* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          GOOD 
          [00:00:01]
AFTERNOON. 
          THANK 
          [CALL TO ORDER]
YOU FOR COMING TO OUR COMMISSION MEETING TO FINALIZE OUR BUDGET, WHICH WE ARE STATUTORILY MANDATED TO DO BY TODAY,  1159 AND 59 SECONDS. 
          UH, WE'LL GET IT DONE. 
          I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY CLERK TO, UH, GIVE US ANY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. 
          WELCOME TO TODAY'S HYBRID COMMISSION MEETING. 
          THE CITY COMMISSION IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE COMMISSION CHAMBERS AT MIAMI BEACH CITY HALL, 1700 CONVENTIONAL CENTER DRIVE. 
          THIRD FLOOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO ATTEND, EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY. 
          IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY, HERE'S, HERE'S HOW TO PARTICIPATE. 
          YOU CAN LOG IN USING THE ZOOM APP OR VISIT THE ZOOM US ON YOUR BROWSER. 
          YOU COULD ALSO CALL BY PHONE AT (305) 224-1968. 
          AGAIN, 3 0 5 2 2 4 19 68, OR TOLL FREE, 8 8 8 4 7 5 4 4 9 9. 
          THE WEBINAR ID IS 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND. 
          AGAIN, THE WEBINAR ID IS 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND. 
          IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM DURING THE MEETING, PLEASE CLICK THE RAISE HAND ICON IF IN THE ZOOM APP OR PRESS STAR NINE ON YOUR PHONE, THE ZOOM LINK WEBINAR ID AND PHONE NUMBERS STAY THE SAME FOR EVERY COMMISSION MEETING. 
          BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER CITY LOBBYIST REGULATIONS. 
          ALL LOBBYISTS MUST REGISTER WITH THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK LOCATED ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF CITY HALL. 
          YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST IF YOU'RE AN EXPERT WITNESS, GIVING ONLY TECHNICAL OR SPECIALIZED TESTIMONY, A REPRESENTATIVE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR A NOT-FOR-PROFIT GROUP SPEAKING WITHOUT PAY OR REIMBURSEMENT. 
          A PUBLIC OFFICIAL OR EMPLOYEE ACTING IN YOUR OFFICIAL ROLE. 
          SOMEONE REQUIRED TO APPEAR BEFORE THE BOARD OR COMMISSION, OR RESPONDING TO A CODE VIOLATION OR A PRIVATE CITIZEN SPEAKING ON YOUR OWN BEHALF WITHOUT COMPENSATION. 
          HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE AN EXPERT WITNESS OR A REPRESENTATIVE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD OR NONPROFIT GROUP, YOU MUST STILL SUBMIT A WRITTEN DISCLOSURE FORM TO THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK BEFORE SPEAKING WITH THE COMMISSION OR CITY STAFF. 
          THESE FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK. 
          THERE ARE TWO MORE IMPORTANT POINTS TO COVER. 
          FIRST, IF A LOBBYIST GIVES OR AGREES TO GIVE ANYTHING OF VALUE AT $1,000 OR MORE TO A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR ITS REPRESENTATIVE IN CONNECTION WITH THE MATTER BEFORE THE CITY, THAT CON, THAT CONTRIBUTION MUST BE DISCLOSED IN WRITING TO THE CITY CLERK. 
          SECOND, CONTINGENCY FEES ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED. 
          THAT MEANS NO ONE CAN OFFER OR ACCEPT PAYMENT THAT DEPENDS ON THE OUTCOME OF A CITY DECISION. 
          FINALLY, IF YOU PLAN TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION TODAY, PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU SIGN IN FIRST. 
          YOU CAN USE THE SIGN IN SHEETS AT THE PODIUM OR THE, OR SCAN THE QR CODES TO SIGN INDIVIDUALLY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, RALPH. 
          UM, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE SUT HOUR. 
          JUST WANT TO TEE IT UP. 
          UH, THESE ARE ALL PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS, SO, UH, FOR EVERY ITEM WE CALL AND THERE'S R SEVEN A THROUGH F, PUBLIC WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, BUT ALSO WE HAVE THE OPEN FORUM WHERE YOU CAN COME UP AND SPEAK ABOUT THE BUDGET RELATED ITEMS. UM, THIS IS A MULTI-MONTH PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH STARTING IN JUNE. 
          WE UNANIMOUSLY VOTED ON THE BUDGETED MILLAGE RATE AT OUR SEPTEMBER 17TH MEETING. 
          UM, FOR ALL THOSE, UH, LISTENING, OUR, OUR TAX RATE, OUR MILLAGE RATE IS STAYING THE SAME, UH, FLAT AS IT'S BEEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. 
          AND I'M PROUD OF THE WORK OUR CHAIR HAS DONE, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE AND, AND RUNNING OUR FINANCE AND AND BUDGET COMMITTEE AND, AND THE ENTIRE COMMISSION. 
          THE, OUR BUDGET FOCUSES, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY ON PUBLIC SAFETY, QUALITY OF LIFE, CLEANLINESS, CRITICAL SERVICES SUCH AS FIRE, POLICE, CODE COMPLIANCE, PARK RANGERS, AND OTHER SAFETY AND, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE SERVICES. 
          SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT OUR COMMISSION HAS DONE TO GET TO THIS POINT. 
          AND, UH, AGAIN, HAVING MULTI, MULTI MEETINGS, PUBLIC MEETINGS LIKE THIS, AND OF COURSE, MANY, MANY MEETINGS, UH, UH, ON, ON ONE-ON-ONE TO, TO GET TO THE POINT. 
          AND THEN WE, OF COURSE, DISCUSS IT PUBLICLY IN A TRANSPARENT WAY. 
          SO LET'S OPEN IT UP TO US TO SUT. 
          THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON SUT, NICK, ON ANY ITEM, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM. 
          I'LL FIRST CALL, UH, ZOOM. 
          UH, OMAR JIMENEZ IS OUR FIRST CALLER ON ZOOM. 
          PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          MR. RAMIREZ, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. 
          MY NAME IS OMAR JIMENEZ. 
          I'M A CANDIDATE FOR CITY COMMISSION IN GROUP ONE. 
          UH, OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, OUR CITY BUDGET HAS GROWN BY 45%. 
          THIS YEAR, WE'LL ALSO HAVE A RECORD 2,330 MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, YET YEAR AFTER YEAR, THE CITY UNDER FUNDS, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, NEARLY 1.2 BILLION IN PROJECTS WILL GO UNFUNDED OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. 
          WHILE AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE, UH, OVERSPENDING ON WASTEFUL VENTURES, LIKE 31 MILLION FOR A SCALED BACK LINCOLN ROAD PRO, UH, PEDESTRIAN PROJECT, HOPING IT BRINGS LINCOLN ROAD BACK TO ITS HEYDAY. 
          MEANWHILE, RESIDENTS FACE HIGHER TAXES, HIGHER RENTS, AND THEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. 
          WHAT ABOUT THE TAXPAYER THAT KEEP THIS CITY RUNNING? WHEN DO WE START 
          [00:05:01]
GIVING BACK TO THEM? INSTEAD OF WASTE AND HIGHER TAXES, I SUPPORT ROLLING BACK THE TAX RATE, NOT THE INCREASED PUSH BY STAFF. 
          THIS SO-CALLED BALANCED BUDGET IS NOTHING MORE THAN A FARCE. 
          WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING FAIR RENTS AND INCENTIVES TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES AND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES THAT DON'T BURY RESIDENTS UNDER MORE FEES. 
          WE NEED THE, WE NEED TO INVEST IN EXPANSION OF OUR STAGNANT ECONOMY SO THAT WE'RE NOT SOLELY RELIANT ON TOURISM AND PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS. 
          YET YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE SEE BLOATED PAYROLL AND GROWING BUREAUCRACY DRIVING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OUT OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          IT'S TIME TO ELECT LEADERS WHO PUT PEOPLE OVER SPECIAL INTERESTS BECAUSE IF WE KEEP VOTING FOR THE SAME ESTABLISHMENT POLITICS, WE'LL KEEP GETTING THE SAME BROKEN RESULTS. 
          IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE. 
          WE CANNOT KEEP REACHING INTO RESIDENTS POCKETS TO FUND WASTEFUL PROJECTS AND INFLATED SALARIES. 
          LET'S RESTORE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, ADDRESS LIVING COSTS, AND FINALLY MAKE THE CITY WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST FOR THE INSIDERS. 
          THANK YOU, JUDGE . 
          IF THERE'S NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE WISHING TO SPEAK, I'M GONNA GO TO THE NEXT CALLER. 
          UH, OUR NEXT CALLER IS PAULA. 
          PAULA STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          HI, MY NAME IS PAULA ALLEN. 
          I HAVE TWO ADDRESSES, 3 45 OCEAN DRIVE AND 100 MERIDIAN AVENUE. 
          UM, I SECOND WHAT OMAR JUST SAID. 
          YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE CITY, THE BUDGET IS, UH, GROWING AND GROWING AND I AM ALL FOR SPENDING MONEY ON SAFETY AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          WHAT I'M NOT FOR SPENDING MONEY ON IS EXTRA THINGS, ARTS THINGS, ART PROJECTS, ART IN PUBLIC PLACES. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, STUFF THAT I, I REALLY DON'T GET IT. 
          YOU KNOW, IT JUST SEEMS TO BE SUPPLEMENTING ARTISTS', UH, WAY OF LIFE. 
          I'M NOT FOR THAT. 
          YOU KNOW, LET THEM DO THEIR ART IF THEY WANNA DONATE IT, FINE. 
          IF PEOPLE WANNA SUPPORT THE MIAMI CITY BALLET, LET THEM DONATE OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS. 
          WE'RE TIRED OF GETTING ROBBED AS CITY TAXPAYERS ON STUFF THAT BENEFITS ONLY A FEW, IN MY OPINION. 
          UM, IT'S, YEAH, IT NEEDS TO STOP AND DESIGN. 
          I DON'T KNOW THESE LIKE FIRST STREET DESIGN PROJECT. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DESIGN, BUT I'M HEARING IT'S MILLIONS AND MILLIONS TO DESIGN IT. 
          ALL WE REALLY WANT ARE PUMPS AND PIPES THAT WORK. 
          WE REALLY DON'T CARE HOW PRETTY THEY ARE. 
          GET IT DONE. 
          WE PAY ALL THESE DESIGN PEOPLE. 
          OH, DO YOU WANT THIS COVERING OR THIS ONE OR A WAVY OR THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT? FOR WHAT, HOW MUCH WE PAID 'EM A HUNDRED MILLION TO DESIGN SOMETHING THAT HADN'T EVEN BROKE GROUND YET. 
          TOO MUCH OF THAT STUFF GOES ON MEAT AND BONES. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. 
          MEAT AND BONES. 
          WE'RE JUST TIRED OF PAYING AND PAYING AND PAYING AND EXACTLY SOME OF THE SALARIES ON THE CITY EMPLOYEES, IF IT'S COMPETITIVE FOR THEIR EXPERIENCE AND THEIR EDUCATION. 
          I'VE SEEN SOME THAT SEEM QUITE BLOATED AND THAT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST STOP WITH THE EXTRA SPENDING. 
          IF IT'S NOT A BUDGET ITEM, IF SOME GROUP COMES UP AND SAYS, I WANT A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR EQUALITY SAVE. 
          IF IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, JUST LIKE IN OUR CONDO ASSOCIATIONS, IF IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, IT DOESN'T. 
          THANK CHALLENGE. 
          YOU'RE OUTTA TIME. 
          I APOLOGIZE, RALPH. 
          I JUST WANNA, FOR PEOPLE LISTENING, I JUST WANNA SET THE FACTS STRAIGHT. 
          UM, WHEN SOMEBODY TALKS ABOUT A DESIGN ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT COLOR IT'S GOING TO BE. 
          IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DESIGNING SOMETHING TO HAVE THE RIGHT SIZE PIPE FIT INTO THE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THE JOB IT'S NEEDED TO DO. 
          SO, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, 'CAUSE WE ALL USE DESIGN, LIKE LET'S DESIGN A BIRTHDAY CAKE TO LOOK CUTE. 
          BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S USED FOR. 
          IN PUBLIC WORKS AND IN CITY BUDGETS, IT'S DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT IS BEING USED FROM TAXPAYERS TO MAKE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROADS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE BUILD AS A CITY SAFE AND FUNCTIONAL. 
          THAT'S THE DESIGN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. 
          FOR THE RECORD, GO AHEAD. 
          PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS. 
          YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M CELIA GRU. 
          I LIVE 12 0 1 20TH STREET, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA. 
          WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM. 
          WE JUST SPENT $42 MILLION ON A PARK THAT WE ALL JUST VISITED ON SUNDAY, AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS DETERIORATING. 
          WE TAKE ENOUGH TAXES, WE TAKE IN ENOUGH TAXES, BUT WE JUST MUST GET OUR SPENDING BACK UNDER CONTROL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS MR. MITCH NOVIK. 
          MR. NOVIK STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. 
          MITCH NOVIK, 9 0 1 COLLINS AVENUE. 
          I BELIEVE TWO TO 300 MILLION NEEDS TO BE CUT FROM OUR CITY BUDGET. 
          SINCE FORMER CITY MANAGER GEORGE GONZALEZ 
          [00:10:01]
DEPARTED, WE'VE ADDED ROUGHLY 500 NEW EMPLOYEES AND HAVE WATCHED OUR BUDGET MORE THAN DOUBLE, ALL WHILE QUALITY OF LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY HAVE DIMINISHED. 
          THIS OCTOBER, TOMORROW, OR WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK, RESIDENTS WILL SEE YET ANOTHER AUTOMATIC RATE INCREASE ON THEIR UTILITY BILLING ORDER STATEMENTS. 
          OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, WE'VE ENDURED 17 CONSECUTIVE HIKES AND NEW FEES, INCLUDING THE MONTHLY FIRE SPRINKLER FEE. 
          WE ALL KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION IS WAITING IN THE WINGS TO PUSH FOR MORE WHOPPING FEE HIKES AND RATE INCREASES, THEREBY MAKING MIAMI BEACH EVEN MORE UNAFFORDABLE. 
          IT'S TIME TO LOOK WITHIN AND STOP WALLOPING THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS CITY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN SPEAKING, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM. 
          I'M GONNA CALL, UH, SOMEONE WITH A SCREEN NAME OF BREAK, DRIVE, BA BREAK DIVING. 
          PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          UH, HI. 
          MY NAME IS MONROE MANN. 
          UH, I WAS A FORMER COMMISSIONER CANDIDATE. 
          I DROPPED OUT RECENTLY, BUT I WANNA SHARE SEVEN OF MY, MY POINTS THAT I THINK WOULD HELP THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          I LIVE AT 1110 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. 
          SO DOES MY MOM AT DIFFERENT APARTMENT. 
          AND WE ALSO OWN TWO CONDOS THAT WE RENT. 
          NUMBER ONE, THE SIDEWALKS ARE FILTHY. 
          I MOVED HERE FOUR YEARS AGO, IT'S INEXCUSABLE. 
          THIS IS NOT THE BRONX, AND YOU GUYS HAVE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HIRE A POWER WASHER. 
          MAKE THAT HAPPEN. 
          EVERY SIDEWALK IN THE CITY. 
          TWO, DON'T RAISE THE TAXES. 
          THE PROPERTY VALUES HAVE PLUMMETED. 
          UH, WE CAN'T GET AS MUCH RENT AS WE COULD BEFORE BACK IN 2021. 
          IF YOU RAISE THE TAXES, YOU'RE JUST HURTING EVERYBODY. 
          LANDLORDS AND TENANTS, PLEASE DON'T DO THAT. 
          EVERYBODY'S STRUGGLING. 
          THREE METRO MOVER HAS TO COME TO THE CITY. 
          MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE. 
          AND I'M SORRY IF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT. 
          IF THE TRAFFIC HERE IS HORRIBLE ALREADY, IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE. 
          THE ONLY SOLUTION IS THE METRO MOVER, NOT A BUS METRO MOVER THAT RUNS ON ITS OWN TRACKS. 
          NUMBER FOUR, START FINDING PEOPLE FOR MARIJUANA USE IN PUBLIC ON THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. 
          AND THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENS, ARREST THEM MISDEMEANOR. 
          IT'S DISGUSTING AND IT MAKES IT THIS PLACE FEEL VERY TRASHY. 
          NUMBER FIVE, TRAGEDY THAT THE MOVIE THEATER'S GONE AND THERE'S NO BOOKSTORE IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          THE MAYOR KEEPS TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS IS A WORLD CLASS CITY. 
          IT IS NOT A WORLD CLASS. 
          CITY HAS A MAJOR BOOKSTORE AND A MOVIE THEATER. 
          SO DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO TO BRING THEM BACK. 
          SIX, THE 18% REQUIRED TIP AT RESTAURANTS IS DISGUSTING, ESPECIALLY FOR RESIDENTS. 
          IT NEEDS TO GET GONE FOR EVERYBODY, BUT AT LEAST IF YOU LIVE HERE, NO MORE 18%. 
          'CAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO GO OUT AND EAT OUT HERE. 
          AND FINALLY, SEVEN, YOU NEED TO HAVE A LICENSE TO DRIVE AN ELECTRIC BIKE OR SCOOTER A REGULAR DRIVER'S LICENSE. 
          YOU NEED TO BE FOLLOW ALL THE TRAFFIC LAWS AND, UH, I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE DYING PEOPLE. 
          SOMEONE JUST DIED AT MY CORNER ABOUT A MONTH AGO BECAUSE, UH, HE RAN THE RED LIGHT. 
          IT WAS HIS FAULT. 
          BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. VAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BYE-BYE. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS SO YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          HI, MY NAME IS AVA FRANKEL, 70 LEGGO CIRCLE. 
          I'M RUNNING FOR COMMISSIONER IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION IN GROUP ONE. 
          UM, TO THE PERSON THAT JUST SPOKE, WE DON'T HAVE A MOVIE THEATER OR A BOOKSTORE, BUT WE DO HAVE A CHEESECAKE FACTORY. 
          YAY. 
          NO, I'M JUST KIDDING. 
          WE DON'T NEED THAT. 
          UM, BUT ONTO THE BUDGET. 
          AS WE ALL KNOW, FLORIDA DOES NOT HAVE STATE INCOME TAXES. 
          SO WHERE DO WE COLLECT REVENUE FROM? SALES TAXES AND PROPERTY TAXES. 
          AND THOSE ARE GREAT, BUT IF OUR SALES TAXES ARE DOWN, WHICH THEY ARE, AT LEAST I WOULD THINK THAT THEY ARE JUDGING BY THE VACANCIES, THEN WE NEED TO RAISE OUR PROPERTY TAXES. 
          NOW, I KNOW THAT THOSE ARE THE TWO OPTIONS, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE MORE UNTAPPED OPTIONS FOR THE CITY TO EARN REVENUE THAT WE JUST DON'T EVEN EXPLORE. 
          SO RECENTLY, WE JUST DID A $1 SUMMER PARKING PROGRAM TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO COME SPEND MONEY HERE. 
          I THINK WE COULD HAVE OFFERED THE SAME DISCOUNT WHILE ALSO INCREASING REVENUE FOR THE CITY. 
          I THINK THAT WE COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY ADDED A WATCH THIS ADVERTISEMENT FOR 50% OFF AND COLLECTED FROM THE ADVERTISERS AND ALSO OFFERED OUR RESIDENTS DISCOUNTS. 
          SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF A CREATIVE SOLUTION THAT WE CAN HAVE TO EARN MORE REVENUE. 
          AND THEN I GUESS I HAVE 39 SECONDS LEFT, SO I'LL HURRY QUICKLY, BUT ONTO THE FLOODING AND DRAINAGE. 
          I REALLY HOPE THAT IN WHATEVER COMES, WE SEE MORE CHANNEL DRAINS RATHER THAN SINGLE POINT DRAINS. 
          AND I HOPE THAT WE SEE LESS ABOVE GROUND WATER STORAGE. 
          SO THE TANKS THAT ARE ABOVE GROUND THAT NEED PUMPS THAT REQUIRE ELECTRICITY, 
          [00:15:01]
WHICH WE ALL KNOW ELECTRICITY IS ONE OF THE FIRST TO GO DURING A HURRICANE, WHICH IS WHEN WE NEED THE DRAINAGE TO WORK THE BEST. 
          I HOPE THAT WE EXPLORE UNDERGROUND WATER TANKS, WHICH IS FEASIBLE AND POSSIBLE. 
          SO YES, THANK YOU. 
          BYE EVERYONE. 
          ALSO WWW.AVALOVESMIAMIBEACH.COM. 
          MY IDEAS ARE THERE. 
          BYE. 
          . 
          NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER IS TOM, UH, MAGONE, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          YES, MY NAME IS TOM MCLOAN. 
          THE ADDRESS IS 7 36 13TH STREET. 
          AND I'M CALLING IN TONIGHT JUST THE, THE MAYOR STARTED THE, THE CALL TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT NO INCREASE IN THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT NUMBERS CAN BE VERY DECEIVING IN TERMS OF HOW THEY'RE SPUN. 
          AND SO IF I SAY THAT A NUMBER GOES FROM ONE TO TWO, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          BUT WHAT I DIDN'T HEAR THE MAYOR SAY REGARDING THE BUDGET IS THAT IT'S GONE FROM A BILLION TO 1,000,000,001 OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS BECAUSE IT'S A REALLY LARGE NUMBER. 
          AND I JUST ASKED THE MAYOR AND THE COMMISSIONERS A NUMBER OF WHO HAVE BEEN ON FOR A NUMBER OF TERMS, HOW MUCH MONEY IS ENOUGH FOR THIS CITY? A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MORE MONEY. 
          I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. 
          AND LIKE THE OTHER PEOPLE SAID, AND AND EVEN RIGHT NOW, I THINK THERE'S THREE PEOPLE IN THE COMMISSION, TWO, TWO COMMISSIONERS AND AND THE MAYOR WHO ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE. 
          I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY COMMENT FROM ANY OF THOSE PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA SAVE MONEY OR HOW THEY'RE GONNA CUT EXPENSES SO THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO GETS INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES ISN'T GONNA BE AFFECTED BY WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          AND WHAT BLOWS MY MIND MORE THAN ANYTHING IS THAT ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, THE POOR GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, THE GOVERNMENT IS REALLY INEFFICIENT. 
          I DID 109 INCH KITCHEN RENOVATION AND IT TOOK 13 INSPECTIONS TO GET IT DONE. 
          SO IF THIS COMMISSION OR MAYOR AREN'T CAPABLE OF DOING IT, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED NEW BLOOD. 
          OR MAYBE WE SHOULD CONTACT ELON MUSK AND HAVE DOGE COME IN AND LOOK AT THE CITY'S BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR, GO AHEAD. 
          STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          YES. 
          MY NAME IS WALTER O'LEARY. 
          I LIVE AT ONE 10 WASHINGTON AVENUE, APARTMENT 2 2 1 3, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 3 3 1 3 9. 
          I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK ABOUT ECONOMICS. 
          I DO ACTUALLY TEACH AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI. 
          I'M ON THE ADVISORY BOARD OF THE ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT, AND I ALSO TEACH FINTECH IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. 
          THIS IS REALLY MORE OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT ECONOMISTS DON'T LIKE TO ADD IN HIGH FOOD PRICES IN THE CORE PCE, WHICH IS WHAT EVERYBODY LOOKS AT IN TERMS OF INFLATION. 
          WE DON'T LIKE TO LOOK AT RISING UTILITY RATES, AS NOVAK POINTED OUT. 
          BUT WHAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT IS THE CONFLUENCE OF ALL THESE RISING PRICES AND RISING COSTS. 
          AND A LOT OF NOT-FOR-PROFITS ARE ADJUSTING THEIR BUDGETS. 
          I CAN TELL YOU FOR A FACT, MY ALMA MATER, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, THEY'RE BLENDING IN DEPARTMENTS. 
          THEY'RE CUTTING BACK. 
          WHY CAN'T THE CITY DO THE SAME? WHY CAN'T WE ADJUST? ACCORDING TO THE TIMES SOMEBODY POINTED OUT, REAL ESTATE PRICES ARE NO LONGER RISING. 
          WE NEED TO ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. 
          WE CANNOT ASK TAXPAYERS TO CONTINUE TO FUND PROJECTS THAT DON'T MEET THE NEEDS OF THE TAXPAYERS. 
          MY POINT ABOUT SOCIAL FABRIC IS THAT WE'RE PUSHING PEOPLE AWAY FROM MIAMI BEACH BY NOT CONTROLLING PRICES. 
          THE CONFLUENCE OF RISING, IF YOU'RE, UH, AN OWNER, INSURANCE COSTS, HOA ASSESSMENTS, TAXES. 
          IF YOU'RE A RENTER, LESS QUALITY OF LIFE, LESS SERVICES OUT THERE, YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY EMBRACE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO ADJUST WITH THE TIMES. 
          YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO TAX AND SPEND TAX AND SPEND TAX AND SPEND. 
          YOU NEED TO CREATE VALUE. 
          ECONOMICS ARE ABOUT LIMITED RESOURCES THERE. 
          FIND THAT RESOURCES, ACT ACCORDINGLY. 
          YOU NEED TO MAKE THE MOST WITH THE LEAST. 
          AND THAT'S THE REALITY OF LIFE. 
          SO WHY NOT ADJUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AND PROVIDE BETTER VALUE? THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT, NEXT CALLER IS QUENTIN WEISBERG. 
          STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          MY NAME'S QUENTIN WEISBERG. 
          I LIVE AT, UH, 4 5 6 0 ROYAL PALM AVENUE, MIAMI BEACH. 
          I'VE LIVED ON MIAMI BEACH MOST OF MY LIFE. 
          MOST OF MY FAMILY LIVES HERE. 
          AND, UM, I JUST WANT TO SHARE MY, MY FEELINGS ABOUT WITH INSURANCE AND UTILITY COSTS ALREADY RISING AND, UM, THE STREETS FLOODING, THE SIDEWALKS BEING FLOODED, IT'S, IT'S, UH, JUST, UH, TOO MUCH. 
          UM, AND, AND TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES NOW. 
          UM, I URGE YOU NOT TO DO THAT AND TO 
          [00:20:01]
HELP KEEP MIAMI BEACH AFFORDABLE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS SHARON. 
          PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          HI, UH, THIS IS SHARON WEISS, UH, 2 3 3 80 FIRST STREET. 
          UM, WOW. 
          I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT OUR BUDGET FOR 80,000 PEOPLE IS ALMOST $1 BILLION. 
          THAT IS LIKE MIND BOGGLING TO ME. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY ONE OF YOU ON THE DA OR IN REAL ESTATE, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET. 
          UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A MASSIVE CONDO CRASH. 
          YOU GUYS BETTER TIGHTEN THE BELTS. 
          NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO DO IT. 
          UM, AND, AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HERE, TAX PAYING CITIZENS, WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COMES IN. 
          WE, WE HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS. 
          WE HAVE TO BUDGET OURSELVES. 
          OUR MORTGAGE COMPANY DOESN'T JUST ADJUST OUR, OUR OUR PAYMENTS BECAUSE OF, OF A WHIM. 
          UH, THE INSURANCE COMPANY DOESN'T ADJUST A PAYMENT BECAUSE OF, UH, BECAUSE OF THEIR WHIM. 
          UM, WE, WE, WE BUDGET PERSONALLY, AND YOU GUYS SHOULD BUDGET. 
          EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, I CERTAINLY HOPE, HAS A BUDGET THAT YOU STICK TO IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES. 
          WHY IS IT WHEN IT'S OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY? IT'S JUST AN OPEN POCKET BOOK. 
          UM, I URGE YOU TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE. 
          UM, THERE, THERE'S NO REASON FOR OUR COSTS TO GO UP SO MUCH. 
          UM, I I, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME IN TWO MINUTES TO GET INTO ALL OF THE WAYS THAT, UM, YOU'RE OVERSPENDING AND WASTING MONEY. 
          UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S UNFATHOMABLE. 
          YOU ACTUALLY HAVE, HAVE ME ALMOST UNABLE TO, TO FORM COHERENT SENTENCES O OVER HOW PUZZLED AND ANNOYED, ANGRY, UH, UH, JUST DISGUSTED THAT I AM. 
          PLEASE, UM, LISTEN TO ALL OF THE, UH, ALL OF THE INTELLIGENT PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLING IN AND SHARING OUR THOUGHTS WITH YOU. 
          UM, WE HAVE TO TIGHTEN OUR BELT. 
          THERE'S SO MUCH WASTE AND FLUFF. 
          WE NEED TO CUT TO THE BONE. 
          UM, AND YOU NEED TO TREAT THE RESIDENTS WHO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS. 
          THANK LIKE PARTNERS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. WEISS. 
          OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER HAS A SCREEN NAME OF EZS IPHONE. 
          PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          ANES, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          YES, YES, I UNMUTED. 
          UM, MY NAME IS INES FLAG. 
          I'M AT 1500 OCEAN DRIVE, APARTMENT 10 0 6, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA. 
          I'M JUST CALLING TO, UM, AGREE WITH EVERYONE WHO'S SPOKEN SO FAR. 
          AND I THINK THAT MIAMI BEACH HAS JUST BECOME UNAFFORDABLE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET AND YOU NEED TO LOOK AT CUTTING YOUR BUDGET INSTEAD OF INCREASING OUR TAXES. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          OUR NEXT CALLER IS ANDREA. 
          PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF. 
          STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. 
          HI, MY NAME IS ANDREA KOS. 
          I LIVE AT 2 27 MICHIGAN AVENUE. 
          UH, I'M LIKE A OVER 25 YEAR RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          AND I MEAN, I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU GUYS, DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS WORKING RIGHT NOW? IS THIS A SUCCESSFULLY RUN CITY? 17 CONSECUTIVE RATE INCREASES? IT'S A $900 MILLION BUDGET FOR 80,000 PEOPLE. 
          WE HAVE VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD COMING HERE, RENTING, UH, UH, HOTELS AND EATING OUT. 
          AND WE EVERY YEAR HAVE TO HIRE MORE AND MORE AND MORE EMPLOYEES. 
          IT'S BLOAT, IT'S WASTE. 
          AND I HATE TO SAY IT'S MAYBE ABUSE. 
          IT'S REALLY GROSS TO US AS CITIZENS WATCHING YEAR OVER YEAR, OUR DOLLARS BEING SPENT, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW. 
          SO MORE AND MORE EMPLOYEES, I DON'T BELIEVE MAKE A GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT. 
          MY BUILDING, IT'S SMALL, 28 UNITS. 
          I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, IT TOOK US OVER TWO YEARS TO GET OUR PERMIT TO REPLACE OUR FRONT DOOR. 
          EXACT SAME, JUST REMADE. 
          AND GUESS WHAT? IN THE MEANTIME, THE GUY WHO WAS DOING THE WORK LOST THE PIECES AND EVERYTHING. 
          HE SAYS, OH, TWO YEARS TO GET THE, THE PERMIT. 
          THIS IS NOT A WELL RUN CITY. 
          I ASK YOU TO LOOK DEEP INSIDE YOURSELVES. 
          LOOK AT YOURSELVES IN THE MIRROR AND SAY, AM I DOING THE BEST I CAN? HAVE I LOWERED? CAN, CAN I CUT CORNERS MORE? THIS IS WHAT SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES DO, AND I ASK YOU TO BE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS AND NOT LIKE A FLO SHOP. 
          HEY, WE'RE JUST SPENDING OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY. 
          I ASK YOU TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE AND PLEASE HELP US DO NOT. 
          IT'LL JUST TRICKLE DOWN TO RAISING RENTS. 
          YOU THINK LINCOLN ROAD IS EMPTY NOW? WAIT TILL THE TAXES GO UP HIGHER. 
          YOU THINK WASHINGTON AVENUE IS EMPTYING NOW? THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CITY. 
          I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OUR NEXT CALLER IS IRENE BIGGER. 
          PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. 
          IT'S IRENE BIGGER. 
          I'M AT 1500 OCEAN DRIVE IN 
          [00:25:01]
THE ART DECO DISTRICT. 
          UH, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. 
          I'M NOT SURE IF, UH, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED YET, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE BENEFITS OF PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS. 
          THERE ARE MANY CREATIVE WAYS TO TAP INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, TO ASSIST US TO PAY FOR MANY PROGRAMS IN OUR CITY. 
          AND, UM, WELL, A SMALL PORTION OF THE COST IN OUR CITY. 
          WE SHOULD ALSO LOOK INTO WHAT WE ARE GIVING AWAY VERSUS WHAT WE ARE GETTING FOR THE, FOR LEASING OUT OUR PUBLIC SPACES. 
          UM, NAMELY, YOU KNOW, IN THE AREA OF SPECIAL EVENTS HERE IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          UH, AND JUST THE SECOND POINT I WANTED TO MENTION IS I DO BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER REVIEW OF WHERE OUR TAX MONEY IS GOING SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BETTER FUNCTION, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY AND BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE. 
          THANKS EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OUR NEXT CALLER IS VALERIE'S IPHONE. 
          PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          UH, VALERIE OWEN, 1580 BAY ROAD, MIAMI. 
          UM, I CONCUR WITH EVERYONE THAT'S AGAINST THIS HIKE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT MANY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO RUN AN APARTMENT BUILDING HERE. 
          AND IT IS UNBELIEVABLY DIFFICULT. 
          I MEAN, NOT ONLY RIGHT NOW IS THERE LIKE FOUR, 200 VACANT UNITS, BUT MY PROPERTY TAXES WENT UP ALMOST $10,000 IN A FEW YEARS. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND LIKE YOU WANNA THROW PARTIES AND HAVE FUN AND DO ALL THESE PARKS AND ALL THESE THINGS, BUT LIKE IRENE SAID, YOU NEED PUBLIC, PRIVATE, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTIONS. 
          I MEAN, THEY, EVERY SINGLE DAY I READ ABOUT ALL OF THESE EVENTS AND EVERYTHING, LIKE WE NEED MORE PRIVATE INVESTMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE BENEFITING AND WE HAVE TO STOP JUST SPENDING MONEY LIKE DRUNKEN SAIL. 
          I MEANT LIKE WE'RE SURROUNDED BY WATER, BUT WE'RE NOT SAILORS, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          HAVE A NICE NIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OUR LAST CALLER IS JANET SILVERMAN. 
          PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          HI, MY NAME IS JANET SILVERMAN. 
          I LIVE AT 6 8 9 9 COLLINS AVENUE. 
          UM, I WANNA STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT I'M ON THE BOARD OF, UH, NORTH BEACH, UH, UH, ALLISON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, BUT I AM SPEAKING ON MY OWN AND HOPEFULLY I DON'T HAVE TO FILL OUT A FORM IN ORDER TO MAKE THE COMMENTS I'M GOING TO MAKE. 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I HEARD AT THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING THAT LIKE THE BUDGET IS NOT PREPARED ON A GROUNDS UP BASIS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. 
          THAT THE COMMISSION REALLY JUST APPROVES ENHANCEMENTS AND, AND REDUCTIONS FROM LINE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG. 
          AND I THINK THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT NO ONE'S LOOKING AT THE BUDGET ON A GROUNDS UP BASIS. 
          I ALSO LEARNED WHEN I WAS ON THE, UH, BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WE DO NO BENCHMARKING. 
          WE DON'T LOOK AT OUR COSTS AS COMPARED TO LIKE, KIND OF CITIES TO SEE IF MAYBE WE'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH ON SOMETHING. 
          MAYBE WE'RE NOT SPENDING ENOUGH. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          BUT IT, YOU KNOW, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, I WORKED IN FINANCE FOR A LONG TIME AND WHEN I LOOKED AT A COMPANY I'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE, THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS GO OR COMPANY. 
          I NEVER, UH, UH, INDUSTRY I NEVER SAW BEFORE. 
          I WOULD GO AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT SHOULD THIS LINE ITEM BE AS A PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE OR AS WHATEVER THE APPROPRIATE METRIC WAS? AND WE DON'T LOOK AT ANY OF THAT. 
          AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, PROBABLY A LOT OF BLOAT IN THE BUDGET AND I THINK THAT IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, BETTER CONSTRUCTED. 
          UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. 
          THAT CONCLUDES SEPTIC. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, UH, MAGAZINE, VICE MAYOR MAGAZINE. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          UM, AS WAS LAID OUT, UH, TONIGHT WE ARE MANDATED TO PASS A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          AND WHAT I AM, UH, WE'LL START WITH, UH, WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF COMING INTO THIS YEAR. 
          WE KNEW SITTING IN THIS SEAT LAST YEAR, AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT, THAT THIS WOULD BE A VERY DIFFICULT BUDGET YEAR. 
          WE HAD MULTIPLE UNION CONTRACTS THAT WERE GOING TO BE RENEGOTIATED AND SIGNIFICANTLY RAISED, AND THAT PUT US FROM OUT OF THE STARTING GATE INTO A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR HOLE. 
          SO ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE'VE BEEN MANAGING IN A DILIGENT FASHION, KNOWING THAT THERE WERE GOING TO BE A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS, UH, ON OUR BUDGET. 
          AND THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE. 
          I ECHO MANY OF THE SENTIMENTS THAT SOME PEOPLE CALLED IN WITH. 
          I AM GOING TO CORRECT THE RECORD ON A, UH, A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS. 
          BUT THE OVERALL SENTIMENT, BEFORE I GOT ELECTED, I WAS SHARING THESE SAME THINGS. 
          AND SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN SHARING THESE SAME THINGS. 
          I DON'T WANT IT TO BE LOST 
          [00:30:01]
ON ANYBODY. 
          WE ARE TAXPAYERS, RIGHT? WE GET IN MINUSCULE AMOUNT TO SERVE THE PUBLIC, AND WE'RE PAYING WELL ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT IN TAXES. 
          SO WE HAVE AN ALIGNED INTEREST. 
          AND IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH BATTLE BACK AND FORTH AT TIMES WITH CITY STAFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          WE DO NEED TO CONTROL OUR SPENDING. 
          AND I AM CONFIDENT AND PROUD OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE OVER THIS PAST YEAR. 
          THAT WORK WILL NOT STOP. 
          WE HEAR LOUD AND CLEAR WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE, AND THE EMPHASIS AND THE PRIORITIES ON MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE PRUDENT SPENDING AT A GOVERNMENT LEVEL, ENHANCING OUR EFFICIENCIES. 
          AND WE HAVE STARTED MANY EFFORTS TO MAKE GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT AND BETTER SERVING OUR TAXPAYERS. 
          A GOVERNMENT DOES NOT MAKE WIDGETS. 
          IT DOESN'T MAKE IPHONES OR REFRIGERATORS. 
          IT MAKES MONEY ONE WAY TAXING PEOPLE. 
          SO EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND IS MONEY BEING TAXED, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE AN EVEN GREATER APPRECIATION FOR WHERE THAT MONEY COMES FROM AND WHERE THAT MONEY GOES. 
          THAT BEING SAID, SEVERAL CALLERS ALLUDED TO IT. 
          I WANT TO MAKE THIS VERY LOUD AND CLEAR. 
          WE ABSOLUTELY ARE NOT RAISING YOUR TAXES HERE. 
          OUR MILLAGE RATE FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW, DESPITE MANY EXTERNAL PRESSURES, IS REMAINING FLAT. 
          NOW, AS HOME PROPERTIES INCREASE, YES, THAT PERCENTAGE APPLIED WILL LIKELY INCREASE. 
          THAT'S ESSENTIALLY MIRRORS INFLATION FOR THE COST PRESSURES THAT WE FACE WITH, WITH THE CITY. 
          BUT I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER. 
          AND OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THIS EVEN CAME TO THE FOREFRONT, THIS COMMISSION, OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS PUT DIRECTIVES TO STAFF. 
          AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA GO THROUGH THIS. 
          WE HAVE A LIST RIGHT HERE THAT WE DIRECTED OUR CITY MANAGER TO GO OUT AND WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          WE HAVE WHAT IS MANDATED BY LAW, BUT THAT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO US. 
          WE WANTED TO FIND A MORE EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR A RAINY DAY. 
          AND EVEN IF THE DAYS REMAIN SUNNY, WE HAVE TO RESPECT OUR TAXPAYER MONEY EVEN MORE. 
          AND THAT IS PART OF THE EXERCISE THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE TONIGHT. 
          WE HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN CUTS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MEETINGS. 
          SO WE ARE IN LOCK STEP WITH THE COMMENTS THAT WE HEARD FROM OUR RESIDENTS TONIGHT. 
          AND I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HERE TONIGHT IS AN EVEN ENHANCED FOCUS ON THAT OF MAKING GOVERNMENT SPENDING MORE EFFICIENT. 
          'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA GO LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM AND SEE WHERE WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY ON A MORE EFFICIENT BASIS. 
          SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER, UH, WHERE WE GO WITH THIS. 
          ULTIMATELY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'LL ASK FOR CITY MAN, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO NOT PASS A BUDGET TODAY? WELL, THERE COULD BE SOME SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES TO THAT. 
          UH, FAILURE TO ADOPT A MILITATE AS REQUIRED BY THE STATUTE COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF STATE FUNDS. 
          UH, FAILURE TO ADAPT THE BUDGET. 
          UM, THAT'S A LITTLE MORE NUANCED. 
          BUT IF IT RESULTS IN A FINANCIAL EMERGENCY, AND THERE ARE VARIOUS, UM, INDICATORS THAT, THAT A FINANCIAL EMERGENCY HAS BEEN TRIGGERED COULD THEN RESULT IN OVERSIGHT BY THE GOVERNMENT, UH, BY THE GOVERNOR OR, OR BY A, A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. 
          UM, IT'S, UH, IT, IT'S AN UNPRECEDENTED THING. 
          I I KNOW THAT, UM, THE CFO, UH, MADE SOME CALLS. 
          WE DID SOME RESEARCH. 
          I, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO OTHER MUNICIPALITY OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT HAS FAILED TO ADOPT A BUDGET OR A MILLAGE RATE. 
          UH, WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WOULD COME IN AND TAKE OVER THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          IT, IT, IT COULD HAPPEN IF, IF A FINANCIAL EMERGENCY IS DETERMINED TO HAVE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS. 
          YES. 
          OKAY, EXCELLENT. 
          SO WHILE WE HAVE SPENT MONTHS ON FINDING EFFORTS TO DELIVER A MORE EFFICIENT BUDGET, AND WE'RE DOING SO WITHOUT RAISING OUR MILLAGE RATE FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW, TO SIT HERE THE 11TH HOUR AND CALL FOR NOT PASSING A BUDGET OR TO ROLL BACK OUR MILLAGE RATE, MR. CFO, THAT WOULD TAKE, IF WE ROLLED BACK OUR MILLAGE RATE A CUT OF WHAT, 17 TO $20 MILLION? YEAH, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WOULD BE ABOUT $21 MILLION. 
          YOU KNOW, I PHILOSOPHICALLY DON'T DISAGREE THAT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA AND I'VE LED SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS. 
          YES. 
          BUT TO DO SO, OR PROPOSE THAT AT 6:00 PM THE NIGHT OF BUDGET IS MANDATED IS INCREDIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE. 
          INCREDIBLY. 
          WE HAVE, WE'VE HAD FOUR DIFFERENT BUDGET MEETINGS WHERE WE'VE ALL GIVEN DIRECTIVES TO OUR CITY MANAGER, OKAY? AND INCLUDED IN THAT IS 
          [00:35:01]
TO FIND $2 MILLION IN COST SAVINGS. 
          AND WE COULD GO THROUGH EVERY ONE OF THESE ITEMS, BUT THE SIT UP HERE, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO ROLL BACK $20 MILLION BECAUSE WE COULDN'T EVEN, WE DON'T HAVE LINE ITEM BY LINE GRANULARITY. 
          AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT WILL BE CHANGING. 
          I'M BRINGING A LEGISLATIVE ITEM. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MUCH TO MY DISMAY AT OUR SUB, UH, AT OUR JUNE BUDGET MEETING. 
          I, THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WE DON'T HAVE INSIGHT INTO EVERY DOLLAR OF OUR GROUND UP BUDGET US UP HERE AS LEGISLATORS, AND THAT WILL BE CHANGING. 
          I'M GOING TO BE BRINGING THE LEGISLATIVE ITEM IN OCTOBER. 
          IT'S NOT GRANDSTANDING OR THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          BUT FOR US TO TRULY KNOW WHAT'S IN OUR BUDGET, WE NEED TO GO DOLLAR BY DOLLAR. 
          AND IF MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO JOIN ME IN THOSE INITIATIVES, I'M HAPPY TO LEAD THAT EFFORT. 
          YEAH. 
          JOIN ALL CO-SPONSOR WITH YOU. 
          BUT THAT CANNOT HAPPEN HERE AT 6:00 PM WE, AND WE TALKED THIS AFTERNOON, WE CAN PASS A BUDGET KEEPING OUR MILLAGE RATE FLAT, AND WE COULD DEDICATE TWO HOURS OF EVERY SINGLE FINANCE MEETING TO FINDING EFFICIENCIES IN GOVERNMENT. 
          AND IN FACT, I HAVE A LINE ITEM OR, UH, A LEGISLATION TO SPONSOR TURNING OUR BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE INTO OUR BUDGET ADVISORY AND GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY COMMITTEE. 
          AND OUR FERC MEETINGS SHOULDN'T JUST BE SPENT ON HOW TO SPEND MONEY, BUT HOW TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH THE MONEY THAT WE ALREADY TAKE IN. 
          OKAY? SO WHILE WE ARE MAKING TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF EFFORTS, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS FROM A MIAMI BEACH GOVERNMENT, I AGREE. 
          WE TURNED AROUND AND WE LANDED ON A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET OVER THE YEARS, AND THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. 
          I WILL NOT BE OKAY WITH THAT, AND I WILL CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS. 
          BUT TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT WE SHOULD VOTE NO ON A BUDGET AT 6:00 PM AND THEN HAVE THE STATE COME IN HERE, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN THAT, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PAY OUR BILLS TOMORROW. 
          WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PAY PAYROLL. 
          WE'RE GONNA ASK OUR POLICE AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS TO COME IN TELLING THEM THEY'RE NOT GUARANTEED A PAYCHECK. 
          OKAY? OUR POLICE OFFICERS, IF WE VOTE NO ON THIS BUDGET, HAVE NO GUARANTEE THEY GET A PAYCHECK. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA ASK THEM TO COME IN AND KEEP OUR CITY SAFE, TELLING THEM WE HAVE NO ABILITY TO PAY THEM. 
          OKAY? SO I HEAR OUR TAXPAYERS LOUD AND CLEAR. 
          WE ALL HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THEM, RIGHT? AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE ON THESE EFFORTS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR BUDGET. 
          AND IF YOU'VE SEEN OUR MEETINGS OVER THE PAST YEAR, TWO YEARS, OR EVEN WHEN I CALLED IN, THAT IS ONE OF MY BIGGEST PERSONAL PREROGATIVES. 
          BUT YOU HAVE TO DO SO IN A SMART FASHION AND TO ROLL BACK OUR MILLAGE RATES, IF THAT WAS A TRUE INTENTION OF THIS BODY OR ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD'VE STARTED MONTHS AGO, NOT AT 6:00 PM WHEN WE HAVE TO HAVE A BUDGET SIGNED IN SIX HOURS. 
          AND MAY I, MR. CHAIR, MAY I COMMENT ON THAT? YES. 
          UM, I, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SEVEN OF US WHO COME FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND HAVE ADDITIVE IDEAS TO TRY TO MAKE THE END GOAL BETTER. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL HERE FOR. 
          I MEAN, THREE OF US RAN, FOUR OF US RAN AT THE SAME TIME, UM, TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. 
          WELL, ALL OF US RAN IT WHEN WE RAN TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. 
          BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, DAVID, JOE AND I, UM, WERE ELECTED AS, AS NEOPHYTE COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE THINGS BETTER BECAUSE WE SHARE A LOT OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE HEARD TODAY. 
          BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR PLATFORM IS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE GREATER GOOD. 
          AND THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO BE ADDITIVE TO THE GREATER GOOD. 
          IF YOU THINK SOMETHING ISN'T GOING THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO TALK ABOUT IT, COME TO THE BUDGET MEETINGS, COME TO THE WORKSHOPS, COME TO THE FERC MEETINGS. 
          I COULDN'T MAKE ONE OF THE BUDGET MEETINGS, UH, BECAUSE I WAS AT A WEDDING. 
          I CALLED IN. 
          I WASN'T HERE, BUT I, I WAS PART OF THAT MEETING. 
          YOU BETTER BE SURE OF IT, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE. 
          WE ARE A BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS. 
          AND IF ANY OF US IS TAKING IT LIGHTLY WITH, UM, PERFORMATIVE EMAILS THE MORNING OF THE DAY THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO, UM, MAKE THIS OFFICIAL, AS MY COLLEAGUES SAID, AND AS I'M SURE YOU'LL HEAR FROM MOST OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES, , THOSE ARE REAL CONCERNS THAT ARE RAISED AS OUR CALLERS HAVE RAISED, THAT WE RAN ON, THAT WE ALL HERE SHARE THAT JOE AND OTHERS ON THIS, ON THIS, ON THIS BODY ARE WORKING TO AMELIORATE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. 
          BUT TO PUT EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE AS A CITY AT RISK FOR THE SAKE OF, OF, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE MOTIVATION IS, IS IRRESPONSIBLE. 
          AND I THINK THAT IS A DISSERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          YOU KNOW, WE, WE HEARD PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT A $42 MILLION 
          [00:40:01]
PARK THAT IS REALLY SPECTACULAR. 
          AND YEAH, IT'S EXPENSIVE. 
          DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GET THAT PARK BUILT OVER 30 YEARS? AND DO YOU KNOW HOW WE FUNDED IT? THE TAXPAYERS WERE ASKED, HEY, WE CAN BUILD A PARK HERE. 
          THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT, IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE. 
          WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY SURE, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HAVING A PARK HERE, IT'S GONNA COST 30 $42 MILLION. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH WAS IN THE GO BOND, BUT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A PARK HERE? AND OVERWHELMINGLY, THE CITY TAXPAYER SAID, YES, PLEASE, I WILL GIVE YOU SOME MORE OF MY TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO FUND THIS PARK. 
          SO YEAH, IT'S AN EXPENSIVE PARK. 
          IT'S ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR. 
          IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW, GO AS SOON AS THIS IS OVER. 
          BUT WE CHOSE TO TAX OURSELVES THAT PARK. 
          NOW, THAT'S NOT THE SAME THING WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THE BUDGET, WHICH IS WHY THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW DO WE SEE FROM THE GROUND UP EVERY LINE ITEM? HOW DO WE GET TO THE GRANULARITY? BECAUSE THERE ARE PROBABLY THINGS IN HERE THAT ARE HOLDOVERS FROM PAST INITIATIVES THAT ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY, OR DIRECTIONS THAT WE'RE NO LONGER GOING IN, OR THINGS THAT WE NO LONGER PRIORITIZE. 
          AND WE ARE WORKING TO GET THERE. 
          BUT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, AT THE 11TH HOUR AND THE 59TH MINUTE AND THE 59TH SECOND, IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE TO PASS THIS BUDGET AND WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT'S IRRESPONSIBLE. 
          YEAH. 
          SO JUST TO ECHO, UH, SOME OF THE SENTIMENTS, AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE, WE'RE WE'RE NOT RAISING THE TAX RATE KNOWN AS THE, AS THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          WE HAVE STARTED TIGHTENING OUR BELTS, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO SO AS, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE. 
          AND THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M VERY PLEASED THAT YOU'RE CHAIRING THE, THE, THE, UM, FINANCE COMMITTEE. 
          AND I LIKE YOUR NAME CHANGE AS WELL. 
          SO, UH, TO FOCUS ON EFFICIENCIES AND, AND WE'RE DOING THAT, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT. 
          THE PROBLEM WITH CUTTING AND SLASHING AT THE LAST MINUTE, AS I THINK IS OBVIOUS, IS WE DO OFFER SOME GREAT SERVICES IN OUR CITY. 
          AND I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME FROM OUR RESIDENTS. 
          YOU CALL NINE ONE ONE, THE, THE PHONE CALL IS ANSWERED AND POLICE COME QUICKLY, FIRE COMES QUICKLY. 
          PUBLIC WORKS WHEREVER DEPARTMENT YOU CALL. 
          SO THAT DOESN'T, THERE I, I AM SO I AM AGREEING THAT THERE ARE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE CAN DO, BUT THE WHOLESALE CUT AT THE LAST MINUTE, WE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS RIGHTLY DEMAND THAT WE PROVIDE FIRST CLASS SERVICES, WHICH WE DO. 
          SO IT HAS TO BE DONE, UH, DELIBERATELY, AND WE'LL GET IT DONE AND WE'LL DO IT. 
          UM, AND PARTLY IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S BEEN STARTED. 
          WE'VE, THAT'S PART OF THIS PROCESS. 
          WE MANDATED SOME CUTS, UH, AS PART OF THIS PROCESS. 
          AND UNLIKE, UH, I'M NOT GONNA START NAMING IT, BUT THE COUNTY HAD TO DO IT. 
          THE COUNTY HAD TO SLASH DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, AND, AND A LOT TO GET DOWN. 
          WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE DESPITE SOME OF THE, UH, EXTRA EXPENDITURES, UH, WE ARE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE DO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET, UH, THAT IF, IF OUR BODY, UH, CONCURS, WE CAN PASS TODAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW. 
          MR. MAYOR, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, THANK YOU. 
          YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS AND SPECIAL INTEREST TOO OFTEN IN CITY HALL GET OUR FULL ATTENTION AND THE RESIDENTS AND THE VERY PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE RAISE FAMILIES HERE AND PAY THE BILLS HERE, FEEL IGNORED AS WE'VE SEEN TODAY. 
          WE MAY HEAR THEM, BUT DO WE REALLY LISTEN TO THEM? I'M HERE TODAY TO BE THEIR VOICE. 
          TODAY ALONE. 
          OVER 60 MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS EMAILED ME, NOT A SINGLE ONE SAID, PLEASE RAISE MY TAXES. 
          INSTEAD, THEY TALKED ABOUT THE VERY SAME THINGS WE ALL WORRY ABOUT, SKYROCKETING HOUSING COSTS, CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND A CITY GOVERNMENT THAT JUST KEEPS ON GETTING BIGGER AND MORE BLOATED. 
          AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. 
          THE TRUTH IS RIGHT IN THE TITLE OF THE RESOLUTION, FINAL AD VALOR MILLAGE OF 5.702 MILLS, WHICH IS 6.5% MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE, 6.5%. 
          THAT'S MORE THAN DOUBLE THE OFFICIAL INFLATION RATE OF 2.9. 
          AT THAT PACE, OUR CITY BUDGET WILL DOUBLE IN JUST 10 YEARS. 
          TELL ME HOW MANY FAMILIES IN MIAMI BEACH CAN AFFORD TO DOUBLE THEIR HOUSING SPENDING IN 10 YEARS. 
          IF WE CAN'T, WHY SHOULD GOVERNMENT? THIS KIND OF GROWTH ISN'T JUST RECKLESS, IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE. 
          IF RESIDENTS HAVE TO TIGHTEN THEIR BELTS, IT SHOWS SO SHOULD CITY HALL, THE TRUTH IS ANOTHER DOWNTURN WILL COME TO MIAMI BEACH. 
          WE'RE ALREADY SEEING SIGNS IN THE HOUSING MARKET. 
          PRICES, PRICES ARE SOFTENING. 
          HOMES SITTING LONGER. 
          WE CAN'T KEEP PRETENDING EVERYTHING IS FINE WHILE DIGGING DEEPER INTO 
          [00:45:01]
TAXPAYER'S POCKETS AND EXPECTING THEM TO CARRY THE BURDEN. 
          IT'S TIME TO CUT INEFFICIENCIES, TRIM THE FAT, AND GET BACK TO BASICS. 
          FIXING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROTECTING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. 
          BECAUSE LET'S BE HONEST, WE CAN'T FUND EVERY PROGRAM IN THE WORLD, BUT IF OUR STREETS ARE FLOODING, OUR BUILDINGS ARE CRUMBLING AND OUR RESIDENTS CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY HERE, THEN WHAT GOOD IS IT? WE ALREADY KNOW THE MAJOR. 
          WE ALL, WE ARE ALREADY THE ONLY MAJOR CITY IN FLORIDA THAT'S LOSING POPULATION. 
          LET THAT SINK IN FOR A MINUTE. 
          AND WHY BE BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE ANYMORE. 
          THAT SHOULD SHAKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US AWAKE. 
          AND BEFORE I CLOSE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THE VOICES OF RESIDENTS WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT ARE STILL HEARD. 
          I'D LIKE TO READ INTO THE RECORD SOME OF THEIR COMMENTS, REAL CONCERNS FROM PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STAND AT THIS PODIUM OR BE ABLE TO CALL INTO ZOOM AND WANT THEIR VOICES REPRESENTED. 
          I'M JUST GONNA PICK A FEW. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH FOR 22 YEARS, AND HAVE SEEN HOW WE ARE BEING FORCED OUT OF THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF HOAS FEES AND TAXES. 
          I'M CLOSE TO RETIREMENT AND WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE LIVING IN MY BEACH, BUT IF THESE COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE, I'LL BE FORCED OUT AS WELL. 
          PLEASE KEEP IN MIND WHEN VOTING FOR THIS MILITARY TONIGHT. 
          HELLO EVERYONE. 
          AS EVERYONE KNOWS, PROPERTY VALUES HAVE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE COVID OUTBREAK DURING WHICH MIAMI REAL ESTATE PROSPERED. 
          MY PROPOSED PROPERTY VALUE DECREASED FROM LAST YEAR, BUT MY TAXES WILL INCREASE. 
          PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT. 
          IF I HAVE ONE VOTE, I VOTE AGAINST THIS TAX INCREASE. 
          MY NAME IS GERSHON SAPEN AND I'M BORN AND RAISED IN MIAMI BEACH, MY FAMILY AND ARE OWNER OCCUPANTS IN THE LAKEVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          I ALSO OWN A CONDO AT SOUTH BEACH. 
          IT IS RENTED TO A REALLY WONDERFUL COUPLE, A DOCTOR AND A NUTRITIONIST WHO ARE GREAT TENANTS AND JUST REALLY GREAT PEOPLE. 
          THEY EXEMPLIFY WHO ANY CITY WOULD WISH AS RESIDENTS. 
          THE CITY'S PROPOSAL TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES IS A BURDEN ON PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, OUR TENANTS, ALSO LIFELONG SOUTH FLORIDA RESIDENTS. 
          HERE'S WHY. 
          DESPITE A FEW YEARS OF INCREASED RENTS, THE REAL ESTATE MARKET HAS STARTED TO SOFTEN, MAYBE NOT FOR THE ULTRA RICH, BUT DEFINITELY FOR US REGULAR FOLK. 
          SIX MONTHS AGO, I LOWERED THE RENT OF MY UNIT, A RATE THAT WAS COMPETITIVE TO BEGIN WITH IN ORDER TO KEEP MY TENANTS FROM LEAVING. 
          THERE IS NO CHANCE I'LL BE ABLE TO PASS THESE COSTS ON FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, EVEN IF I WANTED TO. 
          THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REDUCE WASTE AND GOVERNMENT BLOAT NOT KEEP TAXING ITS CONSTITUENTS. 
          PLEASE LET ME KNOW WE WE CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS INCREASE FROM HAPPENING. 
          I HAVE A WHOLE STACK OF THIS, OKAY? A WHOLE STACK. 
          AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT WAITING TILL THE 11TH HOUR, LET ME REMIND YOU, MARCH 19TH, 2025, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT I SPONSORED. 
          REFERRAL TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS IMPLEMENTING A FLAT BUDGET WITH A CPI ADJUSTMENT TO FULLY FUND INFRASTRUCTURE, LOWER PROPERTY TAXES AND CONTROL GENERAL FUND SPENDING. 
          WHERE IS THAT? WHERE IS THAT? I HAVE ANOTHER ONE. 
          HOLD ON. 
          I HAVE ANOTHER ONE. 
          JUNE 25TH. 
          DIDN'T OUR BUDGET RETREAT MEETING JUNE 25TH. 
          YOU DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP JUNE 25TH. 
          YOU DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP TO THE BUDGET RETREAT MEETINGS TO, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE. 
          SO DON'T WHERE IT IS AT FIRST. 
          EXCUSE ME, I'M SPEAKING A SECOND. 
          DON'T INTERRUPT ME. 
          REFERRAL TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE INSTITUTION OF A TEMPORARY HIRING FREEZE FOR NON-ESSENTIAL POSITIONS. 
          WHERE ARE THESE? WHERE ARE THESE? THEY'RE NOT BEING CALLED. 
          NO ONE IS TAKING UP ON THEM. 
          AND SO FOR ANYONE HERE TO SIT AND LECTURE ME THAT I'M WAITING TILL THE 11TH HOUR IS RIDICULOUS. 
          AND IT'S OFFENSIVE. 
          AND IT'S OFFENSIVE TO THE VOTERS HERE. 
          NOW, YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE WHY THE STATE OF FLORIDA WANTS TO CUT PROPERTY TAXES. 
          I CAN SEE THAT. 
          I CAN SEE WHY, BECAUSE WE JUST KEEP ON SPENDING AND SPENDING AND SPENDING. 
          AND THEN FOR US TO SAY, WELL, IT'S THE 11TH HOUR. 
          I'M READY TO STAY HERE ALL NIGHT AND SAVE $20 MILLION. 
          I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT I COULD STAY HERE ALL NIGHT AND FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN DO TO SAVE $20 MILLION. 
          MAYBE WE SAVE $10 MILLION. 
          MAYBE WE CUT IT IN HALF. 
          LET'S DO IT. 
          I, I DON'T MIND. 
          I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. 
          I'M HERE. 
          I WANNA SAVE, I WANNA SAVE THE CITY SOME MONEY. 
          AND I CAN, I CAN START WITH A PERFECT, I I CAN START WITH A PERFECT EXAMPLE, 
          [00:50:01]
AND THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, OKAY? CULTURAL ARTS COUNCIL GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, 25. 
          FOR THOSE OF YOU LISTENING, DO YOU KNOW THAT WE SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND GIVING CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS GRANTS FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          600,000 OF THAT GOES TO OUT OF THE CITY GROUPS, BALLET, FLAMENCO, LAROSA ARMORED DANCE THEATER, MIAMI HISPANIC BALLET GROUP, PETER LONDON GLOBAL COMPANY, ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL, MIAMI SHORT FILM FESTIVAL. 
          I I MEAN, THERE'S A WHOLE LIST. 
          WE SPEND $600,000 A YEAR AND WORSE, WE HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE FULL-TIME PENSION AND BENEFITS TO GIVE THESE THESE GRANTS OUT EVERY YEAR. 
          AND IT ENDS UP BEING THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY EVERY SINGLE YEAR. 
          EVERY SINGLE YEAR WE GIVE OUT THE SAME THING AND WE HAVE TO PAY SOMEONE A FULL PENSION AND, AND, AND BENEFIT SALARY JUST TO GIVE OUT THIS MONEY. 
          WE SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. 
          WE CAN CUT THIS TODAY. 
          OKAY, WHAT OTHER THINGS DO WE SPEND ON? THAT'S RIDICULOUS. 
          JUST THE OTHER DAY WE TALKED ABOUT HOW ABOUT WE, WE THAT JUST, EXCUSE ME, JUST THE OTHER DAY. 
          HOLD ON. 
          WE SPEND, WE SPEND, HOW ABOUT WE, WE SPEND MONEY ON, LISTEN, WE, WE, I'M SORRY. 
          I'M CHAIR. 
          YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, THE ONE THING, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, THE CHAIR OF THE MEETING WANTS TO, IF YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO CUT SPENDING AS I SUGGESTED, AND AS I STARTED LAST BUDGET MEETING, WHY DON'T WE GO THROUGH INSTEAD OF JUST CALLING THEM OUT, LET'S GO RIGHT NOW. 
          I'M READY TO STAY. 
          YOU GUYS READY TO STAY? I'M READY TO STAY RIGHT NOW AND SAVE MONEY. 
          I'M GIVING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES THE CHANCE TO BE HEARD. 
          AND AS I SAID LAST MEETING, AS I DID LAST MEETING, OKAY? AS I SPENT THE TIME DURING THESE RETREATS AND MEETING WITH OUR CFO AND MEETING WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, I DID THAT. 
          DID YOU? OKAY. 
          I WENT LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE COULD CUT AND WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH ON A LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM BASIS. 
          SO WHAT I'M SUGGESTING, YOU RAISE A LOT OF GOOD POINTS. 
          IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE CUTTING, AND THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT I LAID OUT LAST MEETING, PROPOSE IT AND WE TAKE A VOTE. 
          IT'S VERY SIMPLE. 
          WE PUT TOGETHER THE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED, AND IF WE KEEP THEM, PEOPLE CAN VOTE TO KEEP THEM, TO DELETE THEM. 
          PEOPLE CAN VOTE TO DELETE THEM. 
          AND WHILE I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ABOUT IT, LET'S ACTUALLY PUT LEGISLATION JUST AS WE STARTED DOING LAST MEETING AND CONTINUE THAT. 
          AM I, AM I ALLOWED TO SPEAK NOW? YES. 
          CONTINUE. 
          NO. 
          COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ. 
          THINK COMMISSIONER WAS GONNA FINISH. 
          ARE YOU GONNA FINISH SAID FERNANDEZ, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, ARE YOU? YEAH. 
          WHAT COMMISSIONER I, YOU CONTINUE, YOU'RE GONNA FINISH AND THEN I LOOK, I I, I'M SORRY IF I SEEM A LITTLE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS, OKAY. 
          UM, I, I KNOCKED ON OVER 5,000 DOORS AND A LOT OF IT WAS IN NORTH BEACH. 
          AND THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD JUST CRY ON MY SHOULDER AND SAY, I'VE LIVED HERE ALL MY WHOLE LIFE AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. 
          AND WHAT, WHAT CAN YOU HELP ME WITH? AND SO, EXCUSE ME, WHEN I GET UPSET WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, THIS IS NOT A TAX INCREASE, IT IS A TAX INCREASE, IT'S ONLY GOING WITH INFLATION, IT'S DOUBLE THE INFLATION RATE, AND WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          THAT'S A STATE MANDATE. 
          THOSE ARE NOT THINGS TO BE PROUD OF, I THINK WOULD BE PROUD OF IS IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE OF 5.5114, AND WE FIGURE OUT HOW EXACTLY WE'RE GONNA CUT WHATEVER BLOATED FAT THAT WE DON'T NEED ANYMORE, THAT ISN'T GOING TO BE ADDED TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THAT THEN I, I'M READY TO ROLL UP MY SLEEVES HERE AND, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN REMOVE. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS. 
          SORRY. 
          I LET IT GET, GET THE BEST OF ME. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, I, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS, YOU MAY THINK THAT THIS IS THE 11TH HOUR, BUT I JUST READ TO YOU TWO ITEMS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SINCE JUNE 
          [00:55:03]
AND MARCH, AND I WAS DISMISSED, I THINK IT WAS ON A SLIDE THAT, UH, STAFF HAS PUT AND SAID, THIS IS WHY THAT WE CAN'T DO THIS. 
          YOU KNOW? UM, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH WASTE HERE, . 
          AND IT'S SICK. 
          IT'S SICKENING. 
          IT'S SICKENING. 
          AND, AND, AND I THINK, LISTEN, I, I THINK ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN CUT, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK DEEPER AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT MORE CAN WE CUT. 
          AND I, AND I WANNA REMEMBER EVERY, I WANT EVERYONE TO REMEMBER A LARGE PART OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE UNION CONTRACTS. 
          OKAY? THEY WERE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THIS. 
          I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO REALLY RAILED AGAINST THIS, THESE CONTRACTS BECAUSE I SAW WHAT WAS COMING. 
          AND, AND I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW, I WANT THE POLICE OFFICERS TO KNOW THIS IS, THIS IS NOT ME GOING AFTER POLICE PAY. 
          I WANTED TO HAVE A CONTRACT THAT'S MORE FAIR AND BALANCED TO THE CITY THAT'S MORE MERIT BASED, THAT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY GIVE PAY INCREASES BECAUSE AT THIS RATE, WE CANNOT SUSTAIN OUR GOVERNMENT. 
          SO LOOK, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, THIS IS YOUR MEETING. 
          I'M HERE TO, I I, I'D LIKE TO, IF IT'S, THIS IS $20 MILLION, LET'S FIND $20 MILLION TO CUT TODAY. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S SOME REALLY LOW HANGING FRUIT LIKE SISTER CITIES. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE SPEND ON SISTER CITIES AND TRIPS. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S RIDICULOUS. 
          THE, THE, UH, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE USED TO MAKE DUE WITH I THINK $10,000. 
          I, I DON'T KNOW. 
          JASON, HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING ON SISTER CITIES? NOW WE HAVE TO CHECK ROUGHLY WHAT ARE WE SPENDING ON SISTER CITIES AND THEIR TRIPS AND, AND, AND, AND HOSTING DELEGATIONS. 
          I THINK IT'S TO THE TUNE OF A, UH, AT LEAST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING EVERY YEAR. 
          WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT. 
          OKAY? WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON CULTURAL. 
          BUT JUST TO CORRECT THE RECORD, BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE LYING, IT'S $40,000. 
          AND I'D ALSO BE REMISS IF NOT SHARING WHAT A PHONY OUR COLLEAGUE IS. 
          THANKS TO HIM, HE COST THE CITY TAXPAYERS $10 MILLION TO THE HOMELESS TRUST BECAUSE HE TOOK SOMETHING OFF THE BALLOT WHILE THE VOTERS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF VOTING. 
          AND AS A RESULT OF THAT BIG BOMB WITH THE COUNTY, GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? IT'S GONNA COST US IN THE FUTURE OVER $80 MILLION. 
          WE HAD TO CLEAN UP THAT MESS THANKS TO HIM. 
          SO LET HIM BE HERE. 
          PHONY ACTING ALL RIGHTEOUS. 
          BUT IT'S NOT TRUE. 
          HE'S COST US MORE THAN ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER ON THE DAY. 
          IF I COULD BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ACTUALLY, WHAT THAT WAS, WAS A 1% ADDITIONAL TAX ON OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT I WANTED TO REPEAL SO THAT IT WOULDN'T GO TO ANOTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY WHERE THEY WOULD'VE SPENT MONEY AND NOTHING WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME INTO RETURN. 
          AND INSTEAD, WE HAD TO PAY $10 MILLION. 
          THANKS TO YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND ALSO, FOR THE RECORD, IT WAS A BALLOT ITEM THAT VOTERS WERE SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON. 
          IT WAS NOT THE COMMISSION'S PURVIEW TO MAKE THAT DECISION. 
          IT WAS IN THE VOTER'S HANDS DURING AN ACTIVE ELECTION. 
          LET'S JUST SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. 
          I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE, THE PREMISE THAT MAYBE THERE WAS A BETTER WAY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. 
          NO ONE'S DISPUTING THAT THE PROCESS IN WHICH IT WAS TAKEN OFF DURING AN ACTIVE ELECTION AND THEN RELATIONSHIPS BLOWN UP INSTEAD OF WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THINGS BETTER, I THINK IS THE POINT THAT'S BEING MADE HERE. 
          IF, IF I'M THE VILLAIN FOR POSING HEIGHT AND RATE INCREASES IN TAXES ON OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS, I, I GUESS I'M THAT VILLAIN. 
          I, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S VILLAIN FOR COSTING US 80,000,001 AT A THANK YOU, ONE AT A TIME, PLEASE. 
          I, I, I, I LIKE, EXCUSE ME. 
          I'M ASKING TO SPEAK. 
          I'VE BEEN AFFORDED TO SPEAK. 
          PLEASE WAIT. 
          YOUR RETURN. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, AND LOOK, NO, BUT, BUT COMMISSIONERS, I WILL SAY WHEN A, WHEN A COMMENT IS MADE AND THERE'S A POINT OF ORDER TO MAKE A CORRECTION, THAT IS ALLOWED, AND THAT'S WHY I ALLOWED IT TO GO, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ A AGAIN, I'M THE BAD GUY FOR OPPOSING TAX INCREASES TO UNJUSTLY OTHER GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRATS IN IN THE COUNTY, WHICH, BY THE WAY, W WOULD'VE WAS SUPPOSED TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT WITH US THAT THEY WERE GONNA GIVE US ALL THE MONEY BACK. 
          THEY DID NOT. 
          AND I AVERTED A DISASTER FOR AN INFINITE TAX TO OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AGAIN. 
          SO THAT, AGAIN, LET ME FINISH. 
          PLEASE. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          EXCUSE COMMISSIONER BOT. 
          COMMISSIONER BOT. 
          JUST FOR THE RECORD. 
          NOBODY'S DISPUTING THAT THERE WERE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH AGREEMENTS THAT DIDN'T GET SIGNED AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND ISSUES. 
          NOBODY'S DISPUTING THOSE FACTS. 
          NOBODY'S 
          [01:00:01]
SAYING YOU'RE A VILLAIN FOR TRYING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER, BUT TAKING IT OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE VOTERS WHERE IT HAD BEEN PUT BY LAW, BY, BY THE WAY, ALL OF US, WE AGREED TO THE LANGUAGE ON THE BALLOT. 
          LET'S NOT, LET'S NOT RELIVE THAT. 
          I DON'T, I HAVE TO TAKE MILLION. 
          NO. 
          AND I JUST, I MADE THE POINTS. 
          COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANT, COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANT FOR THE RECORD TO, I WANT THE RECORD TO BE REFLECTED ACCURATELY. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          COMMISSIONER SUAREZ AND PLEASE, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ. 
          LET'S TRY THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I LOOK, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ IS NEXT. 
          I, I'D LIKE US, I'D LIKE US ALL TO STAY HERE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT OTHER THINGS WE CAN CUT THAT IS UN COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY FOR OUR, OUR TAXPAYERS. 
          I'M, I'M, IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK, FIVE OR FIVE 30. 
          I'M SIX O'CLOCK. 
          I'M, I'M READY TO STAY AT LEAST A COUPLE HOURS AND FIGURE THAT OUT. 
          I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT I, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THIS IS THE 11TH HOUR. 
          THIS IS OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE TAXES. 
          COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT RESIDENTS TELL US ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY MOVE FROM OTHER AREAS TO MIAMI BEACH, IS THE SERVICES THAT THEY GET, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THEY GET, THE RESPONSIVENESS THAT THEY RECEIVE. 
          I KNOW THAT, UM, IN UNINCORPORATED DAY COUNTY WHERE I GREW UP AND WHERE MY PARENTS LIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'VE HAD TO CALL FOR POLICE SERVICE, THEY MIGHT NOT GET A POLICE OFFICER SENT TO THEIR HOME TODAY. 
          IF THEIR CAR GETS BROKEN INTO, THEY MIGHT GET SOMEONE SENT TOMORROW TO DO AN AFTER THE FACT REPORT. 
          THEY DON'T GET THE PARKS THAT MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS GET. 
          THEY DON'T GET THE EDUCATIONAL ENHANCEMENTS THAT THE STUDENTS IN MIAMI BEACH GET THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND THAT WE ALL PAY, WHICH GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM PROVIDES. 
          THEY DON'T GET THE LEVEL OF SANITATION THAT MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS GET. 
          THEY DON'T GET THE EXTRA TROLLEY SERVICES THAT MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS GET. 
          THEY DON'T GET THE, UM, THEY DON'T GET THE, UM, THE GRASS CUT AS FREQUENTLY ON THE SWES AND PUBLIC AREAS AS FREQUENTLY AS MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS GET. 
          THEY DON'T GET THE LEVEL OF HOMELESS, UH, SERVICES THE WAY THE MIAMI BEACH, UH, RESIDENTS GET IT IN OTHER AREAS. 
          HOMELESS NUMBERS HAVE GONE UP IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          THEY HAVE GONE DOWN IN 2023. 
          WE WERE AT 235 HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. 
          TODAY. 
          WE'VE DROPPED THOSE NUMBERS TO 122. 
          IF WE GET SERVICES IN MIAMI BEACH, I CALL THEM CONCIERGE SERVICES, THAT NO OTHER GOVERNMENTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA OFFERS ITS RESIDENTS BECAUSE ITS RESIDENTS HAVE ASKED FOR THESE SERVICES. 
          THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THIS BUDGET, UM, MR. MANAGER, UNDER THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TODAY, BEFORE US TODAY, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE INCREASE THAT THE AVERAGE HOMESTEAD OF PROPERTY WOULD BE EXPERIENCING? SO WE HAVE TWO NUMBERS PRESENTED IN OUR BUDGET MEMO. 
          WHAT IS THE AVERAGE INCREASE? SO THE AVERAGE INCREASE FOR A MEDIAN HOMESTEADED HOME IS $51 FOR THE AVERAGE HOME PRICE, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, ALL OF THE HOMES THAT MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN PRICE. 
          THAT AVERAGE WOULD BE $149, $149. 
          TWO THIRDS OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE RENTERS AND THAT THEY'RE NOT, COMMISSIONER, I DIDN'T INTERRUPT YOU. 
          SO YOU KNOW THIS. 
          SO WE, WE HAVE TO PUT IT INTO, INTO PERSPECTIVE YEAR AFTER YEAR. 
          I UNDERSTAND THIS ACCUMULATES AND IT AFFECTS, UH, AFFORDABILITY IN OUR CITY. 
          AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. 
          BUT ULTIMATELY WE NEED TO CONTINUE MAKING SURE THAT OUR BUDGET PROVIDES FOR A SAFE CITY, A CLEAN CITY, A RESILIENT CITY THAT PROVIDES FOR THE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR, THAT PROVIDES FOR THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES OUR RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR THAT PROVIDES FOR THE NEW TROLLEYS THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE, ARE ASKING FOR, OR IMPROVED HEADWAYS. 
          OR, YOU KNOW, WE WANT SHARED USE PATHS THAT ALL THESE THINGS HAVE TO GET PAID FOR SOMEWHERE. 
          AND IT'S NOT PROJECTS THAT WE BRING FORWARD. 
          IT'S ALL PROJECTS THAT THE COMMUNITY COMES ASKING US TO ADVANCE BEFORE WE REALLY GO INTO THE WEEDS ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          I WANT TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN FISCAL YEAR 25. 
          WHERE DO WE STAND TODAY AS IT RELATES TO FISCAL YEAR 25? ARE WE RUNNING AT A DEFICIT IN FISCAL YEAR 25? ARE 
          [01:05:01]
WE, ARE WE RUNNING AT A SURPLUS? WHERE DO WE STAND TODAY? BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET FISCAL YEAR 25 IN ORDER AND SQUARED AWAY BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          SO WHERE DO WE STAND TODAY AS IT RELATES TO FISCAL YEAR 25? IF I COULD ASK OUR CFO AND OUR, UM, BUDGET DIRECTOR TO ANSWER THAT. 
          SURE. 
          UH, SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, BASED ON THE Q3, UH, PROJECTION, WE'RE PROJECTING TO HAVE APPROXIMATELY 11.899 MILLION OF A SURPLUS IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR FY 25. 
          SO WE PROJECT THAT AS PART, WE PROJECT THAT AS PART OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE $11 MILLION IN SURPLUS. 
          CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          IS THAT AFTER WE MADE OUR OBLIGATIONS WITH RESERVES, OR IS THAT, OR, OR DO WE NEED TO SET MONEY ASIDE AFTER THOSE $11 MILLION FOR RESERVES? THAT'S AFTER WE SET ASIDE FOR RESERVES. 
          SO AFTER RESERVES, WE HAVE $11 MILLION SURPLUS IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. 
          PROJECTED. 
          PROJECTED, YES. 
          PROJECTED THAT MONEY DOES NOT BELONG TO US. 
          THAT MONEY BELONGS TO WHOM? TO THE TAXPAYERS, TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          AND I THINK AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND WE SEE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KEEPING THE MILLAGE FLAT, BUT WE DON'T CONTROL, WE DON'T CONTROL THE PROPERTY VALUATIONS. 
          YOUR, IF YOUR TAXES GO UP, IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER GOVERNMENT THAT'S INDEPENDENT OF THE CITY THAT VALUES YOUR PROPERTIES. 
          AND THAT'S AN ELECTED POSITION. 
          AND THAT ELECTED POSITION IS THE ONE THAT DETERMINES YOUR PROPERTY VALUE. 
          AND THAT IS WHAT IS MAKING YOUR PROPERTY TAXES GO UP. 
          IT'S NOT OUR MILLAGE RATE. 
          OUR MILLAGE RATE HAS BEEN FLAT. 
          IT IS THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICES THAT ARE CAUSING YOUR PROPERTY TAXES TO GO UP. 
          AND THERE IS A PROCESS TO APPEAL THAT AND TO CHALLENGE THAT VALUATION. 
          BUT TODAY WE ARE SITTING HERE WITH $11 MILLION THAT DON'T BELONG TO US, MR. MANAGER. 
          AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THAT $11 MILLION, GIVEN EVERYTHING WE HAVE HEARD FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS TODAY, FROM OUR RESIDENTS, AND THOSE WHO HAVE PLACED THEIR TRUST IN US, SHOULD BE GOING BACK TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          DO WE HAVE A MECHANISM OF GETTING THIS SURPLUS AND SENDING IT BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS? SO I WOULD HAVE TO RE RELY ON THE CITY ATTORNEY. 
          SO ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, THE CITY HAD DONE A, A, A DIVIDEND THAT WENT BACK TO HOMEOWNERS AND USED SURPLUSES TO, TO FUND THOSE DIVIDENDS. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE A MECHANISM IF THIS BODY WANTED TO, UH, GO DOWN THAT PATH, UH, TO, TO SEND MONEY BACK TO SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS. 
          I MEAN, AS I SEE IT TODAY, IF WE GOT THESE $11 MILLION AND WE SEND THESE $11 MILLION BACK TO THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE EXPERIENCING A $149 INCREASE BECAUSE OF THE, OF THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE IN, IN FRONT OF US, THOSE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE EXPERIENCING THAT $149 INCREASE, IF WE WERE TO SEND THIS, THESE $11 MILLION BACK TO THEM, THEY COULD POTENTIALLY BE GETTING IN THE MAIL, A $700 REFUND FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          SIGN ME UP. 
          AND THAT'S MONEY THAT DOESN'T BELONG TO US. 
          THAT IS MONEY THAT BELONGS TO THE RESIDENTS, TO THE TAXPAYERS OF OUR CITY. 
          AND WE CANNOT GO INTO A NEW FISCAL YEAR TELLING RESIDENTS, HEY, LISTEN, YOUR TAX BILL MIGHT GO UP NOT BECAUSE OF US, BUT BECAUSE OF ANOTHER GOVERNMENT WITHOUT SENDING BACK TO THE RESIDENTS THE SURPLUS MONEY THAT WE COLLECTED FROM THEM. 
          SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SECOND TO DIRECT OUR ADMINISTRATION, OUR CITY MANAGER, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, TO WORK ON POLICY SO THAT THIS $11 MILLION THAT WE COLLECTED EXTRA, BECAUSE THIS IS EXTRA MONEY THAT WE COLLECTED THAT WE DID NOT SPEND, THAT IS THEIR MONEY THAT WE SEND IT BACK TO THE RESIDENTS OF, OF OUR CITY. 
          RIGHT. 
          CAN I CALL PRIME WITH YOU? YEAH. 
          100. 
          ANYONE THAT WAS TO JOIN ME? ANYONE? CAN I, I HAVE A QUESTION JUST HOW THIS WA WORKS. 
          IF THIS GOES TO JUST, AND I'M NOT CHALLENGING, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. 
          THIS GOES BACK TO HOMESTEADED PROPERTY OWNERS. 
          SO IS THERE A WAY THAT, BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE RENTERS, SO HOW DO WE, I THINK MAYBE STEPH FIGURES THAT OUT WHEN IT COMES TO COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ. 
          IF YOU REALLY WANNA HELP THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND RENT HERE, THEN WE WOULD JUST ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE IN TUNE TO THOSE $11 MILLION. 
          I I, I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH YOU BECAUSE WHEN YOU ROLL BACK THE VILLAGE RATE, WHAT CAN I, I DIDN'T INTERRUPT. 
          I, LET ME, LET ME EXPLAIN TO, LET ME EXPLAIN WHY TO YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          IF YOU SEND THIS OUT, IT'S GOING TO GO TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, LIKE HE SAID. 
          BUT THE, BUT THE INCREASE, THE 10% INCREASE, OKAY. 
          OR WHATEVER THAT, THAT, 
          [01:10:01]
YOU KNOW, THAT AVERAGE INCREASE IS GONNA BE, IS GOING TO BE PASSED ON TO THE RENTER. 
          AND IF YOU SEND THAT MONEY OUT TO THE LANDLORDS, UM, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO SEE IT. 
          BUT IF YOU ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, THEN WE PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION TO NOT HAVE SUCH A BLOATED BUDGET AND WE WILL HAVE TO CUT, UH, IN COMING YEARS. 
          LIKE IF YOU, THEN YOU'RE DOING EVERYBODY A FAVOR YEAR OVER YEAR, WHAT WE SHOULD DO, IF WE WERE TO ROLL BACK FOR THE 11 MIL TO ACCOUNT FOR THESE $11 MILLION, WHAT WOULD THE NEW MILLAGE RATE BE? AND THEN WE COULD ACTUALLY LOWER THE MILLAGE RATE, LOWER THE TAX RATE FOR EVERYONE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE RENTERS WILL NOT BE GETTING THIS INCREASE PASSED ON. 
          WELL, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO DO THAT AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION OF THE NEXT OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          BUT I'M SAYING IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TODAY, YES. 
          BUT IF YOU KEEP THE MILLAGE RATE THE SAME, YOU ARE IN EFFECT TAXING EVERYONE. 
          EVEN IF YOU SEND BACK A CHECK, YOU'RE STILL TAXING THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE CITY IN THESE COMMERCIAL RENTAL PROPERTIES. 
          SO YOU'RE NOT HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO RENT. 
          YOU'RE JUST HELPING LANDLORDS ACROSS THE CITY THAT PROBABLY, UM, DON'T NEED THAT MONEY. 
          I MEAN, I, I, I JUST WANT TO FIND SOMETHING THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          AND IF YOU CUT THE MILL, IF YOU CUT THE MILLAGE RATE THIS YEAR, OKAY, THEN YOU REALLY ARE DOING A, A SERVICE BECAUSE NEXT YEAR, UM, EVEN IF WE WERE TO MAINTAIN IT THE SAME, WE WOULD BE AT A LOWER, UM, BUDGET. 
          WE'D BE CUTTING IT BY $11 MILLION. 
          AND I THINK JASON, AND CAN I WAIT, I, I, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE SPOKEN. 
          I DIDN'T WELL, I WAS MAKING A MOTION. 
          I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A MOTION. 
          I KNOW, BUT I, AND YOU STEPPED IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF MY MOTION. 
          THIS MOTION TO ME DOESN'T MAKE THAT MUCH SENSE. 
          I KNOW, BUT IT'S STILL A MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE ON THE SECONDED, WHICH, WHICH I'VE SECONDED. 
          JASON, CAN YOU PROVIDE US SOME GUIDANCE HERE? YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          UM, COMMISSIONERS. 
          SO I THINK OF THE, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE IDEA IS TO USE THE 25 SURPLUS, WHICH WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE USING THE NUMBER $11 MILLION, UH, TO SEND A, A REBATE CHECK. 
          LIKE I, I RECALL IT 20 YEARS AGO. 
          GETTING, GETTING MY CHECK, UH, AS A, AS A NEW HOMEOWNER, UM, THAT, YEAH, THAT WOULD GO TO HOMESTEAD, UH, PROPERTIES. 
          UH, THE CONCERN OBVIOUSLY IS IF YOU JUST SAY DON'T SEND BACK A REBATE CHECK, BUT USE THAT ONE TIME MONEY TO REDUCE LOWER, REDUCE, REDUCE A RECURRING REVENUE OF SUCH SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS IN THE MILLAGE WOULD PROBABLY WILL 100% SERIOUSLY EXASPERATE A DEFICIT ISSUE WILL HAVE IN THE FUTURE GOING ON. 
          SO IT WOULD MAKE THE 27 BUDGET, UM, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. 
          IT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SOME RADICAL ROLLBACKS OF, BUT WE CAN GET SURPLUSES AGAIN, IF WE HAVE SURPLUS. 
          IF WE COLLECT SURPLUS, WE CAN SEND IT BACK TO THE RESIDENTS. 
          AND IF I CAN, COMMISSIONER, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT THE COMMISSIONS DID 20 YEARS AGO, IS THEY USED, I THINK IS THE, THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY SAID IT'S THE ONE TIME MONEY. 
          BECAUSE IF THE MONEY'S NOT THERE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT. 
          OR YOU DISCERN THERE'S OTHER PURPOSES. 
          'CAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, COMMISSION POLICY, THE SURPLUS IS USED FOR CAPITAL DOLLARS. 
          BUT IF THE COMMISSION DETERMINES THAT A BETTER HIGHEST USE THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, IT'S BETTER TO NOT ALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS TO CAPITAL PROGRAMS. THEY COULD OVERRIDE THEIR POLICY AND DISTRIBUTE AS A ONE-TIME REBATE. 
          BUT CUTTING IT AS A RECURRING IS EXTREMELY, AND I'M, AND I'M ALL FOR SETTING, PUTTING A SET ASIDE BECAUSE TENANTS, YOU ALL KNOW HOW MUCH I HAVE ADVOCATED FOR TENANTS SINCE MY FIRST DAY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL ADVOCATING FOR TENANTS HAS BEEN CORE TO THE WORK THAT, THAT I HAVE DONE AS, AS A COMMISSIONER. 
          AND PERHAPS WE CAN PUT A SET ASIDE, WE CAN GET A SET ASIDE OF THE $11 MILLION, UM, TO, UH, TO, TO WORK ON AN ASSISTANCE FOR, FOR TENANTS. 
          WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEAK WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY IF WE CAN DO THAT OR NOT. 
          A WHAT I THINK BETWEEN NOW AND THE OCTOBER 29TH MEETING, WE COULD LOOK AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS ALONG THOSE LINES. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT, MAYOR, SO I, I WOULD LIKE US TO, TO, TO MAKE A MOTION ON THIS BECAUSE I THINK, WELL, WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND SO WE CAN CALL. 
          CAN I JUST GET MORE CLARITY FIRST? MR. CFO? UH, SO ESSENTIALLY TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE, WE NEED ABOUT 17 MILLION. 
          IT WOULD BE 21, 20 1 MILLION. 
          I THINK THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE, THE TABLE IS, IS NOT LOOKING AT THE CURRENT MILLAGE, WHICH AGAIN, I THINK, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE, WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET, A BUDGET THAT WAS, UH, ACTUALLY IN SURPLUS IN JULY. 
          AND WE ACTUALLY CUT AN ADDITIONAL TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. 
          I THINK A LOT OF IT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON DISCUSSIONS WITH YOURSELF. 
          SO, UH, WE ACTUALLY DID DO CUTS, UH, IN THE GENERAL FUND RESORT TAX OF TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. 
          AND, UH, SO I THINK THAT THAT HAS THAT BUDGET SET. 
          BUT THE, UM, THE IDEA WOULD BE USING THE ONE-TIME DOLLARS FROM THE 25 SURPLUS PROJECTED THAT WE HAVE, SO THAT IN NOVEMBER WHEN IT IS MATERIALIZED, UM, THAT THAT 11, LET'S SAY THE NUMBER IS EXACTLY 11 MILLION, THAT 11 MILLION COULD BE DETERMINED TO BE USED, I GUESS EITHER AS A RESIDENT, UH, UH, HOMESTEAD RESIDENT REBATE, OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
          SO WHAT WE COULD ALSO DO RIGHT NOW, AND YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, YOU MADE A POINT THAT WE'VE ALREADY CUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN THIS BUDGET PROCESS. 
          RIGHT? 
          [01:15:01]
AND WE HAVE AN $11 MILLION SURPLUS. 
          SO IF WE WOULD PASS THIS MOTION TO SEND BACK A REBATE CHECK FOR OUR SURPLUS, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR THAT WE GO THROUGH TONIGHT, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR THAT WE GO, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T WANT THE GUY IN THE GARAGE TEACHING KARATE CLASS FOR $330. 
          THAT GOES BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS, RIGHT? SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE STARTING WITH $11 MILLION AND EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE UP HERE TONIGHT TO REDUCE FURTHER THAT REBATE CHECK TO OUR RESIDENTS GETS EVEN LARGER. 
          BUT THAT WOULD BE NEXT YEAR'S REBATE CHECK. 
          'CAUSE THIS IS NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          YOU ARE RIGHT. 
          YEP. 
          BUT, BUT, BUT I TAKE THE POINT. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER, IF I CAN, I KNOW WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS THAT IF THERE WAS GONNA BE ANY ADJUSTMENTS FROM THE ADDITIONAL, UH, REDUCTION EFFICIENCY LINEUPS, THAT THERE WAS, THERE, YOU HAD INTEREST IN HAVING THAT SET ASIDE AS AN ADDITIONAL BUDGET STABILIZATION TO ENSURE THAT THE 27 BUDGET, WHICH WE MAY THINK HAVE MORE DIFFICULTIES, BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN BEING BALANCED AND NOT HAVE TO ROLL BACK, UH, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES, SO THAT THAT COULD BE A WAY THAT A COMMISSION COULD GO IF THEY DECIDE TO GO DOWN, UH, SOME OF THESE LINE AND CUTS. 
          YEAH. 
          AND COMMISSIONER ROSE IS A, I I WILL JUST CAVEAT THAT THE COUNTY FOUND FOUND THEMSELVES IN THIS POSITION WHERE IT WAS EITHER LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO, THEY WROTE BACK THEIR MILLAGE RATE MM-HMM . 
          AND THEN THEY HAD A $400 MILLION HOLE THAT WAS DISASTROUS. 
          IT'S A VERY POLITICALLY POPULAR THING TO DO. 
          AND IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS THING. 
          'CAUSE IN ESSENCE, WE'RE PUTTING FUTURE, FUTURE BODIES. 
          WE ARE EVENTUALLY, WE'RE ALL FACING A TERM LIMIT, BUT THEN PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY NEED TO DELIVER SERVICES. 
          AND THEN RAISING THE MILITARY RATE IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT. 
          I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK, I THINK WHEN WE HAVE THIS EXTRA MONEY, WE NEED TO DELIVER TO THE PUBLIC, WE NEED TO BUILD THE PUBLIC'S TRUST. 
          AND WE NEED TO SHOW THEM, OKAY, WE COLLECTED THIS MONEY, WE HAD EXTRA MONEY. 
          IT DOESN'T BELONG TO US, RATHER THAN SPENDING IT ON SOMETHING SHINY AND NEW, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND WE'RE GONNA SEND IT BACK TO YOU BECAUSE WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WE RESPECT YOU. 
          WE UNDERSTAND WE HAVE, WE HAVE CONDOMINIUM OWNERS, HOMESTEADED OWNERS OF CONDOMINIUMS IN OUR CITY WHO ARE FACING INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES, INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES WITH ASSESSMENTS. 
          IF WE CAN SEND THEM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND WE PROTECT THIS $11 MILLION, IT'S ABOUT SE $700 THAT WE WILL BE SENDING TO THESE PROPERTY OWNERS. 
          THAT'S GONNA HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR CITY. 
          THAT IS, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK AND IN, AND FACING IMMENSE AND MOUNTING COSTS BECAUSE OF ALL THESE NEW REGULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPOSED ON CONDOMINIUMS. LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE RAVEN. 
          I MEAN, THE RAVEN, LITERALLY, HE'S, HE'S, HE'S FACING, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY FORECLOSURE, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH A GOFUNDME, YOU KNOW, $776 WOULD MAKE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE TO SOMEONE LIKE THE RAVEN. 
          YEAH. 
          MR. CHAIR. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER, I THANK COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ. 
          UM, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE THINKS OF CONDO OWNERS AS BEING WEALTHY PEOPLE, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT CONDOS HERE 20, 30 YEARS AGO, OR INHERITED FROM THEIR PARENTS AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HAVE A, A LOVELY PLACE TO CALL HOME IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          BUT THEY ARE NOT SUPER WEALTHY PEOPLE. 
          AND THEY ARE FACING THE CHALLENGES THAT EVERYBODY WHO LIVES IN MIAMI BEACH FACES WHERE SURE, THEY HAVE A PLACE THAT'S THEIR OWN, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO DO WITH THE ASSESSMENTS AND THE CONDO FEES AND THE INSURANCE RATES. 
          THAT THE STATE IS NOT REALLY TAKING A GREAT, DOING A GREAT JOB OF MANAGING HOW TO DO THAT IN A MORE EQUITABLE AND STEPPED MANNER. 
          RIGHT? SO ALL OF A SUDDEN, PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THEY HAD THEIR FINANCES MORE OR LESS UNDER CONTROL, THEY HAD A STEADY JOB OR RETIREMENT, AND, BUT NOW THEY'RE BEING BLINDSIDED. 
          SO LET'S, LET'S REMEMBER WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CONDO OWNERS, THAT IT'S NOT JUST WEALTHY CONDO OWNERS. 
          SURE. 
          THERE ARE PLENTY OF THOSE. 
          AND I'M NOT OVERLY WORRIED ABOUT THOSE FOLKS. 
          I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR 30 YEARS, UM, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE TO FIND, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES TO, ON FIXED INCOMES IN SOME CASES, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ON JOBS WHERE THEY DON'T GET 30% RAISES EVERY YEAR, UM, TO, TO TRY TO, TO FILL THE HOLE. 
          AND TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, UM, IT'S NOT JUST THAT, THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS FACE TERM LIMITS AND IT'S THE NEXT ELECTED OFFICIALS TO BE WORRIED ABOUT MORE. 
          AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT. 
          THE BIGGER ISSUE, I THINK IS THAT, UM, IT PUTS FUTURE RESIDENTS AT RISK BECAUSE YEAH, ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL HAVE TO MAKE THE HARD CHOICES AND WILL HAVE TO PAY THE TAXES. 
          BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE, THE RESIDENTS WILL HAVE TO DECIDE, DO THEY WANT THEIR TRASH PICKED UP ONCE A WEEK OR EVERY TWO WEEKS, RIGHT? OR DO THEY, ARE THEY OKAY WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT FOLKS COMING IN 15 TO 20 MINUTES INSTEAD OF THREE TO SEVEN MINUTES? OR, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO HAVE AN INCREDIBLE FLOURISHING ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE HERE IN MIAMI BEACH, WHICH GENERATES A HUGE AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          I MEAN, YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. 
          I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO THINK IT'S NOT USEFUL, BUT, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERATED INCOME AND REVENUE 
          [01:20:01]
TO THE CITY FROM ARTS AND CULTURE, UM, UH, INSTITUTIONS, IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE. 
          SO I DON'T WANNA PUT FUTURE RESIDENTS, WHETHER IT'S IN TWO YEARS, FOUR YEARS, OR 15 YEARS IN THE SITUATION OF HAVING TO GIVE UP THINGS THAT THEY CHOSE TO MOVE TO MIAMI BEACH FOR, OR ARE VERY HAPPY TO BE PAYING THEIR TAXES FOR, LIKE A PARK OR, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THEIR KID CAN GO TO A REALLY PRETTY GOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL. 
          YEAH. 
          WE, WE DO HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND, BUT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND I, AND I JUST WANT TO ADD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TIE THE HANDS OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE, THE FUTURE THAT WAY, I'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, ACTUALLY RIGHT HERE IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, WHERE THEY WENT IN AND A BODY YEARS AGO, LOWERED THE MILLAGE RATE QUITE TREMENDOUSLY. 
          THEN THE FUTURE BODIES THAT CAME IN HAD TO PROVIDE SERVICES. 
          AND THEY DIDN'T, THEY WERE FACED, OKAY, WELL WE DON'T WANNA INCRE INCREASE MILLAGE. 
          WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO END UP DOING? THEY HAD TO GO TO THE PERIMETERS. 
          THEY HAD TO INCREASE THE FOLIOS, INCREASE THE TAX BASE IN ORDER TO MEET THE ENDS MEET. 
          THEY HAD TO GO IN AND OVERDEVELOP, IN ESSENCE, THEIR COMMUNITY, IN ORDER TO THEN GENERATE THE TAXES THAT THEY NEEDED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES. 
          AND THAT'S HOW COMMUNITIES HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS AROUND SOUTH FLORIDA, WHEN THEY'VE GONE, GONE IN AND LOWERED THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, THEY LOWERED THEIR PROPERTY TAXES. 
          BUT THEN YEARS LATER, THE NEW GOVERNMENT, WHEN THEY, WHERE THEY NEED TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WELL HOW DO WE MAKE ENDS MEET? WELL, THE WAY THAT THEY MAKE ENDS MEET IS BY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF FOLIOS AND UPON WHICH THEY LEVERAGE TAXES. 
          THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IN MIAMI BEACH, WE BELIEVE IN DOING, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN MAINTAINING A LOW SCALE COMMUNITY. 
          WE MAKE, WE BELIEVE IN MAINTAINING THE CHARACTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND WE NEVER WANNA PUT THE COMMUNITY IN THAT SITUATION. 
          WE WANNA LEAVE A LEGACY, A LEGACY THAT WE ARE A LOW SCALE, A BEAUTIFUL ART DECO COMMUNITY THAT IS NOT OVERDEVELOPED. 
          AND THOSE ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT SOUTH FLORIDA HAVE, HAVE FACED IN THE DIFFICULT DECISIONS THEY'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH. 
          UM, SO ANYWAYS, I I, I MADE A MOTION. 
          I THINK, I THINK WE SHOULD DIRECT OUR, OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO WORK ON POLICY TO BRING FORWARD SO THAT THIS SURPLUS MONEY THAT WE HAVE IS NOT OUR MONIES, IT'S THE RESIDENTS MONEY, AND WE SHOULD BE SENDING IT BACK TO, TO THEM. 
          AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO PUT A SET ASIDE FORWARD TO ASSIST TENANTS, I WOULD LIKE US TO EXPLORE THAT AND TO BRING THAT BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING. 
          COMM, I THINK THE MOST, WAIT, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ AND COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I, I, I THINK THE MOST FAIR WAY TO DO THAT IS TO ROLL BACK THE MILITARY. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO HAVE A SET ASIDE FOR A PROCESS OF GIVING IT TO TENANTS. 
          SOME TENANTS, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE CHERRY PICKING. 
          I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA HELP HOMESTEAD, WE SHOULD ALSO HELP NON-HOMESTEAD PEOPLE. 
          LIKE I SAID, TWO THIRDS OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE RENTERS HERE. 
          AND SOME OF THESE RENTERS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 20, 30 YEARS. 
          THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE A A, YOU KNOW, TO, TO SAY THAT. 
          WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE GONNA GET IT WITH SOME SET ASIDE. 
          I THINK THE MOST FAIR THING TO DO, AND THE, THE MOST, UH, CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT THING TO DO IS TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          AND SO, LOOK, NOT ONLY THAT, NOT ONLY THE $11 MILLION, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD FIND NINE EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS TO CUT AND, AND, AND MAKE SO THAT IT'S 20 TOTAL. 
          AND, AND, AND THEN USE THAT TO LOWER BACK THE MIL AND USE THAT NUMBER TO USE BACK THE, UM, EXCUSE ME, TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE TO, TO $20 MILLION. 
          SO IF WE HAVE 11 THAT WE HAVE A SURPLUS, LET'S FIND NINE. 
          I'M SURE WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT TODAY. 
          AND, AND THEN LET'S ROLL BACK THE  SO EVERYONE GETS A, UH, A, A BENEFIT TO THIS, TO, TO WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. 
          BUT, BUT THIS, BUT THIS MOTION RELATES TO FISCAL YEAR 25. 
          AND OF THESE $11 MILLION THAT WE HAVE IN FISCAL YEAR 25, IT'S NOT ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          IT'S ABOUT SENDING THIS EXTRA DOLLARS THAT WE'VE COLLECTED AND THAT WE PROJECT TO HAVE BY THE END OF THE QUARTER, SENDING THAT BACK TO THE RESIDENTS. 
          'CAUSE I THINK, I THINK BEFORE WE TELL PEOPLE, HEY, LISTEN, YOU MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERING AN AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF 149 UH, DOLLARS. 
          WE NEED TO TELL 'EM, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THE EXTRA MONEY THAT WE ALREADY COLLECTED FROM YOU? AND THAT'S MONEY THAT WE'VE ALREADY COLLECTED THAT WE ANTICIPATE HAVING EXTRA OF. 
          AND I THINK THE ONLY RIGHT THING TO, TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO TAKE CARE OF OUR TAXPAYERS IS WE'RE GONNA SEND YOU THE MONEY BACK. 
          IT'S NOT OURS. 
          IT SHOULD BE YOURS TO KEEP, ESPECIALLY WHEN UTILITIES, UH, PEOPLE HAVE CALLED ABOUT UTILITIES. 
          WELL, BY THE WAY, THAT UTILITY INCREASE, IT'S NOT OUR UTILITY INCREASE. 
          THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH DID WE PUT A FREEZE ON THE UTILITY RATE INCREASE THAT IS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. 
          THAT IS A PASS, PASS THROUGH RATE, NOT FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          YOUR, IF YOUR UTILITY RATE IS GOING UP, IT'S BECAUSE THAT'S BEING PASSED 
          [01:25:01]
THROUGH TO YOU BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. 
          AND BY THE WAY, WE, SOMEONE CALLED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT HER, HER BUILDING TAXES GOING UP. 
          SHE LIVES IN THAT BUILDING. 
          SHE COULD BE GETTING A HOME SET EXCEPTION FOR THE PART OF THE BUILDING THAT SHE'S LIVING IN. 
          SHE HAS NOT SOUGHT THAT HOME SET EXCEPTION. 
          AND I'VE MADE MY OFFICE AVAILABLE TO HER TO HELP HER GET THAT HOME SET EXCEPTION FOR THE PORTION OF THE BUILDING THAT SHE'S LIVING IN. 
          AND SHE, SHE'S DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT. 
          AND THAT'S WHY HER PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING UP SO MUCH BECAUSE SHE'S NOT BENEFITING FROM SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO HER. 
          AND IF HER RENT ROLL IS GOING DOWN, THERE'S ALSO A PROCESS TO APPEAL HER PROPERTY VALUE TO DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT, THAT SHE SHOULD BE PAYING. 
          AND THAT'S VALERIE. 
          AND I SPOKEN TO VALERIE ABOUT THIS, AND I TOLD VALERIE TO CONTACT OUR OFFICE BECAUSE WE WOULD HELP HER WITH THAT. 
          I DID THAT FOR MY OWN PROPERTY TAXES AND GOT A DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. 
          COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, AND LET'S CALL THE VOTE. 
          IS THERE A WAY TO ISSUE A CHECK TO RENTERS TOO? IS THERE A WAY TO FIND OUT WHO OUR RESIDENT RENTERS ARE AND WHO OUR HOMESTEADED RENTERS ARE? AND THEN ISSUE A CHECK TO EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT TOO. 
          I COULD SAY THAT THE, FROM THE HOMESTEADED PROPERTIES, WE WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION THROUGH THE PROPERTY TAX ROLLS. 
          BUT AS FOR WHO'S A TENANT, THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT TRACK, UH, WHO TENANTS ARE, UH, IN THIS CITY. 
          SO WE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE LIST, UH, ABOUT THAT. 
          DON'T WE, COULD A TENANT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BE CREATED IN SOMEWHERE WHERE PEOPLE WOULD REGISTER AND SUCH? I GUESS THAT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY, BUT THAT WOULD TAKE SOME WORK, I THINK, TO FIGURE OUT THE PARAMETERS OF SAID PROGRAM. 
          AND I WILL SAY, MR. CFO, IT IS ACTUALLY MUCH MORE EQUITABLE DOING A REBATE BECAUSE IF WE ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE, IF WE'RE TRULY CONCERNED ABOUT RENTERS, RIGHT, THAT JUST GOES TO THE LANDLORDS. 
          WE HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY GO AND PASS THAT THROUGH. 
          WHEN I HAD A LANDLORD, THAT GUY WASN'T GONNA PASS IT THROUGH TO ME IF HE GOT A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS OF COST SAVINGS. 
          BUT IF WE ARE SENDING DIVIDEND CHECKS, REBATE CHECKS, BECAUSE WE DID TIGHTEN OUR BELTS IN 25, WE MADE TOUGH DECISIONS ENOUGH, PERHAPS NOT. 
          BUT WE'RE DOWN THAT TRACK AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE EVEN MORE. 
          BUT WE DID TIGHTEN OUR BELTS AND WE HAVE $11 MILLION THAT WE CAN SEND BACK. 
          WE CAN SEND IT DIRECTLY TO THE RESIDENTS BECAUSE IF WE ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE, THAT JUST GOES TO THE LANDLORDS. 
          AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE IF THAT GETS PASSED THROUGH TO THE ACTUAL PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING THOSE RENTAL CHECKS. 
          AND BY THE WAY, WHEN WE DO HAVE ROLL A ROLLBACK RATE, YOU END UP CUTTING SERVICES SERVICES ULTIMATELY, THAT ARE FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE WHO THE REALITY OF IS THAT THOSE ARE TENANTS. 
          A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAMS THAT A ROLLBACK RATE WOULD CUT, WOULD IN FACT BE SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          AND THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND. 
          IF WE REALLY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT TENANTS, TENANTS LIVE, FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE LIVING WITH FIXED INCOMES AND THEY DEPEND ON THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE. 
          THEY DEPEND ON THE MEAL SERVICES THAT OUR CITY PROVIDES. 
          THEY DON'T GET TO EXPERIENCE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING IF IT'S NOT FOR SOME OF THE CULTURAL PUBLIC BENEFITS THAT OUR CITY OFFERS. 
          SO WHEN WE ROLL BACK THE RATE, YES, BY ONE PART, WE MIGHT SAY WE ARE HELPING TENANTS. 
          MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, WHEN YOU ROLL BACK THE RATE, YOU'RE ALSO TAKING AWAY A LOT OF SERVICES CALLED VOTE FROM THE TENANTS AS WELL. 
          I'D LIKE TO CHIME IN. 
          I MEAN, AND THEN LET'S CALL THE VOTE. 
          YEAH. 
          LOOK, IT'S WHEN YOU LOWER TAXES, EVERYONE BENEFITS. 
          I, I, I JUST, IT'S, IT'S CRAZY TO ME TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO RAISE TAXES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE MORE BENEFITS. 
          I MEAN, SURE, IT'S GREAT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, E EVERYONE WANTS TO JUST SAVE MORE MONEY. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S EVERYONE. 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT A PROGRAM THAT THEY CAN BENEFIT FROM. 
          THESE ARE, THESE ARE DOLLARS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO EAT AND, AND SURVIVE. 
          OKAY? LIKE, I WANNA DO SOMETHING THAT'S MORE BENEFICIAL. 
          AND, AND LOOK, COMMISSIONER, I, I'M, I'M STILL A LITTLE LOST HERE. 
          THIS $11 MILLION IS FOR 25. 
          WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO FOR NEXT YEAR? SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO CUT BACK THE TAXES FOR NEXT YEAR? AND THAT'S WHAT COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE MENTIONED. 
          AND I, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT JASON HERE JUST SAID THERE'S NO WAY TO FIND OUT WHO'S A TENANT AND HOW DO WE REBATE THAT. 
          BUT I KNOW THAT IF YOU ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, YES, SOME LANDLORDS MAY SAY, I, I'M NOT GONNA CARRY THAT ON, BUT I JUST READ ON THE RECORD, GERSHON, HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, HE LOVES HIS TENANTS, HE WANTS TO KEEP THEM THERE. 
          AND IT CERTAINLY SOUNDS LIKE HE'S GONNA BE THE ONE TO NOT PASS ON THOSE COSTS 
          [01:30:01]
THAT BY ROLLING BACK THE MILLAGE. 
          SO I MEAN, TO, TO BLANKETLY SAY THAT, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, ALL LANDLORDS ARE NOT GOING TO PASS ON THESE COST SAVINGS IS, I DON'T, IT'S IT'S JUST IMMATURE. 
          I I THINK WHEN YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, YOU WANT TO DO IT IN A FAIR WAY, LET'S DO IT. 
          DO IT IN A FAIR WAY BY ROLLING BACK THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          I MEAN, LOOK, JUST WHAT KIND OF WIN DO YOU THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN OUT OF THIS MEETING IF WE COME OUT SAYING, YES, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA RAISE TAXES FOR 26, BUT WE'RE GIVING BACK A, A ONE TIME TRICK PONY FOR, FOR 25. 
          PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THAT WE'RE LOWERING TAXES AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT. 
          LET'S DO THAT. 
          SO FOR EVERYONE BENEFITS, AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A SET UP A PROGRAM WHERE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO TWO THIRDS OF THE, OF THE, OF THE RENTERS ARE THAT GET THIS, THAT THAT'S REBATE CHECK. 
          WE HAVE TO DO IT THE MOST FAIR WAY, COMMISSIONER. 
          THAT'S WHY ROLLING BACK THE MILITARY COMMISSIONER SUAREZ SURE. 
          DO YOU SUPPORT DOING THE REFUND BACK AS IT RELATES TO FISCAL YEAR 25? 'CAUSE MY POINT IS, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT 26, WE NEED TO DISPENSE WITH 25 AND WE ARE PROJECTED TO, TO HAVE AN AN $11 MILLION SURPLUS. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT NEXT YEAR. 
          WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE LEFT OVER FROM THIS YEAR? AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT MONEY DOESN'T BELONG TO US, BELONGS TO OUR RESIDENTS. 
          LET'S SEND IT BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS WHO GAVE US THIS MONEY AT THE END OF THE DAY. 
          AND I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE TO ALL, BOTH HOMESTEAD AND NON-HOMESTEAD. 
          AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS FOR THE MILLAGE RATE TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE 4 25. 
          WELL, AND I CAN, CAN I ASK A CLARIFICATION IF THESE TWO THINGS ARE SEEMINGLY MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE? RIGHT? WE CAN'T DO THEM BOTH. 
          SO IF WE DID IT THROUGH A ROLLBACK OVER THE MILLAGE RATE, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY JUST BE FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          SO OUR, WOULD OUR TAXPAYERS GET ANY IMMEDIATE RELIEF? IF YOU CHANGE THE MILLAGE RATE, IT WOULD BE REFLECTIVE FOR THEIR BILL THAT THEY PAY AT THE END OF NOVEMBER THROUGH MARCH, DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU PAY PROPERTY TAXES. 
          BUT AGAIN, IF YOU LOWER THE, IF YOU LOWER THE, THE MILLAGE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE CUTTING RECURRING EXPENDITURES RIGHT NOW FROM THE BUDGET. 
          BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS NOVEMBER OR NOVEMBER 26TH. 
          THIS NOVEMBER, YEAH, THIS NOVEMBER. 
          UH, BUT I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THE COMMISSIONER'S IDEA ABOUT USING THE ONE TIME SURPLUS THAT WILL BE APPROPRIATED IN NOVEMBER, UH, IF THAT GOES FORWARD, THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO ALSO, SAME THING, BE ABLE TO CUT CHECKS BACK TO, UM, THE HOMESTEADED RESIDENTS. 
          SOMETIME DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. 
          WE HAVE TO CUT 14,000 CHECKS HOMESTEADED RESIDENTS. 
          SO, OKAY, SO LET'S PUT THIS INTO, IN INTO PERSPECTIVE. 
          IN MIAMI BEACH, WE HAVE 55,289 FOLIOS, OKAY? OF WHAT, WHAT WAS IT? 55,289. 
          WE COLLECT PROPERTY TAXES FROM 55,289 FOLIOS. 
          WE HAVE 14,173 OF THOSE THAT ARE HOMESTEADED. 
          SO WE CAN DO TWO THINGS. 
          WE CAN EITHER CHOOSE TO GET THIS SURPLUS THAT WE HAVE, THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE PAID TO THE CITY AND DIVIDED WITH OUR 14,173 HOMESTEADED, PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE OUR RESIDENTS THAT LIVE HERE FULL TIME, THAT DEAL WITH THE IMPACTS OF TOURISM AND ALL THE SPECIAL EVENTS. 
          OR WE CAN GIVE IT TO THE 55,289 FOLIOS IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          THAT MIGHT INCLUDE THE MULTIMILLIONAIRE DEVELOPER. 
          THAT MIGHT INCLUDE THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT IS KEEPING THEIR PROPERTY ABANDONED. 
          YOU MIGHT BE SENDING IT BACK TO A LANDLORD WHO I GUARANTEE YOU THE LANDLORD IS NOT GONNA PASS IT BACK DOWN TO THE TENANT. 
          THERE'S NO LANDLORD THAT I KNOW THAT THE MOMENT THEY'VE, THEY, THEY HAVE THEIR RENT AT A CERTAIN HEIGHT, UNLESS THE MARKET FORCES 'EM TO BRING IT DOWN, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SAY, OH, THANK YOU. 
          CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, YOU SENT ME A CHECK FOR $198. 
          I'M GONNA DIVIDE THAT CHECK BETWEEN MY 12 TENANTS AND I'M GONNA SEND EACH ONE OF MY 12 TENANTS $16 BECAUSE YOU YOU SENT US THIS MONEY BACK. 
          THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT. 
          THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT. 
          BUT WE KNOW THAT TODAY WE CAN SAY THAT THIS MONEY THAT DOESN'T BELONG TO US, WE CAN GIVE IT BACK TO THE FULL-TIME RESIDENTS. 
          MANY OF THEM ARE, THEY'RE DEALING WITH SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS. 
          THEY'RE DEALING WITH INCREASE INSURANCE COSTS. 
          THEY DEAL WITH THE IMPACTS OF SPECIAL EVENTS. 
          THEY DEAL WITH THE IMPACTS OF, OF TOURISM. 
          THIS MONEY BELONGS TO THEM. 
          YOU JUST SAID IT, 14,500. 
          THERE'S 80,000 RESIDENTS IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          THAT'S AN EIGHTH. 
          I I MEAN, YOU ONLY WANT, THOSE ARE THE, YOU ONLY SET PROPERTIES. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU ONLY WANT TO GIVE THE BENEFIT TO AN EIGHTH OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE. 
          I I, I DON'T, I THINK IT SHOULD BE MORE FAIR. 
          I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, DO, DO WE NEED TO DO THIS AT THIS MEETING? CAN WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS PARTICULAR, UH, REBATE BACK? I THINK TODAY WE JUST 
          [01:35:01]
HAVE TO DISCUSS 2026, IF I CAN COMMISSIONER THE, UH, 25 SURPLUS GETS DEALT WITH AT A SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING AT THE END OF NOVEMBER WHEN WE DEAL WITH THE ROLLOVER, UH, FUNDS, THAT'S WHEN THEY WOULD BE APPROPRIATED. 
          THEN LET'S DO THAT. 
          COMMISSIONER FERNET IS IF YOU WANT TO, WE CAN HAVE MORE TIME TO BAKE THIS OUT, PERHAPS IN A SPECIAL FINANCE MEETING AND, AND, AND DISCUSS THAT. 
          BUT WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE VOTE. 
          WELL, YOU WANNA, DO YOU WANNA WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION AND, AND HA AND MAYBE REFER TO FINANCE MEETING? I THINK I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THESE $11 MILLION FROM THIS YEAR WITH THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT BELONGS TO THE RESIDENT BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT MONEY THAT WE STILL DON'T EVEN HAVE. 
          WE, WE HAVE UNTIL WHAT, NOVEMBER? WHAT JASON, THERE, THERE THE NOVEMBER, THERE'S A NOVEMBER SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING WHERE THE, UH, SURPLUS GETS APPROPRIATE. 
          WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE A RE COMMISSIONER YOU, WE CAN MAKE A RESOLUTION TODAY TO, UH, HAVE THIS ITEM COME UP AT THE NOVEMBER SPECIAL MEETING FOR A REBATE TO, FOR THE 2025, UH, YEAR. 
          AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE RIGHT NOW WHO AND WHO CHERRY PICK WHO GETS IT. 
          BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY SAY, I THINK WE NEED TO AGREE THAT THIS MONEY DOES NOT BELONG TO US. 
          THIS MONEY SHOULD GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR, THIS MONEY THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW SHOULD BE GOING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY COMMISSIONER BOT. 
          SO, UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE FOR AN ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED, RIGHT? UM, AT THE OCTOBER MEETING TO HASH THAT, TO RECOMMEND THAT THE ADMINISTRATION COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO DO THIS. 
          AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME IN ADVANCE OF THE NOVEMBER DEADLINE TO HASH THIS OUT. 
          I MEAN, WE HAVE A FULL YEAR'S BUDGET TO TALK ABOUT. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED ALL THE TIME. 
          WE, WE CAN HAVE, I THINK THERE IS, UH, ENOUGH SUPPORT TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A SPONSOR IF, IF THAT'S OKAY. 
          SURE. 
          AND, UM, AND SO I THINK THERE'S A, A, A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          SO LET'S, LET'S, THE MOTION IS SECOND TO PASS IT TODAY. 
          I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S A REFERRAL. 
          NO, IT'S, WE CAN'T PASS IT TODAY. 
          IT'S NOT TO PASS TODAY. 
          WE HAVE TO DO IT TODAY TO BRING THE CLOSE OF THE BUDGET. 
          BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE DIRECTION BECAUSE THIS REQUIRES LOGISTICS AND THEY NEED DIRECTION SO THAT THEY CAN FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT. 
          SO I THINK WE NEED TO DECIDE TODAY, DO WE WANT TO DO THIS SO THAT THEY CAN COME BACK TO US AT THE NEXT MEETING WITH THE PLAN ON HOW TO GET IT DONE. 
          BUT THIS IS NOT OUR MONEY. 
          AND IF WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT FINDING EFFICIENCIES, IT STARTS BY TELLING THE PEOPLE THAT WE WANNA, THAT WE NEED TO TAX 'EM AN EXTRA $149 THAT WE CAN SEND THEM BACK $776. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A POSITION WE'RE IN TODAY. 
          TODAY. 
          WE CAN ACTUALLY BE SENDING THEM BACK THIS MONEY THAT BELONGS TO COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE. 
          THEN RALPH CALL THE VOTE. 
          MR. CFOI JUST NEED A QUICK PRIMER ON, ON HOW TAXES WORK, RIGHT? YOU PAY THEM. 
          WE HAVE, OH, TRUST ME, I KNOW , WE HAVE 55,000 FOLIOS AND WE HAVE $11 MILLION IN SURPLUS. 
          SO IF WE WOULD SEND BACK A DIVIDEND OR REBATE CHECK FOR EVERY FOLIO, IT'S ESSENTIALLY $200 PER HOUSEHOLD. 
          SO THOSE PEOPLE, NOT PER HOUSEHOLD PORTFOLIO. 
          PER PER PORTFOLIO. 
          SO THAT MIGHT INCLUDE SHOPPING CENTERS, HOTEL THAT MIGHT INCLUDE EMPTY HOTELS, THAT MIGHT INCLUDE SHORT TERM RENTALS. 
          SO IF WE LIMITED IT TO RESIDENTIAL, RIGHT, WE'RE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO DO A REBATE TO COMMERCIAL FOLIOS. 
          SO IT'D ACTUALLY BE EVEN MORE WHAT ABOUT STRUGGLING BUSINESSES? WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THE MOM AND POP SHOPS WHO ARE ALSO STRUGGLING LIKE ON LINCOLN ROAD? SO I'M GONNA CONTINUE, UM, THEY DON'T PAY PROPERTY TAXES IF WE ESSENTIALLY DO A REBATE CHECK THERE, RIGHT? HOW TAXES WORK IN THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THEM, THE IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE THAT CRIED ON MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE SHOULDER IN NORTH BEACH, THEY WOULD GET A $200 AT MINIMUM CHECK IF WE ACTUALLY ROLLED BACK MILLAGE, RIGHT? AREN'T THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THESE 40, 50, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS HOMES GOING TO SEE A LION'S SHARE OF THE SAVINGS AND THOSE POOR PEOPLE UP IN NORTH BEACH, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET THAT $200 SAVINGS, RIGHT? THEY'RE GONNA GET $15. 
          OKAY? THAT'S THE WAY TAXES WORK. 
          OKAY? IT'LL BE THE MULTI MULTIMILLIONAIRE DEVELOPER CEOS LIVING IN THE $75 MILLION HOMES THAT ARE SAVING A ROUNDING ERROR FOR THEM. 
          OKAY? BUT IT'S GONNA BE SIGNIFICANT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. 
          BUT THOSE PEOPLE UP IN NORTH BEACH, WHO I KNOCKED ON THEIR DOORS AS WELL, AND I WENT INTO THEIR HOMES AND THEY MADE ME CAFECITO, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE SEEING A $200 DIVIDEND BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE RENTING ONE, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THAT MONEY GETS PASSED THROUGH TO THEM. 
          AND EVEN IF IT DOES 
          [01:40:01]
THE WAY PROGRESSIVE TAXES WORK, THE LION'S SHARE OF SAVINGS IS GONNA BE SEEN BY THE 0.1%. 
          AND A, THE MINIS AMOUNT IS GOING TO FLOW THROUGH TO OUR FRIENDS THAT ARE STRUGGLING THE MOST. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, JUST TO THAT POINT, YES, PROPERTY TAXES ARE PROGRESSIVE TAX. 
          SO YES, THE, IT'S ALL BASED IN THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME. 
          SO IF YOU HAVE A A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS HOME OR $10 MILLION HOME, YOU PAY MORE TAXES VERSUS SOMEONE THAT MAY HAVE A, A HOMESTEAD OR YOU KNOW, A PROPERTY THAT'S TAXED THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR 200,000 OR 300,000 OR 4,000 WILL PAY PROPORTIONATELY LESS. 
          SO THAT IS CORRECT. 
          IF THERE IS A TAX RATE REDUCTION, THE MAJORITY OF THE DOLLARS WOULD GO PROGRESSIVELY DOWN FROM THE TOP. 
          I JUST WANT US TO REMEMBER, WE TODAY HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY. 
          HOMEOWNERS THAT LIVE IN CONDOMINIUMS, WHO THEY WANNA SELL THEIR UNITS. 
          THEY CAN'T EVEN, THEY CAN'T FIND BUYERS TO BUY THEIR UNITS. 
          THEY'RE DEALING WITH TREMENDOUS ASSESSMENTS. 
          AND THIS MONEY CAN HELP THESE PEOPLE MAKE ENDS MEET AT A TIME WHEN THE MARKET IS WORKING AGAINST THEM AND THE MARKET IS WORKING AGAINST THESE INDIVIDUALS. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOMES. 
          AND I THINK THIS, THIS IS GOING TO HELP A LOT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO CALL US, WHO CALL US AND SAY, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP ME WITH MY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT? I CAN'T AFFORD THIS. 
          I'M BEING PRICED OUT. 
          WELL, HERE'S SOMETHING THIS IS, IS IT THE GREATEST THING? IS IT THE BIGGEST ASSISTANCE WE CAN GIVE THEM? NO. 
          BUT IT'S THEIR MONEY. 
          IT'S THEIR MONEY THAT WE CAN PUT BACK IN THEIR POCKET. 
          AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE HOLDING IT FROM THEM. 
          I THINK THEIR, IT BELONGS BEST IN THEIR POCKETS, BUT MR. CHAIR, CALL THE VOTE IT. 
          LOOK, CALL THE VOTE. 
          RALPH. 
          ALL ROLL. 
          GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. 
          COMMISSIONER SUAREZ. 
          OKAY. 
          WE, YOU DO REALIZE, I HOPE I'M, I I I THINK I'M RELAYING WHAT RESIDENTS ARE THINKING WHERE, WHERE WE'VE ALL MADE GOOD POINTS, REALLY GOOD POINTS, BUT IT'S BEING REPETITIVE AT THIS POINT. 
          SO LET'S, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, LET'S CALL THE VOTE. 
          LET'S, LET'S GET A GOOD STANDING. 
          WHAT IS THE MOTION, RAFAEL? LET'S HERE DO WANT ME TO SURE. 
          UM, THE MOTION IS YOUR HONOR, TO DIRECT THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO COME BACK AT THE OCTOBER MEETING WITH A GAME PLAN TO RETURN THE $11 MILLION OR THE ANTICIPATED APPROXIMATELY $11 MILLION SURPLUS TO HOMESTEAD OF PROPERTIES. 
          AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO BUILD IN SOMETHING FOR RENTERS, WE WILL LOOK INTO DOING THAT. 
          I THINK I, I ONLY GET ON BOARD IF WE'RE ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY SPREAD THAT TO RESIDENTIAL FOLIOS. 
          RIGHT. 
          I DON'T WANT IT JUST GOING TO, GIVEN THE POINT I JUST MADE, I DON'T WANT IT JUST GOING INTO HOMESTEADED AND I'LL AMEND MY MOTION TO, TO INCLUDE THAT SO WE CAN WORK ON THAT. 
          LET'S WORK ON THE, ON THE ITEMS SO THAT WE CAN BRING IT AT OUR NEXT MEETING. 
          WHAT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESIDENTIAL FOLIO THAT YOU'RE SAYING IN A HOMESTEADED PROPERTY? HOMESTEAD JUST MEANS THAT SOMEBODY LIVES THERE FULL TIME. 
          THAT IS A RESIDENTIAL OR FULL, YOU MEAN LIKE RENTERS TOO? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH. 
          I WANT TO INCLUDE RENTERS. 
          I DON'T WANT TO INCLUDE THE FOUNTAIN BLUE. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT THEY'RE, THEY CAN'T HOMESTEAD A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. 
          YOU CAN'T. 
          NO, BUT IF WE ONLY INCLUDE HOMESTEADED RESIDENTS, THEN OUR RENTERS ARE GOING TO GET NO DIVIDEND CHECK OR REBATE. 
          BUT HOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA SPEND A CHECK TO RENTERS IF WE DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE? DU WE HAVE RESIDENTIAL FOLIOS. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND WELL, I MEAN, LISTEN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIGURE THIS OUT FROM THE DAYS THAT'S PART OF THE REFERRAL. 
          THIS IS A DIRECTION TO ASK THEM TO PUT TOGETHER THIS PLAN SO THAT THEY CAN BRING IT AT THE NEXT MEETING. 
          BUT WE IN ESSENCE, ARE AGREEING THAT THIS EXTRA MONEY, WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE. 
          WE ARE AGREEING THAT THIS EXTRA MONEY, WE WANT TO DIRECT IT, TO SEND IT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO PAID IT, OUR RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS, AND FOR THEM TO COME BACK WITH THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY FOR US AS THE STEWARD AND THE FIDUCIARIES OF THAT MONEY TO GIVE IT BACK TO THOSE WHO ENTRUSTED THIS MONEY ON US. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING TODAY. 
          THIS MONEY DOESN'T BELONG TO US. 
          WE'RE NOT GONNA KEEP IT. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO OPERATE A MORE EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT THIS YEAR THAN WHAT WE ANTICIPATED, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE AN X-RAY $11 MILLION THAT WE, THAT WE WEREN'T COUNTING ON. 
          AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE GOING TO SEND IT BACK. 
          SO COME BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING WITH THE PLAN, WITH A GAME PLAN ON HOW TO MOST FAIRLY AND EQUITABLY GET THIS BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS. 
          CAN YOU ADD ME AS A SPONSOR? UM, SO WE'RE ALL CO-SPONSORING. 
          I JUST WANNA SAY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, THAT WAS A, THAT WAS BRILLIANT. 
          I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WE HAD THAT 11, NO, 11 MILLION IN RESERVES. 
          I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT RESERVE SURPLUS, IT'S SURPLUS. 
          WE'RE NOT, WE'RE MEETING OUR RESERVES. 
          WE HAVE COMMISSION POLICY THAT 25% HAS TO GO TO OUR RESERVES. 
          WE'RE MEETING OUR RESERVES. 
          THIS IS BEYOND THE RESERVES. 
          THIS IS NOT OURS. 
          THIS IS THE TAXPAYERS 
          [01:45:01]
AND COMMISSIONER. 
          WE'RE ACTUALLY EXCEEDING OUR RESERVE POLICY, CORRECT. 
          ON BOTH THE GENERAL FUND AND THE RESORT TAX WHERE WE HAVE OUT, UH, FOR TWO MONTHS AND WE'RE ACTUALLY EXCEEDING THAT, UH, FOR THREE MONTHS FOR THE RESORT TAXES. 
          CORRECT. 
          THE, THE POLICY IS TO HAVE, UH, THREE MONTHS, TWO MONTHS AS THE EMERGENCY RESERVE IS A REQUIREMENT AND THE ONE MONTH GOAL, 25%. 
          SO IN TOTAL WE DO MEET THE GOAL AND THE REQUIRE, UH, THE REQUIREMENT AND THE GOAL. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT WE HAVE OUR HIGHEST GENERAL FUND RESERVES AND THE LAST TWO YEARS THE HIGHEST RESORT TAX RESERVES, CORRECT? CORRECT. 
          WELL, I THINK YOU'VE SEEN THE RISE OF A LOT OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT ARE ASSESSED AND BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW AT $30 MILLION, $40 MILLION, $50 MILLION. 
          NORTH BAY ROAD ALONE, I THINK HAS SOMETHING LIKE $1.8 BILLION IN VALUE VALUATION. 
          AND WE'RE SEEING THAT RIGHT NOW IN THESE NEW CONSTRUCTIONS. 
          SO I, THE RESIDENTS ARE DEFINITELY GONNA BENEFIT FROM THAT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          HEY, CAN WE CALL THE VOTE? THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. 
          RALPH, TAKE IT AWAY. 
          YES, SIR. 
          SO I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, SECONDED BY MAYOR MINOR. 
          UH, I'VE, I'VE HEARD THAT COM UH, MAYOR MINOR IS LISTED AS A CO PRIME SPONSOR. 
          EVERYONE ELSE IS LISTED AS A CO-SPONSOR. 
          I'M A CO PRIME AS WELL. 
          ME TOO. 
          ME TOO. 
          WE MAKE EVERYONE A CORY. 
          YEAH, CO PRIME EVERYONE. 
          WELL, ACTUALLY YOU SHOULD ANSWER THAT . 
          I'M FINE. 
          WE ARE ONE BODY AND WE WORK IN UNISON. 
          SO HAVING SAID THAT, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANYONE OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS APPROVED. 
          SEVEN ZERO. 
          THE ITEM WILL COME BACK ON OCTOBER 29TH. 
          THANK YOU COLLEAGUES. 
          THANK 
          [R7 A A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING: 1) THE FINAL AD VALOREM MILLAGE OF 5.8702 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 FOR GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES, WHICH IS SIX AND FIVE TENTHS PERCENT (6.5%) MORE THAN THE "ROLLED-BACK" RATE OF 5.5114 MILLS; AND 2) THE DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE RATE OF 0.2779 MILLS.]
YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          GOOD IDEA. 
          R SEVEN A FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA. 
          YES, SIR. 
          R SEVEN A IS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR OF CITY COMMISSIONER OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING ONE TO FINAL AVALOR MILLAGE OF 5.8702 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 FOR GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES, WHICH IS SIX AND FIVE TENTHS, UH, MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 5.5114 MILS. 
          AND TWO, THE DEBT SERVICE MILIT RATE OF 0.2779 MILS. 
          THIS IS A SECOND READING PUBLIC HEARING. 
          IT IS ITEM R SEVEN A COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE. 
          SO IF FOR THOSE FOLLOWING AT HOME, UH, LAST MEETING, UH, AND IN OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS LEADING UP TO THIS, WE DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO IDENTIFY GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCIES AND COST SAVINGS METRICS. 
          AND MR. CFO, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE WENT ESSENTIALLY LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM THROUGH THAT. 
          CORRECT? I WORKED CLOSELY WITH YOUR TEAM, I KNOW YOU WORKED WITH OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND WE IDENTIFIED OVER TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF THIS BUDGET THAT WE CUT. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. 
          OUR GENERAL FUND AT RESORT TAX, TWO AND A HALF MILLION, THERE WAS A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN OTHER FUNDS. 
          I THINK THE TOTAL WILL BE 2.75 ACROSS ALL FUNDS, BUT TWO AND A MILLION. 
          AND THAT IS NOT ONE TIME PAYMENTS EVERY SINGLE YEAR GOING FORWARD BECAUSE OF THOSE ITEMS CORRECT. 
          THAT WE IDENTIFIED. 
          THOSE ARE THE RECURRING COST SAVINGS EACH AND EVERY YEAR WE HAVE ALREADY CUT. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND WHAT I SUGGESTED OR ACTUALLY GAVE DIRECTION TO, UH, LAST MEETING IS LET'S KEEP GOING BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THIS IS THE TAXPAYER MONEY. 
          OKAY? SO WHILE ME AND MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE HAD A PRETTY HEATED DEBATE, IT REALLY CENTERED ON HOW WE WENT ABOUT THIS, NOT ABOUT THE PREMISE OF DOING SO. 
          AND I THINK YOU'VE SEEN A PRETTY ALIGNED COMMISSION IN PUTTING FORWARD SOME OF THESE MEASURES. 
          NOW, I DO BELIEVE HOW THIS PROCESS IS LAID OUT, WE MAY BE LIMITED JUST BECAUSE OF THE GRANULARITY THAT WE HAVE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          BUT GIVEN THE DIRECTIVE THAT I MADE DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE HAVE EXHIBIT E RIGHT HERE OF MORE MONEY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SPEND, UH, SAVE GOING FORWARD FOR 2026. 
          AND I THINK WE COLLECTIVELY AGREED THAT WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY GO ITEM BY ITEM AND TAKE A VOTE ON WHAT STAYS AND WHAT GOES. 
          IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING, YOUR UNDERSTANDING, MR. CITY BADGER? THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AND THAT WORKS WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE. 
          WE'RE SITTING AND SLATE. 
          YEP. 
          CAN I MOST ORGANIZATIONS CREATE THEIR BUDGETS IN THE SUMMER, CORRECT? DEPENDENT ON THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BUDGETED IN OUR BUDGET. 
          SO IF WE BEGIN CUTTING THESE ITEMS RIGHT NOW, ARE ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE SUPPORT GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET WHOLE? AND I THINK IT'S VERY FAIR TO TO POINT OUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS BOOGEYMAN OF THE TAX INCREASE. 
          BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR OVERALL BUDGET THIS YEAR, THE MAIN INCREASES CAME FROM POLICE AND FIRE. 
          UM, POLICE WERE, UH, LET'S SEE, $15 MILLION AND THEN FIRE WAS 10,743,000. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, UH, 25, 20 $6 MILLION IN INCREASE. 
          NEARLY TWICE. 
          UM, NEARLY TWICE. 
          THE MILL IS, IT'S ALL COMING FROM, IT'S ALL GOING TO POLICE AND FIRE. 
          I WOULD 
          [01:50:01]
LIKE TO POINT OUT SOME THINGS BEFORE WE START CUTTING LINE BY LINE, BECAUSE I LOOKED AT THIS BUDGET VERY HOLISTICALLY. 
          YOU KNOW, CODE COMPLIANCE WENT DOWN BY 1% THIS YEAR, OKAY? AND WE ONLY SPEND, WE'RE ONLY GONNA SPEND $7.5 MILLION ON CODE COMPLIANCE WHEN WE HEAP SO MUCH ON THEM. 
          MEANWHILE, YOU HAVE POLICE AT $166 MILLION, 20 TIMES CODE, CODE COMPLIANCE. 
          IT'S KIND OF CRAZY. 
          IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT ALLOCATION. 
          I JUST WANNA PUT EVERYTHING IN PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU. 
          WE HAVE 132 MILLION BUDGETED FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IN COMPARISON. 
          CODE COMPLIANCE IS ONLY 7.5 MILLION. 
          ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IS, ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE I THINK WE NEED MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER BEFORE IS, UH, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS, UH, IN THAT DEPARTMENT FINISHING THESE PROJECTS. 
          I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING SO HARD AND NOT BLAMING THAT DEPARTMENT, BUT WE'RE SEEING A DECREASE. 
          WE'RE SPENDING LESS IN CODE COMPLIANCE. 
          WE'RE ELIMINATING POSITIONS IN CODE COMPLIANCE. 
          ALL OUR ENTIRE PUBLIC WORKS IS $18 MILLION. 
          WHEN WE START TO NICKEL AND DIME THESE BUDGETS, THESE LINE ITEMS, RIGHT NOW, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE DONE THEIR BUDGETS, IT'S DISINGENUOUS BECAUSE WHEN THOSE CONTRACTS WERE SIGNED, THE CITY MANAGER NEEDED TO COME TO US AND SAY, THIS IS GOING TO BLOAT YOUR BUDGET BY 26, YOUR OPERATING BUDGET BY $26 MILLION. 
          AND YOU KNOW, WE SAID, OH, THIS IS GONNA ADD 7 MILLION HERE. 
          BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS OF THE $26 MILLION OPERATING BLOAT THAT WILL GROW YEAR OVER YEAR, THAT REPRESENTS, UM, 9% FOR FIRE AND 10% FOR POLICE. 
          NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE WERE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS OR IF THIS WAS JUST PART OF THE, THE CONTRACT, BUT THOSE ARE HUGE NUMBERS. 
          I'M NOT SAYING THAT I WANNA CUT ANY, UM, POLICE OFFICER'S SALARY, BUT DID WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE SIGNED THESE CONTRACTS AND THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WENT IN AND, YOU KNOW, NEGOTIATED THESE CONTRACTS, THAT THESE WERE GOING TO SWELL THE BUDGET THE WAY THAT THEY WERE TO THE POINT WHERE EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT, UM, IS KIND OF REELING. 
          AND BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT APART FROM LEGAL, BY THE WAY, LEGAL GOT AN ADDITIONAL 5%, BUT YOU WERE PROBABLY THE ONLY BUDGET. 
          THE, UH, CITY CLERK GOT 2.8% INCREASE, BUT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TOOK A HIT OF 9%. 
          SO YOU CUT 9% FROM YOUR BUDGET. 
          FINANCE TOOK 6% DECREASE. 
          UM, MOST OF OUR DEPARTMENTS MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION HAD A BUDGET DECREASE. 
          YOU KNOW, SO ACROSS THE CITY WE'VE SLASHED, UM, A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS. 
          I WANNA SAY THANK GOODNESS FACILITIES MANAGEMENT WAS NOT SLASHED AND YOU ADDED MONEY THERE. 
          BUT I WANTED TO KNOW WHY IS CODE COMPLIANCE SO ANEMIC? AND WHY IS, WHY ARE WE NOT ADDING MORE TO CODE WHEN WE EXPECT SO MUCH OF OUR CODE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT? SO I'M ASSUMING THAT QUESTION IS FOR ME, COMMISSIONER. 
          YES. 
          UM, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS. 
          WE DO ASK A LOT OF ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, AND THEY ARE ALL OUT THERE MANY TIMES, MUCH MORE THAN 40 HOURS A WEEK DELIVERING SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THEM TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RIGHT SIZE TO DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT THE RESIDENTS EXPECT AND THAT YOU ALL HAVE DIRECTED ME TO PROVIDE. 
          AND SO I, THIS IS MY RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BUDGET AS PRESENTED THAT HAS WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF SERVICES BASED ON THE EXPECTATIONS AND MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIRECTION OF THIS COMMISSION, MR. CHAIR, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, UH, ERIC, HOW MUCH NEW REVENUE ARE WE GETTING BACK FROM THE NEW PROPERTIES THAT ARE COMING ONLINE? WHAT'S THE NEW TAX BASE ON THAT? SO I BELIEVE THERE WAS A BILLION DOLLARS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION. 
          UM, JASON OR TAMIKA, CAN YOU ANSWER WHAT IS A BILLION DOLLARS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION GENERATED IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE? IT WAS $4 MILLION, BUT I'M JUST GOING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. 
          I DON'T HAVE TO CALCULATE. 
          JUST GIVE US A SECOND. 
          IT COULD JUST BE THE ONE PROJECT WAS $4 MILLION OR NEW CONSTRUCT, A NEW CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR WAS ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION. 
          I MEAN, SIMPLE MATH, 5.8 MILS TIMES A BILLION DOLLARS, $5.8 MILLION. 
          BUT I JUST WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT MY MATH IS RIGHT. 
          6.1. 
          YEAH, SIX FIVE PARK 6.1 BECAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE OVER A BILLION. 
          IT WAS 1,000,000,048. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE GETTING SIX AND A HALF EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR BECAUSE OF PROPERTIES COMING ONLINE, RIGHT. 
          [01:55:01]
YET WE'RE STILL GONNA INCREASE PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING UP. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT COMES FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OR ANOTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL. 
          WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS LET'S ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE SO THAT WE'RE AT THE BASELINE MILLAGE RATE OF 5.5114. 
          AND WE SAVE THAT. 
          WE, WE SAVE OUR, OUR EVERYONE IN THE CITY, THESE TAXES. 
          UM, I FEEL LIKE THIS WOULD BE AT THE EXPENSE OF EVERY ART, CULTURAL, SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATION. 
          KRISTEN. 
          PEOPLE, PEOPLE NEED TO FEED, PEOPLE NEED TO FEED THEMSELVES. 
          RIGHT NOW. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE RENT. 
          I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND AND I THINK YOU HAVE FLOAT IN SOME AREAS. 
          I UNDERSTAND. 
          LISTEN, I UNDERSTAND. 
          IT'S NICE. 
          IT'S A NICE THING TO HAVE. 
          BUT REMEMBER, WE'RE A BILLION DOLLAR, BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR 80,000 RESIDENTS. 
          THAT'S CRAZY. 
          . 
          OKAY. 
          LIKE, JUST THINK ABOUT THAT. 
          THAT'S, YOU CAN'T SIT HERE AND TRY TO NICKEL AND DIME. 
          I'M NOT NICKEL AND D THOUSAND HERE, 60,000 THERE. 
          WHEN YOU HAVE $26 MILLION IN LABOR UNION CONTRACTS THAT ARE FAIRLY, IT'S, IT'S BLOATED. 
          THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT PRIORITIES. 
          THE PRIORITIES ARE INFRASTRUCTURE, RESILIENCY, HOME AFFORDABILITY. 
          IT'S NOT ARTS AND CULTURE. 
          WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT TIME NOW. 
          THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE CASE 10 YEARS AGO, UNDER LIKE COMMI, UNDER MAYOR GELBER. 
          BUT WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF PRIORITIES. 
          OUR PRIORITIES ARE KEEPING OUR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES, MAKING SURE THEY CAN EAT. 
          IT'S NOT SO THAT THEY CAN GO TO A SHOW. 
          THEY WANT TO HAVE MORE MONEY TO SAVE. 
          IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. 
          LIKE IT'S A PRIORITY. 
          AND, AND, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE HOW MUCH IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS DO WE HAVE, JASON? HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE? 138 MILLION. 
          HOW MUCH? WELL, IN THE BUDGET, IT'S 138 OVER THE COURSE OF ALL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. 
          OH, UNFUNDED IS A 1.3 BILLION. 
          $1.3 BILLION IN UNFUNDED CAPITAL IMPROVE. 
          WELL, MINUS THE 1 38. 
          RIGHT? IT'D BE ONE WATER SEWER. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S A PRIORITY THAT EVERYONE IN MIAMI BEACH IS GOING TO BENEFIT FROM. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          BUT NOT EVERYONE IS GONNA BENEFIT FROM GOING TO A SHOW AT AN ARTS AND CULTURE. 
          A DESTINATION, I'M SORRY, IS A, YOU'RE NICKEL AND DIAMOND AT THE PICTURE OF SALARY. 
          CERTAIN. 
          CAN I FINISH? PLEASE? CAN I FINISH PLEASE? I'M, I'M SPEAKING. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          I'M ESPECIALLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          HOLD. 
          I DIDN'T INTERRUPT YOU. 
          72, 70 3% OF THE BUDGET I DID NOT INTERRUPT YOU OUT OF CONTROL ON I DID NOT INTERRUPT YOU. 
          I'M SIMPLY SAYING WE HAVE, I KNOW, BUT IT'S DISINGENUOUS TO SAY THAT WHEN YOU HAVE THESE, IT'S NOT DISINGENUOUS. 
          I SIMPLY SAYING, WE HAVE A PRIORITY, PLEASE. 
          OKAY. 
          COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, COMMISSIONER BOT AND COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, PLEASE. 
          IN THAT ORDER, THANK YOU. 
          OUR PRIORITIES NOW ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE PRIORITIES WE HAD 10 YEARS AGO. 
          THE PRIORITIES WE HAVE NOW IS AFFORDABILITY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND THEN THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          OKAY? SO ANYTHING ELSE? IT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE ARTS AND CULTURE. 
          IT'S OUR, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLEAN AND SAFE. 
          THAT'S IT. 
          CLEAN AND SAFE. 
          EVERYTHING ELSE IS EXTRA. 
          IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. 
          WE'RE OUR PRIORITIES AS A GOVERNMENT. 
          WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR 80,000 RESIDENTS. 
          I'M NOT PICKING AND CHOOSING. 
          I'M SIMPLY SAYING THIS IS MY PRIORITY. 
          MY PRIORITY IS, IS THE BASICS FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT, CLEANLINESS, SAFETY, RESILIENCY. 
          COMMISSIONER BOTT. 
          SO, JASON, UM, I I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU. 
          SO I'M JUST LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW SO PEOPLE DON'T JUMP IN AS I GET MY ANSWERS AND THEN HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION. 
          UM, SO WE HAVE A, AN 82,000 PERSON CITY, AND WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, BUT IF YOU COMPARED US TO ANY OTHER 82 PERSON, 82,000 PERSON CITY IN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, MICHIGAN OR NEW MEXICO, WE HAVE TO, OUR BUDGET HAS TO COVER WHAT HAPPENS ON SUPER BOWL WEEKEND WHEN IT'S HOSTED HERE. 
          AND OUR BUDGET HAS TO COVER ART BASEL AND OUR BUDGET, NOT, NOT THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMPONENT. 
          I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, BUT WE HAVE TO COVER, UM, WHEN WATER PALOOZA COMES IN, WE HAVE TO COVER WHEN THE SEA, THE SEAFOOD, UM, UH, SOBEY WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL COMES IN WHEN, UM, WHEN FOR MEMORIAL DAY, WE'VE GOT THE AIR AND SEA SHOW, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY PAYING FOR THAT, ALTHOUGH WE DO AS A CITY CHOOSE TO USE SOME OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS FOR THOSE THINGS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT THAT WE GET ON THE, THE ROI THAT WE GET ON THE MONIES THAT WE 
          [02:00:01]
INVEST TO HELP THOSE EVENTS HAPPEN HERE IN THE CITY, IS WORTH THE MONEY. 
          WE WOULDN'T BE DOING IT IF WE THOUGHT IT WAS A LOSS LEADER, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT DOING IT OUTTA THE KINDNESS OF OUR HEART. 
          WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE THINK THAT HAVING THE AARON SEA SHOW COME IN FOR, FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS IN, UM, IN OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND GENERATES A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE CITY THAT WE WOULDN'T GET ANY OTHER WAY. 
          IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE. 
          I THINK HOLISTICALLY, YES. 
          AND I THINK WHAT YOU MIGHT BE SPEAKING TO IS WE HAVE THE 80 TO 85,000 RESIDENTS WE HAVE, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND, WE'RE MORE OF A CITY OF A QUARTER MILLION, UH, OR HIGH IMPACT UP TO HALF A BILLION DURING, DURING HIGH IMPACT WEEKENDS AND EVERYTHING. 
          SO YOU'RE RIGHT. 
          I'M SURE IF YOU TOOK THIS CITY AND YOU PLUNKED IT IN IDAHO, UH, FOR 80 OR 85,000, THE BUDGET OVERALL WOULD BE SMALLER. 
          BUT AGAIN, THIS ISN'T JUST ALSO TO THE GENERAL FUND. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HAVING PARKING FUNDS, WATER AND SEWER, STORM WATER. 
          YOU HAVE MANY DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDES. 
          UM, BUT YES, IT IS DEFINITELY IMPACTED BY THE FACT THAT WE ARE SERVICING A MUCH LARGER COMMUNITY THAN THE 80,000, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY, BOTH ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THIS DAIS AND THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE LISTENING NEED TO REMEMBER. 
          BECAUSE LISTEN, I RAN FOR OFFICE AND I SAID IT BECAUSE IT'S, IT SOUNDS CRAZY ON ITS FACE. 
          WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR LESS THAN 90,000 PEOPLE LIVING HERE. 
          YEAH, THAT WOULD BE TERRIBLE. 
          BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND, WE'RE 250,000 PEOPLE HERE WHO MAYBE DON'T LIVE HERE, BUT GOD FORBID THERE'S AN EMERGENCY. 
          AND WE, WE NEED POLICE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND. 
          AND ALSO E THANKFULLY, THERE AREN'T EMERGENCIES VERY OFTEN, BUT WE NEED POLICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CROWDS ARE BEHAVING THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO. 
          AND, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMEBODY GETS HEAT STROKE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. 
          I'M NOT, I'M NOT IN ANY WAY SAYING THAT NEGOTIATIONS GOING FORWARD CAN'T BE DIFFERENT AND MORE STRINGENT. 
          AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, MY COLLEAGUES DON'T REMEMBER THE VERY ROBUST AND VERY CONTENTIOUS, UM, NEGOTIATIONS WE HAD ABOUT THESE VERY ISSUES SAYING THAT THESE CONTRACTS HISTORICALLY HAVE NOT BEEN WHAT WE THINK IS, IS GOOD ENOUGH BECAUSE WE DON'T GET THE ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          YOU WERE GREAT ABOUT THAT. 
          YOU WERE REALLY GREAT ABOUT THAT. 
          SAYING, WE WANT MORE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE, UM, UH, FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING. 
          AND THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME WAS EVERYBODY AGREED. 
          I MEAN, I WASN'T PRIVY TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ONE, BUT CHIEF JONES WAS SITTING AT THE TABLE SAYING, YEAH, THERE SHOULD BE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP TO MOVE US TO THAT. 
          RIGHT? SO I JUST WANT TO, I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE SAY THIS, THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, 82,000 RESIDENTS, THAT IS A TRUE STATEMENT, BUT IT'S NOT THE ENTIRETY OF THE TRUTH, RIGHT? SO JUST BECAUSE THERE'S A FACT THAT'S TRUE, DOESN'T MAKE IT THE ONLY FACT THAT'S TRUE. 
          AND I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE REMEMBER. 
          AGAIN, UM, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND BETTER. 
          UM, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ALL MOVING TOWARDS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ON THE FIRM COMMITTEE THAT I VERY PROUDLY SIT ON WITH JOE, I THINK YOU DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THINGS BETTER WITHOUT BLOWING THINGS UP, WHICH IS A REAL SKILL, BECAUSE A LOT OF, A LOT OF US WOULD LIKE TO BLOW THINGS UP AND START FROM SCRATCH, BUT THAT'S NOT REAL. 
          YOU CAN'T BLOW IT UP BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TO GO TO WORK THE NEXT DAY. 
          AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COUNT ON THE LIGHTS COMING ON AND WATER FLUSHING, UH, IN THEIR TOILETS. 
          UM, SO THAT, THAT'S ONE THING. 
          THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY, BECAUSE IT COMES UP AS A, UM, AS A BOGEY BOGEYMAN ALL THE TIME, AND I, I THINK IT'S DANGEROUS TO HAVE THIS BE A BOGEYMAN. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE USING THE TERM ARTS AND CULTURE LIKE IT IS, UM, TOXIC WASTE. 
          LIKE, I DON'T WANT THAT IN MY BACKYARD. 
          IT'S GROSS. 
          BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT TO THAT, THAT ARTS AND CULTURE HELPS KIDS LEARN BETTER. 
          IT'S PROVEN. 
          DON'T, DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. 
          STUDY IT, LOOK IT UP ON GOOGLE. 
          SEE WHAT STEM AND STEAM DOES FOR KIDS', UM, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND WE HELP UNDERWRITE THAT. 
          WE DON'T FUND IT EXCLUSIVELY. 
          WE DON'T SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON IT, BUT WE DO SPEND SOME, IT'S WHY PEOPLE MOVE TO MIAMI BEACH. 
          'CAUSE OUR SCHOOLS ARE BETTER THAN IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS. 
          ARE THEY AS GOOD AS WE WANT THEM TO BE? THEY WILL NEVER BE, BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA WANT THEM TO BE BETTER, BUT THEY'RE BETTER THAN MOST COMMUNITIES. 
          AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT. 
          AND YOU GUYS SHOULD BE TOO, BECAUSE A COMMUNITY IS ABOUT NOT JUST WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR NEXT GENERATION, RIGHT? SO, UM, ARTS AND CULTURE ALSO BRINGS IN A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO THE CITY. 
          AND I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY IT'S JUST NOT TRUE. 
          WHO NEEDS ARTS AND CULTURE? BUT AGAIN, DON'T, DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. 
          DO THE RESEARCH. 
          LOOK IT UP. 
          LOOK IT UP. 
          YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE AND I, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE 
          [02:05:01]
SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOULDN'T GET FUNDED? LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. 
          THAT IS A VERY VALID CONVERSATION. 
          BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO MOVE TO MIAMI, UH, TO MIAMI BEACH, PART OF WHAT THEY'RE CHOOSING IS TO BE ABLE TO COME AND GO OUT TO DINNER AT AN A NICE RESTAURANT, WHETHER THAT'S A REALLY FANCY RESTAURANT OR IF IT'S A LITTLE NITA, THEY'RE EQUALLY FABULOUS. 
          AND EITHER WALK TO A FREE CONCERT SOMEPLACE OR WALK TO A SHOW ON LINCOLN ROAD. 
          THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO ARTS AND CULTURE THAT ARE FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR OUR KIDS, FOR OUR RESIDENTS, FOR OUR VISITORS. 
          AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES MIAMI BEACH A DESTINATION THAT PEOPLE WANT TO COME LIVE HERE FOR. 
          AND ALSO WANT TO COME AND SPEND THEIR DOLLARS HERE ON VACATION. 
          AND IF WE START, UM, THIS NARROW-MINDED VIEW OF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO BE FUNDED IN THE CITY OTHER THAN INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT IS A PROBLEM. 
          BECAUSE THEN WE LOSE THE MECHANISM BY WHICH A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE GETS FUNDED, RIGHT? IF PEOPLE STOP COMING HERE, IF PEOPLE START MOVING, STOP MOVING THEIR BUSINESSES HERE. 
          IF, WHICH AGAIN, JOE CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT. 
          WE'VE GOT A NEW BUSINESS COMING HERE WITH 200 SUPER HIGH PAID EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? IF THAT STOPS HAPPENING, THEN WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR THE SEWER PIPES THAT NEED REPLACING? GUESS, GUESS WHO'S GOING, GUESS WHO'S GONNA HAVE TO GET THEIR TAXES RAISED? WE ARE, RIGHT. 
          SO I, I REALLY, I WANT US TO BE MINDFUL AND I, I, I SHARE THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, NOT GETTING FUNDED AS QUICKLY AS IT SHOULD. 
          IT, LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE YEARS AGO. 
          AND GUESS WHO IS FINALLY TAKING THE FOOT OFF THE BREAK? IS THE PEOPLE SITTING HERE TODAY. 
          AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME. 
          ALSO, BY THE WAY, LET'S NOT FORGET THAT IF WE ALL WON THE LOTTO AND COULD FUND EVERYTHING TOMORROW, CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT TRYING TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B IN MIAMI BEACH WOULD BE LIKE, YOU'D, WE'D ALL NEED TO BUY, YOU KNOW, HOVERCRAFT FOR EVERYBODY. 
          'CAUSE YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE, YOU KNOW? SO LET'S, LET'S BE SMART ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. 
          WE ARE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO CUT MONEY IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET GOING FORWARD IN WAYS THAT WON'T DESTROY, BLOW UP. 
          WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE MONEY BACK. 
          WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT. 
          WELL, WE ARE, UH, EXPECTING TO HAVE AN $11 MILLION THAT WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO REDISTRIBUTE BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS. 
          I THINK THAT'S GREAT. 
          SO LET'S DO IT IN A WAY THAT THAT WILL NOT BLOW THINGS UP FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. 
          MY LAST QUESTION FOR YOU, JASON, IS BECAUSE I'VE HEARD IT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT MULTIPLE TIMES ALREADY, BUT I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY HAS HEARD IT. 
          IF WE CUT THE MILLAGE RATE FOR 2026, THAT IS A CUT FOR ONE YEAR THAT WILL GROW AND BALLOON AND DO DAMAGE FOR YEARS TO COME, AND SOMEBODY WILL, IT'S KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE SOMEBODY WILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO FILL THAT HOLE IN 2, 3, 4 YEARS WHEN IT BALLOONS. 
          IS THAT A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING? UH, YES. 
          CORRECT. 
          I, YES, COMMISSIONER. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          I THINK, UH, THAT'S WHAT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ WAS ALLUDING TO EARLIER ON THE EARLIER DISCUSSION IS WHEN YOU, UH, LOWER THAT MILLAGE OR YOU SUCCUMB TO THAT PRESSURE, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LOWER TO A ROLLBACK RATE. 
          IT COULD DEFINITELY COULD EXASPERATE BUDGETARY ISSUES GOING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY IN A, IN A, IN A SCENARIO. 
          AND I'VE HAD LONG DISCUSSIONS WITH COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERNS OF 27 OR 28 IS THOUGH WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE IN A DEFICIT, IT MAY BE MORE LIKELY AND THAT WE ARE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE HAVE DECREASING INCREASES TO OUR PROPERTY VALUE, WHICH IS WHY SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT ON THE, THE BUDGET ITEM NEXT, UH, WHICH WOULD BE TO KEEP THE MILLAGE THE SAME AND THEN IN THE BUDGET MAYBE MAKES, IF I THINK THE COMMISSIONER'S INTENT IS TO MAKE SOME REDUCTIONS TO KEEP THAT MONEY SET ASIDE FOR 27. 
          AND MR. C FFO YEAH. 
          IN FACT, AND MR. CITY ATTORNEY, WE CAN'T BIFURCATE BETWEEN ROLLING BACK COMMERCIAL VERSUS RESIDENTIAL RATES. 
          CORRECT? CORRECT. 
          YOU CAN'T BE DISCRIMINATORY IN YOUR PROPERTY TAX RATES. 
          SO IF WE ACTUALLY, I'M SO SORRY. 
          DO THE IMPLEMENT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ MECHANISM GOING FORWARD, I'M SORRY, THE FINE, IT DOESN'T NEED TAX RELIEF. 
          THE FOUNTAIN BLUE DOESN'T NEED TAX RELIEF. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT WE CAN ESSENTIALLY THEN SEND ANY SURPLUS THAT WE HAVE BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS HOMESTEADED AND NON-HOMESTEAD, RIGHT. 
          AND GIVE THAT TAX RELIEF WHERE IT TRULY BELONGS. 
          AND, AND THAT IS A NOBLE EFFORT THAT THAT IS OUR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENCE. 
          AND MAY MAY, I MAY, I THANK YOU. 
          AND, AND I'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO A COUPLE THINGS THAT COMMISSIONER POPER, I I AM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE ALREADY LIVING HERE. 
          NOT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING HERE. 
          THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING HERE ARE EXPERIENCING FLOODING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES, OKAY? ONCE A YEAR WITH A RAINSTORM, MANY HOMES ON ALTON ROAD, 
          [02:10:01]
THEY GET FLOODED AND UP TWO INCHES INTO THEIR HOME. 
          THAT'S WHO I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT. 
          I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY HERE, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA COME. 
          BECAUSE IF WE DON'T FIX THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN MIAMI BEACH, NO ONE'S GONNA WANNA LIVE HERE. 
          AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM. 
          SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE CORRECT. 
          WE HAVE SERIOUS RESILIENCY ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THAT ARE MUCH MORE OF A PRIORITY THAN ARTS AND CULTURE. 
          SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, I DON'T AGREE. 
          OKAY? I DO NOT AGREE. 
          I DO NOT THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE CREATING A WAY OF PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS IF WE'RE GOING TO, UH, LOWER THE TAXES OR, OR ROLL BACK THE TAX RATE. 
          EVERYONE BENEFITS. 
          AND YES, THERE'S GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO, UH, AND, AND, AND BUSINESSES THAT BENEFIT FROM THIS. 
          THERE'S GONNA BE PEOPLE WHO, UM, WHO ARE RENTING THAT HOPEFULLY THEY GET PASSED BACK, PASSED THROUGH. 
          LIKE, UH, GERSHON JUST SAID IN HIS EMAIL, BUT WE WANNA BE FAIR. 
          WE CANNOT BE WIN. 
          WE CANNOT BE PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS WITH SOME GOVERNMENT ENTITY THAT DECIDES WHO GETS A REBATE AND WHO DOESN'T. 
          THE MOST SIMPLE FAIR WAY OF DOING THIS IS JUST LOWERING TAXES. 
          EVERYONE BENEFITS, AND WE WANT, AND, AND TO SAY THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S STRUGGLING BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT NEED, UH, ASSISTANCE. 
          AND WHAT IF, WHAT IF THE TAXES FOR THE FIGHTING HAVE BECOME SO UNBEARABLE THAT THEY CLOSE DOWN AND THEN YOU HAVE AN EMPTY PROPERTY AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO THE GOOD TIME HOTEL IS A GOOD TIME HOTEL GONNA, UH, UH, BENEFIT FROM THIS? NO. 
          WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA GO OUT OF BUSINESS BECAUSE TAXES ARE, ARE GOING UP EXTREMELY, UH, HIGH FOR THEM. 
          AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER VACANT PROPERTY SITTING IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          I THINK THE MOST REASONABLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY IS WE ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, OKAY. 
          AT TO, TO AT LEAST WHAT THIS YEAR IS. 
          AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK. 
          IT'S, IT'S THE MOST FAIR WAY TO DO THAT. 
          WELL, HOW ABOUT WE SEE WHERE WE CAN GET WHERE AS WE'VE BEEN PROPOSING, WE'VE CUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ALREADY FROM 2026 BUDGET, AND WE HAVE EXHIBIT E HERE. 
          ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF ALL OF A SUDDEN SITTING HERE TODAY AND EXAMINING WHETHER WE ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE IS, AND FULL DISCLOSURE, MR. CFO NOT THROWING YOU GUYS UNDER THE BUS, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN IN FIGHTS BACK AND FORTH THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN ITEMIZED BUDGET, RIGHT? SO ASIDE FROM OUR ENHANCEMENTS OR THE 1% REDUCTION IN EFFICIENCIES, WE DON'T HAVE THAT GRANULARITY. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE AIR AND SEA SHOW COSTS, RIGHT? I CAN'T PULL UP OUR BUDGET AND SAY, ERRAND SEA SHOW, I DON'T LIKE IT. 
          LET'S CUT $200,000. 
          I'M USING THAT OBVIOUSLY AS AN EXAMPLE. 
          I LOVE THE ERRAND SEA SHOW, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT COSTS, BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM, IS WE DON'T HAVE AN ITEMIZED BUDGET. 
          AND WE BROUGHT THIS UP IN THE JUNE HEARING, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS HERE, AND THAT'S HOW IT GETS TO A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS AND THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE AND IS NOT GOING TO CONTINUE. 
          AND THERE'S LEGISLATION ALREADY COMING ON THE BOOKS TO PRODUCE THAT. 
          AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. 
          BUT IF WE WOULD SIT HERE AND SAY, WELL, LET'S ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          IT'S NOT AS IF WE WOULD GET A SAY IN WHERE THAT COMES FROM. 
          IT MIGHT COME FROM ARTS AND CULTURE, IT MIGHT COME FROM INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          IT MIGHT COME FROM, SAY, WE DON'T HAVE THAT GRANULARITY. 
          THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE KIND OF IN FRONT OF US IS THIS EXHIBIT E. 
          WE'VE ALREADY CUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS AND WE HAVE SEVERAL MORE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE CAN CONSIDER. 
          BUT FURTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T SEE HOW WE GET TO A BRIDGE OF $27 MILLION. 
          NOW, WE'VE ALL SAT UP HERE, MADE OUR, UH, POINTS KNOWN. 
          I THINK WE START GOING THROUGH LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM ABOUT WHAT CAN BE REMOVED FROM THIS BUDGET. 
          WHAT IS THIS BLOAT THAT WE CAN, I'D SAY START ATTACKING, BUT CONTINUE ATTACKING BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY BEGAN DOING SO OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. 
          UH, SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO KIND OF GO ITEM BY ITEM. 
          UH, SURE. 
          COMMISSIONER, IF I COULD JUST ASK, IS THIS ITEM IS TECHNICALLY THE MILLAGE IN ITS OWN SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARING? AND I THINK THE DISCUSSION WE WERE HERE WAS REALLY ABOUT THE SECOND ITEM ON THE BUDGET, BECAUSE I THINK THE INTENTION WAS, ANY ADJUSTMENTS HERE, REDUCTION WISE WOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR A BUDGET, UM, STABILIZATION FOR NEXT YEAR? UH, IT MAY BE JUST PROCEDURALLY, 'CAUSE THIS IS A, A BUDGET HEARING. 
          WE HAD TO BE VERY SPECIFIC IN HOW WE DO THINGS. 
          UM, UNLESS, UNLESS THE INTENTION IS TO REDUCE THE MILLAGE IS THE DEAL WITH, UH, THE MILLAGE DISCUSSION, UH, PUBLIC HEARING AND THE, AND THE VOTE ON THE MILLAGE AND THEN THROUGH THE BUDGET'S, KIND OF A CHICKEN IN THE 
          [02:15:01]
EGG. 
          RIGHT? IT CAN BE, WE, WE WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS. 
          IF YOU WANNA HAVE THAT DISCUSSION HERE. 
          THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S FINE. 
          YEAH. 
          WHY, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT BEFORE WE EVEN ENTERTAIN THAT? WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN CUT. 
          OKAY. 
          I, I DO BELIEVE, COMMISSIONER, I DON'T HAVE YOU BECAUSE THERE IS, IT IS QUITE A LONG DOCUMENT, BUT I BELIEVE WHEN WHAT YOU AND I BRIEFED, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT YOU HAD IDENTIFIED, I THINK ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO, UH, THAT YOU FELT THAT WERE NOT AS IMPACTING TO RESIDENTS, UH, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED IT. 
          IT IS, BUT TO BE FAIR, THAT WAS JUST ME AND ALL MY COLLEAGUES SHOULD HAVE A SAY. 
          RIGHT? SO I THINK WE DON'T SPEND 10 MINUTES DISCUSSING AD NAUM, BUT WE SIT HERE AND SAY, OKAY, ELIMINATE ONE VACANT FULL-TIME FIELD INSPECTOR. 
          UH, IT SAYS THE, UM, THE ADJUSTMENT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE STREAMLINED AND EFFECTIVE OPERATION, ENSURING WE CONTINUE TO MEET OUR OBJECTIVES EFFECTIVELY, AND WE AIM TO MAINTAIN SERVICE QUALITY WHILE ACHIEVING COST SAVINGS. 
          YES. 
          I SURE THERE'S BEEN A, A VACANT POSITION IN THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE, UH, IS MY UNDERSTANDING. 
          AND THAT'S WHY THAT WAS PROFFERED UP BY THAT DEPARTMENT. 
          YEP. 
          SO IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO, UH, TO DO THAT, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, UH, HE'S BEEN VACANT AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND ACCEPT THAT. 
          SO, OKAY, I'LL VOTE IN FAVOR OF REMOVING THAT. 
          OF WHICH NUMBER ONE, ARE WE LIMITED? ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE THIS DOCUMENT A FIELDS INSPECTOR FOR CIP, THE ATTACHMENT E IS IN YOUR BUDGET BOOK PAGE 1 49. 
          AND SO ARE WE GOING, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE IMPACT FOR THIS YEAR, I GUESS WE ARE ASSUMING A YEAR ONE IMPACT. 
          CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE WOULD IS DENOTE THAT'S A $70,000 EFFICIENCY. 
          CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          WE WOULD DENOTE ALL OF THOSE, ADJUST ALL THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE. 
          AND THEN WHAT WE'LL DO IS, I GUESS REPEAT THEM AT THE END AND SAY THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO THE OPERATING BUDGET, OPERATING BUDGET AS MEMBER AS BY HAVE A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS. BY THE WAY THAT THE COMMISSION, I THINK THERE WAS INTEREST FROM THE 17TH WE TO BRING UP TO ADD, UH, BUT HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO PROCEED. 
          WELL, CAN I, OKAY. 
          IF WE'RE NOT ROLLING THE MILLAGE RATE BACK AND WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET, THEN WHY ARE WE GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE RIGHT NOW? 'CAUSE WE CAN STILL REDUCE THE MILLAGE WITHOUT ROLLING BACK THE BUDGET. 
          BECAUSE IF WE, YES, WE ELIMINATE THE, BUT THIS IS ALL SOCIAL SERVICES. 
          I, THAT'S NOT TRUE. 
          REALLY. 
          NO, NO, IT'S NOT. 
          NOT AT ALL. 
          I MEAN, CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, LIKE THE REALTIME SPANISH CAPTIONING FOR CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYONE HAS EVER TOLD ME THAT THEY'VE SEEN SPANISH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON THE CITY COMMISSION. 
          MIGHT'VE TOLD ME IN SPANISH AND I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND. 
          YEAH, BUT THAT OPTION IS STILL THERE. 
          IF SOMEBODY DOES NEED THE CAPTIONS IN SPANISH, THEN THEY CAN HAVE IT. 
          AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH. 
          SO THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT USE THAT, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO THESE ACTIONS. 
          YOU CAN ELIMINATE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME PUBLIC NOTICES FOR THE MIAMI HERALD, BUT YOU DO THAT AT THE COST OF NOT HAVING ANY PRESS OR INDEPENDENT OBJECTIVE WATCHDOG IN OUR GOVERNMENT. 
          WE NO LONGER HAVE, UM, A, A MIAMI HERALD'S REPORTER BECAUSE OF THIS. 
          WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU ELIMINATED, YOU KNOW, $60,000 AND WE HAVE NO PRESS IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL. 
          AS A PROUD KEEPING AMERICAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I DO NOT KNOW OF A SINGLE PERSON IN OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY THAT WATCHES OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS IN THE SPANISH CLOSED CAPTIONING. 
          AND THAT'S $36,000 RIGHT THERE. 
          SO WE'RE SPENDING $36,000 ON SOMETHING THAT I DO NOT KNOW OF A SINGLE RESIDENCE IN OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY THAT USES THIS. 
          WELL, LET, LET'S GO. 
          ONE, ONE. 
          COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. 
          COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. 
          YEAH, JUST REAL QUICK, LIKE ON NUMBER THREE, THE INTERPRETER SERVICES FOR SPECIAL MAGISTRATE. 
          THE SPECIAL MAGISTRATE REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, WE NEED THIS. 
          OR ALSO, LET'S GO ONE BY ONE. 
          THAT'S A THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          YEAH, LET'S GO ONE BY ONE. 
          SO YOU SAY, OKAY, ITEM NUMBER ONE. 
          I THINK, I THINK I HAVE ITEM NUMBER ONE. 
          YES. 
          ELIMINATE A VACANT POSITION. 
          I I'M A YES. 
          TO ELIMINATE THAT HEARING. 
          NO, NO OBJECTION. 
          WE KEEP NUMBER ONE. 
          WELL, ION CAN WE JUST CALL A ROLL FOR EACH ONE? OKAY, JOE? YEAH. 
          YES. 
          TO ELIMINATE, YES. 
          YES. 
          SO ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, UH, IN FAVOR OF ELIMINATING ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE SAY, AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANYONE OPPOSED? ITEM NUMBER ONE IS REMOVE SEVEN ZERO. 
          AND LET'S JUST GO DOWN THE LINE NUMBER TWO. 
          WAIT ON, ON NUMBER TWO. 
          I JUST HAVE AN IDEA. 
          UM, I'M NOT A FAN OF AI, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A PERFECT USE FOR AI. 
          IS THAT NOT SOMETHING THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, UH, THAT WE'RE SPEAKING IN ENGLISH, THAT HAS TO BE TRANSLATED RIGHT INTO RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT WORKS. 
          BE UPDATED, A LIVE PERSON FRIDAY. 
          WHO, IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S, THERE IS NO SUCH SERVICE RIGHT NOW THAT WE KNOW OF THAT WILL TRANSLATE REAL TIME. 
          'CAUSE IT'S REAL TIME. 
          YEAH. 
          EVERY RESIDENT IN MIAMI BEACH DESERVES TO HAVE ACCESS, UM, TO UNDERSTANDING OUR MEETINGS. 
          AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH, THAT WATCH OUR MEETINGS. 
          I GUARANTEE YOU THAT FUNCTION IS BEING USED SOMETIMES. 
          AND, AND I DON'T. 
          AND I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC HAS THE RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AN ITEM THAT IT'S AFFECTING THEM. 
          AND FOR SOME REASON WE MIGHT NOT, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. 
          I, I 
          [02:20:01]
DISAGREE IN THE, IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS. 
          I, I DO, I DO KNOW SOMEBODY WHO USES IT AS WELL. 
          I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SUPPORT TO KEEP IT. 
          BUT MR. CITY CLERK ROLL YOU, IF YOU FEEL THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO, WHO USE IT. 
          I JUST THINK WE KNOW THAT WITH LIKE SIRI. 
          SIRI DOES LIVE TRANSLATION FROM ANY LANGUAGE, FROM ENGLISH TO ANY, YEAH. 
          WE HAVE PORTUGUESE. 
          UH, WE HAVE BRAZILIAN RESIDENTS HERE WHO ONLY SPEAK PORTUGUESE. 
          THIS DOESN'T ADDRESS THEM, BUT SIRI DOES ADDRESS. 
          THERE'S TECHNOLOGY THAT PEOPLE ALREADY HAVE. 
          BUT, BUT IF YOU'RE 70 YEARS OLD, IF YOU'RE OKAY, IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S SKIP IT. 
          WELL, NO. 
          CALL THE RULE. 
          SO IN ITEM NUMBER TWO, ALL IN FAVOR OF ELIMINATING IT, PLEASE SAY, AYE. 
          AYE. 
          I HEARD ONE. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? SO SIX ONE, THE ITEM IS NOT ELIMINATED. 
          THE NEXT ITEM IS, UH, INTERPRETER SERVICES, SPECIAL MAGISTRATE HEARINGS. 
          ITEM NUMBER THREE, CHANGE MY VOTE. 
          YES. 
          TWO. 
          WAIT, IT IS, I'M SORRY, SORRY. 
          SO IT'S FIVE TWO ON ITEM TWO. 
          TO ELIMINATE. 
          TO ELIMINATE, TO ELIMINATE. 
          FIVE TWO, ELIMINATE IT IS NOT ELIMINATED, IS NOT. 
          WAIT, IS IT FIVE IN FAVOR OF ELIMINATE WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING YES TO ELIMINATE CORRECT. 
          EACH ITEM A YES VOTE IS TO ELIMINATE, IT'S SAYING, OKAY, 2, 5, 2. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          GOT IT. 
          TWO, FIVE, SORRY. 
          THREE A THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          IF HE SAID IT'S REALLY NEEDED, IT'S A THOUSAND BUCKS NOW. 
          SO MIND YOU, FOR THREE, WE HAVE ENOUGH BUDGET LEFT BASED ON THE USAGE THAT WE COULD ELIMINATE. 
          ONE, WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          OUR SUGGESTION TO ELIMINATE IT. 
          'CAUSE WE CAN, SO YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT? OKAY, WITH THAT, BASED ON THE USAGE TODAY, WE COULD ELIMINATE A THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THAT. 
          SO THAT IS GETTING, THAT IS GETTING ELIMINATED. 
          WHAT IS NUMBER THREE? BUT IT'S NOT GETTING ELIMINATED THE SERVICE BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE BUDGETED. 
          AND BASED ON MY USAGE, I CAN CUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND STILL PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICE. 
          RIGHT? WE'RE ELIMINATING THE THOUSAND DOLLARS, NOT THE SERVICE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO ITEM NUMBER THREE, ALL IN FAVOR OF REMOVING THAT ITEM, PLEASE SAY, AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          NO, I'M SORRY. 
          NO, IT'S 1, 2, 6 ELIMINATED. 
          SO ITEM THREE IS ELIMINATED. 
          OKAY, I'M GONNA KEEP GOING. 
          THERE ARE 66 ITEMS. THERE'S 66 ITEMS. JUST, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO ONE BY ONE. 
          DO MY BEST TO, WE'RE HERE, WE'RE HERE, WE'RE DOING IT. 
          WE HAVE ONE SHOT AT THIS. 
          OKAY. 
          JUST, JUST GOTTA FINISH BY 1159 AND 59 SECONDS, RIGHT? WE'RE HERE. 
          WE HAVE ONE SHOT AT THIS AS A, AS A, AS A. 
          AGAIN, IF I CAN MAKE A SUGGESTION, CAN WE START WITH THE MOST IMPACT? WE DON'T HAVE TO START WITH LINE ONE. 
          MAYBE WE START IN, IN ORDER OF IMPACT. 
          DON'T SORT IT THIS WAY. 
          THEY BY DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, I DON'T HAVE THEM BY NOT, THEY'RE NOT DATA BY IMPACT. 
          UM, JUST KEEP GOING. 
          WE'RE MAKING TALKING QUICKER. 
          YES. 
          AND JUST TO CLARIFY ALL OF THESE MOTIONS, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS PER THE, FOR THE COMMISSIONER IS THESE ITEMS WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR BUDGET STABILIZATION FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          THAT IS THE INTEREST AND WHERE WE'RE GONNA SAVE THAT MONEY. 
          'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET DOUBLE MONEY. 
          YOU'RE GONNA GET SET ASIDE RECURRING MONEY FOR 27 AND THIS ONE TIME CASH WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR IT. 
          SO YOU'RE GETTING A DOUBLE ON THAT. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR VALUES. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, SO ADVERTISING FOR PUBLIC NOTICES NUMBER FOUR, BASED ON PUBLICATIONS ONLINE, WE COULD ELIMINATE THAT WITHOUT ANY, AYE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR OF NO. 
          SO I, THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE THAT READ PAPER PUBLICATIONS. 
          YOU ARE IGNORING AN ENTIRE DEMOGRAPHIC OF SENIOR CITIZENS. 
          AND I THINK IT IS WRONG. 
          DON'T WE? DON'T, DOESN'T THE CLERK GO, UM, SEND NOTICES TO THE SENIOR CENTERS? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO YEAH, BUT SO THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY PEOPLE DON'T LIVE IN SENIOR CENTERS. 
          WHAT IF I'M A 75-YEAR-OLD WHO GETS THE MIAMI HERALD WHO LIVES IN A CONDOMINIUM? NOW THEY DON'T DESERVE TO GET PUBLIC NOTICE. 
          THIS IS ONLY 2000 HERD SUBSCRIBERS. 
          THIS $30,000 PER YEAR. 
          SO THAT THOUSANDS OF OUR RESIDENTS, THIS IS HOW WE GET A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET. 
          GET ADS. 
          THIS IS WRONG. 
          I, THERE'S SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD JUST THIS BILLION DOLLARS THAT TO, TO START CUTTING 1000. 
          AND YOU'RE CUTTING FROM, WE'RE GOING LINE BY LINE. 
          YOU'RE CUTTING FROM SENIORS, YOU'RE CUTTING THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. 
          I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS EXERCISE IS. 
          I MEAN, IF WE, LET'S GO TO THE LARGER ITEMS THAT HAVE IMPACTS. 
          IT'S NOT WHAT I JUST SAID. 
          IT WAS OFFERED. 
          WE'RE GONNA GET THERE. 
          BUT THIS IS THIS LIST. 
          I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC. 
          THIS LIST IS AN ALPHABETICAL ORDER AND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS ALPHABETICAL ORDER, THERE'S GONNA BE HIGH TICKET ITEMS. IF WE EVER MAKE IT TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WE'RE GONNA SEE SOMETHING THAT'S $400,000, WHICH I DON'T SUPPORT US CUTTING, BUT, BUT WE'RE STILL IN ITEM NUMBER FOUR. 
          AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS EXERCISE. 
          SO WE WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME. 
          WE COULD THINK WE SPENDING DEBATING WHAT ORDER WE GO IN THAN ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE AUDIENCE. 
          SO EVERYBODY HERE WOULD LIKE TO CUT ADVERTISING SERVICES, UH, FOR PUBLIC NOTICES THAT WILL AFFECT A SENIOR POPULATION, UH, THAT GETS NEWSPAPERS. 
          RALPH, CAN YOU CALL THE, IS THAT THAT WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON RIGHT NOW? 'CAUSE I HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THIS, RALPH. 
          AT THE LAST MEETING YOU EXPLAINED TO US THAT THE NO, THE NOTICES THAT WENT TO THE NEWSPAPER WERE OFTEN A WRONG AND TOOK WEEKS. 
          I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SAID, IF YOU 
          [02:25:01]
CAN REPEAT IT QUICKLY, UH, IF THAT APPLIES TO THIS ITEM YES. 
          AND YOU SAY WHAT YOU, SO COUPLE OF ISSUES, UH, IT WE HAVE, IF WE SEND IT TO THE MIAMI HERALD OR TO WHOEVER, WHATEVER NEWSPAPER WE HAVE TO SEND THESE WEEKS IN ADVANCE. 
          SO THIS GIVES US THAT LEEWAY. 
          NUMBER TWO, AN ONLINE IS IMMEDIATE. 
          IT'S, IT'S IMMEDIATE. 
          IT IS CONSTANT MEANING IT'S NOT REMOVED. 
          THE NEWSPAPER, ONCE YOU GET IT TODAY, YOU THROW AWAY YOUR NEWSPAPER, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT NOTICE. 
          THESE ARE CONSTANT, WE ARE DELIVERING ALSO TO THE SENIOR CENTERS, THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES, THE SENIOR HOUSING. 
          SO WE DELIVER THESE PAPER COPIES ALSO. 
          UH, MIND YOU. 
          AND WE'VE ELIMINATED ANY ERRORS BECAUSE WE CAN FIX 'EM IMMEDIATELY. 
          WELL, WHAT WOULD THE COST BE TO DELIVER TO EVERY SENIOR CITIZEN OVER THE AGE OF 75? THAT'S A POLICY OF THIS. 
          WELL, I MEAN, I THINK YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU ELIMINATE, BEFORE YOU JUST COMPLETELY ELIMINATE AN ENTIRE SECTOR OF THE POPULATION. 
          I DON'T THINK WE'RE ELIMINATING A SECTOR OF THE POPULATION. 
          I THINK YOU ARE BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T. 
          I MEAN, I KNOW MY MOTHER, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO'S 83, SHE GETS THE MIAMI HERALD. 
          YOU'RE NOT ELIMINATING HER. 
          SHE READS THE MIAMI HERALD. 
          HER NOTICES ARE IN THE MIAMI HERALD. 
          SO IF, SO THEN THEY DON'T GET THOSE NOTICES AND SHE DOESN'T LIVE IN A SENIOR CENTER. 
          ANYONE ALSO WHO WISHES TO GET THIS VIA EMAIL, WE WOULD DO THAT VIA MAIL. 
          WE WOULD DO THAT. 
          THEY DON'T, SHE DOESN'T EMAIL ANYMORE. 
          SO I, WHAT MY POINT IS, IS THAT I THINK THAT THIS $30,000 IN PUBLIC NOTICE FOR A SECTOR OF THE POPULATION THAT GETS THE NEWSPAPER IS NOT GOING TO MAKE OR BREAK US. 
          BUT IT DOES SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE'RE AGEIST. 
          CAN WE SKIP IT? YEAH. 
          MIND YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY DIRECTED ME TO DO THIS. 
          YEAH. 
          THIS IS JUST THE SAVINGS FROM YOUR PRIOR ACTUAL WE WE'RE ACCEPTING OUR SAVINGS. 
          YEAH. 
          WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THIS. 
          I KNOW, BUT I'M JUST RESTATING THE FACT THAT I REALLY DISAGREE WITH WITH THIS. 
          YOU'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY IN A BAD DIRECTION. 
          SO WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THIS. 
          I ABSOLUTE SO LOST AT THIS TIME. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          NUMBER SIX. 
          NU NUMBER FIVE. 
          SO NUMBER FOUR WAS ACCEPTED? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          NUMBER FIVE. 
          NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          I THINK WE'RE HEARING A MAJORITY WE'LL SHOW IT ACCEPTED. 
          UH, REDUCTION IN THE OPERATING EXPENDITURES FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. 
          IT'S A COLLECTION OF VARIOUS EXPENDITURES. 
          UH, THE CITY MANAGER WAS PRING UP. 
          YEP. 
          AYE, AYE. 
          AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          ION THE OPERATING EXPENDITURES FOR THE GO BOND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. 
          AYE, HEARING NO OBJECTIONS. 
          SEVEN IS ACCEPTED. 
          YES. 
          UH, CO COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT NUMBER EIGHT. 
          UH, THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO SHORT TERM RENTAL INVESTIGATION UNIT? NO, NO, NO. 
          WELL, NOT ACCEPTING THAT. 
          UH, NEXT ONE. 
          CO COMPLIANCE. 
          THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS SPECIFICALLY TO DO CO COMPLIANCE AT THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. 
          NO, NO, NO. 
          GOT IT. 
          JASON, IF YOU COULD SAY THE NUMBERS. 
          'CAUSE THAT HELPS US OUT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THAT WAS NUMBER EIGHT, NUMBER NINE. 
          I KNOW, BUT WHEN WE DO THE MINUTES, IT HELPS. 
          OKAY. 
          I THANK YOU. 
          ROUGH. 
          UH, NUMBER 10. 
          UH, ELIMINATE ONE VACANT FULL-TIME COMPLIANCE OFFICER POSITION. 
          ONE POSITION. 
          YES. 
          NO. 
          NO. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT WAS A NO. 
          HOW LONG HAS THAT POSITION BEEN VACANT? I THINK IT'S A ROLLING KIND OF CONSIDERATION THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT FROM TIME TO TIME HAS, IT'S ROLLING. 
          IT'S ROLLING. 
          SO THERE'S SOMETIMES IT'LL BE FULL, SOMETIMES IT'LL BE ELIMINATED AT THE TIME, OR AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE IS ONE VACANT POSITION CURRENTLY THAT WE AS MANY AS WE CAN AFFORD. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK HEARING THE CONSENSUS, WHICH WE, I THINK WE'RE OKAY WITH CONSENSUS, IS THAT WE WILL SHOW THAT, NOT, NOT, UH, ADDED NUMBER 11. 
          UH, REDUCE FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR ACCELERATOR PROGRAM NUMBER 11. 
          NO. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NUMBER 12. 
          UH, ELIMINATING THE COMMUNITY SATISFACTION SURVEY. 
          YES. 
          CAN WE JUST DO IT INSTEAD OF EVERY TWO YEARS? CAN WE DO IT EVERY FOUR YEARS AND EFFECTUATE SOME CHANGES THAT WAY? SOME SAVINGS THAT WAY? I DO THINK, OH, WE CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW WE FUNDED IS THAT, THAT IS FUNDED ANNUALLY, BUT DONE EVERY TWO YEARS, IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          AND TO HAVE BUDGETARY SMOOTHNESS, WE DO 50 50. 
          IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE IT EVERY FOUR YEARS, WE'D REDUCE IT TO $25,000 ANNUAL, UH, FUNDING. 
          SO YOU COULD DO A PARTIAL THERE, WHICH REDUCES THE FUNDING TO 25,000 IF YOU WANTED TO MOVE TO AN EVERY FOUR YEAR CYCLE. 
          I THINK. 
          GOOD. 
          HAVING A SORT OF A, IS THAT CORRECT? AN OBJECTIVE TEMPERATURE TAKING. 
          THEY, THEY USE THIS DATA DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY USE THIS DATA WHEN THEY CREATE THEIR BUDGETS AND POSITIONS. 
          I'M A NO ON THIS. 
          SO COULD WE AMEND THIS? THE, UH, HALF THIS AND MOVE IT TO EVERY FOUR YEARS, YEARS? LET'S, LET'S SPLIT THE BABY THREE YEARS. 
          SAY THREE 30, 3000. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE WILL SHOW THAT AS THAT, UH, THE REDUCTION OF 25,000, THAT WOULD GO TO EVERY FOUR YEARS. 
          SO REDUCTION OF 13,000? YEAH. 
          THREE. 
          REDUCTION OF 13,000. 
          APPROXIMATELY 
          [02:30:01]
13,000. 
          UH, AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE THAT TO EVERY FOUR, UH, THREE YEARS. 
          OKAY. 
          'CAUSE NUMBER 12, NUMBER 13, FINANCE. 
          THESE ARE ALL CITYWIDE GRANTS. 
          SO I'LL, I'LL MOVE KIND OF QUICKLY ON THESE. 
          UH, GRANT FUNDING FOR BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB? NO. 
          HERE IN CONSENSUS? NO. 
          GRANT FUNDING FOR DOUGLAS GARDENS COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER? NO. 
          NO. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          GRANT FUNDING FOR FIU JEWISH MUSEUM? NO. 
          NO. 
          GRANT FUNDING FOR JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES OF SOUTH FLORIDA? NO. 
          NO. 
          NO. 
          GRANT FUNDING FOR MIAMI BEACH CHAMBER VISITOR CENTER? NO. 
          NO. 
          SORRY, I HAVEN'T BEEN DOING THE NUMBERS. 
          ROUGH. 
          UH, NOW WE'RE ON 18. 
          UH, GRANT FUNDING FOR MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER. 
          NO. 
          NUMBER 19 GRAND FUNDING FOR MIAMI BEACH. 
          GAY AND LESBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE? NO. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          GRANT FUNDING FOR MIAMI BEACH WATER SPORTS NUMBER 20. 
          WHAT IS THIS? WHAT IS THAT? SHANE? SHANE? WATER SPORTS? NO, THE SHANE. 
          OH, ROAD CENTER. 
          NO. 
          SHANE S ARE NOT CUTTING THAT? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NUMBER 21, GRANT FUNDING FOR MIAMI DESIGN PRESERVATION LEAGUE? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          GRANT FUNDING FOR ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE? NO. 
          NO. 
          WHAT DO WE, WHAT DO, WHAT DO WE GET FOR IT? YEAH, THE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP. 
          YEAH, IT'S, IT'S RELATED TO OUR CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS, UH, THE OH, BUT IT'S NEXT YEAR. 
          THE ARMY GOAL. 
          YEAH, BUT IT'S NOT EVERY, IT'S, YEAH, IT'S AN ANNUAL, IT'S AN ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION TO KEEP THE ORGANIZATION RUNNING. 
          AND THEN IF THERE'S LIKE A BIG ONE, WE'LL COME BACK, THEY'LL COME BACK WITH A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION. 
          BUT THIS IS OUR SMALL, VERY SMALL ANNUAL ALLOCATION. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO THIS BASICALLY KEEPS OUR, OUR, UM, OUR HAT IN THE RING FOR CONSIDERATION TO HOST IT. 
          YES. 
          BASICALLY THIS HELPS FUND OUR, OUR CONTRIBUTION. 
          SO IT'S LIKE OUR DUES TO BE CONSIDERED VERY, I THINK YOU GET INVITED TO A CHRISTMAS PARTY SOMEPLACE. 
          AND I'M NOT TORAH. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE KEEPING THIS FOR. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE'RE KEEPING THIS FOR. 
          I'M NOT GONNA VOTE FOR IT. 
          THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE KEEPING IT. 
          WE'RE KEEPING IT SO THAT WE GET CONSIDER SO THAT WE'RE IN CONSIDERATION FOR, WHAT DID YOU SAY, JASON? THE ORANGE BOWL. 
          ORANGE UNTIL WE GET IT. 
          COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP. 
          ERIC IS SO IF WE ELIMINATED THIS COMMITTEE, WE WOULD NOT BE IN CONSIDERATION TO GET THE ORANGE BOWL. 
          SO IT MEANS THAT WE WOULD, THAT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF ECONOMIC BENEFIT WOULD BE DOWN THE DRAIN FOR 17,000. 
          SOMETHING DOESN'T ADD UP HERE. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD COMPLETELY ELIMINATE US, BUT IT WOULD ERODE OUR ABILITY FOR THE ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE TO PURSUE THESE EVENTS. 
          HOW OFTEN DO WE GET THEM? WE HAVE IT, UH, WE HAVE IT THIS YEAR AND THEN I BELIEVE WE HAVE IT AGAIN IN THREE YEARS. 
          WE GET THEM EVERY FEW YEARS. 
          WHO COMPRISES THE ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE? SO IT, IT'S A NOT-FOR-PROFIT GROUP THAT, UM, IS, HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE BASICALLY, THEY SERVE AS, AS OUR SPORTS COMMITTEE IN SOUTH FLORIDA. 
          DO WE NEED THIS? THE, HAVE OUR HEAD IN THE RING? YOUR ASSESSMENT? YES. 
          I, I AM NOT RECOMMENDING CUTTING ANY OF THESE THINGS. 
          I THINK THEY ALL BRING VALUE, BUT THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, I THINK FOR $17,000, THE KIND OF ECONOMIC VALUE THAT WE BRING TO THE CITY. 
          YEAH. 
          WHEN WE BRING THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AND EVERY OTHER MUNICIPALITY CONTRIBUTES TO THIS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST, OKAY, I'D LIKE TO SEE THING. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, NUMBER 23 GRAND FUNDING FOR THE SOUTH FLORIDA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 
          NUMBER 23 HEARING. 
          NO, UH, NUMBER 24 GRANT FUNDING FOR UNIT A MEALS PROGRAM? NO. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          NO. 
          UH, NUMBER 25 PRIDE LINES YOUTH SAFE SPACE PROGRAM NUMBER 25. 
          NO. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          NUMBER 26. 
          PRIDE LINES MIAMI BEACH PROJECT SAFE PROGRAM. 
          CAN YOU TALK THROUGH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO? YES. 
          LEMME SEE HERE. 
          THE PRIDE LINES. 
          UH, LEMME SEE HERE. 
          THE PRIDE LINES YOUTH IS 25,000. 
          PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR PROJECT SAFE L-G-B-Q-I-A PLUS YOUTH IN CRISIS, BUT PROVIDING SAFE DROP-IN SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT THAT PROMOTES STABILITY, INDEPENDENCE, ACCESS TO SERVICES. 
          I BELIEVE THE REAL DIFFERENCE IS THE AGE GROUPS. 
          MM-HMM. 
          IS THE, IT'S CHIL AGE GROUPS. 
          I BELIEVE IT'S CHILDREN VERSUS YOUNG ADULTS. 
          CHIL LIKE THEY, THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT GR TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS. 
          ONE IS MORE FOCUSED BECAUSE OF THE MIAMI DAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I BELIEVE REMOVED OH. 
          SOME OF THEIR SERVICES. 
          AND WE STEPPED IN THERE, BUT THERE WAS AN EXISTING PROGRAM, I THINK RELATED TO, TO YOUNG ADULTS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S, THEY'RE GETTING TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS THERE. 
          SO I THINK THAT WAS GOOD. 
          UH, COMMON THREADS NUMBER 27, NO COMMON THREADS IS AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM IN OUR RECREATIONAL DEPARTMENT THAT TEACHES CHILDREN HOW TO COOK AND, AND, AND, AND HEALTHY FOODS. 
          SO I WOULD SAY NO BECAUSE THE IMPACT FOR THE $19,000 IS IT IMPACTS THOUSANDS OF KIDS. 
          YEP. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'LL SHOW THAT. 
          NO, I ACCEPTED NUMBER 28. 
          UH, ELIMINATE A, THE EDUCATION MANAGER POSITION. 
          STEAM PLUS PROGRAM AND PRIVATE CHARTER SCHOOL 
          [02:35:01]
PROGRAMS. NO, NO, NO. 
          OKAY. 
          I HAVE NO, UH, A REDUCTION IN JUST WHAT, WHAT'S THE EDUCATION MANAGER POSITION? WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT POSITION? IT WAS A POSITION THAT WAS ADDED LAST YEAR TO WHEN WE, WHEN THE COMMISSION EXPANDED OUTSIDE OF THE REALM OF, OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVICES FOR, UH, STEAM PLUS AND ALL THESE OTHER PROGRAMS. WE, THERE WAS A POSITION ADDED TO MANAGE THE, I FORGET IT'S LIKE A DOZEN OR TWO DOZEN PRIVATE CHARTER RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS THAT ARE GONNA GET ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS. SO THERE'S A CHUNK OF MONEY TO RUN THE STEAM PLUS PROGRAM, WHICH WE TOOK BACK FROM THE BASS AS AN EFFICIENCY. 
          AND, UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA RUN ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUTSIDE INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          BASICALLY, YOU JUST EXPANDED SO MANY OF THE PROGRAMS AND STAFFING WAS NEEDED TO RUN THESE DOZENS OF PROGRAMS. BUT, SO TO CLARIFY, THIS IS NOT A POSITION THAT'S BEING FUNDED AT $600,000. 
          NO, IT'S, THIS IS ALL THE EDUCATION INITIATIVES. 
          IT'S A POSITION PLUS NO, I WANT, PLUS THE STEAM PLUS. 
          I WANT THAT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN HERE, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POSITION IS BEING ELIMINATED. 
          THE COST SAVINGS IS $625,000. 
          SO IT'S THE POSITION, LET'S LET'S SAY $50,000 OR 45, WHATEVER IT IS. 
          IT WOULD BE, IT HAS TO BE A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT COMMISSIONER, UH, MAGAZINE, MYSELF AND TAMIKA HAVE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT PROGRAM BUDGETING. 
          THIS IS PROGRAM BUDGETING. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THIS IS THIS, BUT THIS IS A, AN EXAMPLE OF WE DON'T EVEN KNOW BECAUSE IF WE'RE SAYING DO WE WANNA CUT $500,000 FOR THIS ENHANCED EDUCATION INITIATIVE? NO. 
          COULD, WOULD WE PREFER TO BE ABLE TO DISPERSE THOSE FUNDS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO THE SCHOOLS WHO WE HAVE VOTED ON TO SUPPORT WITHOUT HAVING TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME PERSON? I THINK WE WOULD ALL BE IN AGREEMENT THAT THAT WOULD BE THE PREFERRED WAY TO DO IT. 
          BUT WE CAN'T MAKE THAT DISCUSSION. 
          WE CAN'T MAKE THAT DECISION BECAUSE IT'S LUMPED IN AS ONE ITEM. 
          SO HOW CAN WE VOTE ON THIS IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PERCENTAGES OF THE POSITION VERSUS THE, THE DISBURSEMENT OF THE FUNDS. 
          I THINK WHAT THE REASON IS IT IS TOGETHER IS THAT YOU NEED THAT POSITION TO RUN THESE PROGRAMS. SO IF YOU'RE ELIMINATING THE POSITION, YOU MUST ELIMINATE THE PROGRAMS. THAT'S WHY IT'S PRESENTED IN THIS MATTER. 
          AND THIS WAS, THIS WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE WORKLOAD FOR THAT PROGRAM WHEN WE BROUGHT IN ALL OF THE PRIVATE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL. 
          DIDN'T WE DISCUSS THIS AT THE LAST MEETING? THE, ACTUALLY THIS SPECIFIC POSITION THAT PARENTS WERE REACHING OUT TO US CONCERNED THAT THIS POSITION WAS NOT GOING TO BE FUNDED. 
          AND WE MADE A COMMITMENT AT THIS TABLE TO FUND THIS POSITION BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT IT HAS WITH THE FUNDING. 
          THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU AND I HAD ON THIS DAYS AT THE LAST MEETING. 
          YES. 
          YES. 
          ALRIGHT, SO LET'S KEEP IT, OKAY. 
          SO WE'LL SHOW THAT, UH, NUMBER 29 WAS A REDUCTION ON ELIMINATION REDUCTION IN THE PRE-K SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO THE 2024 LEVEL. 
          NO. 
          NO. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, SO FAR WE'VE FOUND $141,500 OF EFFICIENCIES. 
          NUMBER 30, UH, ELIMINATE OCEAN RESCUE BOAT COVERAGE NUMBER 30. 
          FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          WHAT, WHAT? HANG ON A SEC. 
          NO, NO. 
          THAT'S PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. 
          NO. 
          NUMBER 30 IS ALSO, THE NEXT TWO ARE FIRE DEPARTMENT NUMBER 31 ELIMINATE ONE VACANT FULL-TIME, UH, TRAINING OFFICER. 
          FIREFIGHTER ONE POSITION NUMBER 31. 
          SO I, I'M GONNA STEP IN HERE. 
          RIGHT. 
          WE HAVEN'T CUT ANYTHING. 
          WE'VE CUT FROM A VARIETY OF, OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. 
          AND WITH 100% RESPECT, CHIEF, UH, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR FIRE. 
          AND WE, WE, WE NEED TO, BECAUSE POLICE AND FIRE ARE PART 62% OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET, WE'VE REIGNED IN I THINK A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF POLICE. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS WE CUT, UM, 600, $600,000. 
          600,000. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND IF I MAY, AT THE VERY, I THINK THE VERY, VERY LAST ITEM, WHICH IS UNDER RESORT TAX, 'CAUSE THEY'RE JOINED, THERE IS A FIRE ITEM. 
          REALLY, IT'S OVERTIME THERE. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE CHIEF IF THIS IS THE ONE THAT FIRE CAN OFFER UP, THAT'S THE ONE FIRE CAN OFFER UP, RIGHT? I, I DON'T KNOW THE TITLE, I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER. 
          BUT I'M HARD PRESSED TO THINK THAT WE CAN'T FIND, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY GIVING THE CONFIDENCE THAT I KNOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE THIS FINE DEPARTMENT WITH MEN AND WOMEN TO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE WITH A SIMPLE $200,000 COST SAVINGS, WHICH TURNS INTO $331,000. 
          NOW, IF IT'S THIS POSITION OR ANY OTHER THAT THE CHIEF, YOU KNOW, DEEMS IS THE BEST OFFER UP, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT I'M VOTING FOR. 
          I'LL PUT MY CONFIDENCE IN HER SAYING WHATEVER THE POSITION IS TO ACHIEVE THIS COST SAVINGS. 
          I TRUST HER JUDGMENT. 
          SO I'LL VOTE YES FOR THIS. 
          IT'S NOT REALLY BECAUSE OF THE SPECIFIC POSITION. 
          IT'S OKAY. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO ALL SHARE IN SOME OF THIS REDUCTION AND I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE CHIEF'S BEST JUDGMENT THAT THAT'S WHAT FIRE IS ABLE TO KIND OF PRO OFFER MR. CHAIR. 
          I SEE WE HAVE TWO POSITIONS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          ONE IS FIRE TRAINING PROGRAM AND THE OTHER ONE IS IN THE FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAM. 
          I KNOW THAT OUR ADMINISTRATION IS 
          [02:40:01]
NOT RECOMMENDING TOUCHING EITHER OF THESE PROGRAMS, BUT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, UH, CHIEF, IF, IF WE HAD TO CUT IN ONE OF THESE TWO, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BELIEVE IS, UM, TO ME, I WOULDN'T WANT TO TOUCH ANYTHING THAT'S PREVENTION. 
          UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN YOU DEAL WITHOUT THIS POSITION? I NEED FEEDBACK, GUIDANCE FROM YOU. 
          SO, UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHIEF ABELLO, FIRE CHIEF NIGHT NIGHT. 
          SO IN THE, IN THE, IN THE ONE POSITION THAT YOU ARE RECOMMENDING, THAT IS A POSITION THAT I WAS AWARDED LAST YEAR WHEN I CAME BEFORE YOU TO, YOU KNOW, SEE ALL THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING THAT WE'VE ASSUMED IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. 
          FEMA GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN IMPOSING A LOT OF TRAINING FOR THE HAZARDOUS ASPECT OF IT. 
          UM, AND AS FAR AS THE PLANNING, UH, POSITION, THAT WAS A POSITION THAT WE WILL BE RESUMING, UM, WITH THE SAVINGS AND REVENUE THAT WE'LL BE COLLECTING FROM OUR PRE-FIRE PLANNING INSPECTIONS. 
          SO TO THAT POINT, WE HAVE GENERATED, UH, $5.1 MILLION IN THE LAST YEAR ABOVE OF WHAT WE WERE GENERATING LAST YEAR WITH THESE EXTRA POSITIONS. 
          THIS POSITION WAS BECAUSE THE STATE STATUTE REDUCED OUR TURNAROUND FOR PERMITS FROM 30 TO 15 DAYS. 
          AND THE GENTLEMAN HAD JUST, UH, VACATED THE POSITION, UH, APPROXIMATELY 60 DAYS WHEN YOU CAME AND ASKED ME. 
          AND THEN YESTERDAY WE ALSO SAVED $8,000. 
          'CAUSE YOU HAD SAID ANYTHING IS, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, $8,000 IN A CONEX TRAILER THAT WE WERE USING TO STORE EXTRA EQUIPMENT. 
          SO YESTERDAY THEY PICKED IT UP. 
          SO THAT WAS AN EXTRA SAVINGS AS WELL. 
          SO IF I HAD TO PICK ONE, I WOULD SAY THAT WE EITHER, UM, REDUCED THE PRE-FIRE PLANNING ONE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO GENERATE THE REVENUE OR, UM, THE REDUCTION OF THE HIGH IMPACT FUNDING FROM THE RESORT TAX WILL BE ABLE TO SAVE ANOTHER $75,000. 
          SO IF I CAN'T HELP TO FACILITATE, IF THERE'S AN INTEREST IN HAVING A REDUCTION IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, I'VE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE CHIEF, THE ONE THAT IF, IF WE WERE ASKED TO, TO HAVE SOMETHING IN THERE, IT'S ACTUALLY ITEM 66, UM, WHICH, UM, WE'RE AT, WE WOULD BE OKAY WITH A $75,000 REDUCTION NOT TOUCHING, UH, FUNDING FOR SPRING BREAK SERVICES AT THIS TIME. 
          BUT MEMORIAL DAY. 
          SO JUST LIKE WE DID WITH THE POLICE AT RECIPROCITY BETWEEN THE TWO PUBLIC SAFETY DEPART, MAIN PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, UH, WE COULD DO, WE COULD DO THAT. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE A PREFERENCE IF WE WERE REQUIRED TO MAKE A CUT OFF. 
          I APPRECIATE YOU OFFERING BEING FRANK ABOUT THAT. 
          IT'S, IT'S A SHARED SACRIFICE. 
          IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT THAT'S HOW WE GET TO A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET. 
          THERE'S, WE COULD SAY POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT EACH OF THESE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING AT ONE POINT HAD MERIT. 
          IT'S JUST YOU, YOU'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR WHERE THE CONVERSATION GOES. 
          SO I APPRECIATE YOU'VE GIVEN YOUR INPUT. 
          UM, AND I'LL FOLLOW THE LEAD ON THAT OF, UH, WE'RE GONNA CHOOSE ONE USING 66. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IF I, IF I CAN, SO, SO WHICH LINE ITEM ARE WE? SO 30, 31, 32, I, I'LL PROPOSE THE KEEP AND THEN WITH THE CHIEF'S DIRECTION, UH, 66. 
          ELIMINATE. 
          ELIMINATE. 
          BUT TO CLARIFY, IN, IN THE PACKET 66 SAYS $150,000, THAT'S NOT ALL COMING FROM FIRE? NO, THE, THE, THE A HUNDRED, THE NUMBER 66 IS, IS FIRE. 
          BUT WHAT IT IS, IT'S, IT'S ACROSS MULTIPLE PROGRAMS. AS YOU SEE LISTED OUT HALLOWEEN, NEW YEAR'S MEMORIAL AND SPRING BREAK, I THINK WE WOULD BE OKAY BEING RE BEING, UH, RECIPROCAL WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE WE MADE SOME REDUCTIONS IN OVERTIME. 
          SO WE, I THINK WE ARE, WE'D BE OKAY WITH A $75,000 REDUCTION ON ITEM 66 A MEMORIAL, WHICH WOULD REDUCE THE, SOME OF THE OVERTIME SPECIFIC FOR MEMORIAL DAY ONLY. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY, PERFECT. 
          YEAH, SO WE'RE SEEING THAT 70 5K FROM FROM 66. 
          RIGHT? SO 66 WILL BE 75,000. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          CHECK MARK. 
          LEMME GO BACK. 
          UH, HOUSING COMMUNITY SERVICES ITEM 33. 
          MOBILE FOOD PANTRY PROGRAM NUMBER 33. 
          NO, NO. 
          UH, NUMBER 34. 
          RECLASSIFY EXISTING CD BG PROGRAM PROJECTS COORDINATOR TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES MANAGER POSITION AND REALLOCATING. 
          ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES MANAGER. 
          POSITION NUMBER 34? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          HOW LONG HAS THIS POSITION BEEN VACANT FOR? I WOULD ASK ALBA'S GONNA COME UP AND SEE IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT ONE. 
          AND REALLY WE'RE JUST KIND OF RECLASSIFYING TO A LOW, LOWER SALARY LEVEL, CORRECT? I THINK IT'S MOVING IT TO A GRANT FUNDED POSITION. 
          YES. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          RE, OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES. 
          IT IS CURRENTLY NOT VACANT, BUT THE UM, PERSON WHO IS HOLDING THE POSITION NOW HAS RESIGNED AND SO WE WILL BE RECLASSIFYING. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IF WE, IF WE'VE REMOVED THIS HERE, WHAT HAPPENS? WE WOULD, UM, RECLASSIFY IT TO A SUPPORTS MANAGER AND WE WOULD FUND IT THROUGH, UM, A FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE STILL ACHIEVE THE OUTCOME OF THE POSITION. 
          [02:45:01]
THERE'S NO IMPACT ON THE SERVICES BEING PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC? NO. 
          CAN I JUST OKAY, THEN I'M FINE WITH IT. 
          THIS, BUT BY RECLASSIFYING WITH FEDERAL SETTLERS, IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT ANY OF OUR RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OR ANY OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS. NOT AT ALL. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S ANOTHER 62. 
          SO WE'LL SHOW THAT ONE. 
          ACCEPTED. 
          NUMBER 34 GETS ADDICTING. 
          HUH? COMMISSIONER. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S 2 78, 500, UH, NUMBER 35 MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS. 
          I, I THINK THIS ONE WAS DISCUSSED LAST TIME. 
          UM, THE, THE DAILY MEDIA CLIPS, I THINK THERE WAS INTEREST IN KEEPING THAT. 
          UM, SO I'LL GO WITH THE YES, BUT I COULD PUT ME ON AN ISLAND AND I KNOW I'M THROWING LISTS UNDER THE BUS AFTER SHE HELPED ME. 
          YEAH. 
          GET SOMETHING. 
          I READ THOSE EVERY DAY. 
          I DO READ THEM, BUT I THAT'S INTERNAL TO US. 
          CORRECT? I I WOULD SUPPORT CUTTING. 
          YEAH. 
          I WOULD SUPPORT CUTTING IT. 
          YEAH. 
          IT, IT IS, IT DOESN'T BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS AT ALL. 
          BUT IT, IT, IT'S USEFUL BECAUSE WE THEN CAN USE THAT INFORMATION TO GENERATE BENEFITS FOR THE CITY AND THEREFORE THE RESIDENTS, LIKE YOU CAN USE, HEY, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, I'M, I'M WORKING TO FIND SPONSORS FOR THE BLUE ZONES AND SO WHEN I FIND SOMETHING IN THOSE CLIPS, I SEND, BY THE WAY, WAY WE JUST GOT MENTIONED ABOUT THIS THING AND THEN THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WE'RE SUPER INTERESTED, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. 
          IT'S A SMALL DOLLAR AMOUNT. 
          IT IS VALUABLE. 
          I WOULD SUGGEST WE DO NOT CUT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          I DON'T HAVE CONSENSUS HERE, SO LEMME JUST REMARK IT. 
          I'M, I, I'M, I'M GONNA KNOW. 
          I, I DO READ THEM AND SOMETIMES THEY ARE VALUABLE, BUT I ALSO DO, I JUST DO SEARCHES ON THINGS THAT I'M INTERESTED AND I FIND THE SAME ARTICLES. 
          DON'T YOU WANNA SEE WHAT THE TRENDS ARE FOR MY NEW I DO AND I DO MY SEARCHES. 
          , AH, MR. CITY CLERK MAYBE VOTE. 
          SO THIS IS ON NUMBER 35 TO ELIMINATE THE QUESTION'S GONNA BE TO KEEP, TO KEEP KEEPING IT. 
          YES. 
          WHERE KEEPING NO, LET'S BE CONSISTENT. 
          OKAY. 
          WHERE ANY YES. 
          VOTE IS TO ELIMINATE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO ELIMINATE COMMISSIONER BOT. 
          NO. 
          TO ELIMINATE COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. 
          NO. 
          COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER BOLAND GONZALEZ. 
          YEAH. 
          THIS IS TO, UH, DAILY MEDIA CLIPS TO ELIMINATE THE ME THE DAILY MEDIA CLIPS SUBSCRIPTION. 
          A VOTE OF YES. 
          IS TO REMOVE IT TO A VOTE OF NO IS TO KEEP IT. 
          SO WE'RE NOW IN COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER SUAREZ. 
          A VOTE OF NO IS TO KEEP IT A VOTE OF NO IS TO KEEP IT. 
          YES. 
          MAYOR MINOR. 
          YES. 
          SO I HAVE FOUR TO ELIMINATE. 
          OKAY. 
          IT IS ELIMINATED. 
          THIS IS NUMBER 35. 
          WE'LL SHOW 35 ELIMINATED. 
          UH, NUMBER 36. 
          REDUCE THE MIAMI BEACH MAGAZINE. 
          PRINTING AND MAILING FOR, UH, THIS WOULD REDUCE IT FROM FOUR TO TWO TIMES A YEAR OF THE MAGAZINE. 
          YES. 
          I BELIEVE THAT IS OUR NUMBER ONE. 
          UH, IT'S RATED AS OUR NUMBER ONE GUIDE THAT OUR RESIDENTS USED. 
          THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT, UH, THE COMMUNITY SATISFACTION SURVEY, I THINK MAY BRING THAT DATA. 
          AND IT'S NOT, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ONE OF THOSE  WE'LL KNOW LESS OFTEN. 
          WELL, WE CAN'T VALIDATE THAT WE WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THIS IS . 
          UM, SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT KEEPING IT. 
          I I THINK OUR, OUR RESIDENTS OR SENIOR RESIDENTS, PEOPLE DO READ IT. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK WE'RE OKAY. 
          SO IN CONSENSUS THERE, WE'LL MOVE ON. 
          UH, NUMBER 37, ELIMINATE PRINTING OF THE ANNUAL PROPOSED AND ADOPTED BUDGET BOOKS. 
          YES. 
          NUMBER 37, YOU MEAN THIS BOOK ? CORRECT. 
          IT BE REDUCED. 
          THAT MEANS WE WOULD NO LONGER PRINT THE HARD COPIES. 
          THAT'S THE TWO CAPITAL. 
          IT'S ACCESSIBLE. 
          WE CAN ALL PULL IT UP. 
          IT IS DIGITAL. 
          YOU CAN EMAIL IT ONLINE. 
          YEAH. 
          YES, IT'S DIGITAL. 
          IF I WANT IT PRINTED, YOU GUYS CAN PRINT IT. 
          NO, I CAN MAKE A REQUEST. 
          NO, HE'S NOT JOKING. 
          WAIT, SO IS IT THE THREE BOOKS IN COLOR? YEAH. 
          OR IS IT THE, THE ONE BOOK? IT'S ALL THREE. 
          IT'S ALL THREE TWICE A YEAR. 
          THE PROPOSED ONE YOU GET AT THE END OF AUGUST, EARLY SEPTEMBER. 
          AND THEN THE PRIMARY ONE YOU'LL GET IN NOVEMBER-ISH. 
          HOW ABOUT THE FI? CAN WE JUST GET RID OF THE PROPOSED? BECAUSE THE PROPOSED IS A VERY TEMPORARY DOCUMENT, YET WE GET THE FULL BIBLE. 
          WE CAN DO THAT. 
          UH, AND LET'S JUST DO THE FINAL ADOPTED BUDGET IS THAT, IS OUR CONTRACT WITH THE PUBLIC OF HOW WE'RE GONNA USE THEIR DOLLARS. 
          SO LET'S PRINT A COPY OF THE FINAL ADOPTED BUDGET BECAUSE ONCE WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, THE PROPOSED ONE, THIS IS WASTED PAPER. 
          SO LET'S NOT PRINT THE PROPOSED ONE ANYMORE. 
          SO THAT'S A, THAT WOULD SLASH IT IN HALF. 
          YEAH. 
          SO IF THAT, IF THAT'S OKAY. 
          IF THERE'S A CONSENSUS, WE COULD REMOVE THE FUNDING FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET BOOK. 
          BUT WE STILL WOULD PRINT THE ADOPTED BUDGET BOOK THAT ABOUT $6,000. 
          YEAH, EXACTLY. 
          BUT THAT 6,000 WOULD BE IN THE 27 BUDGET. 
          JUST HOW THE TIMING OF THE FUNDING AND EVERYTHING. 
          BUT IF WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT, I THINK THAT'S FINE. 
          WE'LL REMOVE THE, UH, FUNDING FOR THE PROPOSED AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PRINT THE ADOPTED. 
          SO THAT WE'LL CALL THAT LIKE A PARTIAL ACCEPTANCE. 
          UH, WE HAVE NUMBER OF PARKS AND RECS PROGRAMS. NUMBER 38. 
          UH, SENIOR PROGRAMMING NUMBER 38. 
          WE DISCUSSED THIS A BIT LAST TIME. 
          UH, REDUCING DOWN THE NUMBER ONE HEARING. 
          NO, NO. 
          UH, INTERESTED IN ELIMINATING, WE WILL SHOW IT KEPT. 
          THIS IS AT THE FOUR PER YEAR OR THREE PER YEAR. 
          87 I THINK IS FOR ALL OF THEM. 
          BUT THERE WAS DISCUSSION A ABOUT $18,000 ONE TIME. 
          BUT 
          [02:50:01]
YOU, I THINK ALL HAD THAT DISCUSSION AT THE LAST MEETING AND DECIDED TO NOT DO THAT AND KEPT ALL OF THE, THE SENIOR PROGRAMS. OH, SO WE, IT WASN'T TO GO DOWN TO THREE, IT WAS TO GO TO CORRECT. 
          THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THIS ONE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I THINK YOU LANDED AT NOT MOVING THE, REMOVING ANY FUNDING AT ALL AND KEEPING THE EXISTING PROGRAM. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, NUMBER 39. 
          SENIOR ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. 
          KEEP, WE'RE GOOD ON KEEPING IT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, FOR SENIOR SCENES PROGRAM NUMBER 40, NOTHING. 
          NO. 
          YEAH, KEEP IT. 
          KEEPING IT. 
          OKAY. 
          NOT ACCEPTING THAT REDUCTION. 
          UH, 41 SCALE SMALL SCALE EVENTS. 
          NUMBER 41. 
          NO, WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING THAT. 
          WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT. 
          NOT HEARING ANY CONFLICT. 
          WE WILL ON YOU EAT GEESE OR BUNNY. 
          I HAVE PHOTOS WITH SANTA. 
          THIS IS TERRIBLE. 
          WHO, WHO WOULD SAY THAT? OH, MY . 
          THANK YOU. 
          NUMBER 42. 
          SUMMER CAMP. 
          FIELD TRIPS. 
          TRANSPORTATION NUMBER 42. 
          NO, NO. 
          NUMBER 43. 
          PLAYGROUND. 
          PLAYGROUND REVIEW. 
          NUMBER 43. 
          WHAT'S THAT? IT'S THE CAMP. 
          IT'S THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          UH, LISTEN, I'M BIASED 'CAUSE I ATTENDED IT. 
          MY DAUGHTER PARTICIPATES. 
          THAT'S THE FILLMORE, RIGHT? YEAH, AT THE FILLMORE. 
          IT'S INCREDIBLE. 
          WE'RE NOT GONNA TOUCH. 
          ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA SHOW KEEP, UH, NOT ACCEPTING THE REC, NOT, THERE'S NO RECOMMENDATION. 
          SORRY. 
          NOT ACCEPTING THE REDUCTION. 
          UH, NUMBER 44. 
          VETERANS DAY PARADE AND EVENT. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, 45. 
          THE EMPLOYEE HALLOWEEN EVENT. 
          NO. 
          NO. 
          YES. 
          . 
          I THINK THERE'S CONSENSUS. 
          THAT'S FOR THE MORALE OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO DEDICATE A LOT. 
          WE WENT THROUGH THE, YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, NUMBER 46 PLAYTIME PROGRAM. 
          WHAT IS THAT? I KNOW. 
          WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT? SUCH PRESCHOOL. 
          PRESCHOOL. 
          PRESCHOOL PROGRAM. 
          NO. 
          AND CAMP FOR TOTS? NO. 
          CAMP FOR NUMBER 47. 
          CAMP FOR TOTS? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          NUMBER 48. 
          THE SOLE VEGAN FESTIVAL. 
          YOU ARE 48. 
          SO CAN WE, JOHN, CAN I ASK YOU? I DON'T MEAN TO NO. 
          CAN WE JUST, UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S, IT'S BEEN REALLY POPULAR AND GETTING BETTER EVERY YEAR AND IT'S A THING. 
          BUT 50 GRAND. 
          I MEAN, WE, THERE, THERE AREN'T THAT MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE GIVE THAT MUCH MONEY TO SPONSOR. 
          SO CAN WE REDUCE THE FUNDING AND HAVE THEM FIGURE OUT HOW TO COME BACK TO US? ABSO ABSOLUTELY. 
          IF THAT'S WHAT WE END UP WITH, I'LL, I'LL GO TO, UM, THE, THE PROMOTER. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I'LL WORK WITH HIM AND HIS GROUP ON WHAT CAN WE DO FOR WHATEVER YOU BUDGET. 
          YEAH, LET'S DO THAT. 
          BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT IT IS, UM, BROADEN, BROADENED ITS APPEAL AND IT'S, IT'S GAINING TRACTION. 
          SO LET'S, LET'S, HOW ABOUT FOR THIS YEAR? TRY 15 AND THEN SEE WHAT HAPPENS AS, AS IT GROWS. 
          LIKE THE GOAL, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF OUR PROGRAMMING THAT WE DO, UM, AS PART OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH. 
          AND THIS IS PART OF OUR DIVERSITY IN S'S NO, THAT'S WHY WANNA KEEP IT. 
          AND, BUT I DO NOT SUPPORT LOWERING THE FUNDING OF THIS, OF THIS EVENT. 
          AND, AND THEY CAN'T DO THE, THE EVENT, THE $15,000. 
          OKAY, SO LET'S DO IT TO 30,000. 
          CAN THEY DO, CAN YOU DO THE EVENT? I I DON'T SUPPORT CUTTING THIS SIDE THERE. 
          LOOK, I DON'T WANNA LOSE THIS EVENT. 
          I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW, HOW WOULD IT GET TO FOUR? WELL, WE JUST, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS TO HIGHLIGHT. 
          I AGREE. 
          AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE. 
          CARIBBEAN CULTURE. 
          AND THIS IS WHAT THIS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS. 
          I UNDERSTAND. 
          SO HOW DO WE I AM NOT GONNA SUPPORT TOUCHING ANY FUNDING THAT'S REMOVING. 
          FINE. 
          SO HOW DO WE GET TO FOUR? WHAT DO YOU MEAN FOUR? FOUR VOTES TO KEEP IT. 
          TO KEEP IT WELL, THE FOUR OF US. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE ARE KEEPING, WE'RE WE'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT ACCEPTING. 
          WE'RE KEEPING THIS. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'RE KEEPING, WE'RE KEEPING NUMBER 49. 
          FULL FUNDING, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          FULL FUNDING. 
          UH, UH, 49 HOLIDAY LIGHTS AT SCOTT RACKL. 
          WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING THAT. 
          ELIMINATE THAT. 
          NO. 
          NOT ACCEPT NOT DOING THAT ONE. 
          OKAY. 
          NUMBER 50, CITYWIDE HEALTH AND WELLNESS INITIATIVES. 
          THIS IS RESIDENT PROGRAMS. OH, KEEP, OKAY. 
          KEEPING WHAT DOES, OKAY. 
          BUT WHAT DOES THIS DO? BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE HAVE EVENT, WE HAVE, UH, HEALTH AND WELLNESS RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS AT THE PARKS. 
          SO I NEED TO KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND DIFFERENT LINES OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS EVENTS WITH THE PARKS. 
          SO I WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM. 
          THESE ARE THE EVENTS THAT WE HOLD THROUGH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. 
          LIKE THE CHRIS, THE PULL UP JAM THAT'S COMING UP IN OCTOBER, WHERE CHRIS HERRERA THAT A LOT OF YOU HAVE ATTENDED. 
          WE DID A, AN OFFSHOOT COMMUNITY BASED WHEN WATER PALOOZA WAS HAPPENING, WE WORKED WITH THEM TO DO SOMETHING, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC. 
          IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          WHERE, WHERE'S THE MONEY SPENT, JOHN? BECAUSE THOSE THINGS SEEM PRETTY JUST ORGANIC TO ME. 
          YEAH. 
          YOU KNOW, I, I'VE BEEN AT THEM, THEY'RE FUN. 
          BUT WHERE DOES THAT 50 GRAND GO? OH, I BRING THE BREAKDOWN. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, STAFFING, IT'S LIKE A DOLLAR FOR EVERY PULL UP. 
          I THINK. 
          LOOK, GIRLS VOLLEYBALL, TEAM BASKETBALL, I DON'T WANNA ELIMINATE THAT. 
          NO. 
          EITHER WIDE, BUT, AND LIKE ANY IDEA WHERE IT'S SPENT. 
          'CAUSE THEY 
          [02:55:01]
ALL JUST SEEM ORGANIC, RIGHT? IT'S RIGHT. 
          THERE'S QUITE A FEW IN THIS LIST. 
          IT'S NOT JUST ONE EVENT. 
          SO IF YOU HAVE DIVIDE 50 BY SEVEN, IT'S, IT'S THAT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY. 
          CINDY, DO YOU HAVE LINE ITEMS? CINDY? OF COURSE I WANNA KEEP THESE QUIZ. 
          I'M NOT GONNA VOTE TO ELIMINATE THEM. 
          I, I'M JUST CURIOUS. 
          THE ONES I'VE, THESE ARE EASY POP QUIZZES. 
          THEY GO TOWARD OPERATING EXPENSES LIKE AWARDS, TROPHY SUPPLIES, UM, WATER, UM, SNACKS, FRUITS THAT WE GIVE OUT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          CAN WE FIND SPONSORSHIP FOR THAT? LIKE PEPSI, LIKE WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH PEPSICO. 
          CAN'T PEPSICO PROVIDE THE WATER FOR THAT? CAN WE FIND A SPONSOR TO DO THE AWARD? YOU KNOW, THE EQUINOX PULL UP JAM? YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          THE EQUINOX PULL UP JAM AWARD. 
          YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY. 
          IF I MAY, WHAT MAYBE COULD HAPPEN DIRECTION WISE IS I THINK THE BUDGET WOULD HAVE TO REMAIN, BUT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT COULD BE DIRECTED TO EXPLORE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. 
          I'D LIKE TO WORK EXPLORE AS IF THEY DON'T COME. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO THERE MAY BE SOME SAVINGS IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WHERE THEY COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, BY THE WAY, THIS WAS, UM, WE DO PROGRAM BUDGETING. 
          UH, THEY HAVE THIS 1150, 50,000 MAYBE NEXT YEAR. 
          IT SAYS $42,000 AGO, REDUCED BY 8,000. 
          THEY FOUND SPONSORS FOR $8,000 FOR THE PROGRAMS. JOHN, ARE THESE EVENTS WELL ATTENDED? Y YES, BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY BASE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR 10,000 PEOPLE. 
          OUR GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT TEAM, BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT, COME ON. 
          THOSE ARE FUN. 
          ARE, YEAH, WE DO A PROGRAM PROPOSAL AND CLOSE OUT. 
          WE DON'T CONTINUE FAILING PROGRAMS. SO ANYTHING WE CONTINUE TO DO DID WELL THE YEAR BEFORE. 
          HEY, YOU GUYS ARE INCREDIBLE. 
          SO IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT, WE CAN, WE CAN KEEP, WE COULD KEEP THIS ITEM IN, BUT DIRECTION V PARTS FIND SPONSORSHIPS, ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPONSORSHIPS THAT THE COMMISSION? YEAH, I MEAN, PEPSI SHOULD BE PEPSI'S PART OF PEPSI, FRITO-LAY. 
          THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ALL THE FOOD AND DRINK THAT WE ARE OFFERING. 
          THEY'VE GOT ENOUGH IN THEIR PORTFOLIO. 
          SO, AND WE HAVE A VERY LUCRATIVE, THEY HAVE A VERY LUCRATIVE CONTRACT WITH US. 
          SO THAT SHOULD ELIMINATE A FEW GRAND RIGHT OFF THE TOP AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST KEEP WORKING ON IT TOGETHER. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE WILL SHOW JUST, UM, FOR, TO HELP RALPH OUT. 
          UH, NUMBER 50 WILL BE STAYING, BUT, UH, THE, THE ADMINISTRATION WILL EXPLORE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ON ITEM 50. 
          OKAY. 
          JOHN, FOR 51, IF, IF WE EVER EXPLORED WITH LIKE OUR, UH, BEACH VENDORS, IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'D BE ABLE TO USE SOME OF THEIR MAN AND WOMAN POWER TO HELP OUT WITH, UH, THE BEACHFRONT RESTROOMS WITH THE REST REPORTERS. 
          NO, WE'VE ALWAYS TAKEN CARE OF THAT WITH OUR, UH, JANITORIAL CONTRACT. 
          WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE BATHROOMS. AND THIS IS JUST FOR HIGH STICK AND SPAN CLEAN WHEN WE'RE DOING I AGREE WITH THAT. 
          I'M JUST SAYING CAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR DO IT BETTER FOR LESS? THE THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS, IS DOING IT. 
          THEY'RE NOT CITY STAFF SUBCONTRACT. 
          RIGHT. 
          IT'S OUR JANITORIAL CONTRACT, NOT CITY STAFF THAT DOES THIS. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO IT'S PRIVATE SECTOR, IT'S ALREADY OUTSOURCED, BUT, BUT THIS IS, UM, ENHANCED FOR HIGH IMPACT WEEKENDS, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT EVERY DAY. 
          IT IS EVERY DAY STUFF. 
          I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT IT ENHANCED SERVICES DURING HIGH IMPACT PERIODS. 
          WE HAVE, WE HAVE PORTERS IN TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. 
          HIGH IMPACT WITH A LOT OF TIMES WE GET SOME MONEY TO RESORT TAX TO PAY FOR THAT. 
          BUT THEN IMAGINE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS THAT THAT'S NOT RESORT TAX QUALIFYING. 
          WE WILL PAY OUT OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET TO GO HAVE A PORTER. 
          MAYBE THE RESTROOM'S AT UNAF, FOR EXAMPLE. 
          RIGHT? WHO NEEDS SOME, YOU NEED A SPECIAL PORTER THERE ON SITE. 
          AND WE, WE DON'T, WE WE'RE VERY CAUTIOUS WITH WITH THAT SERVICE. 
          AND IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE OF, OF SAFETY OR THERE'S SOMETHING GO GOING ON AT THAT MOMENT. 
          WE'RE DOING A SPECIAL EVENT AT ALTO STO MAR. 
          WE'RE GONNA WANT, WE'RE GONNA WANT A PORTER THERE DURING THAT EVENT. 
          THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD PROBABLY A GENERAL FUND EXAMPLE, NOT A RESORT TAX EXAMPLE. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO WE'RE KEEPING THE PORTER 51 WILL SHOW KEEPING, UH, KEEPING WITH THE PARK THEME. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH YOU JOHN. 
          I'LL STAY, UH, 52, UH, DOG WASTE BAGS AND STATIONS NUMBER 52. 
          NO, SAMMY SAYS NO. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'LL BE KEEPING THAT. 
          UH, NUMBER 53 IS, UH, GOT TWO PIECES TO IT. 
          UH, ELIMINATING 15 PARKS PART-TIMERS. 
          THERE'S 13 VACANT SEASONAL INCLUSIONARY AIDE AND ALSO TWO VACANT RECREATIONAL LEADER ONES. 
          OKAY. 
          JOHN, COULD YOU, OH, SORRY, COMMISSIONER. 
          BUT IT, FROM WHAT I GOT FROM YOU, THIS WOULDN'T CAUSE ANY DISRUPTION. 
          THESE ARE KIND OF LIKE FLOATING POSITIONS. 
          WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING A, ANY CURRENT STAFF OR THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          WE HAVE THE NEED FOR A GREAT NUMBER OF INCLUSIONARY AIDS, BUT THE TRUTH IS WE'RE, WE'RE VERY RARELY ABLE TO FILL THEM. 
          SO THEY'VE BEEN HISTORICALLY VACANT. 
          SO WE WOULDN'T SEE A REDUCTION IN, IN WHAT WE'RE OFFERING RIGHT NOW. 
          SO IF WE WERE SO TREMENDOUS PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND THEY NEED A INCLUSIONARY AIDS, BUT WE CAN'T, SO, AND NOBODY ELSE DOES THIS. 
          THIS IS A VERY, VERY SPECIAL PROGRAM WITH FOR CHILDREN WITH, UM, AUTISM DISABILITIES. 
          BUT HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO FILL THESE POSITIONS? THAT'S THE PROBLEM. 
          HOW LONG HAVE WE HAVE IT FUNDED FOR? OH MY GOSH. 
          I WILL TELL YOU THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, THIS IS MY THIRD BUDGET. 
          I THINK THAT WE FUNDED IN THE LAST TWO, A COUPLE OF INCLUSIONARY AIDS AND WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH PARK STAFF BEING VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR ELEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN AND THE, THE NEEDS THERE FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. SO I THINK THE COMMISSION 
          [03:00:01]
HAS ACTUALLY ADDED ENHANCEMENTS IN THE PAST YEAR TWO, A COUPLE YEARS TO ADD FUNDING TOWARDS THIS. 
          WELL, WE HAVE 15 AND SO ARE WE BUDGETING FOR TOO MANY? MAYBE WE NEED TO BUDGET FOR LESS. 
          WELL, I THINK THAT'S WHAT JOHN WAS THINKING. 
          WE, WE HAVE A FULL INCLUSIONARY RECREATION PROGRAM, MEANING THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE MAINSTREAM INTO THE PROGRAM AND SOME, SOME OF THESE CHILDREN EITHER NEED A, A ONE-ON-ONE SHADOW OR MAYBE TWO OR THREE ON ONE SHADOW AS PART OF THE INCLUSIONARY. 
          SO OUR GOAL IS WE COULD, WE COULD USE THESE, THESE FOLKS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL NEEDS PARTICIPANTS WE HAVE, BUT WE PUT 'EM ON THE LIST BECAUSE WE'VE JUST BEEN UNABLE TO FILL, TO FILL THEM. 
          WE PREFER NOT TO HAVE IT ON THE LIST. 
          BUT WE'D BE DISHONEST IN SAYING THAT WE FILL THEM THIS YEAR. 
          SO JOHN, IF I COULD HELP, IS IF YOU, IF YOU KEPT THE, THE, MAYBE NOT THE PART TWO, THE THE TWO RECON REC LEADERS, BUT THE 13 INCLUSIONARY AIDS, IF YOU ACTUALLY FILL THOSE POSITIONS, YOU'D BE ABLE TO BRING MORE PEOPLE IN. 
          THERE'S PEOPLE WAITING AS SOON AS YOU HIRE PEOPLE OR THEY'RE IN WITHOUT ENOUGH SUPERVISION, WITHOUT THE SHADOW. 
          YEAH, BUT WHAT THIS DOESN'T ADDRESS IS THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T FILL THE, LIKE OBVIOUSLY IF, IF WE HAD THESE SPOTS AND THEY WERE FILLED AND WE WERE USING THEM, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING BECAUSE THAT'S THE GOAL. 
          BUT IF WE'RE HOLDING MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR SPOTS THAT WE HISTORICALLY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FILL, AND, AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF YOU FIND SOMEBODY YOU'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, FINALLY YOU FIND SOMEBODY TO FILL ONE OF THESE SPOTS, BRING IT TO US AS A BUDGET ENHANCEMENT, I THINK YOU'D HAVE UNANIMOUS SUPPORT TO, TO ADD IT AS A BUDGET ENHANCEMENT. 
          IF WE'RE HOLDING $200,000, THAT IS NEVER BEING USED. 
          NEVER. 
          MAYBE, OR DO SIX. 
          YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY MAYBE YOU COULD SPLIT IT AND DO, UH, SIX AND CUT SIX OF THE, UH, INCLUSIONARY AIDS AND ONE OF REC AND IF THE DYNAMICS CHANGED AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S A FLOOD ON THE MARKETPLACE OF, OF PEOPLE WHO WANT THESE JOBS, THEN LET'S HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN. 
          WE PUT THEM ALL ON THE, I'M SORRY, SIX AND ONE, CUT IT IN HALF. 
          SIX AND ONE. 
          YES, WE PUT THEM ALL ON THE TABLE, BUT I, I PREFER SIX AND ONE. 
          AND THEN IF WE DON'T FILL THESE SIX BY NEXT YEAR, I'LL BE STANDING HERE TELLING YOU ANOTHER YOU WENT BY AND WE, WE DIDN'T. 
          SO THIS WOULD REDUCE THE BUDGET OF IT FROM 200,000 TO 100? WELL, IT'S SIX. 
          YEAH, IT IS APPROXIMATELY, APPROXIMATELY. 
          IT'S NOT THAT THEY, THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO BE FILLED. 
          IT'S THAT THERE ISN'T A DISABLED CHILD THAT NEEDS THE SHADOW. 
          BUT SHOULD THAT DISABLED CHILD ARRIVE AT THE PROGRAM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE POSITION OPEN. 
          SO I THINK HE HAS THESE SIX, SO HE FILLS THESE SIX. 
          IT NEEDS MORE. 
          UH, THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE ISN'T THAT FAR AWAY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. 
          IT HAPPENS VERY QUICKLY. 
          SO, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WOULD JUST ADD A, A, AN ENHANCEMENT AND SAY WE FILLED THOSE SIX AND ACTUALLY WE THINK WE CAN GO MORE. 
          UM, SO IF, IF IT'S OKAY, I THINK THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONSENSUS TO CUT SIX INCLUSIONARY PART-TIMERS AND ONE OF THE TWO REC LEADER ONES. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? YES. 
          YEAH, WE'RE GOOD. 
          WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'LL SHOW, UH, SIX NUMBER 53 6 OF THE INCLUSIONARY AIDS AND ONE OF THE REC LEADER ONES. 
          THAT'S NUMBER 53. 
          NUMBER 54. 
          INTRAMURAL BASEBALL PROGRAM. 
          54. 
          NO. 
          YEAH. 
          WELL, BUT THIS WON'T AFFECT THE OPERATION. 
          IF WE TAKE A, IF THIS, IF WE DO THIS REDUCTION, IT'S NOT GONNA AFFECT THE PROGRAM. 
          IS THAT RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          IF, IF I MAKE COMMISSIONER, SO WE, WE BUDGET AS IF THE PROGRAM WAS FULL EVERY CAMP, EVERY CLINIC, EVERY SEASON. 
          AND HISTORICALLY IT'S NOT FULL TO THIS EXTENT. 
          SO BY EXAMINING THE NUMBERS, WE FEEL AS THOUGH IF WE CUT 50, IT WOULDN'T AFFECT FOR THE PROGRAM. 
          THIS MAY BE ANOTHER CASE THAT IF THE PROGRAM GROWS, I COULD COME BACK TO YOU AT A FINANCE MEETING MIDYEAR SO WE CAN CONTINUE PROVIDING THE PROGRAM WITHOUT AFFECTING THE PROGRAM AT ALL. 
          STATUS, STATUS QUO. 
          SO, AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER THE MAYOR WHO IS A HUGE BASEBALL FAN AND WAS A PLAYER. 
          AND IF YOU NEED IT WAS, IS STILL A PLAYER. 
          I THREW OUT THE FIRST PITCH, THE LINS GAME, DIDN'T YOU? I KNOW, BUT YOU GO ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
          SO YOU GOT YOUR GUY RIGHT HERE. 
          ALL RIGHT, PERFECT. 
          ALRIGHT, SO WE CAN ELIMINATE THIS TAKE. 
          I'LL TAKE THAT VOLUNTEER. 
          ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL SHOW OVER 54 ACCEPTED. 
          THANK YOU JOHN. 
          UH, MOVING ON THE PLANNING, UH, NUMBER 55, UH, ELIMINATION OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD AND ASSOCIATED POSITIONS. 
          I'M SUMMARIZING IT. 
          NO. 
          HOW IS THIS GOING TO AFFECT APPLICATIONS GOING BEFORE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD? WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE COMPLAIN A LOT OF TIMES ABOUT THE TIME ABOUT THE PROCESS AND DELAYS IN GETTING THEIR APPLICATIONS HEARD. 
          WILL THIS DELAY APPLICATIONS BEFORE THE BOARD? MR. PLANNING DIRECTOR? YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          THE NEXT COUPLE OF ONES I THINK ALL BLEND TOGETHER. 
          UH, YEAH, BECAUSE OF THE ELIMINATION OF STAFF, I WILL NOT SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT WILL DELAY BUSINESSES IN OUR CITY GETTING THEIR APPROVALS AND BOTH POSITIONS. 
          THE PRINCIPAL PLANNER. 
          AND THESE ARE FILLED POSITIONS, IN FACT. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED, DIDN'T WE RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS AND REQUESTS FOR MORE POSITIONS IN THESE DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO HANDLE THE PROCESSING OF THESE APPLICATIONS QUICKER? SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, I THINK THAT THIS ITEM IS TALKING ABOUT ELIMINATION OF THE BOARDS THEMSELVES. 
          OH NO, NO. 
          WE CANNOT TOUCH THIS. 
          ABSOLUTELY NOT. 
          NO. 
          ALRIGHT, WE'LL SHOW, WE WANTED YOU TO STAY HERE, 
          [03:05:01]
BUT I HAVE A FEELING MAY HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE NEXT ONE. 
          50 NUMBER 55. 
          ERIC, YOU TURN THAT AROUND. 
          CHRIS. 
          ERIC, 55 50 DISCUSSION? 57. 
          50 50. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          SPEEDING ALONG HERE. 
          57, 58. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          NO, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, NUMBER 59. 
          UH, OVERTIME REDUCTION OF VARIOUS EXISTING OVERTIME DETAILS. 
          NUMBER 59. 
          AND IF JUST TO FOR YOUR EDIFICATION, THERE ARE NINE INDIVIDUAL SUB ELEMENTS TO THIS, UH, ONE THROUGH NINE, YOU'LL SEE IN THE DESCRIPTION, UH, RANGING AT DIFFERENT DOLLAR VALUES. 
          AND, AND I'LL JUST SPEAK HERE. 
          YOU KNOW, IT WAS A MOMENT FOR ALL OF US TO BE VERY PROUD, UM, IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SOME TIME, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS FULLY STAFFED. 
          YES. 
          SO WE ARE PRIDING OURSELVES ON PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          AND YOU SEE THE ENHANCEMENTS, THE INCREASES THAT DID HAPPEN TO OUR BUDGET WERE ALMOST ENTIRELY EXCLUSIVELY DRIVEN BY POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          NOW THAT WE ARE AT FULL CAPACITY, ONE OF THE BENEFITS AND THINGS THAT WE SHOULD LOOK TO DO IS ACTUALLY PULLING BACK ON SOME OF THE OVERTIME COSTS. 
          RIGHT? THAT'S NOT UNIQUE FOR A POLICE. 
          THAT SAME THING FOR A FIRE. 
          WHEN YOU GET TO A FULL STAFFING LEVEL, BY DEFINITION YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, SAVE ON SOME OF THE, UH, OVERTIME COSTS. 
          AND I COMMEND THE CHIEF AND AS STAFF FOR PUTTING FORWARD SOME OF THESE, UH, SENSIBLE SOLUTIONS. 
          AND WE WOULD NEVER BE DISCUSSING THIS IF WE WEREN'T ONE, A SAFER CITY THAN WE WERE. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND TWO, WE'RE FULLY STAFFED. 
          SO WE DON'T NEED THAT ADDED CAPACITY, UH, THAT WE WOULD'VE NEEDED IN YEARS PAST. 
          SO I'M GONNA BE A YES ON THIS. 
          JUST AGAIN, TO CLARIFY, THERE ARE NINE SPECIFIC OVERTIME DETAIL. 
          SO IF THIS WAS REMOVED, THE WHOLE THING OR ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT SPECIFIC OVERTIME DETAIL WOULD END. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO CALL OUR CHIEF TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING HERE THAT'S SPECIFICALLY IMPORTANT. 
          YOU SEE WE HAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE OFFICER FOR HOMELESS ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
          I AM NOT GONNA SUPPORT TOUCHING THAT. 
          YEAH, WE COULD TAKE THESE, UH, PIECEMEAL, BUT ROLLING LOUD. 
          IT DOESN'T EVEN EXIST ANYMORE. 
          HEY, THAT IS THE, THE GUY FROM OFFICE SPACE THAT'S DOWN IN THE GARAGE THAT WE MILTON THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT. 
          . 
          GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. 
          COMMISSIONER WAYNE JONES, PLEASE. 
          CHIEF. 
          UM, COINCIDENTALLY, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE. 
          ROLLING LOUD IS THE ONE THING WE, WE CERTAIN WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT. 
          IT DOESN'T EXIST. 
          UM, IN TRADITIONAL SENSE. 
          IT EXISTED IN A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WHEN IT DID BRING A LOT OF ISSUES TO THE CITY. 
          WE HAD TO STAFF UP SIGNIFICANTLY TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. 
          UH, THOSE ISSUES DON'T EXIST ANYMORE. 
          SO WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT THAT. 
          THE ODA TOPS PROGRAM. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THIS. 
          SO IF WE, SO WE HAVE $30,000 FOR THE TOPS PROGRAM? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          WE SHOULDN'T BE TOUCHING THAT. 
          I'D RATHER NOT. 
          OKAY, SO WE'RE NOT TOUCHING THAT. 
          WHAT, I'M SORRY, WHAT ARE WE NOT TOUCHING? NUMBER ONE. 
          NUMBER ONE. 
          YEAH. 
          AGREED. 
          NUMBER TWO IS THE TRAFFIC CON TRAFFIC CONGESTION MITIGATION. 
          WE CANNOT TOUCH THAT. 
          WE CAN CORRECT. 
          AGREE. 
          OKAY. 
          ROLLING OUT. 
          I THINK CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, THAT NO LONGER EXISTS SO WE CAN THAT'S, THAT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND. 
          THAT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND RIGHT THERE. 
          WHAT IS FOR COPPER? WHAT'S TESTING? WHAT'S THAT? UM, THAT'S A TEST ADMINISTERED TO OUR POLICE OFFICERS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. 
          WE CHECK, WE TEST THE PHYSICAL AGILITY. 
          UM, MAKE SURE THEY CAN, UM, PHYSICAL, WHAT'S THAT? RUN A MILE UNDER 10 MINUTES. 
          DO YOU HAVE THIS, UH, ON VIDEO? NOT ALL THEM THAT FAST. 
          WHAT'S THAT SIR? DO YOU HAVE THIS ON VIDEO? UM, NO. 
          WE CAN MAKE MONEY SELLING CHARGE ADMISSION. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT, SO WE NEED THIS. 
          WE CAN'T TOUCH THAT IN ESSENCE. 
          WELL, NO. 
          'CAUSE IT, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'D STILL BE DOING IT, BUT JUST WITH FEWER PROCTORS, IF I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY, UH, WE COULD FIND SOME SMART WAYS TO POSSIBLY DO IT ALL WITH ON-DUTY STAFFING. 
          UM, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO RUN THROUGH THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION IN A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME. 
          UM, EACH TIME WE'RE PULLING PEOPLE OF THE REGULAR GDS, PARTICULARLY LIKE IN PATROL PER SE. 
          UM, IDEALLY WE WOULD WANNA BACKFILL THOSE POSITIONS FOR THE TIME IT TAKES THEM TO GO THROUGH A TESTING PROCESS. 
          BUT WE CAN FIND SOME SMART WAYS TO DO, UM, MORE EFFICIENT JOB. 
          THAT I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          I I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO WE CAN THAT'S 10,000 RIGHT THERE. 
          MOVE. 
          YEP. 
          SORRY, I KEEP TRACK. 
          WE'RE GETTING RID OF THE COOPER TESTING. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, NO, IT WE'RE JUST, UH, REALLOCATING THE RESOURCES. 
          THE RESOURCES. 
          THEY'RE STILL DOING THE TESTING. 
          YEP. 
          THEY'RE JUST BEING MORE, THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE EFFICIENT THAN HOW THEY DO IT. 
          AND, AND FOR FIVE, MR. I BELIEVE THIS WAS YOUR INITIATIVE. 
          CORRECT, MR. MAYOR, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE. 
          AND WE'RE STILL KEEPING THIS, WE'RE JUST ESSENTIALLY CHANGING THE CYCLING. 
          WELL, I, AND I, SO THE, THE PROGRAM THAT I HAD BROUGHT WAS THE CIVILIAN VOLUNTEER PATROL, WHICH IS SORT OF THE EXTRA, THIS IS THE CITIZENS POLICING ECONOMY. 
          RIGHT? IT'S CITIZENS POLICING ACADEMY. 
          SOMETHING WE'VE DONE FOR DECADES. 
          I QUITE FRANKLY HAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF ALUMNI 
          [03:10:01]
THAT WENT THROUGH THE, THE PROGRAM. 
          IT'S A SIX WEEK, UH, PROGRAM THAT ROTATES, UM, EVERY SIX WEEKS. 
          UM, WOULD RATHER KEEP THAT PROGRAM. 
          IT REALLY HELPS US OKAY. 
          CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY IN WAYS THAT, UM, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO SO WITHOUT IT. 
          YOU GONNA TAKE YOUR GUIDANCE? ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP THAT. 
          SO WE KNOW THE NRO FOR HOMELESSNESS. 
          WE GOTTA KEEP KEEP NUMBER SIX. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          NUMBER SEVEN. 
          THE REPORT PROCESSING UNIT RECORDS. 
          IT DELAYS OF HOW LONG, LIKE ARE WE TALKING A DAY OR TWO OR TWO MONTHS FOR THE, UM, UH, REPORT PROCESSING UNIT RECORDS? IT, IT VARIES. 
          I I CAN TELL YOU WE'RE IN A PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF, UH, GOING THROUGH, UM, AN UPDATE UPGRADE AND OUR RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. 
          ONCE THAT'S DONE, THIS WOULD BE ELIMINATED. 
          TOTALLY. 
          HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE FOR YOU TO TRANSITION OVER? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S A BEAR. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT, THAT'S A TECH, UH, ISSUE WE'RE GOING THROUGH. 
          I CAN'T GIVE YOU THAT. 
          IT IS BEYOND MY EXPERTISE. 
          UH, SO THIS WILL BE ELIMINATED ONCE THAT TRANSITION IS MADE. 
          TWO YEARS, TWO ESTIMATED. 
          SO DO WE NEED TO KEEP THIS FOR NOW? FOR NOW, YES. 
          WE NEED TO KEEP IT. 
          BUT THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE PHASED OUT AT SOME POINT IN NEAR FUTURE. 
          OKAY. 
          UNITS SUPPORT, TASK TECHNICAL SERVICES, $25,000. 
          IS THERE A WAY TO REALLOCATE EXISTING RESOURCES TO DO THIS WORK? I MEAN, AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH AND PRIORITIZING THE USE OF DRONES AND LPRS AND CAMERAS TO THEN SAY, OH, WE GOT 'EM, BUT THEY'RE BROKEN SO WE CAN'T USE THEM. 
          SEEMS REALLY A ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT, UH, BEING MORE EFFICIENT ACROSS THE BOARD USING TECHNOLOGY, LEVERAGING IT TO WORK SMARTER, UM, AND HARDER. 
          UM, THESE, AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS. 
          I THINK OVER TIME WE'LL JUST, UM, PHASE ITSELF OUT OF THE PROCESS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO KEEP IT FOR NOW. 
          WHAT'S THIS? 25,000. 
          SO WHAT DOES THIS, 25, IS THIS AN ENHANCEMENT OR WHAT IS THIS? 25,000 HERE? NO, IT'S BA BASICALLY SUPPORT THE UNIT, UM, OFFICERS THAT WORK IN THE UNIT TO DO THE MAINTENANCE IN SOME CASES TO THE, THE TECH THAT WE HAVE. 
          BUT THIS FUNDS A POSITION. 
          I MEAN, WHAT DOES THE 25,000 DO? SPENDS OVERTIME? OH, IT'S OVERTIME. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          ANOTHER POSITION. 
          GOT IT. 
          SO LIKE WHEN WE NEED TO DEPLOY AN LPR, UH, DURING, I DON'T KNOW, SOME SPECIAL EVENT. 
          THIS, THIS IS PROBABLY WHAT WE USE. 
          IT DEPENDS MAYBE, UH, INCLUDING SIMPLE, UH, THINGS AS, UM, BRINGING A PRODUCT IN, UM, DEALING WITH IT MM-HMM . 
          MAINTAINING IT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO IT VARIES. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH, LOOK, IT'S A SMALL COST. 
          I REMEMBER GOING THE R TECH CENTER AND HEARING ABOUT HOW THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED THIS WERE LITERALLY CLIMBING THE POLES AND JERRY REVIEW THINGS THEMSELVES. 
          SO I THINK WE'RE A FAR CRY. 
          HAPPILY A FAR CRY FROM THAT. 
          SO CHIEF, I'LL ASK YOU ON NUMBER NINE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          IT'S A BIG NUMBER, RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY THIS IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT, SPECIFIC, UH, INVESTIGATIVE. 
          AND I WAS PROBABLY A BENEFICIARY PERSONALLY AT A PERSONAL LEVEL. 
          I I CAN'T COMMEND THE MEN AND WOMEN OF YOUR DEPARTMENT ENOUGH. 
          THEY, THEY TRULY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR ME. 
          AND I'M SURE YOU CAN SAY THAT. 
          UH, DOZENS OR HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE EACH YEAR IN OUR CITY. 
          I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU. 
          UH, WE ARE FULLY STAFFED NOW. 
          NOW THAT WE'RE FULLY STAFFED. 
          DOES IT STILL REQUIRE OVERTIME MUCH IF YOU SAY IT DOES AS MUCH, I'M GOING TO TAKE YOUR WORD ON IT. 
          BUT YOU ALSO SEE WHERE ALL OF THIS IS GOING AND YOU KNOW, WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP AND LEADERSHIP IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SAY, WE'RE FULLY STAFFED, WE DON'T NEED THIS OVERTIME AS MUCH. 
          WE'RE NOT AS MUCH OF THIS. 
          YEAH. 
          I MEAN, CAN WE SPLIT, SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE? AND SO, UM, WE ARE FULLY STAFFED. 
          SO I'M REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF, UM, ON PAPER ALL OF OUR POSITIONS UP FILLED HEAR A BUT COMING. 
          YEAH. 
          NOT A GOOD POKER. 
          THERE IS A, BUT UM, ON PAPER ALL POSITIONS ARE FILLED. 
          UH, BUT SOME OF THE YOUNG POLICE OFFICERS WHO HIRED, UH, JUST LAST MONDAY, THOSE FOLKS HAVE TO THROUGH A TRAINING PROCESS, UM, BEST CASE SCENARIO TAKES 'EM ABOUT A YEAR OR SO BEFORE THEY'RE ON THE ROAD DOING POLICE WORK BY THEMSELVES. 
          AT WHAT WHICH POINT? A LOT OF THIS OVERTIME, STAFFING OVERTIME WILL BE REDUCED. 
          THE OVERTIME YOU'RE REFERRING TO THOUGH, THIS IS REACTIONARY OVERTIME. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A ED BURGLARIES IN A, GIVEN THE AREA OF THE CITY, UH, OVER DURING THE OVERNIGHT SHIFT, UM, YOU MAY HAVE TO STAFF UP ON A MOMENT'S NOTICE TO SORT OF ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. 
          SO THIS IS SORT OF A REACTION OVERTIME THAT WE CAN'T REALLY PROTECT. 
          I'LL, I'LL TAKE YOUR LEAD ON THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO WE ELIMINATED $110,000 FROM 59. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? SO YES. 
          59 WILL SHOW SUB 59 DASH THREE AND IT'S 59 DASH FOUR SPECIAL EVENTS ROLLING LOUD. 
          AND THE COOPER TESTING TO BE ELIMINATED FROM 59. 
          SO THAT BRINGS US TO $559,500 THAT WE'VE FOUND SUFFICIENT. 
          COUPLED WITH, UH, LAST MEETING, THAT'S $3 MILLION. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          UH, NUMBER 60, MIAMI MEADE COUNTY CRIME 
          [03:15:01]
LAB. 
          LAB STAFFING NUMBER 60. 
          SO I WOULD ASK, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY FUNDED AT 200,000 THAT OUR COMMISSION, I BROUGHT THIS FORWARD. 
          UM, I'VE, I'VE REDUCED IT TO, DOWN TO THIS 50,000. 
          SO WHAT IT IS, IS THE, UH, I'VE, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR SHERIFF, UH, AND THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. 
          THEY, THE COUNTY HAS DONE A BETTER JOB OF STAFFING THE CRIME LAB, BUT IT'S STILL IMPERFECT. 
          AND ESSENTIALLY THIS POSITION WOULD ALLOW THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH TO HIRE AND EMBED SOMEONE WHO WOULD TEST MIAMI BEACH DRUG ARREST. 
          'CAUSE SOME OF THE CASES WERE BEING DISMISSED 'CAUSE THE DRUGS WEREN'T BEING TESTED. 
          SO WHAT WHAT I'M SAYING THOUGH, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY 200,000. 
          WE'VE ALREADY NOW CUT IT DOWN TO 50. 
          IT, IT, IT, SO THIS IS NOT TO CUT THE PROGRAM. 
          THIS IS BECAUSE A CONTRACT HASN'T BEEN SIGNED. 
          AND SO WHEN IT DOES GET SIGNED, THERE'S GONNA BE A DELAY IN WHEN THE FUNDS GET SPENT. 
          SO IT'S STILL RIGHT. 
          BUT I SO YOU COULD ELIMINATE THE ENTIRE 200,000 THEORETICALLY, IF, IF YOU JUST WERE, DID NOT WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROGRAM. 
          WHAT THIS WOULD JUST DO IS IT JUST DELAYS THE FUNDING BECAUSE IF IT WAS 200, THIS JUST GIVES A QUARTER WORTH. 
          CORRECT. 
          'CAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF ROLL IN. 
          WELL, THIS WOULD BE ONE TIME NOT RECURRING. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT WHAT I'M, WHAT I, WHAT I'M MENTIONING IS THAT WHEN THIS WAS ORIGINALLY, INITIALLY APPROVED BY OUR COMMISSION, IT WAS FOR TWO POSITIONS. 
          BASED ON MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE CAN, WE CAN FULFILL WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH ONE POSITION. 
          SO IS A CONTRACT NEGOTIATED FOR TWO PEOPLE RIGHT NOW OR FOR ONE PERSON? WELL, THE CONTRACT HASN'T BEEN SIGNED YET. 
          WELL, NO, NO, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, IS IT PRESUMED TO COVER ONE OR TWO? GOOD EVENING, WAYNE JONES. 
          CHIEF PLEASE. 
          AGAIN. 
          UM, ORIGINALLY THE CONTRACT WAS NEGOTIATED, UH, STILL BEING NEGOTIATED FOR, FOR, FOR TWO PEOPLE. 
          UM, THE IDEA WAS FOR THOSE ANALYSTS TO PRIORITIZE OUR DRUG CASES FOR MONEY B SO WE CAN, UH, GREATER CONVICTION. 
          UM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S STILL SOME ISSUES IN LEGAL IN TERMS OF THE LANGUAGE, UM, WHAT WE WANT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE, UM, THE LAB IS ASKING FOR. 
          BUT, BUT IT'S NOT, SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT WHEN THE CONTRA GOT SOUND AND CONFIDENT WILL, BUT I THINK WHAT, WHAT THE QUESTION IS, IS IF IT WAS ORIGINALLY PREDICATED ON THE NEED TO HAVE TWO PEOPLE TO ACCOMPLISH IT, BUT NOW WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE MAYOR'S CONVERSATIONS WITH THE, THE, THE SHERIFF IS THAT THEY'RE DOING A BETTER JOB ON THEIR END. 
          SO WE NOW ONLY NEED TO SUPPLEMENT WITH ONE PERSON. 
          THEREFORE THE CONTRACT DOESN'T NEED TO BE FOR TWO PEOPLE. 
          IT NEEDS TO BE FOR ONE PERSON. 
          CORRECT. 
          SO WE WOULD NEED TO RECALIBRATE THE CONTRACT TO COME DOWN TO THAT LEVEL OF ONE PERSON. 
          RIGHT. 
          WELL THE CONTRACT HASN'T BEEN SIGNED. 
          NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          WELL, WOULD YOU HAVE TO ADJUST THE FUNDING DOWNWARD, OBVIOUSLY, BUT THE CONTRACT HASN'T BEEN SIGNED YET. 
          THE LANGUAGE SHOULD BE UPDATED. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THE CONTRACT IS CURRENTLY GOING TO BE, WHEN IT GETS SIGNED, CURRENTLY GOING TO BE FOR HOW MANY DOLLARS WE CAN ADJUST IT DOWNWARD FOR ONE. 
          THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. 
          YES. 
          IS THAT REFLECTED IN HERE SOMEPLACE? NO, IT IS NOT. 
          BUT IF THAT'S THE, THE WILL, I GUESS WE'D BE MOVING IT. 
          THAT WOULD GIVE YOU, WE DO A $100,000 RECURRING REDUCTION. 
          SO YOU'D HAVE $100,000 AND THAT'S ENOUGH TO FUND THE ONE POSITION, CORRECT? YES. 
          SO LET'S DO THAT. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE A MODIFICATION OF THAT. 
          SO, WELL THE QUESTION IS, 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN MODIFYING, RIGHT NOW IT'S THE 200,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 2027. 
          SO THIS MODIFICATION WON'T EVEN IMPACT THIS YEAR. 
          NO, THAT WOULD BE 27. 
          SO IN THE 26 BUDGET, SORRY, IN THE 26 BUDGET, WE HAVE $200,000 FOR THIS. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          THIS, THIS ELIMINATION WOULD REDUCE IT ONE TIME TO ONE 50, THEN 27 WOULD DROP BACK TO 200. 
          BUT IF, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THERE IS ON A RECURRING BASIS ONLY A NEED FOR, UH, $100,000 PER YEAR, WE COULD REMOVE, REDUCE THE RECURRING AMOUNT FROM 200 TO 100. 
          SO NUMBER 60 WOULD REFLECT A $100,000 RE UH, RECURRING REDUCTION. 
          IF THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING. 
          I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING. 
          YEAH. 
          'CAUSE THAT GETS YOU WHAT NEEDS THAT. 
          YOU GOOD WITH THAT CHIEF? YES. 
          YES SIR. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, NUMBER 60. 
          SO IF WE CAN, WE'LL SHOW NUMBER 60. 
          I THINK THERE'S CONSENSUS THERE TO REDUCE, UH, TO, TO ACCEPT IT, BUT TO MODIFY IT TO $100,000 PER YEAR RECURRING, WHICH WOULD STILL LEAVE OF 2027 EFFECTIVE 2027. 
          NO EFFECTIVE. 
          26. 
          26. 
          OKAY. 
          TO BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. 
          SO THEY'D HAVE THE $100,000 TO SIGN THAT CONTRACT TOMORROW? YEAH, IT COULD BE TOMORROW, OCTOBER 1ST. 
          AND THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO, UH, FILL THAT POSITION IMMEDIATELY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE WILL SHOW NUMBER 60, UH, BEING A $100,000 RECURRING, WHICH WOULD STILL LEAVE $100,000 RECURRING IN THE BUDGET FOR ONE FULL-TIME POSITION FOR THIS PROGRAM. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, NUMBER 61 MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM OPERATING EXPENDITURES. 
          ONE. 
          I MET THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BEFORE I MESSED WITH THE CAT LEAVES. 
          KEEP IT. 
          OKAY, WE'LL, WE'LL SHOW, WE'LL SHOW THAT BEING KEPT. 
          NUMBER 62, ELIMINATION OF DECORATIVE STREETLIGHT MAINTENANCE. 
          NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, NUMBER 63. 
          UH, ELIMINATE THE FILM INCENTIVE PROGRAM AND THE POSITION THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT. 
          OH, NUMBER 63, IT CAN ANYBODY ADDRESS HOW MUCH REVENUE THAT BRINGS INTO THE CITY? YEAH, I THINK, I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK WE FOUGHT A LONG TIME TO GET THAT BACK ON ITS FEET BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH THAT 
          [03:20:01]
PROGRAM, I THINK FOR SECOND. 
          WELL, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I WANNA KNOW BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD LOST A LOT OF TELEVISION AND PROGRAMMING, UM, TELEVISION FILM PRODUCTION IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND IT HURT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES WHO DO THE CRAFT G AND, YOU KNOW, PROPS AND MAKEUP AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. 
          SO CAN YOU ELIMINATE WHAT, WHAT THIS ALL IS? SURE. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          SO WE WORK AS A TRIFECTA WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, UH, CITY OF MIAMI AND THE G-M-C-B-B TO HELP PROMOTE FILM. 
          SINCE, UM, THE STATE CUT THAT FUNDING MANY YEARS AGO, UH, IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING, UH, TO SAY THE LEAST, WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS FUND. 
          WE'VE HAD IT SINCE 2018. 
          UH, WE HAD TO DIVERSIFY IT IN ORDER TO GET, UM, ANY, SOME MORE USE OUT OF IT. 
          WE HAVE YET TO HAVE ANY MAJOR FILM PRODUCTION APPLY FOR IT. 
          SO THE WAY THAT IT WORKS IS IF YOU HAVE, UM, A $25,000 SPEND IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, UH, FOR THREE DAYS AND YOU SHOOT HERE, YOU GET A $10,000 CASH REBATE. 
          SO NETFLIX, YOU KNOW, THOSE BIG PRODUCTIONS, IT'S NOT WORTH IT, IT FOR THEM. 
          IT'S NOT, NOT. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN DOING MORE PROGRAMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, DIFFERENT FILMING. 
          IF I COULD CATCH YOU UP, I, I'D RATHER SAVE OUR DRY POWDER IF IT'S TRULY NEEDED AS OPPOSED TO JUST PUTTING OUT A FEW BUCKS HERE AND THERE. 
          IF SOMETHING TRULY SUBSTANTIAL, YOU HAVE OUR, I DON'T WANNA SAY COMMITMENT, BUT YOU HAVE OUR FAITH, IF SOMETHING BIG COMES ALONG, BRING IT TO US. 
          DON'T JUST SHUT IT OFF. 
          BUT GIVING OUT $10,000 FOR EVERY TIME, DICK AND HARRY MIGHT NOT BE OUR BEST USE OF THE MONEY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO CUT THIS. 
          IF I THINK I'M HEARING CONSENSUS THAT WE, THE WE'LL ACCEPT AND ELIMINATE ITEM 63, IS THIS A FILLED POSITION? YES, I BELIEVE SO. 
          YES. 
          IT WOULD DIMINISH, UH, SOME OF THE DUTIES OF THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE FILM INCENTIVE AND THE REST WOULD BE THEN ABSORBED BY THE REST OF THE TEAM. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I THINK WE'LL SHOW CONSENSUS ON 63, UH, BEING, UH, BEING ELIMINATED AND ROUNDING ONTO THE LAST PAGE. 
          UH, THIS IS RESORT TAX, BUT WE, WE SHIPPED EVERYTHING BACK TO GENERAL FUND, UH, BACK TO CO COMPLIANCE. 
          UH, CODE NUMBER 64, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL INVESTIGATION UNIT OF CO COMPLIANCE. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          NO, WE NEED MORE OF THESE. 
          HEARING A NO. 
          UH, NUMBER 65, UH, ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT STAFF FOR CO COMPLIANCE. 
          NO, KEEP THE, THE CODE KEEPING THAT WE, WE NEED THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WE ALREADY DID 66. 
          WE ARE AT THE END OF ATTACHMENT E. 
          SO THE GRAND TOTAL  SUBSECTION THREE. 
          SO WHAT'S THE GRAND TOTAL BETWEEN THE 2 MILLION? LAST TIME AND TODAY IT WAS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION BETWEEN RESORT TAX AND UH, UM, AND GENERAL FUND. 
          AND I THINK THAT WE'VE FOUND WE'RE AT 793,500. 
          CUT. 
          IS THAT ALL? WELL, I'M SORRY, WHAT TAMIKA? THE COMP, WELL, WHAT WE JUST CUT RIGHT NOW WAS 7 93 500. 
          AND THAT'S FROM THE OVERALL BUDGET BECAUSE LIKE THINGS LIKE THE CIP AREN'T TECHNICALLY GENERAL FUND. 
          UM, SO, BUT STILL THAT'S ALMOST $800,000 POSITION. 
          WE'RE ALMOST THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE SAVED OVER THE PAST TWO MILLIONS AND NUM AND, AND HEAD COUNT. 
          YEAH. 
          AND HEAD COUNT. 
          AND, AND I WILL SAY THE ONE THING, UNLIKE LAST BUDGET YEAR, EVERY TIME WE CUT A PROGRAM WE WOULD SAY, OH, WE JUST SAVED $70,000 HERE. 
          I NEED 80,000 OVER HERE. 
          AND WE WOUND UP COSTING OURSELVES MONEY. 
          YEAH. 
          HERE WE TRULY SAVED OUR BUDGET, OUR TAXPAYERS THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. 
          SO, SO COMMISSIONER TO THAT POINT, I THINK FOR THIS PART WE'VE WRAPPED UP THAT THAT'LL BE PART OF THE SECOND ITEM, THE BUDGET. 
          SO WE WILL, THAT'S WHAT I'LL, I HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS WHEN WE GET TO THAT TO DISCUSS AT ADDITIONS AND SOME ADJUSTMENTS, BUT WE, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL SAY APPROVE THE BUDGET AS AMENDED, AS DISCUSSED. 
          UH, WHEN WE GET, WHEN WE GET TO THAT AND THESE DOLLARS ON ALL THESE CUTS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, AS CHAMPIONED BY THE COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE WILL BE SET ASIDE TO REALLY HELP US OUT FOR, FOR 27 FOR A BUDGET STABILIZATION, UH, RESERVE FOR THAT, WHICH IS A REALLY, REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR ANYONE WHO'S GOT CONCERN ON 27. 
          UH, THAT'S REALLY GOOD. 
          SO THAT IS THAT, SO I THINK WE'RE STILL BACK AT ITEM ONE, WHICH IS THE MILLAGE ITSELF COULD, AND THIS IS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          COULD I READ I ITEM THREE R SEVEN B AND WE CAN DO THE PUBLIC HEARING ON BOTH ITEMS? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          R 
          [R7 B A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL BUDGETS FOR THE GENERAL, G.O. DEBT SERVICE, CITY CENTER RDA AD VALOREM TAXES, NORTH BEACH CRA AD VALOREM TAXES, ENTERPRISE, INTERNAL SERVICE, AND SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.]
SEVEN B IS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL BUDGET FOR GENERAL GEO DEBT SERVICE CITY CENTER, RDA OUT OF VALOR TAXES NORTH BEACH CRA AT VALOR, TEXAS ENTERPRISE INTERVAL INTERNAL SERVICE OF SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 R SEVEN B. 
          IT IS A SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING. 
          MR. MAYOR, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          SO WHAT IS THE TOTAL THAT WE'RE SAVING BETWEEN THE FIRST EXERCISE AND THE EXERCISE WE DID TODAY, APPROXIMATELY 3.5 MILLION. 
          3.5 MILLION. 
          RIGHT? 3.5. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO THE 2.5 WAS ALREADY, UH, IN THE BUDGET, UH, AS APPROVED BY COMMISSION. 
          AND WHAT DOES THAT TRANSLATE TO IN TERMS 
          [03:25:01]
OF MILLAGE? SO THE ORIGINAL 2.5 WAS ALREADY BUILT INTO THE MILLAGE RATE AND THE 7 93 WOULD BE A REDUCTION OF 0.0155 MILLS, MR. CHAIR, THAT'S, I WOULD SAY IF, IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, INCORPORATE THAT REDUCTION OF THE MILLAGE INTO THE BUDGET, IT'S, IT'S SHOWING THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING IN AS A, AS A GOVERNMENT, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE GOING YEAR AFTER YEAR TO FIND EFFICIENCIES. 
          AND WE FIND WHEN WE FIND THOSE EFFICIENCIES, WHETHER IT BE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE RETURN THAT TO OUR RESIDENTS. 
          AND WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESSES, WE FIND EFFICIENCIES, WE REDUCE OUR MILLAGE. 
          I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REDUCE OUR MILLAGE BY THE EFFICIENCY THAT WE FOUND. 
          SECOND, IF I CAN, THE, I KNOW THE COMMISSIONER'S MOTIONS ON ALL THOSE CUTS WERE SPECIFIC TO BE SET ASIDE FOR THE 27 BUDGET STABILIZATION SO THAT THE 27 BUDGET WOULDN'T BE PROBLEM IF WE CUT THAT VILLAGE. 
          THAT'LL, THAT WILL JUST, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY CAN CAUSE A BUDGETARY PROBLEM. 
          SO MR. VO, I KNOW WE HAD SOME PRE-DISCUSSION WITH THIS AND I TIP MY HAND THAT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT GIVEN WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR RESIDENTS HERE TODAY. 
          UM, AND THE DISCUSSION ON THE DAYS. 
          I'M GOING TO SUPPORT, UH, THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE HERE BECAUSE THIS ISN'T A ONE TIME THING. 
          THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR RECURRING THEME THAT I'M AT LEAST GOING TO LOOK TO IMPLEMENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 
          IT, IT WAS A THEME THIS PAST YEAR, AND THE ONLY REASON WHY WE'RE ABLE TO SEND MONEY BACK TO OUR TAXPAYERS IS BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN DILIGENT ON THIS ALL YEAR. 
          SO I WANT TO CONTINUE ON THAT TREND AND LISTEN, WE'RE GONNA BE FACING A TOUGH BUDGET NEXT YEAR BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE THE SAME COSTS THERE, BUT YOU CAN JUST FEEL PROPERTY VALUES THROUGHOUT THE REGION GOING DOWN. 
          AND WE'D BE DOING A DERELICTION OF DUTY IF WE DON'T START PREPARING FOR THAT. 
          RIGHT. 
          WE'VE DISCUSSED THINGS AND UM, I KNOW COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, YOU SAID, WE DIDN'T CALL IT FERC, THE THE HIRING FREEZE ITEM, BUT I ACTUALLY DO THINK THAT WE DISCUSSED, I DON'T THINK WE TERMED IT THAT, BUT WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION WITH YOU IN PUBLIC, MR. CITY MANAGER, ABOUT ONLY BEING THE HIGHEST OF HIGH PRIORITIES. 
          AND I, I THINK YOU WOULD COME BACK TO US FOR THAT. 
          BUT, UH, I'M GETTING A BIT OFF TOPIC HERE. 
          IF HE WASN'T MR. CFO, I KNOW I TOLD YOU, UH, TIP MY HAND THAT I, I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT ANY EXCESS IN THE, UH, GO FORWARD STABILITY FUND, BUT I'M GOING TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF ROLLING BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, UH, TO AN APPLICABLE LEVEL HERE, UH, REFLECTING THESE COSTS THAT WE JUST MADE. 
          SO WHAT WOULD WE HAVE A REDUCED MILLAGE RATE? I'M SORRY? WHAT WOULD BE THE REDUCED MILLAGE RATE? THEY'RE CALCULATING THAT NOW ON THE FLY. 
          OKAY, MR. MAYOR, THESE REDUCTIONS, I'D LIKE TO ASK JASON QUESTION, MR. SUAREZ. 
          SO DESPITE, I THINK WE SAVED AROUND 3 MILLION IN SOME EFFICIENCIES, ARE WE, ARE WE RAISING TAXES FOR 2026? THE MILLAGE RATE, THE TAX RATE IS NOT CHANGING. 
          ARE WE RAISING TAXES FOR 2026? I THINK WHAT YOUR QUESTION REALLY IS RELATES TO EVERY INDIVIDUAL, AND I CAN'T REALLY STATE, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY TO EVERY INDIVIDUAL PERSON. 
          WILL THE CITY COLLECT MORE TAXES? PROPERTY TAXES? YES. 
          SO EVERYONE GOT THIS NOTICE? OKAY, IT SAYS CITY OF MIAMI BEACH NOTICE OF PROPOSED TAX INCREASE, PROPOSED TAX INCREASE INITIALLY PROPOSED TAX LEVY 330 MILLION. 
          THIS YEAR'S PROPOSED TAX LEVY 354 MILLION. 
          OKAY, THIS IS A TAX INCREASE. 
          THIS IS FROM THE, THIS IS FROM THE STATE. 
          SO AGAIN, ARE WE INCREASING TAXES FOR 2026 DESPITE THE 3 MILLION THAT WE'RE SAVING? INEFFICIENT IN EFFICIENCIES? YES. 
          THE OVERALL TAXES WILL BE GOING UP IN THE WIDTH. 
          THIS CASE THAT'S, HOLD ON. 
          I RAISE WAIT ONE SEC. 
          CAN I FINISH TAXES? WE'RE NOT, I WANT CLARIFICATION ON THAT. 
          IS THE CITY RAISING THE TAXES OR IS THAT TAXES? IT'S A PROPERTY APPRAISER. 
          THE PROPERTY APPRAISER IS THE ONE THAT IS DOING, THAT'S THE QUESTION. 
          IS THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH RAISING NO TAXES? TECHNICALLY YES. 
          WE'RE GOING, I'M ASKING, I'M ASKING. 
          WE'RE NOT. 
          THIS IS FINANCE, FINANCE 1 0 1, WE'RE NOT RAISING THE MILL RATE. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, MY ASSESSED VALUE IS GOING TO INCREASE BY 3%. 
          WILL I BE PAYING THE SAME MILLAGE RATE? WILL I BE PAYING THE, THE SAME MILITARY ON THE INCREASE? THAT'S ASK QUESTION. 
          I ASKED CITY. 
          WELL THAT IS A TAX INCREASE BECAUSE THAT'S THE, BECAUSE YOU'RE PAYING MORE. 
          THAT'S THE PROPERTY APPRAISER. 
          70% OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES DON'T STAY IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          MANY OF RESIDENTS DON'T KNOW THAT. 
          IT GOES OUT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, IT GOES OUT TO THE COUNTY. 
          CAN YOU, IS THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH RAISING TAXES? WHAT WOULD YOU WANNA RESPOND THERE RIGHT NOW? WELL, I WOULD JUST SAY THE TAX RATE IS REMAINING THE SAME AS THE FLAT ANSWER TAX RATE IS THE OVERALL TAX RATE. 
          WE'RE ACTUALLY LOWERING OUR, WE'RE LOWERING THE TAX RATE. 
          WELL, WE ARE LOWER, LOWER REDUCTION OF THE MILEAGE RATE. 
          YES. 
          BUT WILL THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER BE PAYING MORE BASED ON, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR FAULT. 
          THAT IS A MARKET CONDITION. 
          IF, IF THE MARKET CHANGES, 
          [03:30:01]
IF PROPERTY VALUES GO DOWN, THEN ARE THEY GOING TO BE PAYING? WE DON'T CONTROL THE MARKET. 
          THAT IS AN EFFECT OF THE MARKET. 
          THAT IS NOT THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH SAYING WE WANNA COME IN AND TAX YOU MORE. 
          WE DON'T CONTROL THE MARKET. 
          THAT IS, MAY I FINISH MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT? THAT'S, UH, THAT'S THE MARKET AND THAT'S THE PROPERTY APPRAISER WHO DETERMINED THAT THAT'S NOT US, BUT COMMISSIONER SUAREZ. 
          THANK YOU JASON AND COLLEAGUES. 
          IT'S, SO THIS IS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA. 
          IT SAYS CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          THIS IS NOT THE DADE COUNTY. 
          THIS SAYS CITY OF MIAMI BEACH NOTICE OF PROPOSED TAX INCREASE. 
          YOU JUST SAID IT'S FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA. 
          LET ME ASK YOU, AND HERE'S ANOTHER GOOD QUESTION. 
          WHY DO WE NEED A FIVE SEVEN VOTE AS OPPOSED TO A SIMPLE MAJORITY MR. CITY ATTORNEY? WHY DO WE NEED A FIVE? WHY DO WE NEED A FIVE SEVEN VOTE AS OPPOSED TO A SIMPLE FOUR SEVENS VOTE MAJORITY TO PASS THIS? WELL, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, WELL, THE STATUTE PROVIDES THAT IF THE, IF THE CITY DOES NOT ADOPT THE ROLLBACK RATE, IF YOU GO UP TO 110% OF THE ROLLBACK RATE, YOU NEED TWO THIRDS, WHICH IN THIS CASE WOULD BE FIVE SEVENS. 
          IF YOU EXCEED 110%, THEN YOU WOULD NEED A UNANIMOUS VOTE. 
          CORRECT. 
          SO IN IN ESSENCE, WE ARE INCREASING THE TAXES AS FROM LAST YEAR, THE ROLLBACK RATE, IS THAT CORRECT? THE, WELL, THE MILLAGE RATE, I DIDN'T ASK ABOUT THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          THOSE ARE THE TAXES WE CONTROLLED. 
          ARE WE INCREASING THE ROLLBACK RATE? THE ROLLBACK RATE WOULD BE A LOWER RATE. 
          THE MILLAGE? YES. 
          YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ROLLBACK. 
          SO WE'RE NOT DECREASING MILLAGE MILLAGE RATE, BUT WE ARE NOT INCREASING THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          RIGHT. 
          WE'RE NOT DECREASING TO THE, TO THE ROLLBACK LEVEL. 
          BUT WE ARE REDUCING, YES. 
          BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED TONIGHT, WE ARE REDUCING THE TAX RATE. 
          EXACTLY. 
          AND MY, MY ISSUE IS THAT THIS IS UNSUSTAINABLE. 
          WE'RE GONNA BE GOING THROUGH THIS EVERY YEAR AFTER YEAR. 
          AND FOR THE LAST TWO HOURS WE WERE, YOU KNOW, NICKELING AND DIMMING THESE PROGRAMS. AND WHAT DID WE SAVE 3 MILLION? AGAIN, OUR BUDGET IS A BILLION DOLLARS. 
          WE'RE INCREASING OUR TAXES BY $24 MILLION. 
          THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT IS WRITTEN HERE FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA. 
          IT'S A PROPOSED TAX INCREASE. 
          SO I'M NOT GONNA BE IN FAVOR OF THIS. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK WE NEED TO CUT MORE. 
          I THINK WE NEED TO CUT A LOT MORE FROM THIS. 
          I ALREADY GAVE ONE EXAMPLE WHERE WE CAN SAVE A MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY. 
          I, I, I, SO I HAVE A QUESTION, COMMISSIONER, TO YOUR POINT, A ROLLBACK RATE, HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE NEED TO SAVE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A ROLLBACK RATE? $21 MILLION. 
          $21 MILLION. 
          24. 
          24. 
          21 OR 21. 
          OKAY, WELL THIS SAYS YOU BROUGHT US A MILLION DOLLARS. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANNA KNOW IF, IF WE DO NOT ADOPT THE BUDGET, THE REDUCED BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TODAY, WHICH REDUCES THE MILLAGE RATE ON OUR TAXPAYERS, WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE? WHERE DO WE FIND AN ADDITIONAL, WE ALREADY FOUND $3 MILLION. 
          WHAT IS YOUR PROPOSAL FOR TO SAVE ANOTHER $18 MILLION? I KNOW YOU POINTED TO $1 MILLION FROM THE CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. 
          WHERE ARE THE OTHER $17 MILLION? WHERE DO WE CUT ANOTHER $17 MILLION? I, I CAN THINK OF ANOTHER $700,000 THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN SAVE THIS YEAR. 
          WE HAVE, UM, A, A SECOND AID AT THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION. 
          WE'VE JUST, WE HAVE NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF MIAMI BEACH, A SECOND AID. 
          I DON'T THINK WE NEED A SECOND AID. 
          I DON'T HAVE A SECOND AID COMMISSIONER BOT DOESN'T HAVE A SECOND AID. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PERSONALLY CAN DO. 
          WAIT, ANOTHER, YOU'RE ASKING, I CAN KEEP GOING BUT THINK, OH, WAIT, WAIT. 
          BUT I THINK DIDN'T WE FUND THE EXTRA LEGISLATIVE POSITION FOR TALLAHASSEE FROM COMMISSIONER SUAREZ'S, UH, SECOND AID BUDGET? WE DID. 
          I BELIEVE WE DID. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I MEAN, WE DIDN'T, YOU DON'T HAVE A SECOND AID, BUT THE PROPOSAL CAME TO HAVE THIS WELL, I'D LIKE THE CITY MANAGER TO CLARIFY. 
          I BELIEVE WE DID OR WE DID BECAUSE I CERTAINLY DON'T SEE IT OUT OF OUR, THE MAYOR COMMISSION BUDGET WE DID. 
          SO YES, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE, UM, THE WAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO FUND THAT ADDITIONAL POSITION FOR THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS. 
          SO I DO NOT HAVE A SECOND DATE. 
          MAY, MAY I ASK YOU A QUESTION? I I'M NOT ATTACKING. 
          LISTEN, I I I CAN CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? WELL, LISTEN, I CAN, I CAN CONTINUE ON. 
          I I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S, LOOK GUYS, WE GET TO THE 21 MILLION. 
          I MEAN, WHAT I, SO I I MAYBE WE PUT IT ON STAFF. 
          JASON, ERIC. 
          SO I GUESS HOW, HOW DO WE SAVE, HOW DO WE SAVE ANOTHER $18 MILLION? I GUESS COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, AND I'M NOT ATTACKING, 
          [03:35:01]
I'M NOT GOING BACK AND FORTH. 
          I'M HAVING A MAN TO MAN CONVERSATION LIKE ADULTS, RIGHT? I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOUR PREMISE HERE, BUT WHAT I'M DISAGREEING WITH IS THE PROCESS AND PROCEDURE WHERE, HOW DO WE, JUST LIKE YOU SAW WHAT IT TOOK TO JUST CUT $3 MILLION. 
          AND IF WE WOULD'VE STARTED THIS IN JUNE, I'D BE ALL ON BOARD. 
          I STARTED THIS IN MARCH, RIGHT? I ASKED FOR THIS IN MARCH. 
          I, AND IT HASN'T BEEN CALLED, AND IT WAS DISMISSED AGAIN, MARCH 19TH, 2025, REFERRAL TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS IMPLEMENTING A FLAT BUDGET WITH A CPI ADJUSTMENT TO FULLY FUND INFRASTRUCTURE, LOWER PROPERTY TAXES AND CONTROL GENERAL FUND SPENDING, RIGHT? I, I BROUGHT THIS UP AND A AMONGST OTHER THINGS, AND IT WAS DISMISSED. 
          AND I, I, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? JUST GO ALONG WITH WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          AND, AND TO SAY THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AT THE 11TH HOUR BY COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ IS FALSE. 
          I'VE BEEN BRINGING THIS UP. 
          OKAY, JASON, HOW CAN WE SAVE $18 MILLION TODAY? I THINK THAT, THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I CAN ANSWER HERE ON, ON THE FLY. 
          AND THAT'S A, I THINK AS THE COMMISSIONER WAS STATING, THAT'S A LONG IN DEPTH DISCUSSION THAT OBVIOUSLY WOULD MAJORLY IMPACT PROGRAMS, STAFFING, PUBLIC SAFETY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          BUT, UM, ON HERE IN THE SECOND BUDGET HEARING, THAT'S AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, UH, LIFT TO DO. 
          OKAY, CAN WE SAVE AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE CULTURAL ARTS GRANTS RECOMMENDATIONS? THAT'S NOT MY DECISION. 
          THAT'S UP TO THE COMMISSION. 
          IF THE COMMISSION, IT'S POSSIBLE IF THE COMMISSION, UH, WANTS TO ELIMINATE THAT FUNDING FOR ONE YEAR OR RECURRING AND THEN REDIRECT THAT TO A DIFFERENT PURPOSE, BECAUSE THAT'S RESORT TAX FUNDED. 
          UM, BY, BY RESOLUTION THAT 10, I THINK IT'S 10% OF THE ONE, ONE OF THE 1%, UH, GOES TOWARDS THE CAC. 
          UM, THAT'S THE COMMISSION'S, UH, PURVIEW. 
          OKAY. 
          CAN WE, CAN WE FUND, CAN WE, UH, REMOVE FUNDING FROM OTHER PROGRAMS THAT YOU CAN THINK OFF, OFF, OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, WE CAN REMOVE FUNDING FOR ANY PROGRAM. 
          WE JUST WENT THROUGH $7 MILLION. 
          UH, AND OF THAT SEVEN ABOVE AND BEYOND, WHAT, WHAT IS IN HERE? BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS WAS WHAT STAFF WAS PICKED OUT. 
          CORRECT? THERE COULD BE OTHER IS THERE COULD BE OTHER ITEMS THAT WAS NOT PRESENTED IN TODAY'S MEETING, CORRECT? YES. 
          BUT HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE RESPONSIBLY WITHOUT HAVING, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS GREAT. 
          IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE TO GET THERE, BUT IT WAS GREAT BECAUSE WE COULD LOOK AT EACH ITEM AND SAY, OH, THIS, YOU KNOW, WE, EVEN WITHIN THIS ITEM, THERE'S ONE THING I WANNA KEEP AND ONE THING THAT WE CAN GET RID OF. 
          CAN WE TALK TO THE EXPERTS, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS SAY WHAT WORKS? CAN WE SPLIT THE BABY? THIS WAS A REALLY GOOD EXERCISE. 
          PAINFUL THOUGH IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE BEGINNING. 
          AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO I WOULD DO THIS, YOU KNOW, STARTING IN MAY WHEN OUR BUDGET PROCESS STARTS AGAIN. 
          I THINK THIS IS BRILLIANT. 
          TO DO THAT NOW ON THE FLY, WITHOUT ANY BACKUP MATERIAL, WITHOUT ANY, WITHOUT THIS TO KEEP GOING FOR $17 MILLION IS IRRESPONSIBLE. 
          WHO KNOWS WHAT WE MIGHT CUT BY ACCENT. 
          I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE PREMISE. 
          I DON'T WANNA BE MISCONSTRUED OR MISQUOTED OR TAKEN OUTTA CONTEXT. 
          LET ME BE CLEAR FOR THE RECORD, I AGREE WITH THE NOTION THAT A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET IS A LOT FOR THIS CITY. 
          EVEN THOUGH I UNDERSTAND VERY WELL THAT IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE 82,000 PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE YEAR ROUND, IT'S FOR THE HALF A MILLION WHO SHOW UP EVERY MONTH, RIGHT? AT LEAST ONE WEEKEND A MONTH IS A HIGH IMPACT WEEKEND, IT FEELS LIKE. 
          AND SOME MONTHS THEY'RE ALL HIGH IMPACT WEEKENDS. 
          SO I GET IT. 
          I THINK WE ARE ALL UNANIMOUSLY IN SUPPORT OF THE PREMISE THAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER ON THIS BUDGET. 
          AND WE ARE TAKING STEPS TO DO THAT. 
          THIS YEAR IS THE FIRST STEP. 
          NEXT YEAR WILL BE ANOTHER STEP. 
          BUT TO SAY ON THE FLY WITH NO BACKUP WITHOUT THIS TO, TO, TO HAVE OUR CONVERSATIONS IS WILDLY IRRESPONSIBLE. 
          AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE WILL SAY IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO NOT DO IT. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT POINT OF VIEW, BUT I AM NOT COMFORTABLE SAYING, YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T NEED TO BUY THIS NEW FIRE TRUCK, OR WE DON'T NEED TO, YOU KNOW, FIX THE ROOF ON, ON WHEREVER, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE NOT HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE FACTS THE WAY WE ARE HERE. 
          AND IF WE HAD A SECOND DOCUMENT LIKE THIS THAT WOULD TURN UP, YOU KNOW, HERE'S ANOTHER $20 MILLION. 
          I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO STAY HERE UNTIL 11 O'CLOCK, 59 MINUTES AND 59 SECONDS TO GO THROUGH THAT. 
          BUT WE DON'T HAVE IT. 
          SO I'M NOT WILLING TO ACCIDENTALLY CUT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO END UP BEING TERRIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE BECAUSE THAT IS NOT HOW WE DO THINGS. 
          I, I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ITEMS THAT ARE, THAT YOU ARE FRUSTRATED THAT HAVEN'T BEEN CALLED. 
          AND I, I SENSE THAT, AND I RESPECT THAT WE ALL HAVE ITEMS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN CALLED OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. 
          IT'S HOW IT GOES. 
          WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF ITEMS ON THE AGENDA EVERY MONTH AND ARE, WE HAVE COMMISSION, UH, COMMITTEE MEETINGS WHERE WE DON'T EVEN GET THROUGH THE ITEMS FROM MONTH TO MONTH. 
          BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. 
          AND I, I SAY YOU TO ALL OF US. 
          THE WAY TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, WHICH WE ARE 
          [03:40:01]
TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, IS GO TO THE, THE BUDGET RETREAT TO GO BRING IT UP AGAIN AT, UM, AT, AT THE COMMISSION MEETING TO, UM, SPEAK WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND ASK THE STAFF TO WORK ON IT. 
          THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT AVENUES, AND I'M JUST SAYING IT IS NOT THE PRUDENT WISE, FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE OR, OR FIDUCIARY WAY TO MANAGE THE CITY'S BUDGET ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR RESIDENTS. 
          AND I KNOW PEOPLE ARE HURTING. 
          I KNOW IT'S ROUGH OUT THERE AND I'M NOT BEING CAVALIER ABOUT THAT. 
          WE ALL SHARE THE SAME GOAL. 
          WE JUST HAVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES ON HOW TO DO IT. 
          AND TO SAY THAT THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT IS THE WAY YOU ARE RECOMMENDING BY CUTTING $20 MILLION WITHOUT THE FACTS IN FRONT OF US. 
          I'M SAYING THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT CAREFUL AND THAT IS NOT WISE. 
          MR. AND BY THE WAY, WAIT, I JUST WANNA ADD, THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE PAYING EXTRA FOR THIS YEAR ARE, ARE POLICE AND FIRE THAT WE KNOW THAT WE NEED THAT IS THE ENTIRE BUDGET INCREASE POLICE, BUT WE HAVE AND FIRE WE CAN WE, I THINK THAT IS, I THINK, I THINK EVEN YOU CAN AGREE WHAT THIS IS AND I I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT. 
          I THINK YOU CAN COMMISSION THAT THERE IS A LOT OF FAT AND BLOAT IN OUR GOVERNMENT AND TO SAY THAT YES, POLICE AND FIRE, THEY, THEY'VE NEGOTIATED TO GET THE EXTRA 14 MILLION. 
          BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY OF ALL THE OTHER EXPENSES THAT WE'RE PAYING THAT ARE UNNECESSARY. 
          I THINK EVEN YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S, AND THE SANITATION, YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A SWEEPER, BUT UNDERSTOOD. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          BUT IT TAKES FIVE PEOPLE. 
          IT TAKES FIVE PEOPLE TO MANAGE THAT PERSON. 
          I MEAN, YOU'RE, WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, WE HAVE STAFF. 
          STAFF TELLS US, HEY, LOOK, THIS IS WHAT WE CAN CUT. 
          AND WE HAVE TO TAKE THE WORD FOR IT. 
          I GOT ELECTED BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST STAFF. 
          OKAY. 
          I GOT ELECTED BECAUSE STAFF AT THE TIME DID SOMETHING AGAINST THE RESIDENTS. 
          AND I'M, I'M NOT SAYING THAT ERIC IS AGAINST THE RESIDENTS, BUT I CERTAINLY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S MORE, THERE'S NOT MORE TO CUT. 
          I THINK YOU AND, AND, AND SHOULD STOP. 
          I THINK THAT'S, I DON'T NEED TO, I I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO SAY THAT. 
          YOU DON'T. 
          I DON'T STOP AND I DON'T APPRECIATE YOU TELLING ME TO STOP. 
          THAT'S WITH EVERYONE SITTING HERE. 
          'CAUSE THIS IS A, LOOK, THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. 
          AND YES, THIS IS THE 11TH HOUR, BUT IF, IF, IF OUR CITY MANAGER AND OUR CFO IS TELLING US, WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT MUCH BLOAT, THEN HOW ABOUT WE, HOW ABOUT WE MAKE A MOTION AND WE HAVE THE STATE OF FLORIDA DOGE COME HERE AND THEN AUDIT OUR BOOKS. 
          WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? I MAKE A MOTION RIGHT NOW TO HAVE DOGE, THE STATE OF FLORIDA DOGE, TO COME IN HERE AND AUDIT OUR BOOKS AND SEE WHERE WE CAN CUT REAL EFFICIENCIES, INEFFICIENCIES IN OUR GOVERNMENT. 
          AM I GONNA HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? DO YOU EVEN RECOGNIZE THE, THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING? YEAH. 
          SAVING MONEY. 
          WHAT WOULD BE THE CONSEQUENCES POTENTIALLY OF HAVING AN OUTSIDE AGENCY COMING IN? I THINK WE'RE GOING TO, I DON'T THINK WE NEED A MOTION FOR IT REQUEST. 
          WHAT'S THAT? GO AHEAD. 
          SORRY. 
          UH, IF I MAY, WE, WE'VE ALREADY HAD, UM, ALL, I THINK ALL MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ALREADY HAD MULTIPLE INFORMATION REQUESTS. 
          WE PROVIDED, UH, AN INITIAL REQUEST THAT WAS RECEIVED MANY MONTHS AGO. 
          AND THERE WAS A FOLLOW UP ONE THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, ASKING FOR A DETAILED BREAKDOWN, A VERY DETAILED SERIES OF EXCEL SPREADSHEETS THAT WE PROVIDED VERY CLOSE TO REALLY WHAT THE, WE ALREADY PROVIDED TO THE STATE AN ANNUAL BASIS CALLED THE A FR. 
          SO THE STATE HAD A LOT OF THAT DATA ALREADY. 
          SO, UH, SO IT'S BEING PROPOSED HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE PROVIDING AND SHARING ALL OF THE DETAILED DATA THAT THE STATE HAS REQUESTED. 
          YES. 
          THAT'S ALL WE SHARE WITH THE STATE. 
          NO, BUT WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS WE REQUEST THAT WE GET, WE GET AUDITED. 
          I WANT TO HAVE A FULL AUDIT. 
          THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS CREATED A NEW DEPARTMENT FOR THIS. 
          LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. 
          THIS IS ALL, IT'S ONLY ADVISORY THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO SOMEHOW, UH, CAUSE ANY HARM TO OUR CITY OR OUR RESIDENTS. 
          IT IS AN ADVISORY ROLE. 
          WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? WELL, UNLIKE ANY OTHER CITY IN FLORIDA, THE VOTERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH CREATED AN INSPECTOR GENERAL OFFICE WHOSE PURPOSE IT IS TO IDENTIFY FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE ON A FULL-TIME BASIS. 
          THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NONE OF THE OTHER CITIES IN FLORIDA THAT ARE BEING DOGE HAS. 
          MIAMI BEACH HAS THAT INSIDE ITS GOVERNMENT. 
          ANY ONE OF US MIGHT BE INVESTIGATED AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. 
          WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IT. 
          THE BOOKS OF EVERY DEPARTMENT MIGHT BE BEING LOOKED AT RIGHT NOW BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IT. 
          'CAUSE WE HAVE THIS INDEPENDENT ARM, NON-POLITICAL ARM OF OUR GOVERNMENT LED, BY THE WAY, BY THE FORMER PUBLIC CORRUPTION PROSECUTOR FROM THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, LED BY THE WAY, BY THE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION ON PUBLIC ETHICS AND PUBLIC TRUST. 
          THAT'S THE PERSON 
          [03:45:01]
WHO IS LOOKING FOR FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE IN OUR GOVERNMENT. 
          AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NO OTHER MUNICIPALITY IN FLORIDA HAS. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE RESPONDING TO DOGE, I MEAN, DOGE AS, AS OUR CFO MENTIONED, DOGE HAS ASKED FOR DOCUMENTS AND OF COURSE WE'RE NOT GONNA WITHHOLD ANYTHING. 
          'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT OUR BUDGET, YES, THERE'S OF COURSE A LOT OF AREAS, A LOT OF FAT THAT WE CAN TRIM. 
          BUT I WILL REPEAT, WE PROVIDE SO MANY MORE SERVICES THAN WHAT ANY OTHER CITY OFFERS. 
          ITS RESIDENTS THAT WE ALMOST LIKE WHEN YOU START TO GO CUT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE COMING BACK AND TELLING YOU, WELL, WHY AREN'T, WHY DON'T WE HAVE THIS SERVICE ANYMORE? WHY DON'T WE HAVE THAT ROUTE ANYMORE? WHY DON'T WE HAVE THAT PARKS PROGRAM ANYMORE? WHY DON'T WE HAVE THIS EVENT ANYMORE? THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE DOGE THING, IT'S HAPPENING. 
          THEY'RE LOOKING AT OUR GOVERNMENT AND ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ON A FULL-TIME BASIS, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL WHO IS CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT OUR GOVERNMENTS, WHERE IS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL TODAY OFFERING ANY SORT OF CUTS TO INEFFICIENCIES? I I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY WHERE, WHERE, WHERE IS THAT I'M SIMPLY SAYING, SAYING, WHY DON'T WE HAVE, WHY DON'T WE HAVE, WHY DON'T WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF OUR, OF OUR CITY FINANCES? WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THAT? I MEAN, THIS IS NOT POLITICAL. 
          THIS IS JUST A REAL AUDIT FROM AN OUTSIDE AGENCY. 
          THEY'RE WILLING TO DO IT. 
          OUR OUR ANNUAL REPORTS HAVE TO BE AUDITED BY AN OUTSIDE AGENCY, CORRECT? YES. 
          WE ACTUALLY GO THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UH, UH, REQUIRED EXTERNAL AUDITS. 
          YES. 
          WE GO THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT EXTERNAL AUDITS. 
          THOSE ARE STATE MANDATED, RIGHT? WHAT'S THAT? I'M SORRY? THOSE ARE STATE MANDATED. 
          THEY, THEY'RE, YEAH. 
          IT'S JUST, IT'S PAR FOR THE COURSE WE HAVE. 
          YEAH, OBVIOUSLY. 
          BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE STILL HAVE THIS ISSUE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE RAISING TAXES. 
          OKAY. 
          DESPITE HOWEVER MANY AUDITS, A A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FROM THE STATE IS HAPPENING. 
          WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHY DON'T WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF ALL OF OUR EXPENDITURES? IT, THE STATE OF FLORIDA'S WILLING TO DO IT FOR US. 
          AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A REPORT OF WHAT WE CAN CUT, WHAT WE CAN'T. 
          AND THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE CAN DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO KEEP AND NOT, WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIRECT OUR INSPECTOR GENERAL TO GIVE US AN INTERNAL AUDIT? AND THAT WAY HE CAN COME BACK TO US, HE CAN GO TO THE DEPART DEPARTMENT. 
          I DUNNO KNOW. 
          DUNNO, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL ISN'T TODAY. 
          I MEAN, AROUND AGAIN, WE COME BACK, I HAVEN'T HEARD THE INSPECTOR GENERAL BRING UP ANY SORT OF WASTEFUL THINGS DURING OUR BUDGET PROCESS. 
          SO I, I MEAN, I DON'T NEED TO PUT EM ON THE THOUGHT. 
          HE DOES THAT THROUGH THE COURSE. 
          I MEAN, WE BROUGHT UP AN ITEM WITH DEALING WITH THE, UH, WITH THE, THE MARINA OPERATOR THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DISCUSSING POTENTIAL SAVINGS. 
          YOU'RE CONSTANTLY GIVING US REPORTS, BUT, BUT THE YEAH, CONSTANTLY. 
          I MEAN, HE SENDS, WE GET THEM IN OUR EMAILS. 
          WE HAVE A MOTION. 
          WE DON'T HAVE A SECOND. 
          IF WE DON'T HAVE A SECOND, THEN WE MOVE ON A MOTION AND LET ME, THE MOTION IS TO HAVE FLORIDA, FLORIDA DOGE TO COME IN AND AUDIT OUR, OUR CITY FINANCES. 
          AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS BEING GENUINE. 
          I'M NOT GETTING IN SOME BACK AND FORTH WITH YOU, BUT LET'S TAKE THE PREMISE THAT OKAY, YOU DON'T SO MUCH TRUST CITY STAFF. 
          IF WE WOULD ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, RIGHT? WE PUT THOSE CUTS ENTIRELY IN THEIR HANDS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM BUDGET. 
          WHAT I'LL SUPPORT FROM YOU RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WANT TO SIT HERE, I WILL SECOND IT. 
          IF YOU WANT TO DIRECT IT. 
          IF YOU WANT TO GO OUT AND, UH, INSTRUCT OUR CITY MANAGER TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER COMPREHENSIVE COST CUTTING ANALYSIS WHERE WE'RE SAVING $5 MILLION, $10 MILLION, $15 MILLION, $20 MILLION, I'LL SUPPORT THAT. 
          BUT IF WE JUST SIT HERE TONIGHT AND GO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, WE LOSE ANY TYPE OF DISCRETION OR CONTROL ABOUT WHERE THAT GETS CUT. 
          WE JUST PUT THAT OVER IN THE HANDS OF CITY STAFF TO SAY, GO CUT $20 MILLION. 
          WE HAVE NO IDEA. 
          AND NO SAY WHETHER THEY'RE DOING IT FROM CITY. 
          UH, WELL, THEY CAN'T DO THAT. 
          THEY, THEY, IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY US. 
          DO YOU HAVE TO, IF WE MANDATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, YOU HAVE TO SUGGEST TO US, AND YOU HAVE TO PROVE IT CUT. 
          THAT DOESN'T COME BACK. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          YOU TELL ME WHAT WE WOULD NOW, WE WOULD HAVE TO AMEND THE BUDGET TODAY TO MATCH THE MILL RATE. 
          RIGHT, RIGHT. 
          SO WE HAVE NO, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOUR PREMISE. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND, AND, AND, AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF YOU DO. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT WHEN I SEE A MILLION DOLLARS SPENT ON THIS, AT LEAST $600,000 OF, OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS GOING TO ART PROGRAMS WHO ARE NOT EVEN BASED IN MIAMI BEACH, HOW COME CITY STAFF DIDN'T RECOMMEND THIS? HOW COME YOU DIDN'T RECOMMEND THIS, ERIC? BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY CLEAR COMMISSION DIRECTION TO ALLOCATE A PERCENTAGE OF THE 1% QUALITY OF LIFE RESORT TAX FROM ONE YEAR. 
          FROM WHAT, WHEN DID THIS, WHEN WAS THIS COMMISSION DIRECTIVE? 
          [03:50:02]
UH, 2018. 
          I THINK THE LAST TIME IT WAS UPDATED WAS PROBABLY IN 2018. 
          SO DO YOU GUYS SEE WHAT'S GOING ON? WE HAVE THESE RESOLUTIONS. 
          YOU HAVE THESE MANDATES FROM GOD KNOWS HOW LONG. 
          AND WE KEEP SPENDING, AND CITY STAFF ISN'T COMING TO US WITH A RECOMMENDATION. 
          BE LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, LISTEN, THIS IS FROM 2018. 
          WE MAY WANNA REVISIT THIS. 
          YOU KNOW WHAT IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE CITY STAFF DOESN'T EVEN, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN JASON, HE, OUR CITY MANAGER DOESN'T LIVE IN THIS CITY. 
          HE'S, HE'S NOT, HE, HE DOESN'T, IF HE, IF HE HAS THE, IF HE WANTS TO, IF HE WANTS TO BRING UP ITEMS LIKE THIS TO CUT AND IT, IT, IT, IT BENEFITS NOT ONLY OUR RESIDENTS, THE COMMISSIONERS, BUT ALSO CITY STAFF, BUT ALSO THE CITY MANAGER. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE RESOLUTIONS AND PRIORITIES FROM, I DON'T KNOW, A DECADE AGO, TWO DECADES. 
          TWO DECADES AGO. 
          AND WE'RE STILL PAYING FOR IT. 
          AND I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT STAFF IS, IS DOING A GREAT JOB AND, AND BRINGING THIS UP FOR CUTS. 
          SO COMMISSIONER I I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I'VE SAID, I DO THINK THERE'S SOME SHENANIGANS IN US NOT GETTING THAT INSIGHT. 
          SO I'LL MAKE HIM, I WAS GOING TO WAIT UNTIL OUR COMMISSION MEETING IN OCTOBER. 
          I'LL PUT A MOTION ON THE TABLE HERE, DIRECTING CITY STAFF TO COME BACK TO US WITH A LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM BASIS. 
          AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO DEDICATE AN ENTIRE DAY FOR A FERC MEETING AND GO BUDGET ITEM BY BUDGET ITEM, I AM ALL FOR THAT. 
          THAT'S HOW WE GET TO THE TRUE BLOAT, RIGHT? BUT RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF US. 
          AND THAT'S PART OF MY FRUSTRATION. 
          IT'S NOT SO MUCH WITH YOU. 
          I'VE HAD THIS OUT WITH OUR FINANCE TEAM FOR TWO MONTHS. 
          I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. 
          I'M FRUSTRATED. 
          THERE'S, THERE'S SO MUCH. 
          I MEAN, REMEMBER WHEN I GOT ELECTED, THE FIRST THING THAT IT WAS A BUDGET AMENDMENT AND THEY WANTED TO SPEND $250,000 ON LIKE 10 CAMERAS. 
          THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. 
          I MEAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE, IT'S SO SAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SPEND TWO HOURS, NICKEL AND DIMING PROGRAMS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE PROBABLY GOOD. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE GREAT. 
          YOU KNOW, AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO CUT FUNDING FROM THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE THEY GENERALLY, THEY DO A GOOD JOB. 
          BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S SO MUCH STUFF GOING ON ON IN CITY STAFF WHERE THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T CUT. 
          WELL, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO SECOND IT FOR US TO GET THAT GRANULARITY. 
          BECAUSE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I NEED THIS ON THE RECORD ACTUALLY. 
          DO WE HAVE LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM GRAN GRANULARITY WHEN I SAY WE THE COMMISSION FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM GRANULARITY INTO OUR BUDGET, OUR OPERATING BUDGET? NOPE. 
          YOU HAVE A CONDENSED VERSION IN YOUR BUDGET BOOK. 
          UM, DO YOU SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING? THEY HAVE A, THEY HAVE A CONDENSED VERSION. 
          I, I KNOW. 
          WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I I, THAT'S WHAT THEY DECIDE THAT WE, THEY WANT TO CUT. 
          I KNOW THIS AND I'VE BEEN FIGHTING THIS FIGHT AGAINST THEM FOR TWO MONTHS. 
          AND THIS IS THE COMMISSION THAT CHANGES IT, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          AND WE HAVE TO GO FORWARD FROM HERE BECAUSE TODAY'S THE DAY THAT WE HAVE TO ADOPT A, A ADOPT A BUDGET BY 11:59 PM SO TODAY IS THE DAY THAT THIS GOVERNMENT CHANGES THE WAY THAT IT BUDGETS ITSELF. 
          TODAY'S THE DAY WHERE THIS GOVERNMENT SAYS TO ITS CITY ADMINISTRATION, WE WANT THE, THE GRANULAR GRANULARITY OF A LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM BUDGET WHERE WE KNOW WHERE EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR IS GOING. 
          AND WE MOVE FORWARD TO THE FUTURE THAT WAY. 
          AND IF ALONG THAT PROCESS WE FIND AREAS WHERE IF WE SIT DOWN AND WE HAVE THAT SPECIAL FERC MEETING THAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING MR. CHAIR, UH, TO LOOK AT CERTAIN AREAS, WE CAN ALWAYS SUE A MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENTS. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          WE HAD TO TALK TO THAT A MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENTS WHERE WE CAN GO BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WE FOUND AREAS WHERE PERHAPS WE HAD BUDGETED FOR STUFF THAT WE NO LONGER NEED. 
          LET'S AMEND THE BUDGET AND NOT, UH, PROCEED WITH THOSE EXPENDITURES. 
          WE CAN DO THAT IN A MUCH MORE METHODICAL WAY, PROPERLY SITTING DOWN AND LOOKING AT THESE ACTUAL LINEUPS. 
          I DON'T TRUST US TO AUDIT OURSELVES. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          I JUST DON'T TRUST US. 
          WE JUST DID US DOING IT WHEN, I MEAN, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          WHEN, I MEAN, WHEN I MEAN AUDIT OURSELVES, I MEAN THE CITY STAFF. 
          I JUST DON'T TRUST IT. 
          NO, BECAUSE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER, WHAT US AS THE FERC, AS THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE LOOKING LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM, WHICH ARE THE ITEMS WHICH WE FEEL WE CAN KEEP AND NO LONGER KEEP, SO THAT ONCE WE IDENTIFY IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY AND VET THESE LINE ITEMS ON A RESPONSIBLE WAY AND SAY, OKAY, WE'VE IDENTIFIED $10 MILLION OF PROGRAMS THAT WE FEEL 10 YEARS AGO, IT MAY HAVE BEEN A PRIORITY, BUT TODAY WHEN WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL 
          [03:55:01]
CONSIDERATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, WE MUCH RATHER NOT DO THAT. 
          BUT THE COST SAVINGS OPPORTUNITY, THE COST SAVINGS ARE NOT JUST PROGRAMS WE FUND. 
          IT IS HOW THE ADMINISTRATION FUNCTIONS. 
          IT IS WHAT THE SAME REASON WHY THERE'S FIVE OVERHEAD ADMINISTRATIVE PEOPLE FOR ONE STREET SWEEPER, WHICH IS COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ HAS ALWAYS CAMPAIGNED ON. 
          AND THAT IS, THOSE DETAILS THAT ADD UP ARE, ARE WHAT WE CONSTITUTE AS GOVERNMENT BLOAT. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND I DON'T, AND I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK THAT US ELECTED OFFICIAL LAY PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THAT. 
          WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SAY LIKE, OH, WELL YOU NEED TWO PEOPLE HERE AND THREE, THREE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. 
          THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO. 
          THAT HAS TO BE DONE BY STAFF. 
          AND WE JUST WENT OVER THE FACT THAT THAT STAFF, I DON'T THINK HAS DONE A GOOD JOB IN PRESENTING MORE BUDGET CUTS. 
          I, THE, THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE TO SHRINK ITSELF. 
          THE GOVERNMENT LIKES TO GROW. 
          AND I DON'T TRUST THIS GOVERNMENT TO SHRINK ITSELF. 
          WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS I'D LIKE TO TRUST ANOTHER AGENCY TO COME IN HERE AND AUDIT US. 
          AND IF I DON'T HAVE A SECOND ON HERE FOR JUST A SIMPLE AUDIT AS AN ADVISORY ROLE, THIS IS A REALLY SAD THING, COMMISSIONER, I'LL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU BROUGHT UP BEFORE THE, THE POLICE UNION CONTRACT, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS HEAVILY NEGOTIATED. 
          WE GOT CONCESSIONS THAT HAS NEVER BEEN IN OUR CONTRACT. 
          WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, AND WHAT'S SO DANGEROUS ABOUT WHAT YOU PROPOSE IS THAT POTENTIALLY IF WE HAD NOT AGREED TO THAT CONTRACT, WE WOULD'VE HIT AN IMPASSE. 
          AND WHAT WE WERE TOLD, AND I HAD REACHED OUT TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT HAPPEN, NOT ONLY DOES MORALE SINK, BUT POTENTIALLY OFFICERS STAND BACK. 
          I HAVE TRUST THAT OUR DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT DO THAT. 
          BUT OUR MORALE IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS REALLY HIGH RIGHT NOW. 
          WE ARE GETTING TREMENDOUS PRODUCTIVITY, AND I'LL GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO OUR POLICE CHIEF AND WE'RE AT FULL STAFFING. 
          THE, THERE'S CONSEQUENCES TO ACTIONS THAT IF YOU TAKE THAT WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO SAVE A COUPLE OF BUCKS WILL COST THIS CITY MILLIONS. 
          I'M NOT TRYING TO, TO SAVE A COUPLE BUCKS, COMMISSIONER. 
          I'M TRYING TO SAVE $24 MILLION. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          SO, UM, JOE, YOU HAVE A, SORRY, COMMISSIONER MAG, VICE MAYOR, YOUR HIGHNESS, UM, YOU HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO, TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO DO, JUST HANG ON A SECOND, TO DO A GRANULAR BUDGET. 
          AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S A THING THAT, THAT WE CAN EXECUTE. 
          SO I, I KNOW IT'S A THING WE CAN EXECUTE. 
          I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME. 
          I WILL SECOND THAT AND I'D LIKE TO BE A CO-SPONSOR WITH YOU IF YOU WOULD HAVE ME. 
          I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR MONTHS AND ALL EVENING TONIGHT. 
          AND I, YOU KNOW, I I FEEL LIKE, UM, THE THING THAT GETS LOST IN THIS CONVERSATION IS THAT WE ALL AGREE THAT THINGS NEED TO CHANGE AND WE ARE MALIGNING STAFF FOR DOING THINGS THE WAY THEY HAVE ALWAYS DONE THINGS, BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN THE DIRECTION HERE TO FORE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE SAYING WE'RE, NO, IT IS BEING SAID OF STAFF. 
          IT IS BEING SUGGESTED THAT SOMETHING SHADY IS GOING ON AND I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. 
          I NEVER SAID ANYTHING SHADY IS GOING ON. 
          I I JUST, EXCUSE ME. 
          I DO WANT TO CORRECT THE RECORD. 
          I'M NOT SAYING THAT ANYTHING SHADY IS GOING ON. 
          OKAY. 
          I NEVER SAID THAT. 
          I APOLOGIZE. 
          I'M SIMPLY SAYING THAT THERE IS REGARDLESS EXTREME GOVERNMENT BLOAT IN, IN THIS CITY. 
          OKAY? AND, AND, AND LET'S TALK ABOUT, LET, LET'S NO, YOU WANTED TO CORRECT THE RECORD. 
          YOU'RE DONE NOW FOR A SECOND PLEASE. 
          SO I CAN FINISH MY SENTENCE. 
          OKAY. 
          MY POINT IS, WE ARE GOING TO COLLECTIVELY AS A COMMISSION AND STAFF CHANGE THE WAY THIS GOVERNMENT OPERATES. 
          THAT IS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO. 
          AS YOU HAVE JUST SAID, GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE TO SHRINK ITSELF. 
          SO WE ARE HERE TOGETHER IN THIS CHAMBER. 
          THE ENTIRE SENIOR STAFF IS HERE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS BETTER GOING FORWARD. 
          SO THIS YEAR, UNLIKE LAST YEAR OR ANY YEARS IN THE PAST, WE'VE ACTUALLY CUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE PROPOSED, FROM THE PRO PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          AND WE ARE ACTUALLY DECREASING OUR MILLAGE IN A WAY THAT WON'T LEAVE US IN A HOLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR SANITATION IN THREE YEARS. 
          I THINK THAT'S A DAMN GOOD DAY'S WORK. 
          IT'S A CUTTING $20 MILLION. 
          IT IS NOT. 
          DO WE WANT TO FIND A WAY GOING FORWARD TO CUT OUR BUDGET? WE DO. 
          AND THAT IS GOING TO BE THE DRIVING MISSION OF OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE AND OUR COMMISSION AND OUR STAFF WHO I THINK REALLY GETS THE MEMO, RIGHT? SO LET US TAKE THIS STEPS THAT WE NEED TO DO IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY. 
          LET'S GIVE YOU THE TWO MONTHS OR WHATEVER IT'S GONNA TAKE TO GET THE, UM, SIX MONTHS. 
          I DON'T KNOW IT, BUT WE'RE BUT IN TIME FROM THE NEXT BUDGET PROCESS SO THAT WE 
          [04:00:01]
CAN START LOOKING AT A GRANULAR LEVEL, BOTH GOING FORWARD AND ALSO FOR THE YEAR THAT WE WILL BE IN AND ANY SAVINGS THAT WE CAN REALIZE, WE'LL BE REALIZED WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE. 
          AND ALSO IN CASE ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM FORGETS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE STATE COMES IN TO TELL US HOW TO DO THINGS. 
          DOES ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT LIVE LOCAL? DOES ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT SENATE BILL 180? NO. 
          WE ARE A VERY RESPONSIBLE CITY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE THINK WE WANT TO DO FOR OUR CITY. 
          DO WE GET IT RIGHT EVERY TIME? WE DO NOT. 
          CAN WE DO IT BETTER? OF COURSE WE ALWAYS CAN. 
          DOES IT WORK WELL WHEN WE ARE PREEMPTED BY THE STATE? EVER? TELL ME. 
          I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR IF SOMEBODY HERE THINKS THAT PREEMPTION BY THE STATE IS A GOOD WAY FOR US, US TO MANAGE THIS CITY, WHICH IS NOT THE SAME AS UNINCORPORATED DE AND IS NOT THE SAME AS WESTERN, UM, COUNTIES THAT ARE MOSTLY AGRICULTURAL. 
          WE ARE A WEIRD LITTLE CITY. 
          WE ARE A SEVEN MILE STRETCH OF SAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN THAT HAS HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND REALLY DIVERSE POPULATIONS AND OFFERS THINGS THAT NO OTHER CITY DOES THE WAY WE DO. 
          AND THAT IS NOT A COOKIE CUTTER THING. 
          SO LET'S DO IT IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY. 
          LET'S DO IT. 
          NO ONE'S ARGUING WITH THAT. 
          LET'S DO IT. 
          BUT LET'S DO IT IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY. 
          COMMISSIONER ELSE. 
          YEAH. 
          CAN WE MOVE FORWARD? IT'S NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. 
          WE'RE NOT GOING TO CUT $20 MILLION FROM THE BUDGET. 
          WE KNOW HOW THE BUDGET GREW IN THE FUTURE, WHICH YOU COULD DO FOR NEXT YEAR AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE CAN ONLY HAVE THE BUDGET GROW BY CPI. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT WAY YOU SET PARAMETERS, ALRIGHT? SO THAT WE DON'T OVERGROW ANYTHING AND YOU GIVE CLEAR DIRECTION TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WE CAN GROW, YOU KNOW, CPI PLUS 1% OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          THAT WAY YOU KNOW THAT, THAT IT'S NOT OUT OF CONTROL. 
          UM, SO LET'S MOVE THIS FORWARD, CORRECT? DOES SOMEBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION? AND, AND JASON, BUT QUICKLY FOR THE AUDIT, I WILL SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY, IF THE STATE REACHES OUT OR CONTINUES TO REACH OUT, I WANT FULL COOPERATION. 
          RIGHT? FULL COOPERATION. 
          THERE BEEN ANY, YEAH, WE, I JUST WANNA BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? IT'S NOT SOMETHING I HIDE FROM. 
          IN FACT, WHY DON'T WE ASK THEM? I WOULD WELCOME IT, RIGHT? WHETHER I'M GOING TO ASK THEM, I I, I DON'T KNOW. 
          IT SOUNDS THEY, THEY'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT OUR BOOKS, SO IT SOUNDS CEREMONIOUS, BUT I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR. 
          I WANNA FULLY COOPERATE WHAT EXACTLY WE, WE A MOTION AND NO SECOND WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE ITEM. 
          ALSO. 
          WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          DIDN'T YOU MAKE A MOTION ON YOUR MILLAGE? I DID, YEAH. 
          I MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND I SECOND THE REDUCED MILLAGE RATE. 
          SO LET, LET'S VOTE ON THAT, CALCULATE THAT IF I CAN REAL QUICK. 
          I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TO READ SOME THE RECORD 'CAUSE WE'RE ADJUSTING THE, THE MILLAGE DOWN, SO I'LL LET MAKE IT UP. 
          THE MILLAGE RATE WOULD BE A ADOPTED AT 5.8560 FOR THE OPERATING MILLAGE. 
          THE DEBT SERVICE WOULD REMAIN THE SAME. 
          5.8560. 
          WAIT, SAY THAT AGAIN, I'M SORRY. 
          5.8560. 
          SO RIGHT NOW FROM NOW IT'S 5.8702. 
          WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN BY 0.0142. 
          THAT'S THE GENERAL FUND MILL NUMBERS AGAIN. 
          SO THE BUDGET, SO THE MILLAGE IS GONNA BE 5.8 0.8560. 
          CURRENTLY BEFORE THIS ADJUSTMENT, IT WAS AT 5.8702. 
          SO TO BE CLEAR, WHAT WE'RE MAKING A MOTION ON IS ACTUALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS, DESPITE BUDGETARY PRESSURES BECAUSE OF THE COST SAVINGS WE'VE IDENTIFIED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'RE NOT STOPPING HERE, BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY REDUCING OUR GENERAL FUND MILITARY IN ADDITION TO AGREEING TO RETURN $11 MILLION TO THE PUBLIC. 
          BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE, THAT'S IT IS UNEQUIVOCALLY TRUE THAT WE ARE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS REDUCING OUR MILLAGE RATE. 
          I IS THAT NOT TRUE IN WAY MORE THAN THREE YEARS? ACTUALLY, IT'S THE PROPOSED MILL, IT'S THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE THAT WE'RE WITH COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ JUST MENTIONED, ISN'T IT? WELL, MORE THAN THREE YEARS. 
          YEAH. 
          IF I, IF I CAN, THERE'S A COUPLE OF POINTS I I WANTED TO MAKE IS THE YES, THE, THE, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE OPERATING MILLAGE, YOU KNOW, NOT THE VOTER RECOMMENDED GEO BOND OR IF WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE CAPITAL ONE. 
          SO IF WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT WHAT WE CALL LIKE GENERAL OPERATING, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN, THE GENERAL OPERATING HAS BEEN AT 5 6, 6 3 FOR BACK TO 22. 
          THE LAST REDUCTION I'M LOOKING AT WOULD PROBABLY BACK IN 2018, 19 WAS THE LAST TIME THAT OPERATING WAS REDUCED. 
          SO CLOSE TO 10 YEARS THERE'S BEEN, THERE'LL BE A REDUCTION IN THAT OPERATING MILLAGE RELATED TO GENERAL OPERATING. 
          AND IF ANYONE WANTS TO JOIN ME AS A CO-SPONSOR OF THAT MOTION, YOU'RE, I'M JOINED AS A CO PRIME IF YEAH, PUBLIC, RALPH, THE PUBLIC HEARING, PUBLIC HEARING. 
          I HAVE THREE INDIVIDUALS ON ZOOM, UH, REQUESTING TO SPEAK 
          [04:05:01]
THIS. 
          JUST FOR THE RECORD, THESE, THIS IS PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS R SEVEN A AND R SEVEN B. 
          UH, KAREN LUCAS, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          UH, YES. 
          I, I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX. 
          IS THAT OKAY? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, KAREN, GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I CAME TO MIAMI BEACH IN 2021 AT THE TIME, UH, I LOOKED AT MY, MY, UH, EXPENSES. 
          I'M, I ACTUALLY ENDED UP BEING THE TREASURER OF THIS BOUTIQUE BUILDING IN MIAMI BEACH, BUT I AM A NON HOMESTEADER, OKAY? SO I'M A NON-HOMESTEAD AND I STARTED AT 3,500, UM, A YEAR IN PROPERTY TAX. 
          IF INDEED MY NON HOMESTEADER GOES UP 10% EVERY YEAR IN 10 YEARS, I WILL BE PAYING $8,252 IN PROPERTY TAX. 
          THAT'S OVER 135% INCREASE. 
          THAT 10% INCREASE EVERY SINGLE YEAR IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. 
          AND I DON'T RENT MY PLACE WHEN I'M NOT THERE. 
          WE HAVE THREE OR FOUR OF US WHO ARE NON HOMESTEADERS IN OUR BUILDING AND NONE OF US RENT OUR PLACE WHEN WE'RE NOT THERE. 
          SO WE ARE TAKING THE FULL BURDEN OF THIS, AND IT'S JUST COMPLETELY UNSUSTAINABLE. 
          UM, THE OTHER POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS AROUND THE LOAN PROGRAM FOR SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS. 
          UH, THAT'S BEEN CRITICAL FOR PEOPLE. 
          THERE ARE PEOPLE SUFFERING OUT THERE WHO CAN'T AFFORD SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, AND THEREFORE THEY ARE PUTTING THINGS LIKE ROOF REPLACEMENTS ON HOLD. 
          THEIR PLACES ARE LEAKING AND, AND THE INSURANCE GOES UP ANOTHER $15,000 A YEAR OR MORE BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO IT AND MAKE PEOPLE PAY A $12,000 SPECIAL ASSESSMENT. 
          SO ANY WAY IN WHICH YOU CAN HELP FOLKS WITH A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT LOAN WILL HELP THEM TO GET THEIR PROPERTIES UP TO SNUFF SO THAT, UH, THEY CAN CONTINUE TO, UH, LIVE AND OPERATE IN MIAMI BEACH. 
          ANYWAYS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING TO ME. 
          THANK YOU, KAREN. 
          OUR NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER IS WAYNE ROBERTS. 
          MR. ROBERTS, GO AHEAD. 
          GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. 
          UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I I LOVE THE CONVERSATION. 
          UM, THE, THE HOMESTEAD, UH, UH, PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN MIAMI BEACH HAVE A DEAL AT 3% BECAUSE THEY CAN NEVER BASICALLY HAVE AN INCREASE BEYOND, UNLESS THEY CHANGE THE MILLAGE RATE, RATE UP. 
          THEY CAN'T HAVE A GREATER INCREASE THAN 3% ANNUAL. 
          IT IS THAT THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS NOT EVEN OWNERS IT, THE BUSINESSES, BECAUSE MOST LEASES, UH, IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY HAVE, UM, RIDER ATTACHED TO IT IN THE LEASE THAT SAYS YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INCREASE IN TAXES. 
          SO IT'S PASSED DOWN ON A COMMERCIAL BASIS. 
          THOSE, THOSE STOREFRONTS THAT ARE CLOSING, UH, THAT THE ONE OF THE DRIVERS, THE MAIN DRIVERS, I WOULDN'T SAY MAIN DRIVERS, BUT CERTAINLY A BIG DRIVER YEAH, IS A 10% INCREASE THEY RECEIVING EVERY YEAR IN, UM, IN, IN, IN THOSE, THOSE, UH, REAL ESTATE TAXES, UM, AS WELL AS THE NON HOMESTEADERS. 
          UM, IT DOES IMPACT, UH, UH, HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES IN THE SENSE THAT, UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE, ARE NOT HOMESTEADED, UH, THE PRICE OF REAL ESTATE AND CONDOS ARE DECLINING. 
          WE'RE NOT RAISING RISING AS MUCH AS THEY SHOULD, UH, BECAUSE OF THE TAX CONSEQUENCE FOR, FOR NON HOMESTEADED PROPERTIES, WHEN THEY TAKE, THEY TAKE POSSESSION AND IT RESETS, RIGHT? UNLESS YOU, YOU'RE TRANSFERRING THE HOMESTEAD TO THE PROPERTY THAT YOU'RE MOVING TO, UH, THE PROPERTY VALUE, THE ASSESSED VALUE STARTS AT THE HIGHEST NUMBER POSSIBLE, WHICH IS THE FULL ASSESSED VALUE. 
          EVEN IF YOU DO HOMESTEAD, YOU HAVE TO WAIT YEARS BEFORE YOU GET, YOU KNOW, SUBSTANTIAL ADVANTAGE. 
          SO, UH, IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE. 
          UM, IT CERTAINLY IS IMPACTING OUR DOWNTOWN AREAS WITH THIS 10% EFFECT AS WELL AS BUSINESSES IN, IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. 
          IF YOU'RE A DENTIST, YOU'RE STILL PAYING THOSE 10% INCREASES IN REAL ESTATE TAXES. 
          UM, AND SO, UH, HOMESTEAD IS GREAT. 
          MR. ROBERTS NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER IS DANIEL. 
          DANIEL STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC DANIEL SERAL CANDIDATE FOR MIAMI BEACH COMMISSION. 
          GROUP ONE, NUMBER 1 32 ON THE BALLOT. 
          ANYONE WHO HAS EVER BEEN ON A BOARD OR HAS ANY SIGNIFICANT MANAGERIAL EXPERIENCE KNOWS THAT YOU DON'T MISS THE TREAT. 
          THAT IS WHERE YOU SET THE PRIORITIES FOR THE ORGANIZATION. 
          IT IS FINANCIAL MALPRACTICE TO DO THAT, PARTICULARLY FROM A VICE CHAIR OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. 
          AND WE ARE ALL SUFFERING TONIGHT THROUGH THIS PAINFULLY LONG MEETING DUE TO ONE WOEFULLY UNPREPARED COMMISSIONER AND THE NEVER ENDING MICROMANAGING OF ANOTHER. 
          THIS MIGHT WORK IN SUNNY ISLES, 
          [04:10:01]
BUT A WORLD-CLASS CITY LIKE MIAMI BEACH. 
          WE DESERVE MORE PREPARED AND QUALIFIED LEADERSHIP. 
          THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSIONERS WITH THE LEVEL HEADS WHO HELPED AND TAX REDUCTION. 
          I HOPE YOU WILL GET THE CREDIT FOR IT. 
          HOMEOWNERS ARE BEING SQUEEZED AS ARE RENTERS, ALEX FERNANDEZ AND OTHERS. 
          GREAT JOB. 
          AND YOU DID IT ALL WITHOUT HAVING TO START A NEGATIVE MUDSLINGING CAMPAIGN. 
          BY THE WAY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAVE ANOTHER 800,000 IMMEDIATELY TONIGHT, SOMEONE CAN MAKE A MOTION TO CANCEL THE MONEY FOR WAZA PALOOZA FITNESS FESTIVAL, WHICH AT THIS POINT IS A LUXURY, NOT A NECESSITY. 
          OUR, OUR CITIZENS SHOULD HAVE THAT EXTRA 800, 2000 IN THE REBATE FOR RESIDENTS. 
          SO I'M LOOKING FOR A LEADER TO MAKE THAT MOTION TONIGHT. 
          LET'S CONTINUE THIS WORK BASED ON TRUTH, FACTS, RESPECT, AND FOCUSING ON OUR RESIDENTS. 
          IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MY CAMPAIGN, VISIT DANIEL FOR MIAMI BEACH.ORG. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OUR NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER IS PAULA. 
          PAULA STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          PAULA ALLEN. 
          UH, TWO ADDRESS IS 3 45 OCEAN DRIVE AND ALSO 100 MERIDIAN AVENUE. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, THE FIRST LADY WHO SPOKE ABOUT THE, UH, NON-HOMESTEAD, UH, PROPERTY TAXES. 
          SO I HAVE, UM, I TRANSFERRED AND DID THE PORTABILITY TO MY OTHER CONDO, THE SMALLER 3 45 OCEAN DRIVE. 
          AND, UM, THAT WAS ALL FINE. 
          THAT WORKED. 
          AND THE OTHER ONE AT 100 MERIDIAN, I'D BEEN PAYING 7,000 A YEAR AND I'D BEEN HOMESTEADED ON THAT ONE SINCE 2008, UP UNTIL 2025. 
          IT WENT FROM $7,000 TO 17 IN ONE YEAR JUST FROM TAKING OFF THE HOMESTEAD. 
          AND I CAN'T, UM, I DID, UH, CONTEST IT OR WHATEVER. 
          I DID FILL UP PAPERWORK FOR THAT, SO THAT, THAT'S QUITE A BURDEN. 
          SO I'VE GOT ONE HOMESTEADED WHERE I'M PAYING ABOUT SEVEN GRAND AND THEN I'VE GOT ANOTHER NON HOMESTEADED THAT'S ANOTHER 17,000. 
          I DON'T RENT THAT ONE OUT. 
          SO YEAH. 
          AND THEN ASSESSMENTS, LET'S GO ABOUT THAT. 
          SO, UH, $42,000 ASSESSMENT, WHAT IN 2022 FOR WHERE I LIVE NOW, UH, JUST PAST LAST WEEK. 
          ANOTHER $10,900 ASSESSMENT FOR THE SAME PLACE THAT I LIVE NOW. 
          NEXT YEAR FOR THE FIRE SPRINKLER REQUIREMENT, IT'LL PROBABLY BE ABOUT 12 TO $15,000. 
          SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, FOR A VERY SMALL 650 SQUARE FOOT UNIT IN A 50-YEAR-OLD BUILDING, APPROACHING 70 GRAND IN ASSESSMENTS IN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS. 
          SO YEAH, THAT'S WHERE MONEY SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA BE ABOUT GRANTS AND STUFF, GIVE IT TO THE CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS THAT HAVE LIVED HERE 20 PLUS YEARS THAT NEED IT FOR THOSE KIND OF THINGS. 
          NOT, AND I AGREE, NOT ART PROJECTS TO OTHER CITIES. 
          SPEAKING OF WHICH, I APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME THAT Y'ALL TAKEN. 
          I KNOW THAT IT WAS TOUGH. 
          DAVID SUAREZ, I DO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE GONE THROUGH OR Y'ALL WOULD NOT HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PAINFUL EXERCISE AS YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          DESCRIBED IT TO SAVE THE MONEY. 
          OUR NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER IS, UH, LORI BAUM. 
          LORI STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS. 
          YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          HELLO EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR TIME AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF POWER ACCESS AND THE SOUTH BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL AND ARTS AND CULTURE NONPROFITS IN GENERAL IN OUR CITY. 
          I MOVED TO MIAMI BEACH IN 1992 AND IN SEVERAL ROLES, BOTH AS JUST A RESIDENT, A VOLUNTEER, AND NOW AS A TRUE ADVOCATE AND, UM, FOR THE SOUTH BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL, POWER ACCESS. 
          I WANNA SAY THAT ARTS AND CULTURE HAVE REALLY BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF BOTH OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE RISING OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          AS A WORLD CLASS CITY, WE REALLY GIVE BACK, AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT ALL NONPROFITS THAT WORK WITHIN OUR CITY ARE SOUTH BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL. 
          AND OUR YEAR ROUND PROGRAMMING, 90% OF WHICH IS FREE, IS FUNDED ABOUT 20% THROUGH GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS BY CITY MIAMI BEACH. 
          THE REST COMES IN THROUGH PRIVATE DONATIONS, BUSINESS DONATIONS, AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. 
          I FEEL LIKE WE ARE JUST THE, A FLAG OF ALL THE NONPROFITS IN THE CITY, WHICH DO GREAT WORK. 
          AND I HOPE THAT THAT'S RECOGNIZED BECAUSE IT'S BOTH AN ECONOMIC DRIVER AND A QUALITY OF LIFE DRIVER, WHICH MOST OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN FOR FREE FOR RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO CREATING TOURISM 
          [04:15:01]
DOLLARS THAT ALSO BENEFIT OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THERE ARE NO OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS ON ZOOM AND I SEE NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE. 
          SO THERE'S A FEW MOTIONS, UH, ON THE TABLE. 
          GET THE EASY ONE OUT OF THE WAY. 
          I HAVE A MOTION, UH, DIRECTING CITY STAFF TO COME BACK NOT SIX MONTHS IN A YES. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          IF I, IF I COULD JUST TO CLARIFY, 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS ON BUDGETARY, STRUCTURAL, BUDGETARY CHANGES. 
          AND LAST WE HAD SPOKEN WAS THAT, UH, GOING FORWARD FOR THE 27 BUDGET, WE WOULD, BECAUSE IT'S A VERY LONG PROCESS TO RECONFIGURE, UH, HOW WE DO PROGRAM BUDGETING VERSUS THE, THE EXISTING MODEL. 
          AND WE'RE COMPLETELY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT SPECIFICALLY. 
          'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES, SO IT'LL BE GENERAL FUNDED RESORT TAX TO GOING FORWARD FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          SOMETHING USUALLY HAVE VALUE TO DO NECESSARILY EVERY SINGLE YEAR. 
          BUT PERIODICALLY THE CITY HAS DONE PROGRAM BUDGETING IN THE PAST. 
          SO YEAH, WE WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY SUPPORTIVE OF DOING, UH, PROGRAM BUDGETING, WHICH GIVES YOU THAT, LIKE THAT RE GRANULARITY THERE. 
          UM, BUT JUST GIVING YOU A DETAILED BUDGET LINE ITEMS FINANCED TO OUR OPERATING EXPENSES THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET. 
          THE, THAT I THINK, UM, THAT NUANCES OF, BECAUSE VERY TECHNICAL, BUT FROM A PROGRAM BUDGET PERSPECTIVE, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SUPPORTIVE, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR DOING A PROGRAM BUDGET FOR THE GENERAL FUND RESORT TAX. 
          SO YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE, I THINK WHAT YOU SEE UP HERE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S APPETITE TO WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          I GET THAT. 
          THAT'S A BIG ASK. 
          I HAVE A QUESTION ON YOUR MOTION COMMISSION. 
          HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN A ZERO BASED BUDGET? ZERO BASED BUDGET MEANS WHEN YOU PROVIDE THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS TO THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS, AND CORRECT ME I'M WRONG, IS THAT YOU, YOU GIVE IT TO 'EM WITH ZEROS IN IT AND THEN JUST BUILD THEIR BUDGET UP. 
          SO THEY'RE JUST GONNA LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          IT'S NOT A, IT'S A, IT'S KIND OF AN OLDER BUDGET PROCESS THAT, THAT I DON'T REALLY HAS FALLEN OUT OF FAVOR. 
          UM, IT'S NOT REALLY, UH, ONE THAT WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS PROGRAM BUDGETING. 
          KIND OF LIKE YOU SAW WITH THOSE CUT THREE SAID, LIKE, I'LL GIVE YOU THE EXAMPLE, A POSITION WITH A BUNCH OF BUNCH OF PEOPLE. 
          OKAY, WELL YOU CAN CUT THAT PROGRAM AS IT AS IT WERE. 
          UM, SO THAT WOULD REALLY BE, I THINK WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS PROGRAM BUDGETING, BUT TO GO BACK AND REDO THE ENTIRE 26 BUDGET FROM A PROGRAM BUDGET PERSPECTIVE, UH, BUT THAT, THAT'S NOT ZERO BASED BUDGETING, ZERO BASED BUDGETING IS ALL THESE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT WE SAW TONIGHT. 
          IT'S WHATEVER YOU PRODUCE AND YOU DON'T SPEND, THEN THAT IS THE EXCESS. 
          I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT ZERO BASED BUDGETING IS, ISN'T IT? NO, NO. 
          BASICALLY STARTS FROM SCRATCH EACH YEAR. 
          EXACTLY. 
          BUT WHAT YOUR INCOME MINUS YOUR SAVINGS AND DEBT PAYMENTS HAVE TO EQUAL ZERO EACH MONTH. 
          THAT'S WHAT THE ZERO BASED BUDGET IS, RIGHT? SO, WELL THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET WE HAVE NOW IS THAT WE, WE HAVE OUR, SO, BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE SURPLUSES, WHICH IS WHAT WE SPENT TONIGHT GOING OVER, RIGHT? AND SURPLUS HERE, YOU KNOW, 10,000 QUARTER HERE AND 20,000 THERE. 
          SO IF YOU DID PRACTICE A ZERO BASED BUDGET, YOU WOULD ELIMINATE ALL THOSE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES. 
          IF YOU WERE TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING LIKE A ZERO BASED BUDGET FOR A FEW MONTHS, THEN COME BACK TO US IN 60 OR 90 DAYS AND SAY, OKAY, WE'VE BEEN ZERO BASED BUDGETING FOR 90 DAYS. 
          HERE ARE THE SURPLUS FUNDS IN OUR DEPARTMENT, AND THEN WE COULD EASILY SEE WHAT THOSE SURPLUS FUNDS WERE, IF I CAN, THAT'S NOT ZERO BASED BUDGETING, BUT WHAT YOU DESCRIBED WE ALREADY DO ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. 
          AND THAT'S THE QUARTERLY, UH, LTC BUDGET TO ACTUAL, THAT THE, UH, BUDGET DEPARTMENT PRODUCES. 
          IT'S A LOT OF WORK FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, BUT THAT'S PUT OUT EVERY SINGLE QUARTER TO SHOW YOU WHAT THE SURPLUS IS IT ALL OF THE FUNDS, UH, THAT WE HAVE. 
          AND THAT GOES TO THE COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ'S DISCUSSION ABOUT WHY HE, YOU KNOW, IS AWARE THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OVER $11 MILLION PROJECTED TO THE GENERAL FUND, UH, SURPLUS. 
          SO THAT IS ALREADY DONE. 
          AND THAT IS A VERY, UH, I, I AGREE THAT THAT IS A VERY GOOD AND TRANSPARENT, UH, DOCUMENT. 
          AND I ALWAYS, I KNOW WHEN I MET WITH THE, THE AIDES AND THE NEW COMMISSIONERS WHEN YOU CAME IN AND, AND WITH THE NEW AIDES WHEN THEY CAME OUT, WE ALWAYS SAY WE ARE GONNA READ, THERE'S MANY LTCS THAT GO OUT. 
          THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT LTC TO READ. 
          IT'S LONG, IT'S MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY PAGES LONG, BUT IT DOES HAVE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD VALUABLE INFORMATION IN THERE. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD REFER TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND THEN YOU CAN GO THROUGH THAT AND IF YOU WANTED TO, THE FIRST QUARTERLY PROJECTION DOCUMENT WOULD BE OUT IN MID FOR Q1 WOULD END DECEMBER. 
          WE WOULD HAVE THAT READY IN EARLY FEBRUARY, LATE FEBRUARY, LATE FEBRUARY. 
          HERE'S WITH THE ZERO BASED BUDGET. 
          I MEAN, YOU START AT ZERO. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THEN YOU COME IN WITH YOUR ESSENTIALS. 
          THIS IS THE ESSENTIALS TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT RUNNING AND TO DELIVER OUR BASIC SERVICES. 
          AND THEN IT GIVES US THE ABILITY AS POLICY MAKERS TO DETERMINE, OKAY, EVERYTHING BEYOND THE ESSENTIAL AND BASIC SERVICE OF GOVERNMENT, WE GET TO THEN GO THROUGH AND MAKE POLICY DECISIONS ON THOSE, WHICH IS WHERE I BELIEVE IN THE DIRECTION THAT THIS COMMISSION IS GOING TO FIND EFFICIENCIES. 
          YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT THAT'S WHERE THAT THIS BODY FEELS IS, IS THE BEST PLACE TO START AT, I THINK FOR, FOR NEXT YEAR IS FROM A POSITION OF ZERO. 
          IF, IF I, IF I MAY CHA IF I MIGHT CHIME IN, UH, COMMISSIONER Y. 
          YES. 
          UM, BUT THERE ARE INEFFICIENCIES WITHIN PROGRAMS IN, IN THE CITY STAFF THAT REALLY WE DON'T HAVE AN EYE TO, RIGHT? 
          [04:20:01]
LIKE, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA BRING UP THE SWEEPER AGAIN. 
          YOU HAVE A SWEEPER AND THEN THERE'S FIVE ADMINISTRATIVE PEOPLE FOR THAT SWEEPER . 
          HOW DO WE, HOW DO YOU CATCH THAT? HOW DO YOU CATCH THAT? THERE'S GONNA BE 15 CAMERAS FOR $250 MILLION WHERE THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AN AMENDMENT, BUT THAT'S AN LINE ITEM THAT WE JUST AREN'T PRIVY TO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE, WE, WE CAN'T, WE, WE CAN'T GO LINE LITERALLY LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM FOR SOME OF THESE EXPENSES. 
          SO IT'S, IT KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE TO TRUST YOUR STAFF THAT THEY'RE BEING EFFICIENT. 
          AND AT THIS POINT, I, I, I, I DON'T KNOW. 
          I I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, UH, IN, IN OUR, IN THE WAY WE HAVE OUR STRUCTURE OF OUR GOVERNMENT. 
          WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE. 
          TAMIKA OR JASON, LEMME ASK YOU A QUESTION, MR. CITY MANAGER, I HATE CONSULTANTS. 
          , I, SO NAS ME, I'M EVEN ASKING THIS IN A WAY TO SAVE MONEY, BUT THIS IS A WAY TO SAVE MONEY. 
          HOW MUCH WOULD AN ERNS AND YOUNG OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT CHARGE TO COME IN AND DO AN EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS? I KNOW THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS A REPORT THAT'S BEING COMMISSIONED AND IT'S ACTUALLY SO TELLING THE TRUTH THAT THE MAYOR WON'T RELEASE IT. 
          I'M NOT SURE HOW TO ESTIMATE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. 
          I KNOW THAT, IS THAT A CO LIKE $200,000 OR IS THAT A FEW MILLION DOLLARS? UH, PROBABLY IN THE MILLIONS. 
          I KNOW THE, THE COMMISSION DIRECTED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DO A STAFFING, UH, REPORT, WHICH WAS DONE BY AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT REPORTED BACK TO COMMISSION. 
          AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE TO ADD STAFF. 
          UM, AND INTERNAL AUDIT IS UNDER OUR, UH, INSPECTOR GENERAL. 
          UM, SO I MEAN, I'M NOT, NOT TO PUT IT ON. 
          DO ANY, UH, ANY ROUGH ESTIMATE. 
          WOULD A CONSULTING FIRM LIKE BAIN OR ERNST AND YOUNG, I THINK WE LOOKED AT JACK COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. 
          I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 500 IF I CAN, I THINK GO IN VILLAGE DID SOMETHING SIMILAR AND SPENT TWO, 2 MILLION ON A FULL ORGANIZATIONAL ABOUT STUDY. 
          JOE, JOE, CAN YOU GO TO THE MICROPHONE PLEASE? I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          UH, ALONG THOSE LINES, I MEAN, THE REASON YOU HAVE YOUR JOB HERE, JOE, IS, AND, AND YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THINGS LIKE, HAS ANYONE EVER LOOKED INTO THIS OR, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU WORKING ON THAT? AND YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, WE COULD, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE DIRECTED BY COMMISSION. 
          I, I THINK IS THAT SOMETIMES, I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON THE THING THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. 
          SO COULD WE AS A COMMISSION DIRECT THE OIG TO DO A, AN ANALYSIS OF, OF, UM, EFFICIENCY OR IS THAT BEYOND SORT OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT YOU GUYS DO? I MEAN, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE'VE GOT SIX TAX AUDITORS WHO AUDIT. 
          THERE'S 3000, YOU KNOW, RESORT TAX AUDITOR ACCOUNTS IN THE CITY. 
          WE BARELY SCRATCHED. 
          THE SERVICE WAS 200. 
          WE'VE GOT THREE INTERNAL AUDITORS, AND WE'RE ALWAYS TWO YEARS BEHIND IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WANNA AUDIT. 
          OKAY. 
          COULD, COULD WE ACTUALLY DO THE ENTIRE CITY IF WITH MORE, MORE PERSONNEL? I'D LOVE TO DO IT, BUT I DON'T EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN. 
          YEAH. 
          WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF ADDING FTES RIGHT NOW. 
          RIGHT. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          WELL, YOU, WE LOOK AT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO, WE LOOK, LOOK AT PROGRAMS, WE LOOK AT CONTRACTS, WE LOOK AT EXPENDITURES TO, TO TAKE ON THE ENTIRE CITY AND TAKE MY, MY ENTIRE STAFF PROBABLY TO ABANDON THE REST OF OUR WORK. 
          THAT'S, I'D LOVE TO DO MORE. 
          I REALLY WOULD. 
          SO YOU RAISE A GOOD POINT. 
          IT'S NOT REALISTIC. 
          YOU RAISE A REALLY GOOD POINT. 
          UH, JOE, SO YOU ARE AUDITING NOT THE CITY YOU'RE AUDITING PRIMARILY OTHER BUSINESSES WHO DEAL WITH THE CITY? NO, NO. 
          WE, WE AUDIT CONTRACTS, BUT WE ALSO AUDIT PROGRAMS IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE GOING ON. 
          AND WE, WE LOOK INTO SOMETIMES PROBLEMS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN, IN SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS OR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO, WE DO LOOK AT CITY OPERATIONS. 
          WE LOOK AT CITY COMPLIANCE, WE LOOK AT CONTRACTORS, UH, COMPLIANCE. 
          AND SO WHAT, YOU WERE OVER THERE, YOU WERE MENTIONING THAT COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE BROUGHT UP AN ITEM OR BROUGHT AN IDEA FOR ERNEST YOUNG TO COME IN. 
          ROUGHLY WHAT WOULD THAT COST? WELL, AS I SAID, WE, WE DID, WE, WE LOOKED, THERE WAS, THERE WAS A, A COMPANY, I FORGET WHERE IT WAS THAT DID A, DID SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN CALIFORNIA TO WITH A, WITH I THINK A CITY ROUGHLY THE SAME. 
          AND I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS ABOUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, TO DO. 
          HOW LONG DID THAT TAKE? I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF THAT, BUT I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S WORTH CONSIDERING. 
          I, I'M SKEPTICAL OF SOMETIMES MYSELF OF BIG, OF BIG FORMS COMING IN LIKE THAT. 
          BUT, UH, CAN BE THE CONSENSUS FROM THE BODY. 
          I'M SORRY, THE CONSENSUS FROM THE BODY IS, AND I AGREE. 
          WE GOT A, WE HAVE MOTIONS ON THE TABLE. 
          LET'S, UM, WHICH, UH, DO WE HAVE AN ORDER OF PRIORITY FOR THE MOTIONS? THE CITY ATTORNEY? SURE. 
          I BELIEVE, UM, THE MOTION TO DECREASE THE MILLAGE RATE, WHICH WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, WOULD HAVE TO BE ADOPTED PRIOR TO ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET CALL THE VOTE. 
          CAN, CAN YOU JUST LINE UP WHAT'S ON THE TABLE? SO FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2018, 19, WE'RE ACTUALLY VOTING RIGHT NOW ON A REDUCTION IN OUR 
          [04:25:01]
MILLAGE RATE. 
          THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. 
          UH, UH, CORRECT. 
          THIS WILL BE A MILLAGE RATE REDUCTION ON THE GENERAL FUND, AND I'D LIKE TO BE LISTED AS A CO PRIME. 
          ANYONE ELSE? I THINK WE ALL, ALL OF US? YEAH, ALL OF US. 
          SO ALL CO PRIME, THIS IS ON THE REDUCTION OF THE MILLAGE TO, I BELIEVE IT WAS 5.8560, YES. 
          THIS IS THE MILLAGE ITEM AND WE JUST NEED TO HEAR EVERYBODY'S, UM, RESPONSE INDIVIDUALLY. 
          BUT THE REDUCED MILAGE RATE IS 5.8560. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, AND MR. MAYOR, BEFORE WE FINALLY VOTE, I I JUST WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES. 
          I KNOW THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT, OKAY? I, I CERTAINLY DO NOT TAKE JOY IN BEING THIS DIFFICULT. 
          UM, I'M NOT PLAYING POLITICS. 
          THESE ARE PEOPLE'S MONEY. 
          THESE, YOU KNOW, I, I I BELIEVE WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAVE A TAX, IT, IT SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY DEBATED BECAUSE I THINK IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A SIMPLE 45 MINUTE MEETING. 
          YOU KNOW, I REALLY GOTTA HAND IT TO EVERY ONE OF YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SPENDING YOUR TIME. 
          WE GOT HERE AT FIVE O'CLOCK, IT IS NOW NINE 30, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE REAL POSITIVE WINS OUTTA THIS. 
          WE'RE HAVING A REBATE THAT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ HAS, HAS BROUGHT FORWARD. 
          THAT'S EXCELLENT. 
          WE LOWERED THE MILLAGE RATE SINCE 2018. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PROGRAM LEVEL BUDGETING, AND SO LOOK, AS CONTENTIOUS AS THIS MAY BE, I, I WANNA THANK YOU. 
          I, I CERTAINLY, UM, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT. 
          I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T WANT TO STAY HERE TILL NINE 30, BUT WE GOT SOME WINS OUT OF THIS. 
          I'M GONNA BE SUPPORTIVE. 
          OKAY? UM, AND I, AND I WANT TO, I REALLY WANT TO EXTEND A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO, TO ALL OF YOU FOR, FOR, FOR GOING THROUGH THIS. 
          BECAUSE LISTEN, NOW, NOW THE RESIDENTS KNOW THAT WE ARE REALLY ANALYZING THIS AND WE, WE ACTUALLY CARE. 
          WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO GO, WE WANNA DO WHAT'S BEST FOR, FOR, FOR THEIR, THEIR WALLETS. 
          SO, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT, MR. MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER SUAREZ. 
          SO ON THE DECREASE OF THE, OF THE MILAGE, I HAVE TO DO, UH, A ROLL CALL. 
          SO I'M GONNA DO IT ALPHABETICALLY. 
          COMMISSIONER BT. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ. 
          YES. 
          VICE MAYOR MAGAZINE? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER SUAREZ? YES. 
          DEAR MINOR. 
          YES. 
          ITEM IS APPROVED NOW WE DO R SEVEN A. 
          THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A, SO, OKAY. 
          YEAH, THIS IS, THIS WOULD BE B. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, FOR THE BUDGET, I JUST HAVE TO, I, I, I ALLUDED, I KNOW WE, WE, I, WE REQUESTED, UH, BRIEFINGS OF A ONE WILL HAVE, AND WE DISCUSSED THIS WITH A FEW PEOPLE. 
          SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT WERE, UH, APPROVED, UH, AT THIS SEPTEMBER 17TH COMMISSION MEETING. 
          UM, AND I'M GONNA READ THEM THE, THESE ARE ITEMS THAT WE WOULD AMEND THE BUDGET AS, AS, UH, PRESENTED. 
          SO IT'LL BE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, AN AMENDED BUDGET. 
          THESE EFFECTS PRIMARILY NON GENERAL FUND BUDGETS, BUT I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH THEM VERY QUICKLY AND YOU'LL RECALL THESE ALL FROM THE RESOLUTIONS YOU PASSED. 
          UH, ONE IS $50,000 FOR THE WATER QUALITY STUDY. 
          THIS IS ALL THE PARKVIEW ISLAND RESOLUTION, UH, FOR THE WATER AND SEWER FUND. 
          21,000 FOR WEEKLY WATER TESTING IN THE PARKVIEW CANAL FROM THE STORMWATER FUND. 
          UH, EXPEDITING THE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY FOR NORTH BEACH, WHICH WILL BE REFUNDED THE FUTURE, BUT 363,000 FROM WATER AND SEWER SEED MONEY FOR THE NANO BUBBLE TECHNOLOGY OF 250,000 FROM STORM WATER. 
          UH, ART WEEK, ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION, WHICH WAS A PERMIT COMMISSION FOR 130,000 FROM THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION FROM THE TRANSPORTATION FUND. 
          AND JUST THE LAST ITEM, UNLESS WE HAVE WE DISCUSSION ON IT, UH, WAS THE COMMISSION HAD ASKED ON JUST CLICK, UH, TO SHARPEN THE PENCIL ON THE WELLNESS PROGRAM. 
          UM, AND IF THE COMMISSION IS AMICABLE, THE PENCIL WAS SHARPENED AND TO REDUCE THOSE, THOSE KEEPING THE CLASSES, BUT, BUT, UH, KEEPING THEM AT THE LEVEL THAT WE ARE DOING THEM NOW AND WE COULD ACTUALLY REDUCE THAT ALLOCATION BY $20,000. 
          SO IF THE COMMISSION I MOVE THE ITEM. 
          YEAH. 
          IF THE COMMISSION IS AMICABLE AL, WE CAN ADD THOSE SIX ITEMS TO AMEND THE OPERATING BUDGET. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ ON R SEVEN B, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SUAREZ. 
          IT IS AS AMENDED. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANYONE OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. 
          R SEVEN B IS APPROVED AS AMENDED. 
          R SEVEN A WAS APPROVED AS AMENDED. 
          R SEVEN 
          [R7 C A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADOPTING THE FINAL AD VALOREM MILLAGE RATE OF 0.7305 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 FOR THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WHICH IS ONE AND THREE TENTHS PERCENT (1.3%) MORE THAN THE "ROLLED-BACK" RATE OF 0.7208 MILLS.]
CR SEVEN C IS A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADOPTING THE FINAL AT THE LOWER MILLAGE OF 0.7305. 
          BILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 FOR THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WHICH IS ONE IN THREE TENTHS, ONE THIRD, ONE IN THREE TENTHS MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 0.7208 MILS. 
          IT IS A SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING. 
          I SEE NO ONE ON ZOOM. 
          I MOVE THE, THE AUDIENCE. 
          SECOND. 
          I 
          [04:30:01]
HEARD COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ. 
          COMMISSIONER BOT, I JUST, I NEED A VOICE VOTE. 
          OKAY, SO THIS IS ON R SEVEN C. 
          UH, A VOICE VOTE. 
          I'M GONNA DO AGAIN, REVERSE ALPHABETICAL THIS TIME. 
          SUAREZ. 
          COMMISSIONER SUAREZ? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER BACH? YES. 
          MAYOR MINOR. 
          YES. 
          MOTION CARRIES. 
          THAT'S R SEVEN C. 
          R SEVEN DR 
          [R7 D A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026]
SEVEN D IS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR, A RESOLUTION OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORMANDY SHORES LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          IT IS ITEM R SEVEN DI THE SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING. 
          SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          I HEARD COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND I HEARD COMMISSIONER BOT. 
          I, UH, I COULD JUST DO A VOICE VOTE. 
          UM, YES, BUT IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING. 
          THIS IS AN R SEVEN D. 
          ALL IN FAVOR OF PUBLIC HEARING. 
          PUBLIC HEARING. 
          THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          YES, IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING. 
          I SEE NO ONE IN ZOOM. 
          AND I SEE NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE AGAIN FOR R SEVEN C. 
          THERE WAS NO ONE IN ZOOM. 
          NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE REQUESTING TO SPEAK. 
          THIS IS AN R SEVEN D. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANYONE OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. 
          R SEVEN D IS ADOPTED. 
          R SEVEN 
          [R7 E A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEARS 2026 - 2030 AND ADOPTING THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH FINAL CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.]
EI MOVE IT. 
          GIMME ONE SEC. 
          R. 
          THE RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR, CITY COMMISSIONER OF CITY MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA ADOPTED THE FINAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 20 30, UH, AND ADOPTING THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. 
          FINAL CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          IT IS A SECOND MEETING. 
          PUBLIC HEARING. 
          I'LL SEE NO ONE IN ZOOM. 
          NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE ON R SEVEN E. 
          WHO MADE THE MOTION, PLEASE? COMMISSIONER. 
          COMMISSIONER BOT SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          COMMISSIONER BOT SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          ALL IN FAVOR OF R SEVEN E. 
          PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          A AYE. 
          ANYONE OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. 
          R SEVEN E IS APPROVED. 
          [R7 F A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. JOINT CITY COMMISSION AND NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY]
R SEVEN FR SEVEN F IS A JOINT ITEM WITH, UH, R SEVEN F IS ADOPT FINAL NORTH BEACH CRA OPERATING BUDGETS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          R SEVEN F SECOND. 
          SO I WOULD JUST ADD HERE, BECAUSE WE ARE REDUCING THE, THE MILLAGE RATE, IT WILL REDUCE THE REVENUES TO THE RDA AND THE CRA. 
          SO WE WOULD JUST APPROVE IT AS AMENDED. 
          AS AMENDED TO REFLECT THE REDUCTION OF THE MILLAGE. 
          CORRECT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO I HEARD A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          I BELIEVE I HEARD A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BOT. 
          YEP. 
          THIS IS A, THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING. 
          IT IS ITEM R SEVEN F AS AMENDED. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. 
          R SEVEN F IS APPROVED AS AMENDED. 
          RDA ITEMS RDAI. 
          ITEMS WERE RECESSING AS THE CITY COMMISSION AND, UH, WE ARE RECONVENE. 
          WE'RE CONVENING AS A THE NORTH, THE RDA UH, ITEM 
          [RDA-1. A RESOLUTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ADOPTING AND APPROPRIATING THE MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND ADOPTING THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEARS 2026 - 2030.]
NUMBER ONE IS ADOPT FISCAL YEAR 2026 THROUGH 2030. 
          RDA CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          RDA CAPITAL BUDGET MOVE AS AMENDED AS MANDATORY. 
          REFLECT THE REDUCTION OF MILLAGE. 
          NO, I'M SORRY. 
          NOT THE CAPITAL. 
          I UNDERSTAND. 
          THE NEXT ONE. 
          SO RDA ONE IS AS IS. 
          I HEARD A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          SECONDED BY THE MAYOR, I BELIEVE. 
          SURE. 
          OKAY. 
          RDA ONE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANYONE OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. 
          THE ITEM IS APPROVED AS IS. 
          THAT WAS RDA ONE. 
          RDA 
          [RDA-2. A RESOLUTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE MIAMI BEACH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGETS FOR THE CITY CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AREA, THE ANCHOR SHOPS AND PARKING GARAGE, THE PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SHOPS AND PARKING GARAGE, AND THE COLLINS PARK PARKING GARAGE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026]
TWO IS TOP FINAL CITY, CITY CENTER, RDA OPERATING BUDGETS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          THAT IS AS AMENDED. 
          MOVE SECOND. 
          SO RDA TWO. 
          COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, UH, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BOT RDA TWO. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANYONE OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. 
          THE ITEM IS APPROVED AS AMENDED. 
          WE'RE NOW WE'RE RESET. 
          [CRA-1. A RESOLUTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, ADOPTING THE FINAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. JOINT CITY COMMISSION AND NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY]
WE'RE TERMINATING THE RDA MEETING. 
          WE'RE NOW, UH, RECONVENING AS THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY. 
          THIS IS ADOPT FINAL NORTH BEAT CRA OPERATING BUDGETS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          IT WAS A JOINT ITEM WITH R SEVEN F MOVE AS AS AMENDED. 
          I MOVE IT SECOND. 
          SO OUR, UH, N-B-C-R-A ONE AS AMENDED. 
          I HEARD COMMISSIONER BOT SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. 
          UH, ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANYONE OPPOSED? BIRTH BEAT. 
          CRA ITEM ONE IS APPROVED AS AMENDED. 
          THANK YOU TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES. 
          THIS, UH, WE GOT THROUGH AND WE, THIS IS AN HISTORIC BUDGET AS, UH, AS WE JUST HEARD, UH, FROM SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES. 
          WE HAVE RETURNED SURPLUS FUNDS. 
          WE HAVE REDUCED THE MILAGE RATE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 10 YEARS. 
          AND, UH, IT'S KUDOS TO OUR COMMISSION, BUT ALSO OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION, ERIC, JASON, TAMIKA, OBVIOUSLY YOU, YOU BEAR THE, THE LINES WORK ON, ON THE FINANCE, OUR CHAIR OF THE BUDGET FINANCE COMMITTEE, JOE MAGAZINE. 
          BUT REALLY IT'S EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY. 
          WE CANNOT LOSE SIGHT THAT THIS IS A JOINT EFFORT BY EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN OUR CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP OUR, OUR BUDGET IN LINE, BALANCE THE BUDGET AS WE'RE STATUTORY REQUIRED AND RETURNING FUNDS TO TAXPAYERS. 
          SO THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          KUDOS. 
          THIS IS, UH, THANK YOU. 
          THIS IS A BIG DAY. 
          THANK HAPPY NEW FISCAL YEAR. 
          YES. 
          AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ONE OTHER THING. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE A REALLY HARD JOB. 
          ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE CITY MANAGER HAVE A REALLY HARD JOB IN THIS CITY IN PARTICULAR 
          [04:35:01]
BECAUSE WE GET OUR FINGERS IN THE PIES ALL THE TIME, AND WE USUALLY DO IT ON THE FLY, RIGHT? SO WE TRY, A LOT OF US TRY TO DO IT AHEAD OF THE TIMES AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE PREPARED AND THERE'S NO SURPRISES. 
          BUT INEVITABLY, AT LEAST ONCE DURING MEETINGS, SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS. 
          BUT THIS MEETING WAS ALMOST FIVE HOURS OF YOU BEING PUT ON YOUR BACK FEET AND SOME OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS BEING PUT ON THEIR BACK FEET TO DEFEND DECISIONS, TO EXPLAIN DECISIONS. 
          NOBODY SAT HERE UNPREPARED, NOBODY GOT P****D OFF AT THINGS THAT WERE SAID OR INTIMATED. 
          I, YOU KNOW, AGREE OR DISAGREE ON THE MERITS OF THE TOPIC. 
          WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACK AND FORTH. 
          AND THAT WHAT, THAT'S WHAT MAKES THINGS BETTER WHEN WE ALL PUSH AND PULL TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. 
          BUT I HAVE TO COMMEND YOU GUYS, LIKE REALLY SERIOUSLY, THE, THE FOLKS WHO COME UP HERE AND, AND DO THE WORK IN THE CITY. 
          A REALLY CARE, AND B, YOU KNOW, OUR CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALS. 
          I REALLY, SO THANK YOU. 
          IT, IT'S COMPLICATED. 
          IT'S HARD AND YOU, YOU, IT'S A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU EVEN WHEN I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALS AND I DON'T TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE AND IT'S FAR TOO RARE IN THIS WORLD ACROSS THE BOARD. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I ALWAYS TAP HERE OUR CI OUR CITY MANAGER WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE LAST WORD. 
          YEAH, I DON'T NEED THE LAST WORD, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR THE DELIBERATE DISCUSSION TONIGHT. 
          I THINK THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL. 
          AND I WANNA SAY A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM, OUR OFFICE AND MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET THAT HAS PUT IN COUNTLESS HOURS IN TRYING TO BRING THIS ALL TOGETHER. 
          THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF 10 MONTHS OF THEIR WORK ALONG WITH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS. 
          AND I THINK IT SHOWED TONIGHT IN THE PROGRESS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE AND THE DETAIL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DESCRIBE. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          AND WE GOT IT DONE WITH MORE THAN TWO HOURS TO SPARE. 
          SO, AND THE, AND DO WE HAVE THE NEXT BUDGET MEETING? UH, THAT FOR, FOR 27? LIKE WHEN'S THAT SCHEDULED? LIKE TOMORROW? IT'LL BE MARCH THE KICKOFF, MAY THE COMMITMENT TO ALWAYS DO BETTER FOR THE FUTURE REMAINS, BUT WITH LOTS OF GRATITUDE TO THIS INCREDIBLY AMAZING TEAM. 
          MR. MANGER, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL MEETING ADJOURNED. 
          THANK YOU.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.