES FEEL ABOUT DEDICATING 50% OF THIS TO A SOLUTION SO THAT WE ARE NOT SENDING OUR HOMELESS TO JAIL, AND THAT WE ENSURE THAT THE, THAT THIS CENTER IS OPENED AS SOON AS AS POSSIBLE.

COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.

YOU KNOW, I, I WAS AT, I WAS AT S STILLS SPILL A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WITH MY FAMILY, AND IT'S NOT PART OF A HOTEL, IT'S NOT PART OF A MOTEL.

I, I'M GONNA BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY THAT I THINK HOWEVER, THE HOMELESS TRUST IS MANAGED, IT IS CERTAINLY NOT MANAGED PROPERLY.

OKAY? UM, AND I CANNOT, I CANNOT SAY THAT THE, THE PURCHASE OF THE LA QUINTA INN WAS DONE IN GOOD FAITH.

I, I WAS NOT PART OF THAT.

IT CERTAINLY SEEMS ODD THAT 5 MILLION WAS PAID, OR FOUR OR 5 MILLION WAS PAID OVER THE APPRAISAL VALUE, WHICH, WHICH IS SURPRISING.

BUT WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THE LA QUINTA INN IS THAT THAT WAS, THAT WAS BUILT FOR HOMELESS SENIORS.

THE SAME SENIORS THAT ARE GETTING DISPLACED OUT OF MIAMI BEACH SO THAT THEY CAN FIND A HOME.

IT'S REALLY EASY FOR US TO BE UP HERE AND PICK AND CHOOSE WHERE THIS MONEY WOULD GO.

AND, AND I'LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT IT OF, OF WHO, OF WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR DIRECTING THAT MONEY.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NECESSARILY APPROPRIATE TO DECIDE, DO HOMELESS SENIORS GET THE MONEY THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING DISPLACED IN MIAMI BEACH AS WE SPEAK? OR DOES IT GO TO THE LEMAN CENTER? DOES IT GO TO THE CAMILLA'S HOUSE THAT ARE APPARENTLY THEY CAN'T PAY FOR BEDS AND THEY'RE GETTING SHIPPED TO MIAMI BEACH? LOOK, I, I THINK, I THINK THE RIGHT APPROACH IS TO OFFER THE COUNTY A WILLINGNESS TO, TO WORK TOGETHER AND A SIGN OF GOOD FAITH AND SAY, LOOK, WE HAVE MANY GRIEVANCES ABOUT HOW THE MONEY'S BEING SPENT.

HOMELESS TRUST HAS, I THINK, $136 MILLION ANNUALLY.

WE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW THAT MONEY'S BEING SPENT.

I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO, TO STUDY THAT, BUT IT, IT IS, IT, I I WANT TO BE CAREFUL FROM OUR BODY ON WHERE WE THINK WHO NEEDS IT THE MOST.

YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS, IF WE WERE AT THE COUNTY, WE'D BE MAKING THAT DECISIONS, UM, ESPECIALLY ON WHO, WHO THE HOMELESS TRUST THE CHAIR SHOULD BE TO, TO BE DISTRIBUTING THESE FUNDS.

BUT I WANNA BE VERY CAREFUL ON SETTING THAT SORT OF PRECEDENT.

AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO SET US UP AT THE COUNTY TO, FOR THIS DEAL TO FAIL BECAUSE OF A SMALL LITTLE CAVEAT.

UM, I WANTED TO ALSO SAY THAT I THINK COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE'S IDEA IS EXCELLENT, BECAUSE AS YOU SAID BEFORE, THE BURDEN OF THIS 1% TAX WOULD'VE FALLEN ON OUR MOST STRUGGLING BUSINESSES.

WHEN I DID THE MATH, ACTUALLY, 80% OF THE BUSINESSES THAT THIS WOULD'VE AFFECTED ARE MAKING LESS THAN $5 MILLION A YEAR, AND THEY WOULD'VE BEEN TAXED AT THE HIGHEST IN, IN THE COUNTY.

THINK ABOUT THAT.

IF YOU'RE A RESTAURATEUR, WHY WOULD YOU WANNA OPEN UP IN MIAMI BEACH? IF YOU'RE GONNA GET TAXED 10%, WHY WOULD YOU WANNA DO THAT? IT'S GONNA DISCOURAGE THAT KIND OF, UH, UH, UH, THAT KIND OF BUSINESS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS GETTING THESE MARKETING MATERIALS EVERY DAY IN THE MAIL, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WAS SO DISINGENUOUS WAS THAT THIS IS GONNA TAX TOURISTS, TOURISTS, WERE GONNA PAY FOR THIS.

THE DRUNK, IT LITERALLY SAYS THE DRUNK TOURISTS ARE GONNA PAY FOR THIS.

BUT IN REALITY,

[00:40:02]

THEY MAKE MORE THAN $400,000 A YEAR.

THEY'RE STRUGGLING.

AND I LOOK AROUND ME, IT'S ALL RESIDENTS THAT ARE HERE.

RESIDENTS ARE THE ONES PAYING THE BILLS AND STILL FILL.

AND YOU KNOW, I I, I COULDN'T STAND BY AND SEE THAT THESE LITTLE BUSINESSES ARE GONNA BE THE, THEY'RE GONNA BE STRUGGLING THE, THE MOST ACROSS THE COUNTY.

AND IF WE GO WITH WHAT COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE IS PROPOSING, ACTUAL TOURISTS ARE GOING TO BE, UH, TAXED FOR, FOR, FOR THIS PORTION OF HOMELESS SERVICES.

IT'S, IT'S, IF WE'RE GONNA BE INTELLECTUALLY HONEST WITH EACH OTHER, THAT'S THE RIGHT APPROACH.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU, COMMISSIONER, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT , UM, BUT REPEAT ME TO IT.

AND, UM, I, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT APPROACH.

I I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A FAIR AND EQUITABLE THING.

AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE FUNNY IS WHEN YOU DO THE MATH, YOU KNOW, WE ACT, WE, CHASE AND I, WE SAT DOWN, WE, WE DID THE MATH.

IT CAME OUT TO 7.8, UM, AND THE YEAR BEFORE, I THINK IT WAS 8.2, AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT IT WAS 7.1.

IT NEVER GOT TO 10, RIGHT? SO LET'S JUST ASSUME IT IS $7.8 MILLION THAT THE 1% WOULD'VE GENERATED, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND WE WERE PROMISED $5.2 MILLION REIMBURSEMENT THAT COMES FROM THE TAXPAYERS OF MIAMI BEACH.

THE WHERE WE PAY OUR PROPERTY TAXES, THAT COMES OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND.

SO THE DIFFERENCE OF THAT IS $2.6 MILLION.

THAT, THAT, IF THE BALLOT WAS, WAS TO STAY, THAT'S WHAT THE DELTA WOULD'VE BEEN TO THE HOMELESS TRUST.

IT'S ONLY 2.6.

OKAY? SO THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, UNTIL THE HOTEL, IF COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, IF YOU CORRECT ME UNTIL THE HOTEL IS BUILT, SOME OF THE MONEY IS GONNA COME FROM THE RDA TO PAY, AND I THINK THAT WAS 5 MILLION, CORRECT? PER YEAR.

YES.

YEAH, PER YEAR.

AND IF YOU, IF YOU, FROM THE RDA, THE CITY PAYS 56% OF, UH, OR RECEIVES 56% OF THE, OF THE INCOME, AND THEN THE COUNTY RECEIVES 44%.

SO IF YOU DO THE MATH, IF IT WAS 2.6, WHICH IS THE DELTA, CONSIDERING THAT WE WOULD'VE PAID UP FOR THE 56%, SO 2.6 DIVIDED BY 0.56, YOU KNOW, IT COMES OUT TO 4.64.

IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH ON THE MONEY.

IN FACT, WE GIVE THEM A LITTLE CHERRY ON TOP.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S FAIR.

THAT'S WHAT'S FAIR TO ME, YOU KNOW, SO I, I THINK, UH, THE NUMBERS CERTAINLY MAKE SENSE.

IT'S FAIR.

EVERYONE HERE UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S GOING ON.

THE PRESS IS HERE, OBVIOUSLY.

UM, WE, THERE'S NOT A, THERE'S NOT A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR PACK BEHIND THIS TRYING TO PRESSURE US, TRYING TO GET US TO, TO CONVINCE US TO GO WITH A TAX THAT GONNA TAX OUR MOST STRUGGLING BUSINESSES.

EVERYTHING IS HONEST AND, AND IT IS CLEAR.

SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA SECOND YOUR ITEM.

COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.

CAN I SAY SOMETHING? COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.

COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, FINE.

BUT WOULD YOU CONSIDER JUST A, AN URGING SUSPENDING SECOND FOR THE LIFE AND CENTER? OKAY.

WE DON'T HAVE TO CALL IT THE LIFE AND CENTER.

LISTEN, THE HEALTH RECOVERY, THE WHOLE POINT, THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS THAT WE HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION AND AN AN HONEST INTELLECTUAL CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY.

EV ALL OUR CARDS ARE ON THE TABLE NOW, AND, AND THEY'RE ALL FACING UP.

WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE HAVE.

WE KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE.

OKAY? THE WHOLE POINT ABOUT THIS IS TO MOVE PAST A ADVERSE RELATIONSHIP.

WE CAN CALL THE MAYOR.

A LOT OF YOU HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH, WITH MAYOR KAVA AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF A PORTION OF THIS WOULD GO TO THE LIFEMAN CENTER.

WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE A PORTION OF THIS GOES TO THE CAMILLA'S HOUSE.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND WE, WE WOULD REALLY, YOU KNOW, CAMILLA'S HOUSE FOR HOW ABOUT THE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT WERE BUSTIER FROM MIAMI, UH, AS, AS A POLITICAL MOVE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEY CAN GO BACK HOME.

BECAUSE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE WERE ALL THERE.

A LOT OF THE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT WERE DROPPED OFF ON WEST AVENUE, THEY WERE GIVEN A ONE HOUR NOTICE TO PACK UP THEIR BAGS IN A TRASH BAG.

THEY HAD BEEN LIVING AT THE CAMILLA'S HOUSE ANYWHERE FROM SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR.

THEY WERE GIVEN A, THEY WERE GIVEN A TRASH BAG TO PUT ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS, BELONGINGS IN, AND THEY DIDN'T, THEY WEREN'T TOLD WHERE THEY WERE GOING.

THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WORKED FOR THE, FOR, FOR THE COUNTY.

THEY WORKED AT THE DDA, THEY WALKED TO WORK, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEIR

[00:45:01]

LIVES WERE UPENDED.

AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A POLITICAL MOVE FROM THE HOMELESS TRUST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THAT, SEEING THINGS LIKE THAT, AND IN HEARING THEIR STORIES, IT'S INFURIATING.

IT'S INFURIATING.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, THE CONSEQUENCES THAT HAPPEN UP HERE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT.

WE WANT TO MAKE THE BEST CASE FOR THE COUNTY.

WE WANNA EXTEND THE OLIVE BRANCH BECAUSE CERTAINLY WE DON'T WANNA UPROOT ANYONE ELSE'S LIVES AT, IN THE CITY OF MIAMI AND, AND, AND FRANKLY, THE MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR SOCIETY.

SO, UM, I'M OKAY WITH URGING, UH, TO SOME, TO LIFE AND CENTER IN WRITING.

YEAH, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S HANDSHAKES THAT GOT US INTO THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.

SO, I MEAN, WITH, WITH IN URGING IN THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AND URGING TO SPEND THIS MONEY ON THE CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, WHAT ITS NAME IS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA USE.

IT'S SOMETHING WHERE WE ARE GONNA SEND OUR HOMELESS PEOPLE.

IT'S WHAT'S GONNA GIVE THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE A SECOND CHANCE.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME, MOST OF ALL WHEN THIS HAPPENED, WAS THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.

WE VOTED TO REPEAL THIS ITEM ON THE BALLOT, AND THEN THE ENTIRE ITEM WAS SPUN.

WE WENT TO COURT, AND OUR LEGAL TEAM GAVE US OUR RIGHTS BECAUSE WE HAD THE RIGHT TO REPEAL, TO RESCIND A RESOLUTION THAT WE HAD PUT ON THE BALLOT.

WE HAD NEVER HAD THIS COMMISSION, HAD NEVER HAD A CONVERSATION, NEVER HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT PUTTING THAT TAX ON THE BALLOT, BECAUSE WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE.

AND IF WE HADN'T PUT IT ON THE BALLOT, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE IN THE WAY OF BELL HARBOR.

BY THE WAY, BELL HARBOR VOTED THIS TAX TOWN, THEIR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER FEINBERG WOULD NEVER TAKE RETALIATORY ACTION AGAINST ONE OF HER CITIES.

WE ARE DEFENDING OUR CONSTITUENTS.

WE GET ATTACKED BY OUR REPRESENTATION, ATTACKED BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT REPRESENTS OUR DISTRICT.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANY KIND OF REPRESENTATION LIKE THAT.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN WE WERE LEAVING THE CHAMBERS, I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY, CAN MIAMI BEACH SECEDE FROM COMMISSIONER HIGGINS DISTRICT WITH REPRESENTATION LIKE THAT? THEN WE GOT SUED IMMEDIATELY, AND WE WENT TO COURT.

WE WON THE COURT CASE.

AND WITHIN TWO HOURS AFTER WINNING THIS COURT CASE, AFTER OUR ATTORNEYS WORKED TO REPRESENT OUR CONSTITUENTS RIGHTS AND OUR RIGHT TO RESCIND SOMETHING ON A BALLOT, UM, AND THEY WORKED TIRELESSLY, AND THEY WON, WITHIN A FEW HOURS, HOMELESS PEOPLE WERE RIPPED FROM CAMILLA'S HOUSE WHERE THEY WERE ON THE PATH TO RECOVERY.

THEY HAD JOBS, THEY WERE GIVEN, THEIR STUFF WAS PUT IN PLASTIC BAGGIES, OKAY? AND THEY WERE DROPPED WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION WHATSOEVER.

EVEN THE CEO OF CAMILLA'S HOUSE SAID HE'S NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO THIS COMMISSIONER TOOK RETALIATION AGAINST HER OWN CONSTITUENTS IN A CITY THAT SHE REPRESENTS.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE BEING INCREDIBLY CIVIL BECAUSE THOSE ACTIONS WERE A DECLARATION OF WAR ON HER OWN CONSTITUENTS.

AND I WILL NEVER, EVER BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU COULD GET ELECTED TO REPRESENT YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND THEN WEAPONIZE HUMAN BEINGS, WEAPONIZE, HOMELESS, MAKE PEOPLE SUFFER, AND, AND THEN EXTORT AND DEMAND ON TOP OF IT.

BUT THAT'S FINE.

I THINK THAT WE ARE BEING OVERLY CIVIL IN ENGAGING IN A NEGOTIATION, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING LEGALLY.

WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING.

BUT GRANTED, UM, THESE ARE OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE COUNTY.

WE WANNA GET ALONG.

WE WANNA CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOMELESS SITUATION.

WE WANNA FIND A HUMANE SOLUTION.

BUT UP UNTIL NOW, THIS WEAPONIZATION OF HUMAN BEINGS, I FIND SO HORRIFIC.

AND TO WAIT AND TO ACCUSE US OF BEING INHUMANE FOR ARRESTING, HOMELESS, AND PUTTING THEM IN JAIL, I THINK IT'S WORSE TO WEAPONIZE THE HOMELESS AND RIP THEM WHERE THEY'RE THRIVING, AND DUMP THEM IN A SITUATION NEXT TO A BAR WITH NO CURFEW, NO RULES.

AND THEY SAID, THIS IS GREAT.

BUT IF YOU'RE NEXT TO A BAR AND YOU HAVE NO RULES AND YOU'VE BEEN THRIVING AT CAMILLA'S HOUSE WHERE YOU HAVE A CURFEW, WHERE YOU HAVE RULES, WHERE THERE IS NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED, THAT IS JUST CRUEL.

AND I WASN'T GOING TO SAY ALL

[00:50:01]

OF THIS STUFF BECAUSE I, BUT YOU HAVE BEEN, I FEEL LIKE, UPSET NOW.

BUT I DO FEEL THAT IF WE, IF YOU ADD IN THIS URGING TO ACTUALLY FIND A HUMANE SOLUTION, THEN I WILL SUPPORT THIS.

OKAY, WE HAVE, UH, A MOTION AND A SECOND, AND THEN COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE WANTS TO SPEAK, AND THEN COMMISSIONER BOT, UH, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.

I, I NOT ONLY WILL, UH, IF WE MAKE IT A SEPARATE MOTION, UM, NOT ONLY WILL I SECOND THAT MOTION TO URGE, UH, MONEY BE DEDICATED TO THE LIFEMAN CENTER, I WILL PERSONALLY GO IN FRONT OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION AND, UH, I DON'T WANNA SAY LOBBY IN A BAD WAY, BUT, UH, URGE THEM TO DO SO, UH, AS WELL.

UH, THAT BEING SAID, COMMISSIONER SUZA, I APPRECIATE THE ACCOLADES.

THIS ISN'T MY ITEM, MY, MY NAME'S NEXT TO IT, BUT THIS IS TAKING WHAT I'VE HEARD IS IMPORTANT TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES OVER THE YEARS.

SO I HOPE COLLECTIVELY WE LOOK AT THIS AS OUR ITEM.

I'VE SEEN COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ BE A CHAMPION FOR HOMELESS CAUSES, NOT ONLY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, BUT IN OUR REGION, IN OUR COUNTY, FOR YEARS, FOR YEARS.

AND HE'S BEEN SUCH A TREMENDOUS EXAMPLE.

AND AN INSPIRATION COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ, NOT WANTING TO TAX SMALL BUSINESSES.

I IMPLEMENTED THAT.

AND MR. UH, MAYOR MINOR, YOU'VE, UH, HAD SIMILAR SENTIMENTS AND COMMISSIONERS BOT AND DOMINGUEZ, YOU HAVE BEEN TIRELESS, TIRELESS CHAMPIONS FOR THE HOMELESS, AND YOU BELIEVE THAT THAT 1% TAX WAS RIGHT.

AND I, I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS, UH, A BETTER DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE.

SO I'M SUPPORTING THIS BECAUSE I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT AND TIRELESSLY YOU ALL HAVE WORKED FOR ADDRESSING THIS AS A REGIONAL CRISIS AS WELL.

I SEE, UH, BOTH OF THE COMMISSIONERS OUT THERE ON THE HOMELESS WALKS AND, UH, WORKING WITH OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH SERVICES.

SO WHILE MY NAME MIGHT BE, UH, NEXT TO THIS, THIS IS REALLY AN AGGREGATION OF THE YEARS AND YEARS OF WORK THAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE DONE, COMMISSIONER BOT.

UM, SO THIS IS HOW I KNOW I'M NOT A POLITICIAN.

UM, THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH VITRIOL EXPENDED OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS WHEN WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE FROM THE GET GO WAS HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO FIND THE BEST SOLUTION.

AS A CITY, WE ARE A VERY DESIRABLE DESTINATION FOR HOMELESS FOLKS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY BECAUSE THE WEATHER'S GOOD.

THERE ARE A LOT OF TOURISTS WHO MIGHT BE A SOFT SPOT FOR HANDING OUT A MEAL.

UM, YOU CAN SLEEP OUTSIDE.

AND WE'VE WORKED TIRELESSLY AS A CITY TO, UM, PROVIDE SERVICES IN A COMPASSIONATE METHOD WITH, WITH HELP BEING THE PREEMINENT GOAL FOR YEARS.

AND THAT HAS REALLY BEEN STEPPED UP IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND OUR HOMELESS COUNT HAS GONE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE, EVEN SINCE 2021 WHEN, UM, WHEN THIS WHOLE DEBACLE, UM, SORT OF STARTED.

UM, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE TEAM ON THE STAFF OF, UH, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH DEDICATED TO HELPING THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS AND WITHOUT PROSPECTS TO GETTING THE HELP THEY NEED.

IT IS AN AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM.

OTHER MUNICIPALITIES SEND PEOPLE HERE TO LEARN HOW WE'RE DOING IT.

WE HAVE DEDICATED OFFICERS IN OUR MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO HAVE DONATED, NOT DONATED, THAT WOULD BE TERRIBLE, UM, DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO HELPING PEOPLE GET BACK ON THEIR FEET.

IN FACT, ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE PEOPLE WHO WORKS FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, BO HALL, IF YOU DON'T KNOW HIM, YOU SHOULD.

HE'S AN INSPIRATION THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE.

WAS A FORMERLY HOMELESS PERSON WHO IS NOW LEADING THE CHARGE ALONG WITH DR.

TARE TO GET PEOPLE BACK ON THEIR FEET IN A HUMANE AND COMPASSIONATE AND SUSTAINABLE MANNER.

SO FOR THE ALLEGATIONS TO BE MADE AS THEY HAVE BEEN, THAT WE DON'T CARE, THAT WE DON'T PAY OUR FAIR SHARE, THAT ALL WE WANNA DO IS THROW PEOPLE INTO JAIL IS INACCURATE AT BEST.

I WOULD JUST CORRECT SOMETHING MY COLLEAGUE MENTIONED.

MY VOTE AGAINST THIS ISSUE IS NOT ABOUT THE TAX ITSELF, BECAUSE WHILE I DO BELIEVE WE CAN ALWAYS AND SHOULD ALWAYS DO MORE TO HELP THE HOMELESS, I DID ALSO HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE WAY THIS WAS WORDED AND HOW IT WAS GOING.

MY VOTE AGAINST THIS WAS THE FACT THAT WE WERE READY TWO THIRDS THE WAY THROUGH A PROPER VOTING PROCESS.

AND I UNDERSTAND THIS, THE COURT DID NOT SEE THINGS MY WAY, BUT

[00:55:01]

I MEAN, I WEAR A NECKLACE, IT SAYS VOTE.

SO I'M GONNA STAND BY THAT.

I THINK THAT WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US AND, AND WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE COUNTY IS A VERY SOLID PATH FORWARD.

AND WHAT I WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO DO, BOTH HERE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH AND AT THE COUNTY, IS PUT ASIDE THE RHETORIC AND THE ANGER AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, WHETHER THEY ARE IN MIAMI, MIAMI BEACH, OR OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY, WHETHER THEY ARE CURRENTLY HOMED OR UN HOMED.

LET US WORK TOGETHER LIKE GROWNUPS IN A ROOM TO USE THE VAST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES WE HAVE, WHETHER IT'S THE LIFEMAN CENTER, WHETHER IT'S SOME OTHER THING THAT THE HOMELESS TRUST IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, BUT LET THERE BE FULL TRANSPARENCY, FULL ACCOUNTABILITY, AND FULL COLLABORATION TO MOVE FORWARD.

AND IN FACT, I'M BRINGING AN ITEM IN A, IN AN UPCOMING COMMISSION MEETING, TO FOCUS SOME OF THE REVENUE THAT WILL BE COMING FROM THE, UM, CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL TO BE DEDICATED TO AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE AND HOMELESS HOUSING.

SO IT IS NOT TAKING AWAY THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL.

IT IS USING THE MONEY THAT IT WILL BE THROWING OFF TO FIND LONG-TERM PERMANENT SOLUTIONS GOING FORWARD.

SO I WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF BOTH, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE'S ITEM AND I COMMEND YOU FOR IT.

AND FOR COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ'S URGING, AND I WILL, I WILL PLEDGE TO WORK WITH YOU TO GET THAT DONE AS WELL.

COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.

UM, I ALSO, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME OF THIS FUNDING WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TOWARD VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND, UM, THEY WERE PART OF THE TAX TO BEGIN WITH.

SO I THINK A PERCENTAGE, WHEN WE DO THE URGING, A PERCENTAGE OF IT SHOULD ALSO GO TO THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WAS BEING SOLD TO THE ELECTORATE.

UM, AND I SEE THAT WE HAVE ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COUNTY HERE.

SO WHEN WE DO THIS URGING, I WOULD LIKE THIS URGING TO GO AS PART, LIKE AS A RESOLUTION ALONG WITH THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT 50% GO TOWARD THE MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, AN URGING AND 10% GO TO THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

I DON'T, AND I, AND I, I, AND YES.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU, IT WAS 15, IT WAS 15% WHAT IT WAS 15%.

IT WAS 15% THAT WAS GOING, OKAY, SO 15%.

SO AN URGING THAT 15% OF THE FUNDS ARE EXPENDED FOR THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT THAT, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SUPPORT IT.

SO THERE'S MOTION.

OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND COMM, UH, VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ.

OF WHETHER IT WAS IN OUR LEGISLATIVE PREROGATIVE OR NOT, OVER 20,000 MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS HAD EXERCISED THEIR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT TO EXERCISE THEIR VOTE.

UM, I WANNA RECOGNIZE MY COLLEAGUES' CREATIVITY, UH, IN PUTTING TOGETHER THIS, THIS DISAGREEMENT.

I'LL SAY, WHAT, WHAT IS, TO ME, MY CONCERN IS THAT WE ARE ALLOWING THE GOVERNMENT OF HIGHER JURISDICTION TO FORCE OUR HAND INTO SOMETHING.

THE CONVERSATION STARTED AT $10 MILLION AND HERE WE ARE GIVING THEM THE $10 MILLION THAT THEY WERE PUSHING US FOR.

AND I THINK IT'S A HORRIBLE DAY FOR OUR GOVERNMENT, FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT, WHEN WE ALLOW ANOTHER GOVERNMENT TO PUSH US AND FORCE OUR HAND TO GIVE UP, GIVE UP MONEY, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT LIKE THE DECISION OF, OF OUR GOVERNING BODY AND THAT WE'RE GIVING IT TO THE EXACT AMOUNT THAT THEY WANTED.

THAT TO ME, IS, IS, IS HORRIBLE.

I THINK WE ARE SETTING THE WORST OF PRECEDENTS WITH IT.

WITH THAT, I THINK YOU FOUND A VERY CREATIVE SOLUTION FORWARD, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT DOES NOT IMPOSE ATTACKS ON, ON, ON OUR RESIDENTS AND, AND ON OUR BUSINESSES.

BUT FOR ME, THE WORST PART ABOUT THIS IS THAT TODAY THE MESSAGE IS THAT WE'RE OPEN FOR RETALIATION.

THAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE ACTIONS.

THEY CAME, THEY PUSHED US FOR $10 MILLION AND WE'RE GIVING THEM $10 MILLION.

THAT, OTHERWISE, THAT OTHERWISE 5.6 MILLION OF THAT SURPLUS WOULD'VE COME BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

AND SO, AND SO, TO ME, THAT IS THE TROUBLING, THE VERY TROUBLING PART OF THIS, THAT BECAUSE OF AN ACTION THAT WE TOOK ON THIS DAY, IS THAT REGARDLESS

[01:00:01]

AND THAT WE EXERCISED THEN OUR LEGISLATIVE PREROGATIVE TO SUSPEND THAT VOTE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ELECTION.

AND GRANTED, THE COURTS UPHELD OUR ABILITY TO DO IT, IN PART BECAUSE WE GOT AHEAD OF THE SUPERVISOR OF, OF ELECTION AND PUT OUT A NOTICE THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUT OF RESPECT TO THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTION, IT SHOULD HAVE COME OUT FIRST FROM THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTION.

BUT WE GOT AHEAD OF IT AND WE PUT IT OUT.

AND SO THE CITY, UH, WAS GONNA CREATE MORE CONFUSION.

THE COURT WOULD'VE CREATED MORE CONFUSION IF IT WOULD'VE GRANTED THE, THE, THE INJUNCTION.

AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT THE JUDGE SAID IN, IN HIS, IN HIS RULING.

BUT THAT WE ARE GIVING IN, WE ARE GIVING IN TO THE DEMANDS OF, OF, OF A GOVERNMENT THAT DIDN'T LIKE THE DECISION AND THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM THE EXACT FIGURE THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT THEY WANTED.

UM, THAT FOR ME IS, IS SO CHALLENGING.

I THINK IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A BAD PRECEDENT FOR US TO SET.

AND, UH, AND, AND, AND IT HURTS ME THAT, THAT, THAT OUR ACTIONS HERE IS GOING TO COST OUR TAXPAYERS $5.6 MILLION ULTIMATELY, UH, BECAUSE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN MONEY THAT WOULD'VE GONE BACK TO THE CITY.

AND SO, AND SO YOU HAVE THE VOTES FOR DECIDING TO PASS.

I'LL JOIN YOU BECAUSE I DO THINK YOU'VE USED YOUR, YOUR FINANCIAL GENIUS AND YOU ARE A FINANCIAL WISDOM.

AND IT'S NO WONDER THAT YOU ARE THE CHAIR OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

SO I THANK YOU FOR PUTTING TOGETHER A VERY CREATIVE SOLUTION THAT SAVES OUR COMMUNITY FROM A TAX BURDEN, FROM A, FROM IMPOSING A TAX THAT WOULD INDEED PLACE US AT THE HIGHEST TAX BRACKET, UH, IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY WHEN PEOPLE GO OUT TO EAT.

UM, BUT IT'S, BUT, BUT IT IS AT THE EX.

IT, IT, IT IS, IT IS GIVING IN.

AND THAT, THAT IS WHAT HURTS ME THE MOST ABOUT THIS.

THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTING US RETALIATED AGAINST US.

AND IT'S ULTIMATELY NOT COMING OUT OF OUR POCKETS AS ELECTED OFFICIALS.

IT IS COMING OUT OF THE POCKETS OF THE RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH WHO ARE GOING TO BE DEPRIVED OF $5.6 MILLION BECAUSE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY DID NOT LIKE THE DECISION MADE IN OUR CITY.

AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT ONE PERSON HAS RISEN ABOVE DIS ALL AND IS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MAYOR DANIELA LEVI KAVA, WHO HAS LED WITH THOUGHTFULLY, WITH, WITH HEART, WITH INTEGRITY, TRYING TO FIND BRIDGES FOR SOLUTIONS.

AND SHE NEEDS TO BE COMMENDED PUBLICLY.

BUT I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED BY THE LACK OF THOUGHT AND KINDNESS TOWARDS THE 50 UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE RIPPED OUT OF THEIR SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT AND DROPPED OFF IN OUR CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT NEXT TO A BAR WHEN MANY OF THEM SUFFER FOR FROM ADDICTIONS BECAUSE OF A LEGISLATIVE POLITICAL DECISION USING HUMAN LIVES AS PONDS IS THE LOWEST THAT ANYONE CAN GO, AND NO ONE THAT DOES THAT SHOULD HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING CALLED A PUBLIC SERVANT.

AND SHAME ON THEM, SHAME ON THEM.

THOSE ARE HUMAN LIVES THAT DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT WHEN THEY'RE AT THE LOWEST POINT.

AND FOR ANY PUBLIC SERVANT TO DO THAT, IT'S WRONG.

AND PUT ASIDE THEN COMING AND FORCING OUR HANDS TO GIVE UP OUR TAXPAYERS DOLLARS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE DECISION.

IT'S A PRECEDENT OF UNKINDNESS THAT DOES NOT MERIT PUBLIC OFFICE, AND IT'S SHAMEFUL.

BUT I THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE FOR USING YOUR WISDOM AND YOUR FINANCIAL GENIUS TO GET US TO THIS POINT.

UH, AND YOU'VE GOT THE SUPPORT, AND YOU'LL HAVE MY SUPPORT AS WELL.

COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.

OH, OH, I'M SORRY.

I MEANT, UH, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT IN, UM, WITH THE HOMELESS ITEM.

UM, LIKE YOU, I DID NOT VOTE TO REMOVE IT FROM THE BALLOT 'CAUSE I FELT THAT IT WAS, UH, THE VOTER'S RIGHT TO DECIDE, AND TWO THIRDS OF THE VOTES HAD ALREADY GONE THROUGH.

I DID GO TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION, AS DID YOU, AND SOME OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES.

WHAT I HEARD THAT DAY WAS, UM, $10 MILLION A YEAR.

LIKE THEY REALLY

[01:05:01]

WENT WAY FAR BEYOND WHAT OUR FAIR SHARE WOULD BE.

AND IN, UH, LOOKING AT COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE'S ITEM, AND ALSO IN MY CONVERSATION TODAY WITH MAYOR DANIELLA LEVI KAVA, THAT 10 MILLION IS NOT PER YEAR.

IT'S OVER TIME BASED ON THIS, UM, NEW NEGOTIATION.

SO, UM, THAT PART OF IT I THINK IS BETTER.

UM, AND WHAT IT'S MORE IN LINE WITH OUR FAIR SHARE, BECAUSE HOMELESSNESS IS A REGIONAL ISSUE AND WE DO NEED TO DO OUR PART.

UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE SPEND, UM, AROUND $5.2 MILLION, UH, TO HELP THE HOMELESS.

BUT, UH, TO GIVE MORE MONEY FOR COUNTY BEDS, I THINK IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT.

AND I TOO AM SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM BEFORE WE TAKE THE VOTE.

UM, I, OH, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, ONE LAST THING.

IT DIDN'T STOP IN, IN FACT, IN FACT, IT WAS 10.

THE, THE, THE, THE FEE WAS $10 MILLION FOR THE FIRST YEAR, $20 MILLION FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

AND BASED ON OUR OWN REPRESENTATIVES AT THE COUNTY, EILEEN HIGGINS, SHE WAS SETTING UP US FOR A BLANK CHECK.

OKAY? SHE, SHE WAS SETTING US MIAMI BEACH UP FOR A BLANK CHECK.

JUST THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE.

OUR OWN COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A SITUATION TO ABUSE MIAMI BEACH TAXPAYERS, OKAY? JUST THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND, HOW AWFUL THAT SOUNDS.

AND TO HAVE THE AUDACITY TO SAY THAT WE DON'T CARE.

AND THIS IS ALL ABOUT MONEY.

YES, WE'RE STEWARDS OF TAXPAYER MONEY.

THAT'S OUR JOB.

WE THAT IS LITERALLY WHAT WE HAVE AN OATH FOR, IS TO PROTECT TAXPAYER MONEY.

BUT JUST BE CLEAR, IT WASN'T $10 MILLION.

AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT I THINK THIS PROPOSAL IS, IT, IT BAKES IN A LONG-TERM SOLUTION.

WHAT, WHAT COMMISSIONER EILEEN HIGGINS PROPOSED WAS A $10 MILLION PAYOUT FOR THIS YEAR.

AND THEN WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT AFTER THAT.

AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.

OKAY, , THAT'S, IT WOULD NOT BE GOOD.

SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HONE IN A LONG-TERM SOLUTION THAT IS EQUITABLE FOR EVERYONE.

I THINK OUR OWN CITY MANAGER PUT IT, PUT IT PERFECTLY.

SO, UM, I, I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.

I CERTAINLY DO NOT LIKE TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, ESPECIALLY BY OUR OWN REPRESENTATIVES AT THE HIGHER GOVERNMENT.

UM, BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT HERE THAT'S ON LIFE SUPPORT.

AND, YOU KNOW, GOD FORBID THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN, UH, AND WE DO NOT WANT, WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT TO CUT OFF OUR NOSE TO SPITE OUR FACE.

SO, UM, I CERTAINLY HOPE, AND I, AND I, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST 12 COUNTY COMMISSION COMMISSIONERS ON THERE THAT ARE REASONABLE, FAIR AND BALANCED.

AND, AND, AND WE CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THEY DO THE RIGHT THING.

COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, I'LL REMIND EVERYONE.

I I JUST WANNA MAKE WE HAVE A MOTION ON A SECOND.

SO I TRIED TAKING, UH, A BALLPARK FIGURE OF THAT, UM, NUMBER THAT WE WILL BE SENDING OVER PER ANNUM, UH, SWEETEN THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE PART OF THAT MONEY IS, UH, FROM THE COUNTY.

AND I WANNA MAKE A SECOND MOTION JUST SO THAT WE VOTE ON THESE TWO THINGS SEPARATELY.

A SEPARATE RESOLUTION SAYING THAT A PORTION UP TO 50% BE SPENT ON THE CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY.

15% SPENT ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

THE TAX HAD THESE STIPULATIONS HAD THAT STIPULATION IN IT.

BUT THIS IS NOT A TAX, SO IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT STIPULATION.

SO IT DOES NOT, THE STATE LAW DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS.

SO THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION.

DO I HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? JUST TO BE CLEAR.

IT'S AN URGING.

I SECOND WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO DO ? NO, I'M JUST, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY.

UM, COMMISSIONER, VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ, THANK YOU.

AND, AND JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COMMISSIONER SUAREZ WAS, WAS MENTIONING WAS 10 MILLION AND THEN 10 MILLION AND THEN, AND, AND THEN IT WAS, UH, OUR PORTION OF THE 25 MILLION PARTICIPATION FEE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT JUST ADDS UP.

IT FEELS LIKE IT WAS JUST GETTING CLOSE TO OVER 40 MILLION.

UH, ONCE YOU START ADDING ANYTHING, UH, EVERYTHING TOGETHER, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, YOU KNOW, I, WHERE DID THE 10 MILLION, UH, THROUGH THE MAYOR, WHERE DID THE $10 MILLION FIGURE COME FROM? THE $10 MILLION IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS WILL BE BORN OUT OF THE RDA SURPLUS.

[01:10:01]

SO IF YOU WOULD LOOK AT OUR CONTRIBUTION, WHICH WOULD BE AROUND $4 MILLION PER YEAR, ONCE THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL IS OPEN AND OPERATED, WE GET AROUND THAT NUMBER IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS THAT IS GONNA BE BORN BY THE RDA SURPLUS.

UH, BUT I, I HAD NO PROBLEMS, UH, TURNING THAT $4 MILLION INTO FIVE ONE BECAUSE I HEARD THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY PROPOSED.

AND THEN TWO, BECAUSE A PORTION OF THAT RDA SURPLUS ACTUALLY IS COUNTY FUNDS.

RIGHT? SO ACTUALLY MIAMI BEACH'S SHARE TECHNICALLY WILL BE LESS THAN THAT $4 MILLION.

AND, AND, AND OUR SHARE THAT 56% WOULD OTHERWISE GO BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS OF OUR CITY.

THE CITY'S, THE, THE COUNTY'S PORTION IS 44%, UH, WHICH IS, UH, $4.4 MILLION.

OKAY? THE COUNTY HAS STATED THAT BECAUSE, OR THE, OR NOT THE COUNTY, LET ME JUST REPHRASE.

THE NEGOTIATOR APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAS, HAS STATED THAT BECAUSE OF PULLING THIS QUESTION FROM THE BALLOT, NOW THE COUNTY IS SHORT ABOUT $20 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS IN ITS HOMELESS SERVICES, WHICH I SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE SHAME ON YOU BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU BAKE THAT INTO YOUR PROJECTIONS WHEN THE VOTERS HAD HAD NOT APPROVED IT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WERE COUNTING ON THAT MONEY COMING IN.

SO THAT'S $20 MILLION.

OUR PROPORTIONATE SHARE OF HOMELESSNESS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IS 13%.

MIAMI BEACH HOMELESS POPULATION REPRESENTS 13% OF THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HOMELESS POPULATION.

WHY DON'T WE GIVE THE COUNTY OUR SHARE OF THAT $20 MILLION.

SO 13% OF THAT $20 MILLION, WHICH IS $2.6 MILLION OVER THEIR 4.4 THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO ANYWAYS, WHICH GETS US TO $7 MILLION.

BECAUSE THAT'S A NUMBER I CAN JUSTIFY.

THAT IS A NUMBER THAT I CAN JUSTIFY A REASON BEHIND THAT NUMBER BEFORE THEY THREW OUT $10 MILLION.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE $10 MILLION WAS COMING FROM, HOW WE GOT TO THAT $10 MILLION.

BUT I WANNA KNOW THAT I CAN JUSTIFY WHY I'M GIVING THIS MONEY.

I JUST DON'T WANT TO GIVE 10 MIL $10 MILLION BECAUSE THEY WERE TELLING US TO GIVE THEM $10 MILLION.

THEY'RE ENTITLED TO 4.4 MILLION AS THEIR SHARE, BUT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THEIR $20 MILLION GAP.

BUT WE DON'T NEED TO COVER THAT ENTIRE GAP.

AND OUR PORTION OF HOMELESSNESS IS 13%.

LET'S GET THEM TO 13% OF THE $20 MILLION, WHICH IS 2.6 AND GETS US TO $7 MILLION.

IS THEY HAD NO INTENT OF GIVING US BACK WHAT WAS REIMBURSED BECAUSE THEY WERE CLEARLY COUNTING ON A NET NUMBER OF $10 MILLION.

AND THROUGH THE MAYOR, IF I MAY, UM, I AGREE WITH YOU COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, THAT MIAMI BEACH SHOULD NOT BE ON THE HOOK FOR JUST FILLING THE COUNTY'S BUDGET GAP.

RIGHT.

IF WE WANNA MAKE THIS ABOUT OUR FAIR SHARE, I THINK WE ALL LAID OUT ARGUMENTS THAT WE ARE GOING WELL, WELL ABOVE AND BEYOND OUR FAIR SHARE.

UH, THIS GETS INTO SOME OF THE LEGAL NUANCES AND COMPLEXITIES.

SO MAYBE MR. CITY ATTORNEY, IF YOU CAN HELP ME OUT HERE, THE FIRST TWO YEARS UNTIL THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL IS BUILT IS ACTUALLY BEFORE US FROM THE COUNTY AS PART OF RD TWO AND AMENDING THAT IN ANY WAY WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE COUNTY, WHICH WOULD THEN HAVE TO COME KICK BACK TO THE CITY COMMISSION.

UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IN ESSENCE, IT, IT DOES.

AND NOT TO SAY WE DO THINGS TO SIMPLIFY, UH, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY TIME SENSITIVE DEADLINES WITH GETTING FUNDING IN PLACE.

AND I THINK IF WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY REOPEN RD TWO, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER 20TH, THEY WOULD HAVE TO TALK AND ADOPT WHATEVER WE AMENDED AND THEN IT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO OUR CITY COMMISSION IN DECEMBER.

UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I LAID THIS OUT AS IS, IS TO GREATLY SIMPLIFY THINGS.

SURE.

RIGHT.

AND IF WE WANT TO TAKE THAT OFF THE BACK END, I'M HAPPY WE'VE LAID OUT A TEMPLATE AFTER THOSE TWO YEARS FOR OUR CITY STAFF TO GO AND NEGOTIATE WITH OUR COUNTY STAFF.

AND IF WE WANT TO SAY THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WOULD, UH, UH, GET THAT ON THE BACK END FORGIVEN, I, I'D BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT YOU IN THAT MEASURE.

UH, BUT DOING THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE DEAL ESSENTIALLY MOVES RD TWO FORWARD AND SIMPLIFIES THE MEASURE.

UM, BUT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WE'RE NOT DOING THIS BECAUSE THE COUNTY HAS EXCESS BUDGET GAPS.

AND WHAT THAT REALLY SHOWS US

[01:15:01]

RIGHT.

SO THAT SHOWS US IF THEY HAD THAT BUDGET GAP, 'CAUSE THEY EXPECTED $10 MILLION PER YEAR, WE PROBABLY WEREN'T GOING TO HAVE RON BOOK HOLD UP HIS END OF THE AGREEMENT OF SENDING US OUR $5 MILLION BACK.

BUT IN PASSING THIS AS THE FORM PROPOSED, AND RICK, IF YOU, YOU CAN WEIGH IN, UH, I THINK THIS SIMPLIFIES THINGS AND KEEPS IT ON A TIMELINE THAT REALLY, UH, NUMBER ONE RULE IN, IN FINANCE INVESTMENT BANKING, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT KILLS ALL DEALS IS TIME.

AND THIS SIMPLIFIES THINGS AND GETS THINGS GOING RIGHT AWAY.

SURE.

ACCEPTING THE PROPOSAL BY THE COUNTY AT THEIR, UM, LAST WEDNESDAY MEETING WOULD IN EFFECT, PREVENT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THAT PART OF IT BY THE COUNTY.

UH, WE WOULD BE SIGNING THE AMENDED INTERLOCAL AS PRESENTED BY THE COUNTY.

AND WE WOULD NEED, WE WOULD NEED, ACTUALLY TODAY, WE WOULD, WE WILL NEED VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS.

WE WOULD NEED A RESOLUTION, UH, FROM THE CITY REGARDING ACCEPTING THE INTERLOCAL AS AMENDED FROM THE RDA, ACCEPTING THE INTERLOCAL AS AMENDED, AND THEN SEPARATE RESOLUTIONS FROM THE CITY AND THE RDA TO ADDRESS WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOUR, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE TWO YEARS ARE UP.

UM, AND THE, WE WOULD BE SENDING THAT BACK TO THE COUNTY, AS YOU MENTIONED, WITH DIRECTION TO, TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE COUNTY TO FINALIZE THE TERMS OF, OF, OF THOSE, UH, PROVISIONS.

AND THEN FINALLY THERE'D BE THE RESOLUTION URGING THE COUNTY, UH, THAT YOUR COLLEAGUE COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ PROPOSED.

SO I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT.

IT'S, AND AND IT'S TO THE ATTORNEY.

SORRY.

UM, SO IF WE ADOPT, SO OUR OPTION ONLY OPTION TODAY IS TO ADOPT $10 MILLION WITH, WITHOUT DELAYING THE PROCESS.

BECAUSE DOESN'T THIS HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS? AND WHEN IT GOES BACK TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, CAN'T THEY THE SAME WAY THEY REOPENED THE ITEM AT THEIR LAST MEETING AND THEY KEPT IT OPEN FOR US TO CONSIDER WHAT THEY SENT US, AND THEN THEY WERE GOING TO RATIFY AT THEIR NEXT MEETING.

CAN'T THEY RATIFY SOMETHING AT THEIR NEXT MEETING THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE ADOPT HERE TODAY? EVEN IF IT'S NOT THE SAME EXACT AMOUNT OF THAT THAT THEY SENT OVER? THEY COULD DO THAT OR THEY COULD SAY, OH, SO THEY COULD DO THAT.

THEY WOULD WANT, SO WITHOUT DELAYING THE PROCESS, NO.

IF THEY SAY WE, WE RATIFY, BUT WE WANT FURTHER NEGOTIATION ON CERTAIN POINTS.

LIKE THEY MAY RATIFY PART OF WHAT HE SENT BACK, BUT WANT, UH, COMMISSIONER HIGGINS, WHO WAS A DESIGNATED, UM, NEGOTIATOR TO, TO NEGOTIATE FURTHER.

THAT IS, THAT IS A RISK.

WELL, I MEAN, I MEAN WE RUN THAT RISK TODAY WITH THE ITEM THAT WE DID BEFORE US.

ALSO, MY UNDERSTANDING AT THE LAST COUNTY COMMISSION, THEY SAID THAT IF WE ACCEPTED THIS, THAT PART OF THE DEAL WAS A DUCK DEAL.

WE, WE PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

SECOND, I I I, I REALLY JUST HAVE ISSUES WITH THE PRECEDENTS THAT WE ARE SETTING.

WE ARE SETTING A VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY BAD PRECEDENT.

UM, IT HAPPENED, AND OF COURSE NOW WE HAVE AN ELECTED SHERIFF, BUT IT HAPPENED, THE, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER GOVERNMENT DID NOT LIKE OUR ACTIONS WITH SPRING BREAK.

THEY, THEY AMENDED THE MOU TO, UH, ON, ON MUTUAL AID.

THEY DIDN'T LIKE OUR, OUR ACTION.

AND AGAIN, I DIDN'T AGREE WITH THE ACTION, I VOTED AGAINST IT, BUT, BUT THE MAJORITY PREVAILS.

THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE CITY.

WHAT BECAME THE, THE CITY'S POLICY AS TO REMOVING THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.

AND NOW THEY'RE SENDING US, THEY'RE ASKING FOR THESE MIL 10, $10 MILLION AND WE'RE GIVING IN TO, TO IT.

AND, AND I'M ONE THAT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I TEND TO BE DEFERRING TO THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, BUT I REALLY DO NOT LIKE THIS PRECEDENT THAT WE, THAT WE ARE SETTING HERE.

UM, AND, AND, AND I WOULD URGE US TO CONSIDER A, A DIFFERENT AMOUNT THAT MAKES SENSE THAT THERE'S A REASON BEHIND THE AMOUNT OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THE COUNTY WAS ASKING FOR IT.

UH, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WHATEVER'S LEFT OVER IN THAT RDA DOES ULTIMATELY COME BACK TO OUR CITY'S COFFERS.

UH, AND, AND, AND NO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CALL IT THE RDA.

THAT RDA IS 56% YOUR MONEY AT HOME, THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY.

AND COMMISSIONER, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, UH, ABOUT BEING UNEASY ABOUT THE PRESIDENT BEING SET.

YEAH, WE'LL CALL THE VOTE.

WE HAVE A COUPLE

[01:20:01]

DIFFERENT VOTES.

UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINES, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ, AND THEN THE RDA TWO.

I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR SENTIMENTS.

COMMISSIONER FERNAND, UH, VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ, WHAT'S INTERESTING IS YOU ARE VERY DEFERENTIAL TO THE COUNTY.

UM, YOU OBVIOUSLY SPENT, UH, MANY YEARS, MANY YEARS, UH, AS A PUBLIC SERVANT WORKING IN THE COUNTY.

SO IT'S, IT'S, I I HAVE TO SAY, I I, I'VE, IT'S INTERESTING TO, TO WATCH HOW, UM, YOUR DISAPPOINTMENT, UH, AND THAT'S PROBABLY BEING MILD.

I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA MENTION THE SPRING BREAK AND, AND, AND I, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION THERE, THERE MAY BE A THEME GOING ON HERE THAT WE AS A BODY NEED TO BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF.

WE ULTIMATELY, I THINK WE'RE GONNA MAKE A DECISION TODAY THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO, TO MEET, UH, UH, A COMPROMISE.

BUT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA PUSH BACK.

AND THEN, BY THE WAY, AS FAR, THIS IS, AS FAR AS I'LL GO.

SO, AND AND I, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR ANYBODY ELSE HERE, BUT I THINK THE MESSAGE THAT WE'RE SENDING TO THE COUNTY IS, THIS IS IT.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DONE.

BUT IT IS AMAZING.

WE HAD AN INCREDIBLE SPRING BREAK.

WE PROTECTED PEOPLE.

WE DID NOT HAVE PEOPLE KILLED ON OUR STREETS OR BUSINESSES, RAMPAGED, STAMPEDES.

I MEAN, IT WAS BY EVERY MEASURE FROM ALMOST EVERY BUSINESS RESIDENCE.

AND THE RESPONSE FROM THE COUNTY WAS TO CHANGE THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WHERE WE CANNOT GET COUNTY POLICE OFFICERS WHERE WE EXCHANGE OFFICERS, BUT NOW WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AT A COST FROM ABOUT SPRING BREAK, MEMORIAL DAY, ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.

SO, AND NOW COMES THIS, I MEAN, PART OF ME ACTUALLY WONDERED WHETHER REALLY WHERE THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED ANYWAY, HAD WE NOT PULLED THE ITEM OFF THE BALLOT, WHETHER IT WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHING ELSE.

SO, BUT OBVIOUSLY I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE MEETING A GOOD PLACE.

I'M HOPING THAT THESE ARE JUST ONE-OFFS AND, UM, AND WE WE'RE, AND, AND I THINK WE WILL WORK WELL.

I'M ACTUALLY BEING, I WANT TO END ON A POSITIVE NOTE 'CAUSE I'M ACTUALLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT IT.

BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION THESE ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE HELD HOSTAGE.

WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO BE.

UM, SO, AND, AND I ECHO YOUR SENTIMENTS ABOUT MAYOR KAVA.

SHE'S BEEN AN OUTSTANDING PARTNER TO WORK WITH COMMISSIONER STEINBERG.

AND I THINK MANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, I THINK WE HAVE A COMMISSION IN THE COUNTY THAT WE CAN WORK WITH AND WE WILL WORK WITH.

AND I'M ACTUALLY, I'M ACTUALLY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'RE GONNA FORGE FORWARD.

UM, AND I THINK JUST TO, TO FINALIZE MY COMMENTS, WE'RE GONNA PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE.

WE DO, AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO SO.

WE'RE GONNA WORK WELL WITH THE COUNTY AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE OUR HOMELESS EFFORTS BETWEEN FINDING SHELTER BEDS FOR ANYBODY.

WE ALWAYS HAVE A SHELTER BED FOR ANYONE WHO, WHO NEEDS IT.

WE HELP PEOPLE FIND HOMES.

WE PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION COUNSELING.

WE GO ABOVE AND BEYOND AND WE PAY OUR FAIR SHARE AND MORE THAN OUR FAIR SHARE AND THEN SOME.

BUT THE, BUT I, ONE THING THAT NEEDS TO BE, THAT I JUST WANNA FINISH WITH ON THE, ON, ON THE HOMELESSNESS, 'CAUSE WE GET A LOT OF HEAT FROM CERTAIN SEGMENTS, NOT OUR RESIDENTS, ABOUT ENFORCEMENT LEVELS THAT WE TAKE AGAINST THE HOMELESS.

THERE IS AN ABSOLUTE CRIMINAL ELEMENT AMONGST THE HOMELESS.

THE HOMELESS WHO WANT THE HELP, GET THE HELP.

BUT THERE ARE MANY WHO DO NOT WANT THE HELP OR THEY HAVE ADDICTIONS, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OR, OR ADDICTION ISSUES THAT DON'T ALLOW THEM TO GET THE HELP.

BUT EITHER WAY, WE SEE THE CRIME REPORTS, WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR CITY AND OUR RESIDENTS ARE DEMANDING THAT WE ADDRESS THAT.

AND THAT THEY DO NOT BECOME A VICTIM OF A CRIME FROM A HOMELESS PERSON OR A HOMELESS PERSON BECOMES A VICTIM OF CRIME OF ANOTHER HOMELESS PERSON.

WHICH WE SEE OFTEN.

AND I WILL NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING LAW AND ORDER AND PROTECTING OUR RESIDENTS WHERE WE SEE, AND THE IRONY IS, WHEN YOU SEE CALIFORNIA AND OTHER STATES AND PORTLAND AND NEW YORK CITY, THEY SPEND MORE MONEY ON HOMELESS THAN ANYBODY.

THEY TAX.

THEY KEEP TAXING MORE AND MORE.

BUT YOU NEED THE ENFORCEMENT.

AND I'LL SAY WHAT WE SEE IN SOME OTHER CITIES AND STATES AND ENCAMPMENTS, THE CRIME COMMITTED BY HOMELESS, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN ON MY WATCH.

I DON'T THINK IT, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HERE IS GONNA ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN ON OUR WATCH.

SO WE WILL PROVIDE THE SERVICES, WE WILL PUT IN THE MONEY FOR IT.

AND WE'RE DOING THAT TODAY AS A SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE.

BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA DO THE ENFORCEMENT, WHICH WE HAVE, UH, EXPLICITLY, AND WE CONTINUE TO DIRECT OUR POLICE, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB TO CONTINUE TO DO MORE AND MORE.

LET'S CALL THE VOTE, LET'S CALL THE VOTE ON ITEM R NINE A THROUGH THE MAYOR.

IF I MAY, I WISH TO CLARIFY 'CAUSE THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT MOTIONS SO THAT WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN ORDER THAT, SO THAT WE CAN EXECUTE.

SO WE HAVE A, IT WOULD BE A MOTION, I MEAN THERE WAS

[01:25:01]

ONE MOTION MADE, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOTION.

ONE IS TO ACCEPT THE COUNTY'S PROPOSAL, WHICH INCLUDES AMENDING THE INTER-LOCAL FROM WHAT IT WAS PREVIOUSLY, UH, THE WAY IT WAS PREVIOUSLY WORDED TO ADD THE $10 MILLION PAYMENT TO THE COUNTY.

AND THERE ARE ALSO SOME MODIFICATIONS TO THE GRANT AGREEMENT, UM, INVOLVING THE ANNUAL PAYMENTS AND THE TRANSACTION FEE.

SO THAT WOULD BE A MOTION BY THE CITY.

AND THEN A SEPARATE MOTION, UH, OR A RESOLUTION FOR THE RDA THAT ADDRESSES THE INTERLOCAL.

THEN THERE WILL BE ANOTHER MOTION, ANOTHER RESOLUTION BY THE CITY AND, UH, UH, BY THE RDA DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE COUNTY ON AN INTERLOCAL SEVEN AND OR POSSIBLY AN ADDITIONAL INTERLOCAL THAT DEALS WITH WHAT HAPPENS AFTER 2027.

AND THEN FINALLY WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ'S, UH, URGING RESOLUTION.

OKAY, LET'S TAKE 'EM ONE BY ONE AND HOLD ON.

AND LATER ON, DON'T FORGOTTEN, MR. ATTORNEY, I HAVE A CONSENT ITEM ON THE AGENDA ALSO.

YES, WE'LL DO THAT.

SO WE HAD AN ORIGINAL MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE AND A SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, WHICH ENCOMPASSED ITEM R NINE A AND THAT ENCOMPASSED THE TWO MOTIONS, THE TWO RESOLUTIONS THAT YOU STATED, NOT IN, NOT THE URGING, BUT THE TWO THAT YOU, THAT YOU STATED.

SO ON R NINE A, UH, ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

HEARING NO KNOWS THE HEARING.

NO KNOWS THE ITEM IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.

[R9 B DISCUSS/TAKE ACTION: EARMARK FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE MIAMI CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY.]

I'M NOW GONNA DO ITEM R NINE B, WHICH WAS COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ'S URGING, WHICH IS URGING 50% FOR THE LIFEMAN CENTER.

15% FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, VIOLENCE SHELTERS.

UH, THAT WAS A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER.

UH, IT WASN'T GONZALEZ SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE.

SO 50 PLUS 15.

SO, UH, ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE A AYE AYE.

MOTION PASSES.

SEVEN ZERO THERE.

THOSE ARE THE THREE RESOLUTIONS THAT YOU MENTIONED.

YES.

AND THEN WE NEED TO DO RDA FOR THE FIRST TWO.

SO, SO

[RDA-2. REVISED RDA INTERLOCAL 6TH AMENDMENT AND CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL GRANT AGREEMENT.]

IF WE NOW CAN RECESS AS A COMMISSION MEETING AND RECONVENE AS THE RDA.

I BELIEVE THE ONLY ITEM FOR THE RDA IS NOW RDA TWO.

WELL, RR NINE HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE RDA AS WELL.

SO, BUT YOU WANNA DO R-D-R-D-A TWO NOW YOU CAN DO THAT.

BE APPROVED.

RRDA.

OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA DO THE RDA PORTION, WHICH IS RDA TWO, WHICH IS REVISED RDA INTER LOCAL SIX AMENDMENT AND CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL GRANT AGREEMENT.

YEP.

SO, SO I, WE'RE DOING THE RDA PORTION OF THE INTERLOCAL SIX AMENDMENT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION OR WE COULD HAVE A MOTION.

I MAKE MOTION TO APPROVE.

I SECOND.

SO MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.

UH, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SUAREZ AND RDA TWO.

ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNAL, SAY AYE.

SO I AM ASSUMING COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, THAT YOUR RDA ONE YOU HAVE, UH, WITHDRAWN IT, IT WAS A COMPANION ITEM TO THE OTHER ONE.

RD ONE OR, YEAH.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE WITHDRAWN.

RD EIGHT ONE IS WITHDRAWN.

NOW WE ARE RECONVENING AS THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING AND I BELIEVE THE NEXT ITEM IS R

[R9 E DISCUSS/TAKE ACTION: PROVIDE FUNDING TO MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FOR HOMELESS TRUST AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTERS.]

NINE ITEM.

DISCUSS, TAKE ACTION.

PROVIDE FUNDING TO MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FOR HOMELESS TRUST, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTERS.

THIS IS THE COMPANION, THE CITY COMPANION TO IT.

R NINE, R NINE E, I THINK.

ARE YOU WITHDRAWING THAT? YEAH.

ALREADY PASSED.

YEAH, THAT'S WITHDRAWN.

WE NEED TO CALL C SEVEN A.

SO C SEVEN A IS .

BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT DISCUSSION.

IT WAS A, A GOOD DISCUSSION.

VERY CIVIL DISCUSSION.

AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE FROM THAT PROPOSAL.

YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE ME LOOK GOOD FOR APPOINTING AS THE FINANCE CHAIR, SO

[RDA-1. A RESOLUTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 696-2024 WHICH AUTHORIZED THE MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY TO ENTER INTO A GRANT AGREEMENT WITH MB MIXED USE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS, LLC AND PUBLIC FINANCE AUTHORITY TO FUND A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $92,500,000 TO FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER HEADQUARTER HOTEL. JOINT CITY COMMISSION AND RDA]

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THIS ONE, MR. MAYOR, CAN I ASK ONE CLARIFICATION? SURE.

UM, SO RDA ONE SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT BY MARCH 31ST, 2025, THE AGENCY SHALL PROVIDE THE ENTIRE SURPLUS BALANCE UP TO $10 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM AVAILABLE TRUST FUND BALANCE AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.

THAT IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN R NINE A, WHICH TALKS ABOUT, UM, TWO PAYMENTS OF 5 MILLION EACH IN YEAR ONE AND YEAR TWO.

THOSE ARE NOT ADDITIVE.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT BOTH THE 10 AND THE TWO FIVES.

THE, UH, IF I CAN THROUGH THE CHAIR, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

UH, SO WE WILL AMEND R NINE A TO ESSENTIALLY CONFORM WITH WHAT'S PROPOSED FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS IN RD TWO, RIGHT? AND EARLIER I, I WENT THROUGH, I KNOW IT WAS A LOT, BUT I WENT THROUGH THE FIVE RESOLUTIONS, WHICH INCLUDED ADOPTING THE COUNTY'S PROPOSAL, WHICH INCLUDES THE 10 MILLION BY MARCH 31 AND MODIFICATIONS TO THE GRANT AGREEMENT.

AND THAT NEEDS TO BE APPROVED BY BOTH THE

[01:30:01]

COMMISSION AND THE RDA.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE ADDITIONAL RESOLUTIONS FROM EACH OF THOSE BODIES DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE RDA STAFF TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE COUNTY FOR WHAT HAPPENS POST 2027 BASED ON COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE'S PROPOSAL AS AMENDED TODAY.

SIR, DO WE HAVE TO TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION AS THE CITY? WE HAVE NOT.

I, WE DID, WHAT DID WE, WE, WE DID R NINE A, WE DID R NINE B, R NINE C WAS WITHDRAWN, R NINE E WAS WITHDRAWN, AND RDA ONE WAS WITHDRAWN.

SO WE NEED TO, AS THE CITY ADOPT RDA TWO, SO A COMPANION ITEM ON THE CITY'S BEHALF, WHICH IS REVISED RDA INTO LOCAL SIX AMENDMENT AND CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL GRANT.

BUT THIS TIME AS THE CITY, NOT AS THE RDA IF SO THAT WILL BE AN, UH, IF I CAN HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT, PLEASE.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION.

I SECOND.

SO COMMISSIONER BOT SECONDS IT, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE MAKES A MOTION.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS.

AND IF I COULD BEFORE, UM, THAT DOES INCLUDE THE ABILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, SPECIFICALLY ME TO FINALIZE ANY MATERIAL TERMS RELATED TO THAT.

CORRECT.

THE RESOLUTION WILL BE DRAFTED AS WE TYPICALLY DO THAT WILL ALLOW FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE.

OKAY, SO I HAVE A MO I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE CITY'S, UH, PORTION CITY'S VERSION OF THIS, OF THE RDA AGREEMENT, ALL SAY AYE.

AYE.

SO THAT'S DONE.

[C7 A A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING THE TAX CONTRIBUTIONS OF MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS TO THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HOMELESSNESS TAX, AND URGING COUNTY LEADERSHIP TO ACKNOWLEDGE THESE CONTRIBUTIONS, GIVEN THAT MIAMI BEACH AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY RESIDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO THE TAX WHEN DINING ON THE MAINLAND, DESPITE BEING EXEMPT FROM THE HOMELESS TAX WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF MIAMI BEACH.]

WE HAVE NOT DONE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

ITEM C SEVEN A C SEVEN A, WHICH IS REMIND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MIAMI BEACH RESIDENCE CONTRIBUTIONS TO HOMELESS TAX WHEN DINING BY BY MAYOR FERNANDEZ.

UH, THIS IS AN ITEM I PLACE ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE IN EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN STATED PUBLICLY, WHAT IS LOST IN THE NARRATIVE IS THAT, THAT THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH DO CONTRIBUTE THE 1% TAX WHENEVER THEY EAT OUT IN RESTAURANTS IN CORAL GABLES OR BRICK, OR THEY GO TO MONTARA, ANY OTHER PART OF THIS COUNTY.

OUR RESIDENTS ARE PAYING THIS TAX THE SAME WAY THAT WHENEVER MIAMI-DADE RESIDENTS FROM THE MAINLAND COME OVER TO TO MIAMI BEACH, THEY'RE NOT PAYING THE TAX EITHER.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO AFFIRM THAT BECAUSE I THINK OUR RESIDENTS, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT HAVE BEEN DISRESPECTED.

A NARRATIVE HAS BEEN PLACED OUT THERE.

THE MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE 1% TAX.

NO, OUR RESIDENTS ARE PAYING THE 1% TAX.

THEY'RE PAYING IT THE SAME WAY IN THE MAINLAND THE SAME WAY WHEN MAINLAND RESIDENTS DON'T PAY IT WHEN THEY COME TO MIAMI BEACH.

AND THEY THINK FAIR IS FAIR.

AND OUR, UH, TAXPAYERS, OUR RESIDENTS DO DESERVE THAT, THAT TO BE RECOGNIZED.

AND I DO THINK A PUBLIC APOLOGY IS OWED TO OUR COMMUNITY PS THEY ARE PAYING THAT TAX.

I MOVE MY ITEM, MR. MAYOR, I'LL SECOND CALL A VOTE.

UH, THIS IS ITEM C SEVEN A.

I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, SECONDER BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

MOTION PER PASSES

[R9 D PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.]

SEVEN ZERO.

WE'VE CALLED ALL THE ITEMS. I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO ANY PUBLIC COMMENT TO SEE IF ANYBODY HAS, UH, ALWAYS LIKE TO HEAR FROM OUR RESIDENTS.

SO, UH, I WILL DO THAT.

JUST COME UP TO THE, TO THE PODIUMS AND GO AHEAD THE FLOOR.

AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHILE ALSO RESPECTING THE VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES OF OUR MAINLAND NEIGHBORS.

UM, HI, MR. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SERVICE AND WORK YOU DO.

UM, I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE TO EXPRESS OUR DEEP CONCERN REGARDING THE RECENT ACTIONS THAT WE FEEL HAVE SILENCED OUR VOICES AND DISREGARDED OUR RIGHTS.

VOTING IS ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL LIBERTIES IN OUR DEMOCRACY.

REMOVING A BALLOT INITIATIVE MID ELECTION, ESPECIALLY AFTER MORE THAN 20,000 RESIDENTS HAD ALREADY CASTED THEIR VOTES, REPRESENTS A SERIOUS INJUSTICE.

THIS DECISION NOT ONLY UNDERMINES PUBLIC TRUST, BUT ALSO SETS A TROUBLING PRECEDENT FOR HOW SIMILAR ISSUES MAY BE HANDLED IN THE FUTURE.

THIS DISAPPOINTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY DOES NOT CENTER ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC OF REFERENDUM EIGHT, BUT RATHER ON THE ACT OF REMOVING AN ITEM FROM THE BALLOT AFTER VOTING HAD ALREADY BEGUN.

THIS DECISION HAS GENERATED SIGNIFICANT ANGER AND CONCERN, AS IT SUGGESTS A LACK OF RESPECT FOR OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, AND ERODES CONFIDENCE IN BOTH CURRENT AND IN BOTH CURRENT AND FUTURE COMMISSIONS.

WE EACH, UH, WITH EACH DECISION, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW.

WE HOPE THE COMMISSION ACKNOWLEDGES THE FRUSTRATION THAT MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY FEEL AND TAKES IT TO HEART.

WE URGE YOU TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT ADDRESSES HOMELESSNESS

[01:35:01]

HOMELESSNESS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE COMPLEX ISSUES, BUT ENSURING THAT THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE ARE CENTRAL TO GOVERNMENT AND DECISIONS THAT WE ENTAIL.

SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO, AND WE KNOW YOU'RE DOING YOUR BEST.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I, I, I APOLOGIZE, I GET YOUR NAME.

OH, SORRY.

AMANDA KNAPP, 1200 WEST AVENUE HUMAN RIGHTS CHAIR.

THANK YOU, MS. SNAP.

THANK.

AND I'M GONNA GO NEXT TO ZOOM.

SO WAYNE, PLEASE, UH, STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

I WAS LISTENING INTENTLY TO THE CONVERSATION.

I, AND I GOTTA SAY THAT EVERYBODY'S HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

IT'S, IT'S IN MIAMI BEACH.

IT'S FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

IT'S FOR THE DEVELOPERS.

IT'S FOR THE RESIDENTS, IT'S FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE.

IT'S FOR A LOT OF THINGS.

AND EVERY ONE OF YOU BROUGHT VERY GOOD POINTS.

AND, UM, ULTIMATELY, UM, I WAS SADDENED TO WATCH THE, THE COUNTY COMMISSION AND THE WAY THEY BEHAVED ON OUR BEHALF AS A RESIDENT OF THE COUNTY.

UM, I FELT, UH, BETRAYED, UH, BY EILEEN HIGGINS, LIKE MANY OF YOU SAID.

UH, SHE PAINTED US IN SUCH A, A, A DIABOLICAL WAY, UM, PROBABLY BECAUSE WE BOOED HER OUT OF THE CITY WHEN SHE CAME TO MY BUILDING AND PRESENTED HER A BOONDOGGLE, MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR, UH, PLAN FOR A METRO MOVER.

UH, INSTEAD OF LOOKING TOWARD THE, TOWARDS THE FUTURE AND PUBLIC TRANSIT USING AUTONOMOUS TRAVEL OR ELECTRIC, UH, FERRY SERVICES, SINCE WE'RE ON A WATERWAY, UM, MUCH BETTER SOLUTIONS, CHEAPER, BETTER, FASTER THAN IT CAN CARRY PEOPLE ACROSS THE, THE REGION RATHER THAN ONE STOP ON FIFTH STREET.

UM, PATHETIC IDEA.

AND SHE REPRESENTED SUCH LIES IN DECEIT, IN TERMS OF NUMBERS, UM, THAT IT, IT, IT REALLY DISGUSTED ME.

I DON'T KNOW HOW WE ELECTED HER, BUT I THANK EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR LIKE, TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK, YOU KNOW, REALLY TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK WHEN, UM, OUR REPRESENT REPRESENTATION AT THE COUNTY WAS SO HORRIBLE AND ALLOWED THEM TO GET THEIR WAY.

'CAUSE ULTIMATELY EVERYBODY PAYS, THE COUNTY PAYS, THE CITY PAYS, THE HOMELESS PAYS, UH, AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY PAYS.

YES, BLANCA RELO, 1881 WASHINGTON AVENUE.

FIRST OF ALL, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DEFENDING US AND FOR YOUR PASSION.

ALEX, I NEVER SEEN YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING.

UH, BUT ALSO I JUST WANT TO BRING A LITTLE ISSUE FOR THOSE RESIDENTS THAT WE ARE NOT MULTI MULTIMILLIONAIRES.

UH, BEFORE COVID, WE WERE ABLE TO GO OUT FOR DINNER, YOU KNOW, ONCE, TWICE A WEEK OR MAYBE IN NIGHTCLUB AND WHATEVER.

NOW WITH THE PRICES PLUS ALL THESE TAXES, IT MAKES VERY DIFFICULT FOR US, THE RESIDENTS TO BE GOING OUT FOR DINNER.

SO THE MORE YOU TAX, THE LESS THE RESIDENTS CAN GO OUT.

AND IF WE DON'T GO OUT, WE ARE THE ONES THAT, THAT REALLY KEEP ALIVE THE BUSINESSES.

IT IS NOT JUST THE TOURISTS.

WE ARE THE ONES THAT GO ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WE HOPE THAT THOSE TAXES ON PEOPLE GOING UP BECAUSE WE LIKE TO GO OUT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I'M GONNA GO NOW TO ZOOM AND I'LL BE BACK.

UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS VIRTUALLY IS ELIZABETH LATTON.

MS. LATTON, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

HI, ELIZABETH LATON, UM, 6 5 1 5 COLLINS, I LIVE IN NORTH BEACH AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY .

UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR ADDRESSING THIS SO THOUGHTFULLY AND CAREFULLY.

UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU ALL THAT WE WERE EXEMPTED FROM THIS TAX BECAUSE WE PAY A, A RESORT TAX.

UM, I'M ALSO ECHOING AMANDA KNAPP FOR HAVING OUR VOTE RESCINDED.

WHEN THIS WAS WELL KNOWN, IT WAS ON THE AGENDA BY CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE, UH, COMMISSION SINCE MARCH OF THIS PAST YEAR.

I'M ABSOLUTELY LIVID ABOUT THAT, BUT HERE WE ARE.

AND , WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IF THE PARTIES HAD A WRITTEN AGREEMENT REGARDING, REGARDING THIS MATTER.

NOT, NOT A VERBAL ONE.

YOU CAN'T BUY A HOUSE WITHOUT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT.

SERIOUS NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS REGARDING AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT SHOULD BE IN WRITING ALWAYS.

WHY THE TAXPAYERS NEED TO PAY FOR ALL OF THE HIGH, HIGH, EXCUSE ME, HIGH PRICE GOVERNMENT LAWYERS IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO BUSINESS IN WRITING THIS WHOLE THING.

[01:40:01]

HI Y'ALL, MY NAME IS CARINA SABATA AND MY ADDRESS IS 8 5 5 EUCLID AVENUE.

SO, HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS CARINA, A SOUTH BEACH RESIDENT, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.

MY QUESTIONS FOR THE GROUP ARE MANY INITIATIVES WERE MENTIONED TODAY, SERVICES TO HELP THE HOMELESS.

MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, HOW ARE WE MEASURING SUCCESS FOR ERADICATE ERADICATING HOMELESSNESS IN MIAMI BEACH? MY SECOND QUESTION IS, IS THE CITY PUBLISHING ITS CUMULATIVE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND UPDATING IT MONTH OVER MONTH? AND THEN MY THIRD QUESTION IS, I HEARD THE REFERENCE TO CENSUS DATA AND THE HOMELESS POPULATION DECREASING, BUT IS REAL TIME BY NAME DATA INFORMING THESE DECISIONS AND WHERE IS THAT DATA COMING FROM? SO TO CLARIFY, BY NAME DATA IS A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY TO MEASURE HOMELESSNESS THAN DOING A HEADCOUNT BECAUSE IT INVOLVES UNDERSTANDING HOW AN INDIVIDUAL BECOMES UNHOUSED AND WHAT IS PREVENTING THEM FROM ACCESSING HOUSING.

FINALLY, I KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS AT WEST PALM BEACH HAVE MADE A COMMITMENT TO JOINING THE BUILT FOR ZERO MOVEMENT, WHICH ENSURES HOMELESSNESS WHEN IT HAPPENS IS RARE AND BRIEF.

OVER A HUNDRED CITIES HAVE JOINED THIS COMMITMENT TO ENDING HOMELESSNESS AS MIAMI BEACH BEGINS TO BE KNOWN NATIONALLY.

AS YOU ALL PUT IT IN INHUMANE CITY, I KNOW THAT JOINING THE BUILT FOR ZERO MOVEMENT WILL HELP ELEVATE THE IMAGE OF THE CITY AND MAKE US RESIDENTS PROUD TO LIVE HERE AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OUR NEXT VIRTUAL SPEAKER, SPEAKER IS GAIL DURHAM.

MS. DURHAM, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

HELLO, MY NAME IS GAIL DURHAM.

I LIVE AT 1504 BAY ROAD.

UM, I'M SO PROUD OF MY COMMISSIONED, UH, COMMISSIONERS TODAY.

I'M VERY IMPRESSED BY ALL YOUR INTELLIGENT COMMENTS, UM, THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS.

UM, SO THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIX THIS HORRIBLE SITUATION.

UM, I WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NUMBERS.

WE'RE THROWING OUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

THE HOMELESS TRUST COLLECTS 75 MILLION OR 1700 HOMELESS PEOPLE.

I DON'T KNOW, THAT COMES DOWN $40,000 PER HOMELESS PERSON PER YEAR.

THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT.

UM, SO I'M INTERESTED, UH, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS DWAYNE WAITS.

MY ADDRESS IS 69 44 NORTHEAST, UM, THIRD AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA.

UM, I WANNA SAY TODAY IS A VERY ENLIGHTENING DAY FOR ME TO WITNESS.

UM, WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE WITH THIS COMMISSION.

MOST OF YOU ON THIS COMMISSION SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED ME, UM, IN EIGHT DAYS WITH MARK, SIX MONTHS SINCE YOU GUYS GAVE ME AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PROCLAMATION, UM, FOR THE WORK IN WHICH I DO.

UM, THAT WORK IS HELPING PEOPLE GET THEIR VOTING RIGHTS.

AND SO IT TROUBLED ME SO MUCH TO SEE THAT ON THE 11TH HOUR AS THE MEDIA PUT IT, THAT THIS COMMISSION PRACTICALLY TOOK AWAY THE VOTES OF OVER 20,000 PEOPLE.

IT'S ALSO TROUBLING WHEN IT, WHEN I REALIZED THAT IT IS RELATING TO A BILL IN WHICH I CAME HERE TO THIS CASE, SAME COMMISSION LAST OCTOBER TO SPEAK ABOUT STATING THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS NOT A GREAT SOLUTION, UM, THAT BILL AT THAT TIME, AND THERE SHOULD BE MORE DISCUSSIONS.

UM, IT'S TROUBLING TO THINK THAT MOST OF THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE SINCE AT LEAST JANUARY OF THIS YEAR AND HAD ALMOST NINE MONTHS TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THIS BILL.

SO THIS BILL, THE REFERENDUM, WOULD NOT HAVE MADE IT TO A BALLOT WHICH WAS MAILED OUT ON SEPTEMBER 30TH OF THIS YEAR.

UM, SO I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT PERSONAL.

I DO RESPECT THE DIALOGUE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE AND I APPRECIATE THE UNIQUENESS OF ADDRESSING THE ISSUES THAT IN FRONT OF YOU.

I AM BY NO WAY A POLITICIAN, BUT I AM TROUBLED BECAUSE I SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE WORKING TO HELP PEOPLE GET THEIR VOTING RIGHTS.

AND WE ALL KNOW FOR A FACT THAT ALMOST 20,000 OF THOSE PEOPLE VOTES DID NOT COUNT.

UM, AND SO IT IS TROUBLING TO SEE THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED HERE.

I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

I THINK IT IS MUCH BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL BILL LAST YEAR.

CON, UH, CONSEQUENCES OF A DECISION OF THE COMMISSION.

OUR NEXT VIRTUAL SPEAKER HAS INITIALS OF NBA.

PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE.

HELLO? UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY TODAY THAT IT'S VERY SAD THAT THERE WAS A, I WENT TO VOTE AND I VOTED FOR THIS 1% AND THIS 1%.

NOW THE COMMISSION DECIDED TO TAKE IT OUT.

MY VOICE OVER THEM, UH, IS THE VOICE OF THE COMMISSION IS BIGGER THAN MY VOICE.

SO IT'S VERY SAD THAT WE'RE LIVING IN A, IN A COMMISSION THAT THEY PUSH SO MUCH, THEY BULLY SO MUCH.

AND PLUS THIS IS A CON

[01:45:01]

OF FOUR OF YOU.

AND THEN THE WORST PART IS YOU GUYS CELEBRATE WITH MARIACHIS.

AND THIS IS WHY THE, THE MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION GOT UPSET WITH YOU GUYS BECAUSE YOU GUYS DECIDE TO CELEBRATE AND TAKE THE VOICE OUT OF, OUT OF THE, OUT OF US, OUT OF, AT THE CONSTITUENTS.

SO NEXT TIME, PLEASE FOLLOW WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING.

IT WAS IN THE BALLOT ALREADY.

THE COMMISSIONER SAID HE HAD CO HE HAD MAILS OF THIS, UM, ADVERTISEMENT COMING TO HIS HOUSE.

SO HIM SAYING IN THE COMMISSION OVER THERE, OH, HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT IS BS.

SO NEXT TIME, LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK.

WE ARE IN A DEMOCRATIC STATE.

WE NEED TO LET PEOPLE SPEAK.

IF IT WAS IN THE BALLOT, LET IT BE.

YOUR NAME WAS JOE MANNING, 1460 OCEAN DRIVE.

I'D LIKE TO GET A LITTLE PERSONAL.

I LOVE THIS COUNTRY, AS DID MY FATHER WHO IS AN IMMIGRANT.

I AM A FIRST GENERATION ITALIAN AMERICAN.

WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE RESCINDING OF THE REFERENDUM WAS HORRIFIC.

IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.

THOSE OF YOU WHO DID IT.

WHAT WE HAVE IS THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT RIGHT? I STAND WITH A GENTLEMAN WHO'S JUST SPOKE.

YOU CANNOT DO THAT.

DON'T YOU EVER DO IT AGAIN.

YOU CAN'T.

WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY, WE LOVE OUR RIGHT TO VOTE.

DO NOT EVER DARE TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM US.

NEXT, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.

YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, SIR.

HELLO.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

GOOD EVENING, MS. AUDO.

MR. DOKO, EVERYONE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT MA'AM.

UH, AND FOR THE PREVIOUS CALLER, UM, WE'RE NOT A DEMOCRACY.

WE ARE ACTUALLY A CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLICAN.

SO IN ANY CASE, UM, WE'RE HEARING A LOT.

BUT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE PERSONALLY IMPACTED BY CRIME WITH THE HOMELESS.

THERE ARE ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT I KNOW OF.

MAYBE WE CAN CONFIRM.

THERE ARE ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT I KNOW OF IN THIS ROOM WHO WERE ALMOST KILLED BY A HOMELESS PERSON.

ONE OF THEM IS COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE HELD AT GUNPOINT.

WE ALL KNOW THE SITUATION AND MYSELF ON OCEAN DRIVE WHEN I WORKED AS MANAGER OF THE LOCUST, JUST NORTH OF MANGO.

SO, AND I GET EMOTIONAL THINKING ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FLASHBACK, YOU KNOW, REALIZING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE REALLY MIGHT END YOU RIGHT DOWN ON OCEAN DRIVE OR IN THE GARAGE OR AT THE PARK.

THE REAL LIFE IMPACT, THE LIVED EXPERIENCE IS, UM, UNDENIABLE.

SO, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, MR. BOOK AND, UH, THE BOOK FAMILY, NOTHING AGAINST HIM PERSONALLY.

UM, I DO NOT AGREE WITH, UM, THESE TACTICS.

UH, AND I AGREE WITH THE, UH, MAYOR MINOR.

I DON'T THINK THAT, UH, THE CITY SHOULD BE HELD HOSTAGE.

UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT UH, WE NEED TO USE SOME COMMON SENSE HERE BECAUSE IT IMPACTS REAL LIVES ON THE GROUND.

REAL PEOPLE.

ONE BLACK, ONE WHITE.

THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS ON ZOOM AND NO ONE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE EITHER, MAYOR.