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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSEOPW CRA 2021-10-28 MinutesCity of Miami 819 NW 2nd Ave 3rd Floor Miami, FL 33136 http://miamicra. com Meeting Minutes Thursday, October 28, 2021 12:00 PM City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 SEOPW Community Redevelopment Agency Jeffrey Watson, Chair, District Five Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Vice Chair, District One Ken Russell, Board Member, District Two Joe Carollo, Board Member, District Three Manolo Reyes, Board Member, District Four SEOPW CRA OFFICE ADDRESS: 819 NW 2 d AVE, 3rd FLOOR MIAMI, FL 33136 Phone: (305) 679-6800, Fax (305) 679-6835 www.miamicra.com Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 CALL TO ORDER ORDER OF THE DAY Present: Chair Watson, Commissioner Russell, and Commissioner Reyes Absent: Vice Chair Diaz de la Portilla and Commissioner Carollo On the 28th day of' October 2021, the Board of Commissioners of the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Miami met in regular session at Miami City Hall located at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida. The meeting was called to order by Chair Watson at 6:56 p.m., and was adjourned at 7:09 p.m. ALSO PRESENT. Cornelius Shiver, Executive Director, CRA William Bloom, Outside Counsel, CRA Burnaby Min, General Counsel, CRA Todd B. Hannon, Clerk of the Board Chair Watson: 1 want to call the SEOPW (Southeast Overtown/Park West) CRA (Community, Redevelopment Agency) board meeting to order at 6:56 p.m., on 1012812021. 1 want to acknowledge the presence of Board Members Ken Russell, Manolo Reyes, and Chair Jeffrey Watson. I have a quorum and we have published four resolutions and a discussion item. CRA PUBLIC COMMENTS Chair Watson: We'll now open the floor for public comment concerning only items published on the agenda. Mr. Executive Director, before we move -- Todd B. Hannon (Clerk of the Board): Chair, I'm sorry, I can't hear you. Chair Watson: We have published four resolutions and a discussion item. We'll now open the floor for public comment concerning only items published on the agenda. Albert Miller: Good evening, ladies, gentlemen. My name is Albert and my former situation was 1 was a resident of c Camillus House. I am here to advocate that homelessness, as was mentioned earlier today, varies from individual to individual, but I would also like to state that Camillus House, along with Community Action Construction Service has really, greatly helped me in my recovery. 1 am now an employee, an administrator, with that service, and it -- I'd like to see the services continue because they helped me and I'm sure that they could help others as well. Thank you very much. Mr. Hannon: Chair, if I could have the gentleman who just spoke come over to fill out a speaker card. Chair Watson: Over to. Mr. Hannon: Thank you, Chair. SEOPW CRA Page 1 Printed on 1/1112023 Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Hilda Fernandez: Good evening, Mr. Chair. Hilda Fernandez from Camillus House. I want to congratulate, first of all, Albert, who was a graduate of our first construction trades program that we are doing in partnership with the CRA and FIU (Florida International University). They graduated 73 percent of the participants, all 100 percent of which are today gainfully employed in construction. We currently have 17 of our clients participating in, the second cohort of construction trades, thanks again, to the partnership with the SEOPW, and expect the same kind of results. We cannot make a change, we cannot move the needle unless we cann provide opportunities for people to get gainfully employed with the proper training to be able to go out, earn an income, and believe it or not, many, many, many of our clients do. We are teaching construction trades at one side of our building, while on the other side of the building, Miami Dade College's Culinary Arts Institute has clients in our 9th or our 10th cohort of culinary arts. Folks who will get employed with a kitchen cook certificate, a food handling certificate, immediately after they graduate. There are many opportunities for us to work with our local community. We need partners like the CRA, but we need partners in the community willing to take a chance with homeless people, homeless people that are going to enter into their employment places and ask for an opportunity, having sometimes a criminal history, sometimes terrible credit, so it really is more than just providing -- we need the training, obviously, to get them ready, but we need to work with businesses in our community willing to take a chance to work with us and the clients that we serve that are going through these incredibly -- 14-week intense programs to prepare themselves for gainful employment. Thank you. Board Member Reyes: Thank you, Hilda. Mr. Hannon: Chair, again, if I could -- Ms. Fernandez, if I could have you come over here just to fill out a speaker card. Thank you. Board Member Reyes: Hilda, I've witnessed your program and congratulate it. It's a great program. Ms. Fernandez: Thank you. Board Member Reyes: You have nay support. Ms. Fernandez: Thank you, and you've kept -- you know, we're right now very busy, as well, Commissioner, you also got to see our homeless prevention. Our calls to our homeless prevention helpline as a result of the end of the moratorium have increased, literally have doubled in the last two months, and so we are very busy right now trying to help those folks in addition to the folks that were unfortunately affected by the condemnation of buildings in your city, that are being helped through our homeless prevention with the funding that you have provided. Board Member Russell: Mr. Chair. Chair Watson: Yes. Board Member Russell: And Hilda, I apologize. I was trying to give you a shoutout and I actually blanked out and I apologize for not remembering you correctly. Ms. Fernandez: No problem. Thank you, sir. Board Member Russell: Thank you for what you do. Chair Watson: Commissioner, I think it's one of those things that we talked about earlier. There are opportunities to use our partners to help us with this issue and Camillus House and the program with the CRA is just one way that that's being done. Is SEOPW CRA Page 2 Printed on 1/1112023 Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 there any other members of the public have comments on the issue -- issues on the agenda? Hearing none, Mr. Executive Director, before you move the discussion item, would you summarize the four resolutions. Afterward, I would entertain a motion to move all the items. CRA RESOLUTION(S) 1. CRA RESOLUTION 10967 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AUTHORIZING RATIFICATION OF A GRANT TO COMMUNITY AWARENESS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, LLC, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $125,000.00, TO UNDERWRITE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION TRAINING PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS RESIDENTS AT THE CAMILLUS HOUSE; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO DISBURSE FUNDS, AT HIS DISCRETION, UPON PRESENTATION OF INVOICES AND SATISFACTORY DOCUMENTATION; FUNDING SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY FUNDS, FROM ACCOUNT 10050.920101.883000.0000.00000 — SEOPW — OTHER GRANT AND AIDS. ENACTMENT NUMBER: CRA-R-21-0046 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Board Member, District Four SECONDER: Jeffrey Watson, Board Member, District Five AYES: Watson, Russell, Reyes ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla, Carollo Cornelius Shiver (Executive Director, CRA): Yes, thank you. Neil Shiver on behalf of the Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA (Community Redevelopment Agen(y). The first resolution is $125, 000 to Community Awareness Construction Services for the construction training programs and partnership with the Camillus House. The students are given a stipend. They're given jobs with our development partners and what we're adding on now is if'they're successful and working for six months, we can provide or help transition them into regular housing. [Later...] Mr. Shiver: Those are the four items, resolutions, on the agenda, Mr. Chairman, and we're ready for board approval. Board Member Reyes: I move it. Move all four of them. Chair Watson: Second. Items have been moved and seconded. All in favor, say "aye. " The Board Members (Collectively): Aye. Chair Watson: Agenda pass. SEOPW CRA Page 3 Printed on 1/1112023 Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 2. CRA RESOLUTION 10969 A RESOLUTION THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("SEOPW CRA") AUTHORIZING AN EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS TO HORSEPOWER ELECTRIC, INC. TO RESTORE LIGHTING TO SEOPW CRA-OWNED PROPERTY, IN THE AMOUNT OF $30,893.60; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO DISBURSE FUNDS, AT HIS DISCRETION, ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS OR DIRECTLY TO VENDORS, UPON PRESENTATION OF INVOICES AND SATISFACTORY DOCUMENTATION; FUNDS ALLOCATED FROM SEOPW, "OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10050.920101.534000.0000.00000. ENACTMENT NUMBER: CRA-R-21-0047 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Board Member, District Four SECONDER: Jeffrey Watson, Board Member, District Five AYES: Watson, Russell, Reyes ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla, Carollo Note for the Record. For additional minutes referencing Item Number 2, please see Item Number I. Cornelius Shiver (Executive Director, CRA): The second item is for $30,893.60, to Horsepower Electric. This is for rewiring and wiring upgrades for a parking lot. Apparently, there are some very skillful individuals in Overtown who actually steal copper wire out of these lightings while they are on. So, what we're now going to do is retrofit these poles with aluminum wires as well as try, to put a tamper free box to the bottom to prevent that vandalism. So, that was the second. SEOPW CRA Page 4 Printed on 1/1112023 Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 3. CRA RESOLUTION 10971 A RESOLUTION THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("SEOPW CRA") AUTHORIZING AN EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $150,000.00, BY THE SEOPW CRA FOR A LIMITED SCOPE OF IMPROVEMENTS TO SEOPW CRA-OWNED PROPERTY, LOCATED AT 155 NW 10TH STREET, ; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE, ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO DISBURSE FUNDS, AT HIS DISCRETION, ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS OR DIRECTLY TO VENDORS, UPON PRESENTATION OF INVOICES AND SATISFACTORY DOCUMENTATION; FUNDS ALLOCATED FROM SEOPW, "OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10050.920101.534000.0000.00000. ENACTMENT NUMBER: CRA-R-21-0048 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Board Member, District Four SECONDER: Jeffrey Watson, Board Member, District Five AYES: Watson, Russell, Reyes ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla, Carollo Note for the Record. For additional minutes referencing Item Number 3, please see Item Number 1. Cornelius Shiver (Executive Director, CRA): The third item is $150,000 for a limited scope of improvements to a nine -unit apartment building that is owned by the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). We're putting about $13,000 in each unit. These nine units -- and several of these units that are vacant, we are reserving for successftd candidates from the homeless construction job training program. So, we're very excited about that. SEOPW CRA Page 5 Printed on 1/1112023 Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 4. CRA RESOLUTION 10972 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A GRANT TO NEIGHBORS AND NEIGHBORS ASSOCIATION, INC., IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $136,000.00, TO UNDERWRITE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ITS FOOD TRUCK ENTERPRISE PROGRAM; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO DISBURSE FUNDS, AT HIS DISCRETION, ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS OR DIRECTLY TO VENDORS, UPON PRESENTATION OF INVOICES AND SATISFACTORY DOCUMENTATION; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM SEOPW "OTHER GRANTS AND AIDS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10050.920101.883000.0000.00000. ENACTMENT NUMBER: CRA-R-21-0049 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Board Member, District Four SECONDER: Jeffrey Watson, Board Member, District Five AYES: Watson, Russell, Reyes ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla, Carollo Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number 4, please see Item Number 1. Cornelius Shiver (Executive Director, CRA): And the fourth item is $136,000 to NANA (Neighbors And Neighbors Association), and this item, two of our grantees got together, NANA and Miami -Dade County -- Miami Dade College Culinary Institute, and they formed a food truck enterprise program. So, we're throwing $136,000 in for 20 students and a fully equipped food truck for one, if not a group of the recipients. DISCUSSION ITEM 1. CRA RESOLUTION 10976 AUDIT REPORT RESULTS FOR TOWN PARK PLAZA NORTH REHABILITATION PROJECT. RESULT: DISCUSSED Chair Watson: The discussion item is that a part of it after the closing of the agenda, Todd? So, the discussion item that was left. Todd B. Hannon (Clerk of the Board): Yes, is that what you're going to proceed to now? Chair Watson: Right. Mr. Hannon: Yes, sir. It is the onlv item left on your agenda. SEOPW CRA Page 6 Printed on 1/1112023 Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Chair Watson: There was a call for an audit of the Town Park North Plaza Condominium site, or rehabilitation project, and the auditors in sales changed the scope of the work to be a review. At this point, all the funds that -- necessary, that was left over from the -- what was budgeted, would be moved over to the homeowner's association so that they can continue in their quest to do a forensic accounting of both -- the entire project, so they can, in effect, answer the questions of why there was a dijjerence in, gap in money, based on what was funded and what was then provided at the time that those additional monies were provided. And hopefully, in their efforts, they'll be able to locate, identify, and come up with some sort of relief, by way of litigation or not, in their efforts to understand what happened to the gap in funding. That being said, if there's any other -- anything to discuss on that item, I'll accept it, if' not, then we'll move to close the meeting. Cornelius Shiver (Executive Director, CRA): Mr. Chairman, let me just add a little light to that to put some clarity. The Board directed the Southeast Overtown/Park West to do an audit, and the Board provided, in one of the allocations for the development, $125,000, for this audit. Clearly, we support and recognize that the audit was well needed because this project is several years overdue, and several hundred dollars over budgeted. But the audit centered on documents within. the CRA and in the CRA, the only thing -- the only documentation that we have is invoices and payment histories. So, when you look at the invoices and the payment history, it doesn't really tell a story. All it tells is this is what they requested, and this is what we paid. And so in order to get a full picture on how and why this project is so delayed, and so overbudgeted -- right? -- this audit now, rightfully, has to switch over to the homeowner's association. The way this project was authorized is it was the Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) gave a grant to the homeowner's association, and the homeowner's association, in return, hired the general contractor. So, as such, the CRA does not have subpoena power over -- or rights to access any records with the general contractor. So, saying that, Mr. Chairman, we thought it was best after we finished with some fact finding, accounting work, that this audit properly now shifts over to homeowner's association so they can then, right, since they are in privity or in -- with -- in contract, and they may have a right to inspect records that the remaining funds switch up -- are transferred over to the homeowner's and tenant's association, and that organization then need to go and do a_fact finding, a real audit, to see if there were any improprieties or any monies misspent. And so that's the full story and I just wanted to at least give the Board and the public a full picture on what we did and what we're trying to do. So, I want to thank you -- Chair Watson: Well, but let me just say this. It wasn't a question of whether it was a real audit or not, it was a review. And there is in fact a difference of spending. Whether there's an agreement on what that amount is would now be taken up as it relates to a full forensic audit, but there were some overspending and there was a gap in funding. So, I'm not so sure about that description, but in fact, whether or not they say there was one amount, or you say there was one amount, there was money that was spent, unaccounted for; based on what was paid. So, I think that it's incumbent now.for the Board to move forward and ensure that the v follow the money and understand where it went and to who it went to. And so, thank you. And that end the, I guess, discussion and presentation of the SEOPW CRA. Mr. Shiver: Thank you. Board Member Reyes: Thankyou. Mr. Shiver: Thank you. Board Member Russell: Thank you. SEOPW CRA Page 7 Printed on 1/1112023 Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7: 09 p.m. SEOPW CRA Page 8 Printed on 1/1112023