* 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. [CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:03] WOW. WELCOME EVERYONE AS WE START OUR PROCLAMATIONS CEREMONY. YOU KNOW, WE USUALLY GET A VERY GOOD TURNOUT WHEN WE DO THESE, UH, WHEN WE HONOR PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE'RE DOING TODAY. BUT THIS MAY BE THE LARGEST I'VE EVER SEEN. THIS IS, UH, STANDING ROOM ONLY IN THE BACK. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING, FOR BEING OUT HERE. AND IT'S REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US ON THE COMMISSION, OUR CITY GOVERNMENT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU. UM, WE ARE THE CITY. WE ARE IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF OUR COMMUNITY, CERTAINLY OUR RESIDENTS, BUT PEOPLE WHO TAKE, UH, TAKE THE TIME, VOLUNTEER THEIR OWN EFFORTS. AND, UH, IT IS, IT'S REALLY, UH, IT'S AN HONOR FOR US TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND WHAT YOU OFFER, UH, AND MAKE OUR CITY AS GOOD AS IT IS. SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'LL GET STARTED. WE HAVE A LOT, LOT OF ITEMS I'LL SAY IN ADVANCE. PLEASE DON'T HOLD IT AGAINST ME. UH, FOR SOMEBODY WHO, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA BE LAST, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA BE FIRST. I TRY TO DO IT. PARTLY, I TRY TO SPREAD IT OUT AMONGST THE COMMISSIONERS SO WE ALL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR OUR ITEMS. AND PARTLY I DO GET REQUESTS SOMETIMES THAT PEOPLE HAVE FLIGHTS, AND, AND SO I TRY TO DO IT THE BEST I CAN. SO, PLEASE, UH, PLEASE BEAR WITH US. I AM GOING TO ASK, YOU KNOW, OUR, WE ALL HAVE, UH, WE'RE ALL BUSY. WE'RE ALL DO, UH, A LOT OF HARD WORK, UH, EACH OF US UP HERE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TEAM MEMBERS THAT, UH, WORK WITH US AND REALLY MAKE, UH, OUR CITY SMOOTH AND TRY TO MAKE US LOOK GOOD, UH, UP HERE AS WELL. UH, I DON'T OFTEN RECOGNIZE THAT. UH, CERTAINLY MY TEAM, I'M VERY PROUD OF HAVE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB, UH, TODAY. UM, I, I HATE TO SINGLE SOMEONE OUT 'CAUSE THEN I LEAVE OTHER PEOPLE OUT. BUT I'M GONNA ASK MY DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF BLAKE GOON TO LEAD US IN THE PROCLAMATION, UH, TO, INTO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. UH, HE IS, UH, HE IS A SUPERSTAR, A PLUS, UH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE HIM AND PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INTO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. SO AS [PA 3 PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING 10 YEARS OF PARKS AND RECREATION'S PARK RANGER PROGRAM.] I LOOK UP AND I SEE THE BEAUTIFUL YELLOW AND BLACK UNIFORM STANDING IN THE BACK, UH, I'M GONNA START WITH OUR PARK RANGERS AND I'M, I'M PROUD TO RECOGNIZE OUR PARK RANGERS AND, AND CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF, OF THIS PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM IS WORKING SO WELL THAT, UH, ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AGO WHEN WE WERE UNDERSTAFFED AND, UH, WE WERE, WE HAD A LOT OF VACANCIES IN THE PARK RANGER PROGRAM. UH, WE AS A COMMISSION SAID, WE GOTTA FILL THOSE POSITIONS AND, UH, DO, UH, DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO FILL THAT WHICH WE HAVE, WHICH WE HAVE DONE. WE GET SO MANY COMPLIMENTS. OBVIOUSLY OUR POLICE FORCE, UH, IS, UH, IS, IS OUT THERE AND, AND VISIBLE. BUT, UH, I KNOW I GET A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS AND SAYING, WELL, THANK YOU TO, TO THE PARK RANGERS. THEY'RE OUT THERE. THEY'RE HELPING, THEY'RE AMBASSADORS FOR OUR CITY, KEEPING OUR CITY, UH, SAFE AND ORDERLY. AND, UH, OFTEN DO GET REQUESTS FROM PEOPLE, HEY, CAN WE GET PARK RANGERS IN THE PARK HERE? OR THESE TIMES? SO, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, AS MANY KNOW, OUR PARK RANGERS ARE ARE HIGHLY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS. UM, THEY'RE NOT ARMED, BUT THEY HANDLE EVERYTHING FROM ENFORCING OPEN CONTAINER LAWS, CURTAILING DRUG ACTIVITY, PROVIDING CRITICAL SUPPORT DURING MAJOR EVENTS, UH, SUCH AS SPRING BREAK. UH, THEY REALLY ARE A FORCE MULTIPLIER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. UM, THEY'VE HELPED, UH, INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, UH, FINDING MISSING PERSONS, UH, AND RESPONDING TO MEDICAL EMERGENCIES. UM, I'M GONNA READ A LITTLE BIT FROM THE PROCLAMATION THAT WE HAVE AND THEN, UH, WOW. IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE UP HERE FOR A PICTURE, BUT WE'RE GONNA COME UP HERE FOR A PICTURE AFTERWARDS. THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PARK RANGER PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN NOVEMBER, 2015 WITH THE PRIMARY GOAL OF IMPROVING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH DEDICATED PARK SERVICE, THE MIAMI BEACH PARK RANGERS RECEIVED SPECIALIZED TRAINING FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S TRAINING UNIT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DEESCALATION TECHNIQUES. CPR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS, A TV BIKE CONSTRUCTION, FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF CODE ENFORCEMENT CERTIFICATION, HOMELESS RESOURCE SERVICES AND REFERRALS, AEROSOL DETERRENT SPRAY, CREATING A PROFESSIONAL, UH, CREATING CONGRESSIONAL AND ADAPTIVE SERVICE THAT SERVES AS A MODEL FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES. UM, OUR PARK RANGE OF SERVICES, EXTRA EYES AND EARS, PROVIDING CRITICAL ASSISTANCE TO POLICE, FIRE DEPARTMENT PARKING, DEPARTMENT CODE COMPLIANCE, BASICALLY LIKE, UH, UTILITY, UH, EXTRAORDINARY, [00:05:01] EXTRA EXTRAORDINARY IN OUR CITY. UH, PROVIDING AND DEMONSTRATING VERSATILITY BY PROVIDING AID AND COMPLEX SITUATIONS. UM, SO WE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE ALL HERE AND THE, THE AMOUNTS, I'M TRYING TO COUNT THE EXACTLY HOW MANY YOU ARE HERE, BUT IT SHOWS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT YOU PROVIDE TO OUR CITY AND HOW MEANINGFUL THIS IS TO RECOGNIZE YOU IN THIS 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY. SO, WHEREAS MIAMI BEACH RECOGNIZES THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS PARK RANGER PROGRAM FOR ITS 10 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE, PROFESSIONALISM AND INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE, SAFETY, AND OF, OF OUR PARKS AND COMMUNITY. NOW, THEREFORE, DO WE, AS THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HERE, PRIVATE CLAIM OCTOBER, WELL, WE'RE, THEY'RE SAYING NOVEMBER 14TH, BUT THAT'S THE OFFICIAL DATE. BUT TODAY'S PO SO HEREBY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER 14TH, 2025 AS PARK RANGER PROGRAM DAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA LOOK UP HERE WHEN YOU CAN. READY? EVERYBODY LOOKING HERE. COUNT THREE. 1, 2, 3. ONE MORE. PERFECT. AND ONE HERE. CONGRATULATIONS. IT'S CALLED PA 16. [PA 16 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN ACADEMIC WORLDQUEST.] PA 16 IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN ACADEMIC WORLD QUEST. YEP. COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. SO, ACA, ACADEMIC WORLD QUEST IS A COMPETITION THAT HAPPENS, UH, AND SPONSORED THROUGH THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF AMERICA. WE HAVE A LOCAL CHAPTER HERE IN MIAMI BEACH AND IT'S A, UH, MIAMI BEACH BASED NONPARTISAN 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT, AND IT SERVES AS THE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND WORLD AFFAIRS, UM, INCUBATOR. THEY HAVE, UH, TALKS AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS. IT'S A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION, ACADEMIC WORLD QUEST IS A TRIVIA COMPETITION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. AND THE PAST FEW YEARS, MIAMI BEACH HIGH HAD NOT, UH, PARTICIPATED AND THEY DID EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND THEY CAME IN FIRST PLACE IN THE COUNTY AND IT WAS LED BY, UH, RUSS ROY RY. WELL, THEIR TEACHER. AND, UM, FOUR STUDENTS GOT TO GO UP TO WASHINGTON DC ON A TRIP, UH, FOR THEM TO COMPETE ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL. IT WAS VERY EXCITING. SO I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE RUSSELL REEL, LONDON BRUNEY, ONE OF THE STUDENTS, AND JONATHAN TOLEDO AND VANDER LEE . AND RUSS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE. AND WHILE YOU GUYS ARE GETTING SET UP THERE ON THE MIC, UM, UH, RUSS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS YEAH. AT THE PODIUM. UM, YEAH, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK THE COMMISSIONER AND OUR PRINCIPAL [00:10:01] ALFRED, IAN AND AARON ROSEN OVER THERE FROM A WQ TO GETTING US INVOLVED. UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO PREP THIS YEAR, BUT WE MANAGED TO COME THROUGH, UH, THIS COMING YEAR. WE'RE, WE'RE COMING BACK EVEN HARDER AND HOPING TO MAKE IT TO WASHINGTON AGAIN, DEFENDING CHAMPS, THE STUDENTS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? UM, YEAH, I'M SURE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A BIT, UH, BETTER IN THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT AND MAY MAYBE GO TO INSTA BOWL ONCE WE WIN THIS NATIONAL TOURNAMENT. LOVE IT. YEAH. UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK AARON AND THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL FOR SUPPORTING US IN MIAMI BEACH JUNIOR HIGH. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY GLAD FOR, GLAD FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES AND I'M EXCITED FOR NE THIS YEAR. AMAZING. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS ON COMING IN FIRST PLACE IN THE COUNTY. NOW LET'S TAKE A PICTURE CRUSH ONE, JONATHAN. THANK YOU, PRINCIPAL. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, LOOK AT THIS 1, 3, 2, 1. SO ANOTHER 1, 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU. NOW IS IT ONE? THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. IT'S CALLED PA FIVE. PA FIVE IS PROCLAMATION. DR. BROOKE OWENS, REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ. DR. BROOKE, ARE YOU HERE YET? I BELIEVE SHE'S STILL WORKING. SHE'LL BE HERE. CLOSE SIX. YEAH, SHE'S GONNA BE HERE LATER, SO WE'LL HAVE TO CALL IT LATER. GOT IT. LET'S CALL. UM, WHY DON'T YOU CALL THE, UM, WHICH ONE IS JEFF [PA 6 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO DAVID J. ADAMS AND JEFF POJE.] AND DAVID ADAMS? OKAY. PA SIX. PA SIX IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION. DAVID ADAMS AND JEFF PO. THERE IS A VERY SPECIAL FACEBOOK GROUP HERE IN MIAMI BEACH. IT WAS STARTED EIGHT YEARS AGO AND IT WAS A GROUP THAT CAME TOGETHER, RESIDENTS WHO WANTED TO FIGHT CRIME. AND OVER EIGHT YEARS, THEY HAVE DILIGENTLY DAILY POSTED PICTURES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ARRESTED. UM, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE, SOME PEOPLE THAT WE ARREST 20 AND 30 TIMES A YEAR. AND SO THEY REALLY CREATE A LOT OF AWARENESS. AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY ATTENDED HOR COURT HEARINGS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN, YOU KNOW, PROSECUTING, UH, PEOPLE AND CRIMINALS WHO REALLY ARE ROBBING TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE. AND THEIR FACEBOOK PRESENCE HAS REALLY HELPED, UH, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. I THINK IT HAS MADE MIAMI BEACH SAFER. AND HERE IS DAVID ADAMS. AND OF COURSE WE'RE ALSO HONOR HONORING JEFF POSEY TOO, OR PO PO PO. BUT, UM, IT'S ALL VOLUNTEER LED. THEY ARE NOT BEING PAID FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. AND I'VE NEVER SEEN A GROUP OF RESIDENTS WORK HARDER TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER. UM, IT'S TRUE. YOU'VE TAKEN A, A REAL LEADERSHIP ROLE, UM, AND REALLY NOT BEEN PAID FOR IT. AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT INTO IT, AND THE AMOUNT OF CONVICTIONS THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN AND PEOPLE OFF THE STREET AND THE AWARENESS THAT YOU'VE CREATED, AND YOU REALLY HAVE MADE SOUTH BEACH AND I WOULD SAY MIAMI BEACH IN GENERAL, A MUCH SAFER PLACE. SO TODAY WE'RE PRESENTING YOU WITH A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S TIME. UM, SO IT'S AN OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR THE MIAMI BEACH CRIME PREVENTION FACEBOOK GROUP. AND WE JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS AND CARING CITIZENS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU DAVID AND JOE. THANK YOU, . YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK, UH, THE COMMISSION AND, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THEIR TRANSPARENCY IN HELPING OUR GRASSROOTS EFFORT TO, UH, FIGHT CRIME, UH, IN MIAMI BEACH. KEEP EVERYONE SAFE. AWESOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VERY WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. [00:15:04] OH, THAT'S VERY NICE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY, LOOK AT THIS PHONE. THREE, TWO, ONE, ONE. IS EVERYONE HERE? ALRIGHT, LIKE TO DO THE, [PA 4 PROCLAMATION HONORING THE LIFE OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR DAVID SCHAECTER.] UH, PA FOUR NEXT. PA FOUR IS PROCLAMATION HONORING THE LIFE OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR. SURVIVOR, DAVID SCHECHTER. I'M GONNA TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS ONE, UH, WITHOUT GETTING TOO EMOTIONAL, UM, I ALWAYS CALLED HIM MR. SHACHTER WHEN I SPOKE TO HIM, SO I'M GONNA KEEP TO THAT AND NOT CALL HIM BY HIS, UH, FIRST NAME. BUT, UH, WE ALL KNEW HIM HERE. THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, I MAY HAVE PUT THIS ON, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY FROM OUR COMMISSION. HE WAS, UH, HE WAS A SPECIAL PERSON. HE WAS AN AMBASSADOR, NOT JUST FOR THE HOLOCAUST, BUT TO SHOW WHAT, WHERE, WHERE HE CAN LEAD. AND YOU JUST MET HIM AND TALKED TO HIM, AND YOU REALIZE THAT WORDS AND PROPAGANDA IN A HATEFUL MANNER LEADS TO WHAT ULTIMATELY HE HAD TO LIVE THROUGH AND SURVIVE, BUT THEN CREATED A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY AND A LEGACY. AND IN MIAMI BEACH, THROUGH HIS FAMILY, BUT ALSO THROUGH HIS WORDS, THROUGH HIS MISSION, EVEN UP UNTIL THE END IN HIS MID NINETIES, HE WAS PRESENT AT LITERALLY EVERY EVENT THAT I, THAT I WENT TO. AND I'M SURE HE WAS AT MANY OTHERS RELATING TO THE HOLOCAUST. HE WAS THERE AND HE WOULD SPEAK AND HE WOULD INSPIRE. AND, UM, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A MAJOR LOSS FOR US IN MIAMI BEACH. BUT A BUT A MAJOR LOSS FOR THE WORLD AS, AS WELL. AT THE COMMISSION MEETING, WE, UM, IT WAS A, AN ITEM BROUGHT BY COMMISSIONER DAVID SUAREZ, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FORMAL RECOGNITION OF ACTION BY OUR COMMISSION THAT, UM, DECLARES APRIL 30TH OF EACH YEAR AS DAVID CHAPTER DAY IN PERPETUITY. IT'S A RARE, A VERY RARE HONOR THAT WE DO DO HERE IN MIAMI BEACH, A HIGH HONOR. BUT IT ACKNOWLEDGES WHAT HE MEANT, THE TEST, THE TESTAMENT THAT HE DID. HE TESTIFIED BEFORE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AS WELL TO WARN ABOUT THE DANGERS OF HATE. AND IN THIS EXAMPLE, ANTISEMITISM, UM, WE HAVE HIS BELOVED WIFE, SIDNEY SHAKTI IS HERE. I'M GONNA ASK HER TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS BEFORE WE DO THE FORMAL PROCLAMATION. UM, I, I'M, I, I JUST WANNA HEAR FROM YOU 'CAUSE YOU CAN SAY IT BETTER THAN ANYBODY. OKAY. WELL, DAVID WAS SO STRONG AND SO HUMBLE AT THE SAME TIME. HE WAS EVERYONE'S HERO. UM, I WAS BLESSED TO BE BY HIS SIDE FOR THE LAST 19 YEARS BEFORE ME. HE WAS MARRIED FOR 53 YEARS TO ANOTHER WOMAN, A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WHO WAS BEHIND HIM WHEN THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL WAS BUILT. AND THEY HAD, UM, TWO CHILDREN AND FIVE GRANDCHILDREN, AND NOW FIVE GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. HE EMBRACED MY OWN CHILDREN AS IF THEY WERE HIS AND, UM, HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. AMY SCHACKER IS HERE TO REPRESENT, UM, HER HUSBAND, NEIL, DAVID'S SON AND DAUGHTER LISA. UH, I WANNA SAY THAT WHEN DAVID FOUND OUT THAT WE WERE BUILDING AN EDUCATION CENTER ATTACHED TO THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL, HE CALLED NORMAN BRAMAN AND EZRA KATZ. AND HE SAID, HOW COME YOU, I'M NOT PART OF THIS. I HAVE TO BE PART OF THIS. AND SO HE IS ALSO GOING TO BE A FOUNDER OF THE NEW EDUCATION CENTER. EVENTUALLY, WE'LL HAVE A DIMENSIONS AND TESTIMONY. UM, I, IT'S A LIVING RECORDING OF HIM. UH, IT'S OPENING FIRST IN BOSTON, BUT IT'LL BE HERE MAYBE IN A YEAR. HE TOUCHED EVERY ONE OF US. HE TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES. HE TOUCHED HIS BUSINESS PARTNER WHO IS ACTUALLY BEHIND THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM THAT'S OPENING IN BOSTON. UM, HE, HE [00:20:01] CALLED ME TODAY TO SAY HE WISHED HE COULD BE HERE, AND DAVID REALLY LEFT FOOTPRINTS ON HIS HEART, AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE DOING THE MUSEUM. UM, THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS DEEP, DEEP GRATITUDE FOR BA TO CELEBRATE EVERY APRIL 30TH. AND I KNOW IT'S ALSO MEANINGFUL BECAUSE IT'S HIS GRANDSON'S BIRTHDAY, HIS SHAKTA, GRANDSON'S BIRTHDAY. SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY ON BEHALF OF HIM. HE IS SO SORELY MISSED, YOU CAN'T IMAGINE. AND, UM, I JUST KNOW HIS PRESENCE WILL BE FELT IN ALL OF US AND IN EVERYTHING HE'S DONE, AND THE FACT THAT THE LAST THREE YEARS OF HIS LIFE THAT WE TRAVELED AND DID SO MANY THINGS, AND WHEN EVERYBODY'S SLOWING DOWN, HE KEPT GOING. APRIL 30TH, HE TESTIFIED IN THAT HEARING AS A LIVE WITNESS TO ANTISEMITISM. SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND FOR THIS GREAT HONOR. THANK YOU. AND, AND FROM THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT THAT HAS COME WITH THIS PROCLAMATION IN THE CROWD HERE TODAY, I CAN SEE THE, THE LOVE FOR, FOR, I'M GONNA CALL HIM DAVID. NOW FOR DAVID, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL, WHICH IS EXPANDING. IT'S, UH, IT'S A GREAT THING. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE JEWISH FEDERATION THAT'S HERE AS WELL. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO IT. THIS IS A PRETTY LENGTHY PROCLAMATION. I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT ALL, I THINK SOME OF IT, BUT I JUST WANNA MENTION A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT ITEMS IN HERE. BORN IN SLOVAKIA. ON J AUGUST 4TH, 1929, DAVID SCHACHTER SURVIVED THE ATROCITIES OF AUSCHWITZ AND BUCHWALD. AND DURING THE LOSS OF 105 FAMILY MEMBERS DURING THE HOLOCAUST, 105 FAMILY MEMBERS, AND EMERGING WITH THE COMMITMENTS TO REMEMBRANCE, EDUCATION, AND JUSTICE. ON APRIL 30TH, 2025, AT THE AGE OF 95, MR. SHAKTA TESTIFIED BEFORE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS DECLARING, THIS IS WHERE I GET EMOTIONAL. I AM HERE. I OBVIOUSLY, I WAS NOT ALIVE, BUT I LOST QUITE A LOT OF FAMILY IN THE HOLOCAUST AS WELL. MY, MY ANCESTORS ARE FROM POLAND, AND THE NAZIS OBVIOUSLY INVADED AND TOOK OVER POLAND. UM, I AM HERE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THERE ARE STILL THOUSANDS OF SURVIVORS ALIVE TODAY WHO ARE IN DESPERATE NEED AND WHO CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS HEARING ON ANTISEMITISM. IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND IS STILL A PROBLEM. MR. SHALERS TESTIMONY, LIFELONG ADVOCACY, MORAL PRESENCE, AND CIVIC PARTNERSHIP LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK IN MIAMI BEACH, THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. HIS VOICE HELPED DEFINE THE MISSION OF THE MEMORIAL AND LEGACY, AND HIS LEGACY CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE WAY OUR COMMUNITY REMEMBERS, EDUCATES AND ACTS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY, IT'S, IT'S A COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY REMEMBRANCE. BUT OBVIOUSLY OUR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL THAT IS VERY CLOSE TO WHERE WE'RE SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW, UM, TESTIFIES TO THAT MEMORIAL NOW, THEREFORE, DO WE, AS THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HERE, PROBABLY PROCLAIM THAT APRIL 30TH OF EACH YEAR SHALL BE OBSERVED AS DAVID SHACHTER DAY. WHY DON'T, WHY DOESN'T EVERYONE COME UP? AND IF MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO JOIN ME DOWN, UH, FOR THIS PICTURE, COLLECTIVELY, I HAVE OF COURSE, EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY WHO'S HERE FOR DAVID? CAN I COME? THIS WHO? SHE'S HERE, MY HERE, OTHER PEOPLE. THIS IS YOUR, THIS IS FOR YOU. LET'S, CAN WE GET IN THE MIDDLE OF A HOW ARE YOU? SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. HI, HOW ARE YOU? I CAN SEE. OKAY. LOOK AT THIS CAMERA. 3, 2, 1. GO. DECIDE. 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU. [00:25:50] PA 19. [PA 19 PROCLAMATION FOR FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA.] PA 19 IS PROCLAMATION FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA. REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER BOT. OF COURSE, IT WAS THE ONE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE. . UM, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE, UM, MEETINGS OF THE MONTH, UM, BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS SO INTERESTING TO HEAR EVERYBODY'S STORY. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, OBVIOUSLY WE ALL DO. UM, BUT IT'S SO ILLUMINATING TO MEET THE PEOPLE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES THEM, THAT MY COLLEAGUES RECOMMEND FOR, UM, FOR NOMINATIONS AND FOR PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS. SO IT'S, IT'S REAL TREAT FOR US TO BE HERE. UM, THIS, UM, PROCLAMATION IS FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS NOT A BIG SURPRISE. I'M, I'M SURE EVERYBODY IN THIS OR IN THIS ROOM HAS AT LEAST HEARD OF THEM, IF NOT, UM, INTERACTED WITH THEM ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. BUT THIS IS FOR, UM, FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA, WHICH SINCE 1981 HAS WORKED TO ADDRESS HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA. AND WHERE, WHERE ARE THE FOLKS FROM FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA UP? CUCU, MISS, SAY, YOU CAN'T SIT QUIETLY IN THE CROWD. UM, THE WORK YOU, YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO IS REALLY REMARKABLE. APPROXIMATELY, JUST IN SOUTH FLORIDA, APPROXIMATELY A MILLION INDIVIDUALS FACE HUNGER IMPACTING CHILDREN, SENIORS, VETERANS, WORKING FAMILIES. I MEAN, YOU NAME IT, YOU LEAST EXPECT IT AND SOMEBODY YOU KNOW IS, IS BEING AFFECTED BY IT. UM, FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA IS, IS DEDICATED TO ALLEVIATING THIS CRISIS BY PROVIDING IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD. SO THERE'S NO DELAY IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS, ADVOCATING FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE AND EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS THROUGH EDUCATION AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE LONG-TERM STABILITY AND WELLBEING. AND IN MIAMI BEACH ALONE, THAT'S ORGANIZATION, UH, FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA PROVIDES ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO COMBAT HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY, INCLUDING MONTHLY FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS IN MID BEACH, WHERE THEY SERVE OVER 50 FAMILIES EACH MONTH. AND IF WE ALL DONATE, WE COULD SERVE MORE. THAT'S AN UNSOLICITED PLUG. I'M JUST SAYING FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA.COM. IS THAT THE WAY TO GO.ORG. DOT ORG. OKAY. UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THESE EFFORTS ARE VITAL TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO OUR NEIGHBORS. AND OFTEN PEOPLE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW, UM, ARE, ARE WRESTLING WITH THESE PROBLEMS AND TRYING TO HOLD IT TOGETHER. SO WE REALLY VALUE THE WORK THAT YOU DO. UM, WE, UM, VALUE THE SUPPORT AND THE COMPASSION AND THE, THE, THE, UM, INCREDIBLE SERVICE THAT FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA PROVIDES TO OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR, OUR COMMUNITY. YOUR COMMITMENT TO ENDING HUNGER AND UPLIFTING LIVES STRENGTHEN THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA AND AND HONOR YOUR COMMITMENT TOWARDS A HUNGER FU, A HUNGER FREE FUTURE. AND WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE DONE THIS IN SEPTEMBER, SO IT'S A LITTLE WEIRD, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE AN AWARDS MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. SO JUST FOR A SECOND, WE'RE GONNA TIME TRAVEL TOGETHER AND WE'RE GONNA PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER AS HUNGER ACTION MONTH. UM, AND JUST AS A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, IF I MIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO BRAG AS A PROUD MOM. MY OLDER DAUGHTER, UM, WAS JUST ACCEPTED INTO AN NYU GRADUATE PROGRAM TO STUDY THESE VERY ISSUES. SO, UM, I'M, I HAD TO, I HAD TO BRAG ON ANNA A. LITTLE BIT. SO, UM, YOU'RE NOT ALONE IN THE FIGHT. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE NEXT AND UPCOMING GENERATIONS WHO ARE THERE TO CARRY THE TORCH WITH YOU. SO, UM, IF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO, UH, JOIN US FOR THIS INCREDIBLE PROCLAMATION, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? YEAH. UM, JUST REAL QUICK, UM, AGAIN, VERY HONORED TO BE HERE. UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH FOR A WHILE. UM, THE NEED IS GROWING. UH, AS YOU SAID, THE, THE SITUATION IS CHANGING. WE'RE FINDING THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY STRUGGLING AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL LATELY IN THE LAST SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS. UH, AND THE NEED IS GROWING. UM, SO ANY AND ALL OF HELP SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THE GOAL IS OBVIOUSLY TO FEED PEOPLE THAT'S AN IMMEDIATE NEED, BUT TO GROW THEM INTO, UH, GET THEM FROM FOOD INSECURE TO FOOD SECURITY THROUGH [00:30:01] WORKFORCE TRAINING AND DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN ADVOCATE FOR THEM. UH, BUT, UH, HUNGER DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE . IT'S, UH, AND THAT'S HAPPENING. UH, WE'RE SEEING THAT VERY VISIBLY RIGHT NOW, UH, AS WE DID IN COVID. SO WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT. UM, THE DISTRIBUTION IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS MY VOLUNTEERS DO. THEY LOVE TO COME TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, 4,000 CHASE AVENUE EVERY, UH, THIRD THURSDAY OF THE MORNING TO COME AND VOLUNTEER. UM, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BE PART OF THAT. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE HONOR OF DECLARING OCTOBER SEPTEMBER HUNGER ACTION MONTH. , YOU KNOW, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER EVERY MONTH IS HUNGER ACTION MONTH. ABSOLUTELY. EVERY MONTH IS HUNGRY. UM, SO RUTH, THANK YOU FOR THOSE REMARKS. AND AGAIN, IT'S FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA.ORG. . JUST AS A REMINDER. OKAY. 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK CALL PA SEVEN. [PA 7 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO HECTOR HERNANDEZ.] PA SEVEN IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION. HECTOR HERNANDEZ, REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ. HEC. HECTOR, ARE YOU HERE? WHY DON'T YOU COME UP MAGNOLIA, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME UP TOO. YOU KNOW, HARVARD UNIVERSITY DID A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF HOW LONG PEOPLE LIVE. AND WHAT THEY FOUND OVER STUDYING PEOPLE FOR DECADES AND DECADES IS THAT IT WASN'T NECESSARILY LEVEL OF EDUCATION. UM, IT WASN'T, UM, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. WHAT IT, WHAT IT WAS, WAS CONNECTION TO COMMUNITY. WE HAVE VERY SPECIAL, YOU CAN COME OVER HERE. HECTOR, UH, SENIOR CENTER HERE IN MIAMI BEACH. I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO THIS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. OKAY. UM, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL, I CAN SPEAK. I AM NERVOUS. OKAY. IT'S OKAY. IT'S OKAY. WE HAVE A VERY THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SPECIAL SENIOR CENTER IN MIAMI BEACH, AND IT'S CALLED REBECCA TOWERS, MIAMI BEACH, , REBECCA TOWERS AND HECTOR VOLUNTEERS EVERY DAY IN THE SENIOR LUNCHROOM AT REBECCA TOWERS, HECTOR, THAT REBECCA TOWERS AND REBECCA TOWERS AND AN ACTOR HAS DONE THIS FOR YEARS, SELFLESSLY . AND HE'S ALWAYS SMILING. SO WE JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE ALL YOUR HARD WORK. WE JUST, UH, WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU. AND MAGNOLIA, YOU'RE HERE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT HECTOR. JUST WANNA THANK THE COMMISSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE OUR VALUABLE VOLUNTEER. WE HAVE LIKE HECTOR, MANY SENIORS THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE. UM, THEY HELP THE ADMINISTRATION WITH ALL THE ACTIVITIES WE HAVE THERE. 'CAUSE OUR GOAL IS BASICALLY TO MAKE THEIR LIFE WONDERFUL, TO GIVE THEM A QUALITY OF LIFE. AND HE'S A KEY COMPONENT ON THAT. HE MAKES OUR RESIDENTS HAPPY AND THEY LIVE WITH QUALITY. SO, THANK YOU HECTOR, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS EZ. OKAY, SECOND RESPONSE. 3, 2, 1. ANOTHER ONE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. [00:35:11] IT'S CALLED PA [PA 18 CHECK PRESENTATION FROM COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTING CITY SAVINGS.] 18. PA 18 IS CHECK PRESENTATION FROM CERT PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTING CITY SAVINGS. WELL BEFORE IT WAS THE PARK RANGER STANDING IN THE BACK. NOW WE HAVE THE, UH, THE CERT TEAM WITH THE GREEN AND YELLOW VEST. SO, THANK YOU. I'M SURE YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THE ACRONYM, BUT WHEN THEY SEE YOUR FACES AND YOU SEE YOUR VEST, PEOPLE WILL RECOGNIZE 'CAUSE YOU ARE EVERYWHERE. OUR COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM, THE CERT TEAM, UM, I WANNA WELCOME THE ENTIRE TEAM, IRENE, IRENE VAIS, OUR CERT PROGRAM MANAGER, AND EVERYONE WHO'S HERE, I'M GONNA SAY A FEW WORDS AND THEN I'M OBVIOUSLY GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU. BUT THE CERT TEAM IS, UH, A NATIONAL MODEL DEVELOPED BY FEMA, THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. AND THE CORE MISSION IS TO TRAIN AND EQUIP OUR RESIDENTS WITH BASIC DISASTER RESPONSE SKILLS WHEN OUR PROFESSIONAL FIRST RESPONDERS MAY BE TEMPORARILY, TEMPORARILY OVERWHELMED, UM, AND BEYOND. YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU INSTEAD OF KEEP, UH, I'M LIKE, YOU'RE TAKING PART OF MY SPEECH HERE, . OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, MR. MANAGER AND THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH GUESTS, UM, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING YOUR COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM AND THE IMPORTANT SUPPORT THEY PROVIDE FOR OUR CITY. NOW, BEFORE I PROCEED, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THOSE OF YOU HERE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE CERT BASIC TRAINING TO PLEASE STAND UP AND OR JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM. I'M, I'M, I'M STARING AT MINE. I'M STARING AT . AWESOME. OKAY. MIAMI BEACH HAS TRAINED OUR COMMUNITY IN CERT SINCE JANUARY OF 2003. THE PROGRAM HAS GROWN SINCE THEN WITH SUPPORT FROM CITY COMMISSION AND CITY ADMINISTRATION BASIC CERT TRAINING, WHICH IS A NATIONAL PROGRAM THAT EDUCATES PARTICIPANTS IN WHAT TO DO BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER. HAZARDS AND DISASTERS IS AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY, FREE OF CHARGE. MANY OF OUR TRAINED CERT INDIVIDUALS HAVE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING. AND NOW, BESIDES BEING TRAINED TO ASSIST CITY PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS DURING DISASTERS, THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO RECEIVE TRAINING IN SKILLS SUCH AS HANDS-ON HANDS-ONLY, CPR, CROWD CONTROL AND DEESCALATION TACTICS. AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ALSO PROVIDES THEM ACTIVE ASSAILANT TRAINING. WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI, OFFERING SKY WORN TRAINING, WHICH INCLUDES A FIELD TRIP TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AND A CERTIFICATION AT STORM SPOTTERS. AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ADVANCED CLASSES OFFERED. THE SKILLS LEARNED THROUGH TRAINING ENABLE OUR CERT VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST THE PUBLIC AND SUPPORT THE CITY DURING SPECIAL EVENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, DURING SPRING BREAK IN THE AIR AND SEA SHOW, ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, SERVE VOLUNTEERS STAFF THE FIRST AID AND HYDRATION STATION, HELPING VISITORS WHO ARE AFFECTED WITH HEAT RELATED SYMPTOMS AND PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR PARAMEDICS. THE TEAM WAS ALSO DEPLOYED TO ASSIST DURING MAYOR MINORS OPERATION. SUMMER RELIEF PROGRAMMED LAST YEAR TO ASSIST HOMELESS MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY DURING ONE OF THE HOTTEST SUMMERS ON RECORD. OUR CERT VOLUNTEERS ARE THE TEAM THAT CONDUCTS BIANNUAL CALL DOWNS TO OUR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS ENROLLED IN THE COUNTY'S EMERGENCY EVACUATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. WE WERE THE FIRST CITY PERMITTED TO HAVE CERT VOLUNTEERS TO DO THIS WITH THE COUNTY. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, CERT VOLUNTEERS CONDUCT OUTREACH, ENSURING THAT RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, EMPLOYEES, YOUTH AND TOURISTS ARE PREPARED FOR FLOODING, HURRICANES, AND OTHER HAZARDS. THEY SERVE AS FORCED MULTIPLIERS IN GETTING THE MESSAGE OF RESILIENCE OUT INTO OUR COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE NO DOUBT SEEING THEM DISTRIBUTING PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION AND INTERACTING WITH THE COMMUNITY AT SPRING AND SUMMER COMMISSION MEETINGS. UM, THE BASS MUSEUM EVENTS SUCH AS TURTLE FEST, THE HOMELESS RESOURCES FAIR 4TH OF JULY, BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS, HEALTH FAIR CITY BUSINESS CONCIERGE EVENTS, AND MANY MORE. WE'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THE VOLUNTEERS WORK COUNTLESS HOURS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WE [00:40:01] CAN ACTUALLY COUNT THOSE HOURS. WE RECENTLY CALCULATED THE HOURS OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE DEDICATED TO THE ACTIVITIES I JUST MENTIONED AND MORE. AND WE CALCULATED CONSERVATIVELY THAT JUST THIS YEAR, FROM JANUARY ONE TO OCTOBER 2ND, OUR CERT VOLUNTEERS HAVE PUT IN 3,401 HOURS OF TRAINING AND SERVICE. AWESOME. MULTIPLY, MULTIPLY THESE HOURS BY $34 AND 79 CENTS. THE YEARLY NATIONAL AVERAGE SET BY INDEPENDENT SECTOR, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY SOURCE FOR STATE AND NATIONAL DATA ON THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEER TIME IN THE UNITED STATES, IN THE GRAND TOTAL IN DOLLARS THE CITY HAS SAVED. UTILIZING OUR CERT VOLUNTEERS TO PREPARE CITIZENS, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS IS $118,320 AND 79 CENTS . THAT IS NOW, THIS IS, THIS IS FOR LESS THAN ONE YEAR'S WORTH OF VOLUNTEER WORK. REMEMBER IT ONLY, IT'S ONLY GONE TO OCTOBER 2ND. CERT WILL CONTINUE TO TRAIN, SUPPORT AND PROVIDE OUTREACH TO EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO ADDING EVENTS AND TRAINING AS WELL AS NEW CERT TRAIN VOLUNTEERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. IT REALLY IS SELFLESS SACRIFICE THAT YOU ARE OUT THERE AND I, AND I'VE SEEN, WE'VE ALL SEEN FIRSTHAND, UH, JUST HELPING PEOPLE. UH, OBVIOUSLY IF THERE'S, GOD FORBID, AN EMERGENCY CRISIS, YOU'RE TRAINED TO DO THAT. BUT EVEN JUST AT EVENTS, I'VE SEEN YOU HELP ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS JUST GETTING THEM WATER WHEN THEY'RE DEHYDRATED. ACTUALLY, MY MOM WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. SHE WAS MY MOM. AND YOU WENT OVER TO HER WHEN SHE WAS SO, AND, AND I'VE SEEN YOU DO IT FOR COUNTLESS OTHERS. SO WE, WE COULDN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH. ERICA'S GONNA TAKE THE CHECK AND DEPOSIT THAT. SO, UH, . BUT I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO SIGN THE BACK OF IT, AND RIGHT HERE. SO, UM, REALLY FROM, FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. AND THIS IS, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE LEAST WE CAN DO, BUT, UH, BUT SOMETHING TO, TO HAVE THIS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR ALL, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR CITY. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, COME ON GUYS. FINE. I'M FRIDAY. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE SPOT TO SQUEEZE IN. ALL RIGHT. EVERYBODY'S CAMERA UP. 3, 2, 1. ANOTHER 1, 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU. [PA 12 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR CLEAN MIAMI BEACH VOLUNTEERS.] D 12. D 12 IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, CLEAN MIAMI BEACH VOLUNTEERS REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. SO THIS IS A, UH, RECOGNITION TO SOPHIE RINGLE AND ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS THAT HAVE HELPED HER ORGANIZATION. WHERE IS SOPHIE, UH, TO ACHIEVE 500 CLEANUPS, UM, IN SIX YEARS. IS IT SOPHIE? YES. AND WE'RE SO APPRECIATIVE OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, UH, TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND AND HELP KEEP OUR BEACHES AND OUR PARKS AND OUR STREETS CLEAN. I KNOW I'VE PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL AND WE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITH ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS [00:45:01] AND THEIR HARD WORK. SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE A FEW WORDS, AND THEN I'LL CALL OUT THE NAMES AND WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, CITY MANAGER, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY CLERK, AND OF COURSE THE MAYOR. I AM SO EXCITED. THIS IS, HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL JOURNEY FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS. WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT I'M MOVING FROM GERMANY TO MIAMI BEACH TO PICK UP TRASH AND EDUCATE ABOUT PLASTIC POLLUTION. BUT IT IS MORE THAN JUST A PASSION. IT IS FULFILLS, UH, EVERYONE AND IT HELPS THE PLANET. UM, ON OUR WEBSITE, IT SAYS, AND I LIVE BY THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY, UH, IT'S A STATEMENT BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT, OUR WILDLIFE AND IT'S HABITAT CANNOT SPEAK. SO WE MUST, AND WE WILL. AND WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR SUPPORT AND HELP, WE ARE ABLE TO DO THE WORK THAT WE DO. AND I'M SO PROUD THAT WE HOSTED NOW OVER 500 CLEANUPS REMOVED MORE THAN 120,000 POUNDS OF TRASH, AND WORKED WITH OVER 20,000 VOLUNTEERS FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, MIAMI AND MIAMI DADE COUNTY. EVEN VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD COME AND JOIN US. AND IT'S JUST SUCH A PLEASURE THAT EVERYONE HERE ALLOWS US TO DO THE WORK THAT WE DO. AND I COULD NOT BE PROUDER OF MY TEAM. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHY WE ARE HERE. SO I KIND OF FEEL PUT ON THE SPOT HERE BECAUSE I WANNA CELEBRATE MY TEAM, ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS AND CREW MEMBERS THAT COME TO ALMOST EVERY CLEANUP. I'M SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU. I CAN'T DO THIS WORK WITHOUT YOU. YOU ARE WHAT? CLEAN MIAMI BEACH MAKES SO WONDERFUL. AND I'M FOREVER THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU. AND SOPHIE, WILL YOU HELP ME GIVE OUT THE AWARDS AS I CALLED OTHER PEOPLE OUT? SO, JENNIFER BENINGTON. JENNIFER, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE. YEAH. UH, GINA PRESS, LUM. CHRISTIAN HAMPTON'S WORKING. OKAY. BETTER. MONIQUE VAN ENGLIN. SHE'S BRADY OLSON. ANYA BARDA, JASMINE MORAYS AND LAMO. DIEGO. ATA. DOMINIC MACKEY. MARIA FEDERICA LUGO. LIZ RIVAS. MARIANO RAMIREZ. MATTHEW RODRIGUEZ. MAXINE VEGA. SHAYLA SUAREZ. TRENT. BRIAN AOR WILLIAMS. BERNADETTE BASCA. JAKE REED. MATT STEIN. MONICA ROJAS. NICOLE ROBERTSON. SAMME. SAVAS. SUSAN. ASK YOU. OKAY. RICHARD ALVAREZ. HEATHER LASTER. CESAR CAMACHO. ANDREAS CORDOBA. YES. ANDREAS PEREZ. VALENTINA ALVAREZ. YES. AMANDA REESE? YES. THANK YOU. AND SOPHIE, YOU GET ONE TOO. . THANK YOU EVERYBODY. YES. . OKAY. EVERYBODY READY? LOOK AT THIS CAMERA. 3, 2, 1. OH, ANOTHER ONE. 3, 2, 1. THANK, IT'S CALLED PA [PA 5 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO DR. BROOKE OWENS.] FIVE, PA. PA FIVE IS PROCLAMATION. DR. BROOKES OWENS. WOOHOO. REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ. DR. BROOKE, ARE YOU HERE? COME UP TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE. [00:50:09] TODAY WE ARE HERE TO HONOR A LOCAL HERO, DR. BROOKE OWENS. SHE IS A VETERINARIAN WHO HAS A CLINIC ON 41ST STREET, WHICH WE LOVE ROYAL VET. AND, UH, THE OTHER NIGHT, DR. BROOKE WAS EATING AT CALL ME GABBY, WHEN A MAN HAD AN EPISODE AT A TABLE AND FELL TO THE GROUND. AND DR. OWENS JUMPED UP FROM HER TABLE AND WAS ABLE TO GIVE HIM A LIFESAVING THUMP THAT REVIVED HIM. AND HE IS ALIVE AND WELL TODAY BECAUSE OF HER WORK. SO THANK YOU. YOU SAVED A LIFE , WHICH IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. IS THE GENTLEMAN THAT YOU SAVED HERE TODAY? RIGHT NOW? YES. FABIAN, COME ON UP, FABIAN. BUT I'M GONNA SAY IF I AHEAD, WE HAVE OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE HERE. SO, HI EVERYBODY, AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR THIS. SO THE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBER DOESN'T WANT THE ATTENTION. UM, HE'S A DEAR, DEAR FRIEND, AND I CAME TO JUST SAY THANK YOU, BUT I WANNA JUST RECOGNIZE SOMETHING ELSE. UM, I'VE KNOWN BROOKE VERY LONG TIME. ANYONE WHO KNOWS BROOKE KNOWS SHE'S A CHAMPION. I MEAN, IN SO MANY WAYS FOR ANIMALS, FOR HUMANS. BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THAT EVENING. UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE IN POLITICS, SO WE SEE A LOT OF UGLY, AND WE GET VERY LITTLE TIME OFF. AND THIS WAS AN EVENING WITH SOME FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. AND THIS WAS JUST SUCH AN UNEXPECTED MOMENT. IT WAS A BAD REACTION TO SOME NEW MEDICATION THAT TOOK A MAN'S LIFE COLD. LIKE I'M SHAKING, JUST REPEATING THE STORY. AND WITHIN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, YOU SAW THIS COMMUNITY, THE RESTAURANT, YOU KNOW, THE RESTAURANT, IT'S A LOCAL FAVORITE. IT'S PACKED LIKE A DANCE. TABLES MOVED. PEOPLE JUST, THERE WAS NO MESS. NO FU JUST ELEGANTLY MOVED OUT OF THE WAY WITH SUCH QUICKNESS, SO MANY PEOPLE JUST CHARGED TO CLEAR A PATHWAY. BROOKE FLEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RESTAURANT. I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE GOT THERE. THERE WAS LIKE, IT WAS INSANE. I LOOKED DOWN, ALL YOU SEE IS HER HAIR GOING LIKE THIS AND PUMPING. AND THE COMMUNITY JUST PULLED THROUGH. THEY DIDN'T CARE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE THEY JUST KNEW SOMEONE WAS IN TROUBLE AND THEY NEEDED TO TAKE ACTION BEFORE, LIKE, IT WAS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING EVER. AND THAT SHOULD JUST REMIND EVERYTHING, EVERYONE HERE FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE FIGHT FOR EVERY DAY. THIS IS AN AMAZING COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, BROOKE, FOR ALL THAT YOU ARE. AND THANK YOU MIAMI BEACH. I'M ALL IN AND, AND DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR EVERYBODY, FOR PEOPLE LIKE BROOKE AND EVERYONE WE REPRESENT TOGETHER. SO, THANK YOU, BROOKE. THIS IS, UH, NOT JUST A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, THIS IS A PROCLAMATION. OH. SO LET ME JUST READ , BECAUSE DR. OWENS EXEMPLIFIES THE VERY BEST OF OUR MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY, COMPASSION, PROFESSIONALISM, AND SELFLESS SERVERLESS TO OTHERS. NOW, THEREFORE, DO WE AS MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, ON BEHALF OF OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, EXTEND HEARTFELT GRATITUDE AND RECOGNITION TO DR. BROOKE OWENS, WHOSE HEROISM WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE SHINING EXAMPLE OF HUMANITY AND COURAGE IN OUR CITY. AND DO WE HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 22ND, 2025 AS DR. BROOKE OWENS DAY? YAY. OH MY GOD. I FORGOT TO MENTION THE FIRST RESPONDERS GUYS. THEY WERE A AMAZED AND SINAI AND OUTSIDE AM. OKAY, LOOK AT THIS CAMERA. 3, 2, 1. OKAY, 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU. PA ONE, [PA 1 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO SOUTH BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL.] PA ONE PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO SOUTH BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL REQUESTED BY THE MAYOR. COME ON UP, DAVID AND LAURIE. SO I KNOW MANY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE GREAT WORK OF THE SOUTH BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL, THE FOUNDATION THAT YOU'VE BUILT, DAVID, AND OBVIOUSLY WITH LAURIE'S HELP, ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION HIGHLIGHTING MUSICAL ARTISTS WITH [00:55:01] DISABILITIES. I GOTTA TELL YOU, I I'VE, I'VE MET, OBVIOUSLY, I, I THINK I'VE COME TO EVERYONE SINCE I WAS ELECTED FIRST AS COMMISSIONER SIX YEARS AGO, AND HAVE COME, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE CROWDS AND THEY GROW EVERY YEAR, THE CROWDS THAT YOU BRING. BUT I, I WOULD ACTUALLY ASK EVERYONE TO GO TO YOUR WEBSITE, DAVID, AND READ YOUR LIFE'S STORY. AND IF YOU ARE NOT INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED AND REALIZE WHAT A PERSON IS CAPABLE OF DOING, YOU ARE THE EPITOME. I IT REALLY, YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO US, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN YOUR LIFE. UM, AND WE'RE SO PROUD THAT YOU BRING THIS FESTIVAL TO OUR CITY. UM, AND IT, IT IT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ARTS AND THE GROWING ARTS AND CULTURE FOOTPRINT THAT WE HAVE HERE IN MIAMI BEACH THAT'S BEING RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY. AND, UM, SO DAVID, YOU ARE THE FOUNDER OF THE SOUTH BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL AND LORI HAM, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND, UH, I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOU, UH, HEAR FROM YOU. AND KIRSTEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND TO BE RECOGNIZED. I, I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR MISSION OF ACCESSIBILITY IN THE ARTS. IT'S BEEN MY DRIVING FORCE FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, AND WE ARE APPROACHING OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND OUR ORGANIZATION IS GROWING IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS. IT'S ONLY EXPANDING AND GETTING BETTER AND BIGGER EVERY YEAR. AND I'M, I'M PROUD TO BRING THE ORGANIZATION AND OUR EVENTS TO MIAMI BEACH. UH, IT'S A WONDERFUL CITY FOR, UM, THAT'S MY MOM CALLING, UM, . UH, I'M JUST THRILLED. I'M THRILLED. I'M THRILLED, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. AND I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO LORI NOW. THANK YOU, DAVID. DAVID'S TRULY THE INSPIRATION WHY ALL OF US GET INVOLVED AND THEN IT BECOMES A PASSION THAT BECOMES OUR LIFE. AND, UM, WE WANNA THANK THE MAYOR, ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS, THE CITY STAFF, LIZETTE AND HER TEAM AT CULTURAL AND TOURISM, THE COMMUNITY, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OUR ADVISORY COUNCIL, OUR VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS, OUR PARTNERS, THE RHYTHM FOUNDATION, WHO'S OUR MUSIC TEAM, CURATION, UM, AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU BECAUSE REALLY THIS, UM, THIS TINY AND MIGHTY ORGANIZATION THAT DAVID AND SOME, UM, REALLY COMMUNITY LEADERS STARTED BECAUSE THE NEED WAS THERE. AND BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE MIAMI BEACH HAS GROWN BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT OF MIAMI BEACH. AND WE ARE NOW WORLDWIDE RECOGNIZED BECAUSE OF THE CULTURAL ARTS AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THIS CITY AND THE WELCOMING OF THIS ADMINISTRATION AND EVERY ADMINISTRATION REALLY SINCE THE BEGINNING, SINCE DAVID FOUNDED IT. AND, UM, WE JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE TO BE PART OF IT. UM, OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL IS JANUARY 8TH, NINTH, 10TH, AND 11TH. WE INVITE THE WHOLE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND THE WORLD TO COME TO IT. MOST OF OUR EVENTS ARE FREE ACCESSIBILITY AND ARTISTS OF ALL ABILITIES, FROM STUDENTS TO EMERGING ARTISTS, LOCAL LEGENDS AND GRAMMY WINNERS ARE ALL THERE. AND WE HAVE A BIG CONCERT THAT IS A HEADLINER CONCERT WITH SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA THIS YEAR. AND WE DO, THAT'S A TICKETED EVENT, BUT WE HAVE MIAMI BEACH DISCOUNTS FOR EVERYBODY. AND LIKE I SAID, MOST OF IT IS FREE. SO THANK YOU ALL AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION. UM, E EVERY ONE OF YOU, MAKE US KNOWN HOW MUCH WE'RE WANTED AND NEEDED ALL THE TIME. THANK YOU. AND DAVID. AND DAVID, YOU MENTIONED YOUR MOM CALLED AND I LOVE SPEAKING TO HER EVERY TIME SHE COMES TO THE FESTIVALS. I WAS HOPING SHE WOULD, UH, BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT WE'LL SEE HER IN JANUARY. YEAH, DEFINITELY. YEAH. I'LL JUST READ A LITTLE BIT. WE HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, UM, AS MUCH OF IT HAS BEEN SAID, BUT I WILL ADD TO WHAT YOU MENTIONED AND HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS WILL BE THE 10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY INTO A FORCED DAY CELEBRATION IN 2026. IT'LL FEATURE OVER 20 PERFORMERS AND ACTIVATIONS MOST FREE TO THE PUBLIC DRAWING INTERNATIONAL CLAIM, AND SHOWCASING THE VIBRANCY AND DIVERSITY OF OUR MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY. POWER ACCESS HAS EARNED A PRESTIGIOUS STATE OF FLORIDA SPECIFIC PROJECT GRANTS FOR 2026, AND IS QUALIFIED FOR EXPANDED COUNTY AND STATE GRANT CATEGORIES FOR 2027, AFFIRMING ITS ROLE AS A LEADING CULTURAL PRESENTER IN THE REGION. AND WE'RE SO PROUD AND HAPPY THAT YOU'RE IN MIAMI BEACH. THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PROUDLY CELEBRATES POWER [01:00:01] ACCESS FOR ITS ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE, INCLUSIVE VISION, AND ENDURING IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE, WE DO HAVE BOARD MEMBERS, ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS, AND SUPPORTERS HERE. SO ALL OF YOU COME UP, WE WANT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE PHOTO. WE LOVE YOU. OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, I DON'T WANNA MOVE ANYMORE. ALRIGHT. LOOK AT THIS CAMERA. 3, 2, 1, ANOTHER PICTURE. 3, 2, 1. NOW THESE CAMERA'S HERE. THANK, THANK YOU. YEP. P EIGHT, [PA 9 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO JAIME CABRERA GONZALEZ FOR HIS COMMITMENT AND SERVICE TO CLUB LITERARIO, AN ONGOING CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP HELD IN SPANISH AT THE MIAMI BEACH REGIONAL LIBRARY.] YOU WANNA CALL IT YOUR ITEM. UH, PA NINE. PA NINE IS PROCLAMATION. JAMIE CABERA GONZALEZ, REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. AND IF JAIME IS HERE. JAIME, IF YOU COULD COME TO THE FRONT. SO, A WHILE BACK I RECEIVED AN EMAIL, ACTUALLY, I WAS CONNECTED TO CLAUDIA GROSS. NOW THROUGH RAY BRESLIN. CLAUDIA, UH, IS, UH, IS A COORDINATOR OF THE CREATIVE, THE CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP AT RIO, UH, AT THE MAMIE BEACH, UH, REGIONAL LIBRARY. AND WE BELIEVED IT WAS SO OPPORTUNE AND SO PROPER DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH TO RECOGNIZE JAIME. JAIME IS A, IS IS A COLOMBIAN WRITER. UH, HE'S PUBLISHED, UH, HE'S PUBLISHED SEVERAL BOOKS AND HE HAS A VAST EXPERIENCE AS A LITERATURE PROFESSOR, PROFESSOR IN DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN COLUMBIA AND IN ISRAEL. BEFORE MOVING TO MIAMI BEACH MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO, HIS CAREER AS A WRITER HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. HE HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS LITERARY AWARDS IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN LATIN AMERICA. ALSO, HE HAD BEEN A SPECIAL GUEST TO THE MOST IMPORTANT, UH, BOOK FAIRS IN THE, IN THE WORLD. AND BY WAY, AND BY THE WAY, THIS YEAR, HE IS PRESENTING HIS NEW BOOK AT THE MIAMI BOOK FAIR IN NOVEMBER. EVEN THOUGH ALL OF THESE ARE VERY IMPRESSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS A FACT THAT FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, JAIME HAS DEVOTED HIMSELF FREE OF CHARGE TO LEADING THIS CLASS AT THE MAMIE BEACH LIBRARY, A CLASS THAT ENCOURAGES AND INSPIRES PEOPLE TO WRITE. HE HAS CREATED A SPACE FOR EVERYONE, WHETHER THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE OR NOT, AND IS, AND THEY WELCOME EVERYONE TO LEARN, TO WRITE, TO LEARN ABOUT LITERATURE, AND TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC CULTURE RIGHT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. JAIME, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING, FOR BRINGING SUCH HONOR TO MIAMI BEACH, FOR SHARING YOUR TALENTS WITH OTHERS, FOR KEEPING OUR HISPANIC CULTURE ALIVE, FOR KEEPING SPANISH LITERATURE ALIVE, AND FOR ALLOWING OUR COMMUNITY TO BENEFIT FROM YOUR TALENTS, FROM YOUR KNOWLEDGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR YOUR WORK. AND IT'S OUR HONOR TODAY TO RECOGNIZE OCTOBER 22ND, 2025 AS HYEK CABRERA GONZALEZ DAY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI . AND I DON'T, AND I DON'T KNOW IF CLAUDIA'S HERE, IF CLAUDIA COULD, COULD COME TO THE FRONT AND JAIME, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO [01:05:01] SAY A FEW WORDS. OKAY. AND CHARLIE, HONOR AND HUMBLE TO RECEIVE THIS PROCLAMATION I WENT TO THANK THE MAYOR, STEVEN MAYOR, THE COMMISSIONER ALEX FERNANDEZ AND THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH FOR RECOGNIZING MY WORK AS A WRITER IN A CITY THAT I LOVE AND WHERE I HAVE LIVED FOR 30 YEARS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TO AMI, MIAMI BEACH REGIONAL LIBRARY, AND RIO. BRIAN, WANNA THANK EVERYONE IN THE NAME OF, UH, JAIME CABRA GONZALEZ, THE RIO GROUP, THE FAMILIES AND EVERYONE THAT HAS SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE. I MEAN, IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE. THE LIBRARY AND THE LIBRARY OPENED UP THEIR ARMS FOR THIS PROGRAM WHEN BASICALLY THERE WAS NO ANYBODY AVAILABLE OR ANYBODY THAT WAS GOING TO COME TO THE CLASS. AND THEN THE CLASS HAS BEEN ALIVE, UH, FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. AND THAT CAN ONLY HAPPEN IN A CITY LIKE MIAMI BEACH. I AM REALLY PROUD TO BE A RESIDENT. I AM REALLY PROUD TO BE PROUD OF THIS COMMUNITY, AND I THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING HI, MISS WORK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, OMA. AND, AND RIGHT NOW THE HAS GROWN INTO AN INTERNATIONAL LITERARY COMMUNITY WITH 40 PERMANENT STUDENTS SPANNING FROM MIAMI BEACH, ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, AND REACHING AS FAR AS SPAIN, LONDON, AND VIENNA, UNITING DIVERSE VOICES THROUGH THE POWER OF STORYTELLING AND WRITTEN WORDS. THAT IS JUST INCREDIBLE. THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. RIGHT. LOOK AT EACH CAMERA. SPEED. TWO, ONE, ANOTHER PICTURE. 3, 2, 1. OKAY. 28 YEARS AGO. READY? 1, 2, 3, PA EIGHT, [PA 8 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO ANTHONY R. GOMEZ.] PA EIGHT. CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION. ANTHONY R. GOMEZ, REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ, ANTHONY, OR TONY, COME ON UP TO THE PODIUM. SO IT IS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH THIS MONTH, AND, UM, WE ARE HERE TO RECOGNIZE A MIAMI BEACH RESIDENT, UM, WHO'S LIVED HERE FOR MANY YEARS. BOTH OF HIS DAUGHTERS WHO ARE NOW MEDICAL DOCTORS WERE BORN AT MOUNT SINAI, BUT THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE HERE TO RECOGNIZE. UM, ANTHONY, YOU RECENTLY BECAME OR THE PRESIDENT OF THE LATIN BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, CORRECT? CORRECT. IN 2020. IN 2023. AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT ORGANIZATION OF HISPANIC ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE ALSO BUILDERS. AND I KNOW YOUR COMPANY, UNITEK, HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK ON MIAMI BEACH RESILIENCY WORK. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN PLACES LIKE NORMANDY SHORES, WE NEED MORE BIDDERS. SO YOU NEED TO COME BACK AND WORK ON THE BEACH. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY , BUT WE'D PROBABLY LIKE YOU TO BID ON A CONTRACT. AS A BUILDER, ENTREPRENEUR, AND CIVIC LEADER, YOUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT, IT REFLECTS THE VERY BEST OF MIAMI BEACH. AND THAT IS WHY TODAY WE ARE PRESENTING YOU WITH A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION ON YOUR PRESIDENCY OF THE LATIN BUILDERS ORGANIZATION. AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, OUR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU. CITY CLERK, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANT TO THANK ALSO, UH, STATE [01:10:01] REPRESENTATIVE FIAN BASALA. HE'S BEEN IN, UH, UH, A SUPPORTER OF MINE SINCE BECOMING PRESIDENCY. HE'S JUST HELPED THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, UH, SO MUCH. UH, NOT ONLY BEING A VENDOR FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I CAME FROM IMMIGRANTS THAT WORKED IN THE FOUNTAIN BLUE IN THE EDEN ROCK 57 YEARS AGO WATCHING THESE DISHES. SO JUST COMING FROM THAT HERITAGE AND HAVING TODAY ABLE TO HAVE MY TWO DAUGHTERS ARE DOCTORS TODAY. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S SUCH OVERWHELMING TO ME. AND THANK YOU FOR THE HONOR FOR BEING HONORED IN IN MY CITY, BIRTHPLACE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BY THE WAY, THE LATIN BUILDERS ASSOCIATION HAS THE BEST LUNCHES EVERYWHERE. BY THE END OF THE LUNCH, EVERYBODY IS KICKING BACK AND SMOKING HAVANA CIGARS. I WENT ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND I SAID, GOSH, YOU BUILDERS KNOW HOW TO THROW A PARTY, . SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KRISTEN. I JUST SO CONGRATULATIONS. SO THANK YOU COMMISSION FOR RECOGNIZING MY FRIEND HERE. UM, I JUST WANNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. FIRST TIME I MET HIM AND HE TOLD ME HE WAS WITH THE BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, I SAID, I REPRESENT MIAMI BEACH. WE DON'T TAKE THE BUILDER'S TITLE LIGHTLY. AND THEN HE INTRODUCED ME TO WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DO AND WHO THEY REPRESENT. AND IT'S NOT JUST BUILDERS, IT'S THE TRADESPEOPLE, IT'S ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, PLUMBERS, THE LABORERS, THE WORKFORCE, THE BACKBONE OF OUR, OF OUR CITIES. AND HE TOLD ME HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO THAT ORGANIZATION TO LAY THE INTEGRITY, THE STANDARDS, AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THEM TO COME IN AND RESTORE THE RESILIENCY IS A MAJOR, MAJOR PRIORITY FOR THEM. UM, RESTORING WHAT WE'VE GOT. THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION AND A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS FOR MIAMI BEACH. SO I WELCOME THE PARTNERSHIP AND THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING 'EM. I'LL BE, I'LL BE KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR SOON, BY THE WAY. UM, WOULD YOUR DAUGHTERS LIKE TO JOIN YOU UP HERE FOR A PHOTO AND BABY? CAN YOU, ALL RIGHT. CUT THIS CAMERA. 3, 2, 1. ANOTHER TAKE 2, 3, 2, 1. PA 10, [PA 10 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO AERIAL RECOVERY.] PA 10. CERTIFICATE, CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, AERIAL RECOVERY REQUESTED BY THE MAYOR, BRITTANY. AND JEREMY, WHY DON'T YOU COME UP HERE. HEY, UM, I'M GONNA TEE TEE IT UP. SO I GOT A CALL FROM ANDRES O UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, A MONTH AGO, TELLING ME THERE'S THIS INCREDIBLE ORGANIZATION CALLED AERIAL RECOVERY. THEY'RE AN ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION, UM, DO GREAT WORK. THEY COORDINATE WITH POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND I OBVIOUSLY GET INVITED AS THE MAYOR. I GET INVITED TO TONS OF EVENTS. I TRY TO MAKE MOST OF THEM. UM, BUT I WENT DOWN AND I TELL YOU, UH, I COULD SEE FIRSTHAND THE WORK THAT YOU DO. I, I OBVIOUSLY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, BUT I WANT TO SET THE STAGE FOR THIS. SO YOU'RE TRAINING WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THREE DAYS? CORRECT. AND I COME IN ON SUNDAY, AND I WAS TOLD, BY THE WAY, THIS IS ALL VOLUNTEERS, RIGHT? ALL VOLUNTEERS, FORMER MILITARY INDIVIDUALS WHO HELP WITH THIS, HELP INDIVIDUALS TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AND I'M TOLD THAT, HEY, BY THE WAY, MOST OF THE INDIVIDUALS ARE FORMER MILITARY. AND I WALK INTO THAT ROOM AND IF NOBODY TOLD ME, I WOULD'VE KNOWN IT IN A SECOND. YOU COULD SEE, YOU COULD SEE IT. UH, IT WAS, IT'S SO IMPRESSIVE. UM, BUT I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. IT'S, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. THIS IS THE SELFLESS SACRIFICE THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND YOU ARE DOING ALONG WITH YOUR VOLUNTEERS, AND YOU'RE LITERALLY SAVING LIVES. IT'S, THAT IS, THAT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT THAT YOU ARE SAVING PEOPLE. BUT TELL US ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND, AND WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO. VERY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, ANDREAS, WHEREVER YOU ARE THERE, BROTHER. HE'S, UH, THE GREATEST TOUR GUIDE EVER OF SHOWING, ESPECIALLY MIAMI. HE LOVES THIS PLACE AND I'M SO IMPRESSED BY NOT JUST YOU, MR. MAYOR, BUT THE ENTIRE, UH, COMMITTEE HERE AND EVERYBODY. IT'S SUCH A SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I GO TO A LOT OF CITIES THAT AREN'T VERY SAFE, AND I AM VERY COMFORTABLE WITH MY WIFE AND 2-YEAR-OLD GOING AROUND HERE AND MIAMI BEACH. APPRECIATE YOUR RECENT MIAMI, UH, RECENT RESIDENCE, CORRECT? YES. [01:15:01] YEP. ALL RIGHT, AWESOME. SO, UM, UH, AERIAL RECOVERY IS SOMETHING WE'RE VERY PROUD OF. I'M, I'M MYSELF FROM RETIRED, UH, US ARMY SPECIAL FORCES, AND I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN WITH MY WIFE, WHO'S AN ENTREPRENEUR, WHO HAS THIS AMAZING VISION SINCE SHE WAS YOUNG, TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AND IT'S A VISION THAT SO MANY OF US NEED BECAUSE OF HOW LARGE OF THE PROBLEM IT IS. AND BEING ABLE TO COME IN AND HAVE CONTINUED SERVICE AFTER MY SERVICE WAS A HUGE BENEFIT FOR ME, UH, ESPECIALLY BEING A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC AND A SUICIDE SURVIVOR MYSELF. SO AERIAL RECOVERY IS MORE THAN JUST RESCUING THOSE AND FROM THE CLUTCHES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THOSE AFTER NATURAL MANMADE DISASTERS. BUT IT'S ALSO A ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES ON OUR VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDER COMMUNITY THAT SUFFER FROM A LACK OF PURPOSE, ALCOHOLISM, DEPENDENCY, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, ALL THESE THINGS THAT TAKE OUT A MILITARY VETERAN ONCE EVERY 84 MINUTES, WHICH IS JUST SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO STOP. SO THROUGH THE GENIUS MIND OF MY WIFE AND AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF SUPPORTERS THAT WE HAVE AT AERO RECOVERY, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM WHERE WE RE REHABILITATE THESE VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THEN WE REDEPLOY THEM OUT TO CONTINUE TO, OR USE THEIR GOD'S GIVEN TALENTS TO GO OUT AND HELP THOSE MOST IN NEED. SO THERE'S NOTHING I'VE BEEN MORE PROUD OF IN MY ENTIRE LIFE THAN TO WEAR THIS HAT AND STAND NEXT TO MY WIFE AND BE ABLE TO DO THIS, THIS GOOD WORK. WOW. WE'RE VERY, VERY INCREDIBLY PROUD TO BE HERE, AND THANK YOU. IT'S JUST SUCH A AMAZING CITY WITH INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP THAT IS, IS WILLING TO TRY THINGS AND MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE. AND THAT'S ALL WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE REPURPOSED VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS TO SAVE LIVES AND STOP EVIL. AND IT'S A CASE STUDY THAT WORKS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO HELP ANYTHING WE CAN HERE IN MIAMI BEACH AND, UH, THIS INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY THAT YOU ALL HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO BUILD IS THE THINGS THAT ARE WORKING, BECAUSE IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS, WE'VE RESCUED OVER 8,400 PEOPLE FROM HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND DEADLY DISASTERS WITH MANY PEOPLE. THANK YOU FOR THE PEOPLE GROUP THAT DARED TO BELIEVE THE WORLD WAS BETTER OFF WITHOUT THEM IN IT. AND SO WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO SHOW THEM THAT THE WORLD IS BETTER OFF WITH THEM IN IT, AND THEY HAVE INCREDIBLE SKILLS THAT THE WORLD STILL NEEDS. SO THANK YOU AGAIN, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS. SO WE HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO AERIAL RECOVERY. REALLY WE COULD SAY TO, UH, TO BRITTANY AND JEREMY. BUT, UM, THE CITY OF MY BEACH PROUDLY RECOGNIZED AERIAL RECOVERY FOR ITS IMPACTFUL LEADERSHIP IN PROTECTING VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND ADVANCING THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING THROUGH SPECIALIZED TRAINING INT INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT AND OPERATIONAL ASSISTANCE. FROM SEPTEMBER 21 TO 23, 20 25, AREA RECOVERY LED IN ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRAINING AT THE MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY ROOM, EQUIPPING MEMBERS OF THE MBPD HUMAN TRAFFICKING DIVISION WITH ADVANCED TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY DISRUPT AND DISMANTLE TRAFFICKING NETWORKS. YOUR VETERAN LED TEAM BRINGS VITAL EXPERIENCE AND COMPASSION TO THIS WORK. AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ENHANCES OUR CITY'S ABILITY TO RESPOND WITH PRECISION CARE AND RESOLVE WITH DEEP APPRECIATION. WE RECOGNIZE YOUR SERVICE AND LASTING IMPACTS OF YOUR EFFORTS. THANK YOU. THANK, OKAY. READY? LOOK AT THIS CAMERA. 3, 2, 1. UH, PHOTO 3, 2, 1. YEAH, PLEASE. YEP. GOT IT. THANK YOU. ON, NO. OKAY. 3, 2, 1. ANOTHER 1, 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU. SO, UM, WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY. AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, WE HAVE 27 AWARDS TONIGHT. I UNFORTUNATELY, UH, IT'S A BUSY TIME OF YEAR AND I, I DOUBLE BOOKED A BIT. SO I'M GONNA ASK, UH, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ IF HE CAN CONTINUE, UH, LEADING. SO PLEASE KNOW, NO DISRESPECT TO ANYBODY WHO'S HERE AND, UH, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO AND I, [01:20:01] AND I AND I, AND I'M GONNA STEP OUT. BUT, UH, YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS WITH COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. COMMISSIONER BOND, LET'S CALL ITEM PA 20. [PA 20 PROCLAMATION FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.] PA 20 IS PROCLAMATION CHILD WILL ANSWER AWARENESS MONTH REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER BOND A 20. THANK YOU. SYLVIA. WHERE'S SYLVIA? HI. DO YOU WANNA COME UP? DO YOU WANNA HAVE YOUR WHOLE CREW COME UP WITH YOU, PLEASE? SO, FOR ALL THE KIDS WHO ARE HERE, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING UP WITH THIS VERY LONG MEETING. YOU CAME ON A BUSY DAY AND I'M SURE THERE ARE THINGS YOU WOULD RATHER BE DOING THAN HANGING OUT HERE WITH US, BUT WE ARE SO HONORED THAT YOU ARE HERE WITH US, AND IT IS THROUGH THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT, UM, THAT YOU ARE, YOU'RE DOING TOGETHER. THE MYSTIC FORCE FOUNDATION IS DOING. UM, YOU ARE HERE WITH US AND FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT, AND WE ARE THRILLED TO SEE YOU HERE, UM, IN YOUR SPLENDID CURE, CHILDHOOD CANCER T-SHIRTS AND, AND, UM, AND STICKERS. SO, THANK YOU. I I WANT TO, UM, LET EVERYBODY KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A WEIRD THING BECAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN SEPTEMBER, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MEETING, SO AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA TIME TRAVEL FOR A QUICK MOMENT. BUT SEPTEMBER IS, SOME PEOPLE MAY KNOW, HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS NATIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. AND IT'S, NOBODY WANTS TO THINK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING WORSE THAT COULD HAPPEN THAN A, A CHILD GETTING SICK WITH, WITH THIS KIND OF REALLY, UM, DEVASTATING DISEASE. UM, IT IS A TIME TO HONOR THE KIDS WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN TRAGICALLY LOST AND UPLIFT THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO FIGHT WITH EXTRAORDINARY COUR COURAGE AND RENEW OUR COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT TO FINDING A CURE FOR THIS DEVASTATING ILLNESS. ILLNESS. IT DOESN'T JUST AFFECT THE KIDS, OBVIOUSLY, IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY AROUND THEM. IT'S A WHOLE ECOSYSTEM. CANCER REMAINS, AND THIS IS, UM, MAYBE SURPRISING, BUT IT REMAINS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH BY DISEASE AMONG CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES, BETWEEN INFANCY ALL THE WAY UP TO AGE 15. AND IT ROBS FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES AND FRIENDS OF PRECIOUS MOMENTS, AND OBVIOUSLY FUTURES FOR THE KIDS THEMSELVES, UM, THAT ARE FILLED WITH PROMISE. FOR THE LAST 17 YEARS, THE MYSTIC FORCE FOUNDATION HAS SERVED AS A VITAL LIFELINE FOR FAMILIES NAVIGATING THIS UNIMAGINABLE KIND OF CHALLENGE OF PEDIATRIC CANCER THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF MEANINGFUL PROGRAMS, EVENTS IN BOTH FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. THE FOUNDATION BRINGS COMFORT AND HOPE TO COUNTLESS KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES. INITIATIVES LIKE THE HEROES HANG OUT A ONE OF A KIND CHILDHOOD CANCER HAVEN IS A DEDICATED SPACE IN WHICH KIDS CAN SAFELY PLAY AND CELEBRATE AND EXPERIENCE THE JOYS OF CHILDHOOD WITHOUT THE STRESS OF HOSPITALS AND WHO KNOWS WHO'S TOUCHING WHAT BEFORE THEY TOUCH YOU. SO IT IS A REALLY, REALLY MAGICAL SPECIAL PLACE AND CANNOT BE UNDERVALUED. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, THE PROFOUND TOLL THIS DISEASE TAKES ON OUR FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORS, AND WE AFFIRM THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN RESEARCH RESOURCES AND COMPASSIONATE CARE CANNOT STATE THAT ENOUGH. WE RECOGNIZE AND REAFFIRM THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESOURCES, AND COMPASSIONATE CARE TO EASE THE BURDEN AND ADVANCE THE SEARCH FOR CURES IN THIS SPIRIT. THE CITY IS ESPECIALLY PROUD TO HONOR THE MYSTIC FORCE FOUNDATION. UM, AND WE'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT IN A, IN A MOMENT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, UH, FOR ITS UNWAVERING DEDICATION AND THE VITAL SUPPORT IT, IT PROVIDES TO KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY THIS DISEASE. WE JOIN THEM IN THEIR MISSION TO RAISE AWARENESS, FOSTER HOPE, AND RESTORE JOY IN THE LIVES OF THOSE FACING THIS UNIMAGINABLE CHALLENGE. SO I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU IN A SECOND, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT WE AS THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER AND INTO OCTOBER CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. AND TOGETHER WE ARE GOING TO MAKE STRIDES TO BRING AN END TO THIS HORRIBLE SET OF DISEASES. SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER. MADAM TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR CHILDREN BATTLING CANCER YEAR AFTER YEAR. UM, THE POSTCARDS THAT JAKE GAVE YOU ALL, THAT'S MY BABY, AND HE PASSED AWAY FROM CANCER 14 YEARS AGO. UM, IN THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF TREATMENT, SAL UNDERWENT 55 CYCLES OF CHEMOTHERAPY, 50 ROUNDS OF RADIATION. HE HAD 12 SURGERIES. HE WAS INPATIENT FOR OVER 340 DAYS OF HIS SHORT LIFE. HE HAD OVER 200 BLOOD AND PLATELET TRANSFUSIONS, AND HE WAS TREATED IN SEVEN DIFFERENT HOSPITALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHEREVER THERE WAS, UH, A TRIAL AVAILABLE FOR, FOR HIM. THAT'S WHERE WE WENT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S THE NORM FOR OUR CHILDREN [01:25:01] BATTLING THESE VERY AGGRESSIVE CANCERS. UH, YOU FREQUENTLY HEAR THAT THERE'S AN OVER 80% CURE RATE FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER, BUT THAT IS FOR THE MOST COMMON CHILDHOOD CANCER, WHICH IS LEUKEMIA. FOR SOME OF OUR OTHER CANCERS SUCH AS DIPG, IT'S AN INOPERABLE BRAIN TUMOR THAT, UH, IS TERMINAL UPON DIAGNOSIS, THE SAME BRAIN TUMOR THAT NEIL ARMSTRONG'S DAUGHTER DIED FROM IN 1962. AND WE WERE ABLE TO SEND HIM TO THE MOON AND DO ALL THE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING THINGS THAT THE WORLD DOES. AND WE STILL HAVE NOT FIND, FOUND ANY VIABLE TREATMENTS FOR OUR CHILDREN. AND THE ONLY WAY WE WILL EVER DO THAT IS THROUGH RESEARCH. AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE WILL RECEIVE THE RESEARCH THAT WE NEED IS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THIS DEVASTATING DISEASE AND LET THE WORLD KNOW HOW UNDERFUNDED, UH, CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH IS. SO THANK YOU. MIAMI BEACH IS LOOKED AT BY PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR RAISING AWARENESS NOT ONLY FOR OUR CHILDREN HERE IN MIAMI BEACH AND, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTY, BUT ACROSS THE WORLD. UH, I HAVE JAKE HERE WHO FINISHED TREATMENT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, AND WE HAVE ZAYA HERE. ZAYA ACTUALLY LIVES IN MIAMI BEACH. UM, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK? SURE. SO THIS IS MY DAUGHTER ZAYA. HI, ZIA. I'M HEATHER. HEATHER, WE LIVE IN MIAMI BEACH. UM, AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR RAISING AWARENESS FOR, UH, FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER. AND THANK YOU, SYLVIA FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. SYLVIA AND I MET, UH, CAN I GET A LITTLE BIT EMOTIONAL, BUT , WE MET IN A HOSPITAL ROOM, UM, ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO. UM, JOE DIMAGGIO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, AND SHE'S BECOME NOT ONLY A FRIEND, BUT LIKE FAMILY TO US. UM, ZAYA WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE FOUR NEUROBLASTOMA WHEN SHE WAS THREE MONTHS, AND SHE'S A SURVIVOR. SHE'S HERE. AMAZING. SO THANK YOU. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UM, NOT ONLY FOR ISAIAH, BUT FOR THE AMAZING CHILDREN THAT FIGHT EVERY SINGLE DAY. UM, CHILDHOOD CANCER IS SOMETHING THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COMMERCIALS, YOU SEE A SMILING CHILD, BUT BEHIND THE SCENES, THE CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING AND WE ARE HAVE TO BE THEIR VOICE. WE HAVE TO, IT'S OUR JOB. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BACH FOR BRINGING THIS PRESENTATION. AND I THINK WE CAN ALL TAKE A PICTURE BECAUSE THIS BRINGS SO MUCH HOPE FOR US. I, I WILL JUST SAY, UM, IT IS AMAZING BECAUSE I HAD A, A FRIEND FROM COLLEGE WHOSE DAUGHTER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A NEUROBLASTOMA 25 YEARS AGO, AND HER THIRD BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS HER LAST BIRTHDAY PARTY. SO ISAIAH, I'M SO, SO DEEPLY EXCITED TO MEET YOU AND SEE YOU AND SEE YOU KICKING CANCER'S ASS. SO TO ALL OF YOU GUYS, LET'S, UH, LET'S GET A PICTURE OF YOU GUYS AND, UM, WE WILL BE DOING A BLOOD DRIVE. WE DIDN'T HAVE IT ORGANIZED FOR TODAY, BUT STAY TUNED. WE WILL BE DOING A BLOOD DRIVE, AND THAT IS ANOTHER WAY YOU CAN HELP IS BY GIVING BLOOD AS WELL AS GIVING SOME DOLLARS. OKAY, SO DO YOU GET IN THE MIDDLE? OKAY. YOU COME RIGHT HERE. OKAY. READY? GOT THIS CAMERA, 3, 2, 1. GIVE ANOTHER PICTURE. 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. LET'S CALL COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ'S. ITEM [PA 13 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO MICHAEL BURNSTINE FOR HIS UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE.] P 13 P 13 PROCLAMATION, MICHAEL BERNSTEIN, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE. SO, AS MICHAEL WALKS UP, I'LL READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIM. UH, SO MICHAEL BERNSTEIN HAS CALLED MIAMI BEACH HOME SINCE 1992, AND HE'S BEEN ENRICHING OUR COMMUNITY WITH HIS UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT [01:30:01] AND PUBLIC SERVICE. HE IS A DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS OF MIAMI COUNTRY DAY CLASS OF 83, AND ATTRIBUTES HIS LIFE TO, UH, LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO SERVICE TO THE INSPIRING PEOPLE. EXAMPLES SET BY HIS PARENTS, IKE AND BARBARA BERNSTEIN, WHO INSTILLED IN THEIR CHILDREN THE VALUES OF COMPASSION, LEADERSHIP AND GENEROSITY. HE CURRENTLY SERVES AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND PRODUCER FOR LOCKTON COMPANIES, WHERE HE CONTINUES TO CHAMPION THE PRINCIPLE OF OFFERING A HAND UP, NOT A HANDOUT TO THOSE IN NEED, EMBODYING THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY UPLIFTMENT. MICHAEL'S EXTENSIVE CIVIC INVOLVEMENT INCLUDES SERVING AS VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SOUTH FLORIDA. WE IS ALSO CONTRIBUTES AS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE AND AUDIT COMMITTEES AND CHAIR OF THE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE COMMITTEE IN MIAMI BEACH. HE IS A TOCQUEVILLE SOCIETY MEMBER OF THE UNITED WAY AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, A MEMBER OF THE PRESIDENT'S COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AT BERRY UNIVERSITY, AND A SUPPORTER OF BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS. HE'S DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP IN NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCACY, WHICH IS WHERE I MET MICHAEL OVER 10 YEARS AGO, SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE NAUTILUS AREA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION FROM 2013 TO 2025. AS FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE MIDDLE NORTH BAY ROAD HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION FROM 2004 TO 2012. HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH INCLUDE SERVING AS VICE CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S BLUE RIBBON 41ST STREET COMMITTEE. AND AS A PAST MEMBER OF BOTH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS COM COMMITTEE, WE WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU TODAY IS MICHAEL BERNSTEIN DAY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE. UM, I, THE FUNNY THING IS, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO ACTUALLY SAY ANYTHING, SO I WAS WRITING STUFF LIKE A MILLENNIAL ON MY PHONE, , BUT THEN MY PHONE WENT DEAD, SO SO NOW I'M GONNA BE TRYING TO DO THIS. I, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. THANK YOU ALL. I'VE KNOWN YOU ALL FOR A VERY LONG TIME, TANYA. WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. UM, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A PASSION OF MINE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. AND, UH, I I NEED TO ALSO THANK MY MOM WHO'S BACK THERE, MY WIFE, WHO'S BACK THERE, AND, UH, WITHOUT, WITHOUT, UH, THEIR SUPPORT, CERTAINLY MY WIFE, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO ALL I DO FOR THE COMMUNITY ALONG WITH WORK AND ET CETERA. SO, UH, I LOVE YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOU BOTH. UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN SAY EXCEPT, UH, THANK YOU. AND, UH, I LOVE IT AND I LOVE OUR COMMUNITY, AND I DO IT BECAUSE, UH, ALMOST 30 YEARS HERE, I GUESS. AND, UH, I, I, I LOVE BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TOGETHER. I MEAN, WHEN WE GREW UP, I, I KNEW MY NEIGHBORS. IT'S HARD TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS NOWADAYS FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DO AT IN NAUTILUS AREA, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, I KNOW MY NEIGHBORS, UM, AND A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORS KNOW EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF THE ASSOCIATION. SO I APPRECIATE THE RECOGNITION. I'M HUMBLED, UM, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL. AND COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS RECOGNITION, MICHAEL. THE WORK THAT YOU DO, THE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND VOLUNTEERS YOU LIKE, YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY, IS A REASON WHY WE'RE STRONG. YOU GUYS BRING TOGETHER THE COMMUNITY, YOU FIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND YOU LEAVE BEHIND A COMMUNITY THAT'S MORE BEAUTIFUL FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. SO, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ FOR BRINGING THIS RECOGNITION. LET'S TAKE A PICTURE. READY? WHAT DOESN'T HIS WIFE AND MOM COME UP? YES, COME ON, KARA. COME UP, FAMILY. YOU ALRIGHT? 3, 2, 1. ANOTHER 1, 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY, LET'S SEE. MR. CLERK, THIS CALL ITEM PA TWO, [PA 2 PROCLAMATION FOR CAFE AVANTI FOR CELEBRATING 36 YEARS IN THE MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY.] PA TWO PROCLAMATION CAFE AVANTI, CELEBRATING 36 [01:35:01] YEARS IN THE MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY, REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. AND ARE JESSICA AND LEWIS IN THE HOUSE GOING TO DINNER TO CELEBRATE THAT? ALL RIGHT, LET'S COME TO THE FRONT OVER HERE. BROADWAY, CELEBRATE AVANTI. HERE. , WE'RE ALL GONNA GO TO CELEBRATE AN AVANTI LETTER LATER. THERE'S ACTUALLY A SCRIVENER'S ERROR IN THIS BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY 35 YEARS. 35 YEARS. 35 YEARS. BUT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THIS PROCLAMATION, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THIS PROCLAMATION FEELS LIKE ALL YEAR LONG. THAT'S, AND KAVANTE IS SO BUSY THAT EVERY TIME WE'VE TRIED TO DO THIS, WE'VE HAD TO POSTPONE IT. BUT THAT'S CAFE AVANTI. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL HEART OF MIAMI BEACH. I THINK EVERYONE HAS A BEAUTIFUL STORY, A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY, A BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION, A BEAUTIFUL VICTORY THAT THEY'VE HAD AT CAFE AVANTI. SO MANY OF US LIKE IT FOR THAT PURPOSE. , THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND, AND YOU ARE, YOU'RE JUST A CHERISHED PART OF THE MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY. NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE GREAT FOOD, BUT IT'S YOUR WARMTH. YOU KNOW, EVERYONE THAT GOES TO CAFE AVANTE, THANK YOU. YOU TREAT THEM LIKE FAMILY, YOU GIVE THEM LOVE. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT MAKES CAFE AVANTE THE BEAUTIFUL GEM THAT IT IS IN MIAMI BEACH. LOUIS JESSICA, ON BEHALF OF THE MIAMI BEACH FAMILY AND THE GREATER COMMUNITY, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 35TH ANNIVERSARY. ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COMMISSION, WE HEREBY PROCLAIM TODAY AS CAFE AVANTI DAY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I'M GONNA LET LOUIS AND JESSICA SAY SOMETHING AND THEN I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE DE. YES, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS, UM, THE COMMUNITY, THANK YOU, UH, FOR HELPING US BUILD LIKE THE PLACE THAT WE HAVE BUILT THERE. UH, IT'S LIKE VERY FRIENDLY. EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYBODY'S NAME. IT'S BEEN A JOY. IT'S BEEN 35 YEARS OF, OF MEETING PEOPLE AND, AND HAVING FUN. IT'S BEEN GREAT. AND WITH HER ON MY SIDE AND MY SON AS WELL, AND, AND THE SUPPORT FROM THE FAMILY, IT'S BEEN A GREAT JOY AND A GREAT RIDE. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER RUSSELL GONZALEZ. I KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT RESTAURANTS. AND WHEN YOU'RE A RESTAURATEUR, YOU HAVE TO BE THERE EVERY NIGHT. AND EVERY NIGHT THAT YOU GO INTO CAFE AVANTI, YOU'LL FIND ONE OF THESE TWO WHO ARE STANDING THERE PATIENTLY WORKING OVER 35 YEARS, WHICH IS A REALLY LONG TIME. AND ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL THINGS ABOUT CAFE AVANTI IS THAT BECAUSE BOTH OF YOU ARE THERE ALL THE TIME, WELCOMING EVERYONE, AND WE EXPECT YOU TO BE THERE. , JUST KIDDING. UM, ALL THE SERVERS WELCOME YOU, OUR STAFF, THEY KNOW YOUR NAME. AMAZING. THE BARTENDER, THE STAFF, THE KITCHEN STAFF COMES OUT AND SAYS HELLO. SO IT, AND, AND EVERYBODY IN THE DINING ROOM, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE DINING ROOM WHEN YOU GO THERE. SO I CONGRATULATE YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THE LEVEL OF EFFORT THAT THAT IS TO BE IN HOSPITALITY AND BE THERE EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. AND THAT REALLY IS A COMMUNITY SERVICE AT 35 YEARS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU GUYS. JESSICA. SO I CAN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR 35 YEARS, ALTHOUGH I GREW UP THERE. I JOINED HIM, UH, ALMOST 16 YEARS AGO. BUT, UM, DAD, YOU BOUGHT INTO THIS EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY AND THIS EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY, BUT INTO EXTRAORDINARY. YOU, YOU ARE THE REASON, AND I'M SO PROUD OF YOU. THANK YOU, LOUIS. JESSICA, MAY GOD BLESS YOU. WE'VE BEEN WAITING ALL YEAR TO DO THIS, BUT PERHAPS THIS PROVIDENTIAL THAT WE'RE DOING IT ON HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BECAUSE AS A, AS A HISPANIC BUSINESS OWNER. SO YOU GUYS ARE, WHAT AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE A DREAM THAT COME TO MIAMI BEACH TO LEAVE A LEGACY LIKE YOURS. THANK YOU FOR BEING THAT EXAMPLE FOR SO MANY OTHERS. SURVIVOR. THANK YOU ALEX. THANK YOU. YOU GUYS WANT TO COME DOWN? OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE MY DAY WITH MICHAEL BERNSTEIN. , I AGREE. CHAPTER, SHE WAS A GREAT FRIEND. WE'RE MISSING A ROSA . 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1. HEY, LOOK AT THIS CAMERA. 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, , EVERYONE [01:40:01] GETTING A PROCLAMATION TONIGHT HAS TO GO TO CAFE AVANTE TO CELEBRATE. MAKE SURE YOU GOT THE RECORDER ON. CHEESECAKE . ALL RIGHT, UH, PATRICK AND DAVE, THEY'RE IN THE HOUSE. UH, MR. CLERK, [PA 22 PROCLAMATION FOR DAVID GRIESER.] [PA 23 PROCLAMATION FOR PATRICK BRESHIKE.] LET'S CALL ITEMS 22 AND 23 TOGETHER. SO PA 22 IS PROCLAMATION. DAVID GREER, PA 23, PROCLAMATION, PATRICK BRUSH TYPE. ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER BOND, THESE ARE YOUR ITEMS. SURE. SO PATRICK AND DAVID, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP TO THE HOT SEAT. SO I MET YOU, I DON'T KNOW, THREE YEARS AGO MAYBE. AND, UM, YOU HAVE ALWAYS IN MY MIND BEEN LINKED AND JOINED, AND YOU ARE IN YOUR LIVES AND IN YOUR INITIATIVE FOR WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOU ARE AS WELL. SO IT'S, IT'S VERY FITTING. SO, UM, YOU GUYS, THE STORY IS THAT YOU GUYS WERE PADDLE BOARDING, UM, TOGETHER OFF OF THE SOUTH BEACH BEACH, JUST, UH, NORTH OF THE PIER, UM, OR THE JETTY RATHER. AND, UM, YOU DISCOVERED A THRIVING CORAL ECOSYSTEM, LIKE THRIVING BETTER THAN JOHN PENICAMP STATE PARK, THRIVING WITH A CAPITAL THRIVE, AN UNDERWATER TREASURE, HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT. YOUR PASSION FOR SCUBA DIVING. IF YOU, YOU GUYS, IF YOU WANNA WATCH COOL SCUBA DIVING, FOLLOW THESE GUYS ON INSTAGRAM. THEY'RE LIKE IN THE WATER CONSTANTLY. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE PRUNES ALL THE TIME, BUT YOU LOOK FRESH AND HEALTHY, UM, AND CLEARLY HANDSOME, THAT'S A GIVEN. SOUNDS GOOD FOR YOU. UM, YOUR PASSION FOR SCUBA DIVING AND ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY HAS LED YOU TO CHAMPION THE PROTECTION OF THIS REEF AND WORKING TO EDUCATE ALL OF US ABOUT THIS REEF TO ENSURE THAT IT REMAINS A SAFE, ACCESSIBLE, PROTECTED, PROTECTED, EASY FOR ME TO SAY, PROTECTED ITS BED TIME'S THE CHARM PROTECTED EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE. AND YOUR ADVOCACY HAS ACTUALLY INSPIRED US, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, THROUGH MY COLLEAGUES, UM, LEADING THE CHARGE AND, AND, AND UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTING, UM, A RESOLUTION TO PROTECT AND ALLOCATE FUNDS TO PROTECT THIS PART OF OUR UNDERWATER CITY, UM, AS A MARINE PARK IN A CONSERVATION AREA. UM, THERE IS A DOCUMENTARY THAT HAS BEEN MADE ABOUT THIS THAT WILL BE UNVEILED AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, BUT JUST WON A PRESTIGIOUS FIU AWARD HIGHLIGHTING ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE. UM, AND THEN ALSO, BY THE WAY, AS HUMAN BEINGS AND RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, YOU GUYS ARE NOT TOO SHABBY EITHER. YOU'RE, YOU'RE ADVOCATES FOR MICRO MOBILITY AND SAFE BICYCLING AROUND THE CITY. UM, PATRICK, YOU'RE A VERY GIFTED ARTIST. AND, UM, AMONG OTHER THINGS. AND OH, THE MIC . AND, UM, DAVID, YOU ARE A FORENSIC ACCOUNTANT, WHICH SOUNDS TERRIFYING TO ME ON EVERY POSSIBLE FRONT, BUT, UM, YOU'VE, YOU SERVE THIS COMMUNITY WELL. AND SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE ADVOCACY. THANK YOU FOR LEADING THE CHARGE ON THIS. UM, IT FITS SO BEAUTIFULLY WITH THE REEF LINE. IT WAS JUST DEDICATED. IT'S THIS SORT OF ORGANIC THING THAT ALREADY EXISTS, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE LIKE COUSINS WHEN ALL THOSE LITTLE CORALS GET PLANTED. AND IT'S AMAZING BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE WATER IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON THE LAND WITH BLUE ZONE. SO IT'S THIS REALLY SYMBIOTIC ECOSYSTEM AND, UH, I'M JUST THRILLED AND I'M PROUD TO CALL YOU MY FRIENDS. I'M SO PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE CITY. IT'S A LASTING LEGACY AND IT'S A SERIOUS ONE, AND YOU GUYS SHOULD BE VERY, VERY PROUD AND SO SHOULD YOUR PARENTS. SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA LET YOU GUYS BOTH SAY A FEW WORDS AND WE'LL TAKE SOME PHOTOS. SURE. UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. UM, IT'S BEEN REALLY EXCITING TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT WITH ALL OF YOU. UH, YOU, NOT MANY CITIES HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING NEXT TO A ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEM LIKE WE ARE. UM, IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF HAVING A MAJOR CITY NEXT TO THE AMAZON RAINFOREST, RIGHT? UM, HAVING SOMETHING AS ENDANGERED AS RHINOCEROS IS ON OUR DOORSTEPS AND, UM, RESIDENTS OF OUR CITY AS WELL. SO IT'S BEEN A JOYFUL PROCESS TO GO THROUGH THIS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH THE CITY AS WE KEEP PUSHING THIS ALL THE WAY TO THE FINISH LINE. AND DO REALLY WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY. THIS HAS BEEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD BUY-IN FROM SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE AND, UM, CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS, UM, IN MIAMI BEACH, AND IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGE TO GET TO MEET TO ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE AS WE'VE GONE ON THIS QUEST. SO, THANK YOU ALL. I THINK YOU GUYS CAPTURED EVERYTHING, AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE CITY AND THE SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT TO KEEP ON MAKING THIS AN EVEN MORE PROTECTED AREA FOR RESIDENTS AND, UH, VISITORS ALIKE. SO, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BOND. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM, BECAUSE THESE GUYS REPRESENT THE BEST OF MIAMI BEACH AND THEY DO ADVOCACY, BUT ADVOCACY ALWAYS WITH A SMILE. YES, IT COMES FROM THE GOODNESS OF YOUR HEART. SO THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE YOU GIVE TO OUR CITY. AND CONGRATULATIONS. [01:45:29] THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. MIAMI BEACH. WAIT, BEFORE YOU CALL THE NEXT ITEM I JUST WANT, YEAH. UM, I NE I NEGLECTED TO SAY I WOULD BE REMISS IN NOT, UM, RECOGNIZING MY COLLEAGUE, LAURA DOMINGUEZ, WHOSE ITEM IT WAS TO SPONSOR THIS. AND SO WE ALL WOULDN'T BE HERE A REEF CHAMPION. OH, I LOVE DAVID AND PATRICK SO MUCH, AND, UH, SO PROUD OF EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE DONE. THEY DISCOVERED THE REEF, THEY'VE ADVOCATED FOR IT. THEY'VE BEEN STRONG IN SPEAKING TO EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY, OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE THAT WOULD LISTEN. AND HERE WE ARE. WE JUST GOT THE FUNDING APPROVED TO, UM, MAKE AN ASSESSMENT. THANK YOU FOR THE LONG HAUL SUPPORT. COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ, YOU RECOGNIZE. AND I JUST WANNA ADD IN PRIDE PARK. PRIDE PARK WAS PART OF THE CONVENTION CENTER COMPLEX, AND BECAUSE OF YOUR ADVOCACY, PRIDE PARK IS NOW BEING PROGRAMMED BY ART PARKS AND RECREATION AND IS NOW A RESIDENT PARK, AS OPPOSED TO BEING THE CONVENTION CENTER PARK AT LEAST 10 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE. 'CAUSE THAT REALLY IMPACTED A LOT OF LIVES HERE ON MIAMI BEACH. THANK OUR MARINE LIFE, THE PARKS, ADVOCATES FOR THE ARTS, ADVOCATES FOR BICYCLE SAFETY. YOU GUYS REALLY PUT YOUR LOVE INTO OUR CITY AND YOU'RE SO WORTHY OF THIS RECOGNITION. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BOD. CONGRATULATIONS GUYS. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, COMM. UM, MR. [PA 11 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR TYLER SELDIN.] CLERK, LET'S CALL PA 11. AND COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, THIS IS YOUR ITEM. PA 11 IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION. TYLER SHELDON, COME ON UP, TYLER. SO THIS SUMMER I HAD AN INTERN, TYLER SELDON. AND, UH, WE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM YOU, UH, MY AIDES AND MYSELF, AND I HOPE THAT YOU LEARNED A LOT FROM US. YOU WERE SO PROFESSIONAL AND POISED AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE. UH, WE WERE PROUD TO HAVE YOU AS PART OF THE TEAM. AND I'M JUST GONNA READ A FEW THINGS ABOUT YOU. SO, BORN AT MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL, TYLER WAS EDUCATED LOCALLY, AND HE'S GROWN WITH THE CITY'S CULTURAL AND CIVIC SPIRIT. FROM SEVEN YEARS IN THE BOY SCOUT TROOP 65 BOXING AT SOUTH BEACH BOXING AND AT CITY HALL, WORKING IN MY OFFICE AS AN INTERN, TYLER HAS SHOWN LEADERSHIP, DISCIPLINE, RESILIENCE, AND THIS CERTIFICATE HONORS YOUR JOURNEY AS A TRUE SON OF MIAMI BEACH. YOU EMBODY THE HEART, THE ENERGY, AND THE PROMISE, AND WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU AND WISH YOU MUCH SUCCESS. THANK YOU. AND IF YOUR PARENTS WILL COME UP AND TAKE THE PICTURE WITH US. ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A PICTURE. DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING MORE? DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE AT CITY HALL? IT WAS GREAT, HONESTLY. UM, I, I WANNA REALLY THANK COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND HER TEAM, UH, JULIAN AND ALBERTO. THEY DID, I MEAN, WITHOUT THEM, I MEAN, IT WAS JUST A GREAT EXPERIENCE. GO IN, COME A PICTURE ALONE FIRST. OKAY. SORRY. SOMETHING. WE'RE ALMOST CENTERED. THERE WE'RE CENTER DISH, THE CHAIRS. ALL RIGHT, MR. CLERK. LET'S CALL ITEM PA [PA 25 CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION CELEBRATING THE DESIGN AND COMPLETION OF BAYSHORE PARK.] 25. PA 25 RECOGNITION, CELEBRATING THE DESIGN AND COMPLETION OF BAYSHORE PARK, REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. I WANNA CALL UP OVER TO THE PODIUM, EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH BAY SHORE PARK, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. THE RESIDENTS, THE BAY SHORE, HOAI SEE JOANNA [01:50:01] AND LESLIE, AND THE AUDIENCE THAT THEY JOIN US IN, IN THE FRONT, I SEE BARRY MILLER AND ADRIANA SAVINO. THEY CAN JOIN US IN THE, IN THE FRONT, THE BUS GROUP, OUR INCREDIBLE TEAM AT CITY HALL, DAVID MARTINEZ, MARIA HERNANDEZ, DAVID GOMEZ, MARIA SERNA, MARIA GUI, BRIAN NEEDLESON, ONAN MARQUIN, FRANCISCO TORRANCE, GLORIA ZALO, COLETTE SATCHEL, EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN A PART OF THIS TEAM. WHAT A MOMENTOS OCCASION. WE CELEBRATED. WE CELEBRATED A MONTH AGO AS WE UNVEILED BAYSHORE PARK AS A MAJESTIC PUBLIC GREEN SPACE, A LASTING SYMBOL OF RESILIENCY, OF COLLABORATION. A SPACE THAT MIAMI BEACH FOR GENERATIONS WILL BE PROUD OF. THIS GREEN SPACE THAT WAS DECADES IN THE MAKING. COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR DECADES, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MOVED INTO THE BAYSHORE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH CHILDREN SAYING THAT THEY WANTED TO TAKE THEIR CHILDREN TO BAYSHORE PARK. AND NOW THOSE CHILDREN HAVE THEIR OWN CHILDREN, THAT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE GRANDCHILDREN TO. BAYSHORE PARK IS THE ADVOCACY OF THE, OF THE RESIDENTS, THE ADVOCACY, THE PERSISTENCE, THE TENACITY OF RESIDENTS LIKE JOANNA, OF RESIDENTS LIKE, LIKE LESLIE, WHO NEVER GAVE UP, WHO CAME, COME, WHO KEPT ON COMING TO CITY HALL AND KNOCKING ON THE DOORS OF PAST MAYORS, OF PAST COMMISSIONS WHO WERE UNWAVERING, WHO CONTINUED THE MISSION OVER ALUMNIS OF, OF CITY COMMISSIONS, AND THROUGH CITY MANAGERS, AND THROUGH DIRECTORS, AND THROUGH AND THROUGH GEO BONDS, TILL THIS ALMOST 20 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE FINALLY BECAME A REALITY. AND TO OUR INCREDIBLE TEAM. IT'S YOUR EXCEPTIONAL PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTION IN PLANNING, IN DESIGNING, IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT THAT HAS BROUGHT NEW LIFE, THAT HAS BROUGHT RENEWED BEAUTY, THAT HAS BROUGHT NEW PURPOSE TO THIS GREEN SPACE, TO A SPACE THAT WAS, AT ONE POINT, IT WAS A GOLF COURSE, THEN IT WAS JUST AN ABANDONED GREEN SPACE, THEN IT WAS A STAGING SITE, THEN IT WAS A DUMPING SITE, THEN IT WAS CONTAMINATED LAND THAT YOU ALL HAD TO GO IN AND RE-ENVISION AND REDEVELOP. WHAT A LEGACY. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ARE LEAVING FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. YOU HAVE TO BE PROUD OF THIS PROFESSIONAL MILESTONE AND OF THIS GREEN SPACE THAT ALL OF US WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY AS A COMMUNITY, BUT GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO WE HAVEN'T EVEN MET. AND PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD THAT WILL COME AND ENJOY THIS GREEN SPACE, THAT WILL GO AND ENJOY THE, THE MAJESTY OF THIS BEAUTIFUL BANDON TREE. THAT YOU NOT ONLY GET TO SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL BANDON TREE, BUT YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE IT. THAT YOU GET TO WALK THROUGH IT, THAT YOU GET TO REALLY ENJOY IT. THAT YOU ALL WENT OUT OF YOUR WAY TO DESIGN A PARK THAT ACTUALLY PRESERVES NATURE, THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL, TO PRESERVE THE MATURE TREES, AND TO BUILD AROUND THEM TO ENHANCE THE RESILIENCY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO IT'S NOT ONLY A GREEN SPACE, BUT IT ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO THE RESILIENCY AND THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD. MIAMI BEACH IS SO PROUD. AND ON BEHALF OF OUR RESIDENTS, ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY, ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU. WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU TODAY. WE HAVE CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION FOR EACH ONE OF YOU, FOR YOUR SERVICE, FOR THIS GREAT PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BRING JOY TO SO MANY PEOPLE. BUT MOST ESPECIALLY, MOST ESPECIALLY, WE REALLY NEED TO HIGHLIGHT BARRY MILLER AND ADRIANA SAVINO. ADRIANA BARRY, YOUR WORK IN BAYSHORE PARK EXEMPLIFIES THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF DESIGN AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. IT STANDS AS A MODEL FOR PUBLIC SPACE DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT SOUTH FLORIDA. PROBABLY A MODEL IN THE NATION AND THE WORLD THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE COMING FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SEE HOW WE DID IT. YOU'RE LEAVING A LEGACY, AND IT'S NOT ONLY BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S DEEPLY MEANINGFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THE SMILE AND THE TEARS IN YOUR EYES, ADRIANA, AND THE LOVE THAT WAS EMANATING FROM YOU WHEN WE UNVEILED THE BAY SHORE PARK, I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT. AND THEREFORE, THAT BEAUTIFUL ENERGY WILL FOREVER LIVE IN BAYSHORE PARK. SO THEREFORE, TODAY, ON BEHALF [01:55:01] OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION, WE HEREBY PROCLAIM TODAY, OCTOBER 22ND AS ADRIANA SAVINO AND BARRY MILLER DAY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEE. THANK YOU, PLEASE, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE, WELL, WE, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT ALL OF YOU, ACTUALLY. THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSIONERS, THE PREVIOUS COMMISSION, THIS COMMISSION THROUGHOUT ALL THESE YEARS. AND, UH, IT, IT, IT TRULY TAKES A VILLAGE TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IT'S, IT IS NOT BY CHANCE. AND, UH, AND WE ARE LUCKY THAT WE DESIGN PUBLIC SPACES. I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHERE EVERYBODY COMES TOGETHER, TOGETHER AND, AND TO HEAL A SITE IS JUST, UH, A PRIVILEGE. I THINK WE, WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE AND HAVE THE SUPPORT OF A CITY STAFF, WHICH WAS AMAZING THROUGHOUT. AND, UM, WELL, HERE WE ARE, , AND IT'S NOT DONE YET, . AND I HEAR YOU GUYS ARE ON SITE EVERY SINGLE DAY, PRETTY MUCH PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS, PUTTING THAT FINAL BOW ON IT, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMEONE MENTIONED A LITTLE WHILE AGO ABOUT BRINGING COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND NOT KNOWING YOUR NEIGHBORS SINCE THE PARK'S OPENED UP. IT'S JUST BEEN AMAZING. WE GO OUT THERE PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY TO GO LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING, GONE. AND, UH, WE SEE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN FOR A LONG TIME, AND NOW WE ARE STARTING TO MEET NEW PEOPLE. EVERYBODY'S COMING FROM THE, FROM THE CITY, FROM ALL AROUND AND OUTSIDE THE CITY. AND, UH, JUST THE SMILES WE SEE IN THEIR FACE AND HOW MUCH THEY WE HEAR FROM THEM IS JUST MADE IT ALL THE LONG T TIME WE TOOK FOR THIS JOB. UH, UH, UH, ALL WORTHWHILE. UH, SO WE WANNA THANK YOU GUYS, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR, FOR THE TRUST YOU HAD IN US. THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX, LONG PROJECT. AND, UH, YOU SHOWED, UH, TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN US, WHICH, UH, IS GREAT THAT ONE OF MY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT HEROES, UH, SAID, YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR CLIENT. OKAY? SO, UH, UH, THAT, THAT PARKS A REFLECTION OF, OF WHERE YOU GUYS TOOK US AND ALLOWED US TO TAKE YOU. SO WE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. OH, AND THE LUM TOO. THE LUM, WELL, AND I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IT BECAUSE WE FORGOT TO MENTION OUR CONSTRUCTION TEAM, WHICH WAS AMAZING. AND ALSO OUR OFFICE, OFFICE, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE, ESPECIALLY KELLY, PATTY AND ALL. KELLY SING, IF YOU'RE WATCHING, YEAH, WE'RE THANKING YOU, OUR PROJECT MANAGER, WHO IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, IN THE TRENCHES DAY TO DAY. AND, UH, I WAS GONNA SAY, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT YOU ARE BECOME FRIENDS WITH THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR . THERE'S ALWAYS RIVALRY, RIGHT? YOU'RE USUALLY LIKE THIS. AND WE'VE, UH, IT'S BEEN GREAT TO SEE, UH, THESE GUYS AND GET TO KNOW THEM, AND WE HOPE WE DO MORE WORK WITH THEM LATER ON. AND IT GOES, IT GOES TO SHOW YOU WHEN YOU IN, WHEN YOU HIRE LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, THE REINVESTMENT, THE RETURN THAT YOU GET, NOT ONLY ON THE INVESTMENT WITH THE PRODUCT, BUT IN THE LOVE AND THE DEDICATION THAT THAT LOCAL STAKEHOLDER PUTS INTO IT. YOU'RE JUST NOT A CONTRACTOR FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. YOU LIVE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. YOU LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU LOVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU LOVE THIS PARK. AND THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR THE CONTRACTOR, FOR, FOR MUSLIM, UH, THAT YOU ARE A LOCAL COMPANY HERE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. AND NOT ONLY HAVE YOU DELIVERED A QUALITY PRODUCT, BUT QUALITY AND ON TIME AND, AND WE'RE SO, SO, SO PROUD. UM, MR. MANAGER, UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE HEAD OF THE ORGANIZATION. UH, THANK YOU FOR DELIVERING THIS. I PASS THE FLOOR TO YOU. I, I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION FOR RECOGNIZING ALL OF THE EFFORTS THAT WENT INTO THIS. I THINK EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WAS UP HERE, BECAUSE AS MANY PEOPLE SAID, IT REALLY DOES TAKE A VILLAGE TO BRING SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO FRUITION. AND THIS PARK REPRESENTS THE BEST OF MIAMI BEACH. AND MIAMI BEACH DESERVES THE BEST THAT IS THIS PARK. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I'D BE REMISS, UH, DAVID, DAVID MARTINEZ, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DAVID GOMEZ, OUR DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. SO YOU GUYS WANT TO, UH, SAY ANYTHING AS YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN SO INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING THIS FOR THE LANDING? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. I WON'T TAKE VERY LONG AGAIN, I JUST, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FROM JUST WHEN I FIRST STARTED WITH THE CITY IN 2011, TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER, AND BE ABLE TO, TO TURN IT INTO WHAT IT DID. IT WAS A LABOR OF LOVE. UH, IT DOES, IT DOES IN FACT TAKE A VILLAGE, UH, A FEW STEPS FORWARD, A FEW STEP BACK BACKWARDS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE, WE COME THROUGH, UH, AND WE'RE EXTREMELY HAPPY. I'M EXTREMELY PROUD TO DELIVER THIS TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, TO THE RESIDENTS AND TO MAYOR THE COMMISSION. SO THANK YOU. AND DAVID, IF I COULD BE SO BOLD AS TO SPEAK FOR EVERYONE UP HERE, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT DUE TO [02:00:01] THEIR DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION. WE ALL APPRECIATE A PAT ON THE BACK. UM, BUT IT WAS REALLY A LOVE OF LABOR THAT LED US TO THIS PROJECT AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, WE DO IT FOR THE RESIDENTS, WE DO IT FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKING AND WHO WERE PROMISED THIS PROJECT WHEN THEY APPROVED THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BAYSHORE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, UH, JOANNA AND LESLIE THAT ARE HERE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE THAT'S ON THE DA RIGHT NOW. ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, THE MAYOR CURRENTLY, AND AS SAID BEFORE, PREVIOUS COMMISSION MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, UM, MR. RICK OLA, CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ, UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK OTHER MEMBERS WITHIN BAY BAYSHORE THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED FOR OVER 30 YEARS. , SYLVIA WINKY, SYLVIA, CARLOS, AND MANY, MANY MORE TANYA, BUT WAS PART OF IT AS WELL. UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK CAROLINA JONES FROM THE PARKS AND REX COMMITTEE, WHO REALLY, AT THE END, PUSHED THROUGH IN MANY WAYS. UM, THERE'S JUST SUCH A BIG LIST OF PEOPLE TO THANK ALEX FERNANDEZ, . I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START AND WHERE TO END. THIS IS A LABOR OF LOVE FOR 30 PLUS YEARS. I DO WANNA THANK THE STAFF, ESPECIALLY, UH, MARTINEZ, MR. MARTINEZ, I MEAN, WHO'S ALWAYS BEEN A LIFELINE TOWARDS US. MR. GO GOMEZ, SORRY. I'M TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER. AND OBVIOUSLY SO MANY MORE PEOPLE WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ARE TRULY A COMMUNITY THAT IS THANKFUL. AND THIS IS A PARK FOR EVERYONE WITHIN THE CITY. I MEAN, IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER. LIKE MRS. SAVINO SAID, I GO DAILY BY THE PARK, THE PLAYGROUND IS PACKED. I HEAR CHILDREN YELLING, SCREAMING, JOYFUL. I HAD HOPED THAT WOULD BE MY KIDS, BUT I'LL BRING MY GRANDKIDS ONE FINE DAY THERE, YOU KNOW? BUT IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL TO SEE HOW ACTIVE, HOW PACKED THE PARK IS, HOW, I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE TRULY ENJOYING IT. AND THAT WAS THE GOAL ALL TOGETHER. IT'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. SO I WANNA THANK EVERYONE ALL TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE ON A GOOD PATH FOR MORE GREAT THINGS WITHIN THE CITY. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BOND. I KNOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO. YEAH, THANK YOU. UM, SO I, I DO, UM, HAVE THIS WEIRD, VERY EMOTIONAL REACTION TO THE PARK. I BECAME A BABY ACTIVIST WORKING ALONGSIDE YANA AND LESLIE AND GEORGE ESPOSITO, AND CARLOS AND SYLVIA AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER PEOPLE, TEYA, UM, TRYING TO MAKE THIS WORK AND THE DRAMA OF WHAT WAS BEING DUMPED AND HOW COULD IT BE DUMPED, AND WHY WAS IT BEING DUMPED AND WHY THE LAWSUITS GOING BACK DECADES, LIKE ALL THE DRAMA. AND I TOO THOUGHT THAT MY KIDS, I COULD SEND THEM OUT FOR, YOU KNOW, GO PLAY IN THE PARK FOR A FEW HOURS AND I'LL CALL YOU, BE HOME FOR SEVEN, FOR DINNER AT SEVEN. WELL, THEY'RE IN NEW YORK AND IN MIAMI NOW THEY'RE 23 AND 25. SO THAT SHIP HAS SAILED. BUT THEY HAVE ALREADY HEARD HOW INCREDIBLE THIS PARK IS. AND I, YOU KNOW, WE WENT TO THE OPENING AND THEN I WENT BACK THE, UH, THE NEXT WEEKEND EARLY SO I COULD REALLY EXPERIENCE IT. AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE JUST WALKING THROUGH WITH SHOULDERS BACK AND RELAXED AND JOY. THERE'S SO LITTLE JOY IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. AND THIS PARK JUST EXUDES JOY AND CALM AND BEAUTY. AND FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE LISTENING OR WATCHING DOWN THE ROAD, WHAT FOLKS MIGHT NOT KNOW IS THAT BARRY AND ADRIANA ARE NOT JUST MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS, BUT NEIGHBORS, LIKE LITERALLY ADJACENT TO THE PARK. AND, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE, THIS IS, THIS IS HOW I GOT TO KNOW MIAMI BEACH AS A, AS AN ACTIVIST. AND LOOK WHAT ACTIVISTS CAN DO. LOOK WHAT RESIDENTS CAN DO WHEN THEY ARE SINGLE-MINDED AND WORK WITH THE CITY. AND THERE'S TRANSPARENCY. AND DAVID, AS YOU SAID, TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK. BUT YOU GET THERE AND KEEPING RESIDENTS ENGAGED AND AND ACTIVE AND BEING A PART OF THE PROCESS IS CRITICAL BECAUSE GREAT THINGS COME OF IT. I'M SO PROUD OF WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE. IT, IT IS SO JOYFUL. UM, AND PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE MY OLDER DAUGHTER'S IN NEW YORK WITH FORMER MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS, AND THEY CAN'T WAIT TO COME BACK. AND, YOU KNOW, YEAH, SURE, I'LL SEE MOM AND DAD, BUT I CAN'T WAIT. I HEAR THE PARK IS THE BOMB. I'M LIKE, IT IS THE BOMB. YOU SHOULD COME. SO ANYHOW, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, AND IT'S A HUGE GIFT TO THE CITY. AND MR. WILSON GONZALEZ, I JUST WANNA SAY A FEW THINGS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WE DID IT. YOU DID IT . SO CONGRATULATIONS, [02:05:01] DAVID. I MEAN, WE REALLY PUSHED YOU AND YOU GOT IT DONE. BUT THIS PARK HAD EVERY SINGLE OBSTACLE THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE. I MEAN, AT ONE POINT THERE WAS ARSENIC ON THERE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THE DESIGN OF THE PARK AND CHANGE THE DESIGN. AND, AND THEN AFTER THAT, THERE WAS THE SHARED USE PATH. I MEAN, I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW MANY THINGS. OH, AND THEN AFTER THAT, THE POINT PERSON FROM CIP CAME TO ME AT ONE POINT AND SAID, I'M NOT WORKING ON THAT PROJECT ANYMORE. I SAID, NO, YOU ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS PARK. SO, YOU KNOW, WE MADE IT THROUGH ALL OF THESE OBSTACLES. AND FRANKLY, THE DAY OF THAT OPENING, I WAS SO PROUD OF YOU AND YOUR DESIGN AND YELENA AND LESLIE, AND HOW TRANSFORMATIVE, TRANSFORMATIVE IT WAS AND SEEING ALL THE RESIDENTS THERE. IT WAS REMARKABLE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF US. 'CAUSE THOSE ARE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN. IT'S LOOMING OUT THERE, AND WE ACTUALLY REALIZED IT AND MADE IT A REALITY. LET ME FOLLOW THAT UP BY SAYING, UM, WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN KRISTEN. UM, KRISTEN WAS THE, UH, SOLE COMMISSIONER BACK THEN THAT, UH, BASICALLY WAS ALWAYS IN OUR, AT OUR BACK, OR NOT AT OUR BACK, YOU KNOW, UH, AT SUPPORTING US AND HELPING US GET THROUGH THIS, UH, IN ADVERSE TIMES. AND, UH, SO WE REMEMBER THAT. AND I ALSO WANTED TO DO A SHOUT OUT TO, UM, UH, FORMER COMMISSIONER, UH, NANCY LIEMAN, WHO DID THE SAME FOR US. YOU MAY REMEMBER THE MEETING. UH, AND SO WE ALWAYS REMEMBER HER FOR WE, WITHOUT HER, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE. IT'S SO INCREDIBLE THE GENERATIONS OF COMMISSIONERS THAT HAS TAKEN. AND WE ALL REMEMBER OUR, OUR DEAR FRIEND AND OUR LATE COMMISSIONER GEORGE EXPOSITO, FOR WHOM THERE IS A DOG PARK, UH, DEDICATED IN HIS HONOR INSIDE THAT PARK. FOR US, IT'S EASY. WE, WE, WE HAVE THE SIMPLE JOB OF BRINGING IT IN FOR THE LANDING AT THE VERY END. I WAS VERY PROUD OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, BUDGET THING THAT I DID AT, AT, AT THE END. BUT IT WAS LIKE DOZENS AND DOZENS AND DOZENS OF COMMISSIONERS BEFOREHAND THAT REALLY FOUGHT, THAT REALLY FOUGHT TO GET IT TO THIS POINT. AND YOU ALL HAVE MADE THE COMMUNITY SO PROUD AND, UH, TO THE CONTRACTOR. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU GUYS REALLY HELPED DE DELIVER THIS ON TIME. AND SO IF YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING. SO, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY WE'RE HUMBLED BY BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS PART FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. AS YOU SAID BEFORE, WE'RE LOCAL CONTRACTOR, AND IT'S VERY, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF LEAVING A LEGACY THAT THE WHOLE CITY AND NEIGHBORS CAN ENJOY. WE WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU COMMISSIONERS, ESPECIALLY YOU COMMISSIONERS, FERNANDEZ, CITY MANAGER, AND ESPECIALLY CIP FOR SUPPORTING US AND GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS PROJECT. AND WE ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, BARRY MILLER BECAUSE HE WAS A TREMENDOUS PARTNER IN THIS PROJECT. AND LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S NOT USUAL THAT YOU GET ALONG WITH CONTRACTORS AND, AND, UH, AND THE DESIGNERS. IN OUR CASE, IT IS, IT IS PRETTY USUAL , BUT, UH, BUT WE'RE VERY PROUD. WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO, TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS AND BRING THIS TO FRUITION. AND IT WAS, UH, LABOR OF LOVE. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S THE PARK THAT IT IS ON, ON OUR END AS WELL. IT WAS A LABOR OF LOVE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING. ALL RIGHT, WELL, LET'S TAKE A PICTURE. WHY DON'T WE ALL GET TOGETHER? DAVID MARTINEZ. ALRIGHT, THERE WE GO. HERE WE GO. MARIANA. THERE WE GO. S COLETTE. COLETTE. HERE WE GO. BRIAN. BRIAN OHAN. THERE WE GO. FRANCISCO, FRANCISCO, GLORIA . THANK YOU TO THE INCREDIBLE CONTRACTOR, TO OUR RESIDENTS. THERE WE GO. AND TO ADRIANA AND BARRY, WHOSE DAY WE'RE CELEBRATING TODAY. THAT MEANS YOU A COUPLE, EVERYBODY LOOK NEXT TO, CAN EVERYBODY LOOK RIGHT OVER HERE PLEASE? OKAY. READY? RIGHT OVER HERE. 1, 2, 3. OKAY, NOW WE'RE LOOKING UP HERE. EVERYBODY UP HERE? ONE. OKAY, SYDNEY, 1, 2, 3. [02:10:01] 1, 2, 3. AND ONE MORE HERE. READY? 1, 2, 3. PERFECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. ALRIGHT, SO COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, LET'S CALL [PA 14 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO AARON ROSEN FOR ADVANCING MIAMI BEACH'S GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT.] P 14 P 14 PROCLAMATION AARON ROSEN ADVANCING MIAMI BEACH'S GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT. ALL RIGHT, SO I HAVE, UH, KNOWN AARON ROSEN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND, UM, HE IS SUCH AN AMAZING YOUNG MAN. COMMISSIONER HOLD THAT HE ACCOMPLISHES. ALRIGHT, LET'S JUST LET EVERYONE CLEAR, CLEAR THE CHAMBER SO THAT COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH HER PRESENTATION. OKAY. ALRIGHT. READY? YES. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. SO TODAY I'M RECOGNIZING AARON ROSEN. UM, AND I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. I SERVE ON A BOARD WITH HIM FOR THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL. HE LIVES IN MIAMI BEACH. HE HAS A PASSION FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. AND I'M GONNA READ YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AARON BECAUSE HE'S JUST AN OUTSTANDING CITIZEN AND DESERVES THIS RECOGNITION. SO AARON ROSEN SERVES AS PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF THE WORLD OF AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF MIAMI, WHICH IS BASED IN MIAMI BEACH. UM, AND IT COVERS, UH, THE GREATER MIAMI AREA. HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR STANDING UP FOR THE COUNCIL AND EXECUTING ITS PROGRAMS DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH EDUCATION INITIATIVES, AND STRATEGIC VISION. AND HE IS THE ONE THAT BROUGHT ACADEMIC WORLD QUEST, UH, TO MIAMI BEACH AND KEPT INSISTING THAT MIAMI BEACH HIGH PARTICIPATE. AND WE SAW EARLIER THAT THEY CAME IN FIRST IN DADE COUNTY. SO AARON ROSEN IS A TEAM MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS AND A 2024 EISENHOWER FELLOW HAVING CONDUCTED INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ON DISINFORMATION MEDIA LITERACY AND DEMOCRATIC RESILIENCE. PRIOR TO FI FOUNDING THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF MIAMI, MR. ROSEN CONTRIBUTED TO INTERNATIONAL POLICY THROUGH HIS WORK WITH THE ALPHA FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN MOSCOW, AND AS A FOREIGN POLICY SPECIALIST IN WASHINGTON DC WITH MUFG BANK, FORMERLY THE BANK OF TOKYO MITSUBISHI, UF, AS WELL AS THROUGH A GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN BRUSSELS, MR. ROSEN HOLDS A DUAL MASTER'S DEGREE IN US FOREIGN POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL HISTORY FROM THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY AND THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, AS WELL AS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, AND IS FLUENT IN GERMAN AND SPANISH WITH PROFICIENCY IN RUSSIAN. MR. ROSEN HAS WORKED WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF LEGISLATIVE AND DIPLOMATIC INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE US CONGRESS, GERMAN BOSTOCK, AUSTRALIAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, CANADIAN HOUSE OF COMMONS, LUXEMBOURG CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, THE EMBASSY OF MOSCOW IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LIAISON OFFICE TO THE US CONGRESS, BRINGING A WEALTH OF GLOBAL INSIGHT AND EXPERIENCE TO SOUTH FLORIDA AND MIAMI BEACH. UH, HE LIVES ON WEST AVENUE WITH HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE, NOMI, AND HE HOLDS THE, UH, WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL MEETINGS QUARTERLY IN MIAMI BEACH. AND WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE HIM AS A RESIDENT AND APPRECIATE ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT YOU DO TO OUR CITY. AND TODAY, WE DECLARE OCTOBER 22ND IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. AARON ROSEN DAY, PLEASE SAY A FEW WORDS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER. FIRST, JUST, UM, ONE THING, I I WORK WITH THE EMBASSY OF MEXICO, NOT THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY, JUST THE, IN THESE DAYS AND TIMES, YOU NEED TO CLARIFY THAT. SO, UM, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL, ALL JOKES ASIDE, COMMISSIONER, I, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT, UH, THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. UM, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, MY WIFE NAOMI, WHO'S, UH, WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT, BUT IS WATCHING FROM HOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. UM, THE, THE COMMISSIONER AND HER, HER LATE [02:15:01] PARTNER, MARK, WHO MANY OF YOU, IF NOT ALL OF YOU HERE, UH, KNOW. UH, HAD BEEN PUBLIC SUPPORTERS OF THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UM, AND, UH, THEIR SUPPORT AND LAURA'S CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT, UM, HAS REMINDED US WHY YEAR AFTER YEAR WE CHOOSE TO BASE OUR ORGANIZATION AND MY LIFE HERE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. UH, THE QUALITY OF LIFE DOESN'T HURT EITHER. UM, THE, THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL IS A 5 0 1 C3 NONPARTISAN NONPROFIT THAT WORKS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC HERE IN MIAMI COUNTY, UH, ABOUT US FOREIGN POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. A KEY PROGRAM OF OURS, AS THE COMMISSIONER MENTIONED, IS ACADEMIC WORLD QUEST, WHICH IS OUR FLAGSHIP YOUTH EDUCATION INITIATIVE. UH, YOU HEARD ABOUT IT EARLIER FROM THE, FROM THE COMMISSIONER, UH, WHEN SHE HONORED THE STUDENTS AND THE, AND THE TEACHER. UM, BUT I WANNA JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE IT BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD ON, UH, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF. IT'S A FREE OF COST PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS, PUBLIC, PRIVATE, CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY TO, UM, ESSENTIALLY LEARN ABOUT, UH, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, GEOGRAPHY, TRADE POLICY, INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS, AND CURRENT EVENTS. UM, AND IT'S ALSO A YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM TO HELP STUDENTS TAKE THAT ABSTRACT INTEREST IN THE WORLD AND DEVELOP A CAREER, UH, IN POLICY. UH, WITH COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ'S SUPPORT, AS SHE MENTIONED, WE WERE ABLE TO ENLIST MIAMI BEACH HIGH, UH, THIS, THIS PAST PROGRAM YEAR. AND THEY, UH, CAME IN FIRST IN THE COUNTY. SO WE WERE VERY PROUD ABOUT THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WHEN, UH, SCHOOL WINS IS WE FUNDRAISE AND WE SEND THE STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHER TO WASHINGTON, DC FREE OF COST. UH, THE REASON WHY WE DO THAT IS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ENTER, UH, A FIELD THAT SOME SEE AS QUITE ELITE AND SORT OF OUT OF TOUCH. SO WE RAISE THE FUNDS TO SEND THE STUDENTS TO MEET WITH FOREIGN POLICY PROFESSIONALS TO VISIT EMBASSIES, TO VISIT THE US GOVERNMENT DIRECTLY WHILE THEY'RE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL TO GET THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR. UH, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THESE PAST STUDENTS FROM UM, MB SENIOR HIGH, THEY WENT TO THE US TREASURY TO LEARN ABOUT US SANCTIONS POLICY FIRSTHAND. THEY MET WITH THE AMBASSADOR OF MEXICO TO THE UNITED STATES, UH, DIRECTLY. THEY WERE AT THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, LEARNING ABOUT US FOREIGN POLICY IN THE AMERICAS. UM, AND THEY WERE ALSO, UH, THEY MET WITH THE, UH, EMBASSY OF THE UNITED ARAB ARAB EMIRATES TO LEARN ABOUT US POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. UH, THESE ARE KIDS THAT ARE 16, 17, 18, BEFORE THEY'RE GOING TO COLLEGE, GETTING THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR. UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL IS REALLY PROUD TO PROVIDE AS A SERVICE. AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMISSIONER'S SUPPORT IN ENABLING US TO DO SO YEAR AFTER YEAR. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU, TO THE COMMISSIONERS, TO THE CITY, AND TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY. WITHOUT THAT SUPPORT, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE. I'M VERY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THERE'S STILL CHANCE, THERE'S STILL CHANCE. WELL NOT, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. OKAY. [PA 15 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO HARVEY J. BURSTEIN.] THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. UM, WITH THAT, LET'S CALL, ALL RIGHT, LET'S CALL A MAN WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION NUMBER PA 15, A PRESENTATION FOR HARVEY BERNSTEIN. COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. WELL, HARVEY BURSTEIN IS A DEAR, DEAR FRIEND OF MINE AND ALMOST A BIRTHDAY TWIN. HIS BIRTHDAY'S A DAY AFTER MINE, BUT HERE WE ARE TODAY TO HONOR 20 YEARS OF MIAMI ART Z AND HE'S BEEN CELEBRATING FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN TO AT LEAST ONE FUNCTION. AND THIS IS VERY WELL DESERVED. SO MIAMI ARTS INC.COM WAS FOUNDED IN 2004 BY HARVEY J BURSTEIN AS A PROGRAM OF THE MIAMI BEACH ARTS TRUST, INC 5 0 1 C3 NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. WHEREAS UNDER MR. STEIN'S VISION AND LEADERSHIP, MIAMI ARTS Z.COM HAS GROWN INTO A TRUSTED AND RESPECTED ONLINE PUBLICATION WITH OVER A DOZEN CONTRIBUTORS AND A DEDICATED WEB TEAM CONTRIBUTE, COMMITTED TO SERVING THE SOUTH FLORIDA ARTS COMMUNITY. FOR TWO DECADES, MIAMI ART ZINE HAS PROVIDED ORIGINAL COVERAGE OF THE ARTS AND AND ENTERTAINMENT OFFERING, PREVIEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS, PHOTO GALLERIES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE VIBRANCY OF OUR LOCAL CULTURAL SCENE. THROUGH ITS ONLINE PLATFORM AND WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, MIAMI ART SCENE.COM HAS CREATED AN INFORMAL YET ESSENTIAL NETWORK OF SUPPORT FOR ART LOVERS, [02:20:01] ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA. AND MIAMI. ART ZINE HAS BROUGHT WELL-DESERVED ATTENTION TO COUNTLESS THEATERS, PRODUCTIONS, AND CREATIVE ENDEAVORS, AMPLIFYING THEIR REACH, STRENGTHENING THEIR IMPACT, AND CELEBRATING THE VALUE OF THE ARTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. SO TODAY WE DECLARE MIAMI ARTSY DAY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. WELL, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU HARVEY. DO YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS? I REALLY KNOW HOW TO CLEAR A ROOM, DON'T I? ANYWAY, YOU WANT THE SHORT SPEECH OR THE LONG SPEECH ANYWAYS, UM, WE STARTED, UH, 20 YEARS AGO AND IT WAS AN, THE ARTS WEREN'T BEING, UH, COVERED BY THE, UH, THE NEWSPAPERS. AND IT KIND OF CAME TOGETHER, TOGETHER WITH A FEW PEOPLE AND WE MADE IT HAPPEN. AND HERE WE ARE 20 YEARS LATER, WE HAVE 17 PEOPLE WORKING ON IT, BRAZIL, MEXICO, AND ALL OVER, UH, MIAMI AND FORT LAUDERDALE, AND OF COURSE MIAMI BEACH. SO TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE THAT COVER MIAMI ART SCENE IS MYSELF AND CHARLOTTE UFF, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME UP? SO I, THIS IS A DOUBLE HONOR TO GET THIS FROM THE CITY AND TO GET IT FROM LAURA DOMINGUEZ. AND THANK YOU. SHE WANTS TO TALK. NO, I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE COMMISSION AND SAY HOW PROUD WE ARE TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THE ARTS HERE, PARTICULARLY AT A TIME AS YOU KNOW, WHERE THE ARTS ARE BASICALLY IN JEOPARDY. AND THANK THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH FOR STEPPING UP AND PUTTING IN TO MAKE UP THE SHORTFALL THAT THE STATE, UM, ELIMINATED. I THINK, I THINK WE'RE THE ONLY CITY THAT DID THAT. I THOUGHT THAT ST. PETERSBURG WAS, UM, CONSIDERING IT. WE WERE THE ONLY ONE, PARDON? WE WERE THE ONLY ONE. WE WERE THE ONLY ONES IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF FLORIDA THAT STEPPED UP AND MADE UP THAT SHORT FALL, WHICH WAS TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT, UM, CONSIDERING WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE COUNTY RIGHT AFTERWARDS. SO IN TERMS OF MIAMI ART SCENE, SPEAKING FOR THE WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS, WE ARE VERY, VERY PROUD TO PLAY A ROLE IN HELPING TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR OUR ARTS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LOOK AT THIS ONE, PLEASE. 1, 2, 3. ALL. ALL RIGHT. WELL, CONGRATULATIONS, HARVEY MIAMI ARSENE. YOUR STORYTELLING REALLY, REALLY CELEBRATES OUR CULTURAL LIFE IN MIAMI BEACH, THE PROGRAM OF THE MIAMI BEACH ARTS TRUST. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ FOR, FOR THAT ITEM. UH, IS JANINA IN THE HOUSE? YAY. [PA 26 PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING JANINHA PIAZZETTA FOR HER DEDICATION TO CANCER AWARENESS AND PREVENTION ADVOCACY.] YEAH. LET'S CALL ITEM NUMBER 26, MR. CLERK PROCLAMATION. JAINA ZETA, DEDICATION TO CANCER AWARENESS AND PREVENTION. ALL RIGHT. I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE WHO, WHO ARE STILL JOINING US AT THIS. AT THIS HOUR. WE, WE STILL HAVE A FEW PRESENTATIONS LEFT, BUT OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. AND WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED, I HAD JANINA COME TO MY OFFICE AND JANINA CAME TO MY OFFICE WITH A MISSION. AND HER MISSION WAS TO EDUCATE EVERYONE ABOUT BREAST CANCER. SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE NOT ONLY HAD INFORMATION ABOUT, ABOUT GETTING DIAGNOSED, BUT ABOUT THE HEALING PROCESS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ABOUT THE HOPE THAT COMES AFTER YOU HEAL. 'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE AT THE END OF THE DAY. NO ONE DOES IT MORE BEAUTIFULLY WITH A BIGGER SMILE AND WITH MORE LOVE THAN GINA PTA. JANINA IS DYNAMIC AND SHE IS COMPASSIONATE. AND SHE, SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IN MIAMI BEACH WE WERE OFFERING THAT WE WERE OFFERING FREE MAMMOGRAMS FOR UNINSURED PEOPLE IN OUR CITY. AND IT WAS ALMOST REMINISCENT BECAUSE WHEN I, IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE, WHEN I WORKED AT MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, I WORKED WITH COMMISSIONER REBECCA SOSA, WHO IS [02:25:01] A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR HERSELF. AND ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT SHE LOVED TO DO WAS HELP PROVIDE FUNDING FOR FREE MAMMOGRAMS FOR UNINSURED PEOPLE. AND WHEN JANINA CAME TO MY OFFICE, IT WAS ALMOST THE MESSAGE THAT WE HAD TO CONTINUE THAT MISSION THAT WE HAD TO CONTINUE THAT LEGACY. AND BECAUSE OF GINA'S ADVOCACY, HUNDREDS OF UNINSURED WOMEN IN MIAMI BEACH HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET FREE MAMMOGRAMS IN OUR CITY TOGETHER WITH A LEAGUE AGAINST CANCER AND JANINA, THAT'S BECAUSE OF YOU. YOU'VE BROUGHT PEACE TO PEOPLE. WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE SHED TEARS WHEN NEWS ARE NOT THAT GREAT. WE SEEN YOU PROVIDE COMFORT TO PEOPLE ARE IN THEIR DARKEST MOMENTS. AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO THROUGH H THREE THROUGH HEALTH HOPE AND HEALING TRULY IS BEAUTIFUL. AND IT EXEMPLIFIES THE MOST INCREDIBLE TRAITS THAT YOU CARRY IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL HEART. SO ON BEHALF OF OUR RESIDENTS, ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE CITY COMMISSION, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND WE WANT TO DECLARE TODAY AS JANINA PTA DAY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. JANINA, THERE IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU DECLARE YOUR ESP SET'S DAY ON OCTOBER 26TH A FEW YEARS AGO. THERE YOU GO. YES. SO WHAT DO I DO NOW? NEXT WEEK, NEXT TIME YOU GET AN ENTIRE WEEK , AND THEN YOU GET A MONTH . LISTEN, UM, I WANNA REALLY THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND THE WHOLE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH FOR THIS AMAZING RECOGNITION TOWARDS MY WORK ON BREAST CANCER THROUGH H THREE HEALTH HOPE HEALING IN OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, IT MEANS TRULY MEANS A LOT TO ME AND ALSO TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF MY MISSION, OUR MISSION, H THREE'S MISSION. UM, TOGETHER WE HAVE BUILT THIS AMAZING COMMUNITY WITH COMPASSION, WITH, UM, COURAGE. AND IT'S SO EMOTIONAL WHAT YOU JUST SAID IN TERMS OF THE MAMMOGRAM BECAUSE, UM, IN AUGUST, TWO WOMEN CAME OUT OF THE TRUCK AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE INSURANCE. AND TWO OF THEM, THEY WERE FROM UKRAINIAN AND THEY HUGGED ME AND ONE WAS MUCH OLDER, AND THEY CRY AND I START TO CRY WITH THEM BECAUSE I'M JUST THE INSTRUMENT HERE. YOU KNOW, IT'S THE UNIVERSE CONDUCTING ME. AND COMMISSIONER, YOU HAVE REALLY HEARD ME SO CLEAR AND LOUD, AND I'M SO THANKFUL TO YOU FOR THAT. SO REMEMBER THAT AGE THREE IS ABOUT HEALTH, HOPE, HEALING WITH INSPIRATION, AND HOPE TOGETHER WITH SOME FUN. WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN WHY WE HELP PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU ALL. AND I WANNA CALL ALSO AMANI AERS. SHE IS ALSO BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND I WANNA CALL SUSIE CHARLOTTE FOR SO MUCH SUPPORT. AND YOU ARE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND I HAVE TO SAY, JANINA, UH, SOMEONE CLOSE TO ME, UH, HAD BREAST CANCER AND UM, AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THE PANEL EXAM, UH, THAT THE INSURANCE COVERS FOR ME. AND I HAD PUT IT OFF AND PUT IT OFF FOR YEARS. I HAD PUT IT OFF AND GINA JANINA WAS LIKE, ALEX, YOU NEED TO GO, YOU NEED TO DO IT. YOU NEED TO DO IT. AND I DID THE, THE PANEL EXAM AND IT GENETIC THE GENETIC EXAM, AND IT CAME BACK THAT I BROUGHT UP POSITIVE THAT I CARRY THE GENETIC MUTATION. AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT. IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT, BECAUSE FOR ME, AT LEAST NOW I CAN TAKE THE PREVENTATIVE STEPS. NOW I CAN EAT HEALTHIER. NOW I CAN MAKE SURE, EVEN THOUGH I'M PROBABLY NOT EATING AS HEALTHY AS I SHOULD, JUDGING BY THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT I'VE GAINED, , BUT WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THE STEPS. WHY? BECAUSE YOU ENCOURAGED ME. YOU PUT ME THE COURAGE TO GO DO IT. AND EACH ONE OF THOSE WOMEN, YOU'RE OUT THERE, YOU'RE GIVING OUT FLYERS, YOU'RE GOING TO WHERE THE UNINSURED PEOPLE ARE, AND YOU'RE GETTING THE WORD OUT TO SAVE THEIR LIVES. AND IT'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING. AND I AM SO HONORED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO YOU WITH THIS PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S MY HONOR TO RECEIVE. GO DOWN THERE. LET'S GO. THAT'S AWESOME. LET'S GO TANYA. LET'S GO. LAURA, LET'S GO, MR. MANAGER. I'LL COME. LET'S GO. LET'S GO. CHARLOTTE AND SUZY. COME ON. COME ON. SUZY, COME. SHE'S, SHE'S COMING FROM LONDON, SO SHE HAS TO BE HERE. YOU LOST SO MUCH WEIGHT. THAT'S OKAY. CLICK OVER HERE. 3, 2, 1. [02:30:01] RIGHT OVER HERE. TWO OVER HERE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU, OH, SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE BENCHMARK UNDER, YOU HAVE SOME MARK? YES. THANK YOU. SO TOMORROW WE ARE HAVING AN EVENT AT THE BETSY, THE GALLERY AT BETSY HOTEL FROM FIVE 30 TO EIGHT. SO IT'S OUR NIGHT PANEL DISCUSSION ABOUT CANCER. BUT THIS YEAR WE MOVE A LITTLE BIT FROM SCIENCE AND WE ARE GIVING INSPIRATION AND HOPE. AND ON THE PANEL WE ARE GONNA HAVE TWO, UH, YOUNG SURVIVORS. THEY WERE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER AND BONE CANCER. ONE AT AGE 25 AND ONE AT AGE 32, 20 YEARS LATER, THEY STILL A PATIENT. THEY STILL, BECAUSE ONE OF THEM HAS A META IN THE BONES AND SO IS THE OTHER, BUT THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. SO THERE IS HOPE INSPIRATION AND DR. JACOBS IS COMING, WHO WAS AWARDED BY US LAST YEAR. HE'S COMING TO GIVE US MORE HOPE TOWARDS OUR BODY AS CANCER, SOMETIMES DEFORM A LITTLE BIT. OUR BODY OR OUR HAIR, , HE'LL COME AND SAY, DON'T WORRY, I CAN RECONSTRUCT AGAIN. SO ON TOP OF EVERYTHING, TOMORROW WE ARE GONNA WELCOME THE AUDIENCE WITH BRAZILIAN MUSIC, ROSIE MAC AND RAMES, AND OF COURSE AT SEVEN O'CLOCK, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, WHO GIVE SOME PROCLAMATIONS TO CAREGIVERS, CANCER ADVOCATES, ONCOLOGISTS, NURSES. SO PLEASE, GUYS, COME AND SUPPORT US AND HAVE FUN. WE ARE GONNA HAVE, BETSY HOTEL IS AMAZING. THEY'RE GIVING US THE ROOM, THEY'RE GIVING US SOME FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS. OPEN CASH BAR. SO NO OPEN, NO CASH BAR . THERE YOU GO. BUT COME THANK YOU AND SUPPORT THIS AND SEE WHAT INSPIRATION HOPE CAN DO IN YOUR LIFE. AND IF I CAN JUST BUILD ON WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE SAID, UM, THERE'S A VERY EASY WAY TO TEST FOR THE BRCA GENE. YOU CAN GO TO TEST FOR BCA.COM. THEY LITERALLY SEND YOU A KIT TO YOUR HOUSE. YOU SPIT IN THE KIT AND YOU SEND IT BACK. THAT'S IT. YOU SPIT EVERY MORNING TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH, YOU SPIT EVERY NIGHT TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH. IT COULDN'T BE EASIER. SO TEST FOR BRC A.COM AND DON'T BE FEARFUL BECAUSE THIS CAN BE SOMETHING THAT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE, RIGHT? MM-HMM . AND COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, THANK YOU. BECAUSE YOU CAME TO MY GENETIC, I THINK IT WAS MY SEVENTH OPEN PANEL DISCUSSION AT JCC, WHICH WAS ABOUT GENETICS. AND THAT'S WHEN, AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY, ONE IN 40 ASHKENAZI JEWS EXACTLY. CARRY, CARRY THE GENETIC MUTATION. AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT, UH, FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY HERE IN IN MIAMI BEACH, UH, TO GET TESTED. AND THE GENERAL POPULATION IS ABOUT ONE IN 500, UH, PEOPLE IN THE GENERAL POPULATION CARRY THE BRCA MUTATION AND IN THE ASHKENAZI JEWISH COMMUNITIES ABOUT ONE IN 40. AND IF IT COMES BACK POSITIVE, IT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY OF TAKING CARE, A LITTLE BETTER OF YOUR, UH, BODY. BE AWARE OF NOTHING ELSE. THAT'S RIGHT. JANINA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORK. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COMMISSIONER BOND. LET'S CALL PRESENTATION PA 21 FOR LINDA JOHNSON. IS THERE A LINDA JOHNSON IN THE HOUSE CALLING LINDA JOHNSON. OKAY. THE REAL LINDA JOHNSON, PLEASE STAND UP. SHOULD WE, UM, SHOULD WE DO A DIFFERENT ONE WHILE SHE'S SURE. SURE. UM, LET'S DO, UM, 24. [PA 24 PROCLAMATION FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.] OKAY. LET'S DO PA 24. PA 24 IS PROCLAMATION DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH. SO CECILE, UM, COVERED SOME REALLY HAPPY, UM, EVENTS, OR NOT EVENTS, BUT ISSUES TODAY AND EXCITING ISSUES, BUT ALSO SOME PRETTY HEAVY ONES. AND THIS IS A LITTLE, LITTLE BIT OF A HEAVY ONE. UM, SO WE ARE PROCLAIMING TODAY OR THIS MONTH THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH. UM, WE DID THIS LAST YEAR. WE'RE DOING IT AGAIN THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT EVERY YEAR SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS HOW BIG OF AN ISSUE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS. AND THE WAY THAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT YOUR NEIGHBOR IS SUFFERING WITH FOOD INSECURITY. YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT YOUR NEIGHBOR IS SUFFERING WITH DIVE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND IT MIGHT NOT BE THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE. IT MIGHT BE THE MAN IN THE HOUSE. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE THAT CAN AND DOES WELL, NOT, DOES NOT THAT CAN IMPACT ANYONE. THE NATIONAL NETWORK TO END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTS THAT [02:35:01] ONE IN THREE WOMEN AND ONE IN FOUR MEN, AND NEARLY HALF OF ALL LGBTQ PLUS PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE NOT MAY, WILL EXPERIENCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THEIR LIFETIME. THOSE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING. A THIRD OF THE PEOPLE, A QUARTER OF THE PEOPLE, HALF OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW THAT FIT INTO THOSE GROUPS, THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM. IT, IT COULD BE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM. HIGH RATES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE NOT PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL PROBLEMS. THEY'VE PROFOUND EFFECTS ON COMMUNITIES. UM, THE, UH, IT LEADS TO HIGHER CRIME RATES, TO FAMILY DISRUPTION, LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, FAMILY DISPLACEMENT, UM, ECONOMIC STRAIN ON LOCAL ECONOMIES AND SOCIAL RESOURCES AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. I MEAN, IT'S JUST THE RIPPLE EFFECT IN THE WRONG KIND OF WAY. THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH IS COMMITTING TO SUPPORTING VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND WE RECOGNIZE THE MIAMI-DADE COUNCIL, UH, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OVERSIGHT BOARD. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR YOUR COMMITMENT IN PROVIDING SUPPORT, RAISING AWARENESS, AND ADVOCATING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS. AND IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ADVOCATES, SERVICE PROVIDERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE AND RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. CECILE FOR THE WHOLE GROUP THAT'S HERE TODAY, ALL OF YOU, SOME OF YOU, HOWEVER YOU WANNA SPLIT IT UP, WE'RE ALL EARS. ALL RIGHT. I WILL START. HI, I AM CECILE. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS A GRANTS MANAGER, BUT I ALSO CHAIR RIGHT NOW THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OVERSIGHT BOARD FROM AADE COUNTY. UH, WE HAVE LIZ HERE, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND WE INVITED OUR PARTNERS HERE ON THE BEACH, WHICH ARE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, VICTIM ADVOCATES, JUAN ABIGAIL, AND THE SUPERVISOR SARAH. UM, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE ACTUAL STATISTICS ARE RIGHT NOW, BUT IT IS A PROBLEM ON THE BEACH AS IT IS EVERYWHERE. UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE STATISTICS, DON'T DO IT NOW 'CAUSE THE ROOM IS PRETTY EMPTY BY NOW, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE ROOM THE WAY IT WAS WHEN WE STARTED THIS MEETING, IF YOU COUNT ONE WOMEN AT A THREE, ONE MAN OUT OF FOUR, THAT WOULD BE A LOT OF VICTIMS IN THIS ROOM. YEAH, RIGHT. A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND IT'S NOT JUST THAT PERSON AND IT'S A FAMILY. THAT'S RIGHT. SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT IMPACTED AND ON THE BEACH, THE VICTIM SERVICE, THEY SERVE THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHICH IS AT SOME POINT WAS UP TO ALMOST 40% OF THE CASES FROM THAT UNIT. I'M, I DON'T HAVE THE STATISTIC RIGHT NOW. UM, I'M GONNA LET LIZ, WHO'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, WHO'S HAS MORE ENERGY THAN, THAN ME FOR SURE, AND IS DOING ALL THE WORK THAT WE NEED DONE IN TERMS OF THE BOARD AND WHAT THE BOARD DOES. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I AM HONORED TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION AGAIN THIS YEAR. AND, UM, IF IT WOULDN'T BE FOR THE WORK IN OUR LEADERSHIP OF OUR BOARD, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, IT, IT'S, IT'S A 15 COMMITTED PEOPLE THAT ARE IN IT TO GET THE WORD OUT TO RAISE AWARENESS. WE HAVE, WE AS WE CLOSE OCTOBER, WHICH IS NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, WE HAVE ALL ATTENDED MANY EVENTS THAT RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND COMMISSIONER BOT THANK YOU FOR SPONSORING THIS. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE LIT MANY BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IN PURPLE AND PINK BECAUSE WE SHARE THE MONTH WITH BREAST CANCER. BUT I WANNA SAY IT, IT DOES NOT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE. IT DOES TAKE A VILLAGE, LIKE IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO BUILD A PARK, UM, TO ERADICATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO. WE ARE A COUNTY BOARD, BUT WE ARE YOUR BOARD. WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU ON HOW WE CAN RAISE AWARENESS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE IT'S HAPPENING AND HOW IT'S HAPPENING. SO PLEASE USE US FOR THAT PURPOSE. AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT, UM, EXTERNAL FORCES LIKE LOSING YOUR JOB OR LOSING YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE OR ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE PUSHING, PUTTING PRESSURE ON RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS AND FOLKS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE STATE AND AROUND THE CITY ARE ONLY EXACERBATING THE SITUATION. SO ABSOLUTELY, I WOULD URGE US ALL TO KEEP OUR EYES AND EARS OPEN AND TO USE YOU AS YOUR, AS A RESOURCE. AND FOR THE FOLKS AT THE FANTASTIC MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, I, IT HAS TO BE REALLY BRUTAL WORK. AND I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE TAKING CARE OF YOURSELVES AS WELL, BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU, YOU CAN'T CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND THE POPULATIONS THAT YOU SERVE. SO YOU'RE PART OF THE VILLAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. SO , ABSOLUTELY. AND AND I REALLY WANNA RECOGNIZE [02:40:01] THE SUPPORT OF THE CHIEF AND THE ENTIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY HERE ON MIAMI BEACH, THE VICTIM ADVOCATES. I SEE THEM AT EVERY MEETING THAT WE GO TO, SO I APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP VERY MUCH. COMMISSIONER WILSON GONZALEZ, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. AND BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND CAN'T GET OUT OF THEM, AND MANY TIMES THERE'S YOUNG CHILDREN INVOLVED WHO HAVE TO WITNESS THIS ABUSE IS SO HORRIFIC SO MANY TIMES. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND THEY NEED ALL THE HELP THAT CAN, THAT, THAT THEY, THAT THEY CAN GET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BOT FOR SPONSORING THIS ITEM. SOMETHING THAT I LEARNED EARLIER IN MY PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER WORKING AT AT THE COUNTY IS THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS ISN'T, DON'T ALWAYS FOLLOW THE STEREOTYPES PEOPLE THINK OF, OF AN ABUSIVE HUSBAND AND A WIFE THAT'S A VICTIM. AND YOU KNOW THAT A LOT OF TIMES IS THE STEREOTYPE. IT COMES IN DIFFERENT FORMS TOO. A LOT OF TIMES IT'S MEN WHO ARE THE VICTIMS OF, OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. A LOT OF TIMES IT HAPPENS IN L-G-B-T-Q RELATIONSHIPS, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO ARE THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, A LOT OF TIMES IS PARENTS THAT END UP BEING THE VICTIMS OF, OF, OF DOMESTIC, UH, VIOLENCE OR EVEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST DOMESTIC WORKERS, UH, AT, AT, AT HOME. THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT WE HAVE TO BE AWARE ABOUT AND IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY THINK BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE ARE BETTER WITH THE STEREOTYPE OF WHAT A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS. IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE SOMETIMES THINK OF. SO FOR YOUR WORK, THANK YOU. WE'RE SO GRATEFUL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. ALL RIGHT, SO LET US COME AND TAKE A PICTURE. THANK YOU. LET'S TAKE A PICTURE, DO SOMETHING ELSE TO ME. NO'S ALL, ANYTHING. THIS A BUNCH OF FUNNY FINGERS HERE. 1, 2, 3. THANK YOU. THIS TAKE YOU SO GOOD TO SEE. UM, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, LET'S DO [PA 17 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR JOLIE BOGORAD.] PA 17, A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR JOLIE. ALRIGHT, WE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST. YES, WE DID. ED. UH, FIRST I WANNA THANK, UM, PARKVIEW ISLAND PRESIDENT OMAR JIMENEZ FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND I AM GOING TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SPECIAL LADY THAT'S HERE WITH US TODAY. UH, JOLIE BOGAR ROD. SO SHE'S LIVED IN MIAMI BEACH FOR MANY YEARS AND SHE'S BEEN A FOSTER PARENT FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES, CARING FOR OVER 170 CHILDREN DURING THAT TIME. MOST OF THE CHILDREN WHO HAVE COME THROUGH HER HOME HAVE BEEN TEENAGE BOYS, BUT SHE'S ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF FOSTERING KIDS OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS. AFTER HER HUSBAND PASSED AWAY OVER MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, SHE CHOSE TO CONTINUE FOSTERING AND IT ALWAYS FELT IMPORTANT TO OFFER A SAFE AND CARING HOME TO CHILDREN WHO NEED ONE. SHE ALSO HAS FOUR BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN AND THREE ADOPTED CHILDREN. AND TOGETHER SHE HAS BUILT A FAMILY AND IT EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THE HOUSEHOLD. MANY OF HER FORMER FOSTER CHILDREN, UH, STILL STAY IN TOUCH AND IT'S MADE HER VERY, VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE LIVES THAT THEY'VE BUILT FOR THEMSELVES. OVER THE YEARS FOSTERING HAS GIVEN JOLIE SO MUCH AND, UH, SHE'S REALLY LEARNED PATIENCE, GRATITUDE, AND THE REMINDER THAT LOVE AND STABILITY CAN CHANGE A LIFE. SO JOLIE, WE GIVE YOU A SPECIAL RECOGNITION [02:45:01] TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR THE ALMOST 200 KIDS THAT YOU'VE FOSTERED THROUGH YOUR HOMES HOME HERE IN MIAMI BEACH. THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. AND ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS AS MUCH AS I'VE GIVEN THEM AND TAUGHT THEM, THEY'VE ALSO GIVEN AND TAUGHT ME AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. AMAZING. THANK RIGHT OVER HERE. ONE, TWO, CAN WE TAKE, OKAY, 1, 2, 3. AMAZING. CONGRATULATIONS, JOLIE, AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK. AND WITH THAT, I THINK, UH, MR. CLERK, HAVE WE COMPLETED TODAY'S AGENDA? YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. SO ONE, BUT SHE SEEMS TO HAVE LEFT. SO WE WILL, WE WILL DEFER, WE WILL DEFER THAT ITEM. IT WAS ITEM PA 21. TOGETHER WITH ITEM PA 27 WILL BE DEFERRED TO A FUTURE MEETING. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S PARTICIPATED IN TODAY'S MEETING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WAS RECOGNIZED. CONGRATULATIONS. TIME. THANK YOU. AND TO MY COLLEAGUES. WE CAN ADJOURN TONIGHT'S MEETING. THANK YOU. SHE NEEDS THE, THE WEBSITE. * 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.