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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSEOPW OMNI CRA 2006-07-31 MinutesCity of Miami City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com * IMCORP GROTED lEmSIE Co l 11, • Meeting Minutes Monday, July 31, 2006 5:30 PM ICE PALACE (AT BIG TIME PRODUCTIONS) 59 NW 14TH STREET MIAMI, FLORIDA 33136 5:30 - 8:00 P.M. SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Michelle Spence -Jones, Chair Angel Gonzalez, Vice Chair Linda M. Haskins, Commissioner Joe Sanchez, Commissioner Tomas Regalado, Commissioner ************************** CRA OFFICE ADDRESS: 49 NW 5th ST, SUITE 100, Miami, FL 33128 Phone: (305) 679-6800, Fax: (305) 679-6835 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 On the 31st day of July 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 Ice Palace, 59 Northwest 14th Street, Miami, Florida 33136. The meeting was called to order by Chair Michelle Spence -Jones at 5: 48 p.m. and was adjourned at 8:35 p. m. Present: Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez ALSO PRESENT: Frank Rollason, Executive Director, CRA, City of Miami Pedro G. Hernandez, City Manager Jorge L. Fernandez, General Counsel, CRA James Villacorta, Assistant General Counsel, CRA William R. Bloom, Special Counsel, CRA Priscilla A. Thompson, Clerk of the Board Pamela E. Burns, Assistant Clerk of the Board Minutes are transcribed verbatim. Periodically, agenda items are revisited during a meeting. "[Later...I " refers to discussions that were interrupted and later continued. 1. 06-01249 CRA PRESENTATION A PRESENTATION OF AN UNSOLICITED PROPOSAL TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SEOPW /PARK WEST CRA FROM MR. ALBERTO MILO, JR., PRESIDENT OF THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT GROUP (UDG) FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRA PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE SEOPW CRA CURRENTLY UTILIZED AS CRA LOT NO. 3 ON THE CORNER OF NW 3RD AVENUE AND 10TH STREET (SEE ATTACHED MAP). Cover Memo.pdf Back-up.pdf PRESENTED A motion was made by Commissioner Haskins, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, and was passed unanimously, with Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez absent, to authorize the Executive Director of the CRA to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of the CRA property located in the Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA currently utilized as CRA Lot No. 3, located on the corner of Northwest 3rd Avenue and loth Street. Chair Spence -Jones: And we're going to open up for the regular CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) agenda. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Right, Southeast Overtown/Park West and Omni CRAs. Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. OK. I'm turning it over to you, Frank. This is in reference to a CRA presentation for an -- Mr. Rollason: Right. This is a presentation of an unsolicited proposal that we received from a developer who is interested in acquiring a piece of property that belongs to the CRA, which we know as parking lot 3, which is the CRA parking lot on the north side of Jac1cson Soul Food Restaurant, at loth Avenue -- at loth Street and 3rd Avenue, so Mr. Alberto Milo, who is the City of Miami Page 2 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 president of Urban Development Group, has requested to appear before the Board and make this presentation, so where is Alberto? Here we go. OK. You step to the mike and -- Alberto Milo: Good evening, Commissioners. I'm going to give you a brief synopsis on our proposal to the CRA for a parking lot located at 3 -- Mr. Rollason: Albert, you need to identify yourself and give your address for the record, please. Mr. Milo: Albert Milo, president of the Urban Development Group, 1801 Southwest 3rd Avenue, Suite 500. Sorry about that, Ms. Thompson. The proposal is for the CRA parking lot located at 345 Northwest 10th Street. The -- our development company is looking to partner with Mt. Zion CDC (Community Development Corporation) to foster this development. In addition to Mt. Zion, we have Alex Frasier on our development team. We feel that our property is going to meet several community needs, primarily foster economic development, educational development, affordable homeownership, community empowerment, and affordable rental housing. Jazz Village is going to be a mixed -use property. It's slated to be a ten -story building; the ground floor retail of about 12,000 square feet. It's going to have about 26,000 square feet of office space and 63 residential condominium units. It'll also have a detached parking garage to serve our future building, in additional to other expansion of the area for the CRA. Carrfour Corporation is going to develop the rental affordable housing portion of the development, and they're slated to have between 60 and 70 units. Mr. Doug Mayer is here, and he'll talk about the rental affordable housing component. On the economic development side of the equation, we feel like we're going to bring somewhere between 30 to 60 jobs, between the retail and the school. We're trying to bring a national medical training school to the area for the office space that's going to allow local residents to have the opportunity to search and achieve higher type of careers in the medical field, and potentially, get higher paying jobs. The retail is slated to have some neighborhood businesses, along with some national franchises of eating establishments, and the affordable homeownership component's going to have obviously condominiums and workforce housing on top. Here today I have several members of my development team. We have Clyde Judson, our architect, who will be addressing the site plan portion of it. I have Mr. James McQueen, representing Mt. Zion Development Corp, Mr. Alex Frasier, with our minority (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We have Doug Mayer from Carrfour Corporation that's going to address the affordable housing component. We also have Mr. Phil Bacon from the Collins Center. They're one of our stakeholders in the development because they own property under the South Florida Smart Growth Partnership, so unless you have any questions for me now, I'll field them, or if you want to let the architect go through the site plan first, and then I can come back and let Doug do -- explain his part. Chair Spence -Jones: Are there any questions before we go through the site plan? OK. Just -- we're ready. Clyde Judson: Good afternoon. My name is Clyde Judson, with Judson and Partners Architects, located at 155 South Miami Avenue, Suite PHI C. Real simply and real briefly, the project is proposed to be located on the corner of Northwest 3rd Avenue and 10th Street. I-95 is here. The clinic is just on the west side of I-95. Jackson Soul Food is here, and the recently renovated apartments are on the east side of Northwest 3rd Avenue. The two phases that Mr. Milo talked about would be here. Phase I is here. The proposed condominiums will be located on the corner -- with -- on the ground floor will be retail, and the second and third -- possible third floors will be office space. The proposed parking garage will be here, and phase II would be the Carrfour project, which would be rentals, which will be located on -- fronted on Northwest 11 th Street. The design proposes to have a courtyard space in between the two developments to allow the -- to develop some common space. Basically, that's the site plan. If anybody has any questions, I'll be glad to answer those questions. Chair Spence -Jones: You have any questions? OK City of Miami Page 3 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: The ones marked "L," those are the proposed Carrfour, or is that -- that's existing? Mr. Judson: Oh, those are existing. Commissioner Haskins: And where would the Carrfour project be? Mr. Judson: This one right here. Commissioner Haskins: OK, as part of the garage? Mr. Judson: The garage is -- Commissioner Haskins: Well, those are residential units, I'm sorry. OK, and then the garage itself, in "A," is that going to be a lined garage? Will that be lined? Mr. Judson: Yes. Commissioner Haskins: It wouldn't be like a garage -- a stand-alone garage, right? Mr. Judson: No. In fact, I think the City's zoning code requires it to be lined. Commissioner Haskins: OK, and then, "D," the proposed surface parking -- Mr. Judson: Yes. Commissioner Haskins: -- is that needed if you have a garage? Mr. Judson: I'll let Mr. Milo address that. Albert. Mr. Milo: The "D" is actually, Commissioner Haskins, a portion of what was slated to be Athalie Range Park. It's underneath the highway. The portion that you see, that "E" and " D, " is actually right underneath the overpass of I-95, so it's not that we need it as far as the development, but it's part of the capital improvement for the park program, so it's -- Commissioner Haskins: OK. Mr. Milo: -- starting to make something that's cohesive, rather than just something that's independent just sitting there on its own. Commissioner Haskins: So it's not part of your project? Mr. Milo: Not directly part of the project -- Commissioner Haskins: OK. Mr. Milo: -- but we intend to -- just to make it, again, cohesive. Chair Spence -Jones: And if I can add. I don't know if you know, this is the -- right up under the current expressway right now that we have, and that is where the domino park is slated to go at this present time. It is actually fenced up presently, so there's no activity that's actually happening within that space, but one of the concerns I have is we need to make sure that we have some sort of real use for it because if not, it's going to become an area where the homeless really congregate, so I think at least -- this would at least keep some activity going there from a City of Miami Page 4 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 consistent basis, but this would not change -- I guess, the additional green space that would be made available would actually be made for parking, some additional parking that may be needed from an overflow standpoint, but the park itself, the domino park would remain there. Mr. Milo: Yeah. It's an integral part of the development, but that's the key to make it cohesive. Chair Spence -Jones: They just need to flow somehow. Commissioner Haskins: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: I have a couple questions, but I want to wait 'till my colleague -- Commissioner Regalado: This is not, Mr. Milo, affordable or this is regular -- what you plan to build is regular, you know, construction, office, housing? Mr. Milo: No. The housing is to be affordable and workforce housing, and the -- Commissioner Regalado: OK -- Mr. Milo: -- so (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Regalado: -- and the help willh come from? Mr. Milo: The help? Commissioner Regalado: Yeah, in terms of monies to -- Chair Spence -Jones: Fund it. Mr. Milo: To funding? Commissioner Regalado: -- fund. Mr. Milo: Well, we have different sources of funding that we anticipate for the development. On the commercial side, we're looking at the new market tax credits, which are federal credits from the Department of Treasury; on the homeownership side, the traditional funding of the Community Development funds, the County surtax funds, and any Affordable Housing Trust funds. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah, but -- that was the question. I mean, the idea and the place is great because, like the Chairperson said, you know, there's nothing there, and anything that gets built that is new and that has life, displaces the homeless and the undesirable. That's -- but because of what's going on in the County, don't you think that it will be harder to have access to these monies, in order to comply with the timetable that you are offering? Mr. Milo: I think the -- what's going on in the County is two fold. In my personal opinion, you know, our company is one of the developers that has actually produced housing for the County, so I think the County, once the shakeup is cleared out, and probably sooner, rather than later, is going to need to bring developers that have produced housing back to the forefront in order to get them their dollars, and to get the other side of the story, which is the projects that have been built for affordable housing, but irrespective of that, assuming they don't get their stuff fixed in a timely fashion, the County funding -- this project can move forward without County funding because the new market tax credit is a new vehicle, and we can build a project with the City funding and the new market tax credits, which is federal, and still make the project happen, so hopefully, that's not the case. Hopefully, we can still use the County dollars, but assuming we City of Miami Page 5 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 can't, we feel comfortable we can move forward still with the -- Commissioner Regalado: And the timeline is? Mr. Milo: The timeline to build it? We're ready. I mean, there's a process, obviously, that -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Mr. Milo: -- we have to go through because today is just an unsolicited proposal, but -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. I think, Frank, you can somewhat explain, but I have some other questions. I don't want to wait until you finish before we understand the process of what -- Commissioner Regalado: No, I'm done, Madam Chair. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Mr. Milo: Do you want to hear from Carrfour and let them talk about their piece? Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah, but let me just ask some quick little questions real fast. The one thing that I think is great about the proposal -- and hopefully, once we put out, I guess, an official bid -- is that how it's done, Frank? -- then we'll at least get a sense of kind of what else is out there because I think it's important to do that, but so that you kind of understand where our head is, the 3rd Avenue Business Corridor has been, over the last six or seven months, for me, a major push, and that's why we've been focusing really hard to make sure that we recruit new businesses. I believe Grady -- Brother Grady Muhammad is here now, and he's been working very hard to, hopefully, get those businesses locked in and moving, but between that section of 10th and 11 th is a crucial point. It's really what we would consider our super block in the neighborhood, so everything that's happening on the right side of the street with the new businesses that are going in will hopefully, over the next six to nine months, be moving; that is the ideal scene. The problem, however, not having anything happening on the left side of the street, you know, you can't really attract businesses to the area unless everything else is coming up at the same time, so I think that having a proposal like that gives us at least the solidity that we need in order for, you know, businesses to feel comfortable about coming into an area because something else is attached to it. I do like the idea, and I've been a big, big advocate of making sure that, yes, we do have affordable housing, but what Carrfour is doing in this -- and I know a lot of people look at Carrfour because it's transitional housing most of the time, and they're afraid of it, but for me, I think that having, you know, an agency like Carrfour that has definitely a proven record on providing support for transitional living is very important in this particular community, and especially since I have Camillus House is going to be coming soon, and most of those people, hopefully, will be able to transition from a place like Camillus House to, you know, their own rental property, so to me, I think it's really important to -- having both of those elements. I do have those same concerns that Commissioner Regalado mentioned; is because of this issue that's happening with the County right now, and most of the housing developers -- including Carrfour, correct? -- a lot -- the County dollars, having the County dollars make your program -- projects move are really, really important, so you know, I just think that we need to make sure that, on our end, from the City's end, and our City Manager pushes hard so that if these projects move, for whatever reason, we don't get stuck in not having the additional dollars that are necessary to make happen. I wanted to just ask you one quick question regarding the parking, OK. The -- it would be a garage, correctly -- correct? Mr. Judson: Correct. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. The garage itself will be made available to not just the residents, but the surrounding businesses, like right across the street because we're talking about businesses City of Miami Page 6 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 that are now currently using that open lot. Will we be getting more parking now for those businesses than we -- Mr. Milo: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: -- would have if it remain a surface? Mr. Milo: Yeah. That's why the intent is to make it a municipal garage when the project is eventually built, not just to service our development, but -- first of all, there's 56 parking spaces there currently that are going to be taken up by the development, which businesses or residents of the area use currently, but more importantly -- at least I believe that the parking garage is actually probably the most integral part of the development, as far as spurring our development, but more importantly, spurring the businesses on the other side of 3rd Avenue and future businesses on 9th Street and loth Street that could be able to park in this garage and further foster development in the area. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Two more questions and I'm done. Mt. Zion, as you said, they're here represented? Mr. Milo: Yeah. Mr. McQueen is here on behalf of Mt. Zion. Commissioner Spence -Jones: I just wanted to get a clearer understanding. I know Mt. Zion is actually on the south side of this, correct? James McQueen: Yeah. We're located on the -- James McQueen, 301 Northwest 9th Street. Mt. Zion is located on the south side of the -- of 10th Street, and we are -- we have -- we are currently in the area and have been in the area. We've had some very interesting discussions not only about this particular development, but also about the development of the community as a whole, and we look forward to working with Mr. Milo in trying to bring this project to fruition. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, and -- Mr. Milo: And Mr. Frasier here also, from our development team, is going to handle some of the other aspects of our development. Alex Frasier: Frasier Financial Group, 2222 Ponce De Leon. We were going to bring (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we may have from other organizations throughout the country that we do some of our lending through to help us bring some monies to the project as well as also try to have some end buyers at the end of the day, a marketing strategy to get some end buyers of the urban professional market to come back to the Overtown area. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, and Alex is -- used to be our president of the only black bank that we had really in South Florida, so it is a pleasure. I think that it's very important for young leadership and people from the Overtown area, especially young African American boys in the area, to see people like yourself that have grown from the sports industry and have moved beyond that to be in the financial world, so -- Mr. Frasier: Thank you. Chair Spence -Jones: -- I think that you also serve as a great role model -- Mr. Frasier: Thank you. Chair Spence -Jones: -- so I don't know if there's any other questions that my colleagues have. I'm going to ask the executive director if he has any questions regarding our next steps. City of Miami Page 7 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Mr. Rollason: I don't have any questions, but there's a couple of things that the Commissioners should be aware of. Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Number one, when you look at that proposal, you need to realize that what's in orange is going on our property. We don't own all that property -- Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Mr. Rollason: -- so when you talk about the affordable housing piece, it's not on our property. It's the Carrfour piece; it's separate from our property. Now this is a joint venture to be able to pull that in, and it's a good project in concept, but when you put the project out to bid, you'll be putting out our piece of property and ask for the proposals that'll come in. Other people may come in with a project and not have access to that Carrfour piece of property, and they would come in with something entirely different, but right now, with what he's presenting -- and Alberto, you jump in wherever, if I'm, you know, steering them wrong -- that you need to understand that the affordable housing piece we're talking about with Carrfour is on property on 11 th Street and not on our property. Chair Spence -Jones: OK -- Mr. Rollason: I -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- so in other words, we would only -- when the bid goes out, we would only put it out -- Mr. Rollason: Yeah. We can only put it -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- well, we could only put it out -- Mr. Rollason: -- out for our piece. Chair Spence -Jones: -- for what we have. Mr. Rollason: That's correct. Now his proposal will come in, I would assume, mirroring what he's presenting here today, and in a way that would joint venture that or guarantee that that piece would be built with our piece so that we don't end up with something that doesn't capture that other piece with this. Chair Spence -Jones: No problem. Mr. Rollason: That's number one. Number two, the process would be, if the Board so desires, they can direct us to put out an RFP (Request for Proposals) on this piece of property. It would go out for no more than 30 days, and we would take all proposals that come in, do an evaluation, and then a recommendation would come back to you to go with the project, or not go with any project, or whittle it down to a couple of projects, or you know, however it shakes out, but that's the process that they would have to go through to be able to go forward with this. Chair Spence -Jones: Well, let me just say this. I'm extremely supportive of any housing that's happening within Overtown, and what we need to see more of from where I sit, is the kind of collaboration that we're seeing right now. Unfortunately, what's happening a lot of times within my district, you don't see this type of collaboration happening with the various agencies and various groups, and I think that it's really important for people to understand that you have to be City of Miami Page 8 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 sensitive to the neighborhoods that you serve or that you plan on building in, so for me, I'm very excited about this particular project, but I'm also excited about the opportunity to see what else is out there. We have to get some stuff moving in Overtown, and this is only one of the many things that we can move, but -- especially since we have 3rd Avenue happening, so I'm very supportive of putting this out to bid so that we can find out -- Mr. Rollason: All right. Chair Spence -Jones: -- what else is out there. Mr. Rollason: That would just take a motion from the Board. Also, I want to point out -- just let me tell you just a couple more things. One is is that, when we put it out, one of the requirements we would put in is that the existing parking would be maintained for the public. Those 56 spaces wouldn't go away, and they would have to incorporate that into the project. Commissioner Haskins: I think this is one of those processes in government you have to go through, even though it's the best result. The folks here have the best chance because they've put together a group of properties that the development altogether makes a lot of sense, rather than our property by itself, and I've got to commend this group for really coming up with something that was -- is very thoughtful, and looking at an accumulation of properties and trying to get virtually a city block really fixed up here. It's a -- you know, it's -- I understand the rules of the game and all of that, but this is one of those situations, when we go out to bid, we're only going to ask on our parcel, and nobody else is going to have access to the major parcels of land involved in this, but I think we should go forward, and I congratulate you on your collaboration. I think you really put a lot of thought into it, and I think it's everything we want to be able to deliver in Overtown. Mr. Rollason: Other than the big blocks that we have that we're dealing with, this is the largest single piece of property that the CRA owns in Southeast Overtown/Park West, so it's critical that we, you know, get the maximum use out of it, and it's also the intent of Chapter 163 that when a project comes forward like this and you like it, that is the reason that it goes out for those 30 days because there is nothing to say that you can't say, listen, this is the project we got. You know, ready, set, go, but the law does require that we examine and give, you know, diligence -- due diligence to everything that's presented. Chair Spence -Jones: So is there a motion? Commissioner Haskins: So moved. Commissioner Regalado: I'll second the motion, and of course, this -- within the philosophy of the CRA. I mean, empty lots do not help the area, but we do have to go through the process, and if this is the case, I'm fine with it, so I'll second the motion. Mr. Rollason: All right, so for the record, this is a motion for us to put the block out for an RFP. Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: All opposed? This item is passed. Oh, I'm sorry. Grady Muhammad: No problem. Madam -- I'm sorry, Chairman -- Chairwoman, CRA board members, staff, attorneys, Grady Muhammad, Tools for Change. We're definitely in favor of this project, especially with the number of parking spaces to be able to bring the additional parking to the 3rd Avenue Corridor. The affordable housing on the principals; it's that win -win City of Miami Page 9 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 partnership that we've always been looking for, and we're definitely without -- unequivocally in favor of this project because it has that element of affordable with Carrfour, with the homeownership market rate housing. This is that win -win partnership we've been talking about; you, as well as Commissioner Haskins, been talking about for the community, and we're definitely in favor, and we're more than appreciate that you supported it, and we will continue to watch the principals to ensure the parking and the other assistance for the businesses are there. Thank you all. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Thank you, Brother Muhammad. Let me just say this because this is not -- so that I don't get confused. It's not a public hearing, though, correct? Mr. Rollason: No, it is not. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so Mr. Cutler, can we just save them for the public hearings part of it? I always want to hear from everybody, but I want to make sure I stick to the agenda. I think -- Doug Mayer: OK. I just wanted to say one thing. Carrfour was approached to partic -- Mr. Rollason: We need your name and address -- Mr. Mayer: I'm sorry. Mr. Rollason: -- for the record. Mr. Mayer: My name is Doug Mayer. I'm vice president of housing development for Carrfour Supportive Housing. When we started this process, Carrfour was partnering with the Collins Center, another nonprofit. They're the ones that own the land that we were going to build on, and when they came to me and said they had spoken to Albert Milo about coming together and doing this, it just made so much sense, from our perspective -- one of the things that I -- that I'm proud of about this partnership is the housing that we're going to build is going to be affordable. These are apartments. They're going to be affordable for people that live in Overtown today, and I wanted to say that publicly because a lot of times, people come and they go, oh, you're building stuff and nobody can afford to live there. The units that we've got there -- we have 18 units that are going to rent from $240 to $263 a month, and then we've got another 52 units that are going to rent for $500 to about 550 a month. That's affordable housing, and that's housing that people there can live in, and it's going to -- I want you to see -- this is the type of development you can do with tax credits. This is one of our projects in East Little Havana, and it's called Villa Aurora, and with what we're applying for -- actually, our tax credit application goes in on Thursday of this week for the -- and our portion is called Sir John Apartments, but you can do a beautiful building with tax credits. You can have balconies, as we have here. It can have architectural features that make it an attractive property. It doesn't have to look like a pillbox, and that's the kind of project that we promise we'll do for our part of the project. I just wanted, like I said, to say on the record that the people that we're serving are going to be people that live in Overtown. Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you, Doug. Commissioner Haskins: I wish your architect had designed Dade County's transportation building across the way. Chair Spence -Jones: All right. Mr. Rollason: That's affectionately known in Overtown as UB1 -- that's Ugly Building 1, and then the one going up the side is (AUDIO INTERRUPTED). City of Miami Page 10 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 FINANCIALS 2. 06-01211 CRA REPORT FINANCIAL SUMMARY THROUGH MONTH END JUNE 30, 2006 Financial Summary.pdf DISCUSSED Chair Spence -Jones: We're going to go ahead and move on to number 2 on the agenda. Frank. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Number 2 is the financial report from our financial officer, Miguel Valentin, on the month end through June 30. Miguel Valentin (Finance Officer, Community Redevelopment Agency): Good evening, Chairman, Commissioners. As we're doing every month, we're presenting the combined statement of financial position. As of June 30, 2006, as cash unrestricted under Southeast Overtown/Park West, we are disclosing the amount of $551, 042, and under Omni, we are disclosing the amount of 75,000. In addition to that, there is no reportable condition to inform to the Board. Chair Spence -Jones: Any questions? Commissioner Haskins: Yeah, I do have a couple. In Omni, the revenues are -- other revenues are 6.8 million, better than budget, is that right? Or under budget, under budget? Mr. Valentin: This is -- yes. Commissioner Haskins: OK. Mr. Valentin: Well -- yes, under budget. Commissioner Haskins: And what were those revenues going to be? Mr. Valentin: What happened is, if you look at the item "Other Revenues" -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Valentin: -- part of this revenue amount is the carryover -- Commissioner Haskins: The fund balance. Mr. Valentin: -- fund balance from '05. Commissioner Haskins: OK, so that's always going to show that kind of variance -- Mr. Valentin: Yeah. Commissioner Haskins: -- but what concerns me in this, in both Southeast Overtown and Park -- Southeast Overtown/Park West and the Omni is community redevelopment expenses in Southeast Overtown/Park West were budgeted at $7.6 million, only $1.3 million has been spent; and in Omni, it was budgeted at 14.3 million, only 2.2 million has been spent. It looks like we're building a very large fund balance -- continuing fund balance carryover by not applying the funds to -- City of Miami Page 11 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Mr. Valentin: Well, what I'm able to tell you is most of the funds -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Valentin: -- are being encumbered. What happened is, maybe in future years, we're going to use the monies for the projects that we are intending to carry out. Commissioner Haskins: OK. They're being encumbered, but they're not being spent, right? And encumbered isn't a legal encumbrance, it's that you said that we're going to do the sewer in and - - storm sewer in front of one of the entertainment district -- Mr. Valentin: We have authorization for those items. Commissioner Haskins: -- businesses, right? I mean, that's -- so you're setting these monies aside for those sorts of future projects. Mr. Valentin: Exactly. Commissioner Haskins: OK, but can you give us, at some point, an accounting of what it's all set aside for -- Mr. Valentin: Yes. Commissioner Haskins: -- and how long it's been set aside, and --? Because we're looking at all the projects for the CRAs, and we're looking at bonding capacity and that sort of thing, and there seems to be -- if we look at the $7 million in fund balance carry forward on Omni and the 4 million on Southeast Overtown/Park West, and then on top of it, we've got -- so that's $11 million, and another $18 million coming in for this year; that's a lot of money that's being set aside. Mr. Rollason: Commissioner, if I can comment on that for a moment, please. When we get into the two budgets -- this is a recap of the month end. Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: When we get into the two budgets, you will find, in the capital pages and the grant pages, where the bulk of this money is accounted for; some of it is already appropriated. Some of it, as you say, is encumbered and been identified for projects that the Board has not taken action on at this point, but there is not a large fund balance or there is not a large budget reserve. They're all earmarked for projects that are in some way of coming down the pike to be done, and I -- I mean, I agree with your concerns because there are some constraints on TIF (Tax Increment Fund) money, and I have made the Board aware of that over the past several years, that we need to get this money appropriated and into projects that will be built within three years, and I think we have -- with, for instance, the Omni water project is three and a half, and we're putting another half million dollars in it. Tonight we'll ask the Board to approve the agreement to go forward with WASA (Water and Sewer Authority) on that. Other projects that you see there -- and we'll see them when we get into -- you will see that the money is tied up into projects to go forward, and in fact, tonight is the first time we've had a move off of an existing project to move the money somewhere else; that the Board has continued to want to keep the money in the projects that have been identified at this point, so I think when we get into the budgets of the individual CRAs and we go to the capital sheet, we can answer those questions more completely. Commissioner Haskins: Yeah, and you know, while we're at it, we might -- because I couldn't City of Miami Page 12 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 RESOLUTIONS 3. 06-00917 reconcile between this and the budget because it looks to me, from the face of the June 30, 2006, that there should be a carryover fund balance of close to $11 million out of Southeast Overtown/Park West, where the budget is only showing $6.8 million, so there's a significant different there, and from the face of the statements for June 30, '06 on Omni, it looks like there should be close to -- actually, it's $20 million carryover, where the budget is only showing 13.3. From the pace of spending, it doesn't seem like those monies are going to go out between now and the end of the year, since we're already in July now, so I couldn't reconcile the two. It looked like there was, you know, $15 million missing in the budgets. Mr. Valentin: Well, what I'm able to tell you is we ware carrying forward the entire fund balance for a next year budget. If you want me to tailor a report showing you the detail of that, I'm able to do it. Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Valentin: If you want me to do it, I will go ahead and do it throughout the week, and I will submit that for your consideration. Commissioner Haskins: OK. I would like to see it. Mr. Valentin: Yes, ma'am. CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA"), WITH ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE CRA'S PROPOSED GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET AND TAX INCREMENT FUND BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2006 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2007; AND DIRECTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF EACH BUDGET TO THE CITY OF MIAMI AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. Cover Memo.pdf 06-00917 Back-up.pdf 06-00917 Legislation.pdf Cover Memo v2.pdf Legislation v2.pdf Attachments v2.pdf Motion by Commissioner Haskins, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0024 Direction by Commissioner Haskins to the Executive Director that her approval of the resolution was subject to his providing a report to the Board regarding the carryover fund balances and capital improvement projects in the proposed budget. Direction by Commissioner Haskins to the Executive Director to invite the Police Department to the CRA meeting currently scheduled for September 25, 2006 to discuss the Board's issues regarding the police presence in the entertainment area downtown and in Overtown. City ofMiami Page 13 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: All right, so we're going to move to number 3 on the budget. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Item number 3 is a resolution requesting the approval and adopting the CRA's (Community Redevelopment Agency) budget for Southeast Overtown/Park West, and directing the executive director to forward it to the City Commission for their acceptance, and you know, we'll entertain any questions on that. I know Commissioner Haskins had some questions about on the back side, so we will certainly -- Chair Spence -Jones: Commissioner. Mr. Rollason: -- address those. Commissioner Haskins: I mean, I see -- I mean, I'm -- can't find $4 million that I think should be there, so I would like to defer the item. Mr. Rollason: Well, if we can address that and try to come up where -- I mean, I think we've accounted for all the money, and I think we're in the situation where we don't meet again in August, and you would -- and we meet at the last Monday in September, which would probably bring us after the time that the budgets are approved before the Commission, so if we can try to address those items tonight and try to find out why you feel there's 4 million missing and why we think it's all there, maybe we can discover what the problem is. Miguel Valentin (Finance Officer, Community Redevelopment Agency): Where in particular? Where (INAUDIBLE) --? Commissioner Haskins: Aren't you going to carry forward the 4 million from last year and the 6.9 million from this year? Mr. Valentin: Well, actually, for 2007 -- Commissioner Haskins: Six point eight. Mr. Valentin: Exactly. This is -- Commissioner Haskins: Well, isn't there 4 million from last year that you're going to carryover again? Mr. Valentin: Part of it. Commissioner Haskins: OK. Mr. Valentin: Part of it, but important thing that I wanted to stress out is we are carrying forward everything. We are not leaving anything behind, and that's why I'm pretty confident in providing you the entire detail -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Valentin: -- in whatever we are intending to use the monies. Commissioner Haskins: Does it go into a capital fund at the end of the year? Is that what happens? Mr. Valentin: Most it -- most of it. City of Miami Page 14 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: And do we have a capital fund budget to approve? Mr. Rollason: Yes. It's on page 8. If you look to page 8, you'll see the budget is in the back for all the capital projects, and it'll show you those projects that were appropriated prior to FY fiscal year) '07, and those that we're looking to budget for this year, if you just follow those X's down, it'll lay that out. Commissioner Haskins: Yeah. That's not a capital fund budget. That's showing the detail of the line for capital expenditures is what it's doing, but I still don't understand how this works. Mr. Valentin: Well, if -- for that, I'm not able to give you this information right now, but by tomorrow, I'm able to tailor a report for you. That is no problem. Commissioner Haskins: Could -- if we -- if I made a motion to approve the budget on the condition that there is no carryover fund balance without having that report and no budgeting of expenses against it with having -- without having that report, that will accomplish an approval tonight, right? Mr. Valentin: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: That's fine with me. Mr. Valentin: That's fine. Commissioner Haskins: So moved. Commissioner Regalado: I'll second it, with the condition, but I'll still say, Frank, if you have any ideas within the budget, if there is room, just in case that some extra security is needed in the area -- Mr. Rollason: Well -- Commissioner Regalado: -- not for a particular club. Particular club have to pay for their own. Mr. Rollason: I understand. Commissioner Regalado: I'm talking about the area. Mr. Rollason: The interlocal agreements require that any use of dollars for police activity be approved by the County. We do not have the ability in-house, except for a pilot program. Commissioner Regalado: I didn't say police; I said security. Mr. Rollason: I understand. Well, I think the County looks at the community policing and the security issues as being reserved to them, as we've had discussions before. If you can remember, we've done two special projects, one in Omni, and one that's just finishing up in Overtown now that were pilot programs for that use, and the County, as soon as they saw the use of those dollars, came right to us to question our authority to be able to do that, but we can certainly look at it. I don't think funding's the issue. It's going to be the mechanism that we go forward with it, if that's the desire of the Board. Commissioner Spence -Jones: So Commissioner Regalado, you're saying like a roving security type service that could be -- City of Miami Page 15 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: Exactly. Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- made available? Commissioner Regalado: Anything that is visible. Anything that -- Mr. Rollason: I understand. Commissioner Regalado: -- it's a car with either, you know, yellow lights or green lights, and flashing going around. I mean, the same thing that you have in the large shopping center -- Mr. Rollason: Right. Commissioner Regalado: -- parking lots. It's a roving security, and that is not police because these are not sworn police officers. These are security, and they just go around the street trying to help someone. I mean, look what happened in Coconut Grove. A guy, unfortunately, was shot and killed because he was looking for an address, and this is the -- what gives people the perception of safety, so I don't know up to what extent the County considers security officer a police issue. I don't think so because they are not sworn police officer. Commissioner Haskins: I'm not -- I -- you know, I'm with Commissioner Spence [sic] on this one. I don't understand spending scarce taxpayer dollars on this. When I go to Dadeland and there's a roving security guard, that's paid by the merchants that have their building at Dadeland. That's not paid for by anybody else but the merchants that have their businesses at Dadeland Mall, and from my discussions with the police today, the uniformed officers have a difficult enough time in dealing with some of these folks that if we have just a roving security guard, I don't know what that's really going to do, you know. I mean, I understand your concern, Commissioner. I mean, I respect your concern, I really do, but I'm not sure that that money is going to be what gets us the security over there, and I think it's up to the clubs to police themselves, but you go back to will they do that. Commissioner Regalado: And that's the point that I'm making, Linda. The thing is -- and I fully understand that the clubs need to even hire off -duty police officer, which is -- a security guard, there's nothing they can do about it, but my issue is not so much about what's going on in the clubs, but what you said. The downtown people are moving in. If, you know, three blocks from your building, you know that this ruckus is going on, but you see if you move a security vehicle going around, you feel safer in your building. This is not for the protection of the clubs. This is for the whole downtown area protection, and since we cannot accomplish with the police, then we should try with the security. It's like the roving police officer that they have in the special taxing district in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), you know, enclosed in front of Mercy Hospital. They have a roving police officer that they pay, so you know, I'm just saying -- I'm telling you, I'm just saying that this incident is the beginning of an era of problems for the attendance and popularity of those clubs, because what's going to happen is that the quiet and decent people are going to say, I'm not going, and the rowdy ones are going to say, I'll go, until it becomes -- the whole area becomes a nightmare and a war zone, so that was my point. Commissioner Haskins: No. I mean, I think your point is really well -- it really is well -taken. Can we reach a compromise? Commissioner Regalado: No, no, no. I mean -- Commissioner Haskins: Just a -- Commissioner Regalado: -- I'm just saying -- City of Miami Page 16 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: -- suggestion that maybe -- Chair Spence -Jones: But as long -- Commissioner Haskins: -- we bring the police in, in the next CRA meeting, just to discuss these issues -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes -- Commissioner Haskins: -- and what they would recommend. Chair Spence -Jones: -- and if we get to the point that we -- first of all, I want to make sure that that -- the comment about police, once they do come here, we address the issue that Overtown residents are facing like everyday with just living. I'm not talking about going out and partying. I'm talking about just being able to live without having things happen to them, but if we do get that roving -- somehow that that becomes an option, I would like for that same thing to be offered to all these businesses that we're trying to move to 3rd Avenue, to let them rove down 3rd Avenue where those new businesses are because they're going to have the same issue with people hanging outside of their doors and creating an issue when they get ready to park, so I just think that if we're going to do it, it needs to be an overall, well -thought out plan because -- Mr. Rollason: Throughout the CRAs. Chair Spence -Jones: -- no business should be affected by it, one way or the other. Mr. Rollason: I understand, but it would be throughout the CRAs is what you're -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Mr. Rollason: -- talking -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Mr. Rollason: OK. That's the way we'll approach it with Police. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so we -- did we get a motion on that, on item number 3? OK, so all in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: Any opposed? Motion is passed. 4. 06-00918 CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA"), WITH ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE CRA'S PROPOSED GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET AND TAX INCREMENT FUND BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2006 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2007; AND DIRECTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF EACH BUDGET TO THE CITY OF MIAMI AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. City of Miami Page 17 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 06-00918 Cover Memo.pdf 06-00918 Back-up.pdf 06-00918 Legislation.pdf Cover Memo v2.pdf Legislation v2.pdf Attachments v2.pdf Motion by Commissioner Haskins, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0025 Direction by Chair Spence Jones to the City Manager to pursue a better working relationship/partnership with the Performing Arts Center to ensure official CRA acknowledgement, credit, and participation in the development of the Performing Arts Center. Direction by Chair Spence Jones to the Executive Director to ensure that there will be an official smoke detector program in the upcoming CRA budgets. Note for the Record: Commissioner Haskins stated that her approval of the resolution was subject to the executive director providing a report to the Board regarding the carryover fund balances and capital improvement projects in the proposed budget; the same conditions she outlined for the Southeast Overtown/Park West budget. Chair Spence -Jones: We're going to move to item number 4. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Item number 4 is the budget for the Omni CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency), and we can do it with the same requirement that we provide that capital information, if that's acceptable to the Board. Commissioner Haskins: Yeah, and I just had one other question on this. There's $3 million for a public private infrastructure development -- Mr. Rollason: Yes. Commissioner Haskins: -- grant program. How does that work? Mr. Rollason: That -- and there's also a million in the Southeast Overtown/Park West -- Commissioner Haskins: Right. Mr. Rollason: -- and what we did was, in meetings with then -Chairman Winton, there are individual developers, such as the Filling Station Lofts or Park Place -- Parc Lofts, that come forward and they need assistance to -- with certain infrastructure. The idea was to, in the bond program, address some of these infrastructure needs on a global perspective, but in the short-term, there's projects that are coming out of the ground, and so the idea was to have a fund that developers could apply to and say, look, I'm putting in this much. I need this much, such as what we did with Filling Stations [sic] Lofts with the grant of 850, 000, and we were able to, after the projects had been identified, come up with these dollars in both of the CRAs, as a prelude to what, hopefully, we're going to be able to do with the bond money, which is probably, by the time projects are in the ground, 18 months or 2 years out, if things go well. Right now, there's projects that are coming up, and they're saying, I need help, and so the idea was to create this fund as a private public type thing where they would come in and they would apply, and they City of Miami Page 18 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 would be evaluated on what type of infrastructure -- whether it be Florida Power & Light, duct banks, or it be storm water or deep injection wells, or whatever, in the public right-of-way, or perhaps, going through their property, they'd made it possible for the property next door to be able to start to develop and not have to go that full distance by themselves, so that's the objective, and each project would have to come back on its own merit to the Board for approval. Commissioner Haskins: Do they come directly to the -- through the Board, or is this something that they go to the executive director, and the executive director -- Mr. Rollason: Right. They would come to the exec -- Commissioner Haskins: -- makes the decision on who to give money to? Mr. Rollason: No, no, no. Commissioner Haskins: OK. Mr. Rollason: The decision is made at the Board. Commissioner Haskins: OK. Mr. Rollason: They make application -- they would come to us. Commissioner Haskins: OK. Mr. Rollason: If it looked like something that made sense to go forward with, just like Henry's project, we would bring it. Commissioner Haskins: OK. Mr. Rollason: If somebody came to me with a project that had absolutely no funding whatsoever, but wanted us to put in the infrastructure on an if, come that now they can go and get the money, I'd be a little hesitant to bring that to the Board and say this was a good investment. Keep in mind that, just like the water project, if we're able to start to address some of these things globally with the bond money, a lot of these requests are going to go away because we're going to have it put in the ground for them already. Commissioner Haskins: Exactly. OK. Commissioner Regalado: One -- Chair, one question. OK. Frank, on the Omni budget, of course I don't have any problem. However, there is an issue -- well, there're two issues in the Omni, and I just wanted to find out how do we stand on it. Number one, we are -- the CRA is putting its money where its mouth was many years ago and funding the Performing Arts Center, right? And we keep doing that -- Mr. Rollason: That is correct. Commissioner Regalado: -- to the tune of one point -- Mr. Rollason: One point four three right now. Commissioner Regalado: -- four three. Mr. Rollason: Annually. City of Miami Page 19 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: Plus, we are in the threshold of giving more money to the PAC (Performing Arts Center). That's why -- I was looking at some e-mail (electronic mail) communi -- (AUDIO INTERRUPTED) -- I read that the explanation is that this money is a part of the City of Miami, should have the three hundred and fifty -some thousand dollar -- it should have come or it has to come from the City of Miami, right? Mr. Rollason: I saw that e-mail today, and I'm not exactly sure how to interpret that. Originally, there was no money coming from the City; it was all by the CRA. It was 4.5 million. What has happened is that the project has gone over budget, and then at a CRA/CIP (Capital Improvements Program) Committee meeting that we had a couple of weeks ago that Chairman Spence [sic] chairs that committee too, it was brought to my attention by CIT (Capital Improvements & Transportation) that this project is over like $380,000, and that the CRA was going to have to come up with this money. Commissioner Regalado: Well -- Mr. Rollason: My position has been is that the budget's 4.5, and that our direction to the City was stay within that budget, or come to us ahead of time before it's over budget, and let us know we have a problem. My understanding now is that it is a problem; it is going to have to be addressed, and it will probably have to come out of the CRA to fund that. We funded some additional items that was requested by the PAC, by PAB-B, dealing with signalization at some intersections, which was roughly $350, 000, and when that request came in, I forwarded it to CIT, and I said that I had no problem with that being added to the scope of work, but that we wanted to stay within the budget of the 4.5. We were assured it would stay within the 4.5. Commissioner Regalado: Well -- Mr. Rollason: I'm now hearing that there's two like separate budgets; how it's separated, and part of it is the City project and part of it is the County project, and that we're within the budget of this one; we're not within the budget of that one, and I really haven't had a chance to ferret it out, but it is over, and the money's going to have to be put in there. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah, but my comment was, more or less, on the same line. Eventually, the CRA, we're going to have to pay for it because it would come to a point where it would say, board members, if we don't do this, the project will not get done, and it's a shame, and all that, but my point wasn't that. My point was that if the Board agrees and the Chair and Vice Chair -- are you vice chair? Commissioner Haskins: No, I don't think so. Commissioner Regalado: No. Chair Spence -Jones: Gonzalez. Mr. Rollason: No. Commissioner Regalado: Oh, sorry. Mr. Rollason: Commissioner Gonzalez is vice chair. Commissioner Regalado: OK. No. I thought you -- because (UNINTELLIGIBLE) big chairs. Well, anyway -- Commissioner Haskins: So do you. City of Miami Page 20 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: (INAUDIBLE). No. Anyway, if this board agrees, I think that we should communicate to all parties, the County, and the PAC, and all that, that this is an issue that the City Manager of the City of Miami will be dealing with them when he goes to talk about everything because this $352,000 eventually will come out of the CRA, and that's almost for sure, but it's important that the City Manager has leverage to go and talk to the County in all these issues that he has to discuss, and say, oh, by the way, you know what? If you guys don't help us, we still have some -- half a block of the super block pending that there is an over budget there, a little money, like $300, 000. It is important to give him leverage, and I just hope that that would be some kind of direction that the Board gives you in order to help the Manager in his dealing with the County. Now the other issue is, if the CRA, in the future, is going to be almost supporting this young man going to college and spending a lot of money, the PAC, the Performing Arts Center, that people in the Omni area and the CRA should have something to say about the way that this center is operating and running because, to me, this PAC Board is an elitist, exclusive club of you know, beautiful people that, by the way, hasn't -- they have not raised the money that they should have done it in years, so I don't know. People from the Omni, people from the Park West/Overtown, they should have a say in the running of the PAC. After all, it's their money, and I just wish that the CRA Board will go on record saying, well, you know what? You want our money, but we do want our people there just to -- I mean, you're there, but you are outvoted, I'm sure. Mr. Rollason: I'm sure. I sit on -- Commissioner Regalado: Of course, I'm sure. Mr. Rollason: -- the construction committee; I'm not on the board. We do not have a representative on the board, other than the City Manager had an appointee at that time who was -- Ricky Arriola sat on that board. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. It was the son of the City Manager. Mr. Rollason: OK. Commissioner Regalado: No, no. I mean, things have to be told. Mr. Rollason: I have tried to pursue this with the board as best I can. I have requested that, on the donor wall, there be a brick there that says the Omni CRA. I mean, here are the taxpayers of the Omni -- Commissioner Regalado: That's what I'm saying. Mr. Rollason: -- putting in millions and millions of dollars of tax, and just not naming names, I even tried to get the board members of the CRA, at the time, to go on, and that was like a sacrilege. Commissioner Regalado: Look, I bet you, Frank Rollason -- and the Manager is here for the first time -- that if we're going to sell the name rights of one of those opera houses, all of them should be named -- Commissioner Haskins: Omni CRA. Commissioner Regalado: -- Omni CRA, you know, City of Miami and whatever, and not Dolores and whatever that is because we have put more money, and we will be putting more money in that sinkhole than anybody else. Mr. Rollason: The economic engine we refer to -- City of Miami Page 21 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: Oh, yeah, yeah, sure. Mr. Rollason: -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is hardly the sinkhole. Commissioner Regalado: Sure. Well, sure, like -- sure -- Commissioner Haskins: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) project. Commissioner Regalado: -- but that's not -- but you see, that's not the point. Mr. Rollason: Yeah, I understand. Commissioner Regalado: The point is that it is the people's money. Mr. Rollason: You're exactly right -- Commissioner Regalado: You know -- Mr. Rollason: -- and I think that one of the things that we could certainly bargain, which is not a mon -- because it all seems to come down to the monetary issues, but some of the side things we could argue is having the representation on the board that truly represents the area, having somebody from the Omni Advisory Board, having an appointee from the Commission from the -- either a Commissioner of the district or the Commission, appointees of the Mayor. I mean, we're talking literally now we're going to increase it a huge amount of money going over there, and you -- Commissioner Regalado, it's because of your insistence that they acquiesced to let me sit on the construction committee, which we started -- Commissioner Regalado: It wasn't my assistance, it was my persistence -- Mr. Rollason: Yeah. Commissioner Regalado: -- and you know what? I think it's good, but yet, sitting only on the construction committee is not good enough. Mr. Rollason: No, no. You should have representation on the board, and I think Fred has been speaking about this for years, and when you look at the people in the Omni area, the sacrifices that they put up with on a daily basis, that there should be something in return as being a good neighbor, and if you'll recall, the Commission directed us, at a previous board meeting, to meet with the PAC and to come up with something to come back, and we've had one meeting, and nothing has come back, and nothing has been taken to the board of the PAC, and that sort of sits where it wallows, and I think -- Chair Spence -Jones: So Mr. Executive Director, so that we don't carry it on forever, can Mr. City Manager, since we do have you with us today, is there any way that we can yield to the request of Commissioner Regalado to figure out a better working relationship or partnership with them so that we do get some official acknowledgement, credit, or participation in what's happening? Is there any way that we can -- Pedro G. Hernandez (City Manager): Madam Chair, what I'll do is -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- be able to consummate --? Mr. Hernandez: -- work with the CRA, get more information on the subject matter, and basically see if we can include discussions with the County as we discuss the many other items that we City of Miami Page 22 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 have pending on both CRAs. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Any other questions on the budget so that we can move off of the budget? I just have -- I just wanted -- I'm sorry. For my colleagues, before I move off -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) so -- is there any other questions on the budget? Commissioner Regalado: No. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. I just want to make sure that -- when I start looking at these past budgets, and you and I have been going back and forth on the budget, we put dollars into projects, and the projects -- certain projects just sit there, and I know that, for some reason, they have certain things attached to them or whatever. I just want -- a perfect example is -- it seems like a small project, but you know, it's something that I know people throughout the community could use, which is the smoke detector program. It's been sitting there for how long? Mr. Rollason: It's been -- this is the second year that I've put it in, and I -- Chair Spence -Jones: I mean, I -- Mr. Rollason: -- the -- I put it in the budget, and the Chairman of the Board does not want it to go forward; that's just as simple as that. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. The new chairman, which is right here, right now -- Mr. Rollason: And when this budget goes in -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- I want to make sure that we officially have a program. You have it in the Omni area -- Mr. Rollason: And it's -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- you have it in the Overtown area. Mr. Rollason: Yes, we do. Chair Spence -Jones: I think the defibrillators will be great for both, you know, CRAs. I'm sure they, you know, could be helpful. I want to make sure that we have an official program put together in order to utilize it. Mr. Rollason: What will happen is that come the October meeting -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: -- we put together the resolutions for all these items that have been budgeted. Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Mr. Rollason: They will come to you first, as the Chair -- Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Mr. Rollason: -- and you will say to the executive director, yes, put that on the agenda, or no, don't put that on the agenda -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK City of Miami Page 23 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Mr. Rollason: -- and so they all come ready to go in October, and they're either -- they either go forward or they sit because the Chair does not want them to go forward. Chair Spence -Jones: OK Mr. Rollason: It's just that simple. Chair Spence -Jones: Well, I can guarantee you this, very little is going to sit -- Mr. Rollason: They will be there -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- because we have to move. Mr. Rollason: -- in front of you in October. Chair Spence -Jones: It doesn't make sense to have money that we don't use. Mr. Rollason: No, I agree, and they're good projects. Chair Spence -Jones: OK Do I have a motion? Commissioner Haskins: So move, subject to the carryover issue. Commissioner Regalado: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: Any opposing? OK, item is moved. 5. 06-00914 CRA RESOLUTION A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARDS OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST AND OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES ("CRAS") DIRECTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO REQUEST THAT THE CITY OF MIAMI CITY MANAGER DIRECT CITY STAFF TO PREPARE AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 4/SECTION 4-11 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, ENTITLED "ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES/EXCEPTIONS TO DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS," TO MODIFY THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PARK WEST, OVERTOWN, AND MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT SPECIALTY DISTRICTS; AND TO REQUEST THAT THE ORDINANCE BE PLACED BEFORE THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION FOR ITS CONSIDERATION. Cover Memo.pdf Back-up.pdf Legislation.pdf Cover Memo v2.pdf Back-up v2.pdf Legislation v2.pdf City of Miami Page 24 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 DEFERRED A motion was made by Commissioner Haskins, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, and was passed unanimously, with Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez absent, to defer Item 5 to the CRA meeting currently scheduled for September 25, 2006. Chair Spence -Jones: We move into the next one now. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Item number 5. Item number 5 was deferred from the last budget -- last meeting. There were some issues in there that the Board was not comfortable with; it has been revised. This particular item now deals strictly with changing the boundaries of the entertainment districts with the intent of bringing all three of them together at a nucleus to where, when you access parking underneath 395 -- and there's a map in your package that will show you how we're making the change -- so that when you get out from parking and you walk into either the Omni side or you walk into the Overtown side, into the blues and jazz, or you walk into the 24-hour district, you are in an entertainment district, instead of having to walk several blocks, not in an entertainment district, and having to walk several blocks between them that are not tangent to one another, is the idea, so we've -- this was in the plan for the -- Omni plan. It's addressed in the Southeast Overtown/Park West plan, with the idea of trying to bring the entertainment centers together. In the Overtown area, we have moved it northward so that we get the 5 a.m. district away from the new residential that we're talking about going in on Block 36, and the other blocks to the south of that. In the 24-hour district, it pushes west along 11 th Street to 1st Avenue, and it brings it up from 7th Street; instead of making it a square -type of a deal, it makes it more linear along the 24-hour district. It buffers some of that noise that Commissioner Haskins was talking about so that it's not spread throughout a huge area, and then on the Omni side, it pushes -- this district that we're in right now, it pushes it south a little bit up against 395 so that these few blocks that are between 395 and the Omni district will be part of it, and the big thing is that it includes the Performing Arts Center in the entertainment district, the largest entertainment venue we have, and it was not within the entertainment district, so we have stretched that out and moved it around the entertainment district to put it around the PAC (Performing Arts Center), so what this does tonight is request the City to address the ordinance. This is a City ordinance dealing with the Code, with the zoning, and this is a formal request from the Board because even though, again, with Chairman Winton, he wanted to move forward with it. When I went and spoke with Ana, Ana said she would like to have some kind of official action by the Board to go forward, and that's what's with you here tonight, requesting the City to revisit it, and then it would come before you as a Commission to vote on to approve that. This is not an approval of this Board to make these changes, but merely a recommendation to the City to look at this and incorporate these changes into the Zoning Code. Chair Spence -Jones: Any questions on the item? Commissioner Regalado: I have a comment. You know, it couldn't have come in a worse time because of what we were discussing here. Mr. Rollason: I understand. Jorge L. Fernandez (General Counsel): Madam Chair. Chair Spence -Jones: I think our City Attorney wants to -- Mr. Fernandez: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: But I mean, you know, we have the Chair and -- the area Commissioner. Whatever you feel and the executive director -- I don't have a problem. I just -- City of Miami Page 25 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 I'm saying that if today -- maybe last week look great; today looks different. Mr. Rollason: I understand. Commissioner Regalado: That's what I'm saying. Chair Spence -Jones: Mr. City Attorney. Mr. Fernandez: Yes. Just for -- to refresh your recollection, the City is presently considering something similar for Watson Island, as we try to accommodate the request of a charter school, and we have to deal with an ordinance addressing the distance requirements for alcohol beverages, and this is very similar to that. Commissioner Haskins: This ordinance is kind of a strange one. It does have a lot of different other elements that I'd like to discuss, but you know, the 24 hours in Park West -- you know, Frank, I understand these clubs coming in, but I think we need to really take a look at how they're operating. The ordinance requests a number of things, OK. They are supposed to provide us an operational business plan that addresses hours of operation, number of employees, menus, goals, and other operational characteristics pertinent to the application; a parking plan they're supposed to give us. They're supposed to propose a crowd control plan that addresses how large groups of people waiting to gain entry into the establishment, already on the premises, will be controlled; a security plan for the establishment of any parking facility. For establishments (UNINTELLIGIBLE) over 300 persons, a traffic circulation analysis that details the impact of traffic; the sanitation plan. There's all sorts of things that are required. If the proposed establishmentis within 200 feet of residential uses, a noise attenuation plan that addresses how noise will be controlled shall be required. There are all sorts of items in here that are required; security plan is one of the things, where the people that are going to their parking, they're supposed to take care of that as part of this permitting, and I don't -- just don't think it's being adhered to, and they're not delivering on what they were permitted to do in the first place, and this is, in particular, for the Park West area -- for the Overtown and Park West area. Mr. Rollason: Well, I think you bring up a good point, but it's like you're in the right church, but the wrong pew. Commissioner Haskins: Yep. Mr. Rollason: In other words, what we want is we want the boundaries to change so that when the City holds their feet to the fire to make it work right, the district will work. Right now, even if you address those issues through -- and we've been -- Commissioner, we've been to -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: -- City Code Enforcement. We've been to Police from the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). We have met with the residential people in the area, and then I have brought City staff in to try to address these very concerns you talk about. Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: The clubs, for them to get permitted, present these items to the City, and they are deemed acceptable, but what happens is, on the enforcement side, it doesn't take place because these clubs run, starting at 2 o'clock in the morning, 11 o'clock at night sometimes, and there is no Code enforcement out there, there is no people out there. We're out there. I'm aware of it, and so the next morning, when my phone rings and I get the same phone calls that you're talking about, I refer that to Code Enforcement, but I would like you to focus on the boundary issue. In other words, what the CRA is asking for is for the boundary issues, the boundaries to be changed City of Miami Page 26 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 to accommodate a more functioning entertainment district overall so that people can walk from the 24-hour district right into the blues and jazz district, or go to a dinner at a restaurant that's right next door to us that we're going to see shortly, go to the PAC for a performance, come back to the restaurant, and when they're finished there, at 2 in the morning, or 11 o'clock at night, they can walk right to the 24-hour district and be -- and make a night of it, if that's their desire, and that's what we're trying to accomplish with the boundaries. The other issues that you bring, which are very valid, need to be addressed by the City, and they -- you know, they need to be addressed. It's what's the enforcement's going to be on these requirements. Chair Spence -Jones: Can I just add something? Did you have anything else, Commissioner? Commissioner Haskins: Well, when I look at these boundaries, I'm assuming that the southern border is -- was there because we don't have an issue with existing businesses, existing permits south of that in the Park West entertainment district. Mr. Rollason: Which dis -- you're in the 24-hour? Commissioner Haskins: Yeah. I'm in the 24-hour Park West Entertainment District. Mr. Rollason: If you look at the lavender, that's what's existing. Commissioner Haskins: So that's existing, so I'm assuming -- Mr. Rollason: When you look at the red, that's where -- Commissioner Haskins: -- that the red line is drawn -- Mr. Rollason: -- we're bringing -- Commissioner Haskins: -- the red line -- Mr. Rollason: Right. Commissioner Haskins: -- on the south -- Mr. Rollason: That's 10th Street. Commissioner Haskins: -- that's loth -- is drawn because we don't have a problem with existing businesses south of that street. Mr. Rollason: There is one that has a license -- Commissioner Haskins: Uh-huh. Mr. Rollason: -- that we believe has not acted on it within whatever the time frame -- Commissioner Haskins: Within the time frame. Mr. Rollason: -- is and it probably has gone bad, so there won't be any in there that we have an issue with -- Chair Spence -Jones: So this is -- Mr. Rollason: -- and also, you'll notice that -- when you see that little jog up there on Miami Avenue -- City of Miami Page 27 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: -- where it juts up a little bit, to accommodate and try to cut down on the problems with Park Place and Bayview Towers, we pulled it up and brought it along the Grand Promenade so only those clubs from 11 th Street that would abut the Grand Promenade would be able to be in that 24-hour district going west. Commissioner Haskins: And what I would prefer is that where it juts up ends straight up, and -- so you square it off by the lavender, OK? Mr. Rollason: Well, if you do that -- Commissioner Haskins: That little extra piece, put that in the Overtown Entertainment District, and keep it at 5 a.m. I don't know why we're expand -- why we would give any new properties the ability to -- Mr. Rollason: Well, we can leave it in the Park West and make it 5 a.m. -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: -- because it is in Park West. I mean, just like Overtown, I don't think, wants Park West entertainment being extended into Overtown. Commissioner Haskins: Well, actually, the ordinance defines Park West Entertainment District separate from Overtown Entertainment -- Mr. Rollason: Right. Commissioner Haskins: -- District, so you probably want to put that piece in the Overtown Entertainment District, which it still is Overtown. Mr. Rollason: That -- Overtown stops at 1st Avenue. Commissioner Haskins: Oh. Mr. Rollason: It becomes Park West. What I'm saying is you could make that a 5 a.m. district part of the Park West Entertainment District, and just leave it as Park West. Chair Spence -Jones: Can I just ask this quick question? Is this -- definitely, we can make that change, Commissioner Haskins, if that what you -- I'm just trying to understand -- so the question about the 24-hour issue, this -- the new study that was done that we're looking at now, the blue line, and the red line, and the green lines, they represent the new area, correct? Mr. Rollason: That's correct. Chair Spence -Jones: So that pink -- all -- everything you see outside of that is now gone? Mr. Rollason: That is correct. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. All right, so Commissioner Haskins and Commissioner Regalado, was there a issue or concern about the 24 hours? Is that -- was that the issue? Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. City of Miami Page 28 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Commissioner Regalado: Twenty-four hours -- I could not say if 24 hours is good or bad for business or for the future or for development. Chair Spence -Jones: Um -hum. Commissioner Regalado: What I could tell you is that 24 hours, at this moment, looks really bad because of the recent incidents in the area, and what's going to happen is the following: You approve 24 hours and the people around say, well, you know, this area is doomed because now we're going to have 24 hours of fights and -- that's not the case, but it's all about -- Chair Spence -Jones: Perception -- Commissioner Regalado: -- perception. Chair Spence -Jones: -- so can this, what we're proposing -- how long will we have before we have to revisit this issue -- Mr. Rollason: Well, let me make this -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- if this is passed? Mr. Rollason: -- suggestion. If we're going to bring Police here at the meeting in September, why don't we have a meeting that deals with the entertainment districts, and let the club owners come also, and let the items be -- this is not something that has to happen tonight. Chair Spence -Jones: OK Mr. Rollason: I mean, this is just something that's been on the table and moving along. We can defer this and then have a general topic dealing with the club districts in general, the 5 a.m., the 24-hour, the security, the whole nine yards, and allow the clubs to come because it is a impact on them when you talk about the investment that they make and the 24-hour piece goes away. Chair Spence -Jones: And that -- Commissioner Haskins: And that's why I asked that there -- are there any affected businesses below that line because -- Mr. Rollason: Not below, but in the -- Commissioner Haskins: In that added piece, though, they shouldn't be operating 24 hours because they're not in the entertainment district -- Mr. Rollason: They're not. Commissioner Haskins: -- anyway, so hopefully, there were never any promises that they were going to get 24 -- Mr. Rollason: No. Commissioner Haskins: -- and you know, I mean, that's something -- Mr. Rollason: It's not. City of Miami Page 29 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: You know, that investment was at their own risk. Mr. Rollason: No, you're right. Chair Spence -Jones: I just want to add -- because I do think what you're saying is really, really true, Frank. At one time, the City was using this as a mechanism to draw people to the area because, quite frankly, South Beach was getting all of the club business, so you know, I'm sure that you guys worked very hard, from a CRA perspective, to use whatever angle you had to try to attract people off South Beach to Miami, and guess what? It did work because a lot of those club owners left South Beach and came to the Southeast Overtown/Park West area, Park West area, and since I am in the youngest one on the dais, from the perspective of it being a 24-hour area or zone, or whatever the case may be, most people do party on South Beach, and they do leave there and they come to Miami. Now, unfortunately, that's what's happening, but I think that we do need to consider, you know, the folks that, when no one else wanted to come there, they decided to come -- Mr. Rollason: And also -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- so I think that we -- it's a two-way street, you know. Mr. Rollason: Right. Chair Spence -Jones: We can't say come, come, and give them incentives, and work with them to get there, and they make all kinds of investments in an area. It's not my district. It really is Commissioner Haskins' district. I'm just saying that we need to -- if that is the case, we need to make sure that there's some serious dialogue with these folks because I wouldn't want them to feel as though we did everything to get them here and now we don't want them -- Mr. Rollason: Right -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- here now that things are booming -- Mr. Rollason: -- and the -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- and that's kind of how the people are feeling in South Beach already. Mr. Rollason: -- meetings that I've had with the clubs in this -- we've had a lot of meetings with the clubs and the businesses in the area going forward with these districts. This was not done in a vacuum, and their feeling is, by making it linear -- Chair Spence -Jones: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: -- and by adding other clubs of the venue that are open in 24, it helps them to survive rather than only have one, two, or three clubs. The other thing you should be aware of is that it started out exactly like you said. The people went to the Beach, and then left there and came over here, but that is not the case today. The case today is is that these clubs are number one destination clubs. The people -- some people do come from the Beach, but all the cabs you see out there generally are people coming from wherever they come from, not wanting to -- Chair Spence -Jones: Go to the Beach. Mr. Rollason: -- drive after they leave, and there are programs within the clubs that help them with the cab fare and so forth because the clubs encourage them to have other modes of transportation, you know, understand the liabilities that they have, and so it's not so much going to the Beach and then coming here, because those usually, they're at the Beach first and then City of Miami Page 30 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 come later, have a very difficult time getting in with the lines that are there -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK Mr. Rollason: -- and I really encourage all of you to -- and we had it set up once before, and at 2:30 in the morning, we were all supposed to meet at a place; nobody showed -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: -- but I think that if we can get everybody to come out there one night and go through it, and see what's happening out there, and see how the cabs are stacked up back to the boulevard, you begin to get an idea of what the potential is of that area to be a true destination for entertainment. Commissioner Haskins: But I don't want anybody to get me wrong. I'm not saying take away the 24 hours from the existing businesses, OK. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Commissioner Haskins: I'm just saying let's -- why expand it? Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Commissioner Haskins: Why expand the area where we could have 24? Because I do have a prob -- I do have an issue with what's going on in these clubs. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: OK. We'll make it for the next meeting in September, and we'll invite the club owners, the residential building owners that are in the area, too; that would be people like -- that are at the Grand, that are at -- as Fred Joseph can tell you, with the noise that comes Sunday morning, we're very aware of -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: -- and then just have a general meeting with all the people that have a vested interest to come and talk about the club issues -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so are we asking to defer? We want -- Mr. Rollason: -- so we'll defer that. Chair Spence -Jones: -- this item to be deferred? Mr. Rollason: You can vote on that to defer it. Chair Spence -Jones: I just want to move -- I mean, ask real fast for the folks from Overtown Folklife Village District stakeholders, I need for you guys to definitely make sure you look at these boundaries because if we are going to come back with a change, it seems like it's kind of cut out everything that you guys are trying to create in that area. It's not included at all, so I think you need to look at it and at least be prepared to address it with the CRA team because it's not on here at all. That's a motion to continue. Do we have a -- Mr. Rollason: To defer it. City of Miami Page 31 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: -- motion to continue? Mr. Rollason: Defer it 'till September. Commissioner Haskins: Motion to defer. Commissioner Regalado: OK, I'll second and -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK. All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: None opposed. 6. 06-01125 CRA RESOLUTION A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARDS OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST AND OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES ("CRAS"), RATIFYING THE ACTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN PURCHASING INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR THE CRAS' OFFICES AND THE 24-HOUR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT REFUSE COLLECTION LOT FOR THE PERIOD COMMENCING JUNE 24, 2006 AND ENDING JUNE 23, 2007, AT AN ANNUAL COST OF $9,564.56; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM GENERAL OPERATING FUND, "INSURANCE LIABILITY," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 689004.550011.6. 650. Cover Memo.pdf Financial Form.pdf Back-up.pdf Legislation.pdf Motion by Commissioner Haskins, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0026 Chair Spence -Jones: OK. We're moving to the next item. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Item number 6 is a ratification of actions that I've already taken. These are our insurance policies that we have on insuran -- general operating liability on two things: one, dealing with the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) offices, and the other dealing with the -- what we affectionately call the dumpster lot behind the CRAs. Commissioner Haskins: So moved. Commissioner Regalado: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. City ofMiami Page 32 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: All opposed? Motion is carried. 7. 06-01212 CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA") AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. CRA-R-06-0009, WHICH AUTHORIZED THE ACCEPTANCE OF TITLE AND REHABILITATION OF PROPERTY AT 1401 NORTH MIAMI AVENUE (OLD FIRE STATION NO. 2), TO FURTHER AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO ACCEPT TITLE ON BEHALF OF THE CRA TO THE ADJACENT CITY -OWNED PROPERTY, AT 1441 NORTH MIAMI AVENUE, AND TO INCLUDE THIS PROPERTY IN THE REHABILITATION. Cover Memo.pdf Back-up.pdf Legislation.pdf Motion by Commissioner Haskins, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0027 Chair Spence -Jones: Next item. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Number 7. Number 7 is a request that we had from the City. If you recall, a couple of meetings back, the fire station was voted to move the fire station to the Omni CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) so that we could spend our money to put the $800, 000 in to renovate it. There's a piece of property adjacent to the fire station, which you can see right across the street, which is like a little park. The City would like that to remain with the fire station and go together as a couple, and so that's to accept this piece of property. Commissioner Haskins: So moved. Commissioner Regalado: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: All opposed? Motion is carried. 8. 06-01213 CRA RESOLUTION A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARDS OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST AND OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES ("CRAS") AUTHORIZING A GRANT, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $10,000, FOR THE CRAS' SPONSORSHIP OF THE 2006 FLORIDA REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, TO BE HELD IN THE OMNI CRA OCTOBER 17TH - 20TH, 2006, WITH CERTAIN EVENTS IN THE OVERTOWN CRA; ALLOCATING FUNDS, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5,000 FROM SEOPW TAX INCREMENT FUND, "OTHER GRANTS AND AIDS," ACCOUNT City of Miami Page 33 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 CODE NO. 689001.550108.6.940, AND IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5,000 FROM OMNI TAX INCREMENT FUND, "OTHER GRANTS AND AIDS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 686001.590320.6.940. Cover Memo.pdf Financial Form.pdf Back-up.pdf Legislation.pdf Motion by Commissioner Haskins, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0028 Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Item number 8. Item number 8 is, again, going back to the previous Chair, we approached him on the Miami CRAs (Community Redevelopment Agencies) hosting the Florida Redevelopment Association Conference, which is an annual conference that's held around the state, and we requested it to be in Miami, and we were awarded it, and this is request for a grant of -- not to exceed $10, 000, so that we can be the primary sponsor of the event, which will take place in October. Commissioner Haskins: So moved. Mr. Rollason: It'll be at the Wyndham. It'll be within the CRA areas. Commissioner Haskins: This is nice -- Chair Spence -Jones: Do I -- Commissioner Haskins: -- Frank. This is really a nice event, I think. Mr. Rollason: It's a good -- Commissioner Haskins: This is great. Mr. Rollason: -- event. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. I think this is -- it's definitely going to be awesome. Mr. Rollason: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: I just want to make -- Mr. Rollason: It's good exposure. Chair Spence -Jones: -- Frank, please, how many people are expected for this? Mr. Rollason: It usually runs between 350, 400 come in from all across the state. What's really good about it is you get -- different legislators come, and just like our last tour, they get to see some things happening in our CRA that are really happening. Most places have some problems, and that's where you start to get the issues between the County and the City in allowing the CRAs to continue, and I think we've got a tremendous story to tell here between Midtown, and what's happening in Omni, and what's happening in Overtown and Park West, so (AUDIO City of Miami Page 34 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 INTERRUPTED) -- Chair Spence -Jones: Do I have a second? Commissioner Regalado: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: None opposed. That motion carries. 9. 06-01236 CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA") REALLOCATING FUNDS, IN THE AMOUNT OF $150,000, FROM THE NORTH 11TH STREET REBUILD PROJECT TO THE INTERIOR BUILD -OUT OF THE WARD ROOMING HOUSE, 249 NORTHWEST 9TH STREET, FOR USE AS AN ART GALLERY; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO DISBURSE SAID FUNDS, AT HIS DISCRETION, DIRECTLY TO PROJECT VENDORS SELECTED BY THE CITY OF MIAMI OR TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY OF MIAMI TO ISSUE PURCHASE ORDERS TO PROJECT VENDORS, PROVIDED THAT COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE AWARD OF CONTRACTS TO SAID VENDORS HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED; REQUESTING THAT THE CITY OF MIAMI WAIVE ALL ADMINISTRATIVE FEES AS ITS IN -KIND CONTRIBUTION; FUNDS TO BE ALLOCATED FROM SEOPW TAX INCREMENT FUND, "CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 689001.550108.6.860. Cover Memo.pdf Financial Form.pdf Back-up.pdf Legislation.pdf Motion by Commissioner Haskins, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0029 Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. Item number -- Chair Spence -Jones: Number 9. Mr. Rollason: -- 9 is a request to reappropriate $150,000 from a project that has been sitting for several years on 11 th Street -- that's part of the entertainment district -- to do a study on that, PD&E (Project Development & Environment) study so that we can go forward to redevelop that. CIP (Capital Improvements Program) or CIT (Capital Improvements & Transportation) has told us that they don't think that study is necessary, and that money has sat, and the objective of this resolution is to reassign that money to the Ward Rooming House project so we can get a lumpstart on next year's budget, where we have a couple hundred thousand dollars in. This City ofMiami Page 35 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 would put $150, 000 in there now where we could get City CIT to assign a consultant to start design work in that facility. Chair Spence -Jones: I do have a comment, but do I have a motion on this at all? Commissioner Haskins: So moved. Chair Spence -Jones: Do I have a second? Commissioner Regalado: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: All right. Motion is carried. I just have -- this is my tutor right here. I want to ask one quick question, just to make a statement on the Ward Rooming House. Our Chairman Winton, when he was here, this was something that he tasked me to really work on and do, and I kind of beat up -- have beat Frank up for the last six or seven months about the Ward Rooming House and the dollars that we have put in to refurbish that wonderful building, so now I'm coming back asking for more money to help refurbish it -- Mr. Rollason: I told you you would. Chair Spence -Jones: Right -- because the building looks great on the outside, but we have no pluming; we have nothing on the inside of it. The statement that I just kind of want to make on it -- a couple of things. One, I know that we passed earlier in the budget for the Black Archives to assist us next year by providing us with historical support for many of the historic sites within our district, and also in the Omni district, so the Black Archives will be brought on to kind of be like a historical reference for all of those type of projects, but I just want to be very clear because I know the Black Archives has a true concern about the Ward Rooming House and their usage of the overall building. This was a part of their original plan to put their offices in that space, and I just want to assure them that we're definitely going to be working in that direction to make sure that as -- once everything gets handled and cleared with the County, that we will work in the direction of making sure that you have the space made available. My concern right now, however, is -- not to say anything about your old place of employment, Pete Hernandez. You know, not saying anything about them over there -- I would rather take the money that we do have that is now sitting and not being used -- I mean, I'm going to be shifting a lot of money that is not being used in my district -- I mean, in that particular area, but I want to at least get something happening on inside of the building. The idea is to use it as a temporary use for art gallery space, so that at least we have something happening in there. Even with the dollars -- and you -- I'm sure you know this, Mr. Manager -- even with the bond -- even though they tell you -- and you know this, Ms. -- you know this, Linda -- even though they tell you the money is available and you need to do this and you need to do that, it takes time, a lot of time to pull those dollars down; is that correct, Mr. Manager? Pedro G. Hernandez (City Manager): I'll be looking at the -- all the CIP projects to see how we can accelerate -- Chair Spence -Jones: Because we're having -- Mr. Hernandez: -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Chair Spence -Jones: -- that current issue happening at this point, right, with our other bond -related issues -- Mr. Hernandez: Yes. Chair Spence -Jones: -- through the County, pulling those dollars down, right? City of Miami Page 36 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Mr. Hernandez: I believe so. Chair Spence -Jones: Ms. Linda, is that true? Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Chair Spence -Jones: Put it on the record so they could hear it. Commissioner Haskins: No. I mean, there's -- it is a little bit of a bureaucracy getting through the County on these bond issues, and for us -- you know, for cities that have, you know, more of the inside track and we understand it, it's frustrating, but when you're talking about an organization like the Black Archives and some of our -- Virginia Key Beach Trust, that sort of thing, we've got to make sure that these things are moving through the County and there's some assistance in making sure that it gets done. I know that the people at the County are working as hard as they can on this. There's a lot of demand and a lot of questions, but you know, a lot of requests coming in, but it's a little bit of a bureaucracy. Chair Spence -Jones: And let me just say this to Dr. Fields before we move on to the next item, is that I just want you to be very clear that we are working within that direction, and I do know that part of your concern is wanting to make sure that, you know, the County needs from us, I guess, allowing you to have the -- allowing for you to have the space -- Dorothy Jenkins Fields: Site control. Chair Spence -Jones: -- so -- site control -- Ms. Jenkins Fields: What they're saying -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- so that you can pull down those dollars. Commissioner Haskins: By August 31. Chair Spence -Jones: Right -- OK. By -- it's by August 31? Commissioner Haskins: It's by August 31 you need site control? Ms. Jenkins Fields: Yes. If we are to get that money, yes. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. What I'd like to do is, at this point, I want to go ahead and -- we've already moved it for you to get started with what you need to do, and we will continue to work together, along with the CRA, to make sure if that is the case and what it's going to be used for, we'll move in that direction. Ms. Jenkins Fields: OK Chair Spence -Jones: If not, I don't want a project to stop in my district at all, waiting for anyone. I'm not speaking on your behalf. I'm saying whatever Frank needs to do right now, he can begin on that part now, correct? Mr. Rollason: Well, we can -- yes. We can -- with the action of this tonight, I'll send a memo over to the City saying that we have this money, and that the Board is requesting that CIT assign a consultant to it to begin design work. Now that takes care of this piece, but the piece talking about site control -- City of Miami Page 37 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Mr. Rollason: -- you're talking, again, the same process of putting that piece of property out to bid, and so you don't meet again until the end of September, so if the idea is that you want them to have site control by August 31, then I think you need to take action tonight instructing us to put that piece out to bid, and then you're probably looking at holding a special meeting when that comes back because there is no way that that -- they can -- we can convey that property, through ownership or a lease -- and the attorney can speak to it, but I mean, it's really clear -- Commissioner Haskins: It's too late to do -- Mr. Rollason: -- how -- Commissioner Haskins: -- it. Mr. Rollason: Right. Commissioner Haskins: August 31 is -- I mean -- Mr. Rollason: Right. Commissioner Haskins: -- by the time you advertise -- Mr. Rollason: Right. Commissioner Haskins: -- you will not make the 30 days. Mr. Rollason: I understand, but they probably have a time period to cure, so if they put an application in, they may have 60 days to cure and have site control. I mean, I don't know what their process is, what monies they're going for, but usually, there's a cure process -- Chair Spence -Jones: Pete, do you have any --? You don't really have a lot of knowledge on this issue? Mr. Hernandez: No, but I'll be willing to, you know, learn from Frank and -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Hernandez: -- pick up what I need to do to help out. Chair Spence -Jones: I'm going to go ahead and move the item the way that it is, and if I need to convene a special meeting, I will, to accommodate the Black Archives to make sure that something happens on that. If you guys are going to move in, it's going to happen. I just want something happening in the building, so we're going to go ahead and leave the item the way that it is, and if I have to call a special meeting, I will. OK. Commissioner Haskins: I'll make the motion. Commissioner Regalado: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Thank you. That motion carries, and we're going to move to -- City of Miami Page 38 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Mr. Rollason: And also, ifI can put on the record, so there's not any confusion, what we passed in the budget was the money for the Black Archives, as budgeted. What'll happen is, in October, it will come back before this Board with their proposal, what is going to -- we're going to do for that money, so that there can be an appropriation of that money for them. Chair Spence -Jones: No problem. Did you understand that, Dr. Fields? We put in how much to support this effort? Mr. Rollason: I think we put $100,000 -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Mr. Rollason: -- but that's what's budgeted. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Mr. Rollason: You're now going to -- the Board is going to have to take action to appropriate that money for that project, and that will happen after the budget's approved. In other words, you can only do that come October, and at that time, there should be a proposal from the Black Archives that this is our proposal; this is what -- Chair Spence -Jones: This is -- Mr. Rollason: -- we're going to provide to you for -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- for the -- Mr. Rollason: -- this 100, 000. Chair Spence -Jones: -- Schaumburg piece. We just need to get -- Ms. Jenkins Fields: Oh, yes. Chair Spence -Jones: -- with you on that. Ms. Jenkins Fields: Yes. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Ms. Jenkins Fields: All right. 10. 06-01237 CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AUTHORIZING A GRANT, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25,000, TO THE CITY OF MIAMI, FOR THOSE ELEMENTS OF ITS "WAKE UP MIAMI" CAMPAIGN TAKING PLACE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA, CONTINGENT UPON THE CITY DEMONSTRATING THAT THE CAMPAIGN IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CRA'S APPROVED REDEVELOPMENT PLAN; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AT HIS DISCRETION, TO DISBURSE THE GRANT FUNDS DIRECTLY TO SUPPLIERS AND VENDORS UPON RECEIPT OF INVOICES AND SATISFACTORY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION; City ofMiami Page 39 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR SAID PURPOSE; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM SEOPW TIF FUND, "OTHER GRANTS AND AIDS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 686001.590320.6.940. Cover Memo.pdf Financial Form.pdf Back-up.pdf Legislation.pdf Motion by Commissioner Regalado, seconded by Commissioner Haskins, that this matter be ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATIONS PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0030 Chair Spence -Jones: We're going to move to item number 10 because, I don't know why, but it's getting hot in here. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): I understand. I think maybe we didn't pay the rent and Eugene's turned the air off on us. Chair Spence -Jones: Number -- go ahead. Mr. Rollason: Number 10 is the Wake Up Miami campaign, and this is for the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) to make a grant to the City in the amount not to exceed $25, 000 is our piece, and there are a couple of caveats in here; number one, that the money has to be expended within the CRA boundaries; and number two, we need to obtain what that campaign is and look in the plan to see that that campaign fits into the overall plan of the CRA that's eligible to receive funding. Chair Spence -Jones: If I can mention this to my colleagues, this is something that I'm actually working on now. As a matter of fact, this past weekend, that's what I was out on the streets doing. We had about 16 surveyors. This is a campaign that we're doing in partnership with the Knight Foundation and the Dade Community Foundation. It's an aggressive campaign that we're actually doing it four different communities, Liberty City, Overtown, Little Haiti, and Wynwood, which is in my district. We're kicking it off in Overtown because we feel that that's the most important area at this point, and it is an aggressive marketing campaign to really highlight the wakeup message, meaning encouraging people from local communities to wake up to what's happening within their community, to empower them, to train them, to get them ready for the growth that's happening within the City. Baltimore did a wonderful campaign called "Believe." I don't know if you've heard of it -- which is a Baltimore mayor that addressed all of the drugs that was happening actually in Baltimore, and it did an outstanding -- was an outstanding job that the mayor did. Well, we're doing the same thing, kicking off in Overtown, and it's an aggressive radio, print, business -driven campaign; door-to-door, getting information about what residents want to see happening, and the idea is really to kind of instill hope back in the folks that are living there because, for so long, they felt, many of them, that no one's really paying attention, so I really need your support on this item. This -- Commissioner Regalado: I move the item. Commissioner Haskins: This is great. This is -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE), doesn't this go along with what we were talking about today? I toured the Lyric Theater today and we were talking about exactly this sort of thing and getting this word out, and dovetailing it with some of the other things that are happening in the community. You know, not just informing, but teaching about, City of Miami Page 40 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 you know, how do we make a better community, and how do we work together, and so we were just talking about it. You're always ahead of me, Thelma. Chair Spence -Jones: Before I get a mover -- and I just want to ask this question real fast -- not assuming that I'm going to get one, but my only concern with this -- and I've asked my staff to at least communicate this message with you, that anything above 25 -- correct? Unidentified Speaker: Correct. Chair Spence -Jones: -- is being -- this item is being actually given to the City of Miami, correct Mr. Rollason: That's correct. Chair Spence -Jones: -- the 25? Jorge L. Fernandez (General Counsel, Community Redevelopment Agency): The technicalities need to be addressed by Mr. Villacorta. Clearly, it's on a reimbursement basis -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Fernandez: -- upon the group showing the expenditures and the receipts. Then the mechanism of making payment would be up to the executive director to directly then disburse or reimburse to the group. Chair Spence -Jones: I just -- the group is us, but what I wanted to ask this question on really -- so that I have a clear understanding, because this -- the way this reads to me, it says 25 to the City of Miami -- Mr. Rollason: Yes. Chair Spence -Jones: -- which means the City of Miami, which means the Commission then has to accept it, and for us, I think the best thing to do is just really let it stay with the CRA, and then present you with the -- Mr. Rollason: I understand -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- actual invoices. Mr. Rollason: -- but I have nobody to give a grant to. To whom am I giving a grant? Chair Spence -Jones: No. I'm saying we present you with the invoices for all the marketing or whatever items that were -- because if this is the case, then I -- then this can't come in front of us until September, which is a problem. Mr. Rollason: So then this wouldn't be a grant to anybody; it would just be a reimbursement for this program. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. That's -- Mr. Rollason: In other words -- Jim Villacorta (Assistant General Counsel, Community Redevelopment Agency): It'd be a program of the CRA. City of Miami Page 41 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: -- it'd be a program of the CRA -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: -- and I don't have a problem with that, except the only issue I want to make very clear is that I'm hearing the things that you're saying, and I'm racing through my mind where I'm going to find in the plan that this program fits. Chair Spence -Jones: Well, I've looked through the plan and this -- Mr. Rollason: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: -- fits like three or four of those items -- Mr. Rollason: All right. We'll -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- that are in the plan. Mr. Rollason: -- be glad to find a spot for it -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK -- Mr. Rollason: -- so we -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- so -- Mr. Rollason: -- can modify it on the floor, just being a -- Chair Spence -Jones: Can we modify it? Mr. Rollason: -- CRA project, and -- Chair Spence -Jones: And then we'll just present you with all the invoices. Mr. Rollason: Now it can either be a reimbursement or a direct payment to the vendors. Chair Spence -Jones: That's fine. Whatever you prefer. Mr. Rollason: I mean, that usually has to happen because, otherwise, where's the money -- upfront money coming from that I'm reimbursing? Chair Spence -Jones: That's fine. Mr. Rollason: So, as long as we do it that way, Jim, I don't have a problem with it. Commissioner Regalado: So do we need to vote? Mr. Villacorta: Amend the resolution to say that it's a program of the CRA. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so you want to repeat it? Mr. Rollason: Right. It'd be a program of the CRA, and it would either be through reimbursements for invoices approved by the executive director, or it'll be direct payments to the City of Miami Page 42 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 vendors, as approved by the executive director. Commissioner Haskins: I'll second. Chair Spence -Jones: Oh. Commissioner Haskins: He accepted the -- Chair Spence -Jones: Oh. Commissioner Regalado: I'll accept the -- Chair Spence -Jones: Mo -- Commissioner Regalado: -- amendment; Linda second. We're ready to vote. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: None opposed. This motion is carried. 11. 06-01285 CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT, IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE ATTACHED FORM, WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FOR THE DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF UPGRADES TO THE WATER AND SEWER FACILITIES IN A PORTION OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $3,500,000; FUNDS TO BE ALLOCATED FROM OMNI TIF FUND, "CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 686001.590320.6.860. Cover Memo.pdf Back-up.pdf Legislation.pdf Attachment.pdf Motion by Commissioner Haskins, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0031 Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): All right. The -- item number 11. Item number 11 is -- at the last board meeting, the appropriation was made by the Board for the $3.5 million to do the Omni water project with WASA (Water and Sewer Authority), and the stipulation was, is that bring the agreement back to the Board so the Board could see it and approve it. We've worked out the agreement with WASA and the County between the -- actually, the WASA people and myself agreed on it months ago, but by the time it went to the attorneys, making sure that everybody was protected, it took a while, so the agreement is here, which we've entered into. Basically, what it tells us is that we will fund this project; that WASA will handle the entire project. They will handle the design, either in-house City ofMiami Page 43 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 or with outside consultants. They will build the project, and what will happen is is they will -- and Howard Fallon is here, and he may be able to speak on exactly where they are, but they will have to go or have gone before the County Commission to get the approval to use their labor forces to go forward with this project. When this is done -- when this money is invested into the Omni area, starting from the west side going east, so that we take the most depressed area -- for instance, there's a water main that's needed for this restaurant right behind us; it's a couple hundred thousand dollars project. When this is done, from the west to the east, we will have all the water lines replaced in this area and a couple of sewer lines that are required that will allow development to come forward without them having to come and put water lines and tear the roads up, which is exactly what a CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) should be doing. Commissioner Regalado: That's exactly what the CRA should be doing, but my question is: Are we sure that WASA is not going to come, whenever there is a new development, and charge them for -- Mr. Rollason: Here's -- Commissioner Regalado: -- future -- Mr. Rollason: All right. Commissioner Regalado: -- use? Mr. Rollason: All right. First of all, we're building it out to what the anticipated zoning, with Miami 21, will allow, so most of the mains going in are larger at this point than what is required; most of them are 12-inch, some 16-inch. The other thing is is that, as developers come and build and make their payments to the County, that money will come directly back to the CRA. In other words, as they pay their frontage piece, we will get our piece back, just like we were the ones that built it, just like a private developer does when they get their piece back, so that's in the contract, and the CRA will be reimbursed as other developers come and hook up. Right, the construction connection charge will be reimbursed on that. Commissioner Haskins: Frank, is this the County's best estimate of what it will cost to do all of the mar -- all of the projects that are marked on this page? Howard Fallon: Yes. Howard Fallon, 3071 Southwest 38th Avenue, for Miami -Dade Water and Sewer Department, and you're correct, Commissioner. That is our best estimate for all of the work. Mr. Rollason: All the work you see in the colored lines. Commissioner Haskins: The purple and the red -- Mr. Rollason: Yes. Commissioner Haskins: -- only, right? The purple and red only? Mr. Rollason: What you can see is the lion's share of what needs to be done, and it also gives us the hookups off of the boulevard at Northeast 2, so that as development happens on Northeast 2, we're not going to have to go back into the boulevard and connect and bring it across, so this really helps in a lot of ways. Even those coming on Northeast 2, it'll just stop for now. It'll give the ability for the Northeast 2 developers to hook in. Chair Spence -Jones: Can I --? I'm sorry. City of Miami Page 44 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: Well, the -- in this contract, in this agreement, let me tell you the two things that I was concerned with. Number one, there was not a warrant -- a representation that all the project can be designed, permitted, and constructed at a cost equal to or less than the $3.5 million. Number two, it said -- and then going along with that, it has a paragraph in here that says the project is expected to be completed within the -- is expected to be completed within the three-year period from the execution of this agreement. There's nothing in here that shows me that for $3.5 million and for putting our faith that the County's going to do that, that you're guaranteeing at least 75 percent of what's noted within a three-year period. There's not even a guarantee of when it would be completed, when you would have the $3.5 million done, and how much you would guarantee, so I just want to make sure that we're not -- you know, we can spend a lot of money on design work and all of that, but I -- you know, I would have felt more comfortable if I saw, you know, a time -certain that this would be done so we're assured it doesn't go on the backburner. I trust you, but it is County -City, you know, so we have to have these assurances, right? And you know, there wasn't even a guarantee of a portion of it, so -- Mr. Rollason: If I can comment on that for just a moment. That's one of the issues that we went back and forth on. Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: WASA has, under both directors; under Bill Brant (phonetic) -- we've been working on this project for two years -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: -- to get this forward -- under Bill Brant (phonetic) and now under John Renfroe, they have stated that they will dedicate a crew to this. They -- in fact, they already had a crew ready to go, I think, six months ago -- wasn't it, Howard? -- and then things got stopped again on the City side, and so the objective is that they will identify a crew that everyday is working on this project. Now the problem you run into is that, as we all know, when you get into the ground, what they're going to find. Some of the things we're not aware of what they're going to find, and so with our people on our end looking at it, there are probably going to be some costs that we hadn't anticipated that are going to come, and there's also some areas that they feel they're going to be able to go quicker in and cheaper in than what they have, so there's a balance there, and from the top down, they have assured us, as best they can, that they feel that this budget is adequate. Saying that, I've added another half a million dollars in next year's budget for this project because I know -- as you all know, in dealing with these capital projects -- that things can arise, and we don't want the project to stop in the middle, but that would have to come back to the Board. What's being approved now is -- the three and a half was approved; what's being approved now is the agreement. Chair Spence -Jones: Frank. Mr. Rollason: I'm getting the "Hi" sign from the Chair to shut up, so -- Chair Spence -Jones: Frank -- no, no, no. I'm fine. Commissioner Haskins: You've already put five -- you're already thinking you need 4 million (INAUDIBLE) -- Mr. Rollason: I understand. I'm just putting it there -- Commissioner Haskins: That's my concern. Mr. Rollason: I understand. Right. We can terminate on 30 days notice is in the contract. In City of Miami Page 45 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 other words, if this thing starts to go south and we're not happy with the progress we're making, we can stop, so it goes both ways. There's an obligation on their part to do the work right, and if they do, there's an obligation on our part to keep funding, and if they don't do right, we can get out. Jim Villacorta (Assistant General Counsel, Community Redevelopment Agency): And the operations people thought they could complete this within three years and under 3.5 million; it's the legal people that have been refusing to guarantee it -- Mr. Rollason: Right. Mr. Villacorta: -- on both sides. We've been refusing to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) them -- Commissioner Haskins: So the operations people are pretty con -- Mr. Villacorta: Yes, quite comfortable. Commissioner Haskins: Well, you always trust the operations people -- Mr. Rollason: Yeah. Commissioner Haskins: -- over the attorneys, right, Jorge? Mr. Rollason: Yeah. They're willing to do it and the lawyers won't let them put it in writing, so that's where we're -- Pedro G. Hernandez (City Manager): Madam Chair, ifI may, I do believe that they do have the experience to work in all areas where you have a lot of let's say, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) utilities. They were very successful in doing the Flagler work a few years back. Commissioner Haskins: With the wood pipes? Mr. Hernandez: There's the section of Flagler from Biscayne going in that was done at night, and I think that, using their own forces, they were very effective in getting that work done at a very reasonable price. Mr. Fallon: Yes. That's the same exact arrangement we'll be employing for this case. Mr. Hernandez: Right. Obviously, they do require to have approval from their board because, in essence, they are doing much more than what they normally do, but I think that, based on what I've seen them do in the past, they're good at doing this kind of work. Mr. Rollason: And we think that their board is going to be amenable to this because it's assisting another governmental agency, rather than a private developer. In other words, we're coming in and saying we want to do this to allow the private developers to come in and develop a blighted area of the community. Chair Spence -Jones: I -- Linda -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum, I'm done. Chair Spence -Jones: No, no. It's OK. You're getting it done in your district, which is awesome, so then my next question is -- WASA, my next question would be -- Frank. Mr. Rollason: I know it's coming. City of Miami Page 46 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: What is it? Mr. Rollason: What's happening in Southeast Overtown/Park West. Chair Spence -Jones: What -- because the last time we talked about this -- and I believe you were at the meeting at Doubletree -- Mr. Fallon: Yes, I was. Chair Spence -Jones: -- and I asked at that particular time, you know, with all these development things that we're definitely trying to do in the Overtown area, especially on 3rd Avenue, many of the -- I know for a fact that, in the Overtown Southeast/Park West [sic] -- I mean, the Overtown area on 3rd Avenue, that's going to be a huge, big issue, these developments we see today, the future ones, so my question then becomes, from the last meeting we had a month ago, have we put together anything for this study that's supposed to happen in Overtown? Mr. Fallon: We just initiated that study and we probably need -- Chair Spence -Jones: Money? Mr. Rollason: No, no, no, no. Mr. Fallon: No. -- six to eight weeks time to complete -- Mr. Rollason: Don't say that. They are doing this -- Mr. Fallon: -- that. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Hey, hey. Mr. Rollason: Right. Chair Spence -Jones: For free. That's what we understand, right? Mr. Rollason: As an intergovernmental -- Commissioner Haskins: It helps them. It's their -- Mr. Rollason: -- cooperative venture. Commissioner Haskins: -- infrastructure, right? So -- Chair Spence -Jones: So 3rd Avenue, the business corridor, and the stuff that we're trying to do over there in that area will now be a part of this overall study for -- Mr. Rollason: Well, they will look at a study on that. The issue with that -- again, we're looking to use the bond money because we don't have the funding like we do in the Omni side to actually fund the work. Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Mr. Rollason: What he's doing -- what WASA did for us was take a overall look at the existing -- and we supplied them with what the zoning -- the upzoning we were potentially looking at, what would it be zoned to, and then they built to that; they designed to that. Now they will take that City of Miami Page 47 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 and they will give it to the engineers to bring that to fruition, and that's where the money comes in, but taking a look at Southeast Overtown/Park West is something that WASA can do for us, and they have committed to do that, and we would have the same look that we got for the Omni; a map, just like you see in here. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. I just would want to make sure, once again, my Overtown Folklife District stakeholders, if any of them are left here, I think it's important for you to touch bases with WASA tonight so that whatever's being proposed is actually what you kind of foresee happening within the prop -- in that area, the property you own, and then also, in the Park West area. I don't know if -- Linda, I think that's really, more or less, your district. I mean, I would assume that -- I see Eddie from the NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Team) office here, but I would just assume you would want to know. I know you have developments happening within that too -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Chair Spence -Jones: -- so not trying to give you more work, but I think it's important that we're Commissioner Haskins: Yeah, we are. Chair Spence -Jones: -- at least -- Commissioner Haskins: We're trying to give you more work. We want to get our infrastructure fixed. Chair Spence -Jones: All right, so do I have a motion? Commissioner Haskins: So moved. Commissioner Regalado: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: All opposed? OK. All right, mo -- Listen, before we head out, there's a couple of things that we need -- Thank you, so much, WASA, and I'll be looking for -- we'll look forward to hearing back from you. DISCUSSION ITEMS REPORTS NON -AGENDA ITEMS NA.1 06-01394 CRA DISCUSSION DISCUSSION REGARDING POLICE PRESENCE IN ENTERTAINMENT AREA OF DOWNTOWN MIAMI. DISCUSSED Commissioner Regalado: Madam Chair. Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. City of Miami Page 48 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: I don't know if this is the right moment, but I think -- Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Commissioner Regalado: -- if within the budget, probably we should have some kind of discussion -- there was a mention here of the entertainment area, and if you open today's paper, you'll see an article that reflects really bad on the entertainment area. That is the second time that has happened, and while we're being told that crime is down, I guess, not for this area or for that other area of the City, for that matter, but that's another issue, but the point is that, in this budget, if the Miami Police Department cannot address the issue in the way that needs to be addressed, and it can't and it wouldn't because all of us are asking more police -- and we have the City Manager here -- for our areas, and that's impossible. We all know that that's impossible, so there is no way that we can have a police present at every ten feet in the entertainment area, so the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) has to do something, and that something is we need to start spending some money in security in the entertainment area. It is the responsibility of the owners and the club operators to have police officers and security, but the thing is that if this trend continues -- and this has been the second time, and then there is another shooting, and there is another stabbing -- people would not want to come, and when people would not want to come, hours of operation will diminish and places will start closing, and then the CRA will have, in its hands, empty buildings, and worse, a perception that will take years and millions of dollars to change, so I guess it's something that we should address within the framework because, you know, saying, well, that's a police issue, and they have to do what they have to do -- they can't. We had a discussion a few hours ago that, you know, we -- we're asking for 50 police officers, but 200 are leaving, so that's something that we need to deal with, and I'm telling you -- and I don't know, Frank, the feedback that you have and all of -- Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Let me comment on that for a minute. We have been having a problem with a particular club. This is where the shooting took place this weekend. We have met with the NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Team) commander a month ago on this particular club, and we alerted them that they've got an issue in there. The other clubs have come to us and told us that there's a problem, and the problem escalated this weekend. It's a club that, apparently, may be serving underage people and some other issues are going on there. Today we had a conversation with Chief Vega, and Chief Vega says that he is going to take this particular project under his wing and try to address it. This is the same club where it's suspected the individual came from that ran over and killed the parking attendant. This is the same club from which the person left and went to the other club down the street and shot another person, so we've got a problem. The other clubs recognize it. They are asking for it to be addressed, and they want it cleaned up, and I think you're exactly right. It's just not dealing with the clubs, but as the developments come in the area, such as the Parc Lofts and that type of thing, the opportunistic crimes are going to increase, and they are going to have to be addressed, and the police presence in the area is just going to have to increase. Commissioner Haskins: I talked with Deputy Chief Fernandez on this today, and I think that the Police Department wants to revisit the idea of having police -- to hire police presence inside the clubs, which has been resisted in the past, in support of the clubs, and you know, I'm not Cinderella. I'm not a prude, but we've really got to -- I think, from a policy perspective, we have to take a hard look at this. Some of these clubs, some, maybe one, are encouraging bad activities in the City of Miami. We've -- and I, for one, don't want to see precious taxpayer dollars supporting drug use among our kids. I think it's wrong. It's the way I felt about the rave concerts at Bayfront, and you know, I'm not going to make some friends today by saying this, but I don't think that we should, as a city, say that it's OK to open your club at 5 in the morning for the kids that are coming to the Beach so they can continue to stay high on their Ecstasy, and we also have to look at the fact that we have a changing city here, and we're going to have a lot of City of Miami Page 49 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 downtown residential units, and we have clubs that are -- I'm getting phone calls all the time in my office about Sunday mornings and hear -- you know, waking up to bass at 5 o'clock in the morning because that's when the club starts, and we really have to take a look at this to say what are we going to do to make sure that quality of life of all of our citizens are maintained, and we're not adopting a public policy to encourage drug use among kids. Commissioner Regalado: But that's an issue -- Linda, that's an issue of policy, and it has to be dealt with, and it's an issue that has to be dealt. My point was that, like for instance, if you -- if we go out and ask somebody now today what do you think of downtown Miami, they said, oh, it closes at 5, and it's very difficult. You don't go to downtown at night. It's the perception. It would take years and millions of dollars. Now this area, if it has one bad apple, or two bad apples, or whatever, this area is getting a name because of the problems that South Beach is having with parking, and fights, and stabbings, and issues, and then you have this situation. It's either, you know, we go hard and we close -- you know, in Santo Domingo, they are having riots. In Dominican Republic, they're having riot as we speak now because they are closing down the bars and the cabarets at midnight, and no more alcohol, and they have a right, and the police is out there, but having said that, it's a policy decision. If we want to defend the area as an entertainment district and keep it like that, we have to do something now. If we want to do away with that, fine by me, you know. I -- it's -- but it's something that it has cost several years for this Board to do, and two incidents, three articles, two stories in -- at the 6 o'clock and 11 o'clock news, goes away, the public goes away, and that's what I -- Commissioner Haskins: I mean, five people shot -- Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. Commissioner Haskins: -- and the fact is that downtown still closes at 5. These clubs don't start 'till 5 in the morning -- Commissioner Regalado: Right. Commissioner Haskins: -- so between 5 and -- 5 at night and 5 in the morning, it's -- there's nothing going on there anyway, so -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK. We're going to get back on track, and I just want to add real fast to -- I mean, while I definitely agree that we definitely have a policing issue, you know, on club row, and I think that it's something that we definitely need to look at, but before we even remotely think about taking any dollars and using it for police for club row, I want to see those same dollars -- if that's even a thought -- going into Overtown, where I see no police. I was there Sun -- Saturday and Sunday working the streets in Overtown, doing cleanups and all of that, doing door -to -doors, and I'm going to tell you, seven -- did I not say this to you, Mr. City Manager, today? Pedro G. Hernandez (City Manager): Say it once more. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Do you want me to repeat it or do you want to repeat it? I can do it faster, and then we can move on. Mr. Hernandez: You did state it. Chair Spence -Jones: I was there 7 o'clock Sunday morning in Overtown all day long knocking on doors doing surveys of what people wanted to have happen in Overtown. I left at 6 p.m. last night. I saw three police officers the whole time that I was there. I saw people walking around addicted to drugs, issues happening around me; people not knowing that I was a Commissioner because I was T-shirt, baseball cap. Police officers passed me left and right not stopping not City of Miami Page 50 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 NA.2 06-01395 one of those addicts or none of those people coming from across the Beach in their Yellow Cabs, which I -- I mean, we know what they were there for, and just seeing people moving back and forth and not even stopping them, so before we start talking about policing club avenue or club row, I'd like to see some of the -- if we're going to divert dollars, they need to be diverted where people are just trying to have just a decent quality of life, so you know, not so -- I just want to make sure we don't -- you know, that is an issue, but I've got people that are -- have been living in Overtown 20 and 30 years, and they're just begging for help with some sort of police support, so I just don't want to get off on a tangent of trying to do that within this budget, but if I can get us back on track, which was -- we were on item number 2, and I'm assuming that you had something else to add because Linda asked you to provide her with something. Are we done with Mr. Rollason: Right. Chair Spence -Jones: -- that item? Mr. Rollason: No. We're going to do that. We're going to provide the report that she had asked for on the capital projects in more detail. Chair Spence -Jones: At a later date? Mr. Rollason: Right. Chair Spence -Jones: OK -- Mr. Rollason: Next week. Chair Spence -Jones: -- so, if you don't mind, if we can just move on to the next item, which is -- because it doesn't require any action, correct? Mr. Rollason: No. CRA PRESENTATION SPECIAL PRESENTATION TO FRANK K. ROLLASON, OUTGOING CRA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. PRESENTED Chair Spence -Jones: Before we head out, there's a couple of things that I want to make announcements on, first being, as you know, our long-time -- I don't say long time -- felt like a long time, right, Frank? Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Well, it's like dog years, you know. Chair Spence -Jones: -- is leaving us and moving on to other things, and tonight, we have a special presentation to him, wishing him well. As you know, Frank has -- was actually responsible for really, really turning a lot of things around in the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency), and has been greatly, greatly valued and appreciated in all of his work. Tonight is his official last board meeting with us, correct? Mr. Rollason: I think so. I would cer -- well, unless you call a special one for some reason, but I would think I escaped after tonight. Chair Spence -Jones: And I think all of us have had an opportunity to work with you prior to City of Miami Page 51 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 NA.3 06-01396 this. I would like to at least take the time to at least allow for my colleagues to bring words to you, and then we'd like to officially present you with something, and then also, I would like -- oh, OK -- I would also like to ask for my colleagues to give me a few minutes afterwards for some additional comments, but I'm going to start it with, I guess -- I'm not going to say the -- one of the oldest members on the CRA, but I say the most -- what do you call it? -- refined, seasoned -- Commissioner Regalado: No. I'm the -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- like cognac. Commissioner Haskins: The longest tenure. Commissioner Regalado: No, no, no, no. Chair Spence -Jones: It's cognac. Commissioner Regalado: No, no. I'm the oldest, and listen, I -- when I was elected, it was citywide -- Chair Spence -Jones: Um -hum. Commissioner Regalado: -- so this was like ages before, and at that time, Frank Rollason was, I remember, Risk Management, right? Mr. Rollason: That's true. Commissioner Regalado: And then, from Risk Management, he went to, what is it, assistant city manager, and then he had to do something else, and then -- and everybody -- you know, when -- in my office, when we had some issues, oh, we have to call Frank Rollason. No, but he's not -- no, he's the assistant city manger. Well, do we have to go (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and finally, it landed here in the CRA, and Frank, you have done a great job. I mean, you have -- the reason that the CRA was able to move forward and survive some of the clouds that had over is because you went by the book and you did the right thing, and this Board, working with the Administration, was able to accomplish something, and I really thank you for doing it. CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION (subject matter: payout of sick bank and vacation bank of Frank K. Rollason.) Motion by Commissioner Regalado, seconded by Commissioner Haskins, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0032 Commissioner Regalado: Which, by the way, Madam Chair, we need to have some kind of resolution because Frank needs to get his sick pay and vacation pay, and you know, since we just award $3 million for this, or 4 million for that, I think that Frank deserve -- of course, not a million, but a few dollars in sick pay that he (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- Chair Spence -Jones: That he'll be losing. Commissioner Regalado: -- so I move that he'll be allowed to take a check for sick pay that he has not used and the vacation time that he has not used. City of Miami Page 52 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: And I believe you're not -- he's not asking for anything else at all but that, right? Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): No. That's -- there have been pretty lucrative packages that have gone heretofore. I think that it's in line for, you know, the sick bank and the vacation bank, and doesn't need to be anything else. I don't need any other emoluments to go forward. Commissioner Regalado: Believe me, he's the cheapest we have, and I'm not trying to -- but it's the truth. Commissioner Haskins: Did he just call you cheap, tawdry? Mr. Rollason: He's the one that asked me to come here. Chair Spence -Jones: All right. I need a second on that. Commissioner Haskins: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: All right. Motion carries. All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: No opposed, so the motion carries. Mr. Rollason: Thank you. Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you, Commissioner Regalado. NA.4 06-01397 CRA DISCUSSION DISCUSSION REGARDING REQUEST OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO PERFORM INTERNAL AUDIT OF SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST AND OMNI COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES. DISCUSSED Chair Spence -Jones: Commissioner Haskins, I know you got a chance to work with him beyond being the Commissioner. Commissioner Haskins: Well, Frank, you -- I've worked -- Frank and I worked together for a while at the City, and Frank, ever the firefighter and the emergency technician coming in, and working on the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency), and Frank, you've done a great job over here. You know, to go from a situation where the audits took forever and the management letter comments were longer than Les Miserables -- which was an appropriate reference to those days, right? -- you've really done an outstanding job here, and if it hadn't been for your efforts, this organization would -- I do not think would have survived. We wouldn't have been talking with the County about extending the life of the CRA, and you're to be commended. It's -- you've done a -- Mr. Rollason: Thank you. Commissioner Haskins: -- great job. Mr. Rollason: Thank you. City of Miami Page 53 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you, Ms. -- Commissioner Haskins. Well, I am definitely the new kid on the block -- Mr. Rollason: That is true. Chair Spence -Jones: -- and I know I have been a pain in your butt since I've been in this seat -- Mr. Rollason: That is also true. Chair Spence -Jones: -- but I love you and -- Mr. Rollason: Never disagree with the Chair. Chair Spence -Jones: -- you love this pain, right? But I do truly appreciate your leadership, and your support, and your guidance on -- you know, just to help -- wealth -- a wealth of information, always supportive, always willing to tell you the truth, even though you may not want to hear the truth, and always just trying to make sure that everybody's treated fair, and that's the best thing that I can say about Frank, is that he's just a fair person, and he really tries to do the right thing, so we will definitely miss you. I will definitely miss bugging you as the Chair of (AUDIO INTERRUPTED) -- Mr. Rollason: -- (INAUDIBLE) a great three and a half years, very challenging, as many of the other jobs that I've had that seem to be challenging, but this has been fun, and what's been the most fun is it's given me the opportunity to really interface with many of the people in the different communities, with the needs that they have, and trying to address those and balance those out, and we're in great shape. We're in great shape in two fronts. We have -- the audits have been cleared up, as been spoken to, so there's not a taint hanging over the CRA with what's happening with money and that type of thing, but an organization like this does not exist to have a good audit because you could have a good audit just by closing it down; we don't have to worry about the audits. The idea is to get things done, and we're certainly on the verge now, with being able to go forward with the bonds and that type of thing, to really do some meaningful projects in here. The one thing that I would request of this Board, as I leave, and I mean this with all sincerity, is that I think it would be good to request the internal auditor to come in here, with me leaving, and have another internal audit done of this organization as Igo out the door. I think it makes sense, especially in light of a lot of things that are going on in the communities today, that people kind of identify these kind of organizations and monies in the same pot, and I think the last time the internal auditor was here, we did not fare so well, and I think it would be a good thing, on the part of the organization, to have the City Commission -- because that's where it has to come from -- request of the internal auditor to come back and do it again, and see what we find, and I think it would -- I -- you know, I personally think it'll give us a very good bill of health, and I think it will lend some confidence in the community to allow this to go forward, so I thank all of you. Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you, Frank. We'll officially present this. Let's give Frank a hand. Applause. [Later...] Chair Spence -Jones: As you know -- first of all, Frank, when officially will be your last day? Mr. Rollason: Well, I have said that I will stay 'till the end of August to, hopefully, get somebody on board so I can, you know, help them along the way. City of Miami Page 54 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: I mean, my objective is to vacate as soon as it makes sense, but -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: -- I'm not looking to throw three and a half years away. I mean, even past that time, I'd be available. There'll be tons of things that people have questions about, and I'll be around, so -- but I mean, right now, I'm looking to the end of August. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Let me just say this -- Thank you, Frank. Let me just say this, I want to -- there's two things I want to do in this conversation. First, being this -- I have a suggestion or a recommendation that I want to share with my colleagues, and I think it's important for us, you know, with so many things that are coming up, at least over the next 30 to 60 days, i.e., the capital improvements bond issues, where we're identifying key projects that we've been working on, which is, you know, taking a lot of time, having these meetings, you know, with the community and with the Board members. The negotiations are ongo -- not -- I guess the ongoing issues with Block 36, and of course, Crosswinds, which is, I'm assuming, supposed to be coming back in front of us, Mr. Manager and Mr. City Attorney, some time in September, and the list goes on of issues that are very sensitive issues, and when I got word from Frank, and actually, got the letter from Frank saying that he would be leaving, I was like, whoa. This is a major loss at the wrong time because we have some key issues that we definitely need to address, and we need to have someone in there that has the ability and at least the knowledge of where we are right now. In that same week, I also learned that our City Attorney that had been working along with us now and for the last, what, three or four years -- Mr. Rollason: Right. Chair Spence -Jones: -- would be moving on to somewhere else, and I would be having a new attorney that would now be taking over Mr. Villacort's [sic] place, so I'm like, OK, now I'm losing an executive director and I'm losing the city attorney that has been there for -- at least knows, has the institutional knowledge to keep this thing moving, so I want to not -- I don't want to rain on his parade because I do want to at least introduce the new city attorney that will be taking over Mr. Villacort's [sic] place. I'm going to at least let my City Attorney introduce him, and then I have one small discussion that I need to have with my colleagues. NA.5 06-01398 CRA DISCUSSION BRIEF DISCUSSION REGARDING ROOF REPAIRS TO BAME (Bethel African Methodist Episcopal). DISCUSSED Chair Spence -Jones: I just want to at least also acknowledge that -- to my colleagues, that thanks to your support, the BAME (Bethel African Methodist Episcopal) roof I believe -- Reverend Broomfield's here. Just wave -- is officially getting fixed, and thanks to their hard work and Frank's hard work -- Applause. Chair Spence -Jones: -- because now, you know, I just wanted to tell you that that's wonderful, so at least they're start -- they're not getting rained on anymore. NA.6 06-01399 CRA DISCUSSION DISCUSSION REGARDING INTRODUCTION OF KEVIN R. JONES AS NEW CRA ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL. City of Miami Page 55 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 DISCUSSED Jorge L. Fernandez (General Counsel): Yeah. Madam Chair and Commissioners, it's my pleasure -- and members of the public and of the community -- to introduce to you Kevin Jones. Kevin. Applause. Mr. Fernandez: Kevin is -- has been a wonderful find for the Office of the City Attorney. He has been practicing law for over nine years, three and a half of those at the State Attorney's Office in a leadership position there in prosecuting top cases. After that, he went in practice for himself, so he's very entrepreneurial, and most recently, he worked for an insurance company as defense counsel. He is a true tried litigator with as much experience as someone practicing almost ten years can have. The idea and the plan was to bring him in into the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) family and slowly, but surely, over a period of time, become second chair in many of the issues to Jim, as we had plans for Jim to do other major development type of work for the City. As you know, Jim is a very talented attorney, and for the last three years, he has -- three, four years, he has been giving incredible amounts of energy and commitment to the CRA. Well, the City needs some of that good energy, and over a period of time -- the plan was not to do it immediately, but over the next six months to a year, ease Mr. Jones in as Mr. Villacorta then would be assuming greater development responsibilities for the City, but never having Mr. Villacorta totally leave the CRA, but certainly, provide the CRA with two very talented lawyers, so that is, in essence, the plan that the City Attorney had for the CRA moving forward. However, some of those may be affected now. NA.7 06-01400 CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION (subject matter: appointment of James Villacorta as Interim Executive Director of the Midtown, Southeast Overtown/Park West, and Omni Community Development Agencies.) Motion by Commissioner Regalado, seconded by Commissioner Haskins, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner Regalado, Chair Spence -Jones and Commissioner Haskins Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Gonzalez and Commissioner Sanchez CRA-R-06-0033 Chair Spence -Jones: Now the reason I'm bringing this up to my colleagues, again, just knowing -- being in office over the last six or seven months, I have experienced tremendous loss. Every time we turn around, we had -- we were losing something, and it's very difficult to build on anything when you're constantly losing. As you know, we lost the City Manager, but we inherited a great one. I love you, Pete, but I'm saying, it still was a loss. We did lose Commissioner Winton, which -- I'm just talking about my own personal loss -- but gained a great sister in crime here, Linda, Commissioner Haskins, and now, Frank, so I mean, the list just -- it doesn't end, so my initial -- when this whole thing came up and all these losses were taking place, I realized that if I'm going to be responsible for an area, I have to be able to lead the best way that I feel I need to lead, and for the first time, I can definitely say, at least from my district's perspective, there is a feeling of hope that things are changing and they're moving, and I just -- at this particular time, did not want to see another major move. It is my suggestion, and I would like to at least bring it to my colleagues here with me this evening, to ask for their support. My thought -- and what I'd like to have their support on is to at least, at this particular time -- because to get anybody else in -- and I've had conversations back and forth with the City Manager and even the City Attorney on this issue about who could we transition in and out, you know, to get this done, and we just -- you know, we had one person in mind, and then she took a better job, so it just has not been easy, and I think that we need to really take our time in City of Miami Page 56 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 selecting someone to fill Frank's shoes. We just cannot rush doing this, and there's a big fear from the community -- I'm just telling you -- a huge, big fear that this is, you know, just a move to eventually take the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) and fold it back into City government, and I think, honestly, that's the worst thing that we could ever possibly do because the people in the community really, really feel as though they have something, and to take this away is just another thing that they're going to have to lose, so my suggestion, and I would like to have support on, is if we could at least appoint Mr. Jim Villacorta as our interim CRA director, taking Frank's place, because at this particular point, we need someone that has the knowledge and has the -- at least have the ability to address these issues. We need somebody that's going to prepare -- not to say that you're not a great attorney. I think you're going to be an awesome attorney. I'm not taking anything away from you, but I think you need to have somebody there that you could work on the side of that can help you with the issues on a day-to-day basis before you take over that load, and believe me, it is a load, so my -- I've already talked to the City Attorney about it, and -- because right now, Mr. Villacorta works for the City Attorney, and I would never ask this without asking the person he works for, and I was given a favorable answer. Mr. Fernandez: Yes, certainly, and subject to Mr. Villacorta accepting the honor that you may be bestowing upon him, clearly, I've talked to him -- talked with him about the possibilities, and clearly, I would be very much wanting him back into the fold of the City Attorney's Office so that I can use his talents and resources as an attorney in other major City developments, as well as continue, in some capacity, with the CRA, once he finishes his tour of duty, if that's what this group desires to do. Chair Spence -Jones: And I just want to say -- because you know we've been going back and forth on this, Pete, trying to find a solution, trying to find a solution, and you know, by all means, I would definitely want to make sure that you walk -- you know, work hand -in -hand, as we begin to ident, you know, the search to, you know, have someone at least take the place of -- for the CRA director, but I think right now we just need a little stability in order for us to really get through this hump, and based upon our conversation you had with me, you didn't have any issues with it. Pedro G. Hernandez (City Manager): No. Chair Spence -Jones: I just want to make sure. Mr. Hernandez: No issues. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so I guess I got to look on this side to see if I got any issues. Commissioner Regalado: Madam Chair, it is a brilliant idea, and I tell you why. The Manager is about to enter in talks with the County regarding the Parrot Jungle fiasco, and one of the major components for the County and for the City is the CRA, the extension of the lives of the CRA. Now we know that the City Manager understands the system, the County, and you know, it couldn't be the best person to go there and deal with the people in the County, but he's been in WASA (Water and Sewer Authority), in Public Works, directing Fire and Police, but maybe he's not at speed as much on the CRAs, and then we have the possibility of having Mr. Villacorta as the CRA interim director, giving counsel to the City Manager on all CRA issues. That way he would not have to depend on what the County's opinion is about the CRA, but of this board, through the executive director. It is also a brilliant idea because, like you said, this is a decision that it's important for the people in your area, in the Omni, the Park West. You know, dealing with 24-hour entertainment is one of the million things that this Board have to deal with, and to tell you the truth, I, and probably my other colleagues, and you, and Linda will be focusing, during August, and during September, and during October in the City's budget, and not paying attention to what is going on here in the CRA, so we need a person that understands the CRA, City of Miami Page 57 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 understand the way Frank works, and especially, frankly, Mr. Villacorta is a professional, an honest person; a person that has not ever tell us, you know, something that is not the right thing, even if we don't want to hear it. He's an officer of the court, an attorney, so it would be in good hands, so you have my support. We're three here, so -- I guess that probably the attorney will tell you that two out of three is a majority, but I don't know if this is the case, but the thing is that, regardless of the support of the Board, we need to know if the attorney wants to do this. I personally will urge Jim to do it because it will take away a headache from everyone concerned, and knowing (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- Mr. Rollason: All but one. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: All but one. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. Well, you got Advil. You got Advil for that, but you know -- yeah. When he finish working at 4:30 in the morning, he can go -- just go to the clubs and be there for like until 11 a.m., but you know, the City Attorney had plans to have two very good attorneys working in the CRA. Well, let's give the City Attorney the possibility of having two good attorneys working for the CRA; one as executive director, and the other as the City Attorney representing the City and representing the interests of the CRA, so you have all my support. I am making a motion to -- you cannot vote. Commissioner Haskins: I second. Chair Spence -Jones: Oh, I thought you had a question. Commissioner Regalado: The City Attorney cannot vote. Mr. Fernandez: No -- Chair Spence -Jones: Oh, I thought he had a question. Mr. Fernandez: -- but I have a comment to make. Commissioner Haskins: I was going to second. Commissioner Regalado: Well, I'm making a motion to appoint, as interim director, Jim Villacorta from the City Attorney's Office, effective -- Mr. Rollason: August 1. Unidentified Speaker: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: -- August 1. That's tomorrow. Mr. Fernandez: Yes. Mr. Rollason: That's right. Mr. Hernandez: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Regalado: That's today, if we were in Madrid. Mr. Rollason: Right. City of Miami Page 58 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Mr. Hernandez: That's before the clubs open. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Mr. Rollason: And the sad part is, the clubs aren't open tonight. Chair Spence -Jones: I'd like to -- what did you write here? Mr. Fernandez: Yeah. Basically, the -- my handwriting is not too clear, especially -- Chair Spence -Jones: He can't even read his own handwriting. Mr. Fernandez: No, I can't. Certainly, I'll make these comments, but before you take a vote on that motion, after it's properly seconded, you -- before you take the vote, you need to turn to Mr. Villacorta to make sure that he will accept if you make it. Otherwise, you may be embarrassed in making it, and so, you need to, in the process, invite his acquiescence, but in any event, the proper motion would be -- Commissioner Regalado: He doesn't know if he has a second yet. Mr. Fernandez: No. That's right, so maybe -- Commissioner Haskins: I seconded it. Jim Villacorta (Assistant General Counsel, Community Redevelopment Agency): She second it. Chair Spence -Jones: She second. Commissioner Regalado: Oh, she second it. Mr. Fernandez: Oh, you -- oh, OK. Commissioner Haskins: Do you want to do it, Jim? Commissioner Regalado: Yeah, simple. Mr. Villacorta: If it's the Board's will, I'd be happy to help in the transition to a permanent director. I don't think I could fill Frank's shoes or -- Commissioner Regalado: That's all that there is to it. Chair Spence -Jones: Let's -- Mr. Villacorta: -- with the -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- is it -- has --? Mr. Villacorta: -- acquiescence of the City Attorney -- Mr. Fernandez: Of course. Mr. Villacorta: -- and the -- Mr. Fernandez: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to take you back. Move to approve the appointment of City of Miami Page 59 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Mr. Villacorta's interim executive director and authorize the Chair and the City Attorney to work out all of the details of the transition, you know, August 1, August 4, the issue of taking care of all the concerns of Mr. Rollason; making sure that we transition him from one payroll to another, giving him an opportunity to notify the Florida Bar that for a few weeks, a few months, he will not be a practicing attorney, but he will be an executive director, and you know, subject to all of those things. I think the appropriate motion is (INAUDIBLE) -- Commissioner Regalado: OK, subject to all of that -- Mr. Fernandez: Correct. Subject to all of that. Commissioner Regalado: -- it is my -- Commissioner Haskins: Still second it. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: All opposed? None, so motion carries. Let's welcome Jim Villacorta on. Applause. Chair Spence -Jones: Any comments, Jim? Mr. Villacorta: I just want to make clear that Mr. Rollason would be available on an hourly basis to finish 'till October 31 -- to -- Chair Spence -Jones: Can -- you can't -- Mr. Villacorta: -- August 31. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Could you put that closer because I can't --? Mr. Villacorta: That Frank Rollason would be available to -- for the transition until August 31 on an hourly rate. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. If that is -- hopefully, part of this with you being there -- Mr. Villacorta: Um -hum. Chair Spence -Jones: -- will at least alleviate somebody else trying to learn because most the stuff you should already know there -- Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: -- so if we can, Mr. City Manager and Mr. City Attorney, whatever you just -- I guess, you made the -- Mr. Fernandez: Yes. Chair Spence -Jones: -- added these -- Commissioner Regalado: But Madam -- City of Miami Page 60 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 NA.8 06-01401 Chair Spence -Jones: -- things on. Commissioner Regalado: -- Chair, if you excuse me. Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Commissioner Regalado: The motion said that you and the City Attorney -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Commissioner Regalado: -- will -- Chair Spence -Jones: We'll work it out. Commissioner Regalado: -- deal with that. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. I worked out all of that -- Mr. Villacorta: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: -- but welcome on -- welcome aboard. Mr. Villacorta: Thank you. Chair Spence -Jones: All right. We will -- we are going to -- if there's anything else that needs to be said or -- at this point. I think we have a tour tonight, right? William R. Bloom (Special Counsel, Community Redevelopment Agency): Whether Frank is going to serve on a consulting basis during the transition period -- Commissioner Regalado: No, no, no, no. That's going to be worked out by the Chairman -- Mr. Rollason: We'll work that out. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Commissioner Regalado: -- by the Chairperson and by the City Attorney. CRA DISCUSSION BRIEF DISCUSSION REGARDING TOUR OF RESTAURANT. DISCUSSED Chair Spence -Jones: OK. I think we have an official tour of this site right after. Frank Rollason (Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Well, I think we have a problem. Was -- and what came was -- I'm not sure what happened with the TCO. We may have a technical issue about being able to go over there, and I was talking with the young lady representing the restaurant and she told me we got a problem tonight, so I don't know -- Commissioner Haskins: What happened with the inspection? Mr. Rollason: I'm not exactly sure, but she told me that it ain't happening tonight -- Commissioner Haskins: OK. City of Miami Page 61 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Mr. Rollason: -- in technical terms, so I think what we're going to have to do is -- Unidentified Speaker: Take a raincheck. Mr. Rollason: -- take a raincheck and come back, and we'll do that, and -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Before we adjourn, I just -- Commissioner Regalado: But why you don't -- we don't do it subject to the inspection? Mr. Rollason: Let me see what the issue is. Chair Spence -Jones: OK [Later...] Chair Spence -Jones: The meeting is officially -- any other questions before I officially adjourn the meeting? Commissioner Haskins: I'll make the motion to adjourn. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Mr. Rollason: There will be no tour. The individual that is -- by their insurance company is the issue that can give the tour is no longer here, and they will reschedule it, and we'll have a -- earlier in the evening and have a very nice tour of the facility. Chair Spence -Jones: Meeting is officially adjourned. NA.9 06-01402 CRA DISCUSSION DISCUSSION REGARDING PENDING LITIGATION ISSUES BETWEEN THE CRA AND JACKSON SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT. DISCUSSED Direction by Commissioner Haskins to the Executive Director to come back to the Board, at the CRA meeting currently scheduled for September 25, 2006, with a reasonable settlement or update regarding the Jackson Soul Food restaurant. Chair Spence -Jones: While he's seeing what the issue is, I just want to just real fast, before you - - Commissioner Haskins, I just need to ask one quick question just so that I have a clear understanding from -- I mean, Ms. City -- Ms. City Clerk, are you -- is he officially the person now? So do I ask him on behalf of the -- being the attorney, or just -- Priscilla A. Thompson (Clerk of the Board): If -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- I have a question for him. Ms. Thompson: If I'm not mistaken, the motion said effective August 1 -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so I can ask him -- Ms. Thompson: -- which is tomorrow. City of Miami Page 62 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: -- in his City of -- Jim Villacorta (Assistant General Counsel, Community Redevelopment Agency): I'm still the attorney -- Ms. Thompson: He's still the -- Mr. Villacorta: -- for the Board. Ms. Thompson: -- legal advisor. Commissioner Regalado: Or the City Attorney. Chair Spence -Jones: Right, the City Attorney. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. I wanted to ask you this -- we've been talking all night about how we have these dollars set aside for projects that just aren't moving, and I believe, Linda, I don't know when you came -- when you first came on board. I don't think you might have missed it. It might have came later, but I know you know, Commissioner Regalado, this issue with Jackson Soul Food. Commissioner Regalado: Oh, forever. Chair Spence -Jones: Since 1999 -- Commissioner Regalado: Yeah, yeah, forever. Chair Spence -Jones: -- $750,000 has been sitting in the bank. Commissioner Regalado: Forever. Chair Spence -Jones: Forever, and we've been having this huge, big issue about, you know, the fact that this billboard's here, and y'all are negotiating back and forth, and -- but there're two separate issues, correct, Mr. City Attorney? Mr. Villacorta: The billboard is in -- is on property owned by JEJProperties. The grant is to Jackson Soul Food restaurant. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. I just -- Commissioner Haskins: Are those two different owners? Chair Spence -Jones: No. Mr. Villacorta: They're two different corporations -- Commissioner Haskins: Or is it two different owner/principals -- Mr. Villacorta: -- the exact -- Commissioner Haskins: -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Mr. Villacorta: -- stockholders of each firm, I don't know, but I -- City of Miami Page 63 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Mr. Rollason: No. There's some of the same people -- Mr. Villacorta: -- believe that -- Mr. Rollason: -- but they're two separate corporations. Commissioner Haskins: Is it owned by the same people? Mr. Villacorta: I believe Shirlene Ingraham has interest in both corporations. Chair Spence -Jones: But this is what I'm just trying to understand -- and you guys have been doing this a lot longer than I have -- we have this money sitting here, and it's not -- nothing's happening with it. The business is providing job -- Jackson Soul Food is providing jobs to people in the area; they can only open up during lunchtime because their kitchen's not able to expand, you know, which means, if it was able to expand, we would now be able to have them open at least for lunchtime, and sometimes dinner, and all of this work that we're getting ready to do on 3rd Avenue by attracting new businesses in, I'm just trying to understand -- and I've been told by our City Attorney that they're two separate issues, and that one -- and it's even pointed to me on the record that they're two totally different issues, and that it's been advised to this Board that they should not be put together and they should be dealt with separately, and I'm just not understanding why. Mr. Rollason: Madam Chair, if I may -- Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Mr. Rollason: -- add to this. Chair Spence -Jones: Are you still here? Mr. Rollason: It was -- I'm still here. Chair Spence -Jones: OK Mr. Rollason: It's not midnight. I haven't turned into a pumpkin. It was a recommendation of the Administration, when this came up, that they remain separate, and that they be two separate entities, and one had nothing to do with the other. The Board, because of input from other members of the public that felt that they were being set upon as a result of this, mainly dealing with the billboard, convinced the Board that even though legally and technically they were separate, they were one and the same, and until the billboard issue was resolved, the project shouldn't go forward. As far as technically going, it's exactly what the City Attorney says. There're two separate issues; the money is there. The money remains there because that money has been appropriated, not just encumbered for that project, so therefore, we don't double -spend that money on something else, and the direction of this Board was that until we came back with a resolution to the billboard, that this project was not to go forward. Now this Board can take another option -- another direction if they desire. Chair Spence -Jones: I -- Commissioner Haskins: Is this the billboard that went up on the lot that the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) paid for them --? Mr. Rollason: That's correct. City of Miami Page 64 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: OK -- Mr. Rollason: It was on a CRA lot. Commissioner Haskins: -- and I'll tell you. You know, I would -- I'd really like to defer this discussion to the next -- and I have a real issue with -- my district has suffered greatly, and I've gotten lots of calls and e-mails (electronic mails) about billboards, and murals, and all of that, and I tell you, I just think it's not that difficult to live with the rules of the City, and I don't care, one way or the other, if it's two separate legal entities because I'm going to look through that. If it's the same owners, it's the same owners, and if we're talking about $750, 000 for them on top of having done the bill -- done the parking lot, which then got a big billboard put on it and took up I don't know how many spaces, I'm sorry, I do have an issue with that. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Let me say this to you, and I'm glad we have -- since you and I were not here, I want to defer to the member that has been here the longest at least to at least get -- because I wanted to have another insight because I can't talk to you any other time, so can you please tell me, from your perspective, what -- I mean, what you've gathered from the whole thing Commissioner Regalado: Well -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- and why did you guys decide -- Commissioner Regalado: -- I -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- not to give them -- Commissioner Regalado: Look -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- just so that I understand it. Commissioner Regalado: Well, in very simple terms, I think that throughout the years -- and Frank wasn't here, and other people were here -- the CRA has brought this issue back and back and approved support for this restaurant in particular. Throughout the years, somewhere along the line, there have been a red tape that has made impossible for that money to function, and for that money to become part of the development of the area. I personally -- and this is not a legal issue. This is not even a professional -- my sense, my feelings that I have in that case is that the people never saw -- the people from that business never saw the full cooperation or enthusiasm from the City to move forward with the help to that place, and an opportunity just jumped into their hands to have that billboard, huge billboard in the middle, and I think that I -- when that happened, no one noticed, and when that happened, no one cared, and there was no action. The City was sleeping at the wheel with that and other billboards, and that billboard became part of a whole problem that plagues the City, and litigation, and all that, and you know what? Meanwhile, the question that I always ask myself when I pass by and see this is, well, I don't know the economic terms of that agreement that they made, but what I do know is that, once again, the City failed to help a minority business in our municipality, and then they had that option. We have been going back and forth, and frankly, you know, I really don't know what is going to happen because that is not the only illegal billboard in the City of Miami, so that's an issue that -- you know, it's very easy to make an example, have shock therapy with a business so we can please some people, but we cannot have a double standard. We have to go after all the illegal billboards. Commissioner Haskins: I -- and Commissioner Regalado, my understanding is, when this happened, there were Code Enforcement people there immediately. In fact, it was two locations where the CRA had given money for parking lots, so -- (AUDIO INTERRUPTED) -- after that, City of Miami Page 65 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 and my understanding is there were Code Enforcement people there immediately to try to stop that, but I really -- Chair Spence -Jones: And I -- and we don't have to vote on -- Commissioner Haskins: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- Frank, you were -- Chair Spence -Jones: Let me just say that we -- Commissioner Haskins: -- from -- Code Enforcement reported to you at the time -- Mr. Rollason: Listen, we really need to make the record clear. That billboard is not there illegally. It is permitted; it's allowed by the City. The issue came with the covenant from the CRA -- Commissioner Regalado: Right. Mr. Rollason: -- that required that that parking lot only be used -- Commissioner Haskins: For parking, right. Mr. Rollason: -- for parking, and the issue from the CRA perspective, until the Board changes that, is that billboards coming into the area are slum and blight, and we're not in the process of supporting more slum and blight coming. Commissioner Haskins: Because we had another issue with another location, and I -- Mr. Rollason: Right, but that one is not in the CRA. Commissioner Haskins: Right, but it was another one that the City had -- Mr. Rollason: Understand -- Commissioner Haskins: -- funded through Community Development. Mr. Rollason: -- and so when that issue was brought to the Board, the Board's direction was to pursue removing the billboard, and that -- so we've been on that track removing the billboard from the direction -- Chair Spence -Jones: Which -- Mr. Rollason: -- of the Board -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- by all means, I think that we need to stay on that track. Again, I'm -- we don't have to even vote on this. Commissioner Haskins: I have no problem -- Chair Spence -Jones: That's not what this is about. Commissioner Haskins: -- moving -- Chair Spence -Jones: I'm just trying to have a discussion because I can't talk to my colleagues any other -- City of Miami Page 66 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: Right. Chair Spence -Jones: -- time, but this time, and it's very difficult for me because these are my constituents. Commissioner Haskins: Yeah. I have -- Chair Spence -Jones: These are people that, you know, they got to the restaurant. Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Chair Spence -Jones: They're trying to run their restaurant, and if I, as the Commissioner, cannot communicate to them, you know -- and they're showing me transcripts where it clearly says, you know, that there's not a conflict or there's not an issue; that this issue's only because we've created it as a City Commission, I can't help but to ask, you know, why? So it's -- and I'm not trying to, you know, railroad anything in, but I have a responsibility to the folks that I serve, so you guys -- Commissioner Haskins: Madam Chair. Chair Spence -Jones: -- have advised me over and over again that this is not an issue, and I want to just say, I don't know what the issue is from the bill -- Commissioner Haskins: Can I have my say? Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah, sure. Let me just finish my last thought. I sat and listened -- Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Chair Spence -Jones: -- to everybody, and I'm just now adding my little part to it, but as far as the billboard is concerned from me, I don't have the same type of issues about the billboard; I really don't. You know, it's in my district, you know, and the billboard doesn't bother me. Now, because there was a covenant on the land, I think that we need to go ahead and continue -- and I think we have made some headway. I personally sat down with our CRA attorneys, along with the attorneys from that side, trying to negotiate or trying to find out how can we get past some of these issues, and I think that we are making some headway, correct, Jim? Mr. Villacorta: Yes. We -- we're waiting for them to provide a letter of proposal back to us about how we would -- could move the billboard from our parking lot that has the deed restriction -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Villacorta: -- the one that we sold them, to her property, over which we have no control, and they're supposed to have that letter to us by August 12. They're also due to answer in court our suit for breach of the covenant on that deed. Chair Spence -Jones: So they're doing that. Commissioner Haskins: And as -- my issue -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Commissioner Haskins: -- with this is I agree that if we spent money to help this business in building a parking lot, and then the business -- regardless of whether that parcel that the parking City of Miami Page 67 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 lot is on is technically owned by a separate company -- turns around and builds a huge bill -- puts a huge billboard on that parking lot, which was supposed to help them with parking -- Chair Spence -Jones: But have you --? Commissioner Haskins: -- and all the other parking -- I've been there. I've been there. I've been there. Chair Spence -Jones: You know it's only on one -- Commissioner Haskins: I understand it, but it still took -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- it's only on one -- Commissioner Haskins: -- parking spaces away, and we put -- this is all tied up in all the other old CRA parking lots, too, right? With, you know, all the things that were going on -- and I'm more familiar with the other business because it was CD (Community Development) funded, which took away many spaces, when we're trying to help a business by building parking, so I don't think it is that difficult to follow the rules. Everybody -- you know, when these owners got the help from CRA in the first place, or from Community Development, in the case of the other business, in the first place, to have a parking lot built, and you know, it was to support their business, I don't think it showed good faith with the City to put up a billboard on it. Now, if the billboard's going to get moved, and it's going to get moved legally, I don't have a problem releasing the $750, 000, but I wouldn't have a problem with that because I want to see these businesses succeed. It's not about not wanting businesses to succeed. It's about fairness to all parties -- Chair Spence -Jones: Um -hum. Commissioner Haskins: -- because how many businesses have you talked with throughout the City who want parking and need parking? I mean, I hear it everyday, whether it's Wynwood, Edgewater, Biscayne, Coconut Grove; everywhere that I go, businesses need -- but for City funds to be used to build a parking lot -- and I don't care if it's two spaces because that parking lot ain't that big -- Chair Spence -Jones: Um -hum. Commissioner Haskins: -- in the first place -- Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Commissioner Haskins: -- so two is a lot -- Chair Spence -Jones: It's just one space -- Commissioner Haskins: -- you know. Chair Spence -Jones: -- but I don't even want to make an -- I just wanted to have -- Commissioner Haskins: One is a lot. Chair Spence -Jones: -- clarity on the issue, and I'm just going to say -- I just want to say this because, at the end of the day, you know, the restaurant is in my district. Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. City of Miami Page 68 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: It is clearly in my district, and I have very few businesses in Overtown period that are thriving, and Jackson Soul Food is one of the oldest, black businesses that I have in town -- I mean, in Overtown, you know, that's only able to open, you know, in the morning. I don't -- and I -- I don't know what all the history is on it, period, because that's not my issue, but if I'm hearing from my City Attorney, and I'm hearing from the executive director, and I even heard from you, the City Attorney, Commissioner, this is -- this -- they should not be tied together; that this thing is only being put on there because of the Commission saying that they should not -- one should not move over the other, and I had to be able to bring this out today because I'm getting them calling me, and I can't even go to the restaurant -- I'm going to be honest with you -- without either the patrons saying to me, Commissioner, why are you giving them a hard time about them building out this restaurant. Commissioner Haskins: Is this -- is the advice they shouldn't be tied together or you need not tie them together, Jorge? Jorge L. Fernandez (City Attorney): Well, they need not be tied together, but I think, frankly, that while I can categorically say that they need not be tied together, it is a very logical position for the City and the CRA to have taken to tie them together because here we're dealing with an owner of a business, notwithstanding all the issues of the community and all of that, that, in our opinion, has not acted in good faith, and as a matter of leverage, as a matter of policy directive, when the City -- when the CRA made the decision to pursue this course of action, we fully endorsed it. In fact, right now, we have engaged them in settlement negotiations, as Commissioner Spence -Jones has said, and when these are reported back to me, I am, frankly, aghast at the amount of money that they're asking, in a potential settlement, for attorneys' fees. I have instructed Mr. Villacorta, as he negotiates this issue -- because I still think that a negotiated settlement is always better than, ultimately, going to court, especially when you're dealing with a community interest, but that the reasonableness on the part of the owners have got to be present, and to this date, I do not see it, so I will continue, as the general counsel for the CRA, as well as the City Attorney for the City, to insist that we find a fair, just, and equitable solution to this problem; hopefully, sooner than not, and hopefully, through negotiations, rather than court proceedings because in court proceedings, you know, it's all -- it takes a long time and nobody ever wins. I really think that a good settlement is the best way to proceed, and we're aggressively pursuing that, trying to get the owners to be more reasonable, frankly, than they have been to the present. Chair Spence -Jones: Jim -- Mr. Villacorta: I think the -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- and then we're going to close out on the issue. I just had to bring it up. Go ahead. Mr. Villacorta: This came up at a meeting where we were about to fund the contractor to start the work on their restaurant, and the neighbors of the restaurant came to the Board and stood up at the meeting and said why are you giving them money under your grant agreement when they are in breach of their agreement with the CRA to use that parking lot solely for parking. Even though it's two separate -- it then came out that it's two separate corporations, and the Board felt that they would not want to go forward with the grant while they were in breach of their other agreement on the parking lot to use it solely for parking. It's -- we're in court on both of those issues. They're asking for the grant money; we're asking for the billboard to be moved. It's possible that we could be ordered to proceed with the grant, but I'm fairly confident that "solely for parking" means not putting up an 80-foot billboard. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah, and I just want -- and then I'm going to close out on this because I City of Miami Page 69 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 know it's hot, and I'm tired, and everybody else is tired. I just -- I needed to have this discussion because, you know, when I'm being briefed or I'm sitting in these powwow sessions between both groups -- and mind you, wasn't until I came on board that they were even able to sit down to the table together, the family and us, to even have a discussion, but at least their minds are open to trying to address the issue because they felt like somebody was trying to listen, so for me, this -- my only purpose of even bringing this up was for us to try to resolve it. I have to have wins in my district, and unfortunately, this is the -- we're talking about attracting new businesses, which takes time to get up and running, when I have an existing business here right now that really needs the support, you know, so I don't -- you know, I don't know what would be the next step, but I want to try to at least resolve this issue by our next meeting in September because it doesn't make sense for us to keep hold -- 1999; that's how many years? Mr. Rollason: Well, this has been held up not since 1999, but the -- Commissioner Haskins: No. Mr. Rollason: -- project has been since 1999, as you look at the history. I think the direction from the Board is that once we resolve the issue, bring it back to the Board, and if we can do that by September, and the Board is satisfied that the billboard issue has been resolved, then we're off to the races with the other. Commissioner Haskins: I want -- I would like to see a reasonable settlement, so that if -- Mr. Fernandez: Correct. Commissioner Haskins: -- we can't get a reasonable settlement, then it's -- just give us an update at the next CRA meeting because I think there are -- I mean, Michelle, I know that we need new businesses, we need new mom-and-pop's all over the place, we need to preserve -- Chair Spence -Jones: No. We need to support the businesses there -- that are there first. Commissioner Haskins: But we did. Chair Spence -Jones: I'm not even talking about new. Commissioner Haskins: But we did. Chair Spence -Jones: I'm talking about -- Commissioner Haskins: But we did. Chair Spence -Jones: OK I'm talking about -- Commissioner Haskins: We did, and we -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- the one that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) there. Commissioner Haskins: -- asked them to follow some rules. That's -- and I feel -- you know, we asked them to follow some rules -- Chair Spence -Jones: Um -hum. Commissioner Haskins: -- and I think it's -- you know, and -- you know, I -- maybe I'm a little colder about this than in other things, but I got so used to this when dealing with our federal dollars and our state dollars, and -- through Community Development. I don't think it's that City of Miami Page 70 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 difficult to follow the rules, and people that didn't follow the rules, they knew they were not going to be doing business with the City of Miami again because we did not want the situation that some of our counterparts at the County are dealing with now on all sorts of things, so you know, I do think it's not that hard to follow the rules, and I feel very strongly about that, and it's because of where I come from; having dealt with CD, and federal money, and all of that. I just think it's important that we set a standard, and we -- the City did help them. The City did fund a parking lot for them. Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Commissioner Haskins: They did do that, and the City's done a lot, and you know, trying -- the CRA, especially, has tried to do a whole lot. Chair Spence -Jones: Now did we not -- did they not pay for the --? I just want to be clear. Didn't they pay for the lot -- land? Mr. Rollason: They did. Chair Spence -Jones: Didn't they --? Mr. Rollason: The lot was put out for bid under the rules, and they were the only bidder. We also provided them with a mortgage, but that was prin -- interest only for years, and I think when it became evident that not only was the lot in jeopardy, but the restaurant was in jeopardy as the way the two were tied together -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. Rollason: -- they came in very quickly with a check and they paid off the mortgage. Chair Spence -Jones: So I'm asking -- so they paid for these lots? Mr. Rollason: Yes, they did. Chair Spence -Jones: So we didn't give it to them? Mr. Rollason: No, no, no, no. It went -- you can't give away CRA land. Chair Spence -Jones: No. That's not -- Mr. Rollason: It went out to bid. Chair Spence -Jones: -- what I'm asking -- but they paid for it? That's the question. Mr. Rollason: Right. It went out to bid, and they paid for the land. It went out -- Chair Spence -Jones: I -- Mr. Rollason: -- that parking lot -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- understand. Mr. Rollason: -- went out to bid -- Chair Spence -Jones: Do you understand why I'm confused on the issue? City of Miami Page 71 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: But didn't the City build the parking lot, and then -- Mr. Rollason: Well, that's correct. Commissioner Haskins: -- the parking lot went out to bid? Mr. Rollason: It was just -- it -- listen, it was a CRA lot, just like the gentleman that stood up here tonight wanting to develop the other CRA parking lot. Commissioner Haskins: Michelle, that parking lot was built for Jackson Soul Food. Mr. Rollason: It -- right. Commissioner Haskins: Period. Mr. Rollason: It wasn't built for them. Chair Spence -Jones: But -- Commissioner Haskins: It was -- Mr. Rollason: It was built for public parking, and then it was looked at that Jackson Soul Food wanted to have some dedicated parking, and through then -Commissioner Teele, chairman of the Board, the lot was put out for bid -- Chair Spence -Jones: Um -hum. Mr. Rollason: -- and it went out to bid. We received one bid. The bid was from Jackson Soul Food. It went through the process; came before the Board. The Board then awarded that lot to Jackson Soul Food with a structured mortgage, and that mortgage was handled by the CRA. We collected the -- Mr. Villacorta: Payments. Mr. Rollason: -- payments every month, which were in the form of money orders, and then, when this litigation got rolling at a pretty good speed, they came in -- Chair Spence -Jones: They paid it off. Mr. Rollason: -- it was their option; they came in and they paid it off. Commissioner Haskins: Who was -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK Commissioner Haskins: -- the land bought from originally? Mr. Rollason: I beg your pardon? Commissioner Haskins: Who was the land bought from originally before the --? How did the CRA get to own it? Mr. Rollason: That was -- but see, there was a building on that that we (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- Mr. Villacorta: Yeah. We bought the -- it had a rundown apartment building. We bought it -- City of Miami Page 72 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: Um -hum. Mr. Villacorta: -- the CRA bought it for $68, 000 -- Commissioner Haskins: And -- Mr. Villacorta: -- and -- Commissioner Haskins: -- from -- who were the owners on that? Mr. Villacorta: I don't know right off -- Mr. Rollason: I don't know who the owners were on that. We can research -- Mr. Villacorta: It wasn't Shirlene Ingraham. Commissioner Haskins: It wasn't related, and then we built -- Mr. Rollason: No. Commissioner Haskins: -- a parking lot on it. Mr. Rollason: That's correct. Mr. Villacorta: And we demolished the building, built a parking lot for -- Commissioner Haskins: For how much? Mr. Villacorta: -- about $89, 000. Chair Spence -Jones: How much? Mr. Villacorta: It was -- Commissioner Haskins: Eighty-nine thousand. Mr. Villacorta: Eighty-nine, in addition to the sixty-eight that was spent. Commissioner Haskins: Uh-huh. Mr. Villacorta: The parking lot was appraised at 25,000; a minimum bid of 50,000 was demanded when we put it out for bid. The only person to bid was Jackson Soul Food Restaurant. They were given a interest -only loan for the first five or ten years, but the mortgage encompassed the restaurant as well. When the billboard went up and it appeared that they were in violation of that deed restriction and it was going to affect the mortgage, they came in and paid off the mortgage so that they would not lose the restaurant. Commissioner Haskins: So they purchased a $170, 000 parking lot for $50,000. Mr. Rollason: Fifty-eight. Mr. Villacorta: It was appraised at 25. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so -- I mean, again -- City of Miami Page 73 Printed on 8/14/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes July 31, 2006 Commissioner Haskins: It was $89, 000 purchase price and another $89,000 to build the lot. Mr. Villacorta: Sixty-eight not eighty-nine. Mr. Rollason: About 68,000 to build the lot. We put 90 in it, so $150, 000 plus -- that was the parking lot. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so I just wanted to make sure that when we come back in September, we have this item on the agenda so that we can address it, and I'd like to have at least the Jackson Soul Food people here to at least address where we are. I just think that it's an important issue, and -- Mr. Rollason: No. I understand. Chair Spence -Jones: -- you know, I would hate one of the oldest black businesses not to, for whatever reason, not have support, so that's my only point. Mr. Rollason: It'll be on the agenda. City of Miami Page 74 Printed on 8/14/2006