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GOOD[CALL TO ORDER]
MORNING AND WELCOME TO OUR COMMISSION MEETING JULY 23RD, 2025.I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY CLERK, RALPH GRANADO, TO GIVE US ANY PERTINENT INSTRUCTIONS.
DURING THIS HYBRID SPECIAL COMM, DURING THIS HYBRID COMMISSION MEETING, THE CITY COMMISSION IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE COMMISSION CHAMBER AT MIAMI BEACH CITY HALL, 1700 CONVENTIONAL CENTER DRIVE THIRD FLOOR.
THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
VIRTUALLY HOWEVER, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ATTEND THE MEETING OR PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENTS IN PERSON MAY APPEAR AT THE COMMISSION CHAMBER TO PARTICIPATE OR PROVIDE COMMENTS VIRTUALLY DURING THE COMMISSION MEETING.
THE PUBLIC MAY JOIN THE MEETING BY VISITING THE ZOOM APP ON THEIR SMART DEVICE.
WE'RE ON THE WEB AT ZOOM US BY TELEPHONE AT (305) 224-1968.
AGAIN, THE LOCAL TOLL FREE NUMBER IS 3 0 5 2 2 4 19 68.
THE TOLL FREE NUMBER IS 8 8 8 4 7 5 4 4 9 9.
THE WEBINAR ID IS 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND.
AGAIN, THE WEBINAR ID IS 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WANTING TO SPEAK VIRTUALLY ON AN ITEM DURING THE MEETING MUST CLICK THE RAISE HAND ICON OF USING THE ZOOM APP OR PRESS STAR NINE ON THE TELEPHONE TO RAISE THEIR HAND.
THE ZOOM LINK WEBINAR ID AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS PROVIDED FOR THIS COMMISSION MEETING ARE STATIC AND REMAIN UNCHANGED FROM MEETING TO MEETING.
I'M HONORED TO, UH, ASK, UH, MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE, CHAPLAIN, RABBI DAVID WEBERMAN TO GIVE OUR INVOCATION TODAY.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS AND ALL THOSE IN ATTENDANCE.
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS ARE CONVENED HERE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE WELFARE OF OUR CITY.
INSPIRE THEM TO UTILIZE THEIR INTELLIGENCE, THEIR EDUCATION, AND THEIR EXPERIENCE TO MAKE THEIR DECISIONS WITH FAIRNESS AND INTEGRITY.
INSPIRE THE ADMINISTRATION TO EXECUTE THOSE DECISIONS WITH PROFESSIONAL EFFICIENCY.
PETITIONERS APPEAR HERE WITH CONFLICTING INTERESTS.
MAY THOSE WHOSE REQUESTS ARE GRANTED APPRECIATE THE DECISIONS AND MAY THOSE WHOSE REQUESTS ARE DENIED ACCEPT THE DECISIONS WITH GRACE.
WE PRAY FOR TRANQUILITY IN WASHINGTON, INSPIRING ALL PARTIES TO EMBRACE MUTUAL RESPECT.
MAKE GOD BLESS THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND KEEP IT SAFE.
MAY THE VIOLENCE IN TROUBLE AREAS AROUND THE WORLD COME TO AN END WITH YOUR BLESSINGS OF PEACE.
MAY DIVINE BLESSINGS SHINE UPON OUR CITY, OUR COUNTY, AND OUR STATE.
GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THAT WAS MY FAVORITE PART WHERE YOU GET TO PICK SOMEONE FROM THE CROWD UNSUSPECTINGLY TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE, I SEE STEFAN MIRTH FROM THE MIAMI BUSINESS CLUB.
JUST START THE WORDS I PLEDGE AND WE'LL ALL SAY IT WITH YOU, SO YOU'RE GOOD EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW IT.
YEAH, I PLEDGE, I PLEDGE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
ALRIGHT, MAYBE, MAYBE I'LL START WARNING PEOPLE, UH, NEXT TIME.
[R9 C DR. STANLEY SUTNICK CITIZEN'S FORUM. (8:35 A.M./1:00 P.M.)]
START OUR, UH, OUR NIK TIME.THANK YOU EVERYONE PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
I'M GONNA BE GOING FROM THE AUDIENCE TO ZOOM.
I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROJECT IN A LONG TIME, MIAMI BEACH, RESIDENT AT 10TH AND LENNOX.
I'M HERE TO SUPPORT RESOLUTION C SEVEN Y AND I URGE THIS COMMISSION TO CONTINUE TO OPPOSE THE DEHUMANIZING AND VIOLENT RHETORIC TARGETING IMMIGRANTS, INCLUDING THE HORRIFIC IDEA THAT USING THE EVERGLADES IN ITS WILDLIFE AS WEAPONS AGAINST THEIR OWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THIS SHOULD OBVIOUSLY BE AN EASY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
YOU ALL DO NOT WANT TO BE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THIS.
STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE USING IMMIGRANTS, OUR FRIENDS, OUR FAMILIES, AND OUR NEIGHBORS AS PAS IN THEIR POLITICAL GAMES.
BUT THESE HAVE REAL CONSEQUENCES.
THIS RHETORIC NORMALIZES CRUELTY, INCITES VIOLENCE AND RACIAL PROFILING AND DEGRADES THE VALUES THAT MIAMI BEACH HAS LONG STOOD FOR.
WE ARE WITNESSING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN REAL TIME IN OUR OWN BACKYARD.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SHOULD BE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN TO STOP THESE ATROCITIES.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS NOT HAPPENING EVERYWHERE.
THE SILENCE FROM THE COUNTY AT THIS POINT IS DEAFENING.
INSTEAD OF FIGHTING TO SHUT DOWN THIS CAMP IN THE EVERGLADES, THEY'VE DECIDED TO ASSIGN ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO TRANSPORT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM MIAMI-DADE OUT TO CAGES IN A SWAMP.
THEIR COMPLICITY IS ABHORRENT.
WE APPLAUD MIAMI BEACH FOR SPEAKING UP THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT AND THE LANGUAGE THAT ENABLES IT CANNOT AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE HOPE THAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WILL
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LEARN FROM YOUR COURAGE AS WE ARE ALL STRONGER WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER.UM, AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE FROM MY FAMILY, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO SUPPORT ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE, NOT ONLY IN THE EVERGLADES, BUT HERE AT HOME IN FLAMINGO PARK AS WELL.
SO WE WOULD SUPPORT PERSONALLY C SEVEN AF.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR MORNING.
OUR FIRST VIRTUAL CALLER IS DARREN.
DARREN, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
HELLO, I'M RIE, ALL OF YOU, OF COURSE.
HI, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR MAYER AND COMMISSIONERS.
I LIVE NEAR FLAMINGO PARK, 19 JEFFERSON AVENUE.
UH, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR AMAZING YEAR OF SERVICE.
UM, WE ARE MOVING, WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND TOWARDS MAKING MIAMI BEACH, UH, HOPEFULLY A BLUE ZONE CERTIFIED COMMUNITY.
UM, I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT RESOLUTION C SEVEN AF AND STOP THE PLAN TO BUILD FIRE STATION NUMBER ONE NEXT TO THE RUNNING TRUCK.
UM, MOVING THE FIRE STATION JUST TO BLOCKS WEST TO ELTON ROAD, UH, WOULD NOT IMPROVE RESPONSE TIMES.
UM, IT PUTS EMERGENCE TRUCKS IN TRAFFIC.
UH, THE CURRENT LOCATION ALREADY HAS DIRECT ACCESS TO ALL THE AREAS VIA LESS CONGESTED JEFFERSON AVENUE.
UH, WHAT WE LOSE IS IRREPLACEABLE, ONE OF THE LAST PEACEFUL GREEN SPACES IN OUR CITY.
THIS IS WHERE FAMILIES GATHER KIDS PLAY IN RESIDENCE HILL PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.
REPLACING THAT WITH SIRENS, DIESEL FUMES, AND YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION IS NOT PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, IT COULD BE CONSIDER AS PUBLIC HARM.
UH, WE ALREADY FALL SHORT OF THE CITY'S 2040 PARKLAND GOAL WITH JUST FIVE ACRES OF APARTMENT PER THOUSAND RESIDENTS, HALF OF WHAT'S RECOMMENDED NATIONALLY.
UH, AND WE DO ALREADY HAVE A TOP 1% ISO FIRE DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE RATINGS, UH, FROM THE EXISTING LOCATION.
UM, I GUESS WHY TO DESTROY GREEN SPACE WHEN EMPTY LOTS AND OTHER COMMON SENSE ALTERNATIVES EXIST.
LET'S PROTECT OUR PARK, OUR PEOPLE, AND OUR FUTURE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
ALL OF YOU KNOW ME THAT I'M A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST.
I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT AN IDEA THAT I HAVE THAT I FEEL WILL BE BETTERMENT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE OF THE BACKGROUND AND HOW I GOT THE IDEA.
YOU ALL KNOW WE HAVE THE SUNFLOWER SOCIETY FREE ART CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AT FEINBERG FISHER AND AT ADAD.
AND WHEN WE HAD THE EXHIBIT AT ADAD, ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS CAME WITH A SERVICE DOG AND THEY YELLED SO LOUD AT HER, YOU CANNOT BRING A DOG IN HERE AND IT'S NOT ALLOWED.
AND I KNOW THE DISABILITY LAWS BECAUSE I'M ON MANY COMMITTEES AND I KNOW IT'S AGAINST THE LAW, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA MAKE A FUSS ABOUT IT, BUT IT GAVE ME A WONDERFUL IDEA.
MOST PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY DO NOT KNOW THE ACTUAL LAWS, AND WE DON'T NEED CONTROVERSY AND YELLING ABOUT PEOPLE NODDING, NOT ALLOWING DOGS IN VARIOUS PLACES.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, I WENT TO THE POLICE CHIEF FIRST AND SAID, I WANNA MAKE A SIGN THAT SAYS SERVICE DOGS ARE ALLOWED EVERYWHERE BY ORDER OF THE POLICE.
BUT IT WASN'T JUST AN EASY THING TO DO.
I GOT THE COUNTY LAWS AND THE, UM, AND THE STATE LAWS AND THE FEDERAL LAWS FROM THE UPSTAIRS FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, BUT I'M WORKING WITH THE DISABILITY ACCESS COMMITTEE WITH VALERIA.
SHE BROUGHT AN EXPERT TO LAST WEEK'S MEETING AND I FOUND OUT EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
THEY HAVE THESE DECALS THAT YOU CAN PUT UP IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
SO I WENT, I'M PARTNERS WITH THE CHAMBER.
THEY CAN DO THIS FOR ALL OF THE BUSINESSES, BUT CHRISTOPHER BEST WAS AT THE MEETING AND IN ORDER TO HAVE A SIGN THAT SAYS, BY ORDER OF THE POLICE, THIS COMMISSION HAS TO PASS THEIR OWN ORDINANCE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER TO DO THAT.
THEN WE CAN MAKE THE SIGNS AND PUT THEM UP IN ALL OF THE BUILDINGS.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS PAULA KING.
HI, I AM PAULA KING, 80 11 CRESTVIEW BOULEVARD, UH, NORTH BEACH.
AND I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF THE UNATTRACTIVE PROBLEM OF FECES IN OUR CANALS.
UM, WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH WITH THIS FOR OVER 10 YEARS, AND WE HAVE MORE BEACH SHUTDOWN DAYS THESE DAYS THAN NOT.
UM, WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM COMING AT US IN THAT WE HAVE 15, ROUGHLY 15,000 MORE UNITS COMING ONLINE AND
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NOBODY'S ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM.THEY SAY, OH, THE POOP IS COMING FROM THE SCHOOL.
THAT SCHOOL CANNOT PRODUCE ENOUGH POOP TO WARRANT THE, THE, UM, HEIGHTENED AMOUNTS OF FECAL MATTER IN OUR WATERS.
WE REALLY HAVE TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE ALL OF THE POOP FROM BAY HARBOR ISLAND, SURFSIDE, BALL HARBOR, AND, UM, ANYWAY, MANY MUNICIPALITIES POOP COMES THROUGH NORTH BEACH AND OUR, OUR CANALS ARE POLLUTED AS A RESULT OF IT.
WE, WE HAVEN'T CHECKED OUR PUMPING STATION AND WE HAVEN'T CHECKED THE TANKS.
SO WE'VE CHECKED ALL AROUND AND WE'VE FOUND A FINGER TO POINT AT THE POOL, BUT THE, THE SCHOOL, BUT THAT COULD NOT BE THE PROBLEM.
WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS THE PUMPING STATION, THE TANKS, THE PUMPING STATION ON CRE ON HAWTHORNE AVENUE.
WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM HERE AND YOU KNOW, UNLESS WE HIT THIS BEFORE, WE HAVE 15,000 NEW ADDITIONAL UNITS PUMPING THROUGH NORTH BEACH.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE BIG PROBLEMS. I WISH OUR CITY WOULD ADDRESS THIS.
I KNOW THERE WILL BE NO RIBBON C CUTTING CEREMONIES OR ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S NOT THE MOST GLAMOROUS THING TO DO, BUT WE MUST ADDRESS THIS OR WE'RE GONNA HAVE VERY BIG PROBLEMS IN MIAMI BEACH, NOT ONLY IN NORTH BEACH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I WOULD APPRECIATE THIS ISSUE BEING ADDRESSED.
I LIVE OFF 13TH STREET AND DREXEL, I'M A RESIDENT HERE.
AS YOU CAN TELL, I'M NOT A LOBBY.
I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE TRACK AND I HOPE WE GET TO KEEP IT.
I JUST CAME FROM THE TRACK THIS MORNING.
I RUN ABOUT THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK WITH MY FRIENDS AND IT MEANS A LOT TO ME, SO IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE CAN KEEP IT.
AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I WANNA SAY.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS JOHANN MOORE.
STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
GOOD MORNING, JOHANN MOORE, 7 1 7 JEFFERSON AVENUE SPEAKING FOR MERIDIAN COURT COMMUNITY.
UH, WE WANT TO EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT FOR ITEM C SEVEN Y, UM, BUT ALSO, UH, EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT AS AN ORGANIZATION FOR REOPENING THE SITE SEARCH FOR THE NEW FIRE STATION WITH THE PROVISO THAT THE SOUTH SOUTHSHORE COMMUNITY CENTER BE OFF THE TABLE.
THIS, DESPITE ONE OF OUR CO-FOUNDERS IMPATIENCE WITH THE PROCESS, UH, AND SHE IN FACT WOULD PREFER THAT WE GO FORWARD WITH THE CURRENT PLAN, BUT A MAJORITY OF OUR MEMBERS, UH, FEEL THAT WE WOULD NOT WANT TO IMPOSE ON ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD OR ON OTHERS WHAT WE OURSELVES HAVE OPPOSED AS AN UNREASONABLE IMPOSITION ON A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOW, WHILE OBVIOUSLY THE WEST END OF THE PARK HAS LESS IMPACT THAN WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, WE WOULDN'T WANT TO, AS WE SAY, UH, FORCE ANYONE, UH, INTO A SITUATION ACCEPTING SOMETHING WHICH PRIMARILY IS NEEDED TO BENEFIT THE HIGH RISES IN ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE ARE INTRIGUED BY ITEM C SEVEN AG, BUT OBVIOUSLY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN RAISED IN THE PAST ABOUT THAT SITE NOT BEING BIG ENOUGH, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR TRUCKS TO DRIVE THROUGH.
UH, AN IDEA HAS BEEN RAISED OF A TURNTABLE, PERHAPS SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE A NEW FIRE STATION AT THE CURRENT SITE.
I'M UH, STEFAN LING MURF, UH, RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER HERE ON WEST AVENUE.
UM, I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF, UH, THE RESOLUTION OF NOT BUILDING, UM, ANYTHING IN THE PARK AT ALL.
UH, WE WANT TO KEEP THE FLAMINGO PARK AS IT IS.
UM, I ALSO STARTED A BUSINESS CLUB HERE IN ON THE, IN ON THE BEACH.
AND, UM, WE HAVE A BIG COMMUNITY NOW AND, AND WE ALL WANNA SUPPORT, UH, THE PARK.
THE FLAMINGO PARK IS A VERY VALUABLE ASSET.
IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.
WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD NOT BUILD IN THE PARK AT ALL, SO HOPEFULLY YOU VOTE IN THE DIRECTION OF THIS AND, UH, FOR A BETTER FUTURE ON MIAMI BEACH.
ALRIGHT, NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS RAQUEL PACHECO.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS.
UM, RAQUEL PACHECO, UH, FLAMINGO PARK, RESIDENT LOCAL ACTIVIST.
I'M CALLING IN SUPPORT OF TWO ITEMS. FIRST ITEM, I'D LIKE TO START WITH PEOPLE FIRST.
SO THE FIRST ITEM IS C SEVEN Y.
I WANNA THANK AND COMMEND COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE FOR SPEAKING OUT FOR OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
I MYSELF AM A CHILD OF, UH, OF, OF, UH, WAR.
I WAS A REFUGEE AT NINE MONTHS OF AGE.
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MY FAMILY AND I, UH, HAVE MIGRATED, UH, TO SEVERAL PARTS OF THE WORLD.IT LANDED HERE IN THE UNITED STATES WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD.
UM, SO IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT I, ALL OF YOU, UM, HOPEFULLY WILL SUPPORT THIS ITEM AND NOT JUST HERE IN MIAMI BEACH, BUT THAT YOU ALSO PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO ADVOCATE, UM, AT THE, UH, HIGHER LEVELS FOR MORE TO BE DONE BECAUSE, UH, WHAT'S BEING DONE HERE IN FLORIDA IS A STAYING ON OUR MORALITY THAT I FEAR WILL NEVER BE WASHED CLEAN.
UM, SO THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO WANNA COMMEND, UH, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ FOR ITEMS C SEVEN AF AND FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO TAKE THE PARK OFF THE CHOPPING BLOCK FOR THE FIRE STATION.
UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I'M A FORMER CANDIDATE.
I WAS SUPPORTED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHEN I RAN FOR OFFICE.
I LOVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE STAFF AND ALL THE WONDERFUL MEN AND WOMEN, UM, WHO DO AN AMAZING JOB, UH, AS YOU KNOW BY THEIR RATINGS.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO, TO GREEN SPACE, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IT IS SACRED AND IN AN URBAN SPACE.
I, I DO HAVE A DEGREE IN URBAN STUDIES AND I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, GOOD URBAN DEVELOPERS PROTECT GREEN SPACE AT ALL COSTS.
AND UM, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE BUILD THIS FIRE STATION, THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS.
I KNOW SOME OF THEM MAY BE COSTLY, BUT WE LOVE TO BOAST ABOUT OUR WEALTH AND WE LOVE TO INVEST IN THINGS THAT ARE, SOME WOULD CALL FRIVOLOUS LIKE TEMPORARY ART INSTALLATIONS.
SO IN MY OPINION, IF WE HAVE MONEY TO SPEND ON THINGS LIKE THAT, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE FUNDS TO GIVE OUR FIREMEN THE BEST THAT THEY THANK YOU MR. WHAT THEY DESERVE.
I AM A WEST AVENUE RESIDENT AND I OWN A RESTAURANT AS WELL ON WEST AVENUE.
I'M HERE TO TRY TO SERVE FLAMINGO PARK.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF A FIRE STATION, BUT I THINK THAT THIS PARK IS BEAUTIFUL.
MIAMI BEACH IS BEAUTIFUL AND WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO LIVE HERE.
I REALLY THINK THAT WE COULD FIND A MORE APPROPRIATE LOCATION FOR THE FIRE STATION.
AT THIS MOMENT, I DON'T REALLY USE THE TRACK, BUT I COMMIT TO USE THE TRACK.
IF WE CAN ACTUALLY SAVE, UH, THE PARK, I WILL GO WITH YOU.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS KEN BARNES.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
MY NAME IS KEN BARNES AND I LIVE IN NORTH MIAMI LIKE COMMISSIONER ALEX FERNANDEZ.
MY STORY IS SHAPED BY IMMIGRATION.
MY MOTHER CAME FROM A POOR UKRAINIAN FARMING FAMILY, OFTEN GOING HUNGRY BEFORE IMMIGRATING TO CANADA IN 1921 AND EVENTUALLY SETTLING IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA WHERE I WAS BORN.
COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ'S RESOLUTION, OPPOSING VIOLENT AND DEHUMANIZING RHETORIC TOWARDS IMMIGRANTS IS BOTH TIMELY AND ESSENTIAL.
TOO OFTEN IMMIGRANTS ARE PORTRAYED AS CRIMINALS OR THREATS WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE OUR NEIGHBORS WORKING IN RESTAURANTS, CLEANING HOMES, AND HELPING BUILD OUR COMMUNITIES.
ONE EXAMPLE IS DEMEANING THE THE DEMEANING ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ.
SOME ARE NOT CALLING IT, AND I KNOW THE WORD IS EMOTIONAL, BUT I USE IT PURPOSEFULLY.
THE EVERGLADES CONCENTRATION CAMP AS IT MEETS THE DEFINITION OF FACILITY.
DETAINING LARGE GROUPS OFTEN PERSECUTED MINORITIES IN INADEQUATE CONDITIONS.
AGENCIES LIKE ICE AND CUSTOMS AND BUREAU ORDER PROTECTION PLAY CENTRAL ROLES IN THIS CRISIS.
CVP DETAINS MIGRANTS AND SEPARATES FAMILIES, ICE LOCATES, DETAINS, AND DEPORTS.
INDIVIDUALS OFTEN WITHOUT OVERSIGHT ICE ASIANS HAVE REPORTED TO ARREST PEOPLE WITHOUT CLEAR IDENTIFICATION SOMETIMES VIOLENTLY.
AND THERE ARE CASES OF ENTERING SCHOOLS UNDER FALSE PRETENSES AND EVEN DETAINING US CITIZENS.
THIS KIND OF SECRET POLICING BRIEFS FEAR AND DISTRUST.
THAT'S WHY I FULLY SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION OF ALEX FERNANDEZ.
IT SENDS A POWERFUL MESSAGE THAT MIAMI BEACH STANDS FOR COMPASSION, DIGNITY, AND OUR SHARED HUMANITY.
IT'S A MESSAGE THE WHOLE COUNTRY NEEDS TO HEAR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH SIR, GO AHEAD.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COMMISSIONER, AND EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE HERE.
I'M PRESIDENT OF PALMS ASSOCIATION, UH, 10 25 ALTON ROAD REPRESENTING APPROXIMATELY 100 RESIDENTS.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MORE THAN 100 RESIDENTS.
WE REPRESENT TWO STRONGLY OPPOSE OF THE PROPOSAL TO
[RECESS FOR LUNCH AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 P.M.]
BUILD A FIRE STATION IN FLAMINGO PARK.OUR RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBORS SIMPLY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW ANYONE COULD JUSTIFY TAKING AN INCH OF A GREEN SPACE FROM A SMALL PRECIOUS PARK SUCH AS OURS IN GREAT CITIES LIKE NEW YORK, LONDON, MUNICH.
YOU WOULD NEVER SEE PARTS OF CENTRAL PARK, HYDE PARK OR ENGLISH
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GARDENS CARVED AWAY FOR A STRUCTURE SUCH AS THIS DWARFED AS IT IS, FLAMINGO PARK IS OUR CENTRAL PARK AND WHY SHOULD WE BE ANY DIFFERENT HERE IN MIAMI BEACH? THIS WOULD BE THE SIXTH GRAB IN FLAMINGO PARK OVER THE YEARS.THE FIRST GRAB WAS THE EXPANSION OF THE PARKING LOT NEXT TO THE POWELL GYM, THEN THE EXTENSION OF THE TENNIS COURTS, THEN THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, THEN THE BATHROOM ON THE HILL, AND RECENTLY THE NEWLY PROPOSED PICKLEBALL COURTS.
IF THIS CONTINUES, THERE'LL BE NOTHING LEFT TO OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
FLA MIGO PARK IS ALREADY PACKED WITH FACILITIES.
WHAT WE NEED IS MORE OPEN GREEN SPACE AND TREES AND MORE, NOT MORE CONCRETE.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MORE THAN 100 RESIDENTS THAT WE REPRESENT, I RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU TO VOTE YES ON THE RESOLUTION C SEVEN AF AND THEN ALL CONSTRUCTION OF CONSIDERATION OF THE FIRE STATION IN FLAMINGO PARK.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS ALICIA CASANOVA.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS.
ALICIA CASANOVA, 47 75 COLLINS AVENUE.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE MID BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
THE MBNA WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS ITS SUPPORT FOR THE FOLLOWING MAYOR MINORS R FIVE E PROPOSAL, WHICH INCLUDES PROHIBITING MOTORIZED MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE MIAMI BEACH PROMENADE.
THE MBNA IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH CITY STAFF ON MAINTENANCE OPTIONS TO IMPROVE THE AESTHETICS TEMPORARILY.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER ON THE LONG-TERM VISION FOR THIS VALUABLE PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE STRETCH STRETCHING.
FROM 24TH STREET TO 29TH STREET, WE FULLY SUPPORT STRICTLY PROHIBITING ALL MEANS OF MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION ON THE MIAMI BEACH PROMENADE.
WE ALSO SUPPORT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ'S C SEVEN AE SUPPORTING SMALL RESTAURANTS AND PERMITTING INSTALLATION OF PARKLETS ON SIDE STREETS BY 41ST STREET.
ALTHOUGH THE MBNA APPRECIATES THE RECENT PAVER POWER WASHING AND GARBAGE CLEANUP ON 41ST, WHICH IS OUR MID BEACH ENTRANCE ARTERY, WE STRONGLY URGE THE CITY TO PRIORITIZE THE REVITALIZATION PROJECT AND IN THE MEANTIME TO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO ENTICE GOOD TENANTS FOR 41ST STREET.
WE FEEL ALLOWING PARKLETS CAN ATTRACT GOOD RESTAURANTS AND HELP WITH THE MUCH NEEDED REVITALIZATION OF THIS AREA.
WE ALSO SUPPORT COMMISSIONER BOT AND COMMISSIONER MAGAZINES R NINE ZERO REGARDING THE INSTALLATION OF ADDITIONAL SECURITY BOLLARDS ON THE BEACH WALK AND OTHER AREAS.
SINCE SAFETY IS EVERYONE'S PRIORITY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE AREAS ARE SECURE WITHOUT ANY POSSIBILITY OF VEHICLE ACCESS.
OH, MY NAME IS MARILYN NOVELA.
I LIVE ON MIAMI BEACH AND ALTON ROAD 11TH STREET AND I OPPOSED THE FIREHOUSE ON, UH, FLAMINGO PARK.
MY GRANDCHILDREN RIDE THEIR BIKE UP AND DOWN THE STREET AND THAT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF THOSE BIG TRUCKS COMING OUT WHEN THERE'S AN EMERGENCY AND, AND I JUST FEEL IT WOULD BE TERRIBLE TO TAKE ANY OF THE TREES AWAY FROM THE PARK.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL, OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER HAS INITIALS OF DA.
PLEASE GO AHEAD, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
I'M A RESIDENT IN FLAMINGO, UH, THE FLAMINGO NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M ALSO A BOARD MEMBER AT 7 3 4 MICHIGAN TOWN HOMES.
I'M AN ARCHITECT AND I ALSO HAVE A MASTER'S IN URBAN DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY.
I'M CALLING, UM, IN SUPPORT OF NOT PUTTING THE FIRE STATION IN OUR SACRED PARK AREA.
THE GREEN SPACE OF THAT LITTLE SLIVER SERVES A BIG PURPOSE SUCH AS RETAINING STORM WATER OFF OF THE STREETS, SIDEWALKS, AND ALSO LOWERING THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT SO WE DON'T FEEL SO HOT, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.
UM, CREATING MORE CONCRETE, MORE ROOFED AREA IS GOING TO CREATE MORE RUNOFF AND MORE STORM WATER THAT WE HAVE TO THEN INJECT INTO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO ACCEPT THAT MUCH WATER COMING OFF.
UH, SO PLEASE FIND ANOTHER AREA THAT IS NOT IN THE GREEN SPACE.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ALREADY PER HABITANT.
AS WE CONSTRUCTING MORE AND MORE CONDOS AND AND GROWING THE CITY, WE NEED TO REALLY TAKE A FOCUS ON HOW WE CAN GET MORE GREEN SPACE AND NOT TAKE AWAY FROM OUR GREEN SPACE.
MATT ROSENBERG PASS, SOUTH BEACH TRACK CLUB, SAFE FLAMINGO PARK.
I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR EVERYONE UP THERE, WHETHER WE AGREE OR DISAGREE ON ANY
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PARTICULAR THING.I KNOW EVERYONE IS THERE WORKING HARD FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE, OF THE CITY.
THIS IS A, A FANTASTIC COMMUNITY THAT WE ALL HAVE.
THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE ALL LOVE IT SO MUCH.
I DON'T HAVE A PREPARED THING.
I'M GONNA SPEAK TO YOU ALL FROM THE HEART TODAY BECAUSE I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU PERSONALLY ABOUT THE TECHNICALITIES.
THIS PARK, THE GREEN SPACE, THE AIR, THE BLOWING, WATCHING KIDS RUNNING BACK AND FORTH, PLAYING SOCCER, DOING TRACK ADULTS, KIDS, FAMILIES, PEOPLE IN WALKERS, THE HASIDIC SHUL ACROSS THE STREET.
THEIR KIDS COME OVER, SET UP VOLLEYBALL NETS.
THEY PLAY RIGHT THERE IN THAT SPOT.
CHILDREN GO THERE, GENERATIONS FROM HERE ON OUT, CAN'T GET THE SPACE BACK IF IT'S TURNED INTO A CEMENT LOCATION.
BELIEVE ME, EVERYBODY LOVES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE JUST SERIOUSLY, SINCERELY ASK FOR YOU TO DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO FIND ANOTHER WAY SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND, UH, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN ADVOCATE OF TRYING TO FIND SOME KIND OF RETAIL, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AS WELL SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I KNOW EVERYONE LOVES THE PARK.
I KNOW YOU ALL LOVE THE FIRE STATION.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LOVE FLAMINGO PARK AS IT IS.
WE FEEL IT IN OUR HEART, WE FEEL IT IN OUR SOUL.
AND EVERY LITTLE BIT OF THAT GREEN SPACE MATTERS AND WE LOVE IT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
PLEASE SAVE THE PARK FROM ANY CONSTRUCTION IN IT, FROM THE FIRE STATION OR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND LET'S LOOK AT HOW WE CAN EXPAND THAT AREA TO BE EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL OR MORE INTERACTIVE OR OTHER WAY IN OTHER PLACES IN THE PARK AS WELL.
WE CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT THE CITY AND WE APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER HAS A SCREEN NAME OF I FROST.
PLEASE GO AHEAD, STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS.
UM, HELLO, MY NAME IS IRIS FROST.
I'M AT 1418 MICHIGAN AVENUE AND I AM GONNA QUICKLY SAY TWO THINGS.
UM, I APPRECIATE PEOPLE STANDING UP FOR OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
I TOO STAND FOR HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL.
AND THE SECOND THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BRIEFLY IS FLAMINGO PARK.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE SPEAKERS BEFORE ME WHO HAVE LISTED OFF ALL OF THE GOOD REASONS WHY WE NEED TO SAVE THE PARK AND FIND A DIFFERENT PLACE FOR, UM, THE FIREHOUSE GREEN SPACE, NOISE, TRAFFIC, NEIGHBORHOOD INTEGRITY.
UM, WE, WE REALLY, UM, I REALLY SUPPORT THE UM, C SEVEN AG PROPOSAL THAT'S, UM, THE RESOLUTION THAT'S ON THE AGENDA.
AND IF THAT CAN'T WORK, I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE, UH, ALL OF YOU TO FIND A BETTER WAY.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I'M A LONG-TERM RESIDENT HERE IN MIAMI BEACH ON 16TH AND LENNOX AND I, I ALSO OWN A BUSINESS FOR, UM, MARKETING FOR SUSTAINABILITY AS WELL AS, UH, WELLNESS.
I USE THE PARK ON A DAILY BASIS.
I WAS THERE THIS MORNING AS YOU CAN SEE.
UH, SO I OPPOSE THE, UH, THE BUILDING OF, UH, FIRE STATION AND TAKING AWAY OUR GREEN SPACE, TAKING AWAY MORE OF THE TRACK, UM, AND REDUCING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND, UH, SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND A RESOLUTION TO MOVE IT ELSEWHERE.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS AMY MAYHEW.
LET'S GO TO THE NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IN'S IPHONE ANEZ.
I'M AT 1500 OCEAN DRIVE AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT R SEVEN.
I, UH, I THINK THAT IS A MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENT FOR LINCOLN ROAD AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
DEAR COMMISSIONERS, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND TIMELESS SERVICE, UH, FOR OUR MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY.
MY NAME IS RITA SH AND I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF, UH, THE FLAMINGO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.
LIVING NEAR BAY ROAD AND, UH, 15TH STREET.
I DEEPLY CHERISH FLAMINGO PARK, A SPACE I VISIT AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK FOR PEACE, RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION.
FLAMINGO PARK IS NOT JUST A GREEN SPACE, IT IS A HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL GEM THAT HAS SERVED GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES SINCE 1920S.
IT IS A SANCTUARY FOR CHILDREN PLAYING SENIORS, WALKING ATHLETES, TRAINING AND NEIGHBORS GATHERING.
IT IS A VITAL PART OF OUR CITY.
[00:30:01]
THAT IS WHY I STRONGLY OPPOSE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FIRE STATION OR ANY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE PARK GROUNDS.PLACING SUCH AN INVASIVE FACILITY IN THE MIDDLE OF A CHERISH TO RECREATIONAL SPACE WOULD NOT ONLY DISRUPT ITS BEAUTY AND PURPOSE, BUT ALSO SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT FOR THE EROSION OF OUR PUBLIC GREEN SPACES.
I RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR RESOLUTION C SEVEN AF, WHICH WOULD PUT A STOP TO THE PLANNING OF THE FIRE STATION IN FLAMINGO PARK.
I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION C SEVEN AG AS A SMART AND SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE, EXPANDING THE CURRENT FACILITY RATHER THAN SACRIFICING OUR LIMITED PARKLAND.
PLEASE PROTECT WHAT MAKES MIAMI BEACH SPECIAL.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION TO THIS MATTER.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS DAVID SEXTON.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
UH, I'M AT, UH, 1255 MARS STATE DRIVE IN NORTH BEACH.
UH, I'M CALLING IN TODAY TO ASK THAT THE COMMISSION PLEASE SUPPORT THE ITEM THAT'S BEING BROUGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SHADE SALES OVER THE NORMANDY PLAZA GO UP.
UM, WHEN WE STARTED WORKING ON THIS ITEM IN MARCH, I PROBABLY NAIVELY THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE SHADE UP THERE FOR THE SUMMER AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE YET.
WE'VE HAD TO CANCEL A COUPLE OF EVENTS THAT WERE SCHEDULED AS MORE DAYTIME EVENTS.
UM, IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE THE PLAZA DURING THE SUMMER.
THAT IS WHEN IT IS MOST CHALLENGING FOR OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
THE PLAZA WAS ENVISIONED WITH SHADE SALES IN MIND.
WE JUST NEED THE SHADES AND INSTALLATION.
ONE OF THE, UH, LOCAL BUSINESSES HERE HAS DECIDED TO DONATE A FABRIC.
SO THE COST IS EXTREMELY LOW, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY HAS PUT INTO THE PLAZA.
AND THIS WOULD ALLOW IT TO BE FUNCTIONAL OR MORE FUNCTIONAL YEAR ROUND.
GO AHEAD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
I LIVE AT 1504 BAY ROAD, WHICH IS IN THE WEST AVENUE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I WANTED TO MAKE TWO POINTS ABOUT MY OPPOSITION TO THE FIRE STATION AT FLAMINGO PARK.
UM, I'VE USED THE PARK AT LEAST TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK, AND THE SPOT RIGHT BEHIND THE GOALPOST, UH, IS WHERE I DO MY STRETCHING EXERCISES AND I JUGGLE A SOCCER BALL, UM, TO KEEP LOOSE AND FIT.
AND IT'S THE EXACT SPOT WHERE THIS FIRE STATION IS, UM, PROPOSED TO BE LOCATED.
IT, AND IT'S A NICE SPOT TO, TO DO YOGA AND STRETCHING 'CAUSE IT'S NICE ARTIFICIAL GRASS BACK THERE.
UM, THE SECOND POINT I WANTED TO MAKE IS, I DON'T KNOW IF UM, YOU ALL KNOW THIS OR IF STAFF REMEMBERS THIS, BUT I WAS AT THE VERY, VERY FIRST MEETING PRESENTATION BY THE FORMER FIRE CHIEF, UM, WHO AFTER HE DID AN ANALYSIS AND DID A REPORT WHERE HE REALLY WANTED THE FIRE STATION TO GO.
IT WAS ABOUT, UH, NINE YEARS AGO IT WAS, UM, A FLAMINGO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING IN THE UNI CENTER.
AND HE SAID THAT THE POPULATION OF SOUTH OF FIFTH HAD EXPLODED SO MUCH THAT HE THOUGHT THE BEST SPOT WAS THE FURTHEST SOUTH THAT YOU COULD GO.
AND HIS NUMBER ONE CHOICE ACTUALLY WAS THE DOG PARK ON SECOND STREET.
NOW I'M JUST TELLING YOU THIS STORY, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A FACT.
AND SECOND OF ALL, IF YOU'RE GONNA CONSIDER ANOTHER LOCATION, PLEASE CONSIDER EVERYTHING FROM FIRST STREET, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY TO 11TH STREET.
THEY ARE 30 MINUTES, HAVE ELAPSE.
WE HAVE, UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE EIGHT COLLARS, NINE CALLERS ON ZOOM, AND I BELIEVE THERE'S SOMEONE BEHIND THE YOUNG LADY.
UH, CAN WE DO ONE MINUTE FROM NOW ON? SURE.
OKAY, SO EVERYONE, LET'S DO ONE MINUTE.
UH, THE NEXT CALLER ON ZOOM IS SHARON.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
UM, BASICALLY, UH, IN SUPPORT OF C SEVEN X, UH, THE KITTY CAMPUS AND SOY KATZ DOES GREAT WORK, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, THE SECOND ITEM I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS A SMALL REQUEST.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A LEGAL REASON WHY THE AGENDA HAS TO BE IN ALL CAPS.
UH, JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT THERE.
AND LASTLY, I STRONGLY ECHO PAULA KING'S, UH, COMMENTS ABOUT THE, UH, FECES IN THE WATER UP HERE.
UH, IT'S DISGUSTING AND LIKE REALLY, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT IT LAST WEEK, UH, AT THE, AT A DIFFERENT MEETING, BUT YOU REALLY HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS AND PUT ALL EFFORT INTO REMEDIATING THIS.
I'M A MIAMI BEACH RESIDENT AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE
[00:35:01]
TRACK.THIS CAN PARK IS PART OF THE HEART OF THE MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY.
IT'S A RARE GREEN SPACE WHERE KIDS, NEIGHBORS, RESIDENTS CAN ALL GATHER FOR FREE.
IT'S THE SOUL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S WHERE GENERATIONS HAVE LEARNED TO SWIM, SHOOT HOOPS, PLAY SOCCER, EXERCISE AROUND THE TRACK AND JUST BE OUTSIDE.
IT'S WHERE PARENTS TAKE THEIR KIDS AFTER SCHOOL WHERE SENIORS WALK IN THE MORNING WHERE FRIENDS MEET UP TO CONNECT AND PEOPLE OF ALL AGES GET FIT.
THIS IS A CITY THAT'S CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
FLAMINGO PARK IS ONE OF THE FEW CONSTANTS.
IT'S A SHARED BACKYARD FOR THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE WHO DO NOT HAVE A BACKYARD TO BUILD ON THIS PLACE IS TO LOOSELY WE CAN NEVER REPLACE OUR GREEN SPACE IS A MAJOR REASON WHY SO MANY OF US LIVE IN MIAMI BEACH AND NOT IN MIAMI.
ONCE THAT SPACE IS GONE, IT'S GONE FOR GOOD.
THEY MAKE OUR HOT CITY LIVABLE AND RESILIENT.
THERE ARE OTHER ESSENTIAL PLACES TO PUT ESSENTIAL SERVICES, BUT NO SUBSTITUTE FOR OPEN PARK SPACE.
LET'S PROTECT WHAT MAKES MIAMI BEACH SO LIVABLE.
LET'S CHOOSE COMMUNITY, LET'S CHOOSE NATURE.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS LARRY SCHAFER.
SIR, STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS SO YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
LARRY SCHAFER 2 3 3 80 FIRST STREET.
I'M CALLING TO OPPOSE THE BUDGET IN MILLAGE.
I ACTUALLY EMAILED THE CFO MR. GREEN AND FERC CHAIR MR. MAGAZINE TO ASK ABOUT THE BUDGET, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR BACK FROM THEM.
AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY THIS BUDGET SEEKS TO RAISE TAXES BY, I BELIEVE 7% INFLATION WAS 3%.
WHY DO WE NEED AN ADDITIONAL FOUR POINTS ON TOP OF INFLATION? WHY SHOULD THE COST OF GOVERNMENT BE BASED ON THE MARKET VALUE PROPERTIES? THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE DON'T CHANGE WHEN THE VALUE OF THEIR CONDOS GO UP AND DOWN.
YOU'RE JUST TAKING ADVANTAGE OF US AS YOU HAVE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, 25% OR SO OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WHEN INFLATION WAS FAR LESS.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO THE THOUSANDS OF CONSTITUENTS WHO LIVED IN OLDER CONDOS? DO YOU KNOW THE TYPE OF TROUBLE THEY'RE IN WITH RISING MAINTENANCE, RISING TAXES, ASSESSMENTS, THEY'RE SUFFERING AND THEN YOU THINK IT'S WISE TO RAISE THE BUDGET BEYOND INFLATION? WHEN YOU'RE BEATING DOWN YOUR CONSTITUENTS FINANCIALLY, WHEN THEY'RE HURTING THE MOST, IT'S TIME TO BE BOLD AND REIGN IN EXCESS SPENDING.
AND IF YOU'RE GONNA INCREASE YOUR TAX HALL AGAIN, HOW ABOUT YOU ASSIGN ALL THE AMOUNTS OVER INFLATION TO CLEANING UP THE DISGUSTING LA LAZY RIVER OF FECES? THAT IS PARKVIEW CANAL.
KEVIN KRUEGER, UH, MIAMI BEACH RESIDENT OF UH, EIGHT YEARS HERE, UH, SEVENTH.
AND JEFF AND I CHOSE FLAMINGO PARK EIGHT YEARS AGO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN ORDER TO HAVE ACCESS, NOT JUST TO THE BEACH, BUT TO THE WORKOUT.
UH, SO I'M HERE IN A FEW CAPACITIES, A COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AGENT.
UH, AND THEN ON BEHALF OF MIAMI ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, WHICH SOME OF YOU KNOW IS MY BELOW PROFIT, I FIRST WANNA, UH, COMMEND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, IN PARTICULAR, A YEAR AGO I HAD TO CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES SUNRISE.
THEY WERE THERE WITHIN TWO MINUTES, ABOUT SIX BLOCKS AWAY, UH, WHEN I LIVED ON WEST AVE.
SO, UM, I HAVEN'T HEARD YET ABOUT HOW UH, THE COUNTY PUT THIS, UH, VOTE.
EVERYBODY SUPPORTS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE NOT USING THE PARK.
THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY VOTED IT FOR.
UH, WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL IS TO PROMOTE MORE SPORTS TOURISM WITHIN THE COUNTY.
UH, DON'T LET THIS CRISIS GO TO WASTE, BUT INSTEAD ENHANCE THE SPACE WITH REAL GREEN SPACE GRASS.
I THINK OUR CITY CAN AFFORD THANK MAINTENANCE TO BUILD A REAL PARK THAT'S NOT, UM, ASTROTURF, WHICH IS CARCINOGENIC.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS DAVID.
DAVID STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, SO YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
I WANNA PRAISE COMMISSIONER ALEX FERNANDEZ WITH HIS ORDINANCE REGARDING IMMIGRATION.
AND WHAT WE IN MIAMI BEACH MAY NOT REALIZE IS THAT OUR MIAMI BEACH BUSINESSES ARE ALL RIGHT NOW EXPERIENCING THE LOSS OF TALENTED, WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES DUE TO THEIR PAPERS BECOMING OUT OF DATE.
AND, UH, WE'RE ON TEMPORARY STATUS AWAITING LEGAL IMMIGRATION PROCESSING APPROVAL.
THAT IS A VERY SAD, SAD, SAD THING THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING ALL ON MIAMI BEACH RIGHT NOW.
IN ADDITION, OCEAN DRIVE HOTELS AND CAFE BUSINESSES REQUIRE FULL AUTOMOBILE ACCESS TO PROVIDE THE MOST BASIC REQUIREMENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHICH IS ACCESS, NO BOLLARDS, NO OCEAN DRIVE STREET CLOSURES.
WE MUST RETAIN ACCESS TO THE FRONT OF OUR BUSINESSES FOR AUTOMOBILES.
UM, I LIVE HERE 12 YEARS ON 1500 BAY ROAD.
UM, I DISCOVER FLAMINGO PARK IN PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN FOR ME, LITERALLY CHANGED MY LIFE.
UH, I START RUNNING FIVE TIMES A WEEK.
FOR FIVE MONTHS I LOST 40 POUNDS AND I'M STILL USING THE PARK EVERY TWO, TWICE A WEEK SOMETIMES, UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE TO DO IT AFTER 9:00 PM WHEN IT'S CLOSED AND I CHOOSE A TREADMILL OR ON THE STREET, PROBABLY THE SAME LIKE ME, THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH A KNEE PROBLEM.
[00:40:01]
CONCRETE, I CANNOT RUN ANYMORE.SO PLEASE, UH, DON'T BUILD A FIRE STATION ON THE FLAMINGO PARK.
IT'S A NICE ENVIRONMENT FOR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
KEEP THE RUNNING HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AVAILABLE.
OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS KAITLIN.
STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS SO YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS KAITLYN BECK.
I'M A MIAMI RE RESIDENT AND I'M REPRESENTING TBD TRACK CLUB.
I STAND IN OPPOSITION TO A NEW FIRE STATION TO BE BUILT IN FLAMINGO PARK TRACK AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION REIN, REMOVING FLAMINGO PARK AS THE LOCATION SITE FOR A NEW FIRE STATION.
THIS TRACK IS HOME TO COUNTLESS COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND LEADERS.
IT IS A SOURCE OF WELLNESS TO MANY WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS.
AND IT IS THE ONLY PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE PARK IN MIAMI BEACH WITH HAS WITH A TRACK AS A LEADER TO TBD TRACK CLUB, A WEEKLY TRACK CLUB INCLUSIVE TO FOLKS OF ALL LEVELS ON THE WAY TO THEIR FIRST BIG RACES.
FLAMINGO PARK IS OUR HOME BASE EVERY THURSDAY MORNING AND IT HAS BEEN FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WHICH IS A SHORT TIME COMPARED TO MANY OTHER FITNESS GROUPS AND CLUBS THAT MEET EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK, INCLUDING SOUTH BEACH TRACK CLUB.
MIAMI'S LARGEST TRACK CLUB, WHICH HAS OVER A DECADE LONG IN STANDING AND IT IS ITS HOME BASE.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, MY TEAM, AND THE MIAMI RUNNING COMMUNITY TO REPRESENT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING OUR SACRED GREEN SPACE AS LY AS WE DO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BEAUTIFUL CITY.
AND I WANT YOU TO VOTE YES ON RESOLUTION AG.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW ALTOFF AND I WANNA SPEAK ON A FEW ITEMS REAL QUICKLY.
C FOUR L, UM, ON MICRO MOBILITY.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ITEM AND I ENCOURAGE THAT YOU INCLUDE, UH, EXPERTS ON THIS TOPIC BEFORE YOU, UH, AS YOU DISCUSS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
C SEVEN AA I'M CONCERNED ABOUT TRIMMING OF LANDSCAPING ALONG THE BEACH WALK AND AGAIN, INCLUDE YOUR SUSTAINABILITY AND YOUR PUBLIC WORKS AND THOSE THAT HAVE CLEAR GUIDELINES.
C SEVEN AE PARKLETS ALONG 41ST STREET.
I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO REFER THIS TO COMMITTEE AND OR THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS THE IMPACTS TO THE VITAL BIKE SHARE NETWORK.
R FIVE E, THE MIAMI BEACH PROMENADE.
UH, I THINK THAT NEEDS FURTHER DISCUSSION.
IF YOU'RE GONNA EXTEND THAT, WHICH AGAIN, I THINK IS A GOOD IDEA, I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME SUPPORTING EVIDENCE OR AT LEAST SOME EVIDENCE OF ITS USE OVER THE SUMMER.
R SEVEN, I BELIEVE THIS IS L ABOUT THE 100 BLOCK OF LINCOLN ROAD.
300 BUSES USE THAT AREA A DAY.
IT SHOULD BE TWO AND 300 BLOCKS.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, I DON'T SUPPORT PUTTING THE FIRE STATION IN FLAMINGO PARK.
I'M A STRONG SUPPORTER OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, THE POLICE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I BELIEVE THEY DESERVE THE BEST.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND YOU SHOULD REBUILD THE CURRENT STATION.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER HAS INITIALS OF DA STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
I LIVE AT 10 20 MERIDIAN AVENUE, 4 1 6 IN MIAMI BEACH.
AS YOU DELIBERATE ON WHERE TO PUT THE FIRE STATION, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS A COUNTY AND CITYWIDE REFERENDUM AND TO, UH, CONSIDER, UH, THE WILL OF THE VOTERS AS WELL AS THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, VEHEMENT AT THEIR OPPOSITION.
UH, THERE THE VALID BOX REALLY IS THE GREAT LEVELER AND IT GIVES ALL OF US ONE VOTE AND ONE VOICE.
UH, THEY'RE NOT THOSE THAT, THAT SPEAK THE LOUDEST OR THOSE THAT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE LUXURY OF SPEAKING AT, UM, AT MEETINGS.
SO AS YOU DELIBERATE, PLEASE CONSIDER THAT THE MAJORITY OF, UH, FLAMINGO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD VOTED IN FAVOR OF, UH, THIS, UH, RES UH, UH, THE REFERENDUM AS WELL AS ALL OF THE CITY.
UH, MY NAME IS DESMOND NEIL LEACH.
I I'M A RESIDENT OF 1330 DREXEL AVENUE.
I SPEAK FIRSTLY AS A, AS SOMEONE WHO USES FLAMINGO PARK POOL ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, I WANNA SAY I'M ASTONISHED BY HOW WELL, UM, THE PARK HAS BEEN USED.
I SEE FAMILIES HAVING PICK, HAVING BIRTHDAY PARTIES FOR THEIR KIDS.
I SEE OLD PEOPLE GETTING TOGETHER.
I SEE THE BASKETBALL POOL IS ABSOLUTELY SWARMING WITH PEOPLE.
I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH THE PERSON WHO SAID IT IS NOT BEING USED ENOUGH.
SECONDLY, I SPEAK AS A PROFESSOR OF ARCHITECTURE AT FIUI COMPLETELY ENDORSED THE COMMENTS OF THE ARCHITECT PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE CATASTROPHIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
UM, THE, THE FIRE STATION IN THAT SPACE WOULD BE, UM, AND, AND FINALLY, I SPEAK AS A UK NATIVE.
UM, UH, PLEASE DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE THAT WE DID IN THE UK.
MARGARET THATCHER SOLD OFF MANY OF THE PUBLIC PLAYING FIELDS.
ONCE THEY ARE GONE, THEY ARE GONE.
THIS IS A PUBLIC FACILITY SHOULD THAT SHOULD BE CHERISHED AND PROTECTED.
[00:45:01]
CALLER HAS A SCREEN NAME OF A PICTURE OF THE INSTAGRAM LOGO.SO, UH, LISTEN, AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS USED THE PARK FOR OVER 25 PLUS YEARS ACTIVELY AND THE TRACK, UH, IT'S, IT, I THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS TO PUT THE FIRE STATION THERE.
THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO JUST VERY QUICKLY MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A NEWFOUND PERSPECTIVE REGARDING WHAT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ARE GOING THROUGH.
AND I, I SAW A VIDEO THAT COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ POSTED YESTERDAY REGARDING THE DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS IN WHICH OUR SANITATION WORKERS WORK.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS, THEY LIVE IN THE FIRE STATION AND THE EXISTING FIRE STATION FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW, IT'S ACTUALLY BUILT ON A, UH, ON A SEWAGE, ON A SEWAGE PUMP.
SO EVERY DROP OF SEWAGE NORTH OF 11 STREET GETS PUMPED UNDER THAT BUILDING.
IT IS NOT FIT FOR HUMAN HABITATION.
THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED OVER THE YEARS, AND WE ESSENTIALLY NEED TO FIND A PROPER LOCATION THAT DOESN'T NEGATIVELY IMPACT RESPONSE TIMES, BUT IT ALSO TREATS OUR FIRST RESPONDERS THE WAY THEY NEED TO BE TREATED.
SO THAT BEING SAID, I, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, UH, ALTON ROAD, FLAMINGO PARK LOCATION IS NOT GONNA WORK, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO NOT TURN THIS INTO ANOTHER 10 YEARS.
THANK YOU MR. ON POLITICAL FOOTBALL.
MY NAME IS CHRISTINE QUESTA AND I'M A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH.
I LIVE ON EIGHTH AND MERIDIAN, AND I RECENTLY STARTED USING FLAMINGO PARK, UM, AND WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT UTILIZE THAT TRACK ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, AS A LONGTIME MEMBER OF THE VOLLEYBALL COMMUNITY, I DIDN'T KNOW OR UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WERE OTHER COMMUNITIES LIKE THE VOLLEYBALL COMMUNITY AROUND SOUTH BEACH.
AND UM, NOW IT'S SLOWLY BECOMING PART OF MY LIFE TOO, AND I SEE THAT THE, I CAN ALSO SPEAK ON, UM, MY EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, WORKING AT A SCHOOL WHERE FOUR YEARS AGO WE HAD TO BUILD A BRAND NEW FOOTBALL FIELD AND FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR WE HAD TO BUS OUR STUDENTS TO TROPICAL PARK TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT FIELD.
THE PROPOSAL OF SIMPLY MOVING THE TRACK, I CAN TELL YOU IT'S GONNA HAVE A DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY.
WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MOVE THE PEOPLE FROM THE TRACK TO ANOTHER PARK.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ANOTHER PARK IN THE AREA.
SO SIMPLY BUILDING A, A FIRE STATION ON A FACILITY THAT IS UTILIZED BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PER WEEK IS GOING TO HAVE A LONG-TERM DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
AND I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER THAT BEFORE MOVING FORWARD.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS AMY MAYHEW.
UM, AMY MAYHEW, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE 41ST STREET BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN SUPPORT OF COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ'S.
ITEM C SEVEN AE TO ALLOW PARKLETS ON CERTAIN SIDE STREETS AT THE 4,000 BLOCK.
UM, WE'RE TRULY APPRECIATIVE OF THIS THOUGHTFUL RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR SMALL RESTAURANTS.
UM, IT SAYS, WELL AS THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM BUSINESSES WHO ARE LOOKING TO JOIN THE 41ST STREET CORRIDOR.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THE COMMISSION WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THIS BOARD AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE, UH, OUR, OUR TASTING CAFE AND, UH, VITA AND WHOMEVER ELSE WILL JOIN US TO, UH, TAKE UP, TAKE THE STEP.
I BEFORE OUR NEXT SPEAKER, I JUST WANNA INTERJECT SOMETHING.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HERE ABOUT THE FLAMINGO PARK FIRE STATION CONVERSATION, AND I KNOW IT'S A VERY PASSIONATE ISSUE.
ANYBODY WHO'S READ MY NEWSLETTERS OR MY OPINION PIECE IN THE HERALD WILL UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
I'M NOT GONNA INTERJECT THAT HERE.
WHAT I AM GONNA INTERJECT IS A VERY HEALTHY DOSE OF FACTS BECAUSE THOSE ARE SORELY LACKING.
NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT MOVING THE TRACK.
NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT MOVING THE FIELD.
THOSE ARE NOT GOING TO BE TOUCHED.
WE HAVE PLANS WE CAN SHOW YOU, DOESN'T WORK.
OR EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, NO DIALOGUE HERE.
WE HAVE TEAMS OF ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS WHO HAVE SHOWN US THAT IT WORKS.
OKAY? SO THAT'S NOT THIS ITEM AT THE MOMENT.
WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS THE TRACK IS NOT GOING TO BE IMPINGED UPON AT ALL.
THE FIELD WILL NOT BE IMPINGED UPON AT ALL.
IT WILL NOT BE CLOSED FOR ANY PORTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON THIS, I'M VERY EAGER TO CONTINUE LISTENING, BUT I REQUEST THAT YOU DO SO BASED IN FACT, I AM ALSO A RUNNER.
[00:50:01]
NOBODY IS GETTING RID OF THE ENTIRE PARK.GOOD MORNING, VALERIE NAVARETTE.
UH, LAST MONTH I SPOKE ABOUT THE TROUBLING ACQUISITION OF ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ.
TODAY I RETURNED TO VOICE MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ RESOLUTION C SEVEN Y, WHICH CHALLENGES THE DISCRIMINATORY LANGUAGE AND CRIMINALIZATION EMBEDDED IN THIS ISSUE.
UH, LOOK AROUND YOU AT THIS VERY COMMISSION.
ONLY IF ICE COME HERE NOW FOR THE DISCRIMINATION, I GUESS ONLY KRG AND MAYBE MAGAZINE WOULD GET AWAY WITH IT.
UM, MR. MAYOR, YOU AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL KIDS, YOU GUYS HAVE LATIN FEATURES.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY YOU MR. SUAREZ ACTUALLY SUAREZ VERY SPANISH, UM, WITH YOUR DARK HAIR AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL TAN, YOU WOULD BE DOOMED.
UM, A CRIMINAL SHOULD BE JUDGED BY THEIR ACTIONS, NOT BY THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN OR THEIR ACCENT.
THE PORT MURDERS AND RAPISTS, YES, BUT HARDWORKING INDIVIDUAL WITH A TRAFFIC TICKET.
AN 82 YEARS OLD AMERICAN SITS IN WITH A CLEAN RECORD.
THAT'S NOT JUSTICE, IT'S INJUSTICE AND A DISGRACE.
I URGE THIS COMMISSION JUST ONE PARAGRAPH.
I URGE THIS COMMISSION AND ADMINISTRATION TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND EXTEND THIS ADVOCACY TO ALL 33 MUNICIPALITIES.
REMIND US ALL THAT WE NO LONGER LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE SAFETY AND FREEDOM, UH, CONDITIONING.
THEY BECOME NOTHING MORE THAN ILLUSIONS.
I NOW WALK WITH THE COPY OF MY PASSPORT AND MY ALIEN CARD, A LITTLE COPY IN MY WALLET JUST IN CASE.
SO THAT'S HOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I SUGGEST EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD DO SO, EVEN IF YOU WERE BORN HERE.
AND IF YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU KNOW, OUR NEXT CALLER YES, IS AUDREY.
I WANNA THANK THE COMMISSION SO MUCH FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION TO THIS FLAMINGO PARK ISSUE.
UM, I SPEAK AS A CONCERNED MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACTS ON COMMUNITY AND RECREATION AS WELL AS THE DANGEROUS PRECEDENT IT WOULD SET TO TAKE GREEN SPACE AND, UM, DEDICATE TO ANY SPACE OR ANY USE THAT ISN'T GREEN SPACE TO BUILD ON TOP OF IT.
UM, I ALSO SPEAK AS AN EXPERT ON THE I ON THE IMPACTS OF THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND AND UM, AND AIR POLLUTION ON PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND TO COMMISSIONER BOTTS POINT, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I FEEL LIKE THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE STATION ON THAT SITE, EVEN IF THE TRACK REMAINS OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION, ALL OF THE PARTICULAR AIR POLLUTION, ALL OF THE VARIOUS IMPACTS OF CONSTRUCTION ARE COMPLETELY INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE USE OF THE TRACK FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES.
PARTICULARLY YOU HAVE A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS, A LOT OF CHILDREN ON THE TRACK.
UM, I KNOW THIS IS A DIFFICULT ISSUE AND I THINK THE COMMISSIONERS FOR WEIGHING ALL OF THEIR VARIOUS CONSTITUENCIES, I KNOW WE NEED A FIRE STATION, BUT FLAMINGO PARK ISN'T THE PLACE AND I AM IN OPPOSITION.
UM, IT'S KIND OF SURREAL TO SEE YOU GUYS NOT ON CAMPAIGN POSTERS,
UM, BUT I'M REALLY HERE TO REALLY TALK ABOUT, UH, FLAMINGO PARK.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THE PLAN TO PUT A FIRE STATION THERE IS REALLY NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE, UH, ME BEING A PERSON ACROSS THE STREET AS WELL.
SO, UM, WHEN I SAW THE RENDERING, DID MY RESEARCH, UM, AND DECIDED TO COME OUT AND REALLY JUST EXPRESS MY VOICE, I DON'T KNOW IF A LOT OF NORMAL PEOPLE DO THAT.
AND SO I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, LET ME SHOW UP.
UM, BEEN IN MIAMI BEACH FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS AND I PLAYED TENNIS IN THE PARK AND I ENJOY THE PARK.
AND SO THE THOUGHT OF CONSTRUCTION AS SOMEONE WHO'S BUILDING IS GOING THROUGH CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW FOR THE THIRD YEAR TO SEE THAT HAPPEN ON ALTON ROAD JUST REALLY DECIDED FOR ME TO GET UP OFF THE COUCH AND COME HERE AND LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT I THINK.
PLEASE KEEP COMING AND GETTING MORE INVOLVED.
BOX PEOPLE UP AND, AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, I'LL, I'LL MAKE YOU THE OFFER.
I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES WOULD EXTEND IF YOU WANT TO COME UP AND MEET US AND, UH, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CHAT AS WELL.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS FLORIN FLORIN, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
HELLO, MY NAME IS UH, FLORIN VA.
I LIVE ON 800 WEST AVENUE AND UM, I'M SUPPORTING THE RESOLUTION SIX SEVEN AF AGAINST BEING BUILDING THE FIRE STATION.
UH, I USED TO BE AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER AND IT IS SURPRISING TO HEAR THAT, UH, BUILDING OF THAT MAGNITUDE DOESN'T, UH, DISRUPT THE CURRENT ACTIVITIES.
[00:55:02]
I'M AN ADDED RUNNER, I'M PART OF THE RUNNING COMMUNITY IN, UH, SOUTH BEACH AND WE ALL OPPOSE THE BUILDING OF THE FIREHOUSE.I'M PART OF SOUTH BEACH TRACK CLUB AS WELL.
AND HONESTLY THAT TRACK CLUB IS A HUGE PART OF WHY I'M IN MIAMI.
MY SISTER AND I WOULD GO HOME SEARCHING FOR A COMMUNITY LIKE THE SOUTH BEACH TRACK CLUB.
WHEN I TELL PEOPLE I RUN REPEAT TWO HUNDREDS IN MY THIRTIES, THEY'RE IN AWE.
AND I WILL SAY THAT EVERY SQUARE FOOT OF THAT TRACK IS WELL UTILIZED, INCLUDING THE GREEN SPACE WHEN WE'RE RUNNING THERE.
THERE ARE KIDS, LIKE THERE ARE MULTIPLE GROUPS PLAYING SOCCER ON THE FIELD.
THE KIDS THAT DON'T FIT THEN PLAY IN THE GREEN SPACE BY THE, UM, BY THE BATHROOM AREA AND WHERE THE FIRE STATION WILL GO.
THERE ARE BOXERS OVER THERE, UM, PEOPLE STRETCHING TO SPRINT.
SO LIKE EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE TRACK IS UTILIZED.
I GO ON MONDAY NIGHTS, BUT I'VE GONE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THAT'S BEEN TRUE AS WELL.
AND SO I WILL JUST SAY, UM, THE COHESION OF LEADERSHIP IN THESE CLUBS OVER THE COURSE OF YEARS REALLY SETS SOUTH BEACH APART AND IS REALLY SPECIAL.
SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY.
GOOD MORNING, DAVID ADAMS 1242 ALTA ROAD.
I'M HERE TO SUPPORT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ RESOLUTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND ASK ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION THAT URGES THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO AMEND SECTION 7 7 5 0.215 OF FLORIDA STATUTE.
I'D LIKE TO THANK COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ FOR HIGHLIGHTING THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK MAYOR MINOR AS IT HAS BEEN HIS HIGHEST PRIORITY, UH, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE HAD MANY SEXUAL OFFENDERS AND PREDATORS RESIDING IN MIAMI BEACH.
I'VE BEEN NOTIFIED BY FDA ABOUT SEXUAL OFFENDERS RESIDING IN THE COMMUNITY ON BOTH A TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT STATUS WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF A SCHOOL PARK OR PLAYGROUND.
THIS RESOLUTION REQUESTS THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO CHANGE THE CURRENT LAW, WHICH PROTECTS MINORS WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 16 AND CHANGE THE LAW TO PROTECT ALL MINOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
UH, PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN IS PARAMOUNT.
ANDRES AZI, UH, MIAMI BEACH RESIDENT FOR 50 YEARS I'VE BEEN USING FLAMINGO PARK.
YEAH, I ACTUALLY TURNED, I'M 50 BUT I'VE BEEN USING FLAMINGO PARK SINCE I'M THREE YEARS OLD, GOING TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB THERE AND USING THAT, THAT PARK.
AND SO THAT PARK IS A SPECIAL PARK FOR ME.
I GOTTA TELL YOU THAT IT HURTS ME THAT THE CURRENT STRUCTURE THAT'S ACTUALLY SITTING WHERE THIS FIRE STATION IS PROPOSED HAS BEEN PRETTY MUCH ABANDONED FOR MANY YEARS.
I DON'T HEAR ANYBODY COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING THOSE FACILITIES BE REPAIRED.
I DON'T HEAR ANYBODY TALKING ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, FLAMINGO LAKE EVERY SINGLE TIME IT RAINS AND THERE'S A, A STORM COMING THROUGH HERE.
WHEN ALTON ROAD WAS RAISED AND THE PARK WASN'T RAISED AND THE PROPER INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DRAINAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED, THAT FIELD AND TRACK BECOMES A LAKE EVERY SINGLE TIME THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING THERE.
I HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WORRIED ABOUT THAT TRACK BEING CLOSED DOWN.
UH, IF THIS FIRE STATION WAS PLACED THERE, WHICH IS NOT GONNA BE, BUT REGARDLESS, AT SOME POINT THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO PLEASE GIVE ME 20 MORE SECONDS, 30 SECONDS, UH, THAT THAT PARK IS GONNA HAVE TO BE REPAIRED REGARDLESS, MOVING FORWARD.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THE PRIOR FIRE CHIEF AND THE FIRE UNION HAD PREVIOUSLY STATED THAT THIS IS THE BEST LOCATION THAT THEY HAVE SEEN OUT OF ALL THE SITES PROPOSED AND THE PEOPLE DID VOTE.
AND I DO FEEL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE SPEAKING AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS DARBY.
I AM A NEW RESIDENT TO MIAMI BEACH.
ACTUALLY MOVED HERE IN NOVEMBER.
UM, AND I'M IN OPPOSITION OF BUILDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT FLAMINGO PARK.
I UNDERSTAND THIS PROPOSAL WON'T COMPLETELY TAKE AWAY THE TRACK, BUT IT WILL TAKE AWAY PRECIOUS GREEN SPACE THAT MAKES FLAMINGO PARK SO SPECIAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN I MOVED HERE, I HAD ZERO FRIENDS, BUT SHOWING UP TO THE PARK, ESPECIALLY THE TRACK, HELPED ME FIND CONNECTION.
THROUGH THE SOUTH BEACH TRACK CLUB, I'VE MET INCREDIBLE PEOPLE WHO'VE BECOME MY REAL FRIENDS.
WE SHOW UP WEEK AFTER WEEK, AND WE GRAB PIZZA AFTER ANY RUNS.
UM, IT'S BECOME A PLACE WHERE I FEEL GROUNDED AND AT HOME.
FLAMINGO PARK ISN'T JUST A FACILITY, BUT IT'S A COMMUNITY.
SO TAKING AWAY PART OF THAT SPACE DISRUPTS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
PLEASE PROTECT MIAMI BEACH, UM, AND CONTINUE TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE HOME.
[01:00:01]
GOOD MORNING.I'VE LIVED HERE FOR OVER 55 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN RUNNING ON THIS TRACK FOR OVER 55 YEARS.
SOME OF THE GREATEST RUNNERS IN THE WORLD HAVE RUN ON THIS TRACK, AND FOR ME TO SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS STATE THAT THIS BUILDING WILL NOT AFFECT THE TRACK IS PREPOSTEROUS.
IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT RUNNING, YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE WIND DIRECTION IN BOTH.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE WIND FLOW IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
THIS BUILDING IS GONNA BE FIVE OR SIX STORIES TALL.
HOW MANY FEET IS IT GONNA BE? UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S SPONSORING THIS.
BUT, UH, MARTINEZ, OFF THE TOP OF THERE, I'M, I'M VERY ANGRY OVER THIS ISSUE BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING PUBLIC SPACE AND MOVING A FIRE STATION 6,700 FEET AWAY.
WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THAT? WHY ARE WE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY TO DO STUDIES THAT COULD BE CONDUCTED ON THE BACK OF A NAPKIN AND, AND LATE TO REST? AS SOON AS IT'S COMPLETED? IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.
PLEASE LEAVE THIS PARK ALONE, REBUILD THE FIRE STATION WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY, THERE'S 21,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE ON THAT LOT.
I'M WITH THE DELEAGE 100 LINCOLN ROAD.
UH, I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF, UH, TWO INITIATIVES ARE, UH, SEVEN I, UM, I WOULD LIKE I WAS TOLD BY THE RITZ, THE GREAT JOB THAT THE CITY HAS DONE WITH THE RITZ TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
I'VE ALSO BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE GREAT EFFORT FROM COMMISSIONER ALEX FERNANDEZ INITIATING AND FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THIS EFFORT.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT EFFORT, UH, FOR THE AREA.
IT CONCEPTUALIZES AND PROVIDES A BUDGET TO REVITALIZE THE AREA BY MAKING THE TWO 300 BLOCK A PEDESTRIAN MALL.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IF THE CITY FUNDS THIS, THIS INITIATIVE, THE RICH WILL CONTRIBUTE, UH, TO THE DESIGN COSTS.
ALSO IMPORTANT TO THIS IS THE COUNTY THAT WILL BE HELPING CLOSE THE 200, 300 BLOCK AND REROUTING THE BUSES.
AND THEN FINALLY, THERE'S LEGISLATION BY, UH, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ TO REVITALIZE THE AREA.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST CHANCE WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS AREA BETTER FOR THE RESIDENTS AND FOR TOURISTS TO COME.
ON A SEPARATE NOTE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UM, THE COMMISSION FOR ADDRESSING OUR NEEDS.
TANYA BACH, FOR PROVIDING POLICE, UH, PATROL IN THE AREA.
THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING, UH, POWER WASHING AND MORE INITIATIVES.
SO THAT IS THE GREAT NEWS I NOW SHARED.
I ALSO WANNA SAY, UH, THAT REALLY LINCOLN ROAD REALLY NEED NOT WAIT FOR ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS, FOR ALL OF THIS PEDESTRIANIZATION.
WE NEED MONEY NOW TO FIX THE HOMELESS, UH, TO, TO MOVE THEM, TO FIX THE CRIME.
IT'S THE WORLD DEPLORABLE HAS NOW BECOME POLITICIZED.
I MOVED HERE, UH, FULL TIME A FEW YEARS AGO.
I'M, I CAME TO MIAMI BEACH BECAUSE LINCOLN ROAD IS JUST SUCH A COOL PLACE.
OCEAN DRIVE, SUCH A COOL PLACE.
AND NOW LOOK AT IT, RIGHT POST COVID, YOU, WE'VE GOT JUST, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S INHUMANE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE.
IT'S INHUMANE TO MAKE OUR TOURISTS GO THROUGH THIS.
I FIND MYSELF TRAVELING NORTH AND SOUTH TO GO TO DINNER BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA WALK THROUGH THAT.
I HAVE OTHER, UH, THINGS I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR.
SO I'LL JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME.
THAT CONCLUDES EVERYONE WHO WAS ONLINE WHEN SUT, UH, FOR SUT, NICK ORIGINALLY.
UH, THERE'S ANO ANOTHER SUT HOUR AT ONE IF ANYONE WANTS TO ATTEND.
OKAY, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR, UH, YOUR COMMENTS.
WE ALSO, IN ADDITION, I GUESS MY TIME IS UP THERE,
SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR, UH, PROVIDING YOUR INPUT.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
UH, CONSENT AGENDA? YES, SIR.SO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE BEEN SEPARATED, UH, UNLESS I STATE OTHERWISE, THE LIST THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PROVIDED IS CORRECT.
FOR THE MOST PART, COMMISSIONER BOT IS SEPARATING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. C SEVEN A FC SEVEN A GC SEVEN A LC SEVEN K.
COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ IS SEPARATING ITEM C SEVEN A D.
SO COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, C SEVEN A D COMMISSIONER SUAREZ IS SEPARATING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS.
[01:05:01]
C SEVEN WC SEVEN XC SEVEN JC SEVEN Q, AND AN ITEM THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE ON THE LIST, C SEVEN AA.SO PLEASE ADD TO YOUR LIST C SEVEN AA.
AND I'M PULLING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 14 YEARS, I'M PULLING AN ITEM C SEVEN DS.
I NEED TO PROVIDE THE COMMISSION WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, MOTION TO SET THE AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE, UH, SEPARATED ITEMS. SECOND.
SO THIS IS A MOTION FOR THE, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR SUAREZ.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY ADDENDUM ITEM I, THE ADDENDUM ITEM, INCLUDING THOSE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE MAYOR AT THIS TIME.
THEY WILL BE HEARD SEPARATELY AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK.
[C7 B A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ELECTING COMMISSIONER JOSEPH MAGAZINE, GROUP VI, AS VICE-MAYOR, FOR A TERM COMMENCING ON AUGUST 1, 2025, AND TERMINATING ON NOVEMBER 30, 2025.]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THAT WE JUST, UH, DID ON CONSENT ONE, UM, STARTING AUGUST 1ST, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CHANGING OF THE VICE MAYOR.I KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ NEVER LIKED TO BE REFERRED TO IT, SO I DON'T DO IT.
BUT STARTING AUGUST 1ST, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, YOU WILL TAKE OVER THAT ROLE.
WHICH IS, UH, MOSTLY JUST CEREMONIAL.
IF I STEP AWAY FROM THE DAY AS, UM, THE VICE MAYOR THEN RUNS THE MEETING.
BUT, UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
UH, COMING UP, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALSO, UH,
[C7 AK A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, CONSENTING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF JOHN C. NORRIS, AS THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.]
C SEVEN EIGHT K IS AN ITEM WE JUST APPROVED.WE ARE GONNA HAVE A NEW PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, JOHN NORRIS.
AND, UH, ERIC, I KNOW A COUPLE MONTHS AGO I HAD PUT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA ABOUT FILLING CERTAIN POSITIONS.
AND, UH, I HAVE TO TELL YOU SO FAR THE PEOPLE YOU'RE PICKING, WHETHER IT BE PARKING AND, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, FACILITIES, NOW, PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, SO FAR I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE, UH, WITH THE INDIVIDUALS YOU HAVE, UH, SELECTED, THAT WE HAVE APPROVED.
AND, UM, I'M, I'M CONFIDENT THAT JOHN WILL CONTINUE IN THAT, IN THAT TREND.
UM, IS HE HERE? IF WE CAN, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE HIM? YEAH.
JOHN'S HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, AND I THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR, FOR THE SUPPORT THAT I'VE GOTTEN FOR THE COMMISSION AND CONFIRMING ALL OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I'M VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT THIS IS THE LAST OF THE VACANT DIRECTOR POSITIONS.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE NO MORE INTERIM ROLES IN THE DIRECTOR LEVEL AND THE AND ABOVE IN THE CITY.
AND, UH, I'VE MET WITH JOHN AND, UH, UNDERSTANDING HE IS GONNA BE A CONSTITUENT AS WELL.
SO, UH, WE'RE PLEASED, PLEASED ABOUT THAT.
[R7 K A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE AT ITS DECEMBER 20, 2024 MEETING TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE A SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT (SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT) WITH THE GREATER MIAMI SPORTS COMMISSION, INC. (FIFA HOST COMMITTEE) FOR 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP-RELATED EVENTS IN MIAMI BEACH, SUCH SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT TO INCLUDE: (1) A MAXIMUM CASH SPONSORSHIP CONTRIBUTION OF $1.5 MILLION, (2) A WAIVER OF SPECIAL EVENT FEES, LUMMUS PARK USER FEES, SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES, CITY SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $500,000, (3) A ZONE OF EXCLUSIVITY, (4) POURING RIGHTS EXCLUSIVITY WAIVER, AND (5) THE PUBLIC BENEFITS TO INCLUDE, WITHOUT LIMITATION, A FIFA WORLD CUP KICKOFF CONCERT, OFFICIAL WATCH PARTY LOCATION IN NORTH BEACH AND POTENTIAL LEGACY PROJECT IN THE CITY’S PARKS; AND FURTHER, APPROVING, IN SUBSTANTIAL FORM, THE SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE FIFA HOST COMMITTEE TO INCLUDE (A) A MAXIMUM CASH SPONSORSHIP CONTRIBUTION IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,250,000, (B) A WAIVER OF SPECIAL EVENT FEES, LUMMUS PARK USER FEES, SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES, CITY SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $500,000, AND (C) COMMITMENTS BY THE FIFA HOST COMMITTEE (I) TO ACTIVELY PROMOTE AND CHANNEL MEDIA TOWARD A “MEDIA ROW” IN LUMMUS PARK; (II) TO HOST A TO BE DETERMINED NUMBER OF 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP WATCH PARTIES IN SOUTH BEACH AND/ OR NORTH BEACH; (III) TO USE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS TO RAISE SUFFICIENT SPONSORSHIPS TO PRODUCE A KICKOFF CONCERT AND; (IV) TO CONTRIBUTE, SUBJECT TO FUNDRAISING, TOWARD THE COST OF BUILDING A HIGH-QUALITY SOCCER FIELD WITHIN THE CITY; AND FURTHER, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO FINALIZE THE SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT CONSISTENT WITH FURTHER DIRECTION PROVIDED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION, IF ANY; AND FINALLY, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE THE SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.]
R SEVEN K.R SEVEN K IS NEGOTIATE SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT.
WE HAD A ROBUST DISCUSSION AT OUR FINANCE MEETING ON FRIDAY, UH, ABOUT THIS.
AND, UM, I'M ACTUALLY, I HAVE TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE FIFA.
IT IS, UM, IT'S LITERALLY KIND OF ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FIFA BE HERE FOR OUR CITY IN THE SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUNITY.
I DID EXPRESS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE 1.5 MILLION, AND THEN I HAD A CONFERENCE CALL WITH, UH, WITH THE HOST COMMITTEE AND, UH, ASKED THEM TO COME DOWN TO 1.25, WHICH THEY HAVE.
UH, SO THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE TABLE TODAY.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR LISA ANTE, UH, TOURISM AND CULTURE DIRECTORS HERE OF MIAMI BEACH.
UH, WE'RE LESS THAN A YEAR AWAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, BEING ONE OF THE HOST, UH, LOCATIONS FOR THE WORLD'S LARGEST SPORTING EVENT, WHICH IS THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026.
UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH THE FIFA HOST COMMITTEE FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
I'M GONNA SHARE REALLY QUICKLY WHAT THE TERMS WERE FOR THE SPECIAL EVENTS SPONSORSHIP REQUEST THAT WAS PRESENTED AT THE FEB, UH, DECEMBER 20TH 24, UH, FERC MEETING.
UH, THE TERMS FOR THE SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORSHIP ARE AS FOLLOWS, UH, WAIVERS OF SPECIAL EVENT FEES, NUMEROUS PARK USER FEES, SQUARE FOOTAGE, FEES, AND CITY SERVICES NOT TO EXCEED 500,000, UH, CASH SPONSORSHIP AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 1.5 MILLION A SO OF EXCLUSIVITY, SIMILAR TO OUR BASEL IN NORTH AND SOUTH BEACH.
A WAIVER OF THE PEPSI POURING RIGHTS IN EXCHANGE FOR PUBLIC BENEFITS OF AN OFFICIAL KICKOFF AT CONCERT IN LOMIS PARK.
AN OFFICIAL WATCH PARTY LOCATION IN MIAMI BEACH, A MEDIA ROW SIMILAR TO SUPER BOWL IN LOMIS PARK, AND A LEGACY PROJECT WITH FUNDRAISING EFFORTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO A HIGH QUALITY SOCCER FIELD IN THE CITY.
UH, THE FERC VOTED TO, UH, MOVE THIS ITEM TO THE COMMISSION WITH A FABLE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE ON THE TERMS THAT WERE PRESENTED AT THE JULY 11TH BUDGET WORKSHOP.
UH, MR. MAYOR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS DISCUSSED, UH, THE CASH SPONSORSHIP OF THE SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORSHIP AND ASKED THE, UH, STAFF TO NEGOTIATE, UH, BRINGING THAT NUMBER DOWN FOR 1.5, EXCUSE
[01:10:01]
ME, TO 1.25.AND SO WE HAVE SOME UPDATES THAT WE'VE ALSO NEGOTIATED, WHICH I'M GOING SHARE, UH, WITH THE TERMS, WHICH INCLUDE, UM, AS I MENTIONED, BRINGING THAT CASH SPONSORSHIP DOWN.
UH, THE COMMITTEE HAS, UH, A NUMBER TO BE DETERMINED OF WATCH PARTIES IN NORTH AND SOUTH BEACH.
AND, UM, WE ALSO HAVE EXCLUDED THE FOLLOWING EVENTS FROM THEIR ZONE OF EXCLUSIVITY, WHICH INCLUDES THE MIAMI BEACH PRIDE CELEBRATION IN LOOMIS PARK IN JUNE, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
UM, JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, THE JULY 4TH CELEBRATIONS IN LOOMIS PARK AND IN ALTOS A MAR PARK.
AND THEY WILL ALSO BRING A FIFA LEGEND TO ATTEND A MIAMI BEACH PUBLIC EVENT.
UM, I HAVE TODAY, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FIFA HOST COMMITTEE, RAY MARTINEZ, WHO'S HERE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ANY FURTHER DETAILS THAT I DIDN'T CAPTURE OR ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR THE WORLD CUP MIAMI HOST COMMITTEE.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE MAYOR, THE COMMISSION, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND THE CLERK FOR WORKING WITH US OVER THE PAST SIX, SEVEN MONTHS TO FRUITION TO BRING THIS ITEM HERE, UH, TODAY TO YOU.
UH, AS MENTIONED, THE WORLD CUP IS THE LARGEST SPORTING EVENT IN THE WORLD.
UH, AND THIS IS THE LARGEST WORLD CUP THAT EVER HAS BEEN HELD.
THERE ARE 48 DIFFERENT NATIONS THAT WILL BE PARTICIPATING 104 MATCHES, SPREAD OUT OVER 16 HOST CITIES WITH MIAMI BEING ONE OF THEM.
WE HAVE SEVEN MATCHES THAT ARE GONNA BE PLAYED HERE AT THE HARD ROCK STADIUM, WHICH WILL BE, UM, RENAMED AND REBRANDED AS THE MIAMI STADIUM.
UH, FOR THE MATCHES, WE HAVE FOUR, UH, QUALIFYING MATCHES, A ROUND OF 32 A QUARTER FINAL, AND THE BRONZE MEDAL FINAL.
UM, ONE OF THE, UH, UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT THE WORLD CUP, OBVIOUSLY IS THE INTERNATIONAL DRAW FROM 48 DIFFERENT NATIONS.
OUR, UH, TOURNAMENT PERIOD STARTS ON JUNE 15TH AND GOES TILL JULY 18TH.
SO WE HAVE THE SECOND LONGEST TOURNAMENT PERIOD FROM THE FIRST MATCH TO THE SECOND TO THE LAST MATCH, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THEY'RE NOT ONLY HERE FOR THE SEVEN DAYS THAT THE MATCHES ARE, THEY'RE GONNA BE USING, YOU KNOW, SOUTH FLORIDA, THE CITY OF MIAMI, MIAMI BEACH AS THEIR JUMP OFF POINT, IF YOU WILL.
WE HAVE MET AS A HOST COMMITTEE WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, UM, ENTITIES, UH, INCLUDING THE COUNSELOR CORPS AND, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, NATIONS THAT HAVE COME AND WANTED TO MEET WITH US BECAUSE THEY FEEL MIAMI AND MIAMI BEACH AND SOUTH FLORIDA IS AN IMPORTANT PLACE FOR THEIR COUNTRIES COMING TO VIEW THE WORLD CUP.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING, UH, WITH MIAMI BEACH.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
WE DO HAVE A SIZZLE REEL IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, UH, TO SHOW THAT KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF WHAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE HERE IN MIAMI BEACH.
HOW LONG'S THE REEL? UH, 90 SECONDS.
PJ, IF YOU COULD CUE THE REAL THANK YOU.
HOW MANY MATCHES ARE HAPPENING IN SOUTH FLORIDA? WE HAVE SEVEN
[01:15:01]
MATCHES.SO, AND I ONLY ASKED THAT BECAUSE I, I, UM, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND I WAS LOOKING BACK, UM, IN 2024 WHEN THE GAME DAY FOR COPA AMERICA, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR OCCUPANCY RATES, OUR OCCUPANCY RATES IN MIAMI BEACH FOR GAME DAY OF COPA AMERICA WENT UP ALMOST 10%.
OUR GROSS ROOM REVENUE WENT UP 27%.
AND THAT'S JUST LOOKING AT DATA AS IT RELATES TO OUR HOTELS THAT'S NOT GOING AND LOOKING INTO THE IMPACT ON OUR RESTAURANTS OR THE SIGNIFICANT MEDIA IMPACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET FROM HAVING MEDIA ROW HERE.
AND THAT WAS ONLY LOOKING AT A ONE DAY GAME.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SEVEN, SEVEN, UH, GAMES.
SO WE CAN SEE MUCH BIGGER IMPACTS, I WOULD IMAGINE, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL GAME, UM, WITH, UH, WITH JUST GREAT RIPPLE EFFECTS FOR OUR ECONOMY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CITY.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR MIAMI BEACH.
I BELIEVE 1.5 BILLION PEOPLE WATCH THE WORLD CUP AND VIEWING IT WITH THE OFFICIAL ASSOCIATION WITH FIFA IS JUST INVALUABLE AND THE PUBLIC RELATIONS VALUE TO OUR CITY.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE COULD EVER GET IT.
SO I'M HAPPY TO SPONSOR THE ONE POINT, UH, TWO 5 MILLION BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET IT BACK IN SO MANY OTHER WAYS.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SHOWCASE MIAMI BEACH WITH FIFA AND THE WORLD CUP COMMITTEE AND, UH, IT'S GONNA BE REALLY EXCITING.
UH, I, UH, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, THEN COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
UH, I'M VERY EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, GREAT PUBLIC BENEFIT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF IT AS WELL.
UM, I'VE READ SOME OF THE MATERIAL AND IT TALKS ABOUT, UH, A WATCH PARTY, A LEGEND APPEARANCE, UM, OF, OF OTHER VIEWINGS, POTENTIAL BROADCASTS FROM, UH, OCEAN DRIVE.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR OUR CITY.
UH, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY EXCITING TIME NEXT YEAR, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
MR. MAYOR, IF I COULD, UM, MR. THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.
THIS WILL BE THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE WORLD AND POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF MIAMI AND, AND MIAMI BEACH.
FOR THOSE OUT THERE, WONDERING WHY THE CITY MAY BE GIVING FIFA SUCH A SUBSTANTIAL SUM OF MONEY.
UH, ONE TO CLARIFY, IT IS COMING OUT OF OUR RESORT TAXES, WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO ESSENTIALLY PROMOTE AND ENHANCE TOURISM.
AND THE MONEY THAT WE WILL ESSENTIALLY BE SHARING WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ROI RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
SO THIS ISN'T JUST SOME SORT OF GIVEAWAY OR WE'RE GIVING MONEY TO FIFA, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS THAT WE'RE GETTING BACK.
THAT $1.25 MILLION THAT FIFA WILL UTILIZE.
WE'LL BE PAID BACK TO THE CITY MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THROUGH THINGS LIKE VIEWING PARTIES, WATCH PARTIES, THE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE AND THE MARKETING THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET FROM WORLDWIDE BROADCAST.
THE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT SHOW FRONT AND CENTER OCEAN DRIVE OUR LOVELY, UH, ART DECO HISTORIC DISTRICT, OUR BEAUTIFUL BEACHES.
UH, THOSE THINGS ARE INCALCULABLE, IMMEASURABLE.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO WELCOME FIFA AND, UH, CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT SUMMER.
ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION? I, I'LL SECOND.
I HEARD COMMISSIONER BOTS AND THEN I HEARD COMMISSIONER, UH, MAGAZINE AS THE SECOND, SO, OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR OF R SEVEN K, PLEASE SAY AYE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER.
[C7 K A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE, AT ITS JULY 16, 2025 MEETING AND APPROVING, IN SUBSTANTIAL FORM, AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO THE AMENDED AND RESTATED CONCESSION AGREEMENT, DATED MAY 21, 2019 (“AGREEMENT”), AMONG THE CITY, BOUCHER BROTHERS MIAMI BEACH, LLC AND BOUCHER BROTHERS MIAMI BEACH 21 & 46ST, LLC (COLLECTIVELY “CONCESSIONAIRE”), FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC BEACHFRONT CONCESSION AREAS; SAID AMENDMENT AUTHORIZING A ONE (1) YEAR PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE SALE OF A SET MENU OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WITHIN THE LUMMUS PARK AND 21ST STREET BEACHFRONT CONCESSION AREAS; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE CITY MANAGER MAY, AT ANY TIME AND IN HIS SOLE DISCRETION, SUSPEND THE ALCOHOL SALES PROGRAM FOR UP TO SIXTY (60) DAYS OR TERMINATE THE PROGRAM ENTIRELY, IN EACH CASE UPON AT LEAST TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS’ PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE CONCESSIONAIRE; AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE THE AMENDMENT.]
C SEVEN K, WHICH WAS PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.C SEVEN K IS APPROVED AMENDMENT TWO TO BEACHFRONT CONCESSION AGREEMENT WITH BOUCHER BROTHERS
UM, YEAH, SO I, I PULLED THIS ITEM 'CAUSE I HAVE A, A QUESTION OR TWO.
I AM TORN, AS I SAID IN OUR FERC DISCUSSION LAST WEEK ABOUT THIS ITEM, BUT I'M WILLING TO GIVE IT A, A PILOT TEST FOR, UH, THE PERIOD OF, OF ONE YEAR WITH THE RIGHT TO PULL THE PLUG WITH 24 HOURS NOTICE IF ANYTHING GETS EVEN CLOSE TO, UM, MOVING THE RIGHT IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
UM, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND, AND I THINK THAT WE ALL, AND THE CITY MANAGER, UM, NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO.
[01:20:01]
I HAD FOR YEARS ON THE PLANNING BOARD, WE HAD, UM, UM,AND THAT IS PART OF WHAT THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE COVERING.
AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OPERATION WILL EVOLVE AS, AS THE NEEDS BECOME APPARENT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET CLARITY ON HOW THAT ISSUE WAS GOING TO BE OVERCOME.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A WRONG QUESTION OR A RALPH QUESTION.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER, RALPH ANDRATI REPRESENT THE BOUCHER BROTHERS.
WITH RESPECT TO YOUR QUESTION, UM, WE INTEND TO HIRE OFF-DUTY POLICE.
UH, WE KNOW SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE.
IF THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE, WE'LL LOOK TO OUTSIDE JURISDICTIONS, UH, TO HIRE OFF-DUTY POLICE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
A LOT OF PRIVATE BUSINESSES DO THAT.
AND YOU SHOULD KNOW IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS A LICENSED PREMISES UNDER STATE LAW WITH A STATE LICENSE, WE'RE SUBJECT TO OVERSIGHT, UM, AND ENFORCEMENT, UH, UNDER STATE LAW BY THE DABT, WHICH IS A DIVISION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND TOBACCO.
SO THE CITY WILL ESSENTIALLY BE GETTING A STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AT NO COST TO THE CITY, WHICH ALSO HAS EYES ON THIS PROGRAM AND DOES INSPECTIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, SERVING, UH, TO MINORS AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.
SO, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE SECURITY THAT WE INTEND TO PROVIDE WITH OFF-DUTY AS WELL AS OUR OWN PRIVATE SECURITY AND PARK RANGERS, IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE, UH, THERE WILL BE OVERSIGHT, UH, BY THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AS WELL.
AND, UM, THAT CAN BE, UM, BOLSTERED AS NEEDED.
AND THESE SALES WILL BE ONLY IN THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCESSION SPACES ON THE BEACH THAT ARE CURRENTLY EXISTING, CORRECT? THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE, UH, WEST OF THE DUNES, SO THEY WILL NOT IMPINGE ON BUSINESSES ON OCEAN DRIVE AND COLLINS? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO, AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THE CONTRACT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BOUCHER BROTHERS ARE EXCELLENT PARTNERS WITH THE CITY.
THEY HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF BEING EXCELLENT PARTNERS WITH THE CITY, BUT THEY DO HAVE THE RIGHT, UM, TO GO ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH THE VERY NORTHERN END OF NORTH BEACH.
AND THAT CAUSES SOME CONCERN FOR NORTH BEACH RESIDENTS BECAUSE AS GREAT AS IT IS TO HAVE VERY ORGANIZED, UM, CONCESSIONS IN SOUTH BEACH, AND SOME PEOPLE REALLY LIKE THAT, THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO EVER USE THAT AND DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO BE BASICALLY FORCED TO FIND A LITTLE PLOT OF SAND, YOU KNOW, WINNOW THEIR WAY THROUGH, UM, AREAS OF, OF, UH, UM, SEATING ARRANGEMENTS AND UMBRELLAS THAT HAVE BEEN SET UP.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF YOU WOULD BE AGREEABLE TO, UM, NOT ACTIVATING THOSE SPOTS IN NORTH BEACH, NORTH OF ALTOS DEL MAR PARK, UNLESS THE COMMISSION EXPRESSLY AND EXPLICITLY VOTES TO AUTHORIZE YOU TO DO THAT RATHER THAN BY DOING IT, AS OF RIGHT.
I THINK THAT ALL LAYS A LOT OF CONCERNS FOR NORTH BEACH RESIDENTS.
UM, IF THERE IS A POCKET WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DESIRE FOR NORTH BEACH RESIDENTS TO HAVE ONE OUTPOST RATHER THAN THE EIGHT, I THINK THAT YOU HAVE AS RIGHT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD, WOULD BE WILLING TO ACTIVATE? SURE.
LOOK, WHATEVER THE COMM, WE'RE HERE TO SERVE THE CITY AND, AND THE COMMISSION'S, YOU KNOW, DESIRE AND, AND WILL.
SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WOULD, IF YOU DON'T WANT US TO ACTIVATE IT, WE WON'T ACTIVATE IT.
IF YOU DON'T BLESS THE ACTIVATION, OBVIOUSLY WE WON'T ACTIVATE IT.
IF YOU WANT US TO ACTIVATE ONE BLOCK, WE'LL DO ONE BLOCK.
IF YOU WANT TWO, WE'LL DO TWO.
AND I THINK IN, IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS BETWEEN SOUTH BEACH AND NORTH BEACH.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, AGREE TO SOME NUMBER OF, OF BEACH EQUIPMENT THAT THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA CAN USE AT NO COST TO THEM.
UM, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
SO, SO YOU WOULD ACTIVATE, UH, UH, ONE ALCO WHERE RESIDENTS COULD PUT IN A REQUEST AND USE A BEACH CHAIR FOR FREE IN NORTH BEACH, CORRECT? UP TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT, OF COURSE.
AND THEN WHAT ABOUT A CITYWIDE RESIDENT DISCOUNT? A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, ARE NOT ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE THING TO SPLURGE FOR A WEEKEND, BUT IT'S ANOTHER, OR IF YOU'RE OUT IN FROM OUT OF TOWN.
BUT IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT HERE, UM, IS THERE, THERE IS NO RESIDENT DISCOUNT NOW.
SO COULD WE, FOR A CITYWIDE RESIDENT DISCOUNTS, COULD YOU FIGURE OUT A WAY TO IMPLEMENT THAT? YES, WE COULD.
UM, HOW SOON COULD YOU EFFECTUATE THAT? HOW MUCH OF A, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING 40%.
UM, COULD WE RESPECTFULLY COUNT TO 35% MM-HMM
[01:25:01]
SURE.UM, AND WE WOULD LOOK TO IMPLEMENT THAT ASAP, AS WITH GIMME A TIME, UH, TWO MONTHS.
COULD YOU GIVE US 90 DAYS TO, TO IMPLEMENT THAT? WHY WOULD YOU NEED 90 DAYS? 60? UH, JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GONNA REQUIRE SOME TYPE OF PROGRAMMING WHERE WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE TO FOLKS, BUT WE DON'T WANNA DEAL WITH THE SITU.
AND I GET THIS WITH THE TOWING A LOT, THE RESIDENT DISCOUNT, AS, YOU KNOW, FOLKS SHOW UP, I'M A RESIDENT, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROVE THEIR RESIDENT.
SO THERE, THERE HAS TO BE SOME METHOD OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE KNOW THEIR RESIDENTS.
SO I THINK IT JUST WOULD TAKE A MONTH TO TWO MONTHS TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM WHERE MAYBE RESIDENTS CAN ENROLL, SORT OF LIKE IN THE, THE TEXT TO TOE THAT YOU HAVE OR THE, THE HANDICAP PARKING, UM, PROGRAM.
THAT'S WHERE WE KNOW THE FOLKS THAT ARE SHOWING UP OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE CAN AFFORD THE DISCOUNT TO THEM.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ACTIVATED NO LATER THAN SIX WEEKS FROM NOW.
UM, LET'S COLLABORATE AS SOON AS YOU KNOW WHAT THE SYSTEM WILL BE SO WE CAN START PREPARING CITYWIDE, UM, COMMUNIQUES TO LET RESIDENTS KNOW.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD BE PRETTY PSYCHED TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE BEACH AND HAVE A CHAIR, WHICH MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING IN THEIR BUDGET PRIOR.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT PROTECTING NORTH BEACH.
AND, UH, WITH THAT I MOVE THE ITEM.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THIS, UM, FOR RESIDENTS, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING IF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD BE OKAY WITH IT.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK TWO MINUTE PRESENTATION TO REALLY, UH, LAY THE REASONS OF WHY THIS IS, UH, A GOOD IDEA FOR A PILOT.
UM, SO PJ, CAN YOU PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN PLEASE? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, UH, THE PROBLEM IS A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF ILLEGAL ALCOHOL SALES THAT ARE ON THE BEACH.
UM, ILLEGAL BEACH FING IS OUTTA CONTROL.
BOTH RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS HAVE, HAVE, HAVE SENT ME, UH, EMAILS SAYING THAT THEY FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
UH, SOME OF THE STATS, 136 ARRESTS IN 2020 THREE, A HUNDRED FIFTY ONE IN 2024, AND ONLY 27 FOR YEAR TO DATE.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S LESS ALCOHOL SALES.
I JUST THINK THAT POLICE RESOURCES ARE SO STRAINED THAT, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT COST PROHIBITIVE TO BE ON THE BEACH ENFORCING ILLEGAL ALCOHOL SALES.
SOME OF THE COMMON ISSUES, UH, IS THAT THEY, A LOT OF THESE ILLEGAL BEACH VENDORS MAKE UNSAFE HOMEMADE COCKTAILS.
UM, THEY SELL, UH, IN GLASS CONTAINERS AND IN PLASTIC, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, LIKE I SAID, AN UNCOMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS, UH, UNDERMINES LOCAL BUSINESSES AND, AND, AND CITY TAX REVENUE.
HERE'S A VIDEO OF, UM, SOME OF THESE ILLEGAL VENDORS.
SO A LOT OF THESE VENDORS, WE DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE MIXING THE DRINKS COULD BE DRUGGED, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WHERE THEY'RE MADE, HOW THEY'RE MADE, AND HOW THEY'RE PASSED OUT.
UM, AND THESE ILLEGAL VENDORS ARE, ARE REALLY, ARE OMNIPRESENT.
AND WAYNE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT, CAN YOU COME UP FOR A SECOND CHIEF? AND THIS IS JUST ONE AFTER THE OTHER, UH, ESPECIALLY, UH, IN, IN OMI PARK.
AND MY FEAR IS, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T, UM, CONTINUE TO HAPPEN AND SOMEONE GETS SEVERELY HURT, UH, OR DRUGGED OR INJURED FROM ONE OF THESE ILLEGAL VENDORS.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PJ, I THINK.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THE MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT'S ALREADY STRETCHED THIN BEACH ATVS ARE COVERING SAFETY EMERGENCIES AND MORE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THESE ILLEGAL VENDORS GET ARRESTED AND THEY'RE RELEASED WITHIN HOURS AND THEY GO BACK TO ON THE BEACH.
UH, UNDERCOVER STINGS ARE RESOURCE HEAVY.
UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN A CHOICE BETWEEN ILLEGAL VENDORS AND REGULATED BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD CHOOSE THE THE BUSINESS.
UH, ONE YEAR PILOT PROGRAM FOR EVERYONE WATCHING LOCATION WOULD ONLY BE FOR LUMAS PARK AND 21ST STREET BEACH BEACHFRONT CONCESSIONS.
UH, THERE'S GONNA BE OVERSIGHT LICENSED CONCESSIONAIRE.
BOUCHER BROTHERS BEEN WITH US WITH THE CITY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, WE'RE, INSTEAD OF, INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THESE ILLEGAL VENDORS TO, TO CAPITALIZE
[01:30:01]
ON OUR BEACHES AND PRIVATE PROPERTY, AT LEAST NOW WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING MUCH NEEDED REVENUE TO THE CITY.UM, AND THE CITY, OF COURSE HAS A, UM, A CLAUSE WHERE IF THINGS GET OUTTA HAND, WE HAVE A, WE CAN TERMINATE ON A 24 HOUR NOTICE THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER.
NEXT SLIDE REMOVES THE INCENTIVES FOR ILLEGAL VENDORS.
SAFER CONTROLLED PRODUCT, NO GLASS, NO PLASTIC, NO MYSTERY COCKTAILS AND ENFORCEMENT AND SERVICES WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
LEVERAGES TRUSTING PARTNERS AND, UM, IT, IT PRO IT PROVES A, A, A MODEL ACROSS FLORIDA THAT HAS ALREADY WORKED.
UM, AND HERE'S JUST SOME OF THE CONCERNS.
IT INVITES MORE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION.
ALCOHOL IS ALREADY WIDESPREAD VIA LEGAL SELLERS AND BRING YOUR OWN BEER.
THIS REGULATES, NOT EXPANDS, IT HURTS.
OUR IMAGE IS A COMMON ARGUMENT.
ILLEGAL UNREGULATED ALCOHOL SERVICE IS WHAT REALLY HURTS OUR BRAND ON MIAMI BEACH.
SO WHEN TOURISTS COME HERE AND THEY SEE THEY GET HARASSED BY THESE ILLEGAL VENDORS, I THINK THAT'S MORE OF A THREAT TO OUR BRAND THAN, UH, HAVING SOMETHING THAT'S REGULATED.
LET'S BUILD ON IT WITH SMART TOOLS, NOT TURN A BLIND EYE.
UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE'S OVER A DOZEN BEACHES IN FLORIDA ALREADY PERMITTING ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ON THE BEACH, ON THE SCREEN.
YOU CAN SEE THEM, UM, IF THEY CAN DO IT RESPONSIBLY.
SO CAN WE, UM, WITH STRICT OVERSIGHT AND GUARANTEED REVENUE.
AND, UH, PJ YOU CAN TURN ON THE SLIDE PLEASE.
AND SO I'M, I'M GONNA BE FULLY SUPPORTIVE.
I, I THINK, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS, YOU KNOW, WHY WE'RE DOING THIS, UM, AND, AND, AND REALLY PUT AN END TO THESE, THESE ILLEGAL VENDORS ON THE BEACH.
UM, HOW, HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE TO ENFORCE THIS 24 7 OR DURING THE DAY? UM, YEAH, ESPECIALLY IN LUMES PARK AND, AND THESE LOCATIONS.
UH, GOOD MORNING, WAYNE JONES, CHIEF OF POLICE.
UH, YOU'RE REFERRING TO LEGITIMIZED, UM, BUSINESS OUT THERE SELLING ALCOHOL.
HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE TO ENFORCE? WELL, NO, UH, THE ILLEGAL ALCOHOL THAT'S ALREADY ON THE, ON THE BEACH NOW IN CROW BEACH, CHALLENGING TO ENFORCE BECAUSE IT IS RESOURCE INTENSIVE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD 151 ARRESTS OUT THERE LAST YEAR FOR LEGAL VENDING.
SOME OF THESE FOLKS NOT ONLY SELLING ALCOHOL, THEY'RE ALSO SELLING DRUGS.
DRUG OF CHOICE IS TYPICALLY MARIJUANA.
UH, OFTENTIMES YOU MAKE THESE ARRESTS, THESE FOLKS GO TO COURT, THESE CASES ARE, UH, THROWN OUTTA COURT AND THEY'RE BACK DOING IT AGAIN BECAUSE IT'S A CASH, UM, CASH BUSINESS.
SO THEY'RE FILLING A VOID, QUITE FRANKLY, ON THE BEACH.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY A MARKET FOR IT.
FOLKS ARE OUT THERE, THEY'RE HOT, AS UMAT JUST MENTIONED.
UM, THEY WANT A SOFT DRINK, ALCOHOL, BEVERAGE, UM, AND SOMETIMES DRUGS.
AND, AND SO WE POLICE IT AS BEST WE CAN.
UH, THE PREFERENCE WOULD BE, OBVIOUSLY FOR US, THERE'S LEGITIMATE BUSINESS OUT THERE, FOLKS THAT ARE IDING KIDS, BUYING ALCOHOL, UM, OUT THERE ON THE BEACH AS OPPOSED TO BUYING IT FROM A LEGAL VENDOR, UH, ON A BUSINESS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY REGULATE AND ENFORCE LAWS AGAINST IF THEY VIOLATE THE LAW IN ANY WAY, UM, IS A PREFERENCE FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M, I'M GONNA SECOND THE MOTION AND MR. COMMISSIONER BOTT, JUST, UH, A COUPLE MORE THINGS.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS THIS GETS IMPLEMENTED AND HOPEFULLY, UM, YOU'RE ABLE TO EXERT BETTER CONTROL OVER THE ILLEGAL SALES IN SOUTH BEACH, THAT YOU ARE PROACTIVELY MONITORING WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, IN NORTH BEACH.
I THINK THE MID BEACH AREA IS A LITTLE BIT SAFER BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THEIR UPLAND CONCESSIONS FOR THE HOTELS AND, AND, UH, CONDOS UP THERE.
BUT NORTH BEACH WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, INTENTIONALLY BY DESIGN AND BY CHOICE, UM, LESS INTENTIONALLY ACTIVATED, UM, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T DECIDE THAT THAT'S THEIR NEW STOMPING GROUNDS.
UM, WE ARE PROACTIVE ABOUT THIS.
WE HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE ABOUT THIS.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT PERSONAL STORY.
I TOOK MY FAMILY TO NORTH BEACH MONTHS AGO, AND AS THEY WALK OVER THE, UM, ENTRANCE, UH, THE BER TO GET TO THE CENTER ITSELF, THERE'S A GUY SET UP FULL STORE AND THERE IS DIFFERENT BE DISPLAYED.
AND MIXED DRINKS OBVIOUSLY HAD THE POWER TO DO SOME ABOUT IT.
THEY CALLED 'EM THE COPS AND TAKE CARE OF IT.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THIS BEACH, OUR BEACH, MIAMI BEACH IS A WASH WITH FOLKS DOING ILLEGAL VENDING, UH, FROM SOUTH POINT ALL THE WAY TO CITY LIMITS.
AND SO I THINK, UM, THIS MEASURE ACTUALLY HELPS US MITIGATE THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I HAVE ONE MORE THING THAT I HAD MEANT TO ASK, UM, FOR, FROM RALPH AND STEVE.
UM, IF YOU COULD JUST COME BACK UP FOR A QUICK SECOND.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT FOR YOUR
[01:35:01]
CONCESSIONS IN SOUTH BEACH, YOU SIFT THE SAND EVERY DAY.AND THE, WE AS A CITY IN MIAMI BEACH GET OUR SAND SIFTED BY THE STATE, BUT NO.
THE COUNTY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
IS IT ANY MORE THAN THAT, RON? IT'S, IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ANY EVENTS OUT THERE AS WELL.
IF, IF THERE ARE, THEN THEY DO IT, UH, MULTIPLE DAYS TO SIFT THROUGH THE SAND.
SO SINCE THERE ARE FEWER EVENTS UP IN NORTH BEACH, THERE, SAND GETS SIFTED UP IN NORTH BEACH, HOW OFTEN A YEAR? I THINK IT'S JUST, JUST DAILY.
SO LET'S SAY MAYBE 10 TIMES A YEAR.
UM, WOULD YOU BE ABLE AND WILLING TO, UM, USE THE SAND SIFTING EQUIPMENT THAT YOU HAVE IN SOUTH BEACH AND DO A SWEEP UP IN NORTH BEACH A FEW TIMES A WEEK? YES, WE WOULD.
WE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT UP TO THREE TIMES A WEEK, THREE TIMES A WEEK UP IN NORTH BEACH, UM, WHICH IS A MARKED IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT NORTH BEACH GETS NOW.
YEAH, THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT I WANTED TO STATE ABOUT THIS.
NUMBER ONE, WE ESTIMATE THAT THIS WILL GENERATE, UM, WELL A MINIMUM OF $250,000, BUT IT COULD GENERATE, UM, SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL.
UM, ANYWHERE YOU GO, UM, TO WORLDS CLASS TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE, WHETHER IT'S, UM, RE OR NICE, UH, THEY HAVE AN EXPERIENCE ON THE BEACH, CENTRA PE UH, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE'RE GOING HERE.
THIS IS NOT ANIMAL HOUSE STYLE PARTYING.
THIS IS, UM, THINK A WHISPERING ANGEL BEACH, UH, HAVING A GLASS OF ROSE UNDER PINK PALE UMBRELLAS STYLE OF
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE MOVING TOWARD.
AND WE WANT TO ATTRACT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES, THERE IS NOT A TROPICAL BEACH EXPERIENCE LIKE YOU HAVE IN MAMIE BEACH, BUT RIGHT NOW YOU CAN ONLY HAVE A DRINK ON THE BEACH IF YOU, UM, ARE STAYING AT A, AN EXPENSIVE BEACH RUN HOTEL.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK OF YOU, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK OF THIS ALMOST AS A DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE, THE BEACH STYLE EXPERIENCE.
UM, AND, UH, I LOVE THE FACT THAT COMMISSIONER BOT, UM, GOT THE 35% RESIDENT DISCOUNT.
I WISH I WOULD'VE THOUGHT OF THAT MYSELF WHEN WE WERE NEGOTIATING THIS.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST A ONE YEAR PILOT PROGRAM.
UM, I WANT THE BUSINESSES ON OCEAN DRIVE, WHICH ARE VERY CONCERNED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WILL NOT BE LIQUOR SALES IN ANY GREEN PATCH OF LOOMIS PARK BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS SOME SORT OF CONTROVERSY OR PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
IT'S GONNA BE EAST OF THE DUNES.
UM, ONLY SO, UM, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE.
I DO THINK THAT WE WILL FIND ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE IF WE ARE, IF THE BOUCHER BROTHERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MIAMI BEACH ARE SELLING THESE BEVERAGES ON THE BEACH, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE A, AN ILLEGAL VENDOR WHO COMES BY, THE OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER THAT IS THERE ON THAT BEACH IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, CALL THE POLICE OR HAVE SOME LEVEL OF ENFORCEMENT THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE IF WE WEREN'T REGULATING AND ACTUALLY SELLING, UH, THE BEVERAGES ON THE BEACH.
SO I THINK YOU WILL SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN OVERALL ENFORCEMENT SIMPLY BECAUSE OF MARKET CONDITIONS.
WHY WOULD THEY WANT ILLEGAL SALES OR WHY WOULD THEY WANT ANYBODY COMPETING WITH WHATEVER THE BEACH AND MIAMI BEACH IS SELLING? SO, UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME OF THE ACTIVATIONS AND, UM, I'M SUPPORTIVE.
AND COMMISSIONER, CAN I JUST ADD ONE THING? JUST YOU, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
YOU KNOW, THE IDEA HERE, IT'S NOT TO CREATE A PARTY ATMOSPHERE OUT ON THE BEACH, IT'S TO EXTEND THE, THE EXPERIENCE AND THE SERVICE THAT FOLKS ARE GETTING BEHIND THE HOTELS, THE FOUNTAIN BLUE, THE W ALL, ALL THE NICE TO THE LOWE'S HOTEL, THE ROYAL PALM, THE SAVOY HOTEL, ALL THE HOTELS WHERE ALCOHOL IS ALREADY BEING SERVED, EXTEND THAT EXPERIENCE TO LOOMIS PARK WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY A THOUSAND DOLLARS A NIGHT FOR A ROOM.
AND I THINK EVERYONE WILL BENEFIT FROM THAT, INCLUDING THE OCEAN DRIVE BUSINESSES.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, RISING TIDES LIFT ALL BOATS, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS NEW EXPERIENCE WILL ATTRACT NEW FAMILIES, FOLKS THAT AREN'T OTHERWISE COMING TO THE BEACH AND GOING TO THE MIAMI RIVER, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, SO WE BELIEVE THIS IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY AND AND WILL BE A GOOD THING FOR MIAMI BEACH.
IT'S, IT IS ELEVATING THE EXPERIENCE.
AND RIGHT NOW, IF, FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY THAT SOMEBODY GOES TO ONE OF THE BEACHES IN LOOMIS PARK AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ALCOHOL WITH THEM RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT PERMITTED.
SO THAT WOULD BE AN ILLEGAL USE TOO.
SO AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KIND OF LIMIT PEOPLE WHO WOULD COME TO THE BEACH AND POSSIBLY OVERDRINK BECAUSE THEY'RE BRINGING, YOU KNOW, BOTTLES OF LIQUOR THEMSELVES.
AND IF YOU HAVE THESE OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE THERE MONITORING THAT, I THINK YOU WILL SEE THAT WE'LL
[01:40:01]
HAVE LESS INCIDENCES OF, UH, BAD BEHAVIOR.AND THAT IS THE BEACH EXPERIENCE.
WHEN LIKE, UM, I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH.
WHEN YOU GO TO THE AMALFI COAST, UH, THAT IS WHAT YOU SEE ON THE BEACH.
YOU'LL SEE THE AAL SPRITZ BEACH.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE HAVE TO COMMERCIALIZE EVERY INCH OF EVERY BEACH, BUT THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S GO TO MIAMI BEACH.
AND, UM, AND, AND JUST THINK OF SOMETHING VERY ELEGANT, SOPHISTICATED.
I I SAW SOME OF, UH, WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING TO DO.
EVEN KIND OF LIKE A CHRISTIAN DIOR BEACH
UM, AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE GREAT FOR MIAMI BEACH AND I THINK THAT WE CAN GENERATE, UM, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF REVENUE, BOTH OF US.
DON'T WORRY, I'M NOT GONNA ASK FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, 'CAUSE I, I THINK PERHAPS THERE'S A CONCERN OUT THERE THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A FULL OPEN BAR AND THAT YOU CAN BUY SHOTS, AD NAUSEUM, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE INTENDING.
YOU'RE INTENDING CLOSED CONTAINERS, PRE-MIXED COCKTAILS.
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE WINE AND BEER? LIKE A BOTTLE OF, OF BEER, BEER, BEER.
IT WOULD ALL BE IN, IN PACKAGE CONTAINERS.
THERE'S NOT GONNA BE BARTENDERS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, FLIPPING BOTTLES AND LIKE IN THE MOVIE COCKTAIL, RIGHT.
SO THAT IT'S NOT THAT IT'S, IT'S CONTAINED.
MAY MAYBE HE'LL MAKE A RIBBON CUTTING APPEARANCE FOR THE FIRST SALE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE SERVING SHOTS OR MIXING COCKTAILS OR DRINKS OUT ON THE BEACH.
UM, SO FOR GLASSES OF WINE, THEY'LL BE PREPACKAGED.
THERE'LL BE NO GLASS, IT'LL BE ALL ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, ACCEPTED MIAMI BEACH PRODUCTS.
UM, LOOK, WE'RE LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING GOOD HERE FOR MIAMI BEACH.
SO JUST, YOU ALL CAN BE PROUD OF JUST, UM, FOR THE RECORD, IN CASE ANYBODY THINKS THAT THIS IS, UM, NOT CONDUCIVE WITH BLUE ZONES, WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, INITIATIVE THAT I'M CHAMPIONING WITH THE UNANIMOUS SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES, I WILL TELL YOU THAT TWO OF THE TENETS OF BLUE ZONES, UM, WAYS OF LIVING BETTER LONGER INCLUDE HAVING A GLASS OF WINE DAILY AND SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS, ACTUALLY THREE IN OPEN AIR SPACES.
SO, UM, IT IS ACTUALLY, I'M NOT SUGGESTING ANYBODY ABUSES THIS TO EXCESS, BUT THIS IS A NICE WAY TO EXPLORE THAT PART OF THE BLUE ZONES INITIATIVE QUESTION.
UM, SO THERE ARE BASICALLY THREE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE DIRECTLY BY THAT AREA, AN OCEAN DRIVE.
TWO ARE RESIDENTS, ONE IS A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, SO BE SAFE, THE OCEAN DRIVE ASSOCIATION AND THE ART DECKER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
THEY'VE ALL COME OUT AGAINST THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO THEM? HAVE YOU CONVERSED WITH THEM? HAVE YOU COMMUNICATED WITH THEM AT ALL? YES, WE DID.
UM, STEVE MET WITH, WITH ALL OF THEM.
AND, UM, SOME OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE GIVEN, UM, FOR OPPOSING THE PROJECT ARE, ARE BASED SOLELY ON, ON SELF-INTEREST, COMMERCIAL INTEREST, BUSINESS INTEREST.
THEY DON'T WANT COMPETITION WITH RESPECT TO, WELL, THAT'S THE OCEAN DRIVE, YOU COULD ARGUE, BUT THE TWO OTHERS ARE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENT ASSOCIATIONS.
THE, THE O THE OTHER TWO, UM, AM I FREE TO SHARE HOW, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER, AT LEAST ONE OF THE OTHER TWO EXPRESSED A AN OPINION OF WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE ILLEGAL SALES.
IT IT'S NOT AFFECTING OUR BUILDING.
THEY DON'T COME AND SELL ILLEGAL ALCOHOL HERE ON OUR BEACH.
WE DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS IN LOOMIS PARK.
WE DON'T CARE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OCEAN DRIVE.
IT WASN'T BASED ON A LARGER VISION FOR, OR WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF MIAMI BEACH.
IT WASN'T BASED ON BRINGING FAMILIES, UH, TO MIAMI BEACH TO HAVE A, A DIVERSIFICATION OF, OF THE CITY RECLAIM, UM, SOME OF WHAT MIAMI BEACH HAS LOST TO OTHER DESTINATIONS WHO ARE OFFERING, UH, EXPERIENCES SUCH AS THIS.
UM, BUT BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU SAY WE LOST, I, I, THERE'S A STAT THAT THE G-M-C-V-B AND I SAW DAVID WHITAKER HERE BEFORE THAT.
I MEAN, WE WERE AT FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE YEAR, WE WERE THE HIGHEST ON MULTIPLE, UH, LEVELS OF RATING.
UH, WE WERE AT THE HIGHEST ROOM PER NIGHT REVPAR, UH, OCCUPANCY RATE IN THE ENTIRE NATION.
WE'RE 25% HIGHER ON ANNUAL, ON AN AVERAGE ROOM RATE OF ANY CITY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY EXPENSIVE.
BUT WE COULD TELL YOU FROM, FROM OUR, I'M SAYING WE'RE DOING WELL, I THINK.
WELL, YEAH, WELL LOOK, THE CITY'S WE JUST WANT TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE FOR, FOR, FOR FOLKS.
I THINK UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, IT'S DONE, YOU KNOW, A GREAT JOB.
UH, WE JUST WANT TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE, UH, FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THIS TYPE OF EXPERIENCE.
IT'S COMMONPLACE THROUGHOUT FLORIDA.
I JUST CAME BACK FROM PORTUGAL, HAD A LOVELY TIME, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS TYPE OF EXPERIENCE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S ALL OVER THE CARIBBEAN.
PEOPLE EXPECT THIS TYPE OF EXPERIENCE.
THEY, THEY EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE BEACH WITH THEIR FAMILIES, HAVE A GLASS OF WINE.
[01:45:01]
UM, AND SOMEHOW IT'S BEEN MADE OUT TO BE A BOOGEYMAN OR IT'S GONNA DEVOLVE INTO CHAOS.WELL, THE, THE, THE, THE ISSUE IS THAT WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS HERE.
I THINK WE, MYSELF AND OUR ENTIRE COMMISSION AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB OF TURNING THE NARRATIVE AROUND OBVIOUSLY SPRING BREAK, THE LAST TWO YEARS, A GREAT SUCCESS.
SO BOUCHER BROTHERS HAS, DOES A GREAT JOB, GREAT CONCESSIONS, REALLY.
I, I MEAN, WE'RE, WE COULD MAY NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE.
I JUST GET CONCERNED WHAT THE IMAGE THAT WE'RE PROJECTING TO THE WORLD IS WHEN WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY IF IT, SINCE I THINK WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF TURNING THAT IMAGE.
I WOULD JUST SAY FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE CONCERNED, THE RESIDENTS, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER INSISTED ON THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE THE PROGRAM UPON 24 HOURS NOTICE.
SO THE MOMENT THERE'S A HINT OR A WHIFF THAT THIS IS SOMEHOW, AND I BELIEVE SIDEWAYS, I ASKED THE CITY MANAGER TO ADD TO THAT, THAT THE CITY COMMISSION CAN ALSO STEPPED IN AND THE CITY COMMISSION.
SO YOU ALL HAVE MAXIMUM AUTHORITY AND CONTROL OVER THIS PROGRAM.
AND THE MOMENT YOU THINK IT'S NOT SERVING THE CITY'S INTEREST, THE NEXT DAY YOU COULD STOP IT.
AND WE'VE AGREED TO THAT, AND IT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
WE BELIEVE YOU'RE GONNA BE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
MR. MAYOR, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, THANK YOU.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK THE BESHE BROTHERS HAVE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CITY AND CONTRIBUTE IN SO MANY INCREDIBLE WAYS TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, GET YOU, YOU MANAGE OUR MOST PRIZED ASSET AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL.
AND SO I THINK I, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT JUST SPEAKS TO, TO YOU BEING A PARTNER WHO WE WOULD TRUST FOR SOMETHING OF THIS NATURE.
UM, I JUST, MY CONCERN IS THAT I KNOW THAT ALCOHOL AND HEAT DEHYDRATE PEOPLE AND DEHYDRATION, YIELDS BAD DECISIONS IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND WE SEE IT AT TIME AND AFTER, AGAIN.
AND IT'S WHY BACK IN 1999, MIAMI BEACH PASSED AN OPEN CONTAINER LAW, AND THAT WAS YEARS AGO.
UM, HOW OLD ARE YOU THEN?
UM, BUT, BUT THOSE ARE THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND I TRUST NO ONE MORE THAN THE BOUCHER BROTHERS TO, TO, TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, TO, TO, TO MANAGE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
I'M JUST GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE, NOT ONLY ABOUT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE ON THE GROUND, BUT THAT THE HEADLINE BE, OR THE PERCEPTION BE THAT MIAMI BEACH IS GOING NOW IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAT DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THE DIRECTION WE HAVE BEEN GOING IN, INTO PROMOTING A HEALTH AND WELLNESS ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE HAVE BEEN GOING INTO RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND TELLING BUSINESSES, UH, THAT, THAT WE'RE SEEKING TO HAVE 5:00 AM UH, ALCOHOL BEVERAGE LICENSES THAT NOW, NO, WE'RE ROLLING BACK THOSE AREAS TO 2:00 AM UH, BECAUSE WE WANT TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTER AND THE RESIDENTIAL QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE TO DO THIS, I WOULD TRUST DOING THIS WITH NO ONE OTHER THAN THE BOUCHER BROTHERS.
BUT I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS TODAY.
UM, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN, UH, HAS BEEN, WELL, YOU ALL HAVE WORKED SO HARD, UH, TO SHIFT THE IMAGE AND THE BRANDING AND WHAT DEFINES MIAMI BEACH.
AND, AND WE HAVE, AND IT'S SOMETHING, UH, I'M THE LEAST SELF-CONGRATULATORY PERSON IN THE WORLD, BUT I, I THINK OUR ENTIRE CITY, UH, IS RIGHT TO BE PROUD OF DOING SO.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK WE CAN WALK AND CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME, RIGHT? WE SOMEHOW WINE ON THE BEACH IS NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE WITH MOVING TOWARDS A MORE ELEVATED, UH, CLASSIER EVEN HEALTH AND WELLNESS FOCUSED, UM, APPROACH.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE EVERYBODY'S CUP OF TEA.
UH, MY MOTHER AND MY FATHER, UH, LIVE HERE AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE OUT RUNNING AT FLAMINGO PARK TRACK.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WHILE THEY'RE HEALTHY, NOT IN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT GOING TO DEFINE THEIR LIFE.
UH, BOTH OF MY PARENTS LIKE TO GO TO THE BEACH ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND, UH, NOT TO THROW MY DAD UNDER THE BUS THERE, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ARE, UH, SOME, SOME BUYERS OF THE ILLEGAL SALES THEY GO ON OUT THERE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY LIKE TO SIT THERE AND ENJOY A DRINK ON THE BEACH
[01:50:01]
IS MORE MOM THAN YOU DAD.SO, UH, UH, THIS IS ALSO AN AMEN.
IT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY HE CHOSE THAT ROUTE
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE WITH GETTING TOGETHER WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS AND ENJOYING A GLASS OF WINE ON A SUNDAY ON THE BEACH RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU WANNA DO SO, YOU COULD DO SO A BLOCK AWAY, BUT YOUR CHAIRS ARE GONNA BE FIVE TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE YOU'RE AT ONE OF THE FANCY HOTELS.
UM, AND WHAT'S IRONIC IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DELIVERING THAT SERVICE ARE THE SAME ONES THAT WE'RE ENTRUSTING TO DO SO ON PUBLIC LAND A MERE 50 FEET AWAY.
UM, SO WHILE I AM VERY PROUD OF THE DIRECTION THAT THE CITY HAS MOVED IN AWAY FROM THE ANYTHING GOES PARTY TILL YOU DROP ATMOSPHERE AND MORE RESIDENT FOCUSED AND, AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS, I DON'T THINK THAT'S MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE WITH PROVIDING THIS NOT ONLY AMENITY TO OUR VISITORS, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE WORLD CUP AND THINGS LIKE THAT COMING, UM, BUT AN AMENITY TO OUR RESIDENTS, RIGHT? WHERE WE'RE PROVIDING A DISCOUNT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO DOWN AND ENJOY BEACH CHAIRS.
WHY SHOULD THEY NOT BE ABLE TO ALSO BE ABLE TO ENJOY A GLASS OF WINE SITTING ON A BEACH ON 10TH STREET? SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT, WILL BE VERY FOCUSED ON THE OPERATIONAL PLAN, AND WE HAVE THE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO ESSENTIALLY, UH, TURN THIS SHIP IF IT GETS, UH, TO A PLACE WHERE WE DON'T INTEND.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I, I, I THINK I'M EXCITED TO SEE OUR RESIDENTS BE ABLE TO BE OFFERED IN THIS.
UH, I KNOW SO MUCH FOCUS HAS BEEN ON, UH, THE DRAW FOR TOURISM, BUT FOR THAT, WHETHER IT BE MY PARENTS OR ANYBODY ELSE, TO BE ABLE TO GO DOWN ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON, UH, TO LOOMIS PARK AND ORDER A GLASS OF ROSE AND REALLY TAKE THAT ALL ENHANCING EXPERIENCE, I, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE WONDERFUL FOR MIAMI BEACH MOTION.
AND SECOND CALL, THE VOTE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BT, I HAVE A SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
THIS IS TO APPROVE THE ITEM AS AMENDED.
ANYONE OPPOSED ME AND ME? TWO NOS.
THAT'S A NO FROM COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND A NO FROM MAYOR MINOR.
[RDA-2. A RESOLUTION OF THE CHAIR AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY (RDA), ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY'S FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE (FERC) AND APPROVING, IN SUBSTANTIAL FORM, A LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE RDA (LANDLORD) AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY OFFICE OF THE TAX COLLECTOR (TENANT), FOR USE OF APPROXIMATELY 3,955 SQUARE FEET OF GROUND FLOOR RETAIL SPACE AT THE ANCHOR SHOPS AND GARAGE, LOCATED AT 100 16TH STREET, UNIT 1-5 (PREMISES), FOR A PERIOD OF NINE (9) YEARS AND THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR (364) DAYS; FURTHER, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO FINALIZE THE LEASE AGREEMENT; AND FURTHER, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY TO EXECUTE THE FINAL NEGOTIATED LEASE AGREEMENT.]
OUR, UH, TAX COLLECTED DARIEL FERNANDEZ HERE.WE ARE RECESSING AS A MEMBER, BEACH CONVENTION CENTER, AND WE ARE RECONVENING AS A REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY.
THE R-D-A-R-D-A TWO IS A PUBLIC HEARING NEW LEASE WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE RDA TWO AND, AND DARIEL.
I AM, I AM SO EXCITED, UH, AND I, I'LL LET YOU DO THE, UH, THE, THE DETAILS, BUT TO HAVE A DMV COME TO MIAMI BEACH, I MEAN, JUST LITERALLY YESTERDAY I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO LITER, WHO SPENT MOST OF THEIR DAY IN, IN A, IN AN OFFICE.
UH, IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU, UH, IMPROVING THE PROCESS.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO START SAYING THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF, UH, FLORIDA MIAMI WISH.
UH, ALSO, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU TO ALL COMMISSIONERS, UH, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK FOR A LONG TIME OF THE PEOPLE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, UH, NEED TO HAVE ONE OFFICE HERE IN MIAMI, UH, MIAMI BEACH.
UM, THIS OFFICE WILL BE LOCATED AT, UH, THE SHOP, AT THE ANCO GARAGE, UH, BETWEEN THE COLLINS AVENUE AND WASHINGTON AVENUE.
UM, IS, UH, WILL BE A 14 FOLD, UM, SERVICE WINDOWS, UH, WITH 19 FOLD EMPLOYEE, UM, 1,500 PARKING SPACE.
UM, WHERE IS THE, THE SERVICE THAT WE GOING TO START PROVIDING OVER THERE IS A REAL ESTATE PROPERTY TAXES.
THE, THE PEOPLE, THE RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH NOW GOING TO HAVE THEIR OWN, UH, OFFICE HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF MIAMI BEACH.
THEY DON'T NEED TO GO FAR AWAY.
THEY DON'T NEED TO GO TO THE DOWNTOWN TO PAY THE PROPERTY TAXES.
THEY DON'T NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER PLACE TO GET THE DRIVER LICENSE AND ID IF THEY NEED TO OPEN A NEW BUSINESS.
NOW, WE GOING TO FIRST, UH, THAT SERVICE.
ALSO, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY MANAGER.
I'M SORRY FOR THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN, UH, TWO ENTITY, THE OFFICE OF THE TAX ELECTOR AND THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
UM, FOR A LONG TIME, THE PEOPLE OF MIAMI, THEY ACCOUNT, UH, NEED TO COME TO US.
NOW, WE'RE GOING TO YOU TO, UH, THE RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH IF YOU NEED TO RENEW YOUR DRIVER LICENSE.
UH, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE WAITING TIME, THE LONG LINES.
WE ALREADY STOPPED THAT IN ABOUT, UH, A HUNDRED DAYS, 200 DAYS.
IT'S A NEW, UH, FUTURE FOR, UH, MIAMI BEACH TO STOP RIDING THIS SERVICE HERE IN YOUR, UH, COMMUNITY DISABLED PARKING PERMIT,
[01:55:01]
BABY DESTROY PARKING PERMIT, AND NOW EXPECTING MOTHER'S APARTMENT, UH, PARKING, UH, PYRAMID.SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU TO MY TEAM THAT IS HERE TODAY.
UH, I HOPE, UH, IN A FEW MONTHS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR, UH, NEW OFFICE HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
THANK YOU TO ALL I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.
ACTUALLY, UH, HE'S THE SPONSOR OF THE, UH, YES.
I I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION, MR. MAYOR.
UH, DARIO, I LOVE YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY, HOW FRONT AND CENTER YOU ARE.
UH, BUT BEFORE WE APPROVE IT, YOU REFERRED TO MIAMI BEACH AS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, UH, CITIES IN FLORIDA.
ARE THERE ANY YOU PUT HIGHER THAN US
THERE'S TOO MANY, TOO MANY BEAUTIFUL SERIES IN FRONT OF FLORIDA POLICE APPROVAL, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT HERE IS A BEAUTIFUL, IT'S BEAUTIFUL CITY.
I'LL, UH, I'LL SECOND COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ.
UM, IF IT'S OKAY, I WOULD LIKE TO CO-SPONSOR THIS ITEM.
AND I THINK OUR RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BE REALLY EXCITED THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO, TO GO ANYWHERE TO GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE.
I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE MOST FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCES IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IS THE DMV.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT, AND THAT IS A HUGE FEAT, UM, TO IMPROVE THAT SERVICE.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THE COUNTY IS ACTUALLY TAKING THIS OVER AND I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE RIGHT HERE ON MIAMI BEACH.
IT'S A WONDERFUL INITIATIVE, AND IT'S GONNA DRAW A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE AREA.
I THINK THE BUSINESSES SURROUNDING WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY GO TO THAT LOCATION ON WASHINGTON AVENUE, UH, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, BE VISITING MIAMI BEACH.
SO, YES, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
I REMEMBER WHEN, UH, COMMISSIONER ALEX FERNANDEZ, UH, CAME TO ME AND SAID, HEY, CAN WE OPEN A NEW OFFICE HERE, MIAMI BEACH? I SAY, UH, YES, I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE.
AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
AND WE ALSO, UH, WANTED TO BRING THE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY MORE CLOSER, TO BE MORE CLOSER TO THE RESIDENT OF MIAMI WISH.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND WHAT YOUR TEAM HAS DONE, AND TO COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
AND TO HAVE THIS SERVICE IN MIAMI BEACH, IT'S GONNA BE A GAME CHANGER.
I TOO WOULD LIKE TO CO-SPONSOR THE ITEM, AND IF IT HASN'T BEEN MOVED, I'LL MOVE THE ITEM.
AND MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO PUT FOR THE RECORD THAT ORIGINALLY WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAD COMING FOR US FOR, FOR THIS ITEM, UH, IF FOR THIS GROUND SPACE RETAIL AT THE ANCHOR SHOPS, IT WAS SLATED TO BE LEASED TO A BARBER SHOP.
UM, AND INSTEAD WE ASKED THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, TO FIND SOMETHING THAT BETTER SERVED THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO THE TAX COLLECTOR, UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICES OF OUR RESIDENTS, UH, THE VISION YOU'VE HAD, UH, MR. MAYOR FOR HAVING THIS TYPE OF FACILITY HERE.
UH, AND WE PROACTIVELY REACHED OUT TO, TO, UM, TO MY DEAR FRIEND, UH, THE TAX COLLECTOR, TO SEE HOW WE COULD TRANSFORM THIS SPACE.
I THINK IT'S 4,000 SQUARE FEET, ALMOST 4,000 SQUARE FEET, ALMOST 4,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, OF PRIME, UH, SPACE WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO GET BETTER PUBLIC SERVICES.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, MR. MAYOR, BEING ABLE TO, TO GET, UM, LICENSE RENEWALS HERE IN MIAMI BEACH WITHOUT HAVING TO GO OFF THE ISLAND, BEING ABLE TO DO YOUR TAX PAYMENTS, UH, BEING ABLE TO DO YOUR VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS WITHOUT HAVING TO GET IN YOUR CAR CROSS AND GO TO DOWNTOWN.
IT'S A GREAT CONVENIENCE TO, TO OUR RESIDENTS AND MR. TAX COLLECTOR.
THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF, TO ANDREW MUNDO.
MANNY SEATED YOUR ENTIRE STAFF UH, THAT HAS WORKED SO PROFESSIONALLY AND SO DILIGENTLY, AND TO YOU, MR. MANAGER, UH, FOR GETTING OUR FEEDBACK AND DELIVERING THIS VISION IN A GREAT, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE.
WHY DON'T WE EXPECT THIS TO BE OPEN? AND THIS, I THINK IT WAS, THIS IS TAPED BEFORE, BEFORE, UH, END OF THE YEAR.
WE'RE WORKING HARD IF THE COMMISSIONER HELP US, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE PROCESS WITH THE PREMISE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO, TO DO EVERYTHING CORRECT.
I, I LOVE HOW YOU SHIFTED IT BACK TO US.
COMMISSIONER BOT, THEN COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ.
UM, RON, UH, ARIELLE DID, DID I HEAR THIS CORRECTLY THAT YOU CAN ALSO GET BTRS THERE? THAT THERE'S A JOINT OFFICE? DID YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, IF YOU'RE OPENING A BUSINESS, UH, CAN YOU REPEAT AGAIN YOUR QUESTION? DID YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, IF YOU'RE OPENING A BUSINESS THAT YOU CAN OH, YES.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF PEOPLE NEED TO OPEN A NEW BUSINESS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY NEED TO COME, THEY NEED TO COME TO US.
AND ALSO THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO YOU, YOU KNOW, TO THE CITY.
SO YOU CAN GET YOUR COUNTY APPLICATIONS THERE.
BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO COME TO CITY HALL YES.
AND, UM, ALEX, IF YOU'D PERMIT, I'D BE HAPPY TO JOIN THE TRAIN AS WELL.
SO, UM, MORE THAN I THINK WE SHOULD ALL
[02:00:01]
CO-SPONSOR.THANK MR. MAYOR, IF YOU'D JOIN ME AS A CO PRIME YES, PLEASE.
I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO THIS AND HAVING ALL THESE PEOPLE THERE AND HAVING SECURITY THERE, OR, YOU KNOW, OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND THE COUNTY ALSO.
I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME SORT OF SECURITY THERE, BECAUSE IT'S ALSO BEEN AN AREA WHERE WE HAVE HAD SOME PROBLEMS. SO I THINK RESTAURANTS THAT, THAT ARE IN THE ANCHOR SHOP, LIKE YOU GO 1 0 5, THAT'S BEEN HAVING SOME ISSUES, IS GOING TO BENEFIT TREMENDOUSLY FROM THIS.
I CAN'T SAY WHAT A POSITIVE, UM, WHAT A POSITIVE INITIATIVE THIS IS.
UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'VE BEEN AN OUTSTANDING PARTNER, UH, SINCE YOU GOT ELECTED, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY OF THE BEAUTIFUL MIAMI WISH WE MAY HAVE TO DO.
WE MAY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT CHANGING, CHANGING THE ACTUAL TITLE TAX COLLECTOR, BUT, UH, UH, WE WANTED TO CHANGE THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT ALSO I WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, FOR A LONG TIME, THE PEOPLE MIAMI, THEY SEE THE TAX ELECTORS JUST TAKE MY TAXES, BUT WE ALSO GIVE BACK THAT TAXI TO YOU.
THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, YOU KNOW, FIXING YOUR ROOF.
YOU PAY THE POLICE, PAY THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FIREFIGHTER, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING COMING FROM US TO YOU.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA CALL, UH, MAYOR, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING MAYOR.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE.
I SEE TWO INDIVIDUALS REQUESTING TO SPEAK ONLINE.
ARE YOU HERE TO SPEAK ON THE LEASE WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR? I WANNA THANK DARIEL AND THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE MAYOR FOR WORKING TOGETHER AND BRINGING THIS FACILITY TO US IS, IS A WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT.
OUR NEXT SEE JANEA, STRODE JANEA HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE MIAMI DAD DADE TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE.
IT'S A LITTLE OFF TOPIC, BUT I'M SORRY WE'RE, IT'S A DIFFERENT ITEM.
IF YOU WANNA TALK ON SUT, WE COULD DO SO.
I HAVE A MOTION BY FROM COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
UH, COMMISSIONER HIGGINS IS ABSENT.
THE ITEM IS APPROVED SEVEN ZERO WITH COMMISSIONER HIGGINS.
[R7 I A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING, IN SUBSTANTIAL FORM, AN IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT (AGREEMENT) FOR THE 100-300 BLOCKS OF THE LINCOLN ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY, CONSISTENT WITH THE TERM SHEET NEGOTIATED WITH DILIDO BEACH RESORT LAND, LLC, DILIDO BEACH RESORT, LLC, AND EBJ SAGAMORE, LLC, PURSUANT TO RESOLUTIONS 2022-32444 AND 2023-32629, AND FURTHER, AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO FINALIZE THE AGREEMENT, AND FURTHER, AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT.]
I, WE'RE RECONVENING AS THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH COMMISSION MEETING, UH, R SEVEN I IS EXECUTE AN IMPROVEMENT MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT FOR TEN ONE HUNDRED TO 300 BLOCKS OF LINCOLN ROAD.COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
UM, FOR TOO LONG, FOR WAY TOO LONG, THE EASTERN GATEWAY TO OUR CITY'S ICONIC STREET, LINCOLN ROAD HAS STOOD, I BELIEVE, IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE VISION WE ALL SHARE FOR MIAMI BEACH.
UM, THE 100, THE 200 AND THE 300 BLOCKS OF LINCOLN ROAD, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE IMAGINED AS A VIBRANT CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR WORLD RENOWNED PEDESTRIAN MALL AND OUR SHORELINE HAVE INSTEAD BECOME A CORRIDOR, SADLY, OF NEGLECT.
WHAT SHOULD BE A RED CARPET ENTRANCE TO THE BEACH FOR YEARS HAVE BEEN MARRED BY, BY GRIME, BY DISORDER, BY SOCIAL AILMENTS, BY A DEEP SENSE OF LOST POTENTIAL, OF WHAT SHOULD BE THE MOST PREMIERED, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, THE MOST ICONIC ENTRANCE TO THE BEACHES OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
IT SHOULD BE THE ENTRANCE AT LINCOLN ROAD.
UH, BUT I THINK COLLECTIVELY, WE NEVER STOPPED BELIEVING IN WHAT LINCOLN ROAD AND THE EAST END OF LINCOLN ROAD COULD BE.
AND TODAY, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FINALLY, ONCE AND FOR ALL RECLAIM THAT VISION.
UM, ACTUALLY SINCE 2020, SINCE BEFORE I TOOK OFFICE, I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR, FOR, FOR THIS VISION.
UH, I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR A BOLD PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, UH, THAT WOULD RESTORE THE STRETCH OF, UH, OF LINCOLN ROAD INTO SOMETHING THAT IS WORTHY OF OUR CITY AND WORTHY OF THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN THIS PART OF, OF OUR CITY AND OF THE
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TOURISTS THAT DREAM OF COMING TO OUR CITY, BUT COME AND FACE, FACE CRIME AND FACE CRIME AND DIRT, UH, IN THESE, THESE AREAS.BACK THEN, BACK IN 2020, UH, WHEN I SERVED ON THE POLICE CITIZENS RELATIONS COMMITTEE, I, I, IN FACT, BROUGHT FORWARD A MOTION THAT CALLED FOR COLLABORATION THAT CALLED FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND I SEE WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE RITZ CARLTON HERE, PETER KAVANAUGH, AND COLLABORATION WITH THE RESIDENTS.
AND WE, AND WE HEARD FROM ANN BLOOM AND, AND OTHER RESIDENTS FROM, FROM THE DELE PLOT TO BRING BACK SAFETY, TO BRING BACK BEAUTY AND PRIDE TO THIS NEGLECTED AREA.
AND I BELIEVED THEN, AS I DO NOW, THAT WE CAN DO BETTER, AND THAT THE PEOPLE OF MIAMI BEACH DESERVE BETTER IN THIS AREA OF THIS, OF THE CITY.
AND SO TODAY IS VERY EXCITING BECAUSE TODAY WE FINALLY GET TO HOPEFULLY MOVE FORWARD WITH AN AMBITIOUS AND TRANSFORMATIVE PLAN, UM, FOR, FOR THE RENAISSANCE OF THE EAST END OF LINCOLN ROAD.
IT'S A TWO PHASE PROJECT, UM, THAT WE, IN THAT WE INITIALLY APPROVED, I BELIEVE, ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO, UM, ALMOST THREE, THREE YEARS AGO, RIGHT, DAVID? YES.
IT STARTED IN 22, AND IN 23, WE GOT THE DIRECTION TO CONSUMMATE DISAGREEMENT.
WE, WE, WE GAVE, UH, APPROVAL IN, IN 23.
AND TODAY WE'RE HOPEFULLY FINALLY ADOPTING THIS, THIS AGREEMENT, UH, FOR A TWO PHASE PROJECT.
PHASE ONE, FOCUSING ON THE 100 BLOCK OF LINCOLN ROAD FROM COLLINS AVENUE TO THE BEACH WALK, UH, WITH THE CITY, THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AND THE OWNERS OF THE RITZ CARLTON, AND THE SAGAMORE COMING TOGETHER AS TRUE PARTNERS, A TRUE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP WHERE WE WILL COMPLETELY REDESIGN THIS BLOCK FROM THE GROUND UP.
LITERALLY, PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS WILL BE RECONFIGURED NEW GREEN, UH, SPACES WILL MARK THE TRANSITION TO, TO, TO, TO THE BEACH WALK OUR UNDERGROUND AGING UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER, SEWER, STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE MODERNIZED, UH, FOR RESILIENCE.
AND AT THE EASTERN END OF LINCOLN ROAD, IT'S ALL GONNA BE TOPPED OFF WITH A SIGNATURE ARCHITECTURAL FEATURE INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL VISION OF MORRIS LAP.
IT'LL STAND THERE AS A PROUD SYMBOL OF OUR CITY'S IDENTITY.
AND I, AND IT REALLY IS SOMETHING, SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL, AND I WANT US TO SEE THIS MORE THAN JUST A BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT BECAUSE IT ALIGNS WITH OUR VISION FOR A SAFER CITY.
THIS IS BEYOND A BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT.
IT IS A SAFETY DRIVEN PROJECT.
THAT WAS THE VISION FROM WHEN WE INITIATED IT.
IT'S A QUALITY OF LIFE PROJECT.
AND FOR, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE, UM, IN TERMS OF CLEANLINESS OF THIS PUBLIC AREA WILL ALSO BE A, UH, PRIVATE, UH, PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH A PRIVATE STAKEHOLDER CONTRIBUTING NOT ONLY TO THE IMPROVEMENTS OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAYS, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THOSE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAYS ON A MONTHLY BASIS AT LEAST, ARE POWER WASHED.
THAT THE LANDSCAPING, THAT THE LANDSCAPING IS WORTHY OF THIS BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL PARADISE THAT WE LIVE IN, THAT THE CARE IS GIVEN SO THAT OUR RESIDENTS GET THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY DESERVE LIVING ON, ON LINCOLN ROAD.
THIS INCREDIBLE TRANSFORMATION OF THIS BEACH ENTRY POINT.
AND PHASE TWO WILL, WILL BRING THE DREAM FULL CIRCLE, I BELIEVE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE 200 AND 300 BLOCKS.
AND WHEN THOSE HOPEFULLY BECOME FULLY PEDESTRIANIZED WITH THE SUPPORT OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN, UH, OUR PEDESTRIANIZED LINCOLN ROAD MALL AND THE REVITALIZED 100 BLOCK, IT'LL BE SOMETHING TRANSFORMATIVE FOR, FOR THAT AREA, CHANGING THE ENERGY BUSES WILL BE HOPEFULLY RELOCATED, UH, TO, TO WASHINGTON AVENUE SO THAT NOW PEDESTRIANS HAVE SPACE FOR POSITIVE ENERGY.
BUT THE RETAIL SPACES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND AND BE ABLE TO ATTRACT BETTER QUALITY, HIGH QUALITY RETAIL SPACES THAT LINCOLN ROAD DESERVES IN THIS, IN THIS AREA.
SO THIS HASN'T HAPPENED OVERNIGHT.
THIS HAS HAPPENED THROUGH GREAT PARTNERSHIP.
THE DRIVE OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR CHANGE, THE VISION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS FRONT OF RITZ CARLTON, UH, AND THE, AND THE SAGAMORE.
THE VISION OF PEOPLE LIKE PETER KAVANAUGH, THAT'S, THAT'S JOINING US TODAY.
AND THE, AND THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC ENTITY.
MY, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH WITH A $4 MILLION
[02:10:01]
INVESTMENT WILL BE GETTING A $12 MILLION PROJECT.AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF.
IF YOU WEREN'T PROUD ENOUGH OF THE FACT THAT LINCOLN ROAD IS GOING TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A BEAUTIFUL RED CARPET ENTRANCE TO THE BEACHES OF MIAMI BEACH, WELL THEN YOU SHOULD BE PROUD THAT THAT TRANSFORMATION IS COMING AT A GREAT VALUE FOR THE TAXPAYER'S INVESTMENTS.
SO WITH THAT, MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE DAVID MARTINEZ, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS TO GUIDE US THROUGH, THROUGH TO THE TECHNICALITIES OF THIS ITEM.
AND DAVID, BEFORE YOU START, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, BEFORE YOU EVEN ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU HAD REACHED OUT TO ME WHEN I REFERRED TO LIKE A, A BABY COMMISSIONER ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, AND A SMALLER COMPONENT OF THIS.
YOU WERE, YOU WERE DRIVING ME TO MAKE THIS A REALITY.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GOT ELECTED, YOU RIGHTFULLY TOOK THE LEAD ON THIS AND, UH, REALLY COMMEND YOU FOR, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
UH, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ STOLE MOST OF MY THUNDER
ARE WE READY TO VOTE? I WILL, I WILL KEEP IT SIMPLE.
WHAT WE'RE HERE TODAY TO DO IS FOR Y'ALL TO APPROVE THE, THE, UH, UM, IMPROVEMENT IN MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT THAT IS PART OF THIS ITEM THAT WE HAVE WORKED WITH, UH, THE, UH, THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTIES FOR MANY, MANY MONTHS.
I THINK A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO IT, AND I THINK THE CITY AND, AND THE PRIVATE ENTITY, UH, WILL END UP IN A GOOD PLACE WITH THIS.
THE OTHER THINGS YOU'LL BE APPROVING IS AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO FINALIZE THE AGREEMENT, UH, AND EVENTUALLY, UH, EXECUTED ALONG WITH THE CITY CLERK.
THE, UH, THE AGREEMENT BASICALLY ESTABLISHES RESPONSIBILITIES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, UH, AHEAD OF THE CONSTRUCTION REGARDING DESIGN AND THOSE SORT OF ELEMENTS.
UH, IT THEN ESTABLISHES CONDITIONS DURING THE CONSTRUCTION.
AND, UH, FINALLY IT ESTABLISHES REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTENANCE, THE AGREEMENT AS A TOTAL DURATION OF 15 YEARS.
UM, ONE OF THE KEY, UH, ITEMS THAT I WANT TO TOUCH ON, UH, THAT I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, UH, OBVIOUSLY IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IS THAT, UH, TWO AND 300 BLOCK, UH, IT HAS, IT DOES HAVE THE BUILT IN CONDITIONS AND, AND THE TERMS, UH, IT ALLOWS FOR, UH, WHILE PHASE ONES IS, IS, IS GOING ON AS WELL AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THEIR PRIVATE PROJECT, IS, IT GIVES US 10 YEARS TO SORT OUT FUNDING SORT OUT, UH, APPROVALS THAT ARE REQUIRED FROM, FROM THE COUNTY RELATED TO THE BUS STOPS RELATED TO CLOSING OF THE STREETS, AND SOME TECHNICALITIES.
AND I KNOW THAT THEY'VE MADE GREAT ADVANCEMENT IN, IN, IN THOSE PARTICULAR TOPICS.
UH, IT WOULD CULMINATE IN A SEPARATE AGREEMENT ONCE WE, WE GET THOSE THINGS IRONED OUT.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO GET INTO ANY OF THE DETAILS YOU'D LIKE.
UM, WE BELIEVE THE INFORMATION WE PROVIDED IS PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE, SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND DAVID, I JUST, UM, I WANNA JUST ASK A FEW QUESTIONS OF THE, OF THE, OF THE PRIVATE STAKEHOLDER THAT'S, THAT'S PARTNERING WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR SHARING IN OUR VISION.
IT'S, IT IS, IT IS AS MUCH OUR VISION AS IT IS YOUR VISION, AND THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT IS NOT JUST ONE PERSON'S VISION.
IT'S PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF, OF OUR COMMUNITY.
JUST A COUPLE THINGS I WANT TO TOUCH UPON, UM, BECAUSE ONCE THIS IS BUILT AND COMPLETED, IT'S GONNA BE TRANSFORMATIVE FOR THE EAST END OF LINCOLN ROAD, BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT AS THE CONSTRUCTION IS THE ONGOING CLEANLINESS, THE ONGOING AESTHETICS, THE ONGOING LANDSCAPING.
UM, HOW, TELL ME, TELL, TELL ME, WHAT IS THE ARRANGEMENT RIGHT NOW FOR, FOR, FOR MAINTENANCE, FOR POWER WASHING, FOR, FOR CLEANING THIS AREA OF, OF LINCOLN ROAD ONCE A PROJECT IS COMPLETE.
UM, FOR THE RECORD, PETER CANNABIS, ONE LINCOLN ROAD REPRESENTING THE RITZ CARLTON.
BEFORE I RESPOND, I, I REALLY WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.
NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED, UH, WITHOUT HIS GUIDANCE.
HE HAD A VISION, UM, FOR A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT I THINK IS GONNA WORK BEAUTIFULLY.
I ALSO WANNA THANK, UM, UH, THE STAFF, UH, THE MANAGER, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DID.
LEMME TELL YOU THEY DID A GOOD JOB.
I KNOW BY THE LEVEL OF COMPLAINTS I'M GETTING FROM MY LENDER'S ATTORNEYS, UH, THAT THEY, THEY REALLY DID THEIR WORK.
UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, UM, YES, WE, UH, WE ARE, UM, CONTRIBU WE ARE MAINTAINING THE LANDSCAPING FROM COLLINS AVENUE, UH, ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH THE, UH, PATH OF THE BEACH ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
UM, THE, UH, POWER WASHING OF THE STREETS, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY, UH, WE, IN, IN THE, UH, AGREEMENT THAT WE WORKED OUT WITH THE STAFF,
[02:15:01]
WE WERE GOING TO BE POWER WASHING THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD.THE CITY WAS GONNA BE DOING THE SOUTH SIDE AT, AT A, UH, REQUEST FROM YOU YESTERDAY, LATE YESTERDAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO GET BACK TO OUR LENDERS IN TIME.
UH, WE ARE NOW AGREEING TO DO BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD ON THE POWER WASHING.
UM, AND IS IT JUST POWER WASHING? BUT IT SAID ALSO ONCE WE GOT TO THE BEACH WALK, THE LANDSCAPING, IS IT ALSO JUST THE GENERAL, THE GENERAL CLEANLINESS OF THE, OF THE YEAH.
UM, THE, WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT WE CAN ENCOMPASS IN THIS AGREEMENT, BUT THE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE ARE ACTUALLY BEING, UH, HANDLED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
SO, UM, I THINK COMMISSIONER BACH CAN, UH, VERIFY WHAT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, BUT, UH, UH, WITH HER HELP, UM, WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE ROAD, THE DEPL, SOON TO BE THE OWL AND THE RITZ CARLTON.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON ISSUES OF THE, UH, CLEANLINESS, UH, OF, UH, THE, THE HOMELESS PROBLEM THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING OVER THERE, WHICH I THINK THAT DELEAGE FOLKS, UH, REFERRED TO.
AND, UH, WE ARE IN COORDINATION.
OUR PERSONNEL AT THE RITZ, UH, IS IN COORDINATION WITH THE CITY, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, AND, UM, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE ISSUES, WHICH I THINK WILL ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS, ALTHOUGH THEY REALLY ARE NOT IN ENCOMPASSED IN THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT.
AND, UM, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WORKING ON THE 200 AND 300 BLOCKS AS WELL.
THAT PHASE TWO PART, I THINK WILL TRULY BE THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE PART OF IT, BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE THE PEDESTRIANIZATION OF LINCOLN ROAD, EAST OF WASHINGTON AVENUE, CLOSING OFF A CLEAR TRAFFIC TO ACTIVATE, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT AREA, AND HELP THE QUALITY OF THE BUSINESSES THAT GO IN THERE.
UM, ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND ADDRESSING THE BIGGER ISSUE OF THE BUS ROUTE, UH, THAT IS ENDING AT THIS LOCATION? IT, IT'S VERY EXCITING, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE ARE THINK WITHIN WEEKS FOR DOING SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR DECADES, WHICH IS TO GET THE COUNTY TO AGREE TO RELOCATE THE BUS STOPS, UH, OVER ON, UH, WASHINGTON STREET, WHICH WOULD BE THE PRECURSOR TO BRINGING, UH, THAT TO YOU HERE FOR A ROAD CLOSURE RESOLUTION, WHICH I EXPECT WOULD OCCUR SOMETIME THIS FALL.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE THIS CLOSE RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE PRETTY MUCH, UM, ANSWERED ALL THE, UH, HURDLES THAT WE HAD TO ANSWER WITH, UH, TRAFFIC ANALYSIS AND SO FORTH AND, AND BUS RE ROUTING.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST ABOUT THERE.
I I WILL ALSO SAY THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SEVERAL MOVING PARTS TO THIS COMMISSIONER.
UM, SOME OF WHICH ARE ENCOMPASSED IN THIS AGREEMENT AND SOME OF WHICH ARE BEING DONE X AGREEMENT.
UM, THE, THE, THE PART THAT, UH, WE HAVE AGREED TO WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE AGREEMENT IS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY, UH, SUBMITTED A CONCEPTUAL PLAN AND A CONCEPTUAL BUDGET FOR THE PEDESTRIANIZATION OF THE ROAD.
WE HAVE ALSO COMMITTED TO PAY THE, UH, ENTIRE SOFT COST, MEANING THROUGH CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS IF AND WHEN THE COUNTY APPROPRIATES MONEY FOR THE ACTUAL HARD COST CONSTRUCTION.
UH, WE'RE DOING THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T SEE THIS PROJECT AS JUST BENEFITING THE RITZ-CARLTON.
THIS IS NOT A RITZ-CARLTON PROJECT.
WE ARE, WE ARE PART OF A DISTRICT, AND IT'S A DISTRICT THAT'S IN TROUBLE.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE CAN'T SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM THAT DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE COMMITTED TO SPEND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN ESSENCE, UH, SOME OF WHICH IS ALREADY, MUCH OF WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN SPENT WITH THE COUNTY TO, UM, CREATE THE PRECONDITIONS FOR, UH, ACTUALLY CLOSING OFF THAT ROAD.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SPONSORED LEGISLATION, UH, THAT'S GOING THROUGH LAND USE RIGHT NOW TO TALK ABOUT SOME, UM, ZONING INCENTIVES OR REZONING THAT WOULD, UH, ENCOURAGE REDEVELOPMENT BY THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO THE, THESE ARE ALL, UM, PIECES THAT ARE KIND OF SYNERGIZING AND COMING TOGETHER.
IT'S A PUZZLE PIECES ALL COMING.
IT'S LIKE A JIGSAW PUZZLE THAT'S FINALLY COMING TOGETHER.
AND, AND I JUST WANT TO ASK PJ, PJ, I SENT YOU TWO, TWO ATTACHMENTS, AND I THINK THERE'S ONE THAT HAS PHASE ONE OF THIS, UH, PROJECT.
IF, IF YOU CAN JUST SHOW THOSE IMAGES BECAUSE IT REALLY SHOWS THE TRANSFORMATION AND ANYONE THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE, UH, RECENTLY, WE'LL, WE'LL NOTICE THE, THE GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, I DON'T KNOW, PJ, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE THERE, WE, OH, WELL, WE, THAT'S SIDEWAYS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ROTATE THAT FOR US.
UM, SO, AND LET'S, AND LET'S GO UP TO THE FIRST PAGE.
AND, UH, AND, AND PETER, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA WALK US THROUGH WHAT WE'RE SEEING, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SEEING THERE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TRANSFORMED ENTRANCE, THE NEW HARDSCAPE, THE REPOSITIONING OF THE PEDESTRIAN AREAS, THE CHANGES.
IT, IT, IT, IT'S A, UM, THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON HERE.
IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO DESCRIBE, BUT TO TRY AND MAKE
[02:20:01]
IT BRIEF, WE TRIED VERY, UM, VERY MUCH TO ADDRESS TRAFFIC CIRCULATION AND LIFE SAFETY ISSUES.RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A VERY UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE HAVE ALMOST 8,000 PEOPLE A DAY TRAVERSING THIS ROAD TO THE BEACH TO AND FROM THE BEACH, WHICH IS THE MOST TRAFFICKED ENTRANCE TO THE BEACH OF ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THEY BOTTLE UP DOWN AT THIS CUL-DE-SAC IN A RATHER DANGEROUS WAY.
WE HAVE TRUCKS, WE HAVE CARS QUEUING UP, UH, THEY HAVE TO CROSS OUR LOADING DOCK AREA.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NO DELINEATIONS IN THE SIDEWALK OR SIGNAGE WARNING THEM WHERE THEY MAY REACH A CHOKE POINT.
WE, WE HAVE TRIED TO ELIMINATE ALL THE CHOKE POINTS WHERE PEDESTRIANS CAN POTENTIALLY INTERFACE WITH CARS.
I KNOW ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, I MYSELF HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT BY VEHICLES, UH, TRYING TO CROSS OVER.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, A MEDIAN CUT, WHICH YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE HERE.
AND WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THE CITY ON SIGNAGE SO THAT THE LOOKY-LOOS OF WHICH PROBABLY ARE 50% OF THE TRAFFIC THAT GO DOWN THERE ARE FOREWARN THAT THERE'S NOTHING DOWN HERE FOR YOU.
SO TAKE THE MEDIAN CUT AND MAKE A, MAKE A U-TURN AND GO BACK OUT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, ALSO MADE, UH, CHANGES TO OUR LOADING DOCK AREA SO THAT IT IS WIDER AND IT CAN ACCOMMODATE U-TURNS WITHIN THE LOADING DOCK AS OPPOSED TO TRUCKS BACKING OUT, WHICH IS A SOURCE OF SAFETY CONCERN.
BUT ALSO WHEN TRUCKS BACK OUT, THEY MAKE THAT LOUD BEEPING NOISE, WHICH YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD FROM THE DEAP PLUS RESIDENCE IS REALLY NOT ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE SOUNDS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE, THE, THESE, UM, THERE'S ANOTHER COMPONENT TO HERE WHERE WE'RE ALLOWING FOR SOME PUBLIC ART, WHICH WILL BE A PRIVATE INITIATIVE TO BE PLACED ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED COMMISSIONER, THE, UM, LAPIDUS INSPIRED MONUMENT THAT I THINK WE HAVE A PICTURE IN THERE.
IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL, SOMEWHERE IN HERE THAT WILL DELINEATE, UH, WHERE THE CITY ENDS AND NATURE BEGINS.
AND IT'S ALSO A TERMINUS TO REALLY, THIS SHOULD REALLY BE THE GRAND PROMENADE FROM BAY TO SEA.
AND IT, AND IT TERMINATES WHERE WE ARE.
WE SHOULD HAVE A REAL, A MONUMENT THAT'S BEFITTING THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT ENTRANCE MONUMENT WILL FIT THAT BILL.
AND I THINK AS WE GET FURTHER DOWN ON THIS PRESENTATION, THERE'S, THERE'S THE, UM, THERE'S THE PICTURE OF, OF WHAT THAT GRANT PROMENADE ENTRANCE TO, TO THE BEACH AND SUB BEING.
THAT'S THE ENTRANCE TO THE BEACH WALK THERE.
UH, YEAH, THAT THE BEACH WALK INCIDENTALLY, UM, THE, THE, THESE ARE SLIDES ARE A LITTLE BIT OLD, BUT, UM, THE BEACH PATH IS ACTUALLY BEING DOUBLED IN SIZE, AND IT WILL HAVE BOTH LANDSCAPING AND ARTWORK ALONG IT TO, UM, TO BE A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE PEOPLE GOING TO AND FROM THE BEACH.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? CAN I ASK A QUESTION? UH, YEAH.
WAIT, I HAVE COMMISSIONER BOB, UNLESS IT'S A QUESTION.
I HAVE COMMISSIONER BOT, THOUGH, WHO HAS TO BE, LET'S GO IN ORDER HERE.
COMMISSIONER BOD, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, AND THEN COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.
CAN YOU, UM, I KNOW IT'S NOT DONE YET, BUT CAN YOU ADDRESS THE BUS ROUTE ISSUE? UM, WE'RE NOT ENDING THE BUS ROUTES.
WE'RE RELOCATING THEM IN THE IDEAL WORLD, IS THAT YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING RELOCATED ONTO, UH, WASHINGTON AVENUE.
AND THIS, THE, THE COUNTY HAS DONE ALL THE STUDIES ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC, UH, THE TRAFFIC ROUTES AND THE BUS ROUTES, AND THERE'S NOT A NECESSITY TO ADD MORE BUSES THEY FOUND OUT.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE FAIRLY CLOSE TO WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.
BUT TO TELL YOU, IN ALL HONESTY, COMMISSIONER, WHEN PEOPLE TAKE THAT BUS AND THEY LAND ON LINCOLN ROAD, THEY'RE NOT LANDING IN THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT IN THE WORLD.
UM, THEY'LL BE FAR BETTER OFF IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND IN TERMS OF, UH, CONVENIENCE.
UM, THEY, THEY'RE GONNA BE SO CLOSE THAT IT WOULDN'T BE AN INCONVENIENCE.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHEN PEOPLE, UH, GET ONTO THIS END EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
THEY MAY BE CLO, THEY MAY BE CLOSER TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING THAN WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE BUS STOPS ARE NOW.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE NOT, UM, ENDING THE BUS ROUTE, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET ADDITIONAL BUSES ON THOSE ROUTES BECAUSE IN THE COURSE OF THE TRAFFIC STUDIES, IT'S BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE NUMBER OF BUSES SERVING THOSE ROUTES ISN'T SUFFICIENT.
AND SO THE COUNT IS GONNA ADD NO.
NO, THE, THE, THE, THIS CURRENT BUS ROUTES NUMBER OF BUSES ARE SUFFICIENT.
AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO, TO POINT OUT, FOR ANYBODY LISTENING THAT, UM, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
I AM EXCITED TO SEE THIS HAPPEN.
UM, IT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, UM, BYWAYS FROM BETA BEACH, UM, IN THE CITY.
AND I'M EXCITED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
BUT WE ARE NOT WAITING, UM, UNTIL THE HARD ENVIRONMENT IS BUILT TO WORK ON THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PLAGUING THE RITZ AND THE DECO PL FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT, UM, WITH CITY STAFF, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, MARTINEZ, AND A, A NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF WITH RESIDENTS WITH YOURSELF.
WE HAVE A PARKING PILOT PROGRAM IN THAT 100 BLOCK, UM, TESTING, NEW SIGNAGE, NEW, UM, COLOR CODING, UM, HAVING THE LITTLE, UM, I THINK THEY'RE CALLED CANDLESTICKS ON BOTH SIDES TO TRY TO MITIGATE SOME BALLARDS.
UM, TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE, THE IDLING THAT HAPPENS.
UM, AND WE WILL, AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, ASSESS HOW THAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S WORKING AND
[02:25:01]
CONTINUE FORWARD WITH WHAT IS AND GET RID OF WHAT ISN'T.UM, I, UH, AT THE LAST BUDGET MEETING, I REQUESTED THAT MY, UM, ALLOCATION FOR A SECOND AID BE USED FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR STREET CLEANING IN THAT, UH, ONE TO 300 BLOCK RADIUS, UH, RANGE, BECAUSE IT IS INSUFFICIENT NOW, AND THERE'S NO FUNDING IN THE BUDGET.
SO THAT IS A, SOMETHING THAT I'M, UH, THAT WE ARE CODIFYING WITH THIS BUDGET.
AND, UM, I WORKED WITH, UH, CHIEF JONES, UH, I THINK HE'S STILL THERE.
HE'S, UM, WHO I THINK YOUR STAFF MEETING WAS WEDNESDAY.
WHEN, WHEN DID WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION? TUESDAY.
UM, WORKING WITH CHIEF JONES TO, UM, EXPAND AND HEIGHTEN THE POLICE EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT THE HOMELESS FOLKS WHO ARE USING, ESPECIALLY THE 200, 300 BLOCKS OF LINCOLN ROAD, BECAUSE IT'S SO CONDUCIVE TO USE AS A BATHROOM OR A PLACE TO SLEEP FOR THE NIGHT, IS GOING TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND HOW DID THAT GO, IF YOU DON'T MIND ADDRESSING AT THE, AT THE STAFF MEETING? 'CAUSE YOU WERE INTRODUCING THAT GOOD MORNING AGAIN.
UM, SO AFTER OUR CONVERSATION, I MET WITH MY STAFF ON TUESDAY.
WE HAVE A MEETING EVERY TUESDAY MORNING, AND PART OF THE DIRECTION I GAVE WAS FOR RDA OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO, UH, LINCOLN ROAD ITSELF TO, UM, INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY THEIR PRESENCE ALONG THE ONE TO 300 BLOCK OF LINCOLN ROAD.
AND ADDITIONALLY, WHEN THEY'RE NOT WORKING, THE R DAY OFFICERS, THEY DON'T WORK REALLY EARLY IN THE MORNING OR VERY LATE AT NIGHT WHEN THEY'RE NOT WORKING.
UM, THAT TASK WILL BE DONE BY POLICE OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO DAY SHIFT EARLY IN THE MORNING AND MIDNIGHT SHIFT AT NIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE, I MEAN, WE'LL SEE THE PROOF WILL BE IN THE PUDDING 'CAUSE YOU'RE STARTING THIS WEEKEND.
BUT I THINK THAT IS GOING TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IMMEDIATELY, UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THOSE FOLKS ARE USING THE STREET AS FACILITIES OVERNIGHT.
AND BY HAVING MORE, UH, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, IF YOU WILL, UM, MOVING THEM ALONG, OFFERING THEM SERVICES FOR THEM, HELPING THEM FIND A DIFFERENT PATH FORWARD, UM, WE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY EFFECTIVE THIS WEEKEND START SEEING A BETTER RESULT.
COMMISSIONER, I WANT, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, THE ATTENTION THAT YOU'VE PAID AND, UH, ALL THE MEASURES YOU SAID ARE CORRECT.
I, I JUST WANT TO ADD, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CHIEF WAS JUST UP HERE, THIS ISN'T THE FIRST, UH, REVITALIZATION IN THE CITY THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN.
AND MY EXPERIENCE IS, WELL, GOING BACK, UM, WE WERE CLOSED DOWN FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS WHEN HURRICANE IRMA TORE THE AIR CONDITIONING OFF OUR ROOF AND CREATED A FUNNEL EFFECT.
AND, UM, DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME IS REALLY WHEN THE, UH, HOMELESS ISSUE ON THAT BLOCK ACCELERATED, BECAUSE LIKE ANY ABANDONED BUILDING IN MIAMI BEACH, IT BECOMES A MAGNET.
UH, AND, UH, WHEN WE MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IT ALSO KIND OF SENDS OUT A SIGNAL AND THERE'LL BE LIGHTING AND OTHER THINGS INVOLVED THAT THIS IS REALLY NOT GONNA BE THE FRIENDLIEST ENVIRONMENT TO LOITER AROUND IN.
SO IT'S MY HOPE THAT THE RENOVATION ITSELF WILL REDUCE THE NEED FOR POLICE PRESENCE TO EASE THE BURDEN OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND ALSO IN, FRANKLY, THERE'S A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
WE APPRECIATE THE HELP OF THE POLICE.
IT'S NOT THE GREATEST OPTICS IN THE WORLD, UH, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE A LOT OF POLICE CARS AND, AND UNIFORMS, YOU KNOW, PATROLLING THE STREET WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO THE RITZ CARLTON OR THE RESIDENCES.
SO IT'S MY HOPE THAT THE VERY, UH, ACT OF, UM, REVITALIZING THE STREET WILL HAVE A, UM, POSITIVE EFFECT IN THAT REGARD.
AND I THINK ALSO WHEN WE MOVE THE BUS STOP THAT'S GONNA HAVE SOMETHING, I THINK A TRANSFORMATIONAL IMPACT IN THIS, IN THIS AREA.
AND, AND PJ I JUST, I JUST SENT YOU AN, AN ATTACHMENT BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT MORRIS LAPS ARC WAS NOT PART OF THE IMAGES WE WERE SHOWING.
I, I, UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T KNOW.
AND I THINK IF WE GO TO PAGE SIX OF THE, OF THE, OF THE ATTACHMENT I SHOWED YOU, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING SO BEAUTIFUL AND IT'S GONNA BE SO TRANSFORMATIONAL, AND IF THE PUBLIC GETS THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO SEE IT AS PART OF OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, MR. MAYOR, IT'D BE GREAT.
BRING IT UP FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.
AND AFTER THIS, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, AND THEN COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.
WHILE IT'S BEING PULLED UP, I JUST WANTED A CLARIFICATION.
THIS IS, UH, GONNA BE A BEAUTIFUL TRANSFORMATION TO THAT AREA.
I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE, UH, DELEAGE IS ON BOARD AND, UM, IT'LL BE GREAT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WILL THE BEACH SPOT WALK BE OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION? UM, YES.
I, I, I, I, I MEAN, I, I, I, I DON'T, I CAN'T REALLY REMEMBER THE EXACT DETAILS OF ALL THE PLANS, BUT, UH, I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE TO KEEP A, AN ACCESS OPEN DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, BECAUSE THAT'S A CRITICAL, UH, ARTERY SURE.
UM, PEOPLE USE IT TO COMMUTE AND NOT JUST FOR, UH, ENJOYMENT.
SO IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO KEEP IT OPEN.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE END OF 16TH, 16TH STREET BECAME LIKE A DEN OF INIQUITY, BUT IT REALLY, THERE WAS SOME HORRIBLE ACTIVITY HAPPENING
[02:30:01]
ON YOUR BLOCK, AND THE CITY'S SIDEWALKS HAVE BEEN FILTHY, AND WE'VE BEEN VERY REACTIVE INSTEAD OF PROACTIVE.HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS.
I MEAN, GIVEN WHAT I'VE SEEN OUR CITY DO, THESE ESTIMATES SEEM VERY LOW, $14 MILLION.
I KNOW WE'RE GETTING 4.5 FROM THE STATE, AND YOU'RE GIVING $4 MILLION.
UM, WHO IS BUILD? ARE, ARE YOU, YOU GUYS ARE NOT BUILDING THIS? IS THE CITY BUILDING THIS AND ARE THESE ESTIMATES, CURRENT ESTIMATES? BECAUSE ONE OF MY BIG WORRIES IS THAT THIS NEVER GETS DONE BECAUSE WE GET AN ESTIMATE.
THIS SOUNDS SO LOW FOR A CITY PROJECT, UNLESS IT'S BEING BUILT BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
WE, WE BELIEVE THESE, THESE ESTIMATES ARE ADEQUATE IN THE WAY THIS FUNCTIONS COMMISSIONER IS THAT, UM, OF THE, UH, 1212 OF OUR $4 MILLION, UH, THE FIRST MONEY SPENT ARE OURS GOING INTO THE DESIGN, UH, THEN WHEN THE, UH, DESIGNS ARE COMPLETED AND, UH, THE RFP GOES OUT, UH, AND, UH, UH, THE CITY WILL BE HANDLING THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, THE HARD CONSTRUCTION PORTION OF IT.
BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO DAVID.
HE CAN PROBABLY EXPLAIN IT BETTER THAN I CAN.
MY, MY, MY QUESTION IS, DAVID, SO IF THEY'RE HANDLING THE SOFT COST OF THIS CONSTRUCTION, AND THEY'RE GONNA HAND YOU A DESIGN AND THEY'RE GONNA, AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE PERMITS, ALSO, IS THAT WHERE WE ARE? OR THIS, AND, AND I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION TO THAT.
SO YES, UH, AS PETER STATED, THEY'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESIGN.
JUST TO MENTION THAT THIS, THE DESIGN'S ALREADY, UH, HAS RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE HISTORICAL PRESERVATION BOARD.
SO TECHNICALLY WE'RE ALREADY 30% INTO THE, THE DESIGN PROCESS.
UH, WE WOULD, YOU WILL PROBABLY BE SEEING IN SEPTEMBER FROM ADMINISTRATION A REQUEST, UH, FOR AUTHORITY TO PUT OUT AN RFQ FOR A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK.
THAT WOULD BE THE MECHANISM WHICH WE'LL USE TO DELIVER THE PROJECT.
AS MOST OF YOU ARE HAVE HEARD US TALKING ABOUT CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK, WE WILL BE ABLE TO REVIEW PROJECT, THE PROJECT AT 50% AND 100% AT WHICH TIME THE DOLLARS WOULD BE SHARED IN THE ESTIMATES.
AND THE IDEA IS TO, UH, DESIGN TO THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE.
SO WE WILL BE WORKING COLLABORATIVE TO GET TO THAT POINT, WE FEEL, AT THIS POINT, COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH THE BUDGET.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE ARE PROCEEDING WITH THIS.
SO THEIR 4 MILLION IS ALL SOFT COST, BUT NO, YOU'RE CONTRIBUTING TO BE HARD COST.
THE FIRST, I'M GONNA SAY ROUGHLY THE FIRST PO ONE, 1.8 TO 2 MILLION WILL GO TO SOFT COST.
WHEN THAT'S COMPLETED, THE BALANCE OF OUR MONIES KICK INTO THE HARD COST CONSTRUCTION.
I, MY ONLY, MY, MY BIGGEST RESERVATION ABOUT THIS IS OUR ABILITY TO GET THIS DONE
BUT JUST KEEP IN MIND, THAT IS $12 MILLION FOR ONE BLOCK.
I, I I KNOW THAT I'M JUST, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE, A WATER SEWER THAT I AM HOPING THAT WE CAN DO IT.
THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD LIKE IS THE REALISTIC ESTIMATE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, ESPECIALLY CIP, UM, ABOUT DOING THIS.
'CAUSE IT'S VERY EASY TO SAY, THIS IS GONNA COST US $12 MILLION, AND THEN WE NEVER HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT.
AND AFTER YOU'VE SPENT THE MONEY FOR ALL OF THESE SOFT COSTS, FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WE LOOK BACK AND WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I SEE THE DATES IN HERE THAT HAVE TO BE DONE.
SO WHO'S GONNA MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE WHEN THE CITY COMES BACK AND SAYS, OH, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, UH, $12 MILLION, IT'S GONNA COST 20.
UH, WHAT DO WE DO AT THAT POINT AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO, UH, GET THOSE FUNDS? CAN WE USE, DO YOU HAVE AN, BECAUSE I KNOW DAVID, I'VE SEEN YOUR PRICES AND I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING, UH, THIS CHEAP
I WANNA SEE THE DEAL TAKE PLACE.
YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS, SO, I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE TO BUDGET.
I THINK YOU NEED TO GET AN ESTIMATE.
LOOK, WE'LL APPROVE THIS TO, WELL, OF COURSE WE'RE GONNA APPROVE THIS TODAY BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN THERE.
I THINK WE'RE ALL, AS A BODY ALSO WILLING TO, UM, ADD SOME ADDITIONAL ZONING WITHIN REASON TO TRANSFORM THE BLOCK.
I KNOW THE BLOCK IS IN BAD SHAPE, AND I FEEL FOR THE RITZ CARLTON, I FEEL FOR THE DECO PLUS PEOPLE, I MEAN, I, IT'S, IT'S TERRIBLE.
SO I I I JUST, THIS IS WONDERFUL.
WHEN WE SIGN IT, UM, YOU THINK YOU CAN DO, YOU CAN DELIVER THIS.
WE HAVE VERIFIED THE NUMBERS, AND AT LEAST TODAY, STANDING HERE, IT APPEARS THAT THIS, THIS IS A REASONABLE BUDGET.
THE AGREEMENT DOES PROVIDE A MECHANISM IN THE EVENT THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO VALUE ENGINEER IF FOR SOME REASON THEY COME IN HIGHER, DOES HAVE A MECHANISM THAT PROVIDES FOR A COST SHARING.
OBVIOUSLY THE COMMISSION WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO APPROVE ANY, ANY SHARING, IF THERE IS ANY, THERE ARE ANY OVERAGES.
WOULD YOU GUYS CONSIDER DOING THE PROJECT FOR US AND TAKING A CONSTRUCTION FEE? BECAUSE THAT, I THINK IS THE KEY TO GETTING THIS.
WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE STATE FUNDING, THE STATE FUNDING INVOLVED.
AND THAT WOULD PRECLUDE US FROM HAVING ANY KIND OF INVOLVEMENT.
BELIEVE ME, MY PREFERENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN
[02:35:01]
FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BECAUSE AGAIN, PART OF THE VISION OF DOING PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP IS THAT WHEN THE PRIVATE SECTOR'S INVOLVED, EVERYTHING COSTS LESS AND EVERYTHING IS DONE MORE TIMELY.UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE STATE DOLLARS, WHICH MEANS THAT FOR A $4 MILLION INVESTMENT, THE MAMIE BEACH TAXPAYER IS GETTING A $12 MILLION PRODUCT.
BUT THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO ADHERE TO CERTAIN PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS AND REGULATIONS TIED TO THE STATE ALLOCATION OF THOSE FUNDS.
CAN I, CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? LET'S SAY THAT YOU COME IN WITH A $25 MILLION ESTIMATE, BUT, UH, THE RITZ CARLTON SAYS TO YOU, LOOK, WE COULD PROBABLY GET THIS DONE FOR 10 OR 12 MILLION USING A CERTAIN CONTRACTOR.
COULD WE AGREE TO BID, WAVE AND GO WITH THEIR CONTRACTOR, EVEN THOUGH THE CITY COULD BE SUPERVISING, UM, THE PROJECT AND, AND, UH, IS WHAT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ WAS ALLUDING TO, BECAUSE OF THE GRANT, THE STATE REQUIRES THE CITY TO PROCURE THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY OF HOW DO WE KEEP THE, THE STATE'S MONEY AND STILL, AND TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, THE ORIGINAL, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE FDOT SECRETARY AND ASK FOR A BID WAIVER SO WE COULD GET THIS DONE OR ASK FOR SOME SORT OF EXEMPTION? I I JUST WANNA SEE THIS REALIZED.
I MEAN, WE, WE, WELL, LOOK, WE WOULD BE HAPPY.
WE, WE'VE WORKED WITH, WITH STAFF ON GETTING THIS DONE THIS FAR.
I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH 'EM, UH, IF THEY, UH, I MEAN, WE, WE CAN, UH, HELP IN THE RECOMMENDATION PROCESS IN TERMS OF CONTRACTORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FINAL DECISION MAKING OVER THIS.
WELL, I'M EXCITED TO SEE IT DONE, AND I HOPE THAT, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WILL DO YOUR PART, HOPE THAT THE CITY CAN, CAN GET IT DONE TOO.
MR. MR. MC, UM, THERE ARE SOME AREAS OF ANY CITY, MIAMI BEACH IN PARTICULAR THAT ARE MORE ICONIC THAN OTHERS, AND THEY DEFINE THE BRAND AND IDENTITY OF A CITY, SOMETIMES RIGHTFULLY, SOMETIMES WRONGLY.
UM, THIS AREA IS ONE OF THOSE, AND UNFORTUNATELY, IN RECENT YEARS, IT'S FALLEN ON HARDER TIMES WHERE I THINK IT'S, UH, NEGATIVELY IMPACTED THE BRAND AND EXPERIENCE OF MANY IN OUR CITY.
AND I COMMEND COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ TO YOU, PETER, AND YOUR TEAM, FOR HAVING THIS VISION, CARRYING IT OUT.
I'M EXCITED TO EXECUTE THIS AND THAT THIS IS JUST ONE PIECE OF THAT JIGSAW PUZZLE THAT IS PART OF A MUCH FURTHER, UH, TRUE ECOSYSTEM HERE THAT GETS ON TRACK OF DEFINING THIS AS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC PARTS OF ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC CITIES IN THE WORLD.
UM, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US? UH, I'LL ASK THIS, BOTH OF YOU TO HAVE THIS GO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? I DO NOT WANT TO BE SITTING HERE YEARS FROM NOW STILL TALKING ABOUT DESIGN.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THIS MOVE ALONG AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT OUR CITY DESERVES.
DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT FIRST? I'LL, I'LL, I'LL START ON MY END.
OBVIOUSLY IT BEGINS WITH APPROVAL OF THE AGREEMENT TODAY THAT SETS EVERYTHING IN MOTION.
AND THEN WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE'LL GET IT EXECUTED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, FROM ADMINISTRATION PERSPECTIVE IS WHEN, OBVIOUSLY CONSIDERING WHEN WE BRING BACK THE AUTHORIZATION TO PUT THE, UH, RFQ OUT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK, THAT WOULD BE THE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE NEED ON OUR SIDE FOR ADMINISTRATION.
AND I'M SURE PETER HAS SAID, I, I THINK THE MAJOR, UM, ISSUE THAT I SEE IS REALLY, UM, CONSTRUCTION ACCESS.
UM, UH, RIGHT NOW IN THE AGREEMENT IT'S AN EITHER OR SITUATION BETWEEN 17TH STREET AND, AND LINCOLN ROAD.
UM, 17TH STREET, UM, IS FAR PREFERABLE WOULD, UH, ALLOW THE PROJECTS, UH, THE, THE, THE PUBLIC PROJECT IN, IN THE CONDOMINIUM THAT WE'RE DOING TO RUN CONCURRENTLY WITHOUT THE POTENTIAL OF, YOU KNOW, BUMPING SCHEDULES AGAINST EACH OTHER.
AND I, I THINK, UM, WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT, UH, 17TH STREET, NO RESIDENTIAL, UH, NO REAL, UM, SERVICE, UH, TO ANY OF THE HOTELS, IN FACT, ONE OF THE HO ONE OF THE HOTELS I THINK HAS GONE DARK FOR A WHILE, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR DECISION.
THAT'S A DECISION THAT WILL HAVE TO BE MADE AT THE CITY LEVEL.
BUT JUST TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE WOULD REALLY, UH, HELP IN, YOU KNOW SURE.
ALL OF US KEEPING ON SCHEDULE FOR THE VARIOUS PROJECTS.
ARE, ARE YOU BOTH ALIGNED WITH, UH, THAT COURSE OF ACTION, OR DO WE HAVE SOME CAVEATS? WE, WE HAVE SOME CAVEATS.
WE, WE DO HAVE CONCERNS, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT WHEN THE TIME COMES.
AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PRIVATE, OF, OF THEIR PRIVATE PROJECT, UH, WHICH WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN FROM THE BEACH SIDE.
SO AT SOME, SO THEY EITHER WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEACH AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO CUT THROUGH THE DUN WITH THE PROPER PERMITTING, THEY WOULD'VE TO HAVE ACCESS EITHER OFF OF LINCOLN ROAD OR 17TH.
SO WE, WE HAVE NOT COME EXACTLY THE TERMS ON WHICH WOULD BE THE BEST ROUTE.
IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE BEST ROUTE IS LINCOLN ROAD, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE LEANING ON BECAUSE OF, OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS, THEN IT WOULD PUSH, POTENTIALLY PUSH THE PUBLIC PROJECT ON LINCOLN ROAD TOWARDS THE END OF THEIR PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION, WHICH COULD BE SEVERAL YEARS.
IF THE ACCESS TO THEIR PRIVATE PROJECT IS OF, OF 17TH STREET AND, AND TO THE BEACH, THEN CLEARLY THAT WOULD ALLOW
[02:40:01]
THE PUBLIC PROJECT TO PROCEED AS SOON AS THE DOCUMENTS ARE READY.AND THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER IS, IS, IS CONTRACTED.
UH, SO IT IS NOT AN EASY DECISION.
UH, THERE'S GONNA BE IMPACTED PARTIES, WHICHEVER SIDE, WHICHEVER STREET IS BEING, UH, AC USED FOR ACCESS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK THROUGH.
AND WHO, SORRY, UH, WHO ULTIMATELY MAKES THAT DECISION? IS THAT YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER? ULTIMATELY WITH INPUT FROM BOTH OUR ENVIRONMENT GROUP AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, YES.
I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND I JUST WANT TO JUST PUT FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE I, I THINK COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, YOUR POINT ABOUT THE $12 MILLION, IT'S TRUE FOR A CITY PROJECT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A SMALL AMOUNT, BUT AGAIN, I'M JUST GONNA PUT IT BACK INTO THE PERSPECTIVE.
THAT'S $12 MILLION JUST IN ONE BLOCK.
DAVID, HOW MUCH IS OUR ENTIRE LINCOLN ROAD PROJECT? I'M SORRY, REPEAT WHICH PROJECT? OUR, OUR CAPITAL LINCOLN ROAD PROJECT.
UM, THE CURRENT PROJECT THAT WE HAVE NOW, THIS IS A, IT WAS A $60 MILLION PRO PROJECT, 60, MAYBE JUST NORTH OF $60 MILLION.
THE, THE FULL BLOWN LINCOLN ROAD PROJECT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON NOW.
YES, IT IS NORTH OF 60 MILLION.
AND HOW MANY BLOCKS IS THAT? THAT IS ALL THE WAY FROM, UH, WASHINGTON TO, UH, LENOX.
SO THAT'S ABOUT EIGHT BLOCKS, ROUGHLY? YES, ABOUT EIGHT BLOCKS.
SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST ROUGH NUMBERS, ABOUT $7.5 MILLION PER BLOCK ON THOSE PARTS OF, OF, OF LINCOLN ROAD HERE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A $12 MILLION INVESTMENT ON THIS BEACH ENTRANCE.
WHY? BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS WHAT OUR CITY DESERVES.
AND, UM, AND I KNOW YOU WANT TO ASK A QUESTION, COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, BUT IF PJ WOULD SHOW FINALLY THE PICTURE THAT I WAS TRYING TO GET THERE, BECAUSE IT IS JUST SO BEAUTIFUL, I WANNA MAKE SURE LIKE THERE'S THAT MORRIS, UH, LAPRAS, UH, ARCHWAY, UH, THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE ADORNING, UH, THAT BEACH ENTRANCE.
I MEAN, TALK ABOUT ICONIC AND BEAUTIFUL, AND JUST SETS JUST A WHOLE NEW TONE AND VISION, UH, FOR WHAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE, UH, ON THIS EAST END OF LINCOLN ROAD.
UM, COMMISSIONER, SO IS THERE, THANK YOU.
IS THERE A WAY TO SOMEHOW, UM, INCLUDE IN THIS AGREEMENT THAT, AND HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION JUST REACH OUT TO, UH, THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WHERE THE GRANT IS AND SEE IF A BID WAIVER IS AVAILABLE, JUST SO THAT WE COULD PO POTENTIALLY USE THE SAME CONTRACTOR THAT YOU'RE USING WHEN YOU USE THE BUILDING AND JUST GET IT DONE? THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY REQUEST, UM, TO YOU, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER, A STATE REP, JUST YEAH, I WILL SAY THAT WE ALREADY HAVE SOMETHING IN THE AGREEMENT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE, THE 100 BLOCK IS THAT WE'RE DOING WORK ON THE FRONT ENTRANCE OF THE RITZ, THAT NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH WHAT'S CALLED THE PRIVATE PROJECT, WHICH IS THE CONDOMINIUMS MM-HMM
WE ALREADY HAVE IN THERE THAT TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, WE'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO USE THE SAME, UH, CONTRACTORS THERE.
UM, I, I, I, IF THERE, IF THERE ARE ANY FURTHER, UH, AMENDMENTS TO THIS, THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US NOW HAS BEEN APPROVED BY OUR LENDERS.
IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES TO THIS, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THEM, WHICH WOULD PUSH THIS OFF UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
I, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER GO AROUND WITH THEIR ATTORNEYS THAT MAY OPEN UP NEW QUESTIONS THEMSELVES, UH, AND COME, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OH, THAT'S FINE.
SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS SIGN THE AGREEMENT TODAY, UH, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT YOU GUYS REACH OUT TO EFTA SO THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY USE THE SAME CONTRACTOR THAT'S DOING THE SIDE OF THE RITZ CARLTON, WHICH WOULD CREATE A SEAMLESS, UH, MORE EXPEDITED WAY OF DOING THE PROJECT.
BUT WE'RE NOT, WE WON'T MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE AGREEMENT WE'RE SIGNING TODAY.
I BELIEVE WHAT YOU CAN DO IS AMEND THE RESOLUTION TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT HE'S SAYING THAT HIS LENDERS NOT THE CONTRACT, THE RESOLUTION, THE RESOLUTION.
COULD WE AMEND THE RESOLUTION JUST TO DO THIS? JUST BECAUSE YOU WANNA SEE THIS DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER? I DON'T, I DON'T WANT IT TO GET IN THE, IN THE WAY OF IT.
I KNOW THE STATE IS VERY PARTICULAR, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO, TO, TO THESE THINGS.
I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, BACK WITH OTHER PROJECTS WHEN, WHEN I WORKED AT THE COUNTY, THEY'RE VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT THIS STUFF, AND I DON'T WANNA JEOPARDIZE IN ANY WAY, UM, THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE FROM THE STATE, BECAUSE WHAT THAT STATE FUNDING MEANS IS THAT FOR OUR CITY OF MIAMI BEACH INVESTMENT, WE GET 200% RETURN, UH, FROM WHAT WE ARE INVESTING FROM CITY DOLLARS.
SO I IN NO WAY WANT TO JEOPARDIZE, UM, THE, UH, STATE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE GETTING.
SO TO THE EXTENT THAT YOUR MOTION IS JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST TO REACH OUT, I MEAN, THERE'S NON-BINDING.
IT'S A SIMPLE MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY OR WHOEVER YOU WANT TO INCLUDE THAT.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE STATE WILL ACTUALLY GRANT THIS, THIS WAIVER, BUT I I THINK WE CAN ALWAYS ASK.
[02:45:01]
CALL A VOTE YOUR MOTION, PLEASE.I HAVE MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDED RESOLUTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP.
[R5 A AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 66 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ENTITLED "MARINE STRUCTURES, FACILITIES AND VESSELS," BY AMENDING ARTICLE IV, ENTITLED “VESSELS,” BY CREATING SECTION 66-143 THEREOF, ENTITLED “ANCHORING OF COMMERCIAL VESSELS OR FLOATING STRUCTURES USED TO RENT, STORE, OR OTHERWISE SECURE OTHER VESSELS PROHIBITED”; AND PROVIDING FOR REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.]
BR[R5 B AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 66 THE CITY CODE, ENTITLED “MARINE STRUCTURES, FACILITIES AND VESSELS,” BY AMENDING ARTICLE IV, ENTITLED “VESSELS,” BY CREATING SECTION 66-156, ENTITLED, “MIAMI BEACH OVERNIGHT ANCHORING LIMITATION AREA ESTABLISHED” BY ESTABLISHING A MIAMI BEACH OVERNIGHT ANCHORING LIMITATION AREA; AND PROVIDING FOR REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.]
FIVE A IS THE NORTH OF THE MAYOR.CITY COMMISSIONER CITY MAY BE FLORIDA.
AMENDING CHAPTER 66 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ENTITLED MARINE STRUCTURES, FACILITIES, AND VESSELS BY AMENDING ARTICLE FOUR ENTITLED VESSELS BY CREATING SECTION 66 DASH 1 43 THEREOF ENTITLED, ANCHORING OF COMMERCIAL VESSELS OR FLOATING STRUCTURES USED TO RENT STORE OR OTHERWISE SECURE OTHER VESSELS PROHIBITED AND PROVIDING FOR REPEAT OR SEVERABILITY CODIFICATION, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
IT IS A SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING.
R FIVE B IS NORTH OF THE MAYOR CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF, UH, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA.
MANY CHAPTER 66 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY ENTITLED MARINE STRUCTURES, FACILITIES, AND VESSELS BY AMENDING ARTICLE FOUR ENTITLED VESSELS BY CREATING SECTION 66 1 56 ENTITLED MIAMI BEACH OVERNIGHT ANCHORING LIMITATIONS AREA ESTABLISHED BY ESTABLISHING A MIAMI BEACH OVERNIGHT ANCHORING LIMITATION AREA, PROVIDING FOR REPEAT OBSERVABILITY, CALCIFICATION AND EFFECTIVE DATE.
THIS IS A SECOND READING PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL.
IT IS ITEM R FIVE B, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
UM, FINAL SECOND AND FINAL READING FOR THIS MUCH NEEDED, UH, ORDINANCE TO REALLY PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ACCESS TO FREE AND CLEAR WATERWAYS OF MIAMI BEACH.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY RARE CASE OF TALLAHASSEE GIVING GOVERNMENT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CONTROL, UM, O OVER THEIR, THEIR MUNICIPAL, UH, JURISDICTION.
UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING AND, UH, UH, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE, UH, HAVE CHAMPIONED THIS.
I WANT TO GIVE JUST A, A COUPLE, UH, SPECIAL THANKS TO A FEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE REALLY HELPED GUIDE THIS, UH, BILL THROUGH TALLAHASSEE.
ONE THING THAT I'VE REALIZED IS IT'S, IT'S VERY HARD TO GET A BILL PASSED IN TALLAHASSEE.
UM, AND, UM, I HAD A CRASH COURSE AND IT, UH, FROM LAST SESSION AND THIS YEAR'S SESSION, UM, I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO THANK, UH, REPRESENTATIVE VICKI LOPEZ, WHO, WHO SPONSORED THE BILL IN THE HOUSE, AND SENATOR JOHN MARTIN, UH, IN THE SENATE.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, HOUSE SPEAKER DANNY PEREZ FOR, FOR REALLY PUSHING THIS THROUGH, UM, ON THE HOUSE SIDE, UH, OF COURSE GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS FOR APPROVING IT AT THE GOVERNOR LEVEL.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO OUR, OUR NEW LOBBYING TEAM.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, WE ALSO HAVE A NEW HIRE, I DUNNO IF HE'S HERE, PETER LUC, GO, WHO, WHO HELPED REALLY PUSH THIS, UM, AND ADVOCATED FOR IN TALLAHASSEE.
UM, ERIC ASHANTI FROM RUBEN AND TURNBULL ASSOCIATES.
UH, JARED ROSENSTEIN FROM CAPITAL CITIES DID A PHENOMENAL JOB, BOTH OF THEM ON, ON, ON PASSING THE, ON PUSHING THIS IN TALLAHASSEE.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK SPENCER CROWLEY FROM FIND FLORIDA IN INLAND NAVIGATION DISTRICT, UH, SOUTHERN BOATING MAGAZINE.
I I WENT OUT MULTIPLE TIMES WITH MULTIPLE NEWS OUTLETS, UH, REALLY SHOWCASING THESE, UH, THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE ON THE WATER AND THE GROWING THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND, AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND, AND ACCESS TO, TO FREE AND CLEAR WATERWAYS.
UM, ALSO WANT TO THANK PHIL PURCELL FROM THE MARINE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA, WHO, WHO CONNECTED ME WITH, WITH MANY INDUSTRY LEADERS, UM, THAT, THAT WERE GOING TO ADVOCATE AGAINST THIS BILL IN TALLAHASSEE.
BUT AFTER, UH, SPEAKING WITH ME CHANGED, CHANGED HER MIND.
UM, LOCALLY, OF COURSE, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR, OUR ACTIVISTS WHO REALLY NEVER WAVERED IN, IN THE SUPPORT OF THIS, UH, TIM CARR FROM, FROM WNA, UM, OR, OR SOY WEST.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT ON THIS.
UH, CHRIS TODO FROM, FROM STAR HIBISCUS AND, UH, PALM, UH, AND JOHN GARDNER FROM, FROM THE VENETIAN, UM, UM, ISLANDS.
AND, UH, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER STEINBERG ALSO HAD, HAD A BIG PART IN THIS, UM, AT THE, AT THE COUNTY AND, AND STATE LEVEL.
[02:50:01]
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I, I, I'M GONNA, I, I'M GONNA HOPE THAT THE POLICE DO A GREAT JOB ON THIS BECAUSE MARINE PATROL HAS REALLY TURNED AROUND, UH, IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO.UH, UNDER JAVIER, I MEAN, IT, IT'S COMPLETELY NIGHT AND DAY.
YOU GUYS HAVE DO A PHENOMENAL JOB.
UH, VERY RESPONSIVE, PROACTIVE, AND, UM, I, I EXPECT NO LESS ONCE THIS LAW PASSES TO REALLY ENFORCE, UM, OUR LAWS AND MAKE IT FREE AND CLEAR.
SO, UM, WITH, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO MOVE MY ITEM AND, UM, WELCOME THIS OPPORTUNITY HMM.
UH, MR. MAGAZINE, YOU'RE A CO-SPONSOR IN R FIVE B.
CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING THIS, UH, SEEMINGLY ACROSS.
I CAN REMEMBER HAVING, UH, SUNSHINE MEETINGS, UH, AT CITY HALL IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM THAT BECAME VERY CONTENTIOUS AND DIVISIVE AND DOWNRIGHT VITRIOL THAT WAS HAPPENING.
AND LISTEN, WE SIGNED UP FOR THIS, NOT JUST COMMISSIONER SUAREZ
UM, IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER MEETING'S? A JOKE, JUST A JOKE.
OUR OUR RESIDENTS DO NOT, AND, AND THEY WERE THE RECIPIENTS OF A LOT OF THIS VITRIOL AS WELL.
BUT YOU STOOD FIRM AND HAD OUR BACKS AND YOU HAVE OUR BACKS.
WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE YOURS.
SO THAT, THAT MEANS THE WORLD.
AND THAT'S NOT A ONE TIME THING THAT, THAT'S ALWAYS GOING FORWARD.
SO, UH, COMMEND THE POLICE AND CODE COMPLIANCE AND EVERYBODY THAT'S GONNA HAVE A HAND IN THIS.
UH, I BELIEVE IF I'M ABLE TO READ THE ROOM CORRECTLY, UH, SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
CAN I
THIS WAS A VERY CONTAGIOUS, UH, UH, ITEM.
IT WAS HARD FOR DAVID TO PUT UP WITH A LOT OF STUFF AND EVEN, EVEN TANYA WHO ATTENDED SOME OF THE MEETINGS AND REALLY TRIED TO NEGOTIATE, IT WAS LIKE MEETINGS AFTER MEETING.
WE REALLY TRIED VERY HARD TO NEGOTIATE AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
BUT I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE GONNA PROTECT THE WATERS.
I'M HAPPY THAT THE BOATS ARE GONNA BE MOVING OUTTA THERE, THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE THERE.
SOME OF THEM BEEN THERE FOR 15 YEARS, SOME OF THEM HAVE AIRBNBS ON THEM.
THE WATER, THE WATER IN THE AREA, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT THAT GREAT.
AND AT LEAST THE KAYAKS AND THE PADDLE BOARDS AND IN FRONT OF THE PARK WILL BE REALLY, IT'S REALLY A BEAUTIFUL PARK.
AND I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR ALL THIS.
I KNOW IT TOOK ALMOST TWO YEARS, BUT WE GOT IT DONE.
AND THANK YOU FOR TALLAHASSEE ALSO FOR VOTING.
MAYOR, THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I DUNNO IF YOU WANNA HEAR THE REST OF THE PUBLIC OR, SURE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE? I HAVE TROY, WRIGHT, AND ZOOM.
MR. WRIGHT, ARE YOU HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT ANCHORING OF VESSELS? UNFORTUNATELY, NO.
I MEAN, I, I'M WAS HERE FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
THERE IS NO OTHER INDIVIDUAL ON, ON ZOOM AT THIS TIME.
WE'RE CALLING A VOTE ON BOTH, ON BOTH R FIVE A AND R FIVE B.
I HAVE A MOTION ON BOTH ITEMS BY VICE MAYOR SUAREZ, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ ON BOTH ITEMS. YES.
COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ IS ABSENT.
THOSE WERE R FIVE A AND R FIVE B.
[C7 AF A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO REMOVE FLAMINGO PARK (PARK) FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION AS A SITE FOR THE RELOCATION OF FIRE STATION NO. 1; RECOGNIZING THE PARK’S OVER 100-YEAR HISTORY AS A RECREATIONAL AND HISTORIC GREEN SPACE LOCATED WITHIN A HISTORIC DISTRICT MAKING THE PROPOSED FIRE STATION’S SCALE, USE, AND IMPACT INCOMPATIBLE; ACKNOWLEDGING THAT INTRODUCING INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS A FIRE STATION WOULD COMPROMISE THE PARK’S CHARACTER, SET A TROUBLING PRECEDENT, AND CONFLICT WITH THE PARK’S RECREATIONAL PURPOSE; AND DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS FOR THE NEW FIRE STATION THAT MEET THE CITY’S CRITICAL PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE INTEGRITY OF FLAMINGO PARK.]
[C7 AG A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THE FIRE STATION NO. 1 PROJECT AT ITS EXISTING JEFFERSON AVENUE LOCATION AND TO PRESENT THIS PLAN OF ACTION AT THE SEPTEMBER 3, 2025, CITY COMMISSION MEETING.]
[C7 AL A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO CONSIDER REPURPOSING PARKING LOTS P9 (943 11TH STREET) AND P10 (1440 MICHIGAN AVENUE) AT FLAMINGO PARK INTO GREEN SPACE TO MITIGATE LOSS OF GREEN SPACE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRE STATION NO.1 PROJECT ON THE SITE LOCATED ON WESTERN BOUNDARY OF FLAMINGO PARK BETWEEN 11TH STREET AND 12TH STREET.]
THE, UH, FIRE STATION, FLAMINGO PARK ITEMS. NOW LET'S CALL THEM ALL TOGETHER.SO WE'RE GOING TO DO C SEVEN AF C SEVEN A GC SEVEN A L, ALL OF WHICH WERE