* 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. TWO, [00:00:01] ONE. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL FRIDAY IN MIAMI BEACH. WEATHER'S PERFECT. WE LIVE IN PARADISE. WE'RE HERE TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP IT THAT WAY AND MAKE IT EVEN BETTER. UH, A LOT GOING ON, UH, FINANCIALLY, FISCALLY, ESPECIALLY AT THE STATE LEVEL. WE'LL SEE HOW THAT IMPACTS US. UM, BUT REALLY EXCITED TO KICK THIS OFF HERE WITH OUR NEW FINANCE COMMITTEE. UM, I'M HONORED TO BE JOINED BY, UH, TWO NEW COLLEAGUES UP HERE ON THE, UH, FERC COMMITTEE. ONE, UH, COMMISSIONER LAURA DOMINGUEZ. AND ALSO, UH, WE HAVE AS A, UH, ALTERNATE, UH, COMMISSIONER MONICA MATEO SALINAS, HONORED TO BE SERVING WITH BOTH OF YOU, UH, NOT JUST ON THE FERC COMMITTEE, BUT SERVING OUR CITY AS A WHOLE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, TO A GREAT, UH, YEAR, TWO YEARS. UM, KICK IT OVER TO YOU, MR. UH, CFO, MR. ATTORNEY. I'LL LET YOU DO THE ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF AND WE'LL GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. TODAY'S MEETING OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN SCHEDULED IN A HYBRID FORMAT WITH A QUORUM OF THE COMMITTEE PHYSICALLY PRESENT AND REMAINING MEMBERS, STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC APPEARING EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S MEETING, VIRTUALLY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY DIAL 1-888-475-FOUR 4 9 9, AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH IS 8 6 3 6 0 5 9 5 4 6 2 POUND, OR LOG INTO THE ZOOM APP AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH AGAIN IS 8 6 3 6 0 5 9 5 4 6 2. ANY INDIVIDUAL WISHING TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM MUST QUICKLY RAISE HAND ICON IF USING THE ZOOM APP OR DIAL STAR NINE IF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING BY PHONE. UH, THANK YOU. AND JUST A COUPLE OF VERY QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS. UH, ITEM MB 10 WILL BE DEFERRED TO THE MARCH, UH, FERC MEETING. AND WE HAVE TWO TIMES CERTAINS UP. FIRST WILL BE MB FIVE AT 10 30, AND THEN MB SIX AT 10 35. AND IF CHAIR, IF I [NB 5. DISCUSS REFUNDING SERIES 2015 RESORT TAX REVENUE BONDS] COULD READ IN MB FIVE, OF COURSE. OKAY. SO MB FIVE IS DISCUSS REFUNDING SERIES 2015 RESORT TAX REVENUE BONDS. MB FIVE, UH, MB FIVE IS, IS, UH, MY ITEM. UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR. WE'VE IDENTIFIED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REFUNDING. SO WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING IS TO SEND THIS BACK TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO PROCEED WITH THE REFUNDING OF THE SERIES 2015 RESORT TAX REVENUE BONDS. UH, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY $156 MILLION OUTSTANDING AS OF THE END OF THE PRIOR, UH, FISCAL YEAR. AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED SAVINGS THAT WE BELIEVE WOULD HAVE A NET PRESENT VALUE SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY $13.3 MILLION, OR AROUND EIGHT AND A HALF PERCENT OF THE REFUNDED BONDS. AND THE TOTAL GROSS SAVINGS OVER 20 YEARS WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $18.6 MILLION. UH, AND THIS, WHEN WE DO DO THE REFUNDING, UH, WE WOULD, IT WOULD NOT BE EXTENDING THE DEBT. IT WOULD BE OVER THE SAME TERM. SO IT'S A PRETTY SHORT ITEM. BUT IF, IF THE, UH, THE COMMITTEE IS, IS OKAY, I'D LIKE TO SEND IT BACK TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION. DON'T WE NEED TO WAIT TILL 10 30 TO HEAR? IT IS 10. OH, I'M SORRY. MEANT I SAID 10 OI SAID 10 30. IT MEANT 10 O'CLOCK. I WAS THINKING THE OLD DATES. I APOLOGIZE. , THANK YOU. THAT WAS TIME CERTAIN OF 10 O'CLOCK AND 10 0 5. SORRY ABOUT THAT. OH, OKAY. I WAS WORKING ON THE, THE OLD FERC TIMES. THAT'S WHY I SAID 10 30. OKAY. SO IT'S FINE. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE IT LISTED AS IT 10, 30 TIMES, I, I SAID 10 30, BUT IT'S 10, 10 O'CLOCK AND 10 0 5 FOR THE TWO TIMES CERTAINS. I APOLOGIZE. I MISSPOKE. OKAY, RICK, THAT'S FINE, BECAUSE I HAVE IT ON MY, UH, IN WRITING LIST IN WRITING. IT'S 10 30 . IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA ITSELF. IT WAS JUST SOME NOTES I GAVE THE CHAIR. OKAY. I THINK WE'RE GOOD. WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT, UH, ACCOUNT FOR, FOR ANNUAL SAVINGS? UH, DO WE, I'LL ACTUALLY ASK, UH, UH, SERGIO, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, UH, FOR WHAT THE, THE ANNUAL ESTIMATE IS 500 TO, I THINK IT'S AROUND 1,000,700 50,000 SOMETHING. YEAH. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. SERGIO, MASS. PFM FINANCIAL ADVISORS. IT'S ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN ANNUAL SAVINGS. OKAY. AND AND THAT IS OUT OF OUR RESORT TAXES? THAT, UH, CORRECT. CORRECT. OKAY. WELL, UH, CERTAINLY AS WE'RE FACING SOME GAPS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR TRANSPORTATION, UH, WITH THE NEUTRAL TROLLEY, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S CERTAINLY WELCOME NEWS. OKAY. SO IF WE CAN, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO SEND IT BACK TO COMMISSIONER WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION. YEP. I'LL, I'LL, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION AS CHAIR. I DON'T THINK YOU CAN. I'LL SECOND. OKAY. AS CHAIR, I'LL MOVE BACK. OKAY. WE'LL SHOW . COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, UH, MADE THE MOTION AND SECONDED BY, UH, THE CHAIR. PERFECT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ITEM PASSES. AND IF WE CAN, WE'LL MOVE ON TO MB SIX, WHICH IS 10 0 5. LET'S, UH, OKAY. LET'S KICK THAT FOR A FEW MINUTES. SURE. RIGHT. HOW ABOUT, UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE YESTERDAY WHERE BOTH MY COLLEAGUES WERE, UH, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, DO [NB 14. DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION ON THE FUNDING AND CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR LIGHTED PICKLEBALL COURTS AT BAYSHORE PARK.] YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, I BELIEVE THE ITEM IS MB 14. UM, DISCUSS, TAKE ACTION ON THE FUNDING AND CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR LIGHT PICKLEBALL COURTS AT BAY SHORE. SURE. ABSOLUTELY. SO, OH, SORRY. CAN I READ THE [00:05:01] ITEM IN FOR THE RECORD? UH, MB 14, DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION ON FUNDING AND CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR LIGHT PICKLEBALL COURTS AT BAY SHORE PARK MB 14. SO THIS CAME UP YESTERDAY, UH, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE. I KNOW THAT THIS PROJECT IS OVER 800,000 AND, UM, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS LOCATED AN AREA WHERE THE LIGHTS AND THE SOUND WOULD NOT AFFECT, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS. BUT I KNOW WE HAVE OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT TAKE PRIORITY. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE ENTERED INTO THE FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PROGRAM SO THAT IT'S ON THE LIST FOR REVIEW, NOT NECESSARILY A PRIORITY. YEAH. EXCELLENT. JOHN. AND, AND ALSO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT CAME UP YESTERDAY, IT WAS IN AND OUT ON THE MEETING, IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO IT IN STAGES? WHERE COULD WE GET PICKLEBALL COURTS, UH, SORT OF RIGHT AWAY AND THEN HAVE THE LIGHTS, WHICH I WOULD ASSUME IS A BULK OF THE $800,000, UH, KIND OF AS A MORE ASPIRATIONAL FIVE YEAR PROJECT? WE COULD ABSOLUTELY PHASE A PROJECT LIKE THIS. HOW MUCH WOULD FOUR PICKLEBALL COURTS COST? UH, LESS THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND. MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND. UM, I, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO COMMIT TO THE PRICE. I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T ITEMIZE IT OUT FOR, FOR TODAY. UM, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY GET BACK WITH YOU. BUT MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND YOU COULD CONSIDER FENCING THE ASPHALT, THE SURFACING, THE BENCHES. I, I KNOW TYPICAL PADDLE COURT, WHICH IS A BIT MORE ELABORATE, UH, YOU KNOW, COST OF ABOUT $40,000 MM-HMM . SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. SURE. OKAY. THAT WORK FOR YOU, COMMISSIONER? YEAH. SO WE MOVE IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION. YEP. I'LL MOVE IT. THANK YOU FOR CLARITY, BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY, WE'VE ALREADY MOVED THE FULL PROJECT INTO THE FIVE YEAR CIP AM I LOOKING AT DOING A PHASED FIVE YEAR CIP OR JUST KEEP IT WHERE IT'S FOR NOW, WE ADDRESS IT LATER? FINANCIALLY, I, I'D LOVE TO SEE PICKLEBALL COURTS BE BROUGHT THERE AND PEOPLE CAN START PLAYING RIGHT AWAY. 'CAUSE I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, THE FULL $800,000 IS GOING TO BE A MULTI-YEAR MORE ASPIRATIONAL. UM, BUT IF WE CAN GET SOME LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT HAS A LOT OF BANG FOR ITS BUCK. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SO AS AMENDED SPLIT FUNDING, SO IF, IF I CAN TO ASSIST. SO THE MOTION IS, UH, THIS COULD BASICALLY CREATE TWO PROJECTS. ONE IS FOR THE PICKLEBALL COURTS TO BE IN YEAR ONE OF THE CIP, AND YEAR FIVE WOULD BE THE LIGHTING ENHANCEMENTS. UH, THIS WOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN THE, UH, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE. SO I WOULD SUSPECT SO THERE'S NOT DUELING RESOLUTIONS. IT WOULD PROBABLY GO BACK AS AN R SEVEN, UH, OR AN R NINE DISCUSSION. TAKE ACTION. 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT, UM, TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS FROM TWO DIFFERENT COMMITTEES. SO, UH, WE CAN DO THAT IF WE WANNA MAKE THAT MOTION, UH, TO RETURN TO THE COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO CREATE A NEW CIP PROJECT IN YEAR ONE FOR THE PICKLEBALL COURTS. AND IN YEAR FIVE, UH, FOR THE LIGHTING ENHANCEMENTS. AND THEN WE CAN, I THINK, TAKE IT AS A DISCUSSION, TAKE ACTION FOR THE COMMISSION TO MAKE FUNNEL, UH, SINCE YOU HAVE DIFFERENT, UH, COMMITTEES MAKING DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS. SO IF THAT'S THE MOTION, UH, WHO'S MAKING THAT, I'LL MAKE IT. OKAY. WE HAVE COMMISSIONER DOGA IS MAKING THAT MOTION. I'LL SECOND, BUT, UH, COMMISSIONER MATEO SALINAS, I JUST WANNA ASK A QUESTION, JOHN. IS THIS, TO CLARIFY, IS THIS TO BUILD NEW PICKLEBALL COURTS? OR IS THIS TO HAVE DUAL USE FOR TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL? NEW PICKLEBALL BOARDS. OKAY. EXCELLENT. AND THIS IS, UH, PLANNED WITH, UH, BEING RESPECTFUL TO THE NEIGHBORS FOR SOUND. YEAH, WE'RE LOOKING TO PUT IT, UM, ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PARK, WHICH IS FURTHEST AWAY FROM THE RESIDENCE. OKAY. EXCELLENT. OKAY. SO ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OKAY. WE'LL SHOW UP PAST THREE. NOTHING. THANK, AND I, I WANTED TO WAIT [NB 6. A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE TO REFER THE MIAMI BEACH COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL POLICIES TO THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW AND ANALYSIS.] FOR COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, JASON BEFORE WE HEARD YOU'RE, UH, TIME CERTAIN ON MB SIX, THE FINANCIAL POLICY. SO WHY DON'T WE, UH, GO AHEAD AND DO THAT NOW. MB SIX, UH, RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION, UH, THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE TO REFER THE MIAMI BEACH COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL POLICIES TO THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW AND ANALYSIS. MB SIX. SO MB SIX IS AN ITEM THAT I WORKED ON WITH THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT BUDGET. AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HEARD THE ORIGINAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL POLICIES MANY MONTHS AGO. UH, WHAT WE'RE RETURNING HERE IS WITH THE RECOMMENDED ADJUSTMENTS, UH, RECOMMENDED BY THE BAC. UH, SO I DID WORK WITH OUR OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT BUDGET DIRECTOR. WE DID PRESENT, UH, THE POLICIES. THEY WERE VERY, I THINK, VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, THE POLICIES. AND THEY HAD A FEW RECOMMENDED, UH, ADJUSTMENTS. AND I'M GONNA WALK, WALK US KIND OF THROUGH, THROUGH THOSE, UH, MAYBE JUST, UH, SINCE IT'S BEEN A WHILE, WE HAVE NUCOR UP HERE. MAYBE JUST TAKE US, UH, 30,000 FEET HIGH LEVEL SURE. WHAT SOME OF THE, UH, INITIATIVES HERE WERE, AND THEN YOU COULD TALK ABOUT WHERE SOME OF THE ADJUSTMENTS WERE. SURE. SO HOW THIS KIND OF STARTED WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, I STARTED ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. AND IN MY TIME AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, YOU KNOW, I KINDA GOT MY ATTENTION THAT WITH THE CITY HAS A NUMBER OF FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT GO BACK, UH, TO THE 1990S. UM, [00:10:01] STARTING BACK IN 94 WAS THE OLDEST RESOLUTION WE HAD RELATED TO CONFORMING THE ACTUAL BUDGET EXPENDITURES TO THE ADOPTED BUDGET. AND THERE WAS NO ONE CENTRAL REPOSITORY FOR ALL OF THESE FINANCIAL POLICIES. SO MY INTEREST WAS TO CONSOLIDATE ALL OF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES INTO THE ONE WORKING DOCUMENT, UH, SO THAT NOTHING WOULD GET LOST IN TRANSLATION. NOTHING WOULD GET LOST AND BE LIKE, OH, I, I FORGOT THERE WAS A RESOLUTION. SAID I HAD TO TAKE CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF MONEY AND PUT IT HERE. I WANTED IT IN ONE PLACE FOR THE EASE OF EVERYBODY. SO WHAT WE STARTED WAS REALLY JUST CONSOLIDATING, UH, 15 DIFFERENT FINANCIAL POLICY RESOLUTIONS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS THAT THE CITY HAS PASSED, WHICH IS WHAT IS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL POLICIES. THIS IS EVERYTHING FROM THE 25% GENERAL FUND RESERVES POLICY, THE RESORT TAX AT 60%, THE ABILITY TO, HOW DO YOU UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS? UH, THE USE OF LUMP SUM DOLLARS, THAT'S WHERE WE GOT THE 20%, UH, GOING FOR CERTAIN TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. UH, IT CREATED THE, UH, CAPITAL NOR REPLACEMENT FUND, THE CAPITAL PAYGO FUND. UH, LAST YEAR WE STARTED THE STREETS AND SIDEWALK FUND, WHICH I'M GONNA GET TO, UH, WE INCORPORATED THE WAIVER OF SPECIAL EVENT FEES. AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. 'CAUSE THERE WAS A, A SLIGHT TWEAKER OR SOME CLARIFICATION I'D LIKE TO GET FROM THE COMMITTEE ON THAT. UM, AND IT'S JUST KIND OF LABELS IN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT POLICY. WE HAVE DEBT MANAGEMENT POLICY, OUR WATER AND SEWER POLICY DISCLOSURES, REFUNDING AND DFES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THE, THE IMPORTANT ONES I WOULD SAY THAT CAME BACK IS, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE POLICIES WAS THAT THE CITY COMMISSION HAS A POLICY OF FUNDING, 5% OF ITS GENERAL FUND, UH, FOR THE USE OF CAPITAL PROJECTS. AND THE CITY HAS HAD TO WAIVE THAT FOR QUITE A WHILE, HASN'T MET THAT GOAL. BUT IT HAS, UH, GOTTEN BETTER OVER THE YEARS. AND I THINK WE WERE CLOSE TO 3.5% THIS PAST YEAR. AND THIS IS KIND OF GONNA GET A LITTLE BIT TO THE SPIRIT OF SOME OF THE INTEREST OF THE BAC. SO THE FIRST, UH, MODIFICATION, UH, IT WOULD BE ON PAGE ONE 90, UH, OF THE, THE, THE BOOK IS ITEM NUMBER SIX. IT'S ALLOCATION OF PRELIMINARY GENERAL FUND SURPLUS DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. THE GENERAL IDEA IS THAT COME JUNE 1ST WHEN WE HAVE OUR, UH, PRELIMINARY, UH, TAX NUMBERS COME IN, WE HAVE, WE CALL A PRELIMINARY SURPLUS OR DEFICIT AFTER WE HAVE OUR CURRENT SERVICE LEVEL. AND LET'S JUST GO THROUGH THE TOP LEVEL. WE GO THROUGH THAT EXERCISE AND WE SAY, OKAY, AFTER MEETING OUR CURRENT SERVICE LEVEL, THERE'S A $1 MILLION SURPLUS. AND THE CITY COMMISSION COULD DO MULTIPLE THINGS. YOU COULD LOWER TAXES, YOU COULD APPROVE BUDGET ENHANCEMENTS TO EXPEND THOSE DOLLARS. YOU COULD SEND IT OVER TO, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS TO EXPEND TOWARDS ONE-TIME CAPITAL PROJECTS. YOU COULD PUT IT ASIDE FOR THE CITY'S RESERVES. AND WHAT THE BAC HAS RECOMMENDED IS IN ANY YEAR IN WHICH NOW THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST DIRECTION ON THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO PREPARE A PRELIMINARY BUDGET, UH, IN JUNE AND JULY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE COMMISSION WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO WHAT IT, WHAT IT WANTS TO. BUT THIS IS JUST KIND OF THE GUIDANCE ON HOW WE PREPARE OUR PRELIMINARY BUDGET. SO THE FIRST IS THAT 50% OF THAT PUBLIC, THAT SURPLUS WOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS UNLESS THE CITY HAS ALREADY MET ITS 5% GOAL OF SET OF FUNDING CAPITAL PROJECTS. SO IF WE ALREADY MET THAT GOAL, YOU SAID 5% ON AN ANNUAL BASIS? YES. OR KIND OF A, UH, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. SO 5% OF OUR GENERAL FUND BEING SET ASIDE, AND THAT'S A SLIDE THAT OMB ALWAYS SHOWS IN AT THE, THE MAY BUDGET RETREAT AND THE BUDGET WORKSHOP SAYING, THIS IS OUR HISTORY, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE. IT'S NOT A CUMULATIVE THING. THAT'S EACH YEAR. NO, IF 5%, RIGHT. 5% PER YEAR. SO IF WE'VE MET THE 5% GOAL, THIS FIRST ONE WOULD BECOME A MOOT POINT, WOULD NOT BE RELEVANT. BUT IF WE WE'RE NOT, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT 50% WOULD BE DEDICATED TO CAPITAL PROJECTS. THE NEXT IS STRENGTHENING RESERVES. THAT 25% OF THAT SURPLUS WOULD BE SET ASIDE IF THE CITY HASN'T MET ITS RESERVE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE. SO LET'S JUST PLAY THIS OUT. THERE'S A ONE, HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? A SURPLUS? NO. THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO GIVE TO THIS E EVERY, EVERY YEAR. IN, IN GENERAL, HOW THE CITY USUALLY GETS, UH, UP TO ITS 25% GOAL IS IN NOVEMBER, WHEN WE'RE CLOSING OUT THE PRIOR YEAR, THE FIRST THING WE DO IS WE TOP OFF OUR RESERVES. OKAY. WHAT WE STARTED ABOUT TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, WHEN WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD SURPLUS, IS THE CITY DEDICATED, UH, THINK ABOUT $3 MILLION ISH, UH, TO BE DEDICATED TO SET ASIDE, TO BE ADDED TO RESERVES. EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE A $10 MILLION IN SURPLUS AND WE EXPEND IT. WE HAVE $10 MILLION IN, IN THINGS THAT WE BOUGHT. WE, WE DECIDE TO INCREASE THE BUDGET. WELL, TECHNICALLY YOU SHOULD PUT AN ADDITIONAL TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ASIDE FOR GENERAL FUND RESERVES, RIGHT? $10 MILLION, 25%. SO WE WOULD NOT BUDGET THAT TWO POINT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. THE CITY HAS STARTED TO FUND $3 MILLION TOWARDS THAT PURPOSE. BUT IN ANY YEAR IN WHICH, LET'S SAY IT WAS $12 MILLION OR $14 MILLION, AND WE NEEDED TO PUT ASIDE $4 MILLION RESERVES, I ONLY BUDGETED 3 MILLION. I'M SHORT A MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS FINE, WE WOULD PICK IT UP IN THE NOVEMBER CLOSEOUT. BUT THIS WOULD DO IS PRE-FUNDING IT AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. UH, [00:15:01] AGAIN, THIS WOULD ONLY BE AS IF THAT BUDGET DIDN'T, UH, SET ASIDE ADDITIONAL RESERVES REQUIRED. SO IN THAT SCENARIO OF A MILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS, WE WOULD SEND HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OVER TO THE CAPITAL PROGRAM, TWO 50 FOR OUR RESERVES, AND THEN TWO 50 FOR LET'S SAY, ENHANCEMENTS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT WOULD JUST BE THE CITY ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION. 'CAUSE WE'D BE FOLLOWING THIS POLICY. AND THEN THE COMMISSION WOULD DISCUSS AND DEBATE THAT DURING THE JULY BUDGET WORKSHOP. BUT THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION OF THE BS BAC AS IT CAME TO, IF YOU HAVE A SURPLUS, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT? UM, SO THAT WAS THAT ONE. THE NEXT ONE I JUST WANT TO GET A TWEAK ON, AND THIS IS IN A DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH HIM. IT'S A BIT JUST CLARIFYING A DATE IN WHICH THIS POLICY WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED. AND ON FEB, ON JUNE 25TH, 2025, THE COMMISSION PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT, UM, LIMITED THE WAIVER OF SPECIAL EVENT FEES FOR THREE YEARS FOR AN EVENT IF THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF THE JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER WINDOW. UH, AND THERE WAS THIS DISCUSSION, THE BAC, ABOUT WHEN THAT WOULD START, YOU KNOW, ABOUT COMMUNICATION. THERE WAS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT COMMUNICATION WITH THOSE ENTITIES AND EVERYTHING. SO WE JUST WANTED TO GET CLARIFICATION. WHAT'S WRITTEN HERE IS THE APPROVAL OF THIS POLICY. TECHNICALLY IT'S ALREADY IN EFFECT AS OF JUNE 25TH. I WOULD BE VERY COMFORTABLE JUST AMENDING THIS TO JUST SAY THAT THIS, THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THIS POLICY BE EFFECTIVE AS OF JUNE 25TH, 2025, TO HAVE THE DATE SPECIFIC ON IT. SO IF THE COMMITTEE'S ACCEPTING OF THAT, WE COULD JUST AMEND THAT TO PUT THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTIONS EFFECTIVE DATE IN THERE FOR THAT, THAT THREE MONTH WAIVER. UH, THE NEXT ONE, THERE'S TWO MORE. THE LAST ONE IS THE BIG ONE, WHICH I HAVE TWO SLIDES FOR AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT. BUT THE NEXT ONE IS DECREASE IN GEO BOND MILLAGE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALSO DONE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN A YEAR, IN WHICH, UH, THE GEO BOND DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE GOES DOWN. AND THE REASON IS WE HAVE GENERALLY FLAT GEO BOND, UH, UH, DEBT SERVICE. SO IN A YEAR IN WHICH, UH, OUR PROPERTY VALUES GO UP, I GET TO DECREASE. I COULD DECREASE THE GEO BOND MILLAGE TO PAY THAT SAME NUMBER AMOUNT OF DEBT. I HAVE MORE PROPERTY VALUE TO PAY THE SAME AMOUNT OF DEBT. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS THAT, AND IT'S USUALLY VERY SMALL, YOU KNOW, 0.002 MILLS, WE WOULD TAKE FROM THE GEO BOND DEBT SERVICE AND PUT OVER TO OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS. AND THE, UH, THAT IS WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE OVER THE PAST, UH, TWO YEARS, UH, WHICH HAS ENABLED US TO GET CLOSER TO THAT 5% GOAL OF, OF FUNDING CAPITAL EXPENDITURES FOR OUR, UH, OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET. AND THE BEC WAS INTERESTED IN MAKING THAT A FORMAL, IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING, BUT LIKE TO MAKE IT A FORMAL POLICY, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT WE WOULD HAVE IT IN OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES. AGAIN, THE COMMISSION WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO WHAT IT FEELS, UH, PRUDENT IN EVERY, ANY FISCAL YEAR. SO THERE'S THAT ONE. THE LAST ONE I LIKE TO BRING UP, UH, I HAD TWO SLIDES TO, TO ARTICULATE THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WHEN DID YOU SUBMIT THOSE? HOW MANY HOURS OF THE EVENTS? UM, I SUBMITTED THOSE A COUPLE DAYS AGO. I THINK. MAYBE IT WAS A WEEK AGO. I THINK IT WAS A WEEK AGO. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UM, SO I, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO, UM, THE FIRST TIME I MET THE CHAIR, AND THAT WAS AS A COUPLE OF PARENTS, UH, AT SOUTH POINT ELEMENTARY DURING THE ENHANCEMENT SHOWCASE. AND I APPROACHED HIM AS THE CITY'S PRETTY MUCH NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. AND HE WAS JUST RUNNING FOR OFFICE. AND WE GOT TO TALK. AND FIRST, AFTER WE GOT THERE, WE'RE BOTH FROM PHILADELPHIA OUT OF THE WAY. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT WAS THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF GOVERNMENT, AND THAT'S STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. YOU'RE MAKING US SOUND SO COOL, JASON. THANK YOU. IT, IT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, KEEPING US SAFE WITH FIRE AND POLICE, THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS MAKING SURE WE DON'T HAVE POTHOLES. AND AGAIN, THAT'S A PHILADELPHIA JOKE WE CAN MAKE ABOUT POTHOLES, UH, YOU KNOW, POTHOLES IN OUR STREET AND OUR SIDEWALKS ARE SAFE AND NOT CRACKED. AS SOMEONE WHO'S BOTH HAD TO TAKE A STROLLER DOWN THE STREET WITH OUR CHILD. UH, WE KNOW THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE TRAVAILS OF TRYING TO NAVIGATE BROKEN SIDEWALKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THE CITY HAS A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND, WHICH WE HAVE A PILE OF MONEY FOR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS TO RESURFACE THINGS AS WE NEED THEM TO BE. UH, WHICH WE, AND IF I CAN, WHICH WE BOTH AGREE IS AN AWFUL FINANCIAL POLICY TO ESSENTIALLY BE BORROWING FOR THE FUTURE FOR WHAT SHOULD BE YOUR BREAD AND BUTTER CORE ANNUAL, UH, MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP. E EXACTLY THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU AND I HAD THAT FIRST DAY AT SOUTH POINT. UM, AND I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU. AT THE JUNE COMMISSION MEETING WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE CAPITAL AND REPLACEMENT PROGRAM, UH, WE WERE, THE ADMINISTRATION WAS VERY MUCH CHALLENGED BY THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME. VERY CONCERNED THAT WE WERE NOT FUNDING ENOUGH TO CAPITAL AND REPLACEMENT, FORGETTING EVEN THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, JUST THE, THE PLAYGROUNDS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED. WHEN, WHEN, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, REBAR IS SAYING IT'S TIME TO FIX THE ONE AT LOOMIS OR THE ONE AT POLO PARK OR WHATNOT, HAVING THOSE DOLLARS, THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH DOLLARS TO GO AROUND. AND WE WERE CHALLENGED TO SAY, WE FIND A WAY TO DEDICATE DOLLARS WITHOUT INCREASING TAXES TO DO THAT. AND I CAME UP WITH AN IDEA, UH, I DISCUSSED [00:20:01] THIS WITH THE CITY MANAGER, DISCUSSED IT WITH OOMB. AND THEN WHEN THIS WAS REFERRED TO BAC, I MET ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE CHAIR. I MET WITH BAC, WHICH, YOU KNOW, HAS, UH, AN EX, UH, UH, CPA EX COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER, DY WHO WAS ON THAT. AND THEY WERE, I BELIEVE, VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS CONCEPT. SO HERE'S THE GENERAL CONCEPT, AND THE SLIDES THAT WE HAVE UP HERE IS, HERE'S MY THOUGHT IS THE CITY CENTER, RDA, IS KIND OF ON A LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM. PER OUR AGREEMENTS WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, WE AREN'T ABLE TO REALLY GROW ANY EXPENDITURES. AND IT'S MEANT TO BUILD UP A SURPLUS THAT PAID THAT DEBT OFF EARLY. RIGHT NOW IT IS, UH, PER THE DEBT, IT WOULD BE PAID OFF IN 2044. THE RDA WOULD COLLAPSE AND THE TAXES WOULD GO BACK TO THE GOVERNMENTS THAT WHICH THEY WERE DEDICATED IN. THE COUNTY WOULD GET THEIR PIECE OF THE MILLAGE. WE WOULD GET BACK OUR, OUR DOLLARS, WE WOULD GET BOTH THE EXPENDITURES FROM THE RDA AND THE REVENUES. BUT BECAUSE WE'RE GENERATING SUCH A SURPLUS, WE ARE PROJECTING THAT SOMEWHERE AROUND 2035 COULD BE A LITTLE BIT LATER BASED ON WHAT THE MILLAGE IS. BUT ON THE EXISTING MILLAGES, WE PROJECT THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY BE IN A POSITION AROUND 2035 TO PAY OFF ALL OF THE RDA DEBT EARLY AND THE RDA THEFTS COLLAPSE AND ALL THE DOLLARS CAN GO BACK. WOULD WE WANT THAT, UH, WOULD WE WANT TO CLOSE OUT THE RDA EARLY? WELL, WHAT WE LEGALLY, WE HAVE TO, WE ALL HAVE MANY DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS, UH, TO THAT RDA THAT ARE PRETTY STRICT WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. AND WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION OTHER THAN GOING BACK AND RENEGOTIATING THAT WITH THE COUNTY. BUT IN TERMS OF CLOSING IT OUT EARLY, IS WHAT I'M SAYING? YES. THE, THE, THE LATEST AMENDMENT, UH, I THINK REQUIRES US TO CLOSE IT OUT BY 2037 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, THAT'S CORRECT, YES. OKAY. AND WE ARE, WE'RE PROJECTING FINANCIALLY AROUND 2035. SO THAT'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY. THAT'S ONLY EIGHT NOW NINE, YOU KNOW, PLANNING YEARS AWAY. SO I HAD REQUESTED, UH, REACHED OUT TO TAMIKA, WAS ON A FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN I CAME UP THIS IDEA. AND I ASKED HER, I SAID, WHAT WAS THE SURPLUS THAT WE HAD PROJECTED OVER EXPENDITURES WHEN THE RDA WOULD COLLAPSE AND COME BACK? AND WE ARE PROJECTING TO HAVE A NET SURPLUS TO THE CITY GENERAL FUND OF $28 MILLION AT THE END OF 2035 AT THE END OF TWO 2035. SO WHEN THE RDA COLLAPSES, WE TAKE IN ALL THE EXPENDITURES, WHICH ARE POLICE OFFICERS, CODE ENFORCEMENT, CLEANLINESS, THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES. WE BRING THOSE EXPENDITURES INTO OUR GENERAL FUND ALONG WITH ALL THE REVENUES. BUT THAT WOULD BE A NET SURPLUS OF $28 MILLION OF WHICH THAT COMMISSION IN 2035 OR SO WOULD HAVE THAT ABILITY TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION WHAT TO DO. THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THAT, THAT WE'RE MAKING AND AND WAS UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE BAC IS TO UTILIZE THAT TO DEAL WITH THE NUTS AND BOLTS. SO THE FIRST THING IS, IF WE CAN GO TO THE SECOND SLIDE. SO WE'RE USING AN RDA SURPLUS, SO THE RDA WE, WE BECOME GENERAL FUND MONEY. SO WHEN THE RDA COLLAPSES THOSE DOLLARS COME BACK INTO THE, INTO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, THAT MILLAGE WILL ALL COME BACK INTO US. SO WE WOULD BE IN A POSITION, THIS IS THEORETICAL BASED ON, YOU KNOW, A 10 YEAR FINANCIAL PROJECTION THAT WE WOULD HAVE A SURPLUS OF AROUND $28 MILLION OF WHICH WE COULD DO MULTIPLE THINGS, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER. CAN YOU LEVERAGE THAT TODAY? UH, NO, BECAUSE THOSE ARE RDA DO THOSE ARE RDA DOLLARS RIGHT. NOW WE CAN BOND. RIGHT, EXACTLY. SO WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING IS NOW WE HAVE GEO BOND DOLLARS TO DEAL WITH STREETS AND SIDEWALKS FOR THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS. SO THE IDEA IS, WHAT WE HAD PROJECTED IS WE MIGHT NEED SOMEWHERE 10, $12 MILLION A YEAR. SO LET'S SAY $12 MILLION A YEAR TO DO EVERY STRIDE WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO GET DONE. EVERY STREET WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO GET DONE, NOT WHEN THERE'S COMPLAINTS, NOT WHEN IT'S REALLY A LOT TO HOLD, REPLACING IT WHEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO REPLACE IT. IF I INDEX THAT TO INFLATION, UH, AT AROUND, LET'S SAY A 3% ESTIMATE, WE'RE IN A 15 TO $16 MILLION ESTIMATE OF WHAT I MIGHT NEED TO PUT INTO A STREETS AND SIDEWALKS FUND BY DOING THIS, WE COULD PUT THAT INTO THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS FUND STILL HAVE A 10 TO $12 MILLION SURPLUS ABOVE THAT, WHICH WE WOULD RECOMMEND PUTTING THAT INTO THE CAPITAL, THE CRR PROGRAM, BECAUSE AS OF THIS LAST YEAR, WE WERE LIKE 20 MILLION SHORT. UM, SO THAT'S REALLY THE RECOMMENDATION. THIS THIS SETS IN MOTION A POLICY THAT IN, IN 10 YEARS, AND I KNOCK ON WOOD, WE'LL STILL BE IN HERE IN 10 YEARS IN THE GOOD GRACES OF OUR CITY MANAGER, , UH, YOU THE BUREAUCRATS, MAN, YOU GUYS, I THINK IT WAS THAT FUNNY. BUT , UH, BUT IF I AM HERE AND SAY, IF NOT, I WILL BE A RESIDENT AND I WILL STAND AT THAT PODIUM TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE STARTED WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE STARTED WITH BAC, STARTED THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND THEN ONTO THE COMMISSION SET IN MOTION, HOW TO FUND RESURFACING OUR STREETS AND OUR SIDEWALKS IN PERPETUITY ON A BASIS. WHICH IS GREAT. IS WHEN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO ANOTHER GEO BOND IN ORDER TO DO MAINTENANCE. CORRECT? CORRECT. NOW THIS IS A DECISION THAT SETS THE POLICY SO THAT IN 10 YEARS WHEN I'M PUTTING TOGETHER THAT, THAT BUDGET DOCUMENT WITH THE FUTURE MB DIRECTOR, 'CAUSE SHE'LL BE RETIRED BY THEN, UH, THIS WOULD, HOW WE WOULD PREPARE IT, THE COMMIT, THIS DOES NOT TIE THE HANDS OF A FUTURE COMMISSION. THIS [00:25:01] JUST DIRECTS THE ADMINISTRATION TO PREPARE A BUDGET BASED ON THIS. AND WE BELIEVE THIS IS VERY, I I BELIEVE THIS IS VERY EXCITING. UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, JASON, AND NOT TO GET OFF TRACK, BUT CAN CURRENT RDA FUNDS GO TO REPAIRING STREETS AND SIDEWALKS WITHIN THE RDA DISTRICT? WE ARE, UM, WE HAVE VERY STRICT RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO USE THOSE DOLLARS FOR. AND PER THE, UH, ALL THE AMENDMENTS THAT THE CITY COMMISSION, UH, RDA AND THE COUNTY ACTING AS THE RDA, UH, UH, DON'T ALLOW FOR THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE, IT'S VERY SPECIFICALLY RESTRICTED BY THE EXPENDITURES. SO WE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ADD NEW CAPITAL PROJECTS AT ALL AT THIS TIME. IS THAT A CAPITAL PROJECT THOUGH? YES. AND, AND, AND THIS WAS ALL UNDER YOU REPAIRING YOUR STREETS AS A CAP? YES. AND ALL OF THIS WAS UNDER THE SPECIFIC AUSPICES THAT BECAUSE THEY WANTED THE DEBT PAID OFF EARLY, THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY WANTED TO, UH, FOR THIS RDA TO BE FINISHED OUT AND TO GET THEIR TAX DOLLARS BACK. AND THE CITY HAS, HAS AGREED TO THAT. AND THAT IS THE, THAT IS, UH, HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. AND THAT'S PER CONTRACT PER AGREEMENT. GO AHEAD, JASON. RDAS, ONCE THIS CLOSES IN 2035, IS IT, YEAH. CAN WE, IS THERE THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN NEGOTIATE WITH A COUNTY TO OPEN A DIFFERENT RDA IN THE FUTURE? UH, E EVERYTHING IS IS POSSIBLE UNTIL THE, THE, THE TIME THE STATE DOESN'T ALLOW FOR CRAS OR RDAS. THIS MIGHT BE THIS YEAR, RIGHT? ? YEAH. YEAH. I KNOW THAT WORLD MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN, IN 10 YEARS, BUT THE, THE CITY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY CENTER RDA HAS REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL IN, IN, IN ITS OPERATIONS. SO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE THOUGH, TO HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF RDA THAT WE CAN EXPLORE? WOULD IT BE FINANCIAL FINANCIALLY THAT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION FOR THE 'CAUSE. YOU'D HAVE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF WHATEVER AN RDA IS AT THAT TIME, RELATED TO BLIGHT AND THINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT WOULD BE DISCUSSION FOR THEM. OKAY. YEAH. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE COUNTY DOESN'T, THEY NEED ANOTHER RDA, LIKE A, LIKE A BULLET IN THEIR HEAD. THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT COMMISSIONER OTTO TOLD ME. WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO RDA. UM, BUT JASON, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS, UM, WORKAROUND, HOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBLE WAY THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PAY FOR THOSE, THE SIDEWALKS AND, AND THE STREETS? WELL, THERE, THERE ARE TWO WAYS. EITHER THERE'S THE PAYGO WAY, WHICH IS WHAT THIS WOULD DO. THIS WOULD BE SETTING ASIDE DOLLARS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IN YOUR CAPITAL BUDGET OR TO BOND, BOND THEM OUT. AND THERE, THOSE ARE BOTH CREDIBLE WAYS TO, TO DO THAT. THEY ARE LONG LIVED CAPITAL ASSETS. YOU KNOW, THE SIDEWALKS ARE GONNA LAST, YOU KNOW, 5, 10, 15 YEARS. SIDEWALK. I'M SORRY, ASPHALT, UH, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF ROAD MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, SIX, SEVEN YEARS COULD BE AS, AS HIGH AS 10, 10 OR 12. UM, SO IT, IT, BUT THIS WOULD ONLY WORK STARTING IN 2035. UH, YES. NOW, THE CITY THIS PAST YEAR DID ALLOCATE $360,000. I TOOK 3%, UH, AS KIND OF A DOWN PAYMENT ON A RECURRING BASIS. AND THE HOPE IS WE, WE WILL SEE HOW THE BUDGET PROCESS GOES IS THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE THAT BY 3% TO, TO START SETTING ASIDE, UH, SOME MONEY SO THAT WE'VE ALREADY CREATED THAT STREETS AND SIDEWALKS FUND. WE'VE ALREADY SET ASIDE $360,000 ON A RECURRING BASIS AS KIND OF A, UH, DOWN PAYMENT TOWARDS THAT FUTURE. BUT THE NUMBERS GET VERY BIG WHEN THE GO BOND MONEY WILL RUN OUT OVER THE NEXT FIVE OR 10 YEARS. AND, UH, THIS IS ONE WAY TO, TO DEAL WITH IT ON A RECURRING BASIS WITH, WITH CURRENT PAY GO DOLLARS. JOHN, MAYBE YOU COULD COME UP AS WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, UH, LET MY COLLEAGUES ASK SOME MORE QUESTIONS OF THE CFO. BUT I WANNA GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH SOME OF THE, UM, ONGOING MAINTENANCE WITH OUR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. SO HANG TIGHT FOR A SECOND, BUT COMMISSIONER, UH, EO, OH, YOU, YOU, UH, YOUR QUESTION WAS ASKED AND ANSWERED YES. ON THE IDEA. YES, YES. WHERE ARE WE, JOHN? GIVE US AN UPDATE WITH GETTING OUR STREET SIDEWALKS UP TO, UH, MIAMI BEACH STANDARDS. DEFINITELY. UH, JOHN NORRIS, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, I HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR THE SIDEWALKS FROM ANOTHER, UH, COMMITTEE. BUT WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH THE GEO BOND FUNDING ON MOVING THE SIDEWALKS FROM THE POOR TO THE MODERATE TO THE EXCELLENT CONDITION. SO WE'RE MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN REPLACING THE SIDEWALKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UM, ALSO FOCUSING ON A DA COMPLIANCE, 'CAUSE THAT'S A KEY COMPONENT TO SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT MAINTENANCE. SO IT'S NOT JUST MAINTENANCE, IT'S ACTUALLY UPGRADING OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AS FAR AS STREETS AND ALLEYS, ROADWAYS AND ALLEYS. WE DO A PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH IS BASED ON SCIENTIFIC DATA OF A VAN, BASICALLY MAPPING OUT EVERY CRACK WITHIN THE ROADWAY. IT ALSO LOOKS FOR WHEEL PATH RUNNING. IT LOOKS FOR ROUGHNESS AND IT GRADES ALL OF OUR STREETS. WE THEN TAKE THAT DATA AND WE LOOK AT WHAT THE AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC IS ON THAT ROADWAY, AND THAT'S GONNA PRIORITIZE ROADWAY. SO A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET MIGHT GO 20 YEARS WITHOUT BEING RESURFACED, WHEREAS A ARTERIAL MIGHT BE 12 TO 15 YEARS FOR RESURFACING. SO I FEEL LIKE SAME THING, WE ARE IMPROVING THE SCORE. WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX, WHICH IS ZERO TO 100. AND THAT SCORE IS PROGRESSIVELY IMPROVING. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA SEE. WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE ALL HUNDRED SCORE [00:30:01] ROADS. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT OUR GOAL, BUT WE DO WANT TO HAVE ABOVE AVERAGE. SO WHAT HOLDS US BACK FROM REALLY ACCELERATING, UH, EVEN GREATER IMPROVEMENTS? IS IT RESOURCES OR IS IT FUNDING? IT'S, IT'S BOTH. IT'S BOTH. WHEN, WHEN YOU HAVE MORE MONEY, YOU HAVE MORE WORK MM-HMM . AND WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS OF ANY WORK THAT IS DONE TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY. SO THAT BECOMES AN ADDED CHALLENGE IN MIAMI BEACH THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY SEE IN OTHER CITIES. SO THERE ARE REALLY THREE COMPONENTS OPERATIONALLY. CAN WE MANAGE THE WORK? CAN WE AFFORD THE WORK? AND CAN WE AFFORD THE DISRUPTION TO THE CITY? TO, AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET OFF TRACK AND TALK ABOUT EVERY SINGLE STREET ANECDOTALLY. UM, BUT THIS TIES INTO THE LEGISLATION. I HAVE THE, PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD. MM-HMM . TIES INTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE WORLD CUP YESTERDAY. WE'RE RIGHT HERE IN THE EPICENTER OF OUR CITY WHERE WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST HIGH PROFILE EVENTS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. MM-HMM . A BASEL. WE JUST HAD THE BOAT SHOW THAT BRINGS AN ECONOMIC IMPACT TO SOUTH FLORIDA OF A BILLION DOLLARS. WE HAVE THE WORLD CUP, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR, OUR DOWNTOWN CITY CENTER. MM-HMM . AND THIS ISN'T YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE NEW TO THE DEPARTMENT. SO THIS IS LONGSTANDING. WHY DOES 17TH STREET, FOR INSTANCE, LOOK THE WAY IT DOES? RIGHT. IT, IT TRULY LOOKS LIKE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY. BOTH OUR STREET AND OUR SIDEWALK. SO 17TH STREET DID HAVE A PROJECT PLAN THAT WAS A LITTLE MORE EXTENSIVE IN THE PAST. THAT PROJECT IS NOT MOVING FORWARD. BUT WE HAVE TAKEN THAT MONEY AND OR SOME OF THAT MONEY TO PUT TOWARDS RESURFACING AND RETRIP 17TH STREET. WE ARE, HOWEVER, WAITING TILL RIGHT BEFORE THE CONVENTION CENTER. YEAH. UH, HOTEL IS READY TO BE OPENED BECAUSE WE WOULD HATE TO RESURFACE 17TH STREET, HAVE HEAVY TRUCKS STILL GOING OVER IT, DAMAGE THE NEW PAVEMENT. WE ALSO WANT IT TO BE IN PRISTINE CONDITION ONCE THE HOTEL DOES OPEN UP. AND, AND I AGREE WITH THAT. UM, BUT I'M ALSO COGNIZANT, I MEAN, O OTHER COUNTRIES, THEY BUILD AIRPORTS. THEY BUILD TRANSIT SYSTEMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY FOR THE WORLD CUP. BARCELONA REDEVELOPED THEIR ENTIRE WATERFRONT FOR THE 92 OLYMPICS, AND THEY TRANSFORMED THEIR CITY. AND I'M VERY, I'D BE VERY, VERY UPSET AND DISAPPOINTED IF WE HAVE THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF MIAMI. COME HERE. MM-HMM . AND OUR CITY CENTER LOOKS LIKE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY. AND I GET ABOUT THE RESURFACING ARGUMENT, UH, WITH THE HEAVY TRUCKS THAT ARE COMING, COMING THROUGH. BUT WE'RE GONNA BE TOPPING OUT FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER PRETTY SOON, RIGHT? YES. IN JULY. IN JULY. TELL ME WHY WE CAN'T RESURFACE NOW. WHAT WOULD BE THE EXPENSES OF THAT? CAN WE WORK WITH THE RDA OR THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL? LIKE, I'M PERSONALLY EMBARRASSED, PROFESSIONALLY EMBARRASSED. AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. RIGHT? YOU, YOU INHERITED, THIS IS WHAT WAS MAPPED OUT. RIDING DOWN THE STREET. THIS IS OUR CITY CENTER. WE, WE NEED TO TAKE PRIDE IN MIAMI BEACH MM-HMM . FOR HOW OUR CITY LOOKS. WE CAN'T ASK SPRING BREAK VISITORS OR VISITORS DURING MARCH. I'M NOT EVEN GONNA CALL 'EM SPRING BREAK VISITORS TO RESPECT OUR CITY IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T RESPECT OURSELVES. RIGHT. AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF MIAMI COME HERE AND YOU CAN'T RIDE A BICYCLE DOWN 17TH STREET BECAUSE, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BREAK YOUR NECK. THAT THAT'S NOT OKAY. RIGHT. THAT'S NOT, OKAY. TALK TO ME ABOUT THE LOGISTICS. LIKE, IF WE REPAVE IT AND THEN THE CONVENTION CENTER, HOTEL CONSTRUCTION HAPPENS, DOES IT TOTALLY DESTROY OUR ROADS? I I JUST THINK WE REALLY NEED TO PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD AND HAVE OUR CITY LOOKING PRISTINE. IMAGINE SOME OF THESE OTHER COUNTRIES THAT HAVE BUILT STADIUMS HAVE BUILT ENTIRE, LIKE MICRO CITIES AND WE CAN'T REPAVE OUR MAIN CORRIDOR. SO THE, THE WORLD CUP IS COMING IN JUNE, JULY, AND THEN THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL'S SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED IN JULY. TOPPED OFF. NO. YEAH. MAYBE WE CAN WORK WITH MR. MARTIN AND ASK HIM TO SPLIT THE COST OF THE, OF THE REPAVING BECAUSE HE'S, YOU KNOW, MR. CHAIR IS RIGHT. I, IT IS EMBARRASSING, ESPECIALLY IF WE HAVE INTERNATIONAL VISITORS WHO'S PROBABLY NEVER BEEN TO MIAMI BEFORE MM-HMM. OR MIAMI BEACH, AND THEN THEY SEE THE CONDITION. IT IS, I THINK IT'S, WE'RE ALMOST BEING PENNYWISE POUND FOOLISH IF, UM, IF WE KIND OF LET THIS OPPORTUNITY PASS. SO WE'RE, WE'RE, I MEAN, IT WOULD ONLY BE, UM, HIGH IMPACT RIGHT NEAR THE RIGHT HERE, OUTSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER. BUT I MEAN, THE REST OF 17TH REALLY NEEDS SOME THAT'S NOT GONNA BE AFFECTED BY THE CONSTRUCTION. I MEAN, WHAT, HOW, HOW SOON COULD WE RETRIP THAT NOW IF WE WANTED TO? WELL, I'LL TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER. I THINK WE NEED TO REPAVE IMMEDIATELY. MM-HMM . OKAY. REPAVE IMMEDIATELY. [00:35:01] 'CAUSE THAT HAS TO BE DONE FOR THE WORLD CUP. WE COULD RESURFACE RE I'LL LEAVE THAT TO YOU MM-HMM . BUT OUR STREETS CANNOT LOOK LIKE THE WAY THEY ARE. OUR STREETS AND OUR SIDEWALKS ON 17TH STREET. AND THEN IF THERE'S DAMAGE DONE THROUGH THE, UH, HEAVY MACHINERY THAT'S COMING HERE FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL, THEN YES. PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, THE RE MAINTENANCE OF THAT. WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO FALL TO THE DEVELOPER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT WE CANNOT HAVE OUR MAIN CORRIDOR, 17TH STREET MM-HMM . GOING INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER WHERE I'M SURE IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, THE EPICENTER OF OUR WORLD CUP LOOK THE WAY IT DOES. YEP. AND, AND FORGIVE ME, BECAUSE I DO LOOK AT THINGS THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS. YEP. BECAUSE WE DO, WE OFTEN GET CRITICIZED FOR DOING WORK AND THEN TEARING IT UP. MM-HMM . SO WE ARE VERY, UM, CAUTIOUS ABOUT, I I GET THAT. BUT I, BUT I'VE ALSO LIVED ON WEST AVENUE MM-HMM . AND IT LOOKS LIKE A FOURTH WORLD COUNTRY MM-HMM . RIGHT. SO I, I, I AGREE. AND, AND WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT FOR 20 YEARS BECAUSE WE HEAR, WELL PROJECTS STARTING TOMORROW. IT'S, IT'S EMBARRASSING. RIGHT. WE, WE CAN'T HAVE THIS AS OUR POLICY. SAME THING FOR WASHINGTON AVENUE, UH, THAT WE WORKED ON DOWN SOUTH OF FIFTH. WE HAVE THESE PIE IN THE SKY PROJECTS THAT ARE 10 YEARS OUT, MAYBE 15 YEARS, MAYBE 20 YEARS OUT. THE WEST AVENUE PROJECT WAS 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING MM-HMM . AND WE DON'T REPAVE OUR SURFACES. AND THE LONGER YOU WAIT, THE THE LARGER UNDERTAKING THAT IS, BUT GO AHEAD. I KNOW I CUT YOU OFF. NO, NO. AND, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM A DIFFERENT LENS THAN I AM. AND, AND I AGREE WITH YOU. LET ME GET WITH, UH, OUR TRANSPORTATION STAFF. I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY MOVE THIS FORWARD. THE FUNDING IS THERE FOR THIS. UM, I KNOW THAT, I KNOW THE VERY LEAST DESIGN MONEY WAS THERE. I'M NOT SURE. I JUST, SORRY, I WAS CALLED OFF GUARD A LITTLE BIT. BUT I BELIEVE THAT FUNDING EXISTS TO RESURFACE. WE CAN RESURFACE IT AND LOOK AT HOW WE COULD RESTORE, WHETHER IT'S WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RESTORATION, IF THERE IS DAMAGE DONE, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO REPAY 17? WE COULD PROBABLY GET IT ON THE SCHEDULE IN THE NEXT, OR I ASKED HIM HOW LONG IT TAKE TO REPAY 17TH IN THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS. I'M THINKING WE COULD PROBABLY GET THAT ON THE SCHEDULE TO BE DONE. WELL, WE HAVE THREE MONTHS AND 20 DAYS. THREE MONTHS AND 20, PROBABLY THREE MONTHS AND 20 DAYS. WE COULD, UH, UH, FIGURE THAT OUT. CHAIR, IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY. OH, SORRY. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU NEED A COMMISSION, A FULL COMMISSION DECISION ON? NO, WE, I THINK THIS ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION WE COULD MOVE FORWARD ON, UM, DEFINITELY TAKING YOUR RECOMMENDATION INTO ACCOUNT. THERE ARE SOME LOGISTICS I NEED TO WORK THROUGH TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT MISSING ANYTHING BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T QUITE COME PREPARED TO SPEAK ON THE TOPIC. OF COURSE. UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT YOU HAVE FOUR OUT OF SEVEN HERE. AND WOULD ANYBODY DISAGREE THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE MOVING FORWARD EXPEDITIOUSLY ON 17TH STREET? IF I CAN JUST FOR TWO THINGS. YEAH. ONE I WOULD MAKE PART OF THOUGH IT'S THE FINANCIAL POLICIES, BUT I WOULD ADD A SEPARATE MOTION PART OF THIS JUST FOR THE RECORD. BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS A SCHEDULE, UH, APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION. 'CAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR CIP TO COMPLETE AS, UH, THE DIRECTOR STATED. SO THAT WOULD SHIFT THAT SCHEDULE. SO WE PROBABLY WOULD WANNA PUT SOMETHING ON THE RECORD GETTING COMMISSION TO GIVE DIFFERENT DIRECTION ON THAT. UH, BUT JUST ALSO JUST ONE CLARIFICATION. I WAS JUST CHECKING WHAT LIZ, THAT IS THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER IS NOT BEING ACTIVATED FOR FIFA. JUST, JUST AS A NOTE. BUT THIS CORRIDOR IS OUR EPICENTER, RIGHT? IT, IT IS THE MAIN INGRESS EGRESS TO OUR, LET'S CALL IT OUR DOWNTOWN AREA. UM, YEAH. NEXT TO LINCOLN ROAD. NEXT TO LINCOLN ROAD SOUNDSCAPE PARK. UH, IT'S HOW ART BASEL HASN'T COME IN AND GO, GUYS, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? RIGHT. WE, WE REALLY NEED TO, UH, ELEVATE OUR STANDARDS. OKAY. IF SO, IF I CAN, I THINK IT'S, IT'LL I'LL, IF IT, IT'S OKAY, I'LL, I'LL FRAME THIS AS TWO, AS AS TWO MOTIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE, 'CAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF SEPARATE. SO I'D LIKE THE RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL POLICY IS AMENDED RELATED TO THE, THE DATE ON THE WAIVER. AND ALSO RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO PROCEED IMMEDIATELY WITH THE RESURFACING OF 17TH STREET AND THE SIDEWALKS. YEAH. YES. I'LL HAVE TO, THERE, THERE'S NOT THAT EXTENSIVE A WORK ON THE SIDEWALK. SO THAT, THAT SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE. AND, AND LET'S BE PRAGMATIC AND USE COMMON SENSE. UH, I KNOW THERE'S AN OFFICE BUILDING ON 17TH STREET THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION. MM-HMM . DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT. RIGHT. BUT TO THE EXTENT WHERE I KNOW RIGHT. ON ALTON, UH, IT'S EMBARRASSING. UNDERSTOOD. SO WE'LL SHOW IT TO, UM, TO RESURFACE 17TH STREET, UH, TO IMMEDIATELY RE UH, RESURFACE 17TH STREET AND REPAIR SIDEWALKS AS NEEDED. YEP. AND THAT FUNDING IS ALREADY THERE. WE'RE JUST MOVING THAT UP. CORRECT? YES. THAT SHOULD BE THERE. I'M, I'M NOT SURE, I'M NOT SURE OF THAT. HOLD ON. WE HAVE OUR OMB DIRECTOR. YEAH, I WAS JUST CHECKING. SO WE ACTUALLY UNFUNDED THAT PROJECT AS A PART OF THE 26 BUDGET. YEAH. I BELIEVE, I THINK THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN FUNDING FOR DESIGN UNFUNDED [00:40:01] UNFUNDED LAST YEAR. UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S SOME GRANT DOLLARS FOR THE BIKE LIENS, WHICH WE HAD ON PAUSE. I DON'T THINK WE COULD USE THAT FOR THE RESURFACING. SO YEAH, WE'LL HAVE TO, WE'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK. 'CAUSE I, I THINK THAT'S CORRECT. BUT I THOUGHT WE HAD LEFT DOLLARS FOR, UH, RESURFACE OR, AND OR DESIGN RELATED WORK. BUT, UH, WE'LL CONFIRM WE CAN HAVE THIS MOTION GO BACK AND, UH, WE'LL COME BACK TO COMMISSION WHATEVER, UH, ACTIONS ARE NEEDED TO EFFECTUATE THAT, WHETHER THAT'S A, A BUDGET AMENDMENT OR, OR WHATNOT. OKAY. I'LL PROBABLY PUT ON ITEM FOR THIS COMMISSION MEETING JUST TO KIND OF, UH, SHORE THIS UP. OKAY, GREAT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. I, THAT'S EXCITING TO ME TO THINK THAT WE WILL HAVE 17TH STREET PAVED, UH, BY THE WORLD CUP. SO, SO FOR THOSE TWO MOTIONS, WHO WOULD MAKE TO BE MAKING THOSE MOTIONS? I'LL MOVE IT. OKAY. SO COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, SECONDED BY ME. COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE, UH, THE ITEM PASSES. EXCELLENT. UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK, YOU AND YOUR TEAM ON THAT, JASON. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, YEARS THE IMPACT WILL BE FELT FOR YEARS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M PRETTY EXCITED. AND COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, DO YOU [NB 2. DISCUSS A TEMPORARY HIRING FREEZE FOR NON-ESSENTIAL POSITIONS] WANT TO LOOK AT, UH, C FOUR M DISCUSS POSSIBLE, UH, INSTITUTION OF A TEMPORARY HIRING FREEZE? AND WHY DON'T YOU FRAME IT? AND I TEXTED PETER TO SEE WHAT WAS, UH, IF HE WAS AVAILABLE, UM, TO GIVE US AN UPDATE WHERE THINGS ARE AT THE STATE LEVEL. RIGHT? EVEN IF THERE WAS NOTHING GOING ON AT THE STATE LEVEL. I, I THINK THIS IS CERTAINLY MERCK'S, UH, DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY GONNA COME OUT OF THE STATE IN TERMS OF PROPERTY TAXES. UH, THE HOUSE JUST PASSED IT, UH, 80 20 TO ESSENTIALLY PUT ON A BALLOT REFERENDUM TO REPEAL HOMESTEAD TAXES. UH, I DO THINK IT'S NOT AS FAR ALONG IN THE SENATE, BUT IF PETER'S OUT THERE IN THE UNIVERSE LISTENING, PLEASE COME DOWN AND FILL US IN. UH, BUT MR. CFO, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT ANOTHER BILL THAT'S, UH, UH, IN THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW THAT ESSENTIALLY IT ACTUALLY PASSED THE HOUSE, I BELIEVE THAT DOES AWAY WITH ALL TYPES OF, UH, BTR FEES THAT WERE CHARGED. AND TAMIKA, I THINK, UH, YOU ESTIMATED THAT THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT OF $6 MILLION. RIGHT. AND WHILE WE ALL, I BELIEVE UNANIMOUSLY PASSED, UH, OPERATING TO A 2027 BUDGET OF A ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE, WE NEED TO START MAKING CHUNKY EFFICIENCY AND COST SAVINGS SOMEWHERE. SO WITH THAT TEED UP, WHY DON'T YOU, UH, GIVE US YOUR THINKING, UH, ON THIS ITEM. COMMISSIONER, UH, IF I CAN READ IN, UH, NB TWO, DISCUSS TEMPORARY HIRING FREEZE FOR NON-ESSENTIAL POSITIONS AND B TWO, UH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO THIS KINDA ALIGNS WITH MY, UM, MY IDEA FOR THE ROLLBACK RATE AS WELL. UM, PLAYS HAND IN HAND. UM, I, I CERTAINLY THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK 10 YEARS AGO, WE HAD, I THINK HALF THE AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES WE DO NOW. UM, AND AT SOME POINT WE DO NEED TO PUT A CAP ON HOW MUCH OR OR HOW MANY PEOPLE WE CAN HIRE, UM, THAT COSTS THE CITY CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF, OF TAX DOLLARS. SO, UH, JASON, HAVE YOU RESEARCHED THIS AT ALL? I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AS FAR AS CITY STAFF? UH, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH? UH, AND ANY SUGGESTIONS? WE HAVE, UM, OUR HR DIRECTOR, MARLA, IS, IS TAKING THIS ITEM. I KNOW THAT SHE HAS A, A SLIDE THAT SHE'S GONNA BE SHARING THAT WAS, UH, WAS PRESENTED TO COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY AS PART OF THE, ONE OF THE OMB PRESENTATIONS, SHOWING BACK, UH, A NUMBER OF YEARS ON POSITIONS, UH, HOW WE'VE HAD POSITION GROWTH, UH, GOING, GOING FORWARD. UM, IT, IT, IT WILL SHOW THAT A VAST MAJORITY OF, OF POSITION GROWTH HAS BEEN IN PUBLIC SAFETY AREA AND VERY, NOT VERY MUCH OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC SAFETY. AND, AND THEN SHE CAN GET INTO, UH, THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF A HIRING FREEZE, WHICH I KNOW THE COMMISSION HAD SPOKEN ABOUT LAST YEAR AND WE DIDN'T, UH, MOVE FORWARD. BUT I WOULD TELL YOU, UH, WITH, THERE'S ALMOST AN EFFECTIVE ONE IN SOME CASES ALREADY IN THE SENSE THAT THE COMMISSION PASSED PREPARING A PRELIMINARY BUDGET BASED ON THE ROLLBACK RATE, WHICH COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 17 TO 25 MILLION. SO WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE OMB DIRECTOR AND WE ALREADY HOT AND HEAVY IN THE BUDGET PROCESS WITH DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE REQUESTED, YOU KNOW, KNOW FOR THEM TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTIONS AND LEAST INITIALLY UNTIL WE GET THE FINAL NUMBER OR THE, YOU KNOW, PRELIMINARY INCOME JUNE 1ST. AND WE GET HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO REDUCE. I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MY, MY OWN SET OF DEPARTMENTS THAT I'VE WORKED ON. UH, I HAVE POSITIONS THAT I, UH, HAVE FROZEN. UH, I'VE HAD ONE, I HAVE ONES THAT, UH, ARE NOT, AND I'LL JUST VERY QUICK ANECDOTALLY IS I HAVE A CAPITAL ASSETS ACCOUNTANT POSITION THAT THE GENTLEMAN RETIRED RECENTLY. I HAVE TO FILL THAT POSITION. I NEED AN ACCOUNTANT TO DO CAPITAL ASSET ACCOUNTING FOR THE [00:45:01] CITY WITH OUR BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ASSETS. I, I NEED THAT. THAT'S AN ESSENTIAL. THERE'S OTHER ONES THAT I HAVE FROZEN. UH, THERE'S OTHER ONES THAT I HAVE INFORMED MANAGERS THAT WHEN THEY'RE THROUGH ATTRITION, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT I'M PROPO GOING TO PROPOSE AN ELIMINATION IN THIS AREA AND, YOU KNOW, TO, TO PUT A FREEZE IN IF IT BECOMES OPEN. SO I THINK THE DEPARTMENTS ARE ALREADY KIND OF GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE AND THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED POSITIONS THAT THEY WOULD BE PROPOSING THROUGH THE NEXT BUDGET PROCESS. SO I WOULD SUSPECT THE DEPARTMENTS ARE ALREADY KIND OF DOING THIS IN THAT ITSELF, MAKING A DETERMINATION WHAT IS ESSENTIAL AND NOT ESSENTIAL TO THEIRS. BUT I THINK THERE WOULD BE A CONCERN, AND I THINK MARLA CAN SHARE IT A BIT, IF THERE WAS KIND OF A BLANKET, YOU CAN'T HIRE ANYONE THAT'S NOT A POLICE OFFICER AS AN EXAMPLE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'D BE CONCERNED. 'CAUSE THE COMMISSION IS APPROVED A BUDGET WITH A CERTAIN POSITIONS AND CERTAIN BUDGETS AND WE'RE LIVING WITHIN THAT. BUT WE ARE LOOKING AHEAD BASED ON THE COMMISSION DIRECTION. WE'VE ALREADY HAVE JASON AND HIGH LEVEL OUR SALARY AND EMPLOYEE EXPENSES, UH, CONSTITUTE ABOUT 70% OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET. UH, YES. YEAH, THAT'S ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 70% WE ARE, UH, ESPECIALLY ON THE GENERAL FUND. THEY ARE, AS I THINK I'VE ALWAYS SAID, THERE'RE PEOPLE DOING THINGS. THEY'RE POLICE OFFICERS, THEY'RE FIREFIGHTERS, ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, UH, ACCOUNTANTS AS IT WERE. BUT, SO TO THE, WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE ACHIEVED THIS ROAD BACK RATE, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SO WITHOUT SCALING BACK ON EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES. GIVEN THE BULK 71% THAT THEY CONSTITUTE OF OUR GENERAL FUND, I WOULD VERY MUCH CON UH, CONCUR WITH THAT. THAT WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT TO ELIMINATE 15 TO $25 MILLION OUTTA OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET AND NOT HAVE HEADCOUNT REDUCTION. I I CAN JUST TELL YOU JUST FOR, FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY DEPARTMENTS I HAVE, UH, WE, I CUT SEVERAL LAST YEAR AND I AM PROPOSING A A FEW MORE. THERE'S NOT, NOT A LOT I CAN, BUT YEAH, I DON'T THINK THIS IS TARGETED YOUR DEPARTMENT, JASON. NO, NO. I'M JUST USING, I ONLY WANNA SPEAK FOR MYSELF. YEAH. AS AN, AS AN EXAMPLE. AND I HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T MET WITH ALL THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS YET. WE'VE GONE THROUGH SOME OF THEM. UH, BUT THERE ARE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY IDENTIFYING, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFICULT AS IT WERE. BUT THEY ARE IDENTIFYING, UH, POSITIONS. BUT, AND, AND DO YOU WORK WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTS OR DO YOU JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU ARE THE FINANCE EXPERT, RIGHT? DO YOU GO OUT AND WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. I'M NOT PINPOINTING JOHN, JUST SEE HIM RIGHT THERE. DO YOU SAY, HEY, LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO TRY AND ACHIEVE THIS? OR DO YOU JUST LEAVE IT TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE WE NEED X AMOUNT OF, UH, COST SAVINGS. WE, WE GIVE THEM A, A DIRECTION ON, ON A, ON A VALUE. UH, THE DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, HAVE, UH, EXTENSIVE EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN DEPARTMENTS, ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT, UH, THEIR ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, THE DIRECTORS THAT KNOW THEIR OPERATIONS QUITE WELL, THEY'RE BETTER PROPO UH, POSITIONED TO IDENTIFY WHERE THERE COULD BE AN EFFICIENCY OR REDUCTION WITHOUT HAVING THE MINIMAL, MOST MINIMAL IMPACT. OR TO IDENTIFY, OKAY, IF I CUT THIS POSITION, THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN OR, OR WON'T HAPPEN ANYMORE. UH, BUT THEY WORK WITH THE ANALYSTS AT THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET TO GO THROUGH THAT, RECONCILE THAT, UH, THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, MYSELF, THE DIRECTOR AND, AND THE SENIOR STAFF AND THOSE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS. WE MEET FOR HOURS ON THEN GOING THROUGH, THROUGH UNTIL THE ADVISORY, THE RECOMMENDATION, WELL, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CITY MANAGER MAKES THE PRELIMINARY, YOU KNOW, BUDGET RECOMMENDATION. SO YES, IT COMES FROM THE, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. THEY GET REVIEWED BY THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS. WE WORK WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, OMB TO PUT TOGETHER THAT LIST OF POSSIBLE REDUCTIONS. DO WE HIT THAT MARK? THEY SAID JUNE 1ST WE'LL HAVE THAT NUMBER. SO THE, THE CITY MANAGER NEEDS DIRECTION THEN FROM US, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S EITHER THERE IS A HIRING FREEZE OR THERE'S NOT A HIRING FREEZE. BECAUSE I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS WE GIVE A GREAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE YOU'RE LOOKING INTO EVERY DEPARTMENT, YOU'RE GIVING SUGGESTIONS ON WHERE YOU CAN AND CAN'T CUT, YOU KNOW, COSTS FOR EXAMPLE. BUT ULTIMATELY IT COMES DOWN TO THE CITY MANAGER. WELL, YES, AND I THINK THE COMMISSION HAS ALREADY GIVEN DIRECTION. THE COMMISSION GAVE DIRECTION ON ROLLBACK RATE. YEAH. AND AS I THINK THE, THE CHAIR WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY ELOQUENTLY STATING IT'S GONNA BE EXTRAORDINARILY D DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE. ACTUALLY. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT BE ELIMINATING POSITIONS IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE TO MEET THAT REQUIREMENT. UM, SO THERE'S A DE FACTO ALREADY BEING LOOKED AT. IT'S BEING TARGETED, BEING SMART BASED ON EVERY, UH, DIRECTOR. AND WHILE I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA CREATE FEARMONGERING, RIGHT? NOT SAYING THAT YOU ARE DOING THAT, BUT UH, BEFORE WE'RE ELIMINATING POSITIONS, IF WE ACHIEVE THAT COST SAVINGS THROUGH ATTRITION, SO PEOPLE LEAVE AND THEN WE DON'T FILL THEM BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS HIRING FREEZE, I'D RATHER BE IN THAT POSITION THAN WE GET A YEAR FROM NOW. AND WHETHER IT'S THROUGH OUR ACHIEVED DRAWBACK RATE OR SOMETHING THAT THE STATE PROPOSES THAT WE HAVE TO DO ACROSS THE BOARD ELIMINATION, RIGHT? I'D RATHER BE START MAKING THOSE COST SAVINGS NOW RATHER THAN HAVING TO ELIMINATE POSITIONS IN HERE. UH, COMMISSIONER MATEO SALINAS NIMO, TURN IT OVER TO HR. SO JASON, IT SOUNDS LIKE THOUGH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT BECAUSE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ARE AWARE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET AND ROLLING BACK AND POSSIBLY CUTTING POSITIONS THAT NO ONE'S HIRING RIGHT NOW. SO HIRING FREEZE ISN'T REALLY NECESSARY. I I WOULD SAY HIRING FREEZE IS, IS IS NOT NECESSARY. BUT [00:50:01] I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THEY'RE BLANKET NOT DOING IT. THEY'RE BEING SMART ABOUT IT. LIKE, OKAY, FAIR. AND I WAS JUST USING MYSELF AS AN ANECDOTAL EXAMPLE. THERE ARE POSITIONS THAT I'M NOT ADVERTISING FOR BECAUSE I'LL BE PROPOSING TO ELIMINATE THOSE. AND THERE ARE OTHER ONES THAT ARE, ARE ESSENTIAL. I, I NEED THAT FOR THOSE OPERATIONS. SO HAVING SAID THAT THEN, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, 'CAUSE MY WORRY WITH THE HIRING FREEZE IS IT'S, IT'S I, I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN ABOUT OUR BUDGET, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF A DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING FOR A SPECIALIZED POSITION THAT IS NON-ESSENTIAL, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN THEN THEY FIND THAT PERFECT CANDIDATE, BUT WE HAVE A HIRING FREEZE AND THEY NEED THAT CANDIDATE TO PERFORM WHATEVER IT IS, WHETHER IT'S AN ENGINEER OR AN ARCHITECT, OR AN ELEVATOR INSPECTOR, OR WHATEVER IT IS. BUT NOW WE'RE, OUR HANDS ARE TIED ON THE HIRING FREEZE. THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I KIND OF WORRY, BECAUSE WE MIGHT MISS OUT ON A REALLY GOOD HIRE BECAUSE WE'RE UNDER A HIRING FREEZE. AND I JUST DON'T THINK ANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST THROW MONEY OUT THE WINDOW AND HIRE WHOEVER. WOO. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, PEOPLE ARE BEING MORE AWARE OF WHAT WE NEED AND, AND NOT TO SPEND AND TO CUT BACK ON POSITIONS. SO I, I, I PERSONALLY JUST WORRY ABOUT A HIRING FREEZE, MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY OF A GOOD EMPLOYEE. LET'S, UH, LET'S HEAR FROM YOU, MARLA. GOOD. UM, AFTERNOON OR MORNING, I SHOULD SAY MARLA LP, OUR HR DIRECTOR. UM, IF I COULD HAVE THE SLIDE PLEASE. IT'S A 10 YEAR LOOK BACK OF THE FULL-TIME POSITION TREND. UM, OVER 10 YEARS. THE, UM, FULL-TIME PUBLIC SAFETY POSITION COUNT HAS INCREASED BY 158 POSITIONS, OR 15.9%. THE NON-PUBLIC SAFETY FULL-TIME POSITION COUNT OVER 10 YEARS HAS INCREASED BY 32 FULL-TIME POSITIONS, OR 2.8%. SO THIS IS THE CONTEXT OF THIS CONVERSATION. UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, RECOMMEND, UH, FURTHERMORE WHAT THE, UM, CFO HAS TO, UH, ARTICULATED SO WELL, WHICH IS WE WOULD REQUEST, UM, THAT YOU ALLOW US TO MAINTAIN AS, UH, A CITY ADMINISTRATION'S STRATEGIC FLEXIBILITY REQUIRED TO CONDUCT DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING THE HIRING OF PERSONNEL IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT THE COMMISSION HAS SET IN SERVICES AND IN PROJECTS, THE, THE CURRENT BUDGET PREPARATION PROCESS. ONE SECOND. UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S BEST SERVED TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. UH, WHAT HAS BEEN OUR POPULATION GROWTH OVER THAT 10 YEAR PERIOD? I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA. I'M SO SORRY. IT'S A DECREASE. YEAH. I THINK OVERALL THIS, THE, THE CITY IS LOST, UH, OR I THINK IT'S PROBABLY GONE FROM 90 TO 85,000 OR, OR BEEN STEADY DEPENDING ON IT, BUT SOMEWHERE IN THAT CASE. BUT I WOULD TELL YOU OF THESE, THESE 32 POSITIONS, UH, WHICH INCLUDE ALL, ALL DEPARTMENTS OTHER THAN THE COMMISSION, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, IT'S ALL DONE THROUGH BUDGET ENHANCEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION. SO THIS IS GONNA BE THINGS LIKE, I THINK THE MUNICIPAL PROSECUTION TEAM AS AN EXAMPLE. UH, IT WOULD, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE IN THERE. SO THIS IS NOT, THIS IS GONNA, YOU KNOW, EXCLUDE COPS AND FIREFIGHTERS. SO A LOT OF THE DOLLARS, A LOT OF THE HEADCOUNT THAT HAS BEEN INCREASED OVER THE PAST DECADE BY, BY THE CITY COMMISSIONS OF THE PAST HAS BEEN TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THERE HAS BEEN A, A LAG IN THE NON-PUBLIC SAFETY AREAS. UM, SO, YOU KNOW THAT, WHETHER THAT BE THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT OR HR OR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE OTHER DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY HAS NOT SHOWN A VERY LARGE INCREASE. BUT WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF ADDITIONAL SERVICES. 'CAUSE THIS IS GONNA INCLUDE, THESE ARE ALL DEPARTMENTS, UH, TAMIKA, RIGHT? THESE ARE ALL DEPARTMENTS. YEAH. YES. SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY ISSUES HERE IS VERY SIMILAR TO HOW WE PREPARE OUR BUDGET, IS WE JUST FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED OVER TIME. BUT WE DON'T LOOK BACK AT THE CUMULATIVE WAY THAT WE'VE GOTTEN HERE, RIGHT? SO WE COULD SAY, OKAY, WELL, A COMMISSION DIRECTIVE OVER 10 YEARS HAS, THROUGH BUDGET ENHANCEMENTS, HAS ADDED THOSE 32 POSITIONS. MM-HMM . I BET WE REALLY DON'T GO BACK AND ANALYZE THOUGH, OKAY, IN 2017, WE HAD THOSE 1,142 POSITIONS, RIGHT? THE WORLD HAS CHANGED. UH, PERHAPS TECHNOLOGY SHOULD HAVE MADE US MORE EFFICIENT. OF THOSE 1,142 POSITIONS THAT WERE STARTING BENCHMARK IN 2017, IS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM STILL REALLY NECESSARY, RIGHT? WE, WE JUST BUILD UP AND WE NEVER GO BACK AND EVALUATE THE NEEDS, THE, THE THE NEEDS. IT'S THE SAME THING WITH THE BUDGET, RIGHT? WE JUST FOCUS ON WHAT HAS BEEN ADDED AS AN ENHANCEMENT OVER THAT PAST YEAR. WE DON'T GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE PREVIOUS A HUNDRED YEARS OF CUMULATIVE SPENDING THAT IS NOW RECURRING THAT HAS GOTTEN US TO THAT STANDPOINT, RIGHT? SO WE COULD SAY, YEAH, WE'VE ONLY [00:55:01] ADDED 32 PEOPLE, BUT WE, WE'VE NEVER REALLY GONE BACK AND SAID, OKAY, WELL OF THOSE 1142, ARE THEY ALL NECESSARY OR DO WE JUST KEEP FILLING THOSE? BECAUSE THAT'S JUST THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE. IT'S THE SAME THING WITH THE BUDGET, RIGHT? WE, WE SIT HERE AND WE GO THROUGH A MONTH'S LONG PROCESS TO ANALYZE AN EXTRA $20 MILLION OF BUDGET ENHANCEMENTS, BUT WE NEVER REALLY PEEL BACK THAT ONION AND REALLY, REALLY GO THROUGH ON A GRANULAR LEVEL OF HOW WE GOT TO A BILLION DOLLARS AND WHAT THAT ENTAILS. AND, AND MR. CHAIR, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT THAT WE'VE LOST RESIDENTS. I THINK WE LOST 10,000 RESIDENTS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, YET WE'RE ADDING MORE EMPLOYEES FOR MORE SERVICE. THAT, THAT DOESN'T ADD UP. UM, WE SHOULD BE DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF SERVICE CONSIDERING WE HAVE LESS RESIDENTS IN MIAMI BEACH. UM, OKAY, WELL, COMMISSIONER, GO AHEAD. WELL, I JUST WANNA, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID, COMMISSIONER, BUT I DISAGREE. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD. WE HAVE MORE INVOLVED RESIDENTS. THEY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS ARE GROWING. WE HAVE SOME AREAS WHERE ONE IS SPLIT OFF INTO TWO, AND WE HAVE LARGER, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS AGO, I DON'T KNOW IF SONA EXISTED. AND NOW THEY DO. AND THEY ARE A VERY ROBUST NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION. AND I'M CURIOUS OUTTA THESE POSITIONS, HOW MANY ARE COMMISSION DIRECTED WHERE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ACTUALLY ASKED FOR MORE STAFF? UM, AND I COULD NAME A COUPLE, BUT I DON'T, YOU DON'T. IT'S OKAY, MARLA. WE'LL, WE'LL TALK OFFLINE ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I'VE SEEN COMMISSIONERS HAVE NEW AD, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST A COUPLE YEAR, 10 YEARS, WHERE IN THE GRANULAR DATA OF LOOKING AT THESE 32 POSITIONS, AND THIS CAN BE PROVIDED TO YOU EACH, EACH OF YOU AS WELL AS THE FULL COMMISSION. UM, THERE'S A RECORD OF WHERE THE POSITIONS ARE ADDED AND WHAT BUDGET YEAR THEY'RE ADDED. AND IT ALSO REFLECTS IN THIS CHART THAT I'M, UM, GONNA HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS FROM WHERE THE POSITIONS HAVE BEEN REMOVED. IN OTHER WORDS, UM, THE CONCEPT OF IS A POSITION STILL NEEDED AND DO WE NEED TO MAYBE MAKE CUTBACKS IN AREAS THAT IS ALSO REFLECTED IN THIS HISTORICAL BUDGET CHART OF HEADCOUNT? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER TIME, UM, 10 POSITIONS WERE ADDED IN BUDGET OUT OF THAT 32 POSITION BUDGET IN BUILDING, I'M SORRY, BUILDING, NOT BUDGET, EXCUSE ME, , MY GLASSES ARE NOT WORKING VERY WELL. POSITION IN BUILDING NOT, UH, HAVE BEEN ADDED. AND THAT HAS BEEN A DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSION. UH, OVER TIME, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEEDED TO ENHANCE OUR SERVICES IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT IN HOUSING. THERE HAVE BEEN 10 GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS ADDED. ALL OF THAT WAS GRANT FUNDED, NOT BUDGETED, UH, FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND. SO THAT'S ANOTHER 10 OF THE 32 POSITIONS IN, UM, PARKS AND REC. THERE WERE FIVE POSITIONS ADDED OVER TIME. UM, BUT THERE WERE ALSO FIVE POSITIONS REMOVED OVER TIME. SORRY, LET ME SAY IT DIFFERENTLY. THERE WERE 10 POSITIONS ADDED OVER TIME, BUT THERE WERE FIVE POSITIONS REMOVED OVER TIME. SO IT WAS DRIVEN BY WHAT SERVICES WERE NEEDED IN THOSE VARIOUS BUDGET YEARS TO SEE THAT NET GROWTH OF FIVE, UM, SANITATION HAS HAD A NET, UH, REDUCTION OF 18 POSITIONS. SO THE, THE GAIN OF 32 IS NOT JUST, LET'S KEEP ADDING THE GAIN OF 32 IS A NET GAIN WHERE OTHER POSITIONS HAVE BEEN REMOVED OVER TIME. AND SO I DO WANT YOU ALL TO, UM, WHEN THE COMMISSIONER SUAREZ DIRECTED, UH, THIS, THIS ITEM TO THIS COMMITTEE, THE FIRST THREE BULLET POINTS, IDENTIFYING CRITICAL COMPOSITIONS ESSENTIAL TO CORE FUNCTIONS. PLEASE KNOW THAT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT WE'RE DOING THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS. JUST LIKE EVERY BUDGET PROCESS, BUT PARTICULARLY THIS YEAR, UH, RECOMMEND POSITIONS THAT CAN BE COMBINED, ELIMINATED OR OUTSOURCED. THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN DELIVER THE BUDGET YOU HAVE DIRECTED US TO DELIVER WITHOUT DOING THAT. UH, PROPOSING OPERATIONAL CHANGES THAT IMPROVE SERVICE DELIVERY WITHOUT EXPANDING STAFF. WE ARE ALL DILIGENTLY WORKING ON THAT THROUGH OUR BUDGET PROCESS. THE ITEM THAT WE ARE, WE ARE ASKING TO MAINTAIN SOME FLEXIBILITY TO STRATEGICALLY HIRE AND MAINTAIN OUR OPERATIONS AND GET, DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED TO DELIVER, IS THE BLANKET CONCEPT OF A HIRING FREEZE IS, IS NOT A STRATEGIC APPROACH. AND WE, WE HONOR AND RE AND, AND DESIRE TO DELIVER THE STRATEGIC APPROACH THAT WE KNOW THAT YOU EXPECT OF US. WE DON'T THINK A BLANKET HIRING FREEZE IS THE BEST, UH, TOOL FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO USE. YEAH. AND THIS IS ANECDOTAL. I WORKED WITH THE NEIGHBORS, UH, ON SUNSET ITEMS AND THEY HAVE THIS PARK THERE. IT'S NOT WELL MAINTAINED. THEY, THEY ACTUALLY TOOK CARE OF THE DESIGN WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, RIGHT? HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THEY SPENT ON THE DESIGN. AND JOHN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE PARK WOULD'VE BEEN A MILLION DOLLARS OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, [01:00:01] RIGHT? THERE'S PROBABLY INDIVIDUAL HOMES OUT THERE THAT PAY SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TAXES. AND I HAD TO GO BACK TO THEM AFTER THE BUDGET AND SAY, NO, SORRY, COULDN'T GET YOU YOUR PARK. RIGHT? WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET. UH, 71% OF THAT IS JUST THE SALARIES AND EXPENSES. SO IMAGINE GOING TO OUR RESIDENCE THAT ARE PAYING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR, EACH OF THEM IN TAXES AND GOING, NOPE, COULDN'T GET TO YOUR PARK THAT YOUR CHILDREN WALK BY AND PLAY IN EVERY SINGLE DAY. WE'RE PAYING 71% OF YOUR TAXES IN THE SALARIES AND EXPENSES, BUT JUST COULDN'T DO IT THIS YEAR. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING? THEY'RE GOING, YOU KNOW WHAT, THANKS, BUT NO THANKS. JUST PLEASE ALLOW US TO FUND IT OURSELVES. SO THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THEY'RE PAYING INDIVIDUAL ON TAXES. THEY GO, WE DON'T WANNA PLAY THIS WAITING GAME. WE'RE, WE PUT TOGETHER THE DESIGN, JUST LET GOVERNMENT GET OUTTA THE WAY AND JUST LET US SPEND OUR OWN MONEY TO BUILD A PUBLIC FACILITY. RIGHT? THAT IS A VERY HARD MESSAGE TO DELIVER THAT WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, 71% GO TO PERSONNEL EXPENSES. 'CAUSE WE HAVE A FINITE PIE, RIGHT? WE, WE DON'T HAVE THIS INFINITE PIE. WE'RE NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT CAN JUST RUN UP THE TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DEFICITS. SO EVERY MONEY, EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND SOMEWHERE COMES FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. RIGHT. AND WHERE THAT IS FROM OUR RESIDENCE. EXACTLY. AND, AND IT'S NOT JUST, WE'RE NOT JUST DELIVERING PEOPLE SERVICES OUT THERE, CLEANING STREETS, BUT PARKS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. SO FOR EVERY DOLLAR IN PERSONNEL WE'RE SPENDING THAT WAS ONE FOR ONE, A PARK THAT WE COULDN'T DELIVER OR A ROAD PAVING THAT WE COULDN'T DELIVER. UH, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, UM, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHERE TRYING TO THREAD THIS NEEDLE? WE HEARD THE FEEDBACK FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, AND THINGS LIKE THAT WITH CITY STAFF WHERE, UM, WE CAN TERM IT WHATEVER, UH, WE WANT TO, BUT ANY INCREMENTAL HIRE ACROSS THE CITY HAS TO BE SIGNED OFF ON BY THE CITY MANAGER AND BY US OR, OR ONLY, I MEAN, THAT, THAT ALREADY HAPPENS, CORRECT? THE COMMISSION HAS ALREADY APPROVED THE POSITIONS, BUT I'M SAYING ANY FILL RIGHT NOW, IF SANITATION WANTED TO GO, UH, HIRE SOMEBODY THAT, THAT DOESN'T NEED, THAT DOESN'T GET ELEVATED TO GET SIGNED OFF ON BY THE CITY MANAGER, CORRECT. THAT THAT POSITION IS BUDGETED, THAT CAN JUST BE FILLED AS IS. CORRECT. CORRECT. YES. CORRECT. SO PERHAPS IF WE'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S JUST NOT STRATEGIC TO DOING ACROSS THE BOARD HIRING FREEZE. WE NEED TO BE MORE SURGICAL. LET, LET'S PUT THAT ACCOUNTABILITY. OUR CITY MANAGER IS HEARD, UH, THAT DIRECTION, LOUD AND CLEAR FROM US, THEN WHY DON'T WE, YEAH. IN THAT SAME VEIN, WHY DON'T WE HAVE THE DISCRETION OF THE CITY MANAGER APPROVED BY US AS ALMOST LIKE A BUDGET AMENDMENT? I, ME PERSONALLY, I VIEW US MORE OF A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT MICROMANAGEMENT, RIGHT? WE, WE PUT OUR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN A CITY MANAGER TO CARRY OUT THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS. THE GOAL AND OBJECTIVE IS CLEAR, RIGHT? IT'S, WE DO NOT WANT TO BE IN A POSITION AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHERE IT IS, UH, SEPTEMBER AND WE'RE SCRAMBLING THAT WE'VE PROMISED A ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE AND WE CAN'T GET THERE BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T PROPERLY MANAGED OUR BUDGET. THAT IS GOING TO BE HIS CLEAR DIRECTIVE. AND EACH POSITION, EVEN IF IT'S BUDGETED FOR, HAS TO BE SIGNED OFF ON BY THE CITY MANAGER, UH, MR CFO, BY IMPLEMENTING, LET'S JUST SAY WE WENT AHEAD WITH A BLANKET HIRING FREEZE. WOULD THAT HELP WITH THE ROLLBACK RATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, IN, WE'VE, WE'VE DIRECTED THE CITY STAFF TO DO, IF THE DIRECTION IS THAT WE ARE TO IMMEDIATELY CEASE HIRING, UH, ANY EMPLOYEES, UH, FOR THE NEXT NINE MONTHS, UH, THEN YES, OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD FREE UP, UH, THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS IN THE NEXT BUDGET, BUT OBVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE SOME POTENTIALLY SERIOUS RAMIFICATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, ON OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER SERVICES. AND THAT'S WHY OUR CONCERN HERE IS, IS TO NOT HAVE A BLANKET HIRING FREEZE. UH, BUT TO, AGAIN, THE COMMISSION HAS ALREADY DEFACTO GIVEN US THAT DIRECTION AS WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPAIR A ROLLBACK RATE BUDGET THAT'S GOING TO BE, AS THE CHAIR SAID, REQUIRE HEADCOUNT REDUCTION AND, AND PERHAPS SIGNIFICANT, UH, IN OUR GENERAL FUND. SO, UM, SO IT'S THE SAME THING, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO EVENTUALLY DO THAT IF, SINCE THAT, SINCE YOU'RE DIRECTED TO, BUT THE, BUT WHAT THE HOPE IS THAT, AND I THINK THAT WHAT, UH, MARLA WAS STATING IS THAT IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WANTS TO [01:05:01] GO BACK IS TO, TO, TO LIMIT NEW HIRES BASED ON OUR STRATEGIC REVIEW IN THE LIGHT OF THE UPCOMING ROLLBACK RATE BUDGET PREPARATION. SO, SO WHAT COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE IS PROPOSING IS ANY NEW HIRES HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE CITY MANAGER. AND THE CITY MANAGER UNDERSTANDS THAT WE, THAT HE'S DIRECTED TO THE ROLLBACK RATE FOR YEAR 27. UM, IF I COULD JUST TO, TO HELP, I THINK WHAT, BECAUSE OF PROCESS AND TIMING OF WHEN WE ARE HIRING, I THINK IT MIGHT BE MORE ADVISABLE AT THE, UM, APPLICA, UM, THE ADVERTISING STAGE WOULD BE THE SAME WAY OF GOING AT IT, BUT WOULD ALLOW IT, THAT, THAT WE WOULD NOT ADVERTISE FOR ANY POSITION, UH, UNLESS THE CITY MANAGER HAD APPROVED IT THAT WAY. UM, AT THE BACK END WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE EVER GONE THROUGH A HIRING PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE, WE WANT IT TO BE SPEEDY OFTEN BECAUSE SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY ON TECHNICAL POSITIONS, YOU MIGHT HAVE MULTIPLE OFFERS AND MULTIPLE JOBS. AND TO WAIT TO HAVE TIME FOR THE CITY MANAGER REVIEW ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS, PERHAPS HIRING A SANITATION WORKER OR AN OFFICER OR WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE, IT'D PROBABLY BE MORE PRUDENT TO GET TO THE SAME EXACT PLACE THAT, UH, THE CITY MANAGER WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THE ADVERTISING. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S BETTER WHERE IT GETS IN THE SAME PLACE BEFORE WE GO THROUGH THAT WHOLE HORSE AND PONY SHOW. IF IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, JUST BE MORE EFFICIENT, NIP IT IN THE BUD AND NOT EVEN ADVERTISE IT. IF THE CITY MANAGER'S NOT GOING TO SIGN OFF. IF, IF THAT, I THINK MARLA WOULD, THAT THAT WOULD PROBABLY WORK AND GET US TO THE SAME FROM A PROCESS STANDPOINT, THAT IS A TIGHTER CONTROL. YEAH. SO, SO IF IT WANTS TO RETURN TO THE COMMISSION TO DIRECT THE CITY, UH, THE ADMINISTRATOR, I GUESS. WELL, I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION IS THIS, ACROSS ALL CHARTERED OFFICES, IS THIS THE CITY ADMINISTRATION, UH, CLERKS, OIG ATTORNEY AND THE MAYOR COMMISSION, WHICH, WHO, WHO'S THE DIRECTION, WHAT POSITIONS ARE, ARE GONNA GET REVIEW FOR ADVERTISING? UM, JUST A REMINDER, 'CAUSE WE HAVE MULTIPLE CHARTERED OFFICES, IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY MANAGER. YEAH, IT SHOULD BE ACROSS ALL CHARTERED OFFICES. OKAY, SO DIRECT ALL CHARTER. SO THE COMMISSION, AND I GUESS WE COULD BE A RESOLUTION THAT ALL CHARTERED OFFICES OFFICERS WOULD REVIEW, UH, WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THE ADVERTISEMENT OF POSITION BEFORE IT MOVES FORWARD. OKAY. SO IF THAT IS THE MOTION, I'M JUST GONNA SO DIRECT, UH, RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION DIRECT, UH, ALL CHART OFFICERS TO REVIEW, UH, TO REVIEW AND APPROVE. SORRY, I'M WRITING THIS AS WE'RE GOING APPROVE ALL, UH, POSITION ADVERTISEMENTS. I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER MATTO SALINAS, I, I JUST, UH, THE, THE CONCERN THAT I MENTIONED ABOUT IF WE FIND SOMEONE WHO'S INCREDIBLY QUALIFIED FOR POSITION THAT WE NEED, HOW, SO NOW THIS POSITION IS NOT GONNA BE, UH, ADVERTISED BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER NEEDS TO, SO WE MIGHT POTENTIALLY LOSE OUT ON SOMEONE WHO'S INCREDIBLY QUALIFIED FOR A POSITION THAT'S NOT APPROVED. I THINK BY THIS DIRECTION, THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN BECAUSE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS, IS CITY MANAGER OR THE CITY ATTORNEY OR WHOEVER WOULD REVIEW AND SAY, THIS IS A, AN ESSENTIAL POSITION, I REALLY NEED TO FILL THIS POSITION. AND WE WOULD ADVERTISE IT. SO IT WOULD NEVER BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE HAD A CANDIDATE AND WE'D SAY, NOW IT'S BEING PULLED BACK, THE CITY MANAGER, WE JUST WOULDN'T ADVERTISE FOR IT. AND JASON, WE'RE MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION HERE, BUT THE FULL COMMISSION IS WHAT IS APPROVING THIS. THIS WOULD, THIS WOULD RETURN TO, THIS IS A, A, A COMMITTEE. SO THIS WOULD RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO IMPLEMENT ALL CHARTER OFFICERS HAVING TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE ADVERTISEMENT OF ANY POSITIONS. AND THIS WON'T BE YANKING OFF EVERY SINGLE POSITION THAT'S ON. IT WOULD BE UP TO THAT CHARTERED OFFICER TO REVIEW ALL OPEN POSITIONS THAT ARE, UH, UP FOR ADVERTISEMENT AND TO SAY, GIVE THE GO OR NO GO, UH, ON, ON THOSE. AND AS A, AS AN EXAMPLE, I'D SAID THAT AS, AS MY, AS A AN EXECUTIVE, UH, STAFF MYSELF, I HAVE POSITIONS THAT I'VE ALREADY PERSONALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, FROZEN. SO IF THOSE WOULD GO, THEY WOULD EVEN GO TO ADVERTISEMENT EXAMPLE. UH, BUT IF THEY WERE ON THE LIST, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A, IT'S A STOP GAP, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S JUST ANOTHER STOP THAT HAS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE CHARTER OFFICER FOR THE HIRE. AND BY DOING THIS, IT ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATES, UH, COMMISSIONER MATEO SALINAS'S VALID CONCERN OF THERE COULD BE SOME ESSENTIAL POSITIONS, SOME EXTRAORDINARY TALENT THAT'S NOT GOING TO GET LOST. WE PUT OUR TRUST AND FAITH IN THE CITY MANAGER AND OUR CHARTER OFFICERS. THEY'RE THE ONES WE HAVE CONTROL OVER HIRING. SO WE HAVE TO PUT OUR TRUST AND FAITH, BUT ALSO KNOW AT THE END OF THE YEAR THAT THERE'S GONNA BE ACCOUNTABILITY IF WE DON'T GET TO THE POSITION WHERE, UH, WE'VE ALL DIRECTED THAT WE GET. RIGHT. I THINK WE CAN, I THINK WE CAN WORK WITH, WITH, WITH THAT. SO WE RETURN TO THE MOTION WILL BE RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO DIRECT ALL CHARTERED OFFICERS TO APPROVE THE ADVERTISEMENT OF, FOR ALL POSITIONS, ALL OPEN POSITIONS. YEP. AND, AND IF WE COULD, UH, NATALIE, DO WE STILL HAVE ON PETER, IF HE COULD GIVE A QUICK UPDATE, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE ESSENTIALLY GOING THROUGH THIS WITH THE UNDERSTANDING WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO A ROAD BACK MILLAGE RATE, WE COULD HAVE MUCH BIGGER FISH [01:10:01] TO FRY, IF YOU WILL. UM, SO MAYBE WE CAN HEAR AN UPDATE, UH, FROM PETER ABOUT WHAT THOSE FISH COULD LOOK LIKE. PETER, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF. HI EVERYBODY. COULD YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN. HI, PETER LEE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS LIAISON. SO TO THE COMMISSION'S POINT, UM, THERE'S A FEW SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL, UH, IMPACT BILLS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN TALLAHASSEE. TWO, TWO BILLS PASSED ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. THE, UM, THE FIRST ONE WAS THE HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION, UM, WHICH EXEMPTS HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES, UM, WHICH EXEMPTS HOMESTEAD PROPERTY FROM NON-SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES AND PROHIBITS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM REDUCING FUNDING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS. AND THEN, UM, THE OTHER, UM, UH, BILL IS THE LOCAL BUSINESS TAXES. SO THIS WOULD REPEAL THE CURRENT AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE LOCAL BUSINESS TAXES. AND THAT BILL PASSED THE HOUSE FLOOR AND IS ACTUALLY STUCK IN ITS, UM, AND, AND ON THE SENATE SIDE, IT'S ACTUALLY STUCK IN THE SECOND COMMITTEE. SO THIS IS MEANINGFUL BECAUSE IT SUGGESTS THAT, UM, GIVEN THE TIMING AND POSTURE THAT THE POLICY COULD BE USED IN AS LEVERAGE AND BROADER HOUSE AND SENATE NEGOTIATIONS, PARTICULARLY AS, UH, WE MOVE CLOSER TO, TO BUDGET ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE CHAMBERS. SO, UM, THIS IS THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR THAT THE HOUSE HAS MOVED FORWARD WITH THIS LOCAL BUSINESS TAX REPEAL. SO IT IS A PRIORITY ON THE HOUSE SIDE AND THE SENATE'S BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE CAUTIOUS CONSIDERING HOW MANY OTHER FINANCIAL, UM, IMPLICATION BILLS THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE IMPACTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND, AND, AND FINANCIALLY CONSTRAINING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE, UM, TO THIS KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN POLICY THAT'S MOVED THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS IN THE HOUSE SIDE AND, AND IT'S WORKING ITS WAY IN THE SENATE AND IT COULD BE USED IN POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS TO BE THROWN IN A TAX PACKAGE AND PASSED THAT WAY. THAT WOULD BE THE LOCAL BUSINESS TAX, WHICH AS WE SAID, COULD HAVE UP TO $6 MILLION IMPACT ON, ON OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND, AND PETER, HOW ABOUT WHERE THINGS STAND FOR THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY EXEMPTIONS? UH, OBVIOUSLY NOT GONNA TIE YOU INTO ANYTHING, BUT GIVE US THE LATEST, UH, LAY OF THE LAND. YEAH, SO THERE'S SEVEN, UM, PROPERTY TAX PROPOSALS RIGHT NOW MOVING, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. ALL HAVE BEEN PUSHED FORWARD THROUGH THE HOUSE. UM, THE ONE THAT MADE IT THROUGH THE FOUR FLOOR, THE THIS WEEK WAS, WAS THE, WAS THE HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION BY REP MILLER. UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THE SENATE HASN'T, UM, INDICATE, HASN'T RELEASED ANY PROPERTY TAX PROPOSAL. AND THEY'RE TRYING TO ALIGN WITH WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S, UM, INTENTIONS ARE WITH THE PROPERTY TAX PROPOSAL. AND THE ONLY INDICATION THAT WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR, UM, BETWEEN THE SENATE AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A MODEST PROPERTY TAX PROPOSAL THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLY RELEASED DURING BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS. BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST KIND OF WAITING AND SEEING, UM, WHAT THE SENATE DOES, UM, AND, AND, AND THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH, WITH, UM, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. THE HOUSE WAS JUST BEING PROACTIVE AND TRYING TO MOVE MEASURES. KNOWING THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT ONE OF HIS PRIORITIES BEFORE HE LEAVES OFFICE IS TO ELIMINATE, UM, PROPERTY TAXES NOW AND WHAT WADE HE'S GOING TO DO THAT HE, HE HASN'T RELEASED ANY, ANYTHING. PETER, PETER, WASN'T THE THOUGHT, JUST GIVEN THE STRENUOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSE LEADERSHIP AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, THAT THE HARDER, UH, HILL TO CLIMB FOR THIS TO HAPPEN WOULD'VE BEEN PASSING IT OUT OF THE HOUSE AND THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED? NO, I WOULD, I, I WOULD SAY THE HEART, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE HARDER THING TO HAPPEN IS FOR THE HOUSE AND SENATE TO A LINE ON A PROPERTY TAX PROPOSAL. SO SINCE THE GOVERNOR HASN'T RELEASED HIS PERSONAL PROPOSAL, LIKE I SAID, THE HOUSE IS BEING PROACTIVE, BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THE HOUSE'S PROPOSALS ARE MOOT, BUT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE SENATE TO MOVE FORWARD A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD REACH THE GOVERNOR'S DESK AND FOR THEM TO MOVE FORWARD AND SIGN, WHICH WOULD, UM, THEN MOVE ITS WAY ON OUR BALLOTS FOR IN NOVEMBER FOR, FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS TO VOTE ON. SO, UH, HANDICAP THE ODDS THAT THERE IS, UH, BALLOT LANGUAGE, OH, I WOULD SAY, I WANNA SAY 70%, THAT AT LEAST ONE MEASURE IS GOING TO MAKE ITS WAY ON THE BALLOT. NOW WE DON'T KNOW WHICH MEASURE EXACTLY, BUT DEFINITELY WE COULD EXPECT ONE MEASURE, UM, TO MAKE ITS WAY ON THE BALLOT AND THE LEGISLATURE'S ALREADY PREPARING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A SPECIAL SESSION JUST SPECIFICALLY ON PROPERTY TAXES. EXCELLENT. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IF THAT, WHEN, AND IF THAT HAPPENS, IT WOULD BE BECAUSE THE SENATE HAS RELEASED THEIR OWN PROPERTY TAX PROPOSAL, UM, SPECIFICALLY ALIGNED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S, UM, THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL, AND THAT'S WHEN THE, THE HOUSE IN THE, IN THE UPPER CHAMBERS WOULD BE KIND OF FIGHTING OUT THE DETAILS TO SEE WHAT'S GONNA MAKE ITS WAY, UM, ON, ON ON. AND WHAT IS THE THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED? ACTUALLY, IF IT IS VOTED FAVORABLY UPON? UM, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE OF JULY OF NEXT YEAR. THAT, THAT, THAT WAS A NERVOUS LEFT FOR ME. UM, ? YEAH. OKAY. LIKE THE 28 OR 29TH. OKAY. HOW MANY WEEKS, PETER, [01:15:01] HOW MANY WEEKS OF SESSION DO WE HAVE LEFT? SO MARCH 13TH, UM, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE FINAL DAY OF, UH, SESSION, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE HASN'T BEEN MANY ME MEASURES. I THINK ONLY THREE BILLS HAVE ACTUALLY PASSED. UM, THE WHOLE COMMITTEE, THE WHOLE LIKE PROCESS. UM, WE HAD SOME BILLS PASSED THE HOUSE SIDE, UH, THIS WEEK, BUT, AND SOME PASSED THE SENATE, BUT IN C IN, IN, IN UNISON, THERE'S ONLY BEEN THREE BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED, UM, COLLECTIVELY. SO THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF POLICY MOVEMENT SO FAR BECAUSE OF THE TENSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. EXCELLENT, I APPRECIATE THAT. UH, MR. CFO, HAVE YOU AND YOUR TEAM DONE AN ANALYSIS FOR THE IMPACT OF A ROLLED BACK HOMESTEADED PROPERTY TAX? UH, YES. UH, THERE IS A, A WORKING GROUP, UM, BEING COORDINATED BY THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY WITH ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES. WE HAVE A, A CALL THAT WE HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS ON FRIDAYS, AND THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT OF BUDGET HAS DONE SOME ANALYSIS. YOU KNOW, THE BILLS OBVIOUSLY MOVE AND CHANGE, UH, THROUGH TIME. UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ONE EXEMPTS POLICE THEN POLICE AND FIRE. UH, BUT I BELIEVE IF THERE WAS A FULL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, IT WAS A $78 MILLION 79, UH, 79 MIL. IT'S ROUNDED AT 80, UH, ABOUT AN $80 MILLION, UH, IMPACT, UH, TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND. THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OUT THERE THAT'S PRETTY POPULAR, I BELIEVE, RELATED TO EXEMPTING IT FOR, UH, FOR HOMESTEADED SENIORS, UH, WHICH WAS 420,000. YEAH. WHICH WAS A BIT OF A SURPRISE AND SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN I EXPECTED. SO WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, UH, SENIORS THAT ARE HOMESTEADED, WHICH WOULD ALMOST BE A ROUNDING ERROR FOR OUR BUDGET. SO, AND MAYBE THIS IS MORE FOR PETER. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT PROPOSES AN EXEMPTION UP TO A CERTAIN THRESHOLD? YOU KNOW, SO IF, IF YOUR HOME IS VALUED UP TO A MILLION DOLLARS OR 2 MILLION, I'VE SEEN ONE FOR, UH, GIVING ANOTHER BLANKET $200,000 EXEMPTION. I'VE SEEN ONE'S INCREASING IT BY A FEW 25 THOUSANDS ONCE THERE'S A LOT OF FLAVORS OUT THERE, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY AND DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHICH FLAVOR, UH, WILL END UP COMING. AND I BELIEVE THE COUNTY'S ANALYSIS SAID IF THIS IS PASSED AS PROPOSED, UH, THEY WOULD LOSE ABOUT ALMOST 30 CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR THAT THEY COLLECT. THEY WOULD, UH, LOSE ABOUT $980 MILLION OUT OF THE THREE POINT, UH, 3.3 THAT THEY COLLECT. YES, I BELIEVE THE, OUR ANALYSIS WAS MIAMI BEACH WAS ON THE LOWER END OF HOMESTEAD. UH, SO IF IT ENDS UP BEING SOMETHING FROM THE HOMESTEAD PERSPECTIVE OF THE 34 MUNICIPALITIES, WE WERE DEFINITELY ON THE, THE LOW END OF, ON A PERCENTAGE BASE IMPACT, STILL AN IMPACT. IT WILL BE A HUGE IMPACT, BUT FOR SOME CITIES IT WOULD BE TRAFFIC BETTER BECAUSE OF THE RESORT TAXES WE COLLECT, THE TOURISM, UH, TAXES THAT WE COLLECT. THIS WOULD ALSO AFFECT THE COUNTY. CORRECT. THIS WOULD AFFECT EVERY CITY AND COUNTY IN THE ENTIRE STATE. WHAT WOULD I, I KNOW YOU, YOU DON'T WORK FOR THE COUNTY, I HAVE NO IDEA, BUT WHAT WOULD, HOW, HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT THE COUNTY AS FAR AS OUR SERVICES BUS ROUTES, TRANSPORTATION ACROSS? I WOULDN'T BE, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT WITH THIS. THE COUNTY'S CRA, WELL, YEAH, THEY, UH, IF, IF, WELL, BUT THE CCRA WOULD PRETTY MUCH BE OVER. IT COULD BE, AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH BILL COMES OUT. IF IT, IT IS HOMESTEAD, IS IT HOMESTEAD SENIORS, IS IT A, AN EXEMPTION INCREASE? ALL THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT FLAVORS AT WHICH COME OUT. UH, AND ONCE IT, YOU KNOW, IT COMES OUT, I THINK, UH, PETER HAD SAID IT, UH, WAS THAT SOMETHING WILL MORE THAN LIKELY COME OUT, UH, PROBABLY WHATEVER ONE, IT SEEMS TO BE THE SENATE IS IN THE DRIVING, DRIVING, UH, POSITION AT THIS POINT TO PICK THE ONE THAT THEY WANT TO GET ONTO THE BALLOT, AND THEN, UH, THE VOTERS WOULD'VE TO VOTE ON THAT AND HIT THE 60%. AND I, I BELIEVE, I WAS JUST READING AN ARTICLE RECENTLY THAT THE, THE LAST TWO, UH, THERE WAS AN EXEMPTION FOR, UH, GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, LIKE POLICE, FIRE TEACHERS THAT DID NOT PASS. AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER EXEMPTION THAT DID NOT PASS. SO I THINK THE LAST TWO THAT CAME OUT, UM, SURPRISINGLY, DID NOT MEET THOSE THRESHOLDS. SO EVEN IF IT COMES OUT, UH, IT WOULD, UM, IT, IT MAY BE A VERY DIFFICULT, UH, BAR TO PASS, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A MORE DRACONIAN ONE, LIKE ALL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD, BECAUSE THAT COULD END UP, ESPECIALLY WITH THE, THE, THE VERSION THAT IS NOW WHERE IT, IT STATES THAT POLICE AND FIRE CANNOT BE TOUCHED, WHICH MAKE UP 62% OF OUR BUDGET. UM, IF, IF I CAN'T TOUCH, UH, 62% OF MY BUDGET, THAT WOULD MEAN DRAMATIC DEC IN, UH, DECREASES ACROSS ALL OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. UH, YOU KNOW, IT COULD MEAN SHUTTING OF PARKS. IT COULD MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO HERE'S HALF CUTS TO CODE COMPLIANCE. I MEAN, IT COULD BE QUITE DRACONIAN. AND HERE'S HOW THE STATE'S MESSAGING IS GOING TO GO, RIGHT? THE CFO OF THE STATE WENT AROUND AND DID THE FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE, UM, THE DOGE TOUR, THE DOGE CUTS MM-HMM . AND EVEN NOW, WITH THE SUNSHINE MEETING WE HAD EARLIER THIS WEEK, RIGHT? WHEN THEY GO TO, WHEN THEY FINALIZE SOMETHING AND GO TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT, THEY'RE GOING TO GO AROUND AND SAY, LISTEN, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM YOUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES, WE CAN'T APPROVE THIS BECAUSE POLICE AND FIRE ARE [01:20:01] GOING TO BE IMPACTED, AND THEY'RE GONNA HOLD UP A PIECE OF PAPER AND SAY, NOPE, IT'S GOING TO BE X, Y, Z, ALL THIS FRIVOLOUS STUFF. NOW THE TRUTH IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, RIGHT? AND, AND THAT'S THE POINT OF IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE EXERCISE THE STATE HAS GONE THROUGH IS CLEARLY INTENDED TO MITIGATE THAT MESSAGING CAMPAIGN THAT, WELL, IF YOU GET RID OF PROPERTY TAXES, HOMESTEAD OF PROPERTY TAXES, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIRE ALL YOUR POLICE AND FIRE. THEY'RE GONNA SAY, NOPE. LOOK AT ALL THE STUPID THINGS THEY'VE SPENT MONEY ON. AND THEN PEOPLE, OH, WOW. WHY DO I WANT MY TAXES GOING THERE? UH, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY, IF THIS GETS PUT ON A BALLOT, EVEN THOUGH 60% IS HARD TO ACHIEVE, WHEN YOU ASK PEOPLE VERY SIMPLISTICALLY, DO YOU WANNA PAY LESS TAXES? THEY'RE GONNA SAY, WELL, WE'LL DEAL WITH THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES LATER. UH, OF COURSE. SO I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY BE EVEN MORE PROACTIVE IF WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR TALLAHASSEE LEGISLATIVE PERSON THAT THERE'S A 70% CHANCE SOMETHING GETS PUT ON THE BALLOT, AND I'LL HANDICAP MYSELF. BUT, UH, LET'S SAY THERE'S A 70% CHANCE OF THAT PASSING IF IT GETS PUT ON THE BALLOT, UH, IT WOULD BE A DERELICTION OF DUTY, ESPECIALLY HOW QUICKLY IT'LL BE IMPLEMENTED IF WE REALLY DON'T START PUTTING A CONTINGENCY PLAN IN PLACE. SO LET'S WORK TOGETHER ABOUT, I KNOW YOU HAVE A WORKING GROUP, BUT HOW WE, UH, REALLY ACCELERATE THAT AND, AND I THINK THE, THE COMMISSION GIVING DIRECTION TO PREPARE A, A, A, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL ROLLBACK RATE BUDGET IS THAT, IS REALLY THAT WE STARTED DOWN IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YEAH. BUT WE MAY ACTUALLY, AS HARD AS THAT WAS GOING TO BE TO ACHIEVE, WE MAY HAVE TO DOUBLE AND TRIP IT DOWN ON THOSE EFFORTS. OH YEAH. THEY WOULD, THERE WOULD BE POTENTIALLY OUTSIDE OF THE MILLAGE RATE GOING UP, UH, FOR NON NON-PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, OUTSIDE OF THAT OR SOME MIX OF THOSE TWO THINGS THAT BE SOMETHING THAT FUTURE COMMISSION WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH. OKAY. SO DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON ANYTHING HERE? YES. UH, SO THAT WOULD, UH, TO RETURN TO COMMISSION FAVOR, RECOMMENDATION TO DIRECT ALL CHARTER OFFICERS AMENDED TO APPROVE, TO APPROVE, UH, THE ADVERTISEMENT OF ALL OPEN POSITIONS. AND WHO'S MAKING THAT, THAT MOTION? I'LL MOVE IT. SECOND SUAREZ MAGAZINE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. WE'LL SHOW PAST THREE. NOTHING. THANK YOU. SO JASON, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, REDUCTION IN SOME OF THE REVENUE WE HAVE COMING IN AND ACHIEVE THAT, I'M KIND OF TEEING YOU UP HERE. YOU CAN EITHER GET THERE THROUGH REDUCTION IN EXPENSES OR THROUGH INCREASED REVENUE, GROWTH IN REVENUE. SO LET'S HEAR GROWTH IN REVENUE, IF WE CAN HAVE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM COME UP. UM, JUST TO GO BACK TO THE ITEM PRIOR, WE DO HAVE A PROJECT THAT'S SEPARATE FROM THE ONE THAT WAS CLOSED FOR 17TH STREET. SO IT HAS A 1.9 MILLION. SO WE FULLY THREE MONTHS IN IT'S FUNDED, WAS IT 19 DAYS? WE'LL SEE THAT DONE. YEAH. TOTALLY FUNDED. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, ITEM BEFORE, YES. OKAY. UH, STEVEN, THE NEWS IS TIMELY. UH, EVERY RICH PERSON IN THE WORLD'S MOVING TO MIAMI, HOW DOES THAT HELP OUR ECONOMY? HOW DOES THAT HELP US? WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO CAPITALIZE? HOW ARE WE BUILDING A REAL ECONOMY FOR REAL PEOPLE TO GET REAL JOBS, FOR REAL INCOME? LET'S HEAR SOME OF YOUR EFFORTS. AND THEN LET'S TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE, A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSUMED WE'RE GOING TO BE THE BENEFICIARIES, UH, OF SOME BUSINESSES MOVING FROM NEW YORK. NOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME TRULY CRAZY POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED IN CALIFORNIA THAT HAVE JUST POURED ABSOLUTE ACCELERANT ON NOT ONLY THE ZUCKERBERGS OF THE WORLD, OKAY? WE, WE CAN HAVE THAT PHILOSOPHICAL ARGUMENT. DO REALLY RICH BROS MOVING HERE BENEFIT THE EVERYDAY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IF WE DON'T HAVE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. WE COULD HAVE THAT ARGUMENT. I THINK THERE, THERE'S GOOD POINTS ON BOTH SIDES, BUT IT GOES DEEPER THAN THAT, RIGHT? IT'S PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY NOW MOVING COMPANIES OUT OF CALIFORNIA. AND JUST THIS WEEK IT WAS ANNOUNCED MIAMI IN GENERAL IS GOING TO BE A BENEFICIARY OF WHAT WILL BE OUR LARGEST PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANY, UM, IN FLORIDA WITH A $300 BILLION MARKET CAP, WHICH IS A AI COMPANY, RIGHT? SO WE, UH, WE'VE BEEN OUT IN FRONT OF THIS, UH, ABOUT TRYING TO PUT SOME INCENTIVES TO ATTRACT AI COMPANIES. WHAT HAVE YOU ON YOUR TEAM BEEN DOING? IF I COULD JUST READ THE ITEM IN. YEP. SO MB FOUR [NB 4. DEVELOP OR EXPAND TARGETED ECONOMIC INCENTIVES TO ATTRACT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) COMPANIES TO MIAMI BEACH] DEVELOP OR EXPAND TARGETED ECONOMIC INCENTIVES TO ATTRACT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANIES, UH, TO MIAMI BEACH, MB FOUR. SO THANK YOU CHAIR, AND, UM, GOOD MORNING, UH, MEMBERS OF THE, THE COMMITTEE, UM, STEVEN ANTHONY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, ONE, I GOTTA GIVE HOOP. HUGE KUDOS TO YOU, UH, UH, CHAIR FOR THE EFFORTS THAT YOU PUT FORWARD LAST YEAR, THE EXPANSION OF OUR JOB CREATIVE INCENTIVE PROGRAM. UM, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION ON ADDING MORE MARKETING AND AND DOLLARS TO, TO THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD. I THINK ALWAYS ALL OF US. YEAH. AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT FROM, FROM [01:25:01] THE COMMISSION BECAUSE IT'S HAD A REALLY BIG EFFECT ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN. THE ACTIVITY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE, AND FOLKS MAY HAVE SEEN RECENTLY, COMPANY OUT OF CANADA BY THE NAME OF GFL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, UH, JUST RELOCATED THEIR EXECUTIVE OFFICES, THEIR EXECUTIVE, THEIR, THEIR CEO MOVED INTO MIAMI BEACH, THEIR EXECUTIVE OFFICES ARE NOW SET UP HERE IN SUNSET HARBOR. ALL OF THAT IS DUE TO A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING RECENTLY. AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S THE ACTIVITY THAT'S BEEN BUILDING UP AND HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO ATTRACT THESE TYPES OF COMPANIES. I'VE ALWAYS, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS RECENTLY, SO WE, WE, WE ENACTED A OUTREACH TARGETING PROGRAM THROUGH THE BUSINESS JOURNAL, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING, UH, WASHINGTON, DC AND NEW YORK. IT IS THEIR HIGHEST OUT OF ALL OF THE CITIES, UH, PROGRAMS THAT THEY'VE ENACTED, IT IS THEIR HIGHEST PERFORMING ONE. AND SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE NOW LOOKING FROM THOSE MAJOR MARKETS THAT ARE SAYING, MIAMI BEACH IS THE PLACE THAT WE MAY WANNA MOVE OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICES. I FIGURED THAT'S, THAT'S THE BIGGEST TARGET FOR US, RIGHT? SO WE MAY NOT ATTRACT A 700 PERSON COMPANY THAT'S GONNA MOVE TO MIAMI BEACH, BUT WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IS TO DO SIMILAR TO WHAT GFL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DID, IS TO MOVE THEIR EXECUTIVE OFFICES HERE AND THEY CAN SET UP SHOP RIGHT HERE ON THE BEACH. AND STEVEN, PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO, AND WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER MM-HMM . IS I'VE COME TO REALIZE WE NEED AN INTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING PLAN TO OUR EVERYDAY RESIDENTS ABOUT HOW SOME OF THESE THINGS BENEFIT THEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY, THEY READ THE PAPER, THEY GO, AH, SOME RICH BRO THAT OWNS A WASTE COMPANY, JUST GOT AN OFFICE HERE, WHY DO I CARE? IN FACT, IT'S GONNA BE MORE TRAFFIC. WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND HELP OUR RESIDENTS KIND OF DIGEST IS THE ECOSYSTEM THAT THAT HELPS, RIGHT? SO I, I, I KNOW THAT GENTLEMAN PERSONALLY, HE IS A FRIEND, UH, HE BUYS PROPERTY ON MIAMI BEACH, RIGHT? HIS CFO BOUGHT PROPERTY IN FIVE PARK. THEY ARE OUT IN SUNSET HARBOR EVERY SINGLE DAY SUPPORTING A MULTITUDE OF SMALL BUSINESSES RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD. UM, AND WHEN WE BROUGHT SOMETHING, UH, LIKE THE, THE COMPANY, THE LINCOLN ROAD, AND, AND I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT IN THAT SAME BUILDING IN, IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, UM, EXECUTIVE EMPLOYEES THAT NOW ARE LIVING ON MIAMI BEACH ARE TRAVELING TO COCONUT GROVE TO GO INTO THEIR OFFICES, RIGHT? SO THAT'S CARS OFF THE ROAD, PEOPLE ABLE TO WALK TO WORK. BUT THOSE ARE BODIES DURING THE DAY IN SOME OF OUR COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR AREAS LIKE LINCOLN ROAD. AND WE ALL TALK ABOUT, OH MY GOSH, WHAT, WHY IS IT ONLY CHEESECAKE FACTORY? AND WELL, IT'S BECAUSE RIGHT THERE, THERE'S NOT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE EATING EVERY SINGLE DAY AT THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES. AND WHEN YOU HAVE HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES NOW THAT ARE WORKING IN SUNSET HARBOR OR WORKING IN ON LINCOLN ROAD, OR ARE SOON TO BE WORKING ON FIFTH STREET, THAT REALLY HELPS OUR LOCAL ECOSYSTEM. AND ALSO FOR THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HAVING REAL JOBS FOR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS. YEP. RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING WHITE COLLAR FINANCE, VENTURE CAPITAL, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL GREEN ENERGY IS WHAT GFL IS. ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. RIGHT. THOSE ARE JOBS THAT ARE GOING TO BE OPEN TO MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS. SO ABSOLUTELY, UH, IT REALLY HELPS US DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY AWAY FROM, UH, THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WHERE IT'S AS BADLY NEEDED NOW AS EVER. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS, UH, THAT YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE AND IN ADDITION TO NEW YORK AND DC HOW WE ADD CALIFORNIA INTO THE MIX OF BEING OUR TARGET. YEP. SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT STAGE IS HOW DO WE EXPAND UPON THE WORK THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING? I HAD TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE BUDGET BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND SAY, OKAY, WHERE'S OUR FIRST INITIAL TARGETS? AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE TRACTION. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GAINED SOME TRACTION THERE FIRST, AND THEN HOW DO WE KIND OF DIP INTO SOME OF THESE OTHER MARKETS AS WELL AND SEE HOW DO WE ATTRACT SOME OF THOSE SAME TYPE OF COMPANIES FROM THOSE PLACES AND GETTING THEM WITH THEIR EYES ON MIAMI BEACH AS WELL. AND SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. AND TO, AND TO YOUR POINT, UM, EARLIER CHAIR, THE, WE JUST PULLED THE LATEST, UH, RETAIL NUMBERS, THE ACTUAL RETAIL VACANCY NUMBERS HAVE ACTUALLY GONE DOWN. AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THAT YOU'RE SEEING MORE RESTAURANTS, YOU'RE SEEING MORE FOLKS ACTUALLY OPEN UP ON, ON MIAMI BEACH SPECIFICALLY. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING. I THINK ALSO TOO, WITH THE COMMISSION AND THE EFFORTS AROUND PERMITTING AND HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT PROCESS A LOT EASIER? FOLKS ARE PAYING ATTENTION. AND SO THOSE ARE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE CERTAINLY DOING AS IT PERTAINS PARTICULARLY TO THE, TO THE ITEM HERE. UM, IN ORDER TO BE FISCALLY, FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE UTILIZE THE EXISTING, UH, RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TARGETED. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO DO A REFRESH OF OUR COLLATERAL, REFRESH OF OUR MARKETING TO SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANIES AND THEN LEVERAGE [01:30:01] OUR PARTNERSHIPS. SO SPECIFICALLY WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH EMERGE AMERICAS, UM, AND, AND ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY SAYING, HEY, HOW DO WE CURATE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANIES? AND WE AS A CITY THEN HAVE A PERSONAL SIT DOWN WITH THOSE COMPANIES AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THEIR BENEFITS ARE ABOUT MOVING TO, TO MIAMI BEACH. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE EFFORTS THAT ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW. UH, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE JUST, WE CAN DO THIS ADMINISTRATIVELY, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO A REFRESH OF OUR MARKETING AND THE COLLATERAL MATERIAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING WELL, HOW DOES THAT BENEFIT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANIES TO COME TO MIAMI BEACH? YEAH. AND, AND LET'S, UH, WE HAD THIS TALK DURING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING. UH, WE ARE WELL POSITIONED HERE AT MIAMI BEACH THAT WE HAVE AN UNPARALLELED ACCESS TO SOME OF OUR OWN RESIDENTS THAT HAVE THE BIGGEST ROLODEXES IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING SOME OF THE TECH LEADERS, UH, IN THE WORLD, UM, ARE FRONT AND CENTER AT OUR ACCESS. AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MIAMI IS WE ARE SEEING THIS, UH, GROWTH AND EXCITEMENT. EVERYBODY SEEMS TO WANT TO GET ENGAGED TO HELP GROW OUR AREA. RIGHT THERE, THERE'S THIS TREMENDOUS SENSE OF, UH, COLLABORATION. AND, UH, ONE THING I I REALLY WANT TO DO IS HIGHLIGHT, IT WAS ACTUALLY THROUGH, UH, IN LARGE PART THE EFFORTS OF, UH, COMMISSIONER MARK SAMIAN THAT WE HAD SOME OF THESE OFFICE OVERLAY INCENTIVES. UM, HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HAVING, UH, THE ALTON ROAD, SUNSET HARBOR OFFICE OVERLAY THAT ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED AND IN SANITIZED CLASS A OFFICE DEVELOPMENT. I DON'T THINK THAT BUILDING WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT GFL AND ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, GREEN RECYCLING COMPANY MOVED INTO, YOU HAVE ARIES CAPITAL, UH, A HUGE PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM TOOK 17,000 SQUARE FEET IN THERE. YEAH. THAT IS CLASS A PLUS PLUS OFFICE SPACE. AND IT WAS THROUGH, UH, HIS VISIONARY EFFORTS THAT REALLY HELPED, UH, DELIVER SOME OF THIS. ABSOLUTELY. OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM NOW IS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, WE ARE CLOSE TO FULLY LEASED AT OUR CLASS A OR CLASS X OFFICE BUILDING ON LINCOLN ROAD. WE ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT FULLY LEASED AT 1800 SUNSET HARBOR. UM, AND WE'RE BEING CLOSE TO FULLY LEASED AT THE NEW CLASS A OFFICE BUILDING, UH, THAT'S JUST ABOUT, UH, COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION ON FIFTH STREET. AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SHOVELS IN THE GROUND. UM, SO WE'RE TWO AND A HALF TO THREE YEARS AWAY FROM SEEING OTHER OFFICE PROJECTS COME ONLINE IN SUNSET HARBOR. THERE'S TWO PROPOSED, THERE'S A SISTER PROJECT ON FIFTH AND ALTON. UH, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF, UH, UH, WE'RE RESOURCE POOR, IF YOU WILL. SO I, I THINK THE FREE MARKET I IS RECOGNIZING THAT AND IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. BUT LET'S CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOUR EFFORTS. UM, THIS IS GENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITY AND, AND IT'S WHY, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT TO OPEN THIS KEN OF WORMS, BUT I LOOK AT AREAS LIKE WASHINGTON AVENUE AND, AND I SEE MY VISION. I GO, WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT IF WE HAVE TO HAVE BARRICADES UP FOR SPRING BREAK OR NOT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT. OUR ECONOMY NOW IS THIS GREAT BALANCE OF HIGH-END TOURISM AND A BETTER ECONOMY FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS TO ESSENTIALLY PARTICIPATE AND THRIVE FROM. ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. AND JUST ONE QUICK NOTE, THE MIAMI BEACH ME BUSINESS CAMPAIGN. UM, SO FOLKS GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE, UH, THE INITIAL SCREENSHOT OF MIKA BEING PRESENTED, UM, YESTERDAY AT THE, AT THE SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING. BUT, BUT WE'RE TAKING WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU MENTIONED DURING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, CHAIR, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT AND WE'RE GONNA EXPAND THAT. AND SO THE IDEA OF ACTUALLY GETTING THOSE CEOS AND HAVING THEM SPEAK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE ABOUT BEING IN MIAMI BEACH, WE FEEL THAT CAN BE REALLY IMPACTFUL. EXCELLENT. COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. HI, STEPHEN. AYE YOUR DEPARTMENT CONSISTS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE? FIVE, SEVEN. SEVEN. OKAY. AND, AND DO YOU PERSONALLY DO THE RECRUITMENT OF THESE BUSINESSES? OR HOW DO YOU, OR DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE DEDICATED TO THAT? WE DO THAT DOES RECRUITMENT ALL THE TIME. SO I'M, I'M OUT AND ABOUT. I'M HAVING CONVERSATIONS AS WELL AS, AS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM. SO WE ALL KIND OF DO MULTITASK IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS AND WE JUMP IN WHEREVER WE CAN. MM-HMM . OKAY. AND THEN, UM, SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA REFRESH THE COLLATERAL, IS THAT GONNA BE IN, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT OR? OUR COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT IS GONNA DO, WE'LL WORK, WE'LL WORK WITH MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TO HELP REFRESH THE COLLATERAL, BUT WE, WE USUALLY PRESENT AN IDEA ON WHAT WE THINK IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND HOW WE CAN CALL IT OUT SPECIFICALLY. AND THEN WE WILL WORK WITH MELISSA'S TEAM AND THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB OF KIND OF NARROWING OUR VISION DOWN AND MAKING SURE THAT IT LOOKS, LOOKS REALLY GOOD. OKAY. AND THEN, AND YOU WORK WITH LEADS THAT YOU HAVE DO, IS IT KIND OF COLD LEADS OR YOU HAVE LEADS OR BOTH ARE, WE WORK WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS. SO THE BIGGEST THING WHEN I, WHEN I GOT HERE NINE MONTHS AGO WAS HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERSHIP? SO WHETHER THAT'S THE MIAMI-DADE BEACON COUNCIL, WHETHER THAT'S THE CHAMBER, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THE, THE EMERGE AMERICAS AND OUR PARTNERSHIP THERE, [01:35:01] UM, ALL THE VARIOUS PARTNERS WHERE THERE'S THE BIDS. HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE WORK WITH EACH OF THE PARTNERS TO UNDERSTAND, OKAY, WHO'S, WHO'S LOOKING, 'CAUSE I SEVEN MEMBER TEAM, WE CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HOW DO WE LEVERAGE THEM TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, WHEN YOU'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESSES, LET US KNOW SO THAT WE CAN THEN JUMP IN AND LET THOSE FOLKS KNOW WHAT THE INCENTIVES ARE AND HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO SELL MIAMI BEACH. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. AND THEN THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, SO WHEN YOU HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH COMPANIES, ONES THAT, THAT CHOOSE TO NOT COME TO MIAMI BEACH AND THEY SAY THAT MIAMI BEACH ISN'T A GOOD FIT, DO THEY EVER SHARE WHY? IS IT BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OFFICE SPACE OR THEY DON'T HAVE THE, THE THE, THEY CAN'T SOURCE PEOPLE TO WORK? IS IT NOT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT DO THEY SHARE WITH YOU? YEAH, THEY, SO THAT INFORMATION HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN SHARED. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOES COME UP IN THE CHAIR MENTIONING AROUND THE LACK OF CLASS A OFFICE SPACE THAT IS FOR OFFICE USERS, THAT IS SOMETHING, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD, ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO, TO FEEL. THEY'RE LOOKING TO MOVE INTO THOSE SPACES. UM, MOST OF THESE FOLKS, HONESTLY, ONE OF THEIR FIRST PRIORITIES IS WANTING TO BE ON THE BEACH. I'VE HAD, WE HAD A HEALTHCARE COMPANY, UM, THAT ENDED UP CHOOSING, CHOOSING SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT IT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS JUST THE LACK OF OFFICE SPACE AND THEY WANTED TO BE CLOSE TO THE BEACH, SO THEY WANTED TO BE ON THAT SIDE. UM, 'CAUSE THEY FELT LIKE IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, BUT, UM, BUT THERE JUST WASN'T THE AVAILABLE SPACE, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE FOR THEM. SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF TYPES OF THINGS. BUT TYPICALLY IF WE DO HEAR SOMETHING, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT COMES UP. I, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I HEAR IS WHEN, AND WE, AND I JUST WANT FOLLOW UP. SO WHEN THEY SAY LACK OF OFFICE SPACE THOUGH, DO THEY NEED MEAN NEW OFFICE SPACE? LIKE THEY DON'T WANT SOMETHING THAT WAS BUILT 20 YEARS AGO, 30 YEARS AGO. THEY WANT THE BRAND NEW NEW, OKAY. YEAH. THEY WANT CLASS A. THANK YOU. AND ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE SO ALMOST ONLY EQUIPPED FOR THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES IS WHAT I'VE HEARD, LARGER COMPANIES TRYING TO HAVE A BIGGER FOOTPRINT. IT'S A LACK OF HOUSING FOR EMPLOYEES. THAT'S, IT'S GREAT FOR THE EXECUTIVES TO LIVE ON VENETIAN, BUT THE PEOPLE MAKING A HUNDRED, 150, $200,000, UH, THEY HAVE A HARD TIME RECRUITING. THAT'S THE OTHER PART THAT COMES OUT. YEP. ATTAINABLE HOUSING. OKAY. EXCELLENT. UH, ONE, ONE, UM, I WANT HEAR WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY. ALRIGHT. I JUST HAD ONE LAST OH YES, PLEASE, PLEASE. I'M SORRY. IT'S OKAY BECAUSE I, IT'S FLEETING, FLEETING THOUGHT AND THEN IT NO, PLEASE. IT COMES, IT GOES. SO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT OTHER, SO THEY, THEY TURNED DOWN MIAMI BEACH BECAUSE THERE'S LA THEY, THEY DON'T HA THEY DON'T HAVE HOUSING CHALLENGES IN OTHER CITIES TOO. I MEAN, THERE'S, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, I JUST FEEL LIKE HOUSING, LACK OF HOUSING ISN'T AFFORDABLE. HOUSING ISN'T OUR, JUST OUR ISSUE. IT'S GOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, SO WHERE DO THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY GO TO IOWA. I DON'T, SO THEY, THEY, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, IT'S A COMBINATION OF FACTORS. AND SO WHILE THAT MAY BE ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE FACTORS AND YOU, YOU THINK ABOUT IT AND THE CHAIR MENTIONED IT. SO FOLKS HAVE A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH, AND THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE ONLY MAKING A, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY. IT IS, IT IS, IS IT EASIER TO GO SOMEWHERE EVEN FURTHER FURTHER WEST WHERE YOU CAN HAVE THE CLASS A OFFICE SPACE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. YOU CAN HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES ATTAINABLE AND SO ATTAINABLE HOUSING OPTION FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES. AND SO YOU, IT'S JUST A COMBINATION OF ALL OF THOSE FACTORS ALL WRAPPED UP IN ONE. SOMETIMES YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET IT, BUT IT MAY NOT BE CLOSE TO WHERE FOLKS WORK. YOU ALSO HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION SIDE OF IT, RIGHT? SO FOLKS WANNA BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK IN A, IN A DECENT REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. AND SO THOSE ARE, IT IS JUST A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS WHY FOLKS WILL SAY, OKAY, LET'S CHOOSE THIS LOCATION OVER, OVER THIS ONE. SO IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S, I WISH IT WAS A ONE SIZE FITS ALL. IT'S MORE OF AN ART THAN A THAN A SCIENCE AS IT PERTAINS TO THESE THINGS. BUT, UM, BUT THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COME UP IN SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS. WHAT, WHAT WERE YOU LEAVING TO COMMISSIONER MATEO SALINAS. WHAT, WHAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THAT THOUGHT? I JUST FEEL LIKE I, I'M, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER. YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE DO NEED TO PUSH FOR BUILDING MORE, UM, CLASS A OFFICE SPACE. MAYBE THAT'S A FIX THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES AND HEAD FOLKS THAT WANNA HAVE THEIR HEADQUARTERS HERE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT IS BUILDING MORE RESIDENTIAL. UM, BUT I I, AND CERTAINLY IT'S THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY MORE OF ANYTHING ELSE. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. AND SO WHEN IT'S THE LACK OF OBTAINABLE HOUSING, I KNOW THAT HOUSING IS A CRISIS NATIONWIDE, SO IT CAN'T JUST BE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE STOP GAP IS, THAT'S ALL. SURE. AND, AND I'LL WEIGH IN. AND JUST AS A POINT OF COMPARISON, RIGHT? SO THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMEWHAT SAD TO CONVEY HOW MANY THREE BEDROOMS IN SOUTH BEACH ARE CURRENTLY FOR SALE FOR UNDER $999,000? [01:40:02] TWO. OH YEAH. GUYS, TWO, BUY ONE RIGHT WITHIN SOUTH BEACH, THREE BEDROOMS UNDER A MILLION DOLLARS. AND WE'RE NOT TALKING MATERIALLY UNDER A MILLION DOLLARS. DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THE MORTGAGE AND HOA INSURANCE ON A MILLION DOLLAR PAYMENT IS? IT'S $10,000. RIGHT? SO THAT'S NOT EVEN THE SUPER ATTAINABLE NUMBER. BUT IF YOU GO OVER TO EDGEWATER, RIGHT? THERE'S 37, AND I KNOW THIS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD 'CAUSE I LITERALLY JUST LOOKED AT THIS FOR THIS VERY REASON, RIGHT? AND I'M TALKING IN A 30 BLOCK AREA FOR MIAMI BEACH VERSUS A FOUR BY FOUR BLOCK AREA IN EDGEWATER. AND THE ONLY WAY TO BRING DOWN THAT HOUSING PRICE SUPPLY IS THROUGH SUPPLY. YES. YEP. RIGHT? THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HELPING OUR RESIDENTS, YES. THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, THE PEOPLE WE HEAR FROM EVERY DAY, MOST OF THEM OWN, RIGHT? MOST OF THEM OWN, BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WE REPRESENT. WE REPRESENT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT WORKING, THAT ARE RENTING, THAT THEIR COSTS ARE GOING THROUGH THE ROOF. AND IMAGINE BEING A FAMILY AND YOU WANNA FINALLY TAKE THAT STEP FROM RENTING TO NOW OWNING THE MIAMI BEACH DREAM. YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS FOR UNDER A MILLION DOLLARS IN SOUTH BEACH? THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS. AND, AND, AND TO THAT POINT, COMMISSIONER, WHEN I DID MY ANALYSIS FOR WASHINGTON AVENUE, THERE IS NO MORE CONSTRUCTION FOR, UH, UNITS THAT ARE ATTAINABLE BETWEEN 500 AND 800 SQUARE FEET ON AVERAGE. THEY JUST, THEY JUST DON'T MAKE 'EM ANYMORE. THE ONLY THE LAST BUILDING THAT MADE HIM BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WAS FIVE PARK. YOU KNOW? UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF KEVIN HERE IS TELLING US THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES FOR BRINGING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE IS BECAUSE LITERALLY NO ONE CAN AFFORD, AND NO, STEVE, STEVE, SORRY. UM, LITERALLY NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE SHOULD TAKE THAT, THAT SERIOUSLY. UM, IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE A PLACE WHERE EXECUTIVES LIKE THE MARK ZUCKERBERGS LIVE IN MYY BEACH, BECAUSE THAT'S, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S WHAT'S BEING BUILT. IT'S FOR PEOPLE OF, OF THAT, UH, ECONOMIC, UH, TIER. SO, YOU KNOW, I HOPE MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES IN THE REST OF COMMISSION UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT IF WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE NOT ONLY PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE, BUT YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT, IT HAS FAR GREATER CONSEQUENCES. UM, AND ON HOW WE DRIVE POLICY AND WHAT, WHAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT WE WANT INCENTIVIZE. MAY I, MR. CHAIR? YEAH, PLEASE. UM, I JUST WANNA ALSO POINT OUT THOUGH THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, IT'S NOT JUST AN AFFORDABILITY ISSUE, IT'S ALSO A SPACE ISSUE BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE SAY, I WANNA RAISE MY FAMILY WITH, WITH MY KIDS IN A, WITH A BACKYARD OR, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO WATER OR A POOL THAT'S A PRIVATE IN MY BACKYARD. UM, SO AFFORD, AND I AGREE WITH, I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH YOU. AFFORDABILITY IS AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF HOUSING AND RAISING YOUR FAMILY AND HAVING FAMILIES AND HAVING THREE BEDROOMS. BUT SOME PEOPLE DO NOT WANNA LIVE AND RAISE THEIR CHILDREN IN APARTMENTS. AND THEN THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS THAT SOME DEVELOPERS DON'T WANNA BUILD THREE BEDROOMS BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK IF YOU STICK WITH STUDIOS AND ONE BEDROOMS AND MICRO UNITS AND HOTEL SIZED, YOU KNOW, 400 AND 550 SQUARE FEET UNITS, THEN YOU CAN BUILD MORE. AND SO THERE, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY, VERY, VERY DEEPLY LAYERED ONION THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WILL PEEL BACK. AND THAT'S WHY, AND THAT'S WHY WE INCENTIVIZE THE RIGHT DEVELOPMENT, WHAT WE WANT. YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S GEARED TOWARD ULTRA LUXURY RICH DEVELOPMENT. AND YOU KNOW, I THINK UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT JUST OUR COMMISSION, BUT IT'S PREVIOUS COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE REALLY, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BENT THE KNEE TO A LOT OF THESE DEVELOPERS TO, TO BUILD HIGH END LUXURY. YOU KNOW, LOOK AT 1250 WEST, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK NATURALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SURE, WE, WE LOWERED THE DENSITY, BUT NOW IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, 3000 PLUS SQUARE, $3,000 A SQUARE FOOT HOUSING. WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE INCENTIVIZED TO DO THAT. IF THERE IS AN INCENTIVE TO, TO MAKE A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY WHERE THE AVERAGE UNIT SIZE IS BETWEEN 500 AND 800 SQUARE FEET LIKE IT USED TO BE, LIKE AT THE COURTS IN SOUTH FIFTH, THE COSMOPOLITAN, THEY'LL, THEY'LL, WE WON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SAME DEVELOPERS THAT ALWAYS COME TO US LIKE DAVID MARTIN OR RUSSELL GALBIT. WE'LL HAVE OUTSIDE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE, ARE JUST STARTING AND WANT TO ACTUALLY BUILD ATTAINABLE HOUSING FOR, UH, FOR, FOR PEOPLE WHO WANNA LIVE IN MIAMI BEACH. SO IT REALLY [01:45:01] COMES DOWN TO POLICY AND HOW WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE THE RIGHT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT. AND, AND COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND I JUST KIND OF TOOK A CURSORY LOOK WITHIN SOUTH BEACH, IF YOU WANT TO RENT A THREE BEDROOM BELOW $5,500 PER MONTH, THERE ARE FOUR, THREE OPTIONS AVAILABLE. 53 OPTIONS. 55, 5500 BUCKS A MONTH AND BELOW. RIGHT. AND 370 IN EDGEWATER. IF YOU ARE A FAMILY, IF YOU ARE NOT RICH, YOU CANNOT MOVE TO MIAMI BEACH. AND THAT IS NOT THE TYPE OF CITY I WANNA LIVE IN. YEAH, RIGHT. FOR SURE. STEVEN, THANK YOU. LET'S CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU ALL. SO SHOW THE ITEM DISCUSSED AND CLOSED. YES. THANK YOU. YEAH. UM, COLLEAGUES, ANY PRIORITY ITEMS THAT, UH, ANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR? CAN WE JUST HEAR MY ITEMS SINCE I'M HERE, IF YOU DON'T MIND? NO, THANKS. THANKS CHAIR. BUT DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE BROUGHT, I'M, I'M JUST KIDDING. UH, [NB 15. DISCUSSION ON INSTALLATION OF ENHANCED LIGHTING AT THE DOG PARK LOCATED AT 201 2ND STREET.] WHICH ONE? MB 15? YEAH, THE DOG PARK ONE. YEP. MS. DO. ALRIGHT. WE'LL SHOW, UH, MB 15 DISCUSSION ON INSTALLATION OF ENHANCED LIGHTING AT THE DOG PARK. THEY GO LOCATED AT 2 0 1 SECOND STREET AND B 15. SORRY. UM, SO I JUST WANNA PRESENT THIS BECAUSE THIS IS THE DOG PARK THAT IS ON SECOND STREET. UM, THAT'S NORTH OF SECOND STREET. 'CAUSE THERE'S TWO RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM EACH OTHER. AND IT'S THE ONE THAT'S ON THE NORTH END OF SECOND STREET. IT'S THE LARGER ONE. IT'S GOT THE WATER FEATURE IN THE BACK. UM, IT'S, IT'S A VERY LARGE, VERY NICE DOG PARK. BUT THE ISSUE IS, IS THAT AT NIGHT, IF YOU GO IN THERE, AND AGAIN, IN THE WINTER WHEN THE SUN SETS EARLIER, 6:00 PM SIX 30, YOU GET OUTTA WORK. YOU TAKE YOUR DOG IN THERE, IT'S VERY DARK. AND SO WHEN YOU WALK IN, YOU CAN'T SEE IF SOMEONE IS IN THE BACK AND IF THAT PERSON IS ALONE WITH A DOG, YOU KNOW. SO, AND I WAS ACTUALLY APPROACHED BY A RESIDENT THAT LIVES IN THE, IN THE AREA THAT SHE TAKES HER DOG THERE AND SHE'S SCARED. SO MY IDEA IS ACTUALLY, HI JOHN. MY IDEA WAS TO ACTUALLY WRAP THE, THE, THE TREES WITH SOME LIGHTING IN THERE. A COUPLE DIFFERENT OF THE SMALLER, UM, TREES. INSTEAD OF INSTALLING LED MOUNTED BLACK DECORATIVE POLES WITH ACORN LUMINAIRE AT THE COST OF 137,000. SO, AND I DON'T REALLY CARE, WHATEVER IS MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE REALLY. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE WRAPPING THE TREES WOULD BE LESS EXPENSIVE, BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE AMBIENT AND APPROPRIATE FOR THAT SPACE. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP AND SEE IF WE COULD DISCUSS THIS REAL QUICK. THAT, THAT WAY YOU APPEASE THE TURTLE BRO TOO. YEAH. YOU DON'T HAVE THESE BIG LIGHTS. . ABSOLUTELY. IT'S PRETTIER. UM, WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING, WE DIDN'T CONTEMPLATE THAT WHEN YOU, WHEN WE HEARD LIGHTING, WE LOOKED AT WHAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE PARK LIGHTING FOR THAT. AND WE WOULD AN LED OPTION. CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT A MORE AMBIENT, LESS EXPENSIVE OPTION. ALSO REVIEW THAT WITH OUR RISK MANAGER, OF COURSE. BUT YES, WHAT YOU WERE SUGGESTING FROM A STRICTLY COST PERSPECTIVE, THAT WOULD, IT WOULD LOOK EVEN MUCH BETTER, FAR MORE AFFORDABLE THAN WHAT WE'RE I LOVE THAT WE'RE PRESENTING. THANK YOU. GOOD. OKAY, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE CUTTING BUDGET. SO DO YOU NEED, IT COULD BE SOME TIME. I COULD TAKE A LOOK. WE COULD SHOW THE ADAM HEARD IN RETURN. UH, NOW THAT THERE'S A, A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, SO WE DOES NEED TO COME BACK TO THE VALUE. DOES IT NEED TO COME BACK TO FINANCE OR DO YOU WANNA SEND IT TO THE COMMITTEE? I THINK IT WOULD BE, MIGHT BE PRUDENT JUST TO GET THE VALUE. 'CAUSE IF THE, THE COMMITTEE WANTS TO SEND THIS TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVOR RECOMMENDATION TO IMPLEMENT, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE, THE VALUES. WELL, WHY DON'T WE QUICK LOOK AT THIS. WHY DON'T WE JUST BRING IT BACK TO THE COM TO THE COMMITTEE? BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GIVE US A COST. YES. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. RETURN, IT'LL RETURN TO THE COMMITTEE. MM-HMM . OKAY, JOHN. AND WHILE WE'RE ON LIGHTING AT PARKS, JUST 'CAUSE I LOOK AT IT, SO, UM, COGNIZANT OF IT, CAN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE HOURS WE KEEP FLAMINGO PARK, UM, STADIUM LIT. UH, SOMETIMES IT'S, YOU KNOW, 11:00 PM IT LOOKS LIKE YANKEE STADIUM. I'M LIKE, ARE PEOPLE UTILIZING IT THEN I, I ASSUME JUST 'CAUSE OF HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS, UH, THE LIGHTING, PROBABLY KEEPING IT ON IS SOMEWHAT COST BURDENSOME. SO LET'S BE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE DOING IT EFFICIENTLY. A AB ABSOLUTELY. WE'LL TAKE A LOOK. IT'S VERY, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT, BUT LET'S JUST LOOK. THAT PART COULD ALWAYS BE USED 24 HOURS A DAY. IF IT IS, IF PEOPLE ARE ARE USING IT, THEN I, I WANT THEM. RIGHT. I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, BE PENNYWISE POUND FOOLISH. SO IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE USING IT, THEN LET'S KEEP IT. I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF TAKE A CURSORY LOOK. ABSOLUTELY. WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LIGHTING AN EMPTY PARK. THANK YOU . SO, UM, WE GOTTA MOVE IT TO THE NEXT, DO I NEED TO MOVE IT? NO, I'M JUST GONNA SHOW THE ITEM WAS HEARD IN A RETURN WITH AN UPDATED COST AS ESTIMATE BASED ON THE DISCUSSION. HEY, GREAT JOB TODAY, COMMISSIONER. GOOD JOB. SEE YOU GUYS. UM, [01:50:01] COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ. LET'S HEAR [NB 1. DISCUSS POTENTIAL INSTALLATION OF SMALL AEROPONIC GARDENS AT A LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED WITHIN THE CONVENTION CENTER CAMPUS.] MB ONE. OKAY. MB ONE, MB ONE DISCUSSED POTENTIAL INSTALLATION OF SMALL AEROPONIC GARDENS AT A LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED WITHIN THE CONVENTION CENTER CAMPUS. MB ONE. SO ABOUT, UH, SOMETIME LAST YEAR I WENT ON A FIELD TRIP WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, DEPARTMENT AND, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, COMMITTEE. AND WE HAD A TOUR OF THE ORLANDO, UH, CONVENTION CENTER AND SHOWED, UH, THEIR HUGE, UM, HYDROPONIC, UH, GARDENS AND HOW THEY USE IT. AND, UM, THE THOUGHT WAS THAT IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD HAVE IN MIAMI BEACH. AND THE FISCAL IMPACT IS 35,000 TO 70,000, 35,000 FOR ONE, 70,000 FOR TWO. AND THERE, THAT'S THE ONE TIME FEE. AND THEN AN ANNUAL MAINTENANCE OF 55,000. AND THE FUNDS WOULD COME OUT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER FUND, UH, CONVENTION CENTER FUND SURPLUS USUALLY GOES FOR FUTURE MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT. THE LOCATION WOULD BE IN THE RUM ROOM SO THAT THE ORGANIC FARM TO TABLE, I, UH, THINGS THAT ARE GROWN VEGETABLES THAT ARE GROWN WOULD GO FOR USE IN THAT RESTAURANT. AND HEATHER, IF YOU WOULD SHARE MORE DETAILS. UH, GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONER AND GOOD MORNING CHAIR. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS AND COLLEAGUES. COMMISSIONER, YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH . THERE'S REALLY, UM, VERY LITTLE THAT I CAN SHARE WITH YOU OTHER THAN SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR INVESTMENT IN THE CONVENTION CENTER IS ALSO FOR THE COMMUNITY AND PART OF HAVING A A AEROPONIC GARDEN IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY. IT'S, IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE HOW WATER CAN BE USED IN A BETTER WAY. AND AS THE COMMISSIONER MENTIONED, UM, THE, THE FRUITS OF THE LABOR OF THE GARDENS WOULD BE UTILIZED IN THE RUM ROOM. WHAT WE DID NOTICE WHEN WE VISITED THE ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER IS THAT, UM, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT MIX OF SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, EFFORTS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SEE THAT. AND IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE AND USE FOR, UM, UH, THE, THE CULINARY EXPERIENCES FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH WE HAVE FOUND THAT A NUMBER OF CLIENTS ARE ATTRACTED TO OUR CONVENTION CENTER WHEN THEY SEE THAT WE HAVE AN INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND INTO, IN THE FUTURE OF TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS ON HOW WE CAN BE MORE, UM, SUSTAINABLE AND EFFICIENT AND ALSO ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY. SO I'D LOVE TO MOVE THE ITEM FOR THE FULL COMMISSION TO HEAR ABOUT IT AS WELL. SECOND, IT'S SUPER QUIET. YEP. IF, IF I CAN, IS THIS, THIS IS AN ITEM 'CAUSE IT'S A BUDGETARY ONE. AND THIS BEING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE WHAT WE DO IS RETURN THE COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO CONSIDER A BUDGET ENHANCEMENT AS A PRIORITY FOR A SMALL AEROPONIC GUARD AND LOCATED AT THE RUM ROOM AS PART OF THE 27TH BUDGET PROCESS. OH, OH, AWESOME. AND TO BE USED FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER SURPLUS. CORRECT. I THINK THAT, AND I BELIEVE THAT THE ITEM, UH, INDICATED THAT THERE WAS ONE OR TWO OPTION, LIKE ONE OR TWO. ALRIGHT. THAT, THAT GOOD POINT IS THAT, UH, I GUESS TO GET CLARIFICATION, WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION? YEAH. IS THE RECOMMENDATION ONE OR TWO? JUST DO THE RECOMMENDATION ONE AT 35 1. OKAY. THAT THAT WOULD BE GOOD. WAS THAT THE RECOMMENDATION? IT'S MORE EFFICIENT TO DO THE TWO, BUT, UM, HEATHER, DO DO YOU THINK, UH, THERE'D BE ANY SPONSORSHIP GIVEN HOW, I MEAN, THIS IS, ARE REALLY COOL CONCEPTS, RIGHT? IF THERE ARE FORMED TABLE, MAYBE RESTAURANTS IN OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE, I DON'T THE URA VI THE URA VIDA MM-HMM . AEROPONIC GARDEN OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. I THINK THE IDEA WAS THE RUM ROOM TO UTILIZE THE COMPONENTS. I I WOULDN'T RULE IT OUT. WE CAN, WE CAN EXPLORE THAT. YEAH. WE CAN ALSO EXPLORE EVEN WITH SODEXO TO SEE IF, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY, THEY'RE VERY EFFICIENT AT IT. I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALSO RUNNING IT IN OTHER DIFFERENT AREAS, WHICH WAS, UM, BENEFICIAL TO US AS WELL. OKAY. SO WE CAN ASK, WE CAN ALWAYS ASK. OKAY. AND GIVEN THAT TWO IS MORE EFFICIENT, I'LL SUBMIT TWO AND THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE CAN DISCUSS FOUR. THANK YOU. TWO. OKAY. SO WE'LL SHOW RETURN TO COMMISSION A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO CONSIDER BUDGET ENHANCEMENT AS A PRIORITY FOR TWO AEROPLAN, UH, GARDENS LOCATED AT THE RUM ROOM AS PART OF THE FY 27 BUDGET PROCESS FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER FUNDS. UH, WHO MADE THAT MOTION? ME? UM, OKAY. WILL SHOW, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, DOMINGUEZ AND COMMISSIONER. MAN, I DON'T THINK SHE CAN. OH, CAN SHE? SHE, UH, WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ OUT. UH, COMMISSIONER SALINAS IS THE ALTERNATE AND SHE BECOMES A VOTING MEMBER. UH, SO ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. A. ALL RIGHT. THE ITEM PASSES THREE. NOTHING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LET'S HEAR, UH, 'CAUSE THIS, UH, DOVETAILS INTO AN ITEM THAT, UH, I THOUGHT WAS A GREAT DISCUSSION YESTERDAY. UH, MB 11, [NB 11. DISCUSS RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO PUT ITS BEST FOOT FORWARD AND USE BEST EFFORTS TO HAVE MUNICIPAL AND PRIVATE PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE, PERMITTED AND COMPLETED, TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE, AHEAD OF THE 2026 WORLD CUP, INCLUDING THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS FOR NEW BUSINESSES] THE PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD FOR MIAMI BEACH, [01:55:01] UH, FOR THE WORLD CUP. THANK YOU. UH, MB 11 DISCUSSED RESOLUTION DIRECTING ADMINISTRATION TO PUT ITS BEST FOOT FORWARD AND USE BEST EFFORTS TO HAVE MUNICIPAL AND PRIVATE PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE, PERMITTED AND COMPLETED TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE AHEAD OF THE 2026 WORLD CUP, INCLUDING THE ISSUANCE PERMITS FOR NEW BUSINESSES. MB 11, COMMISSIONER MATEO SALINAS, UH, WHILE THIS IS MY ITEM, I, I'VE TALKED A LOT OVER THE YEARS ABOUT THE WORLD CUP. WHY DON'T YOU GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL YESTERDAY ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT FOR SURE. WHAT'S COMING, SO, RIGHT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE. UM, I AM ALSO VERY EXCITED ABOUT WORLD CUP AND I'VE PARTICIPATED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, WATCHING AND THE FESTIVITIES. SO IT'S A BIG DEAL. IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL. AND I, AS I EXPRESSED YESTERDAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS MEETING, THAT I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS A CONTINGENT OF 10,000 SCOTTISH RESIDENTS THAT ARE COMING OVER TO MIAMI BEACH. UM, AND THEY'VE RENTED THREE, THEY'VE BOOKED OUT THREE COMPLETE HOTEL ROOMS, AND THEY HAVE 70 OF THE NICE BUSES THAT ARE TAKING 'EM TO THE STADIUM AND BACK. UM, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE COUNTRY, 10,000 PEOPLE. AND THEY'LL BE HERE FOR TWO WEEKS IN JUNE, AND I THINK IT OVERLAPS INTO JULY. SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IN MIAMI BEACH, UH, ENJOYING, YOU KNOW, THE GAME, WATCHES AND FESTIVITIES, FAN FESTS. AND I'M JUST, I HOPE WE'RE READY. I HOPE WE DON'T HAVE ANY MISSED OPPORTUNITIES HERE. AND THAT'S REALLY, I'M NOT CONCERNED SO MUCH ABOUT CROWD CONTROL. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF CROWDS I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT AS MUCH. BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT WE MISS THE BOAT ON A LOT OF GOOD OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOWCASE MIAMI BEACH BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF U EUROPEAN TRAVELERS AND LATIN CENTRAL AMERICAN TRAVELERS THAT ARE GONNA BE IN MIAMI BEACH FOR THE FIRST TIME. AND THIS IS OUR FIRST IMPRESSION, AND WE WANT THEM TO COME BACK AND TELL THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO COME BACK. SO HOW CAN WE CAPITALIZE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON FIFA AND HOW CAN WE, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT MISSING ANY OPPORTUNITIES? AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITY UNDERSTANDS THE IMPACT THAT WORLD CUP AND FIFA IS GONNA HAVE ON US, OUR CITY, ON EVERYTHING FOR THAT MONTH? THANK YOU, LIZ. LET'S HAND IT OVER TO YOU AND TELL US WHERE WE STAND, WHAT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO. UM, I'LL START WITH, I LOVE WHAT WE DID ON THE 17TH STREET MUNICIPAL GARAGE. THAT, THAT IS SO COOL. I HOPE WE ACTUALLY KEEP THAT UP THERE, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO HAVE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF IT. LET'S TAKE THAT CONCEPT AND IDEA AND EXTRAPOLATE THAT ACROSS OUR CITY, RIGHT? IT, IT'S SMALL WINS THAT ARE JUST VERY COOL WHEN YOU COME HERE DURING JUNE AND JULY. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A WORLD CUP HERE, EVEN IF WHEN IT'S 7:00 AM WALKING DOWN THE STREET, RIGHT? I, I WANT THERE TO BE ACTIVATIONS AND, UH, SYMBOLOGY THAT SHOWS THIS IS A WORLD CLASS, WORLD STAGE. UH, SO WHAT ELSE, WHAT ARE WE DOING AND WHAT ELSE CAN WE, UH, ESSENTIALLY DO AT THIS POINT? UH, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR. LISA ANTE, DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND CULTURE. UM, AS FAR AS ACTIVATIONS, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE HOST COMMITTEE. SO AS I SHARED YESTERDAY AT THE NEIGHBORHOODS MEETING, WE HAVE THREE POTENTIAL ACTIVATIONS. ONE IS A CONCERT ON JUNE 11TH. IT'S PENDING SPONSORSHIP AS OF TODAY. AND THEN ALSO STREAMING, BROADCASTING ONE OF THE MATCHES IN LOOMIS PARK BEACHFRONT. THEN WE HAVE CONFIRMED, UH, IN NORTH BEACH TWO, UM, BROADCASTS OF THE SEMI-FINAL AND FINAL GAME ON JULY 18TH AND JULY 19TH, BEHIND THE MIAMI BEACH BAN SHOW SAND BULL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RHYTHM FOUNDATION. SO THE HOST COMMITTEE, UH, THE CITY WE'RE ALL TOGETHER WORKING ON THAT. AND LIZ, LET ME, UH, JUST MM-HMM . KEEP INTERJECT IT, IF YOU WILL. SURE. UM, IS THAT BECAUSE FIFA WILL BE HAVING ALL GAMES BROADCAST WITHIN OUR CITY SOMEWHERE ELSE? WILL THEY BE BROADCASTING ALL THE GAMES IN LOOMIS PARK? NO, SIR. SO CONTRACTUALLY, UH, WE NEGOTIATED WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THROUGH FIFA, THROUGH BROADCAST ARE THOSE THREE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THAT I JUST SHARED. SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND MORE THE THINKING OF WHY ALL THE GAMES CAN'T BE BROADCAST. I BELIEVE THERE'S A COST, UH, TO THAT, AND THAT'S WHY WE WOULDN'T FROM WHO, FROM FIFA? YES. CORRECT. SO THE HOST COMMITTEE HAS TO ASK THE FIFA FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BROADCAST, AND THERE IS A COST TO THAT. WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON, IF I MAY, IS WITH LINCOLN ROAD, WE HAVE PUT IN A REQUEST TO HAVE THE BUSINESSES, UH, BE ABLE TO BROADCAST AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE, UM, THE SCREENS IN THEIR RESTAURANTS AND THEN BE ABLE TO DO ON LINCOLN ROAD PROPER, THE [02:00:01] SEMI-FINAL AND FINAL GAMES HAVE LIKE A MUCH BIGGER PRESENCE ON THE ROAD. YEP. AND I'M ASKING YOU TO SPECULATE, AND THAT'S NOT FAIR, BUT HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY FIFA, UH, WOULD BE OPPOSED TO US HAVING ALL THE GAMES BROADCAST, LET'S CALL IT IN LOOMIS PARK. SURE. WELL, THAT WOULD BE A FINANCIAL IMPACT ON OUR PUBLIC, ON OUR CITY SERVICES, ON PUBLIC SAFETY. RIGHT. BUT WE SAID FIFA CONTROLS THAT. SO WHAT, WHAT'S FIFA'S AGENDA FOR NOT ALLOWING US THE, IS IT BECAUSE BAYFRONT PARK HAS THE TRUE RIGHTS THAT CORRECT. AND THEY DON'T, DON'T WANT PEOPLE. THAT'S CORRECT. AND I DID ASK THAT, UH, I SPOKE WITH OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CEO OF THE HOST COMMITTEE HERE, AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT, YOU KNOW, FIFA'S VERY STRICT, ESPECIALLY WITH BROADCASTING RIGHTS, AND THEY DO WANT BAYFRONT PARK TO BE THE MAIN THING. UH, THEY ARE WORKING WITH THEM FOR THE CONCERT PART, UH, TO KICK OFF ON JUNE 11TH, UH, TO HAVE THAT BE A PREMIER EVENT AS WELL. BUT THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN VERY STRICT WITH, WITH, UH, THE ALLOWANCES. REMIND ME HOW MUCH MONEY WE GAVE TO FIFA. WE GAVE TO FIFA. IT'S 1.5 PLUS, UH, 500,000 IN CITY SERVICES. SO I'LL PROPOSE A MOTION. OH, MM-HMM . TO CONVEY MY DISAPPOINTMENT THAT I WANT YOU AND YOUR TEAM TO CONVEY THAT WE'RE ONLY HAVING A PUBLIC BROADCAST OF THREE GAMES. UNDERSTOOD. UM, TO BE TRANSPARENT, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT IS RELATIVELY, UH, A LOT OF MONEY FOR OUR CITY, THEY ARE RECEIVING MUCH HIGHER, YOU KNOW, OVER 20 MILLION FROM THE COUNTY. I UNDERSTAND. I DON'T THINK THAT HAVING A LOOMIS PARK ACTIVATION, CANNIBALIZES BAYFRONT PARK. RIGHT. AND, AND I GUESS THAT'S WHERE MM-HMM . FIFA IS GOING WITH THIS. UM, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE STAYING ON OCEAN DRIVE ALL OF A SUDDEN. AH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT SHOWING IT. UH, HERE, I'M GONNA GET IN MY UBER AND GO DRIVE 45. WE LIVE IN, I MEAN, THERE'S GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HERE THAT WE CAN HAVE BOTH OF THOSE. MM-HMM . RIGHT. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION, PLEASE. UM, WHEN WE SAY THE, THE, THE STREAMING RIGHTS TO SHOW A LIVE BROADCAST, IT'S NOT LIKE ON FOX SPORTS. WHAT AM I MISSING? LIKE, WE CAN'T JUST PUT ON THE SPORTS NUMBER, RIGHT? SO LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE THE SUPER BOWL AT A BAR, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE CHAIRS, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOMETHING BIGGER, THEN THAT WOULD REQUIRE YOU TO, TO HAVE BRIGHTS TO BROADCAST. OKAY. SO IT HAS TO DO WITH SOME, WITH THAT. SO THE BARS ON LINCOLN ROAD, THEY CAN SHOW IT. SO WHAT WE'RE NEGOTIATING NOW, OR REQUESTING FROM FIFA PROPER THROUGH THE HOST COMMITTEE IS TO ALLOW THE BUSINESSES TO HAVE, UM, TO BROADCAST WITHIN THEIR RESTAURANTS ALL THE MATCHES, ALL SUMMER, TO KIND OF ENGAGE, MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE STAYING IN THE RESTAURANTS AND WALKING IN LINCOLN ROAD, AND THEN HAVING A BROADCAST OF THE SEMI-FINAL AND FINAL GAMES, YOU KNOW, WITH SCREENS ON LINCOLN ROAD, OUTSIDE OF THE RESTAURANTS TO ENGAGE MORE FOLKS. OKAY. BUT, BUT WE NEED TO GET FIFA'S PERMISSION. WE'RE NEGOTIATING WITH THEM JUST TO GET THE, THE BARS ON LINCOLN ROAD, WASHINGTON, COLLINS, NORTH BEACH, EVERYWHERE. ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE THEY HAVE A ZONE OF EXCLUSIVITY. SO IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE SIMILAR TO SUPER BOWL OR, OR OUR BASEL. AND SO ANY TYPE OF ACTIVATIONS THAT IS CONNECTED TO THEIR EVENT, THEY NEED TO BE NOTIFIED. OKAY. SO THEY CAN'T JUST TURN ON FOX SPORTS ON THEIR TV. THEY CAN INSIDE, BUT I THINK THEY WANNA HAVE IT A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE TOO. SO PEOPLE ARE WALKING AND THEY ACTUALLY SEE THAT THERE'S, THAT THEY'RE OFFERING THAT. OKAY. BECAUSE I REMEMBER WATCHING THE WORLD CUP IN, IN, I THINK IT WAS LIKE 2014 ON LINCOLN ROAD. DID WE? WHAT'S THAT? YEAH, IT PROBABLY WAS THERE. DID WE DO THE SAME THING BACK THEN? DO YOU KNOW? I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT TODAY. OKAY. OKAY. VICE, THANK YOU. SO HELP ME OUT WITH THAT. HOW ABOUT FOR THE SUPER BOWL, RIGHT? IF I'M A BAR OWNER ON LINCOLN ROAD, I HAVE TO ASK THE SUPER BOWL, OR WHOEVER IT MAY BE, THE NFL FOR PERMISSION TO SHOW A GAME THAT GOES ON TO WHAT? JUST THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. UM, WHAT IF I HAVE A PRIVATE OUTDOOR AREA, I CAN OF COURSE VIEW THE GAME ON MY PROPERTY. HOW DOES THAT WORK? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION TODAY, SIR. YEP. BUT I CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT. YEAH. BUT THEY DO ALSO HAVE A ZONE OF EXCLUSIVITY, SO, UM, I CAN, I DON'T WANT TO MISSPEAK TODAY. YEP. UM, BECAUSE HOW, HOW I'M HEARING IT. OKAY. WE, WE AGREED WITH THIS CONTRACT WITH FIFA, AND, AND DOES, DOES THAT MEAN WE'VE, BECAUSE OF THAT ZONE OF EXCLUSIVITY, WE'VE RESTRICTED OUR BUSINESSES FROM BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SHOW THE GAME? UM, NO, NO. I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT EXTREME. UH, I THINK IT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. IF YOU'RE HAVING YOUR RIGHT. LIKE SOME SORT OF PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. YES. MM-HMM . UM, [02:05:05] , UH, OKAY. LET'S, LET'S FOLLOW UP ON THAT. ABSOLUTELY. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, CAN WE MAKE A MOTION MAYBE URGING FIFA TO CONSIDER HAVING MORE PUBLIC VIEWING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MIAMI BEACH? MM-HMM . SECOND. YEAH, SECOND THAT ACTUALLY I CAN MAKE THE MOTION TO CHAIR. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. OKAY. SO, OH, I'M SORRY. YES. THANK YOU FOR THAT, FRANCIS. SO WE JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, IS THE INTENT FOR THE CITY TO HOST THE WATCH PARTIES FOR FIFA, OR FOR FIFA TO ACTIVATE? BECAUSE THE WATCH PARTIES THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED NOW, THE LARGE, THE, THE CONCERT AND THE, THE WATCH PARTIES AT NORTH BEACH, THOSE ARE BEING RUN AND PRODUCED BY THE FIFA HOST COMMITTEE. YEP. NOT BY THE CITY. YEP. SO I KNOW, UH, FOR INSTANCE, FOR THE COPA AMERICA FINAL, UH, WE HAD, IT WAS LAST MINUTE CAME TOGETHER WITHIN THE LAST WEEK WE HAD ARGENTINA VERSUS COLUMBIA. UM, I LEARNED MY LESSON AND I GO, OH, WOW, I'M A GRINGO, BUT I HAVE A COLUMBIA JERSEY. I'LL WEAR IT UP TO NORTH BEACH. I'LL BE WIDELY ACCEPTED. I WAS 90% ARGENTINA. AND THEY SORT BOOMING ME. I'M LIKE, GUYS, I , I TRIED HERE. OKAY, I'M TRYING. UM, BUT THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE EVENT. A THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT JUST CAME UP AT THE LAST MINUTE. AND THAT'S A MICROCOSM FRACTION OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE FOR THE WORLD CUP. UH, SO TO THINK THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE THE BAND SHELF SIT THERE EMPTY X THREE GAMES, UH OH NO, IS UPSETTING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND NOT AT YOU. JUST HOW THIS ALL, ALL KIND OF CAME TO FRUITION. AND LET ME, IF I MAY, LET ME SPEAK TO THEM BECAUSE I, AND I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH COST FOR GETTING BROADCASTING, RIGHT. SO I CAN FIND OUT, LET ME DO SOME DUE DILIGENCE AND GET BACK TO YOU. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. OF COURSE. YEAH. SO IS THERE A, IS THERE A, A MOTION BEING MADE OR IS THIS JUST A, A, A DISCUSSION? THERE'S, UM, SOME, UH, DISCUSSION FOR LIZETTE TO LOOK INTO AND GET BACK TO YOU? HOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW DOES THE COMMITTEE WANNA PROCEED? AND IF I, IF I MAY, I BELIEVE THIS IDENTICAL ITEM WAS HEARD AT NEIGHBORHOODS YESTERDAY. YES. BUT THIS WAS NOT A TOPIC THAT WAS DISCUSSED, RIGHT? SO JUST, THIS MIGHT BE LIKE, THE OTHER ONE IS IF WE HAVE AN IDENTICAL ITEM OF TWO DIFFERENT COMMITTEES WITH TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, UH, YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T COME BACK WITH A RESOLUTION. YOU WOULD END UP WITH A DISCUSSION. SO THE COMMISSION CAN MAKE IT GETS A LITTLE MESSY. SO, I, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANT, HOW DID YOU WANNA PROCEED? UM, I HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS. YEAH. MAY, MAYBE WE DON'T NEED A MOTION, BUT I THINK YOU HEAR US LOUD AND CLEAR, MAYBE. ABSOLUTELY. WE COULD HAVE OUR, OUR MAYOR FILL HIM IN ON THE SITUATION, UM, AND HAVE HIM REACH OUT IN THE OFFICIAL CAPACITY. OKAY. UH, LET, LET'S GIVE SOME MORE UPDATES THOUGH, RIGHT? UH, SO FOR INSTANCE, TODAY WE, WE ALL TALKED COLLECTIVELY AND SAID, WOW, THIS WORLD CUP'S COMING. LET'S PAY 17TH STREET. WHAT ELSE? NOT JUST WITHIN TOURISM AND CULTURE, BUT THROUGH PERMITTING AND THROUGH WHAT ARE WE ESSENTIALLY SITTING HERE DOING AND SAYING, WE HAVE THIS WORLD CLASS OPPORTUNITY, GENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITY COMING UP. SO WE ARE DOING THIS FOR IT. FILL IN THIS. YEP, PLEASE. SO I SEE IN THE ITEM IT SAYS THAT, UM, PUBLIC WORKS WILL IMPLEMENT A CONSTRUCTION MORATORIUM. SO JOHN, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. UM, AND ADDITIONALLY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, IT SAYS, HI, STEVEN. UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS BEGUN TO MEET WITH ALL BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS AND THE, AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AS WELL AS THE G-M-C-V-B. AND SO I'D LIKE TO GET AN UPDATE ON THAT TOO, WHAT THOSE MEETINGS HAVE, HAVE, UH, ENTAILED. AND SO, AND THEN JOHN, LET'S START WITH YOU ALSO, HAVE YOU WORKED WITH UTILITY COMPANIES? BECAUSE WE REALLY DO NEED ANY TYPE OF CONSTRUCT. WE NEED TO OPEN UP MERIDIAN BACK UP. LIKE WE NEED TO OPEN UP EVERYTHING. LET'S OPEN UP WEST AVENUE. LET'S PA PAVE IT AND TELL ME WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON, JOHN? ANYTHING ORANGE I SEE I'M THROWING IN THE OCEAN, UH, SORRY, SORRY, SOPHIA, UH, CLEAN MIAMI BEACH. BUT ANY ORANGE CONE, ANY DIGITAL BILLBOARD THAT IS SITTING THERE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE, IT'S IN THE OCEAN. AND, AND I'LL DEAL WITH THE CLEANUP, UH, MIAMI BEACH AFTERWARDS, BUT, UM, I, I DO NOT WANT THAT. FAIR ENOUGH. PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR JOHN NORRIS. SO THESE, THE MORATORIUM WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DURING ART BASEL OR SPRING BREAK. THERE WOULD BE NO CLOSURES ALLOWED EXCEPT FOR EMERGENCIES, WHICH DO HAPPEN, AND CITY PROJECTS. BUT I WILL TELL YOU ON CITY PROJECTS, WE REALLY TRIED TO MINIMIZE CLOSURES, AS YOU NOTICED DURING, WHAT WAS THE LAST BIG WEEKEND? I, I'M, I'M GOT A BLANK, BUT, UH, BOHO, BOHO, YES. WE, WE OPENED UP EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD. THERE WAS ONE PROJECT ON PINE TREE THAT WE ABSOLUTELY COULDN'T. AND, AND WE JUST NOTIFIED THE PUBLIC TO LET 'EM KNOW THE UTILITY COMPANIES TYPICALLY WORK WITH US. FDOT WILL WORK WITH US, HOWEVER, THEY HAVE PROJECTS THEY NEED TO DO. YOU REMEMBER, THEY WERE DOING A LOT OF CURB WORK ALONG COLLINS, WHERE THE BOAT SHOW WAS NEAR THE FOUNTAIN BLUE. THEY WRAPPED ALL THAT UP BEFOREHAND, THE [02:10:01] 41ST STREET BRIDGE. THEY JUST COULDN'T. SO THAT, THAT DID REMAIN CLOSED. SO WE REALLY DO WORK HARD COMMUNICATING WITH ALL THE UTILITIES, ALL THE AGENCIES, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE PREPARED, BECAUSE THE LAST THING THEY WANNA DO IS TRY AND COMPLETE WORK WHEN YOU HAVE SO MUCH TRAFFIC IN CROWDS, IT'S JUST NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. SO IT'S IN THEIR BEST INTEREST AS WELL. AND, AND JOHN, I KNOW THERE'S A COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT, BUT I, I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE ON ELEVATING THINGS TO MIAMI BEACH STANDARDS. MM-HMM . AND, AND LET'S START WITH THE WORLD CUP, BUT LET'S CONTINUE THIS. SO FOR INSTANCE, FOR THE BOAT SHOW AND FOR ART BASEL, I GUESS IT'S PART OF TRAFFIC, AND NOT ALL OF THIS FALLS ON YOU. I'M TALKING COMPREHENSIVELY, WHETHER IT BE JOSE OR, OR OUR POLICE AS WELL. RIGHT? WE'RE GONNA PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD, PAVE THIS AREA, BUT THEN DOWN 17TH STREET, UH, NOT TO HARP ON THIS, BUT WE'RE CONTROLLING TRAFFIC BY BLOCKS LONG OF THE BIG ORANGE TRAFFIC HOMES. MM-HMM . AND IF WE NEED TO HAVE THAT AS TRAFFIC MITIGATION, WE HAVE TO DO THINGS IN A MORE AESTHETIC MANNER, RIGHT? WE ARE MIAMI BEACH. WE'RE MIAMI BEACH, AND THIS IS OUR, THE ARTERY OF OUR TOWN, THE OXYGEN OF OUR TOWN FRONT AND CENTER, WHAT'S GONNA BE SHOWN TO THE WORLD? WE, WE CAN'T BE WELCOMING. TENS OF THOUSANDS, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD. AND, AND THEY COME DOWN HERE AND IT LOOKS LIKE A CONSTRUCTION SITE, RIGHT? EVEN WHEN THERE'S NOT ONE, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THESE TRAFFIC MITIGATION EFFORTS, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE PALM TREE CONES. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE IN A WAY THAT ACHIEVES THE PRACTICALITY, BUT ELEVATES OUR STANDARDS. NOT BOB'S BARRICADES. I EVEN KNOW WHERE WE GET THE BARRICADES, BECAUSE I LOOKED UP, IF ANY CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE RELATIVES OF BOB'S BARRICADES, THEY'RE ALL BECAUSE THEY GO, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE'RE USING SO MANY OF THESE. SOMEBODY'S UNCLE MUST BE BOB. AND, AND YOU'RE ALL CLEARED. I, I DIDN'T SEE ANY TIES, BUT THAT, I BET SOMEBODY THAT AT LEAST $50 SAID, ONE OF OUR DIRECTORS, THEIR UNCLE IS BOB. IT'S EVERY CITY. THEY'RE IN JACKSONVILLE. THEY'RE, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. BUT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, MUTC MANUAL FOR UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES DICTATES EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE TO DO DOWN TO THE TAPER, THE SPACING OF THE CONES, OR THE BARRELS AND THE BARRICADES. WE REALLY ARE VERY, VERY LIMITED ON HOW WE CAN MAKE IT MORE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING, BECAUSE THEY WANT THEM TO BE SEEN. I MEAN, THEY HAVE, THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF 'EM, THE REFLECTIVE TAPE ON THEM, ALL OF THAT. SO, SO TELL ME, FOR THE BOAT SHOW ON 17TH STREET, WHY WE NEED THOSE ORANGE CONES, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE LOCATION EXACTLY RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF CITY HALL, RIGHT. UH, FROM, LET'S CALL IT, OH, THAT WAS LIMITING CONVENTION CENTER. THAT WAS TO CLOSE OFF THE TURN TO THE CONVENTION CENTER. CORRECT. THAT WAS THE, THE, THE LEFT TURN LANE WAS CLOSED BY POLICE. THEY WERE MANUALLY INTERS, UM, OPERATING THAT INTERSECTION. AND THEN FOR SAFETY RE UH, REASONS, IT REQUIRES A CLOSURE AND CONES TO RESTRICT CERTAIN MOVEMENTS. AND IF WE CLOSE THAT LANE THERE, THEN WE'RE MANDATED TO HAVE THE CONES, AS IS NOT, WE CHOOSE, BUT WE'RE MANDATED TO HAVE THAT. YES. YES. THEN THIS, I I, I THINK WE, WE REALLY KEEP IN MIND ANY TRAFFIC PATTERNS THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THAT IT COMES WITH THE COST. AND I DON'T MEAN FINANCIAL COST. I MEAN THE AESTHETIC COST TO OUR CITY OF WHAT THAT ENTAILS. RIGHT. IF WE OH, YES, LET, LET'S CLOSE CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE TO THE LEFT HAND TURNS. OH, OKAY. MAYBE THAT MAKES SENSE. BUT DOES IT MAKE SENSE IF THAT MEANS IN THE HEART OF OUR DOWNTOWN AREA, THAT WE'RE WELCOMING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, THAT IT'S ORANGE CONE CITY. RIGHT. UH, I ALWAYS USE THE EXAMPLE OF, OF SINGAPORE, IT WAS THE THIRD WORLD NATION. AND, UH, THEIR PRIME MINISTER FAMOUSLY SAID, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE OUR AIRPORTS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD. RIGHT. WE WILL CLEAN IT WITH A TOOTHBRUSH. WHY? 'CAUSE THAT'S THE FIRST THING AND THE LAST THING PEOPLE SEE. RIGHT. AND THAT IS THE, THE IMPACT THAT STAYS WITH THEM LONG AFTER THEY LEAVE HERE. SO WHEN PEOPLE ENTER OUR CITY IN THE VENETIAN AND THEY COME DOWN 17TH STREET, AND THE FIRST THING YOU SEE IS THOSE ORANGE CONES, I DON'T GET THE SENSE THAT, WOW, I AM IN PARADISE. I'M IN MIAMI BEACH. RIGHT? SO, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE CHOOSING SOME OF THESE, UH, TRAFFIC, UM, DISLOCATIONS, WE NEED TO BE EVEN MORE CERTAIN THAT THAT IS TRULY REQUIRED WHEN WE KNOW IT'S COMING WITH THE COST OF UGLY, OUR PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY. MM-HMM . UNDERSTOOD. COMMISSIONER, IT'S A VERY VALID POINT. WE'LL COORDINATE WITH POLICE IN TERMS OF THOSE INTERVENTIONS AND CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS OF, [02:15:01] UH, TRAFFIC. HOW MANY BUSES ARE WE GONNA SEE WRAP FOR FIFA? JOSE FOR FIFA? ALL OF 'EM. HOPEFUL. I MEAN, SOME SHOULD HAVE THREE WRAPS. ALL OF IT'S MY GOAL, BUT YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH STEVE AND ANTHONY, IF YOU COULD GIVE US AN UPDATE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REACHING OUT TO THE BIDS. SURE. AND, AND, AND LIZETTE, AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, AND LIZETTE MENTIONED A PIECE OF IT. THE BIDS, UM, PARTICULARLY LINCOLN ROAD HAD ALREADY STARTED, UH, STARTED WORKING DIRECTLY WITH US AND LOOKING TO SEE HOW DO YOU ACTIVATE THOSE SPACES FOR THAT SO THAT THE BUSINESSES CAN BE ABLE TO OFFER THE GAMES ON, ON THE OUTSIDE, UM, AND SO FORTH. AND THAT CONVERSATION HAS ALSO, UM, ALSO COME UP WITH, UH, OCEAN DRIVE ASSOCIATION AS WELL. UM, BUT WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OF THE, EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE BITS OF 41ST STREET, WASHINGTON AVENUE, UM, AS WELL AS LINCOLN ROAD, OF COURSE. AND THEN ALSO WITH THE OCEAN DRIVE ASSOCIATION. ALSO HAD CONVERSATION DIRECTLY WITH THE MIAMI BEACH CHAMBER. UM, AND JUST FIGURING OUT DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN HELP THEM FIGURE OUT HOW DO YOU SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES DURING, DURING THIS PARTICULAR TIME? HOW DO WE HELP THEM ATTRACT MORE CUSTOMERS? WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION AROUND HOW DO YOU, UM, BE ABLE TO WATCH THE GAMES, UM, IN A WAY THAT'S CONDUCIVE TO THE CONTRACT, UM, THAT WE HAVE WITH, WITH FIFA AND SO FORTH. UM, SO OUR BIGGEST THING IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE JUST IN A POSITION OF SUPPORT. DO YOU THINK THEY'RE PREPARED FOR WHAT'S COMING? DO YOU THINK THEY UNDERSTAND? I THINK THE, THE, FROM THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BIZ, THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT'S COMING. AND THEY JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THEY CAN ATTRACT, UM, AS MANY POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS TO THEIR BUSINESS. SO THAT'S NOT GONNA BE AN ISSUE, REALLY. 'CAUSE THEY'LL BE THERE. UM, I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT ARE THEY READY STAFFING WISE? BECAUSE SUMMER PEOPLE USUALLY THINK, OH, SUMMER'S DEAD. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED AS MANY PEOPLE. AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA REALLY HAVE PROBLEMS IF THEY CUT BACK ON STAFFING OR THEY DON'T KEEP THEIR STAFF. OR THEY, I KNOW A LOT OF RESTAURANTS DROP DOWN. THEY'LL HAVE FOLKS THAT WORK FIVE HOURS A WEEK, AND THEN THEY'LL DROP 'EM DOWN TO FOUR DURING THE SUMMER. THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE MISTAKE. SO JUST TO GET THAT MESSAGE ACROSS TO THEM THAT THEY, THEY'RE GONNA NEED TO BE FULLY STAFFED FOR SURE. UM, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T CONTROL THAT, BUT I THINK THAT THEY REALLY NEED TO BE PREPARED. NO, WELL TAKEN FOR SURE. THANK YOU. AND I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR LIZETTE. YES. WILL OCEAN DRIVE BE CLOSED FOR THAT MONTH? DO YOU KNOW? THAT IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LET'S, I MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE IT PERMANENTLY. I'D SAY NO, . UH, LET'S MAKE THAT, UH, IF WE GET FAVORABLE VOTES HERE, LET'S REFER TO THE FULL COMMISSION FOR TUESDAY. KIM, IF I MAY DO THE CHAIR JUST TO, I WANT TO CORRECT. I SAID 1.5, THAT, THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL ASK. AND THEN WHEN WE WENT THROUGH BUDGET, IT WENT DOWN TO 1.25. SO I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT. YEAH. FOR THE FUNDING, THE MONEY WE GIVE THE FIFA AND THEN FOR THE SCOTTS, UH, WE ARE IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH THEM. UH, VICE MAYOR, THE, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM DEM IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE STAYING IN HOLLYWOOD HOTELS. BUT WE ARE TALKING TO THEM THAT THEY WANNA DO SOME TYPE OF ACTIVATION HERE WITH THE, THE TARTAN ARMY. AND SO WE HAVE SCHEDULED, UH, A MEETING WITH PD AND, AND, YOU KNOW, FIRE AND OUR DEPARTMENT WITH, UH, A LOCAL RESIDENT WHO'S, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE CHARGE LITERALLY WITH, UH, THE SCOTTISH, UH, FANS THAT ARE COMING. AND WE, WE ARE AWARE OF THE, OF THESE, UM, ATTENDEES. AND I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL COLLECTIVELY PREPARE, AND I, I DON'T KNOW A WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS, BUT EXPECTING, ANTICIPATE, LIKE ANTICIPATING UNPERMITTED, UNFORESEEN ORGANIC, UH, GATHERINGS. RIGHT? LIKE 10,000 SCOTS. THEY'RE GOING TO ALL GATHER AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF WASHINGTON AVENUE OR, OR WHEREVER IT MAY BE. UM, AND WE WANT TO PROMOTE A FUN, FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN THE RIGHT WAY. SO, UH, I'M SURE THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS GOING WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT AND SURE. AND WE, WE STARTED THAT ON JANUARY 20TH THROUGH, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FROM DEM FIRE POLICE. UH, WE HAVE A TABLETOP EXERCISE. WE'RE WORKING, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO JOIN, I THINK THERE'S BIWEEKLY OR MONTHLY MEETINGS THAT THE COUNTY DOES AT THAT LEVEL. AND THESE HAVE BEEN GOING ON, I WANNA SAY, SINCE LAST JUNE. EXCELLENT. THAT IT'S A MULTI MUNICIPALITY, MULTI-AGENCY. THERE'S DIFFERENT ONES. THERE'S ONE THAT'S JUST COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING. THERE'S ONE THAT'S JUST TRANSPORTATION. SO JUST, AND THERE'S ONE THAT'S POLICE, YOU KNOW, UH, SO JUST BE MINDFUL OF THAT, THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH MANY MONTHS, UH, IN PREPARATION FOR THAT FOR THE WHOLE SOUTH FLORIDA. GREAT. MM-HMM . ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY OTHER COUNTRY THAT'S BRINGING A CONTINGENT OF 10,000 PEOPLE OR SOMEWHERE ROUGHLY SIMILAR TO THAT? NO ONE ELSE HAS REACHED OUT. UH, I DON'T, BUT, YOU [02:20:01] KNOW, UH, THERE'S A BIG LATIN AMERICAN CONTINGENCY MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BRAZIL COLO. MM-HMM . APPARENTLY IS COLOMBIAN. SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT. AND SO WE'RE NOT ONLY PREPARING FOR THE THREE EVENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE MATCHES. ALL THE MATCHES THAT CAN HAVE ORGANIC, UH, YOU KNOW, GATHERINGS. JUST LIKE WE'VE EXPERIENCED WITH COPA CUP IN THE PAST. SO WE ARE AWARE AND WE ARE PREPARING FOR THAT, UH, AGAIN, AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION FROM OUR DM EXCELLENT COLLEAGUES. EXCELLENT. I APPRECIATE IT. OH, I THINK IN RESPONSE TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION, UH, MR. CFO, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION, WE NEED TO PREPARE AN ADDENDUM ITEM IF YOU WANTED TO GET IT ONTO THIS NEXT WEEK'S COMMISSION AGENDA. OH, WE, WE WOULDN'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO DO THAT. WE ARE HAPPY TO REVIEW IT AND HELP WOULD'VE TO DO ANYTHING WOULD REVIEW IT. LET'S DO THAT. YES. SO, UH, THERE, THERE, SO THERE IS ACTUALLY JUST A, THERE IS A, A MOTION TO RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH THE FEDERAL RECOMMENDATION DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO CLOSE OCEAN DRIVE DURING THE MONTH OF FIFA GAMES IN MIAMI. YEAH. THERE IS A MOTION FOR THAT. I'LL SECOND. OKAY. THAT'S BEING MADE. UH, LIKE, I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT. I'M SORRY. JASON, ARE, YOU HAVE NEED, YOU'RE MAKING THE YES, YOU'RE MAKING THE MOTION. OKAY. AND SECONDED BY, I'LL SECOND, UH, THE CHAIR. OKAY. YOU WANNA VOTE OR YOU WANT ASK QUESTION FIRST. IT'S UNRELATED TO THE UNRELATED. ALL ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ALRIGHT. PASS THREE. NOTHING. I JUST WANNA MAKE THE COMMENT THAT, THANK YOU LISETTE. UM, AND THANK YOU TEAM. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS SCOTTISH CONTINGENT THAT'S COMING WITH THEIR 10,000 PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE STAYING, I KNOW THAT BOOKED OUT ONE HOTEL HERE AND OTHERS IN HOLLYWOOD. UM, THERE'S 48 COUNTRIES PLAYING. YES, ABSOLUTELY. UH, ALSO, SO THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND THEBAN, SHELL JUST SEND ME AN UPDATE THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT OTHER DATES THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SHOW SCREEN MATCHES INSIDE THE BANDSHELL. YEAH, IT'D GREAT. SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE BREEZE LINE AND YOU KNOW, THE POST COMMITTEE. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT UPDATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OF COURSE. COMMISSIONER'S PUBLIC COMMENT. YES, PLEASE. MITCH NOVIK, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF. MITCH, YOU OFFERING UP THE ROOFTOP OF THE SHERBROOKE FOR A PUBLIC VIEWING AREA? 'CAUSE COUNT ME IN, YOU'RE ON MUTE, MY FRIEND. THERE IT IS. I JUST RECEIVED THE UNMUTE PROMPT. UH, YES, I'M OPENING UP THE ROOFTOP, BUT MORE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'M AGAINST THESE OCEAN DRIVE CLOSURES. CLOSURES. THEY'RE VERY DISRUPTIVE TO, UH, MY BUSINESS, ESPECIALLY OCEAN COURT. IT BECOMES A TRAFFIC SEWER. AND, UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S AT ALL NECESSARY TO CLOSE THE STREET, UH, EVER, UH, QUITE FRANKLY. THANK YOU. AND, AND THIS WILL GO TO FULL COMMISSION, MITCH, IF YOU WANNA PICK MY EAR AND GIMME MORE COMMENTS THERE. UM, I, I DO FEEL SOMEWHAT STRONGLY, UH, ABOUT THE CLOSING, BUT, UH, UM, THAT'S YOUR AREA. SO I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO, UH, RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND HAVE A BACK AND FORTH THERE. OKAY. SET. NEXT ITEM. YEAH, NEXT ITEM. UH, PERHAPS [NB 12. DISCUSS THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE AND REGULARLY SCHEDULED SEAGRAPE MANAGEMENT PLAN] I, I THINK WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BOT ON THE PHONE FOR NB 12. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR, UH, FOR KEEPING YOU DELAYED, COMMISSIONER. UM, BUT IF YOU'RE STILL WITH US, LET'S, UH, LET'S TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU. UH, M MB 12 DISCUSSED THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE, REGULARLY SCHEDULED C GRADE MANAGEMENT PLAN. MB 12. COMMISSIONER BOB, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF. HI. THANK YOU FOR, UM, LETTING ME CHIME IN. UM, I'LL LET JOHN NORRIS TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT BASICALLY THE IDEA IS TO DO A, HOPEFULLY ONE TIME ONLY MAJOR, UM, PRUNING OF THE SEA GRAPES FROM TIP TO TAIL FROM FIRST ALL THE WAY TO 87TH. UM, IT HASN'T BEEN DONE. IT IS, UM, A RECURRING CONVERSATION AMONG NEIGHBORS WHO, WHO LIVE ADJACENT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AMONG OUR POLICE OFFICERS WHO, UM, RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IS A VERY COMMON HIDING PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THINGS THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING FOR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. IT'S UNSAFE, IT'S OVERGROWN. UM, AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PLANTS THEMSELVES TO GO UNTENDED LIKE THIS. SO THIS ITEM WOULD BE TO, UM, PRIORITIZE ALLOCATING THE FUNDS TO DO A ONE TIME MAJOR HAIRCUT, AND THEN OUR STAFF COULD JUST, UM, MAINTAIN IT GOING FORWARD. UM, BUT WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JOHN WHO CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN MORE DETAIL. THANK YOU. AND JOHN AND AMY, ARE WE TALKING, IS THIS PRIMARILY, OR MOSTLY OR ALL ALONG THE BEACH WALK? YEP. YES, SIR. ALL ALONG THE BEACH WALK, THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY CUT UP OR BROUGHT DOWN, BUT THIS IS A MAJORITY OF THE BEACH WALK THE ENTIRE LENGTH. WE WOULD UTILIZE THIS ONE TIME CONTRACT OF 180,000 TO HAVE A CONTRACTOR COMING THROUGH AND [02:25:01] BRING EVERYTHING UP AND DOWN AND, AND BACK A LITTLE BIT. AND OUR REGULAR MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, MAINTAIN THEM TO A NORMAL DEGREE. BUT THIS IS MORE OF A HARD CUTBACK. SO ONCE IT'S A HARD CUTBACK, THE MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE. DO WE HAVE ANY VISUALIZATIONS? 'CAUSE I THINK HOW I'M ENVISIONING IT, I LOVE THIS. RIGHT? IN FACT, I, I OFTEN, I WALK THE BEACH WALK QUITE OFTEN AND I FIND MYSELF ASKING AREAS THAT'S CALLED BY THE SAI HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL VIEW, THIS BEAUTIFUL VIEW INTO THE OCEAN, RIGHT? AND, AND ONTO THE BEACHES AND THEN OTHER AREAS. IT'S VERY ENCUMBERED. AND I WANTED TO BRING IT UP, BUT THEN I'M LIKE, THERE MUST BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL REASON. I'M GONNA ASK. I'M GONNA GET MYSELF IN TROUBLE. I'M GONNA SOUND STUPID. LIKE, AMY. BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. UM, WHY DO SOME AREAS LOOK VERY WELL TRIMMED AND MAINTAINED? UH, THAT WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL VIEW FROM THE BEACH WALK ONTO THE BEACH INTO THE OCEAN, AND OTHER AREAS ARE JUST VERY, IT JUST LOOKS UNKEMPT. IS THAT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS? IS THAT FOR ALMOST LIKE A DUNE PROTECTION OR IS THIS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE HERE, AMY? SURE. COMMISSIONER, UM, AMY NOLLS, CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER. AND YOU'RE CORRECT, IT'S NOT SO SIMPLE. IT'S A COMBINATION OF OUR BEE TREE NOURISHMENT, OUR DUNE PROGRAM, UM, STORM SAFETY, STORM SURGE, AND, AND, UH, SEA LEVEL RISE OVER TIME. SO ESSENTIALLY WE HAVE A DUNE MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH WAS APPROVED IN 2016, AND THAT REALLY, UM, GOVERNS HOW WE TRIM AND HANDLE ALL OF THE LANDSCAPING WITHIN THE DUNES. UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE DUNES BACK IN THE SEVENTIES. THEY WERE BUILT, UM, IN 75 THROUGH 80. THEY WASHED AWAY BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T VEGETATED. AND THEN FDEP CAME IN AND REBUILT THEM AND VEGETATED THEM. SO WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THAT. UM, THE WAY THINGS ARE NEED TO BE TRIMMED ARE DONE VERY CAREFULLY. UM, THEY HAVE A GREAT RESULT WHEN THEY ARE TRIMMED. UM, I KNOW JOHN MENTIONED, UM, THE WAY THE SEA GRAPES ARE TRIMMED SO THAT THERE IS NO HOMELESS ISSUES. WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS THROUGH SEP HEAD, THAT'S CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, WHERE WE LIFT THE SEA GRAPES THAT ARE NEAR THE ROPE AND POST. SO YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THEM. BUT THE, TELL ME THAT ACRONYM AGAIN, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED THAT ALL OVER THE CITY. YES. YEAH, NO, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE USE. NO, IT WAS THE ACRONYM. UM, IT'S CTED CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN. GO AHEAD. UH, UH, I'LL TRY AND GET THAT. YEAH. BUT, YEP. SO WE'VE, UM, DONE THAT VERY SUCCESSFULLY HERE IN THE HOTSPOT AREAS. UM, MY TEAM WORKED WITH ABA AND PD TO REALLY WALK THE WHOLE BEACH WALK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND HAD SEVERAL TARGETED, UM, INTERVENTIONS. UM, BUT TO YOUR POINT, THE SEA GRAPES MORE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DUNES, THERE'S A CERTAIN WAY THAT IF THEY'RE BUSHES, THEY NEED TO BE TRIMMED BECAUSE, UH, WHAT WE REALLY DO WANT IS TO MAINTAIN THE HEIGHT OF THE DUNES, AND THEY GROW OVER TIME. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO TRAP SAND AND GET TALLER TO PROTECT US. SO IT'S, IT IS A BALANCE, UM, TO, TO YOUR POINT, DO THEY PROTECT US GRADUALLY OVER TIME? DO THEY PROTECT US IN THE EVENT OF A STORM? MM-HMM . YEAH, THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF PROTECTION, AND IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED THROUGH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. THERE'S A LOT OF STUDIES, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE SHOWED THAT ABOUT $20 MILLION A YEAR OF PRODUCTION IS PROVIDED FROM THE DUNE SYSTEM. UM, AND THEN THAT'S ALSO EQUATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND PROTECTION. SO THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD STATS FROM THE ARMY CORPS ON THAT. OKAY. SO IT'S NOT JUST IN THE EVENT OF A STORM, THEY PROVIDE A ADDITIONAL LAYER OR BARRIER OF PROTECTION. IT'S, UH, PROTECTS THROUGH THE CONSTANT EROSION THAT WOULD OCCUR WITHOUT THEM. IT'S, IT'S WIDELY SEEN AS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL BEE TREE NOURISHMENT AND DUNE SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY. DO WE HAVE VISUALS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE HERE BY CHANCE? UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE EXAMPLES FROM OTHER RESTORATIONS AND TRIMMINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE BEFORE AND AFTER, UM, OF THE TRIMMINGS THAT WE COULD PROVIDE. OKAY. UH, WE DID A, A BUNCH OF, UH, SECTIONS IN 2023. YEAH. I, I LOVE THE ITEM. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, WE CAN ACHIEVE BY WORLD CUP? IF I, IF I MAY ADD, THERE'S NO FUNDING IDENTIFIED FOR THIS, SO IT'S TYPICAL FOR, AS A, AN UNBUDGETED ITEM, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD RECOMMEND IT BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE 27 BUDGET PROCESS. TELL ME WHY THIS HAS TO BE OUTSOURCED. SO WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT, UH, 14 FIELD PERSONNEL IN GREEN SPACE, AND THEY'RE SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, TAKING CARE OF SMALLER PROJECTS. I, I CALL 'EM PUNCH LIST PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE COMPLETED, UH, VERY QUICKLY. THIS IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING. IF WE WERE TO MAINTAIN OUR WORKLOAD AND TRY AND DO THIS IN-HOUSE, IT COULD TAKE YEARS. AND PLUS THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT AS WELL TRAINED AT THE PRUNING, AS AMY ALLUDED TO. THERE ARE SPECIFIC, UH, PROCEDURES THEY NEED TO TAKE TO PROPERLY PRUNE THESE. SO WE WOULD WANT IT DONE. ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I'M NOT SAYING [02:30:01] WE COULDN'T BE TRAINED, BUT ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER DUTIES THAT THEY HAVE, IT'D BE VERY DIFFICULT QUESTION. IS THERE A WAY YES. UH, IT, I'LL ASK THIS. IS THERE A WAY WHERE WE COULD KIND OF IDENTIFY, UM, WHERE WE'RE EXPECTING THE MOST CROWDS? AND I GUESS THAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE FROM WHAT, UH, 15TH STREET? MAYBE UP THROUGH LIKE THE INE AREA? UH, IF I THINK ABOUT LIKE THE HOT BUTTON TOURIST AREAS WHERE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE REALLY USING THAT, UM, COULD WE USE THAT AS A PROXY TO ACHIEVE INTERNALLY? UM, SO INSTEAD OF 87 BLOCKS, LET'S CALL IT A 15 BLOCK HOTSPOT, THAT WE COULD USE OUR GREEN MANAGEMENT TEAM IN PLACE TO GET DONE WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS. I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT, 15 BLOCKS? THAT'S, UH, IT'S ONE BLOCK PER WEEK. IT'D BE VERY CHALLENGING. AND THESE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, THESE PEOPLE ALREADY HAVE, YOU KNOW, TONS OF WORK TO KEEP 'EM BUSY ALL WEEK LONG. I I, I WOULD BE VERY CONCERNED THAT, UH, WE'D BE DROPPING THE BALL ON OTHER, UH, DUTIES. HI. HI. HE WAS YOU. A COUPLE MINUTES. WHAT WOULD WE BE DROPPING THE BALL ON? JUST GENERAL, RIGHT? WHAT ARE THEY, WHEN BUSHES GET HIT BY VEHICLES, TREES GET HIT BY VEHICLES, TREES NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, TRANSPLANTED. WE GET A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR JUST LITTLE ODD THINGS. I MEAN, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE HAVE A LOT OF LANDSCAPING THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE DO HAVE LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS, BUT THEY'RE ON A REGULAR CYCLE, SO WE GET A LOT OF REQUESTS JUST TO TAKE CARE OF DIFFERENT ITEMS HERE AND THERE. AND THEY'RE SPREAD VERY THIN. I, I, I'M, I'M WILLING TO STRETCH OUR CAPABILITIES AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BUT THAT'S A VERY, VERY SMALL GROUP OUT THERE. LET'S, LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO THROUGH, THROUGH THE CHAIR. YEAH, GO AHEAD. IF I MIGHT JUST INTERRUPT, I'M SO SORRY. JULIA'S DOCTOR'S ABOUT TO WALK IN, AND I JUST WANNA SHARE A COUPLE THOUGHTS. I, I APPLAUD YOUR EFFORT TO TRY TO DO THIS INTERNALLY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH JOHN. I THINK THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA PICK WINNERS OR LOSERS IN OUR CITY OF WHAT GETS, UM, TREATED FIRST. UM, I THINK IT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. I THINK INCREASINGLY, UM, ESPECIALLY AS OUR CITY IS GONNA BE OVER, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, A BIG PART OF THE, THE FIFA WORLD CUP ACTIVITIES, I THINK WE WANNA MAKE SURE, AND WE KNOW THAT, UH, BAD ACTORS PREY ON TOURISTS. I THINK WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE BEACH WALK IS INCREDIBLY SAFE. PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AND THEY COME INTO TOWN AND THEY DON'T THINK THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULD LEAVE THE BEACH WALK AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. UM, IF WE'RE SENDING POLICE OUT TO DO RESCUE CALLS OUT THERE OR, OR DEAL WITH CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OUT THERE, WE DO WANNA PUT OUR POLICE FORCE, UM, AT RISK. I THINK THIS IS A WISE USE OF MONEY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PURPOSES, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER ANCILLARY THINGS. UM, IN TERMS OF LONG-TERM DUNE PROTECTION, UM, SHORE PROTECTION, ET CETERA. UM, I THINK THAT IT WILL BE CRITICAL THAT JOHN'S TEAM IS TRAINED IN ORDER TO, UM, MAINTAIN THIS ON AN ONGOING BASIS. BUT WE'VE NEVER REALLY DONE THIS AS A HOLISTIC EXERCISE. AND I THINK THIS IS THE TIME TO DO IT BEFORE WE START WELCOMING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY, THEY STAY SAFE, AND WE KNOW THAT MORE VISITORS EQUAL MORE CRIMINALS PREYING ON THEM. AND WE WOULD LIKE TO AVOID THAT. I ALSO WANNA JUST MENTION, JOE, IF YOU, UM, WANNA CRASH COURSE IN STEP TED, REACH OUT TO OFFICER JULIO BLANCO, WHO'S THE NRO FOR NORTH BEACH. HE'S, HE'S, HE KNOWS THIS STUFF INSIDE AND OUT, AND HE'S A VERY GOOD TUTOR. YEAH. UH, APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER BOT, AND, AND I'M FULLY ALIGNED WITH YOU. I'M JUST THINKING ACTUALLY FROM A TIMING PERSPECTIVE, MR. CFO TELL ME HOW THIS WOULD WORK. GIVEN THERE'S NO FUNDING IN PLACE, WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT FORWARD A BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WOULD GO FORWARD TO THE ENTIRE COMMISSION, AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT UNTIL THAT'S IN PLACE. AND WE'RE KIND OF GETTING UP TO THE WORLD CUP. SO WHILE FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT, I, I AGREE THAT WE CAN'T HANDLE IT INTERNALLY. RIGHT. I JUST DON'T KNOW IF WE GO THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS AND PROTOCOL TO DO THIS OUTSIDE IF WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE IT BY THE WORLD CUP. SO I GUESS, EXCUSE THE PUN, JUST LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT WE CAN GET DONE INTERNALLY, UH, BY THE WORLD CUP. BUT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IF I'M OFF ON THAT TIMELINE ABOUT HAVING TO PUT FORWARD A BUDGET AMENDMENT AND THEN GO OUT, GET THE CONTRACT. RODNEY, WELCOME YOU. SURE. AND IF YOU'RE VOLUNTEERING TO DO IT, AWESOME. YES. UM, MOTION GRANTED, I, RODNEY NOLES, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND FORMER GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT, UH, DIVISION DIRECTOR, UM, CAME DOWN WHEN [02:35:01] I HEARD THE CONVERSATION, OF COURSE. AND I WANTED TO JUST BACKTRACK JUST TO FILL, UM, THE BODY IN ON THE THINGS THAT GREEN SPACE IS TYPICALLY, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR. UM, WE HAVE THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE ITEMS THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS, UM, DEPLOYED TO TAKE CARE OF. UH, THEY'RE SMALL PROJECTS, INFILL THINGS TO, UM, ENHANCE, UH, WHAT WE'RE SEEING AROUND AS PEOPLE DRIVE THROUGH THE CITY. UM, IT'S RELATED TO WHAT YOU SAID WITH, UH, THE AIRPORT FOR, UH, SINGAPORE. WE ARE TAKING CARE OF A LOT OF THE, UM, THE SMALL PROJECTS. WE DON'T WANT TO CONTRACT OUT. WE HAVE HIGHLY TRAINED STAFF IN-HOUSE THAT ARE JUST GOING IN AND THEY'RE BEAUTIFYING BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS THE IMPRESSION THAT A LOT OF OUR VISITORS AND GUESTS ARE GONNA HAVE. SO WE HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS GOING ON. I THINK TO DIVERT STAFF, TO TRIMMING THE DUNES, IT'S A COLOSSAL EFFORT. IT WILL BE BASICALLY A FULL-TIME THING THAT THEY'RE ENGAGED IN. SO, UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE BANDWIDTH INTERNALLY TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. THE GOOD THING IS THAT, UM, THE QUOTE THAT WE GOT IS FROM A CONTRACTOR THAT'S CURRENTLY, UM, INVOLVED WITH THE CITY. UH, SO THE AGREEMENT IS IN PLACE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF ENGAGING THEM FOR THAT ANCILLARY SERVICE. SO I THINK THE TURNAROUND TIME PROVIDED THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY THE FUNDING, THEY'RE READY TO GO, UM, WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS OF BEING NOTIFIED. UM, PART OF MY CONCERN WITH, UM, JUST IDENTIFYING CERTAIN AREAS TO PERFORM THE TRIMMING. SO WE REDUCE THE SCOPE, IS THAT WE HAVE SOME, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE CITY, UH, THAT, WELL, THEY CAN'T ATTRIBUTE IT TO THEM. THERE ARE INSTANCES IN THE CITY WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THE LIBERTY OF PERFORMING THE TRIMMING THEMSELVES, WHICH IS VERY CONCERNING. WE DON'T WANT THAT. I WAS GONNA ASK IF THAT WAS A GOOD OR BAD THING. IT'S A BAD THING. OKAY. BECAUSE THE TRIMMING NEEDS TO BE DONE PROPERLY. IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOING MANAGEMENT PLAN. AND WE DON'T WANT ANYONE GOING OUT AND THEY'RE CUTTING THE VEGETATION DOWN TO 12 INCHES OR 18 INCHES, WHICH IS A GROSS, UM, BUTCHERING OF, OF THE LANDSCAPING. SO WE NEED IT DONE, UM, TO THE SPECIFICATIONS. AND, UM, I THINK THAT THE CONTRACTOR WHO HAS THEM, IT'S PART OF THE CONTRACT, UH, THAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO. SO THEY HAVE ALL THE PARAMETERS IN THERE SO THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THIS AND DO IT PROPERLY. MR. CFO, HOW DOES THE TIMING WORK ON THIS? YEAH. IF THIS RETURN TO THE COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO APPROPRIATE, UH, DOLLARS THROUGH A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO PROCEED WITH THIS PROJECT, UH, THEN WE WOULD PROCEED TO THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING WITH A BUDGET AMENDMENT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD HOLD THIS OUT TO APRIL. BUT IF THE AIR, IF THE INTEREST IS, AND THIS IS A QUESTION I'M GONNA POSE FOR YOU TO RODNEY, IS IF THOSE DOLLARS ARE APPROPRIATED IN APRIL AND YOU'RE ABLE TO GET THAT MOBILIZED, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO, BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE OVER THAT TWO MONTH PERIOD, BE ABLE TO AT LEAST TARGET THE HOTSPOT AREA? I THINK THAT THE CHAIR MAY BE, UM, ASKING ABOUT ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. IF WE, WE CAN GET, WE CAN PRIORITIZE THE EFFORT SO THAT WE'RE GETTING THE MAXIMUM EFFECT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND WE CAN JUST, IT'S JUST A SCHEDULING THING AFTER THAT. SO WHAT, SO WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IS THAT TIMELINE WILL WORK. WE CAN RETURN THIS TO COMMISSION PUBLIC WORKS AND BRING THIS BACK, UH, FOR MARCH COMMISSION MEETING, COME BACK APRIL, DO THE BUDGET AMENDMENT. THEY WOULD ROCK AND ROLL THE DAY, THE DAY AFTER. THEY'D HAVE THAT WORK ORDER READY TO, TO GO, UH, FOR THE DAY AFTER. THEY'D HAVE TWO MONTHS TO BEFORE EVEN STARTS. UH, AND THEY WOULD TARGET THOSE HOTSPOT AREAS, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE THE FULL FUNDING TO DO THE ENTIRE CITY. AND THEN, SO TARGET THE AREAS DURING THE FIFA AREA, AND THEN JUST KEEP ON, UH, MOVING DOWN THE LINE. YEP. SO IT WOULD WORK. AND FOR THE CHAIR, IF I MAY, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. THANKS. UM, COULD WE NOT, I MEAN, IT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE ITEM. IT'S NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY. RICK, COULD WE NOT, UM, ADD THIS ONTO THE, THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK, WEEK? AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL GET HEARD AND WE CAN JUST EXPEDITE BY A MONTH. I HOPE. DOUBT IT. TELL RICK DOING ANOTHER. I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD NEED TO PREPARE AN ITEM. I THINK RICK WAS, WE, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP IF THE DIRECTIONS THE PUBLIC WORKS WOULD, WOULD, UM, COULD PREPARE THIS ITEM IMMEDIATELY. I GUESS IT WOULD'VE TO BE TODAY. , UH, THIS AFTERNOON. CAN WE JUST TAKE, TAKE THE MEMO THAT'S, THAT WAS PREPARED FOR THIS AND SLAP A NEW TITLE ON IT AND ENTER IT. YEAH. SO, UH, IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION TO RETURN TO COMMISSION WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO CONSIDER A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, FOR THE, UH, C GREAT MAN, UH, MANAGEMENT PLAN AS PRESENTED PUBLIC WORKS, UH, FOR AND TO BE ON THE FEBRUARY 25TH COMMISSION MEETING, UH, PUBLIC WORKS CAN, I'M SPEAKING FOR PUBLIC WORKS, I GUESS PUBLIC WORKS. WOULD LOVE TO PREPARE THAT IMMEDIATELY AND HAVE THAT AS ADDENDUM, UH, FOR THAT. AND THEN WE COULD RETURN, UH, AN OMB IN MARCH, WHICH WOULD THEN GIVE YOU OVER THREE MONTHS TO GET THAT WORK DONE. IS THAT THE, IS THAT THE MOTION? YES, SIR. OKAY. UH, WHO'LL BE MAKING THAT MOTION? I'LL MAKE IT. I'LL SECOND. OKAY. SO, UH, ALL IN FAVOR. THANK YOU COLLEAGUES. AYE, AYE. OKAY. ALL, UH, ITEM PASSES. THREE. NOTHING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. AND I THINK, UH, I THINK WE CAN WRAP UP FROM HERE UNLESS ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY, UH, MANDATORY ITEMS. OKAY. YEAH. SO, SO WE'LL SHOW THE, UH, A MOTION TO RICK. RICK'S GONNA BE HERE BURNING THE MIDNIGHT [02:40:01] OIL WITH THOSE TWO ADDENDUMS. SO LET, LET'S LET 'EM GET BACK TO THAT. I, I I, I WOULD LOVE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL TAKE THOSE TWO ADDENDUMS. I THINK WE'LL TAKE A, A MOTION TO, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. YEAH. PERFECT. THANK YOU. MEETING ADJOURNED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. * 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.