Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSEOPW OMNI CRA 2003-12-08 Minutesr CITY OF MIAMI L I �'• a .'.``.�.. /' .� �'�� e �` ::��"``,.. ..a `.�?,•s°°, ''� '•"./ ,✓` fit% CRA MEETING MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON DECEMBER 8, 2003 PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK/CITY HALL Priscilla A. Thompson/City Clerk & Lt0 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST AND OMNI DISTRICTS On the 8"' day of December 2003, the Board of Directors of the Community Redevelopment Agency for the Southeast Overtown/Park West and Omm,Districts of the City of Miami met at the Double Tree Hotel, 1717 North Bayshore Drive, Miami, Florida. The meeting was called to order at 5:23 p.m. by Chainnan Arthur E. Teele, Jr., with the following Board Members found to be present: Chainnan Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton (5:29 p.m.) Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez ABSENT: Board Member- Angel Gonzalez ALSO PRESENT: Alejandro Vilarello, City Attorney, City of Miami James Villacorta, Assistant City Attorney, City of Miami Frank Rollason, Executive Director, CRA, City of Miami William R. Bloom, Special Counsel, CRA, Holland & Knight Priscilla A. Thompson, City Clerk, City of Miami Sylvia Scheider, Assistant City Clerk, City of Miami Victor Igwe, Auditor General, City of Miami Barbara Rodriguez, Director, Community Development, City of Miami 1 December 8, 2003 & .0 Chairman Teele: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the. Community Redevelopment Board meeting. This is our holiday board meeting, so we're here in the Omni district. where we can have, I think, following the board meeting, some festivities. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): Yes. Chairman Teele: And so, we welcome all of you. Would you mind standing, please, for a silent prayer in that we're celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. So let's do a silent prayer, followed by the pledge of allegiance. Ali invocation was delivered by Chairman Teele, who also led those present in a pledge of allegiance to the flag. 1. PRESENTATION BY JEFF COHEN, PARK WEST PROPERTY OWNERS, REGARDING INTEREST AND VARIOUS AFFAIRS REGARDING CRA AND NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES. Chairman Teele: Commissioner Winton has expressed an interest in the presentation by Mr. Gustafson; is that correct? Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): That is correct. Chairman Teele: Proceeding without -- Because it's an informational, I'd rather do that while he's coming. I assume he's been fully briefed, and so why don't we -- Mr. Rollason: We have that, and we have on the special agenda an action item in relation to that on the supplemental. Chairman Teele: Well, could we take that item up when Commissioner Winton is here? Mr. Rollason: Yes. Chairman Teele: He requested that item, right, the supplemental item? Mr. Rollason: That is correct. Chairman Teele: All right. So I guess, then, we could take up Item Number 1, Jeff Cohen. Mr. Executive Director. Mr. Rollason: Yes. Mr. Cohen has requested to appear before the board and discuss various issues of concerns dealing with the Park West and the Omni areas. Chairman Teele: Welcome. Jeff Cohen: Thank you, members of the board, Commissioners. As a developer who was deeply involved in the renaissance of South Beach, it was obvious to me that Park West and Overtown 2 December 8, 2003 is now the new frontier. Like South Beach, downtown, Park West had many false starts. What made South Beach go, though, was the City's ability to complete its promised projects. Thank you. When the City promised to enlarge the sidewalks on Ocean Drive, they did. That stimulated investment. And they said that they would beautify Lummus Park and they did, and that created a destination known throughout the world. Then they said that they were going to create a great Lincoln Road from what was a mass of gyp joints, and they did. And they took an area that rents were six dollars ($6) a foot, now they're a hundred dollars ($100) a foot. And they created a world -class city. And here we're 15, minutes away and we're about to embark on this same thing in downtown Miami. And it showed investors, by this commitment, that the City was committed. When the CRA promised to do Margaret Pace Park, they did, and developers started to take notice. And today we see that there's 2,000 units going up within a stone's throw of Margaret Pace Park and it was terrific. And when the CRA said that they would fix the sidewalks on 11"' Street, they did. And we, as owners that are all sitting here, want to thank the CRA for that and we appreciate it, but we have many concerns still and we -- one of those things is a parking issue. And today, when an investor comes and wants to do something in the Park West area, they're -- they have to either hire an attorney and try to get a variance for parking or they have to provide parking for a new club in a building that already exists. That makes it very difficult. And, as a person who owns several properties in the area and who has put most of the deals together, I can tell you that we have lost an enormous amount of participants and investors because of that obstacle. Now we know that you're providing parking and planning to provide parking under the expressway, and maybe in other areas. But it's an enormous obstacle to ask these people to come into these old dilapidated buildings, put a million or more dollars into it, and then buy another lot or have to make a deal with an existing lot. The parking already exists. So we need some help from you to help smooth our way so we can bring in greater investment and more activity in the area.- Obviously, along with that, you know, it's called the two P's: The parking and police. Now we have young people that are parking their cars and walking to the existing clubs, and there's going to be more clubs, and police presence is very important. And the more that we show the comfort of safety in our neighborhoods, the more investors, again, will come and start to spend their money and improve these properties. So, it's very important to us that police presence is shown and that's it's obvious that it's comfortable to walk more than across the street. We want these people to be able to walk blocks and be able to provide a whole community in this area. Needless to say, the homeless problem is a problem because now we're developing the new downtown. This is exploding in every way. It's met the critical mass, and we see the influx of development that's coming in and we need to provide housing for the homeless, get them off the street. I'm not telling anybody that doesn't know in this room that, for 20 years, that area was stymied because we didn't take care of the homeless. And so, paralleled with creating this new downtown, which is going to be the city of the future, no doubt. It's going to be a world -class city. It's a world -class city today. It will be the new city of the future of tomorrow. We need to clean up our homeless problem. Note for the Record: Commissioner Winton enters the meeting at 5:29. Mr. Cohen: And then there are small problems, like drainage, where there's standing water in this great area of downtown Miami, and other broken sidewalks that need to be cleaned up. And so, we ask for your help, more than just promises, but to spend the money that you have and to give us support, so that we can bring in greater investment and move along this great renaissance 3 December 8, 2003 0 ! of downtown. We appreciate the help that you've given us thus far, and we ask you not to drop the ball. Thank you. Chairman Teele: Mr. Cohen. Mr. Cohen. Mr. Cohen: Yes. Chairman Teele: Thank you very much for your presentation. Have you had the opportunity to discuss these items in detail with the Executive Director? Mr. Cohen: Yes. We have talked about it and he has shown great interest in our concerns. He said that he would help us. We're very excited about the Grand Promenade, in that you're about to embark on that, and that's extremely exciting to us, and it would be extremely exciting to new investors coming into the area. We're extremely optimistic, obviously. What we really want is that many of the owners in the area need to have some presence on your boards and committees because no one comes in touch with the investors more than the owners of the properties and the brokers that work the area. I'm in that area showing property two, three times a day. I have, you know, answers to a lot of the problems, and I understand the concerns -- I understand the concerns of the investors. So we would ask you that in -- as you start to talk about the makeup of your boards, that you consider putting on some of the owners of these properties onto those boards. I think it would be very helpful. Chairman Teele: Well, that certainly is something that each -- I think, the board will consider. One of the challenges -- and this is the challenge, of course, in the -- every redevelopment authority has its own challenges. In Broward -- in Fort Lauderdale, where you do have real estate people and owners, there is just any number of potential conflicts that can occur. And we would certainly want to work through all of those. That model, of course, is the Broward County -- the City of Fort Lauderdale Sistrunk model over there where that redevelopment authority -- But let me just ask you to first, and most of all, listen to the next presentation. I don't know if you've been briefed by the board or the staff on the presentation that will follow you, the Gustafson. Mr. Rollason: Yes. Chairman Teele: I think it will begin to address some of the concerns, but I want to be to the point. There is no challenge that the City of Miami has that we take more seriously -- I note Commissioner Gonzalez and I are always on the same point because we have the poorest districts -- and that is parking. Parking is a citywide problem and it is particularly acute when you're trying to engage in the development -- redevelopment or expansion of business opportunities. So, you have a very sympathetic voice in terms of anything that you suggest regarding that because the parking is the key, in my judgment, to the business redevelopment opportunities, both in Overtown and in Park West, and candidly, in the Omni. Mr. Cohen: And if we have a parking problem, which would be a great problem to have, it means that a lot of people are coming to that area and spending their money and creating this 4 December 8, 2003 new district, then entrepreneurial people will provide parking. So what the City hasn't provide, people will. So, right now, we don't have a problem with parking. We have a problem -- Chairman Teele: Well -- Mr. Cohen: -- with investors having to provide parking for themselves, which means they have to pay someone for an existing lot. That's tough. Chairman Teele: And, again, that's a series of issues that -- they're sort of commingled. The final point that I wanted to make is that I think -- you know, have you ever gone before the Dade County Homeless Trust? Mr. Cohen: No. Chairman Teele: See, one -of the problems is that the people in this -- in our very complicated government who have the money and the responsibility for solving many of our problems never hear from people like yourself. The Dade County Homeless Trust has a revenue stream. About a third of it -- little bit more than a third of it comes from the City of Miami, and there is no reason, as I continue to say, that the homeless problem should be so concentrated, primarily in the downtown, Overtown, Park West and Omni areas, as it is. Mr. Cohen: * Well, that's why I suggested that some of the owners and people who are active in the area become members of these boards and committees of the City, so that we can address these concerns. We also have ways to solve those problems and understand the reasons why these problems exist. Chairman Teele: Right. And I would just simply urge you to make your presentation, as well to the Dade County Homeless Trust. Mr. Cohen: OK. Chairman Teele: Commissioner Winton has joined us, and I know that he has shared many of the things that you've spoken about in the City Commission and in the CRA meetings. And, Johnny, did you want to -- Vice Chairman Winton: Well, I got in late so I'm assuming I understand, just from the quick part I was here, what Jeff was saying. And.I think that, basically, in principle, I agree with most of what he's saying. And I think that we're at a point now where we, I think, can get busy doing some of this hard construction cost -related infrastructure improvements. Mr. Cohen: Great. Well, we're all appreciative. Thank you. Chairman Teele: Thank you. 5 December 8, 2003 2. AUTHORIZE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENT WITH NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY'S CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND LEADERSHIP AT FISCHLER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES, $50,000, TO PURSUE FUNDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN REDEVELOPMENT AREAS. Chairman Teele: At the request -- we've asked representative Gustafson -- I know that we've asked certain other representatives to be present, and I'm pleased that our governmental representative Mr. Abrams, and others are here. So, Tom, Mr. Speaker, many of you know or should know that Tom Gustafson served as one of our most distinguished Speakers of the House, and was responsible for significant legislation in the area of transportation, including the legislation that facilitated the acquisition of abandoned railroads, so we have our busway operating from all the way down toward Homestead there. And he also was responsible for the High-speed Rail Act. He authored that act, as well. So, Tom, it's an honor. And he's also been serving as a consultant to the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). Thomas F. Gustafson: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the CRA. This is actually my fourth work product for this board. I had a chance earlier to work on a report that dealt with the ballpark many -- several years ago. Two reports, one that followed that was on -- just stating the case for acquiring parking from a legal point of view of what might be required. And the third report that preceded this was one that dealt with -- definitionally (sic), what kind of parking shuttle might be done. The fourth report was this one, and it is in your package. It's called "Miami at Midnight." I have extra copies for anyone in the audience who cares to look at it. But it was completed last month in my capacity as Thomas F. Gustafson, PA, under a contract that had been entered into with me several months ago. As I was turning it in -- it was actually November 121" -- and talking with your Executive Director, it did have a conclusion on it that said there were certain things y'all ought to be doing, in terms of building and getting ready for both State and Federal transportation initiatives, and there isn't a lot of time. And the Executive Director asked me to make a proposal. I informed him that I had left my law firm, started up my new work at Nova Southeastern. - He said make the proposal on their behalf, if that's what you need to do, and I do. And so, the proposal here today that we're going to talk about is one that comes from Nova that's built on the back of the report that I furnished you earlier this month. Joe Kohl is here, and he's going to lead off -- he's just going to bring you up-to-date, just for a few seconds, 'on where the redevelopment plan is, and how this works into implementing it. Thank you. Joseph Kohl: Thank you, Tom. My name is Joseph Kohl from Dover Kohl & Partners. Our office is at 1571 Sunset Drive in Coral Gables. I'm going to go real brief, just to go through the status. I appreciate you all letting me speak to that. And I'm not quite sure if this is going to work from this distance, so if it's .OK, I'd rather walk up closer to the screen there. We're working on four -- basically, four projects with the CRA: The Biscayne Boulevard Special Area Plan, the Promenade Special Area Plan, of course, updating the CRA's Redevelopment Plan, and new development regulations. With both special area plans, we are -- basically have finished drafting that. I have a copy that I printed out of the laser printer just as I came. I'm going to submit that to the CRA staff and to the Planning staff tomorrow to get their review, and we hope to then get that to the CRA Board prior to the January meeting -- I'm hoping before Christmas -- 6 December 8, 2003 & 0 so we can discuss that at the January meeting. And with the Promenade, that's the same thing. It's basically ready to go. With the redevelopment plan, we have been editing based on comments from these folks: The CRA staff, Planning and Zoning staff, the CRA's consultants for housing, engineering, and transportation and parking, the Overtown Civic Partnership gave us extensive comments, as well as some additional comments from Black Archives and from LISC (Local Initiative Support Corporation). We've also received comments from the Park West Civic Association. In October, we had our workshop, got some good input there, as well as from various property owners over the last few months. So, we're expecting -- we've got one more group to meet with, which is the Overtown Advisory Board. We have met with them in the past, but so much time has gone by. We wanted to give them an update, as well. We're scheduled -- we're on their agenda for December 18th, so we're hoping to have our draft wrapped up by then. I'll meet with them, make any final comments, and again, submit that to the board before the January meeting. And in the development regulations, we haven't started on. We wanted to get the redevelopment plan approved before jumping into that. And, however, with the special area plans, we've actually touched some of the zoning implications already. So it's a little bit of a jumpstart. As we were wrapping up our edit, Tom Gustafson comes along with his work. So we've been incorporating that into the plan, as well. He was charged with examining the narrow rage -- narrow gauge rail with the liner buildings and the parking. It's a. natural fit with what we've already been focusing on with the Promenade, with the liner buildings and the parking. So, where we're going to plug that in is in Section 3, which is the hypothetical build - out plan. We already had a little section on transportation systems, mobility and access, so that's where it's going to go into the report. And we've already created some of the maps, based on meetings with Tom, that will go into the report. And he's probably better than I am to speak to these maps. Chairman Teele: Would you make sure that you add in there a briefing with the County -- what's that committee, special tax? Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): The half -cent? Vice Chairman Winton: No. Special Taxing District Chairman Teele: We need to make sure that you all go in and do a preliminary with the County Special Taxing District Board. Vice Chairman Winton: What do they call it, C -- CDD? Chairman Teele: CDD or something. The redevelopment plan is mandated by the County to us. I mean, it's required by State law, but the reason we've engaged you and moved forward was based upon that board's comments. And it doesn't make sense to give them a final document. I mean, what we want to do is give them a document that they can comment on, so that if there's some issues they'd like for us to look at, then we need to be able to respond to that, if that's all right, Frank, with you all and all that. Mr. Rollason: Yeah. 7 December 8, 2003 •! • Chairman Teele: So we need to adjust that to make sure that we go back to them before you bring that to the -- Mr. Rollason: Board. Chairman Teele: -- to this board. Johnny, do you -- Vice Chainnan Winton: I agree. Mr. Gustafson: I will work with Dover Kohl. I've already been in -- on that point, I've already been in to see the MPO (Metropolitan Planning. Organization) staff and the County Manager's staff. Chairman Teele: Yeah, yeah, but hold it, Tom. We're talking now about the redevelopment -- Mr. Gustafson: Right. Chairman Teele: -- plan. Mr. Gustafson: And my plan was to go back, after tonight's meeting with Joe, into the County staff at exactly the level you're talking about. Make sure they understand both the redevelopment plan and the transportation aspects to it. So, by the 18th, we ought to be able to get that done. If I can, while Joe's still here, I had a chance to work with his staff, basically, getting in the field and looking at what turns out to be -- and I'm not going to be able to do all this -- it ends up being six -- 11 routes, "A" through "K." Without getting into all the details, the Promenade to 395 was developed both in the Promenade and onto 395 because of the parking that the parking authority was going to be doing in the future. There is a Promenade at 14th. There's a natural linkage between the Promenade and 14"'. There is a loth and l lth loop, which goes into Bicentennial Park and out west. There is a loop on 3"d Avenue that made sense. There's one on Miami Avenue and actually, 1" that makes sense. There's a central loop that takes you all the way from 8th up to 14th, one that goes into the Port of Miami and circulates quickly. Chairman Teele: Excuse me, Tom: Maybe my question created a little disjoint. Why don't you slow down a little bit and give -- because we have the public here -- and say what your study is about a little bit. Because you started talking about loops before you talked about what we're talking about. Mike, did you -- Mr. Gustafson: There is -- Michael Abrams: I'm used to it. Mr. Gustafson: There is a report in which -- it's called "Miami At Midnight" -- which was handed in previously early in the month, and this is really the tail end of that report, where it starts looking at where would you put narrow gauge rail vehicles as parking shuttles, in combination, probably, with a on -demand rubber tire community transit vehicle to make sure 8 December 8, 2003 that nobody in the redevelopment area is looking for a ride that doesn't get one, at least between parking and destinations. It basically is a design that extends the length of the typical walk beyond a quarter mile -- that has been statistically proven throughout America -- to about a mile, which is what you started seeing in Europe. It's simply the design of the street and the way in which it works. The second part' is you've got to have a place to park. In America, 99 plus percent of the people are going to be driving, so if you don't give them parking -- more than parking lots, if you don't give them parking garages so that you can then build a liner building around it and create that environment where you have a "U" shape of development and a corridor that can protect you from the wind, the rain, the heat and the cold. That creates interest, and usefulness and safety. So these are corridors that are different. And if you walk down Duval Street in Key West, it feels different than say walking down most of US-1 and the rest of Florida. So you're trying to create an environment that's comfortable and safe and useful to walk in. You'll walk further. If you add the small transit, you turn it into a walls and a ride. If you add the parking, now I can come off the interstate, I can park, and I can walk generally in the center of the City. So the first design is to work through the route alternatives. It doesn't mean you build all the routes. It means you get to build whichever of the routes, "A" through "K," you like. And if route "A" suits you but you want to do more things to it, for example, connect it to some other destination, you tell me and we work through the route alternatives to make, route "A" route "A" prime because it does some other thing. And I will point out, in "A" it was for the limited purpose of connecting the parking under 395 with the parking in the Promenade. But if someone said connect it to the Miami Arena or the American Airlines Arena, or the Performing Arts, we'd simply reconfigure "A" to do that. It's about destinations. It's about parking, and it's about getting very, very small transit to do the job that large transit cannot do by the nature of its size. Anyway, these are "A" through "K" routes and they're on the map. If we can go to the next map that we produced, it was the -- You can't identify the small transit unless you also start talking about the big transit. ,I will not be the one -- and quite frankly, the City Commission won't be the one either -- making the decision on where Metrorail east/west goes. But you've got an oar in the water. You're allowed to say what you want and they've got to consider it. And the good news on the east/west is it was going to be a billion three: It Was going to be underground, and it isn't going to happen because the federal courthouse got built without a foundation to let you go under it. So what happens if -- Because the port needs the truck route on 5r" and 6'h, what happens if the Metrorail route goes on 5t' and 6'h and becomes the roof, so that the sound and the noise and the soot from the trucks has more of a containment? And what happens if the university -- and not to mention, Freedom Tower on the other side -- begins to create a crossing, not a pedestrian crossing that you typically see that is narrow, but basically a whole City block that's like a hill, a 30-foot hill that goes and crosses, and you actually cause a tunneling effect of the trucks by building over and around them, and you do that with parking garages and with structures. If you go to any major city, you'll see 30-foot hills and people are able to negotiate those. We can create a 30-foot hill and that truck traffic will disappear, not only from the neighborhood, but also from 5`' and 61". You also get an opportunity for big box or other major facilities to back up. to the truck route and front up, in either direction, to the pedestrian access. So it's a natural corridor, not only for truck access to the port, but for distribution city -- system to the entire Miami area. Freight distribution is a very important thing to do, and when you ask for that, you get the funding from the DOT (Department of Transportation) of both Florida and state. Now, this also provides that -- since you've already got Baylink -- 9 December 8, 2003 Vice Chairman Winton: Tom. Mr. Gustafson: Yes, sir. Vice Chainnan Winton: I don't understand the freight distribution piece of that. Try that on me again. We're not going to have freight distribution in this area. Mr. Gustafson: Well, when I want to receive a table and I want to do it -- a table that I ordered through Office Depot, and Office Depot decides to locate on a vacant piece of land, its backdoor is on the freight line and its front door is facing the public, it's simply a second way of using -- if you -- if the only thing you do with 5'h and 61h is run trucks from the port to 95, you're wasting a lot of turf for one purpose. If there's a secondary purpose that that same truck can stop and serve US Mail, for example, which happens to be located there, so that a big US Mail truck is using that same 5'h and 6" Street corridor. The only reason I mention it is this: There is federal money to do freight inter -nodal work. It could be limited to the port to 395, but I think it has a secondary purpose, that the businesses that choose to locate there can get their truck traffic and not have to bring the truck into the City itself. It is a secondary purpose, but I think one worth exploring. And if it doesn't work, we won't do it. But -- Vice Chairman Winton: Oh, OK. Mr. Gustafson: -- you're going to have trucks there anyway. They're a secondary purpose (INAUDIBLE). There is -- Vice Chairman Winton: But how much of this proposal is contingent on being able to attract those kinds of funds? Mr. Gustafson: Not much. Chairman Teele: Zero. Vice Chairman Winton: Well, OK. Mr. Gustafson: Not much. Vice Chairman Winton: OK. All right. Mr. Gustafson: You will have satisfied your intermodal purpose, if you get from the port to 95. And if you choose not to direct truck traffic on 5'h and 6'h, then you've got to find another way to get the truck traffic in there. And I'm not even suggesting 5'h and 6'h is a permanent answer, but it might be a good temporary answer. Chairman Teele: Well, the permanent answer we =- in the MPO is the tunnel underneath -- Mr. Gustafson: Agreed. 10 December 8, 2003 Chairman Teele: --Watson Island. Mr. Gustafson: But -- Chairman Teele: And anything that goes down 5th and 61h is an interim solution. Mr. Gustafson: And if you put the east/west on top of it, elevate it, you reduce the cost of east/west, it happens in the nearer term, you do have a port to airport connection, and you can, in fact, engineer around -- put pedestrian improvements that you won't notice the extra usage on 5th and 61h for truck or other purposes. But, carrying on, there is a connection to the port. Baylink is going to come from the Convention Center. It's going to circulate downtown and go back. Somebody ought to be talking to the port -- hopefully, the City Commission -- about extending the track into the port, buying their own vehicle, and running their own trolley from the ships circulating here. That would further improve the intermodal nature of the contact. Finally, there is a Metrorail station that already exists here. As an interim step, if you're waiting on the east/west -- it may take 10 years -- what you want to look at is the Metrorail, at this point, is ten feet above grade. It actually goes under the interstate. If you take it down to grade, on a dead rail connected to the FEC (Florida East Coast) into the port and then elevate it and bring it back on the 6th Street Corridor and connect it back to the mainline, very inexpensively, you're connected to the port, not unlike the other connection to the airport they wanted to do at the airport. This would be the same thing for the port. There are complications to that, includes of how many transit vehicles you can get on the main line, but as an interim measure, it might make sense, particularly, since you're already going to build a 5th and 6th Corridor anyway. This would simply be the first piece of that that temporarily connects to the main line. These were just suggestions. They're not something we decide, but you begin to see -- you have an interest in how these things turn out because of the smaller transit systems that were on the previous map. The next map is the parking locations. Now, all these parking locations I personally walked, inspected, spent a lot of days and nights walking through Overtown, Omni and Park West. These are basically vacant lots, or lightly developed lots, or warehouse lots that have been through a lessened historic usage. And I didn't put anything on it that looked like it was going to be a problem, but if half of these went away, the other half are still good sites. So, I -- these are 400 parking spots per dot. And you ought to be able to do that even if you do half of them -- even if you do a third of them. The important part of this is we're trying to create a circle of parking so, as you come off the interstate, you immediately go to the parking, and then you'll be able to get to your destinations by walking or the small transit shuttle. This is a green area where I would put passenger intermodal service money. I'm going to talk about it in a moment, but the DOT, for the first time since they wrote ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act), has finally put money behind intermodal movements, a hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) a year, starting in 2005. It's got to get to the Congress, but it's a competitive grant. And you can start creating pedestrian -oriented intermodal connections along that corridor. As you know the area, this is Miami Avenue. This is 3'a, and between Miami Avenue and 3'a, there are no through streets. The Most major street is 1st, but it pretty well ends by the time it gets to the interstate. So creating a pedestrian -oriented, you know, passenger improvements here to connect to any number of opportunities, including Amtrak service into downtown Miami, is what that shaded area -- exactly what the improvements are, we decide that later. But identifying 11 December 8, 2003 • 0 the area for intermodal transportation funding improvements is important because these might be the same improvements that Dover Kohl has talked about, paid for with your money; instead, it's paid for transportation money if it is functionally related to the improving access to transit. A nicer sidewalk can be paid by you, or it can be paid by transportation, if it is accessing transit intermodally. The next slide is a proposal that I was making in behalf of Nova after having discussion with your Executive Director. And I'll put this down because I' don't need it anymore. Thank you. I'm now with Nova. They're the 10"' largest independent, not -for -profit post -secondary institution in the country. At Fischler Graduate School, in the City of North Miami, down the street from my old friend, Mike Abrams, who is your federal lobbyist, the Graduate School in Education is looking at how to teach teachers and train its administrators how the delivery of systems for the helping professions and for education. And, finally, I'm in the center, as Director of the Public Policy Center in the Graduate School. We're supposed to envision the future and figure out how to deliver education human services to it. Now, remember, the cities .of America were formed by the impact of road building and a very big transportation trust fund. I believe, as the money gets spent intermodally, the shape and form of cities will change as the money changes, in terms of what it's willing to build, parking garages, pedestrian -oriented corridors, and small transit. So you've got to start thinking about how the city changes. It'll look a lot more like Europe than it does today, I suspect. What do we propose? Specifically, as the Miami report suggests, we suggest that you do a demonstration project. Now you could wait around and go seek federal funds, maybe two to three years from now. With a lot of pushing, you might get it, or you could get together locally, with a number of different entities, including the MPO, who has, money available, even in the short-term, for projects that get delayed -- you just have to know how to work them -- and you can scramble together and get somewhere in the 10 to fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) to do an immediate demonstration in the Promenade area. It'll consist of the transportation shuttle system -- Vice Chairman Winton: Ten to fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) from the MPO? Mr. Gustafson: Not the MPO alone. It's a more complex process than that. But I would go to MPO and I'd say, "Do you have a project that, in the last six months, has been delayed and is there any money left?" It may be. a hundred thousand. It may be a million. You never know. I've done it before. I happen to know they granted, four years ago, money to a educational institution -- who didn't spend it -- on a pedestrian improvement. The questions is, can you go back to them and, basically, get that money being used in a different, more creative way? You'll have your own CRA funds, you'll have other entities of local government, and it just takes a little creative effort to figure out, with the private owners of the land in which this would occur, of how to scramble the money together. I can only tell you that I've done it before and it is, in my opinion, possible that it in the near term, to scramble and get a fourteen million dollar ($14,000,000) project off the ground. If you do, it'll consist of the parking, the pedestrian - oriented parking structures and the landscape improvements on, not only the Promenade, but I would suspect along any part of the route. Long-term, if you can get a fourteen million dollar ($14,000,000) project going, you're then going to talk to the City of Miami, Dade County and the MPO, the Congressional Delegation, the members of the United States Senate, particularly, Bill Nelson, in this case, for this particular job, and the Florida Legislative Delegation of Tallahassee, where you're gaining clout because you're soon to have a speaker from Dade County, and the US and Florida DOT, and you start talking to them about the project you want to 12 December 8, 2003 build that has to be a hundred and forty million dollars ($140,000,000) big, which is defined in the "Miami At Midnight" report. Therefore, you've built the first 10 percent and you're asking them to come up with transportation'funds on the remaining 90 percent. Why does it have to be done now? It has to be done now because the Florida Legislature is going to get -- in March of 2004 -- the report from Florida DOT. They will make all the decisions in a process they've identified to identify strategic intermodal improvements that they want to fund called hubs, corridors, and connectors. They've already identified the hubs and corridors. They have not identified the connectors. We can argue that pedestrian improvements, including the parking and the small transit, is one of those intermodal connectors. If so -- if nothing else, you can certainly get the freight intermodal connections to the port funded through that mechanism. The second reason is that the US DOT has identified, within their new proposed legislation that will be adopted by February, we assume, that they want to start an intermodal passenger facility fund, competitive grants up to a hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) a year. I believe that pot's going to grow. If you look at other similar efforts, such as community transportation funding, they have tended to let these pots get a little bit larger as the first one or two begin to work. I believe the likelihood of that pot going to three hundred million is strong. If it does, we get in between the hundred million that's probably been promised to somebody else and the three hundred million. That is possible to do. Remember, they're dealing with a eighty billion dollar ($80,000,000,000) budget. This is not large sums of money. You've got to let your Congressmen and your Senators know you want it. What can be done today? You can tell your staff that you like what's in the "Miami At Midnight" report, and that they should go pursue all avenues to get it built as part of the redevelopment plan. The second thing you can do is, hopefully, let me continue to be involved. There is a fee. It'll be a month -to -month contract, and if you don't like my work, you tenninate it and I would respect that. But we may need some additional money for illustrations and simulations, as you present it to the Florida DOT and the Federal DOT. And then, finally, I think you need monthly progress reports and the involvement of the CRA members in all project initiatives, because even as I propose it, I know there will be input from the board members that will further craft these routes and responses, to the specific needs that you're better prepared to make a decision on than I. Chairman Teele: All right. Is this as light as this place will get? Mr. Rollason: No, no. Chairman Teele: Didn't before we had some lights brought in, I think? Mr. Rollason: We dimmed it down a little bit for the -- Chairman Teele: We had lights brought in -- Board Member Sanchez: Mr. Chairman, I have some questions for Tom. Is this on? Tom, you previously initiated and performed several similar studies in Broward, Monroe and West Palm Beach? Mr. Gustafson: Monroe, West Palm, Broward, St. Augustine. Similar studies had started but not followed through in 18 other cities. We actually had 13 appropriations in 1999, of which -- 14 13 December 8, 2003 appropriations, 13 of which were vetoed, one of which went forward in Lake Park. All those projects, at different times, got to a certain point and didn't go through. Board Member Sanchez: What was the outcome in Broward, West Palm Beach and Monroe? Mr. Gustafson: In the Broward project, it ended in -- my final report was a document that we submitted to the three Congressmen and the two US Senators. It's under review now, and we hope it'll be adopted as part of 221. So that one is off and alive and in play in Broward County in the hands of three Congressmen that represent Broward County, and the two Senators. Board Member Sanchez: Are any of the projects implemented? Mr. Gustafson: Oh, no. No. This is a brand-new idea. It's not very new. If you go to Amsterdam, they have mixed mode streets. It's been done in Europe. It has not been done in America, except if you go to Denver, as Chairman Teele knows, they have a transit mall where they ruri buses in a pedestrian environment. You have similar versions of this, if you go back in time and look at Miami and other communities where they had street trolleys. If you go to San Francisco, you'll see a lot of it. If you go to the inner harbor of Baltimore, you'll begin to get the image. If you go to Montreal in Europe, you see it a lot. The issue isn't whether it's been done before. It has. Strasbourg being the best example in the world today, which is currently the headquarters of the European union for half the time with Brussels. They do the best job at this intermodal connection between walking and transit. But, so far, DOT hasn't been predisposed to spend the money that way. They've been predisposed to continue building roads and to spend about 20 percent on transit, but that is changing. And what I'm really telling the CRA Board is you can get first in line if you move quickly because I believe, finally, the DOT, at the national level, has published a bill that says they want to spend a hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) a year on passenger intermodal facilities to tie ports, airports, and rails to homes, businesses, and final destinations, including tourist destinations. That's black and white. Now, if that becomes the law of the land -- we'll know by February -- and if it includes the kind of pedestrian community -oriented improvements I've recommended, then it's a question of submitting it to the US DOT and being better designed than say, a competitor. If we see it clearly before other people, it is the third pipe of money that exists. There's always been the road money. You can get behind the rest of world and try to get your share of road money. By the way, given the right-of-way restrictions, you're not going to get much. You can try to do transit, and then you've got to deal with the subsidies, or you can try to ride what I think is the next wave, which is intermodalism. Board Member Sanchez: Would the proposed agreement be between the CRA and the university Mr. Gustafson: Yes. Board Member Sanchez: -- or the CRA and you? Mr. Gustafson: No, the CRA and the Center, as an element of the university, it would be with the university. And then I would be doing the work with whatever resources Nova, as they've 14 December 8, 2003 indicated they would, would make available to me to get the job done. My job is to augment staff work and to make sure that, to the extent humanly possible, this is a locally accepted way to go. This is nothing more than a Miami intermodal center for the Port of Miami and downtown Miami that mimics the functions like the MIC (Miami Intermodal Center) at the airport, but no roof. And so, as -- you've got your funding in place for the MIC. It's a good time to start the next intermodal center, which I believe should be in downtown in the CRA areas. It makes sense, given the location of the port, the Metrorail and the potentiality that Amtrak, at long last, will start passenger service on the FEC, something that is -- Board Member Sanchez: One -- Mr. Gustafson: =- everyday in the paper and likely to occur. Board Member Sanchez: One final point of clarification. If we were to vote on this and approve hiring you, we would pay you fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the study, and then there would be -- if we also voted on; would be an additional five thousand dollars ($5,000) for lobbying and -- Chairman Teele: No, no. Mr. Rollason: No, no. Board Member Sanchez: Explain that to me because I didn't get that. Mr. Gustafson: What I had put down -- Board Member Sanchez: Right Mr. Gustafson: -- was five thousand dollars ($5,000) a month for about 10 months. What the staff had suggested in their contracts, if you do the math, five times ten is a fifty thousand dollar ($50,000) contract. I had suggested -- Board Member Sanchez: Oh, OK. Mr. Gustafson: -- it be a contract cancelable monthly. If we're not making progress or if somebody shuts the door in our face firmly, we ought to stop and save yourself some money. I don't think that'll happen. I think, between now and March, we've got a lot of talking to do, but they're looking for new ideas. They want to know what they can do in the Dade County area, because it's hard to find a good project in Dade County where everything's conflicted. Vice Chairman Winton: What -- Mr. Gustafson: Every time you try to do something, there's somebody that doesn't want to do it. So you've got to find a good project that everybody wants to do. Vice Chairman Winton: Would you explain this February/March thing again? 15 December 8, 2003 • Mr. Gustafson: In -- there's two different deadlines and they're both fuzzy deadlines. I mean, this is not like grants. This is (INAUDIBLE) legislative (INAUDIBLE). But what the Congress has said is they intend, as they sit today, to finish the TEA-21 (Transportation Equity Act for the 21" Century) authorization process -- reauthorization process by February. They didn't say February I". They didn't say February 31". They said February. And it's going to be sometime, of course, in February. Probably towards the end of the month. And they hope to meet that schedule. By the way, the original schedule was October, so it's already six months been delayed. If some other national attention grabber happens, it could be delayed further, but right now, it's February. The State, on the other hand, has been on a trajectory now for about two years to find strategic intennodal systems. A strategic intermodal system is a state creature that says focus all the money we've got -- They don't quite admit it this way, but this is what it means. -- on the major corridors, the interstates, 710, in West Palm Beach, and a handful of roads in Dade County, almost all of them of an interstate or toll road capacity. Secondly, take all the money you've got and focus it on the airport, the seaport, and the rail system. And then whatever is -- the third component is the intermodal connection. How do I get from port to airport? How do I get from port to rail? How do I get from the interstate to the port? And those don't have to be roads. They've been very clear. They can be anything you want to consider that will effectively move you from a major corridor to a major hub; that's an intermodal connector. As they define those, they'll become hard. Right now, the cement's very soft. And if this report became a document of the CRA, and then eventually, the City, and we worked it through the MPO, and they're satisfied with it, and it becomes a Dade County position, then the DOT, in all likelihood, would embrace the pedestrian -oriented community intermodal improvements as one of the ways in which you could create intennodal connectors. It functionally does the same thing. We've got to talk them into it. I do want to address my previous attempts to do mixed modes where without the benefit of intermodalism. The concept of intermodalism, when I started this analysis of how you create mixed mode streets or pedestrians and transit, didn't exist. It was a very hard sell. I knew in my heart it was right, but I couldn't get quite over the threshold of getting one built. The intermodal nature of both federal and state initiatives changes that. It makes it very new, very doable, if you get the right community asking for it. I believe the Dade County community, with its transit system, its close proximity to port and airport, is that right community. It would be the community of choice, if I could pick one. Mostly, I get to work where they tolerate me long enough to produce a report. And these are tough jobs, and there are no guarantees, but what there is, is a good report, a good educated request, a motivated US Senator, and a -- I think, a motivated Congressional Delegation. I think it can be done. Board Member Regalado: Can I -- I think that the odds of getting money for this project from the federal government -- the Congress is really, this time, much better than the Fantasy 5 odds. I remember always Commissioner Teele talking about William Lehman. I used to report when Lehman brought a lot of money for roads in South Florida. It was in the `80s. Now, you've got probably William Lehman II, which is Mario Diaz-Balart, on the Transportation Committee, which, by the way, worked with you very close in Tallahassee. You know, I think that this is as good time as ever to try to get Congress to fund some of these projects. I also think that your idea of a pilot plan is good, because I'll tell you something. I know several people on the Oversight Transportation Board. These people are going to be listening to the residents and the 16 December 8, 2003 i cities. And by the way, the City is about to miss a deadline in getting our projects in. I think it's in December. But the east/west corridor is going to have a problem with the public hearings, in terms of residents and business people because it's going to go over a lot of people. So, you know, that is going to be deferred and deferred. So, might as well, you know, do our thing. So I really think we ought to try. I really -- Chairman Teele: All right. Board Member Regalado: I really think, with Mario and Senator Nelson, we may have the possibility of getting federal finding. Chairman Teele: All right. So that we can focus the discussion, then would you move the resolution that the Executive Director has prepared, I think at the request of Commissioner Winton? And let's discuss it and figure out what we're going to do. Where's the resolution? Mr. Rollason: The resolution's in the supplemental agenda. Board Member Regalado: Where is that? Board Member Sanchez: And we could cancel within 30-day notice? Chairman Teele: Read the title. Mr. Gustafson: Yes. Mr. Rollason: Title is a joint resolution of the boards of directors of the Southeast Overtown/Park West and Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agencies authorizing the Executive Director to enter into an agreement, in a form acceptable to General Counsel, with Nova Southeastern University's Center for Public Policy and Leadership at the Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services, in an amount not to exceed $50,000 for plam-iing and consulting services to pursue funding for implementation of an intennodal transportation system in the redevelopment areas. Chairman Teele: Is that payable on a five thousand dollar ($5,000) a month basis? Mr. Rollason: That's correct. That would be -- Vice Chainnan Winton: And that needs -- Mr. Rollason: -- in the agreement. Vice Chairman Winton: -- to be added into the resolution, "payable on a five thousand a month basis and cancelable with 30-day notice." Board Member Sanchez: Exactly. 17 December 8, 2003 Mr. Rollason: And we will put that in the agreement. Board Member Sanchez: So move, as amended. Chairman Teele: Moved by Commissioner Sanchez. Seconded by Commissioner Winton. Discussion. Vice Chairman Winton: I think most people know that I'm a huge proponent of transit -oriented programs. Miami -Dade County and Broward County, in particular, are two major county areas that are headed towards a total train wreck within 20 years because we're totally dependent on surface transportation to move people around, and we're bringing more people in, and more people in, and more people in. And by the way, I don't care what we do, those people are coming, whether we want them or not. People are coming to South Florida. They're going to keep coming. They'll come long after we're gone; long after our kids are gone. And so, we better figure out how we're going to move people around. And I think that these concepts of multi -modal transportation systems is the whole answer. And it won't look the same in every single neighborhood. They're all going to look different, depending on what's going on in that particular area. And so, I think, conceptually, this is great. The concern that the public's going to have, as it relates to the CRA, is that they're sick of consultants. They want us to do something. And so, now we have another consultant we're bringing on board. And they're going to say, "Yep. There just goes another fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)." And so, Tom -- and I'm sure there are going to be skeptics out there who are concerned that this is just another one of those pie in the sky -- or what did you call it, the Fantasy 5 things. But my sense is that it is a different day, and I think we have an opportunity here to go and test whether or not we can really get in the right place in line to grab onto substantial federal dollars. My concern is that -- and that's the reason I asked this question, and I'm still not totally clear on -- But if your proposal is about -- and there's a piece of this that I'm going to kind of backtrack on after I say it -- if your proposal is about coordinating kind of local efforts, MPO, the County, you know, I don't know that that's where we want to be. But in terms of being successful at getting those dollars and making this work, we do have to have that coordination. I mean, we do have to talk to the MPO and make sure that they're supportive of what we're doing. We do have to talk to folks in the County to make sure they're supportive. And so, there's a piece of this that says where I know we have to have the conversation, we have to have -- have to bring all of the elements together, but the piece about just hiring you to be the coordinator to tie all these up and not going after real money in Washington is not what I want to support. I'm supporting your real commitment to get real dollars out of Washington, and the secondary piece is your being able to bring -- The City of Miami, as an example. I mean, we've got a lot of transportation money that's coming into the City and your efforts have to be carefully coordinated with what we've got going on in the City, and kind of linked up with that because it's a part of the bigger picture, and the same goes on with MPO. Mr. Gustafson: It's very much like a Swiss watch. Everything's connected to everything else. You've got to have everybody talking at the same tune, at the same time. And ultimately, the person that pulls the trigger is a US Senator or two, and your local delegation congressional, but they won't pull that trigger if all the local folks aren't talking the same tune. I will tell you this. The demonstration, which is a different part, is the actual building of something. Build it exactly 18 December 8, 2003 0 .• the way you want it, whatever destinations you think are important, on a scale you can afford locally and as fast as you can. Why? Because it represents the commitment and the three dimensional -- now I know what it looks like. Now I want to build it ten times bigger with the federal funds. The federal funds don't happen as a bolt of lightning. What they happen is, is if you get the substantive law right, including the State's Strategic Intermodal System decisions right, which will become substantive law in the 2004 session, if you get the substantive law right, then you go fishing for what you've defined as a getable project, and you get six years of funding opportunities. So you do a demonstration, you get substantive law right and then you ask for the money. Those are the three ways to get -- the three things you do to get the money over time. Vice Chairman Winton: So, are you saying that we have to do a local .demonstration project before we're going to get any of the money? Is that what you're telling me? Mr. Gustafson: You do not have to, but I recommend it. You're infinitely more credible if you do what San Diego did, which just go out and build it, and then ask for more money. You build something you could afford to build that serves an immediate need. Now, an immediate need, in this case, is you know you want to do something special in the Promenade, you've said so, and you know the parking authority is putting parking under 395, so it doesn't take much -- and you know that you got Bicentennial Park and you've told me you want to coimect it to the Promenade, so I just drew the dots and came up with route "A." If you told me there were some other dots on the map, I'd come up with "A" prime. Vice Chairman Winton: Well, here's where my problem is with that, and I think I'm now finally clear, and my apologies for being so slow at this. I don't have any sense whatsoever and it makes me not want to support pulling the trigger on this today, because I have no sense whatsoever what kind of local money you're talking about to create the -- not model. What's -- Mr. Gustafson: The demonstration. Vice Chairman Winton: -- the demonstration project. Chairman Teele: Fifteen million. Mr. Gustafson: I can talk about that, if you want me to. Chairman Teele: Hold, hold, please. Vice Chairman Winton: Help me. Chairman Teele: The demonstration project that is outlined in this proposal is roughly a fifteen million dollar ($15,000,000) proposal; is that correct, Tom? Mr. Gustafson: Yes, sir. Chairnan Teele: OK. 19 December 8, 2003 Vice Chairman Winton: OK. Mr. Gustafson: Broadly speaking. Chairman Teele: Now -- and my unreadiness has been -- First of all, I would like to support this, but with the proviso that we're going to review this in 120 days, 90 to 120 days. Because the critical component of this is TEA-21. TEA-21 is going to happen whether we do anything or not, and there's an opportunity out there -- it's probably going to be in excess of a hundred million dollars ($100,000,000). The reason that Mr. Abrams, who represents us -- he's not our lobbyist. He's our governmental representative. But that firni in Washington -- what is it, Katz Kutter? -- is to make sure that the concerns that you just raised are on the table, and that we are focusing on this. And we don't have a shot if we don't have something moving between now and the end of March, end of -- it's probably going to get extended, given what's going on right now. But I spoke to one of the members of the authorizing committee from Florida, and there is going to be more than a hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) in that pot, apparently, and all of the money hasn't been called for. So I think it would be crazy not to at least examine what our potential is. Now, as it relates to the project itself, Tom, and the demonstration project, I am very, very, very uncomfortable with how you continue to characterize it. Because what I thought we were dealing with is a narrow gauge railroad demonstration project, which is not a transit project. Every time you say "transit," I cringe because transit -- First of all, by County Charter and dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah we need to be in another -- This is a parking -- this is a low-cost parking solution. And this is more of a -- The Denver system, which I was very pleased to be the person who inaugurated, funded it and inaugurated, is a rubber tire system, and it absolutely changed downtown Denver. And it does nothing but puts a rubber track system that goes in a rectangle downtown, and nobody walks -- nobody rides anywhere. Everybody just gets onto the bus system, and they go down four blocks, and they do this, and they do that. And it really has created a tremendous commercial energy and dynamic character, especially during lunch in downtown. And that's more of what we're talking about, is a system that really is designed to move -- to facilitate the movement of people from their cars to destinations, and back and forth. It's not a transit system, and to characterize this as a transit system, I think, is going to, first of all, all the transit planners at the County nervous. It's going to get, you know, the regional transportation people nervous. And the more we talk about the linkages of east/west, which I'm telling you, is dead, at least in some of the neighborhoods it's got to through, Spring Garden and others, I think it gets it real complicated. And I think, also, Tom, to the extent that we continue to tie the port, you know, as a condition, it.makes it a lot more difficult for this board to swallow. That's not within our jurisdiction. I do think, if we start talking about how we're going to provide parking, as we started out with the Grand Promenade, which the first speaker, Mr. Cohen, talked about, which we're talking about putting a four hundred million dollar ($400,000,000) museum complex. Board Member Sanchez: Ballpark. Chairman Teele: Three hundred million, four hundred million. Board Member Sanchez: Ballpark. 20 December 8, 2003 Chairman Teele: Three hundred, four hundred million dollar ($400,000,000) museum complex. This becomes a very important component to solving the parking problem that we have there; otherwise, we're going to turn Bayfront Park into a parking lot. And so, then we need to be looking at what the Performing Arts Center people think about all of this. And I think, particularly, what Johnny alluded to, is our own City of Miami transportation professionals need to be brought into the loop. And to the extent, you know, that over the next 90 to 120 days, we can facilitate those, plus let our Washington people -work with us, I'm all for it. Because I think the alternative is going to be to start talking about building the kinds of parking facilities for the museum in the park that are going to be so astronomical that it could very well wind up being a deal killer, in my opinion. We've got the land pretty much to be able to tie the Grand Promenade -- that's the abandoned railroad right-of-way, between lot" and 11"' Street -- all the way over to Bicentennial Park, with one small section that we're missing. And this becomes a cheap way to move people and to provide parking, in my opinion. So I support it in that context, but I do not support this in the context that this is a transit, and I hope that you'll strike the use of the word "transit," because it is not transit in the traditional sense. This is a narrow gauge railroad designed to be able to provide, literally, a lateral elevator. It's nothing but an elevator system. Mr. Gustafson: It's a parking shuttle, to be precise, and I used parking shuttle in the presentation. It is also, if you want to grab some money from the feds, it's technically community transit, and you use both terms, depending upon whose pot you're fishing -- Chairman Teele: I understand. Mr. Gustafson: But it is parking shuttle primarily. Vice Chairman Winton: Well, could I ask -- could I understand something more about the demonstration project, then? Are you suggesting, in order for us to get the money, that we have to already have the demonstration project in place? Mr. Gustafson: No. You could go with a properly written request and get past your intermodal facility improvements under the current draft of the federal DDT's TEA-21 Reauthorization Bill, and not have any demonstration. But I heard the word "local commitment," and that counts a lot. And to the extent you're starting to try to figure out how to build the smallest version of this yourself, it shows a local commitment and rises your stock in ternis of the -- Vice Chairman Winton: I understand that clearly. Mr. Gustafson: It's not essential. Vice Chairman Winton: No, I understand that clearly. That's not the question. I'm trying to understand, if we had to come up with fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) to build a demonstration project, that isn't going to happen today, tomorrow, or the next day. Chairman Teele: Johnny -- Vice Chairman Winton: So -- 21 December 8, 2003 Chairman Teele: Let me say this. I don't necessarily agree with you. Let me tell you why. Light transit, if this system were to be proposed and moved along the line, we could bring an economists that would show that the real -- the property values along this proposed right-of-way would increase to the point that it would pay for itself. So, you could, in effect, do what we did, you know, and it was very painful and I was the horrible, guy then in 1980, when I came down and told downtown, if you want the people mover, you've got to put in a benefit district. And after a lot of, you know, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah and Herald dragging me through the mud, again, they basically voted to do the benefit district. And the benefit district paid for the local match, but you know, it was one of those horrible things that we were proposing to do. So what I'm saying, Johnny, is even if you just look at a bond issue, the growth of the rail system would pay for the twelve million dollars ($12,000,000). Vice Chairman Winton: I guess I said that incorrectly. I'm not -- I'm very convinced of the need to do this. I think the idea is outstanding. I'm a hundred percent in support of creating this -- I called it transit. I'm one of the guys that called it transit because I didn't know any other name for it. It moves people around, so that's -- Mr. Gustafson: Parking shuttle. Vice Chairman Winton: Yeah, OK. But we're not going to get -- with all the other priorities we have, this isn't going to suddenly jump to the front of the line. If it counts as a demonstration project, if there is some formal commitment to begin a process, locally, that may lead to this getting done, and the commitment is we start the feasibility studies and we do some of those things, if that begins to count as a demonstration project by that kind of action, then I think we've got a real shot. And so, I was just trying to understand, if we start the process, does that count as a demonstration project, or do you have to have it finished? Chairman Teele: Because it hasn't been authorized, nobody can answer that definitively. But Tomas probably said the most important thing, and that is, it really gets down to raw politics, at the end of the day. After it's all said and done, if we get someone like a Mario -- like a Bill Lehman was, it happens. And if you don't have that, it is not going to happen. Mr. Gustafson: And they've got to know you really want to do it. So if you don't do a demonstration, you've go to do other things to show that commitment, and there are other things to do instead of the demonstration project. I can take your direction in that regard, whichever direction you go. Vice Chairman Winton: What's the proposed effective date of this agreement? Mr. Rollason: It would be effective immediately. We would get into it because of the time constraints that we have to put together our packages for January and February. I mean, it's pretty fast track. Vice Chairman Winton: The packages are going to get put together to go to Washington -- 22 December 8, 2003 Mr. Rollason: Right. Chairman Teele: You've got to -- Mr. Rollason: And the State. Chairman Teele: -- have something up there like really the first of January. Mr. Rollason: Right. I mean, it's got to be now. That's why we did a supplemental to get this on here. Vice Chainnan Winton: (INAUDIBLE) you said we're going to revisit this thing at the end of -- Chairman Teele: I want to revisit this thing at the end of April to see where we are. Mr. Rollason: See what's happened at the federal level and how we're going to go forward. And that's why we want to write it in a way so we can run it per month and then -- Chairman Teele: Further discussion -- Board Member Regalado: Remember -- Chairman Teele: -- on the motion. Commissioner Regalado. Board Member Regalado: Just brief. Remember that when the County people did the campaign for the half percent tax for transportation. They all kept saying, if we don't do this, there is no way that Washington is going to consider any more dollars. If we do it, then we have a great shot at it. I think that -- You see, this has all the scenarios for a good public relations item for Congress; in a redevelopment zone, near the port, a city that is the poorest, an area that is trying to come back as sort of a South Beach, as mentioned by Mr. Cohen before. You know, to me, from the political point of view, money for this project will be very well explained if we have a person pushing for to the other colleagues in Congress. So, you know, I think that we do have a shot at it, and it serves well just to try. Chairman Teele: All those in favor of the motion, as amended, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. Chainnan Teele: All those opposed have the same right. The vote is 4/0. 23 December 8, 2003 The following resolution was introduced by Board Member Sanchez, who moved for its adoption: SEOPW/CRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-95 OMNI/CRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-63 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST AND OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO GENERAL COUNSEL, WITH NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY'S CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND LEADERSHIP AT THE FISCHLER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000 FOR PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO PURSUE FUNDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREAS. (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Vice Chairman Winton, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez Chairman Teele: All right. Mr. Gustafson: Mr. Chairman. Chairman Teele: Item -- Mr. Gustafson: Can I just get con -- As amended, tell me what got amended, so I -- Chairman Teele: All right. The staff will do that. Mr. Rollason: We'll -- Mr. Gustafson: Thank you. 24 December 8, 2003 Chainnan Teele: City -- the Attorney will. 25 December 8, 2003 0 • 3. DIRECT HARVEY, BRANKER & ASSOCIATES, CPA CONSULTANTS, PROVIDE WRITTEN FINANCIAL REPORTS TO CRA BOARD MEMBERS AT EVERY CRA BOARD MEETING, INCLUDING OUTSTANDING ISSUES LISTED IN CRA AUDIT. Chairman Teele: OK. Number 3 is the -- Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): Number 3 is the monthly financial report, as of the end of October. Carlton Branker: Carlton Branker, with Harvey, Branker & Associates for the record. It's a pleasure to be back before you all, again, at the -- Chairman Teele: Are there any negative matters that we need to be aware of or concern -- Mr. Branker: As of this point, no. Board Member Sanchez: Reported conditions? Mr. Branker: Reportable conditions. We'll continue to work on the items that are in the Internal Audit Report and the audit that the auditors has. Some of those matters have been resolved. Some of them, we continue to work on. Board Member Sanchez: Could you at least provide us on what updates, what corrections -- Vice Chairman Winton: Yeah. Board Member Sanchez: -- have been made? At least, a written reports, so you just don't come up here and say we're working on it. I mean -- Vice Chairman Winton: Yeah. A written report (INAUDIBLE) -- Board Member Sanchez: A written report of -- Vice Chairman Winton: -- on outstanding issues from the audit. Board Member Sanchez: From the audit. Mr. Branker: What we'll do is -- we -- I think on -- maybe about two board meetings ago, we did that spreadsheet on what -- Board Member Sanchez: It should be every board meeting. Mr. Branker: No problem. Board Member Sanchez: Every board meeting we need to have the proper documentation that the CRA's taking the appropriate steps to correct those issues. 26 December 8, 2003 0 i Vice Chairman Winton: And show what outstanding items are still there, so we've got clear view -- Mr. Branker: What we'll do is -- Vice Chairman Winton: -- and each -- Mr. Rollason: There are 14 of them, and they are on that matrix, and they were updated the last time we gave you the report. And we will -- I can do that on a regular basis. Chairman Teele: And the board is asking that -- Mr. Rollason: We can do that on -= Chairman Teele: Mr. Winton is moving, and Commissioner Sanchez is seconding that the report contain -- be in writing for each board meeting, including showing those that are outstanding. Mr. Rollason: All right. We can make it a part of the financial report. Vice Chairman Winton: OK. Chairman Teele: Is there objection? All those in favor, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. Chairman Teele: All opposed? The following motion was introduced by Vice Chainnan Winton, who moved its adoption: SEOPW/CRA MOTION NO. 03-96 OMNI/CRA MOTION NO. 03-64 A MOTION DIRECTING HARVEY, BRANKER & ASSOCIATES, CPA CONSULTANTS, TO PROVIDE WRITTEN FINANCIAL REPORTS TO THE CRA BOARD MEMBERS AT EVERY CRA BOARD MEETING, INCLUDING OUTSTANDING ISSUES LISTED IN THE CRA AUDIT. 27 December 8, 2003 9 0 Upon being seconded by Board Member Sanchez, the motion was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez 28 December 8, 2003 4. EXTEND ADDITIONAL EIGHT MONTHS PILOT PROGRAM FOR SEED FUNDING TO BE MADE' AVAILABLE TO GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION AND VISITORS' BUREAU, INC., AND ALL' HOTELS WITHIN MIAMI, FOR MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES RELATED TO EVENTS CATERING TO DIGNITARIES, CONSULATES, FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS OFFICIALS, CONVENTIONS, CONFERENCES, AND MEETINGS UTILIZING MARGARET PACE PARK. Chairman Teele: Item Number 3 -- 4. Board Member Sanchez: So moved, Mr. Chairman. Chairman Teele: Moved by Commissioner Sanchez. Board Member Regalado: Second. Chairman Teele: Second. Is there objection? All in favor, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. The following resolution was introduced by Board Member Sanchez, who moved for its adoption: OMNFCRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-65 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY EXTENDING FOR AN ADDITIONAL EIGHT (8) MONTHS THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR SEED FUNDING TO BE'MADE AVAILABLE TO THE GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, INC., AND ALL HOTELS WITHIN THE CITY OF MIAMI, FOR MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES RELATED TO EVENTS CATERING TO DIGNITARIES, CONSULATES, FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS OFFICIALS, CONVENTIONS, CONFERENCES, AND MEETINGS UTILIZING MARGARET PACE PARK. 29 December 8, 2003 0 • (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Board Member Regalado, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzdlez 30 December 8, 2003 0 5. RATIFY ACTIONS OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN BINDING DIRECTORS' AND OFFICERS' LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE WITH NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY OF PITTSBURGH, PA. Chairman Teele: Item Number 5. Board Member Sanchez: So move, Mr. Chairman. Chairman Teele:' Is there a second? Vice Chairman Winton: Here, here. Yes. Chairman Teele: Is there objection? Board Member Sanchez: Objection? Chairman Teele: All those in favor, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. The following resolution was introduced by Board Member Sanchez, who moved for its adoption: SEOPW/CRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-97 OMNI/CRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-66 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/ PARK WEST AND OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES RATIFYING THE ACTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN BINDING DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE WITH NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY OF PITTSBURGH, PA; FUNDS TO BE ALLOCATED FROM ACCOUNT CODE NO. 689004.550011.6.650. 31 December 8, 2003 (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Vice Chairman Winton, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez 32 December 8, 2003 6. AUTHORIZE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO AGREEMENT FOR EXTERNAL AUDITING SERVICES FOR FISCAL YEARS '03 AND '04, WITH SANSON, KLINE, JACOMINO & COMPANY, LLP, $55,000, FOR BASIC AUDIT SERVICES FOR FY '03. Chairman Teele: Item Number 6. Vice Chairman Winton: Well, I'm not going to -- just so my -- There doesn't seem to be a motion, and I'm not in favor of retaining KPMG (Klynveld, Peat, Moss, Goerdeler) to do our audit. Board Member Sanchez: OK. Vice Chairman Winton: They were our auditors when we got in a mess. They didn't report to this board until we asked them a question, almost two years into the audit phase. We said, "Where's our management letter for this year." Well, we haven't done this year because the second year audit was supposed to be done, and they didn't even have the prior year's audit done. And so -- and they report to the board -- Chairman Teele: Move -- Vice Chairman Winton: -- but they chose not to come to us. Chairman Teele: Move that it be tabled. Board Member Regalado: Fire them. Vice Chairman Winton: Yeah. Chairman Teele: Motion to table this item. Board Member Sanchez: Second. Vice Chairman Winton: And bring back -- Board Member Regalado: What do you mean, tabled? Not to hire KPMG? Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): We have this -- Chairman Teele: Well, if we're not going to act on it, then we'll basically send him instructions to bring back -- Mr. Rollason: We have the second one on there. I mean, we're at the point that we need to bring an auditor on board to not be behind in the process for the external auditing. I mean, we can award it to the second -- ' 33 December 8, 2003 Board Member Regalado: I move that we fire -- Chairman Teele: Well, you don't have to fire -- Don't say "fire." Board Member Sanchez: No, no, no, no, no. Board Member Regalado: Why not? Chairman Teele: Just say move -- Board Member Regalado: Johnny's right, you know. We take the heat. Chairman Teele: We? Board Member Regalado: You, you. Board Member Sanchez: Mr. Chairman. Chairman Teele: What do you mean "we?" Board Member Sanchez: Mr. Chairman. Board Member Regalado: No, you. ' You, first and then we. Chainnan Teele: "Tanto, what do you mean, we, white man?" Board Member Regalado: No, no, no. I mean -- Chairman Teele: We're surrounded by Indians. Board Member Sanchez: Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman. Board Member Regalado: No, no, no, no. The thing is, the only way to send a message is to be firni. So, you know, if you don't want to call them fired, say "dismissed." Chairman Teele: Well, why don't we just say we're retaining -- Mr. Rollason: They are not -- excuse me just a minute. They are not hired now. They are not our auditor now. They completed the audit for '02. We -- Chairman Teele: Mr. Attorney -- Mr. Attorney, what is the appropriate motion, given the fact that we have a first -rated firm and we're proposing to go to a second -rated firm? James Villacorta (Assistant City Attorney): You can amend the motion. Chairman Teele: No, we have no motion. 34 December 8, 2003 0 11 Board Member Sanchez: There is no motion. I could make a motion directing -- Mr. Rollason: There's a resolution. Chairman Teele: Tell us what to do. Mr. Villacorta: Make a motion to -- Vice Chairman Winton: You need to speak into the mike, too. Board Member Sanchez: To renegotiate. Vice Chairman Winton: It's (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Mr. Villacorta: Make a motion to award to the second -ranked bidder. Vice Chairman Winton: And the second -ranked bidder is qualified? Mr. Villacorta: Yes. Vice Chairman Winton: Yes? Is that a yes? Mr. Villacorta: An RFP (Request for Proposals) was issued? Board Member Sanchez: And who is the second? Mr. Villacorta: Sanson, Kline -- Chairman Teele: Sanson -- Board Member Sanchez: So moved, Mr. Chairman. Vice Chairman Winton: Second. Chairman Teele: Is there objection? All those in favor, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. Chairman Teele: All opposed? 35 December 8, 2003 The following resolution was introduced by Board Member Sanchez, who moved for its adoption: SEOPW/CRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-98 OMNI/CRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-67 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/ PARK WEST AND OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT FOR EXTERNAL AUDITING SERVICES FOR FISCAL YEARS '03 AND '04, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO CRA GENERAL COUNSEL, WITH SANSON, KLINE, JACOMINO & COMPANY, LLP IN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $55,000 FOR BASIC AUDIT SERVICES FOR FY '03. (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Vice Chairman Winton, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez Chairman Teele: With instructions, Frank, that they have got to basically complete the audit before the City completes its audit. Because the problem that I have with using the City auditor is the City auditor does the City's -- they close the books, and any adjustments that need to be made, you're locked out. Mr. Rollason: Waiting. Right. And that's one of the reasons we want to get rolling, because we want to be a little bit ahead of the curve to work with the City and have it done. Vice Chairman Winton: Great. 36 December 8, 2003 7. AUTHORIZE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT TO CRAS' CONTRACT FOR GENERAL ENGINEERING SERVICES WITH H.J. ROSS ASSOCIATES, INC.; INCREASE AMOUNT BY $ i 00,000.00; $75,000 ALLOCATED FROM SEOPW TIF ACCOUNT AND $25,000 FROM OMNI TIF ACCOUNT. Chairman Teele: Item Number 7. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): This is an item that authorizes an increase in the capability with H.J. Ross to go to the amount that's available off the City contract from 600 to 700. Again, for the expenditures, we have to come back before the board. This just puts that piece in place, so that we can go forward. I'm -- Vice Chainnan Winton: And we're not authorizing anything. You just (INAUDIBLE) bring -- Mr. Rollason: Not in expenditure. This is to increase the amount. Vice Chairman Winton: So moved. Chairman Teele: Is there a second? Board Member Sanchez: Second. Chairman Teele: Is there objection? All those in favor, signify by the sign of "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. Chairman Teele: All opposed? The following resolution was introduced by Vice Chairman Winton, who moved for its adoption: SEOPW/CRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-99 OMNFCRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-68 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/ PARK WEST AND OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT. AGENCIES ("CRAS") AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO GENERAL COUNSEL, TO THE CRAS' CONTRACT FOR GENERAL ENGINEERING SERVICES WITH H.J. ROSS ASSOCIATES, INC. TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF THE CONTRACT BY $100,000.00; $75,000 TO BE ALLOCATED FROM SEOPW TIF ACCOUNT CODE NO. 689001.550108.6.270 AND $25,000 FROM OMNI TIF ACCOUNT CODE NO. 686001.590320.6.270. 37 December 8, 2003 M • (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Board Member Sanchez, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chainnan Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez 38 December 8, 2003 8. AUTHORIZE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE AMENDED AND RESTATED GRANT AGREEMENT WITH JACKSON SOUL FOOD, INC. AND SHIRLENE E. INGRAHAM, $920,000.00 FOR RENOVATION AND/OR EXPANSION OF JACKSON SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT, 950 N.W. 3RD AVENUE, MIAMI. Chairman Teele: Number S. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): Number 8 is the final step of coming back before you of the -- one of the three. This is the Jackson Soul Food -- Chairman Teele: 8, 9 and 10 are companion items. One is Jackson Soul Food. One is Just Right Barber -- Mr. Rollason: Right, but 9 and 10 have to be deferred because the owner of those shops has taken the position that he wants it further reviewed by his attorney. He's done that -- Chairman Teele: All right. Mr. Rollason: -- and there are some issues. But 8 is -- Vice Chairman Winton: So move S. Mr. Rollason: Jackson Soul Food's ready to go. Vice Chairman Winton: All right. Chairman Teele: Is there a second? Board Member Sanchez: Second. Chairman Teele: OK. On the motion, I would like for it to be' amended. Where is the -- Who is the consulting -- Mr. Rollason: On the project? Chairman Teele: Who's the engineering consultant on this? Mr. Rollason: H.J. Ross. Chainnan Teele: Is there a representative here? Mr. Rollason: Yes. Chuck Deeb is here. Chairman Teele: Chuck. You know, one of the concerns that's in the community now, and I've heard this -- I have not heard this directly from the owners of Jackson Soul Food, but I've heard it from the employees, and that is this -- you know, the operation was a success, but the patient 39 December 8, 2003 died. We've got to make sure that the restaurant is closed for the minimum period of time, for the minimum period of time. Vice Chairman Winton: Absolutely. Chairman Teele: And -- because Jackson Soul Food, believe it or not, is the largest employer in Overtown in the redevelopment authority. People's Barbecue, actually, is larger in total number of employees. Those people are being told that this thing could shut them down for a period of time. And what I would like, at the next meeting, is for you all to come back and give us whatever options we have to constrain the period of closing, you know, just like this is a private sector, so that everybody's not working from Monday to Friday and dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. So, we really need to look at that. And if there's going to be costs associated with that, we need to know that and then make a detennination of that. But what -- Board Member Sanchez: Mr. Chainnan. Chainnan Teele: -- we will have a horrible experience will be is if this restaurant winds up closing and then -- and, you know, people are put out of work and all of that kind of stuff. Mr. Executive Director. . Mr. Rollason: In the agreement that has been signed off by the owners is the scope of services. We were asked to make sure that they were in agreement with. We incorporated that into it, and along with that is a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) chart on how long to be closed. And, also, he has informed us that he plans on relocating, as long as we give him the time frame. And he plans to be up and operational while we're doing this work. Vice Chairman Winton: Good. Mr. Rollason: So, we have worked and met with him, and with Shirley, also, and they're set to go with the time frames. Vice Chairman Winton: So, he's going to do a temporary location that is going to -- Mr. Rollason: That's the last information -- Vice Chairman Winton: -- be open while we're doing this. Mr. Rollason: -- he gave us. He wants enough lead time so that he can temporarily move and crank up. Chairman Teele: All right. Would you bring that back at the next board meeting, and give us what options we have to constrain the closing period? That's the main thing. And, you know, it's not the owner as much as I'm worried about are the employees. Mr. Rollason: I understand. But as far as we go now, we'll be able to go forward -- 40 December 8, 2003 Chairman Teele: We're going forward, yeah. Mr. Rollason: OK. Chairman Teele: Unreadiness? All those in favor of Item Number 8, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. The following resolution was introduced by Vice Chairman Winton, who moved for its adoption: SEOPW/CRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-100 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA") AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE AN AMENDED AND RESTATED GRANT AGREEMENT, IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE ATTACHED FORM, WITH JACKSON SOUL FOOD, INC. AND SHIRLENE E. INGRAHAM IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $920,000.00 FOR THE RENOVATION AND/OR EXPANSION OF JACKSON SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT AT 950 N.W. 3RD AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA. (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Board Member Sanchez, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez 41 December 8, 2003 u u 9. DEFER CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED GRANT AGREEMENT WITH ABC WILLIAMS ASSOCIATES, INC., 1133 N.W. 3" AVENUE, AND TWO GUYS RESTAURANT, 1135 N.W. 3RD AVENUE, TO PERFORM STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS TO BUILDINGS. Chairman Teele: Motion to defer items Number 9 and 10 at the request -- Board Member Sanchez: Second. Motion. Chairman Teele: Moved by -- Board Member Regalado: Second. Chairman Teele: Is there objection? All those in favor, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. The following motion was introduced by Board Member Sanchez, who moved its adoption: SEOPW/CRA MOTION NO. 03-101 A MOTION TO DEFER CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED GRANT AGREEMENT WITH ABC WILLIAMS ASSOCIATES, INC., D/B/A JUST RIGHT BARBERSHOP, AT 1133 N.W. 3RD AVENUE, AND TWO GUYS RESTAURANT, AT 1135 N.W. 3RD AVENUE, TO PERFORM STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BUILDINGS. Upon being seconded by Board Member Regalado, the motion was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: ' None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez 42 December 8, 2003 0 • 10. AUTHORIZE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO TRANSFER $1,000,000.00 FROM SEOPW TIF ACCOUNT ENTITLED "LAND" TO SEOPW TIF ACCOUNT ENTITLED "PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OTHER" $218,924.00, SEOPW TIF ACCOUNT ENTITLED "CONSTRU.CTION IN PROGRESS" $781,076.00, FOR PURPOSES OF PAYING OUTSTANDING INVOICES ASSOCIATED WITH DESIGN, ENGINEERING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, AND CONSTRUCTION; DIRECT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO PURSUE CDBG FUNDING ALL PROJECT -RELATED EXPENSES FROM MIAMI DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. Chainnan Teele: Item Number 11. Frank Rollason-(Executive Director, CRA): Item Number 11 is a transfer of funds out of an existing account with TIF (Tax Increment Fund) money to make payments to various contractors and consultants that have done work in three areas dealing with the Grand Promenade, the 9"' Street Pedestrian Mall -- Chairman Teele: Is there a motion? Vice Chairman Winton: So move. .Chairman Teele: Is there a second? Board Member Regalado: Second. . Chairman Teele: Is there objection? All those in favor, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. 43 December 8, 2003 The following resolution was introduced by Vice Chairman Winton, who moved for its adoption: SEOPW/CRA RESOLUTION NO. 03-102 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA") AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO TRANSFER FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,000,000.00 FROM SEOPW TIF ACCOUNT CODE NO. 689001.550108.6.810, ENTITLED "LAND," TO SEOPW TIF ACCOUNT CODE NO. 689001.550108.6.270, ENTITLED "PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OTHER," IN THE AMOUNT OF $218,924.00 AND TO SEOPW TIF ACCOUNT CODE NO. 689001.550108.6.860, ENTITLED "CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS," IN THE AMOUNT OF $781,076.00, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING OUTSTANDING INVOICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESIGN, ENGINEERING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS: THE 3RD AVENUE EXTENSION TO THE N.W. 9TH STREET PEDESTRIAN MALL, THE N.W. 9TH STREET PEDESTRIAN MALL EXPANSION - SIDEWALKS, CURB AND GUTTER, AND THE N.W. 9TH STREET PEDESTRIAN MALL EXPANSION - GRAND PROMENADE INTERIM RENOVATION; AMENDING RESOLUTIONS NO. SEOPW/CRA R-01-45, R-02-132, R-03-32, R-03-44, R-03-54, R-03-55, R-03-62 TO REFLECT THE CHANGE IN FUNDING FROM CDBG CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT CODE NO. 799126.452502.6.930; AND FURTHER, DIRECTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO PURSUE CDBG FUNDING ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS OF ALL PROJECT RELATED EXPENSES FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WITH ANY FUNDS RECEIVED TO BE USED TO REPLENISH SEOPW TIF ACCOUNT CODE NO. 689001.550108.6.810. (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Board Member Regalado, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez 44 December 8, 2003 11. DIRECT CRA LEGAL COUNSEL TO INITIATE LEGISLATION CREATING SEVEN MEMBER BOARD TO' OVERSEE CRA; OVERSIGHT PANEL TO ISSUE REPORT TO CRA BOARD WITHIN 90 DAYS OF ESTABLISHMENT, PERIODIC REPORTS THEREAFTER AND FINAL REPORT AT END OF ONE, YEAR, INCLUDING CRA GOALS, FINANCIAL PENDING PROJECTS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. Chairman Teele: Item Number 12 is the Item number -- Commissioner Sanchez. Board Member Sanchez: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, in February 24 of 2003, the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) had a meeting, and in that meeting we basically discussed several remedies to take place -- Is this on? Chairman Teele: Yeah. Board Member Sanchez: -- at the CRA, and we presented a couple legislative actions to be taken. One was the audit that we voted on having the audit, which the audit came back and revealed -- well, the outcome of the audit, which I'm not going to get into, but this legislative body approved that audit and we basically, also, voted on abolishing the CRA Board and replacing it with a stakeholder motion, and I'll present it. I have the minutes here, but just wanted to -- In light of the audit and the outcome of the audit, and basically the ton of negative media coverage that we've received at the CRA and also, basically losing a lot of faith from the public, I'm asking the legislative body of the CRA to revisit again and vote on creating an oversight board. That board -- at the last meeting, there were some concerns that were brought forth by Commissioner Teele and, also, Commissioner Winton and some other board -- So, basically -- they basically said, "Look, let's waif for the audit and see what the audit comes back and then we'll take the appropriate action." It was very healthy debate that we had, and in the minutes, we basically had all the Commissioners agree that we wanted to sit back and wait for that audit. Well, the audit came out and some of the things that came out didn't surprise us in the audit, but it confirmed our worst fears. So, right now, what I suggest that we do is that we continue forward with that oversight board, and I know that, Commissioner Teele, you had a concern that was a very good concern -- and I did some research on the minutes -- and that was that if we put together an oversight board, you wanted it to be in compliant, or following the rules of Chapter 163. So, in light of that, we basically looked at the parameters of the CRA, and although we follow that Charter, the Florida Charter, a lot of mechanisms in place that take place pertain to development, pertains to planning, pertains to marketing, pertains to a lot of things. So the panel would be put together and initiate a report 90 days after it is seated, and it would make periodic reports to the CRA for one year. One year after it's seated, the panel will make a final report on the CRA goals, financial, pending projects and future directions, and then be sunsetted (sic). So we're talking about implementing an oversight board for one year, at which time one year after the date it's adopted, would sunset. Each CRA member would appoint one person. That would be one person to a 5-member panel, and that's open for debate, if you would like to have the Mayor appoint someone to be a part of that oversight board. Chairman Teele: Would you object to the Mayor having two appointments -- Vice Chairman Winton: Yeah. 45 December 8, 2003 Chairman Teele: -- and the board being seven? Board Member Sanchez: No, sir, I would not. In consideration, qualified individuals should be considered for the field of accounting, real estate, development, redevelopment, planning, banking, and, of course, law. (UNINTELLIGIBLE). The blue ribbon panel members will serve without compensation. I'm malting a motion that the City Attorney create legislation for such a body, and, of course, it is my understanding that a joint resolution of the CRA making a recommendation to the City Commission creating an oversight committee for the CRA, at which time I'm prepared to make that motion. So move. Vice Chairman Winton: Second. Chairman Teele: It's so moved and seconded. Vice Chairman Winton: Second. Chairman Teele: Is there objection? Is there discussion? As amended, it would include two people appointed by the Mayor for a 7-member board. Madam Clerk -- Board Member Regalado: Mr. Chairman, question. I'm in favor of the oversight board, although the creation of the oversight board is not an admission of guilt by this board, but we need, like Commissioner Sanchez said, the people that are really interested in doing the right thing in this area -- Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): Mr. Chairman. Board Member Regalado: -- people with expertise, but I'd like to know, is this like a board that we experienced in the City, or is this a board that will be recommending to the CRA Board? That's your idea, right? Board Member Sanchez: If I may? Vice Chairman Teele: Commissioner Sanchez. Board Member Sanchez: First of all, in no way or form is anyone here pointing the finger at anyone or making accusations at anyone. The reason why we're doing this is basically -- You have seen the media. You have.-- each and every one of us have been questioned on the matter. It is an embarrassment. Although, I must state for the record that Frank Rollason has done a great staff -- a great job. His staff has really straightened up the CRA. We are making progress. You could see that the agenda now is moving forward. There -- everything on the agenda has, you know, backup material. I mean, we are making forward, but, still, there is that doubt, and what we're trying to do is get this train back on track, and I feel that just -- a blue ribbon committee, as it has been done in the past, each Commissioner will appoint an individual who could bring something, bring integrity and credibility to this board, and to have these professionals -- people that are professionals in our community -- make recommendations to 46 December 8, 2003 improve the credibility of the CRA. So what I'm suggesting here is that -- and I'm prepared to yield and have Commissioner Teele make the appointment as to the legal person -- Chairman Teele: No. Board Member Sanchez: -- who could bring in the expertise of Chapter 163, but what I would ask all my colleagues is that we appoint people that could bring a specialty to this board. You know, I --just on that note, I also stated that -- you know, there was a motion made to abolish the CRA Board, and as a matter of fact, it is on the record that we did vote on having the current legis -- sitting body removed and have shareholders of the community in place, and as a matter of fact, the attorney was supposed to get back 30 days to start the process, however, that has not been made; and I'm not pushing that now because I want to make something very clear. In the minutes, several Commissioners made the point that, you know, if we back out now, people are going to think we're not accepting responsibility, so I take that at heart and I think that we should stay as the legislative body of the CRA, until we're able to complete this oversight board report. If it comes back at the over board -- oversight board makes that recommendation that the existing body is a conflict of interest with the body, then we're prepared to deal with that at that time, but it is very important -- and I emphasize on my colleagues -- that we appoint people that are going to bring an expertise to this board to help this board, get credibility and transparency, and, of course, to try to get the faith back of the people that we serve in this community. Chairman Teele: Did you have further comments, Commissioner Regalado? Board Member Regalado: No. I support that board. I just wanted to know. As a matter of fact, I'm -- After we vote on this, I'm ready to move my nominee. Commissioner Sanchez: Well, if I may, I think that we need -- the City Commission also needs to vote on this. Chairman Teele: The City Commission needs to vote. Board Member Regalado: Yeah, but I'm going to say it publicly because it's in time -- it's in line with what Commissioner Sanchez is looking for and what all the board's members are looking for, so I will propose to the City Commission a person that I think understands development and redevelopment, and has worked in the City and the County for many years. I will ask the City Commission to approve Assistant County Manager Tony Crapp, Sr. So this is the kind of person that I think would serve in this board and will bring credibility to the CRA. So I just -- Commissioner Sanchez: Mr. Chairman. Board Member Regalado: -- I just think that this is the kind of person that we're looking for. Commissioner Sanchez: Mr. Chairman, if we were -- It's an excellent appointee, but I suggest 'that we pass it here as a joint resolution. It'll be voted at the City Commission, and at that time, you know, everyone could make their appointees. 47 December 8, 2003 0 1 0 Vice Chairman Winton: Call the question. Chairman Teele: The question has been called. All those in favor, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. Chairman Teele: All opposed? The following resolution was introduced by Board Member Sanchez, who moved for its adoption: SEOPW/CRA MOTION NO. 03-103 OMNI/CRA MOTION NO. 03-69 A MOTION DIRECTING THE LEGAL COUNSEL OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY (CRA) TO INITIATE LEGISLATION CREATING A SEVEN (7) MEMBER BOARD, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS CONTAINED IN CHAPTER 163 OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES, TO OVERSEE THE CRA; FURTHER STIPULATING THAT SAID OVERSIGHT PANEL IS TO ISSUE A REPORT TO THE CRA BOARD WITHIN 90 DAYS OF BEING ESTABLISHED, PERIODIC REPORTS THEREAFTER AND A FINAL REPORT AT THE END OF ONE YEAR, INCLUDING THE CRA GOALS, FINANCIAL PENDING PROJECTS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS; SAID OVERSIGHT PANEL IS TO SUNSET AT THE END OF ONE YEAR AND IS TO BE COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE QUALIFIED IN THE FIELDS OF ACCOUNTING, REAL ESTATE, DEVELOPMENT, REDEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, BANKING AND LAW, WITH EACH CRA BOARD MEMBER APPOINTING ONE INDIVIDUAL AND THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF MIAMI APPOINTING TWO INDIVIDUALS; FURTHER DIRECTING CRA LEGAL COUNSEL TO PREPARE JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE CRA MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY OF MIAMI COMMISSION CREATING AN OVERSIGHT PANEL OF THE CRA. 48 December 8, 2003 (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Vice Chairman Winton, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez Chairman Teele: Now, on the issue that's before us, did you have another item on that? Board Member Sanchez: Yes, sir. I would also make a motion that recommends that prior to voting on any agenda item involving HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) fund, the board be provided with a written documentation that the Executive Director has met with the Director of the City Community Development Department and a representative of the local HUD office, and has been assured by both parties that the intended use of federal field is appropriate. So move. Board Member Regalado: Second. Vice Chairman Winton: On the surface, that sounds good -- Chainnan Teele: It's CYA. Vice Chairman Winton: -- but I'm concerned about the law of unintended consequences, again, because I don't know where that takes -- I don't know where the -- I have the sense that there's some danger in that, but I can't tell you what it is. It's gut only and -- Board Member Sanchez: That's exactly the same thing you said last time. Vice Chairman Winton: Yeah. And that's the -- Chairman Teele: He's consistent. Board Member Sanchez: He's consistent. Vice Chairman Winton: Yeah. Well, I am because I like to see where my actions are taking me, and if I can't see where it really goes and it's all muddled, I don't like to take that action because I don't want.to have to -- I hate having to un-create a mess that I created because I couldn't think through what the repercussions of that move would be, and I would like to talk to some other 49 December 8, 2003 • 0 people about this and understand -- Would you mind if we brought that back to the next meeting? Board Member Sanchez: Not at all. Vice Chairman Winton: And then I'll see if I can't understand it better. Board Member Sanchez: We'll defer it to the next meeting. Really, there's no malice intent or harm (INAUDIBLE). Vice Chairman Winton: No, I know that. Board Member Sanchez: It's very clean cut. Vice Chairman Winton: I know there's no malice. You're -- I'm not questioning your motive, at all, so I just want to understand more about where I think it might go, and then I'll tell you. Board Member Sanchez: I'm prepared to defer the item to the next CRA meeting. Vice Chairman Winton: OK. Chairman Teele: All right. Anything else? Board Member Sanchez: No, sir. Thank you. Chainnan Teele: All right. Let me just say this. The item has been on the agenda regarding the audit, and I want to be very, very clear. First and foremost, I, too, air deeply troubled about -- I think someone said the ton of publicity about what the audit has said and has not said. I have not been able to discern from the Auditor General's -- any response of any member of the board other than, perhaps, the Chairman, and I think it's very important that if we're going to respond to what the problem is, we need to respond to what the problem is and not to what the politics or the press are. I am deeply distressed, for example, that the characterization that I used CRA money to ride in a limousine is being put out there, you know, and the truth ofAhe matter is, I went to a parade. I got in a car that was provided by staff. I asked the staff person, "Is it donated?" The person said, "Yes." And then I find out that it was written up by staff that it was not donated. I didn't requested the car didn't even know -- and certainly, didn't ride around in a limousine the way it's calculated to make people in my district or people think that I used CRA money to ride in a limousine. It was in a parade. From the -- they didn't come get me from home and they didn't take me home. I drove my car to the Black Archives. It was during the point of -- I think it was the celebration of the City of Miami parade, and it could happen to anybody. We go to Martin Luther King Parade, Three Kings Parade, and in many ways, I think, it's, you know, certainly unfortunate, but the fact of the matter is, is that I think there are some real problems. I'm particularly distressed that the characterization that I rode in it came without even talking to me about it, so that this could be discussed. Most of the items that we're dealing . with really get down to contractual and staff matters, which this board member -- or selection process, which this board member, nor any other board member is involved in. There are two 50 December 8, 2003 0 CI areas that are of concern. One relates to the law issue, and I'm pleased to see that the law -- at least the City Attorney has recognized it. You won't get it from the press attribute, but the Auditor General is here. Mr. Auditor General, you found exceptions of -- totaling how much money in your report? Do you recall? Victor Igwe (Auditor General): (INAUDIBLE) how much money (INAUDIBLE) -- Chairman Teele: What was the total number of audit exceptions that you found, dollars? Mr. Igwe: We have quite a few. Chairman Teele: Well, what was the total? You have quite a few totals? Mr. Igwe: You mean in terms of dollars, dollar amount? Chairman Teele: Dollars, total dollars. Mr. Igwe: We had questionable expenditures of close to nine, ten million dollars ($10,000,000). Vice Chairman Winton: Close to what? Chairman Teele: Nine -- Board Member Sanchez: Nine to ten million dollars ($10,000,000)? Chairman Teele. -- to ten million dollars ($10,000,000). Mr. Igwe: Questionable. We're not saying that they were missing, but they're questionable. Chairman Teele: And I think, you know -- Vice Chairman Winton: How did we miss that? Chairman Teele: Huh? -- and I think that's the real issue that we've got to get to. I mean, you know, this oversight board is not going to deal with that, and the real concern that I have is -- Mr. Igwe: And, Commissioner, may I respond to your other remark? The report never said that any particular individual rode in a limousine. We merely found that limousine was paid for and we tried to determine the nature of that expenditure. The report didn't specifically mention who rode in the -- Chairman Teele: Well, I said the media -- Mr. Igwe: Oh, OK. I thought you -- Chairman Teele: -- said that I rode in a limousine. 51 December 8, 2003 • , 0 Mn Igwe: OK, because I didn't even know who rode in the limousine. Chairman Teele: And the -- and, you know, and a total sum amount of money, when, in fact, I had no knowledge of that until I read it in the newspaper, you.kriow, but the characterization that I used CRA money to ride in a limousine is totally, totally a misrepresentation of what the facts are and were. The fact of the matter is, I rode in a parade by a car provided -- the car was provided -- maybe the CRA dollars paid for it. I have to accept that, but what I'm saying is at least I should have had the opportunity -- if somebody was going to say Teele -- because I didn't order the limousine, didn't request a limousine, didn't know if I was going to ride on a horse, a chariot or a fire truck, and I wish I had ridden on a fire truck. But the fact of the matter is, is that I think we've got an issue that we're going to have to deal with, and that is the continuity issue, the fact that we had so many directors, the fact that the institutional -- When I have -- and, Frank, I have not had an opportunity to meet with you -- but when I met with The Herald and they told me the projects that the CRA was involved in, and it didn't even miss the biggest project, like the biggest thing we're involved with is we're the funding source for the Performing Arts Center. Mr. Rollason: That was given to them. Chairman Teele: That's not what -- And I'm not going to -- The fact of the matter is, is it's a continuity issue, because so much -- the fact that the CRA is not involved in housing, and the biggest project -- the only housing projects been done, we did, and we provided the, bridge money, and yet, you know, it's out there, and I -- mean, you know, unfortunately, there's no inspector general at The Herald you can go to, like at The Washington Post, so they're just out there writing that kind of stuff, but nobody from the staff is responding to the total inaccuracies. I mean, not just inaccuracies, but misrepresentations. The fact that the CRA has not been involved in one housing project. And Ms. Thompson, I see you're here, but the pressure you were under -- I can vividly recall -- involved paying the receipts of the garbage company that collected there where we did the Poinciana Village, where we did the Poinciana Village. We negotiated the bridge along with Fannie Mae Corporation. I did. We negotiated with the Florida Power & Light. We sent CRA staff up to Juneau. So, to say these kinds of things -- I mean, we've got an institutional problem that I think we've got to deal with. So this is what I'm saying -- I mean, I have total confidence -- This CRA is a hundred and -- a hundred, 200 percent better today than it was a year ago. I don't think there's any question. But I think we've got to get some continuity, long-term continuity and some infrastructure continuity. And I will tell you, when I came to the CRA, the one thing that I said is that the CRA Director must be independent of the City because of CD (Community Development) dollars. That was the issue, CD dollars. Because I believed then and I believe now that if the Director of the CRA is paid with CD dollars, you'll raise a whole lot of federal issues .that you just went into, Joe, in terms of Community Development funds. But I think that the Executive Director and the City Manager should sit down -- and this is where I'm going to be going in the City Commission -- to ask that they sit down and come up with a methodology to ensure greater continuity. When the Warshaw thing -- when this CRA got set up, the infrastructure, it pulled away too far from the City. It pulled away too far from the City, and that was an issue about -- relating to Mr. Warshaw and to others. I am of the opinion -- And I will tell you this, I set aside, using the oversight board, the ordinance that is in effect, Mr. Attorney, regarding the CRA, and I am prepared now to move to 52 December 8, 2003 0 ensure that the ordinance that was overruled by the Oversight Board is reviewed, and I think where I'm going to be going with the City Commission on this is that the City Attorney, the Special Counsel, the Executive Director of the CRA and the City Manager need to come together and look at how we can deal with the structural problems that are identified in this audit. It's -- and in my judgment, it is institutional memory and it gets down to the manner in which the record keeping and documentation is not being available, as it relates to the CRA, and I know this is a Community Development issue. I know if I called upon the Community Development Director to come in, they will -- they can tell you the problems. I am reading now more and more about documents that were delivered to the CRA that nobody can find, supposedly. I don't know that if it's true or not, but the fact of the matter is, is that we need more institutional depth in the CRA to be able to respond, particularly to the kinds of things that are being brought up. And so, my motions will be at the City Commission, and I would ask the City Attorney to brief everyone as to the oversight board, that is the Beatty Oversight Board, where we overruled Commissioner Carollo, and the City Manager and the others, as it related to this body, and this body is operating currently under an oversight board set aside relating to the CRA, and I think we need to bring that a little bit more into focus, and I will take the responsibility that I was the one who moved it. I did it. I moved the CRA too far away from the City. There is not enough institutional memory, and, Johnny, I don't know how you feel about this. Joe, I don't know how you feel about it, Tomas, but I think it is the way we've got to be able to provide more infrastructure support -- Board Member Sanchez: Mr. Chairman. Chairman Teele: -- for this agency. Yes. Board Member Sanchez: If I may. You just touched on the points that I think this oversight board will be able to assist the CRA. Record keeping, HUD regulations, other regulations that were not followed. I mean, the continuity as to money missing, I'm sure the State Attorley's Office or the US (United States) Attorney's offices will take care of that, but as to guidelines, rules and regulations, following process, this oversight board, if we -- and it's all -- I'll tell you. If we appoint people that cannot bring a professionalism or a point that would help this board, we're defeating this cause. We might as well not even do it. There's a lot of people out there, if we focus on what is the inner makings of the CRA, or what is the inner mechanism that makes this work. There are a lot of factors into place, and one of the biggest problems was -- you said it -- record keeping, not following rules and regulations, not maybe having proper communications with the City and the County, so those are the things that I think we need to focus -- Vice Chairman Winton: Turnover. Chairman Teele: Huh? Board Member Sanchez: And at the end of the day -- Vice Chairman Winton: Turnovers. 53 December 8, 2003 Board Member Sanchez: -- and at the end of the day, I think that we're going to be making the CRA much, much better than what we are. That's why I'm holding back on the other. I'm just moving along and trying to get this train back on track so we're not faced -- walking into meetings and having a camera put on your face questioning yourself, questioning reference a colleague. I mean, we're -- you know, that's not healthy for anything. It's not healthy for the CRA. It's not healthy for the City of Miami. It's not healthy for any of the communities that we represent. But if we don't take these steps, whether =- Chairman Teele: I thought we agreed on it? Board Member Sanchez: Well, we agree on it, but we want to make sure that we don't derail or we don't move from what we want to accomplish here, and that's why it's very important -- I think that it's paramount that if we don't stay focused on who are the people that we're going to appoint to this oversight board, then you're defeating the cause and we're just wasting my time, as well as yours and all the members here at the CRA. Chairman Teele: Well, I'm not sure what that is in response to. I support -- I will appoint a person that will bring great strength, but what I'm telling you is there is two issues, as I see it, two very clear and separate issues. One relates to governance, which we heard from Mr. Cohen and others on today. It's always been an issue. I see an oversight board is going to have a whole lot more to do with governance than with the organizational infrastructure that is associated with the CRA. Board Member Sanchez: Then you appoint somebody who knows the CRA. Chairman Teele: And all that I am indicating to you and to my colleagues is I also recognize the problem of the strong separation -- just your last motion, which is a statement of frustration. I mean, the law of unintended consequences -- Barbara Rodriguez, are you here anywhere? I mean, you know, your motion is what I'm dealing with, and your motion is the fact that we should not be directing the Executive Director to meet with the Community Development Director. Whoever is the director, they should do that, and if they don't do that, then we should find a new one, perhaps. But the fact of the matter is, is that there needs to be a greater communication between this agency and Community Development. Is that an unfair statement, from your point of view? Barbara Rodriguez (Director, Community Development): That's a very fair statement. It also is very fair to get an exit interview with the audit. We weren't given that. We never had an exit interview with that audit. That audit was sent to US HUD in Washington. That is why now we have had to answer things that we could have answered long time ago. Some of the issues were resolved, not that they were not doing wrong, but I can tell you that there were other items that had been taken care of that we could have dealt with it to make a more positive statement on the audit, but I do think that we do need to have that type of communication. I think we do need to have understanding of what the regulations says, because we have two points of view. We write in an audit that it's totally disallowed, that it's an administrative function. CD does not find it an administrative function. HUD did not find it as an administrative function. 54 December 8, 2003 0 0 Chainnan Teele: All right. Well -- Vice Chairman Winton: But how then does our auditor find it that way? Ms. Rodriguez: Well, if they -- you know, again, if we would have had an exit interview where you sit with the CD Department and said, these are your findings and these are the things that happened, then we could have. That never tools place with CD. We never had a CD audit -- exit audit. Vice Chairman Winton: Well, I'd be interested to know how many issues that are in the audit that you think are factually -- from a CD standpoint, that's all I'm talking about. Where --- Chairman Teele: No, no, no, no. Vice Chairman Winton: I'm not asking you -- that from your viewpoint, I would like to know how many issues are in that audit that you think weren't accurate, from a CD standpoint. Ms. Rodriguez: The seventy-seven thousand dollars ($77,000) -- Vice Chairman Winton: I don't even want that answer now, just give it to me later. Ms. Rodriguez: There's one that we agreed, and there was a journal entry and CRA -- Vice Chairman Winton: Oh, so it's one? Ms. Rodriguez: One. Vice Chairman Winton: Oh, OK. OK. All right. So -- Ms. Rodriguez: The other (UNINTELLIGIBLE) are not an issue at this point. Chairman Teele: Ms. Rodriguez, I apologize. This is Christmas. This is Hanukkah. This is -- Board Member Sanchez: Kwanzaa. Chairman Teele: -- Kwanzaa. Mr. Director, you had one other item, I think. Mr. Weeks -- Mr. Rollason: Well, I -- Vice Chairman Winton: I had another issue -- Chairman Teele: Oh, I'm sorry. Vice Chairman Winton: -- before we go -- before it goes away. The Auditor General said that there was nine to ten million dollars ($10,000,000) misspent. 55 December 8, 2003 Chairman Teele: He didn't say misspent. Vice Chairman Winton: That's what he said. Board Member Regalado: Questionable. Vice Chairman Winton: Questionable, OK. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Chairman Teele: He said questionable. Vice Chairman Winton: Questionable. Board Member Regalado: He said questionable. Vice Chairman Winton: Nine to ten million. I would like to direct our external accountant to meet with our Auditor General. I want a specific listing, at the next board meeting, of those issues that add up to nine or ten million dollars ($10,000,000), and answers to each and every one of those things to determine whether or not we're at -- we now understand where it all is or it's still -- what was the term, again? I said misspent, which was wrong. Chairman Teele: Questionable. Board Member Sanchez: Questionable. Vice Chairman Winton: So I want to understand how much of that nine to ten million dollars ($10,000,000) is still questionable by our next board meeting. Chairman Teele: The External Auditor, OK. Board Member Sanchez: Second. Vice Chairman Winton: With our -- Chainnan Teele: Motion by Commissioner -- Vice Chairman Winton: -- our external accountant to work with the Auditor, so they speak the same language, and you. Chairman Teele: Motion by Commissioner Winton. Board Member Sanchez: Second. Chairman Teele: Seconded by Commissioner Sanchez, directing that the External Auditor and the Executive Director and City -- and Attorney meet with the Auditor General to determine the status of those items. Is there unreadiness on that motion? 56 December 8, 2003 Board Member Regalado: Just -- I'll support the motion, of course, but I just wanted to understand -- because tomorrow's headline is going to say, "Ten Million Dollars Missing from the CRA," but -- and she doesn't write the headlines. You're saying, "questionable." I read the audit and you briefed me several times on the audit, and I really think thank you. But we are not talking here of money -- Note for the Record: At this point, there was a brief pause in the meeting due to a medical problem experienced by a member of City staff. Vice Chairman Winton: OK. Meeting adjourned? 57 December 8, 2003 s 9 12. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO MEET WITH MARVIN WEEKS TO REVIEW PROPOSED ONE YEAR PROGRAM REGARDING CULTURE MARKETING EVENT IN OVERTOWN; ISSUE TO BE FORWARDED TO OVERTOWN ADVISORY BOARD. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): You've got Marvin Weeks. Mr. Chairman, you've got Marvin -- Chairman Teele: There was an issue of Mr. Weeks. Is Mr. Weeks here? Can we make sure -- Did someone call -- is the Sergeant at Anns -- are you all going to call? All right. Mr. Weeks, you've got 3.0 seconds, sir. Mr. Weeks: Good afternoon. Mr. Chairman and the board, I'm here to ask about the request for an event that we -- marketing event that we did in the Overtown community on Sunday, December the 7t" Mr. Rollason: Marvin. Mr. Weeks: Should I proceed on? Mr. Rollason: Weeks. Chairman Teele: Mr. Weeks, just come up here, sir, and address the -- Mr. Rollason: Marvin. Mr. Weeks: OK, great. I'm sorry. One at a time. Sorry about that. Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and the board. Marvin Weeks, 4256 Northwest 7"' Avenue. And I'm Marvin Weeks and I represent an organization called Timbuktu Marketplace. It's a collective artists and other cultural enthusiasts, and our objective in Overtown is to try to develop -- redevelop, but not in the brick and mortar sense, but in the sense of trying to develop a cultural community efforts as left in the Overtown community. And, as you know, the Basel event was in town and we're always trying to find an opportunity to present something that relate to the culture of the people in Overtown. We were not presenting a festival in the sense of the word, but we're doing a marketing event. And that's our whole objective, marketing. We're trying to do a marketing event to try to highlight the cultures and interests of people in Overtown. And, we feel, there's a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- events of people in Overtown. We have cultural attributes that can help with the development of that community. So that's what we are constantly trying to do (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and other activities that we're doing there. And we presented an event on Sunday evening on 9th and 3rd Avenue, as to have something to present during the Basel event that took place. We're doing small, measurable things with this type of cultural activity and we're asking your support. Two things I'm here to say right quick. And that is, support further events and for the future events that we're going to do.. But, also, to let you all know that -- not to put a dark eye on artistic efforts. I know some of the events that have taken place in Overtown in the past with the artists and what have you in the auditor's report —I just want to be on the record to say that this is one of the ways that people in Overtown can help develop -- a raw effort of develop with their hands and talents and abilities, and we don't want you to put a blind eye on 58 December 8, 2003 • 9 that. And I'm asking and seeking some type of support of the event that tools place. We didn't have the entire funds that we requested, but something financially to help us with what we took on --,underway with this event the past evening. Chairman Teele: All right. Mr. Weeks: That's a quick way 'of explaining it. Chairman Teele: All right. Frank, what was the dollar request? Mr. Rollason: Dollar request was for ten thousand dollars ($10,000) on a reimbursement basis, based upon what the expenses were that they had with the Art Basel. Last year, it was fifty thousand that we gave to George Sanchez. This came in late. There was no way to bring it before you -- Chairman Teele: What I would recommend -- I don't know how the board feels -- that they meet with. you and let's look at a one-year program. Let's take it to the Overtown Advisory Board, and then come back with a one-year program that includes whatever you're recommending on this amount. Board Member Sanchez: So move. Board Member Regalado: Second. Vice Chairman Winton: Because I'm -- Mr. Rollason: He's -- Chairman Teele: I mean -- Vice Chairman Winton: Yeah, and I'm real nervous about funding something that somebody's already done and never heard anything about and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I'm not nervous about looking forward. Chairman Teele: Well, that's what I said. And you -- we'll look forward for one year. You can include this item, but that's going to be looked at separately, and make sure that it goes before the Overtown Advisory Board, as well, OK, before it comes back. We have a motion by Commissioner Sanchez. Vice Chairman Winton: And a second. Chairman Teele: Second by Commissioner Winton. All in favor, say "aye." The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. 59 December 8, 2003 0 CI The following, motion was introduced by Board Member Sanchez, who moved its adoption: SEOPW/CRA MOTION NO. 03-104 A MOTION DIRECTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY (CRA) TO MEET WITH MARVIN WEEKS TO REVIEW PROPOSED ONE YEAR PROGRAM REGARDING CULTURE MARKETING EVENT IN OVERTOWN; FURTHER STIPULATING THAT THIS ISSUE BE FORWARDED TO THE OVERTOWN ADVISORY BOARD AND FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE CRA BOARD. Upon being seconded by Vice Chairman Winton, the motion was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez 60 December 8, 2003 • - . 13. DIRECT EXTERNAL ACCOUNTANT TO MEET WITH MIAMI AUDITOR GENERAL TO PREPARE SPECIFIC LISTING FOR NEXT CRA BOARD MEETING OF ALL QUESTIONABLE EXPENSES OF CRA WHICH TOTAL $9,000,000 TO $10,000,000. Chairman Teele: Now, we did not vote on the last item that we had a motion on, and that was Commissioner Winton's item? Priscilla A. Thompson (City Cleric): That's correct. Chairman Teele: What was it? Vice Chairman Winton: On the nine to 10 million? Ms. Thompson: Right. Vice Chairman Winton: OK. Ms. Thompson: And meeting with the -- all the External Auditor and -- Vice Chairman Winton: Yeah, the External Auditor. I thought -- Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): External CPA (Certified Public Accountant) firm. Vice Chairman Winton: Move, second. Board Member Regalado: Second. Vice Chairman Winton: All in favor, "aye." Mr. Rollason: Right? The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. The following motion was introduced by Vice Chairman Winton, who moved its adoption: SEOPW/CRA MOTION NO. 03-105 OMNI/CRA MOTION NO. 03-70 A MOTION DIRECTING THE EXTERNAL ACCOUNTANT TO MEET WITH OUR AUDITOR GENERAL TO PREPARE A SPECIFIC LISTING FOR THE NEXT CRA BOARD MEETING OF ALL THE QUESTIONABLE EXPENSES OF THE CRA WHICH TOTAL $9,000,000 TO $10,000,000 WITH ANSWER TO EACH OF THE QUESTIONABLE EXPENSES TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHERE THE FUNDS ARE. 61 December 8, 2003 Upon being seconded by Board Member Regalado, the motion was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Chainllan Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman Johnny L. Winton Board Member Tomas Regalado Board Member Joe Sanchez NAYS: None ABSENT: Board Member Angel Gonzalez Chairman Teele: All right. Now, is the Auditor General all right? Mr. Auditor General, was there anything you wanted to say or not .say, or do? Can we all have a holiday festivities and honor you? Is that going to be all right? We'll even buy you a glass of lemonade. Rosa Green: Can the community have something to say? Frank Rollason (Executive Director, CRA): Up in 2054 is where it's going to take place. Chairman Teele: It's going to take place -- not in here? Mr. Rollason: Not in here. It's upstairs -- Chairman Teele: In room -- Mr. Rollason: -- 2054. Go down to the lobby elevators by the concierge, and they'll let you in to get on the elevator to go up. Chairman Teele: Yes, ma'am. Ms. Green: Yes, sir. Y'all vote on things before the community have a time to say anything. Chairman Teele: No. What we did is, we sent this back to the community. We voted to send it back -- Ms. Green: Yeah. But we going to have to discuss this with the attorney about the Overtown Advisory Board. Chairman Teele: OK. Ms. Green: We need you -- we really need you, Commissioner Teele, to come out there and see what's going on. I think -- I mean, this has -- Chainnan Teele: I read the record. I -- 62 December 8, 2003 0 r 1 L_J Ms. Green: -- this has got to stop. And then about the jazz festival, I did not -- and I read all the papers -- I did not see it advertised, at all, and I'm not angry but, I mean -- And then painting pictures on a building that should be demolished, that's absolutely a big waste. We should start trying to make Overtown look like people live over there instead of looking like a jungle. I mean, I must say, some of the streets are being cleaned. And I don't like to come here and argue, but if I don't, who will? And I live over there. Chairman Teele: All right. We will put -- Ms. Green: My whole family lives over there. Chairman Teele: I will put up, after the first of the year, a discussion item relating to the Overtown Advisory Board for discussion, based upon your request tonight, for the second meeting in January, and you'll be afforded a fair opportunity to -- This board -- the Overtown Advisory Board does not advise the CRA. It advises the City Commission. Ms. Green: I know. I'll be down there to (INAUDIBLE). Chairman Teele: The meeting stands adjourned.. Thank you. Ms. Green: But I thank you very much. 63 December 8, 2003