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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOMNI CRA 2011-12-15 MinutesCity of Miami City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com Meeting Minutes Thursday, December 15, 2011 12:00 PM or Thereafter CITY HALL 3500 PAN AMERICAN DRIVE OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Marc David Sarnoff, Chairman Francis Suarez, Vice -Chairman Wifredo (Willy) Gort, Commissioner Frank Carollo, Commissioner Michelle Spence -Jones, Commissioner CRA OFFICE ADDRESS: 49 NW 5th ST, SUITE 100, Miami, FL 33128 Phone: (305) 679-6800, Fax: (305) 679-6835 www.miamicra.com OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes December 15, 2011 RESOLUTIONS 1. 11-01175 Present: Chair Sarnoff, Vice Chair Suarez and Commissioner Gort Absent: Commissioner Spence -Jones and Commissioner Carollo On the 15th day of December 2011, the Board of Commissioners of the Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Miami met in regular session at Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida. The meeting was called to order by Chair Sarnoff at 2: 48 p.m. and was adjourned at 3: 04 p.m. ALSO PRESENT: Pieter Bockweg, Executive Director, CRA H. Bert Gonzalez, Assistant Executive Director, CRA Veronica Xiques, Assistant General Counsel, CRA Priscilla A. Thompson, Clerk of the Board Todd Hannon, Assistant Clerk of the Board CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AUTHORIZING THE FIRST PAYMENT, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED SEVEN MILLION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY SIX THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED NINETY THREE DOLLARS AND EIGHTEEN CENTS ($7,156,893.18), TO WELLS FARGO, N.A., FOR THE LOAN AGREEMENT, FLORIDA REVENUE NOTE, SERIES 2010 (PORT OF MIAMI TUNNEL AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT), BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI AND WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO GENERAL COUNSEL; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM OMNI TAX INCREMENT FUND, "OTHER CURRENT CHARGE," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10040.920101.549000.0000.00000. File# 11-01175 12-15-2011 Cover Memo.pdf File # 11-01175 12-15-2011 Financial Form.pdf File # 11-01175 12-15-2011 Backup.pdf File # 11-01175 12-15-2011 Legislation.pdf File # 11-01175 12-15-2011 Legislation (Signed).pdf File# 11-01175 12-15-2011 Port of Miami Tunnel Project Status Report.pdf Motion by Vice -Chair Suarez, seconded by Board Member Gort, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: Commissioner Gort, Vice Chair Suarez and Chair Sarnoff Absent: Commissioner Spence -Jones and Commissioner Carollo CRA-R-11-0065 Commissioner Gort: Good afternoon, everyone. We open the meeting for the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). Chair Sarnoff You ready, Madam Clerk? All right. CRA number 1, Mr. Bockweg. Pieter Bockweg (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Mr. Chairman, good afternoon. The item before you is the payment of -- the first payment of the port tunnel loan. But before we do that, if you don't mind, I'd like to show a quick update video of exactly where we're at. So if IT (Information Technology) Department could show that video, I'd appreciate it. City of Miami Page 2 Printed on 2,2/2012 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes December 15, 2011 Chair Sarnoff. Go ahead. Commissioner Gort: IT, where are you? At this time, an audiovisual presentation was made. Mr. Bockweg: Commissioner, thank you. Like I said, before you is the first installment payment on our loan to Wells Fargo, which is a payment of $5 million plus interest. The total amount comes to $7,156, 893.18. As part of the refinance, this is the first payment due January 5 of next year. Vice Chair Suarez: Move it for discussion. Commissioner Gort: Move -- second. Chair Sarnoff We have a motion and a second. Discussion. Go ahead, Commissioner Suarez. Vice Chair Suarez: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to kind of give some -- put some historical context on -- and you may be in a better position to do it than I am, but I'll do the best I can. And ifI miss anything, you know, I leave it to you to fill in the gaps. What I recall from the time that I was here was that we had a standby letter of credit with a bank that was in the process of being called and we had to refinance this debt essentially at a much lower rate than what the letter of credit was going to require the City to pay. So, you know, we did this for financing and now the CRA is making this payment. Next year, we're going to have another big balloon payment, so we're going to have to do some other -- either a refinancing or a bond issuance or something to meet the rest of our obligations. And my understanding is that this all stems from the global agreement and the obligations that the City and the CRA engaged in at that time. Chair Sarnoff I think you have it exactly right. Commissioner Gort. Commissioner Gort: No, that's it. I think it was very important that people understand what is taking place in here and that's why the -- this type of finance is being put in place. Chair Sarnoff Anyone else with any other discussion on this particular issue? Mr. Hodgkins, you wish to be heard? Christopher Hodgkins: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, the CRA. No. All I would like to say is that -- Chair Sarnoff Just state your name and address for the record. Mr. Hodgkins: Oh, my name is Christopher Hodgkins. I'm vice president of Miami Access Tunnel. As all this takes place, there's one thing that we need to be cognizant of is because of the insistence of the CRA and their understanding that this isn't just about building the opportunity for the port in the future; it's about building opportunity for people now in Miami. Right now through all the job fairs, through all the aggressive outreach that we've done, we have over 2,600 people working at the port at this time. We have over 400 people working as direct hires, all with great diversity. But most importantly, 82 percent of our workforce is from Miami -Dade. And of those 82 percent, those that are not from Miami -Dade have to possess an expertise in tunneling. They had to design the tunnel, build the tunnel, work on the tunnel. So anything other than that is all organic. It's come right from our own community, right from our own neighborhoods. And quite frankly, most of that on the insistence of all of you that this all take place and it be about opportunity here. So that's what we're glad to do. We're glad to build this tunnel but also make City of Miami Page 3 Printed on 2/2/2012 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes December 15, 2011 NON -AGENDA ITEMS NA.1 12-00017 sure that this is about jobs in your community. Chair Sarnoff Thank you, Mr. Hodgkins. Mr. Hodgkins: Thank you. Chair Sarnoff. Just a word to everybody about Chris and his outreach. We've all been through some folks that have come to us for various projects and sort of represent a consortium of people, but Chris Hodgkins is what I think is the perennial or seminal difference of a person that comes up here, responds to us, gives us facts and figures. I've never known him not to return my call. I have never known him to not do everything in his power to try to get a City of Miami employee -- or a City of Miami resident a job. And you know, I just want to say my hat's off to you because I know this project will someday be done, but I hope you never leave the City of Miami 'cause I think you've been a great attribute to our community. And I know you go to many, many events, and I know that you are always representing Miami Access Tunnel, you know, extremely well, but I hope that you -- I hope Miami has become your home. Mr. Hodgkins: Thank you. Applause. Chair Sarnoff All right. So we have a motion and we have a second. Any further discussion? Vice Chair Suarez: Yeah. One quick question. Do we have any discretion as to whether or not to make this payment? Mr. Bockweg: Commissioner, no, we do not. Vice Chair Suarez: That's it. Chair Sarnoff All in favor then, please say aye." The Commissioners (Collectively): Aye. CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY HEREBY RATIFIES THE PAYMENT OF THE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES, IF ANY, TO REIMBURSE COMMISSIONER SARNOFF FOR HIS TRIP TO TALLAHASSEE ON DECEMBER 6, 2011, TO ADDRESS THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO CHAPTER 163 OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES, HOUSE BILL 487 AND THE GAMING BILL; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO DISBURSE FUNDS, AT HIS DISCRETION, ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS OR DIRECTLY TO VENDORS, UPON PRESENTATION OF INVOICES AND SATISFACTORY DOCUMENTATION; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO GENERAL COUNSEL; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL OPERATING FUND, ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10030.920101.540000.0000.00000. City of Miami Page 4 Printed on 2/2/2012 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes December 15, 2011 Motion by Vice -Chair Suarez, seconded by Board Member Gort, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: Commissioner Gort, Vice Chair Suarez and Chair Sarnoff Absent: Commissioner Spence -Jones and Commissioner Carollo CRA-R-11 -0066 Chair Sarnoff All right. Before I close the agenda, very briefly, gentlemen, I just wanted to give you a little bit of a background of something that happened. As you all know, Bert Gonzalez's father passed away. Bert was to go with Pieter Bockweg up to Tallahassee, and Bert, of course, dealt with the funeral arrangements and has to deal with his mom. And Bert, I think on behalf of everybody up here, our biggest condolences to you and to your family. But in that vein -- I think the viewing I think was Sunday and they asked me to go to Tallahassee that evening and they were leaving Monday morning or Monday afternoon. And I made a decision to go. It was a decision that was -- we could not use Bert's ticket, though Bert's ticket can be cashed in. It's approximately $1, 000 or a little less than that. I made a call, gentlemen. I could tell you that we went to see representative Jose Diaz, Cynthia Stafford, Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Oscar Braynon, Dennis Jones, Miguel Diaz de la Portilla. Some of them are representatives, some of them are senators. In about a day and a halfs time, I think we met with 12 state legislators. The reason for primarily going was there was a bill that is being promoted by Eric Friesen and Miguel Diaz de la Portilla which would do away with CRAs (Community Redevelopment Agencies) in Miami. So we thought it was a pretty important thing to go up there for. I think what we should do is just pass a resolution rating the actions taken. Vice Chair Suarez: I move -- I resolve -- I move the resolution to, I guess, allocate the necessary funds to cover whatever expenses were incurred in relation to your trip to Tallahassee. Chair Sarnoff Is there a second? Commissioner Gort: Do we have a figure? Second. Vice Chair Suarez: Yeah. Chair Sarnoff. Do we have what? Vice Chair Suarez: Yeah, he just said it. Commissioner Gort: Figure. Vice Chair Suarez: Yeah. Commissioner Gort: How much? Pieter Bockweg (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Well, to tell you the truth, Commissioner, I'm not really sure if he even went over. At the board we had -- we -- I asked for an additional $800, if you recall. Commissioner Gort: Right. Mr. Bockweg: And you were not present. So if it's over, I think we're about a couple hundred or $300 over. Commissioner Gort: That's what I thought. That's -- okay. Mr. Bockweg: Yeah. City of Miami Page 5 Printed on 2/2/2012 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes December 15, 2011 Chair Sarnoff. Well, I -- Commissioner Gort: Second. Chair Sarnoff All right, we have a second. All in favor then, please say liye. " The Commissioners (Collectively): Aye. NA.2 CRA RESOLUTION 12-00018 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AUTHORIZING THE ALLOCATION OF AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000), CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET RESERVE, FOR TRAVEL; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL OPERATING FUND, ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10030.920101.540000.0000.00000. Motion by Chair Sarnoff, seconded by Board Member Gort, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: Commissioner Gort, Vice Chair Suarez and Chair Sarnoff Absent: Commissioner Spence -Jones and Commissioner Carollo CRA-R-11 -0067 Chair Sarnoff Just something to put in our heads and maybe you want to hear it now and maybe you don't. We're running this -- we're running the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) so tightly right now that he's been advised -- being Pieter Bockweg has been advised to go up to Tallahassee because of this bill and a number of other bills that affect the CRA this January. Yet, he doesn't have the room in his budget to do so. And I think you all know -- you went to Washington. It's a whole different thing to make a phone call. It's a whole different thing to do an e-mail (electronic) to somebody than it is to have the personal contact and that personal touch. I think Bert -- I think Pieter, and if he chooses to take Bert or if he chooses to take Clarence or if he chooses to go alone, we should give him enough room that he can go up to Tallahassee. In addition, you know, as we're about to embark on the MEC (Miami Entertainment Complex), if you will, which is the building of the movie studio, I think he should have the ability to possibly go to New York and to Los Angeles to visit exactly what it is movie studios are and how they interact so he can get some touchy feely direct contact to see just before he gives us a vote that he can give us some assurances that what we're voting for is correct. So I'm going to pass the gavel, so to speak, to Commissioner Gort and ask that we at least give him use of the general operating that we have right now -- in other words, allow him to go $10, 000 further into it so that he can travel to those -- to the Tallahassee and then to the -- Tallahassee, New York, and L.A. (Los Angeles) so that he can at least see and touch and feel movie studios. Vice Chair Suarez: There's a motion by Board Member Sarnoff. Is there a second? Commissioner Gort: Second for the discussion. Vice Chair Suarez: There's a second by Board Member Gort. Board Member Gort, you're recognized. Commissioner Gort: My understanding, you're stating that this is part of the budget? The -- Mr. Bockweg: I guess -- yes, sir. Commissioner Gort: -- in the approved budget -- City of Miami Page 6 Printed on 2/2/2012 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes December 15, 2011 Mr. Bockweg: The -- Commissioner Gort: -- it's one of the line items in the budget at the present time? Mr. Bockweg: If you recall as part of the approved line item budget, it was $2, 500. Chair Gort: Right. Mr. Bockweg: My trip to Orlando for the FRA conference, including our trip to Tallahassee, pretty much -- not pretty much; it completely absorbs that line item. And if you recall, I even had to ask the board for 800 additional dollars -- Commissioner Gort: Right. Mr. Bockweg: -- to fly to Tallahassee. This would come out of the general operating budget, which there is plenty of money there to go to -- to allocate such an amount to travel. Commissioner Gort: Okay. Yes, sir. Vice Chair Suarez: Sorry. Somebody just handed something to me that I was reading. There is a motion by Board Member Sarnoff, a second by Board Member Gort. All those in favor -- Is there any other discussion? All those in favor, signifir by saying aye." " The Commissioners (Collectively): Aye. Vice Chair Suarez: Any in opposition? None. Unanimous. Mr. Bockweg: Thank you. Chair Sarnoff We need a motion to adjourn or we're --? Okay. Thank you very much. Commissioner Gort: We need a few seconds. Mr. Bockweg: Thank you. City of Miami Page 7 Printed on 2/2/2012