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ONE.GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2025 MEETING AT THE LAND USE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
UH, I'M ALEX FERNANDEZ, JOINED BY COMMISSIONER TANYA AB BADDA AND COMMISSIONER DAVID SUAREZ, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO READ, UH, MESSAGE INTO THE RECORD.
TODAY'S MEETING OF THE LAND USE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A HYBRID FORMAT WITH THE COMMITTEE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE COMMISSION, CHAMBERS AND STAFF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, AND, AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES APPEARING EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM.
TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY THE PUBLIC MAY DIAL 1-888-475-FOUR 4 9 9 AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH IS 8 5 0 5 9 9 2 3 0 3 7, OR LOG INTO THE ZOOM APP AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH AGAIN IS 8 5 0 5 9 9 2 3 0 3 7.
IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM, CLICK THE RAISE HAND ICON IN THE ZOOM APP OR DIAL STAR NINE IF YOU'RE PARTICIPATING BY PHONE.
UH, TOM, DO WE HAVE ANY CHANGES TO TODAY'S AGENDA? UH, MR. CHAIR, JUST ONE, UH, ITEM NUMBER 45, WHICH IS UNDER ITEMS WITHDRAWN, UH, HAS BEEN MOVED BACK TO THE REGULAR AGENDA.
THIS IS THE PROCUREMENT OF THE MONUMENT SIGN FOR MAURICE GIVE PARK, AND THIS WILL BE MOVED BACK TO THE REGULAR AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION AT A FUTURE DATE.
AND THERE WAS AN ITEM THAT I HAD SPONSORED HAVING TO DO WITH A SUNSET ISLANDS, UH, AND IMPROVEMENTS, AND I RECEIVED AN EMAIL UPDATE, UH, FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ON THE, ON THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, SO WE CAN WITHDRAW THAT ITEM AS WELL.
AND TOM, UH, CORTER, WHAT ITEM NUMBER WAS THAT? OKAY, THAT IS, I BELIEVE MR. CHAIR, ITEM NUMBER 14 DISCUSSED LANDSCAPING, LIGHTING AND SAFETY CONCERNS AT THE GREEN SPACE LOCATED ON SUNSET ISLANDS ONE AND TWO.
SO WE'LL SHOW THAT AS, UH, CONCLUDED.
SO WE CAN ADOPT THE AGENDA AS CEMENTED BY ACCLAMATION.
[1. DISCUSS AMENDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO ALLOW FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OF TEMPORARY SURFACE PARKING LOTS]
WITH THAT.UH, LET'S CALL ITEM NUMBER ONE.
ITEM NUMBER ONE IS DISCUSS AMENDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO ALLOW FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OF TEMPORARY SURFACE PARKING LOTS.
THIS IS AN ITEM THAT I PLACED ON THE AGENDAS OF REFERRAL TO THE LAND USE COMMITTEE.
THERE ARE AREAS OF OUR CITY THAT WE ARE WELL AWARE OF THAT HAVE A SHORTAGE OF PARKING, UH, COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS THAT AREN'T THRIVING IN PART.
AND YOU LISTEN TO SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS ON WASHINGTON AVENUE, THEY'RE COMPLAINING THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS DON'T HAVE PLACES TO PARK.
UH, AND IN OTHER AREAS OF, OF THE CITY, IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THEN YOU HAVE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT MIGHT HAVE LOTS THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO, TO THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO, TO PARK THERE, BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO GO THROUGH A VERY PROLONGED PROCESS.
AND SO THIS IS AN EFFORT TO STREAMLINE THIS AND TO ALLOW FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OF THOSE, OF THOSE LOTS SO THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY GET IN SOME OF THESE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE LIMITED PARKING, SOME MORE PARKING AVAILABLE FOR, FOR OUR COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS.
TOM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON THE RECORD ABOUT THIS.
ONLY THAT THERE IS DRAFT TEXT, UM, IN THE MEMO TO AMEND CHAPTER TWO.
AND IF THE, UM, LAND USE COMMITTEE, UH, DESIRES TO MOVE THAT, UM, AS AMENDED WITH ANY AMENDMENTS, UM, WE CAN DRAFT AN ORDINANCE AND BRING IT TO THE CITY COMMISSION FOR REFERRAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
WHEN WE LOOK AT SECTION TWO, UM, THE, UH, LOT, UM, THE PROPOSED TEMPORARY PARKING LOT SHALL ONLY BE PERMITTED ON A LOT THAT HAS BEEN VACANT PRIOR TO JULY 1ST, 2025.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, THAT, THAT WE AMEND IT ALSO TO, TO SHOW THAT SH UM, SHALL NOT BE PERMITTED ON ANY LOT WHERE A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING WAS DEMOLISHED SUBSEQUENT TO, TO THE SAME DATE.
SO THE PROPOSED TEMPORARY PARKING LOT SHALL ONLY BE PERMITTED ON A LOT THAT HAS BEEN VACANT PRIOR TO JANUARY 1ST, 2025.
AND SHALL NOT BE PERMITTED ON ANY LOT WHERE A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING WAS DEMOLISHED PRIOR TO THAT SAME DATE OR AFTER THAT SAME DATE.
AFTER THAT SAME, OH, AFTER SUBSEQUENT, YES.
WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PREVENT IS PEOPLE GOING AROUND KNOCKING DOWN BUILDINGS.
NOW, TOM, UM, IN OTHER AREAS, WE ALREADY ALLOW FOR TEMPORARY PARKING LOTS, IS THAT CORRECT? THE TEMPORARY PARKING LOTS ARE, UH, ALLOWED WITHIN COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS, MXC DISTRICTS, INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
FOR HOW LONG? FOR, FOR WHAT PERIOD OF TIME? FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS.
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UP TO FIVE YEARS.CAN WE MIRROR THAT IN THIS LEGISLATION? SURE.
SO, SO, SO I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST PATH FORWARD.
THAT WAY THERE'S, THERE'S CONSISTENCY.
ARE THERE COMMENTS FROM THE DAYS ON THIS ITEM? UH, QUESTIONS FOR TOM? SO FOR INSTANCE, UM, THE OWNERS OF THE SHERRY HAVE TALKED ABOUT CONVERTING A UNDERUTILIZED PORTION OF THEIR PARCEL TO PARKING.
WOULD THIS HELP THEM DO THAT MORE EASILY? I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RUNAROUND OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
THIS WOULD APPLY TO TEMPORARY PARKING LOTS AS A MAIN USE.
SO I KNOW THE SHERRY FRONT NECK OWNS A VACANT SITE TO THE NORTH OF THEM.
YEAH, THAT WOULD, UM, THIS WOULD APPLY TO THAT.
SO THEY, THAT'S A SPACE THAT THEY COULD, THAT WE COULD COLLECTIVELY UTILIZE.
AND IS THIS, UM, DOES THIS AFFECT ANYTHING, ANY PROJECTS IN THE WORKS ALREADY? OR IS THIS ONLY PERSPECTIVE OR WHAT'S GOING ON? THIS WOULD AFFECT EXISTING LOTS, UM, AND ANY, UH, FUTURE LOTS, IS IT? NO, BUT I MEAN, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO'S ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THIS, THEY COULD JUST SWITCH OVER TO ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OR THIS IS, I KNOW WE'VE, WE, WE'VE RECEIVED INQUIRIES FOR AT LEAST TWO LOTS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THEM AS TEMPORARY PARKING LOTS AND THIS WOULD ALLOW THEM TO GET THAT APPROVAL ADMINISTRATIVELY AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO GO TO A BOARD.
UH, WITHOUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ARE THERE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? IF YOU'RE ON ZOOM, FEEL FREE TO RAISE YOUR HAND ON ZOOM.
SEEING NONE, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE ITEM? I'LL MOVE IT AND I'LL SECOND THE ITEM.
TOM, JUST TWO QUICK CLARIFICATION, MR. CHAIR.
IN ADDITION TO THE FIVE YEARS, THERE'S ALSO A PROVISION FOR AN EXTENSION AND THAT WOULD MIRROR THE CODE AT FIVE YEARS AS WELL, CORRECT? RIGHT.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, DID YOU WANT TO EXTEND THIS TO AREAS OUTSIDE OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS? I THINK ANY AREA WHERE WE, AND I HAVE AN ITEM ON THIS COMING COMMISSION MEETING ABOUT FINDING AREAS WHERE WE CAN RECLAIM PARKING, OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS PARKING, UH, AND SO AND SO IF, IF THIS CAN HELP FACILITATE THE PROCESS OF MAKING PARKING AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS AND TO CONSUMERS EVEN OUTSIDE OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS, THEN YES, I WOULD WANT TO EXTEND IT TO THAT SO WE CAN SHOW THIS ITEM ADOPTED BY ACCLIMATION.
ALL RIGHT, TOM, LET'S CALL ITEM
[2. 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN EVALUATION AND APPRAISAL REPORT (EAR)]
NUMBER TWO.ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, EVALUATION AND APPRAISAL REPORT.
AND TOM, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SURE.
I'LL BE VERY BRIEF, MR. CHAIR.
UM, AS THE COMMITTEE MAY BE AWARE, THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO UPDATE ITS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND WE MOST RECENTLY DID THAT IN 2018.
THE STATE RECENTLY PASSED A RULE REQUIRING THAT WE HAVE A 20 YEAR PLANNING HORIZON AS OPPOSED TO A 10 YEAR PLANNING HORIZON.
AND SO IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THAT AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL CLARIFYING AMENDMENTS AND OTHER UPDATES, UH, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THE LAND USE COMMITTEE ENDORSE THE PROPOSAL THAT IS INDICATED IN THE MEMO AND THAT DIRECTION BE GIVEN TO US TO BRING AN ACTUAL ORDINANCE TO THE PLANNING, UH, TO THE CITY COMMISSION FOR A REFERRAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD THAT WOULD UPDATE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WITH THAT, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE ITEM? I'LL MOVE IT AND I'LL SECOND THE ITEM.
IS THERE COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER
[4. DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CITYWIDE REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DELIVERIES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.]
FOUR.WE CAN SHOW THAT ITEM ADOPTED BY ACCLIMATION.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CITYWIDE REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DELIVERIES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
AND LET'S, UH, CALL THAT TOGETHER WITH ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
AND ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS DISCUSS HOLDING COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY WITHIN CITY LIMITS, RESPONSIBLE FOR EDUCATING THEIR DRIVERS ABOUT THE PROHIBITION OF BLOCKING AND DOUBLE PARKING ON THE RIGHTS OF PLATE COMMISSIONER BOND.
UM, AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THEM BOTH TOGETHER, IF THAT'S OKAY, SINCE THEY'RE QUITE ANALOGOUS.
UM, SO THIS IS ABOUT, UM, TRYING TO, UM, FIND PLEASANT WAYS,
UM, WHETHER IT'S DELIVERIES IN FREIGHT LOADING ZONES, OR PEOPLE JUST DOUBLE PARKING, UM, TO DROP SOMETHING OFF.
IT'S, AND I DON'T MEAN INDIVIDUALS, I MEAN COMPANIES.
IT CAN COMPLETELY DERAIL THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC ON INDIAN CREEK AND RUSH
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HOUR AND, YOU KNOW, CAUSE MUCH HONKING OF HORNS.AND SO, UM, I'M GONNA TURN OVER TO WILL TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE NIFTY THINGS HE'S TALKING ABOUT, UM, HAS IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTED AND THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE RESTARTED THAT HAVE NOT BEEN USED IN A WHILE AND SEE IF WE DON'T MAKE A DENT IN THAT, THAT WAY.
WILL MCDONALD, UH, MAYA BEACH PARKING.
SO WE LOOKED AT THIS FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UM, I GUESS, UH, POINTS OF ATTACK.
AND I'LL SPEAK TO THE ONES THAT WE, UH, FOCUS ON THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO WITHIN PARKING, UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE UNABLE TO ENFORCE ANYTHING THAT GOES ON TO PRIVATE PROPERTY.
HOWEVER, WHAT WE CAN FOCUS ON IS THE CURRENT LOADING ZONES, UH, BOTH FREIGHT, COMMERCIAL ALLEYWAY THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SOME POLICIES THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT TO ENSURE THAT THOSE ARE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE COMPANIES.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO FIND IS THAT ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS FOR DOUBLE PARKING IS THAT, TO BE VERY BLUNT, THE DRIVERS EITHER DON'T WANT TO LOOK FOR LOADING, THERE ISN'T READILY, UH, UH, UH, SPACES THAT ARE, UH, READILY AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO LOAD, OR THESE SPACES ARE TAKEN UP, WHETHER LEGALLY OR ILLEGALLY BY OTHER ENTITIES, UM, THAT ARE PERFORMING THOSE FUNCTIONS.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE BUSINESSES THAT, UH, ARE RECEIVING THESE TO SAY, HEY, HERE ARE THE RULES.
WE'RE GOING TO EDUCATE THEM ON WHERE THE LOADING ZONES ARE THAT ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
SO WE DON'T WANNA FOCUS ON BUSINESSES THAT HAVE THEIR OWN LOADING DOCKS.
UH, IF THEY DO HAVE THEM, THEN WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE RULES THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO THEM.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THE RITZ, UH, SPECIFICALLY AT THE 100 BLOCK.
HEY, YOUR BLOCK HAS THESE RULES.
MAKE SURE THAT THE DELIVERY COMPANIES THAT ARE UH, DELIVERING TO YOUR LOCATION FOLLOW THESE RULES.
UM, WE ARE GONNA WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THESE ARE REALLY UNENFORCEABLE MOUS.
IT'S REALLY JUST KIND OF A, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU, HERE'S WHAT WE WILL DO FOR YOU.
THAT'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST STAGE WITH ANY BUSINESS THAT WE ARE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH, IS TO GET THE MOU, MAKE SURE THAT THE, UM, EDUCATION IS OUT THERE ON WHAT WE EXPECT FROM THEM, WHAT THEY ARE EXPECTING FROM US.
UH, THE SECOND IS GOING TO BE EDUCATION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE RUNNING RIGHT NOW IN A PILOT WITHIN THE T-ZONE ON THE 1, 2, 300 BLOCK OF LINCOLN, AS WELL AS, UH, ONE BLOCK NORTH AND ONE BLOCK SOUTH IN WASHINGTON IS A COLOR CODED CURB.
SO IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, GENERALLY YOU EITHER HAVE A FREE PARKING CURB OR A YELLOW CURB, AND A YELLOW CURB CAN BE NO PARKING, UH, FREIGHT LOADING, COMMERCIAL LOADING, TAXI CAB, BUS STOP, UM, NO PARKING ANYTIME, FIRE HYDRANT.
AND SO WHAT WE ARE MOVING TO IS A MORE OF A COLOR CODED CURB THAT WILL SAY, UM, PURPLE MEANS FREIGHT LOADING, YELLOW MEANS TAXI, UH, BLUE, OBVIOUSLY ACCESSIBLE PARKING, GREEN MOTORCYCLE, RED FIRE LANE.
AND SO THIS CAN MAKE IT MUCH MORE, UH, READILY IDENTIFIABLE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE MAKING DELIVERIES HERE TO WHERE DO I NEED TO GO? WHAT ARE THE RULES? SO I DO NOT ILLEGALLY PARK THIS WILL ONE, NOT ONLY ALERT THE DELIVERY DRIVERS ON WHERE THEY CAN AND CAN'T PARK, BUT THIS WILL ALSO ALERT, UM, PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR PARKING AND THEY SEE THIS GREAT THREE, FOUR SPACE WIDE OPEN, NOT BE THERE.
THAT CURB IS A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN ANYTHING ELSE YOU'VE EVER SEEN IN YOUR LIFE.
UM, I LOOK AT THE PILOT ON THE 100 BLOCK BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN, UH, JUST IN THE FREIGHT LOADING ZONES IN THAT AREA, A 65% REDUCTION IN TOWS DURING THE FREIGHT LOADING TIMEFRAMES, WHICH LETS US KNOW THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WORKING AND NOT FOCUSED ON TOWING, BUT THAT MEANS THAT THOSE FREIGHT LOADING ZONES ARE NOW MORE READILY AVAILABLE.
SO WHEN THESE VEHICLES PULL UP TO USE THEM, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREDIBLE DECREASE IN DOUBLE PARKING THESE AREAS.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THOSE CURBS IS THAT YOU CAN'T, THE APP WON'T ACCEPT PAYMENT.
SO WHEN YOU TRY TO GO TO THOSE ZONES, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO USE THEM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO, WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH LINEAR CURB FOOTAGE, SO WE'RE GONNA USE 'EM FOR FREIGHT DURING THIS TIME, BUT THEN THESE HOURS YOU CAN PARK THERE.
AND SO WE'RE UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY ON OUR APP TO WHEN SOMEBODY GOES AND TRIES TO PAY IN THESE ZONES, IT SAYS TOW AWAY ZONE, DO NOT PARK.
UM, AND THEREFORE THERE'S NONE OF THIS.
WHILE I, I WAS CONFUSED BY THE SIGNAGE AND I PAID ANYWAY TO MAKE SURE I WAS SAFE.
UM, ON TOP OF US DOING THIS, NOW WE HAVE TO GET THE EDUCATION PART OUT.
WE ARE, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE CITY'S COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT.
'CAUSE WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS WE ARE GOING TO PRODUCE A 15 TO, I'D SAY THIRTIES, PROBABLY A STRETCH, 15 TO 20 MINUTE VIDEO.
AND SO WHENEVER THESE COMPANIES COME IN TO BUY A FREIGHT COMMERCIAL, UM, OR ALLEYWAY LOADING PERMIT, THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SIGN A LETTER OF ATTESTATION THAT IS GOING TO SAY, EVERY ONE OF OUR DELIVERY DRIVERS THAT IS GOING TO DELIVER ON MIAMI BEACH WILL WATCH THIS VIDEO.
AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE DRIVERS THAT WATCH THE VIDEO ARE GONNA HAVE TO SIGN A DRIVER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM.
THESE ARE GOING TO BE AUDITABLE, UM, FORMS THAT AT ANY POINT IN TIME WE CAN REACH OUT TO THEM AND SAY, SHOW US ALL YOUR FORMS. AND SO WHAT THIS IS REALLY GONNA HELP US DO IS HOPEFULLY
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PUT A DECLINE ON THE RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATIONS.SO WHEN REWRITE ONE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATIONS, WHICH IS ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS IN OUR ARSENAL.
SO THEREFORE, IF WE ARE GONNA NORMALLY WRITE A DOUBLE PARKING, WE CAN WRITE $124 OBSTRUCTION OF TRAFFIC TICKET.
HOWEVER, CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HAS BEEN FORWARD THINKING AND, AND CREATED A CIVIL FINE, UM, UNDER THE RIGHT OF WAY STATUTE THAT WE CAN WRITE 500, 1000, 5,000 AND $10,000 FINES ON THESE VEHICLES.
SO IF WE HAVE A COMPANY THAT HAS COME OUT AND PURCHASED ALL OF THEIR PER UH, THEIR PERMITS LEGALLY AND IS STARTING TO RECEIVE A SERIES OF RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATIONS, WE CAN THEN SAY, YOU HAVE SIGNED THIS LETTER OF ATTESTATION, PLEASE SHOW US ALL YOUR DRIVER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORMS AND NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING TO GO.
WHY ARE WE STILL GETTING THESE VIOLATIONS? SO WE WANT TO CREATE AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, AND THEN WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A, A TRACKABLE STRUCTURE THAT SHOWS THAT THESE COMPANIES UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THEY'RE SAYING THEY UNDERSTAND THE RULES, THEY'RE SAYING THAT THE INDIVIDUALS ARE WATCHING THE VIDEO AND WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTS TO PROVE IT.
SO IF A, WE HAVE A REPEAT VIOLATOR THAT IS JUST CONTINUOUSLY REPEATING THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT POSSIBLY DENYING THEM A PERMIT COMPLETELY TO COME ONTO THE BEACH.
UM, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD BE THE MOST EXTREME VERSION.
UM, BUT WE WILL AT LEAST AT THAT POINT IN TIME HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF EDUCATION, UM, AND ENFORCEMENT OF OUR REGULATIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
UM, DO THEY NEED TO RENEW THEIR PERMITS EVERY YEAR? YES.
AND, UM, IF SOMEBODY GETS A RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATION, CAN WE PULL OR CROSS REFERENCE THE DRIVER'S LICENSE WITH THE ATTESTATION FROM THE DRIVER TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S THE YES AND NO? SO RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THAT WE HAVE OUR RIGHT OF WAY PERMITS, UH, WE DO ATTEMPT TO GET THE DRIVER'S SIGNATURE.
THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES THAT WE HAVE DRIVEWAY.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF OUR OFFICER PULLS UP ON SITE, STARTS ISSUING A RIGHT OF WAY, IT DOES TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
TECHNICALLY, THE DRIVER COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, I I'M NOT GOING TO WAIT FOR YOU AND DRIVE OFF.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE WILL NOT HAVE A DRIVER'S NAME AND DRIVER'S SIGNATURE.
HOWEVER, ON EVERY RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATION, WE DO ATTEMPT TO GET THE DRIVER'S NAME AND THE DRIVER'S SIGNATURE BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMPANY UNDERSTANDS THAT OUR OFFICERS AREN'T JUST DRIVING BY GIVING A TICKET AND THEN NOT EVER GOING TO HAVE THAT INTERACTION.
BECAUSE THAT INTERACTION IS GONNA BE CRITICAL IN THE EDUCATION ASPECT.
BECAUSE WHEN ONE OF OUR OFFICERS THEN SAYS, HEY, DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, I NEVER KNEW WHAT THIS MEANT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT'S GONNA CLICK AND GO, WE HAVE A VIDEO.
UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO ATTEMPT TO DO THAT.
I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THAT IN ABOUT 80% OF THE, OF THE, OF THE, UH, SITUATIONS WHERE WE ARE WRITING A RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATION.
SO WHEN WILL THIS BE READY TO GO? SO, UH, I DID JUST GET A FOLLOW UP WITH COMMUNICATIONS ON, UH, THE, THE SCRIPT, UH, A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
I, I DO HAVE TO LOOK THAT I, SO I DON'T WANNA GIVE A TIMELINE ON THEM, BUT I FEEL REALLY, REALLY COMFORTABLE SAYING THAT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, I MEAN, THAT'S ONLY 90 DAYS AWAY.
UM, WE CAN HAVE THIS IN FULL FORCE AND THEN AS COMPANIES START RENEWING, BECAUSE IT'S A, THEY, THERE'S NOT A SET DATE THAT THEY ALL RENEW.
SO AS THEY RENEW, WE WILL START HAVING, BRINGING THEM INTO THIS AND SAYING, OKAY, NOW YOU'RE RENEWING YOUR PERMITS.
HERE'S YOUR LETTER OF ATTESTATION.
UM, OKAY, HERE'S YOUR DRIVER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORMS. YOU KNOW, HERE THE VIDEO IS LIVE, GOOD LUCK.
AND THE VIDEO WILL BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBPAGE.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE SOME HIDDEN SECRET.
SO AT ANY POINT IN TIME, UM, ANYONE FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC, ANY DELIVERY COMPANY, ANY DELIVERY DRIVER CAN GO ON AND WATCH THIS FREELY.
OKAY, THIS ALL SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
I LOVE THE, UH, COLOR COORDINATION.
UH, I THINK IT REALLY DRIVES AWARENESS.
UH, AND I LOVE CROSS-REFERENCING IT WITH THE SIGNS, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT SURE WHAT THE AREA IS.
I THINK THE COLOR CLEARLY ALERTS 'EM.
THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL PARKING SPOT AND IT MAKES IT EASY WITH A SIGN CLOSE BY TO CROSS REFERENCE A PURPLE WITH THE SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
AND THANK YOU ALSO FOR UPDATING THE APP BECAUSE THAT WASN'T ALWAYS THE CASE.
PEOPLE WOULD GO TO A FREIGHT LOADING ZONE, THEY WOULD PARK THERE AND THEN THEY WOULD GET TOWED.
AND THAT WAS NOT A GOOD SITUATION.
BUT NOW, NOW IF THEY GO AND PAY ON THE APP, IF THEY TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THING, WHICH IS PAY FOR PARKING, THEY KNOW THAT PARKING PAYMENT IS NOT GOING TO BE ACCEPTED 'CAUSE THEY'RE PARKING IN AN AREA THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE PARKING IN.
SO I THINK THAT THESE ARE, UH, GREAT STEPS AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BOND FOR, FOR LEADING ON THIS EFFORT.
OBVIOUS I DO, I DO THINK IT WILL MORE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, UH, HELP EASE THE TRAFFIC THAT WE A LOT OF TIMES EXPERIENCE IN OUR STREETS BECAUSE OF FREIGHT LOADING.
I THINK IN THE FUTURE WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WHAT DO OTHER CITIES, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN PROXIMITY TO US TO REGARDING HOURS OF FREIGHT LOADING ZONES.
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UM, I'VE HEARD FROM DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE FEW, UH, EXTENDED HOURS ON FREIGHT LOADING ZONES TO SPECIFICALLY AVOID HAVING DELIVERY TRUCKS, BLOCKING ROADS, UH, DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, UH, DURING PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, THOSE HOURS AFTER 3:00 PM AND PERHAPS, UM, PER, PERHAPS WE CAN BRING THIS ITEM BACK NEXT MONTH AND WILL, YOU COULD LOOK INTO THAT, UH, SEE WHAT WE COULD TURN DO IN TERMS OF POSSIBLY EXTENDING THE HOURS OF SOME OF OUR FREIGHT LOADING ZONES.SO THAT IS ACTUALLY, SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHENEVER WE ARE MEETING WITH SOME OF THESE COMPANIES THAT HAVE RATHER LARGE, UH, RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATIONS AND THEY'RE COMING TO US TO LOOK FOR RELIEF OR THEY'RE COMING TO US TO DISCUSS THE SCENARIO, UM, UH, I WILL SAY THAT MYSELF AND THE TEAM ARE ABSOLUTELY OPEN-MINDED TO SAYING, HEY, IF WE NEED TO GO 7, 7 8 TO SEVEN P IN THIS LOCATION, WE'LL ABSOLUTELY DO THAT BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE BUSINESSES AND DELIVERY COMPANIES BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU KNOW IT.
WHILE WE LOVE PARKING SPACES, WE ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND ALSO THAT THE BUSINESSES ON MIAMI BEACH RELY ON THESE DELIVERY DRIVERS.
NOT EVERYBODY CAN GET EVERYTHING THERE.
WE DO HAVE CERTAIN FREIGHT LOADING ZONES THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT DO HAVE EVENING AND MORNING HOURS.
UM, AND WE ARE WORKING VERY SOON.
I IT'S, I DON'T WANNA PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, BUT ON SOME TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL START GIVING US OCCUPANCY OF A FREIGHT LOADING ZONE REAL TIME AND OVER LONG TERM HISTORY WHERE WE CAN SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SAYS IT'S NEVER AVAILABLE.
AND WE CAN LOOK AT THE DATA AND SAY, WELL ACTUALLY THIS ONE'S EMPTY 75% OF THE TIME.
AND WHEREAS WE LOOK AT ONE THAT'S MAY BE FULL 80% OF THE TIME AND WE KNOW WE NEED TO PROBABLY CREATE ANOTHER ONE IN THAT AREA.
AND SO WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT AND WE WILL WORK IN CONSULTATION WITH OUR DELIVERY, UH, COMPANIES IN ORDER TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE BUSINESSES AND FOR THEM.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT DURING OUR PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, FREIGHT LOADING AREAS AVAILABLE ALONG OUR MAJOR CORRIDORS, 41ST STREET, ALTON ROAD, WASHINGTON AVENUE, UH, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FREIGHT LOADING ZONES AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, DURING THOSE PEAK RUSH HOURS SO THAT WE DON'T END UP WITH A CISCO TRUCK OCCUPYING A LANE OF TRAFFIC AT THE CORNER OF ALTON AND LINCOLN ROAD WHEN WE NEED, THAT NEVER HAPPENS.
TRAFFIC NEVER, NEVER HAPPENS, RIGHT?
UM, SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER THOUGHTS.
UM, I'D LOVE TO COME COME BACK AND HEAR, UH, HEAR THAT RESOLUTION AS WELL.
UM, THERE ARE PLACES WHERE THERE ARE DOUBLE PARKED TRUCKS WHERE THERE ARE, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PULLING INTO PRIVATE PROPERTY AND SO THERE AREN'T FREIGHT LOADING ZONES THERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT PULLING INTO PRIVATE PROPERTY.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY OF INDIAN CREEK HEADING SOUTH AT RUSH HOUR, UM, IN THE MORNING.
AND THAT JUST JAMS PEOPLE UP FOR MINUTES AT A TIME.
AND WHEN I MEAN MINUTES, I DON'T MEAN LIKE TWO, I MEAN LIKE 10 OR 15, AND THERE'S NO OTHER WAY.
ONCE YOU'RE ON THERE, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO GET ANYWHERE.
SO, UM, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE.
SO THIS IS WHERE I, AND THIS GOES TO THE EDUCATION PART COMMISSIONER, BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS THAT GO WITH THAT WILL TAKE THE CHANCE OF THE FINES BECAUSE IN THEIR MIND, AND, AND WHETHER IT'S THE COMPANY'S THOUGHT PROCESS OR WHETHER IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL DRIVER'S PROCESS OF, I COULD BACK INTO THIS REALLY TIGHT ZONE, BUT DOWN THAT DELAYS ME FIVE MINUTES ON THIS ROUTE, AND IF I DO THAT 20 TIMES DURING MY ROUTE, I'M NOW DELAYED OVER AN HOUR AND I WANT TO GET HOME.
SO, UM, THERE, THAT'S GOING TO BE A NEVER ENDING CHALLENGE.
AND THE ONE THING THAT OUR TEAMS ARE GONNA STRIVE TO DO IS REALLY FOCUS ON THE EDUCATIONAL ASPECT.
AND EVEN IN PLACES WHERE WE MAYBE CAN'T CREATE FREIGHT LOADING ZONES, I'LL, I'LL, I LIVE ON COLLINS AND MID BEACH AND, UH, MOST OF THE CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS ALONG THERE HAVE DOCKS.
I MOVED INTO WHERE I LIVED, I HAD A MOVING TRUCK, THEY HAD TO BACK INTO THIS REALLY TIGHT LOADING DOCK AREA.
AND SO THERE'S GENERALLY GONNA BE SPACE AVAILABLE.
HOWEVER, I ALSO SEE ON MY DRIVE HOME, UM, NUMEROUS TRUCKS THAT JUST DECIDE TO THROW THEIR FLASHES ON AND CALL IT A DAY.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM, A NEVER ENDING CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO SPEAK WITH THE COMPANIES.
UM, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL BE EDUCATION AND SOMETIMES IT WILL BE RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATIONS AND LONGER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND SO WHILE THERE MAY, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PUT A FREIGHT LOADING ZONE IN EVERY AREA, UM, WHAT WE CAN DO IS TAKE A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO SAY WE HAVE DISCRETION ON IN PARKING ENFORCEMENT, DON'T BLOCK TRAFFIC IN A SAFE MANNER, DON'T BLOCK
[00:25:01]
TRAFFIC.AND SO OUR TEAM, UM, WILL CONTINUALLY, UH, FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO TAKE A LEVEL-HEADED APPROACH TO COMMUNICATE TO THESE COMPANIES WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
UM, THE OTHER THING WHEN YOU, UH, COORDINATE WITH MELISSA ABOUT TIMING ON THE VIDEO SCRIPT AND ALL THAT STUFF, I THINK IT WOULD ALSO BE WORTHWHILE TO COMMUNICATE TO RESIDENTS LIKE A, A, A PRIMER ON WHAT THE PURPLE MEANS AND, YOU KNOW, CHECK YOUR APP BECAUSE NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO DECIPHER SIGNS THAT ARE INSANE BECAUSE THEY JUST ARE, IT'S NOT A SLAM, THEY'RE JUST ARE COMPLICATED.
BUT CHECK YOUR APP BECAUSE IT'S TELLING YOU YOU CAN'T PAY.
IT'S 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PARK THERE.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY WELCOMED, UM, UH, WELCOMED BY BY A LOT OF RESIDENTS AND I THINK THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON NOW THAT THE APP IS BROKEN.
WHEN, UM, THERE IS, AND I KNOW THIS IS SLIGHTLY OFF, BUT, UM, WE ARE PLANNING ON PUTTING OUT A LETTER TO COMMISSION VERY SOON REGARDING, UM, THE SUCCESSES THAT WE HAVE SEEN ON THE TRIAL.
AND SO WHEREAS WE WANT TO NOW MAKE THIS CITYWIDE AND SOME OF THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE ARE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTRY DOING THIS, MAYBE NOT WITH THE EXACT SAME COLORS, UM, BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU WE DIDN'T RECREATE THE WHEEL ON THIS.
WE ARE GOING TO BE THE FIRST MUNICIPALITY THAT DOES THIS AS A CITY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
AND SO I'M EXTREMELY EXCITED TO SEE THE IMPACT THAT IT WILL HAVE ON NOT ONLY THE DELIVERY COMPANIES, BUT THE VISITORS AND THE RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO EASILY IDENTIFIABLE WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO, UH, BASED ON SOMETHING THAT IS EASILY, YOU KNOW, READILY AVAILABLE.
UM, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU COME BACK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER OR SOMETHING WITH AN UPDATE ONCE IT'S UP AND RUNNING AND PEOPLE ARE RENEWING AND SEE, HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE A NICE DOWNWARD TREND OF, OF VIOLATIONS AND YOU'LL HAVE EARNED YOUR KEEP FOR ONE MORE DAY.
I KNOW HE'S A ROCK ROCK STAR THAT'S ALREADY DIRECTOR ROCK.
ARE THERE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? I SEE ON ZOOM, UH, WE HAVE A ZOOM USER WITH THEIR HAND RAISED.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UM, I LIVE IN THE 100 BLOCK OF 14TH STREET AND, UM, WELCOME MR. MCDONALD.
I HAVEN'T MET YOU YET, BUT I WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE ART DECO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND VERY, UM, INVOLVED WITH QUALITY LIFE ISSUES.
AND ONE OF THEM IS TRUCKS AND PARKING TRUCKS IN THE 100 BLOCK.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING I KNOW REALLY WELL.
PAST FOUR YEARS I WORKED WITH MONICA AND WE, SHE DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF REALLY GETTING A HANDLE ON SOME OF THE BIGGER TRUCKS, THE CISCO AND ALL THAT.
AND, UM, IT'S LIKE 90% BETTER.
BUT, UM, I LOVE YOUR INITIATIVE.
I THINK YOUR IDEAS ARE FANTASTIC, BUT I'D LIKE TO, UM, I DON'T WANNA, I JUST WANNA AGREE WITH ALL THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON ONE LITTLE ITEM BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR FOUR YEARS TRYING TO GET THESE BIG TRUCKS TO USE OUR LOADING ZONE.
WE HAVE A VERY BIG LOADING ZONE AT THE 100 BLOCK OF 14TH STREET, AND I CALL IN AT LEAST A DOZEN OR MORE TIMES A WEEK BECAUSE THESE TRUCKERS, AND IT'S THE USUAL SUSPECTS, DO NOT USE THE LOADING ZONE.
SO YOU CALLED IT THE NEVER ENDING CHALLENGE.
AND UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED IS THAT WHEN I CALL PARKING AND YOU KNOW, THEY COME AS THEY CAN WHEN THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
I, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU HAD THEM NOT IN CARS, BUT ON MORE MANEUVERABLE VEHICLES LIKE BICYCLES OR WHATEVER, OR EVEN WALKING THE STREETS, THE OLD METER MADE IDEA, BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
UM, BUT, UM, THE NEVER ENDING CHALLENGE IS THE, THESE GUYS, I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF THESE TRUCKERS AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, THE LOADING ZONE IS AVAILABLE.
WHY ARE YOU PARKED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET? AND THEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY SAY TO ME IS, WELL, I CAN PARK WHEREVER I WANT.
THESE GUYS KNOW THIS IS THE NEVER ENDING CHALLENGE TO GET THE ONES THAT KNOW THE ONES THAT ARE EDUCATED.
AND JUST ONE SUGGESTION I'D LIKE TO MAKE, BECAUSE I'VE WATCHED THIS FOR FOUR YEARS AND THE WHOLE INTERACTIONS WITH THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT, UH, THE, YOUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE ARE WONDERFUL, BUT THEY'RE TOO LENIENT.
THEY COME AND THEY SHOO THEM AWAY INSTEAD OF GIVING THEM TICKETS.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE THESE GUYS KEEP, IT'S A CAT AND MOUSE GAME.
THESE REGULARS KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THE SAME BEHAVIOR.
I'VE SEEN TRUCKS HERE WITH NO MARKINGS, WITH NO LICENSE PLATES THERE.
THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE PARKING PERMITS YET.
THEY COME EVERY DAY FROM BROWARD COUNTY WITH THE LAUNDRY.
SO IT'S GOOD TO HEAR YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION ON THOSE REPEAT OFFENDERS.
UH, WILLIAM, UH, WHEN, WHEN YOUR OFFICERS, UH, ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SEE SOMEONE THAT THEY KNOW AS AN A VISUAL OFFENDER OF THE FREIGHT LOADING ZONE ISSUE, CAN'T THEY CALL POLICE AND ASK POLICE TO DO ENFORCEMENT? SO WE ACTUALLY DON'T, DOESN'T THAT CARRY A GREATER WEIGHT? UM, SO, AND I'LL, I'LL, UM, DEFER IF, IF, IF THE LIEUTENANT WANTS TO SPEAK.
SO THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE A MOVING VIOLATION, WHEREAS OUR VIOLATIONS ARE GOING TO GO AGAINST THE COMPANY VEHICLE.
[00:30:01]
THE LICENSE PLATE AND THE DOT NUMBER BECAUSE THAT'S THE THING.BECAUSE IF, IF WHEN THEY ARE GETTING THE VIOLATION, OKAY, YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ONCE A SECOND TIME YOU MIGHT BE IN A HURRY.
WHAT? BUT WHEN YOU ARE IN A HABITUAL OFFENDER, YES, GIVE THEM THE TICKET ON THE COMPANY, BUT FOR THE COMPANY'S JUST A PRICE OF DOING BUSINESS.
BUT WHEN YOU ARE GIVING THEM THE TICKET WITH THE POLICE, THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING AGAINST THE LICENSE, RIGHT.
OF THAT DRIVER LIEUTENANT? YES.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING WITH US IS THAT PARKING WILL COME OUT, THEY'LL IDENTIFY AN ISSUE IF THE PERSON'S GIVING 'EM A HARD TIME, THEY DON'T WANNA MOVE THE VEHICLE.
UH, USUALLY WHEN IT'S MORE THAN JUST GETTING A CITATION.
UM, OR IF THEY KNOW IT'S A REPEAT OFFENDER OR SOMEBODY HAVE DEALT WITH NUMEROUS TIMES, AND THEN WE DO WRITE THEM A MOVING CITATION, WHICH THEN GOES TOWARD THE DRIVER AT THAT POINT, THAT PERSON'S GETTING TICKETS, THAT PERSON'S NOT RESPONSIBLE.
UH, IT'S SO, BUT THAT'S WHAT WOULD ADDRESS WHAT JANE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT PERSON THAT IS NOT RESPECTING THE, THE, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE IT, IT'S NOT ON THEM, IT'S ON THE COMPANY.
THEY'RE NOT PAYING THAT TICKET.
IT'S THE, IT'S GOING AFTER THE POCKET OF THEIR OTHER EMPLOYER.
BUT NOW IF IT GOES AFTER THEIR LICENSE RIGHT.
AND IS POINTS ON THEIR LICENSE, THEY COULD RISK LOSING THAT LICENSE ALTOGETHER EVENTUALLY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS THAT OUR GUYS ARE OUT THERE CONSTANTLY, EVEN THE ONES THAT YOU SEE ON FOOT ON BIKE, UM, AND THEY'RE WRITING CITATIONS ALL THE TIME FOR THE SAME STUFF.
UM, BUT WHEN WE WRITE IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT GOES TOWARDS THE DRIVER.
SO NOW IT'S A BIGGER FINE, IT'S A MOVING CITATION.
IT'S MUCH MORE INVOLVED, UH, THAN THE REGULAR PARKING CITATIONS.
UM, WHEN, WHEN WE GET CALLED OVER, WE ALSO DO THE SAME THING.
SO THEY'RE DOING IT AND WE'RE ALSO DOING IT AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE MULTIPLE DETAILS THAT DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE CITY TOGETHER.
UM, NOT SO MUCH TOGETHER, ALTHOUGH WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON, THEY NEED US, WE'RE THERE.
UM, BUT WE DO OUR OWN FREIGHT LOADING ZONES.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, LIKE OUR MOTORMAN DO A LOT OF FREIGHT, FREIGHT LOADING ZONE DETAILS ALONE.
UH, WE HAVE OUR OFFICERS ARE DOING 'EM AS WELL.
UM, EVERYBODY OUT THERE IS PRETTY MUCH WORKING ON THE SAME STUFF.
UM, AND WHEN WE HAVE THE NEXT PRESENTATION, I'LL JUST TO GET SOME DATA FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THE NUMBERS.
OF OF FREIGHT LOADING ZONE, UH, ENFORCEMENT THAT'S MOVING VIOLATIONS.
CAN I ASK A DUMB QUESTION? YEAH.
DOESN'T MAKE, AND OBVIOUSLY IT MAKES SENSE TO SOMEBODY TO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS DOING THE SAME THING, BUT YOU KNOW, IN, IT SEEMS LIKE WOULDN'T IT JUST BE MORE EFFICIENT TO HAVE ONE DEPARTMENT HANDLING ALL OF THESE VIOLATIONS? WHAT I'M SURE THERE'S A REASON FOR IT.
I JUST DUNNO WHAT IT'S SO PLEASE EDUCATE ME.
BARKING CAN'T WRITE MOVING VIOLATIONS.
SO EVERY VIOLATION THAT WE WRITE IS, IS TO THE ITEM.
BUT THE ONE THING I WILL SAY IS THAT IN MY MIND, UM, WHILE THERE COMES A POINT WHERE THE, THE DRIVER, THERE'S GONNA BE A POINT WHERE THE DRIVER, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL, WILL FEEL THE MOVING VIOLATION FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT IF THE, WITH, WITH US, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE IS A DELIVERY COMPANY THAT BRINGS THE SAME VEHICLE ON THE BEACH, OUR VIOLATIONS INCREASE OUR RIGHT OF WAYS INCREASE BY THE VEHICLE.
SO WE DON'T CARE WHO THE DRIVER IS.
IF THAT SAME TRUCK IS VIOLATED AT FOUR TIME ON THE FOURTH TIME, IT'S A $10,000 VIOLATION.
AND SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE'VE CAUGHT THE COMPANY'S ATTENTION.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS RIGHT NOW IS WE ARE, UM, SITTING DOWN WHEN COMPANIES COME TO US, RELIEF AND WE'RE CREATING IN OUR MINDS A STRUCTURED PROGRAM ON, OKAY, THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME COMING TO US FOR A LITTLE RELIEF.
WE'RE NOW HAVING A CONVERSATION.
SO IF YOU GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE YOUR TRUCKS ARE RECEIVING, YOU KNOW, FIVE AND $10,000 FINES ON THE BEACH, UH, YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO ABSORB.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU COME TO RENEW YOUR PERMITS FOR THE NEXT YEAR, YOU'LL HAVE A CHOICE OF RENEW YOUR PERMITS AND PAY ALL YOUR VIOLATIONS, OR DON'T RENEW YOUR PERMITS.
AND THAT WILL BE A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION, UM, THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE COMPANIES, WITH THE DELIVERY COMPANIES, WITH THE, WITH THE LOCAL COMPANIES THAT ARE RECEIVING THE DELIVERIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO FOR THESE TWO, DO YOU WANT TO BRING BOTH OF THESE ITEMS BACK NEXT MONTH? YES.
AND THEN AGAIN IN LIKE, IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER FOR A COMPLETE UPDATE OF HOW THEY'RE WORKING.
BUT I'D LOVE TO BRING BACK AN ITEM TO LOOK AT THE, AT THE TIMES, THE TIMES FOR THE FREIGHT LOADING ZONES AND IF WE KNOW WHAT ARE HOTSPOTS, IF WE, IF WE COULD MAYBE THERE WOULD BE A WAY TO GET LIKE A HEAT MAP OF WHAT ARE THOSE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OF, OF THESE, UM, VIOLATIONS BY DAY PARTS.
AND SEE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT COULD LEAD TO SOME SORT OF RECOMMENDATION ON THE HOURS OF, FOR THESE, UH, FREIGHT FREIGHT LOADING CELLS.
YEAH, I MEAN THE TRICKY THING ON THE HOURS IS THAT IF IN
[00:35:01]
SO MANY PARTS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY'RE MIXED USE, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE RESIDENTIAL RIGHT.ADJACENT TO, AND IN THEORY, SEVEN O'CLOCK SHOULD BE FINE, BUT IF THE TRUCKS ARE QUEUING UP AT 6 45 AND BACKING UP TO GET BACK INTO THE THING AND IDLING THEIR REFRIGERATOR, TRUCK MOTORS AND ALL THAT STUFF, AND NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO BE WOKEN UP TO THAT BY AT 6 45.
SO THERE'S, I'M NOT THAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE EARLIER TIME.
WHAT I'M CONCERNED IS ABOUT PEAK, PEAK HOUR RUSH HOUR OF TRAFFIC.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE MORNING TIME BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT IS AFFECTING OUR RESIDENTS QUALITY OF LIFE.
I'VE HEARD IT FROM SOUTH OF FIFTH AND I'VE HEARD THE SAME COMPLAINTS WHERE YOU'VE BEEN ADDRESSING THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES AT THE, THE DECO PLOT.
BUT THE OTHER COMPLAINT THAT WE OBVIOUSLY KNOW OF, AND WE ALL YEAH.
HAVE EXPERIENCED IT AND HAVE SIT IN THAT TRAFFIC, IS THE PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC.
UH, WHICH THAT BECOMES NOT ONLY A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE, IT BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE.
WHEN OUR ROADS BECOME CLOGGED, UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE CISCO MAKING A DELIVERY, UH, CISCO.
WHAT'S THAT? I SAID POOR CISCO
SO, SO IF WE COULD, UH, TRY TO BRING THAT BACK.
DO YOU THINK NEXT MONTH IS SUFFICIENT TIME FOR YOU? DO YOU NEED TWO MONTHS? UM, I MEAN, I, I WILL, I'LL ALWAYS DEFER TO A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME COMMISSIONER.
UM, JUST SO THAT WAY LET'S BRING IT BACK IN TWO MONTHS.
[5. CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO ESTABLISH A TEMPORARY DEREGULATION INITIATIVE TO ACTIVATE VACANT RETAIL PROPERTIES AND FILL SPACES ALONG COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS SUCH AS LINCOLN ROAD, WASHINGTON AVENUE, 71ST STREET, AND COLLINS AVENUE IN NORTH BEACH (DUAL REFERRAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD)]
WE CAN GO TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO ESTABLISH A TEMPORARY DEREGULATION INITIATIVE TO ACTIVATE VACANT RETAIL PROPERTIES AND FILL SPACES ALONG COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS SUCH AS LINCOLN ROAD, WASHINGTON AVENUE, 71ST STREET AND COLLINS AVENUE IN NORTH BEACH.
THIS WAS A DUAL REFERRAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
SO THIS IS AN ITEM I'VE PLACED ON THE, ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE I, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF RETAIL, UH, OF THE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT ON LINCOLN ROAD.
THE BUSINESSES ARE SUFFERING, AND IT'S NOT EVEN THAT THE BUSINESSES ARE SUFFERING, THE BUSINESSES DON'T EXIST HOW THEY SHOULD BE EXISTING.
I THINK WE WOULD BE HAVING, UH, A GOOD, A GOOD PROBLEM, IRONICALLY, IF WE COULD SAY THE BUSINESSES WERE SUFFERING.
WELL, NO, THE RETAIL IS EMPTY.
AND WE NEED TO THINK CREATIVELY OUTSIDE THE BOX ON HOW DO WE HELP BUSINESSES FILL THESE EMPTY SPACES.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD, WE'VE HEARD FROM, FROM PEOPLE OVER TIME ABOUT ISSUES HAVING TO DO WITH PERMITTING.
WE'VE HEARD WITH ISSUES HAVING TO DO WITH FEES.
WE'VE HEARD WITH ISSUES HAVING TO DO WITH PROCESS.
WE'VE ALL HAVE HEARD THAT HOW MUCH WE MISS THE LINCOLN ROAD OF THE PAST.
EVERYONE LOVED SCORE, EVERYONE LOVED VAN D***S, EVERYONE LOVED KONG RIVER HOUSE.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT IF WE, IF WE WANT, IF WE WANTED VAN D***S TO COME BACK TODAY, TOM COULD THEY TO, COULD VAN D***S OPEN TODAY AS OF RIGHT ON LINCOLN ROAD, BASED UPON THEIR O LOAD, THEY WOULD REQUIRE A CUP BASED UPON THEIR O LOAD, THEY WOULD REQUIRE A CUP.
SO EVEN A LOT OF OUR, OF OUR LARGE SPACES ON LINCOLN ROAD THAT SIT EMPTY, IF A LARGE RESTAURANT WANTED TO COME IN AND OCCUPY ONE OF THE LARGER SPACES ON LINCOLN ROAD, LET'S SAY THE SPACE THAT SCORE USED TO OCCUPY, WHICH IS A MAJOR SPACE RIGHT IN THE HEART OF OUR, UH, COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR THERE ON LINCOLN ROAD THAT HAS SAT EMPTY.
I DUNNO, IT FEELS LIKE FOR 10 YEARS MAYBE AT LEAST A RESTAURANT WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO OPEN THEIR AS OF RIGHT.
AND YOU SEE, THAT TO ME IS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE AT A TIME WHEN THERE IS SUCH A CRAZY AMOUNT OF VACANCIES ON LINCOLN ROAD AND ON WASHINGTON AVENUE AND ON OTHER CORRIDORS, I THINK WE NEED TO BE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF BUSINESS OPENING.
AND SO, AND SO I BROUGHT, I BROUGHT FORWARD, UH, THIS, THIS ITEM.
I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S AN ISSUE FOR, FOR A RESTAURANT THAT HAS MORE THAN 200 SEATS TO OPEN UP WITHOUT A CUP IN SOME OF THESE MAJOR CORRIDORS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, UM, WITH, WITH SOME OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS HAVING INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT, INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT ON AN AREA LIKE LINCOLN ROAD WITHOUT A CUP.
'CAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO TEST IT.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT THE CURRENT REGULATION IS FAILING LINCOLN ROAD.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT NEW BUSINESSES, MANY OF THEM GO OUT OF BUSINESS BEFORE THEY EVEN OPENED ON, ON LINCOLN ROAD.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE ANDRES RES TO OPEN, UH, ON LINCOLN ROAD, THE CUP
[00:40:01]
PROCESS? BOTH THE APPLICATION GOING BEFORE THE BOARD, THAT WAS PROBABLY FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS, THEN THEY HAD TO GET PERMITTING, THEN THEY HAD TO FINISH ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION.AND SO IT WAS PROBABLY OVER A YEAR, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS PROBABLY MORE LIKE THREE YEARS FROM THE ENTIRE PROCESS ALL PUT TOGETHER.
AND SO I WANNA BE VERY CAUTIOUS AND VERY MEASURED WITH THIS.
THIS IS A VERY DELICATE STEP FORWARD.
UM, BECAUSE I WANT US TO TEST THIS FOR A ONE YEAR PERIOD.
LET'S SEE, FOR A ONE YEAR PERIOD, LET'S SAY, LET'S TELL THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THIS IS YOUR INCENTIVE TO GET TENANTS INTO YOUR SPACES.
IF THERE IS EVER A MOMENT TO SAY, TO SAY, WE AS LANDLORDS WILL NOT BE GREEDY AND WE WILL BE WILLING TO LOWER OUR RENTS, IT'S NOW WHEN THE CITY IS CUTTING RED TAPE FOR A ONE YEAR PERIOD TO HELP US GET GOOD QUALITY BUSINESSES INTO THESE SPACES.
AND SO I'M PROPOSING FOR US TO TEST THIS FOR A ONE YEAR PERIOD.
I'M PROPOSING THAT WE AMEND THIS ORDINANCE THAT'S BEFORE US TO INCLUDE A PENALTY PRO PROVISION.
THAT IF THERE IS A VIOLATION OF THIS ORDINANCE AND THE PERSON, LET'S SAY, HAD ENTERTAINMENT, THAT THEY LOSE THAT ENTERTAINMENT COMPONENTS.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THE STATUS QUO IS YIELDING US A STATUS QUO ON THE ECONOMY.
IT'S NOT A GROWING ECONOMY RIGHT NOW ON THE ROAD.
IT IS A SUFFERING ECONOMY, AND IT'S AN ALARM ON US TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO, TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
AND I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW THINGS WE CAN DO ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE HAVE SENATE BILL 180 THAT HAS SUSPENDED SOME OF OUR RECENT LEGISLATIONS THAT WE HAVE PASSED.
SO IN THAT SAME SPIRIT, YOU KNOW, SINCE SENATE BILL 180 HAS SUSPENDED TEMPORARILY, SOME OF THE OTHER REGULATIONS THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE, WELL, LET'S SEE WHAT, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN DRIVE THIS POLICY FORWARD TO HELP BUSINESSES OPEN A LITTLE BIT MORE QUICKLY IN THESE IMPORTANT CORRIDORS.
COMMISSIONER BI DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THIS SIDE? NO, I, I LIKE THE DIRECTION OF THIS.
I BUT THIS, THIS IS GEARED TO INCENTIVIZE KIND OF LARGER BUSINESSES, RESTAURANTS THAT MIGHT WANT INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT OR IT, IT SEEMS LIKE, RIGHT.
WELL, EVEN VAN D***S, I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT.
LIKE, I DON'T CONSIDER VAN D***S TO HAVE BEEN A LARGE ESTABLISHMENTS.
AND THEY, AND THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO REOPEN TODAY.
SO THE, AND THIS DOESN'T ADDRESS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING COULD, OTHER THAN LANDLORDS REALLY REDUCING THEIR RATES IS HOW DO WE GET THE LITTLER NOT NATIONAL CHAIN STORES, UM, TO OPEN UP.
BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO MISSING VAN D***S AND SOME OF THE OTHER BUSINESSES YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE QUIRKY LITTLE RETAIL STORES, UM, I MEAN, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO, TO HAVE A STORE THERE UNLESS IT'S A MARKETING LOSS LEADER MM-HMM
UM, OR A POPUP THAT IS, YOU KNOW, FOR A PARTICULAR EVENT.
SO, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION OF THIS THAN THIS.
SO I, I AM, UH, SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
UM, I WISH THERE WERE A WAY THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING EQUIVALENT TO INCENTIVIZE SMALLER BUSINESSES COMING BACK.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
SO, AND I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU SEE RESTAURANTS AND CAFES GOING IN, I, I WOULD HOPE THAT THEN THAT WOULD CREATE THE PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY THAT THEN WOULD CREATE SPILLOVER ECONOMIC IMPACT.
FOR SMALLER STORES TO MAKE IT VIABLE FOR.
BECAUSE LIKE YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU MENTIONED, UH, LARGE RETAIL NATIONAL CHAINS, CHEESECAKE FACTORY, CHEESECAKE FACTORY CAME IN, THEY HAVE A SPILLOVER EFFECT ON SOME OF THE OTHER RETAIL IT'S FAMILIES.
YOU SEE A WAITING LINE OUTSIDE OF CHEESECAKE FACTORIES SOMETIMES.
AND THEN YOU SEE, AND I'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE BUSINESSES IN THAT AREA THAT THEY HAVE BENEFIT, SOME OF THE NON RESTAURANTS HAVE BENEFIT BECAUSE OF THE SPILLOVER EFFECT THAT CHEESECAKE FACTORY HAS IN THE ECONOMY OF THAT AREA.
IF WE CAN GET MORE OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, BUT NOT NATIONAL BRANDS, YOU KNOW, TO COME IN AND OPEN UP LIKE WHAT WE USED TO HAVE, IT CAN SUPPORT AND PROVIDE SPILLOVER EFFECT TO SOME OF THE OTHER USES THAT USED TO BE ON LINCOLN ROAD.
I MEAN, TO GET A RICKY'S BACK OR PINK PALM PRODUCE, PRODUCE, WHATEVER THAT THAT STORE WAS, IT HAD LIKE ALL THE GOOD GIFTS AND STUFF BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE WAITING FOR YOUR TABLE SOMEPLACE, THAT'S WHERE YOU GO PERUSE AROUND WITH YOUR FAMILY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I LOVE HAVING MULTIPLE RESTAURANT CHOICES.
AND, AND PLACES TO GO HEAR LIVE MUSIC IS ALWAYS FANTASTIC.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO OFFER ON LINCOLN ROAD SOMETHING TO DO OTHER THAN TO EAT.
SO OF COURSE, UM, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY WHO HAS IDEAS OTHER THAN HOLDING OUR LANDLORD'S FEET OVER THE FIRE TO DROP THEIR RATES, I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT'S OUR NEXT WISH.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, THE, THE GOAL IS TO TEST THIS FOR ONE YEAR.
[00:45:01]
IF, IF ANYONE THAT THAT UH, USES THIS ORDINANCE TO OPEN UP ON LINCOLN ROAD THROUGH, THROUGH AN EXPEDITED PROCESS WITHOUT GOING FOR OUR CUP IS FOUND IN VIOLATION, LET'S INCLUDE IN IN THE POLICY THE PENALTY OF LOSING THE PRIVILEGE.AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO GO AND GET THE CUP AS A PENALTY AT THAT POINT, BUT NOT MAKE THE CUP THE REQUIREMENT TO GET THEIR FOOT INTO THE DOOR BECAUSE WE'RE JUST PUTTING BUSINESSES OUT OF BUSINESS BEFORE THEY EVEN OPEN UP.
AND, AND JUST TO MAKE CLEAR TO ANYBODY LISTENING, THIS IS NOT THAT YOU WOULD OPEN UP AND YOU WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO BE THERE FOR A YEAR.
IT'S THAT THIS WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY IS FOR A YEAR.
AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE THERE, AND AS LONG AS YOU'RE A GOOD OPERATOR, YOU CAN STAY IN PERPETUATION.
AND THAT'S HOW IT BECOMES AN INCENTIVE RIGHT? TO THE PROPERTY OWNER TO SAY, NOW THAT THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HAS GIVEN US THIS ONE YEAR WINDOW WHERE THEY ARE WAIVING SOME OF THESE REQUIREMENTS AND CUTTING SOME RED TAPE, IS OUR INCENTIVE NOW THEN AS PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS, TO ENCOURAGE US TO GET OUR TENANTS IN THERE BECAUSE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO OPEN UP QUICKER.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT SOME OF THESE TENANTS, OFTENTIMES, NOT ALWAYS, BUT OFTENTIMES THEY'RE WISE ENOUGH THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE.
OKAY, YOU PAY A LOWER RENT UNTIL YOU GET YOUR APPROVAL FROM FROM THE CITY.
SO THE 10, SO THE LANDLORD KNOWS, OKAY, THIS IS THE TIME.
WHILE, WHILE, WHILE THIS EXPEDITED APPROVAL PROCESSES IN PLACE TO GET MY TENANTS INTO THIS COMMERCIAL SPACE, ARE THERE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE IN PERSON, SEEING NONE IN ZOOM.
UH, CAN WE SHOW THIS ITEM ADOPTED BY ACCLIMATION AS AMENDED? I'LL MOVE IT.
[6. DISCUSS REVIEW DESIGN OPTIONS AND MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES FOR MIAMI BEACH RED SIDEWALKS]
THAT, UH, LET'S CALL ITEM NUMBER SIX.ITEM NUMBER SIX IS DISCUSS, REVIEW, DISCUSS AND REVIEW DESIGN OPTIONS AND MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES FOR MIAMI BEACH.
SO, UM, I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS A TOUGH ONE FOR YOU TO BE STEPPING INTO.
IT'S VERY EMOTIONALLY FRAUGHT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PROS AND CONS OF DOING ONE THING OR ANOTHER.
AND I AM NOT SUPER PSYCHED ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AS OF TODAY'S CONVERSATION.
SO I WANNA HAVE A CONVERSATION THEN I'M GONNA, UM, NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE AND I'M BOARD SINCE YOU'VE INHERITED THIS, THIS VIPERS NEST OF, OF FUN, UM, LET'S, LET'S PUT OUR HEADS BACK AT IT AND COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, BECAUSE HERE'S, HERE'S THE THING.
UM, THE, WELL I'LL LET YOU PRESENT THE ITEM AND THEN I'LL, I'LL COME BACK TO IT.
HOW'S THAT SOUND? THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, OUR PROPOSAL WAS TO CONTINUE TO USE THE MIAMI RED SIDEWALKS WHERE APPLICABLE, WHICH WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE WHEN WE HAVE LARGE SECTIONS OF BLOCK WORTH BEING REDONE, NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, LARGE UTILITY PROJECTS, ANYTHING WHERE WE ARE REMOVING LARGE SEGMENTS OF SIDEWALK.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE CASES WITH COUNTY AND FDOT OWNED ROADWAYS WHERE WE NEED TO NEGOTIATE THE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT WITH THEM IF WE DO THE RED SIDEWALKS.
AND WE CERTAINLY THINK THAT'S DOABLE.
UM, ESPECIALLY MOVING FORWARD AND AFTER, YOU KNOW, RECENT REVIEW OF, UH, PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS, I THINK NOW WE HAVE A BETTER VISION MOVING FORWARD WHEN WE DO MAKE THESE AGREEMENTS WITH FDOT OR WITH THE COUNTY.
SO HERE'S, HERE'S MY FRUSTRATION, AND THIS IS NOT A YOU THING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME LONG BEFORE YOU GOT HERE.
UM, IN JULY, THERE WAS A MEETING AT THE DRB WHERE ONE OF THE MEMBERS PROVIDED THE HISTORY OF HOW THE MIAMI BEACH RED COLOR CONCRETE IDEA CAME TO LIGHT BY CARL FISHER.
WHOEVER THIS PERSON IS, IS NOT ACCURATE.
UM, SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS BUILT INTO MIAMI BEACH IN THE TWENTIES.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS UNVEILED.
THE BEST THAT WE CAN FIND IS FROM THE 1950S.
UM, I LOVE THE IDEA OF RED SIDEWALKS.
I THINK IT'S REALLY COOL AND FUN.
I DO NOT LOVE THE IDEA OF HOW THEY LOOK AND HOW THEY, UM, WEAR OVER TIME.
THEY'RE BETWEEN 20 AND 50% MORE EXPENSIVE.
UM, EVEN IF THERE'S WORK BEING DONE AND THERE'S A TEMPORARY PATCH PUT ON, AS WE ALL KNOW, TEMPORARY PATCHES END UP BEING, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF TWO WEEKS, IT COULD BE TWO YEARS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THROUGH NO FAULT OF OURS, JUST THE WAY THINGS GO, THEY WEAR UNEVENLY.
THEY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, UM, RETAIL OPERATORS SHOPKEEPERS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND EITHER PRESSURE WASHING AND BLASTING THE HELL OUT OF IT OR PAINTING IT TO TRY TO MAKE BETTER, MAKE IT LOOK BETTER.
SO INSTEAD OF LIKE HAVING THE EFFECT OF WELCOME TO FABULOUS MIAMI BEACH, LIKE MY DUDE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CITY? WE CAN'T EVEN KEEP THE SIDEWALKS LOOKING DECENT.
I DON'T, I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE ABANDON
[00:50:01]
IT ENTIRELY.AND, AND I GUESS MY FRUSTRATION IS, AND I THINK IT'S THROUGH THE TRANSITION, UM, OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF MONTHS THERE HAD BEEN CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW DO WE, UM, TAKE THE CONCEPT OF THE RED SIDEWALK AND DO IT IN A WAY AS NOT RIPPING UP ALL OF THE EXISTING SIDEWALKS, BUT AS WE GO FORWARD, HOW DO WE TAKE THE CONCEPT AND HONOR IT IN A WAY THAT IS EASIER TO MAINTAIN? SO IS IT BY HAVING, YOU KNOW, A FOOT OF BRICK PAVERS GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN, YOU KNOW, A FEW FEET IN FROM THE CURB OR CLOSER TO THE RETAIL SIDE, IS IT HAVING, YOU KNOW, A, A SECTION THAT CAN BE MORE EASILY MAINTAINED TO INDICATE THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A PATH, A RED SIDEWALK PATH AS OPPOSED TO THE ENTIRETY OF THE SIDEWALK LOOKING ATROCIOUS? BECAUSE I WOULD IMAGINE IT'S MUCH EASIER TO, TO MAINTAIN BRICK PAVERS OR A, A STRETCH OF RED RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO RIP UP AN ENTIRE SIDEWALK AND ALL OF THAT ENTAILS.
AND SO AGAIN, I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE GET RID OF THE, THE RED SIDEWALKS, I'M JUST SUGGESTING THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CONTINUING THE STATUS QUO IS NOT TO ME A GOOD ENOUGH SOLUTION.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, CONTINUE THIS FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS.
AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S GET TOGETHER AND TALK, FIGURE OUT IDEAS.
MAYBE GET, I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE INVOLVED, WHO, WHO MIGHT HAVE SOME DESIGN IDEAS, BUT, UM, IT'S NOT EXACTLY ANALOGOUS, BUT SOME OF THE DEEP, THE DRAWINGS, UH, CONCEPTS THAT WERE DONE FOR OCEAN DRIVE HAD A, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT ELABORATE 'CAUSE THAT'S PRETTY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REDOING ENTIRE PAVEMENTS.
BUT MAYBE USING THAT AS A BASIS POINT TO, TO START GIN UP SOME IDEAS OF HOW DO WE DO THIS IN A WAY THAT WE CAN TRANSITION TO SOMETHING THAT'S SYMBOLICALLY REPRESENTATIVE WITHOUT MAKING OUR SIDEWALKS LOOK LIKE HELL.
AND SINCE WE'RE IN THE SUNSHINE, I'LL JUST SAY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN IDENTIFY AREAS OF OUR CITY WHERE IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE THOSE RED SIDEWALKS.
AND THEN IN THE AREAS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE RED SIDEWALKS AND WE JUST GO TO SIMPLE GRAY, I THINK THAT THE COMBINATION, AND THOUGH I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE, OF THE COMBINATION, THE THOUGHT BEHIND IT OF HAVING, UH, YOU KNOW, A STRIP OF RED OR A STRIP OF A BRICK COMBINED, I THINK IT JUST, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE SIDEWALKS THAT HAVE WORK DONE, THERE'S UTILITY THAT RUN UNDER, UNDER THESE, THESE SIDEWALKS.
UM, AND SO I WOULD JUST SAY JUST THE SIMPLICITY OF IT, UM, THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ULTIMATELY ON THE ARCHITECTURE.
YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS THE FOCUS, THE ARCHITECTURE OF, OF OUR, OF OUR CITY, UH, NOT NECESSARILY OUR SIDEWALKS.
AND I THINK WE CAN GO IN A SIMPLE APPROACH IDENTIFYING WHICH ROADWAYS AND WHICH DISTRICTS SHOULD BE RED.
AND IDENTIFYING THEN WHICH AREAS SHOULD JUST BE THE MORE EFFICIENT AND EASIER TO MAINTAIN GRAY.
YEAH, I MEAN, UM, IF THE DESIRED EFFECT IS TO MAKE MIAMI BEACH LOOK REALLY SPECIAL BY HAVING RED SIDEWALKS AND THE ACTUAL EFFECT IS TO MAKE MIAMI BEACH LOOK REALLY RUN DOWN BY HAVING RED SIDEWALKS, SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AND IT'S REALLY NOT WORTH DOING BECAUSE IT'S NOT, IT, IT'S EXPENSIVE AND IT'S, IT'S NOT PROVIDING THE DESIRED OUTCOME.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU TWO MONTHS.
THERE'S NO NOVEMBER MEETING, SO IT'LL BE THE ONE AFTER NOVEMBER.
SO YOU GOT EVEN, YOU GOT EVEN MORE TIME.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE IN PERSON AND NONE ON ZOOM.
[7. DISCUSS THE NORTH BEACH WATER QUALITY AND PARK VIEW CANAL REPORT]
SEVEN.WE'RE JUST CLICKING ALONG HERE.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS DISCUSS THE NORTH BEACH WATER QUALITY AND PARKVIEW CANAL REPORT.
I SEE WE HAVE AMY KNOWLES, OUR CHIEF RESILIENCY OFFICER, UH, TO GIVE US AN UPDATE.
AMY KNOWLES, CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER, UM, HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON HOW WE'RE DOING WITH PARKVIEW CANAL.
IT CONTINUES TO BE A REALLY SIGNIFICANT PRIORITY FOR US.
UM, I'M JOINED TODAY BY OUR NEW PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, JOHN NORRIS AS WELL.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU A JOINT UPDATE.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF INITIATIVES THAT CAME OUT OF THE PRESENTATION FROM MARCH, UH, WHEN WE WERE UP HERE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF GOING THROUGH ALL THE MANY DETAILS OF THE, UH, MOST RECENT, UM, REPORT.
AMY, YOU SHOULDN'T TELL US THAT 'CAUSE NOW WE'RE GONNA WANNA MAKE YOU BREAK THAT RECORD
BUT, UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH ALL 15 OR IF THERE'S ANY PRIORITIES YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT, WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
HOPEFULLY YOU'VE BEEN RECEIVING THE WEEKLY, UM, LTCS BEING SENT.
UH, WE JUST RELEASED ANOTHER, UH, MONTHLY UPDATE TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.
UM, HAVE WE COMPLETED, UH, THE RELINING, UH, AND THE, AND THE, AND THE REPAIRING OF THE CLEAN OUTS OF BISCAYNE BAY BEACH ELEMENTARY? YES.
WE SHOULD COMPLETE THIS WEEKEND.
[00:55:01]
WHAT THEY HAVE TO START WITH IS HAVE TO FIRST CLEAN THE LINES, WHICH THAT'S ALL BEEN COMPLETED 100%.THEY NEED TO ADD CLEAN OUTS FOR ACCESS AND, UH, FOR FUTURE CLEANING OF THE LINES.
THEY'VE DONE 13 CLEAN OUTS, THAT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT COMPLETE.
POINT IS WHERE YOU HAVE A BREAK IN THE LINE THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO DIG UP.
SO THAT DOES TAKE ADDITIONAL TIME.
ALL OF THOSE POINT REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THEY HAVE COMPLETED 700 LINEAR FEET OUT OF THE 1,290 LINEAR FEET THAT NEEDS TO BE LINED ON THE PROPERTY.
SO THERE ARE FEW MORE PIPE SEGMENTS TO BE RE UH, THAT REMAIN TO BE LINED AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED THIS WEEKEND.
WE HOPE THE WEATHER HOLDS OUT, 'CAUSE THAT DOES IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO DO THE WORK.
BUT IF NOT, THEY WILL GET IT IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND.
NICK, UH, AND, AND LET ME JUST ASK, HAVE WE HEARD FROM MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HAS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COME IN AND P YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S AREAS THAT WE CONTROL, THEN THERE'S THE AREAS THAT WE DON'T CONTROL.
THIS CAN, BEACH ELEMENTARY, CLEARLY AN AREA WE DON'T CONTROL.
IT'S THE OTHER AREA, UH, OF CRITICAL SIGNIFICANCE THAT WE DO NOT CONTROL.
AND WE'VE BEEN ASKING, UH, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER THOSE TO COME IN, UH, AND, AND, AND LOOK AT THOSE AND INSPECT THOSE.
HAS THAT HAPPENED? UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'VE DONE INSPECTIONS, BUT WE'VE CERTAINLY BROUGHT IT TO THEIR INTENTION.
THEIR FOCUS WAS, UH, THE BISCAY BEACH ELEMENTARY.
UH, WE DID MEET WITH THEM AND WE GAVE THEM AN OVERVIEW OF OUR FINDINGS.
WE PROVIDED THEM A FULL PRESENTATION FROM THE, UM, STUDY, AND THE PROFESSOR ACTUALLY PROVIDED THAT DATA TO THE COUNTY, WHICH THEY REALLY APPRECIATED.
THEY PROVIDED, UM, A LETTER TO THE SCHOOL BOARD TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
AND THAT'S REALLY BEEN THEIR FOCUS.
WE'VE LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE'S OTHER OUTFALLS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, NEED HELP WITH.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS IN COMPLIANCE.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
SO, BUT WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY, HOW CAN WE GET A REPORT FROM DERM AS TO WHETHER ANY INSPECTIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE ON THESE PRIVATE OUTFALLS? BECAUSE THAT'S A CONCERN.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE AWARE OF OUR CONCERNS AND, AND WE CAN ASK FOR A STATUS UPDATE.
UM, WHILE YOU'VE GOT ACCESS TO THE FACILITY ON THE WEEKENDS TO FINISH THE REPAIRS, IS THAT, COULD WE JUST BRING PEOPLE ON TO INSPECT WHILE THEY'RE THERE TO INSPECT THE OUTFALL PIPELINING? YEAH.
NO, INSPECT THE PRIVATE OUTFALLS, BUT THE PRIVATE OUTFALLS WOULD BE ON THE, UH, PARKVIEW SIDE, I THINK IS WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO.
IT'S, IT'S OTHER PROPERTIES ALONG THE CANAL, SO NOT NECESSARILY THE SCHOOL, ANY PRIVATE PROPERTIES THAT DO HAVE OUTFALLS.
UM, SO ALONG THE SCHOOL, ALONG THE CANAL, UH, NOT THE SCHOOL, SORRY.
UM, THE TATUM WATERWAY, THERE'S, THERE'S MANY PRIVATE AS WELL.
PRIVATE MEANING PRO LIKE PRIVATE HOME, PRIVATE PROPERTY OUTFALLS.
AND THEY HAVE CLASS TWO PERMITS FROM DURHAM.
AND SO I THOUGHT THIS ADJACENT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, FROM WHAT YOU, I UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE NOT DONE WITH THE REPAIRS YET, BUT YOU'RE ALMOST DONE.
WHAT, OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO TELL WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN AND BEEN ABLE TO CLEAR OUT AND REPAIR? IS THAT, UM, AS MUCH AS, UH, A SOURCE FOR OF THE POLLUTION AS WE HAD ANTICIPATED? ARE YOU, UH, HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO SHOW WHEN IT'S ALL DONE? YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE IT WAS, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE MAP, THERE WAS THAT PARKING LOT BEHIND CVS AND THEN THERE WAS THIS CAME, UM, BEACH ELEMENTARY.
THERE WERE LIKE THE TWO BLARING AREAS MM-HMM
SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? YEAH, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND IT'S ONE THAT WE RECENTLY WERE DISCUSSING, UM, WITH DR.
SO THE, THE INTER COX EYE WAS SO HIGH IN THE GROUNDWATER AT THE SCA BEACH ELEMENTARY THAT WE DO BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO TAKE MANY MONTHS FOR THAT TO DISSIPATE.
AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO KIND OF GIVE US AN ACTUAL, UM, NUMBER.
BUT WHAT WAS THAT LEVEL? I'M SORRY THAT YOU MENTION THE, UH, THE LEVEL OF INTER COCCI AND THE GROUNDWATER.
UM, UNDERNEATH THE SCHOOL WAS, WAS SO HIGH, AS WELL AS AT THE OUTFALL INTO THE CANAL.
WE DO EXPECT IT TO BE MANY MONTHS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THAT ACTUALLY DISSIPATES BECAUSE THE GROUNDWATER DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, MOVE AS, YOU KNOW, AS FAST AS, AS MAYBE YOU THINK IT WOULD.
SO SHE WASN'T ABLE TO PUT AN ACTUAL, UM, PREDICTION ON THAT.
BUT WE THINK IT'LL TAKE, IT WILL TAKE MONTHS, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE AREA.
WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DO A FOLLOW-UP STUDY AT SOME POINT.
WE'D LIKE TO GET SOME OF THIS WORK DONE WHERE WE GO IN AND DO AN INTENSE SAMPLING, UH, PROGRAM.
AGAIN, IS THERE ANY WAY TO MITIGATE THAT TO, UM, UH, SPEED UP THE PROCESS BY WHICH IT DISSIPATES? I MEAN, I, NOT THAT THIS IS AN EPA SUPER FUND SITE, THANK GOD, UM, IT'S HER OWN LITTLE MINI VERSION OF THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HAVE THESE HORRIFIC SUPERFUND SITES, THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS THEY CAN DO RATHER, OTHER THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, FIXING THE PROBLEM MM-HMM
UM, TO CON CONTAIN THE OUTCOME OF THE PROBLEM THAT RIGHT.
SO THAT IT DOESN'T JUST NATURALLY, WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR IT TO NATURALLY JUST DISSIPATE
[01:00:01]
INTO THE WATER.UM, IS THERE A WAY TO CAPTURE THAT SOMEHOW AND, AND SPEED THAT WHOLE THING UP? WELL, WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT FURTHER, BUT BECAUSE, I MEAN, THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT SUBSTANCE.
YOU KNOW, USUALLY WITH A SUPERFUND FIGHT THEY'RE LOOKING TO CONTAIN, THEY'RE LOOKING TO TREAT, THEY'RE LOOKING TO ADD MONITORING WELL, TO SEE WHERE IT'S, IT'S MOVING.
SO THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MEET THAT TYPE OF CRITERIA.
I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TELLING US THAT THERE, THE GROUNDWATER HAD ELEVATED LEVELS OF, OF, OF THE BACTERIA AT BISCAY BEACH ELEMENTARY, BISCAY BEACH ELEMENTARY.
IT'S DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PUMP STATION, PUMP STATION 23.
AND WE'RE HOPING, UH, THAT, THAT THE ELEVATED LEVEL OF THE BACTERIA, BISCAYNE BEACH ELEMENTARY, IS A RESULT OF ISSUES OF THE, OF THE PIPES THAT WE ARE REPAIRING AND FIXING RIGHT NOW.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE, I WANT TO GET ABSOLUTE, YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTE, WITHOUT ANY DOUBT OF CONFIRMATION THAT PUMP STATION 23 IS NOT LEAKING, IS NOT THE SOURCE OF THE GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION, UH, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, EXISTS BELOW BISCAY BEACH ELEMENTARY.
AND THAT IS AFFECTING, UM, THAT IS AFFECTING ALSO, UM, PARKVIEW CANAL.
ONE, A LAY PERSON AND JUST COMMON SENSE AND WITHOUT ANY ENGINEERING BACKGROUND WOULD TELL YOU, OKAY, YEAH.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A PUMP STATION RIGHT HERE AND YOU HAVE A ELEVATED LEVEL OF THIS TYPE OF BACTERIA IN THAT WATER THAT IS RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
CLEARLY THE PROBLEM MUST BE COMING FROM THAT PUMP STATION.
WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I WANT, I WANT US TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY, YOU KNOW, ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT, COME IN AND VERIFY THIS FOR US.
I DON'T WANT US JUST TO BE, YOU KNOW, TO BE SITTING HERE AND TO BE TOLD, YES, WE'VE CHECKED IT AND NO, IT'S NOT COMING FROM THERE.
I NEED, YOU KNOW, VERACITY WITH ABSOLUTE NO, NO DOUBT THAT IS COMING FROM THERE, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FIX.
THAT IS OUR PROPERTY, THAT IS OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S NOT PRIVATE OUTFALLS WHERE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND DURHAM HAVE TO GO IN.
THAT'S NOT MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PROPERTY THAT WE DON'T CONTROL.
AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG THERE, I WANT TO KNOW.
NOW, I DON'T WANT US TO FIND OUT SIX MONTHS FROM NOW.
I DON'T WANT US TO FIND OUT A YEAR FROM NOW.
AND I KNOW IN THE PAST WE'VE STUDIED THIS AND WE'VE INSPECTED IT AND WE'VE LOOKED AT THE DESIGN AND THE SIDING, AND WE'VE LOOKED AT THE OPERATION.
I WANT US TO DOT THE I'S AND CROSS THE T'S AND BE GIVEN ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT THIS IS NOT COMING FROM THERE.
AND IF IT IS, WELL, LET'S RAISE THE ALARM AND LET'S NOT SAY, WELL, WHY DIDN'T WE DISCOVER IT BEFORE? NO, WE MOVE FORWARD, THEN WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE FIX IT.
AND SO OUR NEW PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR GUIDE US ON THIS BECAUSE I WANT ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY.
SO WE HAVE ALREADY ENGAGED HAZEN SAWYER, WHO'S ONE OF OUR CONTINUING SERVICE CONSULTANTS.
THEY ACTUALLY REVIEWED THAT PUMP STATION IN 2018.
AND THEY CAME UP WITH A LIST OF THINGS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE UPDATED IN THE FUTURE.
WE LINED THE WET WELL, THE WET WELL IS WHERE THE SEWAGE SITS, AND EVERYTHING IS PUMPED FROM THAT WET WELL AND PUMPED THROUGH A FOREST MAIN.
SO WE LINED THAT, THAT'S THE MOST LIKELY SPOT FOR A LEAK.
THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE WET.
WELL, I WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
THE WET WELL WAS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.
THIS WAS IN AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD AN EPOXY LINING INSTEAD OF A CONCRETE WET.
SOME OF THE CONTROLS WERE UPDATED, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE ARE ENGAGING HAZEN TOYER TO COME BACK.
NOW WE ARE SEVEN YEARS LATER AND GO THROUGH THAT ENTIRE SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE FORCE MAINS THAT COME FROM THE PUMP STATION, THE GRAVITY MAINS THAT COME FROM THE, FROM THE MANHOLES TO THE, UH, PUMP STATION.
AND GIVE A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON EVERYTHING JUST TO CLEAR EVERYBODY'S MIND AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NOTHING COMING FROM THAT PUMP STATION, WHICH WE'RE OKAY.
WHO SU DOING THIS ANALYSIS? UH, HAZEN AND TOYER.
THEY'RE ONE OF OUR, IS THIS THE SAME COMPANY THAT DID THE ANALYSIS IN 2018? THEY DID THE INITIAL ANALYSIS.
OKAY, I WANT AN INDEPENDENT, I DON'T WANT THE SAME PERSON THAT DID THE FIRST ANALYSIS.
I WANT TO HAVE ABSOLUTE, TOTAL, TOTAL INDEPENDENCE.
AND I WANT US SPECIFICALLY TO LOOK AT THAT WET WELL SYSTEM.
[01:05:01]
TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS BEING LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO, TO PARKVIEW CANAL, THAT THIS IS NOT THE SOURCE OF IT.SO I JUST DON'T WANT THE INDEPENDENCE OF AN INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL, YOU KNOW, CONSULTANT.
SOMEONE THAT HAS NOT WORKED ON THIS BEFORE.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE SOMEONE FRESH EYES.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE SOMEONE THAT SAYS, OH, WELL I DIDN'T CATCH IT IN 2018 OR 2023, AND NOW I'M GONNA LOOK BAD IF I, IF I RAISE THE ALERT NOW, COMPLETE NEW, FRESH EYES.
AND IF THERE IS AN ISSUE THERE, LET'S SOUND THE ALARM.
WE JUST MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
BUT I NEED THE ABSOLUTE AND THE TOTAL CERTAINTY THAT THIS IS NOT THE SOURCE OF THE, OF THE CONTAMINATION.
HAVE WE DONE, UH, ANY MORE WATER QUALITY TESTING IN THIS AREA? UH, WE DO MONTHLY TESTING, UM, AS A CITY, BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE ANOTHER INTENSE, UH, TEST WITH, UH, UM, YET.
RIGHT NOW THEY'RE FOCUSING ON UV DISINFECTION, AND WE KICKED THAT OFF LAST WEEK.
SO THAT'S THE, THEY'RE FOCUS AT THIS TIME.
UM, WE WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR THE REPAIRS AND, AND MORE WORK TO HAPPEN WITH THE SCA BEACH.
AND THEN, AND THEN I, I THINK IT IS ADVISABLE TO DO ANOTHER IN-DEPTH STUDY WITH, WITH, UM, WITH THE PROFESSOR.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK, UM, YOU WILL NEED FOR THERE TO BE ENOUGH DISSIPATION OF THE GROUNDWATER AT THE SCHOOL TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE TO HAVE DR.
SOLA GABRIELLE COME IN AND DO ANOTHER INTENSIVE STUDY? THREE MONTHS.
IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS ADVISABLE TO DO THIS IN THE SPRING.
UM, A COUPLE REASONS THAT'LL GIVE US A NICE AMOUNT OF TIME.
UM, TWO, WE CAN GET A SCOPE READY WITH HER.
SHE HAS STUDENTS AVAILABLE, WHICH REALLY KEEPS THE COST DOWN FOR US AS A CITY.
AND IT MAKES IT A MUCH MORE ROBUST, I THINK, STUDY.
UM, SO DOING THAT OVER THE SUMMER WITH THEM IS ALWAYS A GOOD TIME.
IT'S RAINY, SO HONESTLY, THE WATER QUALITY IS WORSE AND WE'RE SEEING IMPACTS FROM, FROM DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO IT'S THE BEST TIME TO DO IT IN THE SPRING IN, YEAH.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING WATER QUALITY TESTING, YOU SAID ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
THAT'S THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN RELATIONSHIP TO OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR STORM WATER PROGRAM.
IT'S JUST BACKGROUND SAMPLING.
BUT WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY IN THIS AREA.
IT'S NOT A CLEARED EMERGENCY, BUT I THINK IT'S AN EMERGENCY.
WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN THIS AREA.
I THINK, UH, MR. MANAGER, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO BE DOING WEEKLY TESTING HERE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, NOT JUST FOR US, BUT ALSO FOR THE PUBLIC.
UH, I WANT THERE TO BE OFFICIAL DATA FROM THE CITY TELLING US WHAT IS THE BACTERIA LEVEL IN THIS, IN THIS AREA? WHAT DO THE MONTHLY TESTINGS TELL US? WELL, THEY'VE ACTUALLY SHOWN OVER TIME, SINCE 2020, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT.
UM, AND, UH, THE WORST YEARS WERE 20 20, 20 21.
AND IT'S GOTTEN BETTER SINCE THEN.
SO WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF, OF, UM, THE, THE AVERAGE, THE MEDIAN, THE MEN AND THE MAX.
WE TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WOULD'VE EXCEEDED THE HEALTHY BEACHES STANDARDS.
SO THINGS HAVE BEEN IMPROVING SINCE THAT TIME.
UM, WHAT DOES THE LATEST NUMBERS TELL US? LET'S SEE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT TO POINT FINGERS, THIS IS NOT TO MAKE PEOPLE LOOK BACK.
WE NEED CERTAINTY IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE RIGHT PATH.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE LATEST ONE WITH ME.
UM, I DO HAVE THE AVERAGE YEAR TO DATE AT 268, UM, MOST PROBABLE NUMBER UNITS.
AND THE MEDIUM AT 1 21, THAT'S SUPPOSED BE AT 70, RIGHT? YES.
THAT'S, WELL, THOSE ARE THE BEACH STANDARDS, NOT CANAL STANDARDS.
AND FOR THE CANAL, WHAT'S THE STANDARD FOR THIS? WE DON'T HAVE STANDARDS FOR CANALS.
SO THAT'S, THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE TOUGH.
WE, WE LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A MONT WE USE BEACH STANDARDS 'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE GO INTO THIS WATER.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE THE BEACH STANDARDS IS WHAT'S SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO SWIM IN.
WELL, THERE'S, IT'S INTERESTING, THE, THE RESEARCH THAT WAS DONE TO ESTABLISH THAT, IT IS ABOUT, UM, IT, IT'S A STANDARD THAT ABOUT 3.6% OF PEOPLE CAN GET A GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE OR OTHERWISE IT'S SORT OF A SAFETY STANDARD.
UM, THAT'S HOW THE 70 NPN WAS CREATED.
THAT'S, IT'S AN ACCEPTABLE, YOU KNOW, LEVEL.
THEN THE MORE BACTERIA YOU HAVE IN THE WATERWAY, THE MORE LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING MAYBE SOMETHING.
SO IT'S JUST A CERTAIN STANDARD THEY USE FOR BEACHES.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FLUSHING FOR BEACHES.
AND SO, AND SO THIS 2 68 MPN, THAT'S THE MEDIAN YEAR TO DATE? THAT'S THE AVERAGE YEAR TO DATE.
AND WHAT WAS THE PREVIOUS YEARS? UM, I NEED TO KNOW, LIKE WHAT DOES THAT COMPARE TO? SURE.
AND ALSO NOTE, WE HAVE, WE JUST STARTED THE RAINY SEASON, SO EXPECT THAT TO GO UP.
[01:10:01]
HAVE 1 49, 20 22, 2 60, 20 21 WAS 2,905.UH, I NEED THESE, THESE NUMBERS.
I LIKE TO HAVE THESE NUMBERS INCLUDED IN OUR WEEKLY OPERATION.
UH, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO MORE FREQUENT TESTING THAN ONCE A MONTH.
I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT'S SICK AT HOME OR YOU DO, YOU'RE CONSTANTLY TAKING THE TEMPERATURE.
THIS IS OUR SICK CHILD AND WE NEED TO BE ON TOP OF THE METRICS TO HAVE CLEAR CERTAINTY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND I, I, MR. MANAGER, HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE US TO RETAIN AN INDEPENDENT COMPANY TO DO A FULL AND COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF PUMP STATION 23? AND LET, LET IT, LET, LET ME MAKE IT VERY CLEAR.
I WOULD MUCH RATHER THEM DETERMINE THAT THAT IS THE SOURCE OF THE CONTAMINATION THEN FOR THEM TO TELL ME THAT IT'S NOT.
BECAUSE AT LEAST WE KNOW WHAT IS A CLEAR SOURCE AND WE CAN TAKE ACTION TO FIX IT.
AND SO AND SO, THAT'S WHAT IS DETERMINED.
WE NEED TO KNOW IT, OWN IT, MOVE FORWARD AND FIX IT.
SO HOW MUCH TIME WILL IT TAKE US TO BE ABLE TO RETAIN A COMPANY? I THINK WE HAVE, UH, COMPANIES ON BOARD THAT WE CAN WORK WITH.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN PROBABLY TURN AROUND AND, AND IN WHAT, A COUPLE WEEKS AT THE, AT THE LATEST, GET A PROPOSAL, COME TO AN AGREEMENT.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A PROPOSAL VERY QUICKLY.
AND THEN ONCE WE SEE THE SCOPE, WE'LL UNDERSTAND HOW LONG IT'LL TAKE THEM TO GIVE US A REPORT.
SO, SO I THINK WE CAN HAVE A, WE CAN HAVE THEM ON BOARD WITHIN WEEKS, WITHIN TWO WEEKS OR LESS.
HOPEFULLY GET 'EM ON BOARD UP TO SPEED ON WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AND THEN GET THEM GOING.
WE WILL KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE 'EM TO LOOK AT IT.
ONCE YOU'RE ABLE TO SIT WITH THEM AND EXPLAIN WHAT THE SCOPE OF WORK IS GONNA BE.
SO THEY CAN TELL US, DO YOU NEED ACTION FROM THE CITY COMMISSION IN ORDER TO DO THIS? I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANY ACTION.
UH, AND BY WHEN CAN I GET AN UPDATE AT THIS COMMITTEE? OUR NEXT OR, OH, YOU, YOU GUYS CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE IN OUR, IN OUR, UH, THE WEEKLY, WEEKLY, WEEKLY, UH, MEMO.
WE, WE ARE, WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE THAT WILL BE, UH, ISSUING TOMORROW.
IT WILL NOT HAVE THIS UPDATE, BUT THE ONE NEXT WEEK WILL CAPTURE WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED HERE TODAY AND WHAT'S BEEN REQUESTED.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE FULL TRANSPARENCY ON THE CONTAMINATION LEVEL.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE WEEKLY TESTING AND WE NEED TO BE PUBLISHING THOSE TEST RESULTS ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
I THINK WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A WATER QUALITY ISSUE THERE AND WE NEED TO BE ON TOP OF THAT AND WE NEED OUR OFFICIAL READINGS FROM THE CITY.
IS THAT POSSIBLE? WELL, IF, IF I MAY, COMMISSIONER, WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK INTO OUR AGREEMENT WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.
WE PIGGYBACK ON THEIR CONTRACT IS A MONTHLY SAMPLING THAT THEY DO FOR BISCAYNE BAY.
SO WE HAVE TO JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, MAKE SURE WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL WEEKS AND, AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, AND WORK ON THAT.
IT WOULD ALSO NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND IT'S PAID FOR OUT OF THE STORMWATER FUND.
NICK, IF WE NEED TO PUT THIS, UH, ON THE AGENDA FOR, FOR, FOR WEDNESDAY IS I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO WAIT TILL OCTOBER TO SAY, LET'S START LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, UM, MORE FREQUENT TESTING, WEEKLY TESTING.
CAN WE GET AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR WEDNESDAY? YEAH, THE ADMINISTRATION COULD ADD IT AS AN ADDENDUM.
UH, DAVID, CAN WE GET THAT? I'M SURE WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING TO, SO THAT THIS HAPPENS.
WHETHER IT'S THE ITEM OR SOME OTHER WAY OF GETTING IT DONE.
WHY? I MEAN, DO YOU, IS THERE A SENSE, BECAUSE I KNOW SARAH FRIER DOES TESTING IN A LOT OF THE PLACES THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE HAVE, UM, TESTING DATES THAT OVERLAP WITH THEIRS.
'CAUSE THEY DO VOLUNTEER BASED TESTING EVERY WEEK WHEN WE HAVE TESTING FROM THE SAME PLACES AT THE SAME TIME.
DO, HOW DO OUR NUMBERS COMPARE? IS THAT A RELIABLE SOURCE FOR US TO USE AS A BENCHMARK OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT UP AND DOWN? YEAH, WELL IT'S, I MEAN IT'S DEFINITELY CITIZEN SCIENCE, SO IT'S BASED ON VOLUNTEERS AND IT, UM, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC PROTOCOL WE HAVE TO USE AND HOW WE SAMPLE AND, UH, AS A CITY WE'RE SAMPLING ONCE A MONTH AND THEY'RE OUT THERE WEEKLY.
WE COULD ALWAYS COORDINATE WITH THEM.
UM, BUT THE DAYS, THE DAYS ARE A BIT DIFFERENT.
NO, I KNOW THE DAYS ARE DIFFERENT, BUT LIKE IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE THERE THE SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH AND OR SECOND IF THEY'RE THERE EVERY TUESDAY AND WE DO SAMPLING ON THE SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, THAT ONE TIME THAT WE OVERLAP OUR SAMPLING, OR MAYBE THERE'S NO TIME THAT IT OVERLAPS.
UM, IT WOULD, THERE THE NUMBERS GENERATED BE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME.
[01:15:01]
WELL, WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.THEIR NUMBERS ARE GENERALLY HIGHER THAN OURS.
WE LOOKED AT THAT BEFORE AND WE'RE NOT SURE IF IT'S BECAUSE OF THEIR SAMPLING PROTOCOLS.
UM, BUT THEY'RE GENERALLY HIGHER WHEN, WHEN WE GO TO WEEKLY SAMPLING.
IT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING TO ME TO, AND TO, I THINK TO OUR RESIDENTS MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, TO DETERMINE IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE SHOULD BE USING THE SURF RIDER, UM, DATA AS SORT OF A TREND LINE METRIC SO DIRECTIONAL AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, IF IT'S OVERSTATED BY A FACTOR OF 10, WE SHOULD KNOW THAT.
IF IT'S NOT, IF IT'S ANALOGOUS, WE SHOULD KNOW THAT TOO.
I MEAN, I I, I KNOW THE PROTOCOLS ARE DIFFERENT.
UM, I KNOW WE DO IT ON DIFFERENT DAYS, BUT IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO SYNC IT UP AND FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT THE STORY IS.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE STORY IS THAT WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FIXING.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE TAKING SURF RIDER DATA AND, YOU KNOW, TOUTING IT FROM THE ROOFTOP SAYING, OH MY GOD, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE.
UM, AND IF IF THAT'S ACCURATE AND IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT ME MESHES UP WITH HOURS.
ONCE WE GET INTO A, AN ANALOGOUS SINK, THEN THAT'S FINE.
IF, IF THERE IS A DIFFERENTIAL, YOU KNOW, BY A FACTOR OF X, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT TOO.
OBVIOUSLY WE, THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT WE TURNED TO, I, I REMEMBER DESIGNING A LOGO FOR A HANDFUL OF VOLUNTEERS, UM, TO START THIS CLEAN WATER INITIATIVE IN 2020 BEFORE THE CITY PRIOR PRIOR DIRECTOR NOT YOU, UM, KEPT TRYING TO TELL ME, NO, NO, NO, IT'S, IT'LL CLEAR OUT, IT'LL BE FINE.
WE JUST NEED THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF TESTING.
WE'RE LIKE, YEAH, NO, THAT'S, THERE'S LIKE, THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
AND SO, SO I I, I DO APPRECIATE WHAT SURF RIDER DOES AND THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
I'M NOT TRYING TO DISCREDIT THEM AT ALL.
I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE THE TAKEAWAY.
I JUST WANNA KNOW IF, IF WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT IS ANALOGOUS AND USEFUL OR IT'S JUST, IT'S DIFFERENT BY A FACTOR OF X.
SO WE WILL KNOW THAT AND USE IT ACCORDINGLY AND PICK CLEARLY ANYTHING OVER 70.
UM, BUT I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I'M JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE GOT PEOPLE SAYING, YOU KNOW, SURF RIDER SAYS IT'S EIGHT GAZILLION AND IT'S ACTUALLY ONLY 800, IT'S STILL OVER 70, BUT EIGHT GAZILLION IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM 800 AND CLEARLY STILL THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO REMEDIATE THIS ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, IS THE FIRST THING WE HAD.
I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW ANALOGOUS IS IT SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE COME BACK TO US AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, ALL THE HOUSES ARE ON FIRE.
WE'RE LIKE, NO, NO, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON OUR HOUSE.
SO, UH, I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO MEMBERS OF DAVID, JUST ONE.
UH, WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO, UM, ASKING US FORMALLY TO BRING TO COMMISSION DIRECTION TO CONDUCT THE WEEKLY TESTING? YES.
LET'S, UH, LET'S BRING THAT TO COMMISSION.
I ALSO, I DON'T MIND BRINGING TO COMMISSION ON WEDNESDAY THE DIRECTION FOR, FOR, FOR THE INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY.
'CAUSE I WANT, I I I, IT NEEDS TO BE VERY CLEAR BECAUSE IF THERE IS AN ISSUE, THIS IS NOT TO HIDE.
IF THERE IS, UH, IT IS TO RING THE ALARM.
LET'S, IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, LET'S ACCEPT THE PROBLEM.
LET'S FIX THE PROBLEM AND LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
AND NICK, IF, IF YOU'LL HAVE ME, I'LL BE A CO-SPONSOR.
COMMISSIONER SUAREZ WANTS TO JOIN US.
SO WITH THAT, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, UM, PLEASE, UH, STEP FORWARD.
OMAR HUMANAS, UH, FOUNDING PRESIDENT OF THE PARKVIEW ISLAND SUSTAINABLE ASSOCIATION AND COMMISSION CANDIDATE IN GROUP ONE.
UH, I THINK THERE'S SOME REALLY IMPORTANT POINTS THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED HERE TODAY, ESPECIALLY THE WEEKLY TESTING.
UM, THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE RESULTS, UH, FROM THE SURF RIDER FOUNDATION WHO TESTS WEEKLY AND THE CITY, THIS PAST WEEK ALONE, WE SAW 24,000 MPN, UH, FROM THE SURF RIDER RESULTS.
AND THE, THE SURF RIDER RESULTS SHOW THAT WATER QUALITY HAS NOT BEEN IMPROVING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
IT'S BEEN GETTING WORSE BY A FACTOR OF 80%, 90% VERSUS WHAT IT WAS BEFORE.
IT'S BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE.
SO I REALLY NEED US TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHY THERE'S SUCH A BIG DISPARITY BETWEEN THE CITY'S RESULTS AND THE SURF RIDER RESULTS.
AND THE TESTING IS REALLY NOT THAT DIFFERENT.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE SEWER LINES UNDER THE PUMP STATION NUMBER 23, I HEARD EVERYTHING BEING DISCUSSED TODAY ABOUT THE WET WELLS BEING RELIED.
BUT HAVE WE RELIED THE SHORELINES? HOW ARE WE, UH, YOU KNOW, INSPECTING THOSE SHORELINES TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THAT VOLUME AND ALL OF THAT PRESSURE THAT IS BEING BROUGHT IN FROM BAY HARBOR ISLAND SURFSIDE, AND ALL THESE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IS, IS NOT, YOU KNOW, DAMAGING OUR WATER
[01:20:01]
QUALITY HERE IN MIAMI BEACH.AND THE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY WANNA SAY IS I, I'D LIKE TO COMMEND THE COMMISSION SINCE OUR MEETING IN JULY WHERE YOU TOOK SOME SERIOUS ACTION TO ADVANCE THE BISCAY BEACH ELEMENTARY SIR LINING.
AND WE'RE, AS WE HEARD TODAY, ALMOST DONE WITH THAT.
AND THAT IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD FOR US ON PARKVIEW ISLAND.
SO, VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU.
SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HAVE COMMENTED IN THE PAST THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT ONLY THE SEWER LINES, UM, BUT ALSO SOME PEOPLE HAVE A THEORY THAT IT MIGHT BE THE WATER TANKS, THE TWO BIG WATER TANKS THAT ARE HOLDING SEWER WATER INSTEAD OF POTABLE WATER.
SO WE'D ALSO LIKE TO DEBUNK THAT OFFICIALLY, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AS ALWAYS, WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH FUTURE OPERATION CLEAN WATER.
WE THINK IT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT FOR THE PARKVIEW ISLAND CANAL.
UH, LARRY SCHAEFER, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
HELLO, THIS IS LARRY SCHAEFER, 2 3 3 80 FIRST STREET.
AND, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M GONNA ANNOUNCE THIS, BUT MY ORGAN NEW ORGANIZATION IS PEOPLE OPPOSED TO OCEAN POLLUTION.
POOP IS PLANNING PROTESTS AGAINST THIS GOVERNMENT AND THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE THINK ARE DELAYING AND MAKING EXCUSES OF WAITING FOR STUDIES AND TAKING A CASUAL APPROACH TO THIS WHOLE THING.
POOP IS HERE BECAUSE THERE'S POOP IN THE CANAL AND THERE'S POOP IN THE OCEAN.
I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM US UNTIL IT IS GONE.
I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE IN THIS CITY FOR A LONG TIME, AND NOW BECAUSE OF THIS WATER, YOU'VE MADE ME A SIGN CARRYING, YELLING ACTIVIST.
I HAD HEARING LOSS AND BLOOD COMING FROM MY EAR, FROM SWIMMING IN THE POLLUTED OCEANS.
WHEN IS MS. KNOWLES GOING FOR A SWIM IN THE P PARKVIEW CANAL? SERIOUSLY? IS THAT AT THE END OF OPERATION CLEAN WATER? HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT BEEN? FIVE YEARS SINCE WE PUT THAT, THAT THAT KAYAK LAUNCH.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO USE IT.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, WHICH AT LEAST YOU'RE NOW TALKING ABOUT DOING MULTIPLE TYPES OF, OF TESTS.
SO FIGHTER TESTS WEEKLY, NOW YOU'RE GONNA DO IT.
BUT IN THE END, WHEN WE CAN USE THE KAYAK LAUNCH, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHEN WE HAVE SUCCESS.
THE COUNT IS GOING DOWN, UH, EXCUSE ME.
SO RELATED TO, UH, UH, OPERATION, CLEAN WATER, BIRD POOP, DOG POOP, HOMELESS, AND BISCAYNE ELEMENTARY, MAYBE THAT MIGHT MAKE UP 10%.
WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IS THAT YOU HAVE TONS OF LEAKING PIPES IN THE AREA.
FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE COACH, CHAPTER 62 SETS OUT SPACING FOR THOSE PIPES.
THAT YOU'RE GETTING INDEPENDENT.
LET'S GO TO FLORIDA STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRON PROTECTION.
LET'S GO TO THE COUNTY DER AND GET THEIR INSPECTORS HERE TOO.
AND AT 72ND STREET, LET'S OPEN UP THE HORROR THAT'S UNDERNEATH THERE AND FIX IT.
THERE'S SEWAGE LINES, THERE'S STORM WATER, AND THERE'S AN ACTUALLY A DEFUNCT LOOKING STATION IN THE CENTER OF THE PARKING LOT THAT'S FULL OF, OF WATER.
THAT'S, THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW, TOXIC.
MORE, UM, STUDIES, DELAY, DELAY, DELAY.
WHAT WE NEED NOW IS THE AGE, CONDITION, AND LOCATION OF THE STORM WATER SYSTEM, THE SEWAGE SYSTEM, AND THE TAP SYSTEM, WHICH ALSO HAS, UM, RUSTY WATER COMING OUT OF IT.
SHARON, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UM, I JUST WANT TO, UH, SAY, I THINK IT'S USEFUL FOR THE WEEKLY TESTING, THE SITE COMPARISONS.
THOSE ARE ALL REALLY USEFUL, UM, UH, TACTICS THEY HEAR.
BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SUGGEST IF THIS IS NOT ALREADY BEEN DONE, THAT WE, WE DON'T JUST TRY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM ALL ON OUR OWN.
WE SHOULD BE, IF WE HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO, WE SHOULD BE REACHING OUT FOR ASSISTANCE, FINANCIAL AND OTHERWISE, FROM THE COUNTY, FROM THE STATE, FROM DURHAM, UM, AND FROM OUR NEIGHBORS WHOSE SEWAGE FLOWS THROUGH OUR CITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I I DON'T KNOW WHICH OF THE NEIGHBORING MUNICIPALITIES HAVE SEWER PIPES THAT JOIN UP WITH OURS, BUT, UM, I'M SURE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT MS. KNOWLES AND OTHER PEOPLE FOR THE CI THAT WORK FOR THE CITY KNOW WE SHOULD BE REACHING OUT TO THEM.
THIS IS, WE ALL, WE ALL USE THE WATER AND WE ALL SHOULD BE, UH, WORKING TOWARDS A SOLUTION.
AND LET'S NOT TRY TO TAKE THIS ALL ON OURSELVES.
SEEING NO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, COMMISSIONER BODY OF RECOGNIZE, UM, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, HAVE I'VE, IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HEARING ABOUT THE WATER, THE STORAGE TANKS UP IN NORTH BEACH.
WHERE, WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? I'M SURE SOMEBODY'S LOOKED AT THEM.
I HAVEN'T, BUT I'M SURE SOMEBODY ON ON STAFF HAS.
AND CAN WE JUST ADDRESS THAT AND CLEAR THAT? SO I WANNA BE CLEAR, THOSE ARE POTABLE WATER TANKS FOR A POTABLE WATER BOOSTER STATION
[01:25:01]
AT THAT LOCATION.THOSE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH SANITARY SEWER.
UM, WE HAVE NEVER DONE, UM, A AQUA STRUCTURE, AQUA INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY OF NORTH BEACH.
AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I PROPOSED AT THE COMMISSION THIS YEAR OR AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S GONNA BE FUNDED, UM, IN OUR BUDGET PROCESS.
SO PRESUMABLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT YET FUNDED, WE HAVE NOT YET STARTED ANYTHING YET.
LIKE WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED TO A VENDOR.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THIS WILL, UM, A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED WHEN WE GET TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE STATE OF ALL OF THE PIPES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND WHERE THEY CONNECT TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
I MEAN, I KNOW A LOT OF US IN NORTH BEACH ARE TERRIFIED OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE START THE 72ND STREET COMPLEX, BECAUSE WHO KNOWS WHAT WE'LL FIND WHEN WE OPEN THAT UP.
UM, WHEN, WHEN THE BUDGET PASSES.
SO OCTOBER 1ST, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO START THAT PROJECT TO THE CHAIR? UM, THE, THE, THE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT IS ACTUALLY, WAS PART ONE OF THE ITEM, ONE OF THE, UH, ITEMS FROM THE VILLE, UH, DEVELOPER'S AGREEMENT.
SO THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE FUNDING.
UM, I CAN'T TELL YOU AS I SAID HERE EXACTLY THE TIMEFRAME.
I FORGET WHAT THE MILE THE, THE MILESTONES WERE AND IF YOU REMEMBER TOM, UM, AS, AS TO WHEN THAT PARTICULAR FUNDING WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE.
BUT I KNOW IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE RELATIVELY SOON IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
AND AT THAT POINT, WE'D BE ABLE TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF ENGAGING A CONSULTANT TO PERFORM THAT TASK.
BUT CAN'T WE ALREADY TO START ON THE SCOPE OF WORK AND JUST GET SOMEBODY TEED UP AND THEN WE CAN CUT THE CHECK ONCE WE HAVE THE FUNDING? WE, WE CAN DO THAT.
WE CAN, WE CAN, UM, DEPENDING ON THE MAGNITUDE OF THE WORK, I THINK THAT WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH ONE OF OUR CONSULTANTS BECAUSE OF THE, IT'S LESS, IT'S LESS THAN $500,000, WHICH IS THE, THE THRESHOLD FOR BEING ABLE TO DO A STUDY.
UH, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A PROPOSAL, HAVE IT READY TO GO FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE, AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE THE FUNDING, WE CAN PRESS GO OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, WE PAY FOR IT AND JUST REIMBURSE OURSELVES.
I WOULD LIKE TO START THE PROCESS NOW WE KNOW THE, THE MONEY'S COMING IN.
LIKE LET'S GET THE SCOPE GOING.
WE'VE GOT THE MONEY IN A BANK ACCOUNT SOMEPLACE WE CAN PAY THE BILL AND THEN REIMBURSE OURSELVES WHEN WE GET THAT FROM THE DEVELOPER.
I WILL, I'LL DISCUSS THAT WITH THE CFO TO, TO, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE, THE WAY TO DO IT.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME FUNDS WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR TASK THAT CAN BE FRONTED AND THEN REPAID.
SO WE CAN, DO YOU NEED ANYTHING FOR, FROM US LEGISLATIVELY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? DO YOU NEED DIRECTION? I THINK IF WE CAN ADD TO THE OTHER YES.
COUPLE OF ITEMS. IF WE CAN ADD TO, UM, EXPLORE HOW TO PAY UPFRONT THIS STUDY AND THEN BE REIMBURSED LATER ON WHEN THE ONE AND START IT IMMEDIATELY.
LIKE NOT, IT STARTED IMMEDIATELY NOT WAITING FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THEN ONCE WE CAN PUT AS PART OF THE ITEM THAT WE'RE TAKING ONCE DAY COMMISSIONER BOND TO THE COMMISSION, SO WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE ITEM.
SO, UM, THEN ONCE IT, ONCE WE PUSH PLAY, HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE? 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, THESE CONVERSATIONS KEEP HAPPENING AND THERE ARE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, NONE OF US REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PIPES LOOK LIKE BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER LOOKED AT THEM.
AND SO THE FASTER WE CAN EITHER SAY, YEP, WE HAVE THIS HUGE UNKNOWN ISSUE, OR NOPE, THANKFULLY WE THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE A PROBLEM, BUT IT'S FINE.
OR WHATEVER COMES UP IN BETWEEN, BUT LIKE, WE NEED TO GET TO IT.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE THAT ANSWER.
I KNOW THAT, I DON'T KNOW THAT, JOHN, THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ON BOARD IN TERMS SO I'M, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE STUDY.
I, I WILL BE COMPLETELY HONEST, BUT WELL, IT'S 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST.
THAT'S, SO DON'T FEEL BAD ABOUT IT.
SO THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PIPELINING GOING IN.
PART OF THAT PROCESS IS DOING CCTV AND CLEANING THESE LINES TO IDENTIFY THE DEFICIENCIES.
SO WHEN THEY DO LINE IT, THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT WHAT THE LINE, A LOT ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE LINES IN THE AREA AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN LINING THESE PIPES FOR YEARS.
SO I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT THE CONTRIBUTING AREA TO PUMP STATION 23 HAS ALL BEEN LINED.
SO THESE ARE BASICALLY IN LIKE NEW CONDITION WITH AN EPOXY AND FIBERGLASS LINER.
SO WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE GRAVITY SEWER LINES THAT ARE CONVEYING SEWAGE TO PUMP STATION 23 ARE IN GOOD CONDITION.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, UH, THAT WE STARTED 2.5 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR THAT.
I REMEMBER WHEN I, THAT'S WHAT YOU TAUGHT ME ABOUT AND WE STARTED, UH, FUNDING THAT BACK IN 2022.
LIKE THE BEST NEWS WOULD BE WE DO THE STUDY AND WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE FINE.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING IN TOWN CENTER THAT IS
[01:30:01]
NEWER THAT BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN BUILT YET.SO EVEN THOUGH THAT WE'RE, WE'VE GOT PIPES THAT ARE BEING LINED, WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA AFFECT ALL THE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT OF THE BUILDINGS, ALL THAT STUFF.
WE'VE GOT, I DON'T KNOW, 3000 UNITS COMING OUT IN NORTH BAY VILLAGE.
LIKE THERE WE'VE GOT ALL THIS OTHER STUFF THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHERE WE WERE FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO THE SOONER WE CAN GET THIS DONE, BECAUSE NOT ONLY WILL IT TELL US WHERE WE'RE NOW, BUT WE ALSO KNOW WHAT'S COMING ON.
LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO, THE 3000 UNITS AT NORTH BAY VILLAGE WEREN'T EVEN, NO PUN INTENDED, A PIPE DREAM.
I MEAN THEY JUST WEREN'T, IT JUST WASN'T CONTEMPLATED.
SO NOW WE'VE GOT ALL THIS OTHER EXTENUATING DATA TO ADD INTO THE STUDY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE LOADS ARE GONNA BE AND, AND, AND HOW, HOW TO MANAGE ALL THAT.
SO THE SOONER WE CAN GET THIS GOING AND THE SOONER WE CAN EITHER IDENTIFY PROBLEMS WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE OR DISABUSE THE, THE NOTIONS OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE GHOSTS OUT THERE.
I MEAN, I, I, YOU KNOW, AS A RESIDENT OF NORTH BEACH, I FEEL IT TOO.
LIKE, OH MY GOD, WHAT, WHEN, WHEN IS THE NEXT BUILDING GONNA PUT US OVER THE TIPPING POINT? RIGHT? AND SO LET'S, LET'S LAY THESE GHOSTS TO REST OR, OR, UM, OR LET'S, YOU KNOW, FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE COMING UP.
AND IF I MAY TURN THROUGH THE CHAIR, I JUST, I DO WANNA CLARIFY WRAP UP, CLARIFY THAT THE ITEM THAT WAS PRESENTED IN MARCH AND THROUGH ALL THE STUDIES IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM IS NOT THE PRIMARY SOURCE THAT IT'S COMING FROM THE STORM WATER.
AND WE'VE DOCUMENTED THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND THE GROUNDWATER WAS STUDIED.
SO WELLS WERE DRILLED ALL OVER NORTH BEACH.
WE HAD 81 ACRES AND THAT WORK WAS DONE AND THAT WAS PRESENTED.
WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD, YOU KNOW, GRAPHICS.
SO WE HAVE A WEBSITE WHERE WE SHARE THAT AND WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, AND WANNA MAKE SURE, AND I RESPECT THAT BECAUSE THAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY AND I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THAT.
AND WE WILL ALWAYS FOLLOW THE SCIENCE AND AS WE ARE DOING WITH ALL THE PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU AND THE ENTIRE TEAM HAS BROUGHT FORWARD.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO GIVE SOME DEFERENCE JUST TO COMMON SENSE THAT WE HAVE THIS HUGE PUMP STATION RIGHT NEXT TO THIS CANAL THAT HAS A WET WELL THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE WE'RE HAVING THIS ELEVATED LEVEL OF, OF, OF BACTERIA.
AND SO IT ONLY TO, TO THE LAY PERSON AND TO THE PERSON THAT'S NOT A SCIENTIST AND JUST, JUST GOES BY COMMON SENSE.
IT JUST SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE THAT THAT RIGHT THERE WOULD BE THE CULPRIT OF IT.
AND SO, AND SO THIS IS MY MESSAGE, MY MESSAGE IS I WANT US TO FIND THE SOURCE, EVEN IF THE SOURCE IS OURS AND IT'S OURS TO FIX, I WANT US TO FIND IT BECAUSE IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME THAT WE CAN KEEP ON TRYING TO REMEDY HERE, REMEDY THERE BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO TO THE STATE AND ASK THEM TO LOOK INTO THE SITUATION.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S PLEASE HAVE THAT AS A TAKEAWAY FROM TODAY, THE URGENCY AND THE SERIOUSNESS THAT THIS BODY TAKES THIS ISSUE WITH THAT.
ANYTHING COMMISSIONER SWAR? NO.
DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE THIS TO A FUTURE DATE OR YES.
DID WE EVER, DID WE EVER WANNA GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE STRAINS? UM, 'CAUSE IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IT WAS JUST BIRD POOP THAT'S CAUSING THIS, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S BIRDS EVERYWHERE IN MIAMI BEACH.
I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WOULD BE ANY DIFFERENT IN NORTH BEACH THAN IT BE IN SOUTH BEACH, MID BEACH.
UM, WAS THERE GOING TO BE A A, A RE STUDY ON THIS FOR THE STORMWATER? YEAH.
SO THERE WAS, THERE WAS BIRD, THERE WAS DOG AND THERE WAS HUMAN.
AND THAT WAS WELL DOCUMENTED ON THE STREETS AND FLOWING INTO THE STORM DRAINS.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK INTO MAKING THAT PART OF THE STUDY NEXT.
YOU HAVE, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO DO MORE STUFF.
YEAH, WE'LL WE'RE GONNA DO IT A STUDY ANYWAY NEXT SPRING, SUMMER.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO THAT MOLECULAR SOURCE TRACKING TO SEE WHAT WE LEARN AND WHEN IS THE DREDGING GONNA HAPPEN? WELL, THE DREDGING AT THIS POINT IS, IS UNDECIDED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF STUDIES.
THERE'S FLUSHING ANALYSIS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE AND IT'S NOT SHOWING, EVEN WITH THE DREDGING THAT WE WOULD GET, UM, A VOLUME, UH, A PACE OF FLOW THAT WOULD REALLY HELP.
SO THEN WE GET FUNDING FOR DREDGING.
IT'S NOT A FUNDING ISSUE, IT'S MORE OF WILL IT ACTUALLY WORK? SO WHATEVER WE DO, WE WANT IT TO WORK.
BUT WHY WOULDN'T WE TEST IT? LIKE, LIKE IF, IF LET'S SAY WE GOT THE MONEY FOR IT, WE KNOW THE D DREDGING IS GOOD, UH, BECAUSE LIKE WHY WOULDN'T WE GO IN ANYWAYS AND CLEAN IT? EVEN EVEN LET'S SAY IF IT JUST DROPS 10 MPN MM-HMM
WELL IT'S 10 MPN LOWER THAN WHAT IT WAS BEFORE MM-HMM
SO WHERE ARE WE WITH THE DREDGING? SO WE'VE COMPLETED THESE STUDIES FOR DREDGING, AND THE DREDGING ISN'T REALLY SHOWING THAT WE ARE GONNA SEE THE TYPE OF WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS WE WANT TO SEE.
SO WE'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MANAGER'S OFFICE ON SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS FOR THAT.
AND THAT HOW MUCH IS THE DREDGING GONNA COST? WE'RE ESTIMATING PERHAPS 2 MILLION.
UM, IT WOULD BE, IT'S PRETTY DISRUPTIVE, YOU KNOW, IT IS, WOULD BE
[01:35:01]
REMOVING THE SEDIMENT YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO STORE IT.UM, IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY BIG PROJECT TO GO THROUGH.
WELL, CONTAMINATION NOT IS DISRUPTIVE.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT DOING IT IS DISRUPTIVE.
IT'S ALSO MORE DISRUPTIVE IN MY OPINION, TO HAVE THIS ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION.
AND SO, I MEAN, I, BUT WHAT STUDY SHOWS THAT IT'S, IT MAY NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE AS WE ALL ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IS, WHO, WHERE DO YOU, RIGHT, WHERE DO YOU GET THAT FROM? SO THE, BECAUSE THE CANAL IS SO ANGLED, THE, WHEN YOU DIG DEEPER, IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO GIVE THE FLOW.
THAT'S WHAT THE MODELING IS SHOWING.
UM, BUT WE KNOW FROM OUR STUDIES THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF STORM WATER THAT HAS BACTERIA IN IT THAT'S GOING INTO THE CANAL.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO ALSO CLEAN UP THAT STORM WATER AND CLEAN UP.
BUT WE ARE WHAT'S COMING FROM THE STREETS, I MEAN, FROM WHAT I GATHER, BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE WOULD HAVE DONE LIKE FIVE STORM WATER SYSTEM CLEANINGS, UH, FROM THE START OF OPERATION CLEAN WATER.
WHEN WE USUALLY DO IT ONCE A YEAR, YOU KNOW, DURING A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WE WOULD'VE DONE FIVE.
DAVID, IS THERE A WAY TO CAP OFF THE STORM DRAIN AT THAT LOCATION FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, MAYBE A WEEK OR TWO, TAKE SOME ANALYSIS AND THEN DIVERT THAT STORM WATER TO SOMEWHERE ELSE OR, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO KNOW WHEN IT RAINS AND WHEN IT DOESN'T RAIN.
AND SO HOW ABOUT WE PICK A, A POINT IN TIME WHERE WE KNOW FOR SURE IT DIDN'T RAIN FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN LOOK AT THE, UH, ANALYSIS AT THAT POINT? I MEAN, WE CAN ACTUALLY, UH, WE, WE CAN ACTUALLY USE SOME HARD NUMBERS TO FIGURE OUT IS THIS A STORM DRAIN ISSUE? SO IF IT DIDN'T RAIN FOR TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT AND WE TEST THE LEVELS AND THEY'RE THE SAME, THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE BRUSH ASSURED THAT IT'S PROBABLY NOT JUST STORM WATER.
CAN WE DO THAT? I MEAN, IT SOUNDS IT SOUNDS REASONABLE TO, TO, TO TRY TO DO A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT LIKE THAT.
UM, I MEAN, I HAVE TO LOOK AT, OBVIOUSLY THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS AND IT MAY NOT BE AS EASY AS PLUGGING UP ONE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK IS WORTHY OF, OF LOOKING AT.
AND WE WILL, I THINK WE CAN DISCUSS IT AND SEE IT.
CAN WE, CAN WE CAP OFF THE STORM DRAIN SO IT DOESN'T DRAIN FOR A WEEK IN CASE IT DOES RAIN AND THEN DIVERT THAT WATER? UH, I, I DON'T KNOW.
CATCH THAT WOULD BE RATHER CHALLENGING.
IT IS A LARGE OUTFALL AND WE WOULD HAVE TO SET UP A BYPASS PUMP TO TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OFTEN DURING STORMS, SOME OF OUR STORM SYSTEMS ARE SURCHARGE, SO YOU'RE KIND OF ADDING, CAN PUT IT IN THE SEWER.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'D HAVE TO, WE'D HAVE TO GET A PERMIT FOR THAT THROUGH THE COUNTY.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, RAIN WATER DURING A STORM EVENT COMING INTO THE SEWER, WHICH IS THEIR HIGHEST DEMAND TIME.
WELL I GUESS THE EASIEST THING WOULD BE TO DO IS LIKE, HEY, IT DID NOT RAIN HERE FOR A WEEK.
LET'S TEST AFTER THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
WELL, COMMISSIONER, YOU'RE SPOT ON.
WHEN IT DOESN'T RAIN, THE WATER QUALITY IS GENERALLY BETTER.
DO YOU HAVE A GRAPH IN DATA? YEAH.
AND THAT IS COUNTYWIDE, THAT'S IN BROWARD COUNTY.
THAT'S EVERYWHERE WHEN IT RAINS.
NO, BUT I WANT TO HAVE, SORRY.
BUT FOR US AS, AS WELL, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE COMBATIVE, I'M JUST SAYING FOR THIS SPECIFIC LOCATION, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A, A STUDY OR, UM, AN ANALYSIS OF WHEN IT DOESN'T RAIN AND WHAT VERSUS WHEN IT ACTUALLY DOES RAIN.
AND IF THERE IS A HIGH CORRELATION BETWEEN BACTERIA LEVELS OF WHEN IT RAINS AND WHEN IT DOESN'T RAIN, THEN WE OBVIOUSLY KNOW IT'S GONNA BE THE STORMWATER.
AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THAT'S WHERE THE WEEKLY TESTING, IT'S HANDY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW DURING TESTING ONCE A MONTH, YOU CAN'T NARROW THAT DOWN.
BUT ONCE WE START WEEKLY, WEEKLY TESTING, WE CAN SHOW, OKAY, THIS WEEK THERE WAS HEAVY RAIN BACTERIA WENT UP THIS WEEK, THERE WAS NO RAIN BACTERIA WENT DOWN.
OBVIOUSLY THIS, YOU KNOW, NEXT COUPLE MONTHS IT RAINS ALMOST EVERY DAY.
SO IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO TEST THAT.
BUT ONCE WINTER COMES AROUND, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT OF WHEN IT RAINS AND WHEN IT DOESN'T RAIN.
AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE, AGAIN, YOU'RE SPOT ON.
THE STUDY THAT WE DID THAT WE PRESENTED IN MARCH SHOWED THAT IT SHOWED THAT IN THE DRY PERIODS, THAT THE BACTERIA LEVELS ARE MUCH BETTER AND WHEN IT RAINS THE BACTERIA LEVELS ARE MUCH WORSE.
AND THAT LED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT STORM WATER IS THE PRIMARY INDICATOR OF INTER COXE AND THE CANAL.
SO IF, AND I'M, I'M SORRY COLLEAGUES, I DON'T MEAN TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE AND, AND I KNOW I JUST STEPPED IN HERE, BUT IF WE KNOW THAT THIS IS STORM WATER THAT'S CAUSING THIS AND, AND THE DATA PROVES THAT IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR SPECIFICALLY STORM WATER? I MEAN, THEY'RE CLEANING THE STREETS MORE FREQUENTLY.
THEY'RE CLEANING THE STORM WATER SYSTEM MORE FREQUENTLY.
THEY'RE DOING THE UV LIGHTS, THE UV LIGHTING OR THEY'RE TESTING, THEY'RE ABOUT TO TEST THE UV LIGHTS.
YEAH, WE JUST LAUNCHED THE, THE UV DISINFECTION.
THE LAST TIME I THINK WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION, I PROPOSED MAYBE HAVING A CONTAINER LIKE A, A CATCH BASE AND, AND THEN IT GETS FILTERED OUT AND UM, IT'S LIKE THE, THE, THE FIRST TWO INCHES OF WATER GET PUT IN THERE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE HAVING AN INJECTION WELL EXCEPT ABOVE GROUND.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN RENT? I KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF COMPANIES, NOT A LOT OF COMPANIES, BUT YOU CAN ACTUALLY RENT SOME OF THESE, THESE, UM, DEVICES
[01:40:01]
AND, AND LET'S TEST THAT OUT FOR A MONTH AND SEE IF THAT REDUCES IT REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH IT RAINS.YEAH, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, THE PERMITS ISSUED FOR DOWNSTREAM DEFENDERS THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THAT'S GOING TO REMOVE LIKE THE, THE, ALL THE, THE LITTER.
AND I THINK THERE'S OTHER TECHNOLOGIES OUT THERE TO TEST, TO TRY TO CLEAN THE STORM WATER MORE.
WHEN THE NORTH BEACH TOWN CENTER PROJECT GOES IN, IT'S GONNA HAVE A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF, UH, STANDARDS FOR STORMWATER.
IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE A COUPLE YEARS AWAY.
SO THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS THAT THIS IS AN OLD STORMWATER SYSTEM.
IT'S 81 ACRES DRAINING INTO THIS LITTLE CANAL.
AND IT SHOULD NEVER, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESIGNED THAT WAY MANY YEARS AGO.
SO, DAVID, BUT I THINK DAVID, TO YOUR POINT, CAN, CAN WE, CAN WE, CAN WE GET, UM, CAN WE GET A, A DEVICE TO DO THAT AND NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR TOWN CENTER TO BE BUILT? YOU'RE REFERRING NOT TO NOT, NOT WAIT TILL WE HAVE THE DOWNSTREAM DEFENDERS BEGIN CONSTRUCTION.
THOSE ARE, THEY'RE GONNA BE IMPLEMENTED THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, I BELIEVE.
I THINK IF I'M READING THAT CORRECTLY.
CONSTRUCTION FIRST, QUARTER CONSTRUCTION, 26, THOSE THINGS WILL START, WILL GO INTO PLACE.
SEVEN AND THAT, THAT'S TO TAKE CARE OF EVERY OUTFALL THAT THAT DRAINS INTO THE CANAL.
IS THAT THE INTENT? I BELIEVE SO.
SO RIGHT THERE THEY'VE BEEN ORDERED AND THEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO INTO PLACE AS SOON AS THEY CAN RECEIVE, WE RECEIVE THEM WORST ESTIMATING BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, FIRST QUARTER, AND IT'LL BE AT EVERY OUTFALL AND WE'LL DOUBLE NOT PRIVATE OUTFALL.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA YEAH, JUST, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE DREDGING FOR A SECOND.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DREDGING ALONE WON'T EFFECTUATE THE CHANGE THAT WE WANNA SEE THOSE, THAT'S BASED ON THE COMPUTER MODELING.
BUT IS THERE A WAY TO, UM, UH, MANUFACTURE AND INCREASE CURRENT? UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE THIS RECURRING PROBLEM OF STORM WATER DRAINING INTO THE CANAL AND POLLUTING IT WILL GET MUCH, MUCH BETTER WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING INTO PLACE WHEN WE, WE DO THE INFRASTRUCTURE UNDERNEATH TOWN CENTER FOR SURE.
BUT IN THE INTERIM, CAN WE DO THE DREDGING AND ALSO INSTALL SOME KIND OF, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA JAR THE ECOSYSTEM TOO MUCH, BUT JUST TO SPEED UP THE FLOW OF WATER BY SOME SMALL FACTOR THAT WOULD HELP CLEAR THINGS OUT.
SO MAYBE THOSE THINGS COMBINED COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT IS WORTH THE DOING.
AND I LISTEN, I MEAN IN OMAR, I'M SURE YOU'D FEEL THE SAME WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING LIVED ON PARKVIEW ISLAND, NOBODY'S GONNA WANNA HAVE THE CANAL DREDGE.
IT'S GONNA BE GROSS AND SMELLY AND UNCOMFORTABLE AND NOISY AND YOU CAN'T USE YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE.
IT'S A VERY INCONVENIENCE, BUT IT'S, IT'S A MEANS TO AN END.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA DISPENSE WITH IT ENTIRELY, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S A SECOND PIECE OF IT THAT MIGHT GET US TO WHAT WE WANT, IT'LL BE WORTH THE EFFORT.
UM, AND IF THAT'S SOME, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE CONTEMPLATED THAT AND DISMISSED IT OR IT'S NOT BEEN CONTEMPLATED OR YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DEAL IS, BUT I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE SOMETHING FOR CONSIDERATION.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE LOOKED INTO.
IT'S JUST IT WOULD, IT WOULD TAKE MACHINERY TO DO THAT, WHICH WOULD NEED, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PERMITS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S ANOTHER TECHNOLOGY WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING INTO AS WELL THAT, YOU KNOW, I JUST, WE REALLY HAVE TO TALK TO, YOU KNOW, THE MANAGER'S OFFICE TO SEE WHEN AND HOW THEY'RE READY TO SHARE THAT.
WE ARE LOOKING INTO A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FOR DREDGING OR DREDGING PLUS FOR WATER QUALITY, UM, THAT WOULD COMPLEMENT THE AREA.
BUT IN TERMS OF MOVING THE WATER THROUGH THE CANAL, BUT SHE JUST SAID THAT DREDGING IS NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO GIVE THE, THE FLOW THAT WE THINK I HEARD.
BUT MY QUESTION WAS DREDGING PLUS, UM, SOMETHING THAT CREATES MORE OF A CURRENT, SO IT'S A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH.
YEAH, I THINKING I CAN'T RIGHT NOW.
I THINK DRG IS STILL A NECESSITY.
IT MIGHT NOT YIELD THE LEVEL OF, OF, YOU KNOW, RESULTS.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ONE SILVER BULLET HERE.
I THINK EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
IT'S THE REASON WHY WE, WE'VE BEEN ALL THESE YEARS RELINING THE PIPES IN NORTH BEACH.
IT IS THE REASON WHY WE WENT INTO BISCAYNE BEACH ELEMENTARY AND DOING THAT OVER THERE IS A REASON WHY WE WANT THEM LOOKING AT THE PRIVATE OUTFALLS.
THERE'S A REASON WHY WE WANT TO GO IN AND LOOK AT THE WET WELL AND THE SEWER LINES UNDER PUMP STATION 23 IS A REASON WHY WE'RE CLEANING OUT, UH, THE STORM WATER SYSTEM MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY THAN WHAT WE WERE BEFORE.
AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THE UV WHY ARE WE DOING EVERYTHING ELSE AND GOING THROUGH THIS WHOLE AGGRESSIVE EXERCISE TO ADDRESS A CONTAMINATION AND THEN LEAVE OUT THIS OTHER COMPONENT THAT'S BUDGETED FOR IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
AND IT MIGHT NOT, WILL IT SOLVE EVERYTHING ALTOGETHER? NO, BUT IT MIGHT CONTRIBUTE EVEN IF JUST IN THE, IN THE, IN THE SMALLEST BIT.
ANY, ANY SMALL BIT IS WORTH DOING IN MY, IN, IN MY HUMBLE, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, I, I JUST AS AN ELECTED LEADER, I JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE DREDGING AND WE HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE DREDGING,
[01:45:02]
BUT BECAUSE IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE SILVER BULLET.IS THIS THE, THE MINING THAT WE HAVE, THE 2 MILLION, IS IT STATE FUNDED OR IS IT APPROPRIATE FROM OUR NO, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT STATE.
IT'S FROM OUR, YEAH, IT'S FROM OUR BUDGET.
UH, WE NEED TO WRAP UP THIS CONVERSATION.
JUST REALLY, I'M SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO BE DISRUPTIVE, BUT WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE DREDGING AND THAT EVERYTHING POINTED TOWARDS THE DREDGING FOR YEARS NOW AND, AND WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR THE DREDGING SAYING THAT DREDGING DOES NOT, UH, WORK.
I'VE, I'VE LOOKED AT STUDIES FROM NEW YORK HARBOR, FROM UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND, THERE'S PLENTY OF STUDIES THAT POINT TO DREDGING ABSOLUTELY WORKING.
AND IF YOU JUST LOOK AT IT FROM A, A PERSPECTIVE OF SEDIMENT IS FALLING IN THE CANAL YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND THIS SEDIMENT IS ALL POLLUTED FROM THE STORMWATER RUNOFF.
HOW CAN WE SAY THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK BY REMOVING ALL AND SO, AND SO I THINK YOU SEE HERE A BODY THAT'S ADVOCATING FOR, FOR, FOR THE, FOR THE DREDGING, WHICH MAKES SENSE TO MEET TOGETHER WITH ALL THE OTHER SOLUTIONS.
SO, AND IF I MAY, THAT'S WHY WE RECOMMENDED IT INITIALLY YES.
THAT IT WAS OUR RECOMMENDATION OF STAFF.
SO, AND IT IT DOES, IT DOES WORK.
IN THIS CASE, WE'RE JUST NOT HAVING TO SEE THE, THE RESULTS.
DAVID, LET'S WORK ON THE ITEMS TO BRING TO THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, BUT I THINK THESE ARE URGENT ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON AND, AND WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY RELATED TO THE DECISION ON DREDGING OR NOT DREDGING.
BELIEVE ME, THE FIRST THING WE WANNA DO IS DO ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA HELP THE CASE OR OUR CAUSE.
UM, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME OTHER TECHNOLOGIES OUT THERE THAT, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY MIGHT BE ALSO PROMISING IN ADDITION TO THE DREDGING OR INSTEAD OF THE DREDGING.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE READY TO, TO BRING, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THOSE WHEN WE HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION, UH, VERY QUICKLY IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
UM, BUT, BUT WE'RE JUST NOT READY FOR THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER RIGHT.
DATA OR EVIDENCE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
WE DON'T WANT TO JUMP THE GUN.
SO I THINK WE, WHAT WE WE'RE ASKING IS LET, JUST, JUST GIVE US JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME BEFORE WE PULL THE PLUG IN.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE, UH, VERY CAREFUL WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
WE, WE WANT TO FIX THIS QUICKLY AND DO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO.
WE ALSO TRY TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AT THE SAME TIME.
I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN ABOUT SPENDING ANY MONEY TO FIX THIS IS WORTH IT.
BUT WE, WE, WE WANT TO TRY TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE.
BE READY, WHAT I AND I, AND, AND I WANT US AS A GARMENT TO UNDERSTAND BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IF OUR RESIDENTS AND MY TAXPAYERS PROPERTY VALUE IS BEING AFFECTED BECAUSE OF THE WATER CONTAMINATION, I WANT EVERYONE TO BE ASSURED AND YOU BETTER BET THAT I'M GONNA HELP THEM APPEAL THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AND THAT'S GONNA AFFECT US ON THE OTHER END.
'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE REPRESENT THE TAXPAYERS AND SO AND SO, WE HAVE TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE TO THE POINT THAT WE'RE NOT ALSO AFFECTING THE LIVES, THE HEALTH AND THE INVESTMENTS OF OUR RESIDENTS.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, WE LET, WE WILL CONTINUE THIS ITEM AT THE NEXT MEETING.
COLLEAGUES, UH, HAVE, UH, A ZOOM AT 5:00 PM THAT AND SO AND SO I'M GONNA BE ADJOURNING TODAY'S MEETING.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING.