HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 1980-01-22 MinutesCITY OF MIAMI
•
SPECIAL
COMMISSION
INUTES.
OF MEETING HELD ON
January 22, 1980
(WORKSHOP)
PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
CITY HALL
RALPH G.. ONGIE
CITY CLERK
CI
11ED(
STICINNETOR1114
ITla9 NO.
WORKSHOP SUBJECT JANUARY 22, 1980.
QRDINANCE
KKEESOUITION NO.
PAGE NO.
1
WORKSHOP
EXPRESSING THE FULL AND, UNQUALIFIED SUPPORT OF TIIE
CITY OF MIAMI FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED.. STATES
OF HIS DECISION; TO BOYCOTT UNITED, STATES PARTICIPATION
IN THE 1980 OLYMPICS
R-80-31
1- 35
MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
On the 22nd day of January, 1980, the City CommissionofMiam
Florida, met at its. Special;' Session to consider business of public
import.
The meetingwascalled to order at 3:10 P.M. by Mayor Maurice A.
Ferre with the folloiwng members of the Commission present:
.ABSENT
ALSO PRESENT:
mmissioner (Rev.) Theodore R. Gibson
Commissioner Armando Lacasa
Mayor Maurice A. Ferre
Commissioner J. L. Plummer
Commissioner J. Carollo
Joseph;R. Grassie, City -Manager. <;
R.L. Fosmoen,,. Assistant City.; Manager
George F. Knox, City Attorney..
Matty Hirai,' Assistant City`Clerk'
An invocation was delivered by Reverend. Theodore R. Gibson, who
then led those present in a pledge of allegiance to the flag.
Mayor Ferre: Alright. Ladies and gentlemen, before we start I would
like the Assistant Manager to introduce our New Assistant City Manager.
If you would please.
Mr. R.L. Fosmoen: Gentlemen, I think, Mr. Odio may have been around,
may I introduce Mr. Cesar Odio.
Mayor Ferre: O.;;K, I. wanted to....if Mr. 0d1o, could come up. I. hope,;;
your understand the symbolism of this. This is for 'you) to protect
yourselves, okay?
(INAUDIBLE STATEMENTS MADE OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC RECORD).
Mayor Ferre: Have you met Father Gibson?
Mr. Fosmoen: Mr. Od1o's initial responsibilities, will be in the area o
Stadiums and Marinas.
Mayor Ferre Will you repeatthat again, Im' sorry...
Mr. Fosmoen: I said, Mr. Odio's initial responsibilities, will be in
the area. of Stadiums and Marinas.
Mayor Ferre: Alright. I would like to say- for the record, that Com-
missioner Plummer's mother is 111 again and therefore, he called up,
abouthaif an hour ago, that he had to take her to the hospital and would
not be able to be here forthis meeting. Commissioner Carollo has
informed us that he won't;. be here either. So, that means our left flank
and right flankare missing. So, we will procede with the main body.
31
JAN 2 21980
Mr. Fosmoen: There are two issues before you today. At the 1.a9O'nom.ission
meeting, we had presentations from Gladstone and from the National Urban
Development Corporation. It was suggested that we set a workshop for
the Commission so that you would have an opportunity first, to review
some of the material and, secondly, to get into it in some depth. Mr.
Gaetano and Mr. Reid are going to cover the Gladstone material and then,
we would like to spend a considerable amount of time on the recommen-
dations from the National Urban Development Services Corporation dealing
with a structure to implement some of the recommendations that came out
of the Cladstone Report.
Mayor Ferre: Alright.
Mr. Julio Castano: Mr. Mayor, Commissioners,my.name is Julio Castano,
Director of `the Departmentof Trade and Commerce. I would like to set
the tone, of this study by telling you that this was a one-year project,
seventy: thousand dollar consultant study, done by the Gladstone Associates
economist firm of Washington, D.C. They also have firms in the west
coast in Florida. This project was managed`by a Project Management Com-
mittee.`. I chaired that committee. There were other members from the
Department of Trade and Commerce, the County Manager's Office and
members: of the Chamber of Commerce. It was also approved by the Advisory
Board of Trade and Commerce, by the City of Miami, a board that you ap-
pointed, and the chairman of that committee will be here this afternoon.
The minutes of these discussions with the board of Trade and Commerce have
been forwarded to the City Clerk Office) for your review. I would like
to talk a little bit about the background on economic development and make
a point of saying that,; economic development is an essential service for
the. City and it helps us support and develop those industries; that provides
us with a tax base. A tax base that is declining daily and which effects,
I=think, you have seen through the budget... We went through last year
and, unless, we ao something aromatic an drastic about it, we will see
more of.this....this deficit, and the basic reason for this tax base
problem is, basically, in a migration of residents and homeowners that
leave this area, the businesses that follow that market, and that 's.why
we have regional shopping centers, that follow the people that moved out
ofthe City, and lndustries that are chasing that labor force that has
moved out of the central city. Also, when this happens, of course,
you have areas that get depressed and have...they are decayed. These
areas require further and more services and these services, at the same
time, increase cost. So, you have a vicious circle of less people
paying taxes, more services, and services that are more expensive. Now,
the obvious solutions that a lot of people propose is that we cut services.
If you cut services, of course, what you produce is further decaying into
the city and exacerbating that circle. Another solution, of course, would
be to increase the taxes and, of course, that's not very politically wise
at this time, and is, obviously, not fair. So, the solution is the
attraction developmnet of our industrial base, not always to balance
and budget, but to have sufficient funds, to be able to make capital
investments that are done in a strategical manner. To attract more
industries and, therefore, to produce more jobs. I'd like to introduce
Mr. Jim Reid, who is going to go with you through the strengths, weak-
nesses and the recommendations that this study has made to us, and then
I'll come back, and talk about some of the current activities and some
of the proposed objectives and activities to this commission. Jim Reid.
Alright.
Mr. James Reid: Thank you. Mr. Fosmoen is passing out an outline.
It was prepared to...normally the Gladstone Corporation, would be doing
what I'm doing. I would like to say that they have two principals in
the Miami Office, Berry Susman and Amy Hirsh. They were married on
Saturday, and they both are now, on their honeymoon. They are both
principals of the Gladstone Office, so, in a moment of weakness, I
promised to summarize their study to the City Commission, and I'm here
to do that. Some, of what I am going to tell you is not new. I think
a few things will be, but I think the important thing in terms of what
Gladstone has done for us is set down at one time and one place , a
comprehensive analysis. of Miami's economy. Something that we can review
ourselves.
JAN221980
Mr. Reid (continued): Something that we can take to the -business community
and work with, an so forth. So:what I wanted to do is review the. findings
of the sbndy in terms of economic weaknesses, strengths and trends and op-
portunities, to discuss goals and strategies and then, to turn it, back to
Julio, who is basically the agent in the City for'turning.out.programs.
Things we know: unemployment is higher than the'region's. Thirteen
percent in Miami, six percent in Dade County.
Mayor Ferre: Jim, can we interrupt you here and there?
Mr. Reid: Sure.
Mayor Ferre: :;Or would you rather that we not?
Mr. Reid: Any time.
Mayor Ferre: Okay. How do we know that?
Mr. Reid: We know that...
Mayor Ferre:, The Public
City, do they?
Commerce don't ever keep` figures, for the
Mr..Reid: We...Yes. There isa breakdown of data, and I;:think t..'is :-
in_�volume. IV �f this book, in terms .of- .the -employment data differentiating
between the City.of'.Miami and' Dade County.
Mayor Ferre: The. Department of Labor keeps the distinction between_
the City and....
Mr. Reid: That's right. W
went rate in Miami.`
e can
trace through, their data, the unemploy-
' ay oY Y eYie : `\Snen 'eney say, made County, t'ney mean all Dade County, ;.
eluding the City..
Mr. :Reid:' They mean Dade..County including the City.
Mayor Ferrer When say,, City of Miami, they aretalking about the
jurisdiction -of the, City of Miami?
Mr. Reid That's.right. The politicaljurisdiction of the -City of
Miami.
Mayor Ferre: Okay, thank you.
Mr. Reid: Okay. Of course, we have other studies that have been done,
for example, by the Urban League, that show in areas like Overtown. We
have anunemploymentrate of thirty one percent. So, I'm talking about
the City as a whole, not target areas. Our income is lower than the
region's in terms of the City of Miami, about twenty to twenty five per-
cent lower in terms of median income. We have lost business in the
middle class households to the suburbs as the region has grown. Miami's
share of regional households and business has shrunk. We do have an
image problem, I think it's really a regional image problem, which we suffer
from in terms of relationship to Miami Beach and so forth. There's a
recent article in Delta's Flight Magazine, which....that did a real good
job of saying this is the real City of Miami and what it's about, in
differentiating between the image of Miami Beach and other places. Land
cost in the city are really... are relatively high and availability is
low. Most of our land is used up. There is a perceived crime problem
among businessmen, this is.... Gladstone did a survey and reported
back on this. Taxes are high, in relationship to, other parts of Dade
County, for example, Hialeah, and Miami Beach have a lower local tax rate,
and in terms of other Florida cities; and, of course, we do have a
gional.... a downtown transportation problem.
3 JAN221980
Commissioner Gibson: But, Mr. Reid, let's put this in the record`'.
Our taxes may be higher than Hialeah and our taxes may be higher than
Coral Gables; our taxes may be: higher than Miami Beach, but all:the.
resources that we once had, we';made available to the county, so;that,
they profit from it, and they live sumptuously of it. Isn't that true?
Let's make sure that that's apart of the record, too. Let'smake sure
that....
Mr. Reid: Well, certainly I would think, in terms of housing and ser-
vices, that we do a lot for the`rest of the county.
Commissioner Gibson: Well, if you are talking about services, you 'are
talking"about the incinerator, once it was ours, you are talking about`
the Water Departinent, once it was ours. You know, I:think we•ought to
put all that as a composite in this whole business.
I would agree,
Mr. Reid: We certainly do more than our fair share in terms of helping
the rest of the region. But, in terms of`a`firm locating here, it looks
as .if taxes is a factor, it's something that we have to face up to. We
also have a service structure that's better than most of those cities,
and there is a transportation problem. "In terms of the strengths, the
economy, and I think there's some important strengths here that we really
haven't thought about. Our bank deposits here are very high. We have
about eighteen percent per person more bank deposits than Atlanta. So,
our ability to finance investments, from our own banking community, is
very, strong. We have a good labor force, we have a bi-lingual labor
force in large part. Strategic location, I didn't realize that Miami's
relationaship to South America, until the Mayor drew the line for me.
The climate, the clustering of governing functions, what economists call
significant aaa place assets. Downtown Miami has about half of the
region's office space. The port of Miami is located in the City and
things like cuts in business have gone from two billion in 1974 to three
point seven billion in 1978, and we know what's been happening. In terms
of cargo through the port and crew ship traffic, the Civic Center area
has about twenty five thousand jobs. Right now, we have about ten per-
cent of the hotel rooms of the region and, with the Miami Convention
Center , we'll have more. Biscayne Bay, in the River, we have an urban
area, that abuts those key assets. So, in terms of the strengths of Miami,
these are strengths that we ought to mark. What's been happening, to our
economy, in terms of trends and opportunities: Increased international
banking capability. You know the statistics of our fourteeen Edge Act
banks, the International Departments of Banks and so forth. It is good,
and it could be much better. One of the findings of the study is that
Miami's bankers: number one, tend to loan less of their money for busi-
ness developing or for housing than bankers in other parts of the country.
Thery're very conservative when it comes to lending, number one. Number
two, they prefer real estate investments. Trade and Commerce, that the
Mayor talked about, that We talked about, they shy away from, in any in-
stances. So, in respect to banking, we have a high set of assets, we
have a conservative banking community that likes real estate and we have
a banking community that makes a low percent... a percentage of it's
loans, in terms of the assets that they have and I think that's something
that we've got to deal with. Our time is becoming much more diversified,
it's not simply construction and tourism, foreign tourism and shopping is
up, anybody who goes to Onmi or West Flagler...we've got a strong health
care sector, in that it's non -cyclical, and it is important, and what
that means is where tourism may be diving and where construction may be
down in terms of national bousing policy, people are going to need health
care,and we have a strong sector and something that we've got to make
better. Retail sector is strong, and their jobs and
34
JAN 2 21980
Mr. Reid (continued):. and incomes are up in the 'City. Now, Gladstone
identified where we ought to spend our energies. Tourism is good, it can
get better. Particularly the international market. Tourists from
Canada, Venezuela, Colombia, West Germany, France, and so forth. That
segment of the market has been growing rapidly and shouldbe. targeted.
Business' support functions: in terms of supporting our downtown.;
officers, advertising, computers, legal consulting and so forth and so
on, ought to make sure that those support functions are housed within
Miami. The health industry I've mentioned, in terms of both delivery
at health services and the manufacturing and its association with it.:.
International Trade: I've mentioned the customs house and trade increase
and so forth, and the financial services performed by. Miami. And in an
area I think we've been kind of neglecting, but where we haven't done
what we could do, and, that's the area of light manufacuring. Arid our
economist looked at Miami versus other places in the county. They
looked at the assets of our economy and said, in terms of plastics and
rubber electronic ..components, 'instruments, printing and pubiishing and
furniture we can capture a great deal more than manufacturing a work
in the region, than we have been. And this is basically clean
manufacture. So it could be an important area to focus on, and right now,
about threethousand people in Miami are employed in this sector. In
terms .
of goals and strategies, what should we do to realize, to capitalize on
these opportunities that are set forth? The goals.. are things that we've.
all talked about. New jobs for;: city residents: we need to create about
five thousand jobs a year for our work force.' We've got to up -grade
our labor force, so that they can meet the jobs that are available.` In
one of the little volume;IV's, I found out that of the clerical jobs
in Miami, and the nursing jobs, our residents do not capture many of
them. We've got to deal with that particular problem. Increase
personal income and expric1 the tax base. 'What dowe do in terms of our
strategy? What do we have to keep in front of our mind? Number one,
we've` got to keep what we have, we have important sectors of retail trade,
wholesale trade, and manufacturing, the garment industry, leather, food,
and so forth. We have to keep what we have, retain it here within the.
City of Miami. If a transit station or atransit alignment is'going ;,to:.
displace a businessman, when that businessman moves, we want him to move
to a location within the City of Miami.
Commissioner Gibson: Mr. Mayor, I want to make an observation.
Mr.Reid: And that is, that is,"very important.
ommissioner Gibson: And...and I want to make it while you're talking.
Mr. Reid: Sure.
Commissioner Gibson: Talking about the garment industry, you ought: to
tell the Mayor and the Commission that story.
Mr. Reid:. I wouldbe glad to tell. I think it's...: which story. do ;:you
want me to tell? I mean...I know the one about the hand.
Commissioner Gibson: Well, you tell
were there, you know what happened.
Mr. Reid: Okay. Al].' right.
them the garment industry story, you
Commissioner Gibson: Tell them so that as we look at this total picture
that it will reflect, you know, because Theodore will address it
tomorrow.
Mr. Reid: Sure. This Commission in July, passed aredevelopment.
plan for the expansion of the garment industry. At that time, the
community residents raised a:concern with respect to employment and
training and soine of the garment manufacturers came in here who also
addressed that concern. This-plan'is nowbefore the HUD Advisory Board,
and Commissioner Gibson is insisting, and rightly so, that before that
board to admitpeople who want the plan, that the garment industry go on
record in terms of<their 'willingness to hire area residents in Overtown
and Wynwood, and he's joining the issue at the HUD Advisory Board
level and vie assume that when they come in on Wednesday, to get the
plan approved, it's going tobe representatives of the garment industry,
of, the fashion district and we'll be able speak to this employment
issue.
Commissioner Gibson: Let me, let me...
Mayor Ferre: What that? What day did yousay that was? Wednesday?
Commissioner' Gibson: Yes, tomorrow.
Mr. Reid Wendesday, the plan is coming` before the HUD Advisory Board.
Commissioner Gibson: Let zne, let me point this out to the Commission,,`.
because. everybody,wanted:,to pass this over lightly.What is.very':;
signif icant is that, you :take CD money to;buy up that land, and then you•'
are going to sell it to those .guys ;for 'half, or maybe a :;third of .the
cost.
Mayor Ferre: Same people?
Commissioner Gibson: Yes. :Or some of, us to go; in there to do their do.
9ut'the "same. peopLe...te l the Commission about the percentage of people
who _"live .overthere,or,"who.:wait a minute ..tell them about this..,
percentage of the people who live in the City; of Miami who work over
there, over against thosewho are brought in there, and thenwe, when we
study this business and read :all this stuff...you know what I. learned in'
my life, black and white don't lie, the people who write, black and white
don't lie. Tell them the percentage, so that this Commission coula`be'
sensitized.
Mr. Reid: I wouldsay that .in -terms of the people who work 'in the:.
immediate are
a, who work: in .the garment:center, there's;Wynwoodand
Overtown`:residents,`it's probabl about ;ten percent of the labor force.'
In terms' of the City, as a whole, it will probably; be thirty :or forty
percent of the labor force.
Mayor Ferre: How much?
Mr. Reid: Thirty to forty percent. But, it is an important industry
to Miami. I think, to the current concerns, Commissioner Gibson, that
you raised, will be addressed on Wednesday, and the way we propose to
address them is that in land disposition documents, in the process of
selling land to the garment industry manufacturers, we intend to get a
commitment up front in terms of their following the employment policy
that we are setting forth. We expect the hiring and training of area people,
and I think there's a willingness to do that;.number one, and if they ;have
a willingness to say that on the record, before the HUD Advisory Board,
this Commission, or anybody else so specify.
Commissioner Gibson: I want to end with this. Mr. Mayor, you need to know
that this is what they propose to want to do, but significantly, all they...
Mayor Ferre: They, the. industry?._
Commissioner Gibson: Yes. Al]. of them were out of town, and finally
they 2;,d to 'ti.. _. On a wan. Find..., dig up a man to come there, to
3
JAN 2 21980
Father Gibson (continued): make a commitment, and when he came, I said,
well now, you know, your convention was more important than this, and 1 said,
well I'll :tell you what, you bring the bodies in here, because' if you:;.
don't bring the bodies in here,. I'm going to do it to them. Now, .so that
the Commission will know that there won't be a nohidden agenda and Idon't:
want ariybody reading in the paper and then somebody says, well God, what
is Gibson? I told them, that if they were not there,,I told the staff I.
was included, that if they were notthere come Wednesday, that I: was going
to use my influence on that board to gut the plan. That's number one
Number two, ,that ;.I was disavowing at the next Metropolitan. Commission`.
meeting, that_`I wasn't representing the City of Miami I was representing::.
Theodore R.-,Gibson, a native of Miamiwho served Christ Episcopal Church
for thirty-four. years, and that I was going to try to get Metropolitan
Dade County to also help gut it I hope this Commission understands
where I'm coming from because.I believe that the people over there
have been short changed and have been duped all these years, and I. want
the people to start living up to their commitment, and there area .we..;.
aren't going to have no hypocrisy in here from.now on:
Mayor Ferre: Who? Where are those people coming from that work in the
industry?
Commissioner Gibson:- Mr. Mayor,; they_ are bringing them'from Hialeah,
you name;it,,they don't live in the City of:Miami.
Commissioner Lacasa: And who is bringing the, Father
them in?.
wno
is bringing
Commissioner Gibson: I don't know:- I know one thing, theytell you about
bus loads that come in every day. Ask Mr. Reid :,ifI'm not telp.ng
the truth and ask that gentleman there. What's your name,sirTell
them whoyou are.
Mr. Federico Fernandez Federico 'Fernand
ez," from the Planning Department.
Commissioner; Gibson. Right. The point is that we were going to
buy a hook line and sink. Where's that planner. Where is he?
(BACKGROUND STATEMENTS PLACED OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC RECORD)
Commissioner Gibson: Who? Where's that planner who got all that
business together? What's his name?
Mr. Reid: Well, Mr. Schwartz and Mr. Fernandez worked on this.
Commissioner Gibson: Mr. Schwartz was the leading guy. He was the leading
man.., Hecamein late,: you know, you came in after most of it was done,
worked out. I , remember Schwartz and I need to tell this, for the record..
It is very interesting , Mr. Mayor, the. City of Miami hasa park over
there, Dorsey Park, and we ought to put all this in the record, as we
consider what we are going to do. I.said to Mr. Schwartz, I said
you know, isn't this strange and significant that you have Dorsey Park
over there, there's Phyllis Wheatley School, the HUD is acquiring land.
Why wouldn't,. HUD acquire landand swap land? The planners didn't
pick up on that anddidn't give a tinker's damn about it. There
isn't twenty-five feet available play area for that school. Ask the
planners. AmI telling the. truth? Come to the mike. I want it for
the sake of the record, because I want this Commission to know that we're
going to hold this staff accountable, and this staff had better tell
us the whole story and nothing but the truth to help you God.` Tell' them.
JAN221980
•
Mr.. Fernandez: Father....
Mayor Ferree Your name, for the record.
Mr. Fernandez:. We chose thatarea because it's a blighted area.
Mayor Ferret Your name and address for the record..
Mr. Fernandez: Federico Fernandez,.212 S.W. 18 Avenue, Planning, Department,
City of Mianii. Father, we chose that area because it's a blighted area and
the only opportunity that these people have is to gothrough the plan, be-
cause if not, the manufacturers are going to buy :this ;area, i,and are going to
a interested
these people without any benefits, you know, because theyare interested
to stay in the area and this is the only opportunity that , around about
two hundred people have to receive some benefit, benefits from the City of
Miami.
Commissioner Gibson: All right. I want you to answer this. You aren't
answering my question. I want to agreewith what you're saying. I'm
going, to agree with you. I said that Phyllis Wheatley School is sitting
right there and you tell this Commission if it isn't true and I„raise this
because I want to charge the City's staff people to do more than just bring
plans in here. That they have to have some vision and plan. There isn't...
Phyllis Wheatley, Mr. Mayor, doesn't have,;I doubt, fifty feet to play on.
They have to go over to that park and since HUD was acquiring all that land...'
that's the man who did all the planning, because I raised the question with
him before, that what' they should do, since HUD was buying the land was
swap:withHUD so that thatschool could have some play area and if need be,
then trade off, and nothing was done, and nothing is being done. They
don't have any interitiofl of doing anything about it.
Mr. Fernandez: In response to yourquestion in the garment center....
Commissioner Gibson: N0,,no, let me add.. let me getone thing....
Mr. Fernandez: Well, L was going to respond to both of your questions.
All'"tight:
Commissioner Gibson: I'm not going... I:don't want the garment center. I'm
going to leave the garment because I'm going to take care of them tomorrow.
I>want...sir, don't you leave! Tell this Commission if I'm lying about that
play area. That's what I want.
Mr. Fernandez::; It is understanding, Commissioner Gibson, that the school
has purchased additional land for play area. Phyllis Wheatley School, so
that' snot an unresolved problem. That's a problemthat's being. worked on.
Commissioner Gibson Yeah, I'm sure they:.. Maybe they have or are going
to purchaseit, after I raised all that hell.:.
Mr. Fernandez: That's quite possible.
Commissioner Gibson: I. remember, meeting- you, ,over. at Phillis Wheatley
School in the auditoriuln, you remember that chiding I gave you? Isn't
that right? No, no,don't bow. Come up here and tell the Commission, put
it in the record because I've found outman, it's important to get your
name in the record these days.
Mr. Mathew Schwartz: Mathew Schwartz, Planning Department. The last...
At Phyllis Wheatley, that was that time when the City had Phyllis, excuse
me, Dorsey Park was already developed, there was a new building, construction.
was about to begin on the existing park and that's one of the reasons why we
didn't recommend at that time or didn't really proceed with the switch or
swap of land. Also, it would involve the relocation of... there are two
ten -unit buildings on the block just west of the park and, you know, those
buildings are in fairly good condition and that's one of the reasons also,
you know, for housing, since it is such a great problem in that area. Plus
the school at_'that 'time `:was in the process of purchasing property directly
JAN 221980
Matthew Schwarta (cont'd): north of the school, which they have purchased.
and they have developed as play area for the school.
Commissioner Gibson: Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission,. if I'm not tell-
ing the truth, you say he's a liar and I'll buy, but you better prove it.
When I raised the question the schoolboard was not involved, didn't intend
to get involved. Isn't that true? And make sure now, because I am at the
point, 'I'll :prove it.
Mr. Fernandez: Father Gibson....
Commissioner Gibson: Because we were over there at Phyllis Wheatley and,
Mr. Mayor, they weren't concerned at all.
Mr. Fernandez: I'm not sure. of the School Board's time table, if they had.
already made a decision to purchase that land or not, at that time.
Commissioner Gibson: Did you ask them?'
Mr. Fernandez:: I believe so. I': can't recall right. now.
Commissioner Gibson: The record didn't..r"
Mr. Reid: What I suggest, Mr. Mayor, is that we take a look into this and
get a very specific report back to Commissioner Gibson so that -we're :talking
.
with the same baste of ' information.
'Mayor Ferre: Right,: right, yes sir, and if necessary, Father',; do you want to
pursue this at a future Commission Meeting? Why don't you just schedule it..
whenever: you want it? Ifs not on Thursday, then the next one would be February
12th.
Commissioner Gibson: All right. I just want to make sure they understand.
Mayor Ferre: Okay.,
Mr Reid: To proceed in terms of the strategy we talked about, keeping, what
we it the About ten percent of the work force
for
people ewho ehve � need to City.keepin mind that we need access to Countyrce in the "total..,,;
of the County is City residents so that we have a significant number: of people
who live in Miami who work in, Dade, County andwe have a stake in the overall
region's economy.
Mayor Ferre Now, now, when you say ten percent of the work force, you're
talking about work force outside the City limits.
Mr. Reid: No, I'm talking about the City's work force. These people who
reside in . the City.
Mayor Ferre: City employees you'retalking about?
Mr. Reid: No, I'm talking about not City employees.
Mayor Ferre:
When you say City's work force, you're getting me confused.
Mr. Reid: All right, about a hundred .and eighty thousand of the people
in Miami who are: employed....
Mayor Ferre:. Yes.
Mr. Reid: ..about seventy thousand of them' work outside of Miami, they work
in Dade County) and;. they represent ten percent of the labor force of the County.
JAN 22 1980
Mayor Ferret- ; Well -then, my question again`is, when you say ten percent
of.the-county'srwork force,. you're talking about the full
-
jurisdiction of Dade County.... ;
Mr. Reid:. Yes.
Mayor,Ferre: You're substracting those that work in the City.o
Miami.
Mr. Reid: No.
Mayor Ferre: Alright But that -again is significant. -because. what,
in Miami
tells, us is whereas we are twenty three percent of the population of
the'county,.living only have ten percent of the work force 1 g
Is that correct?
Mr. Reid:'No, ten percent of Miami's work force is working in the County,
okay, and not in Miami.
Mayor Ferre Oh, okay.
Mr. Reid: Yes, we .have a work force of a hundred and eighty thousand.
Mayor Ferre: I see, out of one hundred and eighty thousand, eighteen thousand
are working outside of the city limits of Miami,: and you're cotnplainiflg about
that. That's very little.
Mr. Reid:, No. No,:what I'm saying, we have a work force of a hundred and,.
eighty thousand in Miami, okay? Of the people in Miami, who are in the
labor force...
Mayor Ferre: Yes.
Mr. Reid:
Mayor Ferre:
:...seventy thousand work outsider the City of Miami
that ten percent? Ten percent of what?
Mr. Reid:..That:',sten percent of the Dade County's work force, which
Well how
about seven hundred_ thousand.
Mayor Ferre: Alright; we did it
as an apple -orange situation.
Mr. Reid Yes. I did get apples and oranges.
Mayor Ferre. Yes.
Mr. Reid: The point I.; want to make is, we also have a very large,
stake in.the:Dade County .economy.
. •Mayor'Ferre Well.let me go over those
and::eighty thousand people who work in
ins Miami. Is' that correct?
Mr. Reid: That's right.
is
fitures."again. _Youhave a;hundred..
Miami, that are the., industrial work_,force
Mayor. Ferre: Alright,now. Seventy thousand ofthose people work
outside the city limits, but within Dade County, they don't work in
Broward or anywhereelse.
Mr. Reid: That's correct,
Mayor Ferre:. Which means that, a hundred and ten thousand work in the City.
Miami,
Mr. Reid: They work in
10
JAN 22 1983
Mayor:Ferre: Well, either, that or Monroe County or Browatd County, and.
you're out: in the Atlantic.
Mr. Reid: I think, I am getting very confused here and.I would
rather clarify thia to the Commission in terms of the actual, percentage,
okay? The point.I was.....
Mayor'Ferre: Well, have we got these numbers in?
Mr. Reid: The numbers are in there, yes.
Mayor Ferrer I don't. know,, but,in a simple way that we can....
because, I mean, there itt here, but.....
Mr. Reid: As Julio was talking about programs I will be glad to
come back and clarify the numbers. Alright, we want to market or
add..base assets and they were talked about in the previous sheet.,
in terms of the port and in the Convention Center and so :forth,
and then Gladstone suggested six specific strategies, if you will,
,.to improve employment in Miami. They are improving the business..
climate, enhancing our image, improving our physical facilities,.
upgrading our human capital.
Mayor Ferre: What pages are you on?
Mr. Reid: That's the fourth pag e, sixth page, at the bottom of the
page,...which;says "strategies". Upgrading human capital, providing
technical and firiancial assistance to business and atracting middle
and upper income households. Those are the six areas that. Gladstone ,.
told us to focus
.'on and Mr. Castano is going to talk about what we are
doing now and what we propose to do in those areas.
Mayor Ferre: Okay.
Mr.'Castano: Mr. Mayor, Commissioners, do we have;. any questions, up
to this .,point? Okay, moving right, along.; Some of the programs: that;
from these recommendations, are divided
result from these objectives,_ into two major areas. Programs that we are already implementing programs.
that we are recommending, and action that will be, has to be taken by
the Commission. Of the current activities, they've -listed six. 1 m
going to address one, two and five as three direct functions of the
Department of Trade and Commerce.,'
Mayor Fectx e : e, two and five?
Mr. Castar?o 4.2, two and five, are direct functions of the Depart-
ment of Trade and Commerce.. Obviously, the first one is to improve.
the business climate. They recommend that we create an infra-struc.
ture to do this. Now, we've done that by creating a Department of
Trade and Commerce. The Department Trade and Commerce has as their
number one function a business development fuction. Now the person
that directs, that is Tony Crapp, who is a Division Director for that.
The Department's business development fuction is basically a technical
assistance to businesses, to retain businesses that are considering
leaving Miami, to expand businesses that are considering expansion,
and to atract businesses that are here. We do this through direct
contact with the businesses, through providing answers to inquiries,
assistance to businesses that are looking for industrial sites,
permits, licenses, new markets, etc. By providing whatever assistance
they, may require in developing their businesses. Now, we've done this
in the past year to the tune of almost fifteen hundred leads that come to
our office and we've handled in a taylor-made fashion, in other words
we have taken each one of these businesses and we've helped them
individually.If you compare that, for instance, with Dade County,
which is the past three years have handled in total less than three
hundred, fifteen hundred figure for one year, it's a tremendous
figure. Now, that doesn't prove that we are magnificient
11
JAN 221980
Mr. Julio Castano (cont'd)'
but it proves that we have a tremendous market, the man coming to us• ,
and that we're handling it properly. We have.an Advisory Commission.
Trade and Commerce, and I'1l like to introduce to.you the Chairman that
-
I'saidwould.be here this afternoonhe was behind -me,
.I;hadn't seenhim.-Mr. who-isthe Ghairroanof"that Commission
that you -;appointed. Mr. Cruz lali3O. one of'> -the members, who is`very active
in the Commission. The second function •I would like to address is the
changing of image, and we do that through a marketing • and. promotion
:ffort. We do that in two 'different categories,` We. do it with
traditional promotion, and -.We, do 'it through special events.'
A°traditional promotion would do it in advertising. We
a: very.taylored manner. We advertise three industries, we pick the
five - or six or eight industries that we feel are '.the strongest :in
Miami, and we advertise. into the industry itself. Now.that saves
• us money, because we can go;,back;and co -op -a lot;of'our advertising
with that particular industry and it also targets our; advertising.
that particular one in our promotion of that particular market ;`In other
words','if we're talking about banking, we talk to bankers, we. don't
talk :to everybody in the world•.-if"we' talk about transportation
:insurance ,-�wet•aik'to-people who�are_in that busines"s:-sand need that
business in order to increase their own businesses. The second '"
ping we do`is.special events. Special events, like the Trade
Fair`of the... Amer the- .symposium of seminars.and:all the other,
events that are not pure advertising..;That helps change the image
of. Miami as a place to do business,'as a place that it's not only
a sun and :fun place but a good solid: business, market place. The
third thing I .said "I was going to address'in .the context of the
Departme•nt-of. Trade and Commerce is a technical and financial ,`
assistance •sinesses
to bu,'. which this;Gladstone's.study recommends.
So, we'll get into a -great deal of detail'on,that when we get to
the..National UrbanDevelopmetn Corporation 'presentation
.'But,
basically"what we are doing presently is a lot of thesefifteen`.
hundred business have contactedus and are asking for assistance,
in the financial field, in other words, it's not necessarily that they
are asking for -money but asking for assistance -with the banks,
package deal loans, technical assistance-, -and how:.to, put. together
'loan,_'how",to work out.their problems, with,;the..banks,,.introduction t
banks and so on A lot of• these: clients are not from -Miami, and
they :'don't knowhow to handle themselves is the United States system
.of banking' and finance, so we are assisting these people.;As a:matter of fact:
local businessmen;, that are in Miami, ,right now, have` helped or:have--asked-
us;to come,, together. in almost six million dollars in loans, and we
have`.packaged these loans. and we have gone to the.:banks.and:those
.loans are pending right now.
0
Mayor Ferre: I'd like to stop you at this point, because I want to tell
you that has.been'a matter. of concern to me since I heard about it
the;first;time a year ago. The City,of Miami is'not, should not be
in 'the business of becoming an advisor to the business community,
on bank".application.;-for loans other than the work that we're doing
with ininorities or within the connnunity. But, lf'a business concern
comes from. New; Jersey and` moves to Miami,; and they don't have
the strenght to go out and borrow money at a local bank, would
you explain to what in`world does your department do in getting
them a loan?
Mr. Castano: Well, we're not getting them the loan. The loan is not
through, the criteria that .... the bank.....
gotten
Mayor Ferre: When you1say six million dollars, are you talking
about minorities now? Are you involved in.....?
Mr. Castano: Talking about minorities. and, businesses in general.
The problem is that the high rate of inflation is producing
a tightness of the money, as you well know, and, therefore people that would
12
J A N 2 21980
Mr. Castano: Now, we're going to be recommending, this afternoon a step
further into this direction. To a development`:; corporation that's a
different animal, but this is' something that is happening, right now.
Okay? I' like to address three, four, and six as things that are really
happening at this moment. We're talking about improving the physical
facility. Well as. you well know,what the Latin Board of Development .is
doing, is the attraction of federal grants and the plans that we're
conducting in thatarea to develop the Latin Garment Center within
Little Havana. The Garinent Center expansion, as the commission was
mentioning, Marine and River Front studies are being done. World
Trade Center, ConventiOfl Center, all the basic, physical development
that is happening in the City of Miami, that is part of a general,
development strategy for us. The participation in the upgrading of human
capital is being done through several programs. One of the very important
programs thejare.involved in, is in the P.I.C. Council. The P.I.C..
is part of a federal program which will assist the private industry
in hiring people who are disadvantaged, minoriteis people who are not trained.
.It'sbasically a rearrangement ngement or reorientation of the C.E.T.A. funds, away from
Father Gibson, for instances, the P.I.C. will find employees
ualify
illgiveyou some tax benefits until thatp
Mr. Castano (cont'd)
have been a good risk two years ago, are not a good risk......
Mayor Ferre: Well, how would coming to the City of Miami make a bad
risk corporation, from New Jersey who wants to establish a garment
shop in the garment industry center here,become a good risk? I don't
understand that.
Mr. Castano: They're not becoming a good risk, they are in a category
less than good risk for a bank and, therefore, they maybe having problems
obtaining a loan. All we're doing is helping them with technical assistance
in preparing the loan package. Now, that's a service that in many cases the
difference` between having the loan or not having the loan.
Mayor Ferre: Dick ,is that a bonafide activity for this Department?
Mr. Fosmoen: It's bonafide, Mr. Mayor, to the extent that a business
seeking alocation in Miamihasa central place to find information,`.
to gather statistics that help it's presentatiofl to the bank.
We're not making phone calls to the banks, saying: "these are nice guys,
why don't -you -approve their applications? We are helping them packag e
the application, we're helping them find their way through the S.B.A.
Morass.
Mayor Ferre: Oay, in my understanding you are saying that it's the same thing
that for example, a government- agency like Foment°, in Puerto Rico,
does to help industries to locate in Puerto Rico.
Mrs correct.
Castano: That's
Mayor Ferre: Okay.
correct, that'
o
erson can
;
government into. the private sectoi In other words, if you have
hatbusiness,
for your business and help you pay those salaries for a period of
time and also w
be incorporated into the labor force. That's a very strong and very
good program and we've been working on this for about a year now,
and it's basically designed for disanvantage and minority people.
And, lastly, atracting little upper class household residents into
the area. We're doing that. I think the biggiest impact will be
from the Park West Project, in Downtown Miami, to attract people into
the Downtown area and make Downtown Miami not a part-time' Downtown,.but
a full-time Downtown, where there is a night activity that will support
restaurants and will support night activities, opera, music, philharmonic,
and so on. The Overtown Plan, has been adopted and we're looking at the
possibility, right now, of opening a hotel in that area, we have.attracted.a firm...
Mayor..Ferre:. The: hotel, in.whatarea?
Mr. Castano: In the Overtown area we have,a hotel: that already has
a....there's building, this`: hotel•chain is building • a hotel in the
•Civil Center.and'they're considering a.•very seriously the opening
of two hotels. One in:Little'Havana and one in.the Overtown area,
'and ,they are•very, interested, and I think'we will have something for
• this" Commissions_ approval,in a :relatively short period of time, on that
particular.. Po, you want to say something? -lie Civil. Center study and the
Biscayne Boulevardalso apart of • the attraction of household residents
• into' the City. of Miami.:•Now, we..have some;:proposed activities......
Things thatwere;working.:on and things that are going -to be"happen.ing pretty
quickly will be,;.,for instance that. the Committee•or..the Council:, that' .has
been appointed'in Trade and Cotmnerce,••is'going.to be; -divided into
•
sub -committees.. One -,of them, will' be a Marketing.,Commiittee., and..we'•
re
-already.working. with_._the.Chamber;on'that, co -ping some money with the•Chamber,-
and -the I.D.A. .people.and=the private -sector Another -"sub -committee
will be a• DevelopmeStu:siness Development -sub• -committee, sand., that Business
n-
subcommitteeibasically an.expansion of this Council,`in
order;to tap: the. primary„ sources, that, really will be -,the: ones that
develop the City with our. cooperation. We have to adopt a policy on
economic development.. This'' Commission. has to give economic,.. development
-one-of it 'a- very. important:. priorities, for, obvious reasons.
We are, continuing our image building.: We haverthis;particu];ar.year,
wed..have "placed" in excess, of. twenty :ad's in=very- publications, ..talking
:about :.the.:new<Miami •physical facilities and we'll continue the
.upgrading:of the human capital- through a .counterpart the',_Manpower"Strategy
-Program's :technicaland financial assistance,.and this we'd like to
discuss:with„ you.. Next,•-and--finally,•.attracting middle and upper
class incotne households into the •City; by."doing'the Edgewater Area .
Study.and develop the Neighborhood's Commercial? revitalization"
Station`Plan..The.next-steps, that •we feel should be aken.,are.`
adoption of 'an economic development policy by: the. City,Commission,
approved remarketing program and contract and t t
consultan'nat •
will "be coming to.you at' the next;Commission Meeting; "estabiisbmen�
a Miami •:development, corporation; citywide, development corporation;
in a work close with the: private, sector. .And, finally, engage and
carry.•out. a•comptehensive economic development Strategy -,-:.:the..:
process which we have been engaged' in 'for.the past; year.
Mayor Ferre: Alright. Now, let me ask you, Mr.'Fosmoen As I
recall the process here, you wanted, the Commission to adopt the
Gladstone. Study as presented.
Fosmoen: It's on your agenda, for the inext ."Commission Meetirig.;
Mayor Ferre: Oh. Why don't we do it today?
Mr. Fosmoen::Well, because this is a workshop, Mr. Mayor. You'weren',
constituted in a formal commission meeting today.
Mayor Ferre:.,very good..I would recommend, that you, in writing,
request° an interview, tomorrow, with Commissioner Carollo and•
Commissioner Plummer and leave it. I think his secretaryis here and
leave it in Plummer's office, so that they can call you: and giveyou
theappropriate tune, so that this matter can be reviewed.
Mr. Castano::Yes, Mr. Mayor,. Commissioner Carollo has expressed a
desire to visit our offices, and we're. . ..part Of our plan' was., to explain
to him not only this, ,but the whole Department."
��. T� , ^..LiC),'
Mayor Ferre: Okay, Well, I think you ought to try to do it before
Thursday,and today being Tuesday, that leaves you tomorrow.
Mr:•Castano:.Alright, fine. Well, we'd like to,' at this, time,get
into the.nextsubject, and that's the presentation..by the National
Urban-Deveiopmetn Services Corporation, a city-wide development
Corporation, and''I think you've had an opportunity. to see
the recommendations of this corporation, and: some of the
Commissioners hav had:a chance to speak to the consultantsOn this matter.
So, what I'd like to do is have Mr. Goldstein make a brief
presentation on the concept and Mr. Herb Bailey will then address the
specific mechanisms that we are recommending for implementation:
Mr. Ben Goldstein: Mr. May�r, before we get started,, 1 want
this Commission to know that we havescheduled a tneeting for 7:30 P.M.
tonight, in this room, for the National Urban Development Services
Corporation to make a:presentation toall ,the =C.D.Task Forces.
Mayor Ferre: Oh,: wonderful.
.•Goldstein:Mr. Bailey will be doing
Mayor Ferre: Wonderful Oh, that'
here?
Mr. Goldstein: We'll find out tonight at 7:30 P.M.
Mayor".Ferre: Today'
good news.: Are they goinglto.be;
•
question is, will they listen?
Commissioner Gibson: What did you say, Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Ferre: That they have scheduled. this evening at 7:30 P.M.
a,.meeting .here, with all the C.D. Task Forces, including the Chairs,
fot tbe.puxpose of making a presentation. You know, we went through :.
that �lrareen last time, and at your request
r
Commissioner Gibson: Yes, sir,.`and--I
madeit stronger than that.
Mayor Ferre: Well?
Commissioner Gibson: They .didn't .have any choice.
Mayor Ferre Mr Bailey, as Tf remember it -did: -meet with: several of":them,.:
butI think his return from Philadelphia',here.:is to follow UP., Oh' that,,
•
and:I guess what's:happening is they're all.going_to be.meeting, not only
with:Mr.'Greeen,but with:everybody, because .'think -ell: of the C.D. members
Of :the Task. Forces should really get the b"enefit.of what's happening'in
.Philadelphia:
Commissioner Gibson: We agree but Mr. Mayor, I made it stronger than.
the; staff' if the ;Staff :followed through. `That ,you notify them,
want to. come, 'but :.:that :the -City ,. was asking them to be here Is that what ,you
all did?
Mr.: Goldstein:. Yes, yes. Alright, yes.
that I want to make sure that the sta f I heard it 'and I now -ask
and it isn't a question of,whethertheylike it or whether they
Commissioner.. Gibson: No, let me - see "the..;..'..
Mr. Goldstein: I'm trying to find out, what the note has said.
Commissioner Gibson: How did you do it? :.
Mr. Goldstein: Probably not, Father.
Dena Spillman: Wesent a:1etter to each Advisory member, saying that
the City, Commission"had requested that we setup a special Workshop
15
JAN 22Ia
Dena Spillman (Cont'd): ... for: them: and we requested their attendance.
Commissioner Gibson: Tomorrow, when we have the meeting on Thursday,
I want an'accountability: I want to.know which task force was here,
and how Man
y members -,on the task force, and how many members of that
particular task force were here tonight.
Dena Spillman: Okay:"
Commissioner Gibson: You see, because, if you don't do that, then we
will continuethis let's run around ,the merry -go -round, -mulberry bush,
that we've been having, okay? I made -that very clear, at the beginning.
Mr. Castano:. Father Gibson, also, I think it's worthy or. note, that
theconsultanhave -met individually, with several of these task forces
not only'now, after your request, but throughouttheyear, with Overtown
for sure, and with Little Havana groups, so we haven't done this in a vacuum,
they, these people have had, participation throughout the year.
MayorFerre: Dena what concerns -me ,is that when we begin to overcome in
Overtown, and .we have the'people there beginning:to agree and settle down,
thenModel City doesn't understand and afterwe get Model City kind of, you .,
know,in the. groove,` then we have that Allapattah doesn't understand, and
you know, we. ve got to get. all these different... and, I know the worst one
is Little Havana cause theywon't even listen.
Ms. Spillman: Well, we've had, at every meeting that we've held in the
past two weeks, representatives from Julio's office that have been there,
we've explained it at the meetings, although we haven't everywhere because they
wouldn't let us talk.
Mayor Ferre: They.won't'let you talk?
Ms. Spillman:. --No, but.tonight .we've offered another opportunity, for, every-
body to come, I mean, I don't know what else we can. do.
Mayor Ferre: Well,'Z'11 tell. you what. l'm going to take this bull by the
horn. If after the third time, the; people, the C:D. Board or Little Havana,
refuses to let staff make a. presentation, 1 will offer a motion to have that
C.D. Board disbanded, and we will appoint....
Mr. Goldstein: That occured last night.
Mayor Ferre: They'wouldn't let you talk?
Ms. Spillman: Yes, I got a letter from Dade County,
Mayor Ferre: You bring that, you put that on the agenda as a pocket item
for Thursday, if you would, please, and we will address that issue and have
the. Chairpersons here, somewhere hopefully by the end of the day, and let's
address that issue. And as far as I am concerned, if they do not permit
people... if we're going through the time and effort, and money, to make
these presentations and they don't even want to listen, then, I think we've,
just got nothing to talk about, we'll just disband them. Is there a legal
way to do that?
Ms. Spillman:• I'm sure, there is. I'm sure you can do it by resolution.
Mayor Ferrer ,Well, get the law and make sure that Mr. Knox's office is
informed. Let me tell you, that as far as I'm concerned, and this is just
one voice -on this Commission, I am asking you to prepare the proper
resolutions to disband the Little Havana Community
tCenter,
the and
Kiwreconnis,stitute
a Board and we'll have to figure out a way, by gtg
Little Havana Development Authority and.; the. various civic organizations,
I like to get the International Chamber of. Commerce, the Latin American
Chamber of Commerce, and the other civic groups in Little Havana, to come
with specific names and recommendations
db
16
JAN 221980
of responsible people, who will, at least, listen. I mean, we have
enough problems with people who want to do their own thing, but when you
get people that don't even want to listen, I don't think there's anything
to talk about, at that point.
Mr. Goldstein: Can I go ahead now? My name is Ben Goldstein, I am the
head of National Urban Development Services Corporation. We were in here
on January loth, if you recall. I made a short presentation at the time.
I think that Commissioner Plummer indicated that the group had not had
sufficient time to read the reports, and I guess we're back here today to
have a more informal and extended discussion of some of the recommendations
that our report contains. At this time, Herb Bailey, who's sitting behind
me here, was asked to make a presentation and what we'd like to do is,
perhaps, talk a little bit more informally, get your questions if you have
any, because I would like to stress some of the innovation and new aspects,
of what we're talking about, and what might be a little controversial
even,,one:of the remarks you made about whom are we helping, you know, to
come into the city. Because I think, there are things happening around
the count"ry now, with respect to economic development, and perhaps, more
specifically, business development, that is 'foreign or has been traditional
in the_ -sense, of -what cities have been engaging in, with respect to providing
services. for their citizens, for.whattheir offer.to'us was in the past. Now,
we'•ll try to -make this short, basically, we were called to provide a
financial assistance program, an organization structure for the Commercial..
Service Department of the Office of Trade and Commerce. The thing turned out
.to:be;a little bigger, because inhave-recommendedwhat we have -recommended here, and
Ididn't mention this last time.but I _think;_we got to -;put it into context, is
,that we -felt that the City didn't have enough business developing capability,
in sense, that we felt:it needed;_and we in effect said, that this business
developing capability had to be',part of a larger economic developing strategy.
So, where most people talked about economic development, we'd like to talk
aboutbusiness`development-more,- in amacro sense. Where cities in the past
.have been talking about long range planning on physical things connected with
land use, we'd like to talk about shorter range, entreprenurial business
development that happens in. kind: of a business development context, for small
minorities and mediums size businesses, in terms of neighborhood commercial
revitalization and technical assistance in small businesses. Now, those are
generally the functions that -we ;see.` and we talked about. When I talked here
last:tiine,I indicated because the group wasn't ready to talk on the substance
at least we'can'talk about 'our assumptions. We're assuming that this kind
of,
part to be of a' larger strategy for economic development
for the City and-thatit ought to respond to the kind of program, plan as we
call it, the kinds of activity, not just to set up a structure, but to say
okay, what: do We want to do? Well, what we wanted to do was emphasize
business development, for small and minority businesses, for Blacks and Cubans;
we want to talk
about neighborhood ighborhood commercial revitalization, and we want to
activity nee
ds
talk about technical assistance. We also, and I think this is a key point, we
want to. talk about a centralized kind of service, because we were here that
day when the neighborhood groups, community groups were making their
presentations, and in the course of the remarks. Well, as Herb indicated,
one of the problems probably was that the City didn't have a constructive
alternative to fill the vacuum that these people, in a sense, were trying to
fill in their own ways. When five or six organizations come to you and say,
we want to be an economic developing game, we're saying in effect, that
we don't think that's a practical way for the City and it's communities to
address that problem. We think it would be very good and probably rather
difficult at the beginning, to have one good highly professional centralized
capability, to provide the kinds of services we're talking about. TThereties
is hardly a City around the country, that has more than one.
er
than Miami and we're not talking about just talking generalities
about things we'd like to have, a wish list, what have you,
talking
about business developing and financial packaging, we're talking about a
professional kind of neighborhood
revitalization,
things
andthat
technicallywant Sbut
involved
really don't understand what's Professionally
we're talking about a centralized kind of
JAN221980
capability, which we feel is not now available in the City of Miami that the:.
suggested city-wide local Development Corporation would provide for the first
time, in the City of Miami. We're also talking about doing it, on a
qualified and.. scheduled basis, that we have a program plan that's notto
too damn ambitious at the beginning, but something that we know can be done
too often, a lot of this stuff is just conversation, from one year to the
next, rarely is` it' quantified and scheduled and put on paper as the program,o
an organi'zation,.thattthey are going to try to accomplish, within let's say a
given period. What are we going to do in 1980. We say we're going to do four
million two hundred fifty thousand dollars worth of projects and thirty-eight
different particular business developing activities; we're going to work in
two or three neighborhoods, whatever the case may be, we'd like to put it on
a highly professional, business -like, quantified scheduled basis, and the key
word I mentioned last time, I think this is key most of the time, most of
these=organizations who come to you, that will -be here tonight, think that
they're not being served, that they're not part of the economic development
strategy. of this City. ,We think that a,balanced economic development job can
be done,. without too much difficulty, from the,C,ity:'s`standpoint these
commercial revitalization programs... if:business developing services are
provided: these people on a professional basis, in away.that it hasn't been
before. This does not preclude their participation -in the process, interms
of community groups who have something to say;about'what;:-goeson in their
neighborhood, it does say that;'.they_are:not professionally and technically
qualified"to,do this kind of job, and-that',s'what the
ietCity-sidictuDeC.bIs all
about. Now, we brought Herb Bailey`_ here,, With us, P
ute
he's done an' unusually, effective job in .Philadelphia, as -..,the head of the:,
Philadelphia city-wide Developing CorporatiOheinithis kind of context, and the;
whetherPhiladelphia is four,or five time case may.'be, doesn't alter the fact thatrtheretarehat certainkpthatitheS, certain
ways to `go, so to. speak, ; and �a basic approach the
of Miami' can. adopt, pretty much predicated and
idhpremised onng out saitesortl f
approach"that was .taken in PhiladelphiaH., 'which
Mayor Ferre: Very good. Mr. Goldstein?
Mr. Goldstein:
Sir.
Mayor Ferre: Before we get. with Mr. Bailey, may.
Mr. Goldstein:
Sure.
Mayor Ferre: Miami is not really
Mr. Goldstein: That
Mayor Ferre: But it'
Mr. Goldstein
s right.
ask you a `question?
too different from any other American City;...?
also „different, you know.
e're all different.
Mayor Ferre:
Okay, now, the reason why there's a particular- difference here
is because we have two: minorities and...
Mr. Goldstein: Okay.
Mayor Ferre: and this is a very` touchysubject,`but I` think it's something
that we've got. to put right on top of the table and discuss and face.
I realize that there are many minorities, in many other American cities,
you've got orientals in San Francisco, and you've got the Mexican American
community and the Black community, both minority groups, in certain parts of
Texas and Southern California, etc. Now, the Cuban community in exile here,
for the most part, are people that come out of the business communities, out
of Cuba, in the same way that, for examp e, thatihat a lot
tcof Jamaicans
that are
now living in Miami come out of the Jama 'th involved
e
Jamaican have come out of Jamaica into Miami within a year,eathy
into some kind of a business because they're business people, you know.
Mr. Goldstein: Yes.
CID
JAN2Z1980
Mayor Ferre (Cont'd): In Jamaica , they were doing their thing and they come
to'Miami and they bring .somemoney;:out and they do, their: thing. As a
consequence, there is" a tremendous fear, and I think with some justification
in the Black community in Miami, that's one of the: reasons why the Black
community has not been'aggrensive enoughvr not, you know where the Black
banks, where the Black businesses, where the Black construction companies,
where you see, not one, but literaly hundreds and hundreds of Cuban firms,
that started here fifteen years ago with zero capital that now have three
million dollars and they've expanded and they've gone over the counter and
they've merged, and they've done this, and they've done that, we've got
literally hundreds and hundreds of examples of that, from DYN Electronics
to Resical, in Downtown , andon and on. •That creates, whether it is
real or not real I'm not going to be a judge; I'm not saying that it is a
fictitious thing or non -fictitious thing, I'm not going to judge that, but
it "creates in the'Black community, a feelingthat there is just no place
for black upward mobility in the business community, because the Cubans
will take over, whatever goods there are available for...you know, if there's
an opportunity, they'll preclude...because they come with the accounting
backgrounds, and the business background, and what have you. Therefore,
my'questiom,"which.is completely different from the Puerto Rican community
in New York:City, which has the same patterns of poverty, if not more so,
and the same patterns of a poor education, and a lack of college degrees,
and business expertise, and etc., etc. And the same thing that the
Mexican American, community has suffered in Texas and Southern California.
In other words, what I, am saying is that the level of poverty, the level of
un-education, has plagued' the Mexican American community as much as it has
the Black comtnunity, let's say, in Southern California; or as much or close
to , and thereis a similar pattern; so, therefore, you don't have that'.;
situation with the Cuban community, whether it's perceived or real, that's
the. opinion, I think and excuse me for getting into this, I'm not black,
but "I think it's even...I think it's better that a non -black person make
this statement. My question to youis in reference to your statement that
you don't know of any other City where only one corporation or more than one
.-in'this situation, where we:really-should create maybe two.
Mr. Goldstein: Or several. Yea, I think so, except this, let me just
mention this, let me just mention...
Mayor Ferre: I mean, I'm not saying that:because of racial things an
Mr.'Go1dstein: Alright here, L think your question raises three or four
different answers. First of all,"in thisountry:there are many communities
in which the majority is no longer the wh.ite.protestant, you know, kind of
thing. In Washington, where we come from, you have seventy six percent black
where I was last week and where the Latin, Americans are concerned, about
their getting a decent opportunity to move in the economy, okay? I was
in Oakland last week, where , (52%) of the population is black: the
Mayor, Lyonel Wilson, is black. But there is the Haitian population that
doesn't think it's getting, you know, it's fair shake. What we're trying
- to do, and I think this is important and 'an answer to the question you
asked before, we're trying to open up the system to broader participation
by all members of the community. Alright, that isn't a radical thing
this is supposed to be quite American, quite democratic, and quite in
keeping with the democratic capitalist: kind of philosphy that governs in
the country. Now, if here, in this>City the Cubans are in the majority
and come from a tradition and culture of business, which is what you're
saying, we understand that,.and they might be Jamaican and others, the
point, and I think this isAey.;and it answers another aspect of your
question,` the reason we think:'that the Office of Trade and Commerce ought
to"be getting into this.kind.of thing, is that the private market doesn't
work, in�certain-situations_.and in many, many different ways, public
private,*hat we call"mixed enterprise has to take place for inter-
cities,,for neighborhoods, and other kinds of things, to benefit or some-
hownot benefieve t n be-adres dsed aeco
s nomic opportunities whithin the.
economies of the cities.
db
JAN 2219Su
■
Mr. Goldstein: Your specific question, whetherwe have two seperate kind
of vehicles for Cubans and Blacks, if that's the way the people want it,
sure we would, but we want to inake sure that more people, particularly
Blacks:as you're saying, in this.community participate in the system,,
understand what it takes to;get into.the ball game, because, in'many
cases, the community organizations are not versed in what it,takes"to
move in this kind of economic society.' So, this what we're' talking
about and this 'is why.: we think that a lot ofthe talk that heard here
a week`_: ago,on the tenth, was not particularity sophisticated, and'I
hope :that I'm not being critical, in saying that the people are to under-
stand what it takes for Model Cities, and for Overtown and the other
people to somehow structure a vehicle, which their people will achieve
first opportunities on entrepreneurial jobs: and financial private, invest-
ment,:.that `kind of thing. Now, if. it takes too, the;•Cubans separate., from
the `others, I `-think we could do 'that,',even; in'divisions within'_: the same.
capability.
Mayor Ferret I'm asking a; question, that's all.
Mr. Goldstein: But, the point is I think we got to provide the services,
to those whoneed it.
Mayor Ferre: Okay.
Mr. Castano: Mr. Mayor, I think the point is, and I; think we've been.
doing this, not only . in the City of Miami, but when I'` was at the United
Way.. I think that the creation of anagency that has Black or` Cuban
perpetuates the colonial feeling. You have the Cuban agency and you
have the Black agency, you have the blue agency and .you have a green
agency, and we could do this forever and ever and I think it's time...'
Mayor Ferre: Okay, look..
Mr. Castano: I'm not...
Mayor FerreI understand it, and I' agree, and I'm glad you're facing
the issue that way, 1 just don't want somebody coming here, you know,
four or three, or four years from now and say, well you did this, and look
at this, all seventy five percent of the loans have gone to the Cuban
community and the Blacks haven't gotten anything, and this is more the
same,:: and here we go againand, you know, and then, And the fact is that
youknow, it's going to be one of these very difficult tense situations
and I...
Mr. Goldstein: Let me mention one or two things, sir, then I'd like to.
put Herb on, who will make his speech, as he says, on the back issue
because he understands it thoroughly.: One of thethings we found here,
in, in Miami is that you, as a_City, :are not getting the benefits of a lot
of, federal resources, from the SBA, from the EDA, from other agencies,
which are coming in significant amounts = to, other cities. You're not
packaging it with the City incentive and other things you're doing to
get the greatest mileage out of..what ;:you're doing in economic development.
Now, you're doing a lot of good and important things, in the larger
sense of major projects and what have you, but where there is a need to.
get some of the Federal programs moving, you're not doing that kind of
job and you're not benefitine from those resources and, particularily,
where minorities are involved , like the Black community. Now, I would like
to put Herb Bailey on now, because hehas extensive experience with
exactly this sort of thing you were asking about. I think it would be
good if he made some comments.
Mr. Castano: Mr. Mayor.
. Goldstein: You're on.
Mr. Castano: Before, :..: this was a work session so I'd
like to keep it informal and stick my nose in once in a while. I think
it's important, that he, Ben was mentioning Federal programs, I think we
better give names of the Federal programs so you will know what they are,
for instance, EDA has, right now, a one point eight billion dollar loan
garantee program they need to spend, they are begging us to have an
institution that will be able to spend this kind of money. So, this is
something that is sitting there and that we are not able to tackle, unless 2,1980
2� JAN 2
we have this kind of structure..
Mayor Ferre: Okay.
Mr. Goldstein: Let me, just one point. There's a simple program around
the country called theSBA"5O2" Program. -You haven't done any of that,
none of that here,and it's one of the best:; programs in Washington.
Mayor. "Ferrer Who's Mr. Weaver at SBA?
Mr. Goldstein: Mr. Weaver, he's the Administrator.
Mayor Ferre: Yea,
Mr. Goldstein: He's"been Administrator for about a year.;.
Mayor Ferre: Okay. Because he wrote ine a little note the other day and.
he said he wanted to comedown here and talk to us a little bit.
Mr. Goldstein: Well, buy him lunch, I think it would be a good idea,
Mayor Ferre: Okay.
Mr. "Herb Bailey: I guess -this time, I'll do it right out, and identify
myself. My name is Herb Bailey, I. am a consultant=to the National
Urban Development Services Corporation, I am also President and Chief
Executive of the Philadelphia City -Wide Development Corporation and all
of it's subsidiaries. I would just like to thank. you, Mr. Mayor, for
bringing the subject: up, to give -me the chance to talk about "blackness"
for a minute; and Julio, I will:not'let you.get me somewhere else, before
I say it, becauseit's not' often a chance that;I get an opportunity to
talk' about what 1 consider to be the state of the black economy and black
people in general, and the problems thatwe have and, as as an ethnic
;group in this country and this capitalistic society and I just want to take
a.minute to talk about it in relationship to what we are trying to do here
in Miami and I want you to know that;I'm pretty much aware of the situation.
I have talked to several groups, I have talked to individuals in this City,
that are concerned about essentially the same things you just mentioned..
The minority population here is not, in our sense of the word, minority;
it the majority, and there is a concern that what we economic development
professionals call'minorities,"will perhaps not get what we try to put
out, as minority consideration. Ben has already talked about what the
proposed City Wide Development. Corporation will do, and I think you're
pretty much familiar with the kinds of instruments we have put within that
framework to carry out this process, and since I was last here, and after
having some telephone conversations with some people from Miami and with
some,' concern citizens, I think there's another dimension to this whole
process that we haven't talked about and by,you bringing up, what you just
talked about will give us the chance to, at leastgive you an idea of what
were going to to talk about tonight. As blacks in the country, we have
sort of a problem. We have not been afford__the opportunity of the
Rockefeller's and the Vanderbilt's and the Carnegie's and the Berkowitz's,
and being brought up in a business environment; and we have been afforded
the opportunity to get all of the experiences that are needed to carry on
some of these sector types of business participation. So, where do we get
it? The one thing that we have to get involved with in terms of black
people ismaking sure that we get a chance to participate in the system, is
that we have to go through a,process, what I have on this paper, as a nice
word of orientation, but if you really want to explain it, all in one word,
it is "education". Education in several ways . We have to be educated in
the.. total concept of capitalism and what the rewards of it are; we have
to be educated in a sense of being able to cooperate with each other to
make sure that, as a unit, we come together and bring to bear on those
political forces the types of things and concerns that we need to get some
type of participation. And one of the thinps that I would like to talk about
tonight, and one of the thins, I would like to have this Commission under-
stand in relationship to making sure that this process is addressed in terms
of;the "minority, minority" getting a fair chance to participate in this
21
db
JAN 221980
•
recommendation that we're making,; is. that -we will recommend a program
that will deal with education, not academic training but education to
the process-, how to relate.to this system, to come together, as a group, and
bring to bear pressures those yspolitical forces that will make sure that
we get a chance to participate equally in the system. How to identify the
opportunities within the system and then how to identify those resources,
within the system, so that we can take advantage of it; and how to make
someone come in to assist us and:show us the way, to get involved whereby
we`can get into the mainstream of this economic life in this country. Now,
I have heard from several sources that if we put in, or if the City
of MiaMi
accepts a city-wide development -type of operation, that the black people
will not get a chance to participate,` that?it will all go to the Spanish
-speaking community and they will'.still be in the same plight that they are
in before the City wide Development Corporation came about. Now, if.that
happens, and based on what Ben just said, that we have failed to get you.
to -understand that this process'-does:not do that.,..
Mayor Ferre: Bailey, the problem is... if that happens, you'll be back
in,Philadelphia.` Theodore -Gibson and I will be hiding in Miami.
Mr. Baileys And; n oe:of the things, that We are trying. to; impress upon
"the various: groups that have this concernand it's not going to be an easy
job and it's not going .to happen over.,night but we're trying to stress one
very important aspect of this -whole operation, is that we're removing them
from the most difficult part of it, that's the implementation stage,
which most professionals even have a hard time trying to get across to
cities and to states. We're putting them into more of a policy -making
framework, and that we're recommending that they not waste their time
trying to learn how to implement the economic development activities.
We're recommending that they leave that to the professionals and we're also
recommending that those professionals that they're leaving it up to should
be responsive to city government and to them, and we're recommending
something that I think is rather...It's a little stronger than that -we're
recommending that they get involved in the policy -making process, which
means that if the City decides that...
Mayor Ferre: The community -based people.
Mr. Bailey: The community people, the neighborhood -based organizations,
get involved...
Mayor Ferre: Yea, alright.. Now, to find who the professionals are, I'
missed you've been using two things, you've been using two phrases...
Mr. Bailey: Right.
Mayor Ferre: In the last five
Mr. ;Bailey: Right
Mayor Ferre: They andthe professionals
Mr.:Bailey: Ok, now...
minutes..
Mayor Ferre: And 1 want you to define who they are and who the profes-
sionals are.
Mr. Bailey: The professionals are the.ipeople that will perhaps, be im-
plementingthe economic developmentprocess that has been explained.
Mr.
Castano: ,In other words, say
the staff of the City.
Mt,,Bailey:...of the staff,' okay? I might, the staff, the policy -making
of this whole operation will be the community people, the neighborhood
groups, the people that are most concerned about getting involved in this
whole process. We're recommending that the Board of the city-wide opera
tion be made up of those people that have a concern in the communities
or make sure that they get a fair shake at this whole operation. We are
recommending that the City get involved and be a part of the Board. We're
also recommending that interested citizens in Miami be recommended to serve
d
2Z
JAN 221980
in this process, the bankers, the insurance companies, where the dollars
are.' We think that with a composite of'this type of.talent,"the neightbor-
hood people who have an interest, the City`' thathas a responsibility to
those neighborhoods, and to the financial sector•that,has responsibility
to the City of Miami get together in this: whole; process, we can ,get an
effective type of City-wide development corporation going. Now, I'm not
at all certain and I will try to get.a little more simplicity when I. talk.
with the neighborhood groups tonight -that they:are going to understand
this. In the beginning it may'take;several times,, and we're recommending
that we get several chances.,.to.talk With the group individually. We will.
recommend that we stop the fragmentation, we will recommend that, within
the certain areas ofthe'City that they have to come together and do their
own city-wide type of thing or area -wide type of operation and stop the
fragmentation: in -fighting. We -will go through this process of education •
and we will go through this process 'of involvement and we go through
this process ofgetting them to participate and take advantage of the
opportunities that will be presented_ and we hope that in the what I call
the secondary part of the recommendation -that we will get the City lof Miami
and its. residents 0--understand-that the is responsive and
responsible for, the -concerns and that we.will get or gain more:` confidence
and -1 had:the-same problem in Philadelphia.in the beginning, when I would.'
go out to a neighborhood, they `say, well .you're from the government and you're
not:`..you.are just here because you're getting paid. It"'took us two years
to -overcome that, 'and I am saying that here, in Miami, it. can be done' to
get the neighborhood groups and the citizens in the: neighborhoods that are
Concerned about being left out -'to have some confidence in City government,
and -if you don't get that, and if the City government does not indicate
it' is. responsive to -.the needs of those residents, then we do have a problem
and maybe 1 won't come back from.Philadelphia, because I-' d beafr'aid-to.:
We would like to.open.up this whole discussion to questions,_I know you've
had a. chance to read the executive summary, the initial` proposal is quite
lengthy,: and"I-must confess to you, that even when I get them I don't read
themall,,L,just look for :the important parts. But I do hope that you've
had a chance to go through it, and that you've come up with some questions
because we would like to think that there are some things there that require
additional explanation, especially in the process meeting I had with the
Model Cities people the last time I was here, one simple word alleviated all
their fears the moment that than I told them that the City-wide operation
was -hot going to be ,a Department of City government. They said, Oh, well,
I don't know what we're` fighting about. And that just required one explana-;
tion, so.I think, maybe, there might be some things here that you might
want a little`further,explanation on, if so, I'm at your disposal.
Mayor Eerre: I think....let me just state my position, I think the
statement that has been made and submitted in September 27, in a'final
report of the financial assistance and the summary very clear„ and I don't
think that.we;really have to much of a choice in this community but to
proceed,and .I think my only regret is that we haven't done this a long,
•long time ago, because we are really way behind and I have some serious
reservations. I don't like to perpetuate and I think that's a very good word
the colonial approach, you know, them and us. On the other hand, what I
would hate worst is for us to end up with a situation where the black
community feels left out or where the Cuban community feels left out, and
I think we have a tremendous'up-hill battle, because the moment you have a
Cuban director or a black director, unless some things are done very quickly
to offset any of the immediate types of fears, then the concerns that are
basics come out right away and we've got to address them before they come
out, and,there's_no use waiting for people to come out with their concerns
and their fears, for us to address them. I mean, you know and I know,
we all know what they're going to be and I just don't think we live in
the times, where we don't talk about these things, we've got to talk about.
them, We've got to put them up, and I think that as we move along you're
goingto have to address that. I would hope that we could do it with one
corporation._ I think it would be much better if we did it that way, much,
much better, but I think you're going to have to address not only the
neighborhood difference but the fact that we live in the tri-ethnic community
and.h want 'to `tell you from personal experience because rye seen it, ;::for .
23
db
JAN 2 218
example in Allapattah, and I'm being very specific where; the. white
leadership in Allapattah is trying to call the black leadership in
Allapattah to incite in them a racist approach on specific zoning matters
based on a completely racist approach, and I and you know;I've told my
black brothers and sisters that have come to talk to me about these
things, I said, my God man, don't you recognize in that argument the very
same arguement that was used against blacks ten years ago, but just in
reverse? I said, you're not going to fall for that are you? ,And
unfortunately, I think, most people see through that, but what'I mean to:
tell you is that, those very same people who are at work in places like
Allapattah and you know what I'm talking about, and what zoning case
I'm talking about that are -using a racist approach on these things are
you going to be at work..in.these other things, and I think we've got to
address that right it the beginning so that we don't end up spending
ninety percent of the time talking about those issues rather than talking
about economic' development in the urban part of this community, which is
.long over due.
Mr. Fosmoen: We might. suggest. to you that one.of.the ways of addressing
that particular problem is in the way the Board of the corporation is
structured, and 'I'think that we can get good neighborhood'participation
both geographically and racially, and the structure...
Mayor Ferre: Right away your problem begins. That's where you problem
begins. How you're going to do that? Are you going to do that on a
quota system? If you do it on a quota system, what are you going to
follow, percentages of populations?
Bailey:
o, Mr.:Mayor, I think...
Mayor Ferre: The moment you put... excuse me...the.moment you put 56S
of the Board as Latin and Cuban, how do the blacks feel? The moment you
put„fifty/fifty, then you're going to have a whole bunch of people saying,
well, that doesn't mirror`` the real population and you're discriminating
against the Cubans and.this, and this, and that, and then along comes
some; of these people in the non -black/ non -Latin population who are going
to try you, know, like plsy oneagainst the other and all this, we've got a
long way to fo and in our community, in the neighborhoods, I have a
deterioration rather than an improvement in the last two years in the
fears of people. and we've got .to address that. It's got to be addressed.
Mr. Castano: Mr. Mayor, I think that the Board that Mr. Fosmoen is
addressing is part of the solution. I think another very important part
of the solution is the staff and the commitment that we are making to
work in that specific problem. I think we're very aware of it. Whether
my Department itself, the director of the business development position
is black and I'm Cuban, and we work well, and I think the feeling that
we have on staff is that he happens to be black and I happen to be Cuban
and we're both professionals, and we both are going to work on these
problems. I think the soluitons can be results, businesses helped,
loans made, and that type of thing and that transcends all the social
all the...
Mayor Ferre:
Mr. Castano:
Mayor Ferre:
I think its
Mr. Castano:
Julio, I.'m willing to try it, because I think...
I think, we have to.
I don't think we have
very important..::
I'm aware. of the problem.>
and
any other choice, I'm just saying that
Mayor. Ferre:.?that,we start off, on- the -right, The word is
can not start off, stumbling...
Mr. Castano:
Mayor Ferre:
Mr. Castano:
No. sir.
We can't, there can't be hesitation.
I know,.I agree.
Mayor Ferre: There can't be a:., you know, I think we have to have our
ducks in a row, we have to put the issues out front we've got to a�lk
JAN211980
24
about 'them,:you can't pretend that they don't exist, you can not pretend.
that the people in the Model City area -and I'm being very specific -that
Mr. George Green, okay? or Dena Chapman and the others are not going to
have a serious concern. I see that concern, amongst Cubans themselves,
I`ll give you an example, if you talk to the people in Allapattah, like
URRA and others, and ask them how they feel with Little Havana, they say
Little Havana gets everything, we get nothing. Now that's Cuban against
Cuban on a geographic basis and there's a'.problem. Why are you always
giving everything to Little Havana and you never give anything to Allapattah?
I'm not black but I just went through acampaign and I'll tell you, there
wasn't one meeting , not one that I went to, where there was one black
person or more, that the question right of way was well,..you know, you're
giving everything to;Little Havana and you said we`re nex,t', and what does
that mean?` And'you,know, then I have to go through the whole explanation
of -that's not what I said, YOu:knoW.H And then I have to state what I.
said, butit's all there,sand I just think, that we can not afford, as a
City.in any Way°=make one mistake,: much less two, we just can not make
any mi"stakes, it's got to be all discussed out front, it's got to be put on
top of thetable, the people have got toknow,exactly. what"we're going to
do, ,how we're going.;to do it,•who's going to do what.how•it's going to
work`and"it's got to be all very, very open, it's got to be aired and
every.thing_'got to be on top of the table, there's no :hidden agendas, no
pri
surses, nothing; that comes out that people don't understand. You say
it:took three_meetings in Philadelphia, or where ever to get somebody to
'understand'. Well, T've:got news for you, here`it'.sa lot more compli-
ated. You say; that you've gone through this in Oakland California, be-
tween the• black' community and..the oriental community,.I beg to differ from
you, I don't think that there is another situation like Miami's anywhere
in the•United States, for a very very simple reason. I don't mean to
take'a'lot of. your-time,'but I think it's essential that you understand
this. Ihis is the only ethnic community that I know of in the history of
this country that is almost uprooting of a complete society, and in a re
`planting in another society, that is almost totally autonomous. The
cuban community here has daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, four radio
stations, one television, five or six banks.You can go from craddle to
grave in Spanish, here. There are Cuban hospitals, Cuban doctors, there
-are Cuban attorneys, engineers, gas stations, department stores, you
name it, it's there, you can live your complete life in Miami. Now, you
well, yea, that's true of the black community too. It's true of
`the black community now, in certain places, and the black muslems who
had that kind of an approach but I tell you, there isn't anybody, includ
`ing the muslems, that are as close to an almost complete ethnic cultural
autonomy as the Cuban community is in Miami. They have... the Cubans
have insurance companies, there isn't a sector of the social economic
or cultural aspect that is not fulfilled and satisfied by some entity
in the Cuban community, to the total scope and therefore, you understand
that there is a tremendous propensity in this community, especially in
,this City of Miami, for the Cuban community to have a proprietary interest
'which: creates problems for those that are not part of that community, and
toignore that, I think, is to ask for trouble, and I think it has to be
dealt with,openly honestly and we have to recognize where we are at.
Mr. Castano:. I•think the staff'of this Department, and possibly of the.
corporation itself,are representative of these societies, I think we.
are quite aware of the problems, I think.we live in this community and
we're going. to address them,at the.very onset,,:and look at each individual
need and try to fulfill to. it's most...
Mayor Ferre:
(INAUDIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENT OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC RECORD)
Mr. Castano: No, I agree...
Mayor Ferre: I'm afraid you may have missed my point, or maybe I didn't
explain it clearly enough. I'm not questioning the fact that you under-
stand the problem, what I'm questioning is the direction that we're
taking; bottom line, is it going to solve it? And I'm just telling you
that I` think thatis the major issue that must be addressed because when
we get started on this thing the black community and the Cuban community
must be ninety percent satisfied that this thing is going to work. We
can't afford two years to prove that it will work in this community.
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JAN 221980
There mustmust be faith in the process and that's going to be very hard to
achieve in a.community: that has very little faith, you know, because we
have the double problem in Miami that black America faces, and that is
to say, you know, that in ;this American society we've been discriminating
for two hundred years, or what have you, and now you have another minority
group, that is super -imposed, so now we have a double problem not only
to overcome with white America, we also have to overcome with Cuban
America now, so it's a double barrel, it's a double hurdle situation and I
think that that has to be very clearly spelled out, and people have to,
you know, know where they're going.
Commissioner. Gibson: Mr. Mayor, I want to address partially that kind of
thing. I think my Cuban brothers have a responsibility that not many of
them want to assume. I'm going to say that again. I think my Cuban
brothers havea responsibility that not many of them want to assume. I am
amazedand shock at the leadership that will not speak out and address forth
rightly, and honestly.and;squarely,'the issues. I have said to the. Federal
government before, I've said this in Atlanta, and I'm going to say it here.
Mr. Mayor, I'm not so sure the Mayor is not right about two corporations.
I'm not too sure. I'm scared to death,; whether I have one or whether I
have two,;I have ambivalence about either, I don't want to perpetuate
what has always been ,"man ,'.I'm scared to death. Okay! In Atlanta, I
said to the Federal government, there's only one real minority in America.
And I think the Mayor said something today not many of us are geared to have
themitigated: gall to say and I` admire him, for it. There is no other
society; no other ethnic group that has over come to this country with so
many pluses ashave the Cuban community, people other people had to get the
pluses, they brought them with them. I hope you hear what I'm saying.
And what has really disturbed me locally is, my Cuban brothers, is that
those who are the leaders have never had the temerity and what they don't
understand...one of these days I'll tell you privately, that I learned
in my election. Okay? See me privately, and I'll tell you. And it has
bothered me because I thought, having given my life, the ten best years
of my life, in the Civil Rights struggle, 1954 through 1964 I thought we
were about to overcome not all the hurdles but we were going to overcome
the feelings and attitudes. My Cuban brothers who are the leaders, per.
mitted Ainerica to get off the hook and let them go back. I hope you hear
what ;I'm saying. I don't think it's just good enough to be economically
successful. I::think it is mighty dog gone important to be successful in human
relations. I' hope you won't forget that., that you'll be successful in
human relations. Sometines it isn't what I see, but it's what I think I
see.
Mayor Ferre:
Commissioner Lacasa: Mr. Mayor, I want to make some remarks, concerning
this highly sensitive issue. First of all, I feel, that a community that
has witnessed the sociological phenomenon created by the Cuban influx in
Dade county as a result of the Castro Regime in Cuba, going back to 1959
all throughout the 1960's and even now, in the 1970's, much has been said
about the fact that the Cuban community has become economically independent
after twenty some odd years of having been here. Much has been said about
the myth that all of the Cuban people, that are here in Dade County, are
well off, are business people, are professionals and are a high-level type
of individuals from the economic standpoint. What we have here is a com-
munity;that has been transplanted and there have been phases in these sec-
tors. The first place granted was the businessmen, the professionals, and
this goes back to the late 1950's, actually the early 1960's, but then
after 1965... when it was becoming obvious that the Cuban situation,
politically speaking in the island, was not going to be solved, the exodus
took another turn, and people with no economic resources whatsoever in the
United States, with no professional background, with no academic degrees,
and with no business experience, began to come to the United States and'.
those people are still here, and those people, some of them, couldn't find
opportunities here in Dade County, and migrated to New Jersey, and migrated
to Chicago, and migrated to New Orleans, and migrated to New York, and to
some 'other places where they are having a very rough time. Some milers stayeu
and they work in factories, they do live in welfare, the Cuban Refugees
Assistance program which has served so many is still serving a lot. We
have our rich, we have our poor, we have our professionals, we have our
blue collars and we have our self-employed. Very seldom in history do
we find a community such as Dade County, which has opened it's arms in the
db
7� r I 0
�GJ
y
that it was opened to theCubans. We took the opportunities in a
constructive way and for that, I am very proud. The opportunities that`
we have been given here by our brothers, Anglos and Blacks alike who`
were here before and community it was, deserve that those of us, that
have succeeded, thank you for the generosity of this community, we have
become very aware of the needs of others whether Anglos, Blacks or Latins.
Whether the Latin or Cuban extraction, of Puerto Rica extraction, of
Mexican extraction, or whatever and it is in that context that I do take ,
your remarks because I feel they are, constructed in that fashion. I can
assure you that having been placed in the. position, of leadership in this :.
community,. by virtue of the tri-ethnic community in which we live, I feel
that I have to be as responsive to each one of'the segments::from an
ethnic. standpoint, of:..view of this community as; anyone else, and I do`feel•
that our so-called Cuban community is. also aware of the fact by an
large, and even. though we; mighthave,. we are very sensitive to -the issues,
very...greatful for what has been offered to'us and very, very willing and
able to cooperate in the ultimate goal, which is the good of the whole• . •
community, regardless of e•thnic, background.
•
JAN 221980
So, it isin this context, Father, that I take your remarks. I feel
they are constructive a s it makes us think and become aware of these
realitiesand we ought to take the challenge.
Mayor Ferre: Julio, the bottom line and with this,,I believe, I think
we've discussed this over and overagain, now, but I want to remind you
of the process which is just beginning,`I might say, so we really don't
know. I want Father to hear this. ,The process of ininority contractors
for, the`' rapid transit. Now, the government says. We're using Federal
funds, you've got•to give work to minorities. Okay, fine. Now you
call up Doctor John Dyer right now and youask him, are you going to
comply, absolutely? Well, how are you;. going to comply? Well we're
getting;;winority work and I... Cesar might remember Maule Industries,
did that big moon -shot building, we did all the concrete on that,
millions of dollars worth of work. Well, that was...I got called by the
Federal government, it was classified as uiinority and we were part of
their' minority 10%. Well, that was absurd, really because Maule
could not qualify as a minority firm.
Commissioner Gibson:
Right.
we
Mayor Ferre: You know, it really was unfair for Maule to be classified
as a minority firm. So I'm sensitive to this issue, then years ago.
Now here we are in 1980 and I've 'tell you exactly what's happening.
What's going to happenis that there are going to be minority contrac-
tors in the rapid transit but I guarantee.. you that 99%_.of;them are Cuban
firms, Latins,uispanics firms. Why? Well, because they've got the
engineering, they've got the expertise...
Commissioner. Gibson: That's right,
right.
Mayor Ferret They've got the experience, they've got the bonding capa-
city,;they've got the track record, they've got this, they've got that.
Now, right now there is a major, major problem. You go down and I would
ask through the Manager's chair, that he instruct you and Tony....
you ought, to. take them, maybe you haven't been down at Saint John's
on Saturday mornings for breakfast, besides being the best breakfast in
town, you can just sit there and listen to what the black community says
every Saturday, when the issue comes up. What are we going to do about
the black business people getting some of the work on the rapid transit
construction that is just beginning? And the answer, right now, is that
nobody has the answer, what are they're going to do? You know what they
going to do? You know what they're doing? They're going up to Phila-
delphia and, to New York, and to Chicago, trying to look for black
construction minority firms, so that they can help them come down here
to comply.
Commissioner Gibson: And Atlanta.
MayorlFerre: And Atlanta. But;the point I'm trying to make is that
I don't want to.be faced with a situation a year or two from now that it
may be impossible, really, for us to do this with one corporation. And
I don't want it...if that's thecase , I want to face that issue now and
not after. In other words, if, my;parachute doesn't work, I want to,
please, know about it before I jump out of the plane, and I want to have
a safety pin, and if `I know the best way to do this is to have two para-
chutes then please, letdoit in a way that everybody have a landing,
ok. I'm not saying that that is the case, but I am saying to you, Mr.
Fosmoen, that, it's just too major an issue and too important a problem
for us not to address;it right at the outset. I'm not concluding one
way or the other because I hate to perpetuate these divisions, that
we're going to have one that caters to the black community and one to
the Cuban. community,, and then, I am going to have people say, well how
about us white people, I mean don't we rate around here anymore? Or,
aren't there anymore poor white or poor, you know? So then we get in
this;tri-ethnic problem but, somewhere, we have to address this issue.
and I'd like to address it before the fact, rather than after the fact.
Commissioner Gibson: Mr. Mayor, this is my last comment.. Ihope that
they listen to what you're saying and try to respond in structural
process and I, too, am not sure as to whether.you need one, two
re
28
JAN 221981)
or three corporations. I don't know. I would hope that if nothing else,
you don't need three and four groups in Overtown. God knows you don't....
It's hard in mischief for one to succeed, and to have three and four, you
are talking about an impossible task. I just yearn to see the day when
we no longer have all this division, and envy and strife that we spend
our energies destroying the little that we have. I hope that as you work
with these people, that they will get that, because I saw what happened to,
Overtown, Phyllis Wheatley, Culmer, it's just devastating and all, I think
this gentleman is trying to say is that that the money that you've invested
over there just went into salaries by and large. What he's trying to do
is to avoid your giving money for salaries, but that you will have some
outward visible sign of some results; if it is a business here, or busi-
ness there, or shopping center,:I don't care, at least they'll have
that to point at, over against saying that we've got.... how many millions
of dollars we've got in CD and how many have we spent over there? Sir?
Mr. Fosmoen: We have about $11,000,000 a year.
Commissioner Gibson: Alright, eleven million dollars', and;I say this
very, very, politely and I doubt seriously, if you have one darn
thing that You could Point to with pride that has taken place and, and
it bothers `:me.;,Ifwe didn't have but one store, or one piece of land,
you know. ..:. .but :.presently, 'alllyou have is that the government gave us
the money and we don't have much to show for it.
Mr. Fosmoen: In terms of economic development, private investment in
Overtown, Commissioner, I would agree with you. No question.
Mayor Ferre: Well we're not going to be voting on this item at this
point, but I want to'make. .I'm sorry , yes Mr. Fosmoen?
Mr. Fosmoen: .That's a point that I want to follow up on so that the
Commissioners are aware on Thursday, when the Community Development comes
before you, that the staff's recommnedation for sixth year C.D. funding
tracks the establishment of a private non-profit development corporation.
It suggests and recommends a small amount, in this case, $50,000, out
of the target area allocations, if those target areas want some kind
of local contact point, but, at this thrust of the CD application this
year, tracks the presentationyou've heard, and that is the establish-
ment of a non-profit private development corporation.
Mayor Ferre: Well, you want a vote of confidence on that?
Mr. Fosmoen: No sir, I just want you to be aware that that's coming
up on Thursday, and keep in mind this discussion when you hear a lot:.
of requests from the community for....a hundred, two hundred thousand,
three hundred thousand dollars, to establish a series of local develop
ment corporations.
Mayor Ferre: Yeah, I cannot speak for the rest of the meinbers of this
Commission, but let me, on the record, state to you since you may not
be here on Thursday, Mr. Bailey and Mr. Goldstein, that you have my full,
total, one hundred percent backing, okay? And that I am not only cognizant
of, but am aware of, and concerned with, and to a great degree alarmed,
that we have not proceeded before this time, and I am fully behind this,
and you have my full pledge of cooperation for both the adoption of the
Gladstone Study recommendations and for the National Urban Development.
Service Corporation's Financial Assistance Program, as made to the
office of Trade and Commerce Department on September 27th and amended
in summary form on December 31st.
Mr. Bailey: Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Gibson, and Commissioner Lacasa,
I just want to speak for a second on the point that you
JAN 221980
"made in terms of your identification of the problem, and I think you
have very adequately identified the particular problem that you have
here, in Miami, in regards to the ethnic groups. A couple of things
that you mentioned that I'd just like to.sort°of give you my experiences
on. I grew up in a situation that was a so-called, "separate but equal",
and we all know the falacy of that, it doesn't work, and if for any reason
the City of Philadelphia had decided to`set up the Philadelphia City Wide
Developmnet Corporation as a black corporation and then run another one
as`.;a white corporation, I wouldn't have`taken'the job, because I know from
experience that when you do that, blacks only get what is considered to
be the black handout, and we have been successful for one reason, that
we`have brought together, in terms"of economics, in terms of the economic
process of the City, a total activity.that:has provided the system with
enough money, with enough dollars`to addresss the needs of everybody.
And:one thing that black people -and I'm speaking now off the record, not
as an economic developmeet professional -has been hurt by over the years: -
hampered by, is when we say, let's give them something. You can't
give us anything, what we want is to be provided the opportunity to take
advantage of what is there and I think that's what this recommendation
will do It will provide them with the opportunity to take advantage
of=the resources, of the various kinds business development activities
that are available in this city. The Spanish speaking community as
was just brought out, has brought its own opportunities with it. They
brought; dollars,, people came- over,: that were already involved in busi-
ness making activities. Unfortunately the black community in America,
even in Miami, has. not been afforded this opportunity and we think that
with thecombined,efforts that is represented here in this recommendation,:
that they villhave that opportunity.:. 1 do not think, and this.is.just
a;personal opinion, that you°willget.. you. will eliminate fragmentation,
if you do `not put it under.oneunit.
Commissioner Gibson: Let me, let me respond'to that. As I said, I have'
mixed emotions,'ok. I need to tell you, the public, the only way I've.
ever dealt, say in my adult life is that, I have tried to be honest and
if what`I do, I want you to' knOW,cloit believing that, this is what
is. If: I were dealing in Philadelphia, I would have no problem with
what you're -saying, what 1:think this community has not been sensitive
of'Iai that never before in the history of this country that you have
there'sno-similarity of a problem --as you have here. Let's make sure
we get:that. There is...Listen I've traveled around, and I want to tell
you there's.no similarity. You talk about a child -like faith in God,.
we're going`.to have to deal with this problem precisely that way, with
a child -like faith' in co, and I think the Mayor's right. Even if we
have to go...., a second thing, we may have to do it, with our hands up
knowing but there is, there -Look! the Mayor, the Mayor has like
sir....please, there's no badgering. You and I, I think on the same wave
length, but I just want to raise for you a portion of a problem that you
have not faced, you have not lived with, the Mayor is right, there isn't
another group of people that has come to this country anywhere, New York,
Philadelphia, out in California, with the kind of a problem that the
Mayor raised and what we ought to do, nobody really knows, if we knew, we
wouldn't be here talking, fighting, struggling. What the Mayor is trying-,
to do is to let all of us get a sense of balance and try to be.... we're
human being, try to be half -way fair to the problem. So I think you're
going to have to say to the people tonight that you don't have all the
answers; however, we're going to have to try some of these things, and
I think we need to make sure that all of us who come to that conference
table are coming with open hands, hopefully and clean hearts, open hands
and clean hearts. Now, I know you say, business isn't that way, business
is dollars and cents,. but I'm going to tell you something, I would rather
deal with a man -who has"an,open hand and a clean heart than to deal with
dollars and cents because when I deal with dollars and cents I am posit
lam not sensitive. to„ other things, and I want to thank the Mayor for
what he raised before us.
Mayor Ferrer Let ;me...;Juan, I'll recognize you, in a second. I just
want to make one other statement and this is, you know, I have a
propensity to be -very blunt about these things because I think it's
important that they beput: ight on the record.
JAN 2 21980
I don't have any qualms about... a lot of time I say things and people
cringe around here. But, let me tell you something, I knew Mayor Rizzo
when he was Mayor. I listened to him. Tough guy, you know he had a
reputation from being a tough cop, but 1 want you to know something, I
didn't know him anywhere near as well as you know him but what they said
about him was probably an exageration, tough, tough opinions, he's right
out there and you knew where he stood. I'm not worried about guys like
Rizzo, you know, because they get their dues sooner or later and sooner
and later they gone, because they can't run for re-election or whatever
reason or people don't vote for changing of the local charter, or the con-
stitution for whatever reason, it's just a matter of time, Rizzo is gone.
I' don't worry about people like Rizzo, you know what I worry about? I
worry about the institutional or the institutionalized, or the discrimination
or the racism that you can't put a handle on, that you go in there and
you grab and you can't, you know, it's like a jellyfish, you can't,
you can never grab it, it's'` never there. Let me give you an example of
the kind of situation we have in this community. We have something called
the Youth Fair, your money goesinto it, my; money goes into it, it's tax
payers. Metropolitan Dade County puts a lot of money into the Youth Fair.
Now, I wrote a letter to the Mayor of Dade County, the Manager, in which .I
got alittle bit of response, notmuch and. I said. I've noticed that you
put a whole section, as advertising, paid for by the Youth Fair in the
Miami Herald and the Miami News. This is.six...seven months ago, and
in that, there was one page where it had the Board of Directors, not one
black, not one woman, not one latin. Now why? I wrote hint- and -I. said
you know, this a government agency. Well, they said no it's Quasi -Govern-
mental, it's private it's an authority. That's why I don't like these
authority things, you know, and the county puts money into it, alright, then
the director writes me' back, and you know what he writes me back... He said,
you know we.•don 't have any Latins because we can't find any, and: we would
very much like for you to help me. Listen, I honestly...I swear to God...
this is exactly...excuse me father, I ...
Commissioner Gibson: I understand that, Mr.
Mayor.
Mayor Ferre: This is,this 'is...I am sorry. The man writes me a letter and
he says, well I... we can't find any Cubans around here.
ommissionerGibson:
that right?..
Mayor Ferre:, And we'd likefor you to recominend a fewthat might want to
serve, that we maybe...
Commissioner Gibson: Isn't that a crying shame.
Mayor Ferre: ...Interest into becoming a part of the ...so,.I wrote him
back and I said, you know, it;s.not my job to recommend. to you what
cubans to put on yourboard, if you hadany sensitivity tothis"comm unity
You'll go out and find them.
Commissioner Gibson: Right, right, right. You'll find them, yes, sir.
Mayor Ferre: And the fact that you don't have one Cuban or one black,
or one woman, just speaks volumes as to where you are coming from. Now,
that's in this community, in the front. I haven't heard the Miami Herald,
or the Miami News editorial page, because, you know, they just want to
criticize the City of Miami and every once in a while, you know, they have
their own little bag of things at the Orange Bowl and the lack of progress
in Dixie Park and Culmer and Overtown, and those are the four themes, that
no matter how you flip the coin, that's what comes out, doesn't matter. You
know, one of those things where you have a grab bag and you put your hand
in, to get the name out, you know, it always comes out the same thing and
those are the four themes. Because Harry Klienberg, the editor of the
Miami News, ca;1'i. elbe but those four things, I mean you
know, these poor guys have got limitations.
Commissioner Lacasa: And zoning in Allapattah.
f31
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JAN 221989
•
Mayor Ferre: Yea,; and zoning in Allapattah, I'm sorry, those.are;,the
five_.things.; You know, you think`...I sent copies to all these people,,not
one word, not'one word, nobody has addressed that, issue., The point I'm
trying:"to make to you is, it's bad enough when you have. to deal with Mayor :,
a.ezo,who makes. statements about, well like he did during that charter.
amendment election in Philadelphia. That's bad enough,'but you`deal with
that because-you.know what it is and where it's coming.-from,but. in this
community not only do you have that but you have a community that is twenty
years behind times in many things, not progressive in many, many ways, over
concerned with negative things, both the Miami`Herald--and the Miami News
spend ninety five percent of their time telling you what's wrong and
'c'what's bad and .never what's. good, and never what, can and should be, you
know, but rather'critical, without any constructive recommendations. And
when.they,do moat of them don't make any sense, because you know, two and
twoTdon'tmake four and you have a community that on top of that has this
tri-ethnic situation,.with a' very specialized community that has a very
.clear pattern. Now, you May be right you may be right we're going to re -invent the..'
wheel and. :nay be we're going to do things that have never been done before,
may be: it's;- time'for`us to move ahead and progress but, if this works, I
want to tell you,': Mr. Bailey, that it will be the very first time that I
have.seen'something like this work in twenty years in the community. May,be
:it's time may beit's time,.; and I think the philosophy of it is very ,--very
right.-, 'But ,yOu know, my problem,is and I...I have changed my opinion
about tokenism and.I'-ve changedmy opinion about.quoters. Thank God that
-after-the -BAKKECaSe we had that -other case that delt with...what's the
name of:that, George? 'Kaiser?
Mayor Ferrer The Kaiser, but it has another name.
Knox: Weber.
Mayor Ferre: Weber, Thank God, we had Weber,.because I was going around
whispering, you know, like this, and when the newspaper guys, like Bill,
would ask me -are you talking about quoting? I said, no, no, I that's not
a quote, you know, but what are you talking about? Well we're talking
about affirmative action and we're talking about.., then we give all of
these governmental phrases which, thank God, I've forgotten now, because
I don't have to use all those words any more and now, now when I'm ask
I, say yea, that's what I'm talking about, that's right. But what do you
`mean, how could...let's reverse the discrimination, welll that's not what
the Weber, case says, the Weber case says this: "you left me out, now
you've got to let me in", and if you don't want to do it any other way, if
you don't do it your way, then you've got to do it my way, which is what
I'msorry Don Teems left and the fellows from the Fire and Police Department.
because, that's what h keep telling them. I said, I told you six years
ago,_do it your way,'if you don't do it your way, then you're going to do
it my way,.you know? And if you don't do it voluntarily, then I'll go
Ailhewhistle
on you and that's exactly what we did. Now, you know,
they are not very happy about that, but, the fact is we're getting some..
a-little:bit of affirmative action. My point being that I think we
tve:m
,to make into account the reality of where we're at. Juan, I''sorry.;
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: The only point I wanted to make was in.the.,..;,`_
Would you identify yourself, address and who you're here.
Mr. Juan DeCerro: I'm Juan-DeCerro, I'm the Chairman, of the Council of
Economic Development. The only point.I wanted to make in the discussion
of the Miami Development, Corporation was that the Council appointed by the
City Commission is made up of segments of the community, blacks, Latins,
and Anglos. When we discussed the Miami Development preparation, there
was no question as to whether there should be one or two. We, in a
ad”'sory capac:l.ty, ietermin.d that there ahould be only the development
and that...and this type of doubt that may be in your mind never surfaced
at our meetings, that's the only point I wanted to make.
Mayor Ferrer. Let me ask you a question Juan, honestly, honestly, real
honestly. It didn't surface in your meeting.
32
ah
JAN 22.19
Mr. DelCerro; NQthi.ng‘
Mayor> Ferre: Did you'`,thirk: about tt,
Mr. DelCerro: Did I:.think about it?
Mayor Ferre; Yea.
Mr. DelCerro: Very honestly, no sir,
Mayor Ferre: Okay, Did, you Mr Cruz? Y•puWere, you were On the'„„
Mr. Cruz: Yes, but let me say this, the only phrase that seemed to surface
was how' the corporation was going to be run and whether or not the City
was going,to be,in•a position oflending money, That was the. only question
that was raised.; There was no question raised as to quotas or...
Mayor Ferre: Okay.
Mr. Cruz: This is,..;
Mayor. Ferre; Look, let"me...
Mr. Cruz: It's in our minutes
Mayor 'Ferre,: Let me tell you that I: and T honestly havenot made up my
mind T want to'tell you that if it is the consensus of both the staff and
the professional people that are here, Mr. Goldstein and Mr. Green, and
if it's the consensus of Father Gibson, who is black and who comes from
the black. community, and the consensus of Commissioner Carollo, and Lacasa
and Plummer, that we ought to go with one, you won't have problems with
me, I:`will not make that a major issue. I want you to know how concerned
I'am upfront, that's all. Do we have any other questions, statements,
answers? Thank you very much
Commissioner Lacasa: Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Ferre:
Yes,
Commissioner Lacasa: 1 would like to move.,. let's,g
background
ve: a little of a
Mayor Ferre:" -,No -wait a minute,:wait_a-minute,.we!re not constituted
here as a Commission meeting, • if;you're going to make'a motion.%.
Commissioner.Lacasa: L'm going to make a motion.•
Mayor Ferre:. What's;it in reference to, and L'll tell you .whether or not
were going to have a commission meeting.
Commissioner Lacasa: Well, I have to give you the background first. Today,
an an— Committee was created in this community which is chaired by County
Mayor Steve Clark, the purpose being to support the President's position
in .relation to the boycott of the Olympic games in Soviet Russia. The Dade
County Commission today passed a resolution supporting the President's
position and requesting that the Olympic games be boycotted in Russia, this.
resolution passed by the county is also reflected in sentiments expressed
by two Sentators from the State, Chiles and Stone, and by three Congressmen,
from this area, Fascell, Lehman, Pepper and other members.
Mayor Ferre: And:more important by the President, your president, Jimmy
Carter, and" Muhammad, Ali.
Commissioner Lacasa: Correct.. Therefore,;T feel that this Commission should
be heard on the issue and I -am moving`t.hatwe pass a resolution in support
of theboycott of the Olymic games in Moscow and I so move,'
Mayor Ferre: Okay, alright<the...you can't '.move .`yet, ;I will now 'call a
Special Commission meeting at 5:20 for the purpose of discussing and resolving
33
�Ih
JAN 221 1
the issues as to whether or -not the City Commission wants to support the
President s`appeal not to participate in the Olympics,•in Moscow, this
summer'as long as'the Russians have troops in Afghanistan.
Commissioner Lacasa:
Correct.
MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING „OF"THE
CITY; COMMISSIONOF MIAMI,FLORIDA
* * * * * * * * *``*
On the 22nd of January1980 the City;'Commission of Miatni, Florida,
met at>its regular meetlng place In said City in Special Session: to consider
business off -public import.
The meeting was called to order at 5:20 by Mayor Maurice A. Ferre
with thefollowing members of the Commission present:
Commissioner Joe Carollo
Commissioner (Rev.) Theodore R. Gibson
Commissioner J .. L,Plummer, "Jr.
Vice Mayor Armando Lacasa
Mayor Maurice A. Ferre
ALSO PRESENT:
R. L, Fosmoen City Manager.
George F. Knox, City Attorney
Ralph. G.Ongie',.Citylerk
Matty:-Hirai, Assistant;; City'Clerk
Mayore Ferre: We are now constituted as a Special Commission Meeting
Okay, now make.` your motion.
Commissioner Lacasa: I move it.
Ok
ay, h
a motion isthere a second?
Mayor Ferre:
ay, we now have
Commissioner Gibson: Mr. Mayor, I" second the motion, with this understand-
ing. I think that we cannot have a President and all of us try to be
President. It's only one ;President, and I get rather disturbed and perturbed
that those of us who do not have access to all the facts, want to make the
decision and since he's the President, 1 trust himas my president, I
want to support him, therefore,; I am delighted to second the motion.
Mayor Ferre: Alright, further 'discussion ;on the motion, call the roll.
The following resoltuion was introduced by Commissioner Lacasa, who
moved its adoption:
RESOLUTION NO. 80-31
EXPRESSING THE FULL AND UNQUALIFIED SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF HIS DECISION
TO BOYCOTT UNITED STATES PARTICIPATION IN THE 1980 OLYMPICS,
(Here follows body of resolution, omited here and on file in
the Office of the City Clerk).
Upon being seconded by Commissioner. Gibson, the resolution was`,
passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES•
Commissioner Lacasa
Commissioner Gibson
Mayor Maurice-Ferre
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business
NOES: None
ABSENT: Commissioner.Plummer
Carollo
to come before the%City Commission,
34
db
JAN 2 2 f9Risl
on motion duly made and Seconded, the Meeting was adjourned. -
ATTEST:
RALPH G. ONGIE
City. Clerk
MATTY;HIRAT
Assistant City Clerk
35
04414,0111-
INCOAP 1 OAATEO
19; 96
JAN 221980
CITY OF IVFAMI
DOCUMENT
MEETING DATE:
INDEX January 22, 1980
ITEM NO.
DOCUMENT IDENTIFICATION
COMMISSION 1 RETRIEVAL
ACTION I CODE NO.
1
EXPRESSING THE FULL AND UNQUALIFIED SUPPORT
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES IN HIS DECISION TO BOYCOTT
UNITED STATES PARTICIPATION IN THE 1980
OLYMPICS
R-80-31
80-31
EXCERPT FROM ITEM ON`THE AGENDA OF 1/22/80 - (SPECIAL WORKSHOP).:
Rev. Gibson: Yes, we agree, but Mr. Mayor, I made it stronger than that. I
want to make sure that, the staff heard it and I now ask the staff if the staff
followed through. That you notify them and it isn't a question whether they
like it or whether they want to come,' but that the City was asking them to be
here. Is that what you all did?
Mr. Fosmoen:
Rev. Gibson:.
Mr. Fosmoen:.
Rev.
Mr. Fosmoen:
I'm trying to find out what the notice said.
Ms. Spillman: We sent a letter to each Advisory Board member saying that the
City Commissionhad requested thatwe setup a special workshop for them and
we requested their attendance.
Rev. Gibson: When we have the meeting on Thursday I want an accountability.
I want to know which Task Force was here and how many members on the. Task
Force and how many members of that particular Task Force, well, was here
tonight:
Ms. Spillman
Ok, no problem.
Rev. Gibson: You see, because if you don't do that, then we will continue
this let's run around the merry -go -mulberry bush that we have been having, ok.
I made that very clear at the beginning.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER:. Father Gibson, also I think that is worthy a note 'that
the consultants have met individually with several of these Task Force, not
only now after your request, but throughout the year. With Overtown for sure
and with Little Havana groups, so we haven't done_ this in a vacuum. These
people "have hadparticipation
-throughout the year.
Mayor Ferre: Dena, what concerns me is that when we begin to overcome in
Overtown and we have the people there beginning to agree and settle down,
then Model City doesn't understandand afterwe get Model City kind of you
know, in the grove then... in the groove then, we have... Ailapattah doesn't
understand then, you know... we've got to get all these different... and I
know that theworst one. is Little, Havana because they won't even listen.
Ms. Spillman: Well, we have at every meeting that we've held in the past
two:. weeks'.` representatives from Julio's Office have been there. Wehave
explained it at the meetings. Although, we haven't in Little Havana because
they wouldn't let us talk.
Mayor Ferre: won't let you talk?
Ms. Spillman: No. But tonight, we have offered another opportunity for everybody
to come. I mean, I don't know what else we can do.
Mayor Ferre: Well, I want to tell you what. I'm going;, to, take this bull by
the horn. If after. the_third-time-th'e people.... the CD Board of. Little Havana
refuses to let staff make a presentation;.I will offer a`motion to'have that
CD Board disbanded and -we will appoint and we,will appoint.
Mr.
Mayor Ferre:
They wouldn't let you talk?
Ms. Spillman: Yes I got a letter from Dade County today.
Mayor Ferre: Alright, you bring that and you put that on the agenda as a
Pocket Item for Thursday, if you would please and we will address that issue
and have; the Chairpersons here somewhere... hopefully at the end of the day
and let's address that issue. And as far as I'm concerned if they . do not
permit people that we are going through the time and efford and money. to make
these presentations and they don't even want to listen, then'.I`thinkwe just
got nothing to talk about, we will -just disband them. Is there a legal way
to do that?
Ms. Spillman: I'm suie'there is, I'm sure you can do -it by:'a resolution.
Mr. Fosmoen: That's -your policy.
Mayor Ferre: Well,, get, the law andmake sure that Mr. Knox's Office _is... -but
let me tell you that as far as I'm concerned and this is just one voice on:this
Commission. I am;asking you to prepare the.proper resolutions to`disband:the
Little Havana Community Center and, reconstitute. a Board.. And we'willhave to
figure. out. away by getting the Kiwanis, theLittle Havana Developement Authority.
and the various civic organizations. I would like to get,.the International
Chamber of Commerce, the Latin American Chamber of Commerce and.:the other civic
groups in Little Havana to come up with specific names and:.recommendations of,
responsible. peoplewho will at.least„listen. I don't... (mean, we have .enough
problems with.p, ple who` -want do -their heir own thing, butwhenyou`get people..that
eo
don't even want to-listen,,I don't have anything to'talk about at that, point.