[00:00:01]
AND THOSE ARE ALL THE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR TODAY.
SO, UM, I GUESS WE COULD START WITH NUMBER TWO.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS DISCUSS, TAKE ACTION REGARDING CONCERNS AT THE NORTH SHORE BRANCH LIBRARY, INCLUDING THE NEED FOR SECURITY OR POLICE PRESENCE, AS WELL AS REPAIRS TO THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND BROKEN WINDOW AND FACILITIES AND FLEET WILL BE PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
TODAY, UM, YES, BACK, BACK IN MARCH OF, UH, I, OR I GUESS THE, THE, UH, IN MARCH, UH, MARCH 3RD, 2025, WE WENT OUT AND VISITED THE, THE LOCATION AND, AND NOTICED SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WERE, UM, ASKEW,
UM, THE COUNTY ITSELF IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BOTH THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR.
UM, AND SINCE THAT TIME, UM, THEY HAVE MADE SEVERAL UPDATES, UM, TO THE SPACE.
[2. DISCUSS / TAKE ACTION REGARDING CONCERNS AT THE NORTH SHORE BRANCH PUBLIC LIBRARY, INCLUDING THE NEED FOR SECURITY OR POLICE PRESENCE, AS WELL AS REPAIRS TO THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND BROKEN WINDOW.]
AND IN ADDITION, UH, TO CLEANING THE WINDOWS, UH, CLEANING THE SIDEWALK AND THE FACADE OF THE BUILDING AS WELL.UM, THEY'VE UPDATED, UH, THE ENTIRE HVAC SYSTEM.
UM, THEY'VE ALSO, UM, ACQUIRED A GUARD THAT'S ON THE INSIDE AS WELL AS COORDINATING WITH M-B-M-B-P-D, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL PATROLS, ET CETERA, AROUND THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING.
WELL, THAT'S THE EASIEST ITEM EVER THEN.
SO, SO THEY MADE ALL, I'M GLAD YOU GUYS FOLLOWED UP AND GOT THEM TO DO THE MAINTENANCE, AND SO EVERYTHING'S FINE.
YES, THEY HAVE A GUARD INSIDE BECAUSE I GOT A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.
WE'LL ALSO GO THROUGH AND DO QUARTERLY, UH, YOU WILL INSPECTIONS WITH THEM AS WELL, JUST TO MAKE SURE AND KEEP THEM ON THEIR UPPER.
I MEAN, LIKE, I HATE TO GIVE YOU MORE WORK, BUT YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY ON 23RD STREET, EVERY NOW AND THEN, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO GIVE THEM A CALL TOO AND SAY, LOOK, IT NEEDS A PRESSURE CLEANING ON THE OUTSIDE OR YOU COULD PAINT THIS.
WHICH ONE? THE 23RD STREET LIBRARY ALSO.
WE DO, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PROGRAM THROUGH THE ASSET DIVISION UNDER FACILITIES WHERE WE DO QUARTERLY INSPECTIONS OF ALL OF THE ASSETS INCLUDED IN THIS.
UM, IN THIS ITEM, IN THIS, UH, THE MEMO THAT WE PROVIDED, WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE OUR, A COPY OF THE INSPECTION REPORT THAT WE DID BACK IN MARCH, UH, THAT WE USED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE LIBRARY.
THEY ACTUALLY CLOSED DOWN FOR FOUR WEEKS TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE, THE RECARPETING OF THE INTERIOR, AND THEY OPENED UP LAST MONDAY.
DOES IT LOOK MUCH BETTER NOW? MUCH BETTER.
SO THEN, UH, WE, WE CAN CLOSE.
WE WELCOME NEWS TOUR WITH YOU.
UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE WILL BE THE UPDATE, SORRY, RIGHT.
ITEM NUMBER ONE IS MONTHLY UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE FIFTH STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND THE MON AND HOTEL RADOR CONDOMINIUM BAY WALKS PROJECTS.
THIS WILL BE PRESENTED BY CIP.
UM, WE WERE HERE LAST MONTH AND WE PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THE BAY WALKS.
WE WERE ASKED TO COME BACK SPECIFICALLY WITH A COUPLE OF PIECES OF INFORMATION.
UH, THERE WAS, AS I HAD NOTED BEFORE IN THE 10, OR EXCUSE ME, A THOUSAND TO 1200 SEGMENTS OF THE BAY WALK.
UH, A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT THE DEVELOPER WAS, UM, NOT INCLUDING, THEY ARE THE INSTALLATION OF STAIRS AT RADOR NORTH IS A CONNECTION POINT TO THE BAY WALK, UH, AS WELL AS RAILING THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE BAY
[1. MONTHLY UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE 5TH STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND THE MONDRIAN HOTEL/MIRADOR CONDOMINIUM BAYWALK PROJECTS.]
WALK.THE COST, AS REPORTED BY THE DEVELOPER IS $24,000 FOR THE STAIR AT RADOR NORTH, UH, AND APPROXIMATELY 650,000 FOR THE RAILING ALONG THE BAY WALK.
I MET RECENTLY WITH FIND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, CROWLEY.
HE SAID THAT THERE'S MONEY AVAILABLE AND HE WANTS TO HELP.
I THINK I MIGHT HAVE DONE AN EMAIL CONNECT.
SO WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP THERE.
ALSO, AT THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN GETTING COM UPDATES ON THE BAY WALK AND, AND I FEEL THAT WE'VE HAD PROGRESS SINCE OUR DISCUSSION STARTED.
UM, AND I KIND OF FEEL THAT, UH, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE BEATING UP ON THE BAY WALK, THAT NOTHING WAS GETTING ACCOMPLISHED AND NOTHING WAS GETTING DONE AND THAT COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON CONTRACTS AND EASEMENTS AND, UH, AGREEMENTS WITH INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES AND WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AND I APPRECIATE YOU 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN ON TOP OF IT FOR THAT.
I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, THE BEACH WALK DID TAKE DECADES TO COMPLETE, NO, 20 YEARS, AND IT IS ENTIRELY WITH, WITH ONE EXCEPTION ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.
THE BAY WALK SYSTEM IN CONTRAST IS ALMOST ENTIRELY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO THE, THE NEGOTIATION OF THOSE AGREEMENTS IS ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT.
AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, A PROPERTY OWNER BOARD CHANGED AND, UH, DOESN'T WANNA GIVE UP.
THAT VISIONS CHANGED AND IT'S BEEN A NIGHTMARE.
I KNOW, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN WITH YOU ON THE BAY WALK MULTIPLE TIMES WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND HEARING THE CHANGES.
SO, AND IF I COULD TAKE THE PRIVILEGE OF CONGRATULATING THE COMMISSION AND PLANNING FOR THE EFFORTS THAT THEY'VE PUT IN AND ACTUALLY GETTING
[00:05:02]
WITH, I THINK WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE PROPERTY, UH, A DRB OR PLANNING BOARD ORDER TO GET THOSE SEGMENTS INCLUDED.SO THEY'VE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
UH, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, COMMISSIONER RESIDENT GONZALEZ, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I THINK YOU JUST ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
SO THERE'S ONLY ONE PROPERTY THAT HASN'T SIGNED THE AGREEMENT.
THERE'S ONE PROPERTY THAT DOES NOT HAVE AN EXISTING PLANNING BOARD OR DRB ORDER, OR HASN'T ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED, AND IT'S ACTUALLY THE SUBJECT OF THE DEVELOPER'S PROPERTY.
CONGRATULATIONS, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE UNTIL, UH, JULY 9TH.
UM, AND ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, THE COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS DISCUSS THE CAPTURE AND EUTHANIZATION OF IGUANAS PURSUANT TO THE IGUANA RECOMMENDATION SERVICE AGREEMENT.
THIS WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER B AND FACILITIES IN FLEET WILL BE PRESENTING, YOU KNOW, YOU RUN FOR OFFICE AND YOU THINK YOU, UM, HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
AND THE FIRST TIME I WAS REALLY SURPRISED WAS WHEN IT WAS FERAL CHICKENS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'LL TELL THAT STORY ANOTHER TIME, BUT THAT WAS ONE THING.
AND THEN HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HUMANE TREATMENT OF IGUANAS.
UM, AND THE REASON THIS CAME UP IS THAT, UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO THERE WERE, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS WHERE, UM, I GUESS A ROGUE OPERATOR WAS SHOOTING IGUANAS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND MISSING, AND IT WAS REALLY TRAUMATIZING AND
[3. DISCUSS THE CAPTURE AND EUTHANASIA OF IGUANAS PURSUANT TO THE IGUANA REMEDIATION SERVICES AGREEMENT.]
UNFORTUNATE AND, YOU KNOW, NOT GOOD FOR MANY, MANY REASONS.I'M NOT SUPER FOND OF THE IDEA OF USING EVEN A SMALL GAUGE RIFLE OR WHATEVER THE APPROPRIATE TERMINOLOGY IS FOR SHOOTING IGUANAS, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THAT IS A, AN AUTHORIZED USAGE, IT, IT JUST SEEMS NOT GREAT.
UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING CARE OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR VISITORS, UM, AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE NOT, UM, SEEING IGUANA EUTHANASIA OR MURDER OR HOWEVER YOU WANNA PUT IT.
UM, AND, AND MAKING SURE FOR SERIOUSLY THAT THERE'S NO MISHAP.
I MEAN, ONE BAD SHOT AND SOMEBODY, UM, COULD HAVE A REALLY UNFORTUNATE STORY.
SO, UM, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND LET'S, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN'T MAKE THIS BETTER.
SO, MADAM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER IS WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO.
RON AU, DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES AND FLEET.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE TOM SAY A FEW WORDS.
UH, HE'S WITH BLUE IGUANA, WHO'S OUR, OUR PROVIDER FOR THE SERVICE.
UH, THE BLUE IGUANA PEST CONTROL IS A HOLDING COMPANY FOR IGUANA CONTROL, DBA IGUANA CONTROL.
IT ALSO OWNS IGUANA LEATHER AND IGUANA CHUM.
UH, THE 22ND RESUME IS, UH, 16 YEARS NOW, EAST AND WEST COAST OF FLORIDA.
30 MEN, EIGHT COUNTIES, LARGEST OLDEST COMPANY IN ALL THAT TIME.
NOT ONE EPISODE, ANYWHERE ANYONE TAPING OR COMPLAINING, FWC OF COURSE GUIDES US IN HOW WE MOVE AND GO ABOUT, BUT NOT, NOT AN EPISODE AT ALL, OR AN ACCUSATION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMAL, UH, IN, IN, IN SPITE OF WHAT WE DO.
IT'S A NECESSARY EVIL, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, IT'S AN AGGRESSIVE PROCEDURE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN, IN PUBLIC AREA.
UM, THE MEN ARE, ARE TRAINED, UH, IN, IN SEVERAL METHODS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THEY GO THROUGH, THESE ARE NOT FIREARMS, OF COURSE, THEY'RE JUST AIR GUNS.
THE 22 CALIBER JUST DESIGNATES HOW THE DIAMETER OF THE, THE PE THE PATE.
THEY GO THROUGH A ONE WEEK TRAINING SESSION WITH A GENTLEMAN NAMED RICHARD SMITH ON STERLING ROAD, WHO'S RECOGNIZED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS A MARKS BEEN A SAFETY TRAINER, TRAINS POLICE OFFICERS, AND SO ON.
SO HE GETS CERTIFIED TO MAKE SURE HOW THEY PROCEED.
UH, NO ONE IS MOTIVATED, COMPENSATED, GIVEN KUDOS ON HOW MANY, THAT'S A DANGEROUS PATH TO GO.
UM, THEY'RE TRAINED IN WHAT TO DO AS WE MOVE ONTO A PROPERTY, HOW TO BE DISCREET.
UH, UH, WE PURCHASE THESE SMALLER, THEY CALL 'EM PCPS.
WE PAINT THEM BRIGHT ORANGE TO MAKE SURE THAT HELPS.
WE PUT A, WHAT'S CALLED A LASER SIDING ONTO THEM.
AND WITH COMPANY POLICY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PROHIBITED FROM, FIRST OF ALL, WALKING AROUND WITH IT.
IT STAYS IN WHAT WE CALL A SACK, LIKE A LITTLE GUNNY SACK.
WHEN THEY SEE A TARGET, THEY'LL TAKE IT OUT, TURN THE LASER ON, AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP IT AT HIP.
IT'S A, IT'S A ALARMING STAND TO SEE THAT KIND OF A POSITION.
SO IT COMES OUT, THEY TURN THE LASER ON, UH, THEY REMOVE THE IGUANA, GOES INTO A, A, A BAG AND INTO THE TRUCK.
UH, THEN TAKEN BACK TO THE FACILITY FOR SKINNING FOR THE GUANA LEATHER, AND THEN PROCESSING FOR I GUANA CHUM.
THAT'S THE QUICK LIGHT ISLAND, WHAT WE DO.
WHO EATS IGUANA? CHUM OF FISH.
UM, SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS, BECAUSE THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS ALARMING TO THIS RESIDENT WHO REPORTED
[00:10:01]
THIS, UM, WAS THAT FOR THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT, THE PERSON, I GUESS THE EMPLOYEE MISSED.UM, SO IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T A DEAD IGUANA THAT WAS BEING PUT INTO THE BAG.
IT WAS A BLEEDING AND UNHAPPY IGUANA THAT WAS BEING PUT INTO THE BAG.
I WOULD NOT BE A GOOD MARKSMAN.
SO I, I'M NOT CASTING ASPERSIONS, BUT CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT IF THIS IS THE BEST, SAFEST WAY TO PROCEED, AND IF, IF WE DO STILL NEED IGUANA REMEDIATION, UM, THAT THEY DON'T WRESTLE IN IGUANA, A STILL ALIVE IGUANA INTO A BAG IN FRONT OF A PARK FULL OF PEOPLE.
OF COURSE THERE ARE, THERE ARE THERE TIMES OF THE DAY THAT ARE BETTER TO, YOU KNOW, ARE IGUANAS OUT AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY THAT MIGHT BE MORE CONDUCIVE TO NOT INTERACTING WITH A BIGGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
I MEAN, I KNOW EVERYONE GETS UP EARLY TO GO FOR A RUN OR WHATEVER, BUT LIKE, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS LESS GROSS AND AND DISTRESSING FOR, FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS? I SPOKE WITH THE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE EPISODE AND, UM, UH, ON, ON, ON, ON HIS BEHALF.
HE SAID HE HAD REMOVED IT THE RIGHT WAY AND EVEN FINALLY, WHILE IT WAS ON THE GROUND, FINISHED ANOTHER ONE.
SO WHEN HE PICKED IT UP, IT WAS DECEASED TO GO INTO THE BAG, TO BE CLEAR.
'CAUSE THE MEN KNOW HOW TO PROCEED, ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC AREAS.
IGUANAS ARE ACTIVE FROM NINE O'CLOCK, 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TILL FIVE OR SIX.
THEY COME OUT WHEN PEOPLE WALK AROUND AND SO ON.
SO IT'S A VERY DELICATE MATTER ON HOW TO PROCEED ON A PROPERTY WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, EPISODES LIKE THIS.
UH, WE SERVICE, UH, MIAMI SEA AQUARIUM IN THE INDUSTRY OF THE CARE AND NURTURING OF ANIMALS.
THE LASTING ANYONE WANTS TO SEE IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BEEN DOING MIAMI SEA AQUARIUM NOW FOR ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, NINE TO FIVE, NOT ONE EPISODE.
UH, IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE ON EFFICACY AND OF COURSE, BEING DISCREET AND THE MEN KNOW TO WEIGH IN FAVOR OF DISCRETION BEFORE OVER, OF COURSE, TRYING TO GET IT TO CORNER.
BUT THE, BUT THAT'S THE, THE, THE METHOD THAT YOU HAVE TO USE IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE, RELYING UPON TRAPS ALONE WILL NEVER GET YOU AHEAD OF THE CURVE TO THE POINT THAT THESE BIDS COME OUT.
UH, WE HAVE A BID FOR F WC FOR 30 MILES OF CANALS DOWN THE KEY LARGO WHEN THESE BIDS COME OUT.
AND IF THEY RESTRICT THE AGGRESSIVE METHOD, BLUE IGUANA PEST CONTROL STAYS OUT OF THE BID, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA BE ATTACHED TO A PROGRAM THAT I KNOW FROM THE BEGINNING WILL NOT WORK.
YOU, YOU CAN'T GET AHEAD OF A CURVE ON JUST TRAPPING ALONE, MAYBE ONE OR TWO BY A POOL BEHIND SOMEONE'S HOME.
BUT IN THIS KIND OF LARGE PROPERTY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT, THAT THE SADLY, YOU KNOW, THE AGGRESSIVE METHODS, UH, UM, ALMOST REQUIRED.
ARE WE DOING ANY REMEDIATION FROM THE WATERFRONT? SO WE HAD A, UM, ZONE CALLED WATERWAYS.
UM, AND WE HAD GONE A FEW DAYS ALONG THE WATERWAYS, UH, TAKING VIDEOS AND PICTURES.
UH, THE PROBLEM WITH THE WATERWAYS AS THEY WERE FIRST LAID OUT IS HUNTING IT IN ITSELF IS, IS IS, UH, UM, AN EXERCISE IN A STEADY HAND, PATIENCE, AND SO ON, THAT'S ON SOLID GROUND.
SO IMAGINE IN A BOAT THAT'S ROCKING AND YOU'RE SITTING OUTSIDE A HOME AND AREA AND YOU'RE TRYING TO SHOOT TOWARD A PUBLIC AREA, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE CAUSEWAY IN YOUR CAUSEWAY WHERE PEOPLE ARE ON BIKES AND WALKING AROUND.
SO, UH, WE MOVE THE TIME, THE PAYROLL, UH, ALLOTTED TO WATERWAYS, TO OTHER AREAS TO GO ONTO.
WE STILL SERVICE THE WATERWAYS, BUT FROM THE LAND.
UH, THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS, CHAD, COME UP.
CHAD IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE VENETIAN ISLANDS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
HOW ARE YOU? CHAD ORGANIZED IGUANA REMEDIATION FOR HIS ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE MOST SUCCESS THAT THEY'VE HAD HAPPENS TO BE FROM THE WATER.
DO YOU WANNA EXPLAIN JOSH? YEAH.
SO, UM, WE HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH, UH, WATER VISITS.
AND, UM, ESSENTIALLY WE GO AROUND THE ISLANDS AND WE USE A SNARE, NOT A RIFLE.
SO, AND YOU CAN JUST KNOCK IT INTO THE WATER.
AND THEN WHEN IT'S IN THE WATER, SINCE THEY SWIM PRETTY SLOW, YOU CAN USE A NET TO, TO GATHER IT.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHEAP FOR US IS THE AIR RIFLE IN TERMS OF, UH, COST PER IGUANA.
HOWEVER, IF WE WERE A BIGGER NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE A WHOLE CITY, THE THE WATER WOULD BE MUCH CHEAPER BECAUSE A LOT OF THE WORK IS TO PUT THE BOAT IN THE WATER AND THE WHOLE TRAILERING AND, YOU KNOW, TRAVELING TO THE PLACE.
ONCE YOU'RE THERE, UH, YOU CAN, YOU CAN GET QUITE A FEW IGUANAS AND YOU GO IN THE AFTERNOON, YOU PICK 'EM OFF THE SIDE OF THE SEA WALLS.
AND IT'S A, THE OTHER ADVANTAGE OF IT IS A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS, UH, ARE OKAY WITH THE AIR RIFLES.
UM, OF COURSE THEY, OUR VENDOR DOES NOT USE THEM IF THERE'S PEOPLE AROUND.
SO IF THERE'S PEOPLE, IF THERE'S KIDS PLAYING IN THE BACKYARD, THEN
[00:15:01]
YOU SKIP THAT HOUSE.BUT, UM, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNSURE ABOUT AIR RIFLES, THE WATER VISITS DON'T USE THAT.
SO IT'S AN OPTION FOR RESIDENTS THAT LIVE ON THE WATER THAT WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE AIR RIFLES.
SO TO COUNTER OUT THAT, UM, IGUANAS, GO TO A YOUTUBE ARE NOT SLOW IN THE WATER BY ANY STRETCH OF IMAGINATION, BY ANY, THEY GO DOWN DEEP.
AND IT'S HARD ONCE THEY HIT THE WATER IN A POOL.
YOUR CHALLENGE IN A RIVER OR CANAL, UM, AGAIN, NOT FROM MY STATEMENT, FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, BUT GOOGLE IT IGUANAS DO NOT JUST HIT THE WATER AND MAYBE STAY ON THE SURFACE.
NOW, FOR UP ON THE SURFACE, THEY MAY GO SLOWLY, BUT ONCE THEY HIT THAT WATER, THEY ARE GONE.
NUMBER NUMBER TWO, MOST OF THE TREES, IF YOU'RE IN A BOAT MOVING AROUND, THE REACH IS SO FAR, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO KNOCK IT INTO THE WATER.
NOT TO COUNTER GENTLEMAN'S STATEMENTS, BUT FROM MY EXPERIENCE OF 16 YEARS, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO KNOCK IT INTO THE WATER.
TYPICALLY YOU CAN'T BECAUSE THEY'LL RUN INTO THE TREE.
SO KNOCK IT INTO SOME WATER, IT GETS INTO WATER AND IT'S GONE.
IT'S A, A HORRENDOUS WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY FROM OUR EXPERIENCE DOING THIS OURSELVES.
IT, IT, IT, THE, THE BEST WAY TO COME INTO IT IS, AS I MENTIONED, WHEREVER YOU HAVE TO GO IN BY, BY BOAT, MOST OF THE TIME YOU CAN ACCESS IT BY LAND.
THE PROPERTIES THAT WE SAW, THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU ACCESS THAT BY LAND.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN A BOAT.
MOST OF THE PROPERTY THAT WE SAW, THAT WE HAD GONE THROUGHOUT THE WATERWAY, YOU CAN GET TO.
IT DEPENDS UPON IF IT'S A PARK THEN, AND YOU NEED, IF IT'S A STATE PARK, WELL THEN OF COURSE YOU NEED A STATE'S PERMISSION TO GET OFF THE PROPERTY.
WELL, THIS COULD BE A PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION BECAUSE MAYBE WE CAN HAVE ONE COMPANY THAT'S EXPERTS IN LAND AND ANOTHER COMPANY THAT'S EXPERTS IN WATER AND THEN WORK TOGETHER AND YOU GET THE LAND AREA AND THE OTHER COMPANY GETS THE, THE WATER AREA.
I DON'T KNOW, JUST SO THAT WE'RE COVERING EVERYTHING, BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT THE MOST, UH, ECONOMICAL AND EFFICIENT WAY TO TO, TO, TO SNARE OR SNARING ON IGUANA, WE HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS.
SO MAYBE YOU GUYS CAN, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY, UH, I JUST WANTED YOU TO SPEAK TO HIM AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THIS OTHER METHOD, OTHER METHODOLOGIES THAT THAT MIGHT WORK.
I, I, I, I WOULD NOT WANNA DO WATERWAY FOR MY POSITION OF, IT'S A WASTE OF TIME.
COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BOND FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM.
I PARTICULARLY FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT CONTRACT.
UM, 'CAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT'S ONLY FOCUSED ON PUBLIC AREAS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM IN OUR CITY WITH IGUANAS.
UH, SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE VENDOR HAS REMOVED OVER 12,000 IGUANA CITYWIDE SINCE 2022.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE MEMO SAID.
I, I, I CAN SPEAK TO THIS YEAR, BUT YOU, YOU'RE SPEAKING THIS YEAR, YEARS AGO, THIS, THIS ABOUT 700 THIS YEAR I THINK, RIGHT? YES.
THIS YEAR WE'VE DONE ABOUT 700, UH, 1000.
AND HALF OF THE MONTH OF MARCH WE PULLED BACK SUBSTANTIALLY.
AND WE REALLY DIDN'T DO, IN ALL ACCOUNTS, WE HARDLY MOVED ANYTHING BECAUSE OF SPRING BREAK.
DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE COUNT OF THE POPULATION OF IGUANA? IS THERE ANY WAYS, ANY WAYS THAT WE CAN PROJECT THAT? DO WE HAVE ANY MAPPING TO EVALUATE WHETHER THE CURRENT CONTRACT IS MEETING, IS MEETING CITYWIDE NEEDS, UM, LIKE WHAT AREAS WE'RE MOSTLY FOCUSED IN? WHERE ARE MOST OF THESE IGUANAS COMING FROM? WE DO, WE DO TRACK MONTHLY.
UM, AND SO, AND WHAT ARE, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS OUR MOST PROBLEMATIC AREA IN TERMS OF IGUANAS? OH, UH, THERE ARE 34 LOCATIONS ALTOGETHER.
APPROXIMATELY 20 OF THEM ARE PARKS.
UM, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, ALONG, ARE WE TALKING MID BEACH? ARE WE TALKING THE WATERFRONT? ARE WE TALKING SOUTH? LIKE DO WE KNOW, DO WE HAVE A HEAT MAP OF THAT? YEAH.
WE HAVE A NORTH SECTION, MIDSECTION AND SOUTH SECTION.
UM, THE ONE PROPERTY, FOR EXAMPLE, DADE BOULEVARD CANAL, WHICH WAS SUGGESTED BY WATER.
WE, WE ARE AT SO FAR ON DAY BOULEVARD CANAL 66, THAT REMOVED JUST FROM A SMALL, IT'S A SECTION OF THE CANAL THAT WE, WE LABELED OFF TILL WE CAN WALK ALONG AND REMOVE THEM THAT WAY.
BUT, UM, UH, THEY'RE DIVIDED INTO A NORTH, MID AND SOUTH TERRITORY.
IT COVERS FROM THE NORTHERN, UH, COUNTY, OBVIOUSLY
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE MOST OF THE IGUANA COMPLAINTS COME FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE PLAN TO HELP RESIDENTS MORE DIRECTLY WITH THEIR IGUANA ISSUES? CAN WE EXPAND SERVICES BEYOND CITY FACILITIES? RON? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
UH, WHAT, WHAT WE DO IS, UM, AND IT'S POSTED ON THE WEBSITE THAT WE OFFER A DISCOUNT TO HOMEOWNERS WHO WANT TO USE IT.
UM, UH, UH, THE ISSUE I FEEL WITH THAT, AND THIS IS REALLY NOT THE FORUM TO INTRODUCE THE IDEA, BUT EVERY, EVERY PROPERTY HAS THESE PROBLEM.
[00:20:01]
PROPERTIES HAVE THIS KIND OF A PROBLEM.AND, UH, IF THEY'RE ON THE WATER, IT'S EVEN MORE PREVALENT.
AND THE SINGLE MOM OR DAD RAISING THE KIDS AN INCOME OF 150,000, WHATEVER, MORTGAGE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE GARDENS REMOVED.
BUT THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
UH, I, I, I'M, I'M LOOKING FOR A VENUE WHERE WE CAN INTRODUCE SOMETHING TO THE CITY WHERE, AS IN MANY CASES, THE CITY OFFERS CERTAIN HELP WHERE THE CITY SAYS, IF YOU'RE IN A CERTAIN, YOU FILL OUT THIS FORM AND YOUR INCOME IS HERE AND HERE'S YOUR PROBLEM.
WE'LL, WE'LL DONATE A PERCENTAGE, 20, 30% OF THE FEE, WE'LL REDUCE OUR FEE SUBSTANTIALLY.
SO THESE OTHER HOMEOWNERS WHO TYPICALLY CAN'T AFFORD THIS KIND OF A SERVICE CAN GET, GET THE ISSUE.
AND WHAT'S THE RATE, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, A HOME, UM, AND LET'S JUST ASSUME A HOME ON A CANAL, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY DO TRAVEL BY WATER AS, AS YOU'VE INDICATED, YOU KNOW, A HOME A HUNDRED FEET ON, ON, ON A WATERWAY.
SO, UM, WHAT IS YOUR RATE ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WE, WE, WE SERVICE OLD PROPERTIES A MINIMUM OF TWICE EVERY WEEK, MORE IF WE HAVE TO.
UH, THE STANDARD NON-DISCOUNTED RATE FOR THE YEAR IS 2,400, COMES OUT TO ABOUT $24 A VISIT.
BUT FOR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENCE, IT DROPPED TO 1500, WHICH IS JUST UNDER $15 A VISIT.
UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT EVEN GO LOWER, AS I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, FOR THOSE THAT REALLY NEED HELP OR IN AREAS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, UH, UH, ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED, YET THEY STILL HAVE THE NEED, THERE'S NO REASON THAT WE CAN'T BRING THAT PRICE EVEN LOWER FOR THOSE HOMEOWNERS.
HOW MANY PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS DO YOU HAVE PARTICIPATING? UM, UM, IN THE EIGHT COUNTIES, WE'RE ON THE EAST AND WEST COAST SOMEWHERE.
OH, I, I KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I, I DON'T, I HAVE ALMOST 2000 ALTOGETHER, BUT I, I CAN FIND OUT AND GET BACK TO YOU ON WHAT IS JUST FROM MIAMI BEACH.
THAT'D BE HELPFUL TO KNOW HOW MANY, I JUST, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S GREAT THAT THE CITY IS DOING THIS, BUT WE REALLY DO NEED THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS TO ENGAGE OTHERWISE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE GONNA BE ANINE EFFECTIVE.
I THINK IT MAKES US SMALL ATTEMPT, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THE MAXIMUM EFFECT UNLESS WE GOT HOMEOWNERS INVOLVED.
IF IT IS A GOAL OF THE CITY TO REDUCE THE POPULATION, THEN PERHAPS WE NEED TO SHARE IN THE COSTS.
I, I, I WOULD LIKE, AND AGAIN, THIS MAY NOT BE THE PLACE, BUT WE USED TO HAVE, UH, IN THE, IN THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT SERVICING THE GOLF COURSES.
AND THERE ARE AREAS THAT WE CALL INCUBATORS.
THESE ARE AREAS WHERE, LIKE, THIS NAME SUGGESTS THEY'RE OUT OF THE WAY.
NO ONE SEES THEM AND THEY JUST GROW GOLF COURSES.
WERE ALWAYS ON OUR LIST, BUT THEY WERE REMOVED FOR THIS PRO PROGRAM.
AND WE CAN RE I FORGET WHAT COURSES.
I'M SORRY, WHAT WHAT, I'M SORRY.
WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE GOLF COURSES? THE GOLF COURSES ARE AN INCUBATOR, RIGHT? SO IT ALLOWS THEM TO GROW UNABATED.
AND THEY'RE NOT ON OUR LIST FOR THIS PROGRAM.
THEY'RE NOT ON OUR LIST FOR WHY ARE THEY NOT? THEY WERE, BUT THEY WERE REMOVED.
WHY WERE THEY REMOVED, RON? I THINK IT WAS JUST BASED UPON THE VOLUME THAT WE HAD AT AN INITIAL TIME OR PERIOD OF TIME.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHY? I I, WE WEREN'T TRAPPING AS MANY AT ONE POINT IN TIME.
SO, BUT WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT THAT IS THE INCUBATOR FOR THE IGUANA SEE LESS.
WE STARTED TO SEE LESS IGUANAS ON THE GOLF COURSES AT SOME POINT THEN WE SCALE BACK THEIR, UM, SERVICE LEVELS.
WE AMPED UP IN CERTAIN PLACES AND THEN THEY SCALE BACK IN OTHERS.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS MONTHLY WE'RE TRACKING WHERE THESE HOTSPOTS ARE AT.
SO WE WILL ADD AND CHANGE AS NEEDED AS WE SEE THE EFFECT ACROSS AND BASED ON THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE'RE GETTING.
SO I GUESS KEY IN THIS IS FOR RESIDENTS WHEN THEY'RE SEEING THESE TO BE REPORTING IT SO THAT WE CAN ALLOCATE OUR RESOURCES AND, AND PUT THEM WHERE, WHERE RESIDENTS ARE SEEING THEM MOST.
AND WE'RE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION, SO WE'RE ALWAYS ADJUSTING THOSE AREAS.
CHAD, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, YES.
UM, I, I HAVE TO RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE ABOUT THE, THE WATER VISITS.
'CAUSE WE COLLECT DATA SO WE KNOW HOW MANY WE GET PER, PER VISIT.
UM, BUT TO SPEAKING TO OTHER WAYS TO GET THEM THAT'S LESS INVASIVE FOR, UM, FOR THE BEACH WOULD ALSO BE HATCHLINGS, UH, TO GET THEM DURING HATCHLING SEASON.
SO YOU CAN REALLY WALK UP TO BUSHES AND JUST GRAB THEM OUT OF THE BUSHES.
YOU WALK AROUND WITH A FLASHLIGHT AND YOU CAN GET QUITE A FEW BABIES THAT WAY.
AND SINCE EACH, I KNOW IT'S CALLING PROGRAMS THOUGH, THAT'S NOT EASY.
I'M DRINKING MY GU JUST, I KNOW
BUT, BUT IT IS A, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN WALK AROUND AND GET QUITE A FEW JUST GOING FROM BUSH TO BUSH DURING THAT SEASON.
UM, SO GETTING A LITTLE CREATIVE WITH IT, UH, IS, IS ANOTHER OPTION.
SPEAKING ALSO TO ACCESSING BY LAND FOR PRIVATE PROPERTIES, THAT'S QUITE DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE PRIVATE PROPERTIES ARE ADJOINING.
SO, UH, YOU CAN'T, UH, YOU NEED TO HAVE
[00:25:01]
PROPERTY APPROVAL TO WALK ON.SO WHAT WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE APPROVALS FOR EACH, YOU KNOW, HOUSE.
THAT'S OKAY WITH THAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE CITYWIDE OR MAYBE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS CAN GET TOGETHER AND HELP WITH THAT.
BUT, UM, THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE IS IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WITH THE MOSQUITO CONTROL THERE WAS SOME ABILITY TO ACCESS PROPERTIES, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING DEPENDING ON HOW CRITICAL YEAH.
YOU FEEL IT IS, UH, IS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, I DO THINK THE HAPPY MEDIUM IS WATER ACCESS RESPECTFULLY, BUT, WELL, IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE AS A A THOUSAND IGUANAS IN A YEAR.
I WAS THINKING WE WERE GONNA BE WAY ABOVE THAT.
IS THAT MAKING A DIFFERENCE? SINCE THAT'S SINCE THE END OF MARCH.
OH, JUST SINCE THE END OF MARCH.
YOU'VE GOTTEN A THOU HAVE YOU SEEN A DIFFERENCE IN THE WE HAVEN'T.
WE STOPPED GETTING COMPLAINTS.
I STOPPED GETTING EMAILS FROM MS. HMM.
WE HAVE AN IGUANA COMMITTEE, DON'T WE? YES.
IT'S NOT A VERY ACTIVE COMMITTEE.
I SPOKE WITH ALYSSA FROM THE FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY FEEL, I I THINK THE COMMITTEE FEELS THAT THEY'RE, WE NEED TO DO MORE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM TO HAVE, BUT THAT IF ANYTHING MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE, UM, TO SUPPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO, BECAUSE I JUST FEEL THAT THE FEEDBACK I'M GETTING FROM THEM IS THAT IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM, BUT IT'S NOT MAKING AS BIG OF A DENT AS THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD CREATE.
AND I THINK THAT IN LARGE PART IS, IS WE'RE FOCUSED ONLY ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.
WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH PRIVATE PROPERTY PARTICIPATING.
IF I HAD TO GUESS AS, AS WE WOULD WANT.
AND, UH, FRANKLY, WHAT I'M HEARING, THAT GOLF COURSES ARE INCUBATORS.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE BE IN GOLF COURSES, SIR? OH, I, OF COURSE, YES.
BUT WE'RE NOT IN THERE RIGHT NOW.
AND YOU KNOW, I, TO ME THAT'S, THAT'S CONCERNING.
I'LL TELL YOU, I LIVE ACROSS A GOLF COURSE AND WHAT I SEE OUT THERE ARE DINOSAURS, ALL RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IGUANA WRECKS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE BIG SCARY LOOKING THINGS OUT THERE.
AND THEY'RE SUNBATHING AND THEY'RE POOPING IN OUR POOLS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S GROSS, YOU KNOW.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I FEEL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE GOTTA GO BACK, START LOOKING AT THESE, UH, AT THESE FACILITIES LIKE GOLF COURSES THAT ARE DE INCUBATING GROUNDS, AND WE'RE NOT COVERING IT RIGHT NOW.
WELL, LOOK, THE VENETIAN ISLANDS IS DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB.
LIKE CHAD, OVERALL, HAVE YOU SEEN A BIG DIFFERENCE? WE JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND THE MODEL, BECAUSE HERE YOU'RE SEEING A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT BAND TOGETHER, THEY'RE EACH, EACH HOUSE IS PAYING, I THINK YOU SAID $30 PER MONTH.
$50 PER MONTH, UH, UM, AND THEY'RE ATTACKING IT FROM THE WATER, AND THEY'RE TAKING AWAY TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF, OF IGUANAS.
SO, I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING NOT DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, I'M SAYING ADDING TO POTENTIALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR OVERALL IGUANA BUDGET IS, BUT IF WE DO NEED TO DO MORE AND YOU'RE NOT SEEING A DIFFERENCE, AND THE COMMITTEE IS NOT SEEING ENOUGH OF A DIFFERENCE, THEN WE COULD POTENTIALLY, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO SPEAK WITH, I'LL HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH CHAD, HAVE A CONVERSATION AND POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THIS ITEM WAS ABOUT HOW, BUT UNDER THIS ITEM, I WOULD LOVE TO FIND OUT HOW TO INCREASE SOME OF IT, SOME OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM THROUGH THE CHAIR, IF I MAY.
UM, ARE YOU GUYS UP IN NORTH BEACH AT ALL? LIKE PARKVIEW ISLAND? NOT NECESSARILY ON THE ISLAND ITSELF, BUT THE GREEN AREAS LEADING UP TO THE ISLAND? YES.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY'RE THE IGUANA.
REES ARE UP THERE AS WELL, AND THEY'RE VERY HAPPY UP THERE.
I HAVE TO SAY, ONE OF MY FAVORITE VENDORS, UM, IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE TOLD ME A STORY THAT I REPEAT OFTEN, WHICH IS, HE SOLD A SERVICE, PEOPLE USED IT, THEY WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH IT.
THEN THEY WOULD CALL, UM, AFTER A FEW YEARS AND SAY, HEY, I'M HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN.
AND HE SAID, WELL, WHAT'S CHANGED? I SEE YOU'RE NOT USING MY SERVICE ANYMORE.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, IT'S WORKED SO WELL, WE DIDN'T THINK WE NEEDED IT ANYMORE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT IF THE GOLF COURSES ARE INCUBATORS AND WE'RE, WE ARE ALSO NOT SEEING THE SAME KIND OF DECREASE OR NOT SEEING THE, THE KIND OF DECREASE, WE WOULD LIKE TO, PERHAPS WE SHOULD GO TO WHERE THE BABIES ARE HATCHING AND GET THAT BACK ON THE PROGRAM.
SO, UM, I, I GUESS LET'S, LET'S BRING THIS BACK IN A MONTH OR SO TO SEE, GIVE AN UPDATE.
GIVE AN UPDATE AND SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER SORT OF THINGS WE CAN ADD OR RECONFIGURE WITHIN THE EXISTING CONTRACT AND LET YOU GUYS ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK.
DOES THAT WORK FOR EVERYBODY? OKAY.
SO NEXT MONTH, JUST LIKE AN UPDATE? YEAH.
ITEM NUMBER 12 IS MONTHLY UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF ONGOING AND FUTURE PROJECTS INVOLVING
[00:30:01]
THE USE OF THE LEONARD HOROWITZ COLOR PALETTES AND ART DECO BUILDING RESTORATION AND COLLABORATION WITH BARBARA LINY.THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, AND FACILITIES AND FLEET WILL BE PRESENTING.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO QUICKLY THE, THE, THE UPDATE, UM, I THINK EVERYONE, UH, CAN REMEMBER FROM THE LAST UPDATE, UM, OCEAN RESCUE HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
UM, I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT.
I THINK, UM, ANCHOR GARAGE IS NEXT ON THE LIST, UM, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY THE END OF JULY.
SO WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS THERE AS WELL.
SO BY THE END OF JULY, THE ANCHOR GARAGE IS BIG BECAUSE, I MEAN, IT'S A HUGE
[12. MONTHLY UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF ONGOING AND FUTURE PROJECTS INVOLVING THE USE OF THE LEONARD HOROWITZ COLOR PALETTE FOR ART DECO BUILDING RESTORATION IN COLLABORATION WITH BARBARA HULANICKI.]
FACADE.IT, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T LOOK AS BIG AS IT ACTUALLY IS, SO WHEN YOU PAINT IT, IT'S REALLY GONNA POP.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING, UM, ON UPDATING THE WINDOWS, UM, IMPACT CLASS THERE.
SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS GET THAT COMPLETED FIRST BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE PAINTING.
THAT WOULD PUT US, UM, THE WINDOWS IN OCTOBER OF 2025, AND THEN FINISHING UP PAINTING IN NOVEMBER OF 2025.
HAVE YOU GUYS ORDERED THE AWNINGS YET FOR THE COLONY SO THAT WE, I WOULD GO AHEAD AND ORDER THEM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OTHERWISE YOU'LL FINISH EVERYTHING AND THEN YOU'VE GOTTA ORDER THE AWNINGS TO SEE IT FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
UH, 13TH STREET GARAGE IS, IS ON THE LIST NEXT, UM, ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETED, UM, BY AUGUST 15TH AS WELL.
SO SEE SOME GOOD PROGRESS HERE IN THE NEXT 30, 45 DAYS.
UM, UH, MIAMI BEACH BANDSHELL IS THE LAST ONE ON OUR LIST.
UM, WE ARE WORKING IN TANDEM WITH, UM, CIP, UH, ONCE THEY COMPLETE THEIR WORK, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, CONTINUE TO PLAN AND PAINT FOR THAT, UH, LOCATION.
UM, I HAD A, I HAD A QUESTION.
I SAW THE LIST THAT YOU GUYS HAD GIVEN TO THE CITY MANAGER.
UM, AND I SAW THAT THE SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITY CENTER IN OLD CITY HALL DIDN'T FIT THE LEONARD HOROWITZ PALETTE, BUT WE'RE, ARE WE GONNA REPAINT IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE? AND IF SO, WHICH PALETTE DID WE SPEAK TO? PLANNING TO GET A RECOMMENDATION OF WHICH PALETTE.
'CAUSE WE GOT THE DIRECTION TO PAINT IT, THEY JUST DIDN'T LIKE THE COLORS THAT WE WERE USING.
SO THOSE, BOTH OF THOSE BUILDINGS DO NEED A PAINT JOB.
I MEAN, I SEE THE EXTENSIVE CONCRETE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING ON OLD CITY HALL, WHICH BY THE WAY, MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT WORK GETTING DONE.
UM, THE, SO THE SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITY CENTER WAS ACTUALLY, UH, WHICH IS A BRUTALIST STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE, WAS ACTUALLY REPAINTED, UH, RECENTLY.
AND THEN THE, AS YOU STATED, THE, UH, HISTORIC CITY HALL AT 1130.
UH, WASH IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A FACADE RESTORATION PROJECT, AND THE CONTRACTOR'S PAINTING THE FACADE AS HE GOES.
AND THAT'S OF COURSE, IN THE, IN THE SPANISH REVIVAL STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT'S NOT, UM, ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE FOR THE, UH, LEONARD HOROWITZ, UM, COLORS.
OKAY, THEN I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
RIGHT? WE CAN CLOSE OUT THE WELL UNTIL NEXT MONTH,
UM, OKAY, SO THAT ONE WAS NUMBER 12, AND WE'RE GONNA BRING IT BACK NEXT MONTH.
UH, YEAH, BUT I'M TRYING TO SEE THE PERSON WHO WANTED THAT ITEM LEFT THE, OKAY.
ITEM NUMBER 13 IS DISCUSSED PARISIAN SOUTH THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES LIKE BURLESQUE AND CABARET SHOWS.
THIS ITEM IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ, AND PLANNING WILL BE PRESENTING AND, OKAY.
UM, SO ITEM 13, COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ.
DID YOU WANNA TEE IT UP?
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, THESE NIGHTCLUBS ARE TRANSFORMING THEMSELVES AND, UH, THEY NEED AN ELEGANT,
[13. DISCUSS PARISIAN-STYLE THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES SIMILAR TO BURLESQUE AND CABARET SHOWS]
SOPHISTICATED STYLE OF ENTERTAINMENT LIKE THESE PARISIAN STYLE SHOWS.SO, ARE YOU GOING TO BE PRESENTING ON THIS, MR. ANDRADE? GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, I THINK WE PRESENTED THE LAST TIME AROUND, I THINK WE DID A LITTLE VIDEO PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, THE REQUEST TODAY WAS SIMPLY TO MOVE THE ITEM, UM, TO THE COMMISSION.
SO IN BETWEEN THAT AND, UH, FIRST READING, WE CAN MEET WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND WORK OUT FOR LANGUAGE THAT WOULD CREATE AN EXEMPTION FOR BURLESQUE.
THE PROBLEM IS IN THE CODE THAT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN, UM, IT CONTEMPLATES ESSENTIALLY STRIP CLUBS, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT A STRIP CLUB, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BE A STRIP CLUB.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE WAY THE LANGUAGE IS WRITTEN, THE DEFINITIONS, IT, IT CAPTURES,
[00:35:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITY, WHICH IT'S NOT INTENDED TO CAPTURE.SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AN ADULT, UH, TYPE OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR FOLKS THAT WANT TO GO OUT TO HAVE DINNER, UH, SEE A NICE SHOW, UM, AND, AND SOMETHING FOR, YOU KNOW, ADULTS TO DO IN THE CITY AND VISITORS.
SO IT'S A SIMPLE REQUEST, I THINK.
AND, UM, WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO MOVE IT TO THE COMMISSION AND, AND DISCUSS IT FURTHER WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS TO APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE FOR WHAT THAT EXEMPTION LOOKS LIKE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SHOW AND TELL SECOND
YOU WANT BUR LAST
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS REVIEW AND DISCUSS DESIGN PROPOSED BY WASHINGTON AVENUE BID AS PHASE ONE OF THE WASHINGTON AVENUE 2018 GEO BOND CORRIDOR PROJECT.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ AND GOB WILL BE PRESENTING TO FIERA.
SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR AND A DESIGN TEAM AND PROPOSED DESIGNS, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE CHOSEN FOR, UH, SOMETHING ICONIC ON WASHINGTON.
WHERE ARE YOU GUYS IN THE PROCESS? LET ME JUST, UH, JUST A BRIEF, UH, INTRODUCTION TO THE ITEM.
UM, THE 2018 GEO BOND HAS A $10 MILLION ALLOCATION FOR WASHINGTON AVENUE.
SCOPE OF WORK IS UPGRADED LIGHTING, ENHANCED LANDSCAPING,
[4. REVIEW AND DISCUSS DESIGN PROPOSED BY THE WASHINGTON AVENUE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AS PHASE 1 OF THE WASHINGTON AVENUE PROJECT OF THE 2018 G.O. BOND PROGRAM.]
OTHER CREATIVE PLACE MAKING ENHANCEMENTS TO PROMOTE A SAFER AND MORE ENGAGING URBAN ENVIRONMENT, THE BID, THEY'VE COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS, AND TROY WILL BE PRESENTING THOSE IDEAS TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE BID.WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS IS, IS, UH, ENGAGING WITH AN URBAN DESIGN FIRM TO DEVELOP A COHESIVE PLAN FOR WASHINGTON AVENUE WITH THE ALLOCATED GEO BOND FUNDS, BUT ON A PARALLEL PATH, COLLABORATE WITH THE BID ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOME OF THE QUICK WINS, UH, FROM THEIR LIST.
UH, HE'S GONNA GO OVER, UH, THOSE ITEMS IN DETAIL, BUT THE TWO THAT WE RECOMMENDING TO MOVE FORWARD RIGHT NOW WILL BE THE ARTIST ARTISTIC MONUMENT LETTERS IN FRONT OF THE FEINBERG FISHER SCHOOL AND THE HISTORIC MARKERS.
UM, AND I SHOULD NOTE THAT ON A PARALLEL PATH, UH, FERC HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COMMISSION TO PROCEED WITH SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT ON THE TWO BLOCKS, UM, BETWEEN LINCOLN AND 15TH STREET WITH, UH, BRICK PAVERS.
AND THAT ITEM WILL BE HEARD AT COMMISSION AT THE JUNE MEETING.
UM, THE COST, THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THAT BASED ON PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES WAS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO WITH JUST FOR THAT ONE CORNER, FOR THOSE ONE BLOCKS, TWO BLOCKS WITH THE BRICK PAVERS, I'M REALLY HOPING EVERYBODY FUNDS IT IS.
BUT THE FUNDING IS THERE FROM THE GEO BOND, CORRECT.
FROM THE $10 MILLION ALLOCATION.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS, I WAS ON OCEAN DRIVE THE OTHER DAY AND I WAS LOOKING AT HOW AWFUL THE SIDEWALKS LOOKED, HOW BEATEN UP AND DISGUSTING, AND IN SOME PLACES PAINTED, AND THEY WERE SCRATCHED AND THEY WERE CHIPPED, AND WE BROUGHT THIS WHOLE IDEA TO THE ART DECO CENTER, AND THEN THEY WERE LIKE, NO, WE DON'T WANT IT
WE WANT THE WHOLE PROJECT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA GET THE WHOLE PROJECT.
SO THE REASON WHY THIS IS SO PIVOTAL FOR US TO DO THAT, THOSE TWO BLOCKS IS SO THAT THE REST OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT CAN SEE IT AND THEN SAY WE WANT IT TO, AND SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO START WITH SOMETHING.
I CAN'T WAIT TO, TO SEE THIS LINE.
TROY, DO YOU WANNA? YEAH, SURE.
UM, TROY WRIGHT, WASHINGTON AVENUE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
I'LL QUICKLY GO THROUGH THE OUTLINE.
COME UP ON THIS SCREEN QUICKLY.
UM, EXCITED ABOUT SHOWING YOU WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED.
UM, PRETTY QUICK, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, IS TO, I, I THINK WE JUMPED A LITTLE FURTHER AHEAD.
UM, TO BEGIN, THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT PHASES OF OUR PLAN.
UH, ONE IS, IS CALLED ART IN THE HEART OF WASHINGTON AVENUE, WHICH ARE SCULPTURES DOWN THE MEDIAN OF THE AVENUE.
THE SECOND IS A SIGNATURE WELCOME SIGNS ON FIFTH AND 17TH IN WASHINGTON, HISTORIC LIFEGUARD MARKERS, WHICH REALLY PLAY HOMAGE TO LEADERS OF MIAMI BEACH, UM, ENTERTAINMENT AND POLITICALLY ARTISTIC MONUMENTS, WHICH ARE GIANT SCULPTURES TO BE IN FRONT OF FEINBERG FISHER SCHOOL.
AND THEN, UM, THE SMART LED PEDESTRIAN ENHANCEMENT, WHICH WOULD COMPLIMENT THE, UM, NEW SIDEWALKS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, BASICALLY OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE 24 ARTISTIC, UM, SCULPTURES DOWN THE MEDIAN.
UM, I'LL SHOW YOU A PICTURE OF 'EM, HOWEVER, THESE, OH, I GUESS THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, IT'S A PART OF, UH, AN IDEA TO HAVE INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE ARTISTS, SOME
[00:40:01]
OF THE BEST SCULPTURE ARTISTS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD COMPETE IN A CONTEST TO CREATE THE 24 SCULPTURES THAT WE WANT ON WASHINGTON AVENUE.TYPICALLY, THEY'RE DONE ON A SMALLER SCALE OF COMPETITION, BUT THIS WOULD BE A WORLDWIDE COMPETITION.
SO WE SAY, WHY DO WE WANT IT WORLDWIDE? WELL, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BRING WORLDWIDE ATTENTION TO NOT ONLY WASHINGTON AVENUE, BUT MIAMI BEACH.
SO THIS CONTEST WOULD, AND WE KNOW SOME SCULPTURE ARTISTS ALREADY WHO WOULD LOVE AND ARE WAITING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, IN THIS SCULPTURE DESIGN, IT'S ALL ABOUT BEAUTIFICATION.
THE OTHER PIECE IS, UH, WELCOME SIGNS ON FIFTH AND 17TH AND WASHINGTON AVENUE.
UM, IT'S LONG OVERDUE, UM, AND EVERY CORRIDOR OR EVERY AVENUE OF THE CITY, THERE'S SOME KIND OF RECOGNITION OF WHO AND WHAT THEY ARE.
BUT HOWEVER, THERE'S NOTHING FOR WASHINGTON AVENUE.
NOW, THESE ARE JUST OPTIONS, UM, THINGS THAT WE SAW THAT WOULD FIT.
OBVIOUSLY ONE IS MORE ART DECO ISH, AND THE OTHER IS MORE FLASH.
BUT TO HAVE SOME SORT OF WELCOME SIGN THAT PEOPLE KNOW AND REALIZE ONCE THEY TURN LEFT ON FIFTH AND WASHINGTON, OR RIGHT ON 17TH WASHINGTON, HEADING DOWN THE AVENUE, THAT THEY'LL HAVE SOMETHING THAT SIGNIFIES WHERE THEY ARE.
THE THIRD ARE LIFEGUARD MARKERS.
SO SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENS IN LOS ANGELES, UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE THE STARS, UH, PLACED IN THE SIDEWALK THERE, BUT WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF 10 DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE WHO'VE DONE GREAT WORK ON WASHINGTON AVENUE, SUCH AS JACKIE GLEASON, PRINCE, UM, UH, DEANNA CON CONLEY, MUHAMMAD ALI, UM, AND THEIR VERSACE, MARK SOMALIAN, AND OTHERS WHO HAVE REALLY, UM, CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO THE GROWTH OF WASHINGTON AVENUE.
SO THESE HISTORIC MARKERS WILL GO ACROSS WASHINGTON AVENUE.
FOR EXAMPLE, ON FIFTH IN WASHINGTON, YOU'D SEE THE MARKER FOR MUHAMMAD ALI.
ON 17TH, YOU WOULD SEE THE MARKER FOR JACKIE GLEASON AND SO ON.
THE OTHER COMPONENT ARE MONUMENT LETTERS.
THEY ARE 13 FEET LETTERS TO GO IN FRONT OF, UH, FEINBERG FISHER SCHOOL.
UH, THESE ARE VERY ARTISTIC, AND THEY'RE PHOTOGRAPH, AND THEY WILL ALSO BE A SIGNAL TO THE REST OF THE WORLD WHERE YOU ARE.
IT'S NOT JUST MIAMI BEACH, IT'S ALSO WASHINGTON AVENUE.
AND PEOPLE CAN COME AND AS, UM, SPORTS TEAMS COME AND VIEW MIAMI BEACH TO WASHINGTON AVENUE, THIS WILL SERVE AS A GREAT BACKDROP FOR INSTAGRAMMABLE MOMENTS AND JUST PICTURES IN GENERAL.
BUT IT WILL ALSO ENHANCE THE BEAUTY OF WASHINGTON AVENUE.
SO THIS IS A FURTHER BREAKDOWN OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEN THE LAST TWO SORT OF COINCIDE WITH THE NEW SIDEWALKS THAT WE HOPE THAT WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THERE.
WE WERE LOOKING AT DOING SOME FORM OF SMART PEDESTRIAN CROSSING THESE LED PEDESTRIAN CROSSING, PAVEMENT LIGHTING.
SO IT WOULD ADD A LITTLE MORE SPICE TO THE AVENUE, UNLIKE ANY OTHER PLACE.
NOW, THESE ARE COMMONLY USED TYPICALLY IN BRAZIL AND IN ASIA, BUT I THINK THEY WOULD BE A NICE ENHANCEMENT ON WASHINGTON AVENUE.
IT'S ONLY 4.8 MILLION IN COMPARISON TO THE 10 MILLION THAT'S THERE.
UM, BUT THESE ARE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WILL LEAVE A LONG LASTING EFFECT.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE DO MORE BOLD MOVES ON WASHINGTON AVENUE, UH, BECAUSE AS I'VE ALWAYS SAID, AS WASHINGTON AVENUE GOES, SO DOES MIAMI BEACH.
AND THOSE WHO WILL DEBATE THAT CAN ALWAYS LOOK AT HISTORY AND SEE THAT AS WASHINGTON AVENUE HAS SUCCEEDED, SO HAS MIAMI BEACH.
SO THIS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TAKE A LASTING AND LEGENDARY, UH, MOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WASHINGTON AVENUE LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
AND LASTLY, THIS IS NOT REALLY A PART OF OUR PROPOSAL, BUT WE THOUGHT WE'D THROW IT IN THERE ANYWAY.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOME FORM OF BEAUTIFUL GONDOLAS GOING DOWN WASHINGTON AVENUE.
I KNOW THAT'S A REACH, BUT I HAD TO SHOW IT TO YOU ANYWAY, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING NICE THAT WE WOULD THINK TO BE NICE ENHANCEMENT.
SO THAT'S JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, FOR THE AVENUE.
UM, AND IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE THE GONDOLA OBVIOUSLY IS NOT A PART OF OUR GOAL, BUT WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR OTHER WAYS TO ENHANCE THE AVENUE AND THE THINGS THAT WE PROPOSE SO FAR.
UM, THE, THE MARKERS SYMBOLIC, THE MONUMENT LETTERS SYMBOLIC, UM, THE ACTIVATIONS DOWN THE MIDDLE, UH, VERY MUCH NEEDED FOR A BEAUTIFICATION.
AS WE KNOW, THE FIFA WORLD CUP IS COMING IN LESS THAN A YEAR.
AND OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO BEGIN A COMPETITION WORLDWIDE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UM, VERY, UH, INTERESTING THINGS AND NICE COMMEMORATIONS, MADAM CHAIR.
WHY DON'T YOU GO FERNAN? YEAH.
[00:45:01]
WASHINGTON AVENUE IS ONE OF OUR MOST VITAL COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS.IT'S RICH IN HISTORY, UH, HAS GREAT POTENTIAL AND GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC LIFE.
I KNOW WE HAVE THE $10 MILLION IN, UH, IN, IN GLB FUNDS, UH, TO REVITALIZE THE SAFETY, THE PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY, THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE, IN THE AREA.
SO I THINK IT'S GOOD TO ADVANCE QUICK WINS SUCH AS THE MONUMENT LETTERS.
UM, WHAT OTHER ELEMENTS OF THIS PLAN DOES THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMEND US ADVANCING? SO THE OTHER, UM, THE OTHER ITEM THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING AT THIS POINT ARE THE HISTORIC MARKERS THAT HE MENTIONED.
THOSE ARE THE MEDALLIONS THAT WOULD GO ON THE SIDEWALK.
SO, SO WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO ADVANCE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS QUICK WINS THE MONUMENT, UH, LETTERS AND THE HISTORIC MARKERS.
YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY IN ADVANCE OF, UH, OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP.
IT'S A, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DELIVER.
IT'S TANGIBLE PROGRESS THAT WE CAN SHOW TO THE COMMUNITY.
HAVE THE COST ESTIMATES PROVIDED BY THE BID BEEN, UH, VERIFIED BY CITY STAFF? NO, WE HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO VET THOSE NUMBERS YET.
SO WE WOULD DO THAT AS A NEXT STEP.
THESE ARE THE SMALLER DOLLAR VALUES OF THOSE, UM, ITEMS ON THEIR LIST THERE.
I THINK THEY'RE AT 250,000 IS WHAT YEAR.
YOU HAD ESTIMATED EACH OF THOSE TO BE.
UM, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO VET THOSE NUMBERS BEFORE.
AND SO I KNOW WE, THROUGH THE GEO BOND PROCESS, WE, WE APPROVED $10 MILLION.
DO WE KNOW, UH, WHAT IS THE CURRENT BALANCE? AFTER PREVIOUSLY APPROVED EX EXPENDITURES, WE SPENT ABOUT 200, JUST OVER 200,000, UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS SO FAR.
AND THAT WAS, UM, PART OF THE DESIGN FEE OF THE, THIS COVID VISION PLAN THAT WAS FOR THE ENTIRE ECCO ECCO CULTURAL DISTRICT.
AND THE URBAN DESIGN CONSULTANTS, IS THAT NEEDED FOR THE QUICK WINS, OR IS THAT PART OF A LONGER VISION? NO, WE, WE BELIEVE THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE QUICK WINS WITHOUT A CONSULTANT.
THE QUICK, THE, UH, THE URBAN DESIGN FIRM WOULD COME IN TO REALLY COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR THE REST, HOW TO UTILIZE THE REST OF THE GEO BOND FUNDS IN A COHESIVE WAY.
AND, AND, UM, JUST A, JUST A COUPLE MORE POINTS.
UH, CLEARLY ANYTHING THAT OCCURS HERE WILL HAVE TO GO FOR REVIEW, UH, BEFORE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONVERSATION, UH, REGARDING THESE HISTORIC MEDALLIONS OR THE PLACEMENT OF, OF THE LETTERS, HAVE WE RECEIVED ANY FEEDBACK, WHETHER IT BE FROM THE BOARD OR FROM OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON ITS CONTEXTUALITY TO THE AREA? I HAD A PRELIMINARY CONVERSATION WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT JUST TO CONFIRM THAT THESE ITEMS WOULD INDEED NEED TO, UM, GET HPV APPROVAL.
UM, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO PRESENT THE PACKAGE TO THE COMMITTEE.
SO WE WILL WORK WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IN PREPARATION FOR THAT TO COME UP WITH A, A GOOD PLAN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WELL, IN GENERAL, I, I LIKE, UH, I LIKE THE DIRECTION IN WHICH, UH, CHOICE, TAKING THIS, THIS CONVERSATION, WE ALIGN IN THE SPIRIT WITH OUR VISION FOR A MORE ENGAGING STREETSCAPE.
UH, I DO AGREE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, WITH THE RECOMMENDATION SENT TO US BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
I THINK IT STRIKES THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN HONORING THE VISION AND ALSO ENSURING LONG TERM, UH, COHESION IN A COST EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION.
SO WE REALLY DO HAVE SOMETHING FOR, FOR FIFA, PART OF THE BROADER VISION, LONG TERM, ANYTHING THAT'S A WELCOMING SIGN, ESPECIALLY IN THIS PART OF THE CITY, WE'RE NOT WELCOMING PEOPLE TO WASHINGTON AVENUE OR TO LINCOLN ROAD.
WE'RE NOT WELCOMING PEOPLE TO COLLINS AVENUE OR OCEAN DRIVE.
WE'RE WELCOMING PEOPLE TO A NATIONALLY DESIGNATED ART DECO DISTRICT, THAT WE ARE ENGAGED IN A CAMPAIGN WITH, UH, THE G-M-C-V-B AND OTHERS TO PROMOTE THIS NATIONAL DISTRICT, THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF ART DECO BUILDINGS.
AND I REALLY DO FEEL VERY STRONGLY, UH, THAT IS GOOD TO HAVE YOUR MONUMENT LETTERS AS A WAY OF PLACE MAKING, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE HISTORIC MARKERS, BUT WASHINGTON AVENUE DOESN'T LIVE ON ITS OWN, JUST HOW OCEAN DRIVE DOESN'T LIVE ON ITS OWN.
THIS IS PART OF A NA, NATIONALLY DESIGNATED DISTRICT.
AND WE NEED TO CELEBRATE THAT TO COUNTER THE EFFECTS OF THE ATTACKS ON THESE HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
WE NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE TO KNOW, NOT ONLY ARE THEY ON WASHINGTON AVENUE, BUT THEY'RE IN A VERY UNIQUE, UH, PLACE IN ARCHITECTURAL, UH, HISTORY FOR ITS SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION OF THESE ART DECO BUILDINGS.
WELL, TROY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, THE PRESENTATION.
[00:50:01]
UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SIDEWALK ON THOSE BLOCKS, BUT THAT RIGHT THERE IS A MILLION DOLLARS.AND WITH 5 MILLION, WE COULD DO 10 WHOLE BLOCKS, LIKE TRANSFORM THE WHOLE STREET.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, I, I'M JUST SAYING, I KNOW, LIKE, I DON'T WANNA LIKE RAIN ON YOUR PARADE.
I WOULD SAY THAT I LIKE THE SIGN, BUT THE LETTERS ARE SO FAR APART.
I THINK YOU NEED TO PUT THEM CLOSER TOGETHER SO PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH WITH, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE GONNA GET EVERYTHING INTO LIKE AN INSTAGRAM SHOT.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PLACE THOSE LETTERS AND WHERE TO PLACE THEM SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE ONE PICTURE WITH IT.
'CAUSE IF YOU HAVE THE LETTERS LIKE, SO FAR APART, IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH.
YOU KNOW, YOU'LL GET LIKE A W LIKE A WA IN THERE, YOU KNOW? BUT MAYBE NOT THE WHOLE WASHINGTON AVENUE.
I'M, I'M OKAY WITH THE MARKERS TOO, BUT HERE'S THE THING.
IF WE'RE GOING TO EVENTUALLY REPLACE THE SIDEWALKS, DO WE WANNA PUT A MARKER INTO A SIDEWALK THAT WE'RE GONNA REPLACE? SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO THAT NOW.
LIKE I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF THE, THE LED CROSSWALKS, BUT MAYBE WE JUST DO ONE 12TH STREET OR SOMETHING, DO A RAINBOW ONE AT 12 SO THAT THERE'S LIKE A, YOU KNOW, RAINBOW WALK.
IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT THE SCULPTURE A TOURNAMENT, AND CERTAINLY IT, IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T, IT'S JUST WE ARE, WE ARE IN A SITUATION RIGHT NOW WHERE WE ARE.
WE, I WE'RE REALIZING THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF PROPERTY APPRECIATION THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT? AND SO THESE CAPITAL DOLLARS, I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, THE LONGER WE WAIT WITH CAPITAL DOLLARS, THE MORE EXPENSIVE IT GETS.
SO, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS TIME IS MONEY.
WHAT WE HAD IN PURCHASING POWER IN 2018 IN TODAY'S DOLLARS IS LIKE WORTH LIKE 60%.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS UP TO ME, I WOULD GO ALL INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE LIKE BELLS AND WHISTLES.
ONCE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFIED, IF LIKE, SO I WOULD GO WITH THE SIGN
AND BY THE WAY, THAT, THAT I ICONIC SIDEWALK, I MEAN, I WANNA DO EVERYTHING.
I WISH THAT WE HAD THE MONEY TO DO ALL OF THIS STUFF.
I AGREE WITH, I I AGREE WITH THAT.
WHILE, WHILE I AGREE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE HISTORIC MARKERS BEING A QUICK WIN, THE REALITY IS TO THE, TO YOUR POINT, IF WE ARE LOOKING AT A BROADER, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT, WHICH WE ARE LOOKING AT REPLACING SIDEWALKS IN THE LONG TERM, WE'RE PUTTING MONEY INTO SOMETHING THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE REMOVED.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO PUT ONE MARKER IN THE NEW, PUT ONE, PUT THE MARKS SAMUEL IN MARKER.
WELL, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, IF YOU WANT IN, YOU KNOW, ON THE WASHINGTON, WHEN YOU DO IT, IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT INTO THE PAPERS.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE COULD PROBABLY, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT, BUT WE COULD PROBABLY RELOCATE, YOU KNOW, IN THE, WHEN THE TIME COMES TO REDO SIDEWALKS, IF THAT IS A DIRECTION THAT WE HAVE.
BUT TO DO A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA REDO, I FIND THAT THAT WOULD BE, BUT IT WOULD BE REMOVING, USING, YOU KNOW, IN A D DIFFERENT, 'CAUSE IT'S TRUE WITHIN THE FLOOD.
IF YOU'VE GOT THE LABOR TO CUT THAT OUT, THEN YOU HAVE TO REPAVE IT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S, SO I, IF YOU GUYS ARE GONNA CUT THROUGH ANY CONCRETE YEAH.
IF WE WERE GONNA BE PAYING WORKERS TO BE WORKING WITH CONCRETE, I WOULD BE PAYING YOU TO FIX THE CHIPS AND THE SCRATCHES AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS NECESSARY.
WHEN YOU WALK THAT HISTORIC DISTRICT AND YOU LOOK AT THE QUALITY OF THE SIDEWALKS, LIKE HOW CAN WE JUSTIFY THAT? THAT'S, THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS.
SO COMMISSIONER ADD, I WOULD SUGGEST FOR US TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADVANCE THE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR SELECT QUICK WIN PROJECTS, UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH, WITH, WITH THE BID.
UM, AND WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY RETAINING A CONSULTANT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO IS QUALIFIED IN URBAN, DESIGNED TO DEVELOP THE LONG-TERM COHESIVE PLAN FOR, FOR, FOR WASHINGTON AVENUE.
UM, I THINK, I THINK STAFF A RECOMMENDATIONS WAS, WAS IN POINT IT WE NEED QUICK WINS.
AND I THINK THE ONE THAT IS MOST APPROPRIATE, UH, THE BEST LONG-TERM INVESTMENT WHERE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE PUTTING MONEY INTO SOMETHING THAT THEN IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, TAKEN OUT IS THE, IS THE, UM, IT'S THE WELCOME SIGN, NOT THE WELCOME SIGN, I'M SORRY, THE ARTISTIC MONUMENT LETTERS.
I THINK THE WELCOME SIGNS ARE GOOD TOO.
I WOULD DO THE WELCOME SIGNS AND THE MONUMENT LETTERS BECAUSE THE WELCOME SIGNS, ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT'S PARADIGM CHANGING.
LIKE YOU PUT UP THE SIGNS RIGHT.
AT PALM VIEW, WE JUST, I CAN'T SUPPORT THEM THAT NO, I WON'T SUPPORT.
'CAUSE I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO WELCOME PEOPLE TO IS THE NATIONALLY DESIGNATED OUR DECK DISTRICT.
SO YOU DON'T WANNA WELCOME PEOPLE TO WASHINGTON AVENUE, I THINK.
I THINK THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WELCOME PEOPLE TO LINCOLN ROAD.
THEY'RE GONNA WANT A WELCOME SIGN.
THEN THEY'RE GONNA WANT ONE ON OCEAN
[00:55:01]
DRIVE.THEY'RE GONNA, EVERY STREET IS GONNA WANT ONE.
SO WE DO NEED HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO I WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH FINDING A DESIGN TO MARK OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA PUT UP EVERYWHERE.
USING A LITTLE BIT OF THAT MONEY TO COME UP WITH A HISTORIC DISTRICT SIGN AND THEN THE ARTISTIC MONUMENT LETTERS, BUT MAYBE NOT AS SOMETHING THAT CAN ALL BE INSTAGRAMMED INTO ONE SO THAT YOU CAN BRAND WASHINGTON AVENUE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, REALLY QUICK, THERE ARE SIGNS THAT DO WELCOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHEN YOU STEP INTO SOUTH OF FIFTH, THERE'S A SIGN.
UM, IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE JUST WASHINGTON, BUT THAT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT A STREET.
UM, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY JUST SAY WASHINGTON AVENUE, BUT SOME FORM OF WELCOMING.
I GUESS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS TRYING TO CHANGE THE IMAGE, UM, AND REALLY BEAUTIFY WASHINGTON AVENUE.
AND THE LONGER WE WAIT, WE KNOW THE MORE IT'S GOING TO COST.
UM, AND SO EVEN WITH THE SCULPTURES DOWN THE MIDDLE, TO ME THAT IS A PRETTY QUICK AND EASY THING TO DO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE MINING, EVEN WITH THE SCULPTURES, UH, TROY EVEN THERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ART IN PUBLIC PLACES AT THAT POINT.
AND THAT IS A PROCESS WITH, WITH THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES COMMITTEE.
I LOVE THE PASSION IN THE PRESENTATION AND I THINK, AND, AND, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, NOT, WE CAN'T ALWAYS APPROVE EVERYTHING THAT COMES FORWARD, BUT I THINK THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF IT THAT WE CAN ADVANCE.
AND I, AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT THE ELEMENT OF IT, THE WHAT, THE, UM, THE, THE, THE MONUMENT LETTERS, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A LONG TIME, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SUCH A QUICK WIN.
IT CREATES A SENSE OF PLACE MAKING IT BE, IT'S SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL THAT PEOPLE CAN PHOTOGRAPH THE WAY THAT THEY DO ON LINCOLN ROAD, THAT THEY, THE WAY THAT THEY DO ON OCEAN DRIVE WITH A MIAMI BEACH SIGN THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY.
UM, IS THE SIGN GONNA BE LIT AT NIGHT? I THINK IT SHOULD BE ILLUMINATED THAT NIGHT.
IS THAT WHY IT'S TWO 50? 'CAUSE I WAS WONDERING YES.
UH, SO, UH, WHILE WE'RE WRAPPING THIS UP, UM, WASHINGTON AVENUE NEEDS HELP AND WE HAVE DONE SOME WITH THE LIGHTING, AND THESE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS WHERE IT'S QUICK WIND.
UM, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN DO MORE TO HELP WASHINGTON AVENUE, I, I THINK IT NEEDS IT.
IT'S A CORRIDOR THAT HAS POCKETS THAT ARE SO INCREDIBLY SPECIAL, WHETHER IT'S THE ESPANOLA WAY SECTION OR ON THE EAST SIDE, UM, WHERE WE HAVE NOW ROBUST HOTELS AND, UH, BUSINESSES.
AND THEN SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN WE HAVE POCKETS WHERE THERE'S, UH, ISSUES.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP YOU.
I KNOW HOW HARD THE BID WORKS YOU WORK.
AND, UM, SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN DO THE QUICK WINS AND MORE, I, I THINK WE SHOULD.
ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP THE AVENUE WOULD BE GREAT.
I MEAN, IF WE CLOSE OUR EYES AND LOOK BACK FIVE YEARS AGO, WASHINGTON AVENUE WAS A DUMP.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES TODAY, BUT REMEMBER FIVE YEARS AGO THERE WAS NO GOOD TIME HOTEL.
THERE WAS NO MOXIE, THERE WAS NO VIN, THERE WAS NO ESME, THERE WAS NO QUEEN.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE TRANSFORMING AROUND US.
SO THE LITTLE BIT THAT WE CAN DO DOWN THE MEDIAN OR TO THE SITE TO REALLY ACCENT THOSE SPECIAL PLACE, AND WE'RE BRINGING NATHAN'S BACK AND WE HAVE A POPUP OPENING UP ON 12TH.
WONDERLUST IS OPENING TOMORROW.
WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVE, OVER THE NEXT MONTH AND A HALF, WE HAVE LIKE SEVEN NEW RESTAURANTS SLASH BARS SLASH NEW CUBAN MUSIC COMING TO WASHINGTON AVENUE.
THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING, ALTHOUGH IT'S DEAD AND DREAD AND OTHER PLACES ON MIAMI BEACH.
AND I FEEL SORRY FOR THOSE AREAS BECAUSE WE'RE ALL IN A FAMILY.
BUT YES, WASHINGTON AVENUE HAS VACANCIES, BUT WE'RE STILL GROWING.
WE'RE STILL, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO WASHINGTON AVENUE NOW, DO WE AGREE WITH ALL OF THE PLACES? MM.
WE HAVE NEW RESTAURANTS, BARS, AND WHATEVER THAT REALLY, AND I THINK NO ONE CAN ARGUE THE MERIT, BUT I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT OUR RESOURCES.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN'T EXPECT EVERY TIME THAT YOU COME HERE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ALWAYS BE ABLE TO DELIVER AND SAY YES.
YOU KNOW? AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A REAL CONVERSATION THAT EVERYONE JUST LISTENING NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND.
I I THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SAID WHERE PEOPLE EXPECT THAT THEY JUST COME HERE WITH A PRESENTATION.
THEY'RE GONNA AUTOMATICALLY GET A YES, A RUBBER STAMP TO WHATEVER PRESENTATION THEY BRING, BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO BE INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE.
BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, WHILE I UNDERSTAND YOUR DISAPPOINTMENTS, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A REALITY WHICH IS LIMITED FUNDS THAT OUR CITY HAS AND LONG-TERM VISIONS, AND WE CAN'T SHORTCHANGE, YOU KNOW, LONG-TERM VISION AND A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR SHORT WINS.
I MEAN, I'VE, I'VE, THIS IS VERY THOUGHTFUL.
I'M REALLY, I'M NOT, I, MY GOAL IS TO BEAUTIFY WASHINGTON AVENUE TO MAKE WASHINGTON AVENUE A BETTER PLACE.
SO WHAT I PROPOSE, DO I EXPECT TO GET EVERYTHING?
[01:00:01]
NO, NOT AT ALL.HOWEVER, I AM POSITIVE, AND BY THE WAY, IT'S OUR SHARED GOAL BECAUSE THIS IS WHY WE TRUST THE BID.
THIS IS WHY WE AUTHORIZE THE BID.
THIS IS WHY THE BID IS A PARTNER OF THE CITY, UH, AND, UH, AN ENTITY CREATED THROUGH SUPPORT OF THE CITY COMMISSION.
SO IT'S NOT JUST YOUR YOUR YOUR VISION.
IT'S WHY WE PUT THE LIGHTS ON WASHINGTON AVENUE.
YOU CAME HERE, YOU ASKED FOR THE LIGHTS, UM, COMMISSIONER WILSON GONZALEZ, AND YOU WERE VERY VOCAL ABOUT THE LIGHTS.
AND WE GOT THE LIGHTS AND THEY LOOK GREAT.
FOR EXAMPLE, I WOULD RATHER LIKE FOCUS ON GETTING YOU BETTER LIGHTS OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO CONVINCE YOU ABOUT A WELCOME ABOUT SOME WELCOME SIGNS? NO, OUR OUR DECK DISTRICT IS UNDER ATTACK.
THERE'S ONE THING THE MIAMI BEACH NEEDS TO BRAND.
IT'S, IT'S NOT, WASHINGTON AVENUE IS NOT UNDER ATTACK.
OCEAN DRIVE IS NOT UNDER ATTACK.
LINCOLN ROAD IS NOT UNDER ATTACK.
I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO GET, I AM ADAMANT, AND I'M NOT GONNA MOVE FROM THAT POSITION.
THAT WHAT WE NEED TO BRAND TODAY, MORE THAN EVER IS THE 800 BUILDINGS AND MAKE PART OF OUR NATIONALLY DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND ANY SIGNAGE OUT THERE TO WELCOME ANYONE TO ANYTHING SHOULD BE CREATING THAT, THAT AWARENESS THAT THEY ARE IN, IN A SPECIAL AREA, IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT IS THE ART DECO HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO SHOULD WE MOVE THE SIGN TO THE FULL COMMISSION? TO THE FULL COMMISSION? WE'RE GETTING THE SIGN, THE ICONIC ARTISTIC SIGN.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, MOVE TO THE FULL COMMISSION, UH, APPROVING, UH, TO USE A, A SMALL PORTION OF THIS MONEY, SMALL, SMALL TOWARD A DESIGN, UH, TO BRAND THE ART DECO HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND WE'LL, YOU KNOW, BABY STEPS GETTING THERE AND WE'RE DOING THE SIDEWALK, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL, YOU KNOW.
ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP WASHINGTON AVENUE, I AM FOR IT.
ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP US.
WE WISH WE HAD MORE TO SUPPORT.
AND BY THE WAY, WE JUST INVESTED COMMISSIONER ROSEN, AL NUMBER SEVEN, YOU INVESTED ON, UM, FOR THE WOLFSONIAN.
WE'VE DONE INVESTMENTS ON WASHINGTON AVENUE WITH, UH, WITH THE OTHER CULTURAL ENTITY ON WASHINGTON AVENUE.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INVESTMENT DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY.
A LOT, LOT OF INVESTMENTS BY THE CITY IS, WE RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT'S OKAY.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS DISCUSSED A SUITABLE LOCATION FOR A KAYAK LAUNCH IN NORTH BEACH.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ.
PARKS AND REC AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM.
HOW YOU DOING? I'M DOING WELL, COMMISSIONER.
I'M JOHN REBAR, PARKS RECREATION DIRECTOR.
AND, UM, THE STAFF IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF FINDING AN ALTERNATIVE LOCATION, UM, FOR A KAYAK LAUNCH OR A NON-MOTORIZED VESSEL LAUNCH UP IN NORTH BEACH.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE, THE ONE THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IS, IS NOT CURRENTLY USABLE.
UM, HOWEVER, ONE THING WORKING VERY CLOSELY, UM, WITH THE RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERY POSSIBLE PLACE WE LOOK AT, WE, WE LOOK AT WATER QUALITY RIGHT UP FRONT.
[7. DISCUSS A SUITABLE LOCATION FOR A KAYAK LAUNCH IN NORTH BEACH.]
UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA GET IN THE SAME SITUATION BEFORE.AND ALSO PARKING IS SO IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE YEARS AGO WE DID A BLUEWAY MASTER PLAN AND THERE WAS ALL THESE AREAS OF INTEREST THAT WERE, WERE, UM, IDENTIFIED, BUT THERE JUST WASN'T ADEQUATE, ADEQUATE PARKING TO CREATE A, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC FACILITY.
UM, ONE SPOT THAT WE DO, I THINK WE DO LIKE, UM, TO EXAMINE FURTHER IS THE P 100 LOT, WHICH IS AT A PARKING LOT, WHICH IS AT 81ST AND HAWTHORNE.
UM, IF EVERYTHING TESTS WELL THERE, IT ALREADY HAS THE PARKING THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, SO WE, I'D LIKE SOME DIRECTION, WE'D LIKE SOME DIRECTION ON IF THERE'S ANY OTHER, UM, AREAS YOU'D LIKE TO SUGGEST OR STAFF COULD FOCUS ON MAYBE THIS PARKING LOT AND REPORT BACK TO THE, SO PARKVIEW ISLAND, UH, HAD SUBMITTED SOME SUGGESTIONS.
DID YOU LOOK INTO THE OTHER SUGGESTIONS? THEY PROVIDED ONE OF THE OTHER ONES AND, UM, OH MY GOODNESS.
I FORGET WHICH WATERWAY IT WAS.
THERE WAS SOME WATER QUALITY CONCERNS WITH, WITH THAT SITE.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY CONNECTED WITH THE WATER'S.
CONNECTED WITH THE, THE, THE, UM, PARKVIEW ISLAND KAYAK LAUNCH NOW.
SO IT, IT, IT, THERE'S SOME WATER QUALITY CONCERNS WHERE THIS P 100 LOT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE THOSE CONCERNS.
SO THE CITY IS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
UM, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO HEAR FROM US, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD TO BRING IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION? WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP? I DO WANNA MAKE SURE FROM LINDSEY, DID I MISS ANYTHING FROM YOUR SHOP IF NO, THAT TOUCHED ON IT? WE DID LOOK AT THE TATUM WATERWAY.
UM, WE HAVE A SAMPLING LOCATION ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE CANAL.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY IT IS FARTHER AWAY FROM THE AREA THAT THE PARKVIEW ISLAND SUSTAINABLE ASSOCIATION ASKED US TO LOOK INTO.
UM, AND THERE ISN'T SUITABLE PARKING IN THAT AREA AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO THE WATER QUALITY CONCERNS.
SO TO MOVE FORWARD WITH P 100, WHAT DO WE NEED
[01:05:01]
TO DO NOW? SO, UH, IT WOULD BE PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.IT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION OF THIS COMMITTEE, UM, FOR ADMINISTRATION AND, AND TO CONSIDER THIS DURING THE, UM, FY 26 BUDGET PROCESS AND THE KIND OF PROJECT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPLIT IT INTO PHASES, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, UM, FOR FUNDING, HOW MUCH IS IT IS TO DO THE PERMITTING AND DESIGN, IF THAT TAKES A WHILE.
I WOULD ESTIMATE PROBABLY APPROXIMATELY 250,000 FOR DESIGN AND PERMITTING.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD, DURING THAT PROCESS, GET CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATES.
WHAT'S A PROJECTED TIMELINE? MADAM CHAIR? UM, YOU KNOW, WITH DERM, WITH, UH, WITH, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, I IMAGINE WE HAVE TO GO TO THE ARMY CORPS.
SO WHAT'S THE ESTIMATED TIMELINE? ONCE WE GET THIS BUDGETED? IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT A 24 MONTH PERMITTING.
SO IT WOULDN'T EVEN, UH, SO I MEAN, SO THAT'S, SO WE SHOULD GET THIS ONCE WE HAVE IT BUDGETED.
WE'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT DOING SOMETHING.
WE SHOULD START BUDGETING IT NOW.
ROB, HOW DO WE DO THIS TO GET TO THE BUDGET? THERE'S A BUDGET RETREAT IN JULY.
I THINK IT'S JULY 11TH, BUT OUR COMMISSION MEETING'S THE 25TH.
CAN I SEND THIS FROM HERE TO THE BUDGET RETREAT FOR DISCUSSION? LET ME FIND OUT AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU.
IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT, SO THAT WOULD BE THE INTENT TO SEND THIS FOR CONSIDERATION TO THE BUDGET RETREAT.
THEN IF IT'S NOT, THEN IT'LL GO TO THE, SO I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE WE HAVE THE KAYAK LAND LAUNCH RIGHT NOW.
THAT ONE IS CLOSED IN PARKVIEW.
THAT ONE'S CLOSED BECAUSE OF THE RECURRING WATER QUALITY LEVELS.
UM, OUR HOPE IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THE WATER QUALITY IN THE, IN THE AREA.
AT WHICH POINT, HOPEFULLY WE COULD REOPEN THAT CA THAT KAYAK LAUNCH.
SO ASSUMING THAT, LET'S SAY LET'S, LET'S SAY WE GOT THE WATER QUALITY BACK TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE THERE, WOULD IT BE, IS IT BENEFICIAL TO HAVE TWO KAYAK LAUNCHES SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER? SHOULD WE STILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS? I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMISSION.
I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY AND HAVING SEVERAL OPTIONS.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF BUDGETING AND, AND NEED IN THE COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT WOULD BE AT, AT YOUR DISCRETION.
UM, LARRY SCHAEFFER, UM, IF YOU COULD PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
GOOD AFTERNOON, LARRY SCHAEFFER.
I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, OR PROPOSE TWO LOCATIONS.
YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY LOOKED AT THEM.
UM, AND THEY MAY HAVE SOME PARKING ISSUES, BUT THEY ARE IDEAS TO CONSIDER.
AT 69TH STREET, THERE IS A FIRE STATION AND THERE'S WATER ACCESS THERE.
AND IMMEDIATELY TO THE NORTH, THERE IS A CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS WITH A LARGE PARKING LOT THAT'S NOT USED ALL THE TIME.
NOW I KNOW THAT'S NOT A PUBLIC LOT, BUT THERE IS PARKING AND THERE IS WATER ACCESS.
AND I'M NOT SURE 69TH STREET AND THE BAY, WHICH ISN'T ON A CANAL OR ANYTHING.
IT'S MORE OPEN WATER MAY TEST BETTER, MORE FREQUENTLY, BUT WE CAN ASK SURF RIDER ABOUT THAT.
THE SECOND POSSIBLE LOCATION, ONCE AGAIN, IS GONNA INVOLVE SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS IS BYRON AND ABOUT 87TH, WHERE THERE'S A VERY LARGE VACANT WATERFRONT PARCEL OWNED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND IF THAT SOMEHOW DO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
BUT YES, THAT, THAT THE AREA THAT WAS IDENTIFIED ON HAWTHORNE IS OUT AT THE WESTERN SIDE OF BISCAYNE BEACH.
AND THAT PARKING LOT IS OWNED AS STAFF SAID BY THE CITY.
I'M JUST WONDERING HOW MUCH DEMAND THERE'S IS FOR THAT LOCATION FROM RESIDENTS.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THE WAY FROM THE MAIN PART OF, UH, NORTH SHORE.
ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? UH, NO COMMENTS ON THAT.
WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE, THOSE SITES.
JUST CLARIFICATION IN PREPARING THE, THE COMMISSION MEMO ARE, IS THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDING LIKE A PHASE FUNDING IN THAT THE FIRST REQUEST WILL BE FOR THE 250,000 FOR DESIGN AND PERMITTING, SINCE THAT WILL TAKE UP TO 24 MONTHS AND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS WILL COME IN A FUTURE REQUEST IN A DIFFERENT FISCAL YEAR.
SO TWO 50 FOR THIS, FOR THIS TIME? CORRECT.
WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL MOVE, WE'LL HAVE TO MOVE QUICKLY FOR THE NEXT TWO ITEMS BECAUSE COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ NEEDS TO LEAVE.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT WE NEED TO END BY FOUR.
UH, SO YOU AND I WILL FINISH THE MEETING TOGETHER.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS DISCUSSION REGARDING AN INSTALLATION OF A BUS OF GENERAL DON SANMAR AT THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN PLAZA.
THIS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ AND PARKS AND REC WILL BE PRESENTING THE END.
WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A TIME CONSTRAINT.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR HANDS ON THE BUS? 'CAUSE I KNOW IT WAS LIKE IN PERU OR SOMETHING.
SO CAN I JUST BRING THIS BACK IN THREE MONTHS AND SEE IF THE BUS IS
[01:10:01]
HERE BY THEN? 'CAUSE I DON'T EVEN WANNA GO INTO LIKE WHERE IT'S GONNA GO OR WHAT THE PLAN IS UNTIL WE HAVE THIS STATUE IN OUR HANDS SOMEWHERE.WHY IS IT STILL THERE? I DO NOT KNOW.
IS IT EVER GONNA GET HERE? I DON'T KNOW.
I KNOW YOU WANNA REMOVE IT FROM THE WE CAN'T
NOT REMOVE IT, BUT I KNOW, YOU KNOW, CHECK IT OFF THE LIST.
SO WE ARE AWAITING THIS BUST OF GENERAL, GENERAL DON JOSE,
[8. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE INSTALLATION OF A BUST OF GENERAL DON JOSE DE SAN MARTIN AT THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN PLAZA]
THE SAN MARTIN, AND WE'LL GET IT ONE DAY.SO WE'LL DEFER THIS TO JULY 9TH.
IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE FIND OUT WHERE IT IS.
I'M GONNA FIND OUT WHERE IT IS.
HAS STAFF REVIEWED THE DESIGN OF THE BUST? DOES IT LINE, BECAUSE I KNOW THE CITY IN THE PAST HAS PLACED A NUMBER OF BUSTS, UM, AND THE A SPECIFIC DESIGN AND ALL THAT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, 'CAUSE I DON'T, WE'RE GONNA DEFER THIS UNTIL IT'S HERE, HOPEFULLY.
BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, THAT STAFF HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK THE BUS, THE DESIGN, LIKE WE HAVE PICTURES OF IT.
WELL, MR. BRIAN HAS ALREADY SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON THIS DESIGN AND HE WILL, UH, SHOW IT TO YOU.
I THINK IT'S GONE TO COMMITTEE.
UM, IT'S GOLD, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GREAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ARGENTINA, THE GOLD.
IT'S RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THE ARGENTINE RESTAURANT AT THE FOUNTAIN.
SO I, BUT I JUST, MY QUESTION IS, WHO REVIEWS THE DESIGN? WHO DECIDES THE DESIGN OF BUSTS WHEN THEY GET PLACED, UH, IN A PUBLIC AREA? IS IT ARSON PUBLIC PLACES? IS IT THE DRB WHO REVIEWS THESE DESIGNS? ONCE YOU APPROVE IT HERE? IF IT IS APPROVED HERE, IT WOULD GO TO THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES COMMITTEE.
NO, I'M GETTING, I SEE LIZETTE IS SAYING NO.
SO LET'S RECOGNIZE LIZETTE ANTE OUR DIRECTOR OF CULTURE, JUST TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF GUIDANCE.
'CAUSE I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
UM, MADAM CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS ANTE DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND CULTURE.
SO BUS ARE OVERSEEN BY FACILITIES.
UH, THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERED A WORK OF ART.
SO THEY DO NOT GO THROUGH THE TYPICAL ART OF PUBLIC PLACES, UH, REVIEW OR VETTING.
SO IN THE THREE MONTHS AS WE, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THIS COMES BACK, UM, IN THAT TIME, LET'S HAVE, UH, FACILITIES JUST REVIEW IT SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE US WITH THEIR FEEDBACK ON IT.
I MEAN, I'LL GET WITH LIZETTE 'CAUSE I THINK THE CODE SAYS DIFFERENTLY, BUT WE'LL WORK THAT OUT.
WHAT DOES THE CODE SAY? I'M FAIRLY SHORTENED THAT THE CODE SAYS BUST GO TO ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, BUT, OKAY, WELL, LET'S HAVE ART IN PUBLIC.
IT'S ALREADY, WE'RE JUST, WE FOUND A SPACE.
IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S IN PERU, BUT ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES DID NOT.
AND BECAUSE I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT.
WHAT DID ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES SAY? WE, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS, WE'VE NEVER REVIEWED ANY OF THE BUS THAT HAVE GONE IN COLLINS PARK OR ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
SO DATE, THE FIVE YEARS? NO, WE HAD SOME RECENTLY.
THEY DID SEE THIS ONE? MM-HMM
SO WE'LL DEFER THIS FOR THREE MONTHS.
UH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE ARE SOME PUBLIC PLACES FALLS ON THIS AND WERE FACILITIES FALLS.
WITH THAT, I'LL, I'LL MOVE TO DEFER ITEM FOR THREE MONTHS.
ITEM NUMBER 14 IS CONSIDERED A BEAUTIFICATION OF THE ALLEYS BEHIND ROASTERS AND TWO OH THIRD AND A CAFE ANTE ON THE 41ST STREET CORRIDOR.
THIS IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.
PUBLIC WORKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WILL BE PRESENTED.
SO I'M KIND OF IN A RUSH HERE, RODNEY.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT WE WERE GONNA PICK OUT ONE, ONE OR TWO ALLEYS, CORRECT? CORRECT.
HAVE, HAVE WE PICKED ONE AT LEAST? I THOUGHT, I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST START WITH ONE.
DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED ALLEY? UH, FOR THE BRICK TREATMENT SPECIFICALLY? YES.
OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FOR THE MILLING AND RESURFACING, PRIMARILY FOR, UM, COST PURPOSES AND FOR FUTURE MAINTENANCE.
AND TO ELIMINATE THE, UH, SETTLING THAT OCCURS WITH BRICK PAVERS AND THE TRIP HAZARD THAT IT PRESENTS ONCE THE PAVERS SHIFT.
[14. DISCUSS CONSIDERING BEAUTIFICATION OF THE ALLEYWAYS BEHIND ROASTERS ‘N TOASTERS AND CAFÉ AVANTI ON THE 41ST STREET CORRIDOR]
OH, OKAY.SO, SO WITH THE BRICK PAVERS, IT WOULD BE $260,000.
UM, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BEAUTIFY THIS ONE ALLEY.
IT'S ESPECIALLY BAD BEHIND ROASTERS AND TOASTERS, YOU MUST ADMIT IT IS UNSIGHTLY.
AND I WOULD LOVE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO BRING OUT SOME TABLES AND CHAIRS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY RIGHT THERE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? PEOPLE, TRUCKS COULD PULL UP, YOU KNOW, ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET AND STILL GET STUFF IN.
I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD LIKE THIS ALLEYWAY TO SOMEHOW BECOME PEDESTRIANIZED IF WE BRICK IT UP.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE TRAFFIC AND
[01:15:02]
THE PAVERS OVER THE TRAFFIC.ESPECIALLY IF IT'S LIKE GARBAGE TRUCKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WHAT, HOW DO YOU SUGGEST IF I WANTED TO PEDESTRIANIZE AN ALLEY, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? THAT'S SOMETHING I'D HAVE TO SPEAK WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ON.
UM, I WASN'T AWARE IN GOING THROUGH THE MEMO THAT THE INTENT WAS TO TURN IT INTO.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE DELIVERIES AND STUFF? THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE STUFF THERE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO WITH THIS? COULD YOU, COULD WE DEFER THIS ONE MONTH FOR ONE MONTH? AND IN THE INTERIM, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO TRANSPORTATION ABOUT WHAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO TO PEDESTRIANIZE THAT PART OF THE ALLEY.
BECAUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 41ST STREET, WE'RE SPENDING THIS MONEY, BUT YOU'RE NOT GETTING A LOT MORE SIDEWALK AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE, IF YOU WANTED TO PUT TABLES OUT THERE, YOU'RE LITERALLY, LIKE ON A HIGHWAY AND CAFE AVANTI, THE, THE BACK OF THEIRS IS A MESS.
I WOULD LIKE TO DO AVANTI THAT HELP SO MUCH.
SHOULD WE DO THAT INSTEAD OF GS? YEAH.
MAYBE WE START WITH THE BACK OF CAFE AVANTI, BUT, OKAY, LET'S SWITCH.
SO LET'S, AND YES, AND ALSO, COULD WE MOVE THIS IN THE INTERIM TOO, TO THE 41ST STREET BID COMMITTEE? 'CAUSE I WANT THEM TO REVIEW IT ALSO.
SO MY DIRECTION WOULD BE TO REFER IT TO COMMISSION WITH THE REFERRAL TO THE 41ST STREET COMMITTEE AND TO BRING IT BACK HERE IN A MONTH TO SEE WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE PEDESTRIANIZATION.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S FIRST BEFORE EVEN BEAUTIFICATION.
ITEM NUMBER 11 IS DISCUSS, TAKE ACTION REGARDING THE IDENTIFICATION OF APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF SPEED, HUMPS AND OR SPEED TABLES IN THE FLAMINGO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ AND TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM.
COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
UM, MADAM CHAIR, WE'VE HEARD FROM THE FLAMINGO PARK, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT THE NEED TO INSTALL, UM, TRAFFIC CALMING.
THERE'S SPEEDING THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE, IN, IN THE AREA.
SO BACK IN APRIL, I REFERRED, UH, THIS, THIS DISCUSSION ITEM.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE SLOW STREETS, UH, THAT IS COMING IN LINE.
[11. DISCUSS/TAKE ACTION REGARDING THE IDENTIFICATION OF APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF SPEED HUMPS AND/OR SPEED TABLES IN THE FLAMINGO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.]
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S COMING IN LINE.UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS HAVE RAISED THIS CONCERN ABOUT SPEEDING VEHICLE.
IT'S HAPPENING IN LOCAL RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
IT'S HAPPENING IN, IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN AN AREA THAT IS KNOWN FOR ITS WALKABILITY.
UH, AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE HAVE, UH, SPEEDING CARS IN A PEDESTRIAN AREA, WHAT IT CREATES IS A SAFETY HAZARD.
SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT CAN WE DO, UH, TO ADDRESS SPEEDING AND HAND SAFETY AND HOPEFULLY, UH, DO SOMETHING LONG TERM, BUT ALSO START TEMPORARY HOW WE'VE DONE ON 47TH STREET.
SO WITH THAT, UH, I WANNA RECOGNIZE O'NEILL.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MADAM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER O'NEILL RODRIGUEZ, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WHEEL TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY DEPARTMENT.
AS WE MENTIONED, COMMISSIONER, UM, THE FLAMINGO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS EXPRESSED CONCERNS WITH SPEEDING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, CONSISTENT WITH OUR TRAFFIC CALMING MANUAL.
THE FIRST STEP THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IS TO CONDUCT A TRAFFIC CALMING STUDY, UH, TO DETERMINE THE STREETS AND SEGMENTS WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A NEIGHBORHOOD WIDE TRAFFIC STUDY TO DETERMINE THE SEGMENTS OF THE STREETS THAT WARRANT TRAFFIC CALMING.
AS YOU KNOW, UM, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HAS JURISDICTION AUTHORITY OVER ALL TRAFFIC OF, UH, OVER ALL TRAFFIC ENGINEERING FUNCTIONS AND TRAFFIC FLOW IN MUNICIPAL ROADS, INCLUDING THOSE WITHIN OUR RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THAT TRAFFIC STUDY WOULD HAVE TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY MIAMI, THE COUNTY ON CONSISTENT WITH OUR TRAFFIC CALLING MANUAL THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY.
UM, AFTER THAT TRAFFIC CALLING MANUAL, I MEAN THE TRAFFIC STUDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND IT HAS IDENTIFIED THOSE SEGMENTS IN THE STREETS OR THE INTERSECTIONS THAT WARRANT TRAFFIC CALMING, THEN WE WOULD PROCEED, UM, WITH THE DESIGN, UH, OF THOSE DEVICES.
THE, UM, PENDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC STUDY, AGAIN, THE, THE DESIGN WOULD HAVE TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PRIOR TO PROCEEDING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION.
HOW LONG DOES THE STUDY TAKE? SO THIS IS A PRETTY DENSE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT STREETS AND INTERSECTIONS.
SO WE'RE ESTIMATING APPROXIMATELY, UM, BETWEEN EIGHT TO 12 MONTHS FROM THE ISSUANCE OF A NOTICE TO PROCEED.
AND IF WE, IF, IF WE WORK WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD IN IDENTIFYING A MORE NARROW AREA, MORE NARROWLY TAILORED AREA, BECAUSE PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE MIGHT BE SPECIFIC STREETS, SPECIFIC CORRIDORS, WOULD THAT REDUCE THE, UH, TIMETABLE AT THE STUDY? THAT COULD DEFINITELY REDUCE THE TIMETABLE.
UH, AS LONG AS WE NARROW DOWN THE AREAS THAT WE STUDIED, DEFINITELY COMMISSIONER.
[01:20:01]
AGAIN, UM, WHAT TAKES THE LONGEST IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE COLLECTION OF THE TRAFFIC DATA AND THE ANALYSIS OF THAT DATA.SO THE LESS WE COLLECT, THE FASTER IT CAN BE COMPLETED.
UM, SO SOUTH OF FIFTH? YEAH, SOUTH OF FIFTH, UM, THEY WANTED TO DO TRAFFIC CALMING THERE.
UM, AND SO, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THEY PUT TEMPORARY TRAFFIC CALMING THAT TEMPORARY TRAFFIC CALMING HAS BEEN NOW VERY LONG.
UM, SO COULD WE LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE? BUT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WITH TRAFFIC CALMING, IT'S NOT JUST DOING THE STUDY PROGRAM, YOU GOTTA PUT IN YOUR CAPITAL BUDGET.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A FIVE YEAR, YOU KNOW, PROCESS AT LEAST.
UM, IS THERE, IS, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD USE THIS STUDY FOR THE PERMANENT TRAFFIC CALMING, UM, AS WELL TO, CAN WE USE THAT SAME STUDY FOR TEMPORARY TRAFFIC CALMING IT? IT CAN.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, AS YOU MENTIONED, COMMISSIONER THE SOUTH OF FIFTH TRAFFIC CALMING WAS THAT WAS THE, THAT'S HOW THE TRAFFIC STUDY WAS CONDUCTED.
THOSE 12 LOCATIONS THAT WE INSTALLED, TEMPORARY TRAFFIC CALMING WERE DONE ON, ON A, ON A SHORT TERM SOLUTION.
UM, AND THEN THEY COULD BECOME PERMANENT AFTER A POST-IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS.
UM, IT'S NOT THAT THE TRAFFIC STUDY OR IT'S NOT THAT WE INSTALLED THE TRAFFIC STU THE, THE, THE SPEED CUSHIONS AHEAD OF THE PERMANENT.
IT'S MORE SO THAT WE INSTALL 'EM AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE IN ORDER TO ANALYZE HOW THOSE SPEED CUSHIONS WILL RESPOND.
AND AFTER WE DID, OR WE WOULD DO THE, THE POST-IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS.
SO, AND, AND LET ME JUST, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY JUST UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I DO THINK THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERN.
THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERN WITH CARS IN A PEDESTRIAN AREA.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE IDENTIFY CERTAIN KEY LOCATIONS THAT WHERE THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERN THAT, UM, WHERE TEMPORARY CALMING DEVICES CAN BE DEPLOYED MORE IMMEDIATELY TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY CONCERN.
PUTTING ASIDE TRAFFIC CALMING, YOU KNOW, ONE THING IS TRAFFIC CALMING.
AND THAT IS A GREAT CONCERN THAT I THINK THE, THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE AND WHICH IS WHY THEY'VE RAISED THIS CONCERN SO LOUDLY TO US.
UM, THERE'S NO WAY WHATSOEVER WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SAFETY TO BE ABLE TO DEPLOY ANYTHING MORE IMMEDIATE ACCORDING TO, THERE'S PARAMETERS THAT WE CAN TAKE DEPENDING ON HOW WE, THE APPROACH THAT WE TAKE.
RIGHT? FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WEST AVENUE, UM, BETWEEN, UH, SIXTH STREET AND EIGHTH STREET, WE'RE ENHANCING A MIDBLOCK CROSSWALK TO A RACE CROSSWALK.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT AS A MORE SO NOT NECESSARILY TRAFFIC COMING, BUT FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED TO SEE WHAT THE ALTERNATIVES ARE.
UM, HOWEVER, IF WE DO PROCEED, UM, AS A TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECT, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT IT'S A SEPARATE PROCESS.
HOWEVER, IF WE IDENTIFY KEY LOCATIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WE COULD DEFINITELY SEE HOW WE CAN MANEUVER THOSE LOCATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE COUNTY UNDER UN UNDERSTOOD.
BUT YOU, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAFFIC CALMING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAFFIC CALMING AS A RESULT OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T LET THE SAFETY CONDITION CONTINUE FOR A YEAR WHILE WE CONDUCT THE STUDY AND THEN FIVE YEARS WHILE WE GO THROUGH THE CAPITAL FUNDING PROCESS, UH, IN THE SHORT TERM, WHILE WE DO THE BROADER MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, TRAFFIC CALMING IMPLEMENTATION, I DO THINK WE NEED TO GET WITH THESE RESIDENTS, IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THOSE, YOU KNOW, KEY LOCATIONS, UM, WHERE TRA WHERE WHERE MORE TEMPORARY SAFETY DEVICES CAN BE DEPLOYED MORE IMMEDIATELY, UM, WHILE WE WORK ON THE LONGER TERM PROJECT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE COULD DEFINITELY WORK TOWARDS.
UM, AGAIN, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO THE ANALYSIS WORKING WITH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TO SEE IF, FIRST OF ALL, IF IT WARRANTS AFTER WE DETERMINE THAT, WE COULD SEE HOW WE CAN PROCEED WITH A TEMPORARY, LIKE YOU SAID, UM, MEANWHILE IT WOULD WORK FOR THE LONG TERM.
SO PERHAPS, UH, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TODAY TO CONSIDER SUPPORTING A MOTION SUPPORTING STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION TO INITIATE THE FORMAL TRAFFIC TRAFFIC CALMING STUDY INCLUDED AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET PROCESS.
AND WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY GOING BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, IDENTIFYING THOSE KEY LOCATIONS, WERE, WERE, WERE, WERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE ARE SAFETY ISSUES WHERE MORE IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENTS COULD BE POTENTIALLY ACHIEVED.
WE, WE DEFINITELY CAN DO THAT.
SO MADAM CHAIR, IF YOU WOULD ENTERTAIN THAT MOTION, UH, SO WE CAN SEND THAT BACK
[01:25:01]
TO COMMISSION.AND JUST, JUST FOR PURPOSES OF MY, MY EDIFICATION, HOW MUCH, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TIMELINE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A SAFETY DEVICE AS OPPOSED TO A TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICE? AGAIN, UM, IT WOULD DEPEND ON HOW MANY LOCATIONS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IF WE IDENTIFIED JUST A FEW LOCATIONS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MOVE MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, NUMEROUS LOCATIONS, IT, IT WOULD DEPEND ON HOW MANY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND AFTER WE SPEAK WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE LOCATIONS ARE, WE COULD HAVE A BETTER TIMELINE FOR THAT.
SO I'LL HAVE MY OFFICE CIRCLE BACK.
O' NEIL, I'LL HAVE SYDNEY ALONSO MY OFFICE.
UH, CONNECT, UH, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND WITH AND WITH YOUR OFFICE SO WE CAN SCHEDULE THAT MEETING.
DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE CITYWIDE PLAN TO COMMISERATE AND ELEVATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANNUALLY IS, WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER B AND TOURISM AND CULTURE WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM I JUST OPENING THE ITEM.
COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND CO-SPONSOR COMMISSIONER B.
AND JUST OPENING UP THE ITEM AND I CAN QUEUE IT UP IF YOU ANSWER.
SO THIS IS AN ITEM I HAD, UH, REFERRED, UH, TO COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING, UH, BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE, UH, HIGHLIGHTING, UH, BLACK ROLE MODELS, UH, THAT, UH, AND THAT WE'RE ALSO ENGAGING IN
[16. DISCUSS DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE, CITYWIDE PLAN TO COMMEMORATE AND ELEVATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANNUALLY]
FEEDBACK FROM OUR BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.UM, LAST TIME, LIZETTE MM-HMM
YOU GAVE US A GOOD PRESENTATION, UH, AND, AND YOU PROVIDED US WITH, WITH A GREAT MEMO.
AND WE ASKED YOU TO GO BACK TO THE COMMITTEE TO SHARE THE COMMITTEE TO SHARE THE MEMO WITH THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, FOR THEIR FEEDBACK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A HARDER WORKING COMMITTEE IN THIS CITY THAN THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I WOULD SAY ACTUALLY THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MIGHT BE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ACTIVE DE EVEN TONIGHT, THE BLACK AFFAIR, THE BLACK, UH, FILM FESTIVAL.
SO, LISETTE WELCOME GUIDE US AND GUIDE US ON THE FEEDBACK YOU RECEIVED FROM THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE SHARED THE MEMO, UH, THE SAME DAY AS THE LAST NEIGHBORHOODS MEETING WITH THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MET, UH, LAST, UH, JUNE, TUESDAY, JUNE 3RD, UH, WHERE WE, UM, AGAIN, BROUGHT UP THE MEMO.
THEY HAD NO COMMENTS, AS I MENTIONED AT THE LAST, UH, MEETING.
THEY DO REVIEW AND APPROVE OUR PROGRAMMING, UH, FOR HISTORICAL MONTHS THAT INCLUDE, UM, BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND ALSO JUNETEENTH EVENTS.
UH, WHAT THEY DID STATE IS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY TO STRENGTHEN, UM, THE EFFORTS, UH, IN PROMOTING, UM, BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST, WHICH IS BLACK, UH, BUSINESS MONTH WAS THEIR FEEDBACK.
AND CAN YOU REPEAT THAT LAST PART? I'M SORRY.
THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO STRENGTHEN MM-HMM
THEIR EFFORTS IN PROMOTING BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES DURING BLACK BUSINESS MONTH IN AUGUST.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO GET THAT FEEDBACK 'CAUSE WE ARE IN THE MONTH OF JUNE MM-HMM
UH, AND IT GIVES US, IT GIVES US, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OVER A MONTH TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON THAT.
UM, WHAT DO, WHAT DOES THE ADMINISTRATION FEEL WE COULD DO, UH, IN TERMS OF, OF HIGHLIGHTING BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES? WE WILL, THIS, WE'VE SHARED THEIR FEEDBACK WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND SO THEY'RE AWARE THEY ALREADY DO, UM, EFFORTS DURING THAT MONTH.
UH, THEY PARTNER WITH THE G-M-C-B-B TO PROMOTE BLACK BUSINESSES DURING, UH, MIAMI SPICE AND OTHER EFFORTS.
SO I WILL DEFER TO THEM ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, INITIATIVES THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH.
WE GONNA KEEP THE ITEM OR CLOSE THE ITEM? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAPPEN? UM, I THINK I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE HAVING ANOTHER MEETING BEFORE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE CAN EVEN SEND SOMETHING BACK TO COMMISSION.
I WOULD JUST SAY LET'S HAVE ADMINISTRATION.
SOUNDS LIKE THE ADMINISTRATION IS ALREADY WORKING ON THIS.
IT SOUNDS THEY'RE ALREADY COMMUNICATIONS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE G-N-C-V-P AND COMMUNICATIONS.
SO I THINK IT'S IN YOUR HANDS.
AND WE TRUST YOU TO DO A GOOD JOB IN PROMOTING BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
ITEM NUMBER NINE IS DISCUSS THE EXPLORATION OF VISIBILITY OF THE CRISIS INTERVENTION RESPONSE PROGRAM THAT WOULD DEPLOY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONDERS TO ADDRESS CERTAIN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
[01:30:01]
IS RESPONDED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND POLICE WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR FERNANDEZ.I SEE MY NAME'S LISTED AS A CO-SPONSOR OF THIS ITEM.
I DON'T REMEMBER BEING A CO-SPONSOR OF THIS ITEM.
I KNOW THAT TOEZ IS YOUR PRIMARY.
SO WE'LL RESEARCH AND THANK YOU.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, COMMISSIONERS ASSISTANT CHIEF DANIEL MARGAO HERE ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE CHIEF AND THE ADMINISTRATION ARE IN FAVOR
[9. DISCUSS THE EXPLORATION AND FEASIBILITY OF A CRISIS INTERVENTION RESPONSE PROGRAM THAT WOULD DEPLOY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONDERS TO ADDRESS CERTAIN MENTAL HEALTH CRISES.]
OF ENGAGING IN A PILOT OF THIS PROGRAM AS IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, MOST NOTABLY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI.UM, HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE SOME, UH, FISCAL HURDLES THAT WE NEED TO, UM, GET OVER IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AT SOME POINT.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, UH, FUNDING AS IF WE DO ENGAGE IN THIS COS RESPONDER MODEL.
THERE IS A COST ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING A CLINICIAN AND A, UH, A SUPPORT PERSON INVOLVED TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND WITH THE OFFICER TO THE TUNE OF $250,000 FOR THE ONE YEAR PILOT.
AND THEN WE WOULD NEED TO IDENTIFY FUNDING BEYOND THAT.
WE COULD, UM, REALLOCATE AN OFFICER FROM THE DEPARTMENT TO BE PART OF THE PILOT SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO SPEND ADDITIONAL MONEY INTERNALLY FOR A POLICE OFFICER.
HOWEVER, IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM BEYOND THAT, THEN WE WOULD NEED FUNDING FOR THAT.
AND WITH ME TODAY, I HAVE SOME DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF BOTH MY ORGANIZATION AND, UM, ZI KAVA WHO RUNS EVERYTHING CIT FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, THAT CAN PROVIDE SOME MORE DETAIL AND ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH WHAT THE PROGRAM WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT I DID WANT TO PREFACE THAT BY BASICALLY SAYING WE DO HAVE SOME FINANCIAL HURDLES THAT WE NEED TO OVERCOME AT SOME POINT IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, MY NAME IS GEORGE GEORGE WILLIAMS. I'M A LIEUTENANT, UM, ON THE DAY SHIFT HERE.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 20 YEARS, ACTUALLY.
BORN, BORN, UH, IN MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER.
AND I HAPPEN TO BE NOW THE LIAISON, UH, FOR THE POLICE AGENCY OVER AT MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER.
UH, DEFINITELY IT'S, UH, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY NOW THAT IT'S PRESENTED ITSELF.
UH, I'M A BIG PROPONENT OF IT.
UM, I TOOK OVER, UH, OUR CIT PROGRAM ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
UH, I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH, UH, CITY OF MIAMI POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHO ACTUALLY, UM, TOOK OVER AND, UH, ADOPTED THIS CORRESPONDER MODEL AS A PILOT PROGRAM.
AND, UH, IMMEDIATELY, UH, WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED TO ME TO ACTUALLY INTRODUCE THIS TO, UH, TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED OUR, OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, OUR TRAINING OFFICER, DR. CASTILLO, OUR, UH, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF CIT INTERNATIONAL, MS. HOBS KAVA, WHO HAPPENS TO BE ALSO A LICENSED MEDICAL, UH, PROFESSIONAL.
UM, AND, UH, WHEN I WENT TO CITY, WHEN I, WHEN I MET WITH, UH, COMMANDER JACKSON OVER WITH THE CITY OF MIAMI, THEY ADOPTED THIS PROGRAM, UH, ABOUT, AGAIN, ABOUT, UH, IN 2023, UH, WHEN THEY ADOPTED THE PROGRAM, IT WAS A, UM, IT WAS IMMEDIATELY SEEN THAT THERE WAS A, A REDUCTION, UH, OF 36% OF CALLS FOR SERVICE WHEN THEY, UM, WHEN THEY IMPLEMENTED THE CORRESPONDENT MODEL.
IN ESSENCE, WHAT IT IS, IT'S, UH, IT'S A DEPLOYMENT.
IT'S, IT'S AN ON THE FIELD TEAM THAT, UH, BASICALLY IS COMPOSED OF A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL, A LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL HEALTH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL WITH A PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST AND TWO TRAINED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
AGAIN, THESE ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, ON THE FIELD.
UM, I'VE, I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE AND HEARING, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ALL THE PRESENTATIONS AND, UM, HAVING DISCUSSIONS OF REPAIRING CHIP SIDEWALKS OR WHATNOT.
BUT I THINK HERE WE CAN, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT OBVIOUSLY IN OUR CITY, THERE'S A NEED, THERE'S A NEED TO ADDRESS, UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONCERNS.
WE CAN THINK OF INDIVIDUALS NOW, UH, WITHIN OUR IMMEDIATE, UH, FAMILIES OR WHATNOT, OR WITHIN OUR IMMEDIATE, UH, VICINITIES WHEN WE WALK OUT ONTO OUR BEAUTIFUL, UM, ART DECO DISTRICTS.
WE CAN THINK OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN DIRE NEED OF THIS ASSISTANCE.
UH, OUR OFFICE, IT'S AN ASSET FOR OUR OFFICERS.
IT, IT'S, UH, DEFINITELY A TOOL THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN HAVE THE, THE MERE FACT OF, UH, HAVING A, A COS CORRESPONDER TEAM OF A LICENSED, UH, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL ON HAND WITH US.
UM, YOU KNOW, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, UH, WORKING AN EIGHT HOUR SHIFT WITH US, UH, WOULD BE A RESOURCE, AGAIN, AN ASSET FOR OFFICERS TO HAVE.
UH, NOW OUR, OUR OUR CURRENT, UH, DATA ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, BEGUN TO RESEARCH WITH, WITH OUR TEAM IS, UM, IN 2024, WE HAD ABOUT, UH, 907 BAKER ACT INCIDENTS, UH, HAPPENING, UH, THUS FAR THIS YEAR.
AS OF TODAY'S DATE, WE'VE HAD APPROXIMATELY 366, MORE OR LESS BAKER ACTS.
UM, THE DATA SHOWS THAT ON AVERAGE OUR OFFICERS ARE RESPONDING TO BAKER ACT INCIDENTS, UH, ABOUT THREE TIMES A DAY.
UH, WHEN THEY RES WHEN THEY'RE DISPATCHED TO THESE LOCATIONS, IT'S APPROXIMATELY TWO TO THREE OFFICERS.
IT TAKES TIME TO ASSESS, EVALUATE THE INDIVIDUAL.
IT TAKES TIME TO TRANSPORT 'EM TO THE PROPER RECEIVING CARE, HE HEALTHCARE, UH, MENTAL
[01:35:01]
HEALTH, UH, FACILITY TO, TO ADDRESS 'EM.AND IT'S A REOCCURRING, UH, PROCESS.
A LOT OF TIMES, UH, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE, ARE THERE FOR APPROXIMATELY 72 HOURS.
UH, WE SEE THEM AGAIN, UH, THE FOLLOWING DAY OR THREE DAYS LATER.
UH, WE RECENTLY HAD AN INDIVIDUAL CALL OUR NINE ONE ONE, UH, EMERGENCY LINE FOR APPROXIMATELY OVER A HUNDRED TIMES, UH, OVER A PERIOD OF A FEW DAYS.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PROS THAT COME WITH THIS, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SEE NOW WITH THE CORRESPONDENT MODEL, THE BENEFITS IS IT'S THAT IT'LL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF INCARCERATIONS, IT'LL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF INVOLUNTARY EXAMINATIONS.
UH, MEANING WHAT? MEANING THAT OUR JAILS WON'T BE OVERPOPULATED ANYMORE.
IT, IT MEANS THAT OUR EMERGENCY ROOMS OVER AT MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER WOULDN'T BE OVERPOPULATED ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THE MERE FACT THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THIS THROUGH, UH, DEESCALATION TECHNIQUES THROUGH, UH, IT'LL REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF USES OF FORCE.
UM, DEFINITELY, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN, AGAIN, I'LL REITERATE CALLS FOR SERVICE ALONE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI WHEN THEY ADOPTED THIS PROGRAM, WERE REDUCED BY 36% THE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
CAN I JUST ASK YOU A QUESTION? YES, SIR.
YOU MENTIONED THAT TODAY THERE HAVE BEEN 366 BAKER RACKS, APPROXIMATELY AS OF YESTERDAY.
THIS, AS OF YESTERDAY, IN 2025, WE'VE HAD APPROXIMATELY 366 BAKER ACT CASES.
HOW, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ARE OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS? UH, WE'D HAVE TO CONDUCT RESEARCH RE FURTHER RESEARCH ON THAT, BUT I KNOW FOR, FOR A FACT, UH, OBVIOUSLY ARE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS, UH, ARE A BIG PROPONENT, ARE A BIG NUMBER TO THAT.
UH, OVER, I BELIEVE 49% OF 49% OF OUR BAKER ACTS ARE OCCURRING IN AREA ONE, IN AREA ONE DURING, UH, THE DAY SHIFT, AFTERNOON SHIFT HOURS.
NOW, WHY IS THIS PROGRAM IMPORTANT? UH, SIR, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT'S BECAUSE WHEN THE CITY OF MIAMI ADOPTED THIS PROGRAM, UH, THEY CALLED IT THE HIGH UTILIZER, THE HIGH UTILIZER PROGRAM.
SO WHAT IN ESSENCE, WHAT THE LICENSED CLINICIAN AND THE PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST, WHICH IN THIS CASE, UH, CITY OF MIAMI, WORKS WITH WEST CARE REHABILITATION CENTER, WHO WILL PROVIDE, AND, AND THEY'VE COME FORWARD, AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY ADVISED ME THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO, UH, PARTNER WITH US IN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO DO THIS.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHEN MIAMI ADOPTED, UH, THIS PROGRAM, THE PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST, UH, DID A, UH, A CONTINUUM OF CARE.
THE CONTINUUM OF CARE BASICALLY IS THEY IDENTIFY A CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL ONCE THEY IDENTIFY THIS CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL, IN THIS CASE, IF IT HAPPENS TO BE, UH, AN UNHOUSED INDIVIDUAL, ONCE THEY IDENTIFY THIS INDIVIDUAL, THEY, THEY CONTINUE, UH, TO, TO FOLLOW UP WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING THE PROPER THERAPY, THE PROPER TREATMENT.
BUT DON'T WE DO THAT ALREADY? I, I, I, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THAT WE ARE ALREADY ENGAGING WITH THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
WE HAVE CERTAIN LEVEL OF CASE MANAGEMENT THROUGH NEW HOPE THROUGH CAMILLA'S HOUSE.
UH, THEY HAVE THE RO PROJECT THAT ALSO SPECIALIZES ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
AND SO, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HOMELESS ISSUE IN OUR CITY.
I FEEL THAT PROBABLY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE, OF THE 366, UH, BAKE RACKS THAT WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR, AS OF YESTERDAY, THE 907 THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, I WOULD IMAGINE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THEM RELATE TO HOMELESS IN INDIVIDUALS.
AND THE EPISODES THEY'RE HAVING IN PUBLIC REQUIRE MORE THAN A SIMPLE INTERACTION TO AVOID AN ARREST OR PLACING THEM IN A FACILITY WITH A GOAL OF LOWERING THE AMOUNT OF JAIL POPULATION OR LOWERING THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IN TREATMENT BEDS.
TO THE CONTRARY, I THINK AT TIMES WE NEED MORE PEOPLE IN TREATMENT BEDS.
WE KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TREATMENT BEDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I SEE THE SEPARATE SIDE TO THIS.
THE LEGITIMATE SITUATIONS, DOMESTIC CALLS, DOMESTIC CALLS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE, WHO ARE HAVING EMERGENCIES AT HOME, THERE ARE MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES THAT PEOPLE DO HAVE AT, AT HOME.
THAT'S AN AREA WHERE, YOU KNOW, I DO SEE THIS BEING A BENEFIT.
I KNOW THE COUNTY AND OTHER ENTITIES HAVE, HAVE EXPLORED THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE DATA, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY BIG SHIFT.
I FEEL THIS IS A VERY BIG SHIFT AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE ADDRESS A VERY SENSITIVE SEGMENT OF CALLS.
BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT PERHAPS THESE BAKER ACT CALLS MIGHT BE SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS CALLS THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT GETS ASSISTANT CHIEF.
THEY COULD BE, UH, AMONG THE MOST DANGEROUS.
UM, AND IF I COULD JUST ADDRESS THE, THE FIRST PART, WHEN YOU MENTIONED ALL THE, ALL THE OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, I THINK THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS PARTICULAR SERVICE AND SOME OF THE OTHER SERVICES AVAILABLE IS THAT THIS IS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE IN CRISIS.
NOT JUST PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING DAY-TO-DAY
[01:40:01]
MENTAL HEALTH AND EXHIBITING MENTAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS AS A RESULT OF THINGS THAT ARE EITHER UNTREATED OR CURRENTLY BEING TREATED OR NOT BEING TREATED PROPERLY.THIS IS TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE IN CRISIS, EITHER A THREAT TO THEMSELVES OR SOMEONE ELSE, BUT WE DON'T TRAIN.
BUT, BUT, BUT WE DO NOT TRAIN FOR CRISIS INTERVENTION.
WE HAVE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR OFFICERS THAT ARE CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINED.
AND EVERY POLICE, I JUST GET, I JUST, I REALLY HAVE CONCERN, AND I'M SORRY.
YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE, JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
I GET VERY CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING UNSWORN INDIVIDUALS MM-HMM
IN HIGHLY DANGEROUS SCENARIOS THAT ARE PERHAPS THE MOST, THE MOST DANGEROUS CAUSE THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS HAVE TO RESPOND TO.
WHERE NOW NOT ONLY ARE THEY LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF THOSE WHO ARE INITIATING A CALL, BUT NOW ALSO THE SAFETY OF AN UNSWORN PERSON THAT FOR AS MUCH AS THEY MIGHT BE A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, THE OFFICER NOW HAS TO LOOK OUT FOR THAT PERSON'S SAFETY AS, AS WELL.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE POLICE OFFICERS THAT SPECIALIZE IN CRISIS INTERVENTION.
TO ME, IT ALMOST SEEMS A BIT DUPLICITOUS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICERS GOT TRAINED ON DEESCALATION.
AND SO I SEE WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S APPROACHED THE PODIUM, AND, UH, AND I WOULD LOVE, YOU KNOW, YOUR GUIDANCE.
YOU SEEM LIKE YOU'RE CALMING ME DOWN ALREADY ABOUT THIS
SO YOU, YOU, YOU CLEARLY HAVE A VOCATION AND A TALENT.
IT'S CALLED ACTIVE LISTENING COMMISSIONER.
WHICH ALL OF OUR, UH, OFFICERS HAVE THIS, UH, CIT CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM TRAINING.
UH, I HAVE BEEN IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH FOR 32 YEARS NOW.
UH, 22 OF THOSE YEARS I'VE BEEN WORKING IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND WORKING, HAVE THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
ALSO, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ON AN INTERNATIONAL AND, UH, NATIONAL LEVEL BEING ABLE TO WITNESS, UH, DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
APPROXIMATELY 41% OF COMMUNITIES IN THE NATION HAVE COPO MODELS.
AND YOUR QUESTIONS ARE VERY VALID AND ASKED BY EVERY COMMUNITY MEMBER AND OFFICIAL.
ONCE THESE, UH, INITIATIVES ARE INTRODUCED, UH, YES, OFFICERS RECEIVE CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING THAT MAKES THEM MORE INFORMED AND AWARE OF WHAT MENTAL ILLNESS LOOKS LIKE, HOW TO IDENTIFY THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS, HOW TO DEESCALATE, AND HOW TO MAKE A SITUATION SAFER.
BUT THE COMPONENT THAT WE ARE MISSING HERE, WHICH IS A NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE, IS HAVING THAT CLINICIAN ON SITE.
IT'S HAVING THE MOST EXPERT, UH, PROFESSIONALS, UH, APPROACHING IN AN ALTERNATIVE, MORE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH IN RESPONDING TO YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL AS OF COURSE, YOUR RESIDENTS AND, AND, AND YOUR TOURISTS.
UH, I IMAGINE, UH, THAT THERE'S A CALL, IS THAT A KALEA BEST PRACTICE? THAT IS A, UH, CIT INTERNATIONAL, UH, BEST PRACTICE, WHICH MANY, UH, POLICE AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE NATION THAT, OF COURSE OUR CLEA ACCREDITED, UH, DO HAVE TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS OF HAVING, UH, YOU KNOW, BEST PRACTICES.
ACTUALLY A SPECIALIZED UNIT, BECAUSE EVERY OFFICER CAN GO THROUGH CIT TRAINING.
AND THAT'S WONDERFUL FOR EVERY OFFICER TO HAVE THIS TRAINING, WHICH MIAMI BEACH PD DOES SEND ALL OF THEIR OFFICERS THROUGH.
BUT THEN YOU LOSE THE SPECIALIZATION.
WHERE'S THE SPECIALIZATION OF THAT OFFICER THAT RESPONDS? IF YOU HAVE A, UH, ACTIVE SHOOTER, YOU HAVE, UH, UH, SRT RESPONDING, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY ARE THE EXPERTS.
WHEN YOU HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH CALL, YES, YOU HAVE A CIT OFFICER, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT PERSON WHO CAN STOP THE CYCLE.
WHAT OFFICERS ARE ABLE TO DO NOW IS TO BE ABLE TO BETTER IDENTIFY THAT THIS PERSON NEEDS HELP.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF HELP.
OF COURSE NOT, THEY DIDN'T GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL.
THEY DON'T HAVE A LICENSE IN MENTAL HEALTH, BUT THEY KNOW THAT THEY NEED HELP.
SO NOW THEY TAKE THEM TO, LET'S SAY MOUNT SINAI, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT THEN MAYBE A FEW HOURS, A FEW DAYS, MAYBE, MAYBE A COUP MAYBE A WEEK OR SO, THEY'RE BACK IN THE STREETS AND, AND REALLY HONESTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL SEE THEM, UH, ONE DAY AFTER, OR THE SAME DAY BACK ON THE STREETS.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS CREATING THIS VICIOUS CYCLE AND THIS REVOLVING DOOR.
WHAT CAN A CLINICIAN DO FOR YOU? A CLINICIAN ON SITE CAN ASSESS A SITUATION AND MORE APPROPRIATELY EVALUATE WHAT DO THEY NEED AT THAT MOMENT? MANY TIMES IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE MEETING BAKER ACT CRITERIA BECAUSE THEY'RE MORE QUALIFIED TO, UH, SEE A,
[01:45:01]
A, A WIDER SCOPE OF, OF THE CRITERIA OF THE BAKER ACT.AND SO THEY SAY WHAT THEY NEED HERE IS, YOU KNOW, A AND B, AND THEN THEY CAN PULL THOSE RESOURCES.
THAT ALSO DECREASES AS THE LIEUTENANT REALLY DID A, A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING THE NON-RESPONDER MODEL.
BUT IT'S NOT ONLY A CLINICIAN, THERE'S MANY ALTERNATIVES.
UH, HAVING EMT, HAVING A PEER, LIKE WE ALL KNOW OUR BELOVED BO HALL.
YOU ACTUALLY, MIAMI BEACH ACTUALLY HAD THE FIRST COS RESPONDER MODEL IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, NOT THE CITY OF MIAMI, NOT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
AND YOU DID IT REALLY WITHOUT REALIZING THAT YOU HAD A NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE HERE.
AND HOW SUCCESSFUL HAS THAT MODEL SERVED? YOU CONTINUE TO BE THE ONLY POLICE AGENCY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA THAT HAS THIS INITIATIVE ON THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE ACT.
SO LET ME, LEMME JUST ASK YOU YES, YOU ARE WITH, I'M SORRY.
SO I, AND I, I'M, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT INTRODUCING MYSELF.
I AM WITH THE 11TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT.
THE CRIMINAL MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT WITH JUDGE STEVE LEMAN, WHO YES, SADLY JUST RETIRED, BUT HE'S STILL VERY, VERY MUCH INVOLVED.
OH, HE DOESN'T RETIRED, OF COURSE HE DOESN'T RETIRE.
THAT IS A LIFE PASSION AND WORKING TOWARDS OUR MIAMI CENTER OF RECOVERY, BECAUSE THAT IS ALSO GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL ASSET TO MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, BECAUSE THEN IT WILL BE ANOTHER SOURCE OF SERVING THOSE THAT ARE MOST DIFFICULT TO SERVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, I DO, IF I MAY APPROACH YOU, I HAVE A ONE PAGE OF FACT, UH, SHEET THAT I, I SINCE, SO I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 2,500 THANK YOU, UM, CORRESPONDER TEAMS IN, IN THE, IN THE US AND I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF SELECTING THREE DEPARTMENTS IN THE NATION THAT ARE COMPARABLE TO MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I JUST WANTED YOU TO GET A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT YOUR COST SAVINGS HAVE BEEN, UH, IN ADDITION TO, UH, SOME OF THEIR AS WELL INITIATIVES AND, AND, UH, AND THE FUNDING SOURCES, RIGHT? BECAUSE OF COURSE, EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW NUMBERS, OUTCOMES, AND FUNDING SOURCES.
UH, I, UH, I KNOW, I KNOW IN MY HEART THAT MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM, UH, FOR OVER 20 YEARS, HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY FORWARD THINKING, UH, IN THEIR INITIATIVES.
UH, I WAS HOPING THIS WAS ON MY WISHLIST FOR A FEW YEARS, THAT MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE READY, UH, TO DO THIS INITIATIVE.
I'M HAPPY TO HELP IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, MANY, UH, DIFFERENT POLICE AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE NATION, UH, TO IMPLEMENT THEIR COS RESPONDER MODEL TO SEE THE OUTCOMES.
AND ALSO, UH, WE'RE NOW WORKING WITH, UH, SPAIN.
I WAS THERE RECENTLY, AND WE ARE BEGINNING TO IMPLEMENT CIT AND COS RESPONDER MODEL, UH, YOU KNOW, IN SPAIN AS WELL.
HERE'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
UH, I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THIS FOR JULY 9TH.
UM, MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS TO, DURING THAT TIME, MEET WITH THE POLICE AND, UM, HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD ENTAIL TO MOVE AN OFFICER RATHER THAN HAVING FUNDING ABOVE AND BEYOND, BECAUSE THIS WILL BE A TIGHT FISCAL YEAR.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? YEAH, YEAH.
AND IF IN THE MEANTIME, UH, WE COULD GET SOME MORE DATA AS TO THE TYPES OF CALLS, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CITY OF MIAMI, WHAT WERE THE TYPE OF CALLS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT REDUCED, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE WAS DROP ON CALLS AND THE DROP ON THE ARREST.
WERE THEY HOMELESS CALLS? WERE THEY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS? WERE THERE DRUG RELATED DRUG INTERVENTION CALLS? JUST SO THAT WE BETTER UNDERSTAND, UH, FROM A NEIGHBORING CITY, THE IMPACT THERE.
I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU TO SET UP SOME TIME.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
THIS IS A VERY COMPASSIONATE APPROACH AND IT, IT REALLY, I THINK, ALIGNS VERY WELL WITH THE VALUES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADVANCE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD.
ITEM NUMBER 10 IS DISCUSS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S MINIMUM AGE AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HIRING OF CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICERS AND POLICE OFFICER TRAINEES.
THIS IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND POLICE AND HUMAN RESOURCES WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM.
GOOD AFTERNOON, ASSISTANT CHIEF DANIEL MORGA HERE ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE HR DIRECTOR.
OH, DO YOU WANNA TEE THIS UP OR DO YOU WANT THEM? YES, YES.
UM, SO THIS IS AN ITEM THAT HAS BEEN IN MY MIND, UM, FOR A WHILE.
UH, I THINK, UM, I THINK WE ARE ONE OF THE CITIES THAT HAS PERHAPS
[01:50:01]
ONE OF THE MOST STRICTEST REQUIREMENTS,[10. DISCUSS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT’S MINIMUM AGE AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HIRING OF CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICERS AND POLICE OFFICER TRAINEES.]
UH, HIRING REQUIREMENTS FOR POLICE OFFICERS.I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF.
UM, BUT I ALSO DO KNOW FOR A WHILE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD A HIGH NUMBER OF VACANCIES IN, IN THE DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW CHIEF WAYNE JONES IS WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD.
AND, UH, AND I, AND I KNOW HE HAS A GOAL, AND I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO BE MEETING THAT GOAL OF BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT WE WILL BE HAVING FULL STAFFING OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT SIGNIFICANT.
IT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN FOR YEARS FOR CHIEFS NOW THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD FULL STAFFING, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED.
UM, BUT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I, I SEE HOW, YOU KNOW, POLICE OFFICERS DON'T ALWAYS NEED TO HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE.
THEY NEED TO HAVE AMBITION, A DESIRE TO BE ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY, TO IDENTIFY BAD GUYS AND BAD GIRLS, AND APPROACH THEM AND BE ABLE TO HAVE A TALENT AND A VOCATION TO ENFORCE THE LAW AND TO BRING CALM WHEN THERE'S TENSION AND TO DEESCALATE AND PROTECT THE COMMUNITY.
AND A LOT OF TIMES, I USE THE WORD VOCATION, THESE ARE NOT THINGS THAT PEOPLE LEARN IN SCHOOL.
THEY GET TRAINING ON HOW TO FINE TUNE THESE, THIS, THIS VOCATION THAT THEY HAVE.
BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I TRULY FEEL WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, A FULL DEGREE BEFORE SOMEONE IS HIRED.
AND SO, CHIEF, UH, THE DEPARTMENT, UH, HAS DONE AN ANALYSIS ON THIS.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET THE FEEDBACK OF THE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND A PATH FORWARD ON THIS.
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONER, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF MARGAO HERE ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I JUST WANNA START OFF BY, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THE CURRENT STATUS OF WHERE WE ARE AS FAR AS A DEPARTMENT AND STAFFING, BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY BUDGETED FOR 4 37.
WE'RE, WE HAVE 417 POSITIONS FILLED UM, SO WE ONLY, WE'RE ONLY 20 POSITIONS OPEN, WHICH IS ABOUT 5%.
SO WE'RE 95% STAFFED, WHICH IS ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE MAJORITY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE COUNTRY ARE RIGHT NOW.
WHILE WE STILL HAVE AMONG THE PATHS FOR FOLKS TO GET HIRED THAT REQUIREMENT FOR, UM, A COLLEGE DEGREE, THAT IS NOT THE ONLY PATH.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE PATHS TO GET HIRED AND, AND THE HR DIRECTOR CAN GO INTO 'EM IN DETAIL.
BUT I WANT TO KIND OF START OUT BY SAYING THAT WE, AS ONE OF THE MOST PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITED LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, HAVE ENJOYED, UM, THE ABILITY TO BE 95% STAFFED AT A TIME WHEN THE MAJORITY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OUT THERE ARE 20 TO 40% UNDERSTAFFED.
UM, WHILE WE MAINTAINED OUR HIRING STANDARDS, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT, UM, 85 TO 90% OF APPLICANTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY DON'T MAKE IT THROUGH OUR HIRING PROCESS.
WE ONLY TAKE THE CREAM OF THE CROP TO PUT THIS BADGE AND THIS PATCH ON, WHICH IS WHAT OUR RESIDENTS AND, AND WHAT THIS COMMUNITY DESERVES AND EXPECTS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, OF THE ONES THAT WE HIRE, WE END UP LOSING MAYBE 10 TO 15% THROUGH THE TRAINING PROCESS.
SO WITH ALL OF THOSE HURDLES TO OVERCOME, WE HAVE STILL BEEN ABLE TO REACH 95% OF STAFFING, WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE HR DIRECTOR AND DEVELOPING A STRATEGY TO HIRE THE BEST AND TO ATTRACT THE BEST CANDIDATES.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE CHANGED IS OUR, OUR RECRUITING, UH, TACTICS WHERE WE'VE ACTUALLY GONE OUT AND GONE TO DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES, GONE TO DIFFERENT TRAINING CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO BASICALLY, UM, LIKE YOU WOULD TRY TO RECRUIT FOR A, A COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM, UH, GO OUT AND FIND THE BEST CANDIDATES TO APPLY FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
SO, ALTHOUGH PART OF THE PROCESS REQUIRES ONE OF THE PATHWAYS REQUIRES, UM, A COLLEGE DEGREE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS THAT FOLKS CAN, CAN APPLY TO THE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE HR DIRECTOR SO SHE CAN HIGHLIGHT THAT FOR YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, COMMITTEE AND, UH, CHAIR.
MY NAME IS MARLA ELOPE, HR DIRECTOR.
THERE IS IN YOUR, UM, PACKET, UM, AND I DON'T WANNA READ THE ENTIRE CHART, BUT THERE IS A SUMMARY CHART THAT DOES THE FINAL COLUMN, DOES GIVE THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS THAT A PERSON CAN QUALIFY TO MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER TRAINEE WITHOUT A CERTIFICATION.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS GO THROUGH THE ACADEMY OR TO COME ON BOARD AS A CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICER.
THOSE MIGHT BE SOMEONE THAT HAS PUT THEMSELF THROUGH THE ACADEMY, OR THAT MIGHT BE SOMEONE THAT IS, HAS SERVED AS AN OFFICER WITH DISTINCTION IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION
[01:55:01]
AND THEN DECIDES TO, UM, COME TO A, A LARGER DEPARTMENT HERE AT MIAMI BEACH.BUT LET ME ASK YOU, HAS, YOU KNOW, AND I SEE HERE WHAT IT SAYS HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ABLE TO HAVE CRITICAL THINKING.
ARE THE ONES THAT ARE EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT, UM, ARE THE ONES THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN ENGAGE IN TEAMWORK IN TECHNICAL SKILLS? YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK IT, IT'S, IT GOES, IT GOES BACK TO THIS STIGMA THAT IS BEING CREATED IN OUR, IN OUR SOCIETY, THAT YOU NEED TO, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE EDUCATION, PUT YOURSELF IN DEBT IN ORDER TO HAVE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.
IN ORDER TO HAVE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE NO.
SOME OF THAT, THAT YOU'RE, NO, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'VE PUT IN WRITING SOME OF THOSE.
UM, AND I THINK PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE WON'T AGREE WITH THAT.
I THINK THERE ARE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE, WHO ARE CREATIVE, WHO ARE ABLE TO WORK AS PART OF A TEAM.
UM, AND SO, AND SO I, LET ME ASK YOU, HAS OUR HIGHER BAR, YOU KNOW, THIS EDUCATION REQUIREMENT, UM, WHAT HAS THAT SHOWN US IN TERMS OF OUR VACANCIES? HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS OUR VACANCIES, UM, WITH A HIGHER BAR? WE ARE HIRING AT A HIGHER RATE THAN WE EVER HAVE BEFORE, MAINLY BECAUSE OF WHAT ASSISTANT CHIEF MARGAO WAS SAYING ABOUT THE AGGRESSIVE AND, UM, INTENSIVE RECRUITMENT THAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS THE VACANCY RATE BEFORE THE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS? SO WE, WE HAVE SNAPSHOTS OF THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS HERE, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU BACK IN TIME WHAT WAS THE VACANCY RATE AT 20 15, 20 18, 20 19, 20 21 AND 2024.
I WILL SAY THAT AS WE, WHEN 2021 WAS WHEN WE INTRODUCED, WERE THAT THEY MUST BE AT LEAST 25 YEARS OF AGE.
IF I COULD JUST, YEAH, IF I COULD JUST BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
IN ADDITION TO FILLING VACANCIES, WHICH ARE, BECAUSE POLICE OFFICERS RETIRE AND THEN MOVE ON, THOSE WILL BE FILLING THE, THE VACANCIES DUE TO ATTRITION.
WE HAVE ADDED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF POLICE POSITIONS OVER THE PAST FIVE, SIX YEARS, WHICH MEANT THAT WE WERE KEEPING UP WITH ADDING TO FILL VACANCIES THAT UNDERSTOOD THE COMMISSION ADDED TO OUR, UH, WORKFORCE, AS WELL AS FILLING THE ATTRITION RATE.
WE ARE HIRING AT AND REQUESTED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OF COURSE, A LOT OF TIMES TOO, OF COURSE, IT'S NOT JUST THE COMMISSION DOING IT, OF COURSE.
SO REQUEST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE HIRING AT A RATE THAT BOTH MEETS OUR, OUR ATTRITION AS WELL AS FILLS OUR VACANCIES THAT ARE, UM, BECAUSE OF AN EXPANDED POLICE FORCE.
THE CURRENT STATUS OF, OF, UM, OF OUR MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, THERE ARE 1, 2, 3, 4 WAYS TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER, NOT ONE.
WE WORKED VERY HARD, AND WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN HR CHIEF JONES AND HIS STAFF AS WELL AS THE FOP AND THE PERSONNEL BOARD, WHERE IN JULY WE DID A MAJOR REVISION OF THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ALL THE WAY THROUGH APPROVAL OF THE POLI, UM, PERSONNEL BOARD.
WE LOWERED THE AGE FROM, AND AGAIN, THERE'S TWO TRACKS.
THERE'S THE TRACK OF YOU HAVE A CERTIFICATION AND THERE'S THE TRACK OF, YOU DON'T HAVE A CERTIFICATION YET.
SO TO TALK ABOUT THE TRACK THAT YOU DO HAVE A CERTIFICATION, WE KEPT THE SAME.
YOU COULD BE 21 WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
WE CHANGED, WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE SECOND PATH.
THE SECOND PATH WAS 21 WITH THREE YEARS OF MILITARY THAT STAYED THE SAME.
THE THIRD PATH WE LOWERED, IT WAS 21 WITH 60 COLLEGE CREDITS, LIKE AN, AN AA EQUIVALENT AND THREE YEARS AS AN OFFICER SOMEWHERE ELSE.
WE LOWERED THAT TO, SO THEY WOULD'VE STARTED AT 18 AS A POLICE OFFICER SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO, UM, THE THIRD TIME, SO LIKE THE CITY OF MIAMI, THE CITY OF MIAMI, THEY HAVE 19.
SO THEY COULD HAVE STARTED IN THE CITY OF MIAMI AND THEN COME OVER HERE.
THE THIRD PATH IS 21 YEARS OLD.
WE TOOK AWAY THE AA REQUIREMENT.
SO THAT'S LOWERING THE STANDARD.
AND WE SAID INSTEAD OF THREE YEARS OF, OF VERIFIABLE GOOD STANDING EXPERIENCE IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION, YOU CAN HAVE TWO YEARS.
SO WE DID THAT TO COMPETE BETTER WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT HAD A TWO YEAR REQUIREMENT.
SO THAT WAS THE THIRD PATH, THE FOURTH PATH TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER WHO CERTIFIED IT USED TO BE 25 YEARS OLD, AND THAT'S IT, WITH A CERTIFICATION
[02:00:01]
WE WERE GETTING PEOPLE APPLY THAT WERE 25 YEARS OLD, HAD PUT THEMSELF THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND HAD NO OTHER, UM, POSITIVE ASPECTS TO SHOW.SO, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT YOU, WE, THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE MEMO ABOUT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OR, OR SHOWING THAT YOU'RE A, A PERSON THAT CAN ACCOMPLISH AND, AND COMPLETE THINGS, THAT YOU'RE A PERSON THAT WOULD BE GOOD IN THE WORKFORCE.
YOU CAN LOOK BACK AT MY WORK HISTORY AND SEE THAT I WOULD BE GOOD IN THE WORKFORCE.
THERE'S MANY, MANY WAYS THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT A CANDIDATE FOR AN OFFICER WILL BE A GREAT EMPLOYEE, AND YOU WANNA SEE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT REQUIREMENT WHERE WE SAID JUST BE 25 YEARS OLD AND HAVE A CERTIFICATION, DIDN'T HAVE A MINIMUM, THAT THAT WAS A PATH TO SHOW, UH, WHAT ELSE SOMEONE COULD DO.
SO WE CHANGED IT TO BE, LET'S DROP IT FROM 25 TO 23, BUT LET'S SAY THAT YOU HAVE THREE YEARS OF VERIFIABLE AND PROGRESSIVE WORK EXPERIENCE.
YOU NEED TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING IN THE, THIS LENGTH OF TIME.
SO THAT IS HOW THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED OFFICERS SLIGHTLY CHANGED UP AND DOWN.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS AS A WHOLE AND AS A TOTALITY, WE THINK IS RESULTING IN A BETTER CANDIDATE.
AND ALL OF THAT WAS FULLY DISCUSSED AND VETTED WITH HR, WITH THE POLICE AND WITH THE FOP AND ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS.
AND ALL OF THOSE, UM, UH, UH, ALL OF THE RESEARCH ALL WENT TO THE PERSONNEL BOARD WHO THEN, UH, WITH CHANGES RECOMMENDED TO THE CHIEF, WHICH THE CHIEF AGREED TO VOTED ON A CHANGE OF POLICE OFFICER REQUIREMENT LAST JULY, WHICH IS THE RESULT YOU SEE HERE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE THAT SOMEONE THAT'S 23 YEARS OLD THAT HASN'T HAD A RELEVANT, YOU KNOW, MILITARY EXPERIENCE OR THAT HASN'T BEEN WORKING AS A SECURITY GUARD OR THAT DOESN'T HAVE THIS RELEVANT EXPERIENCE, WHY SHOULD THEY BE NOT CONSIDERED? THEY ARE CONSIDERED, SIR, WITHOUT, WITHOUT A DEGREE.
AND WITHOUT EXPERIENCE, WITHOUT A DEGREE, YOU CAN BE THREE YEARS IN THE MILITARY, THREE YEARS IN THE MILITARY WITHOUT A DEGREE.
YOU CAN HAVE TWO YEARS AS AN OFFICER SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND WITHOUT A DEGREE YOU CAN BE 23 AND SHOW THREE YEARS OF VERIFIABLE PROGRESSIVE WORK EXPERIENCE.
BUT I THINK IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
I THINK WHEN PEOPLE START AT A DEPARTMENT MM-HMM
THEY STICK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO WHEN YOU SAY 23, BUT YOU HAVE TWO YEARS SOMEWHERE ELSE, THAT DEPARTMENT IS GETTING THOSE POLICE OFFICERS WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR MOST ENERGY, WHEN THEY WANT TO BE ACTIVE, WHEN THEY WANT TO BE OUTSIDE OF THEIR CARS, WHEN THEY WANT TO BE WALKING, WHEN THEY WANT TO BE ENGAGING, WHEN THEY HAVE THAT FIRE INSIDE OF THEM TO GO AFTER BAD GUYS AND BAD GIRLS.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, FIGHT CRIME IS WHEN THEY HAVE THAT ENERGY AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE GETTING WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE AT THAT POINT, THESE, THESE, THESE YOUNGER, MORE ENERGETIC PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE BEST TO OFFER AT THAT POINT BEFORE WE'RE GETTING THEM BECAUSE WE'RE DISQUALIFYING OURSELVES FROM BEING ABLE TO GET THEM.
I, YOU KNOW, AND I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THOSE OFFICERS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH SCHOOL AND WHO HAVE HAD THE PATIENCE AND THE, AND THE, AND AND THE ABILITY AND THE, THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND THE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UM, TO, TO, TO SIT THROUGH, YOU KNOW, LECTURERS IN COLLEGE.
BUT I ALSO HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY, WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO SIT THROUGH COLLEGE LECTURES, BUT WHO HAVE THE DESIRE, THE PASSION, THE ABILITY TO FIGHT CRIME.
AND I THINK WE ARE LOSING THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH THESE REQUIREMENTS.
WE'RE SAYING, WELL, YOU FIRST HAVE TO START A MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, UH, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE THE AGE IS 21, OR YOU FIRST HAVE TO START AT FORT LAUDERDALE WHERE YOU ONLY NEED TO HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, OR YOU FIRST HAVE TO START IN THE CITY OF MIAMI WHERE THEY'LL TAKE YOU BEFORE WE BRING YOU HERE.
BUT YOU KNOW HOW IT'S LIKE THEY BECOME PART OF A CULTURE.
THEY WON'T LEAVE THAT CULTURE.
CHIEF MARLO, HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT? ALMOST 26, SIR.
THE OFFICERS IN THE ROOM, SIR, IN THE BACK.
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT? 18, SIR.
AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? 20 YEARS.
AND SO, AND SO THE MOMENT SOMEONE STARTS AT A DEPARTMENT, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THEM TO LEAVE, IT'S VERY UNLIKELY.
[02:05:01]
AND SO I JUST FEEL THAT I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUALS, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GO THROUGH COLLEGE, EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE THREE YEARS OF MILITARY EXPERIENCE, EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE AN AA.'CAUSE I DO, I DO THINK THAT THEY CAN STILL CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS A SAFER COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I, I FEEL, I, I FEEL, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK A GOOD MIDDLE GROUND MIGHT BE ONCE VACANCIES HIT A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, THEN AT THAT POINT WE LOWER THE REQUIREMENT.
I, BECAUSE WE ARE FACING, WE ARE ENTERING A SOCIETY WHERE PEOPLE HAVE LOST RESPECT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WANT TO ENTER THE FIELD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ENGAGE IN OUR CRIME FIGHTING INITIATIVES.
BUT THEN WE'RE SAYING, WELL, I'M SORRY, BUT YOU'RE NOT A MILITARY GUY.
I'M SORRY YOU DON'T HAVE AN AA I'M SORRY YOU HAVEN'T WORKED IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I JUST SEE GOING FORWARD.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RECRUIT EVERY SINGLE YOUNG PERSON THAT WANTS TO BE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE NEED TO EMBRACE THEM BECAUSE WE ARE ENTERING A SOCIETY THAT LOSES RESPECT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND UNLESS WE GET THESE YOUNG PEOPLE EARLY, WE'RE GONNA GET PEOPLE THAT ARE WAY INTO THEIR CAREER.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO END UP PAYING THEM MORE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE FURTHER INTO THEIR CAREER OR THEY LEFT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT BECAUSE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED.
COMMISSIONER, WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS ITEM TO GO? I, YOU, I I'VE, I THINK THIS SHOULD GO TO THE COMMISSION.
I THINK THIS SHOULD GO TO THE COMMISSION.
I, NOT EVERYONE IS CUT OUT FOR, UH, COLLEGE.
I DO KNOW THAT WE'RE MIAMI BEACH AND THEY'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT THE BEST OF THE BEST, BUT THE BEST OF THE BEST CAN COME IN MANY DIFFERENT FASHIONS.
I THINK WE SHOULD IDENTIFY A THRESHOLD, AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT STAFF CAN WORK ON WHEN THIS GOES BACK TO COMMISSION A THRESHOLD THAT ONCE WE HIT A CERTAIN THRESHOLD OF VACANCIES, THEN WE LOOK AT A WIDER RANGE.
I RESPECT VERY MUCH THE POSITION OF THE CHIEF.
UM, BUT I ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY AND OF THIS, OF THIS, OF THIS AGENCY TO THE CHAIR.
IF I COULD PUT TWO POINTS OF RECORD, UM, PLEASE.
FIRST IS THAT ABOUT 30 TO 40% OF THE FILES THAT ARE BEING SIGNED FOR HIRE ARE INDIVIDUALS FROM OTHER AGENCIES.
SO OF THE CERTIFIED OFFICER GROUP, MANY OF THEM ARE GETTING TWO YEARS EXPERIENCE SOMEWHERE AND COMING TO MIAMI BEACH AND JUST FOR THE, UM, INFORMATION OF THE COMMISSION, UM, THE SALARY THAT THEY START AT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE RANGE, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
UM, WE FEEL, AND WHEN I SAY WE, I THINK I'M COMFORTABLE SPEAKING FOR THE CHIEF, UM, BECAUSE WE DO REVIEW MANY OF THESE FILES TOGETHER.
WE FEEL THAT THE REQUIREMENTS WHERE LAST YEAR THE CHIEF DECIDED TO THOUGHTFULLY REDUCE SOME REQUIREMENTS AND RAISE OTHER REQUIREMENTS WITH THE, UM, ENDORSEMENT OF THE PERSONNEL BOARD.
WE DO FEEL STRONGLY THAT THE QUALITY OF OUR APPLICANTS THAT WE ARE SIGNING HAS IMPROVED AND WE ARE GETTING VERY GOOD CANDIDATES AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE OUR VACANCIES SOON.
WE'LL MOVE THIS TO THE FULL COMMISSION AND I WE'LL WRAP UP THE LAST ITEM AND I THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
AND I, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, IF LET'S SAY WE DO ALL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, ALL THAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY TO CONSIDER A SEGMENT OF, OF INDIVIDUALS WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MISSION OF HIGH, OF OUR HIGHLY RATED AND HIGHLY RESPECTED POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT IT DOESN'T PRE DOESN'T, DOESN'T STOP US FROM BEING ABLE TO HIRE THOSE HIGHLY QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED, THE MADAM DIRECTOR WHO YOU ARE HIRING AT 30 AND 40% THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THOSE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ALREADY AND THAT HAVE THOSE DEGREES.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE A WIDER SCOPE WHEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU AS THE HR DIRECTOR, THE CHIEF AS, AS, AS, AS THE CHIEF, AS THE HEAD OF OF, OF THE DEPARTMENT, HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DECIDE WHETHER TO HIRE THESE INDIVIDUALS OR NOT.
WHY NOT GIVE INDIVIDUALS WHO MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE AND WANT TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THIS AGENCY? THE ABILITY TO, TO, TO DO IT.
WE DON'T CHANGE YOUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO HIRE THE ONES THAT YOU FEEL TO BE MOST QUALIFIED.
UM, WE'LL SEND THIS TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
AND, UH, ON THE LAST ITEM, NUMBER SIX.
ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSS A POTENTIAL PARKING PROGRAM WITH DISCOUNTED PARKING RATES FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND EDUCATION RELATED ORGANIZATION.
THIS WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, CO-SPONSORED BY LAW AND PARKING WILL BE PRESENTING.
I MADAM CHAIR, I NEED TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION.
[02:10:01]
UP THIS ITEM JUST YET.ANYTHING TO EVEN BRING UP AT ALL FOR ANY, I JUST NEED TO GET SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION SO WE COULD CONTINUE TO NEXT MONTH.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND YOU HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE ABOUT AN LGBT EVENT HAPPENING TODAY.
TODAY AT 5:00 PM AT THE EUCLID CIRCLE.
EVERYONE'S INVITED TO, UH, CELEBRATE, UH, WITH US, UH, PRIDE MONTH, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE L-G-B-T-Q-I-A ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
[6. DISCUSS A POTENTIAL PARKING PROGRAM WITH DISCOUNTED PARKING RATES FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND EDUCATIONAL-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS.]
JUST PUT OUT A SHOUT OUT.UH, MY OFFICE HAS WELCOMED A NEW AIDE, SIDNEY ALONSO.
SHE JOINS MY LEGISLATIVE AIDE, KARA PETRE.
AND WE ARE SO FORTUNATE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE PUBLIC GIVES US TO SERVE THEM.
UH, OUR, THE DOORS TO OUR OFFICE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO ADDRESS ANY CONSTITUENT CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE.
FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT MY EMAIL'S, ALEX@MIAMIBEACHNFL.GOV.
AND, UH, SYDNEY AND KARA WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ASSIST WITH ANY ISSUES YOU MAY HAVE.
AND I HAVE TWO FABULOUS AIDES AS WELL, AND, UH, ALBERT ROSALES AND JULIAN, UH, DERO.
AND, UH, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO THEM ARE MYSELF, UH, AT ANY TIME.
AND IT'S OUR HONOR TO SERVE YOU AND, UH, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.