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GOOD MORNING.[CALL TO ORDER]
MORNING.THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
WE, UH, WE PACKED THE HOUSE AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
UM, THIS IS THE HYBRID SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING OF FEBRUARY 7TH, 2025.
WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS OR TAKE ACTION IF NECESSARY, UH, TO OBTAIN AN UPDATE ON THE CONFIGURATION OF OCEAN DRIVE BETWEEN FIFTH STREET AND 14TH PLACE.
AND REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, THE CURRENT STATUS, WHY WE'RE HERE, HOW WE'RE HERE, AND WHAT THE REALLY, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT'S THE STEPS FORWARD AND WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE FOR OCEAN DRIVE.
I'M GONNA START, RALPH, FOR OUR CITY CLERK TO PROVIDE ANY, UH, INSTRUCTIONS.
DURING THIS HYBRID COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, THE CITY COMMISSION IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE COMMISSION CHAMBER AT MAMIE BEACH CITY HALL, 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE THIRD FLOOR.
THE PUBLIC MAY ATTEND THE MEETING VIRTUALLY, HOWEVER, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ATTEND THE MEETING OR PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON MAY APPEAR AT THE COMMISSION CHAMBER TO PARTICIPATE OR PROVIDE COMMENTS VIRTUALLY DURING THE COMMENT.
THE PUBLIC MAY JOIN THE MEETING BY VISITING THE ZOOM APP ON THEIR SMART DEVICE, OR ON THE WEB AT ZOOM US OR BY TELEPHONE AT +1 305-224-1968.
THE TOLLFREE NUMBER IS 8 8 8 4 7 1 4 4 9 9.
THE WEBINAR ID IS 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71.
AGAIN, 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WANTING TO SPEAK VIRTUALLY ON AN ITEM DURING THE MEETING MUST CLICK THE RAISE HAND ICON OF USING THE ZOOM APP ON THEIR, OR PRESS STAR NINE ON, ON THE TELEPHONE TO RAISE THEIR HAND.
THE ZOOM LINK WEBINAR ID AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS PROVIDED FOR THIS COMMISSION MEETING ARE STATIC AND DO NOT CHANGE FROM MEETING TO MEETING.
SO WE, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO AN INVOCATION TODAY.
IT'S A, HOPEFULLY A SHORT MEET, A FAIRLY SHORT MEETING, BUT WE ARE GONNA HONOR OUR COUNTRY WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
AVALON RUBENSTEIN, UH, WON AN AWARD WHILE AT FISHBURG FEINBERG TO BE CITY MANAGER OF THE DAY.
AND I, WE, WE'D BE, I SEE THAT'S YOUR DAD, RIGHT? ALL RIGHT.
AND, UH, WE'D BE HONORED IF YOU WOULD LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, I PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FROM WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION FOR GOD, INDIVIDUALS, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
I I THINK YOU HAVE A, UH, A FUTURE AS A CITY MANAGER, MAYBE AS MAYOR OR COMMISSIONER TOO.
I, I HEAR, UH, I HEAR A REQUEST FROM COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.
WELL, WHY DON'T YOU GIVE HIM NOTIFICATION THEN YES.
YES, I'M NOT, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START A MEETING, THAT WE DO COME TOGETHER IN THE PROCESS OF GOD, AND THAT WE DO ASK GOD TO IMPOSE UPON THIS BODY, IMPOSE UPON OUR CHARTER OFFICERS WHO LEAD OUR GOVERNMENT WITH HIS WISDOM AND WITH HIS BLESSINGS.
AND THAT IN EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE, THAT WE STRIVE TO UNIFY A COMMUNITY, EVEN WHEN, WHEN DIFFERENCES OF OPINION MAY MAY ARISE, MAY OUR DECISIONS WORK FOR THE GREATER GOOD AND FOR A FUTURE OF A CITY THAT IS ALWAYS MORE UNITED AND CLOSER TO THE GREATER WILL, EVEN WHEN THAT WILL, MIGHT NOT BE EVIDENT TO US.
ON THE FLY, I THINK YOU HAVE A FUTURE, UH,
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
WE ALWAYS SHOULD RECOGNIZE, UM, THE CIVILITY AND OF COURSE, GOD.
SO, UM, I CALL THIS MEETING TODAY, UH, AND FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
ONE, REALLY PARTLY TO EDUCATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, I MOSTLY I'M LOOKING AROUND, ARE VERY WELL EDUCATED ON THE ISSUES.
BUT THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON BETWEEN WHAT OUR CITY HAS DONE, WHAT THE COUNTY, UH, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO GET PERMITS FROM THEM BETWEEN THE JUDICIARY AND, AND THE APPELLATE PROCESS.
THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S ALMOST A FULL-TIME JOB TO KEEP TRACK OF, OF THAT.
SO I PARTLY THIS IS TO EDUCATE OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE, UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF PRESS AND THERE'S, UH, WE'RE REALLY ON THE IMMINENT, UH, CUSP.
UNLESS, UH, UNLESS SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH THE APPELLATE COURTS THAT THIS STREET IS GOING TO BE CHANGED BACK INTO, UH, TWO WAY, AND THE ONE WAY, UH, PEDESTRIANS GONNA BE REMOVED, BIKE LANES WILL BE REMOVED.
THERE'S A LOT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND I THINK THIS IS PARTLY TO EDUCATE WHY IT'S HAPPENING.
BUT REALLY IMPORTANTLY, ALSO TO, AND PART OF THE EDUCATION PROCESS
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IS TO GET FEEDBACK FROM OUR RESIDENTS, OUR BUSINESSES.WHAT SHOULD BE THE PATH FORWARD? WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? AND WHERE DO WE WANT TO SEE OCEAN DRIVE? IT IS OUR POSTCARD.
IT IS THE MOST, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS STREETS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
WHEN WE SIT HERE, WE TALK ABOUT IT, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE YOU CAN GO AROUND THE WORLD MENTION OCEAN DRIVE, AND PEOPLE KNOW IT.
THEY KNOW MIAMI BEACH AND OCEAN DRIVE.
UM, SO, UM, I, I JUST FELT WITHOUT, WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON AND, AND THE RECENT, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT IT, IT BEHOOVED US TO GET TOGETHER AS A BODY WITH THE, UH, INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO TALK ABOUT IT.
SO, FIRST WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, SUT
[R9 A DR. STANLEY SUTNICK CITIZEN'S FORUM.]
SUT, OUR, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO RALPH.UH, DURING THE SU WE'RE GONNA HAVE SUT FOR 15 MINUTES.
EVERYONE WILL BE ALLOCATED ONE MINUTE.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SPEAKING, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
UH, WELL JUST A, I I WON'T LIMIT IT TO, IT WILL BE ONE MINUTE JUST BECAUSE WE WANNA GET TO THE COMMISSION, BUT, BUT I WON'T LIMIT IT TO 15 MINUTES.
WHOEVER WANTS TO SPEAK WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO PLEASE START WITH YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, MY NAME IS CES FLEX AND I LIVE AT 1500 OCEAN DRIVE.
SO THE, THE NARRATIVE THAT A CITY SURVEY SHOWED 70% OF AFFECTED RESIDENTS SUPPORT TO KEEP TWO BLOCKS ON OCEAN DRIVE CLOSED, WAS MANIPULATED TO JUSTIFY THE VIOLATION OF THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF OWNERS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE LEGAL CLOSING OF TWO BLOCKS ON OCEAN DRIVE.
TWO CLOSE BLOCKS IS NOT A PROMINENT, SO LET'S DEBUNK THAT IDEA THAT WE HAVE A PROMINENT ON TWO BLOCKS.
IT IS AN OBSTRUCTION AND MOSTLY OBSTRUCTING BUSINESS ACTIVITY.
THE ONLY VOTES THAT COUNT ON THIS SURVEY ARE THE VOTES OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS ON THE ACTUAL TWO BLOCKS THAT WERE ILLEGALLY CLOSED.
ALL THE VOTES ON THIS SURVEY DON'T COUNT AS THIS PROPERTY OWNERS ARE NOT DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE CLOSING, OR AS WE SAY, NOT IN MY BACKYARD.
WHEN YOU ADD ONLY THE VALID VOTES, THE PERCENTAGES FLIP ON THE REVERSE DIRECTION.
68 IN FAVOR OF OPENING OCEAN DRIVE TO TRAFFIC TO 32 AGAINST.
YOU HAVE A COURT ORDER TO OPEN OCEAN DRIVE TWO WAY TO TRAFFIC.
OUR FIRST VIRTUAL SPEAKER IS, I'M SORRY, GIMME ONE SECOND IS YOU'LL, YOU'LL HAND MORE.
MR. MOORE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
UH, JOHANN MOORE, 7 1 7 JEFFERSON AVENUE.
UM, WHILE BU'S RECENT EXCELLENT CALL FOR A MASTER PLAN WAS DIRECTED AT CLARIFYING THE VERY WELL-INTENTIONED PROPOSAL FOR WASHINGTON AVENUE RESIDENTIAL INCENTIVIZATION, I WOULD URGE THAT GOING FORWARD, MEDIUM TO LONG TERM, WE IN FACT PURSUE SUCH A MASTER PLAN AND THAT IT COVER THE ENTIRE ART DECO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AREA, AS WELL AS THE AREA OF, UH, FLAMINGO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS AFFECTED BY, UH, THESE, I THINK, UH, PARALLEL, UH, UH, NOTIONS THAT I THINK HAVE TO BE BROUGHT INTO, UH, A DISCUSSION WITH EACH OTHER.
WE INCENTIVIZE RESIDENTIAL BY HAVING A PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE THAT IS OPEN TO MICRO MOBILITY.
WE DISINCENTIVIZE RESIDENTIAL BY CONTINUING WITH OUR CURRENT MOTORIST DRIVEN, UH, UH, DISORDER IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO PLEASE SUPPORT FULL PEDESTRIANIZATION FROM FIFTH TO 15TH STREET AS THE VOTERS HAVE IN FACT INDICATED THEY WOULD PREFER, AND AS IS, I THINK, BEST ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESIDENT FRIENDLY POLICY.
IRENE BIGGER, A RESIDENT AT 1500 OCEAN DRIVE AND, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE ART ECHO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AS OUR CITY STRIVES TO ELEVATE ITS BRAND AS A CULTURAL DESTINATION WITH HEALTH AND WELLNESS OPPORTUNITIES.
THE OCEAN DRIVE PROMENADE IS EMBLEMATIC OF THAT BRAND AS IT HAS TRANSFORMED THE NORTH END OF OCEAN DRIVE INTO A HAVEN OF TRANQUILITY AND A HEALTHIER AND SAFER ENVIRONMENT FILLED WITH PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, LOCALS, AND VISITORS WHO CAN ENJOY THE NATURAL AND ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTY OR NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT THE CHAOS AND POLLUTION THAT COMES WITH CARS.
IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT THE FOLLOWING TWO ARTICLES, ONE NAMING MIAMI BEACH, IS THE WORLD'S TOP HEALTHIEST CITIES TO LIVE IN,
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ACCORDING TO A STUDY.AND THE DREAM EAST COAST DESTINATION IS THE TOP CITY TO VISIT IN NORTH AMERICA, BOTH ABOUT MIAMI BEACH THAT BOTH DEPICT THE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY VEHICLE, FREE BEACH WALK AND PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE.
NOWHERE DOES IT SAY, DON'T COME HERE, BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE CLOSE TWO BLOCKS.
AND REGARDING THE ONLY TWO BLOCKS, I'D LIKE TO ALSO REMIND EVERYONE OF THE FAME NEW YORK CITY TIMES SQUARE, WHICH IS FIVE BLOCKS IN THE HEART OF THE CITY'S BUSY BUSINESS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
IN FACT, AND I QUOTE, THE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD WAS PEDESTRIANIZED IN 2009, USING CHEAP AND TEMPORARY MATERIALS, A MOVE WHICH WAS MADE PERMANENT THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
THIS WILDLY SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION WAS MADE POSSIBLE LARGELY TO THE BOLD.
WE'RE DOING IT STANCE OF MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, A LESSON FOR OTHER CITIES, MAYORS WITH BACKBONES CAN DO GREAT THINGS.
MAYOR MINOR, THERE IS NO QUESTION YOU DO, AND THERE IS NO QUESTION YOU CAN PLEASE ALLOW FOR A PROPERLY CURATED AND SAFE PROMENADE TO SUCCEED.
HOW, HOW MANY CALLS DO WE HAVE ON ZOOM? JUST CURIOUS.
ON ZOOM RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THREE.
IS EVERYONE ONLINE GONNA SPEAK? DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANNA SPEAK? OKAY, LET'S GIVE TWO MINUTES.
BUT, BUT PLEASE STICK TO THE TWO MINUTES AND THEN, 'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE ABOUT 10 PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA SPEAK.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS JOHN S JOHN STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS JOSH SQUIRE.
I AM WITH, UH, I'M AT 3 4 6 WEST 47TH.
I ALSO OWN A BUSINESS ON 10TH AND COLLINS FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
UM, THE BIKE LANE HAS BROUGHT TRANQUILITY AND SANITY TO THAT AREA.
UH, WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S USED PRIMARILY DURING THE DAY AND VERSUS THE, UH, BARS ARE USED MORE AT NIGHT.
UM, I THINK THAT IF YOU'RE FORCED TO REMOVE THE BIKE LANE, UH, PLEASE ADD ANOTHER ONE TO THE EAST OF THE SIDEWALK.
UM, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, YOU RESTRICTED ELECTRIC MICRO MOBILITY VEHICLES.
YOU TICKET AND RESTRICT ENDLESSLY, ENDLESSLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY INSTEAD OF PROMOTING THEM, WHICH NEEDS TO CHANGE BY THE WAY.
UM, IF ANYTHING, THE BIKE LANE NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED AND CONNECTED TO THE REST OF THE BIKE LANE NETWORK, UH, ON THE SIDE OF 15TH STREET.
UH, WE NEED TO EXPAND IT, NOT REMOVE IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC IS A DISEASE IN THIS CITY.
UM, I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT YOU ALREADY KNOW IT.
YOU ALL ARE FAILING MISERABLY IN TRANSPORTATION SEGMENT.
I SERVE ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT'S UNDER BUDGETED, UH, SEVERELY.
UM, YOU'RE UNDERMINING THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE'S WORK BY SENDING, UM, THINGS UNDER SAFETY TO OTHER COMMITTEES INSTEAD OF TRANSPORTATION.
YOU, YOU KEEP WRITING INTO THE LAW RESTRICTIONS OF ON MICRO MOBILITY INSTEAD OF PROMOTING MICRO MOBILITY.
UM, SO THE WAY TO GET RID OF CARS IN THE CITY IS TO ADD MICRO MOBILITY, PROMOTE IT, SUPPORT IT, EXTEND THE BIKE NETWORK.
WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THIS AND UNDERSTAND THAT TRAFFIC IS NOT GONNA END UNTIL YOU BRING MORE MICRO MOBILITY, BUILD MORE BIKE NETWORKS.
AND PLEASE, PLEASE FIGHT THIS BECAUSE THIS BIKE LANE'S BEEN GREAT.
UH, PJ, CAN YOU PROMOTE COMMISSIONER SU SUAREZ? OKAY, NEXT, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, MY NAME IS MANIA SRI AND I WORK IN ONE OF THE RETAIL STAR 15 OCEAN DRIVE.
I JUST CAN TALK ABOUT MY OWN EXPERIENCE, SENSE OF OCEAN DRIVE BEING CLOSED.
WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A TREMENDOUS NEGATIVE EFFECT IN OUR BUSINESS.
A CUSTOMER AND OUR JOB RIGHT NOW, WE JUST, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MONKS WE CAN HOLD ON.
EVEN THE CUSTOMER STEP IN THE STORE ARE JUST THAT THEY'RE NOT STAYING.
THEY JUST BUY SOME ITEMS AND LOOK AT ME AND ASK US WHAT IS GOING ON? WHAT IS NO TRAFFIC, NO BUSINESS, NO AMBIENCE.
WE, WE COME FROM OTHER COUNTRY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THIS, THIS STREET IS EXTREMELY FAMOUS.
WE COME HERE, ESPECIALLY IN OCEAN DRIVE BECAUSE WE HEARD A LOT OF, BUT WE'RE GONNA LEAVE IF NOTHING TO DO, NO BUSINESS.
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IS PLEASE KEEP THE JOB, KEEP THE BUSINESS RUNNING AND REOPEN OCEAN DRIVE.OUR NEXT VIRTUAL SPEAKER IS, HAS A SCREEN NAME OF AL'S, IPHONE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE.
I'M A BUSINESS OWNER ON 13TH AND OCEAN DRIVE.
I'M A RETAIL BUSINESS OWNER FOR 20 YEARS.
OCEAN DRIVE USED TO BE TRAFFIC LIKE A MALL.
PEDESTRIANS, WERE WALKING LIKE A MALL HERE, A BUSTING MALL WITH PUTTING BARRICADES.
IT HAS BECOME SORT OF EXTREME BLOCKADE HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS AT TIME.
WE DO NOT SEE CUSTOMERS COMING, SO WE ARE LEFT IN SITUATION AS OTHER RETAIL OWNERS SAID THAT WE DON'T HAVE CUSTOMERS.
WE REQUESTED CITY FOR HUNDREDS OF TIMES, COME AND COOPERATE WITH US, EITHER WILL ALLOW US TO EXIT AND DO SOME OTHER USE, BUT WE CAN'T GET PERMITS WITH CITY.
AS MAYOR SAID, HE HAD A THREE YEARS TIME GOING WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TO GET PERMITS.
WE HAVE THE SAME DIFFICULTIES IN A WAY WITH, UH, MIAMI BEACH CITY.
WE CAN'T GET PERMITS TO CHANGE THE USE BECAUSE OUR RETAIL OPERATION NOW CANNOT CRY BECAUSE WE DON'T FIND PEDESTRIANS POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS AT MANY HOURS DURING SEASON AND OFF SEASON.
SO THIS BLOCKAGE WAS BROUGHT, UH, WITH THAT EMERGENCY SITUATION IN SOME WAY, BUT PLANNING WAS NOT THERE.
AND IT DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT WILL AFFECT RETAIL BUSINESSES LIKE US.
ADDING TO THIS 14TH STREET TRAFFIC HAS BEEN CHAOS.
SO MANY DELIVERY TRUCKS AND NO OUTLET.
AND I MYSELF, VICTIM OF THIS, THAT ONE TIME MY CAR WAS UNDER THE DELIVERY TRUCK, MY HOOD WAS UNDER THE DELIVERY TRUCK AND WHEELS WERE ON BOTH SIDES.
SO IMAGINE THAT WITHOUT PREPARATION, THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN BROUGHT.
SO WE REQUEST CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
WE ARE THANKFUL TO MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER.
THEY ARE VERY GOOD PEOPLE TO COME AND WORK WITH THE BUSINESSES.
THEY HAVE NOT, CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME? I'M SORRY I DIDN'T CATCH IT.
NEXT, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS SO YOU HAVE A FEW MINUTES.
UH, KEN COPPEL, UH, FOR, SO BE SAFE.
UH, I'M ADDRESSING THE PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE TODAY.
FIRST, I WANT TO CORRECT A, UH, A MISSTATEMENT THAT A, A FORMER SPEAKER MENTIONED, UH, ABOUT THE, UH, THE VOTE, THE BALLOT THAT WAS CONDUCTED.
UH, IT WAS CONDUCTED BY AND UNDER THE RULES OF THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.
UH, WE RESIDENTS DIDN'T, UH, DIDN'T DO IT, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY DID IT, NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, IT INCLUDED ALL RESIDENTS AND ALL BUSINESSES THAT WERE PROPERTY OWNERS ADJACENT TO THE, UH, TO THE PROMENADE.
AND IT RETURNED A BETTER THAN TWO THIRDS VOTE TO KEEP THE PROMENADE.
NOW TO THE BIGGER PICTURE, WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT? I THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT TWO THINGS BEFORE AND AFTER, AND TRUTHS AND FALSEHOODS.
WHAT'S BEFORE AND AFTER? BEFORE THE AREA WAS DIRTY DRUG INFESTED, LOTS OF POLICE, UH, CALLS, UH, RESIDENTS WHO HAD DOGS AFRAID TO GO OUT AT 11 O'CLOCK AT, UH, AT NIGHT OR EARLY IN, UH, IN, IN THE MORNING.
UM, AND RESIDENTS OTHER THAN DOWN THERE, INCLUDING TWO ON THIS DAIS, TOLD ME FIVE YEARS AGO, I NEVER GO DOWN THERE UNLESS IT'S HER BUSINESS.
I WOULD NEVER TAKE MY CHILDREN DOWN THERE.
WELL, HERE'S THE ICONIC AREA OF MIAMI BEACH.
AND RESIDENTS FROM MID BEACH, NORTH BEACH DON'T COME, UH, TO IT, UH, BECAUSE IT'S UN IT'S UNPLEASANT AND IT'S, UH, UNSAFE.
WHAT IS IT NOW? IT'S SAFE, IT'S CLEAN.
UH, YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE CARS BLASTING HORNS ALL THE TIME.
UH, I HAVEN'T BEEN ASKED IF I WANTED TO BUY DRUGS IN, IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.
UH, RIGHT NOW THERE AREN'T DRUG, UH, DRUNKS LYING AROUND AND, AND, AND FIGHTING.
MOREOVER, WHAT I'M HEARING FROM PEOPLE IS PROPERTY VALUES HAVE GONE UP IN THE LAST, UH, COUPLE OF YEARS.
WHAT I'M HEARING FROM BUSINESS OWNERS AROUND THE PROMENADE IS THEIR BUSINESS IS UP.
AND I BELIEVE THE CITY'S TOURIST STATISTICS SHOW THAT IN GENERAL, UH, OUR BUSINESS IS, UH, IS UP.
SO DON'T THROW AWAY SOMETHING THAT IS REMADE, NOT JUST THE OUR IMMEDIATE AREA, BUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS MITCH NOVIK.
MR. NOVIK, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
MITCH NOVIK, 9 0 1 COLLINS AVENUE.
JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT RESORT RESORT TAXES HAVE PLUMMETED, UH, THIS YEAR, THIS PAST YEAR.
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IT'S ASTONISHING THAT DESPITE BEING A BUDGET CONSCIOUS COMMISSION, THE COST FOR THIS MULTI-YEAR PROMENADE EXPERIMENT HAS BEEN DISASTROUS TO CITY COFFERS.WHY ARE WE WASTING 700,000 ANNUALLY ON PRIVATE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT TO DIVERT TRAFFIC FROM OCEAN DRIVE TO OCEAN COURT? WHY DOES THE CITY KEEP THROWING THOUSANDS INTO THE BROKEN RAILROAD TYPE GATE REPAIRS, WHICH HAPPEN ALL TOO FREQUENTLY IN THIS GATED ENCLAVE? WHY ARE WE SPENDING MORE THOUSANDS WEEKLY ON THE PROMENADE MUSIC SERIES, WHICH IS EITHER HELD INSIDE THE BETSY OR ACROSS THE STREET IN THE PARK? THESE COSTS HAVE BEEN RECURRING AND AUTOMATIC, JUST LIKE THE INCREASES ON OUR UTILITY BILLING WATER INVOICES, WHICH WE SEE EVERY OCTOBER, I WISH ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULD REIGN IN WASTEFUL SPENDING AS OUR BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY IN OUR SHRINKING RESIDENTIAL POPULATION.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, OR YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE.
UH, I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH FOR 30, OH GOD, I'M OLD.
I'M A I HAVE A BUSINESS ON LINCOLN ROAD.
AND ROUGH, PROBABLY FIVE YEARS AGO, I WAS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING MOVING FROM EL GIO BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAD BECOME SO SCARY, SO DANGEROUS.
UH, THERE WAS ALWAYS AN ELEMENT OF KIND OF SUB TRAINING VIOLENCE.
WHEN WE WALKED OUTSIDE, WE ACROSS THE STREET EVERY WEEKEND THERE WERE DRUG DEALS.
AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS HYPERBOLIC.
THE CLOSING OF THE TWO BLOCKS OF OCEAN DRIVE HAS BEEN A GAME CHANGER.
IT'S CHANGED THE ENTIRE VIBE OF OCEAN DRIVE, EVEN DOWN TO FIFTH STREET.
IT'S STILL HAS A KIND OF A CIVILIZED VIBRANCY.
SO THERE'S STILL THE INTERESTING ELEMENTS OF IT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FROM A SAFETY ISSUE THAT I LOVE LIVING HERE.
AND FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO BEFORE OCEAN, DR.
THE, THE TWO BLOCKS WERE CLOSED.
I WAS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING MOVING.
'CAUSE IT WAS SO SCARY AS A PARENT TO RAISE KIDS IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WE WALK OUTSIDE AND THERE WAS ALWAYS AN ELEMENT OF THERE WERE DRUG DEALS, THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF SHOOTINGS GOING THERE.
SO I THINK FROM A, IF WE WANT TO DRAW MORE FAMILIES, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN TERMS OF KEEPING THESE TWO BLOCKS CLOSED BECAUSE IT'S CHANGED EVERYTHING EVEN DOWN TO FIFTH STREET.
MY NAME IS NINA WEBER WORTH, AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT FOR 32 YEARS AT 1390 OCEAN DRIVE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU I HAVE SEEN IT ALL.
AND I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THAT IT'S NEVER BEEN BETTER IN OUR PRECIOUS PROMENADE WHERE WE'VE CREATED PEACE, SAFETY, TRANQUILITY, AND FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS, THIS IS THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AND NOW WE HAVE A COMPROMISE WHERE BIKERS ARE HAPPY, THE CARS ARE STILL ON OCEAN DRIVE.
THIS IS ONLY THREE BLOCKS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND IT'S JUST THAT THE CHAOS OF, OF JUST CROSSING THE STREET, JUST TO HAVE THAT KNOT IN OUR FACE EVERY DAY AND THE POLLUTION OF CARS.
IT, IT'S BEEN JUST THE MOST WONDERFUL THING.
AND ALSO, I JUST HAVE TO SAY, UM, THIS IS AMERICA'S RIVIERA, OR CONSIDERED AMERICA'S RIVIERA.
IT'S NOT, OCEAN DRIVE SHOULD NOT BE A DRAG STRIP.
AND ONCE TWO-WAY TRAFFIC COMES BACK, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE.
PEOPLE CRUISING DAY AND NIGHT WITH THEIR OWN LIQUOR AND THEIR OWN DRUGS IN THEIR OWN CAR, AND THEY JUST CAN'T COME TO WATCH A SHOW FROM THEIR CAR.
THEY'RE NOT SPENDING MONEY, THEY'RE NOT BUYING ANYTHING.
SO, AND I ALSO WONDER WHERE IS EILEEN HIGGINS IN ALL OF THIS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, MR. MAYOR COMMISSIONERS FELLOW NEIGHBORS ON ALL SIDES OF THE ISSUE.
THIS HAS BEEN A VERY CIVIL DISCUSSION.
THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHY IT'S A GOOD IDEA OR NOT A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP, UH, OUR SMALL SECTION OF OCEAN DRIVE CLOSED.
UH, THERE'S NO QUESTION IN THE SPIRIT OF, UH, DISCLOSURE WHERE I STAND.
I'M A SOBE SAFE GUY, AND I LIVE AT 1500, UH, UH, 1455 OCEAN DRIVE.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
I, I LISTENED TO THE HEARING ON WEDNESDAY AND, UH, I'LL JUST START OFF SAYING THERE'S NOBODY WHO WOULD WANT OCEAN DRIVE TO CONTINUE HIS
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PEDESTRIAN DRIVE IF THERE WERE A SAFETY ISSUE.AND PEOPLE KEPT COMING UP WITH FALSE STATEMENTS ABOUT THERE BEING A SAFETY ISSUE WITH OCEAN DRIVE CLOSED.
IT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE.
I MEAN, JUST IN ADDITION TO THE, UH, TESTIMONY OF OUR FORMER FIRE, UH, UH, FIRE, UH, CHIEF AND OF OUR PUBLIC, UH, UH, SAFETY, UH, PEOPLE JUST THINK ABOUT IT.
UH, HOW IN THE WORLD COULD WE BE A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN WE HAVE GATES THAT GO UP VERY EASILY, EMERGENCY VEHICLES COME IN AND OUT WHEN WE HAVE NO TRAFFIC ON OUR SECTION IMPEDING THEM, WHEREAS IN THE PAST, THERE WERE TRAFFIC ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, ON TOP OF THAT, WE DON'T HAVE CARS FROM WHICH PEOPLE ARE, UH, SELLING BOOZE AND LIQUOR.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SAFETY ISSUE.
THERE'S NO QUESTION WHATSOEVER THAT OCEAN DRIVE CLOSED TO, UH, VEHICULAR TRAFFIC, UH, IS A LOT SAFER THAN IT WAS, UH, BEFORE.
AND SO THE QUESTION SHOULD BE SETTLED ON THE LEGAL MERITS AND ON THE DESIRE OF OUR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND OUR RESIDENTS.
AND THE SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD JUST BE PUT TO BED ONCE AND FOR ALL.
IT WOULD BE A GAME CHANGER IF IT WERE TRUE, BUT IT'S NOT TRUE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
IT'S VERY MUCH, I'M SORRY, BUT I DIDN'T CATCH YOUR NAME.
UM, I'M THE OWNER OF SB REALTY.
SB REALTY OWNS THE GARAGE THAT IS UNDERNEATH THE I BELLAGIO CONDO ASSOCIATION.
IT SUPPLIES PARKING FOR ALL THE RETAIL ABOVE IT, THE BOUCHER BROTHERS AND OTHER SECOND AND THIRD FLOOR CONDOS.
TO GIVE YOU A HISTORY, ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, WE RECEIVED A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WHERE WE, IN THE COURSE OF DEDICATING SOME ADDITIONAL SPACES IN OUR GARAGE TO THE UNIT OWNERS AND TO THE CONDO NEXT DOOR, I BELIEVE IT WAS BUILT TOGETHER WITH, UH, BELLAGIO RESIDENTIAL.
WE, UH, WERE GIVEN THE PERMISSION TO SELL SUR THE SURPLUS PARKING AND HAVE CELL PARKING IN THE GARAGE.
IN 2020, THE STREET SHUT DOWN.
AND IT WAS PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE.
2021 WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR, BUT BY 2022, I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT PEOPLE WERE SUFFERING.
AND, UH, THERE WERE SIGNS THAT WENT UP THAT SAID NO OUTLET.
THEY, UM, MY GARAGE WAS TAKEN OFF WAYS AND OTHER YOU COULDN'T TECHNICALLY GET THERE IF YOU WERE TRYING TO DRIVE THERE.
AND ESSENTIALLY, THE SELF PARKING COMPONENT OF MY GARAGE WAS TAKEN FROM ME.
AND THE IDEA OF IT BECOMING PERMANENT STARTED COMING OUT.
AND I, I DON'T SEE HOW YOU COULD DO THAT IN THE UNITED STATES, HOW YOU COULD TAKE AWAY SOMEONE'S PROPERTY WITHOUT COMPENSATING.
SO I PERFORMED A, A, A, UH, A A, UH, AN APPRAISAL ON THE PROPERTY.
WE HAD DONE AN APPRAISAL PRIOR BECAUSE I WAS PART OF A PORTFOLIO LOAN.
SO PRIOR TO 2020, I HAD AN APPRAISAL AND I HAD ONE VALUATION.
AND AFTERWARDS WITH THE OCEAN DRIVE, TAKE, UH, SHUT DOWN, THE APPRAISAL CAME IN $7 MILLION LESS.
SO ESSENTIALLY, MY PROPERTY IS WORTH $7 MILLION LESS THAN IT WAS.
I APPRECIATE, AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT SOY TO BE SAFE HAVE HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT OCEAN DRIVE.
I HAVE A HOME ON MICHIGAN AVENUE AND, UH, SOMEONE RECENTLY TRIED TO BREAK INTO THAT HOME AND CRIME IS MUCH MORE PREVALENT IN THE AREA, I GUESS A HALF MILE WEST OF OCEAN DRIVE THAN IT EVER WAS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE, PLEASE STAND IN LINE.
UH, MARK EFF 59 79 ALTON DRIVE.
UM, CAN YOU START AGAIN? I'M SORRY.
THERE WAS AN ECHO, SO, YEAH, SURE.
UH, MARK EFF 59 79 ALTON DRIVE, ALTON ROAD.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.
I'D LIKE TO START BY SAYING I THINK THAT, UH, MR. MAYOR'S INITIAL STATEMENTS WERE RIGHT ON POINT.
WE DO HAVE ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS STREETS IN THE WORLD.
WE CAN SEE IT EVERY TIME THERE'S ANY TYPE OF FOOTAGE OF AN EVENT.
IN MIAMI, IN MIAMI BEACH IS ALWAYS A VIEW OF OCEAN DRIVE.
AND AS SOMEBODY THAT'S WAS BORN HERE AND HIS MOTHER WAS BORN HERE, I'VE SEEN A TON OF CHANGES OVER TIME.
THE RECENT CHANGES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS ARE, I DON'T BELIEVE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH VEHICLES ACCESSING OCEAN DRIVE.
THERE'S, WE'VE, SINCE THIS CITY STARTED, WE'VE HAD VEHICLES ON THAT STREET.
WE'VE HAD VEHICLES ON THAT STREET, WHICH HAS PROPELLED THE STREET TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS STREETS IN THE WORLD.
[00:30:01]
VIBRANT ACTIVITY THERE AND THE RETAIL AND HOTELS THAT ARE THERE CREATE THIS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY OF TOURISM THAT WE HAVE AND DO SHOW OUR FACE TO THE WORLD THROUGH OCEAN DRIVE.WE ALSO HAVE, IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE BEST POLICE FORCES IN THE STATE.
AND I THINK THAT THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THEIR RESOURCES AND PERHAPS THINK ABOUT A BETTER DISTRIBUTION OF THEIR SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE STREET IS THE REAL SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM, NOT CLOSING DOWN THE STREET AND HARMING ALL OF THE RETAIL OPERATORS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS CECILIA JORGENSEN, 34 WESTERN MARINA DRIVE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK TO OPEN UP BACK THE TWO BLOCKS OF OCEAN DRIVE.
I'VE BEEN HERE OVER 30 YEARS AND I HAVE HAD FRIENDS AND FAMILY COME VISIT FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
LIKE YOU SAY, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS STREETS IN THE, IN THE WORLD.
AND A COUPLE OF TIMES NOW, THE LAST YEAR, THEY'VE COME WITH AN UBER, THEY'VE BEEN DROPPED OFF.
AND IT WAS SPECIFICALLY A FRIEND OF MINE'S GRANDMOTHER, 80-YEAR-OLD, DROPPED OFF IN THE ALLEYWAY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T TAKE THEM TO THE HOTEL, POURING DOWN RAIN, DRAGGING THEIR LUGGAGE AND, UH, HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE ALLEYWAY.
SO, I MEAN, IT WAS NOT A GOOD SITUATION FOR THEM AT ALL.
AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NEVER STAY ON OCEAN DRIVE AGAIN BECAUSE OF THIS.
'CAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET DROPPED OFF IN FRONT OF THEIR PLACE OF STAYING.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, THE SAFETY OF OF, OF CLOSING OFF THESE BLOCKS.
AND ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, WHEN I'M THERE WITH MY FRIENDS THAT ARE RESIDENTS IN MIAMI BEACH THAT LOVE OCEAN DRIVE, SOMEONE SAID THEY NEVER COME.
THEY DO ALL THE TIME, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO WALK THAT BLOCK AND A HALF TO TRY TO GET AN UBER ALSO BECAUSE OF SAFETY.
SO I THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT THIS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT OPEN BACK UP FOR SAFETY.
GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE MAYOR, COMMISSIONER AND GENERAL AND MANAGER.
MY NAME IS VINA TAG VON, AND I'M A PROPERTY OWNER AND THE RE AND THE PRESIDENT OF OCEAN DRIVE, PROMINENT COMMUNITY REPRESENTING A COR GROWING COALITION OF RESIDENTS AT 1500 OCEAN DRIVE AND OTHER RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WHO SUPPORT THE REOPENING OF OCEAN DRIVE.
LET'S BE CLEAR, THAT IS WHAT THE RESIDENTS WANTS.
OVER 170 RESIDENTS HAVE SIGNED OUR PETITION AND DEMAND THAT OCEAN DRIVE BE FULLY REOPENED.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS AND VISITORS WANT TO DRIVING ACCESSIBLE AND SAFE OCEAN DRIVE AND NOT ISOLATED DEAD ZONE BLOCKED OFF FROM LIFE AND MOVEMENT.
BUT LET'S ALSO TALK ABOUT SAFETY, BECAUSE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IS NOT WORKING BY FORCING A DEAD END.
THE CITY HAS CREATED A TICKET TIME BOMB FOR ACCIDENTS.
RECKLESS DRIVING U-TURNS AND CONFUSION.
AFTER TURNED TO A 15 TO 14 PLACE INTO DANGER ZONES, THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN ACCIDENTS.
AND WITH EVERY DAY THAT PASSES, THE RISK INCREASES.
THIS IS NOT SAFETY, IT'S NEGLIGENCE.
OCEAN DRIVE MUST BE REOPENED FULLY AND PERMANENTLY WITH REAL SAFETY MEASURES, NOT ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS THAT CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOODS.
BOLLARD ON THE SIDE ALONG THE SIDEWALK WOULD ENSURE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY WITHOUT TURNING OCEAN DRIVE INTO A BARRICADED WASTELAND THAT KEEP PEOPLE AND BUSINESS AWAY.
IT'S TIME TO LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE JUDGE FOLLOW THE LAW AND RESTORE OCEAN DRIVE TO WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
A VIBRANT, ACCESSIBLE, AND SAFE PART OF OUR CITY.
REOPEN NO SHARING DRIVE IMMEDIATELY.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR CONTRACTOR OR DELAYS.
JUST REMOVE THE BARRIERS WITH YOUR OWN HANDS TODAY, AS THE JUDGE SAID.
NOW IT DOESN'T TAKE A CONTRACTOR.
NEXT, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS.
WOULD YOU, COULD YOU JUST ASK A, UH, ANSWER A QUICK QUESTION? UM, YOU PRESENTED, UH, LAST WEEK, I THINK IT WAS MY ASSOCIATION, OCEAN DRIVE.
AND YOU, YOU SAID IT WAS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT.
ARE YOU A REGISTERED FOR I'M NOT PROFIT AND I'M NOT A LOBBYIST AND NON-PROFIT.
IN FACT, EVEN, IS IT, EXCUSE ME, IS IT A REGISTERED 5 0 1 C3? HAVE YOU REGISTERED IT AS AN ORGANIZATION? YES.
IT'S A ORGANIZATION AS ONLY TWO MONTHS, TWO MONTHS OLD ORGANIZATION BECAUSE I'M A, I PURCHASED AN APARTMENT AT 1500 OCEAN DRIVE AND I SAW THAT A LOT OF RESIDENTS, THEY WANTED TO MAKE IT OPEN.
AND SO I I I SUPPORT THOSE RESIDENTS.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE SILENCE VOICES.
[00:35:01]
I UNDERSTAND.I I'M NOT GETTING, BUT IT'S ON SET DO ORG.
IT'S ACTIVE, IT'S ALL LEGAL, EVERYTHING IS GOOD.
AND EVEN I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANYTHING.
EVEN I SPENT MY MONEY FOR MY FIRST MEETING AND I SPENT MY PERSONAL MONEY FOR ALL THE, AND MY TIME FOR EVERYTHING I'M DOING.
I JUST WANT TO DO RIGHT BY THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE, UH, THINKING LIKE ME.
THEY WANT TO, TO HAVE A, LIKE IN FRANCE,
YOU KNOW, IT'S A PUBLIC INFORMATION.
UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREA ION.
MENTIONED, UH, I, I MENTIONED THIS AND, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE REGULAR TRAFFIC FLOW THAT COMES EAST ON FIFTH STREET IS BEING BLOCKED FROM ENTERING OCEAN DRIVE BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC IS GOING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.
IF THIS COULD BE A MEETING OF THE MINES TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE A BIKE PATH BECAUSE IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL, THE BIKE PATH THAT'S THERE AND THE TRAFFIC WOULD FLOW NORTHBOUND INSTEAD OF SOUTHBOUND AND JUST LIKE ON ONE WAY STREETS ON DOWNTOWN MIAMI, IT COULD STILL DRIVE ON THE WEST SIDE SO THAT IT STILL STAYS NEXT TO THE HOTELS.
AND THAT TRAFFIC FLOW IS GONNA BE A LOT BETTER AND A LOT SMOOTHER FROM FIFTH STREET GOING NORTH ONTO OCEAN DRIVE.
AND IT COULD FLOW ALL THE WAY TO 13TH OR IT COULD FLOW ALL THE WAY TO 15TH.
HOW, UH, HOW THE COURTS WERE SAYING, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU'LL HAVE A FREE FLOWING STREET GOING NORTH AS WELL AS KEEPING THE BIKE PATH.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE BUSINESSES ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE GOING TO OCEAN DRIVE.
THAT THIS IS STOPPING IT, AND THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE GOING ON TO OCEAN DRIVE AT, AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO GIVE THAT PARK SOME ADDITIONAL PURPOSE TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO COME TO THAT PARK AND INVITE PEOPLE TO GO AND SPEND MONEY ON OCEAN DRIVE.
SO IF YOU WOULD SIMPLY PUT BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE, UH, UH, SCULPTURES LIKE POTATOES, LOOK AT THE MIAMI BEACH SIGN.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN LINE WAITING TO TAKE A PICTURE IN FRONT OF THE MIAMI BEACH SIGN.
IF YOU CREATE A SCULPTURE GARDEN ON OCEAN DRIVE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SO MANY MORE PEOPLE WANTING TO GO TO OCEAN DRIVE TO ENJOY THE SCULPTURES, TAKE PICTURES AND EAT AT THE RESTAURANTS, CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE WANT TO GO MORE TO OCEAN DRIVE AND IT WOULD FIX BOTH PROBLEMS. THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE? DAVID WALLACH SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF DAVID WALLACH.
THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCERN OF THIS ENTIRE MATTER IS SAFETY.
AND FOR ANYONE NOT TO RECOGNIZE, IT IS A DISSERVICE TO ME, TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND MOSTLY TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO DRIVE LARGE VEHICLES AND CANNOT GET THROUGH THOSE BARRIERS AT THE NORTH END WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT DELAY.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE FIRE UNION SAID TO ME, SECONDS, MATTER SECONDS IN A FIRE, THAT BARRIER AND THE SECOND BARRIER CREATE MEGA DELAYS.
NOW LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC THAT BACKS UP AND HAS TO GET INTO U-TURNS.
3.4 POINT U-TURNS TO GET OUT OF THERE.
IF AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE PULLS IN BEHIND ANY OF THIS COMING AROUND 15TH STREET AND THEY RUN INTO THAT, IT'S A BOTTLENECK AND IT'S EVEN MORE DELAY.
DADE COUNTY THREE TIMES INSTRUCTED THIS CITY TO REOPEN OCEAN DRIVE.
WHY THE SAFETY CONCERNS? THIS IS FROM A SAFETY REPORT BY RALPH BERG, AN EXPERT TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
IT WAS PRESENTED BUT NOT REALLY, UH, LISTENED TO.
HE STATES THIS CLOSURE WAS NOT APPROVED BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AS REQUIRED UNDER THE APPLICABLE CODE PROVISIONS AND RESULTED IN VERY SERIOUS DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS TO BOTH RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES LOCATED ALONG THE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA AND OCEAN DRIVE, AS WELL AS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THE COUNTY HAS REPEATEDLY REJECTED THE CITY'S APPLICATION FOR THIS CLOSURE BECAUSE IT CREATES A SLEW OF DANGEROUS CONDITIONS THAT CONTINUE TO EXIST.
THE MOST SERIOUS OF WHICH IS THE LACK OF DIRECT AND IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO OCEAN DRIVE BY FIRE TRUCKS AND OTHER EMS VEHICLES.
THE CITY'S CLOSURE OF OCEAN DRIVE BETWEEN 13TH AND 14TH PLACE CONTINUES TO CAUSE AN IMMINENT THREAT TO THE LIFE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC.
THAT MUST BE RESOLVED BY IMMEDIATELY REOPENING OCEAN DRIVE.
THE SAFEST OPTION TO REMEDY THE
[00:40:01]
HAZARDS IS TO CHANGE THE TRAFFIC CONFIGURATION OF OCEAN DRIVE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TWO-WAY CONFIGURATION.AND BY THE WAY, HERE'S A RESOLUTION FROM OUR OWN TRANSPORTATION, PARKING AND BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES COMMITTEE.
WE URGE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO IMMEDIATELY REOPEN THE OCEAN DRIVE PROMENADE LOCATED BETWEEN 13TH STREET AND 14TH PLACE, WHICH HAS REMAINED CLOSED FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC SINCE MAY, 2020.
WHILE A STUDY AND VOTE ON ITS FUTURE IS ONGOING, THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR OVER FOUR YEARS HAS CREATED SAFETY ISSUES SUCH AS RESTRICTED EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS, ACCESS DIFFICULTIES FOR PEDESTRIANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES.
TRAFFIC SLOWING DOWN ACCESS FOR FIRE AND POLICE STRUGGLES TO NAVIGATE THE NARROW ALLEYWAY FOR LARGE VEHICLES, FORCED U-TURNS THAT ENCROACH ON BIKE LANES AND PEDESTRIAN AREAS, PARTICULARLY FIRE TRUCKS.
FURTHER, IF A PERMANENT CLOSURE IS BEING CONSIDERED, THIS BOARD OPPOSES IT AND BELIEVES THE CURRENT VOTE, WHICH ONLY EXUDES STAKEHOLDERS IMMEDIATELY NEAR THE CLOSURE, IS INSUFFICIENT AND DISENFRANCHISES OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE AREA.
A BROADER VOTE SHOULD BE INCLUDE MORE VOICES AND ADDRESS WHICH PORTIONS OF OCEAN DRIVE SHOULD BE CLOSED RATHER THAN AN ARBITRARY SELECTION OF THIS AREA.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT REOPENING THE PROMENADE IMMEDIATELY IS ESSENTIAL WHILE FURTHER DECISIONS ARE MADE.
MY NEXT VIRTUAL SPEAKER IS MICHAEL RESNICK.
STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
UM, PEOPLE ARE BLAMING CARS FOR LACK OF SHOPPING, BUT UM, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC AND ACCELERATED BY THE PANDEMIC.
AND AFTERWARDS IS THE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED.
UM, STORES BIG AND SMALL MALLS ALL ACROSS AMERICA ARE, ARE CLOSING BECAUSE THE WAY AMERICA SHOP HAS CH SHOP HAS CHANGED.
UM, ADDING CARS BACK ISN'T GOING TO BRING PEOPLE INTO THE STORES.
IN FACT, IT PROBABLY WILL KEEP PEOPLE AWAY BECAUSE THERE'S LESS PLACES TO WALK.
UM, JUST ANOTHER COMMENT ABOUT, UM, THERE WAS SOMEONE FROM 1500 OCEAN DRIVE SAYING THAT, UM, SHE HAS A COMMUNITY GROUP THAT 175 RESIDENTS SIGNED A PETITION TO OPEN THE ROAD.
UM, THERE'S ONLY 115 UNITS, 14 UNITS IN OUR BUILDING, SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW THAT NUMBER CAME TO BE.
SO JUST QUESTION WHAT WHAT WAS SAID THERE.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, CITY COMMISSIONERS, CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY CLERK.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW ALTOFF, 1 25 JEFFERSON AVENUE.
BEFORE 2020, I USED TO RIDE WITH MY CHILDREN FROM SOUTH BEACH TO THE JCC FOR SWIM LESSONS.
ON THE WEEKENDS, IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RIDE THROUGH LUMI PARK ON THE SERPENTINE PAR SERPENTINE PATHWAY.
THEN IN 2021, THE COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED WITH STRONG RESIDENT SUPPORT.
THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC WITH A TWO-WAY PROTECTED BICYCLE LANE.
THE DESIGN HAS PROVEN NEARLY PERFECT, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO TRAVEL TO FROM AND THROUGH THIS ICONIC AREA SAFELY BY ANY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION.
MY KIDS WENT TO SCHOOL ON 17TH STREET AND EVERY DAY I RODE THEM SAFELY ALONG OCEAN DRIVE.
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE IT WAS FOR THEM.
REMOVING THE BIKE LANES AND REPLACING REPLACING THEM WITH CARS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WOULD BE A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT AND IT WOULD ALSO BE A DOWNGRADE IN QUALITY OF LIFE.
WHILE A PAINFUL DECISION REMOVING THE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA TEMPORARILY WILL HELP BUILD GOODWILL WITH THE COUNTY.
AND WHAT MR. WALLACH JUST SAID, AGAIN, IT FOCUSES ON THAT PEDESTRIAN PLAZA, WHICH IS WHERE THE CONCERNS OF SAFETY RESIDE WITH THE COUNTY.
UH, I URGE YOU ALL TO BIFURCATE THE ISSUE HERE YOU HAVE THE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA AND YOU HAVE THE SOUTHBOUND CONFIGURATION WITH THE BIKE LANE.
THERE'S BEEN A ROCKY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY, BUT THE DIFFERENCES NEED TO BE PUT ASIDE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE THREE DAYS THAT WE HAVE LEFT UNTIL MONDAY SO THAT THE BIKE LANES AREN'T PAINTED OVER.
AND SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T FORCED TO RIDE IN THE STREET EITHER IN AN UNSAFE MANNER OR ON EXTREMELY CROWDED BEACH WALK.
WHILE WE RESPECT THE COURT'S DECISION, IMPORTANT FACTS WERE NOT PRESENTED, WHICH WE HOPE THEY WILL BE DURING THE APPEAL AND BETTER STREETS.
MIAMI BEACH HAS FILED A MOTION TO INTERVENE IN THE CASE TO HELP ARGUE THOSE POINTS.
THIS IS WORTH CONTINUING TO FIGHT FOR.
[00:45:01]
EVERY POSSIBLE STEP TO PRESERVE WHAT WE HAVE TODAY AND TO KEEP MOVING MIAMI BEACH FORWARD.IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK, PLEASE? SINCE YOU ASKED TWICE, THOSE WAS THE LAST TWO SPEAKERS.
I NOT LIVING IN, UH, MIAMI BEACH, BUT I'M DOING BUSINESS IN MIAMI BEACH.
UM, I'M IN ITS HOSPITALITY, UH, BUSINESS OVER MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
I NEVER WELCOME, UH, MY GUESTS THROUGH A TRASH ROOMS. I NEVER WELCOME MY GUESTS THROUGH A TRASH ALLEYWAY.
I WELCOME MY GUESTS THROUGH A, THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE BEAUTY OF THE, OF THE STREET.
UM, THE BLACK HOLE THAT WE HAVE NOW ON OCEAN DRIVE BETWEEN 13 AND UH, OR 14 AND 15.
OUR, UH, GUEST THAT COMING TO OCEAN DRIVE THROUGH A TRASH ROOM AND A TRASH ALLEY.
TO BE HONEST, THE THE ALLEYWAY YOU CAN SEE ONLY DUMPSTER, TRASH DUMPSTERS.
YOU NOT SEE THEIR, UH, ANYTHING BUT, UH, TRASH.
SO, UH, THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO WELCOME, UH, OUR GUEST TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, ICONIC, UH, STREET IN THE WORLD.
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T CATCH YOUR NAME.
OKAY, THIS IS OUR LAST SPEAKER.
I OWN, UH, CONDO NUMBER 2 0 4 AT 1390 OCEAN DRIVE.
UH, I HAVE NOT MET A SINGLE PERSON IN OUR BUILDING THAT'S IN FAVOR OF OPENING UP THE PROMENADE.
UH, AND I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF FOLKS.
UH, I PURCHASED 18 MONTHS AGO.
I PAID THE HIGHEST PER SQUARE FOOTAGE EVER PAID FOR A UNIT IN THAT BUILDING.
I LOVE THE SAFETY OF HAVING IT CLOSED OUT FRONT SO I CAN WALK BACK AND FORTH TO TAKE, TAKE THE DOG ON HIS WALK WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY.
UH, I'VE BEEN DOWN HERE IN, IN THE PAST, BEEN ON OCEAN DRIVE WHERE THERE'S VERY LOUD, UH, VEHICLES GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH PEOPLE YELLING OBSCENITIES OUT LOUD, OBSCENE MUSIC, UH, VERY DANGEROUS FEELING ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW.
IF THIS PROMENADE IS OPENED, I WILL MOST LIKELY SELL AND, UH, AND NOT OWN AGAIN ON OCEAN DRIVE.
UM, BUT THEN WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT PLACES LIKE ESPANOLA WAY THRIVING, EVERY TIME I GO DOWN THERE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T HARDLY WALK.
EVERY RESTAURANT THERE IS THRIVING.
SO, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, IN MY OPINION, UH, PROBABLY OUGHT TO CLOSE THE ENTIRE OCEAN DRIVE, FILL IT UP WITH DIRT AND COBBLESTONE IT.
AND I BET EVERYONE WOULD BE DOING A LOT BETTER BUSINESS WISE.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
[R9 B DISCUSS/TAKE ACTION: UPDATE ON THE CONFIGURATION OF OCEAN DRIVE BETWEEN 5TH STREET AND 14TH PLACE AND NEXT STEPS.]
IS TURN IT OVER TO ERIC AND TO OUR CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY TO GIVE A LITTLE TRY TO DO IT BRIEFLY.THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MULTIPLE YEARS AND ACTUALLY IT PREDATES RICK'S TIME AS CITY ATTORNEY, ERIC'S TIME AS CITY MANAGER.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET A CONTEXT OF HOW WE'RE HERE.
UM, I'LL GIVE MY 2 CENTS ON, UH, UH, I, I'VE BEEN OPEN AND OUT THERE WITH MY OPINIONS ON THE STREET, BUT WHAT I THINK IS UNDISPUTED, THIS IS ME.
MAYBE PEOPLE CAN DISPUTE IT 'CAUSE YOU HAVE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF HOW WE GOT THERE, BUT THE STREET RIGHT NOW IS AS SAFE, AS CLEAN AND AS FAMILY FRIENDLY, INVITING AS WE'VE EVER HAD ON OCEAN DRIVE.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT, TO ME IT'S UNQUESTIONABLE.
UM, 'CAUSE AND, AND I'VE SEEN THE CHANGE AS, AS AN ELECTED FROM, AS A COMMISSIONER ELECTED FIVE YEARS AGO, UH, TO THE TIME NOW.
IT, THERE'S NO QUESTION IN THE STREET.
AND, AND THERE'S MULTIPLE REASONS.
AND I'M, AS YOU NOTICE, THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS, WHICH HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN CRACKING DOWN ON DRUG DEALING.
UM, SO THERE'S MANY, MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS GOING ON, BUT, UM, BUT THE POINT IS, I DO NOT WANT TO SEE WHATEVER HAPPENS, OCEAN DRIVE, GO BACK TO WHAT IT WAS.
AND I, AND, AND HERE'S HERE'S THE TRIGGER.
TO ME, THIS IS THE PART THAT REALLY FRUSTRATES ME.
AND I, AND I DON'T, I'M NOT GONNA GET OVERLY CRITICAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE MADE SOME MISTAKES IN THE CITY AS WELL, AND THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED IT PREDATES, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THAT AWAY, BUT THE COUNTY, WHETHER IT BE EILEEN HIGGINS, COMMISSIONER HIGGINS, WHETHER IT BE MAYOR KAVA, AND WHETHER IT BE THE JUDGE DOES NOT GET DOZENS AND DOZENS OF EMAILS, SOMETIMES DAILY, CERTAINLY WEEKLY ON AN A YEARLY BASIS, HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS, MAYBE.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED.
I MEAN, THE EMAILS THAT CAME IN REGARDING SOUTH
[00:50:01]
BEACH AND CERTAINLY OCEAN DRIVE, I MEAN, IT WAS, IT WAS LITERALLY ALMOST A FULL-TIME JOB FOR ME TO RESPOND TO THE EMAILS, WHAT WAS GOING ON.SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME WHEN I SEE PEOPLE SAYING THINGS THAT ARE JUST FACTUALLY FALSE.
WHEN YOU HAVE A MID-LEVEL COUNTY EMPLOYEE, SAY THE STATE STREET IS NOT SAFE, THAT JUST, IF YOU GO DOWN THERE, IT DOESN'T PASS.
THE EYE TEST DOESN'T PASS THE FIELD TEST.
AND BY THE WAY, AND THEN HE WASN'T EVEN CROSS-EXAMINED PROPERLY.
WE HAD TO GO GET A DECLARATION.
SO THAT TO TO TO, TO BACK IT UP, THIS IS WHAT'S FRUSTRATING FOR ME, AND THIS IS THE PART THAT I WILL FIGHT TO THE END.
AND THIS IS WHAT IRENE MENTIONED BEFORE.
AND I WILL ABSOLUTELY FIGHT FOR THE END.
THIS DECISION, WHATEVER DECISION WE MAKE SHOULD BE MADE HERE.
THE SEVEN OF US REPRESENT THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESSES OF MIAMI BEACH.
AND THAT DECISION BELONGS HERE BECAUSE NOBODY, NOBODY ELSE KNOWS THE PROBLEMS LIKE WE DO AND KNOWS THE ISSUES AND KNOWS THE STAKEHOLDERS ON BOTH SIDES, ON BOTH SIDES.
THAT DECISION HAS TO BE MADE HERE.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S GOTTEN, IT'S GOTTEN, UH, IT'S GOTTEN VERY POLITICAL TO SAY, TO SAY IT STRAIGHT, UM, WITH THE COUNTY, WITH THE JUDICIARY.
AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHAT I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR.
WE MAKE THE DECISION, WHATEVER THE DECISION THAT MAKES, WHAT'S MADE WE REPRESENT THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF MIAMI BEACH.
UM, ERIC CARPENTER, CITY MANAGER.
UH, JUST A BRIEF, BRIEF HISTORY ON THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION.
UM, THIS COMMISSION ISSUED A RESOLUTION BACK IN OCTOBER 27TH, ON OCTOBER 27TH, 2021, DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A ONE-WAY SOUTHBOUND CONDITION ON OCEAN DRIVE BETWEEN FIFTH AND 15TH STREET.
UM, A MONTH AND A HALF LATER DECEMBER 8TH, 2021.
THE SAME COMMISSION ISSUED DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE PROMENADE FROM 13TH STREET TO 14TH PLACE ON JANUARY OF 2022.
THE ONE-WAY CONFIGURATION WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNTY AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE CITY.
UM, SAME TIME THE PILOT PROGRAM WAS INITIATED FOR THE PROMENADE.
UM, UM, LOT OF COORDINATION, LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE RECORD.
WE'VE HAD 15 LTCS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS ON THIS MATTER.
UM, WE'VE HAD CLOSE TO A DOZEN LETTERS BACK AND FORTH WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, ON JANUARY 30TH, 2024, A BLOCK PARTY PERMIT WAS ISSUED FOR THE PROMENADE WITH 180 DAY DURATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE THE PERMANENT, UM, PEDESTRIANIZATION OF THAT TWO BLOCK STRETCH.
UH, THE COUNTY WAS VERY CLEAR AT THAT TIME THAT THAT BLOCK PARTY PERMIT WAS CONDITIONED UPON THE FOLLOWING APPROVAL OF A METHODOLOGY FOR A TRAFFIC OPERATIONS AND SAFETY ANALYSIS BASED ON BOTH THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION AND A MODIFIED CONFIGURATION OF THE PROMENADE AS RECOMMENDED BY DTPW, THE COUNTY'S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, SUBMITTAL OF A TRAFFIC OPERATIONS AND SAFETY ANALYSIS BASED ON THE APPROVED METHODOLOGY, CONDUCTING COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND CONDUCTING A SURVEY OF THE AFFECTED PROPERTY OWNERS AND OBTAINING CONCURRENCE FROM TWO THIRDS OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE PROMENADE AND AFFECTED SIDE STREETS.
THE CITY COMPLIED WITH ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE COUNTY PUT FORWARD.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY ON JANUARY 7TH OF THIS YEAR, WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE COUNTY REQUESTING THAT WE REMOVE THE PROMENADE.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT WAS AS A RESULT OF THE ONGOING LITIGATION THAT WE'RE FACING.
UM, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT COURT HEARING IS DRIVING A LOT OF THESE DECISIONS.
UM, I WILL LEAVE THE LEGAL ANALYSIS UP TO OUR ESTEEMED CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE JUDGE HAS RULED AT THIS POINT IN TIME AND HAS DIRECTED THE CITY TO REMOVE THE PROMENADE AND RETURN OCEAN DRIVE FROM FIFTH TO 15TH STREET BACK TO ITS PRE COVID I TWO-WAY CONDITION.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T SEE A PATH AT THIS POINT TO BE ABLE TO AVOID COMPLIANCE WITH THAT COURT ORDER.
[00:55:01]
UM, I WILL GLADLY HAND IT OVER TO RICK TO TALK ABOUT THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS AND DESPITE CLOSE COLLABORATION HAS WITH THE COUNTY, AS HAS BEEN ENUMERATED IN ALL OF OUR LTCS, UM, THE COUNTY HAS BASICALLY MADE US AWARE THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE PERMITTING THE PROMENADE.AND ULTIMATELY, UNFORTUNATELY, DESPITE THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE ONE-WAY CONDITION, UM, POTENTIALLY BEING SOMETHING THEY WOULD CONSIDER, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE SAYING THERE'S GOING TO BE A TIMELINE THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO APPROVE THAT PRIOR TO OUR HAVING TO COMPLY WITH THE JUDGE'S ORDER.
UM, ON A BRIGHTER NOTE, I CAN SAY THAT IN JUNE OF 2023, WE ENGAGED WITH CALVIN GIORDANO AND ASSOCIATES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DESIGN OF THE LONG TERM KOVICH PLAN FOR OCEAN DRIVE AND LOOMIS PARK.
UM, AND THEY ARE 18 MONTHS IN, THEY ARE WRAPPING UP THEIR, UM, TRAFFIC ANALYSIS THAT LOOKED AT THE ENTIRETY OF THE ART DECO CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UM, AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT TO THE COMMISSION WITHIN THE NEXT 60 TO 90 DAYS SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT THE LONG-TERM VISION IS FOR OCEAN DRIVE AND ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT GREATER VISION.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE RICK SURE.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THE BODY HERE.
SO, UM, EVERYTHING ERIC, UH, EXPLAINED IS, IS ACCURATE JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF THE LEGAL COLOR.
UM, I DO AGREE WITH ERIC THAT THE LETTER WE RECEIVED ON JANUARY 7TH FROM THE COUNTY WAS TIED DIRECTLY BECAUSE WE HAD A HEARING ON JANUARY 8TH IN FRONT OF JUDGE, UH, BEATRICE BUTCH SANCHEZ.
AND THE LETTER WAS INFORMING AS, AS ERIC MENTIONED, UH, THE CITY, THAT WE HAD TO REOPEN THE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA AND THAT WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE THE ONE WAY CONDITION.
UM, AT THE TIME, I THINK IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE CITY HEARD THE TERM TEMPORARILY APPROVED BECAUSE THE CITY HAD OBTAINED A PERMIT FOR THE ONE WAY CONDITION, I BELIEVE, AT THE BEGINNING OF 2022.
AND THAT CONDITION HAS EXISTED FOR THREE YEARS, UM, SEEMINGLY WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM OR CONCERN RAISED BY THE COUNTY.
SO IN THAT LETTER OF JANUARY 7TH, THE COUNTY FIRST USED THE TERM TEMPORARILY APPROVED, UM, MOVING ON, UH, THAT DAY, JANUARY 8TH, UM, LARGELY BASING HER DECISION ON PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS.
ALTHOUGH SHE DID BUY INTO THE ARGUMENT THAT THE CLEVELANDER HAD SUFFERED IMMINENT HARM AS A RESULT OF THE ONE-WAY CONDITION, UM, NOTWITHSTANDING OUR, OUR BEST ARGUMENTS THAT, UH, THEY WERE ACTUALLY NOT HARMED WHATSOEVER BECAUSE THEY HAD DIRECT ACCESS TO THE FRONT OF THEIR HOTEL.
UM, THE JUDGE NEVERTHELESS, UH, FOUND THAT BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS THAT HAD BEEN RAISED BY THE COUNTY, UH, AND THAT THE COUNTY HAD INDICATED WE NO LONGER HAD A PERMIT FOR THE ONE WAY CONDITION THAT WE HAD TO RETURN OCEAN DRIVE TO ITS PRE COVID TWO WAY CONDITION, UM, ABSENT OBTAINING A PERMIT FOR, FROM THE COUNTY FOR THE ONE WAY CONDITION.
SO SHE SOMEWHAT CONFOUNDED THE ISSUE OF WHAT THE SAFETY CONCERNS WERE THAT HAD BEEN RAISED BY THE COUNTY, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY WAS CLARIFIED IN A DEPOSITION, UH, BY, BY THE SAME UH, COUNTY EMPLOYEE WHO HAD SAID THAT THERE WERE SAFETY CONCERNS, SHE CLARIFIED THAT THE SAFETY CONCERNS WERE FOCUSED ON THE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA.
UM, WE, UM, OBTAINED AN EXTENSION FROM THE JUDGE BECAUSE SHE ORIGINALLY SAID WE HAD TO COMPLY BY JANUARY, UH, 15TH.
UM, AND THEN WE, UM, UM, WE OBTAINED AN EXTENSION THROUGH JANUARY 31ST.
WE SUBSEQUENTLY FILED A NOTICE OF APPEAL BECAUSE SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE COUNTY'S DIRECTION, UM, OUR BELIEF IS THAT IT IS UP TO THE COUNTY TO DIRECT THE CITY, UH, IN MATTERS INVOLVING TRAFFIC FLOW AND NOT THE COURTS.
UH, WE BELIEVE THERE'S A SEPARATION OF POWERS ISSUE AND WE ARE THEREFORE APPEALING AND WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THAT APPEAL REGARDLESS OF, OF THE, UM, NEED TO COMPLY WITH THE JUDGE'S ORDER AND, AND, AND RETURN, UH, OCEAN DRIVE TO ITS, ITS TWO-WAY CONDITION.
UM, SO WHERE WE ARE NOW IS WE JUST HAD A, ANOTHER HEARING YESTERDAY,
[01:00:02]
UM, BECAUSE AS A RESULT OF OUR FILING, THE NOTICE OF APPEAL, WE RECEIVED AN AUTOMATIC STAY, WHICH BASICALLY FROZE THE JUDGE'S ORDER IN TIME.BUT THE JUDGE HERSELF VACATED THAT STAY AND SAID, NO, YOU, YOU NEED TO COMPLY.
UM, AND SO WE WILL BE APPEALING THAT AS WELL.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE JUDGE JUST ENTERED HER ORDER THIS MORNING AT AROUND NINE 20 WHEN WE HAD JUST STARTED.
SO WE WILL BE FILING AN APPEAL TO THE THIRD DCA, UH, TO REINSTATE THE STAY.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN, UH, BECAUSE THE BASIS OF THE JUDGE'S RULING WAS SAFETY CONCERNS.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THE DCA IS GOING TO GO INTO THE WEEDS ON, ON THAT ISSUE.
SO WE WILL NEED TO WAIT OUR TURN TO ACTUALLY ARGUE THE MERITS OF THE CASE IN FRONT OF THE DCA, UM, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, I SUSPECT.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE LEGALLY, WE, UM, HAVE NO CHOICE, AS ERIC SAID, BUT TO COMPLY WITH THE JUDGE'S ORDER, UNLESS IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO, UH, WE RECEIVE ANOTHER REPRIEVE.
BUT THE COUNTY HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA HAS TO GO AWAY.
UM, BUT THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US ON THE ONE-WAY CONDITION.
AS ERIC ALSO MENTIONED, UH, THERE ARE NEW STRICTER REQUIREMENTS, UH, WHEN YOU ARE TAKING A ROAD FROM A TWO-WAY TO A ONE-WAY CONDITION, WHICH WILL SIMPLY CAUSE THIS TO BE A LONGER OR LENGTHIER PROCESS.
THE ONLY COMMENT I'LL MAKE IS, UH, WHAT'S, I'LL TELL YOU WHY I'M ASKING, WHAT'S THE EXPENSE TO TURN THE LANE AROUND? 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU HAVE A DECISION MADE AND GENERALLY THE WAY OUR COURT SYSTEM WORKS IS YOU HAVE AN APPELLATE PROCESS.
BUT HERE, I MEAN, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S, IT'S A PRETTY PRICEY EXPENSE TO TURN THE ROAD, ROAD AROUND, BUT MAYBE I'M WRONG.
UH, I WOULD HAND THAT OFF TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S A SIX FIGURE NUMBER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIMME AN EXACT NUMBER THAT THAT MIGHT NOT, MY POINT IS ON THE EXPEDIENCY OF, OF HAVING APPELLATE COURTS HEARD, UH, I'M GONNA TURN IT, TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES, UM, VICE MAYOR BOT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS ON THIS AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR QUITE A FEW OF THEM, BUT BEFORE, UM, I SHARE THEM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UM, POLICE CHIEF WAYNE JONES TO JOIN US, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF CLAIMS BEING MADE ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIME RATES AND VEHICLE ACCESS.
AND, UM, AS SOMEBODY POINTED OUT, ANYBODY WHO HAS WALKED DOWN OCEAN DRIVE BEFORE 19, UH, 2020 AND SINCE 2020, YEAH.
THINGS ARE REALLY DIFFERENT THEN.
I KNOW I LOOK GOOD, RIGHT?
SO, UM, COULD YOU PLEASE TALK ABOUT CRIME, STATISTICS, DATA, PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLES, BOTH YOURS, AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, YOU GUYS COLLABORATE ON, ON ISSUES.
DAVID, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, IT'S THE WRONG WAY, BY THE WAY.
AND, AND THE POOR MAN WHO LOST HIS LEGS WAS SLEEPING ON THE STREET.
I MEAN, HE WASN'T, YOU KNOW, LET'S NOT, LET'S NOT LITIGATE THIS DRIVE AT THE NORTH END.
LET'S, LET'S KEEP TO THE TOPIC AT HAND, PLEASE.
OTHERWISE WE'LL BE HERE FOR DAYS.
UH, WAYNE JONES, POLICE CHIEF, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO WHEN THE, WHEN THE ROAD CLOSURE WAS IMPLEMENTED, INITIALLY, WHAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE IS READY ACCESS, UNMITIGATED UNOBSTRUCTED ACCESS TO THAT PART OF THE DRIVE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.
AND SO THE FIX FOR THAT WAS HAVING SECURITY GUARDS 24 7 GUARDING THOSE GATES.
THAT HAS WORKED VERY, VERY WELL FOR US.
ADDITIONALLY, WE SORT OF SUPPLEMENTED OUR EVERYDAY PATROL EFFORTS BY MOVING OUT OF VEHICLES TO ATVS, GOLF CARTS, BICYCLES, WHICH HAS ALSO WORKED, UH, VERY WELL FOR US IN TERMS OF PROVIDING, UH, EMERGENCY SERVICES TO THAT PART OF THE DRIVE.
UM, WANT TO SHARE SOME DATA POINTS WITH YOU.
I NEED TO OPEN THIS FOR ME AGAIN.
UH, SINCE 2021, BROADLY SPEAKING, WE HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION, UM, IN CRIME.
UH, AND THEREFORE ONE CAN SURMISE FROM THAT, THAT WE'RE SAFER, UH, SINCE THEN.
UH, 12% ARREST REDUCTION ON OCEAN DRIVE, 16% REDUCTION IN, UM, CALLS FOR SERVICE ON OCEAN DRIVE.
[01:05:01]
THAT'S THE ENTIRETY OF OCEAN DRIVE.AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS NOTION OF, UM, AC VEHICLES CAN'T ACCESS OCEAN DRIVE.
THERE ARE TWO BLOCKS OUT OF THE 15, UM, BLOCKS THAT ARE LIMITED IN ACCESS, AND EVERY OTHER BLOCK HAS AN ENTRANCE POINT ONTO OCEAN DRIVE.
SO TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE O OCEAN DRIVE IS NOT CURRENTLY CLOSED TO TRAFFIC, IT IS ONE WAY WITH A BIKE LANE.
SO FIRE TRUCKS, ANYBODY CAN GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO BECAUSE THEY CAN COME IN A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH AND TURN LEFT OR RIGHT AS THEY NEED.
SO LET'S JUST KEEP THE FACTS, LET'S, LET'S UNDERSTAND THE FACTS ARE ACTUALLY FACTUAL.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF PASSION ABOUT THIS BOTH WAYS.
UM, HAS ANYBODY HERE NOT SEEN BIRDCAGE THE MOVIE? BECAUSE IT'S WONDERFUL ON ITS OWN MERITS.
UM, AND I WATCHED IT AGAIN A COUPLE OF TIMES RECENTLY FOR VARIOUS REASONS, AND THE SCENE SHOWING OCEAN DRIVE IS MAGNIFICENT.
IT IS A PARKING LOT WITH PEOPLE HANGING OUT THE WINDOWS AND ROLLERBLADING IN THE SMALLEST QUESTIONABLE BATHING SUITS AND OUTFITS, IF YOU WANNA CALL THEM THAT.
BUT THAT WAS A POINT IN TIME, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR TOURISM IS, THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR BRAND IDENTITY IS.
IT WAS A FABULOUS POINT IN TIME THAT THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE RENAISSANCE OF OCEAN DRIVE.
BUT WE HAVE EVOLVED AND MOVED ON.
WE HAVE GROWN UP FROM THAT, THAT NO HOLDS BARRED VERSION OF OURSELVES.
THE CLEVELAND CLAIMS, THEY'VE BEEN DAMAGED IN THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, BUT THEY HAVEN'T CHANGED THEIR BUSINESS MODEL SINCE WE WERE FILMING SPRING BREAK ON THE BEACH HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE DO OCEAN, WE DO, WE CLOSE DOWN OCEAN DRIVE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS EVERY YEAR.
WE DO THE ART DECO WEEK WEEKEND.
AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE, PEOPLE WANDER AROUND LOOKING AND SAYING, THIS IS AWESOME.
AND IF THE CLEVELANDER AND THE OTHER RESTAURANTS ALONG THE, THE DRIVE, BUT ESPECIALLY THE CLEVELANDER WANTED TO EMBRACE THAT AND PUT PEOPLE INTO PERIOD COSTUMES AND HAVE, UH, ART DECO JAZZ MUSIC COMING, THEY WOULD HAVE PEOPLE LINING UP FOR DRINKS OUTSIDE, RIGHT? BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE DOING THEIR OWN THING, AND THAT IS THEIR PREROGATIVE.
BUT DON'T BLAME US FOR YOUR BUSINESS MODEL IF IT'S NO LONGER WHAT THE CUSTOMER DESIRES.
UM, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO BIFURCATE THE ISSUES.
I THINK WE NEED TO BIFURCATE THIS SMALL TWO BLOCK PEDESTRIANIZATION.
I DON'T MEAN TO KEEP UP THERE FOREVER.
I THINK WE NEED, MAY I ASK? NO, NO, NO, NO.
WHY IS HE SPECIAL? WHY DID HE GET TWO EXTRA? OKAY, I GOT THIS, I GOT THIS.
YOU GUYS, THIS, I THINK WE NEED TO BIFURCATE THE ISSUE BETWEEN THE TWO BLOCKS THAT WERE DONE AS A TEST, REALLY.
AND THE BIGGER ISSUE, ARGUABLY OF THERE ARE THREE ISSUES WHERE YOU CAN TACKLE TWO RIGHT NOW.
THE, THE TWO BLOCKS THAT WERE DONE AS A TEST AND THE, THE ONE WAY, UM, TRAFFIC ON OCEAN DRIVE WITH A VERY ROBUST BIKE LANE.
AND I'M GONNA TAKE THAT ONE FIRST.
WELL, ONE OF THE CALLERS, I THINK HIS NAME WAS JOSH, WAS EXCORIATING US AS AN, AS A GOVERNMENT AND AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE WEREN'T DOING ENOUGH FOR MICRO MOBILITY THAT WE ARE NOT HELPING OUR TRAFFIC BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SAFE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO RIDE.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST LIVING EXAMPLES OF HOW CARS AND VEHICLES CAN COEXIST SAFELY ON A PRETTY MAJOR THOROUGHFARE IN OUR CITY.
AND WE ARE BEING TOLD TO UNDO IT.
IT FLIES IN THE FACE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, IN THE FACE OF COMMON SENSE, IN THE FACE OF CARING ABOUT RESIDENTS.
WE HAVE REAMS OF DATA, REAMS OF DATA, AND THIS IS NOT EVEN MOST OF IT.
THIS IS A SOUP SONG OF DATA SHOWING THAT PEDESTRIANIZED ROADS OR PARTIALLY PEDESTRIANIZED ROADS GENERATE SO MUCH INCREMENTAL RETAIL SALES AND VALUE, UH, RETAIL SALES, ESPECIALLY TO RESTAURANTS AND BARS.
THEY HELP WITH, UM, UH, EMPLOYMENT ISSUES BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE IN FROM PARTS, UH, FURTHER WEST.
UM, THEY HELP WITH, WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE GARAGE PERSON, MR. ME, NOT NOTWITHSTANDING, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT PARTICULAR DATA SET, BUT, UM, RETAIL VALUE OF THE, THE RETAIL LAND OF, OF THE, OF THE LEASE SPACES AND, AND THE BUILDINGS AND THE RESIDENTIAL SPACES THAT ALL GOES THROUGH THE ROOF.
THERE IS SIGNIFICANT MONEY TO BE MADE FOR EVERYBODY BY MAKING OCEAN DRIVE SAFER, MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, ACCESSIBLE TO CARS AS NEEDED.
AND FOR FOLKS WHO SAY, WELL, I CAN'T GET TO MY HOTEL, OR THE UBER DRIVER DROPPED ME IN A, IN A, UM, IN A,
[01:10:01]
UH, IN AN ALLEY IN THE RAIN, WELL, SHAME ON THAT UBER DRIVER BECAUSE THERE ARE POINTS ONTO OCEAN DRIVE ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN, AND YOU CAN GO AROUND THE BLOCK AND DROP SOMEBODY RIGHT AT THE FRONT DOOR OF THE HOTEL, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE AN UMBRELLA IN YOUR CAR TO HELP THAT PERSON TO THE FRONT DOOR, RIGHT? SO THAT IS NOT, THAT'S NOT A FAIR ASSESSMENT EITHER.THERE ARE PEDESTRIANIZED STREETS AND PLAZAS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, ASIA, SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, EUROPE, THAT ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE REAL ESTATE TO BE HAD, THE FINEST HOTELS, THE BEST RESTAURANTS, THE COOLEST BARS, AND THEY THINK ABOUT IT HOLISTICALLY AND THINK ABOUT THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE MANAGEMENT AND HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET TO THEIR DESTINATION SAFELY.
ALL OF THIS, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS I RAN FOR OFFICE, IS THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY TOO LONG OF A HISTORY OF DOING THINGS PIECEMEAL.
LIKE, OH, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA.
LET'S, LET'S DO IT RIGHT HERE.
AND RIGHT NOW, WHAT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD IDEA, WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT HOLISTICALLY AND THINKING ABOUT HOW TO DO IT IN AN INTEGRATED MANAGE, UH, MANAGED FASHION SO THAT THE BUSINESSES ON OCEAN DRIVE WILL BE EMPOWERED TO THRIVE.
THAT WE HAVE WAYS TO GET PEOPLE TO THEIR FRONT DOORS OF THE HOTELS AND THE RESTAURANTS THAT WE HAVE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE THEIR CARS OFF OF AND GET THEIR BIKES ONTO THAT.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN COEXIST IN BIKES, ROLLER BLADES, E MOBILITY CARS, WHATEVER YOU NEED IN A HOLISTIC FASHION.
SO TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT WORKING IS NOT A FAIR ASSESSMENT.
SO I THINK THERE'S A BIGGER PART OF THIS THAT WE'LL MAYBE WE'LL GET TO LATER TODAY, OR MAYBE IT'LL BE A SEPARATE ISSUE, BUT YOU DID MENTION THAT THERE IS OR NO, ERIC I THINK MENTIONED THAT THERE HAS BEEN A PLAN IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS TO THINK HOLISTICALLY ABOUT HOW WE REIMAGINE LOMAS PARK.
AND THIS IS A TIME, LET US NOT LET OTHER AUTHORITIES GOVERN HOW WE CHOOSE TO LIVE.
WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE OURSELVES ONE OF THE HEALTHIEST MOST, WELL, THIS WELLBEING IS, I DON'T, THAT'S NOT EVEN A WORD, BUT WE SHOULD MAKE A ONE, ONE OF THE, THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN THIS, IN, IN THE COUNTRY AND PUTTING MORE CARS INTO PLACES WHERE THERE ARE CHILDREN AND DOGS AND ROLLER BLADERS AND BIKERS IS NOT THE WAY TO DO THAT.
IT'S EXPENSIVE, AND OH, BY THE WAY, IT DOESN'T PHOTOGRAPH WELL.
WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET THOSE PICTURES OF OCEAN DRIVE LIT UP IN NEON AT NIGHT OR AT AT SUNRISE WHEN EVERYTHING IS GLOWING, PASTEL? THOSE ARE THE PICTURES THAT ARE DRIVING PEOPLE TO YOUR BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY WANT TO EAT THERE.
THEY WANNA SEE THE SUNRISE AND HAVE COFFEE AFTER THEY GO FOR A RUN ON THE BEACH.
THEY'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THOSE PICTURES.
THEY'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO BE PHOTOSHOPPED OUT WITH THE CARS BEEPING IN WITH THEIR EXHAUST SPILLING OUT.
SO LET'S END THIS NONSENSE ABOUT, IT'S TERRIBLE FOR US.
IT'S TERRIBLE FOR US THE WAY IT HAS BEEN UNFOLDING.
WE KNOW THAT PARTS OF IT ARE EXCELLENT AND WE KNOW PARTS OF IT SHOULD, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY AND BETTER.
SO LET'S DO IT RIGHT MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK I SAW, UH, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ'S, UH, HAND FIRST.
AND THEN COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL, UM, ABOUT THE WORDS THAT WE SAY TODAY, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY CAREFULLY LISTENING.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF POLITICAL PEOPLE LISTENING.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF ATTORNEYS WITH, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH INTERESTS THAT ARE LISTENING.
AND OUR WORDS CAN, AND I ANTICIPATE WILL BE USED, UH, TO SHAPE A NARRATIVE BEYOND THIS ROOM.
AND SO, AND SO I THINK IT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, VERY IMPORTANT, UM, TO KEEP THAT IN MIND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR WORDS CAN BE USED IN WAYS THAT WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE OR WE DIDN'T INTEND FOR OUR WORDS TO BE USED IN, YOU KNOW, I THINK ANYONE WHO'S BEEN FOLLOWING THIS ISSUE KNOWS HOW I FEEL ABOUT, ABOUT, ABOUT THE PROMENADE, KNOWS THAT I BELIEVE THAT IT'S BEEN AN ASSET TO OUR CITY, AND THAT IT ALIGNS WITH THE GENERAL DIRECTION THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN GOING IN.
BUT THE COURTS HAVE RULED ON WHETHER WE AGREE WITH THAT DECISION OR NOT.
WE ARE A RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT AND WE ARE RESPONSIBLE LEADERS, AND WE HAVE TO RESPECT THE AUTHORITY OF THE JUDICIARY, WHETHER WE LIKE WHAT THE, WHAT THE JUDICIARY IS TELLING US OR NOT.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S AN ISSUE.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING GOVERNMENTS TO RESPECT US AND TO GIVE OUR COMMUNITY
[01:15:01]
WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR, BUT WE CAN'T DEMAND RESPECT FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN GOVERNMENT IF WE, IF WE DON'T RESPECT THEIR AUTHORITY AS WELL.AND, YOU KNOW, I COULD SAY A LOT OF THINGS HERE TODAY THAT, THAT MY CONSTITUENTS WILL LOVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SO MANY OF THE MERITS OF THIS, OF THIS PROMENADE, BUT THE COUNTY HAS JURISDICTION ON THIS MATTER.
THE COUNTY ISSUED US A LETTER UNDER A SECTION OF THE COUNTY CODE THAT GRANTS EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS OVER TRAFFIC AND TRAFFIC, HOW TRAFFIC MOVES EXCLUSIVELY TO THE COUNTY, BOTH IN INCORPORATED AREAS AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.
AND MY APPROACH WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
MY APPROACH WOULD BE WE HAVE TO RESPECT THE RULING OF THE COURTS WHEN WE HAVE TO RESPECT THE COUNTY'S JURISDICTION.
BUT LIKE IN OTHER MATTERS, THE COUNTY HAS GRANTED MUNICIPALITIES THE ABILITY TO MAKE LOCAL DETERMINATIONS ON CERTAIN ISSUES.
LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'VE DONE IT ON TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.
THEY'VE DONE IT ON TRA ON SAFETY DEVICES, ON, ON ROADS.
THEY'VE GIVEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BY THE GOVERNMENTS WORKING WITH, WITH THE COUNTY, THE JURISDICTION FOR THE CITIES TO DO IT LEGALLY.
AND THIS MIGHT BE ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT I FEEL IT MIGHT BE PROPER RATHER THAN FIGHTING WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, AND RATHER, RATHER THAN NOT FOLLOWING THE ORDER OF A COURT.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW MR. MISS, MR. ATTORNEY, WHAT PRECEDENT IS THERE FOR NOT FOLLOWING A COURT ORDER? I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE CITY HAS EVER NOT FOLLOWED A COURT'S ORDER.
ACTUALLY, I, UH, COMMISSIONER, I'M, I'M CURIOUS 'CAUSE YOU YOU KIND OF WARNED US TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WE SAY, BUT BY ASKING THAT QUESTION, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE I, YEAH, I DON'T THINK WE'VE, WE'VE EVER VIOLATED OR NOT COMPLIED WITH THE COURT ORDER.
AND SO MY POINT IS, MY POINT IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT, IT'S, IT'S BETTER TO ASK IF WE REALLY WANT THIS, LET'S ASK FOR THERE TO BE PEOPLE GRANTING US THIS JURISDICTION.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE JURISDICTION AND WE'RE HAVING TO GO TO THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTY IS DOING WHAT THE COUNTY FEELS AND NEEDS TO DO.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S MY POINT ON THIS.
WE'RE ASKING PERMISSION FROM ANOTHER GOVERNMENT TO DO SOMETHING.
THEY'RE TELLING US WHAT THEIR POSITION IS.
WE DON'T AGREE WITH THEIR POSITION.
THE COURTS HAVE RULED ON SOMETHING.
WE HAVE TO RESPECT THE COURT RULING.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS GO TO THE COUNTY AND ASK THEM TO GIVE US A JURISDICTION SO THAT THEY'RE NOT CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS.
SAMMY SAMMY'S S CROWLING, HE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT I'M SAYING.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S, MIAMI BEACH IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN SO MANY OTHER PLACES OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.
WE ARE A DENSELY BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
WE ARE A PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY AREA, UH, OF, OF THE COUNTY.
AND SO I THINK IF, IF WE WERE TO TAKE THAT APPROACH, I THINK IT WOULD BE RECEIVED MUCH BETTER.
AND IT WOULD BE THE MOST PROFESSIONAL, I BELIEVE, AND THE MOST COLLEGIAL WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS WITH PARTNERS WHO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, NO OPTION BUT TO WORK WITH.
AND SO I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THE DECISIONS THE COUNTY HAS MADE ON THIS, BUT IT'S THEIR AUTHORITY, AND I HAVE TO RESPECT THEIR AUTHORITY.
I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THE DECISION THAT THE COURT HAS MADE ON THIS, BUT THEY ARE THE JUDICIARY AND WE HAVE TO RESPECT THE JUDICIARY REGARDLESS OF THE APPEALS.
IN THE MEANTIME, YOU KNOW, OUR MANAGER HAS, HAS PUT IT IN, IN WRITING THE DIRECTION OF THE COURT IS FOR IMMEDIATE REMOVAL OF THE OCEAN DRIVE PROMENADE AND RETURN THE ENTIRETY OF OCEAN DRIVE TO THE PRE COVID CONDITION OF TWO-WAY TRAFFIC.
I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT, BUT THAT IS, UH, THE ORDER OF THE JUDGE.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT WE CAN DO IS ASK THE COUNTY TO GIVE US THIS JURISDICTION BECAUSE OF OUR UNIQUE CHARACTER
[01:20:01]
HERE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS HERE, WHICH IS, I THINK ULTIMATELY THE DESIRE OF OUR GOVERNMENT.WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS LOCALLY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK THE COUNTY TO GRANT US THAT AUTHORITY SO THAT THEY'RE NOT CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS DEBATE.
UH, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, TO THE COLLEAGUES OF THE COMMUNITY FOR BEING SO INTERESTED HERE.
UM, MY VISION FOR MIAMI BEACH, UH, SIMPLE, MAYBE NOT SIMPLE TO ACHIEVE, BUT VERY SIMPLE.
THAT'S TO CREATE THE BEST, THE BEST COMMUNITY TO LIVE, WORK, VISIT, RAISE A FAMILY IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, IF NOT THE ENTIRE WORLD, RIGHT? AND WE'RE BLESSED THAT OUR TEMPLATE IS THERE AND WE NEED TO KIND OF BREAK THIS APART INTO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND THEN WHAT OUR LONGER TERM PLAN IS.
ONE OF THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT I'VE ENDURED THAT CAUSED ME TO RUN AND STILL, UH, CONTINUE IT IS JUST THOSE SLOW TURNING WHEELS OF GOVERNMENT, RIGHT? WE'VE HAD A MASTER PLAN IN HERE.
UH, I BELIEVE WE PAID HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR, UH, I DON'T, SIX YEARS AGO, EIGHT YEARS AGO.
YOU KNOW, ANOTHER, UH, 18 MONTHS FOR TRAFFIC STUDIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT WE, WE ARE WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
I'M GONNA LAY OUT WHAT MY VISION IS AND HOW I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD, RIGHT? OF COURSE.
UH, I WOULD NEVER INSTRUCT OUR CITY TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN FOLLOW A COURT ORDER.
SO WHILE I LAMENT THAT THERE COULD BE, UH, EXCUSE THE TRANSPORTATION PUN, BUT A ROADBLOCK HERE OR SPEED BUMP IN EXECUTING OUR LONGER TERM VISION, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I REMAIN COMMITTED TO.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, THE VISION THAT I HAVE, A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS, RIGHT? IF WE TRULY DO ACHIEVE AND EXECUTE ON THAT VISION OF COLLECTIVELY MAKING MIAMI BEACH THE BEST PLACE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, OUR RESIDENTS WILL LOVE IT AND OUR BUSINESSES WILL PROFIT, RIGHT? THOSE ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
FOR SO MANY YEARS IN MIAMI BEACH, THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY WAS IN AN ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
I THINK MIAMI BEACH IS IN THE PROCESS OF REINVENTING OURSELVES, OF BRANDING OURSELVES, WHERE THOSE THINGS CAN GO HAND IN HAND WHERE BUSINESSES CAN PROSPER AND OUR RESIDENTS ACTUALLY BENEFIT AND ENJOY THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THOSE BUSINESSES ARE HELPING US TO EXECUTE AND FACILITATE ON.
SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US TODAY? UNFORTUNATELY, I DO BELIEVE, AND YOU KNOW, I'LL PUT THIS PART OVER TO CITY STAFF, THAT WE WILL HAVE TO, UH, FOLLOW COURT ORDERS.
HOWEVER, I THINK IMMEDIATELY WE NEED TO SAY, WHAT IS OUR SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONGER TERM VISION? ARE WE GOING TO TRULY EXECUTE ON THIS KOVIC PLAN OR AT LEAST LARGE PORTIONS OF THAT? AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO IRON OUT, UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THAT PLAN IS AND HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
MY VISION, WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS THE BEST, THE BEST BAR NONE PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE, THAT FRONTS ARE BEACH IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, RIGHT? IF YOU THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC PLACES, UM, THAT, THAT FRONT BEACHES AND, AND OCEANS, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T GET THAT VISION OF, UH, CARS REVVING UP AND DOWN AND, YOU KNOW, CRUISING AT NIGHT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT BEING SAID, IF YOU'RE BUSINESS AND YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY A PEDESTRIANIZATION THERE, THE VISION THAT I WOULDN'T SETTLE FOR A VISION THAT IS NOT GOING TO BRING PROSPERITY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I TRULY THINK THAT THOSE TWO THINGS CAN WORK HAND IN HAND.
SO WHILE MY VISION OF WHAT IS BEST RO AND DRIVE MAY BE DIFFERENT RIGHT NOW THAN WHAT SOME OF WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THAT IS A LONG OCEAN DRIVE.
THE PLAN THAT WE WANT TO EXECUTE ON IS GOING TO A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS HERE, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M LAMENT THE MOST IS WE'RE JUST STUCK IN PURGATORY AT THE MOMENT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHY THERE'S SOME APPREHENSION FROM OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE THREADED THE NEEDLE WELL, BUT LET'S SAY WE DID CONTINUE WITH A PEDESTRIAN, NOT BARRING A COURT ORDER, BUT A PEDESTRIANIZATION OF THAT PROMENADE ON 13TH TO 15TH STREET.
I DON'T WANNA WALK OUT THERE AND IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE IN PURGATORY WHERE IT'S JUST TWO SIDEWALKS PAINTED AND THIS UGLY FENCE, UH, AND THE STREET THAT SHOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL, PERMANENT PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE LIKE YOU WOULD SEE IN MONACO OR SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC AREAS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PROUD OF AS RESIDENTS THAT ENHANCES OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT SOMETHING THAT IS ALSO GOING TO, UH, ATTRACT AND RISE, UH, BRING IN CUSTOMERS FOR OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND EVEN THE RESIDENTS THAT MAY NOT AGREE ON THAT.
SO I THINK WHAT WE, WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS DECIDE HERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY A BIT EASY.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, STAFF WILL KIND OF DIRECT US ON WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW, BUT THEN ALSO PROVIDE SOME CERTAINTY ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING ONE MONTH FROM NOW, THREE MONTHS FROM NOW, SIX MONTHS
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FROM NOW, AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR LONG TERM.BECAUSE WE'VE THROWN OUT THESE MASTER PLANS SO MANY TIMES IN OUR CITY AND THEY JUST GET LOST IN THE ABYSS, RIGHT? AND OCEAN DRIVE IS TOO SPECIAL OF AN AREA.
WE ARE TOO SPECIAL OF A CITY JUST TO BE STUCK IN THE MUD, TO BE STUCK IN PURGATORY.
WE NEED TO HAVE CONVICTION AND EXECUTE ON THE VISION OF MAKING THIS THE BEST PLACE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
UH, THIS IS A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE, UM, AND I SHARE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID BY MY COLLEAGUES, SO I WON'T REPEAT THEM.
ONE IS WE HAVE A COURT ORDER AND WE NEED TO BE COMPLIANT.
SO FIRST IS, WHEN WILL THAT HAPPEN THROUGH THE CHAIR? UM, SO AS MENTIONED IN THE LTC THAT WENT OUT LAST NIGHT, WE HAVE PEOPLE ON OCEAN DRIVE RIGHT NOW.
WE WERE WAITING FOR THE JUDGE'S RULING TO BE FINALIZED.
UM, AND MY INSTRUCTION IS, AS SOON AS THIS MEETING CONCLUDES THAT THEY ARE GOING TO REMOVE THE PROMENADE AND THE, UM, PROMENADE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL AND THEY HAVE CONCERTS, CAN WE CONTINUE? HOW CAN THEY GET PERMITS TO CONTINUE UNTIL THE FUTURE MASTER PLAN AND, AND DISCUSSION OF THE VISION OF OCEAN DRIVE? HOW CAN WE PROTECT THE SUNDAY CONCERTS? SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE SUNDAY CONCERTS TAKE PLACE ON THE LAWN PRIMARILY, EXCEPT IF THERE'S RAIN AND THEN THEY GO INSIDE AT THE BETSY.
SO I THINK THERE'S STILL A POSSIBILITY FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE PROMENADE MUSIC SERIES ON THE LAWN.
BUT ULTIMATELY WE HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT PROCESS THAT ALLOWS US TO DO SPECIAL EVENTS.
WE ALSO HAVE A MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC PERMIT PROCESS.
IF THERE ARE LANE CLOSURES THAT NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED AT CERTAIN TIMES, DOES THIS REALLY PREVENT THEM FROM UH, APPLYING FOR THE SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT? 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN TO THE SUNDAY CONCERTS AND WHILE THEY ARE ON THE LAWN, THERE'S A BEAUTY OF HOW IT SPILLS INTO THE STREET AND PEOPLE GO BACK AND FORTH AND HAVE THAT PEDESTRIANIZATION.
UM, DOES THE RULING PREVENT THEM FROM DOING THAT? SO I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY ON WHETHER OR NOT HE FEELS LIKE THEY'RE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
WELL, ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR A BLOCK PARTY PERMIT FROM THE COUNTY FOR THESE TEMPORARY EVENTS.
'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WAS RAISED, UH, DURING THE PROCEEDINGS, WAS THAT THE BLOCK PARTY PERMIT ISSUED FOR, UH, THE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA WAS, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TEMPORARY IN NATURE.
SO YOU COULD CONTINUE, THEORETICALLY TO HAVE THOSE EVENTS IF YOU NEEDED TO CLOSE OFF.
AND AS THE MANAGER SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO ISSUE SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS ON OUR OWN.
AND I'M NOT SURE, SO THERE'S A CONCERT ON SUNDAY.
HOW CAN WE ASSIST TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT FOR SUNDAY? I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DETAILS OF WHAT THE FOOTPRINT FOR THAT CONCERT IS, SO I, I CAN'T ANSWER.
SO I THINK THAT THEY HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT FOR THE CONCERT SERIES IN ITS ENTIRETY.
I JUST THINK THAT THERE MAY BE, SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS SUNDAY, I THINK THERE MAY BE A NEED FOR IT TO BE FOCUSED TO THE LAWN WHILE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF GET OUR BEARINGS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN AND CAN'T BE PERMITTED MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN AS FAR AS, UM, BEING COMPLIANT, IS THERE A WAY TO PROTECT THE BIKE LANE, UM, AND STILL BE COMPLIANT WITH THE COURT ORDER? I, I WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO KEEP THE EXISTING ONE WAY CONFIGURATION WITH THE BIKE LANE.
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE COUNTY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT THEY CANNOT PERMIT IT AND ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
UM, WE'VE WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH THEM TO TRY AND KNOCK DOWN SOME OF THE, THE PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO GETTING THAT PERMIT.
BUT THE JUDGE HAS BEEN CLEAR WITH US THAT ABSENT PERMIT FROM THE COUNTY, WE MUST REMOVE IT.
WHY WON'T THE COUNTY PERMIT A BIKE LANE? THEY DID PERMIT THE BIKE LANE.
THEY ARE NOW TAKING THE POSITION THAT THE PRIOR PERMIT EXPIRED AND THAT A FUTURE PERMIT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO, UM, A NUMBER OF PROVISIONS INCLUDING A RECENTLY APPROVED STATE STATUTE THAT PREEMPTS THE REPURPOSING OF LANES.
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WERE MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY ONE POINT THROUGH THE CHAIR.
UM, THE NEW STATE STATUTE, IT DOESN'T PREEMPT, IT JUST IMPOSES ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
SO THERE IS A NOTICE PERIOD, COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND SUCH.
SO IT IS, IT WILL BE POSSIBLE IF, IF WE PURSUE THIS PERMIT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE INTENT TO EVENTUALLY, UM, SECURE THE PERMIT, IT'S JUST GONNA TAKE LONGER THAN WHAT HAD BEEN ANTICIPATED.
SO IF, IF I MAY, UM, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO REVERT BACK TO TWO LANE TRAFFIC WITH NO BIKE LANE TO THE TUNE OF SOME SIX FIGURE DOLLAR AMOUNT, LET'S CALL IT THREE FOR NOW.
AND CONCURRENTLY APPLY FOR A PERMIT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY OR ORIGINALLY GRANTED.
AND WE WERE ALL OPERATING UNDER THE BELIEF THAT IT WAS A PERMIT, A PERMANENT PERMIT, THAT IT WAS, THERE WAS NO TEMPORARY ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND WE NOW NEED TO REAPPLY FOR SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN IN EFFECT VERY SUCCESSFULLY FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD TO THAT IS THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED THREE PERMITS.
ONE, THE ORIGINAL PERMIT TRYING TO REOPEN OR RESTART WHAT THEY CLAIM HAS EXPIRED.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BIKE LANES.
SECONDLY, WE SUBMITTED A, UM, A SLIGHTLY MODIFIED PERMIT UNDER THE PRIOR PERMIT AUSPICES THAT HAD COMMENTS SO THAT WE COULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN.
UM, AND MOST RECENTLY WE'VE SUBMITTED A NEW PERMIT, UM, UNDER A NEW ENGINEER OF RECORD.
UM, THAT ULTIMATELY THE COUNTY HAS SAID THAT THEY ARE GOING TO REQUIRE US TO TRAVEL UNDER THE THIRD OPTION AS OPPOSED TO THE FIRST TWO.
THE FIRST TWO WOULD HAVE, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, BEEN GRANDFATHERED UNDER THE STATE STATUTE.
SO IS THERE, IS THERE LEGAL RECOURSE ON, ON, UM, ENCOURAGING THE COUNTY TO GRANT US A FIRST OR SECOND OPTION? WE, I MEAN, I KNOW THE MANAGER AS WELL AS THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS HAD NUMEROUS CON CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY REGARDING THAT.
AND AT, AT PRESENT, THEIR, THEIR POSITION IS THAT, THAT THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE THAT WE NEED TO PROCEED UNDER THIS NEW REGIME.
AND SO THAT WILL TAKE HOW LONG YOU SUBMITTED THE BEGINNINGS OF THE NEW PERMIT.
WE'VE SUBMITTED THE DRAWINGS, THAT, DRAWINGS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED WITH, UM, UPDATES FOR THE LATEST ITERATIONS OF THE NEW STANDARDS.
AND UNDER THE STATE STATUTE, IT WOULD TAKE 180 DAY, UM, BASICALLY BURNING PERIOD BEFORE THE, UM, THE PERMIT COULD BE ISSUED.
SO WE'RE GONNA SPEND, LET'S SAY, $3 MILLION TO TAKE THE TWO-WAY LANES, UH, THE BICYCLE LANES DOWN, AND HOPEFULLY IN A FEW MONTHS BE ABLE TO BE PERMITTED TO SPEND ANOTHER FEW MILLION DOLLARS TO REINSTATE THEM.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD OFFER IS, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE IN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO WRAP UP.
SO WHEN I BECAME COMMISSIONER 45 YEARS AGO, AND THEY'RE LITERALLY FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, AND I HATE TO SAY IT THAT WAY 'CAUSE I'M A BIG BELIEVER THAT WHAT'S GOOD FOR RESIDENTS IS GOOD FOR BUSINESSES.
I SAY THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN BECAUSE WHAT'S GOOD FOR RESIDENTS IS SAFETY, CLEANLINESS.
IT'S, IT, IT, IT, IT LIFTS EVERYONE.
WE SEE, UM, NOT, BY THE WAY, THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES WHO WOULD BE SITTING.
I, I'M, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S THERE.
THIS, THIS ROOM HAS BEEN BIFURCATED BY POSITION FOR THE MOST PART.
UH, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF BUSINESSES WHO REACH OUT WHO WOULD BE ON THIS SIDE.
UM, BUT EITHER WAY, ONE THING I HEARD UNIFORMLY FROM RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES FIVE YEARS AGO, EVEN A YEAR AGO, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, MAYOR, WE HAVE TO MAKE OCEAN DRIVE SAFER.
WE NEED MORE POLICE VISIBILITY.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT, I HAVE DONE THAT.
WE HAVE DONE THAT, UH, SUCCESSFULLY.
I THINK EVERYONE AGREES WITH THAT.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WHATEVER HAPPENS THAT WE MAINTAIN, MAINTAIN THAT.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION.
I'M, I'M ACTUALLY, UM, VERY PLEASED AT THE DISCUSSION.
I'M, I'M, I'M HAPPY, UM, THAT I CALLED THIS MEETING.
'CAUSE I THINK IT GIVES, UH, ONE OUR RESIDENTS A CHANCE TO SPEAK AND BE HEARD ALSO FOR, TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON.
[01:35:01]
AND I THINK ERIC AND RICK, WHICH YOU'RE HEARING HERE, AND I, AND PLEASE COLLEAGUES, IF YOU, IF I'M MISTAKEN ON THIS, I, AND WE WANT TO BE REALLY WAY MORE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, UM, ON SO MANY LEVELS.I MEAN, I MEAN, I'M LITERALLY TALKING ABOUT SITTING IN MEETINGS WITH THE COUNTY, UM, UH, UNDERSTANDING OUR, OUR LEGAL AND MAYBE EVEN PARTICIPATING IN SOME OF THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES IN OUR CITY RIGHT NOW, HANDS DOWN.
AND FOR MANY REASONS, OBVIOUSLY WE TALKED ABOUT THE POSTCARD OF ROSS CITY ICONIC.
IT'S, UH, IT DRIVES SO MANY THINGS.
THE SUCCESS OF SPRING BREAK LAST YEAR AND USING THE SAME PLAYBOOK.
AND I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC WE'LL HAVE SIMILAR SUCCESS THIS YEAR.
IT'S ALL CONNECTED TO THIS ONE STREET.
UM, SO THERE IT WOULD, IT, IT BEHOOVES US TO BE WAY MORE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
UH, I WILL BE, I THINK MY COLLEAGUES ARE ALL SHARING THAT, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE, SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA NEED REGULAR UPDATES.
I'M JUST GIVING YOU THE HEADS UP.
LIKE LITERALLY, UH, IT, IT MAY BE LIKE A WEEKLY, UH, A WEEKLY, UM, UPDATES.
UH, AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA BE VERY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS IN SPEAKING WITH MAYOR KAVA, UH, COMMISSIONER HIGGINS, COMMISSIONER STEINBERG.
UH, WE NEED TO GET THAT LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT AT THIS POINT.
AND, UH, ALSO AGAIN, WITH, WITH THE ENTIRE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
I'M, I, I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD DIRECTION.
I THINK WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, DEALING WITH THE LEGAL ISSUES AND WORKING WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO GET TO THE BEST DECISION AND MAKING OUR CITY AS PROSPEROUS AND SAFE AS IT CAN BE.
THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.