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TWO, ONE.WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER 9TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE.
WE'RE JOINED THIS MORNING BY MY COLLEAGUES, VICE CHAIR LAURA DOMINGUEZ, COMMISSIONER MONICA MATTEL-SALINAS, AND COMMISSIONER TANYA BHATT.
WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY OUR STAFF ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MARK TAXAS, CHIEF DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY ROBERT ROSENWALD, AND OUR LIAISON FOR, FOR TODAY'S MEETING, MARIA LEENDO.
I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO MARIA TO PUT US IN THE PROPER POSTURE FOR TODAY'S MEETING.
TODAY'S MEETING IS A HYBRID MEETING.
THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WILL BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE COMMISSION CHAMBER.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ATTEND THIS MEETING OR PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENTS IN PERSON MAY APPEAR AT THE COMMISSION CHAMBER.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE OR PROVIDE COMMENTS VIRTUALLY DURING THE MEETING MAY JOIN THE WEBINAR VIA ZOOM.
ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS DISCUSS THE FEASIBILITY OF REPLACING THE PLANNED 5TH STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE WITH AN OVER WATER CONNECTION LINKING THE BAY WALK SOUTH OF 5TH STREET WITH THE BAY WALK NORTH OF 5TH STREET HAS BEEN DEFERRED.
ITEM NUMBER 14, WHICH IS DISCUSS, TAKE ACTION REGARDING IDENTIFYING SIGNAGE IN THE CITY RIGHT OF WAY THAT IS SUPERFLUOUS OR NECESSARY IN ORDER TO MITIGATE VISUAL CLUTTER, COMPLIANCE WITH RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026-34318, AND A PROGRESS REPORT FROM THE CITY ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN DEFERRED.
ITEM NUMBER 15, WHICH IS DISCUSS AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER TWO OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH ENTITLED ADMINISTRATION.
ARTICLE SEVEN ENTITLED STANDARDS OF CONDUCT DIVISION THREE ENTITLED LOBBYIST BY AMENDING SECTION 2-4A1 ENTITLED DEFINITIONS TO AMEND DEFINITIONS APPLICABLE TO THIS DIVISION BY AMENDING AND REVISING THE TITLE OF, FOR SECTION 2-483, EXCEPTIONS TO REGISTRATION, WRITTEN DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT FOR PERSONS EXCLUDED FOR THE DEFINITION OF LOBBYISTS TO CLARIFY AND RESTATE THE WRITTEN DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT FOR PERSONS EXCLUDED FROM THE DEFINITION OF LOBBYISTS BY AMENDING SECTION 2-4A5.
1 PENALTIES TO CLARIFY PROVISIONS RELATING TO ENFORCEMENT BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSIONS ON ETHICS BY AMENDING SECTIONS 2-485.
3 CONTINGENCY FEE PROHIBITED, TO ADOPT CLARIFYING AMENDMENTS TO THE PROHIBITION ON THE GIVEN OR ACCEPT- ACCEPTANCE OF A CONTINGENCY FEE IN CONNECTION WITH APPEARANCES BEFORE THE CITY.
AND FINALLY, BY AMENDING OTHER SECTIONS IN DIVISION THREE TO EFFECTUATE THE INTENT OF THIS ORDINANCE AND PROVIDING FOR REPEALER CODIFICATION SEVERABILITY AND EFFECTIVE DATE HAS BEEN DEFERRED.
ITEM NUMBER 17, WHICH IS DISCUSSION OF REVIVING EMPLOYEE SHUTTLE PROGRAM AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS FOR FONTAN BLUE HOTEL STAFF HAS BEEN DEFERRED.
ADDENDUM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS EXPLORE THE USE OF TEMPORARY STRUCTURES SUCH AS MINI PARKS OR POP-UP SEATING TO ACTIVATE UNDERUTILIZED PUBLIC SPACES HAS BEEN DEFERRED.
AND THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR TODAY.
SO WE HAVE ITEMS NUMBER TWO, 14, 15, 17, AND ADDENDUM NUMBER ONE LISTED AS, AS DEFERRAL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES BEING REQUESTED BY THE COMMITTEE AT THIS TIME? COMMISSIONER, WE DID HAVE A REQUEST THAT CAME IN TO DEFER NUMBER 12.
A DEFERRAL FOR ITEM NUMBER 12.
SO ITEM NUMBER 12 IS BEING DEFERRED.
UM - AND ACTUALLY - YES, COMMISSIONER? I'D LIKE TO DEFER NUMBER 11, UM, PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LOG CABIN.
I JUST WANNA WAIT UNTIL WE KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE AND TIE IT INTO THAT BIGGER CONVERSATION.
IN THAT SAME SPIRIT, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE, UH, YOU HAVE TWO ITEMS THAT ARE PENDING AT, AT COMMITTEE AS FUTURE ITEMS. WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER 48, WHICH IS THE, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE GOB, UH, LOG CABIN PROJECT AS WELL AS NUMBER 52, WHICH IS, UH, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE LOG CABIN.
PERHAPS IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DISCUSS AT THE NEXT MEETING, UH, SO THAT THEN...
BUT I'LL DEFER TO YOU IF YOU COULD WORK WITH STAFF AND LET THEM KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY TO, TO PROCEED WITH THOSE ITEMS. 40, 48 AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONE? 48 AND 52.
'CAUSE I, I BELIEVE THAT ONCE WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE GOB PROJECT WITH THE LOG CABIN AND THE LOCATION FOR THE LOG CABIN, THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE BETTER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAMMING AND ITS FUTURE.
SO WITH THAT, WE CAN SHOW ITEMS NUMBER TWO, 12, 14, 15, 17, ADDENDUM NUMBER 11, AND ITEM NUMBER 11 AS DEFERRALS.
UM, THE ORDER FOR TODAY'S MEETING WILL BE AS FOLLOW.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT OUT OF ORDER.
THAT'S A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ARDAGO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
WE HAVE RESIDENTS FROM ADNA WHO ARE HERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT FIRST BEFORE THE REPORTS AND UPDATES, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW
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OUR ITEMS AS PRINTED ON THE, ON THE AGENDA.AS USUAL, WE'RE GONNA START TODAY'S MEETING WITH THE, UH, SUDNIK CITIZENS PUBLIC FORUM.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA ARE WELCOME TO APPROACH THE PODIUM.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ATTENDING ON ZOOM, YOU'RE WELCOME TO, TO, TO RAISE YOUR HAND.
YOU CAN STATE YOUR, YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I'M MATTHEW GOLTANOFF, 125 JEFFERSON AVENUE.
I'M SPEAKING ON ITEM 22, THE PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE EXISTING E-BIKE AND MICROMOBILITY BAN ON THE MIAMI BEACH DRIVE AND PROMENADE TO REGULAR BICYCLES AND ROLLERBLADERS, SKATEBOARD AND OTHER WHEELED DEVICES.
I'M ASKING YOU TO TABLE IT TODAY.
YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL STAFF, THE POLICE AND TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY DEPARTMENTS, THEY REVIEWED THE PROPOSAL AND THEY DO NOT RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD.
THEY FOUND NO PATTERN OF NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLAINTS, NO EVIDENCE SHOWING A SAFETY PROBLEM, AND NO DEMONSTRATED NEED FOR BANNING ORDINARY AND OTHER WHEEL DEVICES FROM THIS PUBLIC SPACE.
ABSENT EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY, I CAN'T THINK OF A GOOD REASON NOT TO FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF YOUR OWN SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
THERE'S ALSO SOME HISTORY HERE.
LAST YEAR WHEN THE CITY COMMISSION BANNED E-BIKES AND MICROMOBILITY FROM THE SAME PROMENADE, PART OF THE STATED JUSTIFICATION WAS TO PROTECT PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS.
NOW, ONE YEAR LATER, THE SAME BICYCLISTS THE CITY COMMISSION SAID THAT IT WAS PROTECTING ARE THE ONES NOW FACING A BAN.
I WAS OUT THERE SATURDAY MORNING WITH MY YOUNGEST CHILD.
THE PROMENADE WAS NEARLY EMPTY.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH NEARBY RESIDENTS AND THEY ARE CONCERNED.
SOME TAUGHT THEIR CHILDREN HOW TO RIDE A BIKE THERE.
OTHERS LIVE NEARBY AND THEY COMMUTE BY BICYCLE.
AND THAT GETS TO THE LARGER ISSUE.
WHY DOES IT SEEM THE CITY IS CONSTANTLY MAKING IT HARDER FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE? RESIDENTS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO MONITOR EVERY AGENDA AND EVERY COMMITTEE MEETING JUST TO KEEP THE CITY FROM MAKING EVERYDAY LIFE MORE DIFFICULT.
YOUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF IS TELLING YOU THERE IS NO PROBLEM HERE.
FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN TABLE ITEM 22.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEMS ON THE AGENDA? SEEING NO ONE IN PERSON APPROACHING THE PODIUM AND NO ONE ON ZOOM WITH THEIR HANDS RAISED, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE SENATE, UH, CITIZENS FORUM.
WE'RE GONNA PROCEED WITH ITEM NUMBER
[8. DISCUSS CERTAIN REQUESTS FROM THE ART DECO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION CONCERNING THE SPECIAL EVENT PLANNING AND PERMITTING PROCESS.]
EIGHT.ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS DISCUSS CERTAIN REQUESTS FROM THE ARTECO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION CONCERNING THE SPECIAL EVENT PLANNING AND PERMITTING PROCESS.
THIS ITEM IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, THANK YOU FOR SPONSORING THIS ITEM YOU'RE WELCOME TO INTRODUCE.
SO, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS BACK, I HAD A MEETING WITH THE ART DECO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THERE ARE THREE OF THE MEMBERS HERE.
AND, UM, THEY REALLY WORK HARD TO PROTECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE ON OCEAN DRIVE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME REALIZING IT'S AN ICONIC CITY AND WE HAVE EVENTS THAT ARE GRANDFATHERED IN AND, UH, A HOST OF EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE.
BUT THE, UH, ITEMS THAT WE WENT OVER DURING OUR MEETING AND THEY'RE PRESENTED HERE IN THE MEMO ARE THE SPECIAL EVENTS AND COMMUNITY, UH, REVIEW PROCESS, THE PLACEMENT OF STAGES, SPEAKERS, AND BACK OF THE HOUSE, UH, PLACING EVENTS SOUTH OF 11TH STREET, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LIST OF GRANDFATHERED EVENTS THAT STILL TAKE PLACE IN THAT AREA, BUT ANY FUTURE EVENTS, UH, TO LOOK AT SOUTH OF 11TH, LIMITING FEE WAIVERS, AND, UM, I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE LAST ITEM.
BUT I'D LOVE TO HEAR AFTER REVIEWING IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, UH, WHAT ADNA HAD PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION, UH, WHAT THE CITY CAN DO IN RESPONSE TO HELP THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN THAT PORTION OF MIAMI BEACH.
GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
FRANCIS VAISIO, INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR TOURISM AND CULTURE.
I'VE ACTUALLY, UH, HAD THE HONOR TO WORK WITH AD&E ON, ON, FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW ON, ON MANY MATTERS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME POINTS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS TODAY.
SOME POINTS, UH, MAYBE FOR FURTHER CONVERSATION FROM YOU AT THE DAIS AND THE CITY COMMISSION AS A WHOLE.
UH, OUR SPECIAL EVENT PERMITTING PROCESS BY NATURE DOES HAVE ELEMENTS THAT INCLUDE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATION, UM, CONNECTING THE PRODUCERS WITH THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY REVIEW MEETING, WHICH
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THROUGH DIFFERENT INITIATIVES OF OUR OWN AND SOME, UM, COMING FROM THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, WE'VE WORKED ON IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY REVIEW MEETING NOW IS PUBLICLY NOTICED.WE SEND AN AGENDA BEFORE THE MEETING.
IT'S A E-NEWS, UH, BLAST THAT INCLUDES THE AGENDA, AND NOW WE EVEN HAVE IT LINKED SO THAT WHOEVER IS SEEING IT CAN SEE THE SITE PLAN BEFORE THE MEETING TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION.
UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE ARE SOME GRANDFATHERED EVENTS THAT, UH, IT WOULD BE A LARGER CONVERSATION AS TO EITHER RELOCATING THEM OR WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE CITY.
SOME OF THEM HAVE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS.
UM, IN GENERAL, WE DO HAVE A, UM, A LIMIT OF FREQUENCY USE, WHICH IS IN OUR GUIDELINES, AND IT LIMITS THE USE OF SPACE.
AND SO AS A GENERAL RULE, ANYBODY COMING THAT WANTS TO DO A NEW EVENT IN LOOMIS PARK OR IN THE BEACHFRONT, PRETTY MUCH THE ANSWER IS THERE'S NO SPACE AVAILABLE, SO WE ALWAYS START THERE.
SO OTHER THAN IT TAKING A COMMISSION INITIATIVE, DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO WORK WITH THE PRODUCERS TO BRING ANOTHER EVENT, OUR POSITION IS ALWAYS THAT THERE'S NO SPACE AVAILABLE.
UM, REGARDING STAGES, THAT'S SOMETHING AS WELL THAT IT'S NOT...
I DON'T THINK IT'S SPELLED OUT IN OUR GUIDELINES YET, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, ALL PRODUCERS KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT UP OF FACING AWAY FROM, UM, OCEAN DRIVE, LIMITING, UH, SOUND.
AND SOMETIMES EVENTS HAVE EVEN GONE THE STEP TO WORK WITH ENGINEERS TO SEE HOW THEY CAN MITIGATE SOUND.
WE NEED TO DO BETTER ON THAT FRONT.
I KNOW THAT A FEW MONTHS AGO, I WAS AT ONE OF OUR SIGNATURE EVENTS, AND ALL OF THEIR TRASH - UH-HUH.
AND U-HAUL TRUCKS, AND WERE IN THE SPOILS.
AND SO WE HAVE RESIDENT BUILDINGS, WE HAVE HOTELS THAT PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO LIVE THERE AND TO STAY THERE, AND THEY WERE LOOKING AT ALL OF THIS TRASH AND U-HAUL TRUCKS.
SO WE NEED TO DO BETTER WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE S - THE STAGES AND SPEAKERS, BUT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE WAS THE BIG ONE.
I WAS IN SHOCK, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WAS TOLD HAPPENS EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD CHANGE NOW.
LIKE THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
AND IF SOMEBODY HAS TO BRING A U-HAUL TO BRING IN THEIR PROGRAM - UH-HUH.
THEN AFTER THEY, UH, UNLOAD, THAT NEEDS TO GO AWAY.
IT CAN'T STAY THERE FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROGRAM.
WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT.
AND, AND I THINK I ADDRESSED IT IN THE MEMO THAT WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH EVENTS ON S - ON THEIR SCREENS, ON, UH, COVERING THEIR BACK OF HOUSE, BUT OF COURSE, THAT WOULD ONLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM AT AN EYE LEVEL.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE HIGH BUILDINGS THAT ARE LOOKING DOWN.
SO, UM, HAPPY TO LOOK INTO HOW WE CAN MINIMIZE THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP, UM, ON THE, ON THE POINTS RAISED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
SO COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, YOU, YOU MENTIONED BACK OF HOUSE SUCH AS TRASH CANS, UH, UPSTAIRS PROPERTY HOUSE.
THAT STAYED FOR THE DURATION OF THE SHOW.
WHAT WOULD BE ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS? 'CAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE POSTCARD.
THERE ARE GRANDFATHERED EVENTS, UM, AND THEN, THEN THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, EVENTS THAT ARE SOUTH OF 13TH STREET CURRENTLY.
ALL EVENTS HAVE BACK OF HOUSE.
SO TH- THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE TRASH.
THERE HAS TO BE A PLACE FOR, FOR TRASH.
WHAT WOULD BE ALTERNATE LOCATIONS FOR THIS, OR WHAT WOULD BE ALTERNATE WAYS OF ADDRESSING THIS? ONE THING I CAN THINK OF, THERE ARE EVENTS THAT INCLUDE BACK OF HOUSE ON THEIR FOOTPRINT, ON THE SIDES OF THEIR FOOTPRINT.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT WOULD TAKE SOME GRANDFATHERED EVENTS TO REIMAGINE THEIR SITE PLAN, UM, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT, ALMOST DIVIDING IT.
THEIR MAIN EVENT IS ON BEACHFRONT AND BACK OF HOUSE IS ON THE SPOIL.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME EVENTS THAT PUT THEM TOGETHER NEXT TO EACH OTHER, BUT IT CUTS INTO THEIR EVENT SPACE.
I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE THE MORE APPROPRIATE THING, BECAUSE OTHER- OTHERWISE, YOU'RE JUST GETTING YOUR TRASH AND YOU'RE PUTTING IT ON S- S - ON SOMEBODY ELSE.
UM, AND SO, AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT AS A MATTER OF POLICY - UH-HUH.
THAT TYPE OF BACK OF HOUSE, THE GARBAGE AND, AND ALL THAT TYPE OF STUFF IS PART OF THE EVENT SPACE, I THINK IT SHOULD BE CALCULATED THAT WAY.
UH, BECAUSE IT IS PART OF THE, OF THE IMPACTS THAT THE EVENT IS HAVING ON THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
AND SEPARATE TO THAT END, TO BUILD UPON THE SPONSOR'S POINT, ANYTHING THAT'S MOBILE - UH-HUH.
THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO STAY THERE.
THE U-HAUL TRUCKS USED TO MOVE IN AND, AND MOVE OUT, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU, YOU COME WHEN YOU'RE MOVING IN, LEAVE, AND THEN COME BACK WHEN YOU'RE,
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WHEN YOU'RE MOVING OUT.SO TO THE EXTENT THAT SOMETHING IS NOT NEEDED DURING THE DURATION OF THE EVENT, THEY SHOULDN'T BE PERMITTED TO STAY THERE.
I MEAN, IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT RIGHT NOW THAT'S BEING ALLOWED, THAT THE PRACTICE IS - WELL, IF IT'S WITHIN THEIR FOOTPRINT, WE DON'T, UH, CURRENTLY, WE DON'T STAY, SAY THAT ANY, UH, STATIONARY VEHICLES HAVE TO BE REMOVED.
THEY'VE PAID SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPACE.
UM, SO IT WOULD TAKE - BUT THIS IS OUTSIDE THEIR SPACE.
NO, BUT EVEN ON THE SPOIL, THEY STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.
I WOULD SAY WE NEED TO LIMIT...
AND SO BACK OF HOUSE, IF, IF YOU NEED CERTAIN INFRASTRUCTURE AS PART OF HAVING AN, AN EVENT, THAT SHOULD BE WITHIN YOUR EVENT SPACE.
IT CAN'T BE MOVED OUT OF YOUR EVENT SPACE AND NOW CREATE A MORE PLEASANT ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE ATTENDING YOUR EVENT AND THEN CREATE A DISTASTEFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
SO ALL OF THAT TYPE OF BACK OF HOUSE HAS TO BE WITHIN THE SAME EVENT SPACE.
BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, TRUCKS AND THINGS THAT CAN BE MOVED SHOULD NOT STAY THERE.
IN FACT, IT GOES TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT I'VE NOTICED, UM, BE...
THERE'S AREAS WHERE I BELIEVE EVEN SOME OF OUR OWN EMPLOYEES PARK ON THE SPOIL AREAS.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN AREAS WHERE YOU JUST SEE, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE, NOT ON A SPECIAL EVENT, BUT JUST ON A REGULAR BASIS THAT YOU, IF YOU GO DOWN THE BEACHWALK, YOU'LL SEE 20 CARS PARKED ON THE, ON THE SPOIL AREA, AND ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS BEHIND THE ARDECO WELCOME CENTER.
BEHIND THE ARDECO WELCOME CENTER, SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE IT'S A PARKING LOT THERE.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO DETER, DISCOURAGE VEHICLES FROM BEING IN THE, IN THE SPOIL AREA.
THERE IS A PLACE FOR VEHICLES.
IF OUR EMPLOYEES NEED TO PARK SOMEWHERE, WE SHOULD BE IDENTIFYING SPACES FOR THEM IN, IN, IN THE GARAGES.
IF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CONCESSIONAIRES NEED TO PARK SOMEWHERE, WE SHOULD BE IDENTIFYING SPACES FOR THEM IN THE GARAGES.
IF WE DON'T START APPLYING THOSE PRACTICES AND THOSE EXPECTATIONS OURSELF WITH OUR OWN EMPLOYEES AND OUR STANDARDS, IT'S GONNA BE HARD FOR US TO CREATE THE CULTURE OF VEHICLES ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE, IN THE SPOIL AREA.
OF COURSE, THERE'S RARE EXCEPTIONS, VERY, VERY EXCEPTION.
POLICE, YOU KNOW, POLICE MIGHT NEED, YOU KNOW, ACCESS OR YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE HAVING A TEMPORARY EVENT AND THEN AT THAT POINT, YOU NEED THAT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE POLICIES.
UM, SO SPECIFICALLY BACK OF...
WHAT OTHER TYPE OF BACK OF H - OF HOUSE DO WE HAVE WITH EVENTS BESIDES TRASH CONTAINERS? SO IT COULD BE, UH, THE, UM, THE TRASH CONTAINERS, BUT ALSO, AS MENTIONED, THE VEHICLES THAT THEY'RE USING TO, TO EITHER CONSTRUCT OR MAINTAIN AND THEN UNLOAD THE EVENT.
WHAT WE DO SPECIFY IS THAT THEY CANNOT, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT PARKING, UM, THEY CAN'T USE IT AS PARKING FOR THEIR STAFF, FOR VISITORS, FOR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT LIMITATION ON THAT.
IT HONESTLY WOULD BE A, A RE-IMAGINING OF HOW EVENTS CURRENTLY FUNCTION, NOT IMPOSSIBLE, UM, BUT IT WOULD JUST CHANGE THE DYNAMICS OF EVENTS RIGHT NOW.
THE VEHICLES USED FOR STAGING - UH-HUH.
SHOULDN'T BE THERE FOR THE DURATION.
I THINK THAT THAT HAS TO BE THE POLICY.
THEY CAN PARK THEM OFF THE ISLAND.
UH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO KEEP THEM ON, UH, ON THE ISLAND.
AND SO, AND, AND S- SO THAT, THAT SHOULD NOT BE THERE.
AND THEN ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S LIKE TRASH, UH, OR ANYTHING ELSE, AND I'M SURE THERE MUST BE OTHER STUFF BESIDES TRASH THAT, UH, THAT RELATE TO BACK OF HOUSE.
IT CAN'T BE AWAY FROM THE EVENT THAT HAS TO BE TIED TO THEIR EVENT SPACE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER COM - YES, COMMISSIONER BOND.
COMMISSIONER BOND, THEN COMMISSIONER MATILSA.
LET, LET'S GO FIRST WITH OUR C- COMMITTEE MEMBER, MATIL SALINAS, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO OUR ALTERNATE MEMBER, BAT.
ABOUT THE TRASH PICKUP AND CLEANUP, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
WHEN A EVENT HAS THEIR EVENT IN LUMIS PARK - UH-HUH.
HOW DOES THAT CONTRACT WORK WITH THEIR CLEANING? DO THEY PRIVATELY FIND THAT? THEY DO.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS OR THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO WITH SOMEONE CONNECTED WITH THE CITY.
THEY FIND THEIR OWN CLEANING SERVICES.
THEY FIND THEIR OWN AND, BUT THEY DO HAVE TO APPLY IF THEY HAVE A DUMPSTER, THEY APPLY FOR A PERMIT TO, TO PUT IT WHEREVER THEY'RE GOING TO PUT IT.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT OUR, OUR ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT ALONG WITH OUR SANITATION, UH, TEAM HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO TO COME UP WITH A UNIFIED PLAN THAT ALL THE EVENTS
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HAVE TO FILL OUT, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE COLLECTING TRASH, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE RECYCLING, ET CETERA, IDENTIFYING WHAT, UH, TRASH CONTAINERS ARE GONNA HAVE AT THEIR EVENTS.SO WE'RE, WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD ON, ON IMPROVING BOTH AESTHETICS AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, GREAT PRACTICES FOR CLEANUP.
AND IS IT A PART OF THEIR EVENT PACKAGE THAT THEY SUBMIT TO YOU? NO, THIS IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION, FRANCIS.
IS A PART OF THEIR PACKAGE THAT THEY SUBMIT TO YOU ABOUT TRASH PICKUP, THEY HAVE TO HAVE THAT ALL, THE SITE ALL CLEANED UP BY THE SAME EVENING OR THE END OF THAT EVENT? THEY DON'T HAVE UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING TO CLEAN UP THE, THE GARBAGE THAT MIGHT BE IN THE SAND OR IN THE EVENT OR...
IT'S, IF IT'S WITHIN THEIR FOOTPRINT, THEY HAVE A, WHATEVER A- AMOUNT OF DAYS THAT THAT EVENT HAS FOR A LOAD OUT.
AND THEN AFTER THEIR LAST PIECE OF, UH, EQUIPMENT OR WHATEVER THEY'RE PICKING UP, THEY HAVE TO SHOW PROOF THAT THEY'VE ALREADY SCHEDULED SAND SIFTING FOR THE VERY NEXT MORNING.
SO, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO THE SAND SIFTING IF THEY'RE STILL BUILD - UNBUILDING EVERYTHING.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE EVENT, SO LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A THREE-DAY EVENT ON THE SAND, AND FRIDAY NIGHT IS THEIR KICKOFF, AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, DO THEY HAVE TO PICK UP ALL THE GARBAGE THAT'S THERE ON SITE BEFORE THE NEXT DAY? WELL, IT'S, IT'S WITHIN THEIR FOOTPRINT.
SO YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT ANYTHING OUTSIDE.
IF SOMETHING FOR SOME REASON IS - I'M ASKING INSIDE THE FOOTPRINT.
USUALLY IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GATED OFF.
SO WE DON'T REQUIRE THEM TO PICK UP ALL THE TRASH AFTER THE EVENT CLOSES THE NIGHT OF THE EVENT? WELL, NOT SPECIFICALLY.
I MEAN, THEY DO IT BECAUSE IT ENHANCES THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE WHEN THE PEOPLE COME THE NEXT DAY.
UM, BUT WITHIN THEIR FOOTPRINT, I...
AND SO IF SOMEONE WERE TO THROW, LET'S SAY A ONE-DAY EVENT - UH-HUH.
THEY'LL, THEY'RE ABLE TO LEAVE THEIR TRASH UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING? BUT THEY'RE NOT...
WHEN YOU SAY LEAVE THEIR TRASH, YOU MEAN LIKE WITHIN THEIR OWN RECEPTACLES INSIDE THE EVENT? YES.
AND IF IT FALLS ON THE GROUND OR BLOWS AWAY, IT'S...
NO, WE DON'T HAVE THAT REQUIREMENT RIGHT NOW.
CAN WE INSTITUTE SOMETHING? I MEAN, I HATE TO THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE AN EVENT AND THEN IT CONCLUDES AT, YOU KNOW, 8:00 OR SOMETHING AND THEN THERE'S TRASH ALL OVER AND THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO PICK THAT UP THAT NIGHT.
I MEAN, ONE, FOR ONE DIFFERENCE MAY BE IF THEY HAVE A DUMPSTER THAT'S OUTSIDE.
I MEAN, NOW IF WE CHANGE THINGS, IT MAY BE ON THEIR FOOTPRINT ANYWAY.
BUT THAT, YES, THEY WOULD HA...
THEY, THEY HAVE TO HAVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE TO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S MORE VISIBLE.
BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUAL GARBAGE RECEPTACLES INSIDE OF AN EVENT, WE DON'T HAVE LANGUAGE FOR THAT.
I'D LIKE TO AMEND THAT THEN TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE PICKED UP AFTER THE EVENT ENDS, SO THAT WAY WE DON'T RUN THE RISK OF GARBAGE FLYING EVERYWHERE OR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, RATS COMING AND PICKING THROUGH IT OR WHATEVER.
CAN WE, CAN WE DO THAT? WHAT LEGISLATIVELY DO I HAVE TO DO TO MAKE SURE I PUT THAT ON THE RECORD? WELL, I THINK WE SHOULD, UH, SEE WHAT OTHER COMMENDATIONS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS COME OUT OF THE COMMITTEE, AND MAYBE WE JUST DO ONE BIG MOTION CO- COMPREHENSIVE AS PART OF COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ'S ITEM.
SO THEN, SO WE CAN ADDRESS THIS.
ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR COMMENTS? YES? ALL RIGHT.
I, UM, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID SO FAR, AND I WANNA ADD ONE MORE TO CONSIDER.
UM, I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT POWER GENERATORS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THERE ARE OPTIONS THAT ARE OTHER THAN DIESEL GAS-POWERED GENERATORS.
UM, THEY ARE NOISY AND SMELLY, AND I WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE A...
A RUNWAY TO ENSURE THAT GOING FORWARD, AND MAYBE IT, IT'S IN A YEAR FROM NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW WIDELY AVAILABLE THEY ARE, BUT WHATEVER THE APPROPRIATE TIME IS, THAT EVENTS ARE POWERED BY SOLAR GENERATORS OR SOME OTHER ALTERNATE SOURCE THAT DOES NOT EMIT, UM, GROSS FUMES AND LOUD NOISE.
SO, I DON'T KNOW HOW MY COLLEAGUES FEEL ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO MAKING THINGS MORE PLEASANT.
FRANCIS, UM, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT HAS COME UP, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY NOISE, DIFFERENT, UH, MATTERS.
WE, WE DO HAVE REQUIREMENTS OF, UH, COVERING UNDERNEATH IT FOR ANY SPILLAGE.
UM, SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO, AND THEN IF WE FIND A, AN OPTION AND, AND THE BODY RECOMMENDS IT, WE COULD AMEND GUIDELINES JUST LIKE ANY OTHER REQUIREMENT.
COMMISSIONER BAUD, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
UM, A WHILE BACK, UH, COMMISSIONER BAUD, YOU HAD BROUGHT LEGISLATION ABOUT THE WAIVER OF SPECIAL EVENT FEES.
UM, AND I, I BELIEVE, UH, IT WAS FOR A THREE-YEAR, UH, MAXIMUM PERIOD, AND I BELIEVE THE, THE FIRST YEAR WAS FISCAL YEAR 26,
[00:25:01]
MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST YEAR, UH, THAT THE POLICY APPLIED TO FEE WAIVERS, MR. ATTORNEY.IS THAT CORRECT? I'M SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? COMMISSIONER BOND, UH, SPONSORED, ESTABLISHED A POLICY ON THE WAIVER OF SPECIAL, SPECIAL EVENT FEES, UH, AND SETTING A CAP OF THREE YEARS FOR SPECIAL EVENT FEE WAIVERS.
UH, AND THAT POLICY WENT INTO EFFECT STARTING AS OF FISCAL YEAR 26? I'M NOT SURE.
I'D HAVE TO CHECK AND SEE THAT.
UH, I BELIEVE IT EFFECTIVE, UH, JUNE 25TH, 2025.
SO, SO, SO THE FIRST FISCAL YEAR WOULD BE FISCAL YEAR 26.
AND THEN THE SECOND FISCAL YEAR WOULD BE FISCAL YEAR 27, AND THEN THE LAST - 28.
THE LAST YEAR OF SPECIAL EVENT FEE WAIVERS UNDER THIS POLICY WOULD BE FISCAL YEAR 28.
SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT ARE GRANDFATHERED TO BE ABLE TO OCCUR NORTH OF 13TH STREET, AND THEY'RE PRINTED IN, IN, IN THE MEMO, THE SOUTH BEACH FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL, ARDEGO WEEKEND, WINTER PARTY, THE 305 HALF MARATHON, PRIDE MODEL VOLLEYBALL, THE AIR AND SEA SHOW, THE SEED FOOD FESTIVAL SCOPE AND UNTITLED.
UM, AND, AND MANY OF THESE RECEIVE FEE WAIVERS.
SOME ARE FEE WAIVERS, 150,000, 20,000, 160,000, 70,000, 30, 30, 25, 40, 120, 120.
AND THESE FEE WAIVERS WILL BE EXPIRING FOR THESE GRANDFATHERED EVENTS IN 2028.
NOW, THESE ARE GRANDFATHERED EVENTS THAT OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO KEEP IN OUR CITY.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF THE REQUEST OF THE, OF THE NEIGHBORS NOT TO HAVE AS MANY EVENTS OCCURRING SO CLOSE TO THE RESIDENTIAL AREA OF OCEAN DRIVE WHERE YOU HAVE RESIDENTS LIVING, WHERE WE WANT TO PROTECT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
W- WHAT WOULD BE THE FEASIBILITY, UH, AND, AND, AND COMMISSIONER BAUD, I WOULD LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS.
YOU HAVE THIS, THIS GREAT POLICY, BUT PERHAPS FOR EVENTS THAT ARE GRANDFATHERED, TO ENCOURAGE THEM AND INCENTIVIZE THEM TO GO SOUTH OF 13TH STREET, THAT IF THEY MOVE SOUTH OF 13TH STREET, THAT WE WILL EXTEND THE DEADLINE ON THE, ON THE FEE WAIVER POLICY.
UH, THAT WAY WE'RE GIVING THEM A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE SO THAT, SO THAT THEY CAN GO SOUTH OF, OF 13TH STREET.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, FRANCIS, I DON'T KNOW, C- COMMISSIONER BAUD, HOW, HOW YOU WOULD FEEL ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT THE ONE THING I DO KNOW IS THAT THESE ARE EVENTS WE WANT TO KEEP IN OUR CITY, THAT I KNOW THE NEIGHBORS ALSO WANT TO KEEP IN OUR CITY.
THEY WELCOME THESE EVENTS, BUT THEY ALSO WANT TO PRESERVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND FINDING THAT BALANCE OF HOW DO WE GET THEM SOUTH OF 13TH STREET, WELL, MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S BY, YOU KNOW, GIVING THEM, EXTENDING TO THEM THE FEE WAIVERS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE ENDING IN 2028 AND SAYING, "LET'S EXTEND THEM SINCE THESE ARE GRANDFATHERED EVENTS." I, I, I HAVE TWO THOUGHTS.
ONE, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM FRANCIS WHY THEY WERE PLACED WHERE THEY WERE.
UM, THE OTHER THOUGHT IS THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO FIND $12 MILLION OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND THEN KEEP CUTTING AS THE, UM, NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUES HAVE BEEN CUT, GONE DOWN FROM 10% TO 5%.
SO I'M NOT SUPER KEEN ON THE IDEA OF EXTENDING THESE, UM, THESE, THESE FEE WAIVERS BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE NEEDING TO TIGHTEN OUR BELT, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD.
I'M NOT OPPOSED TO HAVING THE CONVERSATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW FROM FRANCIS WHEN THESE WERE ORIGINALLY CITED, WHY WERE THEY PUT WHERE THEY ARE VERSUS FURTHER SOUTH? WELL, SOME OF THEM I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO S - UH, LIKE SOUTH BEACH, UH, WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL HAS BEEN IN THE FOOTPRINT FOR DECADES.
THEY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT SITES NOW, ONE, THE NORTHERN VENUE.
UM, BUT I KN - WHAT I IMAGINE IS THAT SOME OF THEM, IT'S FROM LIMITATIONS ON THE SPACE.
UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE SOUTH BEACH, UH, SEAFOOD FESTIVAL, WHO HAS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS COMMUNICATES WITH THE GROUP ON WAYS TO IMPROVE.
THEY SHRUNK A LITTLE BIT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO END RIGHT AT 13TH, UM, BECAUSE OF CONCERNS FROM...
IN ALL THAT COMMUNICATION, WHAT, WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS THAT THEY USED TO BE SOUTH OF 10TH, BUT THEY WERE RELOCATED BY THE CITY BECAUSE OF VOLLEYB AND THERE'S DIFFERENT
[00:30:01]
GROUPS THAT WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, GET COMPLAINTS FROM OF RELOCATING THEM FOR EVENTS.SO I KNOW THAT NORTH OF 10TH IS A LITTLE BIT MORE FREE.
UH, SO THAT'S IN TERMS OF PERMANENT INFRASTRUCTURE OR GROUPS.
UM, SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHY THERE'S A LOT OF EVENTS IN THAT AREA.
I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, DO WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE EVENTS THAT ARE WIDER THAN THREE BLOCKS ON THE SAND? I MEAN, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT CONVERSATION AND MAYBE ONE THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING AS WE ASK THESE EVENTS TO RECONFIGURE, RE - THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HOW THEY, UM, STAGE THEIR EVENTS, WHAT WAS DONE 10 OR 15 YEARS AGO AND HAS JUST SORT OF GROWN BY ADDING AND ADDING RATHER THAN GOING BACK TO SQUARE ONE AND RE-IMAGINING THE EXPERIENCE.
UM, I KNOW IT'S EASIER TO KEEP DOING THE SAME THING FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW AND, AND THEY HAVE THE MATERIALS AND THEY HAVE ALL THE STUFF AT THE KNOW-HOW THAT THEY UNDERSTAND HOW THE FLOW IS, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES REINVENTION IS, IS A GOOD IDEA.
AND I THINK WE ARE A VERY DIFFERENT CITY THAN WE WERE 15 YEARS AGO OR 10 YEARS AGO.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME TO ASK OUR PARTNERS TO REIMAGINE HOW THEY CAN BE A PART OF THAT.
WE DON'T WANT THEM TO GO ANYWHERE.
BUT MAYBE SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, MORE MINDFUL OF WHAT WE'RE BUILDING TOGETHER AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE SELECTIVE IN WHAT THEY OFFER.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE OPTION IS YOU CAN GO BETWEEN 10TH AND, AND 13TH.
AND IF YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING ELSE, THEN LET'S MOVE YOU TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
LET'S PUT YOU UP IN NORTH BEACH SOMEPLACE.
LET'S, LET'S HAVE SOME OTHER IDEAS OF HOW TO, HOW TO DO THIS.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE THOUGHTS, CO- COMMISSIONER BOND.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO, TO CONSIDER AND MAYBE, MAYBE IT COULD BE A SUBJECT OF A SEPARATE REFERRAL, UH, BECAUSE I DO THINK FOR EVENTS THAT ARE GRANDFATHERED IN THAT ARE NORTH OF, OF 13TH STREET, THEY'RE GOING TO NEED SUPPORT WITH FUNDING.
UM, AND WHEN THEY LOSE THIS FUNDING IN 2028, THESE, THESE FEE WAIVERS, FOR SOME OF THEM, IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO EXIST.
ARDECO WEEKEND IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN EVENT THAT TAKES PLACE NORTH OF 13TH STREET AS A GRANDFATHERED EVENT AND THEY GET $20,000 OF FEE WAIVERS.
WE DON'T, THAT'S NOT, WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR COMMENTS, BUT IF I ALLOW YOU GUYS TO SPEAK FROM THE PUBLIC, THEN I'M GONNA HAVE TO ALLOW EVERYONE TO SPEAK FROM THE PUBLIC.
UM, FRANCIS, WE HAVE HERE, WE HAVE HERE THAT ARDECO WEEKEND, ON THE MEMO, IT STATES THAT IT GOES UP TO 13TH STREET AND THE LOOMIS PARK SPOIL AND ON OCEAN DRIVE, IT GOES UP TO 14TH STREET.
IS THIS CORRECT OR IS THIS INCORRECT? THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT, THAT WE TYPICALLY HAVE.
I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE OCEAN DRIVE, THE GRASSY AREA, AND THEN THE SPOIL AREA.
I NEED YOU TO GO BACK TO MDPL AND VERIFY THIS BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING POLICY DISCUSSIONS HERE BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PROVIDED HERE BY STAFF.
AND I SEE A BOARD MEMBER FROM NDPL SAYING IN THE AUDIENCE THAT THIS MIGHT NOT ACTUALLY BE CORRECT.
BUT IN- INDEPENDENT OF THAT, WE, WE HAVE AN EVENT, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE PRIDE.
PRIDE WE KNOW WILL BE FACING CHALLENGES GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND THEY'RE ONE OF, THEY'RE A- AN EXAMPLE OF ANOTHER EVENT.
ANOTHER EVENT, UM, THAT IS, THAT, THAT GOES NORTH OF 13TH STREET.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE COULD CONSIDER THE POLICING FEE WAIVERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY FEE WAIVERS, IF WE COULD CONTINUE PROVIDING THEM BEYOND THE SUNSET OF 2028, IF THEY GO SOUTH OF 13TH STREET, IT MIGHT GIVE THEM AN INCENTIVE AS TO, AS TO WHY TO CONSIDER THAT.
I THINK OF THE AIR AND SEA SHOW.
THE AIR OF, THE AIR AND SEA SHOW, I KNOW IN THE PAST HAS LOST FUNDING LIKE FROM THE COUNTY AND FUNDING THAT, THAT, THAT HAS BEEN IMPORTANT AND THEY'VE COME TO US ASKING US FOR SUPPORT, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR FUNDING.
I DON'T KNOW THAT COME 2028 THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ABSORB AND CONTINUE SURVIVING IN OUR CITY IF THEY LOSE THE FEE WAIVER.
BUT THEY MIGHT BE WILLING TO MOVE SOUTH OF 13TH STREET, REDUCE THEIR FOOTPRINT AND CONTINUE TO RECEIVE FUNDING THAT WAY.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE CONSIDERING.
PERHAPS WE CAN WORK ON A REFERRAL.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO CONSIDER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WOULD BE ON THIS.
I LIKE WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THAT BECAUSE THERE
[00:35:01]
ARE FESTIVALS, UH, EVENTS THAT ARE GONNA RUN INTO ISSUES.THE ONES THAT I SEE RIGHT OFF THE BAT THAT ARE UP NORTH OF 13TH STREET, UM, THE SOUTH BEACH WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL AND THEY PARTNER WITH FIU.
THEY, UH, NEED DONATIONS, MONEY IN, IN ORDER TO FUNCTION.
AND, UH, LET'S SEE, WINTER PARTY TO NOT, UH, THE PRIDE FESTIVAL.
THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT REALLY JUMP OUT AT...
OH, THE HYUNDAI AIR AND SEA SHOW.
THEY MIGHT COME 2028, THEY MIGHT CEASE TO EXIST.
WE MIGHT NOT WANNA LOSE THEM, BUT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE EXTENDING - SURE.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD CONSIDER IS THAT HERE WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE GRANDFATHERED EVENTS.
HOWEVER, THERE IS THE ABILITY FOR THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION TO WAIVE THE PROHIBITION OF EVENTS NORTH OF 13TH STREET.
MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME NORTH OF 13TH STREET IF IT'S APPROVED BY THE MAYOR AND, AND, AND COMMISSION.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, PART OF A REFERRAL THAT WE SHOULD BE DISCUSSING IS, WELL, HOW DO WE DETER THAT? AND PERHAPS WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT OUR SPECIAL EVENT FEES, OUR SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES, AND OUR OTHER FEES, POLICE FEES, FIRE FEES, SANITATION FEES, AND INCREASING THOSE WHEN AN APPLICANT IS COMING AND LOOKING TO DO THE EVENT NORTH OF 13TH STREET SO THAT WE DETER THE BEHAVIOR OF GOING NORTH OF 13TH STREET AND WE MAKE IT MORE FINANCIALLY ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THEM TO GO SOUTH OF 13TH STREET.
AND WE KIND OF ENCOURAGE THROUGH THAT TYPE OF POLICY, THE TYPE OF, OF, OF BEHAVIOR WE WANT TO GET OUT FROM THEM.
IT'S SOMETHING, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS W- WOULD BE ABOUT THAT IF WE INITIATE A REFERRAL ON THAT.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YES, COMMISSIONER BOND.
FRANCIS, DO YOU KNOW, UH, AND THIS IS NOT A POP QUIZ.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME WE INCREASED OUR FEE STRUCTURE FOR SPECIAL EVENTS WAS? SO WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY, UH, OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON SEEING HOW WE CAN AMEND, BECAUSE THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO AMEND, UH, FOR SECURITY DEPOSITS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE COULDN'T FIND GOING BACK 10 YEARS OR SO.
IT JUST, IT GOES, THEY GO UP BY CPI, BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN A MAJOR REVAMP TO THAT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ON OUR RADAR.
I THINK, UM, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP THAT EVERY MUNICIPALITY WILL BE GOING THROUGH, UM, THIS IS PART OF WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT MIAMI BEACH, HAVING THESE REALLY AMAZING EVENTS HERE, BUT ALSO IT IS A STRAIN ON OUR CITY, ON OUR RESOURCES, AND ON OUR RESIDENTS.
AND THANK GOODNESS THERE'S A CPI INCREASE BECAUSE AS WE KNOW FROM OUR WATER AND SEWER DRAMA, UM, THAT DIDN'T, WASN'T THE CASE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU GO THROUGH THAT EXERCISE, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU'RE KEEPING IN MIND THAT, UM, WE ARE GRANTING PERMISSION TO OTHERS WHO HAVE, WHO WANT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT IS EQUITABLE, BUT THAT IT IS EQUITABLE ON OUR SIDE AS WELL.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, OUR CHIEF DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, NICK KILLERGIS, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON A FEW ITEMS AS, A- AS IT RELATES TO SPECIAL EVENTS, SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES, MONIES THAT THE CITY, WE MIGHT BE LOSING NOW TO COMMISSIONER BOTT'S POINT.
WE'RE GONNA NEED EVERY PENNY, UH, THAT WE CAN.
UM, MR. ATTORNEY, GUIDE US THROUGH THE POLICIES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON LEGISLATION WITH YOUR OFFICE TO LOOK AT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES FOR SPECIAL EVENTS.
UM, IT'S PARTICULARLY TO ESTABLISH A HIGHER FEE FOR EVENTS NORTH OF 13TH STREET TO CREATE AN INCENTIVE FOR EVENTS TO RELOCATE SOUTH OF, OF 13TH STREET.
AS PART OF THAT ITEM, PERHAPS, AND, AND I BELIEVE, DO WE HAVE A TITLE READY ENTERED FOR THIS ORDINANCE? YES.
IS, IS THE, IS THE TITLE BROAD ENOUGH THAT WE CAN JUST LOOK AT SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES IN GENERAL OR DOES IT ONLY LOOK AT NORTH OF 13TH STREET? UM, IT'S THE, WHAT WE NOTICED IS LIMITED TO EVENTS NORTH OF 13TH STREET.
BUT I DO, I DO AGREE WITH, UH, WITH, WITH COMMISSIONER BOND.
PERHAPS IT MIGHT BE GOOD TIMING, UH, TO GO BACK AND, UH, AND LOOK AT SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES IN GENERAL, UH, THROUGHOUT ALL OF LOOMIS PARK AND SEE HOW THEY CAN BE UPDATED.
I, AND AS PART OF ANY POLICY, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NORTH OF 13TH STREET, WE DO KEEP THEM HIGHER THAN WHAT IT WOULD BE SOUTH OF, UH, OF 13TH STREET.
[00:40:01]
AND THANK YOU, MR. ATTORNEY, FOR THAT.THE OTHER ITEM, UH, THAT IS PART OF COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ'S AGENDA IS SO- SO- SOLIDIFYING THE CITY'S ART DECO BRANDING.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SO IMPORTANT.
IT'S, IT'S WHAT'S LAID THE GOLDEN EGG IN OUR CITY.
AND TO ME, IN, IN, IN, IN A WAY, IT'S SAD THAT, AND WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION SO MANY TIMES, PEOPLE COME INTO THE ARDECO DISTRICT, THEY DON'T KNOW THEY'RE IN THE ARDECO HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT TELLS THEM THIS.
IF YOU, IF YOU GO TO LOOMIS PARK, WE DO HAVE GALLERIA THAT DOES SPEAK A LOT TO THAT HISTORY.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE ARDECO WELCOME CENTER, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE DONE A FABULOUS JOB OF, OF DISPLAYING THAT, THAT HISTORY.
BUT THE PERSON WHO'S ON MERIDIAN AVENUE CROSSING 5TH STREET, THERE'S NOTHING THAT TELLS YOU YOU'RE ENTERING A DISTRICT WITHIN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HIS, UH, OF HISTORIC PLACES.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING TELLING YOU WHEN YOU CROSS IN, UH, FROM ALTON ROAD THAT YOU ARE ENTERING THE BORDERS OF THIS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED DISTRICT WITH THIS COLLECTION OF, OF, OF, UM, OF ARDECO BUILDINGS, THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF ARDECO BUILDINGS IN, IN THE UNITED STATES.
PERHAPS AS PART OF THIS ITEM, WE COULD DEVELOP SOMETHING.
IT SHOULD BE A PERMANENT FIXTURE IN OUR CITY.
WHENEVER YOU ARE ENTERING INTO THE DISTRICT, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE ENTERING THE DISTRICT.
AND WHEN YOU ARE IN THE HEART OF THE DISTRICT, YOU NEED TO KNOW THERE HAS TO BE PERMANENT FIXTURES THAT IDENTIFY THIS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PLACES, UM, OTHER PLACES EVEN IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA THAT WHEN YOU ENTER INTO THEIR HISTORIC DISTRICTS, YOU SEE A SIGN AND THE SIGN SAYS ENTERING, YOU KNOW, THE NATIONAL WHATEVER, WHATEVER DISTRICT.
AND SO AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS ITEM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, UH, PERHAPS TO EXPLORE PERMANENT SIGNAGE SO THAT PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AREAS THAT THEY'RE ENTERING, SPE- SPECIFICALLY THIS ARDEGO DISTRICT.
CAN THAT BE PART OF THIS - YEAH.
WHEN WE SEND IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION? OF COURSE, YEAH.
OKAY, SO YOU'RE GOOD WITH THAT.
AND FRANCIS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY, ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S DIRECTLY YOUR SHOP OR IF IT'S MORE PLANNING AND COMMUNICATIONS.
WELL, WE CAN WORK WITH, BUT I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE, UH, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AND POSSIBLY PUBLIC WORKS.
AND EVEN PERHAPS IT COULD BE EVEN SOMETHING SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, IN CERTAIN AREAS, UM, THEY PUT...
IT'S, IT'S A SPECIAL TYPE OF STREET SIGN.
IT'S A SPECIAL TYPE OF STREET SIGN THAT IDENTIFIES, "HEY, LISTEN, YOU'RE IN THIS UNIQUE PLACE." IT'S LIKE IN CORAL GABLES.
YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHEN YOU ARE IN CORAL GABLES.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE IN CORAL GABLES? BECAUSE ON THE S - ON THE, ON THE GROUND, THEIR STREET SIGNS ARE ON THE GROUND AND IT'S EASILY IDENTIFIABLE.
OTHER CITIES, THEY HAVE BLUE STREET SIGNS.
YOU GO TO OTHER PARTS OF THE S - OF, OF THE STATE, UH, THERE'S A CITY THAT HAS A PEACOCK AS THEIR, AS THEIR SYMBOL.
YOU KNOW YOU'RE WITHIN THAT CITY BECAUSE THE STREET SIGNS HAS, HAVE THE PEACOCK ON, ON, ON, ON THE SYMBOL.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE WAY THAT WE LET PEOPLE KNOW VISUALLY, NOT JUST BY THE BUILDINGS, BUT THAT THEY'RE WITHIN A DISTRICT THAT'S NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED.
AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO AS PART OF THIS ITEM.
AND MR. CHAIR, IF I MAY, NOT TO, UH, SPOIL A FUTURE ITEM, BUT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING OUR CULTURAL MASTER PLAN IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND ONE OF THE REC- RECOMMENDATIONS IS SIGNAGE TO ELEVATE, UH, ART, THE ART DECO DISTRICT, SO.
SO - AND, AND IF I MAY, FOR THE RECORD, UH, WE DID LOOK UP THE SITE PLAN AND ART DECO ON THE, ON OCEAN DRIVE GOES ALL THE WAY TO 14TH.
ON THE SPOIL, THEY'VE MADE AN EFFORT TO STOP.
UH, THEY GO ABOUT 12 AND A HALF, MAYBE PROBABLY 12, BUT THEY DON'T GO PAST 13TH.
WITH THAT, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ - TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE ALWAYS, WE ALWAYS TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND I SEE WE HAVE RESIDENTS FROM THE ART DECO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HERE.
IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE WELCOME.
AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON ZOOM.
NO, YOU CAN ALL HAVE SEPARATE AMOUNTS.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU EXTRA TIME BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD ON THIS ITEM.
AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ATTENDING VIA ZOOM WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM ARE ALSO WELCOME TO RAISE THEIR HAND.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THE TIME, BUT IF YOU CAN SEE THIS, THIS IS LIKE CHICKEN SCRATCH NOW, BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY
[00:45:01]
WAS ALREADYI'LL, I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF AGAIN.
GOOD MORNING, UH, CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS IRENE BIGGER, PRESIDENT OF THE ARTECO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD, WE WANNA THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME, UM, ON THIS TOPIC, UH, WITH, WITH EACH OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND ALSO TO FRANCIS, UH, FOR HER PAST SUPPORT AND HELP.
I KNOW IT'S SOMETIMES DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE STUCK IN A, BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, UM, BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO SHARE OUR BEAUTIFUL, UH, OCEAN DRIVE AND ARTECO NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE WORLD.
BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE THE POINT THAT WE ARE UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL AND OUR REAL ESTATE IS, IT'S PRIME REAL ESTATE AND WE DON'T WANT TO JUST GIVE IT AWAY.
UM, I, I DO WANNA START OFF AS WELL BY SAYING THAT ADNA IS NOT AGAINST EVENTS.
WE SUPPORT QUALITY EVENTS THAT RESPECT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND DELIVER MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
UM, WE ARE, HOWEVER, OPPOSED TO CORPORATE SUBSIDIES.
WE ARE ALSO VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF EVENTS, THE INCREASE IN THE FOOTPRINT OF MANY OF THOSE EVENTS, AND THE INEFFICIENCY AND LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO BUILD AND BREAK THEM DOWN.
UH, ALL OF THIS RESULTS IN NOT ONLY, UH, HIGHER TAXES OR HIGHER TAX BURDEN ON THE, ON THE RESIDENTS IF WE'RE GIVING SUBSIDIES, UM, BUT ALSO AN INCONVENIENCE TO NOT ONLY RESIDENTS, BUT TOURISTS ALIKE WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS THAT WE ALL, YOU ALL JUST MENTIONED, UH, SUCH AS THE, THE, THE NOISE AND VISUAL POLLUTION THAT COMES FROM THE BACK OF THE HOUSE THAT WE CALL, WHICH INCLUDES GENERATORS.
GENERATORS AREN'T ONLY UGLY AND NOISY, BUT THEY, UM, WE HAVE A, A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE THAT WORK OUT, AND AS THEY'RE WORKING OUT, THEY'VE COMPLAINED TO US THAT THEY SMELL THE FUMES.
SO YES, IF SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE, THE TRASH THAT YOU MENTIONED, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF VISITORS COMING THAT ARE NOT USING, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO THESE EVENTS.
THEY'RE JUST COMING TO ENJOY THE BEACH AND THE BEAUTIFUL, YOU KNOW, ARCHITECTURE AND OUR STREETS AND, AND, AND ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS.
AND WHAT THEY SEE IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.
THEY TAKE THAT HOME WITH THEM.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY TAKE THAT, THAT POSTCARD, WE DON'T WANT THAT POSTCARD TO INCLUDE TRASH AND PORTA-POTTIES.
UM, WE, WE WOULD REALLY LIKE THAT THE RESIDENT QUALITY OF LIFE IS, UH, PRIORITIZED, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, WE DO TALK ABOUT THE NORTHERN PART OF OCEAN DRIVE, ALTHOUGH WE REPRESENT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, BUT THERE IS A GREATER DENSITY OF RESIDENTS.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO ENFORCE THE LAWS AND PROTECTIONS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS, UH, WHICH INCLUDES WHAT YOU MENTIONED, THE, UH, THE RESOLUTION THAT RESTRICTED NEW EVENTS IN LUMMIS PARK AND THE LUMMIS PARK SPOIL AREAS NORTH OF 13TH, AND ALSO THE BEACHFRONT BETWEEN 13TH AND 16TH STREETS.
UM, SINCE THAT RESOLUTION, UH, SI - WELL, AND, AND ALSO THE ELECTION OF 2023, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN, IN EVENTS, INCLUDING A COUPLE THAT I JUST WANNA MENTION.
UM, THE ATHEX, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU PRONOUNCE THAT, A-T-H-X GAMES, UM, MIAMI BEACH BY ADIDAS, I BELIEVE THAT REPLACED HIGH ROCKS, AND IT CAME TO, UH, BETWEEN 11TH AND 14TH STREET.
SO THAT WAS AFTER THE RESOLUTION, AND WE DID NOT GET REALLY MUCH NOTICE, AND IT WAS ABOVE 14, UH, ABOVE THE 13TH STREET.
I, CORRECT ME IF I'M, IF I'M WRONG, I, I'LL, I'LL LET YOU DO THAT, BUT THAT'S HOW IT SEEMED TO US.
AND, UM, AND ALSO, JUST MOST RECENTLY, UH, WE SAW THE REQUEST FROM FUTURE PROOF TO WANT TO EXPAND ONE BLOCK NORTH.
SO THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T WANNA GIVE AN INCH AND THEN A MILE IS TAKEN.
UM, SO IF YOU COULD JUST PUT A FOOTNOTE, BECAUSE I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED WITH ATHEX.
UH, NOT EVERY EVENT BELONGS HERE.
UH, NOT EVERY EVENT NEEDS TO BE ON THE BEACH.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE HIGH ROCKS MOVE TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND FROM WHAT I SAW AND HEARD AND SPOKE TO PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATED, IT, IT WAS GREAT.
IT WAS, UH, WE NEED TO USE THAT CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M ALMOST DONE.
UM, A SUGGESTION TO BE, UH, WOULD BE TO TAKE, IF, IF WE'RE ASKING YOU TO LOOK AT THE OVERALL AMOUNT OF EVENTS, MAYBE WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF, UM, I DON'T MEAN THE WORD REDUNDANCY IN A NEGATIVE WAY, BUT IF WE CAN HAVE MORE VARIETY, IF WE CAN LOOK AT IF SOMETHING IS A DUPLICATION OF A THEME MAYBE THAT COULD BE PLACED ELSEWHERE, UM, WE REALLY WOULD LIKE THE REST OF MIAMI BEACH TO NOT ONLY TAKE ON THE BURDEN, BUT ALSO THE BENEFITS OF HAVING AN EVENT, YOU KNOW, BY THEM, BECAUSE IT, IT, IT DOES PRODUCE SOME WONDERFUL THINGS LIKE ACTIVITY, ACTIVATION, UH, PEOPLE COMING TO YOUR AREA TO, UH, TO, TO USE AND ENJOY AND, AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I GUESS MOST RECENTLY, WE JUST ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT
[00:50:01]
WE ARE INVOLVED IN A PART OF THE PROCESS MUCH EARLIER WHEN ORGANIZERS AT NIGHTTIME HOURS, DJS, AMPLIFIED MUSIC, OR THE LARGER FOOTPRINTS.UM, IT WOULD ALSO BE MEANINGFUL TO REQUIRE MEASURABLE NEIGHBORHOOD BENEFITS AND RESTORATION OF BEACH AND PARK AND TIE THEM TO THE APPROVAL PROCESS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT RESTORATION PROCESS IS.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, GOING BACK TO THE FEE WAIVERS AND, UH, CORPORATE, WHAT WE BELIEVE IS CORPORATE SUBS- SUBSTANTIAL CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP, UM, WE, WE REALLY DO WANT TO GO BACK AND, AND, AND ASK THAT YOU ENFORCE THE EXISTING FEE WAIVER LIMITS BY APPLYING RESOLUTION, THE RESOLUTION, UM, THAT WE DISCUSSED, UH, THE THREE-YEAR, UH, LIMITATION, ALONG WITH ENDING THESE COMMERCIAL EVENT SUBSIDIES.
WE AS A CITY SHOULD KNOW OUR WORTH AND BE COMPENSATED FAIRLY FOR SUPPLYING CITY RESOURCES FOR THESE EVENTS AND THE RESTORATION OF OUR NATURAL ENVIRON - NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ONCE THESE EVENTS ARE GONE.
THAT BURDEN SHOULD NOT FALL ON THE TAXPAYERS.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, AND SHOWING HOW MUCH YOU DO TRULY CARE ABOUT OUR CONCERNS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOU ON THIS.
DID YOU WANNA MENTION, UH - MAY I CLARIFY? UH, YES, SURE.
UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, SO ETHICS DID, WAS A REPLACEMENT, UH, EVENT AFTER HIGH ROCKS WAS NOT ABLE TO COME, AND IT WAS A PRIORITY FOR THE COMMISSION TO HAVE EVENTS DURING THE THIRD WEEK OF MARCH.
UM, BUT IT ULTIMATELY ENDED UP BEING BETWEEN, UH, FROM 10TH TO 11TH STREET.
AND ALSO, ETHICS ISN'T COMING BACK, RIGHT? IT WAS, IT'S ONE AND DONE.
I MEAN, THEY CAN COME BACK IF THEY APPLY, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO IN MARCH.
ANY OTHER SPEAKERS WISH? OKAY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR REALLY ADDRESSING THIS.
AND, UM, I JUST THINK THAT THE MAJOR THING IS THAT WE ARE NOW ADVISED ABOUT THE EVENT SITES, BUT THERE IS NO POLICING AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT OR AFTER THE EVENT OF THE RAMIF - AND THERE ARE NO RAMIFICATIONS IF A, AN EVENT DOES NOT FOLLOW THAT, UH, SIGHT LINE.
AND, AND THAT'S REALLY EGREGIOUS, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FOOD AND WINE.
UH, THEY HAD TWO GIANT COCA-COLA SIGNS ABOVE THE, THE BUILDINGS ON THE BEACH.
AND THAT IS NOWHERE IN THE SITE PLAN THAT I HAD EVER SEEN.
AND EVERY YEAR, UM, FOR 25 YEARS, UH, THERE USED TO BE AN AFTERMATH OF THE, UH, SOBEY FOOD AND WINE, AND EVERY YEAR IT GREW LIKE TOPSY, AND THERE WERE NO RAMIFICATIONS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF YEARS, I JUST GAVE UP.
BUT I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THIS NOW.
AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, NINA WEBERWORTH, 1390 OCEAN DRIVE.
I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 33 YEARS, AND I'VE WATCHED...
33 YEARS AGO, I WATCHED SPECIAL EVENTS DETERIORATING OCEAN DRIVE AND, AND LOOMIS PARK.
AND, UH, I WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE PERSON WHO HAD YOUR JOB THEN, JAMES QUINLAN.
TO JOIN THE PARKS BOARD, AND TOGETHER WE ALL CRAFTED THE LOOMIS PARK, UH, IMPACT FEE.
AND THAT WAS 25, I BELIEVE, IT WAS SO LONG AGO, 25% OF CITY USE SERVICES TO BE USED FOR BEAUTIFICATION OF LOOMIS PARK.
AND WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO REPROPAGATE AND PLANT ALL OF THE CURRENT, MOST OF THE CURRENT PALM TREES IN OCEAN DRIVE 25 YEARS AGO.
WELL, THAT NOW NEEDS TO BE REDONE.
AND, AND WE NEED TO PLANT MORE TREES NOW, UH, MORE PALM TREES.
AND, AND, AND YOU WOULD THINK THAT AFTER 25 YEARS, SOBEY FOOD AND WINE COULD MAYBE GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AFTER TAKING OVER OUR BEACH FOR, WELL, OVER A MONTH FOR 25 YEARS.
THAT'S, THAT'S OVER A YEAR OF BEACH PROPERTY, UH, FIVE BLOCKS OF BEACH PROPERTY.
SO, UM, JUST
UM, AND THEN WHAT TANYA WAS SAYING AS WELL, COMMISSIONER BOTT, UH, ABOUT THE, UH, THAT WE ALL HAVE TO PULL IN OUR REINS.
WELL, THIS IS THE TIME TO, TO ASK MORE FOR EVENTS AND ALSO TO SAY, JUST SAY NO TO ABOVE 13TH STREET.
WE WANT TO KEEP THE PASSIVE AREA OF 13TH TO 14TH PLACE AS THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF OCEAN DRIVE.
[00:55:01]
HI.JANE KRUPP HERE, 1390 OCEAN DRIVE, AND FOUNDING MEMBER WITH IRENE OF THE ART DECO ASSOCIATION.
AND I TOTALLY AM BLOWN AWAY BY THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE'VE WANTED TO HAVE FOR, LIKE, THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THIS CONVERSATION WITH ALL YOU GUYS.
SO, UH, I AGREE WITH NINA, JUST SAY NO ABOVE 13TH STREET.
YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE INCENTIVES.
THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING WITH THEIR TIN CUPS, BUT WE HAVE THE POW - THE CITY HAS THE POWER TO SAY NO, TO HAVE SOME CITY PLANNING, TO WHERE TO PUT THESE THINGS, TO MODULATE THEM, TO TIME THEM.
THAT'S NOT THE PRODUCER'S JOB.
THE PRODUCER JUST WANTS TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANNA DO AND GET AWAY WITH IT AS FOR LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
SO I THINK THAT'S A, WE'RE AT A TURNING POINT WHERE WE, WHEN YOU SAY THERE'S NO MORE ROOM, THAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE WANNA BE HERE.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE EMPTY GARAGE LOOKING FOR CARS.
WE HAVE TOO MANY CARS, SO YOU RAISE THE PRICE, YOU DON'T LOWER IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA THINK IN THOSE TERMS OF ENTERTAINMENT AND HOSPITALITY.
THE LESS YOU LET IN, THE MORE PEOPLE WANNA COME IN AND THE HIGHER THE VALUE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S, AND JUST AS, UH, GUIDELINES FOR AESTHETICS, YOU GO TO EUROPE, THE SOUTH OF FRANCE, YOU DON'T SEE DUMPSTERS AND GARBAGE, YOU SEE BEAUTIFULLY STAGED THINGS.
WELL, UNTITLED IN SCOPE DO THAT.
UNTITLED FACES THEIR VENUE TOWARDS THE P - TOWARDS THE BUILDINGS AND USES THE BEACH AS THEIR LOBBY, THE BEACH TO THE VIEW, THROUGH THE BEACH.
THAT'S AN INTELLIGENT WAY TO STAGE AN EVENT.
AND ALL THESE OTHER ONES, THEY PUT UP YARDS OF PLASTIC, HIDE EVERYTHING INSTEAD OF SHOWING IT OFF AND USING THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO I THINK IF WE, THE WAY WE HAVE THE GUIDELINES FOR THE RESTAURANTS, WE NEED GUIDELINES FOR EVENTS.
WE NEED A PACKAGE THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T USE PLASTIC MORE THAN 20 FEET.
I THINK ALL THOSE, YOU CAN'T LEAVE THAT UP TO THE PROMOTERS.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO LEAVE IT UP TO THE CITY.
BUT ANYWAY, I HAVE, CAN I JUST READ MY LITTLE THING HERE? AN ENFORCEMENT.
YES, AN ENFORCEMENT IS ANOTHER ONE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY HA - THEY START DOING SOUND CHECKS TWO DAYS BEFORE.
THEY, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO A SOUND CHECK ONE HOUR BEFORE THE EVENT, BUT THEY, NOBODY, I HAVE TO CALL CODE, SAY THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING IT.
ANYWAY, SO THIS IS MY LI - I JUST WROTE SOME THINGS DOWN.
I DON'T WANNA GET TOO DISTRACTED HERE.
SO THANK YOU, UH - OH, YOU'RE STARTING NOW.
WHAT'S THAT?
THAT WAS MY RANT AND THIS IS MY, MY PLEA, MY PLEA.
I WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ FOR FOLLOWING UP WITH OUR MEETING THAT YOU HAD AND YOU BROUGHT IT TO THIS POINT.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
UM, LUMMIS PARK IS OPEN SPACE.
SOMEONE RESTING BENEATH THE COCONUT PALM IS USING THE PARK EXACTLY AS INTENDED.
IN A CROWDED CITY, ESPECIALLY DURING HIGH SEASON AND BACK-TO-BACK SPECIAL EVENTS, THE NORTH END OF LUMMIS PARK PROVIDES SHADE, CONTACT WITH NATURE, RELIEF FROM NOISE, AND A STAGE FOR PEOPLE WATCHING, FOR A STAGE FOR PEOPLE WATCHING IN THE HEART OF THE MOST ICONIC HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THE ORIGINAL LUMMIS PARK 1917 DEED, WHICH I CONSTANTLY HAVE IN MY WALLET,
QUOTE, "THE PROPERTY HEREIN CONVEYED TO THE TOWN OF MIAMI BEACH IS CONVEYED EXCLUSIVELY FOR PARK PURPOSES." THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THIS PARK.
AND SINCE I'M A HISTORIAN AND PRESERVATIONIST, I KEEP THAT, THAT'S MY MANTRA.
I KEEP GOING BACK TO THAT IDEA.
TODAY'S CITY LEADERS SHOULD HONOR THAT INTENT BY PRESERVING LUMMIS PARK AS THE PUBLIC GREEN SPACE THE LUMMAS BROTHERS INTENDED IT TO BE.
INSTEAD, OVERLAPPING EVENTS TURN OUR PARK INTO A SERVICE YARD.
TRUCKS, DUMPSTERS, PORTABLE TOILETS, DIESEL GENERATORS, CONCESSION STANDS, TRAMPLED TURF AND LOUD MUSIC DISPLACE PEACEFUL ENJOYMENT.
PLASTIC TENTS OBSCURE THE LANDSCAPE THAT MAKES OUR HISTORIC HOTELS SPECIAL.
VIEWS OF THE BEACH AND A PEACEFUL PARK ARE AN IMPORTANT AMENITY FOR EVERYONE.
WHEN YOU BOOK A ROOM WITH A BEACH VIEW AND ARRIVE TO A VIEW OF A CONSTRUCTION SITE, ARE YOU COMING BACK AGAIN? DISCOUNTED EVENT TICKETS CANNOT REPLACE THAT LOSS.
OUR COMPROMISE IS CLEAR, PROTECT LUMMIS PARK FROM 12TH STREET NORTH TO 14TH PLACE FROM LARGE COMMERCIAL EVENTS AND THEIR SUPPORT OPERATIONS.
FOUR - THAT'S 1400 OF LINEAR FEET OUT OF 4,365 FEET FROM 5TH STREET TO THE BETSY, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S FIVE SIX OF A MILE OF ACTIVATIONS AND WE'RE ASKING FOR 1400
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FEET OF NO ACTIVATION.OR NOT ALL, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE OKAY WITH MOST OF THEM.
WE'RE OKAY WITH HYUNDAI AND THE PARADES AND ALL THAT, BUT WE'RE NOT OKAY WITH THESE SPRAWLING COMMERCIAL EVENTS WITH THE TICKETED EVENTS THAT ARE REALLY WHERE THE PLASTIC COMES UP.
ONE MORE, JUST TWO MORE SENTENCES.
UM, PLEASE PRESERVE OUR COCONUT GROVE FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO REST, CONTEMPLATE, AND ENJOY NATURE.
KEEPING A PEACEFUL PARK IS ITSELF A PUBLIC BENEFIT BECAUSE NONE OF THESE, THERE IS NO PUBLIC BENEFIT FOR THESE EVENTS EXCEPT DISCOUNT TICKETS.
IF YOU LOOK ON THEIR PERMITS, PUBLIC, THEIR, THEIR CONTRIBUTION IS ALWAYS DISCOUNT TICKETS, RIGHT? THAT'S USUALLY - AND THEY CLEAN THE SAND.
WELL, THEY MADE THE SAND DIRTY, SO THAT'S NOT A PUBLIC.
ANYWAY, UM, CLOSING OCEAN DRIVE TO TRAFFIC.
WE HAVE BEEN, I KNOW NINA AND A- AND ADNA WANTS OCEAN DRIVE CLOSE TO TRAFFIC, BUT WHEN JOE MAGAZINE SAID A FEW COMMISSION MEETINGS AGO, WELL THEN WE HAVE TO ACTIVATE IT, ACTIVATE IT BELOW 12TH STREET.
OUR ACTIVATION IS PEOPLE WATCHING, WALKING AROUND, QUIET.
IT'S A, IT'S A CONTRAST TO ALL THAT OTHER STUFF THAT'S GOING ON IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
AND NOT JUST FOR RESIDENTS, BUT FOR THE HOTELS.
OPEN SPACE IS NOT EMPTY SPACE.
UH, ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ATTENDING IN PERSON WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, I SEE DANIEL SERALDO ON ZOOM.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
HEY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GOOD MORNING.
DAN SERALDO, UM, 730 10TH STREET, MIAMI BEACH.
I JUST WANT TO SPEAK ON THE OTHER SIDE THAT A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN THE ART DECO DISTRICT LOVE THE EVENTS.
I MYSELF HAVE HAD TO HEAR THE COMPLAINTS OF THIS GROUP THAT YOU JUST HEARD FROM FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK THEY REFLECT THE OVERALL POSITIVITY THAT SO MANY OF US EXPERIENCED DURING THE MANY EVENTS THAT TRULY DRIVE OUR ECONOMY IN THIS CITY.
OUR ECONOMY ISN'T DRIVEN BY KEYBOARD WARRIORS, IT'S DRIVEN BY PEOPLE OUT IN THE STREET SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESSES IN A POSITIVE WAY.
SO I WANNA SAY PLEASE DON'T LIMIT THE EVENTS AND FIND ANOTHER HOBBY FOR THESE FOLKS TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN, UH, AND, AND MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
GRAHAM WINNICK, 4925 COLLINS AVENUE AND A MEMBER OF THE PRODUCTION INDUSTRY COUNCIL.
UM, I CERTAINLY HAVE MANY, MANY YEARS OF UNDERSTANDING, UH, AND EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH MANY OF THESE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES AND MANY OF THESE EVENTS.
I WILL SAY AS WE LOOK HOLISTICALLY AND WORK WITH, UM, THE, THE DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO AFFECT OR MAKE SOME OF THESE CHANGES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE RESIDENTS, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE OTHER ITEMS, INCLUDING SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP ABOUT TURTLE NESTING THAT WOULD FURTHER RESTRICT SOME OF THESE EVENT PRODUCERS FROM REMOVING SOME OF THIS EQUIPMENT AND TRASH IMMEDIATELY UPON THE END OF SOME OF THESE EVENTS.
SO AS WE LOOK TO BALANCE THE NEEDS, JUST PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE LOOK TO TRY TO CREATE A, A COMMUNITY THAT WORKS FOR ALL.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NO ONE IN PERSON AND NO ONE ON ZOOM, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A GREAT DISCUSSION.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS ITEM.
I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE A MOTION TODAY.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT ACTUALLY.
WE COULD HAVE STAFF DEVELOP THIS ITEM FURTHER WITH SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TODAY, BRING THE ITEM BACK WITH SOME MORE OF THESE DETAILS IRONED OUT SO THAT ONCE WE SEND SOMETHING BACK TO COMMISSIONER, SOMETHING THAT IS POLISHED AND WELL, AND WELL PUT TOGETHER.
UH, AND SO I'M THINKING OF, YOU KNOW, SOME VERY SPECIFIC THINGS, THE SELF-CONTAINING OF THE TRASH WITHIN THE EVENT SPACES I THINK IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
UH, THE ISSUE OF VEHICLE STAGING, UM, THAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE THERE.
THE DAILY TRASH COLLECTIONS THAT COMMISSIONER MATOSA ALINA'S BROUGHT UP, THE FEE INCREASES OF SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES, UH, THAT, UH, IN- INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER ITEM THAT, THAT I'M WORKING ON, JUST IN GENERAL, MORE BROADLY, THOSE FEE INCREASES.
AND THEN THERE WERE A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT CAME UP AS PART OF, OF THE DISCUSSIONS, UH, FROM, FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WHICH IS THE POLICING OF THE SITE PLANS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THESE COMMUNITY EVENT REVIEW MEETINGS OCCUR, I'M SURE THERE ARE CONDITIONS AS TO NOISE, I'M SURE THERE'S CONDITIONS AS TO SIGNAGE AND ALL THAT.
UH, I WANNA KNOW, ARE WE WORKING WITH CODE? IS CODE BEING BRIEFED ON, ON, ON WHAT THAT IS AND WHAT IS THE ENFORCEMENT? IS THERE AN AFTER ACTION? SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO LOOK AT, UM, AND THE RESTORATION AND IMPROVEMENTS OF THE, UH, PUBLIC AREAS.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT, UH, JANE MADE
[01:05:01]
THAT MADE A LOT OF SENSE IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LOOKING, WHAT IS UNTITLED DOING THAT WOULD BE SOME BEST PRACTICES THAT WE ALREADY KNOW IS EFFECTIVE WITH UNTITLED THAT PERHAPS WE CAN EXTRAPOLATE FROM THERE AND, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATE INTO, INTO OUR STANDARDS, BAKING ALL OF THIS INTO AN ITEM - UH-HUH.SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK - SURE.
FURTHER DISCUSS IT AS A COMMITTEE BEFORE WE MAKE A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COMMISSION.
I- IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, MR. CHAIR, I WOULD SUGGEST FOLDING IN THE SQUARE FOOTAGE FEE THAT, THAT WE WERE WORKING ON WITH YOU - SURE.
INTO THIS SO THAT STAFF CAN LOOK AT ALL OF THE FEES, UH, UH, COMPREHENSIVELY.
I THINK THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE, THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE, UH, COMPETING ITEMS ON SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES.
WE CAN DISCUSS IT HOLISTICALLY.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO INCORPORATE THAT.
AND I SAW, IRENE, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.
I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND PASSION YOU PUT INTO THIS.
THERE'S ALSO JUST, UM, THE, THE POINT THAT WE MADE ABOUT, UM, THE LENGTH OF TIME OF THE BUILD OUT AND BREAKDOWN.
WE WEREN'T SURE IF THERE WAS ANY CREATIVE WAY TO MITIGATE THAT, UH, LESSEN THE AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, WE HAD DISCUSSED IN THE PAST POSSIBLY INCREASING THE HOURS, ESPECIALLY, UM, SOUTH OF 12TH WHERE IT'S NOT AS RESIDENTIAL, WHERE YOU WOULD ALLOW FOR A COUPLE OF MORE HOURS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WORKERS TO BUILD, UH, TO, UH, SHORTEN THE TIME.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WOULD BE.
AND SIMILAR TO WHAT WE, SIMILAR...
I'M NOT GONNA OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT.
I GET, I JUST - INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO BE BELOW 12TH IF YOU GIVE THEM LONGER HOURS TO SET UP.
UH, SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO THIS, AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE, LIKE WHAT WE DO WITH CONSTRUCTION SOME, AT TIMES WITH CONSTRUCTION TO SPEED UP CONSTRUCTION, WE MIGHT ALLOW PEOPLE TO WORK OUTSIDE OF CERTAIN HOURS.
SO PERHAPS APPLYING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS HERE.
SO, UM, YOU GOT A LOT OF WORK IN YOUR HANDS, FRANCIS.
MR. CHAIR, JUST IF, UH, WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE OF COMING BACK NEXT MONTH OR MAYBE THE FOLLOWING SO WE COULD REALLY PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
WHAT I WORRY ABOUT TAKING SO LONG - OKAY.
IS THAT IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET HERE.
SO WHILE, WHILE I DON'T EVEN LOVE DEFERRING IT ANOTHER MONTH, IF THERE'S A WAY TO AFFECT THE EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING STARTING IN JANUARY, BECAUSE IF YOU COME BACK IN ANOTHER MONTH AFTER THAT, THEY'LL SAY, "OH, I ALREADY DID IT.
I ALREADY SIGNED THE CONTRACT TOO LATE." SO I, NO.
SO, OKAY, SO I'M BEING TOLD BY STAFF WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING IN DECEMBER.
THERE, THERE'S NO DECEMBER MEETING, SO OUR NEXT MEETING WOULD BE JANUARY.
SO PERHAPS, OKAY, SO I DON'T WANNA HOLD UP THE COMMISSIONER THEN.
PERHAPS THEN, COMMISSIONER, YOU'VE, YOU'VE RECEIVED THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE.
MAYBE THEN, UM, MAYBE, MAYBE THEN YOU SHOULD MOVE FORWARD IN GETTING THIS FEEDBACK AND DEVELOPING AN ITEM BASED ON THIS FEEDBACK SO THAT WE DON'T HOLD THIS UP FROM GOING BACK TO COMMISSION.
AND THEN MR. ATTORNEY, WE CAN WORK SEPARATELY ON THE ITEM THAT WE WERE WORKING ON FEES AND COMMISSIONER BOD CAN WORK ON MORE BROADLY ON THE OTHER ITEM.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THE FEES, WOULD YOU, UH, YOU WANT A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK, RIGHT? SO - WELL, I WAS LOOKING AT THE EVENTS.
WHEN EVENTS WANT TO COME IN, THEY WANNA GO NORTH OF 13TH STREET SAYING, "WELL, IF YOU WANNA GO NORTH OF 13TH STREET STREET, IT SHOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE." AND THEN THE GRANDFATHERED EVENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING NORTH OF 13TH STREET TODAY, ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE A WAIVER, UM, AS AN INCENTIVE OF WHEN THEY GO SOUTH OF 13TH STREET ON THAT SPECIAL EVENT FEE WAIVER ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE RESTRICTING IT TO THREE YEARS, ALLOWING THEM TO RECEIVE THEIR, UM, THEIR FEE WAIVERS FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS, UH, IF THEY GO SOUTH OF 13TH STREET.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THAT, UH, ON NOVEMBER 18TH? UM, YEAH, YEAH.
UM, BUT COMMISSIONER BOND HAD A, A SEPARATE ITEM THAT YOU WANNA DISCUSS, WHICH IS THE BROADER FEES.
THE GENERATOR? WELL, NO, YOU WANTED TO DISCUSS BROADER FEES IN GENERAL.
WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S CONVERSATION CITYWIDE AND I, I'M NOT SURE - NO, BUT THE BROADER SQUARE FOOTAGE EVENT FEES.
SO I THOUGH WE WERE GONNA DO THAT AS PART OF THIS.
SO, UM, PUT US IN THE PROPER POSTURE, NICK.
SO ON FEES - YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
ON FEES, THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO ON NOVEMBER 18TH, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S WHAT WAS NOTICED, IS THE, WHAT YOU'VE PROPOSED FOR THE SQUARE FOOTAGE FEES FOR EVENTS NORTH OF 13TH STREET.
IF YOU WANNA TAKE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT OTHER SPECIAL EVENT FEES - YEAH.
UM, WE COULD EITHER KEEP THAT IN COMMITTEE SO THATS THAT...
'CAUSE WE, WE HAVE FEE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DEPOSITS, WE HAVE, UH, FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY'S HARD COSTS.
SO- SO PERHAPS S- SINCE I SEE THAT THERE IS AN INTEREST IN LOOKING AT THESE EVENT FEES MORE HOLISTICALLY, RATHER THAN PIECEMEALING IT, PERHAPS LET'S JUST DO A REFERRAL BACK TO COMMITTEE WHERE WE
[01:10:01]
REVIEW THOSE FEES.AND PERHAPS WE CAN CO-PRIME AND WE CAN WORK ON IT TOGETHER.
AND THAT WAY, LET'S NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ITEM THAT WE WERE PUTTING A TITLE ON AND, UH, ON THE AGENDA FOR COMMISSION.
AND I'M HAPPY TO PARTNER OR HAVE, UH, MY COLLEAGUE BE A CO-PRIME AND ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTS TO BE A CO-PRIME ON THAT, INCLUDING COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
CO-SPONSOR OR CO-PRIME? UH, CO-PRIME, THAT'S - YEAH.
ALL RIGHT, SO THE THREE OF US, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA BE A PART OF THEM OR NOT.
SO WITH THE ORIGINAL ITEM, I'D LIKE TO REFER THEM BACK TO COMMISSION.
IT WON'T MAKE IT FOR THE NOVEMBER MEETING, BUT IT WILL FOR THE DECEMBER MEETING.
AND FRANCIS, YOU AND I WILL SIT DOWN AND, UH, DISCUSS THE ITEMS OF CONCERN, WHICH REALLY WEREN'T, UH, THAT MANY.
AND, UM, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO, UH, CO-PRIME WITH ME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO.
AND ALSO, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT INCLUDES, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S AN ALTERNATE TO DIESEL POWER GENERATORS AS ONE OF THE DISCUSSION ITEMS. YES.
SO, IF I COULD CO-PRIME AS OFFERED.
SO, SO I THINK YOU HAVE ONE, TWO, I DON'T KNOW.
CAN WE SHOW THIS, UH, SENT BACK TO COMMISSION WITH A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION BY ACCLIMATION? ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
THAT WAS A LONG DISCUSSION, BUT IT, WELL WORTH IT.
UM, WITH THAT, LET'S GO FORWARD TO ITEM NUMBER ONE.
[1. DISCUSS/TAKE ACTION: UPDATE FROM POLICE AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN NORTH BEACH AND ON TRAFFIC LIGHT SYNCHRONIZATION EFFORTS.]
ITEM NUMBER ONE IS DISCUSS, TAKE ACTION, UPDATE FROM POLICE AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN NORTH BEACH AND ON TRAFFIC LIGHT SYNCHRONIZATION EFFORTS.THIS ITEM IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER BAD.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER BOND, YOU'RE WELCOME TO INTRODUCE YOUR ITEM.
MY FAVORITE, LEAST FAVORITE TOPIC.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, FOR ANYBODY LISTENING, WE MAY START SEEING SOME IMPROVEMENTS HEADING SOUTH AT RUSH HOUR ALONG INDIAN CREEK AND COLLINS, UM, IN CONVERSATION WITH OUR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS CAUSING A, A SLOWDOWN ON WEEKDAYS IS TRASH VEHICLES, UM, MAKING THEIR COLLECTIONS AT RUSH HOUR.
AND SO THE REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE TO CHANGE THEIR SCHEDULE.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW QUICKLY THAT WILL BE EFFECTUATED, BUT IT'S SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
UM, JOSE, I'LL LET YOU GIVE THE UPDATE AND I HAVE SOME VERY, UM, DEFINITE REQUESTS THAT WE NEED TO CHAT ABOUT AS WELL.
UH, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
JOSE GONZALEZ, TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR.
UH, THIS ITEM IS ESSENTIALLY AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE OPTIMIZATION OF 17 CRITICAL INTERSECTIONS IN NORTH BEACH.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, THE LAST TIME, UH, BEFORE THIS BODY, THE, THE, UH, AND ALL 17 INTERSECTIONS ARE LISTED IN THE MEMO, BY THE WAY.
THE FIRST 10 INTERSECTIONS, WHICH INCLUDE INDIAN CREEK, 63RD, COLLINS AND 63RD, AS WELL AS ABBOTT INDIAN CREEK, UH, 69TH AND ABBOTT, AND 71 INDIAN CREEK, AND 71 AND ABBOTT, ALL CRITICAL INTERSECTIONS.
UH, THOSE HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE COUNTY, AND ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY, THEY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FIELD, MEANING THE NEW SIGNALIZED TIMING PLANS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AND IN EFFECT, UH, NEXT WEEK.
THAT IS THEIR GOAL BEFORE ART WEEK.
UH, THE REMAINING SEVEN INTERSECTIONS, UH, THOSE ARE INTERSECTIONS 11 THROUGH 17 ON YOUR MEMORANDUM.
THOSE ARE CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND THEY'RE, UM, ACCORDING TO THEIR LATEST UPDATE, UH, THEY PLAN ON IMPLEMENTING THOSE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, SO MOST LIKELY NEXT, NEXT MONTH.
UM, THESE OPTIMIZED SIGNAL TIMING PLANS SHOULD REPRESENT SOME IMPROVEMENT IN TRAFFIC FLOW, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF, UM, COORDINATION, BOTH NORTH-SOUTH ALONG SOME CORRIDORS AS LO - AS WELL AS EAST AND WEST ALONG SOME CORRIDORS SUCH AS 60, UH, 69TH STREET, WHICH GETS VERY CONGESTED IN THE EAST-WEST DIRECTION EVERY AFTERNOON PEAK PERIOD.
SO THAT IS THE UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE.
SINCE THIS, UM, UM, TITLE COVERS SORT OF SOME MORE BROADLY, SOME MORE BROAD TOPICS, INCLUDING POLICE, I WONDER IF, UM, WE COULD HAVE SOMEBODY FROM POLICE POP UP TO THE DAIS AS WELL.
UM, THIS IS A GREAT UPDATE, UM, THAT ALL OF THESE INTERSECTIONS, ALL 17 OF THEM SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AND UPDATED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
IT'S LONG OVERDUE AND IT'S GREAT NEWS.
[01:15:01]
LET ME BE MORE SPECIFIC IN MY, IN MY, UH, COMMENTS.SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
UM, I HAVE HAD A COUPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHIEF ABOUT THIS, AND I WANNA HAVE THIS CONVERSATION IN PUBLIC SO THAT WE CAN ALL, UM, HEAR IT.
WE, IN ADDITION TO THE LIGHTS, UM, WE HAVE TERRIBLE DRIVING HAPPENING UP IN NORTH BEACH.
DON'T BLOCK THE BOX IS A THING.
UM, THEY ARE BLOCKING BOXES, RECTANGLES, SQUARES, CUBES, SPHERES, CYLINDERS.
WE HAVE PEOPLE SPLITTING LANES.
WE HAVE PEOPLE DECIDING THAT THEY ARE TOO IMPORTANT TO WAIT THEIR TURN TO MAKE A LEFT-HAND TURN AND DRIVING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.
NOT JUST ONE DUDE, BUT MULTIPLE PEOPLE, AND THEN STOPPING AND QUEUING, SO THEY ARE NOW THEREFORE BLOCKING THAT ONCOMING LANE OF TRAFFIC.
UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE IN SUVS, WE HAVE PEOPLE ON SCOOTERS.
UM, I WOULD REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LIKE TO SEE A POLICE ENFORCEMENT EFFORT UP THERE, RUSH HOUR, UM, IN THE MORNINGS AND IN THE EVENINGS, UM, TO TRY...
A- A- AND AROUND THE, THE TRAFFIC THAT GETS BLOCKED BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION, PEOPLE ARE JUST BEYOND FED UP WITH IT AND ARE JUST TAKING MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT, THAT'S YOUR EXPERTISE, BUT WE NEED MORE THAN...
AND IT WAS GREAT HAVING OFFICERS THERE, YOU KNOW, MANUALLY CONTROLLING THINGS, BUT WE NEED VERY SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT OF ENFORCEMENT PROTOCOLS UP THERE.
UM, ALONG 71ST STREET, UM, ALONG THE SIDE STREETS, GOING SOUTH OF 71ST STREET, UM, ALONG DICKENS GOING UP TO 74TH STREET.
SOMEBODY'S GONNA GET HURT OR SHOT.
AND, UM, I DON'T - PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN HURT.
WELL, PEOPLE HAVE DEFINITELY ALREADY GOTTEN HURT.
LIKE TEMPERS ARE FLARING, AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE AS OUR WEEK AND HIGH SEASON COMES UPON US.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU GUYS COME BACK WITH A PLAN.
UH, NOT EVEN NECESSARILY COME BACK HERE, JUST IMPLEMENT A PLAN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE PROTOCOL IS, BUT I'M, I'M ON BENDED KNEE BEGGING TO GET SOMETHING IMPLEMENTED.
I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT, UH, ON THAT.
SO JUST RECENTLY, IN HAPPY NEWS, WE'VE HAD TWO EXTRA PUBLIC SERVICE SPECIALISTS THAT HAVE GRADUATED FROM OUR ACADEMY.
UH, THOSE ARE GONNA GO STRAIGHT TO THE NORTH.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE WANTED TO DO FOR A WHILE.
OF COURSE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES EVERYWHERE AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, BUT SPECIFICALLY, COMMISSIONER, FOR THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE VERY FRUSTRATING TO US AS WELL, WE'RE GONNA PLACE THEM ON 71ST STREET.
I THINK THE KEY IS REALLY THAT WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER, WHETHER IT'S OUR OFF-DUTY DEPARTMENT, UM, PERMITTING, TRANSPORTATION.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN A REAL SMALL AREA.
SO I HAVE SEEN THE, THE TEXT MESSAGES, THE PICTURES THAT YOU'VE SENT.
WE ARE SUPER FRUSTRATED AS WELL.
AND, UM, ALL OF OUR ROAD SUPERVISORS HAVE BEEN TOLD THE KEY IS MOVING RESOURCES, LIKE, DAILY.
IF IT'S NOT WORKING, IT, IT COULD WORK DURING THE MORNING HOURS, MAYBE IT'S NOT WORKING IN THE AFTERNOON.
WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO REASSESS THAT.
UM, AND AS FAR AS THERE'S ANOTHER PENDING AGENDA ITEM, SO ALL THESE THINGS ARE KIND OF, UH, TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME.
THESE PLANS OF WHAT TO, TO DO AND, AND, AND HOW TO MOVE TRAFFIC ALONG WHEN WE'VE HAD SOME OF THESE INCIDENCES, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTH, THAT'S IN THE WORKS AS WELL.
SO WE ARE CERTAINLY TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CRA, AND I DON'T KNOW IF STEVEN ANTHONY IS HERE OR NOT, BUT THE CRA CAN FUND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, AND I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT TAPPING INTO THAT FUNDING, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR RUSH HOUR TO MITIGATE THIS TRAFFIC.
I MEAN, IT SHOULD NOT TAKE ME OR ANYBODY IN THE CITY OVER AN HOUR TO GO THREE AND A HALF MILES.
UM - WE'LL CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THAT.
AND COMMISSIONER BOND, I LIKE THAT IDEA AND I SUPPORT THAT IDEA.
UH, I THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT FUNDING COULD BE AVAILABLE FROM THE CRA FOR POLICING, WE SHOULD BE EXPLORING THAT.
I'M NOT SURE IT WILL MOVE TRAFFIC QUICKER, BUT I THINK IT'LL MAKE CONDITIONS SAFER TO ADDRESS SPECIFICALLY WHERE YOU ARE MENTIONING PEOPLE NOT WAITING THEIR TURN, PEOPLE GETTING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC AND CREATING THOSE UNSAFE CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT.
HOW MANY OFFICERS DO WE HAVE DEPLOYED THERE CURRENTLY DURING DRIVE TIME? TWO.
AND THAT'S TYPICALLY FROM 3:00 PM TO 7:00 PM ON 71ST STREET.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO - EXCUSE ME.
[01:20:01]
WHERE? UM, OH, THE BIG INTERSECTION RIGHT AT, UH, INDIAN CREEK, 71ST STREET.SO WE NEED THEM ON THE SIDE STREETS AND NORTH AND SOUTH.
THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THIS IS GOING ON.
SO, BUT LET ME, LET ME JUST FINISH MY QUESTION.
SO, OKAY, SO WE HAVE TWO RIGHT NOW, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN ADDITIONAL TWO? SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN ADDITIONAL TWO, AND THEN THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ESTABLISHING WHAT THE BEST POST IS GONNA BE FOR THEM.
WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO START RIGHT AT THAT BOX, THE 69TH STREET ABBOTT BOX, AND SEE HOW THAT WORKS.
AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK THERE OR IF THERE'S ANOTHER AREA THAT WE CAN PUT THEM TO WHERE IT'S ALLEVIATING OR PUSHING TRAFFIC THROUGH, UM, THAT'S KIND OF OUR PLAN, BUT IT'S...
I CAN'T TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY IT'S GONNA WORK AT ONE INTERSECTION OR THE OTHER.
THAT'S GONNA TAKE US, UH, HOPEFULLY A MATTER OF, UH, A FEW WEEKS TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS, UM, BECAUSE I...
AND I THINK ALL OF US, AND ESPECIALLY YOU, COMMISSIONER BOTT, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH THIS, UM, AND MEETING WITH, WITH THE NEIGHBORS OF THIS AREA.
I KNOW THAT 69TH AND ABBOTT GETS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.
UH, I KNOW 69TH AND BYRON GETS VERY DANGEROUS.
UH, IN ESSENCE, ON 69TH STREET, WEST OF COLLINS, IT GETS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, AND WE HEAR IT FROM THE RESIDENTS IN THE AREA, ESPECIALLY THE RESIDENTS FROM, UH, FROM THE BLUE CONDOMINIUM FOR 401 BLUE THAT HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT, ABOUT THE ISSUES GOING ON THERE AND THEIR CONCERNS THAT ONCE ALL OF THESE TOWERS ARE FINISHED BEING BUILT, THE TRAFFIC IS GONNA BE JUST REALLY JUST CENTERED AND CLUSTERED IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.
JOSE, WHAT WOULD BE THE POSSIBILITY OF LOOKING AT 69TH STREET AND MAKING 69TH STREET IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS DURING THE RUSH HOURS, ONE WAY WESTBOUND, WEST OF COLLINS AVENUE TOWARDS INDIAN CREEK? BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME, FROM WHAT I'VE OBSERVED, FIRST IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY THE RESIDENTS AND THEN GOING OVER THERE AND OBSERVING IT MYSELF.
SEEMS TO ME THE ISSUE BECOMES THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GO WEST AND THEY'RE GETTING ON THE EASTBOUND LANES BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND IT'S CREATING AN, AN UNSAFE CONDITION.
AND USUALLY WHAT I'VE SEEN IS WHEN PEOPLE'S BEHAVIORS AND FRUSTRATIONS TAKE THEM TO DO THIS, IT USUALLY MEANS THAT IT MIGHT ACTUALLY MAKE SENSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE DOING, BUT IN PRACTICE, IT'S USUALLY WHAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE.
UM, WHAT WOULD BE THE POSSIBILITY OF LOOKING AT MAKING 69TH STREET WESTBOUND DURING PEAK HOUR TRAFFICS? SO, MR. CHAIR, WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS, IN ESSENCE, A REVERSIBLE LANE FOR A TEMPORARY PERIOD OF TIME.
DURING THE AFTERNOON PEAK PERIODS, MAKING THE EASTBOUND LANE A WESTBOUND LANE - CORRECT.
CONVERTING IT INTO A WESTBOUND LANE.
BECAUSE IT WOULD BE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND NOT A PERMANENT TYPE OF MODIFICATION, IT WOULD BE MORE LIKE A PILOT.
WE HAVE NOT TAKEN A LOOK AT IT.
WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT IT IN DETAIL, BUT I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY IT WOULD PROBABLY REQUIRE MORE POLICE INTERVENTION.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF PILOTS SIMILAR TO THE ONE ON 41ST, ROYAL PALM, AND, AND 41ST AND SHERIDAN, THAT, UH, VEHICLES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND HAVE TO, ON THOSE TWO AVENUES, JUST CONTINUE EITHER NORTH OR SOUTH.
THIS WOULD BE A, NOT THE SAME TYPE OF CONFIGURATION, BUT A SIMILAR TYPE OF PROJECT THAT WOULD CHANGE THE DIRECTIONALITY OF A ROAD TEMPORARILY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAYS.
SO, UM, WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT TOGETHER WITH POLICE TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD REQUIRE TO DO THAT AND COME BACK.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, SO I, I ALSO HAD SPOKEN TO THAT RESIDENT AND, AND DISCUSSED THIS IDEA WITH HIM.
I THOUGH THAT THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT WAS CONTEMPLATED BY THE UT STUDY THAT IS GOING TO LOOK AT THIS ALL HOLISTICALLY.
AND SO MY THOUGHT IS THAT WE SHOULD BE WEIGHING ALL THESE OPTIONS TOGETHER AND SEEING WHAT WORKS RATHER THAN...
I, I MEAN, I'M OPEN TO STARTING EARLIER, BUT HOW QU - HOW QUICKLY COULD WE INSTITUTE SOMETHING LIKE THIS VERSUS HOW QUICKLY COULD WE FOLD IT INTO THE UT STUDY? UH, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION? UM, PART OF THE OBJECTIVE OF THE UT STUDY IS TO IDENTIFY PILOTS THAT COULD BE DONE IN THE SHORT TERM.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO IT THROUGH THAT AVENUE, BUT IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE TO DO IT THROUGH, YOU KNOW, UH, TO LOOK AT IT SEPARATELY.
UM - FOLLOWING UP ON THE SPONSOR'S QUESTION, HOW LONG WOULD IT BE BEFORE WE HAVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AS OPPOSED, YOU KNOW, TO HOW LONG WOULD IT BE FOR US, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE US TO INSTITUTE A
[01:25:01]
PILOT PROGRAM LIKE THIS? WELL, WE, WE HAVEN'T ENGAGED THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AS YET.UH, WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM, UH, REGARDING THE SCOPE, THE, THE FEE PROPOSAL, THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE A GRANT FROM THE USDOT SORT OF THROUGH A LITTLE COMPLICATION HERE THAT WE'RE WORKING, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE DETAILS WITH THEM.
UH, BUT WE HAVEN'T EVEN ENGAGED UT AUSTIN YET, AND ACCORDING TO THEIR SCOPE, THE FIRST PHASE OF THE INITIATIVE WOULD BE ABOUT A YEAR.
SO WE'RE STILL ABOUT A YEAR AWAY.
I DON'T KNOW, COMMISSIONER, IF YOU'D BE WILLING - YEAH.
UH, AS PART OF THIS ITEM FOR US TO BRING AN ITEM BACK AND MAYBE WE CAN...
WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THE COMMITTEE IN ORDER TO EXPLORE MOVING FORWARD WITH A PILOT PURPOSE? I WOULD, I THINK WE NEED TO START DOING THIS QUICKLY.
UM, ESPECIALLY HEADING INTO CISA.
UH, THE RESIDENTS THERE NEED RELIEF, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL, MAJOR, THAT, UH, THAT THESE TWO NEW PUBLIC SAFETY SPECIALISTS, THAT THEY'RE BEING ADDED, NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE FOUR, UH, FOUR PEOPLE UP IN NORTH BEACH DURING PEAK HOURS, UH, ADDRESSING TRAFFIC.
UM, BUT OFFICERS BY THEMSELVES ARE NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE TRAFFIC ISSUE.
AND IT MIGHT NOT GET PEOPLE QUICKER BY DOING THE REVERSIBLE LANE, BUT IT WILL, IT WILL PERHAPS ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUE OF THE PEOPLE GOING WESTBOUND GETTING ON THE EASTBOUND LANE JUST TO GET TO THE INTERSECTION QUICKER.
UH, SO WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THIS COMMITTEE IN ORDER TO PURSUE THAT PILOT? UH, A RECOMMENDATION, YOU KNOW, MOTION, UM, RECOMMENDING THAT, THAT PILOT AND FURTHER ANALYSIS, BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED, I WOULD NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH POLICE, DEFINE WHAT THAT PROGRAM WOULD LOOK LIKE.
HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE US TO IMPLEMENT THE PILOT OF THIS NATURE? WELL, WE DON'T HAVE...
I DON'T HAVE THE PILOT, UH, PROGRAM DETAILS YET, UH, MR. CHAIR, SO IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I, I COULD, I COULD TELL YOU THE 41ST STREET PILOT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT, IT TOOK A WHILE TO DEFINE IT, AND BECAUSE IT IS A PILOT, WE ALSO HAVE TO DO A PRE, THE PRE AND THE POST - RIGHT.
TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS.
AND COMMUNICATE IT AS WELL TO THE PUBLIC.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A PROCESS, BUT IT, IT DOES WORK QUICKER THAN A, YOU KNOW, A PERMANENT, UH, PROJECT.
I, I WOULD HAVE TO DEFINE THAT PILOT PROGRAM IN COLLABORATION WITH POLICE.
SO WE WOULD NEED TO SIT DOWN TOGETHER, DEFINE IT, AND THEN COME BACK TO YOU WITH A COST AND A TIMEFRAME.
COMMISSIONER BOD, WHY DON'T YOU...
UH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS YOU WORK WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UH, AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, AND SEEING WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
I'D BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT AN ITEM THAT YOU TAKE TO COMMISSION, UM, ON THIS.
UH, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT IT UP IN, IN, IN THE PAST.
WE'VE MENTIONED IT IN, IN THE PAST.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS KEEPS BEING BROUGHT UP, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IN, IN THE PAST AS, AS A POSSIBLE REMEDIATION FOR THIS ISSUE.
SO, FUNNY ENOUGH, I HAVE AN ITEM THAT'S COMING TO THE NOVEMBER MEETING, WHICH IS A REFERRAL TO THIS COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS TRAFFIC SPECIALISTS AT THE CORNER OF 69TH AND HARDING AND 69TH AND ABBOTT.
AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YOU JUST, UH, PROMOTED TWO NEW...
ARE THEY TRAFFIC? THEY'RE TRAFFIC CERTIFIED.
SO, I'D LIKE TO CHANGE THAT REFERRAL TO A RESOLUTION SINCE YOU ALREADY HAVE THE STAFF, AND LET'S GET THEM UP THERE IMMEDIATELY FOR RESOLUTION NOW.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE...
DID YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE A AREA WHERE YOU WERE...
UH, YOU SAID IN THE NORTH, BUT - CORRECT.
DO YOU HAVE INTERSECTIONS I ALREADY IDENTIFIED, OR? SO, WE HAVEN'T, UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT, UH, ABBOTT, BYRON, 69TH STREET BLOCK IS DEFINITELY GONNA BE, UM, THE AREA.
IT'S EITHER THAT OR MAYBE SOMETHING ELSE ON 71ST STREET.
WE HAVE TO PLAY AROUND WITH IT A LITTLE BIT JUST TO SEE WHAT WORKS, LIKE I SAID, AM AND PM.
SO, I'LL CHANGE MY, MY ITEM THEN.
INSTEAD OF A REFERRAL, WE CAN GET THIS DONE NOW BECAUSE THO- THOSE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA DEFINITELY NEED, NEED RELIEF.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAD THESE NEW...
AND LET'S GET SOMETHING DONE NOW.
SO, UM, IF I MAY, UM, CAN I JUST PUT A DIRECT RESOLUTION ON THE NOVEMBER AGENDA FOR THIS, UM, PILOT STUDY TO GET KICKED OFF? YES.
DOES IT HAVE TO COME BACK HERE? NO, I, I WOULD SAY I WOULD, I WOULD NOT ADD EXTRA STEPS TO IT.
SO CAN - NO, YOU CAN MAKE A RECOMMEND...
Y- YES, YOU CAN DO IT WHATEVER RESOLUTION YOU WANT.
IF YOU WANT THAT RESOLUTION TO SAY, UH, UH, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THIS COMMITTEE, YOU WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS COMMITTEE TO MOVE IT TO THE COMMISSION TO ACCEPT THAT SOLUTION TO THE SUBJECT THAT...
[01:30:01]
OF, UH, NUMBER ONE.AND YOU WOULD BRING A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE AND ESTABLISHING THE PILOT, OR AT LEAST EXPLORING IT.
DO YOU, WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMITTEE? I'M HAPPY FOR THE COMMITTEE TO, UH, ENTERTAIN A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I'M, I'M NOT ABLE TO MAKE THE MOTION, UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO DO TWO THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, UH, A MOTION SUPPORTING COMMISSIONER MATILSALINAS' NEW, UH, RESOLUTION.
I THINK THAT THAT'S WORTHY OF, OF SUPPORT AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.
THE RESIDENTS OF NORTH BEACH HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR, FOR, FOR THIS TRAFFIC SUPPORT, AND THEN A SEPARATE MOTION SUPPORTING, UM, SUPPORTING DOING A PILOT ON ONE-WAY TRAFFIC ON 69TH STREET, A REVERSIBLE LANE DURING PEAK HOURS, UH, WESTBOUND TOWARDS INDIAN CREEK.
IT'S MOVED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MATTEL SALINAS, AND WE CAN SHOW THAT ADOPTED BY ACCLIMATION.
AND YOU DID NOT WANT THEM TO COME BACK HERE FIRST - CORRECT.
TO DISCUSS THE PARAMETERS OF IT? NO.
UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE SPONSORS IS ABLE TO WORK WITH, UH, WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE, UH, COMMISSIONER BAD THAT YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH THIS, WITH THIS ITEM? NO, THAT'S IT.
ARE THERE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NO ONE IN PERSON AND NO ONE ON ZOOM WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, WE CAN NOW MOVE FORWARD TO ITEM
[3. DISCUSS THE FEASIBILITY OF REPLACING THE PLANNED 5TH STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE WITH AN OVER WATER CONNECTION LINKING THE BAYWALK SOUTH OF 5TH STREET WITH THE BAYWALK NORTH OF 5TH STREET]
NUMBER THREE.ITEM NUMBER THREE IS, ITEM NUMBER THREE IS DEF- DEFERRED, HAS BEEN DEFERRED.
OH, ITEM NUMBER THREE IS DEFERRED.
[4. PERMITTING REFORM IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE REPORT.]
YEAH.ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS PERMITTING REFORM IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE REPORT.
THIS ITEM IS SPONSORED BY VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ.
UH, AND THIS IS AN ITEM I PLACE ON THE, ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE BACK IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, UH, WE HAD A SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING CONVENED BY OUR MAYOR, STEVEN MINOR.
IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY PRODUCTIVE MEETING, UM, THAT MAYOR MINOR PUT TOGETHER REGARDING OUR BUILDING PERMITTING PROCESSES.
UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF, OF MOTIONS THAT WERE MADE.
UH, ONE MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE TO IMPLEMENT MID-REVIEW COMMUNICATIONS, UM, WITH, BETWEEN PERMIT REVIEWERS, UH, AND APPLICANTS.
UH, ANOTHER MOTION, UH, WAS TO REDUCE, UH, PERMITS WITH FOUR OR MORE REVIEW CYCLES AS MUCH AS WE COULD, UH, BY, UH, 50% WITHIN SIX MONTHS.
UH, AND THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF OTHER, UM, ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKED ON SINCE THEN, TEXT MESSAGE NOTIFICATIONS, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR INSPECTORS ON THEIR WAY TO, UM, TO, TO, TO A SITE.
UM, AND JUST A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS THAT I WANTED TO GET AN UPDATE.
I WANTED THE COMMITTEE TO GET AN UPDATE.
AGAIN, IT WAS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL MEETING THAT MAYOR MINOR PUT TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IMPROVE OUR EFFICIENCIES ON, ON THE BUILDING PERMITTING SYSTEM, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE ITEMS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP BY MAYOR MINOR AT THAT MEETING AND BY OUR COLLEAGUES WERE FOLLOWED UP ON.
SO I'M GONNA WELCOME OUR, OUR BUILDING OFFICIAL, UH, TO WALK US THROUGH THIS ITEM.
GOOD MORNING, COMMITTEE CHAIR, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
CARLOS DIAZ, INTERIM BUILDING DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR.
UM, CHAIR, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO ITEM BY ITEM, BRIEF OVERVIEW? AS YOU LIKE.
SO STARTING WITH THE REVIEW CYCLES, UM, WHAT WE DID IS WE KINDA LOOKED AT EVERYTHING.
UM, WE DID NOTICE THAT WITHIN FOUR REVIEW CYCLES, 92% OF PERMITS GET ISSUED.
THE FIVE PLUS REVIEW CYCLES IS USUALLY LIMITED TO LARGE SCALE PROJECTS.
UM, THE NEW CONSTRUCTIONS OF 20 STORY TOWERS, UH, THINGS THAT ARE VERY COMPLICATED.
WE LOOKED BACK, WE LOOKED BACK TO LIKE 2018 TO TRY TO SEE IF THERE'S EVER BEEN A LARGE DIFFERENCE, AND IT'S BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT EVER SINCE THEN.
THE, UH, MID-REVIEW TRACKING, WE DID TRY THIS OUT.
WE'RE MIDWAY THROUGH THE REVIEW CYCLE, WE REACHED OUT TO THE CUSTOMER, WE ASKED THEM, "CAN YOU PLEASE PROVIDE US WITH THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WE'RE REQUESTING?" USUALLY THIS IS FOR STRUCTURAL, FOR, UH, EITHER A SPECIAL INSPECTOR FORM OR A PRODUCT APPROVAL THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY APPROVE THE DRAWINGS.
YOU HAVE SOME ENGINEERS THAT ARE VERY QUICK.
THEY WANNA RESPOND RIGHT AWAY, THEY GET IT TO YOU, WE GET IT IN, WE APPROVE IT.
IN OTHER CASES, SOMETIMES IT'LL TAKE THEM UP TO FOUR OR FIVE DAYS TO ACTUALLY SUBMIT THE DOCUMENTS.
AND SINCE WE'RE STATUALLY REQUIRED TO REVIEW RESIDENTIAL PERMITS,
[01:35:01]
SMALL RESIDENTIAL PERMITS WITHIN FIVE DAYS AND COMMERCIAL WITHIN 10 DAYS, WE'RE LIMITED IN WHAT WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN ACCEPT IN THAT CYCLE.THE NEXT ITEM IS MORE FOR CLARIFICATION.
UM, SO WE ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE THE SAME REVIEWER REVIEW THE SAME PLANS WHEN THEY COME BACK IN.
THE SYSTEMS IS SET AUTOMATICALLY TO GO BACK TO THE SAME REVIEWER, AND 87% OF THE TIME, IT WORKS.
IT GOES RIGHT BACK TO THAT REVIEWER.
ON OTHER OCCASIONS, MAYBE SOMEONE'S SICK, UH, VACATION, THAT'S USUALLY THE ONLY TIMES WHERE IT'LL ACTUALLY GO TO ANOTHER REVIEWER.
INSPECTIONS ARE SET THE SAME WAY.
THAT INSPECTOR THAT'S SET FOR YOUR PROJECT SHOULD BE THE SAME INSPECTOR COMING BACK, UNLESS SOMETHING HAPPENS, SICK TIME.
THE TEXT MESSAGE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM HAS BEEN ACTIVE SINCE MARCH.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE EXPANDED BY THE END OF FEBRUARY, UM, TO INCLUDE THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, PUBLIC WORKS, PLANNING.
EVERYBODY WAS ON BOARD WITH THAT AS WELL.
WE EXPANDED THE WALKTHROUGH A LITTLE BIT FOR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR RESTAURANTS.
WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES GETTING PERMITTING SOMETIMES, BUT FOR SMALLER SCALE PROJECTS, SO SAY SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME IN AND GET A HOOD, REPLACE THEIR HOOD, WE'RE DOING IT AS A WALKTHROUGH SO THEY CAN HAVE IT THE SAME DAY AS LONG AS THEY ANSWER THEIR COMMENTS.
WE'RE ALSO EXPANDING THE BUSINESS CONCIERGE SECTION.
UM, ON THE FIRST FLOOR BETWEEN THE TWO ELEVATORS, WE'RE GONNA SET UP AN AREA WHERE YOU CAN COME IN AND GET QUESTIONS, QUE - ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR CERTIFICATE OF USE, LOCAL BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOMEONE THERE TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE THEM TO WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO.
UM, WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY THERE BASICALLY PROVIDING INFORMATION IN TERMS OF RECORDS, UM, AND MAKING IT EASIER FOR THEM TO GET THE INFORMATION THEY NEED.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO PUT A HUGE EMPHASIS WAS THE PASSING OF HOUSE BILL 803.
SO THIS HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED HOW WE DO BUSINESS.
UM, WE'VE MADE MODIFICATIONS TO THE PRIVATE PROVIDER SECTION SINCE WE ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THE PLANS.
UM, WE'VE MODIFIED HOW THAT WORKS TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS.
THIS ALSO IS GONNA END UP CHANGING HOW WE DO F - HOW WE DO FEES.
TRADITIONALLY HERE AND IN MANY MUNICIPALITIES, WE, FEES WERE DONE BASED ON VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THE PASSING OF HOUSE BILL 803 RESTRICTS THAT TO A POINT THAT WE CAN ONLY REALISTICALLY, UH, CHARGE OUR FEES BY SQUARE FOOTAGE.
AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY SPECIFIC ITEMS. SURE.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, CARLOS.
UH, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE INTERIM BUILDING DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, BUT, UH, WE HAVE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS, I BELIEVE, IN OUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
AT LEAST THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS COMING INTO OUR OFFICES, I FEEL HAS SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, DECREASED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I AM VERY, I WANNA IMPRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF IS THE MID-REVIEW CYCLE, THE MID-REVIEW, UH, COMMUNICATION SO THAT PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THEIR REVIEW CYCLE TO FIND OUT THAT A DOCUMENT WAS MISSING, THAT SOMETHING WASN'T SEALED PROPERLY, UM, THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN C - EASILY CORRECTED MID-REVIEW, UM, THAT NOW THEY HAD TO WAIT TILL THE END OF A 30-DAY REVIEW CYCLE TO GET THAT NOTIFICATION.
SO I SEE WE HAVE ISSUED A TOTAL OF 125 MID-REVIEW CONTACTS.
IT, BUT WE HAVE ISSUED MORE THAN 125 FAILURES OF, OF, OF PERMIT APPLICATIONS - YEAH.
IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME, I WOULD IMAGINE.
WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF THOSE MID-REVIEW CONTACTS? WHY ISN'T THAT THERE ISN'T MORE? UNDER WHICH, UNDER WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES ARE WE CONNECTING WITH THE PERMIT APPLICANTS AND SAYING, "HEY, LISTEN, YOU'RE MISSING A DOCUMENT OR THIS NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED, OTHERWISE THEY'RE GOING TO FAIL." WHAT, WHAT ARE THE CIRCUMSTANCES AS TO WHY SOME ARE GETTING THE CONTACT, BUT NOT ALL? OKAY, SO IT WOULD BE FOR SMALLER THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
SO IF A PERMIT APPLICATION WAS MISSING SIGNATURES, IF YOU WERE MISSING AN AFFIDAVIT, UM, IN TERMS OF PLAN REVIEW, IT'S A LOT MORE COMMON FOR EITHER STRUCTURAL OR MECHANICAL.
UM, IT COULD BE A PRODUCT APPROVAL THAT THEY JUST FORGOT TO INCLUDE IN THE PACKAGE, UM, A FORM THAT'S REQUIRED FOR STRUCTURAL, A SPECIAL INSPECTOR FORM, MAYBE THEY FORGOT ONE, UM, AND THEY SUBMITTED ANOTHER.
SO THAT'S MORE OR LESS WHEN WE'RE REALLY REACHING OUT TO THE CUSTOMER TO GET THAT, JUST BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT RIGHT AWAY WE CAN ACCEPT.
THE PROBLEM ENDS UP BEING IS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE COMMENTARY IS, A LOT OF THE REVIEWS, THEY CROSS DEPARTMENTS.
SO IF YOU'RE MODIFYING AN ARCHITECTURAL PAGE OR A MECHANICAL PAGE, IT CAN
[01:40:01]
AFFECT THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND THEN WE HAVE TO REQUEUE EVERYBODY.SO AT THAT POINT, IT, IT LIMITS TO, LIMITS US BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REVIEW WITHIN AT LEAST FIVE DAYS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL AND 10 FOR COMMERCIAL.
SO WE, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH WIGGLE ROOM WITH THOSE.
AND HOW MUCH TIME ARE WE GIVING THE APPLICANT TO, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT THIS? 24 TO 48 HOURS.
IT DEPENDS ON THE REVIEWER, BUT...
AND DO WE KNOW AS A RESULT OF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE 125 MINUTE REVIEW CONTACTS THAT WERE COMPLETED BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, HOW MANY OF THOSE ACTUALLY LED TO A PERMIT NOT BEING FILLED, TO A CORRECTION THAT, THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO SOLVE THE ISSUE WITHOUT HAVING TO RESTART THE REVIEW PROCESS AGAIN? SO IT WAS...
WE DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER BECAUSE IT'S VERY HARD TO ACTUALLY DETERMINE IT.
IN TERMS OF ACTUAL, THAT PARTICULAR REVIEW, IT WAS PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, THE THING IS THAT MANY OF THE TIMES IT STILL HAS OTHER COMMENTS PENDING, SO WHILE IT WAS APPROVED BY THAT INDIVIDUAL SECTION, A LOT OF TIMES IT STILL CAME IN FOR ANOTHER ROUND BECAUSE OF OTHER CORRECTIONS.
AND I, I, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE, HE MADE THAT MOTION, UH, DIRECTING STAFF TO IMPLEMENT THIS MID-REVIEW COMMUNICATION PROCESS.
AND I THINK THAT, THAT COMMUNICATION WITH APPLICANTS, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE END THAT THEY HAD TO FIX SOMETHING, IT IS SO IMPORTANT.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST NEED COMMUNICATION, UH, AND I, I, I THINK THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING INCREDIB- INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT INITIATED, UH, BY, UH, BY COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
AND SO YOU MENTIONED THAT WE ARE ALSO ALREADY PROVIDING THE TEXT MESSAGE NOTIFICATION AS, UH, AS THE INSPECTORS ARE GOING OUT TO THE INSPECTION SITES.
AS THE, IN THE MORNING, THEY GET, THEY GET ONE NOTIFICATION, AND WHEN THEY'RE THE SECOND IN LINE, THEY GET ANOTHER NOTIFICATION SAYING THAT THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY.
ARE PEOPLE OPTING INTO THE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM? ARE WE, ARE WE NOTIFYING PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN OPT INTO THIS? UM, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS CURRENTLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT KIND OF, MAYBE FRANK HAS A KIND OF CLEAR CURRENT, UH, BUT I MEAN, WE, IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING.
IT'S JUST, IT'S BEEN AWHILE SINCE WE LOOK AT HOSE NUMBERS.
UH, BECAUSE WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE IS THAT IF WE ARE OFFERING APPLICANTS WITH THIS SERVICE AND WITH THIS CONVENIENCE, THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT THEY CAN ENROLL IN THIS CONVENIENCE AND WHEN THEY'RE GETTING THEIR PERMIT AND THAT THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN INSPECTION EVENTUALLY, THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN OPT INTO THIS, UH, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THIS.
I SEE WE HAVE OUR CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, FRANK QUINTANA.
UH, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS SPECIFIC TO THAT, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT.
WE CAN ALSO REVISIT THE WAY THE COMMUNICATION HAPPENS, UH, WHETHER THAT'S A MATTER OF PUTTING SOMETHING ON THE PORTAL, UM, THAT ANNOUNCES IT OR DOING A FOLLOW-UP COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN, WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK ON THAT.
UH, AND THEN, AND THEN LASTLY, I, I, I GUESS I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CHALLENGE WITH THE BIGGER PROJECTS IS THAT THOSE BIGGER PROJECTS, THE, THE, UM, THE TOWERS ARE GEN- GENERALLY THE ONES THAT ARE, THAT REQUIRE MORE THAN TWO REVIEW CYCLES UP TO FOUR? SO MORE THAN FOUR.
IS THERE A SPECIFIC REVIEWER OR SOMEONE DESIGNATED, UH, THAT JUST SPECIALIZES ON THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS OR IS IT THE SAME PERSON THAT'S REVIEWING, I DON'T KNOW, A KITCHEN REMODEL THAT'S ALSO REVIEWING THE PLANS FOR A 20-STORY BUILDING? SO FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S WHICHEVER ONE COMES IN FIRST.
W- WOULD, WOULD THERE BE ANY BENEFIT, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A QUESTION THAT'S COMING TO MY MIND NOW, I, AND I'M, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT HAVING ASKED YOU THIS IN ADVANCE OR MARIA, BUT WOULD THERE BE ANY BENEFIT TO ACTUALLY HAVING REVIEWERS THAT ARE S - THAT ARE JUST SPECIALIZED ON THE LARGER BUILDINGS THAT THEIR SOLE FOCUS IS REVIEWING THAT AS OPPOSED TO HAVING THAT PERSON ALSO REVIEW KITCHEN REMODELS, BATHROOM REMODELS, AND THE SMALLER RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS? SO I WOULD SAY BEFORE, YES.
UM, BUT NOW WITH THE CHANGE THAT WE CAN'T EVEN REVIEW THE ACTUAL PLAN DOCUMENTS FOR...
A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS ARE COMING - WE CAN'T REVIEW WHAT? I'M SORRY.
SO A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS ARE COMING WITH PRIVATE PROVIDERS, SO WE ARE NOT DOING THE INSPECTIONS OR PLAN REVIEWS.
UM, SO IN THESE INSTANCES, THE STRUCTURAL REVIEWER WOULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE PLANS.
UM, MOST OF THE TIME IT'LL END UP JUST COMING BACK FOR COMMENTARY FROM THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE DAYS? COMMISSIONER BHATT? HI.
UM, ONE OF THE FRUSTRATIONS I'VE HEARD, UM, FROM RESIDENTS IS THAT WHEN SOMEBODY DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL INSPECTOR COMES AND FOLLOWS UP ON THE, THE SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION, THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHEN THE CHANGE MADE
[01:45:01]
AT THE REQUEST OF THE ORIGINAL INSPECTOR THEN GETS COUNTERMANDED BY THE SUBSEQUENT INSPECTOR.ARE WE STILL DOING THAT? SO IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT IT IS.
IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY REALIZE THAT DIDN'T MEET THE CODE AT ALL, OR DOESN'T MEET THE ACTUAL CODE REQUIREMENT, WE'RE LIMITED BECAUSE REALISTICALLY IT NEEDS TO MEET CODE.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THEY SEE THAT THEY MIGHT NOT BE OKAY WITH OR AWARE OF, THEY CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO US OR ONE OF THE CHIEFS AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT WITH THEM.
AND I'M LESS WORRIED ABOUT THE CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT THAN THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF SOMEBODY HAS THEIR SECOND INSPECTION AND THERE'S SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, THAT THEY HAVE RESOLVED AT THE REQUEST OF THE FIRST INSPECTOR, BEFORE THEY IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES REQUESTED BY THE SECOND INSPECTOR, THEY CAN AND MAYBE SHOULD CALL INTO THE OFFICE AND ASK FOR CLARIFICATION? ABSOLUTELY.
WOULD THAT REQUIRE A THIRD INSPECTION OR COULD SOMEBODY JUST LOOK AT THE NOTES? IT'LL BE DEPENDENT ON WHAT IT WAS, BUT IT WOULD EITHER BE RESOLVED PRIOR OR AT THE NEXT INSPECTION.
SO IN THEORY, IF SOMEBODY, A SECOND INSPECTOR, UM, MAKES CHANGES TO WHAT THE ORIGINAL INSPECTOR SAID, IT'S BECAUSE PERHAPS THE ORIGINAL INSPECTOR MISSED SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT UP TO CODE? CORRECT.
AND THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, FOR BRINGING SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
UH, IT'S ONE OF THE TOP COMPLAINTS WE, WE RECEIVED FROM RESIDENTS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND I'M GONNA CORRECT YOU IF IT'S NOT ME.
INITIATED THIS AND I JUST BROUGHT THE UPDATE TO COMMISSION, BUT MAYOR MINOR CALLED THIS - AMAZING.
THIS IS A VERY GOOD ITEM, AND I ALSO COMMEND YOU, CARLOS, FOR, UH, PUTTING SUCH A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS IN HERE THAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, THE FIRST IS THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT CONCIERGE.
UH, WHAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED ALREADY HAS BEEN AMAZING.
THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH LEONOR.
AND TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT EXPANDED, I THINK IT'S A WIN FOR THE CITY.
THE OTHER AREA THAT HAD ME REALLY EXCITED WAS THE RESTAURANT PERMITTING PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THE REASON WHY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT IS RESTAURANTS HAVE SMALL MARGINS FOR, UH, MAKING MONEY.
AND THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT I HEARD FROM RESTAURANTS OPENING IN MIAMI BEACH, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT RESTAURANT GROUPS AND THE BIG ONES, BUT, UH, SINGLE OWNER RESTAURANTS, WAS THAT THEY WERE HAVING TO PAY RENT FOR ONE OR TWO YEARS, AND THEY COULDN'T GET OPEN BECAUSE PERMITTING KEPT THEM FROM DOING SO.
IN SOME CASES, I KNOW DERM IS A HUGE, UH, PROBLEM.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD THING, BUT IT'S A PROBLEM FOR A BUSINESS THAT'S TRYING TO OPEN, AND IT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM TO BE PAYING RENT FOR TWO YEARS WITHOUT MAKING A PENNY.
UH, SO HAVING A RESTAURANT PERMITTING PROGRAM WHERE MAYBE THEY'RE TAKING OVER AN EXISTING LOCATION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THE DERM, UH, STUFF AND, UH, MAKING MO - MINOR MODIFICATIONS, OR AN EXISTING RESTAURANT THAT'S TRYING TO MAKE MINOR MODIFICATIONS, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES, I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING.
UH, I HAD SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA.
I WITHDREW IT AFTER WE DID SOME, UH, INVESTIGATIONS, BUT TO LOOK AT, UM, AVENTURA AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING AND WHAT'S MAKING THEM, UH, SO POPULAR AND BETTER.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN I DID MY RESEARCH AND SPOKE WITH THE AVENTURA CITY MANAGER AND COMMISSIONERS, THEY PRIVATIZED SO MUCH OF THEIR STUFF, SO IT'S, UH, YOU CAN'T COMPARE THAT TO, UH, HOW WE DO BUSINESS HERE, SO I WITHDREW THAT ITEM.
UH, BUT THIS IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UH, GREAT JOB, MAYOR MINOR, FOR PUTTING IT THROUGH, AND VICE MAYOR, UH, FERNANDEZ FOR PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
AND CARLOS, THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK.
UH, WE'RE, IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND, AND THE BEST FEEDBACK THAT I GOT IS WHEN WE'RE NOT GETTING COMPLAINTS FROM OUR OFFICE ABOUT THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, THOSE FEEDBACKS WERE NEVER ENDING.
THAT, THOSE COMPLAINTS, THOSE COMPLAINTS WERE NEVER ENDING, AND I SEEN THAT VOLUME ONLY REDUCE OVER TIME.
AND SO, AND I, AND I ECHO THE FEEDBACK ABOUT, ABOUT LEONOR.
SHE'S ALWAYS VERY ATTENTIVE, UH, TO THE NEEDS, UH, OF OUR, OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT REACH OUT.
UM, WITH THAT, LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
[5. DISCUSS THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT OF CULTURAL CURRENTS, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH’S FIRST COMPREHENSIVE FIVE-YEAR CULTURAL MASTER PLAN FOR FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION FOR ADOPTION BY CITY OF MIAMI BEACH’S MAYOR AND COMMISSION.]
ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS DISCUSS A PRELIMINARY DRAFT OF CULTURAL CURRENTS, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH FIRST COMPREHENSIVE FIVE-YEAR CULTURAL MASTER PLAN FOR FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION FOR ADOPTION BY THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH MAYOR AND COMMISSION.[01:50:01]
YOU.THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UH, FRANCIS VICIO TUR - TOURISM AND CULTURE INTERIM DIRECTOR.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO PRESENT THE DRAFT FIVE-YEAR CULTURAL MASTER PLAN FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S OVERALL STRATEGIC PLAN.
HISTORICALLY, MIAMI BEACH HAS BEEN A SUPPORTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE, AND MANY OF YOU HAVE SPOKEN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WHILE THE CITY HAS WITNESSED DECADES OF INVESTMENTS, WE HAVE NOT HAD A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO GUIDE US ON THESE INVESTMENTS.
SO THIS FIVE-YEAR ROADMAP WILL HELP ENSURE THAT WE GUIDE CULTURAL POLICY, INVESTMENTS, PUBLIC ART, GRANTS, COMMUNITY PRIORITIES ACROSS OUR CITY.
IT CREATES A FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION-MAKING AND LONG-TERM, LONG-TERM PLANNING.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT ENSURES THAT ANY FUTURE INI- INITIATIVES CONTINUE TO BE IN LINE WITH THE NEEDS AND THE FEEDBACK OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT, UH, ALL OF YOU TREASURE.
THE CITY RECENTLY AR - UH, LAUNCHED AN ARTS AND CULTURE CAMPAIGN, AND I JUST REALIZED WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE ABLE TO BRING IT UP, UH, BUT WE DID, UH, LAUNCH THE, AN ARTS AND CULTURE CAMPAIGN, AND OUR COLLEAGUES IN COMMUNICA - IN MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT, UH, BUT WE FEEL THAT THIS PLAN IS VERY TIMELY SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE OUR WONDERFUL WORK SUPPORTING THE ARTS.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS FROM IDEATION TO PROCUREMENT, AND OVER THE LAST YEAR INCLUDED ENGAGEMENT AT MANY LEVELS, INCLUDING DISCUSSIONS WITH MANY MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE FUNDING RESTRAINTS IN THE FUTURE, UH, BUT WE AIM TO ADDRESS THEM AS NEEDED AND WHEN AVAILABLE.
UH, THERE'S YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, IF WE COULD MOVE F- FORWARD TO...
SO THIS IS, UH, JUST A SNIPPET OF THE CAMPAIGN THAT WAS JUST LAUNCHED.
SO, UH, THANK YOU TO OUR COMMS COLLEAGUES.
THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS IN, UH, IN THE ARTS TO PUT THAT TOGETHER.
SO, WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, ON THE FIVE GOALS AND THE STRATEGIES THAT ARE TIED TO THEM, AND ALL THE, UH, FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM YOU WOULD HOPEFULLY, UH, ALLOW US TO TAKE THE PLAN BACK TO COMMISSION FOR ADOPTION.
UH, WITH US TODAY, WE HAVE CULTURAL PLANNING GROUP, THE CONSULTANTS THAT S - WERE SELECTED TO DO THIS WORK, AND THEY WILL PRESENT THEIR METHODOLOGY, RESEARCH, AND FINDINGS, AND I WELCOME DAVID PLETTER-SAUNDERS AND LINDA FLYNN OF CULTURAL PLANNING GROUP.
AND HOW MUCH TIME WILL YOU NEED FOR YOUR PRESENTATION? UM, PROBABLY ABOUT EIGHT.
DO YOU WANT US TO TRY AND CUT IT DOWN? EIGHT MINUTES IS PERFECT.
I WAS CONCERNED YOU WERE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE 15 OR 20 MINUTES.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN MEETINGS LIKE THIS.
SO, AGAIN, MY NAME IS LINDA FLYNN, A PARTNER WITH A CULTURAL PLANNING GROUP AND LEADING THIS PROJECT WITH MY PARTNER, DAVID PLATNER-SAUNDERS.
SO, WE ARE A FIRM THAT SERVES THE FIELD OF ARTS AND CULTURE AND CREATIVITY EXCLUSIVELY, AND WE HAVE WORKED IN MANY COMMUNITIES, SUCH AS MIAMI BEACH, THAT, UH, WHERE THE ARTS ARE PART OF THE LOCAL IDENTITY AND THE VISITOR ECONOMY.
AND WE HAVE ALSO, WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT BALANCING WORLD CL - YOU KNOW, THE NEEDS OF A WORLD-CLASS VISITOR WITH THE NEEDS AND DESIRES OF RESIDENTS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL MORNING, AND THE PLAN REALLY HELPS TO BALANCE THAT.
SO, MIAMI BEACH HAS REMARKABLE CULTURAL ASSETS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA LIST THEM HERE.
WE WORK IN MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, AND LOOKING AT THE GEOGRAPHY AND POPULATION, THE DENSITY OF WHAT YOU HAVE IS REALLY QUITE AMAZING.
SO, CULTURAL, UM, CURRENTS REALLY BUILDS ON THAT FOUNDATION.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE CITY WILL HAVE A FORMAL POLICY ON ARTS AND CULTURE, A SHARED FRAMEWORK THAT GUIDES DECISIONS, STRATEGIES, AND MEASURES RESULTS.
AND ALL OF THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES WITHIN THIS PLAN ARE LINKED TO THE CITY'S STRATEGIC, UM, PLAN PRIORITIES AS WELL.
SO, THE PLAN IS GROUNDED IN WHAT WE HEARD.
WE UNDERSTAND THE CITY'S BIANNUAL SURVEY, UM, COVERS MANY SERVICES, BUT WE FOCUS PRIMARILY ON ARTS AND CULTURE, AND IT WAS DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT GOING TO COME TO CITY HALL OR HAVE A DIRECT LINE.
WE DID FIVE PUBLIC EVENTS ACROSS THE CITY, A BILINGUAL SURVEY, CONVERSATIONS WITH MORE THAN 55 STAKEHOLDERS, ORGANIZATIONS, CREATIVES, ARTISTS, UM, BUSINESS DISTRICTS, FUNDERS, AND OBVIOUSLY, CITY LEADERS.
SO, MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE TOOK PART IN THIS PROCESS.
SO, THE FIRST THING WE HEARD IS REALLY HOW MUCH PEOPLE VALUE WHAT THE CITY HAS BUILT ALREADY WHEN IT COMES TO ARTS AND CULTURE.
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RESPONDENTS SAID ARTS AND CULTURE ARE VERY OR EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO MIAMI BEACH'S IDENTITY, ITS ECONOMY, AND ITS QUALITY OF LIFE.SO, RESIDENTS SEE CULTURE AS A CIVIC ASSET THAT BELONGS TO THE WHOLE CITY.
SIX THEMES EMERGED, AND EACH ONE SURFACED INDEPENDENTLY IN THE SURVEY AT EVENTS, AND IN INTERVIEWS.
SO, THE CITY HAS INVESTED IN MIAMI BEACH AS A WHOLE COMMUNITY, AND THAT IS RECOGNIZED IN THE PLAN.
WE ARE NOT TRYING TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW.
WE'RE USING THIS AS A FOUNDATION FOR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BUILT ALREADY.
WE WANT TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR VISITORS AND RESIDENTS, AND WHAT RESIDENTS WANT IS THE CITY'S CULTURAL STRENGTH TO REACH EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY WANT CITY ARTS INVESTMENTS TREATED AS LASTING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEY WANT TO WORK TO KEEP ARTISTS AND CREATIVE WORKERS HERE AS COSTS RISE.
SO, THEY WANT A YEAR-ROUND CULTURAL IDENTITY THAT BUILDS ON THE GLOBAL STAGE FOR ART BASEL.
AND EMERGING ARTISTS ARE ASKING FOR MORE AWARENESS AND OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN AND WITH THE CITY.
SO, THE VISION FOR THE PLAN CAME DIRECTLY FROM THESE CONVERSATIONS.
PEOPLE DESCRIBE MIAMI BEACH AS A PLACE OF REINVENTION WHERE EVERY GENERATION ADDS ITS OWN LAYER.
IT IS A DESTINATION KNOWN FOR CREATIVITY THAT REACHES A GLOBAL STAGE.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT WE HEARD AND WHAT WE SEE IN MIAMI BEACH THAT IS UNIQUE IS YOU ARE EXPORTING CREATIVITY THAT IS DEVELOPED HERE RATHER THAN IMPORTING IT, WHICH IS WHAT MANY OTHER CITIES DO.
SO, THE MISSION DEFINES THE CITY'S ROLE, INVEST IN, PROTECT IN, AND GROW ARTS AND CULTURE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
SO, THIS SLIDE SHOWS HOW THE PLAN WORKS AS POLICY.
SO, THERE'S FIVE GOALS, 48 STRATEGIES, EACH TIED DIRECTLY TO THE STRATEGIC VISION PLAN.
AND DON'T WORRY, WE'RE NOT GOING THROUGH ALL 48 STRATEGIES.
UM, TOGETHER, THE GOALS WILL TOUCH ALL THE VISION AREAS.
SO, ARTS AND CULTURE SUPPORT THE PRIORITIES ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS, FROM NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT TO MOBILITY, UM, TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THE SIX GUIDING PRINCIPLES WILL SHAPE HOW THE PLAN IS CARRIED ON.
AND WE WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WE PUT AN EMPHASIS ON TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, SO WE'RE COMMITTING THE PLAN AND THE CITY TO KPIS, ANNUAL REPORTS, AND MEASUREMENT OF RESULTS.
AND ADAPTABILITY MAKES IT A FLEXIBLE FRAMEWORK.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH AMENDMENT THREE.
SO, THIS IS BASED ON CURRENT RESOURCES, AND THEN THE CITY CAN MAKE DECISIONS PHASING IT IN.
SO, I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO DAVID TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES.
ALMOST AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
SO, WE'RE GONNA DO A QUICK WALKTHROUGH OF THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES, JUST HITTING SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
GOAL ONE ANSWERS THE STRONGEST SIGNAL WE HEARD THROUGHOUT GEOGRAPHIC BALANCE.
NORTH BEACH RESIDENTS WERE THE ONLY GROUP TO RANK ACCESS ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS FIRST, AND RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS ALIKE NAMED THE BYRON CARLISLE THEATER.
VOTERS APPROVE THE BARLIN CO - BYRON CARLISLE AS A GO BOND PROJECT, AND STRATEGY 1.1 CARRIES IT FORWARD AS NORTH BEACH'S ANCHOR CULTURAL HUB, STARTING PROGRAMMING WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS BEFORE THE RENOVATION IS COMPLETED.
THE GOAL ALSO COORDINATES THE WORK THE CITY IS ALREADY DOING IN TRANSPORTATION, PARKING, WAYFINDING, AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW THAT PROTECTS OUR ART DECO BUILDINGS AND THEATERS, AND IT EXPLORES COLLINS PARK AS A DEFINED CULTURAL DISTRICT.
MOVING ON TO GOAL TWO, IT BUILDS ON THE GLOBAL STAGE ART BASEL H - UH, GIVES US AND EXTENDS IT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
IT STARTS WITH WHAT RESIDENTS ALREADY LOVE, THINGS LIKE THE WALL CASTS AND BANDSHELL PERFORMANCES.
IT SHARES RESIDENTS' OWN STORIES OF HOW THE GEOBOND IS TRANSFORMING OUR CULTURAL FACILITIES.
IT KEEPS ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE CITY'S DESTINATION BRAND AND STRENGTHENS FAMILY, YOUTH AND SCHOOL PROGRAMMING.
GOAL NUMBER THREE, PROTECTS AND GROWS A POINT OF PRIDE FOR THE CITY.
ART IN PUBLIC PLACES HAS ADDED ARTISTRY AND PLACEMAKING TO MIAMI, UH, SINCE 1984.
ITS 2% SET ASIDE IS HIGHER THAN MOST COMPARABLE CITIES, AND IT'S GIVEN US WORKS LIKE THE LIECHTENSTEIN MERMAID.
THE STRATEGY IS PROTECT THAT FOUNDATION, KEEPING THE COLLECTION MAINTAINED, PROVIDING A STANDING BRIEFING FOR NEW COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF.
[02:00:01]
PRE - REFERENCES TO ART IN PUBLIC PLACES IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND ENGAGING THE MEDIA AND OUR HOTEL PARTNERS TO TELL THE COLLECTION STORY.THE STRATEGIES ALSO GROW IT BEYOND SOUTH BEACH THROUGH COMMUNITY SELECTED ART, LIKE THE NORTH BEACH MURAL, WHICH I BELIEVE IS BEING COMPLETED THIS WEEK OR RESTORED THIS WEEK.
STOREFRONT ACTIVATION, THE LEGACY PURCHASE PROGRAM, AND A CONTINUED PRIORITY ON LOCAL ARTISTS.
AND STRATEGY 3.1 ASKS THE CITY TO EXPLORE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTING TO PUBLIC ART OR CULTURAL AMENITIES WITHIN LIEU AND PARTNERSHIP OPTIONS.
GOAL FOUR RESPONDS TO WHAT RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS BOTH TOLD US.
RISING COSTS ARE MAKING IT HARDER FOR ARTISTS TO STAY.
MOST OF THESE STRATEGIES CONNECT AND SIMPLIFY RATHER THAN SPEND.
WE WOULD MATCH ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH VACANT STOREFRONTS STARTING ON LINCOLN ROAD AND BUILDING ON PROGRAMS LIKE BOOKLEGGERS AND THE WINDOW PROGRAMS ALREADY RUN BY OOLITE ARTS AND THE BASS.
WE WOULD BUILD ONE CITYWIDE INVENTORY OF AVAILABLE SPACES, CREATE A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR SMALL CULTURAL EVENT PERMITS, AND LOWER BARRIERS FOR EMERGING ARTISTS.
WE WOULD EXPLORE A SHARED ARTIST HOUSING MODEL THAT BUILDS ON WHAT THE MIAMI CITY BALLET AND NEW WORLD SYMPHONY ALREADY DO, ALONG WITH A CREATIVE FELLOWSHIP AND A CITY ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM.
GOAL FIVE IS ABOUT MAKING THE REST OF THE PLAN LAST.
STRATEGY 5.5 COMMITS THE CITY TO KPIS AND AN ANNUAL PUBLIC IMPLEMENTATION REPORT, LINDA JUST MENTIONED, SO THE COMMISSION CAN GAUGE PROGRESS EACH YEAR.
THE GOAL ALSO STRENGTHENS HOW THE CITY WORKS WITH THE SECTOR, BUILDING THE COMMISSION'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE ARTS ECONOMIC AND CIVIC IMPACT, SUPPORTING A NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN ACT TOGETHER, AND HELPING ORGANIZATIONS BUILD THEIR OWN CAPACITY, INCLUDING A SHARED BACK OFFICE SERVICE FOR TICKETING, ACCOUNTING, AND HR.
THE CULTURAL ANCHORS PROGRAM WOULD MOVE TOWARD MULTI-YEAR OPERATING GRANTS, SAVING TIME AND BEING, AND BEING MORE EFFICIENT FOR APPLICANTS AND STAFF.
AND THE PLAN ASKS THE CITY TO FORMALLY PROTECT THE RESORT TAX ARTS ALLOCATION, WHICH I'LL COME BACK TO IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
IMPLEMENTATION BEGINS WITH CURRENT RESOURCES AND WE RECOGNIZE THE CITY'S CURRENT BUDGET CONSTRAINTS.
THIS SLIDE IS A MENU OF OPTIONS IN TWO GROUPS.
THE FIRST GROUP PROTECTS WHAT ALREADY EXISTS, PLACING THE RESORT TAX ARTS SHARE INTO ORDINANCE LANGUAGE SO IT'S HARDER TO CHANGE AND SETTING ASIDE FUNDS FOR MAINTAINING THE PUBLIC ART COLLECTION WITHIN THE EXISTING ART AND PUBLIC PLACES FUND.
THE, THE SECOND GROUP OFFERS WAY TO GROW WAYS TO GROW OVER THE FIVE YEARS AS CONDITIONS ALLOW, AND WE'VE KEPT IT FLEXIBLE GIVEN THE RECENT CHANGES AT THE STATE LEVEL, A POSSIBLE GENERAL FUND INCREASE, VISITOR BASED REVENUE SUCH AS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL SURCHARGE OR A CONVENTION CENTER EVENT FEE, CONTRIBUTIONS FROM NEW PRIVATE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, AND PHILANTHROPY.
AND WE'RE VERY GLAD THAT THE KNIGHT FOUNDATION, THE MIAMI FOUNDATION, AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS PROCESS.
TODAY'S DISCUSSION WILL SHAPE THE REVISIONS TO THE DRAFT PLAN.
AFTER CITY REVIEW THIS MONTH, THE FINAL PLAN COMES BACK TO THE FULL COMMISSION WITH PHASED IMPLEMENTATION RECOMMENDATIONS, SUCCESS MEASURES, AND A FULL APPENDIX OF ALL THE RESEARCH.
ONCE THE PLAN IS ADOPTED, THE KPIS AND ANNUAL PUBLIC REPORT WILL GIVE THE COMMISSION A REGULAR WAY TO ASSESS PROGRESS.
WE'D WELCOME THE COMMITTEE'S DIRECTION ON PRIORITIES TODAY, PARTICULARLY NORTH BEACH AND THE BYRON CARLISLE.
AND LINDA AND I WOULD ALSO BE GLAD TO HELP STAFF SORT NEAR TERM FROM LONGER TERM PRIORITIES TO KEEP THE PLAN FLEXIBLE.
AND WITH THAT SPEED REVIEW OF THE, OF THE PLAN, WE'D, WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
WE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
AND FRANCIS, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU HAVE TO ADD ON THIS.
WELL, OVERALL, WE'RE JUST VERY PROUD OF THE WORK.
UM, MY TEAM AND I, AND GOING BACK, UM, FOR, LIKE I SAID, A YEAR AND A HALF, UH, AND VERY HAPPY THAT THIS REALLY WAS A PLAN THAT INVOLVED MANY STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT JUST CITY STAFF AND, AND HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
I'M PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGED THAT THE PLAN, UM, HIGHLIGHTS EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE ARTS IN NORTH BEACH.
UH, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SEE THAT 53% OF THE RESPONDENTS FROM NORTH BEACH SEE THAT AS A
[02:05:01]
PRIORITY, I THINK IT GIVES US A CLEAR DIRECTION FOR OUR POLICYMAKING, UH, AS, AS, AS A CITY.THE, THE IMPORTANCE NOT JUST TO CONTINUE, UM, INVESTING IN THOSE CULTURAL ANCHORS THAT WE HAVE, LIKE, UH, THE BAND SHOW, BUT MAKING SURE THAT, THAT WE LIVE UP TO OUR PROMISES WITH, WITH VENUES LIKE, LIKE THE BOWERY CARLISLE, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE MAKE, UM, THAT WE MAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IT'S ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO TRANSFORM NORTH BEACH.
UH, SO, SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ENCOURAGING, UM, THAT IT'S NOT JUST BEING SEEN AS, AS, AS AN IDEA, BUT REALLY A TRUE, A TRUE PRIORITY FOR, UM, FOR, FOR NORTH BEACH.
THE PLAN CALLS FOR PROTECTION OF ART DECO BUILDINGS AND HISTORIC THEATERS, UH, IN COORDINATION WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW PROCESSES.
I NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE GUIDANCE ON THAT.
GI- GIVE ME WHAT, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO, WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN FROM THIS PLAN, UH, AS, AS IT RELATES TO PRESERVATION? YEAH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, THE CITY OBVIOUSLY IS DOING A LOT OF WORK IN THIS PRESEN - PRESERVATION, BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE OF, BECAUSE THIS IS AN ARTS AND CULTURAL PLAN, UM, THAT THERE IS A PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH THE PLAN AND ART DECO AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
SO ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THERE'S MEETINGS AND ALIGNMENT AS THE PLAN IS IMPLEMENTED.
AND SO IF, IF I'M JUST READING BETWEEN THE LINES, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PRESERVING HISTORIC BUILDINGS, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PRESERVING THESE, UM, THESE ASSETS, SEEING HOW DO WE STREAMLINE, I GUESS, PROCESSES, LIKE IF SOMEONE'S LOOKING TO DO ADAPTIVE REUSE OF A HISTORIC THEATER AS OPPOSED TO DEMOLISHING, GIVING THEM A QUICKER, MORE STREAMLINED REVIEW PROCESS OR SOMEONE IS LOOKING TO RESTORE A HISTORIC BUILDING AS OPPOSED TO DEMOLISHING A HISTORIC BUILDING, GIVING, GIVING THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS, I GUESS, STREAMLINED AND PRIORITY REVIEWS AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF? YES, IT, IT COULD BE.
THOSE WOULD BE DETERMINED, BUT YES, THOSE, THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD EXAMPLES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ADAPTIVE REUSE, YOU KNOW, IN A COMMUNITY WHERE SPACE, YOU KNOW, EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, ALL WE'RE HEARING IS SPACE ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, ARTS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, EVENTS, PLACES TO MAKE, PLACES TO HAVE EVENTS.
SO ADAPTIVE REUSE WOULD BE, UM, A PRIORITY THERE.
IF, IF I MAY, UM, THERE CERTAINLY IS A POSSIBILITY THAT REGULATORY CHANGES COULD COME ABOUT, BUT WHAT WE, WHAT WE WERE PRIMARILY WANTING TO ADD TO THIS ONGOING PRESERVATION EFFORT IN THE CITY IS THAT THIS PLAN AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT SUPPORTS IT GIVES A LOT OF NEW EVIDENCE AND SUPPORT FOR PRESERVATION OF THE ART DECO BUILDINGS AND THE HERITAGE.
SO ONE SIMPLE THING TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT ARTS AND CULTURE ARE REPRESENTED IN THESE KINDS OF ITEMS THAT COME FORWARD TO THE CO - TO THE COMMITTEE, TO THE COMMISSION AND ARE PART OF THE DIALOGUE.
THEY ADD WEIGHT, WE THINK, TO EFFORTS TO PRESERVE SOME OF THESE IMPORTANT BUILDINGS AND THEATERS.
THAT ART AND CULTURE ELEMENTS BE INCORPORATED INTO THE LONG-TERM USE - UH-HUH.
OF THESE HISTORIC BUILDINGS WHEN THEY'RE BEING BROUGHT FORWARD FOR RENOVATIONS, I GUESS IS, IS WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING.
IT COULD INCLUDE THAT FOR SURE, YES.
WE WOULD LIKE THAT 100%, BUT YES, COULD INCLUDE THAT.
AND FRANCIS, HOW DO WE SEE OUR PROGRESS ON THIS? IS THERE GOING TO BE AN ANNUAL REPORT, UH, SHOWING US WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED, UM, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO EQUITY BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOODS? HOW ARE WE GONNA TRACK OUR PROGRESS? SO IF, BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TODAY, WE WOULD GO BACK TO COMMISSION, AND IN THAT ITEM, WE WOULD SPECIFY HOW WE WOULD ROLL IT OUT, HOW WE WOULD SPACE IT OUT FOR THE FIVE YEARS, AND HOW WE WILL EVALUATE OURSELVES EVERY YEAR.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS FROM THE DAYS? YES.
COMMISSIONER MATILSALINAS, AND THEN COMMISSIONER BA.
SO I'M A, I WANNA CLARIFY, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WERE 453 S - COMMUNITY SURVEY RESPONSES.
UM, A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
[02:10:01]
IS THAT THE 453 RESPONSES WERE WHAT HELPED YOU BUILD, BUILD THIS? THAT AND ALSO ALL OF THE, UM, DISCUSSIONS, MEETINGS, AND INTERVIEWS THAT WE HAD, YES.SO, AND THAT WAS THE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, SO THERE WERE 453 COMMUNITY SURVEY RESPONSES, AND THEN THERE'S A 500 PLUS RESIDENT, RESIDENTS, WORKERS, AND VISITORS REACHED THROUGH THE FIVE PUBLIC EVENTS, RI- RIGHT? SO IN TOTAL, YOU HAD ABOUT A THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT, THAT YOU GOT FEEDBACK FROM? YEAH, WE DID NOT COUNT EVERYONE THAT WERE AT THE FIVE EVENTS.
WE DID AN EXERCISE THAT BASICALLY TOOK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS FROM THE SURVEY AND THEY COULD VOTE ON THAT.
AND WE COUNTED THAT WITHIN THE OVER 500.
BUT YES, I WOULD SAY THAT WE DEFINITELY REACHED PROBABLY MORE THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE AT THOSE FIVE PUBLIC EVENTS, BUT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DOCUMENT THAT WITH EITHER NAMES OR, UM, COUNTS, WE DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE PUTTING THAT NUMBER IN, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO, SO THEN MY NEXT QUESTION WAS GONNA BE, HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU GOT A, A FAIR CROSS SECTION OF THE CITY AND DID YOU, DID YOU COUNT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION? SO WE DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDS WITHIN THIS BUDGET TO DO A STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY.
AND, AND THAT HAPPENS A LOT IN ARTS AND CULTURAL PLANNING, UM, AND OTHER PLANNING NOW BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, UM, AND EXPENSIVE TO DO THOSE.
SO TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO IS WHAT WE CALL MIXED METHODOLOGY.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING INTERVIEWS WITH THE CULTURAL LEADERS AND BUSINESS LEADERS.
WE ARE REACHING OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH SURVEYS AND PUBLIC EVENTS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE INTERNAL ARTS AND CULTURE, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND OTHERS.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT THEMES ACROSS ALL OF THOSE RESULTS.
SO LOOKING AT THE SURVEY THEMES, AND WE HAVE A FULL ENGAGEMENT REPORT THAT WE'D BE, UM, HAPPY TO PROVIDE TO YOU.
IT'S NOT IN THIS, THIS, THIS REPORT HERE, BUT WE LOOK AT KIND OF THE CROSS ANALYSIS, WHAT ARE THOSE THEMES THAT ARE EMERGING TO THE TOP WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT RESIDENTS ARE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT CITY LEADERSHIP IS TALKING ABOUT, WHAT THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE TALKING ABOUT.
AND WHEN WE LOOK, WHEN WE DO THE SURVEY, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, SO WE LOOKED AT, ARE WE REACHING PEOPLE IN NORTH BEACH? ARE WE REACHING PEOPLE IN SOUTH BEACH AND MID BEACH? ARE WE, ARE, DO WE HAVE DIFFERENT AGES AND GENDER? SO WE, IT'S NOT STATISTICALLY VALID, BUT WE LOOK AT THAT AND THEN WE TRY AND TARGET WHERE WE'RE MISSING.
YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT THIS IS A RELATIVELY LOW AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IF WE'RE GONNA BE ADOPTING A FIVE-YEAR PLAN ABOUT OUR, OUR CULTURAL IDENTITY AND FUTURE.
I DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, I WOULD'VE LIKED TO SEE MORE PEOPLE SURVEYED AND ALSO GET DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT THEM TO MAKE SURE WE'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING TO - YEAH, WE HAVE THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
IT'S, IT'S IN THE FULL ENGAGEMENT REPORT, YES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING WITH THE 63-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER AS WELL AS THE 12-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON, YOU KNOW, F- FROM ALL DIFFERENT CORNERS AND POCKETS AND, AND WAYS OF LIFE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE KIDS, FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, DO HAVE KIDS, WHATEVER.
SO THAT'S A CONCERN THAT I HAVE WITH THIS, IS THAT I FEEL LIKE MAYBE THE REACH NEEDS TO BE BOLSTERED A LITTLE BIT, UM, BEFORE WE ADOPT THIS AT FULL COMMISSION.
AND THEN I ALSO WANNA KNOW, I'M LOOKING FOR THE, THIS IS GREAT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ALREADY DO AND HAVE DONE, UM, THAT REALLY, I THINK HIGHLIGHTS A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO OVER THE PAST FIVE TO 10 YEARS AS A CITY.
AND WE'VE MOVED IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS WITH OUR ARTS PROGRAMMING, BUT WE, FOR THE MOST PART, FULLY SUPPORT OUR ARTS, WHICH IS WHY THE GEOBOND PASSED A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT IS IT ON PAGE 131 WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS WE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY OR WE CAN EXPAND BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS, I, AS I LOOK, IS JUST STUFF THAT WE ALREADY DO AND HAVE BEEN DOING, RIGHT? WHAT, WHAT PAGE? 131 IN THIS BOOK.
OH, UH, UM, SUSTAIN AND STRENGTHEN CULTURAL - OR YOU COULD JUST SHOW ME WHERE, WHERE, WHERE DO I NEED TO LOOK TO SEE STUFF THAT WE'RE NOT ALREADY DOING? WHAT DO WE NEED TO IMPROVE? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? WELL, I, I'D FIRST LIKE TO, UM, ANSWER THAT IS THAT THIS DOCUMENT, THE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT
[02:15:01]
HAS NEVER HAD A PLAN.YOU KNOW, EACH DEPARTMENT HAS A GENERAL PLAN OR A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT HELPS GUIDE THE WORK.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST ARTS AND CULTURAL PLAN AND POLICY FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
SO IT REALLY GIVES THE DEPARTMENT THE GOVERNANCE FOUNDATION.
SO YES, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT ARE IN PROCESS THAT NEED SUPPORT.
UM, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE THE STRATEGIES WILL NEED TO BE MEASURED.
IT'S ALSO PROVIDING THE MEASUREMENT AND THE KPIS FOR THAT.
SO IF YOU WANT US TO GO THROUGH THE 48 S- STRATEGIES AND SEE WHICH ONES ARE NEW.
YEAH, MAYBE WE CAN MEET INDEPENDENTLY TO DISCUSS THIS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
WE CAN MEET OUTSIDE OF - DEFINITELY.
UM, I KNOW HOW NEAR AND DEAR THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN TO YOUR PREDECESSOR'S HEART, TO YOUR HEART, TO THE DEPARTMENT'S HEART.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THIS TIME OF INCREASING FINANCIAL DRAMA AND DIFFERING VIEWS, UM, FROM FOLKS ON OUR CURRENT DAIS, UM, I THINK THIS IS REALLY AN, AN, A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT STARTING POINT TO CODIFY WHERE WE ARE TO PROTECT WHAT WE HAVE AND TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR BUILDING GOING FORWARD.
UM, I THINK GETTING MORE INFORMATION IS ALWAYS BETTER.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER MATEO SALINAS, UM, IS VERY, UM, UH, LI - VALID IN ASKING FOR DETAILS OF WHO WE SPOKE TO.
I THINK UNDERSTANDING THAT IS GREAT.
I ALSO REMI- REMIND MYSELF AS I WAS LISTENING TO YOUR QUESTIONS AND, AND WONDERING ABOUT THEM ALSO, UM, THAT THE, THE GEO BOND ARTS SPECIFIC GEO BOND PASSED, YOU KNOW, IN KIND OF A LANDSLIDE.
AND SO, UM, THAT TELLS ME THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE VALUE AND APPRECIATION FOR THE BENEFITS OF WHAT CULTURE AND ARTS BRINGS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I, I SAW IN HERE THAT EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED GENERATES 42 OF, OF REVENUE, UM, OR EC- ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, NOT NECESSARILY REVENUE, BUT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, WHICH IS USEFUL.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF WAY TO MEASURE WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND HOW MUCH A PORTION OF OUR CITY'S, UM, ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY COMES FROM ARTS AND CULTURE? LIKE, IF WE TOOK OUT THE BANDSHELL AND THE, UM, COLONY THEATER AND THE, UM, THE FILLMORE WHEN IT, YOU KNOW, GETS UP AND RUNNING AGAIN AND ALL THE MUSEUMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE WORLD SYMPHONY, WHAT WOULD OUR CITY LOOK LIKE? HOW MUCH OF OUR FUNDING A- AND OTHER, NOT JUST OUR TAX FUNDING, BUT OUR BUSINESSES, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT OR ONLY HAD 25% OF THAT, FOR INSTANCE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT IS ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE TO MEASURE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
UH, THE NUMBERS QUOTED IN THE PLAN ARE FROM THE CDB.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS TO PUT IN PLACE SOME OF THOSE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS SO YOU CAN TRACK ECONOMIC IMPACT AND, UH, TRACK CHANGES IN IT.
SO WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT EXERCISE OF, OF FIGURING THAT OUT YET? WE, WE ACTUALLY DID LOOK FOR THOSE FIGURES, BUT THE, THE AEP STUDY IS BASED ON THE GREATER MIAMI AREA.
SO MIAMI BEACH IS NOT MEASURING THAT JUST FOR THE CITY.
SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IS THERE SORT OF A BALLPARK RULE OF THUMB THAT WE COULD EXTRAPOLATE WITHOUT NON-BINDING, DON'T WORRY.
UM, SO OFTENTIMES COMMISSIONERS OR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN YOUR POSITION WANNA KNOW IF WE INVEST A DOLLAR IN THE ARTS, WHAT DO WE GET IN RETURN? SO ONE MEASUREMENT OF THAT IS ECONOMIC IMPACT.
ANOTHER MEASUREMENT IS MONEY TO THE GENERAL FUND OR TO THE TOURISM TAX.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES...
WELL, THERE'S A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT'S DONE NOW SIX VERSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, OF THE NONPROFIT ARTS.
AND THAT SHOWS THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN THE ARTS, $7 IS RETURNED IN TAX REVENUE, BUT THAT'S LOCAL STATE, UH, LOCAL AND STATE REVENUE,
[02:20:01]
UH, COMBINED.SO IT, IT'S PRETTY SAFE TO SAY ONCE YOU LOOK UNDER THE HOOD, MORE MONEY INVESTED IN THE ARTS ON THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL RETURNS MORE MONEY TO THE TREASURY.
UM, THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT, BUT IT IS, UH, CERTAINLY A NUMBER WORTH CALCULATING.
UM, IS THIS DOLLAR EQUALS 42 IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY HIGHER THAN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OR IS THAT - YEAH, IT'S A BIG NUMBER.
SO CAN YOU GIVE ME A, A, A FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR THAT? MAYBE THE BENCHMARK.
UM, I, I, I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA TAP DANCE.
I DON'T WANNA MAKE UP NUMBERS.
UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO SOME QUICK RESEARCH AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT IF YOU COULD.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION, UM, WE HAVE A 2% SET ASIDE FOR THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES FUND, AND THAT IS 2% OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE PROJECT OR CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT SLIGHTLY? IT'S A CONSTRUCT- CONSTRUCTION COST.
UH, AND, AND I THINK YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT'S HIGHER THAN MOST COMPARABLE CITIES, IS THAT CORRECT? SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE, AS A CITY, BEEN REMISS IN KEEPING OUR FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN CONCERT WITH THE RISING COST OF LIFE, RIGHT? SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND CPI ADDITIONS HAVE BEEN ADDED, BUT SINCE CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE ALWAYS GOING UP, THIS IS STAYING CURRENT WITH THAT, SO THERE'S NO NEED TO ADJUST THAT.
WHAT IS THE, THE STANDARD, UM, SET ASIDE IN OTHER CITIES, LIKE, BALLPARK, IF WE'RE HIGHER THAN MOST? UM, FOR CIP PROJECTS WOULD BE BETWEEN ONE AND 2% - OKAY.
WITH 1% PROBABLY BEING MORE, UM, THE AVERAGE, SO 2%...
BROWARD COUNTY, UM, ITSELF HAS A 2% ON CIP PROJECTS.
OKAY, SO - YEAH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LOWER.
AND THE, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO ALSO EVALUATE A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AS WELL.
AND THOSE TYPICALLY ARE ONE TO 2% WITH AN OPTION FOR AN INLOO SET ASIDE IF THEY DON'T WANNA DO ART, UM, ON THE DEVELOPMENT.
I MEAN, I SEE THIS AS A ROADMAP, UH, NOT ONLY ON OUR EXISTING EFFORTS, BUT IT ALSO IDENTIFIES THE GAPS, UH, THAT EXIST AND ESTABLISHING THE PRIORITIES TO, UH, GUIDE OUR DECISIONS AND OUR INVESTMENTS, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
AS WE MOVE THIS ITEM BACK, UH, TO COMMISSION, UM, IF, IF, IF THE PLAN ALREADY DOESN'T DISTINGUISH THIS, PERHAPS IN THE, IN THE MEMO, IT COULD MORE CLEARLY JUST STATE FOR US, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE ONGOING INITIATIVES, WHAT ARE THE NEW RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WHICH ARE THE PROJECTS, UH, OR Y- YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IN HERE THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE FUTURE FUNDING OR, OR, OR APPROVAL? JUST MAKING THOSE DISTINCTIONS PERHAPS A LITTLE BIT MORE, MORE, MORE CLEAR FOR US.
IS THERE A TABLE ON THE MOTION TO ADOPT A VERBAL RECOMMENDATION OF THIS PLAN? I'LL MOVE IT.
UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, DISCUSSIONS? COMMISSIONER MATTEL SALINAS? I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S READY YET TO GO TO COMMISSION, SO I'M JUST GONNA VOTE NO ON THIS.
SO WE CAN SHOW THIS, UH, PASSED, UH, WITH A 2-1 VOTE.
[6. CONSIDER ESTABLISHING A PROGRAM AND AMENDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO PERMIT MOBILE BUSINESSES TO OPERATE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. (DUAL REFERRAL TO PLANNING BOARD)]
ITEM NUMBER SIX.ITEM NUMBER SIX IS CONSIDER ESTABLISHING A PROGRAM AMENDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO PERMIT MOBILE BUSINESSES TO OPERATE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH TO ALL REFERRAL TO PLANNING BOARD.
THIS ITEM IS SPONSORED BY VICE MAYOR FERNANDEZ.
UM, THIS IS AN ITEM I PLACED ON THE, ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE WHEN YOU TRAVEL TO DIFFERENT AREAS, WHETHER IT BE WITHIN SOUTH FLORIDA OR YOU TRAVEL TO DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTRY OR THE WORLD, YOU SEE A LOT OF MOBILE BUSINESSES.
UM, AND I, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS AS IT RELATES TO OUR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS.
WE HAVE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS WHERE PROPERTY OWNERS S - AT TIMES FOR THEIR OWN GREED, HAVE ALLOWED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SPACES TO SIT EMPTY.
UM, THEY'RE CHAR - THEY'RE CHARGING TOO MUCH RENT AND SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES CANNOT AFFORD THE RENTS TO GO IN THERE.
UM, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE HAVE SOME COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS THAT SUFFER.
THEN ALSO WE HAVE CERTAIN AREAS WHERE, WHERE, WHERE IT MIGHT BE FEASIBLE TO ALLOW FOR, FOR THINGS LIKE A FOOD TRUCK.
UM, AND SO I'LL JUST, I'LL, I'LL JUST GIVE AN, AN EXAMPLE.
RECENTLY, CHEESEBURGER BABY HAD TO CLOSE DOWN THEIR OPERATIONS.
[02:25:01]
FOR THE MOST PART, THAT BLOCK IS COMPLETELY SHUTTERED.EVENTUALLY, THAT BUILDING IS GOING TO BE DEMOLISHED, UH, AND A NEW BUILDING IS GOING TO BE BUILT THERE.
I THINK PROBABLY, UM, IF WE, IF WE HAD TO GUESS, IT'S PROBABLY AT LEAST A YEAR BETWEEN NOW AND THE DEMOLITION OF THAT BUILDING.
YEAH, I THINK IT COULD PROBABLY BE UP TO ALMOST TWO YEARS.
FOR TWO YEARS, WE HAVE AN ENTIRE BLOCK, WASHINGTON AVENUE, THAT'S GOING TO BE SHUTTERED.
AND A SMALL BUSINESS THAT WAS DISPLACED.
WHY IS IT THAT A BUSINESS LIKE CHEESEBURGER BABY THAT HAS A MOBILE FOOD TRUCK, WHY WOULDN'T WE ALLOW THEM AT LEAST TO TEMPORARILY SET UP THEIR MOBILE FOOD TRUCK AT, AT THAT BLOCK AND ALLOW THEM TO ACTIVATE AN AREA THAT OTHERWISE LACKS COMMERCE, THAT DEPRIVES A COMMUNITY OF A LOCAL BUSINESS THAT THEY LIKED, AND THAT CREATES NOW A VOID IN POSITIVE ACTIVITY THAT WE KNOW IS THE WORST THING, NOT ONLY FOR THE IMAGE OF THE COMMUNITY, FOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, BUT ALSO FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE ALWAYS WANT POSITIVE ACTIVATION.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO, TO BRING IN POSITIVE ACTIVATION WHERE IT MIGHT LACK.
AND IN THIS CASE, IT'S THE EXAMPLE OF A FOOD TRUCK AND OTHER THINGS COULD BE A FLOWER SHOP, OR YOU GO TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, THEY HAVE VINTAGE STORES THAT ARE ON A MOBILE TRUCK.
OR YOU GO TO OTHER, O- OTHER, OTHER AREAS, IT COULD BE A SHOE, A, A SHOE REPAIR OR A MOBILE GALLERY, BUT FINDING AREAS WHERE THE LANDLORDS HAVE JUST ALLOWED FOR THEIR PROPERTY TO SIT, TO SIT EMPTY, WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE LANDLORD IS DOING AND IS VOIDING THE AREA OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY.
BUT THEN WHAT CAN WE DO WITH OUR PUBLIC PROPERTY TO ALLOW FOR SOMEONE TO COME IN AND AT LEAST BRING ACTIVITY THERE UNTIL A TENANT COMES IN? SO I WANTED TO BRING THE IDEA TO THE COMMITTEE.
UH, DEBBIE, I KNOW, I, I KNOW WE'VE WORKED ON, ON A FEW OTHER THINGS WITH THIS, WITH THIS ITEM.
WE WERE ALSO LOOKING AT UNDERUTILIZED, UH, AREAS, UH, NEAR CONCESSIONS THAT MIGHT EXIST.
UM, AND I KNOW WE, WE HAVE A FEW P- PROPOSALS FOR, FOR, FOR LOCATIONS HERE, BUT I WANTED TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE COMMITTEE, GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE ON HOW WE WOULD FEEL ABOUT ADVANCING SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO THE COMMISSION.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH? BECAUSE ONE THING THAT I DON'T WANT IS FOR COMMERCIAL GREED TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE AVAILABILITY OF DIVERSITY OF SERVICES AND CREATIVE SERVICES AND ENTREPRENEURIAL CREATIVITY FROM FLOURISHING IN OUR AREA.
SO I WOULD LOVE, UH, FEEDBACK FROM, FROM, FROM THE COMMITTEE ON THIS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM AND, UH, I THINK SOMETHING NARROWLY TAILORED, BECAUSE IT COULD GET OUT OF HAND AND WE'D HAVE FOOD TRUCKS INSTEAD OF BUSINESSES ALL OVER MIAMI BEACH.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE NARROWLY TAILORED, I FEEL.
UM, ANOTHER ITEM THAT CAME TO MIND TO ME IN SOME OF OUR RESIDENTIAL AREAS, LIKE, OKAY, BELL ISLE, I LIVE THERE.
AND, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE GROOM THEIR DOGS WITH A MOBILE GROOMER, SO MAKING SURE THAT, THAT, UH - YEAH.
UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WORKS, UH, OR IF IT, IT'S EVEN - NO, THIS DOESN'T TOUCH THAT.
YEAH, IT DOESN'T EVEN TOUCH THAT.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO IT, BUT I DO WORRY THAT IT COULD CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE REIGN IN FROM THE GET-GO SO IT DOESN'T GET OUT OF HAND.
UM, I LOVE THIS IDEA, ACTUALLY.
I THINK I WOULD LOVE TO SEE...
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE HOT DOG VENDORS LIKE THEY HAVE IN NEW YORK CITY ALL OVER IN LOOMIS PARK OR SOME OTHER AREAS.
I DO HAVE CONCERNS, AND YOU'VE OUTLINED IT HERE ALREADY, THE SPECIFIC AUTHORIZED LOCATION.
WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A FOOD TRUCK, THEY'RE NOT UNDERCUTTING ANOTHER BUSINESS WHERE THEY PARK.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING THE CHEESEBURGER BABY FOOD TRUCK RIGHT IN FRONT OF WHERE CHEESEBURGER BABY WAS.
THAT'S WHERE IT EXISTED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
IT DOESN'T UNDERCUT ANY OTHER RESTAURANTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IF PEOPLE END UP, YOU KNOW, BEING HERE AND THEY WANNA PURCHASE A $2.50 HOTDOG OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CASE IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE SMALL VENDORS, E- EVEN LITTLE ICE CREAM TRUCK THINGS, UH, NOT BIG ONES, BUT CARTS.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A LOVELY IDEA AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IT IMPLEMENTED AS A PILOT PROJECT MAYBE FOR A YEAR TO, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT
[02:30:01]
IMPACTING BUSINESSES NEGATIVELY WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU BUY, PEOPLE WILL BUY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF HOT DOGS.BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS.
BUT OVERALL, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND YOU HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF MAKING IT A PILOT.
I LIKE THE, I LIKE OBVIOUSLY NARROWLY TAILORED BECAUSE I THINK, WHAT WAS THE SITE, UH, DEBBIE, WHERE THEY WERE GONNA DO THE MICRO UNITS? UH, I FORGOT, I ALWAYS FORGET THE DEVELOPER'S NAME.
WHICH ONE? THE GUY THAT GOT IN TROUBLE.
ANOTHER, ANOTHER AREA, HALF A BLOCK.
HALF A BLOCK OF OUR CORRIDOR THAT'S SITTING EMPTY.
THEY USED TO HAVE ACTIVITIES AND, AND ALL THAT.
IF, IF WE COULD ALLOW IN AREAS LIKE THAT, WHERE YOU HAVE EITHER EMPTY CONSTRUCTION SITES OR SITES THAT WHERE COMMERCIAL SPACES HAVE BEEN EMPTY, I DON'T WANT THIS IN FRONT OF EXISTING BUSINESS.
I DON'T WANNA CREATE COMPETITION, BUT WHERE THERE IS A VOID IN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY THAT WE CAN HELP BRING COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY, PEDESTRIANIZATION, AMENITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY, OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO BE ABLE TO GET THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR IN OUR CITY AT A LOWER COST, UH, THRESHOLD, A LOWER COST BURDEN TO BE ABLE TO GET A CREATIVE IDEA GOING, UH, USING, USING SPACES LIKE THOSE.
OR I THINK EVEN THE EPICURE SIDE.
YOU KNOW, THE EPICURE SIDE, EPICURE, YOU KNOW, WHERE EPICURE AND, UM, IT WASN'T CRUNCH.
WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE GYM THAT WAS THERE? UM, WAS IT CRUNCH? IT WAS CRUNCH.
EPICURE AND CRUNCH, YOU KNOW, THERE USED TO BE ACTIVITIES THERE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S GONE.
YOU KNOW, AND THINK OF ALL THE YEARS THAT THAT HAS BEEN GONE.
UM, SO THERE'S A HUGE VOID THERE OF, OF ACTIVITY, BUT SOMEONE COULD BE THERE WITH A MOBILE VINTAGE STORE AND OFFERING SOMETHING UNIQUE, SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING CREATIVE TO THE COMMUNITY AT A LOWER, UH, BURDEN COST OF, OF ENTRY.
UH, NO, WE ALREADY TOUCHED ON WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT.
SO I JUST, UM, FOR CLARIFICATION, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM WHAT YOU'RE EXPLAINING, THAT THIS WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPOPULATE PORTIONS OF BLOCKS THAT HAVE BEEN VACANT WHERE BUSINESSES NO LONGER EXIST.
AND SO MY, MY QUESTIONS ARE LOGISTICS.
WOULD THIS BE TAKING AWAY PARKING SPOTS ON THE STREET? WOULD, WOULD THIS BE, UM, ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE AND, AND HOW WOULD THAT WORK WITH INSURANCE? OR CAN WE EVEN DO THAT ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE? I, I'M NOT TRYING TO, TO - YEAH.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IN MY HEAD HOW THIS WOULD WORK.
AND THEN, SO TO ME THAT IS - THE NUANCE.
UM, W- WE, UM, UH, SO THAT TO ME IS, IS APPEALING, ALTHOUGH I DO HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT, UM, UNDERCUTTING ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES WHO ARE TAX, UH, RENT BURDENED AND THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT GETS IN THE WAY OF THEIR SUCCESS.
AND THEN WHEN I'M READING THROUGH HERE, UM, THE LOCATIONS, THE POTENTIAL LOCATIONS, UM, ARE VERY DIFFERENT, RIGHT? IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE A CLUSTER OF LITTLE VENDORS WHERE YOU COULD HAVE LIKE A LITTLE MARKET ALMOST, WHICH IS A, TO ME, A VERY DIFFERENT UNDERTAKING THAN WHAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS HOW TO, UM, RE- REPOPULATE IN A, IN A PILOT AND TEMPORARY VERSION THESE SECTIONS OF BLOCKS THAT HAVE BEEN DECIMATED BY CLOSURES AND LAGGING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
AND SO, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, HAVING A LITTLE MARKET OF SORTS ON, ON THE WEST SIDES, I MEAN, YES, THE SPACE IS THERE, BUT IS THE, IS THE FOOT TRAFFIC THERE TO DRIVE...
I MEAN, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMETHING IN THE, UM, MIAMI BEACH DRIVE WOULD MAKE SENSE BECAUSE THERE'S A TON OF PEOPLE GOING BACK AND FORTH THERE ALL THE TIME AND THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE FOR A HANDFUL OF CONCESSIONS.
BUT I, I JUST WANNA BE MINDFUL OF NOT UNDERCUTTING THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE PAYING RENT, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE, I THINK THERE'S SOME STUFF THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT A LITTLE BIT.
I, I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS GO INTO AREAS.
I DON'T WANNA SEE A MOBILE BUSINESS GOING IN FRONT OF WHERE THERE IS A, A PAYING TENANT IN A, IN, IN A COMMERCIAL SPACE.
BUT WE HAVE ALSO SEEN AREAS OF OUR CITY WHERE LANDLORDS HAVE JUST KEPT THE SAME COMMERCIAL SPACE EMPTY FOR EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIMES.
[02:35:01]
THE YEARS, UH, AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY, WE'VE DISCUSSED, WELL, EVEN THINGS LIKE A VACANCY TAX.IS THERE A WAY TO DO A VACANCY TAX? WELL, NO, WE CAN'T DO A VACANCY TAX.
AND WE CAN'T FORCE THE LANDLORD TO LOWER THE RENT, AND WE CAN'T FORCE THE LANDLORD TO FILL A VACANT SPACE.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS GOVERN BETTER WHAT WE DO WITH OUR SPACE OUTSIDE THAT EMPTY COMMERCIAL SPACE.
AND, AND, AND, AND TO YOUR QUESTION, THAT'S WHERE I FEEL THAT WE COULD USE...
WELL, WE MIGHT LOSE A PARKING SPACE OR TWO ALLOWING, ALLOWING A BUSINESS, UH, CONCESSION OPPORTUNITY.
LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PERFECT EXAMPLE IN MY MIND WITH WHOM I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS WITH IS CHEESEBURGER BABY.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
YOU MIGHT LOSE TWO PARKING SPACES ALLOWING A BUSINESS LIKE CHEESEBURGER BABY TO COME IN BACK WITH A, WITH A, WITH A MOBILE BUSINESS.
UM, BUT IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN, THAN LIKE WHEN WE HAD THE PARKLETS.
AND ROB, WITH THE PARKLETS, IT WAS THROUGH A CONCESSION AGREEMENT AND, AND IT WAS, I BELIEVE, UP TO TWO PARKING SPACES.
AND SO HERE, THE IDEA WOULD BE, WELL, YOU ARE A, YOU WOULD APPROVE SOMEONE UP TO A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME, AND IF, BUT MAKE IT REVOCABLE SO THAT IF THE LANDLORD DOES FIND SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO GO INTO THAT SPACE, WELL, THEN IT'S REVOCABLE.
AND, AND THE CITY IS NOT COMMITTED TO HAVING TO CONTINUE WITH THE MOBILE BUSINESS OPERATION.
UM, BUT WHILE THAT SPACE IS VACANT, WE'RE GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THERE STILL TO BE ACTIVITY USING THE PUBLIC PROPERTY.
NOW, THE OTHER ASPECT THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED, UH, WITH MARK AND WITH DEBBIE, WE HAD IDENTIFIED ALSO CERTAIN AREAS NEAR CONCESSIONS.
UH, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT THERE WAS AN INTEREST FOR A MOBILE FOOD TRUCK AROUND 43RD STREET WHERE WE HAVE A BIG PARKING LOT WHERE YOU HAVE PEDESTRIANS ON, ON, ON, ON THE BEACH WALK.
UM, AND I KNOW NEIGHBORS OF THAT AREA IN THE PAST HAD EXPRESSED SUPPORT AND INTEREST FOR THERE TO BE, UH, A LIMITED CONCESSION, A LIMITED FOOD TRUCK IN THAT, IN, IN THAT AREA.
HAVE WE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED THOSE LOCATIONS, DEBBIE? UM, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE THE AREAS THAT ARE...
THERE'S, THERE'S A PORTION OF CITY-OWNED PROPERTY THAT IS EASTWARD OF THE CITY PARKING LOTS IN MID BEACH, UH, JUST NORTH OF THE FOUNTAINBLEAU.
UM, AND SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED THOSE AS JUST UNDERUTILIZED LAND, RIGHT? THERE'S NO, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.
SO WE THINK THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY.
UM - AND WE KNOW THAT THE NEIGHBORS IN THAT AREA IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE WANTED TO SEE.
THEY HAVE ASKED THE CITY IN, IN, IN THE PAST TO CONSIDER THIS.
OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS HAVE NOT ALLOWED IT, WHICH IS, THAT'S THE LAND DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S THE LDR PART OF THIS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE GU SPACES ALLOWING SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO OCCUR THERE.
THE, THE PARKING SPACES OR THE RIGHT OF WAY AREAS WOULD NOT REQUIRE ANY, ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, BUT CITY-OWNED PROPERTY WOULD.
SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE DO A LIMITED PILOT, THAT WE IDENTIFY, LET'S SAY, AN AREA LIKE THAT AREA BY THE FOUNTAINBLEAU OFF OF, OFF OF THE BEACH WALK, AND WE, AND WE SAY WE WANNA PILOT THIS ALSO ON CITY-OWNED PARKING SPACES AND COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, UM, WHERE SPACES ARE EMPTY, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROPER POSTURE? WHAT WOULD BE THE PROPER, THE PROPER AVENUE FOR US TO TAKE TO START DRAFTING WHAT WOULD BE THE BONES OF A PILOT PROGRAM? A- ASSUMING THE LDRS ARE NOT IMPLICATED AND, OR ARE SATISFIED, THE PROCESS IS JUST LIKE WHAT WE DID WITH, UH, THE, THE, UH, SIDEWALK CAFES.
IT IS A RESOLUTION APPROVING A CONCESSION AGREEMENT, AND THE CONCESSION AGREEMENT WOULD INCLUDE WHATEVER PROVISIONS THAT YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, THAT IT'S REVOCABLE, THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO MOVE OR LEAVE, THAT WHAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH ROOM YOU WANT TO GIVE, LIKE IF IT'S A MOBILE TRUCK FOR FOOD, LIKE CHEESEBURGER BABY, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO GIVE MAYBE THREE SPOTS SO THAT THEY HAVE SOMEWHERE FOR SEATING AS WELL, OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO CONFINE THEIR SEATING TO ONE, UH, SPOT.
BUT THOSE ARE ALL THE SORT OF, UM, CONSIDERATIONS THAT YOU WOULD PUT INTO A TEMPLATE AGREEMENT, UH, AND THEN YOU NEGOTIATE THE SPECIFICS OF IT WITH, WITH, WITH EACH OF THE, UH, MOBILE VENDORS THAT YOU ENTER INTO IT WITH.
BUT IT'S BASED ON APPROVAL BY RESOLUTION BY THE CITY COMMISSION.
UM, SO WE CAN WORK ON THAT, ON THAT RESOLUTION WITH YOU AND THE, AND THE ADMINISTRATION.
CAN WE TAKE THAT TO COMMISSION ONCE THAT'S READY?
[02:40:01]
OF COURSE.UM, AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO THE, TO THE LDRS FOR, AS A PILOT IN THE, IN THE GU AREA, LIKE THAT AREA BETWEEN THE FOUNTAINBLEAU AND THE DIAMONDS, UM, WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO DO? WHAT, WHAT ACTION DO YOU NEED FROM US IN ORDER FOR US TO PILOT THIS? SO THIS WAS A DUAL REFERRAL TO, UH, L - TO THIS COMMITTEE AND THE PLANNING BOARD.
SO WE WOULD ASK FOR A RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO TRANSMIT TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
THE, THE AMENDMENT WOULD BE REALLY SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.
IT WOULD BE TO AMEND THE REQUIRED ENCLOSURES SECTION OF THE CODE FOR GU PROPERTY IN A, IN THE LIMITED PILOT, UH, TIMEFRAME THAT IS SPECIFIED, UM, JUST TO ALLOW THE COMMERCE NOT IN A PERMANENT REQUIRED ENCLOSURE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE CURRENT LDRS REQUIRE PERMANENT BUILDINGS FOR THE, THE EXCHANGE OF GOODS.
SO THIS WOULD BE A VERY SIMPLE AMENDMENT, AND WE COULD AMEND THE GU SECTION ALSO TO EXEMPT, UH, THE REQUIRED ENCLOSURES, UM, FOR GU PROPERTIES ONLY.
I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE DO THIS AS A PILOT, UH, ESPECIALLY THAT GU AREA.
AND I WANNA, AGAIN, SPEAKING ABOUT, UH, TO COMMISSIONER BOND'S POINT ABOUT BEING VERY NARROWLY TAILORED AS TO LOCATIONS, UH, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE GU PROPERTIES, I WANT US TO TEST THIS, YOU KNOW, IN THAT AREA BEHIND THAT PARKING LOT ON, ON 43RD STREET WHERE, WHERE, WHERE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S AN INTEREST, WHERE, WHERE I KNOW THAT THE NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH AT THE BLUE AND GREEN DIAMONDS HAVE IN THE PAST BEEN INTERESTED IN THIS AND THEY HAVE IN THE, IN THE PAST SUPPORTED THIS BEING THAT WE DO HAVE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE SUPPORTIVE AND INTERESTED IN THIS.
I WANNA NARROWLY TAILOR THIS GU PART OF IT TO THAT SPECIFIC SITE AND DO IT AS A PILOT, MAYBE A ONE-YEAR PILOT, UH, TO SEE HOW IT WORKS, AND THEN WE CAN REEVALUATE IT AND SEE IF WE HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES TO IT.
UM, AND THEN SEVERALLY, ROB, WORK WITH YOU AND THE ADMINISTRATION ON WHAT A RESOLUTION WOULD LOOK LIKE AS IT RELATES TO A CONCESSION AGREEMENT ON PARKING SPACES AND, AND AREAS WHERE THERE IS A LACK OF, OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE DAIS ON THIS? IS THERE A MOTION ON THE TABLE? I'LL MOVE IT.
AND CAN WE SHOW THAT ADOPTED BY ACCLIMATION? ALL RIGHT.
UH, MR. VICE MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST HAVE ONE CLARIFICATION.
UM, SO THE GU PILOT WILL BE LIMITED TO THAT 43RD STREET LOCATION.
WAS THERE A TIMEFRAME FOR THE PILOT THAT YOU WANTED TO CONSIDER OR - I WOULD SAY ONE, ONE YEAR PILOT.
A ONE YEAR PILOT FROM THE ADOPTION OF THE, OF THE LDR, UH, SECOND READING.
[7. DISCUSS PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND COMMUNITY COMMUNICATION CONCERNS RELATED TO THE WEST AVENUE PHASE II PROJECT (SEGMENT 2).]
PROCEED TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS DISCUSS PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND COMMUNITY COMMUNICATION CONCERNS RELATED TO THE WEST AVENUE PHASE TWO PROJECT, SEGMENT TWO.
THIS ITEM IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER BOTH.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, YOU'RE WELCOME TO PRESENT YOUR ITEM.
UM, THIS ITEM CAME UP, UH, A YEAR AGO ALMOST, UH, WHERE PEOPLE WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THE SAFETY AND, UM, WALKING THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION SITES, NOT HAVING THE APPROPRIATE, UH, AREAS, UH, FOR PEDESTRIANS MARKED.
I WALK THROUGH THAT AREA OFTEN SINCE I LIVE ON BELL ISLE AND I DO GO THROUGH THERE.
I'VE SEEN AN IMPROVEMENT AND, UM, THE RESIDENT SPACES ARE S - ARE VERY CLEARLY MARKED WITH, UM, THE PLASTIC, UM, SEPARATORS.
BUT I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE, AND THEN WE CAN CLOSE OUT THIS ITEM.
GOOD MORNING, DAVID GOMEZ, DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, AND YOU TOUCHED ON IT, UH, JUST NOW, COMMISSIONER.
UM, WE HAVE MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT.
WE DO HAVE, OBVIOUSLY, OUR, OUR OUTREACH TEAM DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS.
UM, WE HAVE OUR PROJECT WEBSITE, WE HAVE ADVISORIES THAT GO OUT.
WE DID IMPLEMENT A BIWEEKLY NOTICE THAT GOES OUT ELECTRONICALLY TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS ON THE, ON THE, UM, DATABASE.
UM, THE, WE ALSO HAVE A CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND INSPECTION CONSULTANT THAT IS ON SITE FULL-TIME THROUGHOUT, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION.
PART OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS MAKING SURE THAT THE MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC ITEMS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES IS IN PLACE.
AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, A LOT OF TIMES, JUST BECAUSE OF THE WORK OR BECAUSE RESIDENTS WALKING THROUGH
[02:45:01]
OR, UH, DELIVERY VEHICLES, A LOT OF THE MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC ITEMS GET MOVED.SO PART OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING GETS PUT BACK WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AND THAT THE PATHWAYS ARE SAFE AND, AND DELINEATED.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS WE IMPLEMENTED WITH THIS PROJECT, WHICH WE'VE BEGUN YOU, UH, LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING IN OTHER LARGER PROJECTS IS A DEDICATED WHATSAPP CHANNEL.
THAT CHANNEL IS USED DAILY FOR ADVISORIES AND NOTICES THAT GO OUT NOT ONLY BASED ON WHATEVER WORK MAY BE HAPPENING, BUT IT'S A REAL-TIME WAY OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE RESIDENTS OF ANYTHING THAT MAY COME UP DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
DAVID, HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO GET THE BEACH MATS ON THE, ON THE AREAS WHEN WE DID THE LAST WALKTHROUGH? YEAH.
THE, THE DIFFICULTY THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH THAT IS I CAN'T FIND A BEACH MAT THAT WILL STAND UP TO THE WEAR AND TEAR OF THE EQUIPMENT AND THE STUFF THAT GOES THROUGH IT.
UM, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT AND IT WOULD BE VERY SHORT DURATION BEFORE WE HAVE TO REPLACE THEM.
UM - SO WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONCENTRATE ON IS JUST REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THE PATHWAYS ARE CLEAR AND, AND SMOOTH.
AND THAT OBVIOUSLY TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT FROM THE CONTRACTOR, BUT THAT'S, I THINK IN THE SHORT TERM IS THE, IS THE QUICK SOLUTION.
UM, WE ARE COMMENCING, IT'S SCHEDULED TO COMMENCE TODAY, THE, THE RAISING OF THE ROADS, UH, ON LINCOLN COURT.
IT'S GONNA TAKE ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THOSE SIDEWALKS ARE IN PLACE, UM, AND THOSE ARE THE PERMANENT SIDEWALKS.
SO WE THINK IT, IT'S A SHORT TIME BEFORE WE'RE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM WITH A PERMANENT FIX.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
SO LINCOLN COURT, I THINK WE CALL IT SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION.
BY WHEN SHOULD LINCOLN COURT BE EXPECTING BENEFICIAL OCCUPANCY? PROBABLY THE FIRST OR SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER.
FIRST OR SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER, LINCOLN COURT, AS PART OF THIS PHASE TWO PROJECT, SHOULD BE GETTING BENEFICIAL OCCUPANCY.
UH, IT'S A BENEFICIAL OCCUPANCY.
IT'S A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF COMPLETION AT THAT POINT.
I THINK AT, AT THAT POINT, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS MUCH FEWER CON - MUCH LESS CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT ON THE ROAD.
THE, THE STREET WILL ACTUALLY BE DRIVABLE AT THAT POINT.
UM, NOT SURE YET IF THEY'RE, BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO ALL OF THE ASPHALT AT ONE TIME, SO THEY, IT MAY STILL BE IN, IN ROAD BASE, BUT IT WILL BE DRIVABLE.
UM, THE, THE, AS I WAS SAYING, THE, THE SIDEWALKS WILL HAVE THEIR FINAL FORM.
ALL OF THE HARMONIZATION WILL BE COMPLETE AT THAT POINT.
SO ALL OF THE CONNECTIONS TO THE BUILDINGS WILL BE DONE.
HOW ABOUT, UH, NORTH, UH, NORTH OF BAY ROAD NORTH OF LINCOLN ROAD? BAY ROAD NORTH OF LINCOLN ROAD WILL FOLLOW RIGHT AFTER, UH, LINCOLN COURT.
SO AS THEY GET, AS THEY NEAR THE COMPLETION OF THE, OF THE ROAD RAISING ON LINCOLN COURT, THEY WILL START ON THE NORTH END OF BAY ROAD.
AND SO WE ANTICIPATE, UH, BAY ROAD, UH, SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY WHEN? PROBABLY ABOUT - BENEFICIAL OCCUPANCY? PROBABLY ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THAT.
SO YEAH, I TH - I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE WATCHING AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW EASY IT IS FOR THEM TO WALK AROUND THE AREA.
UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD BE DONE IS THAT IF YOU LIVE ON LINCOLN COURT A MONTH FROM PROBABLY MORE OR LESS TODAY, YOU SHOULD BE SEEING BENEFICIAL OCCUPANCY, WHICH MEANS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE ON YOUR ROAD.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO WALK ON YOUR SIDEWALK.
UM, IN DECEMBER, UM, BAY ROAD, NORTH OF LINCOLN ROAD, IS GOING TO THEN BE SEEING THEIR HARMONIZATION HA- HAPPENING.
WHICH MEANS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A MONTH, THEN AT THAT POINT, SO AT THE BEGINNING OF, OF THE YEAR, THEY SHOULD BE SEEING THEIR BENEFICIAL OCCUPANCY.
THAT IS REALLY BIG NEWS - YEAH.
FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE, OF THAT AREA THAT OFTENTIMES TELL US THAT THEY'RE LOSING HOPE, THAT THEY'RE EVER GOING TO SEE THE COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT.
THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
AND YES, TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRETY OF IT, YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME YOU GET ALL THE WAY, BECAUSE YOU'RE MOVING EAST FROM LINCOLN COURT TO, UH, BAY ROAD, TO WEST AVENUE, UH, AND, AND THEN EVENTUALLY TO ALTON ROAD, TO GET ALL THE WAY TO ALTON ROAD, TO LINCOLN AND ALTON, IT, IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT TAKE TILL, TILL MARCH TO, TO, TO COMPLETE ALL OF THAT.
BUT TO THE RESIDENT THAT LIVES ON LINCOLN COURT, TO THE RESIDENT THAT LIVES ON BAY ROAD, THERE IS GREAT STUFF THAT IS HAPPENING THAT HOPEFULLY THEY SHOULD BE SEEING A HIGH LEVEL OF RE - OF, OF RELIEF, HOPEFULLY VERY SOON.
I THINK YOU SUMMED IT UP PERFECTLY.
I WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT THE, THAT THE ADMINISTRATION, THE, THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT STAFF ABSOLUTELY IS SYMPATHETIC WITH THE RESIDENT'S PLIGHT.
WE LIVE IT, WE SEE IT, WE BREATHE IT ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE KNOW THE, THE FRUSTRATION THAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS CAUSE, THE, THE INCONVENIENCES THAT THEY CAUSE, AND
[02:50:01]
AS YOU SAID, WITH THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, WE'RE FINALLY PAST SOME OF THE BIG HURDLES THAT WE HAD AND, AND WE THINK WE CAN MOVE FORWARD FROM HERE WITHOUT MORE INTERRUPTION.AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME DELAY RISKS, UH, WITH THE PROJECT ASSOCIATED WITH THE ART BASEL, UH, ART BASEL AND, UM, HIGH, HIGH IMPACT, UH, PERIODS IS WE'RE ASKING FOR WEST AVENUE TO BE REOPENED.
SO THE WEST AVENUE PORTION OF, OF THE PROJECT MIGHT HAVE SOME SORT OF, OF DELAYS.
AND, AND I'M NOT SURE, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE PROPOSAL FROM THE CONTRACTOR YET TO SEE WHAT THAT MEANS TO THE, TO THE ENTIRETY OF THE AREA.
UM, BUT WE ARE PREPARED TO WORK WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS WITHOUT CAUSING FURTHER DELAYS.
FLOW OF TRAFFIC DURING ART BASEL.
WHERE ARE WE ON THAT, UH, REOPENING FOR, FOR WEST AVENUE DURING ART BASEL? THAT IS, THAT IS PRECISELY THE PROPOSAL WE'VE ASKED THE, THE CONTRACTOR TO PROVIDE US HOW THEY WOULD, UH, MANAGE THAT PORTION OF IT.
AS YOU KNOW, THEY ARE INSTALLING LARGE DRAINAGE PIPE ON WEST AVENUE SOUTH OF LINCOLN ROAD.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OPENING FOR ART BASEL IN, IN PARTICULAR AT, AT A MINIMUM FOR ONE LANE, POSSIBLY TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC IS BETWEEN LINCOLN, ON LINCOLN ROAD BETWEEN ALTON AND WEST AVENUE, AND THEN WEST AVENUE OPEN FROM LINCOLN ROAD TO 17TH STREET.
THAT CONNECTION ON LINCOLN ROAD FROM ALTON TO WEST, THEN FROM LINCOLN ROAD TO 17TH STREET, THAT HAS TO BE REOPENED.
THAT IS, THAT, I, AND, AND, AND I THINK WE'VE HEARD IT FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND I KNOW THE STAFF ECHOES THAT MANDATE THAT HAS TO BE REOPENED FOR ART BASEL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE DAYS? YEAH, I, IF I CAN JUST JUMP IN REALLY QUICKLY.
SO, UM, I WAS ON THE MOST RECENT WALKTHROUGH LAST WEEKEND, OR LAST WEEK RATHER, AND THERE IS SOME DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY AND WHAT THE RESIDENTS WERE SAYING AT THAT MEETING ABOUT THE EASE OF WALKABILITY AND, AND DRIVABILITY IN THOSE AREAS.
AND, UM, A COMMITMENT WAS MADE BY CITY MANAGER CARPENTER TO HAVE EITHER HIMSELF OR DAVID MARTINEZ OR YOURSELF OR SOME COMBINATION OF THE THREE AT EACH SUBSEQUENT - YEP.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PEOPLE THERE SAID SHE ALMOST BROKE HER WRIST WALKING THERE.
I, I, IT'S TRICKY ENOUGH WALKING DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS.
IT'S A NIGHTMARE TRYING TO WALK AT NIGHTTIME.
UM, THERE'S A HOTEL AT THE END THERE, THE, THE GATORING THAT IS, UM, GOING TO BE CHOCOLATE BLOCK DURING ART BASEL.
ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE, IT'S NOT WELCOMING, BUT ALSO WE DON'T WANT A, A LAWSUIT BECAUSE SOMEBODY IS, HAS TRIPPED AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HAD A, A BAD EXPERIENCE TRYING TO JUST WALK SOMEPLACE THAT SHOULD BE OPEN.
THAT STRIP OF RESTAURANTS, I THINK, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, YOU BROUGHT THEM IN FOR RECOGNITIONS.
MONICA, M - COMMISSIONER MATEO, UH, SALINAS, THANK YOU FOR CALLING ATTENTION TO THEM.
UM, THE, ONE OF THE OWNERS IS LITERALLY USING HER RETIREMENT SAVINGS TO STAY OPEN.
UM, SO WITH ALL DUE HASTE, THIS HAS TO GET DONE, UM, AND, AND OPEN AND PASSABLE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
AND I KNOW, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S WORKING ON IT, AND I KNOW THE KING TIDES HAVE DELAYED THINGS.
WE ALL KNOW, BUT IT'S, WE'RE SO CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE, WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYES ON THE PRIZE, AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING MORE WE CAN DO TO MAKE THOSE AREAS SAFER TO, TO TRAVERSE ON FOOT OR ON WHEELS, UM, LET'S KEEP WORKING ON THAT, AND WE'LL SEE YOU OUT THERE AT THE NEXT, AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I COMMITTED TO THE CITY MANAGER THAT I PERSONALLY WOULD BE THERE.
I HAD A CONFLICT THIS WEEK AND COULDN'T MAKE IT, OR EXCUSE ME, LAST WEEK.
UM, BUT I WILL BE AT ALL MEETINGS FROM, FROM HERE ON OUT.
WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE TO TRAVERSE IT.
WE'VE DONE NIGHTTIME SURVEYS WHERE WE WALK THROUGH AT NIGHT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LIGHTS ARE WORKING OR, OR I AT LEAST IDENTIFY THE ONES THAT AREN'T SO THAT THEY CAN GET FIXED.
WE'VE DONE THAT SEVERAL TIMES AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT THROUGH COMPLETION.
AND I THINK IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY PLANNED TO DO THIS OR HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE IT AFTER THESE TORRENTIAL RAINS AND KING TIDES, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF WALKTHROUGHS TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY MEASURES YOU'VE PUT IN PLACE ALREADY HAVEN'T BEEN WASHED OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, REFILLING POTHOLES WITH GRAVEL OR ANY OF THAT STUFF.
AND I KNOW YOUR, YOUR STAFF...
I WANNA PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO BE THERE AT THE LAST WALKTHROUGH EITHER, BUT I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU WERE, AND I BELIEVE COMMISSION MAGAZINE WAS AS WELL.
LIFE, LIFE SOMETIMES HAPPENS AND YOU STILL HAVE TO BE A SON AND YOU STILL HAVE TO BE A PARTNER AND A FRIEND.
SO WE HAVE TO ATTEND TO OUR PERSONAL LIVES AS WELL.
SO I WASN'T ABLE TO BE THERE AT THE, AT THE LAST WALKTHROUGH, BUT I TRY MY VERY BEST TO BE THERE.
[02:55:01]
IT.UM, DAVID, WHEN WE FINISH THAT PHASE OF WEST AVENUE AND WE OPEN UP THE STREET, HOW LONG UNTIL WE START THE NEXT PHASE? YOU'RE SAYING PHASE.
DO YOU MEAN PHASE TWO AND THREE, OR DO YOU MEAN THE NEXT SEGMENT? BOTH.
THEN, THE NEXT SEGMENT SHOULD START IMMEDIATELY ONCE THEY OBTAIN BENEFICIAL OCCUPANCY IN ONE OF THE TWO THAT THEY'RE WORKING NOW.
THEY WILL START IMMEDIATELY IN THE NEXT SEGMENT, WHICH WOULD BE SIX.
WEST AVENUE BETWEEN, UM, LINCOLN, UH, EXCUSE ME, BETWEEN 16TH AND 15TH.
THAT'S THE NEXT SEVENTH COMING UP.
AND THEN ONCE THEY GET BENEFICIAL OCCUPANCY IN THREE, THEN THEY WOULD MOVE TO NINE, WHICH IS SOUTH OF, OF THERE ON WEST AVENUE.
THE NEXT PHASE, WE'RE IN, CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO SUBMIT FOR PERMITS TO THE COUNTY.
UM, AS SOON AS WE GET THOSE PERMITS, OR AT LEAST THE FIRST ROUND OF COMMONS, WE'LL ADVERTISE FOR OUR CONTRACTOR TO, TO SEE WHAT THE BID'S COMING UP.
AND I'M SORRY, UNDER, UNDER THE CONTRACT WITH THE, UH, WITH, WITH RICKMAN, THEY'RE PROHIBITED FROM DOING MORE THAN TWO SEGMENTS - THAT'S CORRECT.
I KNOW YOU SAID IMMEDIATELY, BUT ARE WE TALKING NEXT DAY? ARE WE TALKING A WEEK? ARE WE TALKING A MONTH? IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON THE SCHEDULING OF THEIR CREWS AND WHAT THEY HAVE GOING ON CURRENTLY, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD BE AS CLOSE AS NEXT DAY.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALREADY ITCHING TO OPEN THE NEXT SEGMENT.
AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS INDEPENDENT.
UH, DO WE EXPECT TO HAVE MERIDIAN AVENUE OPEN FOR ART BASEL? YES.
WE'VE SCHEDULED OUT THE PROJECT FROM NOW TO ART BASEL, AND IT WILL BE OPEN FOR ART BASEL.
AND IF IT WERE UP TO RICKMAN, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY BE WORKING ON MANY MORE SEGMENTS.
UH, EXCEPT, YOU KNOW, BEING MINDFUL OF OUR RESIDENTS, WE IMPOSED A RESTRICTION NOT TO BE WORKING ON MORE SEGMENTS TO REDUCE THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON RESIDENTS.
AND YOU CAN, THEY CAN ALSO FOCUS MORE RESOURCES IN A MORE LIMITED AND CONSTRAINED AREA.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE EVEN REQUESTED LIMITED THINGS IN OTHER SEGMENTS, AND WE'VE HELD THEM BACK JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA OPEN UP OTHER SEGMENTS AND HAVE THE, THE MESS OF CONSTRUCTION WORK IN OTHER SEGMENTS BEFORE WE'RE READY TO BEGIN THERE.
COMMISSIONER BOND, YOU BROUGHT UP AN INTERESTING POINT, WHICH IS THE ISSUES THAT THE BUSINESSES FACE, THE LOSS OF REVENUES THAT THEY ENCOUNTER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO WORK ON, UH, AND, AND PERHAPS WE CAN WORK ON AN ITEM TO BRING TO THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE AWARE THAT THEY CAN BE ASKING FOR APPEALS, PROPERTY TAX APPEALS, UH, AND I THINK, I THINK BUSINESSES NEED TO BE EDUCATED AS PART OF ANY OF THESE, UH, PROJECTS, INCLUDING WHEN WE GO INTO 1ST STREET AND INTO OTHER AREAS, UH, TO TRACK THEIR PROFITS AND THEIR LOSSES.
AND FOR, AND FOR LANDLORDS TO SEEK, UH, TO, TO USE THOSE TO SEEK APPEALS ON THEIR PROPERTY TAXES SO THAT THEY CAN PASS THOSE SAVINGS ON TO THE LITTLE GROCERY STORE, TO THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP, TO THE LIT - TO THE LITTLE PIZZA SHOP, UH, SO THAT, SO THAT, SO THAT THESE BUSINESS OWNERS DON'T NEED TO BE TAPPING INTO THEIR SAVINGS, AND THEY, AND THE LANDLORD CAN PASS ALONG THOSE PROPERTY TAX SAVINGS ONTO, ONTO, ONTO THE BUSINESSES.
SO I LIKE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO WORK WITH ME ON THIS SO THAT WE CAN BRING AN ITEM TO COMMISSION AND WE CAN FLUSH OUT A PROJECT.
AND NOT JUST IN THE MIDDLE OF WEST AVENUE, BUT GOING FORWARD, ALL BUSINESSES WE KNOW GET A - GET AFFECTED, UH, BY, BY, BY CONSTRUCTION.
AND, UM, AND THERE COULD BE OTHER WAYS.
THE CITY CAN'T GET THEM A SUBSIDY, BUT THERE MIGHT BE OTHER WAYS THAT THEY CAN GET SAVINGS DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
TH- THROUGH THE COMMISSION, UM, THE BUSINESSES ALONG WEST AVENUE IN THE CONSTRUCTION AREA, AND, AND I IMAGINE NOW IN, ACTUALLY IN, UH, LINCOLN ROAD PHASE THREE BEFORE WE BEGIN, UH, ARE ELIGIBLE TO WAIVE THE SIDEWALK CAFE FEES.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THERE TO EITHER GET THEM REFUNDED OR TO WAIVE THEIR FEES ON SIDEWALK CAFES.
THANKS TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, THEY'VE ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER A, A STRONG PACKAGE TRYING TO HELP BUSINESSES WITH ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE AND, AND, UH, DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE TO GET THEM TO BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPEN, AS WELL AS A WEBSITE THAT LISTS THEM ALL.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE PARKING DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE, UM, PARKING VALIDATION FOR CUSTOMERS OF THE BUSINESSES.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM.
UH, I THINK WITH THIS, WE WILL END TODAY'S MEETING.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED, AND WE STAND ADJOURNED.