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I AM COMMISSIONER LAURA DOMINGUEZ, CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE.
AND JOINING ME TODAY IS COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ AND VICE CHAIR ALEX FERNANDEZ WILL BE HERE MOMENTARILY.
AND FROM THE CITY ADMINISTRATION, WE HAVE THE FABULOUS STEPHANIE RAY BROOKS, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MARK TAXES EQUALLY FABULOUS AND ARE EQUALLY FABULOUS AS WELL.
UH, DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY ROB ROSENWALD.
STEPHANIE, DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? YES, GOOD MORNING.
THE MEETING TODAY IS A HYBRID MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE JOINING IN PERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO JOIN.
VIRTUAL CAN JOIN BY JOINING ZOOM, OUR ZOOM LINK OR DIALING 1-888-475-FOUR 4 9 9.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS.
WE HAVE FIVE ITEMS THAT WILL BE DEFERRED.
I WILL READ THEM TO THE RECORD.
ITEM NUMBER ONE, DISCUSS RELOCATING THE LOG CABIN TO ITS ORIGINAL SITE ON WESTLAW WILL BE DEFERRED.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, INCENTIVIZING GROCERIES AND FOOD VENDORS EXPANSIONS IN NORTH BEACH WILL BE DEFERRED.
ITEM NUMBER 20, DISCUSS, UPDATE ON GEO BOND LOG CABIN PROJECT WILL BE DEFERRED.
ITEM NUMBER 24, DISCUSS USING THE PORTION OF THE LOG CABIN FOR COMMUNITY PANTRY WITH FRIDGE WILL BE DEFERRED ON ITEM NUMBER 27, DISCUSS FUTURE PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE LOG CABIN.
AND WITH THAT, THAT IS THE IT FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[10. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE INSTALLATION OF A BUST OF GENERAL DON JOSE DE SAN MARTIN AT THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN PLAZA]
SO WE'LL START WITH NUMBER 10.ITEM NUMBER 10 IS DISCUSSION REGARDING AN INSTALLATION OF A BUST OF GENERAL JOSE DON SAN MARTIN AT THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN PLAZA.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ AND PARKS AND REC WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM.
UM, THIS ITEM IS ABOUT A BUST CELEBRATING, UM, ARGENTINE GENERAL DON JOSE SANMAR.
WE HAVE BUSED AROUND THE CITY CELEBRATING THE ENTIRE HISPANIC DIASPORA, UM, FROM VENEZUELA AND SIMON BOULEVARD.
WE HAVE WHO'S JOSE MAR? JOSE MARTI.
AND SO THIS IS JUST, UH, TO ADD TO THE COLLECTION ON 71ST STREET AT THE FOUNTAIN.
CAN YOU MOVE THE ITEM? YES, I MOVE THE ITEM.
I'LL SECOND IT AND, UM, WE'LL CLOSE THIS ONE OUT OR WHEREVER IT NEEDS TO GO NEXT.
AND THEN MOVE ON TO NUMBER 19.
AND I'LL SHOW IT WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.
[19. MONTHLY UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE 5TH STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND THE MONDRIAN HOTEL/MIRADOR CONDOMINIUM BAYWALK PROJECTS.]
THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 19, A MONTHLY UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE FIFTH STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND THE RIN HOTEL RADOR CONDOMINIUM BAY WALK PROJECTS.DECIDED WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND CIP WILL BE PRESENTING.
DAVID GOMEZ, DIRECTOR OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, PROJECTS OFFICE.
UH, AS AN UPDATE, THE BAY WALK FOR BEHIND THE MADIAN FROM 10TH TO 12TH IS ESSENTIALLY COMPLETE.
THE, THERE WAS AN, AN INSPECTION BY DERM SCHEDULED FOR LAST WEEK THAT WAS RESCHEDULED FOR TODAY.
THAT'S ONE OF THE PENDING ITEMS SO THAT WE CAN OPEN AND, AND CLOSE THE, EXCUSE ME, CLOSE THE PERMITS AND OPEN THE BAY WALK.
UH, THE OTHER ITEM FOR THE UPDATE WAS THE PROGRESS ON THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
THE DEVELOPER IS HERE TO PRESENT ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
THEY DID COMPLETE, UH, THE BULK OF THE UTILITY RELOCATIONS AND HAVE COMMENCED WITH THE DRILLING, THE TEST PILES.
UM, AND THEY'RE PROCEEDING WITH THAT WORK CURRENTLY.
UM, CAN YOU REMIND US, CAN I BE RECOGNIZED ONE MOMENT? CAN YOU REMIND, CAN YOU REMIND US OF THE COMPLETION DATE OF THIS? I GET THIS QUESTION ALL THE TIME.
AND ONE OTHER QUESTION THAT I GOT LAST NIGHT THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO DIRECT TRAFFIC ON FIFTH STREET AS THE WORK IS BEING COMPLETED.
IF YOU COULD ADDRESS BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS, I'D BE APPRECIATIVE.
SO I WILL START WITH DIRECTING TRAFFIC ON FIFTH STREET.
'CAUSE THAT'S, I THINK THE EASIER ONE TO ANSWER.
UM, THERE IS A SERIES OF MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC PLANS AND, AND LANE CLOSURES THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, PREPARED AND AHEAD OF ANY CLOSURE ACTIVITIES.
AND THAT WILL REALLY BE DEPENDENT ON THE ACTIVITY HAPPENING.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THE TEST PILES AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT CLOSING ANY LANES, SO THEY DON'T NEED IT.
THEY, THE, ALL OF THE LANES ARE OPEN.
UM, ONCE THEY DO, ONCE WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE FLYING THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE OVER FIFTH STREET, THAT WILL REQUIRE A FULL CLOSURE.
UM, AND WE HAVE COORDINATED WITH POLICE AND FIRE SO THAT EVERYTHING IS, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS ADDRESSED.
BUT WE WILL HAVE TO CLOSE THE, THE ENTIRE, THE ENTIRETY OF THE STREET FOR THOSE ACTIVITIES.
AND THAT'S PROJECTED TO LAST ABOUT TWO WEEKS, BUT AGAIN, ONLY AT NIGHT.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA BE EVER SHUTTING IT DOWN TO ONE LANE JUST FOR TWO WEEKS AT NIGHT.
STARTING WHEN? WELL, THERE, THERE WILL BE INTERMITTENT LANE CLOSURES DEPENDING ON THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, THE NEXT ONE COMING UP WILL BE ONE WESTBOUND
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LANE THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, IRONING OUT THE, THE MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC PLANT.NOW, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS OUT BEFORE THEY START THAT.
UM, WAIT, WE'RE GONNA START THAT NOW.
CLOSING DOWN ONE LANE ON FIFTH STREET DURING OUR BASEL SEEMS LIKE A REALLY BAD IDEA.
NO, IT WON'T HAPPEN DURING OUR WEEK.
IT'LL BE OPEN DURING OUR WEEK.
HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT SHUTTING FIFTH STREET DOWN TO ONE LANE DURING HIGH SEASON? I MEAN, I WANNA GET THIS DONE.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I ALL FOR MOVING FORWARD.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THAT DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, YOU CANNOT SHUT TRAFFIC DOWN TO ONE LANE.
IT WON'T, IT WON'T BE, IT WON'T BE SHUT DOWN TO ONE LANE.
IT'LL BE ONE LANE SHUT DOWN PERIODICALLY AND MORE FOR SAFETY OF EQUIPMENT AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE INSTALLING THE STRUCTURE.
UH, BUT WE WON'T BE SHUTTING IT DOWN TO CHOKING IT OFF TO ONE LANE.
UM, IN ANY RESPECT, UM, UNTIL WE DO, WE'RE FLYING THE STRUCTURE, THE THE PRECAST BEAMS OVER IT, AND THAT'S GONNA BE DONE AT NIGHT.
THAT'S GONNA BE A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN.
AND THAT'S A COMPLETE DETOUR, REROUTING AT NIGHT.
AND ALSO, I WOULD ASK, DURING THE WEEK BEFORE ART BASEL, PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE HOW MUCH SETUP THERE IS AND HOW THE TRAFFIC GROWS.
CAN WE DO THOSE TWO WEEKS? THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE COORDINATED PRETTY WELL WITH THROUGH ART BASEL AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND HELPING THE CITY OUT.
THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY BIG WEEK.
SO INTERNALLY, WE, WE TALK THROUGH THAT AS WELL.
AND I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE COORDINATED THAT SUCCESSFULLY IN THE PAST.
SO THE COMPLETION DATE RIGHT NOW IS, AND I, AS I REPORT LAST WEEK, UH, LAST TIME WE WERE HERE IS, IS THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF 27.
UM, AND THIS WAS REALLY THE, THIS IS REALLY IMPACTED BY UTILITIES FOR THE FACT THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE DRILLING TEST PILES.
AND, AND AS OF A COUPLE DAYS AGO, WE HIT ANOTHER UNMARKED LINE AT 33 FOOT IN DEPTH, WHICH IS NOT MARKED ANYWHERE.
NOT NOT UNDERSTOOD AS EVEN WHAT IT IS.
SO FPL RIGHT NOW IS LOOKING INTO IT, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT THAT WAS THAT WAS, UH, TOUCHED.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS IT IS, EVERY TIME WE PUT ANYTHING IN THE GROUND, WE HIT, WE FIND SOMETHING OR HIT SOMETHING.
SO AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, IT'S THERE.
I THINK WE CAN, I THINK WE CAN EXPEDITE THAT.
I CAN'T PROMISE THAT WE CAN JUST, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT'S COMING UNTIL WE GET THE STRUCTURE ON THE GROUND.
I CAN'T START TIGHTENING THE SCHEDULE.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S JUST, WE JUST CONTINUE.
EVERY TIME WE PUT, WE WE DIG SOMETHING, WE FIND SOMETHING.
MY ONE FINAL REQUEST WOULD BE THAT AS YOU BUILD THIS, YOU EQUIP IT WITH SECURITY CAMERAS SO THAT PEOPLE WALKING, UM, THROUGH FEEL SAFER AND WE KNOW THAT SOMEBODY IS WATCHING IT.
'CAUSE I'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY.
AS YOU, AS YOU WALK THROUGH, IT'S GONNA BE WELL LIT AT NIGHT.
THAT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF LIGHTING.
AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE, IF YOU COULD PUT IN SOME SECURITY CAMERAS NOW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SMART.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S THERE FOR IT TO BE DONE BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AFTER FACT.
SO THEY CAN INSTALL THEIR, THEIR SECURITY SYSTEM THAT THEY WANT.
IS THAT IT? UM, WERE THERE ANY BAY WALK UPDATES? THE, WELL, THE, THE ONE I GAVE WAS 10 TO 12TH STREET.
UH, SEPARATE DEVELOPER, THE, THE DEVELOPER FOR 1250 HAS COMMENCED MEETING WITH LINCOLN BAY TOWER, UM, AND SOUTH BAY CLUB.
THERE'S ONE SCHEDULED FOR BAYVIEW TERRACE, UM, THAT'S COMING UP.
IT'S EITHER THIS WEEK OR NEXT 1228.
UM, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE ONGOING.
THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
[21. DISCUSS PROPOSED NORMANDY ISLE NEIGHBORHOOD ENTRANCE SIGNS AT THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN AND ON THE WESTERN END OF NORMANDY DRIVE/71ST STREET]
OKAY.ITEM NUMBER 21 IS DISCUSSED PROPOSED NORMANDY OWL NEIGHBORHOOD INTEREST SIGN AT THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN AND ON THE WESTERN END OF NORMANDY DRIVE ON 71ST STREET.
THE ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND CIP WILL BE PRESENTING THE AND DO WE HAVE HOWARD CHASE ON THE LINE? HE IS ON THE LINE.
UM, IF HOWARD CHASE CAN GET HIM MUTED.
UM, SO THE NORMAND DUD NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, BROUGHT UP SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO BEAUTIFY AND, UH, IMPROVE THE SIGNAGE IN THAT AREA.
AND, UM, WE HAVE DAVID HERE FROM THE CIP DEPARTMENT TO TELL US MORE.
HOWARD, DO YOU WANNA PRESENT YOUR SIDE BEFORE WE GO INTO THE CITY, PLEASE? SURE.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, COMMISSIONER AND EVERYBODY FOR HEARING US ON THIS ISSUE.
SO, UH, I'M A REAL ESTATE BROKER.
UH, I OWN MY HOME ON NORMANDY IS WHERE I'VE LIVED WITH MY FAMILY FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
UH, I ALSO OWN SEVERAL OTHER PROPERTIES ON NORMANDY AND, UH, AND IN NORTH BEACH, ONE OF MY OFFICES IS, UM, IS REALLY IN THE HEART OF NORTH BEACH ON, UH, THE CORNER OF 71ST STREET IN INDIAN
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CREEK.SO I'M VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY IN MANY WAYS.
UH, AND I'M PART OF THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL OF NORMANDY SOUTH, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE SOUTHERN HALF OF NORMANDY AISLE.
AND MANY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, MYSELF INCLUDED, WE'VE NOTICED THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH RECOGNIZABILITY, UM, IN, UM, ON NORMANDY.
AND WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE KIND OF LIKE AN EXTREMELY WEAK AND FRAGILE KIND OF COMMERCIAL SECTOR, UH, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS THAT SHOULD BE THRIVING.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE NORMANDY OWL FOUNTAIN, UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL BUSINESSES THAT COME IN AND OUT OF, UH, EXISTENCE.
UM, AND REALLY THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD REALLY BE THRIVING.
UH, FURTHER THE VALUE OF OUR RESIDENTIAL AREA SEVERELY DRAGS ESSENTIALLY BEHIND THE REST OF MIAMI BEACH, MID BEACH AND SOUTH BEACH IN PARTICULAR.
AND PERSONALLY, I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT MANY IN THE, IN THE POPULATION COMING TO MIAMI.
AND I INTERACT WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THEY REALLY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHERE NORMANDY AISLE IS.
AND THE REASON, UH, THAT WE'VE FOUND FOR THAT IS NOT THAT WE'RE NOT A VISIBLE AREA.
IT'S, UH, NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CAR TRAFFIC, IT'S JUST THAT WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SIGNAGE.
THERE IS NO SIGN FOR NORMANDY IS, UH, FROM THE EAST OF THE WEST AND NO SIGN FOR NORMANDY AISLE FROM THE WEST OF THE EAST.
SO, UH, WE STARTED TO LOOK AROUND AND DO A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXAMINATION.
WE REALIZED THAT EVERY SINGLE ISLAND, MIAMI BEACH HAS A SIGN.
ALL THE SUNSET ISLANDS, THE VENETIAN ISLAND, STAR ISLAND, PALM HIBISCUS, UH, ALLISON, EVERYWHERE, LITERALLY EVERYWHERE HAS A SIGN EXCEPT FOR NORMANDY IS.
SO, UH, THE SOLUTION FOR THAT ESSENTIALLY IS TO CREATE A SIGNAGE, UH, FOR NORMANDY IS SPECIFICALLY.
UH, AND SO WE HAD SOME RENDERINGS COMPLETED, UH, SUBJECT TO OBVIOUSLY LIKE FINALIZATION AND DESIGN AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT TO ESSENTIALLY ELEVATE THE AREA, ELEVATE THE COMMUNITY IDENTITY AND PRIDE IN THE AREA, INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES, UH, DUE TO RECOGNIZABILITY, IMPROVED NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, IMPROVED COMMERCIAL DESIRABILITY, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT, OBVIOUSLY, OF ANY CITY.
UH, AND REALLY KIND OF TAKE OUR AREA 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH REAL, A REAL GENERATOR GENERATIONAL SHIFT OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO IN NORTH BEACH.
OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THAT.
UH, AND TO ESSENTIALLY ELEVATE NORMANDY AISLE TO THE REAL LEVEL, IT, IT DESERVES, UH, JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER ISLANDS.
SO WE HAD AN IDEA TO ESSENTIALLY RAISE THE FUNDS, DO THE DESIGN WORK, UH, FOR THE ACTUAL, UH, PRODUCTION OF THE SIGNS, UH, AND DO THEM EXTREMELY TASTEFULLY.
AND THEN, UH, THE ASK, UH, AND THERE'S SOME EMAILS ON THIS TOPIC.
THE ASK IS THAT MIAMI BEACH INSTALLS AND MAINTAINS THE SIGNS, FOR EXAMPLE, CLEANS THEM AND PUTS THE LANDSCAPE LIGHTING ON THEM AND THINGS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT ALL OF IT WOULD BE FUNDED PRIVATELY, THE ACTUAL, UH, FABRICATION OF THE ACTUAL SIGNS.
SO THAT'S THE ISSUE IN A NUTSHELL.
UH, WE WANNA CREATE RECOGNIZABILITY AND SIGNAGE FOR NORTH BEACH.
GOOD MORNING, DAVID GOMEZ, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, AS YOU ALL WILL RECALL, THE ONE OF THE SITES RECOMMENDED FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD SIGN IS THE SITE OF AN ICONIC WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH OR MIAMI BEACH ENTRANCE SIGN FOR NORTH BEACH.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY A PAIR OF ICONICS DESIGNS THAT BEGAN IN 2019 AND WHOSE, UH, CONCEPT PLAN WAS APPROVED IN, I'M SORRY, BEGAN IN 2014.
AND THE CONCEPT PLAN WAS APPROVED IN 2019.
BOTH OF THOSE PLANS HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE BOARDS, OTHER HPB OR UM, DRB.
UH, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH EXTENSIVE PERMITTING AND REVIEW WITH DOT AND WE ARE NOW PREPARING THE JOB ORDER CONTRACT TO GET THEM CONSTRUCTED.
UM, SO THERE'S A CONFLICT WITH THE PROPOSED LOCATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION IS RECOMMENDING IS TO DO SOMETHING, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN PALM VIEW ISLAND, OR EXCUSE ME, PALM VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AS WELL AS A RECENT PRESENTATION FOR NAUTILUS NEIGHBORHOOD USING THE CITY'S, UH, SIGN AND WAY FINDING PLAN.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WORK WITH OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP SIGNAGE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE CAN PUT UP.
UM, SO COMMISSIONER BOT WANTS TO SPEAK FIRST AND THEN COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ.
SO, UM, HOWARD, HOPEFULLY YOU'RE STILL ON THE PHONE.
I, UM, WALK AND DRIVE BY YOUR I AM.
UM, UH, WALK AND DRIVE BY YOUR BEAUTIFUL STOREFRONT, UM, ALL THE TIME.
AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT LOOK SO WELCOMING AND, AND EYE CATCHING.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THIS ENDEAVOR.
UM, I VERY MUCH AM GOING TO REQUEST THAT THE CITY AND THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY ENGAGED ALSO REACH OUT TO DAVID SEXTON, TO THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, TO THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO, AND, UM, COMPLIMENT THE INCREDIBLE GROWTH THAT'S HAPPENING AT, AT NORMANDY IS, AND THOSE CORRIDORS.
AND WHILE I AGREE HOWARD, THAT IT'S BEEN AN UNDERSERVED AND UNDERUTILIZED CORRIDOR, UM,
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AND ARGUABLY NORTH AND SOUTH ON COLLINS, UM, AS WELL, UM, FOR FAR TOO LONG, THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE.AND WHILE THERE IS STILL A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT AND FOR NEW THINGS TO COME, UH, TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, TO, UM, I DON'T WANNA MISCHARACTERIZE IT FOR ANYBODY ELSE WHO MIGHT BE LISTENING IT TO THIS AS, UM, A, A, A FAILURE BECAUSE IT'S THRIVING.
IF ANYBODY'S GONE TO THE EVENTS OF THE NORM D FOUNTAIN, UM, WE, I LITERALLY WAS JUST TALKING TO OUR DIRECTOR AND, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ABOUT YET ANOTHER NEW BUSINESS THAT'S LOOKING TO OPEN UP THERE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT GLOSSY LIKE WHAT YOU FIND IN SOUTH BEACH, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE CHARMS OF NORTH BEACH IS THAT IT'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A COMMUNITY FEEL AND A LITTLE BIT OF GRIT TO IT.
AND THAT'S WHY SO MANY OF US ARE PASSIONATE DEFENDERS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THIS FROM, FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT MEANS AS WE MOVE THROUGH.
BUT I REALLY WILL HAVE A PROBLEM IF THIS SIGN DOES NOT, THESE SIGNS DON'T GET VETTED THROUGH ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITIES.
I WOULD GO SO FAR AS TO INCLUDE THE FOLKS AT THE BAND SHELL AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE JUST A LITTLE BIT NORTH AND SOUTH ON COLLINS, YOU KNOW, THE NOBE COLLABORATIVE BECAUSE WE ALL FEEL A TREMENDOUS SENSE OF PRIDE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN NORTH BEACH.
AND, AND THAT CATALYST ARE RIGHT NOW, THE TWO POINTS FOR THAT CATALYST THAT, THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IT ARE THE BANDSHELL AND THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN, UM, ACTIVATIONS AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A CONTINUOUS, CONTIGUOUS, COHESIVE MESSAGE AND, AND THAT EVERYBODY FEELS PROUD AND DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT GETS FORCED DOWN ANYBODY'S THROAT.
SO WE APPROVE THIS IN 2014, AND HERE WE ARE 12 YEARS LATER AND WE HAVE NO SIGNS.
AND, AND LET'S KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS WAS, IT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE BECAUSE WE WERE PROMISED THAT ICONIC SIGN AS A WELCOME TO NORTH BEACH NEARLY 12 YEARS AGO.
SO WHAT I WOULD ASK COMMISSIONER BOTT IS THAT IF WE DO DO ANOTHER PUBLIC VETTING PROCESS, AND THIS WOULD BE LIKE THE 10TH PUBLIC VETTING PROCESS, THAT WE JUST MOVE IT FORWARD BECAUSE WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
I MEAN, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, THE FUNDING THAT WAS APPROVED FOR IT, 1,301 $1,359,000 IS WORTH 30% LESS I UNDERSTAND.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE LONGER WE WAIT ON THESE THINGS, I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING ANOTHER COMMUNITY PROCESS.
IT'S BEEN VETTED AND REVETTED, WE DON'T HAVE A, DO WE HAVE THE FINAL DESIGN YET? WE DO.
AND IT'S GOING THROUGH FINAL PERMITTING.
HAVE YOU TO CHANGE ANYTHING NOW AT THIS HOUR? UM, WELL, I WOULD LIKE, DO YOU HAVE PICTURES OF THE SIGN SO WE CAN JUST SHOW EVERYBODY? BECAUSE TO START VETTING THIS ALL OVER AGAIN COULD MEAN ANOTHER TWO YEARS.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN AFFORD TO REDESIGN WHAT WE DID HAVE.
I DID, DID CONCLUDE AS PART OF THE MEMO, THE, THE DESIGN FOR THE ICONIC SIGNAGE, THIS IS TWO DIFFERENT PROPOSALS.
ONE IS THE CITY'S PROPOSAL FOR THE WELCOME SIGN FOR MIAMI BEACH, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS SUGGESTING A SIGN FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD ITSELF, NOT FOR, SO THIS IS JUST NEIGHBORHOOD SIGNAGE AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ENTRANCE SIGNS.
OTHER THAN BEING PROPOSED MR. PROPOSED TO SEE THE ENTRANCE SIGNS YET.
AND SO I, I HAVEN'T, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S TWO DIFFERENT PROPOSALS, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND, AND I, I TAKE YOUR POINT ABOUT THE MONEY NOT BEING WORTH THE SAME AMOUNT AND TAKING, YOU KNOW, 11 YEARS IS INSANE AND I AGREE WITH THAT, BUT I WILL ALSO SAY THE LAST TIME I SAW A PROPOSED SIGN FOR WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH THAT WAS PROPOSED AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME, BUT FOR A DIFFERENT PART OF MIAMI BEACH, WAS A GIANT NEON BILLBOARD THAT IS DANGEROUS.
IT'S NOT, UH, IT DOESN'T PAY HOMAGE TO OUR CITY AND OUR ARCHITECTURE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS, BUT THE FACT THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN IT, I'M A SITTING COMMISSIONER, I'M A RESIDENT OF NORTH BEACH.
I WAS ON THE PLANNING BOARD FOR THREE YEARS, AS YOU KNOW, DEEPLY INVOLVED AS AN ACTIVIST.
THE FACT THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN EITHER ONE OF THESE SIGNS IS CONCERNING TO ME.
AND IF I, YOU KNOW, IF I'M NOT SEEING THESE SIGNS, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE MADE THE TRANSFORMATION HAPPEN OVER THE LAST DECADE PLUS HAVEN'T SEEN THE SIGNS.
AND SO I DON'T WANT THEIR, I I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING A NORMANDY NEIGHBORHOOD SIGN.
I THINK THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT FOR IT.
AND I ALSO LOVE THE IDEA OF THE WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH SIGN BEING JAZZED UP.
I REALLY HOPE IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE BE TEARING DOWN THE SIGN.
THAT'S WHEN YOU COME OVER THE 79TH STREET CAUSEWAY.
I HOPE IT'S MORE ABOUT ILLUMINATING AND DRESSING IT UP BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND IT'S UNDERSTATED AND IT'S RESPECTFUL OF THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE HERITAGE AND THE, AND THE CHARACTER OF PLACE IN WHICH IT, UM, EXISTS.
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THE FACT THAT IT, THIS WASN'T THE, THE IMAGES WEREN'T INCLUDED IN THE MEMO IS PROBLEMATIC.THE FACT THAT NOBODY'S SEEN IT IN A DECADE IS PROBLEMATIC.
I DON'T WANT TO SLOW THINGS DOWN.
I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO GET THINGS PERMITTED, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANNA BLINDLY APPROVE SOMETHING FROM 11 YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD AND AESTHETICS WERE DIFFERENT AND PRIORITIES WERE DIFFERENT.
SO I, IF I JUST CLARIFY, WAIT, CAN I, I JUST WANNA READ SOMETHING JUST SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN THIS DESIGN PROCESS, BECAUSE I JUST WOULD LIKE TO GET A SIGN.
I DON'T WANNA HAVE, IN 2015, I DON'T WANNA HAVE THIS.
AND I WAS SAY THE CITY ENGAGED WITH SCHULMAN AND ASSOCIATES TO PRESERVE, TO PREPARE CONCEPT DESIGNS FOR THE NEW ENTRANCE SIGNS.
THE SIGN UNDERWENT AN EXTENSIVE PUBLIC OUTREACH PROCESS, INCLUDING PRESENTATIONS FOR REVIEW AND INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
BOTH SIGNS WERE PRESENTED TO THE MAYOR'S BLUE RIBBON PANEL IN NORTH BEACH AND RECEIVED THEIR ENDORSEMENT.
SO NOW WE HAVE DONE AN INCREDIBLY DEEP, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA, I MEAN, I'M HOPING THAT YOU'RE GONNA AGREE WITH THE SIGN THAT WAS FINALLY CHOSEN, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE TO FINALLY MOVE FORWARD.
SO I'M HOPING SO AS WELL, MY GOAL IS NOT TO BLOW ANYTHING UP, BUT I DO THINK THAT JUST APPROVING SOMETHING THAT WAS APPROVED 11 YEARS AGO IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.
BECAUSE THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN TOWN CENTER.
ALL OF THAT UP ZONING WAS APPROVED 7, 8, 9 YEARS AGO AND IT'S DISASTROUS AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THIS IS ONLY A LITTLE SIGN, LET'S CONTROL THE THINGS WE CAN CONTROL.
IF I COULD CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD, THEY GET, IT WENT THROUGH DRB OR HPB IN 22, 2022.
UM, IT WAS NOT FUNDED UNTIL THE GO BOND IN 2018.
EVEN THEN, IT WAS FUNDED FOR TRANCHE TWO OF THE GEO BOND JUST LAST YEAR.
THE COMMISSION, UH, MADE A MOTION TO MOVE THAT FUNDING FORWARD INTO TRANCHE ONE, AND THAT'S WHEN WE BEGAN THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.
LET'S JUST HAVE A, YOU KNOW, JUST A, A REMINDER TO EVERYBODY, THIS IS A SIGN, THESE ARE WHAT, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
MAKE SURE, AND, YOU KNOW, COSMETIC THINGS CAN BE TWEAKED WITHOUT CHANGING THE WHOLE MOT OR WHATEVER THE ALPHABET SOUP IS ABOUT WHERE IT GETS PLACED AND HOW, I JUST THINK IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO TO MAKE SURE ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND ALSO, BY THE WAY, CAN SHARE THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT IT, RIGHT? LIKE, THIS IS SOMETHING TO BE CELEBRATED COMMUNITY-WIDE.
I'M NOT TRYING TO BLOW THIS UP.
I DON'T WANNA REDESIGN ANYTHING.
I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BUY INTO IT SAYING, THIS IS AWESOME.
HOW SOON CAN WE GET IT BUILT? OKAY.
UM, WE ARE FINALIZING THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT NOW, BUT I WANT PEOPLE TO SEE IT BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYTHING.
CAN, CAN YOU SEND US A COPY OF THE PICTURE TODAY? ABSOLUTELY.
I LIKE NORMANDY BUSINESS, UM, NORMANDY, FOUNTAIN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS.
SO WE CAN ISSUE A COMMUNITY ADVISORY OR A COMMUNITY UPDATE THAT WILL INCLUDE THE IMAGES AND I CAN ISSUE AN LTC THAT DELIVERS THE, THE ACTUAL RENDERINGS TO THE BOARD OR TO, EXCUSE ME, TO THE COMMISSION.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE TO JUST CHIME IN ONE LAST TIME, UH, IF WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT.
SO, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S ANOTHER SIGN THAT PREDATED THE SIGN THAT THE ONE THAT YOU'RE JUST DISCUSSING WITH THE GENTLEMAN THERE.
HOWEVER, THAT IS UNRELATED TO THE SIGN THAT I'M PROPOSING.
AS I UNDERSTAND THE SIGN THAT THE GENTLEMAN HAS, UH, PLANNED, OR THE RENDERINGS THAT HE HAD PLANNED HAS NO MENTION WHATSOEVER OF NORMANDY AISLE AND DOES NOT REFERENCE NORMANDY AISLE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
THE SIGN THAT I'M PROPOSING IS A SIGN THAT SIMPLY SAYS NORMANDY IS, AND THAT IS PLACED ON THE EASTERN TIP OF THE GRASSY AREA COMING FROM EAST TO WEST, RIGHT BY THE FOUNTAIN.
AND ON THE WESTERN TIP AND THE GRASSY AREA, NOT REPLACING THE EXISTING MINE, WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH SIGN.
BUT RATHER IN FRONT OF THAT SIGN, JUST A SIGN THAT SAYS NORM DIAL, THAT ESSENTIALLY REFERENCES WHERE YOU'RE ENTERING THE ACTUAL ISLAND THAT YOU'RE ENTERING.
SO THE SIGN THAT THE GENTLEMAN IS REFERENCING IS UNRELATED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, AND DOES NOT EVEN MENTION NORMANDY AISLE.
AND, AND WE, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT SIGNS AND WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT
SO THE PROJECTS ARE INDEPENDENT, THEY'RE TOTALLY INDEPENDENT, AND THEY BOTH NEED TO, WELL, THE NORMANDY AISLE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO, UM, BE, BE SHOWN AROUND TO THE, THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE TRANSFORMING THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THE, THE WELCOME TO MIAMI IS A LITTLE WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH, RATHER IS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE STILL NEED TO JUST REFRESH EVERYONE'S MEMORY, BUT THEY ARE, THEY'RE DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO BLOW ANYTHING UP, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS ON BOARD.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL.
SO CAN WE AGREE THEN THAT THE GENTLEMAN WILL, UH, ENGAGE IN WHAT YOU ASKED HIM TO ENGAGE IN? AND THEN FOR THE NORMANDY AISLE SIGN, ON OUR END, THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AND THE, THE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS WILL ESSENTIALLY DELIVER, UH, RENDERINGS OF WHAT WOULD BE A NORMANDY AISLE SIGN INDEPENDENT AND DIFFERENT FROM THE SIGN THE GENTLEMAN
[00:25:01]
WAS REFERENCING.AND WOULD YOU, UH, BE OKAY IF WE ADVANCE THAT PROJECT ALONG? GO AHEAD.
SO MR. CHASE IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THEY ARE INDEPENDENT OR SEPARATE SIGNS.
THE ISSUE IS THAT THEY'RE PLANNED FOR THE SAME LOCATION AND WE CAN'T HAVE THIS.
WOULD YOU, YOU CLARIFY THAT IF YOU DON'T MIND, FOR THE WEST END OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME AS IT, THAT IT JUST WON'T FIT.
BUT NO, I DON'T THINK, BUT THEY SHOULDN'T BE PLANNED.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY INCORRECT.
THEY SHOULDN'T BE PLANNED FOR THE SAME LOCATION.
THE NORMANDY AISLE SIGN SHOULD BE ON THE, THE TRIANGLE THAT IS THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN PLAZA SOMEPLACE THERE.
SO THAT IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S A NORMITY AISLE SIGN ON THE EAST SIDE.
THEIR RECOMMENDATION ON THE WEST END IS THE SAME LOCATION AS THE ENTRANCE SIGN.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE CONFLICT IS.
THE SIGN IS GOING, SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
THAT ENTRANCE SIGN IS GOING IN FRONT OF THE WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH SIDE, THE LITTLE GRASSY AREA RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH SIDE.
THAT, THAT, THAT ENTIRE SITE IS OCCUPIED BY THE MIAMI BEACH ENTRANCE SIGN, THE PROPOSED SIGN, THE CITY SIGN.
SO THE PROPOSED SIGN ON THE WEST SIDE, YOU'RE SAYING IS THE SMALL GRASSY STRIP SIGN THAT'S, THAT'S THAT ENTIRE TRIANGLE GETS OCCUPIED BY THE NEW SIGN.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE, AND ON THE EAST SIDE, THERE IS NO, THERE IS ON YOUR END CORRECT.
THAT THERE IS NO PROPOSED SIGN.
WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH ON THE, OR THE EAST SIDE.
WE DO NOT HAVE A WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH SIGN.
SO CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION, HOWARD? SURE.
SO MY SUGGESTION IS, WHILE WE IN NORTH BEACH KNOW AND LOVE NORMANDY AISLE AND, UM, AND THINK IT'S AMAZING, I THINK THERE'S VERY LITTLE FOOT TRAFFIC AROUND THE WELCOME TO MIAMI BEACH SIDE COMING OFF OF THE 79TH STREET BRIDGE, I THINK WHERE YOU GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK AND THE BEST BRANDING RETURN.
UH, AND THAT'S MY BACKGROUND IS BRANDING, IS BY FOCUSING THE ATTENTION ON THE, THE NORMANDY FOUNTAIN AREA.
AND, AND IF YOU, THERE'S A REAL INTEREST IN HAVING A SECOND SIGN, PERHAPS SOMETHING CLOSER INTO THAT.
BUT LET'S, LET'S LET PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER IN MIAMI, RIGHT.
THAT THEY'RE NOW IN MIAMI BEACH.
AND THEN LET'S LET PEOPLE RECOGNIZE, OH, AND THIS IS THIS AMAZING NEIGHBORHOOD OF NORM DAY AISLE, UM, IN MIAMI BEACH.
COMMISSIONER, BUT I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I WOULD BE MORE THAN, UH, HAPPY TO, TO SCALE BACK THIS PROJECT, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY, TO, TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THE EAST TO WEST VERSION.
SO IF THAT'S, UH, OKAY WITH EVERYBODY ON THIS, UH, IN THIS MEETING, I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ADVANCE THAT ON OUR END TOO.
AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO BE WORKING WITH, UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE, UH, OFFICERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS DIVISION TO HELP, UM, GET THE COMMUNICATION OUT SO THIS DOESN'T FALL ALL ON YOUR, YOUR SHOULDERS.
LIKE, I REALLY WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE CITY TO REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE WHO WE WANT TO, TO, UM, WEIGH IN ON THIS.
I, I LOVE THE FACT THAT THE COMMUNITY IS TAKING THE INITIATIVE AND, AND DOING ALL THIS, BUT I WANNA HELP IT BE EASIER FOR YOU AND TO GET IT DONE SOONER.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU AS, UH, AND SAY A QUICK THANK YOU TO YOU FOR PROPOSED THIS AND, AND BEING SO SUPPORTIVE.
AND COMMISSIONER BOT AND ROSE GONZALEZ, YOU GUYS ARE ALSO, UH, VERY MUCH ON BOARD IT SEEMS AS WELL.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, UM, PERHAPS COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ'S OFFICE, THAT'S THE, THE CONTACT INFO I HAVE, IF YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTACT, UH, OR SEND ME THE CONTACT INFO FOR ALL OF THOSE RESPECTIVE, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO BEGIN THE EMAIL CHAIN, PUT IT THAT WAY TO, UH, TO START WITH RENDERINGS AND, AND GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM EVERYBODY.
IF, IF I COULD CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD, I MISSPOKE EARLIER I WAS THINKING OF A DIFFERENT PROJECT.
THIS PROJECT DOES NOT HAVE GOB FUNDING DOES NOT, DOES NOT HAVE GOB FUNDING.
SO, BUT, BUT THE REQUEST FROM HOWARD WAS JUST THE CITY WOULD PICK UP THE MAINTENANCE OF IT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND IF THAT PROJECT PROCEEDS, IF THE COMMISSION DECIDES TO GO TO GO AHEAD WITH THAT ARRANGEMENT, THEN THAT WOULD HAVE WORKED OUT.
WAIT, HOWARD, ARE YOU STILL THERE? HOWARD WAS, I FORGET WHAT WHAT YOU SAID HERE.
THE, THE IDEA WAS TO ESSENTIALLY RAISE, YOU GUYS WOULD DESIGN AND, AND AND YEAH.
INSTALL IT TO CLARIFY AND WE WOULD JUST MAINTAIN IT BE PROPOSING YEAH.
THE, THE INSTALLATION AND THE MAINTENANCE.
WE WOULD NEED THE CITY'S SUPPORT.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
YEAH, THE INSTALLATION AND THE MAINTENANCE, WE WOULD NEED THE CITY SUPPORT, THE ACTUAL FABRICATION AND, UH, DESIGN OF THE SIGN.
WE WOULD COVER THE COSTS FOR THOSE.
ESSENTIALLY WE WOULD FUND PRIVATELY THE FABRICATION OF THE SIGN, THE DESIGN OF THE SIGN, AND THEN THE CITY, WE, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO OBVIOUSLY TO INSTALL IT AS WELL.
BUT WE WOULD NEED SOME DIRECTION OF COURSE FROM THE CITY ON SOME COLLABORATION.
BUT THE MAINTENANCE OF IT, UH, THERE ISN'T TOO MUCH MAINTENANCE OBVIOUSLY FOR A, FOR LIKE AN ANNUAL BASIS, BUT THE MAINTENANCE OF IT WOULD PROBABLY BE
[00:30:01]
BETTER SUITED FOR THE CITY.FOR EXAMPLE, CLEANING OR, OR WHATEVER ELSE IS REQUIRED COMMITTEE.
SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE ITEM AT COMMITTEE FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
OUR COMMISSIONER BOT WILL BE A CO-SPONSOR.
SO TO SUMMARIZE, SORRY, UH, YEAH, TO SUMMARIZE THAT, SORRY.
WE WOULD TAKE CARE OF COMMISSIONER CITY WOULD TAKE CARE MAINTENANCE.
WE DO NEED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS AREA.
AND THE WAY THAT YOU'RE DOING IT IS A VERY THOUGHTFUL WAY THAT RECOGNIZES THE HERITAGE OF THIS AREA.
SO I FULLY SUPPORT KEEPING THIS ITEM COMMITTEE AND MEET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE RESIDENCE.
I MOVED TO KEEP THIS ITEM COMMITTEE.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS DISCUSS THE INSTALLATION OF AN OFFICIAL HISTORICAL MARKER AT 1801 BAY ROAD, MIAMI BEACH, THE FORMER SITE OF MIDDLE EAR STUDIO, FOUNDED BY THE BE GEES.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER B.
MADAM CHAIR REC WILL BE MADAM CHAIR.
I THINK THIS ITEM IS A NO-BRAINER.
COMMISSIONER BOD, THIS RECOGNIZES THE RICH HISTORY WE HAVE IN OUR CITY.
I'M HAPPY TO MOVE THE ITEM WITH A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL MOVE TO NUMBER SEVEN.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS DISCUSSED.
INTEGRATING AGE INCLUSIVE FEATURES INTO PUBLIC SPACES TO SUPPORT AGING AND GRACE AND BETTER ACCOMMODATIONS FOR RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ AND PARKS AND RECS WILL BE PRESENTING SINCE THE COMMISSIONER'S NOT ON THE DATES.
MAYBE WE CAN GO TO NUMBER NINE.
WE CAN, WOULD YOU MIND TAKING NUMBER 18 SO THAT WE CAN QUICKLY, OKAY.
[18. DISCUSS IMPEMENTING A TEXT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR BUILDING INSPECTION ROUTE QUEUE UPDATES]
ITEM NUMBER 18 IS DISCUSSED.IMPLEMENTING A TEXT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR BUILDING INSPECTION QUEUE UPDATES.
ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND BUILDING AND IT WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM AND I THINK FRANK IS ONLINE.
ALRIGHT, FRANK, UH, QUICKLY, ARE WE READY TO IMPLEMENT, UH, THIS, THIS ITEM? DO YOU STILL NEED MORE TIME? NO, WE MOVING IT? YEAH, I COULD ALSO READ HIS COMMUNICATION IF IT'S EASIER.
SO THE PART OF THE INTEGRATION WITH INTER GOV IS COMPLETE AND HAS BEEN TESTED ALREADY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
RIGHT NOW THE, UH, THEY'RE ONLY PENDING COMPLETION ON THE SMS INTEGRATION, WHICH IS THE TEXT PART OF IT.
AND, UH, IT'S WITH THE VENDOR.
UM, AND THAT'S THE ONLY PART THAT'S LEFT.
SO ONCE THAT'S UP AND WORKING, UM, THEY'LL DO A FEW MORE TESTING, UH, TESTS AND THAT'S IT.
ONCE THEY'VE GOT IT SQUARED AWAY AND UP AND RUNNING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO LIVE.
SO WHAT ACTION DO YOU NEED, UH, FROM US, FROM YOU RIGHT NOW? NOTHING.
JUST THE, UH, SMS VENDOR TO GET IT LAUNCHED AND GET THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INTER GOV AND THE SMS WORKED OUT.
THIS IS GONNA BE SUCH A GREAT SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS AND TO THOSE WHO WANT MORE EFFICIENCY AT THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, WE'RE DELIVERING THAT.
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, WE'LL CLOSE OUT THIS ITEM.
[22. DISCUSS TIMELINE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL AND ANTICIPATED OPENING DATE.]
ITEM NUMBER 22 IS DISCUSSED TIMELINE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER HEADQUARTER HOTEL AND ANTICIPATION OPENING DATE.THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.
AND WE HAVE THE HOTEL TO BE PRESENTED.
UM, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE HOTEL IS THAT WE ARE ON TRACK FOR OUR ANTICIPATED DATES FOR TOP OUT AND HOTEL OPENING.
THEY HAVE NOT CHANGED, UH, TOPPING OUT IN JULY, 2026, HOTEL OPENING, LATE 2027.
UM, AND THE PROGRESS SINCE THE LAST TIME WHERE WE WERE HERE IS THAT NOW YOU CAN SEE WE ARE AT THE SECOND ELEVATED DECK ON THE TOWER.
WE STILL HAVE SOME FOUNDATION WORK TO COMPLETE, BUT, UH, WE'RE DOING IT IN PARALLEL AND WE HAVE BELFOR BD JOINING US TODAY IN CASE WE HAVE, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
THE OTHER, UH, PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE DONE IS THE DIAGONAL CROSSING ON THE, UH, CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE AT 17TH STREET, UH, WHICH WILL HELP
YEAH, SO IT'S BEEN FANTASTIC TO SEE THE PROGRESS AND BEING RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL AND ALSO A VERY CLEAN CONSTRUCTION SITE.
UM, YOU GUYS HAVE GREAT, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE AND UNTIL, UH, THE NEXT MEETING.
[2. DISCUSS/TAKE ACTION REGARDING POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS TO THE RESIDENTS’ RIGHT TO KNOW ORDINANCE TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY, NOTICE, AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS]
DISCUSS, TAKE ACTION REGARDING POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS TO RESIDENTS RIGHT TO NO ORDINANCE TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY, NOTICE AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENCE.THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER B AND COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE CLERKS, AND IT WILL BE PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
SO, UM, I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CLERK, WITH IT, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY, WITH THE CITY MANAGER, AND, UM,
[00:35:01]
ONE MEETING WASN'T GIVING US EVERYTHING THAT THEY PROMISED THEY WOULD.UH, IT'S BEEN A HUGE MANUAL PROCESS FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT, MR. CITY CLERK.
UM, RESIDENTS ARE STILL NOT GETTING THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
AND I WANNA HEAR AN UPDATE IF YOU'RE, WELL, I'M HOPING FRANK CAN GIVE THE IT SECTION OF IT FIRST.
FRANK? YES, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR AND CHAIR, UH, FRANK, ANA, IT DIRECTOR.
UH, SO WE HAVE BEEN HAVING ONGOING CONVERSATIONS, AS YOU'RE AWARE, WITH THE CITY CLERK AND GRANICUS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING.
UH, AS OF LAST WEEK, THEY RELEASED A NEW VERSION OF THE APPLICATION THAT FINALLY GAVE US ACCESS TO THE PORTION THAT WE NEED TO REBUILD THE RESIDENTS RIGHT TO KNOW PORTION.
AND WE ARE ACTIVELY DEVELOPING THAT.
SO WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT UP WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND THEY, IN FRANK, THEY SHOWED US YESTERDAY A SAMPLE.
WHAT TIMELINE DID YOU SAY? I THINK HE SAID TWO OR THREE WEEKS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID, FRANK? THAT'S WHAT I HEARD, YEAH.
YEAH, WE'RE HOPING WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
AND YESTERDAY WE SAW AN EMAIL WHERE WE GOT A SAMPLE AND IT WORKED.
IT HAD MORE INFORMATION THAN WE HAD IN THE PAST.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT WILL GET IMPLEMENTED SOON.
I'LL KEEP THIS FOR THE NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE CAN, UM, SEE THE PROGRESS.
THANK YOU FOR STAYING ON TOP OF IT.
OKAY, SO WE'LL KEEP THIS ITEM AND GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
[7. DISCUSS INTEGRATING AGE-INCLUSIVE FEATURES INTO PUBLIC SPACES TO SUPPORT AGING IN GRACE AND BETTER ACCOMMODATE RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES.]
NOW THAT COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ IS BACK NUMBER SEVEN.ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS DISCUSS INTEGRATING AGE INCLUSIVE FEATURES INTO PUBLIC SPACES TO SUPPORT AGING AND GRACE AND BETTER ACCOMMODATE RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES.
THIS ITEM IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ AND PARKS AND REC WILL BE PRESENTING.
OKAY, JOHN, TELL US WHAT YOU FOUND.
WELL, ACTUALLY I WAS, WE WERE HOPING FOR A LITTLE, THERE'S A VERY BROAD TOPIC.
IT, IT MENTIONED A LOT OF THINGS INCLUDING RIDE OF WAYS IN PARKS.
AND WE ALREADY DO A LOT OF THINGS WITHIN OUR PARKS WITH OUR SEATING, DIFFERENT EXERCISE EQUIPMENT AND PROGRAMMING.
IT WAS JUST HOPING TO GET SOME, MAYBE SOME FUNNEL DOWN, A LITTLE BIT MORE NARROW DIRECTION FOR COMMIT FROM THE COMMITTEE SO WE COULD WORK ON A BUDGET AND A PLAN, A PLAN FOR THIS SPACE.
I THINK WE WERE THINKING ABOUT, UM, INTEGRATING SOME SENIOR ELEMENTS INTO PARKS AND GREEN SPACES TOO.
KIND OF LIKE WE HAD, UH, THE DOMINANT PAVILION THAT WE SHUT DOWN.
BUT IF WE COULD ADD CERTAIN ELEMENTS POSSIBLY TO SOME GREEN SPACES LIKE THAT, IT MIGHT BE GREAT.
OR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT MADE FOR SENIORS, IF THAT'S EVEN A, A THING.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS, BUT WE WANTED TO QUICK QUESTION, COMMISSIONER, BECAUSE YOU JUST BROUGHT UP SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT.
WHAT HAPPENED TO IT? LIKE WHY, WHY, WHY DID IT ALL OF A SUDDEN, WHY DO WE TAKE THIS SPACE AWAY FROM THE RESIDENTS AND THE ELDERLY PEOPLE THERE? THE DOMINO PAVILION HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR YEARS.
IT WAS, UM, IT WAS SOMEWHAT OF AN ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE THAT WAS CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR THE, THE LOCAL RESIDENTS.
AND THEY ASKED THAT IT BE CLOSED.
SO IT WAS ACTUALLY SHUTTERED OTHER, OTHER THAN IF IT WAS GONNA BE SPECIFICALLY USED AFTER, AFTER SITTING, THERE WAS A CONVERSATION OF HOW COULD IT BE REPURPOSED.
WE, WE, WE SPOKE TO SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE, UM, TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY WAS LOOKING FOR SOME BICYCLE PARKING UP IN THAT AREA.
SO WE HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM RIGHT NOW THAT WAS REPURPOSED AND IS OPEN FOR A PLACE WHERE BICYCLE HAS THE AIR FILL STATION, THE REPAIR STATION.
SO YOU COULD, SO THE DOMINO PAVILION WAS ATTRACTING NUISANCE, BUT THE BICYCLE PARKING IS NOT GOING TO ATTRACT NUISANCE.
THAT'S WHY IT'S IN THE REVIEW PROCESS NOW.
I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY CONCERNS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY COEXIST.
I MEAN I SEE, I SEE IN LITTLE HAVANA.
I MEAN THERE'S THE POPULAR DOMINO PARK AND IT, THEY, THEY MANAGE IT AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL GATHERING SPACE FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CULTURAL ATTRACTION.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND TAKING AWAY PUBLIC SPACES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A NEWS, WELL, WE ADDRESS THE NUISANCE, BUT WE DON'T TAKE AWAY THE SPACE FROM PEOPLE.
I, I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT WAS NOT BEING USED.
YOU, YOU KNOWS VERY WELL THAT ONLY DAD'S RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
SO WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A, A CAPTIVE, UM, SENIOR AUDIENCE AND IT WAS NOT BEING USED.
WE EVEN HAD DOMINOES AVAILABLE TO CHECK OUT.
SO IF YOU DIDN'T BRING YOUR OWN, YOU COULD GO OVER AND AND GET THEM.
IT WAS JUST NOT BEING USED FOR THE ATTENDED, ATTENDED VIEW PURPOSES.
AT ONE POINT WE APPROVED TO MAKE IT A BATHROOM AT SOME LEVEL, BUT I REMEMBER THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT ANYMORE.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA STORE BICYCLES THERE, BUT IT IS A SHADED SPACE AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PROGRAM DOMINO PAVILION IF WE COULD, BUT MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION BEFORE WE TURN IT INTO BICYCLE STORAGE OF JUST PRO DOING SOME PROGRAMMING SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW IT'S THERE BECAUSE MAYBE PEOPLE DIDN'T
[00:40:01]
KNOW.AND, UM, HOW, HOW LONG WAS IT THERE BEFORE WE SHUT IT DOWN? IT WAS THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
I CAN'T PUT MY, THE EXACT YEAR, BUT IT, IT GOES BACK TO WHEN MAYOR PHILIP LEVINE WAS HERE THAT I JUST GO BY
SO IT GO, IT GOES BACK SEVERAL YEARS.
WELL, GOING BACK TO MY ITEM I WOULD LIKE TO DEFER TO NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO DEFER THIS OR HEAR IT AGAIN NEXT MONTH.
AND IN BETWEEN COULD YOU SEE IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF SENIOR SPECIFIC EXERCISE EQUIPMENT THAT WE COULD INTEGRATE INTO PARKS? I I HAVE A, YES.
WE, WE DO HAVE SOME OF OUR EQUIPMENT IS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, AT THE, THE FITNESS STATIONS AT FLAMINGO PARK, WHICH ARE NEAR THE, NEAR TO DOG PARK AT BRITTANY BAY, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OTHERS.
AND ALSO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION COMING TO FINANCE TO TALK ABOUT CREATING A MUSSEL BEACH NORTH BEACH.
AND IN THAT PRESENTATION WE'RE GOING TO, GOING TO BE PRESENTING SOME SENIOR SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT IN THAT AS WELL.
YEAH, WE'LL KEEP IT FOR, UH, ANOTHER MONTH.
AND THEN, UM, GO ON TO NUMBER NINE.
ITEM NUMBER NINE IS EXPLORE THE USE OF TEMPORARY STRUCTURES SUCH AS MINI PARKS OR POP-UP SEATINGS TO ACTIVATE UNDERUTILIZED PUBLIC SPACES.
DECIDED WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE AND PARKS.
SO THIS IS AND REC WILL BE PRESENTED.
WE'LL DEFER, LET'S SEE, UH, ITEM
[5. DISCUSS POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL STEPS THE CITY CAN TAKE TO INCREASE IGUANA REMEDIATION.]
NUMBER FIVE.ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS DISCUSS POTENTIAL, ADDITIONAL STEPS THE CITY CAN TAKE TO INCREASE IGUANA REMEDIATION.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY MAYOR MINOR AND FACILITIES AND FATE WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM.
GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
ELIZABETH MIRO, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR FACILITIES AND FLEET.
UM, GETTING BEFORE YOU, UH, WE HAD A VERY SIMILAR ITEM LAST MONTH IN, IN REFERENCE TO IGUANA REMEDIATION.
UM, BEFORE YOU IS BASICALLY, WE HAVE REMEDIATED ABOUT 3000 IGUANAS FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER AND WE PROVIDE SOME INPUT IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN ALSO DO TO ASSIST IN THE CARTELING IGUANAS IN THEIR, IN, IN THEIR PROPERTIES.
SO YOU'RE RECOMMENDING THROUGH THE CHAIR, UH, THE POTENTIAL, POTENTIAL USE OF IGUANA REPELLENT PLANT SPECIES? YES.
THIS INFORMATION, BY THE WAY, IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
PROVIDE A LOT OF RESOURCES THERE.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN, WHEN I WAS REDOING MY YARD MM-HMM
OR NOT REDOING MY YARD, BUT REPLACING, REPLACING, UH, THE DEAD PLANTS I HAVE IN MY YARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE HIGH TIDE COMES IN THROUGH THE CITY'S SEWER SYSTEM AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU END UP WITH THAT GRASS AND THAT PLANTS, UM, NO ONE, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALLY KNOW ABOUT IGUANA REPELLENT SPECIES.
AND SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD, NUMBER ONE FOR US TO BETTER COMMUNICATE THIS, UH, TO TO TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND ALSO FOR US TO INCORPORATE THIS AS PART OF OUR OWN LANDSCAPING.
DOES THE CITY INCORPORATE THESE IGUANA REPELLENT SPECIES AND ITS LANDSCAPING? THAT'S A QUESTION BETTER SUITED PROBABLY FOR GREEN SPACE.
MAYBE, MAYBE WE CAN PASS THIS ALONG TO THE COMMISSION WITH A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION.
'CAUSE AT LEAST I, I DO THINK ENHANCED COMMUNICATION TO THE RESIDENTS, BETTER EDUCATION TO THE RESIDENTS ABOUT IGUANA REPELLENT SPECIES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE INTEGRATING IT AS WE ARE LANDSCAPING OUR PUBLIC SPACES.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO.
THESE ARE NATURAL RESOURCES TO HELP, UH, KEEP THE AREA FREE OF IGUANAS.
AND IN MY BRIEFING, UM, IT WAS REALLY STRESSED THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE A TEAM EFFORT.
RESIDENTS CAN USE THAT DISCOUNT CODE WHEN IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
WE'RE DOING OUR PART ON PUBLIC, UH, PROPERTY.
SO HAPPY TO MOVE TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
UM, NUMBER 13, COMMISSIONER ROSEN GONZALEZ WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT DEFERRED AND NOW WE'LL
[23. MONTHLY UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF ONGOING AND FUTURE PROJECTS INVOLVING THE USE OF THE LEONARD HOROWITZ COLOR PALETTE FOR ART DECO BUILDING RESTORATION IN COLLABORATION WITH BARBARA HULANICKI.]
HEAR NUMBER 23.ITEM NUMBER 23 IS MONTHLY UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF ONGOING FUTURE PROJECTS INVOLVING THE USE OF THE LEONARD HOROWITZ COLOR PALETTE FOR THE ART DECO BUILDING'S RESTORATION AND COLLABORATION WITH BARBARA ANII.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ AND FACILITIES AND FLEET WILL BE PRESENTED.
AND, AND ITEM 13, UM, SHE WILL END UP HEARING AFTER ALL.
FIRST GOOD MORNING, UH, FRANK GARCIA, FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DIVISION DIRECTOR.
UM, SO THE ANCHOR GARAGE, THE THE CONTRACTOR HAS NOW WRAPPED AROUND, UH, TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND, UH, SHOULD COMPLETE THE JOB IN THE NEXT, UH, TWO WEEKS OR SO, WHETHER PERMITTING.
UM, AND THEN THE, UH, NEXT ART DECO INSPIRED, UH, PAINTING PROJECT IS THE PAINTING OF THE 13TH
[00:45:01]
STREET PARKING GARAGE.UM, ON THAT PROJECT, THE CONTRACTOR WAITING ON ISSUANCE OF THEIR MOT PERMIT FROM OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE JOB WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO SIX WEEKS, UM, FROM ISSUANCE OF THEIR PERMIT.
UM, THE NEXT PROJECT WOULD BE THE BANAL AND, UM, WHILE THE COLORS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE BANAL VETTED BY OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THAT THAT PARTICULAR PAINT JOB WILL BE COORDINATED, UH, DOWN THE LINE BY OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OFFICE AS THEY'RE CURRENTLY SPEARHEADING THE EXPANSION, UM, TO THE BAN SHOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN, WE'VE DONE THREE BUILDINGS SO FAR, THE COLONY THEATER, WHICH LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
UM, WE PAINTED THE ANCHOR GARAGE OR FINISHING THE ANCHOR GARAGE AND THAT LOOKS SPECTACULAR TOO.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT 13TH STREET GARAGE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S PAINTED LIKE BEIGE AND ORANGE AND NOT ART DECO AT ALL.
WHAT COLORS ARE THE 13TH STREET GARAGE GOING TO BE? DO YOU KNOW? I DO NOT HAVE THE RENDERINGS ON HAND.
UM, I CAN GET BACK TO YOU GUYS.
AND THAT'S GONNA START, WHEN IS, WHEN WOULD DO YOU EXPECT TO GET THE PERMIT? UM, ONCE THE PERMITS ARE ISSUED, IT SHOULD BE RELATIVELY QUICK AFTER THAT, BUT IT WILL TAKE AT LEAST FIVE TO SIX WEEKS FOR COMPLETION.
I WOULD LOVE TO ISSUE PRESS RELEASES, UM, ON THE, UM, MELISSA, IF WE COULD, AS LONG AS WE'RE HERE, UM, TO HIGHLIGHT THE COLONY THEATER AND WHEN WE FINISH THE ANCHOR GARAGE TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT WE DID WITH BARBARA AND MAYBE DO A LITTLE RIBBON CUTTING THERE BECAUSE WE DO WANNA GET PRESS AS WE PAINT THE BUILDINGS.
THEY REALLY ARE STARTING TO POP AND WE WANNA SHOWCASE THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO THAT, UH, WE GENERATE POSITIVE PRESS FOR SOUTH BEACH, THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR MOVING ON THIS COURSE.
QUICK QUESTION, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE AWNINGS FOR THE COLONY THEATER? THEY'RE INSTALLED.
YOU SEE THE COLONY, THE BUILDING LOOKS BEAUTIFUL WITH COLOR.
[13. DISCUSS THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD’S RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING PARKLET DESIGN GUIDELINES.]
OKAY, LET'S HEAR NUMBER 13.ITEM NUMBER 13 IS DISCUSS THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION REGARDING PARKLET DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ AND PUBLIC WORKS WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM.
GOOD AFTERNOON, JOHN NORRIS, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
UM, WE'VE BROUGHT SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU TO REVISE THE DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR PARKLETS, AND WE WOULD RECOMMEND MAKING THOSE REVISIONS AND BRINGING 'EM TO FULL COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT I'M DOING HERE, GUYS.
AND I WANNA THANK CHARLIE FOR HIS HARD WORK ON THE PARKLETS, UM, AROUND THE CITY.
WE STILL HAVE PARKLETS THAT WE STARTED, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND SOME OF THEM ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL, BUT THEY'RE NOT.
SOME OF THEM ARE, I WOULD SAY, A A LITTLE UNSIGHTLY WITH A FAKE GRASS AND ONE OF THEM LOOKS LIKE FAKE GREASE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH BETTER DESIGN GUIDELINES AND I DON'T EVEN SEE, DID YOU INCLUDE THE DESIGN GUIDELINES ON HERE OR DID YOU PICTURES OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO THIS IS TO UPDATE THE PARKLET TO ZS, UM, SO THAT ALL THE UMBRELLAS ARE STANDARD.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO, UM, STANDARDIZE THE COLORS AND DESIGN SO THAT THEY DON'T ALL LOOK SO DIFFERENT.
HAVE YOU SEEN SOME PARKLETS? NOT ALL PARKLETS ARE CREATED EQUAL.
SO WE'RE JUST GOING, GOING TO UPDATE THESE AND THEY'RE GONNA LOOK NEATER.
I THINK THEY'RE GONNA LOOK MORE ELEGANT OR UPSCALE, I WOULD SAY IN SOME WAYS.
SO, UM, I, WITH THAT, I WOULD, I'M OKAY TO MOVE IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
[25. EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF A UNIFIED VALET SYSTEM FROM 5TH TO 15TH STREET ON OCEAN DRIVE, COLLINS AVENUE AND WASHINGTON AVENUE]
25.ITEM NUMBER 25 IS EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF A UNIFIED VALET SYSTEM FROM FIFTH TO 15TH STREET ON OCEAN DRIVE, COLLINS AVENUE ON WASHINGTON AVENUE.
PARKS AND PARKING WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND CO-SPONSORED BY BALL ALL.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'VE BEEN HAVING MEETINGS WITH THE PARKING DEPARTMENT WITH THE OCEAN DRIVE ASSOCIATION.
I'M NOT SURE THIS IS QUITE YET, UH, READY YET, BUT I'D LOVE TO HEAR AN UPDATE.
I'VE, WE COULD, UH, KEEP IT HERE IN, IN THE COMMITTEE.
HOWEVER, UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME VERY PRODUCTIVE, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ODA.
UM, WE WORKED TOGETHER TO CREATE SOME QUESTIONNAIRES, UH, TO GO OUT TO THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT, UM, WOULD THAT, THAT KIND OF MAKE UP THAT, THAT OCEAN DRIVE AREA.
UM, I KNOW THE LAST COMMUNICATION THAT I RECEIVED WAS THAT, UH, THEY HAD JUST RECEIVED THE RESPONSES BACK.
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TO GO OVER THOSE RESPONSES.UM, WE'VE ALSO BROUGHT OUR TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS INTO THE CONVERSATION REGARDING, UM, SOME TEMPORARY STOP GAPS TO TALK ABOUT WHEN, FOR EXAMPLE, OCEAN DRIVE SHUTS DOWN TO TRAFFIC, WHERE WE CAN RELOCATE SOME OF THOSE VALET STANDS MAYBE ON THE 100 BLOCKS.
BUT OBVIOUSLY WITH THERE BEING NO EXIT, WE HAVE TO BRING OUR TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS TO SEE WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED.
UM, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING GREAT PARTNERS AND WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO FIND A BETTER SOLUTION AT THIS TIME.
SO WE'LL KEEP THIS ON FOR ANOTHER MONTH.
I WOULD LOVE TO CO-SPONSOR THIS WITH YOU.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO IS GET ACCESSIBLE VALET PARKING SO THAT WE REDUCE THE PRICE OF PARKING NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.
AND WE HAVE A UNIFIED SYSTEM SO YOU CAN DROP YOUR CAR OFF IN ONE PLACE, PICK IT UP IN ANOTHER PLACE, JUST LIKE THE DESIGN DISTRICT, WHICH IS SO SEAMLESS USING THE BEST TECHNOLOGY.
IT IS SUBSIDIZED BY THE DESIGN DISTRICT OWNERS.
BUT I WOULD CONSIDER THIS TYPE OF SUBSIDY TO BE SOMETHING PIVOTAL SO THAT PEOPLE RETURN TO FIFTH TO 15TH STREET.
WHY IS THIS TAKE, WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG? SO I THINK THERE'S, UM, I, I'LL REMOVE THE, THE SUBSIDY ASPECT OF IT.
'CAUSE I, IT'S, IT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT CONVERSATION, MUCH LARGER ONE.
UM, HOWEVER, SO THIS IS AN ECOSYSTEM AND WHEREAS THE DESIGN DISTRICT, THE ECOSYSTEM, ALL SERVES ONE ENTITY.
UM, I, I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE HOW MANY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS THERE ARE FROM FIFTH TO 15TH.
AND SO YOU WOULD HAVE, THERE'S CURRENTLY LIKE NINE VALET THAT, AND THAT'S JUST THE VALETS, THE DIFFERENT, THE DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS AND, UM, HOTELS THAT THEY SERVICE.
SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S GONNA BE EACH SERVICE PROVIDER, EACH HOTEL IS GOING TO BE LIKE, BUT I LOVE MINE, BUT I LOVE MY COMPANY, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PLAYING IN THIS ARENA AND SO THAT'S WHY IT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THE CONVENIENCE ASPECT.
ONE OF THEM IS, UH, IF SOMEBODY GOES TO FIFTH STREET AND HAS DINNER AT AVALON AND THEN DECIDES TO WALK ALL THE WAY NORTH, THEY CAN PICK UP THEIR CAR WHERE THEY ENDED UP THEIR WALK.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE INITIAL STOP.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY.
CAN'T WE JUST SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA DO IT? WE PUT OUT AN RFP AND LET THEM COMPETE, UH, TO GIVE US THE BEST PRICES FOR VALET PARKING AND DECIDE ON A, A NUMBER.
AND THEN JUST SAY, HEY GUYS, LOOK, WE'RE DOING THIS FOR THE GOOD OF EVERYONE AND WHOEVER'S GONNA GIVE US THE BEST PRICE, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH YOU.
I DON'T WANNA PUNT THIS TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, BUT I FEEL THAT AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE WOULD BE FORBIDDING ANYBODY ALONG OCEAN DRIVE FROM HAVING VALET OTHER THAN A CITY CONTROLLED VALET.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN HOTELS THAT RUN THAT THEY ARE REVENUE CENTERS.
SO THE CITY WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE COMMANDEERING THE ENTIRE VALET OPERATION FROM EVERY OPERATOR ON OCEAN DRIVE.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
KEEP, UM, UM, I WANT YOU GUYS TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE STAKEHOLDERS TO GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED.
I'M FINE GIVING YOU THE TIME THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO DO THIS.
I KNOW YOUR DEPARTMENT'S ALSO HANDLING A LOT OF ISSUES RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH YOUR DEPARTMENT.
AND SO YOU GUYS HAVE A VERY FULL PLATE AND, UH, I THINK YOUR PLATE IS OVER TOPPING RIGHT NOW.
WHY DON'T WE HOLD THE MEETING WITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THIS AND EXPLAIN THAT WE WANT SOMETHING MORE STREAMLINED.
MORE ACCESSIBLE AND, BUT WE HAVE TO PRESENT THEM WITH SOMETHING THAT WORKS.
LET'S SAY THAT WE WANNA KEEP ALL THE INDEPENDENT OPERATORS, RIGHT? COULD THEY SOMEHOW WORK TOGETHER?
CORAL GABLES HAS IT, THE DESIGN DISTRICT HAS IT.
YOU CAN VALET PARK AT BRICKELL CITY CENTER AND YET WE CAN'T GET IT.
I MEAN, I, THERE HAS TO BE A TRANSITION.
I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY, BUT MAYBE IF WE START TO DISCUSS WHAT IT IS THAT WE WANT, WE CAN COME TO A BETTER PLACE.
I THINK WE NEED TO SIT DOWN IN A MEETING WITH THEM.
WELL, AND WE'VE HAD, UH, I I WANNA SAY AT THIS TIME, 2, 3, 3 MEETINGS, UM, WITH THE ODA AND THE STAKEHOLDERS.
SO I THINK WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE ULTIMATE, UH, DESTINATION WILL END UP BEING.
I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE EXPLORATION THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT WHY DON'T WE, INSTEAD OF DOING OCEAN DRIVE, WHICH IS A BIGGIE 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE, WHY DON'T WE JUST DO WASHINGTON AVENUE FIRST? I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME CONCESSIONS ON WASHINGTON.
IT'S $25 TO VALET PARK AND PEOPLE DON'T REALLY WANNA PAY THAT.
SO WHY DON'T WE GRAB SOME LOW LOWER HANGING FRUIT, DO IT ON WASHINGTON AVENUE, HEAR ME OUT.
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SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT MODEL ON WASHINGTON, THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MOVE IT FORWARD IN OTHER PLACES.I INVITE YOU TO BE PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS.
WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITH SSIE AND THE ODA AND THEN I DON'T WANT TO EXCLUDE THEM.
WELL, NO, WE DON'T WANNA EXCLUDE THEM.
BUT IF IT'S SO CONTROVERSIAL AND MAYBE WASHINGTON AVENUE ISN'T, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BIFURCATE, WE CONTINUE THE OCEAN DRIVE CONVERSATION, BUT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING LIKE WASHINGTON, WHICH COULD BE MORE PALPABLE BECAUSE HOW MANY OPERATORS DO WE HAVE ON WASHINGTON, FOR EXAMPLE? AND THAT'S THE POINT.
IT HAS RESTAURANTS WHO'S WALKING FROM FIFTH TO 15TH ON WASHINGTON.
RESIDENTS A LOT, MANY TIMES WANT TO GO TO DINNER AT PLACES LIKE THE RESIDENTS DO THE TROLLEY.
NOT PEOPLE LIKE ME FROM MID BEACH.
I ALWAYS GO DOWN TO TONY SUSHI.
SOMETIMES I CAN'T FIND PARKING.
BUT IF I HAD ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE PARKING, I WOULD CERTAINLY HEAD DOWN IN, IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO I, YOU KNOW, WE COULD START OFF KIND OF LIKE WE'RE DOING, UM, WITH THE VALET SYSTEM IN NORTH BEACH, LIKE JUST, YOU KNOW, WEEKENDS OR SOMETHING.
COMMISSIONER, I, I WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF THE CHAIR BECAUSE SHE, SHE IS A SPONSOR OF THIS ITEM.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROCEEDS AT THE PACE THAT, THAT, THAT OUR CHAIR FEEL FEELS COMFORTABLE PROCEEDING.
AND I, AND I'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM, FROM BUSINESS OWNERS ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT, UM, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT MADAM CHAIR HAS BEEN, UH, HAVING WITH, WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
SOMETIMES IT DOES TAKE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA TIME TO GET IT RIGHT, BUT IT'S BETTER TO UNVEIL IT WHEN IT'S ALL, UH, PROPER TO BE UNVEILED AND GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME THAN TO PREMATURELY, UH, UNVEIL IT.
AND THEN WE RUN, WE RUN INTO CONFLICTS.
AND, UH, AND, UH, MADAM CHAIR, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS, BUT THEY ALSO KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DONE RIGHT AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE I'S ARE DOTTED, THAT THE T'S ARE CROSSED.
SO, SO THEY DON'T RUN INTO ANY CONFLICTS ONCE IT'S UNVEILED.
SO, SO I'LL DEFER TO YOUR JUDGMENT, UH, SO THAT WE GET THIS DONE RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP THIS ON COMMITTEE.
UM, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, I INVITE YOU TO PLEASE REACH OUT TO SSIE, UM, AND, UH, HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH HER.
AND THE UNIFIED VALLEY WAS TO INCLUDE COLLINS AND WASHINGTON.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE ODA IS ON BOARD WITH DOING A DIFFERENT STREET THAN OCEAN.
I WANNA SEE IT HAPPEN HOWEVER IT HAPPENS.
BUT IF OCEAN IS GONNA BE CONTROVERSIAL, IT WOULD HELP OCEAN DRIVE IF WE WERE ABLE TO ROLL OUT SOMETHING EASIER FIRST.
UH, SO NOW NUMBER 28, UM, WHICH I THINK STARTED OUT BEING YOURS.
AND THEN, UH, FERNANDEZ AND I CO-SPONSORED COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.
[26. DISCUSS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A UNIFIED VALET PARKING SYSTEM IN THE 41ST STREET COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR.]
IS DISCUSSION REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT BY UNIFIED VALET SYSTEM IN THE 41ST STREET COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR.PARKING WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM.
I JUST DON'T EVEN THINK THERE'S ANY PLACE TO GO
I MEAN, THERE'S AMPLE PARKING.
THE ONE RESTAURANT AT NIGHTTIME THAT'S HOPPING IS CAFE AVANTI.
AND I NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM PARKING THERE.
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO USE IT.
WHERE ARE THEY GOING? WHERE ARE THEY VALETING AND GOING? SO, UH, UM, THIS IS, UH, I I WANNA SAY IN, IN MY POSITION AS PARKING DIRECTOR, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO ADVISE, UM, AND CONSULT WITH, WITH ANY BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, ANY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION REGARDING PARKING NEEDS.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS SUPPORTED BY THE NEED, UM, BY THE FACTS FOR THE AREA.
SO OBVIOUSLY, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE A CERTAIN THING, YOU CAN USE WASHINGTON AVENUE, YOU CAN USE COLLINS, YOU CAN USE, UM, UH, OCEAN DRIVE, UH, LINCOLN ROAD.
UM, I DON'T NECESSARILY FEEL THAT 41ST STREET REACHES THAT CRITERIA.
UM, WE HAVE A LARGE OPEN LOT THAT SITS, UH, UH, THAT SITS VACANT, HAS A LOT OF OCCUPANCY DURING THE MOST OF THE DAY.
WE HAVE, UH, UH, SEVERAL HUNDRED SPACES IN OUR GARAGE THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST MAYBE LET'S JUST KEEP IT IN THE, IN IN THE COMMITTEE, BECAUSE WHAT I WANNA SEE IS HOW DOES THE OTHER ITEM PROGRESS? WHAT ARE WE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AND WHAT FRAMEWORK IS BEING ABLE TO PUT IN, BE PUT IN PLACE? I THINK THAT THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE THE GREATER NEED, UH, IN SOUTH BEACH, UH, IN, IN THAT BUSINESS DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE IN SOUTH BEACH.
AND LET'S, LET'S WORK THAT OUT.
UM, LET'S KEEP THIS IN COMMITTEE, UH, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE READY FOR THIS YET.
I DON'T KNOW, EVEN IF THE DEMAND IS, IS THERE TODAY, UM, SO THAT WE
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CAN PUT OUR FOCUS WHERE WE KNOW THAT FOR SURE, THERE'S A GREAT DEMAND FOR IT RIGHT NOW.I WOULD ADD ONE THING AT NIGHT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY, BUT SOMETIMES DURING THE DAY IT DOES GET MORE DIFFICULT TO PARK OVER THERE.
SO DAYTIME IS A LITTLE HARDER.
SO IF WE DID DO SOMETHING, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, NINE TO FIVE.
AND I DO KNOW ALSO THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS CONVERSATION COULD BE SOMETHING ATTRACTIVE FOR BUSINESSES THAT MAY BE CONSIDERING COMING, UH, TO THE CORRIDOR.
THE SAME WAY, UH, THE PARKLET CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD, THAT WE EXPANDED THE, THE, UH, PARKLETS ON 41ST STREET, THAT HAS BECOME NOW, UH, A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE, UH, FOR, FOR THE CORRIDOR, THE WAIVER OF MOBILITY AND CONCURRENCY FEES, THAT'S YET ANOTHER.
SO I THINK KEEPING THE CONVERSATION ALIVE CAN HELP THE CORRIDOR WHILE WE FOCUS MORE ON CREATING THE FRAMEWORK ON THE WASHINGTON AVENUE, COLLINS AVENUE OCEAN DRIVE, UH, SEGMENT OF THIS.
AND, AND I ALSO WANNA, UH, TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO THE COMMITTEE THAT FROM AS THE PARKING DIRECTOR, I WHOLLY, UM, UH, RELY ON FEEDBACK AND CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION DIVISION BECAUSE WE DO NOT LIVE IN A SILO.
AND SO, WHILE I THINK THAT THERE ARE PARKING CHALLENGES THAT WE CAN SOLVE WITH PARKING, I THINK IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY, WE CAN LOOK AT MICRO MOBILITY, UM, AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO MAYBE TAKE A STAB AT OTHER AREAS THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY HAVE A PARKING NEED AT THE TIME.
BUT WE CAN DO SOME SMART PEOPLE MOVERS THROUGHOUT OTHER AREAS.
I DO, I, I DO THINK FOR THE FUTURE, WE DO NEED TO KEEP IT IN, IN OUR AGENDA FOR, FOR CONVERSATION, BECAUSE WE DO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR 41ST STREET PARKING, OUR 41ST STREET PROJECT THAT WILL YIELD A CERTAIN LOSS OF PARKING ON 41ST STREET ITSELF.
AND SO, AND SO WHILE WE'RE NOT READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS TODAY, AND THE DYNAMICS MIGHT NOT BE THERE TODAY, I THINK WE NEED TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE BEFORE WE'RE THINKING AND KEEP THIS ON THE AGENDA AS WE WORK OUT THE THAT'S FINE.
MADAM CHAIR, I'M GONNA HAVE TO LEAVE AFTER THIS ITEM.
WHEN DO YOU WANT THAT ITEM TO COME BACK? DO YOU WANT THAT IN A FEW MONTHS OR? YEAH.
[4. REFERRAL TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS POTENTIALLY PLACING QUIET ZONE SIGNAGE IN VARIOUS RESIDENTIAL AREAS AROUND CITY WATERWAYS.]
NUMBER FOUR IS DISCUSSED POTENTIALLY PLACING QUIET ZONE SIGNAGE IN VARIOUS RESIDENTIAL AREAS AROUND CITY WATERWAYS.THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER SUAREZ AND CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ.
ENVIRONMENTAL WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM IS DATE IS DAVID ON? HE IS NOT ON.
SO WE'LL HAVE, YOU'RE THE CO-SPONSOR, KRISTEN.
SO, UH, I MEAN, COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ, I, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU ALL, BUT ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS I GET OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS SPEEDING BOATS.
FOR PEOPLE LIVING ON THE WATER AND IT'S DANGEROUS.
SO PUTTING IN THESE SIGNS, I THINK IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE RESIDENTS LIVING ON THE WATER.
AND, UM, WHERE ARE WE IN THE, IN THE PROCESS? GOOD AFTERNOON.
WHEN I'VE, UH, BEEN ON THE BOAT AND IN THE BRICKLE AREA, YOU SEE THOSE SIGNS ON THE SEA WALL THAT SAYS QUIET RESIDENTIAL ZONE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONER LINDSAY PRET, UH, DEPUTY RESILIENCE OFFICER AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT.
UM, THIS ITEM WAS REFERRED IN JUNE TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS NEXT STEPS.
UM, VISIBILITY, DURABILITY, AND, UM, MAINTENANCE OF THE SIGNS IS A VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION FOR THIS ITEM.
AND BOTH MARINE PATROL AND CODE HAVE NOTED THAT VESSEL VESSELS TYPICALLY MAINTAIN A 50 TO 100 FOOT BUFFER FROM SEA WALLS.
AND SO SIGNAGE MUST BE LARGE ENOUGH TO BE VISIBLE FROM THAT DISTANCE.
UM, POSTING SIGNAGE ON LAND OR ON SEA WALLS THAT ARE CITY OWNED MINIMIZES THE REGULATORY APPROVALS THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED.
IF SIGNAGE IS MOUNTED LANDWARD, WE WOULDN'T NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT EXTENSIVE PERMITTING PROCESS.
BUT IF WE POST THINGS ON THE WET FACE OR ON TOP OF A CAP, THAT COULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL PERMITTING FROM AGENCIES LIKE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY DERM.
UM, WATERWAY MARKERS, UH, IS AN ALTERNATIVE.
HOWEVER, THAT WOULD REQUIRE EXTENSIVE REGULATORY APPROVALS.
AND A LOT OF THE AGENCIES THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED HAVE INDICATED THAT THERE'S SOME RES, UH, RETICENCE TO INSTALL MORE.
UM, THEY ARE NAVIGATIONAL CONCERN, THEY CAN IMPACT RESOURCES AND THEY DO WANT TO MINIMIZE SIGN POLLUTION.
UM, ALSO THE PERMITTING AND COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, UM, COULD BE EXTENSIVE.
UM, SO AS A RESULT, WE COULD LOOK AT POTENTIAL PILOT LOCATIONS TO LOOK AT CITY OWNED SEA WALLS, INSTALL SIGNAGE WARD, UM, AT THE SIZE THAT'S APPROPRIATE, UH, TO MINIMIZE COST.
AND I'M SORRY, LANDWARD, YOU YOU MEAN ON THE DRY SIDE? CORRECT.
BUT NOT ON THE CAP OF THE SEA WALL.
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YOU GOTTA GO AND GET THE DERM AND ALL THE OTHER APPROPRIATE.WE DO THE SAME FOR A PRIVATE SEA WALL.
AND A OWNER CAN'T JUST PUT IT ON EXACTLY.
UM, SO IF, IF WE'RE LOOKING TO PER PERHAPS DO A PILOT PROJECT, WE COULD LOOK AT SOME AREAS THAT HAVE REPEAT OFFENSES AND, YOU KNOW, CALLS TO CODE AND POLICE REGARDING THESE NOISE VIOLATIONS.
UM, WE DID INDICATE THAT THERE WERE SOME POTENTIAL PILOT LOCATIONS IN, IN THE MEMO, INCLUDING MONUMENT ISLAND, MARIE GIBB PARK, THE WEST AVENUE STREET ENDS, THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY EASEMENTS.
UM, MARINE PATROL ALSO FURTHER IDENTIFIED ADDITIONAL AREAS SUCH AS THE STAR PALM AND HIBISCUS ISLANDS, BELL ISLE SURPRISE, LAKE LAGOS, INDIAN CREEK, NORTH OF 63RD STREET, NORMANDY SHORES, BISCAY POINT, STILL WATER AND TATUM WATERWAY.
AND WE COULD REDUCE SOME OF THE COSTS IF THIS WAS DONE IN HOUSE, THE SIGNS THEMSELVES BY THE PARKING DEPARTMENT.
BUT WE WOULD NEED A CONSULTANT THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, DESIGN AND, AND MOVE THROUGH, UH, THAT PROCESS TO, BUT WE DON'T NEED A CONSULTANT TO DESIGN THE SIGN.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT THAT CAN DO THIS IN IN-HOUSE.
THIS IS NOT GONNA MOVE THE NEEDLE.
I THINK WE NEED SIGNS IN THE WATERWAY.
I MEAN, SO I THINK THE VOTERS CAN SEE THEM.
I, I MEAN, THINK IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT.
WELL, THERE'S TWO THERE, THERE'S TWO THINGS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE ONES IN THE, IN THE WATERWAY, LIKE WE KNOW THAT NEEDS DERM APPROVAL NEEDS FWC APPROVAL, IT NEEDS DEP APPROVAL, IT NEEDS THE ARMY, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
SO IT'S A LONG BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS.
IT ALSO, THE COST IS OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, I BELIEVE THESE SIGNS IN THE, IN THE WATER.
AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THE GOAL SHOULD BE TO GET THOSE SIGNS IN THE WATER.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, ONE WATERFRONT HOME PAYS FOR THAT ONE PROPERTY TAX.
HALF THE PROPERTY TAXES ON ONE WATERFRONT HOME PAYS FOR THAT SIGNAGE COST.
THERE WE HAVE $50 MILLION HOMES AND THEY'RE PAYING TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF TAXES.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ALL THE REGULATORY PROCESSES.
I DO NOT WANNA PUT, UH, SIGNS FOR THE WATER ON LAND.
THAT TO ME DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE UNLESS THEY'RE I SUPER, IF IF WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH BOTH IN THE INTERIM, WITH BOTH DO THE SIGNS ON LAND, YEAH.
BUT I WOULD LIKE US TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE FULL COMMISSION AND HAVE SIGNS IN THE WATERWAYS.
UM, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE COST IS.
IF IT'S GONNA BE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, WELL SO BE IT.
AND WE'LL REACH OUT TO THE STATE.
WE'LL EXPLAIN THAT IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT WE NEED TO DO THIS.
AND IT'S A REAL PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE SPEEDING IN, IN THE WATERWAYS.
IT DOESN'T, IT HAS TO, HAS TO HAPPEN.
I ALSO SEE THAT, THAT CHAD IS HERE REPRESENTING THE VENETIAN ISLANDS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
ACTUALLY, I'M ON MY OWN TODAY.
I GUESS I COULD SAY MWPA THOUGH.
UM, BUT, UH, YEAH, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT, UH, NOISE TOO.
SO THE, UM, I DO THINK, AND, AND SPEAKING WITH SERGEANT FERNANDEZ, HE SAID A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO MONUMENT ISLAND AREN'T NECESSARILY REGULARS.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NEW VOTERS, SO THEY DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW OUR LAWS.
AND THEY'VE CHANGED, YOU KNOW, NOW IT'S A HUNDRED FEET.
UM, AND I, I THINK PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE HOW FAR NOISE TRAVELS ACROSS WATER.
UM, SO I DO THINK THAT THESE WOULD BE GREAT ITEMS ON THE VENETIAN ISLANDS.
WE HAVE THE STREET ENDS, THE CITY HAS EASEMENTS ON 'EM, AND THEY'RE YOUR SEA WALLS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE, UM, STREET ANTS, PALM HIBISCUS, WE HAVE STREET ANTS THERE.
UH, WHERE, WHERE WE COULD DO THAT.
I THINK THE LANDLORDS, I MEAN THAT IS, THAT IS SHORT TERM SOLUTION STUFF THAT WE CAN DO QUICKLY ON MONUMENT ISLAND, YOU KNOW, VERY EFFICIENTLY GET SCIENCE THERE.
WHILE COMMISSIONER WILSON GONZALEZ, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE REAL SOLUTION THEN THE MOST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION IS PUTTING IT IN, IN THE WATER.
BUT KNOWING THE REGULATORY PROCESS THAT GOES INTO IT, I MEAN, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK LYSING IT WOULD TAKE US TO GET THAT APPROVED? I, I WOULD SAY IT'S NOT ONLY THE LENGTH, I WOULD ALSO SAY IT'S THE RETICENCE THAT THE REGULATORY AGENCIES HAVE EXPRESSED TO US ABOUT INSTALLING MORE WATERWAY MARKERS.
UM, OUR, OUR TEAM HAS BEEN IN WORKING TO INSTALL SEVERAL AND WE'VE HIT SEVERAL ROADBLOCKS OF BOTH FWC AND THE COAST GUARD, JUST NOT BEING WILLING TO INSTALL ANYMORE AND, AND SAYING THAT THEY'RE UNNECESSARY EVEN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND WHAT ABOUT IN MANATEE ZONES? CAN WE PUT SIGNS UP THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, SLOW DOWN, WE HAVE MANATEES.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE THE MANATEE PLAN.
THOSE ARE ACTUALLY SOME OF THE ONES THAT WE'VE TRIED TO INSTALL.
BOTH MANATEE SIGNAGE AND SEAGRASS BED SIGNAGE.
AND THEY'VE INDICATED THAT THOSE ACTUALLY CAUSE ADDITIONAL NAVIGATIONAL CONCERNS.
UH, WE RECENTLY INSTALLED FIVE WATERWAY MARKERS ADJACENT TO THE MIAMI BEACH MARINA, AND WITHIN 24 HOURS OF ONE OF THEM BEING INSTALLED, IT WAS HIT BY A VESSEL.
WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
AS DIFFICULT AS IT IS, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH BOTH TRACKS.
I MOVED THE ITEM AND GET TO A YES ON THIS.
[01:10:01]
YES, I THINK WE CAN HAVE SOME MEETINGS WITH THE STATE.I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, RESIDENTS WHO ARE GONNA APPRECIATE OUR EFFORTS AND, UH, WE GOTTA BE ABLE TO GET TO, YES.
SO I MOVED THIS ITEM WITH A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE CITY COMMISSION TO DO THE LANDLORD SIGNS WHERE WE HAVE DEAD ENDS AND WHERE WE HAVE BRIDGES AND ALL THAT.
AND THEN SEPARATELY TO START THE REGULATORY PROCESS TO GET THE APPROVALS TO PUT THEM IN THE WATERWAYS AS WELL.
HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT'LL BE? IT'LL BE A FAST AWAY.
[14. DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL OF AN ARTISTIC MURAL AT THE MIAMI BEACH MUNICIPAL PARKING GARAGE LOCATED AT 17TH STREET (G5)]
OKAY.ITEM NUMBER 14 IS DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL OF AN ARTISTIC MURAL AT THE MAMIE BEACH MUNICIPAL PARKING GARAGE LOCATED AT 17TH STREET.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.
AND TOURISM AND CULTURE WILL BE PRESENTED.
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA BEAUTIFY THAT GARAGE?
DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND CULTURE, CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
UH, IN THE MEMO BEFORE YOU, WE PROVIDE A TWO STEP RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ARTISTIC MURAL.
UH, ONE IS A TEMPORARY WRAP THAT WE CAN DO TO CAPITALIZE ON ALL THE SPORTING EVENTS THAT WE HAVE COMING UP.
AND THE SECOND OPTION IS A MORE PERMANENT MURAL TO HELP WITH WAYFINDING FOR LINCOLN ROAD.
I WOULD LOVE, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A PERMANENT ICONIC MURAL.
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE WRAP LOOKS LIKE.
IF YOU WANNA DO THE WRAP IN THE INTERIM, BUT I WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING REALLY BEAUTIFUL SO THAT PEOPLE, AS PEOPLE EXIT THE CONVENTION CENTER, EVERYTHING ELSE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
LET'S JUST GET SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.
LET'S DO A CALL TO ARTISTS LOCALLY AND, UM, HAVE THEM PRESENT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW, I GUESS ART IN PUBLIC PLACES WOULD VET THEM.
I, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD MOVE TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? I ACTUALLY, DURING MY BRIEFING, REALLY LIKED THE RAP.
AND WE HAVE THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS HERE IN MIAMI BEACH NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVE SEVEN GAMES OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP.
THE COST IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE AMAZING TO HAVE A RAP AND MAYBE DURING THAT TIME WE COULD DO A CALL TO ARTISTS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
COULD WE DO BOTH? BUT I REALLY LOVED IT.
COULD WE I'LL MOVE TO DO BOTH.
I THINK, THINK BOTH ARE GREAT IDEAS.
I THINK, UH, WE NEED TO CAPITALIZE ON THE SPORTS ACTIVITIES THAT ARE COMING INTO, THAT ARE COMING INTO OUR CITY.
AND IT ALSO BUILDS UPON OUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UH, BRANDING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WHILE WE DO A CALL TO ARTISTS AND FIND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE REALLY GREAT.
HOW EXCITING WOULD IT BE TO DISCOVER, UH, AN ARTIST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY OF GETTING, UH, THIS, THIS BUILDING AND ADDING SOME COLOR AND LIFE TO IT? SO, MADAM CHAIR, IF YOU ALLOW ME, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, SEND BOTH STEP ONE AND TWO, UH, TO THE, IF I MAY, I BELIEVE, UH, IT ALSO WOULD NEED TO GO TO FERC TO IDENTIFY FINDING.
SO IT HAS TO GO BACK TO THE FULL COMM COMMISSION WITH A REFERRAL TO FERC.
DOES IT NEED TO GO TO FERC? WAIT, IT NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THE FULL COMMISSION AND THEN THAT THEY MOVE FROM THERE EITHER TO FERC BY A WAIVER OR HOWEVER THEY WANT TO DO IT.
WELL, I MEAN, I WOULD DO IT, MOVE IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION WITH A WAIVER FROM GOING TO FERC AND LET'S JUST GET IT DONE.
TELL HER, COULD WE PLEASE DEFER? ITEM NUMBER SIX, UM, MY BUSINESS ITEM.
UH, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, DID YOU WANNA DISCUSS 30 30? NO.
SO DID YOU WANT TO MOVE THAT? YEAH, THIS IS CONTINUE.
UM, IS, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE ON FOR ITEM 15, MADAM CHAIR, I'M GONNA HAVE TO STEP OUT, UM, UNLESS THERE'S A TIME SENSITIVE ITEM THAT NEEDS TO GET HER.
UH, THERE'S A MOMENT I LEAVE, THEN THE COMMITTEE LOSES QUORUM.
[28. MONTHLY UPDATES ON EFFICACY OF ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT RELATED TO EXCESSIVE VEHICULAR NOISE.]
NUMBER 28.ITEM NUMBER 28 IS MONTHLY UPDATES ON EFFICIENCY OF ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT RELATED TO EXCESSIVE VEHICULAR NOISE.
THIS ITEM WILL BE PRESENTED BY POLICE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, ASSISTANT CHIEF DANIEL MARGAO ON BEHALF OF CHIEF WAYNE JONES AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS TO ADDRESS LOUD NOISE FROM VEHICLES, LOUD NOISE
[01:15:01]
IN GENERAL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.OUR OFFICERS DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB FOCUSING ON THIS AMONG THE MANY ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
TO DATE FOR 2025, WE'VE WRITTEN A TOTAL OF 539 CITATIONS FOR EXHAUST SYSTEMS, MOTOR VEHICLE NOISE, LOUD NOISE, HORNS AND WARNING DEVICES AND OPERATION OF RADIOS OR OTHER MECHANICAL SOUND MAKING DEVICES THAT EXCEEDS THE 2024 TOTAL, WHICH WAS 423.
SO WE'RE ALREADY 116 CITATIONS ABOVE WHAT WE WERE FOR THE TOTAL OF 2024.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THESE EFFORTS MOVING FORWARD SINCE WE INSTITUTED THIS PARTICULAR, UH, FOCUSED ENFORCEMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SPECIFICALLY, UM, AREA ONE ON THE FIFTH STREET AND SOUTH OF FIFTH AREA, WHICH IS WHAT WAS MANDATED IN THE RESOLUTION AREA TWO 41ST STREET IN THE COLLINS CORRIDOR AND AREA THREE 71ST STREET.
UH, WE'VE WRITTEN A TOTAL OF 146 CITATIONS, UM, IN THE TIME PERIOD THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON THIS BETWEEN 9:30 PM AND 2:00 AM WHICH IS WHAT THE, UH, RESOLUTION MANDATED OF THOSE 146, CITATIONS 65 HAVE BEEN IN AREA ONE, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT LEADS THE, UH, THE OTHER TWO AREAS FOR ENFORCEMENT.
15 OF THOSE ARE LOUD MUSIC TWO ARE LOUD NOISE.
WE'VE HAD 35 CITATIONS ISSUED.
34 OF THEM FOR LOUD EXHAUST, ONE FOR LOUD NOISE.
AND IN AREA THREE WE'VE ISSUED 46, 38 FOR LOUD EXHAUST, TWO FOR LOUD MUSIC, AND SIX FOR LOUD NOISE.
UM, AND ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD A LOT FROM RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY SOUTH OF FIFTH AND UH, WEST AVENUE, IS THERE IS TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE, NOISE CAMERA.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING FROM SPEAKING WITH, UH, THE MBPD IS THAT WE CAN'T USE THAT IN ENFORCEMENT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE STATE PROHIBITS US.
SO I IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO I REACHED OUT TO OUR LOBBYIST IN TALLAHASSEE AND ASKED THEM TO PUT IT ON THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND CURRENTLY TALLAHASSEE IS HAVING COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND, UM, THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT USING NOISE CAMERAS FOR ENFORCEMENTS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE SPEAKING WITH A REPRESENTATIVE LEGISLATOR TO HELP US, UH, HOPEFULLY GET THAT APPROVED SO THAT NEXT YEAR, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE NOISE CAMERAS.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'M REALLY WORKING ON TO GET IN THE WORKS.
[11. DISCUSS INITIATIVES TO EXPEDITE PROCESSING OF NEW BUSINESS TAX RECEIPTS (BTRS) AND RELATED PERMITS]
OKAY.ITEM NUMBER 11 IS DISCUSSING INITIATIVES TO EXPEDITE PROCESSING OF NEW BUSINESS TAX RECEIPTS.
UNRELATED TO ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE AND PLANNING AND FINANCE WILL BE PRESENTING.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS WE HAVE.
I THINK A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TECHNOLOGY INTERFACE THAT WE HAVE.
AND YOU GUYS WERE THERE IN THE PRESENTATION WHERE THE WOMAN SHOWED HOW THE CITY OF AVENTURAS PROCESS WAS SO MUCH EASIER, YOU KNOW, THAN OURS.
I HAVE AN ITEM COMING UP AT THE NEXT MEETING TO COPY THE TECH TECHNOLOGICAL INTERFACE AND TO COPY THEIR FIVE STEP PROCESS, WHICH WORKS IN ADDITION TO GETTING YOUR INITIAL APPROVAL OR INITIAL FEEDBACK WITHIN 48 HOURS INSTEAD OF 30 DAYS.
SO WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING THIS PROBLEM.
I MEAN, LIKE, THIS HAS TO BE THE FOCUS OF EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING A REPUTATION FOR BEING THE MOST UNFRIENDLY PLACE TO OPEN A BUSINESS, CREATIVITY IN THE COUNTY.
SO WHERE ARE WE ON YOUR END IN PLANNING? 'CAUSE I THINK, UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS I GET IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO APPROVE A SIGN THAT HAS TO GET CHANGED TO.
THE, UM, THE FOCUS OF THIS MEMO WAS PRIMARILY ON THE CU BTR PROCESS.
UM, BECAUSE THAT PERMIT, UH, WE UNDERSTAND, UM, STILL HAS A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
IN THE MEMO, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME OF THE COMMON CHALLENGES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DELAYS IN THE ISSUANCE OF THE, THE CU AND EVENTUALLY THE BTR.
AND THAT, UM, PERTAINS TO THINGS LIKE A LACK OF CURRENT CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, A LACK OF A CURRENT BTR, UM, INCOMPLETE FLOOR PLANS, UM, THE NEED TO OBTAIN A CHANGE OF USE PERMIT.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT CAN TRIGGER A DELAY.
IF SOMEBODY HAS A RETAIL BUSINESS AND THEY'RE GOING TO RESTAURANT, OFTENTIMES THEY WOULD NEED TO SUBMIT A FLOOR PLAN.
THEY WOULD NEED TO GET BUILDING PERMIT APPROVAL FOR THAT CHANGE OF
[01:20:01]
USE.SO SOME OF THE COMPLEXITY HAS TO DO WITH THE TYPES OF USES THAT ARE CURRENTLY EXISTING AND WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED.
IF SOMEBODY'S GOING RETAIL TO RETAIL, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF VERY EASY PERMITS THAT ARE TYPICALLY NOT A PROBLEM.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THE MEMO IN TERMS OF IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING, UM, ESTABLISHING A CU BTR COORDINATOR POSITION SO THAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE MORE CHALLENGED APPLICATIONS CAN HAVE MORE PERSONALIZED ASSISTANCE.
UH, THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE TO AMEND THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO MAKE THE REGULATIONS EASIER IN TERMS OF USES PERMITTED ALSO IN TERMS OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT, UM, END UP CAUSING THE NEED FOR A MOBILITY FEE AND A PARKING IMPACT FEE CAN BE LOOKED AT.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING WAYS THAT WE CAN BETTER CONSOLIDATE THE CU AND BTR PROCESSES CURRENTLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SO SEPARATE.
OFTENTIMES PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY GET A CU BUT THEY WON'T GET THE FIRE INSPECTION OR THEY'LL GET THE FIRE INSPECTION AND THEY GET THE CU BUT THEY DON'T FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE BTR AND EVENTUALLY THE CU EXPIRES.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT ONCE SOMEBODY STARTS THE PROCESS, THAT THEY ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH AND FINISH THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
SO I WOULD GO WITH NUMBER TWO.
UM, AMEND THE LDR FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION, DOCUMENTATION AND EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH CU APPLICATIONS.
UM, DO YOU, SO WE'D HAVE TO DO THIS VIA ORDINANCE YEAH.
PREPARE SOMETHING FOR NEXT WEEK? OR IS THAT TO, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PREPARE SOMETHING FOR NEXT WEEK, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT THE COMMISSION WANTED TO, UH, DISCUSS THAT AND REFER SOMETHING OR DIRECT US TO PREPARE SOMETHING, WE COULD BRING SOMETHING BACK FOR POTENTIAL REFERRAL PERHAPS IN DECEMBER I AND BRING IT TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR REFERRAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
ON NUMBER THREE, CONSOLIDATE THE CU AND BTR PROCESSES MAKE IT ONE PROCESS.
WELL, IT WOULDN'T BE ONE PROCESS PER SE, BUT IT WOULD, UH, BETTER INTEGRATE THEM BECAUSE THE CU BEING ISSUED IS DIFFERENT FROM THE BTR BEING ISSUED.
BUT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS FIND A WAY TO ENSURE THAT THE PROCESS IS MORE HOLISTIC AND THAT ONCE THEY START THE PROCESS, THAT THERE'S A BETTER FOR WAY FOR THE APPLICANT TO GO FROM THE START TO THE FINISH.
RIGHT NOW IT'S A LITTLE CHOPPY AND OUR CONCERN IS THAT THEY START IT, BUT DON'T ACTUALLY FINISH IT.
SO I AGREE WITH ALL THREE, INCLUDING GETTING A PERSON.
HOW, FIRST OF ALL, HOW MANY CU BTR UM, REQUESTS DO WE GET MONTHLY? FOR EXAMPLE, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT MONTHLY.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE ROUGHLY 7,000 BTRS AND MOST ARE RENEWED PRETTY EASILY.
BUT HOW MANY LIKE NEW REQUESTS DO WE GET? I'D SAY PROBABLY BETWEEN TWO AND 300.
SO I THINK THAT THAT JUSTIFIES, THAT JUSTIFIES ONE PERSON BECAUSE I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT INSTEAD OF WAITING THE 30 DAYS AND SOMEBODY ONLY GETS THEIR INITIAL, INITIAL FEEDBACK ON DAY 29, THAT WITHIN 48 HOURS THEY GET AN INITIAL RESPONSE FROM US.
AND IF THAT TAKES ONE PERSON OR IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE EVEN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I, WE REALLY NEED TO, TO WORK ON.
SO, UM, I AGREE, I WOULD AGREE TO ALL THREE HAVING EXTRA HELP, STREAMLINING AND REMOVING, UH, COST AND INFORMATION NEEDED TO OPEN THE BUSINESS BECAUSE WE'RE OVER REQUIRING INFORMATION.
AND NUMBER THREE, CONSOLIDATING THE PROCESS.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH ALL THREE OF THOSE? YES.
SO WE'LL BRING THOSE TO THE COMMISSION IN DECEMBER WITH AN EXPLANATION AND, UH, THE REFERRAL INFORMATION.
[29. DISCUSSION ON REVIVING EMPLOYEE SHUTTLE PROGRAM AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS FOR FONTAINEBLEAU HOTEL STAFF.]
GO DOWN TO NUMBER 29? OKAY.ITEM NUMBER 29 IS DISCUSSION ON REVIVING EMPLOYEE SHUTTLE PROGRAM AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS FOR FOUNTAIN BLUE HOTEL STAFF.
THIS ITEM WAS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PRESENTED.
SO, UM, I'VE HAD A FEW CONVERSATIONS WITH THE HR DEPARTMENT OF THE FOUNTAIN BLUE HOTEL.
THAT'S OUR NUMBER TWO EMPLOYER IN MIAMI BEACH AS FAR AS NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AND MOST OF THEM LIVE, UM, IN MIAMI-DADE OR BROWARD COUNTY.
SO THEY ARE TAKING UP HUNDREDS OF CARS, UH, IN TRAFFIC.
AND, UM, ONE THING THAT I DISCUSSED WITH THE FOUNTAIN BLUE HR DEPARTMENT WAS HOW, WHAT
[01:25:01]
CAN WE DO? AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD A PROGRAM YEARS AGO THAT THEY SPONSORED AND THEY WOULD SHUTTLE AND PICK UP EMPLOYEES IN CERTAIN SPOTS AROUND DADE COUNTY, AND THEY WOULD BE OPEN TO LOOKING THAT AGAIN.ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT THEY HAD WAS AN INCENTIVE THAT EMPLOYEES CAME FORWARD TO A CAR, THEY WOULD GET FREE VALET.
UM, IN ONE OF MY DISCUSSIONS, THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE SPEAKING WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT, O'NEIL THE TRANSPORTATION TEAM ON A SURVEY.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE INITIAL SURVEY RESULTS WERE QUITE LOW, UH, BECAUSE PARTICIPATION WASN'T THERE FROM THE FOUNTAIN BLUE EMPLOYEES.
SO WE WERE MOVING TO A NEXT STEP AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR AN UPDATE.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ, UNI RODRIGUEZ, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND WE'LL WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED THIS ITEM, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, WE PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THAT SURVEY.
AS YOU SAID, WE ONLY RECEIVED 29% OF THE WORKFORCE IN THE FOUNTAIN BLUE.
AND THE DIRECTION WAS TO PROCEED TO CONDUCT ANOTHER SURVEY.
THE ORIGINAL SURVEY THAT WAS CONDUCTED WAS TAILORED MORE, UH, TO A DIFFERENT INITIATIVE, UH, THAT WE'RE WORKING, UH, WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT TO HAVE THOSE SHUTTLES.
NOW THE SURVEY THAT WE WANT TO CONDUCT FOR THIS PARTICULAR SERVICE, WHICH IS THE, THE, THE PROGRAM THAT SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUTER SERVICES PROVIDES IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
IT, IT'S, IT SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUTER SERVICES PROVIDE VANS, UM, TO THEIR EMPLOYERS WHERE THEY CAN CARPOOL AND COME TO WORK TOGETHER.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH A SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUTER SERVICES TO DEVELOP, UH, A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT QUESTIONNAIRE, UM, FOR THE, THE, THE WORKERS IN, IN THE FOUNTAIN BLUE SO THAT WAY WE COULD GET THAT FEEDBACK AND, AND BE MORE TAILORED TO THE, TO THE SERVICES THAT SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUTER SERVICES PROVIDES.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS CURRENTLY ONGOING.
UH, ONCE THAT THOSE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND FINALIZED, WE'LL BE SHARING THAT WITH A FOUNTAIN BLUE, UM, TO DISSEMINATE, UH, TO THEIR, TO THEIR WORKERS.
ANOTHER UPDATE THAT WAS REQUESTED BY THIS COMMITTEE WAS THE, THE BIRD, UH, THE NORTH, UH, THE BEACH EXPRESS, NORTH BUS EXPRESS REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM, THE, THE BIRD WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
SO WE HAD COMMUNICATIONS WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY THEMSELVES DON'T HAVE A START DATE.
THAT'S THE, THE RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT WOULD COME FROM THE GELING GLADS.
AND THE REASON WHY THAT, THAT THEY EXPRESSED TO US AS TO WHY THAT SERVICE HAS NOT STARTED IS AS A RESULT OF LACK OF RESOURCES, INCLUDING FUNDING CONSTRAINTS AND ALSO FLEET LIMITATIONS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DON'T HAVE A DATE THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE US AS TO WHEN THEY ANTICIPATE STARTING THAT SERVICE.
BUT HOWEVER WE'RE WORKING, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH SOFTWARE COMMUTER SERVICES TO CONDUCT THAT SURVEY WITH THE FONT BLUE.
I'D LIKE TO KEEP THIS AT COMMITTEE AND I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU SEPARATELY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UH, MORE MEETINGS WITH THE FONT BLUE.
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF WE CAN GET THIS HOTEL TO, UH, MAKE THIS A SUCCESS, THEN WE CAN REACH OUT TO THE LOADS AND OTHER HOTELS THAT HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES, UH, AND GET CARS OFF THE ROAD.
UM, SO THE, THE DISCUSSION WILL CONTINUE.
COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ NEEDS TO LEAVE, SO WE WILL LOSE QUORUM.
SO WE'LL WRAP UP THE MEETING FOR TODAY.
UH, THANK YOU EVERYBODY IN CITY ADMINISTRATION AND HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON.