Jul 09, 2025 Commission Meeting

OF SAVING LIVES, NONE OF THAT STUFF MATTERS AT ALL.

I FIGURED, UH, YOU WOULD KNOW THE PLEDGE.

UM,

[PA 11 PROCLAMATION DECLARING GREY BULL RESCUE DAY.]

PA 11.

YES, SIR.

PA 11 IS PROCLAMATION GRAY BULL RESCUE DAY.

I'LL TEE IT UP, UH, FOR BRIAN, BUT, UH, I JUST, I WAS SO EXCITED TO, TO MEET WITH YOU RECENTLY ON THE WORK YOU DO, AND IN CASE SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, UH, MANY PEOPLE LISTENING MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION, BUT GRAY BULL RESCUE IS LITERALLY AND, UH, ALMOST ALL VOLUNTEER FORMER MILITARY WHO GOES INTO COMBAT ZONES, TO EXTRACT AMERICANS WHO ARE CAUGHT THERE AND WHOSE LIVES ARE LITERALLY IN DANGER.

AND THIS IS THEIR MISSION.

THIS IS THEIR GOAL.

AND I'LL LET YOU GIVE MORE ABOUT IT IN A MOMENT.

UH, BUT THIS ORGANIZATION IS INCREDIBLE, AS IT IS.

CAME TO MY ATTENTION RECENTLY WITH THE, UH, RECENT, UH, ISRAEL IRAN CONFLICT.

AND WHEN IRAN STARTED, UH, SENDING INDISCRIMINATELY MISSILES INTO THE HEART OF, UH, ISRAELI CIVILIAN POPULATION CENTERS.

UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF AMERICANS WHO WERE CAUGHT THERE AND GRAY BULL, UH, WORKING WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA, BUT, UM, ALSO DOING WHAT THEY DO.

UH, LITERALLY WENT IN AND EXTRACTED 2200 AMERICANS, UH, AMERICAN CITIZENS TO COME BACK TO THE UNITED STATES, UH, INCLUDING MANY, UH, SOUTH FLORIDA RESIDENTS AND INCLUDING MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS, WHICH IS, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION BECAUSE I HAD PEOPLE REACHING OUT TO ME A LOT BECAUSE ISRAELI AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF THE INDISCRIMINATE NATURE OF THE MISSILES THAT IRAN WAS SENDING.

IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO FLY.

SO YOU HAD TO LITERALLY TAKE PEOPLE OUT OF ISRAEL TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AND THEN GET THEM BACK TO AMERICA.

BUT I WANNA HEAR FROM YOU ENOUGH FROM, UH, FROM YOU, BUT I WANTED TO TEE IT UP IT UP.

'CAUSE I THINK WHAT YOUR ORGANIZATION DOES, LITERALLY VOLUNTEERING TO DO THIS, PUTTING YOUR LIFE AND YOUR TEAM'S LIFE ONLINE.

AND YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS HERE WHO ARE RECENTLY, WHO YOU RECENTLY, UH, BROUGHT BACK, UH, FROM ISRAEL TO THE UNITED STATES.

SO THANK THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.

THAT'S INCREDIBLE UP HERE.

PLEASE, UH, WELL, UH, MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND TO EVERYBODY, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

UM, WHAT'S FASCINATING ABOUT GRABLE IS WE GET ALMOST NO RECOGNITION AT ALL.

UH, UH, I CAN COUNT ON ONE HAND ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND I'VE EVEN SAID THANK YOU TO US.

SO WE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

MY TEAM AND I, UM, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE TINY BUT MIGHTY.

WE'RE, UH, WE'RE NOT AS BIG AS PEOPLE THINK, BUT, UH, WE, WE ARE, UH, WE'RE FLIRTING WITH 9,000 LIVES THAT WE'VE SAVED.

WE'VE RESCUED MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS AND JEWS.

I'VE RESCUED MEN AND WOMEN.

UH, OUR YOUNGEST EVACUEE, UH, EVER WAS MINUS TWO MONTHS OLD.

TWO PREMATURE LITTLE BOYS FROM ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

THEY WERE, UH, TWO WEEKS PREMATURE.

SO WE CALLED THEM MINUS TWO MONTHS OLD.

AND OUR OLDEST WAS 103.

UM, WE'VE RESCUED, UH, GAY PEOPLE, STRAIGHT PEOPLE, BLACK, WHITE, PURPLE, OLD, YOUNG, HAIRY, BALD, FAT, SKINNY, YOU NAME IT, WE'VE DONE IT .

UM, UH, AND WHAT'S FASCINATING IS, IS THAT'S ALSO MY TEAM.

MY TEAM ARE MADE UP OF, UH, SOME YOUNG FOLKS AND SOME PRETTY SENIOR FOLKS.

WE HAVE MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, AND JEWS ON MY TEAM.

WE HAVE GAY AND STRAIGHT ON MY TEAM.

WE HAVE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ON MY TEAM.

IF PAUL REVERE WERE ALIVE, IF PAUL REVERE WERE ALIVE TODAY, HE'D HAVE A GRAY BULL PATCH ON HIS HORSE.

WE'RE, WE'RE JUST AMERICANS DOING WHAT AMERICANS ALWAYS DO, WHICH IS TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.

THAT'S, IT'S A, UH, GRAY BULL RESCUE TRULY REPRESENTS WHAT THE, THE BEST PART OF AMERICA.

I TRULY BELIEVE IT.

WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO, UH, ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY FAR RIGHT, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY FAR LEFT, WHO UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE PROBABLY WOULDN'T LIKE EACH OTHER A WHOLE LOT IN TODAY'S P POLITICALLY CHARGED ENVIRONMENT.

BUT FOR THE PURPOSES

[00:05:01]

NONE OF IT MATTERS.

WE'VE OPERATED IN AFGHANISTAN, UKRAINE, RUSSIA, SUDAN, HAITI, LEBANON, SYRIA, ISRAEL, GAZA, UH, THE FIRES IN MAUI.

WE DID, UH, FIRES IN LA WE DID HURRICANES.

IAN, MILTON, HELENE.

WE'VE DONE JET SKIS, BOATS, HELICOPTERS, LITTLE PLANES, HUGE PLANES.

UH, RECORD IS 297 PEOPLE ON ONE AIRPLANE IN ONE DAY.

THAT'S THE LARGEST PRIVATE RESCUE IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

ALSO TALKING ABOUT HISTORY, THE FIRST AMERICAN VICTIM OF WAR CRIMES, A LICENSED WORLD WAR II, TAKEN BY THE RUSSIANS, HELD FOR 37 DAYS, IS HERE WITH US TODAY.

HE'S PART OF MY TEAM THAT LED TO THE FIRST INDICTMENT OF WAR CRIMES IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.

SO MY POINT IS, IS THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO BE, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE BIG TO BE GOOD.

AND THERE'S A WAY TO DO EVERYTHING.

AND AS LONG AS AMERICANS CARE, THAT'S ALL THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.

THAT'S ALL THAT IT TAKES.

ALL THESE BIG PROBLEMS THAT ARE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ARE ALL EXTREMELY POSSIBLE TO DO.

WE PUT A MAN ON THE MOON IN A GARBAGE CAN WITHOUT POWERPOINT, EMAIL, AND CELL PHONES.

IT CAN BE DONE.

SO, UM, MY TEAM AND I, WE LOVE WHAT WE DO.

UH, WE REALLY, WE, WE, UH, THIS IS WHAT WE DROOL FOR.

WE, WE WAKE UP EVERY SINGLE DAY PRAYING FOR PEACE, BUT WE'RE READY FOR WAR AND WE'RE READY FOR DISASTER.

WE'RE READY FOR CONFLICT.

AND WHEREVER AMERICANS ARE IN TROUBLE, IF, IF THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT OR WON'T DO IT, OR CAN'T DO IT FOR WHATEVER THE REASONS ARE, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER IF IT'S A POLICY THING, AN OPTICS THING OR RESOURCE THING.

UH, SOME OF THOSE REASONS ARE EASY TO UNDERSTAND.

SOME OF THEM ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, I COULD CARE LESS.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

THE EVA, WE HAVE MANY EVACUEES FROM MIAMI BEACH THAT ARE HERE TODAY THAT ARE HERE WITH US TODAY.

THEY'LL TELL YOU THE SAME THING.

THEY DON'T CARE IF THEY'RE RESCUED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT SEAL TEAM TWO, GRAY BULL RESCUE OR THE LADIES AUXILIARY OF THE ELKS LODGE.

THEY DON'T CARE.

, WHAT THEY KNOW IS, IS WHEN THEY'RE IN TROUBLE AND NO ONE'S COMING, SOMEONE HAS TO COME.

SOMEONE HAS TO.

AND THAT'S A VIRTUE OF AMERICAN, UH, OF AMERICANISM.

IT'S, THAT'S NOT A, UH, POLITICAL THING WHATSOEVER.

THAT'S AN AMERICAN THING.

UH, IT'S WHAT GEORGE WASHINGTON BELIEVED IN.

IT'S WHAT THOMAS JEFFERSON BELIEVED IN.

IT'S WHAT ABRAHAM LINCOLN BELIEVED IN.

IT'S WHAT MARTIN LUTHER KING BELIEVED IN.

IT'S WHAT EVERYONE BELIEVES IN.

AND THAT'S ALSO WHAT WE BELIEVE IN AT GRAYVILLE RESCUE.

WE'RE ENTIRELY DONOR FUNDED.

SO WE DO THIS ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET.

I BET THAT MY OPERATING BUDGET IS LIKE THE PAPERCLIP BUDGET OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

I BET, I BET.

I BET YOU WERE DOING SO WELL TO THAT LAST CONVERSATION, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT MY POINT IS, IS THAT IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

IT REALLY DOESN'T.

OUR MOTTO IS, DON'T BE A SPECTATOR.

THAT'S OUR MOTTO.

IT'S KIND OF OUR WAR CRY.

THAT'S HOW WE STARTED.

WE STARTED, I WAS WATCHING THE FALL OF AFGHANISTAN ON TV AND AS AN AFGHAN VET, AS A NINE 11 FIRST RESPONDER, WATCHING PEOPLE JUMP TO THEIR DEATHS ALMOST 20 YEARS LATER TO THE DAY FROM THE MORNING OF NINE 11, ALMOST TO THE DAY I COULDN'T WATCH IT ON TV.

AND THAT'S WHAT STARTED US ON THIS JOURNEY.

THAT'S 9,000 LIVES LATER, LIKE 80 SOMETHING AIRPLANES CHARTERED LATER, DOZENS OF HELICOPTERS CHARTERED LATER, HUNDREDS OF BOATS.

WE JUST DID BOATS.

UH, UH, WE'VE DONE, WE DID, UM, NINE MARITIME OPERATIONS IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS IN ISRAEL, UH, FOR PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE CAN GO TO JORDAN.

AND NOT EVERY AMERICAN WAS STUCK IN ISRAEL.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF AMERICANS STUCK IN SOME OTHER PLACES THAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT.

THERE.

A LITTLE COMPLICATED THERE, RIGHT? A LITTLE COMPLICATED.

UM, WHEN WE DO OUR GEL BREAKS, MY TEAM ON THE GROUND IS ONE, ONE PERSON, TWO PEOPLE, MAYBE THREE PEOPLE, NO SHOTS FIRED UNDER MY, UH, UNDER, SINCE I'VE BEEN LEADING GRADEABLE RESCUE.

AND ON THIS JOURNEY, WE'VE NEVER LOST A SOUL.

WE HAVE A 100% SUCCESS RATE IF YOU CALL US AND WE TELL YOU WE'RE COMING PACK, PACK EARTH, RIGHT? WAS A, THAT WAS A MARINE.

THAT WAS A MARINE, RIGHT? FY YOU OR NOT? SO, UM, IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH.

WHAT IT JUST TAKES IS, IS HONORABLE SPIRIT WILL AND, UM, A A, UH, TRUE FOCUS OF JUST, WE'RE GONNA WIN BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA WIN.

WHEN WE DEPLOY.

WE BUY ONE WAY TICKETS.

WE DON'T COME HOME UNTIL THEY COME HOME.

AND IF THAT MEANS WE GOTTA STAY THERE FOR, IF WE PLAN ON A WEEK, AND IT TURNS OUT THAT TO BE A MONTH, OH, WELL, I GUESS WE'LL BE THERE FOR A MONTH.

AND THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GONNA BE.

AND THAT LEVEL OF COMMITMENT, NOT HAVING TO, UH, FRANKLY, ANSWER TO ANYBODY OTHER THAN THE BAD GUYS, UH, AND FAMILIES MAKES US VERY, VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.

SO, UM, IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH.

I THINK, UM, I COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF MY TEAM AND I REALLY COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF THE EVACUEES.

UH, FRANKLY, THE EVACUEES ARE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR OWN SAFETY.

WE DO THIS FOR A LIVING.

THEY DON'T DO THIS FOR A LIVING.

THIS IS ALL THEIR FIRST TIME .

HOPEFULLY THE LAST TIME, NO REPEAT CUSTOMERS.

PLEASE, PLEASE, YOU HAVEN'T LIVED UNTIL YOU TRAVELED WITH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF HUNDRED ANGRY FLORIDIANS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S, WHERE'S MY, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S MY FIRST CLASS? YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW,

[00:10:01]

, YOU KNOW, UM, THESE THINGS ARE HARD.

THEY'RE NOT EASY.

WE TRY AND MAKE IT COMFORTABLE FOR EVERYBODY.

WE TRY AND MAKE IT TRY AND KEEP IT LIGHT.

UM, BUT, UH, BUT THE REALITY IS OUR BLOOD, OUR BLOOD PRESSURE DOESN'T COME, COME DOWN UNTIL WE ALL GET HOME.

AND, UM, UH, SO, UH, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

CITY, MIAMI BEACH, WE COULDN'T BE PROUD OF.

WE NEVER GET ANY, ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

SO, SUPER COOL.

CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH.

AND, UH, ON BEHALF OF MY WHOLE TEAM AND ALL THE EVACUEES THAT, NOT JUST THE ONES THAT WE'VE RESCUED, BUT THIS FIGHT IS NOT OVER.

MAKE NO MISTAKE.

WE ARE BUSY, WE ARE BUSIER THAN WE'VE EVER BEEN TO ALL THE FUTURE EVACUEES, WHERE HOPEFULLY THIS PROCLAMATION WILL SERVE TO HELP US RESCUE THEM.

THANK YOU FROM ALL OF THEM AND ALL THEIR FAMILIES TOO.

I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELL, THIS ELECTED BODY APPRECIATES WHAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO.

AND OBVIOUSLY WE SEE THE SMILING FACES, UH, OF THOSE WHO'VE YOU'VE HELPED, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR PATRIOTISM, UH, AND REALLY BEING THERE FOR, FOR AMERICANS.

LIKE YOU SAID, IT JUST, UH, IT'S, IT'S WHEN, WHEN IT'S WHEN YOU'RE CALLED UPON, YOU ANSWER THE CALL.

AND, UH, AND I'LL TELL YOU, NOT ONLY TO, TO GET PEOPLE AND THEY'RE SITTING HERE IN MIAMI BEACH ENJOYING THIS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, 'CAUSE FAMILIES WERE CALLING ME LAST MONTH, WHAT DO I DO? WHERE DO I GO? JUST KNOWING THERE'S SOMEONE ANSWERING THAT CALL IS SO MEANINGFUL TO PEOPLE.

'CAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE, WHAT DO THEY DO? WHO, WHERE DO THEY TURN TO? IS THERE SOMEBODY LISTENING? IS THERE SOMEBODY GOING TO COME? AND YOU DID.

SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SO MUCH APPRECIATED.

AND THEN IT'S, UH, AND IT'S RIGHT HERE.

IT'S IMPACTING RIGHT HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA IN OUR, OUR, IN OUR MIAMI BEACH.

SO IT'S A LONG PROCLAMATION.

I'M GONNA COME DOWN IN A MOMENT.

WE'RE ALL GONNA TAKE A PICTURE, BUT I WANNA READ A LITTLE, LITTLE PART OF IT.

UH, NOT ALL OF IT.

BUT AS WE MENTIONED, IN RESPONSE TO THE RECENT, UH, CONFLICT WITH ISRAEL AND IRAN, GRABLE RESCUE LAUNCHED OPERATION OLIVE SHIELD SWIFTLY EVACUATING 2,200 AMER AMERICANS, AMONG THEM MIAMI BEACH AND OTHER SOUTH FLORIDA RESIDENTS FROM BRUTAL IRANIAN MISSILE ATTACKS AND CLOSED AIRSPACE IN ISRAEL.

GRABLE RESCUE EMBODIES THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF SERVICE AND SACRIFICE WITH A TEAM COMPRISED OF ELITE VETERANS OF US SPECIAL OPERATIONS, AND THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY REPRESENTING OVER 900 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE.

THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH COMMENDS GRAY BULL RESCUE FOR ITS HEROIC EFFORTS, CELEBRATING ITS DEEP TIES TO SOUTH FLORIDA, AND HONORING THE LIVES THEY HAVE SAVED, INCLUDING MINE, BEACH RESIDENTS CAUGHT IN HARM'S WAY.

GRAY BULL RESCUE DEMONSTRATES THE VERY BEST OF AMERICAN COURAGE, INGENUITY AND COMPASSION IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CRISIS.

AND ITS WORK CONTINUES TO PROVIDE HOPE IN SOME OF THE DARKEST CORNERS OF THE WORLD.

I'LL JUST ADD, YOU SHOWED ME A VIDEO VIDEOS, LITERALLY AS YOU'RE WORKING.

MAYBE SOME OF YOU WERE IN THE VIDEO, I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER RECALL THE FACES, BUT MISSILES WERE LITERALLY IRANIAN MISSILES WERE LITERALLY FLYING OVERHEAD.

AND YOU COULD HEAR THE EXPLOSIONS IN THE BACKGROUND.

YOU WERE VIDEOTAPING THAT AND YOU SHOWED ME.

NOW, THEREFORE, DO WE AS MAYOR AND THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HEREBY PROCLAIMED JULY 9TH, 2025 AS GRAY BULL, GRAY BULL RESCUE DAY.

OKAY.

SO, UH, IF YOU GOT A GREEN BULL PIN YES, PLEASE.

ON ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND.

WAIT, THEY HAD TO PUT A PIN ON THE, WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE.

ONE, TWO CAMERA.

LOOK, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THIS SIDE.

WE JUST DO 1, 3 0 1, 1 2, 3

[PA 4 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH SANITATION DEPARTMENT.]

[00:15:29]

OH.

PA FOUR, PA FOUR IS PROCLAMATION, CITY OF MAMIE BEACH SANITATION DEPARTMENT.

EVERYONE GREAT.

SIT, GO SOME AFTER THIS, BECAUSE I GOT MORE .

OKAY, THANK YOU.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CALL THE NEXT ITEM.

THAT WAS, THAT WAS AWESOME.

PA FOUR.

RONNIE, COME ON UP.

COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING HERE.

AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.

YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

SO, I WAS RECENTLY CHECKING WITH THE, UH, CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO FIND OUT WHEN THE LAST TIME THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT GOT A PROCLAMATION OR RECOGNITION.

AND THE ANSWER WAS NEVER.

AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS HAVE GOTTEN RECOGNITIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR YEARS, AND NO OTHER DEPARTMENT DESERVES THIS MORE RIGHT NOW THAN THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT.

UM, WE LOVE YOU.

WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT THE TEAM IS DOING, AND I'M JUST GONNA READ A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU AS WELL.

SO THIS PROCLAMATION IS FOR THE SANITATION DIVISION, WHEREAS THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH SANITATION DEPARTMENT PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN PRESERVING THE HEALTH, BEAUTY, AND CLEANLINESS OF OUR VIBRANT AND WORLD RENOWNED CITY.

AND WHEREAS THE DEDICATED MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT WORK TIRELESSLY DAY AND NIGHT TO ENSURE OUR STREETS, BEACHES, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND PUBLIC SPACES REMAIN CLEAN, SAFE, AND WELCOMING FOR RESIDENTS AND THE MILLIONS OF VISITORS WHO COME TO ENJOY OUR CITY EACH YEAR.

AND THEIR WORK NOT ONLY ENHANCES THE AESTHETIC APPEAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO SAFEGUARDS PUBLIC HEALTH AND CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.

THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT ROUTINELY GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND DURING HIGH IMPACT EVENTS LIKE ART BASEL, ART DECO WEEKEND, THE HYUNDAI AIR AND SEA SHOW, SOY WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL, THE MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW, DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL RESPONSIVENESS, COORDINATION, AND PROFESSIONALISM UNDER INCREASED DEMANDS AND TIME SENSITIVE CONDITIONS.

THEIR SEAMLESS EXECUTION OF SANITATION OPERATIONS DURING THESE EVENTS ENSURES THAT MIAMI BEACH REMAINS CLEAN, OPERATIONAL, AND ENJOYABLE FOR ALL, WHILE SETTING A NATIONAL STANDARD FOR MUNICIPAL CLEANLINESS AND EVENT SUPPORT.

AND THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH RECOGNIZES THE UNWAVERING COMMITMENT, PRIDE, AND EXCELLENCE OF OUR SANITATION DEPARTMENT STAFF, AND WISHES TO EXPRESS TO ALL OF YOU OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

SO WE'RE DECLARING TODAY THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH SANITATION DEPARTMENT, APPRECIATION DAY.

RODNEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS WHILE I COME DOWNSTAIRS AND THEN THE SANITATION TEAM CAN COME UP AND WE CAN TAKE A PICTURE WITH THEIR PROCLAMATION? ABSOLUTELY.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

RODNEY KNOWLES, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

AND ON BEHALF OF THE INTERIM PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WHO REGRETTABLY COULD NOT BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON, HE EXTENDS HIS, UH, SINCERE THANK YOU.

UM, I WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND THE ENTIRE, UH, COMMISSION FOR THIS RECOGNITION TODAY, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR UNWAVERING SUPPORT THROUGH THE YEARS.

AND, UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE HARDWORKING PEOPLE INTO SANITATION DIVISION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

UM, THERE'S NO SECRET THAT SANITATION AND THE CLEANLINESS OF THE CITY IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR GUESTS AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS.

AND I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THEM FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND FROM EVERYONE HERE FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

AND, UH, THIS IS THEIR DAY.

AND THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.

THANK YOU ALL.

WELL SANITATION TEAM.

AND LET'S COME UP AND TAKE A PICTURE.

A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN ONCE, UH, ONCE THE SANITATION STARTS BREAKING DOWN.

AND, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS THINK ABOUT, BUT YOU SEE THERE ARE ACTUALLY STRIKES GOING ON NOW, UH, IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

DON'T GET ANY IDEAS KNOW, BUT, UH, PHILADELPHIA LOOKS LIKE IT'S HITTING THE BAY AREA.

OBVIOUSLY IT BECOMES

[00:20:01]

SO THANKS.

ABSOLUTELY.

THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.

THANK YOU, LARRY.

WE GOT THE MANAGER SQUEEZE HERE, AND YOU'RE GONNA LOOK TO THE, OKAY, LOOK AT THIS.

WAIT, KEEP SMILING FOR MADDIE HERE.

WE'RE GONNA DO ONE RIGHT HERE.

AND THEN SOMEONE WHO GAVE YOU THEIR PHONE.

READY? KIND OF 3, 1, 2, 3.

THANKS, MR. MAYOR.

COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO TELL THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT JUST THANK YOU BECAUSE THE PUBLIC EXPECTS US AS THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU AS THE MAYOR, US AS COMMISSIONERS, YOU AND MR. MANAGER, TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY CLEAN, TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY BEAUTIFUL.

WE'RE NOT THE ONES THAT ARE DOING THAT.

WE MIGHT DRIVE THE POLICY, WE MIGHT ALLOCATE THE FUNDS.

WE MIGHT ASK YOU TO MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS.

YOU GUYS IN THE COMMUNITY, WE SEE YOU GUYS WORKING AND YOU GUYS WORK HARD, AND YOU GUYS ARE THE MAYORS, AND YOU GUYS ARE THE COMMISSIONERS.

BECAUSE WHEN YOU GUYS ARE KEEPING THE COMMUNITY CLEAN, YOU ARE MAKING US LOOK GOOD.

AND YOU ARE MAKING THIS COMMUNITY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY.

IT IS FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR VISITORS.

AND SO, JUST THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, BECAUSE IF OUR COMMUNITY IS CLEAN AND ISN'T SAFE, THEN DO WE REALLY HAVE A COMMUNITY? SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE TIRELESS WORK.

IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER BOT.

UM, I JUST WANNA ADD ONE QUICK THING.

UM, I THINK A LOT OF YOU KNOW THAT I'M A HUGE SUPER FAN OF THE, UM, E EGO APP WHERE YOU CAN, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE APP AND SAY, HEY, THERE'S A PROBLEM HERE.

CAN YOU COME FIX IT? AND IT COVERS ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

YOU CAN REPORT A PARTY HOUSE, YOU CAN REPORT FLOODING, YOU CAN DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

YOU CAN ALSO REPORT SANITATION ISSUES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

IF ANYONE'S DUMPED A MATTRESS OR IF THERE'S A DUMPSTER OVERFLOWING, I GOTTA, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS DO IT.

YOU MUST HAVE CLONES OF YOURSELVES LURKING AROUND CORNERS.

BECAUSE I PUT IN A A A, A A, UH, CLAIM ON THE E GOV APP.

AND EVEN BEFORE I WAS COMMISSIONER, WITHIN LIKE FIVE MINUTES, IT SEEMED LIKE SOMEBODY WOULD'VE ADDRESSED IT.

AND I GET A LITTLE NOTIFICATION SAYING, OH, THIS HAS BEEN FIXED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO I DUNNO HOW YOU'RE DOING IT.

I DON'T WANNA KNOW THE MAGIC.

YOU DON'T, YOU NEVER REVEAL YOUR SECRETS AS A MAGICIAN.

BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.

IT'S REALLY APPRECIATED BECAUSE THAT IS ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT YOUR REGULAR JOBS ARE TO CIRCLE BACK AND FIX THIS AND ADDRESS THAT.

WELL, THANK YOU.

THANK

[PA 9 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO JO MANNING.]

YOU ALL.

WE'RE GONNA NOW CALL, ONE THING I'VE LEARNED IS WE DO NOT KEEP JOE MANNING WAITING TOO LONG.

SO WE'RE GONNA, THAT'S A GOOD THING.

THAT'S A POSITIVE.

WHEN YOU SPEAK, WE LISTEN.

SO YOU'RE NEXT, PA NINE.

PA NINE IS PROCLAMATION FOR JOE MANNING.

THANK COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.

DOESN'T KNOW JOE MANNING? LIKE I'M SURE EVERYBODY HERE HAS HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT JOE MANNING, BUT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS SHE WANTS YOU TO KNOW IS THAT SHE'S FROM SICILY, BUT THERE'S MUCH MORE TO JOE THAN THAT.

AND I'M ACTUALLY GIVING THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH COMMISSIONER BOT.

UH, I'M GIVING OUT THREE PROCLAMATIONS TODAY, UH, TO INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE THAT I THINK ARE VERY SPECIAL IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND JOE MANNING, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THEM.

AND NOT ONLY IS THIS YOUR BIRTHDAY MONTH, BUT YOU HAVE BEEN REMARKABLE IN HELPING OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I WILL LET, UH, MISS COMMISSIONER BOTT, UH, MAYBE READ A PARAGRAPH OR TWO OF SOME OF YOUR, UH, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND YOUR BACKGROUND.

AND I HAVE A COUPLE OTHER THINGS TO SHARE TOO.

UM, WELL LISTEN, IN CASE ANYBODY DOESN'T KNOW, IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO

[00:25:01]

SHE IS A PROUD MIAMI BEACH RESIDENT, CIVIC LEADING LEADER, HISTORIAN, ACCOMPLISHED AUTHOR.

HER CAREER HAS SPANNED THE WORLDS OF ACADEMIA, CORPORATE RESEARCH AND PUBLIC SERVICE.

AND THAT'S HOW I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW HER AND HOW LAURA'S GOTTEN TO KNOW HER THROUGH HER PUBLIC SERVICE.

BORN IN ITALIAN HARLEM IN 19 AND RAISED IN ASTORIA, , ASTORIA, QUEENS.

JOE ROSE FROM A HUMBLE SICILIAN AMERICAN WORKING CLASS BACKGROUND TO ATTEND TOP SCHOOLS, INCLUDING THE RENOWNED HUNTER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.

SO ANYBODY FROM NEW YORK KNOWS WHAT HUNTER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL IS ALL ABOUT.

THAT IS THE REAL DEAL.

QUEENS COLLEGE AND LATEST SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY FOR MASTER'S IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE.

LET'S SEE, WHERE DID YOU LEAVE OFF? WELL, I'M GONNA JUMP INTO HER CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

UM, SO SHE HAS, UH, SERVED IN MIAMI BEACH AS A MEMBER OF THE PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION BOARD, A LONGTIME MEMBER OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD.

UM, SHE ALSO GAVE HER COMMITMENT AND EFFORTS TO SAVE THE WALTER DEGAMO HOME ON STAR ISLAND.

SHE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE PEOPLE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING ADVOCATE FOR OUR FREE TROLLEY SYSTEM AND, UH, CITY BUS TO THE AIRPORT, DESPITE THE COUNTY'S OBJECTIONS.

UM, SHE WAS ONE OF THE EARLY ADOPTERS AND SUPPORTERS OF MIAMI BEACH UNITED, UH, THAT WAS LAUNCHED BY COMMISSIONER NANCY LIEMAN AND SAVING THE TREES ON PINE TREE DRIVE SUPPORTING.

SO BE SAFE FOR THE PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY AND THE LIST GOES ON.

JOE MANNING, WE LOVE YOU.

WE APPRECIATE YOU.

YOU HAVE BEEN AN AMAZING ADVOCATE FOR THE RESIDENTS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE AND, UH, A HUGE ASSET TO OUR CITY.

CONGRATULATIONS, AND PLEASE SAY A FEW WORDS.

WONDERFUL PRE BIRTHDAY PRESENT.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

AND I WAS MUSING THIS MORNING ON HOW I GOT INTO ALL OF THIS, AND IT WAS VERY STRANGE.

I DO YOU REMEMBER ERICA BRIGHAM, WHO WAS A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST? SHE, SHE ASKED ME TO WORK WITH HER ON GETTING A TROLLEY FOR MIAMI BEACH, AND WE DID ADVOCATE FOR IT.

AND THERE WAS A THEN MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION, NO NAMES, WHO SAID, WHAT A DUMB IDEA.

THIS IS SO STUPID.

WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.

WELL, YOU CAN'T EVEN GET ONTO THE TROLLEY THESE DAYS.

IT'S JUST SO CROWDED.

IT'S, IT'S A MAJOR SUCCESS.

AND WHEN I WAS ON PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION, OUR GROUP AGITATED FOR THAT BUS THAT GOES TO THE AIRPORT, WHICH IS JUST A COUPLE OF DOLLARS.

AND THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

AND THIS PAST YEAR, THEY, THE COUNTY TRIED TO GET RID OF IT, AND WE ROSE UP AGAIN AND SAID, NO, YOU CAN'T.

THIS IS REALLY A GREAT THING FOR THE, FOR, FOR ALL OF US.

AND TO THE TREES.

I ALWAYS APPRECIATED COMMISSIONER JOY MALOFF BECAUSE SHE LOVED TREES THE WAY I DID.

GROWING UP IN ASTORIA QUEENS, ON EVERY ARBOR DAY, WE ALL RECITED JOYCE KILMER'S GREAT POEM, TREES, ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A TREE.

ISN'T THAT THAT POEM? FOOLS LIKE ME CAN WRITE POEMS, BUT ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A TREE.

I'M A GREAT BELIEVER IN TREES.

SO WHEN THE, AN IDEA WAS FORMULATED TO TAKE DOWN ALL THE TREES ON PINE TREE DRIVE, BECAUSE THEY WERE INVASIVE, THEY'RE NOT PINE TREES.

AND THE EXCUSE WAS, THEY'RE DECEASED.

SO I WAS ON THE HPB AT THAT TIME, HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD, AND WE SAID, WELL, SHOW US THAT THEY'RE DISEASED.

YOU KNOW, CUT UP A COUPLE OF THEM.

AND LET'S SEE, THEY FOUND, I THINK THREE THAT WERE DECEASED OUT OF HOW MANY? 80 SOMETHING.

SO WE KEPT THE TREES AND, AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS A GREAT TRIUMPH.

UH, OF COURSE, BEING A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST AND TRYING TO DO THINGS TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU FAIL A LOT TOO.

YOU DO FAIL.

AND MY BIGGEST FAILURE WAS 42 STAR ISLAND.

AND I, I CAN'T FORGET IT.

AND WHAT HAPPENED? THE FIRST LICENSED ARCHITECT IN MIAMI BEACH, WALTER DE GARMO, THAT WAS THE HOME HE BUILT, AND THEY WANTED IT DEMOLISHED.

AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

BUT YOU CAN'T ALWAYS WIN, BUT YOU CAN KEEP ON FIGHTING.

THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

WELL, THE ONLY, THE OTHER THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT I KNOW, UM, NICK OBVIOUSLY IS NOT HERE AMONG US, BUT HE IS HERE

[00:30:01]

IN SPIRIT.

AND, UM, THERE'S NO REFERENCE TO JOE WITHOUT A REFERENCE TO NICK.

SO IT'S, IT'S BOTH OF YOU AND JOE, THANK YOU FOR FIGHTING YOU.

NO, I THINK YOU'RE CORRECT.

[PA 8 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION AWARDED TO LILY LOPEZ.]

P EIGHT.

CERTIFICATE, CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION TO LILY LOPEZ.

YAY.

LILY.

I YOU'RE A POWERHOUSE.

YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T LIKE TO USE NOTES.

IT'S LIKE MY THING, BUT YOU HAVE SO MUCH THAT YOU'VE DONE AND ACCOMPLISHED.

IT'S LIKE, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO REMEMBER ALL OF IT.

SO I AM GONNA GLANCE DOWN, FIRST OF ALL, YOU FOUNDED, I HOPE I'M NOT TAKING AWAY YOUR, I'M SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY TO SAY, BUT I HAVE TO TEE THIS UP FOR YOU, FOR YOU, I TALK A LOT, SO YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TALK.

YOU FOUNDED THE SOUTH FLORIDA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

COMMERCE IN 1994.

UH, IT'S STILL STRONG.

YOU'RE, YOU HAVE OVER 1,650 MEMBERS.

WOW.

INCREDIBLE.

UM, AND, UH, THE TIES THAT YOU BRING BETWEEN SOUTH FLORIDA BUSINESS, COMMUNITY AND INTERNATIONAL LEADERS, UH, CANNOT BE OVERSTATED.

YOU STARTED THE SOUTH FLORIDA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION IN 1996.

UH, YOU'VE AWARDED OVER $1.2 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS.

UH, YOU SERVED AS THE CHAIR OF THE HISPANIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

AND YOU CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE MIAMI BEACH COMMISSIONER FOR WOMEN.

SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT.

UH, YOU DO A GREAT, GREAT GALA EVERY YEAR, UH, WHICH I ATTENDED AT THE, UH, AT THE BILTMORE, WHICH IT WAS, UH, PHENOMENAL.

AMAZING.

WHAT? AMAZING.

IT WAS AMAZING.

I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE? 500, 500, 500 PEOPLE.

IT WAS, UM, A VERY MEANINGFUL, UM, EVENT.

I ALSO JOINED YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS MINUTE WITH LILY LOPEZ, YOUR, UH, PODCAST.

MM-HMM .

THAT WAS, UH, WHICH IS GREAT.

AND, UH, YOU ALWAYS HAVE GREAT GUESTS.

WEEKLY.

WEEKLY, YES.

THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A PLUG.

UM, AND REALLY IT'S JUST, UM, WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU BRING TO MIAMI BEACH JUST, JUST GENERALLY, BUT ALSO FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS, UH, IS JUST TREMENDOUS.

AND REALLY, I, I COULDN'T, UH, I WAS SO EXCITED TO DO THIS PROCLAMATION FOR YOU AND WITH YOU, BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT TO MANY PEOPLE IN, IN MIAMI BEACH, WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT YOU SERVE FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND HOW MAYBE PEOPLE CAN GET MORE INVOLVED.

'CAUSE YOU OFFER, YOU OFFER A PLATFORM THAT PEOPLE CAN GET INVOLVED AND HELP OUT AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

MINOR COMMISSIONERS, MY FRIENDS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR.

OF COURSE.

I LOVE YOU ALL, MR. MANAGER.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.

I MEAN, I'VE RECEIVED SO MANY PROCLAMATIONS, BUT THIS ONE'S VERY DEAR TO MY HEART.

FROM MY CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, WHERE I'VE, I'VE ACTUALLY LIVED ON AND OFF SINCE I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD.

OH, WOW.

BUT THE MAJORITY, YEAH, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE I WAS LIKE 27 YEARS OLD.

SO IMAGINE IT'S A LONG, LONG TIME.

SO I'M REALLY, REALLY, UH, VERY GRATEFUL AND HAPPY TO BE A RESIDENT, TO BE A PROPERTY OWNER.

I HAD MY DAUGHTER HERE AT MOUNT SINAI.

SHE'S TAKING VIDEO.

SHE'S ONE MOUNT SINAI, MY HUSBAND, ALSO HIS FAMILY PROPERTY OWNERS CLOSE TO, UM, COMMISSIONER HERE AND, UM, NEIGHBORS.

AND IT'S JUST BEEN AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO START THIS ORGANIZATION FROM SCRATCH, WHICH I'M GONNA SAY SOMETHING, I GUESS YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW.

IT WAS STARTED AS THE SOUTH BEACH HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

WE STARTED ONLY SOUTH BEACH, BUT THEN THROUGH THE YEARS, AFTER FIVE, SIX YEARS, THE ORGANIZATION GREW THAT WE SAID, EVEN THOUGH WE STAYED HERE, OUR OFFICES ARE HERE, WE SAID, WE JUST HAVE TO CHANGE THE NAME BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL OVER AND WE'RE MAKING THEM COME.

AND THEN PEOPLE SAY THE TRAFFIC, THIS AND THAT.

SO WE MADE IT SOUTH FLORIDA, BUT IT STARTED AT SOUTH BEACH HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DURING THOSE YEARS THAT SOUTH BEACH WAS SO, SO IMPORTANT AND WORLDWIDE.

AND I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE LIKE THAT THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, HERE IN MIAMI BEACH, BECAUSE I SEE THE CITY IS FLOURISHING AGAIN, LIKE IT USED TO BE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF OTHER PEOPLE HERE FROM MIAMI BEACH BACK IN 97, 98, 99.

THIS WAS JUST AN AMAZING PLACE TO LIVE, TO WORK AND PLAY.

AND IT'S CHANGING AGAIN FOR THE BETTER.

AND THANKS TO THE LEADERSHIP OF ALL OF YOU HERE.

SO I THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I DON'T WANT TO TALK MORE, I BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I HAVE ANOTHER EVENT TO ATTEND, BUT I, BUT I THANK YOU ALSO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR, FOR, FOR THIS AND FOR THIS HONOR THAT YOU'RE BESTOWING UPON ME.

LILY, DON'T LEAVE YET.

COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.

THANK YOU,

[00:35:01]

MR. MAYOR.

AND LILY, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU, UH, BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE LEADERS AND THEN YOU HAVE LEADERS WHO REALLY SHINE.

AND YOU, YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE LEADERS WHO TRULY SHINE FOR EMPOWERING OTHERS, UH, SEEING THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR, FOR OUR HISPANIC BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESSES TRYING TO GET OFF THE GROUND, TRYING TO ASSIMILATE TO THE AMERICAN CULTURE, TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE, WHETHER IT BE, UH, PERMITTING TO OPEN A BUSINESS, OR WHETHER IT BE HOW TO GET FINANCING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS GOING AND GROWING.

OR WHETHER IT BE ADVOCATING FOR POLICIES, YOU KNOW, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

I MEAN, FEW PEOPLE CAN CALL SENATOR RICK SCOTT AND GET RICK SCOTT ON THE PHONE.

THE WAY THAT YOU CAN, AND THE WAY THAT HE RESPECTS YOU FEW PEOPLE HAVE IS CAN, CAN GET THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY THERE AT THE TABLE TO FIGHT FOR THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

FEW PEOPLE CAN GET TELEVISION NETWORKS TO GIVE ADS TO PROMOTE THEIR, THE BUSINESSES OF THE COMMUNITY ON THEIR ON, ON THEIR NETWORKS.

THIS IS THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT MAKES YOUR WORK SO SPECIAL AND SO WORTHY OF THIS RECOGNITION.

UH, SO ON BEHALF OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

AND MOSTLY, MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR YOUR EXAMPLE, FOR YOUR EXAMPLE OF SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP, BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS DO IT WITH ELEGANCE, WITH GRACE, AND WITH A GREAT DEAL OF CARE FOR THOSE WHO YOU SERVE.

SO, MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR, FOR PRESENTING THIS PROCLAMATION.

I, IT IS SO WORTHY OF YOU, LILY, AND ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALEX.

YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE FOR YOU AND I LOVE YOU.

YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST AN AMAZING YOUNG MAN.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU WERE SPEAKING, I WAS THINKING THAT YESTERDAY I WAS HAVING LUNCH WITH, YOU KNOW, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE'VE GIVEN OVER $1.2 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND PAID INTERNSHIPS.

AND WE'VE, I'VE DONE A PROGRAM THAT'S CALLED THE EDUCATION ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, WHERE I'VE TAKEN STUDENTS ON A PAID TRIP TO BOEING, TO MICROSOFT, TO COCA-COLA, ATLANTA.

THESE ARE BEACH HIGH STUDENTS.

AND YESTERDAY I WAS HAVING LUNCH WITH ONE OF OUR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS FROM 1999.

SO IT'S FRANK BUSTAMANTE, MR. HOSPITALITY, AND NOW HE'S GONNA BE DOING OUR GALA BECAUSE I SAID, FRANK, I'M TIRED OF DOING THIS GALA.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO? OF COURSE, I'D BE SO HAPPY.

SO IMAGINE THAT WHEN FRANK SAYS, I'M 44, I SAID, FRANK, I'M NOT THAT OLD.

IT'S JUST THAT I STARTED YOUNG .

HE'S 44.

SO IT'S HISTORY, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO TOUCH A LOT OF PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT ARE NOWADAYS.

I HAVE A, I HAVE A PAID INTERN, UH, THAT WORKED WITH FOR ME THAT I HIRED WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT OF, OF THE WATCHES WORLDWIDE.

SO IMAGINE THIS YOUNG MAN.

I REMEMBER WHEN HE CAME IN FROM FI SAID, OH MY GOD, WHAT AM I DOING WITH HIM? AND THEN HE LEARNED SO MUCH THAT HE COULD TRAIN ME.

OF COURSE, HE BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF, OF SUCH A HUGE COMPANY.

JEANETTE DORFMAN, LEADERSHIP SERVICE, COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY.

SO IT JUST, AND YOU, YOU, YOU'RE FILLED WITH JOY TO SEE, YOU'VE BEEN ABLE, AND THIS WORK THAT YOU DO WITH A SOUTH FLORIDA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, I THINK IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL BE VERY PROUD OF, BECAUSE YOU DO IT RIGHT HERE FROM OUR COMMUNITY.

YES.

YOUR OFFICES ARE HERE.

MIAMI.

I'M HERE.

MIAMI BEACH ON 41ST STREET.

I'M MIAMI BEACH GIRL.

THERE YOU GO.

THANK YOU, .

CONGRATULATIONS, LILY.

I'M GONNA READ THE LAST PARAGRAPH OKAY.

OF THE PROCLAMATION, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TAKE SOME PICTURES.

MS. LOPEZ.

WELL, LILY, COME ON.

LILY.

LILY IS RELENTLESS DEDICATION TO UPLIFTING OTHERS.

HER COMMITMENT TO MENTORSHIP AND HER BELIEF THAT A PERSEVERANCE IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS, HAVE MADE HER AN EXEMPLARY FIGURE IN MIAMI BEACH, CIVIC, AND BUSINESS LANDSCAPE.

AND HER OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED WITH NUMEROUS AWARDS AND HONORS, INCLUDING THE KEY TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH IN 2002.

THAT SHOWS YOU DAVID DERMER.

DAVID DERMER.

WHAT'S THAT? DAVID DERMER.

THERE YOU GO.

YES.

GREAT.

UH, SOLIDIFYING HER ROLE AS A TRUSTED VOICE AND FORCE FOR PROGRESS.

NOW THEREFORE, DO WE AS THE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, HEREBY CLAIM JULY 9TH, 2025 AS LILY LOPEZ DAY.

UP PLEASE.

ONE, GO THE OTHER SIDE.

3, 2, 1, GO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, GEORGE.

TAKE THE, GET THE FAMILY IN.

SHE WANTS ME TO CHANGE.

[00:40:02]

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

[PA 6 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO JEANNETTE DORFMAN FOR HER LEADERSHIP, CIVIC SERVICE, AND COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY.]

PA SIX.

PA SIX IS PROCLAMATION.

I GOT STATE FOR JEANETTE.

I HAVE TO STAY FOR I KNOW JEANETTE.

YAY.

JEANETTE'S PASSION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION EDUCATION HAS INSPIRED OTHERS.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

UM, HI, JEANETTE .

JEANETTE IS ANOTHER FABULOUS MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M GONNA READ EVERYONE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER IF YOU DON'T KNOW HER ALREADY.

JEANETTE DORFMAN HAS SERVED WITH DISTINCTION AS PAST PRESIDENT AND CURRENT BOARD MEMBER OF THE MIAMI BEACH BOTANICAL GARDEN BOARD OF DIRECTORS, HELPING TO NURTURE MIAMI BEACH'S URBAN OASIS AND FOSTERING HORTICULTURAL EDUCATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.

JEANETTE'S AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF MDPL AND IS PRESIDENT-ELECT OF HER HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, NHA, THE NAUTILUS AREA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.

JEANETTE HAS DEMONSTRATED HER STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH HER DEDICATED SERVICE AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE COLLINS PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHERE SHE HAS WORKED TO ENHANCE NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY AND FOSTER RESIDENT COLLABORATION.

SHE'S A FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE MIAMI BEACH ORCHID SOCIETY, PLAYING A PIVOTAL ROLE AS CHAIR IN LAUNCHING THE MIAMI BEACH ORCHIDS AND ARTS FESTIVAL.

A VIBRANT CULTURAL CELEBRATION THAT UNITES HORTICULTURAL HORTICULTURE, ARTS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

SHE HOLDS A JURIS DOCTOR DEGREE OF FLORIDA TEACHING CERTIFICATION AND A FLORIDA BAR LICENSE, BRINGING HER LEGAL, EDUCATIONAL AND LEADERSHIP EXPERTISE TO NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMITTEES.

HER LIFELONG DEDICATION, UH, TO EDUCATION, CULTURAL PRESERVATION, AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION EXEMPLIFIES THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE AND COMMUNITY PRIDE.

AND WITH THAT, TODAY, WE DECLARE JULY 9TH, 2025 ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR AND THE COMMISSIONERS IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

JEANETTE DORFMAN DAY.

YAY.

CONGRATULATIONS, JEANETTE.

WELL DESERVED.

UM, I'M SO HUMBLED TO BE HERE, ESPECIALLY AFTER LISTENING TO THE LONG LIST OF, UM, OTHER PROCLAMATION RECIPIENTS.

UM, I'M A HUGE FAN OF, OF JOE MANNING.

I'M A HUGE FAN OF YOU WATCHING YOU, TANYA, WITH YOUR WORK.

ERIC, YOUR TEAM IS INCREDIBLE.

I, I SEND AN EMAIL AND I THINK I GET LIKE A RESPONSE FROM EVERYONE ON STAFF, LIKE WITHIN LIKE 12 HOURS.

AND YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING.

YOU SHOW UP TO ALL THE HOA MEETINGS, YOU RESPOND TO LIKE EVERY, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, YOU KNOW, CAUSE OF, OF, OF THE MONTH FOR ME, .

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I'M SO PROUD TO BE, UM, A RESIDENT, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, IS SO COMMITTED, UM, FOR A CITY THAT'S SO COMMITTED TO ARTS CULTURE, COMMUNITY, TO CREATING MORE GREEN SPACE, TO PROMOTING, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL TOURISM TO, UM, REPRESENTING AND PUTTING OUR OUR RESIDENTS FIRST.

UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY SUCH A SPECIAL HONOR TO BE, UM, RECEIVING THIS REWARD AND TO BE A CITIZEN WITH, UM, SURROUNDED BY, UH, CITY OFFICIALS THAT REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY.

SO ON BEHALF OF THE NUMEROUS NONPROFITS THAT I, UH, I SIT ON AND THE ENDLESS, UH, WHAT IS IT OF COMMITTEES THAT I'VE BEEN VOLUNTOLD TO SIT ON, , THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

AND I'LL JUST ADD, UM, SO I MET DENETTE 10 YEARS AGO WHEN MARK SAMUEL USED TO, UM, TUTOR BEACH HIGH'S CHESS CLUB.

AND ONE OF HER THREE SONS, ALON WAS A MEMBER OF THE CHESS CLUB.

AND, UM, SO I'VE KNOWN HER SINCE THEN, ADMIRED HER SINCE THEN.

AND I'M SO PROUD OF YOU.

UH, YOU REALLY TOUCHED MY SON'S LIFE AND YOU TOUCHED MY FAMILY'S LIFE.

YOU'RE, YOU'RE MY ORIGIN STORY.

, YOU INSPIRED MY SON.

UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW THIS TOO, UH, YOUR, THROUGH, THROUGH YOUR HARD WORK, YOU INSPIRED MY SON TO START HIS OWN NONPROFIT.

AND, UH, YOU, YOU GUYS SUPPORTED THIS, YOU SUPPORTED THIS.

AND I WAS, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK JUST WATCHING AS A PARENT HOW ENGAGED YOU WERE IN, IN, UH, IN CULTIVATING THE, UH, THE IDEA.

KNOW, THE IDEA JUST THAT SPARKED TO GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR CITY, YOU KNOW, REALLY INSPIRED ME TO GET INVOLVED.

AND SO IF I HAVE ANYONE TO BLAME FOR THE NUMEROUS BOARD AND THE WORK THAT I'M ON, IT'S JUST TO, IT'D BE, YOU KNOW, YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH, THE WORK THAT YOU DID AND MARK DID,

[00:45:01]

AND THANK YOU TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT CONTINUOUSLY SUPPORT ALL MY, UH, ENDEAVORS AND NEWEST CAUSES.

AND I LOVE MIAMI BEACH.

AND GO HIGH TIDES, , JEANETTE, YOUR SMILE SAYS IT ALL.

YOU'RE RADIATING THIS POSITIVE ENERGY AND IT OVERFLOWED THIS MORNING ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

AND WHEN YOU PUT YOUR POSTS, THE LOVE THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOWED FOR THE BEAUTIFUL WORK YOU DO, CONGRATULATIONS.

THANK SO MUCH.

CAMERA UP PLEASE.

3, 2, 1, THE OTHER SIDE.

3, 2, 1.

ONE MORE.

GEORGE, FORGET GEORGE.

YOU'RE MDPL .

[PA 5 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO JOHN K. BYRNE FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO JOURNALISM, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND LGBTQ ADVOCACY.]

CALLED PA FIVE.

PA FIVE IS PROCLAMATION.

JOHN BYRNE CONTRIBUTIONS TO JOURNALISM.

L-G-B-T-Q ADVOCACY.

OKAY.

UH, WELL, JOHN BYRNE, I'VE MET, UH, SEVERAL YEARS BACK AND EVERY TIME I WOULD MEET HIM, I WOULD LEARN SOMETHING NEW ABOUT HIM AND REALLY GOT TO KNOW HOW EXTRAORDINARY A HUMAN BEING YOU ARE.

AND I'M SO HAPPY TO CELEBRATE YOU TODAY.

AND I'M GONNA READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BIO SO THAT EVERYONE ELSE CAN KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU TOO.

ALL RIGHT.

JOHN K BYRNE IS A RESPECTED JOURNALIST, PUBLISHER, AND MEDIA ENTREPRENEUR KNOWN FOR HIS VISIONARY WORK IN NEWS PUBLISHING, INCLUDING FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF RAW STORY, ONE OF THE FIRST NATIONAL ONLINE INVESTIGATIVE NEWS PLATFORMS IN THE UNITED STATES.

JOHN HAS DEMONSTRATED AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY, TRUTH AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH DECADES OF DEDICATED JOURNALISM AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION.

HE'S ALSO A PROUD MEMBER OF THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY AND A VOCAL COURAGEOUS ADVOCATE FOR L-G-B-T-Q RIGHTS, EQUALITY, AND VISIBILITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

HE HAS USED HIS PLATFORMS AND INFLUENCE NOT ONLY TO ELEVATE PROGRESSIVE VOICES, BUT ALSO TO CHAMPION CAUSES CENTRAL TO L-G-B-T-Q, DIGNITY, SAFETY AND REPRESENTATION.

HIS LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY HAVE MADE MEANINGFUL IMPACTS IN BOTH MEDIA AND CIVIL RIGHTS SPACES, INSPIRING OTHERS TO LIVE AUTHENTICALLY AND TO PURSUE JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THE MIAMI CITY OF MIAMI BEACH BELIEVES IT IS FITTING TO HONOR INDIVIDUALS WHO USE THEIR TALENTS AND VOICE TO BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE AND EQUI EQUITABLY EQUITABLE SOCIETY.

NOW THEREFORE DO WE AS MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, PROCLAIM JULY 9TH, 2025, JOHN K BURN DAY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

CONGRATULATIONS, PLEASE.

I ACTUALLY WANT TO SPEAK TO SOMETHING THAT'S NOT INCLUDED THERE, WHICH IS THAT MIAMI BEACH WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL SUPPORTERS OF A NONPROFIT THAT I FOUNDED FOCUSED ON HIV PREVENTION.

UH, 10 YEARS AGO, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A DRUG WITH 99% EFFECTIVENESS THAT PREVENTS HIV AND THAT NO ONE WAS PROMOTING IT IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.

AND SO I STARTED OUT JUST HANDING OUT FLYERS.

UM, AND NOW, UH, WE WORK WITH MIAMI BEACH.

THEY SUPPORTED A, A VAN WHERE WE DO HIV TESTING AND, AND, UH, PRESCRIPTIONS.

AND, AND TODAY WE'RE THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF TELEMEDICINE, UH, PREP FOR THIS HIV PREVENTION IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

AND THAT STARTED AMAZING MIAMI.

COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND THE COMMISSION, AND THE PREVIOUS COMMISSION THAT'S BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF OUR WORK.

THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOUR COMMUNITY ACTIVISM BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO YOU DO ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT IN MORE RECENT YEARS, YOU'VE REALLY BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR RESILIENCY AND GETTING OUR PROJECTS DONE.

AND WE'VE MET NUMEROUS TIMES AND HAD DISCUSSIONS.

AND SO YOUR PASSION FOR OUR CITY AND FOR RESILIENCY, UM, REALLY SHINES.

ALEX MOTORCYCLE COMMISSIONER, UH, VERSION OF AMERICAN TOPIC.

TAKE A PICTURE.

[00:50:01]

ALL RIGHT.

AT THE, HEY, LOOK AT THIS CAMERA PLEASE.

3, 2, 1, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1.

OH, I GOT IT.

ALRIGHT.

ALRIGHT,

[PA 2 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, DAVID REESE.]

MS. MANNING, PA TWO, PA TWO IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION.

MIAMI BEACH, SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER DAVID REESE.

COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, FIRST, I WANNA MAKE SURE.

YES, HE IS.

DO YOU MIND DOING THIS ONE? YES.

AND, UH, WE'RE SO PROUD TO DO THIS ON BEHALF OF, TO RECOGNIZE YOU ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ, WHO, UH, IS UNABLE TO BE HERE TODAY.

COMMISSIONER VA.

MR. REESE, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY WHO'S GOTTEN TO THIS STAGE IN LIFE HAS AT LEAST ONE TEACHER THAT HAS MADE A PROFOUND IMPACT IN, IN WHO THEY ARE AND HOW THEY CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN THE WORLD.

AND FROM THE SOUNDS OF IT, YOU HAVE MADE THAT IMPACT ON COUNTLESS STUDENTS.

UM, THIS IS A CERTIFICATE OF RES RECOGNITION FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PRESENTED TO YOU AND RECOGNITION OF YOUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION AND THE PROFOUND IMPACT YOU'VE MADE ON OVER 25 YEARS AS AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS PROFESSOR OR TEACHER, EXCUSE ME, INCLUDING TWO DECADES AT MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH, INSPIRED BY AUTHOR AND FREEDOM RYER, JAMES HASKINS.

YOU'VE DEVOTED YOUR CAREER TO ADVANCING THE PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING THROUGH YOUR HOLOCAUST STUDIES CURRICULUM.

LET ME JUST PAUSE THERE AND SAY, IF THAT DOESN'T SUM UP EVERYTHING WE NEED TO BE EDUCATING OUR YOUNGER GENERATIONS AND SOME OF OUR PEERS AND OLDER GENERATIONS.

, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DOES, BUT IT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT WORK YOU'RE DOING.

YOUR LEADERSHIP AND GUIDANCE STUDENTS WHO THE ACCLAIMED NAME NOT NUMBERS DOCUMENTARY PROJECT NOW IN ITS FIFTH STUDENT LED PRODUCTION REFLECTS YOUR DEDICATION TO PRESERVING MEMORY AND FOSTERING EMPATHY.

AS SPONSOR OF THE NO PLACE FOR HATE CLUB AND UTD BUILDING STEWARD, YOU EXEMPLIFY INCLUSIVITY, ADVOCACY AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY IN AND BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.

SO THEREFORE, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PROUDLY HONORS YOUR PASSION FOR TEACHING AND CELEBRATES YOU.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.

AND I'LL JUST MENTION A FEW OTHER THINGS.

UM, UH, COMMISSIONER BA DID MENTION THAT YOUR HOLOCAUST STUDIES, UH, COMPLETED THE SCHOOL'S FIFTH NAMES, NOT NUMBERS, SURVIVOR DOCUMENTARY.

AND IN 2023, LED STUDENTS TO THE NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL MASSACRE EXHIBIT IN NORTH MIAMI AND ON THE BLACK STUDENT UNION'S INAUGURAL FREEDOM RIDE TOUR THROUGH ALABAMA.

NEXT MONTH YOU'LL BE TRAVELING TO POLAND WITH HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATORS TO DEEPEN HOLOCAUST EDUCATION, WORK AND DEVELOP ANTI HATE STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS.

AND YOU SERVE AS BOTH THE NO PLACE FOR HATE CLUB SPONSOR AND UNITED TEACHERS OF DAY BUILDING STORED AT BEACH HIGH.

AND YOU BELIEVE THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION IS VITAL TO DEMOCRACY AND THAT INFORMED CRITICAL THINKING STUDENTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO BUILDING A JUST AND MINDFUL SOCIETY.

SO CONGRATULATIONS.

AMEN.

UM, JUST MISSED AN A SO I'M SURE WE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO GROW AS, AS A SCHOOL.

COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND COMMISSIONER BOT, AND ALSO COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ AND EVERYBODY ON THE COMMISSION.

UM, I HADN'T REALLY PLANNED TO SAY A LOT.

UM, I JUST, I GUESS I'LL USE THIS PLATFORM TO SAY YES, HOLOCAUST EDUCATION, MIAMI BEACH IS VERY, UH, RICH THING.

WE HAVE GREAT SUPPORT FROM THE CITY COMMISSION, FROM THE MIAMI BEACH, HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL, GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION, UH, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

MIAMI BEACH HIGH IS ONE OF THE SCHOOLS WHERE WE MAKE THESE NAMES, NOT NUMBERS, DOCUMENTARIES.

THEY ALSO MAKE 'EM AT NAUTILUS AND AT FEINBERG FISHER, UH, HEBREW ACADEMY AND CORAL PARK.

UM, AND I KNOW THIS COMMISSION IS CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THAT WORK.

UM, SO YEAH, BEACH HIGH, BY THE WAY, JUST BECAME A B SCHOOL.

WE HAD BEEN A C SCHOOL.

WE JUST, UH, JUST ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY B SCHOOL,

[00:55:01]

AND YES, I AGREE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER VA.

THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.

UM, AND THROUGH THE, I ALSO JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE, OF COURSE, THE HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS.

IT'S REALLY THAT PROJECT, UH, PUTS STUDENTS IN THE POSITION TO INTERVIEW THE HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS FIRST TO RESEARCH THEIR LIVES.

AND THEY WORK IN SMALL GROUPS, AND THEN THEY, THEY HAVE A DISCUSSION, A TWO HOUR DISCUSSION WITH HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR AND EXPLAIN THEIR EXPERIENCES OF, UH, LOSING A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY TO FASCISM.

AND, UH, IT'S A IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCE.

UM, ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCES, PROBABLY OF THEIR EDUCATION.

AND, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING IT TODAY.

APPRECIATE YOUR WORK NOW MORE THAN EVER, WITH ANTISEMITISM ON THE RISE IN OUR COUNTRY, AROUND THE WORLD.

IT'S, UH, IT'S SO IMPACTFUL.

SO THANK YOU.

WE READY? LOOK AT THIS CAMERA.

3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1.

THANK YOU GUYS.

I'M GONNA HAVE THAT LINE PUT IN TOMORROW.

[PA 7 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION AWARDED TO MBPD’S REAL TIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER TEAM.]

OH, PA SEVEN.

PA SEVEN, PA SEVEN IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT'S REALTIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER.

I SEE OUR CHIEF AND OTHERS HERE.

WHY DON'T YOU COMING UP LEAVING MR. MAYOR COMMISSION.

I'LL, UH, I'LL TEE IT UP.

SURE.

WE HEARD FROM BEFORE A SANITATION HAD NEVER GOTTEN AN AWARD.

WE KNOW POLICE HAVE GOTTEN AN AWARD, BUT I DON'T THINK FOR THE REAL TIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER, THIS IS A FIRST, THIS IS A FIRST, ALSO KNOWN AS ARCTIC.

AND THERE'S A REASON WHY IT'S A FIRST 'CAUSE IT ACTUALLY LAUNCHED AN OPERATIONS IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR.

YEAH, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT, UH, OUR COMMISSION HAS BEEN FULLY BEHIND SUPPORTIVE OF, AND WE'RE GREAT TO SEE IT, UH, AND GRATEFUL THAT, UH, IT'S UP AND OPERATIONAL.

I WANNA HEAR YOU SPEAK, BUT I'LL, I'LL MENTION, UH, A FEW THINGS ABOUT IT, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A LITTLE VIDEO CLIP OF ARCTICS AND PEOPLE CAN, UH, CAN SEE IT FOR THEMSELVES.

COME ON GUYS.

CAN YOU SHY THAT LIGHT CHIEF, TELL US WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE.

WELL, YOU, YOU'RE SEEING THE INSIDE OF THE ARCTIC, YOU'RE SEEING, UH, SOME VERY BRIGHT PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND ME DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST.

AND, AND THAT IS USING TECHNOLOGY, LEVERAGING IT AS BEST THEY CAN TO MAKE THE CITY SAFER, UM, AND MAKE OUR POLICE OFFICERS SAFER.

NOT, NOT ONLY MAKING THE RESIDENTS SAFER, BUT ALSO MAKING OUR POLICE OFFICERS SAFER, PROVIDING THEM REAL TIME INTELLIGENCE, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, BETTER THAN WE'VE EVER HAD BEFORE IN THIS CITY.

IT'S QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT ACTUALLY.

NO, IT'S IN, IT'S INCREDIBLE.

AND, UM, SO WE HAVE 850 CAMERAS THAT CAN BE, UH, 1600 VIEWS.

WE HAVE LICENSE PLATE READERS, 30 OF THEM, UH, WHICH CAN DETECT, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, SOCIAL MEDIA AND THREAT MONITORING, MARINE TRAFFIC INTELLIGENCE, UH, INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS.

AND ALSO REALLY, IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE, UH, COOLEST THINGS.

AND, UH, REALLY IT'S, WE'RE A PIONEER IS THE, UH, SKY, SKY DX 10 DRONE.

IT'S A, UH, PILOT DRONE IS FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAM.

WE ARE THE ONLY ONLY CITY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA THAT HAS ONLY ONE OF FIVE IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WHERE IT CAN, THE DRONES CAN BE LAUNCHED FROM THIS, UH, ARCTIC, UH, ARCTIC CENTER, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

AND ONE OF THE PILOTS ARE STANDING RIGHT BEHIND ME.

ALRIGHT.

SHAKE YOUR HANDS.

SHAKE YOUR HAND THERE.

THERE YOU GO.

SO, UH, PEOPLE, UH, OUR RESIDENTS WATCHING MAY ASK, WELL, WHO'S OPERATING IT NOW? .

LISTEN, UH, MR. MAYOR COMMISSION, MR. CITY MANAGER, I, I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD THAN I AM RIGHT NOW RECEIVING THIS AWARD AND RECOGNIZING, UH, THESE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT OPERATE OUR ARCTIC FORCE.

THE DREAM FOR THE ARCTICS ACTUALLY STARTED ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO, AT THE TIME, WAS A MAJOR IN CHARGE OF SUPPORT SERVICES AND THEN THEREFORE IN CHARGE OF TECHNOLOGY.

DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT TECHNOLOGY OTHER THAN IT'S GOOD STUFF AND REALLY HELPS US MAKE BETTER, SMARTER, UH, POLICING.

UM, BUT AT THE TIME, LIEUTENANT FELMAN, WHO'S NOW A MAJOR IS HERE, COME ON, COME OVER HERE.

DON'T BE SHY.

UH, INTELLIGENCE CENTER AT A, AT A POLICE DEPARTMENT NEARBY.

AND, AND SO HE CONVINCED ME TO GO WITH HIM TO SEE A REAL TIME,

[01:00:01]

AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH IT.

I SAID, THEN, THIS IS EIGHT YEARS AGO, I SAID, THEN WE'RE GONNA DO THIS EXCEPT WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT BETTER THAT ANYTHING WE'VE EVER SEEN IN, IN THIS REGION.

AND WE DID IT AND WE HAVE MADE IT BETTER, UH, QUITE FRANKLY.

AND SO WHEN I THANK THE FOLKS MAKING THIS HAPPEN, I NEED TO START WITH, WITH YOU, UH, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR BEING SO ENLIGHTENED, UNDERSTANDING, UM, THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T ALWAYS RELY ON HUMAN BEINGS TO PROVIDE POLICE SERVICES.

WILL I PROVIDE PROTECTION? THE FACT IS WE CAN DO IT SMART WITH TECHNOLOGY AND, BUT NOT FOR YOU, UH, MR. MAYOR AND, AND YOUR COMMISSION BEING ENLIGHTENED AND UNDERSTANDING THIS.

WE, WE DID NOT BE HERE WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.

SO, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.

NO, THANK YOU, UH, FOR STEERING THE SHIP.

I ALSO WANT TO MENTION, UH, AND I BROUGHT TO THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO ALL, UH, VOTED IN FAVOR OF THIS.

IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S NOT FINAL YET, IT'S GONNA BE CONSIDERED IN THE FINAL BUDGET, BUT IT'S, IT'S A GAME CHANGER.

I THINK THESE ARE YOUR WORDS ACTUALLY.

UH, MAYBE ERNIE, BUT GAME CHANGING TECHNOLOGY.

IT'S CALLED THEON FUSS PLATFORM WHERE, UH, IT, IT INTEGRATES ALL OF THIS, WHICH IS GREAT TECHNOLOGY, BUT IT INTEGRATES EVERYTHING INTO ONE AND IT ACTUALLY ADDS COMPONENTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, VOLUNTEERING BUSINESS AND RESIDENTS CAN HAVE THEIR CAMERA FEEDS GO INTO A GPS DATA AND TRACKING IN REAL TIME.

UM, AND IT'S AN INCREDIBLE TOOL.

AND, UH, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A COST ABOUT $300,000 TO IT, IT IS, UH, LIKE YOU, LIKE YOU'VE, YOU'VE SAID IT'S A GAME CHANGER AND IT'S PROBABLY CONSIDERING THE COST WE ALREADY EXPEND IS, IS WELL WORTH IT.

SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR SUPPORTING THAT EFFORT AS WELL.

WELL, I THINK IT'S PRICELESS.

UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU GUYS HAVE ALL EXPLAINED, NOBODY RUNS INTO A SCENE BLIND, WHICH IS GOOD FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED EXCEPT FOR MAYBE THE BAD GUY.

ACTUALLY, MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANNA, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, I NUMBER ONE CHIEF, CONGRATULATIONS.

UH, IT REALLY IS SO AMAZING WALKING IN THERE AND SEEING HOW YOU USE THIS TECHNOLOGY IN REAL TIME.

UH, ESPECIALLY SEEING IT DURING OUR HIGH IMPACT PERIODS.

BUT TO THINK JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, MR. MAYOR, THIS SEEMED LIKE JUST A DISTANT DREAM, A DISTANT, FRUSTRATING DREAM.

IT FELT LIKE THAT.

WE KEPT ON ASKING, WHERE'S THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER? WHERE IS THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER? AND, AND YOU CHIEF YOUR TEAM, THE, THE CITY ADMINISTRATION FOUND A WAY OF PRIORITIZING IT.

IT WAS TIED UP WITH THE BUREAUCRACY OF A LARGER PROJECT, THE BUREAUCRACY, PROCUREMENTS, CONTRACTS, AND AT THE EXPENSE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD BE PLACED TOWARDS SERVING THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR TAXPAYERS.

AND YOU GOT YOUR CREATIVE THINKING GOING.

YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION GOT THEIR CREATIVE THINKING GOING.

YOU FOUND A WAY TO BIFURCATE THE REAL TIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER FROM THE GREATER MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROJECT.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE PROJECT WAS ABLE TO BE EXPEDITED.

AND THE PROJECT NOW IS UP AND RUNNING AHEAD OF THE REST OF THE, OF, OF THE, OF THE HEADQUARTER PROJECT.

AND SO, AND SO, THE FACT THAT YOU ALL WERE ABLE TO DO THAT DELIVERED NOT ONLY DELIVER IT STAFF IT TO THE LEVEL OF STAFFING THAT IT HAS, WHICH IS NOT THE SAME LEVEL OF STAFFING THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED, IT'S ACTUALLY AUGMENTED STAFFING, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES TO HAVE IN PLACE THERE IN LARGE PART WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP, MR. MR. MAYOR.

IT REALLY IS IMPRESSIVE.

IT SETS US APART FROM SO MANY OTHER CITIES AND IT DELIVERS TO OUR RESIDENTS A LEVEL OF SAFETY, UH, THAT THEY DESERVE.

AND IT'S THANKS TO YOU.

AND I SEE RAY DIAZ STANDING THERE IN, IN THE, IN THE, THE BACK.

I KNOW RAY TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN THE REAL TIME, UH, INTELLIGENCE CENTER.

AND THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS IT SHOULD BE THE REALTIME CRIME CENTER, BUT WE LIKE SMART PEOPLE AND NOT, NOT CRIMINALS.

SO .

SO I'LL, I'LL STICK TO THE REALTIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER, BUT THANK YOU.

IT REALLY DOES DISTINGUISH OUR CITY.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BOT.

UM, JUST A, A SMALL COMIC COMEDIC NOTE HOPEFULLY.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I WAS ELECTED IN 2023 AND DURING THAT ELECTION CYCLE, ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WAS RUNNING FOR OFFICE, NO ONE HERE OR NOBODY WHO WAS ELECTED, UM, KEPT SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE REAL TIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER, WHY ISN'T UP YET? I MEAN, I SHOULDN'T GO TO BEST BUY AND HANG UP SIX DIFFERENT TVS AND IT'LL BE FINE.

LIKE, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? AND IF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THE CENTER, YOU KNOW, BUT EVEN JUST HAVING SEEN THAT VIDEO, IT IS NOT A HANDFUL OF TVS FROM BEST BUY.

IT IS THE WOMEN AND MEN STANDING HERE.

IT IS THE SYNCHRONICITY OF THE TECHNOLOGY, DRONES, THE DRONES, THE FUSS SYSTEM THAT, THAT THE WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING.

IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN SOME BIG SCREEN TVS.

UM, AND WHAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO WITH IT, NOT ONLY IN PROTECTING RESIDENTS BUT IN PROTECTING YOUR COLLEAGUES, OUR COLLEAGUES, IS INVALUABLE TO HAVE EYES ON THE SCENE ALMOST IN INSTANTANEOUSLY.

[01:05:01]

UM, SO I THINK IT'S TREMENDOUS.

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU.

AND WE EXPECT WONDERFUL THINGS TO KEEP ON COMING OUT OF THIS.

SO WITHOUT, UM, YES.

HOPE I'M NOT LEAVING ANYBODY OUT.

JUST WANTED TO MENTION A COUPLE NAMES FROM OPERATIONAL STAFF.

YOU HEARD, UH, LIEUTENANT RAYMOND DIAZ AND THEN WE HAVE I, EDWARD DIAZ, ALAN PAPA, PAPA GONI, AND NED HA A POLICE REALTIME CRIME SPECIALIST.

YEAH, SO WE HAVE A, UH, CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION.

DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING CHIEF? NO, BEFORE WE GO ON, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE MAJOR IN CHARGE OF TECH, UH, SUPPORT.

ERIC GARCIA IS HIDING BACK THERE.

UM, ERIC IS WHAT I CALL THE WET BLANKET.

YOU KNOW, I, I DO A LOT OF READING TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINES AND UH, I WAKE UP SOME MORNINGS VERY EARLY AND I HAVE AN IDEA 'CAUSE I READ SOMETHING.

AND I REACH OUT TO HIM, ERIC, CAN WE DO THIS? NOPE.

WE CAN'T DO IT.

SO WE CAN'T DO IT.

SO HE'S, HE ALWAYS STARTS WITH, NO.

OFTENTIMES HE COMES AROUND AND FINDS A WAY FOR US TO GET IT DONE.

BUT ERIC GARCIA HERE RUNS THE TECH TECH UNIT AND HE NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS WELL.

AWESOME.

WE'RE GONNA DO A SIGNIF CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR THE MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT'S REAL TIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER TEAM.

ARCTIC IS ACTUALLY PRETTY COOL NAME FOR IT.

UM, IN RECOGNITION OF THE OUTSTANDING SERVICE AND INNOVATION DEMONSTRATED BY THE ARCTIC TEAM, YOUR DEDICATION TO LEVERAGING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE HAS MADE A MEASURABLE IMPACT ON THE SAFETY OF MIAMI BEACH.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO REAL TIME POLICING EXCELLENCE.

THIS .

OKAY, EVERYBODY, YOU READY? LOOK AT THIS CAMERA.

3, 2, 1.

SILENT, 3, 2, 1.

WE'RE GOOD.

THINK ABOUT INSTAGRAM.

THANK YOU GUYS.

CONGRATS.

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION.

[PA 3 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR KATHRYN WALSH, MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 2025 STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT.]

PA THREE.

MIAMI BEACH, SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT CATHERINE WALSH.

AND I'LL DO IT ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.

THANK YOU, CATHERINE.

IS SHE THE LAST ONE? YEAH.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I ALWAYS SAY THAT.

WAIT, WE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST.

HOW ABOUT THAT? UH, CATHERINE, IT'S MY HONOR TO GIVE THIS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION TO YOU ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY.

AND I'LL READ HERE IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY, SPIRIT, AND HEARTFELT DEDICATION TO MIAMI BEACH.

AFTER SERVING FOR THREE YEARS AS CLASS PRESIDENT, YOU WERE ELECTED 2025 STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT IN MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE YOU HELPED SHAPE A MORE SPIRITIVE INCLUSIVE AND STUDENT-CENTERED SCHOOL CULTURE.

YOU ORGANIZED MAJOR EVENTS, ADVOCATED FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, AND WORK CLOSELY WITH ADMINISTRATION TO REPRESENT THE VOICES OF YOUR PEERS.

YOUR COMMITMENT TO SERVICE EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.

THROUGH YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE GIRL SCOUTS, THE BALLPLAYERS FOUNDATION, AND THE MIAMI BEACH POLICE EXPLORERS, YOU'VE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED COMPASSION AND INITIATIVE.

WHILE INTERNING WITH THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF IRELAND, YOU HELPED PLAN CULTURAL PROGRAMMING AND ORGANIZED A POWERFUL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH ASSEMBLY THAT HIGHLIGHTED THE VOICES OF FEMALE DIPLOMATS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

AS YOU PREPARE TO ATTEND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN TO STUDY LAW AND PHILOSOPHY, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PROUDLY HONORS YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND CELEBRATES YOUR PASSION, VISION, AND LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.

[01:10:01]

AND I'M ABSOLUTELY HONORED TO BE HERE AND HONORED TO BE A RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH.

UM, I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE MEMORIES THAT I'VE GAINED, LEARN, UM, BEING RAISED HERE AND THE COMMUNITY THAT I'VE BEEN SO GRACIOUSLY WELCOMED INTO.

THANK YOU GUYS.

KATHERINE, I'VE THANK YOU.

I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU, CATHERINE.

YES.

WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH COLLEGE, ARE YOU COMING BACK HERE TO RUN FOR OFFICE? PLEASE SAY YES.

JUST NOT AGAINST COMMISSIONER BOT.

NO.

MIAMI BEACH WILL ALWAYS BE MY HOME.

SO ONE LAST, ONE LAST ITEM.

TAKE A PICTURE, LOOK AT THIS CAMERA.

3, 2, 1, 5, 3, 2, 1.

YOU, YOU READY? THANK YOU GUYS.

[PA 1 PROCLAMATION FOR CAFE AVANTI FOR CELEBRATING 36 YEARS IN THE MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY.]

WE FINISHED ALL THE ITEMS WHERE WE STARTED OFF TALKING ABOUT GRAY BOWL RESCUE.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS HERE WHO'VE, UH, WE HEARD ABOUT THE GREAT WORK THEY DO.

I WANNA MENTION THEM BY NAME.

IN ADDITION, OBVIOUSLY TO BRIAN STERN, THE CHAIRMAN AND CO-FOUNDER AND FOUNDER OF THE COMPANY, BUT ALSO SOME INDIVIDUALS WE'RE NOT PRESENT FOR THE PICTURE.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO DO ANOTHER PICTURE, BUT LET ME MENTION THEM BY NAME.

OLIVIA LOCHRAN, CHIEF CASE MANAGEMENT.

ANNA KARTA, SHVA, ADMINISTRATIVE CASE MANAGER, BLISS REBACK, FIELD OPERATIONS, CARILLO, ALEXANDRO, SURVIVOR AMBASSADOR, FORMER HOSTAGE AND CASE MANAGER.

AND CRYSTAL CASEY, FIELD OPERATIONS.

LET'S DO ANOTHER PICTURE.

LIZ, YOU LOOK AMAZING.

, YOU, BRIAN, WHY DON'T YOU MENTION THE, UM, UH, WE GAVE OUR, UH, WHEN WE GAVE OUR LITTLE, UH, OUR, OUR COMMENTS AND STUFF, UH, I WAS REMISS I DIDN'T MENTION OUR, OUR REALLY GOOD FRIEND, STATE SENATOR JAKE COLLINS, WHO'S OUR STATE SENATOR.

UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF TWITTER IS RIGHT, HE WILL BE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SOON, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL.

HE'S A GREEN BERET.

UM, NOW HE'S A POLITICIAN, WHICH IS KIND OF FUNNY.

BUT, UH, HE'S A, HE'S A ONE-LEGGED GREEN BERET, UH, A GOOD FRIEND.

AND IT WAS, UH, IT WAS JAY THAT SPEARHEADED THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN US AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO GET US FUNDING TO RESCUE EVERYBODY.

WE COULDN'T AFFORD THE AIRPLANES.

IT WAS JAY WHO WAS KIND OF THE, THE, UM, THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE, IF YOU WILL, BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND US AS THE NONPROFIT REALLY BUILDING THAT PUBLIC, PRIVATE, UH, THAT PUBLIC PRIVATE RELATIONSHIP.

SO, UH, I FORGOT TO MENTION JAY BECAUSE I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT THE PROCLAMATION.

SO, UH, JAY, IF YOU'RE WATCHING, I'M REALLY SORRY, BRO.

WELL, THANK YOU, SENATOR COLLINS.

WE'LL SEND THEM THE CLIP OF THIS.