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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2000-10-12 Discussion ItemTO: Elvi Alonso Agenda Coordinator FROM: W r J. Foeman City Clerk I 1 CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM DATE: September 22-,-2000 FILE SUBJECT: Approval of City Commission Meeting Minutes REFERENCES: ENCLOSURES: Please schedule the approval of the minutes of the following Commission meetings at the October 12, 2000 Commission meeting: September 28, 1999 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting WJF:sl TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission FROM: W�JFoerna i+ v City Clerk CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM DATE: October 24, 2000 SUBJECT: Special Transcript Request REFERENCES: ENCLOSURES: Minutes FILE : Py Enclosed please find an excerpt from the minutes of the October 12,.2000 Commission meeting in connection with comments made by Commissioner Teele regarding development plans for downtown Miami. This transcript was requested by Commissioner Teele As in the past, whenever this office is requested by the Mayor or any one member of the Commission to do a special transcript, we also distribute said material to the rest of the members of the Commission for informational purposes. WJF:ek c: Carlos A. Gimenez, City Manager Alejandro Vilarello, City Attorney 4. (A) COMMISSIONER TEELE REQUESTS DDA LEADERSHIP DISCUSSION ON WAYS TO FURTHER DEVELOP DOWNTOWN MIAMI, INCLUDING APPROACHING FIU REGARDING LOCATING ITS SCHOOL OF LAW IN DOWNTOWN MIAMI. (B) DESIGNATE A TIME CERTAIN FOR SPECIAL BOARD/STAFF PRESENTATION REGARDING DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR DOWNTOWN MIAMI AT FIRST MEETING IN NOVEMBER. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Chairman, now, we have asked that there be a DDA (Downtown Development Authority) and business leadership discussion in lieu of a departmental, you know, beauty show on the first meeting of November. Vice Chairman Gort: No problem. We already have put together what you have requested, what are the capital improvements that we need within downtown in order to improve that one area. We have put the different projects in progress, the funding needed, where the funding is going to be coming from. So you're going to get a copy of all that by next week. And we'll be more than glad to - Commissioner Teele: I just wanted - you know, we have a hard day that day and I - you know, because I really do think that we should hear from individual business leaders. I mean, part of what we do here is we talk to ourselves and staff, and we really should - you know, I think this is a way we should bring in some of the business leaders and hear from them. And I want to make sure that we give ourselves enough time on that. So I would ask that you determine a time certain for that, so we don't have people burning off a lot of time, whatever is convenient. The other thing that I would ask respectfully of the Manager is that I really do believe - you know, we've been saying this. I don't know where the Assistant Manager for Finance is, but the DDA should have at its full disposal the Planning Department and the Business and Economic Development Office, and all of that. And I would be very interested in hearing any comments that they may have separately, because; I mean, I think part of the experience that I've had with the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) and the City is this notion that if it EK. TAPE 1 SECTION 4 1 CITY COMMISSION 10/12/00 doesn't come through the City, it's sort of on its own. And I really do think we've got to work hard to coordinate that. And so I'm very interested in hearing, sort of like we did on the slip. That may not be the best example. But it really is important that we let our departments tell us what they're thinking through our Manager, as well. And the final issue in that regard is that— I would specifically ask that the management make available to the DDA staff, the DDA Board a financial advisor to be paid for by the City of Miami to deal with any of the financing issues that are coming up or that may come up, because I can tell you right now, there are a number of ideas about new revenue streams that people are talking about. And I don't think Ve, ought to do this sequentially. We ought to, you know, give them the resources to let them do it. And, I mean, you know, they've got a tight budget. And that's why we have financial advisors. And the final point on that is I really do hope we can involve the Off. -Street Parking, for them to make presentations and make input, as well, because I think like what has happened in Coconut Grove, we're missing a big opportunity to leverage Off -Street Parking's bond capacity, their joint development opportunities, et cetera. And so, I mean, I realize that I don't know what the DDA is doing, and I'm not trying to interfere at all. I want to be supportive of what the DDA is doing. But I think the biggest thing is that we need to put together all of the City resources on one problem. And in that regard, finally, Mr. Chairman, thank you for your indulgence. I'm going to ask the City Attorney to prepare a pocket item for me today that would ask the Management to explore with the DDA and with the University of Miami and with Florida International University the feasibility of making downtown Miami available for the law school that the Legislature has just directed. In every other city in the State. Tampa, Orlando, Daytona - the City Commissions were leading the charge. I mean, they were all sucking up to Florida A&M trying to get them - because you remember the Legislature designated two new law schools, one to FIU (Florida International University) and then one to Florida A&M outside of Tallahassee. And so what happened over the last two months - and this is where a lot of my EK TAPE 1 SECTION 4 . 2 CITY COMMISSION 10/12/00 thought process is coming from, because I conferred with the President of Florida A&M and others - is that these cities really went out and put together big - in fact, the city that did one of the best jobs was Lakeland, Florida, of all places, believe it or not. So I mean, I read the Orlando Sentinel and Saint Pete Times, as well, on this stuff. And I think we're missing a big opportunity not to lobby FIU to talk about a downtown -- It doesn't make sense to have a law school -- Well, I should say this: The trend nationally is to have law schools in urban centers. There is a law school at the Kennedy Center. What's that law school that does all that very aggressive stuff? It's housed there at the Kennedy Center in Washington. So I would ask' that you prepare a resolution seeking a working group or something to see if we can explore that on behalf of the City, in conjunction with the DDA. And I don't want to leave out any area, but I do think that the City of Miami should do - should meet with them. And I've mentioned this to our lobbyist, Mr. Book and others that we really should be aggressive about that. And Commissioner Winton, I don't have the opportunity to meet with you, but I just wanted to sort of data -unload everything that I'm thinking about downtown, because I really do think that it's important. And I will say this, Mr. Chairman: One of the reasons that I'm pushing so hard on this issue is that we had said last year at the CRA that we would like to see a hotel in Park West/Overtown. We have been holding back, because the one thing that's very odd about - very clear is that there has not been a new hotel built in downtown Miami in - Commissioner Winton: There hasn't been any building built. Commissioner Teele: -- 20 years. The Intercontinental is probably the last one. And it doesn't make sense for the CRA to start pushing for a hotel in Park West if we're not coordinated and we're not -- You know, we don't need to get into this, the concern that we've all expressed about putting out RFQ's (Requests for Qualifications) on Watson Island and Coconut Grove and all of that, and we wind up competing with ourselves. This needs to be very carefully coordinated. And EK TAPE 1 SECTION 4 3 CITY COMMISSION 10/12/00 in that regard, I'm just very interested in understanding where the DDA is going, so we're not in an unintentional competition. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Vice Chairman Gort: Commissioner Teele, if you'd like, we can have a meeting at 9:30, the next November meeting to be at 9:30, and to be able—to make a presentation. And like I said, we put a fact sheet together of all the projects that are taking place, the cost of the projects, where some of the funds are at and where some of the funds could be tapped into. And we would need the.support and help of everyone, because a lot of the money would come from DOT (Department of Transportation) and from the board you`'- what is it? That board that you belong to, the traffic - Commissioner Sanchez: MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization)? Vice Chairman Gort: MPO. A lot of the funding would be able to come from the MPO. Also, we have every year, we have a strategy session, and we do get involved with the Florida International University. They're the ones that conduct that with us. So I'll get them to come here and make the presentation, because we have the college, we have the university in downtown now, the International University. So if you want - Commissioner Teele: Are you suggesting that maybe that meeting, that discussion should be the first thing in the morning? Which I fully agree with. - Vice Chairman Gort: I think that would be the best bet, to have it early in the morning, and we could have it here at 9:30 in the morning. Commissioner Sanchez: That's going to be a long day, the 9th, because we combined everything on the 9th. Vice Chairman Gort: The presentation that they can make which is to put you up to date would not take more than 15 EK TAPE 1 SECTION 4 4 CITY COMMISSION 10/12/00 minutes. I'll make sure you get all the information before so you have it in your hands. And they'll make the presentation, and I don't think it will last more than 15 minutes. It's up to you all. Commissioner Sanchez: Well, this meeting that we're discussing, is it a date and time certain? November, the first week of November? Commissioner Teele: First meeting in November. And all he's saying is rather than doing it 2 o'clock, do it at 9:30, which I fully agree with. I think that one of the fallacies of the way we do our meetings is wie really don't have discussions among ourselves, policy discussions. And then we've got these pocket items and there - and that's always at the very end. You're tired and you're - you know, you may have had a couple of bad votes with your colleague or something. And, you know, we need to spend a little time. We can keep criticizing the staff and the Administration on some of this stuff, but we need to get into this vision of where we're trying to go a little bit better. And I commend you if you would do it at 9:30. Vice Chairman Gort: So if you all like, I'll put it at a time certain, 9:30. OK? Thank you. Commissioner Winton. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Chairman, there's one point, though, I want to make. I spoke to several people, George Perez in particular - and I don't want to speak for him. He's very, very high on the City of Miami. But he made some very, very, very strong,statements of concern. And let me just put one or two on the record. One is that the pension funds nationally may not see Miami the same way the Chamber of Commerce, and the Commission and the Mayor see Miami. And I'm putting that very politely. I'm talking about downtown Miami, as opposed to Brickell, as opposed to Key Biscayne, Coral Gables, et cetera. And that's one of the sort of code reasons I'm talking about getting a financial advisor, because, you know, we need somebody who's full-time walking around and telling our story, selling our story. One of the EK TAPE 1 SECTION 4 5 CITY COMMISSION 10/12/00 0 other things that he talked about was this whole notion that it's going to take a revenue stream. And, you know, tax abatement, which I don't fully understand under the Florida Constitution and how they apply, but tax increment, I do. But, you know, it is possible that a limited Tax Increment District could be put together for the purpose of doing certain capital program8; if you got the County, with you. And this goes back to my big issue, is that we always go first, you know. We get kissed. And, you know, the County is pushing very hard for this Tax Increment District for the River. Well, I would be much more willing to talk about a Tax Increment District for the River and a limited Tax Increment District for downtown as a-pac-kage, as opposed to a Tax Increment District for the River. So, I mean, there's a whole lot of issues here. But I think it's going to all be discussion if we don't really look at how we can come up with a revenue stream. And this comes out of the budget discussion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Vice Chairman Gort: I'm glad you're bringing that out, because George Perez is a member of the DDA Board now, and he's heading the economic development for the downtown area. And we right now are doing a research and study that's going to come out and tell us what we need to do, how much we need to spend in order to do what you're talking about that we need to do, change the image that people have of downtown Miami. Thank you. Anything? Commissioner Winton: No. EK TAPE 1 SECTION 4 6 CITY COMMISSION 10/12/00