HomeMy WebLinkAboutSEOPW OMNI CRA 2006-04-24 MinutesCity of Miami
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Meeting Minutes
Monday, April 24, 2006
5:00 PM
The Lyric Theater
819 N.W. 2nd Avenue
Miami, Florida
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Community Redevelopment Agencies
Johnny L. Winton, Chair
Michelle Spence -Jones, Vice Chair
Angel Gonzalez, Commissioner
Joe Sanchez, Commissioner
Tomas Regalado, Commissioner
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CRA OFFICE ADDRESS:
49 NW 5th ST, SUITE 100, Miami, FL 33128
Phone: (305) 679-6800, Fax: (305) 679-6835
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Community Redevelopment Agencies
Meeting Minutes April 24, 2006
Present: Chair Winton, Vice Chair Spence -Jones, Commissioner Sanchez and Commissioner
Regalado
Absent: Commissioner Gonzalez
On the 24th day of April 2006, the Board of Directors of the Community Redevelopment Agency
(CRA) for the Southeast Overtown/Park West and Omni Districts of the City of Miami met in
regular session at the Historic Lyric Theater, Miami, Florida. The meeting was called to order
by Chair Johnny L. Winton at 5:12 p.m. and was adjourned at 6:03 p.m.
ALSO PRESENT:
Frank Rollason, Executive Director, CRA, City of Miami
James Villacorta, Assistant General Counsel, CRA
Priscilla A. Thompson, Clerk of the Board
Pamela E. Burns, Assistant Clerk of the Board
ABSENT:
Commissioner Angel Gonzalez
The minutes are transcribed verbatim. Periodically, agenda items are revisited during a
meeting. "[Later..]" refers to discussions that were interrupted and later continued.
FINANCIALS
1 06-00580 CRA REPORT
FINANCIAL SUMMARY THROUGH MONTH END MARCH 31, 2006.
Financial Summary.pdf
DISCUSSED
Chair Winton: I would like to call to order today the official board meeting of the Overtown --
Southeast Overtown/Park West and Omni Community Redevelopment Agencies, this Monday,
April 24, 2006, and we should have -- well, let me rephrase that, not we should have. We do
have a relatively short agenda here, so I don't intend to keep you all long, and I think -- do we
have any minutes to be approved, Mr. Executive Director?
Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): No, we --
Commissioner Sanchez: Madam Clerk (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
Mr. Rollason: -- do not.
Chair Winton: Oh, there he is down there.
Mr. Rollason: We do not.
Chair Winton: We do not?
Mr. Rollason: We do not.
Chair Winton: So we can get right to the meat of the --
Mr. Rollason: We can get right to it.
Chair Winton: -- agenda. Who's going to give the financial summary through -- ?
Mr. Rollason: Miguel Valentin, from our -- he's our financial officer. Miguel.
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RESOLUTIONS
2 06-00577
Miguel Valentin: Good evening, Commissioner Winton, Commissioner Spencer [sic],
Commissioner Sanchez, and Commissioner Regalado. Well, tonight I'm going to present the
financial update for the month of March 2006. As cash unrestricted, I'm disclosing the amount
of $551, 042 for Southeast Overtown/Park West, and for Omni, we are disclosing the amount of
795,914. Also, as you know, there is no reportable condition to report to the board.
Commissioner Sanchez: All right.
Vice Chairman Winton: Is that it?
Mr. Valentin: Yeah, that will be it.
Commissioner Sanchez: And, as you stated for the record, there is no conditions to be reported?
Mr. Valentin: No, sir.
Commissioner Sanchez: OK.
Vice Chairman Winton: And I think have been remiss because I would like to thank everyone
from the Lyric Theater for hosting our CRA Board meetings this afternoon. Thank you very
much, and I have to say also this is the first time I've been in the new lobby, and it is absolutely
spectacular, so I'm anxious to get the rest of the project completed that you all have been
working on, and what a great place.
Commissioner Sanchez: Shame on you for not coming to all the -- shame on you.
Vice Chairman Winton: Shame on me is right.
CRA RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE
SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA") RATIFYING THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR'S ISSUANCE OF A PURCHASE ORDER, IN THE AMOUNT OF
$25,000, TO THE BLACK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COALITION, INC.
D/B/A TOOLS FOR CHANGE, FOR THE PROVISION OF TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE RELATED TO BUSINESS PLAN PREPARATION,
ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES, GROWTH STRATEGIES AND BASIC
BUSINESS PRACTICES FOR NEW AND EXISTING BUSINESSES LOCATED
WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CRA; FUNDS TO BE ALLOCATED
FROM SEOPW TAX INCREMENT FUND, "PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES -OTHER," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 689001.550108.6.270.
Cover Memo.pdf
Financial Form.pdf
Back-up.pdf
Legislation.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, that this matter
be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
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Meeting Minutes April 24, 2006
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Chair Winton, Vice Chair Spence -Jones, Commissioner Sanchez and Commissioner
Regalado
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Gonzalez
CRA-R-06-0014
Direction to the Executive Director of the CRA by Chairman Winton to provide a performance
report to the Board midway through expenditure of funds.
Chair Winton: OK. We have -- Item Number 2 is a resolution. Mr. Executive Director.
Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): It's a ratification of
action that I took as a result of the last board meeting dealing with Tools for Change. I went
ahead and entered into that contract that was discussed with the board at that meeting for an
amount not to exceed $25, 000 for the purpose of providing technical assistance to those
businesses in the Southeast Overtown/Park West area.
Chair Winton: Now how do we measure performance?
Mr. Rollason: I have met with Elaine Black from Tools for Change, and we have sat down and
started the rudimentary -- exactly how we're going to track this. As I explained to her, I didn't
want to just go by hours. I wanted to see copies of the exact documents that were produced for
these companies, what is the business plans, what are the financial plans that have been put
together, and then seeing what the end results are with people starting to actually move into the
area or opening up their businesses with the technical assistance that they receive.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: If I also may add, Mr. Chairman.
Chair Winton: Yes, ma'am.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: I have to also say that I'm very, very excited with the progress that
has been made on this Tools for Change project. I wanted to at least share with my fellow
colleagues an update of where we are, and I think some of the businesses are actually here in the
audience, and I think -- Grady, if you can just give us two minutes as a quick update -- because I
do want my fellow colleagues to know that we're definitely moving in the direction of making
sure that we fill those units, and I think we're just about full now --
Grady Muhammad: Yes.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- and things are definitely moving, and I think I have the pharmacist
here, the pizza shop here. These are all things that we definitely want to see happen within the
neighborhood. If you can give us like a two -minute overview, if you don't mind, I definitely
would appreciate it.
Mr. Muhammad: No problem. Good evening. Grady Muhammad, Tools for Change,
consultant. Mr. Chairman, Vice Chair, Commissioners, CRA Board members, Tools for Change
is -- what we're doing is working with the businesses. We have five slots. We have Hardaway's
House of Wings that will be moving as an expansion, that -- currently in the Grove. We have Mr.
Pharmacy, which is -- go ahead.
Chair Winton: Grady, could I interrupt you for one second? I'm looking at this form. I don't
know if you have it in --
Mr. Muhammad: Yes.
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Chair Winton: -- you have this form also? So, in the House of Wings, as an example, it says
"Jobs, 3 to 6."
Mr. Muhammad: Yes.
Chair Winton: Is that --
Mr. Muhammad: They're going to be --
Chair Winton: -- three to six new jobs?
Mr. Muhammad: New jobs.
Chair Winton: OK, so this column here identifies the number of new jobs that are being
committed to as a result of the effort, two prong, $25, 000 from CRA (Community Redevelopment
Agency) and Tools for Change working with the folks to do whatever expansions they're doing to
end up with the new jobs.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: And the build -- yeah, and the --
Mr. Muhammad: Yes.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- build -outs, yes.
Mr. Muhammad: That's what the --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: And these are all new businesses now.
Mr. Muhammad: All of them new businesses from the Metro News --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: And they're either coming from another area, like this is the
Hardaway --
Chair Winton: OK
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- Wings, so he already has it in Coconut Grove, I'm sure you know --
Chair Winton: Yeah.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- already in the area. It's coming to this area now, so these are all
places that are somewhere else.
Chair Winton: OK. I'm sorry, so continue, please.
Mr. Muhammad: No problem. All of the businesses (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the new businesses,
the only jobs are committed for Overtown residents as well, and that's what we're bringing -- this
is the Arena Square project, which is Solomon (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Yuken. We're using --
working with that -- the CRA to be able to use that and build that space out specifically for these
businesses, and that's where we're looking for your support. Tools for Change is working with
them, as Frank said, in reference to the businesses plans, the internal controls, and other things
that they need as it relates to moving to this community, as well as the marketing plan and
continuum of care for providing long-term technical assistance not only after they [sic] here, but
that technical assistance to ensure the marketablility of the businesses long-term to the
community as well as the broader community.
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Vice Chair Spence -Jones: And if you know, just -- I don't really want to say that much more
about it, but there is about 2, 000 jobs that are going to be coming from the transit hub right
down the street from here, and many of those same folks that are right down the street from here
are going to need to have a place to go to lunch and --
Chair Winton: Bingo.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- use services in the area. We want to drive them to 3rd Avenue, and
we need to be able to provide them with a place to go, so we're really, really pushing, once we
get all this information together, Frank, which is what they've been working very hard on, we
want to make sure that once all the bids are in and the contractors are selected, then they can get
rolling on what they need to do because I believe they're opening the fall of this year --
Mr. Muhammad: Yes.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- for the first thousand people going in.
Mr. Muhammad: They're looking towards Christmas for the Overtown Transit Village. They're
going to be opening towards Christmas. That's the -- at the 8th Street Metrorail complex. That's
Miami -Dade County office building; almost 295,000 square feet, with 2,000 County employees.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you, Grady.
Mr. Muhammad: You're welcome.
Commissioner Sanchez: So move.
Chair Winton: We have a motion --
Commissioner Regalado: Second.
Chair Winton: -- and a second on the table. Any further discussion?
Commissioner Sanchez: Frank, I just --
Chair Winton: Yes, please.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- it's not a discussion. Frank, I'm all for the conditions that are set
forth. There's one here that they have to draw the first 12,500 before they could get the
remaining 12,500 --
Mr. Rollason: That is correct.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- but is -- that's going to be at your discretion, right?
Mr. Rollason: That's correct.
Commissioner Sanchez: The last thing we want to do is fund somebody to fail, and you might
have certain conditions where a business was doing well, and this is all about businesses that are
doing well. We're going to make sure that we provide assistance so they could do even better,
but --
Mr. Rollason: That's the objective.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- it'll be at your discretion.
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Mr. Rollason: We have -- the first 12,500, we paid the advance, and it'll -- we'll draw down
against that twelve -five before any more money flows, and we'll see what the work product is
against that twelve -five.
Commissioner Sanchez: OK, thank you.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you.
Chair Winton: How about the idea, Frank, of bringing us -- when you're towards the end of the
first twelve -five, why don't you bring a report back to the board, an update, just in terms of how
well we've done on the first twelve -five?
Mr. Rollason: That's fine. We can do that.
Chair Winton: Thank you. OK.
Commissioner Regalado: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Winton: Yes, sir.
Commissioner Regalado: Can -- Frank, can they qualify also for the facade program, general
City facade to -- ?
Mr. Rollason: I do not believe that the -- and, again, I don't know if the Overtown NET
(Neighborhood Enhancement Team) director is here. I'm not sure if there is a facade program in
Overtown; there was not before.
Commissioner Regalado: There was one in downtown, though.
Mr. Rollason: Right, but there wasn't one that comes outside west of 1st Avenue, where this
particular area that we're talking about.
Chair Winton: But you might double-check on it because I know that the folks that we're doing
downtown --
Commissioner Regalado: I know.
Chair Winton: -- Barbara ended up expanding their territory relatively --
Mr. Rollason: Right.
Chair Winton: -- dramatically because they had been successful --
Mr. Rollason: Right.
Chair Winton: -- so I would recheck that.
Mr. Rollason: And we also have the program that we put money into with the DMP (Downtown
Miami Partnership) Wraparound program, where they are coming in and they're doing some
things in Overtown with facades and build -out, so we can --
Chair Winton: Well, DMP is actually the entity that has been doing the facade program for
years.
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Mr. Rollason: Right, but if you recall, we made a contribution in this budget year --
Chair Winton: Oh, that's right.
Mr. Rollason: -- of some out of Omni and some out of Southeast Overtown/Park West, so I've
been working with Josie to have some of that activity take place, and the first place they've been
doing is the Masonic Lodge, and they're also looking --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: I don't know if you've seen -- it's great.
Mr. Rollason: -- at other places on 3rd Avenue, so --
Commissioner Regalado: That's great.
Mr. Rollason: -- you know, we're getting our money's worth out of that. That's --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: I do want us to kind of look at something that we can do from a
facade perspective, and maybe we should work with Robert Geitner's group on that for the
facade portion because I think one of the biggest issues with the Wraparound program is the
expense that goes along with it. Many -- yeah, I think it's 20 percent that they have to pay in
order to even participate in the Wraparound program, which is very difficult for many of the
businesses in Overtown to turn around and pay ten percent of whatever the cost is for the
building, so we're focusing on Arena Square right now for this piece, but remember, you have
businesses like the shoe store next -- right across --
Mr. Rollason: Right, shoe man's.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- the street. Shoe man that's been there --
Mr. Rollason: Right.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- for God knows how long --
Mr. Rollason: Understand.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- that needs support, but the -- you know, even if we give them money
to help with -- them with operations, the outside of the building needs to be uplifted. It needs to
look, you know, better, so you know, we need to maybe kind of somewhat create something to
assist those businesses, too.
Mr. Rollason: And we can do that with the other program that we have, which is out of the
200,000 that you're talking about helping, like with Hardaway's House of Wings with the
build -out, and what I'm -- and that has been going very well, and as you can see, the next item
you've got to rates some of those --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: OK.
Mr. Rollason: -- so we're going to need to come back probably before the end of this fiscal year
and put some additional funding in that, but I don't see that as a problem. We'll locate that and
come back to you so we can keep that program going, and then increase it more come October.
Chair Winton: OK
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you.
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Chair Winton: We haven't voted on this, have we?
Priscilla A. Thompson (City Clerk): No, you haven't.
Chair Winton: OK. We have a motion and a second on Item Number 2. Any further discussion?
If not, it's a resolution. All in favor, "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Winton: Like sign, opposed. The motion carries.
3 06-00578 CRA RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE
SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT
AGENCY ("CRA") RATIFYING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S ISSUANCE OF
GRANTS UNDER THE OVERTOWN SMALL BUSINESS GRANT INITIATIVE
TO: L J GROCERY CORPORATION, IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,000; TWO
GUYS RESTAURANT, INC., IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000; GERALD'S
GRAPHICS & PRINTING, INC., IN THE AMOUNT OF $24,950; DERRICK
COLEMAN D/B/A SHOEMAN'S SHOESTORE, IN THE AMOUNT OF
$24,220.79; AND HERMAN PAYNE D/B/A CARING TOUCH BARBER SHOP,
IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,674.92; FUNDS, IN AN AGGREGATE AMOUNT NOT
TO EXCEED $97,845.71, TO BE ALLOCATED FROM SEOPW TAX
INCREMENT FUND, "OTHER GRANTS AND AIDS," ACCOUNT CODE NO.
689001.550108.6.940.
Cover Memo.pdf
Legislation.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Vice Chair Spence -Jones, that this matter
be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Chair Winton, Vice Chair Spence -Jones, Commissioner Sanchez and Connnissioner
Regalado
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Gonzalez
CRA-R-06-0015
Direction to the Executive Director of the CRA by Chairman Winton to provide a financial status
report to the board outlining the dollar amounts provided to the businesses, the amount
expended on operations, definition of operations, and accomplishments, if any.
Chair Winton: Item 3.
Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Item 3 was
the issue I was just speaking to. For this budget year, we passed a program of $200, 000 for
doing capital improvements, and then we came back and we modified that to allow a certain
percentage to go for some of the operational expenses that they have that are in association with
that, and then it was modified to include marketing, and then it was further modified on the floor
to allow businesses to move from an outside area into this area and qualms, as long as they had
been in business for three years --
Commissioner Sanchez: So this item ratifies the individual grants?
Mr. Rollason: -- so this is the grants that I've done to this point, and the idea was to try to get
these out as quickly as we could, and rather than waiting for board meetings and bringing each
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one, as long as it was below 25,000, I could do it; bring it back here and have it ratified, and
that's what we've got at this point through, I think, the date that you have in your packages --
through March 15 or March 13 --
Commissioner Sanchez: So move.
Mr. Rollason: -- those items --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Second.
Mr. Rollason: -- that we've given so far.
Chair Winton: We have a motion and a second. I would like to make a comment. I might have
been absent in the meeting where there was a discussion relative to financial support for
operations, and I will tell all of my fellow board members, I am very, very nervous about
financial support for operations of any business.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: OK.
Chair Winton: I don't mind capital improvements. I don't mind money for marketing because
sometimes you need the marketing to make your plan really kick into high gear when you're
doing an expansion, and that's, you know, just so you don't get too carried away, but when
you're putting it into operations, the second that stops and they're not where they need to be,
they're dead.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: OK. To my understanding -- this was done definitely before I got
here.
Chair Winton: OK
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: This is a grant that was created before I got here. These dollars are
supposed to be used for equipment, if they needed -- like Gerald's Printing --
Chair Winton: That's capital.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- they needed, you know, printing -related things. Those type of
things.
Chair Winton: That's all capital.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: I -- yeah, so --
Mr. Rollason: But what happened was -- is that we found that when we bought inventory or we
bought the capital goods, there were people that wanted to hire somebody or they had to have
some additional work done in conjunction with what we had bought. For instance, at the
printing press, there was some plumbing and some other electrical work that had to be done to
hook some of this stuff up.
Chair Winton: But that's still capital dollars, though.
Mr. Rollason: Well, but --
Chair Winton: That's not operations.
Mr. Rollason: -- we made it -- we didn't tie it to the capital item that we bought. We had some
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flexibility, and we capped that at no more than 25 percent of what their total grant was, so
somebody that got 25,000 was looking at no more than 6,000 tops for -- to be able to use for
operations because we had the same concern you had, but with some of the things that they had
purchased or people that they had hired on board, they felt that if they got a kick to get these
people started and got income coming from that, that they would be able to keep those people on
board, and so far, it's working, and they've committed to keep those people on board for a year.
Commissioner Sanchez: And I do understand your concerns, but there are measures here to
make sure -- Frank, you either -- according to my notes here -- directly pay the vendors or he or
she reimburses the businesses only when they present receipts to you, so there are --
Mr. Rollason: That's correct.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- controls in place to make sure that the businesses don't get in trouble,
and then the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) doesn't get in trouble.
Mr. Rollason: That's correct, and also on the payroll side, they submit their payrolls to us that
we verify before we payout on anybody that they've hired.
Commissioner Sanchez: And when we talk about this type of assistance to small businesses that
have been struggling for years, it's a difference between opening up their doors and locking their
doors --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- when they depend on a freezer or an oven for -- to bake pizzas or
whatever the business may be. This is the difference between keeping a business going and
having to close it down, so as long as the controls are there -- and once again, Frank, as the
executive director, it's -- it'll be in your --
Mr. Rollason: Yes, sir.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- foresight to make sure that everything's done right so the businesses
aren't affected, and of course, the CRA isn't affected in a negative manner.
Chair Winton: And -- but you know, Frank, there's also a story to be told then, and I'm still
skeptical, but I've been proved wrong more than once in my life, you know, and I'll probably be
proved wrong a few more times in my life, so while I'm a skeptic about this operations piece, if
you're suggesting at the moment -- and I think that's what you just said -- that it's actually
working, then you ought to bring that report to the Board and show that for business "X, " they
got "Y" dollars; 25 percent of that was spent on operations, and define what operations was,
and the end result is -- and there has to be some end result that's a positive result that you're
measuring, or you wouldn't be saying this, and I --
Mr. Rollason: Right.
Chair Winton: -- would like you to bring that, including the end result, bring it to us so we can
hear how this is actually working, and it might --
Mr. Rollason: All right. We'll do that.
Chair Winton: -- melt away some of my --
Mr. Rollason: OK.
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Chair Winton: -- skepticism, if you will.
Mr. Rollason: I have the similar concerns that you have, but I -- in meeting with the businesses,
I've been worn down at least to the point that we brought it back to the board and there was
some validity in the issues that they had, and so we're --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: A little help goes a long way.
Mr. Rollason: -- giving it a shot.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: It really does.
Chair Winton: OK, so -- do we have a motion on this?
Commissioner Sanchez: Yes.
Priscilla A. Thompson (City Clerk): Yes.
Commissioner Sanchez: Motion and a second.
Chair Winton: Do we have a motion and a second?
Ms. Thompson: Yes.
Chair Winton: We have a motion and a second on Item Number 3. Any further discussion? If
not, all in favor, "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Winton: Like sign, opposed. The motion carries.
4 06-00608 CRA RESOLUTION
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARDS OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE
SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST AND OMNI REDEVELOPMENT
DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES ("CRAS")
CREATING A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND BEAUTIFICATION ADVISORY
COMMITTEE, FOR A TERM NOT TO EXCEED ONE-YEAR, TO IDENTIFY
AND PRIORITIZE SIGNIFICANT AND ACHIEVABLE CAPITAL PROJECTS,
TO BE FUNDED WITH THE PROCEEDS OF A PROSPECTIVE BOND ISSUE,
THAT WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND
AESTHETICS IN THE CRA REDEVELOPMENT AREAS; PROVIDING THAT
THE COMMITTEE WILL SERVE IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY TO THE
BOARDS ON PROJECT FUNDING, INCLUDING THE SELECTION OF BOND
COUNSEL AND UNDERWRITERS; DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE TO
CONSIDER THE OBJECTIVES OF THE CRAS' RESPECTIVE
REDEVELOPMENT PLANS, THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY'S MASTER PLAN, AND THE CITY OF MIAMI'S PARKING
SURCHARGE PROGRAM IN ITS DELIBERATIONS; FURTHER APPOINTING
THE CRAS' VICE CHAIR TO SERVE AS CHAIRPERSON OF THE
COMMITTEE.
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Cover Memo.pdf
Back-up.pdf
Legislation.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Vice Chair Spence -Jones, that this matter
be ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATIONS PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Chair Winton, Vice Chair Spence -Jones, Commissioner Sanchez and Commissioner
Regalado
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Gonzalez
CRA-R-06-0016
Chair Winton: Item Number 4.
Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Item
Number 4 is the capital improvement committee.
Chair Winton: And this is an item that our board has talked about for a long time, and that is
that for the first time in decades, we have actual development going on within the CRA
(Community Redevelopment Agency) districts. That development has generated a very
significant tax increment that is, essentially, tax dollars that would normally go either to the City
general fund or the County general fund that are coming to the CRA so that we can actually do
real and true big-time economic development within the four corners, if you will, of the two CRA
boundaries. This CRA has had a long history of collecting tax revenues that the public could
never figure out where they went. Our intent, as a board, is to make sure that that never happens
again, and so we think we have an unprecedented opportunity in front of us, and that is that we
think that over the course of the next five to ten years, that based on projected tax collections
from all the new development already going on within the CRA boundaries, that we could end up
with the capacity to issue bonds to do capital improvements. This isn't social services, and it
isn't operations. It's capital. That's all bonding can go for; to do something in the neighborhood
of 200 to $250 million worth of capital improvements within the four corners of the boundaries
of the two CRAs. We -- I have asked and the board is asking Board Member Michelle
Spence -Jones to serve as the chairman of the committee that's going to identify the projects that
need to be earmarked for the projected CRA revenues that could be bonded out. Now, in this
resolution, it talks about a committee that will have a lifespan of up to 12 months, which is a
year, and we need to shorten that to six months because what I would really like to do is have a
report back before the -- at least a preliminary report back before the CRA Board by September,
with a vote no later than October. As I've talked to staff in the City, I think we could actually go
to the bond market right after the first of the year, and really start projects.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: OK.
Chair Winton: Our goal is to start stuff not just to keep talking about it, so while that, I'm sure,
will put some added pressure on --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Well, no, actually -- I'm actually delighted.
Chair Winton: Great.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: I'm delighted that we can get some stuff done and happening in the
area, so we do have a list of potential folks that we've identified, and I think there's only one
tentative person that we're waiting to get a final response from. I can share these names with
you, but once we get the final word -- hopefully, by the end of this week -- we should be ready to
go, and we'll begin the --
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Chair Winton: Great.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- committee meetings on this. Now, some of the projects have
already been --
Chair Winton: Absolutely.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- identified, which is great.
Chair Winton: Right, right.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: These -- the new projects that we're speaking of are the projects that I
want to make sure that I have the input of the neighborhood residents, at least from my district,
with the 3rd Avenue Ad Hoc Committee, the stakeholders, which some of them are here now, and
even just the community -- Overtown Advisory Board, whatever the other groups are, the
residents themselves, I want to make sure that I have their input of some of the things that they'd
like to see happen within the area, but for the most part, this group should be ready to go.
They're ready, they're excited, so I'm fine with the six month time span.
Chair Winton: Great, and we want to make sure that we have representation from, essentially,
the four corners also. Even though your district represents a part of -- you're really representing
all of us --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Yes.
Chair Winton: -- within the whole district --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Yes.
Chair Winton: -- so reach out to all four --
Commissioner Sanchez: Mr. Chair.
Chair Winton: -- corners to grab people to serve.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: And we have.
Chair Winton: I'm sorry.
Commissioner Regalado: So how do we --
Chair Winton: Board Member Sanchez, I'm sorry.
Commissioner Regalado: -- make the appointment? Each board member makes an
appointment?
Chair Winton: I -- you know, I didn't set up a formal process. I would suggest, if there's
somebody --
Commissioner Sanchez: Could --
Chair Winton: -- that you would have -- that you're interested in serving on it --
Commissioner Sanchez: -- I -- ?
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Chair Winton: -- write a note to him so he can get it to the chairwoman of this committee, and --
Commissioner Regalado: OK.
Chair Winton: -- she'll get him involved. I don't think it has to be one of those formal processes
where each of us pick one or pick two or anything.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: And I think we sent and e-mail (electronic mail) out -- my staff right?
Didn't we send an e-mail out? -- based upon the e-mail we got from you guys asking any of your
chief of staff if they had anybody that they'd like to have attached to it. I don't have a problem
with it. I just want to get it done, so if you have someone, by all means, I'm open.
Commissioner Regalado: No, but the reason I'm saying is because the Chairman mentioned six
month, and he wants -- I'm sure the Board wants to go ahead with the project of issuing bonds.
Eventually, this committee could become a bond oversight board, like we have in the City of
Miami for -- which is functioning pretty well, and this is why I was asking about, you know, the
number of members on the committee because of -- sometime lack of quorum or something like
that. It -- and you're going to get into the City Attorney's opinion of sort of a Sunshine law and -
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. We --
Commissioner Regalado: -- whatever meeting in the public --
Commissioner Sanchez: Well --
Commissioner Regalado: -- or something like that.
Vice Chairman Winton: City Attorney's going to give you that answer.
Commissioner Sanchez: This --
Mr. Rollason: No, it's a sunshine committee.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- advisory board will have to follow all the regulations of any other
board, including --
Chair Winton: Right.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- sunshine, including having a -- the City Clerk take records,
everything, and publicly advertise meetings. I just -- if I could just elaborate a little bit on this. I
think this is a new chapter for the CRA, and yes, we've had a long history of collecting taxes, TIF
(Tax Increment Fund) money, but we've also had a long history of bad public perception at the
CRA. Today it's a new beginning for the CRA; things are happening, and I think that setting up
this board, which I think it's a great idea -- but we have to be prudent on who we appoint, and it
goes to show you that in every board throughout the City, the board is only good as the people
that you appoint. These people are not getting compensated. They're doing it out of the kindness
of their hearts because they believe what's in the best interest of the CRA, and we need to select
the best possible individuals to dictate for six months -- and possibly a year -- the spending of
bond money for capital improvements for the CRA, so my advice -- which I accept and I'll be
able to -- I'll make the motion, I will accept six months, so that way we could expedite things, but
I would also make it a point that we do have an appointment process where the chair herself
could appoint someone, each Commissioner would appoint one, and the Mayor would appoint
one, and the reason why I say that is because the oversight board that was placed on the CRA,
that was exactly how it was written and created, and it's worked very well, where each and every
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one of us who have a fiduciary responsibility will have an opportunity to appoint someone, and
hopefully, the best -- it'll be the best candidate for that position, so having said that, I would
support an appointment process for this type of board.
Chair Winton: My apologies, but I disagree.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: And I do too.
Chair Winton: This isn't a bond oversight board. This is an ad hoc committee that could have
all kinds of people involved, where the chairman's trying to gather information about the list of
projects that we ultimately want to move forward through the CRA process, ultimately through
the City process, same -- just like we did originally with our Homeland Defense bond issue,
where we had line items. This is a process about gathering those line items, as a long list of
potential projects that we will ultimately have to whittle down to fit within the amount of money
that we have available. This committee and group of ad hoc citizens, her job is to gather input
from everybody to get that list going; City staff --
Commissioner Sanchez: So --
Chair Winton: -- consultants, the public.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- just one question. That's the beauty -- under the Sunshine law, we
can't discuss this --
Chair Winton: Right.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- so that's why we have to have a respectable and healthy debate on
this issue. On that matter, would this board be spending any TIF money or project money?
Chair Winton: Nope.
Commissioner Sanchez: Then I am OK with it.
Chair Winton: No --
Commissioner Sanchez: Thank you for clearing that up for me.
Chair Winton: -- they're spending nothing. They are helping her gather the list that comes back
to us.
Commissioner Sanchez: I just needed your guidance.
Chair Winton: That's OK
Mr. Rollason: Right. This will be an advisory board -- advisory committee, really, to the Board
Chair Winton: Yeah.
Mr. Rollason: -- and then you all will make decisions on what you want to prioritize the --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: And again --
Mr. Rollason: -- projects to be.
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Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- I definitely welcome your suggestions, if you have them. I'm open
to it. I did send a -- you know, I think we did send an e-mail out, general e-mail, and by all
means, we're open to it, but we want to get the process started, and --
Chair Winton: And --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- sometimes we can complicate things by adding a whole bunch of
other things to it, so --
Commissioner Regalado: So --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- you could look at the list; give you a copy of it.
Commissioner Regalado: -- tomorrow we'll send you the (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Tomorrow we'll
send you the person that we propose that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: OK.
Commissioner Sanchez: Now, can we --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: No --
Chair Winton: Great. That's perfect.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- just appoint out of that list that you have or you just --?
Chair Winton: Or just pick -- if you have somebody that would be interested, by all means, she'd
love them.
Commissioner Sanchez: No, no, no, no. I saw the list. David Marko would be someone that I
would --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: OK.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- highly recommend --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Good.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- but that's --
Commissioner Regalado: Can I see the list?
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Sure.
Chair Winton: And also, from a conceptual standpoint, again, this is about capital
improvements. This isn't about social programs.
Mr. Rollason: Right.
Chair Winton: It isn't about operations because you can't spend this money in that regard --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Mr. Rollason: Right.
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Chair Winton: -- but the capital projects could be anything from improvements -- from street
improvements to landscaping to affordable housing, edu -- universities. I mean, I happen to
know -- and I wanted to put this --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Theaters.
Chair Winton: -- on the record, that FIU (Florida International University) is contemplating
some work in this area that's significant. I know they want to come visit with you about what
they -- what their plans are. It can go to anything relative to capital, and our mission is to turn
the Overtown -- the Omni CRA area and the Overtown/Park West CRA areas into -- bring them
into the economic fold so they feel the same success that any other part of our city has felt by
using the TIF money the way it should have been used in the first place. Now we have one major
and significant impediment to all of this, and that is that the City of Miami and Miami -Dade
County are in a squabble, if you will --
Commissioner Sanchez: Standoff is --
Chair Winton: -- over --
Commissioner Sanchez: Standoffs a better word.
Chair Winton: -- standoff over whether or not the City is going to agree to take the liability that
was created by the Section 108 funds loan dollars that were used to build Parrot Jungle. Now
the last time I checked, Parrot Jungle had nothing to do with Overtown, Park West, nor Omni,
nor poverty, period. However, the County has decided that because we're in this squabble over
whether we're going to take the loan liability over, they've decided that because we've said we're
not going to yet, that they're not going to agree to extend the life of the Overtown/Park West and
Omni CRAs, and let me back up a step further, by the way, a step back yet further. The County
had made a decision about a year ago that it wasn't going to -- that it was going to move to
sunset both CRAs anyhow, until they figured out that there was real money being generated and
that money could be used to pay for the deficits at the Performing Arts Center that is, in fact, in
the Omni CRA area, and they came to us and said, "We're willing to extend the life of the CRA."
One, only the Omni CRA, though, not the Overtown/Park West, and as Chairman of both, I said
to the County, you can take a flying leap. You're either going to -- you're going to extend the life
of both or none. Over my dead body are you going to extend the life of only the Omni and leave
Overtown/Park West out. They ultimately agreed to that. That agreement now is going up in
flames because we haven't agreed to take over the C -- the 108 loan for Parrot Jungle. If the life
of the two CRAs are not -- the life is not extended, then this whole plan that we're developing is
for naught because the remaining life of the CRAs only goes to 2015 or 17, somewhere in that
neighborhood, so there is no bonding capacity, but if you extend them by another ten years, you
have real bonding capacity, so those of you in the audience who are interested, you ought to get
on the phone; call every County Commissioner you can think of, call the County manager; get
people out there -- out here on the streets protesting and raise holy heck about the fact that
they're going to block economic development in some of our poorest neighborhoods because of a
Section 108 loan that's going to a for profit entity on Watson Island that is not, is not in an area
that needs economic development, so that's for you all -- we, by the way, are going to move
forward with this plan regardless of that in hopes that, some way or another, we get this problem
fixed, but you all can help fix it. OK
Commissioner Sanchez: So move, as amended, six months.
Chair Winton: We have a motion --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Second.
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Chair Winton: -- and a second. Any further --
Mr. Rollason: Mr. Chairman, could we --
Chair Winton: -- discussion? Yes, sir.
Mr. Rollason: -- can we make sure with the attorney that we've amended whatever we have to to
-- from what the reso. (resolution) is?
Commissioner Sanchez: The only amendment on the record that has been brought forth is the
six months.
Jim Villacorta (Assistant General Counsel, Community Redevelopment Agency): And was there
also an amendment to have the preliminary report in September with the --
Chair Winton: Oh, yes.
Mr. Villacorta: -- intention to have a final vote in October on --
Chair Winton: Yes.
Commissioner Sanchez: I didn't get that one. All right.
Mr. Villacorta: Is that --
Chair Winton: Yes, please.
Mr. Villacorta: -- what you'd like?
Commissioner Sanchez: All right. As amended.
Chair Winton: As amended with the second. Any further discusison? If not, all in favor, "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Winton: Like sign, opposed. The motion carries.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
5 06-00579 CRA DISCUSSION
DISCUSSION ITEM REQUEST BY VICE -CHAIR SPENCE-JONES
DEALING WITH THE WARD ROOMING HOUSE.
Cover-Memo.pdf
Back-up.pdf
DISCUSSED
Chair Winton: We have two discussion items.
Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): The first item under
discussion is the Ward Rooming House. I was asked to come and give an update as to where we
are on that, so I have that.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: It's looking better.
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Mr. Rollason: It's looking better; little paint makes a big difference. Just as a little history, first
of all, the Ward Rooming House is right outside the door here. I encourage you all to drive by
when you leave and take a look and see what's really been accomplished. This project started
back in December of 2000, and the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) acquired that
property, and I know that Board Member Sanchez remembers how much we went through
getting all the titles cleared and getting all the ownership and the issues that we went through,
and how he diligently protected the pocketbook until we actually owned it, so we own it and it
belongs to the CRA, so that being said, we have gone through now for several years, and it
culminated with the hiring of a construction company by the name of DBI, who's been doing the
work over there, and they're the same ones that did the work for Just Right Barbershop, and the
project is just about completed. It's coming in within or under budget. We're very close. The
total budget for the project to actually do the construction was 600, 000. I've paid to date
530, 000, so -- and I've got some more bills coming, so we're going to be very close with the
numbers that he provided to us. In addition to that, as you will recall, we had a tough time
keeping that thing secure, so we paid an additional -- including the purchase of the property and
the legal fees that went with that, we paid 27,500 to purchase it and 35,000 to get the title clear,
so we paid with that and the security and the holding it up and everything another quarter of a
million dollars for that year and a half, almost two years that we paid holding the walls up,
which eventually had to come down with Wilma and Katrina and all that, but we did save the
four columns in the front, so there's a piece of the building that really is -- a piece of the original
building is there, and that's been important to the neighborhood, I can tell you that. The other
day we drove by and there was an elderly couple out there by the side, and we stopped to talk to
them, and it turns out when they were kids, they grew up inside the Ward Rooming House, and
the one lady's father was the one that designed the building, so they were very excited, and they
want to be a part of whatever we do forward with it, but all that being said, the building is just
about completed from the standpoint of the shell. As a finished product, it will have the walls,
the roof the impact windows that you see, and inside -- when you go inside, it's concrete block
walls, a dirt floor, and that's where we are. The deal I had with the Building Department to
allow us to go forward like this is that we have done a construction on a building that has no
designated use, and they allowed us to do that because it was a historic structure and we didn't
know what we were going to use it for, so the deal with them is is that once we decide how we
want to use it, we're going to have to go back to the Building Department and then have the
engineering and design done for that particular use, whether it requires sprinklers or more exits,
or whatever we have to do to bring it into compliance with what the final use will be. We put no
floor in it just from the standpoint when we run the power and the plumbing, we won't be tearing
the floor up, so it's a dirt floor with some plywood on it so you can walk around, and that's the
structure that we have there, so that being said, that's my report on where we are.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Just so that you know, I think in one of my first meetings that I had on
Commission regarding this issue on the Ward Rooming House, I was charged to come up with a
plan for it. As you know, we have several historic buildings in the Overtown area. I think the
last CRA meeting we had, we even talked about the fire station and us putting -- we put some
monies, you know, to that project to do that also. My concern will always be -- my concern is,
you know, we put all this money into the buildings, and then we don't have it in use, and we
spend all this money for -- almost a quarter of a million dollars for security and holding up -- so,
you -- I know you've heard my drill over and over again about it, but now that the building is
there, and now we're going to have real issues because it's completed. If there's no use and
nothing happening with it, then you're going to have people vandalizing the building. You're
going to have people -- because it's just going to be a vacant building sitting there, nice and
pretty, that will soon become an attraction for homeless and everybody else that's, you know,
there, so what I'm proposing to do and what I've been working on, Mr. Chairman, is creating a
destination there. As you know, we have Chapter 2, which is right across the street that the
Black Archives has worked with, and they've been doing a great job, which is right across the
street from the Ward Rooming House, and now we have the Lyric up and really running and
having programs. The idea is to maybe perhaps put a art center here -- there that we don't have
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to do a serious build -out with, you know, gallery -type --
Chair Winton: Um -hum.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- space highlighting the works of Pervis Young, which is an
Overtown artist that is world-renowned and has never really got the true respect and love from
people in this town, so one of the things we're looking at doing is putting a artist -driven space
for now, temporarily, just so that we can at least operate the space, but work closely with the
Black Archives and local universities, and also reaching out to some other cities to do some
partnerships to really kind of do something special there until we can decide exactly what we're
going to do with the space, but my question is, if there's any monies left over at all, Frank -- and
I'd like to share with my colleagues -- if there's any monies left over from that, we're definitely
going to need to use some of that towards the build -out because I got a chance to look on the
inside of it, and to see, you know, dirt floors and, you know, it's --
Chair Winton: It'll take more than that, so --
Mr. Rollason: Right.
Chair Winton: -- he'll have to come back for another --
Mr. Rollason: We have a rough estimate that DBI has given us already that we can go forward
for --
Chair Winton: Dorothy, are you up to -- ?
Dorothy Jenkins -Fields: If I may.
Chair Winton: Yes, please.
Ms. Jenkins -Fields: Thank you. We're very excited about the plans that the Commissioner has
with the Pervis Young project as a temporary project for that area. We've been talking with
Frank for several years now about relocating the headquarters for the Black Archives in that
area, in the Ward Rooming House and Heaven, which is the Clennon King building, the -- using
that complex. I've had an opportunity, in the last week or two, to visit the Schaumburg, to visit
museums and archives in Pittsburgh and New York to get a sense of what we really can do there
on a permanent basis, and we're ready now to present a plan for the complex, and we say that
we don't come just with our hands out, but we actually have $5 million as a part of the bond
issue from the County -- we have $10 million. One, the first five is to expand the stage at the
Lyric and to finish the build -out so that we can have a loading zone. Right now you can't load if
you had sets here and productions here, so there are a lot of things that still have to be done on
the back of the house, but the other $5 million is, in fact, for the relocation of the Black Archives
to the Folk Life Village district, and we would like to have an opportunity to present that plan
and to have you consider it seriously with the money that we have.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Right, and I think, Dorothy, you sit on the stakeholders committee
meeting already --
Ms. Jenkins -Fields: Yes.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- and I think all of the folks that own property within that area that
are part of the stakeholders committee, I think that that would be a great time to kind of address
that. Right now my concern, however, is making sure that that building does not sit, and if we
know anything about pulling money down from the bonds in the County, I can tell you that, you
know, it takes a while to pull it down, and I don't want --
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Ms. Jenkins -Fields: Absolutely.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- to have that building sitting --
Ms. Jenkins -Fields: Sure.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- and nothing happening in it, when I can have young people in there
experience art or doing something --
Ms. Jenkins -Fields: And the --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- in the meantime.
Ms. Jenkins -Fields: Thank you, and that was a part of the original plan. In fact, we had --
Clennon King's son was one of the resident artists there, as well as at the Dorsey House, so we
understand that, and it's a wonderful plan. That's why I said we're excited about that, and it's
immediate and something that can be done now.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: No problem. Thank you.
Ms. Jenkins -Fields: OK.
Chair Winton: Thank you.
Ms. Jenkins -Fields: Thank you.
Chair Winton: OK
Rosa Green: May I --
Chair Winton: What's -- ?
Ms. Green: -- please be heard?
Chair Winton: Yes, ma'am. It's not a public hearing, but we will accept your --
Ms. Green: Oh, it's not?
Chair Winton: -- comment, ma'am.
Ms. Green: I'm --
Chair Winton: You have the floor.
Ms. Green: First of all, I'm sorry I'm late, but I tutor a few children over at Douglas, and I just
couldn't get relief so when I did, I'm here. I don't know the gist of what you were talking about
about the Ward House -- oh, I'm sorry. Rosa Green, 415 Northwest 6th Street. I just assume
everybody know who I am, but about the Ward House, I really think -- and I don't know -- I
guess, the Black Archives, but I would like to say, and I hope I don't sound like I'm negative or
partial, but I hope Dr. Fields and her group will try to include some native Americans in
anything they plan to do. I know everybody love, you know, the countries that they come, you
know, from, but since we were here striving and struggling, paying taxes and doing what we
supposed to do, we would like to be a part of anything that they plan to do here in Overtown, and
I speak right now for myself because I don't want to try to include people if they don't want to be
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in it, and another thing, I think $600, 000 -- takes me a long time to say that because I'm not sure
I can count to that -- is a lot of money to put in an empty space, empty building. I mean, nothing
Chair Winton: Well, it's already -- it's too late because it's been spent.
Ms. Green: Six hundred thousand dollars?
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Six hundred.
Chair Winton: No more than 600,000.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Well -- yeah.
Chair Winton: Two hundred and fifty thousand was security and --
Mr. Rollason: Scaffolding.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Scaffolding.
Chair Winton: -- other stuff, and -- 550, 000, 525,000 -- in that neighborhood?
Mr. Rollason: Yes, sir.
Chair Winton: -- on capital improvements, so --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: And Ms. Green, this is the reason why we have to make sure that,
before we get into a project, we really understand what's attached to it because some of the
building -- you know I love Black Archives and I'm a historic preservation buff
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) Kathleen, and she can tell you. I have a whole list of them that I want to do
over the next four years, but there's sometimes there's certain buildings it costs so much more to
restore them that, you know, we just --
Ms. Green: Y'all could have built a --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: -- we have to really think about making certain decisions when we do
them.
Chair Winton: OK What's your -- ? I'm sorry.
Ms. Green: The --
Chair Winton: Ms. Green.
Ms. Green: My final statement -- thank you, Mr. -- Commissioner Winton; got a little patience
with me, but my final statement is we going to have to hold Commissioner Sanchez,
Commissioner Winton, Commissioner Regalado -- and who's missing?
Chair Winton: Spence -Jones.
Ms. Green: Y'all just got to step up and tell these people they can't do this anymore. Help little
Commissioner Jones out.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: All right.
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Chair Winton: Will do. Thank you. OK.
6 06-00610 CRA DISCUSSION
A DISCUSSION ITEM REQUESTING THE RESCHEDULING OF THE MAY
06' CRA BOARD MEETING. IT IS PRESENTLY SCHEDULED FOR MAY
29TH WHICH IS MEMORIAL DAY. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WILL
PRESENT SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES FOR DISCUSSION AND WILL
REQUEST THAT A MOTION BE APPROVED FOR WHATEVER CHANGE
IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE BOARD.
Cover Memo.pdf
MOTION
A motion was made by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, and was
passed unanimously, with Commissioner Gonzalez absent, to reschedule the Southeast
Overtown/Park West and Omni CRA meetings currently scheduled for May 23, 2006 to coincide
with the City Commission meeting of May 11, 2006.
Chair Winton: Now we have -- so that's that item. You have one more?
Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Yeah. The last item
is the May board meeting falls on Memorial Day --
Chair Winton: Oh.
Mr. Rollason: -- so my --
Chair Winton: So --
Mr. Rollason: -- recommendation at this point is that we have one like we did at City Hall the
last time on May 22, which will be the Monday prior to --
Chair Winton: Well, I'd like to have it during the Commission meeting that isn't a P&Z
(Planning & Zoning) meeting --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Is that P&Z?
Chair Winton: -- because I don't think it's going to be a very long agenda, so --
Commissioner Sanchez: It is a P&Z meeting.
Chair Winton: Huh? No, no, no.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: It is?
Chair Winton: The --
Mr. Rollason: You mean the first one of the month.
Commissioner Sanchez: It is a P&Z meeting. It's the last of the month, right?
Chair Winton: Yeah -- no, so --
Mr. Rollason: No, no, no, but you're talking about having it like --
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Chair Winton: I'm talking --
Mr. Rollason: -- the first meeting in May.
Chair Winton: Yeah. Have it the first meeting of the month --
Commissioner Sanchez: I'm just saying the 29th is --
Chair Winton: -- so --
Commissioner Sanchez: -- a PZ --
Chair Winton: -- let's work on the --
Mr. Rollason: Well, I --
Chair Winton: -- Chairman and I'll help you and see if we could --
Mr. Rollason: No, no. We can -- the Chairman of the Commission has said he doesn't have a
problem with -- if we're during a regular meeting --
Chair Winton: Yeah --
Mr. Rollason: -- because the --
Chair Winton: -- and that's --
Mr. Rollason: -- Commissioners are lighter.
Chair Winton: -- I think that's what it ought to be because it's going to be a short agenda, so --
Mr. Rollason: OK.
Chair Winton: -- unless it's a long agenda, but if it's a long --
Mr. Rollason: No, no, no.
Chair Winton: -- let me know and --
Mr. Rollason: No. It'll even be --
Chair Winton: -- we can move it.
Mr. Rollason: -- shorter with -- I mean --
Chair Winton: OK
Mr. Rollason: -- we're talking a couple of weeks and we're going to be --
Chair Winton: Yeah. We're --
Mr. Rollason: -- at print.
Chair Winton: -- going to be -- yeah.
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Commissioner Sanchez: We don't need any action.
Chair Winton: OK
Mr. Rollason: Do we have that date? And we'll throw it in the --
Chair Winton: No. You can get the date. You -- we know --
Mr. Rollason: OK, so the first Commission meeting --
Chair Winton: Yes.
Mr. Rollason: -- in --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: In May.
Chair Winton: Yes.
Mr. Rollason: -- May, regular Commission meeting --
Chair Winton: Yes.
Mr. Rollason: -- in May.
[Later.]
Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): And I also --
Priscilla A. Thompson (City Clerk): Commissioner Winton, before you break -- I'm sorry. I'm
behind you here. I just want us to check with our legal advisor. On the moving of the meeting
date, do we need a motion for that to take place?
Commissioner Sanchez: No.
Chair Winton: Do we need a motion to move the meeting?
Commissioner Sanchez: I don't think so.
Mr. Rollason: We have in the past.
Commissioner Sanchez: You have requested --
Mr. Rollason: We have in the past had --
Commissioner Sanchez: -- one in the past?
Mr. Rollason: -- that's right.
Commissioner Sanchez: So move to the first meeting of May.
Mr. Rollason: Regular Commission meeting --
Chair Winton: Regular --
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Mr. Rollason: -- in May.
Chair Winton: -- Commission meeting in May.
Commissioner Sanchez: Regular Commission meeting in May.
Chair Winton: We have a motion. Second.
Commissioner Regalado: Second.
Chair Winton: Second. Discussion. If not, all in favor, "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Winton: Like sign, opposed. The motion carries. Any other business?
NON -AGENDA ITEMS
NA.1 06-00758 CRA DISCUSSION
Discussion by Chair Winton directing Executive Director of the CRA to
create a newsletter highlighting CRA projects and improvements.
MOTION
A motion was made by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Commissioner Spence -Jones, and
was passed unanimously, with Commissioner Gonzalez absent, to (1) create a descriptive
newsletter, using pictures, for the Southeast Overtown/Park West and Omni CRA districts
highlighting the projects and improvements in both districts, to be disseminated as handouts,
mailings, and e-mails; (2) produce a segment on City of Miami TV, Channel 9, on the CRA's
accomplishments in relation to projects and improvements; and (3) create signage, for every
business that the CRA has assisted financially, that is similar to the County GOB signage.
Chair Winton: And one last topic real quickly. I don't know -- I think a number of you were on
the tour we did six months ago of showing people from around the state all of the real projects
that we have done in the past 12 months, or that are underway, and I know some people in the
audience were there, but many were not, and a lot of the stakeholders within the two CRA
(Community Redevelopment Agency) districts have no idea that we're -- the CRA's finally really
doing things, and I think that we ought to consider, Frank -- this isn't necessarily a forever thing,
but I think we need to -- at least my view is, and I'm really asking the Board, if you all think we
shouldn't spend a little bit of money and do a newsletter that has pictures and descriptions of the
real steps and the wet cement that we've created out there, showing real projects, real time that
have been done with the taxpayers' dollars to improve both CRA districts because I think the
public really doesn't know, and I'm not saying we have forever a newsletter. I'm saying maybe a
one-shot thing to get that news out.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Chair Winton: Maybe we do it again in a year from now or something.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Do we have an annual report that we already do?
Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Well, we did the
annual report, and there's a portion in there that has photographs and describes each one of the
projects, and what we could do is --
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Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Expand on that maybe?
Mr. Rollason: -- take an excerpt of that out and put a cover on it, and get that printed up and
put into something that you can --
Chair Winton: And make it look like a newsletter too, and --
Mr. Rollason: Understand.
Chair Winton: -- figure out who to send it to, and e-mail (electronic mail) it to, you know -- if
we've got a blast e-mail set of people, you do it both mail and e-mail and handouts. You know, I
would bring them to the businesses --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Chair Winton: -- that we're supporting on the 3rd Avenue Business Corridor. I would give them
to Dorothy. I would give them to others so -- as a handout in the Omni area.
Commissioner Sanchez: Why not take it a step further and do something on Net-9? I mean --
Chair Winton: That too.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- we --
Chair Winton: You bet.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- haven't done --
Chair Winton: That's a great --
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- a piece on the CRA on Net-9 in about what, almost about a year? So
we could do that on Net-9.
Chair Winton: So how about a reso -- how about a motion?
Commissioner Sanchez: Motion for the newsletter and a --
Mr. Rollason: Net-9 piece.
Commissioner Sanchez: -- you know, an episode on the improvements at the CRA. So move.
Vice Chair Spence -Jones: Second.
Commissioner Sanchez: On Net-9.
Chair Winton: Commissioner Reg -- I mean, Board Member Regalado.
Commissioner Regalado: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think it's great. I think that the public
needs to know, and I think that the only way to do that is through a newsletter. However, I
would also suggest that in every single business that the CRA has helped either here in this CRA
or the Omni, you place a sign saying this business -- this is the same thing that County's doing
with the GOB (General Obligation Bond) bond, you know.
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Chair Winton: It's a great idea.
Commissioner Regalado: This business has been helped by the CRA. Your money at work, and
this and that, you know, and because --
Chair Winton: A nice one. A nice -- something very nice.
Commissioner Regalado: Right. Something nice, something that, you know, they don't have to
just throw away; something that looks good, but it also -- and it also will say that this is part of
the new beginning of this area, and you know, so it gives hope to the people that are -- it gives
them to be proud of being in those businesses, and I think that that's easy to do, and you know,
Frank --
Mr. Rollason: We'll do that.
Chair Winton: So we make that a part of the motion. We have a motion and a second, amended.
All in favor, "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Winton: Like sign, opposed. The motion carries. Any other business?
NA.2 06-00759 CRA DISCUSSION
Brief discussion concerning the Florida Redevelopment Association Conference to be
hosted by the City of Miami in October at the Radisson Hotel in the Omni CRA.
DISCUSSED
Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Just one
more item that sort of goes in tune with what you're speaking about. Just to remind you that the
City of Miami is hosting the Florida Redevelopment Association Conference this year in
October, and it'll be at the Radisson, within the Omni CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency),
and we're diligently working on putting that program together, but we are going to have tours at
that time for people to participate and go around and see the different projects, including
Midtown, both the Southeast Overtown/Park West and the Omni, so we -- the PAC (Performing
Arts Center) is participating with us, and the Lyric Theater is going to be a piece of it, and --
Chair Winton: Then you ought to have blow-up visuals at least -- certainly at that meeting with
all these people coming around from the State -- blow up visuals of a lot of these projects we're
doing.
Mr. Rollason: Right. I'm going to have to come back to you in May or June --
Chair Winton: That's fine.
Mr. Rollason: -- and get an allocation of some funding --
Chair Winton: Fine.
Mr. Rollason: -- for some of this, but that's --
Chair Winton: OK
Mr. Rollason: -- exactly what our intent is.
Chair Winton: OK. Meeting adjourned.
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Commissioner Sanchez: Motion to adjourn.
Commissioner Regalado: Thank you.
Chair Winton: Thank you.
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