Dec 20, 2024 Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee

CLEAN, UH, CLEAN ZONE, SO A ZONE OF EXCLUSIVITY SIMILAR TO OUR BASEL, SO THEY CAN VET EVENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE, UH, IN THEIR AREA.

AND WE'LL CALL THE FIRST ONE.

YEAH, FIRST ITEM WILL BE OB TWO, DISCUSS THE CREATION OF INCENTIVES TO ESTABLISH MIAMI BEACH AS THE LOCAL HUB FOR WORLD CUP 2026 OB TWO.

SO LET ME TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND, UH, THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE HERE FROM FIFA.

UH, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR.

GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS, LISA ANTE, DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND CULTURE, CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

I'M GONNA PROVIDE A BRIEF RE A BRIEF RECAP REGARDING THIS ITEM THAT IS DETAILED IN THE MEMO BEFORE YOU REGARDING INCENTIVES FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP.

UH, THIS ITEM WAS LAST HEARD AT COMMITTEE ON NOVEMBER 8TH, UH, WHERE THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THE STAFF GO BACK AND NEGOTIATE WITH THE FIFA WORLD CUP HOST COMMITTEE, UH, SPONSORSHIP AND INCENTIVES.

UH, BEFORE YOU, UM, I'M GONNA SHARE REALLY QUICKLY WHAT WE DISCUSSED AND REQUESTED.

UH, THE SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE GLOBAL EXPOSURE FOR THE CITY WITH INCLUSION IN FIFA WORLD CUP PROMOTIONAL AND BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES.

A FEATURE IN FIFA'S OFFICIAL KNOW BEFORE YOU GO CITIES GUIDE, THE CITY'S GUIDE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO SOUTH FLORIDA RESIDENTS WITH OVER 700,000 VISIT VISITORS DESIGNATION OF THE OFFICIAL AND EXCLUSIVE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 MEDIA ROW IN LOOMIS PARK, WHERE THE HOST COMMITTEE WILL SEND MEDIA TO.

THIS IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A CREDENTIAL.

MEDIA ATTENDANCE IS ESTIMATED TO FROM 5,000 TO 20,000 WITH EARLY NUMBERS IN 2026.

PUBLIC BENEFITS FOR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS INCLUDE DESIGNATING MIAMI BEACH AS AN OFFICIAL FIFA WORLD CUP WATCH PARTY LOCATION.

TARGET AREA IS NORTH BEACH WHERE PEOPLE CAN VIEW THE OPENING MATCH, FINAL MATCH, AND ALL MATCHES TAKING PLACE AT THEIR HARD ROCK STADIUM.

THIS WILL BE FREE TO THE PUBLIC.

THE HOST COMMITTEE WILL PRODUCE A KICKOFF CONCERT WITH TOP NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL TALENT ON THE INAUGURAL WEEKEND OF THE FIRST WORLD CUP GAME PLAYED IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.

THE CONCERT WILL BE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND TAKE PLACE IN THE LOOMIS PARK BEACH FRONT.

A DESIGNATED AMOUNT OF, UH, RESIDENT FRONT ROW AREA SEATING WILL BE PROVIDED AND A LEGACY PROJECT.

SO THE HOST COMMITTEE WILL WORK TO LEVERAGE FUNDRAISING AND SPONSORSHIP EFFORTS TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE SPACES FOR YOUTH AND PROMOTE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN SPORTS.

THE HOST COMMUNITY'S FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE LEGACY PROJECT WILL BE BASED AND CON CONTINGENT ON ITS FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY.

THE CITY'S PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED THREE POSSIBLE PROJECTS, UH, IN NORTH AND MID BEACH.

UH, THERE'S CURRENTLY A HOLE TO BOOK THE MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER, HOWEVER, THERE'S NO OFFICIAL ASK FOR THE USE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.

UH, THE HOST COMMITTEE MAY WANNA OPERATE A TICKETING CENTER THERE, UH, OR A MEDIA WORKING CENTER TO CONDUCT PRESS CONFERENCES WHEN OR TO SET UP DESKS PENDING AVAILABILITY.

UH, LASTLY IS CITY SPONSORSHIP REQUESTS IS WHAT INCLUDES EVENT SANCTIONING.

SO THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO A FIFA WORLD CUP

[00:05:01]

AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO, UH, AMBUSH MARKETING IN THE CLEAN ZONE.

UM, THAT CLEAN ZONE IS DETAILED IN THE MEMO BEFORE YOU WAIVER OF SPECIAL EVENT FEES, UH, SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES AND CITY, UM, POLICE DEPARTMENT, OFF-DUTY ADMINISTRATIVE FEES, FIRE DEPARTMENT, OFF-DUTY ADMINISTRATIVE FEES, AND BEACH CONCESSION FEES, SPONSORSHIP OF CITY SERVICES.

SO IN KIND SERVICES FOR UP TO $500,000.

AND THIS INCLUDES MIAMI BEACH FIRE, PD, SANITATION, AND ANY EVENT RELATED CITY SERVICES.

AND A CASH SPONSORSHIP AND AN AMOUNT OF 1.5 MILLION IN SPONSORSHIP FUNDING.

IT'S PROPOSED AT 50%, 7 50, 700 50,000 BE PROVIDED IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, AND THE REMAINING 50%, THE 750,000 BE BUDGETED AND APPROPRIATED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET CYCLE.

AND LASTLY, A WAIVER ARE, ARE POURING RIGHTS.

WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH PEPSICO, AND SO THIS WOULD, UH, THEY'RE REQUESTING A WAIVER OF PEPSICO AS COCA-COLA IS ONE OF THEIR MAJOR SPONSORS.

UM, AGAIN, TODAY WE HAVE OUR TENTATIVES FROM THE WORLD CUP, UH, HOST COMMITTEE.

WE HAVE, UH, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, RAY MARTINEZ, AND EVENT PRODUCER RANDY FREEMAN TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, LIZETTE.

UM, THE ONE THAT CAUGHT MY EYE, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS EVEN FALLS INTO OUR HANDS, BUT IS THE SPONSORSHIP WAIVER, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, MR. CITY ATTORNEY CAN OPINE ON THAT.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS A LEGISLATIVE ISSUE THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD TAKE UP? THE QUESTION? UM, SO PART OF WHAT, UH, THE COMMITTEE IS REQUESTING, IF I UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY, UH, GIVEN OUR DEAL, THEY WANTED A SPONSORSHIP WAIVER, UH, FOR PEPSI.

UM, WE, WE DO HAVE FOUR WAIVERS PER YEAR.

MM-HMM .

AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, MS. ANTE HAS ALREADY STARTED THE PROCESS TO ALLOW THEM TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE.

THAT'S CORRECT.

SO WHAT WE'D BE LOOKING AT HERE IS A $500,000 IN KIND CONTRIBUTION AND A $1.5 MILLION CASH CONTRIBUTION.

UH, I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES.

I KNOW WHAT I'D BE LOOKING FOR, PROBABLY MORE FROM STAFF VERSUS THE, THE SPONSORSHIP TEAM.

BUT CERTAINLY IF PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE SPONSORS, UH, FEEL FREE TO, UM, ENGAGE WITH THEM.

BUT KIND OF WHAT OUR PREVIOUS HISTORY IS FOR THINGS LIKE THE SUPER BOWL, THE ORANGE BOWL, UH, VARIOUS EVENTS, UH, IF WE COULD QUANTIFY WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING I'D BE INTERESTED IN, UH, TO ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, GAUGE WHERE WE'RE AT FOR THIS EVENT VERSUS, UH, WHAT OUR OPPORTUNITIES HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.

I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES, UM, FOR WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO TAKE THE DISCUSSION.

MELISSA BRAIER, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS.

WELL, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ OR BOB, SO, UM, THANK YOU.

I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND IT'S VERY EXCITING.

UM, I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO HEAR, UM, FROM OUR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS FOLKS, SORRY MELISSA, TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.

UM, BUT AS A, UM, AS A VALUE, YOU KNOW, SUPER BOWL IS A WEEK, A WEEKEND, YOU KNOW, 10 DAYS, WHATEVER YOU WANNA STRETCH THAT OUT TO THIS IS OVER SEVEN WEEKS.

COULD YOU OPINE ON THE VALUE OF THE MEDIA, UM, THE UNEARNED MEDIA? UM, SURE.

UM, GOOD MORNING.

UH, FIFA IS HOW MANY WEEKS? 7, 7 7 7 WEEKS, 33 DAYS.

MM-HMM .

33 DAYS.

WE HAVE SEVEN GAMES IN MIAMI.

I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLE.

AND SO IF WE WANTED TO, SO I THINK IN TERMS OF THE VALUE, SORRY, JUST THE VALUE, I, I DO THINK THAT IT'S A, A FAIR VALUE.

UM, SO IF WE WANTED TO BUY THIS KIND OF MEDIA EXPOSURE, WOULD WE BE PAYING MORE THAN $2 MILLION? MUCH MORE BALLPARK.

I WOULD NEED TO SEE, I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.

SORRY.

'CAUSE THIS ISN'T MY ITEM, BUT IT WOULD BE, UH, MULTIMILLIONS.

A SLOWER MONTH FOR TOURISM AND WHATNOT, WHERE THE SUPER BOWL IS IN FEBRUARY DURING PEAK TIME.

UM, AND FOR THE, UM, FOR THE FIFA FOLKS, OOH, THAT'S FUN TO SAY.

I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO SAY FIFA FOLKS 10 TIMES.

QUICKLY, , UM, IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE IN HOW MIAMI BEACH IS PRESENTED? IS THERE, UM, ABSOLUTELY.

WE CAN SHAPE THE NARRATIVE A LITTLE BIT TO ABSOLUTELY SHINE THE BEST POSSIBLE LIGHT ON WHAT WE OFFER HERE? YES.

AND, AND, AND THANK YOU RAY MARTINEZ.

I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR THE, UH, FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 MIAMI HOST COMMITTEE.

IT'S A LONG, UH, NAME THERE, BUT, UH, YOU CAN JUST SAY FIFA HOST .

UH, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT THAT PARTNERSHIP.

WE WON'T WANT THAT, YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK FOR WHAT MIAMI BEACH WANTS TO DO.

YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO COME IN AND TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.

IT'S TRULY A PARTNERSHIP, UH, OF WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT, WHAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO AS THE EVENT COMES NEAR.

UH, WE ALL REMEMBER HOW GREAT THAT WAS, ESPECIALLY HERE FOR MIAMI BEACH.

YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENCE IS, UH, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THIS IS OVER A 33 DAY PERIOD.

UH, OUR MATCHES THAT ARE GONNA BE HELD HERE, IT'S ALSO IN JUNE AND JULY, WHICH IS TYPICALLY

[00:10:01]

SO THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, VERY DISTINCT ADDED VALUE TO THAT.

UM, IN, IN LIGHT OF THAT ALSO WITH SOCCER AND WHAT WE'RE LEARNING, YOU KNOW, AS A NEW SOCCER FAN, MYSELF, LEARNING THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL TRAVEL HERE JUST TO BE IN THE HOST CITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE A TICKET TO THE MATCH, YOU KNOW, SO THEY WANT TO BE PART OF THE EXCITEMENT.

THAT'S WHY THE VIEWING PARTIES ARE SO IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY AT THE FAN FEST, BUT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITIES.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA WORK TOGETHER WITH, UH, MIAMI BEACH ON THAT AS WELL.

SO, TH THAT'S A GREAT SEGUE.

SO MY LAST QUESTION, THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE BAN SHELL IS A, AS A LOCATION FOR VIEWING PARTIES AND MAYBE EVEN EXTENSION SCREEN ON, UH, NORMANDY FOUNTAIN, UM, IS GREAT.

WE'VE SEEN HOW SUCCESSFUL, UH, UH, IT IS WITH THE HU ENORMOUS AND ENTHUSIASTIC AND REALLY HAPPY CROWDS THAT SHOW UP.

UM, HOWEVER, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO FLOOD INTO THAT AREA.

AND I KNOW WE'RE DOING ALL KINDS OF WAIVERS OF CAUSE OF POLICING AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE SEVEN SCREENINGS, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT ENDS UP BEING, UM, IN THAT AREA THAT'S GOING TO BE SEVEN PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CROWD CONTROL POLICE EXPENDITURES AND, AND, UM, MAYBE CHIEF ACOSTA MIGHT BE ABLE TO, UM, SHARE SOME INSIGHT ON THAT.

SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT AS WELL, BUT I GUESS TODAY IS POP QUIZ DAY, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE IT IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS DON'T GO AWRY.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE JOYOUS IN THEIR CELEBRATIONS CLIMBING ON LIGHT POLE POSTS AND GETTING HURT AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

UM, OR PEOPLE WHO WERE DISTRAUGHT AND TAKING IT OUT ON PARKED CARS.

SO, I MEAN, IT'S NOT PHILADELPHIA, SO WE SHOULD BE OKAY.

BUT, UM, GOOD MORNING, MA'AM.

GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, DEPUTY CHIEF PAUL ACOS ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT POP QUIZ.

UM, SOMETIMES IN SCHOOL, I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE TEACHER, SO I DIDN'T HEAR THE QUESTION IN ITS ENTIRELY .

UM, I MUST ADMIT, SO IF YOU CAN RESTATE IT FOR, FOR, YEAH, SO THE, THE CONVERSATION WAS HOW GREAT IT IS TO HAVE THESE VIEWING PARTIES UP IN NORTH BEACH.

WE'VE HAD IT BEFORE THE BAN, SHELL POSSIBLY AN EXTENSION AT THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN WITHIN THE ANCILLARY SCREEN, BUT THE COST OF, OF POLICING THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE LEAVES IN THE SAME SHAPE THAT THEY GOT THERE, BASICALLY.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ARE NOT, UH, CAPABLE OF DOING AND PROVIDING AS A DEPARTMENT.

UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO ALLOCATE IN ADVANCE, UM, UM, UH, BUDGET TO CARVE OUT FOR FIFA, WHICH WE DO PLAN ON DOING, BECAUSE CITYWIDE WE DO EXPECT AN INFLUX OF MORE, UM, PEOPLE TO OUR CITY IN 2025 AND 2026 AS A RESULT OF THE GAME.

SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE ENOUGH AND SUFFICIENT STAFFING FOR IT, BUT IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN'T HANDLE.

I, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU CAN HANDLE IT.

THAT'S NOT THE CONCERN.

THE CONCERN IS, UM, IS IT GOING TO BE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE IN KIND DONATIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING FOR POLICE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY? LIKE I GUESS THAT'S A QUESTION THAT YOU GUYS WILL HAVE TO YEAH.

GET TO AS WE GET TO OUR BUDGET PROCESS AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, IS THE $500,000 SPREAD ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS GOING TO COVER WHAT WE'RE WE WOULD NEED FOR SEVEN DIFFERENT GAMES, UM, IN NORTH BEACH? AND IF NOT, HOW MUCH MORE IS THAT? AND BECAUSE THAT SHOULD BE A CONSIDERATION SET AS WELL.

I, I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND, AND PERFORM THAT ANALYSIS AND UNDERSTANDING, ROUGHLY SPEAKING, UM, AND NON-BINDING, WHAT WOULD THAT COST BE FOR ONE GAME IF YOU WERE DOING IT LIKE, LIKE WHEN ARGENTINA WAS RIGHT? I WOULD THINK SOMEWHERE PERHAPS AROUND, UH, $25,000.

I THINK IF WE HAD PROVIDE SUFFICIENT STAFFING, IF WE'RE DOING BOTH AREAS, BOTH WATCH PARTIES UP IN THE NORTH.

SO IT'S NOT INSIGNIFICANT.

IT'S NOT.

COULD I JUST, COULD I JUST ADD COMMISSIONER RICK WILLIAMS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER? UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS MUCH LEAD TIME, AND THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE PLANNING PROCESS WITH MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS, INCLUDING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, CITY OF MIAMI AND OTHERS, WE EXPECT TO BE PARTNERING WITH OTHER AGENCIES TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE OKAY.

OUR, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMPONENT, UM, DOWN PAT FOR THAT TIME PERIOD.

SO JUST KNOW THAT IT WON'T JUST BE MIAMI BEACH THAT'S ACTIVATED AT THIS TIME, BUT OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, SO WE DO EXPECT TO PARTNER MADAM CITY MANAGER IS CORRECT.

OF MARCH OR ALTOGETHER? ACTUALLY, I'M GONNA ASK RICHARD M. HILL OUR BUDGET OFFICER ON THAT.

IF I, IF I MAY ADD ALSO IS, 'CAUSE THEY ASK IS AS A MAX IS AN UP TO 500,000.

SO FROM A BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE, THAT WOULD BE OUR NUMBER, I GUESS THEORETICALLY AS YOU, I THINK IF YOU WERE ASKING IF THERE WERE COSTS BEYOND THAT, UM, THE ASK IS ONLY UP TO THE HALF A MILLION, SO, OKAY.

I, WELL, I, I DON'T WANNA BE SPENDING MORE THAN HALF A MILLION IF WE DON'T HAVE TO, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANNA HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU KNOW, COMPROMISE IN ANYWAY.

'CAUSE PEOPLE GET EXCITED ABOUT THEIR FOOTBALL.

COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

AND I JUST WANT TO ASK, UH, OUR CFO TRADITIONALLY, OTHER, OTHER LARGE EVENTS, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN IN OUR CITY, LET'S SAY THE MONTH OF MARCH DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, HOW MUCH DO WE SPEND ON PUBLIC SAFETY DURING THE MONTH

[00:15:01]

I KNOW WE BUDGET YEAH, DURING SPRING BREAK.

UM, IF YOU CAN COME UP IN HOW MUCH? OVER 2 MILLION.

UH, SO A LITTLE OVER 2 MILLION.

OVER OVER $2 MILLION.

AND, AND I JUST THINK ABOUT THAT.

WE SPENT $2 MILLION THERE, UH, ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE NEGATIVE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS IN OUR ECONOMY, WHATEVER INVESTMENT WE MAKE, UH, IN IN FIFA 2026 WILL BE SUCH A GREAT RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT BECAUSE LET'S, LET'S JUST, YOU KNOW, GET IT RIGHT.

THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST WASHED SPORTING EVENT IN THE WORLD, AND IT'S NOT JUST ANY OTHER SPORTING ACTIVITY.

FIFA, IT SURPASSES THE SUPER BOWL, IT SURPASSES THE OLYMPICS.

IT SURPASSES FORMULA ONE, AND WITH A COMBINED AUDIENCE CONNECTING BILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE, UH, PEOPLE THAT, THAT TRANSCEND BORDERS, IT TRANSCENDS LANGUAGES, IT TRANSCENDS SOCIAL ECONOMIC BARRIERS.

SO THIS IS JUST SO SPECTACULAR AND IT ALIGNS WITH THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY THAT, UH, THAT, THAT WE WANT TO BE.

AND, AND NOT ONLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OVER $500 MILLION IS GOING TO, THAT'S GOING TO GENERATE, UM, IN OUR, IN OUR REGION.

I THINK I READ IT WAS, OR THIS MAY, MAY HAVE SAYS ABOUT 600,000 VISITORS FOR IN, IN THE, IN THE AREA.

AND, AND ACTUALLY THE, THE, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT NUMBER IS, IS MORE LIKE 1.3 BILLION.

UH, IF YOU GO BACK TO SUPER BOWL OF 2020, UH, WE DID AN E ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY AS PART OF THAT, AND IT WAS 572 MILLION.

UH, FIFA DID A PRELIMINARY, UH, ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR MIAMI-DADE, YOU KNOW, FOR GREATER MIAMI.

AND, UH, THEY CAME BACK WITH A NUMBER 1.3 BILLION.

I THINK THAT'S PERSONALLY LOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2020 WITH THE SUPER BOWL.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT THEY, THEY HAVE PUT OUT THERE.

AND SO, AND, AND, AND NOT ONLY THAT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS.

IT'S ABOUT ENHANCING OUR GLOBAL PROFILE, UH, AS A CITY BOOSTING OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY AND, UH, POSITIONING OUR CITY AS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS.

SO IN ADDITION TO, I, I THINK THERE IS THE WORLD CLASS SOCCER FIELDS, UH, THAT, UM, THAT I, I READ SOMEWHERE THAT, UH, THAT'S PART OF AN INVESTMENT THAT'S BEING MADE HIGH QUALITY SOCCER FIELDS.

YOU SURE THAT'S THE LEGACY PROJECT? MM-HMM .

AND THAT'S CONTINGENT ON THE HOST COMMITTEE'S FUNDRAISING EFFORTS.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.

BUT THAT WOULD MEAN MORE ACCESSIBLE RECREATIONAL SPACES ABSOLUTELY.

THAT ARE GONNA BE AVAILABLE FOR OUR YOUTH AS PART OF THE LEGACY OF THIS PROJECT.

SO THERE'S SO MUCH RETURN FOR MIAMI BEACH THAT EVEN IF THE PUBLIC SAFETY INVESTMENT EXCEEDS THE 500,000, THE RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT, IT'S SO MUCH GREATER, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU FOR SPONSORING THIS ITEM.

THIS IS, THIS IS A WISE, UH, USE OF OUR DOLLARS.

AND AT THE RIGHT TIME, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION ON YOUR ITEM.

I, I, THIS IS ALL OF OUR ITEMS. UH, THIS IS SEVEN, SIX COMMISSIONERS AND A MAYOR OF CITY STAFF AND AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT IS GOING TO BE HAND IN HAND WELCOMING, FIFA, WELCOMING ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC EVENTS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO, UH, THIS IS TRULY A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT I'M EXCITED TO EMBARK UPON WITH ALL OF US.

UH, COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.

NOTHING.

I JUST WANT TO, UM, EMPHASIZE WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID BY SAYING THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS THAT'S EVER COME TO SOUTH FLORIDA HOSTING THESE SEVEN GAMES.

I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE THE MAYHEM AND PANDEMONIUM THAT IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE THAT ENTIRE MONTH, RIGHT.

OF GAMES.

UM, UH, SO I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT IT.

UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY I KNOW YOU GUYS WILL BE SUPER SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET AT LEAST ONE SOCCER FIELD, UM, OUT OF THIS.

AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE BENEFITS PACKAGE AND HOSTING THE OCEAN DRIVE.

I THINK IT'S JUST GONNA BE A TREMENDOUS, UH, GOOD PR FOR ALL OF US.

SO CONGRATULATIONS.

UH, THE 25 MILLION, UH, IN KIND AND A 3 MILLION LEGACY.

AND, AND BEFORE WE CLOSE THIS OUT, JUST TO GET ON THE RECORD, UH, YOU KNOW, MIAMI BEACH LAKE, SO MANY EVENTS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S TAKING PLACE AT THE BROADER COUNTY LEVEL, WILL REALLY BE THE EPICENTER FOR THIS, WHETHER IT BE FOR EVENTS FROM THE TV BROADCAST OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, BUT IF THE FIFA TEAM COULD QUANTIFY, UH, YOU'RE ASKING FOR A MILLION AND A HALF CASH CONTRIBUTION, WHAT IS THE COUNTY STEPPING UP IN THEIR, THEIR EFFORTS? SO WE CAN ESSENTIALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, GAUGE THAT.

SO WE HAD AN INITIAL ASK WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY OF 21 MILLION CASH, ALONG WITH 25 MILLION IN KIND AND A $3 MILLION, UH, LEGACY CONTRIBUTION.

UM, THEY MADE AN ADJUSTMENT AT THE BOARD AND, UH, AND APPROVED THE 10 AND A HALF MILLION.

THEY CUT THE 21 AND A HALF, UH, 10 AND A HALF MILLION CASH,

[00:20:01]

THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR THE REMAINING, OR THE, THE, UH, 10 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT, UH, WAS REDUCED IN, IN THE, UH, INITIAL LEGISLATION, CITY OF MIAMI.

AND, AND, UH, COURTESY OF MY COLLEAGUE, COMMISSIONER BOT, THE CITY OF MIAMI.

I KNOW WE DISCUSSED THIS EARLIER, BUT JUST TO PUT ON THE RECORD, YES.

WE HAVE AN ASK INTO THE CITY OF MIAMI FOR $5 MILLION CASH AND $10 MILLION IN KIND AS WELL, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, THE USE OF BAYFRONT PARK, UH, FOR THE FAN FEST.

AND MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY PLEASE, YEAH.

AND, AND I JUST WANT TO REITERATE, MEDIA ROW MEDIA ROW IS GONNA BE IN OUR CITY, IS THAT RIGHT? WELL, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FIFA OFFICIAL MEDIA CENTER IS ACTUALLY IN DALLAS.

UM, SO THE, THE, THE MEDIA CENTER FOR THE FIFA, ALL OF THE 16 MATCHES IS ACTUALLY IN DALLAS, UH, BECAUSE THEY NEEDED A CONVENTION CENTER SPACE FOR NINE MONTHS TIME AND SOMETHING THAT MOST CITIES COULD NOT COMMIT TO, BUT DALLAS DID.

UM, BUT WE ARE GETTING INQUIRIES AND ARE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR MEDIA TO COME INTO, YOU KNOW, MIAMI, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN, IN WHAT'S GOING ON IN MIAMI.

AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE WILL BE PUSHING TO MIAMI BEACH.

AND TO, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, SO WE WILL HAVE THE OFFICIAL AND EXCLUSIVE MEDIA ROW WHERE THE MIAMI HOST COMMITTEE WILL BE FUNNELING ALL OF THE MEDIA OUTLETS TO LOOMIS PARK, RIGHT.

WITH OUR OCEAN DRIVE BACKGROUND.

AND SO, WHICH IS LIKE WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH THE SUPER BOWL, THE, LIKE, I REMEMBER FOX SPORTS, LIKE I REMEMBER FOX SPORTS CONSTANTLY.

YOU HAD THE A DECO BUILDINGS AND OCEAN DRIVE, YOU KNOW, ON THE, ON THE NETWORKS.

AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS LIKE THAT.

BUT INSTEAD OF JUST NATIONALLY, THIS WOULD BE INTERNATIONAL, CORRECT.

UH, DISSEMINATION.

AND WHILE WE KNOW THAT SOME MEDIA OUTLETS WILL OCCUPY SOME SPACE AT THE STADIUM, WHICH IS A, A NATURAL OCCURRENCE BECAUSE THE GAMES ARE HAPPENING THERE, OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF MEDIA VISIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE EXCLUSIVITY OFFERED BY MEDIA ROW.

WELL, MR. CHAIR, UH, AT THE RIGHT TIME, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO, TO SEND THIS ITEM BACK TO THE CITY COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO DIRECT THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 MIAMI ON THE TERMS, UH, AS PRESENTED, UH, WITH THE HOST COMMITTEE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE RIGHT TIME .

THE SECOND WAS ME, MR. OKAY, ALL.

AYE.

JOE PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

TIMES SURGEON FOR, UH, MB THREE.

OH, EXCELLENT.

UH, LOOK FORWARD TO THIS.

UM, LET'S GO TO OUR NEXT TIME.

SURGEON.

UH, WE HAVE, UH, 10 45

[NB 3. DISCUSS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ESTABLISHING AS THE POLICY OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH THAT MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS MEDICINE AND NOT AN ILLICIT RECREATIONAL DRUG; THAT EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY WHO ARE PRESCRIBED MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY A PROPERLY LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA LAW SHALL BE PERMITTED TO USE THIS PROPERLY PRESCRIBED MEDICATION DURING NONWORKING HOURS AND SUFFICIENTLY IN ADVANCE OF ANY SCHEDULED WORK SHIFT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE EMPLOYEE IS NOT IMPAIRED BY THE USE OF THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA WHILE ON THE JOB; AND DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO DRAFT AND PROMULGATE WRITTEN DIRECTIVES EFFECTUATING THIS CITY POLICY.]

UH, THANK YOU.

UH, MB THREE IS DISCUSSED THE RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMIA BEACH, FLORIDA, ESTABLISHING AS THE POLICY OF THE CITY OF MIAMIA BEACH, THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS A MEDICINE AND NOT AN ILLICIT RECREATIONAL DRUG THAT EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY, THAT WHO ARE PRESCRIBED MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY A PROPERLY LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA LAW, SHALL BE PERMITTED TO USE THIS PROPERLY PRESCRIBED MEDICATION DURING NON-WORKING HOURS, AND SUFFICIENTLY IN ADVANCE OF ANY SCHEDULED WORK SHIFT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE EMPLOYEE IS NOT IMPAIRED BY THE USE OF THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA WHILE ON THE JOB AND DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO DRAFT AND ATE WRITTEN DIRECTIVES EFFECTUATING THE CITY POLICY MB THREE.

COMMISSIONER GON OKAY, SO THIS, LET'S FACE IT, IT'S A CONTROVERSIAL ITEM, ALTHOUGH WE ARE DESIGNATED A DRUG FEED WORKPLACE, UM, MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS, UH, LEGAL AND SEEN AS A PRESCRIBED MEDICINE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

UM, WHEN WE DRUG TEST, THERE ARE CERTAIN DRUGS LIKE XANAX THAT WE DO NOT TEST FOR.

OR WE ACTUALLY, OR DIFFERENT PAIN MEDICATIONS.

WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO RESPOND NOW OR AT THE END OF YOUR COMMENTS? THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER MARLA LP, OUR CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, UM, TO THE COM, UH, THROUGH THE CHAIR.

THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS ALL OF THOSE DRUGS THAT ARE SCHEDULED DRUGS, UM, UNDER FEDERAL SCHEDULES ARE TESTED FOR, LET'S SAY I TEST POSITIVE FOR, UM, ADDERALL, WHICH IS ON THE SCHEDULED LIST, SCHEDULE THREE, I WOULD THEN SHOW THE MEDICAL OFFICER PROVIDING MY TEST WITH MY PRESCRIPTION, AND I WOULD NOT BE A POSITIVE.

I WOULD JUST BE, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT CAME UP ON THE DRUG TEST, I WOULD NOT TEST POSITIVE BECAUSE I WOULD BE USING MY PRESCRIPTION AS REQUIRED.

OR ANY OF THESE OTHER DRUGS.

SO THEN WE WOULD ADD, UM, MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO THIS.

IF YOU WERE TESTED FOR IT AND YOU HAD A PRESCRIPTION FOR IT, THEN IT WOULD BE TREATED LIKE ADDERALL

[00:25:01]

SO, TO THE, TO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT'S A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE THE PRESCRIPTION, IT'S NOT, IT'S A UNDER FEDERAL, UM, SCHEDULES.

IT'S A SCHEDULE ONE DRUG.

IT'S, IT IS NOT A SCHEDULE THREE DRUG.

AND SO, UM, IT IS NOT LEGAL UNDER FEDERAL LAW LIKE IT'S LEGAL UNDER STATE LAW.

SO IT'S, WE'RE IN AN INTERSECTION OF DIFFICULT CONFLICT BETWEEN STATE AND FEDERAL LAW.

WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL MOVE MARIJUANA.

THEY'RE STUDYING, MOVING IT TO A SCHEDULE THREE DRUG.

WHAT WILL BE TREATED LIKE OTHER CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.

RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, IF YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND YOU HAVE A PRESCRIPTION FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA, GIVEN THAT IT IS LEGAL IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, HOW ARE THEY TREATING EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE STATE? VERY CAREFULLY LIKE WE ARE.

UM, WHEN A PERSON, UH, UNDER ALL LAWS FEDERAL AND STATE, WHEN A PERSON HAS A MEDICAL DISABILITY OR, UM, A DISABILITY OR A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT MIGHT IMPACT THEIR, UM, CORE FUNCTIONS OF THEIR JOB, AND THEY SAY TO YOU AS, UH, UH, AN EMPLOYER, I WOULD REQUEST A, UM, UH, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION SO THAT I MAY USE THIS MEDICINE FOR MY HEALTH CONDITION.

YOU HAVE TO TREAT THOSE WITH INDIVIDUAL CASES.

YOU SEE WHAT WE CAN REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE OR NOT.

AND WE HAVE DONE THAT WITH SO FAR IN THE HISTORY OF, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, TWO EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARDS WHERE WE SAY, IS THIS REASONABLE OR NOT REASONABLE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN ACCOMMODATION IN THE CASE OF AN EMPLOYEE THAT THEORETICALLY IS NOT A SAFETY SENSITIVE, UM, POSITION IS, YOU KNOW, SAY YOU HAVE A DESK JOB, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, WE CAN REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE, UM, YOUR, UH, YOUR USE AND NOT, YOU KNOW, DING YOU AS A POSITIVE, UH, UNDERNEATH OUR LABOR AGREEMENTS.

UM, IN THE CASE OF A PERSON THAT'S IN A SAFETY SENSITIVE POSITION, WE WOULD NEED TO BE, UM, THINKING THROUGH WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT EMPLOYEE.

MAYBE A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION IS LEAVE, MAYBE A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION IS A LIGHT DUTY POSITION THAT DOESN'T HAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, DRIVING A CITY VEHICLE OR, AND THIS WOULD BE ANY DRUG, NOT JUST MARIJUANA.

IT, IT MIGHT BE A PAINKILLER THAT A PERSON MIGHT NEED TO TAKE.

UM, THESE ARE INDIVIDUALIZED CONVERSATIONS BASED ON THAT INDIVIDUAL PERSON'S MEDICAL NEEDS.

SO, AND YOU DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY STIGMATIZATION COMING TO YOU AND SAYING, HEY, I HAVE A MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO AVOID.

I DON'T WANT THAT PERSON TO HAVE TO BE SINGLED OUT TO COME TO YOU TO GET A MEDICINE THAT IS LEGAL UNDER THE STATE OF FLORIDA, LIKE MANY OTHER PRESCRIPTIONS.

YOU KNOW? AND, AND I ALSO, I'D LIKE TO TRY TO FIND A WAY THAT THIS BODY RECOGNIZES MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN A COMPASSIONATE WAY WITHOUT STIGMATIZING ANYONE.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, AMAZON, MICROSOFT META, GOOGLE, NETFLIX, NONE OF THEM DRUG TEST ANYMORE.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE RANDOM DRUG TESTING POLICIES.

I DON'T THINK IT'S GREAT FOR EMPLOYEE MORALE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NECESSARY, I SUPPOSE IF YOU'RE OPERATING HEAVY MACHINERY.

ALTHOUGH I, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE SUPERVISORS AND THAT'S WHAT THE SUPERVISOR IS FOR.

YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY SHOWS UP INTOXICATED, YOU KNOW, THEN OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM.

SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION I THOUGHT THAT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA WAS GOING TO PASS AT THE BALLOT.

I LOOKED HERE, YOU KNOW, OVERWHELMINGLY 60 70% IN OUR PRECINCTS HAVE PASSED MEDICAL MARIJUANA PASSED BY LIKE BETWEEN 70 AND 80% ACROSS MIAMI BEACH AND EVERY SINGLE PRECINCT.

SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT GOING TO FOLLOW, I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO SAY BEFORE I MOVE IT FORWARD, FORWARD WITH A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE RECOMMENDATION.

ONE THING I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE OF, UM, TRYING TO RECALL WHERE THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL THINGS LIED IN.

DID WE EVER CLOSE, UH, OUT ESSENTIALLY THE GRANT, UM, THING THAT CAME UP? BECAUSE I THINK THE TWO THINGS THAT I AM MOST FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THIS, HOWEVER, IF THIS WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL OR ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE GRANTS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO APPLY TO.

UM, AND THEN ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE LEGALITY, I'D CERTAINLY LIKE LEGAL TO, UH, WEIGH IN ON WHAT SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS ARE ABOUT THIS.

IT'S NOT THAT I HAVE A PERSONAL OR MORAL OR SOMEHOW MORAL HIGHER GROUND AUTHORITY ON THIS.

I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE PERHAPS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR BROADER CITY, UH, AND ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE.

WE KIND OF DID A DEEP DIVE INTO THAT.

WE FOUND THAT IT'S MINIMAL.

SO WITH THE, I THINK, LET ME START BY SAYING, THE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CONCEPT IS TIED TO THE GRANT FUNDING.

[00:30:02]

SO THE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CONCEPT IS MEANT AND IS WRITTEN AS LAW, FEDERAL LAW TO BE A, UM, COMPASSIONATE APPROACH TO ASSISTING EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE, UM, POSSIBLE, UH, JUST, JUST BECAUSE YOU USE A SUBSTANCE DOESN'T MEAN YOU NECESSARILY HAVE AN ADDICTION OR ANYTHING.

BUT THE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE ORIGINALLY WAS A COMPASSIONATE LEGISLATION TO SAY, IF YOU'RE A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE, YOU CAN TEST YOUR EMPLOYEES FOR SAFETY PURPOSES AND PROVIDE TO THEM THE COUNSELING AND THE MEDICAL CARE THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO AVOID ADDICTION.

AND SO WE DO APPROACH OUR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE POLICY, WHICH IS TIED TO OUR FEDERAL GRANTS THROUGH THE COMPASSIONATE APPROACH.

IF YOU HAVE AN ADDICTION, WE TRY TO HELP YOU FIND, UM, UH, THE RIGHT CARE.

BUT THAT WASN'T THE QUE IF WE HAD, WE HAD, WE LOOKED AT IT AND THERE WERE NO GRANTS.

WE DID NOT LOSE OUT ON ONE PENNY OF GRANT FUNDING.

WE ARE STILL A DRUG FREE WORK.

WE'RE ZERO, WE'RE STILL A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.

AND SO WE SIGN AND AUTHORIZED IN OUR FEDERAL GRANT FORMS THAT WE ARE A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.

THE ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT RECOMMEND THAT WE STOP BEING A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE AS A STATUS OF A, UH, IT'S A DESIGNATION.

WE SUGGEST THAT WE CONTINUE TO SIGN OUR FEDERAL GRANT FORMS, THAT WE ARE A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR FEDERAL FUNDING.

AND THERE ARE, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GRANTS TIED TO THAT FEDERAL FUNDING.

THE, THE SMALL NUMBER THAT YOU'RE REMEMBERING IS THE AMOUNT OF A DISCOUNT THAT WE WOULD STOP GETTING FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA FOR OUR WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROGRAM IF WE WERE NOT A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.

SO IF WE WERE NOT A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE, THERE IS A DISCOUNT BECAUSE WE ARE A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE, AND WE WOULD STOP RECEIVING THAT $30,000 A YEAR DISCOUNT ON OUR WORKERS' COMPENSATION, UM, INSURANCE THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

SO WE STAND TO LOSE, UM, FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES IF WE WERE NOT A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.

AND WE STAND TO LOSE A SMALL DISCOUNT FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA ON WORKERS' COMPENSATION INSURANCE, UH, PAYMENTS THAT WE MUST MAKE IF WE WERE NOT A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.

SO THIS ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT RECOMMEND STOPPING THAT DESIGNATION.

SO THAT $30,000 IS, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD.

THAT'S THE ENTIRE AMOUNT.

SO, OR IS THAT LIKE PER POLICY? FEDERAL GRANTS, WE APPLY FOR VARIOUS FEDERAL GRANTS EVERY YEAR, AND WE ARE CERTIFYING THAT WE ARE DRUG FREE WORKERS.

QUANTIFY THAT.

UM, THAT'S MILLIONS.

I MEAN, IT'S A LOT IN THE CASE OF JUSTICE THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR IF WE WERE NOT A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.

THAT'S NOT TRUE.

WE JUST WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CERTIFY THAT WE WERE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF SOME GRANTS.

WAIT, IN THE CASE OF THE DISCOUNT THAT IS JUST, I'M, I'M SORRY IF WE COULD RUN BACK THROUGH THAT AGAIN.

SO WE ARE RIGHT NOW A FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED DRUG FREE WORKPLACE, WHICH ALLOWS US TO APPLY FOR GRANTS IF I, I'M SORRY.

IF WE CAN ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE.

WE'RE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT ALLOWS US TO APPLY FOR GRANTS IF WE WOULD TAKE ACTION THAT WOULD DEEM US NOT TO BE A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.

THERE ARE SPECIFIC GRANTS WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR.

AND IF THAT IS CORRECT, IF WE COULD QUANTIFY THE AMOUNT.

CAN I JUST CLARIFY? NO, I'M SORRY.

IF WE, I WANNA ANSWER THE QUESTION.

NO, I'M SORRY.

I DIDN'T ASK YOU THE QUESTION.

YOU CAN APPLY.

JUST DON'T CERTIFY.

I DIDN'T ASK YOU THE QUESTION, MARLA.

SO THIS IS NOBODY INTERRUPTS YOU.

I I THINK THAT I'M ASKING HER A QUESTION TO SAY, I'M GONNA SAY WHAT THE COMMISSIONER WANTS ME TO SAY IN THE, IN THE, IN THE FACT THAT WE THINK THAT WE CAN, UM, HAVE A POLICY.

WE, WE CAN'T THROW OUT OUR DRUG TESTING, BUT WE CAN HAVE A POLICY THAT, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT MAINTAINS OUR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE AND STILL ALLOWS US TO MAKE ALLOWANCES FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

AND THAT IS SORT OF LIKE A THREADING A NEEDLE.

JUST BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT YOUR DESIRE OR TO DO OR NOT DO A MEDICAL MARIJUANA POLICY DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN WE HAVE TO THROW OUT THE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE PIECE.

IT JUST MAKES IT REALLY COMPLEX TO THREAD THIS NEEDLE.

AND SO THE, ALL OF THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN PROVIDED WITH, OR THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN PROVIDED WITH ABOUT WHETHER OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DOING, ABOUT HOW THE LAWS ARE UNFOLDING AS WE SPEAK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT COME WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAKING CHANGES.

IT'S, IT'S REALLY A DYNAMIC AND COMPLEX TOPIC RIGHT NOW.

AND IF WE STAY ON THIS PATH OF TRYING TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH POLICY, IT IS COMPLEX.

IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY, AND IT IS GONNA BE A LOT OF NEEDLE THREADING, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO THROW OUT THE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE DESIGNATION.

COMMISSIONER

[00:35:01]

ROSE GONZALEZ.

I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU, UH, REAL QUICK BEFORE I DO.

THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'D HAVE MY SUPPORT FOR, IS IF WE'RE ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY THREAD A NEEDLE WHERE WE'RE MAKING ACCOMMODATIONS, BUT STILL MAINTAINING THE STATUS AS A DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE.

I'LL KICK IT OVER TO YOU TO WHERE YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS.

UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK WE COULD STILL, I MEAN, IF IT WAS UP TO ME, I WOULD GET RID OF THIS WHOLE RANDOM SPOOKY TESTING THING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

I MEAN, I WORK AT MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE.

NONE OF US ARE RANDOMLY DRUG TESTED.

I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT M-D-C-P-S, UH, I WAS A TEACHER THERE.

I KNOW THAT THEY DON'T DO THAT EITHER.

UM, I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW THE BIG FIVE.

YOU KNOW, THE MICROSOFT, APPLE, AMAZON, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT DRUG TESTING.

WE ALL KNOW THAT NANCY AND RONALD REAGAN CREATED THIS JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS POLICY.

AND IT WAS JUST A BIG BOOGEYMAN.

IF SOMEBODY'S NOT PERFORMING THEIR JOB CORRECTLY, THEY'RE, IT'S GOING TO BE NOTICEABLE TO THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE INTOXICATED.

THAT SAID, AND AND BY THE WAY, IF WE WERE NOT A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE, WE COULD STILL APPLY FOR THOSE FEDERAL GRANTS AND GET THE FUNDING AT THE END OF THE FORUM.

YOU JUST SAY, WE'RE NOT A DRUG FREE WORK, JUST THE WHOLE STATE OF COLORADO.

THEY'RE NOT GONNA SAY TO ALL COLORADO AND CALIFORNIA, YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY FEDERAL GRANT MONEY BECAUSE DRUGS ARE LEGAL IN YOUR STATE.

SO ACROSS THE NATION, THERE IS A, A MOVEMENT, YOU KNOW, UH, AGAINST THIS, IT'S KIND OF AN ENLIGHTENED COMPASSION MOVEMENT.

ANYWAY, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO SUPPORT MY MYRA'S SUGGESTION, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU WANT US TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW FOR PRESCRIPTION MEDICAL MARIJUANA, I JUST WORRY ABOUT THE STIGMATIZATION EMBEDDED IN ALL OF IT.

IF THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA GET, FINE.

IF THAT'S WHAT THREADING THE NEEDLE MEANS, UM, IT'S A START.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CHANGES THIS AT SOME POINT, I GUESS WE CAN MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.

UM, SO JUST COLLEAGUES, JUST A QUESTION TO OUR ATTORNEYS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT, THAT WE AS AN EMPLOYER CAN FACE IF AN EMPLOYEE CAUSES HARM OR DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF ANY CHANGE OF POLICY THAT WE ENACT? HI, ROB ALD, UH, DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY.

UM, SO ARE YOU, SPEAKING OF, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEBODY CAME TO WORK HIGH AND GOT INTO A CRASH, AND THEN WE HAVE LIABILITY.

ANY, ANY, ANY DAMAGE.

AND THE ANSWER, THE ANSWER IS, WE, WE ARE LIABLE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES' ACTIONS.

NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO.

THEY'RE, THEY, WE ARE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED VICARIOUS LIABILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

SO IF AN EMPLOYEE GETS INTO A CAR CRASH, WE ARE LIABLE FOR IT IF THEY'RE DOING IT WITHIN THE COURSE AND SCOPE OF THEIR DUTIES.

UM, IS THERE MORE OF A RISK THAT SOMEBODY COULD SHOW UP TO WORK HIGH AND BE DRIVING AND CRASH? I SUPPOSE THERE IS SOME INCREMENTAL, UH, RISK, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE RISK THAT SOMEBODY COULD SHOW UP TO WORK TO DRUNK.

SOMEONE COULD SHOW UP ON SOME OTHER DRUG.

THAT WHAT THE WORK DRUG FREE WORKPLACE AND FLORIDA LAW REQUIRES IS THAT YOU NOT USE MARIJUANA WHILE YOU ARE AT THE WORKPLACE AND YOU NOT SHOW UP TO WORK HIGH.

UH, AND SO, UH, WE DON'T, WHILE THERE ALWAYS IS SOME RISK AND ANYONE YOU CAN SUE FOR ANYTHING, WE DON'T CONSIDER IT TO BE A PROHIBITIVE RISK.

AND SO I JUST WONDER ALSO, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR INSURANCE PREMIUMS, OUR INSURANCE PREMIUMS ARE, ARE BASED ON THE POLICIES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE.

AND I JUST WONDER, HAVE WE STUDIED WHAT COULD BE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT TO OUR CITY'S INSURANCE PREMIUMS? UH, IF, IF OUR DRUG TESTING POLICIES ARE SEEN AS INSUFFICIENT OR CHANGED, YOU KNOW, DO WE RUN THE RISK OF, OF THOSE COSTS GOING UP? KEEP IN MIND, WE ONLY HAVE, UH, INSURANCE FOR, UH, OVERAGE COVERAGE ON WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS. EVERY OTHER FORM OF INSURANCE THAT WE WOULD PAY CLAIMS ON THE CITY ITSELF INSURED, WE DON'T PAY FOR INSURANCE.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIAL RATE.

WE, WE JUST PAY THE CLAIMS OUT OF THE CITY'S FUNDS.

UH, AND WE'VE DEEMED THAT FINANCIALLY BENEFICIAL TO DO SO.

VERY FEW SITUATIONS DO WE HAVE SOME SMALL AREA WHERE WE HAVE A PRIVATE OUTSIDE INSURANCE COMPANY, AND ONE OF THOSE IS FOR, UH, UH, WORKERS' COMP CLAIMS, I BELIEVE OVER $2 MILLION.

AND ONE OR TWO, I DON'T REMEMBER THE SECOND.

AND, UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT 30% COMES IN.

BUT I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT IT IS NOT AT ALL CLEAR, AND I THINK IT'S TRENDING THE OTHER WAY.

UM, JUST LAST WEEK THERE WAS A TRIAL COURT DECISION.

IT'S IN, OUT OF HILLSBORO COUNTY.

UH, IT WAS, IT IS JUST A TRIAL COURT.

SO IT'S NOT BINDING ON US.

WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON APPEAL AND SEE IF THAT GETS, UH, UPHELD ON APPEAL.

BUT THAT TRIAL COURT HELD

[00:40:01]

BUT IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD, THE CITY MUST, BUT MR. ATTORNEY, I, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO KEEP IN CONSIDERATION THAT WHILE TESTS FOR ALCOHOL AND PERMIT, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE WELL, WELL ESTABLISHED, UH, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED OR RELIABLE TASK TO DETERMINE WHETHER MARIJUANA, UH, IMPAIRMENT ACTIVELY EXISTS IN AN EMPLOYEE.

AND SO, AND SO, WHILE I GET WHAT THE COURTS HAVE RULED AND, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT RULING, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHETHER SOMEONE IN THE WORKPLACE IS IMPAIRED OR NOT? WELL, WE DO HAVE TRAINING PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY FOR POLICE OFFICERS, FOR, UH, DETECTING DRUG IMPAIRMENTS, EVEN THOUGH IF SOMEBODY IS NOT, UH, LIKE ISN'T GONNA TAKE A BLOW TEST AND TEST POSITIVE FOR ALCOHOL.

SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE.

UH, MARLA HAS INFORMATION ABOUT TESTING THAT IS EITHER ALREADY DONE OR IS IT IN THE VERY NEAR PIPELINE, UH, THAT WE, THAT WE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO? THE ONE THING I WOULD POINT OUT ABOUT THIS CASE OUT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WAS, UH, IT, IT WAS A VERY, IT WAS A 25 PAGE DECISION, AND THE EMPLOYEE WHO WANTED TO USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA WAS A PARAMEDIC DRIVING A FIRETRUCK.

AND THE COURT SAID YOU HAD THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAD TO ALLOW THEM TO USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

NOW AGAIN, ONLY A TRIAL COURT DECISION MAY BE APPEALED.

WE'RE NOT SURE.

UH, WE GENERALLY ONLY TAKE RULES OF PRECEDENCE FROM APPELLATE COURT DECISIONS.

SO THIS ONE HAS A LITTLE WAYS TO GO.

BUT THE DEARTH OF CASE LAW THAT WE HAVE SO FAR ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE MAKES THE, THE EXISTENCE OF THIS ONE TRIAL COURT DECISION, PARTICULARLY, UH, UH, NOTEWORTHY.

'CAUSE THERE ISN'T MUCH LAW AT ALL ON THIS.

I, YOU KNOW, I I I REALLY BELIEVE THAT MY COLLEAGUE IS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT FOR EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY DULY LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND IN WAYS THAT COMPLY WITH THE FLORIDA LAW.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THAT EMPLOYEES CAN USE IT OUTSIDE OF THEIR WORK SHIFTS.

UH, SO THAT, SO THAT THEY'RE, SO THAT THEY'RE NOT FEELING THE EFFECTS OF IT.

UH, WHILE, WHILE, WHILE THEY'RE WORKING, I JUST GET VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.

SO THE MOTION THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED, I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND IT, RIGHT? IT WOULD ALLOW IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE WOULDN'T CHANGE OUR POLICY, BUT IT WOULD BE TO THE, ON THE HANDS OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO ALLOW IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

IS THAT WHAT'S BEFORE US NOW? SO WHEN I REFER TO A CASE BY CASE BASIS, I'M REFERRING TO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, UM, WHAT IS PROPOSED BY RESOLUTION BY, UM, COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ.

UM, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPEAK TO WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO CHANGE OUR POLICIES.

WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CHANGES WOULD BE NEEDED THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH.

ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THIS NEW TESTING THAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE IS EVERYONE IS SAYING, OH, THIS NEW TESTING LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE MORE BENEFICIAL.

IT'S, IT'S NOT MEASURING A 30 DAY EXPOSURE TO A DRUG, IT'S MEASURING A MUCH MORE NARROW WINDOW.

IT'S MUCH CLOSER TO THE CONCEPT OF IMPAIRMENT.

WE CAN'T, WE HAVE HAD, WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH HAVING A PROVIDER BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US THE, UH, DRUG SHEETS ABOUT THE, THE, THE, LIKE THE, THE SHEETS, THE SPEC SHEETS ABOUT THE TESTING AND TO PROVIDE TO US THE PRICING THAT WE CAN TAKE TO PROCUREMENT.

LIKE IT'S SO NEW THAT WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH GETTING THE ANSWERS THAT WE NEED ON THE NEW TESTING.

IT'S COMING, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET THERE.

WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

ON THE CASE OF, UM, THE OTHER THING THAT IS A, A COMPLICATION IN THREADING A NEEDLE IS EVEN IF WE SAY, UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF A POLICY APPROACH THAT THE COMMISSION DECIDES WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE IN A RESOLUTION, UM, THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN'T WAIVE.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE HAVE A-A-A-C-D-L LICENSE, AND THAT IS, UM, THAT WHOLE LICENSE IS, UM, REGULATED BY THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, YOU CANNOT USE ANY MARIJUANA AND HAVE A CDL LICENSE.

AND SOME OF OUR JOBS REQUIRE A CDL LICENSE.

AND SO, SO I HAVE A QUESTION.

YOU CAN'T AVOID THOSE KINDS OF JOB BY JOB, UH, NOT ONLY MEDICAL CONDITION BY MEDICAL SPREAD SPREADING THE NEEDLE, AND WE'LL LEAVE IT TO STAFF TO, YOU KNOW, QUANTIFY AND QUALIFY WHAT EXACTLY THAT IS.

RIGHT? I JUST DON'T WANNA REPRESENT THAT.

I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP ON THAT BECAUSE ONCE, LET'S SAY THIS RESOLUTION, ONCE THIS RESOLUTION IS APPROVED, THE OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY WILL NATURALLY

[00:45:01]

FALL TO THE CITY MANAGER, TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO IMPLEMENT IT.

AND SO I GET VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE COMPLEXITIES OF THIS, OF THIS ISSUE, INCLUDING THE COMPLIANCE, AS WE'VE STATED HERE WITH FEDERAL AND WITH STATE LAWS, UH, AND ENSURING THAT OUR CITY'S OPERATIONAL NEEDS ARE MET.

CAN'T WE PROPOSE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, GIVE THE CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY JUST TO DETERMINE WHAT THIS POLICY SHOULD BE? UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE I, I KNOW AT TIMES, UM, AT TIMES MARIJUANA IS PRESCRIBED TO, TO CANCER PATIENTS AND MAY, AND AT TIMES IT'S PRESCRIBED TO PATIENTS, UH, HIV AND AIDS AND, AND OTHER ILLNESSES.

I DON'T WANNA POLITICIZE SOMETHING THAT IS SO SENSITIVE TO THE HEALTH OF, OF, OF OUR WORKFORCE WHO DESERVES EVERY CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE, UH, IN THEIR TREATMENT AND IN, AND IN AND IN THEIR, YOU KNOW, RECUPERATION.

UM, BUT ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER TELL THE CITY MANAGER, MR. MANAGER, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE, WHO ARE FACING, YOU KNOW, GRAVE, YOU KNOW, ILLNESSES, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE DEALING WITH A CERTAIN STAGE OF CANCER, THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY NEED THIS MEDICATION THAT, THAT THE CITY MANAGER BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

BUT I DON'T WANNA HAVE EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, HANDLING CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS IN THE CITY WHO WE CAN'T REALLY VERIFY WHETHER THEY'RE INEBRIATED OR NOT AT THE TIME OF THAT TRANSACTION OR, OR, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, HANDLING OTHER TYPES OF, OF ISSUES.

SO I, YOU KNOW, I I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY TO DO THAT.

YEAH, MR. ATTORNEY.

WELL, THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT IS, I, I DISCUSSED THIS MOST, THIS VERY RECENT CASE, WHICH WAS VERY FAR REACHING AND WENT TOWARDS ALLOWING MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR EVERYONE, EVEN FIRETRUCK DRIVERS.

UM, I WOULD'VE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.

I'M SORRY.

I WOULD NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.

I CAN SUPPORT THAT.

WELL, IF THAT BECAME THE LAW, WE'D TO FOLLOW IT.

BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT AT THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO FOLLOW IT.

BUT I ONLY POINT OUT THE DEARTH OF CASE LAW AND INTERPRETATION ON ANY OF THESE LEAVES YOU THE FREEDOM RIGHT NOW TO DO WHAT YOU WANT.

UH, IF, IF YOU JUST WANT TO ALLOW THE CITY COMMISSION TO, AND, AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO DO WHAT IT'S DOING IN A CASE BY CASE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION BASIS, UH, UH, YOU CAN DO THAT.

UH, YOU COULD BE, YOU COULD ASK FOR SOMETHING MORE RESTRICTIVE AND SAY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.

THERE AREN'T ANY CASES SAYING YOU CAN'T DO THAT BESIDES THIS ONE TRIAL COURT DECISION THAT JUST CAME OUT.

SO IT'S VERY MUCH ALL OF A POLICY CALL RIGHT NOW, JUST KEEPING IN MIND THAT AS THESE NEW CASES START ROLLING OUT AND THEN APPELLATE COURTS START RULING ON IT, IT WILL CLARIFY ITSELF SOME MORE AND YOU MAY HAVE TO ADJUST WHAT IT WAS YOU WANTED TO DO.

SO YOU CAN BE, YOU CAN BE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE AND DO WHAT THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WHAT, UH, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING, YOU CAN DO SOMETHING MORE AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS ALLOWING IT.

AS COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ WANTS TO DO, YOU COULD DO SOMETHING LESS, RESTRICT, UH, MORE RESTRICTIVE AND NOT ALLOW IT IN A LOT OF SITUATIONS IF YOU WANTED AND STILL GET AWAY WITH IT.

NOW, KEEPING IN MIND THAT AS THE CASE ALL DEVELOPS, YOU MAY HAVE TO PROBABLY TWEAK WHAT YOU DO.

COMMISSIONER AL AND COMMISSIONER BOT.

AS SIMPLE AS, EXCEPT FOR CDL DRIVERS UNDER TO, HAS TO MEET REQUIREMENTS UNDER FEDERAL LAW.

I JUST WANTED DEFINE BEFORE, I JUST WANTED DEFINE BEFORE COMMISSIONER BOT SPEAKS.

SO WHAT THIS IS IS EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH YES.

WHO HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY A DUALLY LICENSED MEDIC AND COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE FLORIDA LAWS AND REGULATIONS SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO USE SUCH PROPERTY, PROPERLY PRESCRIBED MEDICATION, UH, DURING NON-WORKING HOURS.

THAT IS THE POLICY THAT WE WOULD BE PASSING.

AND MARLEY, DOES THAT THREAD THE NEEDLE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ESSENTIALLY WHAT MARLA WAS SAYING IS TO MAINTAIN OUR STATUS AS A DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE, WE CAN MAKE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS WITHOUT JUST OPENING THE DOOR AND WAVING IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

AND THAT ESSENTIALLY THREADS THE NEEDLE OF MAINTAINING THAT DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE MONIKER, UH, WHILE STILL MAKING ABOVE AND BEYOND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS.

AM I PHRASING THAT CORRECTLY? SO I BELIEVE THAT WHAT THE COMMISSIONER IS PROPOSING IN THE RESOLUTION IS MORE OF A, UM, IS NOT SO MUCH GIVING THE ADMINISTRATION AS MUCH INDIVIDUAL CASE BY CASE BASIS BECAUSE HER RESOLUTION DOESN'T SAY EVEN SOMETHING

[00:50:01]

AND EXCEPT FOR, UM, POSSIBLE SAFETY SENSITIVE, UH, SO POSITION, THERE'S THE BEST WAY.

THIS IS A MUCH MORE BROAD, UM, POLICY THAT IS PROPOSED THAT, UM, SO, SO MAYBE PART OF THE MOTION COULD BE, AND THEN COMMISSIONER BOT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, BUT WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS PART OF THE MOTION, UH, MAYBE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ IS HAVE STAFF COME BACK AND PUT SOME EXCLUSIONS FOR THE TYPE OF SENSITIVE POSITIONS THAT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BE BROUGHT UNDER THIS UMBRELLA THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO FOR A, A ONE-OFF CASE BY CASE BASIS COMMISSIONER.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE AS I FORGET WHO SAID IT, BUT AT, AT THE VANGUARD OF THIS CHANGING DYNAMIC ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND IF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NOT NOTED FOR ITS WILDLY PROGRESSIVE VIEWS ON ANYTHING, UM, IS RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS A, A CHANGE THAT'S COMING.

UM, I'M SURE IT'S, YOU KNOW, PROGRESS IS NEVER LINEAR.

IT ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE THIS A BUNCH.

SO I THINK WE'RE KIND OF AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MESS.

UM, I, I'M INCLINED TO ACTUALLY DO, UH, WHAT YOU JUST SUGGESTED, JOE, WHICH IS TAKE COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ'S, UM, PROPOSAL AND HAVE STAFF, SEE IF THERE NEEDS TO BE ONE OR TWO LITTLE GUARDRAILS LIKE THE CDL LICENSE.

UM, AND THEN, AND THEN COME BACK AND LET US, UM, VOTE ON, ON MAKING THAT A POLICY.

BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS IT STANDS NOW, ANYBODY COULD BE PROCESSING CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS OR PERFORMING CPR AFTER HAVING A THREE MARTINI LUNCH AND WE WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT NECESSARILY.

I MEAN, YOU MIGHT, HOPEFULLY THEY DON'T HIDE IT THAT WELL, BUT, BUT THERE'S NOTHING TO STOP PEOPLE FROM DOING DUMB THINGS WITH OR WITHOUT OUR POLICY.

COMPLICATE, I'LL TAKE IT.

I'LL TAKE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PROPOSING.

WE WILL COME BACK.

DO YOU WANNA COME BACK HERE WITH AN OR? WE DON'T 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ORDINANCE.

WE HAVE TO KIND OF DRAFT THE POLICY.

SO IT WOULD BE A RESOLUTION.

IT'LL BE A RESOLUTION.

SO LET'S, I WOULD, I MEAN, ARE YOU, SO IF I MOVE THE RESOLUTION FORWARD TO THE FULL COMMISSION, WE, THE EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEE CATEGORIES, WHICH BY THE WAY IN THE FUTURE WILL NOT MATTER ANYWAY BECAUSE THEY COULD SUE US AND STATE OF FLORIDA.

I, I JUST THROW OUT THC ALTOGETHER WHEN WE TEST.

BUT I MEAN, WHATEVER, I'LL TAKE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PROPOSING.

LET'S, AND THERE'S MOVE FORWARD IN INCREMENTS.

LET'S MOVE FORWARD IN INCREMENTS AND HOPE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD JUDICIOUSLY THAT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LAW CATCHES UP WITH US SO THAT WE END UP PARALLEL TRAVELING IN PARALLEL PATHS THAT WE GIVE PEOPLE IN NEED MORE OF WHAT WE WANT, WHAT WHAT THEY NEED.

UM, WE ARE NOT GONNA WALK AWAY FROM THE COMPASSIONATE CARE.

IF ANYBODY HAS A PROBLEM, THERE SHOULD BE NO STIGMA.

I MEAN, I KNOW THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO TAKE, UM, MENTAL HEALTH MEDICATIONS THAT ARE FAR MORE, UM, RELUCTANT TO TALK ABOUT THOSE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THAN THEY ARE ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARDS.

SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO DESTIGMATIZE ANY MEDICATION THAT YOU NEED BECAUSE BETTER LIVING THROUGH SCIENCE IS A THING.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S MOVE FORWARD IN A COMPASSIONATE, PROGRESSIVE, BUT MEASURED WAY.

BUT CAN I JUST SAY LIKE, LET'S SAY THAT YOU WERE ON AN ANTIDEPRESSANT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO AND SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH NO, MY MARLA, AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M ON AN ANTIDEPRESSANT.

NO, NO, NO.

MY POINT WAS, PEOPLE FEEL MIGHT, I KNOW PEOPLE WHO FEEL LESS COMFORTABLE OWNING UP TO BEING ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS THAN THEY WOULD EVER FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT, UM, TALKING ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU WERE ON, IF YOU HAD A MEDICAL MARIJUANA PRESCRIPTION, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH MARLA.

WELL, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THERE.

WE'RE THAT DIRECTION.

WE'RE MOVING.

SO, SO DO YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION, ROB, LET'S, LET'S, UM, MOVE THIS RESOLUTION FORWARD WITH SOME EXEMPTIONS FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYEE CATEGORIES.

THE RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE CONTRACT, MB 25, DISCUSS A RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION CONTRACT, AND ITS SITUATIONAL REPORT ON IT.

DIRECT STAFF TO MAYBE HR COULD PUT IN SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW, FOR IMPLEMENTATION THAT THEY THINK WOULD WORK.

I'M, I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE ATTORNEY AND THE COMMISSIONER ON SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS AND, AND THEY CAN ARRIVE AT, UH, A POLICY TOWARDS THE COMMISSION THAT WILL ACHIEVE WHAT YOU ARE ALL SEEKING.

IF I, YOU LOOK SO HAPPY, COMMISSIONER, IF I CAN HELP.

'CAUSE I THINK THERE COUPLE OF ELEMENTS THERE, BUT I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS WOULD RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION, DEVELOP A POLICY TO ALLOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA WITHIN LIMITATIONS, UH, BUT WITH THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE CITY MAINTAIN ITS DRUG FREE WORK WORKPLACE.

LOVE THAT JASON, THAT WAS SO LONG LOADED.

UH, MIGHT BE COMING UP.

WE, WE NEED A SECOND ON THAT.

I DIDN'T HEAR, DOES SOMEBODY WANNA SECOND MY MOTION? SOMEONE'S GONNA SECOND IT.

[00:55:01]

UM, LONG TIME IN THE MAKING.

SO, UH, I'M HAPPY, UH, FOR THAT.

LET, LET'S GET TO, UH, SHE'S GONNA HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.

EVERYTHING DOES, AND WE'LL FIX IT AS WE GO.

UM, THAT MOTION I, FOR SOME OF THE STAFF, UH, MB 25,

[NB 25. DISCUSS THE RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION CONTRACT AND A SITUATIONAL REPORT ON IT.]

CHAIRMAN MAGAZINE, FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.

UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, THE RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE CONTRACT THAT THE CITY HAS.

AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS NOT THE NON-EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH WASTE CONNECTIONS OR WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY NINE AND ABOVE.

THIS IS VERY SPECIFIC TO, UH, THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH WASTE CONNECTIONS.

UM, WHO IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER THROUGH DIFFERENT COMPANIES, HAS BEEN PROVIDING THE SERVICE FOR THE LAST 14 YEARS.

THIS IS ONLY PERTAINING TO THE APPROXIMATELY FIFTY SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES WE HAVE.

AND IT AFFECTS 1400, I BELIEVE, MULTI-FAMILY UNITS THAT ARE IN THE TWO TO EIGHT CATEGORY.

SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD TO CLARIFY IT SO WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY AND THERE'S NO CONFUSION.

SO, UM, I WILL GET STARTED.

I'M JUST GONNA TRY TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A HISTORY OF THESE CONTRACTS, WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY AND, AND WHAT STAFF RECOMMENDS AT THIS POINT GOING FORWARD.

SO IF PJ COULD PUT THE SLIDES UP, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

GUY, HUH? POWERPOINT KNEW THE POWER, KNEW THE NEW POWERPOINT GUY.

I, I'M BORROWING FROM COMMISSIONER SUAREZ .

UM, SO YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO IN 2010, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH ENTERED INTO A RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY, UH, MULTIFAMILY, TWO TO EIGHT EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT FOR SOLID WASTE SERVICES WITH A COMPANY AT THE TIME CALLED CHOICE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES OF MIAMI.

UM, THAT CONTRACT WAS FOR A DURATION OF FIVE YEARS.

THE AGREEMENT PROVIDED THE CITY WITH THE OPTION TO RENEW IT FOR UP TO THREE YEARS OF ONE ADDITIONAL TERMS, WHICH IN FACT, THEY DID.

IN 2014, UH, THE CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZED A FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT CONSENTING TO A NAME CHANGE OF THE CONTRACTOR FROM CHOICE, WHICH WAS THEN PURCHASED BY PROGRESSIVE WASTE SOLUTIONS OF FLORIDA, UH, WHO HAD THE CONTRACT WITH NO OTHER MATERIAL CHANGES TO THOSE CONTRACTS UPON EXPIRATION OF THE INITIAL TERM OF THE AGREEMENT.

UH, THE CITY COMMISSION ON JULY 8TH, 2015, APPROVED A ONE YEAR EXTENSION WITH A DIRECTIVE TO CITY ADMINISTRATION AT THAT POINT IN TIME TO PREPARE AN RFP TO GO OUT TO BID FOR FUTURE RESIDENTIAL DISPOSAL AND WASTE SERVICES.

IN 2015, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION PRESENTED AND THE CITY COMMISSION APPROVED THE ISSUANCE OF RFP 2015 DASH 2 58 WG, UH, FOR THE COLLECTION OF DISPOSAL OF RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE TRASH, BULK WASTE, AND OPERATIONS OF THE SEA GREEN WASTE FACILITY.

UH, IN 2016, THE COMMISSION PROVIDED FURTHER DIRECTION TO ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE AND EXTEND THE CONTRACT WITH WASTE CONNECTION FOR THE REMAINING TWO ONE YEAR EXTENSION TERMS THAT EXTENDED THE CONTRACT UNTIL 2018.

FOLLOWING THE REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE RFP SUBMITTALS, IT WAS DEEMED THAT WASTE CONNECTIONS, UH, WAS THE BEST QUALIFIED FIRM TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE RESIDENTIAL SERVICE.

UM, IN 2019, THE CITY ENTERED INTO ANOTHER AGREEMENT WITH WASTE CONNECTIONS EXTENDING THE CONTRACT TO 2023 WITH THE OPTION OF UP TO THREE ONE YEAR ADDITIONAL RENEWAL TERMS PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTOR IS NOT IN DEFAULT UNDER THE AGREEMENT THE CITY IS IN THE SECOND ONE YEAR RENEWAL TERM, UH, WITH WASTE CONNECTIONS, WHICH WILL EXPIRE ON DECEMBER.

UH, IN 2025, WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WASTE CONNECTIONS HAS INDICATED TO THE CITY THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RENEW THE AGREEMENT AFTER DECEMBER 25.

UNDER THE EXISTING TERMS, UM, THE EXTENSION HAS TO BE RENEWED BY BOTH PARTIES MUTUALLY.

AND SO TO JUST EXPLAIN WHY THAT, WHERE IT IS, THE, UH, THE CONTRACT THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IS INCREDIBLY, UM, BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY.

UH, A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE MARKETPLACE FOR THE LA IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

UM, AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES GET TO A POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, FINANCIALLY IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO CONTINUE UNDER THOSE SAME TERMS. AND I CONCUR WITH THEIR POSITION AND I UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.

UH, WE'RE AT, WE ASK FOR A LOT IN THAT CONTRACT, AND IT, AND IT BECOMES, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME WHERE IT JUST, IT'S, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO RENEW IT UNDER THE EXISTING TERMS, AND WE COMPLETELY

[01:00:01]

UNDERSTAND THAT.

UH, SO WE'RE BASICALLY ON THE CLOCK RIGHT NOW, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS.

AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IN MY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AFTER WE SEE A COUPLE MORE SLIDES OF WHERE THE MARKET IS, UM, WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO, LET'S, UH, LET'S GO THROUGH THOSE QUICKLY AND TELL US WHERE WE'RE AT, WHERE OUR OPTIONS ARE, WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS.

ABSOLUTELY.

UM, STAFF'S RESEARCH SHOWS THAT IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, BASED ON RECENT BIDS SUBMITTED OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN DRAMATIC RATE INCREASES IN SOLID WASTE SERVICES AVERAGING FROM 50% OR HIGHER, UM, IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES.

AND IF YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THAT'S UP THERE, THIS IS KIND OF A, A SNAPSHOT INTO THE MARKETPLACE.

IT'S NOT EVERY MUNICIPALITY 'CAUSE CITIES HAVE DIFFERENT TIMES WHEN THEY GO OUT TO BID, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST RECENT ONES.

AND SYNOPSIS HERE OF THIS SLIDE THOUGH, IS THESE RATES ARE INCREASING DRAMATICALLY ACROSS THE BOARD.

THERE, THERE'S TWO PARTS TO THE SYNOPSIS, ONE THAT'S CORRECT.

THE RATES ARE GOING UP SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, AND THEY HAVE ALL SINCE COVID.

UH, BUT NUMBER TWO, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE ALL HAVE CURBSIDE SERVICE.

AND THAT WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY GET A, THERE'S A CART TIPPER TYPE TRUCK THAT COMES UP TO THE HOUSE AND DUMPS THE CART THAT'S PUT IN THE FRONT.

WE DON'T HAVE THAT SERVICE HERE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE.

WE HAVE A VERY SPECIALIZED SERVICE THAT ONLY ONE MUNICIPALITY AND IN BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY DO, WHICH IS, UH, SIDE YARD BACKYARD SERVICE, WHICH IS USED BY APPROXIMATELY 80% OF THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS TODAY.

SO IT'S A SERVICE THAT IS, IS REALLY USED AND ENJOYED BY THE RESIDENTS.

AND, AND THAT WILL BE MAINTAINED THROUGH YOUR RECOMMENDATION, CORRECT? I, I, I WOULD NOT RE RECOMMEND MAKING ANY CHANGE TO THAT.

I HAVE NEVER HEARD A COMPLAINT ABOUT IT.

I THINK PEOPLE FIND IT TO BE A, A VERY NICE SERVICE THAT'S PROVIDED BY THE HAULER.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DISABILITIES AND AREN'T ABLE TO TO DO THAT.

SO TO HAVE SOMEONE EITHER COME TO THEIR SIDE OF THEIR HOUSE OR IN THEIR BACKYARD AND TAKE IT OUT FOR THEM, I THINK IS A BIG, UH, YOU KNOW, ADVANTAGE.

SO I, I WOULD NOT MAKE RECOMMEND MAKING ANY CHANGES TO THE WAY THAT SERVICE IS PROVIDED.

AND ONE THING I, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ALL KEEP IN MIND GOING FORWARD AS WE DEAL WITH, UH, TRAFFIC IN THE CITY IS CERTAINLY, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO MAKE A DECISION NOW, BUT, UH, IN TERMS OF FOR OUR NEXT CONTRACT, WHETHER WE START THINKING ABOUT WHETHER TO, UH, INCLUDE THAT SERVICE, THE BACKYARD PICKUP, UH, BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM MY SIMPLISTIC THINKING, IT COULD REALLY, UH, IMPACT TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THESE WASTE HAULING TRUCKS ARE GOING TO BE OUT FRONT, BECAUSE, UH, SO MY THOUGHT IS, I'M NOT SAYING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, BUT ONE THING THAT WE SHOULD CON SHOULD CONSIDER GOING INTO NEXT CONTRACT IS SOME TYPE OF ANALYSIS IS THAT, UH, COMPOUNDING, EXCUSE THE PUN, UH, TRAFFIC, UH, BECAUSE THE, PRESUMABLY THE TRUCKS WOULD BE OUT, UH, IN FRONT OF EV ANY RESIDENCE, LARGELY MULTI-FAMILY.

I'M THINKING ABOUT THE SMALLER MULTI-FAMILY HOUSES ALONG WEST AVENUE AND SUNSET HARBOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UM, WHERE IF THEY HAVE TO GO INTO THE BACKYARD AND PICK THOSE UP, UH, IS THAT COMPOUNDING TRAFFIC, JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT GOING FORWARD IN ANALYSIS? YEAH, I, I I, I, I, I WOULD TELL YOU THIS, UM, I, I DON'T BELIEVE THE, AS AS PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE MULTIFAMILY, IT'S VERY SEGMENTED, UH, HOW MUCH THEY SERVICE.

IT'S REALLY LIKE TWO DAY UNITS.

I DON'T REALLY BELIEVE FOR THE MOST PART, UH, TAKE WEST AVENUE FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'RE REALLY MANY, IF NOT ANY UNITS THAT MAY FALL INTO THAT COUNTY.

I BELIEVE MOST OF THEM ARE ABOVE THAT SIZE.

THIS IS IN, IN, IN, IN VERY POCKETED AREAS THAT WE HAVE THIS, IT WON'T CHANGE, PER SE, THE AMOUNT OF TRUCK TRAFFIC.

I MEAN, I, AND I THINK IT, IT, IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME EXTRA TO GO AND, YOU KNOW, TO SOMEONE'S HOUSE AND SERVICE.

SO I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK WITH THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE NOW, BUT REGARDLESS, WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING THAT FOR THIS.

I SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN INTERJECTED WITH THAT.

UM, BUT, BUT, BUT I WANNA JUST, JUST EXPLAIN TO YOU AS WHAT THE CURRENT LEVEL OF SERVICES, AND THEN YOU, I'LL GET INTO MY RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE HAVE PEOPLE PURCHASING 20, 30, 40, $40 MILLION HOMES THAT ARE PAYING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXES.

AND TO NOT EXTEND THIS SERVICE TO GET THEIR GARBAGE CAN IS GOING TO CAUSE AN UPROAR BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY COMPLAINING, OH MY GOSH, THEY PURCHASED THIS HOME.

AND ALSO THE THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ACROSS THE CITY THAT HAVE HAD THIS BENEFIT FOREVER.

SO YOU'VE REMOVING A BENEFIT.

SO IT'S NOT DISCUSSED FOR THIS.

I, I KNOW, BUT I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A, A POSITIVE THING, GIVEN THAT THE AMOUNT OF TAXES PAID AND THE BENEFITS THAT SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS, UM, HAVE HAD, THIS WOULD BE A, A MASSIVE CHANGE.

YOU KNOW, IT WOULD MEAN LIKE, WHICH WE'RE NOT DISCUSS WAKING UP AND DRAGGING.

IN A, IN A CONDO AND, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVEN'T LIVED IN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME HERE, SO THIS HAS TO BE REPRESENTED ON SOME LEVEL.

BUT YOU BROUGHT IT UP.

SO I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS FUTURE.

I SEE AS WE LOOK, SOMETIMES I JUST FORWARD THE FUTURE, LIKE FUTURE FRAME THINGS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU LIVE

[01:05:01]

IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT TOO.

ESP GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYING.

WHICH WE CAN DISCUSS IN SEVERAL YEARS AND JUST THREW SOMETHING OUT FOR DISCUSSION.

MR. CHAIR FERNANDEZ.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANT RECENT RATE INCREASES THAT WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED AND IT'S IN OUR ANALYSIS, SIMILAR SERVICES HAVE INCREASED BY AN AVERAGE OF 50% SINCE, SINCE 2019.

AND ALSO GIVEN THE VERY UNIQUE SERVICES THAT I'M NOW GONNA TAKE YOUR FLIP APPROACH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE, WE GOT SOMETHING GREAT HERE IN, IN MIAMI BEACH THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE, ARE ACTUALLY VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE, AND I THINK THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR, FOR IT.

AND IT'S THAT BACKYARD SIDE YARD, UM, SERVICE, UH, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS MORE LABOR INTENSIVE THAN THE STANDARD CURBSIDE COLLECTION.

BUT, BUT OUR RESIDENTS, I NEVER HEAR THEM COMPLAIN ABOUT, ABOUT OUR RESIDENTIAL, UH, CONTRACT, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR THESE SERVICES.

I WANT THERE TO BE STABILITY AND CONTINUITY RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND, UH, AND I SAW THAT STAFF IS RECOMMENDING, UH, THAT WE CONTINUE, UH, WITH, UH, WITH, WITH WASTE CONNECTIONS.

AND I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT.

UM, BECAUSE IT IS, I, I, I JUST FEEL THE SERVICE IS GREAT.

I THINK THERE'S OTHER ISSUES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DISCUSS IN, IN THE FUTURE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMPANIES THAT PAY FRANCHISE AND LICENSE FEES THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE DO WITH THEM.

BUT IN CA IN, IN THIS CASE, WITH THE RESIDENTIAL SERVICES, UM, I, I'M ALL FOR US, UH, KEEPING THIS CONTRACT COMMISSIONER.

YEAH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT I, I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS TOO.

NOT ONLY DO WE KNOW THE CREW THAT COMES BY OUR HOMES AND PICKS UP OUR GARBAGE OR TRASH, BUT WE ACTUALLY HAD A PARTY FOR SAUL AND HIS CREW.

THAT'S HOW MUCH, THAT'S HOW GREAT THEY ARE.

WE, YEAH.

THAT'S HOW MUCH EVERYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOVES OUR CREW.

LIKE, THEY KNOW THEM BY NAME, SO WOULDN'T PARDON? THEY KNOW THEM BY NAME.

WE, EVERYBODY KNOWS SAUL AND THE ENTIRE CREW BY NAME, AND THEY REALLY DO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.

IF YOU PUT OUT A BOX, THEY TAKE IT AWAY FOR, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WONDERFUL.

UM, SO I'M OKAY WITH THIS.

I, I JUST WANT, I JUST WANNA MENTION A COUPLE THINGS 'CAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.

TEXTILES FREE OF CHARGE TO ALL MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THEIR ID.

I, I THINK YOU HAVE, SO, YOU KNOW, BROAD SUPPORT.

I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR COMMISSIONER BOT, UH, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE BROAD SUPPORT.

UM, I'LL LET YOU KIND OF, UH, WRAP IT UP, BUT YEAH, I, I'M JUST, JUST A COUPLE THINGS AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT AND, UM, REALLY, I, I, I THINK THAT THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT STEP, YOU KNOW, IN OUR, IN OUR FUTURE AS IT RELATES TO THIS.

BUT WHAT STAFF IS, IS RECOMMENDING AS, AS COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ SAID, IS WE RECOMMEND, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO, ENTER INTO A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH WASTE CONNECTIONS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY ARE THAT THEY'RE A GOOD PARTNER AND THEY'RE WILLING TO ENTER INTO THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.

WE'RE ASKING THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR ALLOW STAFF TO DO THAT, COME BACK, UH, IN JANUARY WITH SOME TERMS, UH, FOR A NEW AGREEMENT, UM, TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE AND PROVIDE THE BEST, UM, STRUCTURED AGREEMENT AND PRICE STABILITY.

UH, WE FEEL THAT A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO.

UM, THE ONLY THING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ASKING IS OBVIOUSLY THERE HAS TO BE A BID WAIVER IN THAT PROCESS, WHICH THAT HAS TO BE PASSED BY SURE.

I BELIEVE FIVE SEVENTH VOTE BY THE COMMISSION.

BUT WE FEEL THAT WILL ENSURE THE SAME LEVELS OF SERVICE, THE CONTINUED, UM, USE OF THE GREEN WASTE FACILITY, WHICH WILL BE CONTINUED TO BE PROVIDED IN THAT NEW EXTENSION.

AND JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER A REALLY GOOD AGREEMENT THAT WILL, THAT WILL KEEP PRICING STRUCTURE.

UNLIKE IF WE WENT OUT TO BID, WHERE I WOULD TELL YOU THAT THE MARKETPLACE WOULD, WOULD, WOULD SEE IT GO UP OFF THE WALL.

AND THE ONE THING I WOULD JUST SAY THROUGH THE CHAIR, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE CELEBRATE THE GREAT SERVICE THAT WE GET TWICE A WEEK, UH, IN GARBAGE PICKUP AT OUR HOMES, UH, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE ONE AREAS WHERE, WHERE, WHERE I DO GET FEEDBACK ON IS, YOU KNOW, THE BULK PICKUPS, UH, THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS THE MOST RELIABLE.

AND THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENT THERE.

SO AS YOU GUYS GO BACK AND NEGOTIATE A LONG-TERM CONTRACT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.

THAT'S, THAT'S AN AREA WHERE, WHERE, WHERE I DO FEEL THAT, UH, THAT THERE COULD BE IMPROVEMENT.

UH, AND I JUST ALSO WANT TO CONFIRM, UH, THIS CONTRACT ALSO INCLUDES THE OPERATION OF OUR GREEN WASTE FACILITY.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

AT, AT, AT, AT 2,800 MERIDIAN, UH, WHICH IS OPEN TO RESIDENTS, UH, MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, 7:00 AM TO 5:00 PM AND I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT WHAT IT TAKES.

IT DOES TAKE YARD WASTE, BUT WE ALSO TAKE ELECTRONIC WASTE AND

[01:10:01]

I ECHO WHAT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ SAID, I WOULD LIKE SOME SORT OF BULK PICKUP ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS.

BY THE WAY, CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THAT WILL DO FOR THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT? THAT HAS TO GO OUT INTO SOME AREAS WHERE PEOPLE JUST START TO PILE ON AND YOU GET PILES OF GARBAGE.

UM, ESPECIALLY IN SOME, SOME AREAS IN, IN NORTH BEACH.

I HAVEN'T SEEN IT SO MUCH IN SOUTH BEACH, BUT IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT BULK PICKUP AND PEOPLE WOULD KNOW THAT, LIKE ONE, LET, LET'S SAY THAT IT WASN'T WEEKLY, LIKE CITY OF MIAMI.

'CAUSE I KNOW I OWNED A HOUSE AT ONE POINT IN CITY OF MIAMI, AND EVERY SINGLE MONDAY WE COULD PUT ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED OUT IN THE STREET, AND THEY WOULD STOP BY AND PICK IT UP.

AND, UM, AND WE NEED THAT IN THE AREAS IS WHERE WE HAVE APARTMENT BUILDINGS.

SO I WOULD SAY THAT IF WE'RE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE A LONG-TERM CONTRACT AND TAKE THE RATE INCREASE, THAT WE LOOK REALLY HARD AT GETTING A ONE, LIKE ONCE A MONTH BULK PICKUP.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WEEKLY, BUT ONCE A MONTH, WHATEVER YOU PUT OUT IN YOUR YARD, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA PICK UP AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT YOU CAN GET.

THE, THE WAY IT CURRENTLY WORKS RIGHT NOW IS ANY RESIDENT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THIS CONTRACT CAN CALL UP AND THEY GET SIX FREE BOLT PICKUPS A YEAR FROM WASTE CONNECTIONS.

UM, YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, BUT WE LIKE THE REVING THAT NUMBER.

BUT WE IDEA OF JUST, HERE'S THE PROBLEM IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE THROWING SOMETHING OUT, SOMETIMES IT COULD BE LIKE, LIKE A LAST MINUTE DECISION.

SOMETIMES YOU CALL AND YOU DON'T GET AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM THEM.

UM, SO IT'S NOT THE MOST SEAMLESS PROCESS, WHICH IS WHY I WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE ONCE A MONTH BULK PICKUP.

AND EVERYBODY JUST KNOWS, LIKE, THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH, PUT YOUR STUFF OUT AND WE'RE GONNA COME BY IT AND GET IT.

AND I KNOW THAT'S A BIG SHIFT, BUT LIKE I SAID, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF, OF PROPERTY TAXES THAT EVERYBODY IN THE CITY IS REALLY PAYING, I THINK THAT THIS IS A SERVICE THAT WILL REALLY GO A LONG WAY WITH MAKING ALL RESIDENTS ACROSS MIAMI BEACH.

UM, HAPPY.

IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LIVE IN A MULTI-FAMILY SMALLER BUILDING AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR STUFF AND GO TO THE DUMPSTER, IT'S TOUGH.

AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY YOU'RE A SINGLE MOM, RIGHT? AND YOU WANNA THROW OUT, UH, YOUR SOFA, IT'S ONE THING TO GET IT DOWN TO THE CURVE.

YOU CAN PROBABLY GRAB A COUPLE OF GUYS OR SOME PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND TRY TO GET IT THERE.

BUT TO TAKE THAT SOFA, NOW YOU'VE GOTTA FIND A TRUCK.

OKAY, YOU'VE GOTTA TAKE THE SOFA.

SO THIS IS THE TYPE OF SERVICE THAT REALLY, UM, WE NEED.

IT'S ESSENTIAL, BRAD, IT'S NOT SO HARD.

IT'S, IT, IT REALLY PENALIZES, YOU KNOW? UM, SO WE HAVE IT, WE HAVE SIX.

UH, BUT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT THIS CONTRACT, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BRAD, IT GOES UP TO EIGHT UNIT BUILDINGS.

SO THAT'S CORRECT.

SO, SO, SO THOSE ARE OUR SMALLER, UH, BUILDINGS AND, AND THEY, THEY USUALLY DEAL WITH MUCH MORE LIMITED SPACE AND MUCH MORE LIMITED BACK OF HOUSE FACILITIES.

UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD EVEN SAY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE WE SHOULD BE SPEAKING, MAYBE, DO WE WANT TO BIFURCATE, UH, BULK TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HAVE MANY OTHER CITIES? IT'S NOT JUST, UH, THE CITY OF MIAMI.

MANY OTHER CITIES DO HAVE THAT WEEKLY PICKUP.

'CAUSE THE THING IS, IF YOU ONLY HAVE SIX, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN APARTMENT BUILDING OF UP TO EIGHT UNITS AT THE BEGINNING, AT THE END OF EVERY MONTH, YOU'RE GONNA BE DEALING WITH BULK WASTE PICKUP ISSUES.

YOU HAVE PEOPLE MOVING IN AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE MOVING OUT, AND PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR, THEIR THINGS BEHIND.

AND SO, WHILE FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL HOMES, THE SIX PICKUPS A YEAR MIGHT BE ABSOLUTELY ADEQUATE.

IF YOU ARE AN APARTMENT BUILDING AND YOU HAVE SOMEONE MOVING IN AND OUT, UH, EVERY MONTH, YOU NEED MORE THAN JUST SIX.

AND THAT, AND YOU'RE DEALING WITH THAT IN, IN THOSE UP TO EIGHT UNIT PROPERTIES.

AND, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO GET CREATIVE IN WHAT WE DO.

AND SO, AND SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM US, WE'RE SUPPORTING, UH, THIS BID WAIVER BECAUSE OF THE EXCELLENT SERVICE THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING TO OUR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND TO OUR RESIDENTS.

WITH THAT BACKYARD SIDE YARD, UH, SERVICES, THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ON THE, ON THE BULKY WAYS.

PICKUP.

AND MR. CHAIR, AT THE RIGHT TIME, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION TO SEND THIS BACK TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.

MR. DUSO, NOW IF I CAN, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS A RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION, PROVIDE A BID WAIVER AND DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS FOR LONG-TERM AGREEMENT WITH WASTE CONNECTIONS IN FLORIDA FOR RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE CONTRACT.

AND I ALSO WANNA INCORPORATE IN THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVING THEM THE ABILITY TO EXPLORE CREATIVELY WHAT THEY CAN DO IN TERMS OF BULKY WAYS.

BECAUSE IT WILL HELP, EVEN WITH THE ISSUES WITH ALLEYWAYS AND CLEANLINESS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, IT'LL HELP ADVANCE THE GOALS THAT WE'RE ALL ALIGNED WITH.

WE CAN SHOW IT WITH, UH, WITH IMPROVED BULK SERVICE.

AND I'LL SEE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH.

UH, THERE WAS A, A, A MOTION BY COMM, UH, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.

[01:15:01]

I DON'T WANNA TIE THEIR HANDS.

I WANT EM ALL IN FAVOR TO BE CREATIVELY ALL AYE.

THIS WENT A LOT EASIER, EASIER THAN THE COMMERCIAL WASTE STUFF I TELL YOU BY, THANK YOU ALL.

MAYBE NOT EXPECT THAT EASE WHEN WE GET THERE.

BACK THERE AGAIN.

UM, HOW ABOUT WE MOVE ON TO,

[NB 4. DISCUSS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE, AT ITS APRIL 19, 2024 MEETING, TO ACCEPT THE CITY ADMINISTRATION’S UPDATE ON THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PARKING DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS.]

UH, M FOUR DISCUSSION OF OUR, UH, PARKING EFFORTS, MB FOUR, UH, M BEFORE DISCUSS, UH, THE RE RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE COMMITTEE AS APRIL, 2019, I'M SORRY, APRIL 19TH, 2024 MEETING TO ACCEPT THE CITY ADMINISTRATION'S UPDATE ON THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PARKING, DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, AND B FOUR.

AND, AND WHERE I WAS THINKING, JOSE, WELCOME, WANT GIVE, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR, YOUR EFFORTS.

MM-HMM .

UH, THANK YOU FOR, I KNOW YOU'RE WEARING DUAL HATS AT THE MOMENT.

I'M SURE YOU'RE, UH, INCREDIBLY BUSY.

PARKING ENFORCEMENT HAS BECOME ONE OF OUR TOOLS IN A MULTI-PRONGED TOOLKIT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES.

UH, NOT ONLY FOR OUR SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE SPRING BREAK AND THINGS LIKE THAT, MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, THOSE WERE CRITICAL TOOLS, BUT, UH, KIND OF 52 WEEKS A YEAR.

UM, WHAT I'D BE LOOKING TO DO IS KIND OF KEEP THIS HERE AT COMMITTEE, ESPECIALLY AS, UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE LOOKING FOR A PERMANENT PARKING DIRECTOR.

SO LET'S, UH, HEAR AN UPDATE ON YOU HAVE SOME BACK AND FORTH DIALOGUE ON WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT, WHERE WE'RE AT.

UM, BUT KEEP THIS ITEM OPEN, UH, TO MAYBE COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, FOR UPDATED, UM, ANALYSIS FOR WHERE WE STAND.

SO, JOSE, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO YOU JUST TO KIND OF GIVE, UH, AN OVERVIEW ON WHERE SOME OF OUR EFFORTS ARE, WHERE THERE'S STILL WOOD THAT NEEDS TO BE CHOPPED, AND, UH, HOW WE'RE MAKING, UH, THE PLANS TO DO SO.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, JOSE GONZALEZ, TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR AND INTERIM PARKING DIRECTOR.

AND THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL SOME OF THE INITIATIVES AND, AND OUR RECENT EFFORTS, AT LEAST IN THE PAST ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH THE PARKING DEPARTMENT.

UM, SEVERAL INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, ON MULTIPLE FRONTS TO TRY TO EN ENHANCE OUR ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, INCLUDING, UH, USING TECHNOLOGY MORE EFFICIENTLY TO HELP US ENFORCE SMARTER AND, AND, AND BETTER.

UM, I'LL START WITH OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE, WHICH IS OUR PEOPLE, OUR PERSONNEL, OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALISTS.

UH, BACK SEVEN MONTHS AGO, WE HAD ABOUT A DOZEN, IF NOT MORE VACANCIES.

SO WE WERE, WE WERE DOWN IN THOSE NUMBERS.

UH, SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIRE ALL 50, AND NOW WE'RE DOWN TO 48.

WE JUST HAD A COUPLE OF PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALISTS THAT RESIGNED.

THEY WERE PART-TIMERS.

THEY WERE NOT FULL-TIMERS, BUT THEY DID RESIGN.

SO WE'RE NOW AT 48 OUT OF OUT OF 50 PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALISTS.

BUT WE'RE, UM, JUST AGGRESSIVELY RECRUITING.

WE HAVE STILL, OUR LIST IS ACTIVE AND WE'RE GOING DOWN THE LIST AND, AND CALLING FOLKS TO FILL THOSE, UH, TWO POSITIONS THAT WERE JUST RECENTLY VACATED ABOUT A WEEK OR A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.

UM, THEN, UH, IN TERMS OF, OF, UH, TECHNOLOGY, I THINK TECHNOLOGY IS AN AREA THAT AS A DEPARTMENT WE REALLY HAVE NOT, UH, CAPITALIZED ON OR EXPLORED, UH, THOROUGHLY.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNOLOGIES OUT THERE THAT HELP ENFORCEMENT, THAT MAKE ENFORCEMENT JUST MORE EFFICIENT.

AND I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, A FEW OF THOSE, UM, LPRS LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION, UH, MOBILE DEVICES.

FOR EXAMPLE, UH, SEVEN MONTHS AGO WE WERE AT ZERO.

WE'RE CURRENTLY AT THREE.

WE PURCHASED THREE NEW MOBILE, UM, LPR DEVICES.

THEY'LL GO INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1ST.

UH, SO REAL QUICK, SORRY TO CATCH YOU OFF.

UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY GONNA BE IN MY NEXT QUESTION.

I THINK, UH, LAST UPDATE WE RECEIVED, THEY WERE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED DECEMBER 1ST, IF I RECALL, OR THE END OF NOVEMBER.

UM, HAVE THOSE BEEN IMPLEMENTED? I THINK YOU MIGHT'VE JUST ANSWERED THE QUESTION THAT I HAD.

UH, BUT THEY'LL BE, YEAH.

THEY, THEY WENT THROUGH SOME TESTING AND SOME INTEGRATION AND THE ACTUAL MOUNTING OF THE DEVICES ON THE VEHICLES.

BUT I THINK WE'RE SET FOR JANUARY 1ST, UH, FOR DEPLOYMENT MS. RIDDEN STONE.

THEY'RE GONNA BE OUT THERE, UH, UP AND RUNNING JANUARY 1ST.

THAT'S, THAT'S OUR GOAL.

INTER ASSISTANT PARKING TECH DIRECTOR.

WE ARE INSTALLING THE COMPUTERS.

IT WAS CONFIGURING THEM.

THEY'RE CONFIGURED ON MONDAY.

THEY WILL BE INSTALLED.

WE'LL DO ONE WEEK OF TRAINING JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT JANUARY 1ST, WE'RE READY TO ROLL OUT WITH THEM.

AND, AND I'LL ASK IF THAT DOES NOT GET IMPLEMENTED BY JANUARY 1ST, IF YOU COULD ISSUE A LETTER TO COMMISSION.

UH, 'CAUSE IN THE INTERIM, I'M GOING TO ASSUME NOT HEARING ANYTHING OTHER THAT THESE ARE UP AND RUNNING BY, UH, JANUARY 1ST.

[01:20:02]

AND IT MAY BE JANUARY 2ND OF JANUARY 1ST 'CAUSE IT IS A HOLIDAY, BUT IT MAY BE THE SECOND.

UM, ALONG THE SAME, UH, ALONG THE SAME VEIN OF, OF THE LPRS THREE IS A VERY SMALL NUMBER.

THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T HAVE THREE.

THESE, THESE DEVICES ARE NOT COST PROHIBITIVE.

UH, SO MY GOAL IS TO PURCHASE SEVERAL MORE.

WE HAVEN'T, UH, QUITE DECIDED ON WHAT THAT NUMBER SHOULD BE, BUT WE HAVE 30 VEHICLES FOR OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALISTS.

SO THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD ONLY HAVE THREE LPRS, UH, IN OUR CITY.

UH, CLEARLY THE BENEFITS ARE, ARE, ARE OBVIOUS.

UH, AN LPR CAN SCAN A LOT MORE VEHICLES IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME THAN, THAN A PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIST CAN, HAVING TO BE OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND WALKING AND SCANNING EACH INDIVIDUAL VEHICLE.

UM, SO NEXT, JOSE, ON THAT NOTE, UH, WHEN YOU BRING UP VEHICLES, AND I WANT TO DO MY BEST TO STAY ON TOPIC HERE, BUT I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED, UH, I'M OUT THERE.

I SEE YOUR TEAM, UH, THE WONDERFUL TEAM, LIKE YOU SAID, OUR PEOPLE ARE THE BEST ASSETS, BUT I SEE THEM DRIVING AROUND THESE PICKUP TRUCKS TO DO PARKING ENFORCEMENT.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO PARK IN THE MEDIAN, UH, THESE VERY HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS THAT I DON'T KNOW IF ARE APPLICABLE TO THE JOB AT HAND.

I PROMISE I'M NOT PART OF A GOLF CART LOBBY OF ANY OF ANY MEANS.

BUT I ALWAYS WONDER, THEY'RE EASY, THEY'RE MOBILE, THEY'RE SMALL, THEY'RE COMPACT, THEY'RE EASY TO DRIVE AROUND WHY THEY'RE GREEN, RIGHT? FOR OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, WHY DO WE HAVE THESE, THIS FLEET, THIS VEHICLE THAT IS SO CUMBERSOME BOTH TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR TRAFFIC? 'CAUSE WHEN THEY'RE OUT, UH, WHEN OUR, OUR GREAT AGENTS ARE OUT TRYING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MANUALLY GO CAR BY CAR, THEY NEED TO PUT THAT VEHICLE SOMEWHERE AND IT GETS IN THE WAY.

IT'S OFTEN PARKED IN THE MEDIAN.

I THINK SOMETHING MUCH MORE SMALLER OR MOBILE.

UH, IF WE WANNA LAUGH AT GOLF CART, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE POLICE HAVE UP IN NEW YORK CITY, YOU KNOW, THE SMALL MOBILES.

WHY DO WE NOT HAVE SOMETHING SMALLER AND MORE NIMBLE? UM, I KNOW THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE INTERIM, THAT'S NOT YOU MAKING THOSE DECISIONS YEARS AGO.

BUT WOULD THAT BE A GOOD EFFORT TO ESSENTIALLY EM EMBARK ON GOING FORWARD? SURE.

UH, SHORT OF THERE BEING A FATAL FLAW, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE TOPIC, UH, MR. CHAIR, TO, TO REALLY BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A FATAL FLAW ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

IT MAY BE PART OF A UNION CONTRACT, I'M NOT SURE.

BUT, BUT, UH, I, I SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING.

AND I DO, I DO BELIEVE THAT A SMALLER, MORE NIMBLE VEHICLE, UH, WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF BEING ABLE TO JUST MORE QUICKLY, UM, ENFORCE.

AND I WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ALBERTO VENTURA TO EXPAND ON THAT.

I HAVE COMMISSIONER, WELL, ALBERTO WOULD GO AHEAD AND THEN COMMISSIONER.

SEVERAL REASONS WOULD BE INCLEMENT WEATHER AND A GOLF CART.

YOU WON'T, YOU'LL HAVE TO THEN GO TO A GARAGE AND STAY THERE UNTIL IT SUBSIDES.

UH, ANOTHER THING IS WHEN WE HAVE TO PUT UP AND TAKE DOWN GORILLA POLES IN A GOLF CART, YOU REALLY CAN'T HAVE THEM BECAUSE SOMEBODY MIGHT TAKE 'EM.

SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PROTECTED FROM ANYBODY STEALING THEM.

WHAT WAS THAT? THE GORILLA POLES THAT WE PULL ON WHEN SOMEBODY RESERVES THE SPACE.

BUT YOU DON'T NEED A WHOLE FLEET.

NO, YOU KNOW, NOT A WHOLE FLEET.

BUT WE DO HAVE, AT LEAST ON EVERY SHIFT WITH THE INCLEMENT WEATHER, I'M SORRY, THROUGH THE CHAIR, BECAUSE I WASN'T RECOGNIZED, BUT WITH, EVEN WITH INCLEMENT WEATHER, IF THE LPRS WERE ON GOLF CARTS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, OR JUST ON THE REGULAR VEHICLES, ON A REGULAR VEHICLE, THEY GOTTA GET OUT OF THE CAR TO PLACE THE TICKET ON, ON THE WINDSHIELD.

FIND A GOLF CART THAT HAS LIKE, SOME SORT OF A EC, I THINK IT WOULD WORK LIKE A BUBBLE CART, YOU KNOW, WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THIS, WHETHER IT BE A GOLF CART OR SOMETHING SMALLER, MORE NIMBLE, THAT DOESN'T TAKE SUCH A STRAIN ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACTUALLY IS MORE GREEN AND EMISSION FRIENDLY.

BUT WITH AN IMP, IF IT'S IMP UH, INCLEMENT WEATHER, THEY COULD JUST PARK ON THE SIDE AND STAY IN THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT'S SUBSIDES.

BUT IF, IF IT'S RAIN HARD, THEN THEY HAVE TO FIND THE NEAREST GARAGE AND GO PARK THERE AND THEN COME BACK OUT.

I THINK THAT IDEA WORKS FOR HALF THE YEAR, BUT I THINK THAT HALF THE YEAR IS SO HOT OUTSIDE THAT YOU GET OUT OF YOUR CAR TO GIVE A CITATION IN THE SUN, AND YOU LITERALLY NEED TO GO BACK AND SIT IN YOUR CAR IN THE AC TO KIND OF RECOVER AND DRINK WATER BEFORE YOU GO TO THE NEXT.

YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE DRI AS YOU'RE WALKING OR DRIVING AROUND, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY CONCERN, SIMPLY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY GETTING, UM, HEAT STROKE AND GETTING SICK.

THIS WAS ACTUALLY A BIG DISCUSSION, WASN'T IT, FOR EMPLOYEES THAT HAD TO WORK OUTSIDE, ESPECIALLY IN LANDSCAPING.

UM, AND AREAS AND PARKING LOTS ARE HOT.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ON ASPHALT.

I MEAN, WE'RE TRYING TO PLANT TREES IN ONE OF OUR PARKING LOTS TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT COOLER, BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR PARKING LOTS HAVE NO SHADE WHATSOEVER.

SO THEY'RE IN THE HOT SUN, IT'S BEATING DOWN ON THEM.

AND IF YOU CAN

[01:25:01]

I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT JUST SEEMS FROM A COMMON LAY PERSON WOULD, WOULD MAKE SENSE.

UH, IT JUST, I SEE THESE PICKUP, AM I CORRECT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE CART, THE OR CARS THAT WE'RE USING THE FLEET FOR THIS ARE PICKUP TRUCKS? NO, WE HAVE DIFFERENT TYPE OF VEHICLES.

WE HAVE SUVS, WE HAVE PICKUP TRUCKS.

I DON'T KNOW IF SUVS, YOU KNOW, UH, WELL, THERE ARE LOT GO AGAINST MY ARGUMENT.

THEY'RE STILL HEAVY VEHICLES.

EXACTLY.

I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS.

I THINK WE'RE OPEN TO EXPLORING DIFFERENT VEHICLE.

LET'S, LET'S VEHICLE OPTIONS.

AND WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU, UM, AT A FUTURE MEETING AND REPORT ON THAT ASPECT.

SO CONTINUING ON WITH, WITH OUR EFFORTS, WE, WE PROCURED A VENDOR AND WE EXECUTED ALL THE AGREEMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE PURCHASE OF ELECTRONIC HANDHELD PARKING ENFORCEMENT SOLUTIONS THAT ARE INTEGRATED WITH THE COUNTY'S PARKING CITATION ISSUANCE SYSTEM.

AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT STREAMLINED THE NUMBER OF DEVICES THAT A PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIST HAS TO CARRY WITH THEM AS THEIR, UH, ENFORCING.

IT USED TO BE THAT THEY HAD TO CARRY TWO DIFFERENT DEVICES.

ONE, UH, BELONGED TO THE COUNTY, THE OTHER ONE BELONGED TO THE CITIES.

UH, BECAUSE THE INTEGRATION HAS TO BE AT BOTH LEVELS.

THE INTEGRATION HAS TO BE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL WITH THE CLERK OF THE COURTS AS THE CITATIONS ARE ISSUED THERE THROUGH THE CLERK OF THE COURTS.

BUT THEN ALSO THE SYSTEM HAD TO BE INTEGRATED WITH OUR OWN, UH, PARKING, PARKING PAYMENT OPTIONS, THE, YOU KNOW, PARK MOBILE, PAY BY PHONE, THE, UH, THE KIOSK, THE, THE PAY STATIONS AND WHATNOT.

SO IT WAS TWO DIFFERENT DEVICES.

NOW IT'S JUST ONE DEVICE.

THE INFORMATION JUST NEEDS TO BE ENTERED ONCE.

SO THAT RIGHT THERE IS, IS A, UH, WAS A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

AND WE LAUNCHED THAT LAST MONTH IN, IN NOVEMBER.

YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING MAYBE, UH, THAT WOULD BE SO GREAT THAT YOU COULD EMBARK ON, UM, BEFORE SOMEBODY PERMANENT COMES IN AND SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CONTINUED, IT'S REALLY HAVING DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS.

YOU KNOW, I I, I LOVE HAVING DATA IN FRONT OF ME, DATA, DATA, DATA, DATA, DATA.

UM, MAYBE IF WE COULD IMPLEMENT SOMETHING LIKE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, UH, THE PARKING DEPARTMENT DOES AN LTC FOR WHAT OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT METRICS ARE.

MM-HMM.

AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ON A YEAR OVER YEAR BASIS.

MM-HMM.

I DON'T WANT TO JUST HAVE THESE WISHY-WASHY FEEL GOOD.

HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING OKAY, TEAM, GO OUT AND GET 'EM.

LET'S, LET'S HAVE DATA DRIVEN THINGS SO WE CAN SEE ACTUALLY WHAT'S TRANSPIRING IN OUR CITY.

AND I THINK, UH, A QUARTERLY LETTER TO COMMISSION THAT YOU COULD START, UM, WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

ABSOLUTELY.

WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

AND MR. CHAIR, WITH THIS SYSTEM THAT I WAS REFERRING TO THAT WE JUST, UH, LAUNCHED, WE CAN DO THAT.

WE'LL HAVE, UH, UM, A, UM, A STATE OF THE ART, UM, DASHBOARD.

WE'LL HAVE DASHBOARD AND ALL THE KEY METRICS WILL BE PART OF THAT, UH, DASHBOARD.

SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT NOW WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM.

WHEREAS IT WOULD'VE BEEN A LOT MORE CONVOLUTED TO DO THAT PRIOR TO NOVEMBER EXPORT FREIGHT LOADING SOURCE.

UM, UH, NEXT, UH, IT, IT COULD BE, I MEAN, WE COULD REQUEST THAT CERTAINLY.

YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT.

COMMISSIONER BOT, I'M SURE, UM, THIS IS A DUMB QUESTION, BUT THE, UM, THE LPRS HELP THE, UM, PSS DO THEIR JOB, BUT ALSO DOES IT, IS IT TIED INTO THE POLICE DATABASE SO THAT IT IS, IF THERE'S A, A FLAG, YES, IT WILL FLAG, UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN, UH, UH, ACTI, UH, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OR, OR, OR WHATNOT.

AND IT IS INTEGRATED WITH THE POLICE SYSTEM.

SO, SO WHAT HAPPENS? THEY, THEY WILL SEE CERTAIN INFORMATION THAT THEY MAY NEED FOR THEIR, FOR POLICE PURPOSES, WHEREAS WE MAY NOT SEE THAT, BUT THEY WILL, THEY, THEY HAVE POLICE ACCESS TO THAT.

SO IT GETS FLAGGED CONTEMPORANEOUSLY.

AND THEN DO, DO THE POLICE COME OUT IMMEDIATELY AND DO WHATEVER THEY DO? DOES IT GET TOWED? WHAT HAPPENS? THANK MORNING, MA'AM.

DEPUTY CHIEF PAULA COST ON BEHALF OF THE PD.

SO, UM, OUR SYSTEM RECEIVES AN ALERT TO ALL PATROL OFFICERS THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY COME ACROSS A STOLEN VEHICLE OR OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR, OR EVEN AN, UM, A WANTED VEHICLE FOR SOME OTHER REASON.

THEN WE WOULD COME OUT AND, AND ASSIST AND CONDUCT ENFORCEMENT IF, IF NEEDED.

IS IT AT, LIKE, AT THE MOMENT? YES.

SO, AND IF THE PERSON OBVIOUSLY ISN'T, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE STANDING BY THEIR CAR, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE VEHICLE GETS IMPOUNDED? WELL, WELL, WE CAN IMPOUND IT OR SIT AND WAIT AND HOPE TO CAPTURE OR, AND, YOU KNOW, INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE PERSON THAT WAS OCCUPYING THE CAR IS WANTED FOR THAT PARTICULAR CRIME THAT, UM, GENERATED

[01:30:01]

THE ALERT.

UM, IF THAT NEVER HAPPENS, IF WE SIT ON THE CAR FOR, YOU KNOW, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TOW THE VEHICLE AND THEN SOMEONE'S GONNA COME LOOKING FOR IT AND WE'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE.

SO WHEN I GET THROUGH THIS, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND END OUR MEETING, UH, AROUND ONE-ISH TODAY.

UM, JOSE ONE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN THE INTERIM, UH, YOU'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.

YOU HAVE A LOT ON YOUR PLATE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.

UM, BUT I WANT TO KEEP THIS OPEN.

SO THIS IS PART OF AN ONGOING DISCUSSION THAT WE BRING BACK EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS.

I WANT TO IMPLEMENT A QUARTERLY LTC.

I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING PINGED ON ALL SIDES HERE, SO IF ANYBODY NEEDS ANYTHING, SPEAK UP.

UM, JUST BEFORE YOU CLOSE IT OUT, I WANTED TO, UM, CLOSE THE LOOP IN THE CONVERSATION WE HAD IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS CON DISCUSS, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING ABOUT, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE, UM, THE ALLEY ZONES AND THE FREIGHT LOADING ZONES, THIS ISSUE OF TRUCKS COMING AND, AND, UH, BLOCKING RIGHTS OF WAY ON TRAFFIC INDIAN CREEK AND, UM, PINE TREE AND LAGO.

UM, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, I, I KNOW THE POLICE GET A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE PARKING DEPARTMENT TO, UM, TO HELP ASSIST WITH THAT.

CAN YOU ILLUMINATE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? BECAUSE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED, IF WE NEED TO BE HOLDING, UM, PD ACCOUNTABLE FOR A HIGHER RATE OF ENFORCEMENT, OR IF MAYBE IT'S BETTER TO SPEND THE MONEY, UM, HIRING SOME, YOU KNOW, BRINGING OUR TOTAL UP TO 52, UM, PESS INSTEAD OF 50.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE? SURE, PLEASE.

FIVE, UH, APPROXIMATELY 500, UH, DOLLARS.

AND, AND I THINK I'M GOING, GOING TO ALSO RELY ON, UH, CHIEF ACOSTA TO, TO EXPAND ON, ON SOME OF THIS, AT LEAST ON THEIR PORTION OF THE OPERATION.

UM, COMMISSIONER, I COULD SPEAK TO OUR NUMBERS AND, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF FREIGHT LOADING ZONE TOWS FOR THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, 2324, WE EXECUTED 4,576 TOES.

UH, THOSE DO NOT INCLUDE THE POLICE TOES.

THE POLICE TOES ARE ABOVE AND BEYOND THIS NUMBER.

AND THE CHIEF WILL BE ABLE TO, TO SPEAK TO THAT, I'M SURE.

UM, SO WE ARE DEFINITELY TOWING A LOT OUT THERE.

AND, UH, AND, AND WE KNOW, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES WE GET THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE'RE BEING TOO AGGRESSIVE .

SO, UH, WE, THERE'S, AT ANY GIVEN TIME, THERE'S ANYWHERE BETWEEN THREE TO FIVE, UH, PARKING SPECIALISTS THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO FREIGHT LOADING ZONES THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY.

AND THAT'S REALLY NOT A LOT, THREE TO FIVE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.

AND WE'RE BRINGING IN 4,576 TOLLS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.

LET ME JUST ASK YOU THIS, JUST FOLLOWING UP ON COMMISSIONER BOT'S QUESTION, ARE THEY ALSO DOING, AND I'M SORRY 'CAUSE I THINK THIS MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD DISCUSSION AND I PERHAPS DIDN'T REGISTER RIGHT IN ME.

ARE THEY ALSO DOING THE ALLEY LOADING ZONES AND THE COMMERCIAL LOADING ZONES? OR ARE THEY ONLY DOING FREIGHT LOADING ZONES BECAUSE THEY ALL CREATED ISSUE? THEY THEY ARE AS WELL, YES.

ALLEY ALLEY LOADING ZONES AS WELL, BECAUSE TO PARK IN AN ALLEY YOU NEED A PERMIT.

SO WE ARE, WE DO ENFORCE THAT AS WELL.

SO WHAT ISN'T, IF I MAY THROUGH THE CHAIR, CONTINUE ON THIS THOUGHT, UM, WHAT ISN'T REALLY BEING ADDRESSED YET SO MUCH.

I MEAN, I SEE THAT THERE ARE VIOLATIONS ISSUED, BUT, UM, THIS ISSUE OF TRAFFIC JAMS BEING CAUSED BY PEOPLE, UH, BY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, PARKING IN, YOU KNOW, ON STREETS WHERE THERE ARE NO LOADING ZONES OF ANY KIND.

NOT ALLEYS, NOT SIDE STREETS, NOT MEDIANS, BUT BLOCKING LANES OF TRAFFIC MM-HMM .

AT RUSH HOUR.

SO, UM, THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT GETS USED, HOW DOES THAT GET USED? CAN IT BE DEDICATED TO CLEARING THAT OUT? UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THERE'S OUTREACH TO THE, THE VENDORS, AMAZON AND, YOU KNOW, INSTACART AND WHOEVER ELSE IS DOING ALL THIS DELIVERY.

BUT YOU SEE IT EVERY DAY AT RUSH HOUR IN THE MORNINGS ESPECIALLY, BUT IN THE EVENINGS AS WELL ON THESE NARROW, UM, YOU KNOW, PINE TREE AND LAGOS.

AND YOU SEE IT ON INDIAN CREEK, AND I'M SURE YOU SEE IT ON ALTON AS WELL TO SOME DEGREE.

BUT, UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT STORY.

BUT CAN WE DO SOME MORE DEDICATED, UM, SURVEILLANCE OR OPERATIONAL, UM, PLAN TO TRY TO MITIGATE THAT? BECAUSE IT JUST REALLY SNARLS UP TRAFFIC WHEN YOU GO DOWN A LANE, FULL LANE AT RUSH HOUR, UM, FOR 10 MINUTES AT A TIME.

IT, IT AGREED A HUNDRED PERCENT.

UM, COMMISSIONER, SO OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AS, AS THEY, THEY GO AROUND THE CITY ENFORCING, THEY DO, UH, LOOK FOR THOSE TYPES OF VIOLATIONS.

UH, IN WHICH CASE THERE IS A CITATION THAT'S ISSUED TO THE, UH, TO THE, TO THE DRIVER.

AND THAT CITATION IS IN THE AMOUNT OF $124.

IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT A LOT.

AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIST, UM, ISSUE A RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATION AS WELL.

THE RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATION IS FOR A HIGHER AMOUNT,

[01:35:01]

UH, JUST FILLING OUT THAT CI THAT PART OF THE CITATION TAKES A LOT LONGER THAN JUST ISSUING A CITATION.

SO THERE'S THE CITATION.

PLUS THE RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATION.

RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATIONS DO TAKE TIME TO FILL OUT.

AND SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS.

SO YOU SAID THIS CR LOAN, YOU GUYS PARKING ENFORCEMENTS HAVE DONE HOW MANY TOES? 4,576 TOWS.

AND THAT'S FREIGHT LOAD ZONES.

THAT'S TIED TO A CITATION AND THAT'S TIED TO A CITATION.

AND THE CITATION IS HOW MUCH? 124.

BUT WHEN, OKAY.

AND THEN WHEN THE POLICE JUSTICE CHIEF, YES SIR.

WHAT IS, DO THEY GET A PARKING CITATION ON THE POLICE ENFORCING THIS? OR DO THEY GET A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT? IT SOMETIMES THEY GET A UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION AND ALSO A UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION AND ALSO A PARKING LIEUTENANT.

THAT'S, THAT IS WHAT WILL CURB THE BEHAVIOR.

THE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION IS WHAT'S GOING TO CURB THE BEHAVIOR, THE $124 PARKING TICKET FROM THE PARKING DEPARTMENT.

THAT IS THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.

BUT THE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION IS WHAT'S GONNA CURB THE BEHAVIOR OF THESE INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE IT AFFECTS THEIR INSURANCE.

IT IS GONNA GET THEM POINTS.

THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE NEED.

SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DATA, BECAUSE, SO WE KNOW PARKING HAS DONE ABOUT 4,000 THIS YEAR.

HOW MANY HAD, HOW MANY, UH, OF THIS TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT HAVE WE HAD FROM POLICE THIS YEAR FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR? UH, BEGINNING IN OCTOBER OF 23, ENDING IN OCTOBER OF 24, WE HAVE FOCUSING ON JUST FLZ 403.

TOES 403.

SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY, WHY IS THE NUMBER, SO, AND HOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE DEDICATED TO FLZ, UH, JOSE? THREE TO FIVE.

THREE TO FIVE AT ANY POINT IN TIME? AND HOW MANY PEOPLE DO WE HAVE IN POLICE AS DOING THIS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, COMMISSIONER, WE HAVE TWO MOTOR OFFICERS.

THAT FOCUS ON FLCS BETWEEN 7:00 AM AND 11:00 AM.

ALRIGHT.

SO WHY ARE THE NUMBERS SO DIFFERENT THEN? WHY IS IT THAT THAT PARKING IS DOING 4,000 AND POLICE? WE HAVE 403 FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR.

AND THE, AND THE REASON WHY I ASK THIS IS BECAUSE I THINK YOU HEAR FROM US A TRUE DESIRE TO CURB THIS BECAUSE OF THE GREAT IMPLICATION IT HAS ON TRAFFIC.

AND I THINK THAT YOU GUYS ARE ACTUALLY THE KEY ELEMENT.

I ALMOST WOULDN'T EVEN WANT PARKING, UH, DOING THE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS BECAUSE I WANNA DROP THE HAMMER ON THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BLOCKING TRAFFIC AND ARE CAUSING THE DELAYS ON, ON OUR, ON OUR STREETS.

AND, AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THERE A DIFFERENTIAL ON, ON THE NUMBERS? WELL, WELL, SIR, I CAN ONLY ACCOUNT, UM, FOR PD IN THAT, UM, WE DO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENFORCEMENT AS YOU KNOW, UM, OUR MAIN FOCUS IS SPEED AND OTHER MOVING VIOLATIONS THAT OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND ALSO AT COMMISSION DIRECTION.

WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING IN ON A LOT OF TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT A LOT OF TIMES.

UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY DATA, UM, SOMETIMES THE OFFICERS ARE DOING ESCORTS, SOMETIMES THEY'RE DOING A FUNERAL ESCORTS.

UM, THEY HAVE TRAINING, THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE OUR FOCUS IS NOT JUST ON PARKING.

WE DO A VARIETY OF IT TO INCLUDE PARKING.

SO I DO BELIEVE IN LOOKING AT THIS INTERNALLY, UM, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PARTNER WITH OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT COLLEAGUES AND, AND, AND INCREASE OUR EFFORTS IN THIS AREA.

BECAUSE I'LL JUST SAY ALSO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION THAT WE HAVE.

YES, SIR.

THEN WE END UP HAVING TO COME IN AND DO OTHER SUPPLEMENTS.

IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF THE, OF THE TRAFFIC ISSUE.

AND MAYBE, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN, IN FACT, I GOT SOME NOTES THAT SHOW THAT IN, IN 20 15 16 FISCAL YEAR, THE FLZ, UH, TOWS WITH POLICE WERE ABOUT 3,400.

SO IT'S A BIG DROP, YOU KNOW, FROM FISCAL YEAR 23, 24, UH, OR TWO FISCAL YEAR 23, UH, 24, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER A NINE YEAR PERIOD HE WENT FROM 3,400 TO 400.

WE COULD THROUGH THE CHAIR, UM, UH, ASK YOU TO GUYS TO COLLABORATE AND COME BACK TO US IN A MONTH WITH A PLAN TO ADDRESS WHAT THE, THE BEST, YOU KNOW, DO STING OPERATION FOR A WEEK AT A TIME, UM, ON INDIAN CREEK AND ON ON UH, COLLINS AND, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER.

AND, AND THAT'S THE THING I THINK, I REALLY THINK IF WE REALLY WANNA SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, THE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION IS THE TOOL THAT'S NEEDED HERE AS OPPOSED TO THE PARKING CITATION.

AND I WANT TO DEFER OR, OR YIELD TO MY COLLEAGUE COMMISSIONER BOND, UM, IS, I SEE SHE'S GOT HER HAND RAISED, MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU.

PLEASE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON.

THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT, BUT I THINK THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM IS THE ONE THING THAT ISN'T BEING DIRECTLY ADDRESSED HERE.

AND SO MAYBE

[01:40:01]

BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT THE LOADING ZONES AND IT'S NOT, UM, INDIVIDUAL DRIVERS.

THERE'S COMMERCIAL DRIVERS, WHETHER IT'S PEOPLE RIDE SHARE PEOPLE AND OR, UM, AMAZON DELIVERIES OR WHATEVER.

AND SO I'M CURIOUS, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, HOW GETTING A UTC AFFECTS THEM PROFESSIONALLY.

LIKE, I DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO LOSE THEIR JOB BECAUSE I BLOCKING TRAFFIC.

THEY, WELL, IT'S A BIT DRACONIAN.

I'M NOT QUITE THERE YET.

GIMME ANOTHER YEAR.

BUT RIGHT NOW I'M NOT QUITE TO THAT POINT.

BUT SECOND YEAR YOU WILL BE .

UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DO WANNA SEND A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE THAT THIS WAY OF OPERATING IS NO LONGER TOLERATED.

SO IF IT MEANS THAT YOUR, YOUR SERVICE GETS SMALLER TRUCKS SO THAT YOU CAN PUT INTO, PULL INTO THE BUILDINGS, AND ALSO BY THE WAY, REACH OUT TO THE BUILDINGS AND SAY YOU CAN'T USE THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR, FOR DELIVERY PURPOSES TO YOUR BUILDING BECAUSE ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF LIVING IN YOUR BUILDING ARE NOW SITTING IN TRAFFIC FOR 10 MINUTES EXTRA THAN THEY WOULD BE ALREADY.

SO, UM, I, I THINK WE NEED YOU GUYS TO COLLABORATE AND COME BACK TO US WITH A PLAN.

I DON'T WANNA TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE PD.

UM, BUT IF THAT A HUNDRED GRAND IS BETTER USED BY HIRING TWO MORE FULL-TIME PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALISTS, THEN MAYBE THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS TO BE HAD.

BUT I WILL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU GUYS YES, MA'AM.

TO COME BACK TO US WITH A, A CONCERTED SET OF IDEAS TO IMPLEMENT.

YES MA'AM.

AND SEE IF WE CAN'T MAKE A DENT IN THIS, WE'LL DEFINITELY DO THAT AND WE'LL GIVE IT OUR PARTNERS AND WE'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT, UH, I THINK YOU'LL APPROVE.

WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION ON THAT OR IS THAT JUST A, UH, CHAIR IF I CAN JUST, UM, I THINK WE'LL SHOW THE ITEM 'CAUSE YOU WANTED TO, TO STAY HERE, BUT THERE WAS ONE ITEM I THINK THAT GOES UP AND SO I THINK WE'LL HERE SHOW THE ITEM.

HEARD STAFF PRESENTED AN UPDATE.

UH, YOU HAD MENTIONED TO RETURN IN A FEW MONTHS, WHICH I WAS GONNA LIST MARCH THIS QUOTE TWO, JUST BECAUSE FEBRUARY I KNEW WE HAVE A LONG AGENDA.

WE'RE NOT GONNA GET TO A LOT OF IT TODAY.

UM, SO I DON'T WANT TO JUST PUT THIS ON, HAVE THEM COME BACK FOR NEXT MONTH.

THAT'S FINE.

WE MIGHT NOT GET THERE.

LET'S HAVE IT TWO MONTHS.

AND THEN JOSE, IF YOU COULD START A MONTHLY, ACTUALLY LTC IF WE NEED TO SCALE THAT BACK, WE CAN, THAT WAS THE PART OF THE MO THAT WOULD BE THE MOTION THEN, BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO COMMISSION.

SO I THINK WE'D SHOW THEN AS THE MOTION THEN WOULD BE TO RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.

DIRECT ADMINISTRATION PRODUCE A QUARTERLY LTC AND PARKING ENFORCEMENT EFFORT.

LET'S DO MONTHLY.

OH, YOU WANT TO DO IT MONTHLY? YEAH.

UH, CHAIR, YOU MADE THE MOTION.

IS IT THAT IS THE SPEED DETECTION.

I NEED A SECOND.

ALRIGHT, I'LL SECOND.

I THINK I HEARD KIM AND MR. MAY I JUST MAKE ONE, ONE LAST COMMENT JUST OF SO, SO THE, UH, COMMITTEE'S AWARE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT IS CURB MANAGEMENT, AUTOMATED CURB MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO, TO REALLY BETTER MANAGE OUR CURBS AND MONETIZE OUR CURBS.

THERE ARE, UH, DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES, UH, RATHER NEW IN THE INDUSTRY THAT I THINK WE CAN EXPLORE AND, AND REALLY BETTER, JUST MORE EFFICIENTLY MANAGE OUR CURBS.

THERE'S A LOT OF COMPETITION FOR OUR LIMITED CURB SPACE, INCLUDING FROM RIDE SHARE AND OTHER PURPOSES, OTHER USES.

AND I THINK CAPITALIZING ON THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY.

I LOVE IT.

THANK YOU JOSE.

AND JUST FOR THE MOTION, UH, ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.

I DON'T THINK WE'VE LOST COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND IF WE SUMMON HIM, UH, WE WILL DO, IS IT NB 26?

[NB 26. DISCUSS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER TO AUTHORIZE NEGOTIATIONS RELATING TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NO. 2024-274-DF, SPEED DETECTION CAMERA SYSTEM FOR SCHOOL ZONES; AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH MODAXO TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT USA INC., AS THE TOP-RANKED PROPOSER; FURTHER, IF THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN NEGOTIATING AN AGREEMENT WITH MODAXO TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT USA INC., AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH SENSYS GATSO USA, INC., AS THE SECOND-RANKED PROPOSER; FURTHER, IF THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN NEGOTIATING AN AGREEMENT WITH SENSYS GATSO USA, INC., AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH JENOPTIK NORTH AMERICA, INC. AS THE THIRD-RANKED PROPOSER; AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AGREEMENT(S) UPON THE CONCLUSION OF SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS BY THE ADMINISTRATION. (POLICE)]

I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, PEOPLE HERE FROM OUT OF TOWN, SO I'M GONNA BE RESPECTFUL OF THEIR TIME.

ITEM IS AN ITEM THAT WENT TO THE CITY COMMISSION.

I'LL, IT'LL TAKE ME A MINUTE TO READ THE ITEM.

UH, ITEM MB 26, DISCUSS THE RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER TO AUTHORIZE NEGOTIATIONS RELATING TO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NUMBER TWO 2024 DASH 2 74 DASH DF SPEED DETECTION CAMERA SYSTEM FOR SCHOOL ZONES AUTHORIZING ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH MEDICO TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, USA INCORPORATED AS THE TOP RANK PROPOSER FURTHER, IF THE ADMINISTRATION NOT SUCCESSFUL IN NEGOTIATING AGREEMENT WITH MEDICA TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, USA INCORPORATED AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER A NEGOTIATIONS WITH, UH, CENSUS GATSO USA INCORPORATED AS THE SECOND RANK PROPOSER FURTHER IF THE ADMINISTRATION NOT SUCCESSFUL, NEGOTIATING WITH THE AGREEMENT WITH CENSUS GATSO USA INCORPORATED AUTHORIZED ADMINISTRATION AND ENTERED INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH NIK NORTH AMERICA, INCORPORATED AS THE THIRD RANK PROPOSER AND FURTHER AUTHORIZED THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AGREEMENTS UPON A CONCLUSION OF THE SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND B 26.

AND IF I BUTCHER ANY OF THOSE NAMES, I APOLOGIZE.

AND COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ, DO YOU WANT, WANT ME TO TURN THIS TO YOU OR SHOULD WE, UH, HAVE STAFF COME UP AND GIVE AN OVERVIEW? SURE.

UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS

[01:45:01]

I PULLED IT FROM, FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.

UM, IT WOULD HAVE, UH, AUTHORIZED, UM, IT, IT WOULD'VE ACCEPTED STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR THE SPEED, UH, DETECTION CAMERA SYSTEMS IN THE, IN THE SCHOOL ZONES.

UM, AND I, AND, AND I PULLED IT, UM, BECAUSE WHILE THIS PROGRAM REFLECTS OUR COM, OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY IN IN SCHOOL AREAS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR, FOR A LONG TIME, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TWO BID PROTESTS, UM, THAT WERE FILED REGARDING THE PROCUREMENT, UM, AND, AND THE ADDRESS, UH, THAT, THAT THE CITY, UH, GAVE IN RESPONSE TO IT.

AND I'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM OUR PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR ON, ON THIS ITEM AND, UH, AND ON STAFF'S PERSPECTIVES HAVING TO DO WITH THE, WITH THE TWO BID PROTESTS THAT THE CITY RECEIVED.

SO, GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS, GOOD MORNING, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UM, WE DID RECEIVE TWO PROTESTS.

THEY WERE RESPONDED TO WITHIN THE TIMELINE, UM, REQUIRED TO DO SO.

AND AT THIS POINT, UM, THE PROTEST PERIOD HAS ENDED AND THE CITY'S RECOMMENDATION REMAINED IN PLACE.

UM, SO, SO, SO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT MY CONCERN IS, AND YOU KNOW, THERE WERE, THERE WERE TWO BIG PROTESTS.

I THINK ONE WAS FROM A COMPANY CALLED SENSEI, IS THAT HOW YOU PRONOUNCE IT? SENSEI CENSUS.

GAZO CENSUS.

UH, AND CENSUS WAS ARGUING THAT MADO, WHICH WAS, OR IS THAT HOW YOU PRONOUNCE IT? MADO, MADO.

VERY UNIQUE NAMES SENSEI PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.

I KNOW THEY DO SOUND LIKE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.

UM, BUT SANSI WAS, UH, WAS ARGUING THAT WITH AXEL'S PROPOSAL WAS, UH, WAS NON-RESPONSIVE DUE TO AN INCOMPLETE, UH, CAUSE REPORTING AND THE INCLUSION OF CONDITIONAL TERMS, SUCH AS COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS.

IS THAT CORRECT? WE DID REVIEW THAT WITH LEGAL AND WE DID RESPOND TO THE PROTEST ACCORDINGLY.

UH, AND YOU GUYS RESPONDED THAT, THAT THOSE ISSUES DID NOT RENDER MODELO'S PROPOSAL NON-RESPONSIVE? CORRECT.

AND THEN RED SPEED, UM, UH, ALSO MADE A PROTEST CLAIMING THAT THE CITY MISCALCULATED THE PRICING, UH, THE, THE, UH, PRICING SCORE.

AND THAT WAS ALSO REVIEWED WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND RESPONDED TO ACCORDINGLY.

AND NOW THE THING IS, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, NOT WITHSTANDING THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO THESE BID PROTESTS, WHAT I SEE HERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THREE OUT OF THE EIGHT, UH, RESPONDENTS INVOLVED IN A BID PROTEST.

YOU HAVE SENSEI, YOU HAVE AXO, AND YOU HAVE, UH, RED SPEED.

AND THIS IS, THIS ISN'T, YOU KNOW, VERY TYPICAL.

WE, WE USUALLY DON'T HAVE THIS LEVEL.

WE, WE USUALLY DON'T HAVE 40% OF THE RESPONDENTS, UH, TO AN AN AN RFP INVOLVED IN A FORMAL PRO PROTEST JUST TO AXO HAS NOT PROTEST.

THEY'RE THE RECOMMENDED, BUT THEY'RE, BUT THEY'RE INVOLVED.

THEY'RE INVOLVED IN, IN, IN, IN THE PROTEST.

AND IT'S VERY UNCOMMON.

THIS, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY FREQUENTLY.

AND I JUST FEEL, YOU KNOW, IS THERE AN URGENCY TO THIS CONTRACT RIGHT NOW? LIKE, IS THIS A TIME SET? THIS IS NOT A REPLACEMENT CONTRACT.

UM, THIS IS A NEW CONTRACT FOR THE CITY AND IT'S A REVENUE GENERATING CONTRACT.

SO IT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION TO BRING THIS AS A SOLICITATION.

SO, SO THERE IT'S NOT URGENT.

UM, I THINK THEY'RE BAD ACTORS.

YOU SEE, I DON'T LIKE WHEN THERE'S BID PROTESTS, EVEN THOUGH THERE COULD ALWAYS BE A BID PROTEST, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL GET A BID PROTEST, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU USUALLY DON'T HAVE 40% OF THE RESPONDENTS INVOLVED SOMEHOW WITH A BID PROTEST.

AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT THERE'S NOT AN URGENCY WITH THIS, I JUST RATHER US MAYBE CONSIDER A NEW SOLICITATION, UH, AND SEE AND SEE IF WE, IF WE AVOID, YOU KNOW, THE LINGERING ISSUES OF PEOPLE PROTESTING THE BIDS AND THEN POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS CAN ULTIMATELY END UP IN LEGAL CHALLENGE, UH, IF PEOPLE'S, YOU KNOW, REMAIN IN THEIR STANDING.

UM, I BELIEVE SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I FEEL AND IT'S A REASON WHY I PULLED THE ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

OF COURSE.

COMMISSIONER B.

UM, I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM OUR, OUR LEGAL, UM, TEAM, BECAUSE I, WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT THIS BECOMES THE BEGINNING OF A SLIPPERY SLOPE AND THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IF YOU BID ON SOMETHING IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH AND PROTEST IT, IF YOU DON'T GET THE BID, THEY WILL, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS AND START AGAIN.

AND I THINK THAT IS, YOU KNOW, BEYOND CUMBERSOME AND,

[01:50:01]

I'M NOT SAYING THESE PEOPLE, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE, BUT I THINK THERE ARE BAD ACTORS WHO MIGHT TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION AND THINGS ARE SLOW ENOUGH IN GOVERNMENT.

I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE DESIRE TO HAVE THINGS BE CLEAN AND ABOVE REPROACH AND, UM, MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO ISSUES.

UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE CITY ATTORNEY WEIGH IN ON THIS.

UM, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT THE, THE RESPONSES WERE ADEQUATE AND APPROPRIATE, BUT THIS IS ENTIRELY A POLICY CALL, UH, FOR THIS BODY TO MAKE.

UM, IN TERMS OF WHETHER IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE OR NOT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL NEED TO NEED TO AGREE ON OR, OR NOT? I, I, I, MY PREFERENCE, THAT'S FINE.

UM, I DON'T LIKE, I DON'T LIKE BID PROTESTS.

UM, AND IN THIS CASE THERE WERE MULTIPLE BID PROTESTS ON SOMETHING THAT IS NOT URGENT, ON SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT DEPENDENT ON RIGHT NOW, ON SOMETHING NEW THAT WE'RE ESTABLISHING.

I'D RATHER THIS BE AS CLEAN AS STREAMLINED FOR THERE TO BE AS, AS, YOU KNOW, AS FEW PROBLEMS AS POSSIBLE.

AND MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UH, LET'S GO OUT THERE, LET'S DO A NEW PROCUREMENT, UH, AND, AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THERE AREN'T ANY, YOU KNOW, LINGERING CONCERNS THAT CAN BE THEN USED AGAINST THE CITY ON SOMETHING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR THE CITY AND SOMETHING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO PROTECT, UH, THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS AND ON SOMETHING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GENERATE REVENUES, UH, TO ENHANCE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY GOALS.

I DON'T WANT THIS TO BECOME AN ISSUE OF LIABILITY FOR THE CITY.

AND THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION, MR. , IF I MAY? I THINK SO THE MOTION IS TO RETURN TO COMMISSIONER OF THE FAVOR, RECOMMENDATION TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO RECURE THE SERVICES.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH, BUT I'M HAPPY TO GET FEEDBACK FROM, FROM MY OTHER COLLEAGUES.

YOU WEIGH IN OR, YEAH, SO SO YOU'LL TO KNOW.

I'M, DO WE NEED A SECOND? THE MOTION WOULD NEED A SECOND.

I'LL SECOND YOUR MOTION COMMISSIONER, BUT YOU I, I'LL SECOND YOUR MOTION.

UM, I, I DO THINK COMMISSIONER BOT'S, UH, COMMENTS MADE SENSE.

NOT SOMETHING, UM, HARD, FAST, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, BUT I'LL, I'LL SECOND YOURS TO HEAR THIS AT THE FULLER COMMISSION.

UM, BUT I'LL KEEP AN OPEN MIND THERE.

UH, BUT I DO THINK IT'S USEFUL TO JUST FACILITATE A BROADER DISCUSSION.

I DON'T LIKE THIS ITEM AT ALL, BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT IT'S FOR .

IT'S ABOUT A PROCESS.

UM, I'LL GO ALONG WITH WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PROPOSING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS ONE BID, BUT I, I DO AGREE.

COMMISSIONER BOT WITH WHAT YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, TO SOME EXTENT.

SO MAKE AN EXCEPTION, HAVE A CONVERSATION.

ANYTHING TO ELONGATE THIS PROCESS? , THAT'S NOT THE GOAL, BUT ON, ON THE, ON THE MOTION.

ALL IN FAVOR? YEAH.

AND, AND, AND I JUST WANT TO PUT IT ON, ON THE RECORD.

I REALLY THINK THAT ISSUING A URP WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFINE AND CLARIFY ANY ASPECTS OF THE SOLICITATION THAT LED TO THESE DISPUTES OR TO THESE PROTESTS THAT WERE FILED.

AND REDUCE THE RISK OF, YOU KNOW, ANY FURTHER CHALLENGES OR ANY PERCEPTION THAT SOMEONE FEELS THAT THEY WERE TREATED UNFAIR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

I DON'T WANT THAT HAPPENING WITH, UH, WITH A, WITH A PROCUREMENT ITEM.

AND SO, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING SUCH AMAZING WORK AND SO AND SO, I JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S CLARIFY ANYTHING SO THAT EVERYONE IS CLEAR AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING HOPEFULLY WITH NO PROTEST.

PERFECT.

CAN I CLARIFY, UH, THE COMMISSIONER BOT, WERE YOU A YES OR NO? NO.

HERE.

NO.

GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.

THE ITEM PASS THREE TO ONE.

LET'S, UH, LET'S HEAR OB ONE, UH, WANT GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY.

LEASING INCENTIVES FOR ING COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.

UM, AND THEN TIME PENDING, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR THE TREE ITEMS THAT, UH, THAT WE HAVE KIND OF LOOPED TOGETHER.

OB ONE.

THANK

[OB 1. DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL LEASING INCENTIVES FOR OWNERS OF VACANT COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES – COMMERCIAL RETAIL VACANCY ANALYSIS UPDATE]

YOU.

OB ONE.

DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL LEASING INCENTIVES FOR INCENTIVES FOR OWNERS OF VACANT COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, COMMERCIAL VACANT RETAIL VACANCY ANALYSIS.

UPDATE OB ONE.

RAQUEL WILLIAMS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AT A PREVIOUS WORK MEETING, I BELIEVE IN OCTOBER, THE C COMMISSION, THE COMMITTEE

[01:55:01]

ASKED THAT WE COME BACK WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON VACANCY RATES, UH, RENTAL RATES IN OUR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS TO TAKE A LOOK TO SEE HOW WE'RE DOING AND COMPARE US TO OTHER AREAS INCLUDING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, CITY OF MIAMI.

SO WE'VE DONE THAT.

YOU WILL SEE IN THE DETAIL MEMO PROVIDED THAT MIAMI BEACH IS HIGH UP THERE IN OUR PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT AS COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS.

AND THIS IS NOT SURPRISING TO US BECAUSE AS WE DO OUTREACH TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEAR AS A CONCERN.

UH, IF YOU LOOK AT MIAMI BEACH, OUR AVERAGE ASKING RENT IS ABOUT $98 IN OTHER AREAS, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE MID FORTIES, 46, 40 $5.

WE'RE LOOKING AT WYNWOOD $78, SOMEWHERE IN THAT BALLPARK.

SO WE ARE ALREADY ABOUT $30 PER SQUARE FOOT, MORE THAN, UH, A COMPARABLE AREA.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY IS OUR JOB CREATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT WAS ESTABLISHED A FEW YEARS AGO.

WE DO HAVE AN APPLICANT, UH, INCLUDED IN THE MEMORANDUM EDGE, LORD, AND I KNOW THE CHAIR IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT COMPANY.

UH, THEY ARE TRANSITIONING FROM A TEMPORARY SPACE IN THE DESIGN DISTRICT TO LINCOLN ROAD TWO 30 LINCOLN ROAD TO BE SPECIFIC.

AND IT IS IN THAT AREA OF LINCOLN ROAD THAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.

THEY ARE TAKING UP ABOUT 30,000 SQUARE FEET.

THEY'RE INVESTING AND HAVE DONE MOST OF THE INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ALREADY TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $1.2 MILLION.

THEY INTEND TO BRING 10 COMP, UH, 10 EMPLOYEES TO THE CITY IN THE FIRST YEAR, AND THEN 50 EMPLOYEES OVER A FOUR YEAR PERIOD.

UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THEM FOR THE JOB CREATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM, AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO, UH, PROVIDE A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION SO THAT WE CAN BRING THEIR INCENTIVE PACKAGE TO THE CITY COMMISSION.

AN ANOTHER THING THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, AS IT RELATES TO INCENTIVES AND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT IN THE PAST, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS TYPICALLY PROVIDED A QUARTERLY UPDATE TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

UH, THAT ITEM HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CLOSED OUT.

UH, BUT IT DOES PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO INTERFACE WITH THIS COMMITTEE, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UH, LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND GIVE A STATUS UPDATE ON VARIOUS BUSINESSES AND INITIATIVES THAT ARE UNDERWAY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

SO WE ARE RESPECTFULLY ASKING THAT WE HAVE THAT TYPE OF QUARTERLY REPORT, UH, BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AND HOPEFULLY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IS SUPPORTIVE.

COMMISSIONER, YES, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO GIVE THIS PRESENTATION TO THE LINCOLN ROAD BID AND WASHINGTON.

'CAUSE IT'S MOSTLY THESE PRICES ARE AVERAGE ACROSS MAMIE BEACH OR JUST IN THE LINCOLN ROAD AREA, OR, ALRIGHT.

THE MEMORANDUM PROVIDES DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT LINCOLN ROAD, WASHINGTON AVENUE, AND 41ST STREET LINCOLN ROADS.

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT RIGHT NOW IS $105 AND 68 CENTS, WHICH IS ABOVE THE MIAMI BEACH AVERAGE.

WASHINGTON AVENUE, $90 AND 58 CENTS BELOW OUR CITYWIDE AVERAGE 41ST STREET, $63 AND 52 CENTS.

AS FAR AS VACANCY RATES ACROSS THE CITY, WE'RE AT 5.47 WASHINGTON AVENUE, 5.7 AND 41ST STREET, 8% LINCOLN ROAD.

AND WE LOOKED AT AN AREA THAT'S LARGER THAN THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.

SO GOING FROM 17 TO LINCOLN LANE, SOUTH ALTON, AND THEN ALL THE WAY TO COLLINS.

UH, THE VACANCY RATE IN THAT AREA IS ABOUT 18%.

AND SO WE SEE THAT THAT CORRIDOR IS THE MOST IMPACTED BY OUR, UH, OUR RENTAL CLIMATE AT THIS TIME.

MY RECOMMENDATION ON THIS WOULD BE TO MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE OUR ADMINISTRATION PRESENT THIS AT THE LINCOLN RED BID SO THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS CAN SEE JUST HOW EXPENSIVE THEY ARE COMPARED TO OTHER PLACES IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF WE ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN SITTING ON THAT VACANCY REGISTRATION THAT RAQUEL PUT, WE PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO CREATING, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE VACANT OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONTHS, YOU NEED TO REGISTER.

AND IF YOU CONTINUE TO BE VACANT OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONTHS, YOU ACTUALLY GET A REGISTRATION FEE.

WE CAN'T PENALIZE PEOPLE, BUT WE CAN CHARGE THEM TO BE ON THE LIST AND REGISTER THEM, WHICH IS ONE WAY OF, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK, WE DON'T WANNA PUNISH BUSINESS.

WE WANT TO, WE PUNISH OUR BUSINESSES, WE WANNA INCENTIVIZE THEM, RIGHT? BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THEIR PRICES ARE SO HIGH COMPARED TO EVERY PLACE ELSE.

SO LET'S START TO EDUCATE THEM AND SHOW THEM THESE COMPARISONS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY'RE LOOKING AT THIS.

AND THAT WAY WE CAN GO TO THEM WITH THE VACANCY REGISTRATION AND SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE HAVE EDUCATED YOU SHOWED YOU THAT YOU'RE TWICE THE PRICE OF OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTY.

AND IT'S, IT'S VERY HARD FOR US TO ATTRACT

[02:00:01]

RETAIL.

ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I GET FROM CONSTITUENTS IS WHAT'S HAP WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH LINCOLN ROAD? IT'S TER, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S REALLY DEPRESSING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN AND AGAIN.

UM, AND AGAIN, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A LOT OF COOL STUFF HAPPENING, UH, YESTERDAY I WALKED TO COLLINS AVENUE.

UM, VIVIAN WESTWOOD HAS PURCHASED A BUILDING ON COLLINS AVENUE.

THIS OTHER WINE CLUB HAS PURCHASED, UM, A BUILDING ON COLLINS.

WE ARE ABOUT, THEY'VE RENTED OR THEY'VE PURCHASED BUILDINGS, PURCHASED BUILDINGS WOW.

RENOVATING THESE BUILDINGS.

WE'RE GETTING A WHOLE NEW RENAISSANCE OF COOLNESS HAPPENING, UM, ALONG THE COLLINS AVENUE CORRIDOR, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARD.

AND, UM, TWO YOUNG GENTLEMEN ACTUALLY HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO THE REVITALIZATION OF COLLINS AVENUE, AND THEY ACTUALLY DREW A MAP OF ALL THE BUILDINGS.

AND SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE CHANGE RIGHT NOW.

IT'S AN ACTUALLY AN AMAZING DEAL.

COLLINS AVENUE IS LIKE $600 PER SQUARE FOOT TO PURCHASE.

OKAY? AND THESE ARE ICONIC SMALL BUILDINGS AND INVESTORS ARE LOOKING AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY, UH, THEY'RE BUYING THEM UP.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN THIS PROCESS, BUT LINCOLN ROAD IS STILL SO EXPENSIVE, OKAY? THE PRICES HAVE NOT COME DOWN LIKE THEY HAVE ON COLLINS AVENUE.

COLLINS AVENUE GOT TO THE, THE PRICE WHERE THESE WERE BUILDINGS THAT WERE SELLING AT 2000 OR 1500 PER SQUARE FOOT.

SO NOW IT'S REALLY A BARGAIN.

IT'S A DEAL.

IT'S A REAL DEAL TO BUY, UM, YOU KNOW, A BUILDING ON COLLINS.

AND WE WENT AND, AND AND WALKED THE WHOLE AREA YESTERDAY.

AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY EXCITING, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE SEE THIS VIVIAN WESTWOOD SPACE.

SO IT'S GONNA BE, UM, COOL RETAIL HAPPENING, BUT I WOULD SAY LET'S, LET'S REFER IT TO THE BID AS THE FIRST STEP.

IF I MAY, I'M TAKING MORE ACTION.

IF I MAY ADD.

I DO KNOW THAT, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LINCOLN ROAD BID AND THE WASHINGTON AVENUE BID ARE ON ZOOM TODAY.

UH, BUT TO THE CREDIT OF THE LINCOLN ROAD BID, UH, IN TOTALITY, THEY ARE SELF TAXING THEMSELVES AT A LEVEL THAT IS HIGHER THAN OTHER, UH, BIDS IN SOUTH BEACH AND IN MID BEACH.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THEIR OVERALL BUDGET, IT'S ABOUT ONE AND A HALF MILLION.

THEY'RE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE RENEWAL PROCESS AND THEIR ANNUAL BUDGET IS PROBABLY GONNA BE AROUND $2 MILLION.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE WASHINGTON AVENUE BID, THEIR BUDGET IS ABOUT 500 K BASED ON THEIR ASSESSMENTS.

AND THEN 41ST STREET IS ABOUT 200 K BASED ON THEIR ASSESSMENTS.

SO WE DO KNOW THAT THE LINCOLN ROAD PROPERTY OWNERS ARE INVESTING IN LINCOLN ROAD AND THEY ARE, UH, TRYING TO ACTIVATE AND MARKET AND THEY ARE MAKING CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

AND JUST SOMETHING ADDED, SOME DATA THAT I PULLED JUST SO THAT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON ANOTHER ITEM, WE EXCLUDED MILA FROM ALL THE RESTAURANTS ON LINCOLN ROAD 'CAUSE IT'S AN OUTLIER IN THE RESEARCH.

BUT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF REVENUE, UM, IN 2021 TO 22, UM, THEY DID 85 MILLION, 22 TO 23, THEY DID 74 MILLION.

UH, 23 TO 24 WAS UP SLIGHTLY 76 MILLION.

BUT I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, IT'S JUST DECLINING, UM, SALES.

AND I THINK THAT THOSE DECLINING SALES ARE, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REASON WHY IT'S SO STIGMA, YOU KNOW, STIGMATIZED RIGHT NOW.

'CAUSE ANYBODY COULD TECHNICALLY, YOU KNOW, PULL THESE NUMBERS AND SAY, THIS IS A GREAT PLACE WHERE I SHOULD GO AND OPEN UP.

YOU KNOW.

BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR RESTAURANT REVENUE, AND THE REASON I PREPARE THIS IS BECAUSE I WANT AN ABATEMENT FOR SOME OF OUR LEGACY RESTAURANTS THAT ARE LIKE ELLA, THAT ARE SAYING, WE'RE GONNA CLOSE OUR DOORS IF YOU DON'T HELP US SOMEHOW.

UM, SO I HAVE A WHOLE NEW SPIEL ABOUT TRYING TO, IF YOU'VE OPERATED OVER 20 YEARS ON, ON LINCOLN ROAD, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA GIVE YOU AN ABATEMENT.

NOT FOR THE NEWER RESTAURANTS, FOR THE OLDER RESTAURANTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUFFERING OVERALL.

AND THIS KIND OF DATA DOESN'T, DOESN'T REALLY HELP.

SO I THINK WE HAVE TO GO TO THESE PROPERTY OWNERS AND SAY, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S GONNA GIVE YOU GOTTA LEASE IT OUT.

PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO GET IN THEIR CAR TO GO GET THEIR STUFF.

COMMISSIONER BOB? NO, GO AHEAD.

YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I'VE LONG THOUGHT A LOT OF THESE COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL CORRIDORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHETHER THEY BE SHOPPING MALLS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THEY'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THEY CAN'T LIVE ON JUST RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS ALONE, RIGHT? THEY NEED TO CURATE EXPERIENCES, UM, AND ENTIRE KIND OF ECOSYSTEM THAT IS GOING TO DRAW PEOPLE THERE.

BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE ALL THE RESTAURANTS WE WANT OPEN UP THERE, BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO NEED CLIENTS AND CUSTOMERS COMING TO THAT ROAD.

AND THAT'S WHERE OTHER COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY KIND OF REINVENT THEMSELVES IS BRING EXPERIENCES TO BRING PEOPLE THERE.

COMMISSIONER BOT, WELL, TO THANK YOU, TO BUILD ON THAT POINT, IT'S NOT JUST EXPERIENCES, BUT IT'S, UM, THE 15 MINUTE CITY AND, AND WHAT GETS LEASED AND PUT INTO THOSE VACANT SPACES IS A BIG DEAL.

SO IT'S NOT JUST RESTAURANTS OR BRAZILIAN BIKINI SHOPS OR SUPER HIGH-END SPARKLY CLOTHING FOR A SPECIAL NIGHT OUT.

UM, IT'S GOTTA BE THINGS THAT RESIDENTS WILL USE AND IT'S GOTTA BE, UH, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY WALKABLE FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE LIVING THERE SO

[02:05:01]

I MEAN, I DON'T ANTICIPATE A PUBLIX OPENING ON LINCOLN ROAD.

I'M NOT THAT DELUSIONAL.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I WOULD ACTUALLY SUGGEST THAT THIS PRESENTATION, UM, GET MADE TO ALL THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS TO 41ST TO LINCOLN ROAD AND TO UM, UH, WASHINGTON AVENUE OR WASHINGTON AND THE NEW ONE ON, ON COLLINS.

AND, AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S NOT JUST THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BIDS WHO NEED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS.

IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS OWNER, PROPERTY OWNER, YOU'RE KIND OF MYOPICALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUSINESS IS FOR YOUR BUSINESS BUCK IS, BUT IT'S AN ECOSYSTEM.

AND IF SOMEBODY'S DOING SOMETHING LOUSY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERYONE'S GONNA SUFFER.

AND UM, THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS, I THINK, KRISTEN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BROUGHT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT I KNOW, UM, ALEX, JOE AND I HAVE ALL BROUGHT ITEMS, UM, OVER THE LAST YEAR ABOUT HOW TO ACTIVATE VACANT SPACES.

AND YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT, AT LENGTH.

AND SO IF THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO LOWER THEIR RENT VOLUNTARILY TO GET BUSINESSES INTO THOSE SPACES, UM, OR BECAUSE IT'S A TAX WRITE OFF FOR THEM AS A PART OF A LARGER PORTFOLIO OF PROPERTIES, WHATEVER THEIR RATIONALE MAY BE, CAN WE PUT TOGETHER A SET OF CRITERIA WHERE THERE ARE SIX TO 12 MONTH LEASES WHERE PEOPLE, ARTISTS WORKSHOPS OR DANCE STUDIOS OR PHOTOGRAPHY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, BUT THINGS, OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, MAKER STUDIOS OR ANYTHING CREATIVE IN THE WINDOWS, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD TO LEASE A SPACE WHEN IT'S COVERED OVER, EVEN WITH OUR LOVELY MIAMI BEACH WRAP WINDOWS.

UM, IT'S MUCH MORE APPEALING TO LEASE A SPACE WHEN YOU CAN SORT OF PROJECT YOUR THING IN THAT SPACE AND TO HAVE ALL THE WINDOWS ACTIVATED, NOT HAVE THINGS BOARDED UP OR PAPERED OVER.

UM, WE JUST DID A, A SHORT WALK ONLY, NOT EVEN 10 BLOCKS IN THE NORTH BEACH COLLINS AVENUE CORRIDOR, AND WE SAW A BUNCH OF PLACES THAT HAVE BEEN PAPERED OVER FOR YEARS.

I MEAN, YOUR TEAM, RAQUEL IS GONNA GO BACK AND, AND, AND CHECK OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND SO I'D LIKE TO SHAKE THESE PEOPLE LOOSE A LITTLE BIT.

SO IF THERE ARE LARGER KIND OF REIT UH, FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR WHY THEY'RE NOT LEASING, THAT'S A CONVERSATION.

WE CAN'T FORCE ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING.

IF IT'S LACK OF INFORMATION, THEN WE CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH THEIR INFORMATION.

BUT IF THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO WORK TOWARDS THE GREATER GOOD, THEN LET US PUT TOGETHER, UM, A PROGRAM WHERE THEY CAN SIGN UP TO, YOU KNOW, WE FIGURE OUT THE INSURANCE SITUATION AND THE BATHROOM REQUIREMENTS OR WHATEVER NEEDS TO HAPPEN SO THAT THEY CAN DO SIGN UP FOR SIX TO 12 MONTH LEASES AND GET PEOPLE IN THERE WHO NEED TO, TO USE THEIR SPACE NOT FOR PROFITS OR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS OR WHO KNOWS WHAT.

YES, WE, WE CAN COORDINATE A JOINT MEETING WITH ALL THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS AND EVEN THE FORTHCOMING SOUTH BEACH BID THAT'S IN THE PROCESS OF BEING ESTABLISHED.

UH, THE ITEM ABOUT ACTIVATING VACANT STOREFRONTS, I THINK THAT'S COMING BACK TO COMMITTEE IN JANUARY AS PREVIOUSLY DIRECTED.

SO WE CAN DEFINITELY HAVE A MORE ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO.

AND, AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S NOT JUST THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BIDS, BUT IT'S THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A, A, A FOCUS FOR US BECAUSE IT'S ABSURD.

WE'RE CHARGING A SUPER PREMIUM OVER EVERYBODY ELSE IN OUR ADJACENT AREA.

UM, YOU MIGHT BE PAYING TOP DOLLAR TO RENT TO LEASE YOUR SPACE, BUT THE GUY NEXT TO YOU HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR SEVEN YEARS AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S WHIPLASH.

AND I JUST WANNA SAY WHEN IT'S NOT OWNED BY SOME LIKE INTERNATIONAL REIT OR A PROPERTY OWNER WHO WANTS TO LEASE IT OUT, YOU WILL SEE FULL BLOCKS THAT ARE COMPLETELY LEASED AND THEN YOU SEE THESE BLOCKS THAT ARE JUST TOTALLY ABANDONED.

AND YESTERDAY, FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS ON, I BELIEVE NINTH, MAYBE IT WAS EIGHTH STREET, EIGHTH BETWEEN COLLINS AND OCEAN AND THE WYNWOOD WALLS GIFT SHOP JUST OPENED UP THERE.

THIS OTHER, UM, POPUP OPENED UP, WHICH IS CALLED THE LITTLE BIG GALLERY THAT HAS ALL OF THESE PHOTOS OF, YOU KNOW, MIAMI BEACH SCENES.

BY THE WAY, THESE BUSINESSES ARE THRIVING, THE POPUPS ARE DOING VERY, VERY WELL.

SO, AND THEY WERE REALLY COOL EXPERIENCES.

DID THEY SAY THAT? YEAH, WE'VE BEEN REALLY SLOW RIGHT NOW AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'VE BEEN SO SLOW POST BASEL.

UM, I THINK THAT'S TRADITIONALLY LIKE THAT THIS TIME OF YEAR.

BUT YEAH, I WOULD LIKE AS MANY POPUPS AS POSSIBLE.

AND I SAW THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT WESTERN BLOCK WHERE THE MOVIE THEATER IS ON LINCOLN ROAD, BUT ONE SIDE OWNED BY ROBERT WINT IS LIKE COMPLETELY LEASED.

AND WHEN A TENANT LEAVES, HE MAKES SURE THAT SOMEBODY GOES IMMEDIATELY RIGHT BACK IN.

BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER SIDE AND YOU KNOW, SUSHI DARK, WHO HAS BEEN THERE, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAID? THEY SAID, WE'RE NOT LEASING IT 'CAUSE WE'RE WAITING FOR ZONING.

AND EVEN IF THEY GET THE ZONING, UM, WHO EVEN KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANS? ARE THEY GONNA FLIP IT? ARE THEY INTO SOMEONE ELSE WHO'S GONNA WAIT FOR MORE ZONES? DO YOU UNDERSTAND? BUT ALSO, AND ALSO ZONING DOESN'T HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN.

SO IN THOSE INTERMEDIARY

[02:10:01]

FIVE YEARS, WHATEVER THE ZONING MIGHT CHANGE, YOU COULD STILL HAVE SOMEBODY IN THERE.

SO SAY IT'S A SHORTER TERM LEASE.

WELL, IT'S DEFINITELY A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS TRYING TO COORDINATE WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, TO ENSURE THAT LINCOLN ROAD IS ACTIVE AND OUR OTHER COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS ARE ACTIVE.

UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY EXPLORE.

I I KNOW COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ MENTIONED THE VACANT UH, REGISTRY PROGRAM.

I, I AM NOT SURE THAT, UH, OUR BUSINESSES ARE, UH, OF THE MINDSET THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE SUCH A RE RE A REGISTRY AND OUR PROPERTY OWNERS WANT TO HAVE SUCH A REGISTRY BECAUSE THEY MAY BE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THAT IMPACTS THEM LONG TERM.

I KNOW I'VE HEARD FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST WHEN THIS WAS INITIALLY FLOATED.

AND SO WE CAN BRING THAT UP AS PART OF THAT JOINT DISCUSSION WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE BIDS TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO EXPLORE WITH US.

I THINK ANYTHING THAT WE DO HAS TO BE COLLABORATIVE WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND WITH THE BIDS.

BY THE WAY, THEY DON'T WANT THE VACANCY REGISTRATION BECAUSE THEY DON'T, THEY WON'T, DON'T WANNA SHOW THAT THEIR PROPERTIES ARE VACANT AT THE SAME TIME.

THEY DON'T WANNA LOWER WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO LEASE OUT PER SQUARE FOOT BECAUSE THEN THE VALUE OF THEIR PROPERTY ON THE OPEN MARKET LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE LOWER.

BUT IF YOU'RE ON THE VACANCY REGISTRATION AND THEY GOOGLE YOUR, UM, IF WE IF WE DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY AND THEY'RE ON THE VACANCY REGISTRATION AND THEY TYPE IN THAT CORPORATION'S NAME AND THAT POPS UP, THAT IS GONNA PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THESE GUYS TO LEASE OUT THEIR SPACE AND REDUCE THEIR RENTS.

OR AT LEAST ENTER INTO A POPUP WHERE YOU CAN HAVE THE POPUP AND STILL HAVE YOUR ADVERTISED PER SQUARE FOOTAGE, UH, COMMERCIAL LEASING PRICE SO THAT THEIR OVERALL VALUE IS GONNA, THEY HAVE TO REALIZE THOUGH, SOME OF THESE PROPERTY OWNERS PURCHASED, YOU KNOW, AT, AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN THEY DID.

NOW IT'S NOT OUR FAULT.

WELL, AND I MAYBE ONE OF THE WAYS TO GET AROUND THE THE REGISTRY IS THAT YOU EITHER, UM, ARE ON THE REGISTRY OR YOU DO POPUP LEASES.

OH, WELL THERE, THAT'S BRILLIANT.

DO YOU WANNA CO-SPONSOR THAT? THAT IS REALLY GOOD.

YOU ARE ON THE LIST OR YOU'RE A POPUP.

THAT'S REALLY GOOD.

WELL, I'D TO SOME OF THE PREVIOUS, SOME OF THE PREVIOUS, UH, EXCLUSIONS DISCUSSED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WOULD BE FOR PROPERTIES THAT HAVE AN ACTIVE LEASE BUT DON'T HAVE THE TENANT ACTUALLY IN THE SPACE YET.

MAYBE THERE'S A BUILD OUT GOING ON.

MAYBE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND SO WE WOULDN'T WANT TO, UM, PENALIZE THEM IN ANY WAY BECAUSE THEY ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO, UH, BRING SOMEONE INTO THE SPACE.

AND SO WE HAVE CERTAIN EXCLUSIONS THAT WE HAD EXPLORED BEFORE.

UH, HAPPY TO BRING THOSE BACK AS WELL.

BUT, UM, I, I THINK THAT THAT CONSIDERATION IS VALID.

CHAIR, WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THIS? YEAH, I THINK I HEARD A, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ITEMS AND I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TRY AND SUMMARIZE, SUMMARIZE THEM ALL, IS TO RETURN THE COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO, UH, APPROVE THE GCIP APPLICATION FOR ULAR LLC, UH, FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO PRESENT ITS REPORT TO THE VARIOUS BIDS IN THE CITY AND FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO RETURN TO FERC WITH A PERIODIC UPDATE.

AND I THINK THAT PERIODIC UPDATE THAT WOULD ALLOW THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO HAVE THERE THESE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS OF THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO I THINK THAT THAT, THAT KIND OF MENAGERIE OF, OF NUMBER OF ITEMS WAS WHERE YOU GUYS WERE GOING.

THAT WAS ONE MOTION.

AND THEN THE NEXT MOTION, WHICH I'M SECONDING, WHICH CAME FROM COMMISSIONER BOT, IS TO USE THE CURRENT VACANCY REGISTRATION AND OFFER PROPERTY OWNERS.

AND WE'LL MOVE THIS FORWARD TO THE FULL COMMISSION.

YOU CAN, UH, DO A POPUP LEASE ON YOUR VACANCY IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE CURRENT BUILDING PROCESS, OR YOU, UH, CAN JOIN THE VACANCY REGISTRATION LIST, WHICH WILL HAVE A FEE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA BUMP UP THE FEES, AL SO THERE THERE'S NOT, WE CAN WORK ON THAT.

COMMISSIONER, PAT, DO YOU WANNA WORK ON THAT BEFORE FEBRUARY MEETINGS? OKAY.

THERE, THERE'S NOT CURRENTLY A VACANT REGISTRY PROGRAM, BUT WE'RE GONNA PUT IT FORWARD.

SO WITH THOSE CRITERIA, SPON CO-SPONSORED BY THE TWO OF US, IF THAT IS THE WILL OF THE COMMITTEE TO BRING IT FORWARD TO COMMISSION.

WHAT I WAS ON THAT ITEM.

I WAS, I WAS, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE THE THIRD PART OF THE, THE MOTION I WAS RECOMMENDING FOR THE ED DEPARTMENT TO RETURN TO FERC WITH AN UPDATE IS THAT ED COULD THEN RETURN TO FERC WITH, WITH THAT PROGRAM AN UPDATE INCLUDING THAT PROGRAM.

THINK WE SHOULD JUST MOVE IT FORWARD TO FEBRUARY BECAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE A COUPLE OF READINGS ANYWAY.

AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BY THE TIME YOU GET THIS IMPLEMENTED, BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS EXACTLY YET.

UH, I THINK JUST FROM A SCHEDULING STANDPOINT, I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSIDER FEBRUARY TO COME BACK WITH THIS SO THAT WE CAN SCHEDULE THAT MEETING WITH ALL THOSE GROUPS, GET THE INPUT AND THEN PACKAGE SOMETHING THAT HAS THE INPUT OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.

LET'S, SO WE COULD RETURN, SO WE COULD RETURN IN JANU.

WE, UH, WELL, YEAH, THIS WHOLE ITEM WOULD GO BACK TO THE COMMISSION 'CAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF ITEMS TO GET COMMISSION TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO DO.

AND THEN WE COULD, IT WOULD COME BACK TO THAT, TO THE, THAT NEXT AFTER FERC TO I, I THINK IT MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR THAT, UH, JOINT MEETING OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE BIDS, UH, TO DISCUSS THE VACANT REGISTRY PROGRAM THAT WOULD BE PROPOSED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK SO THAT WE MAY INCORPORATE ANYTHING AS NECESSARY.

[02:15:01]

YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE WANNA LIGHT A FIRE HERE, BUT I'M A BIG FAN OF MEASURING TWICE AND CUTTING ONCE AND THIS IS NEW, COMPLETELY NEW TO US.

AND SO I WOULD RATHER TRY TO GET SOME COMMISSIONER SOME PRODUCTIVE FEEDBACK ON BOARD CRAFT, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY GET THINGS DONE.

AND, AND AGAIN, COMMISSIONER, AND THAT WAS WHY THE, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ED TO RETURN WITH AN UPDATE.

AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS HEARD YOUR, YOUR IDEAS AND THAT, SO ONCE THIS GOES BACK TO COMMISSION FOR THE COMMISSION TO ENDORSE ALL OF THESE CONCEPTS THAT ARE IN HERE, THEN IT WOULD, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND THAT WOULD GIVE ED TIME TO DEVELOP A, A PROGRAM TO PRESENT BACK.

AND, AND THE STAFF STAFF IS ALSO REQUESTING, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY UPDATE TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN THAT WAS, YEAH, THAT WAS THE THIRD PART.

SO NOT JUST AN UPDATE ON THIS SPECIFIC NO, THAT, THAT'S WHY I HAVE IT AS A MORE GENERIC ONE AND THAT THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE, THAT, THAT PERIODIC UPDATE.

SO IF, UH, I THINK THAT THAT SUMMARIZES EVERYTHING I NEED TO, WHO'S MAKING THAT MOTION? I'LL SECOND, I'LL SECOND.

AM I ABLE TO MAKE THEM SECOND? COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ AND, UH, CHAIR MAGAZINE? UH, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

NINE DISCUSSED REGARDING LIVING WAGE, UH, RATES BEGINNING JULY, 2025 IN ACCORDANCE OF CHAPTER TWO, ARTICLE SIX, DIVISION SIX, SECTION TWO DASH 4 0 8 OF THE CITY CODE NINE.

A LOT OF STUFF, UH, CRITICAL STUFF WE WANT TO GET TO.

PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO, I KNOW WE WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE BY ABOUT ONE IF WE CAN HEAR TWO QUICK ITEMS, UH, WHILE WE HAVE QUORUM.

THEY'RE STAFF DRIVEN.

DISCUSS INDEXING THE LIVING WAGE RATES FOR EMPLOYEES.

NUMBER NINE.

AND THEN I THINK, UH, NUMBER 16 WILL BE, UM, ONE MINUTE THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DISCUSS THE, UH, PURCHASING HANDHELD NARCOTICS ANALYZERS.

UH, YES, JOE, TH THOSE SHOULD BE RATHER QUICK.

UH, MB

[NB 9. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE LIVING WAGE RATES BEGINNING JULY 2025, IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE VI, DIVISION 6, SECTION 2 - 408, OF THE CITY CODE.]

MR. CHAIR, I'M HAPPY TO MOVE THE ITEM.

WE'VE HISTORICALLY APPROVED THESE ITEMS. I'LL SECOND THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL NO, ALL IN FAVOR.

SO WE, NO ONE OPPOSED, WE'LL SHOW IT WAS APPROVED AND GOES TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.

AND THEN, UH, THE FINAL ITEM I THINK WILL BE VERY QUICK IS MB 16 DISCUSSED

[NB 16. DISCUSS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT POTENTIALLY PURCHASING HANDHELD NARCOTICS ANALYZERS TO TEST SEIZED CONTRABAND AND PROTECT MIAMI BEACH POLICE OFFICERS FROM POSSIBLE EXPOSURE.]

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT POTENTIALLY PURCHASING HANDHELD NARCOTIC NARCOTICS ANALYZERS TO TEST SEIZE, UH, CONTRABAND AND PROTECT MIAMI BEACH POLICE OFFICERS FROM POSSIBLE EXPOSURE MB 16.

AND I THINK I CAN ACTUALLY HELP SPEED THIS EVEN MORE WITH THE POLICE.

UH, THIS ITEM, IT'S 27,000, RIGHT? RIGHT.

UH, ACTUALLY THE POLICE ARE, WERE IN SUPPORT.

THEY ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR A GRANT AND GOT MOST OF THE FUNDS TO ACTUALLY DO THIS.

27,000 IS SHORTED ON THAT.

AND THEY'VE IDENTIFIED FUNDS WHEN THEY'RE IN THEIR EXISTING BUDGET.

SO THIS WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO COMMISSION.

WE COULD ACTUALLY JUST HEAR IT.

I'D MOVE IT ITEM CLO.

WE COULD ACTUALLY JUST HEAR IT.

IT'S A JA GRANT, RIGHT? SO YES, SIR.

I THINK, YEAH, YEAH.

I'M HAPPY TO SECOND THE ITEM.

THIS IS A NO-BRAINER.

YES, SIR.

AND, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR MINOR FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.

SO WE'LL SHOW IT ITEM HEARD AND CLOSED, BUT WE'LL SHOW THAT, UH, THERE WAS A FAVORABLE, UH, FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION AND THE ADMINISTRATION WAS GONNA MOVE FORWARD ON THAT ANYWAY.

IS THIS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR? UH, YES.

THE GRANT WAS ALREADY AWARDED AND THEY ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED THE ADDITIONAL 27,000 IN SAVINGS IN THE BRINGING DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S WHY WE DON'T BELIEVE IT NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THE COMMISSION TO ENDORSE.

TRYING TO HELP THE CHIEF OUT ONE MINUTE AND THEN FISCAL WATER TOO.

YES MA'AM.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

WE JUST CONCLUDED THIS ITEM.

YEAH, WE'RE GOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

CLOSED.

WE SHOULD, WE'RE, UH, AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.

I'M RELEASING YOU 20 SECONDS EARLIER.

WE LOVE IT.

WELL, MR. CHAIR, HAPPY, HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, MR. CHAIR, UH, FIRST YEAR COMMISSIONER, YOU'VE LED THIS COMMITTEE.

NOT ONLY HAVE YOU LED THIS COMMITTEE, YOU'VE, UH, GUIDED US THROUGH A BUDGET PROCESS, UH, AND YOU'VE DONE SUCH A SPECTACULAR JOB.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, THE HONOR YOU BRING TO THIS DAY IS, IT'S, UH, IT'S A PRIVILEGE.

UH, THANK YOU TO SERVE AS YOUR COLLEAGUE.

UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT LEADER.

UH, IT'S WE, NOT ME.

THIS IS A COLLECTIVE TEAM.

WE'VE ALL DONE IT.

IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO DO THIS WITH ALL OF YOU.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS YOU GUYS.