Feb 12, 2025 Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life

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

HI, EVERYBODY.

GOOD MORNING.

UH, LAURA DOMINGUEZ HERE, MIAMI BEACH COMMISSIONER AND CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE.

AND TODAY IS, UH, THE FIRST DAY OF OUR NEW COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT, AND I'M VERY HONORED AND PROUD TO BE SERVING WITH VICE CHAIR, UH, COMMISSIONER ALEX FERNANDEZ.

ALSO IN OUR GROUP IS COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ, AND I HOPE SHE WILL BE JOINING US SOON.

AND OUR ALTERNATE IS COMMISSIONER JOE MAGAZINE.

SO ON THE DAY IS WITH ME, IS THE FABULOUS STEPHANIE RAY BROOKS, AND WE HAVE OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MARK TAXES, AND ALSO OUR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, ROB ROSENWALD.

THANK YOU.

AND LET'S GET STARTED WITH OUR MEETING AND ANY

[1. DISCUSS POTENTIALLY PURCHASING PORTABLE TICKET PRINTERS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATIONS (UTC).]

[5. DISCUSS/TAKE ACTION ON ACTIVATING THE UNDERUTILIZED SPACES IN ALTOS DEL MAR PARK.]

[7. DISCUSSION REGARDING BEACH CONCESSIONS, REGULATIONS, AND LAYOUT TO ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT AREA REMAINS AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES FOR PUBLIC ENJOYMENT OF BEACHES.]

[8. DISCUSS POTENTIALLY MOVING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION (“PSCD”) FROM UNDER THE AUSPICE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.]

YES.

WE HAVE A COUPLE ANNOUNCEMENTS.

WE HAVE ITEMS DEFERRED.

ITEM NUMBER ONE, DISCUSS POTENTIAL PURCHASING PORTABLE TICKET PRINTERS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATIONS WILL BE DEFERRED TO THE MARCH MEETING.

ITEM NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSS, TAKE ACTION ON ACTIVATING THE UNDERLIE UTILIZED SPACES IN ALTOS DEL MAR PARK.

ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSSION REGARDING BEACH CONCESSIONS, REGULATIONS AND LAYOUTS TO ENSURE THE SUFFICIENT AREA REMAINS AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT ENJOYMENT OF BEACHES.

AND NUMBER FIVE, UH, NUMBER EIGHT, SORRY, DISCUSS POTENTIALLY MOVING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS PSCD FROM UNDER THE AUSPICE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THOSE ITEMS WILL BE DEFERRED TO OUR NEXT MEETING, AND THAT THIS MEETING IS A HYBRID MEETING.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE COULD JOIN VIA ZOOM BY, OR DIALING IN TO 3 1 2 6 2 6 6 7 9 9, OR 8 8 8 4 7 5 4 4, 9 9.

AND THOSE ARE OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR TODAY.

WONDERFUL.

[4. DISCUSS TIMELINE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER HEADQUARTER HOTEL AND ANTICIPATED OPENING DATE.]

OKAY.

ITEM NUMBER, ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS TO DISCUSS THE TIMELINE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER HEADQUARTERS, HOTEL, AND ANTICIPATED OPENING DATE.

THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.

AND WE HAVE YVETTE BATISTA THAT WILL BE PRESENTING VICE CHAIR FERNANDEZ, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TEE THIS UP? YEAH.

WE HAVE, UH, YVETTE HERE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM, UH, TO PROVIDE US WITH, WITH AN UPDATE.

UH, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE HEARD, UH, THAT THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING A CLO UM, A CLOSING ON THEIR LOAN, UM, WITHIN THESE WEEKS.

UH, SO WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT? HOW FAR ARE WE GONNA SEE? UM, SHOVEL ON THE GROUND.

HI THERE.

HI.

GOOD MORNING.

SO WE ARE ON TRACK TO CLOSE THE LOAN BY THE END OF MARCH, AND WE ARE ALL HANDS ON DECK WORKING WITH THE LENDERS, THE PREFERRED EQUITY LENDER, BOND HOLDERS, LAWYERS, CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS, AND INSURANCE CONSULTANTS TO, UM, ENSURE THAT WE MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLOSING FOR THE LOAN AS WELL AS THE PREPOSITION CONDITIONS FROM THE CITY.

OKAY.

WE, UM, HAVE A WEEKLY CALL WITH THE CITY ON POSITION CONDITIONS AND, UM, WE ARE, LIKE I SAID, WE ARE ON TRACK FOR THE END OF MARCH.

SO THE TEST PILES WILL BEGIN, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH, MARCH 3RD IS WHERE WHAT WE ARE, UH, TRACKING.

AND THEN THE TIMELINE FOR CONSTRUCTION IS BASICALLY THE SAME AS WE SHARED ON OUR LAST CALL, APRIL, UH, SEVENTH BEGIN FOUNDATION.

YOUR MOM, WHEN MM-HMM .

EXCUSE ME, WHEN YOU WERE HERE TWO WEEKS AGO? MM, MM-HMM .

UM, YOU SAID FIRST WEEK OF APRIL.

SO THAT'S STILL ON TARGET.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

YES, BECAUSE THE, THAT WILL BE RIGHT AFTER WE CLOSED THE LOAN, BASICALLY RIGHT AFTER.

OKAY.

THAT'S STILL, OKAY.

SO, SO YOU'RE ON TRACK TO START CONSTRUCTION AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE THE LOAN? UM, YES.

YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE MEANTIME THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE EASEMENTS FOR MM-HMM .

ALLEYWAYS AND MM-HMM .

AND SKY BRIDGES AND ALL THAT TYPE OF STUFF IS, ARE, IS ALL THAT MOVING FORWARD? UH, CAN WE MAKE BE MAKING PROGRESS ON SOME OF THAT STUFF WHILE, WHILE, YOU KNOW, THE LOAN? I JUST DON'T WANT US TO WAIT TO MAKE PROGRESS ON OTHER ELEMENTS, JUST, YOU KNOW, ON THE LOAN WE COULD BE ADVANCING ON OTHER THINGS.

YES.

UH, IN THE MEANTIME, SO WHERE, WHERE, WHERE ARE WE WITH SOME OF THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY LIKE THE EASEMENTS, LET, LEMME JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE I, I KNOW EASEMENTS THEN HAVE TO BE SIGNED BY THE CITY AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF FOR WHERE HAVE YOU SUBMITTED, UM, YOU KNOW, SKETCHES AND THE LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS TO THE CITY? GOOD MORNING.

HI, TY T VIER AND CITY LIAISON TO THE PROJECT.

UM, SO AS REPORTED LAST MONTH, THEY HAD ALREADY SUBMITTED THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THE CITY TO REVIEW.

UH, CITY HAS HIRED

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THEY EXPECT THAT TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT, WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

OKAY.

AND IT'S BASICALLY JUST A PEER REVIEW OF THE DOCUMENTS THEY SUBMITTED.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

UM, ALRIGHT, VERY GOOD.

SO WE'LL SEE YOU GUYS IN A FEW WEEKS.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

WITH THAT, JUST FOR THE RECORD, WE'LL KEEP THIS ITEM ON CORRECT TO THE MARCH MEETING? YES, MARCH 12TH.

PERFECT.

AND, UH,

[2. DISCUSS REQUIREMENT FOR SECURE AND ACCESSIBLE BICYCLE AND MICROMOBILITY STORAGE TO SPECIAL EVENT REVIEW PROCESS]

ITEM NUMBER TWO IS DISCUSS ADDING A REQUIREMENT FOR SECURE AND ACCESSIBLE BICYCLE AND MICRO MOBILITY STORAGE TO THE SPECIAL EVENT REVIEW PROCESS.

THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.

THANK YOU.

VICE CHAIR FERNANDEZ, PLEASE.

UH, SEE THAT UP.

THANK YOU.

AND SO THIS IS A VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, SIMPLE ITEM AND, BUT I THINK IT, IT COULD HAVE MEANINGFUL CONSEQUENCES FOR, FOR OUR CITY.

'CAUSE WE DO PRIDE OURSELF IN HOSTING A VARIETY OF EVENTS, UH, IN, IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, WHETHER IT BE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER OR WHETHER IT BE STANDALONE SETUPS THAT HAPPEN ON OUR SANDS.

WE TRULY PRIDE OURSELVES IN BEING THIS, UH, THIS WONDERFUL DESTINATION.

THAT ALSO MEANS THAT WE HAVE TRAFFIC.

AND PART OF THE WAYS THAT WE NEED TO FACILITATE THE TRAFFIC SITUATION IS GIVING PEOPLE MICRO MOBILITY AND OUTER ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF GETTING AROUND.

THE CHALLENGE WITH IT IS, LET'S SAY DURING ART BASE, LET'S SAY YOU'RE GETTING AROUND ON A BICYCLE DURING ART MUSCLE AND YOU GO TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, WELL, WHERE DO YOU PARK YOUR BIKE? AND IT'S NOT JUST WHERE YOU PARK YOUR BIKE, BUT LET'S SAY YOU PARKED YOUR BIKE, BUT YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A HELMET AND YOU WANT PEOPLE USING A HELMET.

WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THAT HELMET? ARE YOU GONNA JUST BE RIDING AROUND THE, WALKING AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER WITH YOUR HELMET? AND THE SAME APPLIES WITH ANYTHING ELSE.

AND SO, UH, I SEE WE HAVE OUR DI, OUR DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND CULTURE BEFORE US, UH, TO GUIDE US A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PART OF OUR SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS.

WE HAVE THE PROPER REQUIREMENTS FOR BICYCLE AND MICRO MOBILITY STORAGES WITHIN THESE FACILITIES.

SO, WELCOME LIZETTE.

UH, GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR, VICE CHAIR ANTE DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND CULTURE.

UH, THIS IS, UH, WE FEEL IS A, A GREAT, UH, SUGGESTION.

UH, WE MET ON JANUARY 30TH WITH OUR PRODUCTION INDUSTRY COUNCIL AND WE SHARED, UH, THAT THIS ITEM WAS GONNA BE HEARD AT NEIGHBORHOODS.

THEY WERE SUPPORTIVE.

THEY HAVE ACTUALLY HAD EXPERIENCE DOING THIS IN THE PAST.

SO IN THE MEMO BEFORE YOU, YOU CAN SEE EXAMPLES OF, UH, THE COST TO DO FOR UP TO A HUNDRED BICYCLES IS BETWEEN TWO AND 3000.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING THAT THEY SAID IS AN INCENTIVE THAT WOULD HELP AND WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, IS TO WAIVE THE ADDITIONAL SQUARE FOOTAGE FEE FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY HAVE THAT BUILD OUT FOR BICYCLE BALLET.

AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PARTICIPATE.

WE, EXCUSE ME, UH, WE'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE DO A PILOT, A SIX MONTH PILOT FROM JUNE THROUGH DECEMBER, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND SHARE HOW IT WORKED, HOW IT DIDN'T WORK OR ANY CHALLENGES.

BUT WE, WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM.

AND I THINK AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, MR. UH, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ IS THAT THIS WOULD HELP ALLEVIATE WITH SOME OF THE LARGE SCALE EVENTS.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE, THE PICK COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED WAS TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TYPES OF EVENTS AND SIZES.

SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING EVENTS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, 5,000 PEOPLE OR MORE LIKE, YOU KNOW, A SOUTH BEACH WINE AND FOOD AND OUR BASEL, NOT LIKE SOUTH BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL, WHICH IS A LOT SMALLER AND THIS COULD BE A BIG IMPACT SURE.

FOR THEIR PRODUCTION.

YEAH.

AND CLEARLY THE SMALLER EVENTS, THE SMALLER, SMALLER EVENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CAN USE THE PUBLIC FACILITIES THAT ALREADY DO EXIST.

THE CHALLENGE IS THE BIG EVENTS LIKE NOW WITH THE, UH, BOAT SHOW THAT WE HAVE HERE, CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS COMING INTO OUR CITY TO EXPERIENCE A BOAT SHOW.

IT DOES CREATE CONGESTION IN OUR CITY.

UM, AND IF WE COULD ENCOURAGE IN INDIVIDUALS TO GET AROUND, UM, USING, USING A BICYCLE OR, YOU KNOW, OR SCOOTERS OR WHATEVER ELSE, WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM THAT SPACE THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO PARK THEIR DEVICES AT THESE, AT THESE EVENTS.

I LIKE THE RECOMMENDATION OF INCENTIVIZING IT.

UM, AND I THINK IT'S WISE THAT IF WE DO CREATE A BICYCLE VALET AREA, THAT WE WAIVE THOSE SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES, UH, FOR THEM.

AND I THINK THAT THAT ESPECIALLY MAKES SENSE.

LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THE SAND THAT WE HAVE SQUARE FOOTAGE, FEES WITH SAND, ALSO WITH PARKS, WE HAVE SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES.

YES.

HOW DOES IT APPLY AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, LET'S SAY AN EVENT, A LARGE SCALE EVENT THAT'S TAKING PLACE AT THE MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER.

UH, HOW DO WE INCENTIVIZE IT IN A FACILITY LIKE THAT?

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I'D LIKE TO DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT IN THIS MEMO, BUT WE THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UM, HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH.

OKAY, GREAT.

MM-HMM.

WELL, UM, MADAM CHAIR, IF, IF YOU, IF I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT FEEDBACK YOU, YOU MAY HAVE ON THIS, UM, BUT, BUT, UM, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO SEND THIS BACK TO THE CITY COMMISSION WITH A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS.

UH, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE CHAIR.

I LOVE THIS ITEM.

I'D LIKE TO BE LISTED AS A CO-SPONSOR.

THANK YOU FOR THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND REALLY LOOKING AT MICRO MOBILITY TO HELP MOVE TRAFFIC IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE NEED IT.

AND THANK YOU FOR THIS.

DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, WE HAVE MATTHEW TANO.

MATTHEW, IF YOU COULD UNMUTE YOURSELF.

YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

HI.

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

UH, THANKS SO MUCH, UH, COMMISSIONER FOR SPONSORING, COMMISSIONERS FOR SPONSORING THIS ITEM.

IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I KNOW THE CITY TRIED TO DO A BIKE VALET AT THE ART BASEL.

AND, UH, NOT JUST HAVING IT IS, IS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO THE LOCATION, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE AUTOMOBILE VALET WAS RIGHT AT THE FRONT DOOR, BUT THE BIKE VALET FOR THE ART BASEL WAS MANY BLOCKS AWAY.

SO THE ONLY SUGGESTION WOULD BE IF THIS IS GONNA BECOME A REQUIREMENT PER THE LARGER SCALE EVENT, UH, NOT ONLY SHOULD THEY, SHOULD THEY DO IT, UM, BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE THE LOCATION OF THE BIKE VALET TO BE AS CONVENIENT AS THE AUTO VALET OR EVEN MORE CONVENIENT.

AND IN ADDITION, UM, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ART BASEL, IT'S ONE OF THE, THE GREATER EXAMPLES, UH, IT SHOULD ALSO BE A REQUIREMENT FOR THE SATELLITE FARES, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE ALONG THE BEACH.

RIGHT? AND THE BEACH WALK.

UM, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE THE ELEPHANT ITEM WAS, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME BY BIKE AND IF YOU WENT UP THERE, YOU WOULD SEE THAT PEOPLE WERE LOCKING THEM UP TO EVERY LITTLE THING THEY COULD FIND, UM, TO SIGNS TO TREES, TO THE ROPES ALONG THE DUNES.

SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

INCENTIVIZING IT IS GREAT.

UH, AND REQUIRING IT FOR SOME EVENTS MIGHT EVEN BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS WELL.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND WILL BE VERY HELPFUL IN THE FUTURE.

THAT'S GREAT FEEDBACK.

UH, THANK YOU MATTHEW.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, WE HAVE JANE KRUPP, IF YOU COULD PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.

YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

OH, HI.

YES.

I AM A BIG BIKER AROUND TOWN AND UH, WHEN I WENT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER LAST YEAR TO GO TO ART BASEL, THEY WOULDN'T LET ME IN WITH MY HELMET.

SO IF YOU COULD SOMEHOW, UH, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT, UH, LIAISE WITH THEM AND ALLOW HELMETS TO COME IN AND IT WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE HELMETS.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY KIND OF A PAIN.

I HAD TO GO BACK OUT TO MY BIKE AND LOCK IT UP.

AND SO IF YOU COULD, UH, MAYBE ATTEND TO THAT DETAIL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

THANK YOU.

I THINK THAT'S INCLUDED, UH, IN THIS, UH, ITEM.

AND I THINK BY ACCLIMATION WE CAN MOVE IT IF THERE'S NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT, NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND I JUST, IF, IF, IF I MAY, MADAM CHAIR, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR YOUR CO-SPONSORSHIP AND TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT SPOKE ON THIS ITEM.

THANK YOU FOR THE HELPFUL FEEDBACK.

UH, ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT CAME UP FOR WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ELEPHANT EXHIBIT, THE, THE, DID, DID THAT ELEPHANT EXHIBIT HAVE TO GET A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT? YES, IT DID.

OKAY.

UM, EVENTS THAT OCCUR IN PRIVATE FACILITIES, UM, THEY ALSO HAVE TO GET SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT WHEN THEY, AND UNDER CERTAIN INSTANCES, OR, UH, IT DEPENDS.

SO LET'S SAY DURING ART WEEK, WE WILL HAVE SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS FOR HOTEL PROPERTIES THAT ARE HAVING EVENTS IN THEIR POOL.

THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE ELEMENTS THAT TRIGGER BUILDING PERMITS, UH, DIFFERENT FIRE REVIEW, BUT WE DON'T, UM, THIS IS MORE SPECIFIC TO PUBLIC PROPERTY.

OKAY.

SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCLUSIVE, ESPECIALLY DURING OUR HIGH IMPACT PERIODS.

UH, AND I'VE CONSIDERED ART MAZEL MIAMI ART WEEK, UH, TO BE A HIGH IMPACT PERIOD IN OUR CITY.

I WOULD SAY IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT DO OCCUR AT THESE PRIVATE FACILITIES, THEY DO NEED TO FIND WAYS THAT THEY CAN ACCOMMODATE, UH, PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO STORE THEIR BICYCLES.

THEY NEED TO FIND WAYS, PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO STORE THEIR HELMETS, UM, AND EVEN TO JANE'S COMMONS HAVING TO DO, UM, WITH HELMETS IN, IN THE CONVENTION CENTER.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FIND WAYS WHERE IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN JUST DROP IT OFF SOMEWHERE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ALLOWED IN THE CONVENTION CENTER YET.

WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO, TO BIKE.

AND IF THEY'RE GONNA BE BIKING, THEY SHOULD BE WEARING A HELMET.

AND SO, AND SO OUR POLICIES JUST KIND OF NEED TO JUST ALIGN WITH IT.

I ALSO

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I GET CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, WITH LIKE VALET, YOU KNOW, VEHICLE VALETS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.

I THINK I, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, BELIEVE THESE BICYCLE BELAYS SHOULD BE AS CLOSE TO FREE AS POSSIBLE, IF NOT FREE.

I DO BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE A PUBLIC SERVICE.

UM, AND I THINK IT'S PART OF HOW WE STAY BEING AN INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY TO ALL.

UH, AND SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF THE ITEM.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

OH, YOU'RE WELCOME.

ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL MOVE THIS TO THE FULL COMMISSION.

OKAY.

ITEM

[3. DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF UTILIZING PROJECT GREEN LIGHT TO MITIGATE TRAFFIC AND AIR POLLUTION.]

THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.

THANK YOU.

AND, UM, MBPD AND I HAD SPOKEN ABOUT THIS ITEM.

THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD INITIATIVE.

AND I'LL LET JOSE FROM TRANSPORTATION TALK MORE ABOUT IT.

THANK MICHAEL, CHAIR.

GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR, COMMISSIONER JOSE GONZALEZ.

I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS ON YOUR MIC IS NOT ON.

OH, NOW IT'S OKAY.

THANK YOU.

UH, GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR, COMMISSIONER JOSE GONZALEZ, TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY DIRECTOR AND INTERIM PARKING DIRECTOR.

SO, UH, GREEN LIGHT IS ONE OF MANY VENDORS THAT ARE OFFERING STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY TO OPTIMIZE TRAFFIC SIGNAL COORDINATION.

UM, WE, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE WENT THROUGH A COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION PROCESS FOR A PILOT PROG, UH, PILOT PROGRAM, UH, CONSISTING OF STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY TO OPTIMIZE A PILOT CORRIDOR IN OUR, IN OUR CITY.

WE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCUREMENT PROCESS.

WE'RE CURRENTLY ABOUT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE SELECTED VENDOR.

IT WAS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF INTEREST.

THERE WERE, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, ABOUT SEVEN COMPANIES THAT PUT IN A PROPOSAL, UH, GREENLIGHT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, PROJECT GREENLIGHT WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE COMPANIES, UH, THAT PUT IN A BID.

UM, SO WE SELECTED, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS, THERE WAS A VENDOR THAT WAS SELECTED AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE NEGOTIATING WITH THE, UH, WITH THE VENDOR.

IT'S, IT'S, UH, THE, THE APPROXIMATE COST OF THIS EFFORT IS APPROXIMATELY $300,000.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING, BUT WE'RE ALMOST THERE.

AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE SAME PRODUCT.

ALL THESE VENDORS ARE USING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY, AI TECHNOLOGY IN FACT, TO, UM, MAKE OUR SIGNALS AS, AS SMART AS POSSIBLE.

AND I SAY AS SMART AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY COULD PROBABLY BE SMARTER THAN WHAT THEY ARE.

BUT IF, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE DO NOT CONTROL TRAFFIC SIGNALIZATION THAT IS CONTROLLED BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.

AND ULTIMATELY THEY WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE ANY TECHNOLOGY, UM, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, UH, DEPLOYED ON THEIR ASSETS, WHICH INCLUDE TRAFFIC SIGNAL, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, UM, AND THEY MAY NOT BE USING THE LATEST AND GREATEST TECHNOLOGY.

HOWEVER, OUR, IN OUR, OUR PILOT PROGRAM, WE, WE INTEND TO SHOW THE COUNTY THAT WITH THE USE OF THIS IN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY SIGNALS CAN OPERATE BETTER AND THERE COULD BE BETTER TRAFFIC FLOW, UH, ALONG MAJOR THOROUGHFARES, UM, ULTIMATELY REDUCING TRAVEL TIME, MANAGING CONGESTION AND, AND, UH, REDUCING AIR POLLUTION.

SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY, 'CAUSE MBPD CAME TO ME WITH PROJECT GREENLIGHT AND YOU'RE SAYING A SEPARATE PROCUREMENT WAS DONE AND PROJECT GREENLIGHT DID NOT, IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR PROJECT GREENLIGHT? WHAT WOULD BE DUE TO SUPPORT MBPD WITH THIS? ONLY IF THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SELECTED VENDOR FAIL.

IF WE CANNOT COME TO AN AGREEMENT, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS AN OPTION WOULD BE GOING BACK OUT TO, TO BID WITH THIS, WITH THIS INITIATIVE.

UH, BUT WE'RE REALLY HOPING THE, THE, THE COMPANY THAT WAS ELECTED WAS, WAS TRULY AND THEY WERE THE TOP RANKED AND THEY WERE TRULY, YOU KNOW, THE BEST.

AND THEY DO OFFER THE, YOU KNOW, STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY.

WE'RE JUST HOPING TO, UM, ES ESSENTIALLY JUST NEGOTIATE THE, THE BOTTOM LINE PRICE AND EXECUTE THE CONTRACT.

OKAY.

SO, UM, PLEASE KEEP US POSTED AND IF FOR SOME REASON NEGOTIATIONS FAIL, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PROJECT GREENLIGHT IS INCLUDED IN THE FUTURE.

I DON'T KNOW WHY IT DIDN'T SUBMIT SOMETHING OUT OF THE SEVEN PEOPLE THAT DID.

AND WITH THAT, WE'LL CLOSE OUT THE ITEM.

I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.

SURE.

BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD REACHED OUT TO YOU ABOUT, ABOUT LIGHT.

RIGHT.

UM,

[00:20:01]

OKAY.

THERE ARE ITEMS THAT BOTH POLICE AND TRANSPORTATION SHARE.

UH, YOU MAY RECALL ONE ITEM THAT'S BEEN ON THE COMMISSION AGENDA REGARDING, UM, TRAFFIC FLOW AND ALONG MAJOR CORRIDORS, PARTICULARLY 41ST STREET.

SO, AND THAT, THAT'S A JOINT EFFORT.

AND, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE POLICE IS AWARE, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM REGARDING THIS INITIATIVE.

UM, THEY MAY NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT IS IN THE PROCESS, BUT, UM, BUT THEY SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE INITIATIVE.

GREAT.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

OKAY.

[6. DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF A BICYCLE LANE ON THE WEST SIDE OF COLLINS AVENUE AS PART OF AN UPCOMING FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (“FDOT”) RESURFACING, RESTORATION, AND REHABILITATION PROJECT ON STATE ROAD (“SR”) A1A/COLLINS AVENUE FROM SR 907/W 63 STREET TO 75 STREET.]

AND THIS WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.

OKAY.

VICE CHAIR FERNANDEZ.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

UM, SO THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING DISCUSSION NOW, I THINK DATING BACK TO 2023, UM, WHERE, WHERE FDLT IS WORKING ON DOING, UH, A RECONSTRUCTION OF, UH, COLLINS AVENUE, UH, FROM I BELIEVE IT, 63RD TO 75TH STREET.

AND JUST FOR PURPOSES OF SUMMARIZING WHY I'VE PLACED THIS ON, ON THE AGENDA OVER, OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE WORKED ON CREATING CONNECTIVITY FROM ABOUT 26TH STREET TO 41ST STREET FOR BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS.

WE HAVE THE INTER CREEK PATHWAY, THEN FROM 41ST STREET TO 63RD STREET, WE HAVE THE COLLINS AVENUE MULTIMODAL, UM, DECIDE THAT WE GOT APPROVED, UH, WITH FDOT, THAT AGAIN IS GONNA PROVIDE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR BICYCLES, UH, PROTECTED ACCOMMODATIONS FOR, FOR, FOR BICYCLES.

AND NOW THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE CONTINUE THIS CONNECTIVITY BEYOND 63RD STREET ON NORTHWARD? SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH FDOT TO EXPAND, UH, THIS, UH, THIS THIS BICYCLE TRANSIT NETWORK UP FROM 63RD STREET TO 75TH STREET AS PART OF THEIR RECONSTRUCTION.

BUT WE NEED TO FIND HOW DO WE ACCOMMODATE, UH, THE, UH, BICYCLE LANES.

THE REALITY IS THAT, UH, THE OPTIONS, UH, UNDER THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION WOULD ENTAIL, UH, TODAY, UM, REMOVING PARKING FROM COLLINS AVENUE IN ORDER TO MAKE ROOM FOR THESE BICYCLE LANES.

I BELIEVE AT ONE OF OUR LAST MEETINGS, WE ASKED, UH, FOR, FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO GO OUT AND DO A SURVEY OF THE BUSINESSES.

THINK JOSE, ABOUT 74% OF THE BUSINESSES OPPOSED, UH, OR THE RESPONDING BUSINESSES, I DON'T WANNA SAY, BECAUSE NOT ALL THE BUSINESSES RESPONDED, BUT 74% OF THE BUSINESSES OPPOSED, UH, TAKING AWAY, UH, PARKING SPACES FOR BICYCLE LANES.

RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT, YES.

AND THAT'S NOT A SURPRISING RESPONSE.

THERE'S CLEARLY A NEED FOR, FOR, FOR PARKING.

BUT JOSE, YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME FORWARD WITH AN ALTERNATIVE FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER.

YES, SIR.

YES.

OKAY.

TALK TO US ABOUT, ABOUT THAT ALTERNATIVE.

UM, AND, UH, AND, AND WHETHER YOU FEEL IS WORTH EXPLORING WITH FDLT, I'D BE HAPPY TO.

THANK YOU.

UH, COMMISSIONER.

UH, SO JUST TO RECAP THE SURVEY EFFORT, UH, WE ACTUALLY SURVEYED ALL THE BUSINESSES, UH, ON COLLINS AVENUE ON BOTH SIDES OF COLLINS AVENUE, ALONG THE PROJECT LIMITS FROM 63RD STREET TO 75TH STREET.

WE DID THAT TWICE BECAUSE ON THE FIRST GO AROUND, WE HAD A VERY LOW TURNOUT IN TERMS OF RESPONSES, ONLY 12 RESPONSES OUT OF 277 BUSINESSES.

SO WE WENT OUT A SECOND TIME AND, UM, RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 27 RESPONSES.

SO ALL IN ALL, NOT EVEN 40 RESPONSES OUT OF 277 BUSINESSES, SO VERY LOW TURNOUT, BUT, UH, YOU ARE, YOU ARE CORRECT COMMISSIONER, THAT THE, THE VAST MAJORITY, 74, 70 5%, UM, ON BOTH, UH, SURVEYS VOTED AGAINST.

AND, AND QUITE CANDIDLY, EVEN AS YOUR PARKING, YOUR INTERIM PARKING DIRECTOR, I CANNOT IN GOOD FAITH AND CONSCIENCE RECOMMEND 75 ON STREET PARKING SPACES TO BE, TO BE ELIMINATED.

SO IT'S, UH, SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA SAY I REALLY LIKE YOU IN THIS INTERIM PARKING DIRECTOR ROLE, I GOTTA TELL YOU.

AND THERE'S NOT MANY TIMES WHEN, WHEN YOU COME BEFORE US AND YOU RECOMMEND ELIMINATING, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU OPPOSE ELIMINATING PARKING SPACES.

SO I REALLY DO, LIKE IN THIS ROLE, LET'S PRESERVE THOSE PARKING SPACES.

AND, AND COMMISSIONER AT THE SAME TIME,

[00:25:01]

YES.

ALONG THIS CORRIDOR.

THERE IS THIS, THIS ONE IN A, IN A OPPORTUNITY IN A MANY YEARS OPPORTUNITY TO, TO INCLUDE A BIKE LANE ON SUCH A PREDOMINANT CORRIDOR LIKE COLLINS AVENUE.

SO WE ARE REALLY IN A, IN A CONUNDRUM HERE, BUT, UM, FOR, JUST COINCIDENTALLY, AS WE WERE WALKING THE CORRIDOR, UH, NOT TOO LONG AGO, AS PART OF A, A WALKTHROUGH, UM, I REALIZED THAT THE SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES OF COLLINS AVENUE TEND TO BE, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE PRETTY, PRETTY WIDE.

THEY'RE WIDER THAN ALONG MOST CORRIDORS.

AND IF, IF I MAY, COMMISSIONER, THERE IS A SKETCH WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO, TO SHARE.

WE, WE SENT IT TO PJ.

PJ IF YOU HAVE, UH, THE SKETCH TO PUT THERE ON SCREEN.

OKAY.

EXCELLENT.

OKAY.

SO THE, SO THE TOP PICTURE IS OUR CURRENT CONFIGURATION.

IT'S THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION.

AND IF I JUST QUICKLY DESCRIBE IT, IT, IT'S COMPRISED OF THREE, UH, TRAVEL LANES IN THE NORTHBOUND DIRECTION, A PARKING LANE ON THE WEST SIDE OF COLLINS AVENUE.

AND, UM, AND, AND NO BIKE LANE CLEARLY, AND GENERALLY WIDE SIDEWALKS, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE SIDEWALKS DO RANGE IN WIDTH BECAUSE THE RIGHT OF WAY VARIES ON THE WEST SIDE.

ON THE WEST SIDE OF COLLINS AVENUE, WE GO FROM ABOUT SIX TO 15 FEET.

CORRECT.

DEPENDING ON THE AREA.

ON THE EAST SIDE, WE GO FROM EIGHT FEET TO ABOUT 15 TO 15 FEET.

RIGHT.

WHICH I WOULD IMAGINE, LIKE TODAY, IF WE WERE LOOKING TODAY, I'M SURE PROBABLY THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE THE MORE NARROW SIDEWALKS, SO YOU COULD ACCOMMODATE A BICYCLE LANE.

BUT IT'S THOSE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE THE WIDER SIDEWALK THAT BECOME THE PROBLEM BECAUSE, UH, THEN IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE A BICYCLE LANE AND HAVING A WIDE SIDEWALK, YOU NEED TO DO AWAY WITH PARKING.

CORRECT.

WE, IN, IN ORDER TO NOT TOUCH THE, IF, IF WE DON'T WANT TO TOUCH THE SIDEWALKS AND WE WANT TO INCLUDE A BIKE LANE, WE WOULD NEED TO EITHER ELIMINATE THE PARKING OR ELIMINATE A TRAVEL LANE.

WE APPROACH THEFT DOT WITH THAT OPTION OF ELIMINATING ONE OF THE THREE TRAVEL LANES AND THEY WOULD NOT SUPPORT IT.

AND, AND I, IN GOOD, IN GOOD FAITH CAN'T SUPPORT ELIMINATING A TRAVEL LANE EITHER GIVEN THE TRAFFIC CHALLENGES MM-HMM .

THAT WE ENCOUNTER AS CITY.

AGREED.

AGREED.

SO AS I WAS WALKING THE CORRIDOR NOTICED THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SIDEWALKS ARE ARE PRETTY WIDE.

AND I THOUGHT REALLY FOR A BIKE LANE, ALL WE NEED IS ABOUT FIVE FEET.

UH, THAT WOULD GET US FIVE TO SIX FEET.

UH, WE MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO PROTECT IT, UH, POSSIBLY WITH A FOOT MORE, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE TO SEVEN FEET IS WHAT WE AND PJ, WE COULD GO BACK TO THE IMAGE.

'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SEE ON THE BOTTOM IMAGE.

YES.

IS THE CONFIGURATION OF WHERE ON THE WIDEST PART YOU MIGHT GO FROM 15 FEET, YOU MIGHT GO DOWN TO ABOUT NINE FEET OR 10 YES.

OR 10 ON THE WEST SIDE AND THE SAME THING ON THE EAST SIDE.

CORRECT.

CORRECT.

SO YOU STILL HAVE A GOOD SIDEWALK, A GOOD SIZE, ADEQUATE SIDEWALK, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY.

OBVIOUSLY IT'S A COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR.

WE, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE WALKABILITY, PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY, BUT WE THINK THAT WE CAN SHAVE OFF A LITTLE BIT FROM EACH SIDE, UH, DEPENDING ON THE WIDER SIDE.

'CAUSE AGAIN, THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH VARIES.

IT'S NOT A STANDARD RIGHT OF WAY WITH THROUGHOUT FROM .

AND SO SAY, LET ME ASK YOU THIS BECAUSE YOU DID MENTION, UH, THE POSSIBILITY TO PROTECT IT.

NOW, NOW I WOULD IMAGINE THAT, IS THAT, IS IT EASIER TO DO ON THE WEST SIDE? IS IT BETTER TO DO IT ON THE EAST SIDE? UM, HOW DOES IT MATTER? UH, SO IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T MATTER.

FDOT IS, IS, UM, NEUTRAL TO WHETHER IT'S ON THE WEST SIDE OR THE EAST SIDE.

EACH SIDE HAS ITS PROS AND CONS.

UM, CITY OF SURFSIDE OR TOWN OF SURFSIDE HAS THEIR BIKE LANE ON THE EAST SIDE.

SO POTENTIALLY A BIKE LANE ON THE EAST SIDE OF COLLINS WOULD CONNECT TO THEIR BIKE LANE ON THE EAST SIDE.

AND THEN YOU MENTIONED HOW.IS ALSO WORKING ON, UM, FUTURE PROJECT TO INCORPORATE BIKE LANES ON, UH, COL HOLLAND, SAVAGE INDIAN CREEK.

YEAH.

UH, ON THE, ON THE WEST SIDE.

SO EACH HAS ITS PROS AND CONS.

IT COULD BE EITHER SIDE, BUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT SIDE IT'S ON, WE'RE GOING TO NEED THOSE FIVE TO SEVEN FEET ADDITIONAL FOR THE BIKE LANE.

AND SO LET ME, LET, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.

I PERSONALLY, I I THINK IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND ON THAT CONNECTIVITY THAT WE WOULD HAVE FROM 26TH STREET ALL THE WAY TO 75TH STREET, I THINK IT WOULD TRULY BE A LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CITY NOT TO EXPLORE THAT.

ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CONGEN, THE CONGESTION THAT WE ENCOUNTER ON THE BEACH WALK, THE AMOUNT OF BICYCLES THAT ARE COMPETING FOR SPACE WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND WITH THE PEDESTRIANS ON, ON, ON THE BEACH WALK.

SO WE CAN OFFER THAT ABILITY ON, ON THE STREET.

I THINK, I THINK IT, IT IS PRUDENT AND IT DOES MAKE SENSE.

MM-HMM .

SO I THINK WE SHOULD BE EXPLORING THAT.

TELL ME, YOU KNOW, SUPERFICIALLY,

[00:30:02]

BUT WHEN I SEE THIS HERE AND TAKING AN EXISTING SIDEWALK AND REDUCING THE SIZE OF THAT SIDEWALK, I'M HEARING, YOU KNOW, RIPPING CONCRETE, REPLACING CONCRETE, DOING NEW CURB AND GUTTER.

AND I MUST ASSUME THERE IS A FISCAL IMPACT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

THAT THAT'S CORRECT.

COMMISSIONER, THE, THE PROJECT THAT FDOT IS CURRENTLY PROPOSING IS A MILLING AND RESURFACING PROJECT.

UM, SO THE SCOPE IS VERY CONSTRAINED.

THE COST IS ALSO, UH, THEIR BUDGET IS ALSO CONSTRAINED BECAUSE IT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST RES STRIPING, WHICH IS WHY THEY PROFFERED ELIMINATE THE BIKE LANE.

I'M SORRY, ELIMINATE THE PARKING LANE.

PUT IN A BIKE LANE IS JUST STRIPING BECAUSE IT'S MIKE.

HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE CROSS SECTION ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE THERE, THAT, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE GETTING NOW INTO THE SIDEWALK AREA.

THE CURB, THE GUTTER THAT AFFECTS THE FLOW LINE.

AND THAT AFFECTS DRAINAGE.

SO IT BECOMES, AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES A RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

THERE MAY BE THINGS NOW, BUT, BUT LET ME ASK YOU THIS AND, AND, AND PERHAPS, UH, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER COULD CHIME IN HERE.

I MUST SAY THAT ONE OF THE RECURRING COMPLAINTS THAT I ALSO DO GET FROM NORTH BEACH IS THE CONDITIONS OF THE SIDEWALKS IN NORTH BEACH.

THE SIDEWALKS IN NORTH BEACH ARE BROKEN, THEY'RE TRIPPING HAZARDS.

AND I HEAR ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.

AND IF THIS COULD ALSO BE AN AVENUE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GO IN, NOT ONLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESURFACE COLLINS AVENUE AND TO ADD A BI, A BICYCLE LANE LANE TO ENHANCE OUR, OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, PROVIDE PEDESTRIANS WITH NEW SIDEWALKS THAT ARE NOT BROKEN AND ELIMINATE THOSE HAZARDS.

I THINK WE WILL BE DOING A SOLID BY OUR NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY.

UH, HOW COULD WE, UH, LOOK INTO, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY WHETHER ANY FUNDS EXIST FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF SIDEWALKS IN NORTH BEACH, MR. MANAGER? SO, UM, COMMISSIONER, I WILL BE HAPPY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO AN ASSESSMENT OF THOSE SIDEWALKS AND WE CAN REPORT BACK TO YOU.

UM, THAT CONDITION HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.

I'M NOT DOUBTING THAT, THAT THEY EXIST.

I CAN SAVE YOU THE TIME OF THE ASSESSMENT.

THEY'RE BAD, THEY'RE BROKEN.

PEOPLE ARE FALLING, PEOPLE ARE GETTING INJURED.

IN FACT, I KNOW OF ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT GOT, THAT HAS TWO BROKEN FEET BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE SIDEWALKS UP THERE IN NORTH BEACH.

COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, WELCOME.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU UP FROM ABOVE.

.

UM, SO YEAH, I'M NOT DOUBTING YOU, BUT I'M SAYING WE WILL DO AN ASSESSMENT TO FIND OUT THE CONDITIONS WHERE THEY ARE, DOCUMENT IT, AND, AND THEN NOT ONLY LOOK FOR FUNDS, BUT THEN WORK WITH THE COUNTY AS ON THAT AS WELL.

DO WE HAVE A POOL OF FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR REPLACEMENT OF SIDEWALKS? ARE THESE, ARE THESE CONSIDERED PART OF THAT ROAD ROADWAY PROJECT WITH THE COUNTY OR ARE THESE OURS, JOSE? SO THESE, THE SIDEWALKS BELONG TO FDOT.

THIS IS A STATE ROAD FROM BACK OF SIDEWALK TO BACK OF SIDEWALK.

SO THEY, THEY OWN THOSE, UH, AND MAINTAIN THOSE, THOSE SIDEWALKS AS PART OF THE TRIP, AS PART OF THE MILLING AND RESURFACING PROJECTS, A PROJECT THEY WOULD NOT, UM, THEY WOULD NOT RECONSTRUCT ALL THE SIDEWALK ONLY WHERE THERE'S DAMAGE, ONLY WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S EGREGIOUS AND THERE IS A TRIPPING HAZARD.

THEY WOULD, UM, REPAIR IT WOULD BE A REPAIR, IT WOULD NOT BE A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SIDEWALK.

SO THIS IS FDT WOULD HAVE TO FIND THE FUNDS IN ORDER THEN TO CONSTRUCT THIS SIDEWALK, CORRECT? YES.

OKAY.

UNDERSTOOD.

UM, AND SO, SO YOU NEED GUIDANCE AS TO WHETHER, WHETHER THIS SECOND ALTERNATIVE SHOULD BE SENT TO FDLT.

CORRECT? IT HAS NOT BEEN, OTHER THAN AMONGST JUST MY TEAM AND, AND NOW THIS COMMITTEE, IT HAS NOT GONE BEYOND HAVE WE SHARED WITH THE COMMUNITY THIS SECOND ALTERNATIVE.

HAVE WE GONE OUT, ORGANIZED A MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND PRESENT THIS TO THEM TO GAIN, TO GAIN THEIR FEEDBACK ON WHETHER THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT BICYCLE LANE.

AND IT'S ALL A GIVE AND TAKE, YOU KNOW, SACRIFICE A LITTLE BIT HERE TO GET A LITTLE BIT THERE.

MM-HMM .

UH, HAVE WE TAKEN THIS TO NOT YET, COMMISSIONER THIS IS, YOU KNOW, HOT OFF THE PRESS.

UM, I THINK IT, I THINK IT, IT WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE TO APPROACH THE COMMUNITY, SHARE THIS WITH THEM.

I WOULD LIKE FDOT TO BE THERE.

'CAUSE ULTIMATELY THIS WOULD NEED TO BE AN FDOT PROJECT THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO BUDGET FOR PROGRAM.

WOULD WE BE ABLE TO, TO TEAM UP WITH FDLT TO HOST THIS COMMUNITY MEETING BEFORE WE SEND A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE CITY COMMISSION? WE CAN, WE CAN ASK FDOT IF THEY WOULD, UH, JOIN US AND PARTNER WITH US IN A COMMUNITY MEETING JUST

[00:35:01]

I WILL SAY, AND THEY, THEY COMMUNICATED WITH US RECENTLY, THEY NEED A RESOLUTION.

OF COURSE THEY NEED SOME DIRECTION BECAUSE THEY ARE IN DESIGN FOR THE RESURFACING PROJECT, RIGHT.

SO IF ULTIMATELY THIS GOES DOWN THE DIRECTION OF, WE WOULD RATHER SEE A RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT TO, IN ORDER TO INCORPORATE THE BIKE LANES WITHOUT AFFECTING THE ON-STREET PARKING.

UM, THEN IT'S A DIFFERENT, IT'S A DIFFERENT PROJECT.

THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUT THE CURRENT PROJECT ON HOLD, HOPEFULLY REALLOCATE FUNDS.

WE WOULD ASK THEM TO REALLOCATE THE FUNDS TO THIS, UH, BROADER RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM YET.

I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO, UH, TO TEAM UP WITH FDOT TO HAVE THIS COMMUNITY MEETING.

AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY MEETING SERVES EVEN BETTER THAN A POLL BY PROVIDING THE CONTEXT.

UH, AND I THINK IT'LL BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SEE BLOCK BY BLOCK, UH, BLOCK BY BLOCK, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE 6,300 BLOCK OF COLLINS AVENUE.

THIS IS HOW WIDE YOUR SIDEWALK IS, THIS IS HOW MUCH IT WOULD REDUCE BY, YOU KNOW, HAVING, HAVING SOME SORT OF ANALYSIS LIKE THAT SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT WOULD BE THE REAL IMPACT TO THEM AND WHAT WILL BE THE REAL BENEFIT TO THEM BY, UH, BY, BY DOING THIS.

UH, I DON'T KNOW.

MADAM CHAIR, IF YOU AGREE, UH, IN TAKING THIS APPROACH.

I REALLY LIKE, UM, HOW PERSISTENT YOU'VE BEEN WITH THIS ITEM.

UH, WHEN I FIRST HEARD THE ITEM SEVERAL MONTHS BACK OR MAYBE A YEAR AGO, I WAS NERVOUS BECAUSE OF THE LOSSES OF PARKING AND UH, HOW ADAMANT THE RESIDENTS WERE UP IN THAT AREA AND THE BUSINESSES ABOUT NOT LOSING PARKING.

AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE BAY WALK, UH, BEACH WALK IS, UH, VERY BUSY AND CONGESTED.

SO TO HAVE ANOTHER AREA OF CONNECTIVITY IS GREAT.

AND IF, UM, JUST BY REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE SIDEWALKS A LITTLE BIT, WE CAN MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF LOSING PARKING SPACES AND STILL HAVE THAT CONNECTIVITY.

I THINK IT'S A WIN FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND, UM, SO I'M FINE WITH THAT.

OKAY.

SO JOSE, SO, UH, THIS MIGHT, AND THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

UM, I, I APPRECIATE THAT SUPPORT.

SO THIS IS AN ITEM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IN COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND DO THAT COMMUNITY MEETING, ASK FDLT TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT MEETING AND THEN BRING BACK THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THAT MEETING TO, UH, TO THIS COMMITTEE.

AND I THINK WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, MAYBE WE BRING THIS BACK TO THE APRIL COMMISSION FOR SURE.

COMMITTEE.

OF COURSE.

IT'D BE MY PLEASURE.

UM, ALRIGHT, SO PUBLIC COMMENT.

OKAY, WE HAVE, MATTHEW, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

IF YOU COULD PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.

UH, GOOD MORNING AGAIN, MATTHEW ALTOFF.

UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, THE, THE TWO COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, UH, FOR CONTINUING TO BE CHAMPIONS OF ENHANCING MOBILITY ON MIAMI BEACH.

I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS IDEA TO EXPLORE OTHER INNOVATIVE WAYS TO INCORPORATE A BIKE LANE ON THIS OR A FUTURE FDOT PROJECT.

HOPEFULLY THIS PROJECT.

UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED THOUGH ABOUT THIS SURVEY THAT WAS SENT OUT, ESPECIALLY THE QUESTION.

UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IT WAS A LITTLE, IT WAS A LITTLE LEADING.

AND I THINK THAT IF YOU WANTED TO GAUGE SUPPORT FOR A BIKE LANE, PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BIFURCATED THE PARKING LOT TO A SEPARATE QUESTION.

IT'S JUST SOME, JUST SOME, YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK I WANT TO PROVIDE.

BUT, UH, JUST THE WAY IN WHICH THE QUESTION WAS PHRASED, I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE INFLUENCED THE OUTCOME IN WHICH YOU RECEIVE FROM THE BUSINESSES.

BUT A COMMUNITY MEETING IS A GREAT IDEA.

LET'S LEARN DETAIL BLOCK BY BLOCK, HOW THIS CAN BE DONE.

THE IMPACTS AND ALSO THE POSITIVE BENEFITS I THINK WILL BE GREAT FOR EVERYONE.

AND HOPEFULLY THE PERSISTENCE ON THIS PROJECT AND KEEPING IT HOPEFULLY MOVING FORWARD WILL RESULT IN ENHANCED, UH, BIKE LANES AND ACCESS FOR EVERYONE IN THE CITY.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN.

GREAT.

UM, THANK YOU.

UH, LARRY SCHAEFFER, IF YOU COULD PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.

YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

YES.

IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE TWO MINUTES, THANKFULLY FOR ALL THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE.

UM, WE ALL LIKE BIKE LANES AND WE ALL LIKE PARKING.

DON'T YOU THINK WE COULD HAVE HAD BIKE LANES IF YOU FINISHED THE 72ND STREET GARAGE? A COMPLETELY FAILED PROJECT THAT I HOPE YOU'RE GONNA ANSWER DIRECT QUESTIONS ABOUT TONIGHT.

IF WE HAD THE GARAGE THERE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE, THE MERCHANT SAYING THAT, HEY, WE DON'T WANT BIKE LANES.

'CAUSE THE, LIKE, AS THE PREVIOUS CALLER SAID, OUR NEIGHBORS WANT BIKE LANES, BUT WE CAN'T HAVE THEM BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T BUILD A GARAGE.

AND IT'S BEEN HOW MANY YEARS? SEVEN YEARS SINCE WE STARTED FUNDING THAT DEBACLE AND IT, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA GET IT FOR 10 YEARS.

SO I KNOW THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT BIKE LANES, BUT IT IS ABOUT PARKING AND YOU CAN'T GIVE US BIKE LANES BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T DELIVER THE GARAGE.

THANK

[00:40:01]

THANK YOU.

IF WE COULD PLEASE UNMUTE CHARLES FISHER.

CHARLES, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

HI, THANKS SO MUCH.

THIS IS CHARLES FISHER.

HERE'S MY NAME, I GUESS .

I, UM, OBVIOUSLY I'M JUST CALLING TO, UH, TO, TO VOICE MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE BIKE LANES FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.

ONE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE A A VERY BIKE FRIENDLY CITY AND WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE EVEN MORE BIKE FRIENDLY.

WE SHOULD LEAN INTO BIKING IN THIS TOWN BECAUSE TRAFFIC IS QUITE FRANKLY A NIGHTMARE.

I BIKE WHEN I NEED TO GET AROUND AND AVOID TRAFFIC.

YOU KNOW, PARKING IS VERY DIFFICULT, SO I OFTEN WILL BIKE, UH, INSTEAD OF DRIVING.

IT'S JUST MAKES LIFE SO MUCH EASIER.

I ALSO KNOW THAT THE MAYOR HAS BEEN VERY CONCERNED WITH THE AMOUNT OF BIKES ON THE BEACH WALK.

I'M SURE YOU GUYS DISCUSSED THIS ALREADY.

WE CAN GET THOSE BIKES, SOME OF THOSE BIKES, A PORTION OF 'EM TO SHIFT OFF THE BEACH WALK.

THE PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST TRYING TO COMMUTE FAST BETWEEN THEIR JOB AND WORK UP AND DOWN NORTH AND SOUTH, THEY WOULD TAKE THE BIKE LANE ON COLLINS.

THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ON A BEACH WALK WITH PEOPLE THAT'S SLOWING THEM DOWN.

AND IT'S SANDY AND IT'S CURVY.

THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ENJOYABLE STROLLS, PEOPLE TRYING TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH.

THEY WOULD USE THOSE BIKE LANES.

SO I THINK IN ORDER TO HELP THE MAYOR TRY TO, TO CLEAR AND THE MAYOR'S CONSTITUENTS TO KIND OF CLEAR OUT THE BEACH, WALK FROM FAST BIKES, THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO DO IT.

AND FINALLY, I JUST WANNA DRAW EVERYONE'S ATTENTION TO F DOT'S PLANS.

THEY'RE PLANNING ON STARTING THE PROJECT IN, I BELIEVE, OCTOBER.

UH, THEY BASICALLY FINISHED THEIR, UM, THEIR PLANS.

SO IF WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE A BIKE LANE, WE NEED TO LET THEM KNOW THAT, UH, SOON SO THEY CAN REDRAW AND RECONFIGURE THEIR PLANS AND GET THAT BIKE LANE IN THERE.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUTTING, THEY'RE GOING AND WORKING ON THE PAVEMENT I BELIEVE IN OCTOBER.

SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TIME TO GET THIS DONE.

I THINK IT'S, WE SHOULD PIGGYBACK OFF OF SDOT DOING THIS.

IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FROM US.

I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING AND DISCUSSING, DISCUSSING FOR A YEAR AND A HALF AND, AND THE, THE TIME IS GONNA PASS.

SO I'M, I'M ALMOST CONCERNED THAT IT MIGHT EVEN BE TOO LATE NOW, BUT IT, IT WILL BE TOO LATE IF WE WAIT A LOT LONGER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND MADAM CHAIR, IF I COULD JUST, YES, THE KEY IN ALL OF THIS IS IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT CAN GET THE FOUR VOTES OF THE CITY COMMISSION TO ADVANCE THIS FORWARD? AND, AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA THANK JOSE, UH, GONZALEZ, OUR TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR FOR CONTINUING TO WORK ON THIS 'CAUSE THROUGH THIS DIALOGUE, I, THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE GOT THROUGH DIFFERENT ITERATIONS.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THIS PROCESS, WE MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING THAT COULD POTEN THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A WIN-WIN, UH, SITUATION.